#everytime I want to help my family something has to happen that spits in my face

[msfaeriearts]

..

Vent in the tags

I’ll delete later

[nature-writes29]

Unexpected love | Veer Pandya x Sundar Chola/ Parantakan 2

It felt like he was been thrown on a sizzling hot pan. He pulled his head out of the sand, spitting the sand which had made his way into his mouth. He got up and looked around. After their expenditure beyond the sea, they were coming home when a Pandian ship had clashed with theirs. And the reason was the storm. They had clashed because of the mist. He knew that he was on a coast and that his family will send a ship to search for him.

      He started to look around for any survivors. After searching for a while he came across a person whose whole body submerged under the sang except his right hand. Happy to finally see a survivor he started to dig him out, hoping that he would be alive. When the person was fully out of the sand, he turned him over. To his uttermost shock and horror it was the Pandian king. 

      Though he was feeling light headed, he forced himself to open his eyes. At first, all was bright, then his eyes adjusted to the brightness and he saw the figure infront of him. 'Who is this? am I in heaven? I must say though, this man is Handsome.....' The Pandian King thought to himself. Then he figured out that the man infront of him is none other than Chakravarthi Sundar Chola. 

      They both stared at each other.      "What are you doing here?"    "Same can be asked to you"    "Well.... You know what has happened right? we should look for the survivors" Veer Pandya said. As he was about to get up, Sundar Chol grabbed his hand and stopped him.    "There's no need, I have already checked. You are the only person I was able to find." Veer stared at him for some time and plopped beside him.    "So.. now what?"    "I think we have saty here... Till help arrives or we figure something out"    "Oh parmeshwara! So I am stuck with my rival?"    "Look I am much keen about it either, but we don't have an option." Sundar Chola said getting up and holding out his hand for Veer Pandya who smiled mischievously, accepting his hand.

_Time skip_

      It has been a whole week since he had been stuck with this Pandian Bighead. But SC did have to admit that this Bighead was charming.

( I am just writing the initials because it's a pain to write their whole names everytime. So it's SC for Sundar Chola and VP for Veer Pandya)

      "So... Paran..... How's it back at home? You have a wife?" VP asked.    "Yes, I do."    "Oh" a frown appeared on VP's face, but he quickly hid it. But SC had noticed it.    "How many?" VP asked.    "Only one, though it is causing some internal problems with the ministers, but she is nice...."    "Ooooo"    "Yeah, and now I got a letter last month that she is expecting, so.. our Kingdom is going to get their hair mostly within a few months.... What about you?"    "Not yet... Though they were discussing about it when I left... I don't know what awaits for me back at home... And congratulations by the way."    "Hmmm....." And they walked onn....

_Time skip_

      It's been a few days since he had found out that his new friend had a wife and an unborn child. He didn't understand why but he used to feel a weird sensation whenever SC used to touch him... Whenever they used to talk.... Whenever he was around. SC was very handsome, like really handsome. There were times he wasn't able to keep his eyes off him. He didn't know why he felt that way, it was new to him.

      Currently he was on a coconut tree, trying to pluck their dinner. They were thirsty too.

      "Aae! Careful! We don't want your head cracked, do we?" SC yelled at VP from below.    "Will you shut up! It's soo dark up here! Stop yelling at me!" This got SC to shut up.

      He just stared at VP from below, collecting the coconuts he was throwing from above. The person above him was a charming man. He had a great sense of humour and was optimistic half the times. He knew that he was a bit attracted towards him, he liked everything about him... Though SC had to remind himself that he himself had a wife back home and that he was going to be a father. He kept those thoughts aside and looked to the man on the tree who was coming down.

   "Do the Pandian Royals live on coconuts? You seem pretty skilled with all this"    "Do the Cholas have the pass to the moon? Because I am seeing a piece of it right in front of me" VP replied in a mischievous tone.    "What?" SC said feeling a blush creeping up his cheeks.    "Oh! You know what I mean Paran, wait...... there is something on your cheek-" VP said coming hear him.    "Where?" SC asked giving VP a sceptical look while moving his hands to his cheeks.    "-Right there" VP said leaning towards him. He got his hand up, which like looked like it was going for SC's cheek. But to SC's shock and delight, he wasn't met with VP's hand, but with his lips.

      His lips lingered on SP's cheek far more time than a 'just friend' would. He pulled back looked at the moon. His moon. SC stared at him frozen but a look of pure happiness played on his face. His mouth was also opened with shock.    "Come on, we should get to the shelter, and please close your mouth." With these last words he picked up his coconut and started to walk towards theit makeshift shelter.

_Later that night_

      They both were laying on the opposite sides of their shelter. Their backs were facing each other and both were lost in thoughts.

      SC touched the area in which VP has kissed him. Still feeling that it was all a dream. He now knew for sure that he loved this man. More than a friend. But now he felt as if he was playing a game of tug and war. One side there was Vanama, his wife, who was now carrying their child. On the other side there was VP who was.... Well.... He didn't even had the words to describe their relationship. Two men can't fall in love. Can they?

      On the other side, VP was blaming himself for his actions earlier this evening. He didn't knew what had took over him when he had kissed his cheek. 'Oh parmeshwara! I have kissed his cheek! He has a wife! And a unborn child! How can I do this! Ohhh my........and worst, we are both boys!' his thoughts kept repeating.

_The day after_

      It was raining furiously. The Sun was playing hide n seek with the clouds. They both were sitting under a podium type of thing. They thought that it was a piece of an old and forgotten temple.

      But their focus wasn't on the rain. Just before the rain, when they were hunting, SC have had a big accident. The portion from his right side of neck to the right shoulder was bloodied. VP was tending to his wounds. They were inches close.

  "How can someone mess up so bad with hunting? And you are a King!" He said slowly applying the medicinal ointment.    "I know but I got distracted..."    "Distracted? By what"    "Nah.. I can't tell you that."    "Arre tell me na!    "Nope!"    "Please..." VP kept asking him... Which finally got him to break.    "It's because of you!" There was a shocked silence between them.    "Me?"    "Yes you! Ever since last evening I am not being able to keep you out of my mind!"    "And what about your heart?" VP asked him, giving him look of pure love.    "Yes, the heart too" SC replied in a whisper. They stared at each other for some time. VP took one look at SC as he leaned forward.

      The world slowed down as their lips met. The kiss took SC off-guard. VP Started to pull back as he felt SC freeze a bit. But he felt a muscular arm push his head forwards, deepening the kiss. SC thought that he was in heaven when he came back to his senses. He instinctively grabbed VP's head and pulled him forward deepening their kiss. VP slowly moved his hand to SC's cheek. Tenderly moving it on his flesh, pulling each other closer than one can humanly do. SC moved his free hand through his hair. The kiss intensified. Because of VP's force, SC slowly felt his back touch the ground. VP was on top of him.

•••••~•••••~•••••~•••••~•••••

Ha ha ha a cliffhanger! Don't worry there's going to be a part two.

You guys wanted a kiss and a romantic scene? Here you go. Enjoy. I hope this was upto your expectations

@ragkee @whippersnappersbookworm @moon-880 @favcolourvibgior @thirst4light @dr-scribbler @nspwriteups @thereader-radhika @vibishalakshman sorry if I have forgotten to mention, some of you had requested for this on Wattpad. I am sorry if anyone felt that this was boring or not up to the story you guys wanted. I have never written a gay couple or a kissing scene so it was a bit awkward for me to write. But I hope that you guys liked this oneshot. Instances mentioned are completely fictional. If any confusion, let me know! :)

Any suggestions and feedback appreciated.

∆ Requests Accepted ∆

_ All work is original. Do not copy _

[mitsuki91]

I... Can not even know where to start to reply to you.

I think the most miscomunication here is about the concept of love. Do you ever romantically loved someone? I don't want to inquire in your life mind you, but this can explain something.

Love, expecially romantic love, is not Agape. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray didn't have an Agape love, this was pretty clear. They have Eros. Eros is a flame, is burning, is possession and jealousy. Is the rappresentation we have for sexual and romantic love, intended for a partner.

Of course Coriolanus would be jealous. (Expecially because Lucy Gray's ex helped Mayfair to sell her as a tribute, but here we are in another analysis point; that's only to say that he has real concern about Billy Taupe and Mayfair that went beyond "jealousy"). Lucy Gray is jealous and possessive too to his Coryo. "You are mine and I am yours". She said that, not him.

Lucy Gray performed at the start. For the capitol, to stay alive. For Coriolanus too at the start, until he starts to open up to her, telling her about his family situation (that no one knows!) and so, because trust and respect as love are built on sharing, she starts to open up too. She let herself being seen as vulnerable - but only to him, not the capitol. She perform for the capitol, and it's a performance they both agree on. She said us herself! "Everyone thinks they know all about me / They slap me with labels and spit out their fables / You came along and you knew it was lying / You saw the ideal me / And yes, that's the real me" that are her lyrics in the love song she write for him! She clearly tell us that their bond is real, that they performed together for the sake of the capitol, to let Lucy Gray stay alive and win, but that she was real with him! That Coriolanus saw the real her!

The love you are describing, the love when you walk away to let the other person be free and happy even if you suffer doing so, it's the Agape love. It is not the only Valid™ love in this world. And Coriolanus and Lucy Gray knew each other only for what, a month and half? They are in the early stage of their Eros love, and that's why I told you that maybe their love in the end will not work if they end up not finding a middle ground (but, as I said with my example about arguing and listening to each other, I am quite sure they would work even with all their differences. Anyway it's beside the point now). Still Eros love is love and also a valid one! And a one used for romantic partners. Jealousy is part of that love. The needs to control your partner, to know where he is everyday everytime, is part of that love. Expecially if it's only in your mind as a thought and you do nothing - nothing armful - about it. Hell, still to this day if I leave the house I text my husband telling him where I am. I text him even when I finish work and I go home, even if he knew damn well my schedule and it's the same everyday. He text me when he go out to grocery shopping even if I know he would go that day; he text me the exact moment he left the house and the exact moment he came back, even if I am at work and I can not check the messages. It's not lack of trust, it's not control, if we forget sometimes nothing happen, it's just... Caring. Love.

Not only the PureLove™ is RealLove™ and until you cross the path of abuse (which Snow did only at the end and I might say because of a mental breakdown, but let's not dig in there here) you are good to love as you please and as the other person let you do it because it's the same for them.

Lucy Gray was the first one to be possessive about Coriolanus and her love, their love, is not at all an Agape love.

Hot take:

Coriolanus Snow did not love Lucy Gray, even though he loved her.

Bear with me for a second I know this sounds like an oxymoron but I promise I can make it make sense. The TL;DR is that both SnowBaird shippers and detractors are right, but also very very wrong. I’ll explain.

People who say Snow was genuinely in love with Lucy Gray are wrong. Flat out incorrect. And I say this so bluntly because of one simple factor: before the games, he needed Lucy Gray to promise total devotion to him. This 16 year old girl was about to be thrown into an arena to fight to the death and his concern was whether she was committed to him?? That’s not love. That’s need. Remember the saying “if you love someone, let them go”? It exists for a reason. If you truly love someone, you want what’s best for them. You want them to be happy, even if that means stepping away. Snow was not ready or willing to do this. If there was even a chance of him having to step away, he was prepared to just leave her to her fate to die. And this happened relatively early in the story when you look at the importance of events. Most of the moments we can point to and go “that’s a turning point for him” happen either during or after the games. Funnily enough this ties to a very simple fact of the story that seems to fly over a lot of fans’ heads, if they’re not just outright ignoring it.

Snow did not lose his mind or go insane over the course of the story. The whole point is that he was always this way, and looked every opportunity to choose to be a good person dead in the eyes as he dashed them to pieces, burned them to ashes and used the charcoal left over to draw happy little doodles on their graves. This story has two points, with the first being a subversion of the “uwu villain with a tragic backstory to excuse their actions” trope. The second one is gleefully stewing in all the ways the people Snow wronged in his early life haunted him until the day he died, especially Sejanus and Lucy Gray. That’s just one example of Snow not actually caring about Lucy Gray, but there are more. They’re sprinkled all throughout the story, culminating in the final scene where he attempts to murder her.

However

Coriolanus Snow did have genuine feelings for Lucy Gray. He was prepared to ruin his entire future to save her, knowing that getting caught cheating would destroy all he’s worked for his entire life. When he was forced to become a peacekeeper, he asked to go to 12 in hopes of seeing her again. He went out of his way to track her down and they shared genuine moments together. By now, he has no ulterior motive for being around her. No prize, no game to win, nothing to gain except happy memories. Snow wanted to be with her. And Lucy Gray wanted to be with him. There’s a skeleton of a genuine relationship there, inklings of the love story Lucy Gray was convinced they were destined to have. That wasn’t fake, those were real feelings and it could have been beautiful. If it wasn’t for one tiny little problem: Lucy Gray is not who Snow thought she was. She isn’t who he wanted her to be. In other words:

Coriolanus Snow thought he loved Lucy Gray Baird, when in actuality he loved the idea of her he’d created in his mind.

You see, this boy is the least reliable narrator to ever narrate in the history of ever, beaten out only by Humbert Humbert. And in similar fashion to Lolita it looks like people are making the mistake of taking his word at face value when the point the book tries to make is that you should not do that. Snow looked at his choice to keep bashing Bobbin over the head after he was already knocked out and decided to take it as evidence that all human beings lose their humanity when cornered (even though he was no longer cornered), he is very clearly not a trustworthy individual when it comes to making logical deductions. Especially because he can be neck-deep in denial sometimes. Snow never cared about Lucy Gray, the Covey girl, singer and performer who lost most of her family to a massacre and was forced to stay in one district rather than moving around like she used to. He cared about Lucy Gray Baird, district 12’s female tribute for the 10th hunger games. And those are not the same people. Tribute Lucy Gray Baird was locked in a zoo, forced to perform at all times to survive. Lucy Gray was free to be her authentic self (trauma not withstanding) and while she loves to perform, it’s a different kind. There’s no pressure, she can leave the stage if she so desires. She can roam as free as one can in the districts and no longer needs a mask to live.

In the book, Snow outright says he wishes she was still locked in the zoo so he knew where she was and she couldn’t leave. He loved the Lucy Gray that was contained. The one that was considered his by the people around him. The girl who relied on him completely because she had to. He loved what she was forced to be in order to not die, and when he saw the real her he wished she would be more like the girl he met. Which was not the real Lucy Gray. Snow loved the act she put on, and to some extent the control he had over her. He had genuine feelings for her, but not for the real her.

To conclude this rambly mess: shippers will pretend Snow genuinely loved Lucy Gray for all she was. This is not true. A certain subsect of people who hate this ship will say he never cared for her at all. This is also not true. And in a fandom for a book about the nuances of even the worst people on earth, that’s very funny.

[alberivh]

devotion (ROYAL AU) — pt.1 : realization.

Butler! Diluc X GN!Reader . Royal! childe (as supporting character), butler! Kaeya (supporting cast ; in pt2 story line)

contains : heavy angst, comfort/hurt, isolation, arranged marriage, major character death, mentions of blood, injuries, execution, abusive relationship, abandonment, ‘consumption’, false accusation, blades

summaries : arranged marriage has always been one of your family ruthless tradition. You were allowed to love them you couldn’t reach, yet the feeling of being abandoned once and for all by those who you truly treasured was more than numbness could ever describe. Diluc who’s your lover need to accept this tradition, yet he, himself need to get his life down for your future sake.

A/N : thank you for 100 followers!! It has been a wild ride since i’ve just joined this community. Thank you very much and as a rewards, here’s a token of heavy angst for y’all. I have a really bad writing block right now, so this might took more than you think hehe. So once again, thank you very much! ( i actually hate this, tyvm)

“Your majesty…please allow me to hold y—“

“No. I simply do not have time for people pleaser, please let yourself be out from here..” , you cursed your future-husband out of from your bounties. It startled all of the maids and butlers in your room, it even make your somewhat-fiancé looked awful. You were pissed by him, by the structure of his eyelids, the heavy breathe from who-knows-where and many more part of him you don’t even want to recognize.

There’s no reason to deny that you hate this, all of this, Known as the maiden of the family, you were nothing but their only pry. It pissed you, it really does. How come you are holding the throne at the age of 25? Aren’t you supposed to check your garden instead taking all of your well-behave throne and the awful arranged marriage your family has made? No? What an unlucky person you are, the butlers thought.

“Diluc please guide master tartaglia to the upfront door, i have no intention to see him now. If you already had brought him downstairs, get back to my resident immediately.”

“this is the main reason why everyone despis—“

“Please leave Immediately. My master have no further interest to speak with you, master tartaglia.” Diluc shouted your internal response to the group of scums in front of your sight. He heard enough of this small talk your future-husband has been talking about. Diluc wasn’t jealous, he was simply too disturbed with your disgusted face everytime tartaglia walks around your residence. just how much pressured you had been under to make you act so ruthless in front of the man you’ll called husband in no time?

he silently observing him down the hall. Not wanting to have a talk with a scum like him, he avoid any sights of his ‘particular’ interest. After all, in his eyes, tartaglia doesn’t deserve any part of you. He acts too normally, there diluc suspicion of your fiancé grown. There must be something behind his motive. Tartaglia have recognize diluc’s gaze for a while now. Though, he pretend none of those bothering suspicion triggered his rage. And so, he fired him up with a quick straightforward awareness. Or as the citizen say, A threat.

