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hellodarling1357 · 1 year ago

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A Plethora of Embraces (Cassian x Reader)

Hello!!!! I’m back!!!!

Disappeared there for a hot minute but found myself on a 7 hour flight so thought why not spend it trying to break through my horrific writers block.

This fic is little snippets of the relationship between Cassian and Reader shown through moments of hugs and embraces from a fic idea I’ve had stuck in my head for months.

Let me know what you think and if you want to see more 💕

Word count: 4.3k

The Beginning

You had been in and out of the Inner Circles’ lives for centuries. As niece to Beron, you had always been involved in court formalities and, at the age of 12, had even lived alongside Rhys in the Night Court for a few years when your uncle and Rhys’ father had decided to strengthen ties between the two courts and, unbeknownst to you and Rhys, had planned for you to be wed.

Their scheming did not go well and was met with much retaliation and disgust from the pair of you at the thought of having to marry one of your closest friends. Cassian and Azriel had been beside themselves when they found out, their teasing and laughter had been relentless.

This sense of happiness that you had found for yourself was short lived. After what had taken place between Mor and Eris, you had been dragged back to the Autumn Court where Beron forbade you to see your friends.

This all changed after the death of Rhys’ mother and sister. You had felt your heart break in two when you heard the news and had immediately rushed to your uncles office. You wanted to ask for permission to visit the Night Court so that you could be there for your friends and to say your goodbyes, however, the conversation you overheard had you turning on the spot and rushing back towards your bedroom.

*****

Beron, apparently, had found the whole situation rather amusing. The hateful words shared between him and his advisors ringing in your eyes as you hurriedly packed your things and tried to figure out how you would actually get to the Night Court.

You froze at the sound of your bedroom door opening, quickly turning around and coming face to face with Eris.

Despite the distance that had befallen between you and your older cousin in the fallout of what happened with Mor, there was still a level of understanding.

When you were younger, you had idolised Eris, following him around and constantly asking after him despite his irritation, which you knew, deep down, was all for show.

In reality, Eris had a soft spot for you which hadn’t once faltered over the years. Which was why he now stood in your doorway, offering you a way out that he knew his father would refuse to grant you.

Once your belongings were gathered, Eris winnowed you to the Night Court, leaving you there with nothing more than a tight smile and a squeeze to your shoulder.

You quickly found Rhys and, to your bittersweet surprise, Mor, Cassian, and Azriel all grieving alongside him.

*****

Beron was furious when he learnt of your disappearance, unaware that it was his eldest son who had made it happen.

However, Rhys, as High Lord, had already offered you protection and a place in his court as Emissary, leaving you with the satisfying job of turning your uncle away as he smugly watched on, Cassian and Azriel’s siphons flaring in warning as Beron stormed away.

Everything felt as though it had finally fallen into place. You were back with your friends, your family, in the only place that ever truly felt like home. Despite the years of separation, the bond you shared with the Inner Circle remained, allowing you to slot in as though you had never left.

The “Friend” Hug

The sound of wings and booming laughter halted the conversation you were having with Mor and Amren. The three of you had been lounging in the Town House for most of the day as you waited for the boys to finish up their annual snowball fight.

You all looked up expectantly as the door opened. Rhys, face laced with irritation, offered a mere grunt in acknowledgment before storming towards the kitchen. You grinned at the others; he was clearly not this year’s winner.

Azriel followed in, looking amused at the whole encounter, taking a seat in one of the empty arm chairs by the fire. But it was Cassian’s wide, satisfied grin, that didn’t once falter as he collapsed beside you on the couch, that told you who had won.

“You seem awfully proud of yourself.” Mor said, taking a sip of her wine.

Before Cassian could reply, Rhys stomped back in, shoving a bottle of one of his most expensive liquors into Cassian’s chest.

“You didn’t win, you cheated. He cheated,” Rhys exclaimed, looking at you all in an almost childlike manner.

“Oh let’s bet on Azriel loosing this year,” His mocking imitation had you all grinning. “Meanwhile, this whole time, he had a bet with Azriel that I would win, so while Az was taking me out, Cassian over here got a clear shot to take Az out.”

Cassian just gave a shrug in response as he opened up his winnings and took a sip straight from the bottle, “For what it’s worth, this really is exquisite, Rhysand. One of the oldest in your collection wasn’t it?”

Rhys simply whacked him over the head with a muttered, “Cheating bastard,” before collapsing on the floor by the fireplace.

Chuckling, Mor got up to open another bottle of wine as Cassian lazily draped an arm over the back of the couch, pulling you in for a tight hug that sent a wave of unexpected butterflies coursing through you.

That was new.

You had always found Cassian attractive, how could you not? But the thought of him being anymore than one of your closest friends had not once crossed your mind over the centuries of knowing one another.

Before you could dwell on what it meant, Cassian gave you another tight squeeze as he sat up straighter and clapped his hands together, simply asking, “Present time?”

You pushed your confusion to the back of your mind, as you all settled in for your usual Winter Solstice traditions.

The “Leads-to-Something-More-Hug”

The silence of the early morning was broken by your laughter as you and Cassian stumbled through the streets of Velaris after a night at Rita’s.

You had both decided it was time to leave when you noticed the only fae left in the hall were those pairing up to end the night together. Neither of you were ready to go home so you ended up roaming the streets and, to the disdain of those living nearby, make a somewhat tipsy nuisance of yourselves.

A loud yawn escaped you after another fit of laughter as you watched Cassian reenact some of his ‘infamous’ dance moves from earlier in the night. This had your friend promptly sobering up as he scooped you into his arms, simply saying, “Well, I think it’s time we called it a night and got you home, sleepyhead.”

The warmth radiating off of him as you sleepily rested your head on his chest had you calming immediately. The cool morning air rushing around you as you flew back to the House of Wind had you both sobering up, an almost tranquil silence replacing the laughter and excited chatter from before.

In your dazed state, you stumbled atop the balcony as Cassian placed you back on your own two feet, causing him to laugh and wrap his arms around you to keep you upright.

“You alright?”

You sheepishly smiled up at him, however, the words on your lips were snatched away by the bright flash of colour that streaked the sky.

Turning to look over Velaris, you were both silenced by the radiant oranges, yellows, and reds of the rising sun.

Content to watch the day break, you lost track of time as you stood together, Cassian’s arms still embracing you, watching the show of colours across the horizon.

Utterly in awe, you grinned at Cassian who offered you a gentle smile in return.

“This is beautiful. I didn’t realise how late we stayed out.” Your soft laugh set something alight in Cassian’s chest, his smile deepening as he watched you take in the view.

He wasn’t sure if it was a result of the alcohol, his tired state, or just the proximity to you in this shared moment, but something shifted in him, as though he were seeing you properly for the first time.

Taking in the way your eyes lit up and the way the colour of the sun shone through your hair, leaving a soft glow across you, had him pulling you in even closer.

You smiled up at him, causing his heart to flutter in his chest. And when a sudden gust of wind had your hair falling across your face, he didn’t hesitate to reach out and gently tuck it behind your ear, leaving his hand lingering there as he caressed your cheek.

All thoughts and reservations left him as you stared back with wide eyes; the only thing he was aware of was you, just mere inches away, and the deep, longing desire he suddenly had to hold you even closer and kiss you like he had never kissed anyone before.

Your breathing hitched, causing him to blink back into the moment as he took you in, seemingly glowing as the sun continued to rise.

Rubbing his thumb over your cheek again, Cassian was at a loss for words.

“Y/N—“

But you didn’t give him the chance to say anything as you reached your arms up and around his neck, pulling his face down to yours and kissing him with such surprising passion that left you wondering why this hadn’t happened earlier.

Cassian responded immediately. Kissing you back with an intensity that had your knees buckling and a soft whimper escaping from the back of your throat. He wrapped his arms around you, lifting you off your feet as he let his tongue gently glide over your lips, asking for permission which you granted without hesitation.

The “Get-A-Room” Hug

You were all haphazardly plonked throughout the fire-lit sitting room in the House of Wind after dinner and a few too many drinks.

It was starting to become somewhat of a rare occasion for you, Cassian, Rhys, Azriel, Mor, and Amren to all be in the one room. Trade settlements between Hybern and Prythian, as well as the treaty with the humans, had been keeping you all busy.

The full feeling you had after dinner, the warmth of the fire, and the multiple glasses of wine you had consumed left you in a somewhat drowsy state. Sitting in Cassian’s lap, your legs draped over the side of the armchair and your head nuzzled into his neck, you couldn’t stop the content smile from gracing your features as you watched and listened to your friends.

Clearly picking up on your emotions through the mating bond, Cassian let out a soft, resounding chuckle before pressing a kiss to your cheek and then your forehead.

“And what are you smiling at?” His deep voice murmured in your ear as he placed another kiss to your neck.

You just grinned back at him in response, giving him a quick kiss before turning your attention back to your friends.

Cassian’s attention, however, was now fully on you. He pulled you further into him and started rubbing soft circles across your side, pressing chaste kisses to the top of your head, and murmuring sweet nothings into your ear as he tried to recapture your attention.

One particular whispering about the plans he had for you later that night had you whipping your head around, a soft blush spreading over your face as you hoped no one else had heard him. He shot you a toothy grin, causing you to scowl up at him but before you could reprimand, his calloused hand was grasping your chin and pulling you into a searing kiss.

“For caldrons sake! At least wait until we’ve all left.” Amren’s sharp voice broke through, causing you to pull away from Cassian with a sheepish look. However, it was evident by the hand that lingered on your neck and the intense gaze Cassian was directing at you, that he didn’t share your hesitation.

“Or better yet, get a room. I live here too, remember?” Azriel’s muttered taunt through his drink had the heat returning to your face.

“Please. You’re both just jealous. Maybe you should consider warming each other’s beds.” Cassian retorted without missing a beat. You laughed along with Rhys and Mor at the spluttered indignation coming from your other friends.

It seemed that was it for Cassian though, as he pulled you to your feet alongside him, plucking the glass of wine out of your hand, and wrapping his other arm around your waist.

“Well, while the two of you work out the logistics,” the book Amren had been holding flew across the room and found its target, “I think it’s time that the two of us go find a room, thanks for the advice Az.” Your mate said with a wink before guiding you out of the room, only giving you a chance to shoot your friends an apologetic smile before the door shut behind you.

