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#he needs a partner that won’t flee him
roboctopus · 1 year
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It is kinda funny how they managed to somehow waste the little screen time Marisol & Natalia not exploring them further.
They could’ve used some time during those dates to show us more of who Natalia is beyond being a death doula, maybe show other interests beyond death or Buck, but nope those dates were just about Buck and things we as an audience knew about Buck. All we learned about Natalia is that Buck and all his baggage was too much for her.
There are two things we know about Marisol: she is (maybe a bit too) close to her brother & she’s a DIY gal. Both these things got established in her first appearance. Instead of doing anything else for her second appearance, instead of taking the opportunity to show something else about who she is and what her interests are, they have them run into each other at a hardware store. They just reiterate the home improvement side of her. This might’ve been just an attempt to remind the audience who she is by keeping their reunion in theme with her emergency but it still wasted a chance to actually explore who Marisol is.
Even if there weren’t the (imo) issue of chemistry between the actors or the tragically wasted opportunity that is Buddie, the writing just isn’t even trying to make these women actual characters and it’s just sad bad misogynistic writing.
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Platonic Yandere Queen Step Sister
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She wasn’t always a queen 
Like every queen before she was a princess
But before she was a princess she was a count from a low-class duchy
Her mother had found your father
Old, ill, and enticed by the countess willing to entertain him
The countess herself wasn’t awful
She was civil, for the most part the only problem with her was her daughter
“And this is your new sister—Harley! Say hello!”
“Hmph just because your Dad’s the King doesn’t mean I have to like you!”
“Harley!”
Harley was a menace
Snooty and rude
Every time she spoke to you it was like liquid acid spraying specifically at you
She was typically spoiled but she never mistreated the servants 
She was decent to your father 
But to you, it was like she hated your guts from the very beginning
“I’m glad I spilled all that cranberry juice on you! The little outfit you were wearing before matched your ugliness a bit too well.”
“That was a gift from my late mother!”
“Hm figures.”
Of course in turn you hate her too
And you don’t bother hiding it from your father when he weakly asks you to hang out with her
“Did you hear what she said to me? I honestly couldn’t care less if that horse she spooked stomped her flat.”
“(Y/n)! Hold your tongue, she’s your new sister.”
“She might be your daughter but that thing is not my sister.”
He doesn’t seem convinced as he continues putting you together with her in hopes it will strengthen your bond
It does not
And it will never be as your father succumbs to his illness
Naturally, you prepare to take on the throne despite your young age
But alas nothing goes the way it should since she’s been forced into your life
“As the former partner of the King, I gladly will take up the role until our child is ready.”
It’s infuriating as the advisor reads a part in his newly written will about this
How he ordained that his second wife have you in her care and the kingdom in her control
And of course decency dwindles as she becomes drunk on the social power
Fueling her gremlin of a daughter
“Mother’s forbidden you from leaving your room. So I figured I’d give you some of my company! You're welcome.”
“Go jump out the window.”
“How dare–MOM!”
It just gets worse and worse
You do think for a moment things will get better as The substitute Queen keels over her wine at a banquet
Thanking the heavens for whoever poisoned her, you’re prepared to take the throne
“I am so sorry (Y/n) but the council has ruled that for your safety as the kingdom’s only true heir, it’d be dangerous to let you take the throne. So we’ll give the role of Queen to Harley.”
It takes you everything not to stab the brat as she puffs her chest and flips her hair
“Won’t you congratulate me on my coronation!”
It’s agony that ripples under your skin as you have no choice but to flee the castle grounds to escape her stabbing presence and that only works for a day at most
With her mother no longer ruling she isn’t forced to take etiquette lessons away from you
Now she can demand your attendance for any minor meeting
“I don’t think we should mobilize our militia on that border. It’s far too much of an overreaction.”
“What about the villages that have been burned there? The people who need medical attention?”
“Hush (Y/n) I didn’t say you could talk in this meeting.”
It's all so frustrating feeling trapped
But you’re not the only one 
Harley is incredibly frustrated because of what keeps her trapped
And that’s her inability to say anything that she truly means
Especially with manners of the heart
Underneath layers of cruel insults, stifling rules, and personal jabs 
Is a step-sister who adores your very being but is stuck with her thorny exterior
She is forced to stick her nose up and sneer at you when you look her direction
When she’ll say “You look like death with the new family brooch. You might do better to just leave it off.”
What she means “I think you look even more gorgeous than usual with the family brooch, don’t ever take it off.”
If she wasn’t as backward demented as she was it probably wouldn’t be so hard to try being nice
To switch her compliments to insults for just a day to give you a kind compliment
But she hates actually making it so that
Naturally, this is why she killed her mother
She’d gotten in the way of her free time with you 
On top of looking down on you which she absolutely hates the most
Granted she’s certain you hate her with how much time she spends attempting to bring you down expressing her affection the only way she can
Sometimes she’s tempted to put it in writing 
just explain her condition so that she can jump into your arms as you connect the dots
But every time she’d written something out, she couldn’t help but confess how obsessed she was with you 
How happy she was that her whole job now was protecting you
She wasn’t exactly fond of the kingdom other than it being an inheritance for you
She hopes you’ll forgive her as she’ll  prioritize you and your safety above all else
No one but your father’s trusted advisor may see past her biting personality
Convinced with the council that it’s best to have her temporarily rule
If only until they get to the bottom of both the King and the Queen’s deaths
Should any council member question her or her motives 
she’d be quick to shut that down
She can’t have these old nobles get in the way of her dominion over you
“I hope you enjoy the joys of being accused of fraud. It’ll be nice to look back on your time when on the council when you’re rotting in jail.”
She has no mercy for anyone but you
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avis-writeshq · 1 year
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miya atsumu – a lovely night
genre&warnings: rated 16+ for enemies to lovers, fluff, angst, and slowburn; mentions of eating and unsafe usage of cooking knives!! fem!reader
a/n: it was meant to be a small drabble but i got carried away lmao (i’ve also been working on this for more than a year so my peep my writing style changes LMFAOOO)
w/c: 10k exact
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“i hate it here.”
“you say that every morning,” aneko chuckled, tying her hair up in a ponytail. “what happened this time?”
“i have a biology presentation soon and i’m not looking forward to it.” you side-eyed the window, watching as students begin filing out of their dorm rooms and into the walkways that lead to the campus. 
aneko sighed, patting your shoulder. “you’ll do fine. you do well in every presentation, you know that.”
a lopsided smile made its way onto your face as you shrug your bag over your shoulder. “thanks, aneko… i’m gonna get some coffee. you want anything?”
she shook her head ‘no’, and you shrugged, making your way down the stairs, crossing the dormitories to the cafe next to the campus. 
as soon as you took your place in line, a scalding sensation erupts through your shirt and all over your chest, and you jump back in shock and pain. 
“what the hell?” you demand, hissing as the coffee burned your skin. unfortunately, the perpetrator is nowhere to be found, seemingly fleeing the scene. the last thing you see of the person is a volleyball jacket and piss-coloured hair. 
gritting your teeth in frustration, you storm out of the cafe, ignoring the cries of the cafe staff and trailing after him. “oi! piss hair! you little…” a grunt escapes your lips as he makes a turn, disappearing into the sea of students. 
eyes narrowing into slits, you marched your way back to your dorm, throwing the door open. 
“what happened to you?” sakura frowned, getting up from her seat on the couch. “oh, and aneko’s on her date.”
“first of all,” you scowled, dumping your bags on the ground and retreating to the bathroom, “if you ever see a piss-haired brat, punch them in the face for me.”
“piss-haired brat,” she rolled her eyes in amusement before asking, “are you alright, (y/n)?”
tugging the shirt over your head, you stormed back out into the kitchen. “i have a biology presentation in an hour, i had boiling coffee spill on me and the guy didn’t even apologise! and now aneko has to go and flaunt her non-singleness to the world!”
“well, that guy is a douchebag,” she hummed. “and you know you always get the highest score in biology, so that’s not an issue for you. oh and you’re never going to guess what kou-chan told me!”
you raise an unsuspecting eyebrow, “what?”
she squeals, her hand clapping in excitement. “they knows someone who needs a date! he’s looking for a partner!”
your nose scrunched in distaste, “you set me up with six dates since last september and it’s only the beginning of january. do i really want your help in finding a date?”
“i know someone. trust me on this, okay?” she pats your shoulder and smooths out your hair. “are you free tomorrow night?”
“i think so…” you eye her wearily. “i’m trusting you, got it?”
she grins, the smile stretching across her face in excitement, “i won’t let you down! oh, you should start heading to biology.”
you nod, “alright… i’ll see you later. it’s your turn to buy groceries, so don’t forget!” 
shooting you a thumbs up, sakura goes back to her fashion magazine, and you close the dorm door. maybe the day would get better? it can only go up from here… right? shaking the negative thoughts out of your head, you half-jog to the lecture hall, clutching at the strap of your shoulder bag. the hall is already half-filled with people reading over their notes, doing last-minute editing, and practising. 
finding a seat near the middle, you began taking out all your notes from your bag. as you read through your entire presentation, the chair beside you screeched as someone took a seat there. 
glancing up at the person to say a quick greeting and then you realised — “you!”
you bolted up from your seat, your eyes narrowed and the chair screeched as it dragged against the floor. he gapes, watching you stand.
“the hell ya talkin’ about?”
“you–” you flinched as the sharp hushing of students met your ears and you bowed sheepishly in apology. you turned back to the smug-looking brat, hissing your explanations. “the main issue is the fact that you spilled hot coffee on me. what’s worse is how you didn’t even apologise!” 
he chuckled, “i see. you’re just a fan who wants attention! okay, you can watch our volleyball practice–”
“i don’t want to watch your stupid volleyball practice!” you snapped, gathering your books and shoving them into your bag. “unless you want to apologise, i don’t want to see your ugly face and piss hair.”
“hey–”
flipping him off as discreetly as possible, you stalked your way over to the other side of the lecture hall, sitting in between two students. 
one raised their eyebrow at you. “is miya atsumu your boyfriend?”
you scoffed, muttering under your breath, “atsumu? what a shitty name…” you turn back to them, “no, he’s not my boyfriend. if he was, he would be dead by now.”
they nod, eyebrows raised, before turning back to their notes. 
you, on the other hand, were left to your thoughts. miya? where have you heard that name before? and why the hell did he look so familiar?
*** 
“oi–”
“are you going to apologise?” you asked, not looking at him as you pack up your things after your successful presentation. “listen, buddy, i'm in a good mood. something i don’t want you screwing up.”
“i’m not here to apologise,” he huffed, “but maybe i can make it up to you?”
“i only want an apology, sweet cheeks,” a sarcastic smile bloomed on your face, and you patted his cheek snarkily. “now if you excuse me, i would like to get the coffee i couldn’t get this morning.”
“i’ll treat you,” atsumu offered and you shot him a glare.
“sure. i’ll take an apology with a side of sincerity.”
the smile on your face grew wider and you walked out of the lecture room and into the throng of students. 
*** 
“i sure hope that this date of mine is as good as you say…” you hummed, searching through your bag to make sure you have everything. “why does it have to be at this fancy restaurant again?”
“because the guy just so happens to be extra,” sakura says, taking a left turn and parking in front of a tall building. “you are wearing the heels i gave you right?”
you nodded begrudgingly, recalling how she forced you to wear them before you left your dorm.
she squealed, her bright blue eyes gleaming with happiness. “okay, so here’s the rundown. the restaurant is ise sueyoshi–”
“i’m sorry, ise sueyoshi, as in one of the most expensive restaurants in all of tokyo?”
“i tried to talk him out of it,” she defended, grimacing at the thought of the bill. “look, it’ll be fine. just don’t think about it, okay? after the restaurant, you’ll take a nice walk around the city! oh, and i’m confiscating your keys.”
you blanched, “what, why?”
“so that you can’t ditch him halfway. no one is going to be home until your date is over, so there’s no reason for you to ditch.” she grinned, “you’ll be fine! he’s a good guy, trust me on this.”
you groaned in annoyance but pushed the car door open. “i’ll call you when i get inside the restaurant.”
she beamed, yelling, “the reservation is under hasegawa sakura!” before driving off into the distance. 
a sigh left your lips as you stomp your way inside the building, taking the lift to the 11th floor. after entering the restaurant, you take a seat, looking at the bright city of tokyo below you. 
“what a view, huh?”
no. you scowled, looking up at atsumu. “i’ve seen better.”
he shrugged, taking the seat in front of you and swirling his cup of wine around. “so yer my blind date. i would have thought that sakura had better friends.” 
you sneered as you rose from your seat. “i was thinking the same thing. the only reason i’m on this stupid date is because of her, anyway.”
he grinned, and you felt a chill run down your spine as he says, “so ya asked her to set’cha up with me? very cute, sweetheart, but if ya wanted to go on a date with me, ya could have just asked.”
you scoffed, “i know full well about your reputation with girls, sweetheart. they go up to you all starry-eyed and then you break their hearts. besides, why the hell would i be attracted to someone like you?”
atsumu flinched at the honesty in your voice. do people really see him as some dream crusher heart breaker? “listen, sweet cheeks–” he relished in the way your cheeks darken at his words– “i am a great person.”
“yes, because every ‘great person’ flaunts about it in the hallways. yes, miya, you’re a great person.” the sarcasm rolled off your tongue fluidly, and he can’t help but roll his eyes when you speak again. “i lost my appetite. excuse me.”
he bolted up from his seat, eyes wide as you throw your bag over your shoulder and make your way out of the restaurant. “woah, woah, woah. do ya know how hard it was to get a reservation here? i even got a suit for this!”
“no, i don’t know how hard it was to get a reservation here. and this is just further proof you’re an asshole. you want to show off your money to some random stranger, knowing entirely that it’s a blind date.” you fake a smile and bow to the staff members.
atsumu faltered in  his step before continuing to run after you. “okay, listen–”
“no, i am not going to listen, because the only thing that comes out of your mouth is bullshit. come on sakura, pick up…” 
“(l/n)–”
“stop! okay, just… just stop.” your nostrils flared, and you turned around to shoot him a venomous glare. “i don’t care about you or your dumb polyester suit–”
“it’s wool.”
“–but you have to be stupid to think that i’d ever fall for you.” 
he groaned, wiping his face in frustration. “we’re both doing this for sakura so can ya just cooperate for one damn night?”
you grit your teeth, eyeing him carefully, “okay. just one night.”
*** 
“i have t’ask,” atsumu begins, your bag thrown haphazardly over his shoulder. “why are ya on this date anyway? woulda thought that someone as charming as you would have had a date by now.”
“i could ask you the same question,” you quip, eyes fixated on the bright city lights that you could see from the aoyama bridge. “it’s not important anyway.”
he shrugged, “just wanted to know why.”
“both sakura and aneko have boyfriends. it kind of sucks to be the third wheel all the time. they give me hell for not doing anything on friday nights, too,” you shrug, “i mean, it’s not a big deal.”
atsumu snorts at your words. “so you want a date for the sake of having a date?”
“i want a date for the sake of not being lonely,” you correct, “but i think i’m going to have to be lonely for the time being.”
“an’ why do you think that?” a lazy smirk rests on his lips. “i’d be a perfect boyfriend.”
“yeah, that’d appeal to someone who believes in romance,” you laugh, patting his cheek and taking your bag off him. 
to miya atsumu, life is a competition to be the best. who can win the most volleyball games? who can get the highest test result? who can eat the most onigiris from onigiri miya without taking breaks? life to him is a competition. it’s a race to the finish line and the person who gets there first is the winner. and what you just said? it sounds an awful lot like a challenge.
“alright then,” he grins at you, “i’ll make you fall in love with me by… say, end of june.”
“what’s that going to do for you? give you an ego boost?” you roll your eyes, “i’m not doing that.”
“scared, sweetheart?”
crossing your arms over your chest, you shoot him a glare. “no, i’m not. but i hope you realise that i am frankly feeling nothing.”
“is that so?”
“mmm, no. in fact, it could be less than nothing.” 
he chuckles, “good to know. so, you agree?”
“that this is a waste of a lovely night? yes.”
“you know what i mean. if i can make you fall in love with me by the end of june, you have to be my girlfriend.” 
you snort in response, “if i didn’t know any better, miya, i’d say you’re in love with me.” 
he rolls his eyes, clearly ignoring your first remark. “alright then, choose your prize if you’re so confident.”
“if you fall in love with me…” you hum an evil glint in your eye, “i get total and full control over your social media.”
he smirks, holding out his hand for you to shake. “anything for you, princess.”
*** 
to you, life was about survival. don’t die, don’t mess up, don’t be a failure. that also meant ‘don’t get lonely, because that just screws things up for everyone’. aneko had eito, her boyfriend since high school, and sakura had taniguchi kou, the manager for the ejp volleyball team. that must have been how she even had connections to miya atsumu in the first place. survival was also not doing anything unnecessary. whether it be sleeping at ungodly hours, binge-watching an entire anime, or just studying too much, you couldn’t do that because it’ll destroy your schedule the next day. your life was based on routine. that is, it was based on routine. 
“hey, (y/n), there’s some mail for you!” aneko yells out into the dorm, waving a pristine envelope around.
you raise an eyebrow. “it’s probably junk, just throw it out!”
“i’m gonna open it, okay?” she beams at you as you crack an egg into the pan.
“knock yourself out.” 
you hum quietly to yourself as you turn off the stove and move the egg on top of your rice. grabbing a pair of chopsticks from your drawer, you cut through the egg, just as you hear a squeal.
“(y/n), oh my god, did you buy volleyball tickets? they’re vips, too!”
“what?” you push your seat back, grabbing the envelope from aneko’s hands. “i didn’t buy any volleyball tickets? it’s probably been given to the wrong person.”
“but there was a note for you in the envelope…” she frowned, “are you sure that it’s not for you?”
confusion was clear on your face as you pulled the note out, but it was replaced with a look of pure annoyance when you realised exactly who the note was from. 
‘dear: (l/n) (y/n),
see you in the stands ;)
from: atsumu <3’
a deep scowl plasters itself onto your face and you dial his number into your phone. 
“did you–”
“you absolute asshole!” you yell into your phone, swiftly cutting him off, slapping a hand against your forehead. “i’m not going to your dumb volleyball game, got it? i have things to do and places to be.”
“you and i both know that isn’t true, sweetheart,” he snorts and you can practically hear his eye roll. “you told me yourself - you don’t usually have plans on friday nights.”
you grimace because yes, you did say that. “well maybe i have plans now?” the words came out as a question and he chuckles.
“come on, it’ll be fun!” 
“we’ll see,” you mutter before hanging up. 
*** 
“i’ve never been in a proper volleyball stadium before,” aneko says as she bit into her onigiri. “i can’t believe you got vip tickets, (n/n)!”
“yeah… amazing,” you manage, a meek smile plastered on your face. 
the entire stadium looks as if a rainbow puked on it. bright, colourful posters to support the players well held high in the air by multiple people. banners hang over the stands, the team’s logo and motto drawn in neat calligraphy... the multitude of people who came to watch was overwhelming – almost every seat has been filled. 
“the first match is… black jackals versus the sendai frogs!” aneko beams as she looks at the flyer. “wow, they’re both really good. (y/n), look at them!”
forcing the flyer in front of your face, you push it away from you so you could properly read it, taking note of the team members. each of the members on both teams look good — really good. you look around yourself and chuckle, of course. no wonder it was so full. most of the fans are girls anyway. 
one girl, sporting a bright blue shirt with the words ‘go atsumu!’, happens to catch your eye. she’s a typical popular girl — false clumpy lashes that you can spot from a mile away, hair curled in obnoxious rings, and a banner that screamed ‘look at me!’. you can tell from the amused looks the people gave her that she is a common spectator at msby games. 
