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thelov3lybookworm · 1 year ago

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Remember Me? (Part four)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Summary: Under the Mountain, Y/n met the High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand. She was scared of him, but soon she found out that he wasn't who he pretended to be. Despite her efforts at not falling in love with him, she fails. It's not that bad as he loves her back.

But now he's gone, and she's left alone with nothing.

Except for a very adorable reminder of him.

•○●⛦●○•

Tw: secret pregnancy, none more that I can think of, so let me know if I need to add anything.

A/n: very small chapter, but I felt like adding more to this part would not be good, so I'll try my best to write the next chapter quickly. Though I will not make any promises as my exams start from Wednesday, and I need to study for them.

•○🌑○•

Y/n glared at the redhead at her doorway.

She wanted to tell him to leave, but she couldn't turn him away now that her son had seen the visitor.

Eris smiled at Fin, stepping closer to the threshold, and Y/n almost slammed the door in his face in a panic that gripped her. Eris's eyes flew to her, and he raised his hands. He gave her a look that said no harm intended.

She hesitantly inched the door open, wondering about what his motives might be in visiting them, especially in the dead of the night. It also didn't help that her son was so eager about a stranger.

She'll have to have a chat with him.

But for now, she let Eris in.

He stepped in, nodding at her before again turning to Fin, grinning.

"It's good seeing you again."

Due to the heavy rain outside, Eris was dripping wet, droplets of water cascading down his body and dropping everywhere from his soaked clothes. And she wouldn't clean it, especially when the person making the mess wasn't welcome.

"I hope you realise you are making a mess. You will be cleaning it."

Eris blinked at her as she shut the door and turned to him, her arms crossed across her chest. "You're talking to me?"

"I don't see anyone else I could be talking to. You are soaked and dripping water everywhere. I will not be cleaning it."

"Oh, alright."

And despite everything, she watched intently as his clothes dried up, his body glowing lightly. Even the small puddle that he had created on the floor hissed and vanished, as if it never existed.

Fin gasped, staring wide eyed at the display of magic. "How did you do that?!"

"It's my magic, young one."

"Really?" Fin stared at the Autumn Court's High Lord in wonder.

"Really." Eris smiled.

"What else can you do?"

"Hmm. I have fire magic, so I can do anything related to it."

Fin giggled, grabbing Eris's hand and tugging him into the living room.

Y/n sighed. She really did need to talk to her son.

She could do that later. At the moment, she decided to follow them. But after she made some tea. It was late, and she could feel a headache coming.

By the time the tea had brewed and she poured it into two cups, Eris had made himself at home on her couch. He was leaning back, nodding along as Fin showed him his toys.

Eris glanced back, realising Y/n was back. He straightened, still nodding along to Fin, but now looking at her.

She set a cup down in front of him, leaning against the doorframe leading towards the staircase that led to their bedroom.

She just watched as Fin and Eris played, Fin mostly running to his toys box, bringing out a new toy, handing it to Eris, and then running back to get something new.

Within a few moments, there was a pile of toys next to Eris on the couch, and never once did he stop paying attention to the little child speaking enthusiastically. He didn't seem to notice anything other than Fin.

Which was cute.

Y/n didn't know where that thought came from, but it did.

•○🌑○•

Y/n sighed. It had almost been an hour since Eris had arrived, and Fin showed no signs of stopping.

Eris had, at some point, begun to make figurines out of his fire magic, making little animals float above his hands before making them run through the air around a giggling and squealing Fin.

By midnight, Y/n's restrain snapped.

"Finnian. Its time for bed. Come on, let's go."

Fin looked up with placating eyes. "Please mama. Just a few more–"

"You better get back to the bedroom young man, before I yell at you. We both know we don't want that." She said, gentle but stern.

His eyes filed with tears and he dropped the toy he was holding in his hand into the box. After that, he simply waddled away.

Y/n watched his every move until he disappeared upstairs, guilt gnawing at her heart. She sighed before turning back to her unwanted guest.

He sat there looking extremely uncomfortable. He sat at attention when her eyes met his, looking ready to bolt.

She walked closer, her arms folded across her chest. He stood up quickly when she entered his personal space.

"Eris." She regarded him coldly. "I don't know what you want with me or my son. I don't know why you are so interested in our lives. But I do know that I will not be tolerating your bullshit until you give me a good reason not to gut you like a fish. You hear me?"

He nodded, opening his mouth. She didn't give him a chance.

"Good. Now get out. And don't show your face until you have a good reason."

She made to turn away, but Eris interrupted her.

"I can't leave. Have you seen the rain outside? I'll catch a cold. And where will I go–"

"There's plenty of places where you can crash for the night. For instance, an Inn in Velaris could surely accommodate you. And as for you being wet, you can perform your little party trick to dry up."

"Come on, it's just for one night! I'll leave in the morning. Please, he would want me to stay."

Y/n sighed deeply. "Eris. Get. Out. If you are so desperate to spend time with my son, then you can come back later. For now, I not letting a practical stranger live under the same roof as my son."

The two of them had a staring competition for a few moments before he caved.

"Fine." He turned away, walking out of the door. She slammed it shut the moment he stepped fully over the threshold.

She leaned back against the door, staring up at the ceiling. Tears of frustration pricked at her eyes.

Why was it always her?

It wasn't fair, her life being filled with hardships.

First she got pregnant with the child of a male she thought loved her, then she had to run away from home when she found out she was with child. She had to live in a cottage all alone, never stepping outside for fear that her father would be waiting to capture her. She raised her son all by herself, knowing nothing about how to care for a baby.

And now, she had run into the father of her child, who wanted nothing to do with her, had no hand in raising the child, but still thought he was entitled to him.

And a practical stranger was so invested in her and her son's life that he was showing up to their door in the middle of the night.

Life was just great.

She let out a frustrated breath before retreating to her bedroom, where she found Fin lying down, facing away from the door. If she hadn't been paying attention, she would have thought that he was asleep.

But he wasn't. She could hear faint sniffling sounds coming from him, and her heart broke in her chest.

She hadn't yelled at him by any means, but she knew she still hurt his feelings.

She slowly tiptoed behind him, lying down and then snaking an arm around his small frame.

"Hey." She whispered. He stayed quiet.

When she tried to tug him back towards her so she could hug him, he wiggled away angrily. "I'm sorry. Could you consider forgiving me?"

He shook his head, his sniffles increasing.

"Please tell me why you are angry my love."

She tried to tug him back again. This time he let her.

He was quiet for a few moment as she combed her fingers through his hair. "You didn't let me play with him. You almost yelled at me."

"I'm sorry for that." And she was sorry. Because she knew it wasn't his fault she was insecure and scared of trusting others. "Really. Please forgive me?"

He turned to look at her, his face red and wet, tears lining his eyes and lashes. "I wanted to play with him mommy."

"You can play with him some other time. It was getting late and you could have gotten sick if you stayed up long. I'm still sorry for almost yelling."

He nodded, scrunching his tiny little face. "Okay. I forgive you."

She held back a grin, feeling bad for wanting to laugh at his despair. No one should blame her though, kids were just funny like that.

"Thank you very much."

"Where is he now?"

"He left. He is staying somewhere else."

"Why? He could have stayed here with us."

"Baby, do you remember what I told ypu about strangers?" When he nodded, she continued. "He is a stranger to you, is he not?"

Fin stayed quiet.

"You should not trust strangers so much."

"But you know him mama. He is not a stranger if you know him right?"

He got her there.

"Yes darling, but I don't know him well. I'm not saying you should not play with him. I'm just saying you should be careful around other strangers. And I am also trying to understand why you like him so much."

He played with his fingers for a couple of moments before answering.

"Because I don't have anyone to play with."

She stilled, then whispered. "What?"

He nodded, not meeting her eyes.

"I don't have any friends, other than Sam and Nyx. And I don't even play with them that much. I feel very lonely mama."

Her heart cracked for what felt like the hundredth time that night.

She realised that in her need to protect her baby from the evil of this world, she had kept him from the happiness and joy too.

And that would simply not do.

"You have me to play with." She pointed out weakly.

"But you have been very busy and you seem very stressed all the time. I didn't want to disturb you."

She beat back the tears that threatened to clog her throat. "I will never be too busy to play with you. And you don't have to worry about disturbing me. Ever." Then, she added. "If it helps, Eris is going to come by tomorrow. I told him he can come to play with you."

She didn't know if that would happen, considering the verbal lashing that she gave him before kicking him out. Though she did hope he came by, because nothing was more important to her than Fin's happiness. And as for his safety, she was there to protect him.

He instantly brightened. "Really?"

Smiling, she nodded. He squealed before burying himself in the pillows, smiling at her.

She just hoped Eris would not leave Velaris without meeting Fin.

•○🌑○•

Part 5

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mommyofkittens · 9 months ago

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A Court of Fallen Heroes - Chapter 8: Jane Doe

𓆩✴𓆪

" So, do we have a deal? " Impatience. Impatience was written all over King Draegan's voice, like a child ready to receive his Christmas present. " As you can see, our lands are really going to waste. There's almost nothing left to save. Our fields are barren, our rivers are poisoned by irreparable amounts of waste, our birthrate has plummeted and our workforce has dwindled alarmingly. We're no longer a threat, if that's what's stopping you from making a decision. "

I look at the copper-coloured ornament that protects his toes and think of all the poverty he described. Those perfect boots, cleaned by the hands of a man whose salary wasn't even enough to feed himself and his children.

Sell all your gold to those who need it, save the nation from poverty, do something to prevent it, not increase it, you fools!

I was expecting Eris to say something similar to what I was thinking, I wanted him to be a good character in this situation, to finally fight for this cause, but I knew there was more to it than a simple gesture of kindness between continents.

" The best I can do for now is to send someone to help you with the water, it would be a first step towards restoring the wells and rivers. " The redhead steps sideways, blocking the bed with his tall body. " My father will be happy to help you. I believe there's still hope between us, the new generation of rulers. "

I press my face to the ground, trying to catch a glimpse of the man who made Aoife pregnant. The tassels caught by the guild hung low, blocking most of my view. I could barely see up to their knees.

" It would be an immeasurable honour to have High Lord Beron in the palace. He and I have shared some grand ideas for the future of our lands, for the best use of the consumable races that seem to multiply every day. " I grimace, feeling the dark, malicious smile spread across Draegan's pleasant features. " And with the scientist your father sent me, it would be much easier to test the limits of our horizons. Wouldn't it, Lord Vanserra? "

A ball of thorns blossoms in my stomach, accentuating the guilt, feeding my anger. I bite my inner cheek, tasting blood on my tongue. What did he mean by 'consumable races'? What's the horizon that both Draegan and Beron aspire to? I struggle under the bed, waiting impatiently for Eris's answer, hoping he wasn't involved in this plan, wishing he was faking it.

Eris's silence is loud. He was caught on the wrong foot. Is what I needed for him: let him be shocked by their own wickedness. He remains near the edge of the bed, forgetting that he had to follow Draegan inside the antechamber.

" Excuse me, yes, it would be. " Eris takes a deep breath, steadying himself. " I was just thinking about the stability of Prythian. Politics have gone mad lately, my father is buried under all the paperwork and I believe he will not be able to honour any of your invitations to dinner. "

Draegan's laughter chills my blood more than the icy black marble. " I've heard about it too. A friend of mine from Vallahan informed me about all the damage. We are all suffering, right? Why not suffer together, strengthen each other's weakness. "

" But curiosity gets the best of me: what do you mean by consumable races? "

" Ah... " The King's black boots, perfectly fitted to his muscular calves, turn towards Eris. " It's just something I mentioned to your father on his last visit. It's a delicate subject, I can't discuss it with you between so many hungry ears. I'll tell you when the time is right. And the soldiers of your court have done a wonderful job with the new recruits to our army. "

Eris takes a few cautious steps towards the small wooden table where I left the white linen sheets. He seemed to be looking out over the balcony at the vast gothic empire, as if realising the damage already done. " And the soldiers... Of course. "

His tone was even, cold, an unmistakable tension in his words, as if he had been slapped across the face several times in the space of ten minutes: his father, the cursed friendship between their kingdoms, all the help Beron was sending behind his back. These soldiers could be seen as a sign of betrayal to Prythian and their shared interest in these consumable races was a bad omen, too.

As far as I remember, the Autumn Court was to the east, on the outer side of the continent. It probably wouldn't be much of a blow to the continent, given its external position. The only problem is that, with the right help, they could easily split Prythian in two, all they needed to do was wipe out the weaker surrounding courts. At the moment, that weak link was the Spring Court, which, with few inhabitants and a seriously ill ruler, would be just the place. And most importantly, it was on the border with the people they wanted to enslave.

Something is boiling in my chest, sour and malicious, threatening to consume me completely: injustice and weakness. Two feelings I'd become familiar with, but still not used to. This wasn't about the unfairness of my university, about working my ass off just to get the same grades as another kid who didn't work half as hard as I did. No, this was worse, it was about people's lives, innocent people who didn't even seem to know what was about to happen to them.

I try to steady my breath as best I can, afraid that his sharp hearing might catch me sneaking inside his bedroom. It was difficult to breathe properly anyway, due to the fact that I was lying on my stomach with my weight crushing my lungs.

" You mentioned earlier that... we were expecting guests? " Eris asked carelessly, strolling noisily into the waves of grey light pouring over the open balcony. Waves of dust rose into the air, whirling seductively. I place my hand over my nose and mouth, hoping to prevent any of those particles to activate my allergies.

" Are you afraid of being seen here? " There was something strange in his tone, as if he expected Eris to betray him in any moment.

"Under no circumstances. My business is mine alone and no one has the right to accuse me of anything. I don't really give a flying fuck about other people's opinions, Draegan. I'm just curious who I'm going to meet tonight. An Illyrian, then? "

I don't dare move closer to the edge of the bed, to watch the exchange of glances that pierce the silence of the room. Clinging to the frozen floor with my entire body, I felt my heart beat wildly, accelerating at the mention of the winged man. If it was someone I knew, was there any chance of talking to him? Could I catch him alone?

Draegan chuckles slightly and I hear him bang his fist on the door the way I died earlier. The key doesn't fall as it should and I swallow dryly as he bangs another fist, waiting for the familiar clang of metal, "Very peculiar. "

His brief comment makes my mouth drool and the bile rises in my throat, bringing with it a bitter taste.

" Is something wrong? " Eris pauses with his heels turned towards me, summoning his nonchalant demeanour.

" You didn't happen to notice if anyone was here before us, did you? " His tone changes completely in the blink of an eye, his words flowing through his teeth, full of violence and tension.

" Perhaps one of your maids? She forgot these old sheets as well. " The redhead sugests warily, feeling the wave of negative energy coming from Draegan.

" Hmpf... As for you question... " He abruptly changes the subject, stopping on command his other personality from rising to the surface. " I have no clue, either. The letter I received doesn't mention a certain name. A precaution for highway robbers. I guess the both of us we'll be just as surprised. "

Draegan steps into the antechamber, then seems to signal Eris to follow him, because after a few seconds, the door closes behind them, leaving me alone under the bed.

This is the time to get out of here and run for my life. I follow the corridor back to the central room, where most of the servants leave their clothes and bags and take on their servant personas. Rivers of words flow through my mind, trying to make connections, to link what I learned to what I already knew from the books. One of my problems was that the next book in the series wasn't written yet, so I had not idea if the Autumn Court would really betray Prythian, and secondly, It didn't matter what the book said, I changed the course of events. From now on, it depended on the choices everyone was going to make, including me. Our fate was sealed.

I felt blood on the tip of my tongue. My old habit of bitting my lips came rushing back. I found the map and lost it in less than ten minutes. I had to get it back, and that meant following Eris closely, which also meant getting too close to Draegan.

It wasn't a secret that I was terrified of these people, of fae and their dumb ways. Draegan and his ill mind was one of my greatest fears, for now, and not just because of his slippery fingers and overly suggestive looks, but apparently he was smarter than he seemed. I'd rather be trapped undergroung and suffocate than feel this man close to me, touching me.

For this reason only, Aoife was a hero. She endured too much and only because she needed those money for her family. Could I ever reach this level of devotion?

My fears weren't even my main problem, Eris Vanserra was. I can't begin to comprehend what has gotten into him, what sort of devil possessed him to help me. I knew he wasn't totally evil, like some people around here liked to portray him, but he wasn't good either. He went to great lengths to hide me, to conceal the scent I left on the objects I touched. I knew faes where michievous, their help was never to be taken for granted. Was I prepared to offer him what he wanted?

Failure after failure, I couldn't even find out who the winged visitor was. There was a clear antipathy between the kingdoms, even before Prythian gutted the former king. This meeting would not end well.

I hide my hands between my skirt and make my way through the servants. Niven and I had certain hours when we could sneak in here, when most of the servants would go up and prepare the main room for the upcoming guests.

I do my best to arrange napkins and to clean their silverware, waiting for the clock tower to ring three times to announce lunchtime. A breeze of fresh grass and sunflowers makes me aware of the presence next to me.

" Have you found anything? " Niven's whisper is so low, that I can barely grasp the sentence through my stupid hat.

I nod, slowly raising my head to see if there are more people around. " There's a detailed map in Draegan's antechambers. " I point my finger at the brunette before she has a chance to scold me for going into the king's wing. " But there's another problem that has arisen. I'm trying to solve that as well. "

" Don't tell me you've been caught sneaking around his chambers! " Her doe eyes are wide open, black and dilated with shock. " Fuck... Did he?... "

" No! No... Don't worry, everything's under control. "My lie caused her eyebrows to touch slightly and if I didn't know her better, I would have known that she was scolding me with that look. " I have to meew with someone to get the map back, that's all. "

" Who caught you? "

I smack my lips together, tasting that bile from earlier still lingering between my teeth. " Eris Vanserra. "

A napkin flows to the stone floor, slipping from Niven's gloved hands. The tension in her body makes her tremble slightly and I see her swallow. " I'll go after the map. "

I can't hide the surprise written all over my forehead and eyebrows, the only visible parts of my face. " No. Never in a million years. Your familly has already done their part. I'll be the one to do the nasty things from now on. "

" You're not a spare part of this mission. " Niven bites back, glaring at me furiously. " You can't put yourself in any danger! "

" I beg your pardon? If anyone has to come out of this hurt or dead, it's me. You have to keep your family under their radar and safe. "

" Under their what? " Niven asks skeptically and for a moment i forget that we're not in my old world, where a ' radar ' was a common knowledge.

" Under their curious eyes. I lost the map, I'll get it back. " I declare, throwing the silverware back in their baskets.

Niven rolls her eyes and catches my shoulders between her rather strong palms. " If you die somewhere along the way, we're doomed. You need to get that through your head, Cyan. You die, we all die. Finished. You can't throw yourself around, hoping it'll work out in the end. You must stay alive untill the end. "

Good God. How do I talk her down of this bullshit?

" Look, Eris saw me in those rooms, he knows me, he will only give me the map. Not you, not anyone else. Let me fetch it and then you can do your part of the job. I won't interfere... "

I can see her thinking deeply, her eyes moving frantically around the stone chamber, focusing on every small detail of this cold room. Her dark lashes were so long that they were shielding almost completely her eyesight, resting beautifully on her cheeks.

" Very well. Do what you know you need to do, but it's the last time. "

I smile behind my mask and without thinking if anyone could see us, I throw my arms around her, embracing her warmth and the feeling of familiarity. She wanted to carry my burden, but she had her own and for that I could only love her more than I already did.

It hit me just then how deeply I was about to miss this woman, my sould sister.

𓆩✴𓆪

Author's PoV

' The Three Dead Kings are waiting for their Daughter. '

Somehow, Elain had managed to creep back into his mind, like a persistent trickle of water carving a path through a rock. She hadn't done it on purpose, the lone fae had been tending to her garden all morning: watering, digging holes, moving flowers from place to place. She hadn't sought the attention of anyone in particular, nor had she struck up a conversation with any of them, as if her noisy mind was enough to seek refuge in the peace of her safe space.

And the winged man, like any respectable spy around town, was content to watch over her from the window of his room, satisfying his need to have her from afar. Even if he was only making a fool of himself, putting salt on a wound he never knew he had.

In the light of recent events, Azriel understood why she was acting more strangely than before, and that left him with a bruised ego. In the small remnant of hope he had so carefully guarded, the Shadowsinger thought that perhaps, deep down, she was suffering from his dangerous journey, that perhaps she was plagued by worry and dark thoughts, for him, for his safety.

But he was a selfish prick, utterly blinded by the need to project his desire for belonging onto someone else.

Azriel huffed from under his black hood, disgusted with himself. If there was one thing he hated more than anything else in the world, it was begging someone for attention. After all, that's what he did for eleven years, trying in vain to win his father's affection and what did he received? A dark, cold cell, under a house full of happy laughs. He despised that with all of his wicked, hollow heart and funny enough, that's what he always found himself doing: begging to eat trash.

Elain's strange behaviour was later explained: her gifted power demanded to be let out. She kept it under control until she lost her ability to keep it in check. It seems that for both sisters the benefits of becoming Fae came at the cost of less desirable things.

The sun's head slowly peeked out from behind the Night Court's sacred mountain as he left his chambers. Azriel glanced back many times, his weary eyes resting on the sleeping city he used to call ' home '. Lately, he wasn't sure if ' home ' was Velaris anymore, ravished by the feeling of not belonging, of missing something he longed for for nearly three hundred years. He understood the message his body was sending: he would rather be away from the House of Wind than with his family.

