#he has no idea how to react to this he just stays frozen like that for the entirety of the hug

[musubiki]

another dose of coffy to start the week off right (ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ.ﾟ

[urdreamydoodles]

Hello!!! I just found your page and yes I already I love your work!!

If it’s no trouble, may I ask for X-men characters with a Pregnant s/o headcanons? Like how they would be when you tell them you’re pregnant, how they are when you’re pregnant, and how they’d be during labor! 😵‍💫😵‍💫

Could I also ask it be with: Logan, Scott, Gambit, Ororo, Colossus, and Kurt??

If not it’s totally okay! Have a great rest of your day 💖💖

X-Men x Pregnant!Reader

How they handle your pregnancy

Each X-Man reacts differently to your pregnancy, from initial surprise and joy to unwavering support during labor, reflecting their unique personalities and love for you.

Characters: Logan Howlett, Remy LeBeau, Scott Summers, Ororo Munroe, Kurt Wagner, Colossus (+ my personal addition : Erik Lehnsherr, Wade Wilson, Wanda Maximoff & Pietro Maximoff)

Thank you for saying that, hearing that my work is liked makes me really happy, thank you ♡ And it's not a trouble at all — love the prompt! — Love, Marie, your friendly marvel fangirl

Logan Howlett (Wolverine)

When you tell Logan you’re pregnant, his initial reaction is a mix of shock and silence. For a moment, he’s frozen in place, his gruff exterior cracking just enough to reveal how truly taken aback he is by the news. He’s been through so much, lost so many people, and had so many regrets in his life that the thought of bringing a child into this world overwhelms him. But after a long, quiet moment, his eyes soften, and he gently places a hand on your stomach, the roughness of his calloused palm contrasting with the tenderness in his gesture. His voice, usually gruff and low, is quiet when he says, "I’ll protect both of ya… no matter what."

During your pregnancy, Logan becomes fiercely protective. He’s always been the protective type, but now it’s ramped up to an entirely different level. He doesn’t let you do anything that might risk your health or the baby’s, even if it’s something small like lifting a grocery bag. He makes sure you’re comfortable, constantly checking in with you—though he tries to act like he’s not worried. You often catch him watching you, eyes filled with a mix of awe and uncertainty. He tries not to hover, but you can see how much he cares. The moment you’re uncomfortable, he’s there, ready to do anything to help. His biggest fear, though he never outright says it, is that something will happen to you or the baby, so he keeps an almost obsessive eye on both of your well-being.

When labor begins, Logan is a mess of emotions. He’s usually the calm in any storm, but seeing you in pain makes him feel helpless in a way he’s not used to. He holds your hand, trying to keep you calm, though his own heart races. "I’m here, darlin’. You’re strong. You got this," he murmurs, pressing kisses to your forehead, staying close, trying to mask his own panic. When the baby finally comes, and he hears that first cry, tears fill his eyes. He never thought he could experience something so beautiful and terrifying at the same time. Logan would quietly hold the baby, marveling at the tiny life you both created, knowing he’s going to protect this child with everything he has.

Remy LeBeau (Gambit)

Telling Remy you’re pregnant is like lighting a firework. He’s always been a charmer, quick with a grin and a flirtatious quip, but when the news sinks in, his eyes light up with uncontainable excitement. "Mon dieu… I gon’ be a papa?" he says in disbelief, his signature grin widening as he pulls you into his arms. His hands immediately find your stomach, even if there’s no sign of the baby yet, and he plants a loving kiss on your lips. Remy is the kind of man who loves with his whole heart, and now, the idea of a family with you makes him feel like the luckiest man alive.

Throughout the pregnancy, Remy is absolutely doting. He spoils you beyond belief, making sure you have everything you need. He constantly brings you little gifts—flowers, chocolates, or even things for the baby—and he can’t help but talk to your belly every chance he gets, whispering sweet nothings in French. "Cher bébé, you gon’ have de best life wit’ us," he coos. He’s also incredibly playful, making jokes to keep your spirits high during the more uncomfortable parts of the pregnancy. If you’re feeling tired or sick, he’s quick to comfort you, but he does it with his usual playful charm. "You look beautiful, ma chérie, even wit’ a lil’ bump," he teases, kissing your cheek. Remy’s energy makes the whole experience feel lighter, more fun, and less daunting.

During labor, Remy’s usual calm and collected demeanor falters. He’s still his charming self, but there’s a frantic edge to his words as he holds your hand. "You okay, chérie? I’m right here wit’ you," he reassures, though you can see the worry in his eyes. He’s not used to seeing you in pain, and it shakes him more than he thought it would. As the labor progresses, he stays by your side, whispering sweet encouragements in French and English, never letting go of your hand. When the baby finally arrives, he’s completely overwhelmed, tears of joy running down his face as he holds your child for the first time. "Our lil’ miracle," he says softly, his heart full to bursting with love for both you and the baby.

Scott Summers (Cyclops)

When you tell Scott you’re pregnant, he’s stunned, standing still for a long moment as he processes the news. Scott, being the logical and responsible leader he is, has always thought about the future and the possibility of a family, but hearing it from you makes it real in a way that both excites and terrifies him. "We’re… we’re going to be parents?" he asks, his voice soft with disbelief before his arms wrap around you tightly. You can see the joy in his face, mixed with the weight of responsibility that’s already setting in. He’s already planning everything in his mind—how he’ll protect you, the future he’ll build for the three of you, ensuring that you and the baby are always safe.

Throughout your pregnancy, Scott is incredibly attentive and thoughtful. He’s the type to read all the parenting books, meticulously prepare for every scenario, and ensure that you’re comfortable and healthy at all times. He schedules every doctor’s appointment, makes sure you’re eating well, and insists that you take things easy. He’s also incredibly emotional during this time, though he tries to hide it. You often catch him looking at you with a softness in his eyes, one hand resting protectively on your stomach. "I love you so much," he says out of the blue one night, his voice filled with quiet awe. Scott takes everything seriously, and your pregnancy is no exception—he’s already planning how to be the best father he can be.

When the day of labor arrives, Scott is calm and composed, but you can feel the tension rolling off him in waves. He’s a natural leader, but this is out of his control, and it scares him more than he’ll admit. He holds your hand the entire time, murmuring words of encouragement, but there’s a tightness in his voice that betrays his worry. "You’re doing great, we’re almost there," he says, though you can tell he’s just as nervous as you are. When the baby is born, Scott is overcome with emotion. He’s usually so controlled, but in this moment, tears stream down his face as he holds your newborn in his arms. "We did it," he whispers, looking between you and the baby with a sense of awe and love so profound it leaves him speechless.

Ororo Munroe (Storm)

When you tell Ororo you’re pregnant, her reaction is calm yet filled with quiet joy. She has always been a steady presence, and that doesn’t change even in a moment as life-altering as this. You watch as her eyes widen slightly, and she takes a deep breath, letting it out with a smile that’s filled with nothing but love. "A child," she says softly, as if testing the words out on her lips before she steps closer, pulling you into a tender embrace. She kisses your forehead, her fingers gently brushing your stomach. "We will raise them together with the strength of the earth, the wind, and the skies," she whispers, her voice filled with a quiet reverence for this new journey you’re about to embark on together.

During the pregnancy, Ororo is a pillar of strength and grace. She watches over you with care, making sure you feel supported and at peace throughout. Her connection to nature allows her to sense even the smallest changes in your well-being, and she’s quick to help ease any discomfort you feel. She spends hours talking to your growing belly, whispering stories of the world, of the sky, and the beauty of the elements. Her presence is soothing, and she brings you peace in moments where the discomforts of pregnancy are hardest to bear. At night, she holds you close, her hands resting protectively on your stomach, often saying a quiet prayer to the earth for your safety. "You and our child are my heart," she says softly one evening as you drift off to sleep, her love for you as powerful as the storms she commands.

When the time comes for labor, Ororo is a calming force by your side. Even as the pain begins, she stays with you, her hand in yours, reminding you to breathe, to focus on the world around you. "Feel the wind, my love, let it guide you," she murmurs, her voice steady as she helps you through each contraction. You find yourself drawing strength from her presence, her deep connection to the elements grounding you. When the baby finally arrives, she cradles the tiny life in her arms with such tenderness that it brings tears to your eyes. "Welcome to the world, little one," she whispers, her eyes filled with awe and love. Ororo knows this is a moment of great power, not just in the birth of your child, but in the creation of a family bound by love and strength.

Kurt Wagner (Nightcrawler)

When you tell Kurt you’re pregnant, his first reaction is pure, unfiltered joy. His golden eyes light up, and in an instant, he’s pulling you into a tight embrace, his tail curling around you protectively. "Mein Gott! You are serious, ja?" he asks, his excitement palpable. When you nod, he lets out a delighted laugh, teleporting you both into the air for a brief moment in his excitement before bringing you back down gently. He cups your face in his hands, pressing kisses all over your cheeks and lips, his happiness absolutely infectious. "I am going to be a papa?!" he repeats, as if he can’t quite believe it, but the pure joy on his face shows that he couldn’t be happier. He immediately begins to talk about your future together, about how he’ll be the best father, about how lucky the child will be to have you as their mother.

Throughout your pregnancy, Kurt is an absolute ball of energy and love. He’s always fussing over you, making sure you’re comfortable, making sure you’re happy, and doing everything he can to make you smile. He talks to your belly constantly, telling your baby stories of his own childhood, sharing his love for adventure and his deep faith. "You will be loved, little one. So very loved," he whispers often, his tail lightly wrapping around you as he presses his head to your stomach. Despite his own rough upbringing, Kurt is determined to make sure your child is raised with nothing but love and joy. He’s so excited for every little milestone, constantly asking how you’re feeling, and making sure that you never feel alone or overwhelmed. He even starts knitting baby clothes in his spare time, determined to create something personal for your child.

When labor begins, Kurt is nervous but tries his best to stay calm for your sake. He teleports in and out of the room, fetching things, bringing you water, doing anything he can to help. "You are so strong, meine liebe, you’ve got this," he says, though you can see the nervous energy in him as he paces slightly. When things get intense, he stays by your side, holding your hand tightly, his usual calm demeanor replaced with pure awe at what’s happening. The moment the baby is born, Kurt is overwhelmed with emotion. Tears fill his golden eyes as he looks at the tiny life you’ve created together. "Our little miracle," he whispers in awe, his tail brushing gently against the baby’s tiny hand as he cradles them carefully. His heart is full, knowing that this is the start of a new, beautiful chapter for your family.

Piotr Rasputin (Colossus)

When you tell Piotr you’re pregnant, his first reaction is one of quiet shock. His gentle nature has always been a core part of who he is, but the idea of becoming a father leaves him momentarily speechless. He stares at you for a moment, as if processing the magnitude of what you just said. Then, slowly, a smile breaks across his face, and his massive arms gently pull you into a warm, protective embrace. "We are going to have a child?" he asks, his voice soft and filled with wonder. His metal form, cold to the touch, somehow feels comforting as he holds you close, his hands resting gently on your stomach. "I… I will do everything to protect you and our child," he promises, his deep voice filled with determination and love.

Throughout your pregnancy, Piotr becomes an even more protective and attentive partner. He’s already used to being careful with his strength around you, but now he’s even more cautious, always making sure you’re comfortable and safe. He spends hours drawing and painting, creating art that reflects the love and joy he feels for you and the baby. His gentle nature shines through as he constantly checks in with you, making sure you’re well-rested, eating enough, and not doing anything that could put strain on you or the baby. "You should rest, moya lyubov’," he says softly, offering you a cup of tea or a warm blanket whenever you look the least bit uncomfortable. He talks about the future often, about how he wants to raise the child with the same love and care his family gave him, how he wants to teach them to be strong but gentle, like him.

When labor begins, Piotr is a bundle of nerves beneath his calm exterior. His metal form shifts, and you can see the tension in his usually composed demeanor. He stays by your side, holding your hand gently, though you can tell he’s trying not to show just how worried he is. "I am here, love, you are so strong," he says softly, his voice a low rumble as he reassures you throughout the process. As the labor progresses, he’s there every step of the way, doing whatever he can to help. When the baby is finally born, Piotr is overwhelmed with emotion. He carefully cradles the tiny life in his large, metal arms, his eyes shining with tears as he looks at you with pure love. "Our family," he whispers, his deep voice filled with awe and devotion. "You have given me everything."

Erik Lehnsherr (Magneto)

When you tell Erik you’re pregnant, his initial reaction is one of deep, contemplative silence. You watch as the weight of the news settles over him like a heavy cloak, and for a brief moment, there’s an unreadable look in his sharp eyes. He’s always been a man burdened by the past, his life filled with loss and pain. But then, his expression softens, and he reaches out to touch your face, his fingers trembling ever so slightly. "A child," he murmurs, almost as if he’s afraid to believe it. Slowly, a smile tugs at the corners of his lips, and he pulls you into a tight embrace, burying his face in your hair. "We will give them the world," he promises, his voice low and filled with the intensity that only Erik can bring. Though you can tell the news has stirred up memories of his past, the joy he feels for this future with you is undeniable.

During the pregnancy, Erik becomes fiercely protective, bordering on overbearing at times. He’s always been a man who values control, and now that you’re carrying his child, that instinct is heightened tenfold. He monitors everything, making sure you’re safe, making sure you’re comfortable, and making sure nothing threatens you or the baby. His magnetic abilities become almost a subconscious part of how he protects you, moving objects out of your way before you even realize they’re there, adjusting the temperature of the room without a second thought. Despite his intensity, there’s a tenderness in the way he speaks to your belly, as though he’s already trying to form a connection with your unborn child. "You will be strong," he says one evening, his hand resting on your stomach. "I will make sure of it."

When labor begins, Erik is calm but incredibly focused. He’s been through many battles in his life, but this is something different—a battle of a more personal kind. He stays by your side, his hand gripping yours tightly, though you can see the tension in his jaw as he tries to remain composed. "You can do this, my love," he says, his voice steady despite the worry in his eyes. As the contractions grow stronger, he channels his abilities to make the environment as soothing as possible, dimming the lights, adjusting the metal fixtures in the room to make everything feel more comfortable for you. When the baby is finally born, Erik is silent for a long moment, staring at the tiny life you’ve both created. Then, without a word, he takes the child in his arms, his eyes filled with a rare vulnerability as he gazes down at them. "I never thought I would have this again," he whispers, his voice thick with emotion. "Thank you."

Wade Wilson (Deadpool)

When you tell Wade you’re pregnant, his reaction is, unsurprisingly, over the top. He stares at you with wide eyes, his mouth hanging open comically for a moment before he suddenly breaks into a huge grin. "Are you serious?!" he shouts, throwing his arms in the air and spinning around in excitement. He grabs you and starts bouncing you up and down, all the while chattering on about how you’re going to have the coolest kid in the world. "Oh man, this is going to be awesome! Our little baby Wadelette, or Wadelino!" His excitement is infectious, and though his humor never stops, you can tell there’s genuine love and excitement behind his wild antics. He talks about everything from baby names to what kind of mini-costume the kid will wear, all while being completely and utterly himself.

During the pregnancy, Wade is a chaotic but devoted partner. He’s constantly hovering, making ridiculous jokes to keep your spirits up, and finding the weirdest ways to pamper you. "You’re eating for two now! Gotta keep that belly happy!" he’d say, handing you a tray of the strangest food combinations you’ve ever seen. Wade has a way of making even the most uncomfortable moments of pregnancy into something funny, but when the serious moments hit, he’s surprisingly thoughtful. He talks to your belly in exaggerated voices, telling the baby stories of his adventures and promising to be the best (and weirdest) dad ever. Though he can’t quite stop being himself, you know that beneath all the humor, Wade is completely committed to you and the baby.

When labor hits, Wade is... well, Wade. He’s running around like a madman, alternately panicking and cracking jokes to try and keep things light. "Okay, okay, I’ve got this! I’ve fought ninjas, I’ve blown up buildings, how hard can this be?!" he says, though the genuine concern in his eyes gives him away. As things progress, he becomes a little more serious, holding your hand and whispering words of encouragement between his nervous ramblings. When the baby is finally born, Wade is struck speechless for once in his life. He stares down at the tiny bundle in awe, his usual mask of humor slipping as he gently takes the baby in his arms. "Holy crap," he whispers, his voice barely above a breath. "We made a tiny person." He looks at you with wide eyes, his usual bravado replaced with pure, unfiltered love.

Wanda Maximoff (Scarlet Witch)

When you tell Wanda you’re pregnant, her initial reaction is one of quiet, overwhelmed emotion. You watch as her eyes fill with tears, her hands trembling as she reaches out to touch your face. "A baby?" she whispers, her voice filled with disbelief. For Wanda, this news is a dream she never thought possible, a hope she had long since buried beneath the weight of her complicated life. She pulls you into a gentle embrace, holding you close as she tries to process the enormity of what this means for the both of you. Her powers flicker around her, responding to her heightened emotions, but she calms herself quickly, pressing her forehead to yours. "I never thought I would have this chance," she says softly. "But now… now we can have a family."

Throughout the pregnancy, Wanda is a bundle of emotions—both excitement and worry. She’s incredibly protective, her powers always at the ready to keep you and the baby safe, but there’s an underlying fear that something could go wrong. Despite her concerns, she embraces the experience fully, surrounding you with warmth and love. She spends hours researching everything about pregnancy, reading books, and using her magic to ensure you and the baby are healthy. She talks to your belly every night, using her magic to create little illusions of what she imagines your child might look like. "You will be so loved," she whispers to your stomach, her hands gently resting over the growing life inside you. Despite the fears that linger in the back of her mind, Wanda finds joy in the journey, grateful for the chance to experience this with you.

When labor begins, Wanda is nervous but focused. She holds your hand, her magic swirling around the room in gentle pulses, trying to ease your pain and keep you calm. "You’re so strong," she says, her voice soft but full of conviction. "I’m here with you." As the contractions intensify, Wanda uses her powers to help as much as she can without interfering too much, guiding you through the pain with a steady hand and reassuring words. When the baby is finally born, Wanda is overwhelmed with emotion. She cradles the newborn in her arms, tears streaming down her face as she gazes at the life you’ve created together. "Our child," she whispers, her voice filled with awe. "I can’t believe it… they’re perfect."

Pietro Maximoff (Quicksilver)

When you tell Pietro you’re pregnant, his reaction is fast—literally. He zooms around the room at breakneck speed, his excitement palpable as he tries to process the news. "Wait, wait, wait—seriously? I’m going to be a dad?!" he exclaims, coming to a sudden stop in front of you with wide eyes and a grin that stretches from ear to ear. He’s so thrilled that he can barely stand still, constantly moving from one side of the room to the other, muttering excitedly to himself about baby names, future races, and all the things he’ll teach your child. "They’re gonna be fast, I just know it!" he says, already imagining a little speedster following in his footsteps. His excitement is contagious, and though he can be overwhelming at times, you know that Pietro’s joy is genuine and heartfelt.

During the pregnancy, Pietro is both attentive and hilariously impatient. He’s constantly zipping around, checking on you, fetching things, and making sure you’re comfortable. "You need anything? Water? Snacks? Foot rub?" he asks at lightning speed, already halfway out the door before you can answer. His energy is boundless, and though it can be a bit much at times, you appreciate how much he cares. Pietro is always talking to your belly, encouraging the baby to hurry up and grow faster. "Come on, little one, we’re all waiting for you!" he says with a grin, pressing a kiss to your stomach. Despite his impatience, Pietro is incredibly sweet, and he does everything he can to make sure you feel loved and supported throughout the entire process.

When labor begins, Pietro is a whirlwind of nervous energy. He’s constantly pacing, moving from one side of the room to the other, his speed betraying his anxiety. "You’re doing great, babe, really great!" he says, though his voice is tinged with nervousness. He tries to stay calm for your sake, but you can tell he’s on edge, desperate for everything to go smoothly. When the baby is finally born, Pietro’s world comes to a complete standstill for the first time in his life. The moment they place the baby in his arms, everything around him slows, and for once, he’s not in a rush to go anywhere. He stares down at your newborn child, his usual cocky smirk replaced with a look of pure awe and disbelief. "Wow," he whispers, his voice soft and reverent. "I… we made this." His hands, usually moving a mile a minute, are gentle as he cradles the baby close, eyes wide with wonder as he examines every little detail of their face.

[amomentsescape]

Hello I am craving angst. Hey can you do a headcanon for the slashers? [Maybe Slasher X reader] Like could you do headcanons. What if the Slashers found their SO has been killed? or Maybe headcanon for Slashers if they accidently killed their so?

Sorry if my grammar is bad.

Slashers Reacting to the Death of Reader

Slashers x Reader (Individual)

Warnings: Mentions of death & killing, some cuss words, ANGST

A/N: All aboard the angst train! I kind of combined your request so some of the Slashers are about Reader accidentally being killed by them and some are an "outside" murder.

Freddy Krueger

He specifically told you not to come into his Dream World tonight

It was too chaotic, too much going on

His victim was a lot faster than he had anticipated

So he did his best to catch up with them

But he just couldn't seem to get close enough

So finally, Freddy's anger took over and he caused the sky to rain knives onto the poor teen

Once things were silent, he walked over to his victim, only to see another body laying further back

Freddy's breath caught

He ran over and saw you

You weren't supposed to be here

He told you not to come

Your eyes were already glazed over when Freddy picked you up

His eyes were going hazy, and he was staggering to your shared bed

He laid you down, your blood immediately soaking through the sheets

And it was only then that Freddy screamed a terrible sound into the world

The whole town would soon be reduced to nothing

Michael Myers

God, he didn't mean to

He just couldn't stand it in that moment

You were upset with him, arguing about how he can't just disappear for days on end without so much as a word

But he was just pissed

None of his killings went as planned, he could barely feel a thing, and here you were yelling about him not being around

It was too much, and he just needed the sensory overload to stop

His mind went dark

It felt like just a moment until he gathered his senses

But when he was able to finally focus, your limp frame was in his arms

Your neck was severely bruised, and there were still fresh tears on your cheeks

He couldn't have done this... right?

He kneeled there with you in his arms

He didn't cry, didn't yell, didn't even move

He just stayed frozen in that position, feeling absolutely nothing

Whatever humanity he had left, it died with you

There was nothing holding him back now

Jason Voorhees

There had only been a couple circumstances when a victim escaped Jason

And even then, none dared to go anywhere near those woods again

Except for one

For some reason, the death of his friends was too much

He was seeking revenge

Jason was inside the cabin cleaning up his machete while you were out picking flowers

You were wanting to make him a flower crown

He immediately dropped everything when he heard a single gunshot ring out through the desolate area

He sprung up, walking out to find you

It didn't take long before he saw a man leaning over a body, apologizing profusely over and over again

When he realized who was lying on the ground, he immediately ripped the man's head off, not even wasting a second

He lifted you in his arms, frantic on what to do

With your last moments, you struggled to smile and grip onto his hand, giving him a silent reassurance

He watched you go limp in his arms

He laid there with you for an eternity, feeling utterly lost

By the evening, he had a gravesite set up for you, and he was already packed

He was going to head into town this time

He would make sure there would be no survivors

Thomas Hewitt

It was just a freak accident

Thomas had gotten in up in the middle of the night while you were sleeping, slipping away to the shed

However, you had no idea where he had went

Fearing the worst, you walked out into the night, looking around for him

But in your worried state, you forgot about one of the traps set up outside

You accidentally triggered it and was immediately impaled

Thomas heard the trap go off and quickly rushed over to it

The moment he saw you, his heart dropped

He ran over and held you, trying to get the trap off of you

But you pleaded with him to leave you be, knowing your fate already

He was frantic, begging and crying with you to let him help

But you knew it was too late

You reached out and touched his masked face, offering a warm smile before your head dropped

Thomas took care of your body, having his family help make a gravesite for you

He was never the same after your death, and he became the most brutal killer out of everyone

Bubba Sawyer

The newest victim was willing to do whatever it took to survive

In a frenzy, they didn't even register what was happening

They saw you and immediately stabbed you in the stomach, quickly sprinting away thereafter

You screamed for Bubba, your body unable to move from the pain

It didn't take long for him to come to you, the area being filled with his whimpers and gasps of fear

He tried to turn you over, but it only caused you to let out cries

He was looking around frantically, trying to figure out what to do

But you just asked him to lay with you, knowing that help would never make it in time

He did as you asked, you both crying together

The moment you went silent, the air was filled with his screams

He was inconsolable

The moment he found the victim hiding away, he did his absolute worst to them

He didn't care about food in that moment

He wanted to invoke as much pain as possible

Your body was carefully tucked away in bed, Bubba refusing to leave your side for days

Brahms Heelshire

You were hoping to surprise Brahms, sneaking out in the night to pick some berries for tomorrow's breakfast

He normally slept like a rock, giving you ample time to complete the task

However, this night, he found himself awake to an empty bed

When he discovered you about to walk out the door, he went into a rage

How could you abandon him like this? Didn't you love him anymore?

He grabbed at you viciously, not seeing anything else but red

You tried to plead with him, telling him that you weren't going to leave

But this all fell on deaf ears

He wasn't thinking, he just grabbed at you and slammed you into the ground, your head bouncing from the force

He only stopped his attack when he saw the empty look on your face, and suddenly everything began to sink in

He froze up and began to cry, collapsing on top of your body

He didn't mean to

He pleaded to you that he didn't want to hurt you

He ended up placing your body on the couch, tucking the doll into your arms

At least this way, there was no possible chance that you could try to leave him again

Norman Bates

He blacked out

He didn't mean to, but something inside of him snapped when he noticed Mother's things had been misplaced

When he finally came to, you were lying in your shared bed, a knife sticking straight up from your chest

Norman became hysterical, not understanding what had happened

"N-no, no, no...."

He cried into your shoulder, holding your body close to his

It didn't take long for his mind to become numb, his teary eyes staring dazedly off into space

He ended up pulling another chair next to Mother, sitting your body beside hers

Mother always loved you, and Norman was sure she'd appreciate the company

It's okay, he reassured himself

You're home with him and Mother

He has his family still

Nothing is wrong

How could it be? You're still here with him...

Billy Loomis

You didn't tell him where you'd be tonight

It was just supposed to be a small get together, nothing important

So why did it matter?

But little did you know, Ghostface would be making an appearance

Billy was quick to get through the small group, eventually making his way around the corner to the next room

However, as you turned to figure out what was going on, your body ran straight into him

Not wanting to have a victim slip from his grip, he stabbed the knife into them quickly, not wasting any time

However, the moment his gaze tilted up, he saw those familiar eyes

As your body dropped, he caught you, ripping off his mask

"(Y/N)?! What the hell are you doing here?! You're supposed to be at home-"

"Billy?" you croaked out

"It's me, baby. Oh my god..."

His voice broke and the tears began to slip down his face unwillingly

Your eyes began to flutter, and he started to shake you in his arms

"Don't you dare fucking do that. You stay with me, alright?"

But your eyes soon glazed over, and Billy found himself yelling at your lifeless body

"DON'T DO THIS TO ME! DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME!"

Without you, there would no longer be mercy

Stu Macher

It was supposed to be a fun night together

It wasn't unusual for you to join Stu on his sprees

He loved having you by his side, being there to help him do something he enjoys

But this group was different than the others

They fought back

And when there was only one person left, they somehow managed to grab a nearby kitchen knife and slam it straight into your chest

"YOU FUCKING ASSHOLE!" Stu screamed

He took his own knife and slashed a gaping wound into they're neck, killing them quickly

He kneeled down beside you, taking your face in his hands

"Hey, hey! You're gonna be okay, alright?"

But you just shook your head

"Look at me. Look at me!"

You did your best to meet his eyes, trying to stay conscious

"I'm gonna get you out of here, and then we'll- (Y/N)?!"

Your eyes had closed, and your head drooped in his hands

Stu began to scream, begging and cursing for you to come back

Eric Draven

One of the first rules Eric gave to you was to never go looking for him at night

It didn't matter how late it was or how long it had been

You stayed home where it was safe, no matter what

But on this night, you broke his rule

Eric was supposed to be back hours ago, and yet you were alone in your bed, worried sick

You eventually gave in and went out into the night, searching for him

But unfortunately, someone else was watching you, quickly jumping out and stabbing you in the neck

They took your wallet and ran, leaving you to bleed out on the sidewalk

But it was only a matter of seconds before a familiar figure ran up to you, placing his cold hands against the wound in your neck

"Goddammit! What did I tell you?!" Eric cried

You tried to speak, but nothing came out but warm blood

"(Y/N), please don't go. Come on, you're strong. Stay with me"

You reached your bloody hand out, caressing Eric's cheek softly before your whole body went limp in his arms

His cries could be heard echoing throughout the night

Without you, he has nothing

[emacrow]

So you know the movie Ponyo

What I'm really trying to ask is do you know the mother and the father are like a little thing where the mother looks like an epic Sea Goddess cuz she is and he looks like a sad sickly old man

I'm just imagine that Klarion and Danny

Like Danny looks like an epic beautiful star Death god powerful in the way he moves but it's subtle like he's slowly comforting you to death

And Klarion looks like a crazy witch boy with a cat who look like he's out right feral and about to throw a pipe bomb at you just because he can

I'm just imagining what happens is Young/Dark Justice is worried about Klarion he's been gone for a while and they're wondering what he's planning I imagine they're surprised when they see him with a Lazarus pit

It's a specially surprising when electric entity sticks their head out of the Lazarus pit and starts talking to Klarion as the JLD and YJL hide there waiting for Klarion into demand help our power they watch this being completely start flirting with Klarion

I imagine Klarion and Danny's conversation going like this

Danny: Hello there my amazing chaos what have you came to talk to me about this time

He puts his hands up to pick up Klarion and bring him closer to his face

Klarion: It's that stupid Doctor Fate it's like he doesn't understand too much balance can ruin the order of the world I might love chaos but that would cause a chaos I couldn't even control

Klarion sits down and Danny's hands rubbing his head on one of Danny's fingers as comfort

Danny: Oh my love I could always talk to him and get him to try slow it down a bit if that's what you need

Danny's face turns into one of concern as he says that slowly starting to move around in the bigger than normal Lazarus pit that Klarion found for him

Klarion: No starlight me and Teekl have that old fart handled how about you tell me about your day instead did you find any more stars how is the balance between life and death doing for you

Danny puts him back down as a twinkle goes in to his eyes as he lays down in Lazarus water slowly starting to swim around as he say

Danny: oh Klarion life and death has been amazing and there's a new Star nursery that I found out there it's just wonderful

After Danny says that he pauses for a moment and presents to go underneath the water he comes out looking smaller with white hair and still wearing the same clothing he was wearing when he was larger surprising Klarion by grabbing his hands

Danny: oh Klarion my dear I have an idea how about we let Dr.Fate have what he wants for once in his miserable life let him have order without the balance that he needs that should show him that he needs you should it not

Klarion takes a second to think through It after he does he grabs Danny's hands right back

Klarion: that's an amazing idea Danny I'll stay with you in the infinite realms let's see how Dr Fate work without chaos helping him keep the balance

After that Danny kisses Klarion on the cheek using the the Lazarus pits to take him and Klarion to somewhere called the infinite realms

I'm sorry this is my first time really writing out Klarion I don't know how to write out characters that well I hope it was good that is what I really like is YJ and JLD was just reacting to this conversation since like the plan was listen and find information

You bet damn right that Dr Fate would have trouble keeping the balance, and would probably have the justice league trying to find Klarion because he thinks he up to something but in reality Klarion is in the middle of deep space, playing around with the stars as Danny is molding and feeding the baby star nursery to build a new universe in the making.

