#happy late barricade day!!

[carrielion15]

people forget that in the book grantaire was a boxer, gymnast, and a dancer. i’m sorry WHAT

[eccentricallygothic]

Hey sweetheart 😘 I really hope requests are opened and you don't mind me sending in a request 🤗

I thought of something where you and Bucky are close friends with huge feelings for each other but you're both too stubborn to admit. So one time you're having movie night at the compound and you take your spot besides Bucky, enjoying the closeness. As some intimate scene appears, you feel Bucky all tense up and excusing him, so you later find him in his room wondering what's wrong, and finally he admits that he got nasty thoughts about you doing all that to him so he had to leave. You think about his words and before he can back out, you push him on the bed, straddling him, riding him, giving you both the pleasure you held back for too long. Afterwards he's a huge cuddle bear and asks you to be his girl ? 🤗 Hope that's okay with you 🫶🏼

Hello! And yes, requests are open and you certainly can send them in! Yours is definitely okay with me and maybe a bit too okay because it made me stray from my usual hc form 😵‍💫 I really, really hope you like it. Thank you for requesting! Happy reading 🩷

| Clueless |

Pairing: Avenger!Bucky Barnes | Avenger!Reader. 

Warning(s): Kissing, unprotected p-in-v sex, cowgirl, nipple play, thumb sucking, Bucky's vibranium arm because I am a mental slut, Bucky mildly being the old man that he is, size kink, dirty talk, creampie, fluff. Minors do not interact.

"Bucky?" You call after softly knocking on his door before opening it. Your eyebrows furrow when you don't get a response and so you peek inside to scan the room. 

You're about to turn on your heels and go look someplace else when you notice him on the balcony, back turned to you as he leans on the railing, a bottle in hand. 

"Hey," he doesn't turn his head to look at you when you approach him. The super soldier probably already heard you when you were down the hall. "What happened? You didn't come back." You lean one arm against the balcony confine on the spot besides him, leaning your head to the side and watching him as he takes another swig.

Bucky takes his time swallowing, his heavy Adam's apple bobbing as he keeps his eyes trained on the grounds of the compound. His broad shoulders shrug only when he has gathered his thoughts a bit, legs shifting before he answers. "Just because." Your features scrunch in confusion. 

What?

"Just because… what?" You voice your confusion and he sighs at your cluelessness. When he just shakes his head to himself you roll your eyes with a huff. "What, talk to me! What even happened?" The way he turns to his other side and his vibranium arm barricades you away from him pisses you off as you stomp to the other side. 

Bucky has confusing moments like this sometimes that he eventually gets over but never provides you any explanation for them. 

"Bucky, I can only know if you tell me…" You try though you know it'll be in vain, as usual. "What the hell happened? We were watching a movie and then you said you'd be a second and then half an hour later I realize you're not back and then I find you sipping beer in your room all by yourself like we weren't having movie night!" 

The male sighs and shakes his head again before lowering it and turning once more. "Just so clueless…" When you go to speak again, he spins a 180° and walks back into his room. "But what else can I expect from this generation?" That makes you scoff as you tail him like a vulture, hot on his heels.

"What the hell does that even mean–"

"Language!"

"Oh, my God!" You throw your hands up in frustration. "What has gotten into you lately?! You're becoming more and more like Steve by the passing day!" The mention of the male shifts something in his expression and he half turns his head to look at you with an unreadable expression on his face. "And that means annoying!" The addition seems to ease the tension in his huge shoulders.

Just a bit.  

Something has been going on with him and he refuses to share it with you even though you are the closest with each other out of the entire team.

"You seriously don't know what was wrong? Are you really so clueless?" You rake your memories to recall what he is on about since the movie was quite innocent in that sense except… 

Oh. 

You roll your eyes as you cross your arms over your chest. "Well, I am sorry not all of us are conservatives from the '40s, gramps" now it is Bucky's turn to scoff.

"Oh, really?" When you hum and nod with just as much agitation his frustration gets the best of him. "You know what a conservative from the '40s would really do?" 

"Yeah, no. Do enlighten me please!" You know he doesn't appreciate it when you get too sassy with him but what is he going to do about it? 

You are a girl with a mind of your own and no one is going to tell you or give you any shit.

"He would ask the potential lady love out on a nice dinner instead of hanging out with her right in the beginning!" Your eyebrows furrow as he sarcastically emphasizes the words. "I mean, what even is that supposed to be?! It doesn't make any sense!" Bucky clicks his tongue in disdain as one of his hands move in the air to help express his frustration. "There is an order, a code, a way to do these things! Fancy is not supposed to be treated so casually! You kids have ruined the sanctity of the whole idea!" 

"What even are you on about, Bucky?!" You go on cluelessly. "This is absurd! So what, friends can't watch movies together now?! I am sorry that things are less complicated now?!"

"They're not less complicated!" He is beyond annoyed and you can tell. "Not by a long shot! If anything, it's worse! Because now I have to deal with watching a provocative scene while the girl I like is cuddling into me but I can't do anything because we are just friends having a casual hangout and I can't do anything about my hard cock that wants nothing more than to show her that the scene that has her gripping my arm so tight is nothing in comparison to what I can do to her if she just stops being so fucking clueless!"

Bucky's teal blue eyes are wide and he is nearly breathless by the time he finishes his little speech. Your own state is not much different as you blink up at him in shock. It is only when he has recovered a little that he realizes what he has said… or rather, confessed. 

"I-" the super soldier goes to shake his head but then stops before half tilting it to the side, visibly at a loss of words as his ears turn beet red. "Y/n–" 

Your fingers are curling around the neckline of his shirt before you know it, the pull of your hand tugging you towards him instead of doing what you had intended, his heavy body unbudging. 

Bucky's arms hang limply at his sides as he stands against you utterly dumbfounded, barely kissing you back if at all as he tries to decide whether this is another one of his dreams or you, the only girl that has managed to reach into his heart after so long that it honestly feels kind of like the first time, really is kissing him.

What he doesn't know is that you are having difficulty with determining the same thing. 

You pull back when your lungs are on fire and you are heaving for air desperately, fingers still tightly holding onto his shirt in bunches with the fear that he might vanish into the air if you let go. 

Bucky blinks as he sputters out some incoherent nonsense, eyes wide as he watches your face to try and grasp what just happened. "I–" 

You shake your head with a roll of your eyes and a tut. He's insufferable with all that chivalry. You do find it endearing at times but it's moments like these when he's so clueless and formal about it that it gets annoying. 

"Just shut up and kiss me, old man" you whisper as your eyes flicker down to his pink lips and you're on him again. 

This time though, your words seem to have snapped him out of it and his hands shoot up to your sides as he holds you back just as tightly, fingers reaching down for your ass cheeks before he squeezes them hard. You are forced to break the kiss, your face still remaining against his lips as you audibly shudder at the feeling, shivers shooting down your hips and straight to your intimate parts from the delicious ache that it causes. 

Within the next few minutes, you have managed to back Bucky into the bed as he's distracted with touching, feeling and groping as much of you as he possibly can. He lands on the bed with a heavy thud but before any words can be exchanged, you are straddling his thick and muscular thighs. 

Your hands hurriedly snatch his shirt off before you push him down, raising your own arms above your head to let him do the same as you grind into his hard on that feels so thick that some tiny part of your brain cannot help but fear for your pussy. 

"Mmm, solnyshko, you're so fucking pretty" Bucky rasps out the nickname he gave you when you both realized you had reached that stage in your friendship. But now, with his very recent confession fresh in your mind, you see the meaning of the word, 'little sun', that he had told you with an air of awkwardness in a very different light. 

"Look at all this pretty fucking body, solnyshko. I could cum just by looking at it alone." Emotion overcomes your senses and you suddenly feel a bit sensitive. A whimper escapes you as a result and you can't help but clench against his bulge, hands reaching to squeeze his hands that are feeling up your boobs now that he has fished them out of the bra cups. 

"B- Bucky…" He seems to have sensed it already, and so one of his hands trail down to your side to caress it encouragingly. 

"Go ahead, baby" the endearment is just as foreign for you as it is for him. "You're doing so good, keep going for me" you feel a twitch below you and you can't help but parrot the curse that slithers from his lips. 

Though you are on top, Bucky still seems to have the upper hand as he always does. But you have never really minded that with him because he isn't nasty about it and you know he only means well. You have learnt that through various outcomes many times. Besides, not that you'd ever admit it but you do need the extra care and guidance sometimes. 

It is tough to play the all-knowing hero all the time. 

Bucky is your sanctuary to deconstruct and just be yourself after a long day.

You hope you are the same for him as well. 

With newfound confidence that you have his praise to thank for, you whine as your hips start to circle and twist against his stuff bulge, your clothed pussy already pleased because of how needy and desperate it really is. 

Your back arches as you moan out loud when his fingers go to circle around one of your nipples, twisting it between them before his fingernails dig in them while his vibranium hand finds your mouth. "Bucky!" Your face is flushed and cheeks hot as you feel his thumb graze the shape of your lips before pushing inside them. "Mmmm~" your brows furrow when you feel yourself leak some more before clenching around the air again.

Okay.

Grinding isn't gonna cut it. 

You need him inside you. 

You have waited for way too long to rub it out. 

He just has to be all over you… and that includes all the openings to your insides. 

Your lips tightly wrap around his thumb as you suck so hard that the sound of it resonates in the air, pulling a sharp string of whispered curses from Bucky. Letting go of his arms you now claws at his belt until it gives way to your ferocity and you nearly tug the fly off the fabric.

You whine louder than you would ever like to admit when he goes to tug your shorts off and you have to shift away from where you are grinding against him, the rude protective growl you end up letting out causing him to chuckle as he pulls the shorts off your legs with a soft spank to your ass; a signal for you to improve your crazed behavior.  

Bucky has a way of keeping you in your place. 

"Tsk, solnyshko, patience!" His playful words fall on deaf ears as you literally jump back up on his cock, planting two stubborn hands against his shoulders before pushing him down flat against the mattress from his half risen position. 

Your single-mindedness once you zero in on something is a joke amongst the team. And though you deny it with every fiber of your existence, your actions and manic possessiveness over his cock right now is not helping your case. 

"Mine" you whisper as you move back to now rub against him skin to skin, your fingertips tracing over the bumps of his body as your usually bright eyes watch him with a dark hue over them. A hiss leaves Bucky when your warm and soaking pussy drags against his member, causing for his hands to bolt to your ass as he squeezes with all his might to withstand the sensory overload. It is to avoid flipping you over to fuck you into oblivion. 

Because that can come later. Right now is your first time with him and he prefers for you to take things at your pace; ease into whatever this will become. 

"Just like that, solnyshko, good girl" the words cause you to whimper as you raise yourself by propping your body up against your heels, wrapping one hand around his intimidating girth before you slowly pump and spread both your precums along its destructive length. 

Your bottom lip juts out a little at his scary size and you can't help but look up at him with a whimper. It is so easy because he is your safe place and understands every single one of your quirks with no words exchanged. 

Everything makes sense with Bucky.

"It's okay, baby. You can take it, I know you can" he reassures you as he caresses your thighs comfortingly. "Go ahead, I'll take care of you if I have to" you nod gratefully, your usually smart mouth mum. Though when you look down at his rather monstrous cock again, you have to gulp to yourself as you arch your back before moving the thick tip against your entrance, the sensation causing you to hiss almost instantly.

"Hnnng, Bucky!" You feel yourself stretch and widen around his smooth skin, but then you slide down further and the shape of his thick bulging veins grazes against your trembling walls and your thighs quiver, causing your knees to shake. "Oh!" The most vile moan you have ever let out rings in the air as you reach for his shoulders sensitively, wincing and lowering your head against his to let him kiss you everywhere he can reach while your hips lower against his. 

"Fuck, solnyshko, you're so fucking tight for me" his hands fondle your ass and breasts rather bluntly as he peppers kisses all over your face, moving his own hips in sync to yours to help you out because you are clearly struggling with accommodating and handling him. "Good girl" his lips capture yours in a clingy kiss, your mouths nearly sticking to each other's. You break away for enough time for Bucky to let out, "such a good fucking girl for me, baby" before you sink down on his cock again and bite his bottom lip as a result, loudly whining into his mouth. 

The super soldier curses as he twitches inside you, his tip easily reaching the sensitive bundle of nerves that ks hot and eager to be touched. "Fuck, you're so biiiig!" You mewl as your eyes roll to the back of your head, fingers clasping around his shoulders as you find a rhythm and start bouncing, the aid of his hips causing a loud smacking sound to fill the otherwise quiet air. 

You feel your loins tense each time his stiff veins graze your weeping pussy that desperately tries to return to its original state whenever he lifts you almost all the way up and off his cock only to have you sheath it back again from the tip. 

You are trying your best to keep the control to yourself but the truth is, were it not for Bucky's guiding hold on your hips, you would have collapsed from the sensitivity of your core and the size of his impaler long ago. 

"Look at you, solnyshko" the male cooes while panting but doesn't break off the sync of your bodies, one hand now dipping between your legs to let his vibranium thumb rub your clit. The action causes your limbs to spasm as you moan loudly, your back arching while your pussy clenches again. "Lookin' so pretty bouncing on my cock. Almost as if that's all you were made to do" his words make you grunt as you dig your nails into his skin.

Fuck, he is too good. 

Not so chivalrous after all, was he?

"Oh, Bucky!" You have never moaned like this before. "I am gonna–" in control yet so powerless. "I- I am gonna cum!" No one has ever made you feel so good, so dirty, so used and yet so taken care of all at once. "Oh, please!" You have no idea why you are even asking his permission to do so. Before him you had always been the boss of your life. 

But with Bucky, it just feels right. 

Like that is the order of things.

That is just the kind of man that he is. 

"Go ahead, my sweet solnyshko" his other hand slaps your ass and stars appear in your vision. Fuck. You had not expected him to be this dominant. "Fuck yourself dumb on my dick like the cock starved slut that you are" his referral to your crazed greed from some minutes ago makes you blush furiously but before you can protest, his thumb swipes faster and faster against your nub and renders you speechless. 

Your toe curling orgasm os one that leaves you momentarily numb and deaf, the only thing your mind being able to register the overstimulation of your walls as Bucky chases his own orgasm now, basically using you as a cock sleeve as you motionlessly slam up and down his length, the upper half of your body hunched forwards as your cheek rests against his. Your mouth can only let out incoherent murmurs in his ear as you snake your arms around his neck and nibble on the skin of his shoulders until his hot seed explodes through you, filling your cavern up until it overflows and the white liquid trickles down your legs. 

You are eventually moved down and off his cock to which you whine, your hole blinking around air at the loss of contact. That causes Bucky to chuckle as he wraps you up against him in his thick arms and moves your bodies further up the bed until you are resting against the pillows. 

"Don't go~" you softly murmur with a pout when he turns to reach for his bedside drawers. 