“that’s emiko etsudo,” aneko grumbles, catching your gaze, “she’s in my lecture and never stops talking.”
“seems to be the type,” you snort, turning back to the volleyball courts where the players began to take their places.
the black jackals are insane. even when they were just starting up you can already tell how skilled they are. each spike that hits against the glossy wooden floors sends shivers down your spine. as the game went on and got more intense, it’s clear that msby was in the lead in the fifth set. both teams won two sets each, an impressive feat in itself, and the score for the fifth set is close — 11-10 in the jackal’s favour.
soon enough, atsumu’s turn to serve came around after a quick rotation, and the cheerleaders and band immediately fell into a hush. your eyes meet with atsumu and he sends a wink your way, resulting in a high pitched shriek to resound throughout the stadium. you can hear emiko freaking out and screaming that he was winking at her, amusing you. sending a small, two-fingered salute back at atsumu, you brushed your pants down as you stood up.
“i’m gonna head off to the bathroom for a second. i’ll be right back, okay?” 
aneko nods, fully immersed in the game. letting out a tired sigh, you leave the gym, searching for the restroom. the volleyball game must have ended a lot quicker than you expected when an entire team walks past you, almost trampling you in the process. 
“well, well, well. what do we have here?” 
you groan, “miya. i’m assuming you won?”
“don’t look so excited,” he grins boyishly, and you ignore the warming of your heart as he does. “we’re gonna go get some drinks after we win. care to join?”
he slings a sweaty arm over your shoulder and you cringe, pushing his arm off. “i don’t do drinks.”
“you harassing someone, miya?” a lazy voice drawls from behind you, and you almost jump at the random voice.
“o’course not, omi-kun!” atsumu snorts, “this is (y/n)!”
“(l/n),” you correct, patting his back sarcastically, “we’re not quite there yet.”
‘omi-kun’ raises an eyebrow. “right. nice to meet you.” and with that, he followed the rest of the team into the locker room, hands stuffed into his pockets. 
“that’s a character.” you roll your eyes. “anyway, i better head back to aneko. she’s probably getting worried.”
“i’ll walk ya,” he offers, a bright smile on his face, only for it to fall within seconds. 
“miya? what’s—”
a harsh squeal meets your ears and you flinch, whipping around to see etsudo, her merch in plain view and looking like a disco ball. 
“atsumu, oh my god, you were so good out there!” her high pitched voice rings in your ears. 
“shut up—” atsumu begins, but stops short. your words echo in his head, ‘they go up to you all starry-eyed and then you break their hearts’. “yeah, whatever.”
etsudo’s eyes widen and you can practically see the excitement oozing out of her. “i knew you’d love me!”
“how do you get that from— never mind,” you shake your head, a sarcastic smile on your face as you begin to walk away. “i’m gonna go. good luck with this, miya.”
“wait, hold on,” atsumu fumbles, running past etsudo and trailing behind you. “i said i would walk ya.”
“but you were having such a good time with your fangirl,” you say innocently, battering your eyelashes. “emiko etsudo, i think her name is?”
“don’t remind me,” he pinches the bridge of his nose, “she’s gone to every game and thinks that i’m in love with her or something. spoiled pig…”
“so you don’t like her? do you hate all your fans?” you raise an eyebrow, both in curiosity and in disbelief.
he shrugs, a smirk on his face. “not all of them. you’re the only one i can tolerate.”
“smooth,” you laugh, “how many girls did you use that one on?”
“just one,” he hums, bumping his side gently against yours. 
you can’t deny the fluttering of your insides as he does and you scold yourself. this is a game to him — he doesn’t feel anything for you. 
“how nice of you,” you say, trying to ignore the growing blush on your cheeks and the heat that’s crawled up to your ears. “well, there’s aneko. i’m gonna go…”
“alright, then.” he grins, taking your hand and kissing the back of it. “until next time, sweet cheeks.” 
you gape as he leaves, cheeks hot with embarrassment and surprise. “wha-”
“(y/n), oh my god, was that atsumu?” aneko demands, shaking you to answer. 
you don’t respond, trying to calm yourself down from shock, your heart racing a thousand times an hour. you don’t mean anything to him. you’re a game to him — a game that he plays just to show everyone else that he is better than them.
“(y/n)? are you okay?”
you jolt out of your trance, blinking tiredly. “oh. yeah. i’m fine.”
*** 
“atsumu-san, who was that?” hinata bounds up to him, all smiles after winning against his longtime rival. 
“(l/n) (y/n), apparently,” sakusa responds, his hands still stuffed in his pockets and a towel around his shoulders. 
“oh, she’s sakura-chan’s friend, right?” bokuto asks brightly and takes a bite of his protein bar. 
atsumu nods, mind distant as he thinks about where to take you on your next ‘date’. it wouldn't be a real date if he already bet on it, right? would a cafe work? what about a cat cafe? do you even like cats?
“oi, miya.”
he looks up to see sakusa, and he grins, “knew i’d grow on you, omi-omi~”
“your face looks gross,” he scrunches his face in disgust.
“you had a funny look on your face, atsumu-san!” hinata laughs. 
“like how taniguchi-san looks at sakura-chan!” bokuto agrees side-eying atsumu who was no longer paying attention to the conversation. 
currently, atsumu was thinking of a million ways he could win your heart. he was thinking of a million ways to get you to fall for him, all so that he can prove to you that he isn’t as bad as you think he is. he had a little over a month to get you to fall in love with him and, granted, he did spill boiling coffee over you and then proceeded to not apologise. scratching his head in thought, a lightbulb suddenly dinged in his head. there is only one person in the world who knows everything about everything. and in this case? everyone. 
*** 
“nice try. not happening,” sakura responds swiftly, turning away from the setter. “look, atsumu, you’re my friend and all, but the fact that you want to win my best friend over for the sake of your pride isn’t a good enough reason to ‘get to know her’. if anything, it makes you seem like an even shitter person than everyone perceives you to be.”
he snorts at her words, “you really are a friend of (y/n). come on, sakura-chan! i just need to know what she likes! that’s all!”
sakura grits her teeth, beginning to regret sending you on that date with this piss-haired brat. “i don’t care, atsumu. i’m not going to let you break her heart for the sake of your stupid pride. you want to use someone for your stupid experiment? fine, not my problem, but you’re going to use my best friend.”
he flinches at her icy tone, now understanding why kou-san warned him about getting on sakura’s bad side. despite her incredibly bright and sunny disposition, she really was incredibly terrifying when it came to the people that she cared about which was not good for him. next attempt? fukuhara aneko. 
“i don’t understand why you’re trying so hard,” aneko remarks as she invites atsumu into the shared apartment, “you’re doing this… because you want to be known as some dreamboat who breaks girls’ hearts left right and centre?”
“i’m doing this to prove a point,” atsumu corrects, “but when you say it that way—”
“i am not going to let you break my best friend’s heart,” aneko cuts in, taking a knife out of the knife block and waving it around halfheartedly, relishing in the way the setter flinches. “nice try, though.”
he groans in annoyance, “sakura-chan said the same thing.”
“then why are you trying?” aneko demands, frustration clear in her voice, “you’re putting all this effort in to ‘prove a point’. do you know how ridiculous you sound? what’s the real reason you want to win (y/n) over?”
at her words, atsumu falls silent. as cliche as it seemed, you were interesting to him. you’re different, and at his thoughts, the volleyball player cringes internally. to be entirely fair, and to give you credit, you stood your ground around him which was admirable, to say the least. unlike the other ‘spoiled pigs’, you actually have some sort of awareness. maybe he… 
he shakes his head, snorting quietly. as if he attracted to someone the likes of you. 
“i’ll figure it out myself,” atsumu concludes, avoiding aneko’s unimpressed gaze. “she has to fall for me at some point. does she have any social media?”
“i thought you said that you’ll figure it out yourself,” aneko responds drily. “why don’t you just ask her yourself? let me guess; your pride?"
to atsumu, that sounded a whole lot like a challenge. 
*** 
for a friday morning, you were surprisingly busy, especially because of all the practice exams you’ve been doing as preparation for an exam that will take place in less than three months. but of course, no day passes without a few random interruptions. 
“hey, sweetheart, you doing anything?” 
atsumu’s annoying voice rang in your ears through the phone, and you couldn’t help but grit your teeth. “what do you want, miya?”
“i was just wondering if there’s anything in particular you wanted to do, lately,” he responds, his voice in a sing-song tone. “just figured i should take you out on a better date.”
you scoff at his proposal, “nice try, miya. you’re not getting me that easily.”
“aw, don’t be like that, darling! i’ll take you out to get coffee, how about that?”
a silence washes over you as you consider his offer. to be entirely fair, you couldn’t really say no to a free food, and it did give him a chance to redeem himself. not to mention you definitely did need the coffee at some point.
“alright, miya, let’s do it.” you shrug, not that he could see it, “when and where?”
“i’ll text you the address,” he responds, and you can hear the pride and smugness through the phone. “see you there, babe.”
from: miya
hey princess!
from: miya
[sent location]
from: miya
see you in 20!
a sigh escapes your lips, not believing that you actually let yourself be dragged into this mess – a mess that was only made for atsumu’s pride and ego. picking up your bag, you made your way over to the location he sent you, praying that it wasn’t some sick joke and that you weren’t about to be murdered. 
your arrival at the cafe doesn’t go unnoticed by the volleyball player, the little bell at the door welcoming you in and announcing your presence to the rest of the people inside. you don’t miss the way atsumu’s head spins around to look at you, a boyish grin spreading onto his face as if to say, “i can’t believe you’re actually here.” you find it funny, considering how he’s the one who invited you here in such an ominous way. he waves you over enthusiastically – too enthusiastically – and you ignore the quickening of your heart at the way he looks so excited to see you. 
he’s not happy to see you, you have to remind yourself – although you feel your heart begin to sink at your own thoughts. you huff, now is not the time to be caught up in his romantic theatrics. the only reason why he’s so excited to see you is to rub it in your face that you actually fell for it. right?
“i already ordered for us!” atsumu said happily, taking a sip of his coffee for affect, “ya don’t mind, do ya, princess?” 
“atsumu, do you really think i’m a princess?” you ask, batting your eyelashes. 
“ya know i do, princess!” he smiles, pushing a dark chocolate mocha towards you.
“then stop making decisions for me,” you deadpan, crossing your legs. “how do you even know what i order anyway?”
another obnoxious grin your way as he answers, “i have connections.”
you scoff once again, rolling your eyes as you lifted the drink to your lips. 
atsumu hates the way his eyes fell to your lips as you spoke and he hates the way his heart began to pound the second you stepped through the door of the cafe. he isn’t supposed to feel this way – he’s not supposed to like you. so he suppresses his feelings. as usual. 
the date – could you even call it a date? – ended on a positive note to your surprise. atsumu was clearly doing his best to be ‘the man of your dreams’, and as much as you appreciated his gentlemanly ways, you hated to admit that you missed his teasing charms and his childish antics. the idea of you missing his annoying nature is beyond your own understanding, to the point where you were almost sure that he had successfully brainwashed you. 
you shake your head, trying to clear your thoughts away as you return to the present. atsumu decided to walk you back to your dorm which, to give him credit, was actually quite sweet of him… even though you kept insisting that it wasn’t necessary. 
“hey, lets do this again sometime,” you find yourself saying, realising that you actually did enjoy the boy’s company. “it was fun!”
he smirks smugly at you, and you had to laugh as he says, “i knew i’d grow on you, love!”
“just be yourself next time,” you snort, patting him on the shoulder as you walk to the entrance of your dorm building. “i’m paying!”
“as if!” he yells back, and you smile as he waves goodbye. 
you’re left to your thoughts as you ride the elevator to the seventh floor, thinking over what just transpired. it was weird – considering atsumu’s naturally flirtatious character – and if you had to be completely honest with yourself, it was unnerving seeing him do a complete one-eighty regarding his personality. 
the biggest thing that worried you was how he was so willing and quick to change his personality for someone. was he that desperate to prove himself to a complete stranger?
“so…?”
you hear a voice as you enter your dorm. there, sakura leaned against the kitchen counter, the biggest and the smuggest look on her face. 
“how was the date?” she coos, eyes glistening in mischief. 
“weird,” you respond, dropping your bags to the side as you pull a chair out to sit. “sakura, you know him. has he ever been in any… bad relationships?”
she thinks for a moment before responding, “why do you ask?”
you shrug, resting your chin on the palm of your hand. “he just seems to eager to prove how macho he is. did something happen?”
“from what i know, and from what kou’s told me, he’s always been like that. you could always ask osamu-san, though. you know him, the owner of onigiri miya.”
you clicked your fingers in acknowledgement, “so that’s why he looked so familiar! i haven’t been to that place in ages!”
she nods, “ask osamu. tell him i sent you.”
*** 
“kombu-onigiri for (l/n) (y/n)!” osamu calls out to the small crowd of people, and you have to do a double take when you see him. 
he was practically the same as atsumu, aside from his dark grey eyes and ash brown hair, and you had to hold your tongue from complaining. 
“thanks,” you smile, taking the little bag. 
“i haven’t seen you in a while,” osamu comments as he prepares another order. “busy with uni?”
you sigh tiredly, “it is what it is. i wanted to talk to you about something.”
he nods, “shoot. umekaka-onigiri for kimura!”
“it’s about atsumu.”
he stops before turning to you slowly. “... let’s wait until i close, yeah? happy to wait for another hour or so?”
“take your time.”
time passes quickly among the quiet vocaloid music and the volleyball game that played on the tv overhead, as well as the multitude of customers that came and went. osamu gave you complimentary onigiris while you waited and despite your initial denial of the free food, you had to give in to the soft smell of caramelised rice and sesame oil. 
it was well past seven o’clock by the time osamu was able to speak to you, but at least you were well fed while you waited. 
“sorry about that,” osamu apologises, untying his apron and placing a cup of hot green tea in front of you. “what did you want to talk about?”
at that moment, you want to scream at the universe. of course, you’re stuck with the annoying stuck up brat instead of the sweet chef that sat in front of you. 
“don’t worry about it,” you smile, wrapping your hands around the warm cup. “atsumu… has he ever been in any bad romantic relationships?”
he doesn’t respond directly, instead chuckling and asking, “you’re the girl he’s seeing, aren’t you? the hard-headed one? what does he call you again? oh, ‘princess’, was it?”
you raise an eyebrow, “he talks about me?”
he smirks, leaning back in his seat and there’s a smugness as he says, “a lot more than you think, princess.”
you take back everything you said about the universe. both the miya twins were equally insufferable. 
“don’t call me that. and answer the question!”
his face falls from the obnoxious grin he once had and settles into a frown. “he was. a year ago, with… tachibana reina, i think. fucking bitch.”
your eyes widen at the sudden coldness and spite that drips from his words. “what happened?”
“cheated on him. treated him like shit. god… no wonder he’s been going on so many dates.” he runs a hand through his hair in frustration. “i shouldn’t tell you this, and frankly i shouldn’t be telling you anything, but…”
he looks around, almost comically, before saying, “i really think you’re good for him, (y/n). i’m serious. out of all the girls he’s gone on dates with, he’s made it pretty clear that he likes you.”
you almost laugh if he wasn’t so serious. “he’s only trying so hard to prove a point, osamu. he doesn’t feel anything for me.”
he sips his green tea, laughing quietly, “i promise he actually likes you. he’s just scared, y’know?”
“from everything you’ve told me? i get it.” it’s your turn to frown as you digest his words. “i just need to take care of myself too, that’s all.”
“just talk to him. really, he’s not as bad a guy as you’d expect.”
*** 
after days of psyching yourself up – only to psych yourself out – you find yourself waiting at the university gym, cringing internally at the smell of sweat and antiperspirant. but all that goes away the moment you sit at the bleachers, the manager of the team nodding in acknowledgement. the rest of the volleyball team didn’t seem to notice your entry into the gym, and if they did, they clearly didn’t pay any mind to it as they continued their practice game. and damn was it a view. strangely enough, you found your eyes to linger a little too long on a familiar blond player, him sporting the number ‘7’ on his jersey. 
as much as you wanted to deny it, it was undeniably cute and inspiring to see him work so hard. but it all comes crashing down when he lands awkwardly on his leg after a block. 
it all happens so quickly; the captain calling for a time-out, the manager rushing over to him and the coach yelling for everyone to give him some room. you stand from your seat, hoping to get a better view of what was going on, and you did. and you wished you just stayed seated or you could purge the image out of your memory.
there atsumu sat, trying and failing to get up without anyone’s help. it was a painful scene to watch as he gasped in pain and exhaustion, denying his captain’s hand and ignoring his manager’s pleas to let the rest of the team help him. 
“hey, atsumu…” 
his neck snaps to look at you, your hand outstretched with a lopsided smile on your face (you tried to make it reassuring). 
“come on, ‘tsumu. let’s get you to the infirmary.”
you help him wrap an arm over your neck as you hoist him up, him balancing on his good leg. 
“i got it from here,” you say to the coach who let out a heave of relief. 
“thank you, (l/n).”
the walk to the infirmary was quiet, and although it was only a short distance, the journey seemed to stretch on and on. the moment he makes his presence aware to the nurse, she fusses over him, almost like a mother goose tending to her child. 
it was obvious that atsumu was doing his best to stay strong, despite how his brown eyes glossed over with tears and how he hissed in pain when the nurse moved his ankle slightly. 
“a sprain,” she says to the both of you, before addressing the boy in front of her. “grade two sprain, teetering to grade three. i’m calling six weeks off the ankle and then rehab for two weeks.”
“that’s… two months?” 
the voice crack is evident in the setter’s voice and he’s on the verge of tears. you would be, too if you were in his shoes. taking one month off to recover is already bad enough for an athlete, let alone two. 
she nods, “i’ll let your coach know. stay off the ankle, atsumu, i mean it.” she turns to you, “you make sure of it, okay?”
“of course.”
you drive atsumu’s car (a fancy mercedes because apparently their team was sponsored by them or something like that) to his dorm, helping him onto the couch. 
“are you okay?”
he nods and you watch him swallow the lump in his throat.
you ask him again, and it’s only then when he cries. you sit beside him as he cries into the crook of your neck, his hair tickling your cheek and your ear as you rub his back. you press kisses to the top of his head, denying every horrible harsh thing that comes out of his mouth. he cries and cries until there’s nothing left to cry about. he cries about his injury and how he’s letting everyone down. he cries about how he’s never good enough and how you deserve better – someone who isn’t stuck up and obnoxious. he cries about reina and how it’s his fault she fell out of love with him. he cries about how he was horrible to osamu, his brother who put up with all his problems and who always treats him with kindness despite everything. he apologises and apologises until he falls asleep in your arms, and at that moment you shed a tear. 
you hate yourself for all the harsh things you say about him behind closed doors. you hate the way you thought of him as a nuisance because, god, he is the furthest thing from a nuisance. you hate the way you used to wish he wasn’t in your life because you realise that now you wouldn’t know how life would be without seeing his pretty face and his genuine joy to see you. 
you move him so that he can rest his head on a cushion – a feat in itself considering that he’s 73 kilograms of pure muscle – before making a phone call.
when he finally wakes, the first thing he sees is you. 
“you’re awake,” you say, more to yourself than to him. 
“sorry,” he responds, his eyes puffy and swollen, and you raise an eyebrow at his word as he pushes himself up from the couch so that his back was against the backrest. 
“you don’t need to apologise,” you chuckle, “anyway, i called osamu-san about what happened and he brought some food for you to eat.”
he’s silent, looking up at you, confusion clear in his eyes. why are you being so… nice to him?