Dani is probably with him doing looping loops playing with star dust while Dan beat up any asteroids that had bad bacteria and let some of the good meteorites in that has good bacteria, and frozen water inside of them.

By the the time Justice league figured it out, probably the Green lantern, Hal. He probably gobsmacked and godsmacked straight back where he came form accidentally by Danny's star fueled cape.

[linos-luna]

hello! i really enjoy your writing and i find your fan fiction beautiful i swear 😭😭 sooo, i wanted to ask if you can write a bangchan x yn angst but w a happy ending (with a daddy issues yn) if you’re comfortable!<3; so i had this idea: Chan argue with yn because she always ask to him to take a break from his work and he just let out all his anger on her and start to say bad things to her (which he didn’t really meant or thought) and yn start crying in front of him during the argue because he reminded to her, her father. Once Chan start to feel bad about what he said to her and immediately try to excuse himself trying to get closer to yn for hug her, but, she immediately pulls him away but chan try to get closer to her again for make her calm down.

Thank you! I’m glad you like my writing! 🥺

This will be interesting because I had an abusive Stepfather so this will definitely resonate with me. At least we know it’s genuine 😅

——————————————————————

Awful Things 🥀

Bang Chan x Fem!Reader

Warnings: Angst, mentions of abuse, yelling, crying, ptsd?

——————————————————— 🥀

All he ever does is work. Your boyfriend is constantly stressed and barely gets any rest. You worry for him but know that he’s a workaholic, however it’s just not healthy.

So you try and remedy it. Cook for him and get him to relax. But it never lasts long. Often times he rarely spends any time with you. It all just bothered you and he seems to shrug it off whenever you mention it…

