#he'd stay in my bed with me when i was little and gave myself nightmares from watching too many of those cryptid documentaries

[yardsards]

local man forced to think about their father: one dead, countless injured.

[bitchimasnake-sss]

"stay, please" ft. the monster trio!

in which, nightmares plague them and you're the only remedy ft. luffy, zoro, sanji x fem!reader set-up: late night nightmares give way to very vulnerable boyfriends i see (i couldnt bring myself to pick sad gifs for them tho, idk use your imagination) warnings: none!! wholesome shit all day every day :) m.list

luffy:

- luffy is always a heavy sleeper - no, like quite literally - he sleeps on you like a log, unmoving until you're physically shoving him off and throwing him off the bed - so, in the dead of the night, when he pulled you closer against his chest and held you tighter, you simply assumed it was no big deal - but his hands are tightening around your waist, his breath seems laboured and as you throw him a glance over your shoulders, you see his brows furrowed together as if he was in pain - "yn, no. yn-" his voice sounds distraught, hands trembling against your figure "luffy?" you whisper, gently putting your arm over his, "luffy, hey?" - his breath seems more laboured, as if it hurts just to breathe - you were shaking him awake, "luffy, wake up, come on" - when he did, his eyes were teary and he buried his head into your hair. relief flooded his voice as he kept holding onto you, "you're okay right?" "ofcourse i am. are you?" "i-" he sneaks in a quick breath and then looks at you, "yeah" - you run your hand up and down his arm gently, other coming to rest on his cheek, "nightmare?" - he stays silent for a second, just looking at you. then he whispers, "i thought i lost you" "i'm right here" you flash him a small smile, chasing it with a small peck on his lips, "i promise" "you promise?" his features stay unmoving, still grim "i promise" you're rubbing soothing circles on his cheek - a second passes before either of you speaks up. it's him who does. - he presses his hands over yours and whispers slowly, "stay with me, please" "i wouldn't be caught dead anywhere else" - and then he's picking you up, "we're awake and im hungry so might as well-" - he made you help him raid the pantry and feed him emergency snacks to soothe him again - one of these days, sanji's gonna put a biometric scanner at the kitchen door and luffy's gonna go feral - that is your version of doomsday - what a menace i love him

zoro:

- it was a sickening routine as far as you remembered. you hated it to your very core and yet, you couldn't do anything as it played out - every once in a while, when the fates were a little too cruel, zoro would slip out of the bed, careful not to wake you up. - he'd slowly close the door behind him, stepping out onto the chilly deck - it wouldn't take you long to notice the abrupt coldness next to you where zoro should have been - and you would usually walk out and find him peering at the sea, tension etched into every muscle - your hands would wrap around his waist and you would press your face against his sculpted back. you would feel his body ease under your familiar touch, the tension fading away and leaving behind another young man "zo'" you would whisper, "'nother nightmare?" and he would just gave you a curt nod - that's how it usually went. he wouldn't elaborate, he would just hold onto you till all his worries slipped past him and then he'd carry you back to bed - he wouldn't bring it up again in the morning and it was a silent agreement that you wouldn't either - but today, his body shivered, trembling against your feather-like touches "zoro?" you're panicking, turning him to look at you, "zo' are you cry-" - he pulls you towards himself, his head on top of yours, "i thought i fuckin' lost you i-" you bury yourself against him, "i'm right here, look" "you wouldn't leave right?" his voice is gentle, "i- you'd stay by my side, right? please" - you look up at him, pressing a kiss on his cheek, "ofcourse i will. where else would i go?" he gives a small smile, "wherever you go, stay away from that shitty cook" "ah, don't worry. you can ensure that by showering for once" "oh, really?" he scoffs playfully, "only if you join me" - he carries your blushing figure into the room and you fall asleep with him tangled against you - you did take him up on the showering together offer tho, ur a slave to the temptations of the flesh it seems

sanji:

- honest to god, i believe he is the kind of guy who doesn't wake you up - but over the years, youve caught onto the pattern - it's always the days where he either sneaks off into the kitchen, saying that there's just some recipe he thought of that he needs to try or he sits in the bed, silently basking in the venomous thoughts - some nights, you feel his warmth pull away and he's sitting beside you, back against the headboard - his breath is laboured and his eyes are screwed shut as he tips his head backwards - your hand is on his knee, grounding him back to reality "sanji?" you mumble as you sit up, "you okay?" "did i wake you up?" he mumbles back with a look of concern, "im sorry, my love" - but you're already settling in between his legs, your back flush against his chest. you bring his hand and intertwine it with your own, bringing it to your lips to press a small kiss - it ends with you talking about something else to get his mind off the bullshit "what if we have like 4 moons and we don't know?" "i don't think that scientifically possible, darling" "anything's possible. never say never." - on nights you find him in the kitchen, you silently walk in there and sit on the kitchen counter, asking him what he's cooking - you entertain him with mundane bullshit as he cooks - 9/10 you fall asleep in the kitchen and he has to carry you back - cooks you the same dish later again cause while he was carrying you back, luffy stormed into the kitchen, ate whatever it was and fell asleep on the fucking kitchen floor. - sanji's considering putting a biometric scanner at the kitchen door now

m.list

[claymton]

AGE REGRESSION CLAY HEADCANON TIME OOO BOY.. I may or may not have some yapping to do about this..

First off, I saw the 2 tags specifically on the answer you gave that caught my attention. I do feel Clay definitely bites his nails or his thumb.. With age regression (spoken from someone who has an issue with this) I definitely think he does suck his thumb or gnaw at it a little if he's overstimulated in a way.. specifically in fetal position. I may just be saying this out of solely what I do but.. yeah.

The whole urine thing as well. I think like the bed wetting definitely has something to do with age regression and bladder issues due to overuse of alcohol, being a responsive thing that just kind of happens reflexively.. most likely with a nightmare or something.

Also think he does things subconsciously while he's asleep like for one, clinging onto his pillow as well as tossing and turning. I think he gets restless while asleep, and maybe that's why he ends up responding that way. (bed wetting, being restless, etc.)

There's another thing that could fall into the restless category but I may return to that sometime after this ask.

I don't really want to get into the egg thing because. first off since its uncomfortable a bit for me to talk about myself and. also since Sinvilles could do a better analyzation post about it than anyone, i fear.

with clays hair curl I have a few random things with that. that could very likely be tagged on with this in a way maybe. I think he may have had a habit of twirling that thing a bit..

I think he had issues at school with bullying and constantly tried to get attention and make himself the rage bait.. clearly it ends up working. He'd go home bloodied a lot to Aurther and he'd brush it off, not care, almost scold him for it, but then stopping himself, pretend not to notice, or just not notice entirely.

which made clays sacrifice rant happen, specifically because he wanted that attention again and wasn't able to get. which maybe could be why he kept his distance from Orel, just because of how his father was absent for a while after giving clay old gunny. and he didn't want to look at Orel because he felt mad at Orel and himself a little because he wasn't 'Man' enough and Clay himself couldn't make him something he saw himself in. so it made him feel the need to be distant with something he didn't feel connected to, felt more like Blobertas child than his own.

"weak, and passive. and ultimately broken by the ones who were made the fittest!! and that through your weaknesses you built up a poison.. that poisoned others around you.. that you loved. and the only true justice was to let those dominant jackals feed on you.. survive of you."

I truly believe he was age regressing here. back to when he would try so desperately to get his fathers attention that he craved and somehow failed no matter what he did. and he let everyone pick on him and make himself stand out specifically because it would make him feel at least some sort of affection other than being ignored. negative attention is still attention nonetheless right?

There's still more too it than that I just need more time to get my thoughts collected..

extra little side note ::

with clays hair curl I have a few random things with that age regression that could very likely be tagged on with this in a way maybe. I think he may have had a habit of twirling that thing a bit..

Clearly the more reasoned option being he snipped off a chunk of his hair when he was younger so it just never grew out enough and it just kinda just wouldn't stay back.. either that or he does his hair every morning and tries to make his hair perfect every morning cuz he's kind of a freak when it comes to that I think..

[mustainegf]

heyy I just found your page and you're talented as hell! I wanted to send in a little request.

ok so, 80s or RTL era James and reader are best friends, they are having a sleepover,then she wakes sweating profusely because of a nightmare. she tries to sleep again, she tosses and turns on the bed bit thats doesn't work,and finally wakes James. when he notices how afraid she is, he tries comforting her.

This is fucking adorable, lets be honest we all know they have crushes on each other

𝐒𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 ¹⁹⁸⁴

I threw the frayed, flimsy sleeping bag on the floor of James's bedroom, directly next to his bed. I didn't mind that the fabric was nearly threadbare and provided little comfort. All that mattered was that I was at James's house.

Though it was equally ancient and lumpy as the sleeping bag, I gratefully accepted James's insistence on lending me an extra pillow. I gave it a tight grip and stared up at him, enjoying the feel of the velvety material on my cheek.

With a cheeky smile on his face, James was lying flat on his bed and staring at me. The little lamp on his bedside table created a soft, yellow glow that warmed the space and gave it a cozy, personal feel.

His guitar rested against the far corner, and his hanging posters of metal bands lined the walls. I could let my guard down and be who I am here and it felt like a second home.

"Do you remember that time Lars tried to balance on one leg and play drums?" James commented, amusement alive in his eyes.

I burst into giggles, burying my face in the pillow. ���Oh God, yes... He almost took out the entire drum set.”

James laughed, a deep, rumbling sound that made my heart swell. “He’s such a dumbass. I don’t know how he stays upright most of the time, let alone play drums.”

Each story was funnier than the last, and before long, we were both crying with laughter. That kind of chuckle that just makes everything a bit better.

“Hey, you know what’s weird?” James spoke abruptly, his tone now gentler. “I can’t remember the last time I laughed this hard.”

I noticed the vulnerable expression on his face as I glanced up at him. "Neither can I," I said. "Recently, life has been so busy. It's I've missed hanging out.

James gave a nod, fixing his gaze on mine. There was a brief but comfortable silence during which we simply exchanged glances and knew everything about the other without any words being spoken.

"I love you being here," he muttered.

I answered, "Always," reaching up to give him a firm squeeze. "I wouldn't be anywhere else, you know that."

He smiled, that lopsided grin that always made my heart miss a beat. As the hours passed, our voices became softer and our words became shorter.

I was really happy as I snuggled onto the extra pillow he'd given me. The fact that I was lying on the floor in a tacky sleeping bag didn't matter. It mattered that James and I were together in this utterly perfect moment. The things that brought beauty to life , was this, James.

With drooping eyelids, I whispered a, "Goodnight, James."

He breathed back, "Goodnight," his voice low with drowsiness.

And then, with the comfort of the man beside me, I allowed myself drift off.

I startled awake, breathing urgently and shallowly as my heart hammered in my chest. Sweat was pouring down my face and the flimsy sleeping bag was sticking to my skin.

The nightmare that had pulled me from sleep had left my mind a disorganized mix of visuals, but they were beginning to fade into the shadows, leaving me with nothing but an uneasy sense of dread.

I sat up and attempted to calm my breathing while sliding a shaking hand through my hair. The only sound in the pitch black, silent room was James's even, gentle breathing from his bed.

I looked across at him and felt an ocean of relief when I noticed how unbothered he was. The last thing I wanted was to wake him up, especially being the one crashing at his place.

I took a deep breath, pulled my knees up to my chest, and tried to push the nightmare's last fragments away. The hard, cold floor felt even more unforgiving at this point. I lay back down, clutching James' lumpy pillow to my chest, inhaling his scent.

I forced myself to go back to sleep and closed my eyes. I rolled around on the hard floor, attempting to find any spot that was comfortable. I felt as though the cold seeped through the sleeping bag, causing me to be cooled to the bone. The bag provided very little to cushion me.

I let the pattern of James's steady breathing relax me as I concentrated on it. Slow and steady, in and out. My breath matched his. But sleep eluded me no matter how hard I tried.

All I want in this moment is James. My James.

After a while I quit  trying to make it work and just laid there, gazing upwards.

I finally reached my breaking point. I needed to feel safe, to feel warmth, to feel… James. I staggered upright, making the room to spin a little as I moved. I trembled as I knelt over his bed and gave him a little shoulder shake without thinking twice.

Whispering, "James," my voice wavered. "James, wake up."

He slolwly stirred awake, peering at me in the half light as he opened his eyes. "What's wrong?" he asked his voice sluggish from sleep but immediately worried. "Are you okay?"

My eyes filled with tears, and I shook my head, incapable to think of anything to say. Rather, I naturally moved my body to rest next to him. I needed his warmth and comfort, I needed to be near him. I tugged him closer, pressing my face against his chest and gripping his shirt tightly.

James didn't hesitate for a second. He wrapped me with his arms, pressing me close to his body. "Hey, hey, it's okay," he said in a comforting whisper. "I'm here. You're safe."

I felt his hand gently stroking my back, his touch sending a wave of calm through me. I pressed my face into his chest, breathing in his familiar scent, and felt the tension begin to drain from my body. His heart beat steadily beneath my ear, a comforting rhythm that grounded me.

We had never had such an intimacy or closeness before. However, it felt perfect, like something we've both always needed. It seemed like exactly what We needed.

I felt him shift a little, repositioning himself to comfortably grasp me. He reached for my hair with his other hand and used his fingers to gently untangle knots that werent there.

I expected cuddling with James to be awkward, wrong, weird. But now that I was in his arms, his heartbeat in my ear, there was no place I'd rather be.

With his breath warm against my forehead, he whispered softly, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Still unable to find my voice, I shook my head once again. I was stuck thinking, maybe I loved James a little more than just a friend.

He answered softly, "Okay," without pressuring me further. "Just know I'm here, alright? I'm not going anywhere."

I nodded, feeling the last traces of fear finally disappear. His body, his touch, and his words were all I needed to feel okay again.

James placed a delicate kiss on the top of my head. "Sleep, you need it," he said softly, making my heart ache.

And as I nodded off in his arms, I realized that I would always have this James to come back to, nightmares or not.

[trinity-mia]

a story as endless as the ocean

the lightning thief

2.1 the beginning of the end

warnings : betrayal, monster attack... more or less, allie gets a little angry, probs some cussing

word count : 4.8k

2.1 The Completed Prophecy Brings Forth a New Set of Challenges and Stress

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half-Blood Hill since Luke's own quest, so of course, everybody treated us as if we'd won some reality-TV contest. According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honor, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Luke's shroud was metallic white and emerald green, with a pair of winged sneakers on the front. It gave off a weird reptilian scent while it burned.

Being the daughter of Poseidon, I didn't have any cabin mates, so my friends had all volunteered to work together to make my shroud. It was absolutely beautiful, made of long sea green silk and embroidered with a golden trident. Silena cried in dismay when we burned it, though for the rest of us it was fun to burn them, in a very morbid kind of way. Like I was sticking up my finger at everyone who thought I would fail in quest, including myself.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing-along and passed out s'mores, I was surrounded by all of my friends and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand-new searcher's license he'd received from the Council of Cloven Elders. The council had called Grover's performance on the quest "Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns-and-whiskers above anything we have seen in the past."

Even Dionysus's welcome-home speech wasn't enough to dampen my spirits. "Yes, yes, so the little brat didn't get herself killed and now she'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be no canoe races this Saturday..."

I moved all of my stuff from home into cabin three, but it didn't feel so lonely anymore. My car was parked right on the road near Camp Half-Blood. At first, Chiron didn't want it out there, just in case a monster or something got to it, but I convinced him I didn't care if it got damaged and if it was inside camp borders the Stoll Brothers would probably do much more damage than a monster. 

I had my friends to hang with during the day, and Luke regularly snuck into my room to sleep in my bed with me. Though, I would be shocked if Chiron didn't know he'd been doing it since we got back. At first, it wasn't every night, but every so often one of us would get a nightmare and he'd be knocking at my door. When he realized that he couldn't always just guess whenever I'd have a nightmare and also couldn't just sneak into the Hermes cabin, we'd silently decided to make it an every night thing. We'd gotten used to being together during our quest, so being apart was weird. I got up at five every morning, anyway, so it's not like anyone ever caught us.

I spoke with Chiron, and agreed to stay year-round, but I would have permission to go on little trips outside. Apparently, it was an allowance given to children of Poseidon, as otherwise, we tended to go stir-crazy and run away after destroying something. So, while I would live mostly at camp, I would be able to leave and go to Columbia on the days I had to and I'd get to visit my East Hampton beach house whenever I wanted since it was only half an hour away.

As much as I loved Camp, it was still a huge relief to have that safety net available. I don't think I could cope with being in one place constantly, even this place.

On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine. Being Hephaestus's kids, they weren't going to settle for a few lame red-white-and-blue explosions. They'd anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles.

According to Luke, who'd seen the show several times before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they'd look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of hundred-foot-tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.

As Luke and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us good-bye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T-shirt and sneakers, but in the last few weeks, he'd started to look older, almost collage age. His goatee had gotten thicker. He'd put on weight. His horns had grown at least an inch, so he now had to wear his Rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

"I'm off," he said, shifting slightly. "I just came to say... well, you know."

I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it wasn't every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying good-bye. I'd only known Grover a year, yet he was one of my oldest real friends.

I gave him a tight hug and reminded him to keep his fake feet on, thinking of how they had fallen off on the train while Luke asked him where he was going to search first.

"Kind of a secret," he said, looking embarrassed. "I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan..."

"We understand," I assured him. "You got enough tin cans for the trip?"

"Yeah."

"And you remembered your reed pipes?" I pressed.

"Jeez, Allie," he grumbled. "You're like an old mama goat."

But he didn't really sound annoyed.

He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway— nothing like the little runty boy I used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.

"Well," he said with a small smile. "Wish me luck."

I gave him a tight hug. He and Luke clapped each other on the shoulders, then headed back through the dunes. I watched him go through misty eyes.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington crossing the Delaware.

"Hey, Grover," I called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

"Wherever you're going, I hope they make good enchiladas."

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

"We'll see him again," Luke told me, pulling me into a side hug.

I tried to believe it. The fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years... Well, I decided not to think about that. Grover would be the first. He had to be.

The summer passed.

I spent my days in camp devising new strategies for capture-the-flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares' hands. Clarisse and I started a friendly, but vicious, rivalry over it. I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava.

From time to time, I'd walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows, and think about the Oracle. I tried to convince myself that its prophecy had come to completion.

You shall go west, and face the god who has turned.

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt, even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades.

You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned.

Check. One master bolt delivered. One helm of darkness back on Hades' dark head.

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend.

That line still bothered me. Ares had pretended to be our friend, then betrayed me. That must have been what the Oracle meant even though it didn't quite fit...

And the last one.

And it shall begin, in the end.

Surely, it meant my fight with Ares? I wasn't arrogant enough to claim it was anything close to a war or anything of the sort, but I couldn't think of another option. The quest was over, so the prophecy should be complete. And Chiron had said that the Oracle's words often didn't make sense, anyway.

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.

The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end-of-summer beads.

I got my own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer, I was glad the firelight covered my blushing. The design was a simple pitch black bead, with a sea-green trident shimmering in the center.

"The choice was unanimous," Luke announced, grinning at me cheekily. "This bead commemorates the first Daughter of the Sea God, and the quest that she undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!"

