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thus-spoke-lo · 1 year ago

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Are You Afraid of the Dark? // Usopp x gn!reader [feat. the Strawhat crew]

CW: none--just some silly, fluffy, mildly spooky fun with your crush Usopp WC: 2.4k // Fictober Masterlist

“It was a cold, dark night on a deserted island somewhere in the middle of uncharted ocean—an island that, come to think of it, was a lot like this one…”

And so begins a long and scary tale, told with boundless flourish and flawless acting by Usopp as you and the rest of the crew sit around the campfire, huddled close together in the chill night air. You had docked on the island with the intent to stay a night or two, hoping to explore the unknown topography and restock supplies with whatever you could find to tide you over until your next major stop; your task was to help Usopp identify some native flora and fauna that he could possibly use for his ammo. You were a little disappointed, however, when your attempts to cozy up with him and impress him with your extensive knowledge of poisonous plants (thanks to Chopper’s vast library) was met with only nervous chatter and him staying at least a few paces ahead of you at all times.

At least now, as he regales you all with another scary story of vengeful ghosts and spooky skeletons (much to Brook’s disapproval) you have an excuse to get close; it is awfully cold, after all, and Usopp just so happens to be sitting beside you—by your design. Every so often you scooch just a little closer, carefully avoiding his flailing arms as he lets out a monstrous growl, imitating the great beast that stalked him through the deep, dark woods, ducking as he mimes shooting at a looming specter with his slingshot to send it straight back to the hell from which it came.

It’s not until he finally takes what seems like his first breath of the evening between stories and reaches down to grab his canteen that he even notices you’re beside him, your thighs touching and your hand resting between your hips. Usopp’s eyes widen and he makes some babbled excuse that Luffy needs him to help with something (much to Luffy’s confusion) and quickly scrambles off, leaving you alone and a little bit confused.

“What was that about?” Sanji asks, sitting down next you and offering you a cup of something piping hot.

“I don’t know,” you shrug, sipping your beverage and settling your chin in your hand. “Guess something scared him.”

As the evening carries on and the fire begins to dwindle, you can’t help but still be crestfallen at Usopp’s rejection—you tried to be subtle, you tried to be sweet, you even tried to be a little bit snuggly, yet he still seemed shaken by the attention almost as much as you were by his tall tales. You start to clean up around the campfire, collecting errant cups and plates to bring to Sanji, when Nami taps your shoulder. “Hey, do you wanna go see if you can find some good branches and wood scraps? We could use some more to get us through ‘til morning.”

“Why can’t you send Zoro?” A chill runs down your spine at the thought of exploring the woods alone, and you feel pinpricks forming on your skin. “You know—since he has a sword?”

Nami gestures behind her; you glance over her shoulder to see Zoro reclining against a log, passed out and drooling, a few empty liquor bottles beside him and his swords nestled snugly in his arms. “That’s why.”

You shrug and let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “Fine. Can someone come with me though?”

“Why?” Nami’s eyes sparkle with a familiar deviousness you’ve come to fear. “Are you afraid of the dark or something?”

“No, of course not!” you quickly protest. You aren’t afraid of the dark—at least, not that afraid, you lie to yourself as you glance off into the inky blackness that surrounds the camp. It’s not your fault that some of Usopp’s stories were so vivid that they sent chills down your spine and goosebumps across your skin, no matter how much you were certain they were all just bluster. “It’s just, there could be anything out there! Besides, more hands mean I can carry more wood.”

“Honestly,” Nami says, rolling her eyes, “I don’t see why you can’t—”

“I’ll go with you!”

You both turn to see Usopp jogging towards you, bundled in a warm jacket, a lantern held in his hand.

“Oh, are you sure?” you ask hesitantly, recalling how distant he seemed earlier that day. “I wouldn’t want to burden you or anything. You know, since you were so busy helping Luffy with…whatever.”

“Of course I’m sure.” He places his hands on his hips and grins, ignoring your snide jab. “I mean, clearly my stories have you a little scared, the least I could do is accompany you.”

“I wasn’t scared of your goofy stories, Usopp,” you fib unconvincingly, trying to contain a shiver thinking about that one he told about the were-bears. “I could just use an extra hand is all.”

“Whatever you have to tell yourself, I guess,” he smirks.

You narrow your eyes—where did this brash Usopp suddenly come from, when only a short while ago he was slinking off into the dark corners of the camp, trotting away from your flirtatious gaze and your warm touch? Wherever he’d come from, you admittedly don’t mind—you’d rather not be alone in the darkness of the strange forest, and Nami seems insistent that you’re the only person deemed worthy of finding firewood. With a raise of your eyebrows and a shrug of your shoulders, you let Usopp take the lead and you traipse off past the clearing, into the darkened canopy just beyond.

It’s alarmingly hushed in the stillness of the forest, only the sounds of rustling leaves in the light breeze and the sound of your own heart pounding in your ears as you trudge through the undergrowth. Usopp silently holds up the lantern as you search for suitable sticks and twigs, tucking broken branches under your arm while he hums approvingly. As you bend down to pick up a particularly hefty piece of bark, a loud cracking noise from some distance away breaks the silence, and your head snaps to find the source of the sound.

“What was that?” The panic that immediately settles in your voice is almost palpable, and you chew on the side of your tongue trying to calm yourself.

Usopp turns and holds the light out in front of him, taking a few steps in either direction to peer through the trees. “Probably just a rabbit or something.”

Your back stiffens and you stand straight as another sound rings through the woods—heavy footfalls over crunching leaves, twigs snapping and vegetation being moved.

“Usopp, that sounds bigger than a rabbit,” you whisper through a shivering breath. There are certainly no were-bears—not to the best of your knowledge—but islands like these are notorious for being home to strange and unusual creatures of all shapes and sizes, and it seems as though one of them may have found you.

“Aw come on, I’m sure it’s nothing,” he teases, softly punching your upper arm. “Have you always been such a scaredy-cat?”

“What? I’m not a scaredy-cat!”

“Coulda fooled me.” He snickers and leans in close, holding the lantern up so you can see the smug grin that stretches across his lips. “What, are you afraid of the dark or something?”

“N-no, of course not!” you protest, your brow furrowed and your jaw jutting out. “I’m just trying to be careful, that’s all.”

“Well, no need to worry,” he says reassuringly, wrapping a hesitant arm around your shoulder. “You have the greatest sharpshooter in the world at your side to keep you safe. You just worry about finding firewood—I’ll take care of the rest.”

You feel assured, if only for the moment, and settle into the comfortable warmth of his arm around you, pulling you against him. The further you travel into the woods, the louder the sounds of something—or someone—following you grow louder and louder, and you cling to Usopp, dropping your armful of kindling altogether to grasp at the fabric of his jacket. Deep, guttural noises that sound like the call of something wild, something big, echo in the darkness, and a subtle green glow seems to illuminate the forest floor, dappled by the slivers of moonlight that manage to make it through the canopy.

Perhaps Usopp wasn’t lying about were-bears and other unsavory creatures after all, you think as a cacophony of thuds and bangs start to unnerve you, a crash and a boom like the felling of a tree—or two or three—hitting your ears. A low, haunting moan fills the air and suddenly it seems as though the whole forest is alive, creatures lurking just beyond the clearing where you and Usopp stand, a being that must be mystical or ghostly tinting the darkness in neon and calling out for something, a melancholy cry that chills you to the very marrow of your bones. Usopp keeps you close and hushes you, tells you to stay quiet, to keep your footfalls light—he would protect you, and the two of you would survive this hellish encounter to survive another day.

As you cling tightly to Usopp, arms wrapped around his firm torso, face buried in the fluffy collar of his jacket, you swear you hear a soft laugh that sounds familiar to you among the chaos and the terror that awaits you in the dense thicket. You still your quivering breaths and raise your head enough to hear more clearly, and lo and behold, there is it again: a telltale titter cutting through the discordance that can belong to only one person—or, sort-of person.

“I know that damned voice,” you murmur, breaking your embrace and walking towards the thick stand of trees as Usopp tugs at your wrist, his insistence to wait, to stay away from the trees lest a terrible tragedy occur falling on your disinterested ears. “Brook? Is that you?”

The booms and thuds come to an abrupt stop, and a soft “yo-ho” can be heard from just beyond the thick cluster of trees ahead. and Brook slowly pokes his head out from behind a large bush, waving weakly and mumbling “hey.”

You set your hands on your hips and shake your head, almost in tears from how utterly absurd you feel right now, having been bamboozled by your own friends. “Chopper, you can come out too. I know it’s you.”

“No, it’s not!” you hear in a small voice, quickly followed by “Aw, darn it.”

Brook and Chopper sheepishly walk into the clearing, both chuckling nervously as they start to talk over each other.

“It was Nami’s idea!” Chopper quickly blurts.

“It was his idea first!” Brook announces, pointing a long, bony finger in Usopp’s direction.

“Wow, selling me out that fast?” Usopp mutters under his breath, his eyes glued to the ground. “Thanks, guys, you’re real pals.”

You sigh and offer your crewmates a soft grin. “I’m not mad or anything—you both were very scary.”

“Really?” Chopper’s eyes light up and a blush dusts his furry cheeks. “Aw, come on, telling me that won’t make me happy or anything.”

“I think maybe it’s time you two went back to camp, don’t you think?” Usopp says through gritted teeth, glaring at them with raised eyebrows.

A chorus of “right” and “sure” and “of course” are nervously spoken into the air before the pair quickly scurry off back in the direction of your campsite. You dig the toe of your boot into the ground and sway back and forth, waiting for Usopp to say something, anything at all, but instead he stands with his hands in his pockets, seeming to find something very fascinating on the ground. He’s sweet like this, you think to yourself—brave, strong Usopp always seems to be reduced to awkward silence in your presence, whether you’re tagging along on a hike or stopping by his workshop to ask for help with a project of your own. It’s hard to be anything more than a little annoyed with him—there’s something he clearly wants from you, just as you do him, but he’s finding it impossible to say.

You walk towards him slowly, a pace fit to approach a nervous animal, acquiescing that perhaps it is you who needed to be the brave and strong one for a change. “Listen, Usopp, if you wanted to get close to me, you should’ve just said something.”

He crosses his arms over his chest and gives a small shrug. “I guess, I just didn’t know what to say.”

“Maybe something like ‘hey, do you wanna take a walk with me?’ Or ‘wow, look at this cool rock I found?’ Those would’ve totally worked.”

He quickly glances up at you. “Really?”

You smile and move closer, placing your hands on his arms. “Really. Try it.”

Usopp bristles at your touch, then stands up straight and puffs out his chest, taking a deep breath and clearing his throat. “So, uh…would you like to take a walk with me?”

“Why, how kind of you to ask.” You lean up and leave a chaste kiss on his cheek. “I would love to.”

A profound blush settles across his face and he grins so hard for a moment before composing himself that you think his jaw might be sore tomorrow. “Then let’s go.”

You take a few steps into the woods before you wrap your arm around his and pull yourself close, resting your face against his arm. He stiffens at first, a surprised noise pushing past his lips, but then settles, and he pulls you in close.

“Good thing you have me here to protect you, you know,” Usopp says, that familiar confident tone returning to his voice as the two of you saunter through the decaying leaves and soft moss beneath you. “These woods do seem like they’re pretty spooky.”

“Guess you better hold me close then,” you coo, and you can practically feel his body vibrating at your touch. “I am afraid of the dark, after all.”

#lo writes #lo's fictober #usopp x reader #usopp fluff #one piece x reader #one piece fluff

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silvernyxchariot · 5 months ago

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Kabuto Yakushi x GN!Reader

Content Warnings: Fluff, sickeningly sweet; Lords, was I always this gawky as a kid; reworked one-shot from 2012-14 era

Word Count: 1437

“My life wasn't horrible… but it certainly was dreary.”

Another day in my life and I wake up in a candlelit room, the small prison window on the door also supplies my sight with the torches in the hallway. There’s practically nothing for me to do, maybe a simple little desk and some writing supplies. The other inmates are crazed from constant boredom and experimentation; not even one can offer an intellectual sentence.

I roll my eyes at another distant scream.

Orochimaru's forsaken eastern hideout was miserable, but aren't they all; even though we are in the land of fire, as far as I could remember, why hasn't anyone found this place? My jutsu is undeveloped. My shinobi skills are unrefined. So, why does he want to keep me? No… I think I want to be here.

Flashback Back then, I had lived a simple life. The waterfall was luke warm at best, but it was useful for a bath and I can't help but linger in the lakes depths. Brilliant blue to a burnt orange to a yellowish grey, I watched as the sky turned to night. The day had come and gone as if nothing else had existed. The water calmed my nerves, but I must've looked like a raisin by now. My cottage is only two minutes away from the waterfall. As I walked through the brush, my reflexes proved horrible. Three little pricks sent shivers into my very core, silver piercings in my arm, shoulder, and neck. Pressure points. “Damn it.” When I hit the ground, and before I fainted, a man walks up to my place on the ground. In a rather polite voice laced with hints of venom, “I'm sorry Miss; I didn't—” That's all I could hear before the my senses went black. Fortunately, I saw my assailant's face. He was… pretty? His silver hair and onyx black eyes just shown so beautifully; but what was so funny was… His circular glasses made him look so boyish. Then everything faded. End Flashback

That was such a cliché meeting. Yes, the reason I stay is for this one person. Stupid, don't you think? And it started with mistaken identity. But I don't care; I couldn't help but love him. For months, I've followed Kabuto around, whether it be for small errands or a dangerous mission. Most of the time, I have been his subordinate specifically. At least I try my best to be. You see, I’m not the best shinobi since I was never given any formal training. A few punches and kicks in taijutsu. I can barely release myself from simple genjutsu. And never mind trying to pull off a shadow clone. I was a horrible shinobi.

I would fall off almost any branch or ledge, trip and roll down a hill but Kabuto was never mad at me. He’s patient and maybe hyper fixated on his current task that I must force him to remember how to drink or eat. It’s strange; possibly he felt the same. Kabuto had been a creeper on a couple of occasions: staring at me, caressing my thigh, or maybe twiddling my hair. I stare into his eyes when he’s too close.

In the darkness of my cell a small beam of light appears, for the door creaked open and guess who stood there. “Come on out. We're going somewhere,” his close eyed smile is so innocent that I had to chuckle. “You must be bored. As always.” Kabuto stayed in step with me.

“Ok…” I never argued, Kabuto never asked anything unreasonable of me. “Where are we going, Kabuto?”

“I just need to find something… You have decent eyes. So, you're going to help me,” he shrugs nonchalantly as if the screams didn’t exist. The smirk on his face was far too enigmatic for a simple mission like he claims this one is, but I could not read his face; what's new?

I have no idea what time means or what it is when I’m underground. Kabuto brought me out in the blazing heat of summer, and I have to squint and keep my eyes shut for a few minutes. But the fresh air feels good. My joints pop as I stretch and rotate my joints. My lungs groan and scream as I fill them with air.

Four Hours Later, flying through the trees, the orange gleam of disappearing light is behind us. The branched groan at our landing and body weight. Kabuto and I had been traveling on foot. The evergreen forest became thicker and thicker, but it was beautiful. The trees offered shade from the blazing sun and cool relief in the summer heat. As we continued, rainbow bundles of flora became more evident. Over the horizon, a silver round moon began to rise.

Finally, Kabuto dropped at a moment’s notice and came to a stand still near a small cave entrance. Catching my breath, I descended to stand beside him. Kabuto only slightly turned to see if I was even still here. “Kabuto!” He left me without a clue, so the basic thing I would do… follow him. Time and time again, tripping fucking hurts. The only thing I could possibly grab a hold of for balance in the barely lit cave was Kabuto. Despite his slender build, he’s sturdy and holds me upright without even trying. His dark chuckle only ever made me clumsier, as it was distracting. Always was. I staggered until he finally decided to pick me, legs and knees up, and face-to-face with those circular frames.

“If you keep this up you do realize we'll never get back to the hideout in time. I'm only given roughly 2 days just to find this.” What is it!? He never tells me anything. “Close your eyes, count to ten, and then open them.” I huffed but obeyed. He was demanding and actually quite forceful sometimes. If I didn’t close my eyes, he’d shove his face over my sight. I had to take advantage of this and let myself snuggle into his embrace, arms wrapped around his neck and the collar of his shirt. I heard him huff but I had a triumphant smirk on my face.

Ten, nine, eight, seven…

When I open my eyes, the moonlight is an ethereal beauty. Everything glimmered with a silver coat of pale light. Everything is moving in slow motion. The dragonflies and fireflies buzz around. The more I looked around the buds of the evening moon lilies opened wide as if to greet me. My favorite. They only bloom in the dark. Small flowers with a sweet scent; the best appearances for a night wedding, ornaments, or a bouquet.

“Happy birthday…” Kabuto stands at the edge of the cave we just exited. A little awkward, not sure what to do with himself, but I was too busy chasing the rabbits that inhabited the little clearing. He set me down to let me wander the garden cave. In that moment, exasperation and awe fills me with warmth despite the creeping cold of the night.

This small area. It was beautiful. The pond and little river, that reflected the shimmering moon, was surrounded by iridescent blooms.

I couldn’t hold my excitement as I turned and crushed Kabuto in a crushing grip. I peered into his black eyes, satisfaction. He was happy and so was I. But it didn't matter where we were and what was happening, as long as we were together a moment like this would never go away. “I have something else for you.” He pulled a chain from his pocket and clipped it around my neck. An intricate summer themed locket.

“I wish I could repay you for this…” Nothing but a whisper. I could say nothing more. But no other words were exchanged. In their place, a forceful kiss.

Kabuto chuckled in amusement while adjusting his shirt and smirking into the chaste kiss, “I guess we should be getting back…”

“Yeah, uh, Kabuto. I lik- I love you.” A deep, bloody crimson filled my cheeks along with heated ears.

“I figured you'd say that” he chuckles as he stares down at me. “I love you too. I belong to you; you can do whatever you want to me, and I would let you do it.”

It was so exciting. “Really?” I whined with high-pitched excitement. He stayed silent for a moment and then patted my head like I was a kitten. I wrap my arms around this waist and rest my chin on his chest. “I know. I will always be yours in return… Always by your side.”

One of the fan fics I'm editing from my neophyte years, and will subsequently post here to Tumblr.

Damn. I wish teenage me was mentally mature enough to have joined Tumblr during the SuperWhoLock era. For context, I'm catching up on some old shows that I wasn't interested in when I was a kid: iZombie, Bones, HIMYM, Dexter, and newer stuff like Queen's Gambit. THE CHAOS, where everyone loved gushing and word vomiting, must have been so much fun.

#kabuto yakushi #kabuto yakushi x reader #reader x kabuto yakushi #naruto #naruto fan fic #fan fiction #one shot #short story #fan fic #if you saw a cisgendered pronoun - no you didn't

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tinyinvadr · 5 months ago

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Next chapter’s up!

Psychoborrower

Chapter 10

Just past the greenhouse was the elevator, leading directly up into the tower. Once again, Coach Oleander had reinforcements in place to keep us out. Although, this particular individual was hired by his partner in crime, Dr. Loboto.

I could only assume this was the same creepy doctor that Raz and Lili both saw visions of. This was the first time we had a name to place to him. From how everyone described him, he sounded legitimately terrifying.

One of the asylum patients, Crispin Whytehead, had been given the position of Chief Orderly and was tasked with guarding the elevator.

Naturally, he wasn’t going to let us in. Psychic intervention didn’t work either. Dr. Loboto had implanted some sort of blocker in his brain to keep everyone out, Oleander included.

Luckily for us, Crispin unknowingly planted another idea in our heads to get past him. He admitted that he has poor eyesight, and primarily recognizes Dr. Loboto based on three key features: his face, a strappy coat, and a metallic claw in place of his right arm.

In short, if Raz could find those three things, he could makeshift a disguise to trick Crispin into letting us use the elevator.

Well, we really only needed to find two things. I suggested we backtrack to the greenhouse when I remembered how claw-like Gloria’s trophy was.

With that taken care of, we just had to focus on the jacket and the face.

When we returned to the room Crispin was stationed in, Raz pointed out another asylum patient who was wearing a straitjacket.

“You sure that’s a good idea?” I asked.

“It’s not like we have a choice. Just gotta make sure I can take it back off.”

We approached the man, who initially claimed to be Napoleon Bonaparte, only to retract it in a completely different voice.

Raz tried to ask for his jacket, and he seemed willing at first, but Napoleon refused, stating that it was his “uniform.”

It looked like the only way to move forward was to fix another mental world. So, one trip through the psycho-portal later, we found ourselves in a parlor where the patient we met was playing a board game against Napoleon Bonaparte himself.

Or, a genetic memory of him, rather.

Napoleon explained that he took over the mind of his descendant, Fred Bonaparte, after he lost the spirit of victory.

Just from looking at Fred, it was clear he had little to no motivation. He seemed like he was ready and willing to give up at any minor inconvenience, much to Napoleon’s frustration.

Raz leaned over the edge of the game board, trying to get a better look at it. In doing that, I lost balance and tumbled off his shoulder. Thinking fast, I used my Thought Bubble to float down and safely land on the board.

“Sorry, Flint! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m good! And I’ve got a better view of the game down here! I’m gonna look around, figure out how this place works.”

I tried to remain calm and not let my excitement distract me. This was the first time I could effectively interact with a mental world at my natural size. It felt like I finally had my moment to shine.

After exploring the board for a bit, I ran into a tiny clone of Napoleon.

“Aha! I see you haven’t lost that fire in your heart completely, Fred! You’ve sent in reinforcements!”

The confused voice of Fred echoed from up above.

“Huh? Oh, sure.”

“Well, I’m not going to make it easy for him! Destroy that bridge, soldier!”

Suddenly, one of the game pieces came to life, moved to the space next to the bridge, and smashed it right down the middle. Fred let out a sigh.

“Aw man, how am I supposed to do anything with the bridge destroyed? You win, Napoleon. I quit.”

I don’t know what came over me. I guess I didn’t like seeing someone give up so easily. There were way too many times that I felt like I wanted to give up on everything. But even though I kept my distance from everyone at camp for the longest time, I still had support from the people around me that gave me the motivation to keep going.

Fred didn’t have that. He was all alone in this abandoned asylum with no one to give him that push. He kept spiraling further and further, his own mind taunting him as he lost his will to try. I had to do something.

“No he doesn’t! He doesn’t quit! Fred, you can win this, I’m sure of it! Let Raz and I help. We can figure out a way to beat him!”

“Sure, kid. Try whatever you want. But I’m tellin’ ya, it’s impossible.”

I asked Napoleon to tell me how the game works, and it sounded simple enough. You win by moving your knight piece into your opponent’s castle. The only thing preventing that from happening was the broken bridge, but it could be repaired if I recruited the Carpenter.

I headed over to the Carpenter’s house, but he refused to come outside because he heard burglars on the roof. They were actually just Censors, so I climbed up there, gave them a good ass-whooping, and returned to tell the Carpenter the good news.

I moved him over to the bridge with TK and he fixed it just as quickly as the soldier demolished it.

“Excellent move, Fred! Perhaps you can beat me after all!”

“What? Oh, um… hey, you actually fixed the bridge.”

His motivation wasn’t quite back yet, but we all have to start somewhere.

Napoleon’s next obstacle was his soldiers, which he stationed along the path to the castle to prevent the Knight from reaching it. In order to ensure a safe path for the Knight, I had to recruit peasants to fight against them.

Negotiating with the peasants proved to be a challenge. The first one refused to join the war because he felt Fred didn’t care about the people. Which… I mean… yeah, he didn’t, but I got Raz to convince him to write a letter saying he does care.

Raz also helped in getting a giant coin out of the fireplace for me to offer as compensation to the second peasant, and the third… he just wanted me to go get his rifle for him. Oh, the life of a board game piece. Incapable of doing anything yourself. Couldn’t be me.

Seeing that Fred was close to winning, Napoleon took drastic measures. He raised the castle’s drawbridge, then lodged an eyedropper in the gears to keep it shut.

“Hey! That’s not fair!”

“All is fair in love and war! Ready to give up yet?”

Then, to my surprise, Fred spoke up.

“No he’s not! Come on, little guy, we can do this! We’re so close!”

I noticed Napoleon give a slight smile, and it was then that I realized his true intention all along was to get Fred out of his slump. All this time, he’d been presenting a challenge to try and push Fred to fight back, but it just wasn’t working. It turns out an opponent alone wasn’t enough to help him. He needed someone on his side, too.

Jumping across the river and fighting the assortment of enemies, I made my way to the drawbridge and pulled the eyedropper out. With the drawbridge lowered, all that was left to do was get the Knight. Or… I had to get some escargot for him first. Then he was on board.

Without anything left to stop me, I moved the Knight to the castle, winning the game.

Satisfied with Fred’s rejuvenated spirit of victory, Napoleon faded from his mind, giving him full control once again.

Raz reached down from above the board, and I jumped onto his hand so he could lift me out.

“Flint, that was amazing! You’ve played this game before, haven’t you?”

“Nope! I’m just a genius.”

We left Fred’s mind and took the straitjacket off, and he immediately lied down on the floor for a nap.

Our Dr. Loboto disguise was almost complete. Although, I wasn’t sure what we were supposed to do about the face. The only thing I could think of was an incredibly realistic portrait of him, but what were the chances we’d find something like that?