He'd left before six in the morning, having been awake from his sinful thoughts since four. He had time to warm up his muscles in the ring for half an hour, then cleaned up and got something to eat. Azriel never said goodbye to anyone, he never did that before a mission. It was what motivated him to keep coming back.

Besides, there was no way he could: Cassian was fast asleep, tired of his futile attempts to get Nesta to train and their bickering. Rhys had given him the task of extracting information from Vassa, Jurian and Lucien, which somewhat compensated for the fact that Azriel was now busy with something else. Even Nesta wasn't awake at those hours, his hearing was far too fine and his brave shadow, who often chose to be his companion through sleepless nights, knew everything that went on in the corridors. So the reason the older sister slept late was the delicious wine she stole from Rhysand.

Two days had passed since he landed in the vast and desolate western continent, two days of hopeless searching, of questions with no answers. The nights weren't any better. He camped in the woods, with no fire to warm his flesh, only his shadows as friends to watch his back. It was good when he could steal thirty minutes of sleep. It was even better when he didn't have that tingling sensation that he was being watched when the night fell. He was thankful that the amber perfume vanished. Amren was right when she told him it will pass. But the one who followed him closely through both cities he visited was another presence, someone who smelled of berries.

Azriel ignored it. He wasn't the one to do that with his problems, but he already had too much on his plate. This seemingly deserted land, with all its goods left to rot, was already a threat to his life.

The words from Elain's vision were on a loop in his head, keeping him aware, trying to focus on solving that riddle. Amren was contacted in an instance, she was the only one with enough knowledge on this obscure spectrum. After all, she was the one who discovered the fallen woman.

Squeezing his wings tighter around him, Azriel slipped through the crowded markeplace of Nyzim, the second vilage on his list. He was disgusted every time his massive wing touched another civilian, feeling their filthy clothes brush against the thick membrane. The man tried to think of them as harmless people who hadn't had the good fortune to wash often, due to the lack of water in this place or the lack of hygiene that seemed to be a basic rule here. He tried his best to watch over them with patience and serenity, but it was almost impossible when all he got in return were frowns and dirty looks.

He'd grown accustomed to the more than shocked, even horrified, stares of the surrounding humans. Still, he thanked himself for the view, and enjoyed the fact that all the people ran away from him, making room for him between the shabby stalls. It was better for his wings.

With the hood of his cloak pulled low over his piercing eyes, he watched every movement without having the need to turn his head. His shadows waited meekly on his round shoulders, also hidden beneath the black cloak that covered his Illyrian costume and weapons.

There was no need to ask questions, not always. His loyal companions would bring him all the information he needed, both wanted and unwanted, without him making too many moves that would attract more attention. The squinting looks he received were not uncommon, nor were the mean whispers his braver shadow provided him, coiled in his ear like a domesticated snake.

Azriel was used to being insulted and treated inhumanely since childhood, so he knew how to fend off all these unspoken attacks, shutting himself behind an iron, impenetrable mask.

His far too long activity in the field had made him a calculated, well-behaved and, above all, rational man. So the fact that Azriel already passed through two villages without anyone noticing anything out of the ordinary was an expected and already digested knowledge. Nothing surprised him. Azriel also suspected that the palace was already announced by the winged silhouette that haunted the villages around the kingdom and that made him stand stiff as a bow, ready for any approach from the new rulers of the continent.

Azriel shifts his gaze to the village priest, silently directing his shadows at the old man's temples. The Shadowsinger could sense him from a few metres away, even without the aid of his dark tongues. He noticed his slippery hands, his red nose and the rhythmic ticking of his head: a chronic drinker who had suffered a heart attack. He also seemed to love the villagers' money more than his children, who lay barefoot and dirty around him.

The shadow came back unnoticed, rippling faintly in the damp atmosphere. Azriel closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing the base of his nose. No one sensed a change in time, no one noticed a woman who didn't belong, no one slept more than usual on any given night, and no one smelled the haunting scent of amber.

The other day, he sat for hours on several rooftops, enveloped in total darkness, listening, analysing, sending several shadows around the place, inside these people's houses, intruding their privacy, searching under every rock, only to find nothing. He realised soon after that this was not the place he was looking for.

All the women looked the same: pale, hungry and dirty. He even read statistics about the female population of Hybern, looking for a pattern to help him distinguish the one he was looking for from the rest. They all had brunette features: dark-haired, tall and well formed enough to carry the hard work of the field, brown or black eyes and their foreheads wrinkled with worry. Many couldn't read or speak, all had two or three children behind them, and when Azriel tried to read their minds, they seemed just as confused and burdened by their daily lives. His attention was heightened when he spotted a rare blonde, and watched her with interest, but soon realised that her energetic imprint was deeply rooted in this place.

It was harder than he expected.

Amren tried several solutions to the problem of finding the woman. She searched hard for spells and even insisted on bringing Nesta to help them, relying on her connection to the Cauldron. To no avail, for they had absolutely nothing that belonged to the stranger, and since she was apparently not yet 'formed', as Amren had put it, they could not track her at all. She could be in the depths of Hel itself, they wouldn't know, and they couldn't help her.

For once, luck had somehow smiled upon them. When Elain appeared the other day, at exactly seven in the morning, hands raised above her head as if waiting for a ray of sunshine to slip through her slender fingers, everyone seemed to be biting their tongues. Her eyes were filled with a bright white smoke and her face was set in a grimace of satisfaction. It was as much relieving as it was terrifying. Her voice had taken on that mystical hue as she pronounced the syllables, thickening a few octaves and capturing a shuddering effect on all who wittnesed the event. Even his shadows went mad, swirling around him like a dizzy vortex.

" When the remaining ruins bathe in her blood and the Onix Oasis cries out her name, the earth's womb will open and darkness will flow. She leaves with a promise, returning with a crown carved from the ancient bones of her fathers. There are three dead kings waiting for their daughter. "

Azriel was there to catch her when she collapsed, exhausted of her own strength, touching her almost tenderly on her cold, supine cheeks, silently encouraging her. Rhys was the first to prick his mind, waking him from his reverie. He felt as if someone had thrown cold water on him.

This prophecy was bigger than the ones she had uttered before, broader, more difficult. Everyone in the room knew what it was about, or rather who it was about: the Comet Woman. Amren almost danced with joy, glad to have something new to decipher, like a dog with a bone, running to find everything she could while the sentence was still fresh.

The dreary weather in Hybern did nothing to improve his low morale.He couldn't understand how people could live in such conditions, without natural sunlight, without colourful, ripened fruit. Azriel slipped nimbly through a group of men, tempted to grab an apple from a blind woman's stall. He reached for his silver coins and took three between his gloved fingers, more than necessary, and threw them on the woman's counter, so that she could hear the clink of each coin.

" It's too much. " She mutters hoarsely, seeming to watch him very closely with her strange, purple, parasitic pupils. " The guards will come and collect them if I make more than what my shop has to offer. "

Azriel considered the old woman for a while, his whiskey-like eyes boring into those of the fourth-aged lady. A strange smell rose to his nose, old and pungent, of medicine and strange potions. Berries, he sensed, but it seemed highly unlikely that a sixty something woman could follow him through the forest. Her wavy white hair was covered by a wool hat and she had several layers of blankets and petticoats folded on her back.

" If they come, tell them that I stole from you. They'll be too busy coming after a thief and you can take some of your food back home. "

" Then be a good boy and cover me. " The old woman gave him a wry smile and took the money from the counter, stuffing some of her vegetables back inside her rusty bag.

Azriel used his magic to darken their position, creating a nice glamour for those around. " Go now, and keep your pets close, there's something bad waiting at the end of your journey. "

The man didn't have time to process as some children's cries pierced his sensitive ears, causing him to nod in the direction of the sounds. He turned back to the mysterious woman, trying to get more information from her, but the place where she stood only moments ago, behind the stall, was now empty.

Azriel clenched his fists, calling upon every rational cell of his body. The shadows hidden beneath his travelling robes murmured, equally dazed, unable to sense the old woman's aura. The situation was uncomfortable for a spy, as if he were talking to a ghost. But it was impossible, the conversation had taken place, all her vegetables and fruit lay untouched in baskets, but the furs and money were gone, as was the smell of dead leaves and berries.

Maybe she was the one following him, after all.

The people around eyed him. Azriel felt like an animal in a cage. An imaginary circle formed around him, like a shield, which everyone tactically avoided, not wanting to challenge him.

" Have you seen the woman sitting here? " Azriel directed a question towards the peasant sitting right across him.

The man he was addressing quickly went from shock to horror and backed away a little. With outstretched hands he reached for a knife hidden under the counter and whispered, " No one was ever here, sir. "

Azriel looked shaken and took a few minutes to recalibrate. Since the comet had fallen, the universe seemed even more enraged against Azriel's being, as if what he had to endure was not enough. He nodded resignedly, trying to maintain an outward calm. How did she vanish into thin air? He couldn't ever trace her using her stench.

There were few things that stretched his patience to the limit, and being taken for a fool was one of them. He had no idea who the old woman was or what she was trying to tell him. Maybe she was a spy for the kingdom, maybe she was a witch, or maybe she was just a simple woman trying to play a trick on a man who had shown her a mediocre amount of kindness. That seemed to be the pattern in these places.

He hurried his pace, eager to escape this damned village as quickly as possible. This place was forgotten by the saints.

Next on his list was Thaibar, a few kilometres to the east, a distance he quickly decided to cover on foot, hoping that he might still find something interesting, something that would lead him to the woman.

Amren mentioned that the place where the comet struck should be turned into a monument of some kind, from which ancient magic would flow. It could be anything: a temple, an oasis, a hole, anything energetically charged to the brim. Azriel relied on his senses to locate the place, but nothing of this magnitude had appeared. Surely the one who had fallen was no longer there, if she was conscious and able to walk. Even though they had speculated that time had looped around her to help her survive, her unharmedness was not a certainty.

Azriel crossed the dense forest that separated Nizym from Thaibar without incident, allowing his shadows to spread freely between the slender trunks of the trees. He enjoyed the oppressive silence that hung over the thin branches, using this hour of travel as a kind of mini-vacation before facing the outside world. A few metres to the right lay a vast and barren plain, as if the earth had been cursed so that no fruit would live long in this area.

He came to a halt and frowned, feeling like there was something amiss with that meadow. There was something... peculiar in the air, as if the dust particles were full of their own life, floating into those little rays of sunshine, bathing in that small, warm glow. Azriel could hear it, buzzing like a million bees in the distance, like a song hummed by the birds. The Shadowsinger was suddenly overcome with serenity, his companions danced around him, thrilled by the same mute music. But there was nothing on that field, only a lonely dogwood tree marking the middle of the land.

Azriel knew in that second that this was the place he was looking for, Thaibar.

He became slightly optimistic, bewitched by that intense feeling.

The trees, no matter how many they were, were thin and dry inside, with few leaves hanging almost withered from the branches. He removed his hood for a few seconds, letting his brunette hair fall loosely on his forehead and bravely looked around. Listening carefully, he came to the interesting conclusion that this forest was home to an impressive number of animals: bears, wolves, foxes, squirrels, including snakes, as if they had all been attracted by something.

Azriel became interested in this place, sending a silent question to his shadows that now stretched across the forest, hidden in every dark corner. One thousand three hundred species of animals had left their hibernation and come here almost a month ago. A time that coincided perfectly with the Summer Solstice and the fall of the comet. Most of these wild animals were female.

However, they had not attacked, killed or caused any harm to each other, living in total harmony. Perhaps even the people of the village were unaware of the danger that lurked in the forest. Maybe they had just gathered here to watch, to... protect?

As he approached the edge of the forest, Azriel noticed the dense mixture of smells in this place. Nearly a hundred people had gathered here, repeatedly. The yellowed grass was stuck to the wet ground, trampled as if someone had been dancing here for hours. In the centre were the logs of a campfire, with many more improvised chairs and to the left was a thick tree trunk, cut in two and placed in the shape of a table.

He walked around a few times, looking at the area where the party had been held, noting in his mind that it had been held near the edge of the forest, avoiding the dense part of the woods as if they knew it was not a safe place at night. Azriel stopped, planting his heavy, muddy boots on the ground. The murmur of his shadows suddenly died in his ears, as if they felt the same thing as their master. He took a few steps back, careful not to tarnish what he felt.

Azriel felt the blow in his neck before it reached his lungs. He took a deep breath, sniffing again and again, trying to kick some ration into himself. He tried to convince his body that it was not true, that someone was still spying on him, tricking him, but there it was, that devilish, atrocious smell.

But instead, it was his brave shadow that admitted it: Green, green amber...

Those tongue made of darkness dissipated around him and took the form of a person, a woman, a few metres in front of him, small and faceless. He felt a pressure settle on his chest, heavy and poisonous, bringing Azriel's bad temper to the surface. He swallowed hard and spun around his shadows, as if to imprint on his retina the body of someone he had not yet met, of that someone who haunted him nights after nights. Only then, amidst the mixture of grass, flowers, jasmine and ashes, did he detect the distinct scent of amber. The perfume that held his nightmares on a leash, who ruled over his mind for far too long, this woman was the one who, for who knows what reason, had sneaked into his house and stolen from him: his knife and his sanity.

Azriel wanted them back.

The man could barely contain the hatred and contempt that was now rising in his chest, as if it would overtake any logical thoughts. This woman would be brought to justice, with the same cruelty with which she commanded over his restless nights.

As he left the place, he tried to unravel the traces of other people's scents one by one, to follow only the amber, like a mad dog on the hunt. The scent did not go very far, stopping at a more secluded farm on the crest of a hill. He glanced cautiously at the lone woman going about her work through the fence, quietly carrying several sacks of flour, unaware of Azriel's dangerous presence.

It's not her. One of the shadows spoke harshly, wrapping itself around his muscled forearm as if to stop him from slaughtering anyone on sight.

The truth was that the man's mind was drowning. Amber floated everywhere around the farm, like a shield, trying to protect the houses from any unknown, uninvited guest. He could see all the routes that woman had taken inside and outside the farm, which houses she entered and which stables she visited. Azriel watched the tall mare graze peacefully, black as night and shining like a lucky fish just caught from the river. His gaze was immediately drawn to her companion, a grey cat, thin and attentive to everything that moved around her, carefully watching everything that happened around the mare as if she were her protector.

A shiver ran down his spine as the small animal suddenly turned its questioning gaze on him, as if to ask him what he was doing in her territory.

What piqued his interest was the fact that both the mare and the cat were wrapped in the scent of amber and bergamot, as if they belonged to the one Azriel was looking for.

The Shadowsinger had too many thoughts in his head, he couldn't find any logic in any of them either, his mind too foggy and heavy. By the Mother, he was going to snap. This was where the woman in question lived, these people had brought her here and taken care of an unknown woman. But why? How much trust can you put in a stranger? It is not difficult to recognise a person who does not belong to the place, so how did this part of the story unfold? Azriel suspected it was much more than an act of kindness.

A muscle in his jaw twitched at the thought that maybe they weren't the only ones who knew about the woman's identity, what she was supposed to become and what powers she could gain. If that was the reason, it was clear who had already earned the individual's trust.

" Sir? " A soft voice addressed him, " Are you all right? What are you looking for? "

The woman who took care of the farm, who had been watching him from a few metres away, had noticed him sitting there, staring at her awkwardly. Her small face was elegant with determination written all over her delicate features, but she was too pale and rather ill-looking. The woman was about forty years old, she had a palpable tension in her forehead and her fingers were clenched, ready to strike if necessary. She was gifted with a subtle maternal air and a special gentleness, it felt like flowers could bloom only by her touch only. She didn't approve of his presence so close to her own home and was about to pull out her claws. Azriel appreciated her ferocity.

" I was wondering if you could show me where the palace is. " Azriel spoke in a steady tone, " I think I got a little lost on the way. "

The man knew he couldn't trick her, not when she was watching him like she was about to bit his head off if he made a wrong movement. Azriel bowed his head, trying to show her that he was no threat to her.

" I find it rather hard to miss it, with those... wings attached to your back you can spot it easily from a distance. " There was no fear in her tender eyes, only vigilance. Azriel looked at her for a long time, reading her from the inside to the outside, noticing the sorrow that had settled over her features, deepening the slight wrinkles, along with another feeling, helplesness. She looked him in the eyes and smiled with restraint as she pointed to the barren plains and some distant towers beyond. " But I'll endulge you, sir. You should also know that people around Thaibar are not fond of your kind, maybe you should watch your back. "

" It means you can understand why I can't use my wings to my liking. Arrows are hard to duck and even harder to get out. "

" My son is a good archer. "

" Do you have any other child good with bows and arrows? " Azriel dared to ask, sensing the warning in her tone.

" Three, actually, all very skilled in their own way. " The woman hapilly announced, ready to return in the safety of her garden.

" All yours, I supose... " The man made a simple guess, trying to find more about where the stranger could live.

" Born with blood and sweat. Mine. " She smiled, but that smile never touched her eyes completely. For Azriel was enough of a sign.

" Then I shouldn't keep you from your duties any longer, have a nice day, madam. "

The woman only bowed her head, then returned slowly inside her house. Azriel knew she was watching from her window.

Also, there was something else laced around her being, something he grew familiar sincer Elain became a fae. The same trace of magic linked them both, the same tormenting and sad air enveloped around them: a seer? Azriel raised his eyebrows in surprise, but it was the grey cat that surprised him most, scrutinising him with her yellow eyes. She stood inches away from his boots, sniffing him. Azriel could swear the animal was frowning as well.

The shadows deepend, trying to get closer to that strange cat that now started to circle him. Azriel ordered his companions to retreat, but that brave one came too close to the cat's round head and tugget at its sharp ear. The animal spat, surprised by the sudden attack and bared its claws.

Azriel chuckled, leaning down. " I'm so sorry for their behaviour, they're not used to meeting cats very often. " He tries to pet it, but to no avail, the cat was already running away, frightened by his shadows. " You should tell your master I'm coming for her. "

18 notes · View notes

scarlettriot · 2 years ago

Text

Hide & Seek • To The Ends Of The Earth

Pairing: Kirishima X f!Reader

Warnings: Minors & Ageless Blogs DNI, Vigilanteism, Child Endangerment//Neglect, Mentions of Previous Injuries, Lack of Self Care, Reader Weight is Mentioned (Weight Loss Due To Stress & Environment) A Very Corrupt Commission

Contains: Aged Up characters to late 20s. Reader is a vigilante, Kiri is still a Pro (for the time being). Reader has a quirk. Hurt/Comfort. They share a bed. I don’t care how tall you are, Kiri is bigger than you in this 😂 Kiri calls Reader Sweets as a nickname ((if I missed something, please message me)).

Summary: After an unexpected reunion left you in critical condition, Kiri had to take steps to ensure you’d be okay. Even if he knew you might not agree with them.

Tag List: @meggsngrits • @weebaboobs • @katditca • @silverhairsimp • @bigmooncheeks • @akari180 • @e-b-e

Word Count: 3,803

A/N: I was just really dying to get this next chapter out so here it is. I do plan on updating my other series very, very soon! Again, editing is probably horrible, sorry about that. Happy reading ♥️

• Part One •

There was a rich aroma that tickled your nose, beckoning you from your restless slumber. It felt warm and welcoming, something that you hadn't experienced in quite some time. For a few precious moments, while your eyes were still shut, it didn’t even register that there was no way you should be smelling fresh coffee in the rundown, one-room unit you’d been renting above the shady bonds shop for the last two months.

You sat straight up in a bed that was certainly not your own but vaguely familiar. Your wide eyes scanned the room for danger. When they landed on the young woman sitting in the corner of the room, legs tucked under her with a book in her lap, silvery blue hair pulled back, and the previous night started coming back to you.

“Y/N!” Eri’s voice was soft as usual, and she was already standing, going right for the door.

“Eri, wait, please! Who… who’s all out there?” You kept your voice quiet. There was a window you could easily climb out of. You didn't think Eijiro would've sold you out to the commission, but if they'd found you somehow, you needed to be ready.

“Only Kirishima and my dad, that’s all.” She offered a reassuring smile, “Kirishima’s been really worried, lemme go get him. I’ll be just a second. Please, don’t run away again.”

Guilt tugged at your heartstrings, and you nodded your head. It seemed only fair she got the redhead since you were in his bed, after all. And it really only a few seconds before you heard some chatter flow in from the cracked door followed by heavy footfalls and the door flung open.

He stood there in the doorway, ruby eyes staring at you almost in disbelief.

“Hey…”

“Hey?” He parroted, “You vanish for over two months, and all you can say is, ‘hey’!”

“Umm, hello?” You tried, thinking that might be better, but he only shook his head.

“You’re unbelievable,” He mumbled and crossed to the side of the bed, wrapping his arms around you in an instant, “‘M so glad you’re okay. If I knew it was you on the roof, I never woulda–”

You held him right back, “You couldn’t have known, Eiji. It’s alright.”

It'd been months since he'd held you like this. One hand cradling the back of your head and the other locked securely around your back. You weren't sure if you'd ever get to experience another one.

So now you smooshed your face into the crook of his neck, taking in the lingering scent of spice and sweet amber that made up his body wash while your fingers clung to the back of his cotton shirt. “And, I guess I did attack you first.”