The “Dismissed” Hug

“Go away Cassian.”

You continued to ignore your mate as you finished getting ready, having enough of the week-long argument that was only going around and around in circles.

“I don’t like this,” Cassian continued, ignoring your irritation at him. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

You let out a huff.

“I know you don’t like it. It’s all you’ve been talking about since Rhys first told us. Still doesn’t change the fact that I’m going with him.”

Your mate took a seat by the fireplace in your shared room, watching as you finished the final touches before changing into your flowing dress.

The invitation from Amarantha had arrived a week ago, inviting all High Lords and their Courts to join Hybern in a ball to further commemorate the ongoing peace between the two lands.

You glanced towards Cassian, finding him still watching you with a concerned look spread across his face. With a soft sigh, you crossed the room and knelt in front of him.

“Cass, we’ve been over this,” You laced your hands through his, trying to ease the worry and tension you felt coursing through the bond. “Rhys doesn’t trust her, none of us do, but we need to figure out what’s actually going on—“

“If he doesn’t trust her, then why is it just the two of you going?”

“Cassian—“

“At least if I’m there, I’m something happens, then I can prote—“

“What? You can what Cassian? Protect me?” You let out a harsh, humourless laugh, standing back up and taking a step away from him. “I got along perfectly fine before you Cassian. Just because we’re now mates doesn’t mean I’m entirely dependent on you. I can look after myself.”

You turned your back to him as you looked over yourself once more in the mirror, cautiously watching as Cassian ran a hand through his, already disheveled, hair before following after you.

“Y/N, I know you can look after yourself. Just let me talk to Rhys, let me be there too.” He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around your waist and pressing a kiss to the top of your head.

Usually this would have you melting on the spot, all pent up words and tensions long forgotten. But you had lost count of how many times the pair of you had had this discussion the past week and had finally reached your limit as you shrugged out of his embrace and pierced him with a cold look.

“No Cassian, I need to go.”

“Y/N—“ he reached after you as you stepped towards the door but you threw his hand off of you.

“I’ll see you tonight.” Your tone was blunt and cold, shoulders tense as you shut the door behind you.

The “Reunion” Hug

50 years.

50 years you had been trapped Under The Mountain.

50 years without seeing your home. Your friends. Your mate.

But now you were grasping Rhys’ hand as though your life depended on it, scared that if you waited a moment longer you would miss your chance of getting out.

He winnowed you both to the House of Wind, absentmindedly muttering something about needing to check on the Court of Nightmares before he left you standing on the balcony alone.

You knew he needed some time. Time to collect himself and process everything that had happened before facing his family for the first time in half a century.

Letting out a shaky breath, you looked out across Velaris, not quite daring to believe that it was finally over.

The sound of the door hurriedly opening and closing had you turning on the spot. The usually calm and collected Shadowsinger looked at you with an expression of pure shock and disbelief.

Your eyes begun to well with tears as Azriel cautiously approached you.

“Y/N? What… Rhys just reached out, said you were back. How…? Are you alright?”

Your friend’s unusually frazzled disposition had your tears freely flowing as he pulled you into a tight hug, rubbing your back as you tried to collect yourself.

He gave you the time and silence you needed, holding you as you tried to get your breathing under control.

Azriel pulled back and you gave him a small smile.

“Hi Az.”

“Hi,” He was shaking his head, a hint of amusement on his face at your casual greeting, mixed with concern as he checked over you for any sign of injury.

There was a beat of silence but the Shadowsinger must have read the thoughts that were racing through your head.

“He’s been on patrol all morning. I have no doubt he’s on his way back to you right now.” The tears returned to your eyes as you nodded, unable to bring yourself to speak.

Azriel lead you inside, helping you into one of the soft armchairs before going off to make you a cup of tea.

You were grateful for the moment alone, aware that Azriel probably knew you needed it as he took his time in the kitchen.

Since Amarantha’s death, you hadn’t let yourself think about too closely about seeing your mate again, keeping a tight grasp on the bond that sealed it from any and all emotions.

Whether it was fear of getting your hopes up only to have them crushed, or shame at how you ended that last conversation with him, recoiling from his touch when all he offered was love and concern, you weren’t sure.

The memory of realising you were trapped came rushing back like a tidal wave. The growing confusion and fear that spread throughout the hall as Amarantha, atop her dais, watched on with a smirk. Desperately turning to Rhys as you felt the mating bond growing weaker and weaker before completely disappearing, only to find a pained expression on your friend’s face, eyes glazed over as he undoubtedly spoke to the Inner Circle one last time.

Squeezing your eyes shut, you took in a deep breath. Refusing to let your mind wander back to what had occurred the past 50 years.

Movement from the doorway pulled you back to reality. Turning around, expecting to find Azriel with a steaming mug in hand, your body tensed and time seemed to halt as you took in the sight of your mate.

Cassian’s stunned expression was full of emotion; shock, worry, wariness. Your eyes filled with tears as you gaped back at him, forgetting how to speak, how to move.

The reality of your mate being mere feet away diminished any remaining doubt that your freedom was an illusion, some cruel trick for Amarantha’s amusement.

A shaky breath left you as you slowly got to your feet, the release of the steady hand you had over the bond making way for the plethora of emotions coursing towards you. It was almost too much after living through so many years of its absence.

But one emotion rose up from the rest, blinding your senses of anything that wasn’t the male standing in front of you.

Love

So much love was coursing through you and from you that you found yourself unconsciously taking a step forward.

That was all Cassian needed to break out of the trance he had been in since hearing Rhys’ message that you were both back. That you were home.

He closed the space between you in just a few strides. Forcing himself to restrain from touching you in case you needed space. But as your face crumpled, as the tears flowed from your eyes, and as you desperately reached towards him as though nothing else would ground you in that moment, all resolve went out the window.

Your arms wrapped around his neck, his around your waist. Holding each other in such a way that neither knew where one started and the other ended.

“Y/N…” Cassian started, trailing off in disbelief, his eyes blurring with tears.

Just hearing your name from his lips sent you over the edge as you began sobbing into his chest. If it hadn’t been for Cassian holding you so tightly, your buckling knees would’ve sent you to the ground. Instead, Cassian slowly guided you both down, seemingly incapable of keeping himself up.

Time passed in a blur. Minutes, hours, days.

Everything that wasn’t you and Cassian ceased to exist as you clung to one another in a desperate attempt to fill the gap of the last 50 years.

The “Lazily-Intertwined” Hug

Neither of you had said much in the time you knelt together, only parting with the arrival of your friends and the emotional reunion you all shared.

Cassian was back at your side the instant the tearful exchanges were over, unwilling to not be touching you in some way, as though any loss of contact would have you disappearing into thin air.

However, it didn’t take long for everything to catch up to you, leaving you emotionally and physically drained as you slumped against Cassian’s side.

“You alright?” He quietly asked, pressing a soft kiss to your head.

“Mhm, just tired.”

That was all Cassian needed as he helped you up, excusing the pair of you before leading you to your bedroom.

Cassian waited in the doorway as you stepped inside, taking in the familiar comforts of the space you had created together. You couldn’t help but notice the warmth of the room missing, along with the scent of your mate that you had longed for.

“I haven’t…” Cassian started, sensing your question before you needed to ask. “I couldn’t bring myself to come in here, not since you…”

The break in his voice had you silently crossing the room towards him. You held his face in your hands, softly pulling him down towards yours before placing a gentle kiss to his lips. The feeling of him was both new and the same. Like something you knew in another life, which, you supposed, was somewhat true.

Cassian rested his forehead against yours, your breath mixing in with his, growing heavier as you felt his lashes flutter against you. As you opened your eyes, finding him drinking in the sight of you, you knew there were no need for words. At least not right now.

Almost shyly, you kissed him again, a soft sigh escaping your lips as he eagerly responded, wrapping his arms around you and pulling you even closer before gently placing you down on the bed.

You lost yourselves in the exploration and reacquaintance of one another. Slow and gentle, turning to hard and desperate, turning to loving and thorough.

Bodies sweaty and still intertwined, your head rested on Cassian’s chest, taking comfort in the rise and fall of each breath and the steady pounding of his heart beneath your ear. His arms were wrapped around you, one hand rubbing soothing circles across your back, the other tangled in your hair as he repeatedly placed soft, lingering kisses to the top of your head.

The two of you spent the next few days in this state; only surfacing from your room when a grumble of an empty stomach broke through and pulled you both back to reality.

You were more than content to just be, and to continue enveloping yourself in the safety and warmth your mate provided.

So you continued to take each other in, in whatever way you could, whether that be through making love, fucking, holding one another, or simply laying side-by-side, content to simply bask in one another’s company.

You hadn’t yet been able to open up about what the past 50 years had been like for you, and Cassian gave you the space and time you needed to sort through the thoughts racing around your head.

But as he slept, sprawled across the bed, his head resting on your stomach, one arm around your waist, and his other hand holding your own to his chest, it finally clicked that you were home.

The “It’s-Okay-I’m-Here” Hug

You had been back for two months, and although you were adjusting well and falling back into a routine, the horrors of what you had witnessed and endured lingered.

You woke with a start.

Sweat coated your body, sheets tangled from your obvious tossing and turning. Trying to slow your heavy breaking and shaky hands, you frantically looked around the room, calming only once you saw Cassian sitting up beside you, his features laced with worry.

He searched your face for affirmation that you were okay before pulling you against his bare chest, rubbing your head and gently rocking you as you steadied your breathing.

“It’s okay. You’re okay,” he murmured against your hair. “I’m here, we’re both here Y/N. You’re safe.”

You nodded, burrowing yourself into him even further as a few tears escaped your eyes.

No, what had happened Under The Mountain still plagued you. Nights like this, where your dreams were turned to nightmares of being back there, were more frequent than not.

But with Cassian holding you tightly to him, his scent enveloping you just as much as the warmth radiating from him, you knew that everything was going to be better someday.