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. I'm not sure I'd ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I'd finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I'd done something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year.

The next morning, I went to do some training and get myself out of the way while everyone was packing themselves into the camp shuttle. Of my friends, Luke, Silena, Beckendorf and the Stolls were all staying. Beckendorf's mother was dead, Silena only visited her father rarely for a reason she didn't share and I didn't push for, though she obviously adored him, and the Stolls' mother was a heavily devout Christian who kicked them out for 'converting to paganism.'

I had said goodbye to the others last night, and I didn't want to do so again and get upset at them leaving. Especially as my mind had continuously wandered to the fact that if Mom were still alive, I'd be leaving as well.

Instead, I lost myself in the rhythm of practice. Sword-fighting seemed as natural as breathing to me, and by the time a throat clearing interrupted me, I had decimated the training dummies completely. At least they'd be replaced in a few days anyway.

The person standing at the entrance to the arena shocked me.

"Annabeth," I stated in surprise, sweeping some loose hair out of my face and behind my ear again. "What— uh, did you want to do some training or something? I can go."

"No," she shook her head, stepping closer to me. "I actually wanted to talk to you. Bury the hatchet, you know? For Luke's sake."

That completely shocked me, but I was willing to go along with it if she was serious. I'd seen the unhappiness Luke felt at how Annabeth and I seemed to be constantly at odds with each other. Though, I had nothing to do with it, and everyone knew I just defended myself in whatever way was necessary.

"Sure," I agreed slowly. "Here, or—?"

She shook her head, gold curls bouncing. "No, here's not really the place for heart-to-hearts, you know? Follow me, I know a good place to talk."

I turned Riptide back into its necklace form and Shaker into bracelet form and trailed after her as we made our way to the creek and sat down near where I was almost mauled by that hellhound.

"You okay?" Annabeth asked with a look of innocence that was definitely fake on her face. Her eyes were too wide, and I suddenly wished that I could get my sword out more subtly. My instincts were screaming at me, and suddenly it just clicked.

The thief hadn't been found, only Ares and the Crooked Lord. And now I knew why the prophecy had been bothering me so much despite the quest being officially over. It wouldn't really be over until the thief was caught.

"You're the one who took the Bolt," I accused quietly. "Aren't you?"

She laughed, a cold, mocking sound. "Well, well, maybe you're not such a seaweed brain after all. Yes, I took the stupid Bolt." Her expression twisted bitterly as she spoke. She didn't look at all like a twelve-year-old girl, and from the look in her eyes, I had no doubt that she wanted to kill me. "I saw a lot out there in the world, Allie," she said. "I ran away from my idiotic father and his wife and kids when I was seven and I saw the reality of the world. Didn't you feel it, the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Didn't you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics, being pawns of the gods. They should've been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they've hung on, thanks to us half-bloods."

"You're psychotic," I scoffed back. "In case you haven't realized, without gods, there would be no demigods. It's in the damn word! We need each other!"

She glared, and I could tell that hadn't occurred to her before. Stupid, especially of a supposed child of the wisdom goddess, but I guess that wisdom and common sense don't necessarily go hand-in-hand.

She clicked her fingers instead of answering. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand. A scorpion.

I started to go for my necklace.

"I wouldn't," Annabeth warned me with a cruel smile. "Pit scorpions can jump up to fifteen feet. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You'll be dead in sixty seconds."

"You're as crazy as Ares."

Her eyes flared violently. "Ares is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Allie, I could explain. But I'm afraid you won't live that long."

The scorpion crawled onto my leg.

There had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think.

"Kronos," I stated. "That's who you serve."

The air got colder.

"You should be more careful with names," Annabeth warned me.

"Kronos," I put a lot of emphasis on his name, "got you to steal the master bolt and the helm. He spoke to you in your dreams."

Annabeth's eye twitched. "He spoke to you, too, Allie. You should have listened to him. You might have survived."

"He's brainwashing you, Annabeth. You'd think a child of the wisdom goddess would be able to see that."

"You're wrong!" Annabeth shrieked. "He showed me that my talents are being wasted. I've been here for years, since I was seven! I'm better at fighting and thinking than anyone else in this worthless camp, and yet I've never been allowed to leave except to visit my useless mortal father! It's not fair! I should've been given a quest! I'm better than all of them!"

"You're a spoiled child throwing a temper tantrum," I spat back, furious. "And you're going to break Luke's heart!"

"Don't talk to me about Luke!" she snarled. "Do you know how he got that scar on his face? Hermes sent him to steal apples from the Garden of Hesperides, a quest that's been done already! Where's the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. His heart wasn't in it. The dragon in the garden nearly killed him, and I knew I had to get justice for him and Thalia. They deserved better than what the gods gave them, the only truly good people in this world. Even Chiron is so blinded by the gods that there's no hope for him. He'd let us all die if they ordered it. He doesn't really care, he just pretends that he does. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to strike– a worthwhile strike– against the gods, to take something that no hero had ever had the courage to take."

I shook my head and tried to interrupt, but she was on a roll, too in her own mind to listen to me. 

"When we went on that winter-solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I put on my cap and I snuck into the throne room and took Zeus' master bolt right from his chair. Hades' helm of darkness, too. You wouldn't believe how easy it was, and I'm not even one of Hermes' children. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft."

The scorpion was sitting on my knee now, staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried to keep my voice level, and to keep my worry hidden. "So why didn't you bring the items to Kronos?"

Annabeth's smile wavered. "I... I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt, Artemis, Apollo, Hermes. But it was Ares who caught me. I could have out-witted him, but I wasn't careful enough. He disarmed me, took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and burn me alive. Then Kronos' voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Ares's head about a great war between the gods. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Ares got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence."

Then she got such a haunted look on her face that I would've felt bad for her if she hadn't put me in the tough spot I was in— it was the same way I looked after a particularly bad confrontation with Gabe. 

"Afterward, the Lord of the Titans... h-he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half-Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helm the rest of the way, from Ares down to Tartarus."

"You summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest."

"We had to make Chiron think the camp wasn't safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked."

"The backpack was cursed," I said. "It was supposed to drag me and the bolt into Tartarus."

"And it would have, if you'd been wearing it. But you gave it to Luke, which screwed everything up. Luke was never supposed to get hurt." Annabeth looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on my thigh. "You should have died in Tartarus, Allie. But don't worry, I'll leave you with my little friend to set things right."

"Thalia gave her life to save you," I said, gritting my teeth. "And this is how you repay her?"

"Don't talk about Thalia!" she shrieked. "The gods let her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for."

"You're being used, Annabeth. You and Ares both. Don't listen to Kronos."

"I've been used?" Annabeth's voice turned shrill. "Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You've only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest, the ones who serve him."

"Call off the bug," I demanded. "If you're so strong, fight me yourself."

Annabeth smiled, a light of insanity in her gray eyes. "Nice try, Allie. But I'm not Ares. You can't bait me. My lord is waiting, and he's got plenty of quests for me to undertake."

"Annabeth—"

"Good-bye, Allie. There's a new Golden Age coming. You won't be part of it."

She turned and strode away, and I saw the silhouette of someone join her. 

For one horrifying second, I thought it was Luke. My heart dropped. 

It wasn't Luke. It was Cody. 

You shall be betrayed by one who calls you friend. 

The words echoed around my head like an alarm, bouncing around every part of my brain until I couldn't deny it anymore. I opened my mouth to say something to him, but he simply strode away after Annabeth. 

And there was nothing I could do to stop them, because the minute he turned, the scorpion lunged.

I swatted it away with my hand and summoned Riptide. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in mid-air.

I was about to go racing after the two traitors until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck. The damn thing had gotten me after all. I always hated bugs.

My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought dizzily, hearing the noise of the creek nearby. It healed me before.

I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand. It was working, but not fast enough. I'd be dead long before the water fully healed me. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.

Sixty seconds, Annabeth had told me.

I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster. Nobody would ever know what had happened, they wouldn't know about Annabeth and Cody's treachery. They would be completely vulnerable to the two.

My legs felt like lead. My years of athletics kept my stamina going, just enough to keep me alive. My forehead was burning. I stumbled toward the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.

"Help," I croaked. "Please..."

Two of them took my arms, pulling me along. I dimly remember making it to the clearing, a counselor shouting for help, Chiron blowing a conch horn urgently. Then everything went black.

I woke with a drinking straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like liquid chocolate-chip cookies. Nectar.

I opened my eyes and looked around weakly. I was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, my right hand bandaged like a club. Argus stood guard in the corner. Luke sat next to me, holding my nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on my forehead.

"Anyone else got deja vu?" I asked with a weak smile at him.

"That's not funny," Luke answered, looking shaky, the vein in his forehead popping. "You were bleeding from your eyes and turning gray when we found you. If it weren't for Chiron's healing..."

"Now, now," Chiron's voice chided. "Allie's constitution deserves some of the credit for her survival. She ran through most of the forest with no help, while dying of poison."

He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I hadn't noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half was dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he'd been up all night grading Latin papers.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved."

"Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened."

Between sips of nectar, I told them the story.

The room was quiet for a long time.

"We have to hunt them down," Luke said tightly. "I knew something was up when everyone was accounted for except for the two of them."

He was pushing his pain aside to focus on the problem at hand, but I could see the anguish in his eyes at his surrogate little sister's betrayal. Annabeth had been a mix of sister, daughter, and friend to him. I couldn't imagine the pain he was feeling right then.

"This must be reported to Olympus," Chiron murmured in reply. "I will go at once."

"Zeus has declared the matter of Kronos closed," I pointed out tightly. "We need to do this ourselves, preferably before the Titans are walking the earth again!"

"Allie, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You aren't ready."

I didn't like it, but I knew that Chiron was right. One look at my hand, and I knew I wasn't going to be sword fighting with both swords for at least a few days.

"Chiron... the prophecy, the one about the child of one of the Big Three... is it, I mean—"

Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. "Allie, it isn't my place—"

My eyes narrowed. "You've been ordered not to talk to me about it, haven't you?"

His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. "You will be a great heroine, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I'm right about the path ahead of you..."

Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.

"All right!" Chiron shouted. "Fine!" He sighed in frustration. "The gods have their reasons, Allie. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing."

"We can't just sit back and do nothing," I protested.

"We will not sit back," Chiron promised me. "But you must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come."

"Assuming I live that long, you mean?" I spat scornfully. 

"You will," Luke promised darkly. "You're staying, aren't you? I'll make sure of it, Angel, I swear on the River Styx that I'll—"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence," I said threateningly. 

His expression didn't change and even though he didn't say it out loud, he finished it in his head. It wasn't a complete binding, but he didn't need that. 

"That would have been foolish," Chiron sighed tiredly. "Don't go around making promises like that, Luke, you know better. Rest now, both of you. I must go and speak to the gods."

I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told me there would be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Chiron promised. "Argus will watch over you."

I watched him leave, then turned to Luke. "Help me up. I want to go outside."

"Angel, that isn't a good idea."

I ignored him and slid my legs out of bed. Luke caught me before I could crumple to the floor. A wave of nausea rolled over me.

"I told you so," Luke grumbled, wrapping my arm around his shoulders and grasping my waist to support me.

"I'm fine," I insisted. I didn't want to lie in bed like an invalid while Annabeth and Cody were out there planning to destroy the Western world.

I managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Luke. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance.

By the time we reached the porch, my face was beaded with sweat. My stomach had twisted into knots and I felt like I was going to faint. But I had managed to make it all the way to the railing.

It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake. Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the waters of Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.

"What are you going to do?" Luke asked me.

I shrugged helplessly at that. "I don't know." Without looking at him, I reached out to clasp his hand gently. "I'm sorry about Annabeth."

He swallowed loudly. "I am too," he muttered gruffly. 

We were quiet after that, and I pretended I didn't see the tears trickling down his face as he stared wistfully at Thalia's pine tree. I pulled him into a hug and though he was still very much so holding me up, in that moment, I was his lifeline.

We stayed like that until we went to bed at curfew. As we entered my cabin that night, I felt the pressure settle itself around my shoulders like I was suddenly carrying the weight of the world on them. A child of the Big Three would save or destroy the world. And I was the only open candidate for the position.

*    *    *

previous | next

SERIES M.LIST | MAIN M.LIST | TIPS

[avengers-age-of-fanfics]

just for you, honeybee (6/?)

pairing: steve rogers x reader (platonic), natasha romanoff x reader (platonic), bruce banner x reader (y/n is a big fan of his), tony stark x reader, bucky barnes x reader

warnings: mention of bucky, fighting, training, mention of guns, takes place during The Avengers

words: 3,359

a/n: part 6! i honestly don't know how long this series will be, but i think i may end it at either endgame or TFATWS. so basically going through all the movies lmao, but skipping over a few. i just want honeybee and bucky to be happy but gotta add some angst.

Transitioning into a new world, the year of 2011, was no easy feat, and you appreciated Director Fury being somewhat patient and honest about how much has changed. Him, and apparently one of your biggest ‘fans,’ Phil Coulson, have been the most helpful with your adjustment, teaching you all about the new technology and supplying you with a new phone, courtesy of S.H.I.E.L.D.

However, along the way, were a few speedbumps. You and Steve trained consistently in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s gym, almost leaving no room for sleep or taking proper care of yourselves. You both knew it was terrible, you should be looking out for one another, but the loss and confusion overran your needs to live a normal life. However, over time, he seemed to adjust better than you, as expected. Even though Steve had only been awake a few months before you, he jumped right back into the new world.

For you and Steve, the both of you had seen Bucky a few weeks ago; you had seen Steve a few minutes ago, from the time you had woken up. To everyone else in the world, including Steve, however, that was history, a moment written in textbooks ages ago; and for Captain Rogers, that moment was months ago.

In your mind, you deserved to release your anger out on some punching bags.

It had taken Director Fury and Agent Coulson a while until they shared the news to you and Steve, that Peggy was alive. They had claimed that since they found Steve, high hopes were in store for finding you, hence saving off on telling him beforehand. Steve had immediately wanted to see her but you hesitated; what would Peggy say to the both of you? How would she react to you both being alive? No matter, Steve had begged you to come along to visit Peg and you caved, giving him some time with her before he called you in.

Peggy’s eyes lit up, “y/n, you’re alive! Sweetheart…”

You smiled, pulling up a chair next to her, “hey, Peggy. How’s the strongest woman alive doin’?”

She sighed, grasping your hand, “better…much better. Howard never stopped looking for you, the both of you. He’d be so happy to see you.”

You sucked in a breath as her eyes turned glossy, “we know, Pegs. We know.”

She held back her tears as she continued, “he had a son, Anthony; just as stubborn but smart as Howard. You’d love him.”

Steve chuckled, “sounds like a handful.”

Peggy laughed before falling into a coughing fit, turning away for a few seconds. After regaining her breath, she turned towards you and Steve, “Steve! Y/N! You – you’re both alive; you came back!”

Steve gave a sad smile as your face fell, “yeah, Peggy, we did…”

Steve’s eyes teared up, “I couldn’t leave my best girl; not when she owes me a dance.”

Over time, the visits to Peggy became too much and you needed to rest. So, with little convincing to Director Fury, you found yourself in a small cabin in Bozeman, Montana, with frequent visits by both Coulson and your new female friend, Natasha Romanoff. At first, you hated the idea of someone visiting you during your time to reflect, but once you realized that she wanted to help you train and become used to your super serum abilities, you appreciated the company.

You barely had any time to adjust to your newfound strength, among other things, and you slowly became grateful that Natasha had joined you over the course of a few months. Sure, sometimes she was so nosy and bossy, waking you up in the ungodly hours of the morning to train, but she had slowly become one of your closest friends.

Honestly, some days it felt as if you just met Natasha the day before:

You stood in Fury’s office, arms crossed, as he stood adjacent to you, Coulson awkwardly standing beside him. “Why are you sending a babysitter to a place where I am supposed to be, oh, I don’t know, relaxing? Reflecting?”

Director Fury grumbled for the umpteenth time, “because, Agent L/N, you never know when the day will come where we will need you and Rogers, along with your special abilities. You are unskilled in hand-in-hand combat, among other areas in defense, and it’d be nice to enhance our agents.”

You uncrossed your arms, still very pissed off, “I don’t want them to visit me every day. That’s my one condition. I need time, Nick; I feel like I haven’t properly…taken everything in. I just want time to myself.”

Phil spoke up beside Fury, “and we respect that, Y/N, we truly do. But we hope you also see where we are coming from. Natasha Romanoff is very skilled in her profession and understands your situation – you’re in good hands.”

“Phil, you’re making me blush,” a female monotonous voice spoke.

Whipping your head around, you were met with a beautiful redhead who definitely seemed like an Agent, someone who meant all business. You’d learn later on that was just a façade.

“I- Y/N L/N, you must be Agent Romanoff,” you said, holding out your hand.

Natasha grinned, shaking your hand in hers, “just call me Nat, Agent sounds too formal. I look forward to seeing what that super soldier serum truly did to you.”

Apparently, not too much as she continuously kicked your ass in combat.

Training with Natasha was, well, with your lack of combat, embarrassing. You had your ass handed to you so many times, it was a bit pathetic – but she always told you that you were improving. You used your heightened senses to your advantage, listening to her footsteps and figuring out what move she intended to use next. You hesitated to use your strength at first, but with continued training, you knew Nat could handle it.

With Nat, you also became very skilled in shooting handguns, rifles, the whole nine. Your aim was impeccable and target training was becoming a breeze. The thought of shooting someone terrified you at first, but when Nat reminded you that hesitation could get you killed, you understood – there was no room for mistakes.

During your stay in Montana, you kept in touch with Steve, but only through short texts. He was not thrilled with you leaving him, but he understood where you were coming from; you needed to mourn but also keep busy, careful to not fall into a dark abyss. Fury kept you updated, telling you that he had pushed himself into training continuously and visiting Peggy all he could. You knew seeing Peg was doing Steve no good whatsoever, and your heart ached...but at least he got to see his long love.

Nat had been there when Bucky’s birthday passed, holding you as you cried, unable to leave your bed the day of and a few after. She held you as you yelled at the sky for taking away the most important person in your life, leaving you so alone. She knew you had Steve, but it wasn’t the same – you needed Bucky. But she also knew by letting you cry, your emotions out of your body, you’d feel so much more at peace.

And she was right.

Natasha also told you about Howard's son, Anthony, and from what you saw on the news, that was definitely Howard's kid. Tony was arrogant, self-absorbed, but did what he thought was right. After his declaration of being Iron Man, you followed Tony all over the internet, but hearing first hand from Natasha of the man that Tony was...Howard would be proud. You wished to meet him, you did, but something pulled at your heart, telling you that Tony probably hated you for taking his dad from him, forcing Howard to become obsessed with finding you and Steve and thus, costing him his life.

Natasha told you he might see you in that light, yes, but if you ever got to know Tony, he'd warm up.

You weren’t healed and you still weren’t okay, but you were…better. You hated whatever being there was in the sky for taking your James, but you came to terms with it. But the one thing you were so resentful about was the fact that there was no body, no funeral for him.

Becca hated that, too.