#giant/tiny #g/t #giant tiny #g/t writing #psychonauts

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regurgitatedskeleton · 10 months ago

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Started Breath of the Wild today, here are my notes:

- climbed a tree

- jumped off a cliff and died (gotta test out fall damage and dying)

- the loading screen tells me that fall damage is a thing. I wonder if that is on purpose or just (un)lucky? Either way pretty funny

- picked up a stick

- pestered an old man

- tried to hit him with the stick but he dodged and didn’t care :(

- stole his torches, apple and axe

- set myself on fire and then ate the apple to heal the heart

- climbed an apple tree for its apples and then cut it down

- threw an apple at the old man and then cooked it

- killed some creature thing

- managed to turn off my destination in the tutorial where it tells you how to turn it on

- one shotted a slime w/axe. Nice

- Cut down another apple tree, tree and apples fell in water and I gave up on them

- cut down another tree bc I’m already doing deforestation so why not

- realised my destination was off and turned it back on

- killed a guy next to my destination w/his own sword and shield bc he dropped it

- realised that these guys drop loot (didn’t loot the other one)

- saw two more on a hill w/bows

- they shot the ground for a while but I took mercy and killed them

- now I have a bow lez goooo

- put tablet in stone and now there’s towers everywhere? They feel evil but idk maybe they’re good

- turns out the towers work for me? Still dunno if that’s good or not, i mean the second thing I did after leaving the cave was jump off a cliff, and I did set myself on fire on purpose at some point so…

- stuck on a tower am I supposed to jump off or something? Have already confirmed that this game has fallen damage tho

- old man comes flying in and says that jumping off of cliffs is stupid. I feel personally attacked

- oh no now I have to follow him I hope he’s not slow

- he is slow but he said the Treebeard thing so I guess I can spend the time entertaining myself w/Treebeard quotes

- jumped in water. Caught some fish. Everything says to cook but I hope there’s a better way than chucking everything on fire. Wonder if things can burn?

- man axes are so much better at cutting down trees than swords are

- got an acorn from that tree my sword killed

- drowned in mud. This old man sent me after treasure probably thinking it was fool proof but I died to mud before I could even get there. RIP

- found a treasure chest in the mud. Tried to jump to it. Drowned in mud. Actually fully died and now I’m back with the old man

- cut down another tree and now my sword is damaged. At least I got another stick, now I have like 4 so we should be sweet

- went inside and got magnet powers. Left and used magnets to get the chest in the water. Treasure was easy lol

- threw a box through the air for shits and giggs

- tried to use the metal boxes to platform through the mud to the chests

- broke all but one box because they are weirdly fragile

- go back downstairs to try reset boxes

- realise the floor is magnetic and Zelda “you found something” sound plays

- probably not as easy of a task as I thought

- am now wondering if I can magnet those chests towards me?

- left the cave to find more boxes and ran into a skeleton

- killed skeleton with his own arm?

- had to drop some sticks to pick up the other skeleton’s arm :(

- I like the weapon that’s still flailing around over the stick tho

- yay the box respawned

- took two over and stacked them in the mud, ran back for the third one

- found a chest in the water idk if I missed one or it respawned?

- the boxes in the mud despawned but it’s okay because I found a metal beam that was perfect

- got attacked by another skeleton. My skeleton arm broke so I picked up his and killed him

- dunno how much I like this durability. On one hand i don’t usually like it. On the other weapons are easy to get, especially mid fight so it’s probably fine

- chests had some arrows

- Shot a fire arrow to see if you could pick it up like the others but no, I’ve just added arson to my list of crimes. Oops

- okay I went back to the cave now

- lol the statue commended my resolve, I guess it missed the part where I ditched twice haha

- man some of these dialogue options are so rude. I refuse to demand his glider so aggressively. I have put this man through enough (and stolen enough ) so far and no doubt will do it again

- also rude

- this man backed out of the deal. Which is fair I did steal his apple. And he definitely knows more than he lets on. I like him

- such as the secret of teleportation apparently

- probs he has a sheila stone too and is trying to mentor me? For better or for worse ig. Hope he’s a good guy

- makes me find more smh

- turrets are mean also I used up a few more of my fire arrows and it did no damage also I died again

- snuck past these bitches it’s ok I guess. I got the the stone either way

- found some bombs

- blew myself up for science

- it hurt a bit

- half a heart is left but don’t die die die

- ran out of those fish I caught :(

- got thrown by a big pushy thing for science and fun and most importantly loot, we got more amber I hope it’s useful bc now I have 2

- how come I take fall damage when I jump off a cliff but these things can fling me a while and I take none? I mean I’m glad I don’t take damage here but it’s like they was me to go get that glider thing or something

- statue says I’m resourceful like bro did you miss the part where I blew myself up on purpose

- turrets are still there, unsurprisingly. Link tried Throwing a Bomb. It was not at all effective. Link tried Run Away. Worked like a charm

- went back to the starting area to cook my remaining apples. I see myself using them soon. Tried to cook the herbs that said they could be cooked but they just died. Maybe I need to find a pot?

- decided to go look at the old castle thing

- accidentally threw a lot of bombs in the castle but I don’t think I damaged anything

- immediately started smashing ancient and probably priceless antiques/relics, which is on par with what I remember from the DS games I played (mostly Phantom Hourglass, couldn’t get past the Zelda part of the tutorial for Spirit Tracks, oops) Also remember cutting grass with my spin move

- Got told to piss off and be better so I guess I’ll do that

- killed a pig(?) boar(?) some type of animal because why not at this point

- found more mobs

- AHHH BEEES!!!

- my (admittedly very little) experience with bees in Zelda games says run away or possibly do the spin? Can’t spin so ran away

- shot the nest, shot the bees, got some honey

- found a house I think I’m stealing from the old man again. I don’t blame him for making me work I’ve stolen everything I can so far

- cooked a herb and it didn’t die this time so that’s nice

- read his diary like a weirdo. He sounds lonely he just wants his recipe but he’s gonna get home and I’ve stolen his pitchfork

- old man let me sleep in his bed. This guy is nice. I hope he doesn’t end up evil

- I cut some wood for him I hope he likes it

- he doesn’t seem impressed with my cooking, and now he knows I’ve been snooping

- he seems cool with it tho?

- idk if he knows who I am but I like the idea of an old wise man seeing a young person running around a fantasy world and kinda just adopting them

- found the spin move :)

- what do I have to climb a mountain now? Like how?

- okay I made it, it was actually pretty easy

- I love how the temperature is in Celsius but also doesn’t display a number, only colours. Feels targeted towards the USA ngl. Idk fahrenheit makes no sense to me but you do you

- so they’ve given me bombs, magnets and Force Slow. Is there gonna be a boomerang at some point?

- haha that rock flew

- for once I didn’t screw up a trial so I’ll take resourceful. Even if I did spend some time attacking random mobs. They’re just trying to have a family dinner but no, I have better ideas

- alright I think it’s time for me to sleep it’s late haha

Overall, this game is pretty fun so far, will play again

#Zelda #zelda breath of the wild #breath of the wild #first time playing #please no spoilers #found some secret chests that’s nice #idk but I feel like I accomplished something by not dying in mud for once #legend of zelda #loz link

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kindnessinsilver · 2 years ago

Text

Andreil - Touch - The King's Men

Notes:

It's here. It's time.

Once again, absolutely some editor discretion happened here. Deciding who was touching who and if it was important Not Touching or casual or whatever took... some effort and guessing.

If you know of any moments I missed, please please please let me know, I'd love to add them here and to my notes.

Chapter 14 will always be my favorite.

There are times I count touching clothes as touching and sometimes as not-touching. If clothes are chosen specifically to avoid touching skin, it's counted as not-touching.

This post is long. Like longer than you think it is. Probably longer than that. Beware when opening.

I don't even want to think about how much time I spent on this specific task, but I'm really happy with it and I hope others enjoy it too!

Andrew Touches Neil

Chapter One

He shouldn't have been surprised that the first thing Andrew went for was the bandage on his cheek. Aaron and Nicky had looked past it, not even noticing it amongst the rest of the gauze and tape. Andrew had spent too much time watching Kevin's back to not put the pieces together. He scratched up a corner of the tape and ripped the bandage off like he wanted to take Neil's face with it. Neil braced himself for violence, but Andrew's blank expression didn't change at the sight of Neil's new tattoo.

“Riko let you go," Andrew corrected him. "We are doing too well this year and your feud is too public. No one would have believed you willingly transferred to Edgar Allan mid-season." Andrew smashed the bandage against Neil's face again and pressed the tape flat with hard fingers. "You weren't supposed to leave Kevin's side. Did you forget?"

…Why did you go?" Neil didn't know if he could say it. Thinking about it was almost too much. Andrew was waiting, though, so Neil choked back his nausea. "Riko said if I didn't, Dr. Proust would—" Andrew clapped a hand over his mouth, smothering the rest of his words, and Neil knew he'd failed.

Chapter Two

He didn't remember putting his head down and definitely didn't remember falling asleep. Fingers digging into the back of his skull startled him awake. He grabbed for a gun, for a knife, for anything close enough to buy him room to flee, and sent the computer mouse skidding across the table. Neil stared blankly at it, then at the screen in front of him. Fingers clenched into a fist in his hair and Neil didn't resist as Andrew forcibly tilted his head back. "Is your learning curve a horizontal line?" Andrew asked. "I told you yesterday to stop making my life difficult." "And I told you I wouldn't promise anything." Andrew let go of him and watched pitilessly as Neil rubbed at his head. Neil sat up straight and started shutting his browsers down.

Andrew dug a fingernail into the hollow of Neil's throat until he had Neil's undivided attention. "Sit down and be still."

Shut up," Wymack said. "When you're sporting fewer than fifty stitches I'll consider letting you on my court again. If I catch you so much as looking at your gear before then I will bench you another week out of spite. Do you understand?" "But—" "Give me a 'Yes, Coach'." "Coach—" Neil forgot the rest of his argument when Andrew pinched his wrist. A bolt of fire popped through his fingers and he snatched his hand away as fast as he could. Neil flicked Andrew an irritated look, but Andrew didn't even look at him. Neil wrapped his arm around his stomach to get his hand out of Andrew's reach and sullenly turned his attention back on Wymack.

Chapter Three

On Neil's right shoulder was a burn scar, courtesy of getting smacked by a hot iron. Andrew put his left hand to it, fingertips lining up perfectly with the raised bumps the iron's holes had left behind. His right thumb found the puckered flesh from a bullet. Neil had slept in his bulletproof vest for almost a month after that close call, too scared to take it off. His mother had to bully him into shedding it long enough to wash up. "Someone shot you," Andrew said. "I told you someone was after me," Neil said. "This," Andrew dug his fingers harder into the iron mark, "is not from a life on the run." "My father gave me that. People came by asking questions about his work. I didn't say anything, but I didn't sit still enough, either. He hit me as soon as the door closed behind them. That's why I gave you 'Abram'," Neil said. "I don't want to give you my father's name because I don't want anyone to call me it ever again. I hated him."

Chapter Seven

"Revenge is a motivator only for the weak-willed," Andrew said. "If you believed that you wouldn't be planning how to kill Proust." The doctor's name still tasted like acid, burning Neil's tongue and throat, but it wasn't enough to put a dent in Andrew's calm expression. Andrew gazed at him in silence for what felt like an eternity, then propped his cigarette between his lips and motioned Neil closer. Neil was sure he was stepping forward into a knife for bringing Proust up again, but he obediently closed the short space between them. Andrew caught the back of Neil's neck in a bruising grip to keep him from retreating. He pulled Neil's head toward him and blew smoke in Neil's face. "This is not revenge," Andrew said. "I warned him what I would do to him if he touched me. This is me keeping my word." He waited a beat to make sure Neil understood, then let go. The next time he raised his cigarette to his mouth Neil took it from him. Neil broke it between his fingers and let it fall to the asphalt by their feet. Andrew watched the halves roll away from each other and turned an unimpressed look on Neil. "Ninety-one percent," Andrew said.

Chapter Eight

Neil dropped the helmet to the pile at his feet and punched the back of his locker. His fist hit plastic instead of metal, and Neil wrenched the broken bag off its hook. When he turned to throw it Andrew caught his wrist. Neil hadn't even heard Andrew cross the room toward him. Neil stared at him and through him, heart pounding in his temples. "It's ruined," Neil said, voice ragged with an awful rage. "It's all ruined." Wymack burst into the room with Nicky on his heels. The sight of so much blood stopped him short for a moment before he strode for Neil. "Is that yours?" "Coach, my gear," Neil said. "It's—" "It's not his." Andrew let go of Neil and went back to his own locker. "He's fine."

Chapter Nine

Andrew dug a finger in Neil's cheek and forcibly turned his head away. "Don't look at me like that. I am not your answer, and you sure as fuck aren't mine." "I'm not looking for an answer. I just want—"

"No one asked you." With that, Andrew caught Neil's face in his hands and leaned in. Nicky's drugged assault aside, Neil hadn't kissed anyone in four years. The last girl was a scrawny French-Canadian who'd held him with just her fingertips and kissed like she was afraid of smudging her tacky-bright lipstick. Neil couldn't remember her name or face anymore. He remembered only how unsatisfying the illicit encounter had been and how furious his mother was when she found them. That awkward peck wasn't worth the punishment that had followed. This was nothing like that. Andrew kissed him like this was a fight with their lives on the line, like his world stopped and started with Neil's mouth.

He hadn't figured out which way to lean before Andrew pried Neil's hand off his coat. "Let go," Andrew said. "I am not doing this with you right now." He practically shoved Neil's arm away from him and leaned back out of Neil's space.

Chapter Ten

Neil took the pint from Andrew's unresisting fingers, stacked it on top of his, and leaned in. He stopped shy of actually kissing Andrew, not daring to touch him until Andrew gave him a green light. Andrew's expression didn't change but there was a subtle shift in his body's tension that told Neil he'd gotten Andrew's attention. Neil lifted a hand but stopped it a safe difference from Andrew's face. Andrew caught hold of his wrist and squeezed in warning. "It's fine if you hate me," Neil said. It was the truth, if a bit of an understatement. So long as Andrew was only physically attracted to Neil, this was safe to experiment with. Neil's death wouldn't be more than a faint inconvenience to Andrew. "Good," Andrew said, "because I do." For a second Neil thought Andrew would push him away and be done with this. Andrew did push, but he followed Neil down. The short carpet was rough against Neil's knuckles where Andrew pinned his hand over his head. Neil couldn't complain when Andrew was an unyielding weight on top of him. He started to reach for Andrew again but stopped himself halfway there. Andrew snagged that hand too and held it down out of the way. "Stay," Andrew said, and leaned down to kiss him. Time was nothing. Seconds were days, were years, were the breaths that caught between their mouths and the bite of Neil's fingernails against his palms, the scrape of teeth against his lower lip and the warm slide of a tongue against his. He could feel Andrew's heartbeat thrumming against his wrists, a staccato rhythm that echoed in Neil's veins. How a man who viewed the world with such studied disconnect could kiss like this, Neil didn't know, but he wasn't going to complain. Neil had forgotten what it was like to be touched without malicious intent. He'd forgotten what body heat felt like. Everything about Andrew was hot, from the hands holding him down to the mouth steadily taking Neil apart. Neil finally understood why his mother thought this was so dangerous. This was distraction and indiscretion, avoidance and denial.

Chapter Eleven

Andrew set the beer aside without taking a sip and closed the fridge door with his foot. It took two steps to close the small space between them and Andrew stopped as close as he could get without actually leaning against Neil. His fingers were cold from the can when he curled them around Neil's chin.

Yes or no?" Andrew asked. "Yes," Neil said. Andrew sent a significant look down at Neil's arms where they were folded across his chest. It took Neil a moment to catch on, and then he dropped his arms and stuffed his hands in his jeans pockets. Andrew waited until he'd gone still before kissing him. Neil stopped thinking about classes, Exy, and Kevin's liquid spine and let Andrew kiss him senseless. He was cotton-headed and unsteady by the time Andrew pressed his other hand flat against Neil's abdomen. Every nerve ending from his chest down seemed to twitch in response. Neil clenched his hands into fists like that would keep them where they were and let Andrew back him into the wall.

Andrew pushed him harder into the wall, mapping him out through his shirt from shoulders to waist and back again. He'd had his hands on Neil's bare skin just a couple weeks ago when he saw Neil's scars, but this felt completely different. This was Andrew learning every inch and edge of him. His hands had never felt this heavy or hot before. Every press and demanding slide of his fingers sent heat curling through Neil's veins. It made Neil restless, made him anxious, made him lean a little deeper into Andrew's kisses and made him too aware of the denim trapping his hands at his hips.

Neil couldn't remember the last time he'd put hands on someone. It wasn't the girl in Canada—maybe the girl before. For the first time he considered touching Andrew like that and learning Andrew's body the way Andrew was memorizing his. He wanted to find the places that made Andrew give ground. He hadn't said that aloud, but as if on cue Andrew followed Neil's arms down to his wrists and poked his fingers into Neil's pockets. He was making sure Neil's hands were still there, Neil guessed, so Neil twisted his hands deeper in response. Andrew caught hold of his wrists and squeezed to stop him. After a moment's consideration he pulled Neil's hands free and held them up by his head. He kissed Neil like he wanted to bruise his lips and leaned back to fix Neil with an intense stare. "Just here."

They didn't talk at night, maybe because they'd talked at practice or maybe because it was late and they were only stealing a few minutes before much-needed sleep, but night was where Neil had the most questions. They niggled at him when Andrew pinned him against chilly concrete and worked hot hands under his shirt. Being curious about Andrew wasn't anything new, but the gnawing importance of these answers was. Kissing Andrew changed things even if Neil knew it shouldn't. He wanted to know where all of the lines were and why he was the exception. He wanted to know how Andrew was okay with this after everything he'd been through and how long it'd taken him to come to terms with his sexuality after Drake's abuse. Neil stole the cigarette as he sat down beside Andrew and turned it over in his hands. Andrew blew smoke in his face in response, so Neil flicked ash at him and made as if to stub the cigarette out. Andrew pinched his wrist and took the stick back.

"That's a first," Neil said. "Do I get a prize for shutting you up?" "A quick death," Andrew said. "I've already decided where to hide your body." "Six feet under?" Neil guessed. "Stop talking," Andrew said, and kissed him.

Chapter Fourteen

There was a crash behind Nathaniel, the unmistakable sound of a body slamming into wood. He turned as Andrew forced his way into the room with Wymack right on his heels. Kurt grabbed at Andrew but lost his grip when Wymack shouldered past him. Nathaniel had only a second to see the handcuffs locking Andrew and Wymack together, and then Browning reacted to the violent entrance by reaching for his gun. He tried straightening, but Andrew caught his shoulder and shoved him to his knees. Nathaniel went without argument and cradled his wrecked hands in his lap.

Andrew's expression was deceptively calm, but there was iron in his grip when he seized Nathaniel's chin

He dragged a finger along the lines of tape keeping the myriad of bandages in place as if looking for the best place to start. He tore the gauze off Nathaniel's right cheek first, exposing the striped lines left by Lola's knife. He favored the stitches with a cursory glance before moving on. The tape on Nathaniel's other cheek hurt like hell coming off, since it pulled the skin around his burns, and Andrew froze with his hand a few scant inches from Nathaniel's face.

Andrew pressed two fingers to the underside of Nathaniel's chin to turn his head. Nathaniel let himself be guided and said nothing while Andrew looked his fill

He caught hold of Nathaniel to turn his face forward again and shot Abby a look so vicious she stopped in her tracks.

…I don't want—" he started, but that wasn't fair. "If you tell me to leave, I'll go." He didn't say it would kill him, but he didn't have to. Andrew hooked his fingers in the collar of Nathaniel's sweatshirt and tugged just enough for him to feel it. For a moment Nathaniel was months away from this moment, standing in the darkened front hall of Andrew's house for the first time with a warm key digging into his palm. It felt like coming home, and it was enough to take the edge off his fear. "You aren't going anywhere," Andrew said: the same words, the same promise.

Andrew tugged Nathaniel's hoodie and said in German, "Get rid of them before I kill them."

Neil sat in the backseat with Andrew and toyed with the bandages on his face. Andrew popped the back of his head when he realized what Neil was doing and ignored Neil's scowl.

Neil didn't know what sound he made but Andrew's fingers were a sudden and unforgiving weight on the back of his neck. Andrew pushed him forward and held him down. Neil tried to breathe but his chest was as tight as a rubber band ready to snap.

Chapter Fifteen

Andrew studied his chest with a bored look, but the fingers he pressed to Neil's scars were a heavy and lingering weight. Neil waited to see if he had anything to say, but Andrew hadn't spoken to anyone since they checked out of the hotel in Baltimore. Neil doubted the others had noticed, since Andrew rarely talked to even Kevin or Nicky now that he was sober, but Neil wasn't used to the silent treatment.

A hand in his hair jarred him from his thoughts and he cracked his eyes open to see Andrew standing in front of him. Andrew hadn't bothered to get undressed aside from stripping his bands and shoes off. Water plastered his black shirt to him, and small streams raced down his temples and over his cheeks to drip off his chin. Neil reached for his face, remembered the bags just in time, and frowned a bit in annoyance. Andrew pushed his hand aside and yanked the shower curtain closed. Andrew got Neil's hair washed efficiently, if not gently, but by the time he moved on to Neil's body there was more kissing than cleaning.

Chapter Seventeen

Finally Andrew looked back at him, but for a moment Neil didn't know who he was looking at. In the space of one breath Andrew's expression went so dark and distant Neil almost retreated. Then Andrew was back, as calm and uncaring as always, and he caught Neil's wrist to push his hand to his side. He dug his fingers in before letting go, not quite hard enough to hurt, and said, "That's why." Neil stopped when Andrew told him to. It wasn't much, but it was more than enough. Neil managed a nod, too numb to speak, and watched Andrew walk away from him.

Chapter Eighteen

The club was too loud for Neil to hear Andrew's approach, but suddenly Andrew was pressed into his side by the crowd. Roland looked from Andrew to Neil and back again, brow furrowed a bit in badly-concealed concern. Neil realized then he was looking for a sign they were all right after what he'd let slip back in January.

Chapter Nineteen

The darkness should have hidden the jittery wreck he'd become, but Andrew wasn't fooled. He jabbed Neil's shoulder on his way back out of the room. Neil tore his gaze away from Kevin's unconscious form and followed. Andrew pushed him up against the wall with heavy hands and hard kisses. "Junkie."

Neil Touches Andrew

Chapter Two

Matt made the mistake of stopping to look. Andrew didn't even hesitate but punched Matt hard enough to knock him off his feet. It should have been impossible to topple him; Matt had more than a foot on Andrew and could out-press any of them at the gym. Andrew had the advantage of surprise, though, and didn't stop when Matt fell. He smashed his fist into Matt's face as soon as Matt hit the ground. Dan was on her feet in a heartbeat, but somehow Neil made it to Andrew first. He didn't even remember deciding to move. He used his body and momentum to shove Andrew back. He expected Andrew to hold his ground, but Andrew let himself get pushed and flicked Neil an unconcerned look. Neil put his hands up between them in case Andrew tried to go around him.

Chapter Eleven

Andrew watched the phone bounce off the couch and skitter across the carpet. It was a toss-up whether or not he'd ask. Neil kissed his neck, hoping to distract him, and was rewarded with a startled jolt. That was enough reason to do it again. Andrew pushed his face away, but they were standing too close together for Neil to miss the way he shivered. Andrew kissed him before Neil could say anything about it.

"Okay," Neil said, and dug his fingers into Andrew's hair as soon as Andrew's grip went slack. It wasn't much but it was a desperate relief having something to hold onto. Maybe that low rush in his gut was from being trusted enough to reach out at all. Neil would figure it out later. All that mattered now was how easy it was to pull Andrew in for another kiss.

Chapter Twelve

"Are you ever going to tell them?" Neil asked. "I won't have to," Andrew said as he slid out of his seat. Neil would have reached out to stop him, wanting to hear the rest of that, but Andrew wasn't leaving. Instead he helped himself to the other half of Neil's seat. Neil turned to face him as Andrew explained. "Renee says the upperclassmen are betting on your sexuality. They're split down the middle." Matt had said they were betting on Neil, but this wasn't what Neil expected them to be putting money on. He floundered a moment, unsure how to react, but said at last, "It's a waste of time and money. They'll all lose. I've said all year I don't swing and I meant it. Kissing you doesn't make me look at any of them differently. The only one I'm interested in is you." "Don't say stupid things." "Stop me," Neil returned. He buried his hands in Andrew's hair and tugged him in for a kiss. It was easy to forget this endless ride and tonight's game with Andrew's hand on his thigh and teeth on his lip. Andrew pulled away too soon and got to his feet. Neil knew this wasn't the time or place, but that didn't stop him from feeling cheated.

Chapter Fourteen

"I was going to tell you," Nathaniel said. "Stop lying to me." "I'm not lying. I would have told you last night, but they were in our locker room." Nathaniel still had his hands up by Andrew's face, so he lightly tapped a thumb against the bruise at Andrew's eye. "I didn't know they'd staged a riot."

"Get away from us," Andrew said. "Andrew," Abby said, quiet and careful. "He's hurt. Let me see him." "If you make me repeat myself you will not live to regret it." Nathaniel had never heard that murderous tone from him. It made his hair stand on end but somehow eased some of the lava in his chest. It was Nathaniel's fault Andrew's self-control was in shreds, but it was also for his sake. Andrew's bottomless rage would never hurt Nathaniel, and that made all the difference in the world. Nathaniel gave Andrew's hair a cautious tug. Andrew resisted the first two attempts but finally let Nathaniel drag his attention back where it needed to be.

Nathaniel kept one hand buried in Andrew's hair but finally lowered the other. In quiet German he said, "Did they tell you who I am?"

"My uncle executed him," Nathaniel said, wondering. He crossed a precarious line and pressed two fingers to Andrew's chest over his heart. The memory chilled him to the bone, and he couldn't suppress all of a shudder. "I spent my whole life wishing he would die, but I thought he never would. I thought he was invincible. I can't believe it was that easy."

Chapter Fifteen

Andrew made the mistake of turning his face away at one point, so Neil chased water down the side of Andrew's neck. Andrew's fingers clenched convulsively on Neil's sides as a shudder wracked Andrew's frame. Andrew tried to recover with a ground-out, "Your neck fetish is not attractive." "You like it," Neil said, unapologetic. "I like that you like it." He bit down to prove his point and Andrew turned his head into it with a sharp hiss. Neil smiled where Andrew couldn't see it.

