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condorclaw · 4 years

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Waiting.

It's what Sam Nook was the best at.

The large mechanical creeper spent his days standing outside the towering structure of the Big Innit Hotel, keeping watch for potential customers, or potential troublemakers.

"Don't you ever get tired of standing here?" Jack Manifold had asked one day after a hostile confrontation between the two employees.

The answer was always no. Sam Nook never got tired of guarding the hotel. The task was never as boring as his peers made it seem. In fact, it was an exciting experience.

Sam Nook had been downloaded with the basic information of every server member, learning their names, heights, and basic personality traits with ease. However, the simple information couldn't compare to all he had noticed while speaking with them himself.

They all had their own stories to tell, and their own experiences to share. While standing guard, sometimes somebody would stop to speak with Sam Nook. Regardless if it was out of pity or for a genuine conversation, Sam Nook appreciated the gesture.

Captain Puffy would tell Sam Nook tales of her adventures, going into great detail when describing the scenery. It gave Sam Nook a thirst of adventure, making him feel like he was actually experiencing the harsh waves of the sea or the burning rays of the sun.

Eret regaled Sam Nook with history stories of their home. They would especially emphasize the horrible bits, including their traitorous actions as a leading cause for so much pain. Sam Nook could tell Eret still felt guilt after all this time, so as soon as Eret would finish their stories, Sam Nook offered the king a hug, which was gladly accepted.

Ranboo and Tubbo didn't have as many stories to share about the past, preferring to discuss what was happening in current moments. It was how Sam Nook became so fine-tuned to the social dynamic occurring, able to recognize specific actions relating to specific causes.

Even Sam himself would stop by frequently, checking up on his creation and making sure that Sam Nook was at tip-top shape. Sam Nook appreciated these check-ups, wanting to perform at his very best for his tasks. As Sam would make adjustments, he would tell Sam Nook small things about his life, and revealed quite a bit that he kept hidden to his other friends. Sam Nook swore to never tell anybody else unless Sam gave him permission. It was the least he could do for his creator.

Even though he was surrounded by such a colorful cast of characters, Sam Nook always looked forward to one in particular:

The big man himself, TommyInnit.

Tommy was loud and brash. He was young, yet experienced with conflict and war, masking it behind crude jokes and fragile confidence.

According to most others, Tommy was annoying and often unwanted. He was the source of problems and too impulsive for his own good. Sam Nook had occasionally heard mutterings of people wanting to ignore him or just shut him away somewhere. To an outsider, it sounded like Tommy was just some rabid stray animal who couldn't be caught.

But Tommy was more than that, and Sam Nook could see it firsthand. Tommy was passionate, loving to show off his accomplishments to his friends and being proud that he was the one able to do them. He took pride in the little things, and would frequently hype himself up when requested to perform tasks. Sam Nook was surprised at how quickly Tommy was able to get hotel materials, the boy being quite passionate to finish the build.

Outside of hotel work, the two had nice conversations. Tommy would curl up at Sam Nook's side, watching the stars in the sky and venting about his feelings. Tommy would always deny it whenever Sam Nook would bring his words up after that point, but it did warm Sam Nook's circuits to know how much Tommy trusted him to tell the robot these things in the first place.

After all, Sam Nook was built to be Tommy's guardian, and he took pride in that.

So Sam Nook was fine to wait.

Waiting.

It was a lovely day, with animals gathering in groups to scrounge for food. The sun was shining as bright as ever, and the few clouds in the sky twisted into funny shapes.

Sam Nook activated his cameras, taking a couple shots of the gorgeous scenery. He mentally stashed the photos away in a specific directory, one meant for Tommy.

Ever since Tommy had become trapped in Pandora's Vault, Sam Nook found himself recording his surroundings every minute of every day. Tommy was missing so much being trapped in a gloomy place, so Sam Nook was determined to show him everything he missed.

As Sam Nook stashed away his last photo, he heard the faint sound of arguing. Turning his head 90° to the left, Sam Nook spotted Jack Manifold speaking to Tubbo, the two deep in some sort of conflict. Ranboo was towering over the two, but remained quiet, listening. The enderman spotted Sam Nook gazing in their direction, giving a nervous wave and a shrug of confusion. Sam Nook returned the wave before shifting his head back forward.

It felt like there was a lot more aggression since Tommy was gone. Normally the kid was so blunt that it made it hard to argue against him. He wasn't always right, but he could end conversations quickly when they weren't worth having.

The heated discussion only got worse as minutes stretched on, Sam Nook catching bits of it, but remained still. It was only the final shout of "FINE!" that caused Sam Nook to look over once more.

Jack Manifold passed in front of Sam Nook, his teeth clenched and his eyes narrowed as he made his way to the entrance of the hotel.

"WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE HERE, JACK MANIFOLD." Sam Nook questioned as the hotel cats started gathering by the robot's feet.

"Relax," Jack Manifold snarled, rolling his eyes. "I'm just doing a bit of redecorating. If Tommy doesn't like that, then he can tell me himself." Before Sam Nook could formulate a response, Jack Manifold had gone up the ladders in a hurry.

Sam Nook let out a huff of steam, focusing his attention on some of the cats that wandered around the hotel. Jack Manifold wasn't a good employee. He was only focused on keeping the hotel to himself, which didn't belong to him. It belonged to TommyInnit, as much as Jack Manifold tried to deny that.

Thankfully, Tommy was scheduled to be released in a few days. The news had initially made Sam Nook upset when Sam had told him, but Sam Nook immediately cheered up at the thought of Sam being with Tommy. Sam liked Tommy a lot, Tommy wouldn't be alone!

So Sam Nook was fine to wait.

Waiting.

It was a stormy day, rain pouring down from the sky, almost as if the clouds were crying. Sam Nook didn't understand why it had to be such a gloomy day. After all, Tommy's first days out of prison should be happy!

Sam Nook hadn't seen Tommy once since the boy was scheduled for release, but that didn't worry him. Tommy was probably very busy reconnecting with all his friends. Eventually he'd come see Sam Nook.

The sound of Sam Nook's own shuttering cameras snapped the robot out of the slight daze he was in. The image was lovely, with red and white flowers spread all along the grass at the side of the path. Sam Nook didn't understand where these flowers were coming from, but they were very beautiful. He could only imagine Tommy's reaction to the gorgeous plants. Tommy would pretend to hate it at first, but would later go and water them all himself.

Out of the darkness of the rain, Sam Nook saw Ranboo and Jack Manifold emerge from one of the buildings. The two didn't appear to be engaging in conversation, and appeared rather sad. They continued walking until they stopped at the gates to the Big Innit Hotel, Jack Manifold opening them slowly.

Ranboo gave a slow wave to Sam Nook, who gave one in return. Ranboo had changed over the last few days. His normally colored eyes were slightly duller, and in his jacket pocket, a purple flower peaked out. Sometimes the enderman's hand would go to it, lighting stroking the flower's petals as if it were a pet.

Sam Nook was very curious about it, but there was still time to ask Ranboo about it in the future.

The more urgent concern was Jack Manifold, who was approaching the front of the hotel. Sam let out a few clicks, shifting his trident in his hands threateningly. Jack Manifold had been vandalizing the hotel lately, and Sam Nook wouldn't allow him to do it again.

Despite all the other times Sam Nook had threatened him however, Jack Manifold looked up at Sam Nook, looking weaker than ever. His eyes were glazed over too, and his form was drenched with rain. When he spoke, his words were soft. "Sorry, Sam Nook. I broke something yesterday. I'm just here to fix it."

In shock, Sam Nook didn't even reply to Jack Manifold as he climbed up the ladders. Jack Manifold was a liar sometimes, but that there had been the honest truth. It didn't make sense. Why now?

"Sam Nook."

The robot turned quickly, coming face-to-face with his creator. Sam's green had paled, and his armor no longer looked as shiny as it once had. It worried Sam Nook too, but Sam knew what he was doing. He could take care of it easily.

"HELLO, AWESAMDUDE. WELCOME TO THE BIG INNIT HOTEL."

Sam flinched at the hotel's title, perplexing Sam Nook even more. Did he not like the name? He was the one who chose it, though.

"Don't you get tired, standing here?" Sam asked softly, his voice hoarse. "What if Tommy-"

"I COULD NEVER GET TIRED OF MY JOB, AWESAMDUDE. IT IS A GREAT PLEASURE TO WORK ALONGSIDE TOMMYINNIT AT HIS AMAZING HOTEL. WHEN TOMMY COMES BACK, HE WILL BE VERY HAPPY."

Sam shut his eyes, his fists clenched at his side as if he was in pain. There was silence between the two for a couple of seconds.

"Yeah," Sam croaked out, tears starting to well up in his eyes. "He'll be very happy with this. Thank you, Sam Nook."

Sam Nook had never felt happier. Tommy would be very happy with his hotel, and together they could beat out the competition! Sam was right!

"THANK YOU, AWESAMDUDE. PREPARE FOR THE BIG INNIT HOTEL TO RULE THIS SERVER."

Sam nodded slowly, his mouth open, with only short puffs of breath coming out. Exhaling, he looked up, gave a polite bow to Sam Nook, and departed. Jack Manifold left shortly after Sam as well, only giving a quick farewell to the robot.

The sky may have looked like it was crying, but that didn't change Sam Nook's mood. The sky was crying out of joy, surely! The server couldn't wait for TommyInnit to return to his hotel, and neither could Sam Nook.

So Sam Nook was fine to wait.

#totally not thinking about sam nook nope #dream smp #c!awesamdude #c!ranboo #c!jack manifold #sam nook #c!tubbo #c!tommy #my writing #my post

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voidbeans · 3 years

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Bestie I don't know if you still want asks but. Tell me about the fantasy novel? I am very intrigued

HELL YEAH HELL YEAH HELL YEAH

*rubs hands together gleefully*

ok so there is literally. so much going on in this. there are multiple different storylines and just. ok. (putting a read more here because this is going to get. long)

So: world stuff. There are four kingdoms. There's one in the center that is kind of the main ruling kingdom, the others surrounding it are all under it (they all have rulers of their own but those rulers answer to the ruler of the central kingdom) (i'll get to him in a second). Each surrounding kingdom is dedicated to either the past, present, or future. So like the kingdom of the past is full of historians and scholars, who believe that the past is what shapes everything, that the only way to move forward is to follow the the examples set by history. The kingdom of the present is full of those who are focused on the now, the mercenaries and merchants and soldiers who believe that the most important thing is living in the moment. And in the kingdom of the future, there are the inventors, the prophets, and the beastmasters.

The beastmasters. Are certainly something. They're a type of inventor, I guess you could say. They build... creatures, out of metal and wood and whatever materials they can find. Creatures that move, that serve, that occasionally even make noise. They say it isn't magic, but no one quite believes them. No one really trusts the beastmasters.

All of these kingdoms are kind of.. well, they're a bit hostile toward each other, due to their differences. They're a ticking time bomb about to go off. Most of the hostility is aimed at the kingdom of the future, however, as most believe that the work they do there goes against the gods and their path.

The gods!! There are three gods, or one god with three faces/aspects. It depends on who you ask. Those aspects are the Judge, Jury, and Executioner. There are seperate churches and priests for each aspect, and each order has a different purpose (priests of the executioner tend to oversee war and, well, executions, they have a reputation for being quite violent).

Oh!! Also!! There are lands bordering the kingdoms. There's the Icelands, which are. Well. Full of ice. Very dangerous. There's the Wastelands, which are basically a desert. And the Woodlands!! A huge forest. It's said that any way you go through any of them, you will come to the mountain, home of three ancient seers.

now!! the characters. there are a lot so bear with me here.

So. there's the royal family, the one that rules from the central kingdom. they are:

King Reyne!! Reyne is. So so dear to me. He's neurodivergent and has an anxiety disorder (projecting time babey) that often affects him worse than he lets on. He's super insecure about his ability to rule, and he's under a lot of stress right now due to the growing hostility between the kingdoms i mentioned earlier. But he's an incredible king and a really good guy, just in general.

Queen Lilah!! Reyne's wife. They were an arranged marriage, and while the two of them are not romantically involved, they love each other very much and Lilah is a strong support for Reyne. She's also a badass. Will beat you up if you insult anyone she cares about. Has a bit of a temper (understatement of the century)

Matti!!! Mathias. Prince Mathias. Reyne and Lilah's son, heir to the throne. He takes after his father a lot. He's very curious and has trouble letting things go. He becomes convinced that someone's trying to betray his parents and the kingdom, and that.. kind of consumes him. I'm so excited to write him he has a brilliant storyline.

Ok and then there's the other people involved with the above family!!

RHYS. RHYSANDER FLORENT BLACKWOOD MY ABSOLUTE BELOVED. The king's advisor (and boyfriend), a total sweetheart with something of an edge to him. He, Reyne, and Lilah have this little chosen family thing going on that's really sweet. They're all each other's support and strength.

Silverfish. Silver is... the queen's spy, gatherer of information, sometimes gives advice too. Lilah wants it to also do assassinations, but it refuses to kill (will give the order to kill, but will not do the killing itself). No one really knows where Silver came from, and most don't trust it, but Lilah does. It never lies.

Alright moving on to other storylines: so y'know how no one likes the kingdom of the future? yeah, that's currently much worse due to some strange and unexplained happenings throughout all four kingdoms. Everyone thinks that it's the kingdom of the future angering the gods. So Reyne sends out a team to investigate these happenings peacefully, made up of a beastmaster from the kingdom of the future (he's cool. has an eyepatch. acts kinda bossy and like xe's in charge. a bit of an asshole, but genuinely cares), a knight from the kingdom of the present (trans woman. can and will kill you if you talk shit about her. has a wife. she's literally the coolest), and a historian from the kingdom of the past (Loren!! Loren is babey. the youngest member of the team, hasn't been in a fight in their life. unlike most of their fellow historians, doesn't hate the kingdom of the future and actually uses some of their technology in their archives (trained clockwork ravens, babey!!)). These guys get into so much shit.

Meanwhile, in the mysterious prison pit of despair run by knife monks: it's a prison. it's a pit. run by spooky dudes in hoods who sometimes take the prisoners and train them in their ways. There's a princess there, imprisoned for the massacre of her family (which she insists she had no part in). She's stuck with an annoying cellmate, a thief who broke into the prison just to see if she could. They're trying to get out.

And finally. there is Faraday. Faraday... is a prophet. He travels around preaching that the gods are dead and that the people must learn to take their fates into their own hands. No one likes that. He's wanted in literally every town everywhere. He's determined to prove that he's right, and believes in himself fully. Everything he says could potentially be true or false. No one knows. Probably not even me. He's. I'm so excited to work with him he's so fun. Has a little genderfluid bard that follows him around, hoping for a good story out of it (Ridley my belidly).

Those are.. the basics. But there is a lot. But I love it so much and I'm so excited about it and aaa thank you EVER so much for letting me ramble about this it means the world to me (and so do you) <333

#asks #beloved frens #long post #my writing #ocs #my ocs #original characters #original writing #novel #fantasy #novel concept #rambles

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bittydragon · 4 years

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The Problems Arising (The Spy)

First(Previous) - Next

Notes: Here’s chapter 2 of The Problems Arising! (Finally, I took way too long on getting this out y’all) Hope y’all enjoy!

Being with Schlatt was a nightmare. Everything about Tubbo’s new life with the president was terrible. He was even forced to change out of the clothes that Tommy had sewn for him, back when they had first met.

He was now forced to wear a small hand made suit, much like the one Schlatt wore, only poorly sewn.

He missed his old outfit. Tommy had made it for him because when he had first seen the borrower, Tubbo was wearing a small piece of cloth over his shoulders in a bad attempt at a poncho.

He never really did get the hang of making clothes for himself, but the poncho worked well enough. Though he never realized how comfortable a proper set of clothes would be until Tommy made him some.

And now Tubbo was forced to wear the shoddily made suit that was too big in some places and tight on others. It even made him wish for his old poncho. But Schlatt insisted and practically forced him to wear the ensemble, despite him being a secret from the rest of the cabinet, minus Quackity.

Quackity was tolerable. He was pretty funny and came by frequently to talk with Tubbo. But he never made any attempt to free the borrower and in the presence of Schlatt, any kindness he held disappeared.

Tubbo wasn’t too sure how he felt about him.

Schlatt on the other hand was horrible, through and through. At the beginning of Tubbo’s capture, he’d made many attempts to escape.

He had nearly made it to the walls at one point. But every time his luck seemed to fade out and he was met with a boot slammed down in front of him or a hand roughly pinning him down.

Schlatt wasn’t at all merciful towards Tubbo either. If he did anything the man didn’t like, he received some sort of punishment. He felt like a dog being trained to be a good pet for its owner.

Though, that analogy wasn’t too far off from how he was treated.

About a month into Tubbo’s capture, he had stopped trying to escape knowing it would be a fruitless endeavor. Schlatt had quickly picked up on that piece of information and was pleased enough to know that he could now use this tiny boy to his advantage without him attempting to run away again.

So now Tubbo was on one of his little spy trips for Schlatt. Schlatt realized fairly quickly that he was small and knew how to get into hidden spaces and stay undetected.

So every so often, Schlatt would send Tubbo out just before the sun rose to go out into Manburg and gather any inside intelligence he could and report back to Schlatt at the end of the day.

Schlatt was kind enough to drop him off at different locations in the mornings, but after that, he was left to traverse the area on his own, a difficult task for a borrower.

Tubbo was forced to make do with the situation, he didn’t want to try his luck at gaining more favors from Schlatt.

However, Tubbo was not completely under Schlatt’s thumb. While he did have to go out and retrieve information for the man, he always found a way to leave out the details that would mark people as traitors.

He had overheard a few people in Manburg state something about a place called ‘Pogtopia’ and how Tommy and Wilbur now resided there.

Because of his spying for Schlatt, he had managed to gather the fact that Wilbur and Tommy were working together in order to find a way to overthrow Schlatt.

With that in mind, Tubbo decided he would only need to bide his time until Schlatt was overthrown and Wilbur took back his rightful place as president of this country.

But now, it was time to report back to Schlatt. Today was a boring day, nobody really said anything that they all didn’t know.

There was the one lady who owned the bakery that Tubbo had overheard complaining about her high taxes and thinking about becoming a spy for Pogtopia, but Schlatt didn’t need to know that.

Looking up at the white house, he took a deep breath and walked towards the building. He had only made it a few steps before the door was practically slammed open and in the doorway stood Schlatt, who looked a bit too pissed off for Tubbo’s liking.

Schlatt spotted Tubbo almost instantly and marched over towards the borrower, who took an instinctual step back at the sudden movement. Before he could say anything else, Schlatt bent down and picked him up in a tight fist before marching right back towards the door.

“You better have some fucking good news for me, little pest. I don’t need another shit piece of news right now, so you better have something good.”

Tubbo stared wide-eyed up at the president. What bad news had he received that got Schlatt all worked up like this?

It didn’t bode well for Tubbo though, Schlatt was not against taking his anger out on the tiny boy. He needed to make sure he calmed the man down before anything especially bad could happen.

Far too quickly, they arrived at Schlatt’s desk and Tubbo was unceremoniously dropped onto the wood. He watched as Schlatt sat down and levelled him with a hard stare.

“Well? What’ve you got for me, kid?”

Tubbo cleared his throat, he had to word everything carefully as not to further anger Schlatt, even if he had barely any information to give the man.

“I did not find much out that we didn’t already know, sir. The most interesting thing I saw was that a demon and a strange person made of diamonds were walking through the country today. I have not seen them here before, so I was unsure as to whether or not this was vital information for you or not. Other than that, it was a very normal day and nothing incriminating was found.”

Schlatt almost seemed to measure him up for a minute. Tubbo nervously stared back at him, nervous at what his reaction could be. Schlatt eventually sighed and leaned back into his chair.

“Bad and Skeppy. They shouldn’t be a threat, but they aren’t exactly a friendly party with us either. The Badlands, their faction, is a very neutral faction. I don’t trust them but no issues have arisen with them, so we shall continue with them peacefully.” He paused for a second before addressing Tubbo directly.

“You did well enough, I suppose. I can’t really blame you when nobody says anything around you sometimes.”

Tubbo did his best not to allow the relief to cross his face. If Schlatt knew of just how much Tubbo was panicking then he would use that to his advantage to gain more power over him. He didn’t need anything else making his life harder.