“Guess you did. Gonna tell me why?”

You bit down on your cheek, not wanting to say a word. If the commission had any suspicion he knew where you were or what you were doing, then he’d be held accountable too, and that was the last thing you wanted.

“Sweets,” The nickname just made you hold him tighter. “I’m not gonna stop. You can keep runnin’, but I won’t quit looking for you. I won’t stop until you can come home.” His voice was so soft and gentle, but you knew he wasn't exaggerating, that he meant every word. Eijiro would never give up on any of his friends, even if they left of their own volition. “Just tell me what you're trying to do, lemme help.”

“You can’t help–”

He carefully pulled you from your hiding place and angled your head so you had to look at him. “That’s not for you to decide. Please, tell me what you’re up to.”

“Yeah,” the voice came from the doorway, and the two of you broke apart, “tell us.”

Aizawa stood, leaning against the wooden frame with Eri peeking around him.

To your knowledge, the man knew nothing about what your team had uncovered that day, why you left, or what had transpired up on the warehouse roof. “How much do they know?” You quietly asked Eijiro.

“Enough. I couldn’t take you to a hospital, and you were bleeding in my arms a lot. I had to do something.”

“And I already know you’re wanted by the commission for questioning. They’re not being forthcoming about the why so when he called saying you were in bad shape, we rushed over.”

“I had to explain the injuries and how you got them so Eri could properly heal you. Told ‘em you’ve been gone for a few months, but I don’t know much else…”

“You were severely dehydrated, and ya look like you haven’t had a good meal in weeks. I’m willing to bet that’s why you took the hit as hard as you did.” Aizawa took a seat in the chair Eri had occupied earlier. “We got some fluids in you, and Eri managed to reverse what damage Kirishima had done completely. But, you need to stay down for at least another day or two, recover from her quirk.”

It sucked to admit, but you already knew what he was talking about. This short conversation already had you feeling far more drained than normal.

“I have a place I’ve been stayin’. I’ll head back there and take it easy.”

“Hell no! You’re staying put!”

Your protest didn’t even make it past your lips before Aizawa was speaking again. “Is there someone at this place you’re staying that can keep an eye on you? Help you, if necessary? Someone, you trust?”

There wasn’t, not a single person. You barely spoke to anyone since you left, and you definitely hadn’t made any new friends along the way. “Right, so you're gonna stay here so Kirishima can look after you. Now, tell me what the hell you’ve gotten yourself into.”

You would’ve begun speaking but with Eri right in the room, you hesitated. You couldn't stand the idea of bringing up any painful memories for the sweet girl. Aizawa picked up on how your eyes shifted uncomfortably and sent his adopted daughter out to the living room so the three of you could speak freely.

“Help yourself to anything in the kitchen!” Eijiro called after her, “TV remote’s on the coffee table!”

After a muted, ‘thank you’, came through, Aizawa refocused the conversation. “Kirishima started telling me about the mission that made you leave. Said all the subjects were children,” Both of you nodded your heads solemnly, “And when you rescued them…”

“The commission insisted we return them to the facility we broke ‘em out of,” Eijiro explained.

Aizawa’s fists tightened on the arms of the chair, but his voice remained steady. “And you did, so why the hell is there a hunt for you then?”

“‘Cause she promptly told the commission to go fuck themselves.”

You elbowed Eijiro in the ribs. “I wouldn’t sign their NDA and didn’t accept their hush money.”

“And she up and vanished without a word.”

The man closed his tired eyes and let out a long breath of air like he was trying to organize his own thoughts. “So, what information do you actually have? What part is the commission playing in this? Who else is involved?”

You needed a minute before you could answer him. The rapid fire of questions put in perspective how little you really had despite the weeks of searching. “I– I don’t have much. But, I know where we returned the children to is vacant now. There wasn’t any sign that anyone was even there, certainly not a whole facility like we saw. Definitely a professional cleanup job. I also remembered a few of the people we fought during the original mission, and, well, they evaded capture but I tracked them down. I’ve got routes they take and license plate numbers, and I think I know where they moved the children to. I just don’t have a single thing to tie the commission to it all, so I don’t even know what part they’re playing in this. All I know is they’re using children as bait! Kids! Letting them be test subjects in the meantime and not caring about any of it!”

Your chest was heaving, and you had that familiar tingling at the bridge of your nose warning you angry tears were about to build up. The only thing that prevented them from spilling over was Eijiro casually slipping his hand in yours, letting his fingers fill the spaces between yours, and squeezing tight, letting you know you’re not alone in your rage.

“For what it’s worth, I don’t think the commission is solely behind it,” Eijiro chimed in, “They told us the reason the kids had to be returned was that there was a bigger operation at play. Someone more important they needed to apprehend. They just wouldn’t tell us who or let us work on the actual assignment. We also can’t figure out who has been assigned to work it, though, not for a lack of trying.” He went on to explain how Jiro and Bakugo both have tried breaking into secure servers to access information, but they just can’t do it without it being traced back to them. “There’s way more going on than they’re letting us know about.”

You looked up at him. “Wait, everyone is working on this?”

“Well, technically, they’re working your disappearance. We just figured the best way to do that was to learn more about what happened to the kids. Helping them helps get you back. ”

“But… if you guys get caught–”

“We don’t give a damn!” Eijiro stated bluntly. “We know the risks. We’ve all decided to remain at the agency and work as covertly as possible until we could find something that led us to you. Plus, you are actively wanted! Technically, we’re just doing our jobs!”

Your head felt like it was spinning. This was exactly what you were trying to avoid. You didn’t want them to have to sneak around and put their futures and careers on the line. Now that you were back, if you were found at Eijiro’s place, he’d be in so much trouble– if the commission learned Aizawa knew and Eri helped you, then they’d also–

“I think this is enough for one day.” Aizawa spoke up, pulling you out of your turbulent thoughts, “Y/N needs to rest for the next few days, so I’ll look into things on my end. See if there’s any information I can access that you guys can’t. In the meantime, is there anything you need from the room you were renting?”

A change of clothes probably would’ve been beneficial, not that you minded being drowned in one of Eijiro’s hoodies.

“I’ve got extra toothbrushes and shower stuff here…” Eijiro told you, and you nodded along.

“Just a change of clothes then, please. And I’ve been keeping everything I’ve found on a thumb drive. The overhead light in the room is busted. I keep the drive inside the lightbulb. Oh, there’s also a laptop I was using. That’s in the bottom right drawer of the dresser.”

He nodded his head, making a mental note of everything while jotting down the address you gave him.

“Alright then, Eri and I will head over there later and then swing back here to drop things off tonight. Eijiro, I suggest you try and stick to as normal of a schedule as possible.” He stood up and stretched his back. “Don’t give the commission any reason to suspect something. Call if you need anything at all.”

The both of you agreed quickly, and he sent Eri in to say goodbye, promising to see you soon.

Eijiro saw them off. You heard his side door close as you laid back down in his bed and squeezed your eyes shut, doing everything you could not think about all the people you've managed to involve.

He was still processing the fact that you were back, that you were okay, for the most part. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the toll these last few weeks had to have put on you. Of course, he could see it in your heavy eyelids, your cheeks also weren’t as full as he was used to seeing, and he noticed a few healing injuries when his hoodie would slip off your shoulder.

He wanted to ask you about all of it. Find out what you’d learned, where you’d been, but he knew now wasn’t the right time to ask those questions.

After Aizawa and Eri took their leave, you curled up in his bed. Your back was towards the door, the blanket tucked under your arm, and he was going to just shut the door and let you sleep when he saw your shoulder tremble and watched you curl in on yourself. All of this finally becoming too much for you to keep in.

Quietly he walked into the room and sat on the side of the bed again. He rested his hand on your shoulder, and when you didn’t move away from the contact, he brushed his thumb and forth while searching for something he could say to make this better, help make it all make sense. But, your hand curled around his wrist and lightly tugged.

“You want me to lay down?” You nodded, and he easily slipped into the ritual you two reserved for particularly stressful days. “How’d ya want me, sweets?”

“Can you be little spoon this time?”

“You got it.”

He slid under the blankets to make things easier and laid on his side while you turned around. Your arm slid over his torso, and fingers gripped the front of his shirt right over his heart while your face burrowed between his shoulder blades. He just smiled and covered your hand with his own, happy to have you clinging to him as much as you wanted.

“Comfy?” He asked and felt your foot trying to wiggle between his legs. When he let your limbs tangle with his, he felt the quietest, mmhm, reverberate against his back and smiled, “Good.”

Time trickled by and, for a while, you didn't speak. He thought you might've even fallen asleep. "Missed you, Ei. A lot."

He wondered if you felt the way his heart suddenly started beating in overdrive. But, before he could make any declarations or say anything at all, he heard your quiet little snores and just smiled. He'd consider it the highest form of flattery that you felt comfortable enough to fall asleep with him like this.

Sleep hadn't been easy for him to come by these last several weeks either but with you wrapped around him, his eyelids felt like they had weights drawing them downward. So, he kissed the back of your hand, mumbling back just how much he missed you too, and then he seized the opportunity for sleep as well.

Eijiro couldn’t remember the last time he slept so soundly. When he didn’t spend half the night tossing and turning. It’d been months. And he knew the only reason he was resting so peacefully now was thanks to you being in bed, snuggled up right by his side.

He would’ve slept the rest of the day away, letting you nap as long as you need to, if only the loud banging on his front door hadn’t woken you up.

You scrambled up from the bed, nearly tripping in the process, and looked ready to bolt out the nearest window. “Sweet, go in the bathroom, lock the door. Got it?” You nodded your head, and he waited until the lock clicked into place before straightening out his shirt and heading for the door as a fist pounded out another series of harsh knocks.

He couldn’t have been sure who would be on the other side. Aizawa was never this loud, and he wasn’t expecting anyone else. His heart started to speed up even as he told himself to remain calm. If someone somehow figured out you were here, they would have to go through him if they wanted you.

Eijiro pulled open the door and breathed a sigh of relief even as his best friend barked, “She's here, isn't she?”

“Excuse me?” Eijiro looked at him with a quirked brow.

“You're not this dumb, hair for brains!” Katsuki shoved him aside and went into the house. “You found her, didn’t you?”

“Katsuki, I really don’t know what you’re talking about—“

“Save it! You haven’t taken one fucking day off since the day Y/N left. And then you called off t’day, bright and early! Ya don't look sick!”

“I just wanted a day off, man!” He was barely able to keep up with how fast Katsuki was talking.

“Hah, sure, the same day that we get sent out to investigate a suspicious report in the warehouse district. The same district that earphones told me she told you about yesterday! And what do we find when we get there? Blood and a giant sliced hole in the fence!”

“Well, that sure doesn’t sound good—“

“The blood was hers! We had it tested! She broke in, and she’s hurt, and I’m damn sure you know something about it!”

Katsuki’s finger jabbed Eijiro right in the center of his chest.

“You were always really good at figuring things out, weren’t you, Kat?”

Both men snapped their heads to the hallway, looking right at you. Eijiro was willing to continue playing to fool. He’d lie if it meant providing you peace of mind, even if it was to his best friend. But he was so glad he didn’t actually have to.

“‘Course, I am.” He chuckled and walked right up to you. Enveloping you in a warm hug. “Smarter than those commission bastards. We took care of the evidence, by the way. Well, your blood, at least.”

“What’s that mean?”

He let you go and shrugged. I was patrolling with Pinky when we found it. Grabbed a small sample for ourselves. And then, well, Pinky swore she saw some suspicious activity on the ground. To get down there fast enough, she had to use her quirk and happened to destroy the blood splatter in the process… you know how she can go kinda wild with the acid sometimes.”

Eijiro laughed and shook his head, but he saw that look of worry in your eyes again. “Hey… I’m sure if it wasn’t your blood, they would’ve turned it over. Right?”

“Duh.”

But that look of concern remained. He knew how this would look to you. Between him keeping you hidden, people needing to come heal you, and your friends destroying and withholding evidence, he knew you had to be putting the blame on yourself. And the way you wrapped your arms around yourself just confirmed his theory.

“Hey, I got an idea,” As he walked over to you, he turned his head towards Katsuki, “You can hang around for a bit, yeah?” Katsuki nodded his blonde head, and then Eijiro rested his hands on your shoulders. “Perfect. So, why don’t Kat and I make up some dinner and you can take a bath or a shower? Might take away some of the aches and pains…”

“Works for me. Looks like you’ve barely been eatin’ anyway!” He was already shrugging his jacket off and heading into the kitchen.

Eijiro led you back to his room and right into the ensuite, flicking on the light. “Bath or shower?”

“Shower sounds good.”

He nodded and slid the glass door open to turn the water on, and made sure to point out where the shampoo, conditioner, and body wash could be found while hanging up a fresh towel for you on the rack right beside his. “I know they won’t be back with your clothes yet, but I’ll set some out on my dresser for you.”

He was getting ready to close the door and give you your privacy, “Hey, Eiji,” He stopped, and his eyes met yours, “Thank you. For everything.”

“You never gotta thank me, sweets. ‘M just happy you’re back.”

There was a small smile on your face just as the door shut, one that brought a little shine back into your pretty eyes. He was in love with that smile and the light in your eyes. And he was gonna do everything in his power to make sure nothing dimmed it ever again.

By the time Eijiro got back out to the kitchen, Katsuki already had a plethora of ingredients strewn about the countertop, each of which required to make your favorite meal. He took a break, though, when Eijiro began washing his hands to help, leaning against the opposite counter and scrutinizing his best friend.

“So, you found her.”

“Technically, she found me. Tried choking me out on that roof.”

Katsuki nodded. “And her blood?”

“My fault. She jumped me from behind– we didn’t realize who the other was until it was all too late.”

“So, how’s she walkin’ and talkin’ right now? Ei… there was a lot of blood.”

Eijiro put himself to work, washing off some vegetables to keep busy, and told Katsuki everything that happened since the two of you had been reunited.

“We tellin’ anyone else she’s–”

“NO!” He cut him off before the question was even finished. “She’s terrified of putting anyone else at risk. Hells, I’m surprised she came out here to let you know.”

Katsuki just laughed and got back to work. “Didn’t need her t’fuckin’ tell me she was here. You’re shit at lying. Always have been. Would’ve figured it out soon enough.”

“Not from me, you wouldn’t.”

A blonde brow was raised at the remark. “You sayin’ you would’ve kept on lying to me?”

Eijiro didn’t hesitate. He looked the man he considered to be his best friend dead in the eye, “If it meant keepin’ her and everyone else safe, that includes your ass, your damn right I would’ve.”

Katsuki wasn’t mad. He didn’t look it, nor did he say anything to indicate he was. In fact, he grinned like he already knew the answer to his next question. “And if she leaves again?”

The water turned off. “Then I’ll follow wherever she goes.”

“Because you’re in love with her?”

He sucked in a deep breath, “Because I’m in love with her.”

#Read the Warnings #mha #bnha #mha fan fic #bnha fan fic #kirishima #kirishima x y/n #kirishima x reader #kirishima fluff #kirishima angst #kirishima hurt comfort #kirishima fanfic #scar's writing again 📕#best red rock shark ♥️🦈

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1787americanrevnerd · 2 years ago

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Family Is What you Make It

Part 1 Next Part

Erik wasn't prepared for what he would find in the Hydra base. Of course, he knew that thee would be Nazi scientists and maybe some instruments of mass destruction, but not this. When he got to the end of the dark hallway and saw the two children in cages something inside him snapped. It took every ounce of self-control that Erik had to keep him from stabbing every single one of the bastards working there, again. There was a clipboard attached to the cells that Eri noticed after a while. On the paper, there was no mention of a name, nationality, gender, age, or anything, other than what experiment number they were. The one with red hair was Experiment 2123 and the one with silver hair was Experiment 4620, Erik's arm started to burn.

Erik opened the redhead's cage and stepped inside. He tried to guess what language she spoke, to no avail, and then she practically told him. Erik made sure to introduce himself and make the young girl feel safe. He asked her what the other child's name was and she informed him that the other prisoner was her twin brother, Pietro. Erik carefully stood up and offered his hand to the young girl, she refused and got up on her own. Erik then walked over to the boy and got him out of his cage. With the two children standing next to him, he started to lead them out of the building. After a bit of walking, they were outside and in front of the jet that Erik had stolen from Charles. he successfully got the two children in their seats and into the air.

Erik had no idea what he was going to do once he got the children to the Mansion. Would he try to find their parents, did their parents even care about them? Erik had long forgotten how to act around children as it had been a little over 15 years since Anya died. Erik couldn't find it in his heart to just leave these children with Charles. Erik himself wasn't much older than them when he was liberated, he knew firsthand that they would need as many supportive adults as they could. Erik still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that the Nazis had continued to experiment on children right under everyone's noses.

Feeling a familiar itch, Erik looked at the numbers on his forearm that peaked out through his shirt. Had Hydra tattooed them as well as shaved their hair, Erik hoped not. He turned around to look at the children and found them playing a children's hand game. He was glad that their spirit hadn't been entirely broken by Hydra. Even though the sight of more children being damaged by Nazis broke his heart, Erik was happy that he was able to free these two. Erik wondered if Charles would help him assemble a team to free any more children suffering at the hand of Nazis, Hydra, and any other group.

Erik started to make a plan for when he got back to the Xavier estate. He should start with food, maybe some matzo ball soup (he could still recall his Mama's recipe). Once he got them fed the next logical step would be to figure out as much information on the kids as possible. Erik didn't know what to do after these steps, but that was a problem for future him. All that he had to think about now was if Charles would have any matzo meal at the mansion. I could always ask Charles if he has any, Erik thought. After a long while of projecting his thoughts Charles answered.

What do you need Erik? Charles asked. Erik thought about matzo, hoping that Charles would understand the message. Ah, we do in fact have matzo meal in the house, I always make sure to have it if you ever decide to visit.

Erik didn't want to think about what that thought meant. He didn't want to think about how Charles cared about him so much to know that whenever he was upset Eri made himself soup. And Erik definitely didn't want to think about how after everything that had been said and done, Charles still wanted him to come home. No, not home. The mansion was never his home, it was Charles'. Erik couldn't afford to have a home, again, because once you start caring about people and things they are taken away from you. Erik would rather never have a loving family again than lose another one. He sighed, not believing that Charles still had this effect on him a decade later. Meeting Charles Xavier was either a blessing or a curse, Erik wasn't sure which one yet.

#cherik #well not yet; but it's coming #erik lehnsherr #wanda maximoff #pietro maximoff #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #magnet family #magfam

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my-inner-crisis · 2 years ago

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Thoughts on next gen in ACOTAR? Cassian is a girl dad and that’s fanon >.< what about the rest? Especially Elucien omg

Okay I love this topic especially since I was introduced to @separatist-apologist crew of next gen kids. I’ve been thinking about it for needlessly long sequences of time (that hyperfixation is working hard)

1. Gwynriel: I know it’s quite popular that they have twins and I like that too! I think they’d have 3 kids, a set of twins (a boy and a girl) and then a boy. I just feel like Gwyn is a boy mom and Azriel is as protective of a dad as you can get. I think the boy would be born first and he’d look a lot like Azriel and Azriel is kind of the one to initiate talks about another baby. Gwyn is a very active Valkyrie but she obliged happily and is kinda mortified when she finds out it’s twins, but then they girl has big bright blue eyes and night dark hair and they name her Catrin of course and the boy is a redhead but not quite like Gwyn. I picture him with a very dark red tone, like a dark red wine, it’s only really visible when the sun hits him directly and he also has freckles

2. Nessian: Agreeed! Cassian 100% girl dad, Nesta is down because Cassian wants kids and she’s finally settled and happy to take up such a responsibility. They don’t have kids sooo suddenly though, they do take a few years just ofAnd they have one girl with Illyrian wings and then another and by baby number 3 she’s secretly hoping it’s a third girl just to have 3 sisters. Cassian is overjoyed, he’s teaching them to fly way too early, he’s bragging about how amazing they are to anyone who has ears like it’s genuinely annoying 😌 when they are older, at least 2/3 are definitely Valkyries and one of them is a scholar

3. Feysand: two kids at most! They’re busy busy, and since Nyx is canon, I think they’ll have another sometime in the future and she’ll be a girl. Nyx is going to be a shifty little shit who falls for someone really hard but it’s forbidden or complicated or whatever it may be, he’s just not going to have a great time (maybe like one of Tamlin’s sons or something I’m just making this up as I gooo). And the girl is going to be a bisexual queen who loves to tease her brother and who is not interested in love for the longest time. She is very interested in running the court, she might actually become chosen as High Lady once Rhysand steps down, she’s tactful and big brained like her dad. Nyx has an artistic hobby while the girlie’s hobby is like archery. She’s a wild child but she’s scheeeeming really hard whenever she’s on a mission

4. Elucien: listen, they’ll have a bunch of kids. A BUNCH. It’ll take a while though, it doesn’t come so easily, they don’t even start thinking about it for like a solid 10 years after they become an item. Lucien always wanted kids but he’s afraid of fatherhood because of his experience growing up, and he’s secretly really insecure about their relationship for a solid 3-4 years after all is said and done. Elain is kinda similar with the commitment, she comes into her own and she has big dreams of letting herself explore and enjoy herself out of the clutches of everyone and Lucien helps her tremendously with that. So they enjoy life as a childless couple for like a solid decade, doing their duties as emissaries and travelling a lot everywhere. Elain suggests it after and Lucien is excited but also shitting it. They first have a girl with red hair, and then another and another and another, they mostly all have variations of red hair until finally a boy is born and he’s the spitting image of Elain, from hair to eyes. Between a bunch of redhead girlies they have another boy who has dark hair like his grandpa, curly too. I just picture them with like 6 girls and the 2 boys and some of them are unplanned but they also don’t mind it, they have a very “whatever has to happen” attitude about it. Lucien is an expert hair braider.