Chapter Sixteen

Andrew preceded him out of the room, but Neil snagged his sleeve as he tugged the door closed behind them. Andrew obediently turned to face him.

Chapter Seventeen

Neil stared at his empty palms, mystified, then reached under the hems of Andrew's long sleeves and caught the edges of Andrew's bands. He knew there were sheathes in Andrew's bands and had handled them before, but the weight still caught him off-guard.

Neil let him get to the railing overlooking the campus pond before catching hold of Andrew's elbow. Andrew wrenched out of his grip but stopped moving.

Chapter Eighteen

Andrew took the stool so no one could get between him and his drinks, and Neil stood as close to his back as he could

Mutual Touching

Chapter One

Neil was the first out and he caught Andrew's door before Andrew could close it. Andrew didn't move, but there was just enough room for Neil to lean in and get his binder. He straightened and turned to find Andrew had shifted closer. There was nowhere for Neil to stand except up against Andrew, but somehow Neil didn't mind. They'd been apart for seven weeks but Neil keenly remembered why he'd stayed. He remembered this unyielding, unquestioning weight that could hold him and all of his problems up without breaking a sweat. For the first time in months he could finally breathe again. It was such a relief it was frightening; Neil hadn't meant to lean on Andrew so much.

Chapter Eleven

Andrew slowly let go of his wrists and placed a hand flat on Neil's chest. They stood like that an age, Andrew testing Neil's control and Neil content to kiss their mouths numb. Andrew's hand between his legs was an unexpected weight. Neil didn't realize how tight he twisted his fingers in Andrew's hair until Andrew bit his lower lip in warning. Neil grumbled something incoherent and forcibly loosened his death grip. He thought he tasted blood, but it was a fleeting tang quickly forgotten as Andrew got his button and zipper undone. Andrew wasn't gentle, but Neil didn't want him to be. Neither of them had the constitution for tenderness. This was ruthless, almost angry, Andrew's hand taking Neil as far and fast as he could go. Neil tried pulling Andrew closer, but Andrew kept a hand flat on Neil's chest to keep space between their bodies. Neil barely managed Andrew's name before Andrew pushed him over the edge and kept going. Andrew smothered his frantic gasp with a last hard kiss and finally let go of him. They stood cheek-to-cheek a minute, an hour, a day, Neil's heart pounding in his temples and overloaded nerves shuddering. Coherent thought came back in lazy, fractured pieces and the first thing Neil was really aware of was how tight Andrew's fingers were digging into his chest. Neil tried to look down, but Andrew gave him a short shove in response. "What about—" Neil started. Andrew cut him off with a low, "Don't." "You can't go back to Kevin and Nicky like that." "I said be quiet." "You said 'don't'," Neil said. Neil flexed his fingers in Andrew's hair, fixing his grip so he could tug Andrew into a short kiss. Andrew tolerated it for only a moment before leaning back. He wiped his hand on Neil's shirt before tugging at Neil's wrists.

Chapter Fifteen

Neil leaned in to kiss him, needing to know if Andrew would lean away or push him back. Instead Andrew opened his mouth to Neil without hesitation and slid his hand up Neil's chest to his throat. Kissing hurt his injured cheeks but Neil fought to ignore that twinging pain. It'd only been a couple days since those kisses on the bus but right now it felt like forever.

Maybe Andrew felt the twist of his lips against oversensitive skin, because he tangled his fingers in Neil's hair and pulled his head away. Andrew put a hand flat against Neil's abdomen and pushed, backing Neil up until he was out of the spray and pressed flat against slick, chilly tile. Andrew bit the question into the corner of Neil's jaw. "Yes or no?" "It's always yes with you," Neil said. "Except when it's no," Andrew said. Neil put a plastic-wrapped finger to Andrew's chin, guiding his head up for another kiss. "If you have to keep asking because—I'll answer it as many times as you ask. But this is always going to be yes." "Don't 'always' me." "Don't ask for the truth if you're just going to dilute it."

Andrew clapped his hand over Neil’s mouth and kept it there until going to his knees meant he couldn’t reach anymore. Andrew ghosted kisses across Neil’s hip before swallowing him whole. Neil caught at Andrew’s hair, but his injuries and the plastic bags made it difficult for him to get a good grip. He scrabbled at the wall instead, but it was too slick to offer much leverage. Andrew pinned him against the wall with a hand on his hip, which helped, but Neil still felt like he was falling.

“Do you want—” he started, voice ragged. Andrew kissed him to shut him up. Neil grimaced a little at the taste on Andrew's tongue but was happy to burn it away. Andrew braced himself with a forearm against the wall, keeping a few comfortable inches between their bodies. Neil let him have that gap but crossed his aching arms behind Andrew's head to keep him close. Neil didn't notice the absence of Andrew's other hand until Andrew's breath caught against his lips. It confused him for a second, to the point that he was almost stupid enough to pull back and look down. It'd been weeks since kissing Andrew became a regular thing, but every night ended the same: with Andrew getting Neil off and then sending Neil on his way. He wouldn't even unzip his pants when Neil was still around. Neil didn't know if this break in routine was grudging trust or determination to not let Neil out of sight again. Neil didn't care right now so long as Andrew stayed. Neil hummed something into Andrew's mouth that could have been approval, could have been encouragement, and got a faint growl in response. Andrew wasn't amused by Neil's support, but he wasn't annoyed enough to pull away, either. Neil held tight until Andrew finally went still. Andrew took a couple seconds to catch his breath, then pushed at the wall until Neil obediently dropped his arms and let him go. Andrew rinsed his hand in the spray before getting to his feet and helping hoist Neil up.

Chapter Seventeen

Neil locked the door behind him and crossed the room to Andrew's side. Andrew let him take the vodka away without argument or resistance. Neil screwed its cap on tight and set it where neither of them could knock it over. Andrew was ready when Neil turned back to him, and he caught Neil's collar to pull him down. Neil planted one hand against the rough carpet to keep himself leveraged off Andrew's body. The other he buried in the beanbag near Andrew's head. Andrew dragged a hand down Neil's arm from his shoulder to his wrist. "Last I checked you hated me," Neil said against Andrew's mouth.

Neil ignored that dismissal because Andrew was already pulling him down again. They kissed until Neil felt dizzy, until he wasn't sure he could hold himself up anymore, and then Andrew pulled Neil's hand off the beanbag chair. He held it up away from them for an eternity, then slowly pressed it flat against his chest and let go. Andrew tensed up underneath Neil's hand but relaxed before Neil could pull away. Neil wasn't fooled. Andrew had made it very clear the first time he kissed Neil how important an actual "yes" was. This casual surrender wasn't genuine consent. Andrew was doing this because of what they'd said on Wednesday, but Neil wasn't sure which one of them Andrew was trying to convince. It'd only been three months since Proust's abuse and four months since Drake's attack. Neil didn't know when Andrew would be okay with this but he knew it wasn't today. Neil left his hand on Andrew but refused to move it from that spot.

Not Touching

Chapter One

...If you are worried about dying of exposure you're a little late." Andrew raised a hand to Neil's face but stopped with his fingers just a breath from Neil's skin. Andrew wasn't looking at his injuries; he was staring at Neil's unguarded eyes. "Did I break my promise or were you keeping yours?"

Chapter Five

Andrew started to turn away, so Neil hooked his gloved fingers in the netted head of Andrew's racquet and gave a careful tug.

Chapter Six

"That's enough," he said in German. He was close enough to grab Andrew, but Andrew had warned him he didn't like being touched. He held his hand out over Renee's head instead and waited for Andrew to flick it a hooded look. Satisfied he had Andrew's attention, Neil said again, "That's enough, Andrew."

Chapter Nine

Neil's heart stuttered to a stop at the first hard press of lips against his and he reached up without thinking. His hand made it as far as Andrew's jaw before he remembered Andrew didn't like to be touched. Neil caught hold of Andrew's coat sleeve instead and knotted his fingers in the heavy wool. The touch was a trigger. Andrew leaned back just enough to say, "Tell me no."

Chapter Eleven

Neil obediently let go of him and didn't miss the way Andrew watched him lower his hands. Neil didn't know if he could get them back in his pockets without brushing up against Andrew, so he tucked them behind his back instead. Andrew eased back out of Neil's space and dropped his hands. "Go," Andrew said. "Where?" Neil asked. "Anywhere I can't see you," Andrew said. Neil wouldn't live long enough to understand all the broken layers of Andrew's sexuality, but he at least knew better than to be offended by that dismissal. He waited until Andrew was far enough back that he could step away from the wall without bumping into him. The room was set up so his desk was partially out of sight from the door, but Neil went to the bedroom instead. He dug the knuckle of his thumb into his swollen lower lip and winced a little at the sting. He peeled his shirt over his head, bundled it up to hide the mess, and stuffed it into his laundry basket. He traded his jeans for sweats, scrounged up an old tee to wear, and leaned against his bed to wait.

Chapter Twelve

Neil heard the click of a lock coming undone and knew the referees were opening the door. Andrew wasn't moving yet, but Neil still put an arm in his path to keep him where he was. He pressed his gloved hand to the wall and leaned in as close to Andrew as he could with all of his bulky gear on. "I'm asking you to help us," Neil said. "Will you?" Andrew considered it a moment. "Not for free." "Anything," Neil promised, and stepped back to take his place in line again.

Chapter Fourteen

Andrew's fist went back, but he didn't take the swing. Nathaniel knew it wasn't because that was the hand cuffed to Wymack; Andrew's arm actually shook with the effort it took to not knock Nathaniel's head off his neck. Nathaniel said nothing to tip the balance either way. At length Andrew uncurled his fingers and let his hand hang limp from the cuff. "Say it again and I will kill you," he said.

Chapter Seventeen

"How is this okay?" "It isn't a 'this'," Andrew said. "That's not what I'm asking. You know it isn't. Andrew, wait," he insisted, because Andrew was turning away like he couldn't hear Neil anymore. Neil reached for him, unwilling to let him leave without a real answer. "No," Andrew said, and Neil's hand froze a breath from Andrew's arm. Andrew went still as well, and they stood for a minute in awful silence.

#aftg #fox reads aftg #all for the game #andreil #andrew minyard #neil josten #andreil touching #aftg research project #all the king's men

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veryfuckingtrans · 6 months ago

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Today i had another very stressful day for no good fucking reason like

-my boss was at the office and i had to sit near him

-i forgot my charger but thankfully it was still on my boss' desk. I took it when he wasnt there but then someone told him "was the charger there yours?" And he directly asked me and i had to explain i had taken it from his desk.

-we had a fire drill and i felt like a stray dog just following people all by myself

-i got up the courage to sit with the other interns who had been nice to me at lunch. I told them i'm working in another project and all that

-i had to do a push to develop (update my code changes to the environment developers use for testing) but accidentally pushed to main (updated my changes to the environment real users use) because i was careless and i almost have a heart attack. There was a "undo" button but i'm still not 100% sure i did it right and i was so close to crying. This is an important system, if it stops working they will call the developers at 2AM on a Saturday to go fix it, and i just changed it accidentally

-the person responsible for my internship talked to my boss (very quietly and facing away from me) and then asked me when i finish my internship. Like girl aren't you supposed to know that? So i had to email my school tutor to ask her, and she might reply tomorrow or she might reply in two weeks, there's no way to know.

-the bus back home was so full we couldnt even move and people were very rude about it

-a friend wanted to go to the taylor swift concert and they asked me to sign up for the presale months ago. Today i got an email saying there were some tickets for sale last minute and i sent it to them. I hadnt talked to them in months and then they sent me a voice message, i'm still too scared to listen.

-i'm trying to do the design/user interface for the app we have to do as a final project (me and 2 friends. One of them changed something that broke the entire page and the other has not done one single thing) and nothing works and i am extremely bad at focusing on tasks so instead of having a simple working header i started to look up stock photos for the background and tried to see if i could use AI to create a logo for the page and i just spent so much time and nothing works and everything looks ugly

-i have not told my mum i'm hanging out with a friend this weekend, on friday we're going to a talk and on saturday to a party. This friend had drama with my sibling and my mum doesn't like her and gets upset every time i mention her

-my parents are looking into building a house and want me to go with them so tomorrow after work i have to go fucking talk with some architect i guess

Everything is so small and so insignificant but my chest hurts and i'm starting to get an eye tick and i feel like i'm gonna be sick on my way to work. I can't help but think anxiety meds would help right about now, but i sort of enjoy the way i can feel all my emotions intensely now. So idk. Shit's hard.

#personal #gods weakest soldier sharing his every thought

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the-firebird69 · 1 year ago

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There's a huge fight going on it's fisherman's village no but usually there is and people don't want them down there frankly I don't think he wants to be there either that's too expensive expense too much money and takes too much time to do stuff but it does help out because it's a way of getting things to come up to the surface and he went over there the other day and he was talking about people who are ruining his life and they're walking around right near him doing dumb s*** trying to dumb s*** well they had a diatrab afterwards to say so he sent it in we decoded it and I sent it out and we suggest Max do it they did it and said wow these people are dead cuz they we're going to give orders to have people go around and do things to people and we intercepted a lot of it and started putting them down and taking them out and it's time now there and they're in motion so we are going after them and with gusto and foreigners are Max are everybody it's going after this jackasses and it is too late for them to turn back they say and they don't want to go on without a son and all the stuff so we're going after them hard here. And yeah I guess you could say they're in terrorist mode some of them so we are on the lookout and we are sending out for reinforcements and we are pulling their cards and taking them to task and to prison a lot of them went to prison already this morning several lawsuits went out John remillard didn't show up and he's going to get arrested we are going to send out teams to arrest him and teams that are specifically targeting him and people usually found around him and we're going ahead and doing it and it's been done a little but not that much and from now on we're going to do it is a lot of stuff going on but that'll help a lot we'll find out what's in the way every time these people are like a big tree cut you cut a piece out there's another piece you have to cut out and you just have to keep going around it eventually it's going to fall over I don't have any time to tell you that we have to get rid of tons of them now they're huge assholes and I've never heard people saying so many dumb things in my life either they say stuff that is often it's annoying I'm going after them there's a lot going on here a lot of people are getting fired all over Charlotte county and for good

80% of the private workforce of morlock have been fired 5% were fired the other day and they're firing 5% more today leaving 10%. 75% of the government workers were fired last month 15% this month and they are firing 5% more which will leave 5% only. And that's in Charlotte county.

It's quite a few more announcements but he just got a package and it's good news it's for his cold stuff has a nice reflector on it the other one did but it wasn't working that much and he's keeping the old one as a new top kit but for medicines and things which is great it's big it holds a lot of stuff and he might use it to stop kit because he can put his medicines in small containers. They're mostly supplements. And here's how it goes we're fighting now and we're fighting social security and we're fighting all sorts of people across the board they're a bunch of assholes and we noticed what he was saying it's practically nobody is interested in getting me money so we really have to work hard and a lot harder an alarm sounding yesterday and big ones today the more like a mostly stupid and the foreigners don't want Mac to get him the money and they hesitate with social security but they realize it might be an idea you think they might help put a few checks and one of them is a delay and that was done by the trumps and they're going to get hit for it they said so is love going on today there's more things of the

- Charlotte county sheriff they laid off 10 more so it's down to 1:30 and they hired more about 30 more minority warlock there's probably 500 of them. It says Garth looks like a UPS worker it's not the sheriff's really is he doesn't look that way but it's a little small it looks like Martin it's one of those characters maybe no

-there's some other stuff happening it's pretty it's pretty big and it's here in Charlotte county it's going on right now they are firing more and more people from all sorts of jobs but they say they would it's at 5%. So they're doing that and they're also firing some of the building department people and they're doing it now they're firing people who from the planning department the building department but ancillary and several of the people who work there regularly they want them out they got big mouths they don't know what you're talking about they don't know construction that well and they are blocking projects all over the place indiscriminately some of them are like their own kin and they want them out too they're ridiculous and it's going on now I tell you what they're no heroes for their people they just lazy piece of s*** and Dan can tell you there's so many pieces of s*** out there that we can't get anything done either even though we don't want to and it's horrible so they're firing a lot of them today I'm sure they'll come around cuz they think he's in the same business and he actually does the job a lot of it huge construction projects mass of engineering feats are his partially and he says it because I do a lot of the engineering as well not a hardcore stuff at basis of things. There's a lot going on today and we're going to get more out later

Thor Freya

This is a huge day they're finally working on places that needed to be worked on in order for this area to be held by others it took a damn long time A lot of people are being threatened all over the world for these few idiots and they didn't appreciate it and they're actually going after them and their money and they're doing it now in the cities and it's a huge day because of that and because the warlock are also attacking several spots they're going after the money which is turning into a good size fight they're going after the tap Root chips which is huge the planetoids is getting much bigger and they are also planning on another attack on the United States people here are getting removed people are getting displaced a lot of them are getting killed from the neighborhood and their clans are weaker pretty soon very weak and small and the other ones are not growing they only shrinking it only be a matter of time before they're out and our permanently they don't think so but that's the way it is everybody says it too once you're out you ain't coming over you ain't never coming back you're such a losers and it's going on all day long they're pulling these people out constantly

Hera they're draining and siphoning themselves the way Australia is another example that having a huge word below and it's over uranium it's a different war or battle but it is one of the biggest I've ever seen I've never seen so many of them die so quickly ever in history it's a massive massive massive pile of death and probably half the island is gone it was there two days ago and they're reloading with people and going in and they're calling that's a huge percentage of the population too it's it's like 6% of the population was destroyed down below it was used before and it was that many before but this is going to continue two or three times they say three times they have another way and it's going to work and they like his idea and it's kind of speeding up today they might reach 60% of the island gone but refilling it is making it complicated so I'm going to say the island is back to 7% and we think 50% of that will be gone today if not more and yeah it was at 12% and went to about 6.5% and it's a fight below they're losing like this all over the world. And they have ships out and they're evacuating they plan to reach about 10% but that shrinks in the general population from about 15% for real to about 11% and they are also losing huge number of said all these battles and wars and they lose probably a percent today which is a lot but today is going to be more than that probably 2% and it's not big enough for them to change their way yet so off Island they are at 11% on island 7%, they're going to lose 2% overall today we estimate they'll be at 16%

Hera

We're in the above part but we're going to get going here he's going to get out and we have a place for him to head to

Thor Freya

Olympus

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lizzy-calaxio · 7 months ago

Text

further

Zenos charges at me – Fast. I instinctively hold my staff up to block the attack, and he cuts clean through it.

I begin casting without my staff. Dangerous, Omi told me not to do this. But I think he’d allow it here.

The voices don’t cease. My spells keep missing because my pain is so great it’s clouding my focus. Some of my spells just fizzle outright.

I sign to Shio, ignoring Zenos, “Hey….I’m….going to do something drastic. Can you distract Zenos?”

Shio nods, concern flashing on her face.

“I won’t die.” I sign. Am I lying to her? Am I lying to myself? I guess it won’t matter soon.

I leap backwards, and begin channeling aether through myself. My arms begin to burn with the intensity of one hundred suns. Visions of Dalamud flood my mind. The prayers of millions towards Hydaelyn, the Warrior of Light, and Azem assault my ears. I focus them into tangible aether.

Zenos tries to interrupt my casting, but Shio blocks. Her trusty katana not breaking like my staff did.

Lucky her. I liked that staff.

Omi’s words echo in my mind, “Do. Not. Use. Meltdown. The only exception is if it is truly Life or Death.”

I think this fits. I might die anyway.

Above me, inches above my hands, a massive fire ball builds.

Flashes of Bahamut charging Teraflare flood my mind.

I let out a weak chuckle, cycles truly continue, huh?

I shove 90% of my entire being into the fireball. It feels heavy. It looks as large as Dalamud to me, but I can’t possibly accurately gauge its size.

I make a silent prayer, to myself. To Suzaku. To Nymeia. To Ramuh.

Please. PLEASE. Fucking let Shio survive this. I cast Meltdown at Zenos.

I see Shio’s katana melt.

My vision starts to fade, as I begin to collapse, it sounds quiet, for the first time in forever. The prayers have stopped. I must have succeeded.

I speak coherently for the first time in months, “I’m sorry I melted your favourite katana, Shio.”

I hit the ground hard, and lose consciousness.

I watch as the spell - Meltdown, signature spell of Lahabrea of the Convocation of Fourteen - tears the air asunder in this no-place.

Idly, I wonder where Lizzy learned such an evocation.

There is a vast, unending, searing heat, passing ilms from my fingers, and my katana melts to useless slag. Immediately, I cast it aside, giving it no further thought.

I see Lizzy collapse, and even as I lunge at Zenos, I am calling out with all the fervour I can muster.

"Marfil-m. Take her to safety. Keep her there."

A brush of fingers on the back of my neck as I see a glimmer of rainbows around Lizzy, and she is gone. I relax, marginally. And return my focus to the exiled Prince. I crack my knuckles. I plant my feet.

I start swinging. My teeth are bared; some might call it a smile.

At least one of us isn't walking away today.

At least Lizzy is safe. ~~

“Ah, Soroban, you’re here, good. Thank you for coming.”

I lay in a hospital bed, the gown I was put in reveals my aether scarring. The deep purple travelling down my arms makes me self conscious, I try to resist the urge to cover them.

“Of course, I’m just as worried about our Shio as you are.” he says to me.

The mental image of Shio tossing her favourite katana aside, and leaping towards Zenos as I collapse lingers in my minds eye.

I shake off the image.

“I need some help, I accidentally melted the katana Bunchin gave her. I want to gift her a new one, hopefully one that can withstand that level of heat. I’ve already sent a missive to a blacksmith I trust – Orinitt, he can do the job, however I want you and yours to help with the aesthetic design.” I hand Soroban a slip of paper with a location on it, “Can you discuss with him about this task?”

Soroban takes the paper, and reads it, and shakes his head, “I will not be leaving Sharlayan until Shio returns safely, however I can pass this to another Kojin to help.”

A not so quiet scene before the end of endwalker: Massive Shadowbringers and Endwalker spoilers characters mentioned belong to @the-littlest-kojin

I sit down on Archon Rayne’s couch, and pull out a book, and a quill. I try to start writing. “Warrior of Light, please save me.” “I need help Warrior of Light.” “Hydaelyn heed my prayers, guide us to safety.” “The Warrior of Light will save us.” The thoughts endlessly pour into my head. The throbbing never ceasing. A glow emanates through my sleeves – a blinding bright red. Red...I used to love the color, but now… “WARRIOR OF LIGHT WHERE ARE YOU?!” “Hydaelyn save us.” “Warrior of Light...if you’re out there….I need you now more than ever.” I hold my head, and Archon Rayne glances at me, and signs “Do you need to be put in a coma again?” I shake my head, and continue to try to write a letter. “Hydaelyn where are you?” “The Warrior of Light is strong.” The infinite stream of prayers screaming in my ears drowns out my own thoughts, drowns out any speech of those around me. A person I don’t recognize enters Archon Rayne’s office, they look like a student. I can’t hear what they’re saying. The words go on the page. I occasionally have to start over when I write a stray prayer I hear. “Azem, I need your strength.” “Where’s the Warrior of Light?!” “HELP US!” I’ve never felt so much pain coursing through me. I feel like I’m halfway in phoenix form. Archon Rayne can see everything I’m going through. I wonder what he’s thinking as he speaks to the student. My hand strays to absentmindedly touch my fresh Archon mark on my ribs. I got this, surely I can manage one letter. I owe it to her, at the very least. Shio deserves it. “I’m not worried about the upcoming battle, we have the Warrior of Light on our side.” Shio doesn’t deserve the weight of the world on her, I will happily shoulder this weight for her. I’m ok. I’m happy here. I’m handling this ok. “Warrior of Light, please save me.” “I need help Warrior of Light.” “Hydaelyn heed my prayers, guide us to safety.” “The Warrior of Light will save us.” “WARRIOR OF LIGHT WHERE ARE YOU?!” “Hydaelyn save us.” “Warrior of Light...if you’re out there….I need you now more than ever.” “Hydaelyn where are you?” “The Warrior of Light is strong.” “Azem, I need your strength.” “Where’s the Warrior of Light?!” “HELP US!” “Warrior of light-” “Azem-” “Hydaelyn-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” “Warrior of light-” Stop stop stop, please just fucking STOP. Archon Rayne offers again, through sign, “Are you sure? My previous offer stands.”

I look at my sloppily written letter. I speak aloud, “Feo Ul, I need you real quick.” Archon Rayne hears, “Afnargle Spakrefon Lurgrapble.” surely thinking I’ve gone insane. Feo Ul appears, “You need a letter delivery?” I nod, and hand them the letter. “If….If I die, give this to Shio. And….can you give me some nice dreams in a minute?” Feo Ul nods, and disappears again. I sign to Archon Rayne, “Coma please, I need to rest before we set off in the Ragnarok.” As my eyes close, the prayers of everyone desperate for a saviour fade away. My thoughts linger on possible outcomes. I have a terrifying thought of what Omi told me. “If your aether gets more corrupted, you will turn into a Primal.” I have a flash of a vision of me, appearing as the Warrior of Light we fought on the first. But with phoenix wings, and using a samurai sword. I pray to Suzaku that this future does not come to pass. As I slip into sleep, I hope this rest lasts long.

#ffxiv

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matryosika · 3 years ago

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Cherry Flavored

pairing – hyunjin x reader

wordcount – 8.6 k

warnings – use of petnames, dirty talk, slight food play (a lollipop), masturbation (f), squirting, oral sex (m), deepthroating, face fucking, spit/drool play, cocky/possessive/jealous hyunjin, humiliation, degradation, slight dumbification, overstimulation, unprotected sex, cum eating.

note – i don't know what the fuck happened but you can blame clio's hyunlix teaser for this one, the one with the lollipops. the actions depicted here are not a good idea to execute in real life since they can lead to infections, but this is strictly fiction so i indulged myself with this one. also, excuse any grammar/spelling mistakes since english is not my first language and overall i hope you enjoy! i always get too carried away when writing hyunjin, so this is like 3k words of plot and 5k words of smut. i don't know, something like it.

support my work, leave a tip!