But you try not to dwell on it. You stay on the side lines and are usually shy to talk. Perhaps it’s just your personality, or your light fear of dominate male figures. Chan has never given you a reason to fear him but he still had that dominant aura. This issue stems from childhood and your boyfriend knows that.

~~~~

“Channie, please take the day off.” You pleaded.

Chan only glanced up from his laptop. He’s been on it for a while. He didn’t answer, only going back to typing.

“Hey!” You crossed your arms, annoyed that he was ignoring you; you hate that.

“What?”

“I keep telling you to take the day off!” You grunted. “You’ve been working nonstop for days!”

“Y/n, not now.” He sighed with annoyance.

“Chan—!”

“Y/n! Get out!”

“Excuse me?!” You were taken aback by his tone. He never yells at you like that.

“Out!” He yelled again while pointing towards the door.

You were frozen in place, not sure how to react, only looking down.

“Hey!” He yelled while snapping his fingers. “Are you stupid or something? I said get out!”

Your heart dropped when hearing that. Did he just insult you??

“Channie, I’m—”

“No because you’re so annoying!” He interrupted. “And you never know when to shut up! So needy! And for what?!”

This stung. You looked at him with glassy vision, trying to keep from crying as he stood up.

“Well you have my attention now! So what?! What do you want?!”

Your body shook as he came closer and your heart beat faster.

“I-I—”

“What?! You obviously want something! Spit it out dumb bitch!” His voice boomed as he practically backed you to the wall and slammed his hand against it, right next to your head.

This had you panicking, you started crying— no sobbing. You covered your face as if to block a strike.

It was then that Chan realized what he did. He watched in horror as tears streamed down your face and your body shook in fear. He quickly took his hand back and regretted everything he said, wishing he could take it all back.

“Babygirl, oh my god I’m sorry!” He pleaded. “I didn’t mean it! Not at all!”

The man tried coming closer to hug you, only making you scream and scoot away.

“Baby—”

“No! Get away!” You cried.

“Y/n—” Chan tried holding your arm, only for you to swat him away.

“Don’t hurt me!” You screamed. “Stop it!”

“Y/n please, I’m not—!”

“No!” You repeated. “You’re gonna hurt me like him! Don’t hurt me like daddy! Go away!!”

“I’m not going to hurt you!!”

His loud booming voice frightened you even more and you found yourself almost having a panic attack and you tried making yourself small.

Chan felt awful and tried holding you; wrapping his arms around you. You whimpered and tried pushing him away again but he held on tight. You struggled until eventually giving up and sobbing into his chest, finally accepting his embrace.

“Baby, I’m so sorry.” Chan said in a more soothing voice. “I shouldn’t have said those awful things…”

“Forgive me, y/n…” he whispered while rocking you slightly. “I shouldn’t have called you those things… I’d never hurt you… especially never like him…”

He felt like crying himself. Chan always wants you to feel safe. He wants you to feel safe with him. He knows what you’ve been through and your childhood of abuse. It’s been a while since you’ve had an episode like this and this time he caused it! And for what? Because he was stressed with work? Because he doesn’t want to take a break? He’s been neglecting you for days. You don’t deserve this!

“I’ll take the next few days off…” Chan said before kissing your head. “And I’ll spend all the days with you, okay? Every moment, I’ll spend with you…”

“I-I don’t wanna be a—”

“You’re not a burden… you’re not a bother.” He sighed, still holding you tight. “You’re never a bother to me, got it?”

You didn’t look at him, only nodding while still against his chest, probably staining his shirt with tears and mascara.

“This is what we’re gonna do…” Chan continued while rubbing your back. “We’re gonna get a small dinner… then get boba… then come home and finish off with cuddles and maybe a movie?”

“O-okay…”

You pulled away for a moment, noticing how his eyes were glassy as if he were going to cry at any moment. So you put your arms on his shoulders and gave him a kiss. No matter what, you still love him. You remember that Chan takes care of you. He loves you and always will…

[thedemises]

. . .  EH? W- WHAT?! featuring “avatar of greed” mammon!

contains! . . . obey me! shall we date?/obey me! one master to rule them all, mammon being all flustered and stammering, use of nicknames “human” and “mams”, sleepy mc, mc has ram horns (i know that rams are basically adult male sheep but im trying my best to keep this as gender neutral as possible so pls-), mammon being mammon, pretty much no major warnings! :D notes! . . .  this is also a small writing that i scrambled to create at night just like the most recent ace imagine- March 14th, 2024 at 3:08 AM 💀

mammon, the great mammon, the avatar of greed—cannot take this any longer.

while sitting up comfortably in his beloved human’s bed, he finds himself trapped and unable to move with the human clinging on to his back like he’s the tree and they’re the.. koala (from what he remembers, when both of them were comparing the human realm’s animals to the devildom’s creatures).

but also—not to mention... he feels like the side of his cheek is starting to burn aflame by the stare that’s causing it.

now, with the courage he mustered up internally—mammon decides to confront them like he's accusing that they're at fault for something trivially bad. yeah.

“o- oi human... what’cha starin’ at me with that look for?? ”

the words simple slip so easily out of his mouth as the burning grows more prominent and quite warmer when the staring doesn’t stop, more likely directed at his eyes specifically; you can still see his lashes fluttering every time he blinks.

with his gaze now focused on you; your arms drapped over his shoulders in a careless manner but secure enough for him to not shrug you off intentionally (not that he would) and your legs crossed and locked around his waist, your head rested on his shoulder—or your arm—as you stare with a sleepy look in your drooping eyes, like you’re at the brink of giving up staying awake any longer but yet you remain at least half-lidded the entire time.

moving your position slightly, the question he asked has you speaking up a bit. “hmmph...”, a soft hum erupts from your throat, half of your face burrowed within his sweater as you made sure to keep your horns away—sppcifically the tips—to prevent injuring him by total accident, “I don’t know... just.. I like how pretty your eyes appear when you wear those shades. the black ones with an orange golden-like gradient in the lenses. ’ts like a sunset’s reflection on a blue sea, but your eyes are very pretty either way; with or without shades.”

...

...

...

... dammit human....

mammon does not have any idea on how to respond—momentarily frozen with his thumb paused the second before it can touch the screen of his D.D.D. that showed the homepage of Devilgram.

congrats mc, you broke him.

“mams?” your weary voice with a hint of amusement brings mammon’s blue-screen-of-death mind back to the present, following a brief chuckle to escape you. “seems like even the littlest of compliments can make you react like a reindeer caught in the headlights.”

that sentence makes the poor second born sputter and stumble over his words, a dark red-ish flush blooms over his cheeks from embarrassment and being a flustered mess; darkening his skin by the blood rushing to his face.

“we- well, of course you’d see the great mammon in that way! ... no, i am not blushing- it’s just a little hot in ’ere! yer just seein’ things.. and no i ain’t enjoying this at all, human! i’m just lettin’ ya do this because i allow ya to, ’kay?!” despite his denies and protests about ever feeling warm and fuzzy in this moment, you can still tell he’ll treasure this memory a lot in the future.

© thedemises 2024. all rights reserved. please do not repost, copy, or claim as your own. ━━  word count: 569.

[yuurei20]

Hello! I wanted to ask, but do we have any visual descriptions of the blot monster that killed Ortho? Like even just if it was big or if it had claws anything like that lol

Also this is a bit of a darker question do feel free to not answer this part but is the it ever implied or said how exactly Ortho was killed? Like did the blot monster like.. bite or maybe squash him? (Ngl I'd normally ask it in a more graphic way but I don't wanna make you uncomfortable)

Anyways I hope you have a good night/day whenever you read this <3

Hello hello! ^^ Thank you for this question!

I do not believe we have any detailed description of exactly what it is that happened to human-Ortho and, interestingly, we do not really know what happened to Idia, either!

There is a loud sound of something striking against something else and Idia says, "Everything after that is a blank for me. By the time I woke up, Ortho was gone."

What was that sound we hear after the monster lunges for Ortho? Metal against metal? Someone or something hitting a wall, or floor? How did Idia fall unconscious, and what happened in between Ortho being attacked and Idia being knocked out?

"Everything after that is a blank" may be insinuating that something happened during that "everything after," but he either can't or does not want to remember what it was. Very curious!

And there may be more to this scene than meets the eye 👀

When Ortho reacts to the creature coming down the hall, he doesn't call it a phantom: he calls it a monster.

"Monster" is one of the various ways that the cast refer to Grim (re: Animal vs. Monster vs. Cat vs. Dire Beast vs. Tanuki (pt1) / Animal vs. Monster vs. Cat vs. Dire Beast vs. Tanuki (pt2) ).

STYX labels him a dire beast in Book 6, but at the same time we learn that Grim is under a powerful spell that STYX's supercomputer can't actually analyze!

Grim might not be a direbeast at all, and we have already heard of creatures that will blend in with direbeasts in order to hide: phantoms 👀

I first came across this theory via Vtuber Toro-san (shared with permission) who points out some interesting things we know about the creature:

1. It was subject ROS-3367A, which possibly means that the phantom originally came from the Queendom of Roses, and Grim is theorized to have been at least partially based on Dinah from Alice in Wonderland.

(In Book 6 we also hear about a SUS-332OB, theorized to be from Sunset Savanna.)

2. While the weaker phantoms frozen on the higher levels of Tartarus in Book 6 mostly growl, the stronger phantoms frozen deeper inside would sometimes speak, saying, "I'm hungry, feed me flesh," "Don't go, stay with me" and "I want to be friends, too."

This is not impossible to tie back to Grim, who recalls waking up "hungry and alone," saying "it was real cold."

He follows with, "What happened after that again? It's all so foggy..."

Grim is mysterious enough on his own, not knowing where NRC is located (which begs the question: how did he get there?) and having significant gaps in his memory, in addition to being so unfamiliar with basic information of what is (presumably?) his own world that other characters often express surprise. (re: Grim's Memory / Grim's Experiences)

3. The chimera in the prologue has long been theorized to be some form of overblotted Grim. Is that his true form as a potentially flesh-eating, unfrozen phantom under a curse and/or blessing that no one understands?

We do not know! :> To the original question: it is difficult to pinpoint how exactly it was that Ortho died, as we do not know exactly what it was that killed him. (If it was the chimera in the opening, though, we have an idea of what it is he may have looked like at the time!)

We know Ortho was killed by a monster who had just escaped from a place built expressly for the purpose of housing lonely, violent, and hungry creatures--but that is all!

Perhaps a mystery to be solved as the plot thickens 👀

[ancha-aus]

Double Trouble... switched?

A tiny little thing for a lovely artist who's comics and art brings me much joy and inspiration.

Inspired by the lovely: @somegrumpynerd

And specifically this post, and this comic :3

Have fun :D

Warning, Very unedited and just me having fun ;P

(also most work was actually finding the posts to make the links work now enjoy this fanfic of which I will admit it took a few hours but I will not tell you how many words as I got no idea. Because I wrote the whole thing on tumblr and got no word counter here. Enjoy :D)

.-.-.-.-.-.-.

Dream knew something was wrong the moment he woke up.

His magic... it was being prickled by something. Over and over and over. It felt a bit like the sting of negativity but different.

That can't be right.

Drema struggled to full awareness as his mind tried to think of the reason why he felt the way he did.

Normally he only felt these type of prinkles and pain when he was near a lot of negativity but it had to be a lot a lot. As in, Nightmare using his own aura to fight him a lot.

But as he used his own magic of empathy he only felt a soft contentment and easy happiness in the air.

Had... Had the fight with Nightmare have afteraffects after all?!

They last fight, the one of the day before, had left Dream drained and tired. Nightmare and him had been fighting and Dream had tried to use his aura to get Nightmare to stay still and listen to him. Dream hadn't expected Nightmare to use his own magic aura. More surprising had been the fact that Nightmare's aura didn't clash with his own but instead reached him. It had burned and as Dream had said, he felt drained afterwards.

Dream hadn't thought too much off it. Especially as Nightmare had seemed exhausted and confused by it as well and he had quickly retreated afterwards.

But maybe Dream had been wrong.

Why else would he still feel this discomfort when there was nothing but positivity around him?

Dream groans as he finally manages to sit up in the very soft bed with many many pillows. Weird, Dream didn't have this many pillows on his bed and neither does Blue. Maybe Ink painted some more for them? Thoguth Ink rarely joined in on their sleepovers and Dream can't remember seeing Ink the day before.

Worse is that he feels disbalanced. Nothing feels right at the moment and the discomfort is making him cranky. He should just find Blue. Blue always makes everything better and has great ideas on what to try.

Yes, his best friend will help.

Dream opens his sockets only to stare in shock.

This... is not his room.

It isn't any room he recognizes.

It is a large beautiful place with a large, very large, bed with way too many pillows and soft blankets. There is a large bookcase just filled with books. The curtains are dark and shut. Next to him is a tiny alarm clock which reads that it is still very early in the morning.

Something else about his vision is off but Dream can't quite place it. Something that should be obvious but he can't make sense of it. He turns to the side and reaches for the bed only to freeze.

That is corruption. On his hand. And arm.

Dream feels himself start to panic as his soul pulses fast. Oh no. Oh no. What happened?! Calm down. Calm down-

Then he sees one of those corruption tentacles nad Dream flinches away, only to completely loose his balance and fall over sideways with a quiet yelp.

He lays frozen but can't feel any curiosity or hear anyone react.

He is starting to have an idea where he is and he isn't sure how to feel about this.

He slowly crawls to the side of the bed, only to keep misjudging the distance and he thinks he lost his depth perception which isn't good news.

He manages to get out of bed and only slightly panics at the sight of his own legs covered in corruption. Are it his own legs even?!

Dream pushes himself upright only almost fall over and he has to grab one of the poles of the large four poster bed to catch himself. He looks over his shoulder and is confronted with the sight of four tentacles shifting and idling behind him, all seemingly coming from his own back.

Dream takes a few unsteady steps and softly curses the way this feels. How does Nightmare DEAL with his tentacles?! How does he deal with the extra weight of it on his spine?! Dream already feels uncomfortable.

Dream manages to get to one of the two doors and opens it. He lets out a sigh of relieve when sees the bathroom. He flicks on the ligth in the room and manages to get to the mirror.

There in the mirror stands Nightmare. Staring at him in absolute shock.

Dream... Is in Nightmare's body.

Which means.

He is not at home.

Dream is in Nightmare's home.

-------

Nightmare tries to walk wiht confidence but it still takes effort to not overbalance for his lacking extra limbs.

When he woke up feeling comfortable and energised he had immediantly panic. He normally only felt that after they managed to make an universe fall fully into negativity and shift the balance.

Feeling that at home meant his boys felt unhappy and miserable and he would not have that.

Imagion his surprise when he sat up only to be in a completely different room and after a glance outside to realise he was in the Omega Timeline.

The one place he never had managed to get somekind of access too.

Nightmare wanted out right now because it didn't take a genius to figure out what happened.

Dream's and his magic had interacted strangly and connected with each other. Both had felt drained. Now Nightmare was in Dream's body.

Meaning, Dream was most likely in Nightmare's body. Meaning Dream was in Nightmare's hideout with his boys.

Nightmare didn't have time to panic or to have a crisis. He needed to somehow get to his own body and make them switch back. His minions needed constant supervision and management. Nightmare only just got Dust to agree to set an alarm clock and Horror had been improving with overeating.

He needed to get to them.

Which meant.

Be the perfect Dream so no one would think something was wrong and enable him to sneak out and search for himself.

This is starting to get annoying.

Nightmare had gotten dressed in Dream's clothes and got ready to leave.

Only for Blue to have shown up.

Which is what brought Nightmare to were he was now. Trying and struggling to maintain a facade he hadn't had time to prepare.

"You sure you are okay Dream?" Blue keeps staring at him as if he expects Nightmare to just spill the beans.

Wait. Does Dream do that? Does Dream just tell Blue everything? Probably right? But what do they normally talk about?

Nightmare is honestly unsure what it is that is between his brother and Blue. Nightmare knows that Blue and Dream are always together and Dream seems rather protective about Blue.

Nightmare realises he is taking too long to answer and puffs up his chest and speaks, being thankful for the small amount of luck there is for him in this multiverse that the voice he speaks with still sounds like Dream "Of course I am alright! It is a wonderful day and I want to spend it heloing others!" Dream and his ever need to please people and be liked.

Blue continues to grin at him, one brow slightly raised "Wowie! you are in a good mood today! Happy to hear you seem alright after the fight from yesterday."

Nightmare nods "But of course! Now! Lets get to work." and he starts walking. Only slightly falling fore over as he tries to balance for soemthign that isn't there.

"Dream!" Blue is by his side and tries to help him upright. The worry around him is slightly surprising.

Nightmare holds up a hand as he tries, and succeeds to steady himself. Old memories return of how to walk without his tendrils. He got this. "I am fine. Just a slight misstep... shall we?" Wait, how does Dream speak anyone? All the interactions Nightmare can remember were from them in battle. Which Ngihtmare knows is not a good reference for when you speak casually with others. The last interactions that Nightmare had with Dream wihtout fighting were... were from back at the tree... when both had been 6 and before their magical growth.

...

Ngihtmare doubts Dream still acts as his six year old self, even if he sometimes seems just as naiev to the world.

Blue frowns at him "If you are sure. You sure you want to go out already?"

Nightmare nods "But of course!"

Blue gives him another grin "Well. If you are sure. Let's go!"

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

Dream doesn't know what to do or say.

What do you say to your enemies when you are suddenly in their boss's body, who happens to be your twin. like. How do you decide what to say?

Dream tries to remain quiet and just watch. That is probabyl what Ngihtmare does right? Just watch and glare and tell them to not bother him?

Their happiness is burning him. That he has realised.

Dream had wanted to tell them he is going to take a moment for himself but then second guessed himself. How much would Nightmare tell them? Would he tell them that their happiness burns him? Would he be honest? Would he even tell them? Or would he just stand up and leave? Were those four expecting him to give them orders? To tell them what to do? Or would a simple 'go do your work' do?

Drema had never realised that positivity burned his brother this badly.

Did... did that mean that being around Dream burned him as well? That going near him at all in battle was as if he was being burned?

Dream knows his aura can get... a lot. but... He never considered... He never thought...

Only extreme negativity hurt Dream and all positivity energised and powered him...

If low levels of positivity already hurt his brother... would only extreme levels of negativity energise him? Would only extreme levels feed him?

Was... was Nightmare attacking AUs not as much an attack on the multiverse but more of a way to feed himself? To keep himself alive?

Dream just... didn't know.

"Boss! boss! what do you think? Awesome right!"

Dream eneds a moment to realise Killer is talking to him. Dream looks over and freezes at the knife Killer is tapping between his phalanges with a concerning speed.

Dream sits there frozen before panic overtakes his soul "What do you think you are doing?! Stop that right now before you hurt yourself!" only to realise that he spoke form panic and worry. Oh no he totally messed up! Dream wasn't thinking and-

Killer pouts but lays the knife down. Horror snorts "Told you boss would be unimpressed and mad at you for practising that."

Killer mutters something about it being cool and Nightmare just being a worrywart.

Dream blinks. Excuse but Nightmare is a what now?

Cross looks at him "What is the schedule for today boss?"

Killer snorts and copies the sentence at a softer volume but in a sillier voice.

Dream can't imagine that would be allowed but before he can even think of a fitting reaction or answer one of Nightmare's tentacles moves over to Killer's skull and gives him a soft tap.

Dream feels mortified. What do you mean those tendrils just... do that?! Dream hadn't even thought or considered that! Wait... Was... Was the corruption still negativity and so technically Nightmare... Was it like a muscle memory and so instinct for his body to do that? That implies that Nightmare has done that a lot.

Killer pouts more and crosses his arms befroe he mumbles "Fine fine. I get it. I get it. Sorry Crossy."

Crossy beams and the happiness stings Dream as Cross answers "Apology accepted!" then Cross looks at him with bright sockets "But what will we do today boss?"

Dream glances around the room as he tries to think of something that would fit. He has no idea what Nightmare does when he isn't out fighting him. Dream remembers the books in Ngihtmare's bedroom but Dream doesn't want to lock himself in there. He will go insane and just not know what to do. He needs an excuse to search around the castle. Something that will fit with their vision of Nightmare.

"I... need to... research a few things for our next... raid." Dream tries to desperately remember what Nightmare sounded like and which words he used. Dream thinks his lucky stars that Nightmare's body still sounds like Nightmare.

Cross nods "okay! Need our help with anything?"

Dream slowly shakes his skull as he tries to follow their emotions to see if he is managing to sell this. "No. I should have what I need." Okay, good so far, now how to say he will get them if he needs help. euh... "If I have need... of you. I know where to find you." That should work... right?

Killer nods as he is already out of the room and gone with a shout "Going to the cats!"

What does he mean CATS?!

Cross nods "Okay! in your office?"

office? office! An office will no doubt have information that will hopefully help Dream. Dream nods as anwer and Cross seems to accept it before he goes around grabbing the plates.

Horror asks him if he wants lunch together or brought up and Dream can feel the stress rise. damnit why are these four so focussed on Nightmare? They turn to him for everything! It makes Dream miss Blue. Blue knows what to do when and helps him more than anything.

Dream ends up saying together. Seeing as they straight up called and pulled him over for breakfast that is probably the go to. Horror seems pleased by this and nods as he starts cleaning the food in a careful manner.

Dust has just been staring at him with a frown on his face.

Dream stares back and feels the need to look away but Nightmare wouldn't look away. Dream waits and waits.

Dust huffs before leaving wihtout much of a word. Dream will take that as a win.

Dream leaves the kitchen and sees Dust disappear into another room, Dream can hear the sounds of a tv coming from there and will assume Killer is in there.

Okay... Now...

Where the hell is everything? He has no idea what the layout is of this place and it was pure luck he even found the staircase that morning to begin with.

He makes his way back to the staircase and follows it up. He makes sure he isn't watched or followed before starting to silently open doors to check what is behind each one.

Why did his brother have to be dramatic and get a castle?!

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

Nightmare hates this.

His cheeks are starting to hurt from the constant smiling. It is emotionally and mentally exhausting to be happy all the time. No one leaves him alone and everyone seems to have something they very pressingly need Dream's help for.

Which. Meant you. Are not important things!!

Dream needs a better work/home balance and learn to say no.

Nightmare can't even just return to the house that is, probably, Dream's and just hide for a moment because Blue has been by his side the whole time.

Nightmare will admit he is starting to get why Dream likes Blue so much adn seems so protective of him. Blue is a beacon of positive energy and motivation. Blue also seems happy to help Dream with anything and everything.

Honestly at this point Blue is the only reason why Ngihtmare hasn't started losing his mind at Dream just yet.

Everyone around him. the whole time. noise or people and their emotions. the pressure of everyone looking at him and trying to get his help. The amount of people trying to just stand next to him and soak up some of that positive aura is disgusting.

Nightmare has half the mind to kidnape his twin just to make sure that he knows he can actually say 'No' and tell people to piss off because it is starting to get concerning.

Nightmare hasn't had the impulse to throw this many people through windows in a while.

One more person from somekind of universe runs up to him "Dream Dream! I need your help!"

Nightmare has to take a very deep breath as he tries to control his temper. easy and calm. easy and calm. He manages to pull the smile back full force and turns to them "But of course! Happy to help. What do you need help with?"

The person smiles "Well! I wanted to do my grocerries but I ended up not going because I was watching this movie and it was jsut so good! Anyway. Would you mind doing my grocerries for me?"

Deep breaths Nightmare. Deep breaths.

The person continues on "The next part just started and I also really want to see that but by the time that one finishes the store will be closed!"

Deep. Breaths.

They continue the smile "And obviously I will pay you back later but-"

"No."

they blink. Nightmare stares back.

They frown "Waht? Why not?"

Nightmare honestly tries to keep it in but why would he? This is an idiot and they deserve to know "Because this is a result of your own neglect of your responsibilities and I don't see why it would then be up to me to fix this. Especially as you yourself still have the chance to do it yourself. But instead you are trying to use me and get an easy out. Not only that but you are also asking me to pay for this?"

The slowly cross their arms "You enver minded before..."

Anger. Rage. Nightmare manages to just stare "Well I mind now. Do it yourself. If you are adult enough to live on your own wihtout supervision you should be able to take care of yourself." Nightmare turns and walks away.

The person is enraged at him and Nightmare feels very smug about it. The person shouts after him "You are being a real asshole there Dream! And very selfish!"

Ngihtmare just keeps walking. don't commit murder in Dream's body. that is a very sure way to get others to notice you are not him.

Blue still walks with him and Nightmare glares "What?"

Blue blinks and tilts his skull "I am just happy you are finally starting to take my advice to not help everyone with everything. You gotta limit yourself or get burned out." Blue stops him and stares at him worried "Are you finally ready to tell me what is wrong Dream? I am worried about you..."

Nightmare considers what to say before sighing "I need a break." weak. Nightmare just, can't handle this. The constant demands and people asking him to do things. It is different with his boys. the real happiness they feel for him may sting slightly but it is real. The happiness of these people. It just isn't truly on that same level. There is no actual affection or care or even understanding behind it. It is about possession and demand and feeling like they earned it.

While they earned nothing.

How does Dream deal with them?

Blue nods "Yeah. Lets go to my place. People are less likely to bother you there. and If anyone asks I will just tell them you are sick."

Nightmare stares at Blue "I don't get sick. I can't get sick."

Blue snorts "Dream. The only three people in the whole multiverse that know that are, you, your twin, and me. If anyone asks we tell them you are sick." and he grins.

Ngihtmare stares at Blue for a moment "You are the only being in the multiverse with a functioning brain."

Blue snorts and laughs "Nightmare will be happy to hear you say that Dream." and he grins widely.

Nightmare snorts himself, a little inside joke just for him, "I know what I said."

They manage to find Core for a ride. Ngihtmare is relieved by that as he hasn't quite figured out how Dream makes portals just yet. Luckily Blue had decided for him that they would catch a ride instead of trying one themselves.

-----------

Dream reads through another report on the changes and shifts in the balance between positivity and negativity. another one that Dream had thought had been an attack agaisnt the multiverse but instead this report spoke about the high positivity levels making the universe unstable and them having to shift it.

The report speaks of a mild success and mentions a message to Error that this universe could be skipped for destruction for a while as they had managed to make it stable enough to last it a bit longer.

So many reports. So many universe which had been unbalanced.

Compared to all the reports Drema had read until now only about 10% spoke about getting higher negativity levels for Nightmare or getting supplies in a raid.

Everything else? All about universes that needed rebalancing and a shift in the right direction to keep them stable.

Dream leans back in the chair and yelps as the tendrils ache. He looks up adn groans as he sees the tentacles once again completely braided together. He doesn't want to have to try to undo it again and-

"Sup Boss!"

Oh are you kidding him?!

Dream had thought the people in the Omega timeline could be pushy or clingy. But it is nothing on these four. They just. Keep showing up!

It is like they are taking shifts! Dream manages to get one out and a new one will show up within 15 minutes.

Dream sighs and looks up "Waht do you want this time you. you..." you... you... Dream doesn't want to be mean. But Ngihtmare probably insults them... right? "Worms."

Cross's whole face turns sad and worried "Worms?" Oh Dream feels so bad about this. Oh no he looks so sad and hurt and why did Dream say that?

Killer however grins widely "worms! new nickname lets go!" he grins widely

Horror just looks at him with a raised brow "You okay boss?"

Dream feels himself get anxious as he tries to channel some stern face but he is unsure how well he is managing "what is it?"

Cross just keeps looking down at the floor with a sad expression as he mutters the word 'worms' to himself.

Horror looks back "Oh Killer pushed Dust down the stairs."

Drema blinks before looking at Killer "You did what?!"

Killer grins widely as he throws out his arms "I would never!"

A second later a very angry Dust shows up "He so did! The asshole pushed me!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not times infinity! Hah! I win!"

Dust glares and tries to tackle Killer but Dream, or lets be real Nightmare's tentacles, stop him and catch Dust mid air.

Dream takes a few breaths but he gives up "No pushing each other down the stairs! I can't even believe i need to say this!"

Horror speaks up "Again."

Dream feels himself stand up straighter "Again?!" luckily all of them seem to not hear the question in his outraged cry as Killer nods with a pout and Dust just huffs.

It is slightly concerning how unbother Dust looks by being up in onf of those tentacles.

Dream rubs his face as he tries to keep his spinning thoughts calm "I am going to be quick about it. I want all four of you to behave for ten minutes so I can look through my reports and figure out where to go to next!"

His brother had so many reports. If Dream could find some positive universe and spread a tiny bit of negativity then Nightmare, in Dream's own body, would feel that and come to Dream and then Dream can try to get them to switch back.

Silence answers him and he looks up to see all four of the gang look at him and nod. Dream waits for a moment before nodding himself "Good!" He has to focus on the tentacle and imagines it putting Dust down before it actually listens. The tendril seems unwilling to let Dust go.

Dream takes a deep sigh and sits back at Nightmare's desk as he starts reading through reports. He looks back up only to see all four of the gang relaxing around him and Nightmare's desk.

Dream rubs his face. considers going against it before just going wiht the flow. Fine! if they want to watch him read reports so be it! Dream turns back to the many reports as he tries to figure out which place would be best. By the stars Nightmare has so much information and he straight up has a whole catagory on different universes and what key differences are and how to spot these when first entering an universe.

There is just so much knowledge and understanding about all of these universe. Nightmare even took time ot learn which universes are most likely to interact. to cross over. or to even be able to hold a stable connection to serve as trading route.

Dream looks up and spots that those stupid tentacles had moves again! Each of them holds one of the four gang members and Dream is trying to think on how to put them back down.

Then he sees all four of them... asleep. peacefully asleep as they lay either rolled up in the tentacle or seem to hug them in their sleep.

Dream stares for a moment and wonders just how often this happens for that to be the natural reaction before he turns back to the reports. the answer has to be in these.

----------

Nightmare feels the spike of negativity as soon as it happens. It si fear from somewhere in the multiverse and he sits up straight.

Blue looks over worried "Dream?"

Nightmare knows it within a second with absolute certainty "My brother." it is dream. Dream has entered an universe and is... causing fear?

Maybe a trap. Or... a beacon.

Blue frowns at him "Are you sure you are ready for this Dream? I don't think you are... fully rested yet."

Nightmare is already up and nods "I am sure." Now the hard part. He focusses on the magic so much like his own but different. the only thing that is avaiable to him is Dream's magic and it will have to do. He focusses on the positivity and wills it to open a connection to where he feels the spike of negativity.

A portal opens before them.

Blue nods as he grabs his hammer "Let's go."

They step through together and Nightmare looks around. He is quick to spot himself.

Nightmare glares as he crouches low before he is off like a bullet right at his own body. The shock on his own face is satisfying.

More satisfying is tackling himself as he and Dream tumble down the sloop into the overgrowth behind it.

Dream yelps and tries to retaliate but Nightmare knows his own body and his own limits. Nightmare is quick to get Dream in a headlock and hisses "Give me back my body."

Dream groans "I am trying! Let go so we can figure this out before they find us!"

Nightmare frowns and waits for just a moment to see if they are followed. He feels some slight confusion and worry from everyone else but there seems to be a bit of a standoff.

Nightmare sighs and lets go of Dream "Quickly then."

Dream huffs as he gets up only to stagger as Ngihtmare sees his tendrils flex. Nightmare snorts "Haven't figured out how to keep them still yet?"

Dream glares at Ngihtmare wiht his own face "Shut up. Just tell me you have na idea how to switch us back."

Nightmare sighs "Obviously we tried to recreate what happened in our last fight." Nightmare focusses and calls forth his, Dream's? this is getting confusing, aura.

Dream hisses slightly, no doubt feeling the burn, before nodding and quickly doing the same.

Both hold out a hand and inch their aura's around each's other's aura and towards the other twin.

Nightmare feels his own magic reach him and it feels like a blast of cool air on a summer day. He lets himself follow it and-

His body burns by the positivity right before him and he jumps back. His tendrils helping Ngihtmare move back and away from Dream.

Dream lets out a loud sigh of relieve as he lets himself sink to his knees "Oh that feels so much better..."

Nightmare nods as he flexes a tendril "I agree."

A moment of silence and peace between the two as neither makes the move to attack first.

Dream speaks up first "I... I never realised how... how much just tiny bits of positivity hurt..."

Nightmare shurgs "You get used to it. and sometimes it is better to feel the sting than the alternative."

Dream nods as he shoots Nightmare a smile.

Nightmare frowns "You can say no."

Dream blinks "Excuse me?"

Nightmare sighs "You should say no sometimes. It is unhealthy to keep giving everything you have to everyone. especially if they don't actually need help or are even thankful or grateful for it." Nightmare shoots his brother an unimpressed look "Learn to manage your work/home life."

Dream blinks before laughing and shooting him a grin "You sound like Blue."

Nightmare nods "You should listen to him more then."

Another moment of peace before both their groups get to them. Neither feel much for fighting and both call for a retreat very quickly.

Both have a lot to think about anyways.

---------

"Wait?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU AND YOUR TWIN HAD BEEN SWITCHED?! THAT EXPLAINS SO MUCH!"

[luvrhischier]

never let go // trevor zegras

part 1 pairing: trevor zegras x reader

word count: 3.9k (i’m sorry i went overboard again)

a/n: jumps between povs, each part is labeled and split by long black divider though (if you don’t like this sort of thing, sorry <3), no use of ‘y/n’ again.

warnings: none (i think)

(him)

Trevor just stood there, his legs wouldn't move, no matter how badly he wanted them to. He wanted to run after you but he couldn't. From his frozen haze he saw Luke run out the door. That should be him running to you and he knew that.

"Everybody out! Party's over!" Jamie yelled. Everyone quickly walked out. Jamie looked over to Nico. “Can you make sure everyone who shouldn't be driving gets an Uber, I'll pay, I don’t even care anymore just please make sure everyone is safe and out of here." Nico nodded and left, dragging a still slightly drunk Jack with him. He would be no help to the conversation about to happen in the state he was in.  Now it was just Jamie, Quinn, and Trevor. Once the front door was shut Quinn forcefully turned Trevor around. He still looked shocked and a few tears had begun to run down his face.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Quinn finally spoke up. Trevor opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.

"If you weren't my best friend I would beat the shit out of you," Jamie said through gritted teeth. "Do you have any idea what you’ve done?"

"She," Quinn pointed towards the door you had just walked out of, "is like a little sister to me and you just broke her heart in front of an entire party of random strangers." Quinn's voice was calm, too calm, it was frightening. "And you're not my best friend so I will gladly beat the shit out of you." He stepped forward but Jamie stopped him as Trevor finally spoke.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," he whispered. 

"What do you mean?! You went into this whole thing knowing you had feelings for her."

"What thing?" Quinn interrupted. 

"Do you wanna tell him?" Jamie crossed his arm. Trevor said nothing. "Are you really going to make me tell him?"

"We've been sleeping together," Trevor said softly. Quinn exhaled.

"How long?" He asked.

"Since my birthday," he paused, scared of how Quinn would react after he said his next words, "last year." Quinn saw red. Yes, you were old enough to make your own decisions, but he hated that this decision ended with you in tears and running out the door.

"You've been stringing her along for over a year?!" Quinn's voice got louder with each word. 

"No, I swear! I didn't think she felt the same way I did, and if-" Trevor's voice broke.

"Come on, Trevor," Jamie sighed. "You're dumb, but you're not that dumb. Everyone can see that she loves you and you love her."

It was quiet for a moment.

"You better fix this," Quinn spoke one last time as he headed for the door, he didn't trust himself to not punch Trevor if he stayed any longer. 

"She is the best thing that has ever happened to you, don't let her get away." Jamie walked away.

(you)

The first week after that night everyone gave you your space. Texts were your only form of communication, you didn't trust yourself to talk, you knew your voice would be coarse from all the crying. 

Trevor would call and text you everyday and every time he did you ignored him. Eventually you muted his notifications, you knew you should've blocked him but you weren't ready for that. 

────

The second week after that night you no longer had space. At least one of your friends were with you at your apartments at all times. These days were filled with binge watching cringy reality shows and lots of take out. You started to smile and laugh again. 

────

The third week after is when you finally left your apartment. 

On Monday, Quinn took you to the beach, complaining about how he was getting sand in places he didn't know sand could get into. You laughed as he got hit on, multiple times. He just awkwardly said 'thank you,' every time he was complimented. Once the, one sided, flirting stopped Quinn soon became your greatest enemy. When you got up to stretch your legs he took that as an opportunity to grab you and throw you into the water. Once you came out of the water you saw Quinn dying of laughter. When he saw the look on your face he ran for his life.

On Tuesday, Luke dragged you to an arcade. You beat him at air hockey and might have gotten a little too excited based on the looks you got from all of the parents with their little kids. He accused you of cheating saying 'You rigged this somehow. I should've won, I literally play hockey for a living!’ You just laughed and called him a sore loser followed by a laugh and, ‘Maybe it’s time you retire and I take your place. I do look pretty good in red.’ He just scoffed and walked off to the next game.

On Wednesday, Jack made you go to an amusement park. He said that the two of you had to go on every single ride. The day started good but soon Jack's face started to go pale. You said you two should probably leave but he refused. He said he was fine and that it was time for the big rollercoaster. As soon as you got off the ride Jack ran to the nearest trash can and threw up. You whispered a quick 'I told you so,' and Jack just gave you the middle finger.

On Thursday, Nico forced you to go on a hike with him, you hated this. He didn’t tell you how long the hike was going to be and you wanted to punch him. The hike was filled with you cursing at him, while he just laughed. It was worth it once you saw the view at the top. The smug look on Nico's face however, was not worth it. You jokingly said you would push him off the cliff if he didn't wipe that look off his face.

On Friday, Jamie just simply walked around town with you as you shopped, not complaining once, that night he took you to a drive-in movie theater that was playing your favorite movie. This might have been your favorite activity of the week. Just you and one of your closest friends laughing being a little too loud and getting told to shut up by the cars next to you, almost getting kicked out. 

You thought you would get to have a quiet night alone on Saturday but that thought went out the window when you heard a knock on your door. You opened the door and saw all of them standing there, a couple holding snacks and a few holding blankets and pillows.

"What is all of this?" You laughed.

"We’re staying over," Jack said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, he then pushed past you letting himself in.

"Yeah, no, of course you can totally come in," you joked sarcastically.

"We know," Nico said, you playfully slapped his back as he walked by.

You watched as the blankets were dropped on the living room floor and the snacks were placed on the coffee table. 

"I don't have a say in this, do I?" You crossed your arms 

"Nope!" They all said in unison. You rolled your eyes playfully before joining them. 

(him)

The last three weeks had been absolute hell for Trevor. During those three weeks he barely saw Jamie or anyone else, he knew he deserved that thought. The silence and alone time gave him a lot of time to think. When he wasn't in bed, he was out driving. He never had a destination in mind, he just wanted to clear his head but, as if the universe was playing some sick joke on him, he always ended up at your apartment building.

That Sunday morning was no exception. He sat there for what felt like eternity before he noticed people exiting the building. He focused to see who it was and he felt his heart start racing once he did. It was Jamie, Quinn, Jack, Luke, and Nico. Quickly he ducked, thankful that the parking spot he was in was somewhat covered by a tree. After a few minutes he finally looked to see if the coast was clear. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

This was his moment. He could go up to you and finally explain everything, finally see you again, even if it was for the last time. He took a few deep breaths before opening the car door. Slowly, he walked towards the side entrance of the building. Once he got there he stopped and remembered, he had given your spare key to Jamie, he couldn't get into the building. He looked over at the intercom system and saw the button with your name. He obviously couldn't press it. You would turn him away immediately. He looked at the only other name that he knew.

Miss Bea. The old lady who lived across the hall from you. The lady who you would spend most of your free time with and the lady who always came over to your apartment on Sunday nights for dinner and card games. You both quickly became an important part in each other's lives. You were close, Miss Bea was like your grandmother and you were like her granddaughter. He knew that you had definitely told Miss Bea what had happened and he also knew that Miss Bea was terrifying when she was mad. With a shaky hand he pressed the button next to Miss Bea's name. He waited for a second before he heard her voice.

"Who is this? What do you want?" She asked quickly. Trevor froze and couldn't speak. "If this is some kind of prank or whatever you kids do these days you better get to running before I get down there." He knew that wasn't an empty threat.

"Hi-," his voice wavered for a second. "Hi, Miss Bea. It's-um-it's Trevor." He braced himself. 

"You have some nerve coming here!" She was almost yelling.

"I know, ma'am, I know." He stopped and ran his hand through his hair, he didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t say anything. It was silent for awhile. Trevor began to think she had walked away.

"Are you here to apologize?" She said curtly.

"Yes, ma'am," he whispered.

"Speak up I can't hear you. I said, are you here to apologize?" 

"Yes, ma'am," he said once again, this time loud and clear. It went quiet again. He thought that maybe she had just walked away as he just stood there for awhile. Soon the door in front of him opened and there stood the short but mighty, and scary, little old lady.

"You make her cry angain and I will end you." She pointed at him. "I know people. One call and they'll be here in a second." 

Trevor gulped and quickly nodded his head in fear. He had no doubt that she did in fact 'know people,' and he did not want to meet them. She let him walk in front of her and he waited to help her up the stairs with an arm held out.

"Don't get all gentlemen like now." She waved her hand shooing him away. He nodded his head before turning and making his way to your apartment.

Before he knew it he was standing at the door. With a shaky hand he knocked before he lost the courage. Time felt like it had slowed down. Soon the door swung open.

"Guys, I told you-"

(you)

Your stomach dropped instantly. There he was standing right in front of you. Quickly you tried to slam the door but he stopped it with his foot. 

"Wait!" You opened the door once again. 

"How the hell did you get in here?" You wanted to yell but you didn't. Before he could respond you saw Miss Bea walking to her front door with a little smirk on her face. "Miss Bea?!" You said in disbelief.

"Are we still on for dinner tonight, dear?" She asked in the most nonchalant voice you had ever heard. Your jaw dropped. "Honey, we talked about this, close your mouth or you're going to catch flies." She joked as she closed her door, leaving you alone with Trevor. You quickly closed your mouth before looking at the boy who had caused you so much pain.

"Can we please talk?" He whispered.

"I don't want to talk to you." You started to shut the door again.

"Then can you please listen? Just listen to what I have to say and if by the time I'm done you still want me to leave I will leave and I will never bother you again." You let out a sigh and opened the door, slowly.

"You have 5 minutes," you knew that was far too generous but, sadly, you desperately wanted to hear what he had to say. You stepped aside and let him in. You watched as he looked around your apartment like he had never been there before. All of the pictures of the two of you and the small little trinkets the two of you had collected over the years were tucked away in the back of your closet. There was no trace of him anymore. "You're wasting time. You’re 5 minutes started when I closed the door." You said as you crossed your arms. Finally, he turned to you, and for the first time you got a proper look at him. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair was a mess, and his face wasn't as bright as it used to be.

"Do you remember that field trip we took back in second grade, to the aquarium?" He asked. You nodded your head, extremely confused as to why that is what he started with. He looked down at his hands. "You were terrified to walk through the shark tunnel, so I held your hand and promised that I would protect you." He chuckled but his voice was still shaking.

It took everything in you not to smile at the fond memory.

"That was the first time I felt it. Obviously I didn't know what ‘it’ was at the time. But when my mom picked me up from school that day I told her she had to take me to the hospital immediately. She asked what was wrong and tried to see if i had any injuries. I told her you gave me cooties. She just laughed and I remember I got so upset because I thought I was dying and my mom was just laughing at me. She finally asked me why I thought you had given me cooties. I told her that my tummy felt all warm and fuzzy after I let go your hand and it happened again every time you laughed or smile or looked at me. She laughed again and told me it wasn't cooties and that I would understand when I was older." He wiped his nose on his sleeve, you turned around and grabbed a tissue box.

"Here," you whispered softly as you offered it to him. 

"Thank you.” He wiped his nose before continuing. "Then in seventh grade there was that cheesy little winter formal and that little dickhead Tyler asked you to dance. Except it wasn’t even a real slow dance you both just stood there awkwardly with your hands on each other’s shoulders, stepping side to side.” You let out a quick and short laugh. Trevor laughed too. "I was so mad that he asked you before I did and that's when I started to realize that maybe I wanted more than just a friendship with you. You two started dating and at first I thought it wasn't gonna last because, c'mon we were in middle school, middle school relationships never last. But somehow you did and you lasted all the up to the end of sophomore year, which surprised everyone, especially me. You two finally broke up because you caught him cheating-"

"Okay, okay, you don't need to bring that part up," you muttered.

"And then somehow Tyler ended up with a broken nose..." he trailed off.

"And you somehow ended up with bruised knuckles,” you chuckled. A lightness began to fill the air.

"Hey, don't look at me, Tyler never said who did it." He raised his hands up in surrender. You could see Trevor's face start to light up again. “The end of senior year came and prom was coming up. You went on and on about how there was no chance in hell you were going. You turned down a dozen promposals. I was able to convince you to go with me because I promised I would stay by your side the entire time. I still had to drag you out of the house though. That's the night we had our first kiss, it was during a slow dance, a real slow dance, and we laughed because it was a complete cliché. We never talked about that kiss afterwards, we both acted like it never happened, and I hated that. It terrified me but that's when I knew 100%," he paused as he took a small step forward, and you let him. "That's the night I realized I was completely in love with you. I have been in love with you since before I even knew what love was. I still am and I will always be in love with you."