*****

Thank you for reading! Let me know what you think and please reach out if you have any requests 🥰

#cassian x reader #cassian acotar #cassian x y/n #cassian x you #cassian imagine #acotar #acofas #acomaf #acosf #acowar #marley writes

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urfavlarry · 8 months ago

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hihi! can i request a fic where the read is ben and aidens childhood friend and they both like the reader? like how would that go 🎀

Love triangle

Ben & Aiden x childhood friend!reader

warnings: swearing, bad grammar, brief mention of gagging

A/N: the texting part reminds me of a part from a book called call me by your name :0

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╰┈➤ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ 🎧🛹 ɞ˚‧｡⋆

Your childhood was a wild one. Of course it was! You had Aiden in your childhood! He wasn’t always like that, and you knew. The same with Ben. One lost his sparkle and the other gained it. You couldn’t lie if someone asked if you were some how involved in Aiden dyeing his hair. How could you not! He would be happy so you would do anything for your best friend. You and Aiden were there for Ben when he was going through tough time, you being the one that bought him his headphones to help him calm down. Of course they were there for you too! When you had family issues, personal issues, or even school issues! They were always there for you as if they were your unpaid therapist haha.

Your summers were never dull when with them, Ben being the only reasonable one and got you two out of trouble most of the time. He was the one that you always called at night when something was bothering you, knowing Aiden would probably already be sleeping, his snoring sounding like a damn alarm clock! Aiden however would be there for you during injuries and things like that. He was quite experienced with patching people up since he himself had to do it a lot on himself. Skateboarding injuries suck ass.

And here you were, looking at your phone, two different tabs opened. One with yours and Aidens chats and the other with yours and Bens. Both having the last message as;

— — — — — — — — — — — —

‘I love you Y/N.”

— — — — — — — — — — — —

What were you supposed to do? Yes you liked them but you weren’t sure if you could choose between them. You gagged at the thought of dating the both of them, thinking it would be weird since they are literally cousins. You shake off the thought, groaning and scream into your pillow. Watching the time go by, you get another text from Aiden and Ben;

— — — — — — — — — — — —

‘Hello? Y/N?? Are you there?’

‘Y/N?”

“HELLOOOO?”

— — — — — — — — — — — —

“Y/N everything okay?”

— — — — — — — — — — — —

You open the messages, trying to type out an answer but every single one felt like it wasn’t enough.

‘I need more time.”

You rewrote that to;

‘Could we talk about it in person?’

Nope! Rewriting that to;

‘Maybe we should just stay friends? No hard feelings right?’

FUCKING HELL Y/N, NO!!

‘I love you too, but I just can’t choose between you two, I love you and Ben so so much, you’re my best friends after all, why wouldn’t I? You have been here for me since we were 8, and I appreciate that but I don’t think I can love one and leave the other behind, I’m sorry.’

Yeah, that seems alright. You send the message and send the same thing to Ben, just rewriting his name to Aidens. They both must be so confused, I doubt they told each other about their feelings towards me, knowing the both of them a bit too well. You hear your phone blow up a bit, deciding to ignore them, you start to pack. Oh reader, nobody told you? You’re moving! Out of the state, well.. to a whole new continent! Isn’t that exciting? Well, it would be if this whole thing wasn’t going on. You’re leaving behind the people you love so much, how sad and American high school movie is that? Your mom yells for you to hurry, grabbing the photos and gifts from the group. You look at your now empty room, walking downstairs you send a quick; “Goodbye America<3” with a picture of your suitcase on snapchat and turn off your notifications. Everyone in the group knew, except Aiden and Ben. You walk downstairs, everything packed and ready. Your mom was waiting for you in front of the car, grabbing your things and puts them in the back of the car.

She smiles at you, hugging you and kisses your forehead. “You ready to go ducky?” She asks and you nod, smiling at her. She pats you on the back and you both get in the car. You get comfortable, knowing it would be a long car ride when you see Ben and Aiden sprinting out of their homes. Your dad drives off, Ben and Aiden chasing the car for what felt like hours yet it was only just a few seconds. They looked devastated, heart broken even. But it’s what the three of you needed; a fresh start.

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╰┈➤ ⋆｡‧˚ʚ 🎧🛹 ɞ˚‧｡⋆

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diaconicon · 1 year ago

Text

Could you write a connor stoll x daughter of Athena reader. Where connor watches the reader and another person do romantic kareoke and he gets jelous because he think the reader likes that person.

⬆️This was an anonymous ask, which I unfortunately lost because I accidently deleted it😭 I'm so sorry to whoever requested this, I hope you still find it in some way!

All my Loving

connor stoll x daughterofathena! reader

Summary: basically what the request says, made it a bit christmassy because its in less than a week (2 days now), and i miss the spirit

Warnings: none (I think), probs ooc everyone. We're just gonna ignore the fact that the Camp has the barrier that stops it from raining inside okay? I kind of forgot don't hate me love you guys xoxo. English isn't my first language, so there could be some errors

22nd of December. It was almost Christmas, and Camp Half-Blood was in a fuss between Christmas decorations, some of the campers packing to go back to their families the day after for the Holiday, and the preparations for the 24th and 25th for the other campers who would stay, everyone had something to do and somewhere to be, not leaving a lot of free time to wish everyone goodbye and a Merry Christmas.

Here came the Hermes Cabin, as always, to 'save the day' - as said by its residents. They decided to host a karaoke night on the 22nd as a sort of pre-Christmas celebration, so everyone could also enjoy it with their friends who would go away the next day.

Of course, everyone was invited - although it was still a mystery how the Hermes Cabin was always capable of pulling out all these big parties without getting in trouble - but you were still debating on whether to go or not, not being the most social type, and definitely not very inclined to be singing, but after contemplating for some minutes, you decided to cave in and go. Most of your half-brothers and sisters wouldn't be there, but, after all, Connor did ask you personally to come, saying that 'you would really do him a favour' because 'everyone was just so boring and no fun to be around', and you just couldn't say no to him, you were, besides, quite fond of both him and his brother and it would be rude to just not go.

I mean, you wouldn't have to sing anyways if you didn't want to, right? You could just go, have fun with your friends, have a few drinks, watch other people sing and, most importantly, spend a bit of time with Connor before you went back home to your family for the holiday's.

Well, you were wrong. Almost everything was going perfectly. You arrived at the cabin, said hello to some of your friends, poured yourself a drink, and then, as planned, you went to search for Connor, who you found in a corner next to his brother, who scattered away (not without tripping at least a few times) almost immediately after greeting you with a quick "Oh hello there, how are you? Everything okay? Hope you're enjoying yourself. Oh, just a minute, will you? I think someone's calling me - and then turning to his brother - catch you later, Con."

And that left just you and Connor alone, in an awkward silence. Although you were usually so talkative with him, it really wasn't so hard to open up when he was around. He always let you feel so comfortable without even trying, you guessed it was in his demeanour, the way he walked, the way he acted, you didn't know exactly, but he definitely wasn't much of an awkward person as you were, quite confident of himself, but quieter than his brother, calmer, which made him more likable in your opinion. He was fun to be around, very animated, but when needed, he could also be very sensible and almost a shoulder to cry on. He was just so.. warm, almost like the sun, or an oven! You weren't sure how to put it, but he did really remind you of freshly baked cookies, who were still warm ones out of the oven, but that you had to wait for to cool down before eating, otherwise it would be 'bad' for your stomach (at least according to your dad).

But maybe it was something in the air that night, the music was really loud and you already could barely hear yourself over the others singing, maybe it was Travis' abrupt disappearance, but neither of you said a word, not even a 'hello' or a 'how are you?' After some seconds, what must have felt like minutes, you decided to be the first one to break the silence, then you saw that he too wanted to say something, and opting to let him take the word instead, you leaned in to hear him better. But just then, some of your other friends called you, wanting you to come sing with them and even after making it pretty clear that you had no intention whatsoever of participating, they still dragged you out to the karaoke section, pretty much forcing you to sing at this point. Maybe you were exaggerating - well, you were definitely exaggerating - but at that moment, it felt like being processed to death, tragically waiting for a guillotine to cut your head off.

You didn't know how it happened, but you ended up having to sing a duet with some Apollo boy you didn't even know well, although quite cute in your opinion, you couldn't even seem to recall his name.

Not quite as bad as you thought it would be, the song went by really fast, and you could even say you had fun. After chatting a bit with the Apollo kid, finally remembering his name, and him suggesting to spend more time together once in a while, having enjoyed himself, you bid goodbye and immediately went back to find Connor, still a bit embarrassed by the public scene, which you still wished to have avoided.

Though, not being able to find Connor anywhere, you decided to ask his brother if he had seen him.

"Connor? I think I saw him going outside just a few minutes ago. If you see him, tell him to come inside quickly, will you? It's like freezing out there, and I don't even think he took his coat with him"

You thanked Travis, grabbed Connor's coat, which he left in the cabin (by demand of his older brother), and went outside as well, hoping to catch up with the latter, wherever he went to.

Travis was right. It was indeed freezing, and in the time you spent in the Hermes Cabin, it also had begun to snow. Realising this, your heart couldn't help but to warm up a little. You absolutely loved snow, especially in this time of the year, only adding more to the Christmas spirit already strong around the Camp.

You eventually found Connor after a while near the beach, the sand now mixing with the snow that was falling, secretly thanking the Gods that he didn't go into the forest or it would've been probably impossible to find him.

He was sitting on a random trench, with his back to you, looking out in the distance, to the stars or the sea you didn't know which, still not having noticed your presence behind him.

So, you carefully went up to him, anxious of approaching, like reaching out for a baby deer who would otherwise get scared if you were too loud. Not only that, but you were also anxious about what to say. He looked upset, and you didn't know why. For how much you tried, you just couldn't think of what could've made him so distressed. Was it something you said? Well, you didn't exactly say anything... was that it? Did he expect you to have said something? Had he wanted to tell you something before you were dragged away by your friends? Maybe it was just the change in the weather that affected him so much. It was always pretty warm at Camp anyway. Maybe it was something that had been going on all day, and you just didn't know. You only first saw him this evening, and he already looked pretty off.

Whatever it could've been, you decided to just go and rip the band-aid off. You would've to ask him directly what was wrong, so you could try and help and comfort him.

You were now not even a few steps behind him, but he was still oblivious of you being there (sometimes you asked yourself how he was still alive with how bad his hearing and reflexes were), so you extended your hand towards him, the one with which you were holding his coat, and poked him on his shoulder, finally capturing his attention.

