#he always makes these speeches to the kids instead of just scolding them and i melt because you can see that he's such a thoughtful person | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

itneverendshere · 3 months ago

Note

how would the cameron family react to rafe dating a pogue

Ps: ward's not a monster in this, just an asshole and shitty dad, bc my boy rafe deserves a better father figure (but i also need his daddy issues to make this work) also, didn’t know if this request was for this couple but i felt like it fitted them perfectly so here we are again 🫶🏻🤗

found a girl my parents love - r.c

pairing: rafe x pogue!reader (bartender!reader universe)

Rafe selfishly wanted to keep you a secret for as long as he could.

Not because he was ashamed of you—not even close. You were his, the only person who actually got him. That part of him he never let anyone see, not his family, not his boys.

It was complicated, though, and his family didn't do "complicated" well. Especially not with a pogue. His dad would flip if he knew he was dating someone he hadn’t been personally introduced to before.

The bartender from the club, of all people. The one they’d see serving drinks to them all summer, like you didn’t exist outside those moments. That was the thing though, you did exist, more than anyone he’d ever known. You were real. That’s why he wanted to keep it just for himself. It was his one thing that no one else could touch, could ruin. Topper knew, sure, but he wasn’t going to run his mouth to Sarah after she broke his heart.

So yeah, he held on to it, kept you away from the world that would tear it down before it even had a chance to really breathe. Until Weezie stumbled into your date at the ice cream shop.

He remembered the way his heart stopped when he saw her walk in. Of all places. Of all the people. She looked at him with wide brown eyes, then at you, and then back to him like she’d just walked in on something she wasn’t supposed to see.

And honestly? She did.

“What the hell are you doing here, Weeze?” he snapped, more out of panic than anger.

"Uh? Getting ice cream?" Her face lit up, a huge grin stretching across her cheeks. “What are you doing here? And with her?” She looked at you, her excitement bubbling over before Rafe could get a word in. “Oh my God, this is so cool! You’re dating her? Like, for real?”

You smiled awkwardly, sensing the tension rolling off him. He looked like he was seconds away from shitting himself. He could’ve killed Weezie right then and there. But instead, he just sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Yeah, well… don’t tell anyone, alright?”

“Are you kidding?” Weezie practically bounced. “I won’t say a word. Scout’s honor.” She shot you a smile before turning to leave. “But like, this is so cool.”

He scowled at her, “Stop being creepy.”

You slapped his chest, scolding him “Be nice.”

“Oh, I like her!”

She kept her word. For a little while, at least.

A few weeks later, they were all sitting around the dinner table—Ward, Sarah, Rafe, and Weezie. Rose was out doing whatever the fuck she did with her friends. Everything was going fine until Weezie, mid-conversation about nothing important, let it slip.

“I saw Rafe and his girlfriend the other day,” she said, just like it was no big deal.

Girlfriend.

Rafe froze, his fork halfway to his mouth. Sarah looked like she’d just been smacked in the face.

“Girlfriend?” Sarah’s voice went up an octave. “Since when do you have a girlfriend?”

He shot Weezie a look that could shove her ten feet under, but it was too late. She slapped a hand over her mouth, realizing her mistake.

Ward raised an eyebrow, leaning back in his chair, arms crossed. “You got something to share with the family, son?”

Rafe cleared his throat, putting his fork down, already working up a sweat. He knew he couldn’t lie his way out of this one. And honestly?

Maybe it was time to stop hiding. He glanced at Sarah, who still looked at him like he was from outer space, then at his dad. He’d always given him shit about girls, all these big speeches about how none of them were ever worth bringing home unless he was serious.

Well, he was serious.

“Yeah,” Rafe muttered, meeting his dad’s eyes. “I’ve been seeing someone.”

Sarah’s mouth dropped open. “Who?”

“She’s a pogue!”

Rafe closed his eyes, sighing as Weezie blurted the most important piece of information out. She really just dropped the biggest bomb in the most casual way possible. His dad’s expression didn’t change much, but Sarah? She was fully in shock, her jaw practically hitting the table.

“A Pogue?” Sarah repeated, like she couldn’t believe the words even existed in the same sentence as Rafe. “Are you serious? In this lifetime?”

He shot her a glare. “Yeah, a Pogue. What, is that some kind of crime?”

“What?” She shrieked, “You gave me so much shit when I dated John B!”

He clenched his jaw, his patience hanging by a thread. Of course she was going to bring up John B. She couldn’t let anything go. “That was different,” he snapped.

Sarah scoffed, folding her arms “Different? How exactly?”

Rafe rolled his eyes. “Because John B’s a dirtbag who had you sneaking around doing God knows what. This is—” he stopped himself, trying to find the right words. “This is different, okay? She’s not like him.”

“So, it’s okay when you date a Pogue? Got it.”

“To be fair,” Weezie chimed in, “John B smelled like shit.”

He couldn’t help the snort that escaped his lips, even though the last thing he wanted to do was encourage her. Sarah shot Weezie a death glare, clearly not amused.

“Language,” Ward warned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “How many times do I have to tell you girls? No swearing at the table.”

The room fell silent, everyone looking at Rafe like they were waiting for him to say something. His dad didn’t even look mad—if anything, he looked weirdly intrigued.

“So,” Ward said slowly, his gaze locking onto Rafe’s. “You’re serious about her then? Serious enough for me to meet her?”

Rafe swallowed. “Yeah. I am.”

“Alright. Let’s make that happen then.”

He blinked, completely thrown off. “What?”

Ward’s response was calm, almost too calm. “If you’re serious about this girl, then it’s time I meet her.”

Rafe just stared at him, unsure if he’d heard that right. His dad wasn’t angry? Was he impressed? Or was this some kind of setup?

“You... wanna meet her?” he repeated, like he needed the words to make sense.

His dad’s expression wasn’t the usual stone wall of judgment. “I’ve always said if it’s not serious, don’t bother bringing her around. You’re saying she’s important to you, right?”

“Uh, yeah…” Rafe’s voice trailed off, still half-expecting this to somehow turn into a lecture or some Ward Cameron test. “She is.”

He nodded, like he was already planning it. “Alright then, set it up. I’ll meet her.”

He couldn’t tell if this was a win or if he’d just walked into something he wasn’t prepared for. His whole plan was to avoid this exact conversation. He looked across the table, expecting Sarah to be just as blindsided as he was, but she was still stuck on one detail.

“You’re dating a Pogue,” she muttered, shaking her head like she couldn’t get past that fact. “I just… wow.”

Rafe shot her a glare. “Get over it.”

Weezie, always the little instigator, grinned. “She was cool.”

“Okay, so… when do I get to meet her?” Sarah’s brown eyes widened with curiosity. “Is she cute? What’s she like?”

This wasn’t how he thought the night was going to go at all.

An hour later, he was lying in bed, staring at his phone, his mind still spinning from dinner. He pulled up your contact, hesitating for a second before hitting the FaceTime button. The screen flashed for a moment, and then there you were, all cozy in your own bed, unaware of what was about to hit.

“Hi baby,” you chirped, clearly happy to see him, “What’s up? You look stressed.”

Rafe rubbed his face, letting out a long breath. “Yeah, well, uh—something happened at dinner tonight.”

Your face scrunched up in confusion, tilting the phone closer to you. “What? Did Sarah say something dumb again?”

“Nah, worse,” he muttered. “Weezie... Weezie kinda let it slip. About us.”

Your eyes widened immediately. “Wait, what? She told them?!”

“Yeah,” he said, letting out a low chuckle at the memory of the whole dinner spiraling out of control. “Just dropped it casually like it was no big deal. Sarah freaked out, and my dad—" He stopped, rubbing the back of his neck. “He wants to meet you.”

For a second, you didn’t say anything. You just blinked, processing his words.

“Wait... Ward Cameron wants to meet me? As in, your dad?”

“Yeah,” He mumbled, almost sheepishly. “He’s all, ‘If you’re serious, I should meet her,’ or some shit. Like it’s no big deal.”

You sat up straight, your heart racing. “Rafe, that is a big deal! What the hell do you mean he wants to meet me?!” Your voice rose, panic starting to take over. “Oh my God, I didn’t even think about having to meet your dad. I figured we’d just— I don’t know—figure it out later!”

Rafe winced, knowing this would freak you out. He tried to keep his voice calm, even though he wasn’t exactly calm himself. “Baby, it’s not like tomorrow or anything. We can plan it out.”

But you were already spiraling. “Your dad’s gonna take one look at me— What if he hates me? What if he tells you I’m not worth it, and then—” you paused, your voice breaking slightly, “What if you start to believe him?”

His stomach clenched at your words. He sat up, the phone now held closer to his face. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Stop right there. What are you even talking about?”

You bit your lip, your thoughts running wild. “I mean... what if he convinces you that I’m not good enough? What if you start seeing me differently? You know how your dad is—he could talk you out of this, talk you out of us.”

Rafe shook his head, almost angry that you’d even think that way. “Are you serious right now? No way in hell is that happening. I don’t give a shit what my dad thinks. You’re the one I’m with because I want to be with you.”

You sighed, your nerves still rattled. “But what if he tries to get in your head? You always talk about how much pressure he puts on you. What if he—”

He cut you off, his voice firm, assertive. “Look, I’m serious about you. I told him that tonight. It doesn’t matter what he says, because you’re the one I love. No one’s changing my mind about that. Not even Ward fucking Cameron.” His eyes softened a little. “I already met your sister. This is just the next step, yeah? It’s us. We’re solid.”

“I think I’m gonna throw up.”

He hated this—hated that the idea of meeting his dad was making you feel like this, but he couldn’t blame you. Ward was intimidating even on his best days, and this was not going to be one of those days.

“You’re not gonna throw up,” he said, trying to calm you down, though he wasn’t sure if he was trying to reassure you or himself.

You shook your head, running a hand through your bed hair. “What if I say something dumb? What if I screw up, and he hates me, and then everything goes downhill? I’m not, like... your people. You know that.”

His jaw clenched, hating the way you thought of yourself like that. “Don’t say that,” he scolded, “You’re exactly my people. You’re my person.”

“Yeah, but—”

“No ‘buts.’” He cut you off, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Listen to me. My dad’s opinion doesn’t change anything. He’s not gonna make me see you any differently. You’re still gonna be the same girl I’m crazy about, no matter what he says or doesn’t say. Got it?”

You took a deep breath, trying to believe him. “It’s just—I don’t know, Rafe. I don’t fit into that world, and what if he sees that right away?”

He hated that you felt this way, hated that his dad had this kind of power hanging over the two of you. “You don’t need to fit into his world, okay? You fit into mine, and that’s all that matters.”

Your lips quivered, and for a second, he thought you might start crying. He could feel the panic rolling off of you through the phone, and it hit him hard—he hadn’t realized just how terrified you were of this.

“What if he really doesn’t think I’m good enough for you?” You whispered, almost like you were scared to say it out loud.

Rafe’s heart clenched, and without thinking, he shot up out of bed, pacing his room like he needed to burn off the frustration

“You’re more than good enough for me.”

Your breath hitched, and you looked away for a second like you were trying to compose yourself.

“I just don’t want him to—I don’t know? To make you feel like you have to choose between me and your family.”

He stopped pacing, his grip tightening on the phone. “If it ever came to that? I’d choose you. Every fucking time.”

You blinked, taken aback by the intensity in his voice. “Rafe—”

“I mean it,” he said, cutting you off again. “I’m not letting my dad, or anyone else, get in the way. I don’t care if he’s Ward Cameron or the president of the United States. He’s not gonna run my life, and he sure as hell isn’t gonna ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I love you. And nothing my dad says or thinks is gonna change that. Ever.”

Tears stung at the corners of your eyes, threatening to fall over. Not because you were scared anymore, but because of him. Because of how much he cared. How much he loved you, even when you were spiraling.

He was staring at the screen, concern written all over his face, brows furrowing, "Wait, are you crying?" His voice softened, like he wasn’t sure how to handle you like this, but he knew he wanted to. He needed to.

You quickly rubbed at your eyes, laughing to try and cover up the tears, "No, no, I just— got something in my eye." Your laugh was shaky, and you knew you weren’t fooling anyone.

He didn’t say anything for a second, just watched you with that loving look of his that made you want to bawl your eyes out even harder. He saw right through you. He always did.

“You know,” he finally said, “You don’t have to worry about all that shit. I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere.”

And that’s when you almost lost it. Because wow. No one had ever said something like that to you before, not until him. Never like that, like he really meant it, like you were the most important thing in his world.

You sniffed, trying to laugh it off again, but it just came out all soft and broken. “I’m just—” you paused, not even sure how to explain how you were feeling, “I’m not used to this. Like, you... caring this much. Loving me like this.”

Rafe’s eyes softened, and he leaned a little closer to the screen, “I’m not stopping.”

“I know. I love you too.”

It was real now.

Meeting the Camerons wasn’t something you could avoid anymore, but at least you knew you had Rafe, a hundred percent.

“You still freaking out?” he asked, though his tone was lighter, like he knew the answer.

“Yeah,” you admitted with a small laugh. “But I’ll get over it.”

“Good,” he said, his smirk returning. “Because I kinda need you around.”

“Kinda?”

He grinned, dimples framing his face, “Okay, a lot.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

Rafe hadn’t said a word the entire drive, which was already freaking you out more than you wanted to admit. His knuckles were white, tight around the steering wheel. His jaw was locked, teeth grinding together and you’d caught him glancing at you out of the corner of his eye at least three times in the past minute.

Your heart was hammering, stomach in knots, and you were starting to wonder if you might actually throw up by the time you got to Tannyhill.

“Baby, seriously, if we crash into a tree ‘cause you’re having a silent meltdown over there, that’s not gonna help either of us.”

He blinked, finally loosening his grip on the wheel. “Sorry. I’m just—fuck, I don’t know.”

You tried to smile, but it felt weak. “Yeah, me too. I feel like I’m walking into some kind of corporate job interview I didn’t apply for.”

Rafe snorted. “Yeah, except the CEO’s a control freak and the company’s, I don’t know, cursed or something.”

That made you laugh, a short, nervous laugh, but still. You appreciated the attempt at humor, even if the nerves in your stomach weren’t going anywhere.

“So, uh... game plan?” you asked, half-joking, but mostly serious. “Am I supposed to shake his hand? Call him Mr. Cameron? Or is it more of a ‘hey, what’s up, Ward?’ situation?”

Rafe finally cracked a grin, shaking his head. “God, I don’t know. Don’t call him Ward; that might send him into some power trip. But definitely don’t call him Mr. Cameron either, ‘cause that’ll just make it weird.”

“Great, so I’ll just go with ‘Hi’ and hope I don’t trip over my own feet.”

“Perfect,” Rafe deadpanned, glancing over at you, “Just be yourself. He’s not as bad as you think. Mostly.”

Your eyebrows shot up. “Mostly?”

Rafe’s lips pressed together. "He's not gonna throw you out or anything. And if he does, we’re leaving together. But Sarah...”

“Sarah,” you groaned, leaning your head back against the seat. You’d barely met Sarah, and from what you could tell, she wasn’t exactly thrilled about Rafe’s choice in girlfriends.

“Just don’t let her get to you,” Rafe muttered, his hand reaching for yours, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “She’s just mad because I used to make John B’s life a living hell.”

“Define hell.”

Rafe smirked, his fingers still interlaced with yours. "I mean, I threw him off a boat once," he said casually, like that wasn’t one of the most insane things you’d ever heard.

You blinked. “You what?”

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road, like it was no big deal. “He was running his mouth about me."

You stared at him in disbelief, “And you think I’m the one who needs to be worried?”

He laughed, finally loosening up a little, “Relax, baby. I’m not throwing you off anything.”

“So she’s not mad about me? She’s just mad about the double standard?”

“Yeah.”

That made it a little easier to breathe.

The silence settled back in for a moment as you pulled up to Tannyhill. The sight of the massive estate took your breath away. You couldn’t help but feel like you were entering a completely different world now that you were here—a world that wasn’t exactly built for you.

Rafe must’ve noticed the way your hands gripped the edge of your seat a little tighter because he let out a long breath.

“Hey, it’s just a dinner. We eat, we talk, we leave. It’s not like they’re gonna put you under a microscope.”

You gave him a side-eye. “You know, I wasn’t nervous until you said that.”

He grinned sheepishly. “Shit. Sorry.”

The car came to a stop, and you could see the flicker of lights through the windows of the house. The pressure in your chest was building, but Rafe turned toward you, his hand cupping your face.

“Listen,” his blue eyes locked on yours, “I don’t care what happens in there. You’ve got me. If anyone makes you feel like you don’t belong, we’re out. Promise.”

You swallowed hard, nodding as you leaned into his touch. “Okay.”

“I’m serious,” he continued, stroking his thumb across your cheek. “One word and I’ll get you out.”

You kissed his palm, “I know.”

“Okay.” he muttered, then pulled away, giving one final deep breath before turning off the ignition. “Let’s get this over with.”

You both stepped out of the car, Rafe knocked once, and within seconds, it swung open to reveal Sarah standing there in all her kook-with-pogue -tendencies glory.

“Well, well,” she smirked, eyes narrowing at you two.

Rafe shot her a sharp look, “Knock it off.”

She rolled her eyes, stepping aside to let you in. “I’m kidding. Kinda.” She turned her attention to you, and you could feel her sizing you up, looking completely unfazed as she led the two of you further into the house. "Dad’s in the study. He’s waiting."

Your heart skipped a beat at that. Waiting? What did that even mean?