You didn't know when they started but you finally felt tears stream down your face. You stood there in shock. He felt the same way you did. He was in love with you. He has been his entire life. 

"I never acted on those feelings because I thought you didn’t feel the same and that you never would. I’m a complete mess and all over the place and you’re…” he paused. “You’re, you. Then my birthday happened and everything got so complicated. I should have told you that very first night but I couldn’t, I couldn’t ruin our friendship more than it probably already was. I need you in my life so I took you in whatever way that would keep you by my side. Which was fucked up and completely selfish," he whispered.

"But what about that night? You didn't seem to be in love with me then," your voice broke a little at the end.

"I thought you were mad at me. You were short on the phone with me and then your phone went straight to voicemail every time I tried to call and you didn't read any of my texts.”

“So your first thought was to hook up with some random girl?” You cut him off.

“No! I don’t know!” He stuttered loudly, regretting his choice of words when he saw your eyes filled with hurt. “Fuck! No! You make my mind get all jumbled up and I can’t think straight when I’m around you or even when I just think about you. I jumped to conclusions and I thought that everything was over, our friendship and our…whatever we became, and just the thought of that sent me into a self destructive spiral, I wanted to get you out of my head and I failed and I hurt you while doing so. I should’ve told you how I felt that night at prom. I should’ve tried harder, I know that now, and I should've fought for you. I should've ran after you that night.”

“Yeah, you really should have,” you whispered. Slowly but surely you could feel your heart getting put back together again with every word he said. You could feel your love grow the more he talked.

“I have been beating myself up everyday for the past three weeks because all I did was stand there and let you walk away. You are quite literally the best thing that has ever happened to me. I would give everything up if it meant you'd forgive me and that I could spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. I'd even give up hockey if you asked me to, I really hope you don't because I'm really not good at anything else." He was rambling, saying whatever thought came into his head. He went to continue speaking but you just laughed and closed the space between the both of you.

You grabbed his shirt and kissed him. You kissed him with everything you had. He stood there shocked for a second before he finally relaxed into the kiss, cupping your face with both of his hands. This kiss was unlike any of the kisses before. There was no rush, no roughness, there was just love. You could feel the love radiating off of both of you and you never wanted it to end. Sadly it had to. You had to breathe. 

"What was that for? I mean not that I didn't enjoy it, I really enjoyed it. I just mean does-" you interrupted him with another kiss.

"Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?" You asked as you pulled away. You wiped the few tears still left on his face and he did the same for you. You wrapped your arms around his neck, his wrapped around your waist.

"I've been told that once or twice," he joked, all you did was laugh before bringing him in for a soft peck. He leaned his forehead against yours, his eyes closed and face full of love and happiness. The two of you just stood there in silence for a moment, taking in and processing everything that just happened.

"Hey Trev," you waited for some kind of response. Which came in the form of a questioning hum. "You got the story wrong." You pulled away, and walked over to your couch, Trevor right behind you. You both sat down

"What do you mean?" He questioned.

"The aquarium," you looked at him with a smirk. "You were the one who was terrified to walk through the shark tunnel, not me." He looked at you like you were crazy.

"No I wasn't, it was you!" He argued. He leaned back against the couch and pulled you with him.

“Maybe you’ve fallen on the ice one too many times because I’m right,” you laughed, your laughter causing Trevor to laugh. You curled into his side and he wrapped his arms around you.

Once your laughter died down Trevor spoke up again.

“I’m so happy you forgave me because I did not want to fall victim to Miss Bea’s ‘people,’ that really would’ve sucked.” He shuddered at the thought.

You looked up at him and the scared look on his face caused you to smile bigger than you ever had before. He looked down at you and playfully scoffed at your smiling face before leaning down to softly kiss you again.

This is what you both wanted for the rest of your lives. Laughing until your ribs hurt, kissing like it was the last time, and all the good times and bad times in between.

It wasn’t going to be easy, and you still had a lot to talk about, but you knew, with every fiber of your being, that he was never going to let you go again, he was never going to let you walk out that door, and you were never going to let him do the same.

[yuus-sentient-teddy]

The dust has settled. The threat was finally defeated. Classmates searched for their friends, high-fived the nearest ally, or collapsed against one another out of relief and exhaustion. A certain Ramshackle Prefect was doing the first thing and managed to find some of their friends after a few seconds of wandering.

"Guys!" Yuu hurried the best they could over to them, but the strain in one of their legs reduced them to hobbling.

Hearing their voice, their friends perked up and turned around.

The relieved smiles fell away, replaced with shock and visible gasping, and Yuu's grin fell with them. Why did their friends react like that?

They stopped just a few feet away and tried to catch their breath. "Guys, what's wrong?"

"Yuu," Epel slowly said, "stay right where you are." As he was saying this, he looked as though he was ready to bolt.

Beside him, Ace and Deuce were frozen in place with their mouths agape. Yuu was feeling panic rising within them seeing their friends like this. "What. . . ?"

Wow, they were really having a hard time breathing. The fight definitely took everything out of them, but the thing was, they felt fine when they regained conscious.

They stooped down, putting their hands on their knees to make it easier to breathe.

That was then they noticed something off.

Yuu pressed the side of their stomach. The cloth felt damp. Hesitantly, they reached behind. Their fingers touched two things that were next to each other, one of them cold and the other extremely sharp. The latter object caused them to flinch and pull away, and they felt something inside them shift.

No.

No way.

The world tilted to the side.

"Yuu!"

Multiple pairs of hands grabbed ahold of them. "Hey! Don't close your eyes!" Ace cried out.

Slowly, they were lowered to sit on the floor while a pair of hands gripped their shoulders to keep them upright.

"I'll go find someone!" Deuce said before sprinting off. With his speed, you wouldn't think he was exhausted from the battle just moments ago.

Ace muttered to himself and stopped when Yuu murmured something too quiet for Epel to hear. Whatever it was, it made Ace's face morph into despair and worry. He snapped out of it when their head fell forward and they slumped even more. Quickly, he asked Epel if his phone was working. Just as Epel reached into his pocket, an idea hit him.

"No, wait. Your--"

"Unique Magic!" Epel finished, raising his wand. "Ace, hold Yuu still!"

In a flash of light, the Ramshackle Prefect was contained in a floating glass coffin. Not a second later, Epel caught himself while gasping. "Are you okay--?" Ace's eyes widened. "Oh shit, your magestone!"

It was almost entirely black. ". . . At least I had enough to save Yuu."

"Professor Crewel!" Deuce's shout, though hoarse, echoed around the massive hall.

Crewel and a teacher were directing students to where another set of teachers would be waiting to guide them to the exit. His coat was long gone and he looked worse for wear, but he still managed to stand straight. With what magic was left, he temporarily numbed aches and pains; a little awkwardly but earnest and firm, he calmed down those who were coming down from the adrenaline of the fight or were about to let their panic overtake them. He was about to do the same for Deuce until--

"Yuu's been impaled!"

It took a moment for Crewel to process just exactly what the card soldier had said. By the time Deuce slowed to a stop, Crewel was composed enough to tell the other teacher to take over. To Deuce, he said, "Bring me to them."

The glass coffin stood out like a candle in a cavern and glowed like one too. Ace and Epel were sitting in front of it and staring without saying anything. Crewel wondered why the coffin seemed larger than necessary, but quickly understood when he got closer.

The arm of a chandelier was sticking out of Yuu's lower back--the coffin was accommodating it.

Despite how much pain it surely was causing, Yuu was peacefully asleep. If Crewel was any other person, he would have imagined that they were actually dead and this was some morbid capture of their corpse. But he wasn't any other person--he was a teacher and he had students who needed medical attention.

The coffin was able to be moved, thankfully. The pups were quick to get to their feet and followed Crewel closely to the exit. Anyone they passed gaped at the Prefect in the coffin, and Crewel barked at them to stop standing and come along.

He could hear Yuu's friends whispering right behind him.

"They said 'I'm not ready to die.'" Ace couldn't keep the tremble out of his voice. "Do they think we're just gonna let that happen?"

"I don't think they'd think that. They were probably just scared," Deuce said.

"I know. It's just. . . It keeps escalating. First winter break, then the whole thing with S.T.Y.X., and then Malleus's Overblot. What if they actually do die?"

There was no reply.

Crewel decided that was his cue. "It's foolish to promise absolute safety. Obviously, what has happened just now and throughout this school year is far beyond any person's expectations. But by their own skills and having a constant companion--I'll even indulge in the idea of luck as well--Yuu has managed to survive it all. As for you three and your other friends, you're doing enough by watching their and each other's backs."

"There is no way to predict what will happen to Yuu. But for now, you managed to buy them time. I suggest you focus on that instead of something that may not actually happen. As I said, Yuu has managed to survive it all."

It was silent. Crewel assumed they were thinking over his words, and he was proved correct when Ace said, "You know what, yeah. For someone who comes from another world, they've been getting through everything weirdly well."

The next conversation was about Yuu's toughness.

Being in full view of a horrific injury--and it was on one of his pups, to make it all more bitter--listening to the Prefect's friends cheering each other up was comforting.

[justice-maul]

Jason Todd x Top Werewolf Male Reader | Headcanons Part 2

Word count: 1,595

Request(s):

I like the thought that werewolves can go into heat, on that note what if the dug or medicine if used to often their body refuses to take it kinda like reacting to poison? But if werewolves haven't had their heat in a while than it can be pretty intense. Leading up to werewolf reader completely railing Jason? - @xweirdo101x

Author Note: I love this idea and this gif is perfect for it, ugh 😩 I love Jason Todd and it shows. Read part 1 in order to understand this one.

THANK YOU FOR 400 FOLLOWERS I LOVE YALL

Warning(s)⚠: Sub Jason, porn with plot, manhandling, intense sex, animal like features, Reader has a big dick, fingering (Character receiving,) slight biting, making out, and last but most definitely not least… Breeding.

Ever since you’ve told Jason about what you really were, things have going well in your relationship for the past few months and you two have actually built a good bond of trust which just made your love for each other much stronger. But it also arises some new feelings that we’re racing in Jason’s mind

Now that he knew, you felt more comfortable showing your true strength, speed, and resilience, and while he’d never admit it to you, he couldn’t help but feel a little aroused every time you showed it off, knowing what you could so easily do to him was just such a turn on to him something he never expected would be before you

You told Jason about your heat cycle and how they can get really intense and pretty rough so you use suppressors for them which he was completely fine with but when your heat cycle came around, it seemed that your body has finally gained immunity to it at the worst time possible,

Jason was out doing his usual patrols and work at night and you were in pain and need to breed something but you wanted to hold back and not worry him, but when Jason came home that night, he called out for you and only when he walked in your shared bedroom he could finally see everything in full display

You were on the bed breathing heavily and panting as you fisted your cock desperate for release for the sixth time that day but no matter how many times you came you only felt worse, the sweat on your body was glistening, your load was twice as much, and your mind can only think about one thing and that was to relieve the aching pain in your body that was in desperate need to rail and fuck someone with your cock

Jason was frozen in place, he watched feeling completely turned on by the view in front of him, they have done many things but Y/n looked… different like this, almost animalistic and the thought of his boyfriend using his strength against him was just such a turn on to him as he just couldn’t help himself. He shifted in his weight making a floorboard creak and the noise immediately caught your attention chasing you to snap your head and toward him

Jason’s knees almost buckled at the sight of your eyes that looked exactly like a wolf’s were full of desire and absolute hunger which made his body shiver in anticipation as he slowly approached the bed with your eyes following him, not at all leaving his body for a moment, you were fighting every thought in your head that told you to pounce on him and fucking him mercilessly even though you knew that both of you wanted it

He closed the door shut and slowly got on the bed “You mind if I…” he gulped as his eyes trailed down to your length that was throbbing between your hands “Help you?…” for a second you both stayed silent, the atmosphere being very thick in the air as you both looked into each other’s eyes before you suddenly grabbed his hips flipping him onto the bed pushing him ok his back with thick muscular thighs spread out beautifully and you immediately dived between his thighs

You opened your mouth to say something your wolf fangs getting flashed to Jason which only fueled his arousal but instead of talking you leaned forward and softly bite his inner thigh, not enough to hurt but just good enough to send shivers throughout his body “Oh- god…” a whine came from his throat as he felt his cock twitch and slowly harden creating a small pool of cum on his stomach as your teeth lightly move along his inner thigh, grazing his skin as you move deeper between them

He felt your tongue loll out of your mouth and slowly begin to trace over the thick meat of his strong thighs as he practically teased both him and yourself just tasting the sweat on his skin as you inhaled the musk on his body practically tasting his scent the more you pressed into him which only made your length wetter with anticipation, he could feel your fingernails that were much sharper and longer than normal, they looked like they could claw right through him as you lightly pressed them into his skin before you finally had enough and couldn’t take it anymore rubbing your tongue over his hole before immediately pushing it in his puckered pink hole causing him to let out a choked whine

Your tongue pressed against his hole pushing in and out to tease the rim only to push your tongue further in his hole watching as he swallows the spit that gathered in his mouth and let out soft little whimpers as he bit his lip to try and muffle the noises, he watched as you pressed a thumb in and began to push it further down his hole, stretching it open and pulling it out only to watch as it clenched around nothing, you suddenly put in two fingers and scissored his heat causing him to elect a louder moan, impatiently trying to open it up enough for your cock that was throbbing in your pants and rubbing against the bed sheets

The friction only increased your lust as you fingered him faster and you can feel his patience running thin as well “Just please… fuck me already…” he begged helplessly as you stretched him open, watching as his hole squeezed down on your fingers only for you to add another finger and fuck his insides with them faster, a loud string of cusses words and moans left Jason’s lips as he felt your fingers graze against his prostate which only made him grow more impatient as a loud moan elected from his throat and you decided you both had enough so you pulled your fingers out causing him to whine from the emptiness and you wrapped your hand around your aching cock that was throbbing from the lack of attention

Jason took notice of how your cock looked somehow bigger while you were in heat and his cock twitched at the sight imagining how it would fill up his insides and completely wreck his hole only for him to look at your wolf-like gaze that pierced through his soul and the look Jason gave you right then and there was pure want and need as he reached over and gave your arousal a slow long pump feeling how it pulsed and somehow got harder in his hand, his lips parting as if he wanted to taste it but you were, long done with waiting so you grabbed him by his waist flipping him over so his face was pressed up against the pillows and his hips were raised giving you access to his wet gaping hole

Looking at the sight of Jason splayed out like this right in front of you, a complete mess you couldn’t hold back anymore and began to slowly grind your too against him before you finally pushed in his heat causing him to let out a string of cuss words at how much bigger your cock felt inside of him as you slowly began to stretch him out before finally bottoming out inside of him “Shit! Your so f-fucking big..!” He moaned out pathetically his hands clawing at your back eyes watering with tears and his jaw was slack as you leaned in to give him a sloppy kiss your tongue tasting his lips before pushing into his mouth as you drank in his moans before softly biting his bottom lip pulling at it before letting it go, electing a whine from his puffy lips

Your tongue was much longer than before he swore you could’ve even deep-throat him with how long it was now and the way you were using your tongue on him felt as if you were fucking his mouth the same rough and passionate way you fucked his hot stretched out hole railing him as if you were truly just an animal causing his mind to fall blank as he threw his head back and arched into your large cock feeling as it rammed against his prostate over and over again. Your thrusts only quickened as you felt your release coming near and you began to rut into him letting out a deep moan/growl from your throat as you felt the heat growing inside of you and you leaned down biting his neck

Although it wasn’t hard enough to break skin it made Jason let out a loud moan as his cock twitched before finally spilling all over his stomach his orgasm only causing him to clench down on your length making you groan before you spilled your own load inside of him making him whimper as he felt your seed seeping into his hole deep inside of him, some of it spewing out of it because of the intense amount of build-up from your heat and you pulled out watching as it all spilled out only for you to thrusts your hips back into his wet sticky mess and beginning to pound him all over again making him let out a yell as he couldn’t even keep up with you anymore and he knew that this night was far from over and him getting any restraint that night was very unlikely, but he couldn’t complain for a moment

[sirdindjarin]

The Savior - Din Djarin x f!Reader

The Mandalorian, side-quest extraordinaire, accidentally frees a slave, kills a Senator's son, ends a criminal conspiracy, and falls in love. Just a month in the life of the galaxy's favorite chaotic space cowboy and his son.

The Savior / The Concession / The Choice (END)

A/N: i fucking love this man. here's the spotify playlist i made while hallucinating being wrecked by him. I accidentally based this fic on Euphoria by Angels & Airwaves.

AO3 Link🤠

TAGS: Fluff, m!falls first, plot with porn, helmet stays on for now, P in V, outdoor activities, protective!Din, soft-ish!Din.

WARNINGS: reader is/was a slave; references to abuse; no curses or slang outside of Star Wars canon (that's a warning if you hate that hahaha)

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

"I thought vagrants were barred at the door. How did a Mandalorian get in here?”

The Mandalorian in question does not react to the insult. At the table before him, the taunting Trandoshan guffaws, but his laughter dies when he gets no reaction from the bounty hunter.

"What do you want?" He snaps, his green jaws clicking shut.

Instead of replying, certain the answer is obvious, the beskar-covered man leisurely surveys the colorful, boisterous room, his hands folded in front of him. Having already scouted the upscale casino, he does this for sarcastic effect. He’s also certain that fact is lost on his Trandoshan quarry. 

Upon returning his direct attention to the lizard, a small movement in the booth catches his heat sensor. A young woman, likely his quarry’s slave by her frayed appearance, sits with her head bowed behind her master. 

“Hey, tin man, you in there?” Your master’s voice sounds more like rocks scraping together than fluid language.

The Mandalorian chucks a bounty puck onto the table, the name and alien visage of Rathos Craaf glowing in a blue cone of projected light.

“Go quietly or don’t - it makes no difference to me.” 

“Ahh,” Rathos Craaf hums in his throat and leans back in his seat, making your demure form more visible to the bounty hunter. “What’s the price?”

The Mandalorian again does not dignify a response. 

“Can’t be greater than what I’m willing to pay,” Rathos insinuates. 

The tense silence eats through your body as the ruthless men stare at each other - the probability of oncoming violence ratcheting up.

“Go prepare my ship,” your master barks suddenly at you, raising his hand.

Flinching, you scoot around the U-shaped booth to obey. 

You weren’t always a slave. As a child on Kenari, you had been born into a world of vivid green, rippling blue, and rich, brown soil. Trained in both hunting and fighting from birth, you had been too young to save your village from the brutal relocation program of the Empire. 

Dispersed onto harsher worlds, you’d been sold from one slaver to another until finally coming into the collection of one Rathos Craaf. He has been your master for several years by this point, and while not the worst, he was close. 

“What will you do about the girl?” A modulated voice asks.

Pausing on the edge of the hard bench, you look between the two antagonists. Me?

“Who cares about the mudscuffing girl? Tell you what, I’ll sell her to you.” The crafty Trandoshan gets an even better idea: “Or - take her in exchange for the bounty. She’s considered top-tier sentient property.” 

“Not what I was asking,” a gloved hand thumbs his blaster. “Once you’re in carbonite, wh-”

The Trandoshan lunges up from his seat with a booming yell, launching at the cloaked, beskar-free neck of the Mandalorian. Rathos’ claws reach around the smaller man’s throat, but the Mandalorian is lighter of foot, ducking out of the hold. 

Off-balance, Rathos tumbles but rolls back on his feet, his scaly tail acting as a counterweight. Gasps and mutters spill from the crowd as people scramble out of harm’s way.

You remain seated in the booth, frozen and unsure. But then, as the silver bounty hunter aims his blaster, Rathos whips his tail into the Mandalorian’s legs, knocking him with a clang onto his back. 

The blaster goes skittering through the crowd, and you’re shocked to find your legs racing after it. 

The thunder of a powerful flame roars in the cavernous room as you weave through aliens and humans alike, searching. The blackness of the blaster appears on the gray floor and you dive for it. 

Cold steel excites your skin. It’s heavier than you thought it would be, and though you’ve never fired one, your ancient muscle memory remembers the feeling of a bow in your hands; the trajectory, strength, and steadiness necessary. 

Sprinting back through the crowd, you find Rathos pinning the Mandalorian’s chest. The solid armor prevents any of Rathos’ blows from truly hurting the bounty hunter, but the weight of the lizard is too awkward and great for him to shove away from this angle. 

The fire-throwing vambrace comes up again and, as it billows into the Trandoshan’s face, you fire a blast at the substantial tail that had once been used against you. 

Rathos bellows in pain, tumbling to the side, and the Mandalorian takes full advantage. He jumps to his feet, then connects his fist to his quarry's skull, rendering the creature unconscious. Binders clasp around the arms of your master and the successful bounty hunter staggers backward a single step to catch his breath. 

You freeze at what you’ve just done, the blaster still pointed at Rathos. People murmur, and the words, “Killed by his slave” can be heard, though he is only unconscious. Your chest heaves, far more out of breath than the Mandalorian walking toward you.

“Thank you,” he says drily, taking his blaster out of your hands. 

Unsure what else you should do, you follow your master as he is dragged without dignity along the smooth fogstone floor. 

Exiting the casino, snaking down an alley, and traipsing to the outskirts of the city limits, the silhouette of a ship against the orange horizon becomes visible. 

Neither you nor the Mandalorian have spoken a single word since he took the blaster from your hands, but as he presses a button on his vambrace to lower the loading ramp, he turns to you now.

“Grab his tail." 

An order. That you could do. You immediately grab Rathos’ tail and lift. The Mandalorian half-drags and half-lifts the Trandoshan by his cuffed hands and the lizard is loaded into the ship’s hold. 

Standing at the far end of the Mandalorian’s rather busted ship, you’re surprised to see a small, green being. Dressed in what must be a sack, its long ears perk up and its eyes glimmer at the sight of the bounty hunter. A happy coo reverberates in the quiet, metal space. 

The child looks at you and makes another, similar noise. It waddles toward you, but before you can react, the Mandalorian scoops the child into his arms and sequesters it behind a thin blast door. 

“You are free to go.” 

It’s an odd statement. He must be familiar with the underworld. He knows how slaving works.

You’re not sure when you last spoke; you weren’t allowed to speak. But the bounty hunter seems to expect a reply. 

“I am not. The law says I am to be returned to the slavers’ coalition for repurchase.” Your voice is scratchy from disuse and the helmeted man tilts his head in curiosity. 

“You won't run?”

It seems too monumental a task. Hopes and fears trip over each other in their efforts to be heard. Freedom. Finding a place to call home. Your family was long dead. But… maybe there was hope of a family somewhere.

Where would I even go? No way I could stay ahead of the slavers. They’d send hunters like this Mandalorian after me. I’d be worse off than I am now.

“I do not know if I can,” you whisper honestly. 

The Mandalorian looks at you - at least, you think he does - for so long that you begin to squirm under his gaze.

Without warning, the wind is knocked from you. Rathos’ tail slams into the back of your knees, crumpling you to the floor. His claws wrap around your neck, and you yell, plunging two fingers into his lidless eye.

“Traitorous shutta!” Spittle from your master flies onto your cheeks.

As he recoils from your jab, you squirm underneath him, trying to flee, when the weight on your chest vanishes in a rush of air. Coughing and wiping your face, you lie there momentarily until your throbbing pulse abates inside your head. You sit up and widen your eyes to hasten their focus.

The Mandalorian has the Trandoshan by the throat with both hands. Rathos sputters and gags, but you watch as gloved fingers dig harder into the scaly throat. The anonymous man shoves his quarry into the carbon freezing chamber and smashes the button with more force than necessary. 

It's over. 

When you woke in the dark that morning, never would you have expected to watch your master be frozen in carbonite aboard a bounty hunter's ship.

That bounty hunter turns to you now. 

“I have something I need to do. I’ll give you passage if you provide assistance.” 

________________________________

Crossing your arms, tucking your legs under your body, and leaning against the hull in your seat, you try to make yourself as small as possible. You wouldn’t have even climbed up here if the Mandalorian hadn’t indicated that you should.

He wanted to keep an eye on you. He did not trust you around the kid - despite (or perhaps because of) its interest in you. 

Moments after leaving the planet’s atmosphere, a new emotion bubbles in your chest: elation. The stars flow by in a technicolor kaleidoscope; hues and shapes you have never seen race past your eyes. It’s beyond anything you could have imagined. 

“Has it always looked like this?” You wonder to yourself.

You jump when a deep, electronic voice answers, “Yes.” 

“Oh,” you murmur, realizing he had been watching you. “I’ve never seen hyperspace. I was kept in the hold,” you state without self-pity.

The Mandalorian lets that terrible fact hang in the air before eventually saying,“I recommend you get some sleep. It will be several hours before we reach Mid Rim.” 

He turns away from you and folds his arms. The muffled clang of his helmet tipping back against the headrest tells you that he will be taking his own advice.

Interestingly, you feel safe enough to get some rest. Being constantly attuned to the temperamental wills and whims of others, you've become a great judge of character. 

This Mandalorian, though quiet, is clearly capable of kindness to those who deserve it. A rarity for someone in his profession. 

___________________________________

The blue cone glows in his hand, projecting the face of one ugly slug. The name at the bottom, written in a language you had been forced to learn, reads: Salaa the Hutt.

Fearful eyes flick up to the veiled Mandalorian, “A Hutt?”

The helmet nods, “You will be my way in.” You make a whimpering noise, but the bounty hunter continues. “You’re a slave on the run. I will be returning you for a small reward.”

Crushing disappointment deflates your body. Believing yourself to have been wavering between freedom and the life you had known, you realize, now that the decision was being made for you, that you’d chosen freedom. Further adding to your pain is your misjudgement of the Mandalorian. 

I’d have never made it to freedom - far too naive. Thought a karking bounty hunter was doing something out of the kindness of his heart. Unbelievable.

Still, to your credit, you take several steps back, almost as though you might try to outrun the nimble, strong bounty hunter with a kriffing jetpack, of all things. You’re proud of yourself for even thinking about doing it.

The Mandalorian doesn’t react. He pockets the puck and opens his weapons cache on the hull wall. He lifts a small item from the assortment and shuts the doors. You can’t see what it is, and he doesn’t return to you. 

He opens the blast door to the child’s tiny room. The baby snores in his bungalow, and the ever-fascinating Mandalorian rubs the green, fuzzy head before closing the door. He turns and strides toward you.

You take one more step backward, just because you can. Because you should.

He still says nothing. Closer, and closer, the armored man advances on you until you can see your nervous eyes in his breastplate.

“Give me your wrists.” 

Is his voice naturally that persuasive or is it the vocoder?

Overriding your fledgling autonomy, you obey him with a preprogrammed respectful nod. He clasps binders around your wrists.

The Mandalorian steps away to retrieve another weapon, then he lifts his chin toward the boarding ramp. 

Shouldn't you at least try to gain freedom? Beg him to let you go? 

“Please, I can try to pay you,” this is a lie and he knows it. “Or I could work off the debt of transport. Something!”

It’s the loudest your voice has been in living memory, and it both surprises and emboldens you. But the Mandalorian does not seem swayed. 

“Walk,” he orders.

You minutely shake your head twice. It means nothing to him, but everything to you. 

An electronic sigh, then he takes a single step toward you. Fear switches you back into the subservient girl of the last twenty years. You flinch, your manacled hands blocking your face. 

The Mandalorian falters, slightly abashed. “I am not going to hurt you. But you need to start walking.” 

Slowly, you lower your hands. His gloved fingers curl around your bicep, and he leads you out into the sunny air.

It’s a hot day on Niamos. The beachside resort that serves as the capital city is teeming with families of all species bathing in the muggy air. The sandstone path that Mando - that’s what everyone calls them, right? - parades you down is packed with beachgoers. Embarrassed by your plight, you try to hide the binders, but it’s impossible with the angle he holds your arm. 

Finding another gust of will, you reason, “Surely you could find a way inside without turning me in? You’re good at your job. You could've killed my m-”

“Salaa angered powerful people. There is a bounty on him and it’s higher if he’s dead.

“What does that mean?”

“He's careful. Employs expensive security. Easiest way in is through the front door,” Mando finishes. 

Mando’s leathery hold on your arm is soft. Unyielding, of course, but he doesn’t hurt you. It saddens you to realize how different that is from your usual treatment. He had still binded you and planned on turning you in, but hey! At least he wasn’t going to leave a bruise.

Directing you down a narrow alley, the Mandalorian stops in front of a tan-colored, generic shield door. He raps twice on it, standing casually still. If he feels you shaking, he says nothing about it.

A Yaka man is standing behind the door when it opens with a whoosh. His metal implants reflect the sun and you squint. Behind him are another two Yaka and a particularly menacing-looking Zabrak, all armed with pulse rifles. 

“We ain't buyin'," he slurs.

“I'm here to claim the slave reward.” 

The Yaka stares at the impenetrable, T-shaped slit in the silver helmet, scrutinizing, before stepping aside. Mando guides you ahead of him, then you hear the spur-like sound of his step over the threshold. The close quarters are sweltering, and sweat beads on your temple.

“This way,” the Yaka servant veers to the right and up a steeply inclined hallway. The other members of the security team follow behind you.

The Mandalorian’s thumb slides over your skin. You would give it more thought if a wide, dingy room wasn’t quickly coming into view. 

On the second floor, a muted, sparsely furnished area overlooks the residence across the street, and the beach beyond. However, you can’t see the view because the balcony is being taken up by a massive, blob-like shape, and a tall, spiky silhouette.

“Ahh,” the huge shape speaks, and for the first time in your life, you’re thankful you speak Huttese. “What is this?” 

Bowing, the Yaka guard explains, “This Mandalorian has returned a loose slave.” 

He grabs for your arm, but you lurch when Mando pulls you out of reach, warning, “Careful. She killed her master before fleeing." 

The bodyguard recoils as though you personally threatened him. He steps away, waiting for actual instruction from his boss. The green Rodian next to Salaa tuts in his sour voice.

Deciding it was best not to speak, you raise your chin with dignity as Mando drops his hand from your arm.

“Why do you return her here?” Salaa the Hutt inquires. “Surely you know that I have been removed from my associations. Including the slavers.”

“I am here for information,” Mando drops the ruse completely, his voice calm.

“Information,” the Hutt laughs horribly. “I have much of that, pateesa. What do you wish to know?”

“You should ask what I have to trade first.”

“Hmm. You do not wish to trade the girl, I hope. Must be better than that,” the slimy giant slug laughs derisively.

You don’t even bristle. Worse things had been said to you daily. 

The green, mohawked Rodian chuckles. Though you do not understand his language, the human bounty hunter does: “She is too sad-looking to be any fun. Pity.” The reptilian-looking male then makes a vile comment about what he can see through your ratty, loose clothing.

The Mandalorian's eyes narrow, and his right hand drifts toward his hip of its own accord.

“Make your offer, Mandalorian.”

“If you provide the information I need, I won’t claim the ten-thousand-credit bounty on your head.”

That horrible, bulging laugh bursts from the ex-crime boss once more, hurting your ears in its pitch and volume. 

“Far too aggressive, Mandalorian. I decline.”

Salaa’s stubby arm motions at the armed security who raise their rifles at the two of you. 

While you freeze in terror, the Mandalorian stills in focus. Faster than a hyperdrive, he clenches his fist. Miniature rockets whistle through the tense air, eliminating all three bodyguards; the angry Zabrak, the mouthy Rodian, and the blubbery Salaa remain.

The Mandalorian draws his blaster, pushing you behind him, and fires from his hip as the Zabrak guard begins to raise his modified arm. What type of weapon it held, you’ll never know because he falls to the ground, dead, before he can use it.

The Rodian darts away from Salaa, circling the room. To you, it seems as though he is intending to flee, not fight, but the Mandalorian fires a laserblast at his bug-eyed head, dropping him.

Mando calmly swivels his blaster to Salaa. 

Resigned, the Hutt slimily states, “Ask what you wish to know, pateesa.”

“I have been told that you have seen another Mandalorian. Where?”

“Ahh, that is all? I have seen one here.”

“On Niamos?” So surprised, Mando forgets to keep the tone from his voice.

“A beskar-covered man does not go unnoticed on a planet filled with water-bathers,” Salaa laughs again. You visibly wince.

“Where?” 

“Where else? Water’s Edge.” 

Mando twists his head toward the opposite window as if he could see his fellow Mandalorian from here. He holsters his weapon and turns to leave. 

“Those Yaka were expensive guards, pateesa,” the Hutt grumbles ominously.

“You paid too much.”

He returns his hold on your arm, pushing you forward. Marching awkwardly down the sloping halfway, you try to make sense of his actions.

Your face screws up in confusion, “You didn’t turn me in or claim the Hutt’s bounty. You're earning no credits.”

That’s the defining feature of a bounty hunter.

The silence lengthens as you reach the ground floor, and hurriedly exit the sandstone building. As you soak in the blistering sunshine, the hand on your arm turns you to face him. The Mandalorian’s quick fingers remove your binders. 

“That’s it?” You rub your wrists even though he had left them on the loosest setting.

“Passage for assistance,” he reminds you. 

He then nods once and takes his leave. For an interminable length of time, you watch as he calmly walks away, breaking only when he turns down an alley and is lost from sight.

 What the hell do I do now?

__________________________________

The new day is growing late. Din Djarin basks in the heat of the single sun. For being one of those odd planets without plural light sources, the strength of the lone sun is incredible. Din much preferred the scorching, arid planets to the ice-covered ones, and Niamos is perfect. The breeze gently carries through his light flight suit, while the sun warms whatever dark material is visible around the beskar. 

While Din feels more comfortable in this climate, heat signatures can be a little bit more difficult to read. He had managed to track a faint heat signature around Water’s Edge. The day before, immediately after speaking with Salaa, Din had come to check the place out, but his quarry had left some hours previously and he had lost the trail.

Din enters the establishment for the second time in as many days. Inside is a large, open floor with dining tables set out across the expanse. High society clinks glasses as they wait for the next act to grace the small stage. Din surveys the room, switching between heat sensors and normal vision, before concluding that the Mandalorian he searches for is beyond the far wall. 

Heads turn and stare as Din, strutting as if he belongs, makes his way to the unobtrusive doorway next to the stage. A Mandalorian stands out here. This was a place for people who employed bounty hunters, not those whom they hunt. Din slides the door open, and he is greeted by a dark hallway.

Light spills from a room to his right. Din flips on his heat sensor again, and presses his lips together in satisfaction when the heat signature picks up.

Rounding into the room with confidence, Din observes everything at once.

A large mirror, complete with lights, sits above a desk. A rack of clothing stands lonely in the far corner. And on a stool in front of the mirror sits a Mandalorian, their flaky, blue-painted armor having seen better days.

“My name is Din Djarin,” he announces. “I have been tasked with finding other Mandalorians in order t-” 

“Oh, my stars!” The Mandalorian squeals. The helmet is removed by purple hands, and a humanoid species stares in awe. “I’ve always wanted to meet a Mandalorian. I- I do this character because I just love your culture so much.” 

Blinking behind his helm, Din confirms what he's already becoming sure of, “That armor you wear - it is not real beskar.”

“What? This stuff?” The actor scoffs. “This is expensive paint and cheap wetboard.” He stands up, advancing unwisely on the real Mandalorian. “Can I ask you some questions? I’ve got a real opportunity here to elevate my perfor-” 

Din backs out of the room in a single, fluid motion, punching the button for the door. 

He sighs.

***

A blaster shot turns the corner of the building Din had just walked past into dust and debris. He spins, drawing his own blaster, expecting to see the Empire itself. Instead, a young human bounty hunter stands there, nervously fumbling with her jammed blaster. The Mandalorian rushes her, pinning her by the collarbone against the alley wall. 

"Bounty?”

Terrified, she nods and whispers, “Yes.” 

"Who contracted it?" 

She wheezes from under Din’s forearm, “Don't know. It's open Rim-wide for now. Just told to kill you and the girl.”

Under his helm, Din’s brow pinches. “The girl?”

The wide-eyed woman shrugs, again in the dark. If this inexperienced bounty hunter managed to track him down already, it's likely another has found you. Din releases the woman roughly and rockets up into the sky.

_______________________________

The sights and sounds of the beach are incredible. The late-daylight is deliciously warm as it touches your skin through the holes in your clothing. You sit on the top step of the tiered beach area, staring out at the water as you try to come up with a plan of action. Having slept on a lounge chair last night, you’re nearly grateful for the decades of poor lodging training your body. 

The sky is hazy, but the flash of sunlight glinting off of something tiny flying far above has you twisting your head and squinting. Unable to make out the object, you return your attention to the ocean and ignore it. 

From behind you, a voice calls your name and you automatically turn.

As you stare down the barrel of the blaster pointed at you, you remember no one should know your name here.

"Let's go," the bounty hunter tells you.

It's a woman with red skin and long, blue, braided hair. Etches in her cheeks make her bone structure look even sharper. 

You frown. What you’d told the Mandalorian had already been proven correct. You weren't able to run. 

Resignedly standing to your feet, you take a step, but go stumbling forward as the woman kicks your back.

Your second foreign emotion of the last twenty-four hours sparks in your chest, glowing as hot as the sun above. 

"Hey! I was going," you glare.

"Move faster, scum," she orders. 

You continue walking, your eyes scanning for something, anything, to get you out of this.

Ahead on the right is a large crowd of vendors and their customers. If you can duck through them, maybe you can lose the blue-haired madwoman behind you. 

A cold, circular shape presses between your shoulder blades as you march, and your bravery starts to fail. If you make a single wrong move, you'll be shot before you even get to the crowd. 

Just do it - better to die now than live as a slave.

The crowd swells as a school trip pours out from a nearby museum. Your confidence rises at the sight of the increasingly busy, confusing horde.

Closer. So kriffing close.

The female bounty hunter cries out suddenly as a blaster shot scalds her arm. She defensively spins, kicking out powerfully behind her.

A large species you're unfamiliar with, tall and teal, is thrown sideways with the force of the kick. The competing bounty hunter recovers into a crouch and shoots at your captor, hitting her in the chest.

With a violent exhale, she falls. Too busy sprinting into the crowd, you do not hear her final, pathetic breath. 

Weaving, keeping ducked and hidden, you whisper a constant stream of 'excuse me.' You don't want to push anyone, knowing a reaction from an offended beach-goer could give away your position. 

The unblinking bounty hunter, your newest enemy, stands tall above much of the crowd, and it doesn't take him long to spot your trail. 

Thundering forward, happily shoving people you had so politely passed, he roars. Fear ices your stomach.

The sound of a sputtering jetpack drowns out the noise of the people. Never breaking stride, you search for the source of another bounty hunter. 

I know I’m a runaway slave who assaulted her master before turning him into a carbonsicle but, banthashit, is the price on my head really that high?

The massive hunter gains on you, and just as you clear the other side of the crowd, you gasp, pained, when he snatches your hair. You whirl, packing all of your strength into your right fist. Your blow lands on the creature’s lower jaw, which seems to be two pink tubes, and it wails grotesquely. 

The grip on your hair loosens and you rip away, but the much larger creature lunges for you again. It pulls you upward by your shirt this time, and you scream. Kicking out, your foot knocks a breath from the ugly bounty hunter, but it does not release you.

Staring at you with shallow black eyes, it speaks in a language you don’t understand, but the intonation is clearly a question. 

Gasping, you boldly say, “Let go of me and I’ll tell you.” 

The creature seems to understand Basic because his three-fingered hand leaves your shirt. 

Before you get a chance to make up a lie, the hulking bounty hunter vanishes in a flash of silver. Your head snaps in the direction of travel, and a trail of exhaust follows. 

A hundred yards away, the jetpack flares out and the two fall to the ground in a tumble of fighting. A strangled laugh exits your mouth. 

From bigger fish to bigger fish. Eventually the biggest fish would win and come after you.

The sound of the ugly creature roaring ends abruptly with a choked grunt. You push your legs hard as you run. The doorway to a cantina catches your eye as an intoxicated human stumbles out, and you rush past him. 

Inside the dark, clamorous, smoky business, you slide into the booth furthest from the door, hoping that neither hunter saw you duck in. Panting heavily, you tell the droid waitress you’d like a bit of spotchka. You’ve never had it, but you’ve seen how relaxed and brave it makes people and that sounds wonderful right about now.

The circular cantina door slides open and the silhouette of a tall, broad Mandalorian is outlined by the glaring sun. You can’t tell what color or condition his armor is in, but your stomach clenches all the same. It had been an entire revolution of the planet since your Mandalorian had left, so it can't be him.

Wonder if he found his friend, you think about his ten-thousand-credit question for the Hutt. Must’ve been quite a reunion if it was worth that much. 

Shrinking back against the wall of your booth, you shift completely out of sight and pray to whatever Ancient is listening that the stories about their helmets’ capabilities are exaggerations. 

The droid waitress sets your pretty blue drink on the table without comment, for which you’re grateful. You don’t think your voice works.

Clinking metal is audible despite the volume of the rowdy bar. The sound gradually grows louder as he approaches your booth.

“What are you doing?” The Mandalorian has his hands on his hips, and though you cannot see his face, you’re certain he looks like a disapproving parent.

“I- what?” You squeak, completely confused by his question. And why he's here.

He moves to sit down across from you, and your nerves flare.

“Why are you still here?” He asks the same question you want to ask him.

“Where was I supposed to go? I have no credits.”

“There is work available on this planet.” 

You pause, unhappy to give away just how out of your depth you are, “You mean paid employment? I’m not familiar with the process."

The Mandalorian doesn’t speak, he simply stares at you until you break your stare first. 

Looking down at the grimy table, you trace a piece of graffiti with your finger and whisper, “Thank you.” 

Mando shifts his head in askance.

“For saving me from the slave hunter.”

“He wasn’t a slave hunter.” Mando’s helmet tips down to where the bright blue liquid sits on the table. “You going to drink that?” 

You shake your head, too self-conscious now. 

“Good.”

He slides out from the booth and motions for you to walk ahead of him. 

________________________________

Standing in the bay of the Mandalorian’s ship once more, you engage in a staring contest with the little green baby as it sits on the floor. Its ears move like he’s listening to Mando speak on his holocall above in the cockpit, but its eyes remain on you.

You’ve always liked children. While they could be blunt, they were kind to you and other slaves because they hadn’t yet learned any differently. 

“How old are you?” You ask softly.

In your experience, children prefer to be spoken to as one would an adult, so you refrain from the baby-voice that springs to the surface when you look at the adorable infant. 

He tilts his ears toward you. 

“You’re pretty cute." The baby coos, then babbles once.

“You really are cute. And you seem highly intelligent. Have you been with the Mandalorian long? He seems to pick up strays easily,” you smile warmly. 

The child awkwardly gets to its feet, toddling toward you. Remembering how quickly Mando had taken the child away when it last interacted with you, you slowly move backward toward the ladder. You don’t know if it's dangerous. Maybe the cuteness is a front.

A gurgling noise, as if it’s trying to tell you something, breaks from its little mouth. He raises his hand, pointing, and you whirl.

The Mandalorian is but a few feet away, watching. 

How the kark did he get down the ladder so quietly?

“I’m sorry,” you don’t know what you’re apologizing for. 

Mando strides around you and crouches to pick up the baby, “We're leaving this planet. I won't have enough fuel to get across the galaxy, but there is a job a few systems over."

He cradles the child so gently that it makes your heart ache. 

Who is this guy?

The child in his arms makes grabby hands at his helmet, so he tenderly sets it back down. Mando heads back toward the cockpit, indicating you should follow. 

Up the ladder, sitting once again in the same seat, you keep your eyes on the Mandalorian as he begins the lengthy takeoff procedures. 

“The bounty hunter you encountered was not after the slave reward.”

“But she knew my name?” 

“I am referring to the Aqualish you punched.” 

“Oh.”

The Mandalorian does not immediately continue, focusing on his tasks for several minutes. 

“There is a reward out for you,” he flips another switch. “And a bounty.” 

“Both? Why both?” 

“The bounty is secondary. Dependant on you giving them m-”

A panicked, childish cry echoes from below, and you’re only a moment behind the Mandalorian as he leaps down the hatch to the hold.

You gasp in horror as you see the long-eared, big-eyed baby squished in the crook of another kriffing bounty hunter’s arm. The loading ramp closes slowly behind him. He must’ve jumped in at the last moment.

Mando raises his hands, indicating his desire to negotiate. 

“Do not hurt him,” he says. Instead of coming out as a plea, his vocoded words come out as a warning that makes your hair stand on end. 

“Din Djarin, you are wanted for the murder of Senator Nesota’s son. I know your reputation, and therefore do not wish to fight. I’ll release your… this," he nods at the green baby, "when you’re in carbonite. There,” the human bounty hunter nods his head at Din’s own carbon freezer. 

He killed a Senator’s kid?

The child frowns, his ears drooping, and he focuses hard on the bounty hunter. His little hand curls, and the man’s ruddy face turns purple. His eyes grow red and glassy.

Din reacts quickly, drawing his blaster and firing at the hunter’s face. The man falls with a clattering thunk, and the child rolls away, unmoving. 

“No," you cry. "Is he alright?” You start toward the kid, fear in your voice. 

“He’s fine,” the Mandalorian replies, holding his palm up for you to stay back. He reverently lifts the unconscious kid. “He’s just asleep.” 

The Mandalorian - Din Djarin - murdered an important person’s child. And his own kid just choked someone without using its hands? I didn’t inhale spice, did I?

“You killed a kid?” 

Din believes you’re still thinking of the baby in his arms. “I said he’s sleeping.”

“A Senator’s son?”

“Oh. Yes, the Rodian with Salaa.” Din hadn’t known he was the son of a powerful person, but it wouldn’t have mattered. 

Relief floods you once again as your evaluation of the Mandalorian’s character remains intact. After seeing the way he cared for the little green one, how could you have believed he would harm any child? 