'Here, put it on, your brother is going to kill us both if you don't', you said, referring to the jacket, trying to relieve some of the tension around the air.

He didn't protest and grabbed the jacket, but he still didn't say anything and turned away immediately, his face impassable.

You set next to him, and for a while, just looked at him, not saying anything. Anxiety filled your stomach up to the point you thought you were going to feel sick. He didn't look only upset anymore but actually mad. Angry. And you were so scared it had to do with something you did. In the fraction of time you used to contemplate on what to say and how to start the conversation you were clearly about to have, he beat you to it and started first.

'Well, thanks for the coat. You can go back now if you'd like', he said, irritated, not once looking at your direction but keeping his eyes fixed on a vanishing point which you still couldn't figure out.

'Is something wrong? You know if something happened you can just tell me, I'm here to help you you know. Just.. please, I don't like to see you like this. You know if it's something I did, I'm sorry, I didn't realise. But just tell me, okay? I'm so sorry if I hurt you in any way.' You were desperate at this point, just hoping this would end soon. You'd never seen Connor this upset, and it quite frankly scared you a bit.

But just then, his gaze softened. He just couldn't stay mad at you, not like this, not seeing how much stress this caused you. He wasn't even mad at you. He could never be mad at you, not even if his life depended on it, he thought.

'No, I'm sorry, okay. Really. Just forget about it, I'm overreacting. It's nothing'. Although his voice was sincere, he felt like he needed to say more than that, much more, if he wanted to make it better. 'Look.. it's just that.. well. Just give me a moment, will you? I need to think of how to say this right.' It was now his turn to feel anxious, and he started picking at everything he could find to keep calm. His nails, the wood on the trench you two were sitting on, the zipper of his jacket, and so on.

You weren't doing much better, shaking your legs up and down, picking at the skin of your lips, and basically dying of anxiety. If you were exaggerating before, now you definitely weren't. You would've preferred the guillotine over this at any moment.

'Yes, of course, take all the time that you need. I'm here for you.'

And after that, it fell silent. The only sound you could hear were the waves of the sea and the snow falling on the both of you, and in the distance, a bit of the long forgotten party going on in the Hermes Cabin. You were now only waiting for Connor to start speaking. You wanted to say patiently, but it was eating you up inside.

A few minutes went by, and you couldn't take it anymore. You were about to say something before he beat you to it again.

'Okay, so this isn't going to be easy to say, but I want you to listen to me until I'm done. Please. I know I'm not the best speaker in the world, and I really did want to make this more worthy of you, more meaningful, but I'm probably gonna mess things up, so I'm sorry in advance, but just try and listen, okay?' He began, carefully, and you just nodded, following his instruction and waiting for him to continue.

'Okay so, well, I thought this was honestly kind of obvious already - he said this with a smile - but I really like you, and I mean really, since at least a few years I think already. And seeing you with that Apollo kid, I don't know it just made me mad, I thought I couldn't stand a chance against someone like that, so much more talented and what not than me. And not only him, I mean everyone. You're just so perfect in every sense, and I know you could do so much better than me, so I got a bit self-conscious, but that's it. I'm so sorry for worrying you. It really wasn't my intention to be such a dick, but my emotions got the better of me.'

You were left speechless. You really didn't know what to say. Not even a sound could come out of your mouth at that point. Luckily, it didn't have to because Connor went on before you could even think of anything to say.

'No, wait, don't say anything yet. I'm not finished. I want to say it better. This is definitely not how I imagined this. You know I made up so many speeches in my head, practising on what I would tell you if ever came the right moment. But I forgot all of them now, so I'll just have to figure something out,

'I am every second more infatuated by your presence, by your kindness, your beauty. You leave me without breath every time that I see you, and every time, just a bit more than the day before. Every time I look up at the stars, I'm reminded of you, perplexed on how the Gods didn't take you as the inspiration of such creations. Every time I look up at the moon, I can't think of anything else other than how your beauty surpasses even hers, how the reflection of the moonlight on the water isn't just an allegory of you. Because it's something so beautiful that you just can't take your eyes off it. How honey isn't scraped directly from your voice because it's even more sweet and warm than a cup of tea. You fill me with joy of which I've never experienced before, which I didn't even know was real. I'm at every second more and more confused on how all of nature doesn't revolve around you, on how it wasn't created for you and because of you, for at every thing I look at I am every constant reminded of you. If I ever was to meet Aphrodite, I know she would take your appearance and, although I can't dare say you are more beautiful than her or you know what would happen, I can say that in this world and all the universe you are one of the Gods' most beautiful creations. That if it weren't for Prometheus, I would steal the fire just for you, and you only, to keep you warm from days like this one. To keep you warm like you do constantly to me, by just your mere presence, by just an insignificant conversation you could have with me, which I hold dear forever and never forget. What I'm trying to say is that I don't only like you, no... no. I would hold up the sky full of stars and galaxies for you, I would go up to the moon to retrieve your lost items for you, even just to see your smile, to see you happy, to know that you are content. For you have already stolen my soul and hold my heart, I couldn't sell it to the devil, but I would, just to let him promise me to always keep you safe, that nothing could ever touch or hurt you. For you only I think and plan, for you only I ever want to live on. I love you, I really do, and I only hope for you to love me back at your own pace and time. But I could never force you to do anything. If you don't reciprocate my feelings, let's forget about this. Just go on with our daily lives. A simple no, or just a shake of your head, will silence me forever, I won't ever bother you again, I promise. But if there's even just one chance, a little bit of hope that you could give me a try, please don't let me wait for too long. Because how I am to take even one second longer of this I do not know.'

And with this, he stopped talking. He went completely mute, now only waiting for your answer, for a little hope.

But you didn't know what to say, how could after such a speech, such a confession? Anything you would say, even if meaningful, would never compete to something such beautiful and utterly captivating as this.

So you opted for saying exactly that.

'Connor.. I.. I'm really speechless, I don't know what to say, no, everything I would say could never compete with what you just did. I'm so sorry, but I really don't know how to own up to that.' You said with the biggest smile you ever had, which started growing since Connor began to speak.

'No, don't worry about that, just tell me, please. A yes or a no would be sufficient enough.' The poor boy was so stressed, but you couldn't help but laugh. It wasn't you mocking him or anything like that. It was a genuinely happy laugh, like you've never had before. He also started laughing at this, being influenced by you.

'Stop laughing, I'm serious. You're making me sweat cold here.' He said, finally lighting up from his serious stance.

'I'm so sorry, but I just really can't see how you could've become this worked up only because I was singing Last Christmas with some guy. Like, really, from all the songs Last Christmas, that's not even classifiable as a real love song.' At this point, you just couldn't stop laughing, completely captivated, almost not being able to breathe anymore.

'Hey! That's not true. It's one of the greatest love songs ever written. And I'm honestly quite offended you didn't sing it with me, okay. You know how much I love Wham!' Saying this, he also kicked your leg playfully. Finally, the mood was completely lightened up. Now, the interaction being like one of the many you had every day.

'Okay, now on a serious note', you began, and you could see Connor tensing up again, 'yes. And a million times, yes. I really like you, Connor, and I've had probably since I came to this camp. I could even say that I love you too.. but maybe for that, I do need a bit of time. But I do want to give it a try, and more than one if need to. Just don't make anything like that up anymore. Otherwise, I'd just look like a bad girlfriend, okay? I can't even come up with a good speech to convince my dad to let me adopt a cat, even think of confessing my undying love for you. I just think I need a little bit more time than you, but I'll get there eventually, I promise. Just wait until you'll get a Jane Austen type letter under your pillow.' You finally said, as sincere as you could. You were truly so happy, and you think you've never been this happy ever in your life (at least not until your dad would finally cave in and let you get a cat).

Connor, too, was happy. Oh, so happy, he thought he could break out in some type of dance right there and walk up to the sky to get a handful of stars to gift to you. But that was impossible, so he opted to wrap an arm around you and let you rest your head on his shoulder.

And like that, you stayed for a while, just you two together under the snow looking up at the stars and into the horizon.

'Don't worry, if we ever move in together, we're gonna adopt not one cat, but at least twenty, be sure of that.' He said.

Okayy this is it! I really hope you like this. omg, it came out so much longer than I was expecting. Also im so sorry it took so long to write but I was really busy with school! Also im honestly very happy about the ending. Hope you guys like it!

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dearabby1990 · 1 month ago

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Hello, I would like to make a request Daryl x reader After Rick left and Daryl felt guilty and went to live in the forest, the archer's relationship with the reader no longer worked out, so they didn't see each other again. Until all the problems with the whisperers arise, and they start working together again, anyway, I wanted to ask you to write that the reader gets a little grumpy because she's jealous of Connie and she can't say anything because she and Daryl are no longer boyfriends. and in the end they resolve themselves and come back

WE’ll DO THIS IN A 2 PARTER LOVE THE IDEA

Three months it’s been since he packed his things and told you not to bother following him. Three months since your world fell to pieces even more then it has outside these walls. The worst part was when you tracked him down to tell him you were pregnant you found him playing in a stream with a beautiful woman and a dog. You couldn’t bare the sight another second quietly making your way back home. When Carol had come into your room to see how things went she was not only met with the sight of you uncontrollably sobbing but the giant sized puddle of blood between your legs. Not only has your heart been broken but the stress of it all caused an early term miscarriage. Thank goodness for your girls they kept checking in on you and letting you know they’ll always be there especially Carol, Maggie and Rosita.