Bonus: Eris and whoever will make him happy will have a cutthroat scary burn the world down kind of daughter and a gentle curious son who reminds Eris of baby Lucien a lot. Tamlin has 2 sons and a daughter and his son might be super in love with a certain Night Court firstborn. Kallias and Viviane also have a boy and a girl. Okay that’s allll, hope you enjoy 😌

#elucien #Gwynriel #feysand #Nessian #ACOTAR next generation #ACOTAR next gen

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adelindschade · 3 years ago

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@dustjacketmusings accused me of angst - so I’mma deliver. @vvidalinai, I’mma tag you, too, since we’re all on the same train.

You know another sad AU I had? Rhys successfully sells Nesta off to Eris as their pawn, and as his bride, and fuck Cassian, right? This alliance needs to happen and a deal is a deal - and Cassian is too spineless to stand up for something obviously hurts him to the core, and Rhys is too selfish to have a moral compass to say “ooh, I fucked up.”

Fast forward and Beron *dies* (don’t ask how) and HIGH LORD ERIS VANSERRA STEPS FORWARD, TOTING HIS WIFE AT THE CORONATION and all the high lords are present with their posse. Obvious, Nesta is a vision in red, and is going to be one hell of a force.

She’s genuinely happy before this. She had all the freedom and liberty in the world as a ward of Autumn Court, just a betrothed to the eldest, and spending her days idly in the library - and now she has a role in court and taking LoA place - and she’s visibly upset about it to those who know her cues. She didn’t want this life.

The only upside is that Eris is leading a new court, with new freedoms, and his granddaughters Gwyn and Catrin no longer need to hide, even though his own daughter refuses to acknowledge him because of how she was conceived. These twins are different - and though they look the same age as Nesta - they get along with their step-grandmother wonderfully.

Azriel is still reeling from Elain’s uncertain affections, and her hesitance to accept Lucien; then he meets this bouncing redhead who is eager to partake in all the festivities, and lead the dancing, and he’s beguiled - only to discover she heeds Nesta as her grandmother, and that Nesta is very protective of her, especially from the IC. She’s serving as distractions, ushering her away, making excuses as to where she’s needed - heeding Eris’ non-vocal cues to keep them the court at bay, having absolved the alliance when Nesta proved to be adequate (and willing) to her credit, in Eris’ plans to usurp his father.

Cassian is ready to duel then and there because he knows she’s miserable in her new position but she’s miserable for another reason altogether as Gwyn announces in jubilee that there is no need to fear the transition as the great lady is expecting!!!!

And there is Nesta, in the center, cautiously concealing her stomach, with Eris grinning victoriously at such great fortune. Then there is Azriel who realizes his mate is part of the autumn court, shielded by Nesta, and loyal to her blood - and his luck to even exchange words are slim to none. Spin to Cassian who just wants to be swallowed whole then and there, knowing even if a duel was waged, and he won, she’d always be bound to another man’s child.

#sad angst

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clearcorona · 5 years ago

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cherub pt 2 // demon!bakugou katsuki x angel!reader

Part 1

You had always imagined Hell to be run down and chaotic, but there was actually a sense of order that you never expected. You also loved how different every demon was from one another. There were some that appeared more human but had demon qualities and there were some that had more monstrous qualities with few human ones. They all dropped to their knees and fell silent as Bakugou walked by, peering at you curiously as you took in everything around you. The younger ones attempted to get close, but a look from Bakugou in their direction quickly made them back away.

He had insisted that he simply scoop you up in his arms again and fly you to his castle, but you had refused, wanting to see what the rest of Hell was like for yourself. Naturally, he didn't agree at first, but who could say possibly say 'no' to your puppy eyes?

A young imp with a small horn protruding from her head waved from where she stood after she had noticed you looking around. You smiled softly at the little thing and waved back at her. She bounced up and down on her toes with glee, a few strands of white hair coming loose from the ponytail it was pulled back in. The small girl then zeroed in on the sigil on your forearm, tugging on the sleeve of a rugged looking demon beside her, who was one of the ones that fell under the more human-like category.

"What's that, Dad?" she asked, her voice rather loud among the crowd of quiet onlookers. Bakugou stopped and turned in her direction. The demon beside her gently pulled the child into a kneeling position, shushing her. You couldn't help but smile as you heard the man trying to bribe the child in order to stay quiet.

"It's okay," you reassured and the man lifted his head to look up at you. Tired eyes looked into your own and you stepped forward.

"Cherub," Bakugou called out in warning, but you waved him away.

"I'll be fine," you replied, kneeling down in front of the much smaller demon. You held out your arm, showing her the sigil Bakugou had burned on your skin. "Is this what you were looking at?"

The imp reached out to touch it, but decided it was best not to when the other demon gently tugged her back. "Did it hurt?"

"A little, but it's all better now," you admitted and smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Eri!" she squealed and you laughed. Not all demon kids were as rambunctious as you were once told. This little one seemed rather well behaved.

"Well, Eri, I'm (Y/N). It's nice to meet you." You shook her tiny hand before hearing Bakugou clear his throat. You glanced back at him.

"We have to get going," he muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. You squinted, thinking you saw a blush on his cheeks, but that could've just been your imagination.

"Okay, okay," you huffed, slowly standing. You waved to Eri, who eagerly waved back, before walking back over to take your place at Bakugou's side. You had expected him to say something about you interacting with Eri, but he was quiet. You opened your mouth to speak when the sudden sounds something pounding against the ground caught your attention. You hid behind Bakugou's frame, peeking around to see an elegant red carriage being led by two pitch black horses.

"Great...," Bakugou muttered and the driver stepped down, a demon with razor sharp teeth and hair as red as an apple.

"Master Bakugou! We weren't expecting you to-" he cut himself off after noticing you. "Oh." The door to the carriage swung open and out stepped a female demon with pink skin that matched the color of her fluffy hair. Yellow horns protruded from her head, but what was most interesting were her eyes, which were a beautiful golden color with black scleras.

"Master Bakugou brought a girl home! Your mother will be so pleased!" she squealed and Bakugou rolled his eyes. You noticed how his body tensed up slightly at their arrival, but figured he'd tell you more about these demons later.

"Let's just fucking go already," Bakugou muttered, helping you in the carriage.

"You have a visitor at the castle, Bakugou," the pink haired demon whispered and you just barely caught it as you stepped inside. You were confused as to why she suddenly dropped the honorific. Bakugou gave her a look and the demon only shrugged, as if they were communicating without words. "I told you to take care of it."

"And I did! She's just a damn idiot who doesn't know that 'no' means fucking 'no,'" Bakugou muttered before getting in the carriage. The door was then closed as Bakugou took the seat across from you. Soon enough, the carriage was in motion, bringing you straight to the castle.

"Hey, are you sure this is a good idea?" you asked softly, folding your hands together on your lap. You had never even met God, but now you were on your way to the castle where Hell's own rulers stayed. Bakugou raised an eyebrow.

"Having second thoughts, cherub?" he asked in response and you sighed.

"I just... I don't know. I don't fit in among angels and what if I don't fit in among demons?" Bakugou snorted and you furrowed your eyebrows. "What's so funny?"

"Listen to me, cherub. Us demons are the screwups and not all of us are villains, like you were brought up to believe. We're just sinners and we're here paying for our crimes, but wouldn't you rather be able to do what you want and pay the consequences or be restricted by some damn rules?" He leaned forward and reached over, grabbing your hand. "You have nothing to worry about. As long as you have that sigil, you can stay as long as you want."

Bakugou's words reassured you and a soft laugh bubbled up from your lips, causing the demon's own lips to quirk up at the corners.

"Who would've known that the Bakugou Katsuki was so good at pep talks?" you asked and said man squeezed your hand in warning.

"Watch it. I can talk all of that back," he replied and you simply shrugged in response. You had already heard what he had to say. What was the point in taking it back? A moment of silence passed between the two of you.

"So... Who are those two demons?" you then asked and Bakugou sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Two giant pains in my ass, that's what," he replied loudly.

"I heard that, Bakugou!" called back a feminine voice and you raised an eyebrow.

"Earlier she called you Master Bakugou, but now she's just calling you Bakugou," you pointed out. The demon prince shrugged, leaning back against the seat.

"Yeah, I hate that shit. Sure, being a prince is nice and all at times, but it's annoying as fuck, too. That old hag wants me to marry some stuck up rich bitch, too," he paused when he saw your eyes narrow slightly, waiting for a moment before continuing. "But marriage just isn't really my thing. No one is interesting enough for me."

He was lying and he knew it, trying to gauge your reaction to see how you'd respond.

"Have you gotten to know her?" you asked and the blonde raised an eyebrow. Did he really want to get to know this girl who was probably only marrying him for the financial gain of their families? No, he didn't. Women raised in royal or wealthy families were usually submissive and timid and he didn't want someone like that. He liked how you proved to be a challenge for him.

"It doesn't fucking matter. I already know that it's pointless," he answered and you sighed.

"With that attitude, you'll be alone forever," you rolled your eyes. As long as you stayed by his side, Bakugou wouldn't exactly call himself alone, but he decided not to answer. You peeked out of the small window of the carriage once it came to a stop, gazing up at what you could see of the palace in awe.

The door to the carriage opened and the red haired demon stood on one side while the pink haired demon stood on the other.

"Welcome home," they said in unison. Bakugou got out of the carriage and looked back at you as you took the redhead's hand to step down from it.

"Thank you," you said and he seemed surprised for a moment before smiling.

"You're welcome, my lady," he replied and glanced over at his master who was still waiting for you.

"What's your name?" you asked, seeming to catch him off guard again.

"Kirishima Eijirou," he answered and you smiled before turning to the pink haired demon. You barely even got time to ask before a large grin spread across her face.

"Ashido Mina, but you can just call me Mina!" she squealed and you found yourself smiling. Her seemingly endless amounts of energy was contagious.

"I'm (Y/N). It's nice to meet you!" you said and they both bowed respectfully before Mina nearly tackled you into a hug, rubbing her cheek against yours.

"Where did you find her, Bakugou? She's so cute! I'm surprised she put up with a brute like you," she said and you stifled a laugh as you saw his eye twitch.

"None of your damn business!" he scowled and you smiled as Mina ruffled your hair.

"You know, she doesn't smell like a demon," Mina then said, continuing as if she never heard Bakugou say anything.

"That's because I'm-" you started, but stopped once you saw the look Bakugou gave you. It was stern, almost as if he were silently scolding you. You huffed and stuck your tongue out at him, to which he rolled his eyes. The two demon servants watched the exchange with confusion.

"Let's go, (Y/N)," he said and Mina released you, sharing a look with Kirishima as you walked over to Bakugou who began to lead you inside the castle.

"Bakugou!" you heard someone call in a sing song voice, nearly tackling said man to the ground after catching him off guard.

"Oh, right... I forgot about her," you heard Mina mutter from behind you and you glanced back at her, furrowing your eyebrows.

"Fucking hell...," Bakugou muttered before he pushed the girl away. "Who the hell let you in this time?!"

"Lighten up, Bakubro. I'll have your know that your mom actually likes me," she replied and Bakugou rolled his eyes.

"Then why are you bothering me?" The new stranger's full lips formed into a pout and she finally noticed you standing off to the side.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, startling you as she clapped her hands together. "Is this the girl you're supposed to marry? She's gorgeous, but white's a bit... Unusual." She circled around you like a vulture and you shot Bakugou a look that practically screamed 'Help!'

"Back the fuck off!" Bakugou hissed, grabbing you by the wrist to pull you closer to his own body. The female only smiled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Alright, I'll leave her alone. I'll see you later, hon. Hopefully, I'll see you around, too," she said and winked in your direction. Bakugou scowled as he watched her saunter away.

"Let's go before we run into some more idiots," the blonde muttered before he headed towards the entrance of the castle.

"Who was that?" you asked, looking over at Mina once you noticed her pink hair in your peripherals.

"Utsushimi Camie. She's the daughter of one of the wealthy families down here. Her and Bakugou grew up together," she explained and you nodded. By this time, you had slowed down considerably to match Mina's leisurely pace.

"So, she's not the one he's going to marry?" you asked and Mina smirked, raising an eyebrow.

"Jealous much?" she teased and you blushed, shaking your head.

"I'm just curious..." Mina giggled and bumped her hip against yours.

"I'm only teasing," she grinned and you found yourself returning the gesture. It was nice to talk to another female. Yeah, Bakugou's company was nice, despite how grumpy he is, but you had never had a girl friend before. Angels tended to stay away from you.

Maybe you did fit in better with demons.

"Cherub," Bakugou called out, snapping you out of your thoughts. You looked over at him, eyes widening slightly. He was stopped in front of the large door leading into the castle with Kirishima at his side. What surprised you was the fact that he let his wings show, the pitch black appendages tucked against his back. His skin seemed a bit paler, but it could've just been because of the environment. He raised an eyebrow, causing you to blush as you realized you were staring.

Bakugou was handsome without his wings, but seeing them on him brought about a sort of dangerousness, something you wouldn't mind getting close to at all.

You stepped forward to stand at Bakugou's side and took a deep breath. Kirishima opened the door.

The castle oozed wealth, inside and out, and you were only in the foyer. Everyone in Heaven had modest cottages, so that everyone was "equal." You had never known such luxury.

Gold accents in the furniture and decor stood out against the black and crimson walls. It truly was a sight to behold and you would've simply stared at the space in front of you for hours until you heard yelling.

"Where the hell did he go?! I swear, if that damn gremlin isn't back soon, I'll make him wish he was never born!" said the voice. You felt someone tap on your shoulder and turned to see Kirishima.

"You should probably cover your ears," he whispered sweetly. Your eyebrows furrowed and as you were about to ask him why, Bakugou started yelling back to the woman in response.

"I'm right here, you damned old hag!" You quickly covered your ears. The clicking of heels was heard until a woman who looked nearly identical to Bakugou appeared. Her own wings were similar to Bakugou's in shaped but almost seemed to be covered in a few scales. Not to mention how much larger they were.

"Where the hell have you been?! We've been looking everywhere for you!" she huffed and you suddenly knew exactly where Bakugou's temper stemmed from.

"None of your damn business!" The prince scowled and the woman finally noticed you, her whole demeanor changing.

"And who's this? She seems much different than the other girls you bring here," she said before she began to study you. You could barely even focus on what the woman had said as you grew nervous under her intense gaze. You could feel the annoyance radiating off of Bakugou. Her eyes dropped to the white dress you were wearing before she sniffed the air. "White?" Her eyes then widened and Bakugou scoffed.

"Enough, you old hag," he growled and his sister(?) crossed her arms over her chest.

"Where the hell did you find an angel?" she asked, almost in awe. Bakugou opened his mouth to speak, but the woman turned her attention back to you, a smile on her face. "I've never seen one in person. She's cute, Katsuki."

You blushed, glancing over at Bakugou before meeting her eyes. She intimidated you in a way Bakugou never could and you didn't understand how quickly her moods could shift.

"Um... Who are you?" you finally managed to ask. She seemed surprised for a moment before she chuckled.

"Sorry, I never introduced myself did I? I'm Mitsuki. That one," she jerked her thumb in Bakugou's direction, "is my son."

"Oh, really? I thought you were his sister," you admitted. The room fell silent and the two lower ranked demons stifled their giggles as Mitsuki smirked. Bakugou's annoyance only seemed to grow.

"I like her," Mitsuki hummed. "What's your name?"

"(Y/N), ma'am."

"That's not necessary. Just call me Mitsuki."

"Oh, okay, ma- Mitsuki."

Mitsuki smiled, satisfied. You relaxed slightly, exhaling a breath of relief. You had expected her to kick you out, but it didn't seem like that was going to happen unless she was luring you into a false sense of security.

"Do you mind showing me your wings?" she then asked, causing you to tense up again. You wrapped your arms around yourself.

"I'd rather not...," you replied and you saw Bakugou glance over at you from the corner of your eye.

"I'm sure they're beautiful. I've heard they're really soft, too. Just this-"

"I said 'no!'" you shouted, digging your nails into the flesh of your arms. The room grew silent again and you realized what you had done, bowing your head. The lack of noise was stifling this time around and you were sure that she'd kick you out this time. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking..."

"Don't fucking apologize," Bakugou muttered and you looked up at him. Even with his usual angry face, you could see the light in his eyes. Was that pride?

"I should be apologizing. I just got excited. It's been centuries since I last saw an angel and I never even got this close," Mitsuki cleared her throat, collecting herself. "Speaking of, what exactly are you doing down here?"

"Alright, let's fucking go already," Bakugou growled and grabbed your hand, leading you further into the castle.

"Katsuki, you damn brat! You still have a tux fitting later. Don't think you're getting out of it!" Mitsuki called after the two of you and you peeked up at Bakugou, who rolled his eyes. He led you up a grand staircase, out of his mother's view. You hadn't even realized Mina and Kirishima were still with you, their steps silent.

"I'll take it from here," Mina said and stepped forward, taking your free hand as you neared a door along one of the corridors. Bakugou growled, squeezing your hand before he let go. Mina smirked, but said nothing, watching as Bakugou made his way down the hall with Kirishima at his heels.

Mina opened the door, revealing a room that was twice as big as your little cottage with furniture that you were so scared to touch because you didn't want to end up breaking anything.

"This is your room," Mina chirped, her pink locks bouncing as she made her way over to the closet which held a large array of dresses, all a series of dark colors you could never see yourself wearing. . "Let's see..."

You wandered around the room, coming across a framed photo of three people. You recognized Bakugou and Mitsuki, assuming the man on the left was Bakugou's father. You smiled softly to yourself.

Unlike demons, angels couldn't exactly give birth, meaning you didn't have parents like Bakugou did, but the idea of having them made you feel all warm on the inside. People who would love you despite how much of a screw up you thought you were.

"Whatcha looking at?" You jumped and turned to look at the demon who was standing behind you. You pouted. She glanced at the picture and smiled before she looked over at you. "Come on. Bath time."

"So... Where'd you find her?" Kirishima asked, his lips turning up in a smirk. Bakugou should've expected this. Bakugou grew up with Mina and Kirishima along with two other demons that were probably busy with an errand of Mitsuki's. They probably knew him better than he knew himself. "Hello? Earth to Bakugou!"

"Tch. None of your damn business."

"Aw, come on! This is the first girl you've brought down here that you don't actually want to sleep with. Plus she's super cute." Bakugou glared at him and Kirishima laughed, putting his hands up in surrender. "See? You never get like this!"

Bakugou knew he was right. You made him soft, made him weak. He had this urge to protect you, to shield you away from everything that could possibly hurt you. If Hell's rebels ended up hearing that Bakugou Katsuki had a weakness, they'd easily exploit it.

Maybe marriage wasn't such a bad idea.

"Did something happen to her wings?" Bakugou let the words sink in. If something did happen, he didn't know. He had only seen your wings once and it was only for a short amount of time, so he didn't exactly have time to get a good look at them.

"How the hell am I supposed to know?" he asked and Kirishima shrugged.

"You know her better than any of us. Just curious, is all," he replied and Bakugou rolled his eyes, deciding not to say anything in response as he laid back on his bed. He let out a sigh as he stared up at the ceiling.

Kirishima seemed to realize that that marked the end of the conversation, even if Bakugou knew he had more on his mind. The demon prince could see the redhead bouncing up on his toes, a sign he had something he wanted to ask.

"What, Kirishima?" Bakugou groaned and Kirishima exhaled, a grin spreading over his face.

"Is she a Fallen?"

A silence fell over the room and Bakugou sat up, mulling over the possibility.

Fallen Angels were incredibly rare. A large group appeared when Lucifer fell down from Heaven to create Hell, but now, they were pretty much non-existent. But were you a Fallen?

Bakugou couldn't think of anything that you could've possibly done that could've gotten you kicked out of Heaven even if you did tell him that you were a screw up. When the two of you had first met, you were the stereotypical kind of angel Bakugou had always heard of, but it was your stubbornness and your confidence in certain situations that made you stand out from the others.

"Mina, I can't wear this! What if I rip it?" he heard you ask from out in the hall. He wouldn't have been able to hear you if there door was closed, which was exactly why he had Kirishima leave the door open a crack. He certainly wasn't worried or anything.

"You look gorgeous, you have to wear it. Besides, if it rips, we can always have another made for you," Mina replied. If you said something else, Bakugou couldn't hear it. He then heard a shriek and Mina's laughter. "You're fine!"

Bakugou stood up and headed to the door, flinging it open as he pretended not to hear. His eyes widened sightly as he saw you. Damn, you truly were a masterpiece.

The sleeveless silk dress was blood red at the bodice before blending in with an inky black that pooled at your feet. The material hugged your curves, leaving more to behold, unlike the boxy white dress you had on earlier. It was rather simple, but Bakugou hated girls that went way over the top, so it was nice.

He was right. You were going to be the death of him.