“Okay." You return to the wildest topic, "What just happened with your kid?”

Din sighs. This was getting more dangerous than negotiating with a Tusken. He places the kid in his hammock and shuts the door. 

Turning on you, he threatens, “Never speak of him outside this ship.”

“I- I wouldn’t,” you promise, surprised by the fierceness in his voice. 

Din is satisfied. He’d watched you speak to his ward earlier, and the kid seems to like you immensely. But he doesn't solely rely on the kid's opinion. 

The experienced, Mandalorian bounty hunter's own character assessment is top-notch, and he finds that he feels strongly about you. He doesn't categorize or identify the specifics, however.  

The Mandalorian does not ask for your help in removing the dead bounty hunter from his ship, so you look on in silence as he does it alone. He lowers the landing ramp, drags the body to the edge, and watches it roll down unceremoniously. He turns and stalks past you.

“So, where's that job?” 

“The Outer Rim.”

You sigh. “Of course it is.”

__________________________________

The planet blinds you when the Razor Crest launches out of hyperdrive. Brilliantly green, the single sun reflects the vibrant landscape right into your eyes. 

Shielding your face, you venture a question. The Mandalorian had not finished explaining.

"Why is there a bounty on me?" 

Even through the modulator, you can hear his dry tone: "You aided a bounty hunter in entering the Hutt's hideout through false pretenses which ended in the blasting of a Senator's son."

"Right," you frown, slumping in your seat. 

"Don't worry. The bounty on my head is far larger than yours."

You scoff under your breath. So reassuring.

A deep breath, then you postulate, "Is that what the bounty hunter was asking me? About you?" 

Din doesn't respond. He didn't hear the Aqualish's question. He was too busy aiming at its body with his own, but his best guess is yes. 

"That's the reason you saved me," you mutter, oddly dejected.

A loose end. That's what you are.

Din often - almost constantly, actually - appreciated his helmet for the freedom it gave him to show any emotion at any time. No need to worry about a convincing poker face when no one could see it.

"You could have told them where my ship was."

"Except I thought you'd flown away the day before," you argue, saddened that he thought you would’ve talked. 

Of course, he didn't know you, and he had a child to protect, but it still stings. 

"Why not just kill me?" You wonder seriously.

You're a liability. Two separate prices on your head? The Mandalorian's easiest solution is obvious. A slave of no importance, no one would put a bounty on his head for your death.

Din Djarin's armor clanks as he spins the chair a quarter-turn toward you and he cocks his head. 

"I don't want to die," you read his body language correctly. "But I don't understand you." 

The Mandalorian silently returns to his piloting duties as he nears the lush planet. He does his best to shut his thoughts away, but he stumbles over you again and again. 

Din had rescued you because he didn’t want to see you harmed for his actions with the Hutt. The idea of protecting himself from prying questions had been an afterthought. 

He had flown above the city, looking for your trail. Since you hadn’t moved much, there wasn’t much of a trail to find. Then he spotted the crowd roiling and parting for the violent Aqualish.

When he watched it yank your hair, he felt angry. An emotion he experienced less frequently than many of his friends would believe. Frustration, irritation, sure. But true fury was rare for him.

Not wanting you dead was basic decency, but the anger had been interesting.

On some level, Din knows his emotional responses to you deserve greater scrutiny. But he doesn't have the time nor the energy.

When the Razor Crest lands in a grassy clearing between forest walls, Din rises from his chair and commands, “Stay here. Watch the child.” 

“O-okay,” you agree hesitantly. “What do I do when he wakes up?”

The Mandalorian stares, uncomprehending. 

“You… you don’t do anything for his… condition?”

“I told you he’s fine.” Din thinks for a moment, and remembers there is actually something you should know: “When he wakes up, he might be hungry. Do not let him eat the metal ball on the thruster.”

With that, he climbs down the ladder, and out of sight.

_________________________________

As the fist flies at you, you subconsciously register that your assailant must be right-handed, because this left hook is much sloppier than the other. Or maybe it's because his left arm is still human.

Ducking, you escape the jab and slam your palm-sized stick into the quarry's metal shins. He doesn’t react except to kick your thigh. You cry out, knowing it will bruise if you survive this.

The blaster you had taken from the Mandalorian’s cache lies just out of reach. The silver gleam is stark against the rich soil of the forest floor.

Enraged, the cyborg quarry leaps at your hunched form, knocking you flat. Surprised by his speed, you forget to keep hold of the heavy branch you use as a weapon. 

The growling man rips the stick from your hands and slams it against your throat like a vise, choking you, “Die, wretch.”

You turn your head to the side, providing yourself with a precious moment of air before the quarry shifts to cut that escape route off, too. 

Swinging your leg up, you kick him in the back of the head, pushing him forward. You take the opportunity to headbutt him - thankful that his head is still completely human - and he falls sideways. Right next to your blaster. 

You snatch up your wooden weapon, but it's too late.

He laughs mechanically as he grabs the blaster, swinging it at you. “Too late, sweetheart.”

Panting, you don't raise your hands. If he's going to kill you, he'll do it when you charge him. 

You take a step and the sound of a laserblast ricochets through the trees. 

The creature cries out, dropping the weapon, his arm useless at his side. Wires spark from the elbow joint that had been blown away.

"Found you," the Mandalorian says flatly, his blaster pointed at the machine.

The metal man lunges but Din fires again - hitting the quarry in what should be its gut. It doubles over, groaning, then topples, fighting for labored breath. 

He must still have lungs underneath, you shudder.

Still trying to catch your own breath, you gasp, "How-" 

"Heard the fight. You were supposed to stay on the ship," his voice turns scolding.

Clenching your jaw, you finally find a steady breath. You had stayed on the ship. This piece of space junk had broken inside through the cockpit window.

As you sat in the hold, dutifully watching the kid, the sound of glass shattering alerted you that it was not Din who was back so soon. You had snatched up the baby, touching him for the first time with no concern about his potential dangers, locked him in the little room, and ripped a small blaster from the Razor Crest’s weapons cache. 

You crouched at the far end of the hold, against the closed boarding ramp, waiting, uncomfortably far from the child. 

A cyborg, more spidery-droid than man, with a human head and fleshy left arm had come skittering down, bypassing the ladder completely. Unwilling to chance a blaster shot going through the baby’s door, you hit the button on the landing ramp and scrambled out.

The forest. It was your home. Your element. If there was any chance you could kill it, to prove to yourself that you could survive this life - it was then and there.

Of course, you hadn't expected the quarry to get your blaster.

"I tried," you breathe as Din binds the still-groaning quarry. 

The helmet turns to face you, understanding. "He entered the ship?”

You nod, and Din stands bolt-upright, his head whipping in the direction of the Razor Crest.

“It’s fine,” you assure him pointedly, walking with your hand outstretched toward the worried Mandalorian. You remember your promise not to speak of the child, “Your ship is fine. Knew you'd hate it if he trashed the thing, so I ran out here.”

The Mandalorian visibly relaxes his broad shoulders, and your heart tugs once again. 

"Thank you," Din says with hidden feeling. 

His sincerity wedges a lump in your throat. 

He really loves that little guy.

Din turns and snatches the connector between the binders, pulling the quarry. Its metal feet dig trenches as it tries to stall, but the Mandalorian is far too strong.

Somehow, it's the first time you've truly noticed. Din is extremely strong. Is it the suit? 

Can't be. It's just metal and fabric. 

The realization might as well be a thunderbolt to your brain. Your assailant must weigh as much as a land speeder, and here your bounty hunter was carting him along like a sack of starfruit.

An unfamiliar feeling, something like hot, sharp sparks shoot through your stomach. Your eyes follow the Mandalorian as he makes his way back to the Razor Crest. 

Is this attraction? You’ve never experienced it. Far too busy surviving, wanting someone in that way is a foreign concept to you. You roll your eyes at yourself. Din Djarin, a kriffing Mandalorian bounty hunter is not going to look twice at a slave, and it's best to kill those feelings before they take root.

***

Across the large clearing, at the ship, the bounty hunter waits patiently while the boarding ramp lowers.

“She yours?” The quarry asks curiously, his voice wheezing. "You orbited me like a karking moon, but as soon as I go after her, you come runnin’.” It laughs. 

The cyborg doesn't expect a verbal answer; he wants a reaction.

Din turns his head slowly with a cold warning, “I would advise you to stop speaking.”

“I damaged her pretty good for you. Might wanna che-” his taunting words end in a pained grunt when Din slams his fist into the man’s cruel mouth. 

Surprised by the sudden violence, you inhale sharply. Din hadn’t knocked the thing unconscious, so what was the point of that? 

The Mandalorian hauls the creature up the ramp and shoves him into the carbon freezer. 

“Should’ve killed me,” the cyborg threatens with a laugh as he freezes into a solid mass.

Din turns to face you and asks in a low voice, “Are you injured?”

The rush of adrenaline you had been riding on slowly fades, and you remember the only blow you’d received had been the one to the side of your thigh. Your hand falls to it, feeling the area through your tattered pants. 

A small amount of blood comes away on your fingers. 

“Oh,” you murmur. 

You pull up the ripped, baggy material, exposing your entire leg. The skin had split with the force of the blow, but there’s no serious damage and it would heal on its own. 

The cyborg must’ve been trying to unnerve us. Or distract the Mandalorian? Maybe he thought Din would check right away, you almost laugh aloud at the ridiculous idea.

Din, for his part, really wishes you would let your pant leg fall. It’s insane, it makes no sense to him. Millions of people walked around in far, far less clothing than you, and Din never reacted like this. 

But here you stand before him, slowly checking out the inch-long cut on your mid-thigh, and the Mandalorian can’t tear his eyes away. 

When you look up at the helmet of Din Djarin, he fixes his face as though you could actually see the way his lips had parted. You fleetingly, timidly, smile at him and, miraculously, let go of the flowy pant leg. 

Released from the spell, Din exhales and makes his way to the child’s room. 

“You can use the refresher to clean that, if you’d like.” He does not look at you as he speaks. 

“Is the baby okay?” 

Din need not answer as the child himself murmurs in happiness at the sight of the two of you. To Din’s abject shock, the kid lifts his hands toward you. 

You laugh once, flattered. “Can I?” 

Din simply turns sideways so that you can fit between him and the hull wall. You reach for the child and it snuggles into your arms, touching your chin. 

A brilliant smile lights your face. 

“Are we friends now?” You whisper to him. 

The baby babbles a response you’ll take as an affirmative. 

“I’ve not asked. What’s his name?” You turn your still-smiling face up to Din. 

Again thanking the Mythosaur for his helmet, he stares, stuck on your glowing expression as you cradle his ward. His brown eyes swim with an emotion he’s never felt. 

“I don't know.” 

Taken aback, you realize that there is a far deeper story here.

Did he steal this baby?

You move on quickly, “What do you call him?”

Din shrugs. “Kid.”

The child makes a cooing sound, then reaches for the Mandalorian. You hand the baby to his stoic guardian, and your smile changes to a satisfied one. 

“He looks like he belongs there,” you laugh. Then your eyebrows pull together as you regret the too-comfortable comment.

He’s a bounty hunter, a killer, and he may or may not have stolen this fuzzy, long-eared infant. 

And you’re just a runaway slave. 

You back up a step, feeling awkward now. “You said I could use the ‘fresher?” 

Din simply nods his head in the direction of the tiny facility.

When you've shut the door, Din's body relaxes. 

                               ***

But not for long. He didn't account for the sound of your clothes hitting the floor and the sound of the sonics. You are steps away, unclothed, and some wild instinct inside him awakens. Ashamed, he sets the child back in the hammock and climbs up to the cockpit to relieve himself. 

_________________________________

The planet is purple. Dark and cloudy, the yellow, green, and blue street lights cast strange shadows. Neon signs of every shade flash from every corner. You've been to thousands of cities like this one. An underworld. 

The Mandalorian landed the Razor Crest on the outskirts despite there being a busy spaceport made for that purpose. He transported the carbonite body of the cyborg to the edge of the city where he was met by some anonymous creature in a cloak. He asked no questions. 

Din had entrusted you with the care of the child. He directed you and the kid to go on ahead to one of the less-reputable inns. The worse-looking, the better. People were more likely to mind their business. 

You've found the perfect one. Din wanted seedy, he was getting the seediest. After all, most of your tasks as a slave had been spent in this environment since your masters hated to be seen in them. 

But seedy didn't always mean crumbling and derelict.

Din, having tracked the child's chain code, returns later that night. His eyebrows rise at the size of the room.

"I said find an inconspicuous place to hide. You got the emperor's suite," he places his hands on his hips. 

There are technically three rooms: the main living space, complete with couch, table, and a space to prepare food; and two small bedrooms both on the same side of the building.

"It was their only available room. Trust me, this place is as disreputable as they come. And he didn't upcharge," you rise from the couch. "If that was what you were worried about. I… made a deal with the clerk." 

Din advances on you, "A deal?" His voice is tight.

"I didn’t involve you. I promise." 

The Mandalorian clenches his teeth. Anything involving you, involves him. 

"The kid?" 

You tilt your chin across the apartment and laugh, "He wanted the room with all the toys.” 

Din disappears into the room, and you chuckle at how long the child had been fascinated by the weird sculptures inside. 

A low, rasping voice travels from the open door, "Hey, kid. Missed you, too."

Your smile deepens and your heart swells with emotion toward the two of them. Though they are not your family, it's comforting to watch them be one.

The modulated voice sounds again with a short laugh, "She can't hear you. Do you want her?" 

You shake your head fondly, the kid had been babbling and reaching for you every time you set him down. 

After a significant pause, Din softly admits, "I agree. I like her, too."

Flushing with shame for eavesdropping, you move to the far side of the apartment, to another large window. 

Several minutes later, quiet footsteps get louder as Din leaves the child's room and closes the door.

"He tried to lift one of the sculptures," Din scoffs. 

You laugh, picturing the child peacefully sleeping after tiring himself with the effort. It wasn't the first time today. Growing serious, you turn to face the Mandalorian.

"He helped me today. Someone grabbed at me and he… did what he does." 

Din takes two huge strides toward you. "Did anyone see? What happened?" 

"No one saw. It was in a closed alley. I-" you pause in momentary reluctance, then remember who you're talking to. "I took care of it." 

You glance at the blaster on the table that Din had given you earlier that morning.

For the first time in a long time, Din's sigh is one of relief instead of irritation. 

"Thank you," he says. "Again."

You wave him off, "It was between a scumsucker and the kid. Wasn't exactly hard," you try to make light of it. 

Din shakes his head slightly. "I've seen you use a blaster. I'm glad the kid was there," he deadpans.

You exhale in feigned irritation, pleased by his playfulness.

He comes to stand next to you at the open window, and the peaceful silence is companionable. 

As the breeze flutters, you shiver noticeably and his torn, rough cape curls into your ankle. The Mandalorian turns his head to you and reads how low your heat signature is.

Din stalks back to the entryway where he had set down a cloth bag. He snatches it up and brings it over to you. 

"I hope they are acceptable."

Hands outstretched, you freeze as you realize you're being given a gift. You blink and look up, desperately trying to read a face you know you can't. 

"Um, I've never -" you whisper, needing to tell him why you look like you've been struck. "Never had someone give me something."

Inside his beskar armor, Din grimaces. Had he overstepped? It might get even worse when you see how personal the items are. 

He releases his hold on the bag and you open it, pulling out a pair of clothes. They're dark blue, and, while somewhat flowy like your current clothes, these do not have holes, stains, nor bad memories associated. 

And they are a gift from Din Djarin. 

How do you thank him for these? They certainly weren't cheap. The clothing is sturdy but light, beautiful but practical. 

Embarrassingly, tears collect in your eyes.

"Oh, wow," you look up at him, panicking. "I can't take these." It was too much.

Din has an excuse in his arsenal.

"Take it as payment for your help with the kid."

You look back down at the material in your hands, rubbing the soft fabric. 

"Thank you, Din. Really. I- I don't know how to thank you. You have been so kind to me." 

His cheek pulls upward when you say his name for the first time. How sweet it sounds in your mouth. 

"You needed them. These," he waves at the shredded scraps on your frame, "are no longer clothes."

You smile timidly, unused to being treated so well. "I'm going to go take them off and burn them." 

The Mandalorian taps his vambrace. "I have the means when you're ready."

"Thank you again," you murmur, escaping to the refresher.

Din steps to the center of the room and places a hologram disk on the low table.

While you're busy, he's going to figure out how to get out of this.

***

After an actual shower, real water loosening the knots in your muscles, you exhale in pleasure at the feeling of the clean, well-made clothing on your skin. You feel like a person.

It's similar to seeing hyperspace for the first time. It scares you with how good it feels, knowing you’ve missed out on so much. 

You slide open the refresher door to see Din seated on the couch, facing away from you. He sits reclined, his legs spread wide. The Mandalorian hears the door open, but he does not turn. 

Stomach growling, you head to the cold storage near the front door. The box of food you'd bought from a vendor sits on the countertop. You unpack it carefully, still in disbelief you can eat whatever you want.

"Are you hungry?" You call to the Mandalorian as you continue to pull items from the box. 

"You are no longer a slave. You do not have to serve me." The deep, rough voice sounds from right behind you, and you jump in surprise. 

"Dank farrik, you move quietly." 

Din reaches around you for one of the fruits you had purchased with his credits. His nearness has your body tensing, but he backs away almost immediately.

"How do you eat with that on?" You wonder, clearly meaning his helmet.

"I don't," he answers, walking into the other bedroom. 

                          ***

A week passes in that calm hotel apartment. The child provided more than enough entertainment for you, attempting to lift different objects of his desire at random. 

For Din, so used to the child's antics, you are the object of his attention. You brush it off when he stands near you at the window, when he ensures that you have something to eat, and when he silently takes the couch over the comfortable bed. 

But you're unable to ignore his touch.

Just after you wake, the dual suns begin to peek around the tall city buildings. Trying not to wake Din on the couch, you tiptoe to the window in the main room, still enthralled with the city view. You’ve seen cities thousands of times throughout your enslavement, often imagining running away to explore. Now that you have the opportunity, you find that you don’t want to go.

Seated on the bare floor, your arms wrapped around your knees as you watch the suns rise, you're wandering down halls of your own thoughts when a voice drifts into your consciousness.

"I will get your bounty lifted." 

Turning your head, Din leans forward on the couch, his forearms on his knees. 

"If that's what you are concerned about."

You shake your head, "I'm not concerned. I think I'm happy." 

You had just come to that conclusion a moment earlier. It's an emotion you don't remember feeling. It's like your lungs are expanding after twenty years of suffocation. 

You look back at the city and smile contentedly, "This is the best my life has been." 

The admission is extremely personal, but you can’t keep it to yourself. It’s liberating. You weren't ready to fight for your freedom when the Mandalorian came for your master, but you are now. 

Din’s footsteps advance on you until he’s standing off to your right. He says nothing. 

After an interminable length of time, wondering what he’s doing, you twist and look up at him. His helmet turns toward the window just as you face him. 

His hands are folded behind him, but a sliver of something flesh-toned is visible. 

Is that his wrist? 

Your stomach drops. His bare skin. It looks warm-toned and soft. You close your eyes and turn away, back toward the window. 

“I am glad,” Din says. 

“About what?” Since it has been several minutes since either of you have spoken, you’re unsure if he’s responding or making a statement. 

He simply looks back down at you as if that answers your question. 

“We’ll be leaving today,” Din continues to study you, appreciating the way the orange dawn lights your face. “You’ve almost drained me of credits with this palace of a hotel.” 

You deny the accusation with a laugh, “I did not. I told you I made a deal.” 

“And you have not told me what that deal was,” he says, a hint of a threat in his tone. 

Din is on edge about your ‘deal.’ The night before, he had gone down to the reception desk to intimidate the clerk about it, but the employee you’d dealt with hadn’t been there.

“I promised you already - it has nothing to do with you or him,” you motion toward the child’s room. “It is not worth your attention.”

Din scowls. “You are also under my charge, and if you’ve placed yourself in danger, I need to be aware of it.” 

Your face snaps up, uselessly trying to make eye contact with him. His charge? Why does your face feel hot at those words?

Finally taking pity on him, you answer, “He was a gambler. I bet him I could win more rounds of sabacc. And I did.” 

The Mandalorian is stock-still. That was all? Din had gotten incredibly worked up over what you could possibly owe this mysterious desk clerk, and all you’d done was a bit of hustling? 

“Why would you not tell me that right away?”

“I didn’t want to seem like I was bragging,” you frown. Din had tasked you with something and you had wanted to complete it with as little fanfare as possible.

“What other skills have you been hiding?” Din’s tone is half-mocking, half-serious. He knows next to nothing about you despite the monopoly you’ve had on his thoughts.

You side-eye him, unsure of his intention. “I can do basic ship repairs. I can speak four languages. I know how to fight.” 

“I am not convinced of that last one.” 

“The cyborg caught me on a bad day,” you protest.

"It was fortunate you were not seriously injured. I wouldn't have the credits for this," he nods his head up at the high ceiling.

For the second time, your head turns to scrutinize him, but he’s as impenetrable as ever. 

"Why not?" 

Din's silver face snaps down to you. "The quarry would not have made it into the carbon freezer."

And as you open your mouth - to say what, you have no idea - a quiet knock raps on the front door. 

Spooked, you whirl so that you face the door, still seated. 

“It’s alright,” Din’s deep, rough voice soothes. 

When he holds out his hand to help you stand, you take it without second thought.

But it wasn’t just a hint of his wrist that you saw - his gloves are completely off. His rough palm slides into your grasp, and his thick fingers close around your hand. 

Eyes widening, you audibly gasp.

Din raises you to your feet with no effort, and you wind up far too close to him. Your breath fogs on his chestplate, and your pulse thrums in your ears.

Too-quickly, his thumb rubs your skin, and then he releases your hand. Do you imagine the sigh he makes as he steps away?

Your eyes are glued to his broad form as he retrieves his gloves from the couch, then heads to answer the door. 

“Should I -?” You whisper.

“Stay,” he says simply. 

It’s unbelievable how one word could affect you. You swallow hard and clasp your hands together in front of you. 

***

“As you are well aware, Mandalorian, my esteemed patron was unhappy to hear about her son’s death. However, you are of concern to us for a different reason. If we are able to reward you for your silence regarding where her son was at the time of his unfortunate, accidental death, this business might be put behind us.”

The slimeball flashes her biggest smile at the bounty hunter. 

“What am I being paid to be silent about? The Hutt was banished by the Republic due to his slavery connections. Is the Senator afraid of her choice in friends being known?” 

The emissary smiles nastily. “Let us say that the Hutt is also on my list of individuals to speak with.”

“I require explicit terms regarding this agreement. I am a Mandalorian, I can assure you of my discretion.”

“Very well. You will not divulge the conversation regarding slavery you overheard between the Senator’s son and Salaa the Hutt, and we shall reward you with twenty-thousand credits to be paid over the course of three months.” 

To your horror, Din rises from the couch and nods his head, saying, “I accept your terms.”

“And what about her?” The emissary wrinkles her nose as she indicates you.

“She is a slave,” the Mandalorian says with harsh finality. 

You physically shrink next to him. He had insisted you remain while they spoke, but now you’re regretting agreeing to it.

The distaste with which he had uttered the word ‘slave’ makes you feel unclean, unwanted. Tears threaten to spill over, and you keep your head down in a familiar, submissive posture in case they do.

The bounty hunter escorts the Twi’lek emissary to the door while you sit, head bowed, on the couch. 

“Senator Nesota will be most appreciative. If you are ever in Coruscant, she would be delighted to have you visit her apartments. They are most grand.” She disapprovingly glances around the hotel room. “I assume you had your slave pick this one.” The emissary briefly places her hand on the Mandalorian’s forearm, “Remember, we are friends now, Din Djarin.”

The helmet saves his entire operation, for Din cannot stop the disgusted scowl that mars his face. This piece of scum uses his name to both threaten and flirt; the difference in his feelings between her saying it and you saying it are blindingly stark.

“I do not have friends. My name is not for your use,” he says evenly as he punches the button for the front door.

The emissary walks away without another word. 

When Din closes the door, he turns back to you with a sense of relief for more than one reason. 

But something is wrong.

“Do you not feel well?”

You shake your head, “I misunderstood something. That’s all.” Your head remains bowed.

“You will not look at me.” 

“I am… embarrassed,” you mutter honestly.

An emotion Din has never experienced or understood, he is at a loss. Instead, he sits across from you and tosses you the recorder.

The small, comm-looking device lands on your lap, and you pick it up, curiously rolling it in your hands. You press the button.

“Very well. You will not divulge the conversation regarding slav-” 

You stop the device and look up at Din with renewed hope, “You were lying.”

Din leans forward in his seat, “I was not lying. I gave her my word as a Mandalorian. But you didn’t.” 

“That’s a stretch and you know it,” you laugh. 

Din shrugs. The moral reasoning works for him.

“I am to send this recording to the Republic, correct? Get the senator removed from office?” 

“She will no longer have the funds to pay our bounties. They will be considered void.”

Your smile falters. He had done what he promised. 

Din tilts his head, “You’re unhappy about that?”

“It’s not your problem, of course. But I have to deal with the slaver’s reward. And… and I am not sure what I should do, where I should go.”

Really, you’re saddened because there is no longer any reason for you to stay. You wish there was.

The Mandalorian is silent, weighing his choice of words carefully. 

"There is room on the Razor Crest. The kid is fond of you. I can pay you for your services to him. And, occasionally, the ship needs repairs - you can assist me with those.”

“Is this that ‘legal employment’ you told me I needed?” You grin. “I would like that very much.”

“You will need to learn how to fight, though,” he shakes his head, his tone teasing. “The kid can’t save you every time.”

____________________________________

You sit on the hold floor, the child in your arms. Having left the inn rather early, the child is still asleep.

Jostling as Din lands the Razor Crest on a new planet, you slowly stand and place the little lump in his hammock and shut the door. 

The Mandalorian drops down into the hold, passing you and hitting the button for the boarding ramp. Deciding to trust him, you don't ask where you're being taken. 

The answer isn't far. Din stops right at the treeline and hands you the same silver blaster from the previous week's fight with the cyborg. 

"You need to learn to use it." 

"I've done well with a blaster before," you protest. "I shot Rathos." 

"But you didn't shoot the cyborg," you can hear the frown in his deep voice. "Pick a tree."

Nervous to be evaluated by a master of the craft, you hesitate briefly before aiming at a massive trunk a few speeders lengths away.

The plate of his armor brushes against your back as the Mandalorian gingerly sets his heavy hands on your shoulders, straightening them. With his boot, he taps the inside of your foot, indicating you should widen your stance. 

You blink rapidly. Your face flushes with warmth. Why is your heart thundering? Can he hear it? 

He can. 

His own heart rate increases when his helmet's display shows your heat signature rising. Din pushes it further: his leather-covered hands slide down to your waist where he turns you a fraction - completely unnecessarily.

Close enough that, were he unveiled, you could feel his breath, he murmurs, "Fire."

Utterly distracted, you squeeze the trigger as a matter of following his command. The blaster shot continues on through the treetops, singeing leaves. 

Din straightens, his hands leaving your body, and he huffs. 

"You distracted me," you explain. "I can hit it."

You realign the weapon and inhale deeply, releasing on the exhale just as you would with an arrow. 

The tree sizzles as you hit it dead-center. 

Spinning to face him triumphantly, the smile freezes on your lips. 

One of the suns on this planet has begun to drop behind him, and his large frame casts you in shadow. He still hasn't moved away from you. The way his mask is angled toward you makes you believe he's lost in thought. 

"What is it?" You whisper in the tense silence. 

Din feels dizzy. You're a natural with a weapon you'd fired all of three times. Your words cudgel his mind. He had distracted you enough to miss a huge karking tree.

"Do it again." 

You nod and return to the target. Throwing your mind back to your childhood, you once again hit the tree dead-on. 

Weighing the blaster in your hand, you turn back to him and say, "I still prefer wooden weapons. Or at least something resembling a spear." 

"Why is that?" His voice is rough, and his hands find a home on his hips. 

"That's how I grew up," you answer. 

"Okay. Grab one." 

Your mouth drops open in confusion, but he finally leaves your personal space and picks up a slender, twigless branch.

"You can't be serious," you sputter a laugh, certain he had just found a sense of humor. "I'm not fighting you." 

"Why not?"

"Um. Because I can't."

"You can." He holds the stick out toward you.

You stare at him, watchful, as you curl your fingers around it. Din removes a small, cylindrical object from his utility belt. He pumps it once and it unfolds into a thin cane-like weapon. 

"It's been twenty years," you frown. "You're going to win." 

But, when that makeshift spear is in your hand, it all rushes back. The key to winning is in gaining ground. Whatever you do, push your opponent back. So, you launch at him first. 

Only partially surprised by the speed of the typically-timid girl now coming for his throat, Din manages to duck out of the way just in time. But you whirl to the opposite side he expects, and swing your weapon into his helmet. It clangs, and you stand upright.

"I'm sorry!" You react, fearful both from years of mistreatment and not wanting to hurt Din.

He ignores you, swishing his weapon toward your middle, and you jump backward. Hating that you conceded even that little ground, you quickly drop to a crouch and sweep at his knees like Rathos did to you. 

Din rockets upward a few feet, then drops back down on your other side. He swings at you and you parry. 

Dancing for several steps, you eventually land a blow to his ribs where the beskar does not cover. Din's modulated groan makes you feel a rush of two separate emotions. 

You don't want to hurt him, but that sound ignites a heat between your legs.

Din retaliates, kicking his tipless spear into your chest and shoving you backward. He knows your move, now. You don't like giving up ground, so you'll throw yourself at him, arms raised to strike.

When you do exactly as he predicts, he drops his weapon completely, grabbing you around the waist and spinning. He throws you to the ground, coming down on top of you.

You laugh, exhilarated, "Almost."

Something is jabbing your hip, and when you shift to identify it, Din grunts again. Your eyes shoot to his hidden face. 

Under the helmet, Din's brown eyes are blown, pained at how aroused he is. He can't handle much more of this. Your wide eyes and galloping heart match his, but underneath him you look so vulnerable that he feels downright predatory. His stiff length twitches.

Din’s voice is raw, barely contained, "Tell me to stop and I will." His gloved thumbs push your bottoms down.

Speechless, your core pulsing, you nod. 

Din unfastens the material around his middle, pulls his desperate cock from the flight suit, and hastily positions himself against you. Your slick coats him as he drags himself through your folds. He groans through the modulator. 

“Oh,” you gasp when he eases the tip past your entrance.

Unable to wait a moment longer, Din sheaths himself inside you with a determined grunt, his patch of dark curls mingling with yours.  

Your hands try to fist in his flight suit, eyes wide at the incredible feeling of him filling you. His right hand cradles your jaw as he starts to rock his hips, cursing as he does so. 

For the first time in his life, Din resents his helmet; both for the separation from your soft skin, and the heightened senses it gives him. How is he supposed to last when he can see your heart racing, hear your quiet cries as though they’re inside his own head?

In an insufficient compromise, he rips off his gloves. His tan skin is calloused and scarred.

“Yes,” you plead.

Din intertwines his fingers on both hands with yours, hypnotized for a precious second by the intimacy. Reverently, you press a kiss to his knuckles. He makes a wild sound deep in his chest, then plunges your hands above your head. 

Pushing your chest to his, you signal that he can do anything he wants to you. He collects both your wrists in one hand.

Din rhythmically arcs into you, the sound of his body - soaked from your arousal - striking yours nearly driving you insane. When you’d imagined it before, you wondered if looking into the blank face of his helmet might be off-putting, but you find that it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter because it’s him. If anything, it’s erotic to trust him so blindly. 

Din is resolved to know your body better than you do. With his free hand, his fingers nimbly massage your clit until you jerk. 

“There?” He confirms.

You nod, unable to speak. His heavy, straining cock dragging through you, and his rough fingers replace the output from all other senses.

When he finds the perfect combination, he doesn’t let up until your eyes screw shut and you shake, incoherent underneath him in ecstasy. 

“You can say it,” he hoarsely encourages through the modulator. 

It was already on your lips, “Din.”

The hand that acted as a manacle releases you as he places his palm on the ground, giving himself as much leverage to bury himself as deep as possible. The toes of Din’s boots dig up clumps of grass as he thrusts into you, the sound of skin slapping skin lost in the breeze. Your legs curl around his waist, pulling him deeper.

He feels the spark at the base of his spine and knows he doesn’t have much strength left. Your fingers twist into the fabric of his flight suit again, clinging to him for all you’re worth.

Din makes the mistake of looking into your lust-filled eyes as you speak.

“Let go,” you whisper tenderly, feeling his tense body begin to fracture.

Din has no choice but to obey you, pumping himself into you with a long, harsh sigh. He works his release inside you, gradually slowing until his arms shake.

He finally drops to the ground beside you, breathing rapidly.

Suddenly shy, you want nothing more than to reach over and take one of his hands, but you lack the confidence. You also don’t know what to say. 

Din doesn’t believe there’s anything to say. He had never been so tempted in all his life, and he had not passed the test. A shred less self-control and his helmet might’ve followed the gloves. 

In fact, the temptation is still so strong that he begins to plan for its eventuality. 

____________________________________

[thoseyoulove]

Reacting to The Vampire Lestat - Part II (with a bit of spoilers)

I found out my problem with the narration and description isn't with Anne, but Lestat. That dude sometimes focuses on the most useless stuff instead of telling what is happening or what he's feeling. I'm like, Lestat de Lioncourt, get your priorities (not) straight? But it's not much of a problem anymore now, because it gives me a better idea of who he is and how he thinks, so I appreciate that. I enjoy the immersion, even with someone as chaotic and as distracted as he is.

Turns out when Lestat FINALLY gives me a good picture of things, it's with the WORST event possible.

Remember what Louis said about the little drink? That's the whole experience from the moment Magnus kidnaps Lestat, turns him, kills himself before his eyes and leaves him completely alone. Multiply your worst case scenario by a trillion.

Not that I would want Magnus to stay, God forbid, but the next moment is still pretty bad. You might believe it gets better after his death, but it's not immediately.

Lestat goes from being too frozen to move, to fighting with every fiber of his being and then trying to take it as a positive thing? Which, well, it's a realistic reaction to it, but also heartbreaking.

It's not exactly "rape", but it has pretty much everything a rape can have without penetration? So it basically felt like the same thing to me.

It's quite a long chapter, it's considerably graphic (at least for me), took me over 2 hours to finish it (maybe it was even closer to 3 hours, I don't remember anymore, but I struggled a lot), I kept taking pauses, whenever I thought it was over it kept going and kept getting worse.

It is well-written in the way that makes sense, that moves the story, that narrates and describes what's happening with details, that you can really picture it in your head, that is extremely intense and emotional... But it's obviously not an exciting part.

I feel bad for the way Lestat immediately shifts afterwards and tries to make the most of it. Not that I wanted him to be miserable and feeling sorry for himself, but I'm like, something terrible happened to you and it's okay to take time to deal with it. I'm not even sure he understands how traumatic that was? If he does, he doesn't acknowledge it, let alone admit it. Not even to himself. And it's just frustrating.

Even after I read it, it stuck with me and took me more than a day to get over. I kept remembering it even when I was doing totally different stuff.

It's cool to navigate through things with him as Lestat finds more about how his body and powers operate.

When he went to the village and began to experiment with his powers was fun. Him jumping, cutting trees and whatever the other silly things he was doing and I can't fully remember... It was like an ADHD child high on sugar and sort of cute.

Is that presence... Armand?

You can take the man out of the church, but you can't take the church out of the man (or the vampire), apparently.

This probably isn't necessary, but I want that scene that he sees the house with the family and reads their thoughts? The idea of seeing the thoughts of babies is so sweet... It's not even for him, it's more of a me thing, I guess. I would just like to see it. I don't know. Maybe I'm being too sensitive and PMSing lol. Don't @ me.

Lestat has kissed so many people at this point and he hardly gives details, so I'm like, what are you kissing? A cheek? A hand? A mouth? Is it a friendly peck on the lips? Is it tongue-kissing? Elaborate? I mean, I don't care because the way he does it feels as trivial as a fart lmao. The only one he really has a deeper relationship with so far is Nicki, so I only kind of care about Lestat with him. It's not really a problem, but I just find the whole thing vague and ridiculous lol.

It's not even Lestat that has BPD, but BPD has Lestat at this point. The man is intense, has crazy mood swings, has extreme reactions to things, engages in dangerous behavior, is highly irresponsible with money, has a chronic fear of being alone... I know one when I see it. And vampirism didn't fix it, it only made it worse.

A bit off topic, but there's something about France that is so enchanting? I've always been obsessed with it in some ways, some places, the architecture, the language, the art... It's not like I'm a big nerd or anything, I can't barely name stuff to save my life, but just looking, hearing and thinking about it... There's just some charm to it. I've realized that the simple fact of stories being set in France makes me excited for some reason. I would love if they filmed there and in some of my favorite spots (cough Sainte-Chapelle and Carcassonne cough), for the mere reason it would look gorgeous and they should because I said so. Maybe in a past life I lived there or something, but I've always had that fascination, God knows why.

"Why the hell did Anne write and word it like that?" moment #1, I guess. At least it was fast and I can erase it from my memory.

The book has gotten quite faster and more eventful now, it's definitely better than when I first started it. I hate when it takes too long for things to happen, so this pace is good. And crucial moments happen pretty early on, which I appreciate. It's nice to know I've read some of the most important events by now, even as disturbing as they are. One of the downsides of being in this fandom is not having the full information, so already knowing part of the big events is satisfying.

P.S. Nothing is permanent, opinions might change and this is based on Lestat's narration, which can be unreliable. I'm reading the books so I can find out more about the characters, what potential events might happen in the show, what I can expect etc. This is my favorite show in the universe, so I want to be as informed as possible. I have no idea if I'll become a legit fan of the books or not, but so far I'm enjoying it. I'm posting these comments only for fun.

[hollowed-theory-hall]

Hey, just a thought I've had about Fleur and Veela in general that's been floating in my head, and I thought you might appreciate it; I don't think Veela have hybrid offspring. Unless they reproduce asexually, there are male Veela, or two female Veela can produce an offspring, than all Veela have a non-Veela parent. The books don't really give Veela much attention, so all of that is certainly possible, but I like to consider other possibilities. We never see Fleur describe herself as quarter-Veela, correct me if I'm wrong, but it was only ever other charcters saying she was rumored to be quarter-Veela. This may be a rumor spread by Fleur's family: non-wizards aren't allowed to carry wands, at least in Britain, treating her like a witch with Veela ancestory would improve how she was treated immensely. I mean, like how parents with black hair and blonde hair wouldn't really have a child with both their hair colors. It's be whichever one is dominant. I consider Veela to be the dominant trait. Maybe all daughters are Veela, and sons non-Veela. Essentially, there is no thing as a pure Veela, or maybe, all Veela give birth to pure Veelas, and claiming a partial inheritance gives them better rights in the wizarding world. Just my headcanon I guess.

I'm not sure about that... Like, my knee-jerk reaction is that there is a difference between part-Veela and ful-Veela.

Like, the main reason I say that is that Harry has a different reaction to full-Veelas than to Fleur (and even her mother who should be a hlaf-Veela):

Looking careworn, she [Fleur] left the room. Ron still seemed slightly punch-drunk; he was shaking his head experimentally like a dog trying to rid its ears of water. “Don’t you get used to her if she’s staying in the same house?” Harry asked. “Well, you do,” said Ron, “but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then . . .”

(HBP, 93)

Harry has no reaction to Fleur's Veela magic. None. Even though others do react to them. Same with Fleur's mother who Harry notes is beautiful, but he isn't reacting to the magic:

Mr. Weasley, who appeared at the gate moments later, laden with luggage and leading a beautiful blonde woman in long, leaf-green robes, who could only be Fleur’s mother.

(DH, 107)

I think that is because he's gay (or at least not interested in women). But even he still reacts to the magic of full-Veela:

But a hundred veela were now gliding out onto the field, and Harry’s question was answered for him. Veela were women . . . the most beautiful women Harry had ever seen . . . except that they weren’t — they couldn’t be — human. This puzzled Harry for a moment while he tried to guess what exactly they could be; what could make their skin shine moon-bright like that, or their white-gold hair fan out behind them without wind . . . but then the music started, and Harry stopped worrying about them not being human — in fact, he stopped worrying about anything at all. [...] And as the veela danced faster and faster, wild, half-formed thoughts started chasing through Harry’s dazed mind. He wanted to do something very impressive, right now. Jumping from the box into the stadium seemed a good idea . . . but would it be good enough? “Harry, what are you doing?” said Hermione’s voice from a long way off. The music stopped. Harry blinked. He was standing up, and one of his legs was resting on the wall of the box. Next to him, Ron was frozen in an attitude that looked as though he were about to dive from a springboard.

(GoF, 103)

Similarly, the full-Veela in the Quidditch World Cup have abilities Fleur doesn't seem to have:

At this, the veela lost control. Instead of dancing, they launched themselves across the field and began throwing what seemed to be handfuls of fire at the leprechauns. Watching through his Omnioculars, Harry saw that they didn’t look remotely beautiful now. On the contrary, their faces were elongating into sharp, cruel-beaked bird heads, and long, scaly wings were bursting from their shoulders —

(GoF, 111)

Additionally, the fact that Veela can get pregnant and reproduce with humans kind of erases the option of asexual reproduction. Yeah, I know they're magic, but if they didn't need to get pregnant the regular human way for the continuation of their species, they wouldn't be capable of it (especially as the Harry Potter version of Veela aren't immortal like their folklore variants). So, that brings us to the lack of male Veela.

You are right that male Veela are pretty necessary to have a difference between full-Veelas and part-Veelas. While the Harry Potter books don't really give an answer regarding Veela reproduction, I went to the mythology JKR based on them.

"Veela" is an Anglicized form of the name "Vila" which is a fairy-like spirit from Slavic folklore portrayed as a nature spirit like nymphs in Greek Mythology. Both nymphs and Vila are portrayed as only women, but they are also portrayed as minor deities, as immortal and eternal like the nature they represent with abilities the Harry Potter Veela do not have. Veela very in mythology quite a bit but they tend to be shapeshifters often living in a water source. Regardless, they are only female in myth as well and I couldn't find anything about their births. I found one source that claimed a child of a Veela and a human man would be a half-Veela but it didn't discuss how full Veela came into being. Since the mythology Veela are immortal spirits of nature they are born out of trees and rivers, representing nature itself. So, unless this is the case in Harry Potter (I don't think it fits the worldbuilding much) this front didn't give us answers.

So, I went to Bill and Fleur's wedding to see if I could spot a potential male Veela or male part Veela. And the answer is I couldn't. It also seems like all part-Veela share the same hair, eyes, skin color, and general appearance regardless of who the father is, so you are right about the Veela gens being the more dominant ones (Fleur and Gabrielle are both described with silvery blond Veela hair like their mother, even though their father has black hair and is described as plump).

So, yeah, speaking of the info we have in canon it's actually possible part-Veela don't really exist and that Veela can just choose to activate their charming magic in a more active way (that affects Harry, like in the Quidditch World Cup) or not and remain with just their passive charm (that doesn't affect Harry). But this doesn't really give an answer to the extra abilities full-Veela seem to have that part-Veela don't.

Another issue I have with this theory is that if Veela were indeed born this way for centuries, there is no way anyone would believe Fleur is a quarter-Veela. I mean, wizards are dense often enough, but I don't think they are that stupid. They would know how Veela reproduce and then not believe said rumors.

I think JKR just didn't think through all the implications of how she portrayed Veela...

Point is, your headcanon is possible, and you can headcanon it but I personally prefer to think of Fleur as a quarter-Veela and believe male Veela do exist. Because they do sorta exist in myth.

There are Näcken from German and Scandinavian folklore that are shapeshifting water spirits that are portrayed as handsome men, they occasionally lure people to their deaths and occasionally fall in love with human women and go live with them. The Näcken in Scandinavian folklore are always portrayed as male. In German mythology Nixie or Nixe can be either male or female from what I read. So, male Veela could exist and just potentially be known by a different name with slightly different abilities.

I mean, the Veela in Harry Potter attract people with dancing and music, the Näcken plays the violin to lure people to drown. Both are shapeshifters that are spirits of nature (Veela in various locations: forests, air, and water while the Näcken are only associated with water). Both are sometimes malevolent and sometimes helpful to humans. There are a lot of similarities so I like to headcanon them as sorta of the same species but with different typical appearance and name, hence the confusion.

So in a sense, there are no full-Veela males, but the other similar creatures, Näcken. Now, I'm not sure if half-Veela and half-Näcken would be the same or different, but that's a whole other discussion and goes more heavily into my headcanons.

I can't speak to what JKR intended, but your headcanon is possible. I just prefer to imagine "male Veela" and "male part-Veela" are out there somewhere (the quotation marks because they use a name that isn't Veela, the full ones at least).

[supercriminalbean]

Adopted

Alex Blake x GN!Reader.

Summary: What happens when the women who gave you up at birth is suddenly back, but as your new team member. You're threw and unsure how to react, so you hide the truth from her. But what happens when you two becomes close and you become in danger when your past catches up to you.

Warning: Adoption, crying, lying, kidnapping, criminal mind unsub stuff. Sexual abuse mentioned lightly. Seperation anxiety if ya squint.

words: 14.6k

A/n: I don't know where this idea came from but um yeah enjoy

You had just gotten back from England, with Morgan and Garcia. After helping Prentiss settle into her new apartment and also do a little bit of FBI work as well when you were over there. When you three finally get back to the FBI, all three of you are excited to go and meet the new member of your team.

Who has already worked her first case while you guys were away. When you three walk in you offer to go take up all the files you have, laughing softly as you walk away from them arguing about who gets what merch they bought from overseas. Making your way upstairs, noticing Hotch isn’t in his office so you happily just walk and leave the pile of paperwork on his desk for him to deal with later.