“mr. Butler..stop loving my future partner or tomorrow you’ll have the consequences..got it? And do not touch them..i’ve warned you when you were alive, i like my future partner to be a virgin ins—“

“master tartaglia i have no relationship with the majesty, how come you assume such a thing from a humble butler like me? I was just simply following orders, hope you could understand, master tartaglia.” , answering his rage. Tartaglia found his emotion drains wild. It look like those bothering emotions he hide finally show diluc their true intention to spoiled you. Diluc’s eyes met your fiancé terrifying visions, the murderous aura in it explains his true intention. Diluc could only plea inside, let my majesty be safe.

“don’t you dare say anything to your master, mr butler. My partner has been mine all along, stay away from our relationship or tomorrow would be your last day…”

“Though, i simply wouldn’t mind, ajax.” , he gurantees tartaglia’s eyes.

The night came. the breeze flew through your open windows, leaving chills through your spine. it was an unsurprisingly beautiful night, you quoted. Diluc was preparing your bed, as you humm through the southed area of your room. The melodical sound of your humming have always soothes his grudge from afar. It was always been his favorite sound.

“ your majesty, the bed has been done. You may rest peacefully now..so please excuse m—“

“Diluc…stop making it seems like i’m the only one who loved you..just stay here, i missed you a lot..” , in a sudden your arm was attached to his body, his dirty and ordinary body. You embraced him so tightly, as if diluc were going to some place you wouldn’t want him to cross. You were scared of losing him. You don’t want any of this marriage, you don’t want tartaglia to even acknowledge your presence. You just want diluc to stay by your side, even if you both have considered how selfish it is.

You clunge onto his chest, pressing gentle kiss on his cheeks. Not wanting him to leave nor to leave you behind. So desperate of you to feel this way.

“you’ve been doing great darling,i’m proud of you..”

“please stay like this for a while, i love you. So please, don’t go..don’t go..” , diluc watch your flattering smile turns into a small-sobs, it cracks him, he doesn’t want to let you go either. He was simply following your fiancé awareness, he doesn’t want anyone to harm you, even if it meant for you to see him in agony. Diluc Carries your figure into your bed in return, not wanting to bare any of his emotions. Feelings are fragile and so do he. giving soft and gentle kisses to your forehead as he wiped your tears, whispering a ‘goodnight’ before he left you again. If he was being honest, he wants to be more selfish, he wants to be with you, forever.

“hmm..i’ll be waiting for you, goodnight my beloved..”

“What’s with the inconvenience…?” The loud atmosphere greet you with chills. What time is it? You don’t even know. All you know is the sunrise have yet to grown out from the wave of the clouds. but why must all of your maids gather themself on your room, something important? But why must them gather at the edge of dusk..? Did your mother fucked up again? But actually, what happened?

At the same time, you mumbled a form of question. Where’s diluc? You asked yourself.

“Y-Your majesty! d-diluc have now been courted by the queen, i-i don’t know what happened but please stay put i shall help you! Yes! I-i—“ courted? In sudden, you dropped your glasses. The broken piece of the glasses shard scarred your leg. It was painful, but you didn’t care. The blood shed of your scars leave the carpet of your resident turn into a red motives of blood. What did diluc do to make himself courted by your own mother? All he did was to love me, mother. The maid beside you were in all panics, trying to brag your arm from leaving the room. Although you declined the embrace of it, you were still running in pain, it made the maids panics turn into vomits.

Rushing through the open corridor of your resident in sweats and blood shed, You found diluc. His hands tied with a rope, a slight red bruises covered his face. He was Courted by your mother because of an unknown letter that has been sent to the queen herself, it was dumb for her to court an innocent person like him. Though, at last, you found yourself screaming his name. The pain which hold onto your consciousness leave your body in a second. diluc was aware of this, Everything. His hands wanted to touch you and lead you to rest. but he couldn’t, the execution would be in front of his eyes in no time.

“you did harm my child don’t you? Look at those blood on their legs! How come a butler like you harmed my precious child..?! They are unconscious because of you filthy butler. Know your degree, h—“

“you abuse them, your highness. You abuse them, ever since their father die, you abandoned them and break them to pieces. How come you only care about them dying when their time to hold the throne came? They were dying because of you, those consumption they witness are all because of you. And you dare to tell me what to do when all i did was just to love them?!” He quoted every single words you wish you could say to your mothers face. You wished you have the audacity to tell her the truth, yet your weak body refuse it’s urge to make diluc out of the execution lines. I’m sorry, i’m really sorry.

silence fill the room. You were laying in pain, as you heard diluc’s defense and your mother’s lies. You realized once more, you were nothing to them. Just a pry for the throne. none of the guards have pitied you either, they are too focused on never-letting diluc’s eyes or hands meet your figure in this state of time. Those scarred glasses on your legs have made you lose too-many bloods, it scared diluc. After all, as a lover he is, he has devoted himself to protect you in all cost. let them be safe and take me away. It’s his last hope for you to stay awake for him.

“no execution needed. I have no reason to pay attention to fools like you. so isolation it is. This is all because of you, my child is dying and you’re the one at fault. Noticed how they haven’t even called your name again? They died because your lack of responsibility.” , spitting her mucus in diluc’s knees. You could barely saw diluc chills which you usually saw in his eyes. He’s about to cry..you think.

“Guards, please take my child away and let them rest in their bed. And so for this butler, put him in the isolation room, make sure to let him eat only once in a day, understood? Ah..don’t let my child see him, i don’t want them to see an abuser like him crawling out their life’s on my window.” , orders from your mother are none to first. They couldn’t be disobey and you understand them. You understand how ruthless it is, you understand it. But why must diluc? Why him? You saw the sight of him, blades are all over his neck. For what reason actually? To let him never see you again.

carried by the guards to your room and diluc was gone from your vision. He is not wrong, your highness. So why must those who loved me left my side, mother? Why won’t these bruises you add to my flawless skin never leave me? Is it because i’m a procession of your own sin? It was a cursed to fall in love with those you could barely reach.

PART 2 : COMING SOON

this is shitty, really shitty in fact. Though, thank you very much for reading this. Part 2 will come soon, if i had some energy to write the readers mother personality without getting pissed off. But anyways, see y’all soon at part 2 <3

[lesbian-deadpool]

Hi, hm... idk if you've already talked about it bu, how would Nat announce her pregnancy to R ? Before that, how would she react when she , herselfe, found out she's pregnant ?

Okay, but like, this is like one of (if not the only thing) that makes me kinda sad ab wlw relationships (that doesn't involve hate from ppl), is the fact that you can't really surprise your partner with pregnancy. Bc like, that shit's cute af.

So, just for this hc, and well my own self indulgence on this, let's just imagine that Natasha gets pregnant somehow, to both the readers and her own surprise, without her being a cheater bc I see enough of that anyway lol

Natasha finding out:

She thought she was getting sick. That was the only thing that came to her mind. Natasha was coming down with something.

Not that she was pregnant.

It started one morning when she woke up and just instantaneously felt exhausted, which is unusual for the red-headed spy. Considering how much energy she normally has. But not that day, all she wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep for a week, at least. But alas, she had things she still had to do.

It was a fluke. Natasha assumed. Just a one off day, she just needed more sleep. Deciding that she would get to bed earlier that night, and everything would be back to normal the following morning.

It did not go back to normal.

It happened every day for weeks before Natasha concluded that is wasn't normal.

The next thing that seemed strange to her, was her total distaste for coffee now. When she used to love her morning cup, surrounded by her bickering team family, or relaxing in bed with you while you both blinked sleepily, still waking up from the night prior.

But now? Everytime she took a mouthful of the rich, bitter substance, she would like nothing less than to spit it right back out. Her nose wrinkling with newfound disgust for the drink.

It was so unusual that Tony couldn't help but comment on the fact, only causing Clint to gasp, insulted by Natasha's sudden shun of coffee.

Then it was her sore breasts.

Natasha couldn't wear half of her bras because of how much they would hurt her. They were sensitive to the touch, and on a few occasions they would even tingle.

One of the tings that grew to annoy her the most over those couple of weeks, where everything to seemed to be changing with her body and tastes, was how often she had to use the bathroom.

In Natasha's oppinion she felt like she was peeing more than she was breathing. You said that she was (obviously) being over-dramatic, and that she probably just had a water infection.

The final straw was when the nausea got to the week mark.

She felt sick from morning to night.

So much so that her apatite now fluctuated. One minute she couldn't eat a thing. And the next she was starving and only wanted to eat a nice big meal.

And yet. With how smart the spy is, she still didn't come to the realisation of, "Hey, I might be pregnant!"

It was only when she was watching a tv program with you, watching as a newly pregnant woman went through the symptoms. And you made the off handed comment of, "Everything is a pregnancy symptom, really."

That's when it dawned on Natasha. As you were listing off things- "Got a cough? Pregnant. Feeling sick? Pregnant. No period? Pregnant. Cat's rubbing up against your stomach? Pregnant. Sore tits? Ope, you're pregnant. Grandma made you some cookies? Pregnant." -that she was late on her period.

Fuck.

She bought a test that following day.

Well, in actuality, she bought five.

All different brands. All different prices.

And she was shitting herself.

She didn't tell you, she didn't want to freak you out or anything if she really wasn't pregnant.

Now she was just sitting with the nerves rattling inside her, as she waited for her phones timer to go off, so she could see the results.

And when it did, and she turned over each and every one of the tests, one after another, she was met with positive results.

Every one of them said that Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, was pregnant.

She didn't know how to react.

She just stood there for minutes, her mouth open slightly as the realisation poured into her.

She was pregnant.

And that scared the shit out of her.

In both good and bad ways.

But most of all, even though she knew that it would be best if she confirmed it with a Doctor, she couldn't wait to be a mother. It was something she had always secretly dreamed of.

And she couldn't help but crack a smile at that.

You finding out:

It had been almost a week since Natasha had taken those tests, and she went to the doctors that very same day for conformation.

And it was true.

Natasha really was pregnant.

Now, she just had to tell you.

And that scared her to her core. Even if she would rather fight a rampant rhino, than admit to that.

You two had been together for a little over two years, but you had never once talked about having kids and starting a family. Hell, you never even talked about wanting kids. For some reason it just never came up in your conversations.

And here she was, about to spring this onto you.

If Natasha knew if you wanted kids, she would probably have done this differently. More of a happy surprise, than this almost confession she had planned.

It was all set up. The pregnancy tests and doctors confirmation all lined out on the table, along with a glass and a bottle of whisky, ready for celebration or, what Natasha expect to be most likely, to dull the shocked pain.

Now all she had to do was wait until you got home.

And she didn't have to wait long. Because as soon as she placed the bottle of brown liquid onto the table, the door opened behind her, and in walked you.

"Hey, baby- What's wrong?" you were happy and chipper when you greeted her, but then you felt the anxiety rolling off of her tense frame in waves.

"I have to tell you something."

"You're not breaking up with me are you?" It was meant as a joke, but the scared honestly could be heard in it from miles away.

Natasha laughed lightly, "Of course not." And then she thought, 'but you might break up with me after I tell you this, though'.

"Then what's up?"

"Come over her." She waked you over to where she stood at the table.

Once you made it and saw what resided on the wooden surface, you realised what was happening right away.

But still, Natasha voiced, "I'm pregnant."

You were silent with shock for the first few minutes, which only increased Natasha's worry more and more.

"Is this a joke?" you had initially asked, "Because if it is, it's a well forged one." You gestured to the doctors letter before you. "And not funny."

"It's not a joke," she told you, "And I get it if you don't want this, but I'm keeping the baby. And if that means you don't want to be with me anymore and want nothing to do with the baby, I understand-"

"Woah, woah, woah," you stopped her from continuing with her rambling, "Who said I didn't want this?"

"Well, we never talked about this stuff," Natasha reasoned, "And with what you said-"

"I didn't want it to be a joke because I didn't want to get my hopes up."

"What?" she asked breathlessly.

"We're really having a baby?"

Natasha nodded slowly.

A squeal poured from her lips when you lifted her up and span her around where you stood, being mindful not to bump into anything.

"We're having a baby!"

"We're having a baby," Natasha nodded along with you, beyond happy that she was wrong in her expectations, all the while happy tears started to well up in her eyes as she watched your extatic self be almost giddy at the aspect of having a baby with the love of your life.

(You want more? Ask me how the team finds out lol)

[drea-46]

16.02.22

Part 5

Sina: It was the right decision

Ringo: Thank you

David: That’s enough. She has to let us out now. She got everything that she wanted. Hey! He signed the papers! What else do you want?!

Sina: Mareike, hey. How are you?

David: Did she tell you what’s going to happen next?

Sina: His sepsis doesn’t look good. Fiona, Ringo is feeling worse by the minute! You’ve got the house so let us go!

Fiona: Not so fast, Doctor Hirschberger. Your brothers have completed their tasks. You havn’t yet

Chris: That wasn’t the deal!

Fiona: The deal is whatever I say. Each one of you gets a task. I know from daddy that you didn’t take any part in the container thing, however it was you who knocked him out at the container port

Sina: He kidnapped my child

Fiona: But he also donated part of his liver to Amelie

David: Guys, how long do you want to remind each other of things from the past, huh? This man right here needs help immediately

Sina: I’m sorry that your father died. He was my brother and that’s what I’ve always treated him as. And everytime he messed up, I forgave him. Every single time! Maybe it is too much to ask for but can’t you just forgive us? What happens if Ringo dies? Can you avenge your father with that?

What do you gain from this?

Fiona: Fine…Let’s forgive each other…No! You don’t get off that easy

Mareike: So get to the point. What else do you want?

Chris: Is Sina supposed to sign something as well?

Fiona: Correct. Sina is going to sign a death sentence. Just like Till, Benedikt and Luke did. One of you is going to die today and Sina decides who that will be

Chris: You can’t ask that of us

Sina: I won’t do that

Fiona: Okay, then we go in alphabetical order. A as in Amelie Hirschberger

Sina: She’s a child! You can’t do that!

Fiona: Calm down, Schnuppi. After all, Amelie isn’t here. Then let’s go with B as in Bambi

Easy: Okay, thank you very much. Goodbye. They’ve never arrived there

Conor: Hey. What’s wrong?

Nika: We don’t know what happened to our holidaymakers. Looks like they have never arrived at the hotel

Conor: What? And where did they spent the night instead?

Tobias: That’s exactly the question we need answers for

Sina: I can’t do it

Bambi: Schnuppi, can you hear me?

Chris: We can hear you, Bambi

Paco: Is there any news?

Ringo: Yes. Sina is supposed to decide which one of us has to die. You don’t really have to give it much thought

Eva: That’s insane

Sina: Are you crazy? Do you think I’ll just let you die?!

Ringo: Sina, not me. Think about it. Fiona wants to hurt family and friends. Who in this room is neither the one nor the other?

Paco: Sina, listen to Ringo! Surely Fiona won’t kill her own accomplice

Eva: Yes, I agree with Paco

Sina: Tell me, have you all gone mad? What if he is really only the bus driver?

Bambi: Guys, this is completely insane. We don’t sacrifice anybody, you hear me?!

Till: Sina, choose me

Mareike: Till, no!

Sina: I don’t do it

Till: But I don’t want anybody innocent dying instead. It was me who did that to Rolf!

Chris: Nobody is going to die here, Fiona! You hear me?! This is complete madness!

You don’t want to become a murderer!

Ringo: I’m still voting for the bus driver

David: Look, this dork over there won’t last much longer anyway. So you migh as well just choose him

Till: Come on, choose me!

Sina: Stop that at once!

Fiona: You should all star in a reality show. That’s really hilarious. Choose me, no him. No choose me. So, who do you choose?

Sina: I’ve made a decision

Fiona: Well? Spit it out

Sina: I’m choosing myself

Bambi: Sina, no!

Translation @happyladybug93

[heller-a-good-time]

I offer a theory about tonight’s episode and the finale and yes it’s a long shot but I’m just writing this to make both myself and all of you feel a little better.......

From the very beginning of this episode, something felt off.

Dean tells Sam and Jack what happens to Cas and everyone has a very underwhelming reaction to it. Not to mention, they gloss over how exactly Cas died.

For the entirety of the episode they don’t seem very effected by Cas’s death.

Next, we’re told that Lucifer was brought back from the empty despite the fact that only a few episodes ago we were told chuck had no way of doing that. We can obviously chalk that up to bad writing and most likely it probably is. But it’s crazy that they seriously created a plot hole for episodes that are so close to one another. This is usually something we see happen between different seasons.

Also, despite everything that Lucifer has done in this show, the brothers are almost too quick to trust him. Granted they do have some doubts at the very beginning but the brothers would usually put up a bit more fight than that considering how much Lucifer has taken from them over the years. Dean has struggled to trust Jack for several seasons because of what he’s done and specifically what happened to Mary. And yet Dean trusts Lucifer in the space of a couple of minutes.

Then, there’s the ending.