Rafe must have felt your nerves spike because he reached for your hand again, squeezing it as you followed Sarah down the long hallway.

The house felt even bigger on the inside, with its high ceilings and fancy decor. You felt out of place. But then you peeked over at Rafe, and something about the way he held your hand made you feel like maybe—just maybe—you did belong.

At least to him.

Sarah finally stopped outside a large wooden door, turning to you with an exaggerated sigh.

"Good luck.”

Rafe hesitated for a second, his hand still gripping yours tightly. "You ready?"

No. Absolutely not. But you nodded anyway. "Yeah. Let’s do this."

He pushed open the door, and there he was.

Ward Cameron, sitting behind a massive oak desk, looking as powerful and intimidating as ever. His eyes flicked up from whatever paperwork he was working on, settling on you with a sharp intensity that sent a shiver down your spine.

"Rafe," Ward said, his voice smooth and controlled, before turning his gaze to you. "And you must be... her."

You swallowed hard, trying to muster up the courage to say something, anything. "Yeah, that’s me. Hi, Mr. Cameron."

You immediately regretted it. Mr. Cameron? It sounded too formal, too awkward.

Ward didn’t seem to mind, though. If anything, he looked amused. He stood up, coming around the desk to get a better look at you. His eyes scanned over you briefly, but it wasn’t the cold, judgmental look you’d expected. Instead, it felt more like... curiosity.

"So, you’re the girl my son’s been so serious about."

You nodded, wanting to be anywhere but stuck in that claustrophobic room despite its size, "That’s me.”

He raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms as he looked between you and Rafe, “I hear you’re working at the Country Club.”

It wasn’t really a question—more like he already knew everything about you. Oh. You didn’t like that, knowing that someone else was snooping around for dirt on you. At least it sounded like that was the plan.

You managed a nod, trying to keep your voice from sounding too hushed. “Yeah, I’ve been working there for a while.”

His expression didn’t really give anything away, but the way he looked at you, was unnerving. Rafe’s hand squeezed yours, reminding you that, no matter what, he had your back. One word and you were out.

“Good,” Ward finally said, “I like that you work.” He sneaked a stern look at your boyfriend before turning his attention back to you. “He could use some of that drive.”

Wait. What?

You hadn’t expected that. You thought maybe he’d grill you or give you the whole ‘what are your intentions with my son’routine. But no, he was... complimenting you? It had to be some kind of set up.

“Dad—” Rafe started, clearly not expecting that either, but Ward cut him off with a raised hand.

“No, seriously.” His eyes were back on you, and there was almost a smile there, like he was actually impressed. “It’s a good quality. I respect people who work hard, people who don’t just expect things to be handed to them. And from what I’ve heard, you’re one of those people.”

You didn’t even know what to say.

Ward Cameron? Complimenting you? Was this real life? You’d walked in here prepared for a full-on interrogation, and instead, he was... encouraging.

“I just hope some of that rubs off on my son,” Ward added, shooting Rafe a look, and you swore there was a glint of amusement in his eyes. “He could stand to work a little harder. He’s always been a bit lazy.”

You bit back a laugh, glancing over at Rafe. He was glaring at his dad, but you could tell he wasn’t really pissed, just...embarrassed. You found it endearing.

“Thanks, Dad,” Rafe mumbled.

“I like it. Maybe you’ll inspire him to work a little harder.”

You blinked. Wait, was this actually happening? Did Ward Cameron, of all people, just say he liked you? This whole night felt like it was gonna be a disaster, and now... maybe it wasn’t gonna be so bad. You hoped so.

You really wanted his family to like you, you felt like you owned him at least trying.

“You know," Ward began, "I wasn't always the man you see standing here today." His voice took on a reflective tone, and you could sense the change in the atmosphere as he prepared to tell his story. "I grew up on the Cut, just like a lot of those kids you see around he, like you,” Ward said, almost casually, but you could tell it wasn’t a casual thing for him. "Back then, I didn’t have much. But I worked my ass off to get out of that place. I didn’t have a name, no wealth behind me. What I have now? I built that from the ground up. No one handed me anything."

Rafe, who had been quiet up until now, let out a small, barely audible sigh, shifting uncomfortably beside you. You took a quick glance at him and caught the unmistakable eye-roll he tried to hide.

Clearly, this wasn’t the first time Ward had given this speech. But at the same time, you could tell he was relieved that his dad wasn’t tearing into you. That had to count for something, right?

Ward, oblivious or perhaps just unfazed by his son’s reaction, continued, his voice gaining momentum like he was giving you some kind of motivational speech. "It wasn’t easy. There were plenty of times when I could’ve given up, but I didn’t. I pushed through, made connections, took risks. That’s how you get ahead. You have to be willing to do whatever it takes. Now look where I am—" He gestured around at the lavish room, the estate itself practically a testament to his success. "I built an empire. Something real. Something that can last."

You nodded politely, unsure if you were supposed to say something. Rafe’s obvious eye-rolling and silent huffs of frustration beside you made it clear that he’d heard all this a hundred times before. He shifted in his seat, crossing his arms, clearly waiting for his dad to wrap it up.

But Ward wasn’t done yet. He turned his attention back to you, his eyes narrowing slightly. "The point is," he said, his tone softening a little, "I respect people who are willing to work for what they want. I see that in you. It’s not about where you start—it’s about where you’re going."

Rafe let out a short, quiet breath that you might’ve missed if you weren’t sitting right next to him. He shot you a small, knowing smile, almost like he was apologizing for the speech but also relieved that Ward wasn’t being an asshole.

You squeezed his hand under the table. At least his dad wasn’t tearing you down.

"Thanks, Mr. Cameron," you said, finally finding your voice. "I really appreciate that."

He nodded, seeming satisfied with himself. "Just remember," he added, his voice lowering as if he was giving you some kind of life lesson, "Hard work pays off. You keep doing what you’re doing, and you’ll get somewhere. Don’t ever settle, not even for him.”

“Thanks again.”

Rafe looked like he was about to explode from how much he was holding back, but he just gave you a quick wink as if to say, Yeah, this is typical dad, but hey—he likes you, so we’re good.

Ward clapped his hands together, the moment of sincerity quickly passing. "Alright, well, I think dinner’s ready. Shall we?"

He strode ahead, leading the way out of the study and toward the dining room, leaving you and Rafe a few steps behind. The moment he was out of earshot, you looked up at Rave, “You think we’re good?”

He smirked, leaning down slightly to meet your eyes, his tone all teasing. “Baby, I think he might build you a pedestal.”

You couldn’t help but snort, trying to keep your voice down as you followed Ward. “Really? After that ‘self-made empire’ speech?”

He rolled his eyes dramatically, giving you a knowing look. “Trust me, if you got through that and he didn’t start questioning your entire existence, you’re golden. The man sees himself in anyone who works hard enough to breathe without permission.”

You bit back a laugh, gripping his hand as you walked down the long hallway. “Yeah, I was getting that vibe.”

His grin grew wider, his thumb skimming over your knuckles. “And look, usually, it’s a full-blown interrogation by now. You’re good.”

You raised your eyebrows, slightly surprised. “Really?”

Rafe nodded. “Oh yeah. Sarah’s brought home guys before and it was... rough.” He shook his head, “He actually likes you. That’s rare.”

Maybe things with the Camerons were actually going to be okay.

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slocumjoe · 2 years ago

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I've said before that the synth thing would work better with a McCarthyism allegory, but for Danse specifically, its so similar to autism that it has to be intentional??

Like. The thing that really solidified that Danse in particular is just straight up about autism is Piper's line in Blind Betrayal. Paraphrased, it goes something like, "I mean...yeah, of course he's a synth. It was kind of obvious, wasn't it? I mean, have you heard him talk?"

The autism accent is a concept that seems to be popping up more recently, but its a real thing, and in my own experience, everyone in my life has been able to clock that there was something different about me from my speech. People thought it was weird that I used "adult" words as a kid, and was very technical and exact when speaking. I was often mistaken as being from places like Brooklyn because I had a weird affectation to my voice.

And there's just. This fucking line. "Have you heard him talk?". Piper is also the person who clicked McDonough as a synth. It's worth noting that McDonough and Danse both use words like "rabble".

But seriously.

Danse goes through his life being respected for his work ethic, intelligence, and strong sense of duty and morals, but he never really bonds with anyone, he doesn't make friends. He's respected, not liked. People want to work with him, but the best they have to say about him is about his work. He makes one single friend in his entire life, and never tries again after that guy dies. And no one tries to befriend him. He's their brother. He's not their friend. And he takes his job too seriously as a commanding officer to attempt emotional connection. He apologizes for overstepping on the few occasions he does.

He talks like a thesaurus, and no one is sure if its to sound smarter, or if that's just genuinely how he thinks. It's strongly implied to be the latter. He's incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about various topics. He sounds like a kid on Christmas when you risk life and limb cracking open a vault that's supposed to have riches, but instead, just has some historical items. He throws his Brotherhood prejudice away the moment he finds a farm run by ghouls that uses pre-war structures in a creative way, and scolds you if you do the Brotherhood thing and insult them. He also seemingly forgets that he's in the Brotherhood when meeting a child ghoul, that kid's parents, a shy, insecure ghoul who clings to children's media (despite Danse finding children's entertainment stupid and a waste of time), and Daisy.

And then there's the synth thing.

Danse has always been Danse, but one little word gets attached to him and his life turns upside down. His work ethic is no longer a work ethic, it's viewed as a perversion. His intelligence and manner of speech are no longer of his own merit and education he had to have given himself, they become inevitable, things he had no say in. His existence is both erased and explained by one word, and anything else is irrelevant or in question. People who once respected him want nothing to do with him, because this one word puts him in a context they find unnatural, corrupted, inhuman. There's even something there with the Institute. Autism is (incorrectly) associated with vaccines, the government, science gone wrong. It's a man-made horror.

And then you have the people he gets lumped in with, after being thrown out for this one word. They take schadenfreude in it. This is comeuppance, this is deserved. This one word, something they take pride in or have sympathy for and want to protect, suddenly becomes weaponized. It's a source of pride for others, but for this one person, we're going to use it as punishment. You weren't with us from the start, so now you really are on your own. It's not that there isn't a right way to be this one word, it's just that there's a wrong way, and even if you change accordingly, you will never belong with the rest of us.

Its. Autism is about exclusion, from everyone and everything. Always being an outsider, often too polite or nervous or jaded to even bother looking in. And at every point in Danse's life he didn't belong. He was a rogue synth, so he didn't belong in the Institute. He naturally thrives as a soldier, so he didn't belong as a junk seller in Rivet City. He was a synth and considerably more kind and compassionate than the rest of the BOS, so he didn't belong there. And because he was a BOS soldier and is still working out some bad traits after his exile, he isn't welcomed by the people who he was thrown to. Everywhere he goes, there's a big neon sign over his head that changes to whatever word will ward off everyone around him and he's so used to it, the thing that makes him angriest about being a synth is that he doesn't even have parents. He doesn't even have that connection to the world, of being born into it. There is nothing he can connect himself to beyond the Institute (which he hates) and the Brotherhood (which, if he continues to connect himself to, will drive him to suicide out of sense of duty, and he already agreed to not do that)

Its just. His entire story is one of absolute isolation and the final dickpunch of "You've always hated yourself, right? Good news, here's a reason to kill yourself that's professional and won't illicit pity from your peers, so no one will judge you for doing it or grieve you."

#fallout 4 #fo4 #paladin danse #gettin emosh with the babygirl this fine evening #always sobbing about how Hancock hates Danses fucking guts but not as much as he hates Danse laying down and accepting death #theyre such similar people its just that Hancock has finished his first arc of bettering himself. he just hasnt worked thru the guilt #and self hatred #meanwhile danse only gets the realization hes been an ass and needs to change. he never hits act 2 or 3 #because of shit writing

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mayisgoingnuts · 5 months ago

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what dexter headcanons do you have

I STILL DIDN'T THINK OF MANY BUUUUT A FEW!

-> Getting the typical identity and etc ones out of the way: Do y'all fw unlabeled Dexter any pronouns (he/him preferred). Maybe./silly

To him thinking about that stuff is literally USELESS, he does NOT care and doesn't even think about it to be honest, if he likes someone he just doesn't pay attention to their gender at all.

-> He mainly dislike cats because they're the reason why his mom is blind from one eye. She forgave them, he didn't.

-> LOVES his backpack, literally EVERYTHING he needs (emotional sense) is there and he carries around kinda as a plan B to calm down his anxiety regards killing things.

-> Taxidermy. That's the hc.

-> Biggest fan of watching criminal cases' series, even though it always leave him a little paranoid afterwards.

-> Watched a lot of propagandas and business' related videos to adapt his speech and be more charismatic as he wasn't used to being overly friendly to strangers.

-> After his death, the first feeling that he had while panicking was that he was freezing, even though he wasn't actually cold.

-> Only escaped school bullying because other kids got scared that he could throw a "don't come to school tomorrow" to a friend or something.

-> Michelle always complimented his smile so even if he ended up with a "weird smile" he was really proud of it!

-> Now for Dexter Doll ones: A lot of Skid's toys were destroyed by him out of rage, same thing to a few of Susie's drawings.

-> Almost managed to make Pump get a pest for him to kill once, but he brought it already dead. Pump was scolded for doing that and then began to refuse everytime.

-> The Happy Fella actually needed to be sewed because Skid and Pump already fought to see who'd stay with the doll and they ended up ripping off one of his arms.

-> At some point he definitely had suicidal thoughts I'm sorry. Not straight up "I want to die" but more like a "Dying was less torturous...", etc.

-> Skid's crayons got bitten and broken once again to relieve stress and that's why he had none instead of not having only the red crayon.

-> At the beginning, there was a lot of times were Dexter actually went "aww..." at Skid and Pump, but they always ruined it afterwards somehow.

#spooky month #spooky month headcanons #sm dexter erotoph #sm dexter the exterminator #sm happy fella

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jihyocentric · 3 months ago

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there's this couple on tiktok ( https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMheQUrFh/ ) that reminds me of nahyo, the guy is like obsessed with his girlfriend (like he should 🙄) and he's always making breakfast for her and saying how much he loves that she tells him what to do

idk they just make me think of domestic!nahyo, I love how you write them, nayeon WOULD be a sucker for hyo, and hyo would always be kinda angry but they are sooo soft and obsessed with each other, and nayeon of course would be such a soft mom, sometimes maybe too soft but that's okay! cause that's one of the things hyo loves about her :') and I know I'm rambling but I just can't get enough of how you view nahyo, it's feel so right, and I get so tired of reading ff where jihyo is viewed so ????? like I know it's fiction but from what part of your ass did you pull out that?.... idk I just love domestic nahyo and im so thankful that you write them 😭🤚

whipped nayeon is my favorite thing in the world!! domestic au jihyo is exactly like that, a bit angry and quite bossy but nayeon wouldn't want her any other way! i think part of why i see nayeon this way when i'm writing nahyo is that nayeon (real nayeon) is always full of love for jihyo, and not many people get that (nobody gets them like i do ass discourse but am i wrong!).

nayeon is one of the members who talks about jihyo more like she really is, at least from my perspective. nayeon treats her like the middle kid jihyo is, always remembers everyone jihyo is cute (according to her jihyo is the cutest member and i stand with her! source: a live stream with momo) despite being 'filled with anger' (this was probably during moonlight sunrise promotions). i just love that she's really an unnie to jihyo, and they're both still each others' babygirls. i'll never be able to describe how much i love nayeon for just being herself and for loving jihyo the way she does

domestic au nayeon is nayeon in her most exaggerated form, i think. i'm so happy you get me, YES nayeon will do anything for her, YES jihyo can be a bit mean to her sometimes, but nayeon loves it and so does jihyo, no more and no less. oh, and nayeon being too soft as a mom is so real. jihyo is rightfully upset when nayeon does something she shouldn't to jisoo, either pampering her too much or failing to scold her when needed. nayeon could be teaching jisoo the opposite of what jihyo is trying to when jihyo says 'no' to her or gives her a speech, which definitely makes jihyo angry.

again, YOU GET ME!! it's so hard for me to read jihyo fics because i'll rarely find someone who builds jihyo's character in a way that i like. it's obviously not the writer's fault, like i could be writing a member in a way other people won't like them and it's all good yk, just skip the thing and we'll be fine, but with jihyo i feel like it's something that occurs so often. it is all fiction but still... as a professional jihyo observer, lover and researcher, i can't condone certain jihyos. but nobody owes me anything, so i'll just write what i would like to read instead! 🙂‍↕

#anon #asks #ghost is probably the only writer that makes me read jihyo fics these days... if you're seeing this thank you ghost you're the best

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aslitheryprinx · 4 months ago

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hc in space au -- stress & iskall's first meeting

~~~

I didn't mean for this au to get quite this dark but... Well. There's a reason the rebels are rebels, and this is where it started for Stress and Iskall.

TW: child abuse, oppression.

~~~

There was a boy in the courtyard. Stress never saw any sprouts her age, so of course she was immediately curious. She waited until her minders were distracted, talking about boring stuff like ‘new batches’ and ‘ack-wuh-sit-shuns’ whatever those were. Then, as sneakily as she could, she darted over to the boy, who was smearing some sort of paste onto the half-built wall.

“What are you doing?” She asked, and the boy jumped. He gave her the same little bow as all the servants usually did.

“I'm, um, building the wall, my lady,” he said quietly.