~~~

As you walk back out you stop on the landing look down at the team, the soft smile on your face slowly slips off. Your heart suddenly starts to pound away, anxiety flooding your veins as you watch your coworkers. JJ and Reid have now joined Garcia and Morgan, all three of them watching Penelope as she rambles on about something that you can’t quite make out. But what has made you stop in your tracks, is the woman standing behind Penelope. The woman who you never thought you would ever get this close to, the woman who Derek is now introducing himself to so you can only guess is your new team member. 

~~~

Your stomach starts twisting itself into knots, feeling nausea as you keep staring at Alex Blake. The sickening feeling made it impossible to stay there watching her, but you’re frozen to the floor. You are only finally able to move when JJ looks up, meeting your eyes. You quickly hurry off to the empty conference room, needing somewhere private to go, needing to be able to think straight, needing to think about how you are going to play this. Oh how you are going to deal with the fact that the woman who gave you up at birth is now your new team member. 

~~~

You're leaning against the wall by the coffee maker in the room when you feel someone walk in behind, you know exactly who it is by her footsteps. 

“Coffee?” Your voice comes out quiet, almost weakly. 

“No, Im okay thanks” JJ response, watching you concerned. When she met your eyes before she knew something was off. You two hadn’t seen each other in almost three weeks, normally you would be rushing for a hug from your best friend. But when she looked into your eyes all she saw was shock, and hurt. The way you went into the closest emptiest room you could find, is anything but normal for you. You make yourself a cup in silence, slowly turning around to look at her as you take a sip still refusing to talk.

“So how was the case?” Coughing a little to clear your throat, refusing to look her in the eyes.

“(Y/n) are you really not going to tell me what's going on right now?” JJ sighs softly crossing her arms as she looks at you. She's known you for over seven years, before you had even joined the Bau team. JJ has always been able to read you like a book, but sometimes there can be small parts of you that you just don’t want to show her.

“JJ, I don’t want to talk about it, so drop it” Huffing a little, glaring at her, trying to do your best to get her to back up. JJ opens her mouth going to argue with you, but luckily you two are interrupted by the whole team, including Alex and even Chief Strauss walking in. 

“We got a case” Hotch speaks, breaking up the tension between you two. His eyes linger on you, narrowing slightly as he picks up on the tenison. You clear your throat, walking over to the table, away from JJ who's watching you like a hawk. 

“What is it?” You ask, feeling a few pairs of eyes on you.

“Well that would be” Garica starts up the presentation of the murder in the ambulance.

~~~

As the briefing at the case goes on you can’t seem to concentrate, too distracted by the new women standing not even 5 feet away from you. You keep glancing over at her, your body filling with a different feeling each time you see her. First it starts with more anxiety, then comes betrayal, then confusionment then hatred then suddenly everything is hitting you at once. Before you even know it Hotch is letting everyone know that the wheels will be up in 30. As you try to walk out with everyone, the woman you kept glancing at is stopping in front of you, blocking your path. 

“Hello, I don’t think we have been formally introduced yet, I’m Alex Blake” The older woman smiles at you softly, her wrinkles disappear as she smiles Her eyes are full of familiarity, her eyes are full of hope and something else that you just can’t put your finger on. 

“Yes I’m well aware of who you are” Smiling fakely as you shake her hand, a sense of hurt and hatred for this woman starts to resurface. A feeling that you have harvested for years, one that you thought you had worked through. “I’m (Y/n) (L/n), it’s a pleasure to have you on the team”

“Thank you, I’m really happy to be here” Alex smiles softly at you. Which you nod in response, before you make a hastily exit, happy that Strauss had called Alex to stay back to talk. 

~~~

“Alex, can I have a word” Chief Strauss calls out, as Alex and (Y/n) are the last to walk out of the conference room. Alex stops, holding in her facial expression as she turns around to look at the woman she used to call a friend. “I'm sorry, I didn’t get a chance to see you before the Seattle case, congratulations” Strauss smiles kindly.

“It took a lot of hard work to get a shot here, it wasn’t easy” Alex sighed, giving Erin a pointed look. 

“It's been a long time” Strauss gulps, seeing that look of unforgiveness on Alex's face, knowing there still a lot left to go to be able to be forgiven by the women she hurt.

“I've got a plane to catch Erin” Alex glances behind her, trying to find her team.

“Goodluck” Erin nods at her, just as Alex turns to the door the older woman opens her mouth once more. “They looks like you, you know, has your eyes and your stubbornness” 

That makes Alex stop dead in her tracks, turning around once more with a death look in her eyes. 

“Excuse me?” Scoffing a little. “How, how did you know?” Scoffing at her as she was being so unbelievable right now.

“You told me about their birth mark, on their left shoulder by their collar born, (Y/n) has it, also they are just like you were when you started” Strauss offers a comforting smile to her old friend hoping it would help at least, for her to know that she's there to talk to. 

“Drop it Erin, no one else knows and no one will, so leave it alone” Alex snaps, turning around walking out in a huff. 

~~~

When the team is in the air, you sit on the couch with JJ, sitting as far from Alex as you possibly can. As the team talks and bounce ideas off each other you stay quiet, feeling out of your depth. How is everything around you so normal, yet the way you feel is just anything but. The more you try to focus on the conversation happening, the more you disappear inside your own mind. The thoughts you have had your whole life coming back to the centre of your mind. Your hands clench the seat underneath you so tightly your knuckles turn pale. JJ hand slides over yours, untangling it with the seat, sliding her fingers in between yours. The best thing about you and JJ friendship is that, sometimes no words need to be exchanged for you two to know what each other needed. When the debriefing is finally complete, there is still about an hour left before you land, and with that you get up heading straight to the back of the jet for some alone time.

~~~

Leaning into the seat, laying your head against the wall staring out the window. A cup is placed in front of you, as the blondie sits opposite you, staying quiet for now.

“Thanks JJ” Smiling weakly as you lean forward for the cup.

“No problem, so how much did you actually hear earlier?” JJ jokes lightly, having watched how zoned out you were during the briefing. The whole team had, Hotch and JJ had even had a silent conversation with their eyes, both worried about you. 

“None of it” Sighing, sipping on your coffee, before looking at your best friend. “And right now JJ, I don’t want to talk about it, not while we are on a case, maybe when we get back?” Smiling a little more as she smiles back nodding at you. 

“You got it, wine and movie night back at mine then, huh?” 

“Sounds perfect” Laughing softly, as you close your eyes. Hoping to get a couple of minutes of peace before you land.

~~~

The case goes by slowly, in reality it's only a couple days, but the information takes way too long to get. But eventually everyone is back on the jet, happy to be going home. During the case, you somehow managed to avoid working too much with Alex Blake. Hotch kept partnering you up with JJ and Morgan, knowing they are your safety people when you go quiet like this. The team didn’t ask you too many questions as to your strange behaviour, putting it down to jet lag and missing Emily. JJ knew it was more than that, but allowing you to come to her when it's time. Alex had tried to ask you a few questions during the case which you had stuttered through trying to answer. You hated making a fool in front of her, hated how much her presents affected you. 

~~~

When the team is finally heading home, you head straight to JJ side, ready to explode and tell her what's been eating at you, the last few days.

“Up for some company, blondie?” Smiling at her, as you see her roll her eyes playfully at you.

“You know I hate that nickname, also Will already knows to expect you tonight” Smirking softly, as you both make your way to her car, planning to just leave your car here and collect it tomorrow after work. Getting in you grow quiet as she drives, both walking into her place quietly knowing Henry would be asleep. JJ goes straight to Henry's room to kiss him goodnight while you make your way to the kitchen to grab a bottle of wine. Not at all surprised to see Will there, pouring two glasses already. 

“Well hey ya Will” Smiling softly, as he looks up at you giving you his signature smile.

“Hey shorty, how ya doing” Chuckling softly as he walks over to give you a hug, which you happily accept. Will, you have always seen as an older brother, not long after you met him did you two instantly click and a strong friendship that's like sibling love started to form. 

“Im okay” Sighing softly, as you pull away.”How are you doing? You look tired” You give him a pointed look, knowing how much he runs himself down some days.