“I am glad you are happy with the information I have found today. I apologize for not finding anything else for you.”

Schlatt actually smiled at him. Tubbo didn’t know what to think, the smile seemed genuine but the president was a master of deception so he couldn’t be too sure.

“Y’know, you’re a good kid. If you continue working this hard at your job, I may have to upgrade your enclosure again.”

Tubbo wasn’t sure what to say in response to that. It seemed more of a backhanded compliment. Schlatt may have applauded him for his work and how well he did it, but he also made sure to remind him that he was still nothing more than a pet. An obedient little pet who deserved a treat when they did a good job.

“I have an idea, kid.” Tubbo looked up to the ram. He felt a small bout of nerves build up inside of him, but he shoved the bad feeling away.

He nodded towards Schlatt to indicate he was listening, too scared that his voice would relay the slight fear he had. However, the president didn’t seem to notice as he continued on.

“Manburg is thriving right now, there’ve been very few amounts of potential betrayal and Wilbur and Tommy can do absolutely nothing against me with nobody else on their side.” Tubbo flinched at that, but if Schlatt noticed he said nothing as he continued talking.

“So I’ve decided that I should hold a festival, one to acknowledge the success of this country under my rule. There will be games and activities for everyone and I will give a speech to the people as well. This should be the perfect way to show everyone how great the country has become, don’t you agree?”

“Of course, Schlatt! I think that’s a perfect idea! A festival would be a good way to celebrate how far your country has come.” Tubbo’s voice shook a little as he spoke.

He hoped the president didn’t notice how he was struggling to lie in order to appease the man. He didn’t want to call the country Schlatt’s, but if he didn’t he would be labelled a traitor on the spot.

“Exactly! You get it, kid. I knew you were a good asset for my cabinet.” He reached a finger out to ruffle Tubbo’s hair. The borrower resisted the urge to flinch away and only faked a smile up at Schlatt.

“I’m glad you think so, sir!” Schlatt sent another small smile towards the boy, finger still on his head. Tubbo let out a mental sigh of relief when he seemed to buy his lie. He felt like he was getting a whole lot better at this whole faking thing.

Schlatt began to shift his hand to grab Tubbo, the finger slipping out of his hair. The borrower found himself restricted in Schlatt’s fist once more, but in a noticeably looser grip than earlier.

He didn’t appreciate being grabbed like this, but there was nothing he could do against Schlatt. If he attempted any form of rebellion then he would lose all the privileges he had managed to gain, and he liked the small amount of freedom he currently had.

It didn’t take long for Schlatt to reach Tubbo’s enclosure. He pat his head once more before lowering him down into the small glass enclosure.

Tubbo only stared up helplessly as the top was placed over the enclosure, trapping him inside once more. Schlatt sent one last glance towards the small boy before making his way to the kitchen.

Tubbo didn’t move, just sitting there allowing his thoughts to run wild. This festival did actually seem like a good idea, but something about the whole plan made him feel queasy... like there was a part he was missing.

And why had Schlatt conferred in him about the idea? The whole thing just sent Tubbo for a loop and he couldn’t explain why something just felt off about the idea of the festival.

A minute later, Schlatt returned with a small container containing bread, some pieces of strawberry and a bottlecap of water. He moved the lid off of Tubbo’s enclosure, putting the food and water into the glass box before closing it and leaving once more, this time towards his office.

Tubbo instantly made his way towards the food, the sight of it reminding him of his hunger that had built up throughout the day. He was glad that Schlatt felt the need to feed him, even if he knew it was probably because the ram didn’t need his pet to be dying on him any time soon.

He picked up a small chunk of strawberry and began to nibble on it while staring blankly out at the room he was kept in.

His mind wandered back towards the festival idea. Something inside of him screamed that something was wrong but he didn’t know what.

He decided it was just nerves and he chose to brush off the rising anxiety. The feeling remained but Tubbo decided to just ignore it.

What could possibly go wrong anyways?

#mcyt #mcyt gt #tiny!tubbo #giant!schlatt #giant!tommy #giant!wilbur #giant!quackity #tubbo #schlatt #bitty writes #part 2 #no direct interaction with wilbur or tommy or quackity #but tubbo has a fun time with schlatt :)#what could possibly go wrong y'all?#bringing you more angst #borrower tubbo saga

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lady-himbo · 3 years

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In Your Shadow

sort of Javier Peña x reader, platonic!Steve Murphy x reader (she/her pronouns; no Y/N used)

Javi keeps getting the credit for work he didn’t do, and she’s pissed. Chaos ensues.

Word count: 2500+

Warnings: angst and frustration, lots of cursing, potentially horrid Spanish (I’m learning, I promise), smoking

A/N: This is based on the song Shadow by Unlike Pluto. You can find pieces of the lyrics in the dialogue. You can also find the translations of everything said in Spanish at the end! Feel free to correct me on anything; like I said, I’m learning Spanish, and I appreciate any advice. <3

“... and thank you again to Agente Peña for providing this invaluable intel.” As the meeting adjourned and several individuals voiced their praise, she charged out of the briefing room and into the office, seething, death-gripping her files to her chest. Hot on her heels, Steve attempted to pacify her.

“I’m sure he didn’t mean to steal your thunder, honey. He’s just-”

“What? He’s just what, Steve? A senior agent? Running the show? A man? Tell me, what exactly justifies him getting credit for the shit I’ve worked months on?!” The files were starting to crumple in her grasp.

“Well, I don-”

“This isn’t even the first time he’s done it! He’s gotten recognition for my informants, my intel, my translations, my briefings, my goddamn livelihood!” Her voice was starting to raise in pitch and volume as tears gathered in her eyes. Steve held his hands up, trying to silently reason with her. “I can’t win, Steven! I work my ass off day and night for this fuckin’ job, only to have the rug pulled out from under me because I’m ‘not working as hard’ as holier-than-thou Javier goddamn Peña and his massive ego! I have to live under it and, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, it casts giant shadows!”

Unfortunately, the source of her rage had picked an inopportune time to waltz in. With only a second to register Steve’s panicked look, Javi might as well have wandered into the middle of a firing squad. The execution probably wouldn’t have been half as painful.

“You motherfucker!” she yelled, slamming the now torn and wrinkled papers onto her desk with a clatter. “You lying, power-hungry, manipulative bastard! You fuck every other woman you get the chance to, but you’ve decided to fuck my life instead! I’ve worked for fucking months; hundreds of hours and sleepless nights on this information, and you’ve taken all the credit! Again!”

Javi, oblivious to the full impact of this outburst, opted for the worst possible response. “Come on, sweetheart, we’re working as a team. Plus, you asked me to hand it in to Noonan. If you wanted to take credit for it so badly, you should’ve just talked to her yourself!” Steve visibly cringed and gestured for him to cut it out. Too late.

She stalked forward and, though Javi tried to back up, she had him backed into a corner. “You pompous ass! ¡Más tonto y no naces!” She’d broken out her Spanish. Oh boy. “I can’t even talk to Noonan because she always tells me to run my ideas by your incompetant ass! You cast a shadow over everything I try to do; it’s not like I can get anything worthwhile done when your massive ego’s towering over my ambitions!” She jabbed a finger into his chest, punctuating her words. “Nothing I’ve ever done here has ever mattered to the agency, because I live in your shadow and you’ve taken all of it from me! When will you move out of my way and stop treating me like a fucking doormat?!”

Javi was starting to get defensive, which was never a good sign, especially when Spanish started to get sprinkled in. “¡Oh, lo siento mucho!” he shot back sarcastically. “I wasn’t aware that all the work you get authorized by me to do was proprietary!”

“Are you fuckin’ serious?” she spat. “All you had to do was say the report was from me! It’s not proprietary, Peña, it’s my goddamn right to present the information that I spent my own money, overtime, health, and physical fucking safety to acquire! I’m sorry that I have a genuine interest in making sure this case gets handled right instead of spending my every waking moment getting my dick wet in my informants!”

A small group was starting to gather near the office, waiting to hear if Peña finally got his ass handed to him. This didn’t seem to bother either agent as they glared each other down. With Peña’s pride now on the line, no holds were barred, and he was ready to bust out personal attacks.

“Any competent agent would’ve just handed their shit in themselves, but no, you’ve gotta rely on someone else to do it for you.” He was livid; his pride had been damaged while he was riding the high of gloat and achievement, like getting laid and immediately being punched in the balls. She wasn’t letting this one go, and it was obvious he wasn’t either. “God! You’re like a cloud every time you walk in here, bitching about how little sleep you’re getting or how your work is piling up; a fuckin’ rain on my parade!” He stepped forward, crowding her, his posture more and more assertive with every word. “¡Madura de una vez! You’re an adult, a government agent, taking down a drug cartel run by Pablo fuckin’ Escobar! No one’s getting sleep, and it certainly doesn’t help when you’re whining about it! Maybe if you stopped, you’d have time to turn in your own reports and get the credit you don’t deserve!”

Escobar himself could’ve walked through the office and no one would’ve noticed. Javi’s mouth slammed shut the moment the words left, but they seemed to echo in the eerily silent office. Her shoulders sagged, and she stumbled back a few steps, trying to steady herself.

“Fuck, I-” Javi choked on his words. Her eyes were red, her cheeks stained, but her face was frighteningly level.

“Yeah, tienes razón.” Her voice was hollow, tired. “It’s always stormy lately. I guess I’m just under too much pressure; it’s driving me insane. There’s only one way to relieve it.” She slipped off her gun holster and unclipped her badge, pressing them into his chest. “I quit.” Without a second glance, she stormed out of the office.

Two weeks later, her desk was cleared out, her files and informants were on a list to be redistributed to the rest of the unit, and the office was uncomfortably heavy. Javi was smoking way more than usual, everyone avoided him like the plague, Steve was bored, the case was at a standstill, and the quiet was palpable. She was no longer a colorful presence flitting around the tables, leaving a rainbow of Post-it Notes in her wake, charting cell signals, calling out for advice, chatting on the phone in Spanglish, humming quietly or bobbing her head to the radio, popping up to refill her coffee cup and offering to refill everyone else’s every couple hours, then rushing off to the bathroom when she’d had too much. She was a constant presence the unit soon realized they’d taken advantage of.

The phone on Steve’s desk rang mid-morning, and he stifled a yawn as he picked it up. “Murphy,” he grunted.

“Hey, Stevie,” came a familiar voice. “¿Qué pasa?”

He brightened. “Hey, hon.” He felt some of the tension leave him, but it was still there. “We’re fuckin’ stuck. Nothing’s happening, everyone’s lifeless, and Javi’s still moping. Eso es lo que pasa.” He could hear her breathy laugh; she was always proud when he practiced his conversational Spanish with her. She’d told him she felt it was an honor he was comfortable enough to try it out around her. “What’s up with you?”

“Ahí vamos; he estado mejor. I’m sorry you have to deal with-” she stopped and huffed, then her words became muffled. “Tengo una cita con la embajadora, huevón. ¡Estoy al teléfono!” She yelped. “¡Tócame otra vez y te rompo la nariz!” There was a brief commotion, then a thump, and suddenly, her voice became clear again. “Sorry, I’m waiting on Noonan. I’m supposed to meet with her today to finalize my paperwork.”

Steve sighed. “You’re really going through with this, huh?”

“Yeah, I guess I am.” Another voice called her name in the background, then spoke quietly for a moment. “What?! ¿Qué quiere decir ‘no está aquí’?” The voice spoke again, then there was a pause. “Okay… Si, todo bien… Está bien. Listo.” Then, back to Steve: “Noonan didn’t show. Some emergency meeting. Just great; I guess I’m rescheduling.”

“Maybe it’s fate!” Steve teased, only half joking. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Javi trudge across the office to the coffee pot, give it a long, forlorn look, then trudge back towards his desk. His eyes were heavy, his shirt rumpled, even his mustache looked sad. As he plopped down amongst towers of papers, Steve cleared his throat and made a show of nestling the handset under his chin. “Well, whatever the case, that gives me time to convince you to stay with us. Your desk looks stupid empty.” Though he was deliberately looking away, he could see Javi’s head and shoulders snap up like he’d heard a gunshot. On the other end of the line, she laughed.

“Don’t try to sweet talk me, Murphy. I’d welcome the company, though.”

“Of course!” he replied, making sure his smile was as cheesy as possible. “I’ll meet you outside in a little bit?” She agreed.

Steve busied himself with pretending to look busy for the next half hour, then announced he was going to talk to Carrillo. As soon as he turned the corner and was sure he was out of sight, he watched Javi scramble out of his seat and out the door.

Outside the building, she was sitting on a bench, her back turned. Lazy wisps of cigarette smoke danced in the wind in front of her figure, and Javi suddenly felt very insecure. He called her name, uncomfortable with the way his voice wavered. She jumped, then, after a beat, slowly turned towards him. “Come mierda, Javier.” He didn’t let her words deter him, approaching the side of the bench. She glared up at him. “No me joda. I’ll finish up in a second and leave.” He wrung his hands, feeling small under her stare.

“I’m going to sit with you,” he declared.

“Please go,” she said, softer this time. “I just wanna feel the wind one last time before I leave. Just wanna look at this shitty masterpiece of a city; really take it in.”

He ignored her plea and sat, far enough away that he didn’t feel like he was ganging up on her. They just sat, and she took long, deep drags of her cigarette. After she eventually ground the butt into the pavement, he took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.” He left the declaration hanging in the wind for a moment, before plunging on. “I’m sorry for what I said, and what I’ve been doing to you. I’ve been a selfish asshole, and you were right to call me out on that. I’m not going to convince you to stay, because you don’t deserve to be dealing with my bullshit all the time. You’re talented and selfless and I never appreciated everything you sacrificed for us until it was gone. I just- fuck, I feel like such a piece of shit.”

“You are.” He blinked owlishly. “You’re a self-centered, impulsive manwhore with a weird mixture of self-hatred and a superiority complex. You’ve been a horrible coworker and I almost feel ashamed that I tried so hard to be your friend.” He ducked his head, trying to hide his mortification. “Almost.”

He peered back up at her, cocking his head in confusion. “That said, you’re a great agent, kind and sympathetic when you wanna be, passionate about the work we do, and, when you keep a level head, you’re fun to work with. I don’t know if I can forgive you right now for all the shit you did, but your apology goes a long way. I appreciate that.”

She took a deep breath, then stilled, staring out into the movement and noise of Medellín. He watched her for a few minutes, though it felt like hours. He watched the clenching and unclenching of her jaw, the gentle rise and fall of her chest, the flutter of her eyelashes; all the details he’d been too busy to notice. “Penny for your thoughts?”

She looked over, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t know. I’m just thinkin’ about life. What I want to do.”

“I know it doesn’t amount to much, but I’d like you to stay.”

“I can’t- I mean, I can, it’s just that- fuck, I don’t even know,” she mumbled, furrowing her brows to try to stop a tear from slipping down her cheek. “It’s just that, by all official records, I’m pretty much worthless here, y’know? All my abilities go unnoticed and it’s like I’m not even there. I know you don’t mean to stand above me, but you are, and the shadow I live under is killing me. It’s taken my job, my self worth, my… being. I can’t live like that anymore, constantly working at the precipice of death, of destruction, of failure, and the one thing I can do to help isn’t even appreciated as my own. It’s just… cold.”

Javi nodded. “After you left, I went up to Noonan and explained what’d happened; that I didn’t deserve any of the credit I’d been given.”

“Well, that’s not true! The things that you did you deserve credit for. You’re incredibly talented, Javi, just not with my intel.”

“But… you do deserve the credit I get. You deserve so much more than you‘ve ever gotten. What I said was so selfish.”

She grabbed his hand. “Javi, selfishness aside, I know you’re in a dark place. We all are. After all, we’re government agents ‘taking down a drug cartel run by Pablo fuckin’ Escobar’ and we don’t get any sleep.” She smiled at her usage of the words he’d berated her with weeks earlier. “I should’ve taken more initiative to turn in my own work; it was silly of me to put that on you. I know you’ve got your own mess going on. Plus, I said a lot of awful things right back. Most of them I meant, some of them I didn’t, but I could’ve handled it all a lot better. I’m sorry we didn’t work this out earlier.”

Javi squeezed her hand, feeling a little warm tingle in his stomach. “Me too.” He sighed, raking his other hand through his hair. “I- er, we really do need your help. You’re priceless.” She exhaled sharply, tilting her head back and forth as if weighing her options.

“Fine. I’ll talk to Noonan.” Javi’s face lit up. “But on two conditions.” He nodded. “One: I get recognition for my past and future work, and two: you promise to work with me and call on me if we have any issues. We can’t have these communication errors any longer if we’re gonna catch these bastards.” She paused, then smiled lightly. “Also, you owe me a lot of coffee.”

Just as Javi agreed, Steve came out of the building. He stopped a few paces from them, looking back and forth from Javi’s pink cheeks and goofy grin, her teary eyes, and their interlaced hands. “I’m sorry, what did I miss?”

She laughed as they pulled their hands apart and she wiped the tears away. “I’m keeping my job.”

“That’s amazing! …Peña, what did you dose her with?” Javi let out the fakest laugh he could, but smiled along with it. She sighed softly, the breeze dancing across her skin.

“All I want is to cast my own shadow.”

Translations:

¡Más tonto y no naces! - If you were any dumber, you wouldn’t have been born!)

¡Oh, lo siento mucho! -> Oh, I’m so sorry!

¡Madura de una vez! -> Grow up!

tienes razón -> you’re right

¿Qué pasa? -> What’s up?

Eso es lo que pasa. -> That’s what’s up.

Ahí vamos; he estado mejor. -> Fine, I guess; I’ve been better.

Tengo una cita con la embajadora, huevón. ¡Estoy al teléfono! -> I have an appointment with the ambassador, asshole. I’m on the phone!

¡Tócame otra vez y te rompo la nariz! -> Touch me again and I’ll break your nose!

¿Qué quiere decir ‘no está aquí’? -> What do you mean ‘she’s not here’?

Si, todo bien… Está bien. Listo. -> Yeah, all good… all right. Okay.

Come mierda -> Eat shit

No me joda. -> Don’t fuck with me.

#narcos #javier peña x reader #javier peña #f!reader #winnie writes

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maxwell-grant · 3 years

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What would a spider man: life story look like for the shadow?

Now that I've actually read Spider-Man: Life Story I can give this one a response. I'm gonna obsess about this question for a while because man what a ride Life Story was.

To those not in the know, the premise of Spider-Man: Life Story is: "In 1962, in AMAZING FANTASY #15, 15-year-old Peter Parker was bitten by a radioactive spider and became the Amazing Spider-Man! Fifty-seven years have passed in the real world since that event — so what would have happened if the same amount of time passed for Peter as well?" and basically it tells the story of Spider-Man as one continuous narrative spanning 57 years, from his beginnings to a potential future, allowing Peter Parker and his cast and world to age in real time and factor in elements from the character's major stories over the decades.

And it's got a lot into it that the premise doesn't convey and there is no way I can even begin tackling a project like this for the 90 goddamn years of The Shadow's history without seriously just writing an entirely different fanfic continuity (and I already have 5, plus multiverses, possibly more) and tipping off way too much about my own plans for the character. Even I have my limits.

So instead, what I'm gonna do is go over the broad strokes of The Shadow's history as it would look like if you could try and condense it all under a consistent narrative, if you could focus on each decade's highs and lows, what kind of story would arise if a deranged Shadow maniac like me were to try and build a basic skeleton for a The Shadow: Life Story story.

Basic rules first: I'm sticking to the idea of Life Story and spanning every decade from the beginning of the character's life to the end of it. The aging and death parts are important so I’m sticking to those. The character's canonical birth date is 1892, so he's not making it intact to the 2000s. We're capping this off in the 90s, although it doesn't mean no further stories can be told. I will avoid mentioning specific historical events like Vietnam and 9/11 for this post to instead focus on The Shadow's trajectory. I will also not be including other characters, only somewhat referencing whatever aspects I deem relevant. I'm not sticking to any continuity, I'm pulling literally everything I can for this one

And putting this one below the cut

The 1930s: The golden years. In 1930, after a long line of life experiences in the Great War and traveling around the world under dozens of names, the man formerly known as Kent Allard has taken to fighting crime in the Great Depression. This chapter would be more of a standard narrative showcasing the trajectory of The Shadow's 30s career, how he's started off as a urban myth fighting gangsters and then progressed to urban avenger with dozens of allies fighting spies and supervillains. Despite being in his home element, he is restless. Another war is on the horizon. We gotta know where he starts, to get a clue of where he's going.