You had visited her in her old age, just like Peggy, and the two of you held hands as you talked about James and Steve – your boys. She had missed you so much, just like she missed Jamie, and she understood your pain the best. She had tried to encourage a search party for him, to have some closure, but the government refused. He was gone, and they couldn’t send more men to find a disfigured body.

You hated thinking about that, what James would look like. It haunted you in your nightmares, waking you up in the wee hours of the morning, his frostbitten body staring right back at you. Phil had found you a morning after such nightmare, sitting on your porch in nothing but an oversized shirt and a blanket around your shoulders, cheeks wet with fresh tears.

You sniffled once more, wiping your nose with the back of your hand, watching as a black car parked into your dirt driveway. The car opened and Phil Coulson emerged, as expected - on time for your monthly visits. Hugging onto the blanket tighter, you shivered against the cold air, hoping Phil would just leave upon noticing your state.

He did the exact opposite.

Phil took off his jacket, resting it upon your shoulders even though you had the blanket. You sniffled, inhaling his scent, and hugged the jacket closer, feeling Phil take a seat next to you on your wooden bench.

"I always found snow to be soft, almost like a cloud, falling down upon it when James and I would make snow angels," you began. A shiver ran down your spine as you continued, "but now, I can't help but think of his body just...plopping onto the ground so roughly that he was hurting, still alive, yelling out for anyone and..."

Phil ran his hand over your head, brushing your hair back, "freezing."

You glanced to Phil, "freezing to...to death. He must've been so scared, I-"

Phil shushed you as the tears formed, "no what if's, y/n. He's safe now - that's what matters most. You're okay, and so is he."

Your bottom lip trembled as you held onto the dog tags, nodding to Phil's words, "you're right, as always."

Phil gave a tight smile, "let's go inside and heat up some milk, 'm getting tired myself." Coulson held your hand for the rest of the night.

Trying to convince yourself to get some closure, you told yourself that the next time you were in Washington D.C., you’d visit the museum and read all about Bucky, all that he had done, and see the amazed looks of citizens who saw him as a hero. Your James Barnes was a hero to so many people, including yourself, and you should be able to celebrate his goodness from when he was alive.

You were going to go the next day until Director Fury knocked on your door at 2:30 in the morning, holding a file labeled “CLASSIFIED.”

You raised an eyebrow, “couldn’t have given me this at a decent time?”

He narrowed his good eye, “it’s urgent, didn’t have time for formalities, your highness.”

With a snort, you grabbed the folder from his hands, “glad you know how to properly address me. What time do we leave?”

Fury tilted his head toward the quinjet, directing your eyes toward Steve who stood alongside Natasha, “once you get dressed, Agent. You’ll have time to look over the file in the jet.”

You weren’t sure why you got dressed so fast; seeing Steve for the first time in about 6 months, finally going on a mission, or just getting some new sense of scenery. Either way, you engulfed Steve in a hug and he laid a hand on the back of your head, “hey, honeybee.”

Your heart ached whenever he called you that, but you figured it was one of the last things he could hold onto Bucky as his dog tags laid against your chest, “hey, Stevie. So, what’s the deal?”

Reading over the file while Nat gave more information about Clint – someone else who you had grown quite close to – you grew confused. You looked to Steve, “the Tesseract. That’s the blue cube that…disintegrated Schmidt, right?”

Steve nodded, “looks like Howard recovered it and it’s been in S.H.I.E.L.D.’s hands since, but this guy, Loki, wants something to do with it – Hydra’s secret weapon.”

Fury spoke up from the front of the jet, “that scepter he has, it controls the minds of anyone it touches, including one of my sharpest agents. The Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy – that’s something the world sorely needs. Falls into the wrong hands, well…”

You shook your head, “you shoulda left it in the ocean.”

Silence overtook the quinjet until Phil came over to your seat, sitting beside you, “I’d like you to come along to recruit another member, if you don’t mind.”

You gave a small smile to Phil, “um, yeah, that’s fine. Where we goin’ and who are we recruiting, Coulson?”

Phil seemed a bit nervous as he spared a glance to Nat, who nodded her head, “Tony Stark, Iron Man.”

You sucked in a breath, “Howard’s son? You want me to come along?”

Phil laid his own hand upon yours that rested in your lap, file forgotten about, “I do, and I hope you wouldn’t mind tagging along.”

Holding back your tears, you nodded, “yeah, yeah, I’ll come. When do we leave?”

“Once we land in D.C., we’ll take a quick trip to New York. Easy car ride.”

You squinted your eyes, “isn’t that like, a 6-hour drive?”

Phil gave an uneasy smile, “not with me driving, we’ll be there in 2.”

You chuckled, “as long as I get there alive, I don’t really care how we get there.”

In all honesty, the drive to Stark Tower was relatively calm, save for swerving through traffic and going way too fast for your liking. Once you arrived, you and Phil talked to the impressive AI named JARVIS who told you both that he was informing Mr. Stark of your arrival.

“Impressive Artificial Intelligence,” you whispered to Phil, “definitely Howard's kid.”

Phil was about to respond until JARVIS spoke up, “Mr. Stark is not in, Agent Coulson.”

Your friend pursed his lips together, “please tell Tony that this is urgent and we need to speak. Now.”

Very quickly, Tony ignored your calls until Phil hacked into the system, overriding JARVIS and his protocols. Phil spoke into the phone, pulling you inside the elevator, “Mr. Stark, we need to talk.”

Tony sighed on the other line, “you have reached the life model decoy of Tony Stark. Please leave a message.”

Phil rolled his eyes, causing you to let out a snort, along with Pepper Potts on the other line, “this is urgent, Tony.”

You and Phil stood in the elevator, about to reach his floor as Tony responded, “then leave it urgently.” Right on cue, the elevator doors opened and Tony held up his glass of champagne, “security breach, it’s on you.”

Tony’s eyes glanced over your figure as you stood beside Phil, Pepper getting up from the floor to greet him, “Phil! Come in. I’m sorry, I don’t think we’ve met yet, Miss?”

You smiled at Pepper, meeting her halfway and shaking her hand, “Agent Y/N L/N, Miss Potts.”

Tony stood beside Pepper, “the infamous Miss America, Cap’s sidekick. How’s S.H.I.E.L.D. treating you? Always annoying you with something, barging in without your knowledge, telling you that you've been asleep for 70 years?”

Phil spoke for you, “I’m afraid we can’t stay. We need you to look this over as soon as possible.”

Tony shook his head, “I don’t like being handed things.”

You let out a chuckle as Pepper took the folder, “that’s fine, because I love to be handed things. So, let’s trade.” With a quick switch of hands, Pepper gave Tony the folder as she handed Phil the glass of champagne, “thank you. Anything for you, Y/N?”

You shook your head, “no thank you, Miss Potts.”

You took a moment to look Tony over. Peggy was not kidding – he looked exactly like Howard, and certainly acted like him, too. They had the same eyes, the same face, and the same attitude; it was almost like looking at a clone of Howard. Your eyes filled with unshed tears but you pushed them back, taking a small breath as Phil continued, “this is not a consultation.”

Pepper’s eyes grew wide, “is this about the Avengers? Which I know nothing about.” She looked guilty once the words slipped.

Tony sighed as he walked away, opening up the folder and looking through it quickly, “the Avengers initiative was scrapped, I thought – and I didn’t even qualify.”

Pepper shrugged, “I didn’t know that, either.”

Tony continued, “apparently I’m volatile, self-obsessed, don’t play well with others.”

You mumbled, “kind of like Howard.” Tony pointed his finger towards you as he nodded, “and she speaks of him!”

Pepper nodded her head, “that I did know,” ignoring his comment towards you.

Phil shifted his weight, “this isn’t about personality profiles anymore.”

Tony grunted, “whatever. Ms. Potts, got a second?”

As the two were talking, screens were lit up of you, Steve, and others fighting, and you stumbled back with a slight gasp, still new to the whole holographic stuff of technology. Phil turned towards you, asking you if you were okay with a look, and you nodded. Pepper looked towards you both and back to Tony, whispering, “maybe while working on this, you can get to know her. Get to know your dad. I’ll take the jet to D.C. tonight. You have homework – a lot of homework.”

The two kissed before Pepper headed your way, “so, any chance you two are driving by LaGuardia?”

Phil nodded, “I can drop you.” Pepper smiled, “fantastic!”

The two began to walk towards the elevator as you looked on at Tony who held a holographic Tesseract in his hand. In that moment, your brain convinced yourself that was Howard, your Howie.

Tony turned towards you, “you joining them or you just gonna stare?”

You took a step back, a frown on your face as you mumbled an apology, meeting Pepper and Phil in the elevator. Pepper turned your way as the doors closed, “I’m sorry about him. When it comes to his dad and you, he gets a bit…”

You finished her sentence, “jealous. He missed out on a lot and I can imagine Howard spent too much time talking about me or Steve instead of him. I understand.”

Pepper gave a tight smile.

In a few short hours, you, Phil, Steve, and a few other S.H.I.E.L.D agents were on your way to the helicarrier, something that only a few of you knew about. You sat next to Steve, looking over Dr. Bruce Banner’s files, examining videos of him as Hulk, and how he was trying to recreate the super soldier serum. You had known about Dr. Banner and honestly, had become one of his fans – when he was in his human form, of course. His works on nuclear physics and gamma radiation greatly interested you and upon reading many of his published articles, you had completely forgotten about his condition. Having the opportunity to meet him in person was certainly one of your dreams and you just knew Bucky was making fun of you for being such a dork.

Phil stood up from his seat, walking towards you and Steve, leaning above you both. Steve looked to Phil, “this Dr. Banner was trying to replicate the serum they used on me?”

Phil nodded, “after Howard Stark’s death in 1991, Dr. Banner made it his mission to replicate it. A lot of people were. You – you both – were the world’s first superheroes. Banner thought gamma radiation might hold the key to unlocking Erskine’s original formula.”

Steve looked uneasy, “didn’t really go his way, did it?”

Phil shifted his weight as he looked towards you, then to Steve, “not so much. When he’s not that thing, though,” you interrupted him with a glare, “sorry, the Hulk, the guy’s like a Stephen Hawking.”

Steve looked to you, confusion written on his face. You shrugged, “a really smart person.”

Silence enveloped the three of you until you nodded to Phil, urging him to continue. Phil seemed all giddy, “I gotta say, it’s an honor to meet you officially. I’ve sort of met you, I mean, I watched you while you were sleeping.”

You snorted as Steve nervously smiled at Phil, covering your face as he continued, “I mean, I was present while you were unconscious from the ice.” Steve stood up as you continued laughing, making his way to the front of the jet, “you know, it’s just a huge honor to have you on board this.”

You followed Phil, clapping him on the back as Steve overlooked the ocean, “thank you for that, Phil, truly.”

Steve elbowed you as he mumbled, “I hope we’re the people for the job.”

Phil’s eyes lit up, “oh, you are – you both are, absolutely! We, uh, made some modifications to your suits, by the way.”

You glanced towards Phil – now this was what you missed.

-

honeybee taglist:

@clownerlyluv

@ginger-swag-rapunzel

@starkleila

@intothesoul

[giorno-plays-piano]

You were all I wanted Part 4

Pairing: mob!Peter Parker x plus-sized!Reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, swearing, human trafficking, allusion to dubcon, minor character’s death.

Words: 3309.

Summary: You are bought by the head of Stark crime family for a kid he cares about.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

P.S. Peter is an adult!

_____________

That night he was restless.

It had already been a month since you left the auction in Peter's car and started living in Stark's Tower. The evening when the boy shot a drug addict on the street was forever imprinted on your memory.

Apart from that, things were quite simple. Each morning you were waking up in the same bed as him, having breakfast together, and then staying alone in the room while Peter was gone to do whatever Mr. Stark wanted him to. Sometimes the kid wouldn't leave at all, sometimes he'd come late and drenched in someone else's blood. You helped him shower and clean his wounds if he had any. Well, miraculously, for the past month Peter didn't need stitches or anything of that kind. But you knew he wasn't always that lucky - his back and chest were covered in ugly scars, his wrists bore strange circular shape marks. The only reason you hadn't seen them the first night was because you were so terribly drunk.

The boy whined softly in his sleep, and you tried to shush him. Today he returned beaten up, anxious, and exhausted. He and Rhodes were hunting down someone from the gang who had gone completely mad, but Peter refused giving you any details. You suspected something really terrible had happened since the boy was hard to frighten.

And now he was crying, tossing and turning in  bed. It was the first time you saw him like that.

"Peter, Peter wake up." You whispered, gently touching his shoulders. "Please."

It took you a few long moments before he had finally opened his eyes and stared at you, his breathing ragged, erratic.

"It's you. It's you." He mumbled, and you saw tears streaming down his face to the pillow beneath his head.

"Yes, it's me." You cooed at him and wiped the wet tracks with your hand, leaning down to kiss him in the forehead. "You're safe."

"Please, please don't go." The fear in his eyes made you stop as Peter gripped your hand in trembling his. "I'm not safe. I'm never safe."

What kind of nightmare was haunting him, making him shake so badly? He looked so scared, so vulnerable and defenseless, tearing up like a little kid. You had never thought you could pity a mobster, but you were wrong - you felt sorry for him.

Shifting on the bed that way that Peter's head came to rest against your chest, you buried your fingers in his disheveled hair and started caressing his head.

"You're safe with me, Peter." You whispered reassuringly, and he snuggled closer to you, throwing his hands against your body. "I'm staying with you. Come here, sweetheart."

He tried to nuzzle against your soft body so close as if he wanted to become a part of you quite literally. Peter let out a heavy sigh, and you felt the skin on your chest burning.

You spent a few more minutes in complete silence of the room, listening to each other's soft breathing. Although you had no intention of moving away from him, Peter clung to you as if his life depended on it. You were curious what he had seen in that nightmare of his, but you didn't say a word, knowing he needed time.

"It's so scary to be alone in the dark." Peter suddenly said, his grip in you getting a little tigther. "I need you to walk with me."

You blinked, unsure of what to say. Didn't he choose the darkness himself? Didn't he get accustomed to all the things he was doing? You remembered him killing that guy on the street without any regret. You were pretty sure Peter didn't feel anything. Were you wrong?

"If I came with you... Would you leave me there by myself after that? I'm scared of the dark, too."

He had finally let go of you upon hearing your words and gave you a bit of space, looking at your face intently.

"No, I wouldn't. I'm not Mr. Stark."

At first, you thought he was talking about Tony and his relationships with women, but then the realization hit you: Peter was referring to himself. It was him who was left alone. Despite you thinking he was very close to his patron - for God's sake, the man bought you as a present for the kid - things were rather different in reality. Maybe Mr. Stark treated Peter like a toy, too. Yes, the boy, surprisingly, had some authority in the gang as he was considered Rhodes equal, but maybe Peter didn't want that, or not only that. Maybe he wanted to be taken care of, to be shown some kindness for the things he was doing for his boss. It felt ridiculous suggesting that, but Peter's still wet face made you think that it could really be true.

"Do you know what are these?" Suddenly, the boy lifted his hand and showed you the marks on his wrist. When you squinted and shook your head, he smiled. "These are cigarette burns. I got them the first week Mr. Stark sent me to school here. I was twelve."

"Did he burn you?" Your gawked at his skin, shivers running down your spine.

"No, he didn't. The guys at school did. I hid it from Mr. Stark, but soon they crushed my head against the sink and I ran away bleeding." He chuckled at your horrified expression. "I thought Mr. Stark would come talk to the teachers or sent his guys, but instead he gave me a gun and said I had to earn my place in the gang. So I went to school with a gun in my backpack and shot one of the guys who bullied me."

You stared at him, hoping it was all about his very dark sense of humor - he had to be joking. Even though you knew what man Tony Stark was, how savage did he had to be to give a firearm to the twelve-year-old child who was bullied?

"Of course, Mr. Stark made it so the other kid was charged with the murder while I just walked away. After one month, I felt so guilty for what I've done that I attempted to end my own life by taking a whole a pack of sedatives."

When he brushed his hand against your cheek you realized you were crying at his words.

Sniffing, you brought his hand closer to you and lowered your lips to his wrist, kissing the marks on his skin. Peter's eyes went wide, but he didn't say a word at your gesture, and you touched each and every burn with your chapped lips while he watched you. Did it bring him any comfort? You hoped it did, because no words could describe how you felt once he finished talking.

No wonder you were the closest to a friend he had ever had. He wanted to have someone by his side so desperately.

"I will never do something like that to you." He whispered ever so gently, not smiling anymore. "Even if you're going to hate me or run from me... But please, please don't run. I need you. You don't understand, but I need you so much."

Slowly, you started kissing his fingers one by one, watching his eyelashes tremble. For some reason, you felt grateful for his sincerity as if it changed something. He was the only man to ever need you - and need you so desperately he was literally begging you to stay with him. It was stupid believing the one who held you captive here, but you still did.

You wanted him to need you more.

"I want to make love to you." He murmured, and one of his fingers touched your lower lip. "Can I? Please, Baby."

"What, now?" To say you were surprised would be an understatement. "But y-"

"Please." He breathed, and his finger slipped past your soft lips, forcing you to lick it, swirling it around your wet little tongue. "I wanna fuck your ass. You don't mind, do you? You took the toys so good yesterday."

You rolled you eyes at him, but obeyed, nonetheless, sucking his finger deeper into your mouth as if it were his cock. Well, you did like it when he kept playing with your ass the whole week.

"You're so good to me." His other arm was already lowering your pyjamas pants as Peter squeezed one of your buttocks, and then his fingers found your little tight hole. "I love you so much."

You grunted in response, feeling how he massaged the entrance with his fingertips, equally aroused and scared at his excitement.

_______________

One more month had passed. You were finally allowed to go out of your room all by yourself as members of the gang were assured you were completely harmless. The thought of coming back to your family had always lingered at the back of your mind, but you always pushed it away, knowing you might as well just go and shoot people you loved by yourself. Now you had seen what Mr. Stark was doing with traitors with your own eyes and you would never want to risk being in the same position.

Peter still treasured you. He had become way more creative in bed comparing with your first handful of weeks, but not that you could complain since giving you pleasure was among things he cared about the most. Besides, your relationship got even better as now he was slowly opening up to you about both his past and present. You no longer dreaded coming with him somewhere. The only thing that bothered you was a feeling that, somehow, Peter got even clingier, but you brushed it off. There could be nothing bad in his growing affection to you.

That day you were coming back from the communal kitchen - thankfully, most of the gang members didn't use it much as it was reserved for their women. The ones who came to cook there were more or less decent, so you weren't worried being close to them. Besides, the boy also gave you one of his guns. Just in case, he said.

Carefully opening the door to your room, you balanced with a heavy plate of chocolate chip cookies in the other hand and stepped inside. Instead of Peter you found Tony Stark sitting on the chair in his breathtakingly beautiful white suit. You held your breath and stilled, unsure of what to do. You had never faced Mr. Stark all by yourself. Were you even allowed to be here now? He clearly needed Peter, not you.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir, I'll return la-"

"It's quite alright, Y/N, come."

He remembered your name, really? It got you alerted.

You hesitantly closed the door, but didn't turn the key, leaving the plate on the top of the microwave standing on the side table. Did you have to offer the man your cookies? Would he be offended by that?