“I'm just about to go to bed, so just hush you” He laughs. “You don’t look any better either by the way” Nudging you, as you both start laughing. 

~~~

You wait on the couch, as JJ and Will are talking in the kitchen for a few minutes saying goodnight before she comes out and joins you. You're already nursing your glass of wine, when JJ joins you, plopping down right beside you with her own glass. 

“Okay so what is up with you, because I have not seen you this distracted in years” JJ looks at you, getting herself comfortable on the couch. You sigh deeply as you lean your head into the back of the couch, closing your eyes.

“You know how I’m adopted right?” Opening your eyes, glancing over at the confused look on JJ's face. 

“Um yeah, why, has something happened?” Her tone is gentle, knowing how your family is a tough subject for you.

“Er kind of” Laughing weakly, sipping on your drink as you glaze slips to the ground. “I kind of meet my birth mother” The loneliness overpowers the bitterness in your tone, allowing yourself to feel any emotions that are coming out tonight. 

“Oh my god.. Are you sure?” JJ eyes widen, placing a hand on your knee in comfort. 

“Yeah I’m sure.. After.. After my parents death, I did some research on her trying to find her and I did… I readed up all about her and I even tried to attend one of her classes a couple years back, but as soon as I saw her I ran out” Shaking your head in disappointment. Tears start to swell in your eyes, unsure if it's due to frustration, anger or if it's just because you're sad and feeling broken inside. 

“Oh (Y/n), so what happened this time?” JJ's expression softens as she sees you take a deep shaking breath. 

“Nothing, she didn’t know who I was, she introduced herself and then we” Taking an extra breath as you look into JJ eyes. Seeing the sisterly love she has always had for you, swimming in her eyes. “And then we got on the Jet for the case”

JJ eyes narrow in confusement, staring at you as she tries to piece the pieces together. You can’t help but smirk a little as you see the little clogs in her mind turn and finally click into place. Her mouth drops open, her eyes looking like they might pop out of the socket in any second. 

“Holy crap.. Alex.. Seriously!?” JJ screechs, leaning forward. Her wine glass almost slipped through her hand. 

“Yeah, yeah, our new team member is somehow my biological mother” Groaning with apprehensive, fearing for how this situation is going to turn out. 

~~~

As months pass by, you hold up a wall between you and Alex, never letting her get too close. The team had expressed their concern to you, about making her feel welcome, about letting Emily go and letting someone new in. Hotch had even sat you down in his office one day after a rough case. During that case he had tried to make you and Alex work together, and while it was working well, near the end you had snapped at her. Alex tried her best to get you to like her, letting you take control. She was racking her brain trying to figure out if you could possibly know who she is, but there could be no way, it was a closed adoption. Everyone just kept telling her it was because of your trust issues with newbies. 

~~~

It took three months for you to warm up to Alex. It was over a rough case, you had seen her struggling to keep her emotions in check. Over the last few months you had come to care for the woman, learning small facts about her. Learning that she has a husband, that she has now been married to for almost 15 years. At the end of the case everyone headed straight from the jet to their cars, except Hotch, Alex and you. All three of you are making your way to the office, quietly. You and Alex sit down at desks, both desks are the farthest from each other. Hotch walks past you both, heading straight up to his own office. Silence fills the office for a while as you all work on your own paperwork, everyone's mind racing from the case. Your mind racing with more than just that, as you stare at the woman sitting across the room, studying her face. The bags under her eyes, the despair and guilt swimming in her eyes from the actions she had to perform in the last few days. As she fills out her paperwork, her other hand taps away on her desk, which you now know is a sign of her anxiety or when she is so far out of her head she doesn’t even know she's dreaming. As you fill out your own paperwork, you keep a close eye on her, worrying about what is swimming inside that mind of hers. 

~~~

Looking back up when you hear footsteps approaching, locking your eyes with Hotch, who sighs when he sees you. 

“You should be heading home (Y/L)” Hotch sighs, giving you his tired boss look.

“I’ll head off soon Bossman” Smiling a little at him. Glancing over at Blake, who is now just staring absent-mindedly at the wall in front of her. Hotch follows your eyes, before they flick back to you, with a raising an eyebrow at you. 

“Do you want me to drop her home?” 

“Nah Hotch, you go home go see Jack I’ll take care of Alex tonight” Smiling weakly, your eyes still focused on her.

“Alright, see you Monday then, (Y/n) Goodnight” Hotch smiles softly, glad that you're finally warming up to the older agent. 

“Goodnight Aaron” Muttering quietly as he walks past you, staring at the woman thinking.

~~~

“Alex, let's go” You're now standing beside her, holding both of your bags. She jumps slightly, so far deep inside her mind she never notices you approach her. 

“Oh no, it's fine you don’t need to wait for me, I need to get all of this done tonight” She sends you a small weak smile. Her eyes looking empty and tired, her body exhausted from the case, but her mind just doesn’t seem to know when to stop running. 

“Okay Alex you seem to be misunderstanding me right now” You sigh at her, a smirk playing on your lips that makes her eyes narrow at you. “I am already holding your bag, so you are going to get your ass off your chair get in my car and we are going to get milkshakes then go to my place and I am going to show you how I deal with bad cases okay, so get up” The stare you give her, makes her know that there is no room for arguments. That little smile she gives you in return, when she places her pencil down shows that you have easily won this one, anyway. 

“You are bossy, did you know that?” Laughing at you while she shakes her head, grabbing her things off her desk, placing them all in her other bag. 

“Oh I have been told that, now get up” Laughing along with her, not long after you two are heading down and getting in your car. 

~~~

You're not sure when it happened in the last three months, but your hatred for Alex had slowly disappeared. You had decided to give her a chance, watching her from a distance, making sure she wasn’t going to hurt your family before you got involved with her personally. You know you're not ready to tell her who you are yet, but maybe in due time. A friendship with her is what you truly desire right now, just a connection with her and then maybe see what the future could hold for the both of you. But right now, you are off to get milkshakes with her, trying to distract her mind from the case. As you two drive to your favourite milkshake place that's open 24/7, the ride is full of comfortable silence, the only noise is your radio. 

~~~

As soon as you lead Alex through the door, your favourite worker greets you immediately. 

“(Y/n) it's been forever where have you been” Gail exclaims, smiling widely as she walks over to you. The older woman is in her late 60s, she has one of the biggest hearts you have ever met. She has the ability to always light up your day or night no matter how bad your day has been.

“Hey Gail” Smiling softly as you hug the lady, enjoying the motherly hug she always gives you. 

“Oh I have missed you my darling” She smiles, pulling away slowly, her eyes floating over to Alex. “And who is this?”

“Oh right, Gail this is my teammate Alex, Alex this is the best milkshake maker in the world” Earning a laugh from the older woman. 

“Oh you flatter me (Y/n)” Gail laughs before smiling at Alex. “So you are the newbie on the team, well I hope (Y/n) isn’t being their usual rude closed up self” Gail turns to you giving you her very pointed stern look, making you gasp dramatically at her, while Alex laughs lightly.

“Oh they aren’t too bad” Alex smirks at you, as you roll your eyes at both of them.

“Okay well why don’t you two go and sit down and I will bring you both something special then” Gail smiles, shooing you off to your normal table, by the window in the corner. 

~~~

“So you come here a lot, huh?” Alex asks after you both take a seat. 

“Oh yeah, I use to live around the corner, during the academy I use to come here almost every night it is the quietest place to study, Gail got concerned for me when she use to see me every night at 1am, and now she loves me” Smiling softly as you settle down, glancing around the place thinking back to when you first found the place. “I now only come here maybe every couple weeks, mainly after a bad case” 

“Ah so you have history with this place” She smiles a little while watching you.

“I guess I do”

“Can I ask you something (Y/N)?” Alex eyes softly as she rethinks her question.

“Sure, Alex what's up?”

“Why did you bring me here, I thought you don’t like me?” She smiles as she watches you, her question holds not ill feelings, just pure curiosity.  

“I don’t dislike you Alex, I may not be that warm to you compared to the rest of the team but I have known them all for almost 5 years now, and some even more than that” Sighing softly as you glance up at Gail who places the milkshakes and fries down gently.

“There we go guys, enjoy” Gail smiles, accepting your guys thanks, before walking off.

“Okay, but I was told you didn’t take this long to warm up to others, plus you snap at me and argue with me all the time” Alex gulps as she presses you with the question, her hand wrapping around her milkshake, uncertain if she really wants the answer to her question. You fall silent, thinking her question through, trying to fall on a decision on how much you want to disclose with her tonight. You sip on your milkshake smiling a little as the flavours dance across your tongue. Your eyes flicking up to hers finally figuring out an answer.   

“I have issues opening up and trusting new people, and you replacing Emily is a lot more tougher than I thought it would be, and I thought If I made it impossible for you to get along with me than you would leave but somehow I don’t think that is going to work” You smile weakly, holding back the truth. You're not ready to know the truth of why she left you, and you're definitely  not ready for her to leave you again. 

“Trust issues I get that, but listen I’m not going to leave, you can give me as much shit, and challenge me on everything you want, but I am not going anywhere” Alex stares you dead in the eyes as she promises you. Her mind is running with what could have happened to you that made you not trust people.

“Thank you, Alex I'm still going to challenge you, but I do care for you and I will try harder to not be so rude all the time” You send her a small caring playful time smile.

“Then I guess, this is a new beginning for us, to our friendship” Alex smirks, lifting up her glass, making you laugh softly, picking your own up, knocking it softly against her.

“To us” 

~~~

A few more months go past. Overtime you and Alex grow closer. Grabbing milkshakes together after bad cases, going over to each other's place when you have time off work, for many different things. First it was because you both found out you both like to bake and cook, so you spent the whole day baking and cooking together, learning about why you both got into the job you do. You even talk about her family, and her husband who she met almost 20 years ago, that's the furthest she ever went back into her own life. You told her about your adopted family and what it was like growing up, and how much you loved your family, growing quite as you told her about their death. You told her how your neighbours would check on you almost daily and soon became your best friend and that is how you met Jennifer Jaurae and soon her boyfriend Will. You told her how you joined the unit when you were 22 and how hard you fought for your position, in return she told you how hard she tried to restore her reputation inside the bureau and why it had ended so badly for her. You two had grown so closely in the last few months that the team knew you two came in a package during cases, working better together than separate. 

~~~

It's now been Nine months since Alex has joined the Bau, and she still hasn’t told you who she is to you. Instead she feels like an imposter in your life, learning everything she can about you, while she can barely tell you the truth about her own. One morning she walks into the bullpen, smiling as she holds her coffee, glancing over at your desk. Frowning instantly as she noticed you're not there, you're always there before her, almost before anyone, except Hotch of course. Alex sits down at her desk, glancing at Reid who's focusing on the word cross in front of him.

“Hey uh Reid, where's (Y/l)?” Alex places her bag down, sipping on her coffee, feeling bad for interrupting the younger boy's concentration.

“Not sure, they and JJ haven’t turned up yet” Reid shrugs, barely paying attention. Alex relaxes a little, you're probably just with JJ somewhere, and the fact you have been a little off the last few days is probably nothing to worry about, she tells herself. Soon Alex and Reid are joined by Morgan and Penelope, starting the day laughing and chatting away waiting for JJ and you to show up. 

“Are those two ever late like this?” Alex asks, growing worried about you, tapping her pen against the desk.

“No, not like this at least” Morgan sighs. Glancing at the clock, you and JJ are officially an hour late, and you two are never late.

‘I've rang them both but no answer” Garcia bites her lip with worry picking her phone up again. “I’ll try again” She sighs, bringing the phone to her ear, her face falling as your phone goes straight to voicemail. “That was voicemail, I don't like this, I have a bad feeling” Her eyes flicker over to Derek, anxiety rolling around in her chest. 

“I'm going to Hotch” Morgan decides, getting up heading over to the stairs when he sees Hotch and Rossi walk out of the office their faces harden, both their eyes full of concern as they walk down the stairs heading straight towards their team.

“Okay, I don’t like this” Reid gulps, staring up at his bosses. Everyone's heart filling with fear, Morgan wraps his arm around Garcia automatically, readying themself for the news.

~~~

“JJ and (Y/n) badges and phones have just been founded in a park, there is no sign of them, Morgan and Reid, I want you two to go to the park, Blake, You and Rossi go to (Y/n) and JJ place see if you can find anything, Will is already on his way here with Henry, Garcia I want you to look at the security cameras find their last location” Hotch doesn’t stop to catch his breath, watching his team take in the news. Everyone moves in a split second, four of them rushing towards the elevator, Garcia rushes quickly to her office with Hotch hot on her heels.  

~~~

The team searches everywhere, looking for answers trying to find who took you and JJ. Garcia finds the security cameras at the park, filling her with dread as all she sees is someone discarding your and JJ gear from a car window before driving off again. They put a bolo out on the car, along with yours and JJ, realising that they aren’t at home. No one can find any clues as they search yours and JJ house. It takes hours before they come close to anything, all they now have is yours and JJ's last known location. A cafe nearby, it seems you two had gone for a run before stopping for breakfast, but that was still three hours before the badges were found. You two had gotten into your separate cars and had driven in different directions. Garcia has lost you both in the security cameras, doing her best to try and find something but it all ends up being dead ends. 

~~~

“Guys, guys I have something” Garcia yells out, making everyone in the conference room fall silent turning to her with hope.

“What is it, Garica?” Hotch walks over, looking over her shoulder at her laptop screen. His eyes land on the face recognition match. His heart drops as he reads the name, a name he wishes had nothing to do with his missing agents.  

“Oliver Martin” Hotch huffs out between grunted teeth, his eyes full of fiery hatred. 

“Oh crap” Rossi is the first to respond, quickly walking over to look at the results. The other four agents in the room look between each other in confusement.

“Um sorry, who the hell is that?” Alex asks, her patience and emotions sitting on edge all day.

“That would be one of most wanted drug lords in about 5 different countries” Rossi answers her, his eyes never leaving the screen. His brain is trying to figure out why he would take two FBI agents. Hotch walks out, bringing his phone to his ear, demanding to talk to Matt Cruz. 

“Wait, I’ve heard of this guy before” Reid starts, his eyes widening. “Hes not just known for dealing and moving drugs but also for torture, if you want to torture someone for long periods of times, like for weeks on ends and still keep them alive, you go to him, he apparently knows how to avoid attention and everything” Reid gulps, scanning the room as he speaks. Garcia has tears sliding as she listens to Reid in horror, Mogan walks over to her slowly, wrapping his arm around her, staying quiet. Alex walks out of the room, feeling her tears threatening to spill, she promised herself she would not break, not until you were home safe. 

~~~

As the day turns into night, the team struggles trying to find more information. They had been given some information from Matt Cruz as to how you two fell into Oliver's radar. During JJ time working at the state, you had also been reassigned to the undercover unit for a few months. No one knew you two actually worked together in the meantime, you had intruded into Oliver group, and had made your way up to his higher ranks. You never meet the man personally, but you and JJ were responsible for arresting over 60 of his people and losing him about 80 million dollars. To say he was beyond angry is an understatement. It may have taken him years to track down who was responsible for it all, but he eventually did, and now you both are in extreme danger. 

~~~

“I found something but it's not good,” Garcia gulps, making everyone's eyes snap to the big screen as she plays a video. It's a video of you and JJ, being walked off a private airplane, being pushed into a car. The footage of you two isn't clear, but they could see marks on your face. Alex's eyes are focused on the way you limp, doing your best to not show any pain or fear. Both you and JJ are putting your defensive faces on, refusing to give them the satisfaction of defeat. 

“Where are they Garcia?” Hotch takes a deep breath, trying to keep his calm.

“They seem to still be in the states, it's El paso texas” Garcia taps away on her laptop her heart racing. Alex can’t help but let the tears slide down, imagining what the hell is happening to you right now. She can’t lose you again, not before telling you the truth. 

“Wheel up, let's go” Hotch walks out the door, everyone following him he stops off at a spare office where Will is to update him. Everyone else grabs their gear ready to leave, Alex stops at your desk, her hand brushing over your chair. Staring at the only photo on your desk, the one of you and your family, you look barely 17 in the photo with your parents and your two siblings. Her arms shake lightly as she stares at all, she never regrets giving you to the lovely couple, she just regrets never meeting you earlier, not having enough time with you. A hand on her shoulders breaks her out of her thoughts, turning to look at Rossi, who's looking at her with concern. 

“We’ll get them back Blake, both of them” He speaks softly, his arm wrapping around his shoulder as he leads the other profiler towards the elevators without another word. 

~~~

The flight takes 5 hours, but no one bothers to rest. Garcia researches the best she can with the resources she has on the Jet. Everyone is on the edge as they do their best to figure out where they could be holding them. 

“The most important question is how the hell are we going to get them out of there?” Morgan asks, looking up to Hotch.

“At the moment we don’t even have permission to confront Oliver Martin, I'm still trying to get permission from the director for this mission but currently it looks like we are on our own so we have to be careful” Hotch huffs, looking back at his phone.

“Oh who the hell cares!” Alex snaps, making everyone look up at the agent who has been awfully quiet all day. “I do not give a damn what the director says, we have to do everything in our power to save them, we can’t lose them!” Alex huffs, her tears spilling over with frustration.

“And we will get them both back Alex, but we have to be careful, we are dealing with a group who are wanted in five different countries, and we have no back up” Hotch explains, staring at the woman who is in clear distress. 

“I don’t care, I will kill that man myself. If it means keeping them safe, we have to get them back. I don't care how” The deadly look on Alex's face makes the group know there's something deeper at play. 

“Blake, what the hell is going on between you and (Y/n), because, no offence you haven't known each other longer enough to have this type of hate for a guy who kidnapped them, unless you're in love with them” Morgan scoffs out, staring at the woman with judgement.

“Love, like dating” Alex scoffs at him, her anger growing. “I'm not dating them okay, It's none of your business Derek!” 

“Oh but it is, so tell me what the hell is going on” Morgan snaps back.

“Okay why don’t we all just calm down” Rossi starts, but is interrupted by Alex getting up in fit of rage.

“Because they're my child!” Alex breaks open. A sob racking over her body as she walks away, down to the coffee maker away from the watching eye. 

~~~

She doesn't get much time alone before she's interrupted.

“Alex, are you okay?” Hotch asks softly, pulling the curtain close, giving them some privacy. 

“I'm sorry Hotch.. I shouldn’t have snapped like that, I just” She turns around to face him, tears rolling down her face. 

“It's okay, but you should have told me” Hotch looks at her sympathetically. 

“I know but.. I haven’t even told (Y/n) yet, what if I never get to” Alex voice breaks, her body being rocked with silent sobs.

“You will, you will get time to tell them, we will save them and JJ, we will get them both home” Hotch smiles, rubbing Alex arm softly.

“Thanks Hotch” She gives him a weak smile, slowly calming herself down.

“Of course, now come on we got a plan to organise” He smiles, walking them back out. 

~~~

Garcia manages to find them a few potential addresses by the time they land. Hotch had managed to get them permission to rescue their agent and backup to escort them. The team having profiled that they would be far awhile from others, decided to take a chance and go to the property nearest to the desert. An abandoned warehouse not too far from the border, but further enough away that no one around would suspect them. As the team headed out there Garcia drove to the FBI building in town to help an assistant through her internet. Once Swat arrives and meets the team there, everyone is ready to enter the warehouse. Everyones body and mind are on high alert, knowing one wrong move and they could lose someone. As the group enters the building in all the entries possible, moving slowly and stealthily. 

~~~

Alex is partnered with Rossi as they join one group of swat, moving throughout the building. Her heart pounding in her chest, knowing they must be in the right place. It doesn’t take long for them to hear someone scream. A scream that is so high pitched, a scream one only lets  out when one is in extreme pain. A hand on Alex's shoulder is the only thing stopping her from running towards the sound. Glancing over her eyes to meet with Rossi who just gives her a small nod, letting her know that she's doing the right thing right now. They move further into the building, only coming across a couple issues in the meantime. Eventually they get to a door, where they can hear on the other side, people are being tortured. 

“No, no stop it, stop it” JJ cries out. Her cries are weak, but they can hear she's putting up a fight to whoever she's talking to. 

“We are approaching on the south side,” Hotch whispers through the comms.

“We are on the north, ready when you are,” Rossi whisper back, everyone getting into position.

“Just hang back for now Dave”

Alex's arm shakes lightly, as she tightens her grip on the gun, just hoping she can hear your voice, just so her mind can rest knowing you’re alive.

~~~

It happens so fast, Hotch's group enters first, gunning down two out of three of the unsubs in the room. One who was standing behind JJ and the other who seemed to be standing in the middle of the room. That just leaves Oliver Martin, who has position himself behind you, the knife he was previously using to torture you, now pressed against your throat firmly. You and JJ are chained to the ceiling facing each other. Blood seems to be dripping down your arms and face, not even flinching with the cold metal pressed against your throat. You barely seem to be even conscious, your clothes are ripped, hardly having anything to cover you up with anymore. 

“Come any closer and I will slice their throat open” Oliver snarls at them, fear thundering through his system. 

“Why don’t you just drop the knife, we got you, you lose” Hotch smirks at him, doing his best to keep his eyes off his agents. Knowing he would lose all self control if he let his eyes wander.

“Never, they cost me too much” Oliver presses it more into you, piercing the skin lightly. Hotch aims his gun, but, unfortunately, he and his group don't have a shot, but he knows who will. He gives a look to Reid who's standing behind him, who gives Rossi the go ahead. The door doesn’t even have the chance to fully open by the time a bullet has entered Oliver's skull and his grip on the knife is lost as he drops to the group. Rossi lowers his gun slowly as he stares at the man he just shot, before shoving the gun back in the hostler. 

~~~

The team makes their way quickly towards their following agents. Hotch and Reid reach JJ first, helping get her down from the ceiling. 

“No, no help (Y/n) first I’m fine, I’m fine” JJ argues weakly, falling against Reid as they set her down.

“JJ, It's okay, we got you both, you’re safe” Hotch whispers softly. Helping Reid lower her to the ground, before glancing over at you. 

Morgan helps Rossi unchain you, being careful as they know you can’t support your full weight yet. Alex is quick to wrap her arm around you, helping the boys lower you to the ground. Your eyes seem to flicker open as you feel new hands on you, trying to pull away as they get closer to you. Unable to make out any of the people around you.

“No, no get off, get off” You mutter, using all your strength to pull away from them.

“Hey, hey (Y/n) it's okay, it's okay, it's me Alex, you're safe now” Alex speaks gently. Her hands move quickly to cup your face, holding you still. Fresh tears sliding down hers as she tries to get you to look at her. Your eyes are too swollen to open them too much, but she's just hoping you can tell your safety. You slowly stop fighting against her, relaxing into her hands, finding them filled with  warmth and safety.

“A alex..safe.. JJ o okay?” Your voice is weak, your body shaking badly. The cuts on your body are bleeding badly, even with the pressure Rossi is applying on them.

“Yeah, Yeah, JJs okay” Alex whispered. Glancing over at JJ. Seeing her leaning against Reid and talking weakly, JJ’s eyes focusing on you.

“Good.. wouldn’t let them hurt her” Your voice gets weaker and weaker, leaning against the wall behind you. Your breathing starts becoming shorter and shallower, your eyes closing again.

“(Y/n)?” That's Rossi's voice calling out to you, you can feel his hand pressing against your arm.

“Hey, hey (Y/n) stay awake for me okay, look, medics are walking in right now” Alex voice shakes when she calls to you. It's a nightmare for her having to watch you barely cling to life. 

“M’kay, needa tell you something” Your words are mumbled together as you feel yourself fall against the wall.

“You can tell me later” Alex gulps. Letting go of your face as the medics come over needing more room to work.

“No, no don’t leave me” Your eyes flick open searching for her, unable to see anything that's not blurry. Something squeezes your hand, forcing a weak smile from you.

“There you are” 

The medics work around you, finding your pulse as another works to try and patch up your cuts. The movements and podding is enough to keep you conscious enough of your surroundings. Soon you're being transferred into an ambulance, hearing a voice talking sound but unable to make out any of the words. The only thing you care about is that the hand hasn’t left your, that's the only thing you care for.

“Alex..” Everything starts to feel clear, but your head starts to spin, feeling light headed as they push you into the ambulance.

“Yes darling” Her voice, always so sweet, and loving, how could you ever hate her.

“Needa tell you the truth.. Need you to know” Your words start stumbling into each other.

“Blood pressure is dropping, hey we are starting to lose them” One of the paramedics shouts out, grabbing a needle. 

“Tell me later, okay just stay calm” Alex feels as if she can’t breathe, she can’t do this again. If she loses you once more, she doesn’t think she can survive that. Before you can speak again, your heartbeat fades away on the monitor and Alex is pushed out of the way as they perform CPR.

~~~

Hours pass along slowly, the team awaiting for any news about how your surgery is doing. JJ has already been bandaged up and looked after by the doctors as she waits in her room, the team visiting her, giving her company as they wait for Will to arrive. Alex sits by herself in the waiting room, driving herself insane by wondering what you wanted to tell her, wondering if you already knew who she truly is. It's been five hours, when Rossi approaches Alex sitting down quietly beside her. 

“How are you doing Al?” He asks softly, turning to look at her, being concerned by her palness, her tear stained cheeks. 

“I have no idea what I'm doing Rossi, I can’t lose them again” Her voice breaking, hands gripping her knees.

“You won’t lose them, the doctors are doing their best and (Y/n) is strong they will be okay” Rossi does his best to reassure her, but he can tell that's not the only thing on her mind. “But that's not what's bothering you, is it?” 

“What if once they know the truth, they don’t want to ever see me again” Her words are barely above a whisper but Rossi hears her, staying quiet for a minute letting her words sink in for a moment.

“I think that could be a possibility but, knowing (Y/n) I don’t think they will, you two are already close. I can't see them leaving you behind anytime soon” He smiles softly, patting Alex's shoulder softly.

“I hope you're right, because I can’t lose another child Dave, I just want them to understand it all” She smiles weakly, glancing over at the older man who gives her a reassuring smile before getting up.

“I know, also JJ wants to see you, go talk to her please, I’m going to go pick up Will from the airport” Rossi smiles once more before walking off.

~~~

Alex makes her way to JJ room, glancing inside she sees JJ in the hospital bed hooked up to an I.V machine. JJ looks exhausted, and has a few bruises on her face, her arms have a couple bandages on them but otherwise JJ looks fine. Penelope and Reid are the only other ones in her room currently, Reid is the first to spot Alex hovering by the door, he smiles softly at her. Getting off his chair, he walks towards Garcia who is sitting beside JJ talking away about something Sergio.

“Hey Pen, why don't we go and check in with the team, see if we can find an update on (Y/n)” Reid smiles, his eyes flicking over to Alex who slides in quietly. Garica looks at him confused at first until her eyes land on Alex, and then she gets up quickly.

“Oh yeah, good idea genius” She smiles lighty at Alex before following Reid out, giving the two ladies some space.

~~~

“I was wondering when I was going to see you” JJ looks up at Alex, looking at her expectedly. “Are you going to come sit or just stand there awkwardly?” JJ jokes lighty, tilting her head at Alex. Smiling playfully, which earns a soft laugh from the other woman. 

“I figured you would have had enough people visiting you, though you need some rest” Alex sighs a little, coming over to sit beside her bed.

“I like the company at the moment, I don’t really fancy being alone at the moment” JJ smirks, her eyes focusing on Alex, worrying about what's going on inside her mind. “So do you want to talk about it?”

“You're the one in the hospital bed JJ” Alex shakes her head. Sighing when she catches the look JJ is giving her, tilting her head backwards against the wall. 

“Yeah but you're the one with the child in surgery” JJ states, crossing her arms as much as she possibly can. 

“So you know, who told you” Alex groans softly, placing her face in her hands.

“You know Alex, I've known (Y/n) for a long time right, way before they joined the team” JJ ignores her question. Staring at Alex pondering what information they can share on this event that doesn’t betray any trust from (Y/n). 

“I know, (Y/n) told me you two were neighbours, you became their main support when their family died” Alex looks up at her, nerves running throughout her body.

“That's right, they have opened up to me about a lot, and that includes their feeling on their birth parents, you should know (Y/n) doesn’t hate you, they have a lot of unresolved feeling towards you but they don’t hate you” JJ smiles, doing her best to try to comfort and reassure the older woman. Alex smiles weakly in response, taking a deep breath as she feels her chest starting to cave in on itself. Sobs and screams trying hard to escape Alex's body, pressing against the walls of her lungs but they don’t manage to tear through. Instead a few tears slide down her face when she nods at JJ.

“Thank you.. Thank you for always being there for them, I have my reasons for not being able to be present in their life, but some days it doesn’t feel like enough” Alex takes a shaky breath, her hands fidgeting. JJ reaches over to take one of Alex's hands slowly.

“It's okay, we all have our own reason for doing the things we do” JJ sighs tiredly, pulling away slowly as she hears a few people enter the room. Looking up to spot her husband rushing through the door towards her.

“Will” JJ cries out softly, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

~~~

Hours pass by and the doctors finally give the team the good news that you made it through the surgery and that you should wake up in the morning. Hotch practically orders the team to go back to the hotel for the night. Telling them that everyone needs their rest and promising that everyone can come see you and JJ in the morning. Almost everyone leaves at Hotch's order, everyone but Alex who refuses to leave until she gets to see you, no one tries to argue with her. Hotch is the only other one to stay, not wanting to leave Alex alone, also wanting to be there in case something goes wrong with your health. Alex and Hotch are led to your room, after arguing softly with the doctor to both be allowed in there. 

~~~

When you eventually manage to open your eyes, your body feels groggy, like you're floating underwater. Groaning softly as you open your eyes, the brightness hurting your eyes. You try pulling yourself up into a sitting position but your body feels too heavy to move. Your eyes slide around the room, finding a chair that has an abandoned blanket on it, in the far corner. You're guessing someone must have been here, but now must be taking a small break, your eyes continue scanning around your hospital room, before they fall on the woman sitting right beside you. Her eyes fluttering open slowly, due to the noise you're making, soon they spring open, her smile turning into one fall of love and relief. 

“You're awake” Alex smiles gratefully at you. 

“You found us” Your voice is a bit rough, tears springing to your eyes. “W wa wait wait, JJ is, JJ okay?” Your voice breaks, fearing for the worse.