When Chuck finally decides to end Dean and Sam, he says he can “Get his hands dirty” despite the fact that in an episode earlier in the season, Sam accuses him of being too afraid to get his hands dirty.

Chuck is defeated almost too quickly for being God. And the way he begs for Sam and Dean to kill him as they drive away also just doesn’t seem like God.

Also, this entire season, we’ve seen Dean absolutely furious over what Chuck has done to him and his family’s lives. He has been so hellbent on killing him that he pointed a gun at his own brother just two episodes ago. Even last episode, he tried to take Death on by himself because he was so motivated to kill Chuck. And then when he’s finally at that moment he’s been waiting for, he barely seems to care. Granted, it could be argued that Cas’s death might’ve made him finally realize how reckless he’s been the entire season. But everytime Dean has ever lost someone he usually has two responses. Getting himself killed or revenge (with the exception of Sam’s deaths where he obviously desperately tries to bring him back but I’ll talk more about that in a second) It’s been a consistent pattern with him throughout the show. And yet all of them are absent here. They’re not even acknowledged.

And also, them sparing Chuck wasn’t them being heroic. Killing him would have been mercy in this instance. Instead, they force him to live as mortal with no family—because he killed the only son who still trusted him, and he has to spend the rest of his life knowing he couldn’t defeat Sam and Dean. This specifically reminds me of that scene when Dean was demon back in season 10 when he spared the man who had traveled all that way and trained his entire life just to kill Dean for what he did to his father. And Dean spares him. Not because it was the good thing to do. Because the man would spend his entire life knowing he missed his one shot and that was ultimately a worse punishment than death. And they do the same thing to Chuck in this episode.

When Jack brings everyone back, the boys don’t even seem to care that now all of their friends and Eileen are alive. Sam doesn’t even mention her despite the fact that two episodes ago when he first heard about everyone “going back to where they belong” his first concern was Eileen. He was also completely gutted last episode knowing she was gone and he doesn’t even mourn her in this episode.

Also, when Jack becomes God, Dean doesn’t even ask him to bring Cas back. Despite the fact that this is once again one of his common responses we’ve seen consistently throughout the show when he loses someone. And especially considering how Cas died, Dean should especially want him back. Even when not interpreting his feelings romantically, Cas has been his best friend for 11 years. And they finally have the peace that Cas helped them fight (and sacrificed his own life) for. Dean would want Cas back. Especially since he knows now from earlier on in this episode that God has the power to do that.

Jack then decided to not go to the bunker with them. Despite the fact that for the three seasons he’s been in, the only thing he’s ever wanted was a family and to be accepted. (Let’s not even mention the fact that the brothers were both just chill with a 3 year old running the universe now. Even if it is Jack. He’s literally three. But whatever.)

The boys head back to the bunker and celebrate their “big win” if you can even call it that. They are completely content with being all alone. They lost Cas. They kind of lost Jack too. And they’re fine with it.

Literally last season, a bunch of hunters from the alternate dimension that they barely knew were all murdered and they were more upset about the bunker being empty after that than they are at the end of this episode.

They do a toast to all of the people they’ve lost along the way in a bit too good of a mood, which is something that these characters would never do. We’ve seen them grieve every person they’ve ever lost prior to this episode and they always believe the blood in on their hands. Yet now they’re suddenly content with the people they’ve lost. Even if it was their own faults.

The entire show has been about family. And yet half of their family is missing in this ending and they’re okay.

The entire show has also been about how the two of them have a crippling codependent relationship and how that always seems to start trouble. Instead of the brothers finally acknowledging this relationship. They now live happily in the bunker. Probably still codependent on each other.

Which means neither of them were forced to learn a damn thing.

My point is this episode feels very off.

And people who have watched 15 seasons of this show more than likely recognize that.

And there’s so many things that seem wrong and ooc that it almost feels as if it’s on purpose.

And that’s why I’m starting to wonder.....

What if it is?

There’s one more episode to go and what if, just maybe, they reveal that the episode that we just watched tonight isn’t what really happened. Maybe it’s the cheesy “it was all a dream” trope. Who knows?

The biggest reason why I believe this (besides the fact that I’m just a salty bitch and I need to find a way to calm myself down) is because this ending aligns almost perfectly with what Becky said about Chuck’s final ending earlier on in the season.

I now provide you the examples:

Just saying.....

I think that this might just be another variation of Chuck’s endings that they were forced to play out. Or something like that.

Because there’s just so many things that don’t fit with the entire rest of the show.

From what I’ve seen online thus far, people are very upset with this episode. Because they’ve watched 15 seasons of this show and they can tell when something just isn’t right.

And in a way, if this episode was purposely made to feel off to then reveal in the finale that none of this was real, it would pay respect to the fans who watched the show for all these years. Because they’re so familiar with the characters and the way plot lines usually play out that when all of a sudden it felt like Opposite Day watching this episode, they picked up on it and they were supposed to.

(Also another thing that I just realized I forgot to add, maybe this is just me, but a lot of the scenes in the montage at the end were very random??? Like a lot of them were insignificant scenes from the show. Ya know? I just think if any of us put together a montage for this show it would probably feature very different scenes. Like way more important ones. Maybe this fits into my theory? Maybe I’m absolutely reaching too damn far with this one. Idk. Please tell me I’m crazy)

Maybe this episode relied on fans having extensive knowledge of this show and it’s past. Maybe this episode wants you to believe something is off about it. Because they’re going to rip the rug right out from under you in the finale.

Hell, maybe this entire season has been a lie. We’ve seen Dean specifically do things he would never do in previous episodes. Point a gun at Sam. Tell Jack he’s not family. Be completely on board with sacrificing a family member. And Sam has been practically wallpaper in this season but maybe let’s not get into that too much. And hell, I’m gonna say it: Destiel went kinda canon when we never in a million years ever thought it would. Maybe all of these things are supposed to tell us all of this season wasn’t real? Maybe. Dunno. I think I’m actually just going insane? Yeah that’s probably it.

I’m really just spit balling here. Mostly because I was very upset by this episode. But maybe some of you feel the same and even if this is nowhere close to where the show is heading in its ending, I just wanted to maybe provide some comfort to those who feel the same as me.

Or maybe I’m completely wrong and this episode was just bad.

[join-the-joywrite]

But suddenly from somewhere out of the blue, I see a different light around you.

For Anon: Julie and Luke, family friends, end up sick together. While cooped up sick at Julie's, a little conversation leads to a lot of secrets.

A/N: skdjje I am so sorry it took me this long to get to it sjjdje and this kind of got away from me once I finally got into writing it oops.

Special thanks to @i-spit-on-fire for the title!! Love you, doll 🥰

Julie Molina had a great friend circle. She loved each of them equally. Well, maybe Flynn got a bit more than everyone else but then again, Flynn had also seen Julie throwing up the last time she had food poisoning so maybe Flynn deserved a little extra love for sticking around past that.

The only person in the circle that could contend for Flynn's level of appreciation in Julie's eyes was Luke Patterson. And it was only because her mom and his dad were childhood friends, which, naturally, led to Julie and Luke growing up childhood friends.

Despite their close friendship, Luke and Julie rarely interacted at school. They had their own, smaller, circles and that was perfectly okay. Their circles merged after Luke and his friends played live music for Julie's theater performance when the radio gave out without warning. Well, to get more specific, it was some time after Alex and Willie started dating and involving both their friends on lunches and hangouts.

So yeah, things were great, school was fun and they all had a bunch of fun together. They even planned to visit an amusement park that Saturday too.

Unfortunately, the trip to the amusement park seemed like it was gonna have to wait.

"I told you not to hug me," Julie grumbled through her stuffy nose.

Luke pulled a face for her. "I didn't. I hugged my mom and then you hugged my mom. I'm not at fault here."

Julie sighed. "You think she's sick, too?"

"Nah, mom's got a great immune system. She probably just has a slight cough."

Just then a coughing bout overtook Julie. Leaning forward in her chair, she took a few deep breaths, relaxing as she felt Luke's hand moving in slow circles on her back. Slowly, her breathing returned to normal and the sharp ache in her forehead subsided. When she sat back again, she leaned her head against Luke. "I hate being sick. This is all your fault."

"We've just been over this. I didn't hug you."

"Potato, pot-ah-to."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You know you're heavy, right?"

Julie's response was to stop half-supoorting herself and drop all her weight on Luke's side, nearly sending them both off their chairs.

"If you weren't so sick, I'd . . . I'd pinch you!"

"You mean, if you had the energy to do it."

"Yeah, whatever," Luke managed to say before he coughed too, albeit much less than Julie. "Think your mom will drop me home?"

"You live right next door, idiot. Obviously."

When Rose walked into the nurse's office, she sighed at the two teens. "We told you two to stay at home. Come on, let's go."

As Rose pulled into her driveway, Luke thanked her for the ride.

"Where do you think you're going, mijo?"

"H-home?" Luke asked uncertainly, his hand on the door handle.

"Your parents are out of town for the weekend."

"Yeah," Luke nodded, "I was gonna stay over at Bobby's but I don't wanna make him sick--"

"Well, Julie's already sick anyway. You can stay with us and when you're feeling better, you can go over to Bobby's."

"But--"

"Mijo, I'm not asking," Rose said, staring at Luke in the rearview mirror, daring him to get out of the car.

Julie snickered at the fear in his eyes as he settled back into the seat and waited until Rose had pulled further up towards the house before attempting to get out again.

"Why don't you two go get comfortable on in the living room, hm? I'll put some food up for you and it'll be ready before you even know it."

Julie yawned as she trudged past Rose and into the house. "Can we sleep instead?"

"Absolutely. Go get some rest, okay? Luke, if you're tired, you can sleep in Carlos' room. He's spending the week with Victoria so it's all yours if you need, okay?"

"Thank you," Luke managed before a yawn interrupted him.

Rose ruffled Julie's hair first, then Luke's. Now, what could she feed them that they'd manage to keep down?

"Sorry I made you sick," Luke mumbled.

Julie shrugged. "It's okay. Flynn said she was gonna drag me on the biggest rollercoaster first so in a way, I'm kinda glad we won't be going tomorrow."

Luke rolled his eyes. "You do this everytime we go. Just get on the rollercoaster. It's not that much bigger than the one we went on last time."

Julie stared at Luke over her bowl of soup. "I passed out."

Luke shrugged. "It makes for a good story!"

"For you!"

"Don't yell, Julie, you don't have the lung capacity."

Julie scrunched up her nose and mocked Luke in a high voice. "You don't have the lunch capacity."

"Oh, real mature."

Julie blew a raspberry at Luke. A raspberry that turned into a cough. Luke was out of his blanket in a second.

"Julie?" Rose called from the kitchen. "You good, baby?"

"I got it!" Luke called back. He knelt in front of Julie as she hunched over and rubbed her back in small circles. "Easy, Jules," he murmured.

"I hate being sick," Julie said for the umpteenth time, resting her chin on Luke's shoulder.

Luke froze, one hand on Julie's arm, the other on her back. What was he supposed to do now? Just . . . hold her?

"I know," he said soothingly, "you'll get better quickly, don't worry."

"Ugh, I hope so." Slowly, Julie pulled away and eased back into the couch.

Luke pouted, only because he wanted to stay holding Julie in a gentle and comfortable embrace. He scrunched his nose up and quickly shook his head. What the hell was that all about?

He was back in his corner of the couch, under his blanket, when Rose arrived with a glass of water for each of them.

"I'm going to get dinner running and when I come back to check on you two, those glasses better be empty."

"Yes, mom," they chorused.

It wasn't really a big thing. Luke called her 'mom' often. Julie even called Emily 'mom' if she happened to be over at Luke's. But that didn't take away from Rose's (or Emily's) absolute delight over being called mom by her honorary child.

"Sorry I made fun of you when you first got sick," Julie mumbled.

"It's okay," Luke said with a slight laugh, half paying attention to Julie and half paying attention to the TV. They'd taken a good nap and were already feeling better. "Karma got you, I guess."

"I guess."

"You got it bad, though," Luke said, glancing at Julie. "I never coughed like that."

"Exhibit A of why I utterly detest being sick. The headache is unbearable sometimes." Julie gave Luke a small smile. "But it's okay. I should already be feeling better by tomorrow."

Julie turned her gaze back to the TV. Luke didn't. He kept his gaze on Julie, watching her carefully. He'd always had the natural inclination to want to care for Julie, but until then it had always been small things. Wanting to make sure her cuts and scrapes got a band-aid. Wanting to check in with a simple text when she was sick. Wanting to be sure her work was up to date when she missed out.

But now . . . now it was a little different. It wasn't really strange, but he couldn't quite understand it. Why, when she complained about her headache, did he want to pull her close and try to distract her from it? Why, when she hunched over coughing, did he want to be by her side, holding her close and trying to ease the fit? Why, when she paid him no attention, did he want to just sit there and watch her?

Julie glanced back and Luke froze like a deer in headlights, his already pink cheeks growing redder. Julie grinned. "Is that the fever or are you shy about something?"

"Definitely the fever," Luke said quickly.

"Uh huh," Julie said with a grin, turning back to the TV again. "I think you're pretty cute too."

Luke shrank into his blanket. "I didn't say that."

"Your face said enough, Patterson."

"You really think I'm cute?"

Julie looked at Luke, who had the blanket wrapped over his head as he pouted at her. His flushed cheeks had calmed to the usual pink whenever he was running a fever. She couldn't help but smile. "The cutest."

He beamed. "I think you're pretty cute too. Wait, that's what you said--"

"Cute," Julie mumbled under her breath, shaking her head and turning back to the TV. She was surprised by Luke suddenly dropping his head in her lap. She grinned, amused. "Hi, there."

"Hi. I want attention."

"Well, mom said she was just gonna make sure Carlos' room is clean enough for you to walk without getting impaled by a Lego brick but I'm sure she'd be happy to listen to your gibberish when she's all done."

"I want your attention."

"And I wanna watch the season finale."

Luke turned over to glance at the TV. "You've seen this episode at least six times. I know because five of them were at my house and youd already seen it once before that."

Julie flicked Luke's nose lightly. "It's my favourite, leave me be."

"Fine, but I'm staying here."

"Okay, just be quiet."

Luke felt like he had left the land of the living when he felt Julie's fingers in his hair. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing and somehow, the fact that she was playing with his hair on autopilot made him giddy.

"Can you put this on the table for me, please?" Julie asked absently, resting her empty glass on Luke's shoulder.

He did as she asked, just managing to reach the coffee table.

"Thank you."

Bored but unwilling to move, Luke began to pick at the threads on Julie's bracelets. She rested her hand on his chest, knowing he'd start whining if she took the bracelets away.

"Who made this one for you?"

Julie glanced at her arm to see Luke playing with a blue string, her name strung on in letter beads, a star bead on either side. "You did."

"Really?"

"I think we were about eight or nine. That was when Flynn got her bracelet set and we spent so many lunches making bracelets. You got jealous because I kept wearing Flynn's bracelets so you made one for me yourself."

"Huh," Luke said, "I don't remember, though."

"Not surprising. You were running a fever then, too. A pretty high one. Your mom gave you cough syrup and you got a burst of creative inspiration. Haven't you heard her tell the story? It's one of her favourites."

"I hear the words 'when Luke was little' and I instantly tune it out."

Julie laughed. "Sounds about right."

Luke watched the smile linger on Julie's face as she watched the episode she knew by heart. God, she was so pretty.

Luke scrunched his nose up again. Yeah, Julie was pretty and yeah, he'd always known that. But in the way he knew Flynn was beautiful and Carrie was stunning. In the way he knew Reggie was adorable and Bobby was cute and Alex was a gorgeous. In the way he knew Willie was magnificent. It was just something he'd always known. He and his friends were hot as hell and that was just a fact that they all seemed to know.

But laying with his head in Julie's lap, watching her unconsciously smile at his own antics, it seemed like a brand new thought. How could someone he'd known his whole life suddenly look different?

"Julie."

"Hm?" Julie didn't look away from the TV.

"You're really pretty."

"Thank you," she said, smiling wider. She lightly tugged a lock of his hair. "You're pretty, too."

"No, I mean, like, really pretty. Like . . . ultra pretty."

Julie scowled at Luke. "What did you do?"

"Nothing! I just . . . I just really like your smile. It's so. . ."

"Pretty?"

Luke nodded. He poked her cheek lightly. "I like when you smile."

"Yeah?" Even if she wanted to, she couldn't hold back a smile.

Luke smiled too. "Yeah."

Caught up with Luke's spontaneous declaration, Julie mised her favourite part of the episode -- the one where they finally had their first date. But Luke didn't.

"When we get better," he said slowly, "when we're not sick anymore . . . Do you think we could go out together? Maybe next weekend?"

Julie nodded. "Absolutely. Flynn already texted about rescheduling--"

"No. No, I mean . . . like a date. Just you and me."

"Oh," Julie said softly, eyes wide.

"Oh? Julie, 'oh' is what you say when you get socks for Christmas."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm just . . . surprised. I thought I worked out this crush thing and then here you are, asking me out and all I can think is that I wasted so much energy trying to stifle it all down when I could've just asked you out myself like two years ago."