“i thought you hated me,” he says bitterly, his gaze shifting to his hands. 
you falter, and you stop stirring the udon. “i… i’m sorry.” you look back at the pot, “i never… i never hated you.”
he scoffs in disbelief, “you did. i know you did.”
“i didn’t,” you respond firmly, moving to pour the udon into a large bowl, “i didn’t hate you. i think i hated the idea that you were using me, or something.” you sprinkle some spring onions over the udon before topping it up with an egg and the tempura that osamu helped you fry earlier. “that’s what you wanted, isn’t it? this entire thing is a game – a bet – to boost your ego.” he’s quiet as you talk, and you sigh in both frustration and regret. “but i never hated you. and i’m sorry that you felt like i did.”
you place the bowl in front of him on the coffee table, wiping your hands on your pants awkwardly. “um, yeah… i’m gonna clean up now so… call me when you need me, i guess.” 
“can you stay here?” atsumu asks suddenly, and you nod. 
“sure.”
*** 
despite all your protests and your pleas, you, osamu, and atsumu walk into the university gym four weeks later. well, it wasn’t so much walking for atsumu as it was wheeling him through the glass sliding doors. that was your condition for him to enter the gym: for him to sit in a wheel chair while you wheel him around. sure, wheeling around a man the size of atsumu isn’t what you would consider to be fun, but the doctor did call for at least six weeks off the injury, and you weren’t about to be scolded by a medical personnel. osamu tags along with you, saying that he wanted to ‘see his brother in his misery’. 
cheers and greetings from the team flood your ears, and you grin happily at all of them. of course, sakusa wastes no time in shooting sarcastic comments to atsumu, but you know that deep down he’s happy that his friend is doing okay with his injury. hinata and bokuto are beyond excited, high-fiving atsumu and telling him that they can’t wait for him to get back onto the court. meian scolds atsumu lightly for not taking care of himself, but he turns to you with a grateful smile. 
you smile at the scene, standing off to the side with a few other people as you watch everyone reconnect with their ‘long lost team member’ when you notice osamu’s face fall. his expression hardens and he narrows his eyes at the door. 
“osamu, what–”
one look at the gym doors is enough to make your heart fall as a tall girl stands at the entrance. it’s almost impossible to miss her – what, with her obnoxious outfit that doesn’t fit a university gym in the slightest – as she looks around the gym with a raised eyebrow. it’s only when she sees atsumu does her expression change into a ridiculous tear-stricken look, her eyebrows knitting together as her brilliant blue eyes well with tears. 
“atsumu!” she cries, and everyone turns around as her high-pitched voice enters their ears. 
meian blinks in confusion before turning to atsumu, whose face is now pale white before settling into a frown. 
“atsumu-san, who is that?”
“tachibana reina,” osamu scowls, stepping in front of his brother protectively. “what the hell are you doing here?”
tachibana sniffs before wiping a stray tear off from her cheek. “i heard that atsumu-chan was injured so i came right away!”
you grit your teeth, moving to stand beside the onigiri-maker. “he was injured four weeks ago. if you really did care, you would have at least called earlier.”
her expression shifts in an almost comical way, an eyebrow raising at you and she speaks as if you burned her. “who are you?”
“we could ask you the same question,” sakusa spits back, lifting his mask up to cover his face as he expresses his hostility. 
samson foster, the coach of msby, steps forward to meet with tachibana, and you can tell that he isn’t at all pleased. first of all, she decides to wear three-inch high heels into a gym, proceeds to jump herself onto an injured team member, and she didn’t even ask to visit from one of the team or staff members. 
you crouch beside atsumu so that you can look in his eyes as you ask him, “you want to go now?”
he swallows thickly, eyes flicking to where tachibana stands, before nodding. “yeah.” he looks away from you when he says it. 
“okay.”
you nod in acknowledgement to the rest of the team, osamu saying that he wanted to be with the team in hopes to diffuse the situation and in hopes of sending tachibana packing. sakusa raises an eyebrow at you and you smile reassuringly, mouthing the words, ‘i’ll text you later’, which he responds with a nod of his own. 
“she has some nerve,” you comment as you drive through the freeway. “coming all the way here, i mean. she’s already done so much to hurt you and she just pops in from out of the blue?” you scoff, shaking your head as you indicate left to reach the exit. “i’ve only met her for ten seconds and i already hate her. how did you even survive dating her for as long as you did?”
he chuckles from beside you, “i guess we all make bad dating mistakes.”
“she’s the worst.” you roll your eyes, pulling up to his driveway. “you have the patience of a fucking saint.”
you help him into his apartment, quietly hoping that the issue at the gym has been diffused. you doubt it, considering the stories atsumu has told you about his lying ex-girlfriend, but you had to hope for the best. 
“regardless of whether or not she actually cares for you, her actions were uncalled for.” you continue as you prop up your laptop on the coffee bench. “did you see osamu’s face?”
he laughs loudly, moving to sit closer next to you. “he has a dumb face.”
“you have the same face!” you cry out, clapping him on the shoulder. “anyway, i have an exam in a couple days, so hush.”
he shoots you another cheeky grin and you condemn the way your heart stutters in your chest.  
“anything you say, princess.”
*** 
“welcome back,” coach foster chuckles, clapping atsumu on the back as he walks into the gym. “your ankle all good? you went to all your rehab sessions, right?”
“o’course!” atsumu grins, stumbling a little from the force of the clap. “(Y/N) wouldn’t let me skip any even if i wanted to.”
bokuto snickers, “oh yeah, your girlfriend!”
atsumu chuckles at his friends words, waving them off. “nah, she’s not my girlfriend.”
“but you like her, right?” hinata is quick to respond, wiggling his brows. “even sakusa likes her!”
atsumu’s face morphs into a betrayed one as he wails teasingly, drooping and arm over his friend. “no, omi-omi, how could you do this to me?!”
“get off.” sakusa grumbles not unkindly. “you smell.”
“oi, i showered!”
while atsumu was living his life, you were tempted to stay at home for a week while your mourned. what exactly were you mourning though? simple: the fact that you were very much gaining feelings for miya atsumu. in other words, you were wallowing in your misery. this wasn’t supposed to happen. you weren’t supposed to let him win. 
“it’s really not that bad,” sakura offers, patting your head sympathetically. “i know it’s not ideal-”
“not ideal?” you demand, bringing your head up fro your pillows to glare at her. “this is, like, the worst thing that could happen!”
“i think you’re overreacting,” aneko offers from the otherside of the couch, rolling her eyes when your bury your face into the pillow in your arms again. 
“i’m not overreacting,” you groan, words muffled by the pillows. you lift your head up once again and you scrunch your face in frustration. “he’s- he’s- this entire thing is a game to him! he doesn’t even like me!”
“i really doubt that,” sakura says gently, rubbing your back. “i know it might seem like he’s an asshole, but he’s a really nice person.”
aneko snorts, “i don’t think you need to tell her that.”
“i hate you both!” you complain, flopping backwards in your agitation. “he’s going to break my heart.”
your friends exchange looks before aneko pipes up once again. “maybe you should talk to him about it.”
“as if!” you snap, crossing your arms over your chest. “he’s just going to rub it in my face.”
sakura squeezes your shoulder reassuringly. “sweetie, i really don’t think he’d do that.”
“but you don’t know if he will or not!” you let out another scream into your pillow, tears prickling your eyes. “how could i be so- so- so stupid?!”
“you’re not being stupid. it’s normal to catch feelings and you shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. atsumu probably feels the same way.”
you roll your eyes, “yeah, right. he thought i hated him for the longest time.”
“but you made up for it,” aneko responds without missing a beat. “you literally stayed with him almost the entire time he was healing. and now, he’s back on the court doing better than ever.”
“not to mention the fact that you guys literally hang out every single day. it’s getting kind of lonely here,” sakura teases, ruffling your hair. “look, if atsumu doesn’t like you back, that just shows how much of a dick he is and is just a red flag avoided. it’s a win-win situation. you literally cannot lose.”
“she has a point, y’know,” aneko chuckles, “no matter what happens, you’d be the winner.”
“i guess so… ugh, why does this all have to be so confusing?”
“how about you tell him how you feel during his next game,” aneko suggests, pulling out her phone. “see, look, it says that they have a game next week. why don’t you tell him then?”
you nod, jumping to your feet in determination. “i can do this.”
***
you cannot do this.
there you sit on the last day of june, coincidentally also the last game of the season, palms hot and sweaty as you ruminate on whatever you’re going to do after the game is over. atsumu is performing as well as ever – sets dangerously accurate, serves powerful and as strategic as usual – and you can’t help the way your eyes are trained on him. it’s almost as if you couldn’t avert your eyes no matter how much you wanted to. even still, your heart is pounding in your chest (not because you were invested in the game) and you had half the mind to leave the stadium. only, that wasn’t an option because atsumu already spotted you in the crowd. why did you let your dumb friends convince you to do this?
the whistle sounds, bringing your out of your thoughts and you glance at the score board. 25 - 19, in favour of the jackals. both teams were filtering out of the gym as well as the spectators in the stands and you follow suit, squeezing through the throngs of people. you toss between leaving and staying again as you navigate through the crowds – maybe you can run from your problems? – only to quite literally run into your problem. 
an ugly squawk escapes your lips and you cringe internally. ‘how romantic,’ you scoff to yourself sarcastically as you rub your forehead. 
“oof, sorry, princess, are you okay?” atsumu steadies you in an instant, pushing your hair back to survey the damage. “no bruises?”
you let out an airy laugh. “no harm done. congrats on your win.”
he grins, winking, “anything for you, princess.” he pauses, looking you up and down. “what are you doing here?”
“nothing!” you reply quickly, and you kick yourself internally for being awkward. “uh… nothing.”
he hums in amusement, “so you only came here for the fun of it?”
you wonder how your roommates would react if you came back to the flat still single. would it be worth leaving right now? you’re only delaying the inevitable, you hear aneko’s voice in your head and you cringe because you can imagine her saying it in that disappointed motherly voice she uses. you can imagine sakura nodding beside her, giving you a look that screamed you’re a right idiot.
“i wanted to talk to you,” you find yourself saying, wringing your hands in anxiety. “you should change first. and shower.”
he throws his head back and laughs. “yeah, i’ll see you in a bit.”
a bit passes by quicker than expected with sakusa kiyoomi leaving the changing room’s first and nodding at you in respect, followed by hinata and bokuto who grin wildly and pat you on the shoulder before meeting their respective rides (you recognise one to be kageyama tobio, the setter for another volleyball team but the other is equally as attractive with dark hair and glasses framing his blue eyes). the rest of the team emerges from the showers, chattering away and obviously pumped about their win. you hear someone – their captain? – yell about drinks to which the remaining people there agree heartily, but you feel an arm rest on your shoulder.
“sorry, guys, but i have plans with this lovely lady. maybe next time!” he grins, propping his sports bag securely on his shoulder before walking you out.
“i- wait, ‘tsumu, if you have plans-”
his smile widens at the nickname and his hand moves to rest at your waist. “i do have plans! with you!”
your cheeks burn at his words and you laugh in response. you glance at him from the corner of your eye and he seems to be at ease. his hand brushes against yours for a seconds and you swallow thickly – are you reading too much into things? a breath escapes your lips as the two of you walk around the city, the moon appearing from behind some clouds as you do. for someone who was just running around wildly on a court, atsumu was certainly energetic. 
“remember this place?” he asks, moving to stand between you and the road. 
you only just realise your surroundings and you chuckle once you see the all too familiar street you were currently standing on. “of course i do.”
he laughs, throwing his head back, and you think it’s one of the nicest sounds you’ve ever heard. 
the towering building that holds the renowned ise sueyoshi looms over the two of you, and you can’t help but feel nostalgic. the bright lights of the building shines through the windows and you can see the pale orange light against the inky blue sky. the kanji for the building is lit up in bright yellow, and you wouldn’t be surprised if the line was still long at this time of night. 
a short walk later and you’re back at aoyama bridge, the cherry blossoms blowing gently through the wind. a few other people are scattered around the bridge, mostly couples holding hands save for the odd jogger or two. the walk was short – less than ten minutes – and you’re grateful for the fresh air. you rest your arms against the rails of the bridge, enjoying the cool air against your skin. atsumu stands beside you, his back against the rails and his bag on the floor.
“i wanted to talk to you,” you say finally after long moments of silence. you glance at your watch: ten minutes to midnight. 
he quirks an eyebrow, turning his head to look at you fully. “what’s up?”
a breath leaves your lips as your wring your hands nervously over the railing. you look up at him with a small smile. “i like you.”
you expect him to laugh. to gloat in your face. to point and laugh and call you stupid. or maybe to run away with his tail between his legs. you expect him to stare at you in disgust and in annoyance, to roll his eyes and spit at your feet. you don’t, however, expect him to take a step towards you and cup your face with his warm calloused hands. you don’t, as much as you hoped, expect him to press his lips to yours, holding your gently as if you were porcelain. you don’t expect him to bring you closer to his chest, burying his head into your neck as he wraps his arms around your waist. but atsumu miya is full of surprises. 
“i like you, too.” he mumbles, and you shiver from the way his breath brushes over the skin on your neck. 
your heart is thundering in your chest and the blood rushes to your ears. “what?”
he laughs, bringing his head back up to look you in the eye. “i like you, too.”
one hand cups your cheek and the other pulls you in from your waist and he kisses you again. you pull away for air, cheeks warm and head spinning. 
“yeah?”
another laugh. “of course i do, princess.” then he grins, “be my girlfriend? ya can’t say no.”
confusion enters your mind before it dawns on you. you glance at your watch – 11:59 pm. you gape at him, mouth opening and closing as you struggle to find something to say.
“i guess we both lose,” you say finally, rolling your eyes after you calm down. 
he chuckles, taking your hand. “i’d say we’re both winners.”
you smile at his words. “couldn’t stand my charm, could you, miya?”
“as if!” he yells, snorting. “you fell for my charms, too!”
you stick your tongue out and swing your arms. “whatever you say, sweet cheeks.”
he kisses your cheek. “i do say, princess.”
you hum, breathing in the cool night air as you walk. “what do you think, ‘tsumu? waste of a lovely night?”
“absolutely not, princess.”
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quick trivia:
ise sueyoshi: a real restaurant found in tokyo, japan. a high end restaurant that specialises in traditional japanese food.
aoyama bridge: a real bridge in tokyo, japan. approximate 9 minute walk from ise sueyoshi and is actually a tourist destination.
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reblogs are always appreciated!
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flippinpancakes64 · 2 months
Note
Hey can I request comfort headcanons for the cullens comforting a black reader who experiences a lot of racism. I just need some comfort in my life
Thanks✨️
The Cullens comforting a Black! Reader
Disclaimer I am 100% white so this is not something I can personally relate to
BUT I do know how to write comfort so hopefully this is still good
Thank you for requesting and I hope you enjoy!
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Edward:
He won’t fight someone physically
But he will threaten them with violence
He can handle hearing all of the terrible shit that people think of
But the moment that it actually comes out of their mouths, he draws the line
Especially if it’s about something that people can’t control
He asks you multiple times if you want him to report them, transfer schools, or even “take care” of them
He reassures you no matter what they said that none of it is true
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Alice:
I feel like she knows everything around the school
So when someone dares to insult you, she insults them right back
She throws every single thing that they are insecure about back into their faces
I also feel like she has a pretty good relationship with all of the teachers
So she’s easily able to get into their grade books and fail all of them
She doesn’t stand for that shit ❤️
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Jasper:
He also does not stand for that shit
He’s so guilty about his past that he doesn’t let anything slide
So you better be prepared to hold him back
Or one of the other Cullens better be there to hold him back
Because otherwise he will kill someone
Going forward, he uses his ability to make them feel like they are going to die
Like all of the impending doom and dread he can muster
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Rosalie:
She doesn’t hesitate to slap that asshole straight across the face
And then immediately flee the scene
She takes you home, it doesn’t matter what time it is
She hates people who are assholes to people about things they can’t control
She does anything you want for the whole day
Going out to eat, shopping, watching a movie, anything
But after you fall asleep…
She puts glitter in their beds, nair in their shampoo, sugar in their gas tanks
Basically anything that can’t be traced back to her
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Emmett:
Like Rosalie, he doesn’t hesitate
Unlike Rosalie, he doesn’t stop
He kills anyone who said anything to you
The Cullens have to flee the town
And the city
And the state
And maybe the country
He feels so terrible afterwards
Because of him, you now had to leave all of your friends and family behind
If you can forgive him, he promises that it will never happen again
But tbh if someone says that shit again he won’t hesitate
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Esme:
She won’t attack someone
She’s a pacifist fr
But that doesn’t mean she won’t defend you
She goes OFF
Asking them if their parents would be happy, if their future college/employer would be happy
Basically she just threatens to ruin their life ❤️
After that she takes you home but she is still fuming
Mumbling to herself about how can someone be so idiotic the entire night
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Carlisle:
He’s the kind to be very stern and angry
Like a scolding
“It is the year 2024 and you are still being racist? That’s a shame”
He also will not take them as a patient
This is a private practice so he can do what he wants
“Your arm is broken? Hm… I remember you being extremely racist to my partner not too long ago… you’ll have to go elsewhere”
People learn to shape up pretty quick when the best doctor in the whole state won’t take them
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Vampire! Bella:
She’s not afraid to yell at someone in the middle of the school
Being turned into a vampire has given her so much confidence
But she has enough self control to not kill someone at least
She asks if you want her to though
And she means it
If you wanted her to she would
After that she tells you to call her if anyone else tries anything
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mariacallous · 5 days
Text
Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has condemned the “horrifying murder” of transgender woman Kesaria Abramidze, who died from multiple stab wounds in her home on Wednesday.
Abramidze, a well-known 37-year-old model, was found dead by her neighbors, who were alerted by screams coming from her apartment. A 26-year-old man, allegedly her ex-partner, was arrested after CCTV footage showed him fleeing the building 15 minutes after his arrival.
“Horrifying murder! Rejection of humanity! This should be a sobering call … Hatred drenched in hatred, which weakens and divides us and gives a hand to an enemy to manipulate us,” Zourabichvili wrote on her personal Facebook page. “I hope the death of this beautiful young woman will make us more humane, more Christian. I hope this tragedy will not be in vain.”
Abramidze’s killing comes just a day after the Georgian parliament passed its anti-LGBTQ+ law, despite strong warnings from the European Union that it would harm Georgia’s EU accession. Zourabichvili had opposed the legislation, dubbing it a “Russian law” designed to “divide society.”
Adopted under the guise of protecting family values and minors, the legislation, among other things, bans medical treatments for changing gender, “LGBT propaganda” and same-sex marriages.
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, had warned that the law “undermines the fundamental rights of the Georgian people.”
“I call on Georgia to withdraw this legislation, which further derails the country from its EU path,” he wrote on X on Wednesday.
However, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze defended the bill, describing it as a tool to improve the perception of Europe among Georgians as a place of “traditional and Christian values,” rather than one of “LGBT propaganda.”
“This law ensures that a man should be called a man and a woman should be called a woman,” Kobakhidze said on Wednesday.
Double pressure
Gender and gender identity intolerance remain the leading motives of hate crimes in Georgia, according to the Georgian Prosecutor’s 2023 report. Out of 1,218 persons charged with hate crimes last year, 1,164 were charged on the ground of gender-based hate crimes.
“The majority of defendants charged with hate crimes are adult men and the majority of the victims of hate crimes are adult women,” says the report.
After Abramidze’s death made headlines, Temida, an organization that helps Georgia’s LGBTQ+ community with shelter, psychological and other health services, launched a hotline to offer psychological aid.
“We have received up to 16 calls since yesterday,” said Beka Gabadadze, the chairperson of Temida, adding that callers had asked: “If she was killed, someone so successful and well-off, what will happen to us?”