Slowly you notice Daryl around more especially around Connie watching him half ass sign to her as he smiles. Wonder how many other women he flirts with not that it’s your business anymore. He catches your eye but before anyone can get any ideas you’re off helping Maggie and Paul load up the horses as Aaron says goodbye to Gracie. Little did you know Daryl was coming too this left you frustrated so you kept your distance feeling his fierce blue eyes piercing the back of your head. Deciding it be best to stick by Rosita and Eugene as you know when you get to the checkpoint you’ll be splitting ways. As soon as the horses pull up to the tower Daryl and the rest of his group went one way while you Eugene and Rosita did your part everything seemed to go off without a hitch. That was until you spotted a hoard approach from the top of the tower as Eugene is slowly climbing underneath you. “Uh Eugene do you see what I see?!” He turned his head brows full of sweat “son of a biscuit we gotta get the hell outta here stat!” He starts clambering down then your bag falls just missing his head as it hits the ground scaring you both as you tumble down hitting the ground with a hard thud. Eugene’s bone sticking from his leg and your ankle is at the very least badly sprained. You see a nearby barn Rosita quickly getting you both inside finding a hiding spot at the top in a hidden compartment in the flooring telling you to stay put until she can get more backup. The both of you huddled together hearing something off into the distance you crawl from the small space much to Eugene’s protests “please be careful y/n” you army crawl to the front opening seeing the hoard circling like buzzards hunting for prey & that's when you hear it “they can’t be far…. Don’t let them get away…” you hear whispers your eyes bulging from your head maybe you have a concussion and you’re hearing things you shuffle back pulling Eugene forward “what the hell are ya doing y/n?” “Eugene shut the fuck up for a moment and listen” you help crawl forward with him listening intensely “they have to be around here somewhere…. We’ll circle around again… we must not let them escape” he looks at you as if he’s seen a ghost “did they just… did they just talk?!” You cover his mouth trying to keep him quiet as not to be found he starts to panic “they’re evolving… the dead are evolving” you both crawl back into the crawl space waiting for help to come minutes turn to hours and the sun begins to set as you both grow extremely tired. The silence enveloping you but then you hear the sound of multiple footsteps it throws you both into a panic trying your best to both stay quiet until you hear the sounds of your brother and Aaron “y/n Eugene you here?..” “hello guys?..” after a moment they hear it “affirmative we’re under here”. Paul slides over to said area swiping away the hay that lay atop the latch door opening it revealing you both Paul pulls you up first then Eugene assessing your injuries & that’s when you see Daryl off in the background ignoring him completely you and Eugene start explaining what it was you saw and heard everyone being convinced you were both delirious you snap “NO! You’re not fuckin listening dipshits these bastards are talking we heard them not to mention they been circling the area since Rosita left!” “That’s impossible” mumbles Daryl “don’t remember anyone askin you asshole so just stay quiet” you spit venom his way throwing him off “besides don’t you have better shit to do better yet better people to do” you limp right by him throwing your shoulder into his as Rosita and Paul help get you out of there seeing the hoard approach “wow look at them this is different they should be miles away by now” said Aaron so Rosita throws a road flare to distract them it working for the first two minutes before they notice the redirection of the hoard “what the fuck? We gotta get the hell out of here now!” You all band together getting outside making your way through brush and trees coming upon a cemetery. You see something moving through the thick fog.

You and Paul both squint to see you look at him and Aaron and break into action taking out walker after Walker. Next thing you know Michonne is at the front gate trying to pry it open to get Eugene out. You three taking out Walker after Walker you goto high five your brother and just as you start to celebrate you hear a voice say something “this is just the beginning” as a sword plunged its way through your brother and you blood curdling scream causing everyone to whip their heads Daryl running over taking out what of these things as left as the rest retreat. Your on your knees with Paul’s head in your lap sobbing “I’m sorry I’m sorry” you bury your face into his chest “it’s okay y/n just remember everything I taught you and all the beautiful moments we’ve had together” then he looks up at Daryl with all he can muster “you make it up to her you make it up to her and my niece or nephew that could’ve been stop running and face your fears” Daryl confused by this just stands there watching you crumble to pieces “no!! Paul no please don’t leave please!” Before you know it you’re being lifted up and thrown over someone’s shoulder as you protest the whole way out of there. Rosita has you go with Daryl and dog to take you back to the house in one piece halfway there you hear moaning and murmuring again Daryl lifts you onto a roof and climbs up himself resting his arm protectively over your back calling dog to get him to redirect the heard as he lights a string of fireworks tossing it to add to the theatrics. The hoard begins following the noise after the fireworks fizz out is when Daryl finally hears it for himself “they can’t be too far keep searching… we don’t stop until they’re all dead…” his eyes snap wide as he stares at you. “What now all of a sudden I’m not so crazy? Do me a favor take me home so you can go back to whatever it is that you do” he takes a deep breath rolling on his back on the roof “what did Paul mean when he was talking about his nephew or niece?” You scoffed “not you’re business not your problem anymore don’t worry about it kay?” You turn away from him “hey! Answer the damn question he had to have said it for a damn reason!” You snap your head at him “oh yeah captain dipshit?! Wanna know what he fuckin meant? He meant me being excited we were gonna be a family just to find you playing house in a stream with some fuckin gorgeous woman and dog so I fuckin left you there you obviously didn’t need me so I went home so God decided to punish me even more by taking the baby from me too you didn’t need us so you got what you wanted! Then you start coming around again and become Connie’s fuckin personal fuckin apocalypse tour guide just to rub it in so you know what I gotta say to that?! Fuck you fuck the bullshit you’ve ever said to me all those nights of confessions didn’t mean shit to you I wasn’t a damn thing to you except something to pass the fuckin time. I lost Carl my little fuckin brother and I lose you I lose my baby and now my brother I think if anybody is entitled to take the fuck off it’s me! Kiss my Irish ass Dixon!” Hours Later

You gobble away from him as fast as you could weaving between trees not giving a shit if you ran into something or someone at this point anyone stupid enough to fuck with you was asking for a death wish. The gates open solemnly everyone stares one thing you can’t stand is pitiful looks and that’s when you see it. As if Paul left it there just for you his motorbike sitting next to his trailer keys dangling from the ignition so without second thought you hop on the seat. As you get comfortable you notice Daryl step through the gates of the community hurrying you run into Paul’s trailer grabbing what gear you could stuff in your bag running back outside hopping back onto the seat seeing Daryl starting to sprint towards you as you start up the bike him waiving his arms like a madman but this didn’t stop you from speeding through the community kicking up rocks as you sped back out of the gates not wanting to look back.

#twd daryl dixon #twd daryl #twd #daryl dixon fanfiction #daryl dixon x reader #daryl fanfiction #daryl dixon

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dozing-marshmallow · 1 year ago

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helloo!! i saw that your requests were open and wokred up the coruage to send in a request :] i rarely see chris mclean x readers (despite him being a fan favorite, methinks) and i kinda wanted to see if you could write hcs of him x a young nibling!reader who participates in tdi? (nibling is the gender neutral term for niece/nephew - since i want a nonbinary/gn reader :])

basically having to do with anything; basic interaction between reader and chris, his reaction or what he'd do if reader got hurt, etc. ty!! :]

Hello there!! Thank you so much for the request, it turned out a lot more wholesome than I expected! And yeahh I agree with you there that there isn’t a lot of Chris McLean content despite the large number of people appearing to like him in the fandom which hurtss ;A; but nonetheless! I hope this makes an enjoyable read, and that you feel more welcomed to send in future requests <3

CHRIS MCLEAN X NIBLING! READER HEADCANONS

Ever since you were younger, you always had a strong bond with your uncle, and were always excited whenever he came over.

However, there was never a time where you went over to his place, since he was always busy.

Up until this summer, where Chris got the job hosting a brand new reality show where teenagers would compete in challenges in hopes to win a large amount of money.

After talking with your parents, your uncle was ecstatic to announce that you were going to spend the holidays with him on the show.

It felt like preparing for a sleepover! You had to pack everything you’d need for the two months: your pyjamas, your toothbrush, a variety of clothes, your portable movie player, (naturally) some movies and your mountie stuffed bear.

“Be careful when you get there, (Y/N)! My brother always had a bit of crazy in him.” Your mother advised, kissing you goodbye and watching you get on the boat for Camp Wawanakwa.

“Uncle Chris!” You called out to him, seeing him wave at you from the dock. Frantically, you wave back.

“(Y/N), welcome!” He ebulliently greeted you, helping you out of the boat. Once you got on the same ground as him, you share a hug before he walks you down the island, rolling your suitcase for you.

“Are they recording yet?” You asked, looking around. It’s so big!

“Not yet, we will be in fifteen minutes!”

“Is this...where we’re staying?” You didn’t want to be rude, but the island wasn’t as tropical or as vibrant as Chris made out to be.

“Nope! It’s where they’re staying.” He laughed, referring to the teenagers,“We’ll be staying at my crib that’s just around the corner.”

Upon learning that Chris McLean was an uncle, the campers were keen on leaving a good impression on you, especially since what you thought of them actually did play a role on their chances in the competition.

It goes without saying, there were some foul people that painfully obviously wanted to use this kin as a tool for themselves. Exhibit A:

“Hey kiiiid.” Heather came over to you during her free period. The smile she had on her face was too kind to be true. You’re also sure she forgot your name,“Really cute pair of overalls you’ve-“

You pause your movie,“What do you need?”

Ah, cut to the chase,“Listen. You know all the challenges that Chris has in store for us, right?”

“Mhmm! Gross stuff.”

She leans on your chair, intrigued,“What do you want in exchange of helping me win immunity?”

This was precious. She’s asking you for help. You place a finger to your chin, thinking carefully,“Hmm... A pony!”

Her nose wrinkles,“Ah...not that.”

“But that’s the only thing I don’t have yet...” you whine. So much for negotiation!

“Why not something more realistic? Like...” she struggled to think of something appealing to give you from her conditions,“Ugh you know what, forget it. Just forget it.”

Good riddance! Let’s look at an example where a camper was in your favour.

It was dinner time and the contestants were stuck eating their questionable sloop.

Using Chris’ pointed attention on Chef, you snuck out into the mess hall and crawled under the table of the Screaming Gophers.

“Psst. Leshawna.” You tugged at her shirt from underneath.

“(Y/N)?” She keeps her voice low, peering down at you,“What are you doing there, baby?” Leshawna was always so nice to you- and not because she wanted an advantage, but because that’s who she is.

That’s why you decided to do this for her,“I wanted to give you some of what we’re having.” You place a wrapped up burger and an ice cream tub on her lap, resulting her to internally squeal and cover her face’s lower half in joy.

“For me?! Oh, you’re an angel... Thank you, sweetie!” She gushes, squeezing your cheeks, amazingly attaining a low voice.

Also there was no reason for you to be sneaky: Chris would’ve allowed you to treat your favourites overtly if it meant hostility could grow among them. You knew that- you just enjoyed feeling like a spy.

Which would have consequences for getting your forehead grazed and knee scraped later: like any kid, you wanted to explore around your new environment; not during the day when everyone would be awake, that’s no fun, but when the sky was mixed with tangerines and blueberries.