Luke blinked up at Julie. "So, is that a yes or a no? I'm a little confused."

"Oh, only a little? Yes, you dork."

Luke suddenly yawned.

"Tired?"

"Only a little."

"Go to sleep," Julie said, using the same tone Rose had used on them both earlier.

Luke thought it was going to be pretty difficult to fall asleep when Julie was sitting there, threading her fingers through his hair like she had no idea how fast she made his heart beat. But it barely took him a minute before he was out completely. With a yawn of her own, Julie quickly followed.

Carrie snickered softly. "Quick!" she whispered. "They're waking up!"

"Okay!" Willie whispered back. "Okay, hold it up."

The bunch of them gathered behind the ridiculously large cardboard posted they'd thrown together the moment they arrived after the text from Rose.

Blinking tiredly, Julie and Luke sat up and took a few seconds to focus on the grinning faces in front of them.

"Congratulations!"

Julie and Luke both turned several shades redder (not by any fault of their ebbing fevers) as the group thrust the banner forward. It's about damn time.

"Shut up," Julie mumbled, retreating under her blanket to hide her face.

Luke scowled. "You could've said something!"

"Watching was funnier," Alex admitted.

As he did, the front door opened and in walked Ray. He took one look at the scene before him and groaned. "I can't believe I lost a full ten dollars."

"You bet on us?" Julie shrieked, throwing the blanket off.

"Well . . . yeah," Ray said, "your Tia is very persuasive."

Julie shrank back into the blanket, groaning in embarrassment.

Rose gasped. "Someone get Emily on the phone! She owes me five dollars!"

"Mom!"

But despite the embarrassment that was their family, Julie and Luke were very happy to have finally admitted their feelings -- to themselves and to each other.

Neither of them could wait for next weekend.

[numberonephantompizza1]

Poppy Fanfic: “Ask Her”

For context: This is a fanfic I wrote in order to join the Poppy Milk dev team and show off my writing skills. Since the callout at the time said we’d need to write a lot of sidequests, I wanted to ask the question of what a Poppy-centered side-quest would be like. I got the idea that it would be from an Asker’s perspective, and everything sort of came naturally after that. Even though I’m on the dev team right now, it’s not canon to Omega Timeline: Poppy’s Story and even has some inaccuracies that contradict canon. With that said, please feel free to read the story below the cut.

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You noticed something very different inside your room when you woke up. The lights were off and the sun hadn’t yet risen, but there was a certain… aura, coming from your door. You were filled with a certain trepidation, but… you approached it. It was hard to see in the light, but it looked… grey. 

Swallowing the lump in your throat, you stepped through...

...and found about the last person you would’ve expected. The spitting image of Frisk - CORE!Frisk, that was, looking up at you, in the middle of a white void.

“Wh- You’re real?!” you asked, dumbfounded.

“Of course I’m real. Have you been taking all this multiverse stuff for granted? Everything is real somewhere,” Core answered, simply. 

“I… I don’t… and you, me…” you panted, starting to feel a small panic attack coming on.

“Focus,” Core snapped their fingers, grounding you back in reality. Okay, this was happening now.

“Let’s get down to business. Simply: you don’t like me. And I don’t like you. But we BOTH like Poppy. Poppy, my dear, sweet angel… has unfortunately recently come to the realization that Askers ALSO exist in the multiverse. And now she wants to do a ‘meet n’ greet’ with one of her fans. Trust me, I TRIED to talk her out of it, but she can be darn persuasive when she wants to be. And as you’re now realizing, that’s where you come in. 

“I wanna make you a deal. You play along with whatever Poppy wants until she gets bored of this. If you’re on your best behavior - and that means, don’t give her anything bad, don’t tell her anything you KNOW she shouldn’t know, don’t use any magic, and be a general good influence - if you play nice, in exchange, I will allow you to hang out with ANY resident of the Omega Timeline. 

“Want to spend a day full of wacky hijinks with a Papyrus, or even an Underswap Sans? Consider it done. Want to know how Deltarune Chapter 2 plays out ahead of time? I know a Susie with your name on it. Whatever you want, so long as you play by the rules, and don’t ask for anyone obviously ridiculous. So… do we have ourselves a deal?”

You contemplated that offer, and everything that was happening, trying to suppress your inner urge to geek out for just a few moments. The Omega Timeline, Poppy, and all the AU’s you could think of and more were real. And you just got an invitation to visit them.

“Yeah, of course!” you nodded excitedly, though your enthusiasm only seemed to make Core more anxious.

“Don’t make me regret this…” Core sighed, as the whiteness seemed to melt away into a cozy-looking house with wooden floors and lime walls, where you were standing directly outside of a white door. Core seemed to have disappeared.

Technically, there was nothing stopping you from exploring. So you did just that. You walked up to a shelf with some family photos. One was a photo of Poppy, Core, Dusted and Rust all together, in some meadow, looking happy. At least, you assumed Dusted and Rust were happy, they didn’t show up well on camera. There was another photo of Poppy alone, looking somewhat younger than she did on the blog, seated on a chair in a photo that looked far more staged. She held an actual poppy flower in her hand and smiled brightly.

You opened the cabinet doors, curious of what knick-knacks you might find in there. Some crayons, a few random glass cups, some art by 3-year-old Poppy that was so poorly done its meaning was hard to decipher, and a locked box. You reached for the box--

“Getting a bit sidetracked, aren’t we?”

You jolted up, and faced Core behind you. Even though they were child-sized, they crossed their arms with the poise and authority of a stern parent. You laughed anxiously. “Ahahaha… ahaha… ha……..”

“...Strike one.” Core said, and vanished. The meaning of that was all-too clear. Deciding not to dilly dally any longer, you went to the room you suspected to be Poppy’s, and knocked. 

“Just a sec!” Poppy said, and opened the door. She looked up at you, and gasped. “Wow, Granpa really did come through…!” She twirled excitedly. “You must be my adoring fan, aren’t you?” she asked.

You stared down at the girl in stunned silence.

“To be honest, I kinda figured you’d be some gray guy with sunglasses, but that’s kinda silly in hindsight. How you doin’?” She asked that last line in a mock accent as you continued to stare.

“Baby,” you said.

“What?”

“Nothing,” you quickly tried to change the subject. “Yeah, it’s… y’know, it’s great to be here…” You clasped your hands together, biting your lip. You were in an Undertale AU, faced with the AU granddaughter of another AU character. You still weren’t entirely over that. Was this fever dream? Fandom heaven, or fandom hell?

“I know! Once I heard you guys weren’t from the Omega Timeline, I realized I hadn’t met even ONE of my fans… even if you guys are super annoying some of the time.” 

“Uhhh, yeah…” you wondered if you should apologize on behalf of the askers who put Poppy in the hospital that one time. Then again, it seemed kind of awkward, and it might have been best not to bring that up while Core was watching, which was always. Looking down at the cutesy girl, it was almost tempting to pull her into a hug, but you managed to keep your composure. 

“I wanted to do something a little more special than just some sorta interview, though, because you ask me questions all the time anyways,” Poppy said. “Granpa said you’ve never been to the Omega Timeline before, so I wanna give you the big tour!” Poppy went to the door. “I’m gonna be outside when you’re ready!” She left the room.

Seeing the empty room in front of you, you were tempted to snoop again, but you’d learned your lesson after last time. You headed straight out after Poppy.

You couldn’t help but gasp in awe of the serenity of the great outdoors as you were beckoned to it. You’d been outside before, obviously, but everything just looked so… nice. The blue sky, the grassy grounds, the ornate buildings… you’ve seen this place in pixel art and a couple drawings before, but seeing it with your own eyes was another story. And the next thing for you to nearly faint at was seeing the Undertale characters running around, Sanses, Undynes, Frisks, even goat moms. 

Poppy smiled. “...It’s nice, isn’t it? I KNEW taking you on a tour was a good idea.” She smirked. “Now remember, just because this is a meet-up doesn’t mean it’s free, and there WILL be a fee at the end of our ride.”

“...Uh… I left my wallet at home,” you said, patting your pockets, “And I don’t have any, uh... ‘G,’ I think. Unless the G stands for ‘Gratitude,’ amiright?” you did finger guns.

“G stands for Gold,” Poppy corrected you bluntly, unamused. She returned to her chipper attitude just as quickly, though. “Now, let me show you around!” She led you down the street. 

Walking with her, seeing so many versions of your favorite characters in the flesh, walking around… well, the temptation to talk to SOME of them was irresistible, Core be damned. You did resolve not to go too far off-track, but you shared some words with the folks you passed by, Poppy thankfully stopping each time you did. You met two Frisks - one boy, one ambiguous - an Underswap Undyne, a human version of Toriel, and surprisingly, a version of Princess Peach.

You and Poppy approached an elegant fountain, stood upon proudly by a statue of a mustachio’d CORE!Frisk. “This is the Timeline Plaza! It’s sort of the local park, where people meet up to do... stuff. Just hang out. Make a picnic. Play ball. All that good park-y stuff, y’know? And there’s stores in all directions, so it’s pretty good.” She proudly showed off her home to you, with a smile.

You talked to more on the way to the next place. An Inverted Fate Papyrus. A weird Ralsei who said his name was “Noyno.” An Asgore wearing a hoodie, who you assumed was swapped with Sans. (Poppy did scold you a little bit for this, telling you that just because someone has a hoodie you shouldn’t assume they’re swapped. You apologized.)

“This is Grillby’s! One of them, anyways. The nearest one to my house. It’s pretty good if you want an OK burger. Sanses love the place, though. It’s… kind of unhealthy. And a little gross.” Poppy said. “Especially when they just drink… raw… ketchup.”

“Can’t handle a little ketchup?” you smiled mischievously. “We drink it by the gallon back in my universe,” you lied.

“...I really hope you’re joking,” Poppy said, alarmed.

“Am I?” you smiled brighter.

“...W-well, we’re not going in there, so you can FORGET about drinking that much ketchup!” Poppy said, afraid of the sheer power of your ketchup-drinking.

You and Poppy moved onto the next spot. You met an Underswap Alphys who seemed to be trapped in a red-and-gold palette. You met a robot dressed as a circus ringmaster, who claimed to be a Chara. You met a Dummy dressed in a Frisk shirt. (You didn’t assume it was swapped with Frisk this time, which turned out to be a mistake, because it was.) Poppy stared at you awkwardly now, wondering why you were talking to all these random strangers. Finally, you and Poppy reached your next destination.

“The theater! Where we show off all the greatest hits! Including MY movie, which, not to brag, but it’s--”

Except, you’d been distracted by a hyperdeath Asriel, and were ignoring Poppy for the moment.

“...” Poppy spoke up. “That’s what I don’t get about you.”

“Huh?” that seemed to wake you up, and you looked at her. 

“Everytime it’s always, ‘have you met Underswap Sans,’ or ‘have you met JangoTale Frisk,’ or some other weird thing. You always ask that. But… they’re just people. Why do you always assume I know some random Sans or Frisk or someone?”

“I…” you were a bit taken aback. “...I don’t… we don’t assume you know them, they’re just… they’re just important.” 

“Important?” She asked. “...I-I mean, yeah, EVERYONE’s important, but, I don’t really get what you mean…”

“They’re all--” You paused, trying to collect your thoughts, think of everything you knew from the blog, and tried to actually talk to her. “...They’re like friends to me. Kinda.”

“...You guys are friends with them? I thought you were stuck in your world…” she frowned.

“No, it’s like-- I’m not ‘friends’ with Underswap Frisk, or-- or Storyshift Frisk, or Shifty or whatever, I’m just friends with… Frisk.”

...Poppy stared at you like you just said the ground was turning to jelly, or something equally bafflingly inane. “...I… think you’re confused. Look, sometimes newcomers struggle with this. Your Frisk isn’t the only Frisk--”

“I know! It’s… You don’t get it. This world, these worlds are so special and creative, and they mean a lot to me. I know we can be really edgy, and I know we ask weird questions about Dusted and Rust, but that’s all because… because...” you paused.

Poppy looked, seeming upset about hearing her siblings mentioned in the context of ‘edgy’ questions, not seeing what you were seeing. Core, standing behind her, holding up a hand signal.

The number two.

You were getting carried away. You overstepped.

“...Um… I’m sorry.” You pulled her into a hug as Core vanished. “There’s really no reason for us to ask those questions. We can just be dumb sometimes.”

“...” She hugged back. “Yeah, it’s okay. I knew you guys were super weird and dumb before I convinced Granpa to let you in here, so I guess I should’ve seen this coming,” Poppy smiled, regaining her confidence as you did your best to not be offended at being called weird and dumb.

“Okay! I think I have just one last stop in mind to cap this tour off on a high note! Literally, hehehe…” She giggled mischievously. This time, you didn’t stop to talk to others, following her directly as you approached a peak overlooking the town. For yet another time, and probably the last, you couldn’t help but ogle at the town’s beauty. “Pretty good, right?” She sat down.

“Ha… with all the climbing, I was worried we’d fall down a mountain,” you joked. Poppy seemed to roll her eyes, as you sat beside her. “...I guess I get how you can call this place home. I mean, once I stop nerding out, anyways. You don’t see stuff like this in my… reality.”

“Just gallons and gallons of ketchup, huh?” she commented. You couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Yeah.”

And you two just stared into the distance for a while. ...She wasn’t just a character. She was a human being.

...Or, technically just a ‘being,’ scratch the human part. Still, you felt a bit desensitized to all this. And so did she. You related in that way.

“I can’t say you exactly passed with flying colors, but you fulfilled your end of the agreement well enough.”

Without any warning, you were back in a white void with CORE!Frisk, just like before. You almost forgot about the deal you made, what with all the time you spent with Poppy. You stood.

“Uh… yeah. So, my reward…” you drifted off, remembering the offer Core gave you. The chance to meet just about any AU character of your imagining… or at least, any that would be peaceful enough to be in the Omega Timeline. Which still left a WIDE variety of options…

Who did you want to see? What mattered most to you?

...

Thinking deeply… you told Core their name.

“...Oh. Really? Well, I guess it makes sense for you that you’d want to see them,” Core remarked. “I can’t guarantee they’ll give you what you’re looking for, but a deal’s a deal. Let’s head off.”

You and Core went somewhere else.

---

And that’s all she wrote! If you read this far, thank you. Working on the game since then has been fun, and I think you’ll like what we have in store. Until then, ciao.

[smellycinnamonthundahfudge]

In My Dreams, We're Still Together

“Why is it so important to dream?” a faint voice of a woman asks.

“In my dreams, we're still together.”

-----------------------------------

Wanda opens her eyes.

She's... unsure, of where she is.

Like her synapses are splitting, her neurons are firing in all directions, and her mind is about to combust from tearing itself in half… It almost feels like… she’s glitching.

Just suddenly caught unawares, dropped into the middle of a simulation, or… a dream, with no idea whatsoever where she came from or how she got here.

She spots Geraldine, or Monica- her, that woman, that SWORD agent.

She's standing in front of her, pleading some case about how she understands, how she "knows" what Wanda was going through right now.

All Wanda could manage was a wry, sad, lonely, chuckle.

She feels tired. Like life has drained every fiber from her, and she’s just… a hollow, cracked, shell. No longer a live human teeming with breaths of air and purpose… if she was ever even such a thing to begin with, considering what Agatha revealed to her.

But ��Understand?”

Understand???

Wanda may not completely comprehend where she is, or what was happening right now, but the losses she’s suffered through still feel as raw inside her as the days she lost every single one of her family.

And so, No.

No, Monica did not understand.

She just could not possibly, know, comprehend, understand, what Wanda was feeling right now.

Wanda felt so empty inside she sacrificed everything, her conscience, her soul, her family, everything.

For a vague copy, a shadow… of the living breathing feeling, loving, man she dreamed of sharing her life with.

She sacrificed everything.

For someone that didn’t even know who she was. Someone who didn’t trust her, believe her, and maybe even… feared her.

Someone who no longer saw her as she was… but as the villain.

Just like, everyone else.

And Wanda was fine with being the villain, people already feared her nevertheless, even when she fought for them. She made herself the villain to get her family back.

But, she still lost him anyways, all the same.

So Monica can stand there and go on and on about how she understands.

She understands nothing.

Wanda didn’t even understand her own pain, and anger, the vicious black hatred inside her that erupted after being ignored for so long. And, desperation.

The hatred for a universe that sought to take away everything and everyone Wanda dared to risk caring about.

The hatred and anger that would just immediately shield her fragile psyche everytime someone dared to pop her precious ideal dream bubble.

And the desperation. For a life of normalcy she had some semblance of in her childhood, but one she can never seem to have, no matter what she did.

Westview, her transformed version of it, was her dream.

It was her parents, her family TV nights, Pietro trying to change the show, Vis learning TV tropes and cheesy romance storyline gestures for the first time from her.

Them shyly, hesitantly (for good reason) wondering and secretly hoping for a future, but daring to still do so anyways despite of everything.

“I think Mom and Dad would’ve loved it.”

Those same nights of watching in awe of Mary Tyler Moore and her grace and beauty and charm. Wanda wishing she could be like her when she grew up, laughing at her and Dick’s shenanigans.