The arm that he has around you further tighten in reassurance as he fishes something out. "Aw, baby, don't worry. I am not going anywhere" your pout deepens when he turns towards you and the object comes into view. "Just–"

"Noooo~" you whine as you tighten your arms around his chest and nuzzle your face in the crook of his neck. "L- Leave it on~" one of his eyebrows raise before a little smirk appears on his face. 

"Oh, solnyshko, you sweet girl" Bucky puts the tissue box away as he moves your hair out of your face before pressing a warm kiss to your forehead. "Aren't you precious, hm?" As he untucks your flushed face from his neck to look at and caress one of your cheeks lovingly, you blush harder and busy yourself with examining his dog tags to avoid his eyes. "Who would have thought that the baddest avenger would be such a cutie deep down?" You roll your eyes when he playfully quotes what you like to refer to yourself as. "Not wanting to be cleaned so she can remain covered in my cum–"

"Alright, alright. You can stop now" your voice is hoarse due to your vocal exercise from a couple minutes ago. 

"Stop?" Your eyes flutter when his nails comfortingly scratch your scalp before one of his fingers snake through the strands of your disheveled hair. "But I haven't even started with you yet, baby" a snort leaves him when he feels you clench with a whimper at his words.

Your limbs are tangled as you lay relaxing in each other's scents, one of Bucky's thick thighs buried between your legs. 

"Not even started with me yet?!" Your shock makes him snicker. "After all that?!' 

It is safe to say that he has fucked the living daylights out of you.

… And he was not even on top when he did so. 

Bucky shrugs. "Only one way to find out…" His eyes search for yours with hope. 

You finally look up at him with a small smile, your heart thumping as your fingers curl around the chain of his dog tags. "I would love to, Bucky." Before you could shy away, your now boyfriend has captured your lips in his. 

"Oh, and honey?"

"Yes… b- babe?"

"We really have to do something about those sassy little eye rolls of yours."  

I know I made him dominant but it's literally Bucky, how could I not?! 

[batrachois]

happy (late) barricade day

who has been unhooking the stars without my permission and putting them on the table in the guise of candles.

[id in alt text]

[totaly-obsessed]

Rory

Leah Williamson x reader

-> A teenage squabble over a plant turns into a heartwarming symbol of family as two best friends prepare to embark on the journey of motherhood together.

-> Happy (a little late) Birthday @alotofpockets!

➳ Masterlist

•─────⋅☾ ☽⋅─────•

“What the fuck is that?”

“Leah Williamson, Language! Or I will call Amanda!” Your mum’s voice was shrill as she scolded a thirteen-year-old Leah for her cursing. Leah just had a smug smirk on her face, she got her potty mouth from her mum, who always acted outraged when her eldest swore in front of other people.

“That is my favorite plant, Lee! My sister gave it to me.”

Your best friend didn’t even have the audacity to look guilty or lie. “Well that’s fucking hideous thing, I’ll tell you that.”

“Leah!” Oh shit. She just got first-named.

“W- Well you can’t tell me that’s a pretty plant! What is it even called? Tree Tumbo?

Now that she saw the tears brimming your eyes she knew she had fucked up. Her hand that had flown, trying to defend herself slowly sank.

“No, it’s called Dracaena. But I named it Rory, short for Aurora.”

Just last week Leah and you had talked about names for future children, or rather your future children. The blonde was already sure that she liked girls, so kids were out of sight for now. Aurora was a name that stuck with her though, and you had promised to name your first kid Aurora if your husband would agree.

“Oh… Darling, I’m so so-”

“I think you should go home now.” Your teary eyes nearly killed the teen, but with one last kiss on your forehead, she left the room, saying goodbye to your very confused mother.

—

“No way.”

“Yes, Leah! I am not leaving her behind!”

The blonde defender tried to barricade the door and deny you access, but with just a gentle nudge she moved, even picking up the heavy plant for you.

“I can’t believe you’re taking that fucking thing with you.”

After that eventful first day of having Rory, Leah had properly apologized with chocolate, flowers, and a hand-knitted little sweater for a plant pot. She obviously didn't make it herself. God, that would have been a disaster. Her Granny, Berny, had made it for her.

“Well she’s my daughter and as long as I am alive I will take her with me. Either deal with it or go.”

Leah was stunned standing in the hallways “OH! You wouldn’t dare, darling! What would you do without me? Who carries the grocery bags for you?”

“You haven’t carried anything yet!”

The two of you had just signed your first senior contract with Arsenal for a year - and to live closer to the facilities you were moving into a house with Emma Mitchell and Emma Byrne. Both of them were experienced players and filled with excitement they had agreed to take two young talents in.

But seeing you call a plant your daughter, and Leah hating it with such passion surely was a sight to see and just a teaser for the coming year.

—

“You can’t be serious?”

Leah had been busy over the day, doing media stuff. So with having the new house all to yourself, you brought Rory back in, much to your girlfriend's demise.

She had just re-signed her arsenal contract for the foreseeable future while you had signed with the London City Lionesses last year, working part-time as a librarian at your closest school - a dream of yours.

After multiple failed relationships with men, you had come to the realization that the real thing was right in front of you, in the form of your best friend.

Now you had moved out of the old, small apartment into your very own first home, and Leah apparently liked to ignore the time plans you had made. So now you stood there, Rory still in your hands as your girlfriend got out of the car.

“I thought we talked about this Darling!”

Quickly she had walked over, taking the now huge plant out of your hands, and carried it into the house.

“Where do you want it then?”

She already knew that you couldn’t leave Rory behind, you had looked so sad when you promised her not to take the Dracaena with you.

“Next to the couch please!”

“Of course darling…”

—

The nerves picked at you as you made a little sign with ‘big sister’ on it. It shouldn’t be that much of a surprise to Leah that you are pregnant, the road here was long after all. But you would never know.

Rory would officially be a big sister in the making, in just a few more months, and then a little baby would share the place with your loved plant.

After leaning the sign next to the ultrasound and the pregnancy test you sat back down at the dining table, now you just needed to wait until your wife was home.

It was as if you were in a trance, looking at your book but not actually taking anything in from it when the blonde entered your home.

“I’m home darling!” Her first act of service once entering was greeting you with a kiss - but she was a little taken aback by your nervous expression. You had been home the entire day, what could have happened?

“I’m gonna shower, my love. I’ll leave the door open for ya!”

Hastily you stood up, pulling Leah back by her arm, ignoring the cocky smirk on her beautiful face. “Can you water Rory please?”

Her nose scrunched up in confusion. You, letting her near your beloved plant? unheard of, but she’d take it any day if it would make you happy.

“Yeah! Sure!"

Your wife nearly skipped through the living room, a half-full watering can in one hand, a müsli riegel in the other. 

“How much does she need?”

No answer.

“Darling, What’s up? You’ve been we- Oh.”

She saw it.

the watering can and food forgotten she picked up the hints you had positioned, looking at the positive test and the picture.

“It worked! We’re gonna be mothers!”

[awholelotofsad]

Let’s fall and fall and fall into the vortex of this hole-dwelling life…

a bit different from how i usually draw things but i was listening to a lot of horror songs lately and got Inspired

happy barricade day, fellas

[goth-mami-writer]

Hi there! So here's my idea. The reader (medic officer) and leon just come out as a new couple and they're happy until one day they get draft for a mission and there meet the one and only Ada Wong that they have to cooperate for the mission. Leon is paying way more attention and all over Ada that he almost disregard the reader. She tries to be understanding and softly communicate with Leon but it turns into an argument. The reader gets upset and misunderstand Leon that he is very not much over with his "the one that got away". Leon regrets the things he said and tries to talk to her but she proceeds to avoid Leon at all costs. Que the enemies attack their base and the reader sees that the enemy is aiming to shoot Ada and at the last minute takes the critical hit for her while thinking that Leon would be heartbroken if Ada dies. Reader flatline a couple of times. I would like to know how Leon would react to this. Let's end it with a happy note ^^

▪︎~ Wildflower ~▪︎

~(AU) Leon Kennedy × f!Reader angst/jealousy work @bat-yo-us ♡

《 You stood there beside him outside of the artillery bunker that afternoon and felt your lip quivering with heartbreak. You stiffened up your trembling mouth, knowing any second you'd be blurting out the words you once thought you'd never say to his face even with a gun to your head.

But you were ready.

“Listen-” Leon began knowing just by the look on your face that you were making decisions that he couldn't change your mind on no matter what he had to say about it,

“I know I've been saying and doing things here lately that…have made you think-”

“Made me think?” You asked him, laughing with tears in your eyes at the audacity he had.

“No, not made me think. More like: made me know- made me fucking realize-”

You put your head in your hands, laughing more at the thought of your once pure, dumb hope that this would ever work after the turmoil of the past few weeks.

“And I'm done.” You said finitely until suddenly the base's sirens rang with their whirring, metallic urgency that filled the air overhead all at once. You looked in the distance to see enemy vehicles piling into the dirt lot after surging through the gated barricade by force.

“Get inside.” Leon said, watching the dirt spin away from their tires with a charging speed, and together, you both ran towards the closest underground bunker that was already flooded with the officers and personnel directing the others inside.

You heard your chief director calling for all on the unit to line in for roll call and your heart was racing trying to prepare yourself for the many casualties and injuries that might result from an enemy raid right now. The medical staff was short handed to begin with and you knew your work wouldn't be done for well into the morning with this.

“How many on unit?” One of the deputies called that oversaw the emergency protocol.

“Sixty.” One of the lesser privates answered and then called out the count that made your bones chill.

“Fifty nine present.”

Leon looked around with the others, trying to find who was missing and you did the same. You thought of your other medics and the doctors onboard the base too. All were here, you reached out to touch their hands to somehow guarantee your racing mind that they were in fact safe. But you stopped.

Ada. It was Ada.

“Wong!!” The chief director said, making the emergency officer call out the same to try and find where in the lineup Ada was. But only you and Leon knew.

He turned to you, asking if Ada ever came out of the artillery bunker and you shook your head in terror. You knew exactly why she didn't hear the raid sirens and you said to Leon gravely with fear in your voice,

“She's down in the stronghold. It's concrete. She can't hear a thing down there.”

Leon’s eyes went wide knowing that the downstairs of the artillery bunker would be one of the first things to be potentially raided due to its vast supply of weaponry and ammunition. He turned, not knowing who to tell first that Ada was still out there and someone would have to go out amid this enemy storm to get her back to safety.

You watched Leon's chest rise and fall with the thought of Ada being in danger and you felt that was the only image to prompt what needed to happen next. She was special and there just wasn't a way for you to argue it anymore. You swallowed the hot, heavy lump in your throat and your feet took flight against the ground to get you back upstairs.

Leon had already turned, preparing to tell the emergency staff of Ada's whereabouts but seeing you flee frantically to escape back to the surface was enough to make him charge forward. He screamed your name as you raced upstairs, now tapping your badge to the entry scanner to allow you outside and your feet pounded to the dirt.

This was insane. Here you were racing to save your boyfriend's ex from trouble. But it was more than that wasn't it?, you thought as you heard gunfire and enemy commands to detain anyone onsight. Ada made Leon happy. As much as you hated it. She was different from you and it was that simple.

You didn't want to be a hero that brought her back to safety. You just Leon to be happy knowing someone he cared about was free from danger.

~2 weeks prior.

~3 miles north, southbound enclave.

“Kennedy- tell your girl that we got a few wounded up here that we'll need looked at when we make camp.” Your chief directorate radioed in over the comms placed inside the military jeep taking you both south to the neighboring base located outside of Racoon City.

You had met in the months prior, doing recon in the city and around the outskirts. In the few times Leon himself had been wounded, you were always his favorite on the med staff and he knew right away that he liked you. After trying his luck, you two had decided to commit and come out as official even amid the ongoing chaos of a fallen city.

“10-4.” Leon said into the comms and looked at you smiling in the passenger seat.

You weren't used to being called his girl yet and it was still an instant feeling of giddiness that always made your lips turn up in a grin.

Leon looked over to see you basking in your little moment of bliss and he questioned with a chuckle although it was something he already knew the answer,

“What are you smirking at over there?”

“I'm not…smirking.” You said with a shake to your head as he drove, watching his gloved hands wrap around the steering wheel.

“Sorry-” He said shifting gears without even a glance downwards,

“Guess a shit-eating grin is better to call it, huh?”

You slapped his arm, watching as he clearly enjoyed the playful banter as well as you did. He teased you more with comments that you could never admit to enjoying and finally you said flirtatiously across the seat, watching as the neighboring base appeared on the horizon.

“You know, I've got a little syringe in my bag that could fix that mouth of yours?”

“You wouldn't-” He said looking over with a grin.

“You think I wouldn't?” You said slyly, “Why's that?”

“Cause I'm the one driving.” He joked cockily, slowing down as the guards from the front gates held up their hands for the car to stop for inspection before being given clearance. You laughed loudly as he showed your IDs and then sighed in love that this was your new normal.

When you both received clearance and met after the hours of menial work patching wounds and giving injections, you found him again inside one of the supply tents, well into a conversation with someone you couldn't make out from their obscured view behind others passing through. But when you got close enough, your heart dropped to see Ada Wong.

Leon in the past had mentioned her and their falling out when escaping the now ruins of Racoon City. You quickly became confused as to why and how you were seeing them together this way and you approached cautiously.

When you became close enough, Leon turned and introduced you to the woman who warmed you with a smile. Immediately, from what you'd heard, her warm, kindred way of smiling seemed venomous to you but here infront of Leon, you swallowed the distrust you had.

“I'm Ada. Very nice to meet you. She is pretty, Leon. You were right.”

You brushed away that compliment just for now and watched the way that Leon smiled when he graced her with a moment more of conversation. Ada stated that she was working with some of the higher-ups into getting more federal help with providing aid and medicine and that she'd be around often.

“Well, I certainly won't talk your ear off, Leon. We'll catch up later.” She mentioned with another half smile that just felt artificial to you somehow and prowled away as she began reading from notes gathered in her hands.

You looked to Leon whose gaze seemed to linger as she made her exit and you watched too for another moment. There was a voice in your head telling you that now that you'd met Ada, you understood why Leon almost never brought her up. It was more than likely to protect your feelings.

She walked like the earth was made for her perfect feet. She was slender with hardly an ounce of curve in the wrong spot. It was an exterior that money couldn't buy and God could only make once. There just wasn't a flaw even if you were only looking for them.

You looked up to Leon, hoping to snap him back to the present and you mentioned with a false tone of curiosity,

“So, I guess you two…are made up? After she pointed a gun at you?”

Leon picked up quickly that you weren't pleased by the sight of him chatting with Ada so casually after the events that had befallen them previously and he mentioned, trying nicely to ease your concern,

“She wasn't going to shoot me.”

“Hm-” You said full of doubt to that assumption you thought was a rather poor one,

“I think it's the intention that counts.”

Leon paused, telling you with words that he knew he needed to choose wisely given the delicate situation,

“You don't need to worry about Ada. That…that part of our story is done. It's..completely different now.”