You made sure Chris was still sleeping, for no adventure could be fun if someone knew exactly where you were going.

Putting on your wellington boots, you left through the back door of his mansion and embarked into the woods, humming, singing, throwing your stuffed bear in the air and catching it as it came back down.

All was going well, until a sudden blast of an air horn terrified you out of your skin. With the ground shaking, you lose balance and fall into a pile of leaves. To your horror, you discover your stuffed bear not landing with you, but rolling off the hill.

Urgently, you leap to your feet and was smart enough to know you were approaching the edge- a wrongly timed tree root thought differently, leading you to roll too. Bluntly.

“Ow...ow...ow!”

For what felt like ages, you finally came to be stationary and in dizzy vision, you saw your intact teddy bear in front of you.

You would’ve cheered, but your suspiciously wet forehead contracted your arm, seeing the freshly imprinted red on your palm reminding your consciousness of a similar sensation on your knee,“Ohhh that’s not good...”

“Hey Chef... Do you know where (Y/N) is?”

“(Y/N)? I thought you had ‘em.”

Chris’ instinctive worry quickly morphed into nonchalance once he heard your tale, but was still willing to bandage you,“You had me all worried just for that to be the case?”

“Are you mad at me?”

“Did you have fun?” He asked, cleaning your knee.

“I did.”

“Then you’re spared. You gotta be more careful though. If it was anything more serious, your parents will never let you into my hands again.”

Really? Over this?,“Ohhh, but I’m fine! I’m still alive, aren’t I?”

“Haha, you’re lucky you’re not my child.” He joked in response,“Alsoooo, while we’re on the topic of home, they called.” He walks over to his drawer and extracts a dreadfully familiar booklet, smirking at you,“Looks like someone forgot to pack their summer homework.”

You groaned,“Nooo... Why did you show me that? I thought I was on holiday, aren’t I meant to relax?”

Chris chuckled, shrugging,“Education is the scam of the century, (Y/N)! You’ll get used to it.”

“No faiiiir. I’m a kid! I should get to be on holiday forever!” You protested.

“Shouldn’t we all? Sadly, it’s one of those yucky things of life.” He wears a mocking melancholic look.

You blow a raspberry,“More like the yuckiest! Why does school have to exist in the first place? It’s sooo boring!”

“We can all agree with you there, my dear child,” He rubs your head in pity.

You tittered,“You’re the coolest, uncle Chris! If I said that back home, mom wouldn’t let me watch tv for the rest of the day.”

He laughs with you,“She was never the fun one in the family.” He goes serious,“Don’t tell her I said that, or else you won’t be the only one with an injury.”

“Got it!”

After Chris was done patching you up, you take the booklet outside, sulkily murmuring,“Nghh... I don’t wanna do this...”

Courtney happened to be nearby when she heard your dilemma,“Hey (Y- What happened to you? Are you alright?” Her concern real.

“I’m fine...”

“Aw! Poor thing. You can’t do homework when you’re unwell! Want me to help you?” She offered...to do algebra?

“Sure! It’s one of my best suits, especially as a CIT!” She enthusiastically seizes your booklet from your hand and immediately starts answering the first page. You watch in bewilderment.

She’s so smart...! Like a robot!

“(Y/N)? Any camper you want to give invincibility to tonight?” Your uncle asked with a smile.

“Uh... I really like Gwen, but I also like Leshawna...” you sheepishly selected.

Keeping his smile, he turned to said campers and threw both of them a marshmallow.

“That’s my buddy!” Leshawna cheered.

“Thanks (Y/N)!” Gwen’s sweet smile tainted ruthlessly to Heather.

“Brat.”

It was funny seeing Heather get annoyed.

After the week’s elimination ceremony, you gave Chris a toothy grin,“Unnnncle, wanna play uno with me?”

“You bet I do! Wanna invite Chef?” He asked, taking your hand.

“Yeah!”

#chris mclean #request #tdi x reader #tdi #total drama island chris #uncle chris mclean #nibling reader #nibling #chris mclean x reader #td chris mclean x reader #total drama chris mclean #td chris #total drama #total drama headcanons

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not-magdi · 1 year ago

Text

Media Intern - Pt.1

Summary: Getting accepted at her dream job at FC Barcelona and starting a new journey that can lead her god nows where.

Warnings: None

Words: 1.3

Part 2

Deciding to study Sports Management, Y/N stood before the decision on which University she should study. Not having a single idea where she wanted to go she just sent applications to the five most attractive looking universities. These being the Universidad de Barcelona, the LUNEX University in Luxembourg, and three more in France and Austria, and England.

After getting cancellations from three out of the five Universities she had to decide between Barcelona and England. After thinking for a long time she decided that she wanted to study in Barcelona, preferring the hot Spanish weather over the rainy English one.

This leads her to now, after finding an apartment near campus and packing all her things to move to Spain she now is in the middle of her second semester.

Starting to search for a roommate shortly into the first semester, after realizing that Barcelona is freaking expensive and paying for everything alone is impossible. Surprisingly just one hour after posting her offer online someone answered.

Carmen Sanchez, 19 years old studying International Marketing. After meeting up and clicking immediately they ended up as roommates.

Y/N was happy she was now not as alone anymore, having someone there when you come home has something comforting while living so far away from your home country.

Now in the middle of her second semester, Y/N's desk was full of piles of books and folders, needing to study for various exams and projects she has to hand in, in the next few weeks.

Finishing her last course of the day Y/N is about to head home as her professor stops her, "Y/N... wait a second, please." Turning around Y/N comes to a halt turning around to see her professor going up to her with a smile on his face.

"Hello, Professor what can I do for you?" asking him as he stops in front of her fishing a little folder out of his bag.

"Oh, nothing ... I just got this job offer from FC Barcelona, my cousin works there and sent me this. They are searching for an intern in their social media department. She sent it to me asking if one of my students would maybe be interested, and I thought of you."

Handing her the folder she opens it, seeing the details of the offer. She once told him that she searches for a job as affording school supplies is really expensive and her savings are slowly coming to an end.

"Thank you professor ... I will definitely look into it. " Y/N told him and put the folder into her bag trying not to freak out.

"Please do that ... I think something like this would really fit you and benefit your studies. That's all, I just wanted to give you the folder. Hope you have a nice evening ... bye Y/N" waving him goodbye, Y/N continued her way home, the offer from Barcelona the only thing on her mind.

Football has always been a passion of Y/N, starting to watch it with her dad every Sunday and loving it just as much as him.

Y/N always admired the reporters who got to travel around the world and getting to comment on the sport they love. Wanting to be just like them, Y/N worked her ass off to be able to study Sports Management and now getting this offer, Y/N was over the moon.

Opening the front door she searched for Carmen to tell her the news, "Carmen where are you ... you can never guess what Professor Cruz just gave me !" Running into their living room she spots Carmen on the couch with her laptop on her lap.

"What did he give you?", looking up from her laptop she chuckles at Y/N's excited behavior.

Jumping beside Carmen on the couch she pulls the folder out of her bag showing it to her. "Look ... it's a job offer from THE FUCKING FC BARCELONA!" Y/N tells Carmen squealing the last part.

"OMG really ... that's so cool. Please tell me you already sent something to them."

Y/N looks at her, "No ... he gave me that thing thirty minutes ago, should I have done it while walking home?" Raising an eyebrow at Carmen she continues. "I wanted to do it now but I have no clue what I should write them, I think 'Hey I'm Y/N, I love football I have no clue what I should do at your club, and would really like the job' won't bring me in"

"See this is why you have me ... you didnt even read the folder because if you would have read it, you would have seen that they gave you an exact list of what they want to know about you"

Giving her the paper, Carmen closes the project she has been working on her laptop and opens an empty Word document.

"They want my Instagram name too?" looking surprised Y/N looks at Carmen, "Why would they want that?"

"They want to see what you post and if you could damage the image of the Club ... we had that last week in one of my courses. That's something many companies now do, most of the time big and famous companies, like FC Barcelona. These days something like that is mandatory." Carmen tells her.

"Wow, that's kind of scary" speaks Y/N as she turns the page around.

"Yeah it kind of is ... but now let's go to work, let's start with your CV" Carmen takes the folder and looks at what the first thing on the list is. "They want to know what my work experience is ..."

It took them solid three hours and five Red Bulls but they're done. Before them now lays a complete CV with as many details as they could put into it, a Photo of Y/N, and a recommendation from Professor Cruz, ready to be sent.

"You ready?" Carmen looks at Y/N, who holds her trembling finger over the sent button.

"Y-yes ... I think so?", taking a deep breath she presses the send button and closes her eyes.

Your application was successfully sent.

"Omg ... I can't believe I just did that ... I think I need a beer", chuckling Carmen looks at her and adds, "Please bring me one too ... they have no choice but to accept you with that bomb CV we just wrote."

Laughing Y/N stands up and goes to the kitchen to grab them a beer, they sat on the couch cuddled together watching TV until they both fell asleep.

Y/N hasn't heard anything from them for several days, she slowly started to think she didn't get the job, so she tried to ignore it as best as possible, distracting herself with coursework and projects.

Currently walking home after having to do the shopping today Y/N felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. Pulling it out her mouth fell open, they replied they really replied! Wanting to open it together with Carmen she started to walk home as fast as she could but was too impatient in the end. Opening the Email in the hallway of her apartment building.

Dear Y/N Y/L/N,

We are happy to inform you that we choose you as our new Intern at th-

She got it, she really got the job!

Y/N read the mail over and over again, she started to believe it after the about sixteenth time. Running to her apartment as fast as she could, only tripping once she kicked the door open and shouting at Carmen.

"I got the job! Carmen, they said yes ... I'm going to work at THE FC BARCELONA!"

#pablo gavi oneshot #pablo gavi x reader #pablo gavi x y/n #pablo gavi x you #gavi x reader #pablo gavi icons #pablo gavi #gavi x you #fc barca #barca

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lexosaurus · 5 months ago

Text

Everything Was White: Part 23

[see all chapters]

read on: [ao3] [ffn] (please read tags)

Summary: After being accidentally revealed to the public and taken away by the government, Danny deals with the aftermath of his time with the GIW.