You weren't facing him, but you could feel his heavy gaze setting your whole body on fire.

“It has been a while since I last saw you,” Changbin mumbled, offering you a flirty smile, “but you are just as beautiful”.

“Oh,” you quietly whispered, not daring to look at the man who had been shooting you killer glances ever since you first arrived at the restaurant. “You know, I have been busy– doing this and that”.

“I have been wanting to call you,” he continued, his body slightly leaning towards the table, “but I don’t want to be inopportune”.

“Ah— it's totally fine!” you replied as your breath got caught up in your throat. Hyunjin wasn't sitting that far from the two of you, but your interaction with Changbin seemed more like a casual chat than a flirty conversation and you wondered if the dark-haired man could tell the difference. “I can always make time for a talk”.

“No, I- It wasn't anything like that,” he corrected himself, earning a confused look from you. “I meant I don’t want to be inopportune because of Hyunjin”.

It took you a few seconds to understand the implied meaning behind his words but, even then, you couldn't quite understand why he was saying such a thing.

“What about him?” you queried.

“Aren't you two going out?”

Oh.

Truth be told, the easy answer to that question was simple: no.

The hard one, however, was way more complex than that.

What started as a game became a casual thing, one that neither you nor he dared to label because things were too good to be true. Nonetheless, you couldn't deny the fact that your proud self felt a little bit hurt each time Hyunjin introduced you as just a friend.

Whether you liked him in a romantic context or not, that was beyond the situation. What mattered was that you two were seeing each other –not just only for sex– but he kept on denying it.

“Not at all,” you replied with almost a forced laugh. One that you purposely emitted a bit louder to capture the attention of the man sitting just a few people away from you and Changbin.

Luckily for you, that was an easy task.

“No, we aren't seeing each other”.

“See, he told me the same thing,” Changbin laughed, driving the lemonade glass to his lips, and taking a sip from it, “but I just couldn't believe it. I thought he was keeping you as a secret and I couldn't understand why”.

“No, nothing like that,” You replied with a bitter smile, feeling a bit hurt by his last words, “we just get along, I guess”.

Changbin gave you another smile, one that felt flirtier and warmer. One that sent your mind straight to cloud 9 as you fantasized about him, thinking about how nice it would be to sleep with such a man.

“I am relieved to know that, in all honesty,” he sighed, tilting his head. “For a moment I almost felt bad for showing interest in you”.

You weren't a prude, but you were also not used to dealing with men as straightforward as Changbin was. It was as scary as it was attractive, and you found yourself having conflictive thoughts about him.

“Now you are just saying that to make me shy,” you mumbled, timid.

Truth was that Changbin was your type. If you had to describe the perfect man, you would easily just list all his personality traits and call it a day.

However, there was something about Hyunjin that you still couldn't quite figure out.

He was far from being what you wanted but there was an intoxicating aura around him, something that just forced you to keep your eyes on him all the time.

Every time you thought you were starting to drift from him and his charms, he reminded you that you were never going to walk away from him, even if given the opportunity.

Every time you thought you were interested in someone else other than him, he pinned you down onto his mattress and fucked the thought out of you in just one night.

“I mean it,” the brown-haired insisted, taking another sip from his glass. “I still remember the first time I saw you at Seungmin's place”.

“That was so long ago!” you pattered, trying hard to divert the conversation to a different topic other than the attraction he felt towards you. “I remember this girl Jeongin was dating back then, the one with blue highlights on her hair-”.

“Ah, the homeschooled one”.

“Yeah, that one-”.

Then, the conversation progressed to something trivial, each of you recalling memories from your high-school years while laughing at the innumerable number of anecdotes you remembered.

He would occasionally look at you with that characteristic, playful smirk that you grew to know well, but he knew better than to shoot his shot right in the middle of Jeongin's birthday dinner.

However, it was thanks to his bubbly mood and the delicious food that the awkward evening progressed with ease. Each and everyone invited spent the whole time minding their own business while having a feast and chatting with the people surrounding them.

All but one, that kept his eyes on you throughout the whole night.

“Ah, I better get going too,” You finally breathed after Jisung and Minho stood up from their seats and said goodbye to the birthday boy. “I have to wake up early tomorrow”.

You stood from your seat, immediately followed by Hyunjin and Changbin.

However, the latest didn't notice the impulsive action of the first one.

“Do you need a ride?” He asked you, taking out his wallet and leaving an amount of money that could easily pay for two meals.

“Oh, I wouldn't want to–”.

“I am dropping her off,” Hyunjin interrupted and, if you thought you had seen him angry before, his voice solely proved you wrong.

Changbin looked at the black-haired and then at you with an almost threatening look on his face, taken aback by the sudden harsh tone on Hyunjin’s voice.

“I- You live just a few minutes away from here and I don't want to cause you any discomfort,” you rushed to say in an attempt to make things less uncomfortable. “My apartment is on Hyunjin’s way, so it is more convenient if he drives me there. Besides, he was nice enough to bring me here as well”.

“It is never an inconvenience if it's about you,” he cooed with a smile, completely ignoring the fact that Hyunjin was standing just a few centimeters away from you. “Dinner is on me, by the way”.

You felt your whole face heated up at his generous action, totally not expecting him to be that much of a gentleman.

“You don't have to–”

“Next time you can pay,” Changbin proposed to you, only using it as an excuse for him to ask you out.

You could've dodged that comment just like you did the rest of the evening but, as soon as you saw Hyunjin’s clenched jaw and heard his raging voice, you couldn't help but want to keep on pressing his buttons further.

After all, a damaged ego was what he deserved.

“Saturday at 21:00 then?” You queried, knowing well that Hyunjin was listening to the whole conversation. “You can pick the place since I am treating you”.

Changbin offered you one last smirk and handed you a cherry lollipop that the waitress had put at the center of the table as a treat, keeping the small item inside of the pockets of your beige cardigan while you smiled at the sweet gesture.

Something that didn’t go unnoticed by the long-haired man standing next to you.

“By the way,” he mumbled, “That skirt looks good on you”.

You waved him goodbye with a soft smile before walking towards Jeongin who was still sitting with Chan, Seungmin, Felix, and a few other people from his major.

“Thank you for the invite,” You mumbled, giving him a tight hug, “And happy birthday. Spend the rest of it well”.

“You two are leaving together?” Jeongin asked you as he rested his head on your shoulder, noticing how Hyunjin was standing right behind you.

“He is dropping me at my place,” you told him, “you know since we live pretty close”.

“Ah–” he replied, unsure about prodding more into the topic. “Have a safe drive”.

Even though his lasts words were more for Hyunjin than you, you still thanked him and gave him another hug. You mumbled a faint “goodbye” to the rest of the people that were still there with him and proceeded to walk away while having a furious, man following you throughout the whole parking lot.

Much to your surprise though, the next minutes were spent in silence. You located his black sports car, waited for him to unlock the doors, and got inside without hearing a single word from the man near you.

His eyes were glued to the road the whole time, only looking away to fix them on the rear-view mirror and vice versa. He was driving slower than usual, indicating that either he was thinking stuff, or he was just doing that to piss you off.

Nonetheless, as the trip progressed, you realized that maybe he was too lost in his own world to even think about bothering you in a playful manner, especially because he was angry at you, and you could tell.

Even if his body language was relaxed and absolutely no words were coming out of his mouth, his gaze sold him out every time.

“You are going to have to turn right on the next street,” you murmured, interrupting the awkward silence, “the street of the building is closed because they are restoring it”.

No response.

He continued driving as if you weren't there beside him, stopping at the red lights without even looking at you.

“Didn't you hear me?” you questioned him, annoyed at his childish attitude.

Again, silence.

You crossed both of your arms and rested your whole weight on the leather seat, knowing better than to keep insisting on him with such a trivial issue.

After a draining day, you had no energy to keep up with his immature behavior so, as the trip continued, you tried to remember the subway routes and which station was near his building so you could walk there and go back to your place.

However, as you were lost in your trail of thoughts, his husky voice took you out of it the minute he parked his car.

“Get out,” He commanded before he did the exact same thing, closing the car's door right behind him.

You unbuckled the seatbelt and repeated the action, trying hard to keep up the pace of his fast steps and thinking about what was going to be in store for you the minute you two were alone.

This wasn’t the first time Hyunjin got defensive and jealous, but it was the very first time he showed it in such a manner.

Usually, he would wait up until you were in his bed to bring up the topic, teasing you about one of his friends flirting with you or a random man on the street checking you out. Far from bothering him, he kind of liked it.

He liked the idea of men desiring you, knowing that it wasn’t reciprocal. He adored the idea of being him the one with the privilege of touching you – that no matter how much others wanted you, you were all his.

Nevertheless, this time was different because he felt threatened.

He felt threatened by Changbin.

He felt threatened by the way he caught you staring at him several times, your gaze lost in thought every time you spoke to him. He felt threatened about the way your body language changed whenever you were around him, how you would become softer, gentler.

He felt threatened by the fact that Changbin was a thousand times better at expressing his feelings than he was. And he felt threatened by the idea that he could easily lose you to him.

“Get inside,” he murmured again, resting his hand on your lower back, and pushing you inside the elevator.

A much softer push than you had expected.

“Why are you mad?” You queried, not daring to look at him.

Why was he mad? He found the question and your naivety rather amusing.

It was obvious.

It was obvious how intoxicated he was from you, how much he desired you to be only his. It was clear that he was too into you to let you go, that he was emotionally and physically completely at your mercy.

It was obvious to everyone, except you.

“Hyunjin-” you were cut as soon as the doors of the elevator opened, revealing an empty hallway in front of the both of you.

A hallway you had walked a million times, but that tonight made you feel smaller. Even vulnerable.

But saying that you were scared was far from being true because you weren’t.

You stepped out of the elevator first, so you soon found yourself facing the black door of his apartment, your arse pressing against his crotch while he stood up behind you.

His hand reached out for the keys inside the pockets of his black pants, the sound of them taking you by surprise.

“Open,” he commanded as he placed the keys on your right hand, the cold feeling of the metal against your warm skin sending shivers down your spine.

There was something threatening about the contrast between the cold tone of his voice and his warm touch, how gentle he was even when you knew his insides were raging in jealousy.

He would never do anything to hurt you -and you knew that-, but you still felt your heartbeats racing at the thought of an unknown side of him.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, defenseless.

Truth is, there was nothing to be sorry about. He didn’t need an apology and he didn’t ask for one either. You knew you shouldn’t have to apologize but you still did.

Because that’s how much power he had on you.

“For what?” he asked you while letting a soft laugh, his fingers locating the light switch.

He knew what answer you were going to give him but, if anything, that wasn’t what he wanted. He wanted you to apologize for even thinking about someone else that wasn’t him because he had never been able to think about anyone else that wasn’t you.

But of course, he would never ask you to say such a thing out loud.

“For tonight…,” you murmured, walking inside and shivering at the change of temperature between the cold hallway and the warmth of his place.

“What did you do tonight?” he asked you again and that only made you ten times more confused.

What was he playing to?

He kept on staring at you the whole evening, drowning in jealousy and anger. He acted all defensive in front of Changbin, not even caring about raising suspicions from the rest. He then drove you all the way to his place without saying a single thing or looking at you, and now he was acting as alienated as he could?

“Come on,” you groaned, losing your tense countenance and huffing, “you are never going to change, will you?”

You rested the leather strap of your purse on your shoulder and walked towards the recently closed door again, ready to leave his apartment.

Nonetheless, you didn’t count on how fast he could get from the small coffee table to your place until you felt his big hands gripping both of your wrists and gently slamming you against the door

“I asked you something,” he murmured, his plump lips brushing against yours and making you taste the white wine he had previously drink with a faint of mint and vanilla. “Are you not going to answer me?”

“I take it back,” you breathed, tilting your head against his lips. “The one who should be apologizing it’s actually you and not me”.

“What for?”

“Acting like an asshole in front of everyone”.

“I barely said anything,” he defended himself with a faint manipulative tone in his voice, eyebrows frowning as if he didn’t understand your statement.

“Like that’s any better,” you scoffed, fixing your eyes on his.

You interacted enough with him daily to recognize the changes in his gaze whenever he was feeling some type of way. Usually, he had those round doe eyes, almost as if he was confused or lost all the time. His gaze would feel lighter, too, even gentle.

But right now, as he was staring down at you, his eyes were far from being gentle. His irises were darker, almost black, and you wondered how possible it was for you to fall apart between his arms just by making eye contact with him.

“I was angry because you spent the whole night flirting with Changbin,” he mumbled, his fingers reaching out for a strand of your hair while he pushed it behind your ear. “What else did you want me to do?”

“Ah-,” you smirked proudly, realizing that it didn’t take you long to get him to speak on the issue. “Well, that sounds like a you problem, doesn’t it?”

“You made it your problem the minute you decided to bring the topic up,” he teased you with such a serious countenance that made your whole body shudder. “After all, this is what you wanted, wasn’t it? To make me jealous”.

“Maybe,” you hummed with your eyes fixed on his plump lips that were inviting you to have a taste of them. “Or maybe you are just irrelevant, and I am truly into Changbin”.

There it was, again: the need to hurt his ego.

“Right,” he scoffed, trying to keep his self-control. “As if less than 3 hours ago you weren’t begging for me to cum inside you”.

The sudden dirty talk and choice of words made your heart skip a beat or two, recalling the previous moments to Jeongin’s birthday dinner.

“Changbin spent the whole night complimenting you, begging you for a second of your attention and probably thinking about fucking you, yet I was the one inside you without even touching you,” he bragged, the urges of wanting to erase that proud smirk on his face growing bigger every time he opened his mouth. “And still, you managed to look all pretty and pure with my cum leaking out of your cunt”.

“You are sick,” you sneered, feeling certain tension building up on your lower back due to the mixture of his words and the physical teasing.

“And what are you?” he queried, the tip of his tongue dragging along your lower lip and tasting the strawberry balm on it. “Because I can assure you that you are not any saner”.

“What kind of sane person would get possessive over a friend?” you boldly asked him, not sure if you wanted an answer to your question.

However, the vibrant sound of his cellphone interrupted the heated argument between the two of you and he couldn’t help but smile, knowing that he wasn’t ready to give a proper response to your question.

“I want you naked with your legs spread on my bed,” he commanded without giving you any more time to continue the debate. His eyes scanned your whole figure from head to toe, stopping right at the sight of your legs. “Take everything off but your skirt”.

He turned his back at you, walking towards the minimalist living room of his apartment while he picked up the call.

“Yeah,- I was busy, yeah-” The faint sound of his voice kept on resonating in your ears as you made your way to his room that, as usual, was neatly organized as if it wasn’t inhabited by a man in his early twenties.

He kept talking, but you got lost in your own thoughts as you tried to figure your own feelings about this.

You liked him –more than you ever wanted to admit– but you were also conflicted about the casual relationship you two were having. It bothered you how he was never forward about what he wanted, but he was extremely vocal about what he didn’t.

You were sure he didn’t want you to see other people, but you weren’t even sure if he wanted you in the first place.

And you were too lost in your own world that you didn’t notice Hyunjin’s presence until you felt his warm body behind yours, attaching his hands to your hips as you faced the edge of the bed.

“I thought I made myself clear,” he whispered against your neck, his hands moving from your hips to your shoulders as he dragged the cotton fabric of your cardigan from you. “Or is it that I have to do everything for you?”

You shook your head.

“I was just thinking,” you answered him, taking control of your body and removing the cardigan yourself. “About how much of a coward you are”.

He did listen to your insult loud and clear, but he chose to ignore it for the very sake of you.

Your arms reached out to leave the cardigan on the bed, but he stopped you. “Hand it over”.

His hands were quick to spot the wrap of the cherry lollipop on the right pocket of your clothing and he kept it under his possession without telling you what he wanted it for. “Now, take everything off except for your skirt”.

Suddenly, the sentiment of defeat was quick to appear inside you.

You had promised yourself a million times that you were not going to fall for Hyunjin’s charms again, yet you always found yourself following his commands and wishing to be between his arms.

You were weak, but it wasn’t entirely your fault.

You removed the blouse you were wearing –along with your laced underwear– and just as you were about to bend over and remove your high-thigh socks, he interrupted you again. “Leave them on too,” he commanded, making you stop right on your tracks, “that’s actually for my delight”.

Now you were almost completely naked and timid, noticing how you were exposed and he still had every single one of his clothes on.

“You look so pretty like this,” he praised you as you slowly followed his orders, sitting on the bed and spreading your legs for him. “I just know that Changbin thought about you this way once or twice throughout the dinner”.

Your skin heated up at the comment and you wondered if that statement was anywhere near the truth.

“Too bad he isn’t getting any of this tonight,” Hyunjin smiled, walking towards you, and positioning himself right between your parted legs. “Or do you wish he did?”

You didn’t respond.

Instead, your eyes fixed on the following actions the man in front of you did. He was no longer holding your cardigan with his hands but, instead, it had been replaced by the round, cherry lollipop. He unwrapped the candy right in front of your eyes and grazed it against your slick lips, giving you a sweet taste of it.

“Isn’t he such a gentleman?” he asked you, his cock twitching at the sight of your doe eyes looking right at him while your tongue stuck out ever so slightly to get a better taste of the lolly. “Paying for your meal, giving you a candy… all of that just because he wants to get between your legs”.

“And what if he does?” you queried, watching how he withdrew the lollipop from your lips only to suck on it right in front of you. “What if I’m the one that wants him between my legs?”.

“Then you can leave and go to his place,” he mumbled, wrapping his tongue around the red candy. “I’m not holding you hostage, you can leave if you want to”.

Yet, you didn’t.

You just sat there in silence, looking right at him with a timid gaze, feeling pity for yourself.

You could’ve told him that you weren’t feeling like going to his place the minute you saw him skipping your building street, but you didn’t.

You could’ve told him that you were going back to your apartment as soon as you got out of his car, but you didn’t.

He wasn’t forcing you to do anything, yet you still followed through with every single one of his orders. All because you simply couldn’t get enough of him.

“That’s what I thought,” he snickered, taking the lollipop out of his mouth with a loud pop.

You then felt one side of the mattress sinking as he rested his knee on it, approaching your body from the side and leaning down to be able to be closer to you.

“Let’s see if you were good tonight,” Hyunjin whispered, guiding the slick candy to your hardened buds that were waiting for his touch.

He worked his movements on your nipples, teasing them with the lollipop that was wet with his saliva. He brushed it against your areolas without touching you where you needed him the most, leaving a sticky trail that he was quick to erase with his tongue.

“God-” you whispered under your breath; your lustful gaze fixed on hyunjin’s eyes that were staring at you as he sucked on your nipples eagerly. “I despise you so much”.

“Mhm,” he hummed against your breasts, the vibrations sending waves of pleasure throughout your whole body and contributing to the tension on your lower abdomen to grow.

His tongue kept on teasing the perfect points of your chest for a while, making you arch your back and squeeze your thighs together every time he nibbled at the tender skin of your breasts. Your hand was quick to bury on his dark hair as you pressed him even harder against you, wanting him to never stop.

Hyunjin knew how much you liked to have your tits played with, and he never missed an opportunity to indulge you that way. Even better when he kept you fully satisfied, sucking on one of them while toying with the other.

Soon, the hand that was once working on your chest moved all the way to your wet core, lifting the skirt to have a better sight of your dripping cunt that –he knew– belonged to him and only him.

“Look at you,” he spoke while tilting his head. “You kept it inside you”.

Even though most of his arousal had been absorbed by your laced panties, there were still some remains that were leaking out you –along with your own fluids– and Hyunjin couldn’t feel prouder about it.

He withdrew his body from yours and straightened it up to have a better view of your pussy, one of his hands prying your thighs open while the other one teased your entrance with the red lollipop.

If he was sick for doing such a thing, you were even sicker because you utterly adored it.

“I wonder what Changbin would think about this,” Hyunjin mumbled while the candy got coated with your juices, brushing the tip of it against your inner thighs and your folds, avoiding that sweet spot where you needed him the most on purpose. “About how much of a bitch in heat you are for even allowing me to fuck you with it”.

You desperately bucked your hips against his touch, but he was quick to hold you down by pressing his hand on your lower abdomen. “Sluts like you don’t get to take control, do they?”

There he was, the real him.

The one that drove you insane.

The one that could have you on your knees whenever he pleased and wanted.

His hand moved towards your core, and it was only then when you felt the hard sweet rubbing against your entrance, collecting all your fluids mixed with his own arousal.

“It’s going to taste sweeter after this,” he taunted, making you feel the slightest pressure against your cunt. “And you are going to lick it clean”.

You closed your eyes shut as your head rolled back, your hands flying all the way to the back of your knees to keep your legs spread for him.

His hand moved from your pussy to your bundle of nerves, pressing the lolly against it while he motioned it in circles. That alone was the stimulation needed for you to let out a sinful noise that was probably heard in the whole floor.

“Like that,” you breathed, feeling how you were getting even wetter than you already were. “Faster, please”.

His cock painfully hardened, not only because of your words but also because of the lewd scene he was witnessing. Your breasts were decorated with his saliva while your core was glistening with your wetness, his cum, and the traces the lollipop left behind each time he dragged it against your slit.

From your clit to your tight hole, he just couldn’t stop indulging himself by fucking you with it. So, as soon as you felt the lack of stimulation on your bundle of nerves, you realized what the following action was going to be.

“Make sure to thank Changbin for the lolly next time you see him,” Hyunjin spoke as the rounded candy went inside you with a slow movement, the task being rather easy as you were practically dripping wet. “Tell him that we both liked it very much”.

You moaned at the feeling, but it wasn’t enough. It didn’t feel enough.

It was nowhere near his digits nor his big cock, but it was something.

Filthy, nasty, and even humiliating, but it was something.

“So cute,” he laughed once he saw your throbbing cunt clenching around it every time he took it out of you before inserting it again. “I fucked you not too long ago, yet you are still desperate to have your hole full with anything”.

“It doesn’t feel like you,” you whined, one of your hands flying to your clit in hopes of getting a bit more stimulation. “It is not as big as you”.

“Mhm, it is not,” he hummed, salivating at how shiny it looked each time he pulled it out from you. “Nothing will ever come close to what I make you feel”.

You closed your eyes shut, feeling overwhelmed at the sensation of your digits against your clit and the maneuvers of Hyunjin.

“Not your fingers, nor your toys, nor the pillows you like to hump or the plushies you like to ride will ever get close to how my cock can make you feel,” he groaned, increasing the peace of his hand to match yours. “Not even Changbin nor any other man can make you feel like I can”.

You arched your back against the mattress and, after thinking that it was going to take you hours to cum just by that single item alone, you were proven wrong. Your legs tried to close around Hyunjin’s arm while your whole body trembled under his touch, but he was quick to stop you from doing so.

“Hyunjin, I-” you wanted to tell him that you were close, but you couldn’t. Not when your orgasm was faster to hit you than you could even articulate a coherent sentence.

You moaned his name repeatedly, trying to close your legs as he forced them open, wanting to see every second of your high with his own eyes.

Your hand flew to your hardened buds and you pinched them harshly as you felt your orgasm washing upon you, your hips sloppily bucking against him while the tension on your lower abdomen unraveled.

“That’s it, make a mess,” he groaned, looking at how your arousal was squirting out of you with such intensity that he could cum just by the sight of it.

You whined and cried as you felt the wetted bedsheets beneath you, but you couldn’t stop. Wave after wave of pleasure took control of your whole body and soon, you became nothing but pure lust.

“Don’t stop,” you cried, feeling hurt by the overstimulation but still wanting him to go further with it, “Don’t fucking stop”.

Your weak hands looked for their initial position on your clit again, but Hyunjin had already taken care of it. Rubbing it with his right hand while the other worked the candy in and out of you, you couldn’t stop your insides from building up the same, unquestionable tension again.

“I bet you were fantasizing about having your holes filled the whole dinner, didn’t you?” Hyunjin groaned as his movements acquired roughness. “Always wet and ready to be used”.

“Yes,” you cried, tears streaming down your face while your legs trembled. “Fuck, yes”.

“But be used by who?” Hyunjin queried, mocking naivety, “by Changbin?”

“No, Hyune,” you whined, feeling how your second orgasm was closer than you had expected. “Not him- not- fuck”.

“Then who?” he asked you again, feeling how your legs were threatening to close again around his arm. “Who gets to fuck you whenever he pleases and who gets to use all of your holes when he feels like it?”

“You,” you moaned -almost yelled. “I promise, just you”.

“And what’s my name?” he questioned you, stopping his task to cup both of your cheeks and force your gaze on him. “What’s my fucking name?”

“Hyunjin-” you gasped, bucking your hips at the lack of stimulation on your clit, “Just Hyunjin”.

“Good girl,” he cooed with a smile. Soft, gentle, and completely opposite to what his filthy hands were doing on you.

He resumed his task and the tension resumed unraveling, leaving you as nothing but a mindless, desperate mess.

“Look at me when you cum,” Hyunjin ordered you, no longer caring if you closed your legs around him because he couldn’t afford to keep them open anymore. “Open your eyes and look at me or you don’t cum at all”.

You tried your best to fulfill the given condition, even when you were too overwhelmed to even keep your head up. Your half-lidded eyes found his and that was the last push you needed to fall apart in front of him again, closing your legs tightly around him and desperately bucking your hips like a needy pup in heat.

“Don’t look away,” he grunted as he felt your juices dripping out of you, continuing working only on your over-stimulated bundle of nerves. “Look at the only man who can make you cum like this”.

And soon, it became too much to handle.