You nodded, wanting with all of yourself to believe it. Leon had given you no reason not to trust him in the past so you gave him the benefit of the doubt, deciding that the past was indeed past. Feelings change and people certainly do as well. You shared kinder, more soft words before parting for the night and decided to rest the issue.

In that next week, it was normal for you to find Leon grouped up with Ada somehow, either coming back from recons or loading supplies out onto the GPW's for runs to the other bases. It was hard to find even yourself talking to Leon with how much you had on your plate. This was one of the more populated bases near the city so you always had something to finish or begin yourself.

One day, you were crouched down preparing a suture on an officer that was sleeping peacefully with a sedative and your hair kept falling into your face messily as you worked with sterile gloves. Your back ached from having to lean over in this process and you felt as two small hands brushed back your choppy bangs in a gentle comb of their fingers.

You flinched to the first touch but felt even more on edge realizing that it was Ada that stood over you now. She whispered, not knowing how strong the man's anesthesia was exactly and mentioned in her soft tone,

“Let me pull your hair out of your eyes, girlfriend. Don't mind me.”

You felt as her fingers brushed back your tangles to comb them gently into place and she fastened your top bun back into the elastic you were using. After making sure the officer's sutures were secure on his leg wound, you unsurely thanked her. Not exactly certain why she would perform an act so kind when she hardly knew you.

“I wanted to tell you that we are phoning in for more staff upstate and we should be doubling our medical help by the end of the month. You work too hard and I'm tired of seeing you run so ragged to help these people.” Ada mentioned, crouching down beside you as you made a dressing for the man's completed stitches.

You could only look at her peripherally as you worked but you mentioned quietly amid the wrapping and unrolling of the white gauze,

“I- I appreciate that, I guess. I mean, the help would be nice. For sure.”

Ada nodded, knowing that's not all of what she wanted to say when she found you and then said more discreetly with her voice lowering due to the nature of her next words,

“I..also hope that it doesn't bother you that Leon and I are friends. Well..friends trying to work out our differences.”

You looked away for the first time since she'd appeared beside you and finally you said a little more brave, trying to shake away the nerves of what you thought to be insecurity,

“I'm not….bothered. I just don't…”

You lost your words and Ada nodded, knowing somehow exactly how you felt in case you were finding trouble in explaining it. She assured you that herself and Leon were platonic and that you needed to worry about absolutely nothing fishy between them.

Goddammit, you thought to yourself.

This is exactly what you didn't need. She could at least be a bitch- Or act like you didn't exist or hell just sleep with Leon and boast about it behind your back to justify your sense of distrust. But she was kind. And compassionate to your feelings. And here you were, jealous of nothing more than an assumption.

Who was the bitch now? You thought.

After a joke and a smile, you parted ways with a gentle wave before you moved to the next tent.

Maybe you were overthinking everything.

It had been a slow day for you the day that Ada walked up to you in the medical tent. She wanted help gathering a list of inventory for the medical surplus for her list being sent upstate and you obliged with a smile.

“Most of your unused stock is in the stronghold right?” She asked for clarification as you finished preparing an injection. You nodded saying that anything unused would always be down in the concrete stronghold below ground.

“Good deal.” She said checking her watch,

“You wanna meet me over there in thirty? We'll grab a bite after, you and me, if you want?”

Why was she being so nice? You wondered, making your guard come up once again but you agreed, trying your hardest to remember that you had put her past grievances behind you.

You hadn't seen Leon in atleast three days but weirdly after all that you'd thought about, the absence wasn't as critical as you thought. He was busy doing recon of course but it felt like you were teaching him a lesson in a subconscious way. You wanted to see how long it'd take for him to approach to ask you to see him.

When you arrived at the artillery bunker, you noticed some of the GPWs parked outside, meaning that Leon's unit had actually returned early which was surprising. You thought of trying to find him after nipping this task with Ada but you opened the door to realize he'd already been found.

Leon stood there, smiling mid conversation with her as she held her mouth with that alluring laugh that made your skin crawl. He'd forget everything in the years you'd spend with him but how would he ever forget the way her eyes lit up during that laugh that could change a room.

You wanted to make your presence known so you kicked over an empty box to let the clatter interrupt them quietly.

“There you are.” Leon said with his gaze shooting over and you could only glare when he approached, leaving Ada behind.

“I'll be down in the stronghold whenever you're ready, girlfriend.”

You only stared into him coldly, pursing your lips together to avoid saying something confrontational to Ada who was in fact above you in rank and Leon then asked seeing the heated look in your eye,

“Honey, what's wrong? We were just joking-”

“I'm so fucking sick of finding you with her, Leon. I've not seen you in days but conveniently you find Ada before me? You’re still in fucking love with her!” You said fearless, feeling as your hands shook from the adrenaline of finally addressing what had been on your mind for days. Leon scoffed before looking away, telling you somewhat guilt-less as he denied your accusation,

“Look, we were just talking. It's not like you just found us….fucking around or something?”

Your eyes widened and you nodded before turning to leave with a heavy footfalls that stomped your way outside,

“How about this? You can go fuck yourself.”

You felt invalidated completely now. As if you were blowing this whole thing out of proportion once again. You hadn't seen him in days, not only due to the tension but also due to his schedule and the first person he seems to reunite with is Ada. It felt insulting.

Leon chased behind you now, telling you stop so you could both work this out and you faced him outside the front doors. Unbeknownst to you both, Ada had only pretended to go downstairs. She watched as you two stopped outside the glass doors to the bunker, arguing about what undoubtedly had to be her influence on Leon. When she heard the raid sirens begin in the moments after, she was calm and calculated as she made her way to the reinforced stronghold.