****

Danny watched the countdown on Tucker’s television. They usually celebrated New Year’s at Sam’s house, but not this year.

He wasn’t allowed over to her house anymore.

Thousands of people were packed in the streets of Manhattan, all cheering over some pop singer Danny didn’t recognize. He’d been a little too busy lately to keep up with current media trends.

Danny had a Coke in hand. Sam and Tucker were also drinking Coke, plus a little something extra that Sam had snuck from her parents’ liquor cabinet. Danny desperately wanted some too, but he wasn’t allowed. He was on medication.

Still, sobriety wasn’t fun when surrounded by people who were not. So, when he last excused himself to the bathroom, he popped an extra pill instead.

He didn’t have many of these left. He could have rationed it better. But he didn’t.

Oops.

He should have felt happy tonight. Relieved, even. He’d made it through what could easily be defined as the worst year of his life. He’d experienced the deepest depravity that humanity had to offer, and he was still alive.

That meant something. He knew it did, deep down inside. But he couldn’t stop the crushing crises course through him as he said goodbye to the previous year and hello to the next. A hello so empty, it felt like a black hole was sucking his entire psyche into it.

This would be the next year of his life. Another year of the Ghost Investigation Ward stalking him. Another year of the fire of his fried nerves igniting in his chest. Another year of clawing at the steepest cliff of recovery until his fingers bled and his voice was hoarse from yelling, pleading for someone to listen, for someone to help.

The singer’s set ended, and one of the television announcers came on air to announce the final minute of the year. The crowd’s roar increased, and Tucker playfully nudged his shoulder.

“This is it, dude!” he yelled, his voice thick with alcohol.

Danny pulled his throw blanket farther up his torso and gave what he hoped was an adequate thumbs-up to his friends. His fingers were heavy and clumsy tonight.

Sam said something, and Tucker burst into laughter, grabbing her arm for support.

The chasm between Danny and his friends had never felt larger.

To them, this New Year’s celebration symbolized something different from his. It had been a horrible year for them too, but their trauma was done and over now. They’d fought valiantly for Danny to come home, and he had.

Yay! Victory for Sam and Tucker!

And now, it was over. Whatever horribleness that they’d dealt with was about to be wiped clean.

But Danny’s…wasn’t.

And that was the difference between them. They got to do normal teenager things like drink alcohol on New Year’s, while he couldn’t. They got to laugh about what awaited them in the upcoming year, while he couldn’t. They got to be normal, while he wasn’t.

During their freshman year, there had been a point where he knew they were jealous of his ghost powers. Tucker had been a little more of an open book, but even Sam—in her loudest angry outbursts—had expressed more or less the same. But now, even when Danny stretched his ghostly empathy as far as it could reach, he couldn’t detect the barest whisper of jealousy from either of them.

Because his powers were only fun until they weren’t. And at that point, they were life-ruining.

“Shhh! They’re starting!” Sam said, flinging her arms across Tucker.

When was the last time she’d playfully touched him like that?

He took a long swig of his drink and tried to block out the acrid taste in his throat.

“Ten…nine…eight…”

Danny felt the warm embrace of the blanket and the medication. The burning in his chest lessened, finally, though no one else but him would be able to tell.

He had become an expert at hiding his pain.

“Seven…six…five…”

Sam was standing now, and Tucker was trying his best to help Danny up so he could celebrate with them. They stumbled, but Sam grabbed his other side, her strong arms supporting his weak ones.

Her laugh bubbled in his ears. He’d always liked her laugh. It was sharp, especially through the tilted room.

“Four…three…”

Tucker said something, but Danny couldn’t understand him.

He…

The world was warping now. Melting, spinning.

It was nice. So, so nice. To not have to think. To let the chatter of his friends blend into the sound of the television and fog until everything was too indistinguishable for him to attempt to puzzle out.

“Two…”

He leaned on his friends, who were free to interpret that however they’d like. Maybe he was leaning on them because he wanted to be closer to them, maybe he just couldn’t support his body.

Wow. The world was really spinning. Thank god his parents were letting him stay over at Tucker’s tonight. There was no way he could deceive his mom right now.

“One!”

His friends cheered beside him, the TV was a mirage of colorful confetti, and just like that, the new year had begun.

Danny took another sip of his rum and coke.

Perfect.

****

Jazz left with Jack. It was a three-day road trip to Boston, just the two of them, stopping at a few prime tourist locations to give Jazz her last big “hurrah” on the way to her new life.

Maddie didn’t go. She couldn’t. She had to stay here with Danny. Danny couldn’t be by himself yet. Danny wasn’t healthy enough. What if Danny needed something? Danny couldn’t travel with them. Danny wasn’t stable enough.

Danny, Danny, Danny.

Danny liked to pretend that his parents planned Jazz’s college move-in this way. That they hadn’t been stressing about who would have to miss out on such a monumental moment in their child’s life, and Jack hadn’t given Maddie his signature guilty smile on his way out the door.

That Danny hadn’t gotten in the way of his sister’s life yet again.

He liked to pretend that he had been at Harvard with her, hugging her goodbye. That their last moments together hadn’t been in their living room, that he hadn’t turned away from her, ducked his head, and mopped the corners of his eyes because he’d failed at hiding how selfish he was, failed at obscuring the truth.

He liked to pretend that Jazz’s last words to him hadn’t been, “Promise you’ll call, okay?” and that there hadn’t been an underlying tone of, “Promise you’ll call me if you need me, if you’re having a hard time, if you’re feeling close to a breakdown, okay?”

He liked to pretend he’d left her with words of encouragement, telling her to have a good time and to make new friends, instead of the words he actually said: “I’ll miss you.”

He liked to pretend.

It was easier to give in to the fog.

****

Danny flew deeper into the city, invisible. He’d missed this, the rush of air across his cheeks, the tight twists and turns around building corners he could make, the feeling of freedom flowing through his veins.

He’d missed this far too much. And now that he’d built back some of his strength in his ghost form over the past few weeks, indulging in a daring flight after so long was pure bliss.

It would be better if he didn’t have to hide Phantom like some dirty secret. He wished, more than anything, he could go back to the way things were before his reveal. But if nothing else, he still had his invisibility.

Racing against an imaginary opponent, he channeled more power into his speed, pushing himself harder than he had in months. He was still a long way off from his top speed, but he would get there again. Maybe not tomorrow, but eventually.

He whipped around a corner and flew through an intersection. It was empty, but intangibility meant he didn’t have to care about passing cars. He couldn’t help it, he whooped in delight. It had been so long, too long.

The whir of a car engine going a little too fast for the area sounded behind him. Danny risked glancing back, wondering what kind of idiot was seriously speeding down this road, only for him to nearly fall onto the pavement.

It was a white van.

A Guys in White van.

He cut around a corner and pulled up in the middle of the road, turning to look behind him. Sure enough, the van also turned the corner.

That wasn’t a coincidence.

His world slowed around him, he felt the weight of the collar snapping on his neck and the sounds of a gunshot rattling in his mind. He grasped for his neck, but where he expected a collar, there was only skin. His parents weren’t here this time, no one was shooting at his dad. It was just a memory, just a memory.

He forced himself back to reality, back to the van approaching him. Just before it gained on him, he took the risk and bolted back the way he came.

Only to hear tires screech as the van pulled an illegal U-turn in the middle of the damn road.

The van was following him. It was following him.

It was following him.

If they knew he was here, then the van was likely outfitted with power-level detectors and ectosignature readers. Wouldn’t the agents know that the ghost they were following was Phantom? And that they couldn’t touch him anymore?

What a silly thought, though, assuming that a piece of paper from a judge meant anything to the federal government. Of course, they were following him because he was Phantom.

Danny’s blood roared in his ears, and he kicked it into high gear, dodging around the maze of city blocks until he didn’t know where he was anymore. Colors melded with the wind, whipping past his face and stinging his cheeks. Panic and adrenaline forced him forward, stretching him to his limits and past them. He needed to get out of here, get away, shake them, don’t get caught, Danny, don’t get caught.

Bracing himself, he jetted through a row of buildings, timing his rings to snap and his powers to fade out just as he exited the last wall and crashed onto the alley pavement.

A chorus of cries sounded around him, and he scrambled behind a dumpster, breathing hard. His body had not liked that fall, and his chest was singing a song of pain. He flipped his hood over his hair and ducked his head into his knees, forcing himself to breathe through the waves of nausea and fire that licked his body.

“Who the fuck?”

“Hey! Hey, kid!”

The gruff voices around him got closer.

“Did he just fly through the fucking wall?”

“Someone get this fucking—”

“Kid!”

Danny risked peering up to see a shaggy man in a beanie holding his backpack. “Hey, that’s mine!” he cried, sitting upright.

“Hang on, is that…?”

“Oh, nah!” A tall man in a bomber jacket threw the end of his joint to the ground and stomped it out with his foot. “Nah, I’m not sticking around!”

A few other men followed him out of the alley.

“I’m sick of this ecto-bullshit!” Danny heard the bomber-jacket guy cry from the street.

“That—that’s mine.” Danny slowly stood, despite his shaking limbs. He held onto the brick wall for support and let his eyes glow green. “Give it back.”

He watched as the remaining men behind the beanie guy stiffened, and one more slipped from the alley.

The beanie guy dropped the bag and raised his hands in surrender. “Hey, I wasn’t tryna steal it. I was giving it back.”

Danny let the glow of his eyes peter out. Then a white van zoomed past the alley, and on instinct, he dropped back to the ground and curled up behind the dumpster.

His actions had not gone unnoticed. A man with a gravelly voice said, “Hey, Tim, I think the Phantom is hiding from someone.”

The beanie man pivoted between the small group and Danny. He leaned down, his face softening. “Phantom? Are you bein’ chased?”

Danny’s mouth dried. He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

“I don’t wanna get in nobody’s business,” another man from the group said. He picked up his own ratty backpack. “I ain't tryna get on the cop’s radar, kid.”

“Wait, come on!”

But the man in the ratty backpack too ducked out of the alley.

“Sorry,” Danny choked out. At the moment, it was all he could do. The GIW had to have known he was still in the area, even if they couldn’t detect him in human form. They knew he was trapped here.

It would be too easy to capture him now, especially in a seedy place like this. They could just blame it on the local population who, by the looks of things, had their own set of problems they were dealing with.

