#had to make part 2 of the reunion scene

[beaulesbian]

Luffy & Zoro in Wano || One Piece ep. 897

[rrickgrrimes8]

Your Bear Part II

summary: you are found (part I)

Joel Miller x daughter!reader, Tommy Miller x niece!reader

warnings: angst, reunion, violence, infected, happy ending :))

not sure if i like this as much as the first part but i hope yall do. i just want to thank you all for the response to my past few fics (especially your bear). its been unreal. i stopped writing for a while and these were my first ones back so this was an insane response to it! thank you so much for your love and appreciation it really does mean a lot!

also! i tagged basically everybody who left a comment asking for part 2 - sorry if thats annoying idk ive never done a taglist before. thanks for the comments tho :) 

masterlist

request guidelines (new)

requests are open

word count: 2.3k

22 Years Ago...

The world around you screamed for help. People ran around, skin on fire, missing massive chunks.

You wailed as they passed, hands tightened around your ears. You just wanted to find help. You wanted to save Sarah. This wasn’t what you expected.

“D-ad,” You cried, hiccupping, “D-addy!” You missed his touch. You missed his voice and his face. His laugh. You just wanted your daddy.

But which way had you come from?

You stood, idle, in an alley way you didn’t recognize, a man lay a few feet beside you. Blood seeped from his neck, running to kiss the tips of your shoes.

He twitched.

Your breath caught in your throat, the hair on your neck stood high. “D-daddy,” You whimpered, quieter than before, “Please.”

He looked at you now. His face grotesque, the shape of jagged teeth marked his greyish skin. White, stringy tendrils extended out of his mouth as he crawled to you – his legs being left behind as he did.

You screamed when his nails scratched against your shoe. In the panic, your bear fell from your grasp, landing in the bloodbath.

You tried backing up from the monster, but his hand stopped you. His claws captured your ankle.

You didn’t realise you were falling until your back hit the wet ground. You let out a shriek as he trailed up your body. “P-please,” You sobbed, “D-ad! D-addy!”

The creature didn’t even flinch. He opened his jaws further, searching for your small neck, ready to mark you just as he had been.

But a shot sounded off and his weight settled on your petite body.

A strong force tugged him off you, the same force pulling you into their arms. You wailed, fighting against the stranger’s grip.

“It’s okay, sweetgirl, you’re okay,” She told you, rushing you away from the scene, “You’re going to be okay; I promise.”

x

You didn’t know what to make of Jackson. It was nice, you supposed. Weird though. It felt like what you imagined before felt like. Not that you remembered much. You remembered how loud cars were, how the TV remote worked, how to strum a guitar.

You remembered your sisters voice, her hair, how smart she sounded even if you didn’t understand a word.

You wished you remembered your dad. He was a blur to you. Like you had missed a chapter of a book and now a new character had no face. You remembered his laugh though. It was sweet, slow. Like a lullaby. You recalled being held to his chest and feeling the vibrations.

You wished you remembered your dad. 

Sarah had settled in quickly, at least that’s what you thought. She was happy to be around people other than her mom (you tried not to internalise it all that much).

In the week since you arrived Sarah had grown attached to the strangers that took you under their wing. You still weren’t so sure. But when Sarah made grabby hands to the older man and all she got was a dejected smile in response a part of you hurt. You didn’t understand why.

They’d kept their distance or rather he had. Ellie came round every day. She loved Sarah. She loved you, even if, like Joel, you were a little rough around the edges.

But for a reason unbeknownst to you Joel couldn’t be in a room with you for longer than five minutes. You didn’t let it bother you too much. You couldn’t. You didn’t want to make trouble and get the pair of you kicked out or worse separated. 

Ellie had come to you earlier that day, smile wide, cheeks rosy. She had a glint in her eyes, a plan. One you really didn’t want to know about nor be a part of.

Excitedly, she told you about the couple who lived across from her and Joel - his brother. Tommy and Maria and the somewhat new addition of Lily, their little girl. Ellie had told them about you - although missing out some of the major minor details. They agreed to have you over she had said. And despite the age difference between Lily and Sarah the older girl was excited to meet her.

So, there you stood, Sarah shielded from the cold into your chest. You raised your hand awkwardly, knocking a little harder than you expected.

A woman opened the door. She was beautiful, smiley, friendly. You couldn’t tell if that was a façade or not. That made the nerves in your stomach stiffen. “C’mon in, sweetheart,” Maria ushered you inside after she confirmed it was you.

You forced a smile for her, “Nice place.”

Maria nodded, looking around the room proudly, “Thank you.” She urged you to take a seat, letting you know her husband, Tommy, was just dressing Lily.

“So, you’re younger than I thought you would be,” She confessed, “Not to be rude or anything.”

“No, it’s okay,” You cleared your throat, sitting opposite her, Sarah making a home on your lap, “I’m 27.”

“Wow,” She smiled, “And what about her?”

You stroked the top of Sarah’s head, where her hair had slightly begun to grow, “Couple weeks now.”

Maria shifted ever so slightly in her seat, unspoken sympathy in her eyes, “And the father?” You stilled, escaping her gaze you looked towards the coffee table, taking inventory of the odd books they had. “I’m sorry,” She spoke quietly, “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“N-no,” You cleared your throat sheepishly, “There isn’t... her dad did what he had to.” You still remembered his screams.

“I’m sorry,” Maria frowned, hands soothing over her jeans, wishing Tommy would appear to aid the situation.

“Don’t be,” You said earnestly, “He got us here, right? One way or another...” Maria wasn’t sure you really meant that. The lost look in your eyes told her what she needed to know. As did your shaking knee. You’d give anything to have him back. She bit her lip, somewhat guessing the rest.

“Sorry ‘bout that,” A males voice cut through the tension, “Wouldn’t stop squirming for the life of me.”

Maria chuckled opening her arms to grab Lily, introducing you as she did. He blanched hearing that name. He near screamed seeing that face - your face but so much different, so much more mature.

Tommy blinked a few times, wondering if his eyes were deceiving him. He whispered your name carefully, as if you were a wild animal, prone for violence.

Maria gave him an odd look, moving Lily over to you and Sarah. “And this is our sweetheart, Lily,” She told you as Lily began fussing relentlessly in her arms, desperate to touch the baby.

“Baby,” She cooed.

“Yeah, that’s right,” You mused, croakily, inching closer to the pair, “This is Sarah, Lily.”

Tommy wanted to throw up. He felt it dancing up his throat, teasing his uncertainty. He felt stuck. He truthfully didn’t know what to do or what to say. Should he straight out ask you? You didn’t seem to recognise him though. Maybe it was a clone? A doppelgänger? Should he run over to Joel’s for safety away from this confusion? 

Joel.

Did Joel know? He had to know. He needed to know.

“Tommy what’s wrong?” Maria called to him. He choked a little, eyes trailing over to the plaque that watched over their new life. The plaque he knew had no place for your name. He knew it. You were here.

Maria followed his gaze, a weird feeling in her chest as she saw her husband so unlike himself. She read Joel’s daughter’s name. Sarah. Was he freaked out because they shared the same name?

She gulped - it wasn’t just the baby whose name was shared but yours too it seemed. You couldn’t be, right? No- You died. Joel was so sure you died and despite all Tommy had told her, all the hope he had for you, she always found herself on Joel’s side. Funny that. Any other situation she would’ve made a point to oppose the eldest Miller.

But now... You were just five. You couldn’t have survived on your own. You wouldn’t have had a life in this world.

But again, hadn’t you said you were 27?

“Go,” She told him, firmly, “Make sure.” Tommy nodded, failing to hide his tears as you watched in confusion and darted out of the room with a sense of urgency that unsettled your stomach.

“Is everything okay?”

Maria’s attention snapped back to you, “Fine... everything’s fine.”

A disconcerting feeling swam under your skin and a sudden resolve to flee hit you. “I- We should probably go,” You mumbled, bringing Sarah to your chest once more.

“Wait, please,” She attempted, “Just wait.”

You shook your head, apologising softly before rushing out of the house. You caught eyes with two men across the road - Joel and Tommy. They stood on his porch, seemingly arguing with each other.

You spotted Ellie watching through the window, a guilty look on her face - what had she done?

The brothers stared at you as you left the home. Their eyes didn’t leave you for a second. Tommy called your name, desperately but when he moved to catch up with you, Joel pulled him back.

He clenched his jaw as you rushed back to your home, out of sight. “She was my niece, Joel,” He scowled, “My fuckin’ family too.”

Joel shook his head, shaking off the shame Tommy was trying to force on him.

“You don’t get to keep this kind of thing from me,” He yelled, “You- You are unbelievable, Joel.”

“Unbelievable?” He mocked, “Is it so unbelievable that I didn’t want to advertise to the whole goddamn town that she was my daughter when, hell, I don’t even know if she really is!”

“Bullshit,” Tommy spat, “You’re not stupid. You knew. Of course, you fucking knew. You knew like how I knew. One look. That’s all it woulda took you. No… you knew. You were just too scared - like always. And that, your selfishness, takes us all down with you.”

“Fuck you,” He grunted, storming back inside.

“Christ,” Tommy mumbled, turning back to his own home. 

You had a baby.

You were here, alive.

x

You steered clear from the group for a little while afterwards. The whole situation made you heart clench. It felt like a game that you didn’t know the rules of, but they did. All of them did and they were careful not to reveal anything. But you wanted to know - you needed to.

You knew it involved Joel or at least you felt like it had to. The way he looked at you when you first met. The way he spoke. The way he shook. It had to be him. He had to be the answer.

You gave up on your attempts to avoid them when you came to that realisation.

The same realisation that brought you here, at his front door in the middle of the night. You shyly knocked a few times - no response. You repeated the action with a little more force, a little too much. The door creaked open on the contact, but no one came to greet you.

You sucked in a harsh breath as you debated entering. The door was open right? Fair game? Silently you forced yourself to step inside.

Their home was dark - one lamp lighting a whole room. You frowned looking over to it. Someone had to be here, right? Where else would they be so late?

And then you saw him. Joel. The contradictory man. He was asleep. His body was sprawled all over the couch, an empty bottle of God knows what lay beside him as did what looked like... a bear?

Shakily, you took a step forward, his name dying in your throat as you saw the bear in a better light.

It was... yours.

Why would Joel have your bear? The bear that when you were a child was essentially an extension of you. The bear that chased away all the bad dreams. The bear that your dad had gotten you - your dad.

You gulped - the bear you hadn’t seen since the night you lost everything. Since the night you almost lost your life.

Joel shifted in his sleep, pulling the bear close to his chest, careful of its head as if it was a baby. Your eyes burned. A gasp escaped your lips. You could read the chapter now. You can see that character’s face - your fathers face.

Different but the same.

“D-dad,” You whispered before you could stop yourself and backed away.

Your back met the door, slamming it shut. The man jolted awake, alarmed eyes frantically searching the room before landing on you. They grew small, weaker, like he wasn’t all the way there.

Joel watched you closely, taking note of your falling tears, he spoke your name. You choked on a sob, hand clasping over your mouth. “Baby,” He shot up before he had a moment to think and approached you.

You didn’t flinch away, like he expected. You didn’t stop crying either. You studied him now. The wrinkles. The scars. The grey hairs. The same look in his eyes.

“How long have you known?”

He flinched at that. Your voice so familiar, so broken. “Since we met,” He didn’t have to try too hard to understand what you were getting at. He felt shameful, though. This shouldn’t have been the way, right? This felt too casual, too unknown.

You wanted to ask more, yell at him. Beg him to tell you why it wasn’t the first thing that he told you. But you didn’t. Instead you put one foot in front of the other, until you were mere inches from him. “Dad,” You shuddered.

He hadn’t realised how much he missed being called that, how much he missed being your dad.

“Babygirl,” He took your face in his hands, “My baby grown up.” He watched you closely, tears welling up, “I’m so sorry, babygirl. I’m sorry.”

You shook your head, slamming yourself into his chest, “It’s okay. I’m okay.”

“Oh, baby,” Joel wrapped his arms around you, hand cradling the back of your head.

“With me, babygirl,” He smiled for moment before letting it fall, “Don’t go away again, babygirl, never go away again.”

You smiled into his chest, whimpering softly, “I won’t, dad, I promise.” 

x

@meli-blacky @zaweashtonslover @3zae-zae3 @bbciwp @cloudroomblog @white-wolf-buckaroo​ @iguessweallcrazyithinktho​ @myboyfriendisbigfoot​ @mell-bell​ @hummusxx​ @sleepdeprived-barelyalive​ @dilfsaremyfavourite​ @specialagentmonkey​ @slutforstark @lizlil​ @unsaiduglywords​ @ellaprime7​ @aphrcdites​ @zynbsblog​ @imonmykneessir​ @mandowhatnow​ @tomorrowseverything @livelovemusic0996 @icarusthefoolish​ @b-bloop @leemirna​ @hexaecana​ @littleshadow17​ @sgt-morgan​ @adorreeabbie @abbiesxox​ @leviackrmnss​ @eternallyvenus​ @hai-kbai​ @daydreamerblues​ @abbyrxx12-blog @montenegroisr​ @chxosunbound​ @shqwqrma​ @littlemissporter @wonwoosthetic @riri53 @softsakusas​ @prettysbliss​ @katiemars @kik51199 @stupidthoughtsinwriting​ @ellele19 @newavenger @19891213​ @dgraysonss​

[yoditopascal]

Like A Prayer (Part 2)

summary: best friends with wade you’re always being dragged into something even when he’s not trying to, what are you to do when you find the fate of your timeline in the hands of yourself, your chaotic merc and an angry wolverine who’s hellbent on drinking himself to death?

content warning: romance, some angst, a little fluff, character deaths, canon-typical violence, smut, lots of cussing, mutual pining, found family, drug and alcohol use, reader insert but with no use of y/n cuz I hate that shit, deadpool being deadpool, mentions of poor mental health (depression anxiety and ptsd mostly), scent marking, the honda odyssey scene needs a warning all on its own MINORS DNI

a/n: I wanted to get up to the part where you finally meet Logan but it was too long 😭 and I ended up deciding to split the chapter up. In the mean time I hope this enough to tide you over. <3

tag list: sorry if you weren’t tagged I tried tagging everyone that asked but some usernames didn’t work! @allmyn1ghts, @blooket-scares-me, @amararosesblog, @talanyra, @spideybv28

Previous Chapter//Next Chapter

Wolverining is Hard

When you come to, your arms are tightly secured behind your back. Sitting up you try to take in your surroundings as you wiggle around trying to free yourself. The room you’re in is dark with a metal table and a singular chair in the middle and smelled strongly of disinfectant.

Just as you felt like you were making progress with your restraints, really you had just dislocated your hand, a door opens up on your right flooding your vision with a blinding light.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Came an accented voice, it sounded British. Just as your eyes had started to adjust to the light you were harshly hoisted up to your feet and dragged away into another room before being dumped unceremoniously at the feet of a pair of red and black boots

“Pookie you’re alive!” said Wade dressed in a new and improved Deadpool suit. Where did he get that? You thought to yourself. “I thought these TVA fucks ate you or something!

Helping you to your feet Wade pats you on top of the head before gesturing between your restrained hands and a guy holding what looked like a giant remote in his hands.

Rolling his eyes the guy snaps his fingers and you’re manhandled again as your restraints are roughly yanked off.

Taking in your surroundings you notice you’re in what looks to be an office with office workers and a floating platform above it. On the platform, where you all were standing, are a bunch of monitors all showing different scenes of you and your friends.

“Where are we Wade? What is this place?” You asked confused as you rubbed at your sore wrists, getting closer to him.

“You, baby girl, have just been upgraded to first disciple! Congratulations!” He said jokingly, just as he was about to say something else he was interrupted by an accented voice, the same one you had heard before.

“As you can see Mr. Wilson your friend is alive and well mostly well.” Said the man from behind Wade with the British accent, he eerily reminded you of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Frowning, the man watched you with a disgusted expression as you flicked your hand popping your wrist back into place as you sucked in a breath in pain. You had definitely dislocated it earlier.

“Now as much as I hate to cut the reunion short it’s time for her to go back home.” He said snapping his fingers again, suddenly you're surrounded by men in body armor again, one reaches out quickly to grab you but you stumble back into Wade who pushes you behind him.

“Wait wait wait….you’re just gonna send her home? To die?” He turns to ask the man behind him. He could feel you pressed against his back, like you were trying to get under his skin. You were scared and he couldn’t blame you, you still had no idea what was going on.

“Die? What are you talking about?” You asked looking back and forth between the man and Wade until a gloved finger fell on your lips silencing you.

“Shush child Marvel Jesus is talking.”

“What the fuck?” You whispered, pushing his hand away.

“You can’t send her back Paradox.”

“Oh I can and I will.” The man, Paradox, had said as one of his armed men came up to him handing him one of those electric baton stick things you had seen earlier. You immediately tensed up, as he started to approach you with it, not knowing what it would do to you on contact.

“No wait wait wait please just hang on a fucking second!” Wade shouted, it was one of rare times he got serious and it made your hair stand on end

“What now Mr. Wilson?” Mr. Paradox asked, groaning dramatically, as if all of this was just a giant waste of his time

“W-what can I do to fix it? The timeline?”

Timeline? What the fuck was happening? You thought confused as you looked back at Wade again as he stared down Mr. Paradox

“Nothing unless you can bring Wolverine back to life in the next,” he says nonchalantly as if it were the most obvious thing in the world as he checks his watch “96 hours. But that’s impossible to-“

That little bit of information was enough to get the cogs in Wade’s brain turning as he hatched a play.

“Say less, I’m on it like a car bonnet!” Wade said cheerfully, you had no idea what the fuck that many but whatever it was Wade had set his mind too it and once his mind was set nothing was going to get in his way.

“Mr. Wilson-“ Mr. Paradox had started to say but before he could get another word out, Wade lunges forward and headbutts him full force, breaking his nose on contact, knocking him out as he snatched up the strange remote device Paradox had had in his hands.

Before you could even blink, Wade grabs you, scooping you up into his side, right under his armpit, as he opens up another one of those orange portal doors and jumps right through it with you.

The other side of the portal opens up midair and you crash land in the middle of a frozen forest. The ground and trees around you, covered in a powdery dusting of snow as a harsh wind blows over you causing you to shiver slightly, as you go to sit up you find yourself unable to move as a sharp pain shoots up your right arm.

It took a few moments to realize Wade had landed with you, more like on top of you it seemed, until you heard him groan from your back.

“I gotta get better at opening those things.” He groans, getting up.

“Sorry sugar lumps, we didn't really stick the landing there.” He said stretching his sore limbs as he gestured to your arm. It was bent at an awkward angle behind you, most definitely broken. Standing to your feet you grab at the injured appendage, popping it back into place with a loud snap and a yelp before it has a chance to heal wrong

“Ok Wade I’ve had enough of this Leon and Helena bullshit-“ you panted out still reeling from the pain of your arm.

“Ha! Resident Evil 6 humor!”

“Enough! Please just tell me what’s going on?!” You finally snap as you pull your cardigan around yourself in an attempt to block out the cold. Wade looks you over as if contemplating what to say next before he groans, running a gloved hand over his mask.

“Ah shit where do I even start?” He says as he sits down on a pile of rocks that had a makeshift stick x on top that looks suspiciously like a grave, you chose not to comment on it, as he begins to explain what had transpired over the last hour.

Apparently he was Marvel Jesus, you still didn’t get that part, and your timeline was dying. How? You weren’t entirely sure but Wade kept mumbling under his breath about some “Aussie fuck stealing his thunder from down under”, and that Mr. Paradox guy, who’s in charge of those TVA bastards that kidnapped you and Wade, was in charge of overseeing it but instead of letting it die out naturally over the next hundred years or so was going to speed up the process and now Wade only had 96 hours to fix it before everyone you knew and loved died.

“Which is why we’re here!” He said cheerfully pulling two shovels out of nowhere. Looking behind him to see where the shovels had intact come from you missed as he took a sip from his newly acquired ‘I Like Me’ mug through his mask before tossing it. “Grab your shovel jelly bean, we're hunting a Wolverine!” He said tossing the second shovel at your feet as he pulls the makeshift x grave marker from the pile of stones and starts to dig.

As soon as he said that you felt your stomach drop to your ass. That was a grave behind him, and it wasn’t just anyone’s… it was the Wolverine’s. You were digging up Wolverine to save your timeline?

“Holy shit.”

To say you idolized the guy was an understatement. When you were a kid you had all kinds of Wolverine comics and stickers, hell you still had a pair of Wolverine underwear to this day. Digging up his grave after all this time, after all that he went through in life just felt…wrong.

“You can cream your spinach later, right now we need to see if widdle Wolvie is really taking a dirt nap or not.” Chunks of dirt flew through the air as Wade kept digging, completely absorbed in his task.

“Wade this is-“ Not right you wanted to say. You start feeling your anxiety bubble up in your chest. “I can’t-!”

The sound of his shovel hitting something metal, adamantium, stopped you in your place. Tapping his shovel twice more to make sure he had actually hit something and that it wasn’t just his imagination, Wade looked over to you before turning back to what he had found, wiping away the dirt, he stared down at the now exposed decaying metallic skull of the Wolverine.

Your breath caught in your throat as you watched Wade stare at the corpse for a moment, lost in thought, before he raised his shovel over his head and bought it down on Wolverine’s skull over and over again, not stopping until he got even frustrated and snapped the wooden handle over his knee, no doubt breaking it in the process.

“Damn it! Son of a bitch! Fuck! Motherfucker! My world is fucked!”

He screamed, throwing the pieces of the shovel and swinging his arms as he punched at the air. It had been a long time since you had seen him this serious, albeit the last time you were quite literally dying, and it was honestly terrifying.

Your stomach sank even further at his words. Hugging your arms to yourself in an attempt to make yourself smaller you slowly approached Wade just as he was pulling the adamantium skeleton fully from the grave, dragging it over to a downed tree as he propped it up to sit cross legged by him.

“That was weird. I’m much calmer now.” He says with a chuckle, you’re not sure if he’s talking to you or the corpse. “Look, I’m not a man of science, but you seem incredibly passed away. But it’s good to see ya.” he pats the corpse on the knee causing you to wrinkle your nose up in disgust as bile rises in your throat. You’d seen Wade do a lot of strange shit over the years of knowing him, but exhuming a grave of a fallen hero and having a one on one with his dead body was a whole new world for you.

“I gotta be honest, I’ve always wanted to ride with you, Logan. You and me, getting into everything. Just fucking shit up. Can you imagine the fun, the chaos, the residuals?”

You didn’t even want to know what he meant by that as you crept up next to Wade, kneeling down by his side.

“G’day, mate? There’s nothing that’ll bring me back to life faster than a big bag of metal cash.” Wade placed a finger under the corpse’s chin making its mandible move up and down as if he was talking to him, you put your arm on his to get him to stop but he just kept going as he moved to hold his masked head in his hands.

“No, no, no, no, uuuugh!” He groans dramatically as he throws his head back, thumping it on the tree trunk behind him. “He had to get all noble and die for real. God damn it! We coulda really used your help right about now Hugh.”

“Wade,” you said softly as you reached out to rest a hand on his shoulder, “we’ll figure something out, there’s got to be another way right?”

Wade’s masked face turns to look at you, deep in thought, before the sound of multiple approaching footsteps pulls him out of his head. Pulling you until you were tucked between him and the tree truck, he peeks over the tree before ducking back down just as fast, cursing under his breath.

“Wade Winston Wilson! You’re under arrest by the Time Variance Authority for too many crimes to count, come out!” Came a booming voice over the chill of the air. You and Wade look at each other for a moment as if deciding what to do.

“This is your last chance! Throw out your weapons and come out peacefully!” The voice said again as he and a bunch of other TVA agents began to surround you.

You look Wade in his eyes again and nod, knowing he’s going to have to fight to get you both out of there. Looking around himself for anything you could use to defend yourself, his eyes land on the adamantium skeleton sitting nearby and he gets a horribly morbid idea.

“I’m not gonna give you my weapons! But I promise not to use them.” He shouts back as he turns back towards you, placing a hand on your head. “Ok Nugget you know the drill.” He says so that only you can hear.

“You go right, I go left.” You nod your head towards the tree line in the background on your left.

“Good girl.” He pats you on the head one last time, tucking baby knife into your hand. “Maximum effort.” He grunted as you both stood, jumping into action. You break to the left as fast as your feet can carry you just as Wade jumps over the tree trunk pulling Wolverine's body with him.

Hearing rapid footfalls following close behind you try to pick up the pace, your lungs burning as you run, just as you reach the woods a gloved hand reaches out tangling itself in your locs before yanking you backwards. You hit the snow covered ground with an audible thud. Your head ringing and vision blurred from the impact. Just as your eyes were starting to clear, that rapid thumping noise from before came back with a vengeance.