Waiting to meet her armed associates when they arrived.

~~~

~During the Raid

“Ada!” You shouted from the top of the stairs after somehow slipping through the enemy fire. She turned around wide-eyed as she loaded her gun and found you in the shambles you sounded to be as you raced down the stairs.

“What are you doing?” She called out in disbelief as she saw your shadow moving through the pallets of supplies and ammunition towards her.

All you wanted was for Leon to be happy and tears streamed down your face as you told her that you were here to take her back to the main bunker and she shook her head, never thinking that anyone would actually risk their life to come down here and save her. She knew the people conducting this raid and knew you'd be killed on sight if they found you.

“You need to go, sweetie. I'm-”

“Ada, please. We can make it.” You begged before hearing thuds on the steel door at the top of the stairs. Ada told you again, more hushed and with emphasis that you needed to get out of there and fast but you refused.

Getting her out was all that you wanted. If it's what Leon wanted, it was your main priority. Even if you just weren't his.

You heard the footsteps coming down the stairs but you only saw the tactical flashlight burning into your eyes.

Ada can't die, you thought as you saw them pointing their weapons, bracing their trigger fingers to fire, Leon will never be the same.

You saw the muzzle flash of the bullet when they fired. But only Ada heard the shot.

You saw the ground next as your torso felt warm, then wet when you became still. Ada screamed to retrieve you but your body was numb to stop her from crying. Only your shaking hand rose as she knelt down next to you, pulling at you to get up, demanding that you hold on. But you held her instead.

In the minutes later, amid the booming of battering rams and defense teams making their lines of fire, you laid on a medical gurney with the doctors you worked beside rushing to keep you stable. Somehow. Leon was called inside the tent but told to stay out of the way of those maneuvering to save your life.

“We're losing pupillary!” One of the working medics called as they shined a small light into your retinas to gauge the failing response of your eyes in the light.

“Pulse is dropping!” One of the others cried as they watched your life slip away by the second on their wrist watch.

Leon's eyes watered and his hands met his head and defeat when he heard them scream for a defibrillator. He watched the paddles being pressed into your chest, your body surging in an upwards jump from the charge with no response. He held his mouth with the back of his hand, not knowing if he could watch any longer but he tried to get closer.

He stepped further into the tent, yelling between the chaos for you to come back and one of the med team pushed him back, begging him to clear the walkway but he was violent with his shove in pushing them away, telling you again to live with gravel in his shaking voice.

In that moment between your life being reduced to a flat, stagnant line on a screen, he wasn't sure if regretting the last few days would even suffice. He wanted to regret ever existing instead as his face was washed in tears.

Ada walked by the tent at that moment during the evacuation of the higher up staff. She looked into the tent, seeing you staring out with a glaze over your lifeless eyes but she kept walking after realizing that there wasn't hope. This was another stop on her way to finding her truth of Racoon City. Saying goodbye to Leon would be a mistake so silently she made her way forward, moving through the crowd that still surged in the presets of active turmoil. Of course a life lost was never the price she thought she'd pay but people change.

Even you knew that.

You fell into a coma when finally you were revived by some miracle that surprised them all. And Leon stayed by your side as you rested in the quiet ward set aside at one of the remaining medical centers closer to the heart of the city's defense. His nights were long and restless as he waited for you to be with him again. In his heart he knew that it was the very, very least he could do since you'd waited for him to wake up too in these last few days.

It was his turn now for patience, and his wait to see you once again had begun. 》

Loved writing this!! Send me more asks and I'd love to work with your ideas. ✌️🫶

[blouisparadise]

Here are some amazing bottom Louis fics that were posted or completed during the month of May. We really hope you enjoy this list. Happy reading!

1) My Heart's In Overdrive, And You're Behind The Steering Wheel | Explicit | 1,649 words

Being late to class means Harry and Louis have to pose together for figure drawings. That being said, the hate each other, but maybe they don't?

2) It's A Question Of Lust, It's A Question Of Trust | Explicit | 2,258 words

Louis is shaken up after being assaulted at the barricade in Panama City and feels guilty, he can't get it out of his head. Harry knows what he needs to escape the worry. Harry steps over, speaking quietly into his ear. "Good boy, doing as I asked." He looks beautiful, his skin golden, dark nipples puckered, his cock starting to get hard. His breath already ragged. "Not that you always do, eh?" "Sir?" His blue eyes stare at Harry, nervous, uncertain. "Letting those tarts fondle and grope you after each show. When you know you belong to me."

3) If Walls Could Talk | Explicit | 2,394 words

Louis is waiting backstage for Harry after his second show in Coventry. It's their last night together before Louis leaves for his own tour. Harry's mission for the evening is to worship Louis' body and make him see himself through Harry's eyes.

4) In An Octopus's Garden With You | General Audiances | 4,682 words

Autistic alpha Harry, a teacher, spends an overwhelming day on a field trip to the aquarium. Luckily, his omega, Louis, knows just what he needs.

5) I Didn't Have To Search Cuz I Still Know Your Number| Explicit | 5,161 words

As Louis approaches the front of the old flat he sees a light on upstairs in what used to be their master bedroom. A memory flicks through Louis’ mind of Louis spread open on the duvet with Harry between his legs nipping and sucking on his hole while Louis whimpered and writhed, clutching the sheets and moaning out Harry’s name. Louis looks down to see his dick at half mass and sighs. Louis flicks the butt of the cigarette to the ground and pulls his phone back out of his pocket. He exits the Uber app and pulls up his contacts, scrolling down to the H’s until he lands upon Harry’s name in his phone. He pulls up their messages and sees the last time they talked was right after the break up all those years ago. Louis begins to type out a message to Harry, hoping he hasn't changed his number. Louis: U up? (sent at 1:14am)

6) You Have Me | Not Rated | 5,529 words

Louis is escaping his mundane reality, avoiding his fiancée, and going to an anonymous hook up party in the woods. When the mysterious stranger who has been eyeing him all night asks him to come back to his tent, Louis is game for anything. He doesn’t know that he’s going to get an offer he can’t refuse.

7) All My Life | Not Rated | 5,553 words

The four times Harry tries to propose and the one time he gets it right (or does he?)

8) Limping In The Limelight | Explicit | 5,832 words

Harry breaks his accessory navicular during a concert in Birmingham in 2015.

9) I Like to Watch | Explicit | 9,287 words

If there’s one thing Harry loves, it’s watching his husband Louis get fucked by other men. After picking up a lad called Zayn who is baffled by this concept, the three men are in for a wild night.

10) House Husband | Mature | 11,853 words

Louis and Harry are happily married with two beautiful kids. Harry is a lawyer who provides for his family and Louis is his sassy house husband. This is a week in their life.

11) For A Sushi Restaurant | Explicit | 13,345 words

And yet, in the depth of the sea, where water started to go from that sky blue to the dark petrol blue, almost black, of the unknown, creatures moved, ready to attack at a moment’s notice, sleek tails and pale, blueish skin helping them with mimesis. Or, cecaelia Harry and human Louis.

12) Peaches And Soft Myth | Explicit | 36,192 words

“Greta kissed me,” he said at last. It wasn’t the main issue, but it was a start. Louis’ smile was radiant. Eyes sparkling with genuine happiness. Harry’s stomach felt a little funny, wishing he could feel as happy as the cheerleader. "Oh, my god? We did it! I’m a genius ! Was it long? Slow and sensual, full of lust and passion, tongues intertwined—" he gasped. “Did she tremble in your arms?” He hugged himself. “That’s not—” “No one believes me when I say I am a good matchmaker. They are always like, ‘Oh Louis, you have the worst eye for couples and men. You always miss the real connections.’ Who missed now? Not me. Nuh-hu, I saw the potential. Your grumpy attitude did not deter me. I'm probably the greatest matchmaker on campus. Don’t you think?” Louis’ smile faltered. “Wait… why do you look as if you were about to throw up?” “She told me her roommate leaves for a few days after spring break. She invited me to her dorm room.” “Okay?” Louis said slowly. “Am I missing something? Is it about clothes? Because I can totally find something—” Harry scrubbed a hand over his face. “It’s not about that.” “Then what?” “I…” Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “I’m a virgin.”

13) The Maddest Obsession | Explicit | 100,974 words

One fears the dark. One rules it. Harry Styles, the dangerous mob enforcer, finds himself entangled with Louis, the strong-willed mafia-princess. As they navigate the treacherous underworld of New York, their forbidden love sparks a deadly game of loyalty, betrayal, and passion. Will their devotion to each other overcome the chaos surrounding them, or will their love be their downfall?

14) At Our Seams | Explicit | 185,290 words

Newly mated and happily engaged Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, are moving into a new phase of their lives. Together, their world felt complete. However, the world beyond their bubble has been strung into chaos. Political strife is raiding the streets and oppressive policies are being enacted everyday. Louis is desperate for something to change, to finally set the record straight for omegas and non-soulmate children everywhere. Harry is determined to keep his mate safe, even if it goes against Louis’ wishes. Unfortunately, he can’t control everything, and things quickly fall out of his hands. Who’s this new alpha who’s entered the beloved couple’s life, giving Louis another purpose Harry hadn’t been expecting? What happens when the soulmates don’t exactly see eye to eye? Will the protective alpha get his wishes, or will he concede to his cherished but oh, so stubborn omega? How strong are the seams that bind? Only time will tell.

Check out our other fic rec lists by category here and by title here.

You can find other monthly roundup fic rec lists here.

[fluentmoviequoter]

Take all the time you need 💕

My idea: Deacon got a girlfriend (let’s pretend Annie isn’t there) and she is a teacher at a high school.

One today there is a shooting going down at her school and Deacon and the team don’t know if she is there or not and can’t reach her. Turns out the shooter is in her class and Deacon has somehow get her save.

I hope it makes somehow sense 😅 English isn’t my native language -🥰

Thank you for being patient and for requesting!! This makes perfect sense; no worries. I love pretending Annie doesn't exist lol. I changed this a teeny tiny bit and let the reader do a little bit of saving before Deacon saves her. I hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think!🤍

Warnings: canon-typical action/danger/violence, school shooting (loosely based on 2x11), angst, fluff.

Word Count: 2.3k+ words

Picture from Pinterest

Worried for You

When Deacon Kay imagined his future, he did not picture being 30 David this far into his career, nor did he dream that he would have a girlfriend who spends her days teaching high school students. Since he met you, his life has been brighter. You make each other happy. The last year and a half of dating has been filled with late-night phone calls, weekly date nights, and more joy than you thought possible.

“Deac!” you call, jumping into his arms when he turns to greet you.

“Hey, you,” he replies, hugging you tightly. “Our table is ready if you are.”

You nod, beaming at him as you slip your hand into his. He leads you to the table, pulling your chair out before sitting across from you.

“How was your day?” you ask, ignoring the menu after all the date nights you’ve had here.

“It was pretty good, mostly training since it was quiet for once. But I’m more interested in you and your day,” Deacon responds.

“Nothing special, just teaching teenagers. Again. Tell me a story?”

Deacon sighs as you bat your eyelashes at him but begins a story anyway. “Hondo and I were paired up for a breach a few years ago, but the way the house was laid out, we weren’t going to be able to see each other for long. We didn’t know how many people were in there, so we made an inconspicuous code word to alert the other if something went wrong. Well, it should have been inconspicuous, but Hondo’s first choice was ‘mango.’ Great if you’re in a store or something, not so great in a barricaded safe house.”

You laugh with Deacon, reaching across the table to hold his hand as you ask, “Should we have a code word? We could use it when you’d rather spend time with me than Hondo.”

“So, daily?”

“Seriously, David. Can we?”

“Of course. What were you thinking?”

“It has to be something that fits into any conversation, so… tree?”

“Not bad. What if I need to know something about a tree though?”

“Like what?”

Deacon’s eyes stay on yours as he concedes, “Good point. Tree it is.”

“Do you- do you have quiet days often?”

“Depends. Some weeks are quiet, and sometimes you don’t have a quiet day for months.”

“I just- you know I worry about you, so I like hearing about quiet days.”

“Hey,” Deacon says, dipping his head to catch your eyes. “I know worrying is inevitable, and I can’t imagine what it takes to be in a relationship with me and what I do, but I promise that I will always fight to come back to you. I have a good team and we watch each other’s backs.”

You nod, but Deacon looks like he wants more.

“I know you’ll do everything you can to come back to me. And that helps a lot. Thank you, Deacon.” The moment is more serious than most of your date nights, so you add, “At least you don’t have to worry about me. I just have to deal with teenage hormones and ears that don’t work or brains that don’t comprehend.”

“That sounds much worse than what I face every day,” Deacon replies dramatically.

✯✯✯✯✯

Your students know when you’ve been on a date, you’re always in a great mood the next morning. You habitually check your phone throughout the day but smile more after a date.

“Are you ever going to tell us who the lucky guy is?” one of your students pries.

“Are you ever going to meet the rubric requirements on an assignment?” you reply sarcastically.

“Ooh,” several of the students exclaim.

“Alright, guys, let’s get started,” you begin, pausing when your phone chimes.

“You said no ringers in class,” someone laments.

You snatch your phone up at Deacon’s text tone, holding your breath while you read it. Everything is fine; he just texted about your next date night. You breathe out and smile, typing a quick reply before you turn to the board.

✯✯✯✯✯

During your third class, a distant scream is audible through the closed door. You glance at the window, unamused with and immune to teenagers and their obnoxious actions. When you hear a gunshot, your demeanor switches instantly.

“Quiet,” you snap at a girl who looks ready to scream.

Several more shots echo, so you can’t tell where they’re coming from.

“Everyone in the supply closet, take your bags with you,” you demand quietly. “It will be tight but stay down and stay quiet.”

Someone whimpers your name, and you crouch in the open doorway.

“Everything is going to be fine,” you promise before closing the door.

You slide a desk over, lining it up in front of the door in a way you hope looks like it is supposed to be there. Crouching, you walk back towards your desk, trying to avoid the windows and the glass pane in the door. The doorknob jiggles, and you rush to your desk, grabbing your phone as you fall into your chair.

“Drop the phone!” the shooter yells as he enters, leveling his gun on you.

Setting the phone down, you lock it to hide the half-typed text to Deacon. That may be the last thing he hears from you, so you’re glad you started by telling him you love him. You raise your hands and look at the crazed gunman before you.

“Just stay calm okay, this doesn’t have to be like this,” you say gently.

✯✯✯✯✯

“Let’s roll, 20 David!” Hicks yells as he enters the common area. “School shooting going down and we have to get in there now.”

“Confirmed casualties?” Hondo asks.

“Do we know who the shooter is?” Deacon adds.

Hicks takes a deep breath and turns toward the team as he tells them the name of the school. “Casualties unknown and no confirmed ID, but two possibilities. I’m sorry, guys, but you’re the best option here.”

“Let’s do this,” Hondo says, leading the team to Black Betty.

Luca pulls out as soon as everyone is in. Hondo and Deacon remove their phones to check for messages from you.

“Anything?” Hondo asks, looking up from his empty phone.

Deacon shakes his head before raising his phone to his ear. His leg bounces until he lowers his hand and shakes his head at Hondo again.

“She has me on emergency bypass, if she could answer, she would have,” he explains. “And her location sharing isn’t loading.”

“Then let’s go get her and everyone else out safe,” Luca announces, taking a sharp turn.

✯✯✯✯✯

You flinch as Deacon’s ringtone dies out, the sound of glass crunching under a boot drowning it out.

“Who is supposed to be in here with you?” the shooter demands.

“No one. It’s my grading period,” you explain, trying to remain calm. “That’s why my ringer is on, because I don’t have students until after the next bell.”

The shooter nods, the gun bouncing erratically in his grip.

“Look, we can all walk away from this, but not until you stop,” you add.

The gun straightens, and you force your eyes to stay open.

✯✯✯✯✯

Deacon taps Hondo’s shoulder after he feels Street’s hand on his shoulder. They enter through the gym, giving students quiet directions to safety.

“Do you know where the shooter is?” Hondo asks quietly.

“He went that way,” a young girl answers, pointing as she runs.

“Let’s split off. Luca, Tan, go east. Street, Chris, west. Deac, we’re going for the shooter,” Hondo directs.

Deacon falls into step beside him, moving slowly and clearing classrooms as they go.

“Her room is down here, right?” Hondo whispers.

Deacon nods and then slows when they hear a gunshot. Moving faster, they reach the end of the hall: your class on the right and a large glass wall on the left.

“It doesn’t end well, it’s too late!” a man’s voice yells in your classroom.

Deacon’s eyes widen as he watches the door, praying you’re not in there, that you're somewhere safe.

“It’s not,” your voice replies calmly.

Deacon sighs, a minuscule amount of tension escaping when he hears your voice. That’s a good sign for now. Hondo slides his back against the wall, peeking into the glass on the window. He lowers quickly and looks at Deacon.

“His back is to us, and he has a gun on her, we have to think this through, Deac,” he says.

“Of course. We can’t storm in, he’s a loose cannon,” Deacon agrees.

They hear the gunshot before the door rattles, and Deacon lurches forward, reaching for the doorknob as his other hand moves toward the trigger. Hondo’s arm wraps around his shoulders, pulling him backward.

“Deac, man, calm down,” Hondo grunts, struggling against Deacon. “Charging in won’t help her any.”

“And if it’s too late?” Deacon whispers harshly, relaxing enough to pull his arms from Hondo’s grip.

“Why did you do that?” you ask inside.