"I apologize, I didn't know you were coming, sir." You said softly, clenching the fabric of your simple cream-colored dress. "I'm sure Peter is going to return shortly... Um, w-would you like to have some cookies, sir?"

"Yes, please." He answered simply, and you brought him the plate immediately, feeling being something between a hostage and a servant to the crime boss. "Mm, not bad. My mother used to bake them, too."

"I'm glad you like it, sir."

You didn't know where to put yourself, knowing he watches you. Except for a chair near Peter's table and his bed there was nowhere to sit, but placing yourself on the top of the bed while there was a man in your room seemed to you absolutely indecent, so you awkwardly leaned on the wall. You prayed for Peter to come back soon, unsure of how you should behave with the most dangerous man you had ever known in the room.

He smirked at you, finally lifting his fancy sunglasses and hiding them in the pocket of his suit.

"I see you settled in nicely here. Do you enjoy living with the kid?"

You shivered, looking at his handsome face and nodding to him.

"Yes, sir, I do."

"Huh, is it Peter's gun you have there? Did he give it to you?" Tony pointed at the holster strapped to your belt - you knew it looked ridiculous, yet it was better to look ridiculous but have something to protect yourself, giving that you were living inside Stark's Tower. "Let me have a look."

"Of course, sir."

You didn't like taking the gun and giving it to the man, knowing perfectly he could shoot you right here and right now. You still remembered that perfectly innocent woman he murdered because she wanted to flee as well as all those ones he got rid of before her.

You did your best to look humble. In the end, you belonged to Peter, didn't you? He said many times that Mr. Stark wasn't taking back the gifts he'd made. If Peter was alright with you living here...

"I see he takes good care of you, dear. You look positively glowing." Tony had that odd smile on his face while looking at you.

"Yes, sir, he does. He's a very good man." You lowered your gaze to your shoes as blush spreaded across your cheeks. Although all this was definitely wrong, you still have very warm feelings towards Peter. Living with vultures for so many years, he was still able to treat someone with kindness.

You didn't see a subtle flash of anger on Tony's face, but he gathered himself rather quickly. Actually, he didn't come here for Peter. He sent him away to have a few moments with you instead.

It was true you were radiant when he was watching you from a far. What was the kid doing to keep you so happy? Did he give you pretty dresses? Jewelry? A car? Anything else? Tony made way more expensive gifts to his girls, but they were never satisfied, nonetheless. It seemed he was choosing some rotten whores over decent women over and over again despite all his efforts, but Peter got lucky with his first girl. Tony was almost ready to admit he was jealous.

So why were you special? He couldn't explain it with words, yet looking at your warm smile every time you saw Peter the man knew why his kid was so eager to return home every evening. Tony wanted to have this feeling, too.

"I could give you more than he does." The man said, and you choked on air, staring at him like a rabbit in front of a snake. "Peter's a sweet kid, but he's so inexperienced, you know. He has no clue what to do with a woman. I bet he doesn't even bring you to nice places or make you gifts, does he?"

Your heart was beating so fast you felt like it could stop any second. It wasn't good, oh shit it wasn't good for you. You had no idea how a man who was able to force the most beautiful women of the planet to attend to him could ever look at you, someone who wasn't even considered pretty by most people. Was it just because he wanted to see you suffer? Because he couldn't handle looking at a woman who was happy?

"But I already belong to Peter, sir. I am your gift to him." You smiled nervously, trying to be polite. "How do I dare to change my master?"

"Nah, the kid won't mind. I'll give him another girl, I promise." The man winked at you, and you realized he wasn't letting you go regardless of what you'd tell him.

You needed to run.

Before you reached the door he was on your back, grasping your hands in his and chuckling smugly. His other palm was already lifting the hem of your dress.

"Huh, you're not so submissive as you look. I like that." He whispered above your ear, grinding his hips against your ass.

"No, please, sir! I'm not good! I'm not good for you!"

He threw you on the bed you shared with Peter and took of his white suit jacket, watching you crawl away and smiling at your pathetic attempt to run from him. What a sweet little girl you were, he thought. You wanted to be loyal to someone like Peter when you had him offering you to take the place of his woman.

Before coming closer to bed he was taking off his pants, and you readied yourself to scream as loud as you could. Maybe Tony had your gun, but you had to do something. Maybe someone would come before the damage was done.

Who were you kidding? No one would come to protect you against the head of a crime family.

"Now be a good g-"

Before Tony finished the sentence you heard the lound crack of the door opening and then the sound of a gun. Although you intended to scream just a second ago, now you were silent, staring at the quickly growing bloodstain on his expensive white shirt. You suddenly remembered the drug dealer who died exactly like that.

Peter was standing in the doorway with his gun pointed at his own patron, and then he fired one more time. And one more. He seemed to calm down only when Tony fell on the bed, staining it's cover with his crimson blood. Once the boy looked up, you saw his hollow eyes as if he weren't even conscious.

"Peter." You muttered, your eyes full of tears. "He... Oh God."

He saved you. The boy shot that sick bastard before he could lay his dirty hands on you, but you weren't relieved. He killed Mr. Stark, the one who took him into the family and gave him roof above his head. Tony's people would tear Peter apart for his silly attempt to save you.

When he lowered his gun, you left the bed and came closer to him on shaky legs, swallowing your salty tears.

"Peter, you need to run. They'll kill you."

He reached out to your face and stroked your lower lip in awe. Apparently, he was as shocked with his own actions as you were, you thought, your eyes bleary with all those tears.

"Peter, please, you need to run. Leave me here, I'll be... a deadweight."

Before you could finish he had ushered you to come closer, pressing you against him and putting a hand on the top of your head like a parent to a crying child. His eyes were still hollow.

"Mr. Stark thought he could take whatever he wanted, but he was wrong." The boy whispered, and you cried out quietly at his words. "He thought you'd say yes, and I won't object, hahah."

"Peter, p-please. If you won't go..."

"Why should I go, Baby?" He left a tender kiss on your forehead, his tone of voice strangely calm, but frightening. "We can run Stark's family without a Stark in it, can't we, Rhodey?"

Amazed, you glanced straight ahead of you and saw heavy armed people waiting behind Peter's skinny figure. You recognized many of them as part of Peter's and Rhodes' team, but there were Tony's bodyguards and some other men you had never seen before. They stayed still, their eyes on the two of you and Stark's dead body laying on your bed. For some reason, no one aimed their guns at you. They just stood their and did nothing at all.

"No one's taking you away." Peter's voice turned sweet as he dropped his gun to the floor and his other hand rested on your back. "And I'm not going anywhere. You're my girl, Baby, and you gotta stay whatever happens."

THE END

______________

Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki @helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @hurricanerin @void-hoechlin @abyssaint @msruchita @opheliadawnwalker3 @ifntelyinspirit

[mightyavngrs]

i guess we both made mistakes | brandon darrow x reader

summary: after finding out brandon was the one behind the snake mask y/n is set on staying away from him for as long as she can. when his safety is compromised, though, she can't help but put the feeling of betrayal aside

masterlist

Brandon Darrow and you had been best friends once upon time, that is until he became popular and ditched you for his new asshole friends. You hadn't talked to him in years until this whole situation started and when you found yourself getting closer to him again while looking for clues on king cobra's real identity, you couldn't help but feel a little happy to somewhat be mending your relationship with Brandon. You really felt like the two of you were finally okay again until Rowan broke the news to you.

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

You were in Hailey's car as the blonde drove you two to pick Rowan up from the zoo party where the girl had went to try and find out who hid behind the snake mask but when she got in the car, an apologetic look in her face, you couldn't help but freeze.

"What happened, Ro? Who is he?" you'd asked the girl, basically begging for good news, only to be met by her sad eyes.

"I'm sorry y/n/n. It was Brandon."

And suddenly you felt like you couldn't breathe, tears starting to sting your eyes as you tried to remain calm not to worry your friends any more.

"No. It can't be." you managed to mutter between trembling lips.

"I'm so sorry y/n. I know you two were getting closer again." Rowan said taking your hand in hers giving it a comforting squeeze.

"He was so gentle to me, Ro. How could he? How could he do this?" your sadness was being replaced by anger and betrayal. Brandon had been there for you during the past few weeks, comforting you when you needed it most, and even going as far as kissing you on the rooftop of his house. Had it all just been some manipulative way to trick you into not questioning his innocence? Was that all you were to him? A piece in his stupid game? You felt sick to your stomach.

Hailey dropped you off at your house after you guys' visit to the hospital to check up on Ash, who'd been in surgery for being shot. Rowan had stayed with Elisia to keep her company but you weren't sure you could keep it together any longer and so had asked Hailey to drive you home.

As you closed the front door behind you, seconds away from finally running to your bed and letting all the build up hurt go through the tears you'd been holding back the whole night, you heard your phone in your pocket. Picking up the device, already imagining what other terrible news or threats you were about to find, your heart stopped at the texts glowing in your screen.

from: rowan

STINGER JUST TEXTED ME

from: rowan

HE GOT A PING ON DUNBAR'S PHONE

from: rowan

IT'S AT YOUR HOUSE

You looked around, trying to type out a reply as you moved towards your bedroom.

to: rowan

are you su-

"Y/n?"

You froze in your spot once you recognized the voice, accidentally sending your text half-finished. Forcing your body around you were met by Brandon Darrow's eyes.

"Get out." you warned holding up your phone in a threat to call 9-1-1.

"Just listen to me." Brandon pleaded taking a step towards you.

You were quick to step back running into your bathroom, Brandon tried to catch your wrist to get you to stop but only managed to knock your phone out of your hands. Before he could reach you you had already locked yourself inside the bathroom.

"Please just let me explain myself, y/n." he pleaded, wiggling the door handle.

"You're trying to kill us!"

"No i'm not! C'mon y/n/n please just listen to me!"

"Don't lie to me! Rowan saw you wearing the mask!" you screamed back at him once again before letting yourself slide down the door to sit on the floor.

"Just listen to me okay? A couple of years ago i logged onto the zoo website to talk shit about my dad, and i met monkey man." Brandon began to explain. "We bonded over our shitty dads and i gave him advice about his bullies." he continued before your smack on the door interrupted him.

"God, you're a liar!" you shouted trying to keep your tears away for the second time that night.

"No i'm not! I thought it was all your fault. I found Dunbar's phone at Nicki's party. I was going to get my bags back before the cops came and... look i was so pissed off because i thought it was all your fault he killed himself, okay? That's why i took his phone, and i sent you that message about the blood balloon."

"God, you're an asshole." you sobbed, covering your mouth with your hand.

"I felt so guilty, okay?" Brandon said. "That's why, when I got the phone, I logged onto MonkeyMan's account. I told them all that we should make you suffer; that we should make you pay. We came up with this stupid hunting idea. When Hailey got out, I texted you all. But when I saw Hailey's face after her audition, I felt so guilty, because I was just trying to make things better, and she was so scared and all I do is make things worse... Y/n i tried to tell them to stop online, you have to believe me, i did, but King Cobra... he was telling them to do really bad things to you. I tried to make it better. I tried to stop everyone, but it was too late."

"You were wearing that fucking mask, Brandon." you said. "Rowan saw you."

"It was a trick," Brandon insisted. "I wanted to find out who he was. Y/n, I started it, but I... I can't stop it." Brandon said, his voice shaking.

"I should've stayed away from you," you cried out, resting your forehead against the door. "Everyone warned me about you and how i shouldn't trust you, but you seemed like you'd changed. You seemed like my Brandon again, my best friend. I should've known it was too good to be true." you stated, a sob leaving your body.

"I'm sorry." Brandon whispered from the other side of the door before finally leaving you.

The next time you heard from him it was through Rowan. The brunette had called you a few hours after your fight with the boy, letting you know that he'd been arrested by the police.

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

Weeks had gone by and Brandon had finally been freed. You'd made a promise to yourself that you wouldn't go anywhere near him ever again, and you'd been successful at the task, that is if you count crying yourself to sleep over how much you missed him multiple nights a week as successful. It'd been hard to keep him away from you though. He'd called multiple times and even knocked at your door a handful of times. Rowan had insisted that you talked to him, but you always refused. The brunette, though, kept in contact with Brandon through her recently acquired step-brother, Trevor, who'd pressured her into looking after you for his best friend's sake.

One day as you got home from The Brew coffee shop, you received a text.

you better take a closer look at your boyfriend's little investigation before he gets hurt.

You felt a breath catch in your throat as you read the message, a picture of you and Brandon taken weeks ago attached. No, it should be bluff, Rowan had been keeping you updated on what Brandon was up to and she hadn't talked about any investigating. You hated that you still cared about his wellbeing but you couldn't just make your feelings disappear. Eventually you decided to lock your phone and move on with your life. A few hours later you received another text. You looked in horror as a video of Brandon tied up in a car with tape over his mouth filled your screen. look what i found. the text read. i warned you, bitch. now he pays.

You struggled to find your car keys, ready to leave for Stinger's place, when your phone started ringing and you swore you'd never accepted a call so quickly in your life. It was Rowan.

"We got the video too. Stinger has the location. Trevor is on his way to pick you up." Quickly thanking your friend you made your way out of the house just as the car pulled over, taking no time into getting on the passenger seat.

Once you got to the location you pushed your way through your friends before coming to a stop. On the wall of what you recognized as a freezer was some code: MrMT 113634 and right below it the words open me. You reached for the handle but the door didn't budge. "Shit" you muttered under your breath before picking up a broken brick from the ground and hitting the lock with it. After a few hits the door opened and you and your friends took no time into entering the freezer despite the cold. You pulled your jacket, (Brandon's jacket, you were yet to notice) tighter around your body as you looked around in disgust at all the animal corpses that filled the container. You finally pointed your lantern down to the floor, trying to avoid the carcasses that'd surely plague your nightmares later that night, when you spotted a shoe. Lifting your eyes from the ground your jaw dropped as you laid your eyes on an unconscious Brandon. His wrists were tied by a thick rope, his skin paler than you'd ever seen it and his lips almost just as blue as you remembered his eyes to be. You dropped to your knees before the boy as you screamed for help from your friends. You could tell Brandon was alive but you weren't sure if he'd stay that way for much longer if you didn't get him out soon enough. With the boys' help, Brandon was placed in the backseat of Trevor's car where you joined him shortly, carefully pulling the boy's freezing t-shirt over his head to replace it with your, well his jacket. You layed his head on your lap running your fingers through his icy hair. "You'll be okay, i'm right here." you told him, not bothering to keep your tears from falling when suddenly Brandon's eyes fluttered open, a relieved sigh leaving your body. He looked up at you, lifting up his hand to cup your cheek. "Don't cry, baby. You saved me." He said with a sad smile before starting to close his eyes again. "No, B, don't fall asleep on me, not now." you told him, grabbing his hand with yours before placing a kiss on its back. "Please stay with me, we're almost home." The boy in your lap opened his eyes again and you could tell it was hard for him to do so. "You're doing so good, love. Just hang in there." you pleaded, your voice trembling with fear.

It felt like it'd been hours when you finally goby to Stinger's. Once inside it was like your body was moving on its own as you went looking for blankets while the other girls went to make some tea and the boys placed Brandon on the couch. You crawled in the sofa next to him, wrapping him in the covers you'd found as he rested his head on your shoulder. You realized then that all the anger you'd felt towards him during the past weeks had dissipated the moment you saw him in that freezer.

"Are you okay?" Brandon asked noticing you drift off.

"You almost just froze to death and you're asking me if i'm ok?" you asked back letting your head fall on top of his.

Eventually Rowan and Elisia got back, handing Brandon the mug of tea. Everyone discussed the recent events until they decided to run to the train station to try and open the luggage locker. You got up from the sofa, Brandon following behind before you interrupted his movements.

"You're not going." you warned him, his mouth opening up in protest before you continued. "You almost just died, Brandon. You need to rest." the boy sighed in disappointment.

"You can stay at mine tonight. My parents aren't home. Do you think you can drop us off there on your way to the station?" you asked Trevor, receiving a nod from the boy.

"Woah, you sure you'll survive a night in my presence?" Brandon asked in a mocking tone.

"Shut up before i change my mind."

You got home not long after, moving to the kitchen to heat up some soup as Brandon took a sit on your couch. Leaving the kitchen you let your feet drag you back to the living room before handing him the bowl.

"Thanks." he muttered, starting to shove spoonfuls of the hot liquid into his mouth. Suddenly you were reminded of something quickly making your way up the stairs and into your bedroom before returning to the couch with something in your hands.

"What's that?" Brandon asked, his eyes moving to whatever you were holding behind your back as you sat down next to him, your hands moving to your lap as you revealed Fishy.

"I meant to give this back to you a while ago but then everything happened..." you began. Brandon interrupted, placing the now finished bowl down on the coffee table.

"I'm sorry." he said, his blue eyes locking with yours. "I'm so sorry i began all of this. I was just mad and i thought i was getting revenge for Dunbar but i just ended up hurting more people." You could sense the genuine guilt in his voice and your heart broke all over again. You looked down at your lap where your hands played with the stuffed animal.

"You know i tried to be mad at you, B, i really did. But at the end of the day when i got home from school all i wanted to do was curl up in bed with this stupid frog and cry. I missed you so much Brandon. I hated myself for it but i did." You confessed as the boy reached up his thumb to wipe away a tear you didn't realize was rolling down your cheek.

"I guess we both made mistakes uh?" he joked as you chuckled through watery eyes.

"Yeah i guess we did." you sighed getting up from the couch, wiping your eyes with the back of your hand. "You wanna take a shower or something? I still have one of your hoodies and my dad must have some sweatpants around."

"Yeah that'd be nice" Brandon said trying to ignore how happy he felt that you'd kept not only Fishy but also his hoodie and jacket.

"You know where the bathroom is, make yourself at home.." you said before leaving to your bedroom.

30 minutes later Brandon knocked on your door, already back from his shower.

"Okay you can sleep in my bed and i'll just sleep on the floor-" you started, already in your pajamas, before the boy interrupted you.

"No way. I'm not letting you sleep on the floor."

"Okay then i can go sleep in my parents' room..." you stated before picking up your pillow.

"Oh c'mon y/n/n i know you hate not sleeping in your room." he sighed taking a sit in your bed. "We can share the bed you know? It's not like we haven't done it before." he suggested looking up and you swore you could see a hint of hope in the blue of his eyes.

"Okay" you agreed just above a whisper as the boy began to settle in the bed. You layed down beside him, the both of you staring up at the ceiling where the glow in the dark stars you'd put up as children shone.

You took a big breath in before turning your head in his direction. "You know before i got the video of you i received a message..." Brandon turned to you encouraging you to keep going. "Mr Empty was threatening to hurt you if i didn't stop your investigation. He- I thought it was bluff cause Rowan had been giving me updates on you and she said you weren't investigating anything so i let it go. You almost got hurt because i refused to talk to you myself and i-"

"Hey it's ok." Brandon reassured you with a hand to your cheek, his thumb caressing your skin to try and get you to calm down. "You couldn't have known. Besides, you had valid reasons not to want to talk to me." he stated, a sad smile adorning his face.

"I just wish we could go back to before all of this started happening." you told him taking his hand in yours. "Before we drifted apart and when our only problem was making sure we were home on time for dinner." You smiled at the sweet memories that flooded your mind.

"It's my fault. I was the one who pushed you away and i'll never be able to apologize enough for that."