Shaking your head to clear it you try and get back up to your feet until a black boot, steps down on your shoulder harshly. Above you stood a TVA agent, his stick pointed right at you as he glared down at you. Just as he began to lower it, you pulled baby knife from your boot, stabbing it as hard as you could through his foot.

He screams in pain as he stumbles backwards falling on his ass as he goes to pull out the knife. Scrambling back up you yank the knife from his foot before embedding it in his exposed neck. Pulling the knife back out again the fall back on your ass in shock at what you just did. You killed someone and hadn’t even hesitated. Sure you had see your fair share of people dying, thanks mostly to Wade, but never had you actually been the one doing the killing.

Before you have a chance to wallow anymore to yourself, you hear a body thud next to you and jump.

“My bad!” Wade calls as he smacks a TVA agent across the face with something that looked suspiciously like a metal femur, shattering his helmet and mostly his face on impact. “Wolverining is hard!”

“Wolverine was a hero and the only thing worth a shit to ever come out of Canada!” Shouted a voice from in front of you two, it was the same guy from before, the one who you tackled through the portal earlier, and he looked pissed. Before he had a chance to say anything else a katana goes bouncing off the ground and right through the guy’s mouth.

“Get my country’s name out of your fucking mouth.” Wade said as he walked up to the still standing body, pulling his sword out of his mouth. “And my sword, gimme that.”

Cleaning off the blade with his sleeve, Wade looks you over, checking you for injuries, something he couldn’t break himself from doing, no matter how much you told him you could heal, before pulling you to your feet.

“We gotta find us another Logan, an alive one.” He said looking around himself assessing the overall damage.

“How?” You question still trying to quiet the pounding in your head, it was starting to fade out now, only being a low murmur at the point, but it still made it hard to focus.

Pulling something from his belt, Wade holds up the remote looking device he had stolen from Mr. Paradox earlier between wiggling fingers.

“This my dear bestest pal is how.” He said opening it up and hitting a few buttons. Another orange portal opens and you stare at it in contemplation, nervousness grips your stomach as you think about what the two of you would get into on the other side of the portal. Wade goes through first holding out a hand for you from the other side. Swallowing down rising anxiety, you take up his hand following him through.

On the other side of the portal the atmosphere is much warmer, you're both in a club, a nice one at that, surrounded by other people as they mingle and converse by the bar.

“Logan I’m gonna need you to come with us!” Wade spoke over the music. Looking around the room, you wonder which of these people he was talking to, none of them really looked like a Wolverine to you.

“Who’s asking?” came a familiar voice from the bar. Turning to look to see who it was that said that, you were shocked to see a guy, about your height, with a crazy hairy torso, wearing a tight fitted black v-neck.

His face definitely screamed Wolverine to you but there was something about this man that just struck you as off.

“Look at this little Mary Lou Retton. Did you stick the landing little guy? Yes, you did, comic-accurate short king.” Wade cooed to him from your side in a baby voice as he crouched down dramatically.

You frowned up as Wade as he mocked him, definitely planning to ream him out later when you, yourself, was the same height as the man he was making fun of. This Wolverine stares at you, recognition and another emotion in his eyes, that you weren’t sure of as his nostrils flared and they took in yours and Wade’s, no doubt horrific, scents. Just as you were about to tell Wade that this Wolverine would work, another orange portal opens up behind you and he dragging you inside with him.

“Cue the fucking montage, baby.”

[candycandy00]

Once Upon a Time - A Gojo x Reader Fanfic Part 2

Retold fairytales featuring the JJK men! First up is Cinderella starring Gojo! You met Prince Gojo as a child and fell in love, but you’re sure he doesn’t remember you. When you’re forced to take your stepsister’s place as his “pleasure” for the evening, you’ll get your reunion, but it might not be what you hoped for.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

Smut. 18+. Fem Reader. Fairytale AU. Gojo as Prince Charming. Reader as Cinderella. Rough sex. Depictions of abuse by the wicked stepmother and stepsisters.

Any and all feedback would be appreciated so much! There will probably be three parts. Dividers by @benkeibear and @animatedglittergraphics-n-more!

Gojo pounds on the door, rattling the frame, probably waking up everyone at the inn. Within seconds, Geto has opened it, but he doesn’t get the chance to say a word. 

“Who is she?” Gojo demands. 

“She?” Geto asks coyly.

“Cinderella! It’s obviously a fake name!”

“I’m afraid it’s the only name she gave me,” Geto replies, stepping back to give Gojo space to walk into the room. 

As Geto shuts the door, Gojo paces back and forth. “Okay, but she volunteered, right? You sent a carriage to pick her up?”

“Actually, something strange happened. The girl who showed up was not the girl who volunteered.”

Gojo stops his pacing. “What?!”

Geto seems to be struggling to hide his amusement. “I suspect the original volunteer backed out, and Cinderella was sent as a replacement. Why are you so interested? You normally don’t ask about the women you’ve slept with.”

“It was her. The one I told you about,” Gojo says. “The one I’ve been waiting for. She had the glass slippers, Suguru!”

“Oh, so you noticed? I was curious how long it would take you.”

Gojo stares at Geto, his jaw dropping for a moment. “You knew?! Why didn’t you say anything?”

Geto sits smoothly in one of the two chairs. “She seemed eager for you to notice yourself. I didn’t want to ruin her surprise.”

Gojo drops into the opposite chair. “I didn’t notice until she was walking out the door downstairs. I ran after her but she was gone. She didn’t even take the carriage!”

“Alright, in the morning I’ll go see the original volunteer and ask who they sent in her place,” Geto tells him. 

Gojo is rubbing his forehead when a terrible thought suddenly hits him. “Wait… if she was a replacement, what if she didn’t even want to come? She might have been pressured or forced! She had welts on her arms…”

“She did seem nervous and frightened,” Geto adds. 

Gojo stands up. “What if she didn’t want any of this? Oh god, what if I ra-“

“Calm down, Satoru. Did she give you any indication that she wanted you to stop?”

“No,” Gojo says, slowly sitting back down. “In fact, she acted like��� she was in love with me.”

Geto nods. “That’s the impression I got from her as well.”

Gojo sighs. “I can’t believe this. I had her, Suguru. I had her in my arms, I had her underneath me. And I let her slip right out of my grasp.” He groans in anguish as he replays the evening in his mind. “I did such filthy things to her. I was rough with her!”

“Worrying about it now won’t help anyone. We’ll find her tomorrow and you can apologize,” Geto says. 

Gojo wants to go find her right now, but he understands that a royal carriage showing up at this hour would make a scene. Cinderella seemed a bit skittish. He doesn’t want to scare her off any more than his depraved actions already have. 

Still, he can’t stop thinking about the way her body felt, trembling beneath him, the way her lips looked wrapped around his cock, the sound of her sweet voice. She was everything he’s dreamed of, all these years. 

************************

You’re walking down the street toward your home, having stopped running after getting a good distance from the inn. You had to get away from there as fast as you could. 

Somehow, your dumb, naive brain thought that if Prince Gojo had sex with you, he’d magically fall in love with you. But in the end, he didn’t even want to see your face. Those intimate moments that meant the world to you had meant nothing to him. You were just another woman he’d fucked. 

There had been a carriage waiting in front of the inn to take you home, but you didn’t take it. Right now, you’re the most emotionally vulnerable you’ve ever been in your life, still trying to dry your tears, so you need more time before walking back into your house and dealing with your stepmother and stepsisters. With any luck, they’ll be asleep and you can slip in without waking them.

You duck into an alley and change your shoes back to the satin slippers, replacing the glass ones in the bag you carried. You feel fresh tears coming on when you look at them. You wore them to meet the Prince and he didn’t even notice. All these years, you’ve wondered what would happen if you simply appeared before him with the glass slippers on your feet. Now you know: nothing happened. 

Maybe you should sell them, use the money to buy some decent clothes for yourself or some new books or literally anything else. The shoes are just a source of pain now. 

Once you reach your father’s small estate, you step into the building that had been the servants’ quarters, back when your family actually had servants, and hide the shoes under a loose floorboard. You can’t bear to have them so close anymore. 

The universe does take pity on you in one way at least - no one is awake when you finally reach your house. You’re able to go inside, clean up, and change clothes without being disturbed or questioned. Then you climb into bed and cry yourself to sleep. 

*******************

Prince Gojo wakes early the next morning. He didn’t sleep more than an hour or so, being both excited and worried. He’s about to find the girl he’s been waiting for, but what if she hates him now? 

He couldn’t shake the image of her crying, the tears glistening on her face as they dripped from under the mask. And he’d promised her he’d make sure she never cried again! 

In the heat of the moment, he’d assumed she was feeling overstimulated or overwhelmed. But the much darker possibility keeps haunting his mind. What if she was crying because she didn’t want it? What if he’d unknowingly forced himself on her? The very thought is too terrible to bear.

He’s angry at Geto, because his friend was supposed to thoroughly interview all volunteers to make sure nothing like this ever happened, and the man had admitted to noticing she seemed frightened! Why did he bring her on in? 

But most of all, Gojo is angry at himself. He should have noticed the shoes. He should have noticed how nervous she was. He should have noticed the welts on her arms before fucking spanking her. But he’d been so caught up in his own pleasure, he let too many important things escape his notice. 

That’s why he has to find her again and apologize. He has to make things right. 

After dressing, he meets Geto outside the inn and both of them climb into a royal carriage. He feels jittery, and his knee is shaking. 

“A bit of advice, before we get there,” Geto says, pulling Gojo’s attention. “I think it would be a bad idea to make your intentions for Cinderella clear.”

“Huh? Why not?”

“Think about your position. Every unwed woman in the kingdom is vying to be your bride. The original volunteer is clearly interested in you. If you let it be known why you’re looking for Cinderella, jealousy might get in the way.”

Gojo thinks about that for a moment. “I see. How do you suggest we handle this then?”

“Perhaps we could say that Cinderella accidentally took something from your room that belongs to you, and you simply want to retrieve it,” Geto offers. “Be clear that it was an accident, and she’s not in any trouble, so they won’t worry about turning her over.”

“That could work,” Gojo says. “And then once I have her in my sights, I’ll never let her go again.”

***************************

You woke up a little later than usual, having had a very stressful and restless night. You had nightmares of the Prince that were somehow separate but all blended together in the way strange dreams do. In one, he married your stepsister, in another he took the glass slippers from you and smashed them on the floor. In the most terrifying, he used your stepmother’s rod to hit your arms until they cracked like eggs, the blood pouring out like yolks. 

Your stepmother and stepsisters were waiting in the kitchen to interrogate you while you prepared breakfast for them. 

Was the Prince angry about the switch? Why didn’t he provide a carriage to take you home? Did you do your duty and please the Prince? Did you satisfy him? Did he offer to pay you? Did you get to meet his handsome advisor?

Your stepsisters tossed in more lewd questions that had your stepmother scolding them. 

Was the Prince as handsome without his clothes as with them? Was he a good lover? And one of them almost asked how big his cock was before shrinking away from her mother’s glare. 

Luckily, you had the excellent excuse of being forbidden from speaking about any of it, by royal command. You could only confirm that the Prince was not angry and you had done your duty. 

That was this morning, and you now find yourself cleaning the chimney in the kitchen, your body halfway buried in the fireplace, your tattered dress covered in soot. 

Your stepmother bustles into the room and practically drags you out of the fireplace by your ankles. In a hushed but urgent voice, she says, “Stay in the kitchen! If you set one foot out of here before I say so, I’ll kill you!”

Shocked by the sudden threat, you look at her with wide eyes. “What’s going on?”

She slaps your face, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to be a warning. “Don’t make a sound! We have guests, and they’re not to know you’re here!”

With that, she hurries out of the room. Confused and curious, you creep over to the kitchen door to listen. You hear the main door of the house open, then voices. Your stepmother and stepsisters are greeting someone politely. More voices, and then you realize one of them is achingly familiar. 

It’s the Prince! 

But what could he possibly be doing here? You have to know. You decide to take the risk of cracking the kitchen door open by just an inch, just so that you can hear what’s being said. 

“You’re saying you have no idea who she is?” Prince Gojo is asking. 

“I apologize Your Highness,” your stepmother says, “but she only gave us the same name she gave you. Cinderella. When my daughter panicked, I felt it would be rude to simply cancel. So I found a lady on the street in town and hired her to go in my daughter’s place.”

“That wasn’t necessary, madam. Your daughter could have informed my advisor that she changed her mind, and that would have been fine.”

“I’m so sorry for the confusion, Your Highness.”

“No apologies needed,” Prince Gojo replies, “but if you see Cinderella again, in town or anywhere else, please tell her I’m looking for her. I’ll be at the inn for two more nights, but after that she can come to the castle. I’ll tell the guards to let her in.”

Your heart flutters, your breaths come quickly. He’s looking for you! He must have remembered you after all! Your first instinct is to fling open the kitchen door and run out to greet him, but then you look down at your dress, and remember what you look like. Covered in dirt and soot, sweaty, dressed in rags, you can’t face the Prince! But he’ll be at the inn… You can clean up as best you can, maybe even swipe one of your stepsister’s dresses, and go to him at the inn tonight! He’ll tell you he loves you, and he’ll take you away from this misery, just like he said when you were children! 

Your stepmother’s voice interrupts your daydream. “May I ask why you’re looking for her, Your Highness?”

Then you hear Prince Gojo’s beloved voice again. “She has something that I would very much like to retrieve. She didn’t steal it. There was apparently a misunderstanding.”

Your heart stops. 

“My goodness,” your stepmother says, “What does she have?”

There’s silence for a moment, as if the Prince is considering what to say. Then he answers. “A pair of glass slippers. I believe she thought she was meant to keep them. But they’re quite valuable, so I’d like to have them back.”

You feel like a knife has been rammed into your chest. You can’t even breathe. He did remember you, he did notice the glass slippers. But he doesn’t love you, he only wants the slippers back. This is so much worse than him not recognizing you! 

You feel tears pooling in your eyes as you choke back a sob, letting the kitchen door close silently. You don’t want to hear anymore! Several minutes later, after the Prince is gone, your stepmother bursts into the kitchen. 

“Where are they?!” she screams, her daughters following in behind her. 

If they’ve noticed that you’ve been crying, they give no indication of it. 

“What are you talking about?” you ask, knowing but thinking it best to pretend. 

She puts her face right in front of yours, rage building in her eyes. “The glass shoes, you little whore! The Prince said you took them! Did you think they were payment for letting him defile you? And you were going to keep them a secret from us?!”

Your mind races. You don’t know what you want anymore, if you even want to keep the shoes or return them, or just destroy them. But you do know one thing: you don’t want these terrible people to have them! 

“I didn’t take them! I left them at the inn. Maybe someone else found them and took them or-“

She slaps you, right across the mouth, this time hard enough to sting and probably leave a mark. “I don’t believe you!”

You look at her with your red, teary eyes. “I’m telling the truth! I don’t have the shoes!”

Your stepmother looks at one of her daughters. “Go and fetch the rod.” Then she leans over you again. “You’re going to give me the shoes. Then my daughters and I will discuss whether we sell them or return them to the Prince to gain favor.”

You back away until your back hits the wall. “I said I don’t have them!”

As one of her daughters hands her the long wooden rod, your stepmother glares at you coldly. “We’ll see,” she says, and then she grabs your arm and pulls you around, so that you’re facing away from her. She tears the back of your dress open, revealing your bare back. 

Then, she begins swinging the rod. 

You lose count of the lashes. Your mind just shut it out after thirty-two.  She hits you harder than she ever has before, and you can feel your flesh splitting, blood oozing down to your waist. You’re crying, shaking, huddled on the floor in your ripped, dirty dress. And somehow, even more painful than the beating, is the knowledge that you’d let your hopes build for even a moment, just to have the Prince crush them.  

For a brief moment, just like when you were a child, you thought he was going to rescue you. You thought he loved you. But you were wrong. 

**************************

On the carriage ride back to the inn, Gojo is in a sour mood. “Now how am I supposed to find her?”

He didn’t even see her face, so it’s not like he can describe her well. Her size, hair color, and eye color were all lovely, but not at all uncommon in this kingdom. Should he just walk the streets, looking for her? No, he’s too noticeable. Crowds would form wherever he went. 

Geto has seemingly been in thought for a few moments, then he says. “The ball, Satoru.”

Gojo looks up. “Hmm? What about it?” 

Every year the royal family hosts a masquerade ball at the castle. All noble families are invited and there are even festivities in town to celebrate. It’s only two days away, and one of the reasons Gojo came to town in the first place. The preparations are quite tedious. 

“Open the ball to the general public,” Geto says. “She’s in love with you, so there’s a good chance she might show up, hoping again for you to notice her. It would be a great excuse for her to wear the shoes again, and even a mask in case she’s too shy or nervous to simply approach you on the street.”

“That’s a great idea! And this time I can watch for the shoes!”

“I’ll make the arrangements,” Geto tells him. “I believe your father said he had an important announcement planned for the ball, didn’t he?”

Gojo nods. “He said it’s a surprise.”

“My guess is that he’s going to formally turn the rulership over to you. Everyone knows you’ve been ruling for years, but he hasn’t made it official yet.”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Gojo says. If all goes well, this could be the most important ball of his life. 

********************************

Two days later, your back is still in agonizing pain. You had no one to bandage it, so all you could do was lie on your stomach and try to spread cold wet cloths across it to soothe the wounds. 

You’re back to work as usual though, wincing as you dust shelves and sweep the floors. 

Your stepsisters are excitedly getting ready for the annual masquerade ball at the castle. They barely qualify as nobles, due to your father, but they go every year. And every year you are told to wait at home. 

This year, for the first time, you’re happy you’re not going. You don’t think your heart could bear seeing the Prince now. 

You gather up the wet laundry you’ve just washed and open the door to go outside and hang them up to dry. As you step outside, you nearly bump into someone. You step back and look up, then your blood freezes in your veins. 

It’s Geto, the Prince’s advisor!

“There you are,” he says in a friendly tone as you gape at him. “I figured if I watched this place long enough, I’d see you. So they were hiding you away after all.”

You look around in all directions, feeling your panic rising. 

“The Prince isn’t with me, if that’s who you’re looking for,” he says. “Oh, or are you afraid that dreadful old woman will see me? Let’s step around back, shall we?”

Without waiting for your answer, he walks around to the back of the house. You shift the basket of laundry to your other hip and follow after him, sitting it on the ground once you’re away from prying eyes and ears. No one else ever comes out here. 

“What do you want of me, Lord Geto?”

“Will you be attending the ball this evening?” he asks. 

You shake your head. “No, I’ve never gone, my lord. My stepmother won’t allow me to.”

“It’s a masquerade. Why not go and wear a costume? Then leave before it’s over and get home before she does?”

You look down at your shabby dress. “I have nothing to wear to such a grand party. I borrowed my stepsister’s dress when I went to the inn.”

He smiles. “And what if you had something to wear? Would you attend?”

You swallow then take a breath. “I’m sorry, my lord, but I would rather not. I… I do not wish to see the Prince.” Geto’s eyebrows raise at that statement but he doesn’t say anything as you continue. “Please tell him that I’ll return the glass slippers. I didn’t know he wanted them back until I overheard him talking to my stepmother. C-could you give them to him for me?”

Geto’s eyes are slightly widened for a moment, then he gives an uneasy laugh. “Oh my, it seems like you’ve misunderstood, and I’m to blame.”

“What?”

Geto steps closer and puts a hand gently on your shoulder. You flinch slightly as his hand hits near one of your wounds. “We were afraid the other women would be jealous and try to avoid telling the Prince about you, so I advised him to say you had something he needs to retrieve. I’m sorry, I never dreamed you’d be so close by that you’d overhear him.”

The gears begin turning in your mind as you process what he’s saying. “You mean… he doesn’t want the shoes back?”

“Certainly not!”

“Then… why did he come here? Why was he looking for me?” you ask. 

Geto smiles at you again. “That’s not for me to say. Best to hear it from the Prince himself. But I will say that he is hoping with all his might that you’ll come to the ball tonight.”

“But-“

“Don’t worry about what to wear. I’ve brought you a gift,” he says, reaching into a large leather bag at his hip to pull out a package wrapped in brown paper. “Just don’t forget to wear the glass slippers.”

He hands you the package and, before you can ask anymore questions, he’s gone. 

You hurry to hang up the wet laundry and then rush to the old servants’ quarters to open the package. The folded dress inside is exceedingly beautiful. It’s blue, the same shade as Prince Gojo’s eyes, and sparkles with thousands of tiny rhinestones. Also included are matching silk gloves, silk mask, and a jeweled crown to wear on your head. 

Is this… a princess costume?! 

You can’t wear this! It would be in outrageously poor taste for someone to wear such a costume to a royal ball! It would be an insult to the true royalty! 

But it’s so lovely! And the royal advisor himself told you to wear it. 

You spend the rest of the afternoon thinking it over as you help your stepmother and stepsisters get ready for the ball. 

You’d love to go, more than anything. Especially if the Prince wants you to be there. But what if Geto was lying just to make a fool of you? You’re so used to people hurting and using you, to being disappointed, that you almost can’t imagine that anything good could come of this. 

In the end, you decide to give your romantic dreams one more chance before giving up completely. After the other women leave for the ball, you run to the servants’ quarters and get ready. The dress fits you perfectly, and you have to steady your heartbeat as you step into the glass slippers once more. 

When you step outside, you’re surprised to find a small, nondescript carriage waiting for you. Geto must have sent it. You climb inside and force yourself to breathe as you wait to arrive. 

The castle is alight with hundreds of lanterns, their flames glowing through glass tinted various colors. Crowds of people are lined up outside, waiting to be let in. The line seems to be moving quickly, so you walk over and stand at the back. You scan the area for your stepfamily but, thankfully, they’re nowhere to be seen. They must be inside already. 

When you finally walk through the castle gate and reach the interior, you look around in wonder. There are even more colorful lanterns hanging about, as well as candles and torches. The ceilings are high, but become higher still when you reach the ballroom. One side of the room seems to be reserved entirely for food. Huge, lengthy tables are lined with exquisite dishes and glasses of wine. There are small tables nearby for guests to sit and eat, but most seem to be eating while standing and moving around the room.

On the other side, there’s a band playing lovely music for the guests to dance to. The whole middle of the room is opened up as the dance floor, and lots of couples are swaying about, spinning each other around and laughing merrily. At the back of the room, there’s a throne, and on it sits the elderly king, Prince Gojo’s father. 

The queen died years ago, so there is only one throne. Prince Gojo himself reportedly stays so busy dancing and socializing at the ball that he doesn’t need a throne to be set out for him. 

But where is the Prince? You turn almost in a circle as you search for him. Part of you is terrified that he’ll reject you, or simply ask for you to give the shoes back. Another part is excited for him to see you so dressed up. You’ve never worn such fine clothing in your life. You actually feel pretty for the first time. 

You can’t help noticing the a few people seem to be looking at you and whispering. It’s probably because of your rather inappropriate costume. You ignore them and continue walking. As you pass by the food tables, you spot your “family” sitting down, enjoying a feast. Thankfully they seem too distracted to notice you. 

Finally you see him, Prince Gojo, looking resplendent in his dark blue jacket with silver trimmings. He’s standing at the edge of the dance floor, surrounded by beautiful women who are all giggling and chatting with him. He’s wearing a dark blue mask, but even from here you can see his glowing smile. You watch him for a moment, and after a while you notice that his eyes keep flicking down to the feet of every woman who approaches. 

Is he looking for you?

Gathering your courage and calming your breaths, you walk over to him. Your glass slippers click on the ballroom floor with each step, and as you watch, Prince Gojo seems to freeze in place. His head turns as he looks for the source of the sound, until he sees you. 

His eyes shift to your feet, widen, and then rise to your face. He quickly excuses himself from the conversations with the other women and walks over to you. He stops right in front of you, staring with large, glassy eyes peeking out from his mask. 

“You came,” he says, almost breathlessly. 

You look at the floor, too nervous to meet his intense gaze. “Th-thank you for allowing me to attend, Your Highness.”

He holds out his hand to you. “Will you do me the honor of dancing with me, princess?”

You blush, remembering the costume you’re wearing. If he’s offended by it, he doesn’t show it. You take his hand and let him lead you to the middle of the dance floor. Other guests back away and give the two of you plenty of room. 

The song switches to something slow and melodic, and Prince Gojo leads you in a dance. You’ve never danced before, not like this, but he’s skilled enough for the both of you, gently swinging your body to the rhythm of the music. At one point he dips you, and his hand touches your back. You wince, biting back a cry of pain. Your wounds are still so raw. You’re worried blood will stain this incredible dress. 