He was too much to handle, but you loved it.

“Hyunjin,” you gasped, your hand wrapping against his wrist. “No, no, no, no-”

Hyunjin quickly understood and withdrew himself from you, worried that he might’ve had hurt you.

However, you made sure to not use your safe word because you didn’t really want him to stop. You just wanted him to give yourself a small break to overcome your high before moving on to something else.

As you took time to stabilize yourself, his hand moved from your cunt to your mouth, still holding the candy that was covered in all sorts of fluids that you could hardly tell apart from each other.

“Open your mouth,” he commanded as he placed the sweet against your swollen lips, giving you a taste of it.

You stuck your tongue out, allowing him to prude the lollipop inside your warm hole. You wrapped your lips around it as you sucked it clean, using your tongue as much as you could while it grazed against his fingers.

“You are so fucking dirty,” he hissed, looking at your teary eyes staring at him with pure lust. “All corrupted by me”.

That was true. Hyunjin hadn’t been your first sexual partner, but he was sure the one who taught you the most.

“Does it taste good?” Hyunjin asked you, admiring how eagerly you sucked on the lollipop. You bopped your head up and down as you continued tasting the bitterness, sweetness, and saltiness in every lick you gave it. “So cute”.

He took the lollipop out of your mouth with a loud pop before standing up from the bed, removing his clothes, and releasing his –already– painful erection right in front of your eyes.

And it didn’t matter how many times you had seen it or taken it, it always sent shivers down your spine because of how big he truly was.

“Get on your knees,” he hissed, throwing the lollipop away while both of his hands secured his long hair into a ponytail. “And let me give you what you had been craving the whole night”.

As obedient as you were, you positioned yourself right in front of him with your knees against the pillows he had laid on the ground to make it more comfortable for you.

Your hands instinctively traveled all the way to your back, and you kept them there, solely sticking out your tongue with your mouth open so Hyunjin could fuck it and use it as he pleased.

Whether it was because of how long you two had been fucking each other or an innocent gesture, Hyunjin couldn’t help but feel proud about how he had conditioned you to do certain things in bed.

Things you weren’t used to doing before him, like that one.

“You want me to fuck your pretty mouth”? he asked you while his veiny hands got lost in your hair, guiding your head all the way to his throbbing cock. “Is that what you want?”

“Mhm,” you hummed, still with your mouth open and your tongue out.

“Whose cock do you want inside your mouth?”

“Yours” you answered him.

“Just mine?”

“Just yours,” and as if those were some sort of magic words, Hyunjin guided your head all over his length with a slow movement.

He was eager to fuck your mouth as he liked it, but he was also gentle the very first minutes that you usually used to get used to his length.

“Such a good slut,” he complimented you, his eyes admiring how you obediently kept both of your arms behind your back laced onto one another. “My good slut”.

As time passed by and your throat was stretched enough by his cock, the thrusts of his hips against your lips became faster and rougher, almost as if he was retaliating on you.

But, if you were being honest, that’s what you wanted.

That’s what you had been wishing for the minute you stood a foot in his apartment.

“I am sure any man would kill to have you like this,” Hyunjin groaned, his head falling slightly back while his eyes rolled to the back of his head. “I am sure they fantasize about fucking you, but I am the only one who can”.

You started to cough and gag around him as his thrusts speeded up, but he didn’t care. Not when your mouth was drooling and making a mess on your chin and breasts, and your eyes were tearing up at the aggressive sensation.

“Because you are mine,” he panted, his lower lip getting caught between his teeth, “Because I am the only one who can use you like this”.

Your hands moved from your back to his toned thighs, digging your fingernails on his skin and making him hiss at the sharp pain.

“You are only mine and I am only yours,” he groaned without even thinking his words twice, but you were too focus on taking him on your mouth than you could hardly pay attention to the words that were falling from his lips. “Your whole body was perfectly made for me and only me”.

With a loud groan, Hyunjin held your head in place while his cock touched the deepest spots on your throat, your nose grazing against his pubis while you closed your eyes and furrowed your eyebrows at the sensation of being completely full.

“Don’t clean yourself up after this,” he quickly murmured before pulling his cock out of you, immediately making you drool over his length and yourself.

Your skirt and high-thighs were stained with saliva, your makeup and hair were ruined, your eyes were tearing up and your chin and breasts were complretely covered in your own drool.

But Hyunjin loved it.

He loved how dirty you looked with such pure eyes that he sometimes wondered how you could shape-shift from an innocent woman to a desperate, filthy slut.

He cupped your cheeks with one of his hands as he leaned over on you, forcing your mouth open while you stared right up at him.

“Do you think Changbin’s cock can make you gag and drool like this?” he asked you with such cockiness that your cunt clenched around thin air. “No?, you don't think Changbin’s cock can stretch your slutty mouth like this?”

You shook your head repeatedly while tears continue to stream down your cheeks.

“Tell me”.

“Your cock is the biggest one I have had,” you mumbled with a husky tone. “It is so fucking big, Hyune”.

“Go on,”

“I don't want Changbin to fuck me,” you panted, feeling the heat between your legs growing each time a word fell from your lips. “I don't want anyone else to fuck me but you. All I want is your cock filling all of my holes every fucking hour”.

Hyunjin forced your mouth open again and spitted on it harshly, his saliva mixing with your drool and his precum in your tongue.

“Hungry slut,” he groaned, watching how you swallowed proudly his spit. “You are always thinking about my cock, aren't you?”

You nodded.

“Remember that time you were too desperate to have me that you ended up cumming by just humping my leg?” he asked you and, as you recalled the memory, you felt a bit embarrassed. “No one will ever be able to have you as desperate as you were that day, and you know why?”

You looked at him in silence, waiting for his next words.

“Beacuse you are conditioned to only cum when you are with me,” he mumbled, his fingers prudding into your mouth while you immediately sucked on them. “You can try and fuck anyone you want but I can assure you that whenever you feel like cumming, you will be looking for my hands and my gaze only”.

With a soft movement, he helped you to stand up from the pillows before laying down on the bed, his hardened length throbbing and begging for you to sit on it as soon as possible.

You soon followed his actions and sat down on top of him, grabbing the base of his cock and aligning it with your entrance to take him completely.

An easy task, considering how wet and ready you were to be fucked by him.

“He was right,” Hyunjin breathed, his hands grabbing the hems of your skirt. “This looks so good on you”.

Only then it struck you why he wanted you to leave it on: because Changbin complimented it.

And because he did, ruining you while wearing it only reminded Hyunjin that he was the one who owned you, not him.

Your hips started to move against him, alternating between circular motions and small jumps every now and then –as much as your sore legs allowed you to–. Your hands were attached to your breasts while you massaged them for him, pinching your nipples and –overall– putting a cute show for him.

“Do you play with your tits like that whenever you hump your pillows like the pathetic pup in heat you are?” he suddenly asked you and you moaned at his words. “Do you beg for my cock even when i am not there with you?”

Even though the questions were a bit embarrassing, they weren't far from the truth. You nodded while you placed your hands against his chest, taking advantage of it and bopping your hips up and down along his length.

“Ride me faster,” Hyunjin groaned, both of his hands attached to your hips while guiding your movements. “I want to see your tits bouncing and I want you to squirt on my cock again”.

Your weak legs could only handle much but you still went through with his commands.

One of your hands traveled all the way to your clit and you rubbed it slowly as you tried to match the pace of your hips.

It felt heavenly, as it always did.

Hyunjin's cock felt heavenly, because it seemed like it was made especially for you. Thick, big and always hitting all the right spots inside your dripping cunt.

“You are so fucking tight,” Hyunjin groaned, biting his lower lip. “So warm and wet for me”.

Your head fell back while your hips continued on moving in circular motions around him, more to your own pleasure than to his.

“I am not going to last long,” you admitted in the brink of tears, your digits speeding up its pace as your hips rolled sloppily against him. “Your cock just- it feels- so good, so big-”.

Your eyes rolled to the back of your head as you found the strength to finish your sentence, your nipples hardening and your toes curling at the sudden sensation of your arousal.

“Hyunjin-” you whined, clenching around his cock without even moving, “I am cumming again”.

With the little strength that was left in you, you raised both of your hips and squirted your orgasm right on top of his cock and his toned abdomen.

Your fingers never stopped rubbing your clit, not even when the overstimulation kicked in, and Hyunjin couldn't believe how hard his cock was getting just by the sight of a masochist you, drowned in the pleasure and pain.

“Look at the mess you made,” Hyunjin groaned, delighted to see your whole body shaking on top of him, “you filthy slut”.

Your head fell down and your weak body sat on top of his abdomen covered with your own orgasm.

“Thank you,” you responded, both to his words and the third orgasm of your night.

However, just because you were done it didn't mean that he was.

With a swift movement, he managed to slam his cock inside your tight hole again while your sore body fell on top of his, your face hiding at the crook of his neck.

Hyunjin's hands lifted your hips while he accommodated himself underneath you, the new position allowing him to be the one in control and not you.

You placed both of your arms on each side of his face as you felt him slamming his hips against yours with such a rough pace that was definitely not like what you were used to.

“Hyunjin, fuck–” you yelled, the pain of the overstimulation mixed with the painful stretch he was providing you almost driving you insane. “Your cock–”

“Shut up and take it,” he groaned, keeping a steady pace on his thrusts.

Even though you were already too fucked out to enjoyed it properly, you still allowed yourself to drown in the intoxicated jealousy that was now coming to light.

“Don't forget that you are mine and mine only,” he continued, the grip on your hips being too strong that tou were sure there were going to appear a few bruises tomorrow morning. “You were mine from the first time I fucked you and no one will change that”.

You moaned in pleasure at his words, immersed in how much deeper his voice sounded.

“You are my slut,” he panted, one of his hands flying from your hips to your hair, grabbing a fistful of it and forcing your head to look at him. “Say it”.

“I am your slut”.

“Tell me how grateful you are for my cock”.

“I am so fucking grate–” you cried at the feeling of his cock hitting your sweet spot repeatedly, “God, I fucking love your big cock”.

Hyunjin kept on pounding your cunt while forcing you to look at him, his cock twitching at the sight of your fucked out gaze and your messy makeup.

“I bet you would love for Changbin to see how much of a slut you are,” he groaned and, immediately afterwards, he felt you clenching around him. “Yeah, you would love that?”

“Yes,” you panted, breathless, “I would love for Changbin to see how much of a slut I am for you”.

“Instead, why don't we have all of my friends watching how I fuck you?” he asked you and it was then where you felt his hips losing their steady pace. “I bet they would love to see you all messy and sweaty, grinding against my lap and trying to make me cum inside your pussy”.

Hyunjin's hands returned to their original place at your hips while he continued on thrusting his cock inside you, too close to reach his orgasm but yet too far from relieving the negative sentiments he felt throughout the night.

“I want to fuck you in front of all of them,” he admitted, his cock twitching at the sound of your whines. “I want to fuck you in front of all of them for hours, until you beg for me to stop. I want to fill your tight little pussy with my semen as they watch, hearing how you desperately moan my name over and over and beg for me to let you cum”.

“Yes, yes, yes, yes,” you cried, gripping the pillows underneath Hyunjin’s head.

“I want everyone to know that you are mine and that I own you,” he finally grunted, his hips slamming against yours for the last time, “And i don't care if i have to fuck you in front of anyone for them to understand that i don't even want them to lay their eyes on you”.

He pulled his cock out of you while his hand continued on desperately pumping it, trying hard to not to cum just yet.

You didn't need to say anything else for him to understand that you wanted him to cum on you so, as fast as he could, he kneeled right next to you while he stroked his length right over your face.

“Cum on my mouth,” you panted, both of your hands teasing your sore nipples while you licked the leaking of his cock with the tip of your tongue. “I want to taste you”.

It didn't take him long to release himself on your mouth and chin, decorating them with his hot arousal while he cursed under his breathe at the sight of your playful smile.

He didn't even wait for you to swallow it when he was already leaning over to kiss you, capturing your lips with his in a sloppy kiss that was anything but clean.

His tongue licked yours while he tasted himself from your mouth, making you moan as he sucked on your lower lip.

“Changbin's lollipop was nothing compared to how delicious you taste,” you murmured with a fucked out smile, getting the last taste of him from his lips.

#stray kids smut #skz smut #kpop smut #hyunjin smut #hwang hyunjin smut

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imaginedreamwrite · 2 years ago

Note

Hi!

For the monster free ask…

I sent and ask a few days ago I’m not sure if you received it! It was about Bucky needing time away from the avengers so he goes off to this little cabin he has in the woods and finds a wounded animal (werewolf maybe?) he takes it back to the cabin to nurse it back to health and the next morning he wakes up to find a naked woman where he left the animal but it turns out it’s reader. She was being hunted for sport and forced to stay in her wolf form!

It’s ok if you don’t want to write about this but idk if dumblr deleted the original!!! 💚💚💚

Bucky had almost forgotten what it felt like to breathe when he had set his hands upon the injured wolf outside of his door. The fur was stained with blood, coating the scruff of the neck and haunches, a few deep cuts making him worry about potential death of the beautiful animal that had made its way to his door step.

Bucky had reacted swiftly, picking the poor injured wolf from the steps of his refuge to carry it inside. He had approached the fire and set the shivering animal along the floor near the fireplace before he had also grabbed a blanket and draped it across the animals body.

“You’re in rough shape,” Bucky observed, smoothing his hand down the wolf’s head, “I’m gonna try and help you.”

Since he had moved out here from the city, Bucky’s days had been filled with the usual tasks of clearing and maintaining the property his cabin was on. He had come out here to get a break from the Avengers and the rush of the big city. He wanted peace and quiet, the allure of the music of nature settling him into solitude was too hard to resist.

Bucky had fled the city for three weeks, taking to his cabin.

“What did you do?” He questioned the wolf, cleaning and caring for the wounds. “You hurt yourself real bad.”

He spent hours cleaning and patching up the animal, scrounging for something for the wolf to eat that could go down easily and leaving water.

“If you survive the night, I’ll give you something more substantial.” Bucky had left the wolf by the fire with a blanket for warmth, hoping for the best.

When he had woken the next morning and descended the stairs, the wolf was gone and in its place was a woman bearing the same wounds, the same marks.

She was bared of clothes, completely naked to his eyes save for the blanket that was tucked under her head. He could see his bandages that he had given her wrapped in place, and the subtle tracings of the antiseptic ointment he had used drying on her flesh.

“You’re a werewolf,” Bucky had observed, draping another blanket over her body, “and I’m guessing the wounds weren’t inflicted by natural causes.”

He stayed and wait, sat himself on the couch. He had waited for the moment where you would open your eyes.

“…hunters…” your voice was strained, weak. “…they nearly killed me…”

Bucky had dropped down to crouch in front of you, hands balled tightly. “You’re safe here, they won’t touch you again.”

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whirlybirbs · 4 years ago

Text

( this chapter’s gif by @ransomflanagan from this beautiful set ! )

✪ — VACANT MIRRORS ; B.B. | 5/?

summary: your plan goes to asbolute shit.

pairing: bucky barnes / f!reader

tags: set before & during tfatws, friends to lovers, therapy positive, trauma healing techniques, ptsd mentions, the normalization of anxiety disorders, and a good ol’ slow burn

word count: 9k, please pray for my fingers

a/n: there’s action, there’s gunshot wounds, there’s canon appropriate violence! this one has a lot of plot, a lot of action, and i truly want to sleep for seven days after writing this. you should listen to the glass cannon’s club playlist while you read, though, for vibez.

( PREVIOUSLY | AO3 | MASTERLIST | NEXT )

You do have a plan.

Maybe it’s a little vague, a little messy, and a little up-in-the-air, but it’s a plan.

Get in, find Kiwi, avoid a handful of unsavory characters, and access the Alexandria Library.

Getting the hell out The Glass Cannon once you and Bucky were in was going to be a whole different plan entirely — one that was more improv than anything else. Hopefully, running a quick facial recognition program wouldn’t take long. With any luck, it would get a hit on any more recent aliases Innessa Sidrova was using after parsing the motherload of information Kiwi held onto with her life.

Kiwi wasn’t always known as Kiwi. She worked at SHIELD, like you, and back then she was known as Suji Awal. She stuck around longer — and she’d stayed on board during the active collapse to do heaven-sent work. It was an absolute Hail Mary, but while HYDRA had tried to purge all of SHIELD’s cloud data to protect their active agents and decades of progress, Suji had beat the hare in the race. Two steps ahead, she’d managed to pull nearly 97% of all confidential data including mission reports, agent profiles, and even electronic correspondence. While the metaphorical fire burned the documents behind her, she’d managed to salvage one of the only surviving, comprehensive looks at SHIELD before the curtain was pulled back to reveal HYDRA’s infection.

It had been used to try multiple HYDRA agents in the wake of it all in the federal courts. It was significant evidence, but after nearly all was reaped from the crop, Suji had taken the aptly named Alexandria Library and gone underground. Now, Kiwi was just another hacker in the thick of it and the Alexandria files were all but whispers.

It’s all about knowing the right people in the end.

Kiwi was a regular at The Glass Cannon. There was a nine out of ten chance you’d find her there. And if you didn’t find Kiwi, you’d probably find Climber and… Well, going to him wasn’t the most ideal situation, but out of the menagerie of acquaintances you’d gathered up throughout the years, you could trust Climber. He’d send you Kiwi’s way if you finally called in that favor he owed you. Either way, you’d find her and you’d get the files.

You just needed to avoid Alexei Gardzov.

Easy. Ish.

In truth, you barely get anything done Thursday — you’re too preoccupied in your head, running over the so-called plan even now as you fold laundry in the basement of your apartment complex.

You’d dug around in your closet, trying to find some semblance of an outfit. It was difficult. It wasn’t like the barely-there dresses and platform shoes were your thing anymore. Back then, your diet was mostly energy drinks and alcohol — in a way, it’s a relief to find that a good number of your staple outfits no longer fit. It made you feel like you really had put all this behind you.

You have.

Sure, it was the Rabbit you were going to have to be for tonight, but you’re not the Rabbit you were eight years ago. Good thing, too. You’re not too sure you and Bucky would have gotten along otherwise. Right now, your relationship with him was the biggest thing keeping you afloat — for the first time in a long time, you feel like you have some sort of purpose, even if it was a vague one at best.

You knew Innessa Sidrova was a threat — and you knew Bucky had to remedy that threat. You knew he felt responsible for creating her, for planting her in a position of power where she could manipulate and control. In truth, there was still a lot of vagueness surrounding his past. He’d made it clear he hasn’t been himself for a long time, but you couldn’t bring yourself to wade through the muck of his trauma to pluck out your answers. It just felt wrong.

If you were to say you hadn’t been tempted to go out on your own and dig, that’d be a lie.

Even now, as you pull out the ink-black top from the dryer and fold it neatly on top of the other pieces of laundry needed for tonight, you can feel it sparking like a lighter in the back of your head.

He was keeping something from you.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

You nearly jump six feet in the air.

It’s Miss Bonnie — and she’s laughing when her feet touch the cold concrete of the unfinished floor. Her basket of laundry is balanced neatly on her hip, and she walks with a smirk on her face. Her hair is piled neatly on top of her head, and as she bends to plop the basket down, she offers a wink.

“I could hear you thinking from upstairs,” she ruminates, paisley and dyed skirts kissing the ground, “Like a little steam engine.”

You laugh quietly into your task. You duck your head and heft a black bra and jeans from the dryer. “I’ve got a lot on my mind.”

She looks up, eyes moving carefully from the laundry pile to your face. Her eyes glimmer with quiet curiosity. “And a big night planned, huh?”

You snort. “What was the giveaway?”

“It’s always the lacey bras,” she chirps and slides a smirk your way as she waggles a finger at your pile, “And the strappy little bodysuit was a good hint, too.”

You exhale with a laugh, bracing a hand against the dryer. She’s not wrong — you’d really forgone comfort with this outfit lineup. It was temporary, though, and well worth the efforts if it meant helping Bucky tick off a name from his list of amends. You knew how much those meant to him.

“So,” she continues, voice muddled as she continues to load the washer, “I take it this friend of yours is really helping you out of your shell?”

“I guess so. Yeah. It’s — It’s sort of a mutual shell-cracking, I guess.”

“Mm,” a hum, “You sound troubled, though.”

Your mouth opens as your fingers trace the line of the bodysuit. You pause, and you rock back on your heels. Miss Bonnie notices.

She waits patiently, bent at the knees.

“You ever just…” you wave your hand, “Feel like — I don’t know. He’s my friend. My best friend, honestly, and that’s… Really saying a lot. But, there’s stuff under the surface and I know it’s not my business but…”

Out comes a strangled groan.

“What? Like a crazy ex-girlfriend?”

“No, no — I don’t think so,” you mutter, “Wouldn’t surprise me, though.”

“Handsome?” she asks, smiling.

You close your eyes and ignore the smile on your face as you reply. “Yea, handsome.”

“Well, have you tried asking?” she shrugs as she stands, “Not about the crazy ex, but about the stuff you’re worried about? It never hurts.”

“Problem is, I don’t really think it’s too much of my business.”

Miss Bonnie hums at that and presses the start on her washer. She’s quiet for a bit, swaying slightly as she weighs the conversation and you watch — enamored with the older woman’s calm wisdom. She gestures openly with ringed hands.

“I think it’s normal for us to want to know everything about those we care about,” she says, “We want to know how we can protect them, how we can comfort them. But… it comes in due time. All of it does. You’ll find a time when he does open up about the ex, or whatever it is on his mind. You’re friends, after all.”

You’re nodding, chest tight with thanks.

Miss Bonnie’s face is soft.

“You got a picture?” she chirps like a bird looking for a worm, “I wanna see who this little friend is. And if he really is as handsome as you’re suggesting...”

You scoff and lean to dig out your phone.

“Cut it out,” you mumble as she moves closer, “No playing matchmaker.”

“Sure, sure,” she waves, leaning to watch as you scroll through your camera roll.

The only photo you have of Bucky is there from Tuesday night — after he’d housed nearly an entire container of noodles and promptly passed out during the third Lord of the Rings movie. You’d woken up around one in the morning to find that Poke had unceremoniously curled up on top of the supersoldier’s chest. Bucky’s hand was still in the calico’s fur as he dozed, the colors of the TV painting his face all sorts of peaceful. You’d taken the photo, shoving it in his face after gently nudging him awake.

He’s laughed.

You gesture to show Miss Bonnie.

Like ice, she freezes.

You notice a microexpression dart across her face, but it’s gone in an instant. You can’t pin it, but the way she bends to pull the phone closer and zoom in on her face comes off as interest. You blink, label it as shock, and move on.

Her voice sounds different.

“Handsome,” she mumbles plainly, preoccupied with the sight, “I get it now. What’s his name?”

“Bucky,” you say as she hands the phone back, “He’s… He’s a good person.”

Miss Bonnie just nods.

You tuck your phone away and plop your laundry into your basket. Ignoring the sudden quiet that had crept between you both, you haul up the stack and offer her a gentle smile. She’s fiddling with the washer’s timer.

“Thank you, Miss Bonnie.”

“Of course,” she rushes out, smiling gently, “And be safe tonight.”

“I will.”

With your promise, you ascend the stairs.

In that basement, Bonnie McLayne is no more, and instead, Innessa Sidrova remembers that night in Moscow, back in 1975.

She remembers the Winter Soldier.

◦ ◦ ◦ ◦

Bucky calls you three times with no answer.

Normally, he’d just give up — but it was Thursday, and you weren’t answering the buzzer to your apartment either. He tries his best to ignore the strike of panic that sparks in his chest. It could stoke a wildfire, really, but he pushes it down and remembers to breathe. He doesn’t let himself think about what he’d do if something happened to you.

After all, you’re probably fine. Sleeping, maybe. The both of you had a long night ahead.

(Longer than either of you realize, really.)

It’s nearly seven o’clock, and after trying your cell one more time from his perch on your apartment’s stoop, Bucky decides to say fuck it.

A well-adjusted person might frown upon what he was about to do, but Bucky wasn’t exactly well-adjusted, now was he?

He rounds the back alley with long strides and easily finds that, with a little maneuvering, he can hoist himself upwards on top of the nearest dumpster. With a well-timed hop, he can also snag the bottom of the fire escape’s ladder and haul it downwards. The rest is easy, and he’s scaling the fire escape to the third floor with ease before he even knows it.

There’s even a smug little smirk on his face the whole time he does.

Finding your window is a little harder, but Bucky eventually spots Poke’s round little body smushed against the glass — it’s a dead giveaway, and after some prowling, he finds the window to your living room and unceremoniously throws it open.

It’s unlocked, for whatever reason, and he makes a mental note to have a conversation with you about safety and security in the city. After all, you never knew when an ex-assassin supersoldier was going to break in and pet your cat.

Upon opening the window, he pieces together pretty quickly why you’re not answering. Could be the music coming from your bedroom, or even the singing that’s coupled alongside it. From the bathroom across the hall from your room, steam has settled above on the ceiling. The whole apartment smells like fruit and soap and perfume and Bucky’s not really sure how to parse through all the sensory experiences that greet him with he shimmies in through the window, legs first.

All in all, they make him smile.

Bucky shuts the window behind him as he’s quickly greeted by Poke — the calico offers a gratuitous little chirp when Bucky bends to scoop up the cat. Easily, he melts. Poke is purring loudly in his ear as Bucky takes a moment to survey your apartment a little bit closer. Mr. Poke Bowl rubs his face against Bucky’s stubble as the man weaves through the kitchen.

It’s very you.

He isn’t really sure what that means at the end of the day, but all he knows is that he feels at home here. He feels safe. He feels comfortable. He feels like he can be himself. Not James, not Sergeant Barnes, not The Winter Soldier. Not even Steve’s Bucky, but just… his Bucky. Himself. Sarcastic and exhausted and a little cynical.

Bucky lets Poke down on the counter and moves to the fridge.