"It's ok, Brandon. I guess we both made mistakes..." you said repeating his statement from just a while ago, a sigh leaving your body. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah. Goodnight y/n/n."

"Goodnight B." you replied before turning your back to him and drifting off.

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

You opened the door to the freezer and got inside, your flashlight illuminating the way. Your feet led you through the container before you came to a stop. Before you layed a lifeless Brandon. You fell to your knees screaming for help as you pulled the boy up as well as you could, hugging his freezing body to yours, trying to somehow bring him back to life. You kept screaming for help as you cried but no one would come. You were alone.

You woke up gasping for air as tears streamed down your face. You looked to your side to try to find some comfort on the sight of an alive Brandon only to find his side of the bed empty. Panic ran through your body as you struggled to get out of bed. What if they took him again? You thought to yourself as you ran down the stairs. What if he's really dead?

Reaching the end of the staircase you came to a stop as you locked eyes with a confused Brandon putting a cup of water down. Without thinking twice you threw yourself into the boy's arms, holding his body tightly against yours.

"Woah what happened?" he asked, concern filling his voice, as he hugged you back with just as much need.

"I had a nightmare and you were dead and then i woke up and you were gone and i thought... i thought..." you struggled to finish through broken sobs.

"It's ok. I'm right here, I'm ok. You saved me, remember?" he reassured you pressing a kiss to your head, but noticing you hyperventilating he held your face in his hands pulling you away just enough to rest his forehead against yours. "Hey, i'm safe y/n but i need you to breathe for me ok? Just take a deep breath." you did as he said breathing in slowly before breathing out. "Yeah just like that, baby. In and out." he kept reminding you until you finally started breathing normally again. He hugged you again muttering into your hair a low "Let's go to bed okay?" before leading you back to your bedroom. You layed down in your bed, resting your head on Brandon's chest. "Is this ok?" you whispered looking up to meet his eyes. "Yeah." he replied with a smile holding you tighter against him.

That night you both slept better than you'd slept in years. Brandon happy to finally have you in his arms again and you listening to his heartbeat, the steady rhythm a constant reminder that the boy you loved was safe and sound.

-

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-

-

a/n: this is my longest fic yet so please be gentle with me :') i'm not expecting a lot of people to read this at all, since the show isn't popular, but i figured this would be put to better use on my tumblr than forgotten on my notes app. so if this flops look away haha anyways for anyone who read: i truly hope you enjoyed. thank you for reading and treat people with kindness <3

[between-two-fandoms]

Who We Used To Be (Ray/Rose/Trevor)

As told by myself and @thesevenumbrellas tag teaming the whump in the 18+ JatP discord. Sev I swear we operate on the same braincell levels, we do be clowning. @bobbywilsonsupremacy  let us know what you think of this! I know you and I both hardcore ship Raybse.

Cover was created by @thesevenumbrellas​. Please don’t steal it.

This post got long so fair warning.

We wrote this in a discord server over the time span of hours so there’s some mistakes but i’m too lazy to go back and fix it all. Basically we tag teamed on a Raybse Trevor Wilson-centric whump story and can destroy a fandom with a single touch.

You’ll understand once you click the cut.

Don’t Steal Our Writing (but please reblog this to spread it around).

Trauma Time.

major whump warning

(Ren) Okay so if we're gonna be starting at 90's ot3 my children ray/bobby/Rose know that Ray is a panic bi and loves both of these humans very much with his whole ass heart.

(Ren) He takes pictures of his girlfriend and boyfriend while they’re on dates because he wants to capture the moments he was happy the most. Bobby always shed away from the camera burying his face in Rose's shoulder or leaning in for a kiss. Anyways as time goes by Ray notices Bobby's change in behavior. From being his go-happy-trauma boyf to being caught up in the music scene, often out at all hours to parties and label meetings only to come to to sleep on the couch, not even sharing the bed like he used to. It reminds Ray of the time when Bobby was grieving his boys. Ray hates it, but he loves bobby so he pushes his feelings aside to try and arrange more dates for the three of them to go on together.

(Sev) Ray waking up to only Rose in the bed and not Bobby, and it feels too cold in bed without him. So he'll try to call him, because it's 3am and he's supposed to be home and he's not. And Ray remembers what happened to Bobby's bandmates, and he can't admit it out loud but he's worried. Because what if that happens to Bobby? He knows it was a freak accident! What are the odds of it happening again?? But he can't shake that feeling when Bobby doesn't come home at night and Ray stays up all night worrying. Anyway he tries to call Bobby and Bobby doesn't answer. He'll leave loads of voicemails, trying not to be pushy because he knows Bobby doesn't respond well to that. But he's worried. He'll say "hey please call me when you get this." and then ten minutes later try again "hey just text me that you're safe okay?" He can't sleep because Bobby still isn't home. It's 5am. He has to go to work in two hours. Rose keeps telling him to go to bed but he can't.[2:58 PM]Bobby finally texts back. "I'm okay! Was playing with some friends, the gig went over time and then we went to  party." Ray wants to be angry because seriously? No phone calls because he was at a party? But he knows that'll just push Bobby away more!

(Ren) And so Ray has all of these festering emotions that boil down to worry and concern at the core but he's just so scared hes losing Bobby cause he never really had his own family to begin with and then one day when Ray comes home early from a photoshoot he can hear Bobby and Rose fighting over Bobby signing the contract that says he wrote Luke's songs but Ray just hears yelling before he even opens the door with his name thrown into the mix and then he gets even more scared because what if he loses Rose and Bobby? if he lost both of them he'd be destroyed. So he doesnt knock. He doesnt go home. Instead he walks around the city until he was supposed to go home originally and he opens the door and there's a sort of eerie silence in the air.

(Sev) Trevor’s unable to shake the feeling that something terrible will happen to Rose and Ray because he's with them. His entire family were killed in 1 night because he wasn't there with them. So at first he's clingy as fuck to Rose and Ray because what if something bad happens when he's not there? What if what if what if... But as time goes on the thinking flips. Maybe it's the music industry that's the problem. It's these weird connections in his head of if he's too successful, bad things might happen. But he can't quit music like that, he can't give up on Luke's dream. He owes his boys to become successful. So instead he distances himself from Rose and Ray. That way they won't be caught up in whatever bad thing is going to happen to him. He distances himself and he waits for it all to drop. He waits for the universe to punish him again.

(Ren) And the universe punishes Bobby when the tension between him and Rose tightens so much he knows there's no going back from it but he's not admitting to stealing the songs because he didn't. He helped Luke write all of the songs more than Alex and Reggie ever did, staying up late with Luke after fights with his mom and Bobby didn’t want Luke to be alone so yeah, he wrote the songs. Maybe not as much as he claimed but he sure as hell made sure his brother wasn’t alone so that counted for something right? And it did. Until Rose kicks him out of bed because she's pissed he'd even consider stealing music and he cant tell Ray because of the NDA the label got him to sign at a party when he was drunk and the only reason Rose knows about it is because she was there when he signed the damn thing and so Bobby pulls away from Ray because isnt it going to be easier in the long run? If he doesn’t attach himself to Ray who'll just get angry at him like Rose did?

(Sev) It's the guilt that grows inside of him every passing day. They're my songs too he tells himself over and over again. But during the dark nights, three glasses of whisky in when the world is getting hazy... even he can't believe the lies he tells himself. He fucked up Sunset Curve. He fucked up his friends' memories. And now he fucked up the only good thing he'd ever had. Ray texts him nonstop. He doesn't understand why Rose kicked Bobby out and he doesn't understand why Bobby listened. Bobby can't take Ray away from Rose. He's fucked up and a terrible person, but even he can't do that. He doesn't give Ray his new address. He refuses to meet up even for Ray to give him his stuff back. All Bobby can do is hold onto Ray's sweatshirt he stole away and a bottle of perfume the same brand Rose always wears. He cradles these things in his arms and cries.

(Ren) And that's the last he sees of Ray for all of 5 years, 20yr old puppy-dog eyed loving precious ray who Bobby would run to the second Rose says its okay. But rose never does. And then Bobby meets a cute blonde and six months later the barista shows up on his doorstep shoving Carrie into his arms calling her a bastard child. Carrie is not a bastard child Carrie is his and he loves her the second he sets eyes on her and so Bobby turns into Trevor when the new year rolls around and he starts his own album. It doesn’t do as well as Luke's his first album did but it was his. And then one day Trevor signs Carrie up for dance because Trisha from first grade made fun of her for not being able to do the splits and on the way out of the dance studio Trevor bumps into Ray, a terrified looking girl clutched to his leg. Carrie doesn't miss a beat. "Hi! I'm Carrie let's be friends!" and Carrie drags Ray's daughter off and Trevor shifts awkwardly and is suddenly 17 again but Ray's eyes still twinkle like the did when they were kids and he's still wearing eyeliner so Trevor almost missed it when a flicker of recognition crosses Ray’s face and a smile quirks at the corners of his lips and he says, "hi im Ray, thats my daughter Julie. Wanna go out for a drink?" With that same mischievous glint in his eye that made Bobby fall in love with him in the first place.

(Sev) Trevor almost stops breathing. He should say no. He knows he should say no. He's an awful person. He doesn't deserve someone like Ray. He never deserved either of them. He knows that. But can't force himself to say no. Maybe it's the twinkle in Ray's eyes. Maybe it's the soul crushing loneliness he's felt ever since he left them. Or maybe it's the way Carrie and Julie are giggling in the corner like they've known each other all their lives. He says yes. The drink ends up at a family friendly restaurant with both the girls in tow.

(Ren) Rose shows up because Ray the asshole apparently texted her while he was in the car saying he met one of Julie's friend's parents and wanted to go out on a date (keeping things pg ofc) aklsdf. And when Rose does show up Trevor sees how... sick she looks. How much paler she looked than she did all those years ago how - he still knew he loved her even if she still decided she hated him.

(Sev) The mood drops quickly. Trevor wants to ask about Rose, but not in front of the kids. Ray wants to ask about their past, but not in front of the kids. Rose... Rose who holds all the answers... doesn't know where to start first. She had never regretted not telling Ray the truth. She never wanted to change Ray's perception of Bobby like that. Ray who looked at their boyfriend as if he'd hung the moon. Ray who stayed up worrying all night until Bobby came home. Ray who held Bobby through countless nightmares... But that makes the truth staring them in the face so much harder. Because she never gave Ray the choice. She realized that a few years too late after she catches Ray staring at old pictures of Bobby in their photo albums. She'd made the choice for him. And then there's Trevor... still beautiful, staring at her with so much concern her heart breaks all over again.

(Ren) The tension doesn't fly over Carrie's head like he hoped it would, she talks to Julie about My Little Pony and Pokemon and High School Musical and their mutual hatred for Trisha from school but Carrie's hand never lets go of his and he finally plucks up the courage and stretches his arm out and says "we're vegetarian for the most part, hope that's okay." And a smile quirks at the corner of her lips and she asks "for the most part?" and Trevor nods and Carrie pipes up from her seat saying "daddy hates hot dogs,” in that blatant fact kind of way kids say things without realizing how problematic it could be. It wasn’t her fault though, Trevor has yet to tell her about her uncles, about how he was in a band, about how they were going to be legends.

(Sev) Rose and Ray both freeze at Carrie's voice. He doesn't know if the girls notice, because he's too busy trying to fight back the panic in his throat. It's been a long time since anyone had brought up ... what happened. It's easy to pretend it didn't happen when his name is Trevor and no one knows him. But these two people know him. They know him more than anyone else ever has. Even the boys. The truth hits him hard at that moment. A truth he'd been avoiding for almost two decades. Ray and Rose know him better than even he knew himself. Maybe that was why Rose had been so furious with him, or why Ray continued to chase after him even months after he moved out. Trevor hides the building panic and sudden realization with a smile. "What an I say," he said as causally as he can. "I'm a picky eater." A few hours later they end up back at the Molina's house. Bobby has no idea how it happened. -No, Trevor has no idea how it happened, he scolds himself. He's Trevor. He has to be Trevor. Trevor got him this far, Trevor made the difficult choices. Bobby was the one who got his friends kill and destroyed the best relationship he ever had. Still, it becomes harder and harder to remind himself of that. To stop himself from slipping into the comfortable shoes of Bobby, boyfriend of Ray and Rose as if the past 17 years had never happened. He finds himself on their sofa, a sofa that brings back memories both good and bad... he finds himself in a familiar home, his old studio just a short walk away, his ex's giggling in the kitchen as they make his coffee the way he's always liked it without asking for a reminder.

(Ren) Trevor can remember the day he stopped drinking the coffee Ray made for him, the morning after his first fight with Rose, when he wakes up cold because Rose basically cocooned herself around Ray's body, keeping her back turned to him and as much as he wanted to reach out to Ray, to hug him and comfort him and tell him it was all going to be okay... everything was too stuffy and too tense and deciding he just had to leave because he was going to suffocate otherwise.

(Sev) He should leave, just like last time. What was he even doing here? He should take Carrie and- Then Ray's in front of him, pushing a hot cup into is hands. "The girls are playing upstairs," he says. His voice is so calm, so understanding. "We don't have to talk if you don't want to." Trevor almost laughs. Because that's so like Ray. Almost a decade without answers and he's giving Trevor the option to ignore it all. To pretend like nothing ever happened. But he can't be that selfish again. So he shakes his head. "I'd... like to talk to you... to both of you."

(Ren) And then suddenly rose is eyeing him sus but he's been putting this off for to long and honestly fuck his label because they screwed him over one too many times for him to still even consider their relationship anything other than employee-client1[4:06 PM]and so Trevor takes a sip of Ray's coffee holy shit how did go so long without it?! and he explains it. he explains everything.

(Sev) Ray doesn't speak as Trevor explains. He never interrupts or even look surprised. His face is completely unreadable. He doesn't move until Trevor's done. And then once he is, he only stands up to start pacing the room. Trevor's oddly reminded of Alex as he does so,  and the memory is enough to make him flinch. "This... this is what you two have been hiding from me for so long?" he asked, voice brittle. "This is... this is what cost us... I mean..." But he can't finish. Ray just shakes his head, back to both Rose and Trevor.

(Ren) Suddenly he's seventeen again. Seventeen and a mess in Ray's arms burying his face into the man's chest finally feeling the weight of the world lift off of his shoulders and suddenly Rose is hugging him from behind, her too-skiny bone arms snaking around his chest and hugging him tightly threatening to never let him go saying "amour," and pressing a kiss to the back of his head, "amour we never stopped loving you."

(Sev)It's like no time has passed by the time he's done crying his eyes out. They're all huddled on a sofa that was always too small for three. Trevor's in the middle, clutching at them both as if they're going to disappear on him. Ray sits with his legs underneath them, his arms pulling the both of them into his chest. And then there's Rose, suddenly so much more delicate than Trevor remembers. She sits half on his lap, curled into them, her fingers knotted in his hair. "I can't believe you two kept this from me," Ray whispers. There's no anger. He doesn't think Ray's ever been capable of being angry. "I'm sorry," Trevor whispers, throat raw from tears. Ray answers with a firm kiss to his temple. "We wasted so much time..."

(Ren) Trevor just lays between them in their bed, nothing sexual and nothing tense it’s just them being together and Rose playing with his now-long hair, braiding it right down the middle despite it being too long for others to braid. Her fingers feel nice as they tug at his roots, familiar and a sense of calm washes over him. He lets ray fop on top of him like they used to, burying his head in his chest just listening to his heart beat, his steady constant breathing because Ray used to be afraid one day he'd wake up and Bobby would be dead too. Rose humming lightly, soft lullabies that chased away dark thoughts and Trevor just finds it so comforting, a feeling of home he hasn't had since the day he left and so he wraps his arms around Rose and Ray tight, promising himself he won't screw up his second time around.

(Sev) It's a few hours later when he speaks again. The girls are asleep in Julie's room (delighted at their surprise sleepover.) Ray's almost nodded off, head resting against Trevor's chest. But Rose is wide awake. She's laid out, tangled between them, eyes focused on something far away. He can see it more clearly now. The tremble in her hands, the way she's so still, the circles around her eyes. He takes her hand in his. "What is it?"

(Ren) And Trevor wants it to be a prank, he wants the sinking feeling in his gut twisting around his heart, the same feeling he had the morning of Sunset Curve's Orpheum performance coiling up his spine to go away. He wants everything to be okay, that he told the truth, that he was forgiven, that the universe was finally on his side for once but of course it's not because when has it ever been.  Rose's fingers run lightly over his knuckles and Ray wraps his arm around him from behind, his hands resting against Trevor's chest, something solid for him to focus on and as a tear starts to roll down Rose's cheek he reaches up to brush it away, running his hand through her hair only to pull out a clump as he pulled away but he couldn't run when his instincts to run kick in like they always used to do when situations turned emotional, bury it in his mind and lock up his worries like he always did but this wasn't going to be something he could run from.

(Sev) Life is not the fantasy or a fairy tale. There are no happy endings, only happy moments. He'd like to say they picked up right where they left off, Rose lived until a ripe old age, and they never fought again. But he'd be lying. It was hard to fold their lives back into place again, especially with Carrie and Julie. To just pick up after their seventeen year old selves was an impossible dream. But they could do breakfast. And breakfast became dinner. Dinner became one date which became two which became many. It took trouble and care, but they slotted themselves back into each other's lives again. There were lunch dates, and movie nights. There were late night wine dates and early morning coffee dates. They found their happy moments. A decade of separation had smoothed out the rough edges. If Trevor stormed out after a harsh argument, he'd return the next day with flowers and apologies. If Rose snapped and lost her temper, she'd take herself off for a walk to cool down. If Ray was bothered by something, he'd speak up instead of pushing it all down. They found their happy moments. And when 1 month became 1 year, they celebrated with moving boxes and a new, bigger couch. When 1 year became 2, they celebrated with promise rings and whispers of a better future between light kisses. 3 years became 4, became 5, and so on... They found their happy moments. But life is not a fantasy or a fairy tale. Their story ends in a hospital. Rose dies with both her husbands at her side, with both her daughters and son clutching on her hands. She dies with a smile on her face, knowing she is not leaving them to suffer alone. Ray and Trevor grieve together.

(Ren) And this time the girls are the ones who get into the fight but Trevor and Ray are there for Julie and Carrie no matter what they're fighting over carrie told julie she liked flynn but julie said flynn was hers first and doesnt understand how she can feel squishy love for two people. And this time the girls are the ones who get into the fight but Trevor and Ray are there for Julie and Carrie no matter what they're fighting over carrie told julie she liked flynn but julie said flynn was hers first and doesnt understand how she can feel squishy love for two people. They stick to their daughters through the worst of it but they don’t let the girl’s fighting rip into them too. It’s not what Rose would’ve wanted for them, it’s not what she would’ve wanted for Julie or Carrie either.

(Sev) And when Julie plays with her ghost band, it's much earlier that Trevor recognizes who she's playing with.

(Ren) Luke’s mad at first, ofc he is but after everything is explained and out in the open Trevor finds himself at home in a building that never felt like home despite the fact he grew up in it.