"Um... What do you think?" he then heard you ask, snapping him out of his thoughts. The blonde met your eyes, opening his mouth to speak when he hesitated. He noticed the fabric that was bunched up in your fists and your stiff posture. Could you seriously be nervous?

As much as he wanted to shower you in compliments to hopefully ease your nerves, he didn't like the thought of having an audience around to hear him. He'd never be able to live it down.

"Is it that bad?" your voice was softer than before and Bakugou hated the way you lowered your head, seeming to retreat back into your shell a bit. He could feel Kirishima and Mina glaring at him.

"Enough pouting, damn it," he huffed, stepping towards you. "What the hell am I supposed to say? It looks good." He left it at that, resisting the urge to scoop you up in his arms and place his lips against your flawless skin as he whispered sweet nothings into your ear to take all your fears away. You wouldn't have anything to fear with him around.

Fuck, he was turning into such a sap. What was going on?

His words made you think about the dress again, slowly releasing the parts that were bunched in your hands. It really was beautiful, but you definitely weren't used to wearing something so dark, which was why you were so nervous about wearing it. You were an angel. Angels never wore things like that.

"Katsuki, I- Oh. It's nice to finally see someone who finally suits my designs," someone said and you all turned. You didn't even hear his footsteps, something you knew you'd have to be on alert for if you were planning on staying. A man with brown hair and glasses stood there. You recognized him from the family picture, but did demons really need glasses?

"What the hell do you want old man?" Bakugou growled and the man shrugged.

"I came to meet our guest. I never expected an angel to be down in Hell," he replied and you looked back down at the dress.

"You made this dress?" you asked softly before looking up at him. He smiled and you felt much more at ease with this man than you did with Mitsuki.

"Yeah. You pull it off nicely. A lot of them are packed away. They were originally going to be for Bakugou's bride, but the measurements that were sent over were rather off, so I'm glad they were put to some use," he replied. "Oh! Where are my manners? I'm Masaru, Katsuki's father."

"(Y/N). It's nice to meet you," you bowed slightly. Masaru smiled, shaking his head.

"Let's go, Katsuki," he said and Katsuki rolled his eyes, following his father down the hallway. You were left alone with Kirishima and Mina. You turned to look at the two of them.

"How about a tour?" Kirishima asked, his sharp teeth exposed as he grinned.

You stared in awe at the kitchen as the two demons led you inside. It wasn't exactly necessary since demons didn't need to eat human food, but you had heard it was a nice delicacy to have. You weren't able to enjoy such splendors before since your kind didn't need it to survive, either.

You wandered off from Mina's side, opening up cabinets to take in all of the spices that were lined up on the shelves.

"Dude, you're going to short circuit again! Give it up already!" a voice called it from deeper into the kitchen.

"And have the Queen or Bakugou find out? No, thank you! She'll have my head if her filet mignon isn't perfect," a different voice replied. Your curiosity got the better of you, your feet leading the way towards the voices. Kirishima and Mina followed, the redheaded demon quickly pulling you back when electricity crackled throughout the room.

"Well, would you rather her find out hours before dinner or right before? This obviously isn't working!" the first voice cried out. You peeked around the corner, spotting two demons. One had pitch black hair with bulky elbows and the other had golden yellow hair with a black streak through it.

Mina stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Again? Seriously?" she asked and both jumped, their heads swiveling towards her.

"Mina! You almost gave me a heart attack," the golden haired one cried out, clutching his chest. Mina rolled her eyes before she turned to look at you at Kirishima's side. The two both seemed to notice you, quickly fixing up their appearances. "Shit! Why didn't you tell us there was a cute girl?"

You simply tilted your head like a confused puppy before you looked over at Kirishima.

"Who are they?" you asked as he met your gaze.

"The one with the black hair is Sero Hanta and the other one is Kaminari Denki," he replied and you nodded, turning to face the new strangers.

"Nice to meet you. I'm (Y/N)," you said and the two broke out into smiles.

"Don't do anything stupid. She's Bakugou's guest," Mina said sternly before the two could even speak.

"She's Bakugou's guest? She doesn't seem like the type to want to sleep with him," Kaminari said and you furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

"I thought I was getting my own room," you replied.

"Oh, no. What I mean is-" Kaminari cut himself off when he saw the wild flailing gestures from Mina and Kirishima to cut it out. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion. You turned your head to look back at your demon escorts and they quickly returned their hands to their sides, letting out sheepish laughs.

"Am I missing something here?" Sero asked, scratching his head.

"You can't tell me that he actually invited someone down here and not want to do the do," Kaminari added and you only grew more and more confused.

"What are you talking about?" you asked, tilting your head. Kirishima and Mina knew if Bakugou found out these two morons planted ill minded thoughts in your head, he'd go on a rampage.

"Why don't we just drop the subject? (Y/N) is our guest and I'm sure she doesn't like being lost in the conversation," Kirishima said, placing his hands on your shoulders gently. You nodded, a smile on your face. Kaminari and Sero shared a look before looking back at you.

"Bakugou's never invited someone just to be his guest," Sero muttered and you raised an eyebrow.

"Never?"

"Never. The last time he did he-" Sero was cut off as the door was flung open and the clicking of heels were heard against the ceramic tile flooring.

A pretty raven haired woman stood there in a gorgeous plum colored dress, the neckline swooping down to show off a bit of her cleavage. Another female stood by her side with asymmetrical bangs. You could only assume she worked for the other.

"Who's that?" you whispered to Mina, who gave you a wobbly smile.

"That's Bakugou's fianceé."

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jflashandclash · 4 years ago

Text

Tales From Mount Othrys

Alabaster: Delicate Dance of Chance III

Alabaster was grateful for the outdoor air. Despite Axel’s distraction, he still felt unsettled.

They strolled along the school’s sidewalk. The grounds were tastefully decorated—clearly an art school. There were bushes and rails juxtaposed with modern sculptures and painted boards. Everything was illuminated with ground lights.

Alabaster was shocked. Between the dancing and the games, Pax had pushed him through the two hours faster than he thought possible. Although he made it through the obligatory time, he didn’t mind staying a little longer. He needed time to think.

While bouncing alongside him, Pax prattled about Dr. Thorn’s trick shot in Pin the Sword in the Demigod. Alabaster looked at the skyline and the swirling vortex of Mount Othrys.

“Hey Alabaster, can I ask your opinion on something?”

Alabaster startled. Without intending to, he’d zoned out for the last few seconds of the conversation.

There was a waist-high concrete wall along the path, lined with bushes. Pax hopped atop, setting his plastic cup beside him. He puffed up his cheeks and popped them, kicking his boots against the rock.

Despite the warm night, Pax looked like he was shaking again. As Alabaster suspected, they needed to talk about what happened earlier.

Pax pointed to the rock beside him.

Alabaster sighed and obliged. He set his plastic cup down and quarter turned to face Pax. He didn’t want to admit that he’d quoted his grandfather or that he felt socially incompetent. There must have been some excuse for why he had acted that way.

Pax turned fully towards him, pulling his legs up into a pretzel. One of his knees twitched into the bush branches. As Alabaster expected he would, Pax scooted closer, until his shins brushed against Alabaster’s leg and his face was—at most—half a foot away. Normally, Alabaster brushed the invasion of space off as typical Pax behavior. But, something made Alabaster think about their dancing: how Pax’s hand felt and the slight scent of chocolate that always followed him. Alabaster’s discomfort intensified.

“I—um—there’s—um—” Pax mumbled, looking at his boots.

Alabaster frowned. The easiest thing to do was apologize. “Ajax—”

“There’s a project I’m working on! One I need help with!” Pax blurted.

Relief relaxed Alabaster’s shoulders. That wasn’t what he’d expected; though, maybe, Pax was derailing them.

“Painting or stitching?” Alabaster asked. Those were the two most typical ones, but Pax sometimes surprised him.

“It’s a secret,” he said. “But it’s—it’s something really fragile that I’ve been working on for a really long time.” His shakes worsened. Alabaster could feel them against his leg. Even Pax’s buoyant voice took on a weakened quiver.

“Okay. How can I help if I can’t have details on it?” Alabaster asked.

Pax had kept a few projects secret before; however, he never asked for advice on those pieces.

“Well… it’s…” Pax half-puffed his cheeks and inhaled. “It’s… already really beautiful. It’s one of my favorites, actually.” The child of Eris glanced at Alabaster. His crazy hair half-concealed his smile so Alabaster could only see the glisten of his golden eye. “But it is really fragile—like a sneeze from Charlie aimed the wrong way could shatter it. And I’m really scared of breaking it. But… but recently…” Pax swallowed. “Recently, I thought of a way I could make it more beautiful. Stunning and wonderful. More beautiful than a Reese sundae.”

His shy smile turned dopy. “And… and I think I would like that. But I would have to tamper with it and I’m really scared of breaking it. I don’t think I can repair it if I break it. Do you think… Do you think…”

Without looking, Pax reached for Alabaster’s sleeve, missed, and settled his hand atop Alabaster’s instead. With how much Pax was struggling to speak, Alabaster decided to ignore the motion. He didn’t want to distract him by moving away.

Pax raised his chin, eyes wide. “Do you think I should risk destroying something beautiful, and something I really like, in order to possibly make it more awesome?”

For once, Alabaster didn’t need to ponder over an answer. “Yes,” he said. “If there is a chance of improvement, I think progress outweighs the possibility of failu—”

Pax leaned forward, cupped Alabaster’s cheek with his spare hand, and pressed their mouths together. The smell of chocolate overwhelmed his senses. Pax’s lips were soft, as was the hair that tickled Alabaster’s collar.

Oh… was all Alabaster could think. As he did at the beginning of the night, Alabaster felt very stupid. Alabaster didn’t remember making a conscious decision about what to do next. One moment, Pax was kissing him, and the next moment, Pax was on the concrete walkway. Alabaster had pushed him hard—too hard. All he wanted was to get Pax away, to have a moment to think, but Pax didn’t have time to land properly. He slammed onto his side and clutched his arm. His face contorted in shock and pain.

Alabaster was stunned, both by the kiss and his own ensuing panic. Now was the time for a disinterested, calculated comment to diffuse the situation. Alabaster’s heartbeat was thundering in his head, preventing any such comments from entering his consciousness. When he tried, all he got was his grandfather’s disgusted grimace and sneer, “Magic? An excuse to be a fag having satanic orgies in the forest. If you want to help him, train to become a doctor, not to sodomize animals. You whimsical fool.”

There were few times he’d felt speechless. Once was when Luke hit him. It sent him back to the only other time Alabaster had been hit, the last time he’d been speechless: at his father’s hospital bed, where his grandfather had slapped him. Alabaster often wondered if it was because, secretly, his grandfather wanted the magic to work, and Alabaster’s failures to save his father’s life cracked his grandfather’s last hope. Like Alabaster had killed him instead of the cancer.

This isn’t the time for that. Say something! His mouth had gone dry.

Pax’s mouth twitched. Alabaster anticipated any possible rebuttals, like a good chess master should.

But, you danced with me?

I didn’t know it meant that to you.

But, you make it seem like you care about me.

I do care about you. We’re friends.

One of the few people Alabaster considered a friend.

Pax didn’t speak. His mouth trembled closed. He lunged into a run, keeping his arm cradled as he disappeared around a corner.

The paralysis broke. Alabaster stumbled to his feet. “Ajax…” he muttered.

A fragile project that Pax had been working on a really long time, one he was afraid of destroying: their friendship.

“You idiot.” Alabaster didn’t know if he meant it for himself or the younger boy. He needed time to think, to figure this—

The bushes rustled behind him. “What is wrong with you?” A flash of red erupted. Jack shimmied his way through the bush, stood on the concrete wall, and folded his arms. “How dare you treat my boy like that! Do you have any idea how long we’ve been psyching him up to do that?”

Matthias’s head poked out from behind the bushes. Sparks spattered near him. Lou Ellen must have cast an invisibility spell, likely to cower from Alabaster’s wrath.

And did he feel wrathful. “You were spying on us?!”

“Of course I’m spying on you. You two need a chaperone after all! My little Ajax going on his first date and you think he can go unescorted with an apparent ruffian like you—you could have broken his arm!”

Alabaster was too angry to be relieved that he hadn’t. Jack would have sensed a broken arm. He scowled. “Ajax’s first—Oh, how typical. You drag someone into your delusional Flash fantasy land and just assume we’ll all follow the script.”

“The script would have been fine if you weren’t such an insensitive jerk!” Jack raised his chin.

Alabaster seethed. He could eviscerate Jack off this planet with a word, knocking out one of Camp Othys’ powerhouses. This wasn’t the first time he’d been the temptation. Magic was so underestimated by the modern heroes. They should have paid more attention to their Homeric classics.

“You didn’t even consider that—“ Alabaster held a hand up to stop himself. His fingers shook with rage. One wrong curse or hand motion and he might make Jack a different kind of redhead by searing off his scalp. And over what? A child’s infatuation?

Matthias cleared his throat. “I need to go put all these fireworks away,” he said, hefting up a box. The Nordic boy took several calculated steps backwards. He almost tripped on the uneven ground behind the bush. Serious confrontations never were Hanson’s strong point. Alabaster could only speculate why Hanson had a box of fireworks. Titans forbid if Alabaster had wanted Pax to kiss him and that oaf decided to set those off.

“Al…” Lou Ellen whimpered from her invisibility spell.

A hum purred from Jack’s throat. It would have been innocuous from another, but a deadly threat from him. Alabaster wondered if Jack even knew that he was doing it. That a disgusting similarity between them: the ability to kill with ease and without intention.

“Flash, you’re a loose cannon that ought to be locked up in a psyche ward, not left to haphazardly assert your reality onto others. You’re like a sick Rottweiler.” Alabaster sighed, rubbing his temple and reminding himself that Jack was too much a simpleton to understand. If only Luke and Flynn had disciplined him earlier instead of giving him more power.

Jack’s disapproving expression melted. “Did—did you just compare me to a cute puppers?”

Alabaster clenched his fist. He could handle Jack being crazy; he couldn’t handle him being an idiot.

“Jack!” Lou Ellen cried, “Someone needs to go check on Pax. He’ll—he’ll be crushed by this. He needs you right now.”

Jack tugged at his hair. “You’re right! Oh, Ajax, my poor, broken-hearted boy! This isn’t over, scoundrel!” With the last, bitter comment, Jack took off in the direction Pax had run.

The invisibility spell might catch the bush on fire if it sparked any more. Lou Ellen must have been nervous. “I know Jack is delusional and everything, but… you could have been nicer to Pax,” the sparks mumbled.

Alabaster exhaled deeply. The younger boy’s look of shock and pain replayed in his memory, filling in details that probably hadn’t been there: the redness of Pax’s eyes, a comment dying on his lips.

Jack’s assumptions made Alabaster so angry, but, this was no way to act in front of his little sister. Like a raging ape. “You’re correct, Lou Ellen,” he said, forcing his voice as devoid of emotion as possible, “An appropriate apology is in order—only for the aggressive response, not for the rejection itself…” He examined the flittering sparks. He needed to be calm for this next question. “Have you been encouraging this behavior in Pax?”

A hiccup. Lou Ellen was sniffling. “I don’t know. You always seem more at ease with him.”

Alabaster frowned. “I… I am. But, I…” He traced through his interactions with others. “I’m not interested in boys in that capacity.” He never got uncomfortable around the boys in the camp’s thermae.[1] But, with the girls? When they went for a swim on one of California’s beaches, he had crumbled with humiliation under Lucille’s teasing. He was thankful Mercedes wore full-body swimsuit so he could talk to her without blushing.

Pax was a boy. That should be the end of it. Why, then, did he feel uncomfortable when he thought about Pax as Axel’s little sister? The image haunted him: Pax as some flat-chested girl half-drowned in her friend’s borrowed clothing.

Alabaster didn’t want a relationship with anyone, right? Relationships started foolish fights that ended in childish resentment and misunderstanding. What was the point of it all? They had so much more to worry about.

Was the objective to have a reason to fight? His reason was clear: to end tyranny, something—Alabaster’s stomach churned—that seemed less likely each time Kronos peeled away a layer of Luke. Alabaster had never liked Luke. The child of Hermes was weak, emotional, and illogical. However, he understood Luke’s purpose in the overall plan: he was a charming, handsome mascot to their cause. Now, “he,” this new hybridized Kronos-Luke, was becoming dangerous, a thug like the gods they strove to destroy.

How could Alabaster bring up this concern with anyone? He thought about Mercedes’ dark gaze when she had interrogated him. Should she have been suspicious of him? Could he ethically help a monster like Kronos to a position of power..?

He wanted to talk to Axel. That’s someone Alabaster felt like he could trust. Would their friendship be ruined if he rejected Axel’s little brother?

This was too complicated.

He rubbed his eyes wearily. “Lelly, how long has Pax espoused these emotions?”

He must have successfully exuded a calming aura. The invisibility spell sputtered out, leaving Lou Ellen seated on the edge of the wall. Her knees were tucked up against her and she refused to make eye contact. “Around the same time I realize Axel was a hunk of feline sexiness.”

The wording choked Alabaster. “And when exactly did you realize…” Alabaster sighed. “That Axel was ‘a hunk of feline sexiness?’”

“When you pulled his Mist mask off.” She aimed the words at the ground.

So, a superficial crush. This didn’t have to make their relationship weird. It was an infatuation. Alabaster was an older, wiser person that Pax spent a lot of time with. He held access to the mystical and mysterious, two things Pax seemed to admire. If not Alabaster, it would have likely been a different child of Hecate or—Alabaster snorted. Mysterious. Why couldn’t Pax have plagued Mercedes with these emotions? She was immune to Pax’s annoyance and charm.[2]

All Alabaster had to do was craft an apology and get Pax comfortable around him again. Then, he could discuss potential insurrection with Axel. A sardonic smirk curled his lips. “Lelly,” he said, staring at the swirl of Mount Othrys, “Bring me my library card.”

“Library card?” she asked skeptically.

“If you so distinctly heard me the first time, Lelly, you needn’t repeat me for clarity.”

“Yea, but… library card? Not spell book? Or—”

“Now.”

***

Author’s note: Thanks for reading! I feel like this piece was a little scattered. The part up to the kiss was written, like, a year ago, and I scrambled to try pulling it together from there. I hope you enjoyed regardless! Stay tuned in two weeks for the last installment of the Delicate Dance of Chance to see how Alabaster makes it up to Pax. And, maybe, how Pax makes Alabaster question a lot of things about himself. XD he’s good at doing that to people.

[1] Greek bathing unit

[2] *giggle*

#Tales from Mount Othrys #PJO #Percy Jackson and the Olympians #hOO #Heroes of Olympus #A kiss?!?#angst?!?#But really--I love alabaster he's such an asshole #<3

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quirkydahlias · 6 years ago

Text

Surprise Party (Part 1 ) (Dadzawa)

This was supposed to be a one-hit wonder like most if not all of my other fics, but once I reached the 7k words mark I realized that this dadzawa goodness had to be split apart into multiple chapters. So I hope you enjoy the first part and forgive me for the wait until the second part.

It was around 9 PM when Midoriya received a knock at his door, which was a little unusual, as most of his friends weren’t prone to lurking outside their dorm rooms around curfew.

In fact, most of his friends would be taking this time to squeeze in extra studying or training- a few sneaking in a late night snack before everyone went to bed around the time suggested to them by their teacher, Eraserhead.

Placing his weights down as carefully as he can, Midoriya moved quickly to answer the door, slightly concerned that something serious was going on as that would certainly explain the sudden disruption.

“Gah!” Midoirya suddenly cried, jumping back as he came face to face with Mirio, who, while stooping down to Midoriya’s approximate height, managed to incidentally get his face within mere inches from the startled Midoriya’s.

Mirio’s large grin grew at the sight of his friend, “Glad to see you’re still awake! Someone’s come all the way to see you,” he teased, giving a grandiose bow, the blonde scooting back as he gestured at the mysterious visitor hidden behind his larger frame.

“Deku!” Eri cried out, following the cue as given to her by Mirio- bouncing over and into the green haired boy’s embrace, the corners of her mouth perking up a the mere sight of her hero.

“Hey, Eri!” Deku cheerfully greeted, having hunched down for their shared hug. Pulling away, Deku remained lowered as he tilted his head a little with concern in his voice, “It’s pretty late for you, isn’t it? What are you doing here?”

Eri paused, the small smile on her face faltering as she checked up and down the hall as if checking for any unseen interlopers or eavesdroppers. Upon confirming that it was indeed just the three of them in the hallway, Eri cupped her hand around her mouth, the other gesturing for Deku to come closer.

Deciding to humor her, the boy did as he was instructed, leaning in close as she whispered into his ear, “Dad’s birthday is next week and I wanted to make a party for him since he made my birthday so nice last year.”

“Really? That-”

“Shhh, you need to be quiet Deku or the surprise will be spoiled!”

“Oh! Right, sorry.” Deku laughed, his laughter light and airy, finding a bit of amusement in the pout on Eri’s expression. “But it is nice to see you wanting to do something for your dad, I’m sure the rest of the class would love to help.”

“Thank you so much Deku, I...I know I must be asking for a lot,” Eri mumbled, cheeks a little pink as she grew embarrassed, just now realizing that she must have interrupted Deku’s schedule by dropping something like this.