Hondo pats Deacon’s back, creeping back to the door. They listen to footsteps as someone, presumably the shooter, paces in the classroom. Your voice is low as you try to calm him down. Deacon has never loved you more, but he’s never been this scared before. He has less than a split second if something goes wrong, and that’s not enough time to save anyone.

“Of course,” you answer. “See if you can find the tree.”

Deacon nods at Hondo and reaches for the doorknob.

✯✯✯✯✯

“What is that?” the shooter whispers, pointing to a display on your bulletin board.

“It’s a collection of the best projects this semester. Do you think yours may be up there?” you ask quietly.

“Can I look?”

“Of course. See if you can find the tree.”

You saw the corner of the SWAT helmet in the window before, and you hope Deacon is out there. Using the code word was pointless if he isn’t, but maybe the shooter will be distracted either way. The doorknob twists and you drop to your knees behind your desk before the door opens forcefully, banging against the wall behind it.

“LAPD SWAT, drop your weapon!” Hondo yells.

“You don’t want to kill anyone, including yourself, we know that. So drop the gun and we can get you help,” Deacon adds.

You close your eyes as Deacon talks, trying to imagine that you’re alone in the room and neither of you is in danger.

“Okay, okay,” the shooter repeats.

You hear something hit the floor, and then Hondo says something into his radio as he steps toward the shooter. Deacon’s arms wrap around you, but you keep your eyes closed as you turn in his arms, pressing your face into the plate protecting his chest. His hand rubs your back as the other cradles your head against him.

“You’re okay, it’s okay, we’re all safe, baby,” he whispers into your hair, his helmet discarded.

“There’s kids in the closet,” you say against him, tightening your arms around his waist.

His head lifts from beside yours as he tells Street to check the closet. You hear their muted gasps and stifled screams before they realize who’s opening the door.

“Are you okay?” Deacon asks.

You lean back just enough to look up at him. Nodding, you keep your arms around him as you look into his eyes.

“And you said I didn’t need to worry about you,” he says playfully, pushing your hair out of your face.

“Now you know how I feel all the time,” you reply.

He helps you to your feet, keeping a hand on you. Your students are out of the closet, and when one sees you, they all look up.

“You’re dating a narc?” someone asks.

“SWAT, actually,” Deacon replies, smiling easily. “Everyone alright?” He gets mixed nods and muttered yeses before he adds, “EMTs are outside to give you a quick check before you go home to your parents.”

The same student who wanted to know who texts you throughout the day pauses by your side to whisper, “He’s cute. Good job.”

You roll your eyes and hug her quickly before tucking yourself into Deacon's side.

“Nice work with the code word,” Hondo says, moving to stand beside Deacon. “You might’ve saved some lives today.”

“That was all Deacon,” you reply.

“No, no, I was going to charge in here and get everyone killed,” he admits. “I was worried and Hondo made me wait. How’d you get him to turn his back?”

“He wanted to see the display,” you explain, pointing to it. “Figured I could at least kill some time telling him to look for something that wasn’t there.”

 “How’d you know we were out there?”

“I didn’t know who was out there, but I saw the edge of a helmet in the window.”

“Oh, that was me. Which makes me the savior, no?” Hondo teases.

“I think she’s still the savior,” Deacon replies, tipping his head toward you.

“But you saved me, so what’s that make you?” you reply.

Deacon smiles as he loops his arm around you again.

“Get out of here,” Hondo grumbles.

✯✯✯✯✯

You spend the evening wrapped in Deacon’s arms. And his shirt that you stole.

“It’s okay to not be okay after something like that,” Deacon whispers, holding you against his chest as a forgotten movie plays in the background.

“I’ll be okay,” you promise. “All I could think about was you. I was texting you when he came in, and then you called right before he crushed my phone. Then you saved me.”

“What did your text say?”

“Not much. All I got was ‘I love you. There’s’ before the door opened and I stopped,” you answer, tracing shapes on Deacon’s chest.

“You started with I love you,” Deacon muses, shaking his head. “I love you so much.”

“I love you. Thanks for saving me.”

“Anytime.”

You lay down on his chest and kiss his jaw, glad to be alive, home with Deacon, and in his arms.

“That wasn’t an invitation to get into trouble on a regular basis,” Deacon adds. “Just for the record.”

Deacon feels you laugh against him, your chest shaking against him as another kiss lands on his jaw. He doesn’t know how you deal with the uncertainty and the worry every day, but he knows he would do it a million times over for you.

[chronosdawn]

Ruins - Zhongli x Reader

Fantasy-style AU, GN!Reader

Happy (late) Halloween! This is not what I originally planned to post but alas life :') Hopefully this drabble is sufficiently spooky (I started it after watching a bunch of videos on Fear and Hunger lore so...).

Content warnings: power imbalance, reader is not having a good day, brief discussion of imprisonment.

Word count: 2k

You found the old god seated on a carefully carved throne—dark stone threaded through with veins of some faintly pulsing amber ore. Despite how long the temple had been sealed off for, there was not a single hint of dust coating the floor, nor were there any of the usual signs of wear that plagued a building once it had been abandoned.

There were stories, from the old days—decaying parchment bound in beaten-up old leather—in which the homes of the gods took on a life of their own, serving the deities from which they were born with a fervour that outmatched even the most devout of mortal servants. You really hoped those stories were just nonsense, otherwise it might mean the easy path you’d followed through the temple had less to do with good fortune, and more to do with something leading you here.

The god remained motionless as you hovered at the edge of the room, thick gold horns jutting out from underneath a white hood that concealed most of his face from view. You curled your fingers around the cool metal object in your pocket, reminding yourself that you had a plan, one that couldn’t be achieved by simply loitering in the doorway. And yet still your feet refused to move an inch as you continued to stare at the imposing figure before you, the enormity of what you were about to do weighing you down like stone shackles.

You might have remained there forever were it not for the sudden grind of stone against stone, the ground beneath your feet shifting—tilting forwards until you could no longer keep your balance, sending you stumbling into the cavernous throne room. The sound of the path rearranging itself continued behind you, and you turned just in time to see the last stone slot itself into place in the barricade that had formed in the doorway, sealing you in alone with the god.

Trying desperately not to panic, you told yourself that this was just the nudge you needed, now that the only hope you had of leaving here lay in what you’d come to this temple for in the first place. That was, at least, until you heard an intake of breath that most definitely didn’t come from you.

“It has been an age since a mortal last walked these halls.”

You looked to the god and froze. He was staring straight at you; his hood having fallen back slightly to reveal his face. You suspected he may have been quite beautiful once, with ageless finely chiselled features. But unlike his temple, the god had clearly not been left untouched by the ravages of time. Thick dark lines, that seemed to glint gold in the light from the sconces carefully arranged throughout the room, crawled up his neck and across half of his face. They almost seemed to pulse in time with the ore of his throne as you stared at them, beating in sync with whatever a god possessed in place of a heart. His eyes too, were unlike those of any human, brilliant amber with near slit pupils.

“What has brought you here, little one?”

You swallowed, clinging onto the artifact in your pocket like a lifeline. Just a couple of steps and you’d be face-to-face with the god, close enough that you could do what needed to be done and get the hell out of here. Still, you hesitated, the weight of divinity, even as rotted as this, was heavy throughout the room, seeping into your marrow. Gods had been made to be worshipped by mortals, and right now you could feel the gaze of some otherworldly influence urging you to kneel and delight in subservience.

As you fought to remain so much as standing, let alone take a step, the god rose from his throne. He was huge, you realised, a great towering figure who made the high ceilings of the room seem inadequate. The god took a step towards you and you stumbled backwards, back hitting the stone of the sealed off doorway behind you. There was nowhere to run as he approached, nowhere to hide in this great empty space. You could only tremble as he approached, fingers tightening around the metal in your palm until your muscles ached with the strain.

The god came to a stop an arm’s length in front of you, a large hand—the skin of it stained the same iridescent dark shade as the lines creeping over his face—delicately grasped your chin and tilted your face upwards until you were forced to make eye-contact with the long forgotten-deity.

“Curious,” he remarked, tilting your head lightly from side to side as he examined you. “You bare not a single scrap of divine power. What land have you come from mortal, where there are no gods to claim you?”

It’s now or never, you thought.

“I’m sorry for this,” you said, quickly pulling the artifact from your pocket and going to strike him in thigh. That’s the wonder of these things, you could hear the voice of the old man who’d sold the thing to you as it carved a clean path through the air, don’t even have to hit a vital spot for it work, just one cut and it should sap whatever power a god has left. He’d smirked at you then, continuing, if you truly think you can find a god in this day and age, that is.

For the shortest fraction of a second, you genuinely thought you’d done it, the blade of the artifact just brushing the fabric that covered the god’s lower half—an unholy prize, born from countless hours of research and trailing through long-abandoned ruins, now finally in your hands. Suddenly, a vice-like grip seized hold of your arm, dark fingers swallowing your wrist and locking it firmly in place. You blinked—you hadn’t even seen him move.

No, this couldn’t—you had to—

One moment the artifact was in your hand, the next it was gone, your fingers clutching at air as you strained against the hold of the god. You dragged your gaze back upwards, a pit forming in your stomach as you saw the god turning the artifact over in his hand, studying it.

“I see,” he said finally, and you could only watch in horror as the centuries old weapon you’d bet the last of your family’s savings on melted in his grasp, the carefully carved runes dissolving into thick globs of gold that flowed over the blackened skin of his fingers and dripped onto the floor.

“Please, I—” your voice came out as little more than a whisper, “I didn’t have another choice, I…”

The god looked down at you, considering, those inhuman eyes narrowing slightly. “Oh? And what was it my little would-be assassin planned to do with the power of divinity?”

You swallowed, throat tight. There was no answer you could give that would justify an attempt on the life of a deity, regardless of the fact not a single worshipper had walked these halls in centuries. Instead, you trained your gaze on the floor as your eyes burned, the pattern carved into the stone tiles of the floor blurring as you awaited the inevitable.

“Hm.”

There was a strange ripple in the air and you felt something reach for you. It brushed against your mind—fingers flicking gingerly through the pages of book—and memories of your home surfaced unbidden, the edges rimmed in a golden haze. The shattered city walls, the ramshackle home you’d been forced to flee to, the truth that even without gods to bring down judgment upon them, humanity would still find a way to do so themselves.

“So that’s it.” The deep timbre of the god’s voice broke you out of your trance, bringing you back from desolate days of the past to the terrifying reality of your present. “You did not come here simply out of lust for power but because you are desperate.” The grasp on your wrist loosened and the god’s thumb ran tender circles over your wrist. “Afraid.”

You said nothing, refusing to even glance at him.

“You believe I intend to punish you, mortal? Tell me, what sentencing do you think your actions merit?”

You could beg, could sob and wail until either your apologies or your voice ran out. But what would be the point? Even if—if—the god let you leave here in one piece, what did you have to go back to?

“That’s not up to me to decide, your—” you faltered, tongue tripping in your mouth as you realised you had no idea how you were supposed to address a god.

A soft chuckle came from somewhere above you.

“In ages past, your kind would refer to me as Lord Lapis. Perhaps then I may have been inclined to harsher rulings, but it hardly seems fair to hold you to the same standards as those raised with my teachings—the safety I granted in return. In light this, I offer you a deal. Swear fealty to me, that you will never again conspire against me and will instead serve with your body and soul, and I will grant you my protection, including forgiveness for your attempt to claim my power for yourself without right.”

Your throat felt thick—there was a reason humanity had turned away from the gods after all.

“And if I refuse?” You finally lifted your head and met his gaze only to find his expression unreadable.

“I hope that you will not. Along with ensuring your safety, there is much else I provide those who are faithful. In the past I would even share fragments of my own power with those who were worthy. Is the promise of that not what drew you here in the first place, little one?”

“That doesn’t answer my question.”

“If you are truly unwilling to agree to my terms, then I will not make you. However, I should warn you that only those who have gained my blessing are able to wander these halls freely. You may have been able to enter this place through one of the corridors where the divine energy has been corroded by the years, but now that you have reached my seat of power, it is unlikely you will be able to leave on your own.”

Your heart sank like a stone. “You just said you didn’t plan to make me accept your deal but you’re telling me that if I don’t, my only option is to starve to death?”

“As I said, I will not force your choice, just as you were not forced to enter to this temple. But do you truly expect me to bestow my favour upon one who would have seen me dead with no recompense?”

Eyes darting around the room, you took in the other sealed entrances—the flawless dark stonework you would have to attempt to dig through, with no tools besides your own fingernails, if you wanted to leave this place. You didn’t want to die here, corpse left to rot along with the long-abandoned god.

“I—” you swallowed, trying to force the words out. “I’ll accept your offer, Lord Lapis.”

The god smiled at you, not unkindly, and said, “then I claim you as mine, mortal, until the end of all things.” He raised the hand still dripping with the molten remains of the artifact and smeared a streak of gold down the centre your forehead. “Just like the priests of old.”

His touch burned like a brand, searing through flesh and bone to the innermost parts of you until nothing was left unscathed. There was a name on your tongue, despite having never heard it before. Morax—the god who would now and always hold claim on your soul.

You sagged in Morax’s grasp, barely aware of the hold on your wrist falling away, only to be replaced by an arm under your thighs as you were lifted into the air.

“It will take a few moments for you to adjust, but you need not fear, little one.” A hand brushed against your cheek. “You need not fear ever again.”

[manicdream13]

happy late barricade day!! i wanted to redraw something from a few years ago, it’s under the cut if you want to see :3

anyways, as someone who can’t really donate money to palestine at the moment, i want to start showing my support through my artwork. be sure to show your support in any way you can!!🍉🇵🇸

little fun fact, the original was drawn before i saw les mis in person, so in the redraw i wanted to base my eponine design off of the actress who played her when i saw her, christine heesun hwang! my enjolras and marius designs are mostly true to the book descriptions, but i really realllyyy wanted to give marius red hair😭he always struck me as a ginger

[twstfanblog]

*~Murder Movie Madness~* PT 2

Word Count: 2.6K Pairings: First-year poly minus Ortho and Yuu Warnings: Animal gore, Swearing, Me typing out a country accent

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

They spent nearly another hour outside in the woods, exploring the grounds and coming to terms with the fact they were currently trapped in a horror-slasher film. Epel had to routinely stop as his heeled sandals kept making him nearly roll his ankle, leaning against trees with his head hung down and Jack's oversized varsity jacket falling off his shoulders. Not to mention Deuce having to peel leaves off of his body and cringing at the feeling of dirt against his oiled skin.

The cabin was a godsend, a massive house that had the appearance of a decently modern building but the decor of an old-time lodging inside. They found suitcases in the upper rooms of the cabin, filled with other clothes they could change into (much to Epel and Sebek's happiness). Deuce took a shower, free of the oil he woke up in, but seeming to still have a fine layer of body shimmer in every nook of his person. A trait that Epel learned he shared while changing.

Once freshened up and redressed, the group could truly appreciate how nice the cabin was. Jack had found a note card folded on the massive kitchen island tucked into a bowl of fresh fruit. A short message wishing them a fun and safe spring break, signed by two different signatures of Arnold and Lucy. Epel had claimed they must of been side characters who came to the cabin beforehand and prepped the home for the characters' stay.

The fully stocked fridge, every inch cleaned and sparkling, and a hot tub on a tastefully decorated back patio was now all theirs to use. A perfect location for their group to all climb into, drinks in hand, as they proposed a game plan after their long day of horror movie survival prep in the early afternoon.

“Ok…” Yuu wasn't sure what their glass bottle had. If it was soda or booze, but they would take whatever at this point, “We're still in the first act; the killer most likely won't strike or even show himself until tomorrow or late tonight.”

Sebek nodded from beside them, “I haven't seen many movies, let alone horror films. But if we're dealing with a lone assailant their strategy would be to pick us off one by one.”

“So we stick together.” Jack sipped at his water, still tired from chopping down a tree with an old axe. The tree had been fashioned into thick planks that they planned to use to barricade all main entry points when night fell.

The firsties had unfortunately hit the ground running once they had calmed down; being constantly thrown into life-or-death situations preparing them to adapt on the fly. They began properly surveying their surroundings, making note of the terrain and every maintenance building on the property. Searching for any other signs of life in the small radius from the cabin,  but finding nothing in their search. While Jack and Sebek used their combined survival training to further refine their plans, Yuu and Epel spent time going over the various gardening tools at their disposal to use as weapons. Epel had noted with the type of vegetation surrounding the cabin, a machete would be the perfect tool to get around. A tool that was noticeably missing…

Deuce hums, merely enjoying the toasty waters, still partly upset that his second shower hadn't removed any of the body shimmer he was mysteriously coated in.