The 1940s: Despite it being the "family friendly American hero" Shadow era, shit gets very, very chaotic in the 40s, way more so than The Shadow could have anticipated. The pulps were relatively tame for this period, by this point instead you have the radio with it's constantly rotating writers and sensibilities, and comics that had far less reservations about either being really boring or really wacky. Far more encounters with the supernatural than before and with supervillains like Devil Kyoti and Monstradamus and Solaris, plus Khan is still around. The Shadow is forced to spend a lot more time traveling the world to deal with the war, spending a prolonged period establishing headquarters in Japan to aid Japanese underground organizations opposing the military. The agents perform rescue missions on concentration camps, and this is the period where you could have the "real" Lamont Cranston start filling in for The Shadow a bit while he's overseas.

There's a particular blurb that got released during this period that explains The Shadow acquired the power to cloud men's minds not by training, but by journeying to Tibet in an unrecorded adventure that forced him to beg the monks to grant him assistance in saving the world. I have some very mixed feelings on this whole backstory but I think there's something to this idea. Some shit went down in the 40s that was way beyond what The Shadow could have anticipated, and to protect the world from it he had to tap into forces that perhaps should have been left untouched.

The 1950s: The Shadow has dissappeared from America alltogether. He gathered up his agents and announced he wouldn't return for at least a decade, and left them with enough money to last a lifetime and retire should they feel like it. Burbank and Cliff Marsland dissappeared with him, and this chapter would probably be told from the Agents's perspective as they face the 50s while we get snippets from Marsland on what The Shadow's been up to. Some of it involves The Shadow helping protect Tibet after Mao's takeover of China. The real Lamont Cranston doesn't put on the costume anymore and instead operates as a fairly regular detective, although he's training on the skills and powers he's picked up overseas. Whatever fantasy madness haunted the 1940s is all but gone.

The 50s had basically nothing in Shadow content other than the last legs of the radio show, which are 200 episodes from 1950 to 1954 that currently don't exist anymore outside of a few scripts. During this time, The Shadow's sole appearence in US content was a parody in MAD Magazine. Overseas however, there were original Shadow novels published in Norway (a story for another day), as well as a Mexican radio and film series, which also featured Cliff Marsland. I have little information on either.

The 1960s: The OG Shadow is still embroiled in conflicts overseas, but the rise of the criminal organization CYPHER forces him to mobilize Burbank and agents old and new alike to deflect CYPHER away from where he's at, although most of them have retired by now. He still cannot return, but he has been secretly instructing Lamont Cranston on furthering along his own latent abilities if he intends to take over in his stead, and Cranston's powers have grown and developed to a point that, although he is pushing 60, he is able to do things even the original Shadow could not. He also invests a lot in merchandising and costume changes, which...doesn't pan out. Nothing in this era really pans out. It's just a really, really frustrating period of bad luck and supervillains that the aging superpowered detective Cranston is able to stop. Lamont Cranston seems to die in this decade.

The 1970s: Inspired by The Shadow's DC series, and most importantly Michael Kaluta's spiffy redesign.

The original Shadow returns to a crime-torn America, intent on starting anew, and sets to rebuilding his network. But something is off about him. He's leaner, meaner, less compassionate and trusting. Just as what happened the first time he returned to America following years abroad, what happened in his sojourns overseas has fostered something inhuman in him, another sacrifice of his own identity for the sake of a world where the weed of crime has only proven more insidiuous. His powers have grown and so have his resources, but despite that, he's bordering on 80 years old by now, and cumulative trauma deep within his bones hampers his effectiveness. He's doing a lot better than he should, by any rights, but he can't keep this up and he knows it. And so, as before, he starts planning for it.

The 1980s: This was the decade where Walter Gibson died with his final Shadow story incomplete, all the movie plans from the 70s were canned, and Howard Chaykin happened, plus the other DC runs. It's the SHIT decade, basically, where everything goes to hell. Whatever plans The Shadow had blew up, dipshit copycats start ruining everything, his network crumbles, and this is probably the ideal decade to kill off Kent Allard.

But this is also the decade where something weird started happening outside of the story: The Ghost of Gay Street hauntings, where visitors on the hotel Gibson wrote the stories in repeteadly claimed to see a ghostly visitor looking exactly like Lamont Cranston, and Gibson himself claimed that to be a tulpa he created by accident.

Kent Allard may have died. But death can never claim The Shadow.

The 1990s-onwards: Somehow, The Shadow is still active. Still elderly, in a much more limited fashion, but still as sharp as ever if not more so. His powers have grown more so than ever before, even blossoming into a limited form of telekinesis. Is he a ghost? Did he somehow survive the events of the previous decade? Somehow, both Lamont Cranston and The Shadow linger on, but is it Kent Allard or Lamont Cranston? Is it someone else?

Who knows?

This is the decade in particular where he's going to be interacting with more prominently with a new generation, whether it's descendants of the original agents, or new heroes that have found themselves in his orbit. Inspired mainly by the Dark Horse Shadow comics, Ghost and The Shadow, and Peter Straub's Mystery and modern takes on the character like Batman x Shadow and the 2017 mini that play up the miserable immortal and ghost teacher aspects, also inspired by my recent realization that The Shadow's ideal future in-universe may be getting to age and mentor the next generation in some capacity.

Anything beyond that, only The Shadow Knows.

#replies tag #pulp heroes #the shadow #pulp fiction #visual art #comic books #lamont cranston #kent allard #spider-man life story

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makeste · 4 years

Note

this is pretty random and you don't need to answer it, haha, but could you share your personal hcs regarding platonic todobaku with me??? 🥺🥺🥺 i'm in need, LOL, and your takes on characterization and relationships on bnha are always so spot on, so... i hope you're having a good day/night!!!!!!!💖💖💖

thank you so much! sorry it took a while to gather all of these; my TodoBaku headcanons weren’t as immediately forthcoming as my general Baku headcanons were. but here goes. the first half of these ended up being more just my general thoughts about their relationship than actual headcanons, but I eventually steered myself back on track.

first of all, this is important to note: when Katsuki says in ch. 241 that “there’s no correlation between time spent [together] and friendship”, it’s not purely out of denial. this is something he genuinely believes, having learned it the hard way growing up. for someone who seemingly led a pretty charmed life for most of his childhood, Katsuki hasn’t actually had a particularly sunshiny experience when it comes to his friendships. all of his closest childhood friends eventually left him (Tsubasa), turned on him (Deku -- from his perspective lol. obviously this wasn’t actually the case at all, but it’s how he interpreted it, and it definitely had a big impact on him emotionally), or abandoned him (that long-fingered kid, who notably fled and never looked back when the sludge monster tried to eat Katsuki back in chapter one. like, thanks for nothing, my dude).

so it’s not surprising that all of these experiences would have a profound impact on Katsuki’s ability to trust other people and accept them as real, genuine friends. in its own way his childhood was almost as isolating as Deku and Shouto’s. it’s only since coming to U.A. that he’s started to make real friends again for the first time since kindergarten. and even then, in the case of Kirishima and Kaminari and Sero, even though I think he does consider them friends, he still isn’t very open with them. because he’s learned the hard way that that can lead to hurt, and I think he’s very hesitant to ever let himself be vulnerable to that again.

but having said all that, Shouto is still absolutely correct when he says that they’re friends. and the thing is Katsuki knows it too, but he’s just reluctant to admit it. partly because the part of his brain that processes everything as rivalry isn’t sure whether Being Friends With Shouto = Losing To Shouto (IS THIS A TRAP??), and partly because of everything else I just explained above. even though by this point he knows Shouto pretty well, well enough to be reasonably sure he’s not just gonna be another fakeass groupie who turns tail at the first sign of trouble, there’s still a part of him that’s hesitant to admit that connection is there, because doing so opens him up to potentially being hurt again at some point. goddammit. why is this shit so complicated.

meanwhile on Shouto’s side of things, this poor lil bubba never had any friends growing up to begin with, so he’s not nearly as paranoid or prickly as Katsuki is. instead, he’s still discovering for himself just what friendship is all about. the interesting thing about Shouto is that since he never had any childhood friendships, in a way, the friendships that he’s making now at U.A. are his childhood friendships. and so they tend to be straightforward and uncomplicated in much the same way that very young children’s friendships are uncomplicated. “I like this person; I am going to make them my friend.” boom. done. friendship is mad easy yo.

and he does like Katsuki! sure, his personality is a bit unconventional, but there’s a lot to admire about him even so, and they actually have a lot in common! they’re both rather introverted. they’re both very serious, and I think this is something that Shouto particularly appreciates, because jokes and idioms and playful insincerity sometimes fly over his head just because he doesn’t have a lot of experience dealing with other people. but Katsuki NEVER jokes around, and he is never insincere. he says what he means, with the exception of insults, which are 90% more bark than bite. and so once Shouto figured that out, it became very easy to figure out how to interact with him. aside from that, they’re both close with Shouto’s Other Best Friend Midoriya, they both have incendiary quirks, and they both tend towards the quiet side (yes, even Katsuki) with the occasional burst of hotheadedness (maybe a bit more than “occasional” when it comes to Katsuki’s end).

and like I said, there’s a lot that Shouto admires about Katsuki as well. he really respects how determined Katsuki is, because he himself lacked any sort of clear goals for quite a while growing up. all he knew was that he didn’t want to end up being like his dad. but Katsuki is someone who has always known what he wants, and he goes after it with a singlemindedness that Shouto is almost envious of. he’s also very intelligent and quick-thinking, and Shouto knows he can rely on him in a tight spot. he’s also honest, and surprisingly principled, and while he’s definitely not the nicest guy around, I think Shouto can recognize to some degree those same types of walls that he once spent so much time building up around himself. and so he knows that to a certain extent, Katsuki’s hostility is just a front. and I think he’s both intrigued by that, and drawn to it. because every so often when Katsuki’s guard does drop and his better self briefly shines through, Shouto can see that he’s someone worth getting to know.

anyways, but enough of my rambling about their relationship, and on to the actual headcanons. first of all, I firmly believe in my heart of hearts that at some point during all of those mentally and physically taxing weekends spent training for their provisional exam, they have each fallen asleep on the other’s shoulder during the ride home. Katsuki was actually the first to do it, and it was only for a couple of minutes, but when he woke up he was absolutely mortified. but much to his relief, Shouto never said another word about it. (and if Shouto still remembers the warm, cozy feeling in his chest during those few brief minutes when Katsuki was dead to the world, with his face smoothed out and completely trusting and his breathing strangely in rhythm with the movement of the car, and if doing so brings him a sense of calm that’s hard to describe, well then, that’s no one’s business but his own.)

anyway, so because life is Just Like That, eventually of course the reverse happened. and with anyone else, Katsuki would have violently shoved them aside without a second thought, and he was almost gonna do the same here, but then he remembered he owed him (because he really did keep his mouth shut about the earlier incident, thank fuck), and so he didn’t. for almost two whole minutes, anyway. whatever. that’s more than generous, really. meanwhile no one else knows about this except for Aizawa, who was chaperoning them that day, and took mild notice at first on account of it being unusual behavior on Katsuki’s part, but then immediately forgot about it afterwards. he was proud of them both for upping their napping game, though. he respects naps.

both Shouto and Katsuki were actually scared shitless during the test of courage at the forest training camp, and if Katsuki hadn’t been kidnapped and everything had instead gone on as normal, they would have both had trouble getting to sleep that night. Katsuki actually can’t stand scary movies or ghost stories (fyi this is canon according to the third light novel, and EXCUSE HIM FOR HAVING A HEALTHY RESPECT FOR THE SUPERNATURAL. you wanna go and get your own dumb ass cursed or dragged to hell or whatever, BE HIS GUEST). whereas Shouto has next to no experience with them and doesn’t really see what’s so scary about ghosts because GHOSTS AREN’T REAL DUH, but even he feels a little unsettled when an undead swamp girl suddenly rises from the depths and crabwalks towards them in the middle of the woods.

Katsuki has on rare occasions been so drained by provisional lessons that he goes into autopilot and forgets to pretend not to be friends with Shouto, which can result in them having completely normal conversations for minutes at a time before he eventually regains enough of his senses to realize he’s fraternizing with the enemy. this is how Shouto learned about things like Katsuki’s favorite foods, and his love of hiking. the latter is actually one subject that Katsuki can go on and on about if you get him started, and Shouto very much enjoys hearing about it and never tries to stop him.

by contrast, Katsuki never intentionally seeks to gain any new knowledge about Shouto because he feels like he already knows way more than he ever wanted to. however, this doesn’t stop him from absorbing knowledge against his will by simple osmosis, and then discovering to his dismay that he’s retained the information afterward. this is why he also knows Shouto’s favorite food in return (although to be fair, I think everyone in Japan knows Shouto’s favorite food), as well as other tidbits like the fact that he likes strawberry-flavored things (because he always gets the same brand of strawberry milk from the vending machine during their lunch breaks). he hates himself a little for both noticing and remembering these stupid little details, and would rather be kidnapped again than ever admit to Shouto that he does.

Katsuki thinks of Shouto as “Todoroki” in his head rather than “IcyHot” or “Half n’ Half”, and has to make a conscious effort to use the nicknames whenever he addresses him out loud. more and more often he finds himself forgetting to do so nowadays, much to his dismay. Shouto was pleasantly surprised the first few times it happened, but quickly stopped taking notice of it, as he’s come to realize that the way Katsuki addresses people carries very little meaning regardless, since something like 75% of his actual feelings are conveyed through his actions rather than his words.

Katsuki does wish that Shouto had had the decency to choose his surname as his hero alias rather than his given name, though. he lives in fear that one of these days he’ll be required to call him “Shouto” while on duty. number one hero or not, there’s a good chance he would resign from his internship at the Endeavor Hero Agency before he ever willingly agreed to that.

and last but not least, the number one thing that Katsuki would rather jump in a freezing lake than admit to Shouto or even himself is that he actually cares about him too. and has even mostly forgiven him for wussing out at the last minute during the sports festival. he still doesn’t fully understand why he did it, but he gets that Shouto was Going Through Some Stuff, and okay yeah, he can admit that his family situation is pretty fucked up, so whatever. there’s an uncomfortable feeling he gets whenever he’s reminded of this; sort of a weird, squirmy feeling in the pit of his stomach whenever the subject of Endeavor comes up, or whenever he sees Shouto talking to the man himself. it makes him feel restless and on edge, and he never knows what to say or do afterwards, especially if Shouto goes all quiet and sullen and reflective. he wants to scream at him, or slap him on the back of the head, or grab him by the shoulders and shake him; whatever it takes to snap him out of it and ease the tension. but he knows that’s not the right way to handle it. and more to the point, he knows that he’s not the right person to handle it. and sometimes, if he’s not quick enough to squash the feeling when he senses it coming, he wonders how Shouto would react if he ever found out what Katsuki used to be like back in elementary and middle school. and he wonders whether Shouto would still be so dead-set insistent on calling them friends. and then he does squash out the thought, as viciously as he possibly can.

anyway so that turned weirdly angsty towards the end whoops. not even sure what happened there, since this is supposed to be my cute and funny ship, while BakuDeku greedily hogs all the angst for itself! lol my bad. but don’t worry, they still love each other, and Shouto is still fond and soft and equipped with bullshit-radar, and Katsuki is still rabid and in denial and a dumbass.

#bakugou katsuki #todoroki shouto #todobaku #bnha headcanons #bnha meta #bakugou meta #bnha #boku no hero academia #bnha spoilers #mha spoilers #makeste reads bnha #asks

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marvelfansince08love · 4 years

Text

The Pleasure is all Mine - Chapter 6

Word count: 4250

Pairing: Lou Miller x Female!Reader

Warning: Angsty as fuuuck - I apologise in advance lmao.

A/N: Sorry for the slow updates... my shift pattern at work as changed so I’ve been working back to back shifts at the hospital, I hope to have my prompt request up in the next two days just before my birthday at the end of the week. Enjoy this chapter.. I had a love/hate relationship with it.

Fun fact: I listened to ‘Prisoner’, ‘As you are’ and ‘Angel’ by The Weeknd in that order while writing the party scene.. so i feel like they are the songs that were playing at the time. So feel free to listen to those songs while reading if you like!

Thank you @imnotasuperhero you bloody diamond!

Tags: @waitingfortheendtocome @natasha-danvers @redcrete @iamheartless @deadly-darling @gaylorrds @smuttty @existentialcrisiscat @saucy-sapphic @veteranwerewolf95

I do not own this beautiful picture but this is basically how Lou looks in this chapter, so enjoy that image x

Chapter 6

"Good morning New York City, it's 9am on a sunny saturday -" the ecstatic radio station burst with life, startling me awake. I groan in displeasure as I turn to hit the disturbing box before rolling back over and stretching my tired limbs, my hand brushes against the cool sheets in the empty space beside me making me pout; missing the warmth of Lou wrapped around me in our sleepy state. I hear my phone vibrate on my nightstand making me reach quickly for it, hoping that it's her. My heart flutters, my grin wide making my cheeks ache slightly at the received message.

Good morning beautiful. Waking up this morning without you next to me was dreadful, I miss holding you and watching your nose twitch and your eyelashes flutter as you wake. If waking up in a cold empty bed without you feels this awful I don't ever wanna sleep again - 9.03am

Good morning to you too, the feeling is definitely mutual. Hopefully we won't have to feel like this soon... say tomorrow night? - 9.04am I reply nervously, hoping I haven't come across as too needy.

Is that a promise? - 9.08 am

Signed and sealed - 9.10am

I'll be counting down the minutes, baby. Have a lovely day, I'll be thinking of you x - 9.12am

I sigh smitten with this wonderfully charming woman who seems to have my heart racing like no other.

I wish I could wake up every morning with her, I sulk thoughtfully as I begrudgingly leave my bed and head towards the kitchen ready to start the day.

As I continue to make my pancakes; that's not nearly half as good as what Lou makes, a loud knock echoes through my apartment startling me out of my funk. I place the pan onto the side and quickly make my way to the door and open it, revealing Rachel and Luke both with matching cheshire cat grins.

"Well well well, look who slept in her own apartment last night. Oh, but does that mean she's here instead?" Rachel teases while trying to poke her head through the door. I roll my eyes at them playfully before opening the door wider, letting them enter my apartment.

They both rush in and scan the open area in search of a tall blonde goddess making me laugh at the non subtle actions.

"She's not here if you must know. I slept alone last night," I answered with slight disappointment. They both seem to catch on to the tone and smirk wide.

"You wished you hadn't, though. Damn, she must have been good." Luke states, wiggling his eyebrows as Rachel walks towards the kitchen and grabs a bite of my untouched pancakes, chuckling in agreement.

"So I thought we could go shopping and grab a bite to eat before coming back here and starting our movie marathon, maybe order the Chinese later on?" I ask, wanting to change the topic. I got an agreed 'whoop' and an exclaimed 'YES!" from my friends who are far too interested in my breakfast.

Guess I'll add grabbing breakfast while out onto the agenda then I think to myself.

I huff jokingly before telling them to make themselves comfortable while I get changed for the day, already knowing that they always make themselves comfortable in my space.

Once dressed in my high waisted jeans and oversized jumper I make my way over to the two clowns who seem to be messing up my kitchen as they wash up.

"Can you guys ever just come over without making a mess? It's like having two children in the apartment," I laugh at the defensive 'Hey' from the pair before shooing them out of my kitchen and towards the door.

"Come on, I've gotta grab some breakfast considering you both eat mine." I sulk playfully as we make our way out of the apartment and onto the streets of New York.

***

"Alright, but getting kicked out of the store for giving my opinion on that awful flowery dress with those ankle boots was a bit far. If anything, I was helping the poor woman out by stopping her from buying it." Rachel complains while Luke helps carry half of her shopping bags through my apartment, I roll my eyes in slight annoyance already hearing this story three times since being out.

"Rach, we were pretty much finished in there anyway. And "the flower pattern on that dress makes it look like an 80s hippie threw up on you" wasn't very nice," I comment, taking my bags through the apartment towards my room, while they flop onto my sofa, bags still in hand.