“‘m not a lady, I'm Stress!” she said. She didn't like when all of the adults called her their lady instead of her name; and it was doubly weird when another kid did it!

Immediately the boy perked up. Just a little shyly, he said, “Ok, Stress. I'm Iskall …85.”

Stress vaguely knew about the Number People. The minders never let her talk to them, even if they were always doing cool stuff! And they were always so rude to them too, and only said their numbers.

“Nice to meet you, Iskall,” she said, dropping off the number because he tagged it on the end like he didn't like it. She bet it was kind of like her ‘lady.’ Even when the grownups used her name, they always stuck a Lady in front of it- it was quite annoying.

Iskall beamed when she said his name, and she had never seen a smile so happy before.

Stress peeked to see if her minders were still busy, and then hurriedly asked Iskall to explain how making the walls worked. He in turn, asked what she did inside all day, and soon they were exchanging knowledge in the way that only young kids can.

Iskall was just telling her about the time he got to fix one of the fountain pipes all by himself, when a shadow fell over them. While Stress looked up, a guilty smile on her face, Iskall shrunk back, his smile falling away.

“My Lady, you should not be sullying yourself talking to one of… these,” the adult said sharply. They tugged her away from Iskall.

Stress wasn't really sure what ‘sullying’ meant… oh, they must have meant sillying! The minders didn't like it when she did silly things- she was supposed to be “a lady” after all and they were serious and elegant. Still, she was always so lonely! It wasn't fair that she didn't get to be silly for even just a minute.

“But he's my friend!” She protested, whining a little even though that was for babies.

For the first time since the adult had arrived, Iskall looked up. He looked up at her with shining eyes and the slightest smile. She beamed back-

Years later, Stress would look back on that moment as her last true moment of innocence. The last moment she was a child with no worries in the world.

The sharp sound of a branch hitting skin rang through the courtyard. Stress’s hands flew to her mouth, and she stared blankly at the bright red mark on Iskall’s cheek. He'd lowered his head again and his eyes were empty and dull, nothing like they'd been while she had talked to him about lessons and dancing and everything in between.

Her minder was scolding Iskall, harsher than she'd ever heard any adult talk. They were speaking of stations and disrespect and betters and punishment, but Stress couldn't pay attention to the speech. Not when she'd just seen her minder hit someone.

She barely noticed as she was guided away, her eyes still fixed on the red mark on Iskall's face.

For the next several weeks, Stress was very careful around her minders. It didn't occur to her, until she saw one of the older Number People being screamed at for nicking from the kitchen, something she'd done many times and only got a disappointed frown, that she wasn't in danger of being punished.

It was another day later when she realized that if she was one of the “betters” and got nice things, then the Number People were the “lessers” and bad things happened to them. She would never be punished like that, but others would be. It was somehow worse than the fear.

That night was the first time she cried over how unfair it was. It was far from the last.

#hermitcraft #hermits in space au #stressmonster101 #stress #iskall85 #iskall

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lula-ne · 2 years ago

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Motherly!Reader Head cannons/Scenarios

I just made up a bunch of these scenarios in my head (mostly because I'm coping from not actually being surrounded by children 24/7 anymore) about a Y/N that was seen as motherly or like a big sister to the kids and the bots admiring you for it.

- I imagine the kids could trust you and come running to you for comfort after getting hurt/patched up by Ratchet or after the stress of a battle (since they're literally still children and sometimes the bots/they're own parents aren't who they're comfortable talking about it to)

- It becomes common for the kids to expect a booboo kiss from her, even if it's kind of silly. Miko definitely purposely gets hurt for them.

- Ratchet catches on to it and when you get hurt when the kids are gone one time he quickly and gently lays a kiss on your bandaged wound before turning back to his work with a playful side eye, watching you fluster in giddy embarrassment.

- Though Jack doesn't generally get booboo kisses he has had a few times where he has pulled you aside to cry on your shoulder as you hold him and rub his back endearingly. After he gets it out of his system you give him a noogie and send him on his way with a laugh.

- Arcee has witnessed this a few times and has thanked you for comforting him when she couldn't.

- All of the bots genuinely admire you, even if it's in their own way.

- Bee doesn't know how to exactly comfort Raph when it's a rare occasion that he's stressed or crying, and is silently thankful when you take over for him. (I feel Raphs parents probably don't comfort him enough because of his big family and he seems kind of outcasted and underappreciated by his parents and Reader makes up for it)

- Miko is just her genuine brat self but you still care for her to bits. It helps that you're accepting of her strange but loud taste in music (you bought her those skull candy headphones even though Ratchet was hesitant about it though everyone was thankful for the occasional peace and quiet). The goofballs always getting into stunts and runs to you to protect her when scolded by the bots. Which you lovingly do with an eye roll and a (faked) disappointed sigh.

- Bulk enjoys having some of the burden taken off of him, and he definitely appreciates your help with the lil gremlin child.

- Though he's not around often, you do sometimes catch the soft smiles on Optimus' faceplate as he watches you interact with the children. His smiles were so warm it could literally make your heart explode into tiny pieces. He once has pulled you aside to give you what felt like another of his speeches but to some it up it was a just thank you for the help you didn't really realize you were providing them since they had little experience with human children. What blew your mind was as he was getting up and ready to leave, you got a couple of thankful pats/scratches on the head that left you dumbstruck as he waltzed away.

This is what I did instead of sleeping.

#transformers #optimus prime #ratchet #bumblebee #tfp #scenarios #headcannons #kind of

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hanniejji · 2 years ago

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What do you think, what takes kazuha to be really mad at maple?

this is actually so hard to think of? because i honestly think that kazuha is incapable of expressing his anger verbally and physically towards maple, if he even gets angry at them at all. also, he's a relatively calm person and i think he's the type to correct maple on their wrong doings in a calm manner :']

kazuha being stressed and accidentally expressing his worry towards maple would make it look like he's angry, because maple's safety is something he doesn't want to risk. he frowns deeply and his voice goes a little higher in volume as he lectures them on their safety. he doesn't do this out of anger, but because his fear is mixing in with the frustration he feels whenever he's unable to prevent problems from happening, especially problems revolving around maple. but even as he does this, he always calms down after his speech. at the end of the day, he hates being the reason that maple's upset and he makes sure that they know that he's not angry by giving them hugs and kisses, whispering reassuring words and comforting them.

i can't think of anything else other than maple getting seriously hurt because they didn't listen to him. maple's a good kid and would never throw a tantrum over little things, they didn't grew up in the best environments so they know that being demanding isn't going to help and they don't like upsetting their brother. but when it comes to the topic of their capabilities to protect themselves on their own? it always ends up in a debate between the two of them. maple can keep insisting that they can take care of themselves, but kazuha doesn't like risking things and being uncertain. and when maple does get hurt? oh brother, kazuha's not having it.

he's silent when things are seriously bad. heck, maple would wish he'd say something, scold them, tell them 'i told you so', anything instead of just having that disappointed look on his face.

don't get him wrong tho, he's not doing this to punish maple, archons know how much he hates upsetting them and he knows them like the back of his hand. but he just really doesn't know what to say because all he can mentally see is maple getting hurt more worse than this and being too late to save them. it's hard enough to steady his hands while tending to maple's wounds/injuries, having to talk while doing so would break him and he might just go into tears right in front of them. the only way to snap him out of it is if maple asks him if he's mad, in which he'll answer no and just bring them in his arms, weakly mumbling just how scared he was after the whole ordeal. after that, he'll apologize for scaring them before sternly telling them to never do that again. maple apologizing too would be such a relief to him.

in conclusion, he doesn't get mad, but he does gets frustrated. however, he never forgets to show maple how he loves them and that his intentions are all for good.

maple better give their brother lots of hugs for the fright they gave him hhnhn

#maple.ask #asks #nonnie

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kazewhara · 3 years ago

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I find your profile and omg,I'm obsessed!So if it's okay to request can I get big brother Kazuha and Thoma headcanons. This was on my mind for a while.

not always eye to eye...

# — characters: gender neutral reader, kazuha

# — summary: ...but always heart to heart.

# — warnings: n/a

# — tags: pretty ooc kazuha, fluff, platonic/familial relationships, reader and kazuha are members of the crux fleet

# — notes: hi! i'm glad you like my writing, it means a lot! so, because you requested headcanons, this is gonna be structured a little differently! i'll also likely do thoma at a later date, but as always, reblogs are always appreciated and i hope you enjoy!

(NEW!) # — tag list: @marius-z

(want to be added to the tag list?)

✧ — 🍁 — ✧

i actually think it'd be really funny if kazuha's flowery speech was just an act

his docile behavior is completely natural -- he's genuinely selfless and thoughtful

but the speech patterns.. not so much

when kazuha went on the run with you, he did everything he could to throw suspicion off of you guys, and that included changing up the way he spoke

you HATE IT.

"if i hear the word 'perhaps' come from your lips one more time, i'm gonna throw up." you throw your pillow at your brother's face, swiftly dodging it when he chucks it back at you with no hesitation.

kazuha narrows his eyes at you. most people were intimidated by this look, but you knew your brother like the back of your hand. "what else am i supposed to say?" he scoffs. "what, should i be saying 'mayhaps,' instead?" when you make a gagging noise, he snorts at you. "i told you, it'd be less awkward if you just followed my lead."

you cringe. "and sound like a walking flower garden? no thanks."

"a walking flower garden, they say." kazuha deadpans. "you're ridiculous."

"and you're cheesy."

kazuha is, deep down, the older brother you know everyone wishes they had.

he's generous and wise, he can be strong and intimidating when the situation calls for it

he also has an endless supply of sage-like advice?? the age gap between you two isn't all that big, so you always wonder how and why he knows so much

i also like to think that kazuha reserves his mischievous behavior just for you.

"why do you do this." your voice is flat as kazuha uses his anemo vision to blow little gusts of air in your face every few minutes. you've been trying to read a book for about three hours, two of which were spent trying to get kazuha to stop bugging you.

kazuha leans his head back on the rock he's been resting on. "i have no idea what you're on about. read your book."

"i would, if someone would quit blowing the pages around-- you're doing it again!" you kick kazuha's shin, grumbling when he laughs at you. "what would captain beidou say if she knew you were like this?"

"oh, she'll never know." kazuha muses. he lets his eyes close as he basks in the sunlight.

you frown. "what makes you so sure? i could tell her everything."

your brother hums. "you could, you could. but," he opens one eye to peer at you, "would she even believe you?"

yes, you heard that correctly -- kazuha messes with you on purpose because he knows no one would ever believe you if you told them about his shenanigans

his reputation as a softspoken samurai is far stronger than anyone could have anticipated

i say all this because while i love that kazuha is the epitome of kindness, there is most definitely some repressed asshole-ish tendencies locked away inside him

and you're the poor soul that has to take the brunt of it </3

i'm kidding. he's not that bad; you just kinda want to punch him in the face sometimes.

another thing!

in kazuha's story, we learn that he taught himself his own bladework, so naturally, that means he's taught you as well

luckily for you, that means you get to knock him around whenever he pisses you off

kazuha tsks when the ground beneath his feet suddenly freezes over. he shifts his stance accordingly and glares at you. "you fight so dirty." he scolds lightly. "i didn't teach you my skills just so you could do this."

you bark out a laugh and coat your katana in cryo energy. "everyone fights dirty, kazuha. think fast!" you rush him with very little warning, and kazuha barely manages to parry your blade. you hear him swear and you laugh before sweeping your foot against his ankles, knocking him to the ground. "i win again!" you cheer.

kazuha sighs from where he fell. "only because i let you."

"that's what losers say."

"you are such a child."

"and you are a loser."

fed up with your bickering, kazuha snatches your ankle and tugs you to the ground, stifling a laugh when you make a small 'oof' sound.

i've spoken a lot about him being a typical older brother, but let's get serious now.

no one knows you like kazuha does. you don't even think you know yourself as well as your brother does.

if you two are apart for a whole day and you haven't eaten, somehow, he'll know. he'll give you extra food from his plate without saying a word.

if you think you're doing a good job hiding any bruises you may have earned while you were out, think again. kazuha knows.

kazuha expresses his concern for others in a more flashy manner -- he's talkative, charming, and mysterious when he wants to be -- and people find comfort in that

but you are the only person who knows what kazuha's love really looks like.

you wince when kazuha's fingers squeeze your damaged ankle.

you returned to the alcor bruised and battered, but you tried to hide it from your brother. you refused treatment from the doctor on board, insisting that you handle your injuries yourself. if the doctor took care of you, they would call kazuha in right away. not wanting to worry him, you took matters into your own hands.

but it's as if kazuha has a sixth sense for everything related to you. you couldn't even unravel the bandages before he was barging into your cabin, his shoulders taut.

he didn't ask questions -- you knew he wouldn't. you passed him the first aid supplies after a brief staring contest. kazuha got to work right away, starting with your ankle.

"someone said they saw you limping." kazuha all but grumbles. he doesn't take his eyes off of what he's doing.

"and here i thought i was doing a good job in hiding it-- ow." you try to make light of the situation, but kazuha digs his fingers into the bruised area. "sorry." you mumble.

kazuha hates that you do this -- not that you go off on your own and get into trouble, but that you refuse to come to him when you're in need.

there's a reason for that.

kazuha is the only family you've ever had. the two of you grew up without your parents, leaving kazuha to take care of you in the wake of the decline of the kaedehara clan. as you grew up, you did what you could do be as independent as possible. kazuha shouldered so much responsibility from such a young age -- the last thing you wanted was to be a burden. you stopped telling him when you needed help, opting to do everything yourself. as much as you loved when he cared about you, you tried to make him do it as little as possible.

"don't talk." kazuha's voice is rough around the edges. he keeps speaking as he examines your body for any other injuries. "we've been over this before."

"i know, kazu'."

"you tried to hide from me."

you grimace and duck your head with shame. he sounds hurt. he always does when this happens. "sorry, kazu'." guilt starts to rise when kazuha huffs through his nose.

"if you don't tell me that you're hurt, how am i supposed to keep you safe?" he rises to his feet and steps back, folding his arms as he looks at you. he raises a hand you open your mouth to interject. "i know you can handle yourself, but you can't do everything alone. it's okay to ask me for help. you should know this by now."

you don't meet his eyes. you can't. "you shouldn't have to worry about me all the time--"

"are you serious? we're family. i worry about you because i love you. what kind of--" kazuha pinches his nose bridge to keep himself from swearing.

if you didn't feel so shitty right now, you'd make a joke about how he looks like a dad. your stomach sinks at the possibility of him grounding you -- he's done it before.

he gives you a quick once over. "you know what," he says, kneeling in front of you to finish patching you up, "just don't leave my side. okay?" before you can answer, he raises his hand and flicks your forehead with so much force, you feel your head get pushed back. "that's for scaring me. don't do this anymore."

you rub the sore spot with teary eyes, but nod in understanding. you're in no position to fight back -- kazuha must have been worried sick. "sorry, kazuha." you murmur again.

kazuha glances at you, his eyes reflecting their usual kindness. "stop saying sorry."

"okay. sorry."

"what did i just say?"

kazuha shows affection towards you in a rather brusque manner, i think..

because he can't possibly be so polite all the time

the idea that kazuha has such a side to him is so comforting, even if it is a little strange to think about

✧ hey! i know, i know, this isn't very in character, but,,, idk, i kinda like this idea, ig! lemme know what you think, pls! sorry if this wasn't great,,

#genshin impact #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #kaedehara kazuha #genshin kazuha #kazuha x reader #platonic genshin x reader #z scribbles #z hcs #z box #z anon #whew tagging is so much work

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lgg5989 · 2 years ago

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Church Encounters Chapter 7

Hey guys! Thank you for reading our (mine & @barbiewritesstuff) fic! We have received so much love and positive feedback on it and that makes us so happy. Check out more chapters on my Masterlist, please enjoy the moodboard, and read it on Ao3 as well!

Without further ado, please enjoy!

Tw for angst, mentions of character death and slight child neglect

---

“-- phone number is on the fridge, as well as both my parents’ and Beau’s mother’s number if there’s a problem. Bedtime is at 8 for the little ones and the boys go when they want to. Don’t forget prayers and teeth, even if I know you won’t --”

Elisabeth Simpson had employed you every Friday for the past three years to watch over the children in the small amount of time between her attending her book club, and her husband coming home from work. Even though you were a seasoned babysitter, having cared for the children right through the newborn phase, the I-will-eat-everything phase, the terrible twos and innumerable flus, colds and allergic reactions, she still gave you the same speech every Friday evening. You couldn’t judge, you would have been the same if you had had to leave your children.

“Don’t worry, I got everything under control,” You laughed a little, “Besides, it’s only until Admiral Simpson comes home, so even if there’s a problem, I’m sure we can wait until he gets here,” You said, rattling off the same script you always did.

And as always, she glanced at you one last time, waved her children goodbye and walked out of the house. You turned around clapping your hands together.

“Right, kids. What are we watching tonight?” You asked.

The triplets loudly demanded Dora The Explorer. Matthew wanted Stranger Things, and Peter offered to watch “A classic display of cinematographic genius”. After scolding Peter for even asking to watch The Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the presence of his younger sisters, you compromised by setting up what you wanted to watch: Love, Actually. The boys groaned but came around at the sight of Keira Knightly. Picking up your buckets of popcorn you all piled onto the couch, you started the film.