Sebek spoke up as Epel and Ace came back from inside, everyone having agreed to go places in pairings, “Since the killer is most likely a stealth hunter, the egg bombs should be helpful in detecting him from a safe distance.

Ace and Deuce had destroyed the two cartons of eggs from the fridge. Hollowing them out and drying them before filling them with a mixture of flour and garlic powder. They had been finished and passed out in makeshift bags made from the couch's throw pillow fabric. should any of them see the killer they were to throw an egg or two at him in hopes the flash of white in the green scenery and the smell of garlic powder would make him painfully obvious to even the less scent-inclined members.

Each firstie had picked a weapon for self-defense; Epel laying claim to a shovel and Yuu asking Jack to bend a hoe to more closely resemble their trusty golf club. Both Deuce and Jack had taken Epel's metal bracelets, bending the metal to act as brass knuckles. While Sebek had taken to sharpening the axe and keeping it by his side, Ace had stated he was not a close-range fighter in any sense and would simply stick to one of them for protection.

Climbing into the hot tub, Epel leaned against Deuce, “Did anyone have any idea where Ortho is?”

“None of us know this movie. He might have been spared because there weren't enough characters for all of us.” Yuu spoke, “If we're lucky he's chilling back at Ramshackle, if we're not, he's trapped in the disk void, pissed.”

Ace hummed, “We've got limited magic so Ortho most likely has enough battery power to keep awake for however long this is gonna last.”

“Gonna last…” Deuce suddenly shot up, sending Epel off his shoulder at the movement, “Wait, are we gonna die while in here?”

Jack shook his head, “Interactive movies aren't lethal in that sense. Though…yeah we might…end up getting killed for the experience…”

Yuu finished off their bottle, submerging it into the bubbling water and pouring it out over Sebek's head, “Why the fuck is this a thing you can pay money to go through? What if one of you guys die tonight?”

“No one's dying! We're all staying alive and leaving this situation unmurdered.” Ace managed to keep Yuu and Sebek from slapping at each other, sighing before he relaxed back into the waters, “For tonight, let's just relax and enjoy yourselves…But, not too much, this is a horror movie after all…”

And they did. The group spent the rest of the night having fun. Grilling the meat and various vegetables from the fridge, playing catch on the patio with the football. A game that ended on a bad throw and the ball disappearing into the darkening treeline.

One last group soak in the hot tub and they all piled back into the house. The front and back doors locked via boards of wood and makeshift door stoppers placed to keep them closed. They all gathered in a single room, locking it down with boards, door stoppers, and the furniture placed in front of the door. Squishing tight into the master bed, each of them wearing shoes before they started to sleep in shifts. A valiant effort but sadly at a point all of them were fast asleep, unable to notice the red-eyed figure staring at the master bedroom window from the tree lines.

Morning light had barely reached the bed when the window broke. Everyone had startled awake at the sound of glass crunching, Sebek bolting up brandishing his axe in a defensive position before realizing no one new was in the room.

Deuce sleepily pointed toward one of the windows facing out to the lake, “Window…it…broken. It wasn't like that…night night…”

Ace sighed, patting Deuce’s head as the other card soldier drifted back to sleep, “Come on, Juice. Time to wake up and see what bullshit we're dealing with…”

Sebek and Jack had already gathered around the window, both muttering as they noted the newly formed cracks.

“Came from outside, obviously.”

“From below, but we're on the second floor, so again, obviously. The cracks though…”

“Yes, there was more distance than just below the window. At least from the treeline is where they threw whatever cracked the glass.”

Epel had climbed out of the bed, helping Yuu dismantle their bedroom barricade, as he called out over his shoulder, “Why the hell do you two know glass forensics?”

“Siblings.” Jack and Sebek said it in sync, eyes still scanning the glass.

Ace laughed, rolling his eyes at Epel’s confused expression, “Obviously.”

They all piled out of the bedroom, walking out and onto the patio only for Yuu to groan and roll their eyes seeing they had been changed again, “Outfit change, I guess…”

Everyone had spontaneously shifted clothing, walking out of the cabin seeming to be the trigger. While most of the group kept outfits they didn't mind staying in, Sebek and Epel were once again the unlucky ones. The half-fae walked out in suspenders and Epel only managed a few steps before he tripped over nothing and fell bikini'ed chest first onto the wood floor, knocking the wind out of himself.

“Ah…aaaaaauuuuugh…What did ah trip over?”

Yuu groaned again, trying to run a hand through their hair only to feel it was placed in a ponytail, “Please don't let the hot girl curse start. That's the worst trope.”

Ace pulled a face, “Hot girl curse? What's the hot girl curse?”

Epel looked bewildered at the empty entryway he had tried to step through, hoping to find an uneven board or something but only seeing the old rug.

“Oh, please. Don't act like you don't see what's happening. We're all playing stereotypes and, unfortunately, Epel got hot girl.”

Epel was slowly getting his breath back, reaching out to Jack's offered hand, “No, Ah'm serious, what did ah fucking trip on?”

Ace responded to Yuu, standing beside them, “The hot girl? Epel's the hot girl, is that the hill you wanna die on?”

“Ace, he's wearing a fucking neon yellow bikini top. He has been assigned hot girl. Just how Jack is the jock, Sebek is the nerd, Deuce is hot guy, you're comic relief, and me and Ortho are obviously final girl energy.”

“Ok, I was following until you said Juice was the hot guy, but me as comic relief? You? The final girl? What makes you think you have that title!? And Ortho isn't even here!”

“My willingness to murder for way less than the insurance of survival and Ortho is a fucking mini tank. He's been the final girl this whole time, you IDIOT-”

Deuce’s groan pulls everyone's attention to him. The spade soldier looking down at himself with a distressed expression, “I'm covered in oil again! And now I don't have a shirt!”

Ace looks his boyfriend up and down, eyes locked on his bare chest before shrugging and walking down the patio stairs, “You look fine, come on.”

“Told ya~. Hot boy, Deuce-”

Jack had followed after them, Epel and Sebek behind him with Epel clutching onto Sebek's arm, “Don't call him that…”

They found the lost football from the night before. A few feet away from the area of the broken bedroom window. Now seeing where it had landed, Sebek had pointed toward the tree line.

“The distance is a bit far for a human to throw. But if the killer isn't supposed to be fully human, he's potentially been watching us the whole night from that point.”

Ace shivered, glaring into the trees, “Creepy…”

And unfortunately, like the pack of dumb teens they were, they walked into the woods. a second search of the woods for clues or any sign of Ortho. Weapons clutched tightly in hand and refusing to move to far away from each other.

Sighing, Deuce wiped at his arms in hope to remove leaves sticking to his skin, “So annoying…I've gotta shower when we get back to the-...Guys!?”

Everyone turns around, watching a frantic Deuce wiping at his arm and the bright red smear along his arm.

Ace rushed over to his side, wiping at Deuce’s arm in an effort to see how he was bleeding, “It's barely been an hour! What even made you bleed!?”

Jack and Sebek both looked around, the beastman's ears swiveling around in an effort to hear anything in the woods. They continued to fuss and panic the longer nothing happened. Ace only quieted down at having a drop of red splatter on the back of his hand. As another drop fell he looked up, yelling and pulling Deuce along with him while staring into the treetops in horror.

The group followed his line of sight, expressions turning terrified at the scene before them. A fully grown buck was hung meters in the air, its antlers keeping it locked in the thin branches of the tree. It was gutted open, the blood and organs lazily dripping blood from its ripped-open midsection. The group all jump back as a mass of the animal’s innards fall out and plop wetly onto the dirt.

Ace lets out a wet-sounding retch, turning away to spit out the acidic taste in his mouth, “Oh, that’s fucking gross…”

Sebek sucked in a breath, gripping tighter to his axe and looking around, “The blood is still fresh. The killer did this only recently-”

Yuu spoke up, their scared expression having faded to one of question, “How’d this deer get here?”

…

Jack pursed his lips, his nose scrunched up as though offended Yuu was asking questions, “What do you mean? Obviously, it got there from the killer butchering it to send a message.”

“No, listen. We looked around yesterday, none of us saw any deer. So is there a small deer population on this island or what? Did he bring a deer here to scare us-wait, can deer swim?”

Ace spat once again, glaring over his shoulder, “Is that really what you’re concerned about right now!?”

Yuu turned to the scowling half-fae, any terror they had felt long gone, “Sebek, you were raised in the woods, do deer swim?”

“We are trapped on an island with a murderer and you want to know if deer can swim?”

“Just say you don’t know, god damn. Epel, can deer swim?”

The Pomfiore student had started to calm down, looking at the deer from a more practical side, “Yeah…yeah, deer can swim…normally only when they're hot, but they can swim…” He frowned, thinking it over in his head and remembering just how far the town was from the island, “Not sure they could swim this far out though…”

Deuce looked between the two shorter members of their group, “Are you both…really having this conversation right now?”

“Actually, Epel?” Yuu pointed at the deer, “Can we eat that? Like can we get that down and eat it for dinner tonight?”

Jack instantly lost any disturbance in his body, walking closer to Yuu and Epel ready to physically restrain them from scrambling up the tree, “Ok, no…no. We don’t know where that deer has been. It could have diseases.”

Yuu shrugged, gesturing to the deer lazily, “That’s what the cooking is for, Jack.”

Sebek sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and regretting the multiple choices that led to this moment. Lilia had only giggled when he stated he was invited to a movie marathon with the other first-year group, stating he was sure to have fun. He only laughed harder hearing it was for horror movies. Silver had to step in to explain when Sebek also revealed it was a competition to scare Yuu with a horror movie, since Lilia was barely breathing let alone speaking. His only explanation was that Yuu was not…a standard movie viewer. And as he watched the human-pixie stand their ground on being allowed to eat the mutilated deer instead of feeling an ounce of fear, he realized the Vanrouge duo were trying to warn him of the fact Yuu was most likely to ruin any horror movie experience.

Looking around he felt a bolt of panic pass through him, Epel was missing. He opened his mouth, moving to shout for everyone’s attention only to step back as the deer carcass slammed into the ground right before his feet. The thud it made startled everyone to focus their attention on him, staring at the body in wide-eyed terror.

From up in the trees, Epel grinned down at the group, “I got him! Let’s take this back to the house and get some stew started.”

[misshoneyimhome]

Hi!🫶🏻

So I wanted to send you a request for a while now, so here I am hehe.

I'd loove to see William x firefighter reader🤭

But I haven't thought of anything specific, so feel free to think of anything, or if you'd like some more details you can message me and I'll think of something, thank you💗

Oh, babe! 🙈 I’m so sorry it took a bit longer than expected, but that doesn’t matter now because hopefully I managed to create something ❤️‍🔥 I hope this aligns with what you envisioned—at least it’s where my mind wandered when you mentioned “firefighter” 🔥🔥 There’s a touch of angst, plenty of love, and a whole lot of heart ❤️❤️ I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please let me know! 🙏🏼 Sending lots of love your way, and happy reading! 💕

Tropes & warnings: William Nylander x firefighter!reader, angst, people trapped in a burning building, reader walking into fire, happy ending!, strangers to lovers, romance, cute, nervous/scared!William

Word count: 3.3K

➼｡ﾟ

Burning Love ❤️‍🔥 I William Nylander

The firehouse was unusually quiet that Saturday morning. You leaned back in your chair, feet propped on the worn wooden table in the kitchen, sipping coffee as the radio hummed faintly in the background. The team was scattered—some playing cards, others sprawled on couches watching a hockey recap show. You smiled faintly at their banter, savoring the calm. Days like this were rare.

Then the tones dropped.

The sharp, piercing alarm shattered the stillness, and everyone bolted into action. You barely registered the dispatcher’s voice over the speaker until it called out the address: an upscale condo building in the heart of downtown.

You froze, coffee slipping from your fingers and splashing onto the floor. Your heart thudded painfully as you processed the information. You knew that building. More specifically, you knew someone who lived there: William Nylander.

Shaking off the initial shock, you joined the flurry of activity. Your team moved with practised precision—sliding into turnout gear, snapping on helmets, and climbing aboard the engine. You followed suit, trying to calm the anxiety bubbling in your chest. Fires like these were part of the job, but the personal connection added a weight you weren’t prepared for.

As the engine roared to life and the sirens blared, your mind drifted to William. 

You’d met him at a charity hockey game a few months ago. You hadn’t been thrilled about volunteering for it, but as soon as you locked eyes with him across the room, your irritation melted away. He had approached you with an easy smile, his charm disarming, and somehow, you’d ended up in a conversation that lasted far longer than either of you had anticipated.

What started as a casual exchange of numbers morphed into something… more. Late-night texts filled with inside jokes, coffee meetups where the world seemed to fade away, and a growing connection you both felt but never acknowledged aloud. You weren’t quite friends, but you weren’t just acquaintances either. There was an undeniable spark between you, something unspoken but very real.

The engine jolted to a stop, yanking you back to the present. As you leapt down from the truck, the scene unfolded before you like a nightmare. Flames devoured the upper floors of the building, licking hungrily at the walls, while thick black smoke billowed into the sky. Shattered windows reflected the chaos as firefighters scrambled to contain the inferno.

“Let’s move, team!” your captain barked, snapping you into action.

You fell into step with your crew, grabbing your equipment and preparing to head inside. But as you scanned the growing crowd of evacuees gathered behind the barricades, your heart seized.

There he was.

William stood barefoot on the pavement, a tattered blanket draped over his shoulders. His usually impeccable blonde hair was tousled, and soot smudged his face. He looked shaken, his chest rising and falling rapidly, but otherwise unharmed. Relief surged through you like a wave, loosening the tight knot in your chest. He was safe.

But then his eyes found yours.

Time seemed to stand still as your gazes locked, the chaos around you fading into the background. The relief you’d felt only moments ago drained away, replaced by a sinking weight in your chest. His expression wasn’t one of pain or worry for himself—it was something far worse. Fear. Desperation. And it wasn’t for his own safety.

You didn’t need to ask to understand. It was written all over his face. He wasn’t afraid for himself—he was terrified for someone else.

For a moment, you hesitated, torn between the urgent call of duty and the magnetic pull to go to him, to find out what had shaken him so deeply. But your captain’s sharp voice cut through the haze, barking out an order that left no room for hesitation. “Let’s move! Now!”

With a final, fleeting glance at William, you turned on your heel and followed your crew toward the inferno. Still, his fear clung to you like a weight, pressing down on your shoulders even as you rushed forward into the chaos.

The scene outside the building was pandemonium—sirens screamed, people shouted, and the raging fire roared with an almost animalistic ferocity, its heat licking at your skin even from a distance. Yet, amidst the chaos, your thoughts kept circling back to him.

“William!” you shouted, your voice slicing through the cacophony as you turned your head, searching for him in the crowd.

It didn’t take long for him to spot you. His head snapped in your direction, his eyes wide and wild. Ignoring the barricades and the frantic protests of the police officers holding the line, he broke through the crowd, weaving his way toward you with single-minded urgency.

“You’re here,” he breathed, his voice trembling as he reached you. He was dishevelled, his hair damp with sweat, his hands shaking as they clenched and unclenched at his sides. His chest rose and fell heavily, his breaths uneven, as though he’d been running for hours.

Your heart clenched at the sight of him. He looked so different from the confident, charming man you’d grown to know. His vulnerability in this moment was raw, unguarded, and it made you want to protect him as much as those still trapped inside.

“There’s—” he started, his voice cracking as he tried to get the words out. He swallowed hard, his desperation palpable. “My neighbour and her kid—they’re still inside. I tried to help, but—” His voice faltered, the guilt and anguish etched into every line of his face. “I couldn’t get to them.”

“Hey,” you said, reaching out and grabbing his arm to steady him. “It’s okay. We’ll get them out. But you need to stay back. Let me do my job.”

His hand shot out, covering yours with surprising urgency. “Promise me,” he said, his blue eyes boring into yours.

You hesitated. You didn’t make promises lightly—not in this line of work, where so much could go wrong. But something about the way he looked at you, his fear and trust so palpable, made you nod.

“I’ve got this,” you said firmly.

His grip on your hand tightened briefly before he let go, his gaze following you as you turned and disappeared into the smoke-filled entrance of the building.

Inside, the heat was suffocating, pressing against your body like an oppressive weight. The air was thick with smoke, each breath searing your lungs despite the mask protecting your face. Flames licked along the walls, casting flickering shadows that made the corridors feel like a maze.

Your radio crackled to life as your captain relayed orders, guiding your team to the areas most in need of assistance.

“Floor five,” he said. “North side. Victims reported in apartment 503.”

You responded with a sharp “Copy,” your voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through you.

Weaving through debris and navigating the disorienting haze, you finally reached the apartment. You banged on the door with the butt of your axe, shouting to be heard over the roar of the fire.

“Fire department! Can anyone hear me?”

A muffled cry answered from inside.

You pushed the door open, smoke pouring out in a dense cloud. Inside, you found a woman huddled in the far corner, clutching a young girl to her chest. Both were coughing violently, their faces streaked with soot and tears.

“It’s okay, I’m here to help,” you said, moving quickly to assess their condition. You spoke with a calm authority you didn’t entirely feel, your words meant to soothe as much as to direct. “We’re getting out of here. Can you walk?”

The woman nodded weakly, her grip on her daughter tightening.