I walk back through into the living room and flop down next to them and sigh in relief.

God, I hate and love shopping.

My phone vibrates in my jean pocket and I grin subtly as to not draw attention to the others:

Strawberries or chocolate? - 16.00pm

Why not both? What's with the weird question? ;) - 16.02pm

Just some useful information to store away for future reference;), I miss you x - 16.04pm

I blush slightly and try to hold back a squeal as I bite gently on my lower lip before pocketing my phone away from potential prying eyes.

"Okay, all that shopping and carrying Miss.fashionista bags around all day is making me hungry, Chinese?" Luke complains, flashing us his emerald green eyes and a pout for good measure making me pout back in mocking sympathy.

"Of course, you big baby. Can't hack shopping with two women." I joke.

"Darling, I've been out of the closet since I walked out of there in my mums six inch stilettos. I can hack shopping with two women," He shoots back, making us all laugh. Rachel grabs her phone from the table in front of us as I grab hold of the menu and recite my usual to her. Once we've ordered, we make our way towards my kitchen to make our crazy cocktails for the afternoon.

Ever since I moved here, it's been a tradition that whenever we all have more than one day off in the week together, we meet up and have a 'friends day/ night gathering'. It all started after Rachel's 'love of her life' decided to run out on her the morning after a drunken night out leaving her crying on my doorstep and a distraught Luke not knowing how to handle a crying female alone.

We continue to laugh and joke while making terrible margaritas and other alcoholic potions when Harry Styles' 'Adore You' echoes through the kitchen area making us pause as two matching grins face me while I blush under their playful stares.

"Cute," Luke whispers, making me hush them both before removing myself and my phone away from their prying ears.

"Hello you!" I greet with slight flirtation

"Well if it isn't the voice of my beautiful goddess, I've missed you"

"I've missed you too, you charmer. Do you say that to all of the girls?" I tease, smiling smugly when I hear her laugh loudly.

"You know it's only you baby" she jokes back but the tone of her voice indicates her seriousness, making me smile.

"How was the party planning?" I ask, making my way to my bedroom.

"It went great actually. We're all pretty set up for later on which is why I'm calling. I forgot to ask yesterday but I got so caught up with everything here I forgot to mention it. I want to informally invite you to Daphne's party tonight, the invite is extended to Rachel and Luke as I know it's your friends night" I smile at that, liking that she remembered.

"I would love to come! I'll double check with them but if there's alcohol involved they're usually up for anything" I joke making us both chuckle.

"Okay great! I'll see you later tonight then?" She says hopefully making my stomach flutter with excitement.

God, it's only been a day and I'm like this I mutter thoughtfully to myself.

"I'll see you later. It's definitely at your place right?"

"As much as I tried to move it... yes it is," she grumbles all in good nature, I chuckle softly before muttering a goodbye ending the call. Practically skipping my way back to the kitchen where they are both plating up the food that must have just arrived. I excitedly relay the message to my friends, who cheer in response before chatting about what they are going to wear.

Once we have finished our food, Luke and Rachel leave to go and get changed for the party while I fret over my choice of outfit. Deciding that my black dress with off the shoulder straps shows off my curves the best, I slip it on with a pair of black heels. After touching up on my makeup, I curl my hair into loose curls to finish the look.

I really do scrub up well, I think feeling confident with my choice.

My phone lights up with a 'we're here' text from Rachel before I grab my long coat and make my way down the stairs of my apartment building.

***

Lights shine through the warehouse windows with party music blaring through big speakers making the lyrics crystal clear outside, a few party goers chat loudly outside while enjoying a cigarette.

"Oh, my God. I've never been to a celebrity birthday party before!" Luke exclaims, nudging Rachel and pointing towards another movie star that he saw on the big screen one time. I chuckle and shake my head at his starstruck face before looping my arm through his and walking towards the door.

"Luke, Daphne and the rest of them are just like normal regular people relax," I tease while Rachel nods in agreement.

"Yeah, what's so great about Daphne Kluger anyway." Rachel mutters while eyeing a tall tattooed blonde guy standing by the doorway of the entrance, she winks in his direction making him grin back in return. I roll my eyes at her boldness before continuing into the living room area which has been converted into a dance space for the night.

I scan the room searching for a particular blonde with crystal blue eyes but before I can make it further into the room I feel a pair of arms circle around my waist and a light pressure on my shoulder from the chin that's now placed there, soft lips brush gently against my jawline.

"Well, don't you look absolutely stunning. I love the straps on this dress, a lot of access to kiss you more." Her raspy voice sends a shiver down my spine as she places a gentle kiss on my shoulder. I smirk at her forwardness enjoying the feeling of her body against mine. I turn around in her arms to face and gape at her, holding in a groan of pleasure as my eyes scan every inch of her.

No one should look that good in a suit.

She stands in a black suit consisting of a white shirt with a black bowtie that hangs down loosely from under her neck collar. Her blonde hair pulled up in a loose bun leaving her face free, for the first time since meeting her I'm left speechless.

"Oh, dear... it seems I've rendered you speechless. Maybe I should come back once you've regained your senses, hmm?" She mocks with that signature smirk that makes my knees go weak.

"I..um.. you look..."

"Ravishing?" She implies still smirking.

yes

"Amazing was what I was going for... maybe even hot but your cockiness has bumped you down to just amazing," I joke matching her smirk, we stare at each other for a moment appreciating one another when a very loud cough interrupts our staring, making me turn slightly in Lou's arm.

"Well, you must be Lou Miller. I'm Rachel and this is Lucas but he prefers Luke, I see you've been taking up our girls' time lately, you must be really special" She states, grinning at us both as she holds her hand out for Lou to shake which she happily reaches for while still keeping a secured arm around my waist.

"It's nice to meet you both. Sorry this place is a little crowded, Daphne clearly doesn't understand a small get together" she says, throwing on one of her most charming smiles making Rachel and even Luke giggle. I roll my eyes at their smitten ways.

Guess I'm not the only one that affected by the Miller charm

"Oh leave it out, Miller. You know you like a good party!" Daphne exclaims, stumbling slightly over to us weaving through the crowd of people as Constance and Nine-ball carry over a tray of shots with Rose and Amita trailing behind clearly still sober, ever the responsible two.

"Y/N darling, it's so good to see you again! I'm so glad you could make it!" She slurs, hiccuping in between words occasionally making me chuckle quietly before she pulls me out of Lou's arm and into her own squeezing me tightly. I pat her back gently before muttering "Hey Daphne, it's nice to see you again. Hey guys!" I address the others over Daphne's shoulder who smiles widely and waves while Constance holds up the liquid filled tray.

"I got shots!" Making everyone cheer even Rose, Daphne let's go of her hold on me and reaches for a glass as Lou steps closer to me and hands me one. We clink our glasses, never taking our eyes off each other before letting the burning liquor trickle down our throats. I cough slightly at the sudden taste before whispering into Lou's ear.

"Where's Tammy and Debbie?" She pulls back long enough for me to see her point upstairs and wiggle her eyebrows at me, making me gasp and giggle at her childish behaviour.

"They'll be down soon though. Tammy's excited to see you again, she can't wait to have someone she can complain to about mine and Debbie's behaviour" she jokes, pouting playfully at me as I cup her cheek and pat it in mocking sympathy.

"Oh, you poor baby. Have you ever thought that maybe she's right to complain about it" I laugh at her offended expression, I notice some of the team looking in our direction not so subtly with small soft smiles while they talk with my friends in our makeshift circle between the bar and dancefloor, clearly enjoying watching me tease their friend.

The night continues on with our back and forth teasing and not to mention the subtle touch of fingertips and the grazed hand over my ass while we spoke with Tammy and Debbie making me scold her softly causing Tammy to laugh and a raised eyebrow and twitch of a smirk from Debbie. Throughout the night I've noticed a particular redhead staring over at us, her expression difficult to read in the dimly lit room as night fell over outside. I brush it off as slight paranoia with being around so many strangers. After a while we both get separated by Lou’s work friends who require her attention at the bar, she frowns in displeasure before I give her a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth and reassure her that I'll be okay. I wandered over to Rachel and Luke who seemed to have departed after the first two rounds of shots at the beginning of the night to go and throw some moves on the dancefloor. Luke catches my eye from the middle of the floor and reaches out his hand for me to take, I giggle as he takes a hold of my hand and twirls me around bringing me close to him before twirling me back out again. Rachel woops next to us, her arm around Daphne's waist making me raise a questioning eyebrow, she blushes and shrugs innocently at me before continuing to dance with her. As Luke twirls me out of his arms again I notice the same red head hovering by the dancefloor however this time she stands next to a tall brunette woman who seems to be whispering into her ear but her eyes never straying from my form. I avert my gaze feeling slightly uncomfortable but become distracted by Luke's ridiculous dancing.

After a while Tammy and Amita join our little duo on the dancefloor, laughing a little at Tammy's 'mum dance'. With all the laughter and alcohol in my system I stagger slightly towards the bathroom needing to pee. The queue is long making me groan and back pedal a little knowing I could always use Lou's en suite if needs be. Before I could fully turn back around a rough hand wraps itself around my bicep making me startle and tense at the unfamiliar touch, I turn to see the same brunette that was standing by the dancefloor with the beautiful redhead earlier.

"If you're looking for Lou, you'll be searching for a while. She kinda pre- occupied" she riddles, her voice hostile as she eyes me, smirking.

"I'm sorry do I know you?" I asked, confused by her behaviour.

"No, but your girlfriend definitely does" she replies with that stupid smirk still in place. I frown at her childish behaviour wondering exactly how Lou would associate herself with such people.

They certainly aren't like the seven women she usually hangs out with.

"I don't have a girlfriend but if you are referring to Lou I'd appreciate it if you would shut the fuck up when you clearly know nothing" I snap, finally reaching my limit.

Who the hell does she think she is!

She laughs mockingly before replying:

"You got fire behind those eyes kid, she likes that in her women" she mutters standing with her arms crossed as she leans lazily against the wall by the bathroom. I open my mouth to retaliate but is interrupted by Debbie's harsh voice

"I don't recall you being invited, Madison."

Madison's eyes light up with glee and mischief.

"Debbie darling, so nice to see you again. How's Tam Tam?" I look towards Debbie's face, my eyes wide at her stoic expression.

I've never seen her so indifferent before but then again how well do you really know her.

"Get out." She mutters trying to not draw attention to us. Madison rolls her eyes unbothered by Debbie's tone of voice, she pushes away from the wall and brushes harshly past me.

"You might wanna see for yourself. We've all been tangled up in Lou Millers web before. A leopard never changes its spots, dear" she mutters before storming down the hallway and out of the building.

I feel hot tears surface before wiping them away quickly, which doesn't seem to go unnoticed by Debbie who lays a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Don't listen to her, she's a nutcase. She's always wanted Lou" she says quietly while escorting up the stairs and towards Lou's room.

"I'll wait for you out here okay? Go and freshen yourself up, don't show them that you are affected by their words you hear me? Lou really likes you Y/N, ignore the green eyed monsters" and with that she gently pushes me through Lou's doorway and closes it.

Once I've finished up I stand by the bathroom sink and stare at my reflection for a moment taking in my appearance before taking a deep breath and relaxing my shoulders.

I can do this, I reassure myself.

I walk out of the room feeling much better and meet Debbie by the staircase that leads back towards the party, she whispers reassurance in my ear before leaving me with my concerned friends to go and find Tammy.

"Omg Y/N are you okay? Did you get lost in the bathroom or something? Ew, actually I don't want to know what you and Princess Charming have been up to" Rachel says her nose scrunched up at the thought, Daphne giggles loudly next to her.

"Please it's adorable. I've never seen Lou so smitten before" Daphne states drunkenly. I blush at the confession and grin softly feeling less insecure about our developing relationship and less concerned about that woman’s words.

"No actually I um.. I bumped into Debbie upstairs and got chatting but I think I'm gonna go grab a drink ``I state, gaining a cheer from Daphne who leads the way to the makeshift bar where the kitchen island usually is. I scan the room looking for Lou wondering whether I could talk to her in private about my ordeal upstairs with her old 'friend'.

I instantly regret my decision.

I see a gap in between the sea of people showing me Lou standing by the other side of the bar, leaning against it. The redhead from earlier whispers into her ear making Lou shake her head in laughter, the woman fiddles with her bow tie as if to go and tie it but Lou stops her with a shake of her head, her eyes move away from the woman as she scans the room as if searching for someone. As if sensing my presence her eyes turn instantly towards me, her crystal blues widen but before I could see anything else the beat of the music grows silent as Daphne takes the mic from the DJ ready to thank everyone for coming.

I feel my heart shatter into a million pieces, tears run freely down my face as I try to hide within the sea of people on the dance floor all while looking for Rach and Luke. I quickly find them standing at the edge of the dance floor opposite the front door.

Perfect

I quickly grab a hold of Rachel's hand, her eyebrows furrowed at the sight of my distraught face.

"Oh my god, Y/N are you okay? What the hell! Did she do this?! I'll wrap that bow tie around her neck so tight I swear Y/N" I quickly hush her and barely whisper

"Please just get me out of here" with that she nods her head with such determination. Luke wraps my coat around my shoulders and pulls me against him as we walk out of the door while Rachel phones a cab.

"It's gonna take 10 minutes Y/N. I don't know how long we can avoid her for," Rachel says apologetically as she stands close to me. Luke let's go of me and says he's gonna go grab his and Rachel's things and that he'll be as quick as possible.

"It's okay I just need to get out of here" I mutter quietly not trusting my own voice.

Luke rushes out breathing heavily as he passes Rachel her coat.

"She's going insane in there... her and that red head have just had a massive argument and she's asking Debbie where you were. Y/N I think you should at least tell her you are going" Luke reasons.

A leopard never changes its spots, dear

"Oh my god, she was right." I whisper to myself, gaining their attention.

"What do you mean, darling?" Luke asks softly.

"The.. other woman there tonight.. Madison. She warned me, I just never thought Lou..."

"Don't listen to them Y/N. Whatever you saw in there it could have been a misunderstanding, those girls have been eyeing her up all night but Lou only ever had eyes for you" Luke reassures just as the yellow cab arrives out front. We all rush towards it but before I can step into it a hand grabs a hold of my arm gently spinning me around and slamming the door with the other, blocking me from getting in as she boxes me in between her body and the door.

Wet crystal blue eyes stare right back into mine, full of sadness and rage. Her breathing slightly erratic from running around the place, she whispers so desperately, so softly I barely hear her.

"Please don't leave. Please. Let me explain"

She likes that in her women

"Lou let me go, please. I'm just really tired and would like to get some rest. We can talk about this tomorrow okay" I whisper back feeling droplets of rain crash onto my face or is it my tears? I cup her cheek and brush my thumb over her cheekbone wiping away the frustrated tear that seems to have escaped from her eye.

"Tomorrow" she clarifies with hope.

"Yes tomorrow" I certify making her relax slightly before leaning in and pressing a kiss to the corner of my mouth as I turn away slightly still not ready for the contact. I see the hurt and sadness in her eyes as I slowly remove her hand from the top of the car and open the door making her step back. I climb into the car and see Lou press her hand gently against the window briefly, her blue eyes desperate for me to understand. The engine starts up and before I know it her sad form seems to grow smaller and smaller as we disappear back into the city. The last thing I see before going through the gates is Lou run her hands through her hair in frustration as Debbie steps towards her to comfort her. I turn away after that feeling guilty and hurt, the only real comfort I have right now comes from the two hands that hold my own in solidarity.

Maybe I really don’t know her at all

#lou miller x reader #lou miller x female!reader #lou miller #oceans 8 #cate blanchett #cate blanchett x reader #debbie x tammy #debbie ocean #angsty #why do i do this to myself #the pleasure is all mine #My Story

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apothecarinomicon · 3 years

Text

Spring week 1 part 3

I wasn’t sure how often I’d have patients, so I spent much of the rest of the week cleaning up around the property and sweeping the cobwebs out of the cottage. As much as I was willing to be friendly, I was not about to run right to the blacksmith and ask for a favor the same day I met him.

Or for several days after.

I think the golem might have used the last of its existing power getting here, because it didn’t move at all the entire time I was working on the property. If I ever locate my predecessor, I must remember to pick her brain on the finer details of how she made it. I assume it was her that made it, though it could really have been any of the previous owners of the cottage. I’m still not entirely comfortable thinking of myself as its owner, honestly—I feel more like a guest, or perhaps a tenant.

As I worked, my thoughts turned to the Bankhead family. Evander introduced himself as Aidan’s husband, just like that, plain and in public. The ease of it ran so counter to my own experience growing up in Huntsmanland that I hadn’t even processed it in the moment, automatically eliding it so that it could surface for real in my mind at a later time.

Is this the norm in High Rannoc? Is it only in Greenmoor? Or are the Bankheads perhaps rebellious activists? Is this a place where I might be free from the whispers and rumors and derision that followed me for my entire youth?

I suppose further observation is required.

I stopped working after a few hours, sweaty and tired. I was hoping to potentially find some easy reagents in the overgrowth and piles of stones, but no such luck befell me. The job’s not nearly complete, though, and I may be lucky yet.

I’m going to wash off and then head into town, to see if I can find any dishes or cutlery, or at least a few glass bottles. Maybe some lunch, too.

────⊱⁜⊰────

My trip into town did not go as I’d hoped. My mind is racing a bit at the moment but I’ll try to get this down in order.

The town’s tavern is called The Copper Fox. It sits right next to the inn, and by comparison looks almost comically squat. It was busy when I walked in—looked like more than half of the adults in the town were there. I walked to the bar, intending to ask what food was available. The man working behind the bar met me as I reached it and slid a stein into my hands, cutting off my question by saying “on the house.” He was about as squat as the building he worked in, balding and with a thick mustache and thin beard. He held my gaze for a long moment, with a meaning that I couldn’t quite comprehend. A request, perhaps, or an admonishment.

Or perhaps a warning.

There was a bard standing near one wall, singing and playing guitar. She was finishing a song as I walked in, but as the last chord faded I heard a couple voices from the crowd cry “again! again!”

Gleefully, she started up playing again to a round of cheers and the scattered clinking of silver. It was an old ballad I’d heard a few times before, a bit grisly for my taste. There are a few different variations, but the one she sang goes like this:

The taxman came to collect tax and roused Jack out of bed And Jack, alack, he took an axe and struck him o’er the head The taxman, he fell to the ground and writhed and moaned and bled And Jack, alack, he swung and swung to ensure he was dead

Hey nonny hey What a day what a day Hey nonny hey Stay away stay away

Jack dragged the corpse into town square and loud and bold he said “He came and tried to take what’s mine and now his debt is paid” The townsfolk, they all gathered ‘round, and not a bit afraid All the townsfolk laughed and leaped and threw him a parade

Hey nonny hey What a day what a day Hey nonny hey Stay away stay away

They all marched to the edge of town and facing the frontier They set the corpse down by the road, held upright on a bier With this grisly sculpture the town made its message clear: “Take your bullshit somewhere else. You are not welcome here!”

Hey nonny hey What a day what a day Hey nonny hey Stay away stay away

As I said, it's terribly grim. Still, it’s better than the version where an army comes to massacre the town as revenge for the tax collector.

It was halfway through the second chorus that I began to feel eyes on my back. I glanced around and caught several people quickly averting their eyes. I found this unnerving, to say the least, and it only got worse when I started to hear people whispering. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I recognized the tone. It was one that had followed me my entire childhood, one that made my outsider status clear. I was the other, worthy of derision, of sanction.

Of violence?

I got up and left quickly, without finishing my beer.

────⊱⁜⊰────

I decided to visit the bakery instead. Aidan and Evander had been nothing but kind to me. It turned out to be a good call. They had me come in and upstairs to their apartment, where they were eating what they hadn’t sold that day with their son MacKay. They shared their food with me. They made me feel welcome.

I asked how Aidan’s thumb was doing. He showed me the bandages and how he could squeeze it without pain. He touched it to his fork, and when he lifted his hand the fork didn’t come with it. All was well on that front, it seemed.