Prince Gojo notices your discomfort, and his eyes narrow as if in concern. Soon after, the song ends, and the Prince keeps hold of your hand, tugging you toward the hall and slipping out of the room. 

The hallway is long and lavish, lined with beautiful paintings and sculptures. He doesn’t say a word as he pulls you along, and eventually he opens an ornate door and leads you inside. 

It looks like a bedroom. Is it his? Or an extra one? 

He closes the door, then suddenly crosses over to you and wraps his arms around you. Your back screams from the touch, but your heart soars. When he releases you, he looks like he could cry. 

“You’re here. You’re with me. I’m not dreaming, am I?”

“I don’t understand, Your Highness-“

“Don’t!” he suddenly says, startling you into silence. “Don’t dare call me that, not when you’ve already called my name so sweetly!”

You feel heat creeping into your face. “… Satoru, why were you looking for me?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I told you to come find me. I’ve waited all these years!”

Your heart pounds. He was waiting for you! “But why me? We were just children when we met.”

He takes both your hands in his. “Didn’t you feel it back then? A connection between us, like a red string of fate tying us together. I’ve known since that day that you’re my one and only.”

“I did feel it!” you say, tears welling up in your eyes again. “I’ve been in love with you since that day!”

He reaches up and slowly pulls your mask off, looking you in the face for the first time since you were children. He smiles, that same radiant smile from back then. “Hey, don’t cry! I promised to make sure you never cry again, remember?”

You nod, wiping your eyes. “I remember,” you say. 

He puts his hands on your face, cupping it gently. “I loved you then. I love you now. Please never disappear on me again.”

Then, he kisses your lips, so softly, over and over. His kisses become deeper, longer, his tongue slipping into your mouth to taste you. 

He finally pulls away, his skin slightly flushed. “I wanted to apologize for the other night,” he says. 

You look at him curiously. “What for?”

He looks a little sheepish as he says, “For being so rough with you. It was your first time. I should’ve been more careful. And I shouldn’t have done, well, most of the other stuff too. I always imagined I’d treat you so gently, and I screwed that up. I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

You shake your head. “No, not really. Well, maybe there toward the end. But I didn’t mind. I love you so much, Satoru, I don’t mind if you hurt me. Just getting to be close to you, to touch you, makes me happy. You can do anything you want to me.”

His face reddens. “Fuck, you can’t say something like that to a guy who’s been craving you for years!” He kisses you again. “But I don’t want to hurt you. I only want to make you feel good, for the rest of your life.”

Your eyes shift to the floor for a moment. “Actually, I liked it… when you were rough with me.”

“Really?”

You nod, remembering the feeling of him pounding into the deepest parts of you. 

He suddenly turns your body around, so that your back is facing him. He starts to unfasten your dress, but you don’t want him to see your wounds. You’re embarrassed for him to know about the beating, and you just want to enjoy making love to him. 

“Wait,” you say, “can I keep the dress on?”

He grins, blue eyes gleaming behind the mask. “Want me to fuck you like a whore in your pretty princess dress?”

You’re looking at him over your shoulder, and you smile innocently at him. “Please, Satoru!”

Immediately his hands are wading under the layers of silky fabric, and as soon as they find your panties, he rips them off you as if they were made of paper. Then one of his hands is pressed between your thighs, squeezing the plump flesh, fingers probing their way inside you. 

“So wet for me,” he says, his finger finding your clit and rubbing it vigorously. 

A shudder ripples through you, and you almost collapse from pleasure alone. “Ahh… Satoru!”

Soon his thumb and finger are both on your clit, giving it a pinch that makes you gasp. You’re breathing hard, your hands finding the edge of a dresser to hold onto. 

You hear fabric rustling and realize he’s opening his pants. Then he’s hiking your dress up to your waist as he bends you over onto the dresser. In one fast, hard thrust, he’s completely buried inside your pussy. You cry out, gripping the dresser with your gloved hands as he begins ramming into you. 

“You’re so beautiful,” you hear him say behind you, his hand rubbing over your ass. “Your pussy feels so good. So tight… fuck… I wanna paint you in my cum!”

“Do it,” you cry. “Soak me in it! Drown me in it!”

He’s fucking you so hard, the dresser is rattling. You can feel him hitting your cervix, his grip on your waist bruising. One hand snakes around again to play with your clit, rubbing and pinching it roughly, making your whole body tremble and tears leak from your eyes as you cry out in ecstasy. It fills you with indescribable joy, to feel your beloved one so deep inside of you. 

****************************

Prince Gojo is dangerously close to losing control completely. The woman he loves, the woman he hungers for, is moaning beneath him, her soft body shaking from pleasure, her wet pussy clenching him desperately. She couldn’t possibly be any more perfect for him. 

He’s glad she wanted to keep the dress on. There’s something deliciously perverse about fucking her while she’s dressed in something so prim and lovely. The silky fabric feels good against his skin as he rails her, and she’s so wet that he’s making an extremely lewd mess between her thighs. He can hear it, the squelching sound of his cock stirring her guts. 

The thought that he has her now, that he’ll be able to fuck her like this every day, is making him slightly delirious. He’s imagining falling asleep with her in his arms, waking up to the sight of her face, having her beside him for the rest of his life. And he can’t help picturing her licking his cum from her fingers. Fuck, he wants to cum in her mouth again. He wants to fill her womb again. He’ll need an heir after all. 

He has one hand between her quivering legs, his finger and thumb merciless with her sensitive little clit, making her cry out his name in a way that has his cock twitching.  His other hand moves from her waist to rub down her back. She flinches away from the touch, her moan turning into something like a bit back scream of pain. 

Is something wrong with her back? He noticed her wincing when he touched it earlier. He’ll have to ask her about it later. For now, he just wants to enjoy the feel of her warmth enveloping him. 

He hears her voice, and realizes she’s speaking, not just babbling nonsense in the throes of passion 

“I love you, Satoru! I love you!”

He smiles and rams in deeper, making her squeak. “I love you too! More than anything!”

She clenches even tighter, moaning out his name while she cums. God, he could watch her cum forever. The way her hands grip the dresser, her body shaking, her voice becoming high pitched, it’s all so beautiful. 

With her satisfied, he lets himself sink into the pleasure, closing his eyes for a moment and just feeling her. It only takes a few moments for him to reach the edge, and plunge right over. This time he cums inside her on purpose. They’ll be married soon and expected to produce royal heirs. Might as well get started on that.

After a few seconds of panting, after emptying himself completely, he opens his eyes to look down at his princess. His eyes go wide, his heart nearly stops, because he sees red splotches blooming out across the back of her dress, like crimson flowers. 

He pulls out immediately, but leaves her bent over the dresser. His hands fly to the buttons of her dress, nimbly undoing them. 

“W-wait!”’she cries, jerking as if trying to push him away. She must not realize she’s hurt!

“You’re bleeding!” he says, his voice shaking as he undoes the final buttons and pulls the back of the dress wide open. 

What he sees will haunt him for the rest of his days. “What is this?” he asks, his eyes moving over the criss cross wounds covering her back. They’re red, raw, angry wounds, many of them leaking blood. They look incredibly painful, and maybe even infected.

“Don’t look,” she’s mumbling through tears. “Please don’t look.”

“Who did this to you?!” 

He’s caught between feeling despair at seeing such damage done to someone so precious to him, and blinding rage at whoever dared to do it. 

She’s sniffling, clutching the dresser, refusing to look at him as if she’s ashamed. He pulls her up and turns her to face him, pulling her over to sit on the bed with him. He wants to wrap her in his arms but he’s afraid of hurting her. 

“It’s okay! I’ll take care of you. I’ll have our best doctors treat you. I promise no one will ever hurt you again!”

She nods, leaning her face against his shoulder. He waits for a while, letting her regain her composure. Her feelings are more important than anything right now, even his own anger. 

When she finally pulls away, seeming a little more calm, he asks again. “Who did it? Please tell me.”

She hesitates, then finally says, “My stepmother. You met her when you came to my house.”

He remembers the severe woman he met. So his love was there the whole time? Then he remembers the welts. “Has she done this before?”

“She beats me with a rod all the time, but usually it’s not this bad. Just some strikes to my arms.”

God, he hates that old woman! His blood is practically boiling. “Why was it different this time?” he wonders out loud. 

She looks away from him. “After you told her about the glass slippers, she tried to make me give them to her. When I refused, she tried to beat them out of me.”

He feels a stab of pain to his heart. This happened because of him! He stands up suddenly, no longer able to contain his rage. “Alright, I’m sending her to the guillotine! First thing in the morning!”

She stands up after him. “But you banned the use of the guillotine three years ago!”

“I’m sure we’ve got a functioning one left around here somewhere,” he says, then shrugs. “Fuck it, I’ve got a sword. I’ll lop the old bitch’s head off myself!”

“You can’t!” she cries, grabbing his arm. “I don’t want you to become a different kind of ruler, a different person, because of me!”

He looks into her glistening eyes, feeling calmed by her very presence. “Okay. I’ll think of an appropriate punishment. Maybe banishment, or years of hard labor.”

She sighs in relief. “Thank you, Satoru.”

He watches her straighten her dress after he helps her button it back up. She insists on waiting to see a doctor until after the ball is over. She’s dreamed of attending it for years, she says. She ties her mask back on, and the two of them head back into the ballroom. 

There’s a bit of a commotion at the back of the room, where the King is standing up, addressing the crowd. 

“-and that’s why I’m making this announcement tonight!”

Gojo takes her hand in his, wanting to share this moment with her, when he’s deemed the official ruler of the kingdom. When he steps up to the throne, he’ll also announce his engagement! He can’t help smiling at the thought. 

Suddenly, a woman is brought out to stand beside the King. She’s dressed in finery that marks her as royalty, and he realizes he recognizes her. She’s a princess from a neighboring kingdom! He’s met her a few times, but he doesn’t think he’s ever had an actual conversation with her. What’s she doing here?

“For the good of the kingdom,” Gojo’s father says loudly, “I have arranged for my son to marry this young lady, Princess Yumi!”

Gojo can’t suppress the loud “What?!” that bursts from his mouth. He quickly looks at his real princess, the woman he loves, and she’s looking at him with an agonized expression. 

“I swear I had no idea,” he says. “I’ll talk to my father. I’m not marrying her! I don’t even know her!”

Cinderella’s hand slips out of his. “No, your father said it’s for the good of the kingdom.”

“I don’t care what my father said!”

He sees tears in her eyes again. “It’s no use. I can wear this costume, but I’ll never be a real princess. Not like her. I’ll never be accepted as your bride. I was just living in a fantasy for a moment.”

He almost pulls her into his arms, but remembers her wounds. “I told you, I’m not marrying her! You’re the one I love!”

“And I love you! But this is reality! Just like when we were kids, we played pretend that we could be together, but at some point we have to face the truth and go back to our real lives.”

“But-“

She kisses him on the lips, and he can feel the wetness of her tears on her face. Then she runs, her shoes clicking on the floor as she flees into the crowd. Gojo tries to push through the people, but now that the guests have spotted him, they’re crowding around him to pat his back and congratulate him on his engagement. He politely moves through them, telling them he has an urgent matter to deal with, ignoring their surprised faces as the always friendly Prince snubs them. 

By the time he gets through the mob of people and reaches the castle gate, all he finds is a single glass slipper. 

Tag List:

@witchbybirth @artist1936 @labelt-san @megumisthirdog @bloopsstuff @kalopsia-flaneur @monsieurgucchi @victoria1676 @mekoepekoe @tomiokasecretlover @dear-fake-diary

[antiquarianfics]

Accidental pt. 3

What happens when you accidentally kidnap the exact man you were looking for?

pairing: mob!bucky x reader

warning(s): canon level violence, kidnapping, profanity

a/n: girl, do i know where this is going? no, not until i write it. but what do you think? is this gonna end well? hehehe

You do not have permission to copy, translate, or repost my work; however, feel free to like, comment, and reblog.

part 2

»»———-———-———-———-———-———-———-««

"Have her home by... What time was your meeting again? 7? Have her home safely by 7 tomorrow," you say, standing up from where you sat in front of him. You begin to move around the basement, picking up your things that you had brought with you in the whole kidnapping ordeal. Once you've collected your things, you start walking towards the stairs to leave. "If she isn't there, the deal's off."

"You're just going to leave me here?" James asks, pulling at his arm restraints.

You look over your shoulder at him and smile at him. "You're a mob boss, doll, I'm sure you'll get out of there in time." Then, with that, you ascend the stairs.

—

You pace back and forth through your sister's living room, a million thoughts racing through your mind.

What if James doesn't follow through on his word?

What if you're being played?

What if you let go the one person who could actually help you?

You take a deep breath, pulling back the curtains hanging above the living room window to peek out into the street. Empty. Your eyes drift over to the analog clock your sister has hanging above her fireplace. The hands seem to scream back at you: 6:53.

You pace some more, rationalizing that James still has—you glance at your watch that now reads 6:54—6 minutes to return your sister. Six minutes. Six minutes. Six minutes until you have to pull your mask back on and try and somehow track James down again. He might not have been your original target, but now that you've dealt with him, he's the go-to.

You look up at the analog clock on the wall again: 6:58. You pull back the curtain, looking out the window. Empty. You groan loudly and kick the nearest piece of furniture, wincing in pain when it actually hurts. You glance down at your watch: 6:59. You rush to the front door, looking out the peep hole. Your phone buzzes in your pocket, an alarm for 7:00.

Right on time, a black, fancy-looking SUV pulls up in front of your sister's house and you pull the front door open, taking quick steps onto the porch. You watch anxiously as the driver kills the engine and steps out of the car before walking around the vehicle to open the back passenger door. Once the door opens, you suck in a breath.

Ellie steps out. You exhale.

The two of you make eye-contact and Ellie rushes towards you while you hop the stairs to meet her. The two of you crash into a desperate embrace.

"Ellie! Oh, God! Are you okay?" You pull away, hands cupping either side of her face as you move it side to side, examining her for any sort of injury. Your breathing is erratic.

"I'm okay, Y/N. I'm okay." Ellie assures, her right hand rising to cup your face. She smiles weakly (it's meant to be reassuring).

"I'm so sorry it took me so long to find you. I did everything I could," you promise, willing her to believe you.

"I know."

Ellie looks like she wants to say more, maybe apologize for getting herself into such a situation, beg for forgiveness for being so reckless, but she doesn't get the opportunity. Your reunion is interrupted by the driver clearing his throat, clearly impatient and unaffected by the scene unfolding in front of him. You glance up at the man while Ellie turns and looks at him over her shoulder. She returns her gaze to you before offering you another apologetic smile.

"I'll be inside," she says, walking away. You nod, turning your head slightly to your right as she passes you. You wait for the door to open and close behind you before you look back up at Barnes' man.

"Can I help you?" You ask, your voice cold and devoid of emotion. You're doing your best to summon back the confidence and authority you had when you were questioning James Barnes himself. James, however, had not witnessed what you assume the man in front of you perceived as a weak moment.

The man smirks, as if he is aware of your internal battle, and reaches into his coat pocket. From the depths of his suit jacket, he pulls out an envelope and hands it to you. You raise an eyebrow, eyeing the envelope suspiciously. You take it from him gingerly.

"What's this?''

"From Mr. Barnes," is all he says. He does not move, however, and it's clear that he is going to stand there and watch you open the envelope.

"Uh huh," you say, slipping your finger beneath the seal, breaking it. You cautiously pull out a small piece of stationary; it's white with a gold border. It reads:

To the woman who knocked me out, dragged me to an unknown location, tied me up, demanded information from me, and pointed a gun at me,

If you're reading this, then my men have safely escorted your sister home and you've laid eyes on her. Thus, I have held up my end of the bargain. I trust you will hold up yours. I'd hate for you to have drag me back to that basement...

Let's stay on theme, shall we? I will send for you tonight at 7:00. Wear something nice. ;)

Yours Truly,

J.B.B.

You scoff as you finish reading the note, dropping your hand to your side and looking up and around in disbelief. The nerve of this guy! You didn't miss the teasing tone he held back in the basement—he was as flirty as ever—but you also didn't miss the threat held within his words. I'd hate for you to have to drag me back to that basement... As if you'd ever risk Ellie's well-being by standing him up. You may have the audacity to kidnap him, but you're still very aware he's dangerous. You clench your jaw, swallow, and let your eyes meet those of Barnes' lacky.

"Tell James," you put emphasis on the mobster's first name in hopes of seeming unbothered by the note, "that he has nothing to worry about. I intend to hold up my end of our bargain, but," you say, taking a step forward and jabbing a finger into the man's chest, "also tell him that there will be none of this 'sending for me' business. He wants this meeting so badly, then he can dance his pretty little self up to my door and pick me up. You hear me?"

The man nods, "Yes, ma'am." He looks like he's trying not to laugh, but you feel it's not at you. Perhaps at Barnes' expense? You decide you don't care as you turn around and start to make your way back towards the house. You take only a couple of steps before you pause, though, and turn, a thoughtful look on your face.

"Oh, and one more thing," you say, catching the man's attention before he gets back into the SUV. He raises an eyebrow, you smirk. "Tell James he better damn well bring flowers."

»»———-———-———-———-———-———-———-««

@cjand10 @vicmc624 @mostlymarvelgirl @livingoutsidethetardis @onceithough @thedonswife13 @kaithesimps-blog @buckitostan @julvrs @unaxv

[piratecaptainscaptainpirates]

I've been thinking about how Ed starts directly killing people in s2e8. I've seen a lot of worry that this is tragic, that it's Ed falling back into a life he hates with more vigor, and I don't think it's meant to be understood that way at all.

I think it's a triumph.

One thing we absolutely have to understand: there has never been a time on the show when Ed wasn't killing people. That's true for all characters; this is a show about pirates. Even in s1, Ed was leading successful raids and ordering racists skinned. In a realistic sense, nothing has changed.

The difference is in how Ed does not need to construct intricate ways to distance himself from it anymore.

We know that Ed's first time killing was his abusive dad, an event that deeply traumatized him, and it left him thinking himself an absolute monster. His own capacity for violence disgusts and terrifies him, and even though he's been very successful in a very violent career, he needed to distance himself from killing people ("the fire killed those guys, not me") to avoid confronting this part of himself. He believes that the part of himself that is so capable of violence is irredeemable, a monster, unworthy of love.

Even at the start of the season, when Ed is in a self-destructive spiral, it's debateable if he's directly killing anyone. If Lucius had died, he'd probably have said the sea did it, not him. The guy we see him shoot during the raid sequence already had a knife through his chest - it's a step up, and surely meant to be understood as self-harm more than anything else, but that's still a mercy kill, if anything.

Compare to the finale of season 2. These are direct kills, there is no way to argue that Ed is not responsible. It is not debateable that Ed killed all those British officers.

A lot of the worry I've seen around this concern how Ed is going back to what he's good at (as Pop-Pop told him to), and there's an asusmption that that is killing people/violence. But that's not true, is it? Ed's never been good at killing people, his hangups around directly killing are a known character trait. So...what is Ed good at?

Think about how the scene plays out. Ed sees the Republic burning; he can only assume Stede is either captured, wounded, or dead. He's horrified and dazed, his ears ring - he kills the two British soldiers who happen upon him, he decided to fish up his Blackbeard outfit.

What is Ed actually good at? He's a good pirate, a good captain. He's good at keeping his crew safe, he's good at keeping Stede safe. He has to think he's either going to be embarking on a mission to get revenge or to save his boyfriend.

At first, I was very hesitant about the idea of Ed having to go back to piracy, which he says he hates. But what he was actually trying to do was drown Blackbeard, the part of himself he sees as so unworthy of love. He needed to see that Blackbeard is part of him, that he's not a monster or unloveable, that Blackbeard can help him save his friends and his boyfriend.

It's not a coincidencethat the show goes out of its way to make Ed's killing people in this episode as morally easy to accept as possible. The British officers we see are all racist and mean and unpleasant - like, damn, singing 'we shall never be slaves' while making Black characters serve them? Gross! They got what was coming to them! This is the 'racists deserve to die' show, after all.

And Ed uses this violence as a tool for love, to get him back to his boyfriend, to give them a triumphic reunion. I don't think it's a coincidence that this is when Ed tells Stede he loves him, either - he's come one step closer to accepting he's worthy of love, he's more ready to acknowledge what they have.

Ed doesn't have to feel bad about killing those officers. The show doesn't ask him to. He gets to retire while still wearing his Blackbeard outfit - Blackbeard gets to retire, not be drowned with a canonball in the ocean. And we're left with Ed, still with a lot of growing to do and a lot of self-discovery left, but he's closer to realizing that he's not a monster and that he's so deserving of love.

[xxkissesforchanniexx]

𝐑𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐏𝐭 𝟐

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒆𝒂 𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆... 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖.

Pairing: Merman!Hyunjin x Human!fem!reader Genre: Angst kinda, Fluff🥰💖, Smut🔥❤️ Word Count: 6k Warnings: Blood, Hyunjin is missing, JYPEeeEe KING OF DA SEEEEAAAAA, challenges for king, memories of sexual scenes >.>, Hyunjin AND the kid have hallucinations, kidnapping..., RANDOM MERMAID CRAP I THOUGHT WAS COOL (heart of the sea, coral palace, etc), reunions, chan becomes king of the sea... i think that's it... sweet sex (not entirely soft...), possessive Hyunjin, JYP dies.... forgive me its for plot.

A/N: Based on this TikTok link to pt 1 AHHHHH THE LONG AWAITED PART 2 i hope you like it <3 changing the formatting of my work and page again soon >.>

"I'm trusting you to take care of them, at least until I get back..."

Chan stared at his friend, "And if you don't?"

Hyunjin sucked in a breath and looked over his shoulder at Chan, "Let her... Make her... Forget me."

"Mommy what's 2 x 2?"

"Why are you worried about multiplication right now? Sugar you can't even add your hundreds place yet." You sighed.

"Uncle Ji said it's important to start early." You child pouted.

"Uncle Ji doesn't know much about math either." You chuckled.

"I second that." Chan laughed.

"Uncle Chan." She looked at the dark haired man, "What's 2 x 2?"

You gave Chan a look.

"I'll teach you another time we should work on addition first, y'know?" The man smiled.

You smiled and looked back at your work, you had been studying a certain type of guppy for just about a month now. A type of guppy that always lingered around Hyunjin's home...

You clenched for fists as you thought about that man, his beautiful sea green eyes, his gorgeous smile, the way he held you.

The doorbell made you look up. "Chan, can you get that?"

"I got it." Chan opened the door to Changbin.

"UNCLE BINNIE!" Your child ran to the short man's arms.

He them up and spun them. "Look at my favorite kid." He smiled, "You ready to go?"

Your child grabbed her bag and dragged it to the door, waving goodbye, "I'll see you in two days Mommy. Bye bye!"

You laughed lightly and waved. "Take came of her Changbin."

"I will." He called back.

You were positive she would be fine when you heard Minho's "I'll watch them both."

You kept to your work until Chan tapped your shoulder, "You're going to die of work. Go out and do something."

"Who are you my dad?" You laughed lightly. "Fine."

You picked up your computer but Chan took it from you. "Go relax... Go for a drive, go out to eat, get your nails done. SOMETHING!"

"FINE!" You huffed, muttering a you put on your shoes and grabbed your car keys.

You drove around town for a bit, looking out at the sea, you parked by the beach and walked to the shore, taking off your shoes and sitting there on the sand.

You watched as the water lapped around your bare feet, remembering sitting here with Hyunjin, who seemed shocked that crabs could be so mean when he didn't appear like a merman. You smiled and gripped the sand between your fingers before reaching up and playing with your sun charm.

You lie back on the sand as you remembered the day you and Hyunjin sat on the beach at night, the moon was full and he was talking about his parents.

"And apparently, my dad was the most romantic guy ever. But I can't be so sure about that now."

You giggled. "Do you think I'll meet your parents?"

He looked at you. "Maybe..."

"Maybe?" You tilted your head at him.

"I'd have to make you my mate first." He smirked.

"You'd bite me?" You laughed. "Like a werewolf?"

He made a face and grabbed your face. "I'd present you to the Mother of the Sea and beg for her blessing. I'd give you all my air..." he looked into your eyes and you felt your face get hot. "And then..." He leaned in close so his lips brushed against your jaw. "I'd give you my seed."

You shoved his face and hid yours in embarrassment as he cackled.

"Is it so bad to you???!" He laughed.

"No just..." You looked at him. "You've already done 1 of those things."

He smirked. "Then let me do it again.." he took your hand into his and kissed your wrist then your arm before moving to your neck.

You blushed deeply as your remember how he'd practically dragged you under the water and done... jiendsjiok Y/n. Focus..."Hyune... Where are you?"