There have been three other high-profile murders of transgender women in Georgia in the past decade.
Temida, along with other service providers for the LGBTQ+ community, is facing a two-fold threat to its work in Georgia.
The Russian-leaning Georgian Dream government recently adopted its “foreign agent bill,” requiring organizations receiving more than 20 percent of their funding from abroad to register as “serving the interests of a foreign power.”
Civil society groups have argued that the law allows the government to disclose an unjustified amount of information about their staff and beneficiaries.
Gabadadze fears Temida won’t be able to operate under this double pressure and the organization will be forced to close down if the government demands it share its beneficiaries’ personal information.
“This would mean I’d need to out people. It’s better for us to close down than disclose this information,” he said.
He elaborated that the adoption of the anti-LGBTQ+ law may contribute to the prevalence of HIV in the country, as their awareness-raising campaigns could be interpreted as “LGBT propaganda” under the new law.
“Our services aimed at HIV prevention require outreach. We won’t be able to do this efficiently, which could lead to a rise of HIV cases,” he said.
Last year Georgia’s annual LGBTQ+ Pride event was evacuated by the police after hundreds of counterprotesters stormed the site.
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cocogum · 4 months
Text
The Great Wave - Chapter 8 Review
‼️SPOILERS FOR THE CHAPTER‼️
Warning(s): unhinged behavior, fat shaming, unnecessary use of foul language, watch me pulverize a bag of expired chicken trash, aurora slander, no one is safe, cyberbullying at its finest ✨
I never thought I would have laughed at the beginning of this chapter.
Like I legit goofed off when I read it no joke.
We come back to Amalia and the beginning of her “fight” against the professional clowns and fatty is telling trophy daughter to get away.
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No, come closer Aurora. For once, be an independent woman and don’t listen to your father. You got this honey, get A LOT closer 🥰🥰🥰
Oh my gosh, and she did!
She actually got closer! Good for you, Aurora, you’re such a good girl!
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Eyo what.
I did not just hear this bitch say “I won’t run away”. Did I hear that right?
This is coming from the cunt who ran away from HER HUSBAND’S PEOPLE’S FUCKING WAR who’s saying that??
This is coming from the blue-skinned mc fry chicken-looking ass who listened to her daddy tell he to run away from a war but disobeys him when he tells her to not fight another woman?
Aurora.
You’d rather disobey your daddy to fight an experienced adventurous heroine but you’d listen to him when he tells you to flee from a war you were supposed to stay in?
This bitch is clinically slow.
Please lord, let this be a foreshadowing that she’ll actually die when she fights Amalia. 🙏🙏
And then you got her DUMB ASS turning into a Temu version of Echo saying:
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Man, SHUT YOUR STUPID MICKEY ASS UP BITCH THOUGHT SHE WAS THE SHIT TALKING LIKE THAT‼️‼️‼️‼️
WHERE WERE YOU WHEN THEY NEEDED THAT ENERGY DURING THE WAR?!??
HOE THOUGHT IT WAS QUIRKY TO ACT UP LIKE THIS‼️‼️ AS IF IT WAS FUCKING APPROPRIATE ⁉️⁉️⁉️⁉️
THIS U?
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Nah. Amalia cook her up.
Fry her up into that McDonald’s Angus sandwich they took out from the menu AND LEMME EAT THAT SHIT RIGHT AFTER IT-
Literally what the fuck is wrong with this blue hoe. She uses her anger like that towards Amalia but not when it’s necessary???
How?? How does she think like that?
She did not do shit during the war and ran away because she said she was pregnant and did not want to fight and yet here she is saying she’s ready to brawl with Amalia while being pregnant. This doesn’t do shit for her cuz this is just implying that she was fully capable of defending the sadidas during the war!!
WHAT??????
AURORA WHAT MADE YOU THINK YOU COULD TALK LIKE THAT, YOU ONLY LOOK EVEN WORSE‼️‼️
Aurora is yapping as if she can efficiently win this.
Meanwhile, you got Amalia over here, who fought straight-up divinities: she fought against Harebourg, an infamous demigod xelor before he ran away, damaged Jiva's hands, the month protector of Javian, was able to momentarily restrain Oropo, a demigod copy of Yugo, managed to beat Black Bump, the demigod feca, by partnering up with Yugo, and stood her ground against a freaking necrome (a necrome is not a divinity but it technically stays "alive" for eternity).
Aurora has no brain cells, doesn't watch what the hell she's saying more than half the time, has no experience in battle, her pregnancy is the only thing relevant about her, lies for the sake of lying, and has a hideous bird transformation.
Because let's talk about it.
This might just be the ugliest bird transformation I have ever seen in my life. It’s not even pretty at all. Look at how her fingers turn into vulture claws and those feathers just sprouting out of her shoulders and arms.
Echo did it far better than her because her transformation was actually elegant and sublime. Meanwhile, you got Aurora’s slow-ass vulture transformation where she looks like she’s about to take a shit in that panel. Her head is lowered down, her face is hiding behind her hair, her body is shaking, her shoulders going back, and her hands trembling, yeah she’s definitely shitting herself just to do this transformation. Even Efrim’s paws are cuter CUZ HERS LOOK LIKE CHICKEN/VULTURE FEET.
ECHO COME BACK THIS BITCH IS RUINING YOUR FLOW‼️‼️‼️
Also, when you say: “It’s time we put her in her place”, who’s “we”??? You and your dad??? You think that fatty can fight back? Just a second ago, he was telling you to stay back and was sweating like a pig, so again, tf you mean “we”???
Woman thought she ate saying “iT’s TImE ThAT We PuT hEr iN HeR pLaCe” go sit your ass down, you couldn’t even fight against A THUNDER STRIKE. That thunder wasn’t even from the Eliatrope goddess, it was literally just nature that kicked your ass by touching your furry finger.
And that’s the worst part of it. It didn’t even touch your whole body. It touched the edge of your fucking fingers and you immediately dramatically fell like a bird’s white shit.
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She’s such a clown omg…
This ain’t even funny anymore. She really thought she was on the same level as Amalia.
Even fucking Eva could take on Aurora while being pregnant, cuz unlike that blue-skinned brat, Eva was able to defend herself against a sram demigoddess AND escape from a pandawa demigod WHILE BEING MUCH FURTHER IN HER PREGNANCY THAN AURORA.
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Tot, please for the love of god turn Aurora into a soufflé before the sadidas cause a rebellion French style with the guillotine when they find out she’s actual trash.
Aurora is literally that one jujutsu kaisen meme where they go “Nah, I’d win.” 💀💀💀
Our boss queen Amalia immediately picked up on her bullshit and sensed her coming from a mile away even when she was “going fast” while flying.
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And this is literally one of the best krosmoz manga shots of Amalia ready to fucking destroy this worthless excuse of an osamodas.
I swear no matter how many times I keep seeing this panel, my heart wants to pull itself out of my chest, screaming, getting on adrenaline. Amalia’s just so perfect, I wanna be her and kick that chicken-legged braindead woman so badly 😫😫
But sadly, we’re going to have to wait for the next chapter to see this “fight”. I’m calling it like that cuz I bet my whole bank account that it’s just gonna be Amalia pummelling Aurora repeatedly, ain’t no way that blue hoe can actually fight after the shit I saw in Season 4.
And I hope that’s the case because we can see Aurora looking like she’s struggling on the cover of Chapter 9.
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She looks enraged and flying fast towards Amalia perhaps. But she definitely looks furious and whenever she looks mad, we all now know it’s always because she’s losing or not getting something she wants.
So yes, Amalia, destroy this wench.
Meanwhile, Yugo’s tasting what hell feels like and my god that crater looks even bigger when we get close up…
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What I especially loved about this chapter, was that we finally got another interaction between Yugo and Adamaï, this time more personal and something that felt like their dynamic from Season 2. It’s sad to know that their bond won’t be the same as it was before even when they have finally reunited and forgiven each other.
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But this scene gave me hope that their brotherly bond has not entirely been washed away from the years of being apart.
Adamaï still cares for him a great deal and Season 4 was able to show it. And this chapter did the same thing.
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This is heartbreaking too look at.
Yugo’s face when he hears him say that, is the look of realization, you can tell his heart just squeezed at his words.
It’s been so long since Adamaï told him these words. He didn’t even say them in Season 4 when they were both reconciling.
Adamaï actually had a really good idea to solve this issue. A temporary solution if you will. Since they’re both primordial twins of the Eliatrope goddess, it was very clever of him to deduce that they should both share the pain of the belladone poison!
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Ad can actually impress us when he wants to damn…
Yugo refuses at first but realizes that since they don’t have any other options, he accepts.
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(*i just now realized how big Adamaï’s hands looked in this shot. Damn. Imagine getting choked by that-*)
This whole scene, I genuinely felt the bond they used to share back in Seasons 1 and 2. The way Yugo completely relies on Adamaï for any decision that they make together and Adamaï being the one who highlights the issue at hand before coming up with a solution for the both of them.
And ngl, it actually felt very refreshing to see this change.
And here’s the shot guys.
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This is the shot we’ve been waiting to see ever since that damn great wave webtoon trailer came out!!
I like how some of us collectively agreed that this was the moment where Yugo created the wave but I’m so happy it wasn’t the case. Because if it did happen like this, the timing would have felt way too forced and rushed. Now I’m just happy Yugo won’t have to cough up blood all the damn time (even tho I like that idea so much cuz Yugo suffering is something i KNOW we all want cuz god zammnn-) because he’ll actually be able to be balanced and stable for now.
Now that the link has been made, Adamaï lets Yugo know that they should move somewhere else to not cause any other damage to the kingdom which is another great idea (Adamaï’s all fired up with good ideas today lol)
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ARE THEY IN SPACE?!!?!?!!
LITERALLY SLOW DOWN, YOU GUYS ARE ZIGZAGGING EVERYWHERE WAIT-
I believe there is a way to find a cure for the Belladone poison. Based on what I found, the poison doesn’t seem to have any remedy since it’s such a deadly substance to drink but I believe they could be able to find something that could potentially help Yugo and Adamaï get rid of it from their systems.
For example, the same thing happened to Amalia back in Season 1. Not only did she get bit by a demonic rose known to have been created to hurt Jiva, one of the month protectors of the world of twelve, but she ended up being fine once the others found a cure for the flower.
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Granted, the flower and the belladone have two distinct differences that separate them on their severity level : A) The demonic rose is a flower while the belladone is a berry. B) The demonic rose is a deadly flower that, once touched, can kill you in under a day while the belladone, once eaten, can kill you in under a few seconds. It can even damage your skin if you hold one for too long.
Even so, it doesn’t change the fact that if an infamous red flower that has impacted a divinity can be cured, then so can the belladone.
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These two are pure morons.
It doesn’t matter when or where they are, they’ll still smirk and come up with dumb jokes even when they’re in pain like this.
Adamaï’s over here treating this like “training”. I have no idea if he said that to lighten the mood when he realized they were somewhat stable now that they shared the pain or if it was just because he genuinely tested this like training to see if they could withstand the pain together.
Either way, they’re both idiots and brothers for life. Brothers who smile even when they’re not sure about the pain.
Extra: let’s just enjoy more pained yugo expressions lol
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bigalockwood · 1 month
Note
First of all: I hope you're having a good day!😊
Wilmon💜 + "Are you afraid?"
Thank you Sari. I hope you’re having a good day too 💜💜
“Are you afraid?” Simon asked Wille, gripping his hand like his life depended on it, clearly afraid himself.
Wille was staring unseeingly out of the car, feeling like his heart was going to beat out of his chest, escape his body and run away, maybe even cross the ocean to flee the conversation he was so nervous about.
He gave a short nod, then sighed and scooted closer to Simon, even though he couldn’t really get closer due to the seatbelt, and said, “I am, so much so that I feel like throwing up.”
“Don’t - we haven’t got a change of clothes with us,” joked Simon, running a shaky hand through Wille’s hair, pressing a kiss against his shoulder, lingering there to breathe Wille in.
They’d met at a charity gala, Wille Crown Prince, Simon one of the musicians providing entertainment that night, and oh, had Wille been entertained - so entertained, in fact, that he’d asked a still sleep-drunk and sex-haired Simon the next morning if he’d consider going on a date with him.
Simon had said yes and so here they were, nervous as fuck, because it was always nerve-wrecking to meet your partner’s parents, but even more so if they were royalty, and your boyfriend not out yet - but they were going to handle it, like they handled everything, the long distance periods, their clashing schedules, the secrecy they’d been keeping so far - because as long as it was them, it was good, and that was all they needed.
(Send me a sentence and I’ll write the next five! If you want to check out my other six sentence stories…
“This doesn’t smell right”
“We won’t make it out of here if we don’t work together”
“I saw this and it made me think of you”
“There’s no way this could go wrong, right?”)
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the7thheroine · 10 months
Text
Treech x reader part 4/5
no way. FINAL PART IS IN THE WORKS NOW. 😊😊
Your head was buzzing as you attempt to make it towards the zoo.
Snow came to see you, he’d snuck away from the hospital and told you he had a plan, he wanted Lucy Gray and Treech to have a treaty, an agreement. No fighting between the two.
You agreed to talk it out with Treech, you didn’t want to have cause any issues between the tributes but right now, there was no time, and no choice, there was a night, one night for an opportunity.
“Treech? Treech?” You call no longer caring about the volume. You needed to find him.
“Y/n you shouldn’t be here, your head…God it looks awful..” he mutters approaching the bars reaching a hand through to touch the stitching.
“Careful… careful..” you say gently as he reaches out to touch the wound. “Listen, everything about the game has changed, everything. In the games, no matter what happens. You can’t attack Lucy Gray, no matter what happens, or who you’re with, you don’t swing.” You say grabbing his wrist that had his hand pressed to your head.
“What? What do you mean?” He answers nervously, pulling his wrist out of your hand and instead takes your hand in his.
“Snow, he’s made a deal, he has a plan, I don’t know what but, it buys you time ok?” You say squeezing his hand nervously.
“Ok.. ok I promise.” He says firmly leaning closer to you at the bars. “She’s gone.. Dill, her disease got to her before the game could..” he murmurs.
“Oh my god, I.. that’s awful poor Reaper..” you whisper staring at treech. He nods gently staring at where reaper was laid on the floor.
“Your gonna watch the whole time? Right? The whole time you’re gonna watch me in the game?” He says nervously seemingly even more pale, younger even without his hat.
“I promise, my eyes will be on you and only you the whole time…”
The distance had gotten even smaller as you realised how close to Treech you had gotten. His eyes drifted to your lips and back to your eyes leaning closer.
You took the hint leaning in as well before gently, and delicately placing your lips onto Treeches.
“Didn’t expect to kiss a Capitol..” he murmurs as he pulls away from you. Breathless and holding onto the bars.
I could feel my eyes water, I really don’t want him to die. “Don’t die. Please, please don’t die treech.” You plead, letting go of the bars moving away from the zoo.
“I won’t. I won’t I swear ok? You’re gonna be ok. I promise you I’ll be fine.” He calls out letting go of the bars. Stepping away from the zoo.
The next morning, you sat closely to Sejanus, watching him carefully as he bounced his leg.
“What’s the matter Sej?” You ask tilting your head as he turns from the screen to you.
“Aren’t you worried? You and treech are close?” He asks sharply.
“Well yeah, yeah! But, I know he will be ok, at least I hope… I know that you are close with.. your tribute but-
“OK PEOPLE! Smile, that’s what teeth are for, and reminder! When your tributes out, please exit the room. Get ready people.” You hear Flickerman cry out getting people into place as he enters in front of the screen.
You offer a nervous smile to Sejanus as the timer begins to countdown near the end, you could see Sejanus tense up swallowing as the screen opens, revealing his tribute, strung up on a pole, nearly dead.
The audience begins to chant, letting out carts of suprise and horror of the site and her, also somewhat delighted. Sejanus throws his chair standing up in a range, screaming at the crowd as he storms out of the viewing.
You take a deep breath watching treech closely as he nervously looks around the arena as the alarm blares signalling The games, Immediately Treech is running to the cornocopia as half of the other tributes flee to the now opened tunnels.
What you didn’t expect was, for Treech to separate from Lamina, and follow, coral and her tribute partner..
You noticed Corals eyes falling onto Lucy gray moving as fast as she could with Jessup clinging to her as they go underground, coral barks out a command leading the two boys down underground.
As they make it to the tunnels, Lucy gray ducks into a small hole pulling Jessup through alongside her. As they make it through Coral begins to pace barking an order to Treech.
“Hey lumberjack, get in there and get her out.” She hisses getting into his face.
He pauses seemingly thinking of an excuse, or some way to get out. “ I’m not putting my head in there.. she could be waiting with a brick!” He snaps back.
He’s sticking with the plan. He’s not attacking Lucy gray. Thank god, you turn to Snow, as the camera pans off of them and onto Lamina into the centre.
“He knows the deal then?” Snow speaks up.
“Yeah.. he does.” I reply shallowly staring off into space. “I think I’m going to go and try and find Sejanus.”
Snow nods watching as you gather your bag and walk out of the room. Where would Sejanus go?
After an hour of wondering around looking for Sejanus with no hope, you walk back to the room returning to your seat turning to Snow.
“Did anything happen?” I ask quietly leaning into him.
“No.. Lamina she cut down Sejanus’s tribute, an act of mercy I think.. Jessups dead, got rabies and attacked Lucy.” he ponders looking at the screen as most of the tributes begin to sleep.
“I see, did anything severe happen? Brutal deaths or.. you know?”
“No. No deaths that were that bad.”
Snow however began to tense as he noticed that Dr Gaul was asking for him.
“Will you be ok?” You ask as he stands up.
“Keep an eye on Lucy for me, I’ll be back soon.”
A few hours later, snow comes storming back into the televised room grabbing your wrist.
“We need to go.” He snaps pulling you out of your chair.
“What? Wait but.. Treech-”
“You’re gonna see him in person in just a second.” He snaps glaring at you as he drags you through the halls into the streets.
“What do you mean? What’s happening? Snow?”
“Sejanus broke into the arena, he’s trying to give some kind of funeral for his tribute.”
Once you reached the gates of the arena you could already feel the bile rising up in your throat as you watched the gates open.
“This is such a stupid idea, snow…” you snap whispering at him as he pulls you inside.
Once you entered the arena it was dark, pitch black, rubble layed around the entire floor covering it from top to bottom in dust. On top of the pole where Sejanus’s tribute was tied up lay a sleeping Lamina, good. At least she was safe.
You watched as snow approached someone, Sejanus, at the body of his friend and begin to speak to him. You walked further into the arena looking around at the mainly empty arena assuming everyone had moved into the halls underground.
There’s a loud bang, tributes, they were moving fast all at once.
“Snow! Sejanus we need to go now!” You whisper shout as you heard the tributes begin to approach, you had no idea who would round the corner.
Immediately their both rising up and getting ready to leave, before Coral rounds the corner shouting for people to get up and grab the mentors, hopping the gate you and snow make it over but somehow bobbin reaches out grabbing and knocking Sejanus’s over causing him to fall, snapping his ankle in half.
“Sejanus!” You kneel down trying to get him up. As snow grabs bobbin, pushing him down to the ground and hitting him in the face.
Over, and over, and over.
Blood was everywhere. The boys face was flattened as snow continued to slam his fists into the poor boys face.
“Snow enough! We gotta go!” You shout pulling Sejanus up.
Snow turns to you, his face still morphing back from his animalistic rage, as he gets up and starts to help get Sejanus out, Once you reach the gate snow shouts for it to close as we make it out.