The credits had just started to roll when you heard the noise of keys jingling in the lock. A minute later, an exhausted Admiral walked into the room. He kissed his children on the head and spared you a wave before beelining for the shower. You set to work herding the girls into the other bathroom and brushed their teeth, managing, somehow, not to get bitten. You combed their curly brown hair and braided it nicely and then, after one last trip to the toilet, you corralled them into their room. They all knelt by their beds and held their hands together for their bedtime prayer. You didn’t even have to guide them as they mumbled

“Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep.

Angels guard me through the night,

And wake me up with the morning light.

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John,

Bless this bed that I lie on,

Four corners to my bed,

Four angels round my head.

One to watch and One to pray

And two to bare my soul away.”

You watched over them as they finished and climbed into their bed. They pulled the duvet up to their chins and clutched their teddy bears tightly as they slowly drifted off to sleep. You pushed yourself against the door you had been leaning on with a shiver, you had never quite noticed how macabre the second half of the prayer was until it was spoken in perfect unison by three little girls, getting ready to sleep.

You didn’t hear the door behind you creak open and Cyclone sneak in, “I don’t know why they do that last part. We didn’t teach them…” He whispered and you damn near jumped out of your skin. Holding in the urge to hit your superior officer, you opted to shoot him your most scalding glare instead. He smirked.

“Peter has the Texas Chainsaw Massacre ready to go,” He added, nodding towards the living room.

“That film is so not appropriate for a sixteen and a fourteen year old!” You whispered back.

“I told them they could but not to come crying to me if they were too scared,” He shrugged. You looked at him for a minute, trying to figure out if you needed to put up more of a fight against this and deciding not to. He was their father after all, Elisabeth could blame him if they couldn’t sleep.

“This better not be a repeat of Stephen King’s IT,” You warned as you followed him into the livingroom.

Cyclone handed you another bucket of popcorn and pulled out a coke from the fridge for all of you, now that the three sugar fiends had been peacefully tucked away in their room. He pressed play and the film started.

“Can I just remind you that YOU were scared of Stephen King’s IT,” Peter told you, seemingly unable to remind you of that fact for more than ten minutes, “So scared, in fact, that Dad had to walk you home.”

“No. No no. I wasn’t scared,” You lied, “I was worried, there had been a few things in the news that made me worried to go out there alone.”

“Riiiiight,” He said, turning his attention to the tv screen, “Were you also worried when we watched The Woman in Black? And Misery --”

“Okay, Misery was terrifying and you know it,” you butted in before he could finish.

Peter let out another snicker, “Fine, but you were scared of Stranger Things.”

You huffed with frustration, “I was not! Admiral, your children are liars.”

“Alright, alright, alright,” Admiral Simpson laughed, trying to put an end to the bickering.

Peter looked at you with a look of mock betrayal, “You traitorous snitch!” He exclaimed before wrestling the pillow he was leaning against from underneath him and placing a well-aimed swing at your figure. Popcorn flew everywhere as you dropped the bucket and let it fall to the floor. You curled up as small as you could, trying not to laugh too loudly so as to not wake up the girls, but the hits kept coming. Somewhere along the way, Matthew joined in swinging wildly with as many pillows as he could hold.

You were viciously attacked until Cyclone stepped in. He threw a blanket in the air, it landed perfectly on both boys, taking advantage of their temporary target loss he picked them both up from the waist and carried them straight to their room where you heard him throw them onto their beds.

Their change of terrain didn’t bother them too much as they immediately bounced back onto their feet. Cyclone quickly ran out of the room and blocked the door from the outside. The boys laughed as they fought but eventually their energy petered out and the banging on the door stopped.

You checked up on the girls as you heard Admiral Simpson bid his sons goodnight. They were still peacefully unaware of the terrible battle that had occurred right outside their bedroom door, and it was all for the best, they may have been little but they seemed to run on duracell batteries whenever chaos was being stirred.

“I think we’re good,” You said, walking back into the kitchen to find your boss already sweeping popcorn into a bin bag, “We’ll need to mop, I had butter on mine,” You added.

Cyclone grimaced, “I don’t know how you can eat that stuff.”

“I don’t know why you hate it so much, it’s really good,” you said smiling.

He rolled his eyes at you, “It’s greasy, and it makes your fingers dirty.”

You let out a laugh before firing back, “Oh, right, I’m sorry. I forgot I was talking to the man who eats cheetos with chopsticks.”

“I should never have told you that,” He sighed, “So, I heard you visited Texas with Seresin.”

“Yeah, we went for Thanksgiving,” you said, feeling like you needed to be a little more guarded.

Cyclone hummed, “Peter was sad to hear you wouldn’t be joining us this year. I think he has a crush,” He smirked, then after a moment, he grew serious again, “Is he treating you right?”

You nodded, “Yeah, he’s really nice.”

“Okay, but he’s not --” Cyclone rubbed his nose like he did whenever he was about to ask something he was dreading the answer to. You had seen it happen enough times with Maverick to recognise it before he even moved his hand, “He’s not pressuring you into --”

Scrunching your nose, you looked at him, “Ew.”

“I’m just saying, I know his reputation. I want to make sure, Y/n, that you are safe,” Cyclone said, letting out a deep breath.

You gave him a look that said you did not want to be doing this, “I am not having this conversation with my boss.”

He rolled his eyes at you, “You called me Dad last week.”

“I hate you so much,” You said and Admiral Simpson laughed.

“He doesn’t pressure me into anything. He’s been really good to me, his family were a little… cold.. At first but after a day or two they were really nice,” you said finally.

“That’s good,” Cyclone said, “Get started on the mop, would you?”

Giving him your best sassy voice you asked, “Why, is it because I’m a girl?”

He let out a sigh, “Do as you’re told.”

“Urgh!” You exclaimed in mock annoyance, “Yes, Dad!”

As you started to mop, he interrupted you again, “You know you can come to us if there’s ever a problem, right?”

“I know,” you said quietly.

“No, I mean it. You stopped being a babysitter and started being a family member roughly two weeks after we hired you. If there is ever a problem, with anything and with anyone, you can come to us. We will help,” he said, moving a bit closer to you.

You laughed a little, “Even stupid things?”

“Even stupid things,” he confirmed.

“Okay,” you said with a wide smile.

Cyclone gave you a stern look before asking, “Like how stupid are we thinking?”

“I’m scared to call the dentist. They freak me out,” you said quietly.

It was his turn to let out a small laugh this time, “Name and number, I’ll do it for you.”

The air turned more serious when you asked your next question, “What’s it like having a dad?”

“I wouldn’t know,” He replied, looking past you into something you couldn’t see, “But I can tell you what it was like knowing your dad.”

Your eyes opened wide before you responded, “No, I know what he was like. Annie and Audrey told me about him --”

“They can’t get close to the full picture,” Cyclone motioned for you to sit down on the sofa, “I was truly honoured to know your dad as a friend and a mentor before he passed, but I truly learned to respect him when I saw him with his children. I knew my father for all of five years before he left us for another family we didn’t know about. In that time, he managed to beat me half to death twice. He screamed, shouted and threw punches wherever his football team lost. He was my own personal Hell.”

“And then I met your Dad. He was so kind, so gentle with me and he went above and beyond for me. He was my Youth Minister for two years before we moved, Y/n, but I never lost contact. He wrote to me every week and called the house phone every holiday to make sure I was okay. I went to him for everything. Hell, he taught me how to shave, he taught me how to drive. He taught me how to talk to God, like, really talk to him. Not recite the ‘Our Father’ and call it good for the day.”

“When I moved, I left the church, I was hurt and I wanted to hurt someone in return. So, I went for the safest option, I renounced the Lord because I knew I would be forgiven. I swore I didn’t believe in him and I took every chance I got to throw punches at him. I wanted to hurt Him, I wanted Him to bleed. But every time I wrote to your father, every favour I asked, every phone call, I got pulled back a little closer. And it got to the point where I didn’t know if I believed in the Lord, but I believed in your father. And I figured that maybe Jesus was real, because there was no way a human poured this much good into Craig. Everything he did he did with love. Even picking up a stray kid on some church steps. He treated me the same way he treated your sisters and the same way he would have treated you.”

“Okay,” You tried to control the tears that were now pouring freely from your eyes, “Because everything you’ve described, you have done for me. And I’m trying to figure out if I’m joking when I call you Dad.”

You tried to remember your childhood. There hadn’t been many moments of parental guidance. Annie had taken the brunt of the childcare as the eldest daughter and Audrey had helped where she could. Still there hadn’t been much a six year old could do when your mother had withdrawn and refused to even look at you. Beau Simpson, your father’s WSO from before he left the Navy, had come to visit when you were still a newborn. He had held you close to his chest, fed you, bathed you and dressed you every day of his two week stay. He had played with your sisters, taken them shopping, made them visit the zoo and actually made sure both of them attended school. When he had eventually returned to the Navy he had been just as heartbroken as your family had been. He returned every weekend, making sure you were fed, bathed and your nappies changed for at least two days of the week. It broke his heart, you knew, but it was the best he could do.

Then, when you were old enough, he walked you to the nursery and immediately fell head over heels in love with the new trainee. Elisabeth had been twenty years old to his twenty five and she hadn’t been impressed one bit. In her defence, she believed him to be your father and would only correct her assumption after she had given him a piece of her mind at the very top of her voice for an hour straight on a random Saturday morning at the farmer’s market. Once she figured out he was merely a friend of your father’s she had agreed to a date and soon after, they married. You were a flower girl at their wedding, and so were your sisters, looking put together and clean on a Wednesday for almost the first time in your three years of life. You had slipped up and called him Daddy then. After seeing your mother’s face you hadn’t done it again for the following twenty-two years.

Grandma moved to the US when you were five after having spent the previous years with her other daughter after her divorce. She had pretty much taken over right then, but you had still called Beau whenever there had been something major. You didn’t call as often as you wanted, and picked up whenever he called even less, especially since your mother made sure to let you know, although never with her words, that he only did it under obligation, not because he cared.

“Oh, Heavens Above,” Cyclone said, bawling his eyes out next to you, “Come, hug me.”

You were starting to think that maybe your mother had been wrong.

—

You and Jake had decided to join the rest of the team at the bar for Saturday night pool and karaoke. While you had been sticking to hanging with Bobby, the loud crowd a little too much for your quieter tastes. Jake, knowing this, had told you to have fun with Bob, giving you a kiss on the cheek and a whispered, “Put your drinks on my tab,” before making his way over to the pool table.

You had always enjoyed Bob’s company and tonight was no different. Your conversation had been flowing smoothly, the two of you discussing the holiday season coming up and the plans that you had made with family and friends.

“I’m not looking forward to going home,” he said, swirling his water around in his cup.

You gave him a funny look, “Why not?”

Bob let out a sigh before answering, “My dad is a bit of a hard ass, the holidays are never really fun for me.”

Nodding, you set a comforting hand on his arm, “Maybe things will be different this year?”

“Nah,” Bob said, turning to look at you, “He hasn’t changed in twenty-five years and he won't change now.”

It made you sad to think that Bob had never had a fun Christmas. You knew that not everyone’s experiences were the same, but you couldn’t understand how a parent could ruin such a fun holiday for their child. After a moment of sullen silence, his voice interrupted your thoughts, ”Enough about me, what are you and Jake doing for Christmas?” he asked.

“We are planning on going back to Texas. My sisters always have holiday plans around this time of year to see my aunt in Italy so I figured it would be good to spend the time with him instead,” you said, your voice a little sad.

Bob nodded, “Yeah, missing family is hard this time of year. My grandma was my favourite person to be around at Christmas. As tough as my dad is to deal with, she used to say, ‘Don’t mind him Bobby, I brought him into this world, and I can take him out of it,’” he said with a laugh.

You smiled at him encouragingly, “My grandma was my favourite too,” you agreed, but didn’t elaborate any further. At that moment you looked up, your eyes finding Jake at the pool table. There were some new Top Gun recruits in town and he had been hustling them, per his usual. Like he felt your gaze on him, he looked up, catching your eye before sending you a wink.

A blush spread over your cheeks before you turned to Penny, motioning for another round of your new go to drink, Sex On The Beach. Turning back to Bob, you asked, “You have any new year’s resolutions Bobby?”

He looked at you, “I’d like to find a girl this year,” he said quietly, “That’s been my resolution for a few years now, but it was not the right time I guess.”

“I’m sure she is out there Bob,” you said, “Don’t stop looking, the Lord will send someone your way.”

“I know,” he said back, a disappointed sigh passing through his lips, “Sometimes I just wonder how long I’m gonna’ wait.”

You just nodded along with him, “I used to think the same thing, but then I left my chapel veil with Jake at church,” you said, looking up at Jake again. You felt your heart clench in your chest at the sight in front of you. A beautiful woman was standing in front of Jake, her long auburn locks much different than your own sometimes frizzy mop, and she looked like a model, all thin curves and delicate features.

The conversation seemed somewhat one sided, with Jake playing pool and all, but that didn’t stop her from checking out his form when he bent over the table. You couldn’t deny that he looked good in his black t-shirt and original Levi jeans, but that didn’t mean you were okay with this woman ogoling him.

As he stood back up, leaning slightly on his pool cue, she placed a hand on his arm, and Jake didn’t remove it right away. You weren’t an insecure person by any means, but you knew Jake’s reputation on base and in the area, and you had hoped that he was really committed to changing for you.

Thinking about the events of the last week, you felt your heart start to beat harder in your chest. Jake had been withdrawn from you. He hadn’t pressed his usual kiss to your cheek during mass, he didn’t text or call as much as he usually did, and he had forgotten your movie night all together a few nights prior. His excuse had been that he was busy and had forgotten, and while you were hurt, you understood, telling him that it was alright before watching the movie on your own.

As your mind started rushing with the thoughts that maybe he was regretting making his commitment to you, to taking it slow. Maybe he was seeing someone on the side that could give him what he wanted. Turning to Bob, who was sitting in a comfortable silence with you, you said, “I’ll be right back,” before heading in the direction of the bathroom. As you got there, you looked around the bar to make sure no one was watching you before turning and making your way outside. The ocean air blew over your face, and a few tears escaped your eyes at the thought that Jake had actually been talking to that woman.

Deciding that a walk would be good for you, you sent him a text, ‘Don’t feel good. Going home.’ You turned your phone on silent, tucking it into the small clutch you had brought for the night before making your way in the direction of your apartment.

—

Jake didn’t know what else he could do to get this woman away from him. Ever since he had started seeing you he hadn’t looked at another woman, let alone flirt with one. He had been doing his best to ignore her obnoxious attempts to get his attention by trying to focus on the game of pool he was currently winning.

As he stood back up, leaning into his cue to try and determine how he would take the next shot, he felt a hand on his arm. He turned to the owner of the hand with a smile, expecting it to be you, but when it wasn’t, he brushed it off quickly.

“Listen honey, I’m sure you are a real good time,” he started, “But I have a girlfriend, and I will not be cheating on her.”

“You Navy boys are all the same, you have girls at home, but what she doesn’t know won’t hurt her,” she said, batting her eyelashes at him.

“Unlike the rest of the Navy boys, my girl is here,” he said, turning to look at the bar where you had been sitting all night. The seat next to Bob was gone, and he was shooting a look that said trouble. Jake quickly bowed out of the game, handing his pool cue off to the nearest person at the table before making his way across the bar with urgency.

“Where is she?” he asked Bob as soon as he reached the bar.

“I don’t know, she said that she was going to the bathroom a few minutes ago and she didn’t come back, I thought that she might have gone to find you,” he said, his eyes growing wide, “She only had one drink and I’ve been with her the whole time so she isn’t anywhere close to being drunk.”

Jake just nodded, a bit of the panic that had flared in his chest calming at the thought that you had your wits about you. Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he saw that you had texted him, ‘Don’t feel good. Going home.’

Why wouldn’t you have said anything to him? He would have been happy to call it a night and drive you back to your apartment. Pressing call on your contact, he brought the phone up to his ear, his heart in his throat as it rang through to voicemail. He called again and again, until finally, on the fourth call you picked up.

“Hello?” he heard your voice come over the line.

Jake let out a sigh of relief, “Baby, where are you?”

“I just got home,” you said quietly, something in the tone of your voice making Jake think that something was wrong.

He made his way to the door of the bar, the rowdy crowd making it hard to hear your soft voice, “What’s wrong? I would have gladly taken you home if you didn’t feel good,” he said, trying to replay the night in his head and figure out what he did wrong.

“It’s okay, I can take care of myself,” you said and Jake didn’t think he had ever heard your voice sound more cold.

“What did I do?” he tried again, “I know that I did something.”

He heard you sigh before saying, “I don’t know Jake, maybe you should ask the redhead at the bar, I’m sure she can tell you.”

With that the line went dead.

Jake cussed, almost throwing his phone across the parking lot. He had brushed her off, but maybe you hadn’t seen that. It was his own fault, thinking back on how the past week looked, he knew what you were thinking. He figured that if he gave you some time to cool down that maybe he would be able to talk you out of leaving him, you were the air that he needed to breathe.

He turned to go back into the bar. Bob was sitting in the same place that he left him, so Jake headed over. Taking the seat that you had occupied earlier, he looked at Penny, “Two shots of whiskey, Penny-dear, and leave the bottle?” he asked.

She gave him and Bob a look before pouring two shots of Jack Daniels and leaving the bottle on the counter in front of them. Jake pounded the first shot before looking over to Bob, “I don’t suppose that you are going to drink with me then?”

Bob just shook his head, “You know me Jake, only water for this stealth pilot.”

Jake threw back the second shot before pouring himself two more, a million-mile gaze set across the bar, “She’s going to leave me Bobby.”