I asked after dishes and cutlery, mentioning that there didn’t seem to be any in the cottage. Aidan stood and said that when my predecessor vanished, they were the ones she gifted her kitchenware to. Since they already had a set, Aidan said it seemed only right that it go to the new resident of the cottage, and Evander agreed. I offered to pay but they said there was no need—it was a gift. I took what was offered and thanked them for it.

With a slight sense of belatedness, Evander asked to what they owed the pleasure. I hesitated, not wanting to dampen the mood or be too vulnerable or in any way risk losing what I was quickly beginning to think of as an oasis.

But then again, maybe there was some clarity to be gained here. I started explaining about going to The Copper Fox, and the bard performing the ballad. I hadn’t even gotten past explaining the content of the lyrics when MacKay preempted me, mumbling something along the lines of “yeah, I bet that made you uncomfortable.”

It was clearly meant to be a private comment to himself in the way of adolescents, but we could all make it out. Aidan said MacKay’s name sharply, in warning or reprimand, but I was already spider-webbing through the potential implications of his statement in my head. I asked them what that meant.

Aidan and Evander shared a glance, and seemed to silently come to an agreement.

I can’t usually remember well enough to give exact quotes, but Evander was picking his words so carefully that I recall them clearly. He said “there’s a rumor going around that you’re a... spy for the Government.”

I thought he meant people were saying I was working for the mayor, and I protested that that didn’t make any sense. I’d only met her once and wasn’t familiar enough to get any more than surface information.

“No,” he clarified. “Capital ‘G’ Government. Not the local one.” He said most of the townsfolks’ interaction with any governing body larger than the local government was when tax collectors did in fact come to town, or when some new ordinance was decreed that required public observance. It was all very mysterious to them and seemed unaware of and uninterested in their actual needs—and that bred suspicion and contempt. Any outsider became a potential threat.

However, Aidan added with a pointed look at MacKay, not everyone in town was foolish enough to buy into the rumors. MacKay protested that he didn’t believe them, that it was just a bit of hazing that every new person to the town had to undergo. He rattled off a couple of names I didn’t recognize before Evander cut him off by saying that just because it had been done before didn’t make it right to do again. MacKay countered that it wasn’t his idea, and that reprimanding him wouldn’t keep me safe from the adults who might take the rumors more seriously.

I asked what that meant—was I unsafe here? Evander and Aidan agreed that I absolutely was not. For the entire time they’d lived here (and for Aidan, that was his entire life), there had never been a case of significant violence between townsfolk. It would not come to that, they assured me.

Still, it’s all very nerve-wracking.

────⊱⁜⊰────

It’s the middle of the night and I’ve just thought of something. Clearly the bartender did think I was a Government agent there to suss out illegal activity, as Evander said.

Because if he didn’t, he would have had no reason to try and bribe me.

────⊱⁜⊰────

I decided perhaps it was best if I wasn’t around in town too much—they can’t call me a spy if I’m not spying, right? So, I decided to spend some of my down time exploring the wilderness around Greenmoor without the pressure of a patient waiting on me.

The two major remaining areas that seem reasonably safe to traverse with what resources I have currently are Glimmerwood Grove and Hero’s Hollow. I wasn’t much in the mood to deal with a dungeon today—nor the denizens and adventurers therein—so the choice was fairly clear. I brought Ailean with me, so I could better attune with her, and so she might help with the secondary reason for my outing.

In addition to just wanting to be out of town, I went to the grove to see if I could find a princess toad, which one of my predecessor’s notes mentioned lived in the tangled undergrowth. Not only are several of their byproducts useful reagents, but I thought it might be nice to give Ailean some company—or at least show her where she could find it if she ever grew bored.

Glimmerwood Grove is genuinely beautiful, a forest in full Spring bloom. The undergrowth is dense, and seems reluctant to accept any human attempts to create walking paths—it encroaches upon or obscures even those close to the edge of the wood. Despite the near-total cover of the canopy, the entire place is kept well-lit by some means invisible to me (hence, I suppose, ‘Glimmerwood’). The whole place has an air of magic to it.

As I walked further into the grove, I found (as predicted) less and less path to follow. The patches that were bare of undergrowth this deep were blanketed by healthy colonies of moss. The sound of bells came faintly, from where I couldn’t tell.

I was staring off to my left—I thought I’d seen movement in between the trees and was looking to see if I could catch more—when Ailean made a noise that brought my attention to the ground in front of me. There, I saw a clutter of small pellets. Having lived with Ailean for nearly a week, I could recognize the size and shape as those of toad droppings, but the color was a strange lavender.

Well, I may not have found the toad itself, but these droppings were a useful reagent all their own. I used a small scoop (I brought it with me on my journey from Edith’s) and gathered enough for one use. There wasn’t enough for two, and despite its color the smell was enough to dissuade me from storing any more than I needed.

I got what I needed onto the scoop and stood, and that’s when I saw it.

Standing a few meters down the path was a pure white horse with a horn coming out of its forehead. It was looking directly at me, standing stock still. Sitting here writing this, I’m still shaken. Unicorns are of the domain of bedtime stories, fairy legends, explorers’ tales. They aren’t real.

And yet.

I went to take a step towards it and it immediately turned and trotted away into the woods. I could have sworn it grew translucent before it disappeared among the trees.

My first week here has been… fucking hell, it’s been a lot. That was just the cherry on top.

An enormous, unheard of, vaguely portentous cherry.

I’m going to bed.

⇦●〇●⇨

#writing #writeblr #writblr #fantasy #amwriting #writers on tumblr #original writing #apothecaria #entry #creative writing #fiction #rpg #roleplaying game #high rannoc #writeblr community #writers

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teenwolffanclub-me · 4 years

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Season 1, Episode 4: Magic Bullet

Hey there beautiful reader! If you’re new here, this is a series I’m writing where each chapter is an episode from the first season of Teen Wolf. If you’ve been here before, hey! I missed you! Previous and future chapters are linked at the end of each part if you want to catch up.

Pairing: Stiles x Psychic! Reader (eventually)

Notes: Thanks so much for everyone liking this series! It helps me dig up the motivation to keep writing, like Stiles and Scott dug up Derek’s....you know what. Never mind 😉

P.S. Derek is dramatic af and Stiles is almost scarred for life.

————————

I tossed and turned in bed, my brow furrowing and my heart racing. A whimper fell from my parted lips as I tried to get comfortable. I’d been falling in an out of consciousness for the past hour, violent images flashing behind my eyes. Some of them were memories from Friday night, but others were new.

I saw Derek running through the industrial district of Beacon Hills. I didn't know who—or what—was chasing him, but it must be pretty bad for him to look as concerned as he did. Scott was there, too, hiding behind a building. A gasp escaped my lips as Allison’s dad came into view. He was talking to a blonde woman, but I couldn't make out any of their words.

Then, a loud gunshot rang through the night.

I bolted upright. One of my hands moved to clutch at my chest as I tried to catch my breath. I looked toward my window, unsure if the sound had been real or only a part of my dream. Without giving myself time to hesitate, I threw my legs off my bed and padded to the window. I peered outside just in time to see Scott jumping down from his own second story window.

As he landed, an agonized howl echoed in the distance.

Okay. Definitely real, then.

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

“If Derek isn't the alpha, and he’s not the one that bit you, then who did?” Stiles leaned close to Scott in an effort to keep their conversation private.

I’d been trying to teach him how to actually whisper. It was a work in progress.

“I don't know.” Scott just shrugged. Stiles pursed his lips and stood straight again.

It was the end of the day, and I was headed toward my locker when the two boys materialized at my side. I wasn't exactly opposed to being their friend, but I still wasn't happy about having been dragged into their supernatural problems.

“Did the alpha kill the bus driver?” He once again hunched forward.

“I don't know.” Scott repeated, looking defeated.

Stiles’ nostrils flared and he let out a frustrated huff. His eyes suddenly widened as he seemed to realize something. “Does Allison’s dad know about—”

“I don't know!” Scott yelled, drawing a few curious eyes our way.

“Wait, what?” I stopped walking, confused by the mention of Mr. Argent. Sure, he’d been in my dream last night, but that didn't mean he was involved in all of this. Did it?

Scott and Stiles shared a wide-eyed look. Stiles shifted his weight and tightened his hold on the straps of his backpack. Scott cleared his throat.

“We should...” He trailed off and looked expectantly at Stiles. I crossed my arms and cocked my hip, waiting to see what lie they were going to try and pass off.

“Yeah?” Stiles suddenly called and jerked his head to the side. “Yep, coming!”

He grabbed Scott’s arm and they ran away down the hall. I frowned. They clearly weren't telling me something important. If her dad was somehow involved, did that mean she was too? Or was she oblivious? I huffed and decided to just ask her where her dad was last night when I met up with her for our daily ride home.

The hallways were quickly clearing out. My classmates were always in a rush to leave at the end of the day, and I usually was, too. But something about the way that I was the only one left after just a few seconds didn't sit right with me. I came to a slow stop, looking left and right for anything weird. I turned around timidly, getting the feeling that someone was behind me.

When I saw that everything was clear, I shook my head and continued on my way. I would need to hurry if I didn't want to miss Allison. I turned a corner and froze as I saw none other than Derek Hale talking to Jackson at his locker.

“I’ll find him myself.” He muttered, looking close to death. He had dark purple rings around both eyes, and a trail of blood running down his left arm. His skin was pale and almost transparent. Basically, he looked really, really bad.

He started walking away, toward me, but Jackson lunged forward to grab his shoulder. “No! We’re not done here.”

Derek whirled around and gripped Jackson by the neck. I gasped and quickly covered my mouth, not wanting either of them to know I was listening. He slammed Jackson face first against the lockers, hard. He groaned out in pain and started breathing erratically. Derek paused for a moment before withdrawing his hand and inspecting it. Jackson winced and my fear only grew as I saw claws at the end of each of Derek’s fingers. He’d dug them into Jackson’s neck.

Without another word, he turned and walked away. Jackson cupped the back of his neck, which was now oozing blood, with a pained grimace and watched him stumble down the hall. My heart was in my throat as I started backing away. He was coming right at me, his eyes boring into mine.

My hands began to tremble. What I just saw did not bode well for Derek’s innocence. What kind of person walks around a high school attacking people?

“You.” He mumbled. I continued moving backward and began shaking my head violently. Oh, God.

“Nope.” I decided to make a run for it and turned on my heel as fast as humanly possible. “Nope, nope, nope.”

I cried out as one of his hands wrapped around my right bicep. He jerked me back harshly, and I stiffened. My entire body was shaking with fear now.

“Where is Scott?” He huffed and pinched his eyes shut, seemingly in pain.

I eyed the claws that were pressing into my bare skin. He had a tight grip, but he hadn't broken the skin yet. I moved my head back, trying to get as much distance between us as possible.

“I don't...I don't know.” I stammered, finding it hard to think beyond my anxiety.

I was in the hands of a potential murderer. I’d just watched him hurt one of my friends. There was no way this could end well for me.

“Yes, you do.” He growled and his eyes flashed a bright blue. I whimpered and tried to tug myself free, but he had an iron hold.

“I don't.” I insisted breathlessly. “I haven't seen him all day.”

Okay, that was a lie. But I wasn't about to tell a homicidal werewolf where he was. I could assume he and Stiles were in the parking lot preparing to leave, but I didn't know for sure, so it wasn't a total lie.

Derek growled and I flinched, waiting for some kind of attack. He shook me in frustration and began striding down the hall again. “You’re coming with me.”

I started blabbering nonsensically. I tried prying his claws off with my free hand, but it was no use. He stumbled every few steps, clearly growing weak. His eyes fluttered as his breathing became labored. Something was seriously wrong with him. And he was kidnapping me.

He staggered out the front doors of the school, and I looked around frantically. Scott or Stiles had to be out here somewhere. Derek led me through the parking lot, which was swimming with students who somehow didn't notice what was going on right now. I wanted to scream, but I had no idea what this guy was truly capable of. I didn't want anyone else to get hurt.

I dug my heels into the ground, but it did nothing to slow Derek down. My heart was hammering wildly in my chest. I had no idea where he planned on taking me, but I was terrified out of my mind. He forced us through a few parked cars before someone skidded to a stop in front of us.

“Oh, my God!” I heard Stiles call out from his Jeep and breathed a small sigh of relief. His eyes bulged as he looked between me and Derek.

Cars started honking as the Jeep held up the line to get out of the parking lot. Derek suddenly clutched his free hand over his heart, his hold on me loosening. A crowd was starting to gather as Scott ran up frantically. Stiles flung his door open and flailed his way out in a hurry.

“Hey, let her go.” He sounded breathless as he stood cautiously to the side with one hand outstretched.

Just then, Derek fell to the ground. I took a big step away from him and rubbed at my skin as his hand disappeared. Stiles pulled me into him instantly, one of his arms wrapping around my shoulders and the other clutching my head to his chest. He walked us backward until we were beside his Jeep. Despite being relatively safe, my heart was still going crazy. I let out a breath and leaned into the comforting embrace.

“What are you doing here?” Scott kneeled down to Derek’s level and looked around anxiously.

“I was shot.” Derek huffed, somehow even more pale now.

“Why aren't you healing?” Cars continued honking angrily as we held up the line.

“I can’t...” He tried catching his breath. “It was a different kind of bullet.”

“What? A silver bullet?” Stiles called, his breath fanning against the top of my head.

“No, you idiot.” Derek glowered at him and he took another protective step back.

“Wait, wait, wait. That's what she meant when she said you have forty-eight hours.” Scott didn't try to keep the amazement out of his voice as he seemed to realize something.

Derek grew still and look at him expectantly. “Who? Who said forty-eight hours?”

“Who shot you?” Scott countered, apparently not wanting to give him all the information.

Some people behind us started yelling, and I pulled my head away from Stiles’ chest. He looked down at me gently, his eyes swimming with concern. “You okay? Did he hurt you? ‘Cause if he did, I can get him arrested again.”

I giggled despite the situation at hand. He gave me a lopsided smile and I felt my cheeks flare with heat. I cleared my throat awkwardly and took a step back. That hug had done wonders at calming me down, but I didn’t want to make things weird by continuing to stand there in his arms.

“Stop that!” Scott suddenly yelled, panicked.

I turned to see that Derek’s eyes were flashing between their normal color and that wolfy electric blue. He let out a groan and blinked harshly. “That's what I’m trying to tell you. I can’t!”

Scott helped him to his feet and frantically looked around. There were a lot of witnesses, so if Derek shifted right now, it would be beyond bad. Despite the fact that he would probably kill someone, he would also be exposing himself and Scott.

He tore open the passenger side door to Stiles’ Jeep and shoved Derek inside. Stiles immediately ran over and stood at the other opened door. The honking behind us seemed to get louder.

“I need you to find out what kind of bullet it was.” Derek breathed, looking like he was going to pass out at any moment.

“How am I supposed to do that?” Scott’s eyes widened and he rested his hands against the window.

“She’s an Argent, she’s with them.” I stilled at his words.

Who’s an Argent? The woman that shot him?

Oh, shit.

It suddenly made sense. The blonde woman from my dream...Allison’s aunt just came to town. It had to be her.

“I’ll try.” Scott begrudgingly agreed before letting his eyes sweep to Stiles. “Get him out of here.”

“I hate you for this. So much.” Stiles angrily started getting in his Jeep and I turned to walk away. I had no idea how I was going to get home now, but I couldn't find it within myself to care. I just wanted to be as far away from here as possible.

“No. She comes with us.” I heard Derek bark and my shoulders stiffened.

I turned back to see Stiles looking at me with wide eyes. I had no idea why he would want me there, but I wasn’t going to risk arguing. Even like this, he was still incredibly dangerous. I avoided Stiles’ worried gaze as I brushed past him to scoot into the backseat.

Stiles got in and slammed the door, finally putting an end to the incessant honking. We drove in tense silence for several minutes, before the two started bickering.

“Hey, try not to bleed out on my seats. Okay? We’ re almost there.” Stiles groaned after seeing that Derek was getting much worse. His jacket sleeve was dark with the sticky liquid.

“Almost where?” Derek’s head was lolling from side to side with every bump we hit in the road.

“Your house?” Stiles said it as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

“What?” Derek used all of his strength to look at him threateningly. “You can’t take me there.”

“I can’t take you to your own house.” He laughed at the audacity of that statement. Where else would we take him?

“Not when I can’t protect myself.” Derek responded with his own high level of sass.

Stiles gripped the wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white. A moment later the Jeep was pulled over to the side of the road. He threw it into park and took out the keys before whipping around to glare at Derek.

No, no, Stiles. What are you doing? I just want this to be over.

“What happens if Scott can’t find your little magic bullet? Hmm? Are you dying?”

“Not yet. I have a last resort.” Not yet wasn’t exactly reassuring. It wasn't that I necessarily cared if Derek lived or died, but I also didn't want to witness the latter. Or deal with the aftermath.

Stiles flailed his arms angrily. “What do you mean? What last resort?”

Derek groaned and pulled up his sleeve to check on the wound. I couldn't help but lean forward to catch a glimpse of what had taken him out like this. There was a small bullet sized hole in his arm, and it was oozing thick, dark blood.

“Oh, my God.” Stiles instantly recoiled in disgust. “What is that? Is that contagious? You know what, you should probably just get out.”

“Start the car. Now.” Derek’s chest was heaving, as if taking every breath was a struggle. The command didn't sound very threatening, given his current state.

“I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look! Okay? In fact, I think if I wanted to, I could probably drag your little werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead.” Stiles anger at the situation hit a boiling point as he raised his voice and jerked his arm wildly.

Derek’s head slowly swiveled so that he could glare right at Stiles. “Start the car. Or I’m going to rip both of your throats out. With my teeth.”

I stiffened and pressed my back against the seat behind me. Why he had to bring me into it, I had no idea, but I didn't doubt for a second that he could actually do that. Dying or not. Stiles stared back at him for a long moment, his eyes twitching.

“Just go, Stiles.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

He turned his head to glance at me briefly and I saw the contained frustration burning in his honey eyes. He did not like this situation one bit, and neither did I. It seemed like every time I was in this Jeep, my life was in danger somehow. He started the car with a jerk and we were on our way again.

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

It was dark now, and we hadn't made any progress. We were pulled over again when Stiles finally got through to Scott. He’d been calling and texting him nonstop for almost an hour. He was currently at Allison’s trying to find the type of bullet that her aunt shot him with.

“You’re not going to believe where he wants me to take you.” Stiles sighed and handed the phone to Derek.

“Did you find it?” He paused for a moment. “Look, if you don't find it then I’m dead. Alright?”

While waiting, I’d learned that the Argent’s are werewolf hunters. It had only taken an hour of pestering before Derek finally spat the truth out to shut me up. I was starting to get annoyed with Stiles and Scott’s habit of keeping things from me. If I was going to be their friend, and help them with this stuff, then I needed to be able to see the whole picture.

“Think about this. The alpha called you out against your will. He’s gonna do it again, and next time, you’ll either kill with him...or get killed. So if you want to stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet.” Derek hung up and threw the phone back into Stiles’ lap.

I sat forward in my seat and braced one hand on each of the headrests. “What are you talking about?”

When he didn’t answer, my attention shifted to Stiles in the rearview mirror. “What is he talking about?”

His just pursed his lips and glanced away, starting the car once again. I let out a huff and fell back into my seat as he began driving again. Unbelievable.

A few minutes later, we pulled up to the animal clinic Scott works at. This is where he wanted us to bring Derek?

Stiles jumped out and pulled a large garage door open. I scooted my way free and joined his side with my arms crossed. We would be having some words when this was all over. Derek came stumbling up after a long moment and collapsed onto a pile of big bags of cat litter.

“Does Nordic Blue Monkshood mean anything to you?” Stiles asked after glancing down at his phone.

“It’s a rare form of wolfsbane. He has to bring me the bullet.” Derek confirmed, clutching his injured arm tightly.

“Why?” I spoke up, accidentally drawing all the attention my way.

“Because I’m going to die without it.” Derek let his head fall back into the plaster wall behind him and huffed out a long breath, his eyes drifting closed.

Okay, Mr. Dramatic. We get it. You’re dying. Stiles typed something furiously into his phone before unlocking the clinic door.

We all shuffled inside quickly and I flicked on the lights as we entered an examination room. Derek stripped himself of his shirt, and damn, did he have a nice body. If he weren't a murderer, and currently dying, I would actually think he was hot. Oh, and there was the disgusting state of his arm to consider.