Snow takes Sejanus off your shoulder helping him over to a car pulling up, I turn back seeing coral, her tribute partner, and treech. He stood staring stunned, his eyes dark form exhaustion and his hat ripped, his clothes flattened, and dirtied.
“Treech…” I mutter taking a step to the gates as suddenly Snow reaches out grabbing your shoulder.
“We gotta go. We need to get back.” He mutters pulling you away.
I turn back staring at treech as coral begins barking orders again leaving the gate and the exit hallway back to the arena, he lingers for a moment still watching you before leaving the arena again.
The next day the tributes amount has halved, leaving Lamina, Treech, Lucy Gray, Coral, Wovey and her district partner alone.
Entering the main arena was Coral, Treech and her partner looking up at Lamina on her pole. Coral begins to climb one side and Her partner the other, trapping Lamina in the middle.
‘Oh my god..’ you lean forward in the chair watching as treech stands unsure of what to do looking between his feet and Lamina.
Lamina rises to her feet swinging her axe in an attempt to defend herself managing to knock district 4s male backwards.
Suddenly out came Lucy gray holding a water bottle, she quickly dropped it, noticing that the fight was nearly over and quickly ran back to her hiding spot
And then Laminas attempt was futile.
And yet, there was blood, A trident stabbed into laminas stomach leaving her skewered and falling down.
Lamina was out. She was dead. Treech took a few steps forward staring directly at where Laminas blood was pouring out.
Coral then spoke up demanding to find Lucy gray and to get down into the underground, but suddenly wovey came out, slowly and quietly she approached the water looking desperately at it, she begins to unscrew it breaking it open and drinking out of it, and then..
She falls.
(Guys I got lazy so I’m just cutting to the snakes 😋)
Snakes climbed up and around Corals body, swirling over and choking and biting Reaper knocking him and her dead, District 4s boy is dead before anyone can blink, and treech, Treech knew. He knew what they were and he clambered up the scoreboard reaching a height away from the snakes to be safe.
The snakes however when approaching Lucy Gray, did nothing. They swirled around her waist, clinging tightly onto her hips and up her arms.
And then, she sings.
She sings and performs to the snakes of the Capitol.
You can see your classmates tearing up, some gnawing at their nails in nerve. Some just watching in awe.
Before anyone can say anything Professor Gaul storms the room, “Stop. silence. A change is decided, it’s a special occasion. Two winners, only for this game. One female and one male.” She exchanges a look with Snow, something unnerving. Cold. Calculating.
As snow and you are escorted out of the room you turn to him.
“What did you do?” I turn to him my stomach knotting.
“What do you mean?”
“Gaul, she would never let there be two winners, let alone one from what happened with the ship. And the way she looked at you, what happened.”
“I owed you. You came to the arena, you came to the train station, I owed you. I won’t be in debt or let you use me. So I made a deal, two winners. An eye for an eye-”
“What is the matter with you snow are you fucking stupid?!” You snap interrupting him.
“Snow do you understand how stupid this is! You.. oh my god Highbottom is going to kill you… it’s cheating,.. you cheated… what else did you do.. her singing could not of..” you trailed off turning to face him slowly looking horrified.
“The snakes, they react based on scent. I.. look it doesn’t matter what I did.” He snaps turning to you snarling at your questioning.
“Coriolanus snow? Mr Highbottom is waiting for you.” A peacekeeper called.
“Not a word. A word, and I’ll kill you. You’re going to be dead.” He snapped walking away from you turning away.
“Y/n L/n? This way please.” Another peacekeeper called taking you towards the arena.
“Where are we going?” You asked walking next to the peacekeeper.
“The infirmary, your tribute received a serious injury, it’s your job to be there as his mentor and his guide for the game that has just passed.” He answers walking even faster away from you.
Immediately, you made it to a white door. With a note of do not disturb written in bold, the peacekeeper nodded towards you encouraging you to enter into the room.
You take a deep breath pushing open the door, only to see treech sat on a bed, his hat sat in his lap a bandage wrapped around his arm.
“You came to see me?” He quips his voice rasping. “I saw you, in the arena. Why.. why were you there.” He whispers looking up at you.
“Someone snuck in, we were sent to get them out..” you quietly answer moving towards him on the bed, he outstretches his hand and you gently grasp it turning it over to get a better look at the bandaging.
“It’s not that bad, it’s when the snakes attacked and I climbed up the board, I scraped my arm.. I almost bled out.” He whimpers out his eyes tearing up. “Laminas death, that was my fault, I should have spoke up.” “Treech..” I reach out gently wrapping my arms around his head pulling his head into your stomach, stroking his hair as you stood between his legs.
“I won’t see you again, will I?” He murmurs into your stomach looking up at you. “Your gonna stay here, be a Capitol princess and me? I’ll go home a winner I guess, hated, but a winner.” He asks coldly.
“I don’t know you might see me…” I murmur out sitting beside him.
He looks up at you tiredly. “I go home tomorrow, Lucy grays already gone. I doubt it.”
Before you could answer sharp knock sounds on the door, and a peacekeeper enters demanding your needed by Mr Highbottom.
You look back at treech, his hand still clinging onto yours. As he stares up at you. You gently release his hand smiling gently. “I’ll be back, I promise. I’ll be back.” You smile gently walking away as treech watched you his eyes never once leaving your figure.
As you left the schools infirmary, you headed towards Mr Highbottoms office, knocking loudly on the door. “Miss L/n, come in. Now.” You hear his voice grumble, you take a deep breath, pushing open the door and walking into the room.
“Miss L/n” he greets.
“Mr Highbottom.”
“Allow me to ask you something. Did you know.”
You frowned. “Know..?”
“Know that Coriolanus Snow cheated the game, giving Lucy Gray poison and the scent of Gray to the snakes” he spat out turning to look at you.
“No sir… I didn’t.”
“Then I suppose you won’t receive your punishment, however. Of course that means formidably Treech is the true winner, not Lucy gray.” He answers turning his back to you.
FABAHABABA ok. So there’s two choices on how I can go here, and right now I need to decide and write it up, but it can be really sad, or really happy. And it’s up to you what you want 😍. @ch8mpion
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yuriisclumsy · 1 month
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The Witch of the Purple Rose
Last Chapter | Next Chapter
𝗉𝗋𝗈𝗈𝖿𝗋𝖾𝖺𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗒𝗈𝗎𝗋𝗌 𝗍𝗋𝗎𝗅𝗒. 𝚆𝚘𝚛𝚍 𝙲𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝: 2212
Authors note: Long chapter. Do you guys want to know where Amalia went? I could give you a hint... Also, from all the times I've called Venti Barbie-toes, I can't even write Barbatos correctly. I go 'Barbetoes'. yrtfuagwda. PS. if you ever wonder how I do the background, I go in-game and take a screenshot in the location I want for the plot. So, you can visualize the story better (like how I do inside my head!).
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The howls of a dragon in pain echo through the streets of Mondstadt.
Stormterror – the dragon that has been terrorizing the citizens it used to protect – was defeated by the blond traveler who sores above in the sky after the fight with the dragon. The dragon flees high into the sky, leaving the city with damaged buildings to be repaired; and just in time for me to finish my meal.
“Ah…” I placed the cup down and relaxed against the hard seat, “that was delicious!”
Looking around, the area was left with debris from the tornados and dragons wrath. I guide my head upwards to see Sirius gliding down to the City Square, where the Statue of Barbatos is.
…I need to make sure they're okay. Getting up and leaving the mora for the meal with an extra tip, I headed toward the Cathedral.
I ran past the folks leaving their homes to assess the damages to their residencies; some are in shambles. Skipping the flight of stairs to reach the top faster almost made me fall, but I luckily managed to catch myself. Reaching my destination, I see Amber’s worried face as she sees Sirius’s descent.
“Amber–!” I managed to say her full name before the damned ringing in my ears rendered me unable to speak anymore.
This is getting repetitive…
Sirius lands on the ground as Amber, and Paimon’s appearance from her pocket dimension, surround him asking if he wasn't injured. He reassured them he was fine with that smile of his.
Loud clapping came behind him making them turn.
“Well, look at that. You’ve actually got the power to go up against the dragon…” a tall and fine man with dark complexions said, impressed.
“Are you a new ally… or a new storm?” his eyes—eye—pierced through the soul of the young boy.
Hmm, he looks familiar. Where have I seen that eyepatch?
Having my body back to myself, I made my way to the group.
“Sirius, Paimon, Amber! Are you guys alright?” I asked once I was close enough.
“[Name]! Where have you been?!” Paimon checked her up and down.
“I was eating,” I stated.
“Eat!? At a time like this!? Not even Paimon can stomach food during a disaster!”
“Stormterror…is attacking Mondstadt itself!” Amber was worried. If the dragon were to come back, they don’t know if they can defeat him again. “Kaeya, you came at the right time. We must…”
“Ah-ah, ap. Slow down there, Outrider. Are you perhaps forgetting to introduce us?”
“Oh… Sorry. I got frantic,” she turned to me, “as I explained to Paimon and the Traveler, this is Kaeya, our Cavalry Captain.”
The…Traveler? Did Amber forget Sirius’s name?
“This is [Name], she is the Traveler’s and Paimon’s other travel partner.”
“I see. Are you also looking for someone, or are you simply traveling with them?” I felt like an interrogation was going to begin. Are all the Knights like this? Is it in their manual?
“Paimon can tell you! You see, [Name] here lost all her memories, and she’s traveling with us to recover them.”
“I see… I welcome you to Mondstadt too. Even if it’s strange for someone to lose all their memories…”
Is he calling me a liar? I glared at him.
“Haha, relax! I won’t press you for more,” he put up a nice face.
“First and foremost, on behalf of the Knight of Favonius, I would like to extend our thanks to you for your help just now,” he thanked Sirius.
“You’re welcome! So…uh… Where’s the reward?”
Seriously? How shameless can you be?
“Y–you can’t just ask to be rewarded for something you willingly did!” Paimon scolded him.
“Ahh… How about a traditional delicacy, is Sticky Honey Roast okay with you?” Kaeya suggested the reward.
“Ouuu, Paimon likes the sound of that!”
“You know that reward isn’t for you, right?” I said to her, and her eyes widened.
“UH? But I did do something!”
“Like what? Float?” I smirked once I saw her stammering.
“Well I, you know…I…I did something…! Like…Oh! I was emotional support!” She gave me the answer with a puffed chest.
I rolled my eyes. And she was the one criticizing me for eating in a storm.
“Now you two, let’s stop fighting. There’ll be enough food for an entire pack of hungry wolves by the end of this. But now is not the right time. The Acting Grand Master of the Knights if Favonius is also very interested in meeting you, and formally invites you both to our headquarters.”
“So, we’re going to meet a big-shot already? Paimon is excited!”
“When did she say she wanted to meet them, Kaeya?” Amber asked.
“As soon as possible,” he responded.
“Then let’s go. We can’t possibly keep her waiting.”
Meeting with the Acting Grand Master? I can skip that, right? I don’t think she would want to meet a girl who’s lost her memories. I thought as I was dragged by Amber, saying the handbook of the Knight of Favonius has strict rules on not being tardy.
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“Is this the Knights of Favonius Headquarters? It’s so big! Paimon never thought she’d get the chance to enter it.”
“Yup!” Amber answered her. “It’s not often that we invite non-knights in.!”
“Then it is a privilege to be welcomed by two astounding knights,” I said with a smile.
“Please, no need for modesty. We are just doing our duty as knights,” Kaeya spoke and gave us a big smile.
"Hmm..."
If I had to describe him, it would be as a peacock. Such flattery, and a pretty face? I can already see women falling head-over-heels for prince charming over here.
Walking up the main entrance, two guards stand on either side of the doors, keeping guard. The knights, seeing one of their captains, open the door for us.
They are accommodating, even after they’ve just been attacked. +10 points for hospitality.
My good impressions didn’t last long. For what I saw when we crossed those doors was horrific: Knights running around frantically, some citizens complaining, with peppers flying around.
-50 points.
This whole building was a mess. Have they considered hiring a maid? They could really use one.
“We apologies for this unruly sight,” Kaeya sighed just looking at the scene, “This has become the regular ever since Stormterror was spotted a few weeks ago…”
“This is awful… Paimon can’t even imagine how you can all sleep!” She said out of pity.
I think some don’t sleep, Paimon… I thought after I saw a few knights on post bobbing their heads, trying to stay awake. They look like zombies!
“Ah!” Simultaneously, we turned our heads to the noise. A knight had fallen with all the peppers he was holding scattered on the floor.
“Are you okay?! Sorry guys, this is where I leave you,” Amber ran over to help without waiting for a response.
“Yeah…Paimon can tell now why you need our help now.”
“Haha, didn't Amber tell you it was bad?”
“Amber did… Just, not how bad it was,” Sirius commented.
This is a sorry sight to see… I should help them.
“Hey guys, you three should go,” I said to them.
“Are you sure you don’t want in?” Sirius asked.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
“If you say so. Well then, Traveler, Paimon. Let’s head to the Acting Grad Master’s office.” They left to adhere to the invitation.
They keep calling him Traveler. Is his name really that difficult to remember?
I placed my attention back to Amber, who had just finished placing the last piece of loose paper in the knight's hand. She turned to me, as she caught me staring.
“[Name]? Why are you still here? Weren’t you supposed to meet with Master Jean?
“I felt like I'll be more useful out here than in there. Besides, I can’t fight, nor do I know anything about this place, so I'll be a total nuisance. Don’t have memories, remember?”
“Ahh, Sorry, if I offended you! I know it must have been very hard, losing all your memories.”
“Haha…no worries. You get used to it.”
Especially if you never lost them to begin with.
“So, what can I do to help?” I asked, ready for whatever chore to be thrown at me.
“Nothing.”
“Excuse me?” I let out, dumbfounded. “What do you mean, ‘nothing’? I’m sure there is something I can help with.”
“Sorry. What I meant to say, there is nothing you can help with because you are a guess of the knights. It would be highly improper of us to give you something to do! And according to the Knight’s Handbook: ‘When welcoming a guest, one should do everything in their power to not make the guest not do anything.’”
So, I’m basically being called useless in fancy fonts.
“Right…” she panicked a little at my response and thought of something I could do.
“Do, uhh… Do you like reading? We have a library that you could use,” she said pointing at a door I presume to be the entrance to the library. “The librarian isn’t there right now, so you won’t be able to check out a book. B-but! You can certainly read to your heart's content while in there!”
“Hmm, you’re lucky I do enjoy reading,” I said to her, making her wipe a visible sweat from her forehead.
“Great! Let me guide you in.”
We managed to open the library’s door after Dodging multiple knights. She asked if I had something in mind I wanted to read. I asked her if there were any history books in their arsenal. I need to learn the history of this world to pretend I got some memories back. It would be believable if I just didn’t recover them, no questions asked. But, just to be safe.
 Amber reassured me there were plenty of books on history. 
Why wouldn’t there be? This is basically their government. Can we pretend I never said that?
She left me in the section for history downstairs, and told me to knock myself out. There were many things that the knights needed her help with.
I was instructed to leave the books I finished reading at the front desk on the floor above.
Now, I was completely alone in the library.
I wonder how many people would come here when there wasn’t a threat of a dragon. I thought while looking at the columns of books. I need to find one about ancient powers.
“Let’s see… ‘Mondstadt’s Religious History’, no. ‘The Three Clans of Mondstadt’, ‘Old Mondstadt’…‘History of Teyvat’, bingo,” I quickly took it out. I looked around and found a table I could sit on to read.
I skimmed through the first few pages, finding it uninteresting. Until I read a chapter titled: ‘The Archon War’.
The chapter fascinated me. Apparently, there was an era of wars waged between gods, back thousands of years ago for unknown reasons. Talk about power struggles.
Scholars believe it began over the right for seven divine seats. Although the beginning of the war hasn’t been discovered yet, it’s known to have ended five-hundred years ago, when the cataclysm happened.
There were 7 gods remaining after the whole thing ended; the god of freedom, Barbatos; the god of contracts, Morax, or Rex Lapis; the god of eternity, the Shogun of Inazuma, Baal; the current god of knowledge, Lesser Lord Kusanali, or Buer; the god of justice, Furina; the god of war, Murata; and lastly, the god of love, the Tsaritsa; all coinciding with seven nations, which they have dominion over.
They all have demon names… Are they perhaps… I shake the thought of. Don’t need to play detective. I don’t need to know more than necessary. Remember [Name], you are a girl who lost her memories. Play the part!
“Dear me. You look like you don’t like what you’ve read,” a voice said from beside me.
“Ah! No, that’s not it. I just haven't read this part befor—” my throat closed.
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(Trying out new brushes. Still haven't found my art style yet).
That face… I have seen this face..! It can’t be… But how..?! No… no, it can’t be…
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In a place not far from the city…
“Paimon wonders how [Name] is doing… Do you think she ate something weird and has a stomach ache, and doesn’t want to tell us?!”
“I don’t think she’s the type of person to eat weird foods…” Sirius commented and looked to the sky.
But…I do have the feeling she is keeping something from us… I’m sure she’ll tell us eventually.
“You two! Hurry up! We have a few more rooms to check out before I mark this Temple as completed!” Amber yelled from across the room.
They went to Amber. They had been in the temple since morning dew, yet haven’t finished exploring the whole place.
“Just how big is this temple!? It’s been hours! And Paimon is hungry!” She stopped the air. Paimon has been doing nothing but complaining, and her monologues were getting a bit frustrating.
“Don’t worry, Paimon. We need to check three more rooms before we head back,” Amber said as she took out the map of the temple.
“B-but, Paimon has not eaten since breakfast!” She sulked as her stomach growled.
“How about this, I’ll take you to Good Hunters to get a Sweet Madam if you can power through these rooms!”
“Really?!” Paimon’s eyes sparkled.
Amber nodded.
“Then what are we waiting for?” she flew into the next room, “the faster we finish, the faster Paimon will get food!”
Sirius and Amber looked at each other and giggled, running after Paimon.
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razorblade180 · 5 months
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Shift in the town
Thug 1: Come on! *runs out store* Pick up your feet!
Thug 2:*running with money* This would be faster if you took a bag!
Thug 1:Haha! Quit you’re complaining. This is the easiest score of our life! With all recent “changes” in Vacou, nobody has time for-
???:Uhh excuse me?
The two thugs stop dead in the tracks and quickly turn around as they heard the familiar voice of a very famous citizen. Staring at them was the hero of Remnant, Ruby Rose; complete with black baggy shorts, and oversized red t-shirt, and an unblinking baby looking right at them.
For less than half of a second, the first thug motioned toward his knife, then immediately abandoned the idea as the hero gave him a glare that uttered “don’t even” in the most ominous way.
Thug 2:Oh come on! You’re not supposed to be on patrol!
Ruby:Do I look like I am? I was on my way to the store, but I needed cash from the bank. I have a feeling they won’t be able to make change at the moment though.
Thugs:…..
Ruby:…Drop the bags. All the weapons. Do that and I won’t even chase you. Feels too soon to expose this little one to violence.
Thug 2: You really think you can take us unarmed and with a-
Ruby:I’m asking nicely. *smiles*
Thug 1:….Drop the money.
Thug 2:What!?
Ruby:Aye, smart choice.
Thug 2: The hell it is! I’m not giving up this shit!
Ruby:And now you’re cursing in front of my child. Cool… *looks at Thug 1* Could you kindly drop the knife you were going for and walk towards me, please?
Never has kindness felt so terrifying. He emptied all of his pockets and slowly approached, leaving his partner in utter disbelief with her jaw hanging open. Ruby gave the man an indifferent gaze before presenting her child. He was hesitant to move at first but slowly opened his arms. That’s what she wanted, right.