There’s still beer from the other night in there, tucked in the back, so he makes easy work on popping open a bottle and busying himself with petting a very adamant Poke.

As he sips the Leinenkugel, it’s no small coincidence that his phone buzzes again — for what feels like the hundredth time today — with a message from Janelle.

She was nice — pretty, too. Once upon a time, she would have been his type.

That was before he met you, though.

There’s a little pinprick of mortification at that quiet confession that’s been slipping into his heart more and more in the last few days. You are, after all, his best friend. He’s your best friend. Guilt swims with the feelings that have begun to pluck his heartstrings and he has to admit he’s not too comfortable with the song they play.

His biggest fear is fucking this up.

Fucking you up.

Honestly, his track record isn’t great. The whole defrosted-international-threat bit made it a little difficult to date. Janelle seemed to think the date had gone well enough, though, hence the handful of texts he’d been getting every few hours asking if he’s free.

Like usual, he ignores them.

Exercising his own free will is hard sometimes. Especially when it comes to saying no.

Taking another swig of the beer, Bucky shoves his phone back into his pocket and tucks his fingers back into Poke’s fur. The calico’s tail swings patiently as he sits and watches — and it’s a little weird how human his eyes are for a second there. He mmrrps and lunges for Bucky’s hand when he comes close, bonking his head eagerly against the cool vibranium.

It’s a different sensation.

That’s another big adjustment — learning how things really feel with this new arm. It’s not just handling recoil or gripping knives or throwing punches. It’s the soft tickle of fur, the gentle pressure of a warm rag to clean the joints. Meticulous upkeep wasn’t something HYDRA did often. He doesn’t miss the twinge of pain and molasses-like stickiness that came with a dirty arm. Blood was the worst. Always sat deep in the cracks.

He flexes his fingers. Poke meows again.

He moves to plop down on the couch. Poke follows.

You’re singing, still, to some song that Bucky’s never heard, when you push open your bedroom door and move towards the living room.

You jump six feet in the air and scream when you see him just sitting there, clutching a beer and petting Poke like he fucking lives here rent-free.

Bucky’s reaction is muted, mostly because he’s a little too preoccupied with your outfit and your jewelry and the pink eye shadow that creeps up your brow-bone. There’s glitter on your eyelids and lip gloss on your mouth and he can smell some sort of candy-sweet perfume coming off you. The plunging neckline of the jet-black top is enough to leave him shifting his gaze back up to your startled expression with a tight jaw.

His face is blank.

Then he offers that stupid fucking smile he does. Y’know, the tight-lipped one where he somehow maintains a dead-eyed look the whole time. If you weren’t trying to calm your racing heartbeat, you might have laughed. You hate the white-hot flare it sparks in your chest.

“How the fuck did you get in here?” you hiss, waving your hands.

“We need to have a serious conversation about locking our windows,” he says as he kicks his feet up on the coffee table and wags a finger at you, “Also, what are you wearing?”

“You — You fucking broke in through my window?”

“Yea, well, you were too busy pretending to be Britney Spears to hear me try and buzz up, and my phone calls.”

Sheepishly, you cross your arms. “Nice reference—”

A shrug from Bucky. “Thank you.”

“—Also, what are you wearing?”

He looks down at his usual t-shirt, leather jacket combo. He squints back up at you.

“I’m sorry,” he chirps, “You’re talking to me? Did the department store run out of fabric, Rabbit?”

You self-consciously adjust the plunging neckline of the bodysuit as you frown deeply. “I think I’m gonna skip on the fashion advice from the man who lived in a time where ankles were seen as scandalous.”

“I was born in 1917,” he mumbles as he stands, actively avoiding another pass over your outfit because as much as he hates to admit it, it’s not a bad look on you, “Not 1817.”

“Point being, we’re going to a club. And you look like you’re going to the local Home Depot,” you move to snag a set of dangly earrings that are sitting on the coffee table, “We’ve gotta look like we’re there to party, nothing more.”

Bucky sighs. He finishes the beer, places the bottle down and sheds his jacket. “So, what?”

You pry your eyes away from the flash of skin — his arm, flesh and blood, speaks to how strong he is. And, undoubtedly how easy it was for him to fucking scale three stories of the fire escape to bust in.

“So,” you mumble as you thread the earring in, “I have some of Jaimie’s old shirts. There’s probably something you can use… If they fit.”

Bucky exhales softly. “You kept them?”

“Didn’t have the heart to throw them out,” you reply as you gesture for him to follow you into your bedroom.

The back of your top is arguably more crisis-inducing than the front — it’s an open back, and Bucky settles on admiring the decor rather than the curve of your spine. He has to. For his own fucking self-composure.

Your bedroom is nice — and like the rest of your space, it makes him feel comfortable. It’s all warm colors and posters and plants in the corners. Across from your queen-sized bed, there’s a large desk with a triple monitor setup. That’s where the music is coming from. The little knick-knacks on your shelves and desk make him chuckle.

Then, he stops, halfway to the closet, and stares.

You blink over your shoulder as you bend, digging to the back of your closet to pull out the clear bin you’d piled most of Jaimie’s stuff into after the funeral. After you’d cleaned out his apartment on your own.

He’s looking at the poster — the one from Cap’s USO tour. It’s framed nicely, set up on the wall beside your desk. It’s got a gold frame, and Bucky can’t help but wander closer to look at the signature.

It’s Steve’s alright.

“How much did you pay for this?”

You scoff. Your necklaces tinker together. “Don’t even go there.”

“The jerk signed thousands of these,” he mumbles, crossing his arms as he leans closer, “And still, the fame didn’t go to his head.”

You smile softly, leaning back.

“Jealous?” you chirp, raising your brows as you pretend to swoon, “Oh, Sergeant Barnes, I’d just love to meet your dear friend—”

Bucky’s laughing as you swat at his knee, leaning back on the carpet like a damsel in distress.

“Shut up,” he snorts, “It’s a sore subject for me.”

“Oh my god.”

“I’m serious — do you know how many dates I had to set up for the chump? And then, boom. I’m invisible.”

“Yeah, well,” you mutter with a smile, unclicking the lid, “Some people just like blondes, Buck. I’m sure there were plenty of eyes on you. Stop being so dramatic.”

“Yea, the best friend, sure,” he mumbles at the poster, “Hell, he was taller than me. You know you don’t need to lie to me—”

“Listen, if I was some Lauren Bacall-looking nurse back then,” you wave your hands, “I’d have gone for you. Alright? Stop lamenting and get over here.”

He goes quiet and ignores the warmth in his cheeks. He squats by your side. “Shut up.”

“We seriously need to work on taking compliments,” you groan, throwing your head back, “I’m being serious, y’know, for once. And I’m not just saying it as your friend. You’re handsome and everyone knows it except you, apparently. My neighbor agrees that’s for sure.”

He squints.

You wave it off and gesture to your outfit. “She saw me doing laundry.”

“That explains nothing,” Bucky deadpans, “Literally nothing.”

“I showed her a picture,” you cry indignantly, moving to shuffle through some of the old t-shirts sitting on top of the bin, “Relax.”

He moves to plop down, crossing his legs beneath him. He decides to let the topic die — again, for his own self-composure more than anything. The compliment, though vehemently denied by the worst part of him, is tucked neatly in the homes of his heart. The idea of meeting you, before now, is a little intoxicating. What would it have been like?

Would you have even spared him a dance?

Bucky rubs his cheek. Poke meows and buts the door open with his head.

You’re wrist-deep in the bin when you speak. “He’s obsessed with you, y’know.”

Poke has already taken up a post in Bucky’s lap. Bucky smiles, petting Poke gently with his vibranium hand. The cat seems to like the cool metal. Bucky mumbles softly down to the calico, scritching his cheeks. “I like him, too.”

You pause long enough to try and remember the sight.

Bucky’s eyes find yours, and you’re quick to turn back to the bin.

“Here we go,” you exhale as you pull out the shirt you’d been looking for.

It’s a long-sleeve button-down, one that you can distinctly remember Jaimie wearing to his engagement party’s after-party — a real typical night of Jaimie being Jaimie. It’s black with a barely-there red floral pattern. It’s flashy enough that Bucky won’t look horribly out of place.

The only problem is Jaimie was a little smaller than Bucky.

“Try this on,” you mumble as you dig around trying to find something else in case it doesn’t do the trick.

Bucky catches the silk shirt and gives it a once over. He raises an eyebrow, and deciding against debating this, he simply nudges Poke off his lap and stands.

He moves to your bed, laying the shirt out. On your closet door is a full-length mirror. You want to snap it in half when you accidentally catch a glimpse of Bucky hauling off his black, cotton t-shirt and anxiously fumbling with the buttons on Jaimie’s old shirt. You have to breathe — and remind yourself that that’s Bucky.

Your Bucky. Your best friend Bucky.

When he calls your name, it sounds far away. You’re busy angrily sorting through old clothes.

“I look ridiculous.”

When you turn around, the first thing you notice is that it’s a little tight. Not in a bad way, but the buttons are gapping along his chest, and it’s tight around his arms.

Your eyes widen a little and you swallow. You tilt your head.

Bucky’s frowning.

“Let me see,” you offer gently, standing and moving close, “It’s not that bad.”

“You don’t sound too sure right now,” he mumbles as you enter his personal space.

You’re nimble with undoing the top three buttons — it gives him enough room to move his shoulders, though, and the dip of the shirt along his sternum brings dog tags into view. You reach, momentarily entranced, and read them to yourself.

You smell like vanilla and sugar.

Bucky shifts in his boots.

“Y’know,” you say, moving to the sleeves, “I think this works.”

You roll the sleeves, stopping at his forearm.

When you step aside, Bucky can see himself in the full-length mirror. He looks less than enthused.

It’s not an entirely bad look — he’ll admit that much — but he doesn’t look like himself. No, there’s too much chest and skin and… Christ, this shirt is tight. He does, though, look like some of those trendy folks he sees at Izzy’s bar every now and again. Hipsters.

“I look like a douchebag.”

“That’s the point,” you chirp as you close the box and shove it back into your closet, “Now the outfit matches the personality.”

He swats at your head on the way by. You laugh.

You’ve got boots in your hand, and you land on the bed with a bounce. Bucky is busy fixing his hair in the mirror while you zip up the thigh-high boots. When he turns around, you’re about three inches taller. He blinks, yet again entranced by the outfit.

Then, you’re muscling on the jacket.

It’s neon pink — and shaggy and cropped. It falls just above your waist and swallows you whole. But, Bucky’s attention is mostly on the back.

There’s a large, white embroidered Playboy bunny there, with RABBIT written across the shoulders in a chunky, blackletter typeface.

His brows are high on his face when you turn around.

You freeze.

“...What?” you ask, “Something on my face?”

“Playboy bunny, huh?”

You could smack him. “Weren’t you busy being a frozen dinner when Playboy came out?”

“I’ll have you know,” he says tightly as he follows you out of your bedroom and to the living room, “The Russians enjoyed their fair share of editions.”

“The Russians? Sure, what’s that saying? There’s no sex in the USSR?” you chide, “You can just say Bucky Barnesenjoyed his fair share—”

The tips of his ears are red. You notice. It makes you split into a grin that worsens the pink shade that’s crawling up his neck.

He coughs. “Have you ever considered never opening your mouth again, Rabbit?”

You nudge his arm. “Nah. Bothering you is more fun.”

He shrugs on his jacket, sighs, and decides that keeping quiet is just easier.

However, that’s not entirely your plan — and you speak quickly as you pull your purse over your shoulder. You’re rummaging quietly, stacking your wallet and phone inside. You glance up at him.

“You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” he mumbles, bending to pat Poke one last time as you move to the door of your bedroom. He watches you flick all the lights off, and before you leave, you double check the calico’s food and water. He’s got enough for a few days. Bucky leans against the door frame, “Care to run me through the plan?”

Nodding, you move to open your front door.

“It’ll be easy,” you explain as you make room for him, “If we play our cards right—”

Bucky’s stopped, though, and is digging in his back pocket as his cell phone rings. You watch him exhale tightly, eyes on the screen the entire time he squeezes by you and starts down the hall. You make careful note of the delicate scowl on his face, only before you catch Miss Bonnie out of the corner of her eye.

Her door is half-cracked across the hall, and she’s watching.

She offers you a smile.

Bucky keeps walking.

You wave, lock your door, and jog to catch up to Bucky.

“Hey,” you call, “Earth to Mr. Claw Machine?”

His head snaps up. “Sorry.”

“Who was that?” you ask carefully, nudging his arm with yours, “Falcon?”

“I wish,” he mutters as he muscles the cellphone back into his pocket, “I wouldn’t feel so bad sending him to voicemail.”

“Yeesh,” you wince, “Lemme guess, was it the owner of the coral lipstick that was all over your face on Tuesday night?”

Again, that temptation to feel jealousy flares up in your heart. But, he’s here, isn’t he? With you. Ignoring her calls. And probably texts judging by the guilty look that’s on his face. You feel a little bad — but at the same time, Bucky’s a grown man. Maybe a grown man who needs to create some more transparent lines of communication with the poor woman, but still.

“Bingo. I mean — it’s not that she wasn’t great an’ all but…”

You raise both hands. “I’m not judging.”

He sighs raggedly as he bounces down the apartment’s stairs. “I don’t think I’m ready for that.”

“What?” you ask with a laugh, “Dating? Yea, it’s pretty fucking terrifying, Buck.”

“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

You hold the door open for him and slide him a pitying look.

“Because I am.”

The walk to The Glass Cannon is spent walking Bucky through the plan — and for the most part, he makes a point of nodding along and listening. His only real anxiety pops up at the mention of Alexei, which is relatable to say the least.

It’s dark, the streets are relatively quiet, and the spring chill has pricked your skin. Your heels click against the pavement, and you stalk along. Shoving your hands in your pockets of the pink, shag jacket, you huff.

You’re starting to feel the anxiety.

Fifteen minutes later, you’re both approaching the blue glow of the storefront.

Computers & Stuff was a family-owned and operated computer shop from the 90s that was taken over by a lesser-known hand of the Russian crime family in New York, the Gardzovs. Alexei’s father is the formal owner of the shop, and his son runs the lucrative activities of the underground club that lay beneath the graphics cards and motherboards.

Bucky, as you both near the entrance, speaks quickly. “Anything else I need to know?”

“Just follow my lead, okay?” you whisper.

The bell above the door dings when you pull open the glass door.

The lighting is sterile and if you’re real quiet, you can hear the dull hum of the fluorescents. The store is empty, save for one man behind the register.

You almost duck out the entrance at the sight of him.

Igor has been a bouncer at The Glass Cannon for as long as you’ve been a patron — and he’s also one of Alexei’s dogs. This part of the plan was something you’d considered only briefly, and for a second, you’re thankful you worried over the million and ten ways this would play out for days.

“Well, if it isn’t the little bunny.”

It’s said with malice. Igor’s tattooed hands land on the counter as he leans.

You, however, hold your head high. Bucky watches as something changes in your posture.

“Good to see you, Igor.”

“Is it?” he growls, stalking around the counter and quickly encroaching on your personal space, “Because I’m pretty sure you’re not welcome here, bunny.”

Bucky gets a good look at the man now — clearly an enforcer. He’s got prison tattoos, a shaved head. The long beard is a weak spot. Doesn’t seem to be armed. Blue eyes flick to you and the way you don’t even flinch when the man leans to breathe right in your face.

You just smile.

“I thought you’d say that,” you mumble, moving to swing your bag to the front and dig your wallet out, “But, I’m not here to cause any trouble.”

Suddenly, there’s a hundred-dollar bill slipping from your well-manicured nails into the vest pocket of the bouncer. There’s a tense pause, then, while the two of you size one another up.

“Fucking your way through college paid off, huh?” he hisses.

You stay quiet.

Bucky, though, moves between you both with a quick shove. Immediately, Igor’s attention goes to Bucky as he sizes him up — he laughs. His nose is nearly touching Bucky’s.

“What’s wrong, pretty boy?”

“You should watch your mouth,” Bucky says evenly, “Or I’ll cut your fucking tongue out.”

You’re careful to hide your expression; the feeling the words stir isn’t one that you’re happy about. This sudden protectiveness, though, makes you feel some sort of invincible.

Igor settles back on his heels.

He steps back.

He gestures to the back room with his head.

You keep walking when he calls out: “Careful, bunny, the dogs are going to be looking for you.”

You grit your teeth tightly and push through the fabric curtain.

He barks, taunting you.

Bucky is by your side in an instant, gaze still rooted over his shoulder at the hulking bouncer. He waits until you’ve settled down until you’ve said his name. His eyes fall to you, then to the stairwell before them.

Above it, in curled neon tubing, reads The Glass Cannon.

The windows are blacked out, but from his spot at the top of the stairs, Bucky can feel the rattle of a deep bass vibrate his ribs.

“Come on. We’re on a time crunch now.”

“Alexei?”

You nod as you lead the way down the stairs. “Word travels fast. We need to be quicker. Stick to the crowds. Remember, we just need to find Kiwi — then we bail.”

Bucky nods tensely.

Then, you open the doors.

Immediately, his eyes adjust to the darkness — neon and strobes and the pulse of purple and pink LEDs make his vision swim. It’s warmer down here, and the stairs leading down into the sub-basement is lined with people sipping drinks and chattering over the loud music. It smells like piss and beer and tobacco.

Again, Bucky watches as the person he knows melts away.

The Rabbit in front of him is different.

You reach, as if on reflex, for his hand.

When you turn around and flash him a smile, he has to swallow down a sudden rise of sheepishness.

The sea of people part around you, and Bucky realizes quickly that people recognize you. He can see their painted lips moving, muttering things into curious ears about the pink-clad woman in front of him; there are smiles there and frowns, and shock. You’re slow in your descent, making a show of the arrival — all while Bucky begins to piece together that The Glass Cannon is larger than he originally suspected.

As they near the bottom of the landing, he can see out across the floor.

There’s a square-shaped catwalk around the dance floor, laden with dancers on their designated poles. Tables line the outside of the cavernous room, and the bars along each wall are crowded — even still, these glimpses of his surroundings come in temporary flashes of light. The music coming from the center of the dancefloor is loud. The entirety of the scene is raucous.

He can’t imagine you finding solace here.

He tightens his grip on your hand. You squeeze back.

When both of you reach the bottom of the stairwell, the sea of people swallow you in a current of dancing and drinking and laughing, and you crawl into Bucky’s personal space to shout in his ear.

You’re still holding his hand tightly, pressed to his chest, as you lean upwards to brush your cheek with his.

“Follow me, okay?”

He nods.

You begin the methodical crawl through the dancefloor, working your way to the bar — there, you pause long enough to be served a drink that’s as pink as the glitter on your eyelids. The flecks dance in the lights, and Bucky graciously accepts a shot from the bartender who smiles sweetly like honey at you.

You bat your lashes, thank her, and stand gracefully from the barstool.

You take a pointed swig and scan the floor.

Kiwi would be in one of the private booths, you suspect — she was enough of a high roller here. But, with the crowded club bursting at the seams, it was nearly impossible to get to the other side. You sway a bit on your feet, still tightly gripping Bucky’s hand in your own. You refuse to let go.

For your sake and his.

Bucky is a silent shadow, eyes roaming the club — he watches a dancer dip down low and snag a green bill from a patron. Someone beside him laughs loud, another bumping into his backside as you continue to weave to the outer rim of the room. The music is so loud his heartbeat could be mistaken for an 808, and he feels the thrum in his bones.

If he wasn’t so overwhelmed, if he was drunk, maybe it could be fun.

Finally, out of the haze of bodies, Bucky can breathe.

You’re leaning over again, speaking quickly.

“I don’t see her.”

“I can’t see shit in here,” he calls back, eyes moving along the ridge of the room. He scans the booths set into the walls, set up on platforms, and roped off with velveteen, “Where would she be?”

“Hard to tell,” you mumble, “But I think I might need to go to Plan B.”

Bucky follows your solid stare.

In the booth directly across the floor from you, there’s a man in black — black everything, save from his hair. That’s the brightest blue Bucky has ever seen. He’s swallowed by a harem of men and women who are laughing and drinking and dancing, and he’s entertaining. Ringed fingers wave in the air, face split into a laugh so wide he swears it’s a mile long. He’s got glasses on and they’re tinted blue.

Bucky watches carefully as you move to his booth.

It’s like a prey surveying a trap — you’re careful.

Finally, when you stand before it, you let go of his hand.

“Hi there, Climber.”

The whole booth falls silent. The man stiffens, back turned to you totally. Bucky watches as his hands fall and slowly, the man you’d called Climber turns around.

His expression is stone cold.

His voice, however, is as warm as a hot poker.

“Oh my goodness, is that Rabbit?”

He ascends from the booth, platform boots leaving him to tower over you — he’s no small man, either. Bucky watches as he bends to kiss both of your cheeks and hug you tightly. He, however, doesn’t pull away entirely.

“What the fuck are you doing here,” he hisses, “You want to be roadkill?”

“I need to find Kiwi,” you whisper quickly, expression almost begging, “Please.”

He pauses, dimpled chin wavering a bit. Bucky watches him sniff, push his glasses back, and readjust his posture. Climber licks his lips and his eyes dart to Bucky. He’s thinking, Bucky realizes, and after a quick moment of deliberation, he seems to cave.

“Only because I owe you.”

“I know,” you say, raising your hands, “I know.”

In a dash, his demeanor changes once more. He’s flying over to his harem, waving his hands and blowing kisses and promising he’ll be back in a flash. They whine, they moan, but Climber appeases them with another round of jello shots from strobing syringes that a waitress is carrying by.

“Come on then,” he says, “And stop looking like such a prude.”

He begins to weave.

You follow hand returning to its spot in Bucky’s like a lifeline.

You’re sipping your drink, moving through the crowd easily. There’s a slight sway in your step now, and at one point you and Climber even get noticed by a pod of people who recognize your faces. It’s met with laughing and squealing and in the fray, the both of you slip back into the crowd. Bucky is taking it all in, desperately ignoring the tingle of a panic flaring in the back of his head.

Too many people.

Soon, though, Climber is moving towards a side entrance.

It’s a back room.

Suddenly, the dim lights and neon dissolve, and instead, Bucky is flashed in the face with the abrasive sting of fluorescent lights. It no longer reeks of spilled beer, and his boots don’t stick to the ground. No, there’s quiet chatter back here — Climber continues to lead the two of you through a maze of supply crates full of booze and soda.

Then, a right turn. And a left turn.

Someone is taking inventory.

“Kiwi, I know you’re going to hate me for this—”

The woman who turns around is beautiful. She’s in the midst of eyeing an open crate that looks just like the others but fitted with a hollowed center, marking off what looks like an inventory of burner cell phones. Her brown skin is decorated with glitter, her eyes streaked with the same green shade of her tightly shaved head. The green is bright and it reminds Bucky of summer.

Suddenly, her expression sours.

“What the fuck.”

“I know—”

“No,” she snaps, raising her hand and waving to the assistant beside her to take her tablet and make themselves scarce, “You need to get out of here.”

“I need your help,” you say finally, tone heavy.

It’s enough to make Climber sigh. Kiwi watches you, scratches her neck, and swallows.

She meets Climber’s eyes.

Then she breaks.

“Where the fuck have you been, Rabbit?” she asks, worries seeping into her eyes as she pulls you into a rough hug, “We thought you were dead.”

“No,” you shake your head, “But you know I couldn’t be around here anymore.”

“Yea,” Climber snorts, “Not good for your health, huh, love?”

“Alexei still wants your head,” Kiwi chimes in, crossing her arms, “Does he know you’re here?”

“Igor was on the door, so I’m sure he’s heard by now.”

Both of them curse.

Guilt flashes across your face as you screw your eyes shut and nod. “I know. I know, I just… I seriously need your help, Kiwi. It was worth the risk. It’s — HYDRA. I need to tap into the Alexandria Library.”

Immediately, the woman stiffens.

Her eyes flash to Bucky in the corner. He stares back.

“He waits outside.”

“You can trust him—”

“No,” she snaps, “I can’t. And I don’t. And I won’t.”

You give Bucky a pleading look. Between the two of you, a negotiation happens between your eyes. It’s a compromise, and finally, Bucky relents.

“Fine,” Bucky barks, tilting his head and giving you a tight-lipped smile, “Fine. I’ll wait out here.”

“He’s cute,” mumbles Climber as Bucky rounds the corner, long legs carrying him out of the supply room, “Boyfriend?”

“Shut up, Climber,” you mumble, waving your hand, “Just listen—”

“Who is he?” Kiwi asks, eyes still watching the doorway, “And why did you bring him along?”

You sigh, rubbing your brow. “He’s the one who’s trying to find this HYDRA agent. He knew her before.”

“So he’s HYDRA.”

“No,” you snap cooly, “He’s not.”

“So, just handsome, then?” Climber asks, hands waving, “Right. Great. Really making a case for yourself, Rabbit.”

“He’s trying to find a woman named Innessa Sidrova. She was one of the original agents who helped form the American HYDRA cell,” you explain quickly, “I’ve got the GRC breathing down my neck, and… And he’s a good person. He’s my friend. I’m trying to help him, but I can’t do it without you. Both of you.”

Kiwi hums. She sighs. “That explains why you went MIA.”

“Aside from putting Alexei behind bars?” you scoff, “Yea, the GRC played a part in it.”

The three of you are quiet for a moment.

“Fine.”

You look up at Kiwi. Her hands are on her waist.

There’s an immense wash of relief that floods over you at that moment — and from the looks of it, Kiwi can tell. You move to grab her hand, and she grabs back. Both of you smile, and the hug that follows is warm. You’ve missed her. A lot.

“Thank you, Suji.”

Then, footsteps.

That relief is traded in for an anxious backfire of fear in an instant.

It’s slow. Dress shoes on polished cement.

Then:

“Oh, bunny, bunny, bunny. Tsk, tsk.”