“Follow me,” you instructed, your voice firm but kind. “Stay low to the ground, and don’t let go of her.”

Guiding them through the smoke-filled corridors was painstaking. Every step felt like a mile, the heat pressing down on you, your gear feeling heavier with each passing second. The little girl whimpered softly, her small voice breaking your heart.

“You’re doing great,” you said, glancing back at them. “We’re almost there.”

When you finally emerged from the building, the rush of cool night air was like a blessing. Paramedics swarmed you immediately, taking the woman and her daughter from your care. Relief washed over you as you saw them receiving oxygen, their frightened faces starting to relax.

But even in that moment of reprieve, your mind was elsewhere. Your eyes searched the crowd frantically, scanning for one face.

And then you saw him.

William stood exactly where you’d left him, his blanket forgotten, his eyes glued to you. The instant your gazes met, he was moving, closing the distance between you in long, purposeful strides.

Before you could say anything, his arms were around you, pulling you into a crushing embrace. The strength of it surprised you, but you didn’t pull away. You let him hold you, your helmet still perched on your head, the soot and grime on your gear smudging onto him.

“You’re okay,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. “You’re okay.”

You pulled back slightly, enough to look at him, your exhaustion evident but softened by a small, reassuring smile. “Told you I’d get them out.”

For a moment, neither of you said anything. The world around you faded—the shouting, the sirens, the chaos. It was just the two of you, standing there in the aftermath, bound by an unspoken understanding that something between you had shifted.

“I—” he started, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a medic calling your name, drawing your attention away.

You gave William’s arm a quick squeeze before stepping back. “Get out of here,” you said gently. “Get some rest.”

He nodded, though the look in his eyes told you he wasn’t ready to let you out of his sight just yet. As you turned to head back to your crew, you felt his gaze on you, lingering like a tether, pulling you back to him in a way that neither of you could ignore.

_

The fire was out, leaving behind the familiar smell of charred wood and the acrid sting of smoke that seemed to cling to your skin no matter how many times you scrubbed. Back at the station, the team moved with practiced efficiency, cleaning gear and exchanging banter to shake off the adrenaline. You tried to join in, but your mind kept replaying the scene from earlier—the fear etched on William’s face, the way his voice cracked when he asked you to promise.

You were the firefighter. You were the one who walked into the flames. But the way he looked at you, it was like he felt every step, every risk, like he’d been the one inside the building.

Sleep didn’t come easily that night. You tossed and turned, wondering if you’d said enough to reassure him. Or if it even mattered.

The next day, you were in the bay, checking the hoses on the truck, when a familiar figure caught your eye. William stood just outside, looking unsure but determined, a box of pastries balanced in his hands. His blonde hair was back to its usual, styled perfection, but there was something softer in his expression, something that tugged at your heart.

You walked toward him, raising an eyebrow. “William? What are you doing here?”

“I figured I owed you,” he said, holding out the box.

“For what?” you asked, taking the box and setting it on the nearest table.

“For saving lives. For scaring the hell out of me. For… I don’t know.” He rubbed the back of his neck, sheepish. “Just take the pastries.”

A chuckle escaped before you could stop it. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know,” he said softly. “But I wanted to.”

There was something in his tone, a weight that made you pause. This wasn’t just about pastries.

“William, I’m fine,” you said, trying to keep things light, though the tension in the air made it difficult.

“No, you’re not,” he said, his voice gaining an edge. He stepped closer, his eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that made your breath hitch. “You walk into burning buildings like it’s no big deal, but it is. It’s a big deal.”

“That’s my job,” you replied, your tone firmer now.

“And what if you didn’t come out?” His voice cracked, and he ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to keep his composure. “I can’t—” He stopped, looking away for a moment before meeting your gaze again. “I can’t lose you.”

The vulnerability in his words hit you like a punch to the gut. You’d built walls to keep emotions like this at bay, afraid of what it would mean if you let someone get too close. But now, standing there with William, those walls felt impossibly fragile.

“Willy…” you began, your voice soft.

He shook his head. “You don’t have to say anything. I just needed you to know.”

But the thing was, you did have something to say. You just didn’t know how.

_

After that day, something shifted between you and William. He didn’t push, didn’t demand anything from you, but his presence in your life became a constant. He started showing up at the firehouse with coffee or waiting for you after shifts with takeout, always with a smile and some quip to make you laugh.

The team noticed, of course, teasing you relentlessly whenever William appeared, but you didn’t mind. There was a comfort in having him there, a warmth that had nothing to do with the firehouse’s controlled chaos.

One night, a few weeks later, you found yourself on his couch. It had become something of a routine—unwinding together after a long day, sharing beers and quiet conversations. The TV played softly in the background, a hockey game neither of you were really paying attention to.

“You scare me,” he said suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

You turned to him, startled. “What?”

“When you go to work,” he continued, his voice quieter now, “I think about what could happen. And it terrifies me.”

You set your beer down, your chest tightening. “Will—”

“But I don’t want you to stop,” he said, cutting you off before you could find the right words. “Because I’ve never met anyone as brave as you. And I’m—” He hesitated, looking down for a moment before meeting your eyes. “I’m in love with you.”

The words hung in the air, heavy and undeniable.

Your throat tightened, words caught somewhere between your heart and your lips. Slowly, you reached for his hand, your fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against his. The touch was tentative at first, but the warmth of his skin steadied you. “I’ve been scared too,” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper, your eyes searching his. “Scared to let you in, because I didn’t want to be the reason you got hurt. But I can’t pretend anymore. I love you too.”

For a moment, his expression was unreadable, as though the weight of your words took a second to sink in. Then relief washed over his face, his shoulders relaxing as if a massive weight had been lifted. His hand slid up to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing over your skin with a tenderness that made your chest ache.

“You’re stuck with me now,” he said softly, his lips curving into the faintest smile, though his eyes were anything but playful. They held an intensity that made your breath catch—a mix of love, gratitude, and something deeper.

You smiled back, a little shaky but no less sincere. “Good. I wouldn’t want it any other way.”

And then, in that charged moment, the space between you dissolved. He leaned in, his forehead touching yours for the briefest second before his lips found yours. The kiss was tentative at first, soft and searching, as if he was afraid to break the spell. But the moment you responded, your lips parting against his, it deepened into something fuller, something that carried all the emotions you’d been holding back.

His free hand slid to your waist, pulling you closer as if he couldn’t bear even the smallest distance. You melted into him, your fingers threading through his hair as the kiss grew more urgent, more certain. It wasn’t just a kiss—it was a promise, a silent vow that whatever came next, you’d face it together.

When you finally broke apart, your foreheads rested together, your breaths mingling in the quiet. The world outside felt far away, insignificant compared to the moment you were sharing.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion as his thumb traced slow circles against your cheek.

“Neither am I,” you replied, your voice just as steady as the resolve in your heart. And as he pulled you into his arms, holding you close, you knew this was where you belonged.

_

Life didn’t transform into a fairytale after that night. There were still long shifts at the firehouse, the constant hum of danger that came with your job, and the weight of knowing that every call could be unpredictable. But there was also William—a steady presence, a flicker of light in the chaos.

Mornings became your sanctuary. His kitchen, bathed in soft sunlight, became the backdrop for quiet moments shared over coffee. He’d shuffle around in sweatpants, hair disheveled from sleep, while you leaned against the counter, nursing your mug and teasing him about his cooking attempts. He’d grin, leaning in to steal a kiss that tasted of hazelnut and warmth.

At the firehouse, his presence became something of an open secret. He’d drop by unannounced, his arms full of coffee or snacks for the crew. Your teammates teased you relentlessly, but William took it in stride, his easy charm winning them over as easily as it had won you.

There were stolen moments in the hallways—his hand brushing yours as you passed, a quick kiss behind the truck when no one was looking. He never minded the soot-streaked uniforms or the tired lines on your face after a rough shift. To him, you were more than the job. You were everything.

But the doubts didn’t vanish entirely. There were nights when you lay awake, staring at the ceiling, thinking about the risks you took every day. You worried about what it meant for William, about how much you were asking him to bear.

He seemed to sense it, as he always did. One night, as you sat together on his couch, he turned to you, his expression serious.

“You’re thinking too much,” he said softly, his hand finding yours.

You sighed. “I just… I know it’s not easy, being with someone who does what I do.”

He squeezed your hand, his thumb brushing over your knuckles. “It’s not easy,” he admitted. “But loving you? That part’s easy. And I’m not going anywhere.”

The conviction in his voice made your chest tighten, and you leaned into him, letting his strength become yours.

Over time, you learned to trust that conviction. To let him in, even on the hard days. And in return, he gave you a love that burned brighter than anything you’d ever known.

There were still moments that tested you both. A particularly bad call left you rattled, the kind of close call that lingered long after the fire was out. You came home late, exhausted and shaken, and found William waiting for you, worry etched into his features.

He didn’t say anything, just opened his arms, and you sank into him, letting the tears you’d held back all night finally fall. He held you tightly, murmuring soft reassurances until the weight lifted, replaced by the steady rhythm of his heartbeat against yours.

Through it all—the late nights, the dangerous calls, the moments of doubt—you discovered something profound. Not all fires are meant to be extinguished. Some are meant to burn, to consume, to illuminate the way forward.

And William was your fire. The one that gave you warmth in the cold, light in the darkness, and the strength to face whatever came next.

Every single day, you chose him. And every single day, he chose you.

[eqt-95]

day 3 | dress / set up for failure

supercorptober / whumptober quinn's superwhumpcorptober master list Lena stared at the dress: a once cutting shape that drew the hungry attention of her wife now a crumpled mess, discarded and replaced with soft sweats and an overworn sweatshirt pulled from a hastily-packed suitcase. What it lacked in pageantry it made up for as a lone comfort in an otherwise sterile suite. 

A bedside lamp illuminated the eggshell walls, maroon-dyed nylon carpeting, and a faded duvet that concealed a mattress with the softness of Lillian Luthor. It wasn’t home, but perhaps that was because Lena didn’t know what that was anymore.

A terrace breeze kept her company. It had arrived by force and was left by accident: a readied fight that angrily burst it open only for the fight to retreat dejectedly back into the night. Lena hadn’t considered closing the door. Perhaps it was the last ember of a fading hope that kept it ajar.

Work drew her to the scrunched workspace crammed under the mounted television and next to the room service menus and telephone. There was no deadline; no urgency behind the late night focus, but it was monotonous and distracting which remedied the one thought spinning on repeat: it had all been inevitable.

Because Luthors weren't meant to be happy. 

Lena had bitten back a laugh when Lex told her his first summer after college.

“It’s true,” he continued, swinging a tennis racket with a casualness unbefitting such conversation. Lena huffed after a missed ball. “Call it fate. Call it a curse. Hell, call it superstition, but when you boil a Luthor down, that’s the concentrated essence: unhappiness.”

That they were billionaires with international clout made no difference to Lex. 

“Money can’t buy happiness, sis. Take dad: he was so miserable he went all the way to Ireland to find an ounce of joy. Now look at him: barricaded in his office, reeking of scotch and anger.”

Lena called it a self-fulfilling prophecy.

It explained the cloud; the foreboding; the distraction of knowing somewhere a shoe hung from a fraying rope.

“It’s what makes us so calculated,” Lex had offered after he’d won their match. “Without it we’d just be another failure.”

Even Lillian’s parenting mantra echoed it: “Always prepared, never surprised.” 

Lena was nothing if not a sponge, and so the words soaked in. They resonated when Lionel drank himself to death. They rang louder when Lex was driven into madness. They rooted themselves into the very marrow of her bones when her personal life began reflecting her father’s: obsessive and lonely.

Until a light brighter than the sun came into her life. 

For that she could not have prepared; for that she didn't want to.

And perhaps that’s what had made it all inevitable. Perhaps that’s why, now, alone again, she wasn’t that surprised.

- - - - day 4 | garden / hallucinations

[kjack89]

Never Say Die

Happy Barricade Day!

On the night of June 5th, Marius arrived home late. Cosette was not waiting for him at the door, wringing her hands with worry. She had learned her lesson after the first year, after hours spent pacing, wondering when Marius would return, fearing that something had happened to him – he was weak still, weaker than he would ever admit, try as he did to be strong for her especially, but his body had not yet fully healed even a year on, to say nothing of the other wounds he bore that very well may never heal. Marius had returned home eventually that first June night, late enough that the date had slipped from the 5th to the 6th, and when finally he did walk through the door, Cosette threw her arms around him. “I feared the worst,” she told him, her voice muffled against his shoulder. “I feared I may have lost you.”

His only response had been to stroke her dark hair gently, holding her until she let go. He offered no word then of where he had gone, or where he would again go the following year, or the year after. He did not voice the names of those he had lost, no more than he shared any tales of the time they had spent together. 

Not then, at least, but Cosette had slowly learned of those who had suffered the fate Marius had come so close to, when Marius let slip a name or the start of a story. At first, he would break off, his face creasing with pain from a wound that would never truly mend, no matter her ministrations. Then, over time, he would tell her more. Very rarely about the barricade itself, but more about the small moments he had shared with his friends, his observations of the men he had known.

As the years passed, Cosette felt like she finally knew the men she had never had a chance to meet, the men whose impact on Marius remained marked, even after all this time.

So much so that every June 5th, like the one in question, he would disappear from their house to spend time, seemingly, with the ghosts of his memory as his only companion.

And though she would never understand what it must be like to carry them with him, she could equally never find it in herself to begrudge him this one indulgence.

On the night in question, Cosette had long since retired to their bed, though she was still awake when he slipped in beside her, and she waited for him to make himself comfortable and blow out his candle before curling against him. 

For a long moment they lay together in silence until finally Cosette ventured softly, “I know that you miss them.”

Marius sighed. “I do,” he confirmed, equally quiet.

Cosette lifted herself up to tell him, sincerely, “I wish there was anything more I could do to ease this ache each June.”

Wordlessly, Marius gathered her to him, kissing her forehead. “I do miss them,” he repeated, “but that is– it is an old hurt now.” He shook his head. “Time heals, they say, and I know not how much truth there is in such a pat sentiment. But it does ease the consternation, at least slightly. And besides…”

He trailed off and Cosette frowned up at him. “And besides?” she prompted after a moment.

Marius cleared his throat. “And besides, they’re not gone, of course,” he finished, his voice a little rough. “Not truly.”

“In the way that no one who we love ever truly leaves us?” Cosette asked, laying her head against Marius’s chest.

He bent to press another kiss to the top of her head. “Yes,” he said, “but also no. It’s more than that.”

She tilted her head up toward him. “What do you mean?”

He hesitated. “I mean…they live on,” he said finally, the starkness of the statement emphasizing its sincerity. “They must.” He shrugged almost helplessly. “Just as I feel they must have lived before. Whenever one galvanizes a small group against all odds, I must believe that Enjolras is there in that moment, in that strength in the arm hoisting a flag high.”

Cosette had never heard him speak of his friends this way, and she almost held her breath, as if afraid that would be enough to break the spell.

Marius stroked her hair almost absentmindedly as he continued, something soft and almost wistful in his tone, “When one manages to teach the most important of lessons with the simplest of words, I must believe that Combeferre is speaking through them, as once he spoke to me. When one is bone-weary from scraping a living but still shows up in every way that matters, they keep Feuilly alive with them.”

His hand stilled and Cosette tightened her grip on him, just slightly, the small movement enough for his hand to resume its motions. “Bossuet lives through every selfless gesture, every sacrifice which may seem small but lights a fire that can never be extinguished, and Joly lives at his side to walk through that fire with him.” 

Despite himself, he smiled, just slightly. “And should my words, should anyone’s words in service of revolution seem even slightly poetic, then I know it is only because Jehan breathes them from our lips. And when words fail and fists become the only recourse, I know Bahorel is there, with that fierce grin.” 

He shook his head, his smile fading. “And whenever a toast is raised to friendship, to the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood, I will only ever see Grantaire, his bottle held aloft.”

“And Courfeyrac—” 

For the first time, his voice broke, and Cosette held him even tighter, not daring to speak. After a long moment, Marius cleared his throat, though he made no attempt to finish his thought, only kissing Cosette once more, the gesture saying more than his words ever could.