Ruby indeed briefly put Carmine, her whimsical child, into the thugs arms. Briefly was an understatement. The second he got a firm grasp on the child, the sight of petals filled his vision. He had just enough time to look over at his partner and gasp as he watched her face get grabbed and slammed into the sidewalk as if Ruby was trying to dribble it. A heavy thumb shook the ground as the thug made her impact on it. Ruby was already taking her daughter back into her arms before the thieving woman rested on the ground.
Ruby:Thanks. I’ll tell the cops you cooperated if they run your prints. I’ll also keep my promise. Run if you want. Don’t take your friend though. She made her choice.
Thug: W-Why would you hand me the child?
Ruby:You have common sense. It’s why you didn’t draw your weapon at the start.
Thug:And if I chose to flee or try to hurt the kid?
Ruby:Dead. *rocking baby* But you already knew that, didn’t you? Not very hero like I know, but I’m off the clock and a mother now. My child, then my morals. Now then, make sure every thug knows that. Behave and don’t get any brazen ideas. All of you.
Thug:Y-Yes ma’am!
He sprints off while Ruby leans against a building and plays with Carmine while waiting for authorities to show up.
Ruby:Did mama’s stern voice scare?
Carmine:*giggling*
Ruby:Hmmm, that’s slightly concerning. *smiles* Maybe you’re more like me than I thought? Still, let’s have a peaceful, uneventful day. *kisses cheek* Mmmuaahh!
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unremarkablehouse · 7 months
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Respite
PG |MSR URST| WC 1183| AO3
Tagging: @today-in-fic
Summary: Set during S2 Little Green Men, Scully takes Mulder to a motel in Miami to recuperate after they flee Puerto Rico. Once he’s recovered from the dehydration she has some questions regarding his mysterious lunch date.
The air conditioner buzzed in the dark hotel room, blocking out the Miami heat but blowing the blinds just enough to let slithers of light in. He should be sleeping, between the dehydration and the state he was in when Scully found him, a hospital stay with some fluids would have been the smarter choice. Then again, if Mulder had made smarter decisions he wouldn’t be lying in a budget motel with his favorite redhead using his chest as her own personal body pillow and taped evidence of UFOs.
“You’re not sleeping? Are you feeling nauseous again? Drink your fluids.”
Mumbled from his chest Scully blindly reached for his Gatorade concoction on the bedside table and pushed it on him. With a slight chuckle, Mulder obediently drank, he knew not to argue with a sleepy Dr Scully, especially seeing she had just saved his life and risked herself for no other reason than to help him.
“I’m okay Scully, the sunlight just woke me up I think. Go back to sleep.”
Putting the empty bottle on the bedside table, Mulder gently stroked Scully’s hair and let out a yawn. ‘Why did she come?’ His brain was now fixated on that question and he couldn’t stop churning it over in his mind. They were no longer Partners and he had not been a particularly good friend to her since The X Files was shut down.
“Mulder, what’s wrong? You’re tensing up, are you feeling nauseous?”
Sitting up to look at him, Scully inspected his pupils, gently running her hands through his hair more than was medically necessary.
“Why are you here Scully?”
Scully’s eyes crinkled in confusion and a frown formed on her lips.
“I was worried about you. I didn’t know what trouble you got yourself into- I just thought you might need me.”
Grabbing her hand with his Mulder slowly made eye contact with Scully, letting her see the vulnerability in his eyes without the usual mask of deflection he normally wore as a defense mechanism.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a friend like you- if ever. Scully, I’m sorry I’ve been an ass, I didn’t want to risk something happening to you. It was stupid, thank you for being here.”
Nestling back down on Mulder’s chest, Scully made herself comfortable as she replied.
“You’re welcome Mulder, but no more clandestine outings in D.C ok?”
“Fine.”
“Your heart rate has slowed down and your breathing is a lot less labored now, I think the hydration solution is working.”
With a smile Mulder scoffed.
“No, I think it’s just having you here. For the first time in months I feel this overarching sense that things are going to be okay. Don’t take this the wrong way, but I also have this strange urge to protect you.”
With her eyes still closed, a feint smile was the only hint that gave her amusement away.
“That’s not surprising Mulder, studies have shown that our bodies are wired to respond to physical contact after a traumatic event, the autonomic nervous system floods the body with hormones to help deactivate the flight or fight reflexes. As for the impulse to protect me, I assume that’s just a latent Neanderthal complex.”
Mulder’s body vibrated with a chuckle, holding Scully closer to him as he replied.
“Keep talking like that Scully and I won’t be clubbing you and bringing you back to my cave.”
“Don’t worry Mulder, if someone breaks in here you can flail at them with your club while I grab my gun and shoot them.”
“My protector!”
A silence fell over the room and Mulder marveled at how much he missed this playful banter with Scully. Her sharp wit always kept him on his toes he mused, as he brushed an errant strain of hair off her face.
“Speaking of potential threats Mulder, you got a call from a woman while I was at your apartment. She seemed pretty mad; you stood her up for your lunch date?”
Scully was proud that her voice had managed to make her inquiry sound casual, but she was very interested in the details. Mulder tried to fein obliviousness for a moment but the moment he looked into Scully’s sharp eyes he knew she wasn’t buying it and crumbled.
“Oh, that was Becky from forensic accounting.”
This got Scully’s attention and she bolted upright.
“Wait, you asked Becky out?! You know she stole my lunch Mulder!”
Trying to hide his amusement at Scully’s reaction, Mulder held his hands up in defense.
“It was just yogurt-”
“It had my name on it and she ate it in front of me! What kind of person does that? Seriously, of all the people at the FBI, I can’t believe you asked her out.”
Scully punctuated her rant with a hard shove on Mulder’s shoulder, and moved away from him on the bed. With a glare she violently grabbed the pillow under his head and took it for herself as she turned her back to him. With a hard thud Mulder’s head hit the bed, and he couldn’t help but be amused by Scully’s reaction, he liked that this bothered her. Rolling over to invade Scully’s space, Mulder tried to gently touch Scully’s arm but she pulled away dramatically.
“It’s not like that Scully. I needed a cover for my trip, so I asked her to lunch to throw anyone off the trail because she's not discreet and would tell half the Hoover building we had plans.”
Mulder rolled back, lying flat on the bed and letting his words sink in.
“Wait, you asked her out to lunch knowing you were going to stand her up?”
“Well, you told me she stole your yogurt- ”
“Mulder! She sounded really pissed, what are you going to say when you see her?”
“I’ll say ‘sorry’, and if that doesn’t work maybe you can shoot her?”
“Deal.”
With a chuckle Scully handed Mulder back the pillow and resumed her position of lying on his chest. It took only seconds for her to start feeling the sweet pull of sleep calling her.
“Hey Scully-“
Knowing he wouldn’t stop unless she acknowledged him Scully uttered a reply.
“Yeah…”
“I love you.”
“Thanks Mulder. Maybe, I’d love you more if you shut up so we could get some sleep.”
With a snort Mulder acknowledged her request but she could feel he wasn’t finished yet.
“Can you get me the 2inch player from Quantico Monday? I want you to be there when I play you back what I heard, it was crazy!”
“Yes Mulder, but don’t get your hopes up, there was a lot of electrical discharge in the room. We don’t know if the recording was ok or what we can even do with it.”
“I know, I just want you to hear it.”
“Mulder. Sleep.”
“Fine. At least I know not to eat your yogurt.”
“Don’t make me shoot you.”
And with that they both fell into a heavy sleep, their bodies strung out on adrenaline, needing to fuel up for whatever awaited them at home.
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x-bluefire-heart-x · 1 year
Text
Run Down
Hey everyone! So shockingly I am posting again in a very short time span! This time with a Nick Amaro/Male reader fic. This was a requested Fic by @nickamaro who asked for a fic where Nick and reader where chasing down a suspect and the reader gets injured badly. With a fluffy ending. I hope they enjoy it and I hope you all do as well!
Also, this is my first time writing with a male reader so I hope it is okay.
Requests are open! Please feel free to request something I have linked my master list which has all the fandoms I write there, and I have also tagged a prompt list.
Warnings: Violence, blood, shooting, death, talk of injuries, - this all only brief and not in great detail.
Masterlist
Prompt List
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“There that looks like our guy,” you pointed subtly towards a man.
Nick glanced over briefly before looking back down at his phone to the image captured off of a security camera. The two of you had been scoping out the area a CI had told the squad that the suspect tended to spend time in during the late afternoon. You stood very close together, pretending to be perusing the shops and markets, the closeness with Nick causing you to fight a flush in the cheeks the entire time. It was not fair that Nick looked as handsome as he did in the late afternoon sun, the light hitting his brown eyes in a way that made them glow, turning a little gold almost. It also didn’t help that Nick had been finding any reason to touch you, putting his hand on the small of your back to move you in-front of him while moving through the crowd. Or throwing his arm over your shoulder to keep you close.
“That’s definitely him,” Nick agreed. “We need to be careful, we don’t know if he is armed but he is definitely dangerous. I’ll come from the left you from the right.”
“Got it,” you nodded. “And be careful.”
Nick watched as you moved past him, coming around in a wide circle before slowly making your way towards the suspect as he did the same on the other side. He tried to ignore the worry that started to burn in his stomach, he felt like something was going to go wrong but he couldn’t focus on that, he knew you could handle yourself. You both tried not to draw attention to yourselves but the suspect was unfortunately both observant and paranoid. He kept his head on a swivel and clocked both you and Nick as you made your ways towards him. You swore as he took off causing you and Nick to start chasing him, finally announcing yourselves as police and calling for him to stop. You shouted apologises over your shoulder as you shoved past people on the street trying to keep the suspect in your sights. You distantly heard Nick yelp but you didn’t stop to see what had happened as you heard him yelling at people, you couldn’t afford to let the suspect flee.
 You pumped your legs faster as the suspect turned the corner into a quiet alley way. You charged in afterwards, eyes focused on the other end, the adrenaline causing you to get tunnel vision which was why you missed the shadow on your left. You stumbled as you felt something slam into the back of your head and your lower back. You hit the ground, trying to roll onto your back on instinct alone but you weren’t quick enough as a kick to your ribs had you rolling until you hit the wall. Your breath left you in a rush, just as another kick hit you again and again. You cried out in pain as you felt a rib crack with one last kick before the suspect reached down making a grab for your gun. Knowing that if he got a hold of your gun it was over you fought through the pain trying to stop him but he landed a hit on your face breaking your nose and forcing you back to the ground just as he managed to grab your gun.
“Don’t be foolish,” you groaned. “Shooting a cop is not a smart move, my partner is nearly here you won’t leave this alley way alive.”
“You’re partner is still too far away and I’ll be gone and you will be dead,” he grinned as he clicked the safety off. “Well, maybe, never did like cops, might shoot you in the gut. A slow painful way to die.”
You tried to move, to get away, to do anything but the pain from the blows you took made you sluggish. A gunshot echoed down the alley way just seconds before the pain hit you. He had shot you exactly where he said he would. The gut. The suspect was grinning down at you when you forced your eyes open through the pain.
“Such a pity detective, men like you are exactly my type,” he smirked. “Would have been a masterpiece for my canvas.”
“Fuck you,” you gritted out through clenched teeth. “You won’t get away with this.”
“Oh I will,” he goaded. Your hands moved to cover your gut in an attempt to stop the blood flow, you heard Nick’s voice shouting for you, the suspect heard it as well. “I might get two coppers for the price of one.”
“Like fuck you will,” you groaned taking as deep a breath as you could, fighting past the pain knowing that if you didn’t warn Nick he would get hurt as well. “Nick! He has my gun! He’s on the left in the sha-”
You felt another burst of pain as another gunshot echoed. Apparently the suspect hadn’t appreciated you warning your partner. The second shot took you in the arm, you ignored the pain there to keep pressure on your gut. You looked towards the mouth of the alley way as you heard Nick’s voice, though it sounded distorted and fuzzy. You fought back against the blackness at the edges of your vision.  One last gunshot sounded in your ears and you braced yourself for more pain but none came. A body landed beside you, a gun you fuzzily recognised as your own sliding beside you. Your eyes slowly trailed up the body to see the eyes of the suspect staring blankly at you.
“Told you,” you gasped, just as Nick fell to his knees beside you his voice yelling into his radio for a bus and back up. His hastily ripped his suit jacket off to press against your stomach, putting significantly more pressure then you could manage. “Ow, Nick.”
“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” he whispered, eyes searching yours frantically. “I need to put pressure on it. Why didn’t you wait?”
“I couldn’t, that man couldn’t get away and I didn’t realise you were so far behind,” you answered, your hand reaching up a little to gently wipe away a tear that fell down his cheek, your brows furrowed in confusion at that instead of pain. “Nick. Can’t say I’ve ever seen you cry before and over little old me? Come on now, there’s no need for it.” Nick bit his lip as he shook his head, he lent further over you pressing his forehead against yours, careful of your nose. If you could have you just knew that your cheeks would have been red from having him so close.
“You had better be okay,” he muttered brown eyes dark with fear. “I swear, Mi Corazón. Please be okay.”
“What, what does that mean?” you found it harder to get a breath, your sight getting fuzzier as Nick’s handsome face etched with worry swayed in and out of focus. “And was that fondess?”
“I haven’t been subtle you know,” he forced a laugh. “But Amanda did say I needed to be even more straight forward with you.”
“Oh…oh!” you gasped, you thought you had noticed Nick’s behaviour towards you change but you didn’t want to read too much into it and get your hopes up. “Nick, you have terrible timing. Don’t do it now, please.” You reached for him again but found it hard to get your limbs to obey you. The beautiful sight of Nick started to fade and you just had to get these next words out, just in case Nick had to know. “Nick…me too. I…me too.” Your eyes fluttered close as your breathing became shallow and caught on every second intake.
“No no!” Nick shouted lifting his forehead. He desperately wanted to grab hold of your face to get your eyes open but he couldn’t move his hands from your stomach, not wanting to risk taking the pressure off. “You can’t drop that on me, after telling me I can’t tell you how I feel and then just leave me. Damn it Amor, open your fucking your eyes! You can’t do this to me. You can’t leave me.” Sirens sounded in the distance just as Nick’s hope started to die. “The ambulance is nearly here, please Mi Corazon. Please.”
Your chest stopped moving just as the ambulance pulled up. Nick was pulled away, he struggled before Finn’s voice made it through the roaring white noise that sounded in his ears. Finn held Nick as you were put in the Ambulance, Amanda riding with you as Olivia tried to get Nick to focus.
“I have to be with him,” Nick muttered. “I have to. Liv, please. I can’t leave him.”
“Of course, Nick,” Liv agreed taking hold of his face. “But I need your gun. Finn will take you the hospital.” Nick numbly handed over his gun as more police rushed into the alley way, photos being taken of the dead suspect and the blood you left near the wall.
“He was shot, the suspect shot him,” Nick started eyes not leaving the pool of blood. “His nose was broken, the suspect beat him.”
“Nick, that’s enough,” Liv shushed him, her voice soft but tight. Her worry was evident in the tightness around her eyes. “We’ll take a statement later. Finn get him to the hospital and keep me updated.”
“Sure thing,” Finn nodded. “Come on Nick.”
--
Both Amanda and Finn had tried to get Nick to sit down and drink something but he refused. He kept pacing, stopping every time a doctor or nurse walked by him. You had been in surgery for what like days but had only been a few hours at the most. IAB had been by and asked Nick for a statement, which he gave in an agitated way but for once Tucker didn’t take it heart when he saw how Nick kept looking in the direction they had taken you.
“He will be okay, detective,” Tucker had said just before he left. “That man is one of the toughest I have ever met.”
Nick continued to pace until Liv arrived two hours later and forcibly pulled him into a chair and ordered him to sit. Grudgingly Nick obeyed but he couldn’t stay still, his leg kept bouncing and he ran his fingers through his hair.
“Liv, I,” he started but stopped wetting his lips before continuing, his eyes welling up with tears. “Liv, he confessed to me. Just before he, just before…I tried to do the same but the bastard stopped me.”
“Nick,” Liv whispered her hand grabbing his and holding it tight as she wrapped her other arm around his shoulders and pulled him to her. “It’s going to be okay. You have to believe that.”
“Liv, he stopped breathing, there was so much blood,” Nick gasped out, his shoulders shaking with sobs. “He should have waited. I should have been quicker. I should have been more careful. If I hadn’t been knocked over.”
“Nick, you can’t blame yourself,” Liv said. “It’s only the suspects fault, not yours.”
Amanda watched the scene, her own hand grabbing Finn’s tightly. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks and she tried to hold in her sobs. She hadn’t seen Nick like this before. Finn tried his best to soothe Amanda, ignoring his own emotions to be strong for her, just as Liv was being strong for Nick.
--
The white lights were blinding when you first struggled to open your eyes. You squeezed them shut before opening them again squinting against the light. The sound of machines cut through the buzzing in your mind, as your struggled to recall where you were and what had happened. You tried to push yourself up but hands held you down, softly. A voice pushed its way through the sound of the machines, through the confusion, it sounded familiar. Its lilt as soft and gentle as the hands that held you down. Your side twinged when you shifted your body.
“Ow,” your voice was hoarse croaking out the word as your eyes finally focused and Nick’s face came into view. The most gorgeous sight for you to wake up too. His eyes wet with tears as the softest smile appeared on his face. “Nick? What-what happened?”
“Amorcito,” Nick whispered his hand coming to cradle your face. “I’ll get you some water, wait a moment.” He let go of you to reach for a cup of water before helping you sip at it. “There.” He swiped away a droplet of water that escaped. “I’m so glad you are alright. I was so worried, when you stopped breathing.” Nick cradled your face again as he sat on the bed leaning forward to rest his forehead against yours. The movement causing a memory to form sluggishly in your mind.
“I was shot,” you whispered. “You, I…”
“You were,” Nick agreed. “You stopped breathing in my arms. I wasn’t sure that you would breath again. I swear Amor, you took years off my life. Never do that to me again.”
You smiled at him, finally able to reach your hand up to cup his face and wipe away the tears that were falling from his eyes. You tried to rub your nose against his but a burst of pain caused you to flinch away a hiss leaving your lips. Nick was quick to lift his head from yours, fingers running through your hair to try and sooth you.
“Shit, that bastard hit me too,” you whined.
“You have a couple of broken ribs, a broken nose and two gunshot wounds, one to your stomach and the other to your arm,” Nick told you, taking hold of your hand. “The suspect is dead, I shot him.” You squeezed his hand, knowing that no matter who it is it is always hard when you have to shoot someone.
“IAB?” you asked. “They better not use this to fuck up your career.”
“They won’t, don’t worry after they got the report from your doctor they knew full well that the suspect was a threat and he had gun powder residue on his hand along with your blood,” Nick’s voice seethed with anger.
“Good, I’m glad,” you smiled. “Nick…I remember…you…”
“I tried to tell you how I feel but you stopped me,” Nick said raising the hand he held and placing a kiss on the knuckles. The machine that was monitoring your heart rate spiked slightly. “Y/N, Mi alma, I care deeply for you. You have become my everything, the thought of never being able to tell you that, it pained me.”
Nick leaned back over you holding your hand to his mouth continuing to place kisses along it before he kissed the tips of your fingers grinning as the monitor spiked again and continued to do so as he placed a kiss on your cheek, trailing along it before kissing the edge of your mouth. He hovered over your lips, searching your eyes.
“You had better kiss me Nick,” you demanded. “Or I might just go and get myself shot-”
Nick cut off your threat with his lips, that he softly pressed against yours. You were aware enough to not try to move your arm with your wound and you tried to tug your other hand out of Nick’s grip to hold the back of his head but he stubbornly refused to let go. You heart monitor continued to beep, becoming rather frantic the longer the kiss went on, especially when Nick sucked your bottom lip and nipped at it. Just as Nick let go the door to your room opened and two nurses and the rest of the team rushed in.