Uncle Changbin and Uncle Minho had taken me around all day, we went to the mall, to the park, then we went to go eat, when we finally got to Minho's place and I went to bed I smiled slightly to myself. Mommy never let me go out often.

It was late, I was staring up at the ceiling, I wonder what Daddy's doing right now... the thought of my father made me smile, I still remembered his pretty face. Mommy used to smile more then. It's been two years if I've done my math right.

I hugged my narwal plushie that he bought me the last time we went to the aquarium together. I closed my eyes and whispered softly, "Mother of Sea... bring my daddy back." And I fell asleep.

Mommy says I got my hyper awareness from Daddy. The soft sound of steps woke me up and I froze. The steps weren't near the door or in the hall. They were in the room.

My eyes focused into the darkness and I glanced around without rolling over. I tried to look like I was sleeping as the steps grew closer, was it a monster? was it the boogey man my friends at school talked about...

"Jazz hands and flash." Daddy's voice came to my mind, I was 4 then and he told me to be careful when I flared my hands out because my claws would appear...

The steps grew closer and I swallowed, should I scream for Uncle Changbin...

I should scream..

The steps were beside my bed now.

The shadow stretched over my bed, moonlight from the window pouring in.

I saw the hand reaching for me.

One...

"Deep breaths.." I sucked in a slow, steady breath.

Two...

"Jazz hands..."

Three...

"FLASH!"

I flared my hands out and my claws connected with a hard substance that made me cry out in pain and pull my hands back. The person grabbed me suddenly and I shrieked.

The door burst open and Uncle Changbin was lunging claws out. Another person flew and slammed him hard into the wall just as Uncle Minho ran for me.

My gaze locked on the corner of the room. There was a woman who looked like my mommy dressed differently, like the olden days.. I was pulled out of my window as my uncles shouted.

Something pricked my arm and then the world went dark.

It was so hot... so hot he couldn't move. The heat crushing him place almost.. He looked up as he heard the door to the chamber open.

"Time to eat." the maid said as she set the food in front of Hyunjin.

He stared at it for a long time and as he reached for it he heard a voice.

It's the food...

And he pulled back, smacking the food away with his tail and shouting. "LET ME GO!"

The maid looked at him for a moment, before she shook her head and walked away.

I struggled for a moment before I heard the voice.. her voice... "Hyunjin... it's almost time."

You stood there in shock. Chan was very quiet. Changbin winced as Jeongin dabbed at the wounds on his neck.

"It was the royal guard." Minho said softly.

You looked at the floor, squeezing your necklace...

"Why would they take her.." Chan finally spoke.

Yongbok twirled his thumbs. "How did they even know she existed?!"

Seungmin sighed. "If it's the royal guard it had to have been a roayl decree."

"HOW WOULD KING JINYOUNG HAVE EVEN KNOWN ABOUT HER THOUGH?!" Jisung shouted. "THEY COULD KILL HER!"

The boys went quiet and Chan said softly. "He's been king for a long time."

The others looked at him.

"Chan what are you thinking.." Seungmin whispered.

Chan sat up straight. "I guess I owe you all an explanation."

If there was ever a merboy King Jinyoung put effort into. That boy would be Chan. That boy who was made to be a model king, his parents were impossibly proud of him for being so close to the king. It was when he was thirteen the king really took him in. Fight like this. Kill humans like that. Humans are evil because of this.

It was when Chan met his friends things became a little different, he was freer, the group following him around as it grew, and Hyunjin... Hyunjin who told Chan first where he got his necklace... who told Chan first he felt drawn to you.. who told Chan first that the child was his.. who trusted his love and daughter to Chan.

And Chan gradually slipped away from the king of the sea. But everyone knew.. from the Arctic to the southern most sea, and all the way back again they all knew the next king of the sea was going to be Chan.

And Chan neglected his duty.

"If we're going to get her," Jisung stared at you. "You need to blend into the sea."

You pursed your lips. "Huh-"

Seungmin hummed and circled you. "An octopus or a sea horse..."

"I think she'd make a good shark woman personally." Minho said.

"I agree." Jeongin seconded.

You made a face. "Why can't I be a pretty mermaid like you guys?"

"Because," Yongbok huffed, "Not all of us look the same." He cleared his throat and glanced at Changbin, "First girlfriend had tentacles."

Changbin shouted. "SHE WAS REALLY PRETTY THOUGH!"

They all shrugged.

"Don't listen to them." Chan sighed. "I have something ready already."

They all looked at Chan.

"Watch him make her some ugly black thing-"

"Betta cross." Chan said, looking you over, "Y/N would look good as a Betta fish with a mix of mandarin... Don't you all agree?"

The boys tilted their heads at you.

"Yes." Minho said.

"Definitely." Changbin smiled.

"She'd look gorgegous." Jisung jumped.

"Stunning." Felix nodded.

Seungmin shrugged.

"I think she'd look really pretty." Jeongin agreed.

"What on earth-" You started but the men practically dragged you to your car and put you in the drivers seat, before crowding in your van.

"Drive." Chan said. "We're going to the beach."

for yall who are wondering this is a betta fish (siamese fighting fish).

Chan stared at the shore. "This brings back memories..." He exhaled slowly.

"It's now or never." Jeongin huffed, taking off his expensive human trinkets and leaving them in your car.

You stared at the sea. "If they hurt my baby. I'll dump plastic."

The boys all blinked at you in shock.

"Gimme the pill." You huffed.

Chan cleared his throat and put the pill in your hand.

The boys jumped into the water one by one and you watched as they swam away, clothes washing up to the shore.

You looked at Chan who tilted his head to the water, "After you."

You sucked in a breath and jumped into the water, shoving the pill into your mouth and gasping, watching the bubbles float to the surface before you tried to move you legs. You looked down and shrieked.

Jisung and Seungmin snickered at your reaction.

Yongbok swam around happily. "YOU'RE SO PRETTY!"

You looked at them. Chan dove into the water and you turned away as his legs became one and when you looked back, there was a dark blue tail.

He smiled. "The look suits you..."

You looked down at the big tail, sparkling scales and pretty frills waving and wafting in the current. Hyunjin would've thought it was so gorgeous..

You exhaled. "Lets go."

You followed the boys deep into the water, the coral grew larger, then you saw another merman swim by. Your eyes widened at the sight of a more merpeople, the boys weren't lying, they were all built differently. Some with octopus arms and others with shark teeth.

You pursed your lips as a merman with a striped tail in gold, brown, and black like a lionfish..

Jeongin nudged you. "He's venomous.."

You blinked a few times and nodded. "Noted."

You felt like the merpeople you passed were staring at you and suddenly you forgot how to work your tail. Could they tell you were human..?

Jisung turned and grabbed you, dragging you after the rest of the group. "You're pretty, like.. top tier mermaid princess kind of pretty.." He smiled. "It's natural for them to stare. They'd think the mother of the sea blessed you with her beauty."

You tried to assure yourself that they couldn't tell you were human.

Chan swam towards a huge rock structure and smiled at you. "The person in here is trustworthy." He motioned for you to enter.

You saw a very pretty mermaid with big black eyes her tail was gold and yellow with black spots and there was spines all over it.

"Chan... who is this pretty girl and why is this the first time I'm meeting her?" She circled you a few times and her tail swished happily. "Is she a model for me?"

"Rin-" Chan started but the mermaid lifted your arms and started using a length of something to measure you.

"Rin she's-" Seungmin tried.

"I have just the thing for you darling!" She started running off to get something but Chan grabbed her arm and dragged her back.

"She's human!" He whispered shouted.

Rin's eyes widened. "This is Hyunjin's.."

The boys nodded.

She smiled at you, much calmer than before. "I'm Rin, I'm glad to finally meet you."

"Rin." Yongbok said, "Did the royal guard bring a little human girl through?"

"They did actually." She sighed. "While you were gone King Jinyoung said he'd found the Heart of the Sea."

Chan's eyes widened. "What?"

"It's encased in something, they say the girl is the key to opening it." She looked at you. "That girl is your daughter isn't she?"

You nodded and took a few breaths trying to collect yourself.

Changbin took your hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Can you keep her h-"

"No!" You snapped, pulling away from Changbin. "I'm not staying when some 500 year old man kidnapped my daughter! No! I'm going with you!"

Chan pursed his lips. "Please... Y/N-"

"I'm going and you can't stop me." You touched your face as something behind your ears flared.

Minho hummed. "She's still pretty while she's angry."

"Fine." Chan sighed. "Hands up."

You put your hands up and he flared his hands before baring his nails at you. You jumped back on instinct as his claws appeared.

"Do it." He glared at you. "If you can't, you can't come with us."

You shrank under his condescending gaze.

"Well?" Chan raised a brow at you.

Rin swam between you two. "You're scaring her Chan."

"Stay." He told you.

"Chan that isn't fair to her-" Rin started.

"Yea-" Jeongin started.

The appendages behind Chan's ears flared and he shouted. "She stays. That's final."

The boys and Rin all went quiet.

"Let's go." Chan huffed, swimming out.

The boys looked at you and swam after him, Yongbok smiled at you. "We'll get her back.."

Hyunjin tugged at the chains. He pulled and pulled until his wrists went raw.

"Food time." the maid entered and the heat from the bubbling hydrothermal vents calmed somewhat.

Hyunjin looked at her. "What's happening up there... It's loud."

"The king has found the key to the Heart of the Sea. The sacrifice is in two days time." She said as she set the food down. "I suggest you stop struggling, by the time you get out that half human brat will be dead."

Hyunjin's eyes widened. "If you scum touch her-" Hyunjin tuggd at his chains with all his might and he felt them shift in the sand.

"What will you do?" a voice said behind the maid.

She quickly bowed and excused herself.

Jinyoung stared down at Hyunjin. "I'm going to restore the Merman empire. And when I do, merpeople like you will stop existing."

Hyunjin's eyes narrowed. "You're a monster."

"A monster who cares for his people. And if I have to kill a few humans to reach my goal... So be it."

Hyunjin tore from his chains and vaulted for Jinyoung.

The older merman was stronger than he looked, throwing Hyunjin hard against the rock of the dungeon.

Hyunjin's vision blurred as he slumped to the floor. He saw a luminescent something before he felt the sting and his vision went dark.

Jinyoung stared at the almost diamond casing of the heart of the sea. He looked at the child sleeping in the bubble, it resembled Hyunjin so much.

He held the dagger Chan and his friends had recovered. This was for his people..

"Your highness." a servant entered and bowed, "Chan is here."

"Send him in." Jinyoung covered the child with the seaweed curtains and turned as Chan entered the room.

"My king." Chan bowed.

"Chan, please."

Chan looked up and locked eyes with him. "It's been almost two years since Hyunjin disappeared..."

"A tragedy really." Jinyoung swam to the wall of his study and traced the shelf.

"He had a lover." Chan said softly. "A lover I promised to protect.. and he had a child a child I'd give my life for."

Jinyoung turned eyes wide, the appendages behind his ears flaring. "That half human bastard child!"

"She is not a bastard child!" Chan's eyes narrowed. "In 2 days the moon will be full and at its strongest, the tides low, the fish will move for the coast. The Coral Palace will be accessible. If we have the Heart of the Sea."

"So what?" Jinyoung glared at Chan... This boy can't read through me.

"The Mother of the Sea blesses one. One person to harness the Heart of the Sea." Chan looked at the seaweed curtain, "And Hyunjin's daughter is missing."

"What' the point of all this? You want me to search for a mista-"

"No." Chan moved so fast, Jinyoung barely saw him before Chan's claws were at his throat. "I challenge you."

"Chan!" Minho and Yongbok came around the corner just in time to see it. Their eyes went wide.

"Park Jinyoung. I, Bang Christopher Chan, challenge you to be King of the Sea." Chan said coldly.

Jinyoung stared at him for a long moment. "I accept.."

You sat with Rin talking about the quality of her clothes.

"But really..." she sighed looking at you. "You shouldn't mind it."

"Don't mind what?" You raised a brow.

"How Chan talks to you..."

You looked at her. "Of course I shou-"

"Chan is going to be the next king one day. Simply by being in contact with you, he's risking his future." She said quietly. "By hiding the secret about your daughter for so long... He's risking his life."

Your eyes widened slightly. "So.."

"He's mean sometimes but it's because he cares.." she smiled, "So don't let that get to you."

You nodded, looking at your hands. "I'm just worried about C/n.. and Hyunjin.."

Rin smiled and took your hand in hers. "It'll be okay..."

She spoke too soon.

"RIN!" Minho entered the coral building with such speed he was dragging bubbled behind him, eyes wide and frantic with fear. "Chan challenged the king!"

He opened his eyes again... he felt so tired.. His sea green eyes looked over the hydrothermal vents and he tugged at his chains. He'd broken free before.. why couldn't he now?

He felt something.. something.

Turn. Hyunjin turn your damn head. He turned his head with so much effort and he saw it. The jellyfish that had stung him. He sucked in a breath and exhaled, how the hell did he let this happen.

"SHIT!" He shouted as he realized what would happen. He pulled at his chains. Y/N, C/N, Chan, Changbin, Yongbok, Jeongin EVERYONE!

Hyunjin pulled at the chains one last time before giving up.

He sank to the floor and grit his teeth as he remembered the last time he'd seen you.

"You'll come back right?" You looked up at him with the saddest look in your eyes.

"Of course I'll come back.. when haven't I?"

And how you'd kissed him as if it was the last time you ever would.

Hyunjin screamed and pulled at the chains again, he looked up at a little ball of light in the distance and somehow he saw you... No.. not you.. but you.. dressed in something so much like the old days hundreds of years ago.

"The Heart of the Sea is here... it's been waiting on you."

By the time you got to the arena area Chan was in the sand, the man he was fighting, who you assumed was Jinyoung, was beating the crap out of him. The other people watched with sad expressions as Chan got punched again..

You swam to the closest place you could to see. "CHAN!"

Minho tried to move over the coral railing as King Jinyoung's claws emerged, but Changbin held him back.

"He's going to kill him!" You shouted.

Jisung grabbed you around your waist and held you back. "That's how the challenge works... the one who lives is king..."

You stared with wide scared eyes as blood swirled into the water. "Chan.."

You tried to pull away from Jisung as Jinyoung released Chan and stood straight. Chan lie there in the sand, blood curling up into the water. Was he dead... Chan... dead?

Something in you snapped and you tore from Jisung's arms with alarming force.

This man. This King of the Sea. He'd kidnapped your daughter. He'd destroyed your peace. He'd forced Hyunjin to go back to the ocean. He'd hurt Chan.

You tore through the water, seeing red, you felt numb. There was nothing but this Jinyoung. This monster.

You raised your hands on instinct and felt your nails shifting on your skin before you really saw red. Your barbed claws buried themselves in Jinyoung's chest just as the royal guards swam for you, just as Chan sprung back up, just as the crowd screamed and a messenger shouted over the arena... "THE SEA DEVIL IS FREE!"

Hyunjin woke up in a bed. It wasn't soft by any means but he wasn't complaining, a familiar warmth was pressed to his chest and he smiled as he held her tighter pressing his nose against he head, the familiar scent filled his nostrils.

He opened his an eye and smiled at you. He barely noticed the sheets looked different.. how strange they felt, he heard something and tensed.

"What is it?" You looked up at him.

"Nothing.." He lied. "Go back to sleep." He got up from the bed, and stepped on to wood flooring. His brows furrowed as he realized... this floor wasn't the one in your house.

He went to the door and felt something looming over it as he opened the door and walked into the hall, the chairs in different rooms looked old... and he saw it... a baby crib... His eyes widened, that wasn't..

The sound of the front door opening made him turn with such speed he could have cracked his neck.

"The oceanic beast is here!" Someone shouted.

Hyunjin turned to run back to your bedroom but someone grabbed him and he shouted, "Y/N!"

He heard you scream as you were dragged from your bedroom.

Hyunjin saw red and before he could stop himself he spun from the people holding him and slashed their throats, Lunging for the men holding you. Heavy metal chains fell around him and he was pulled back baring his claws.

You shook your head, tears streaming down your face.

And Hyunjin stopped struggling.

He let the people drag him away...

From where he was chained in the village square he'd seen you multiple times, but you were always with someone, they always kept you away... and one night he heard something and looked up.

The moon was full and he saw his people storming the village..

You came running to him, and as you tried to unshackle his chains he stared with wide eyes as a long dagger, tore through you. "Y/N!"

Your grip on his chains slackened and Hyunjin tore away from where he was held about to lunge for the person but he froze. It was a boy... a merboy, no older than 16.

"Human devils and Sea devils are the banes of this world. You should die!" The boy shouted.

And as he opened his mouth to shout a human sword ran him through.

"You can't let the past repeat itself..."

He looked up at you. Or what looked like you.

"You have to go now..."

"But-"

"Hyunjin..." You leaned to him and kissed him gently. "Give me your air."

Hyunjin screamed and tore his chains from the ground, swimming to the stalactite edge of his enclosure and pounding on it before he slammed into it and the rock crumpled. He swam up frantically towards light, and surfaced in the remnants of the Coral Palace.

He stared around for a long time. Then his ear appendages twitched and he turned in the direction of the New Palace.

Jinyoung held his chest and stumbled back. His eyes widening at the sight of you. "HUMAN!"

The crowd gasped and Chan stood in front of you, defensively, "She's trustworthy-"

"NO HUMAN IS TRUSTWORTHY! ARREST HER!"

"Your highness, the moon-" A frantic servant tried to say but Jinyoung pushed him aside and swam for the palace.

Guards circled you and Chan as the others tried to get to you and the crowd began to panic.

"UP!" Chan grabbed you and slammed his tail hard, sending you shooting upwards before he released you and began to swim as fast as he could.

You followed before you looked back. "I can't.."

Chan looked at you. "Y/n! We need to go!"

"Chan..." You breathed before turning back to the palace. "She's all I have."

Before he could stop you, you swam around the guards and followed Jinyoung into the palace. You followed the merman as he swerved through the palace and then you finally caught up to him as he stopped in front of a seaweed curtain.

"JINYOUNG!"

He pulled out a bubbled and turned to you. Inside the bubble was.. your daughter..

The artifact Hyunjin had stolen from the museum in his other hand. "With this dagger... Mother of the Sea... Bless the Heart! And devour Man."

You screamed as he raised the dagger. "NO!" You swam for him but something was faster, grabbing Jinyoung and slashing his face. He dropped the bubble and you dove for it. Looking up, you stared in shock at the familiar figure. "Hyunjin.."

"You want the heart..." he said lowly, raking his claw over his palm, blood coiled from the wound into the water as Hyunjin grabbed a crystal locked object.

You stared at it. Jin-young sprang up to attack Hyunjin but something slowed him...

Hyunjin gripped the crystal and shouted. "COME GET IT!"

And it shattered.

Jin-young stared at him. "This can't be... You're not- You can't- You... You love that HUMAN! You're not one of us! TRAITOR! LIAR! DEVIL!"

Hyunjin tossed the crystal to the ground before staring a beautiful blue pearl.

"This... is for 500 years ago." Hyunjin grabbed the dagger from the floor and stabbed the pearl.

Jin-young screamed and lunged for him but Chan swam past you and grabbed the shrieking king. "Your dynasty is over."

Hyunjin's brows furrowed before he swam and covered your eyes. And yet you couldn't mistake the sound of Jin-young's neck breaking.

It took several hours to get everything handled with your daughter as she couldn't believe Hyunjin was back. Chan was going to recover and the planning of a formal coronation was under way. It was early the next morning, when you finally got home, settling your daughter into bed. But now you had questions.

"Where were you.." you whispered as you returned your home.

Hyunjin looked at you. "Jinyoung ordered me to return and kept me when I tried to leave. He... he imprisoned me in the Coral Palace and I saw... you..."

You looked into his eyes. "You were gone. I thought you-"

Hyunjin remembered what he begged Chan to do and bit his plump lip.

"I thought you left us." You whispered.

Hyunjin fell from the couch on his knees in front of you. "No... Jagiya no..." he breathed. "I would never."

You felt the tears welling in your eyes as he took your hands in his. "I'm sorry... you've been struggling and I just-"

"No. Don't apologize. I.. I should've figured out something-"

"You were in a dungeon, I was just here and-" the tears started streaming down your face before you could stop them. "C/n would ask where you were and I wouldn't know what to say.."

Hyunjin took your face in his hands and shushed you, wiping your tears. "You did amazing..." He whispered. "You are amazing.."

You looked into his pretty green eyes as you tried to control your tears. "I missed you.."

He smiled gently and leaned to press his forehead against yours. "I'm here... I'm finally back... And I'm never going to go again.."

You kissed him softly. He held you against him, pushing his tongue past your lips and sighing as he tasted you for the first time in so long. "Let me..." He breathed.

"What..." You exhaled.

"Make you mine. I want you to meet my parents." He muttered. "But first-"

You didn't let him finish his sentence before you pounced on him.

Your lips were molded to his in a desperate heated kiss as you ran your fingers through his long hair. He muttered against your lips "I love you so much..." as he lifted you, hands firmly on your butt with your legs wrapped around his waist.

He carried you to your bedroom, lip never leaving yours as he set you down on the bed, leaning into you, pulling your shirt over your head as you worked at his pants. He smiled against your lips after he pulled the shirt off you, "Shit, I missed this.."

You gasped as his lips moved to your throat and he bit gently at the skin before kissing and licking at your chest as you mewled softly.

He lifted you and unclipped your bra before taking your of your nipples into his mouth. He groaned as you pulled off his pants just enough to palm at his cock through his boxers. He moved lower kissing at your stomach before kneeling as he pulled your pants and panties off, looking up at you past your breasts. His eyes met yours, pupils blown wide with desire.

His green eyes trailed to your pussy before he leaned in and kissed your clit gently before giving it gentle licks.

You whined and grabbed at his hair.

"Shh.." He hummed, "I've got you pretty thing." He took one of your hands in his and your fingers intertwined as he began licking and sucking at your clit.

You tugged at his hair and gasped, "Hyunjin-"

He groaned into your womanhood, the vibrations sending sparks down your spine before he pushed a long finger into you. You moaned at the stretch and Hyunjin hummed.

"You missed me filling your pretty pussy?" he whispered as he moved his finger in and out green eyes admiring the way your slick coated the digit, before he pushed in another.

You gasped as he curled his fingers to rub your g-spot. He fingered you faster, grinding his palm against your clit, you moaned louder as you felt the familiar knot tightening in you gut. Hyunjin moved up and kissed you moaning as you pulled his hair.

Hyunjin released your hand and took his hand to your clit, rubbing in figure 8 motions as you moaned.

"Cum for me, baby.." He whispered.

And the knot inside you snapped, you jerked as your vision went white and Hyunjin continued fingering you stretching your orgasm thin.

He pulled away and drew his fingers out slowly, admiring your slick as he licked his fingers clean, groaning at your taste. He pulled his shirt and pants off, dragging the boxers as well before grabbing your legs and dragging you to the edge of the bed.

He looked down in you eyes as he took his shaft into his hand, rubbing the tip against you slit and slapping it against your clit. You whimpered and he smiled as he pushed into you before leaning over you.

You both moaned as he sank into your tight heat.

"I love you so much..." he breathed, kissing you as he pulled out. He pushed in slowly and the kiss swallowed your moans as he repeated the motion, pushing into you over and over. He pulled away to look into your eyes before he stood to his full height and grabbed your hips.

You gasped as he began fucking into you roughly, desperately, even, as if you might disappear, as if he were dreaming. You moaned as his cock reached deep inside you, brushing your cervix.

"I missed you so much... I thought you'd forgotten me... moved on.. given yourself to someone else." He groaned and and wrapped your legs around his waist, moving you up on the bed and slowing his thrusts. "This is mine.." He kissed your hand,"mine." he kissed your stomach, "mine..." he the valley between your breasts, "mine.." he kissed your lips, "mine. You are mine.." He slammed into you so hard it knocked the air out of your lungs and the bed creaked.

"Hyunjn-" You reached to hold onto him and he took your hand again, kissing your palm as he started pounding into you again, his eyes glazed over and distant but at the same time so focused on you and only you.

You the human he learned to trust. You the girl he used to think about all the time. You the girl who seemed to be everywhere he was. You the only woman he would ever love. You his human.. the mother of his child.. his savior.. you.. the Heart of the Sea.

"I'm not leaving you again... never.." he breathed as he moved faster. "'M going to stay for our little family.. for you." He leaned down and kissed you, muffling your cries as he picked up the pace. "I'm going to cum..."

You gasped and whined as you felt the knot building in you again. "Me too.."

He licked two fingers and brought them to your clit. "Come on jagiya, you can give me one more baby..." He rubbed furiously. "Please he whined and you came again, pussy clenching tightly on Hyunjin.

He moaned and grit his teeth as he came as well. His hips bucked to yours as he released load after load into you before falling over you, holding himself up with his forearms.