“They lived,” Marius said finally, his voice quiet but banded with steel. “They were real, flesh and blood. I touched them, I knew them, I loved them.”

Again his voice broke. “Love them still.”

He swallowed, hard, his voice rough and pained as he said, barely louder than a whisper, “And they died. And a part of my heart died with them on the barricade that day.”

There was just the hint of sob in his voice, the hint of such naked pain that caught in his throat as if he didn’t dare share it, and Cosette’s heart broke for him. Wordlessly, she propped herself upright and tugged him down so that their positions were reversed, so that she held Marius against her breast as he curled around her, hot tears soaking the bodice of her nightgown.

After a long moment, Marius recovered somewhat, drawing in a deep, shuddering breath and shifting so that his head rested against his shoulder, and he reached down to take her hand, lacing their fingers together. “They died,” he repeated, more steadily this time. :But their ideas—” He shook his head. “They were never solely theirs and so could never, can never, truly die.” He turned his head to press a kiss to her shoulder before adding, “Not until all chains and broken and there are no battles left to fight, at least.”

He brushed his thumb lightly against her knuckles. “It is a beautiful gift, in a way,” he whispered, more to himself than to her, “to live forever as a thread in the fabric of freedom.” He squeezed her hand. “And as much as I miss them, and I do, some days more than words, some days so much that my heart feels it might claw its way from my chest, there is great comfort in knowing that.”

Marius took one last deep breath before finishing, “And it makes it at least a little easier to bear.”

For one long moment, Cosette was silent, simply holding Marius against her, her own unshed tears pricking at the corners of her eyes. Then she bent to kiss his forehead like a benediction, like absolution for that pain she knew he still carried with him. “For what little it is worth,” she whispered, “though I never met them, I feel as though they live within my heart as well.”

“It is worth everything,” he told her, tugging her down to kiss her properly before telling her, “And that too makes it easier to bear.”

As much as she would never truly know if Marius meant it, or simply said it to ease her own conscience, the secondhand hurt she carried from him, Cosette still felt something warm bloom in her chest at his words, and she pulled him closer still, holding him silently  with the only comfort she could offer until sleep claimed them both.

If all of his friends lived within him, within any who continued their fight, then Cosette had to believe that Marius too would live on inside anyone who survived to fight still.

And as she drifted to sleep still holding Marius against her, she could not help but think that was as beautiful a belief as any she’d ever held.

[blueinkphantom]

Goodnight Stories

Years after the prison break Technoblade and Dream lived together far away, healed and raised two kids together. One evening, they start telling bits of their life to their kids in the form of a fairy tale.

Story for Day 7 (Fairytale AU - healing) of the Christmas Dreamnoblade Event by @alterdnbweek. A bit late but i really wanted to finish this.

Also on Archive of our own.

"Once upon a time, there was a rabbit. The rabbit was a very social but lonely creature. It yearned for the company of others. Years went by as it hopped around, discovering new places and befriending other animals.

Overjoyed at its gained company, it made a burrow. A big burrow that could house all of its friends and more. At first, it was just them, eight friends who worked on improving their home. They built and hunted and joked around. Late at night, when the moon was high and their bodies grew too tired, they'd huddle together in one warm, soft pile of fur, limbs, and feathers.

The rabbit was happy with its friends. It invited more people, hoping to make more friends.

More space was carved out. More tunnels were dug out. Space was made bigger to fit the newcomers. While the rabbit worked to improve its home for everyone and as most animals enjoyed their time together, two animals created the first cracks. They stole other's possessions to retrade them. They claimed parts of what was home for everyone and made it only for themselves. The racoon and anteater had gathered wood and black stone to barricade others from entering at all.

Once news reached the rabbit, it was unhappy. It came to the two troublemakers and asked them to stop. They refused and lured more in and soon the rabbit's home was split into two sides. Those rallied against the rabbit, who got pulled in by the charm of the anteater, and those still by the rabbit's side, who wanted to help him stop the community from splitting apart.

Things spiralled. Fights became more regular. Actions more extreme.

Frightened and threatened and yearning for how things had been before, the rabbit with its wits made plans. With little regard for itself, it planned to get itself locked up. A false betrayal by the snow leopard was believed as real and successfully the rabbit found itself in another burrow guarded by another leopard. There it sat for months alone with few visits, fewer positive.

Until the duck came by. Longing for revenge and power and not feeling little, the duck would visit daily. It would paint the hole in red with the leopard's permission. Every day it would demand for a powerful item the rabbit had in its possession. Day after day until it was forgotten. Until it just wanted to feel the power over the rabbit which once possessed a grace and punch like few others.

But the duck was foolish, never learning from its past mistakes no matter how often they caught up to him. With the stolen voice of the prisoner, it lured in the pig that had allied with the rabbit before and which the duck was enemies with. It had planned to trap two at once but instead, it summoned its own downfall. Because the pig didn't aim to get locked in for long and it had friends to rely on. Friends who aided its escape. And the pig-"

"-came back to save the rabbit and they kissed and happy end," interrupted a high-pitched voice Techno's tale. Techno playfully glared at his older kid, Vivian. The kid just smiled back from their laid-down position on the bed before yawning. If it wasn't for the tired look in their eyes and the slower movements, Techno would have thought it to be a mocking yawn.

"Well, some tales are more complicated than that." Even simplified, it was sometimes complicated to tell. The number of times Techno had to stop himself from going into detail at different places was at least getting less frequent now.

A body leaned against his from behind, head leaning on his shoulder. "You were close but not exact," Dream spoke from beside him, volume kept low to fit the evening and not destroy Techno's eardrums. "The pig did come back and save the rabbit. But the kiss wasn't until later as the rabbit, despite its admiration for the pig, had grown distrustful of every other animal around it."

"Even the piggy?" their younger kid, Aurora asked.

"Even the pig. Many of its friends had left him with the most recent being the leopard that had let the duck in. He figured the pig wouldn't be much different."

"The leopard was its friend? And it kept him there?" A devastated expression sat on her face. "Why?"

Techno looked to Dream, letting him decide how to tell it.

"Well, the rabbit while planning had assigned it the role of guardian. And it kept that role even as the rabbit was the one it had to guard. It had believed itself to be tricked by the rabbit. Lies and truths got muddled." He drifted off and Techno didn't need to look to see the look on his face. Instead, he gave three taps on his arm that got returned.

"But the piggy came back, right?"

"Yes." Techno ruffled her hair. "Fortunately, the pig is not one to leave others behind. It's way too cool for lame stuff like that."

"Fortunately," Dream agreed, placing a kiss on Techno's cheek. "Though the rabbit and the pig separated again once both were outside. Each had different tasks assigned by themselves. It would take another few weeks till they came across each other again.

The burrow made by the bunny and its friend had collapsed while it was locked away. Most managed to escape and make new burrows and houses. The rabbit claimed the tunnels it had been trapped in for itself. It was secure. It was familiar. To some extent, it was the plan.

Despite its hideout where few suspected it, it never stayed for long. Restlessly moving on with its plan, never stopping till the task was accomplished." Dream had moved from behind Techno to next to their kids, holding Aurora's hand gently with a soft smile despite the current tone of the tale.

Techno continued. "A snowstorm raged over the lands when the rabbit and pig met again. Snow had fallen for hours. Still, the rabbit hopped on, mind set on its goal. It went on and on. Until finally, the weather caught up to it. Body frozen and energy gone, the bunny lay there, pushed past its limits for too long.

The pig found it there, covered in snow and barely breathing. Dragged onto its back, the pig brought the rabbit to its home.

It took hours to wake. Hours in which the pig took care of its wounds, provided warmth and made meals. Like a miracle, the bunny survived. It stayed with the pig for a few days. The days turned to weeks and after so many months, exhaustion was slowly catching up.

Time spent with the pig was warm, and pleasant even if at times annoying. The rabbit would sleep next to the pig in its bed until it was their bed. Despite the fear and anxiety, feelings blossomed and seemingly normal day, they kissed. It would be the first of many exchanged between them as they stayed together. And they lived happily ever after."

"I hope they're both safe," Aurora whispered sleepily into her panda plushie.

"They are. Safe and happy, sweetie." Dream kissed her forehead as he rose from the bed and moved to its other side to do the same to Vivian's as Techno just did.

"What if the other animals catch the rabbit again?" They asked brows furrowed in worry for what is an imaginary animal for them.

"Then the pig and its friends will ensure the rabbit stays with them." Techno pipped up from where he kissed Aurora's head.

Both kids were sleeping as Dream and Techno left the room, closing the door gently behind them. Some more things were prepared for the next time before they too went to bed exchanging one last kiss for the day.

[luxyue]

knife boots — part v.

xiao x reader, figure skating au

masterlist | previous | next

➥ NEW VOCAB ❝ flip ❞ a toe jump, taking off from a back inside edge

v. double-edged blade

Green.

Gold.

Where am I?

“You’re in the infirmary… I called Zhongli, he should be here soon—what do you think you’re doing?”

You waste no time jumping out of the bed (did he carry you all the way here?), heading toward the open door.

But luck is not on your side. In one swift motion, he manages to slam the door shut and barricades the exit by standing right in front of you (sheesh, is it just me or is it getting hot in here?).

“Let me go,” you say.

“No.”

You let out a heavy sigh. Of course, you understand that he’s just concerned for you, but right now, your only desire is to leave this place and run far, far away.

“Please?” you try.

“You’re clearly not okay, Y/N. I can’t let you just leave like this,” he says, brushing his hand through his hair in frustration. He clearly feels bad about not letting you go… but he’s just worried. About you.

“Okay, then… come with me.”

“…What?”

You raise an eyebrow at him. “If you can’t let me leave alone, leave with me instead.”

Xiao’s eyes widen at your proposal. “To where?”

“Um… honestly, I don’t know. But please, can we just get out of here?” you plea, hoping that he’ll take pity on you and let you go.

“If… if I go with you, will you tell me about whatever’s been bothering you lately?” he asks unsteadily. He clearly doesn’t want to make you uncomfortable by crossing your boundaries, but he can’t help but wonder. Just what could rattle you so hard like that?

You freeze suddenly, eyes widening at his words. Are you even ready to talk about it?

You do trust Xiao. A lot, you realize. If there’s anyone you would tell… it would be him. But you also know that your mutual respect only went so far. Despite spending most of your days with him lately, you’ve never talked about your personal lives, keeping steady boundaries. You were honestly surprised that he had even bothered to ask you about this.

“I… if I promise to tell you about it, will you let me leave?” you decide, praying to the archons that you won’t regret your choice.

Glancing down at you one last time, he finally nods. “…Alright then. Let’s go.”

…

“Where, exactly, are we going?” he wonders out loud.

You simply shrug. “Honestly, I haven’t been around much since I moved here.”

He turns to look at you, confusion written on his face. “It’s been a few months, hasn’t it?”

You scoff, giving him a dirty look. “You try having the world champion breathing down your neck during training every day. It’s kind of hard to function when I get home, let alone have a life outside of skating.”

He rolls his eyes at you. “I have to train a world champion every day—unpaid by the way—in addition to my own practice. How am I supposed to have a life?”

“You… that doesn’t even count. You actually deserve the title.”

The look he gives you is questioning. “Is this about what I said when we first met? If it is, I told you, I really didn’t mean any of that—”

“No, no… I don’t mean that. I promise I’ll explain soon. Just, back to the topic at hand, okay? Know any good places to eat? Or places to talk privately?” you say, avoiding his gaze.

He gives you an odd look before dropping the subject, pausing to think for a moment. “We won’t really be able to go anywhere without being photographed,” he reminds you.

You mentally slap yourself, embarrassed that you had forgotten about just how famous Xiao was in Liyue. He was like a walking paparazzi magnet, and it was honestly scary sometimes. Plus, if you were seen with him… well, his fans might not be too happy about that.

“Okay, then what do you suggest?”

“We could, um,” he coughs.

“What?”

“We could, uh, grab food really quickly and… go back to my place?” he stammers.

Was he being serious? You blink at him, slightly wondering if this was just a dream that you would wake up from in a matter of seconds.

…Nope. You’re still here. Surprisingly. But in what world would Xiao invite you over to his house?

His face goes awfully red as you struggle to formulate a response. “You don’t have to, I was just thinking, since you probably don’t want anybody listening in, so I just thought—”

“That would be perfect,” you say, stopping the train of worry in his head.

…

Two boba teas, a large box of rice balls, and a dessert that looked akin to tofu (which Xiao was surprisingly insistent on buying) later, you two finally ended up at his apartment.

It was actually a long drive. Xiao lived further from the rink than you had expected, although that made sense considering how much he valued his privacy. His apartment complex could pass for newly built, and the area was serene and peaceful.

Inside, however, all you could say was that the home was very… him. Sleek, dark, and modern, the design was truly exquisite.

But it was also bare. No personal touches. No picture frames, art pieces…

“Please tell me you have a medal wall, at least,” you say, or rather, hope. Xiao has multiple medals from just about every major international competition there is, and, well, you would probably give anything to see all of them.

“I do, actually. In here,” he motions for you to follow him through a doorway.

Oh… oh. Wow. In front of you is a display room that could honestly pass for a tiny museum.

Bronze, silver, and absolutely no shortage of gold hang neatly arranged on the walls. You see medals from domestic competitions, like nationals—then even more from the Grand Prix series, Grand Prix Final, and Worlds.

And then there are photos. So many photos, starting from when Xiao was a young boy, all the way up to his latest competition. You notice Zhongli is in most of them.

“Who are they?” you ask, pointing to one photo in particular, where Xiao looked… really happy. He couldn’t have been more than ten years old in it, and he was posing with a group of four others in the same rink you currently train in every day.

He glances over to see which one you were talking about, before looking away sadly. “They’re old friends… who have since stopped skating.”

There’s a pang in your chest; you know exactly what he feels. As the years went on, more and more of the skaters you grew up with had quit, leaving you behind. It was easy to get lonely as long days of training blurred together.

Not wanting to make him uncomfortable, you try to shift the topic back to what you originally came here for.

“So, I promised you an explanation.”

…

Once you’re both settled on his couch, boba in one hand, rice ball in the other, you begin your story.

“Well… let’s see, everyone knows I started out with Raiden Ei and skated for Inazuma, but that was way back when I was a novice skater and didn’t compete internationally. During this time… I was approached by someone who had also switched from Inazuma to Snezhnaya…”

Xiao scowls. “I know who you’re referring to.”

You nod in response. “He goes by Scaramouche nowadays. I don’t really know what he’s up to now, but I knew he was good back then. He told me to train with the Harbingers for the summer at first, just to see if I liked it. So, I did. I saw the results they were producing, and thought that, well, if I wanted to become the best of the best, I would need to make the switch.”

You pause, recollecting your thoughts.

“We don’t have to continue. If you aren’t up for it.” His voice breaks your train of thought.

“No… I want to tell you, actually,” you say, surprising even yourself. “I haven’t told anyone about this, not fully. Even Zhongli doesn’t know the full story.”

At this, Xiao reaches over, slowly intertwining his hand with yours, and gives it a gentle squeeze. “Okay,” he says softly.

Trying your best (but failing) to not get flustered, you clear your throat before continuing. “This is when things started going downhill. They told… they told me that, if I ever wanted to amount to anything, I would need to represent Snezhnaya,” you laugh. “It’s funny, now I know that it was just complete bullshit, you know? But I believed it at the time. And look where it got me.”

You’re tearing up now. Xiao is unsure of what to do, but he squeezes your hand, tighter this time. “You’re right—I’m guessing they saw your talent and knew they needed you more than you needed them. But trust me, you’ll do just as well without the Harbingers.”

Sniffling, you say, “That… means a lot to me, especially coming from you. Thank you.”

“Anyway, that’s when…” you trail off, struggling to find the right words to convey your thoughts.

That’s when it all comes crashing down, and you start sobbing uncontrollably.

Through your tears, you manage to get out the words, “Xiao, I’m so sorry—please don’t think of me any differently, I really didn’t want to do it, I didn’t want to do any of it, they forced me—”

In an instant, he pulls you towards his chest, holding you close, but gently, as though you were made of glass. Murmuring into your ear, he says, “I don’t know what happened, but I… I promise. You’ll be okay. You’re safe here.”

His words still manage to make your heart skip a beat, even when you’re this distraught. Even so, that doesn’t stop your hyperventilating, nor the tears streaming down your face.

“They… they made me take… Xiao…”

“Take what, Y/N?”

“They—they forced me to dope, they forced everyone there to dope, I’m so, so sorry for lying to you, that’s why I said I didn’t deserve the title, I didn’t deserve anything—I cheated. I cheated my way through every major competition I had ever won but you have to believe me, I never, ever wanted anything to do with it—”

You stop, because he… let go. He let go of you. He wasn’t holding you anymore. No… no, no, no…

“Y/N…” is all he says, and your heart breaks right there and then because never before have you seen Xiao look so hurt.