“What did you do this time?” he asked, “She was just talking about how much she loved you, how the Lord sent you to her, before she left.”

“I haven’t told her why this time of year is hard for me,” Jake said in reply, the third shot halfway to his mouth, “Ya’ see Bobby, I’m a murderer,” he finished quietly, shooting his third shot in as many minutes.

Jake saw Bob’s eyebrows shoot up from the corner of his eye, “What do you mean?”

“Five years ago this week, I killed a pilot and his WSO,” Jake said, his voice cold and detached sounding, even to himself, “Sure they were on the wrong side of enemy lines in some Korean War era piece of shit, but I still killed them.”

Bob just sat there staring, Jake knew what he was thinking, how could the big bad Hangman, the one who bragged about his air combat kill the most, actually be ashamed of it. Jake hadn’t even been able to tell his family about it, he didn’t want to see their eyes change once they knew that he was a killer.

“That’s not your fault man, you were just doing your job,” Bob said, trying to reassure him.

Jake shot back the fourth whiskey before answering, “Yeah, but so were the Nazi’s. It doesn’t make it right. It’s written right there as the sixth commandment, thou shall not kill…”

They sat in silence as Jake filled the glasses again, he raised the fifth shot to his lips before looking at Bob, “Do you think I’m going to hell?”

Bob just shook his head, “I think that if you do your best to seek forgiveness for what you’ve done, then you’ve got just as much of a chance of being saved as the rest of us.”

Jake hung his head, the sixth shot gripped loosely in his hand, “I don’t know if I can tell her this,” he said quietly, “What if she doesn’t want me? I’m just damaged goods.”

Bob’s hand came out to rest on Jake’s shoulder, making him lift his head to look over at the WSO, “She loves you, I don’t think there is anything you could do that would make her change her mind about that. You just need to tell her the truth.”

At that Jake let out a laugh, “The truth about what? About how every Christmas I sit there with my own family wondering if some kid is going to wake up without their father? About how, when I almost lost her, I imagined what it must have felt like for those men’s wives that the loves of their lives were taken from them?”

Jake was on the verge of tears now, whether they were angry or sad he wasn’t sure but he could feel his chin wobbling. Raising the sixth shot to his lips, he poured it into his mouth, not even flinching at the burn as it travelled down his throat.

He slammed the glass face down on the bar, waving Penny over, he pulled out his card, “Thanks Penny, I’ll close it out now,” he said quietly, handing her back a now half empty bottle.

“Anytime Hangman, you go get her, she is good for you,” Penny said, handing his card back to him before turning away and serving another patron.

Bob helped Jake out of his chair, and through the door, “Give me your keys man, I can’t let you drive like this.”

Jake pulled out the keys to his truck, handing them over to Bob. As they made their way out of the bar and into the parking lot, Jake stumbled, managing to catch his balance at the last moment. Bob got him into the truck and started to drive them back to Jake’s apartment. Jake didn’t want to go back there, a place filled with memories of her. Her food in the fridge, and her scarf on the end of the couch, the one she had left in his truck a few weeks ago that he hadn’t given back yet because it still smelled like her.

“Can we go to the church?” Jake asked quietly, “I just can’t go home yet.”

“Yeah,” Bob said, “We can go to the church.”

—

Jake made Bob wait outside as he kneeled down in front of the stairs to the altar. He bowed his head, unsure of what to say. How do you ask God to forgive you for killing someone else? The whiskey from earlier had started to kick in in full force and Jake was feeling particularly emotional, the tears that he had managed to hold back at the bar, were now streaming slowly down his face.

Suddenly the shrill ringing of his phone broke him out of his stupor. He brought it to his face, your contact picture swimming in front of his eyes. Jake clumsily swiped the call button to answer, “Hello?” his voice sounded slurred and rough.

“Jake?” he heard you ask, “Where are you? Why haven’t you been answering your phone?”

“‘M at church,” he said as best he could, “Bobs ‘ere with me.”

“How much have you had to drink?” you demanded.

“‘Nuff,” he said back, not quite remembering how many shots it was that he took.

A sigh filtered through the line, “Why are you at church?”

“Askin’ for forgivin’,” Jake said, his voice quiet now.

“Have Bob take you home, I’ll meet you there okay?” he heard you say, your voice filled with worry.

“M’kay,” Jake said, struggling to pick himself up from the floor of the church. When he couldn’t get up, the room beginning to spin, he said, “Think I’m gon’ stay right ‘ere.”

He heard your voice but couldn’t find it in him to respond, the ceiling of the church never looked so beautiful as it did right now, swimming in front of his eyes. A hand on his shoulder startled him, and Bob’s face came into view, he was talking to someone on the phone, “Yeah, he’s here. I’ll call Rooster and have him help me out.”

Jake wasn’t sure how much time had passed between Bob trying to help him into a pew and Rooster walking in the back of the church, but it felt like a few minutes.

“What’s going on?” he heard Bradshaw ask.

Bob sighed, “He’s drunk and I can’t get him in the car myself. It’s all that damn muscle, guy is heavy.”

Rooster let out a laugh, “I gotcha’ Bob, let’s get him out there.”

With a man under each arm, Jake was carried out to the truck and forced into the passenger’s seat. Bob spoke to Rooster another minute before climbing into the driver’s seat and beginning the familiar drive home.

—

Jake must have fallen asleep, because the next thing he knew, it was morning, and he had a pounding headache. He cracked his eyes open finding himself in his bedroom with no memory as to how he got there. He thanked God that the curtains were pulled shut and that no excess light was coming into the room. On his nightstand was a glass of water and a few Tylenol, he took the pills and chugged the water down in one go.

As much as Jake wanted to roll over and go back to bed, he had to talk to you, and his phone was nowhere to be found. He sat up holding his head tenderly, maybe talking to you could wait until he could gather his thoughts for longer than a second between the pounding that was going on inside his head. Laying back down, he waited for the Tylenol to kick in.

When his head started to feel better, Jake sat up carefully again and threw his legs over the side of the bed. His stomach dropped, why was he in his boxers? He turned quickly to see the rest of the bed, there wasn’t anyone in it with him, and the sheets didn’t look any more rumpled than usual. He prayed to God that he hadn’t done anything irreversible last night. Standing up, he decided that the first thing he needed was to find his phone and call you.

He was confused when he got to his bedroom door, the sound of music graced his ears, Forest Blakk’s If You Love Her filtered through the door. There was only one person who would be in his apartment at this hour so without a second thought, he opened the door and went in search of you.

—

You had helped Rooster and Bob carry a sleeping Jake into the house the night before. They had laid him down in bed and you had followed them out, thanking them for their help and making sure that Jake’s truck was locked before closing and locking the door of his apartment.

Making your way back into the bedroom you watched the sleeping aviator. He looked so relaxed and carefree when he was asleep. Running a hand through his hair, you proceeded to undress him down to his underwear. It made you uncomfortable, but at least he would sleep comfortably tonight.

You kneeled down next to the bed, saying a quick Our Father before asking God to watch over Jake tonight, and help his hangover in the morning. You also asked for him to help guide your actions tomorrow, to give you the patience to listen to him. When you said Amen, you stood up, gathering his phone and some clothes for you to sleep in for the night, the same t-shirt and shorts that he had loaned you the first time he brought you here.

You laid on the couch that night, trying to sleep, but all you could seem to do was worry over the man in the other room. Eventually, as dawn started to kiss the skyline, your eyes fell closed, and you fell into a fitful sleep full of redheaded women and drunken pilots.

A dream of Jake and the woman from the bar startled you awake a few hours after you had drifted off to sleep. Unable to burn the image of them kissing from your mind, you got up from the couch and made a cup of coffee. Digging in the cabinet under Jake’s kitchen sink, you pulled out some cleaning supplies and began deep cleaning his apartment.

You were always a busy body and having something to do helped you to try and keep your anxious mind from dwelling on something that hadn’t happened. You had cleaned every available room and surface as well as prepared something to eat since it was now a more reasonable hour to be up. You put on some music about an hour ago, hoping that maybe it would wake Jake up so that the two of you could talk. The beginning of Dave Barnes’ God Gave Me You came through the speaker Jake kept on his kitchen counter and you swayed slowly from your spot at the sink.

Between the water running, the music, and washing dishes, you hadn’t managed to hear Jake come out of the bedroom. So when his arms wrapped around you in a tight hug, you yelped, “Jake!”

The man in question had burrowed his head into your shoulder, his voice muffled by your hair, “Was about to call you,” he said gruffly, his morning stubble scratching your neck slightly, “I like you in my clothes.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, still upset with him for what happened the night before.

Jake swayed with you for a minute, just listening to the song. You could feel the heat of his chest pressed to your back and you knew that he hadn’t gotten dressed when he woke up, probably not expecting you to be there.

You felt him move behind you, his head coming up so that his lips were next to your ear, “I don’t know what you saw last night, but I haven’t so much as looked at another woman since we started seeing one another, and I would never betray your trust. I told her proudly about how my girlfriend was sitting in the bar, but when I turned to you, you were gone.”

You stood silently for a minute, taking in what he said to you. You trusted Jake and you wanted to believe that he wouldn’t cheat on you, but you needed to know about what else happened during the rest of the week, “Why have you been so withdrawn? I thought that if I gave you time you’d come to me with it, but you didn’t.”

You felt him sigh, letting go of you. When you turned to face him, he was leaned against the other counter, his arms crossed over his bare chest. The look on his face told you that this was something serious.

“Five years ago, this week, I got my air combat kill,” he said quietly, so quietly that you had to step closer to be sure that you could hear him. “I…” he started, trailing off as he looked at you, worry in his eyes.

Stepping closer to him, you cupped his cheek with your palm, “Whatever you’re worried about telling me, don’t be.”

You were surprised to find his eyes a bit misty, his chin wobbled before he cleared his throat, “I just - I feel like a murderer. I broke one of the ten commandments, thou shall not kill, and I just don’t know how to live with myself sometimes,” he said quietly.

You had tears in your own eyes now, Jacob Seresin was a strong man and to see him standing in his kitchen, looking so small and sad, it broke your heart. You pulled him to you and he immediately rested his head on your shoulder, his arms wrapping around your waist tightly. Rubbing his head with your hand, you held him as a few tears fell from your own eyes, you could feel the shoulder of the shirt you were wearing now a little damp.

Desperately digging through your mind for some kind of guidance from the bible suddenly you remembered John 1:9, “The bible says, ‘If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,’” you said into his ear.

You felt Jake’s form shake at that, a broken breath rattled through him, and he clutched you tighter to him. The misunderstanding from the night before faded quickly from your mind. When you felt him start to let you go, you quit rubbing his head. He looked at you with such reverence in his eyes, before he asked, “What did I do to deserve you?”

You didn’t know what to say, so instead, you said the first thing that came to mind, “Dance with me?”

The two of you danced around the kitchen slowly to the song coming out of the speaker, Zach Bryan’s Snow felt fitting for the moment. As Jake guided you around the kitchen slowly, you tried to think of what to say to him.

When the song ended, the playlist over, you leaned into him, and you said, “Don’t ever be worried to tell me things, there is nothing you could say that would change my mind about you,” then you kissed him.

#jake hangman seresin #jake seresin imagine #jake seresin x reader #jake seresin #jake hangman x reader #hangman #hangman top gun #hangman x reader #hangman seresin #hangman fanfiction #hangman fic #hangman imagine #top gun maverick #top gun fanfiction #top gun

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crypticpaw · 3 years ago

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Vi and Caitlyn's Disastrous Wonderful Wedding

Just a bunch of fluff and crack I put together but got too lazy to turn into an actual fic! If you want to write a proper story based on any of these, feel free to, just tag me so I can see it! This is pretty long and all over the place because I have no idea of how a wedding is supposed to go. Feel free to add anything if you want to!

Jinx and Vi got into a screaming match when Caitlyn first popped the question, but they talked it out and Cait managed to buy Jinx's blessings with ice cream.

Caitlyn had to physically fight Cassandra from having any saying over anything about the ceremony. If it depended on her, she would have invited the entirety of Piltover while the brides just wanted a small party with family and close friends.

Vi got an awesome white tuxedo with a bright red vest, and Caitlyn got a beautiful goth black gown. Jinx, somehow, got a hold of their clothes and doodled all over them.

The ceremony would be held at a public park near the event venue they rented, which meant Warwick got to play guard dog and shoo away any unwanted guests or paparazi. He loved it.

Lux and Jinx were left in charge of making the invites, drawing/writing them all by hand and delivering them themselves.

Tobias made their cake and all the sweets they would need with the help of a hired crew. Yes, there were cupcakes.

All of the Firelights were invited, even the kids, and Ekko rehearsed a whole choreography for when they arrived on their Hoverboards.

Mel helped them with shopping for the clothes, decoration and flowers since neither Vi nor Caitlyn had a good eye for these kinds of things.

Jayce and Viktor got matching suits and Mel got a beautiful golden dress. Ekko also pulled a ragged suit together Zaun-style and doodled all over it. Lux got a lovely yellow and white dress, and Jinx just put Silco's coat over her normal clothes and called it good.

Everyone also managed an afternoon to give Warwick a bath and pull together a big enough bowtie for him.

The preparations were very stressful for the both of them, but they managed to overcome it all together, as they always do.

Cassandra almost passed out when she heard about all of this.

Caitlyn and Vi just had one bachelorette party together at the Last Drop and it was awesome.

Heimerdinger was the officiant. Lux was the flowergirl. Jayce, Viktor and Ekko were the bridesman and Mel was the bridesmaid. Jinx was the ringbearer.

On the day of the ceremony, both Vi and Caitlyn got really cold feet. It didn't help that they hadn't seen each other all day. Cassandra and Tobias managed to comfort Cait and Vi snapped out of it after Jinx gave her a "Get Your Shit Together" speech.

Vi started crying while saying her vows which made Caitlyn cry. They were happy tears, but it still got them a loud "GET ON WITH IT, ALREADY!" from Jinx.

They finally exchanged their rings and kissed. Everyone cheered. Warwick gave a long, loud howl of celebration. Lux made them a magic light show and Jinx set off the fireworks she had made just for that day.

Both Caitlyn and Vi had made it very clear they didn't want cake shoved in each other's face. Jinx found this absolutely outrageous and demanded Lux shoved cake in her face at least three times.

She didn't even need a plate, she just ate the bits of cake on her face and clothes.

Jayce and Viktor got drunk out of their minds and Mel had to guide them around by their hands like two out-of control-toddlers.

Tobias danced with both Cait and Vi at the Daddy-Daughter dance because Warwick made the ground shake when he walked. Jinx felt bad for him and they danced together instead. Everybody was holding on for dear life.

At one point, Ekko and Jinx got into a fistfight and Lux had to separate and scold them both, loudly, for a good ten minutes or so.

Vi and Caitlyn couldn't keep their eyes (and hands) off each other the whole time. They left to the bridal suite a little after 9pm while the ceremony went on a good while after midnight.

It was a wonderful day for the both of them and everybody left with great photos and memories of it.

The newly weds spent their Honeymoon at Caitlyn's parent's summer cabin for a week or so. Jinx and Lux went along with them, mainly because the younger girls couldn't be trusted around the house unsupervised.

#arcane #caitvi #violyn #piltover's finest #jinx #lux #jayce #viktor #ekko #warwick #mel #headcannons #wishful thinking

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silverynight · 3 years ago

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Protective

Izuku finds himself in the hospital again. It's definitely something he's gotten used to since he got in the UA; the only difference is that this time he almost dies.

His mother, All Might and his classmates go to see him a couple of times; Bakugo is oddly silent, standing in a corner with his arms crossed over his chest and looking anywhere but at Izuku while the others are telling him how worried they were.

Izuku wonders if Bakugo was brought there by Kirishima and Kaminari against his will and sighs with a fond smile on his face as he realizes that he's the same as always.

Choosing not to worry anymore about his childhood friend, Izuku looks up at Todoroki, who's trying his best to make him feel better even though he's not that good at it.

***

He returns to his classes pretty soon, he's not allowed to train or exercise the first couple of days though it's the last thing in his mind at the moment. Izuku is just so happy to be back.

It takes him a while to notice that something is not quite as it used to be. At first Izuku thinks it's just because he's giving Bakugo the space he was constantly begging for since things turned out bad for their relationship when they were just kids, but it's just that everything has gotten considerably more quiet because Bakugo has stopped growling and insulting him at all.

But that's not the weirdest thing that happens.

It begins when he's walking next to Iida, Uraraka and Todoroki back to Heights Alliance when a boy runs towards them (he's clearly in a hurry so he doesn't seem to be paying attention to his surroundings) and bumps into Izuku, prompting him to fall to the ground.

"Ouch!" He can't help but yelp.

Quickly, Todoroki asks if he's alright and offers him a hand.

"Hey! Be careful!" Uraraka is already hissing at the boy, but he looks so concerned that she calms down immediately.

"I'm so sorry!" The boy mumbles again.

"It's alright." Izuku grins at him at the same time Iida starts giving the boy a speech about rules and security.

And that's when it happens. The boy is suddenly grabbed by the shirt, a strong hand quickly slamming him against the nearest wall.

He's terrified and honestly Izuku doesn't blame him. Bakugo has that effect on almost everyone even when he's not that angry.

But now... Now he's livid.

"I SAW HIM FALL, YOU FUCKING EXTRA!" Bakugo roars, baring his teeth at the poor, terrified soul. "Now... If he has ONE scratch on his body because of you then consider yourself dead..."