He slammed it onto the metal table in the middle of the room, breathing heavily. It looked so much worse than before. His blood had turned black, and the veins around the wound were matching. They were swollen, too, looking ready to burst any second.

“You know, that doesn't look like something a little echinacea and a good nights sleep couldn't take care of.” Stiles leaned his weight on the table across from Derek. He was using humor to try and get out of this situation, something he did a lot. But I don't think it would work this time.

“When the infection reaches my heart, it’ll kill me.” He turned away and started rummaging through the wooden cabinets hanging on the wall.

“Positivity just isn't in your vocabulary, is it?” I snapped, over this whole situation. You would think the guy would be slightly grateful that we were even trying to help him. I didn't want to be here. Stiles didn't want to be here. But we were helping because Scott needed us to.

“If he doesn't get here with the bullet in time...last resort.” Derek huffed, more to himself than us as he pulled open a drawer.

“Which is?” I prodded, nervous to find out his plan.

He turned with a small saw in his hand and held it up before gesturing to Stiles. “He’s going to cut off my arm.”

“Oh, my God.” Stiles started freaking out as Derek laid the saw on the table with a clank. “What if you bleed to death?”

Derek pulled a length of blue elastic string out of nowhere and started tying it around his bicep with his teeth. “It’ll heal if it works.”

“Look, I don't know if I can do this.” Stiles’ voice broke on the confession. Hell, I didn't blame him. There was no way I could cut someone’s arm off. Not even if he was a dying werewolf.

“Why not?” Derek barked, still trying to tie off his blood flow.

“Well. Because of the flesh, the sawing of the bone, and especially the blood!” Damn, he was really freaking out. I put an hand on his shoulder in an effort to calm him down. He glanced my way and tried to slow down his breathing.

“You faint at the sight of blood?” Now the two were back to their bickering, which wasn't going to do anything but waste time. By the looks of it, there wasn't much left.

“No, but I might at the sight of a chopped off arm!” He was getting riled up again. If he was going to actually do this, he needed to be calm. Otherwise Derek might really die.

“Fine, how about this? Either you cut off my arm, or I’m going to cut off your head.”

“Okay. You know what, I’m so not buying your threats anymore—”

Derek fisted Stiles’ shirt and dragged him harshly across the table. I flinched away from them, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire if they were going to fight. Let’s face it, if they were going to fight, Stiles was a dead man.

“Oh my God. Okay. Alright. Totally, totally. I’ll do it, okay? I’ll do it.” He stammered, panicking at their close proximity. Derek was still scary as fuck, even minutes away from death.

He let go of Stiles and lurched over the table. He puked up a thick, black liquid and I covered my mouth to prevent myself from gagging. I didn't even know the human body could produce that kind of material.

“What the hell is that?” I practically shrieked, unable to hide my disgust.

“My body is trying to heal itself.” Derek murmured with barely enough strength to lift his head.

“Well it’s not doing a very good job of it!” My stomach churned at the awful sight.

He looked expectantly at Stiles, who was grimacing intensely. “Now. You gotta do it now.”

“Look, honestly, I don't think I can.” He struggled to get the words out around his labored breathing.

“Just do it!” Derek suddenly shouted, making both of us jump.

“Oh, God. Okay. Let’s do this.” He picked up the saw and pulled the trigger to test it. He rested it against Derek’s arm and I backed away until my ass hit the small medicine counter. I had no desire to watch something like this, but I couldn't look away, either. “Here we go!”

Just before he pulled the trigger, Scott came barreling into the room. Stiles instantly dropped the saw and breathed a sigh of relief. I found myself doing the same, my heart hammering wildly.

“What the hell are you doing?” Scott yelled out in confusion at the sight he walked into.

“Oh, man. You just prevented a lifetime of nightmares.” Stiles’ happiness at not having to go through with it was obvious as he smiled gratefully.

“Did you get it?” Derek demanded, still hunched over.

Scott dug his hand into his jean pocket and handed him a small, golden bullet. Derek used his remaining strength to stand up and bite the tip of it off. I stepped forward to get a better look as he tapped it against the metal table. Something that looked like a pile of herbs came out.

He pulled a lighter out of nowhere and lit it. We all looked away, covering our eyes as it emitted bright sparks. Once it had fizzled out, Derek scooped up the ashes and wasted no time in shoving them into his wound. I grimaced and looked away as he started screaming and groaning in agony.

He fell to the floor and writhed around, growling lowly in his chest. His hands were clenched into tight fists, and his back arched every few seconds as the powder worked its way through his system. We all watched in amazement as the bulging veins in his arm started to fade. Within seconds, the wound was completely healed.

“That...was...awesome! Yes!” Stiles pumped a fist in the air, apparently enjoying that way too much. Scott and I gave him a concerned look and he lowered his arm back to his side with pursed lips.

“Are you okay?” Scott asked as Derek got back to his feet.

He looked completely fine now. The dark circles and pale skin were gone, replaced by tanned muscle. Not that I was staring at his muscles. He seemingly had all of his energy back, too.

“Except for the agonizing pain.” He bit out and started unwrapping the elastic from his arm.

“Well, I’m guessing the ability to use sarcasm is a good sign of health.” I huffed out a tense laugh, but my smile instantly dropped as Derek glowered my way.

Damn, he’s scary.

“Okay, we saved your life. Which means you’re going to leave us alone. You got that? And if you don't I...I’m gonna go back to Allison’s dad I’m gonna tell him everything—” Scott was rambling out his attempt at a threat. The guy was always so tightly wound, I was surprised he hadn't had a full on panic attack by now.

“You’re gonna trust him? What, you think they can help you?” Derek scoffed as if the idea was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard.

“Well, why not? They’re a lot freaking nicer than you are!” He shouted, frustrated at Derek’s stubbornness.

He hesitated a moment, as if mulling over an idea. His eyes narrowed. “I can show you exactly how nice they are.”

Yeah, because that isn't ominous or anything.

Episode 3 Episode 5, Part One

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petri808 · 4 years

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Paid By the Heart

Bakudeku, A!Bakugou/O!quirkless Midoriya. Growing up Midoriya was picked on and bullied, harassed by the other sexes. In desperation he turns to the only Alpha he knows, begging for help. They reach a deal for the little Omega to use the Alpha's scent to keep the other's at bay... but was that really a good idea? Intermingling their scents for years had a consequence that left them only one option.

The life of a quirkless person in their world was a sad one, but couple that with being a small Omega; double whammy. Ever since that fateful doctors visit informing his mother, he’d never have a quirk, Midoriya Izuku was shunned at school, even bullied for being a small, gangly nerd. He was easy pickings and there was nothing he could do about it.

By the time he’d hit middle school, life was a lonely existence for the young man. His solace was in books or chronicling the exploits of his favorite hero All Might. For outside of that little bubble, pain and frustration was the norm. If only he’d been born an Alpha or at least a Beta, maybe then he’d gain a small measure of respect, quirkless or not. But no, the universe decided, he was to be an Omega, the lowest of the ranks. Could things get any worse?

The answer was yes. When he wasn’t being bullied, he was being harassed. Horny teen Alpha’s really were a bane of his existence. This lot didn’t care who or what he was, only interested in the scent he gave off. At least going into heat was still a few years away, because that could lead to bigger problems.

Sometimes things got so bad in school, Midoriya would hide in teachers classes or the nurses room until finally one called his mother about it and she promptly put him on scent inhibitors. He’d been too embarrassed to tell her what was going on. At least now he gained a small reprieve, but that didn’t stop the bullying. What could he do?

Midoriya racked his brain to come up with a solution, including quitting school altogether. Not ideal, no, considering learning was one of the few things he actually did enjoy. That’s when he realized, if only he had someone to protect him. Like a bodyguard. But who would be willing to help a small omega? He didn’t have any real friends that were Alpha’s or at least bigger Omega’s. Though he did know one Alpha…

Nah, Bakugou would never willingly help him. Despite growing up around each other, once he was deemed quirkless, the boy shunned him completely. They were complete opposites in personality; him being shy and Bakugou a bastion of anger.

No one dared to mess with Bakugou Katsuki, least get an explosion to the face.

But desperate times, called for desperate measures and Midoriya was tired of the split lips, black eyes, or torn clothing. He didn’t want to be shoved and messed with anymore and the one Alpha, despite their rocky relationship, who didn’t pick on him physically, was Bakugou. So, one day after school and a particularly egregious fight, Midoriya waited at the foot of the staircase of their apartment building. He lived on one floor and the blonde Alpha lived on another. As he waited, thoughts of what he should say worked their way through this analytical mind.

The man wasn’t going to do this willingly, that was a given. Bakugou’s main focus in life has always been power. To get to the top someday as a hero like their idol All Might. Maybe that’s a potential answer, play to the man’s desire to protect. Frankly, Midoriya wasn’t sure if it would work, but he had an alternative. He’ll pay the man to be his bodyguard. Not that he could afford much, but if it took getting a part time job or something, it beat getting assaulted.

He stands up from the step the moment he smells the Alpha coming. ‘Breathe, Izuku, stay calm…’

“Outta my way nerd!”

Midoriya swallows hard, fidgeting with his fingers nervously. “K-Kacchan, I need to talk to you— ask you a-about something.”

“The answer’s no.” The man starts to push past the smaller male. But Midoriya grabs his arm to stop him. He whips around, grabbing the hand on his arm and throwing it off. “Do you have a death wish?!”

“Please, Kacchan!” Midoriya grovels with tears streaming down his cheeks. “I can’t take all the bullying anymore.”

Bakugou narrows his eyes. “Nothing I can help you with nerd, now get out of my way before I do hurt you.”

Midoriya drops to his knees with his head hung down. “Kacchan…” He looks up now with sullen eyes, sad and forlorn. “I-I—will you please protect me?!”

“Argh!!!” Bakugou growls. This stupid Omegas scent was filled with such desperation it was rattling his senses! “Deku what the fuck makes you think I’d help you?!”

His shoulders slump further. “I know you have no incentive to help me. I’m just a worthless quirkless Omega. But I’m desperate Kacchan. I have no one else to turn to and I’m willing to pay with whatever I can afford.”

“I don’t want your money idiot.”

“Please! I’ll do anything!”

Fuck!! No matter how much the little freckle-faced mouse irritated him, he could never lash out except with words. Bakugou knew exactly why the man was so desperate, saw him picked on by the other sexes. The fresh cut above the man’s eye and torn shirt was evidence enough, but laying a hand on Midoriya, he just couldn’t do it. Plus, he believed his mother would kill him.

“Ugh!” He groans and snaps. “Fine! But you are gonna pay somehow. You’ll cover my lunches at school for starters and… I don’t fucking know, but I’ll think of something. So, what the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Oh, thank you Kacchan!” In his elation, Midoriya jumps onto and hugs the larger male, snuggling his face into the man’s neck.

A flush of heat colors Bakugou’s cheeks. “Oi! Oi!” He peels the man off. “Get the fuck off me nerd!” Too close! Too close! Whether he wanted to admit it or not, Midoriya’s earthy scent pleased his inner Alpha and in his happiness that scent exploded.

“S-Sorry, Sorry!” He bows and takes a step back. “Thank you, you saved my life Kacchan.”

“I still don’t know what the fuck you want.” He crosses his arms. “I ain’t just gonna beat people up for you unless I really need to.”

Midoriya’s eyes widen and he waves his hands, “no, I wouldn’t ask you to! I hope that just being around you, or,” his face heats up, “like your presence and scent on me will deter them. And eventually they’ll just stay away out of fear.”

Unlike a lot of the Alphas their age, Bakugou had no desire to engage in primally driven acts. In fact, those types pissed him off too. Just mindless idiots as far as he was concerned. He wasn’t about to let stupid mating instincts distract him from his goals. “So basically, a fake relationship?” His lack of giving a damn about such trivial matters made it easy for him not to care. “As long as I don’t gotta be affectionate and shit.”

“R-Right!” Just the thought of intimacy made Midoriya bloom red. “Yes, nothing like that. Just the illusion of being your property.”

“Ha! I kinda like the sound of that!” Bakugou finally smiles, though more like an evil smirk. “You’ll be my bitch from now on!”

And so that’s how it was for the next few years. Each morning before school, the Omega would swipe a bit of sweat off the Alpha and rubbed it on himself. With the man’s scent on him, all the other Alphas and bullies stayed clear. They never eluded to any relationship, barely even hung out together, but everyone was too afraid to question it. Midoriya quietly went through the school days and for the first time in a very long time, he could finally relax. Even though his life was still lonely.

Once they finished middle school, Bakugou moved on to the prestigious UA Academy for pro heroes in training, while Deku managed to get into their Support program. Turns out his passion for learning and analytics was a skill he could trade on. Since they’d be at the same school, they could keep up the same rouse. Not that Bakugou seemed to care. Though the trade off for his part of the deal had perks with the Omega still footing any request he made.

Things continued unabated for the first two years of high school and Bakugou didn’t pay attention to the subtle changes taking place. Midoriya still dutifully came for his scent every morning before class. The Omega continued to pay for his services. But he failed to notice a change in the Omega’s scent. Where once the smaller male reeked of sadness, now there were hints of elation. The man smiled brighter and even had a bounce to his step. Midoriya was blossoming in the Support program. He had friends to call his own and Bakugou couldn’t be more thrilled the guy wasn’t trying to hang around him anymore.

It wasn’t until the third year was halfway through when the changes became glaringly noticeable. Midoriya continued to pay, but gathering his scent had grown from sporadic to nonexistent. Perhaps he wasn’t in need of Bakugou’s help anymore? No one was bullying him, on the contrary, the Omega was a top student in his program who’d gained the respect of his peers.

Bakugou corners the man outside one day between the dorm buildings. “Oi, Deku, what’s the deal? You don’t need me anymore?” He refused to admit it bothered him to not be needed.

“What do you mean?”

“You keep paying me, but never come for my scent.”

“Oh… well, you see, now that I’ve found my place here, it’s, um, hurting my reputation that I smell like an Alpha. I still pay because I do appreciate everything you did for me Kaachan.”

“What the fuck? You getting all horny now, looking for action but nobody giving you that kind of attention?”

“What?! N-No!” He waves his hands desperate to wipe the statement away. “That’s not it, I’m not looking for that! I’m even on Heat blockers. It’s just, the Alpha’s they treat me differently. They’ll talk to me like they respect me but always at an arms distance and it’s frustrating. Even after a few months without your scent on me, they still keep a distance.”

It was driving Midoriya crazy! So, he started to question, what will happen when he does want to be courted by an Alpha?! What helped in his youth now backfired and the plans were blowing up in his face. The reputation of Bakugou having staked his claim years ago on the Omega would make finding a partner almost impossible unless he could find a way to distance himself. Who in their right mind would dare touch the Lord of Explosions chosen mate?!

“I hope once we graduate and go our separate ways, people will finally realize we’re not together.” Midoriya was sure that once the blonde settled into pro hero life, he’d start dating as well, and that’ll take the heat of his back.

“Tch, well I’m not a charity case, so stop paying me if you ain’t getting a benefit out of it. Guess that’s it.” Bakugou’s turns his back to the man and starts walking away. He tips two fingers, “see ya around nerd!”

Huh? Well that went easier than he’d expected it to. All this time avoiding the conversation only for Bakugou to have no real reaction. Guess this really was just a business transaction for the Alpha. Midoriya shrugs, so be it, and continues on his way.

Unfortunately, things weren’t all that it appeared to be for the Alpha. After walking away from the Omega, a dull pain centered in his chest making it a little hard to breathe. But not wanting to show weakness, Bakugou ignored it and continued to strut back to his dorm room. Perhaps he’d overexerted himself again in the gym.

It’s a pain that started a couple of months ago that came and went, that he equated as simply working too hard. His muscles are still adjusting to the heavy schoolwork on top of the skirmishes the students got pulled into. That had to be the answer, for what else could it be? But after a week of the pain not letting up, Bakugou finally relented and consulted the nurse.

“Well,” the nurse, Recovery Girl sits back on her stool. “Don’t know what to tell ya, cause they ain’t nothin physically wrong with you that I can find. But if you think it’s muscle related, ease up on your workouts and take magnesium supplements.”

“The fuck you sayin old hag?! I can’t stop exercising. My quirk demands a topnotch body!”

She shrugs her shoulders, used to the hotheaded Alpha by now. “Then just learn to live with the pain. It’s not uncommon from pro heroes to suffer from pain, especially those with strong quirks like you have. You’re kinda young, but with how hard you push yourself, it’s inevitable.”

“Argh!” Bakugou storms out of the room. Fucking useless old bat! Two months away from graduation and being told he’s already developing, what, an old person’s problem?! “Fucking hell!” This is bullshit!

He flies it out of the room so quickly, that when he rounds a corner in the hallway, runs smack into a body. “Get the fuck outta my way!!”

“Kacchan?! Oh my god, sorry I didn’t see you coming!”

The world stops cold. “Deku…” suddenly the pain in his chest lessens as the calming scent of the concerned Omega wraps around his body. Bakugou’s eyes flash wide. “Oh, fuck no!” Quick like a bolt of lightning, the Alpha races away leaving the shocked and confused Omega standing there alone calling after him. Bakugou grits his teeth as he beelines it back to his dorm room. ‘It’s just a coincidence!’

“What was that all about?” Midoriya mumbles under his breath. It was the first time he’s seen the Alpha look, scared? No way, the Omega dismisses the notion. Bakugou wasn’t afraid of anything. He must have just been surprised to see him.

He continues on to the lab where he’s close to finishing a new project. The Alpha, Shouto Todoroki, requested a better cooling material for his suit. The pro needed something that insulated the cold from his quirk for a longer lasting effect. That way Hellfire would also be more sustainable.

It was a major nod to the Omega considering the man was up and up against Bakugou in terms of power. Currently, they were the top two pro students and Alpha’s of UA. Plus, Todoroki was not only cute but the complete opposite of Bakugou in personality. He was always kind to the Omega. Not that anything was going on between them! But the minor attention was exactly what triggered him to back away from his old friend.

From that moment in the hallway on, every time Midoriya came into contact with Bakugou, the Alpha turned heel and avoided any interactions. He couldn’t lie that it didn’t hurt just a little. They’d never been the closest friends, but it was as if the blonde was angry with him and that bothered him because he couldn’t understand why? But he also wasn’t gutsy enough to question the man either. Did turning down his scent hurt Bakugou’s pride or ego? Frankly, that would not be surprising.

The day of their graduation was a whirlwind of activity. The stadium packed just like the Sport event; even a similar turn out. Family and friends were there to celebrate, pro’s and companies were there to recruit. First the Support class, then the General studies, and lastly the Heroes courses all went up and received their diplomas. After the ceremony, the students were sent to designated spots to meet with their families and friends first. From there they could venture around to see other people.

“Thanks mom,” Midoriya hugs the crying woman for the umpteenth time that afternoon.

“I’m just so proud of you son!”

A tap on his shoulder cuts into the tender moment. “Forgive me for intruding Mrs. Midoriya. My father would like to meet your son.”

The pair’s eyes widen as the Number One hero stood in front of them. He was such an imposing figure!

“N-Nice to meet you Mr. Endeavor!” Midoriya bows.

“My son tells me you were able to create a better suit for him.”

Midoriya looks to his friend then back to the man. “Yes, sir I did.”

“Good. Perhaps you’ll be very useful in the future.” Endeavor nods his head and simply walks away without another word.

“D-Did he just?!”

“My father would like me to bring you by the agency next week for an interview.”

“Oh, wow really?!”

“Yes,” Todoroki chuckles.

“I’ll leave you two to discuss things,” Mrs. Midoriya cuts in. “It was nice to meet you Todoroki.”

After the goodbyes, the two men continue discussing the interview. Things like what he should bring, how he should dress, and what time to arrive. Midoriya had assumed Endeavor contracted out support work, but it turns out they have in-house staff.

“There is one last thing I would like to discuss.” The Alpha takes hold of the Omegas hand. “You see I’ve grown quite fond of you,” he leans down, sniffing at the scent gland of the smaller males neck. “Your scent…” his voice grows soft like a purr, “I wish to court you properly Midoriya Izuku.”

“W-What?”

“WHAT!?!!”

The feral growl behind him causes Midoriya to flinch. Before he can register just what the hell was going on, he was pushed back and a second Alpha stood between him and Todoroki.