And looking back at Mama and Papa on the couch, from where she laid on the floor as near as they allowed her to be to the TV.

Wanda faintly remembers The Dick Van Dyke Show, Bewitched, The Brady Bunch, Malcolm in the Middle, and all the rest of them flashing through her mind, in the same vein as her and Vis’ dangerously hopeful conversations for a shared future.

Those fictional sitcoms of the past and foolish daydreams of the future, all brightly flashed, when her mind and her body finally broke, and everything she was, her sadness, her hopes, her past, and her future, came flooding out of her.

She thought of her parents when she made Westview.

“I think Mom and Dad would’ve loved it,” says the Pietro she wanted more than anything to be hers.

“Yeah, I think they would have,” Wanda replied like the man she was speaking to actually knew them.

Westview was, and still is, her dream.

It was her living the life she wanted with the man she wanted to live it with.

And her hate and anger for the universe depriving her of this dream, her desperation to do everything it took to keep it in her grasp; it all swirled inside her, dizzyingly blurring everything. Corrupting and permeating the inside of her mind, and thus, the world she created from her fingertips.

And Wanda couldn’t see past it anymore.

Her sight consisted of tunnel vision exclusively set on Westview, and Tommy and Billy, and Vis.

Anything else didn’t make sense.

Even if this world of Westview, this family she created on her own, even if they and it themselves were... broken.

It was all Wanda had left.

And so, Monica could never understand.

No one, could ever unders-

Not even-

"You?" Wanda bitterly spits out, “You… understand??” frustratingly in disbelief at this hero trying to talk her down.

Wanda can't help but laugh that sad lonely chuckle again.

"No one could possibly understand what I'm going through right now." Wanda states, affirming it as fact, irrefutable, undeniable, fact.

"The one person I thought-”

Suddenly flashes of Vis shouting at her begging her to put him out of his misery pop back up again in her mind.

“Not even the person I loved so much, I-”

“I sacrificed everything for.” As Wanda closes her eyes when she says the words, all the corrupted actions Wanda’s done to keep hold of this broken fantasy flash her mind, as well as that sight of Vision leaving her.

“Even he doesn't understand. He, doesn't believe me, trust me… If even Vis sees me as the villain, maybe I already am.” The shock in Wanda’s words as she says this only undercutting the tragedy of what she’s done; she genuinely hoped all the wrong she’s done would be worth the sacrifice.

Monica, almost steps back. She doesn’t know if it’s out of fear, pity… But the pain in Wanda as she’s seeing it now is just as tangible and permanent as the pain she felt when Wanda was actually inside her head.

Monica almost fears, Wanda’s too far gone to- … to come back.

Be who she was before she lost Vision.

How can you talk sense to someone who’s all but destroyed themselves from the inside out?

Someone who’s been drowned out by their pain, loss, and anger, they can’t see anything past it.

Monica felt like Wanda was in her most fragile, vulnerable state right now. And that one wrong move, one wrong word, and you could just set her off, exploding and disintegrating everything around her.

“So, don't you stand there, and claim you understand anything,” the crimson energy starts swirling on Wanda’s fingertips once more.

“Because you understand nothing.”

“Nothing,” Wanda doesn’t even hold back the tears that were now falling down her cheek as she voices her vitriol at the hero in front of her, “About what I am feeling right now.”

But even after all the rage she’s spewing, lashing out at Monica. Even after Wanda tries her damnedest to shut out the anguish, the guilt. Her sadness over what all that she’s done was even for, amounting to what. It all eventually comes pouring out.

“If he doesn’t want to be here, there’s nothing I can do about it.”

That’s what Wanda said to their children who saved their father… their father and the love of her life, that she couldn’t bring back.

All she, Tommy, and Billy, wanted was to spend time with him.

Vision’s only still alive because of them.

But she still couldn’t stop him from abandoning them altogether.

“Even after I brought him back…” Wanda’s previously volatile disposition suddenly, disappears.

The grief that was barely being held back, begging to come out, finally did.

“He still left.”

Vision wanted to get as far away from her as possible he was willing to die for it.

Wanda expanded the barrier, their kids ask her where he is… and yet-

“He's still- gone.”

“Wanda…”

Vis appears from their front door, and Monica was about to speak to him about SWORD and Hayward, but Vision looked her in the eyes, and pleaded, for a moment alone with his wife.

Maybe a part of her was feeling pity, or sympathy, for Wanda and Vision, but Monica left them alone. “I’ll stand watch outside. Just know that you don’t have much time.”

Vision nods and thanks the Captain for understanding.

Wanda scoffed at what she said. When did they ever have time?

Wanda currently had her back turned away from Vis, she was wiping away the tears she’d cried in her anger.

Vision stares, at Wanda’s sullen, defeated figure. He’s unsure of what he’s going to do.

He cannot explain, what he feels… for Wanda.

A part of him felt trapped, played with, like he was being controlled, and that he was given sentience yet still bound, forced to play a role he didn’t choose for himself. And every time he’d get the slightest bit of control back, he’d be rewound, dumbed back into sedation.

Vision felt unbelievably at the mercy of some unknown being, unable to take control of his own life, but with enough sentience to know that something was wrong.

He was petrified.

And yet, why does he still feel this torturously irrational emotion that can only be called love, for the one who has been causing him all this pain?

Why does he feel warmth, family, and joy, and home, from someone he doesn’t even remember how he met?

Why does he want to protect, shield, guard, defend, and reach towards to, this woman who violated his mind?

And why, does the sight of Wanda in tears, nearly bring tears out of him as well?

Maybe Wanda could answer the questions that plagued his mind, maybe not.

His entire existence on this world has him grappling, struggling to determine what is real, which of his actions are truly his alone, and which are under Wanda’s control.

But whether or not he’s doing this for the people of West View, for himself, or for Wanda, fact of the matter was that something inside him was telling him that he had to comfort his wife.

He had to bring her back to who she used to be.

He had to go to her.

He had to speak to her, confront her.

He had to love her.

Even if it meant hurting her. Making her say goodbye, having her lose him, again.

He loved her.

Vision stepped forwards and got closer to his wife.

“Wanda...” Vision raised his arm to place his hand on Wanda’s shoulder. Wanda looks at it from her periphery and her face contorts itself, as if she’s trying to hold back- everything.

“I still love you,” Vision admitted, wrapping his arms around Wanda, but exasperation and weariness felt evident in his voice.

Wanda was still turned away from him, Vis essentially hugging her from behind, but he can feel the tension and tiredness in her body, her muscles trembling, despite the exhaustion.

And he can’t help but feel, the guilt in the tears she shed. Tears spilled for him, for what she’d done to him.

“I don't know how. I don't know why.”

“But even after all you've done,”

“I still love you.”

He hears her cry louder, her pain and guilt and self-destruction, pouring out of her little by little. He can feel her, hear her, trying to say something.

“I.. I’m… I didn’t…” Wanda struggles to say, her breath hitching from her sob.

Wanda didn’t want to think about so much of her life, when so much of it just seemed to overflow with loss.

Vital parts of her being, her family that was her only safe haven, the thing she fought for the hardest, all just missing empty cavities now. Where there was hopes for the future and warmth from her past, was replaced with endless pain and grief over losing what she had and could have had.

She was drowning. She really was.

And no one could hear her cries for help. No one was there to catch her when she broke and collapsed.

She couldn’t think. Reason was a privilege known only to those whose emotions didn’t destroy them from the inside out.

She collapsed into herself, lost herself in her own created fake broken fantasy. And she just… she drowned.

“Wanda, I know why you created this world.”

Wanda stops her crying, catches her breath.

He knows.

She didn’t know what to make of that.

“I was told what happened with Thanos and the Mind Stone. But, Wanda, I still don’t know- don’t remember my life, our lives, before West View.”

“I don't remember how I met you. I don't remember how we came to be. I don't remember anything, that we shared. I don't remember why I fell for you, Wanda,” Vis looks at Wanda inquisitively but also devotedly, his unceasing need to figure out how he fell just as pervasive as his love for her.

“I don't know who we were.”

So this is where he’s heading.

“I love you, my darling, and that’s why you need to give me my life, my memories of us, back.”

“I can't-” Wanda grits through her hitched sobs, curling over in Vis’ grasp.

Vision lets her go, heartbroken frustrated to see the woman he loves this far gone. Wanda holds her breath to at least try and control herself, but breaks anyways once she feels the space and distance between her and Vis.

She faces him, “I can't let you know the truth.” Wanda states resolutely, but almost pleading with him, desperate for him not to know.

Before Vis argues otherwise, Wanda gets ahead of him, “If you go back, and find out who you really were, remember everything that we had…” she explains, her fears evident in her rushed petrified speech.

“You'd know why I did this.”

His deed flashes to her mind.

“And you’d know who I was,” placing her hand on her chest as she faces Vis head on“and tell me that this,” Wanda waves her arms around her, pointing to all of Westview, “isn’t me.”

“- Even though that me you knew is long gone by now,” Wanda says, tiredly laughing in self-depreciation at what she’s become.

Wanda looks at the floor, weary. Tears pooling over still, despite the thousands she’d already shed, falling onto that same floor she’s now acutely aware is really just sullen abandoned earth in reality.

Grieving the her that she lost. The them that they lost. And the them they’ve become now, because of her.

Wanda can remember it all. Their past, their struggle to find peace & moments together, the moments they did have, and their hopes for a future that felt so close.

And Vision doesn't.

And Wanda remembers killing off all of it when Vision asked her to kill him.

And Vision doesn't.

Wanda was ready to forsake it all, for a chance to live a new life with him and the home and family they made here.

But here was Vis now, begging for memories of that old lost life back.

Wanda is still staring at the floor, into nothing, vanished in the memories of old Vis, that him begging for brought her back to.

Her tears still flow as she recounts just how innocent, pure, good-hearted, and well-meaningly kind Vis was.

And how much he loved her.

Truly, loved her.

“And you’d tell me to do the “right” thing…”

And Wanda remembers who she used to be. The her that Vis fell for.

The daughter, the sister, the fighter and the rebel, and eventually, once upon a time, the hero. The Avenger, who fought for good even when the rest of the world feared her.

But that was before the world took everything she had from her.

“But then I'd just lose you,” Wanda grimaces, “all over again.” then dissolves once more, as she knows, has known all this time if she’s finally going to be honest, what the right thing was.

Acceptance.

Vis tries to walk over to her, finally wholly understanding, wanting nothing more but to shield and protect Wanda from the hurt she’s currently drowning in but-

“And I can't, I can't-” Wanda pushes him away then stops, still holding onto him. Tells her love the truth.

“I can't lose you,” Wanda finally looks at him directly, grasping onto him so tight, her fear of losing him an overwhelmingly powerful need felt even with just her touch, and sees Vis for who he is, all of who he is, her created copy of her lost beloved, but even still, “not again.”

Vision gently cups Wanda’s face in his right hand, grabs both of hers and plants a soft kiss on them with his other, and admits, “And I don't want to lose you.”

And Wanda breaks down in his arms. Like the first time she did when she truly met him, the tens of other times she had when they were friends, and the thousands of times she did when they were together.

[charlettebffxiv]

Prompt #12 Excuse (Extra Credits)

Knowing how all this works is frustrating. That is a sad part of becoming more and more familiar with just how the systems work. Once you’re aware of the bits and pieces of the clock that ticks along your time it gets really, really hard to not hear it. To feel like you’ve made your own choices, and that you are forging your own path. “That is bullshit.” Ogi Nogi was a man of few words, but even for this first outburst from him in a long while, Charlette chided him “Ogi, try and be a little less crass, will you? It’s frustrating, yes, but don’t lower yourself.” The lalafell crossed his arms, looked way, way up at Charlette. Staring her dead in the eye. “No.” Well, she wouldn’t appreciate that, but she could at least understand where it was coming from. As, in the back of her mind, she had a few choice words of her own. That was bullshit.

The Archive, for all its secrets, systems, oaths and rituals, was a fairly simple beast. The firstborn of every family to settle permanently in Willow’s Heart is inducted. The only exceptions are for only children, and those that are already parents or bonded. If this was too much to offer, you left Willow’s Heart and settled elsewhere. Harsh, yes, but everyone had to be bound to the purpose. Once inducted, you took your Oaths, you swore to take no charges, no quests, no ambitions other than the Orders. You were no longer an heir, a spouse, a youngling filled with dreams or ambitions. You became an Apprentice to the Order, and that was your dream and ambition. Breaking these oaths, taking on a new purpose that the leaders of the Order judged had become higher to you, and it was exile. It was upon this precipice that Charlette stood now, with only a hearing between her and said leaders to decide where her future would be going. It could be the disciplinary hearing that set a warning in her histories and left a permanent stain on her record, but saw her returned to the Orders fold and able to continue what had been her life since she was thirteen. Or, it could be the very last time this system made a decision for her, and it would be to send her out to start over, without any chance to redeem herself. Her home would not be her home anymore, her friends and family remain bound to Willow’s Heart. She had been standing on this line for a full twelvemoon by this point, in a grey area of existence that had left her uncertain about either path. That system chafed now, its limitations and it’s injustices hung around her neck each time she sat with her fellow Order members, all of them wishing her a swift return. Exile, though, sat on the horizon each time she was attending to her temporary position with the Botanist Guild. Utterly unknown, terrifying, lonely. Who was she, without Willow’s Heart and the Order? She did not know. Likely nothing. “And that’s bullshit.” Ogi Nogi sat next to Charlette, and poked her in the side. It was a sun of rest, and she was surrounded by her friends in a booth at the Willow’s Heart tavern, The Scholar’s Blush. What else do you call an alehouse that is down the road from a library? “Was I thinking aloud?” Charlette asked, a poor habit she had recently developed in the more isolated moments of her Botany work. She looked up at the people surrounding her. Maxim was holding back a laugh, Chloe was giving her a look that suggested she was questioning, once more, how they could be siblings. A’nidreah looked up from her drink, licking foam from her lips like she had heard nothing unusual. Loash and Alistair, at the same time, did the thing men who fancy themselves stoic do. A shrug, and a quick nod to the side. They very nearly butted heads. “Sorry, but it is something I do wonder about. I, we, have dedicated so much of ourselves to this place. Order or Botany guild, or otherwise. What. What do I do if they decide I have breached the code? Crossed the line? What if I have to go?” the words struggled from her, crawling up her throat and making it twist and pull at them like she wanted to swallow them back down. Once spoken, though, they existed. Can’t take that back. “They won’t. Not if they know what they are doing.” Alistair reassured her. “And they do, you’ve met Emillie. Not a man alive that knows more of what he’s about than him.” Loash’s nod came with a firm grunt too “S’true. He only does clever things.” Loash rarely had a bad thing to say about his appointed guardian though. “I mean you’ve given them no reason to think of you as more than a dedicated Willow’s Heart-ian? -ist? What would you call us? Willow’s Heartdians? Anyway, you’ll be fine. Bobocufu’s probably only got glowing things to say about you.” Maxim flicked his hand, danced around Charlette’s worries and dismissed them like they never even deserved to be said. “Bobocufu only has nice things to say about everyone. She could talk-up the Emperor of Garlemald if he planted a sapling in his front yard.” Ogi Nogi speaks again, though being less helpful this time. Charlette held up a hand to stop anymore reassurances coming her way, taking the time it required to gulp from her cup to think before she spoke. “Thank you everyone. That does help. But we won’t know until it happens. Until then I just need to keep making the best impression I can, if I want to avoid being sent away.” A solemn series of looks fell over the group with the silence. Then Chloe and A’nidreah glanced at each other. The Miqo’te shook her head, but Charlette knew Chloe had made up her mind. “Does it matter?” Chloe asked, getting a few quick looks from everyone but Maxim, and A’nidreah who had decided to look down and focus on her drink. “What do you mean? Of course it does. I don’t want to be sent away from everything.” Chloe leaned forward, and looked at the others around the table. “Everything? Everything is not in Willow’s Heart alone Charlette. I just do not think it would be the end if the world if you, well, went outside for more than a demand from the Order.” Tension gripped the Order members at the table. “You know what I’m talking about when I say everything. I grew up here, this is home.” Chloe squared her shoulders, sat up straight. A mirror of Charlette when she was not willing to back down. “People make new homes all the time.” “Our family is here. Mother, father, the others from the coven.” “They can take a trip, see you and a bit of that world too.” “My botany work was all done here.” “And a lot of it was done out there too. Maxim will make the trip.” Chloe patted the blonde on the chest. He looked between the two, then dipped his head to Charlette “Working with us isn’t based on where you live. We could call on you, when we’re outside of bounds.” “My friends are all here, members of the Order. A’nidreah, Alistair, Loash, Ogi.” She was not balking, and neither was her sister. “There are no other taverns out there? I do not see anyone here so selfish they would never make the time to see their friend.” the others nodded, but it was without looking directly at Charlette. “I do not want to leave.” She finished, firm as she can be, the conversation needed to end. “Maybe you need to, maybe you are lying.” Chloe was not done. “I do not lie.” Charlette had started to feel a tightness in her chest. “That’s a lie.” “What do you want from me Chloe?” Her tone was harsh, it snapped. “I want you to be honest, and I want you to make a choice for yourself.” Chloe was irritatingly cool and calm. “How is ‘I do not want to leave behind my friends, family and home forever’ not honest enough for you?” Was she shouting? She didn’t feel like she was shouting, but her words were coming harder, A’nidreah’s ears were twitching downward. Alistair reached out a hand “Okay, anyone need a refill?” several hands went up, Charlette and Chloe continued to stare at each other. Chloe’s hand went up. Charlette’s followed, slowly. “I’ll help!” Loash was standing as soon as Alistair had escaped his seat. “Me too!” A’nidreah followed. Maxim was trapped at the far end, between the two sister’s, Ogi did not seem to care. Though he did make his escape via the classic. “I gotta pee.” The lalafell slipped out his seat and made his way to the back. The sisters squared off, Maxim tried to busy himself with folding a swan out of his serviette. “Stop lying to yourself Charlette.” Chloe finally ended the tense silence. “Stop acting like you know everything, and know better than everyone.” She felt angry, why was Chloe doing this now? Why did she always have to do this? “I do not know everything, or better than everyone. But I know my sister.” Did she though? It felt, to Charlette, like Chloe was constantly confused by her. “Then why do we fight more than we talk?” It was a good question to ask. It had been this way for a long, long time. “I do not fight you Charlette. You fight yourself, everytime you come close to this. I am just on your side, so you fight me too.” Charlette rolled her eyes, shaking her head and looking away from her Sister. “Come close to what?” she asked, near spitting it. “Choosing what you want, first.” Charlette watched out the side of her eye as Chloe placed her cup down, and leaned forward, elbows on the table, reaching across to try and meet Charlette’s touch halfway. “Be honest with me. Why is being out there, for your own reasons, such a terrible thing?” Charlette swallowed. Her friends had scattered around the tavern, Maxim’s swan was so poorly folded it looked mangled, and Chloe was pushing, like she always did. She didn’t want her to push now. Not here. She felt Chloe’s hands reach the rest of the way, pulling her hard grip from around her cup, and holding on. Her eyes felt warm. “I will not be able to see him any more.” “He is already gone, Charlette. He has been gone for twelvemoons.” “What is left of him is all here. Under Willow’s Heart earth, in our home, in his locker. In the Hall of Honour.” Chloe stood, walked around that table and sat herself next to Charlette, hugging her around the middle with one arm. “That is not what mattered to Fred, you know that. What mattered is how we saw him, you know this better than any of us. You know him better.” Charlette almost smiled, but Chloe saw the little curl of her lips. “Yeah. Maybe.” “Does he still make you laugh?” Charlette thought of him, and she spoke through a tearful chuckle. “Yes.” Chloe just smiled, and held on. “Then he is here.” It was a nice moment, right up until Chloe finished where she was going with this. “No stop using him as an excuse.”