"I didn't mean t-to!" The boy stammers, unable to control the way he's trembling.

It's the little explosions coming from Bakugo's open hand what make Izuku react; his friends are probably as shocked and confused as him because they haven't say a word.

"Kacchan, stop! I'm fine!" Izuku takes a step closer which prompts the grumpy blond to glance in his direction. "Don't hurt him! It was an accident! He apologized already!"

Bakugo's eyes roam all over Izuku's body before snarling at the pale boy. He huffs and releases him though, prompting him to fall on the ground.

"You're lucky," He tells the other student before the boy runs away.

Iida starts scolding Bakugo for his behavior but the blond ignores him completely and gets closer to Izuku. With one hand he grabs the green haired boy by the chin.

"You better not be lying to me, Deku," he warns him. "Are you really not hurt?"

"Not even a scratch, uhh–"

Todoroki slaps Bakugo's arm away from Izuku; the boy narrows his mismatched eyes at him.

"That's enough, Bakugo. You'll be the one hurting Midoriya if you keep like–"

Bakugo growls; he's fuming. His red eyes are almost glowing with rage.

"I'M NOT HURTING HIM! I WON'T HURT HIM, YOU HALF AND HALF BASTARD! THAT'S WHAT YOU THINK?"

"Based on what I've heard about your relationship, wouldn't be the first time, would it?"

This time the blond doesn't have an answer. Actually, he looks like he's been hit across the face.

Instead of the explosive rage Izuku is used to see in him, Bakugo freezes and looks at the ground.

"Kacchan, Todoroki..."

But Bakugo just shakes his head and walks away.

***

Izuku grins the first day back at the gym; Cementoss has prepared the place for them to train and he can't wait to use OFA again. He needs to practice if he wants to keep up with the rest of the class.

Above him, he hears a couple of explosions and a growl; Bakugo has fallen for the third time in the day, Izuku has no idea what's happening to him, it's not like him to fail so many times.

He considers running towards him to see if he's alright, but remembers all the times Bakugo has slapped his hand away and snarled at him, claiming he didn't ask for help. So Izuku, feeling like a terrible person, decides to leave it to the teachers.

"Focus, Bakugo!" Aizawa scolds him and upon hearing the irritation in his voice Izuku knows the blond isn't actually injured. "You're very distracted today. It's not your job to keep an eye on–"

"I'M NOT DISTRACTED!"

Izuku rolls his eyes and goes back to the spot he chose to train.

"Hey, be careful!" Someone above him screams.

However, when he sees the pieces of cement falling towards him, Izuku doesn't move. There's a grin on his face as he gets ready to use Full Cowl in order to get rid of the huge fragments before they hit him.

Sadly, someone pushes him away and they both end up on the ground, although Izuku notices that strong arms have managed to shield most of his body from the impact.

"Wha–cchan?"

Bakugo doesn't utter a word, he's lying on Izuku but untangles himself from him quickly. He's on his hands and knees to support his own weight, but doesn't move away from him.

"Kacchan, I was going to–"

A hand is on Izuku's cheek now, however it's surprisingly gentle.

"Are you hurt?"

It has happened before, but it's still odd to hear Bakugo using his voice not to yell; it sounds almost soft and... vulnerable.

Like he's worried.

"I'm fine," Izuku hears himself answer, still confused.

Bakugo looks like he desperately wants to say something else, but he's suddenly yanked away.

"I warned you, Bakugo," Aizawa scolds him. "You're banned from the gym for the rest of the day."

"WHAT? AREN'T HEROES SUPPOSED TO SAVE PEOPLE?"

"Midoriya was going to take care of that himself," Aizawa retorts. "You've been distracted the whole day, trying to protect him even though he doesn't need it. You need to learn to trust him more, he's a hero in training too after all."

Everyone has stopped to watch the interesting but confusing scene in front of them. Izuku feels completely lost.

Bakugo looks at the ground, his eyes are shadowed by his own hair so no one can't see his expression at the moment. He whispers something to the teacher that no one is able to hear.

"I know... I understand," Aizawa mumbles, softening a little bit. "But if you keep like this you'll only get both of you hurt."

After saying that, he drags the boy away. There's an uncomfortable silence that follows and everyone turns their heads to stare at Izuku like he has the answer to that particular puzzle.

Fortunately, Cementoss scolds them for stopping and they all go back to train.

***

After the incident in the gym, everyone knows something's going on with Bakugo. The problem is that some of them already have a few theories about it.

"What are you going to do now that Bakugo is acting like your overprotective boyfriend?" Uraraka gets closer to his seat, prompting Izuku to almost jump and turn bright red.

Fortunately, Bakugo hasn't arrived yet.

"He's not," Izuku whispers, feeling the blush quickly spreading down his neck.

"I guess you really scared him that last time you went to the hospital," Uraraka continues like Izuku hasn't said a word. "Well, to be fair, you scared all of us."

"I'm sorry."

"Just be more careful, alright?"

Izuku smiles at her, putting a hand over hers when a protein bar falls over his desk a little bit aggressively.

"Grabbed this for you at the cafeteria, Deku," Bakugo growls, glaring at Uraraka as he sits in front of his own desk. "I don't think you'll manage to surpass me anytime soon if you keep coming to class on an empty stomach."

Oh. He's right, Izuku didn't have breakfast that morning... However, he had no idea that Bakugo noticed.

"T-Thanks," he mumbles, feeling suddenly flustered; he refuses to look at Uraraka.

"Whatever!" Bakugo turns around. "Eat it before Aizawa arrives though."

***

"I think you should talk to him," Uraraka tells him, hours later. They're in Todoroki's room, studying for their upcoming English test.

"Don't," Todoroki chimes in, prompting the girl to narrow her eyes at him. "I don't trust him."

"Kacchan is not bad," Izuku says, sighing when the boy with mismatched eyes quirks up a brow at him. "He really isn't. And you know it, he's helped you a couple of times."

"Because he wants to win."

"That's what he says, but he doesn't really mean it."

"He worries about you," Uraraka adds, with a smirk on her face. Izuku tries not to shake his head at her; it looks like she hasn't abandoned her theory after all.

"He's not the only one that worries about Midoriya," Todoroki protests, although his expression softens when he looks back at Izuku.

"I know," Izuku smiles at him before rising from his spot on the floor. "But Uraraka's right, I got to talk to him."

"Fine," Todoroki sighs. "I'll see you tomorrow."

***

When he's right outside Bakugo's door though, Izuku has second thoughts.

"Are you going to talk to him?" Kirishima rushes down the hallway, startling Izuku. "Please do, he really needs it. He's been worried about you since... that day. He was... devastated."

Oh. So it is because of that after all.

Izuku takes a deep breath, nods at Kirishima who grins at him encouragingly. When he knocks at the door, the boy with red hair vanishes.

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT TO GO OUT, KAMINARI! IF YOU KNOCK THAT DOOR AGAIN I'LL–"

"It's me! Deku!" Just seconds after he says it, the door opens. Bakugo is already staring at him from head to toe.

Before he can say anything though, the blond grabs him by the arm, pulls him inside and closes the door behind them.

"What is it? Are you hurt?

Only then Izuku notices the shadows under Bakugo's eyes. He looks really tired.

"No. I'm f-fine. I just wanted to talk to you."

"About what?"

There it is, same old Bakugo, acting aggressive as soon as someone tries to mention feelings.

"About this." Izuku points at the space between the two. Curiously, there's not much at the moment. "You're worried about me."

Bakugo looks at the floor, hands quickly turning into fists; Izuku knows he's going to yell at him that he's NOT WORRIED AT ALL and he'll probably scream at him to get out of his room.

But none of that happens.

"I am," the blond admits instead, voice rough. "And it's killing me. I can't stop it."

"Hey," Izuku mumbles softly. He takes Bakugo's face in his hands and to his surprise, the boy just lets him. His eyes are red, like it's taking every single bit of his strength not to cry. "It's alright. I worry about you too. It's okay to worry about your friends."

Bakugo grimaces at the word "friends" and Izuku feels a little bit sad when realizes he doesn't want to consider him his friend.

"I have nightmares about you... About that day, about you in the hospital," Bakugo flinches at his own words. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I can't promise you I won't," Izuku whispers, holding back a chuckle when he notices Bakugo leaning closer to him. "But I can promise I will try to be more careful."

"Let me protect you, let me help you..."

"When I really need it and only if you let me do the same for you."

Izuku swears that for a moment he can see the pride shading those red eyes before he pushes it away.

"Alright. It's a deal."

"It is," Izuku agrees with a smile. He moves away quickly, realizing that it's getting late. "Well–"

"Stay," Bakugo blurts out, cheeks turning slightly pink when he realizes what he just said.

Thinking this is probably about the nightmares, Izuku nods and then, to push away the nervousness he's feeling, he mumbles:

"Of course... Like when we were kids..."

Except that this is completely different, because Izuku's heart is beating like crazy inside his chest as he moves as far away as he can from Bakugo.

However, he's so tired he falls asleep quickly.

When he wakes up he finds himself facing Bakugo, face buried in his chest because strong arms are stubbornly keeping him that way.

Izuku blushes, trying to gently escape from the embrace, but the only thing he manages after pushing the other away is to make Bakugo growl and pull him even closer to him.

And of course, because that's just what happens whenever Izuku gets involved, the door opens suddenly and Kaminari rushes in excitedly, followed by a concerned Kirishima.

"Bakugo! Wake up it's–"

"Sorry! I told Kaminari that it wasn't manly to get in other people's room without– Midoriya?"

Izuku groans as he covers his face with both hands. He feels like he's burning.

"Congratulations, Bakugo!" Kaminari smirks at him, making everything worse. "I always thought Midoriya was really cute and–"

"No!" Izuku protests immediately. "It's not like–"

"WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT KNOCKING FIRST? GET OUT, BOTH OF YOU!" Bakugo growls, however, he doesn't move his hands away from Izuku nor he tries to explain what it's really happening.

Kirishima nods and he does pull Kaminari by the shirt, but he is still grinning as he moves towards the entrance.

"I'm really happy for you, man!"

"This is not what you think..." It's too late for Izuku to explain though, because they're already gone.

Bakugo doesn't explode anymore after that, he doesn't try to kick Izuku off his bed, instead he closes his eyes and buries his face in the curve of Izuku's neck.

"Kacchan... I need to go."

"Why? It's Saturday..."

"I promised Todoroki I'll go with him to the mall so I can help him get a present for his mom."

"He can do it himself," Bakugo argues, looking back at Izuku.

"I promised!"

"Fine, but I'm coming with. Because after that we'll have our first date."

There is too much for Izuku to process in a few seconds, so he just blinks, nods and watches as Bakugo moves off the bed and towards the bathroom.

"I'll take a shower first. I'll wait for you outside your dorm."

Izuku nods again, realizing that he's really looking forward to their date, even though part of him thinks it's not really a good idea.

***

Patreon

#bkdk #bakudeku #bnha #my hero academia #bakugou katsuki #izuku midoriya

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laysdimplesareillegal · 3 years ago

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NCT as High School Teachers

Y’ALL IT’S FINALLY HERE

So I saw a thibg on instagam that said nct as teachers so lets go

We’re going by age so I know I get all of them but I also don’t know all of them too well. I’m literally so upset I cant do xiaojun because I love him but I also don't know him well enough I’m sorry honey. also some of these I really pulled out of nowhere so they might be way the frick off

Taeil

I think he’s like one of those teachers who loves his job and wants his students to love his class but like he teaches selectively at the end of the day and they just want to go home

Teaches like language arts or some sort of literature

Is so happy to teach everyday

Johnny

Everyone's best friend

Knows every bit of gossip going on in school

Nobody knows what his job is

Meanders around campus all day

Knows your name somehow

Taeyong

Teaches something to help improve life skills like speech or something. Teaches Home Ec.

Loves his students and wants to be involved in their lives

Pretends like he’s not listening to all the student’s gossip so he hears it all

Gets bombarded in the teacher’s lounge on what’s happening (needs to be cajoled)

Surprised by all the scandalous things his students get themselves into

Yuta

We all knew this was coming

The hot substitute teacher

Works like once a semester

When he comes to work the whole school is rocked and he knows it

Walks around the classroom all day like sir why are you strutting

Sits with his feet up on the desk

Kun

Probably wants to be a really good and strict teacher

But the kids know they can walk all over him

Senior teacher

So when the seniors are informal with him so are the rest of the students

Doyoung

Scary

Extremely silent classroom you could hear a pin drop on the carpet

But like then he’s seen around the other teachers and he's so smiley

Either lectures and notes or busy work

Will not. Under any circumstances. Allow friends to sit next to each other.

Ten

“Do whatever you want, I don’t care”

Art teacher

So he can do whatever he wants, pass kids, and gets paid to use the school’s art supplies

Scolds kids who insult other kids’ artwork

Randomly subs for PE one day and makes the students learn dance

Jaehyun

Honestly idk probably an elective

His class is pretty average just like any other

But wow sir hello

Everyone is in love with him

Is besties with Taeyong and like wow what a pair Probably has a movie day like at least once a month

Winwin

Mysterious

Likes select students who will then learn that he likes stuff like ballet and singing

Students only learn about him through Yuta

People take his class cuz they know Yuta will visit him even when he doesn’t work

Well and ya know because its Sicheng

Is a pretty chill teacher

Jungwoo

FRESHMEN TEACHER

Girls literally coo at him instead of doing their work

Wonders why he has to fail students when he doesn’t teach anything

Speaks in tiny and loses control of his class sometimes

Shares a room with another teacher like idk Jaehyun.. Idk why but he does

(I have just been informed that he does in fact share a room with Jaeyun so there you have it)

Lucas

Teaches like P.E.

It’s something he can do and be loud about

Loves shouting orders but he never sounds angry like a normal coach lol

Actually scratch that he can sound angry sometimes

PRETENDS to be angry and yells then laughs like lol you should see your faces

ALWAYS plays with the students he never stays on the sidelines

Allows you to wear normals clothes not just the ugly gym uniform

Mark

Yes he teaches english

But half the class is just him laughing

Lots of the other teachers visit him

Like Yuta and Haechan

You can hear him from down the hall

I feel like he’s that teacher that has mistakes in his notes or tests or something, like small little spelling errors idk I can just see it

Firmly believes that you learn best by immersion and therefore you watch TV in class ALL THE TIME

Hendery

Drama teacher drama teacher drama teacher

All around good vibes

Finds things funnier than other students do

Truly anything goes in his class

Has never written up a student

Does stuff. Like you’re not the only one up there embarrassing yourself he does it first so y’all aren’t shy

No shyness allowed he will shell you like a pistachio

Renjun

Strict

It’s not even that he wants his students to do well or any dumb excuses like that he’s just strict

He gets teased all the time by the other teachers and his students cower at them

They honestly think it’s his twin brothers talking with the other teachers who is this man

Teaches a language class

So its like you either speak in that language or you don’t speak at all

Really cuts the stupid out of his class

And his class is really difficult for no reason everyone is like “But sir this is 101”

Jeno

Good wholesome teacher everyone can like

I can see him in like home ec

Kids come and talk to him all the time

His tests are so easy you are guaranteed to pass his class with flying colors as long as you know how to spell your name

Haechan

Study hall

Wants to have no responsibility Leaves the classroom all of the time, like he’s never in the classroom

Visits Mark so much

And Johnny so many visits to Mark and Johnny

Jaemin

He probably dabbles a little bit into phys ed

Also enjoys teaching so much

Has a big smile in class all the time

Learned everyone’s names down after the first day of class

Wants everyone to have a good ol’ time

Yangyang

Probably gets along with the younger boys

Teaches something but people only learn german from him

No learning goes on in his vicinity

I love him but I feel like some people would find him a lil annoying

The jokes never stop

Chenle

Teaches freshmen math

He’s really hit or miss with his students

Sometimes they like him sometimes they don’t get him

I feel like he’s the teacher that always has like a group of students that eat lunch in his room

Always looks so fine like he dresses really well and all

Probably makes you do a lot of group projects I feel

Jisung

The youngest teacher

No one’s sure he’s actually allowed to be a teacher because he’s very discreet with his timeline like nobody knows his age but he has a mysterious amount of degrees

Like no one knows the details of his life he’s just there

Was mistaken as a student on multiple occasions

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bleufrost · 3 years ago

Text

There's Just Time (A Loki x reader Fanfic)

Chapter Three: A Home Amidst Chaos

Summary: You were an explosion waiting to happen who found love in the arms of a hurricane. Loki saw you as an angel that calmed his demons. For you, he was a savior that taught you to trust your abilities, yourself, and others. When he died, you were broken. You clung to any hope possible and watched as it all fell away. With nothing left, stories from your youth flooded back of a mysterious force that controlled time and space, and you knew that you would do anything to see him again...even if that something meant teaming up with the Time Variance Authority to capture the man you love.

Loki's begins to feel things for you that he can't deny. Time can't change everything, and not all secrets can stay hidden.

Words: 8,006

Warnings: grief, mentions of self harm, violence, death

main story: prologue | chapter one | chapter two

moments in time (avengers era, prelude): part one

If the world was ending

You'd come over, right?

The sky'd be falling while I hold you tight

No, there wouldn't be a reason why

We would even have to say goodbye

“Alright, I’m finished!” Loki clicks a few more times on the outdated computer, sending something off to be graded. He sits back in his seat with his feet on your desk, sending a smile your way that is quickly diminished by the far-off look in your eyes.