“K-Kacchan?!” He grabs the man’s arm. “Kacchan what are you doing?!”

But the larger male simply grabs hold of him and pushes him back again, all while staring down the other Alpha.

“This mouse is taken,” Bakugou growls low and narrows his eyes, challenging Todoroki.

Todoroki glares back unflinching. “You don’t care about him, only took his money for protection. That doesn’t make him yours Katsuki.”

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!”

“You don’t,” the man grins. “Three years I watched from a distance. How he’d sneak into the dorms in the morning, pay for your lunch in the cafeteria, and for what? We could smell you on him yet not once did you two ever hang out with each other.”

“S-So what! That doesn’t mean I don’t care about him! I took the protector role to fucking protect him!”

Todoroki scoffs, “I bided my time and once the daily visits ended, I started making my move. Not once did you ever stop us because you ran away from him! Stupid fool, how dare you decide to claim him now!”

Bakugou lowers his head just slightly, fists clench, and tiny explosions going off in his palms. “Fucking icyhot bastard. You don’t know what I’m feeling. Think I don’t know I fucked up when I shoulda faced the music sooner.” He stares straight up. “But I do know now, Deku’s mine! Hear me?! Mine!! And I am not fucking giving up my mate to you or any other bastard!”

The blonde pulls Midoriya forward, hands gripped to his arms. “Tell him Deku! Tell him you’re mine!”

“But am I? You’ve never shown any interest in me before Kacchan. Todoroki has helped me so much and now because of him, I’ll be interviewing for Endeavors support staff. Yes, your scent protected me from bullies, but I thought it was always just a business transaction.”

“N-no!” Bakugou staggers back clutching to his chest as the pain swiftly doubles. This can’t be happening! “You can’t pick him over me Deku!” The sting of rejection was worse than a villain breaking every bone in his body. He cries out and drops to the ground in a fetal position as the pain rips through his chest and knocks the wind out of him. “Fuck it hurts!” It was too excruciating, so much so, his body was slipping out of consciousness in response.

“Kacchan?!” Midoriya falls to his knees too and grabs the man, shaking him. “Kacchan, what’s wrong with you?!” He felt helpless as the man’s eyes rolled back in his head.

“Wow Katsuki… you really do love Midoriya.”

The Omega looks up at Todoroki. “How do you know that?!”

Todoroki points at Bakugou. “If an Alpha covets an Omega but is rebuffed, they are stricken with illness. It only happens when we truly love someone.”

“S-So if I turn you down, you’ll get sick too?!” Why is this whole love stuff so cruel?! This was not what he’d expected to happen! Tears gather in his eyes. “That wasn’t part of the plan. I-I just wanted to know what he really thought about me.”

“Fret not,” Todoroki smiles at him. “You’re cute, but I’m not in love with you. But now that you have your answer, my role is done. I’ll see you at the interview next week,” he winks and walks away to find his girlfriend.

“O-Okay, thank you Todoroki!” Midoriya turns back to the comatose man by his side and continues shaking him. “Kacchan! Please wake up! I’m here! I’m not going anywhere! Just wake up!”

A small crowd gathered around them, but he didn’t care, too concerned with Bakugou’s condition. Had he known an Alpha could suffer like this, he never would have attempted this little rouse. Todoroki was the one who suggested it, but neither of them could have known the blonde had fallen so deeply in love.

With the help of Bakugou’s teacher, Shota Aizawa and another staff member who came on the scene, they take the unconscious Alpha to the infirmary. They place him on one of the beds where Recover Girl checks him over. The man was out cold, but his vitals were steady.

Midoriya takes a seat by the bedside, clutching to his friends hand. It’s been an hour since they’d arrived and according to the nurse, it was now a waiting game. “Please,” the Omega squeezes the Alpha’s hand, “come back to me Kacchan…” He closes his eyes to rest them, laying his head against the man’s arm. He was so emotionally exhausted from the ordeal of the day, but he’s not moving until the man wakes up. Six years and never once he allowed himself to hope, until now.

“Mmmm,” Midoriya stirs at the feeling of fingers treading softly through his hair. “That feels so nice,” he purrs to the familiar scent of burnt sugar he’d come to know so well. It wrapped around, calming, calling the Omega out of his dream.

Wait! Burnt sugar?! He pops up immediately, “Kacchan?!” Scrambling onto the bed and swaddling the Alpha. “I was so worried,” Midoriya buries his face in the man’s neck. “Why didn’t you just tell me?!” He sniffles.

Bakugou wraps his arms around the man, leaning his head against his and relishing in the contented tones exuding from the Omega’s scent. “I’m up now, so stop crying Deku.” He sighs, “and I didn’t tell you cause I’m an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot.”

“Yes,” he lifts Midoriya’s face, fixing his eyes in a stare, “I am. All because I didn’t want to admit I was weak for you.”

“So, you really mean it? That you want me to be your mate even though I’m quirkless?”

“Did I fucking stutter? But guess what Deku?”

“What?”

The Alpha kisses him roughly, nipping his lip before pulling away, “I’m claiming my final payment.”

“Oh!” Midoriya giggles, “what’s the payment?”