You pulled him down to you, his head resting on your bare chest, sweat slicked bodies pressed together and you whispered, running your hand through his damp hair, "I love you, Hyune... Welcome home.."

Tags

@asahisimpnation

[wires-and-hellfires]

Hi could you do Alastor x Vox's sister that's staying at the hotel. Vox didn't know they were in hell and they are not a tech demon like him if this makes any sense.

Vox only realized it was his sister because unlike her brother who's good with tech she opposite like the best equivalent comparison I can think of is someone who's so bad at cooking that they could burn water.

Sorry for the long request you dont have to do it if you don't want to

look at how well you took care of me

Pairing: Alastor & fem! reader (queer-platonic), Vox & sister! reader

Description: Vox comes to the realization that he may have made a mistake... he can only hope it's not too late.

Warnings: The battle in episode 8, violence, murder, injuries, alcohol, Alastor as a warning in itself, Rosie being Rosie,

Author note: Hi hi! Thanks so much for the request!!! I don't write romantic relationships for Alastor, but I loved this idea so I hope a QPR is okay! The title is from "Whispers of Your Brother's Blood" btw. This was tons of fun to write and it kinda got away from me but hopefully it's okay.

Part 2 with a reunion coming soon!

Meeting Alastor was likely the best thing that happened in your entire life, including your time on Earth and in hell.

You weren't stupid. You knew how Alastor treated people, hell, how he used to treat you, and yet, somewhere along the way he showed you more kindness than anyone else.

You met through Rosie, which was likely the best way to come face-to-face with the radio demon.

Rosie found you when you first arrived in hell, and despite very obviously considering eating you, she saw potential of some sort. Perhaps it was your steady gaze or the way you gripped the broken glass in your bloody hand like a knife, but she took you in and showed you life in hell, even if you didn't share her... dietary choices.

When Alastor came for their weekly gossip session meeting, she introduced you two. At first, he seemed to disregard you. You didn't mind.

You did your best work behind the scenes anyhow.

Alastor mentioned a man from the Weapons District who had been speaking badly of Rosie, laughing that he was practically volunteering to be a guest on his broadcast. You could hear the static in his voice from your spot in an armchair across the room. He wasn't joking.

Which meant you had to act first.

Later that night, you bid farewell to Rosie with a smile, claiming you had errands to run, which to be fair, wasn't entirely untrue.

The man was easy to find thanks to Alastor's description. He reeked of cheap booze and tobacco, already drunk in the bar you tracked him to.

Sliding up to him with promises of "a good time" and more booze, he stumbled out of the bar after you, straight into the back alley.

He was dead within 10 minutes. A mugging gone wrong, they'd say.

How tragic.

During the next meeting between Alastor and Rosie, Alastor invited you to sit with them, much to Rosie's delight. And if his smile seemed a bit too knowing and he made a few jokes about drunks in dark alleys? Well, that could stay between the two of you.

And that's where it started.

Every visit, regardless of what you were doing, Alastor would ask if you'd like to join them. You three would chat over tea, sharing gossip and talking shit. You couldn't tell if he genuinely enjoyed your company or if he just found you entertaining, though you suspected those two things weren't too different with Alastor.

And when someone was a bit too careless with their opinion about Alastor in the bar you frequented one night? The radio demon didn't need to make an appearance, you would destroy that scum yourself-

The next day, Alastor paid you a visit personally.

In the parlour, he expressed an interest in your... skillset, laughing about how you worked in the darkness.

He offered you a deal for your soul.

Whatever care he had developed for you likely saved your life when you refused.

"Partners or nothing," you had offered. When his grin sharpened, you knew he was intrigued.

He was the flashy showman, broadcasting the screams of overlords and inspiring fear across all of hell.

And you?

You were the shadow on the wall, charming those who would be too stubborn or too afraid to usually talk, convincing them to give away the information you needed to build your empire further.

Those who knew of your existence understood the consequences of speaking out. The radio demon didn't take well to those who threatened you.

In a dangerously comforting way, it all felt far too close to your life on earth. Sure, you weren't killing nearly as much back then, but flirting for information, gathering secrets and destroying those who opposed you or those close to you?

Yeah, that was familiar.

Your brother would be proud, you thought.

Or maybe he'd be just as unappreciative as he was in life.

Half a decade at Alastor's side, the two of you taking the phrase "partners in crime" very literally.

As a show of trust, he once allowed you to help with a broadcast, as long as you promised to keep quiet. Admittedly, he quickly discovered your... less-than-ideal skills with technology, but you appreciated the thought nonetheless.

You relied on one another. You leaned on him and he would lean back.

And then he disappeared.

No goodbye, no warning at all, not even a body.

Just... gone.

After five years, you moved into an apartment in Cannibal Town, further isolating yourself. Finding work wasn't difficult, but you refused to use your skills for just anyone, and there were few people you trusted more than Rosie.

You arrived late one night, two years into working with Rosie. Setting the keys down on the counter, the dull buzz of static spread through the room.

Alastor was holding you before you even hit the ground, legs giving out in relief.

And yes, he wasn't the most physically affectionate demon, but for you?

For you, he could make an exception.

The hotel could wait until tomorrow. Tonight, he had apologies to make and a partner to comfort.

The next day, after Alastor pitched his ideal to the princess of hell, he brought in Niffty, Husk and you as help, and if everyone thought you were a soul under his command, well, it was easier that way.

However much you didn't want to admit it, you grew to care for everyone. Losing at cards with Husk, cooking lessons with Angel, sparing with Vaggie, watching musicals with Charlie, crafts with Niffty, failing at inventing with Sir Pentious...

And doing absolutely everything with Alastor. After his reappearance, you were reluctant to let him out of your sight, and the radio demon was all too willing to keep you close, even if Husk seemed concerned over it.

Which was probably why when Alastor tried to get you to leave during the night before the battle, you refused.

You could tell his desperation to keep you safe drive you out of the hotel by the static in his voice, his subtle requests turning to false threats and finally a plea that neither of you would admit to leaving his mouth.

"I'm a lot of terrible things, Alastor, but I am not disloyal. I will stand tomorrow with you and everyone else. You're not leaving me again."

And for the first time that you've met him, he lets it go. No further bargaining or attempts to trap you, just a sigh and "Whatever you want, my dear," with a tighter smile than usual.

The next day, everything goes to shit.

Alastor and Adam are fighting, with Alastor firmly kicking his ass.

Then Sir General Pentious yells to unjam a cannon near you, and while pushing random buttons and gesturing angrily, you scream, "I don't know how to use this shit!"

You don't see the VoxTech drone nearby recording everything for the Vee's future entertainment.

With your back turned, you cry out at the feeling of a spear slicing across your back.

The pain of the blow sends you stumbling forward into the side of the cannon, causing it to finally go off, turning the angel behind you into pieces.

The force behind the machine sent you crashing into the wall of the hotel next to Angel, who turned to you in shock.

At the sound of your pain, Alastor's focus breaks for only a second.

It's enough for Adam to gain the upper hand, breaking his staff in two and sending him to the ground.

As he fades into the shadows, he focuses on your energy signature and pulls you into the darkness alongside him.

Across hell, at the top of V Tower, Vox swore wildly at the screen.

What a fucking coward!

Alastor running away to die off camera had to be the biggest disappointment in his entire afterlife.

Scratch that, second biggest disappointment. Still a pretty big bummer though.

Saving the other views of the battle for later inspection, he and the other Vee's watched as Lucifer slammed Adam into the dirt in delight.

It was 3 hours after the extermination was cancelled that he found the footage of you and the cannon. Of you hitting the wall and disappearing, but you're not dead, you can't be dead oh please not again-

How long have you been in hell? He assumed that you had been killed permanently before he arrived in hell after you, or maybe you'd even been sent to heaven, despite your sins. If anyone deserved to be forgiven, it was you.

But no, no no- You'd been here, the whole time, in that stupid hotel with fucking Alastor-

Vox's fans speed up in an attempt to keep his whole system from crashing.

Your appearance had changed, sure, but he would recognize the sight of you cussing out technology anywhere.

He would recognize his little sister anywhere, even in death.

This was all his fault.

You and Vox grew up close. Always the two of you, there could be no one else, the sheltering of your parents ensured that.

Over time, Vox's mastery of technology grew, and so did his influence. When he needed someone he could trust to keep things clean and running in the background, you were the obvious choice.

He took you for granted, Vox knew that now. You had argued about something stupid before a job one night, he couldn't even remember what he said, only that he went too far. When you left to go do some "clean up" for a previous situation, he resolved to properly apologize for once when you got home. And to say thank you. He wouldn't forget this time.

But you never came back.

You were found shot dead in an alleyway by a couple of employees from a nearby bar later that night.

Did Vox send you on a job that was too much for you? Were you distracted from the argument?

Either way, it was his fault you were dead. His fault the one person he loved, his baby sister, lay in a casket.

It didn't take long for him to get put into the ground himself.

Arriving in hell felt like a second chance. He would find you and everything would be alright again.

And yet, you were nowhere to be seen.

The drones around the hotel (or what was left of it) circled, scanning for a sign that you were there. That his ignorance hadn't killed you for a second time.

On the screens, the clean-up of the rubble continued.

Vox twitched.

Vox hadn't prayed since he was a child in the front pews of the neighbourhood church. Back when purity was still an option and repentance was unnecessary.

Now, he didn't know who he was pleading to. Does God listen when demons pray?

Please. Please, let her live. Let Alastor have saved her. Let me make this right.

Please.

[iheartsteve0704]

With AAA coming to an end soon (so fucking emo about this) here are my final two episode predictions/delusions no one asked for:

**I don’t think most of these will happen tbh just thoughts rolling**

The hair in Agatha’s locket is Nicholas’s but the locket was given to her by Rio when he passed so that’s why it’s sentimental to her because it reminds her of both her favorite people in the world

What Billy seeks is not what he thinks he wants

We won’t see Wanda (sorry but I really don’t think so! I could be wrong but anyway I’d love to be wrong just to see Lizzie Olsen on my screen again)

We’ll learn that when Rio had to take Nicholas, she was inconsolable and just as broken up about it as Agatha but the older witch was too hurt and in her own feelings to realize it

Jen is an agent of mephisto

Jen’s trial will be episode 8

Senior scratchy isn’t anything but a bunny (given to Nicholas by Rio)

Agatha and Rio WILL kiss

Nicholas died not years later but when he was born due to complications and the things we saw in Agatha’s spell casted west view house weren’t real but just things she wished he had experienced and done in his life

The house Rio is sitting on is the house her and Agatha used to dream about having together when Agatha was pregnant with Nicholas but then he passed and they never got to that point

We’ll get a Rio trial and learn a lot more about her and how she become lady death in the first place (pls pls pls pls pls JAC PLS)

The Agathario Salem flashback will be the beginning scene of episode 9

We’ll see Alice again (in episode 4 they focused in on Alice singing “I’ll see you at the end”)

Hopeful wishful thinking that we see Lilia too but I think her ending was in 7 was heroic and a satisfying ending to her story and reversing all that would be strange to me

Rio and Agatha don’t betray each other because they admit they still have feelings for one another that never went away no matter how hard they tried

We get confirmation they were married once and not just exs

The part in the witches road song where it goes “Where all that's wrong is right and all that's bad is good” will be reflected and it kind of was in EP7 when teen did a tarot of Agatha and said something around the lines of that doesn’t make sense because it was opposite of bad

The reason why Rio calls Agatha a coward is because of their relationship and how Agatha won’t admit what she really feels for Rio or the fact that she actually does forgive her and the person she was mad at all along was herself more than anything

WE GET A SEASON 2 ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE EMPTY CREDIT FRAME

What if what Agatha actually seeks at the end of the road is reunion and the road is up to interpret that in any way and it’s Rio

The Agatha Rio fight isn’t real and is a show to distract the others

Or the Agatha Rio fight is a part of the last trail to “escape death”

Rio will have to leave Agatha in the end (for “work”) she’ll conjure up the same flower form the beginning and tuck it in Agatha’s hair

It was truly Agatha all along along and the road is just some twisted scheme Rio and Agatha started back in their salmon days to collect bodies and power (this would be hard tbh like support ur local evil hags I guess!)

^ and that’s why Agatha’s trial was so short because it had to happen to make the road believable but not too drawn out to cause herself more emotional mommy issues drama

^^ but I do believe and think Agatha genuinely felt bad getting Alice killed and I think she has made an attachment (even a small one) to her coven even if she won’t admit it (even Jen!)

We’ll learn Jen was Agatha’s midwife and the scene will be Jen helping Agatha push and Rio rushes in from “work” bringing a banquet of the flower she conjured in episode 4

Aubrey’s words about the ending being a “gay explosion” will mean that the series will end with Agatha and Rio together on top, even if it means betrayal of the coven

AGATHARIO END GAME. PERIOD.

[sidekick-hero]

First Love, Second Chance

(steddie | teen | tags: exes to lovers, canon divergence (Eddie lives), future fic (set 2001) | Part 3)

Part 1 | Part 2

“Ah, yes, here you are, Mr. Munson,” Joanne said, glancing up from her clipboard. Her eyes flicked from Eddie to Steve, and a knowing smile spread across her face. “And what a coincidence, since you two obviously know each other.”

Steve’s heart seemed to skip a beat, his stomach doing a nervous flip. He didn’t dare looking over at Eddie, afraid of what he’d find on the still familiar face. Joanne continued, oblivious to the tension crackling in the air. “You’re sitting right next to each other. Isn’t that nice?” She looked at them with a bright, expectant expression, as if she’d just announced they’d won some kind of prize.

It wasn’t until they learned they weren’t actually a match that Steve realized just how much he’d been hoping for a fairy tale ending. Him and Eddie, stumbling into each other’s lives again after almost a decade, brought back together by fate and some cosmic joke of the universe. It was the kind of story that only seemed to happen in the cheesy romance movies El loved so much, the ones Steve always claimed he hated but secretly got sucked into. But real life wasn’t like the movies. The only time his life had felt cinematic was during the nightmares of the Upside Down, and he’d had enough of that particular genre.

“Oh…” Eddie’s voice broke through Steve’s thoughts, and he glanced up, startled by the look of genuine disappointment on Eddie’s face. “Are you— I mean, could you, uh, check again? Just in case, y’know?” Eddie stammered, his fingers drumming nervously on his thighs. “Maybe they made a mistake or… or something.”

Joanne dutifully checked her clipboard again, her eyes scanning the page with the same polite smile still fixed on her face. “I’m sorry, Mr. Munson. Everything seems to be in order.”

“Thank you, Joanne,” Steve cut in quickly, before Eddie could press the issue any further. It wasn’t her fault that the universe hadn’t conspired in their favor. “It was still… nice seeing you again, Eds. You look good. I mean, you look well. That’s good,” he stammered, catching himself too late. He needed to end this awkward little scene before it got any worse. “We shouldn’t keep our dates waiting.”

Sure enough, while they’d been caught up in their unexpected reunion, their actual dates had arrived. Steve’s attention shifted to the woman now sitting at his table — she was attractive, with dark curls and bright blue eyes, dressed in a simple outfit of jeans, sneakers, and a white shirt. He liked that immediately; she looked relaxed, approachable. When she caught his gaze, she gave him a warm, genuine smile, a dimple appearing at the corner of her mouth.

“You’re right,” Eddie said, noticing where Steve’s eyes had gone. He rested a hand on Steve’s shoulder, the metal of his rings cool against Steve’s skin, even through the fabric of his shirt. “I didn’t expect to see you here, but… I’m glad I did. You look good, too. Maybe we could, uh, catch up sometime. I’m new in the city, so I’m… you know, available. For whatever, whenever. And I’m gonna stop talking now.”

With a quick, embarrassed grin, Eddie turned away and headed toward his own table, where his date was already waiting. The man was tall, towering over both Steve and Eddie by at least a head, with tattoos snaking up his arms and across his neck. He was dressed head-to-toe in black, but despite his imposing appearance, he had the vibe of a friendly Saint Bernard — big, scruffy, and unexpectedly warm. The way he greeted Eddie, with an excited smile and a hand lingering just a little longer than necessary, suggested he was more than eager to make a good impression.

Something twisted deep in Steve's chest — regret, maybe, or that stubborn, lingering hope he couldn’t quite shake. But he forced himself to turn back to his date, determined to stay in the present. He was here to meet new people, to start fresh. That was the whole point, right?

Good intentions only got him so far, though. As the evening went on, it became harder and harder to keep his focus solely on Lisa, who certainly deserved better. From what Steve could tell, she was a great person — grounded and practical like Nancy, but with a quick wit and an idealism he found refreshing. She’d been signed up by a friend, too, and was still recovering from a past relationship, just like him. Though he didn’t tell her his own “formative heartbreak” was sitting just a few feet away, laughing that deep, infectious laugh Steve used to love so much.

Lisa worked for a non-profit that helped homeless people get back on their feet — too many in Chicago, especially kids, which was her main focus. They were just discussing her dream of having at least two children, a girl and a boy, when Steve felt Eddie’s gaze on him. Eddie’s date had gone to the bathroom, and it seemed like he’d been listening in on their conversation.

Steve’s desire for kids had been one of the main sticking points between him and Eddie. Not because Eddie didn’t like kids — if anything, Eddie adored them. They had practically co-parented Dustin, Lucas, Max, and the rest of the gang, and Eddie had a natural ease with them that had only made Steve fall harder. But Eddie had been convinced they’d never be allowed to adopt — not just because they were two men, but because of the lingering cloud of those old murder accusations, even though they’d been dismissed. No matter how often Steve had reassured him, saying, Sure, I want kids, but I want you more, it hadn’t been enough. He could have been happy just being a godparent to the next generation of kids. And who knew what the future held? The world was changing, more progressive than Eddie gave it credit for.

But it hadn’t helped. When they’d finally called it quits, Eddie had said, “At least now you can find someone to have your six nuggets with.” The words had stung too much for Steve to respond then, but they came back to him now.

“You know, I always wanted kids,” Steve began, looking at Lisa but knowing Eddie could hear him too. “But since I started working as a kindergarten teacher, I realized I don’t necessarily need any of my own. There are so many kids out there who could use some extra love and attention, and I’m happy to be able to give that to them, even if they’re not mine. My best friend always says we don’t have to live by the conventional ideas of family. We can make our own, however we want it to be. And I think she’s right.”

He said it to Lisa, but he hoped Eddie heard the message, too — that some dreams could change shape, and some things could still be possible, even if they didn’t look like what they’d once imagined.

Steve chanced another glance over at Eddie’s table and wasn’t surprised to find Eddie already looking back at him, his gaze intent, like he wanted to say something. But before the moment could lead to anything, Eddie’s date reappeared from the bathroom, and the connection snapped.

With effort, Steve pulled his eyes back to Lisa, who was watching the whole exchange with a puzzled look. She paused, then placed her small hand over his, her touch surprisingly steady.

“That’s a great way of looking at it, Steve,” she said softly. “I think your best friend is right. And trust me, with the work I do, I totally understand. There are so many children out there who need love, support, and attention. You’re a good guy.”

You’re a good guy.

The words echoed in his mind, pulling him back to another time, another place — back to when Eddie had said those very same words. Eddie, who hadn’t known him for more than a few days and who had every reason to hate him after high school. But somehow, Eddie had been the first to see that he had changed, the first to say it out loud, right when Steve needed to hear it most.

It seemed Eddie hadn’t stopped eavesdropping, because at that moment he stood up from his table, heading toward the bathroom. As he passed Steve, his hand brushed against Steve’s shoulder, just a quick squeeze, but enough to feel like a silent message — like Eddie still agreed with the sentiment, even after everything that had happened between them.

Watching Eddie walk away, Steve felt a rush of clarity, a sudden understanding he’d been resisting for too long. This was bullshit, as Nancy would say. All of it. He didn’t want a fresh start or someone new to help him get over his first big love. Maybe that would’ve been the logical thing, the sensible thing to do.

But when had Steve ever listened to anything but his heart? And his heart was screaming at him not to let Eddie slip away again.

Part 4

[littlemissayu]

Wht Song would play in your Rom-Com?

A/N: Kinda surprising myself by posting twice today but hey I did it!! Lmk if you guys want a pt2 bc I don’t wanna write this just for you guys to not care for it or want smth else.

Pt2

Pairings: Heartsabyul, Savanaclaw, Octavinelle, and Scarabia x reader(romantic)

Dancing in the Moonlight by Toploader

Now I can see this playing out in a montage of you two getting closer somehow; being forced to work together and slowly warming up to each other(academic/work rivals or js u 2 being complete opposites etc.) or even just going from daily acquaintances, maybe you work at his local bakery or coffee shop, and you guys get closer and closer til one of you get the nerve to ask the other out.

 

Honeypie by JAWNY

This plays out when you guys are having your moment, yk the one where you just think to yourself, I can totally tell they love each other and not just cause the movie is telling you. You two are either talking about something you both feel passionate about and you just bounce off each other clearly feeling at home with this person. Or maybe you guys are just there together and something about the energy or aura of what you doing or not doing just radiates love.

Magic by One Direction

Playing while it finally hits him that he is totally head over heels for you, and he accepts it. He probably had a lurking feeling beforehand but now he is absolutely sure that he, Cater Diamond, is in love with you.

Come and Get Your Love by Redbone

This song plays out during your first date montage. It’s a supercute new love type of montage as you guys are just trying to impress each while being all lovey-dovey

Teenage Dirtbag by Wheatus

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. He's head over heels for you and this song plays during another montage of you two being silly goofy teenagers in love just running around giving everyone toothaches.

This Love by Maroon 5

This song plays while subtly flirting with(read as obviously pining over) you. You are making him work for it of course and it just makes him more determined to make you his. It will play again at the end of the movie too when you guys are finally together and everyone who’s watching you guys love story(in the movie or not) can finally rest now that you two are together while listening to a fun song.

Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy by Queen

I can so picture this playing in a scene where you guys bond over having to do a task(like maybe cleaning a mess you two made) together as a new couple and you guys are just having the best time together being all in love and stuff. The sun is softly shining through a window and you clean, stealing kisses and flirting. It’s just such a cute scene.

My Girl by the Temptations

You can’t convince me that this song isn’t playing in a scene where you guys are having the first dance at your wedding. OR (another) montage of you guys being back at his home as he shows you the beauty of it and while you fall in love with his home he falls harder for you.

Ain’t no Mountain High Enough by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell

I don’t know why my brain has decided that the outro for Azul’s heartfelt closing song of his heartwarming, emotional, fluff filled Romcom. My thoughts refuse to see otherwise. Like just imagine when you uys finally kiss for the first time and you just hear the mesmerizing voices of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell are just transitioning you over to the end montage of the life you and Azul live together with part of the credits playing and the end is a heartfelt message about love pertaining to the movie and then the very last credits roll.

Stand By Me by Ben E. King

Imagine the two of you dancing together confessing your feelings after being separated by your busy lives for years and after a reunion you two finally meet up and slowly what the two of you thought was just a crush forms into a beautiful love that he professes to you as you two dance in the moonlight. The atmosphere is romantic and his voice is mesmerizing; you two are just so in love.

Lay All Your Love on Me by Abba; Mamma Mia Ver.

Is this because of the scene during this song? Absolutely! Bc now that I got it into my head it’s never going to leave, just think about it. You two are just elling each other that you want the other to give you their everything. Also I this upbeat song just feels somewhat right for Floyd(i could be wrong tho)

OR

Partners in Crime by Set it Off & Ash Castello

Just imagine the opening and closing song being this song because throughout the movie it’s about the two of you basically being Bonnie and Clyde, traveling across all of Twisted Wonderland causing crimes all by being crazy in love. Every hostage you’ve had to hold can always say one thing “They are mad for each other”. The song starts while we see you guys rob a bank and as the song says at the end the two of you are shot when cornered by the police whether you two die or not is dependent on whether the two of you get a sequel but who knows???

Stupid in Love by MAX and HUH YUNJIN

Are you kidding me?? This would be you guys' theme song. Just imagine this song being about the two of you about to get married but everyone says you guys are rushing it but like WHO CARES?? You two are so in love it makes everyone sick. This plays during the wedding and at the end when whatever your main conflict is gets solved. Just imagine you two finally happy and at the end you two are looking over a beautiful sunset on magic carpet.

LoveGame by Lady GaGa 

You guys are enemies to lovers and this is the song that plays during your rivalry montage. Let’s say your Kalim’s cousin doesn't trust him in the slightest and he finds you annoying, because if you keep trying to investigate it could affect him and his family so you two are constantly going toe to toe and the tension is so thick, a butcher would struggle to cut it. During the montage of you two being enemies in public but lovers in private because you guys finally sliced the tension but you don’t want to reveal anything yet. 