“You know, if you’re anywhere near as bored as I am, we could go off and have ourselves a bit of fun elsewhere?” His eyebrows raise suggestively and you actually take him seriously for a second. Just a second.

“As lovely as that sounds, I think I’m going to pass. Besides, the faster you get through with the lessons, the faster we can actually go out and do something.” Your hand comes up and swats at his feet, but he moves them just before you make contact. He’s smiling again. The small chase is something he clearly needs in this dreary prison.

“Did they make you go through all this training as well?” Loki’s eyes follow a few people as they walk around the room. While he could be searching for an escape, you actually think that it’s more out of curiosity than anything else.

Your shoulders shrug. “Mine wasn’t quite as extensive. I think the difference in apparent moral compasses might’ve screwed you over in this case.”

Loki feigns hurt, hand clutching his heart dramatically. “Well, little one, it’s a good thing they left you in charge then, isn’t it?”

Loki props his feet back up beside you and leans back. “Do you mind if I take a break?”

You relax, mirroring his position with a sleepy smile. “Not at all. I would’ve already taken twelve if I were you.” Loki motions to the stack of magazines behind you and you offer one up to him. His hands flip it open to a random page, eyes scanning in bored interest. You miss the sound of his voice instantly.

“Hey, do you mind reading that out loud? It looks interesting.” Loki flips the page over so that you can see it. His eyebrows raise in confusion.

“You’re interested in motorized water vehicles?” You look at the bright blue page and struggle for a second to hide your distaste. No, you weren’t interested in that at all.

“Yeah, of course. They're...fascinating.” He looks totally unconvinced, but lets a small laugh fall from his lips. If nothing else, it was amusing to him.

“Well, alright.”

Loki’s lips move swiftly over the page, his voice low and soft as he reads the advertisements in the magazine. He finds the whole thing rather plain, yet he doesn’t stop. Every once in a while, his eyes glance up from the pages to see you. You, with your wide eyes and adorable little smile. Everything about you felt small, not necessarily because of your stature or status as a human being, but because you came off as so open and trusting with him. Your eyes droop as he continues to read, and he finds himself making a conscious effort to quiet his voice. Read softer, slower, so that you can rest. He wasn’t oblivious to whatever you had with him in your timeline, he just wasn’t quite sure what it was. Regardless, some part of him thought he might understand.

Just as your eyes fall shut, a loud timer rings throughout the cubicle. Miss Minutes pops to life on the desk, waking you suddenly. Loki curses the glowing clock in his mind, but shuts the magazine swiftly.

“Okay, y’all. Let’s review what we’ve learned!” Realizing that this wasn’t necessary for you to participate in, you allow your eyes to fall shut again. The harsh glow shines brightly behind your eyelids and you can’t help the frustrated little cry that leaves your mouth when her shrill voice scolds Loki for not taking things seriously. When your eyes open again, Loki is staring straight at you with an odd mix between amusement and determination. One might even call it...mischievous.

“How about I silence this alarm clock for you?” You sit up as his feet quickly fall flat on the floor. Loki rises, rolling up the magazine and swatting at Miss Minutes with an amused grin on his face. She dodges a few blows and your own smile crinkles your eyes when she scolds him a second time. Loki grabs another magazine off the desk and tosses it at you.

“Help me catch her!” You fumble to grab the magazine, rolling it up tightly once you get a solid grip on it. Laughter quickly escapes your mouth as you and Loki lunge for an increasingly annoyed Miss Minutes. Just as you think you’ve got her, the clock launches herself into the computer. Your paper weapon lands a blow with a solid THUNK...right on Loki’s arm.

You look up at him, stifling a giggle as he stares at his arm in shock. “I am so, so sorry, Loki.” The words barely make it out in between laughs. When his eyes land on your smiling face, they narrow dangerously.

“Oh, you clearly aren’t...but you will be.” Loki reaches for you and you shriek when his arms find your waist. He swings you around and you find it difficult to breathe once he finds out you’re ticklish. Loki’s eyes crinkle with joy, loud laughter leaving his own lips for the first time in what could very well have been years. It felt good to have the walls down. To not fear an ulterior motive or wonder if an attack would come at any moment.

Loki felt safe with you and, as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t blame it on any charade composed by magic. Not here.

“I see the lessons are going well.” Mobius stops by the side of the cubicle, watching the two of you as you quickly compose yourself. Loki’s arms move from your waist, but hover just below your lower back. He straightens up slightly, mimicking you with the intrusion.

Mobius lifts his hands in a surrendering motion, trying not to seem like a threat to either of you. You didn’t exactly see him as one, his arrival was just unexpected.

“Gear up, kids. We’ve had another attack.” Mobius throws Loki a jacket and he pulls it on as the three of you walk. Stopping to admire it, he turns to you and models the new look. The colors are drab and the orange block letters feel intrusive, but he looks good. He always does.

“It suits you.” His nose scrunches up in distaste.

“Well, it’s repulsive so I would hope not. However, I do appreciate the compliment.” Once again, you find yourself laughing as you follow Mobius into the briefing room.

The meeting is incredibly boring. Much of the same information they originally gave is being repeated, and whether that’s for Loki’s sake or theirs, you’re unsure. You tune in and out, taking in any new information or straying conversation from the usual briefings. It takes everything you have to hold your tongue when Hunter B-15 makes a comment about Loki being a variant, but he holds his own without any interference. Your mind is still on autopilot when Mobius starts listing off Loki’s powers, and when he says the term ‘illusion projecting,’ you interrupt out of pure habit.

“Duplication casting.” Your eyes raise suddenly when Loki corrects Mobius at the same time as you. He grins at you, excited by the knowledge you apparently have on his magic. He then falls into a speech that explains the intricacies and differences in his abilities. A speech you could likely recite from memory, but adore hearing nonetheless.

Loki finishes his explanation with a sarcastic, “But, you already knew that.” The words are smug, the self-satisfaction only heightened by the smirk he offers the room. That changes when he looks your way. Instead of the self-righteous smile, he instead gives you a look that is far more sincere, as if he wants his words to you to be the same, but genuine.

While walking over to where your crew would depart, Loki suddenly asks another question that you’re surprised hadn’t come up sooner.

“Will I be getting my powers back once we’re out there?” He turns to Mobius excitedly.

“Well, yes.” Loki grins at you, the mischievous look becoming more and more normal for him now that he feels a bit more secure.

“Aren’t you worried about me betraying you?” His face falls when Mobius shakes his head. The resounding “no” taking a hit to his confidence for sure.

“You already know we can catch you, how is betraying us going to get you any closer to the Time Keepers?” The spark instantly returns to Loki’s eye. He turns to you, allowing Mobius to walk on ahead of the two of you with a satisfied smile. He knew Loki wouldn’t step out of line, not with the promise of a meeting on the table.

“Are you working toward an audience with the Time Keepers as well?” That thought had never really occurred to you. Quite honestly, the only real thing keeping you here was Loki. It did bring up alarming questions though, things that you hadn’t felt the need to consider until now.

“I’m not sure. I haven’t really put too much thought into that part of my plan yet.” His face goes from confused to stern, trying to work through what you just said and how you could have possibly not had an end game here. What he didn’t know just yet, was that he was your end game. You suppose getting him that meeting was likely your goal now too.

“That’s a bit alarming, though I’m sure you have your reasons.”

The renaissance fair that you find yourselves entering is dismally dreary. The skies are grey and the air cold as ice. Loki starts in again, firing questions at Mobius that garner relatively mundane responses. It was all new to him, you understood that.

The brightly colored flags stood stark against the dark clouds and you soon found your mind drifting to other things. Other circumstances and memories.

Tony had once forced your entire team to go to a carnival, insisting that it was a great opportunity for ‘team building.’ Loki was completely over the comical magicians and juvenile illusions. He honestly was ready to leave the moment you arrived.

It wasn’t until he saw your eyes light up with the twinkling lights of the roller coasters that he decided the carnival might not be so bad. The way you couldn’t keep your joy from bubbling over at the oversized stuffed animals and sickly-sweet treats was so beautiful to him. He spent the rest of the evening following you from place to place, laughing as you jumped up and down in excitement over the same things that most adults here overlooked. You acted as a child would. It had embarrassed you when he mentioned that later, but his assurance that it was not a bad thing made your heart feel so full of love for him. Loki understood that you had lost much of your childhood. He understood that you were denied moments of wonder and were instead forced into endless seas of pain. He understood, and he adored you all the more for your ability to allow yourself to feel that happiness now.

“If this place excites you, I fear you wouldn’t be able to contain yourself on Asgard.” Loki leans close to you as he says it. A gentle smile causes his eyes to crinkle in the corners. You smile too, though you look down as your cheeks redden. You were caught.

“If that’s an invitation, I gladly accept.” You look at him, the burning in your cheeks diminishing as you gain the confidence to fall into a familiar banter with Loki. Now it’s his turn to be caught off guard.

Loki’s mouth opens and shuts a few times, and he ultimately opts to just shake his head with a small chuckle. “Perhaps it is.”

Your smile drops once the tent flaps open. If you thought outside was dark, this place is a black hole. Small torches light up the corners of the room, but the light that they offer is hardly enough to see. Bodies litter the ground and you nearly yelp when you accidentally bump into one on the floor.

Loki reaches out to steady you, guiding you over to a clearing at the center of the tent. He does it so absentmindedly, so naturally that it feels as though he’s done it a thousand times before. In your memories, he has.

The rest of the crew fan out, examining bodies and searching for any clues as to the whereabouts of this other variant. You turn to move, hesitantly trying to find your footing in the darkness, but his hand reaches out instantly to stop you. When Loki begins to talk, they all halt.

“If you leave this tent, you’ll end up like them.” It’s bullshit and you know it. Loki has this way of looking a little too thoughtful when he’s making things up on the spot. It had taken you years to get the hang of it, but you could often read him like a lie detector now. Not all the time, but the times where he was desperately trying to conjure up an entire scenario with no moments notice...those you could call.

He keeps talking, ignoring Hunter B-15 as she urgently announces how little time you all have left. Mobius watches him for any sign of deceit, but finds none. He has them fooled. That is, until Mobius catches your eye. You don’t know what Loki is planning, but you know it can’t go on much longer without causing serious damage. Mobius sees this, and he leaps in where you won’t.

“He’s lying, just playing games. There’s no one out there.” Mobius points at Loki with disapproval. “I expected more from you.” He looks at you then with even more disappointment. “Both of you.”

Back on desk duty, you sort through a few stacks of paper trying to get things back in order after yet another person decided to look through Loki’s files without so much as even attempting to put them back where they belonged. It seems he’s a hot topic here, though you should have guessed considering this is one of the most exciting things to happen at the TVA since you’d arrived.

There was so much information in these files, and you often felt like you were intruding by reading them. Of course, you were here because you knew more about Loki than any words in a file could tell a person, but it still felt a little wrong. You would be lying if you said you’d read every part of them. There were things too intimate in here. Things that should be left to his discretion to share...even if they were about you.

“Let me park ya at this desk with our previous Loki expert. Here’s a good trick, pretend like your life depends on this.” Mobius heads off to the cafeteria, leaving Loki standing before you.

“I suspected I might find you here. Seems like we’re being punished.” He looks around the stacks of files and books with disdain. This is likely the most dreary part of the entire TVA.

You pull his files off of one of the chairs and motion to it, rising to send the files back to their shelf.

“Oh, we’re definitely being punished.”

After about an hour, Loki is completely bored again. You don’t blame him. He’s read through the same paperwork on each of the attacks multiple times already. It was busy work.

You look over the paper you were reading when he animatedly gasps. “Don’t tell me the variant ambushed and killed another team of Minutemen!” Your hand comes up to stifle a laugh and Loki’s eyes land on you for a second before he goes back to reading, this time purposefully putting on a show for you.

It doesn’t take long for the both of you to start laughing. You know this isn’t going to get you anywhere, might as well have some fun with it. And it is fun.

Unfortunately, not everyone thinks so. The librarian behind you shushes the two of you loudly, causing you to bite your lip in an attempt to quiet your laughter. Loki looks at you, brows scrunching down as though he can’t believe what she just did. He offers you one more glance, then turns around and shushes the lady back. You don’t even try to stop your amusement and Loki turns back to you with a wide grin. After a few more minutes, you have to get up to use the bathroom. When you return, your heart nearly drops.

On the desk lies scattered papers belonging to Loki’s personal files. Pictures and detailed descriptions of major life events sit out in the open, and you can’t tell if he was just haphazardly looking through them, or if the files spread out were ones he had already read. Your eyes land on multiple folders pertaining to the two of you, his time spent in a cell, the months you sat by his side in attempts to understand him and help him acknowledge his own good. You see The Avengers Tower, knowing that you spent years there fighting alongside him, reading alongside him, sleeping alongside him. It was jarring to be hit with it all over again. When you try to speak, your breath hitches in your throat. Loki looks up instantly, shoving the folder he was reading beneath another and grabbing for one randomly.

“Loki…” Your eyes begin to water, this wasn’t the way you wanted things to go. He shouldn’t have looked. Had he seen everything?

He quickly stands, reaching for you. His hands rest against your arms and he leans down to meet your eye.

“Please don’t be upset. I didn’t read anything that would be improper. I just wanted to understand.” You refuse to look at him, knowing that the tears would fall the moment you looked into his blue eyes.

“Understand what?” Loki holds you a little tighter. You could feel his hands tremble.

“Why someone as delicate as you would care for a beast like me. I could absolutely destroy you without batting an eye. It would be easy...yet you trusted me not to. You still do, even now.” There’s a strain in his voice when he speaks. The sharp blade of his words paining you deep within your chest. He couldn’t possibly believe he was capable of anything so cruel. Not after everything he knew about what would have awaited him in the correct timeline.

“It’s because you’re not a monster. We both know you couldn’t kill me ‘without batting an eye’ because it would hurt too much. Did reading those files help you understand that at all?” When you finally look at him, his eyes are pleading. He lets out a deep breath of air that he had apparently been holding.

“I feel as though I’d have to see it played out myself. And I know that isn’t something you’re comfortable with. I accept that. I’m okay with that.” Each sentence is punctuated with a soft squeeze of his hands. He’s wrong though.

“No, Loki. Seeing it wouldn’t make a difference. Everything in those files are things that you need to live. Watching it and experiencing it are two very different things.” His grip loosens ever so slightly as his shoulders fall.

“But I’ll never get to experience it, will I?” Now it’s his turn to look down, glassy eyes barely hidden. It makes your own tears spring forward again.

“Not the same way it happened before.” He nods his head once, accepting the solemn truth. It would never play out quite the same as before. It couldn’t. When his hands release you, your own instantly come up to rub the tears from your eyes.

You take your seat again, pushing his files aside to grab for another on the variant attack. Loki follows close behind, taking his own seat. You work in silence, feeling his eyes on you as you focus on ignoring his still-open files.

“I meant what I said by the way.” Your hands stop, hovering over another one of his folders that you were prepared to push away.

“What?” When you look up, he’s watching your hand. You drop it and his gaze falls to the desk in front of him, contemplating his words before he says them.

“I didn’t read anything that you wouldn’t have otherwise told me about. It was tempting, and I will admit that I saw the names on a few of the folders, but I find myself respecting you far too much to do anything like that. I suspect I know why.” As he says the last sentence, he meets your gaze once more. There is so much vulnerability in the air, you feel as though you might suffocate.

After a moment, you nod at him. Even if he had read every single file, he hadn’t done anything wrong. They were his files, his life, his choice. The way he said it though, reminded you that you could tell when he was lying. He wasn’t.

It takes another hour, one shrouded in silence, until Loki sparks up again. He lets out a little excited gasp, and when you look up at him you swear you can see tears in his eyes. You have no time to question him though, as he grabs your hand and runs with you to the cafeteria to find Mobius.

With a lot of effort and time spent convincing Mobius, some of that time used watching Loki goof off and completely season Mobius’ salad to death, your little team is off to Pompeii. Loki had come up with this theory that the variant was hiding in apocalyptic events, able to do whatever they pleased because the whole place would be wiped out. Nothing they did mattered there, so they could scheme without any interference from the TVA. That was the theory.

The village was beautiful, peaceful in a way that you weren’t accustomed to. As Loki and Mobius spoke behind you, you once again found yourself lost in the sights. There was a silence that echoed in your mind every moment you spent without your powers. In most places, you could almost ignore it, convince yourself that the hollow space within you was nothing but a ghost. There was always so much energy in places like the TVA. You could pretend that energy was more than just the normal buzz.

Here though, things were different. You felt a sudden sense of grief run through you. These people would be filled with fear in a matter of seconds, and you would be powerless to do anything to help them. They would be in pain, and you could offer them nothing. It left you feeling empty and useless.

A whoosh of air whips past you, breaking you from your sadness. Loki jumps up onto the back of a goat carrier, unlatching it and cheering the goats on as they run from their enclosure. You stare in shock, looking back at Mobius who only shrugs at you and shakes his head.

When he begins speaking Latin, you can only make out a few words. He’s so animated, it’s almost comical.

The volcano explodes behind him and the crowd screams, running for cover. Loki continues to run around throwing things and laughing.

“Nothing matters! Enjoy your last meal, dance while you still can!” He comes to a halt in front of you, holding his hand out toward you.

“May I have this dance?” You shake your head in disbelief. This doesn’t deter him though.

“Loki, are you serious?” He holds his hand out a little further, dropping the ‘end of the world’ charade and smiling at you genuinely. He looks almost shy.