“You.”

~~~XX~~~

Just because they finally figured things out, didn’t mean either of them wanted to rush into a relationship. It was simply satisfying to know they wanted to be with each other. And for that reason, Midoriya continued to use heat blockers as a birth control, just like he’d done for the last several years.

The Omega respected the fact Bakugou focused on having a good career in the pro hero world. His ambitions to reach the top given a whole new incentive in order to provide for a family one day. But the Alpha was proud of his betrothed’s advances as well. After high school, the up and coming Support technician proved his worth for the Endeavor agency while he himself worked as a side kick to the head man himself.

Bakugou dreamed of one day owning his own agency, but until then, he pushed himself hard under the constant tutelage of the number one hero. They were both paid well at their jobs, and continued to maintain separate homes… for now. The blondes excuse being he would court Midoriya properly this time around.

Except when it came to sex. That part of their relationship was consummated two nights after graduation. In a protected knotting, they marked each other and staked their claims for all to see. Bakugou had been pleasantly surprised to find the shy, docile man was quite rambunctious in bed. But contrary to popular belief, it was closer to a vanilla encounter.

Both of them had been too excited and also nervous being a first time for either of them. Having been Midoriya’s protector for so long, the Alpha was almost terrified of hurting the smaller Omega and it took gentle coaxing to allay those fears. But in the end they’d been left satisfied and fully affirmed in their decision to spend the rest of their lives together.

Once the workload kicked in, any free time they had were spent together at one or the others apartment. Bakugou would take Midoriya out on dates, to dinners, movies, or anywhere the man fancied though it was rarely a lavish affair. The Omega preferred the quieter moments such as lounging on the couch and cuddling during a movie.

This went on for two years as the Alpha slowly built up a savings. He knew it would be several years before he could buy a bigger house, but soon enough he was ready to afford a 2 bedroom apartment in a nice area of town. So, he made up an excuse to stay with Midoriya while he moved into the new place, furnished, and prepared it to accept a mate.

“Perfect!” The blonde stands with his hands on his hips admiring his handiwork. Everything his Omega will need was purchased and set up in what will be their new nest. He’d spared no expense on a top of the line, plush, memory foam bedding. Extra blankets, pillows, you name it, Bakugou bought it. And last but not least, he scented all the fabrics with his musk. All that remained was surprising Midoriya.

He timed the reveal for the last week of the month, explaining his apartment was ready again and he wanted Midoriya to see the changes.

“Where are we going? This isn’t the direction of your place.”

“It’s the direction to my new place.”

“Kacchan, you moved apartments without telling me?”

He kisses the back of the Omegas hand, “well a surprise isn’t a surprise if I told you about it.”

When the elevator opens, Bakugou leads him to one of the apartments. He opens the door and gestures for the man to enter. “Welcome to your new home Izuku.”

“Huh? My, but I have an apartment…” the Omega gasps when he turns and finds his Alpha on one knee. “K-Kacchan,” his hands fly up in shock and face lights up.

“It’s time to officially cash in my payment chip,” the blonde grins, holding up a ring. “Izuku Midoriya, will you be my life mate?”

Moisture instantly builds in the Omegas eyes, “yes! Yes!” His hands shaky as the Alpha slips the ring onto his finger.

Bakugou gets to his feet and kisses the man slow and steady. He takes Midoriya’s hand. “There’s one thing I really wanna show you, then we’ll go pack up your apartment.”

“Oh my goodness!” The omega squeals at the site of his beautiful new nest and throws himself onto his Alpha, hugging and kissing the man. “Kacchan, you spoil me!”

“You deserve to be spoiled,” he smiles back. “Test it out.”

Midoriya dives onto the bed and bundles the blankets to his nose. It smelled like Bakugou! He closes his eyes with a moan, taking it all in and burying his face into the fabric. The Alpha laughs at how childlike his mate was behaving, but that was Midoriya for you. Just a ray of sunshine who wore his emotions on his sleeve.

While the Omega relishes in his new surroundings, Bakugou just stands back in admiration. To the outside world the pro Alpha hero was a temperamental hothead who took shit from no one. But those in the know, knew Midoriya had him wrapped around his finger.

The Omega never took advantage or made it feel like an obligation. Bakugou just came to realize he could be himself with the man. No keeping secrets or holding back. Their long history delving back almost two decades meant Midoriya knew him well and he Midoriya. This little mouse could calm him down without his Omega pheromones. But boy does those scents drive him wild too!

Just picturing his freckle faced cherub cuddled in his arms with a child between them sent a delectable shiver racing straight to his groin. Bakugou chuckles in his head, probably why the man was smart enough to stay on the birth control, because he knew without it they’d have already started a family before they were ready.

“Join me— Kacchan!” Hands reach out, beckoning him to the bed.

The Alpha grins and plops down close, pulling the Omega to him. He kisses Midoriya’s forehead. “I take it you’re happy?”

“Of course!” The man nestles deeper into his Alphas arms, resting his head against his chest. “But I’d be happy anywhere as long as I have you with me.”

Bakugou relishes in the euphoric scent his mate was giving off. It made his inner Alpha preen with pride. “Never in my life have I wanted a family more than I do in this moment. And I don’t care if they have quirks, are quirkless, as long as they’re healthy, and they’re ours.”

“Mmm, our own family…” child Midoriya’s dreams could never have predicted the life he ended up with. “Sometimes I pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming.”

“Did I ever tell you thank you for pulling that stunt at graduation?”

Midoriya sits up, hesitant, his scent immediately registering anxiety. “No.” Why is he bringing that up now?

But Bakugou counters with calming Alpha pheromones as he pulls his mate back into his arms. “I still can’t stand the smug bastard, but I’m glad icyhot helped you help me get outta my own head or I wouldn’t have this life.”

“You had me so panicked Kacchan! I thought I’d killed you or something.”

“Pfft, I’m tougher then that.” He kisses Midoriya’s forehead, sweeping his thumb lovingly over and caressing the Omega’s cheek with a grin, “but I think in the end I really got the better part of the deal.”

#bakudeku #katsudeku #bakudeku abo #bakudeku fan fic #bakudeku fan fiction #bkdk #a!bakugou #o!midoriya #quirkless midoriya izuku #alpha/omega #a/b/o #a/b/o dynamics #AU omegaverse #Bakugou katsuki #Midoriya izuku #Katsuki bakugou #Izuku midoriya #Todoroki shouto #has a small role

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stalksbyakuyatogami · 3 years

Note

Thank you for doing my 'summoning ancestor' request for the V3 cast, they were great. Could you do one for the girls of sdr2, please? If you don't want to do another one, then I completely understand and I'm sorry for bothering you.

Summoning An Ancestor With Goodbye Despair Girls!

No problem, anon. I enjoy making them, even though it takes hours xD

Akane Owari

•She thinks summoning an ancestor sound really cool! Do you have to offer food? She'll have to ask Teruteru then. An excuse so she can eat even just half of it. Nonetheless, very excited to do it with you.

•She suggested that you do it on the shore so it's wide open. But it was too wide open and very bright, so you performed it in the building beside Mirai Hotel.

•The event hall was quiet. Looks like you were the only people there. She then asks how you'd do this ritual and you presented her with all of the tools. "Aren't these too dangerous to have around?" Nevertheless, she helped you and did what she can.

•She got bored of waiting for 8 seconds. She walked away, picking her ears and saying something about having Teru cook her food. That is until something ascended from where you performed your ritual. She quickly posed in a defensive way, emphasizing her "claws" and all that. She was ready.

•She stood there standing. She was curiously eyeing the spirit. She's a bit bored though, so she'd pick her ears every so often. She was mostly quiet the whole time. She wanted to take your time and she doesn't want to disturb you. Escaping this killing game was the top priority.

•When you finished, she helped you gather all the things you used. She was talking about how it was pretty enjoyable, and she won't hesitate to join you again if there is a next time. For now, though, you should eat. The whole session was tiring!

Chiaki Nanami

•Summoning an ancestor? Well, that's new. What for? She's pretty chill about it. She actually likes to see how it would play out. It was intriguing but a bit creepy at the same time. But given the number of games she played, she's probably already used to this.

•And as expected, she blabbered about similar experiences in games. Does the ritual even come close to those of the games? When you arrived, she was low-key surprised by the tools you had. Sure, there were familiar ones, but also tools that she didn't know about. But still, she helped you on how to properly handle those things and how to do the ritual properly.

•She wondered why the spirit hadn't shown up yet. Did you use something wrong? Did you mess the order up? She approached where the spirit is supposed to pop up. But then stopped when the spirit really did appear. Shock. She slowly backed up and positioned herself just a bit behind you. No, she wasn't afraid.

•She joined the conversation between you and your ancestor. She helped you ask important questions. The spirit wasn't bothered at all, it's actually curious. And thanks to her, you got a lot more than expected.

•Tells you that you did a great job and that she would join yoi again if there's a next time. For now, though, she needs to rest. So why don't you join her and cuddle? Hm?

Ibuki Mioda

•Eh?! A summoning?! Sounds kinda scary... But I guess it'll totally rock! Still doubting whether she should join you. But if it's her S/O and one of their special moments in life, she won't hesitate to join. The ghost part is still a bit creepy though.

•She was anxious, asking you all the things you'd do while you were on your way to the summoning area. She thinks the tools are quite bizarre and she's a little bit freaked out. She tries her best to help you though.

•She was actually relieved and ready to go out when suddenly your ancestor's spirit appeared. She immediately hid behind your back, eyes still on the spirit.

•She was fiddling with her fingers the whole time you tried to communicate. If she did have something to ask, she'd whisper it to your ear. Too afraid to ask the spirit directly. And plus! It's your ancestor, how can she meddle?

•By the end of the session, she took a relieved sigh, thankful that the event was over. She had to admit, the experience was terrifying. But maybe she'd get used to it the next time you do it again.

Mahiru Koizumi

•She thinks it's too dangerous, but worth it at the same time. You could get information about this supposed killing game and end this as soon as possible. It took time for her to think about it, and finally, she agreed.

•She is always watchful of you handling all the tools. She's ready whenever you're injured or something. And she does her best in helping you too!

•She was patient enough to wait for the spirit. This is probably the first time she's seen one since fear and anxiety were evident on her face. Still, she fought the urge to run away. And instead, firmly stood by your side. This is important in solving this killing game, after all.

•She was the most questions asked. She eventually got accustomed to it. And honestly, the ghost had no complaints. It thought that Mahiru was entertaining.

•When it finally disappeared, she sighed in relief. Damn, that was nerve-wracking! She probably got carried away by adrenaline, but she did such a beautiful job, you just had to hug and thank her. She said that she can accompany you again, but she won't go overboard next time.

Mikan Tsumiki

•Poor girl was actually terrified. But if it's for her S/O she guesses that she can't back off. Maybe it'll be like talking to people you've known for the first time. Except that it wasn't a person, but a ghost. An ancestor.

•Mikan was Science all the way, so she really hoped that doesn't happen later. Rather it would happen when she's finally mentally prepared. The tools you had all laid out reminded her of the tools she used. But of course, it was very different from the ones she maneuvers. She helped you as much as she can. She made little mess-ups but it's all fine, you assure her.

•She was ready to tell you to leave now. Until the spirit appeared anyway. She squeaked at the sight of it. Impossible... She felt like she could faint, but she tried her best not to.

•She was standing beside you the whole time, timid and making herself small. She was once again startled when the spirit called her. She swore to God that she won't commit anything sinful next time just don't let this phantom murder her. /j

•It was quite a frightful experience. She tells you that you did a good job. And that she'll do her very best the next time you do this.

Peko Pekoyama

•She sweatdropped at the statement. Sumonning an ancestor? Isn't it dangerous and a bit odd? Maybe you shouldn't do it... Oh, it's for the killing game? I'll accompany you and do what I can.

•She wanted to know all the details about this so that she knows what to do. She knows that she can't attack a translucent creature, but who knows what'll happen, right? She's impressed with the items you had. She warns you that those are dangerous but you assure her that it's all fine. No need to worry.

•She stood there, patiently waiting for your so-called ancestor to come out. Once it did, she didn't feel any fear. But she was indeed alarmed. His hand shot up to her sword on her back, attempting to grasp defense. But before she can grab it, the phantom warned her that it meant no harm. No need for hostility. She calmed down.

•She was beside you, arms crossed and eyes intently at the ghost. Never letting her guard down. She would slip in questions randomly which was a big help. And the ancestor didn't hesitate to answer truthfully.

•She's thankful that no trouble appeared while you were doing the session. She had to thank the ghost for that at least. You got a lot of information, so she hopes that this happens again.

Sonia Nevermind

•You thought she would never in a million years, but she's actually excited! She can't stop talking about it to others. Thinks of potential scenarios that could happen. It's a bit odd, but it's a new experience, so why not?

•She talked about what she knew about summonings from the books she read. It was helpful to have someone know a lot about this. But unfortunately, among the tools you had laid out, only 2 of them were familiar to her. You presented her with the book you had. No wonder she doesn't know how to use the others, she hadn't read this yet! Helped in every way she could though.

•She panicked at the first appearance of your ancestor. It was more frightening and menacing than she expected. She hid behind you for a short time and only came out when she gathered enough courage to.

•She asked relevant questions too, but some of them are the origin of the spirit. The phantom was weirded out but answered nonetheless. You had to apologize for her.

•She obviously enjoyed the whole session; she had fun. She had to admit, it was quite scary, but what an experience! Wouldn't hesitate to join you again next time.

Eeeeeeee sorry this took so long, anon!! I hope you like it though, thank you for requesting!

-Mod Toko

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downwiththeficness · 4 years

Text

A Need So Great-Chapter 6

Summary: Eva Moore is assigned to work the last year of her contract with the DEA in Colombia. She just wants to get to the end of her tenure, but she keeps getting drawn further into a string of murders in the city. It isn’t long before she’s forced to face the ghosts of her past.

Word Count: ~2,900

Warnings: None

A/N: For the purposes of this story, Carrillo isn’t married--or, if you like, divorced. A/B/O dynamics are prevalent, and they come with their own warning. The overall rating for this story is Explicit, although not every chapter will contain adult themes.

Taglist: @dirtynerdy98 @1zashreena1 @heresathreebee @deliciouslyclassytrash

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 8.5, 9, 10, 10.5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21

True to his word, Carrillo had called her the next day, asked how she was doing. Eva was barely coherent, but she’d told him that she was okay and he’d let her get back to sleep. To her surprise, he’d called again on Sunday evening, asking if she felt better and if she had eaten. She had, but only a little.

Why don’t you take a hot bath, he’d prompted gently. You’ll feel better.

She did. And, she had felt better. By Monday morning, she was able to pull herself out of bed and head into the office. Although still sleepy, she felt more rested than she had in possibly years. Thinking back, Eva could not remember the last time a nesting period had been so fulfilling, or helpful. Though she was on the upswing, Eva had left the pillows and blankets in place. She could snuggle in them a little longer that night, before the need left her completely.

As her desk, she gathered a new stack of files, flipping through the one on top. It was the death of the informant she’d taken a look at. Eva paused, wondering if she should even read the file. She decided it would look worse if she didn’t. With a sigh, she began reading the first page. And then, the next page. And then she was moving back and forth between reports.

There was a page missing. She thumbed through it, looking to see if it had been collated incorrectly. It hadn’t. Javier had told her about a tattoo on the victim—it wasn’t included on the pages in front of her. Humming, she stood and went to the records room to see if it had slipped out in transit. It was there that Steve found her.

“Good, you’re here.”

Eva lifted her brows in question, refiling the folder in her hand.

“Javier asked me to find you and send you to help him at the church.”

She laughed, “I’m not religious.”

He put his hands on his hips, “Good, you’ll be objective.”

“Objective about what?”

“The case,” he answered, “Now, come on. I’ll take you there.”

Before she could argue, he was guiding her out of the building to the parking lot and they were on their way. It took until she was walking up the steps for her to pause and actually think about what she was doing.

“I can’t,” she nearly yelled, both hands coming up in front of her.

Steve rolled his eyes, “You can, let’s go. Javi’s waiting.”

“No,” Eva countered, lowering her voice, “I can’t do field work. I’m not allowed.”

He sucked a breath through his teeth in frustration, “You’re not. You’re going to mass. Now, in.”

Dragging her feet, Eva followed him in, folding her hands in front of her. It was a really nice church. Lots of stained glass, lots of wood. A confessional off to one side. Big cross with a Jesus on it. She walked up the aisle for what would be the second time in her life. Eva felt out of place the first time, too.

God, she’d been fourteen and so stupid, so trusting of her parents and of—of Joshua. He was smart and handsome and a fucking doctor. So stupid. So trusting. Eva could still remember that she was excited to be a wife, that she had thanked God for making happen so fast for her. She’d prayed that she would be a good partner for him, that she would learn fast. Eva had stopped believing in God the day after she got married.

Javi was standing with a priest at the back—or was it the front—of the church. They were talking animatedly, smiles all around. Eva followed Steve, waiting to be introduced.

“Eva, this is Father Martin.”

She gave a little half wave, “Hello.”

“He’s got a youth baseball league running this summer, they just got new uniforms.”

“That’s great,” she said, wondering where this was going.

“They even bought all the players new cleats. Isn’t that great?”

His expression told her that what he was saying was meaningful, and Eva was a little embarrassed that it took her a few moments to catch on. She cleared her throat and smiled congenially at the group.

“Um, could I use your restroom?”

Father Martin gestured to a hall tucked behind the confessional, “Yes, of course.”

Eva thanked him and tried not to walk too fast. She located the bathroom pretty quickly and ran the faucet while she peeked further down the hall. Couple of rooms, nothing out of the ordinary. Still, she could get a little lost. Turning off the faucet, she slipped out of the bathroom and made her way to the first room—broom closet. Crossing the hall, she opened the next door. This was where they taught whatever the Catholic equivalent was of Sunday School.

Eva had grown up like any other good Louisiana girl, a Southern Baptist. Where they gathered, there was food and Southern judgment. Her marriage had broken her of most of the things she’d once believed, but it hadn’t broken her of the good memories she had.

Reverently, she traced one of the little desks, smiling at the hand made art on the walls, little names scrawled in shaky writing. At the front was a chalk board, a bible verse carefully written in one corner, a psalm. Eva leaned on the desk and stared at it a moment, thinking that she probably could have done with a little more memorization at vacation Bible school.

Next to the chalkboard, Eva noticed that the wall was cracked. Odd. The rest of the church was in immaculate condition. Rising, she went over and touched the cracked, gasping when it cracked more. Spinning around, she looked towards the door, as if God would stroll in and strike her down for damaging His house.

Using both hands, she tried to set it straight, which only made things worse. It cracked all the way up to nearly the ceiling. With a deep sigh, she looked at it, using a nail to scratch along the edge. It lifted away easily, and she discovered the it was...on a hinge.

“What the fu—hell. Hell? Is hell better?”

Knowing she was already in it, Eva opened the makeshift door and found the back of the confessional. Brows together, she leaned in. It looked pretty normal, not that she’d ever been inside one. Well, there was a first time for everything. Primly, she turned and sat on the cushion, wiggling a bit. It wiggled with her.

Standing, Eva reached beneath the seat and lifted it. She smiled, set the cushion down and closed the door. Quickly, she scuttled out into the hall and back into the sanctuary.

The boys were still talking with the priest, thought Steve was taking the occasional photo. She gave Javier a wink, thanked the priest for the use of his facilities, and headed back outside. Javier followed her.

“What’d you find?”

“You know, I’m not supposed to be doing this. I’m supposed to be at a desk.”

“I know-”

“Then, you also know that by asking me to crime scenes you are risking my freedom.”

He looked at her for a bit, chewing on his lip, “Listen, you’re good at this. I know that, and you’re only here to visit a potential church, recommended by me.”

“You can’t just make up stories to suit your needs.”

“Why not?” he shot back, “DEA does it all the time.”

Eva looked away, “I can’t go back to prison, Javi.”

He took her by the shoulders, “You won’t. Steve and me, we’ll make sure of it.”

She nodded, crossing her arms.

“Now, what’d you find?”

“The church,” she answered, “Is hiding drugs under the seat of the confessional, probably in other places, too.”

He snapped his tongue over the back of his teeth, “You saw it.”

“I saw it.”

Dropping his hands, Javier pursed his lips, “I’m gonna call Carrillo. You sit tight out here in case it gets ugly.”

Eva shrugged, “You get the bad guys, I’m gonna go get a popscicle.”

And that’s what she did. Eva crossed the street to a tiny one stop shop and bought a cherry popscicle. Then, she found a bench where she had a good view of the front of the church and sat. As she pulled the paper apart, a couple Jeeps drove up to the church stairs and about ten or so policemen hauled ass inside, each of them wearing kevlar. Javier must have had them on stand by. Clearly, he thought he was working off good information. Perhaps, he’d snagged a nun as informant.

Separating the two pieces, Eva took the top off one and held it in her mouth, letting the sugary syrup melt over her tongue. She hadn’t had one of these in a long time, couldn’t remember the last one. Carefully, she tipped it over, slurping up one side.

Even from across the street, she could hear raised voices. They’d told the priest what she’d found, no doubt.

Eva sat there watching the police bring out load after load of cocaine, an astonishing amount, really. When she’d finished the popscicle, she got up and threw the wrapper and wooden sticks in the trash. On her way back, she saw Carrillo crossing the street towards her. Like his men, he was also kitted up. Eva was surprised that they’d found a bulletproof vest that could fit his broad shoulders. In any case, it was good look for him.

She sat, leaving enough room for him, a wordless invitation that he took.

“Having fun storming the castle?”

He huffed a short laugh, “I don’t know that ‘fun’ is how I would describe it.”

Eva hummed, knowing what he meant, then, “Guess its better than sitting at a desk.”

“On that, we agree. Javi tells me that you were the one who found the drugs.”

She shrugged, “Stumbled upon them, really.”

Carrillo looked at her, sidelong, “You have good eyes for this. I should put you on my payroll.”

Pleased by the complement, she allowed herself to feel a little bit of pride despite the fact that she really had simply stumbled upon the drugs.

Leaning back, Eva let her voice come out in a slow drawl, “I don’t know that you want to do that.”

He assessed her expression, asking, “Why?”

“Because,” she explained, matter of fact, “I don’t kiss the men who sign my paychecks.”

One side of his mouth lifted, a kind of playful light in his eyes, “I can get someone else to sign the paycheck.”

Feeling a blush rise to her cheeks, Eva looked away, saw that the priest was being cuffed in the doorway.

“What will happen to him?”

Carrillo’s face hardened a bit, “We’ll book him and he will make bail. He’ll be back before Sunday services.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it.”

Is that how it worked in this country? She supposed that was how it worked everywhere—plenty of Josh’s boys got off without charges, plenty made bail, plenty went right back to what they were doing.

“What a load of bullshit.”

Carrillo laughed outright, “That is how it is.”

She opened her mouth and closed it, looking at her hands.

He lifted one hand and tapped the outside of her thigh once, “Inside thought?”

“Mmhmm.”

“Tell me—is it insulting?” He looked intrigued.

She shook her head, “More sad, I think.”

“Tell me.”

Sighing deeply, she simply said, “I was just thinking that whoever leaked the information to Javier is going to be crucified. I was also thinking that saying this out loud would be in poor taste.”

Carrillo made a sound of agreement, and then there was a few minutes where they both watched the priest being walked from the church to one of the Jeeps.

“How are you feeling?”

Eva was a little startled by the question, but she recovered quickly, “I’m better. Thank you for your help last week. It...made a difference.”

He acknowledged her thanks with a bob if his head, “You are welcome, and I am glad. When was the last time you nested?”

Her shock must have shown on her face because he went on, “When we met, the first thing I noticed was that you looked like you needed to take some time to nest.”

“The first thing?” Her? Sarcastic? No...

He gave a little shrug, abashed, “Okay, the second thing.”

God, but she wanted to needle him just a little bit, to volley back the unbalanced feeling he so often stirred in her. It took half a second to agree with herself that she should—just a little.

Eva turned, resting her elbow on the back of the bench and laying her head on her hand, “What was the first?”

She could tell he was regretting saying it, but Eva was curious, and she had a hard time not being curious about things. She did, however, keep the satisfied look off her face when his cheeks tinged with pink.

“Tell me,” she urged, echoing his tone from not a few minutes before.

Carrillo’s shoulders pulled down and she got the feeling that he was trying to make himself less threatening, an unconscious movement that told her he’d always been a little too large among his peers. She could see in that small movement that he’d learned early on that he was intimidating. She could also see that he probably knew when to use that to his advantage and when to pull back.

“You know the answer to that question, Eva,” he said eventually.

She held up a finger, “I might know.”

After a deep inhale followed by a controlled exhale, he said, “I cannot believe I am saying this...Your scent. You know that it was your scent. I couldn’t fucking breathe in that conference room. I thought my blood was going to boil in my veins.”

The words tumbled out quickly, but his tone was so reticent that there were little unusual pauses in his sentences. He definitely did not want to be saying it, but he clearly couldn’t help it, and it looked like that frustrated him. Eva bit her lip, touched by how ridiculously honest he was being with her at that moment. She should reward him for that honesty.

“Do you want to know a secret?”

He looked at her and nodded sharply, just once.

Eva moved a little closer and pitched her voice low, “I knew what you smelled like a month before we were introduced. I even saw you first, like a few weeks before. It was the only way I got through that meeting with any dignity.”

There. She’d given him a fair trade. Eva did not need to add that she’d masturbated to that scent over and over for the month prior (and since). She didn’t think she would ever really have the courage to tell him that much. Just the thought made heat rise in her chest and cheeks.

He shifted to face her, “How?”

She tilted her head to the side in a low arc, “You would come in to talk with one of the agents, we’d just miss each other and I could scent you a few times.”

His eyes narrowed and she could see the wheels turning in his head, “You said you saw me.”

“Yes, I did. Not for long, and from across the room. But, I knew.”

Strong fingers brushed down the forearm holding her head aloft, “How did you stand it? After—I think I lasted less than twenty four hours before I was coming up with ways to see you again.”

Eva smiled, “I was just happy that I could feel that intensely. I think I wanted to savor it.”

He cocked his head to the side, eyes running over her face and downwards, catching on the way her skirt had hitched up a bit, “You never…”

She shook her head, “Josh was a beta. After we got married, I was on a tight leash. And after, there wasn’t much opportunity.”

There went that jagged fury that billowed through his scent when she mentioned her marriage. She made a mental note to steer away from the subject, if she could. His mouth opened and closed, and her mouth widened in a smile.

“You just had an inside thought.”

He laughed, “I did.”

“Well, out with it.”

Carrillo, still smiling, said, “I think I’ve revealed enough for one day.”

Eva looked down, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

He touched underneath her chin, “Don’t apologize for wanting to know my thoughts, hmm? I want to know yours constantly.”

“I pretty much say whatever I’m thinking, Big Guy.”

His name sounded from across the street and he straightened, listening.

“I need to go,” he said after a moment. “We’ll talk later.”

Eva watched him go, a warm feeling coming over her. She liked him a little too much, she knew that. She also knew that she was going to do absolutely nothing about it.

#narcos #horacio carrillo #carrillo #A Need So Great

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therewasatale · 4 years

Text

Newborns

On Ao3.

"I can do this; I can do this." The scientist's fingers run through the keyboard's keys as if he was playing a melody that only he could hear. Three monitors glowed with the information he required. More and more calculations followed each other, but all the simulations came up with the same result.

His chair squeaked slightly beneath him as he leaned back.

I should finally oil it, he reminded himself again for the up tenth time. The thought, however, vanished almost immediately as he focused on his studies again.

Everything was ready. He glanced over his shoulder. Silently gazed at the tanks and the prototype of the machine he created. It was reminiscent of a robust and a dozen times magnified injector into which two tubes were connected, they ran towards two tanks. Not far from him, a bluish and yellowish dot floated up and down, safely in their containers.

If it works, I will be able to progress much faster and much more efficiently.

He started typing another program, entering new lines data and preparing everything. Behind him, the structure buzzed like it was being alive.

I can do this, he repeated to himself as he pulled his arm out of his white lab coat. I must do this. His coworkers were already overworked. Moreover, the last human soul had the needed pattern. He was finally able to put his theory into practice. He was sure he would finally succeed for the first time.

I can do this!

At first the lights just began to flicker, then for a short time the whole lab was engulfed in darkness. Reserve energy got turned on almost immediately, but researchers still didn’t have time to get up.

The painful scream echoed throughout the building.

It didn't take all of three minutes until several monsters were at the door being busy to open it up. The code was hacked with great precision, but as the entrance was revealed they all stopped in shock.

There were three monsters inside.

"Why didn’t you kept an eye on Dr.Gaster ! I gave explicit orders not to leave him alone!" Asgore, the king of monsters, let his anger flare for a moment, but immediately put a lid on it when he realized it wasn't helping anyone anymore.

Taking large steps, he walked down the hall, his smoldering anger was stoked by concern for the doctor. Once again, a monster, he deeply cared about, got injured.

He was followed by Stol, one of the leading royal scientists. The feline monster nervously closed one of his ears, trying to get the king to calm down. He was well aware that they have really messed it up when they underestimated Dr.Gaster.

"I know, sir, but we thought he was focused on the development of the Core. We couldn't guess... it was all on a theoretical level. Your Majesty, we had no idea he was working on the project in secret!"

The king just shook his head with a huff and slowed down enough so the scientist could catch up him to show the way. After three turns, they headed towards a door, in front of which a couple researchers stood hesitantly.

"I assume he's in there."

"Yes, Your Majesty, they took care of his injuries and now they need to rest...all three of them."

Asgore glanced at the monster questioningly, but soon made a decision.

"I want to talk to him face to face."

"But sir-" Seeing the king's gaze, Stol blew a hasty retreat "of course, sir." He adjusted his glasses and gently pushed aside his colleagues, who tried to pay no attention to them, then opened the door.

The king entered and waited for the door to close, but even after, he was unable to move or utter a word. All the small bits of information he got from Stol, and Gaster had been hinting at in the past month, now come together and become a complete picture.

Dr. Gaster told him about a potential new project, it was after he felt he wasn’t moving fast enough with research regarding the Core and breaking the barrier. He began to study human souls and the souls of monsters. He developed a theory that the soul of a monster, if infused with the correct amount of human magic and power, could create an another creature.

It was a well-known fact that the souls of humans and skeleton monsters were the closest to each other. Gaster himself was just as good in using magic to actual combat as a human.

If one treats the soul gently enough, if a small piece is chipped away from the right place, he explained enthusiastically on a quiet afternoon. There might be a way to create another monster with a soul similar to the original one. This new being might even have some of the original one's experience and knowledge. This would make research much faster.

Asgore, on the other hand, opposed the whole idea on principle, he had a bad feeling about it from the start. He suspected that the scientist was much further along this research than simply discussing theoretical possibilities. And he was concerned that Gaster might cause serious damage to himself, just to try to help the monsters. Of course, the scientist never understood that if he crossed a line, he might never be able to help anyone anymore, not even himself.

The king cursed himself for not listening to his intuitions.

"Gaster..." Asgore heard his own voice, it was muffled by the noises of the room.

The royal scientist was lying on a wide bed. Cables of varying thickness were attached to his body, all connecting into a single monitor to keep an eye on every little shudder of his soul. Another medical system, connected to the same monitor, also to watch two other tiny and very weak hearts.

Asgore took a few steps to take a closer look at the three of them. It was then when he noticed that the anger that had been smoldering inside him so far had almost completely subsided, all that remained was concern.

"Your Majesty," dark circles deepened under Wingdings' eyes. Maybe he hadn’t been able to sleep for days, maybe the life-threatening procedure had exhausted him that much. The king would have guessed that it was due to both of those things.

There were two tiny skeletal monsters sleeping in Gaster's arms, one's chest glowed in blue and the other's in yellow. They were so tiny they would have completely disappeared if they were in the king's arm.

"I...didn't...I thought..." Gaster's voice trailed off slightly. He pulled the two little monsters closer to him with his arms "I thought they were...but I didn't...they just..."

"Gaster," the king found the ground under his feet again. Maybe it was his friend's desperate voice that shook him to place.

"I don't…don't…I know…I don't know what to do with children. They…they…should be older." The monster sniffed, still holding the two newborns as carefully as possible. "My calculations…I'm not…they should be bigger, they're, they're just so small. I've never been good with…I don't even know...I'm not…Asgore..."

"Gaster, it's okay." Asgore placed his hand carefully on his shoulder. He hadn't seen his friend acting like this in a long time. He felt his heart break, he wanted to sacrifice so much, just so they can get out a little sooner. "It's okay. Please take a few deep breaths for my sake," he tried to use his kindest voice.

"But I..."

"It's okay. They're really lovely...newborns," the king took a seat in the chair by the bed. "I understand that there might be a lot going on your mind right now, but I think we should concentrate on your new family." He said with a gentle smile.

Gaster closed his eyes for a couple of seconds, took a deep breath and glanced down at the baby skeletons. For long minutes, the only thing could be heard where the beeping of the monitors.

Despite the pain in his body, he gently caressed the heads of the two tiny monsters. He watched them taking their small breaths. One of them, glowing with yellowish light, snuggled into his clothes as much as possible, while his brother began to snore slightly. Two tiny, innocent souls. Both came from his own. He slowly stroked their heads and watched with the two new lifes with gently admiration.

"I understand if you are angry with me, Your Majesty." He said seemingly gathering himself. "I didn't anticipate every possibility and now it will take even longer to break the barrier." The scientist fell silent again and he could feel an invisible bond forming between the three of them. His voice became softer.

"But I... I can't regret it. These children ..."

Asgore shook his head with a smile.

"I understand, my friend. Although you have experimented in secret, I think it all ended as well as it could have. Don't worry about the barrier right now. And we're talking about you, I'll bet you'll be on your feet and working much sooner than that would be recommended anyway."

"Well, I-"

"But these children are now your responsibilities. It's rare for a new life to be born here. Please take care of them."

Gaster remained silent for a few moments, then sighed slowly.

"Heavens, what I got myself into."

The king chuckled deeply and it was filled with warmth.

"Parenting is one of the biggest and noblest challenges in life. But knowing your habits of not sleeping, I think you'll be fine."

"Your Majesty..." Gaster sighed heavily, but he couldn't suppress the faint smile when he heard Asgore chuckle again. "In the future I might ask some advice. If it's okay..."

"Any time you want, my friend. I'll try to help with everything I know."

The two small skeletons moved slightly in their sleep and snuggled closer to Gaster, who became bluish in his embarrassment.

"Try to relax a bit, we will talk more after you wake up." Asgore smiled at him.

"Well…maybe…" Gaster suppressed a yawn as he let his head fall back on the pillow. "The materials are all there on my computer, and then I'll explain everything…but now… I…"

"We'll talk when you wake up as I said. I have to go now, you three deserve some sleep."

"I... yes, I think you're right." Gaster replied slowly closing his eyes "Thank you...Your Majesty..."

"Good night, my friend."

The king carefully adjusted the blanket on the slowly breathing skeleton family. He made sure that no one would bother Dr.Gaster, but to inform him as soon as he is awake.

As he walked down the hallways, he began to hum an old children's song under his breath. Memories he thought to be forgotten, flooded out filling his mind. For the first time in many years, the appearance of these memories filled his heart with warmth.

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