A/N: I’m not 100% on all of these but it was fun to do so even if you guys don’t specifically say you want a part 2 i might js make it for fun but do interact and lmk, it motivates me even to get out more content!! All my love!!

Heartsabyul Masterlist

Savanaclaw Masterlist

Octavinelle Masterlist

Scarabia Masterlist

TWST Masterlist

Grand Masterlist

[rootedinrevisions]

Rooster's Shadow: Part 5

SUMMARY: Rooster prepares to fly the mission and there's a moment between him and Hangman. Then after the mission, everyone meets back up at The Hard Deck for reunions and to celebrate, with some revelations being made.

WARNINGS: Alcohol Use. Mentions of War (fight scene)

WORD COUNT: 3k

Here's the FINAL Part to this story. Other parts can be found here: PART 1 I PART 2 I PART 3 I PART 4

The next morning as Rooster prepared to board the aircraft, he and Hangman stood face to face on the tarmac, the weight of the upcoming mission hanging heavily in the air. “You give ’em hell!” he yelled, clapping Rooster on the shoulder.

Rooster nodded, a faint smile crossing his lips. His expression grew more serious as he looked directly at Hangman. “Listen, if I don’t make it back…take care of Carly.”

Hangman looked at Rooster for a moment before agreeing. “I will.” He paused, letting the gravity of his words sink in. “But don’t worry about her. She’ll have her big brother to look out for her.”

Rooster's gaze softened, the respect between them palpable. There was an unspoken understanding that, despite their past differences, they both had a profound respect for each other’s commitment. “Alright then,” Rooster said, extending his hand for a shake. “I’ll see you back here.”

Hangman took his hand, shaking it firmly. “See you soon.”

As Rooster turned to board the plane, the shared moment of respect and trust underscored the bond they had forged—one built on mutual understanding and the unwavering promise to protect those they cared about

* * * * * * * * * * * *

The sun was starting to set as Carly sat on the beach, her arms wrapped around her knees, staring at the horizon. The breeze carried the salty scent of the ocean, but all she could think about was the mission. It had been hours since they left, hours of waiting with no news. She’d sat there, on the edge of the beach, trying to stay calm, trying to distract herself from the gnawing anxiety in her chest.

The sound of voices and laughter from inside the bar felt distant, muffled. It was as if she was watching the world through a filter, everything fading to a blur except for the overwhelming worry gnawing at her. The what-ifs clouded her mind, a constant loop that wouldn’t quit.

Her breath hitched as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned just in time to see Bradley stepping out of the bar and onto the beach. The sight of him brought her to her feet, her heart racing. For a split second, all her fears melted away, and she ran toward her brother.

“Bradley!” Carly shouted, her feet kicking up sand as she sprinted towards him.

When she reached him, she threw her arms around him, her heart hammering in her chest. He hugged her back, tightly, as if reassuring her he was real, that he’d made it back. She pulled back slightly to look at him, her hands gripping his arms. “You’re okay,” she breathed, her voice thick with emotion.

Bradley smiled softly and nodded. “Yeah, I’m okay.”

But as the relief started to settle in, she noticed something. He was alone. She looked behind him, towards the bar, as if expecting to see Jake walking out right after him. She waited for the familiar swagger, that smile he always wore, but there was no one else. Just Bradley.

Her stomach twisted, the panic rising in her chest as she looked back at her brother. “Brad… where’s Jake?”

Bradley’s expression faltered for a moment, and in that split second, Carly’s heart dropped. Her chest tightened, and she felt the world tilt around her. The sounds of the bar and the beach faded into the background.

He wouldn’t… he couldn’t have— She couldn’t even finish the thought. Not Jake. Not after everything.

She swallowed hard, her voice a whisper. “Did he… is he…”

Before she could finish, she heard movement behind her. Her breath caught in her throat as she spun around. There, stepping out of the bar and onto the beach, was Jake. He was watching her, his face a mixture of concern and relief.

The second their eyes met, all the tension she had been holding onto broke. Her face lit up, and she took off running toward him, her legs carrying her as fast as they could. Jake didn’t hesitate, stepping forward with open arms just as she leaped into them. He caught her easily, wrapping his arms around her and burying his face in her shoulder. Carly held onto him tightly, her hands clutching the fabric of his shirt as if she never wanted to let go.

“You’re here,” she whispered against him, her voice shaking with a mixture of disbelief and relief. “You’re really here.”

Jake chuckled softly, though there was a hint of emotion behind it. “Of course, I’m here.” He pulled back slightly to look at her, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Did you forget, I'm good?”

Carly blinked, a single tear escaping down her cheek as she let out a laugh. She didn’t even bother wiping it away as she shook her head. “I was scared…” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jake’s expression softened, his thumb gently brushing her cheek as he leaned his forehead against hers. “I know,” he murmured. “But I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere.”

For the first time since the mission, Carly let herself relax. In his arms, she felt safe, like nothing could hurt her now that he was here. But even in the relief, the emotions still lingered—the fear of what could have been, the pain of thinking she might never see him again.

As they stood there, the last rays of sunlight casting a warm glow over the beach, Jake pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “You’re stuck with me, Carly. No matter what.”

She smiled softly, finally pulling back to look up at him. “Good,” she whispered. “Because I’m not letting go.”

Inside the bar, the celebration was in full swing. The pilots clinked glasses, sharing stories from the mission with a mixture of laughter and relief. Carly sat at a booth with Jake, her hand still clasped tightly in his, as if afraid to let go. Every now and then, her eyes would dart over to Bradley, who was sitting with Maverick and Phoenix, smiling and laughing as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

But something had happened. Carly could sense it, that lingering tension in the air. There was something unsaid, something heavy hanging over the room. She glanced at Jake, catching the way his jaw tensed every now and then when someone mentioned the mission.

As if on cue, Bob, one of the quieter members of the team, let it slip. “I still can’t believe it,” he said, shaking his head. “I thought Rooster wasn’t going to make it back after he got shot down going back to save Mav.”

Carly’s heart stopped. Her body went cold, and she felt the blood drain from her face. Shot down? She blinked, her eyes immediately darting to Bradley. He had been shot down? Her stomach twisted as panic bubbled up in her chest again, but this time it was different. She wasn’t sure she could handle hearing this, hearing how close she’d come to losing her brother.

“Yeah, if it wasn’t for Hangman…” Bob continued, oblivious to Carly’s reaction. “He swooped in and took out that enemy plane. Saved Mav and Rooster’s life.”

The words hit Carly like a punch to the gut. She turned her head slowly, her gaze shifting to Jake. He was watching her, his expression serious, almost guilty like he knew exactly what she was thinking.

“You…” Carly breathed, her voice barely audible. “You saved him?”

Jake shrugged slightly. “I was just doing my job, Carly.”

She stared at him, her mind reeling. The pieces started to fall into place, the weight of it settling over her. Bradley had been shot down. Jake had gone after him, risking his life to make sure her brother came home.

Carly swallowed hard, her throat tight as she glanced back at Bradley, who was still laughing with Phoenix. She couldn’t imagine losing him, not after everything they’d already been through. Bradley was the only family she had left. The thought of him not coming home—of losing him the way they’d lost their parents—was too much to bear.

Taking a shaky breath, she turned back to Jake, her eyes filled with emotion. “You don’t even like him,” she whispered. “You and Bradley, you’ve always been at each other’s throats. And yet… you made sure he came home.”

Jake’s face softened, and he reached out to take her hand again. “It’s true, Rooster and I haven’t exactly been best friends,” he admitted, his voice low and sincere. “But he’s important to you. And that makes him important to me.”

Carly’s chest tightened, her emotions threatening to overwhelm her. The weight of what he had done wasn’t lost on her. Jake had put aside his differences with Bradley, risked everything, and saved her brother’s life. Because of her. Because he knew how much Bradley meant to her.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she quickly blinked them away, trying to compose herself. But Jake noticed. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze and pulled her into his arms, wrapping them around her as if shielding her from the weight of everything.

“You don’t have to worry,” Jake murmured softly, his voice comforting against her ear. “I wasn’t going to let you lose him. Not on my watch.”

Carly let out a shaky breath, resting her head against his chest. She could hear the steady beat of his heart, the warmth of his embrace grounding her. “Thank you,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “I don’t know what I would have done if…”

Jake shushed her gently, pressing a soft kiss to the top of her head. “You don’t have to think about that,” he said. “He’s home. He’s safe. And so am I.”

For a moment, they just stood there, the world around them fading as Carly let herself breathe again. The fear, the panic, the what-ifs—she let them all go. Because Jake was right. Bradley was safe. Jake was safe. And that was all that mattered.

After a long pause, Jake pulled back just enough to look down at her, his lips curving into a small smile. “Besides,” he added, his tone lightening, “if I didn’t bring Rooster home, you’d never forgive me.”

Carly couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing as she shook her head. “You’re right,” she said, managing a small smile through the tears. “I wouldn’t.”

Jake grinned, brushing his thumb gently across her cheek. “Guess it’s a good thing I’m not in the business of disappointing you, huh?”

Carly smiled, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his lips, a quiet thank you lingering in the gesture. “You did good, Jake. Better than good.”

Jake’s expression softened again, and he held her close, savoring the moment. “Only because you were worth coming home to.”

The celebration at the bar had started to wind down, the night growing quieter as most of the team had gathered outside, enjoying the calm after the storm of the mission. Bradley sat at the bar with Phoenix, who was nursing her drink with a contented smile.

“You did good out there today,” Phoenix said, nudging him with her elbow. “Took some guts to pull off what you did.”

Bradley smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Thanks. Just glad we all made it back.”

Phoenix followed his gaze as it drifted toward the open doors of the bar, where the faint sound of the ocean echoed in the distance. Just outside, leaning against the railing, Jake stood with Carly wrapped under his arm, her head resting comfortably on his chest. It was an intimate moment, Jake’s hand absentmindedly brushing Carly’s hair back, his gaze softer than Phoenix had ever seen before.

“Huh,” Phoenix mused, taking another sip of her drink as her eyes flicked back to Bradley. “Hangman looks… different.”

Bradley raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

Phoenix shrugged, leaning forward on her elbows. “I don’t know. He just seems... calmer. Like he’s not trying so hard to prove something anymore.”

Bradley glanced at her, then followed her gaze back to Jake and Carly. For a moment, he just watched the way Jake gently traced small circles on Carly’s shoulder, the way Carly leaned into him, looking more content and peaceful than Bradley had seen her in a long time. There was no bravado in Jake’s expression—just genuine care.

“I guess Carly’s good for him,” Phoenix added, her tone thoughtful. “And he’s good for her, too. She looks happy, doesn’t she?”

Bradley’s jaw clenched slightly as he took in the sight of his sister and Jake, a mix of emotions swirling in his chest. Carly did look happy. The way she smiled when she looked up at Jake, the light in her eyes—it was a happiness that Bradley hadn’t seen in her for a while. Maybe it was because of all they’d been through. Losing their dad, the pressures of their separate lives. But seeing her now, Bradley couldn’t deny the difference.

Phoenix nudged him again. “You okay?”

Bradley blinked, pulling himself from his thoughts. “Yeah, I’m fine,” he said, though his voice was quieter than usual. After a moment, he stood up, his eyes still on Jake and Carly. “I think I need to talk to Hangman.”

Phoenix raised an eyebrow, watching him go. “Good luck, Rooster.”

Bradley gave her a small wave and made his way out onto the deck. As he approached, he could hear Carly laughing softly at something Jake said, her body pressed comfortably against his side. Jake noticed Bradley first, straightening up slightly but not letting go of Carly’s hand.

Jake was the first to notice Bradley approaching, straightening a bit but not letting go of Carly’s hand. Carly looked up, following Jake’s gaze, and smiled when she saw her brother.

“Bradley,” she said softly, stepping back a little from Jake but still holding onto him. “Everything okay?”

Bradley nodded, his expression softer than usual as he looked between them. “Yeah, everything’s fine. Just… can I talk to Jake for a second.”

Carly glanced at Jake, then back at her brother, sensing something unspoken but giving them their space. “I’ll give you two a minute,” she said, squeezing Jake’s hand before walking toward Phoenix and leaving the two men alone.

Bradley watched her go, making sure she was out of earshot before turning back to Jake. There was a brief pause, both men standing there on the sand, with the sound of the ocean filling the silence.

“I, uh…” Bradley started, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “I wanted to thank you. For what you did out there today.”

Jake raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. “You don’t have to—”

“No, I do,” Bradley cut in, his voice more serious now. “You didn’t have to come after us, Jake. But you did. And I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, but you saved my life out there. So… thanks.”

There was a beat of silence before Jake responded, his usual cocky smile softened into something more genuine. “I wasn’t gonna let you go down like that. Not with Carly waiting for you back here.” His voice was steady but held a depth that Bradley hadn’t heard from him before. “She’s been through enough, you know? I wasn’t about to let her lose you, too.”

Bradley’s gaze flickered for a moment, absorbing Jake’s words. He had always known Jake was brash, a show-off, and someone who liked to push his buttons. But standing here now, seeing how much Carly meant to him, Bradley realized that Jake wasn’t the same guy he used to be. Something had shifted.

Bradley cleared his throat, breaking the moment. “Look, man,” he said, crossing his arms, “I know I’ve given you a hard time. And, to be honest, I still don’t fully trust you.” He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly in that protective older brother way. “But… I’ve seen how you are with Carly. And I can see she’s happy.”

Jake’s eyes flickered with something—respect, maybe. He nodded, understanding where Bradley was coming from.

Bradley shifted his weight and uncrossed his arms, giving Jake a more serious look. “So, if you’re serious about her… you have my blessing.”

Jake blinked, clearly not expecting that. “Really?” he asked, his tone a little lighter, but the sincerity was obvious.

Bradley nodded, but then his expression shifted into something more playful, a smirk tugging at his lips. “But just so we’re clear—if you ever hurt her, I’ll make sure you regret it. And I will find a way to make you pay.”

Jake chuckled, shaking his head. “You got it, man. I’m not stupid enough to mess this up a second time.” He extended a hand to Bradley, the offer of mutual respect hanging between them. “Thanks, Rooster.”

Bradley paused for a moment, then, in a rare gesture, he grinned and took Jake’s hand in a firm shake. “It’s Bradley,” he said, with a wink. “I think you’ve earned that.”

Jake’s smile widened at the change, something unspoken passing between them—an acknowledgment that whatever rivalry they had before was now in the past.

A grin spread across Jake’s face as they shook hands, a mutual respect now firmly in place between them. They both looked over to see Carly standing by the bar, watching them with a curious smile.

“Go on,” Bradley said, nodding toward Carly. “She’s waiting for you.”

Jake didn’t need any more encouragement. He walked over to Carly, slipping his arm around her waist and pulling her close. Carly smiled up at him, her eyes twinkling with warmth and happiness.

“What was that about?” she asked, her tone playful.

Jake shrugged, pulling her into his arms and pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Just your brother giving me his blessing. No big deal.”

Carly’s eyes widened in surprise. “Seriously?”

Jake nodded, his expression sincere. “Yeah. So now I guess it's time I take you on that date, right?”

Carly smiled up at him, her heart swelling with affection. “Yeah, I guess so.”

Jake leaned down, brushing his lips against hers in a soft, lingering kiss. And as they stood there, the world around them faded, leaving only the warmth of their embrace and the promise of something new.

TAG LIST: @omgbrianab I @shanimallina87

[ja3yun]

The Sun That Always Burns | S.JY pt.4

sim jaeyun x afab!reader

warnings: suggestive, heartache (lots of it), flirty heeseung bc i can't resist, angst, confrontations, pet names, ynjake are so obvious it hurts.

wc: 9.7k+

synopsis: you and jake's high school relationship blossomed into a romance filled with hope and promise. however, as time went on, jake's long-term expectations began to weigh heavily on you, who struggled to meet them. your paths eventually lead you in separate directions, each experiencing different aspects of life and ultimately moving on from your past love. unexpectedly, fate intervened and you both reunite after years apart. the reunion allows you to rediscover your feelings for each other but also forces you to navigate the complexities of your past and present.

part 3 | part 5

a/n: so i was gonna stop this chapter earlier than it is here but I think having the last scene in this chapter makes sense! also I know nowt about physics so when they start talking about it just pretend it makes sense pls <3

In the guest room, Eunseo is deciding what to wear, it’s between her usual jeans and a crop top or playsuit she bought 2 years ago that she swears makes her look ‘snatched’. In your eyes, she always looks beautiful. “Why are you stressing? It’s just dinner.” 

“Um,” She looks at you like you have 12 heads, “YOU should be stressing, Heeseung and you are sat next to each other.” 

“Wait, what? We have designated seats?” You question.

Rolling her eyes she fixes her hair in the mirror, “Obviously, I mean, there are like 14 of us.” You knew that but no one came up with a breakfast seating plan so why now?

“I’m fine in this,” You look down at your midi dress and white cropped cardigan, “It’s simple and cute, and I am NOT trying to impress Hee.” You cross your arms to protest but Eunseo turns sharply and quips up, “You just called him Hee! That’s a nickname, see, destined to be.” If only she knew. In your defense, it was never that Heeseung was unattractive but Jaeyun was the only person you ever thought of, you didn’t have to think about anyone else. 

You point to the playsuit for her to choose. As she goes to get changed there is a knock at the door, “Come on in.” you say just lower than a shout and Mrs Sim walks into the room. Urgently, you stand up and brush yourself down, ironing out the creases as best you can, “Hi Mrs. Sim. What can I do you for?” 

“I’m just here to let you girls know that everyone is downstairs waiting for you.” She nods and eyes you up and down. “Tell Eunseo to hurry up please.” She smiles and goes to leave but you hold her arm to stop her.

“Why didn’t you use the money you saved up for this wedding?” You question, too impatient to wait and ask Heeseung later on. With a sigh she turns to you, cursing Heeseung’s name under her breath.

“She’s rich, I’m not, the family didn’t need my money.” Her face is screwed up, wanting to tell you more, wanting to tell you the truth, "Honestly, Y/N? We aren't thrilled with the wedding but at the end of the day it is happening. Nothing I can do."

“Mrs. Sim?” You call out to her as she is leaving, “I missed you.” 

Her shoulders slump but a smile adorns her face, “I missed you too, Y/N. More than anything.” As she finishes her sentence you rush to hug her tightly, making up for the lost years. “Shh.” Her hand strokes your back as you hold in your sobs, “You had your reasons,” Mrs. Sim pulls away and looks you deep in the eyes, “If those reasons don’t matter anymore, you should do what you think is best.” As you look at Jaeyun’s mother leave you take in her words and how she looked at you, like she was telling you a secret you didn’t know, and you’re still clueless. 

Eunseo emerges from the bathroom, dressed and ready for the night, “Ta-da!” 

You give her a thumbs up and a weak smile, “You look amazing.” She jumps happily and clasps her hands. “Then if we are both ready,” She reaches her hands to yours, “Let's go.”

Making your entrance to the dining room was weirdly calm, knowing you had Heeseung by your side set your mind at ease. Eunseo addresses everyone with a hello and bow and you follow, the whole family smiles and greets you. A single place next to Heeseung and…

Jaeyun.

“Shit” you mumble under your breath as you walk towards your seat, smiling at everyone as you pass. Heeseung’s hand strokes your hip, guiding you to your seat, “I was wondering when you were going to come down.” His smile dazzles up at you as you tuck your dress under and sit on the white satin seats. The set up for this dinner is a little fancy but this must just be how rich people did things.

“Eunseo takes forever to get dressed.” Playfully rolling your eyes you get comfy, ignoring the tempting presence to your right, but it’s harder than expected. Jaeyun is wearing beige trousers with a mint green jumper accented by a white collar, and he looks beautiful, like the sun on a cold winter day, “Hi, Jake.” 

His face frowns, not used to you calling him Jake, “Hello, Y/N.” His head tilts forward in your direction before facing forward pretending to listen to the conversation happening between his and Yeoreum’s parents. You want to reach out for his hand, tell him you missed him, tell him what a stupid mess you are, but as you stretch your hand out, Heeseung’s fingers interlock with yours. “Don’t” He whispers, pulling your body with his other hand to face him, “Focus on me, Y/N.” You nod and shift to Heeseung as he smiles, “You’re too close to the attentive members of the family, pretend I’m the one you want even for a few hours.” 

It takes all your will power but heading his advice, you focus on him. “Thank you, Hee.” 

Jaeyun hears it all, how Heeseung’s voice holds adoration, he sees how your fingers are intertwined. He is furious, his jaw clenched, and as much as he tries to remind himself he shouldn’t be possessive over you, it comes so naturally that he can’t help it. In every atom of his being, you are still his and he is still yours.

Heeseung’s thumb brushes over the back of your hand to settle your nerves. As Mr. and Mrs. Son bring out dinner, they place a vegetarian meal in front of you, and you glance at everyone else who has steak on their plate. You aren’t a vegetarian by any means but you are thankful since you hate red meat in general. But how did they know? You never told them about your distaste for red, especially bloody and rare, meat, and that's when a voice interjects your thoughts, “I told the cook you were veggie since you can’t eat any red meat that isn’t burnt to the heavens.” A chuckle follows the sentence and you turn to your side to face Jaeyun.

“Dig in!” Mrs. Son exclaims and gestures to the expansive amount of food in front of you all. You don’t know where to begin but Heeseung helps you as he picks up the bowl of marrowfat peas and scoops some onto your glistening white plate. You hold it up as he continues to pile the plate with food for you, not asking what you like because through what seemed like 20 million conversations about you with Jake, he learned enough about you. Heeseung sets the tongs and spoon down in their respective places and glances at you.

“Thank you.” your voice comes out no louder than a whisper. Just like the pepper incident earlier, Jaeyun knew you well enough to cater to your needs and it made your stomach flip. He nods courteously and faces his fiance once again, leaving you grateful but your heart is tired of pretending that his actions aren’t making you fall more in love with him. All the effort you made to try and bury your feelings deeply is unraveling with every passing moment. 

“That okay?” It was more than okay, he picked all your favourites, but you simply nodded and smiled at him in gratitude and he smiled at you briefly before eating the food in front of him.

This was abnormal for you. Your parents were loving and affectionate of course, but you never really had dinner like this, a feast upon your eyes and having the option to choose. Usually, your mum or dad would come home from work, come in, find something in the freezer, and shove it into the oven. Nothing fancy, nothing extraordinary, but enough. You were always grateful. 

“Baby, can you pass the salt?” Jaeyun says lowly and without thinking you reach out and pass him it, which he accepts gladly. You don’t notice the air shift until Heeseung’s eyes fall on you, wide and uncomfortable, and unfortunately, he isn’t the only one with that look on his face. As you scan around, half of the table, including Mr. and Mrs. Sim are looking at you incredulously, and then it dawns on you what you did. You aren’t his baby anymore. 

Jaeyun is none the wiser, pouring the problematic salt on his food before setting it down and digging into his food. Yeoreum side-eyes you both, and only you seem to notice, making you extra uncomfortable because at least if Jaeyun acknowledged it, you could both cover your asses together, but you guess this is up to you now.

“Oh um, the salt was just there, thought I would save Yeoreum the hassle.” You say not daring to look at anyone. Your voice sparks Jaeyun’s attention and all eyes shift to him, who simply looks at you with confusion, but when your eyes plead with him to say something he understands the gravitas of the situation, “Thanks, Y/N. I guess the salt was closer to you.” 

It’s innocent, the scenario that just happened, but after the whispers, the apple juice, and now this, someone could easily suspect something. You nod and go to eating your food, however, you still feel eyes on you. Yeoreum. Her gaze is too intense for you not to feel but you don’t chance a look at her.

“Come here.” Heeseung’s raspy voice flutters through your ears and you look at him, his face inches from your own and then, his lips on your forehead. They felt different, foreign compared to your ex-lovers, but pleasant. Heeseung and you had observing your surroundings as a common trait so when he saw Yeoreum eyeing you, he had to throw her for a curve.

Yeoreum’s eyes widen and fall back to normal in record time causing Jaeyun to follow her stare.

Red. He sees red as he witnesses another man’s lips on you, regardless of who it is, it should only be his. He grips his cutlery tightly and rips his gaze away before he does something crazy like grab his best friend and beat him to the last inches of his life. 

“Hee, it’s okay.” You smile and place a hand over his, “Let's eat, yeah?” Jaeyun scoffs and flicks his food across the plate, suddenly losing his appetite. Jaeyun has always been jealous, this isn’t new information to you, but it makes your brain wonder how he still gets riled up like this even though he isn’t yours anymore. 

Your hand instinctively wants to reach to Jaeyun again to reassure him, but you stop yourself, aware of how that would make the situation a million times worse but also, he wasn’t yours to comfort. 