[eternallovers65]

I was watching ikon tv on YouTube again and that made me look at a bunch of old clips from kpop, and I just want to say FUCK THE BIG 3 SO MUCH OR ANY OTHER COMPANY THAT TREATS IDOLS LIKE SHIT

JYPE

Blatantly favoritism over Twice and Stray Kids, which leads to overworking them, and zero to nonexistent comebacks to got7 and day6 (idk about itzy bc I'm not a fan). For example in 2018, Twice had 6 comebacks (japanese/singles included) and in both 2017/19 they had 5 (japanese/singles included) Stray Kids on the year they debuted, 2018, had 4 and in 2019 they had 5 (japanese/singles included).

This situation got so bad that during a vlive Jeongyeon cried because of how overworked she was. She, Mina and Jisung had to take a break from promotion, I know that those breaks were in different eras but I think that there's a link on why only members of the most overworked groups needed a break.

Also Got7 has like zero promotion, when they had the world tour ahgases were the ones to promote then, because jype didn't bought ads. The boys songs were refused so many times, Mark's schedule were canceled so he couldn't meet his family. They refused to give a solo career to Yugyeom and Mark, when they failed to protect the boys from the sasaengs which lead them moving out so many times and on why Jackson got injured.

Edit: I am more than glad to say that today, 10th of January, all members of Got7 are leaving Jype. #Got7forever💚 I love you boys, thank you for 7 years of happiness, and I'll proudly continue to support all of you

How they forced that visual and hairstyle on Jeongyeon, even tho she didn't wanted it, she said during a vlive that she wanted to grow her hair but the company used to cut shorter everytime. They are extremely strict with the weight and the food, a few artists like Sunmi already said that. Somi has told some stories about how they had to sneak food and hide eating in the bathroom, and when Momo was forced to lose 7kg in seven days only to appear in a showcase.

The famous situation flag situation with Tzuyu. She was 16 when that happened, she introduced herself as Taiwanese and held the Taiwan flag as well. Which lead to many to many chinese users saying she was a pro-independence activist, she was barred from the Chinese television and suspended of all her activities in China. 2 months later, on the day of the election in Taiwan, Jype posted a video of her reading an apology saying that there's only one China and she is extremely proud to be Chinese. She was 16 at the time, and you can see during the video that she is so scared, sad and clearly hesitating on saying what she's reading, the whole video just has this weird, forced vibes. The 3 presidential candidates said that video was too cruel for a 16 year old girl and that she didn't need to apologize.

YG

I will never forgive yg for disbanding 2ne1, for not helping G-Dragon when he was accused of plagiarism and started suffering from depression but had to continue with the promotion. Same thing with Top that was diagnosed with social anxiety and depression, and suffered a overdose because of the marijuana scandal but yg had also nothing to say.

For releasing Hanbin in a DAY because of false accusations, while it took them WEEKS to release s***gri and only after he released a statement saying that he was leaving bigbang. And for not telling the public or for not defending Jennie during that time everyone were saying she was lazy when in fact she had an ankle injury, but still continued the promotions.

SM

Whether we like to admit or not, SM is probably the best company in the kpop history if we're talking about success, they have a formula that works over and over again, it's a pattern, we can especially see it in Suju, Shinee, Exo and Nct. But omg they have zero compassion for their idols.

Starting from the training, we all know the training for the debut is really difficult, but a lot of people say that between all the companies SM is the worst one, they are extremely strictly and controlling , especially the managers who abuse the power. They have this curated-ness that is quite toxic, and leads to an incredibly perfectionistic and controlling management system. Kai used to practice 8 hours a day so that everything was perfect, like surely work it out bc Kai is one of the best dancers in the industry, but still that's a lot of hours you're basically overworking yourself (I think)

As a result, many idols have even more outstandingly brutal beauty standards than there already are in the kpop industry generally. especially intense weight-loss standards, Taeyeon already said this, during the first 5 years of GG she was constantly battling with eating disorders. Baekhyun has this diet where, instead of eating the food he only chews and then spits out, Sehun in 2017 (I think) had this stage on the Exo tour and he said that he spend an entire month on diet, so he could do that stage. Taemin said on a few episodes of Mtopia that he was on a diet, but you can clearly see that he was extremely thin. Also they have a part in their contracts about plastic surgery, you can see that almost every SM artist has done it a double eyelid surgery.

The blatantly favoritism over Korean idols and the mistreats that happens with idols that aren't Korean (especially with they're chinese), as we saw many times already with examples like Tao, Kris, Luhan, Lay, Winwin, Ten and Lucas before they joined WayV. Or favoritism with certain members of groups, like Taeyong in Nct, of course that favoritism is a part of their formula but still pretty fucked up.

They have such a questionable promotion, like I already read once about. They said that SM promotes the new groups so they can form a better fan base and that way no longer will need the promotion, but still this is extremely bad. Like with BoA, Tvxq or Suju who are still relevant but we barely hear news about them because SM doesn't promote then, and I can already see this with Exo especially in their latest comeback.

They manage mental health horrifically. Like with Taeyeon in 2014/15 when a member (bc SM treated Jessica as garbage) of her group had to leave, which lead to the midia saying it was her fault alongside with the hate she received at that time because of her relationship with Baekhyun, that lead to her depression and eating disorders. Same thing happened with Baek, although he didn't receive the same amount of hate, he still had to suffer with his relationship being in the spotlight while 3 members of his group left, because AGAIN SM treated them as fucking garbage.

For stop carrying about f(x), as a result lead to a witch hunt on Victoria saying that it was her fault for that happening, for Sulli who was suffering from a mental illness but never received a break nor the protection from the media that used to say that she was a bad example. For Jonghyun who was also suffering from depression but never got any help or a break.

And our latest examples Irene and Chanyeol. I don't approve Irene's actions, but the fact that the media is so ruthless with her it's ridiculous and even more ridiculous of SM to not defend their idol, especially when there's so many other celebrities that are WAY worse than her. And for Chanyeol, who was accused of cheating on his girlfriend 10 times, but SM had nothing to say or to defend his image. It took the fans for that to happen, the fans were the ones to find out that was a fake and cover up scandal so the news about the government crisis were not to be seen.

They are so bad at dealing with idol apologies, like why did Taeyong in 2016 had to apologize for something he didn’t do, but they never had anyone apologize for their racist or the cultural appropriation that the idols have done many times already in a lot of mvs????

That's why I hate the kpop industry and the media so fucking much, bc they're ruthless and assholes who are putting so much pressure on the idols, who in the end of the day are humans and are deserving of things like love, privacy and a break to take care of themselves. I truly adore kpop and the dramas, but I'd stop watching and listening with all of my heart if it means that they would stop treating humans beings as fucking trash! They deserve so much more!

Thank you for coming to my ted talk!

[joanna-lannister]

Hey! I noticed you write a lot about Jaime and Cersei in Pentos with their family (and you do a tremendous job btw) but I was wondering a bit about little Joanna. Who do you think she favors like looks, personality, etc. I so look forward to your answer and if youre up for it what do you think Tywin and Joanna Sr would think of little Jo Jr!

KY, I KNOW THAT ONE IS FROM YOU... AGAIN. BECAUSE BITCH, WHO ELSE WOULD SEND ME THAT? 😭😭 And you are looking forward to my answer? Bestie, AS IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT ALREADY. I'm not even sure if I should reply to it seriously jfjdjsjdjdjd but I guess I will and be nice to my fan 🙄

Anyway, listen, if you think I don't have Jo's personality fully fleshed out, you wrong, because girly has been putting her roots in the back of my mind from the very first moment Cersei said she was pregnant and she just keeps growing bigger everyday to the point I know [almost] every detail about her, from what she likes to how she would react to some situations. And while she might be Cersei's spitting image in term of looks, I'm usually joking around and tend to call her 'mini Jaime' [modern!Cersei would 10/10 call her that way as well, okay] because she is such a fearless, stubborn little lioness and she is very impatient. She always gives her parents the worst scare ever. Cersei, while a certain apprehension still cripples her and always will, slowly starts to let go of her deepest fears after 2 or 3 years tho. She doesn't believe the prophecy will take Joanna from her and when she gets pregnant again, it somehow gives her the reassurance those little ones are safe from harm and she allows herself to relax and finds some peace of mind. And since she perfectly knows Joanna has inherited her father's recklessness—she loves it—, she is never surprised by whatever new trick her little girl is playing around but yes, Jo still makes Cersei's heart skips a few beats and she can't help but remains very protective and careful. As for Jaime, even if he finds her antics quite amusing, he already had that constant fear something might happen to her clinging to him but when she starts wandering around and climbing on chairs and other piece of furnitures, he has a hard time to shut that fear down. It only grows stronger and, everytime she falls and scratches her knees, he feels like he somehow failed her to protect her.

Joanna is also full of life, so joyful. As a baby, despite her impatience, she isn't difficult, except when she is teething. Actually, she is easy going and oh, Jo smiles all the time and those smiles bloom into sweet, genuine, giggles as she grows older. She laughs at everything and nothing, and her giggles quickly become Jaime and Cersei's favorite sound. And even tho she can be independent, girly always want to be held by Mama or Papa, of course, she loves cuddles, and she definitely has Jaime wrapped around her finger [Cersei too, but she can see through her games]. She is sweet and caring overall, she can be a tad sensitive but she'll never admit it. Same if she ever fears something, she won't voice it or she denies it. She gets a bit more patient after her little brother is born. Cersei is not surprised again when she turns out to be fiercely protective of her siblings. On the other hand, if she doesn't like you, oh well, she'll make sure you know that by throwing some shade and rolling her eyes at everything you say.

Her imagination always runs wild, being a bit a of daydreamer, and she adores stories, songs and books. She has a brief period of time where she has some weird obsession over dragons, which leave Jaime and Cersei puzzled "Joanna, wtf?" 😭 As if the three of them hadn't been almost killed by a dragon! Nonetheless, learning letters is a bit of challenge for her, just the way it was for Jaime as a child. Cersei is the first one to notice it—she mentions it to Jaime one night—and more than once, they both have to comfort Joanna by reminding her she is clever and she can do it because the struggle to learn how to read exhorts lot of tears and a burning frustration out of her. And while Cersei puts more efforts to teach her how to read than for any other of their children, Jaime's advices on the matter are more helpful.

She might have inherited Jaime's full personality, but she also owns Cersei's cunning side, as well as some of her mannerisms, and she never minds to use it to get what she wants, she never gives up until she owns the prize she fancies. She is too stubborn for that, and "No" slips easily between her lips. And since she a Lannister through and through, she is very prideful. She is always pleased when someone compliments her. Yet, her pride can easily be wounded and offended.

Yellow is her favorite color, because it reminds her of Cersei's hair, and she shares with Tommen the same love for cats. She is definitely obsessed with the one lurking around every morning at her bedroom's window. She loves the sea, the warm waves lapping at her feet, but she'd rather spend her time in her little garden with Cersei. Flowers and others plants is something she quickly grows an interest in. Oh, and one of her favorite thing in the world, and probably biggest weakness, is cake. You can almost get her do whatever you want with the promises of sweet cakes, and Jaime often teases Cersei is the one to blame for her sweet tooth because she spent her pregnancy having the worst cravings ever for sweets.

As for Tywin's reaction, YOU KNOW I WOULD HAVE LOVED IF CERSEI HAD GOTTEN PREGNANT BEFORE HIS DEATH! The thought only of his face when Jaime and Cersei would drop the news that she is pregnant has me wheezing, LIKE HE MIGHT HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK AT THIS POINT FJDNSJSJS. So hmm, I guess he wouldn't be pleased at first, depending on where it falls in the timeline. Actually, he wouldn't be pleased at all. But once she is here, well he has no other choice but to accept her 😬 But he lowkey grows fond of her, somehow. He likes the fact she is intuitive and she has a sharp tongue. And Joanna [Sr.], depends how she'd react to the whole thing if she was alive, but she'd definitely be the first one to hold her namesake after Jaime and Cersei.

[snixregal]

Have you seen Asami?

Hi everyone! I usually don’t post my stuff, just repost, but I have a new obsession: Korrasami. And this small story came to my mind and won’t let go! So...here it is. English is not my mother tonge, so I apologize for all the mistakes! And I hope you enjoy!

_____________________________________

“Have you seen Asami?” Korra asked, interrupting the tea time of Tenzin and Pema. Tenzin raised a eyebrow, he thought that at least  had teach Korra how to greet people politely.

“Good afternoon to you too, Korra.” Said the airbender with sarcasm, making the Avatar frowned, a little bit confused. “No, we didn’t see your girlfriend.”

“Asks the kids, they’re training over there.” Answer Pema kindly, pointing to the back of the temple. “Thanks, Pema.” Said Korra sticking out the tongue to her air master.

Indeed, Jinora, Ikki and Meelo were training, or at least trying. As always they were a good team, but a messy one.

“Korra!” Yelled the three kids when they saw their not-bloodrelated big sister. “Hey kids! How´s the training?”

“I can’t wait to Rohan to be old enough to train. Then it will be just the boys: him, me and Poki.” Said Meelo, always complaing about his sisters, even if he loves them.

“How can we help you, Korra?” Jinora was the most controled of the three childrens of Tenzin. “Have you seen Asami?”

“Yes, she was here just a minute ago.”

“Meelo tried to steal your girlfriend.” Accused Ikki with a laugh. Korra raise an eyebrown with the hands on her hips. Meelo blushed. “You can’t blame a boy for trying.” He said with a shrug. “Actually I can. She’s my girlfriend, and I thought you were my friend.” Meelo smiled with what he thinks is a seductive smile. A very childish one. “I’m you friend Korra. Always. But she’s so...”

“Adult. And you’re a child. Better don’t finish that sentence.” Cut Korra laughing. “You’re lucky you’re the Avatar, if not, I’ve already would had steal the girl.”

“So now she’s just with me because I’m the Avatar? Lucky me.” Laugh Korra with a sigh. “Where did she go?”

“I think I saw her with Mako on the terrace of the temple.” Remember Ikki. Korra narrowed her eyes. On the terrace? That was their place. “Thanks kids.”

“Don’t worry Korra, if I couldn’t steal her, Mako has no chance.” Yelled Meelo, gaining a punch on the head from her older sister.

Mako did was on the terrace, but again, no sign of Asami. Where in the spirits hell was her girlfriend?

“Hey Mako”

“Hey Avatar”

“Had you´ve been with Asami?”

“Yes, she just left with Bolin.” Now Bolin? What happens with Asami? Korra felt like all day she’s been a minute late for the tallest brunette.