“Detective, is everything alright?” one nurse asked as the other checked your monitor.
“Oh, um, yes,” you blushed the monitor not slowing down. “Everything is perfectly alright.”
“Oh, I bet it is,” Finn grinned from where he stood at the foot of your bed eyes locked on how close Nick sat to you and the hold he had on your hand. “I think these two were just…getting reacquainted.”
The two nurses shared a look trying to cover up their smiles and giggles that started to build. They both nodded once, telling you that you should try to remain relaxed for the moment as you only just woke up coherently after your surgery and that they would be back later to do a check-up.
“Well, that was certainly the most awkward moment of my life,” you muttered closing your eyes.
“Most entertaining of ours,” Amanda giggled. “But, Y/N I am so glad you’re alright, you really had us worried there.” Amanda and Liv had moved around to the other side of your bed. You smiled up at them.
“I’m sorry,” you said, looking away from them. Their eyes were red, and pinched around the edges.
“There’s no reason for you to be sorry,” Liv said reaching out and smoothing your hair back from where Nick’s fingers had lightly grabbed it while the two of you kissed.
“Just don’t do it again,” Finn demanded.
“As you say,” you agreed. “I certainly don’t want to feel this way again that’s for sure.”
“And there is one good thing that came out of this though,” Finn smirked. “You two finally saw reason. I tell you, the love sick looks you would send each other was enough to make my teeth rot.”
“You’re just jealous Finn,” Nick teased, as he kissed you softly on the forehead and staring at you with the fondest look you have ever seen. Amanda and Liv shared a knowing look, shaking their heads as Finn scoffed at Nick’s statement.
“That’s right, you two lovebirds just ignore mean old Finn,” Amanda cooed.
“You guys all suck,” you whined as your face filled with red. “Except you Nick, you don’t.”
“Not yet anyway,” Nick whispered softly in your ear nibbing at it where the others couldn’t see.
“Nick!” you shouted. “Dude, seriously?”
“Dude? You’re calling me dude?” Nick asked. “After all those lovely pet names I used for you.”
“How do I know they were actually cute pet names?” you questioned. “They were in Spanish.”
“You don’t trust me?” Nick teased.  “Bomboncita.”
“Sweetie,” Liv translated. “In case you were wondering.”
“Aw, okay that’s cute,” you swooned. “I’m sorry, handsome.”
“That’s better,” Nick grinned kissing your knuckles again.
“And that is our que to leave these two alone,” Amanda said. “Try not to set his heart monitor off again.”
“And let him rest, Nick,” Liv ordered.
“Yes Sarg.,” Nick nodded not even looking up as they left.
“Bye guys!” you called, a cheery lilt to your voice.
“I think the next dose of pain killers are starting to kick in,” Nick laughed. “Get some rest amorcito, I’ll be here when you wake up.”
“Hmm, you better be,” you yawned as you tried to fight the drowsiness to get one more hit in. “Darling heart.”
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ladynoirfanao3 · 2 months
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I‘m so looking forward to this Story! <3
Ahhh I'm so happy to hear that, thank you!!
How about another little sneak peek below the cut? This is part of a scene that technically takes place during Dawning Light, where Ladybug has entered the reverse world for the first time, looking for Shadybug to try and talk some sense into her. She doesn't find her, but she does find a certain green-haired partner of hers, instead. So this would be the first meeting for Marinette and Claw Noir!
As Ladybug tried to decide where to check next, screams echoed through the air, and she found herself changing directions automatically to head towards their source. 
Landing carefully, Ladybug realized that there was an attack in progress, smoking rising in the air as lightning flashed and illuminated the darkening streets.
The dragon miraculous was active, she realized, catching sight of a hint of purple disappearing around the corner trailing after the lightning flashes.
She was about to leave when a frightened scream cut through the night, coming from the smoking building the battling duo had left behind.
Ladybug knew she had a goal, and that she needed to stay out of sight in order to accomplish it.
The knowledge didn’t stop her from immediately swinging into the building, breaking glass as she aimed for where she heard the cries. 
She found a woman attempting to fight the smoke and heat to get through a door that was jammed shut due to the upper floors collapsing down from the damage. Ladybug took one glance at the terror on the woman’s face before she muscled through the door, finding and picking up a crying baby from the crib in the following room.
Ladybug swung the two of them out of the building and landed a short distance away. “Get to safety,” she said as she dropped them down to the road.
“Thank you–” the woman choked out before turning and fleeing the area, cradling the crying infant against her chest.
Ladybug flung out her yo-yo and swung only one street away before someone collided with her in the air, knocking the wind from her lungs as she crashed into the brick wall and landed roughly on her knees.
She barely had time to get to her feet before something sharp was at her throat. “Who are you, and what the fuck have you done with Shadybug?”
A man with shockingly-green hair and violet eyes glared at her, his weapon unmoving at her neck.
Ladybug let out a breath, going still. “Chat Noir? Is that you?” She didn’t know much about Shady’s partner from this world, though she assumed he was just as much a villain as Shay had been when she’d first arrived in Marinette's universe.
His grip tightened. “Chat Noir, no – god, what stupid fucking name is that? I’m Claw Noir, and you’re going to tell me what I want to know before I slice you up and hand you over to the Supreme. Who are you?”
Ladybug looked at him evenly, keeping her cool. “I’m not from here. Shadybug came to my world. My name is Ladybug.”
He eyed her for another minute, seeming to go through some internal debate, before he finally released the tension in his body, dropping his baton from her neck. “Ladybug, huh? And what’s a little bug like you doing in a place like this?” His eyes darted to the side. “I saw you save that woman. The Supreme doesn’t approve of heroism around here.”
Anger flashed through Ladybug’s eyes as she clenched her fists. “I don’t care. I won’t stand aside while someone is in danger.” 
Claw watched her incredulously for a moment before his eyes tightened. “That attitude will get a bug squished in this city. His eyes are everywhere.” 
“Don’t yours belong to him?” 
Ladybug watched as he tensed. “Of course.” He eyed her for some time before finally asking, “Where’s Shadybug?”
“I’m trying to find her, actually. We’re worried about her. She disappeared and we can’t find her. I came here to see if she went home.”
Claw frowned, his tail twitching behind him. “I haven’t seen her since she left.”
Ladybug let out a sigh of frustration. Then an idea hit her. “You're her partner here, right? Are you two friends?”
He let out a harsh laugh. “Partners, yes. She doesn't do friends.” 
Impatient, Ladybug asked, “But you care about her, right?”
There was no hesitation to Claw’s answer. “Yes.”
“If I could manage to get you to her, do you think you’d be able to talk to her? Convince her to rejoin the fight with us?”
A lazy smirk appeared on his face. “Of course I can. Just call me the roach whisperer.”
Ladybug narrowed her eyes. “Roach whisperer?”
Claw flipped his weapon idly into the air before catching it. “Yeah, point me in the right direction and I'll bring the cockroach back around.”
Glaring at him, Ladybug said, “You call her cockroach? I thought you said you cared about her?”
“What’s wrong with that? It’s a perfect nickname for her.”
“It's terrible. Never mind, this is an awful plan. I can't possibly send you–” Ladybug turned on her heel, trying to come up with a better idea.
“Whoa whoa whoa, hold up there, Pigtails. No need to get so fired up. I'm the cat for the job, the feline on the frontline, the best fuckin’–”
“Enough.” Ladybug took two steps forward and pushed Claw’s chest, sending him stumbling back before she snagged his jacket and yanked him upright. “This isn't some joke, alright? This is serious, her life might be on the line. I need to know if you can actually help.”
The side of his mouth quirked up momentarily. “You do have some claws of your own, don't you?” Then his mouth flattened, his tone shifting. “What do you mean, her life is on the line?”
Ladybug glared at him a moment longer before releasing his jacket. “Best to ask her about it.” 
His jaw clenched. “Alright, where do I go?”
She gave him one more appraising look. Was he really her best option?
Adrien, her Adrien, would have been the best option, but the problem at the moment was that she didn't even know if Shady would stick around long enough for Adrien to convince her. Not to mention that Adrien seemed overwhelmed by everything he had found out.
No, best to give him time to recover. 
If this partner of Shadybug's actually cared about her, then he might be the best shot to bring her around.
Ladybug turned abruptly, calling out for her power once again. Perhaps, with just a bit more focus, she might not even need to know exactly where Shadybug was at the moment. Trusting the magic to acquiesce to her will, she gave herself the ability to travel across universes directly to Shadybug, drawing the portal in the air in front of her.
When it appeared, Claw walked directly up to it, no sign of wariness on his face. He glanced back at her, a grin appearing once again. “Don't worry, little bug, I’ve got this.” He winked before stepping through to the other side.
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bengiyo · 1 year
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La Pluie Episode 4 and My Love For Emotionally Available Characters
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I genuinely love that every time we get a soul mates show the crew decides to go for maximum romance. I’ve been thinking about the dinner date in episode four of La Pluie all afternoon and feel the need to talk more specifically about this show. Nothing makes me happier in a show with any sort of magical realism than the story committing fully to the emotional truth of every character. We must treat the fantastical as real and serious for the narrative to function.
In this episode, we finally cleared up all the confusion about how our leads were each perceiving their situation. Tai perhaps believed that Patts was trying to flirt with or pursue up to four people: his soulmate, the person he described as cute, Tai the cat owner, and the person he was heard kissing. We the audience knew that at most Patts was interested in three people: Soulmate Tai, Cat Owner Tai, and mysterious make-out partner. It’s revealed at the end of the episode that Patts has known they are soul mates since he took Tai back to his apartment. I’d like to talk about some of the various character interactions with the knowledge that Patts now knows they are soul mates and kissed Tai.
The Letter
First, let’s talk about this letter. It lets us know that Patts is considerate and a planner. He tries to anticipate a wide range of reactions and questions Tai may have, and also accounts for Tai perhaps wanting to flee.
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He mostly tells the truth here, except for the lie of omission about the kiss. He explains that he doesn’t know where Tai lives, that Tai could not give directions, and so he decided to take care of him by bringing Tai to his apartment. He assures Tai that he managed to change his own clothes, that he washed Tai’s original clothes, and where those clothes could be found. He assures him that they slept separately. He says they had no physical contact except what was required to help Tai when he was drunk (the lie), and Tai biting him. He explains that Tai insisted that he not leave him. He explains why he's not there to greet Tai in the morning and lets him know that Tai can leave whenever he wants. He writes that he wanted to reassure Tai with the note and is concerned about what Tai remembers of the evening. Finally, he makes it clear that he’s not two-timing anyone and asks if Tai will let them get to know each other more.
Before we move on, I just need to say that Tai repeatedly trying to bite him after passing out is absolutely unhinged.
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When we first saw this note, I personally loved it. I thought it was extremely classy and liked that it gave Tai the chance to get his bearings about what happened without immediately being thrust into a social encounter in a strange location. I also like that Patts found an excuse to note be in the apartment at all in case Tai wanted to flee because of the kiss or the embarrassment of their situation. He knows that Tai probably didn’t intend to say they were soulmates or initiate anything that happened. He also knows that Tai has previously been completely silent for over two years before the recent shift in his behavior. He can’t know what Tai has experienced but seems to respect that it was real for Tai. I like all of this, because it means that the next time he sees Tai, it’s because Tai still wants to interact with him in person.
The Professor is not Exactly Wrong
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Bestie and I didn’t necessarily see eye to eye on this interaction, but I personally liked it. Film sets are high-stress environments that require a lot of people to work together. Tien has shown a bullheadedness that could get him labeled as “difficult to work with,” and I think it’s goo that his mentors are looking out for him while he’s still a student to get him used to the idea that he won’t always get to work with his friends.
Nara and Dating Someone with a Soul Mate
Nara shows up for the first time this episode, and I joked that I want her to become one of the leads because of how much I enjoyed the performance. Also, she is gorgeous. She’s the second time we’ve encountered someone dating a person with hearing loss, and we see that things haven’t gone great for her and Patts.
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We can tell right away that she and Patts were close from the way he looks at her and the familiar way she says his name. Patts is also familiar with her dog in a way that implies they’ve known each other closely for at least one or two years. After exchanging pleasantries and reviewing the dog’s issues, they get into discussing their former relationship. Nara wants to get back together, especially after what happened in a recent encounter. She expresses that she’s had time to reflect on the feelings that led to their breakup, apologizes, and insists that she wants to make things work this time. Patts, however, does not seem capable of returning her feelings.
Nara gives us additional insight into the soul mates dynamic and its impacts on other relationships. Despite Tai’s silence, Nara feels insecure about Patts having a private relationship outside of her purview. I suspect that there’s also a sense of jealousy in feeling like you’re not the person they’re supposed to be with. She must wonder about what happens if Tai ever decides to start answering Patts and what he may do next. In her experience, Patts becomes lonely and distant any time it rains, and she feels like Patts is unsympathetic about her feelings. Finally, she asks him to promise not to talk to his soul mate, and he can’t do that. This was the line for her, and she chose to stop working at this relationship.
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To Patts credit, he says quite seriously that if he could be cured of the soul mate disease, he would have already done so. He says that his only desire when it comes to his soulmate is to speak with someone who understands him. Later, he also discusses with Dream how Nara can’t handle his condition, even if he hadn’t begun pursuing Tai properly.
Still, Dream points out that she understands Nara and that an earlier encounter may have given Nara hope. I hope Nara sticks around and continues to be treated with this level of grace by the narrative.
Tien’s Awakening
Tien hasn’t had a lot of scenes in the last two episodes, but he’s our primary viewpoint for understanding how sexuality functions in this world.
Earlier in this show, he told Tai to unfuck his own situation that he had already fucked up. I like that Tien recognized that he was having some sort of emotional response to Lomfon’s touch and immediately started to unpack that feeling with direct experimentation with his friends and a classmate. Following the clear feelings he felt from filming the BL short film, I’m excited to see where this emotional discovery leads us.
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I’ve been thinking about the existence of soul mates and how that must intersect with sexuality. Was Tai always interested in guys, or is this just Patts? Does Patts have eyes for other guys, or just Tai?
The Proposition
Patts wasn’t expecting to see Tai outside of their clinic, but he was not going to squander the opportunity. He wanted to gauge how much Tai remembered and where they stand, but he waits until Tai initiates before searching for his answers.
Something I like is that Dream and Patts were going to eat simple street food before they saw Tai waiting outside. We’ll eventually end up at a fancy restaurant, but Patts is not opposed to regular food as well. Dream is a real one for smoothly extracting herself from the situation.
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Both Tai and Patts seem to have a solid grasp of social norms and how to speak to people, so there’s so many layers in their initial exchange. Patts asks why Tai didn’t just call, and Tai admits that it would have been his backup plan; this establishes immediately that Tai didn’t just want to call and wanted to see Patts in person. Patts teases that Tai is different than from the previous night, and Tai responds with an embarrassed request to not discuss it. Patts agrees and resets them by asking what he can do for Tai.
Continuing with the social norms, Tai returns the clothes he borrowed from Patts, thanks him for the provided care, and apologizes for creating any inconveniences. Patts, all smiles, assures him that he did not feel inconvenienced, but then steers them back to the intimate by asking if Tai read the letter. Tai does not reject the implied question and offers honestly that he doesn’t know why Patts would want to know him more because he thinks he might be boring. After Tai nervously stumbles over his words, Patts leans in seductively and suggests they have dinner. Tai agrees, and then we focus is on the Porsche. The two almost hold hands in the ten meters they walk to this car.
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At this point, we’ve covered some important ground. Tai is clearly not going to run away and is at least receptive to some future interactions with Patts. He dressed himself up as nicely as he could, and yet comparing their clothes we can see that Tai’s not as comfortable in himself as Patts. We also learn that if Tai shows any initiative, Patts will move them along. These two also have a strong handle on social cues and can read between the lines appropriately. Finally, Patts is clearly wealthy.
The Date
This date is where I raised my ranking of this show a full point. I like the transitional shot of just the real candles on the table to let us know the flame of their romance has been kindled. Patts went into this entire date knowing that he was with his soul mate who is clearly into him as well. He wants to show specific things in this date. He wants Tai to know that he’s wealth and is willing to use that wealth to make sure Tai has a good time. He always wants to share his sense of humor with Tai. Moreover, he wants to see what Tai likes.
Right away, we can tell that this restaurant is upscale because of the waiter’s uniform and decorum. Doesn’t matter that this is obviously the corner of some nice house they rented. The details in the chairs and table cover for that. The waiter’s comment that the chef has been informed of Patts arrival with a guest says right away that Patts can regularly afford to visit a place as nice as this. The waiter also only gives them a single menu, likely because Patts is familiar with the menu and doesn’t need one.
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We can see that Tai is unfamiliar with places like this, as he straightens as the waiter approaches to match the formality of the venue. We can also see his reaction to the prices of the dishes served in the restaurant (or even a lack of prices!). I suspect that Tai did know what he wanted but was uncomfortable about either spending Patts money or potentially spending his own. So, he plays into Patts seeming familiarity by dodging the choice. Patts teases him again by saying he needs to eat whatever he orders. However, Patts asks to take the chef’s special for the day, keeping them at a relatively neutral place by letting someone else choose their dinner options.
After the food is served (with appropriate wines for each dish), Tai shows good table manners with the size of his first bite. He tries to mask but can’t hide how impressed he is by the food. Patts sees this and is clearly pleased with himself. I’m encouraged that he seems to get enjoyment out of Tai’s pleasure. Patts teases Tai again about being like a shaved cat, but then Tai answers back with a surprising amount of honesty about his homebody and reclusive nature. Patts jokes that he will be Tai’s whiskers, earning him a real laugh from Tai. Tai asks if Patts is always like this and Patts again assures him that this is only for people he likes.
I got a real laugh out of Title’s reaction as Tai to Patts pretending like this meal cost him half a month’s salary. Tai asks about Patts eating habits and again Patts picks up on the implied question and says that he took Tai here to see what he likes because what matters most to him is who he spends his time with. By this point in the date, Tai is clearly intrigued, and his eyes clearly belie his attraction.
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I liked this date because Tai decided to open himself up to the experience and respond earnestly to attempts at teasing. Patts doesn’t know Tai, and so he relies on good humor and his charm to entertain Tai, but both respond directly to the questions each of them poses in a way that’s absolutely a relief for me in genre. I like seeing competent characters interact and flirt with each other.
The Drop Off
I love the drop off because all the things we will soon see in flashback that Tai says about Patts play out here, particularly Patts’ patience.
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Patts has had a good evening with Tai but does not presume to take any of the intimacy they rushed into while Tai was drunk last night. He takes another opportunity to flirt with Tai while Tai ties his shoelaces. Patts also waits a few minutes for Tai to get to his room before revealing that he knows they’re soul mates. The show also takes the time to let us know through the in-episode flashbacks that Tai enjoyed the date and even goes the extra step to have him write the thought down.
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The Soul Mate Reveal
I love that Patts doesn’t hold on to the knowledge that they’re soul mates or that Tai is the one who told him. I don’t think the show could have sustained the complex web of misunderstanding between them. Moreover, this opens them to something more interesting in figuring out their long-term dynamic as soul mates.
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Finally, Patts reveals that Tai told him they were soul mates the night before, but does not talk about what may have become one of my favorite first kisses in BL. I really liked the way Pee shifts his face slightly when Tai reveals that they’ve been talking for two years. We can see Patts piecing things together quickly. He and Tai have cleared things up, and Tai is giddy with butterflies at this budding relationship.