Climber and Kiwi’s faces upturn to the doorway and they tell you everything you need to know.

So, you decide at that moment that you won’t be the prey tonight.

You turn around and come face-to-face with a man playing devil.

Alexei Gardzov is a handsome man — a beard and piercing grey eyes. His hair is tightly cropped, and intricate tattoos decorate every inch of his skin. Some of them are new, you realize, and there’s temporary pride that bubbles up at them. They’re from prison.

You almost smile.

Behind him, three goons loom.

“I’ve been wondering when you’d come hopping back,” he croons as he enters the room with the swagger of a man who trapped his dinner, “Well worth the wait, I think.”

His cologne hangs like smog in the air. He strolls up to you, and in a flash, he’s got your hair in a vice grip.

He yanks it back, you grit your teeth.

The barrel of a gun digs into your cheek.

“Climber, Kiwi, and Rabbit,” he sing-songs, “All in one room again like it’s NYU’s 2014 hack-a-thon. Isn’t that cute?”

Kiwi speaks. “Alexei—”

“Shut up,” he snaps, gun moving to flash towards Kiwi, “And stay out of my business, Sujina.”

The gun’s muzzle is cold. He’s rough, and you try to ignore the twinge of pain that comes with his unceremonious yank of your hair. Once more, he tsks. His breath is hot on your face. He smells like cigarettes and whiskey.

“I spent seven years behind bars,” he bites, “All because a’ you.”

“Me? I wasn’t the one trafficking girls—”

“SHUT UP!”

The pistol cracks across your cheek and the cement floor hurtles towards you. The gasp that falls from your lips is from shock; your fingers dig into the cold ground as you try to blink away the blurriness. Your ears ring. Blood drips from your cheek between your fingers.

Again, there’s a hand in your hair.

Now, the fight begins.

Climber and Kiwi are stuck, frozen in fear.

You don’t blame them, because Igor and the others have guns already drawn. One of them, one that’s young and you don’t recognize immediately, has a baseball bat in his hands.

Alexei drags you by your hair as you grimace, refusing to scream. Your heels scrape against the ground as you try to get purchase, but he’s quick to throw you back against the far wall.

“Don’t worry, Bunny,” he smiles, “I won’t kill you. Not right now.”

Then, a kick.

Right to the ribs.

You can’t breathe — you gasp earnestly at the white, hot shot of pain.

“Get up.”

You’re not listening, you’re too busy trying to catch your breath.

“I said,” comes a growl as he reaches, hand in your hair again as he drags you up the wall. Your legs buckle, and you try to hold your chin high as you stumble upwards, “Get up.”

Then, there’s a hand around your throat.

Tight. Too tight. Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe. Can’t breathe. Can’t get his hand off your neck, can’t breathe, can’t breathe, can’t fucking think, can’t stand, can’t see, can’t breathe —

“Boss!”

A new voice.

The pressure is relieved for a second.

A new face has run into the room — he looks frazzled, hair askew and gun out. He’s eyeing the scene before him in a moment’s pause.

“Can’t you see I’m a little bit busy?” Alexei snags as you gasp, clawing at his hand. He swings his head to the figure in the doorway with an annoyed bark, “What is it?”

“The cops, boss,” he stammers, “They’re here.”

“What?”

“They’re here for her, boss.”

A slow turn to where his finger is pointing. His gaze lands on you. Alexei laughs.

“Well,” he says as the goon disappears, “Isn’t that just peachy, bunny?”

The choking starts again.

Then, a metal hand.

Vibranium.

You watch it swing, you watch it grab Alexei’s throat.

Suddenly, you can breathe.

Suddenly, Bucky Barnes enters the fight.

You make friends with the ground again as you duck, just as Alexei is rammed into the wall above your head by his throat. As you cough while Kiwi calls your name — you can hear a fight. But everything’s moving slow, and it’s not until the first gunshot that you’re kicked into action. It’s loud. Your skin pricks alive.

Someone screams.

You stumble to your feet, eyes finding Bucky’s form moving quickly between the three goons — the gunshot had come from the pistol that had somehow found its way into Bucky's flesh and blood hand. One of the men is on the floor, suit pants stained with a bullet wound through the thigh. He’s wailing. Bucky doesn’t notice. Or he doesn’t care. Maybe both.

His face is cold.

Another gunshot is fired off, this time richoting between you and Kiwi and Climber and embedding itself into the cement wall overhead. The three of you scream, ducking reflexively.

That’s when Bucky snaps.

“Now would be a good time to go!”

Kiwi’s hands are on your arm as you quickly break through the doorway through the storage room. Climber is following, checking over his shoulder at the carnage that Bucky begins to reap in the room.

He’s hysterical, trying to jog in his white platform boots. “What the fuck, Rabbit!”

Your voice is hoarse. You’re clutching your ribs. “Not now, Climber!”

“I’m parked in the back,” Kiwi says, ducking through plastic flaps as she helps you through the back of the club, “Come on, we’ll go through the trucking entrance.”

You hear Bucky call your name — he’s jogging to catch up, gun drawn in his hand. Seems like he made good work of the others, sporting nothing more than a split lip. You turn, pausing for a moment to take inventory of his well-being.

And that’s all it takes.

Alexei Gardzov, limping, steps in front of you and Kiwi and Climber at an intersection in the hallway.

There’s a gun in his hand.

The first thing you feel is the impact.

Like a truck slamming into you at full speed. For the fourth time tonight, you have the air robbed from your lungs. It’s instant confusion.

Then comes the pain. Hot. Hotter than the sun. Hot like white flames. It tears through your shoulder and all you can do is gasp; you’re sent into a stutter step — and while the world around you continues to move, you’re busy reconciling with the fact you’ve just been shot.

A bullet flies by your head.

Alexei Gardzov drops.

You’re grasping at your chest, staggering, when Bucky breaks into a sprint — but you’re okay. You’re okay, it’s just your shoulder, it’s just your arm, you’re okay, you can feel your fingers and you can breathe and the pain is nearly unbearable but you’re okay.

Then, a baseball bat.

It clocks Bucky directly in the skull. He’s clotheslined.

It’s Igor.

The gun from Bucky’s hands clatters across the ground to your feet, and you’re too busy trying to get to Bucky to realize — but, you’ve got tunnel vision and adrenaline and at that moment, you think a good sidekick doesn’t need anything else in this life.

Igor goes to swing at you, but you duck. Your stiletto crushes through the top of his shoe. He screams and in a flurry of pain and panic, you manage to snag the bat quick enough to turn and clock him under the chin with a roll of the wrist.

His teeth clack together and he falls backward, unconscious.

“God, I really wish you could have seen that, Buck.”

You spit. Blood paints the ground.

The bat clatters to the cement as you fight through the pain. Kiwi and Climber are by your side in an instant.

“No, no!” she screams, “We do not have time for this—”

“I am not leaving him,” you snap, nearly screaming at the woman, “Come on and help me with him. Now.”

After a sigh of resignation, Kiwi shoves the gun she’d snagged from the ground into the back of her jeans. You’ve got your hands around Bucky’s ankles as Kiwi and Climber take his torso — and the four of you make a break for the back entrance. You can hear the cops outside now, and there’s the chatter of Russian following you into the back parking lot.

“Hurry up!”

“He’s not exactly light as a feather, you know!”

“Shut up, Climber!”

You’ve got Bucky halfway into the back seat of Kiwi’s white Cadillac when another bullet whizzes by your head.

“Fuck.”

Kiwi hops into the driver’s seat as Climber scatters to hop the hood and throws himself into the passenger's seat. You lean, clinging to the door of the backseat as Kiwi peels out of the parking lot. It swings wide open and you curse loudly. You can see Alexei’s men watching from the back entrance, shouting in Russian — so you muster all your strength to pull back and throw the door closed as Kiwi’s car bounces over a speed bump and rams through the parking meter’s gate.

In the rear window, the front of the club is surrounded.

Red and blue lights illuminate the street — but Kiwi is quick.

No one follows.

And when she finally makes it to the Manhattan Bridge, you exhale.

Bucky’s head is in your lap. He still hasn’t come to — there’s blood coming from his nose and you’re worrying. You lace your fingers into his thick, brown hair and chew your lip.

Kiwi’s voice pulls you from him.

“When were you going to mention the vibranium arm, huh?”

You laugh. It’s more of a breath of air than anything. Your head rests back against the seat. Your shoulder is still on fire. You’re hot, but cold. You’re bleeding still. Your ribs aren’t right. You know that.

“I can’t believe he shot you,” Climber mumbles, “He fucking shot you.”

“And your boy toy shot him,” Kiwi says, sparing you a look in the rearview, “So you better pray he’s dead.”

You ignore the commentary.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe,” she says, accelerating into Manhattan, “Where I can get you those files and you can keep your head down.”

Sounds like a plan.

Better than the one you had, anyways.

#vacant mirrors #bucky barnes #bucky barnes imagine #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #bucky x y/n #winter soldier x reader #winter soldier imagine #tfatws imagine #bucky x you #BOY OH BOY THE FORMATTING I WANNA SCREAM

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letsloveimagines · 4 years ago

Photo

Title: Crush

Pairing: Corpse Husband x fem!youtuber!reader

Collab with: @the-winter-sxldier-posts

Requested by: @unicornblood4ever

Request: Hi I just saw your request post for Corpse, so if you're still taking requests I have one. The reader have been on a losing streak, and Corpse tries to help. But accidentally rats himself out as the second imposter. With fluff if possible, of course only if you have time to write and everything.

Word Count: 3963

Warnings: a little angts and fluff, i guess?

Note: The images doesn’t belong to me, all the credits go to the respective creators. I only made the collage. Also, I will not make anything to make Corpse uncomfortable, if he ends saying he doesn’t like fanfiction about him, I will delete this.

Part II: Here

♦⋅☆⋅♦

Y/N sat down at her gaming setup, she was getting ready to start a stream she had been invited by her friend Felix (aka Pewdiepie) to play among us with him, and some other friends. She made sure everything was in order before starting it. She had been doing this for so long, but each time it felt like the first, and there was always that little chill in her belly indicating she was nervous.

She got onto her twitter quickly, just to let people know she was live in case they didn't get the notification about it. As people started coming in, Y/N smiled at the camera. “Hey guys, welcome to the stream.” She read one of the comments from chat asking what she was gonna be playing on stream today. “Today we are streaming some “Among Us’ with some friends, and I am getting to who they are before you guys spam it in chat. I’m going to be playing with Corpse, Sykkuno, Rae, Felix, Seán, Lily, Toast, Poki and Leslie.”

She joined the discord call, as the game loaded up. Y/N had her facecam in the middle on the bottom screen to make sure that she wouldn’t leak the code, once Felix sent it to the discord. Once the code was entered they were in the lobby and Y/N, went to the little mini computer in the game to customize her astronaut, and as always she was quick to pick the white colored one with the pink flower on her helmet. “Hey guys.” Y/N said to her friends in discord with a smile. Felix was the first to speak “Y/N finally you’re here!” She and everyone else laughed as he kept talking, excitedly. “We are still waiting for Corpse and Seán to join before we start, they’ll be here in a minute.” Everyone had said their hellos to Y/N as Seán joined the discord call and the game, followed shortly by Corpse. “Hey, Seán, Corpse.” “Hey, Y/N.” “Whaddup baby.” They both said at the same time making everyone laugh once more, as they all had their characters customized. Y/N’s face turned a few shades of red at what Corpse had said, and her chat was quick to pick up on it. “That is everyone, we are starting the game now.” She muted her mic after Felix had started the game and the black screen with the red astronaut, said shhhhh. Then her screen read ‘Crewmate, there are 2 imposters among us.’

She blew out a breath talking to the chat. “At least we can warm up as a crewmate this round.”

But…

It didn't take much longer for her to get killed, which made her swear. She knew she couldn't trust Felix but she did anyway, and he literally stabbed her in the back… What a traitor.

♦⋅☆⋅♦

The time passed faster than it should have, or at least that’s what it seemed to the group of friends who were just having fun.

Y/N had now been streaming for an hour, and she was on a major losing streak. She either got crewmate, or voted out first as imposter because she was a bad liar. Or when that didn't happen, she was one of the first ones to be killed, and had to spend the entire game floating from one side of the ship to the other as a little white ghost, completing tasks for her team to win. To be honest, she was already a little irritated about that. They were now in the lobby talking to each other while waiting to start the next game. Y/N's nostrils were flared with frustration after another round of failure at being an imposter. She sighed, unmuting her mic."I just wanted to say that in all of these rounds I must have played a full 8 seconds! Like come on, what's wrong with me today!?"

That phrase was enough to make the others burst out laughing, including her chat. The comments came and went so fast, sliding on the screen on her right side, that she could barely keep up.

Sykkuno, like the blessed and pure angel he was, replied amid laughter: "Don't worry, you're just on a bad streak. Better luck next time."

"Yeah, I guess." She answered while moving her mini white astronaut in circles, being quickly accompanied by the black astronaut with horns on his helmet. Y/N smiled at that.

"Stop talking guys, I'll start the new round now." Pewds, who was the host, almost screamed at them.

Y/N cracked her neck and her fingers preparing herself.

"Stay with me this time Y/N, and I'll protect you." A deep voice was heard through her headphones, causing a shiver to go all the way down her spine.

"Oh!" She exclaimed surprised, looking at her chat that was going insane with everyone saying how cute that was. "Thank you, Corpse, let's do that."

"No problem." She could hear the smile in his voice.

The game was started and the black screen with the red astronaut, said shhhhh. Then her screen read IMPOSTER.

Y/N quickly muted her mic, as soon as she stopped listening to her friends speak. "Okay, I wasn't expecting that." She commented to her chat, very surprised, because next to her doll was Corpse's own little character. "Well, maybe my luck is changing. Everyone heard that Corpse and I were going to be together, so at least now we have an alibi if anyone suspects us." Corpse danced around Y/N, suggesting she follow him, and immediately she did. They both went through the ship as he was looking for innocent astronauts for them to murder. They ended up in medbay first, where Y/N faked her samples task, with Corpse watching over her and making sure that no one would find their behavior suspicious.

And, oh, how her luck seemed to have increased when Felix walked in. Y/N immediately pulled up the sabotage map and locked the medbay doors, and Corpse was quick to kill him. That made the girl laugh hard, yelling out loud. "That was just karma having its way!"

Then both vented out as the doors were still locked.

Y/N smiled talking to the chat. “Pewds is dead, next if the opportunity arises we need to get Seán. They are the two that always sus me out even when I’m a crewmate.” She went back to the game as they vented into electrical, since nobody was there presently. They both faked tasks in electrical, Y/N going first with Corpse watching her back. To her surprise, Seán walked in all alone and right as she was going to get her first kill, when Felix’s body was reported. She rolled her eyes. “Damn, so close to getting them both.” She said to her fans as she unmuted the mic, and saw that Rae was the one that found Pewds.

“Where is the body?” Y/N questioned trying to keep her voice level and calm, to not give herself away. “Pewds is dead in medbay.” Was the answer she got from the other girl. “Y/N and I were in Electrical with Seán.” Corpse said, trying to immediately shift suspicion off of the two of them. “They were already there when I entered the room, however. I don't know where they came from before, though."

"We came in through storage, after Y/N and I both did the trash chute, Y/N stopped at the gas can and then we came to the electrical to do our tasks."

Y/N quickly muted herself. "God, Corpse is gonna carry us this round, I can already feel it…I just want one kill and that is Seán, Corpse can kill everyone else... I just want to kill Seán!" She unmuted again as the friends decided that they didn't have enough information to vote anyone, so they skipped and no one was ejected.

Corpse danced around again for Y/N to follow him and she did. This time they went through weapons. Y/N faked the task against the wall while Corpse faked one as well. Y/N brought up the sabotage map while they waited on the kill cool down to end.

Y/N sabotaged the lights, and the two imposters ran over there to turn them on as a way not to give anything that made them suspicious.

"Kill someone, don't wait for Corpse." Y/N read the comments, confused. "I don't know guys, are you sure? Today I haven't won any games as an imposter, so I don't want to give any reasons to make my team lose.” Looking back at the screen of the computer, she smiled seeing that the two little astronauts were touching each other, eye to eye, in what would probably be a strange little kiss. "Awww guys, look! Corpse just kissed me, this is too cute to handle."

But there was something that the fans did not fail to notice, and were quick to tell her that.

User: She's blushing!

User: This is so cute, I'm dying.

User: UGH, I ship them together so much!

"Oh, shut up y’all." She said with her face on fire, clearing her throat trying to make her voice normal again. However, the pink tone that painted her cheeks did not want to disappear, getting worse and worse as she thought about it. “Okay, as much as I don't like it, I'm going to do what you said. I’m sorry, Corpse." And then she quickly ran away, going to another path separated from Corpse, looking for someone alone that she could kill.

Hopefully it would be Seán.Y/n would be the first to agree that she was a little obsessed with getting her revenge. But could you blame her? Seán and Felix were almost always the reason she got voted out or killed first.

She went around the map, and on the navigation she found Lily alone. "Oh oh, poor Lily, but I need to do this." She was quick to press the button, kill and enter the vent, leaving Lily's body cut in half behind.

"Quickly, I need to find someone to be my alibi! Where's Corpse?" She came out of a different vent, running and seeing Rae nearby, quickly joining her. It didn't take long before someone reported the body. "Oh no, I'm sweating already."

“Lily’s body was in navigation.” Leslie said.

“And Toast is dead too, so it was a double kill this round.”

"Where have you been, Leslie?" Corpse asked with such a deep and calm voice that if Y/N were not the other imposter, she would think he was innocent. “I was with Sykkuno in security, looking at the cameras.”

“Yes, I was with him.” The mentioned boy said.

“Well, I was with Poki in medbay but I needed to do the asteroids in weapons. So, when I finished in weapons I went down, and found the body." Leslie replied.

"That seems a little sus to me, to be honest."

"Yeah, seems pretty sus to me too." Y/N repeated after Corpse, trying to help.

"Okay, wait a minute." Rae began, suspiciously. "I was with Y/N for a while because we met in storage, but she came from the right side of the map, I saw it."

"Explain yourself, Y/N."

'Oh no. Busted.' Thought the girl nervously looking at the camera. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and replied as calmly as she could: "Well, yes it's true, but I was in comms uploading. When I finished I left and that's when I found Rae in storage."

"It's her!" Seán accused.

"Definitely."

"What!?" Y/N asked shocked. "No, I'm not the imposter guys, I swear!"

"Y/N, stop, it makes perfect sense. I'm voting." She rolled her eyes, that is exactly why she wanted to kill Seán.

It was then that Corpse interrupted: "It couldn't have been her, she was with me."

'What?' Y/N asked herself, 'No, I wasn’t. What is he doing?'

"But... You said you were with Sykkuno."

"I... Yeah, but before that I was with her in Comms, but I left to go to the Security."

"And what path did you take?" Rae questioned.

"I went through storage, then electrical and I went up."

"That’s impossible because I went down the left side, and went through electrical and I didn't see you."

"They’re both the imposters, oh my god." Was Seáns revelation.

"No, we are not. What he said is true!" Y/N tried to defend.

"I'm going to vote Corpse this time just for his audacity!" Rae exclaimed excitedly. "Then we vote for Y/N!"

"What!?" Corpse said shocked. "No...!"

But it was too late, and quickly his little bean body flew off the ship. ‘Corpse was ejected.’

The girl could do nothing more than gawk at the computer screen, still shocked by what had happened. "No!" She said when she muted the microphone. "The game is already lost. What can I do?" She questioned, guilty.

User: Noooo! Poor Corpse.

User: He was defending her :(

User: It's her fault that they found out he was the other imposter.

Guilt weighed on Y/N's heart and she felt saddened. Why did she have to ruin everything? "I know, I'll apologize to him when I can." She whispered to the chat, quietly, running around with her character confusedly. "What do I do now? Do I kill someone or do I play innocent?"

But at that time a meeting was called by Seán who was camped by the emergency button, and everyone got together to speak.

"Yes?"

"Well, we already know who the other imposter is. Are we going to vote her out or not?" He said laughing.

"Guys, please don't, it’s not me."

"Sorry Y/N, but you're the only one sus right now."

"What about Leslie?” Y/N tried. “She left Poki in medbay, she could have gone to navigation, killed Lily, self-reported and said she was in weapons!"

"No, don't believe her!" Leslie shouted. “She’s lying.”

"I know it's Y/N, I'm going to vote for her!"

And one by one everyone voted, and the game was over.

"Good job guys, we did it." The others celebrated while the girl almost pouted.

"What happened, Corpse? I’ve never seen you like that, well, playing so badly I mean." Sykkuno questioned his friend timidly.

There was silence from Corpse for a moment, before he simply said. "I don’t know.”

Swallowing hard, Y/N spoke softly. "Corpse?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"Ehh, don't be. That's alright."

But that was not enough to erase her guilt. "You know Seán this is exactly why I was gonna kill you in the electrical, before Rae found Felix's body. You always sus me out even when I’m innocent."

“But you were the imposter this time!”

After a new game where she quickly died (Seán was the one who broke her neck and left her body in admin), the girl was quick to open Discord and send a message to the deep-voiced boy, who as much - as she didn't want to admit it, even more to herself - was her crush.

Y/N: I’m so sorry I got you voted out, honestly, I feel so bad about it. I’m such a bad imposter.

CORPSE: Y/N, It’s fine, really. There’s no need for you to feel bad about it ♥.

This put a smile on the girl's face again, and her chat was quick to question what was going on. She shrugged her shoulders and gave no further answer, Y/N returned to concentrating on the game, with the corner of her lips lifted in a half smile that she couldn’t control.

♦⋅☆⋅♦

Time quickly passed full of fun for the ten friends, and the thousands of people who watched them. Y/N didn't win any of the rounds, but she didn't care about it anymore. After another hour of playing she decided to say goodbye and finish the stream, feeling the tiredness dominating her. She ate something and took a long and relaxing bath, which eased her aching muscles, and was already in her fluffy blue pajama pants, and was getting ready to go to bed when her phone rang.

Picking it up from the nightstand, she looked at the screen and gasped in surprise seeing who was facetiming her. A shiver ran down her spine. Shaking from head to toe, with her heart pounding, she quickly ran her hand through her hair making sure she was at least minimally presentable, before she answered it, saying nervously, "Hey, Corpse, is everything okay?"

The screen came to life, with her tiny image in the corner and the completely black screen dominating it. Of course he wouldn't turn on the camera, nor did she want him to do it if he didn't feel comfortable. It was already surprising that he actually called, since he has never done that before, and that was what made her even more nervous.

"I just wanted to check on you." His voice came through the phone.

That made her face heat up a little. She was thankful that the only light she had on was the lamp on her nightstand and he couldn’t see how red her face got.

"Cute pajamas by the way." He said while laughing a little bit, provoking her.

"Well, I would say the same thing, but I can't see anything." Y/N provoked back.

There was a comfortable silence after that, a silence that the two of them seemed afraid to try to break. The girl laid down on her bed, curled up under her warm sheets, and looked at the black screen kindly, with her head resting on the pillow.

"So-"

"I-" They both said at the same time, and immediately stopped talking when they realized that. “Go ahead-” “You first-” they once again said at the exact same time.

Y/N tried to speak. She really tried. She was so prepared to tell him the truth, to tell him how much she was into him, that she was in fact in love with him… She was prepared to say that meeting him, and having him in her life for the past few months was one of the best things that ever happened to her. Y/N was determined to speak, but when she tried, nothing came out. She stood there, opening and closing her mouth, sighing with a frown on her face.

"What's up?" Corpse asked seeing that, with concern in his voice.

"Nothing."

"Y/N, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know that." And she really did, Corpse was a good friend, an excellent friend who was always there for her... And that was exactly what she was afraid to ruin with her confession. "You are able to make me so nervous sometimes, even when I think I'm feeling brave."

"Oh, yeah?" He asked, and she could practically see his smile, even though she has never actually seen it. She was in love with a faceless man and she had no idea how to tell him that.

"Oh, shut up."

He laughed deeply for a long time, and that was enough to make her smile. Finally he stopped and said quietly, almost timidly. "I think what you wanted to say is exactly what I want to tell you."

Impossible, Y/N thought with a sad smile on her lips. I want to tell you how much I love you but… how could I? And who could ever love me?

"No, believe me, it isn't." “And how do you know it isn’t?” Y/N bit her lip a little unsure of how to answer him without revealing her feelings for him. “I-” But she cuts herself off, not having the courage to actually say the words. She pressed her face into the pillow to muffle the groan that came out of her mouth, at how much a coward she was being, but she mumbled out her response that was still muffled. “I just know.”

“What was that?” All he had heard were incoherent sounds.. She sighed, removing her face from the pillow not wanting to repeat what she had said, to save herself the rejection, since he couldn’t possibly feel the same way that she did about him.

“Are you really not going to tell me?” His voice broke through her thoughts. She sighed, trying to get away from the internal battle going on in her mind. “Y/N?” He spoke once again, breaking her out of her thoughts.

“If I say it... everything is gonna be ruined and weird for us, and I don’t want that. Your friendship is so important to me, you're my best friend.” She ran a hand down her face, furious with herself. “How do you know that, if you don’t say it?”

“Because I just do, okay?” Why couldn't he just let it go? "I-" She tried to say it out loud, once more. C'mon Y/N, just say it. "I gotta go!" She said quickly tried to end the call, but he wouldn't let her.

"No!" He screamed out sharply, taking her by surprise and then he did something she never thought he would do.

The screen, which was previously completely dark, lit up and his face finally appeared for the girl who loved him to see. Y/N sighed in shock, admiring all his features, from his ivory-white skin to his dark curly hair.

"I have a crush on you too." He confessed quietly, with a soft pink tinge appearing on his cheeks.

Did he just...? Oh my god!