The meal goes on and no one bats an eye at you anymore, well, the two boys beside you steal glances as you all eat, but the majority have disregarded salt-gate and you’re thankful. 

“Jake, how is the new job?” This is the first time you’ve heard about his new life outside Yeoreum as Mrs. Son asks him the dull question and it makes you remember that the Jaeyun you knew wasn’t the Jaeyun sitting next to you right now.

“It’s good. I’m still learning the ropes but the team is super nice.” He smiles and bows his head lowly when addressing his seniors, something he always did with your parents. Maybe he hasn’t changed that much at all. The answer seems to be acceptable enough as Mrs Son smiles and doesn’t press further. 

Jaeyun smiles at you and his demeanor changes to one of glee, “You remember the Jo twins that started that enterprise with aerodynamic cars?” He asks quietly and you nod, eyes getting bigger as you piece the puzzle together before he can even finish the sentence, “Well for my dissertation I did a study on aerodynamic cars and their resiliency in weather adverse conditions, focusing on autonomous vehicles, and they loved it,” His eyes sparkled just like they did all those years ago when he spoke about science stuff, “Offered me a starting position with them in assisting the theory I proposed.” 

“What’s the job?” You whisper to him but don’t look up, playing with your food just as he did earlier in the evening. 

It was in that moment of Jaeyun speaking that you realised as unorthodox as your leaving was, it was 100 percent the right decision. He had stars in his eyes that would never shine as bright if he hadn’t gone to Apollo and got this opportunity, and for the first time this week, you’re content. Seeing him achieve a dream, or at least on the way to achieving it, made you feel elated. 

“I’m so proud of you, Jaeyun.” It was a sincere statement and Jaeyun smiled widely at your words, like they were the words he had been waiting to hear his whole life. His heart is beating rapidly and you think you can hear it thumping against his ribcage, but you don’t mention it. He thanks you and that’s when Yeoreum pulls you both back to reality.

“My Jakey is so smart, aren’t you.” She caught onto your conversation halfway through his excited outburst, “I have no clue what it means but-”

“So you would propose a framework that tested all the elements to understand just how reliable self-driving cars truly are when faced with weather stress and how to adapt them to overcome the stressors?” You don’t mean to butt in but you always loved to speak about these things with Jaeyun, even if it was basic-level knowledge you had.

His focus was on you, his puppy energy radiating through and if he had a tail, it would be wagging right now, “Exactly! Fuck, the main focus these developers had on the vehicles was sensors that focused on detecting other cars and members of the public but say there is a massive hurricane coming, the sensors would trip out, I proposed a study to test the sensors in adverse weather conditions; fog, rain, wind, heat, all of them.” 

Jaeyun rambles on about his theories and you fall right back into how it used to be. You listen intently and learn about something you didn’t care about until he starts speaking about it, and he teaches you something new. It was just like old times. Almost.

“Babe, Y/N doesn’t want to hear all that.” Yeoreum laughs and strokes his arm, “Sorry, Y/N, he gets into all this complicated sciencey stuff that no one has a clue about and forgets to stop.” You notice his face turn red in embarrassment as if he’s just been caught doing something indecent. There is a silence that follows Yeoreum’s words until you speak up.

“I think it’s interesting, I would love to hear more about it.” 

He’s so in love with you and he really feels it at its purest form in this moment. It’s a simple thing to listen to his interest and he’s grateful you want to engage more in it. You’ve always been like this, supportive of his ways, never judgmental or dismissive. He’s thankful for you.

“You might be the only one.” Yeoreum and her parents laugh, but as you scan the top half of the table, you see Mr and Mrs Sim smile at you, appreciative. You give Jaeyun a look as if to tell him to continue he shakes his head. “It’s okay, it’s boring anyway.” 

Your heart breaks a little seeing the fire in his eyes extinguish as he goes back to eating his food. There isn’t any part of you that hates Yeoreum, but right now you are not her biggest fan, but you let it go. His mood changed but he tried to hide it from everyone, smiling and laughing with them. Recklessly, you place a hand on his thigh and squeeze it to reassure him just like you always used to. Usually, it was to comfort him during his friend's teasing, but now seemed as good a time as ever. His eyes drop to where your hand is situated and he smiles, his left hand weighs itself on yours and he’s calmer. “Tell me later. I want to know all about it.” You whisper to him.

“Thank you, Princess.” The nicknames he used to call you fall so easily out his mouth that he never has time to stop them, but you don’t mind. “And by the way,” He says, his voice lower than ever, “I was asking you for the salt earlier.” 

______

The next day, Mrs. Son enters you and Eunseo’s temporary room as you straighten your hair. She is dressed up casually for the first time since you arrived, even her pyjamas seem classy and elegant, so as your eyes take in her loose mom jeans, a grey old university jumper that reads ‘Boston University’ across the chest, and her hair covered with a navy baseball cap. 

You remember all the walks you and the Sim family went on, your hand glued to Jaeyun’s as you took in the sights of the city, sometimes even taking hikes of your own early in the morning to watch the sunrise. It wouldn’t be like that this time.

“Girls, we’re going for a walk, Jake’s father's idea,” she rolls her eyes at Eunseo who chuckles, continuing to apply her strawberry chapstick, “Wear something comfortable.” Her sigh indicates that she is in fact not thrilled with the choice, never mind the clothing situation. Not to stereotype but it doesn’t seem that the Son family is common enough for a simple walk. 

“Um, I think I’ll stay here, this seems like a family thing.” Your voice is a whisper as you try to get out of seeing Yeoreum take your place beside Jaeyun. This was also a good time to get out of this house and go back home before the wedding. Eunseo shakes her head and stands up. 

“Be ready in 5 minutes.” Mrs. Son says and leaves the room. It doesn’t take 5 minutes because with Eunseo it takes 23 minutes and 13 seconds according to her dad who timed her. 

“Absolutely not! You’re coming with me. I need my girl to motivate me.” Her eyes are pleading and a pout forming on her lips and you find yourself saying yes, just like you did in that cafe earlier in the week. That was the poorest decision of your life so, this couldn’t be much worse. 

We walk downstairs to see everyone waiting and Mr Son is impatient, either from Eunseo’s lack of urgency or because he wants this over and done with just like his wife. “You guys are so impatient, I had to find these cute leggings!” Eunseo scoffs and turns around and models the navy blue leggings that do wonders for her ass.

Jaeyun’s eyes roam over your body as you bend down to put on a pair of old trainers Eunseo dug out from her cupboard so you could match “It’s important to colour match, Y/N! I have a pair of shoes in here just give me a minute” she told you. His teeth find their way to his lip as he bites down, the habit he picked up throughout your relationship because he could never hold in his want for you. Jaeyun wants nothing more than to grab your hips and hold you against him because truthfully he missed your body on his. 

“Eunseo, sweetie, you’re going for a walk, not to Seoul Fashion Week.” Mr. Son laughs and starts to tie his shoes. She looks disgusted at her father's insinuation that she would ever wear this outfit to a fashion week and grunts as she sits down, putting on her trainers. Unfortunately for you, you didn’t pack any appropriate attire for this so you’re clad in Eunseo’s tight leggings and crop top. It’s exposing and not something you usually wear but it was either that or a sundress and wedges. 

Scared of getting caught ogling you, he turns to his fiance and looks down as she clings to his arm, engrossed by a conversation she is having with his mum. He grabs her face towards his and kisses the side of her mouth, aching for a distraction from you but all his mind is occupied with is you. Even as he kisses Yeoreum, he’s thinking about how your lips used to taste, how they felt, he’s starting to forget how they feel and it sinks his heart into his stomach. All these years without you causing his memory to lapse, only remembering how you used to wear cherry lip balm, or was it oil? He needed to kiss you one more time just so he never forgets. 

He feels shitty using Yeoreum as a distraction, kissing her not because he inherently wants to but because at least it keeps his mind and eyes off you.

Yeoreum’s hands glide down his arm as she kisses him back, her lips soft but not yours. He knows it’s wrong, to be thinking about someone else while his fiance is draped over him, her hands in his and giggling as she smooches his face.

You finish tying your shoes and turn round to see Jaeyun’s hand on her waist and mouth all over hers and a wave of sickness comes over you, you can’t do this, not now and not ever. Every time you think you’re okay and can control your emotions he does something that sends you spiraling. 

A broad chest blocks your vision of him and you feel two big hands land on your shoulders. Heeseung. You glance up and softly smile at him in gratitude for tearing your eyes away from the horror scene of your love’s tongue down someone else’s throat. Heeseung’s hands squeeze your shoulders and his lips on your temple. You don’t recall Heeseung being affectionate like this before but it has been 4 years since you’ve seen him, he’s probably changed a lot, just like Jaeyun.

“Just stick beside me, yeah?” His voice is gentle and sweet, and you agree to stay with him. He has become your unofficial saviour this week and nothing you do will ever be enough to thank him. 

Mr. Sim clears his throat to disrupt the couple’s PDA and starts to speak, “We have two cars to get us to the trail since it’s only,” Mr Sim starts to count heads since some of the family are staying behind,“5,6…9 of us, we should be able to fit 5 and 4. I have a bigger car so I’ll take the 5, Jaeyun can take the 4. Who wants in what car?” 

Everyone looks around like it's the first day of school and you’re being asked to partner up. Yeoreum is the first to speak, raising her hand excitedly, “I’m in the car with Jakey obviously.” Jaeyun’s bottom lip protrudes as he nods his head. Of course, it made sense, but knowing you would have to witness her in the passenger seat, his hand probably laid on her thigh, you wanted in the other car more than anything else right now.

“I’ll go with Mr. Sim,” Jaeyun’s eyes dart to yours confused but you shrug it off. Eunseo, who is the opposite of Heeseung, seems to be your worst enemy this trip pipes in, “How about all the adults go in one car and we go in the other? I’m sure Y/N wouldn’t mind sitting on Heeseung’s lap, yeah?” Oh, you are going to kill her. Mr. and Mrs. Sim look between each other and share a personal laugh. You’re glad someone is finding it funny.

“Great! It’s settled then. Let us go.” Mrs. Son barges past everyone to get to her seat, mumbling annoyance along the way. 

“It’s fine, I hope you got some meat on those thighs.” You say trying to lighten the mood, and it works for a second. Heeseung laughs and wraps his arm around you and guides you to the car before whispering, “My thighs can hold you just fine, Y/N.” 

“You okay with that?” Heeseung’s voice is low but filled with concern, he knew what Eunseo was doing and he wasn’t uncomfortable with the idea, but considering you would rather ride with 4 parents, 2 of whom you don’t know and the other 2 aren’t exactly pitching for your team, he guessed you didn’t want to be in Jaeyun’s car.

Heeseung’s laugh runs through your ears and you feel instantly calm. 

Jaeyun and Yeoreum get in the front and the three of you sleek into the back. It’s in this moment that confusion clouds your face. “There are enough seats in here? Why would I have to sit on Heeseung’s lap?” Your question is pointed to Eunseo but Jaeyun answers,

“Oh, we have to pick someone up on the way.” His smile was bright and wide, “She’s a diva and likes her own seat.” Tilting your head at him, Jaeyun looks down and laughs lowly as if you should know.

“You can avoid Heeseung’s lap for now until we pick her up.” Eunseo states as she slides into her side. “But after that…” She winks at you as you scoot into the middle seat. Your best friend really was something else.

You decide to focus on the interior of Jaeyun’s old but new to you car. It’s a lot less shabby than the one you knew, with black leather seats that don’t have cracks in them from years of wear and tear, and his old cassette player has been upgraded to a built-in CD system. 

“Let’s put on some music!” Yeoreum says as she trifles through a CD case but Jaeyun quickly takes it from her and laughs nervously.

“Why don’t you take the aux like always? I've said before these CD's aren't your thing.” Jaeyun puts the CDs in his glove box and continues to drive forward. It piqued your curiosity about what was in the case. Probably a surprise wedding mixtape he spent forever on with all Yeoreum’s favourite songs, just like he used to do with you. That sickness from earlier starts to bubble, but you swallow it down. 

“Fine. Y/N, what do you like to listen to? I know everyone else’s taste but yours!” Yeoreum is so sweet, and it’s killing you a little. If only she was a bitch. 

“Um, I think everything,” You say as you watch her add songs into a queue, clearly picking an eclectic mix to keep everyone happy. 

The car jerks forward as Jaeyun almost emergency brakes when Heeseung calls you angel. You’re body lunges forward a little at the jerk but Heeseung shields your body, acting as another seatbelt. “Mate, watch what you’re doing.” Heeseung scorns his best friend as he rubs your arms, “You good?” Nodding in response you get comfy again.

“Put some Monsta X on,” Heeseung’s face turns to you as he speaks. “She loves them, don’t you, angel?” 

The rest of the car is filled with Yeoreum’s hand-selected playlist and tension between the driver seat and the one behind.

Jaeyun turns into a quaint little area with a few shops and buildings about 20 minutes into the drive. “Are we here already?” you ask Heeseung but he shakes his head. “Did you forget we have a passenger princess to pick up?” You let out a silent ‘oh’ and nod. 

As the car stops in the parking lot you shift a little uncomfortable. “I’m going to stretch my legs.” Heeseung steps out of the car to let you out but you stumble out of the car, luckily, Jaeyun is there to catch you, his hands placed on your shoulders to stop you from face-planting. He doesn’t say a word but his expression is laced with concern to which you shake your head and whisper a thank you.

You brush yourself down and straighten up. “I’ll be back in a minute.” He says to you and lets his hand linger down your arm. All you can do is nod and watch him leave.

“You know her well.” Oh no. Not another ghost from 4 years past. You can’t face another stern face cursing you to oblivion for your previous actions. 

“Who are we picking up?” You stretch your right leg and look at Heeseung who laughs. 

Yeoreum squeals and gets out of the car, “There she is!” Your sights set on Yeoreum and follow to where she is staring and your heart leaps out of your mouth. As you cross round the car you see the familiar blonde charging her way to you.

“Layla!” You shout, a shit-eating grin plastered on your face as the dog bounds towards you, happiness evident on her face. 

In a blur, you kneel down and she jumps up to give your face sloppy licks. Layla was Jaeyun’s family dog, a precious piece of their family, and admittedly your favourite, even before Jaeyun. “Whose my good girl?” You hug her tight as she barks, her tail wagging excitedly, the feeling of missing each other is mutual. Ruffling her coat she jumps around you and barks loudly. Jaeyun smiles down at you both, and you smile back at him, however, you’re the only two smiling as Yeoreum and Eunseo have a look of bewilderment.

“I thought you said she was reserved around new people?” Eunseo asks Yeoreum who hums to confirm. 

You miss out on this as you give Layla long-awaited kisses and cuddles, whispering ‘I missed you’ and ‘good girl’ into her fur. 

“Um, Jakey? Isn’t Layla shy around people she doesn’t know? She was like that with me when I first met her.” The question from his fiance brings him back to earth and his smile wipes from his face, clearing his throat to buy him some time to think of an excuse.

“Eh, maybe she just trusts Y/N because she’s with all of us.” A pathetic reasoning but you weren’t exactly any help, too busy playing with the excited animal.

Shit.

Heeseung crouches beside you and gives Layla a pet, nudging you in the process, “Remember where you are, Y/N.” 

You look around and everyone’s eyes are on you. “She must just sense I’m a dog person. Are you a dog or cat person, Yeoreum?” If there was one thing you perfected over the years it’s how to deflect situations onto another person and that's through the art of asking them questions about themself.

“I like dogs!” She smiles, “But I do like cats.” Her pondering face is matched with her hand on her cheek, “Jakey, do you think she didn’t take to me because I like cats?”

“Yes!” Jaeyun claps and points to her excitedly, happy to have a reason for this scenario in front of him. “Must be that, Reumie.” His shoulders relax and his eyes fix on Layla. She’s clueless, just happy that you’re back.

Getting back into the car you sit on Heeseung’s lap and Layla looks at you, like if she focuses on anyone else you’ll disappear again. You pet her to reassure her and it doesn’t take long for her to lay her head on your thigh, just happy for your presence. Jaeyun’s heart flips at the scene as he watches it through the rearview mirror. 

As you’re getting comfy on Heeseung’s thighs, you hover a little to not put all the pressure of you on him, but Heeseung is Heeseung and he notices. His hands grip your waist and plonk you down until your whole weight is on him. “You won’t break me.” He chuckles and rubs circles into your hips. A slight nod of your head is all you offer him and you get comfy.

Jaeyun starts the car, reversing out the car park, one arm resting on the seat as he looks behind him, for a split second he looks your way but quickly goes back to focusing on not crashing the car, his tongue pointed out the side of his mouth in concentration. You shift in Heeseung’s lap as heat bubbles in your stomach. There is something about Jaeyun driving that always made you think out of church hour thoughts, the way the veins run up his arm, how his tongue pokes out and wets his lips, his one hand on the wheel reversing, it was all so hot. There were times on occasion you couldn’t handle it and got him to take you in the backseat, those were not the thoughts you need right now while you’re on his best friend’s lap. 

“Hey,” Heeseung rips your gaze from Jaeyun’s hand with his voice as you turn your head to him, his voice low enough only you can hear, “If you leave a wet patch on my sweatpants I will have you pay for my dry cleaning.” He huffs out a laugh as your face falls and goes bright red.

“I-I, shut up, Hee!”  You whisper and slap his chest. 

__

One hour later you arrive and see the couple’s parents waving Jaeyun over. As he parks the car you all clamber out and greet the others, Layla ping-ponging herself between you and Jaeyun. 

A tap on your shoulder has you turning to face a serious Eunseo, “How did you know her name was Layla?” The question catches you for a new one but you just spout the same excuse you have this whole trip. 

“Jake told me.” 

“You know.” She crosses her arms and taps her foot a few times before continuing, “You seem to have spoken to Jake a lot and yet, I haven’t seen you talk to him once.” The tone of her sentence is accusatory but you keep calm.

She hums, “He knew about your distaste for black pepper, you knew he was captain of his high school football team, and I heard him request a vegetarian dish for you to our cook so I presume he knows you hate red meat. All that was way before dinner.” Her stance is strong as she leans back and waits for you to explain, but you can’t.

“W-what do you mean? We spoke last night, about his job and stuff,” your hand points to her, palm faced forward, “you saw.”

“Oh Eunseo, Jaeyun is actually the love of my life, we dated for about 4 years and then I left without a word. Now he’s going to marry your sister and I want to die at the thought.” 

That is what you probably shouldn’t say, so you settle with, “Just small talk I guess.” A nervous laugh leaves you but she doesn’t let up. “Y/N-”

At the same time Eunseo is saying your name, Heeseung comes over and hugs you from behind, “You coming, ladies? Or do you want to stay here with all the screaming children?” Heeseung points over Eunseo’s shoulder to the crying toddler and their sleep-deprived parents.

“You two need to be more careful. If Eunseo finds out, she tells Yeoreum, and I don’t think you want to be the topic of that conversation right before the wedding, yeah?” 

“Coming!” You say and rush off, grabbing Heeseung’s hand and getting you both out of Eunseo’s earshot. “Thank you.”

He’s right. He always is and it exudes a heavy sigh from your lips. “I know, it’s just so easy to forget.” You admit and his silent nod is all you need before the group of you head for your walk.

It’s peaceful, every so often you throw a stick for Layla, and chatter amongst the parents is all you hear as you make it your mission to not look Jaeyun’s way. Eunseo walks alongside the happy couple and you do as Heeseung suggested and stay by his side. The scenery takes your breath away, the golden sun burning your skin, not a cloud in sight. You take some time to reflect on the past 4 years and realise the sun doesn’t come out so much in Pyeongchang. 

“Y/N?” You turn to see Yeoreum looking at you, “Can I ask you something?” Oh no. Eunseo told her, fuck, maybe Mrs. Sim did. Is she going to throw you over the cliff, is all this one big ploy to get rid of you? 

“Oh, sure.” You look away and prepare for the worst-case scenario.

“Tell us more about your ex. I can’t stop thinking about it.” Your eyes widen and look straight at Jaeyun who, despite his golden skin, is suddenly pale white. “I don’t know why you broke up with him if you were so perfect for each other.” 

Jaeyun and Heeseung look at each other in confusion. They weren’t there for the conversation when the football game was going on, so they had no idea what Yeoreum was talking about.

“Yeah!” It’s Eunseo’s turn to chime in, “Y/N is such a closed book, I still know hardly anything about her. Tell us. You said you had challenges.”

“I-”

“It’s not really our business though, it is? We don’t have to know.” Heeseung speaks up in your defense but Yeoreum just scoffs. “I know about everyone’s exes, I love hearing about them. I know all about yours,” She points to Heeseung, “I of course know all about Jake’s.” She rolls her eyes as she spits the last sentence out, clearly, Jaeyun had said some bitter things about you, but you don’t mind. You deserved it. “So tell us about yours, Y/N. Jake, you should have seen the way she spoke about him! It was true love, I know it, maybe we can give you advice and get back together?”

Jaeyun coughs and looks up to the sky, wishing a bright light would come from between the clouds and either obliterate him like in that War of the Worlds movie.

“It was just,” You stop, uncomfortable at the idea that the subject of conversation is only a meter from you. Maybe this was your chance to really explain yourself in a controlled environment where emotions had to be under control, not like that night in the kitchen. 

“I just was scared I think. I didn’t really handle the situation well. I was scared of long distance so I didn’t tell him I was going to college in Pyeongchang and just up and left.” 

“I thought it was the right call. He had dreams, and honestly? He would have given all of it up for me. His dream school, his future, just to follow me and I didn’t want to live with the guilt of it.” Your head hangs low, and Heeseung’s hand grazes yours in an attempt to comfort you. “In the moment, I thought it was the right choice.”

“Damn,” Eunseo slows down her pace and looks at you, “You mean you just, left him behind?” 

Eunseo stops completely, “Your parents…”

“Left them behind too. I didn’t want to risk him finding out where I was going. I didn’t tell anyone. Literally.” It was all clicking in Eunseo’s head and her jaw hung open.

“That’s cold, Y/N. I can’t imagine how he feels. Does he know where you are now?” Yeoreum asks the wrong questions every single time and you almost laugh at the irony.

You shrug, “I-” 

“What do you think about it now?” The Australian accent jolts you to attention and interrupts what would have been a lie. Turning your head to him you wish he wasn’t looking at you with his eyes wide, like they’re desperate for something only you can give him.

Swallowing you nod slowly, “I think- I think I made the wrong choice.” You should have stopped the sentence there but you continue, “He’s everything to me still, I would do anything to go back and change it.”

In another world, Jaeyun is tearing himself away from Yeoreum, picking you up, and kissing you because you are the only one that matters. But this isn’t a romance movie, and you’re both deep in this tangled mess.

“I think you should reach out. Then you can have what me and Jake have.” A scoff is heard behind you. Turning, you view Heeseung with disgust on his face, his jaw is clenched and his eyes don’t even give Yeoreum the time of day. “What? You don’t think she could have that?” 

“I think Y/N can have anything she wants,” He’s biting his tongue. Jaeyun’s gaze is looking pleadingly at his best man to shut the fuck up. He doesn’t, “It’s just Y/N is describing a love that sounds like once in a lifetime.”

It’s Yeoreum’s time to stop in her tracks. “And you think Jake and I don’t have that?”

“Yes.” If gagged had a visual representation next to its definition in the dictionary, it would be a still-frame picture of your face right now. “It’s not that you don’t love each other obviously,” damage control Heeseung was coming to fruition as he saw the shocked faces staring at him, “It’s just love like that isn’t easy to find.” He mumbles, cursing under his breath that he even opened his mouth. 

“Well, for your information, Heeseung I brought Jake back to life after his high school relationship. He was nothing but a hollow body until he met me. If it wasn’t a ‘once in a lifetime love’” She air quotes the phrase, “then he would still be moping around over a shitty, second string ex that never deserved him.”

“Enough.” Jaeyun’s voice is stern, not like you’ve ever heard before, “Both of you just shut up. I love Yeoreum,” He faces Heeseung almost trying to convince him, “I wouldn’t be marrying her otherwise, “and you don’t get to shit on my ex.” His attention now on his fiance, “You don’t know her, she had her reasons, and yeah she hurt me, but she deserved all the love I gave her. So keep her out of your mouth. Got it?” 

Maybe Yeoreum’s face right now should be next to gagged in the dictionary. Scratch that, just have this whole scenario play out on a projector. Jaeyun strides ahead, annoyed that anyone in their right mind would ever say anything like that about you. The silence is loud as you all continue your walk, Layla still none the wiser.

As you reach the top of the trail, Jaeyun’s emotions have settled but he doesn’t look at you or Yeoreum once, focused on the sun. Even though it’s shining bright, it’s a lot colder with the breeze from the height where he stood.