That Kiss
I’m just gonna say that I really love this kiss. It’s so rare that I think a Thai BL kiss fits the narrative at that moment. Often the actors either underperform or overperform the kiss, and it lacks resonance with what’s going on in that moment.
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I like that drunk Tai initiates the kiss, because he’s normally so restrained. I like that his eyes clearly indicated that he was about to kiss Patts, and after the last twenty minutes we’ve spent with them we know that Patts could have backed off if he didn’t want to kiss Tai as well. I like that Patts hesitates a second before closing his eyes. I also like how the kiss doesn’t feel tentative. The kiss is giving, “Yes, yes. I found you. I’ve been thinking about you. I’ve been looking for you. I’m finally here.” I like the maneuvering to the couch, because that shift in positions was an opportunity to break things.
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I like that Patts was clearly about to make a mistake when he started to undress because I like that we know that he's been thinking about this moment for a long time. It reminded me a bit of the Old Fashion Cupcake kiss in that regard. I like that Tai passes out, and forces Patts to reset himself and take care of Tai properly.
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I also like that he didn’t tell Tai about it. There’s so much useful drama in the future reveal. Also, I like the almost-selfish idea that Patts is trying to have two first kisses with Tai. He’s had the, “I can’t believe he’s real and I can touch him,” kiss. Now he’s working towards the, “He likes me and wants to be here,” kiss. I’m excited about what Tai does when he remembers.
Final Thoughts
Can you believe that they ended us there? I was expecting them to do something more egregious to us with the drama, but instead they left us with a sticky situation around that kiss only one of them remembers. Does the knowledge of that kiss sully the date that we had before? Does it change the romantic moments we had previously enjoyed? For me, it doesn’t, but I like that it’s not an easy yes or no. I like that this show continues to explore the idea that even soul mates can make mistakes with each other like any other couple.
Shoutout to @wen-kexing-apologist for helping with screenshots and @yankeebastard​ for watching with me.
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Note
You know what I never see? Malec fluff from the far future. So prompt: Magnus and Alec celebrating their 1500th anniversary. :)
you know what, you're right anon and it should be said! so here because i saw this prompt and i pounced on it cackling. i hope you enjoy <3
-
Magnus stares out the glass and marvels at the fact that he’s not awed by the sight in front of him. Ship after ship stretches out, full of people who have adapted and learned to live on space. This is the last time for a very long time that Magnus will see this, the view of a dying earth as they flee her corpse and the graveyard she’s become. Melancholy overwhelms him for a moment, bitterness that after so many years he can barely remember so many important things. Oh he has access to them, for when he really needs or wants to remember.
It’s necessary though, to dim the most potent and powerful of memories and emotions as you grow older and Magnus is far older than he ever truly thought he’d be. Oh, Alexander— He thinks wistfully to himself, if only his love were here to watch this sight with him. Alas, Alexander is lost to the last minute preparations and necessities as they prepare to leave this realm.
Alec's soul is what they’re both most worried about, though Raziel has clearly given up on claiming it, there is always the worry that going to a new dimension might be waving Alexander’s precious, powerful soul like a tasty snack in front of whatever angels exist there.
Hopefully none, if Magnus is being honest.
-
Alexander and himself have had quite enough of people and beings trying to take Alexander from him. After fifteen hundred years of marriage, you’d think they’d get the message.
The presence of his immortal husband greets him when Magnus enters their cabin. Alexander is frowning at the diagrams and papers he’s looking over, “you’re sure we don’t need some of these?” He asks, not even looking up and Magnus would joke that the romance is dead, but there is nothing more romantic than the man you love leaving his world behind for you.
Though technically, Alexander already left several worlds for Magnus.
His nephilim culture, an entire world of itself. The planet of earth, where Alexander was born and now, the entire dimension that Alexander and Magnus exist in. A little distraction is hardly a burden when it just proves how much Alexander loves him. How much he cherishes Magnus.
“I have all of the things we could possible need.” Magnus promises, “and we’re about to enter an entire new world, my star. There will be plenty of things to discover and use.”
“And plenty of unknown dangers and enemies.” Alexander mutters, but Magnus knows it’s because he’s worried that Magnus will lose him and what that loss would do to him. Not because he’s worried for himself which while Magnus has taught him to put himself above others — though it took a few hundred years — Alexander still has his unfortunate and charming habit of refusing to consider things that might make Magnus sad.
“We’ll be fine darling, our world is imploding. The leylines eroded beyond healing, this is what’s safest.” Magnus promises, “for both of us.”
“And you’ll be okay?”
“As long as you’re with me.” Magnus promises, because Cat won’t be following them with Madzie and their partners and friends until Magnus assures her it’s a safe world to flee to.
“You don’t even know what kind of world it is, if it has magic or not.”
Magnus knows its a little foolish, but he’s old enough to have earned some leniency and so what if he wants to forge ahead on an adventure into the deep unknown.
“Edom and I and you are tied in rules of three.” Magnus reminds him, “a kingdom, her sovereign and his consort. There is no realm I can go, no dimension I will step foot in, that does not allow me magic. We’ll be fine, my darling nebulous.”
“Space travel makes you sappy,” Alexander teases, like he doesn’t adore whatever pet-names Magnus’ lavishes him with. Except for pup, Magnus never did manage to have that catch on.
“Being with you, makes me sappy.” Magnus corrects and then sighs, soft and happy. “Wouldn’t it be lovely to find a world with healthy leylines? We could create a dimension connected to them, our own world and only ever have to leave to places to try new things.”
Alexander looks at Magnus in consideration and then laughs, “you just want to offer your services to someone. You haven’t had a decent battle in years, not since magic is too obvious to use against most starships.”
“Says you.” Magnus grumbles, because Alexander manages to get himself in a scuffle every port they stop at. It’s like people look at Alec and think, ‘oh that would be fun to fight’ and then realize their mistake and run snivveling and limping back to their ships.
Magnus doesn’t get the same decency, he’s too well known, his theories too important for him to be risked in a squabble.
Alexander stays out of the limelight for his own reasons and Magnus sometimes — rarely — wishes he had as well.
“We can spar later?” Alexander grins and he winks at Magnus, “one last time before we head out?”
“Oh, a good luck fuck!” Magnus cheers and ignores how Alexander rolls his eyes indulgently. They both know what comes after a fight between the two of them and Magnus quite enjoys the results of their sparring. “Sounds divine,” he promises and he leans across the mess of papers and kisses Alexander chastely. “Ah, I can only hope for the chance to see you in leather again, not that I don’t love the spandex look.”
Magnus waggles his eyebrows and enjoys when Alexander looks at his own body with a pinched face of disgust, “you wish you could get away with wearing anything else, don’t you.”
“I preferred 3089 over this fashion nonsense.” Alexander grumbled, “at least that was breathable. With these, it’s like they think people can’t sweat in space.” Magnus summons two robes, abyssal silk from the massive wardrobe he keeps sealed into one of his rings and then vanishes Alexander’s clothes.
“Whoever would have thought you’d turn so spoiled.” Magnus teases but it’s all in good fun when they both know that it’s one-hundred percent Magnus’ fault and that Magnus is quite pleased with the results of his pampering Alexander for centuries.
“You.” Alexander tells him, eyes full of a love Magnus never thought could truly be offered to himself. A love that has spanned lifetimes, planets and now, the entire change of their reality and dimension.
Truly, Magnus thinks as Alexander kisses him and only Magnus’ magic keeps them stable as the gravity stabilizers go off for their mandatory break.
It was worth watching the world end when he had someone by his side who watched with him.
They’ll have their anniversary tomorrow, a date that despite the passage of time they never leave uncelebrated and this time, they’ll be starting a new adventure, together as they’ve done for more than a thousand years.
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theknightofivanhoe · 11 months
Text
Justice League: Question’s Hard Drive Ch 3: Rage Issues
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Table of Contents
Helena sat with her long legs crossed, gazing out fondly at the view of the cityscape that illuminated the night sky, its lights like crystals in an underwater cavern. She silently sipped champagne from her delicate flute and turned to Question who sat at the opposite side of their table. Arms folded and facing the floor, Question had not said a word.
“Come on, Q,” It annoyed Helena how uninvolved he was being on this date. “At least open a flap in that stupid mask and have a drop.” she urged, gesturing to the full glass sitting in front of him, but the man in blue neither looked up, nor did he touch it. “I need my brain for putting the pieces of this case together, thank you.” he grunted. “Your conspiracy-addled, ersatz-Sherlock brain?” Helena asked sarcastically as ever. “I know you’re driving, but I’m sure a few drops won’t do any harm.” “I’ll just wait till you’ve eaten, seen your movie and we get back to the flat.” Question declared, only sparing Helena a glance before returning his gaze to the spotless floor tiles. “Nice. Now here’s *my* plan.” Helena countered simply with a granite-hard stare. “You have your meal when they serve us, you enjoy it, you enjoy the movie with me,” What she was about to say next made her smirk wickedly, her ruby lips stretching nearly ear-to-ear and her eyes glinting. “And we call it a night…” Her hints were growing somewhat less subtle, but judging by the shifting of Question’s posture in his seat, along with how he turned his head further from her, it appeared to be working. Yet he didn’t send another retort her way, the woman waiting for him to say something, anything from a grunt of half-hearted agreement to some laughable conspiracy theory that she’d brush off. Next thing, a lightbulb flicked on in her head.
“How about a little heart-to-heart while we wait for dinner?” Helena proposed, leaning back in her seat with a tender smile. Question could only wonder, why did she have to do this, sitting in that position, looking at him the way she was, her legs crossing tightly together, tipping back her glass so she submerged her red lips into the cool, bubbly champagne, her other hand gliding up her smooth, toned thigh? 
Question considered himself lucky Helena’s leotard was hidden under her dress, so he’d be spared the sight of that stomach window exposing abs that would ripple across her tummy, but the sensuality at which she took her drink made Question’s face moisten with sweat under his mask. “You got that my dad was a crime boss…” Helena reminded him in an attempt to get his mind off the mission. “I did…” Question replied, sounding as though he was being interrogated in court. “Well…” Helena smiled even wider, her stare latching on him with no intention of letting go. “I’m curious; what other closely-guarded secrets can you dig up on me?” So she was challenging his knowledge of her even further. Well, dishes would only be in a few minutes, so why not just kill a bit of time? 
“Dallas, Texas, the top floor of the Stillwell steakhouse…” Question started plainly, keeping his arms folded.
“Your father was discussing an overseas deal with a fellow mobster over steak and red, when another gang competing for power made their move.” Helena propped her chin on her hand, listening to Question’s voice like a child being told a bedtime story. Her dark eyes were half-closed in pure affection. “Bullets sprayed the restaurant, waiters and customers fleeing for their lives.” Question continued to narrate. “Your father’s men went down protecting him, but mobster or not, Franco Bertinelli wouldn’t shy away from a good fight. He held his own, taking on the hitmen tooth and nail with a submachine gun. Of course it only got tougher when his prospective business partner decided to change sides and scored a hit on him. It seemed all was up for Franco Bertinelli, and that was when he saw her…” Helena knew just who Question was referring to, excitement faintly sizzling through her. “María Casamento, a waitress who had watched him fight off those attackers, came charging to his rescue. Before your father’s former friend could deliver the shot that would have ended his life, this waitress put a steak knife through his heart.” Helena smiled with a certain amount of satisfaction at how someone who could possibly betray her father met his own end instead, and at the hands of her mother with such a mundane eating utensil no less. “Once he was back on his feet mopping up the last of his rivals and his former friend’s cronies, Franco Bertinelli took one look at María, his saviour…” Question resumed the account, his gaze locking onto Helena’s under his flesh-coloured mask, “He swept her up in his arms, hers weaved around his broad shoulders, his shirt in tatters, portions of her minidress ripped away, both of their eyes peering deep into one another’s souls. María had always dreamed of a chance to leave behind the job she found herself tethered to, and now she saw that chance in the handsome, battle-scarred crime boss who held her close, in her debt to the very end.” Remembering that it had indeed been ‘to the very end,’ Helena couldn’t help but feel the tragedy of her past stab at her heart. “After whisking her away in his limousine, then a jet back to Sicily, Franco Bertinelli and María Casamento gave their marriage vows before the altar in Syracuse cathedral, and as they luxuriated in affluence and the power they held over the criminal underworld, a hot-headed, stubborn, passionate, beautiful girl, Helena Rosa Bertinelli, came into their world…” 
Even with the tranquil piano tune drifting through the restaurant and the view of the city lights glinting outside, Helena gazed at the detective in blue, everywhere inside her brimming with adoration. “Beautiful…?” The word came out in a husky tone sweetened with honey, her ruby lips gently stretching into a soft grin that made Question freeze up. “Wha - what - ah - what?” “Don’t stop now…” Helena silkily encouraged, sipping her champagne languidly. “Don’t stop…what?” Question tried not to sound as though he was cornered, but the woman’s eyes were magnetised to the blankness that was his face. “C’mon, hot-headed, stubborn, beautiful…” she reminded him, waiting for more, her grin seeming to widen by mere millimetres. “Ah - did I ever tell you Glorious Gordon Godfrey was found in Area 51 one time?” A second passed before the grin evaporated from Helena’s face. “...I’m sorry?” she demanded. “I…” he uttered, but found himself unable to finish. He seemed to have realised what he had just blurted out and wondered if it had been a bad move. “Q…” Helena put a hand to her temples in sheer exasperation. “We’ve been through this, like, how many times?” she reminded her lover who just sat where he was, not once uncrossing his arms. “One more conspiracy fairy-tale from you and I swear…” Her words made some guests at a nearby table throw nervous looks their way. The atmosphere between the man in the blue hat and his dark-haired lover grew thick with unease, the sounds of the piano adding to the awkwardness. 
A waiter cleared his throat, cutting through the tension as he held up a dish in each hand. Question immediately lowered his head so his hat’s brim kept the waiter from seeing his face. “One turkey meatballs with puttanesca, one zucchini stuffed with chorizo.” the waiter announced, doing his best to hide his apprehension as he served the former to Helena and Question the latter. “Thank you, kind sir…” Helena’s previously foul mood softened to a gratified smile as she took in the rich, enticing dish placed in front of her. Another waiter poured some fine-looking red wine into glasses and set them on the table before disappearing with his colleague. Helena sniffed the mouth-watering scent of meaty sauce and herbs, but Question wouldn’t move a muscle, neither looking at the substantial slices of chorizo stuffed in three zucchinis, nor reaching for his fork.
“Saved by the dinner bell…” Helena snarked in slight amusement. She scooped a forkful of some of her puttanesca spaghetti, only to notice Question not touching his dish. “Q…” Her voice carried a certain amount of warning. “Go ahead.” Question murmured, facing away from his dish like a kid who wouldn’t eat his greens. “I’m not hungr - ” The fork was slammed onto the table at a volume that made some staff and guests jump. “Q, this is getting ridiculous!” Helena snapped, scowling at him. She could only take so much more of his stonewalling. “Just grow up!” “Anything can happen when you’re being served food.” Question responded, “And it just so happens we are carrying vital information that if -” “Q, you’re offending the staff and you’re embarrassing me!” Helena was only slightly raising her voice, but even the man at the piano grew nervous. “Well at least there’s another thing we’re agreed on…” Question started with a hint of slyness. “What other thing?” Helena demanded, feeling some witty comeback headed her way. “Hot-headed, stubborn, passionate, beautiful…” Question listed off, which got the young woman raising a suspicious eyebrow. “Possessed of rage issues.” This sent a twitch in Helena’s eye, her body going all stiff at two very specific words. The glare she made at Question was even more ferocious than the one she had made when she had snatched that hard drive off him, possibly enough to rival even the ones Batman made when striking terror into the hearts of criminals. A deathly silence pervaded the restaurant, like the buildup to a gun battle in a western saloon. 
“...I don’t have rage issues.” It came out as a dangerous whisper that promised fatal consequences for anyone in arm’s reach of Helena who still sat at her end of the table, but seemed quite ready to punch Question in his hidden face. “Well how many times have you been ready to kick me all the way to Eastern Zandia again?” the detective asked her rhetorically, looking away and putting a finger to his chin. “Oh, that’s right, hundreds of -” “I *don’t* have *rage issues!*” Helena’s anger caused some people to consider evacuating. “And now you’re scaring the guests.” Question countered calmly as if he wasn’t about to suffer the wrath of his girlfriend. After breathing in lightly and exhaling, Helena didn’t seem finished with him yet. “You know, I’ll be happy to let what you just said slide.” she offered somewhat cordially. Question turned to her. “You are?” “*If* you start enjoying our dinner date for once.” Helena stated, obviously leaving no room for debate. Question kept his focus on her, not sparing a glance at his chorizo-stuffed zucchini still waiting to be eaten. “You know zucchini may have been grown by the Illuminati for campaigns in eco-warfare on the world governme - ” “Alright…” Helena huffed, and slowly but surely rose from her chair. Question wanted to speak up in defence, but the way she strode around the table, simply bearing down upon him, left him unable to do anything but stare up at how the minidress accentuated her athletic figure. Certain sensations coursed through him at the amount of control Helena oozed, but part of him also grew afraid of how those ‘rage issues’ would be confirmed any second. Even out of her purple mask, her aloof expression only served to freeze him to his chair. Her eyes drilled deep into the ones underneath Question’s mask, deep enough to pierce his soul in the most painful way possible. Though they were too far away to get a proper look at Question’s face, staff and guests were frozen in terror at this woman standing above the secret agent, possibly about to beat him to a bloody pulp. Some wondered if they should just dive for cover under their tables. At last Helena smirked as an idea popped into her head. 
“Looks like we’re doing this the hard way.” 
Question could feel the cool night breeze nipping at his lightly tousled black hair. Despite the position he now found himself in, he kept his composure as calm and stoic as ever. It seemed his study of that stolen data depended on it.
“Alright…I promise.” he stated somewhat awkwardly. “You swear?” Helena’s voice demanded from up above. “I swear, on my life, my soul and my whole investigative career.” Question listed off, trying to conjure up any more words that could get him out of his current predicament. “I absolutely give you my word.” “You *will* enjoy our date?” Helena suspiciously asked the detective, who happened to be dangling upside-down, his fedora off and his coat flapping behind him. The vigilante herself was clutching Question’s ankles in each hand, standing on the restaurant’s balcony as horrified guests watched this rather elaborate form of torture.
Frowning down at him, Helena was quite literally keeping her date suspended a fair amount of metres above the street below as if he weighed the same as a feather. Would she really let go of his ankles and let him splatter on the road? Either way, Question went on with his vow even as the blood rushed to his head. “I will. I will commit tonight completely and utterly to our dinner date,” he continued to the woman hanging him from the balustrade. “I confess, I obsessed over my mission that I could always resume later, becoming too invested to spare a thought for our relationship, relax, and spend any time together,” Helena warily eyed Question’s dangling form, listening to what sounded like a rather urgently-spoken confession. “I therefore solemnly swear, with absolutely no crossed-fingers to show, that I will, compliantly, and without questi - I - I mean, hesitation, have dinner with you, I will enjoy it with you, then take you to the pictures, that I will let you pick whichever movie you wish,” By now, Question could feel his own brain go numb from the redness caused from being upside-down, but gathered as much breath as he could to finish his words. “...and that I will never let my investigations or conspiracy theories get in the way of our dating again.” Helena’s eyes darted to the side as she took in every word Question had said. There was no telling if he would be true to his word. Obsessions were all someone needed to go back on a promise, no matter how forthright it sounded. Then again, if Question did ever think about breaking this one, at least she could remind him that she might just find a higher building to dangle him from. Her sceptical gaze landed onto her helpless lover, her fingers curled around his ankles like iron cuffs. Seconds went by as she considered what to do next.
Chapter 2
Chapter 4
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