Seeing her eyes grow watery made Midoriya’s heart clench ever so slightly, the hero in training giving Eri’s hand a small squeeze, “Don’t sweat it, it was a great idea and you’re not bothering anybody with it, alright?”

Eri nodded, not trusting herself to speak, though a small yawn escaped her as she rubbed her eyes. The yawn itself a cue for Mirio to slide on in as he came from behind and lifted Eri, lightly tossing her into the air before catching her and carrying the little girl in his arms.

“Mission success! We recruited everyone we need, right, Eri?”

Eri nodded in confirmation, the quirkless boy making his way down the hall, though he did spare a glance over his shoulder to say bye to Deku, Eri joining in with a tiny wave.

“See you guys later!” Deku called out, volume lowering when he realized that he shouldn’t really be making such a racket as it was getting late.

Once the pair turned, making their way to the elevators, Deku shut the door, beginning to mumble to himself as he tried to recall what he knew about his own teacher.

No, no, he’d need more than just what immediately came to mind.

Picking up a singular weight, he continued his strength training, the other moving things around his desk as he flipped through his hero journals in the hopes that he could track down the pages written about Aizawa Shouta.

As he researched, Eri and Mirio made their way to the common room of the Class 1-A dorms, Aizawa already waiting for them on the couch.

Taking a long sip from his cup of black coffee, the teacher spared the tiniest of glances over at the two leaving the elevator, just checking if any of his students were with them.

“She’s finished?” He asked, noticing the sleeping Eri in Mirio’s arms. Jeez, she was far too young to be staying up past her bedtime like this.

“Yes, sir!” Mirio nodded, rubbing the back of his neck nervously as his smile shrunk a bit, “Er, sorry about trying to sneak out with her.”

“Figured she was the one to go to you, or am I wrong?” Aizawa shrugged, Mirio’s silence confirming his suspicions. Unable to be upset with a child acting on her own whims, the pro hero just shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, “Just as long as she doesn’t make a habit of sneaking out late at night.”

Mirio frantically shook his head, steading Eri’s form by placing his hand on her back as he did so, “Nope! I’ll make sure of it!”

A small noise of acknowledgment came from Eraserhead, the man gesturing with a free hand over his shoulder for the two to follow as he trudged out the door.

Though Mirio did follow, the space between the teacher and student grew and grew with each passing moment, Mirio now 10 paces behind the pro hero who didn’t bother to look over his shoulder, as long as he heard the footsteps behind him, the man was fine.

It was only then, when the two were finally out of ear’s reach that Eri opened her eyes. And though her sleepiness was still there, the adrenaline from sneaking out to see her hero Deku to plan a surprise party still had its lingering effects on her.

Mirio looked down, the two sharing a sly smile, eyes twinkling as they gave each other a small high five.

Mission 2: Arouse No Suspicion...Success!

“This is why you all wanted to come ‘help’ me with my morning duties?” Iida asked the following morning, hand on his hip as the other frantically gestured at everyone who sat in their seats, the class representative taking initiative for this makeshift meeting by standing next to the teacher’s podium. “We shouldn’t even be thinking about conspiring behind our teacher’s back!”

Mina yawned, propping one of her elbows on the desk to rest her cheek. She wasn’t necessarily a morning person, but everyone has their limits. Momo, deciding to help out her classmate, helped tied her necktie as the pink skinned girl yawned.

“But isn’t the point of doing all this for Mr. Aizawa? Surprise parties are fun because they’re surprises.”

Uraraka spoke up, fiddling with her thumbs as she eyed the clock, hoping to finish the meeting early so she could run down for some breakfast soon. “But we aren’t even sure he wants a birthday party...”

“If I must be completely honest,” Momo added, backing away from Mina and heading to the back of the classroom to take her seat, “Mr. Aizawa is a very reserved man, I’m not sure he even celebrates his birthday in the first place...”

Iida nodded along with the two girls, thankful that they were against this surprise party. He had lost his teacher’s trust the day he accompanied his classmates to save Bakugou and as a diligent student, Iida made certain to never come close to betraying his teacher’s confidence ever again.

“Although I do love planning parties!” Momo chirped, having reached her desk just in time to pull out a thin notebook, little tabs poking out of the booklet, indicating each person in the class and color coordinated by event.

Well. There goes one of his supporters.

Midoriya pipped up, a little nervous to speak in front of the class, even despite all the time they spent training and working together, “Look. I just think that this is a great chance to repay him for everything he’s done for us.”

Kirishima jumped up in his seat, the sudden movement scaring Kaminari awake who’s head fell from his hand and slammed into his desk, waking the blonde up who just looked around with confusion, as if wondering if the class was starting.

“Oops, sorry man,” the redhead apologized, rubbing the back of his neck, though his eyes steeled with determination as he looked around at the rest of his classmates, “Just think about it guys, Mr. Aizawa took a huge hit for us back at the USJ! And then he stepped in when things got bad at the training camp!”

His voice noticeably softened, many everyone recalling their memory of the event and how powerless they were in the face of a villain attack.

Even Bakugou, who had remained quiet for the most part, gave a small grunt, looking out the window as he remembered the face of his teacher in front of all those reporters, defending him as he was holed up with the villains.

Iida sighed, realizing that perhaps this little celebration would be a positive influence and if everyone did feel strongly enough to come so early to plan such a party...

Who was he to stand in their way?

“If Mr. Aizawa asks us why we did it, we can give him a rational answer,” Asui explained, the class understanding where their homeroom teacher stood with the notion of sentimentality and emotions. “This’ll be a team building mission.”

That certainly caught Iida’s attention, his dedication to academics and becoming a hero winning him over, “Asui-”

“Tsu.”

“R-Right, Sorry! Tsu has a very good point! In the real world, it’s a requirement that heroes can at the very least coordinate and fight alongside each other! Therefore, I think this gives us a very good chance of getting to know each other better and become closer as a class.”

The rest of the class, stirred by Deku’s sentiment and Kirishima’s hotblooded energy, listened with intent as Iida took the lead, a few finding amusement in how easily persuaded Iida was on this little matter.

“I will divide us up into groups, ensuring that we are paired with someone we aren’t as familiar with. Then, we can make up the tasks and divvy them out. Sound good?”

The class spared each other a glance, gauging which of their classmates they knew the least about and who they think would be the most trouble to deal with. Bakugou staring straight ahead, a rush of anger building in him as a few glances passed over him.

“Yaoyorozu, could you please show us what you already have planned?”

Beaming, the star student practically raced to the front of the room, repeating “Yes” again and again as she quickly flipped through the book she had brought.

“I’m not sure about what kind of things Mr. Aizawa likes, but I do know that he’d prefer to keep the party small, so we have a few possible venues to pick from. A few on the list are off limits since we want to keep it small. So I was thinking that we could rent out the Tokoya Disneyland for the day-”

“WAIT!” Sero cried out, the entire class joining him in his shock, aside from Iida and Todoroki who just quirked an eyebrow at the pricy venue, “That’s your small venue?”

“Yes!” Momo replied, without missing a beat- as if it was a normal thing to rent out an entire theme park for one’s birthday, “I used to rent it out all the time for my birthday parties.”

“Maybe something we all can afford ma chérie“ Aoyama suggested, “Although a party there would be a dazzling event~!”

Momo considered the notion before nodding, “Although I did want to choose a venue that Eri could enjoy too, we can go smaller.”

“No one really knows anything about him now that we think about it,” Deku mumbled, leafing through pages of his hero journal as well as flipping through the internet on his phone as he tried to pick up on the sightings of his teacher in public. “It’s understandable since heroes like him don’t like the public eye and being in the public is a danger for any hero once they retire. He also doesn’t seem like the type to talk about the things he likes too much either, so it’ll be difficult for us to pick out any clues on the things he likes or plan a party that is able to properly cater to his interests. I mean, we certainly could, with what we have on him at the moment, but a little less than a year of instruction isn’t enough to-”

“Shut your trap!” Katsuki hollered, scaring his childhood friend into silence as he rubbed his temples in irritation, leaning back against his seat. “We don’t got a lot of time before Aizawa’s birthday and you’re just going to waste it with all that babbling you fucking do.”

“Hey, guys,” Jirou murmured, playing with one of her ear jacks as she thought for a moment, “We don’t really have the time to be stalking our teacher around after school. And we don’t know much about him. So someone else has got to, right? How about we just ask the other teachers?”

“Oh, that’s a great idea!” Hagakure piped up, closing her phone from her search for her teacher on social media. “Ooo, I bet good money that Mic sensei knows a whole lot about him, didn’t they go to school together?”

“I think they’re married, Hagakure.” Ojirou lightly mused though it was only partially a joke as many in the class were aware of the rumors around that the two teachers were involved together.

“Alright,” Iida cut in, raising his hands to regain control of the class, “Our first mission is reconnaissance. Jirou and Uraraka can go ask Mr. Yamada about what our teacher likes. Recovery Girl should have all the medical files on everyone in the school so for the birthday cake, Sato and Momo can go ask her and check if Aizawa is allergic to anything.”

“We could ask Aizawa what he likes,” Asui added, with a small shrug as she figured that a straightforward man would give a straightforward answer in turn.

Tokoyami was the one to speak up this time, uncharacteristically so considering how reserved he was, “That would arise far too much suspicion. Suspicion that we don’t want.”

“It could work if we ask the right questions.” Shouji mused, understanding where Asui is getting from, “We need to be subtle when doing so however and proceed with extreme caution.”

Iida, though skeptical, trusted his classmates enough to allow it, pairing Shouji with whoever else he would need for his plan. And without sparing a glance around the room, the student nominated Kaminari to work with him.

“W-Whoa, why me?” the blonde asked, very confused and a little curious about what this mystery plan was.

“Because you and I are complete opposites.” was all Shouji offered, opting to return to his usual radio silence and leaving Denki even more confused then he was in the first place!”

Mineta raised his hand, pipping up as he eyed the girls in the classroom, “Um, who am I going to be paired with?”

“None of us, that’s for sure!” Hagakure huffed, the girls all solemnly nodding as they absolutely refused with work with a known degenerate and pervert.

“I’d have to agree with them,” Iida nodded, looking around the class for a possible match for Minoru. “What about you Bak-”

“I’ll kill him the moment you pair us up.” the ash blonde hissed, shooting a death glare over at the purple child who looked like he was going to soil his pants.

“I think I’m okay working alone!” Mineta cried out, though Iida shook his head at that.

“It wouldn’t work out, as there are 20 of us in this class. But worry not, I’ll be your partner in whatever assignment be given to us!” Iida exclaimed, the rest of the girls breathing a sigh of relief for the class representative taking one for the team. Mineta releasing a similar sigh from the relief of not having to work with Bakugou.

“We don’t have anything else we can work on,” Todoroki murmured, bag already over his shoulder, “Can we go get breakfast now?”

“Almost,” Iida interrupted, sparing a glance at his best friend, “Midoriya, I think you’d know Shinsou better than any of us in this class, do you think you can talk to him? You and Ojirou can go.”

Ojirou immediate sprang up in his chair, opening his mouth to protest due to his sour relationship with the student from class 1-C, but Midoriya at that point had already given the class representative a nod. The trust he had for his green haired classmate ultimately winning over as he sat back down.

“Alright then,” Iida smiled, happy that the groups made so far showed promise, “Tomorrow we meet at the same time. So everyone for our teacher we’ve got to go-”

“-Plus Ultra!”

The first group in line was Jirou and Uraraka walked along the pathways of UA from the cafeteria.

“Wow, you’re super nice to buy me this parfait!” Uraraka beamed, digging into her little treat happily as the two made a right and through a few double doors. “Although, you don’t have to do this for the sake of ‘teamwork’. I know Iida said-”

“I’m honestly not,” the dark-haired girl cut in, giving a sly smile to her new partner, before she pointed a finger at the treat in the brunette’s hands, “You need breakfast, something light.”

“What?”

Jirou then moved her hand up, pointing to the staircase that stretched up to the top of the building. “We can’t take the elevator, just in case we bump into Mr. Aizawa. We aren’t Iida, so us walking around the halls during breakfast is suspicious enough.”

“Is that why you bought me breakfast?” Ugravity whined, clearly disappointed that it wasn’t 100% for the “sake of friendship and teamwork”.

“Hey,” Jirou shrugged, allowing her classmate to use her own quirk on their bodies, “I did my part, keeping you from eating too much and throwing up.”

“I don’t even eat a lot for breakfast!”

“That’s not what Iida said,” Jirou replied, keeping her head calm and collected as the two began to rise up, passing floor after floor.

Uraraka groaned, holding her stomach as they ascended, “I’m so going to be hungry during class today.”

“Nah,” the musician beside her shook her head, pulling her jacket aside to reveal to her partner some snacks she had picked up on the way out, “Asked around a few tables, the girls all pitched in a little for the both of us.”

Uraraka’s eyes glistened, “Oh, you didn’t have to do that...”

“I know,” Jirou grinned, shooting her a wink, “I did that because we’re friends.”

“Give me a hug!” Ochaco cried, wading over to her to give Jirou a quick embrace, which turned the usually collected girl into a blushing mess.

“H-Hey! We’re gonna miss our floor, hug me later, alright?”

“OH! Right.” Uraraka hissed, coming to the realization just in time to stop her quirk and stumble through the double doors together onto the floor where the teacher’s room was also situated on.

The two were careful when moving, staying close to the walls and making sure to keep away from the beams of sunlight that could create elongated shadows that would give away their position.

“So,” Uraraka whispered, getting on her knee to peer around the corner as Kyoka looked around above her head, “How can we be sure that he isn’t in there with Mic sensei?”

That earned another smile from Jirou who gave Uraraka’s hair a small ruffle, “You act like you don’t know what my quirk is.”

Snaking her ear jacks into the ground and wall, Jirou listened for footsteps and voices alike, managing to listen in on a bit of what was going inside the teacher’s lounge.

“Oh come on,” Mic whined, propping his feet up on his desk as Midnight filed her nails. “I can’t believe he said no to going out for drinks, and over text!”

“Darling, I can’t believe you asked your husband out on his birthday date, over text.” Midnight tittered, finding amusement in the mundane relationship problems of her coworkers, All Might sitting awkwardly in the room as he tried to do something productive.

“Listen. He always says no, even when I ask him in person.”

“You’re just not approaching him the right way. Men are delicate things,” Midnight sighed as if reminiscing fonder memories.

“I ask him every night.”

“Oh well that’s your problem. You’re too needy.” She explained, giving All Might’s shoulder a squeeze as she passed by, heels clicking against Kyoka’s eardrum. “I know the two of you are married, but give the man some space. Somewhere he can breathe.”

“But it’s been a month. We’re both busy all the time-”

“So, is Aizawa in there?” Uraraka asked, shaking Jirou from her concentration, the dark-haired girl looking down from where she was leaning against Ochaco, practically using her back as a stool at this point.

“Oh...er...yes. I think he is.”

“Thank goodness, my back is killing me,” she whined, moving up off the ground as the two separated, dusting their uniforms off. “Learn anything interesting?”

“Just that Kaminari owes me 5,600 yen.” Jirou snickered, taking Uraraka by her sleeve as the two raced over to the teacher’s lounge before rapping her knuckles against the door.

Mic was the first to answer, surprised to see two of Aizawa’s students standing in front of him, and his two favorites too! “Hey there you two, Aizawa isn’t here-.”

“That’s fine,” Ochaco blurted, her exclamation allowing for the cooler-headed Jirou to slide in as she lightly tugged on his sleeve.

“We need any teacher, it’s super important!” She added, earning both a raised eyebrow from the voice hero as well as his full attention.

“Come on!” Ochaco cried out, racing ahead down the hall without them, both playing her role as the more emotional of the two and giving Jirou and Mic no time to think.

And when heroes don’t have time to think, they act on instinct.

And what, you may ask, is the first instinct of a hero when faced with possible trouble?

Pursue.

The two sound based heroes followed Uraraka who was glad that this improvised bit was working, as she turned the corner and headed down the hall and back through the double doors of the stairwell.

Jirou and Mic followed suit, Mic halting for a moment to look around at the corner and relocate Ochaco before this time, leading the charge into the double doors.

Once the three were in seclusion, Ochaco spoke up, “We really need your help Mic sensei. There’s-”

“Before I help, I think what really needs to happen first is you two girls need to explain yourselves to me.” Mic stopped, crossing his arms and giving the two a pointed look, his height towering over theirs and in the dimmer light of the stairwell, certainly made him seem intimidating.

“What do you mean?” Jirou asked, her voice slow and cautious as if she was testing the waters and mapping out landmines within this conversation.

“What I mean to say is,” Mic clarified, leaning a bit forward for emphasis as the green orbs- usually hidden by his orange shades- glinted in the light. “You two were spying on us. Why?”

Ochaco opened her mouth, trying to find her voice as she certainly didn’t want something like this ending up with her getting in trouble. But Jirou was thankfully there, giving her hand a squeeze as she calmly locked eyes with their English teacher.

“Can you tell us how you know first?”

“Oh that was easy, I saw the holes in the floor and wall when we stopped.” Mic grinned, relishing the widened eyes of the two girls, who spared a small look between each other.

“We were just trying to make sure Mr. Aizawa wasn’t in the room,” Ochaco piped up, twiddling with her fingers a little, the pro hero’s name certainly holding Mic’s interest.

“Oh, and why would you want to make sure your main teacher isn’t around to see you sneaking about?”

“We’re planning a surprise party.” Uraraka blurted, ignoring the sharp look that Jirou shot her.

“Really now?”

“Yes,” Uraraka nodded, noticing how Mic’s shoulders seemed to sag the more she spoke, watching the tendrils of tension unravel as his interest showed itself more and more. “It’s for Mr. Aizawa’s birthday actually, it’s in a week.”

“And you wanted me to...?”

It was Ochaco’s turn this time, to squeeze Jirou’s hand, being able to read people better than Jirou could. “To help, of course! We can’t throw a party without knowing what Mr. Aizawa likes or what he doesn’t like.”

Jirou backed down upon seeing the large grin that was characteristic of their teacher return to his face. “Well, what do you think?”

“I’m in.” Mic grinned, contemplating something for a moment before frantically shaking his head, “Just keep the details away from me, I’ve always had trouble lying to Shou. Now. What do you want to know?”

The two girls locked eyes and nodded, Jirou pulling out a small book from her pocket as she recorded everything that Mic was willing to tell them about Mr. Aizawa’s preferences and likes. The two cementing the deal with one of the granola bars that Jirou was stashing in her jacket.

But before Mic could get too far, Jirou stopped him, tugging on his arm just as the voice hero looked over his shoulder.

“Um, Mic sensei. Could you tell me how you figured out we were up to something?”

He smiled, giving her hair a small ruffle, “Nah, you two were believable. I mean, two of the best behaved students of class 1-A rushing in, needing help from ‘anyone’? Very believable.” Stuffing his hands in his pockets the voice hero turned his back to them, letting out a small chuckle as he strolled through the double doors and away from them, leaving the two standing in the stairwell. Right where they started.

“I’m just smarter than I look.”

With the first phase of the reconnaissance mission complete, the students all shuffled to their seats, ready to begin the day just as the bell rang. Uraraka and Jirou both too nervous to start talking about the information they received, just in case their teacher came in at the wrong time.

Sure enough, Aizawa strolled in, greeting his class before he got straight to work, opening up a thin folder before reading through the daily announcements. Once he was finished, however, there was a little time left over in the 10 minute period for the kids to chatter among themselves. Marking the perfect time for Shouji to go to work. Sitting close enough to Kaminari, the multi-armed boy shot him a pointed look, the two locking eyes before he spoke.

“Black coffee is much better than coffee with cream.”

Kaminari looked confused, baffled by the comment that came seemingly out of nowhere. Was this the plan? To argue in front of their teacher? Because Shouji was absolutely wrong to ever like drinking black coffee, like, who even does something like that?

“Uh, no. Dude, black coffee is bitter and gross. You definitely need a ton of sugar and cream in that!”

“I disagree,” Shouji shook his head, crossing his arms as he leaned against the chair, “My coffee preference is mine. You simply can’t handle the taste.”

“Whoa, are you calling me weak?!” Denki huffed, puffing his chest out a little like an angered chick. “I drink coffee all the time!”

“I believe that would explain a lot,” Shouji mused, only upsetting the blonde even more.

Eraser looked up from the podium, the two close enough to the front of the room so that he could hear them. “Hey. Black coffee is great.” he defended, picking up his mug from behind the podium and swishing it around in his hand, “The concentrated caffeine keeps me awake.”

Kaminari’s eyebrows rose at this, finally realizing just why Shouji needed him. The two were opposites in almost every way. And what better way to get their teacher’s preference than to get him to reveal them himself!

“Well, Mr. Aizawa,” he began, “You’ve got to like sweets though right? Black coffee on its own is hard enough to drink as it is!”

Shouji smiled underneath the mask, pleased to see that his partner in crime was playing along, “I’m impartial to sweets myself. I don’t see the need for excessive amounts of sugar and fat in a person’s diet.

On that account, Aizawa shrugged, showing indifference to the topic of sugar snacks and confectioneries, “Just as long as it isn’t too sweet.”

Shouji paused, pondering in thought before he figured out his next question, sparing a small glance at Kaminari before he spoke, “Though it’s not my place to say-”

“You know what I don’t get?” Kaminari asked aloud, to no one in particular, “You eat the most basic food ever dude.”