“Is everything ok?” Asked the firebender.

“Yeah, yeah, sure.” Answerd Korra, with an idly hand gesture, distracted. Everything was ok....right?

Bolin was with Opal, admiring her air powers like it was the first time. He was always so excited about everything, but mostly when it’s involve Opal. They were way too better match than with Korra’s crazy cousin, that’s for sure.

“Hey couple, how are you?”

“Look honey, the Avatar is here.” Said Bolin, exagerating on purpose. After the fight with Kuvira he had been teasing Korra with small reverences everytime he saw her. The first ten times maybe it was funny, now? not so much. “Where’s your other half?” Ask her friend, looking over her shoulder like Asami was coming behind the Avatar.

“Yeah, same question. Mako told me was with you.” Korra pointed Bolin a little bit mad. Are all of them playing with her? It’s was all of this a big joke?

“Yeah, but she left...”

“Let me guess, a minute ago?”

“Yeah! I thought she went with you.”

“Not even close, Bolin.”

“I’m sure she’s also looking for you, Korra.” Said Opal with a tender smile, making Korra narrow eyes again. “Do you know something I should know?” The Avatar didn’t miss how the couple share a look.

“Of course not, my dearest Avatar. My good Korra, how could you think something like that? My beloved Korrasami, I’m your friend, right?”

“How did you call me?”

Bolin look at Opal, clearly asking for a saving hand of that conversation. Opal laugh, that was her boyfriend, yes sir. “Bolin just trying to say there’s nothing we should tell you.”

“Then where’s Asami?” Asked Korra for the millionth time, pouting. “Maybe she’s watching the new airbenders traing.”

A new group of airbenders, this time all kids not older than six, had arrived the temple a few weeks ago, and now everything was a lot more caothic.

And, finally, there was Asami, looking at the kids, amused, while Bumi tried to teach them.

“Hey stranger.” Greet Korra, hugging the brunette from behind with a small kiss under the ear. “Hi, love.” Asami smile at her with such tender in her eyes. “Where had you´ve been?” Asked the Avatar trying not to sound needy.

“Looking for you.”

“No, I was looking for you. You were....everywhere but with me.” Korra pouted dramatically, making her girlfriend laugh and kiss her nose.

“Maybe I have bussines to do....” Laugh Asami.

“With Mako and Bolin?”

“Oh spirits, are you jealous?”

“Of course not! I just missed you.” Asami turns in Korra’s arms and kiss her. “There’s something I want to ask you...” Start the owner of Future Industries, but then all the kids saw the Avatar was there.

“Loooooook! is the Avatar!!” That’s been happening since all the kids arrive at the temple. All the small ones runs towards Korra, too excited, using their new powers to be faster. A very bad idea, of course. A wild wind push Asami over the cliff.

“Asami!!” Scream Korra, jumping behind with no hesitation. The Avatar catch the woman, bending the air, landing gently on a mountain ledge.

“Are you ok?” Asks Korra, worried, caressing Asami’s cheeks with a soft hand, looking for some possible injuries. Asami kiss that hand. “I’m always perfect with you, my love.” Korra blushed. “Well...I try.” The Avatar scratch her neck, like everytime she’s nervous. “I hope you don’t want to ask me if I want kids, after what just happens.” Laugh the Avatar, trying to look like a normal conversation not happening in the wall of a mountain.

“For all the spirits, no.” Asami also laugh. “Maybe in a few years.... But not now.” Korra open wide eyes, for her girlfriend amusement. “No, I’m just gonna ask you... Well, I wanna ask you... Just if you want, of course...” Now Asami was the only nervous on that ledge. Korra grabs her chin, making Asami look directly at her warm eyes, and smile. “Tell me.”

“Giiiiirrrrrlllllsssss!!! I saw you fall! Are you okey?” Bolin, of course, looking at them from the edge, meters over the two girls. Korra look at him, angry.

“Can we have some privacy, pretty please?”

“But you fell....”

“We’re alive, right? I’m the damn Avatar, don’t have to worry!”

“Love, don’t get mad, friends do worry.” Said Asami taking her hands, caressing them with one finger.

“I’ve been looking for you all day, and I’m only get a private moment with you because you fell from the mountain. I think is too much if they also took this from us.” Asami laugh hard and loud, grabs Korra’s face and kiss her, with decision, pasionately.

“What would I do without you?” Asks Asami with a wide, bright smile. Korra look at her spellbound, hipnotized by Asami’s smile and lovinly gaze. “You would surely fall from fewer mountains.” Answers the Avatar, still enchanted by the kiss.

“You two aaaaaareeeee sooooooo cuuuuuuteeeeee. Right honey? they remind me of us.” Bolin still was watching from the edge. “Bolin!!” Screams Korra, moving the earth under her friend to create a small wall that keep him away from the edge of the mountain. A while, at least.

“I would never regret to fall for you, my love.” The one that almost fell from the ledge was Korra after that words. But Asami doesn’t let her react to that. “But I was trying to tell you something...” A little bit nervous again. “What I was trying to say...to ask you, is....if you want, maybe... Would you like to move with me?”

Yep, Korra wasn’t specting that. Not at all. “Like....to your house?”

Asami wasn’t looking at her, moving her hands, even more nervous than before. “Well, that’s was I was talking with Bolin, his family has return to Earth Kingdom, so we’ll be all alone. If you want, of course. A…and…and my house is huge, we dont have to spent all the time togheher if you don’t like. We don’t even have to sleep in the same bed...or in the same room. We’ll have plenty. You’ll have a lot of space for training, or for, whatever you want. And I’m counting with Naga, of course.”

She was rambling, that’s for sure. Korra was having a hard time keeping her laugh, she has never saw Asami so unsure. But why so unsure? Nonsense.

“You mean, without Tenzin, without Jinora, Ikki and Meelo the stealer? Without small airbenders? Without Mako and Bolin? Just the two of us? Plus Naga.” Asami finally look into Korra’s eyes. “Is a bad idea, right?”

“My amazing girlfriend and my enormous polar bear dog, all alone in a mansion full of surfaces to explore? No Naga in that last picture, obvious.” Was the time for Asami to blush.

“Korra, you mean...?”

“Let’s pack! Or even without packing, I can’t wait to live you you!”

The Avatar was radiant of happiness, full and completely happy with the idea of share a house, a life, with the woman she loves. “Only one thing...” Korra said, raising one finger. Asami listen. “That thing about not sharing a bed was a joke, right?”

The laugh of ms.Sato echoes all over the mountain. “Are you sure about this, Korra?”

“Never been so sure about anything else. I wish we had done it before.” Asami leans towars Korra, hands in the Avatar’s chest.

“What did she say? She said yes?” Obviously Bolin tear apart the wall time ago and was watching them again. Korra could have spit fire to him if is wasn’t for Asami, who laugh again.

“She said yes.”

“I told you! I want a party when you move! We have to celebrate.” Opal was besides him, softly laughing, she knows her boyfriend was very inopportune and was interrupting a very personal moment, but she love him that way. Is not like there’s something she can do, of course.

Korra ignore them, hidding herself in Asami’s hug, feeling already in home. “Why are you so perfect? I’m so lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one. Avatar’s girlfriend, remember?” Korra laughed against Asami’s chest.

“True. Meelo said the same. Being the Avatar is my only charm, aparently.”

“That and your amazing abs.” Whisper Asami in Korra’s ear, amused.

“I think I need to have you out of here. Now.”

“I agree, love.”

The Avatar look deep in her girlfriend’s eyes. “Thank you, Asami. Not just this, everything since I knew you. I really am the luckiest Avatar ever.”

Two hands pulls Korra closer by the hips, crashing in a tender but pasionate kiss that grew quickly. There’s was fire and it wasn’t for Korra’s powers.

“Asami, I...I...”

There was so much feeling in the Avatar’s chest to expres it in just three words. But she want to tell, she wants Asami to know, to feel what she feel. But there wasn’t enough words in the world. All the feelings was stuck in her throath.

“Me too, Korra. So much.”

Korra push Asami against the wall when she kissed her again, incapalble of stoped herself. That woman awaked every cell in her body, every nook in her soul.

“Giiiiirrrrrsssssllll!! Do you need me to go there and help you get back here?”

“I swear I’m gonna kill him.” Laugh Korra biting Asami’s lips. “Later, now let’s get out here.”

The Avatar touch Asami’s mouth one last time with her fingertips. She has no words to expres all her feelings, but can prove it, they have a full live for that, right? Both woman smile each other and jumps at the air. Their new home was waiting.

__________________________________

Soooooo....that’s it. What do you think? :)

[ashliinks]

until finally | cedric diggory

prompt ; imagine being one of the mermaids who lived in the black lake

words ; 4.5k

pairing(s) ; cedric x maledictus-mermaid fem!reader, fred & george x reader                        (platonic)

a/n ; i wrote this at 3am after sobbing over goblet of fire, pls enjoy :) 

        take a shot everytime i saw grindylows for liver failure

Ever since you were as small as a guppy, you had always known you were different from the other merfolk who resided in the Black Lake. Your more human-like features and your lack of proficiency in mermish music, stood out amongst the folk in your village. It wasn’t until you were thirteen, that your mother revealed her darkest secret to you. 

Many moons ago, your family was bestowed with a curse. A blood curse. The curse had been passed down the women of your family for centuries it had seemed. From your understanding, the type of blood curse meant your fate was predestined; and that in time you would be permanently stuck beneath the dark waters of the lake. 

You had never thought to question the days you spent on land. The ability to change your tail into legs had never seemed odd to you, until a young mermaid told you that it was very strange indeed. You would be lying if you said it didn’t cross your mind as to why none of the merfolk took you up on your offers of picnics on the river-bank. 

You had come to realise that your mother had unfortunately succumbed to the curse, unable to transform into a human anymore. As the days went on, she seemed to grow more and more miserable, for she missed the feeling of the sunshine on her skin, the grass beneath her feet and the friends she made in the wizarding world. All of the young wizards she knew had abandoned her as soon as she was limited on the time she could spend above water. You tried to convince her that the younger generations of wizards were more understanding, and that those who visited you after school hours and weekends were the nicest people you had ever met. 

You took a deep breath as you broke the surface of the Black Lake, the warm sunlight being a welcomed feeling on your cold skin. As your ears adjusted and popped at the sudden assault of air, you heard cheering from the shore. Looking over you noticed a cluster of Hogwarts students jumping and waving to you. You couldn’t help the smile that graced your features, diving back under the water so you could swim closer to them.

“Y/N!” A voice called out to you as you resurfaced once more. Propping yourself up on the lakes edge slightly, your eyes instantly recognised the black and yellow robes of the Hufflepuff boy who had come to visit you.

“Diggory!” You yelled in glee, flinging your arms up into the air at the sight of him, making you fall back into the lake slightly. This seemed to amuse him and his rabble of fangirls, them all chuckling beneath their breath as your clumsiness. 

“How is my favourite wizard...Don’t tell Fred and George I said that,” You winced, only imagining the backlash you would receive from the twins if they ever found out.

“Cedric has only gone and put his name in the Goblet of Fire,” One of the Hufflepuff boys yelled with a giggle, making your smile drop suddenly. You pushed yourself up further, motioning for Cedric to lean forward. The boy did so wearily, noticing your sudden change in expression. He was right to do so, as when he was in close enough reach you sunk your hands into the collar of his robes, using your great upper body strength to fling him over your head and into the lake. 

Everyone went quiet.

He resurfaced shortly after, spitting water everywhere. “What in the bloody hell was that for?!”

“HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID TO PUT YOUR NAME INTO THAT STUPID CUP DIGGORY? DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE HAD TO DRAG BACK UP TO THE SURFACE BECAUSE THEY NEVER MAKE IT PAST TWENTY MINUTES IN HERE?” You yelled, splashing water at the boy to emphasise your words. 

Cedric was silent. When he put his name in, he had heard of the terrible feats some of the tasks held. He had heard whispers of those that sunk beneath the murky waters of the lake to never return. So it was safe to say, your reaction had been pretty tame to what he initially imagined you would do.

“I might as well drown you myself! How could you be so, so-” Ah! There it was. He had half expected you to drag him straight down to the bottom of the lake and leave him there, but he knew you didn’t have the gall. You couldn’t even hurt a Grindylow, no matter how prickly they got sometimes. 

“I’m going to be fine! I have all but perfected the bubble head charm-”

“You think that now Ced, but wait until you're in the water. Because it's not just your air you have to worry about, there’s the Grindylows and the kelpies, not to mention the giant squid and he’s feeling particularly tender after those Durmstrang kids ran their boat over one of his arms-”

“Love, you’re overreacting! Plus I have you don’t I? Or will you bail on me if we have to come to the lake?” Cedric asked, cocking his eyebrow as he splashed you slightly.

“Are you doubting me Diggory?” You asked, raising your voice as you splashed him back once more.

“I would never!” He feigned hurt at the idea, making you burst out into laughter. 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU’VE NEVER RODE A BROOM?” Fred and George yelled in unison as you climbed further up in the tree you were all gathered around.

“My mother kept me in my mer-form most of my life! I’ve never even held a wand even though we’re supposed to be witches,” You giggled as you rose higher and higher.

“YOU WHAT?” They yelled even louder. Even Hermoine had a surprised look on her face at the remark.  It was no lie. Your mother thought it may have been best to keep you a mermaid most of the time, that way when the transformation became final you would not long for the wizarding lifestyle she so desperately missed. You had never ridden a broom, never held a wand. Hell, you had never even cast a spell as simple as an accio charm. 

“Well this simply won’t do,”

“Not at all,” The twins rambled on in turns. You could never quite get over that, their twin telepathy and always knowing what the other was thinking at all times. It must be a terrible thing to have to deal with. 

“C’mon then guppy, we’re off to the castle.”

“Wait, what? I mean is that even allowed, I’ve never been inside the castle, I don’t even have shoes, are you sure Dumbledore wouldn’t mind that I-”

“Christ, you’d think being underwater all the time would limit your skills of communication,” George laughed as you began your descent towards the ground. 

“Who cares if you don’t have shoes, Potter walks around looking like he’s just woken up in a parallel universe half of the time,”

The laugh that erupted from you had you throwing your head back, a chorus of chuckles resounding from below you too. You were laughing that much that you had forgotten to keep a tight grip on the branches, and in the next moment your wobbly legs had slipped from their place, sending you tumbling through branches and leaves. Hurtling towards the ground, you braced for the impact. You almost wondered what would happen if you were to break a leg. Your mother would kill you, there’s no doubt about that, but would your tail also be broken? You didn’t particularly want to find out. 

After what felt like a lifetime, you landed. However, it wasn’t the hard, painful landing you were expecting. Instead what you had landed on was soft, and warm...and moving? Opening your eyes, that you had not remembered closing, you came face to face with a chest. It was only when you looked up, you were met with the slight pained expression of Fred Weasley.

“Try to be a hero and I just get the wind knocked out of me,” He wheezed, making you blush bashfully. 

“Could say you just took my breath away guppy,” He winked, making you burst out in another uncontrollable fit of laughter.

“CEDRIC?” You yelled out as you ran through the courtyard of the castle, the whole place completely unfamiliar to you. You did however, manage to blend in quite well, Fred and George had taken you to Hogsmeade and had provided you with a set of Hogwarts robes, out of the allowance their mother was sending them. You had nearly cried when you found out they had been saving up for weeks just to make you feel more included. Your heart swelled even more when they told you that you could come and visit the castle any time now, looking like a student wouldn’t put you under too much scrutiny. You were still scared as to what would happen to you if Dumbledore, or god forbid Snape, ever found you. 

“Y/N?” Someone called, making you spin around sharply. Your hair still dripping, as you had not waited a single minute from jumping out of the lake to sort yourself out fully, slapped you in the face at the speed of your turn. Looking through the flashes of black, blue and fur, your eyes landed on the boy you had been searching for.

“What are you doing here?” He asked, looking over you in worry that something had happened. He paused when he noticed the robes you were wearing. 

“Are those Hufflepuff robes?” He asked with a small smile.

Looking down, you took in the sight of yourself. The sunshine yellow looked amazing against your skin tone, and the slightly oversized robe made you feel so comfy and to your amusement was surprisingly swishy. 

“Uh yeah! Fred and George bought them for me!” You enthused, ever the one to be easily distracted. “They sorted me themselves, said I was the en-a-body-mans of a Hufflepuff,” You sounded out the word, some words were a little more difficult for you to say, still not entirely used to speaking English after years of speaking mermish beneath the waters. 

“Embodiment?” He chuckled, affection filling his grey eyes making them glisten like the river-stones you had been collecting from the river banks. He watched as slowly drying wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. He would never say it to you though. Terrified of your reaction. Of course he was, in himself, conflicted. He had been dating Cho Chang for a while now, and while he cared for the raven haired beauty from the neighbouring house, he couldn’t quite get over his feelings for the innocent Maledictus that lived in the lake just beyond the school grounds. 

“Yes that’s what I said,” You waved your hand, blushing at the correction. “Anyway, what I’m here for is to tell you about the second task!” You whisper-yelled, pulling him to the side, away from the hustle and bustle of the other students. 