There was silence again, but this time it was a silence that had become tense and terrifying for both of them. Corpse was nervous waiting for her to say something, and she could tell. His mouth was pressed in a thin line, he didn't seem able to face her as his gaze traveled anywhere but to her, and he fidgeted immensely, touching everything within reach from the rings - that she saw he had on his fingers - to the chain necklace he had around his neck.

"Oh." She sighed softly, not knowing what to say.

He looked at her then, apprehensive and almost ashamed. "Ugly, I know."

"No!" Y/N was quick to interrupt. "You are incredibly handsome just… just as I always imagined." The girl managed to see a small smile appear on his lips as he blushed deeply.

"I..."

"I’m in love with you too." She confessed, finally without fear. It felt like weight lifted off her to finally get it out in the open between the two of them.

Corpse’s eyes went wide, completely shocked but so, so happy. A huge smile full of shiny teeth on his face, as he focused all of his attention on Y/N. "You are?"

"Yes." She said blushing and smiling intensely as she snuggled up in the blankets, her face almost hidden when she looked at him dreamily.

"I-" He cleared his throat. "Good."

"Good."

"Great."

"Great!"

They burst out laughing, their voices mixing in hamornia. The two looked each other in the eye, separated by a mobile phone screen, separated by kilometers and kilometers... but even with everything that separated them, the world was not able to stop them from falling in love with each other.

"What do we do now?" He questioned.

"Well..." Y/N started. "We'll have to see, won't we? Why don't you start by giving me your address?"

Corpse smiled provocatively, his beautiful eyes shining maliciously. "Of course... But be careful now baby, the devil’s got his eyes on you."

Y/N laughed completely in love.

"Oh, shut up."

♦⋅☆⋅♦ Tag List: @breathygasps

#corpse husband #Corpse Husband Fandom #Corpse Fandom #corpse fanfiction #fanfiction #imagines #one-shot #corpse husband imagine #corpse husband oneshot #corpse x reader #corpse x y/n #corpse x you #corpse husband x reader #corpse husband x you #corpse husband x y/n

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miraculouscontent · 4 years ago

Photo

"Please, get out of my room."

Marinette's hand shook, trying desperately to keep the doll house behind her together enough to protect the Miracle Box. Her gaze fixed on her friends standing there, Rose crouched down to the sad remains of the doll house's roof while the others were looking on in concerned confusion.

Alya stepped forward first, the request apparently denied. "It's nothing, Marinette. We'll help you fix it, don't worry."

Except it wasn't nothing, it was everything, and of course none of the girls could've known that it was everything but it was. She'd barely had the Miracle Box for any time at all and now she was about to be exposed, the doll house feeling like some sort of metaphor for her life.

Raising her voice, Marinette replied strictly, "It's not nothing! Now leave!"

Most of the girls just stared at her, standing awkwardly in place. She asked - no, told - them to leave, and they weren't leaving. Why weren't they leaving?

Her palms were sweaty, making the task of holding up the doll house's wall all the more anxiety-inducing.

Alya huffed, her hands tightening into fists at her sides. "Okay, there's obviously something up—" She crossed her arms. "—and we're not going anywhere until you tell us what it is."

Mylene offered a smile that she clearly thought was reassuring, then held up a bracelet made of yellow threads with five colored beads along them. "We've already given our secrets to this bracelet, so now it's your turn."

Marinette wracked her brain for any memory of said bracelet, wondering if there were a promise she'd forgotten about - wondering if it was an excuse for them showing up out of nowhere - but there was nothing. She didn't even recognize it. Even over the voicemail they'd sent, there was no mention of such a thing.

The wall under her palm wavered, and she had to adjust quickly to keep it in place. She couldn't tell if it was too light or too heavy at this point, but it was ultimately just another thing to worry about that she didn't need. Her gaze flickered to it briefly to make sure it was properly held up, then swiftly focused back on the girls so as to not seem suspicious.

They really weren't going to leave. They were going to force her secrets out of her; force Ladybug out of her, the Miracle Box, everything.

Her stress levels were rising. She was panicking. It was all too much, and she—she...

She snapped.

"I'll—I'll tell you what's wrong!" she began. "You all walking into my room without my permission!"

The girls' mouths all shut in unison, their shoulders tense as they seemed suddenly lost for an argument.

"I didn't want to talk to you, and I definitely don't now!" A particular memory of the voicemail resurfaced, and she was reminded of what they'd said. "I thought you told me that I could talk where and when I wanted to? I thought all of you told me that, and then you showed up anyway?! Why would you lie to me like that?"

The words were bitter, only serving to make her angrier; at them, at herself, and at the whole situation. She hated lying - hated liars - and there was a part of her that couldn't help feeling hypocritical when she had to lie constantly to keep her identity secret.

But another part of her was quick to point out: she lied because she had to. They were lying despite having the choice.

Alya's brows furrowed, and it was hard to tell if she felt genuinely guilty or if she was just trying to think of how save the situation. She glanced back and forth from Marinette to Mylene, then hurriedly took the bracelet and held it out, arguing, "But if we're friends, you have to tell us everything anyway!"

Rose nodded in agreement, fists drawn up to her chest. "And real friends never let each other down!"

Marinette sputtered at first in response, multiple rambling responses trying to come out at once, from reminding them of either their intrusion or their lying to say that they had very much let her down.

Finally, her mouth settled on, "Then I guess we're not friends after all, since I'm letting you down so much! You're always pushing me, and setting things up even when I told you not to, and when everything goes wrong, it's always me who takes the blame, and me who gets teased for it!"

Alix recoiled at the outburst, then averted her gaze, looking somewhere between put off and ashamed as she grumbled, "We were just trying to help."

"I don't want your help! I don't even want you here!"

Marinette breathed shakily, her chest heavily at the emotions building in her chest. She could barely process what was coming out of her mouth and could only wonder how long she'd felt that way. How long had she been holding this in? How much had she been holding in? How long had she thought she deserved to be treated a certain way and took everything like she was the one at fault even if she'd done nothing?

Mental clarity kicked in, Marinette glaring and resolve blazing in her eyes as she asked, "Do you know why I didn't tell you anything?"

They looked on in curious trepidation, obviously not knowing the answer. At first, maybe she hadn't either.

"Because I didn't want you to meddle! Everything just goes wrong and I wanted to just live without worrying about it! I didn't want to be teased, or talk about Adrien, or be ignored!"

"We don't ignore you!" Alya immediately interjected, taking on an offended tone. "That's why we're here!"

"Then why didn't you know?" Marinette challenged. "You noticed my crush on Adrien, but you didn't notice that I was dating Luka? When he was riding me home from school? When you took all those pictures of us together? I wanted to be left alone to be happy with him without anyone shouting at me about what to do and putting more pressure on me than I already have!"

Rose and Alya shifted in place, not making eye contact.

"You invaded my privacy, you broke my things, and you lied to me! If you're going to make me tell you everything, then—then—" She shook, the tornado of emotions hard to handle. "—then I don't want you as friends! Now get out!"

The girls collectively gaped at her, a few letting out audible gasps and Rose in particular covering her mouth with her hands. Everything went quiet, and Marinette's eyes must've been giving off fire with how any argument lingering on the girls' lips died before they could even come out.

Then, one by one, the girls began to turn and silently walk out of the room, some staying a second or two longer as if Marinette would change her mind if they held to the staring contest a bit longer. Alya was the last one out, her gaze darting up to Marinette one last time in vain.

Marinette just looked away, only reassured that the girls had left when she heard the click of the trap door. She exhaled, her arms stiff and her legs feeling like jelly as everything hit her at once. The gravity of the situation dragged her to the floor, the walls of the doll house falling apart to reveal the Miracle Box to no one but her and the kwami. She'd already cried too many times that day, but the tears were building up again. Anger, sadness, frustration...

Seeing Tikki hover close out of the corner of her eyes, Marinette lamented, "I didn't know what else to do. I didn't have a choice. I was just—and then—and they..."

"I know, Marinette," Tikki said quietly, though it was clear that she had very little comfort to add.

Marinette tried to steady her breathing, but she could see her tears falling onto the floor and knew that she'd lost control of her emotions. In a way, it almost felt relieving, like a weight off her chest that she didn't know had been there, but it didn't stop the terrible feelings from everything that happened that day, and the day before, and the day before that...

"We—" Marinette choked, realizing something and looking up with urgency. "Shadow Moth. He might come after me."

"Ah, but..." Tikki weakly tried to protest, watching as Marinette tried to force herself up.

"Gotta transform. Gotta be ready," Marinette murmured in a daze, her legs wobbling but managing to hold her up. Not letting Tikki get another word in, she hurried to command, "Tikki, spots on."

— — — — —

Marinette hugged her knees to her chest, back against the wall stretching upwards that helped make the bridge where she broke up with Luka. Part of her felt like coming here was some form of self-punishment - a reminder of what she'd lost and why she had to keep it that way - but another part just wanted to be here. It wasn't a good idea to be in her room where everything went down, or where her pictures were, or where the kwami would just remind her of all the things she didn't want to think about. It wasn't like her parents were going to check on her anyway, so she felt it best to be away from it all.

She tried to listen for the melody of the water that Luka had told her about, but every time she thought things were quiet enough to hear it, she would breathe in a little too hard, or Tikki would shuffle around in her purse at a loss for what to say. Marinette sighed in defeat, curling in on herself further and staring at the ground with her eyes half-lidded.

She wished she could go back; back to the day this whole mess started. Maybe she could've avoided Fu, Chloe, and maybe even Alya. She could've stayed in the background, unoffensive and just known as "the clumsy girl," one who didn't lie and leave class unexpectedly with the worse excuses possible. Avoiding Chloe would've meant avoiding her wrath, which meant that there would've been no misunderstanding with Adrien and no "spark" to ignite her crush underneath that umbrella.

Everything would've been so much easier. Maybe she would've met Luka sooner, bumping into him by accident one day and they'd drop all their things, her sketches mingling with his song sheets. They'd apologize and hurry to separate their stuff, then lock eyes and all would be well with the world. She'd stammer out her name when she introduced herself and he'd tease her affectionately, and it'd be okay because she wouldn't be busy being depressed over another guy.

They'd laugh, they'd get along, and there wouldn't be any drama in the way of them getting together. Without her having any responsibilities that would cause her to run off, they'd date, and they'd just... be happy.

Marinette closed her eyes, trying to let herself indulge in the fantasy even if only for a moment. The hold she had on her legs loosened, her hands sliding down until one of her hands brushed the opposite's wrist. She remembered Viperion - Luka - as the hero who thought first just like her and now could never be because of his identity being compromised, yet another by-product of her crush on Adrien in a way.

She exhaled, her thumb futilely brushing over her wrist; over a bangle that wasn't there.

Second Chance...

She wasn't sure how long she sat there, trying to live in fake memories, but when her eyes opened, she still found herself underneath the bridge in a life she didn't want. She stared blankly at the ground, the melody she'd desired still inaudible to her.

It took her a few seconds to realize that the view in front of her wasn't quite what it was before she closed her eyes, and it took a few more to notice the black distressed pants and the shoes splattered with varying random symbols at the corner of her vision. She blinked, unsure if she was seeing properly and wondering if she might be hallucinating after her fantasy, but a quick glance upward caused her eyes to meet Luka's, the brows above them furrowed with concern.

"A-ah," she let out involuntarily, straightening a little. Finally registering that he was there and very real, she inhaled sharply and stood, waving frantically at him as she stammered, "I-I'm so sorry! This is your spot, and I'm taking your spot, and I swear I didn't mean to—" She bent down and brushed her hands along the ground where she'd been sitting, as if she were cleaning it. "—I'll be gone soon, let me just—"

"It's okay," Luka assured while approaching her, his voice even softer than usual but with a tinge of sadness to it.

She stopped, hesitating, then looked back up at him in confusion. They hadn't talked since their break-up and she genuinely thought that he'd be upset with her.

"I'm glad," he said genuinely, "that you can find as much comfort in this place as I do. You don't have to go anywhere."

"...Oh," she uttered, her shoulders easing in mild relief. At least he didn't hate her, she supposed, though the awkwardness in the air was noticeable and she couldn't help noticing that he was keeping a minimum distance of three meters from her.

It hurt.

She fiddled with the strap of her purse, wondering why he was there and how she could've gotten so unlucky as to—well, that part was obvious actually, she'd been unlucky her whole life, but that didn't stop her from wondering what he was doing there. Was it something about his dad, or...?

Against her better judgment, she took a good look at his face, biting her bottom lip guiltily at the tired look in his eyes. He seemed as if he hadn't slept well in a few days, and she couldn't say that she was any different, which made the reason for his expression all the more obvious. It was a terrible feeling, already feeling bad that she made him feel bad and then feeling worse because there was a part of her that was a little glad to have meant so much to him that the break-up actually affected him. He'd made her feel noticed and seen, something that was rare even amongst her frie—

Ah. Right.

She fidgeted, her feet shifting nervously against the ground. Juleka had been amongst the friends that she'd called out and forced to leave. She wasn't sure how close Luka was with his sister, as most of the interactions she'd seen were when they were in a group, but she was still his family. Did he know?

As if able to sense what she was thinking, Luka spoke up. "Jule told me."

Marinette winced and looked down, ashamed and fully expecting to be reprimanded. She clasped her hands at her waist, trying to mentally prepare herself.

Then, he immediately followed with, "Well, she mumbled it, but I got what she said."

It wasn't quite a joke, but it wasn't anything critical either. Marinette peeked back up at him, her brows scrunched together in confusion. He was smiling sadly, either understanding her or trying to be the sympathetic empath she'd always admired him for.

She averted her gaze, not feeling worthy of making eye contact with him. Sinking back against the wall, she sunk down to her earlier position and muttered, "I-it was for the best. I'm just... better off alone." She flinched at the sting in her chest that the words caused, but continued, "I won't hurt anyone that way. They can't be disappointed in me if we're not friends."

There was a pause, at which point Luka took a few steps closer, still maintaining a distance between them but also closing the gap significantly. "Why do you think you'll hurt people?"

She almost scoffed at that. "You would know why more than anyone, Luka." Though she still avoided looking at his face, she could see his fingers twitch from the corner of her vision. "I lie. I'm a liar! I'm just—" She spread her arms wide. "—I'm going to lie for the rest of my life, and ditch everyone and make them sad and they'll never know why!"

She'd tried to say it in an exaggerated tone to keep things light, but the tears started up. She held them back as best as she could, determined not to cry again when she'd already cried so much.

She heard Luka take a few steps closer, and he observed quietly, "But you don't want to."

"Of course not! But it doesn't matter! I should've known from the start that making friends was a mistake but I did it anyway!" She covered her face with her hands and shook her head. "I can't keep friends! I can't keep a boyfriend! I can barely keep this secret a secret!"

She didn't have to see his face to know that he was processing that. "...You can't tell me."

It was a realization for him, a mix of emotions in his voice and none of which she could place. She imagined he'd thought that it was a secret she'd chosen not to share with him, but that wasn't true.

She lowered her hands from her face. "I can't. I mean, not like—physically can't—it's not like the world would end if I did—" She halted briefly, stiffening at an unwelcome memory of Paris destroyed and underwater. "—o-or, maybe it would! But, it was never about trust, Luka! I trust you, I trust you so much, and I want to tell you so bad but I can't! It hurts but I can't! No one's supposed to know!"

She clutched her head, realizing that the conversation was spiraling downwards fast. She was torn between thinking that she'd said too much and then regretting how little she'd said when she'd broken up with him.

Luka took the final steps to close the distance between then, kneeling down to be closer to her level. "Marinette, I—I can't imagine what your secret could be, but it hurts watching you tear yourself apart like this."

"Well maybe that's how it's supposed to be!" she declared as she met his gaze, his eyes going wide in a mixture of pain and shock. She blinked rapidly, trying to fight the tears. "Maybe I'm just supposed to stay sad and alone forever! I have to do it all myself because that's the rule and it's my burden to carry!"

His heart was clearly breaking for her and it just made everything worse. He reached out to her, hovering his hand over her shoulder as a test and then settling it down with a feather-light touch when she didn't pull away. "I won't force you to tell me, and it's hard to say anything when I don't know what you're going through, but..." He hesitated, clearly feeling like it wasn't his place to say but being unable to help himself. "Couffaines break rules when we want to - when we know we have to - and I don't want to see you break instead."

She raised a hand, tempted to pull his hand from her shoulder, but stopped herself. "I-I don't have a choice. It's too dangerous. I can't let people close to me; I didn't even want to break up with you. You're amazing and sweet and I feel like I can tell you anything, but..." She looked down, defeated. "...you deserve better than this..."

He squeezed her shoulder, though whether it was a mix of offense at the comment, an attempt to comfort her, or both, she wasn't sure. "I can only tell you that I'd never tell anyone if I knew." He paused, as if to consider something, then added, "Even if it wasn't me - if it was someone else you trusted - I just don't want you to carry this alone."

She glanced up at him without moving her head, her mouth moving to reply but she ended up choking, then coughing in response to the air she'd just lost. Luka's free hand found her other shoulder as he leaned towards her, all the concern and love she could ever ask for being offered in his eyes.

He seemed to want to continue their conversation, but found something else to prioritize instead. "Do you want anything? Have you drank any water lately?"

The question caught her off guard until she remembered her coughing and mentally acknowledged that she might've been neglecting herself far more than she should've. Luka's hearing was on point, and she figured he must've heard the dryness of her throat.

She let out a small noise instead of a reply, no words given but Luka understood anyway. He stood up, his hands lingering on her for as long as possible before he turned and began to head back to the Liberty.

She watched him go, an ache in her chest even if she knew he'd come back. It reminded her of the day in the TV station where he confessed and she hadn't given him an answer, or when he'd comforted her after the break-up and she'd just taken it without a word back. It was all left incomplete, with him merely giving her that respectful smile that told her that she only had to say what she was ready for.

But ready for what, exactly? Ready to talk? Ready for him?

Ready for herself?

"...I—" Her mouth moved on its own, her body leaning just slightly towards him as she said the words she'd always wanted to. "—I'm Ladybug."

It was practically a whisper - equivalent to a pin dropping - but Luka froze nonetheless, his foot mid-raise to take a step that never came. He'd heard her, and he finally moved as he turned to look at her, expression unreadable.

That's when the moment caught up with her, and the panic followed suit. "O-oh—oh no. Oh, I said it—you know—you—" She clutched at her capris, desperate to ground herself, but the hyperventilating was beginning to start, almost harmonizing with the sound of Luka's footsteps as he hurried over to her, closing the gap between them much faster than he had previously.

In an instant, he was on his knees in front of her, arms wrapped around her and lifting her slightly as he pulled her into a hug. She gasped in surprise, still blinking back tears as her senses registered that he was there: his body heat warming her, the fabric of his jacket against her face, the calming color combination of blues and blacks, and the faded scent of his body wash.

"L-luka," she whimpered, "I'm so sorry. Y-you're in danger—"

"It's okay," he assured softly, then again as if to be certain that she heard it, "It's okay."

She hesitated, her breathing still uneven, but she willed herself to release her capris - her fingers feeling stiff from how tightly she'd gripped them - so she could grab at his jacket instead. He responded in kind by hugging her tighter; too tight for a normal hug but just tight enough to bring her back down to reality.

"You're not alone anymore, Marinette," he whispered, "and I'm not going anywhere. I love you."

That did it, and the tears overflowed. She wrapped her arms around him, clinging to however much fabric her hands could grasp as she buried her face into his shoulder. No matter how strongly she hugged him, he didn't complain, simply letting her take whatever she needed from him.

In the silence of the embrace, she could finally hear the river's melody.

— — — — —

Marinette clasped her hands together on the couch, her breathing starting to steady as she watched Luka pour her fourth cup of water since she'd gotten there, the first three of which she'd downed in mere seconds. It was just the two of them there, which was comforting, as Juleka had apparently gone to Rose's house for the rest of the day and Anarka was... well, Anarka, and wouldn't be back until who knew when.

Luka returned to Marinette with a smile, offering the full cup of water to her. She reached for it, then stopped as she noticed how badly her hand was shaking. Taking a few more controlled breaths, she offered him a smile and gently pushed the cup towards him.

At his confused look, she observed, "You haven't been taking care of yourself either."

He opened his mouth, possibly to argue, then looked away from her, his eyes darting around at nothing. She could see the internal conversation in his head, playing out a scenario where he would try to insist, she would insist back that three cups was more than enough for her and he'd also taken none himself, and they would go back and forth until he relented.

His gaze softened, the conclusion to the mental argument clearly reached as he took a few sips from the cup. Rather than sitting on the couch, he sat down on the wooden table in front of it - a typical Couffaine move - so he could face her. Then, offering her a grateful smile, he asked, "How are you feeling?"

She smiled back at him, but it faltered as she stared at her lap, taking the time to legitimately think about the question. She ran her hands along her legs in a slow motion, hoping that it would stop any shakiness somehow.

"...Scared," she answered. "Nervous. Worried. Anxious." She pursed her lips as she realized that she was just listing off synonyms at that point.

Luka leaned towards her, resting his hand over one of the ones on her lap. "But, better than before?" he guessed.

Eyes half-lidded and fond, she nodded. "Yeah, and..." She turned the hand underneath his upwards so she could hold it. "I'm really glad you're here."

"I'm glad I'm here too," he whispered, as if to make sure that this moment was only for the two of them.

They stayed like that for a while, just enjoying each other's presence. Marinette was a mess of emotions, but refused to let go of the hand he'd offered her, her thumb stroking along the back of it.

"...Luka," she said after a few seconds of contemplation.

He didn't respond verbally, but he'd also already given her his full attention, and she knew he was listening.

She continued, "You're the last person I'd ever want to lose. If Shadow Moth finds out that you know—"

"If," he gently interjected, though his eyes encouraged her to go on.

"He'll use you. He'll take advantage of you. I don't want anything to happen to you, but I don't want you to leave either, because I really like you and you make me happy and better and—" She huffed, frustrated by the conundrum. "It feels like it's my fault. If I was stronger, or I wasn't so emotional, I..."

"Marinette."

She looked up at the tenderness in his voice. He set his cup down on the table, then slowly pushed himself off, crouching down in front of her as if to make himself appear as small as possible. His other hand found her free one and he held it, making their hand holding perfectly mutual.

"Do you remember the day we met? When my mom got akumatized?"

She nodded. "Yeah, of course."

He nodded in return, going on to explain, "You needed me to hide you, and I needed you to go get—" He caught himself, half-chuckling as the identity revelation adjusted his memories of that day. "—be Ladybug."

Marinette managed a smile. "You were covering for me, even back then."

He smiled back, looking almost too proud of that fact. "And we needed each other. No one can do everything alone, Marinette, so don't say you're sorry for the feelings that made up the song that's been stuck in my head ever since that day."

She swallowed involuntarily at the reminder of his confession. Judging from his smile widening, he noticed it.

"It's hard learning an instrument all by yourself," he continued, "and sad not having anyone to play to."

"And you want to be the whole crowd?" she asked quietly, her gaze drawn to their joined hands.

"Yeah," he answered, not missing a beat.

She took a breath, knowing it was too late to change things but still wanting to acknowledge the decision anyway. "O...okay. Thank you, Luka."

They exchanged loving smiles, and Marinette could've sworn that the eye contact alone was keeping her heart rate down. The future was still nerve-wracking, but she'd been afraid of it even before she'd told Luka her secret, so at least now she had someone who understood her and who she could talk to about it.

The conversation mutually ended there, but then Luka - wholly unprompted - let out an exaggerated sigh and tilted his head back. Curious, Marinette asked, "What is it?"

He grinned at her, a glint in his eyes that made it clear that he was in a teasing mood now that the atmosphere had lightened. "Does this mean I have to watch Chat Noir flirt with my girlfriend?"

She snorted, opening her mouth to reply before stopping as the words behind the joke caught up to her. She leaned forward and squeezed his hand, eyes wide with hope. "Girlfriend?"

He nodded without hesitation. "You said you didn't want to break up with me, Marinette, and I didn't want to break up with you either."

"Y-yeah, but—" She frowned, conflicted. "I'll still have to leave? Nothing's changed except you knowing why."

"I didn't date you so that we could go on dates," he replied. When she tilted her head in confusion at him, he briefly averted his gaze, a hint of shyness appearing on his face before he steeled himself up and looked back at her, clarifying, "I just wanted to be your boyfriend, dates or no dates."

"Oh. O-oh." And that was all she had to say about that, any coherent words burned away from the blush forming on her face.

Luka smiled hopefully, and Marinette quickly decided that bashfulness looked good on him. "So, if you want to make this work with me, then—"

"Yes!" she replied immediately, untangling her hands from his so she could push herself off the couch.

His eyes lit up, his arms spreading wide as she dropped into his lap, and he didn't recoil when she arched up to kiss him, her movements quick to ensure that there would've been no chance for them to be interrupted. She wrapped her arms around him, neither caring about the awkward position on the floor due to being lost in each other's touch.

There was a soft click when the kiss broke, Marinette promptly pulling herself against him and nestling her face near his collarbone, now able to properly enjoy the scent she'd missed for all those dreadful days they'd been apart.

Following up on what he'd told her underneath the bridge, she tightened her hold and whispered, "I love you too, Luka."

Snuggled so close to him, she swore that his heartbeat picked up, though she didn't have to feel it to know that he was happy, what with the way his hands shook against her and how he placed an immediate kiss on the top of her head. She let herself get absorbed in the moment, allowing herself to smile and think only of Luka, the one who respected her choices and feelings from the day they met.

There was no one else she'd rather share her identity with.

#MC's Writing #writing: story #category: salt #episode: Gang of Secrets #other: ml spoilers #other: ask and answer #category: long post #word count: over 5000 #((Going to bed now 👍🏻))#((@ Zag ''stop making episodes awful enough that I have to keep fixing them'' challenge.))#((Also for the record))#((ideally I would have the girl squad slowly build their friendship back up with Marinette over time.))

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