[xxwritemeastoryxx]

Untold Future Chapter 2

Silence the Screams

Author: xxwritemeastoryxx

Pairings: Elijah Mikaelson x OC

Word Count: 5K

Warnings: Mentions of blood and gore, nothing too detailed in this one. But as a reminder, with future chapters, especially chapter 3, the gore factor will be taken up a notch. 

Author’s Note: Welcome to chapter 2! I’m still finding my footing with actually writing the sequel. There are many things to see and many turns to expect in the future. It’s gonna be a bit of a slow start at first. So bare with me. 

Feedback gives me life and motivation for future things. ♥

<< Chapter 1 || Masterlist || Chapter 3 >>

Elijah jolted up in his bed from another nightmare he had. Even after being at home for a few days, it didn't seem to stop the dark thoughts from plaguing his mind. This was the fourth nightmare this week that had played out almost the exact same way.

Elijah would be out somewhere in the world looking for Elizabeth. He'd find some details to being close to finding her before she slips through his fingers once more and watches as someone tortures her. Some parts of the dream were just that, dreams that his mind had conjured up. Others, they felt more real than dreams ever could be.

He believed that on the first night, he had this nightmare that he was experiencing Elizabeth's pain. He believed for a few moments, he could even hear her screams ringing in his ears. While he had no proof of it when he woke up, he hoped that Elizabeth was trying to tell him she was alive somehow.

As he sat there in bed trying to piece the dreams together, he couldn't help but look around the room. It was evident that this had been his room well before he had been placed into the spell. But it was as his eyes wandered around the room, that he could pick up the pieces of Elizabeth.

Her clothes had been neatly put away beside his in the closet. The drawers held half of her things in them while the other half held his. The chest that she had for centuries, had been placed neatly on top of the dresser. The only remanent that Elizabeth had been there recently was the scattered items on the vanity that she had added to the room.

Elijah hadn't touched it since he returned. Seeing how the vanity was, he believed one day he'd find her sitting there when he walked in. A simple light in the sea of darkness he was currently experiencing.

It was as his eyes landed on the door that an idea had sparked in his mind. While he wasn't entirely sure that his idea would work, it was definitely worth a shot. Quickly getting out of bed, he went in search of Freya.

Freya had been up half the night herself. She still couldn't sleep knowing that her life had been spared as another was being tormented. Freya knew that Elijah wanted nothing more than to go out and find her. Over the last few days, the family had found and used every excuse for him to stay a little longer.

Eventually, Freya knew there would be a day where Elijah wasn't going to care about the excuses his family gave. Elizabeth was a priority to him, and she knew that there was a possibility he'd leave without another word. She just hoped that if that day or night came that he decided to go, that he would allow her to accompany him.

Elijah's footsteps to her room, the soft knock that followed, pulled her away from her thoughts, and looked towards her brother. Giving him a smile, she nodded for him to enter the room. She watched as he sighed softly and looked around the room as he came in.

This had been the first time he had been in there since they had been back to New Orleans. It seemed that while they were gone, Elizabeth had redecorated every room in the compound. It was comforting to him at that moment. Especially with the idea he had roaming in his head. It was the encouragement he needed.

"Couldn't sleep?" Freya asked as she watched Elijah look around her room.

He shook his head as he finally brought his eyes to his sister. "Another nightmare." He admitted to her.

"About Elizabeth." It hadn't been a question, but Elijah nodded. "I would say they are just dreams, but when are things ever that simple?"

"Where our family is concerned, never." He said as he moved further into her room and sat down in the chair.

"What happens in these dreams?" She asked curiously. Elijah hadn't spoken about his nightmares with any of his siblings. But when Freya had some trouble sleeping, she could hear Elijah talk in his sleep.

Elijah sat there for a moment, trying to find the words to explain what he had seen in his dreams. "It always starts the same way," He said with a slight nod of his head. "That we are so close to finding her. Deep down in the pit of my stomach I know we are in the right location. As if I can feel her close by just as the bond provides us. The dream changes and I find myself in this corridor. I can hear her calling out to me, pleading for help." He shook his head as he brought his hand up to his chin. " I'll find her locked away in a cell and before I can even reach it, she'd nowhere to be found." He sighed as he thought about the most recent dream he had. "Or I open this door and I find her strapped to a table as she's screaming from pain."

Freya noticed the way her brother's fist had clenched as he spoke of the dream. Getting up from her spot, she moved to sit beside her brother and place her hand on his clenched fist in support. As much as she wanted to tell him he didn't need to continue, it seemed that he needed to get it off his chest.

"I'll watch as this man continue his torment until he's satisfied with the scream that she's emitted. Once he stops, her head will turn towards me, pleading for me to stop him. Before I reach her to try and help her in any way, Jax is standing over her, pulling her heart out.

Freya flinched at his words. "And that is when you wake up?" Elijah nodded his head but didn't say anything. "If I knew there was a way to find her, you know I would have found it by now." She shook her head before looking towards the papers and book in front of her. "But I've got nothing."

"I know." Elijah said with a nod. The last few days, in general, had been hard. Especially after finding out that Elizabeth had managed to compel Jess. While Elijah was able to get as much information as possible, knowing Elizabeth's location wasn't one of them.

Jess had mentioned the contract Elizabeth had written out between her and Jax. But Elijah had no idea where Elizabeth had left it. He didn't know the details of everything else. It worried him more, knowing he hadn't found the contract just yet. Knowing Elizabeth, she kept it somewhere he'd least expect it to be.

"I just want to see for myself that she isn't falling apart from this." Freya hadn't missed the desperation in his voice. It hurt her to hear it.

"Even if there was some way to see her, there's no guarantee that it's going to help us find her." Freya didn't want to get his hopes up. She hated seeing her brother as he was now. He was ready to tear apart every town and city to find Elizabeth. Freya wanted to be able to give him some kind of hope that everything would work out in the end. That they would be able to find Elizabeth quickly, and she wouldn't have to suffer for long. But Freya couldn't. Not when she had no idea how to even keep that hope alive.

Elijah leaned forward and looked at the scattered things on the table before him. "There must be something that can get through this..." He tried to find the right words that would fit the description of what he was currently feeling. Through the bond, there was a familiarity of fog-the same fogginess he had felt when her humanity had been off. But this time, there was a heavier feeling to it. "This is not the same numbness I had felt from her before." He shook his head before looking over at Freya. "There is the haziness that I feel. Whatever it is that Jax has her on is making her feel-"

Elijah was cut off by the sound of a child's scream that filled the compound. Both Elijah and Freya stood from their spots and rushed towards Hope's room without hesitating. Hayley, Klaus, and Rebekah joined them as they reached her room. As Hayley and Klaus walked into the room together, they found Hope sitting up in her bed, clutching tightly to a teddy bear. There had been tears in her eyes as she looked up at Hayley and Klaus.

"What is it?" Hayley asked as she sat next to Hope, pulling her into her arms as she kissed the top of her head. Hope said nothing at first as she looked over at Elijah, with worry in her eyes. "You have to tell us what is wrong baby girl, that way I can help you."

Hope sniffled before she looked up at Hayley. "Is Aunt Liz being hurt by someone?" She asked, and it caused everyone to look at her with wide eyes.

No one once ever mentioned where Elizabeth was in front of Hope. They never brought up what torture she could be going through at this moment. They only ever told her that Elizabeth had to leave for now and that she would be back soon. Even when they first found out Elizabeth had been missing, Hayley had sent Hope to her room to play while they sorted things out.

"Why would you think that?" Klaus asked her as he moved to sit at the foot of her bed. He reached over, placing his hand on her leg, hoping to provide more comfort.

"I saw her in my dream," Hope said as she looked over at Klaus. "She was laying on the ground and there was blood everywhere." She said as her tears began to build up again. "I walked over to her and she said my name. I tried to heal her with my magic, but it didn't work in the dream." She shook her head in disappointment. All the other times she was able to use her magic, her dream had let her down.

"What happened after you tried helping Aunt Liz?" Hayley asked as she looked over at Elijah. She was worried about what this was doing to not only her daughter but to Elijah as well.

"A man walked into the room and said her name to get her attention." Hope's eyes moved around the room. "His voice scared me. She yelled for him to go away, but he grabbed her by her feet and dragged her into another room. Then she started screaming." A shiver ran through Hope, and everyone saw it happen. "Is Aunt Liz okay?" She asked, looking at each of them.

None of them knew what to say to her. They had no idea where Elizabeth was. Of course, she was in hell, and that wouldn't be easy to feel 'okay' about. But how does one explain to a child that a member of their family is being tormented? They couldn't give her a straight answer without scaring the poor girl even more.

"Aunt Liz is probably out somewhere helping out a friend." Klaus said, giving her a small smile, hoping to ease her worry.

"But why would I have a bad dream about Aunt Liz?" Hope asked curiously.

"Sometimes," Hayley said, looking down at Hope. "I have bad dreams that something bad happens to you. It will be scary and when I wake up scared, I just tell myself that it was all a bad dream. Then I check on you and see that you are safe and sound."

"Can we check on Aunt Liz?" She asked as excitement filled her. She hadn't spoken to Elizabeth in days, and if checking in on Elizabeth meant she could talk to her, she was all for it. Hayley opened her mouth to make some excuse, but nothing came out.

"Right now she is sleeping," Elijah said from his spot by the door. "Waking her up in the middle of the night would make her not want to come home."

"And we don't want that, right?" Hayley added in, giving Elijah a silent 'thank you' for coming up with something. Hope shook her head quickly but didn't say anything. "Now, how about another bedtime story?" Hope smiled at that, eagerly agreeing to the idea. The others moved away from Hope's room, leaving Klaus and Hayley alone with their daughter.

Elijah ran his hand through his hair as he walked towards the railing. Placing his hand down the railing, he looked down at nothing in particular. His mind had been racing with thoughts. He couldn't figure out what this now meant. First, he had been having nightmares for days, and now Hope had one. He knew there had to be something they could do to get to Elizabeth.

"Elijah..." Freya said softly as she stood by her brother, looking at him. Now that Hope almost had the same dream Elijah did, Freya couldn't help but want to find some way to reach Elizabeth. "I may have a spell that will work." She said with a nod. "It will help try and make the connection of your bond stronger but I can't make any promise on how long it will last."

"As long as it gets me into her head for a few moments, it will be good enough." He said, looking over at her. "Without it, I don't know if I will be able to take another night of this. If I am not the only one having nightmares, there must be something going on."

"Shall we get started then?" Freya said, lifting her arm up, to gesture for Elijah to head to her room.

_____

Elizabeth laid on the floor of her cell, covered in blood. Even though she had already felt weak from the mixture of vervain and Jax's own concoction running through her veins, she had also lost a lot of blood. It had been just like she remembered it. No matter if thirty years passed, it seemed that they still had the same tactics. While the tactics were the same, the tools weren't. It seemed like they bought everything they didn't have in the past.

She struggled to pull herself up off the floor. After several failed attempts, she gave up and just did the easy thing of rolling on her back. She stared up at the concrete covering her cell before closing her eyes and letting sleep take over. While she slept, she felt some kind of peace. There was normalcy she found in sleep. She could dream of whatever it may be, and that could be her life. As long as her family was safe, she did not care about the world in which she found herself.

Her dream, this time, was mostly her dreaming about her current blood lust. She had a human in her arms as her fangs had ripped into their neck, and she drank away at it. Her dream was almost an exact replica of the first time she had turned and lost all control. She did not care for the humans that were around her. They were only food for her. The only difference between then and now was her updated fangs. She dropped the body with a satisfied smirk on her face as she turned to walk towards the next village. As she began walking through the trees, she stopped a few steps later when she found Elijah standing in her way.

"What are you doing here?" She asked with a raised eyebrow. She told herself he was only standing in front of her because her subconscious was wanting him. She knew this was just a dream. She crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him as she tried walking past him to get her goal; the other village.

"Blood lust really doesn't suit you." Elijah said as he grabbed her arm as she tried walking past him. "Why did you do it?"

The question had caught Elizabeth off guard. She looked at him, and part of her believed that he was really standing there in front of her. "Did what exactly?" She asked. "I've done quite a bit over the centuries."

Elijah shook his head. "Tying Jess' life to a spell."

Elizabeth stared at him for a moment. She must have fallen into a deep sleep for her subconscious to play those details against her. "Not like it matters if I tell you why." She said, shaking her head. "You aren't real."

"I am really here in your head, Elizabeth." He said, letting her arm go.

"No, you aren't." She said, shaking her head. "You can't be in my head." She didn't want to believe him. If she did, it would be like giving in to her subconscious, and it would begin to mess with that switch of hers. She shook her head and took a step back as she looked around. She tried to change the dream in some way where he wouldn't be there. She wanted to make it so he would go away, but no matter how she changed anything, he was still standing there.

"Are you done?" He asked with a small smile on his lips.

Elizabeth stood there, not knowing what to do. If he was in her head, it meant he was close by, or Freya was doing some magic. "Freya." She said as she shook her head once more. "This isn't going to help you find me." She said remembering when Lucien had injected her with the werewolf venom, and Elijah had entered her mind to find anything he could about her location. "It is against the rules."

Elijah sighed as he took in her words. "What rules?" He asked, watching her. "The contract you've created?"

"You still haven't found it have you?" She asked instead, not bothering to answer his questions.

"How could I? You didn't leave any indication as to where it was." He shook his head.

A smirk pulled at her lips. "Or maybe your brother hasn't given you my message."

Elijah huffed. "Not all things can fit in a chest." He said a moment later.

Elizabeth chuckled as she took a step closer to Elijah. "So he did tell you about my visit. It's a shame that you haven't put two and two together. And here I thought you knew me better than that."

"Liz." Her name left as a growl from his lips. A warning that he wasn't here for her guessing games. "It would be easier if you just told me where it was without the riddles."

She shrugged her shoulders. "What I said before I flipped my switch was a free pass. Anything now is against the rules. And we both know while some rules are meant to be broken, these ones have lives tied to them and we wouldn't want that to happen."

Elijah shook his head, growing frustrated. "While I would love to sit here and discuss the rules you've created, this isn't what I am here for. I don't know how long this spell will last."

This visit was merely to check in on her and see how the nightmares were connected. In her dream, she looked like herself. There were no bruises, no blood covering her, or any visible signs that she had been hurt. Elijah wished he could see what she had looked like at this moment while she was awake. But there was a part of him that was glad he couldn't see what damage had been done. He didn't want to know the torment she had been through. It would only make it harder for him.

"Then why are you here?" She asked, crossing her arms.

Elizabeth couldn't feel that he was close by. It meant that he really had no idea where she was. A small part of her hoped Elijah was close by, but she knew she only suffered for the last few days and not years as it felt. Elizabeth knew that he and his siblings would be nowhere even close to finding her.

“Hope and I are having nightmares about you." His words had caused her eyebrow to rise.

"What kind of nightmares?" She asked curiously. She wanted to know what it was that Hope was having nightmares of. She had always kept the girl laughing, never once had she scared her.

"Hope woke up screaming, saying she saw you laying on the ground covered in blood." Elijah hadn't missed the way Elizabeth's eyes widened at the information. He took a few steps towards her and stopped when he was standing right in front of her. "Was she right?" He asked, concerned.

Elizabeth looked anywhere but at Elijah before she nodded her head once. "And your nightmares?"

If Hope's nightmares held the exact truth about what was going on with her, she needed to know what Elijah had seen. The whole point of keeping her humanity off was to make sure he could not see or even feel the torment she was going through.

He looked down for a moment before looking back at her. "Do you want the tamer version or the more..."Elijah wasn't sure what to call it. "fearful version?

"Just tell me one of them." She said, wanting him to just tell her.

"I can feel it in my gut that we are in the right place. I hear you calling out to me. Then I walk into this room and there you are, strapped to a table. It usually ends with me watching as someone cuts into you and you are screaming until you almost pass out and they pull your heart out." While he would usually have never told her the terrible creations that his mind has come up with, he needed to know if that held any truth as it seemed Hope's dreams have been the truth.

She froze in her spot and just looked at him. She wanted nothing more than for him to get out of her head. She was afraid he'd see something he didn't need to see. She didn't need him knowing what visions of the future she had seen. "They are just nightmares." She said, lied, trying to make it seem like none of it was true. She wanted him to believe that she had no idea of what her future held.

"You know something." Elijah said, bringing his hand up to her cheek. "Tell me what it is." She leaned into it for a moment before she shook her head and moved away from him.

"Tell Hope, I am sorry for her seeing me like that." She said with a small nod. "I never intended for her to see any of this."

"Elizabeth," Elijah started to speak and then stopped when he saw that her features had begun to change. Blood covered the right side of her face. His eyes widened, and Elizabeth reached her hand up to the blood on her face.

"I'm waking up." She said as if it wasn't a big deal. "Be safe, Elijah." It was the last thing she had said before her eyes had slowly opened, and she saw a bright light above her. Seeing that light, she knew she was already strapped back to the table. Swallowing the lump that was in her throat, she prepared herself for what was to come next.

_____

Elijah shook his head the moment her dream ended. He was now even more worried for her than he had been before. Elijah was angry with Jax for taking her. He hated seeing her covered in blood like he had seen her. He was even slightly mad at her for knowing something that she refused to tell him. He knew she was trying to keep him from knowing how hurt she was. But he was worried about her. And that worry was growing to anger with each moment he thought about her dream after it ended.

"Were you able to talk to her?" Freya asked, watching him.

"Yes," Elijah said with a nod. "She knows something. I couldn't get it out of her. She kept saying it was against the rules."

"The contract?" Freya asked.

"I need to find it. There is something in there that shows there is a reason we are seeing her." Elijah tried racking his brain for where Elizabeth could have hidden the contract.

"Then they weren't just nightmares." Freya needed to know for sure.

"No, they aren’t." He sighed as he ran his hand along his face. "Hope's nightmare is more like she's watching Elizabeth at this exact moment."

"Please tell me Elizabeth's dream did not show you how she was physically." Freya was now worried about what her brother had seen.

"Not until she started waking up." He said, and Freya could see and hear the hurt come from him.

"Did she give any details that may be able to help us at all?" She asked, hopeful.

"It's against the rules." Elijah repeated. "But knowing our brother, they will want the nightmares to stop."

Freya nodded in understanding. "I'll find something for Hope."

"Find what for Hope?" Hayley asked as she and Klaus walked into the room.

"A spell for her dreams." Freya said, looking over at them. "She's seeing Elizabeth being tormented."

"How do you know that?" Hayley asked, looking between Elijah and Freya.

"Elizabeth just confirmed it." Elijah shook his head. He still couldn't believe it himself.

"You saw her?" Klaus asked as he took a step towards Elijah.

"Freya's spell helped me get into her head. She confirmed her injuries that Hope said she saw." Elijah hated to even repeat the information again.

"How is it that Hope can see her?" Hayley was worried about Hope now. Whatever Hope was seeing Elizabeth go through wasn't meant for a child to see.

"That I don't know." Freya shook her head. "Elijah has been having his own set of nightmares about Elizabeth. I don't know if we will be next to get them."

"You never said you were having nightmares." A look of concern grew on Klaus's face.

"I didn't think it was of importance at the time." Elijah shook his head. "I was to believe they were just that, dreams."

"We need to figure out how this is happening." Hayley looked between the siblings.

"I think I might know how this is happening." They all turned to the new voice. Veronica stood by the door, looking in. Once she had their attention, she walked into the room and held up a necklace. "This was delivered with a letter from Elizabeth earlier today."