“She's fine love” Alex smiles, taking your hand gently in hers. “She fine thanks to you”

“Alex…” Tears start sliding down your face as you stare at her, your body running with fear and exhaustion.

“(Y/n) it's okay, you're safe now they can’t hurt you anymore” Alex sighs, squeezing your hand lightly, earning a small nod from you. 

“I need to talk to the team, apologise to them for hiding all of this” You try to sit up, but Alex stands up quickly, putting her hand on your shoulders, stopping you.

“No, no you need to rest everything else can wait” 

“No… no it can’t” A sob escapes your lips before you can stop, the memories of what they did to you start flashing through your mind.

“Hey.. hey it's okay” Alex's eyes widened, her heart breaking hearing you fall apart like this. Without thinking she moves you gently across the bed, sitting down beside you, so that she can easily wrap her arms around you. Bringing you into her arms easily, holding you closely as the last few days catch up to you.

~~~

As the day goes on, the team comes by one at a time, some twice at once, to come see you. Everyone has promised Alex that they will keep her secret, until you are at least well enough rested and she can find the right time to tell you. As you lay in your bed, talking and laughing away with Reid and Rossi. Having finally managed to send Alex away to the hotel to have a shower and rest. Your boys keep you company, not asking you any question about what you went through and quickly shutting you down  when you tried to apologise. 

“So is that the reason she is ex-wife number 3 or is there another reason Rossi?” You tease him, earning a laugh from Reid while Rossi shakes his head at you. The laughter and jokes are interrupted by a soft knock on the door, making everyone look up. 

“Well, you look better” JJ smiles softly, walking in followed by a Will close behind her. 

“JJ” You grin up at her. She walks over to you quickly, wrapping her arms around you the best she can. 

“Oh my gosh, I am so happy to see you again” She whispers softly, pulling away slowly. You look her over, taking your time, trying to see how bad her injuries are. You're happy to not find too many bad ones, even happier to find her in her own clothes and not a hospital gown.

“You're running away from this place already, Blondie?” You joke lightly. Feeling her hand slide off your shoulder, you quickly reach up and grab it, not ready to lose physical contact with her yet. Her eyes soften as she links her fingers through yours. Knowing how bad you can get after a bad case, but you both have never been through something this bad before, she's terrified to think how the aftermath for you is going to be.

“Yeah, they have given me the all clear, I'm off to the hotel to rest” She smiles weakly, meeting your fearful eyes. She glances up at Will, nodding her head towards the door, he nods understanding.

“Hey Reid, Rossi, why don’t I buy you guys a cup of coffee?” He smiles, patting JJs shoulder before walking out after getting the boy's response. Once you two are finally alone, JJ sits on the edge of your bed. Pulling her hand free from yours, running it through your hair softly. 

“Thank you… You didn’t have to lie to them, you didn’t have to protect me like that, my sweets” JJ speaks softly, remembering how you took the beatings for her.

“I would never let them hurt you Jay…” You look down while leaning into her touch. Your mind is spinning with so many things. 

“Want to tell me what's going on inside your mind?” JJ watches you worried. You went through worse than her, and she doesn’t know how you're still functioning. The torture they put you through, not just physically but psychologically. JJ was only in the room for half of your torture. Hearing certain things being said, certain things from your past being brought up that she didn’t even know about.

“JJ… if you heard anything about me or my past, can you not share that please, I don’t need anyone to know about it” Your voice breaks lightly, gasping slightly for air feeling your lungs collapse together, feeling as if the room is suffocating you. 

“Hey.. hey it's okay, I won’t tell anyone, none of that matters because you're safe now, we got you” JJ wraps her arms around you pulling you into her chest, whispering soft comforts in your ear until you calm down. 

~~~

After you finally pull away from her, your body feeling exhausted, pain starting to become apparent again. 

“I should let you go, let you go rest” You smile weakly up at her.

“I can stay with you if you need me to?” JJ stares down at you, her eyes frown at you.

“Don’t please, you need to rest and I know Will, will want you to go back to the hotel and rest” You sigh, pulling away from her touch with regret, hoping it will encourage her to leave. 

“Okay fine, but I’ll check on you tomorrow okay?” JJ sighs, watching as you crawl back inside your own mind. You nod at her, avoiding her eye contact. Slowly she makes her way towards the door, halting as she hears your voice again.

“Do you think I should tell her, I want to tell her” Your voice is quiet, she's unsure if the words you even spoke are yours. She doesn’t need to ask who the ‘her’ you are referring to is though, she knows you’ve been wanting to bring her up all day.

“If you think it's time, go for it” JJ smiles encouragingly at you, before finally walking out the door. Leaving you alone, nothing but you and your own thoughts. 

~~~

The day comes to an end and suddenly you're alone with nothing but your own thoughts and the ghost of those men. You can still feel their hands all over your body, the words they spewed at you burning holes in your mind. You're so far deep inside the memories you don’t even notice Alex walk in, she leans against the doorway, watching the zoned out look in your eyes, just wondering how she can make this better for you.

“Hey, (Y/n)?” Alex calls out to you softly walking over to you. Her voice pulls you from the dark memories playing in your mind, jolting you back to the present. Your attention shoots straight over to her, smiling weakly as you force yourself to breathe.

“Hey, what are you doing here, shouldn’t you be resting?” Forcing a happy tune into your voice, trying so hard to act like you're fine so that just maybe you can trick your own mind.

“I didn’t want you to be alone” Alex smiles gently, but it doesn't quite meet her eyes as she takes a seat. Her concern for you keeps growing, she can’t imagine what must be going on inside that mind of yours.

“I’m fine Blake, I don’t need to be babysat” The harshness in your tone isn’t directed at her, she knows that, but the sudden fire in your eyes makes her think you don’t.

“Okay, then how about I tell you the truth then” Alex takes a deep breath, seeing you frown in confusement.

“The truth, about what?” 

“About how I feel” She turns to face you, her eyes soften as she starts to open up. “I’m here because I hate the idea of you being alone, I can’t deal with the idea of you here, I won’t be able to rest If I don’t keep you in my sights tonight” Alex confesses, thinking that she doesn’t really have a reason to feel so protective over you. But the way your face lights up a little, the smile light smile, one that's full of love plays on your lips.

“Is that your way of saying you were worried about me and you have come to care for me, huh Blake?” Smirking softly at her, reaching out for her hand. Earning a soft chuckle from her along with an eye roll as she takes your hand in hers gently. 

“Maybe I have (Y/L), maybe I have” Alex’s heart flutters as she holds your hand, knowing this is how you reach out, how you show someone you're not okay. You like to have physical touch only when you're going through a rough time, it helps ground you everyone in the team knows this. They know to give you space until you physically reach for them, and normally it's always JJ, Morgan or Garcia. Alex enjoys the way you feel comfortable with her, the way you're willing to allow her into your life, at the moment.

~~~

The next day you were finally granted permission to leave the hospital and even cleared for flying. So by that afternoon everyone is all aboard the jet and are on their way home, after the last few days of pure anxiety ridden nightmare. During the flight you stick mostly to yourself, everyone left the couch for you, thinking it would be more comfortable. But instead you took the seat near the back of the jet, not wanting to be close to anyone, just needing to be alone. The team got the message and left you to it for most of the flight, the rest of the team play some card games, except Hotch and Rossi who do paperwork instead. Halfway through the flight, where you have done nothing but stare out the window, daydreaming. A hand softly touches your shoulder calling out to you as she does.

“(Y/n), come on get up” JJ sighs, having enough of seeing you like this.

“JJ, I’m fine” Turning to her, annoyed because you know she's not going to leave you alone.

“Bullshit, now get up” She smiles softly, holding out her hand for you, giving you her signation ‘Don’t argue here’ look. One you normally only see her give Henry.

“Fine” Groaning quietly, a smile pulling at your lips, taking her hand as you stand up. Letting her pull you to the couch, where Will is sitting on the end giving you two spaces. JJ sits by the arm rest, pulling you into her arms as the rest of the team pretends not to be looking and continues to play their game. Will offers you a small smile as you cuddle into JJ, he’s so use to sharing her with you, especially after a rough case. The rest of the flight goes smoothly, you and JJ join in with a few games, playing as partners in them refusing to move from her arms. The rest of the team is so used to this they don’t question it, they're just happy you're talking and socialising, scared about how closed off you were becoming earlier.

~~~

Soon everyone is back at the office, collecting their things and paperwork. You and JJ were grabbing the most, having been instructed to take extra time off by the doctor. Both your arguments fall on deaf ears, until you both start arguing with each other about how the other needs to rest. Alex watches in confusement at the argument, but the team and Will just carry on to their desk, being so used to their arguments. You bid the team goodbye after finally agreeing to listen to the doctor and take time off, hugging them all, promising to reach out if you need anything.

“JJ I’m fine I don’t need a ride home, I can drive my car home” You sigh, having already had this conversation with Morgan and Rossi. 

“Are you sure, I can make Will drive your car home then pick him up?” JJ sighs, hating the idea of you even being alone tonight yet alone driving home.

“Jays, Im fine” Smiling softly giving her a pointed look. “Look I will be fine, plus I still need to talk to Hotch first so just go home and I’ll text you when I get home safely okay?” Smiling as you reassure her, knowing her worryingly is coming from a good place even if it's annoying you right now.

“Okay fine, but if you don't text me, Im sending Will” JJ promises you before pulling you into a tight hug.

“Okay deal” Laughing softly as you hug her back.

~~~

Exiting Hotch's office leaving him to do the paperwork. You make your way downstairs to find that almost the whole team has already left. Hotch and Rossi are still left in their office, catching up on their paperwork. Walking towards your desk you grab your bags, sighing softly as you look around the office, the feeling of this place having changed since you first entered it. 

“Leaving already?” Her soft cherry voice calls out to you as you wait for the elevator to open. Smiling weakly as you turn around to face Alex, half of you’re not surprised to still see her around, having not gotten to talk to her yet.

“Yeah, home time” Smiling at her, happy to see she's also got her own bags.

“It's weird isn’t it, leaving just as the sun's starting to set, leaving on time for once” She laughs softly, as she steps into the elevator.

“That it is, but oh I can not wait to go home and just sleep in bed” Sighing softly, leaning against the wall, the exhausted catching up to your body.

“I get that, movies and food tonight sounds perfect” Alex smiles, glancing at you, doing her best not to worry as she notices just how pale you're going.

“You're correct there Blake” Sighing as you push yourself off the wall and walk out of the elevator, heading towards your car. 

“Hey I know you're probably sick of hearing this but um” Alex looks over at you.

“I swear if you're going to offer me a ride home Alex I’m going to scream” Groaning softly as you get to your car, hearing her laugh makes a smile break across your face.

“No, I know better than that” Laughing softly as she watches you put all your gear into your car. “No I was going to say, if you need anything I'm just a phone call away, you call me and it doesn’t matter why or what the time is, I'll always be there” Alex smiles, placing a hand on your shoulder softly.

“Thank you” Smiling weakly as you look up at her, the feeling of confessing everything to her is eating at you. 

“Of course” One last smile from her and she's walking away.

~~~

Later that night you're getting ready for a relaxing night on the couch with your favourite food. But after having a shower and just trying to relax on the couch you can’t help but jump at every single sound you hear. Panic rising inside you everytime a car outside honks, or just voices from passing people can be heard. Never has your place ever felt so lonely and terrifying ever before. Wrapping yourself up on the couch with your favourite blanket, your comfort movie playing, while you wait for your food to arrive. Your mind can’t seem to stay in the present, jumping from your pass, to some cases to family deaths, to undercover and then torture. The voices in your head seem to get loud, and you know there is only one person who can quiet them right now. Before you can talk yourself out of it again, you decide to ring them, holding the phone to your ear as it rings.

“(Y/n), are you okay?” The pure worrying her voice is enough to break you, a few tears already sliding down.

“No, can you come over?” Your voice shakes lightly, scared of her rejection.

“Of course darling, I'm on my way” You can hear quick movements on the other end of the line.

“Thank you” Taking a deep breath before hanging up.

~~~

Not even ten minutes later is there a knock on your door, smiling softly as you launch yourself on the couch, opening the door quickly.

“Hey you” Alex smiles softly, holding a bag in her hands.

“Hey” Smiling weakly, fighting back the tears as you take her in. Stepping back to allow her in, making your way to the couch.

“I saw your delivery guy downstairs so I brought it up for you” Alex smiles before gently placing it on the coffee table, sitting down beside you.

“Thank you, I definitely order enough for multiple people so help yourself” Laugh softly at the way you always over order.

Silence falls over you two, but the movie still plays in the background. Slowly you lean your head on her shoulder, smiling as she wraps her arm around you bringing you in closer.

“Thank you for coming” Your words are barely above whisper as you feel yourself relaxing.

“Thank you for calling,” Alex whispers back softly, kissing your head softly before pulling the blanket over you both.

~~~

You two just lay there for a while, enjoying the company as the movie plays. She doesn’t ask you to talk, she knows you're not ready, but she knows you need her and as long as you allow it she's never leaving your side.

“Hey Alex?” Taking a deep breath as you look up at her. This moment feels perfect, she's always here for you, the way she always makes you feel comfortable never ceases to amaze you.

“Yeah love?” She smiles down at you, love swirling in her eyes, motherly love.

“I.. I can tell you anything, right?” Taking a sharp breath as you pull yourself into a sitting position.

“Of course, (Y/n)” She tilts her face a little, concerned about the seriousness you're suddenly producing.

“Okay, do you think it’s wrong that I want to know about my birth mother” Biting your lip as you take a different approach than you first thought you would.

“Your birthmother?” Alex's eyes widen, you have never mentioned your birth parents to her before. She can feel her body tensing at this, why would you be bringing this up.

“Yeah, see I want to know her, I want to know why she gave me up, like I’m not mad at her I’m glad she did, I had this amazing family because of her, but I want to know about her, I want to know if we have anything in common, I want to know if she would be proud of who I am” Looking down as your voice trails of at the end, opening up about your birth family, especially with Alex is a big step for you.

Alex goes quiet for a while, studying the closed off look you're trying to push away.

“She's proud of you” Is the first thing Alex says, she needs you to know that, because she's unsure of how this conversation is going to go, if you're going to want her around after. “Your birth mother has her reasons for not being in your life, some of them might not be enough but at the time, she did what she thought was right to keep you safe, and I bet she would do anything to be in your life, because you are amazing, brillant, smart, one of the most kindest people I have ever met and she would be so proud of you” Alex’s voice trembles as speaks, tears springing to her eyes. “A part of her regrets giving you up, but she's knows you wouldn’t of gotten as far in life if she didn’t, but she always kept an eye on you growing up, she was ready if something bad happen, she was prepared to do anything to keep you safe, no matter what it would take, she would do it” Tears start to slide down both your face as you look up at her, a smile slowly forming on your face as you looked into her eyes. Reading the fear, the love and the hurt swirling in her eyes as she stares at you.

“I didn’t think you knew it was me” Gulping thickly as you hold back the fresh tears.

“I always knew” Alex smiles weakly, reaching out for your hand just hoping you’ll take it. Happily you do, pulling yourself closer again, resting your head on her shoulder once more.

“I knew who you were, the moment I saw you in the bullpen that day” SIghing softly as you lean into her embrace. “I was so scared to let you into my life, that's why I was like that at first, but I’m happy I let you in” Your words are soft, allowing the physical touch to calm you down again.

“I thought you might have, but then I gave up on that idea because I thought you would have yelled at me if you knew” Alex runs her free hand through your hair smiling, happy you finally know.

“I wanted to many times, but JJ talked me down everytime”

“Wait, JJ knew?” Alex glances down at you surprised.

“Well uh yeah she is my best friend” Glancing up at Alex worriedly.

“Huh” Alex can’t help but laugh softly. “Well the whole team also knows, I may have let it slip when we were trying to find you” 

“No way” Laughing softly at the realisation that everyone on your team seems to be good at keeping that secret. 

“Well they are agents, who else can keep a secret like them?” Alex smirks, shaking her head as you two fall into a casual conversation.

~~~

The rest of the night is filled with Alex answering any question you have for her, occasionally tension raises.

“So may I ask why you gave me up?” You turn to look at her, the first question of the night. The question that you have wondered for the last 27 years.

“I was 20 .. I wasn’t ready to handle that type of responsibility, emotionally or financially. I thought I could and I did my hardest to get ready for you in the first four months but.. It wasn’t working out and I knew If I wanted you to have a good life that I couldn’t be apart of it, not at first at least, so I decided to adopted you out give you a better chance at life, I did so much research into the family I was giving you to” Alex takes a deep breath finding it hard to open up about all of this, the only person shes ever told about this is James. “They were a friend's family so I knew you would be safe, I was hoping one day down the road I would be able to stay in your life but I gave up on that the day you were born” Alex has tears sliding down her face as the emotions of that day come rushing back. “One look at you and I knew you would do great things in your life, but that I sadly wouldn’t be there to see it” Alex smiles weakly at you, her lips twitching as she does her best to keep the smile up. “I’m so sorry, I hope you never thought I didn’t want you because I did, I always did” Alex cries out softly, the pain, the guilt eating at her.

“It's okay” Swallowing the thick lump in your throat, your vision becoming blurry due to the tears. “I understand, sometimes it was hard growing up, because I would imagine what it would be like, who you were, what my life would look like but” Taking a deep breath as you lean over, taking her hand in yours. “But I wouldn’t of had the family I had, maybe I wouldn’t of gotten into the FBI academy, maybe I wouldn’t of ended up in the BAU and I definitely wouldn’t be this close to JJ, life would be different I like my life” Smiling a little at her, knowing that everything has to happen for a reason.

“Thank you” Alex squeezes your hand softly. “I was so scared to tell you who I was, at this point I was okay with just seeing glimpse of your life” 

“Well we already know each other pretty well so far, I think we are going to be fine” Laughing softly as you realise the anxiety you always thought you would have when it comes to your birth parents, it just doesn’t seem to be around right now.

~~~

“Can I ask about my birth dad?” Biting your lip as you feel her pull away from you, her face turning sour. “Or not we can revisit that later” Gulping at the fear of pushing her too far too fast.

“No, no it's okay I knew you would want to know about him, it's just that he’s a touchy subject” Alex's tone has changed to a harsh, unwelcoming tone. 

“Did he..” The fear running through your veins is the same you had when someone first brought it to your attention. 

“Oh god no, no he was an asshole but he wasn’t like that” Alex shakes her head. Her denial allowing you to breath again.

“Oh good” 

“Me and him, we dated for a year, I didn’t know he was cheating on me when it was happening, but um yeah” Sighing softly before she continues. “He treated me horribly so I broke up with him before I found out I was pregnant, when I told him I was pregnant his attitude towards me changed, until one day he had just vanished from town, he ran away with his family” Alex can’t help but scoff remembering back at the memory of when she found out. “I’m really sorry, he did pass away about 15 years ago” Alex eyes flicks to you, feeling guilty for talking bad about your father then dumping about his death.

“Oh” That's all you're able to get out, even though your mind is running it doesn’t seem like a single thought is staying long enough in your mind to be able to think straight. 

“I’m sorry (Y/n)”

“Don’t be, It's okay” You feel numb as you take in all the information you and Alex have inquired over the night. 

~~~

The night moves on, the food finally being eaten as you snuggle back into Alex enjoy the movies that play. Throughout the movie mathroon you manage to fall asleep, feeling safe in her arms. Alex smiles holding you close as she watches the movies, her mind running with her past. A scream. A blood curdling scream is what wakes Alex, her eyes shooting up in panic as the scream continues. The shaking body in her arms pulls Alex's eyes down, the whimpering continuing between the screams. The sweat and tears running down your face with pure fear is enough to shake Alex to her core. 

“(Y/n) wake up” Alex calls out softly, shaking your arms softly, shaking your harder calling out more firmly when you refuse to wake. “(Y/N)!” Alex all but screams, with a sharp shake when a large cry escapes you. Your eyes shoot open, pain and fear flooding your body as the nightmare finally lets go of its hold on you.

“Alex” Crying softly you lean more into her, tears running down your.

“Hey it's okay darling I got you” Alex rubs your back as she holds you closely, allowing you to cry into her shoulder. 

“So scared, so scared” You whimper quietly, taking a big breath, enjoying her scent. 

“I know but I got you, you don’t have to be afraid anymore” Alex whispers sweet nothings in your ear, helping calm you down. 

A few moments go by in which Alex whispers sweet nothing to calm you down, running her hand through your hair.

“I'm sorry” letting out a shaky breath as you look up at her.

“Don’t be, you're going to get these nightmares, and I’ll be here to fight them away” She whispers softly. her heart aches as she knows just how much pain you're going to be in, before you heal. 

“Promise?” Your eyes shine with tears as you look up at her with hope.

“Promise darling” Smiling softly she leans down kissing your forehead softly. “Get some sleep, I’ll be right here”

~~~

A couple week passes and your wounds are still healing, the nightmares are present every night. Alex has had to go back to work but she makes sure to call you everyday to check in, make sure you're doing okay. If you said you weren’t she would be on the first plan home, no question asked.

The week was coming to an end and JJ was getting ready to return to work, so the team was gathering at Rossi place to celebrate. You were also excited to inform the team about you and Alex. Only JJ knew that you two finally knew about each other so far. The team, but mainly Morgan and Garcia keeps encouraging Alex to tell you but she keeps insisting it's not the right time. Only backing off when JJ rings them to give them a small lecture.

~~~

“Hey you two made it” Garcia yelps excitedly running over to you and JJ when you both walk in. 

“That we did” You smile, letting Penelope pull you both into a hug.

“I missed you” She grins giving you both a squeeze.

“We missed you too pen” JJ laughs softly, enjoying the moment before pulling away.

“Even if we did ring everyday” You tease the girl, who glares playfully at you.

“That is not the same thing as seeing you at work” She complains, before leading you further into the house. 

“Well you will have to wait a little longer before I return, my doctor hasn’t signed off for me to return yet” You grumble as you walk into the room where your team is all spread around. 

“Oh seriously” Penelope groans, throwing her head back, accepting the glass of wine Derek is handing her. 

“Way to start the night off with bad news” Reid pouts walking over to you both.

“Hey well I’m coming back” JJ smirks at them.

“And the bad news just keeps coming” Morgan groans teasingly as he walks over to JJ, earning a loud scoff and a whack on the arm from her.

“Oh I’m only joking blondie” Morgan smiles, wrapping his arm around her, whispering quietly. “Glad your back”

“Thanks Derek”

“Are you sure you’re ready to come back?” Aaron walks over looking concerned. “You can take more time if you need it”

“I know Hotch but I'm ready, plus Will made sure I got two doctors approval, I’m ready” She smiles back at him.

“Then Welcome back” Rossi smiles happily, walking over giving her a hug before passing her a glass of wine.

“Thanks Rossi”

You can’t help but smile and scan the room, your smile faltering when you can’t see Alex.

“Hey, is Alex not here yet?” Gulping thickly, at the idea of her missing the dinner.

“Oh she said she had something to do, she said she’ll be here a bit later on” Rossi gives you a small smile before passing you a glass of wine. 

~~~

The night goes on, the team sitting outside around the firepit sipping on their drinks and sharing stories and jokes. Nights like this is what makes the team a family. 

“Sorry I’m late” A voice calls from the doorway, making your head shoot up a smile spreading over your lips. 

“You made it, and you brought a friend,” Rossi smirks, landing on the guy behind her.

“I did” She smiles, her eyes landing on you for a split second. “This is James, my husband” 

“Sorry for intruding” He smiles as he follows her outside, his eyes are gentle and full of light and love.

“Never intruding, the more the merrier” Rossi smiles welcoming at him, standing up to shake his hand. “Dave Rossi”

Soon James is introduced to everyone, then it's your turn. You’re already up on your feet, feeling nervous at meeting him finally.

“You must be (Y/n)” James smiles at you, his eyes lingering on yours.

“I am” Smiling you give him a quick hug, that just feels natural. He leans down to whisper in your ear quietly.

“It's great to finally meet you”

“You to” Smiling you pull away, glancing at Alex who has a proud loving smile pressed across her lips.

“It's great to finally meet my mum's husband” You announce loudly, a smile spreading across James and JJ's face.

“It's great to finally meet you too,” James smiles, wrapping his arm around your waist.

“Wait she finally told you” Garcia yelps grinning wildly, her eyes bouncing between you and (Y/n). The team all shares looks and smiles filled with joy.

“Uh no not exactly” Alex laughs softly, walking over to join the hug.

“Oh nah, I asked her the night we got back from texas” Your smile falters for a second, before shrugging. “We decided to keep it between ourself for a while”

“Wait so we kept giving you a hard time for no reason” Morgan groans, grimacing in guilt.

“Why do you think I told you to give them space?” JJ smirks at the bestie, a knowing look in her eyes.

“You knew!?” Penelope gasps, staring at her.

“Of course I knew, I was told the moment Alex joined the team, plus it wasn’t hard to tell Alex also knew the whole time” JJ shrugs sipping her wine.

“Wait you knew she knew” Your mouth fell open staring wide-eyed at her.

“Well yeah, but it was a journey you two had to work out for yourself” JJ smirks at you, watching as your hard glare soften and a light laugh leaves you. 

“Thats why your my best friend”

“Clearly” JJ grins at you. 

“Well we are happy for you guys” Aaron smiles up at you three, pushing the paperwork he has to do due to this situation outta his mind.

“Thanks Hotch” You smile, looking around at your family. Who knew when you joined the FBI you would end up surrounded by those that truly love you and accept all your flaws. Never in a million years would you think you would find your biological mother this way, but hey life is full of surprises, always.

[weird-is-life]

omg i saw that you’re requests are open!! 🤍

i had an idea about a reader slowly learning about tasm!peter tell when he’s lying and that’s how she finds out he’s injured/spider-man. reader’s smart, he can’t it from them forever!

hope you’re doing well!! 🤍 no rush on this at all.

Hi lovely, ty for the request💕!! Hopefully, this is okay. Warnings: Peter's hurt, mentions of wound and blood, pet names, fluff, (0.8k)

Peter thinks, he's very slick. And maybe it's true with most of the people, but not with you. Never with you.

Peter has this tell, he scrunches his nose everytime he lies. It's not very obvious, but if you know about it and pay attention, you can notice it.

And that's how you know, Peter's trying to hide something now.

You are both sitting on the couch and Peter keeps breathing funnily. It sounds like he's trying to breath like he normally would, but he's failing very badly to do that.

You asked him, what was wrong, when you thought, you saw him wince. But he said, that nothing is wrong and you didn't want to push him, so you let it go.

And now as you watch a movie, you are leaning against his chest, he has his arm around your shoulder and everytime you move, even if just a little, Peter winces quietly.

You finally have enough and turn to face Peter with a frown," Pete, what's wrong?"

"What do you mean? Nothing is wrong, I'm okay," he lies and you see right through him. The little scrunch of his nose is hard to miss for you.

"I know, you're lying, Peter. Your wincing and your breathing tell me enough to know, that something is wrong," you tell him, frowning.

"Sweetheart-" he starts, but you don't let him, you stand up from the frustration and look at him, maybe a little angrily.

He tries to catch your arm, but you put it out of his reach and by doing so Peter winces again from the pain and puts a hand over his side.

You sigh, you don't like seeing him in pain, "Peter, you know, you can tell me anything right? I know you're hurt and it's okay, if you don't want tell me now. Just....just let me take a look at it?"

Peter thinks it over and slowly nods. You quickly go grab the first aid kit and when you come back Peter's right where you left him.

And before you have the chance to pull up his hoodie, he catches your hand.

"Sorry," he apologises," I just....it's pretty bad, I don't want you to freak out."

"It's okay Pete, I promise," you reassure him and you gently start pulling his hoodie up. But as you roll it up, your eyes widen. He has a huge gash almost all over his side. But that isn't what has you choking on the air.

Under the hoodie you can see the remnants of what you know as the suit of Spiderman. It doesn't look a lot like it right now, it's very ripped apart, but it still very much is the Spiderman's suit.

"What the fuck, Peter?" you ask with absolute shock.

He looks at you in confusion, "wha-" he starts to say, when he realises what you're currently looking at.

"Shit," he mutters under his breath and looks at you with a small, unsure smile and a nervously chuckles, "I'm Spiderman?"

You stay frozen in an absolute shock,  wide eyes and mouth wide open. It takes you a good moment to recover and react to what you've just learnt.

When you finally do react, you hit him ( lightly) on the arm.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Peter complains as he rubs the slightly sore spot.

"I can't believe you, Pete. You've been going around the city, catching crazy criminals without telling me? You're such an idiot," you glare at him.

Peter's face softens, "i know, I'm sorry sweetheart. I wanted to tell you, believe me I did. But I didn't want to put you in danger."

And when you don't immediately respond, he takes your hand into his and says regretfully, "I'm really sorry, love. Please don't me mad. But I understand, if you are. I'm sorry."

You take one look at his sorry, puppy eyes and he's forgiven. It's impossible to stay mad at him, you can never be angry with him for too long.

"It's okay, Pete. I'm just worried, like look at you," you say and pull his hand in yours towards your lips to kiss him there.

"It looks worse than it is," Peter tries to lighten the mood and knowing he's forgiven, he can't stop smiling at you.

"Worse than it is? It looks horrible," you gesture intensively at the gash.

"It'll heal in no time."

"What? It'll take at least a month to heal," you shake your head in disbelief.

"It'll be okay by the morning," Peter says and seeing your baffled expression, he adds, "I'll explain it. And everything else, too. Just give me a kiss first, please sweetheart?"

"What? Peter, you're almost bleeding to death here and you want me to kiss you-" Peter interrupts your worry and bends down to shut you up. With his lips on yours, you are quick to comply and kiss him back.

Peter doesn't want to let you go anytime soon, even if he really should let you at least clean up the wound. He decides the wound can wait and kisses you some more.