Layla is pulling at you to follow her and with her leash in hand you do. She paws at Jaeyun who looks down with a smile and pets her head. “I’m sorry.” He whispers and you take a moment to register he’s talking to you. “She shouldn’t have said that.”

Your heart beats loudly because even after all this time he’s still looking out for you, still caring about your feelings even though he would have every right to hate you and curse you just like Yeoreum had.

“Jaeyun, It’s okay. She’s not wrong. It was shitty.” You suck your teeth and then you laugh, “You’re gonna be a terrifying dad,” He doesn’t say anything but his eyebrows scrunch together, “The way you put them both in their place, I’ve never seen you get angry.”

“Ah, that’s not true.” Now it was your turn to adorn a face of confusion, “Your birthday party, with Sunghoon?” Oh. Yeah. That. You shift from one foot to another, wrapping Layla’s lead around one of your hands. “I think that was the only time though.”

“I’m sorry about that.” He laughs loudly and shakes his head. “Baby, that was like 7 years ago. I forgive you. I forgave you that night.”

“Then go forgive Yeoreum.” The statement causes Jaeyun to lean back. “You should forgive her. It wasn’t nice but she didn’t mean it like that, she was protecting you because she loves you. If you can forgive me that easy then you can do the same for her.”

He sighs and sticks his hands in his pockets. “It’s easy to forgive you.” 

“Do you?” Your voice is a whisper, your heart rapidly hitting against your chest, “Forgive me.”

Jaeyun nods his head slowly and turns to face you properly, “Yeah. Yeah, I do.”

Taking his hand out of his pocket he grabs yours and squeezes it. He loves you and that is never going to change. It’s just that he loves Yeoreum now. You can try to find contentment in that.

_______

For the car ride back, Yeoreum storms into the backseat without giving any warning, clearly mad at her future husband. Heeseung guides Layla into the middle seat before situating himself on the seat beside her and waiting for you to crawl onto his lap. That however does not happen. Eunseo decides to sit on Heeseung’s lap instead and he is less than impressed. “Um, Eunseo?” She turns to Heeseung as if sitting on his lap is the most obvious decision in the world. “What? I’m not sitting next to him after he shouted at my sister.” Jaeyun opens the driver seat and throws himself down onto the leather, muttering a barely heard ‘I didn’t shout’. You look at Heeseung to help you out but he shrugs and mouths a sorrowful ‘Sorry.’ which is no comfort at all. “Y/N can sit in the front.” Yeoreum huffs and you follow her instruction mindlessly. You get into the passenger side and buckle your seatbelt for the awkward 2 hours that await. 

“Let me put on some music, yeah?” Your voice is calm and quiet like you’re trying not to disrupt the tension. Heeseung is the only one to agree but you still grab the aux and plug your phone in. Unlike Yeoreum, you don’t ask what songs people want and settle for one of your playlists but just as you go to hit play, your phone says it’s at 5% and you mentally curse yourself for taking so many pictures. You have a choice; you can either play the songs right now and have your phone die in 2 minutes, or sit in silence. You sit for a while and the silence causes Jaeyun to turn to you.

“You okay?” he asks and you hum explaining about your phone, “Here.” Opening the glove box he hands you the CDs he hid from Yeoreum and she notices, crossing her arms and holding back from making a sarky comment.

Flicking through the CDs you see the mixtapes he made over the years until one stops you dead. ‘Y/N #1’. Your fingers flip through and all of them are named something similar all the way to ‘Y/N #38’. The last one has drawings of rings and keys all around it and you lightly trace your fingers over it, scared that if you touch it you’ll break it. 

To confirm your theories, you pick it out and enter it into the CD player and your heart skips at least 5 beats as the first notes play from Love is All Around by Wetter. You choke on nothing as the memories of that night come flooding back to that night. He had taken all those cassette tapes and made them into CDs. Even after you abandoned him he still took the time to transfer every single mixtape. Your chest feels heavy and you feel like you’re going to pass out until Jaeyun places a hand on your thigh to calm you down. His touch is so familiar and comforting that instantly you feel relief wash over you, your hand intertwining with his. Just like how you used to be, you’re seeking his comfort. 

Yeoreum is in too much of a sour mood to notice how his thumb rubs your skin, and how his whole body suddenly feels like it’s found the missing limb that’s been detached from him. But Heeseung doesn’t. He sees it all and he wants to cuss you both out for being so obvious. Still, instead, he’s engaging Eunseo in meaningless conversation, distracting her of any chance to see how Jaeyun has his fingers tracing hearts into your thigh.

As the song’s final chorus blares through the speakers he brings your hand to his lips and kisses it gently. It’s a foolish move and Heeseung panics, looking between the sisters to see if any of them notice and somehow they don’t. He is going to have some words for you both when they all get back. 

Alan Watt’s monologue at the end of the song doesn’t help the way you’re feeling, like for the first time in years you are exactly where you should be, with the love of your life. But his hand leaves yours as the journey goes on due to worrying that Yeoreum could turn her head and see it, and you’re pulled back to reality. He isn’t yours, and he’s getting married in two days.

____

Stepping out of the car you watch as everyone walks into the house, some sullen, and some oblivious about what happened. You wish you were the latter. Jaeyun walks with his hands in his pockets, head down as he follows a pouty Yeoreum up the stairs and into their bedroom. The house’s once light atmosphere is now heavy and by this point, everyone can feel it. Mr. Sim pulls Heeseung to the side and they share a whisper. Mrs & Mr. Son kidnap Mrs. Sim and Eunseo to the kitchen to help them prepare dinner.

You don’t follow your best friend, instead, you tread up the grand staircase, ready to shower and wash off the antics of today, craving the battering of hot water against your skin. Your foot is not but a second on the first floor when you hear shouting. It’s muffled and honestly, you shouldn’t be listening but you’re nosey and you one hundred percent know who it is.

“I just don’t understand why you shouted at me like that. And in front of our friends!” Yeoreum cries out. Don’t eavesdrop your mind is telling you, but your feet are gingerly walking to their door, it lays slightly ajar.

You don’t see lots but you can see Yeoreum’s back and sometimes when she moves, you can see Jaeyun. He looks lost, guilty, and bored all at once.

“Reumie, I did not shout at you. I told you to not speak about my ex. What is your fascination with her? You bring her up whenever you get the chance.” 

Yeoreum scoffs and folds her arms, one foot pointed out to the right and her hip jutted out. “Me?! Fascination?! You have some nerve to ask me that.” Jaeyun looks at her confused, “Jake, you are so sensitive whenever I bring her up.”

“Because she’s my fucking ex, Yeoreum. It’s a sensitive fucking topic for a lot of people believe it or not. I told you talking about her makes me uncomfortable” He’s mad and he’s scared she’ll say something that will have him saying something regretful. Jaeyun’s hands are in front of him and his fingers are joined as he tries to calm down. “Look, let’s just forget it-”

“Get over it, Jake. She probably has. I am the one who got you out of your rut, I am the one who held you on those nights you’d cry over her wishing she would come back even though I, your girlfriend, was right there, and I sure as hell am the one you asked to marry you.”

Jaeyun stills at the memories of him laying on his dorm bed, willing you to come home to him, Yeoreum hugging him from behind, lulling him to calm down. He couldn’t even pretend to care about her presence when thoughts of you struck into his mind. She didn’t deserve the way he was back then and he’s surprised she stayed around.

Jaeyun opens his mouth but she cuts him off before he can even respond, her eyes are on him with a deadly stare, “Do you still love her?” It’s his turn to scoff but she doesn’t let up, “Tell me you don’t love her, and I’ll put it all behind me. I will forget this ever happened and drop it.” She knows the answer, but she wants him to lie to her.

“I- Yeoreum everyone still has feelings for their first love.”

“If she walked through that door right now, would you leave me for her?” 

A gentle hand enveloped the top of your arm, causing you to gasp and turn around panicked. Mr. Sim’s gaze meets yours. He gently leads you from the door and into your room, “I think you’ve heard enough.” Although the statement can come across as rude from anyone else, his tone is comforting. He was taking you away from the possibility of the answer you knew he was going to say. Of course not. He wouldn’t leave her if his ex walked into his life again because you did walk back in and he is still very much engaged.

Jaeyun’s dad shuts the door behind him and sighs, “Y/N, Heeseung told me what happened.” You nod.

“It wasn’t a big argument, they’ll get over it in a minute.” Looking up you see him shaking his head and waltzing towards you, guiding you both to sit on the edge of the bed.

“He told me everything.” Oh. You nod again, this time heavy and with dread, as you think about the prospect of how this conversation will go. 

The next words to leave his mouth are not in a million years what you would have guessed,  “Thank you.” Shifting your body to face him completely you stretch your neck forward to make sure you heard him correctly, eyelids invisible as your eyebrows dart up.

Mr. Sim laughs and gently shakes your leg affectionately. “I know I didn’t give you the best welcome back reaction but you have to understand.” You daren’t say a word, trying to listen carefully, “When you left, you left behind my son but you took him with you. His livelihood, his character, his heart, he lost himself and I think it’s because you accidentally packed him up with your bags.”

“I’ll be candid, we lost all respect for you,” His face is sour and all you can do is nod because he had every right to feel this way, “But after these past few days, and Heeseung telling me why you left, I realise I have to thank you.”

The guilt your heart feels is astronomical, you knew it would hurt him, but something about the way his dad is putting it is like having someone poke multiple pins in your heart and dragging them down slowly, and painfully, torturing you as you awaited death.

“Why? You should hate me, you said yourself, I destroyed him.”

“Emotionally at the time, yes. But every step you took was always with his interest at the forefront. You knew he would reject Apollo if you told him you weren’t going with him.” A chuckle leaves his lips and his hand pats your leg again, “One thing about my boy? He is stupid when it comes to mind over heart. And you are so smart, baby girl.” Mr. Sim’s eyes are just as they used to be, full of adoration for you.

“If Jaeyun had left with you, he might have started to resent you and the relationship, wondering if he made the right choice, it would cause arguments, you’d drift and it would all have been for nothing. You saw that didn’t you?”

Yes. That is exactly how you saw it. When you made the decision to not tell him, long distance was your main reason, but as you stewed with it for years you truly know the guilt of keeping him from his dream school and ultimately sabotaging his future was the main reason. You wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye. “Something like that.” Is all you mutter to him, “I knew how hard he worked for all of it, Busan, Apollo, his career, I didn’t want him to jeopardise it for some girl. And he always said long-distance scared him.” Tears are ricocheting down your face and you taste the salt as the liquid slips past your lips. For the first time, your feelings and actions are being validated.

“He also got Yeoreum.” You say smiling sadly. He grabs your chin and turns your face to his delicately.

“My son was always your number one priority, even when you didn’t realise it. Now do I wish there was a better way you could have gone about this? Categorically so.” He laughs and for the first time in the whole conversation so do you, nodding your head and your eyes looking up. “But you deserve a thank you because look what he has; honours in one of the most prestigious colleges in the country, a job he loves and is so dearly passionate about, I mean really, I cannot get him to shut up about it,”

“Do you love him?” You agree without hesitation and try to focus on anything but his eyes, too painful and far too similar to his son’s. “Then let me give you some advice,” Shouting can be heard, Jaeyun and Yeoreum’s voices getting louder but you’re too busy hanging on to every word Mr. Sim is speaking to tune in, “Do what you think is best, for you and him, either together or separate. You’ll make the right choice, Y/N. I know that now.”

[emeryhiro]

My Thoughts on The Book Of Carol Ep 4

Firstly, I just want to say that I absolutely adored this episode!! Every second of it was spectacular, and I now rank it as my favourite episode from the entire TWD series.

!!!Spoiler warning for The Book of Carol Episode 4!!!

Carol and Isabelle:

What an amazing way for these two to meet! Carol saving and taking care of Isabelle was such a beautiful scene. And I have to say that I'm sooo happy that they did because I really wanted Isabelle to see who Daryl was talking about when he said that he had his own home to get back to. And how far that home of his is willing to go to save him. And the look on Isabelle's face when she realised who Carol is made it absolutely clear that she understood this.

Caryl Reunion:

I WAS MIND-BLOWN BY THIS SCENE! I had full-body chills and could not hold back my tears. I didn't know how they would manage to upstage the Terminus reunion, but they did it.

The way Daryl was fighting through the walkers and soldiers, and how in the background you can see a blurred figure coming down the opposite end of the corridor, shooting their way through walkers and soldiers as well, until there's no one left between them. You can hear Carol's sob, Daryl dropping everything he's holding, and immediately running towards her. The tears streaming down both their faces. Daryl pulling away for a moment and holding Carol's face in his hands just to make sure that it's really her, that she's actually standing in front of him and in his arms, that all of this isn't just a dream, and that she came all this way just to find him again.

I'm crying again just writing about it.

Isabelle's death:

This moment was so heartbreaking to watch. Not only because Daryl was losing someone he cared about, but also because you can see the look of confusion and surprise on Carol's face. She didn't expect, and wasn't prepared to see that Daryl had grown to care about someone that much, and in that moment she couldn't really tell what they meant to each other.

But there was such a beautiful moment here: once Isabelle had passed away, Daryl turns away and looks to Carol, grateful that she's by his side and silently asking her for her support. Carol, of course, immediately understands what Daryl needs and moves closer to him, placing her hand on his shoulder to comfort him and pulling out her knife to do what needs to be done so that Daryl doesn't have to.

The shift in Daryl's behaviour:

One of the first things that stood out to me again was the massive shift in Daryl's behaviour when he was with Carol. The way that only she can calm him and make him think clearly even when he's paniced and overwhelmed. How he trusts her completely, maybe even more than he trusts himself. And this part is a little sad to say (sad for Isa), but the speed at which he moved on from her loss and shifted his focus to Carol was so telling of the difference between how he feels about Carol vs how he thought about Isa. Yes, he may have grown to really care about Isa, but, as I have said before, as soon as he was reunited with Carol, she became the centre of his focus and brought light back into his life.

Even when Daryl worried about Laurent, his focus stayed on Carol. He always kept an eye on her to make sure she was right by his side, that she was okay, and that he was standing between her and any danger that they may be around.

Dépaysant: 

He uses the same word that Isabelle did, "Depaysant", and explains the meaning of it to Carol, which leads to Carol visibly trying to hold in her laughter and teasing him for speaking French. But what was most interesting here is the difference between Daryl's behaviour in this scene and the parallel scene with Isabelle from episode 2. With Isabelle, Daryl's face was serious, his body rigid, and their kiss felt cold, while with Carol, Daryl is smiling, watching her with tenderness on his face, laughing as she teases him, and overall, his body language is completely relaxed.

The Dance:

What an insanely beautiful moment! The way Carol and Daryl looked at each other when Theo said "My Love" to Dede and then the way they looked at each other again when Theo and Dede started dancing... If this isn't foreshadowing canon and an upcoming dance scene between Caryl, then I don't know what is!

"I never, ever, stopped trying to get home to You":

This scene was the perfect follow-up to the earlier scene where Carol told Daryl that if he ever wanted to explain it to her, she'd be there. And there's just so much to unpack here.

I think one of the main things that prompted Daryl to open up to Carol and explain everything about Isa and Laurent was that they had just watched Theo lose Dede, which reminded them of how close they were to losing each other as well.

It's also so important to note that Daryl intentionally said "home to You" he didn't say he never "stopped trying to get home", which would have been a completely reasonable thing to say, instead he intentionally said he "never, ever, stopped trying to get home to [Carol]" because he wanted and needed her to know that she's the one he wanted to get back to and that she was the home that he'd fight for.

And the way Daryl looks puzzled when Carol says, "You loved her", and the little smirk on his face right after. The way I interpreted that scene was that Daryl was initially confused as to why Carol said that and what made her think that, but then he realises that maybe she's a little jealous and starts to tease her a little with a smirk because the reality is that he didn't love Isa, at least not in that way and he would have thought that Carol's reaction to it was cute.

Additional thoughts:

The start of the episode had me on the edge of my seat, and I was blown away by how much Carol had to go through just in that one day to find Daryl. How many times during her journey has she been seconds away from death?

The love that Carol & Daryl share for each other, as Norman said, is truely "cosmic". They'll move heaven and earth to get to each other and nothing can get in their way.

I loved watching the sequence of Carol fighting her way through Mont Saint Michel and the tactics she was using to fight through all of the soldiers.

The constant bickering and teasing between Carol and Daryl was absolute perfection. I loved the way that Theo picked up on how they were acting like an old married couple, and how Dede looked towards Carol and intentionally said that she knows what real love looks like.

~~~~~

Overall, I can't help but give this episode a 10/10; there was not one thing that I didn't love about it, especially the many little details that clearly foreshadowed Caryl canon.

Thank you to everyone who read through this! I'd love to hear your thoughts on the episode as well, and I can't wait for episodes 5 and 6 to be released as well so that we can all discuss everything in detail ♡

[narutouzumakiarchive]

SNS Analysis

During the fated battle between Itachi and Sasuke, they have a philosophical conversation regarding the subjective nature of reality. Itachi posits that the limit of one's knowledge is linked with their level of awareness and understanding about the world. Itachi's statements were his way of calling out Sasuke's ignorance and labeling Sasuke's understanding of reality an arbitrary assumption.

Sasuke rebuffs Itachi's words and remarks that while he previously thought he was trapped in a genjutsu during the night of the massacre, he understood that he was really trapped in reality. He goes on to say that his eyes are not the same as they were before and that now he can see through genjutsu (illusions).

Afterwards, Itachi addresses the big elephant in the room: the fact that Sasuke still does not have the same eyes as him — eyes that the reader knows Sasuke would have needed to kill Naruto to acheive.

During their reunion, this conversation is directly referenced by Itachi; Kishimoto wants the reader to make the connection between both conversations. Itachi again talks about how Sasuke's reality might be an illusion. Then Sasuke rebuffs this and states his eyes can see through genjutsu. This then directly leads to Itachi thinking about Naruto and then himself and Sasuke discussing the reason why Itachi kept him alive.

Then again, Sasuke brings up the fact that his eyes can see through illusions, and yet again, Itachi thinks about Naruto and recognizes him as someone who guided Sasuke. And this scene (which also functions as foreshadowing for Naruto and Sasuke's reconciliation) accomplishes quite a bit.

As stated above, it specifically addresses the fact that Itachi wasn't the only one who guided Sasuke — Naruto was there as well. Itachi thought about Naruto after Sasuke talked about deviating from Itachi's path. And this scene also follows the same narrative pattern established during the fight in which Itachi thought about Natuto after Sasuke talked about being able to see through genjutsu. So, Itachi's thoughts implicitly reference that previously discussed elephant in the room: the fact that Naruto is the reason why Sasuke didn't get his mangekyou sharingan.

It acknowledges the pattern of Naruto being continually juxtaposed with Itachi in Sasuke's life and being the reason why Sasuke deviates from the Itachi path (eg. Sasuke choosing to "die" for Naruto instead of remaining alive to kill his brother, Sasuke rejecting his brother's words in the forest of death, etc.). The saliency of this theme is made clear by the fact that even without comparing notes, fans have been able to pick up on the phenomenon. An example of this can be seen in a comprehensive analysis of Part 1 that was written 16 years ago (years before the ending), in which the analyst compared Naruto's influence to a reason to live. And this was confirmed in 698 when Sasuke living is connected with helping Naruto.

And of course, the influence is mutual. Just as Naruto was so significant in importance to Sasuke that 3rd party observers were able to notice the effect that Naruto had on him, Sasuke was so significant to Naruto that 3rd party observers were able to notice the effect that Sasuke had on him. An example of this is also discussed in the above mentioned analysis from 2008. When Naruto fights Kiba, Sakura reflects on her changing opinion of Naruto, and even she recognizes that Naruto's increased improvement and strength was linked to Sasuke motivating Naruto and believing in his potential. So Naruto's development in the Forest of Death was explicitly linked to Sasuke in the same way that Sasuke's development in the Forest of Death was explicitly linked to Naruto's effect on his heart.

This "Sasuke is Naruto's strength" and "Naruto is Sasuke's weakness" motif that reinforced the mutuality of Naruto and Sasuke's bond was of course extended into Part 2 as well. For example, it's being distracted by Naruto's presence that causes Sasuke to be caught off guard by an opponent he had been previously actively engaged with during the the Team 7 reunion and the 5 Kage Summit. And it's Sasuke that motivates Naruto to quickly progress in his training and to successfully defeat Kakuzu with his rashenshuriken after failing during his first attempt. And this mutual complemantarity is addressed when Sasuke himself thinks back on Itachi's words of two who seem like opposites being two sides of the same coin, after Naruto talks about their fight against Kaguya.

The Itachi and Sasuke reunion scene also subtly establishes Naruto as someone who's linked with reality as opposed to genjutsu and illusions. Genjutsu is associated with lies and deceit. So, it's significant that when Sasuke talks about being able to strip away lies, Itachi thinks about Naruto. Naruto and Sasuke's battles have always been open and honest confrontations where both parties were honest about their intentions. Kishimoto made Sasuke never use genjutsu on Naruto for a reason. It's linked to the fact that beneath the violence in Naruto and Sasuke's fights, there was an underlying desire for intimacy and genuine connection — and this desire was fully realized when the metaphorically grasped eachother's hands via blood in 698.

Finally, the reunion also emphasizes the power of Sasuke's choice. Sasuke spent the entire narrative having to negotiate his agency and forge his own path despite people trying to use him as a tool. It's important that after Itachi recognizes Sasuke ought to be the one to decide his own journey, Itachi thinks of Naruto. The battle between Naruto and Sasuke wasn't a fight about beating someone into submission and imposing one's ideology on the other. The outcome of the fight was always about Sasuke making his own choice and determining his own path. That's why Naruto himself states that there are no winners or losers. That's why their reconciliation doesn't happen immediately after their physical battle, but after they have a conversation in which Sasuke takes the initiative and demands a satisfactory answer from Naruto. And Sasuke is so happy that he cries.

[bluginkgo]

Ep 8 Thoughts and Details Part 2

Some thoughts and details I had while watching ep8, and some parallels I found. And yes, I had to split this into 2 parts because Tumblr said "fack you, you can only upload 30 images :P"

Spoilers, duh

Didn't see part 1? Here it is, cause Tumblr doesn't like more than 30 images per post TwT

OMG YOU SILLY GOOBERS, AND THE WAY UZI INCLUDED V DESPITE V NOT EVEN WANTING TO BE PART OF IT TwT

As much as this entire scene was tense about Uzi eating the AS and becoming fused with it- this frame, this facking frame killed me XD Just the D: WHAT ARE YOU DOING- WHY DID YOU DO THAT- I could hear it clearly XD

Could probably be me looking too far into it, but another call back from Liam's first teaser of Murder Drones.

As many people as I have seen being upset with how this reunion turned out to be, I found it adorable and funny. Khan has no idea what that thing even is. And the fact that Nori isn't as cool and serious as she was made out to be in all of the flashback scenes and ep7 is that much more endearing. The angsty side of her is still there, much like Uzi's personality of not really liking close heart to heart moments.

KHAN IS NARUTO RUNNING???? XD

Originally pointed out by @/observer on twitter and absolute scoliosis lives on XD As well as the T-rex stance <:3

God forbid I love this trio. They've been through so much and still came out victorious after fighting a whole ass eldritch being capable of eating planets. V still V but softer and kinder, N still N but more willing to stand up for himself, and Uzi still Uzi and angsty rebellious teen that has an awesome new eye style and friends and family.

"Forget about all of this instantly, get tunnel visioned on spooky corpse robot reveal. Work backwards from there."

You know, I had a silly thought. I wouldn't even be mad that this is how Murder Drones came to be. That Liam's idea of Murder Drones started with the reveal of Cynessa entity and then worked backwards from there- creating the characters to surround the event instead of starting with say Uzi's personality, etc.

VIZZY MY BELOVED WHAT-

You know what... you know WHAT I SAW THIS SOMEWHERE-

Proceeds to connect the dots that aren't even there (Murder Drones Intermission by @/ghoulinfuschia)

But hey, that's what my brain loves to do. But funny how it turned out to be somewhat similar XD Perhaps the context was different but the fact that my brain said "hm, yes, you connect this here and that there." and I just rolled with it TwT

Overall, I genuinely loved the entire episode and, of course, the series. I'm eternally grateful for Liam creating this masterpiece and for every person that took part in creating Murder Drones. This show was the hyperfixation I needed, the thing that I've craved since being in the fandom that I had been for the longest time prior. I'm sad to see this show end so soon, but all great things must come to an end. And I'm glad I was here to see it, even if I was here since ep6 only TwT Either way, I will be haunting this fandom with my presence for a little longer while. Many projects I want to see happen, comics I wish to share, and friends I wish to meet. Until then, see you later >:P

Have a cookie for making it this far XD 🍪