“What?” Shouji blinked, clearly confused as to where this line of questioning was going, his eyes shifting to Aizawa who slowly seemed to sour in the face of the “discord” between his two students.

“I mean, Mr. Aizawa,” Kaminari asked, shifting the conversation from a battle of insult and argument to one of a difference of opinion, “It’s super important to have a good diet right? But shouldn’t you have a little variety when you eat? Instead of eating the same things over and over again?”

“I see no benefit in doing something as needless as that,” Shouji stated, knowing full well that each meal he ate provided enough energy, vitamins, and minerals he’d need for the day.

Aizawa pondered for a moment, weighing the two in hand before shaking his head, “While a variety of foods provides the optimum amount of nutrients, it subconsciously gets you to eat more. I’m not picky about what I eat, so long as I have the energy needed to do my job.”

The two spared a glance at each other, recording the note in their mind as Aizawa Shouta wasn’t a particularly picky man about his food and wasn’t too fond of sweets. The latter fact taken into note by Sato who scribbled it among his math notes, providing a cover for the note taking he was doing.

“You two certainly are arguing more than usual,” Aizawa muttered, running his fingers through his hair and pulling it back before taking a sip of his coffee. “Why’s that?”

“We were studying,” Shouji offered, giving a small gesture behind him at the blonde who played along by looking bashful and embarrassed, “Or rather, I was tutoring him. We began to get off topic and now-”

“-we’re just getting to know each other better.” Kaminari grinned, earning a small sigh from the teacher who honestly didn’t care too much- so long as the boys didn’t let this affect their training or performance.

“It is beneficial to work well with others when out in the field. If you two take your arguments and debates too far, there will be consequences.” His eyes flashed over to Bakugou and Midoriya, both self-absorbed in their own activities.

The two boys nodded, slowly taking turns debating various topics and getting their teacher’s opinion on the subject matter once they reached their stalemate. Which was most of the time though some few topics the two boys found themselves agreeing wholeheartedly on. To the surprise of both the pair and the teacher overseeing this bit of discourse.

Packing up his work, the pro hero trudged out the door without another word, the moment the pro hero crossed the door frame marking the beginning of 1st period as the bell rang out.

14 notes · View notes

marril96 · 6 years ago

Text

The Blame Game

Pairing: Rowena x reader

Summary: Rowena feels guilty for Charlie's death. Having had enough, reader lays down some cold, hard facts.

Warning: Charlie negativity. If you are a Charlie fan, either read with caution or don't read at all.

Editor: @oswinthestrange

Read on AO3.

You sat down next to Rowena, looked her in the eyes, and, without any warning, said, "What's going on with you?"

She'd been acting strange ever since Charlie Bradbury had started talking to her in the Bunker. The girl had neither said nor done anything harmful — you'd never left Rowena's side, not daring to be alone or leave her alone in a room full of hunters — but it seemed her presence was enough to shake Rowena. She'd become unusually quiet, almost shy, something more characteristic of you than her. She spoke to the nerd turned hunter — you mentally snorted at that thought — in a kind manner, soft and caring almost to the point of being motherly. And when Charlie expressed desire to leave on an adventure, Rowena promptly offered her a ride with the two of you when you headed home.

Something was going on and you had a feeling you weren't going to like it.

For the first time in forever, Rowena didn't try to pretend everything was fine. She knew by now that the act wouldn't work on you. It never had. She took a sip of her tea, then put it back on the coffee table, head hanging low. If you didn't know any better, you'd think she was ashamed.

Finally, she took a deep breath and said in a voice dangerously close to a whisper, "I've been thinking."

You frowned. "About what?" She wasn't considering breaking up with you, was she? Your heart jumped at the thought, but you quickly dismissed it. Rowena wouldn't do that. Not after everything the two of you had been through. She loved you too much — and knew you loved her all the same — to just throw it all away.

"Charlie."

"What about Charlie?" Your temper flared as possible scenarios started swirling through your head. "Did she do something to you?"

Though you'd spent most of the time with Rowena, there were a few times during your ride home that you had to stop at random gas stations to go to the bathroom, leaving the two redheads alone in the car. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary each time you returned, but you knew better than anyone Rowena was good at pretend — and there was no doubt in your mind Charlie was, too. Plenty of insults and threats could have been in exchanged in five minutes.

"No," Rowena said, noticing your shift in tone. "She was nice."

You sighed in relief. She'd better be nice, you thought. "What is it, then?" you asked a tad more gently.

Rowena was silent for a moment, contemplating her thoughts. Then she looked up at you with eyes glistening with unshed tears, like a hurt puppy begging for help, and said, "She died because of me."

You blinked. "What?"

Then the realization of what she'd said sank in and memories from years ago rushed towards the surface and exploded in your head like an over-pressurized geyser. Rowena in chains. Alone and abandoned. Unfairly held against her will. Mistreated and talked down to.

Sam had originally brought you to the warehouse to keep an eye on her. Despite being friends with the Winchesters at the time, you protested to keeping her a prisoner, even if Sam told you she was a wicked witch. She was still a person, and she hadn't deserved to be treated like that. Instead of being her guard, you befriended her. You couldn't get the keys to her chains from Sam, but you could be there to make sure she wasn't harmed.

Your abilities were a secret then — you didn't dare tell the brothers you were a witch, even if your magical skills had left plenty to be desired. Especially once you saw how Rowena was treated. Hunters and witches could only be friends if witches hid their nature — but Rowena had known what you were from the moment she'd laid eyes on you. You'd promised her safety. She, in turn, had promised to teach you magic.

Once Sam realized you were getting too close to her, he'd grown suspicious and had enlisted Castiel's help. And Charlie's. And to add insult to injury, he'd appointed Rowena Charlie's assistant — instead of the other way around, as it actually was — for no reason other than to be a dick.

Rowena had been a bit mean to the nerd, but considering the circumstances, you couldn't blame her. She had every right to lash out at her captors. Especially when one of said captors was a nerd who thought she was better than her.

"Rowena, that wasn't your fault," you said. You'd be damned before you let her blame herself for that.

"I was horrible to her."

"You were horrible to everyone. Even me." Though, to you a bit less so, because you wanted to help her rather than treat her like shit. "Didn't see me going off to do stupid things."

"You went with me," she said.

You gave a soft laugh. "That wasn't stupid. That was an adventure."

"Back then, I was more than ready to use you and leave you to die if it would benefit me."

Ouch.

Her words stung, but you appreciated her honesty. You knew what you were getting into. Rowena from three years ago was a cold, heartless, manipulative bitch. Even as your feelings for her began to develop, you knew better than to expect anything. She'd agreed to mentor you, and that was what she was doing.

It had taken her getting her neck snapped to realize you — and not Lucifer — were the one who'd always have her back.

Rowena hung her head in shame. Bringing your hand to her chin, you gently tilted her head up to look in her eyes.

"That's not you anymore," you said. The memories of her nonchalance towards you, of her trusting Lucifer despite you telling her it was a bad idea still hurt. But they were just that — memories. A reflection of a different time, of a different person. A history that would never be repeated. "I loved you then, and I love you even more now. What happened before doesn't matter."

Rowena's lips formed a sad smile. Then her face fell once again. "Charlie is still dead," she said. Her tone, usually filled to the brim with playfulness and sarcasm, was dripping with guilt.

"Don't you dare blame yourself for that!" you said, a tad more harshly than you'd intended. Rowena flinched, and you took a small breath to calm down. You wanted to reason with her, not scare her. Shouting would only make her feel worse. "What happened to Charlie was her own fault."

"But—" Rowena tried.

You cut her off, having none of it. "But nothing! She made a dumb choice and got herself killed. End of story."

"I pushed her to it."

Rowena's lip quivered and a tear slipped down her face. Your heart ached for her, beating fast and out of control, like a bomb about to explode. There was no denying that Rowena used to be a terrible person. She'd abused and abandoned her child, and killed and harmed countless of innocent people for no other reason than her own gain.

One thing she hadn't done, however, was kill Charlie Bradbury.

"Rowena, you were held captive. Charlie participated in that," you reminded her. "She could have tried to help you." Like you had. "But she didn't. She didn't want to. Yes, you were mean to her. So what?"

She wasn't even that mean. A few sarcastic comments and arguments were nothing compared to what Rowena was capable of, what you'd seen her do with your own two eyes.

"She could've ignored you. She could've gone to a different room. Instead, she had you removed and then ran away like a dumbass." You took Rowena's hands into both of yours, squeezing her tiny fingers with yours. "Her death was on her. Not you."

You brought one of her hands to your lips and pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles.

"Besides," you said, "Charlie wasn't all that innocent, despite what she pretended to be. She was judgmental, and talked too damn much for her own good. And whenever she was around, Sam and Dean were suddenly helpless without her. It was weird." You made a disgusted face. What the hell was up with that? "She always looked at me funny. I never liked her."

That was an understatement of the century. The first time you met her, she was okay. But the more you got to know her, the more she annoyed you.

"Oh, and she was a terrible hunter. But don't tell anyone I said that."

Rowena let out a small laugh. You laughed along.

"Don't feel guilty, okay?" you asked gently. "I know you're trying to make up for all the shit you did, but this isn't on you."

She nodded. "I'll try. It's just hard, seeing her again. Even if it's not really her."

"I know." You tightened your hold on her hands for emphasis. "Just try to keep in mind that you were the victim in this case, not the other way around. Charlie didn't feel bad for you, so you shouldn't feel bad for her. You don't owe her — or this new Charlie — anything."

Rowena gave another decisive nod, but you both knew it was easier said than done. It was going to take some time.

And you would be with her every step of the way to remind her of the truth.

"Thank you, Y/N," Rowena said.

"You're welcome, honey."

You pressed your lips to her sweet, soft ones, melting into a kiss that, albeit short, sent electric sparks through your body. She always tasted the same, always affected you the same, as if every kiss you shared was the first. She could change everything about herself, could change her opinions and actions and redeem herself, but kissing her would always remain the same. It would remain a constant, like her presence was in your life.

It was one of the peculiarities you loved about her.

You hoped it stayed that way forever.

Tags: @werewolfbarbie @oswinthestrange @darktweet@songofthecagedmoose @apurdyfulmind @getthesalt-sam @metallihca @royalrowena @supwhorecorp @salembitchtrials @jay-eris @hellsmother @elizabeth-effie @victoriasagittariablack @rowenaswife @laeshhh @dropsofpetrichor @fromflametofire @xfireandsin @liddell-alien @elaspn @cas-loves-dean-and-i-love-him

#rowena #rowena macleod #rowena x reader #rowena macleod x reader #rowena spn #supernatural #spn #my fics #the blame game #fic #fics #fanfic #fanfics #fanfiction

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axliconss · 6 years ago

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No one would had ever imagined Bill Bailey turned Mr. Axl Rose would become a father at the early age of 23 years old, no one back home in Lafayette, Indiana that is. In midst of the bullies, kids who poked fun at him for being the nerdy bookworm, the dorky ‘smart kid’, the kid who couldn’t ever catch a girl’s attention. Not in a million years. Then again, they would had never imagined he’d be in L.A making music and actually getting that very recognition they thought he could never receive either. Now, the girls around the strip and guys, would probably expect Axl to get a girl pregnant from a one nightstand. But…that isn’t the case. The redhead found the love of his lifetime in that corner in an L.A club one January, not very many January’s ago at all. A blue dress, a mess of dark curly hair frame her oval face, the dark hair and color of blue that complemented her crazy-beautiful azure eyes. Sky blue, mesmerizing blue. She had the personality of an angel, way her voice was softer than a sweet melody, her name…Erin…would roll off the tongue like honey. It fit her well, like she was made to be named something so light and graceful. But just like him, she had something troubling about her. Erin wasn’t all perfect. Good intentions, a big heart, but definitely flawed.

It’s why he’s struggling so hard at being a single father. This wasn’t meant to happen, not so soon. But one night of making up without protection led them here and neither of them was about to think about abortion no matter how unprepared they were and still are. Axl’s at a battle with himself, he’s much too young, the chaotic frontman trying to figure the world out himself, let alone at this fathering thing. It’s surreal to think he even is a father, surreal to look beside his bed and see a tiny baby either grinning up at him, giggling or crying for his attention in her crib. A little girl that has a mixture of both of their features, his red hair and Erin’s beautiful blue eyes. He sees a lot of her mother in her features. Eris Hope Rose. Eris, he loved that name because it resembled Erin’s and the meaning behind Hope is everything the little bundle of joy is. Hope for him, the daily reminder that there’s always hope and how she’s came and saved him in every way. Every time he sees them though, it reminds him why he’s so angry. He ran Erin away after one fight after too many of her provoking him, a whole court ordeal was about to go down if she didn’t, another conflict to add to the fire was when she told him she finally had her big break at her career but it was across the country in New York and suddenly he felt like she cared for neither of them, so there’s quite a few reasons why he told her to get gone.

Why she’s STILL gone.

This is what life is though, like it or not. Axl’s just dragged himself in at 3 AM from working a local gig down on the Sunset Strip, the sitter has just left and the baby is crying no more louder than she possibly could cry. All the other guys were giving him a hard time, telling him he’s such a bummer having to run home for a ‘baby’, not staying for the partying. The life of rock and roll. Drugs, booze and sex. Well, those days are over. The boy turned into a man over night has alas learned the hard way. He’s not proud of himself for a lot of things, but this…this is one. Coming home, avoiding all of it and realizing she’s not /just/ a baby. She’s his responsibility now. He’s cladded in leather pants, leather jacket, cowboy boots, a blue bandana and all of his accessories. Rings, snake skin belt, his shiny cross necklace. But the redhead is still here in the cruddy kitchen of his shitty apartment, despite his appearance and the career he pursues, fixing up a warm bottle for his child. He’s doing his damned best.

The young father trails back towards his room once the bottle is ready, picking Eris up from her crib and walking to the living room with her in his arms. Sitting down in a recliner, it’s ripped and torn, it’s not much, but it still rocks. His bangles clang, holding the baby in one arm while his free one guides the rubber nipple into her mouth. It works immediately in soothing her crying and Axl smiles, times like these he can’t help but find it easy. If only it was always this easy. “You sure wear me out, Eris.” Axl speaks to her, chuckling tiredly. “But..it’s okay. One day, da-da is gonna have enough money where he only has to work on the days when he wants. One day, daddy is gonna have you a big room. Us a big nice home, it’ll be cozy and you’ll love it. And you’ll have a big yard to play in with a biiig swing set. Maybe we’ll have a puppy too!” Excitedly speaking to her for her benefit, watching her content eyes turn happy as her cheeks dimple in a cheesy smile while she sucks on the bottle at her father’s demeanor. “That sounds great, doesn’t it?” Axl mirrors her sweet smile, nodding. Glancing up at their current surroundings though, he sighs at the room. Chipped paint on every wall, dirty carpet although he tries to keep it vacuumed even if there’s nothing he can do about the stains, an old ugly wooden couch from the 70s splashed in orange and brown patterns against the window in front of the red recliner he’s sitting in now, a tiny window air conditioner over by the balcony door that doesn’t even open without having to shake it open with some strength. The air barely puts out but it helps some. And a tiny television next to it against the wall that plays about five free channels, but at least a few channels for babies and children comes on them so it gives something to entertain Eris with in the mornings.

Once the strawberry haired baby is finished with her bottle, Axl burps her and then takes the empty bottle to wash it out. “Okay, baby. Time for sleep so dad can get a bath.” He’s ridiculously soft when it comes to her, he didn’t even know he could be so gentle until she came into the world honestly. Eris isn’t having it though, her belly is full but she’s ready to romp when Axl trails back through the small apartment, into his bedroom and slowly puts her down in her crib that Vicky, his past manager was nice enough to get for him because he sure couldn’t afford it. The baby begins to whine the second the bigger redhead let’s her go and turns away, cracking into a noisy cry already and Axl’s only had time to get a new pair of underwear out. “Eris, I’m right here. Daddy’s not gonna leave you.” Sighing, turning back around to tend to her, he knows she won’t understand though so he has no choice but to pick her up. The crying immediately stops once she’s back in her father’s arms, Axl wipes the wetness on her cheeks away with his thumbs, “Now what am I gonna do with you?” Sighing again, trying to think of ideas but he has none. Attempting to place her back into her crib, Eris’s chubby legs begin to kick and another angry cry emits from her, she doesn’t want to be alone even for a second. Axl lifts her again, beginning to get frustrated himself. “I have to get a bath some way, somehow. I stink like shit.” Groaning, head falling backwards. “Sorry. Don’t repeat that.” Realizing he shouldn’t say any curses around her, he doesn’t want to have a child repeating after him once she does get a little older and knows what he’s saying and can talk herself.

Walking to the bathroom, flipping the light on, Axl tries to get some new ideas but nothing. What the fuck does a parent do when no one else is around to watch their child when they need to shower? Axl decides to go back into his room, taking off three of the pillows from his bed and some toys from it before he walks back to the bathroom and closes the door, that’ll keep her from escaping at least. Placing the pillows down on the rug, he makes her a comfy little spot before placing Eris on top and placing the bear that was Erin’s that she left behind on top of her lap. “Play with Bubsy, he wants some attention.” Axl coos, making him dance before she giggles, tiny hands grabbing for the fluffy bear and finds it entertaining for a second. At least long enough for the singer to escape from all the leather, shedding every piece of clothing that smells like smoke and sweat until he’s naked. Pulling off the blue bandana around his head, the necklace, his bracelet and rings, Axl places them on the counter before he turns and finally begins to run the bath water that he’s in much need of. Grabbing his cloth, he gets to step into the nice shower for a brief moment until Eris is whining for him after he’s disappeared behind the curtain.

The bear is long disregarded, Eris crawls to the wall of the tub and tries pushing herself up on her feet. Axl senses her and hears the fussing which has him groaning in stress but amusement too, “This kid just won’t let me rest.” Speaking to himself, pulling the curtain back and finding a little redhead staring up at him wanting in. Is he seriously going to have to even put her in the tub? When he’s right here. “Alright, little Rosebud. You win.” Axl sits down on his knees, pushing the curtain back a little so he can unbutton her purple onesie, laying her on her back to remove her diaper and lifting his child up. “I guess you need a bath anyway.” Since she had a bit of an accident before he left for his gig earlier. “You’re so cute.” Chuckling as he lets her back get wet, holding her to his chest. Cute cause she’s all grins and happiness now that she’s back with him, not even that far apart and she wasn’t satisfied until he was holding her. What a daddy’s girl, makes him grin ear to ear. Tiny hand grabs his wet hair, still finding it fun to pull even when soaked. “Ow. Not so hard.” Wincing, laughing regardless though. Axl takes the cloth, getting it wet, picking up the pink Johnson & Johnson bottle to squeeze out some baby soap, placing it down and beginning to rub the cloth gently into her skin. Running the cloth over her baby-smooth back, chuckling all the while as her father bathes her as she has her own fun in the rain of the water, clapping her small hands underneath it and finding it as the most interesting thing ever. Once he’s got her body clean, Axl lastly takes the cloth to her little feet, “Gotta get the little piggies good and clean now.” Laughing at her giggling, giving them a wiggle, making sure they get good and sudsy before he’s finished. Rinsing her off, washing all the soap away, all that’s left is her hair. Reaching down to squeeze some baby shampoo into his palm, Axl begins scrubbing that in next.

Careful not to get it in her eyes before he holds her underneath the water, shielding her eyes and rinsing the soap. She doesn’t like it too much, but luckily it doesn’t take too long. “Okay, all done. You’re a clean baby now.” Smiling, now it’s his turn. Scrubbing bar soap back into his cloth, he starts on his face, over his shoulders and arms, switching Eris in different arms to get the other before switching her back, his torso and then his lower parts before he’s finished. Dancing underneath the water as he rinses off, he’s successful in getting more giggles from Eris. Hearing her cackle is the best sound ever, no other song or sound even compares. What a dad does to get the job done is pretty amazing since he starts on washing his hair with only one hand, lathering soap into it the best way he knows how and scrubbing it until his whole head is clean with shampoo which is tiring with just one hand. Getting it completely rinsed out alas, he’s relieved once the soap is all gone. He finally can get out of here.

Hand reaching down to turn the knobs off, finger pressing down on the stem to switch the shower head to the faucet so the next time he turns it on it won’t drown his head. Leaving the cloth on the ledge, the wet redhead pushes the curtain back and steps out. Grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist and grabbing another towel for Eris, drying her off until she’s good and dry. Keeping her wrapped up in the towel so she doesn’t get cold, Axl lets her sit on her bed of pillows on the floor until he can dry off himself. Soaking up all the wet beads that dot his porcelain skin until he’s dry too, wrapping his hair up in the towel he pulls on his underwear next, applying deodorant before he’ll start on his face. Rubbing the shaving cream he picks up into the stubble until half of his face is covered in cream, grabbing his razor next and taking a few minutes to carefully remove the hair from his face. Once it’s completed that task, he cups water in his palms, rinsing any of the left over hairs and shaving cream along with his razor before putting that up and getting his toothbrush out.