“It is the end of the world, after all.” You look around, most of the people have left. What was happening was a terrible tragedy, but Loki was right; there was nothing you could do. Sometimes there just wasn’t.

His hand is large, making you feel safe as he closes it around yours. Loki gently pulls you close to him, resting his hand on your waist and guiding you in circles. He spins you around, and for a moment this chaos actually feels like home.

There are occasions when not having a sense of time isn’t quite so bad. You could drift through life, doing what needs to be done without worry of running out of it. Things felt like they went by quickly. This wasn’t one of those occasions.

Mobius flips another page in his folder and sighs. He rubs his eyes and shuts it, handing it to you to be placed amongst the various others you had already read through. A sleepy yawn leaves your mouth. As much as you hate field work, at the very least it required less monotony than this.

You really can't help it when your eyes begin to drift shut. Just like that, everything goes quiet.

Mobius watches you and Loki with an amused eye roll and tiny smile. The two of you had fallen asleep at the desk. You were leaning against Loki, his arm draped over you and holding you protectively to his chest. His head rested on top of yours, relaxed in a way that Mobius had yet to witness from either of you.

For two people who never quite let their guard down, you sure were calm now. Mobius remembered the day he first met you, a scared and desperate kid who nearly broke down when he agreed to give you a chance. You always played up not trusting him, but Mobius knew he was the closest thing you had to a friend for a long time before Loki appeared. You had depended on him, and he found himself wanting to keep that faith in him alive. You were just a kid, you didn’t deserve to have to go through half of what you already had.

Loki was a slightly different story. While Mobius knew there was much more to the god than trickery and illusions, he wasn’t anywhere near as gentle as you. While you hunted by demand, Loki did so for sport. He knew why you were attracted to Loki, he had read your file. You were a healer above all else. You found purpose in providing peace amidst turmoil. Loki was the ultimate hurricane. That had to be it. There was obviously no other explanation for your unwavering drive to protect him.

Mobius didn’t know it, but that was a very small piece of a much larger puzzle. The complexities with which you and Loki loved was not something that could be deciphered through reading. It wasn’t trivial in the slightest. It was deeply and remarkably emotional.

No, Mobius only saw a scared little boy and a girl who wanted to banish the fear from his heart. Suddenly, it hit him. Scared little boy!

A slam on the desk causes you to jump, awakening you from your nap. There’s something solid beneath your head, much softer than the wooden desk you expected to feel. Opening your eyes, you find yourself resting against Loki’s chest. It feels so safe here, so calm. His arms hold you close to him and you notice when he struggles to open his eyes. It felt like you hadn’t slept in days, so you understood the sentiment completely.

When Loki finds you snug within his arms, his heart beats a little faster. He's sure you can hear it, your head is so close to his chest. You're so fragile to him, and having you here against his body stirs up something within him that screams at him to protect you. He barely has time to process everything before Mobius flips open a file in front of the two of you.

“Wakey, wakey, kids. I found something on that Kablooie we picked up at one of the scenes.”

Rising from Loki’s chest, you feel his hands fall from around you. You miss him immediately.

“What’s that?” Loki stretches, leaning over to see the bag that Mobius pulls out.

“Candy. Do you have candy on Asgard?” Mobius looks at Loki incredulously.

You shake your head, both in response to the question and to clear the sleepiness from your mind. “Nope. None that he’s ever eaten anyway.”

Loki pipes up defensively. “Well, we have grapes, nuts, things of that sort.” Mobius looks at you, shock on his face. You shrug. When you first found out that Loki had never had candy, you made it your mission to overload him on sweets. You always adored sweet things, and sharing that with him was one of your favorite pastimes. Maybe that could be something you did again.

“No wonder you’re so bitter.” Loki stares after him, taking offense to the comment. Mobius doesn’t even notice, opting instead to slam another stack of papers down. Time to continue your work. At least you had a lead now.

“Remember, this is a class ten apocalypse. The variant should be considered hostile, and it is important to keep an eye out for reset charges. The variant steals one every time there is an attack.” This briefing is one you actually find yourself paying close attention to. You’d been to a few apocalypse sights while working with the TVA, not to mention the trip to Pompeii just recently with Loki and Mobius. While this shouldn’t be anything too extreme, the fact that the Loki variant could be there made you worry. While you knew finding this variant could get you one step closer to finally being free with Loki, something held you back.

Arriving at the sight, the rain pummels you brutally. The blue glow of the Roxxcart sign reflects off of everything around you. Holographs flicker in the rain, and you would almost find it pretty if not for the chill of the water.

By the time you make it into the store, you’re shaking and dripping wet. Loki stops beside you, puddling water onto the floor. Your nose scrunches up, attempting to hold back a sneeze, but you can’t. Trying not to call any attention to your shivers, you just smile at Loki and shrug it off.

Loki looks you over quickly, taking in the wet clothes and blue tint to your lips. His hand comes up and a bright green glow washes over you, instantly drying your clothes and warming you up.

“Wouldn’t want you catching a cold.” Now, he smiles and the green light dries him as well. You nod in thanks, bumping his shoulder and walking over to the rest of the group with him.

“Alright, I’ll go with our little sorcerers-”

“No. You two head out with D-90. He stays with me.” Mobius fights the hunter on this, insisting to no avail that Loki should stay with you guys. Eventually, she forces him to back down but the same definitely won’t be said for you.

“I go where he goes.” The hunter sighs and turns to you, staring you down. Walking up to you in an attempt to appear intimidating, she stands nearly chest to chest with you. It wouldn’t be that easy though.

“We don’t need you here. If you don’t want to follow my command, you can leave.” You glare back at her. If she thinks that you were going to back down now after having gone against the most powerful force in the universe, she had another thing coming to her.

“We both know exactly what I’m capable of and why I’m here. Don’t fucking threaten me.” She rolls her eyes, but you’re not finished.

“Every emotion, every fear, every little thing that you’ve pushed down because it’s just way too much to deal with. I’ll make you feel it. You will never know what peace is again. We can work together, or I can be the worst nightmare you’ve ever experienced. The only difference will be that you can never wake up.” The hunter’s eyes widen for the slightest of seconds, but it’s long enough for you to see that you won. Pushing past her, you walk back over to Loki and start heading down the hall.

Loki stares at the hunters and Mobius, eyebrows raised and expression definitely showing that he felt the embarrassment for them. He points in your direction and follows after you, impressed and completely in awe. It was easy to forget how scary you could be. Everything about you felt calm and sympathetic. You were easy to underestimate, but maybe that was deliberate.

The lights flicker around you and your heart rate picks up. You were never a fan of dark, enclosed spaces. When Loki’s footsteps catch up to you, you’re relieved for multiple reasons.

“That was quite impressive. Albeit, a bit frightening. Remind me never to get on your bad side.” You try to keep the smile off of your face, but his grin makes you feel at ease. Rolling your eyes, you smile back at him.

“I really doubt you’re scared of me.” Loki walks a little faster, getting in front of you and walking backwards to face you.

“You’re right about that. I don’t often back down from dominant individuals. It does do something to me though.” He winks at you and you laugh, smacking his arm playfully. You might just be thankful for the darkness now, considering it’s hiding the bright blush on your cheeks. You would never get used to the way Loki’s flirting made your stomach flutter to life with butterflies.

Your eyes suddenly catch sight of a man standing by the plants. “Who is that?”

Loki turns instantly, standing between you and the man. Hunter B-15 walks up to question him, her weapon held out protectively. Looking at him from behind Loki, you recognize something in him. Something that doesn’t feel like it should be there. God, you wish you could use your powers right now. Nothing felt right, but without them you had nothing to back that up. Still, you would risk looking foolish if there was a chance that you were right.

“Something’s off about him.” Loki turns his head to acknowledge you.

“What?’ The hunter walks closer to him, telling him to head back to the main part of the store.

“Wait, something isn’t right!” B-15 turns to you, but the man grabs her and falls limp. You don’t miss the light green magic that flows between them. She turns and smiles at Loki.

“So, you’re the fool the TVA brought in to hunt me down.” She looks at you from behind Loki, smiling wider. “And of course you brought the pet.”

Although it takes you a second to recognize what just happened, Loki catches on instantly. He smirks at her.

“Me, I presume. It’s so nice to meet you.”

She motions for him to follow her as she makes her way through the aisles. Loki squeezes your arm. “Stay behind me.”

“I was so worried that they’d found a better version of me. But now, seeing how delusional you are working for the TVA...well, I’d say that fear is gone.” Her legs swing, mocking you with how nonchalant she appears.

“I don’t work for the TVA, I work for me.” The variant turns around to face the two of you fully. She smiles and clicks her tongue condescendingly. Her head tilts, catching your eye.

“It’s cute that you believe that. I’m an enchantress, Loki. I can tell when someone’s under a spell.” He follows her gaze, moving to hide you fully when he notices where she’s looking.

The variant lets out a breathy laugh and turns back around. A worker walks up to her, and before you can do anything to stop it, the magic shifts between them.

Loki doesn't miss a beat, talking before the worker is even fully enchanted.

“I have an offer for you, that’s why I found you. I'm going to overthrow the Time Keepers and, cards on the table, I could use a qualified lieutenant." You try not to let that get to you. He says it so easily, the words flowing without any hesitation. It couldn't be the truth, right? You could read him like a book, but right now you were struggling. It was just the nerves.

"And I assume you mean me and not your little pup." That one hurts. For so long it was common for people to see you as some lost child next to Loki. They treated you as though you were a victim, being corrupted and taken advantage of while blind to it all out of love. You weren't blind, and you weren't some useless toy.

You were so caught up in your thoughts that you almost missed the look he gave you.

Loki's eyes lock on yours minutely. He tilts his head just slightly, but you know the look. He has a plan. Trust him.

"There’s only one person I can trust. So what say you, Loki?" He holds his arms out invitingly, gently pushing you further back in the process.

"Don't call me that. Enough with your games, I'm not interested in ruling the TVA."

Their eyes take on a shift, anger surging through them as they turn away. Loki follows after them.

"If you don't want to overthrow the TVA, what do you want?" Electricity hums around you, the lights flickering violently. When they go down, you can see the orange glow radiating from multiple spots around you. Loki looks around as well, he faces you with an urgency that sparks panic in you.

When he speaks, his voice is low and rushed. "Go find Mobius. If there's a fight here, you don't need to be a part of it."

Your head shakes and you reach for him. If there was going to be a fight here, you weren't going to leave him. You were never the best fighter, not without your powers. You could help though. You had to.

"I'm not leaving you alone with them." He wants to disagree with you. The conflict flashes in his eyes, but he has little time to argue. Loki nods his head toward the corner. If you want to stay, you don't need to be at the center of it.

Loki turns and steps toward the variant slowly. They changed again while the two of you spoke. This new body was large, clearly strong and far more intimidating than the previous.

Loki is undeterred and his arms stretch out, directing the attention to the glowing charges around the room.

"I see, that's your plan. Lure us all here so you can blow the place up."

Overhead, the lights flicker again. You see them charge forward and scream when they kick Loki forcefully across the room.

"Thank you for helping me stall for time, you really do love to talk." Loki rises just as the variant steps forward. You scan the room for anything that could be of use and find a cable hanging off of a shelf.

Your arms reach for it, swinging it overhead and wrapping it around the variant's neck. Your legs swing up and use his back as leverage to pull harder on the cable. Natasha had taught you a thing or two and you were now thankful for the hours spent getting kicked around by her on a mat.

Loki rushes to you, punching the variant in the face. You feel him stepping backwards and can't move fast enough to avoid smashing into the aisle behind you. The metal digs into your spine and you yelp in pain, letting the cable go. Your body falls to the floor and the variant grabs for your throat while you attempt to recover.

Just as his hand is about to close around your neck, Loki swipes his feet out from under him. The man's head slams against the floor, temporarily incapacitating him.

Loki locks his hand on yours to help you rise.

"Are you alright?" You nod your head rapidly, getting up to make yourself less of a target. "Are you?" Loki checks himself over. "It appears so."

The break is short-lived as Loki takes a hard hit to the side. The variant locks its sights on you. He kicks violently and you barely dodge it. Your arm swings back to strike the man in the face, giving Loki the chance to run back over to you.

Loki grabs you quickly, pushing you behind him as the enchanted man sends another kick your way. He blocks it, but just barely. Loki summons a vacuum cleaner to his hand, swinging it around to send the man flying back. He runs over to you, holding your arm and looking back occasionally to make sure the man is still down.

“If I can get you close enough while distracting him, do you think you could stop the enchantment or put him to sleep?” You shake your head, knowing that you can’t. His powers may be available to him out here, but yours still aren’t. As long as the TVA knows where you are, your powers are kept from you.

“I know you probably don’t use them much now, but I know what you can do! This Loki is incredibly resilient, I’m going to need your help if we aim to stop him.” You continue to shake your head adamantly.

“I can’t.” He grabs your hand, knowing that your magic often resonated from the centers of your palms.

“Yes, you can. I’ll take the fall for it, you don’t have to worry about a thing.” Loki squeezes your hand in his, the urgency in his actions hitting you down to your core. You feel useless. Your fighting abilities were minimal at best. Loki could take this variant without you, but you were barely a distraction to him. The TVA had left you powerless and with very little means to protect yourself. You couldn’t do anything and it made your stomach twist now that it was directly affecting Loki too.

“Loki, I can’t!” A small spark stings the hand that Loki has wrapped in yours. Your eyes grow wide at the feeling, knowing that it couldn’t have possibly been you...right?

A low chuckle sounds from behind the two of you and Loki rises to hide you from the opposing figure. They're much smaller now, and their voice is softer.

“Leave the poor girl alone." The person steps closer, slowly shaking their head at Loki as though scolding a child.

"How is she supposed to use her magic when they have her chained up like a dog?"

Loki turns back to face you, a thousand questions floating through his mind. Only one matters at this moment though.

"They keep them from you, even out here?" His eyes fill with pain, knowing that he played a part in that somehow. Even if he hadn't outright forced you to do it, it was still his existence that led to it. You had abandoned a part of yourself for him.

You look down, suddenly feeling humiliated. The shame of what you were willing to lose felt so much heavier now that he knew. It wasn't just a temporary restraint like he had been given. At this point, you had been severed from your powers for what felt like years. It was shameful.

He struggles to find the right words to say, but nothing can make this better. He couldn't imagine the pain you were in. Remembering the person behind the two of you, Loki says what he needs to in order to keep the focus off of you. He knew you weren't useless without your powers, the fight you had just put up proved it. You didn't quite see that same strength in yourself though, so he wanted nothing more than to ensure you weren't the target of this variant's attacks.

"You clearly know she's no threat to you, so what do you want from me?" Loki turns away from you, stepping up to the variant.

"This isn't about you."

Everything in the store powers down. As the lights go out, reset charges glow and vanish in squares of glittery gold.

In front of you, the variant picks something up and waves at you and Loki with a satisfied grin. She disappears in the portal before you can even think to move.

The glow of the portal casts Loki in a golden light. He stands by it, watching as the variant runs through and disappears. You can see the hesitancy in his face. He's struggling.

“Loki-” Before you can even finish, he cuts you off with urgency.

“Come with me.” You make no move to approach him, fearing that he might do something rash if he feels trapped. You’re confused though. He couldn’t have just asked that, could he? He knew you had no powers now, so why wouldn’t he just go?

“What?” Loki quickly turns to face you, taking long strides to reach you in as little time as possible. His hands come up to squeeze your arms, trying desperately to garner all of your attention. He needed you to see how serious he was right now. How sure.

“Come with me. I know that there is much more to our story, and while I respect your wishes not to show me, I also don’t think I’m ready to live this life, my life, without exploring what still could be.” His eyes are so piercing, so pleading.

You’d given up everything once to see Loki again. Risked imminent death just for the small hope that he might still be out there somewhere. Hell, you had gone against the Time Lords themselves to reach the TVA so that you could find Loki...and he hadn’t even asked that of you then. Why now, when he’s nearly begging you to run away with him, would you say no? He knew your powers were being locked away from you, yet he still wanted you beside him.

What you didn't know was that the discovery of your powers was the final straw for Loki. His time with you may have been limited so far, but he was certain that the kindness and genuine care for him that you showed, even when you didn't think he'd find out, was not something that he could ignore. In his heart, he knew that he held so much emotion for you. Even now, the urge to have you by his side was far too strong to deny. The fact that his affection was clearly mutual made him ache for further discovery.

Behind you, hunters and TVA agents run closer. You can hear Mobius calling to you and Loki, but neither of you make any move. Loki is waiting for your decision. It suddenly dawns on you that he might not leave if you don’t make one, or if you decide to stay. He would sacrifice what was likely his only opportunity to escape if running meant leaving you behind. You already knew your answer, but that solidified it. You would happily go wherever Loki led you, because you knew that he would do the same.

“Let’s go.” His eyes twinkle with relief and pure happiness at your words. You chose him. You knew he was unaccustomed to that; to being someone's choice. He’d have to get used to it very fast now that you two were going to be on the run together.

Loki grabs your hand, stopping once more to look at Mobius apologetically. You would be lying if you said it didn't hurt a bit to betray him. You had to though.

With that, Loki pulls you through the portal with him. It seals shut behind the two of you in a glittery display of light.

a/n: can you guys guess which scenes made me happy in the show? there was so much smiley loki in this chapter, and while i cant stop myself from being slightly angsty, i hope you guys liked the fluffiness in this. please never be shy to tell me what you think, i love hearing from y'all and your interactions make my heart so happy. have a lovely weekend angels!

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