“How do you know what the second task is?” 

“Because it’s me Ced!” He furrowed his brows, confused by your phrasing. “That egg you got from the first task? It’s mermish. There’s been whispers around the village for a few days now, I don’t know much, but I can tell you that you’re going to be in the lake for a long while.” You hated the thought. You had remembered telling the Hufflepuff about the bodies you had dragged from the lake. Even when there wasn’t an event on, there were many students that would go swimming too far or too deep and lose their lives. The Black Lake was not one to foolishly meddle with. 

Cedric had assured you that there was nothing to worry about, but you could see the flash of fear in his eyes at the mention of being in the lake for longer than twenty minutes. You silently vowed to yourself to do anything in your power to help him through the task though. You couldn’t, no, you wouldn’t lose him to the lake. 

When the day of the task came, you were unsure of what to do. Obviously, you didn’t want to get Cedric disqualified from the tournament, or all of his hard work would have been in vain. Fighting off that dragon was no easy feat. But you didn’t want to leave him completely alone in the water. You knew Harry was competing too, but you had also heard that Neville had provided him with some Gillyweed, and whilst its effects are a little unpredictable, you weren't worried. 

“You know you shouldn’t be getting involved with this Diggory boy.” Your mother called from just beyond the rocks.

“He’s a good person mum-”

“They all say that. They all act like they would walk the earth for you, but in reality, they would drop you the moment they have thoughts of you becoming a burden.”

“Yeah, well Ced isn’t like that. You’d know that if you actually took the time out of your busy schedule of moping around the kelp to properly meet him-”

“Do you have any idea who his father is Y/N? Amos Diggory is a very proud man. He will not settle on having a Maledictus as a wife for his precious son.”

“I didn’t ask for this mum! None of us did. But I sure as hell won’t let it define me and everything I do in life. If I am destined to be stuck underwater for the rest of my life, I would sure as hell love to experience life to the fullest before I lose it.”

“It will break you. It broke me.”

“I’m not you, mother.” You whispered, turning away from her and swimming off further into the lake to await the arrival of the champions.

About half an hour into the task, you had managed to locate where they were keeping the champion’s treasure. And you were shocked to say the least. For the ‘treasure’ the village folk had whispered about, wasn’t diamonds or gold. It was people. You were almost horrified at the emotional manipulation these games were playing with the students, the torment of having to try and rescue a loved one from the bottom of the lake; all whilst evading the things that posed a threat to them, trying to keep their charms working and all whilst being against the clock.

It was cruel.

You waited for what seemed like the longest time, not doubting Cedric’s ability to get past the first lot of Grindylows or even his charms skills. But you didn’t trust what might happen once he recovered Cho who was floating in the water. You felt slightly hurt that Cho was the one deemed as Cedric’s ‘treasure’, and your mother's words rang within your ears. It would be more trouble than it’s worth for them to try and capture you. Also, Cedric had been very publicly dating the Ravenclaw student. You had no ill feelings towards the girl, none at all. All of the times you have met, which have been seldom, she was always lovely. Her bright, yet soft voice dancing in the air. Her timid demeanour was very comforting. She was soft, delicate and entirely enticing. You could understand why Cedric was interested in her. They did make a lovely couple. 

It was a shame they had been arguing a lot as of late. Both Cedric and Cho had confided in you about their relationship troubles. The pair of them not being entirely sure whether they were meant to be. They cared for one another, but they weren’t sure whether their romance had run its course. You didn’t dare hold a bias to their troubles. It would be unfair of you to take advantage of a situation like that. No. Instead, like the good friend you were, encouraged them to talk it out between themselves and trusted that this was just a rough patch and they would be right as rain by next week.

Finally, you saw someone emerge from the kelp just beyond the village centre. It was Harry. He looked almost as confused as you were when seeing the students in the water. Ron, Hermoine, Cho and Gabrielle Delacour. She could only imagine the kind of internal battle Harry was currently facing. Ron and Hermoine were his best friends, he had quite the flaming crush on Cho, and Fleur had not yet arrived to collect her younger sister. 

Swimming closer to the boy, you placed a hand on his shoulder making him jump slightly. When he saw it was you he calmed down, you nodded towards the ropes tying the students down to the bottom of the lake. Harry nodded in understanding, reaching to untie Ron first. You noticed the other merfolk drawing closer, and you knew you were in for a lecture once the task was over for interfering.  You guarded Harry, worried more of the Grindylows may work their way closer and drag him down into the depths. You tried to stop him as he reached for Hermoine, but one of the merfolk got their first. 

They aimed a spear towards his neck in warning, “You must only take one,” They sneered, their long hair floating in front of their face. 

“But she’s my friend too!” Harry argued. You placed a hand on his arm and shook your head.

“Only one Harry, I know it’s cruel but someone will come for Hermoine.” You tried to reassure the Gryffindor. He sighed softly, looking back over between Ron and Hermoine. That was until you watched the mermaids scatter, spinning around you and Harry both noticed the shark head swimming towards you at a rapid pace. You weren’t scared as such. You knew these waters like the back of your hand, and you were sure there were definitely no sharks here. 

Your thoughts were confirmed when the shark headed figure swam past the pair of you, biting through the thick rope that held Hermoine. It was the Durmstrang boy, you couldn’t quite remember his name. Krun? Krud? Oh well it didn’t matter. You were still looking for Cedric. The shark man pulled the girl along, dragging her back up towards the surface. From said direction came a flash of yellow, making a smile stretch across your face.

“Finally, where have you been?” You asked, moving backwards in the water slightly. Cedric didn’t answer, only flashing you a small smile before tapping his watch, Harry nodded, the three of you knowing that time was growing short. You moved back as Cedric cast a spell, splicing the rope and letting Cho free. He took her arm and waved at you before heading towards the surface. 

“Come on Harry, there isn’t much time left.” You told the boy, he shook his head.

“I can’t just leave her here,” He pleaded, motioning towards Gabrielle. He was right. Fleur still hadn’t made an appearance. You had just hoped she had been pulled out of the water and hadn’t drowned. 

“Okay, but we’ve got to be quick,” Harry nodded, casting the same spell as Cedric, setting Gabrielle loose. You quickly swam over, taking the French girl into your arms and lead the way towards the surface. You could hear the screams of protest from the merfolk, you were so getting a lecture late. Tension started to bubble in your chest as you neared the kelp, knowing the Grindylows couldn’t be far. Making sure Harry was behind you, you continued on. 

But as soon as Harry breached the edge of the kelp, they came for him. Scratchy limbs and tentacles wrapping themselves around his limbs dragging him down. He let go of Ron, pushing him over towards you. “Get them to the surface!” He yelled, the water making his voice sound funny.

“But what about you?”

“Just go!” He yelled again. You complied, taking both Ron��s and Gabrielle’s hand and speeding towards the surface. It was no hardship for you, your large tail making gliding through the water so smooth. Just before you reached the surface, you pushed the pair up; knowing you couldn’t be seen or Harry would be disqualified. You waited for a moment, making sure they surfaced, and swam away before you dove back down in search of Harry.

You could vaguely see the boy, still being attacked by Grindylows. Racing down there, you were able to sweep a few of them off of the boy. Just enough for him to reach his wand up into the water. “ASCENDIO!” He cried, and just like that the boy went propelling through the water, breaching the surface like a torpedo and landing back on the dock.

“So when are you asking Cho to the Yule ball?” You asked Cedric as the pair of you walked through the school grounds. 

“I, um, we’re not going to the ball together,” Cedric trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck in awkwardness. You paused where you stood, Cedric not realising for a moment that you weren’t still walking beside him.

“What? Why not? You two would look amazingggg,” You dragged out your last word to further emphasise how strongly you felt on the matter.

“We broke up the day you told me about the task,” He started, looking down at the ground “We both decided it’d be best,” You looked at the boy in confusion. You had thought they were getting back on track. He hadn’t let anything on to you that day. You should’ve been able to tell, or something. You felt a sinking feeling in your stomach. Cedric had just broken up with his girlfriend and you had been rambling incorrect words at him, like an idiot. 

“Cho had started to notice that I wasn’t entirely devoted to her. I feel awful about hurting her, but she found out I had feelings for someone else. I didn’t want to admit it to myself at first, but the longer I denied it the stronger those feelings got.”

“Oh?” Was all you could muster, the sinking feeling growing deeper and deeper. How stupid you had been to think that Cedric could be interested in you in the slightest. I mean look at him. The Hufflepuff Heartthrob and now heart-breaker it seemed. You were just a washed up maledictus, who would one day be just a forgotten memory when you were finally bound to the lake. 

“She’s amazing. She’s smart, yet totally clueless about the smallest things. She stumbles over her words in the cutest way, and when she laughs? It feels like it's warming my soul. She’s a Hufflepuff too, so we don’t have to worry about sneaking around, although she would probably prefer we would. I’ve never met her mother, but if given the chance, I would love to convince her how much I love her daughter and that I would do anything just to make her happy,” He sounded as if he was floating. The joy coming from his voice, made your head sink lower and lower until you could not take your eyes off of the ground. 

“Wow, uh, she sounds amazing Ced,” You muttered, not really knowing what to say. Because in all honesty, she did. She sounded like Cedric’s dream girl, and by the way he talked about her he knew it too. Cedric paused for a moment, looking back to notice you trailing behind him. He couldn’t miss the solemn expression on your face, he frowned for a moment. He hated seeing you sad. But then he smiled in realisation.

That smiled soon turned into a fit of giggles, slowly becoming louder and louder until you looked up. Cocking your head to the side, you were confused. “Is something funny?” You asked, looking down at yourself and then around the area, trying to locate the source of his amusement.

“You are so bloody clueless,” He whispered, coming to stand in front of you. You raised your eyebrows, still not getting what he meant. But from here, you noticed how smooth his skin was. The faint rosy blush of his cheeks made him look even more angelic. The soft breeze ruffled his honey-brown locks, always perfectly styled to give him that ‘boyfriend’ look. 

Cedric smiled looking down at you. He watched those gorgeous eyes glisten in the sunlight, plump lips looking irresistibly kissable. He watched as wisps of your hair swept across your cheeks, caressing them like he so desperately wished he could. 

Until finally, after so long…

He did. 

Reaching a tender hand up to cup your soft cheek, you leaned into his touch; the warmth from his palm comforting and addicting. Everything about Cedric was entirely comforting and addicting. From his homely scent of cinnamon, brown sugar and honey, to the small chuckles that turn into loud thunders of laughter that make your stomach do flips. Flips like they were currently doing and the thought of him being so close. 

Looking up at him through your eyelashes, you froze in place, not daring to move and ruin the moment. “I have loved you ever since I saw you sat on that stupid rock you love so much. I met the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen, and I was so distracted I walked right into a tree,” Cedric laughed, the memory made you giggle too. The first meeting you had with Cedric had been the best way you have ever been introduced to anyone.

“And instead of leaving, you just laughed. You laughed so bloody hard that you ended up falling off the rock and into the lake. It was then, that was the exact moment I knew I was screwed. It was that moment that I knew that no one else would be able to compare. I don’t want to find anyone else, I don’t care if in ten years time I have to carry you around in your own luxury tank. I love you Y/N Y/L/N, and I would do anything to make you happy,” 

You were silent for a moment, the sinking feeling turning into the most boisterous of butterflies fluttering in your stomach. THE Cedric Diggory had just confessed his undying love for you. For you. He mistook your silence for rejection. Looking away from you for a moment. He went to move his hand, but you placed yours on top of it, keeping it firmly lay upon your cheek. He opened and closed his mouth like a guppy for a second, not knowing what to say. Before he could even utter a word, you did what you had wanted to do since the day you met the Hufflepuff Heartthrob.

Until finally, after so long…

You did.

You leaned up as far as you could, other hand coming to circle the back of Cedric’s head pulling him down. His lips met yours, and everything fell into place. Hearts beating like crazy within your chests. Breaths short. But everything, after so, so long. 

Was finally perfect.

[argylemikewheeler]

oh my god based on that last ask... can u write something where mike completely loses it on everyone because something is happening to will AGAIN and he just can’t do it anymore because he’s so in love with him and he’s never got to tell him and everytime something happens to will he always says he’s gonna confess when it’s over and then he doesn’t but he means it this time

I can see Mike so clearly trying to keep it together when they’re all piled in the basement, Will kind of out of it and still plugging his bloody nose. Mike knows his own fear isn’t the most important thing. Everyone is spit-balling causes and solutions, but he can’t stop watching Will from across the coffee table. He’s laid out on the couch, his neck bent back and pinching his nose. There’s a tissue in his hand and about twenty other bloody ones on the floor around him. Mike isn’t sure how much blood the human body has, but even thinking that he has to figure it out makes his palms sweat. Makes his lips feel cold. Makes his legs numb.

They’d been standing upstairs– doing a more calm version of their current sleuthing– when Will scrambled for a piece of paper from the table. His hands were trembling and he was muttering to himself as he sketched the outline of a country. Steve was the first to proudly identify it as Russia. (Mike was the first to ask why Will was drawing it in the first place.) Then Will slammed his pen down to mark a specific point, making the pen explode in his hand. Behind them, Mike’s family phone began ringing, nearly falling off the wall. With his ink stained hand, Will grabbed it, whipping around and holding it out to them like a loud-speaker. Or a gun. The cord swayed with Will as they all leaned in, hearing the low crackling static of a radio transmission. It wasn’t in English, but they knew the voice: Hopper.

Will collapsed in Mike’s kitchen, a smear of black, charcoal ink and thick, red blood following his sliding body on the linoleum floor. The whole scene had only lasted a minute. Maybe two. Steve grabbed Will, Nancy grabbed the phone, and the Party gathered their supplies and ran to the basement. Mike was the slowest, unsure how to process the excitement everyone had shown over the voice on the other line. Had no one seen Will move, near-possessed? Had no one noticed the black, voided fear in his eyes? Did no one notice the weak, strangled cries that escaped while he was drawing? Mike was sure they did. Then… did anyone notice that it all bothered Mike the most?

Will couldn’t be hurt again. He couldn’t be under the grip of the Upside Down again. He’d lived twice. Twice. He’d shown that freaking monster he could survive. Why didn’t it just give up… before Will did.

“Hey, guys… I think that’s a lot blood.” Mike said, turning to his sister who was behind him at the taller table, previously reserved for happier adventures and make-pretend monsters.

“The nose is really vascular, Mike. He’s okay.” She was trying to be supportive. But did so without even looking.

“No, Nancy, I’m being serious.” Mike was talking about Will and he didn’t even look over. He probably didn’t even hear Mike. Mike could’ve said anything and Will would’ve never heard–

“Oh… Yeah, Nance? That looks like a lot–” Steve nudged her arm as he walked around the table. Lucas craned his neck too, Max popping up behind him. Mike saw what he assumed to be his own expression replicating on everyone else’s.

She turned and checked her watch. “Uh, give it another five minutes… and then… and then we’ll start getting heavier stuff.”

“I think I have a tampon in my purse–”

“No.” Mike said, pushing himself to sit on the back of the couch. He swung his legs over and stood beside Steve. “Not five minutes. Not even two minutes. Stop looking at your maps and help him.”

“Mike, it’s okay. I promise, we aren’t going to let anything happen to Will.” Robin said, giving him a smile that was only half assured.

“Yeah, man, look, we’re just trying to figure out–” Mike swatted away Steve’s comforting hand.

“I don’t think it takes eight people to read a map. I don’t even think it takes five. So someone who knows what the hell is going on stop trying to find the fastest route to Russia and help Will. Because he’s right. here. No traveling required!” The room blinked at Mike. He barely noticed he’d started shouting. In the silence, it occurred to everyone else that Will hadn’t spoken up– hadn’t tried to assure everyone he was fine. He was still, his breathing languid but heaving.

In the few moments Mike had taken his eyes off of Will, he’d passed out. His neck had relaxed against his pillow prop and his tight, pinching fingers had fallen awkwardly against his face. Mike wasn’t sure if he would’ve wanted to watch it happen; if he wanted to witness the last fleeting moments Will would’ve been aware enough to hear him– if Mike ever wanted to say…

Mike had promised himself before. The promise was made in a panicked blur, hands covering his ears as he listened to Will screaming that he hurt everywhere. In the peak of anguish and terror, Mike knew he couldn’t live with both the horror of watching his best friend suffer and the secret shame of knowing he’d been a coward too many times before. But when Will came back, and things were settling back to normal, his feelings felt wrong to say. Will wanted his old life back, not this new earth shattering newsflash. Will had survived death twice, he didn’t need to hear Mike blubbering about how much he loved him.

But Mike knew he had to, if he was lucky enough to have the chance. He knew he had to. He’d never seen blood so red before. It felt like a sign, a strange telling of how loud his own heart was thudding in his ears. Mike felt like he was bleeding too– bleeding out. He didn’t know how to stop it, how to stop feeling like he was going to start screaming or crying or some other terrifying third thing. He didn’t know how to stop pointing at Will, harshly shoving Steve over to him and demanding he help him! help him PLEASE.

Mike didn’t know how to stop caring as if Will’s life was his own. And it wasn’t yet that he realized Will was.