Axl finishes another three minutes later before he picks up Eris, the bear and the pillows up, flipping the light off and taking everyone and everything back to the tiny bedroom. Throwing the pillows and the bear on his bed, Eris is watching everything her father does before her blue eyes land on the new diaper and onesie Axl is getting out. Sitting down on the foot of the bed, unwrapping the baby from her towel, he’s unfolding the diaper before placing it under her bottom and folding it over in the front. Finally, he’s gotten good at it after it took a thousand attempts to get putting a diaper on right. Taping the sides, he pats her legs once he’s completed the task in less than a minute. Grinning proudly at himself, he’s getting her tiny feet and hands through the onesie with little rose petals and bunnies on it, buttoning her up, planting a kiss to her forehead and she’s finally free from the annoying task of being dressed. “Well, I can already tell you’re not sleeping in your crib tonight so I might as well make your bed here.” Which he gets to work on, barricading all the sides in with chairs so she can’t fall out while he’s asleep, finishing up within a few more minutes.

Hands slide underneath her arms, picking Eris up and laying her down next to his side of the bed, fixing the pillows, making sure they’re good and comfy for them. Placing all of her stuffed animals above their heads, he turns the light off, leaving the lamp on and climbs in next to her. Covering her little body up, tucking his tiny Rose in, Axl lies down next after getting under the soft blanket, resting his head on the pillow next to hers and cuddling his little girl. “Welp, another long day here. Just us.” Eyes flickering to the phone, tears already welling in his eyes as it’s too silent. He’s been looking for another phone call, each and every night. From Erin. Last time she called, he hung up on her the second she began her same old shit. ‘I want to see the baby’, ‘The baby isn’t safe with you’, ‘I’m taking the baby’. Bull-fucking-shit. The baby is completely safe with him and hasn’t had to endure in damn yelling from them since he left her and got proof on her to use against her if she TRIED to get the baby took from him.

It doesn’t stop him from missing her though. He’s crying because he can make it work, Erin just doesn’t want to. Or..she wants to. But she’s too damn complicated to want to. Besides, she doesn’t even miss him or Eris. She’s just wanting to take her away to piss him off, right? That’s what he believes anyway. If she wanted either of them, if she loved him, she wouldn’t want to take Eris away, then she would learn to act right. That’s all he wants from her. Eris peels his attention away from the subject, disrupts the angering thought only for her to make the sad part of the thought worse as he watches her push herself up, chubby hand reaching and grabbing for Bubsy…almost like she knows. Knows exactly what he was thinking about and how she misses her too. That only encourages the tears in his eyes to spill, quickly wiping them away because he doesn’t want Eris to see even if she’s only a baby. It hurts him to be lying here without a mother for this child that didn’t even ask to be here, he feels like a good part of it is his fault that she doesn’t have one present. The thing that’s even more crestfallen is gazing at her, absorbing how sweet and innocent the baby is but she has no clue where her mother even is. Axl can’t help but be in despair, no more wistful thinking that Erin will actually straighten up for them. This is their life now, like it or not. He has no room to mope, even if it’s going to be extremely hard. Doesn’t mean he won’t catch himself at night yearning for her though, like now.

“What’s that you got? Playing with your bear?” Looking over the bear as she toys with it, her eyes only focused on her favorite toy. And of course that same bear belonged to Erin as a little girl before it ended up on her twin bed in her apartment those few years he was with her, remembering himself tossing it in the air and Erin yelling at him to ‘Stop! You’ll hurt him’ before he’d burst into laughter because it’s only a bear. Or using it as a pillow many of nights, rolling on top of it and finding it crammed into his back. Who knew it’d be in the hands of their daughter, merely three years later as HER favorite toy. Maybe she knows it was her mother’s and that’s why she loves it so much. It’s a little far off given she’s a baby, he knows. But it sure seems that way and it hurts his heart even more. Axl can tell by the look in her eyes that Eris isn’t ready for bed, it’ll take some time for certain. Which sucks, since tonight, he’s actually exhausted and drifting off to sleep. He even dozes off a few times before small hands pat him in the face, making emerald eyes fly back open to make sure Eris is okay. She is, it’s only his dad instincts on overdrive like always. But he comes to find out she’s only trying to crawl closer into him, melting his heart. The older redhead’s big arm comes to protectively wrap around his baby, pulling her in close to him, their faces so close he can begin to hear her little baby snores sounding from her nose. Making the bigger redhead smile, his eyes finally closing and them both at last drifting off to sleep.

Thankful for the full night of rest he gets without Eris crying from an accident or something else, he wakes up to a fully lit room. Sunlight making both redhead’s in the small bed appear so beautiful, strawberry hair gleaming in the sunlight. A little ginger girl and her ginger father snuggled together until she’s the first to wake, possibly taking that after her mother and small hands grabbing her father’s face around eight that morning. Eris’s face attacking his as she’s trying to give him a sloppy kiss which instantly makes his day brighter already. “What, darlin’?” Groggy voice heavy with rasp, clearing his throat and prying his eyes open. “Is this a puppy dog kiss?” he wonders, sleepily laughing to himself. Puckering his lips and kissing her cheek, “Huh!” She exclaims, which by now, Axl knows that means she’s hungry. “Okay, okay. Gimme a second though. Waking up isn’t as easy for everyone like it is you.” Smiling in amusement, sleepiness gracing the male’s young features as he smiles up at the little girl that’s like looking up at his miniature girl version of himself. Wondering how it is that babies wake up so happy anyway.

After five more minutes, Axl finally slides out of the bed. Placing the baby down on the floor so he can pee right quick even though she chases after his feet anyway by crawling after him, get his teeth brushed and from there on he starts their usual routine. He changes Eris, gets her ready and either makes oatmeal for them since it’s all he can afford in groceries or he’ll go over to Vicky’s, or sometimes, days like today when he just had a gig last night and got paid he’ll take his very unexpected companion in his early life – but his baby angel nonetheless – to a diner for breakfast. Walking in, dressed in a bandana, jeans and an over sized black shirt. Eris in her jeans, little white shoes and the pink top he picked out for her with strawberries on it. He doesn’t look like the type to be a father, the skeptical elder lady working behind the counter being a bit judgmental but she quickly changes her mind when she watches Axl a bit longer. Noticing how kind he is, getting out the high chair, talking to the baby as he places her in it and gives her the brown little bear that he brought for his child. Kissing her head after sitting down next to her, pulling out the crayon book with the crayons he also brought her, the older lady smiles at the redhead’s once she heads their way to take his order.

Breakfast goes nicely after he swallows his waffle, bacon, eggs and sausage links with much delight and Eris seemed to enjoy their time at the diner as well before Axl is paying and they head back home. The rest of the day consists of them watching tv, playing and napping until the singer is being woken up from a loud ring. Flying up from the living room floor, glancing around a few times, taking a moment to come back to reality. The baby is still on the blanket sleeping he notices before he’s scrambling to get up, picking the phone up from the end table, Axl holds it to his ear, “Hello?” Speaking into the phone, confused until he hears Duff’s voice on the other end asking what he’s doing. Brows momentarily crease in confusion, wondering what he’s on about before it hits him. A show! He has another fucking show tonight and he didn’t even get a babysitter. “Shit. I fucking forgot. Uhh– I’ll be there in a second.” Hanging up before Duff can even say anything else, going into total stress mode as his fingers slip through the roots of his hair. Wondering what the hell he’s supposed to do now as he glances over at Eris. “Fuck.” Hands colliding into his face, roughly rubbing it in frustration before he takes off into his bedroom. He’ll worry about it in a second, he has to get dressed. Throwing off the jeans and his shirt, flying behind him and landing in the floor next to his bed. He raids his closet, yanking down the leather pants, hopping into them, absently tying the laces in the front a little too tight, going back for another piece and yanking down a black Thin Lizzy shirt, throwing it over his head and then pulling on his cowboy boots by the bedroom door. Quickly fumbling for his snakeskin belt, wrapping that around his thin waist and latching it, he’s throwing on his jewelry. Rings for his fingers, usual bangles for his wrists and changing out the cross necklace for a difference cross necklace around his neck before lastly grabbing his leather jacket, throwing it on and quickly walking back to the living room. Eris is stirring by time he comes back, which is a good thing. At least he doesn’t have to be the one that disturbs her sleep.

“Hey, little girl. So we’re doin’ somethin’ different today. You’re just gonna have to go to this thing with me.” Picking her up, he grabs the blanket, stuffing the bottle in her diaper bag, Bubsy and the car seat before hauling it out of here. This is a crazy idea. A rock show is no place for a baby, but he has no other choice. Kicking the door shut with his foot, he locks it real quick before flying down the steps and making it outside to wait for a taxi to come by until he’s climbing in a few more minutes later. Out of breath, it’s nice to relax the time he’s on his way there. Putting Eris in her car seat and situating her. Bubsy being placed next to her, draping the blanket over her little body and Axl is sitting back to enjoy the rest of the few minutes by himself he’s got before everyone looks at him like he’s crazy for bringing in a baby. He’s hating the second the car comes to a stop, nearly cringing because he does not want to get out but of course he eventually has to do the dreadful task at some point. Groaning, he’s digging out some cash, handing it over before he’s getting out, grabbing the car seat and the diaper bag, shutting the door back. A man dressed in leather from head to toe must look like a sight carrying a baby into a venue where the rowdiest party goers have already swarmed their way in, but especially being the lead singer. Slipping through the backstage door, the door attendant is already giving him odd looks at the smiley little baby he’s carrying around before the redhead makes his grand appearance with her and the looks have already began once he places the car seat down on the couch.

“Dude, what the fuck! You can’t just bring little tater tot here! This isn’t fuckin’ Sesame Street.” Steven comes hounding him, Axl rolling his eyes and feeling the fire already building up inside him because he predicted it. “Well, I don’t have anyone else to watch her so there’s not much of an option.” The redhead grumbles, unbuckling Eris, “Isn’t she old enough to BABYsit herself?” Slash doesn’t really mean anything by it as he stands off to the side dumbly rolling off lame jokes and the other two guys come walking in right as Axl is taking offense to it anyway and blowing up on them both, “She’s a fucking baby! In a crib still! I’m doing my best, why don’t you fuck off before there’ll be NO show?” Barking, punching Slash in the arm and full on attacking Steven as the drummer begins to open his mouth AGAIN but Axl doesn’t let him finish before they go wrestling in the floor. “Woah woah, hey! HEY!” Duff is the peacemaker as usual, grabbing Axl while Izzy grabs Steven and Slash is wandering back off. “Ax, is doing his best, okay? Everyone needs to take it easy.” Duff lectures, Axl sending daggers towards Steven as he stumbles backwards into the bassist, still ready to rip his throat out if he has one more fucking thing to say about Eris. Steven realizes Duff is right and decides to leave it while Axl is pushing Duff back away and tending to the child that’s began to cry from the yelling and fighting, picking her up, giving her a few bounces and kissing her cheek to make her feel better again. “I’ll call my girlfriend. She can watch Eris. It’ll be alright, Ax. Chill.” Giving his shoulder a pat before waving at Eris and then hurrying off to get his girlfriend on the line. Axl settles for that, although he’s having second thoughts. He’s crazy about the well being of this little girl and whose hands she’s in. He hopes he can trust this lady enough to take care of her for two hours.

It works out fine, for the most part. The security men watch over the baby they sit with for thirty minutes of the show that Axl has to start before he can wait for Duff’s girlfriend until she finally shows. It puts stress on him the whole time though, he does this. Let’s any little thing make his head swell until it feels like it’s going to pop off, not sure why it is he gets so stressed when something isn’t perfect. But it’s during a solo in Rocket Queen, half way through the show, that he takes the quick moment out to check on his baby only to find Duff’s girlfriend and half naked groupies accompanying his child that makes his anger go through the roof. They’re not hurting her, not exactly. Half of them are giggling at how weird babies are and the others are giggling at how cute this one is, or wondering if she was one of Axl’s mistakes from lack of protection or if one of them can get pregnant by him too as a joke. Or maybe they’re serious. Who even knows with these type of women, the scummiest you can find on the strip. “What the fuck’s goin’ on?” Throwing his hands up at Duff’s girlfriend, he didn’t tell her to bring people along or let people around his kid. Shaking his head, fuck this. He goes back out there, finishes the stupid fucking song but then announces the premature end to the show, “Good fucking night,” before chucking the microphone at Duff’s back. Leaving everyone confused but they’re so drunk, they can’t even tell the difference. Axl storms back through the curtain, stomping down the three steps before his feet hit the concrete. “What are you idiots here for?! Get your fucking hands off of her! AND YOU, tell Duff he can thank you for cutting the show SHORT.” Face red with anger, never has he been this infuriated in awhile, all the girls are left stunned as he snatches the child back away. Buckling her into car seat, gathering her things and gathering his own shit before storming out of the building shirtless with his clothes draped over his free arm.

Slamming the damn door on a taxi cab once he finally gets one, he’s even taking his anger and stress out on the taxi man up front, telling him to hurry the fuck up before throwing money at him and grabbing his kid again, climbing the hell out and slamming the car door once more when he’s back at his shitty apartment complex. The creaky steps thud with each hard stomp he takes going up them, chest and breathing heavy with rage, nearly breaking the steps and the handle on the apartment door once he unlocks it and twists the knob back with a little too much force. Kicking it in and kicking it back shut, a hard slam vibrates through the hall that can be heard from anyone’s room. “You know, you’re really fucking things up for me.” Slapping the phone off the table as he passes by it, crashing in the floor. Placing the car seat down a little roughly, shouting directly at her, “Everything! You’re messing up every-FUCKING-thing! And yeah, fucking. Don’t know why I even bother trying not to say it AROUND you. You’ll just turn out as a FUCK up just like me ANYWAY. Cause you know why? You’re MY stupid kid. I’ve never been anything but a piece of fucking shit, so don’t expect to be anything greater than that.” The little girl wastes no time breaking out into a high pitch cry as she stares up at her father that suddenly isn’t her sweet daddy any longer. And she’s his kid alright, with a set of lungs like those that kill his ears immediately. “Shut the fuck up!” Losing his temper, swatting at anything in sight, the lamp goes falling over, kicking toys out of the way, the crying gets louder until it’s outright ear piercing screaming and finally Axl just leaves her as he storms to his room, slamming the door shut behind him and throwing himself down on the bed as the crying doesn’t stop outside of it.

Listening to her cry makes him angrier until the song coming on the radio makes him snap out of his dark world of anger, snapping him back to reality where he can hear his child crying for him, not some nuisance. Not some fuck up like the person that just took over him like a storm shouted. ‘Little child, dry your crying eyes, how can I explain the fear you feel inside because you were born into this evil world....’ The song by White Lion plays through the dark room, bringing tears to prick at Axl’s own eyes until he’s breaking out into his own sob. Hating everything about himself in that moment as the heart wrenching lyrics tear him apart because they speak to him. They explain to him how his young life, from the time he was a newborn until now, started out so evil. He wasn’t sheltered and now he’s brought another little child without any sheltering too. The father may be damaged and young but he does not want his own child to go down this road. It doesn’t matter how young he is, he has to figure himself out and figure himself out quick.

Look at him. Already yelling at her, blaming her for things that are no way her fault, just like his stepdad did to him. NO. He won’t be him, he refuses. The little girl deserves the world and a parent, a good father that’s there to protect her not scare her or make her cry. Leave her feeling so alone in this God forsaken world. Sucking in a breath, Axl gets up and tears out of the room. She feels like she’s miles away he wants to get to her that bad when she’s only a few feet away still crying on the couch, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Immediately apologizing once the door swings open, his little child crying her eyes out that works so well in making him cry all the more. Tears pouring down his cheeks, down hers. “Daddy didn’t mean that. He didn’t mean it at all. I’m sorry, please forgive me. I love you.” Sitting down on the couch, unbuckling her and taking her out of this lonely car seat where he abandoned her at, cradling his baby so closely to him, “You didn’t mess anything up.” ERIN did. His stepdad did. His mother did. “You won’t be like me, sweet child. You’ll be better. And daddy’s still going to give you that life that he promised. I love you so much, my angel.” Sobbing through his words, trying to quit for her sake. “I won’t yell no more.” Smothering her face in kisses, the guilt might as well drown him already because he’s certainly feeling it gnaw at his heart until it hurts to breathe.

When the pair has both calmed at least, Axl raises his head from it being leaned against hers when he gets an idea, rising to his feet and taking Eris over to the shelf where the music is, “Look, look. Let’s play a song. This will be my song to you.” Chuckling a little happier through the tears as she seems content again too, fumbling in his cassettes and pushing it into the player before a beautiful vintage sound begins to fill the room the moment the two notes begin to chime with The Temptation’s gorgeous song My Girl. “I’ve got sunshine on a cloudy day, when it’s cold outside…I’ve got the month of May. I guess you’d say, what can make me feel this way? My girl. My girl, my girl. Talkin’ about my girl.” Axl sings along to her, quickly putting a smile back on the little redhead’s face as he dances around the living room with her in his arms. “I don’t need no money! Or fortune or fame, I got aaaaall the riches, baby. That one man can claim.” Laughing in the midst of his singing, gently throwing her up before catching Eris. Continuing to dance and giggle with her until the song comes to an end, “My girlllll.” Kissing her face all over, grinning and more happy than anyone in the world to see his girl smiling and giggling again. And he does. He believes the song will stick, it’s too perfect for it not to.

The rest of the night goes smoothly after a diaper change that causes Eris to start crying again, but luckily that was all it was. Something different happens within that same night, Axl finds himself writing Erin a letter. If she won’t call, he’ll write her like he used to. He fills it with kind words, which is a change. He tells her that the baby misses her and she maybe should come home and stay for good…if she can promise him to clean her act up. Which is something he thought he’d never decide on. But he’s still not sure if Erin even wants them and he adds that too before signing off and sealing it, taking it down to the mailbox so it’ll send out tomorrow morning. With a bottle once they return back upstairs, he’s sending Eris off to sleep easier tonight than last. Eventually finding himself passing out in the chair he was rocking her in, Eris’s bottle finding it’s way slipping from her mouth once she’s finished and rolling off the chair but neither of them stir. Both redhead’s sleep soundly after such a draining day, content to just be with each other.

No show, no call, no letter from Erin. Not in a week. Not until another week later when he’s getting a call from his ‘manager’ to meet him at the beach, he’s offering a free meal to the boys in the band for getting closer to getting signed. That’s what he said. But when he and Eris arrive he finds something else after his manager tells him to come and look at something by the beach. Axl’s in his aviators, sneakers and a pair of jeans that fit him nicely, unbuttoned at his belly button while he lets the button up shirt he has on go open. Red bandana in his long fiery locks that lay beautifully around his shoulders, dancing against his face from the wind. And the warm wind feeling nice against his bare torso with the baby in his arm, both of them completely oblivious to who really awaits him at the shore line. But there it is. His breath, nearly taken away. She did this, she really did all of this. There’s no meal, there’s only…HER. Emerald eyes spot that dark beautiful curly hair and that gorgeous face from a mile away as he stops in utter shock at the edge of the steps that lead down into the sand, his heart stammers and a world of emotion swirls inside his head. Taking off his glasses to get a better look at the woman, sun in his eyes but he can still so perfectly see her. There’s no one in the world but him and her, it stops spinning completely. A part of him wants to run away while he still can, the part that wants to protect Eris with his life but…a bigger part of him…wants to run to her. And he does. He’s wanted to run to her for so long.

Tears prick at his bright green hues, legs trailing down the steps and taking off across the sand to do just that. Erin meets him half way before they collide in a long overdue embrace, both of them crying into each other as he wraps his arm around the model and she wraps hers around his neck. Her touch, her warmth. He can’t believe she’s actually here. For so long, thinking she was gone from his life forever, he can’t believe she’s HERE. Time stops right then and there underneath the golden sun with only them in it, looking at each other like they found their other half, and they did. They at least just rediscovered each other. “Happy Father’s Day.” Erin tells him in between happy tears and a gleeful grin breaks across his face. He should’ve known that’s what she was waiting up to do. God, he loves her. He fucking loves her.

“I gave up the job.” Erin next announces over the loud crashing of the waves, the wind blowing their hair everywhere. “Why? Don’t you want it?” Brows crease, but he’s so stunned he forgets how to even speak. “Yes..but.” He awaits her answer, a moment doesn’t even have to pass when she’s giving it right away, “But I want YOU and our little girl more.” She cries like it should be obvious, grabbing his face, green eyes staring into her beautiful blue ones he’s missed so much. He can’t shake the shock of it all. “And of course I want you. I want you both. I want to do better and I will, Axl.” To answer his question in his letter as she holds it up to him, she had it hiding behind her back the whole time. The happiness swelling his heart as his eyes fall on the letter briefly before glancing back up to meet hers again, all he can do is allow more tears to leak from his eyes, staining his shirt. It feels like a damn dream. “We want you too. Don’t you leave again.” Kissing her right on the lips, pulling away to catch his breath only to kiss her all over. “It’s mommy, Eris. Mommy!” Jumping up and down, getting her excited before the baby squeals, tiny hands reaching out for the brunette. Erin’s squealing just as much as she is, giggling and kissing her baby with her father’s hair and her eyes that she’s missed for far too long, she won’t do anything to jeopardize time with her again. “This is and will always be the best Father’s Day of my life. I love you so much, Miss. Everly.” That’s all she’s wanted to hear and that’s all she’s wanted to say. “I love you so much, Mr. Rose.” Sweet words are exchanged and another kiss that’ll lead into many more kisses tonight close the space in between them as the sun begins to sink to rise a new dawn between them in the morning.

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