Hayley and Freya recognized the necklace right away. Freya stood from her seat and walked over to Veronica, who handed the necklace over. "They are still connected." Freya said, looking down at the charm in her hand.

"What do you mean connected?" Klaus didn't like the sound of Freya's words.

"While we were sleeping, I taught Hope how to make a charm where she would mix her and Elizabeth's blood into a gem. It made it easier for both of them for when they wanted to visit on their own." Freya looked over at Klaus. "They needed each other to visit us. Sometimes Elizabeth would get pulled away with finding the cures that hope had to wait to see us."

"How is it still working now, though?" Hayley asked. "It was meant to get through your spell."

"It seems that while one is asleep, the other will dream of what the other person is currently doing." Freya wasn't exactly sure how it worked, but it made the most sense to her at that moment.

"But when Elizabeth was dreaming, there was nothing of Hope." Elijah looked over at Freya. "Elizabeth had control over what she was dreaming."

"Elizabeth doesn't have the necklace with her." Freya held up the necklace in her hand. "Elizabeth would possibly have to try harder to see Hope if that was the case." She sighed softly. "If I'm right, Hope is missing Elizabeth and that gem is the only thing she needs to see her."

"How can we be sure that is what is actually going on?" Veronica asked.

"There is only one way we can test that theory." Freya said, looking over at Hayley and Klaus. "Is Hope asleep?"

"Yes." Hayley said with a nod. "What are you going to do?"

"It's not what I'm going to do," Freya shook her head. "I'd like for one of you to enter her mind and see what she is dreaming of. In the meantime, I'll find a spell to block the connection if it is."

"I'll do it." Klaus said without hesitating to walk out of the room. Elijah and Hayley followed Klaus back to Hope's room. Hope looked peaceful in her sleep. Klaus only hoped that she wasn't seeing Elizabeth tormented.

He sat on the bed next to Hope and gently grabbed her hand to enter her dreams. The first thing he saw was Hope running past several trees. But it wasn't as f she was just running for fun. She was running as if she was determined to get somewhere. It was as he moved to follow her, he heard the one thing that confirmed it all. A loud scream filled the air that he knew belonged to Elizabeth.

Untold Future: @alka16555​​ @chiefdirector​​​ @winchestert101​​ @ministark​​ @mschellehitt​​ @xanderling​

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[braziliancurly]

That's my first FanFiction, hope you enjoy it! I'm not fluent in English, so I'm sorry for my mistakes.

Imigrant (Joe X FemReader)

You’re sitting with your son, at your house's sofa, waiting for your husband to back with the dinner.

- Mom, dad is taking forever!. – He says really annoyed.

-Darling, you need to be a little more pacient! – you reply him gently, trying to calm him down but looking into his light brown eyes you see that he's hungry, and couldn’t wait no longer (just as he's dad). – Dad must be in the way home, arriving soon.

You stand up from the sofa and kiss your son's wavy dark blond hair. You move to the kitchen in order to set the dinners table.

As soon as you finish you hear the door open and you husband asking your son to help him.

-MAMA! Dad's home! – Your baby said coming to the kitchen to put the Coke on the table and then taking a sit.

Your husband just did the same, but with the dinner's bags.

-Dinner!! -The hungry kid finally give a big smile - I thought I'll die before having it!

-What have we already told you about this words ? -Your husband said seriously.

- Sorry, dad.

-Just an expression, Joey. Don’t be mad. -You tried to broke the little heavy atmosphere, while you serve your kid.

-I don’t care, that's not a nice thing to say, or play. Death is not a joke.

Joe is rarely angry, by the way, something really bad need to happen to mad him. You need to know what happened that night, but you wouldn’t ask during the dinner to avoid increase the tension.

You all had dinner in silence, your little boy was ashamed and Joe was serious.

- I've finished. – Carefully said the boy.

-Do you want something more, Lucca? – you asked him.

-No, thanks.

-So put you plate, glass and cutlery to wash and go brush your teeth. Mama will soon be in your room to say good night .

As an angel he did what you told him. When he was far enough for not hearing any sound from the kitchen you decided to talk to Joe.

- Babe, what's wrong? – You tried to be carefully as possible.

-Nothing.

-Joey, please... That’s not you! What happened? You left home so happy and calm, then you back so different. – You stop eating to look him right to his eyes.

He didn’t answer to your question, keeping himself in silence till the last piece of his meal.

-I am full. – He said in a very angry tone.

- Sorry? – You were confuse.

- I can’t stand those immigrants. They're trash! Completely trash. Can’t even prepare na fast food order. It’s so simple. Why do they need to be so dumbass??? – He was furious, his eyes where dark in anger. – They just came here to steal our place! To occupy our kids' school, our hospitals and to be one more eating our food!

You couldn’t recognise him. He'd never say something like that. Special to you! His words were hurting you. You where holding your tears, but kept pretending you're strong. You wanted to see how far he can go...

-Joseph, they just mistaken your order, do you really need to act like that?

-NOT! WAS NOT ONLY THAT! I AM FULL. FUCKING HELL!! THOSE ASSHOLES ALWAYS DO THAT. THEY MISTAKE EVERYTHING, EVERYTIME AND ANYWHERE!!

-Slow down, Joseph Francis Mazzello. – You said seriously and angry, you said his full name to open his eyes to the fact that he’s from an immigrant family.

-SLOW DOWN? SLOW DOWN? – He stand up, punching the table with all his strength. – Those Latins are fucking the country, can’t you see? – He said while he came close to you. He put one of his hands in your cheek, looking you right to your eyes – which probably shows him how disappointed, sad and angry you were about his behaviour. He took some seconds, and said after a deep breath full of frustration: and I also have to deal with an “immigrant rights defender”, I'm definitely fucked.

-No, Joseph, you don’t have to deal with an “immigrant rights defender”, you have to deal with a immigrant wife. Or ex, suit your self.

You left him in the kitchen and went to your room, locked the door already crying.

-How could he say that? – You said to your self. – Has he forgotten who I am?

You cried your heart out till you fall asleep, completely hurt and weak .

Joe was at the kitchen, so furious that he didn’t wanted to follow you when you left. He just punch the wall two or three times before doing the dishes.

-What happened, dad? – The 7 years old asked him, shy and afraid of his dad's reaction. -Mama's crying .

-We had a little row. – Joe winked at Lucca.

-Why is she crying?

-Pregnancy makes women more sensitive, it’s just that. Don’t worry, she'll be fine. -He gave him a kiss on forehead -Now it’s time to good boys go to bed.

- Good night, dad.

-Good night, Lucca. – The boy was leaving the kitchen when Joe remember to say something important – Lucca! – he stopped and look back to his father – Dad loves you!

-So do I, dad!

Joe finished to organise all the kitchen and went to the living room, turning the TV on. He's watching Fast and Furious 5, when a scene reminds him how he met you. It happened on a Holliday, when he was watching a soccer match at Maracanã Stadium. You were sitting by his side, supporting your team, he got fascinated by you, for his lucky you also appreciated him and accepted his invitation for a beer after the match .

-GODDAMNIT! SHE'S BRAZILIAN – he yelled – Asshole. How could you forget it?

He jumped out the sofa and went to his room, faster as possible. He tried to open the door but it was locked.

-Oh c'mom. -he whispered – Darlin’?. – knocking the door – Darlin’please, open it.

You were sleeping, couldn’t hear him, after some minutes he left your door backing to the living room, he passed in front of Lucca's room and the door was opened, he put his head inside just to check if everything was ok.

Joe layed down on the sofa, without any blanket or pillow. He closed his eyes feeling the cold wind in his light and soft skin.

It was 3 a.m when he felt something warm in his arms, he opened his eyes facing Lucca.

-Oh, sweetheart! Why not in your bed?

- I had a nightmare. I went to your room but it was locked so I down stairs to drink water and found you here, you were cold, dad, then I brought you a blanket.

Joe sat on the sofa with Lucca's blanked on his back and shoulders, he put him in his lap

_ You are the best thing that ever happened to me, you don’t know how your father does love you. You'll only understand when you become a dad too. -Joe was trying not to cry. – I really love you, never forget it . Thank you for being so lovely to me . – He kissed his head while hugging him. Lucca is everything for Joe, he could kill or die for him.

Joseph stand up with his son in arms going to the kid's room. There, he layed him first then layed by his side.

-Let's stay together tonight – He said while covering both with the StarWars blanket.

Lucca quickly felt asleep, and Joe took the opportunity to appreciate his son, he's Joseph's spitting image, even though his hair is a mix of Joe straight hair and (Y/N) dark brown curls.

- You're so perfect, Lucca. -He whispered while lovely stroking his hair. -Can't believe I made you. Please stop growing up so fast. – Joe felt asleep thinking about how could his father be pleased to meet Lucca.

You woke up at 7 a.m, your eyes and face were swollen. You were feeling bad, still hurt by Joe’s behaviour and words. You started to cry again, but in silence.

It was 7:45 when you got strong enough to go to the bathroom to pee and wash your face. You also felt a little bit sick and no longer you vomit all your dinner.

- Oh shit! – you complained.

You brush your teeth and left your bedroom. In the hallway you saw Lucca's door open, so you cold see Joe and Lucca sleeping together. You got closer to them, carefully enough to not make noise. They were in a kind hug, Lucca’s head was in Joe’s chest, the scene melt your heart. You placed your hand in your belly, were baby 2 was, with a smile in your face you left the room.

You decided not to have breakfast, but had to prepare Lucca’s pancakes. Definitely pancakes are the boys' favourite breakfast, but you only prepared it for the younger one.

Chilling at the swimming pool area you hear some laughs coming from the stairs. You took a look inside your house and saw Joe playing airplane with Lucca. They were getting closer to you but don’t want to talk to Joe, so you pretend to be watching videos on you cellphone.

-MAMAAA!! – Lucca said in Joe’s arms

-Ooooh – You answer your inside joke. Joe cuddle putting the boy on the floor again. Lucca hugs you – Had a good night? – You asked pulling him to your lap.

-I had a nightmare, but dad helped me. -he said while you were playing with his dark blond waves and small curls.

You kissed his cheek making he smile, Joe noticed that you don’t want to talk to him, but still stand close to where you were .

- There’re pancakes waiting for you, Lucca.

-Yeahh! – He jumped out your lap, - We love it! – Lucca said holding Joe’s hand pulling him to the kitchen. You follow them, and served Lucca just after he sat .

While you were filling the boy’s glass with juice, Joe was looking to you, waiting for something, he was a bit ashamed, but said nothing. When you finish you left the kitchen.

Lucca stop his meal and pick a plate to Joe, sharing one of his two pancakes with dad.

-Now we are the same! – He said happily, Joe felt something hard in his throat, but made a huge effort to smile .

-Thanks, dude.

They had their pancakes, Lucca go cicle in the yard and Joe started looking for you.

-There you are. – he said, trying to sound nice. - Guess we need to talk.

You were ironing some of your baby’s clothes. You didn’t stop to look at Joe, you just ignore him.

-Ok, this way is harder, but you leave me no choices... -You asked God to shut up him – Yesterday was a horrible day, 15 years since my dad left me. – he stop a little, facing the floor. “God, please” you prayed. – I was trying hard to be happy and forget about it, but at night, I was hungry, and the attendants from the restaurant annoyed me, I couldn’t control myself. I am so ashmed. That wasn’t me. I swear. – He was looking to you, waiting any reaction. – Please, look at me, lets talk about it, I wanna apologize, look me in the eyes, please. I hate this. It’s so bad for me, for Lucca and for our baby. Please, look at me, let me explain myself?

You stoped, turned the iron off and looked at him. He was so handsome, his sad face, rose cheek, red lips, not brushed hair, you really want to kiss him and say “its fine”.

-Better, thank you. -He said a little sarcastic when you looked into his eyes- (Y/N) I am so sorry, my blood boiled yesterday I couldn’t think straight. Sorry for everything you've heard, you didn’t deserve. You know, I’m also imigrant.. – You rolled your eyes – Sorry. I love you. I do really love you. Everything you do is great, look at our family, we’re so blessed. I'm the most blessed man in the world, I have my Brazilian wife, our son, baby two comming, both healthy and loved. I couldn’t ask for more. Please forgive me. – He said in a shocked voice – Can’t live without your smile, hug and love, I... -You stopped him

- I forgive you. – You said emotionlessly although you were dieing inside. You noticed that your cold-reply made him a little more sad. -Is this all? -Your voice was chocked too.

A tear stream down Joe’s face before he come closer to you. He placed his hands on your waist, making you shiver, he gave you a sweet kiss in your forehead.

- (Y/N) Eu te amo. – You felt few tears falling from his eyes on your skin. He gave you one more forehead kiss. - Você ser meu vida. – Joe’s Portuguese was kinda wrong, but you didn’t mind, you couldn’t hold your tears anymore. -Eu te amo.

-Joey, eu também te amo. – You answer, kissing his lips passionately. Both were crying. Joe's hands grip you firm and yours were in his neck and hair. But no longer you had to stop kissing when Lucca arrive.

-Jesus! – Your son's hands were covering his eyes. Joe blush and cuddle. You felt your face heat but tried to play it cool.

-We've finished – Joe said rolling his eyes in a funny way. Your son discovered his eyes -Come here - Joe called him for a hug. Lucca pulled into his dad's arms, and you 3 hug together.

-Thank you, Lord, I’m so blessed! – Joe whispered during the hug. You look at his eyes and saw a little happy tear raising. You smile and also thank God for your family.

[breathebangtan]

Credulous

Ch. 6: J…….

Genre: FallenGuardianAngel! Jimin, Supernatural

Members: Jimin

Pairings: Jimin x y/n

Synopsis: love is an uncontrollable feeling, even for those who were meant to protect, and only protect. Nothing more and nothing less. Yet somehow, there was always outliers.

Warnings: None really

Word count: 5.8k

A/N: Hope you all enjoy! Please like and reblog if you do!

Ch.1 | Ch.5 | Ch.7

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The bus I took was pretty barren, like a desert with cactus in randoms spots, with the occasional eagle perched on it. I took my seat, somewhere in the middle, near the back. The driver took a few minutes to finish loading the luggage. As he did I got comfortable in my seat, resting my head on the window. The smell of vanilla with lavender and roses was slightly filling my space, it wasn’t strong in the slightest. As a matter of fact, the vanilla wasn't as apparent as the flowery smells. The connection Jimin and I shared was becoming apparent as well, but barely even there. “Rest your head on my shoulder.” He whispered, as if not to startle me. I felt slight panic though, I was afraid someone would see him and wonder how he got on. “Only you can see me right now, and hear me for that matter.” He reassures me as if he read my thoughts. I give a little sigh, relaxing as I rest my head on him. I’d be lying if I said I felt the same amount of warmth I felt when we first met. Everything about him from that night was starting to disappear, or lessen at least. I wondered if maybe it was because I was getting use to his presence or if it was the stress he’d mentioned before, taking its toll on him. If it was the latter, I worried for him. Even if he was a heavenly being, the fact that he had stress at all proved to me that he could be fragile too.

I entangled my hand in his, trying to return the comfort he’d giving me all this time, hoping that maybe I could act as a remedy that could get his heart beating again. “Malum.” Jimin whispered, repositioning his chin atop my head, ever so gently, it was as if he was barely pressing down. “Hm?” I hummed slightly, letting my eyes flutter shut. “You know I love you, right?” He asked, his voice was filled with more emotion than I’d ever heard anyone put into words. The suddenness of them catching me off guard, the genuine raw emotion burning through my ears, like hot iron making its way to my heart until it left a permanent mark. I didn’t know what to say, or what to do. “I…” I pushed away from him, staring up into his eyes. They were soft, not expecting anything, just hopeful. I just wasn't sure what they hoped for.

“All I want is your safety and happiness. You know that, right?” He continued. I don’t know why I’d felt so weird about it, he was my guardian, that’s what he meant when he said it. He loves me as much as any other guardian angel can love their assigned human, that’s what he meant. Nothing more to it. So why did I feel so oddly about it? “Of course.” I whispered back to him, as I noticed that the driver had finally made it in, getting ready to pull out of the station. Anyone who was remotely close to me, was wearing headphones. I could talk freely to Jimin without anyone questioning me, but I didn’t want to be louder than a whisper because the same silence would make my voice identifiable. If the driver heard me, he’d think I was crazy.

My hold on his hand tightens, as if to assure him. “I’d be lost without you.” The words escape my lips in such a breathy whisper, as I let myself rest on his shoulder again, hoping to drift into sleep even if just for a little while. His soft humming lulling me into slumber. I was supposed to be back home, at my parents house before midnight, which gave me plenty of time to rest. So I let the movement of the bus’ wheels on the concrete ground rock me, like a baby being carried by its mother on a rocking chair. Everything was so peaceful.

~

“We are currently 8 minutes away from our destination. Please be sure to gather all your belongings and be ready for our arrival. Don’t forget to wait for your luggage after you’ve gotten off.” The drivers announcement wakes me up. I’m thankful that he speaks in such a soft voice, saving me from being startled awake. As I regain consciousness, I realise that Jimin is gone now. My eyes look to the window to see the familiar city I’d been away from longer than I’d like. I waited for the bus driver to give me my luggage before walking into the bus station to await a taxi I'd called.

It didn't take long to arrive home from the station, nothing over 10 minutes. Which was great because I made it home with a little less than half an hour left before 12. I paid off the taxi with the remainder of the 100 dollar tip I'd received from the odd customer. I still could not believe that, that money was literally just enough to pay for my bus ticket and the taxi ride here. My head was starting to throb as I tried to explain how a simple customer, who had given me a weird nickname by the way, was able to predict what I’d go through? There was no way, he’d probably just been generous with what he decided was a fair amount to tip, and decided to write whatever?

Trying my best to put the thought aside, I knocked on my parents door and waited for them to open. I hoped I wasn't waking them, I had warned them I'd be here around this time. “Y/n! My beautiful daughter, oh you're home!” My mother says excitedly as she opens the door, pulling me into a tight hug. My father laughing behind her, bringing my suitcase inside with him. “Come on in sweetheart, you must be cold.” She ushers me inside the warm home, the one I've missed for quite some time now. Being an adult was tough, and being away from your parents for the first time was worse. I knew it was part of life, and I didn't mind it, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss being in this house. In their presence. “I've missed you both. So much.” I sigh as I hug my dad, he pats my back slowly.

“We're so glad to have you home.” He smiles down at me, kissing the top of my head. The lights are mostly off but the ones that are, are dim creating a cozy environment. “Why don't you go rest, and we’ll plan something for tomorrow in the morning.” Mom asks me as they lead me up stairs. Even though I’d slept on the way here, I’m still exhausted. So of course I nod my head in agreement as we come up to my room. “Goodnight sweetie.” My mother says as she opens my door before walking off with dad. It’s just as I left it before moving out into my apartment. My white desk with all sorts of stationary on it, sticky notes on the wall in front of it. The fairy lights I had hung all over my room still intact, I wondered if they still worked though. I laid my suitcase on the floor and opened it, bringing out my pajamas. My burgundy bed covers perfectly made, it looked so inviting. I changed quickly and got into bed, leaving my phone charging on my nightstand. My mind drifted off not too long after and I welcomed it, ready to rest.

Instead of drifting into peaceful sleep, however, my mind started to go into dreamland for the first time in awhile. Only it wasn't a dream, but a nightmare. A weird distorted image of Jimin replying in my head. Oddly enough, the strange customer who had given me the 100 dollar tip was behind him, wicked smile on his lips, horns on his head paired with dark crimson wings. The same color as the tears streaming down Jimin's face, which was contorted into a pained expression. His hands tied behind his back whispering apologizes as I tried to run towards him, but I wasn't moving, my body trapped in place. The man behind him brought his hand up, his fingers getting ready to snap. All I could hear was my agonizing screams, asking him to stop, but it was useless. He'd snapped his fingers, and flames consumed Jimin. My body shot up in my bed as hot tears slipped down my cheeks, burning like alcohol on fresh wounds. I couldn't believe I had witnessed that, even if it was just a nightmare. So vividly, it was like it had truly happened. My hand came to my throat as I tried to breathe, but it was hard as I started hyperventilating.

“Malum? Are you okay?” Jimin was quick to rush to my side, bringing me into his embrace. “I thought I'd lost you.” I manage through heavy breathing. It didn't seem like just a nightmare, if I was honest, and that scared me. I wrapped my arms around him, not wanting to let him go. Afraid that he'd be taken from me. I've only known him for half a month, but I felt like I'd known him my whole life. I hadn't realised the gravity of just how much I cared for him. The way he looked at me when I studied, his adoring smile always made me blush. How he'd always check on me, to make sure I was alright, helping me out with such meaningless things like finding my keys. The fact that he knew what I wanted, when I wanted it. All he wanted was for me to be okay, but I didn't know that all I wanted was for him to be so too. I wanted him to stay by my side for as long as I could have him.

I was afraid I was becoming too attached to him, of what my feelings for him really were. He was my guardian, and he could never be anything more. “Please say that you'll always stay.” Another stream of tears slipped down, as I couldn't imagine him being ripped away from me. He pushed back the strands of my hair, holding my face from either side, wiping away my tears with his thumbs. His eyes staring into my soul, their beautiful dark brown shade was mesmerizing. “What are you saying? I'll always stay here. With you.” He leans in, leaving a reassuring kiss on my forehead. God I hoped my nightmare as meaningless, I hoped with everything inside me that his words weren't anything but the truth.

“I just can't imagine not having you.” I sighed into his neck as he held me close. Just as I'd said that, a knock came from my door. “Honey? Is someone in there with you?” My mother's voice chimed in, somewhat muffled because of the door. A slight panic came over me as I tried to think of an excuse. “No… No, not at all. I'm just talking to myself.” I face palmed at my own excuse, I'd probably sounded crazy. Not like most people didn't do it, but no one would admit it, because it would make them sound like a lunatic.

“Are you sure? I swear a heard a man's voice.” She insists, Jimin leans back slightly, his head falling back as he giggles quietly, watching me struggle. “Oh, I'm just watching something on my phone. But did you need anything?” I ask trying to change the subject as I hit Jimin’s arm. Not that it helps, so instead I cover his mouth with my hand. “Okay, well breakfast is ready. Why don't you come down and eat with us.” She says, thankfully not mentioning it again.

“I'll be right down.” I wait for her footsteps to sound further away before I remove my hand from his mouth, giving him a stern look. All he can do is raise his hands in the air as if he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong. “You just love seeing me panic, trying to cover for you, don't you?” He chuckles shaking his head. I get up from my bed, walking to my suitcase.

“Of course not… Besides that would be bad for me.” I could tell from his tone he wasn't being serious, even though half of his sentence was true. “Just admit it. You evil man, making me struggle.” I try my best to sound serious, but the slight laugh in my tone is apparent.

“Okay, just a little.” He giggles again. I grab my shoe and fling it at him, but once I turn to look at him he's gone and in his place is the shoe I’d thrown laying on my bed. There's a slight pull at my heart, as the images of my nightmare flashback for a second. Hoping this isn't the last time I see him, I gather a change of clothes and my toothbrush. After I'd washed up and changed, I walked down to the dining table. My favorites were set up on the table, in elaborate arrangements, pleasing to the eye. I was more than ready to dig in. “Mom… You really didn't have too.” I smile at her, taking a seat. I'd missed her cooking so much, and to wake up with all my breakfast favorites was a wish come true. At the same time I didn't want her to overwork herself for me. “It's been so long since you were home. I thought it would be perfect.” She smiles, as the smell of everything makes my mouth water.

“It is, it's perfect. Thank you, mom.” I pick up my fork, taking a bite. All of the flavors coming together in perfect harmony, nothing to overpowering, but just right. A symphony of flavors bursting in my mouth. It really had been so long since I'd had her cooking. “Your mother and I were thinking of going to the science museum. The one we use to go to when you were younger. You loved that place so much, we thought it would be perfect.” Dad smiles at me, waiting to see my reaction. I nod quickly, loving the idea. I could barely remember the place, as it had been that long.

“I heard they added some new stuff, is it true?” I wondered out loud. The website for the museum had mentioned something along those lines a couple months ago, but I wasn't sure if I'd read correctly because I was multitasking as I had done it. “A colleague of mine went with her son just a few weeks ago. She said there was new additions and some changes to already existing exhibitions.” Mom explained, which made me get so much more excited for it. Both my parents were what some might call, science nerds, so naturally growing up they'd shown me related things. I grew a liking to it, of course. But I had a feeling my parents always knew it wasn’t for me. Although, to be fair I wasn’t sure what was for me.

“Well I’m excited to go! It’s been so long since we’ve done something as a family.” I smiled happily at the both of them. We finished eating soon after, mom sending me up to my room to get ready, stating that surely I had nicer clothes to wear. I laughed at her comment and agreed, a somewhat prestigious place like that wasn’t to show up in ripped jeans and a simple tee. I replaced my current outfit for a black skirt and a beige blouse tucked into it, pairing it with black boots. The car ride to the museum wasn't too long, at least it didn't feel long, but it did take close to 40 minutes. It was pretty far away from home, but we still managed to make it relatively early in the morning.

The line to get inside was pretty big, so much so that many were standing outside waiting to go in. Surprisingly so, the line moved relatively fast. More than I'd expect it to with this many people waiting. We finally made it inside and started exploring. Taking pictures here and there. As we went along we noticed all the new additions that were made. Like the electric wall that makes your hair go crazy because of negative and positive energy mixing. Or the new area that was dedicated to climate change, and the negative effects it had on the atmosphere, and the earth in the long run. Everything was just as interesting as I’d remembered it, my parents throwing big scientific words around as they explained things to me. Not that I’d understand everything, but I got the gist of it, I enjoyed listening to them happily explain things to me. Watching them enjoy it made me happy.

After some time of walking, we headed out for lunch. “Wasn’t that just amazing?” Dad asked me as he buckled his seatbelt. The both of them with big smiles on their faces. “They adore you so much. How could they not?” Jimin’s voice says from beside me, my head turns so quickly to see him seated beside me, I think I nearly gave myself whiplash. He can only laugh at me, as I try to go back to conversing with my parents. “Yeah, just how I remember it as a child. I love the climate change section they added.” I try to keep our conversation going. Which works, my parents both busy talking to each other about it now. “Did you miss me.” He asks, innocent smile across his lips, I can only shake my head at his comment. “Do you always have to startle me when I’m around people?” I giggle slightly as I whisper to him, my parents not even aware, thankfully.

“I’m sorry, I just needed to check on you. After what seemed like a nightmare this morning, I wanted to see for myself that you were alright.” His eyes are sincere, as I hold his hand in mine. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better to be my guardian. “As long as you’re here, I’ll always be alright.” I couldn’t help but smile at him. I was starting to forget my parents were still in the car, because my mom was calling my name when I heard their voices again. “Hmm?” I ask her.

“I was just asking where you’d like to go for lunch.” She repeats herself. I didn't realise I completely stop listening to them, I'd only paid attention to Jimin in that short span of time. I was just so glad that he was back, because to be honest with myself, my heart had been beating irrationally this whole time. Worried he'd never comeback, I couldn't help but feel anxious. Maybe I should get use to it though, seeing as he was breaking rules letting me see him. Letting me know he exists, not that he ever mentioned it, but I was starting to realise it. “Anywhere is fine.” I smiled slowly at my mom as she nodded, my dad pulled out of the parking lot, taking us wherever. I could only look back to Jimin, trying to burn his image in my head, in case the ones upstairs decided it was time he stopped visiting me.

My parents started talking again and I commented here and there, as I did I felt Jimin’s hand leave mine. He was gone again. I fought the anxiety that was building up inside me, and tried to keep smiling for my parents. We finally made it to a restaurant we use to frequent when I was much younger. We made it in, and got seated almost immediately and just as quickly got our orders taken. “Sweetie.” My mom spoke to me, fixing her shirt.

“Yeah?” I gave her my full attention, waiting for her to say what was on her mind. “You never told us why you had the week of from both work and school.” She wondered, which she was right about, I’d only mentioned I had the week off but never explained why to her. I was still quite shocked at what was happening in school to be honest. “I still can’t believe why myself, but apparently the dean and couple professors have been money laundering with the students tuitions.” I shook my head slight as I sighed. Both my parents went wide eyed, not being able to believe it. “Money laundering?” My dad repeated as I nodded my head, insuring him that’s what I’d said. There reactions were similar to mine, when Rae had first told me.

“Yeah, Rae said that one of our professors was involved so there was a chance that by the time we went back to school, we’d have a new professors.” My mother raised an eyebrow as if saying wow. Which I agreed to. “What about work?” My dad questioned. I took a sip of my drink before answering his questions. I made a mental note to call Stephen later this week, see how he's doing. Poor guy, I could only imagine what he was going through. He'd seemed so rough the last time I'd seen him at work. “My boss gave us the week off, apparently his mother was in an accident. He just didn't want to deal with the shop, since he had to go and take care of her.” They both nodded, taking in the information.

“Poor guy, is his mother badly injured?” Mom inquiries, but frankly I didn't know. Stephen didn't give us any specifics, and I didn't blame him. He didn't have to tell us, if he wanted to keep his private life as that, private, then I was okay with that. “I'm not sure, he didn't say. He looked really stressed out though. I hope she's okay.” I sighed, I really hoped for the best for him and his family. The rest of the lunch went peacefully as we reminisced. Silly things I use to do as a child, places we'd use to go together, or short vacations we'd go on. I'd missed my parents and spending today with them was great. I felt refreshed.

That was until we'd gotten home, and I realised that I still didn't have my wallet or anything with me. Which of course I needed. I knew my parents could probably buy my ticket for me without a problem, as a matter of fact they insisted once I told them why I needed to go to the bank. But I didn't want to rely on them or their money. So, I walked to the bank that was near our house. Of course, dad argued that he could drive me, but it was in walking distance and I didn't mind. Eventually he gave up and they let me walk. The walk there was around ten minutes, which wasn't too bad, but it was chilly out so I was glad I decided to put on a sweater. I just hadn’t noticed that I’d mindlessly put on Jimin’s sweater until my mom pointed it out, before I’d left.

“Is that a man’s sweater?” She asked me, as she inspected it. I was caught by surprise, looking down at it. “Oh… I uh… I saw it at a store and really liked it. I didn’t mind that it was a man’s. Why? Does it look okay?” I asked her, trying to sound as innocent as possible. She brushed it off saying it looked nice on e regardless and walked away to the living room with my dad.

It still had his scent on it, strong vanilla with slight lavender and roses. I missed that smell. These days, his stress was making him change in all aspects. His light was dimmed, his roots turning black, his scent barely there, and our connection was weak. But his sweater reminded me of how cheerful and full of light he was when I first met him. I wished I could do something to help him get over his stress. I made it to the bank sooner than I thought, must have been because I was so caught up thinking of my guardian. “Hi, how can I help you today?” The woman behind the desk asked as she looked away from her computer screen. Her perfectly placed dark brown hair. Not a strand out of place.

“Hi, I just wanted to take out some money. I’m here on vacation, but I forgot my wallet at home. I wondering if I could do something about it?” I asked her. She smiled kindly, nodding at me, typing something into her keyboard. “Of course, do you have your ID?” She asked me, and I reached into my purse. Thankfully I had left a second ID at home with my parents before leaving to college. I got it out and handed it to the woman her took a look before typing some more. The process wasn’t as hard as I had imagined. She just asked a couple questions that seemed to be routinely. Once she’d given me my money inside a little envelope which I stuffed in my purse, I walked out. Before heading home I decided I wanted to buy some junk food from a convenience store that was close. Little did I know I’d run into David here, much less in my hometown. An odd thought that he’d been stalking me came to mind, but I remembered that he’d said he loved in a different town as well. Maybe he was here visiting as well.

“Y/n? Hey? How are you doing?” He asks, walking closer to me. I smiled at him as he leaned in for a hug. I didn’t want to be rude so I returned it. “I’m fine, I’m sorry about the other day. I really didn’t mean to just leave you there.” I sigh, feeling sorry that I’d done that to him, he didn’t do anything wrong. But I also just couldn’t be there, after what I’d gone through before that, I just needed to run away. “Don’t worry about it, I understand.” He smiles back. I nodded, walking with him through the store as we got what we needed.

“I’d like to take you out soon though, like we said that night.” He smiles, paying for his things, as I wait for him. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go out with him. Leading him on wasn’t fair, and to be quite frank I don’t even know what took over me that night that made me say and agree to things I wasn’t truly feeling.

He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, how could I say no? My mind started up again, just like that night. The vacancy inside my chest coming back just as addictive yet unpleasant as before. The sudden emptiness taking my breath away. But I was quick to regain it, a little use to it. “Yeah… you know what?” I pause, thinking of what I was about to say.

Just say yes, look at those pink lips. So kissable. I need to try them. My voice was starting to become more seductive, but it was odd, didn’t sound exactly like myself. I was confused. “Let’s do it. I've been meaning to see you again.” I was confused at my own words, but I went along with them, even if I wanted to disagree, I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I couldn’t explain why either. But I did notice that everytime I spoke in such away to him, or the thoughts that I was having came to mind, the smell of lavender and roses was growing stronger.

His smile grew from ear to ear which made me do so as well. “Oh great, I’d love that. Maybe when we get back? I know the perfect place to go to. I think you’ll really like it.” He speaks as he guides me out of the store. I just nod my head, walking close to him.

“Sounds great, getting to know you better. We barely got the chance to last time,” I pout slightly, looking up at him. “and I know from the short time we spent together last time, it’ll be fun doing so.” His cheeks stained with a rosy color that I knew well enough it wasn’t from the cold breeze. “But David, you never said why you’re in town.” I wondered out loud.

“Oh, I came to pick something up from a friend who lives here. Since we have the week off school, I decided I’d stay over a little longer. Haven’t seen the guy in a couple months.” He explained with ease, and I nodded as he did, taking in the information as I walked. Relief when he explained, the thoughts of him stalking me escaping. I breathed a little more freely after that. “Are you here visiting someone too?” He questions me now.

“Uh, yeah I came to visit my parents.” I smiled, we were getting closer to the street I had to take a turn on, which meant I may have to say goodbye to David. “Oh that's right. You mentioned you lived two cities away.” His face expressing the sudden remembrance to the piece of information I'd told him that night. I giggled slightly at it, before we were interrupted.

“Malum? What are you doing?” Jimin's familiar voice calls out to me, as I hear his footsteps get closer. My mind told me to ignore him, because if I responded, David would think I was weird, talking to air. My heart dropped in a matter of seconds when David questioned me, however. “Is he talking to you?” He asked, and I realised Jimin wasn't hiding, he was making himself visible to David. I turned around to face him. I noticed the black in his hair was starting to pass being just in his roots. Was he okay?

“Ji… What are you doing here?” I stopped myself from saying his name, not wanting David to hear. Instead I questioned him on his presence, and the fact that he was openly letting David see him. “Your mother sent me out to get you, she felt you were taking too long. Was a bit worried.” He explained as he grabbed the bag from my hand. Obviously I knew he was lying, but why was he? “Let's go home, yeah?” He gestured towards my house with a slight nod of his head.

“Who is he?” David questioned, his expression was a bit bitter at Jimin, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't notice Jimin's sour one as well. “Uh, who are you?” Jimin retorted. My eyes going wide for a second. “This is just, uh… My neighbor, were childhood friends.” I giggled as I tried to come up with an excuse on the spot, hoping David would ignore Jimin's comment. “I really should get going now.” I smiled, I was about to hug him goodbye, but Jimin's hand slipped in mine, catching me off guard. He pulled me away towards my house, all I could do was wave at David instead, as he stood their dumbfounded. His expression growing more confused when Jimin snaked his arm around my waist and kissed near my temple. Leaving me just as confused, as I looked up at him.

I would have said something, but I was just so speechless at Jimin's actions. Once we were a couple houses away from mine, I took my bag and pushed him away. “What were you thinking?” I angrily said, as I walked away. My mom and dad were chatting in the kitchen and didn't stop to ask what they were up to, instead just announcing I was home before rushing up to my room. “What was I thinking? What about you?” Jimin's voice was a bit louder than it usually was with me, a tad bit aggressive as well. I was use to him scolding me sometimes, but even then it was sweet and calm. This? I'd never heard from him, he was so different now.

“Me? I did nothing wrong? I was talking to a friend, coming home. Until you decided to show up, and reveal yourself to him. What the hell was that about?” I fought back, my voice wanting to yell at him, but I knew I couldn't. My parents would come and ask what was going on, and that was out of the question. “Out of all people, him? After what happened a couple nights ago? I don't want you around him. Is that too much to ask? Only look at me. I've told you, you're mine,” He takes a few steps closer to me, his stare is intense, and where his usually brown eyes that had a spark of light in them use to reside, are now deep dark brown eyes that could easily be mistaken for black. An emotion I wasn't familiar with expressed in them. “I need to know you're safe.” I felt like my body was floating, my mind was not existent now, and I was losing myself inside his eyes. That was until I realised that the moment his words left his lips, the black in his hair start consuming the blonde that was left. At the same time, the little bit of light that still followed him was gone, nothing at all was left. I wasn't sure why, but I felt a piece of me leave, in that instant. A single tear fell from my eye, as I reached to touch his hair.

“What's happening to you?” I questioned, my fingers touching the dark strands. The blonde disappeared so quickly, leaving nothing behind but black hair that resembled the feathers of a raven sitting on a windowsill. My heart ached, as I wasn't sure who was standing in front of me anymore. His hand wasn't as warm as it use to be, as he wrapped it around my wrist. His soft lips leaving a kiss on my hand. “I've told you, it's just stress.” I couldn't help but think that I was the one causing him all that stress. He didn't want me around David because of what happened the last time I was with him. He was afraid I would be in danger around him. Here I was, trying to relive his stress, but I was just adding on to it.

“I'm… I'm sorry, I'll stay away from him. Just, please don't worry so much.” I needed to find a way to help him, I just wasn't sure how. “I just need to have you here with me, and everything will be okay.” He pulls me into his embrace, one that feels oddly different in a pool of familiarity.

I was his? As I let him hold me, his words came back and repeated themselves in my head. Only look at me. What did he mean?