“Leon, we can’t leave the kid here,” the beanie guy said. “Not if he’s bein’ chased.”

“He’s a ghost, ain't he? Phantom kid, can’t you fly away?”

Danny gripped his bangs and breathed low into his forearms. He wanted these men to leave him alone, go back to smoking weed and whatever else was in their pockets, just let him deal with his own shit behind this dumpster.

God. How pathetic. He’d only just gotten his ghost form back and already was cowering in an alley like a criminal.

You haven’t done anything wrong, he reminded himself. Phantom’s legal now. You’ve done nothing wrong.

So why didn’t it feel that way? Why was everyone treating him like some disgusting leper? Why couldn’t he just fly around the city without his worst nightmare tracking his every move?

He heard the van pass by the alley again and dropped his head back onto his knees.

God, he was exhausted. He hated this feeling, he hated everything about this.

“Come on, Phantom, we gotta get you out of here.”

A hand gently touched his shoulder, and Danny jerked back. “Don’t touch me.”

The beanie man retracted his outstretched arm. “Sorry, but you gotta get out of here.”

Danny saw that the remaining men from their original huddle had ventured closer, and he directed the green glow back into his eyes, hoping to scare them back.

Phantom’s powers bleeding into his human form or not, he wasn’t strong enough yet to handle these four men in human form. Especially when his collapsible crutches were currently tucked in his backpack.

“I’m not moving,” he hissed. “Don’t even try.”

“Whoa, whoa! Calm down, kid.”

“Tim, it’s a ghost. It ain't gonna listen.”

Danny’s head snapped over to the other talkative shaggy man. What was his name? Lenon?

“Uh, Leon, I don’t think he likes being called an ‘it.’”

“No, he doesn’t,” Danny snarled. “Get away from me.”

“Phantom, we ain't tryna hurt you. We tryna help.”

Danny’s brows shot up. “Oh? Forgive me if my ecto-bullshit self has—has trouble believing you.”

“Come on, Tim, let’s go,” a new voice piped up. “He don’t wanna talk.”

Good. Leave him alone, let him stay here until the Guys in White give up their search and move to another city block. They couldn’t track him in his human form. So long as he stayed quiet, stayed hidden, he could lose them.

His chest whispered in discontent again, and he couldn’t help the choked gasp that came out of his lungs.

“Phantom, you alright?”

Danny tried to nod, but the adrenaline was leaving his body and with it the last of the pain medication. That, or his body was finally letting him know just how unhappy it was that he’d rammed into the pavement a minute ago.

“Yo, agents! Get the fuck out!” the bomber-jacket man’s distant voice shouted from the street.

Danny’s breathing picked up again, and his head swam. They can’t touch you. They can’t touch you, he repeated like a mantra to himself.

“Remain calm, we’re only here for a routine inspection,” another voice echoed around the corner.

Danny went cold.

His eyes trailed back up to the small group of scraggly men before him with untamed beards and missing teeth. He closed his eyes and clamped his jaw together. Finally, he gave a low, “Help me.”

The men wasted no time grabbing his backpack and arms, hoisting him up, and pulling him down and around the alley at a pace Danny could only pretend to keep up with.

He should have been humiliated, but he was too focused on trying not to puke.

“Where we takin’ him?” the man with the deepest voice whispered. His accent wasn’t from around here. Danny couldn’t place it—maybe New York? He wasn’t lucid enough to be able to tell.

“Drew’s just ‘round the corner,” the beanie man said.

“What, you crazy? We can’t take him there,” the man with the probably-Brooklyn accent said.

“Why not?”

“‘Cause, that’s the kid! He’s—” Brooklyn’s voice lowered. “He’s the Phantom. ”

“Yeah, but Drew’s place is on the next block.”

Danny heard a sharp sigh. “Fine, but it was your idea.”

“Hey, kid,” came a scrappy voice and the smell of cigarettes. Danny was only vaguely aware that someone was leaning down to his height. “We gonna take you to a friend’s house. You gotta keep your mouth shut about it, though.”

“Fine by me,” Danny muttered.

They jerked him around another corner and Danny grunted at the sudden movement, nearly sending the entire team tumbling.

“Can’t you walk, Phantom?” Brooklyn asked.

“Not really,” Danny growled. He could, but not without tools. And not this quickly.

“Remember?” the gravelly man said. “He’s got a wheelchair.”

“Oh yeah, where is it?”

“Not here,” Danny said.

They halted before a dingy door. Behind it was the low thump of a hip-hop bass and various deep voices. The beanie man stood before it and knocked.

There were footsteps, and then a lock turned, and smoke poured out of the open door. Danny lowered his head, his heart suddenly in his throat. The last thing he needed right now was to be recognized and tossed back into this sketchy alley.

“Winnie! You look as radiant as ever,” the gravelly voice said from behind him.

“Fuck off, Leon,” a woman responded. “Get in here.”

“Thanks, princess!”

“Don’t call me that.”

The group stumbled through the doorway. The man with the beanie dragged Danny over to a giant sectional couch in the middle of the room and dropped him next to a group of larger men who did not look like they were cool with Danny’s scrawny butt being nearly thrown over them.

“Hey! Tim, what the hell?” One of the men jumped out of the way.

The voices in the room hushed. Immediately, Danny was aware that every eye was on him.

Yeah…

“Whoa, is that—”

Someone muted the music.

“That’s the Phantom kid!”

Despite most of these men easily weighing at least a hundred pounds more than him, they scrambled away as if he were the biggest threat here.

“Bro, what the fuck?!” One of the bodybuilder-like men stomped over to the four scrawny homeless-looking men. “What the fuck are you thinking bringing him in here?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” The gravelly man– Leon, was it? —put his arms out in defense.

“Easy!” another man in the room yelled.

A trim man on the edge of the couch put out his joint and stood. Immediately, all eyes were locked on him. He was tall with black, meticulously faded hair and sharp eyes that flickered between the two groups of men in the room. His face was smooth, cheekbones high, and his expression unreadable. His black hoodie was long, but when he raised his arm back up to point at Leon’s group, Danny saw slender fingers peeking through.

“I have a quick question for you four.” The man’s voice was smooth and yet just as sharp as the suspicion in his eyes.

Danny could feel the tension in the room mount. He didn’t dare move a muscle.

“Just what the hell were you fuckwits thinking?”

“Drew!” the man with the beanie defended. “The feds was chasin’ that kid. I couldn’t leave him out there.”

The man—Drew—turned, approaching Danny as if he were rabid, assessing every inch of him. Around them, one spoke, no one so much as twitched.

Danny held his gaze just as he would any other ghostly predator. Because this man—this situation—was familiar. It was just like the ghosts in the Zone. Ghosts held respect via power, and this man before him clearly commanded the room.

It was perhaps the ghostly part of his brain that whispered that if this commander signaled for his cronies to attack, Danny would have no way of escaping without transforming.

“You’re really Phantom?” the commander finally spoke, his dark eyes boring into Danny’s.

The unease in the room thickened as Danny hesitated, but then he gave in, pulling the green of his core into his eyes. He saw green light reflect onto the smoky air before him, and gasps rang around the room.

“See, Drew? I wasn’t lying.”

“What the hell are you doing in our part of town?” the commander— Drew asked. “Aren’t you supposed to be injured or something?”

Danny finally broke eye contact. “I—I—I’m being followed.”

“And? How is that my problem?”

Danny looked around the room, finally taking in the faces of the cronies hovering along the plain, undecorated wall. All shapes and sizes stared back at him bearing expressions ranging from apprehension to fear.

Danny sighed and began struggling upright. “Look, this was an accident. Sorry for—for intruding. I’ll leave.”

Drew folded his arms, watching Danny clumsily try to balance without assistance.

“Can I—” Danny looked around the room to see one of the men still holding his bag. He needed his crutches. “Can I have my bag?”

“Your bag?” Drew glanced over to Leon’s group. “Give it to me.”

Danny held his arm up. “Wait—”

The braver of the bodybuilders stepped forward and pushed him back onto the couch.

Danny fell back, heat rising to decorate his cheeks. How degrading, being pushed down so easily by this random human man.

“For all I know, this is a sting.” Drew rifled through his bag and dumped the contents on the floor. “Are your brains really that fucking fried? If the government is tracking this kid, then why the fuck would you bring him here?”

“I didn’t know where else to bring him!”

“I don’t care, I’m not going to prison for kidnapping a fucking celebrity!”

“Wait—wait, my—” Danny winced as two metal tubes fell out of the bag and clattered onto the floor.

“The fuck are these?” Drew asked, nudging one with his foot.

Danny’s face was surely blazing red. “My crutches.”

“Those don’t look like crutches to me.”

“They’re coll–collapsible. My dad built them.”

Drew nodded to the bodybuilder who picked one up like it was a pipe bomb and gingerly handed it over to Danny.

He tried not to fumble as he felt for the side of the tube, pressing the button and expanding the device to reveal a regular arm crutch.

Drew nodded stiffly and returned to ripping the bag apart.

“If I could—could have the other one, that—that would be—”

“Shut up,” Drew said. He unzipped the front pocket, and it took all of Danny’s strength to refrain from transforming into Phantom right there.

“Wait!” Danny stumbled forward, his hand shaking again. But one crutch wasn’t enough, and he collapsed at Drew’s feet.

Drew’s hands tightened on something, and Danny had a moment of pure terror icing his veins before Drew’s hand slowly pulled out his cell phone.

Relief shuddered over him, and Danny couldn’t help the shaky breath that escaped his lips.

Drew’s eyes pierced into his. “It’s off.”

“I—I didn’t want anyone…tracking me.”

Drew rolled his eyes and tossed the phone down onto the coffee table full of ash and drugs. And to Danny’s utter despair, his hand plunged back into his backpack and he pulled out something else.

Something that sucked the air out of Danny’s lungs completely.

Drew held up the bag of pill bottles like it was some sort of prize. He read the labels, and Danny watched as his lips curled upwards in realization.

“No,” Danny mumbled, too stricken to do much else. “Please stop, stop.”

“Who would have known,” Drew said, almost thoughtfully. “Danny Phantom, town hero, on opioids.”

Sharp breaths and mutters filled the room.

Danny felt his eyes prickle in shame. “No, you don’t—you don’t understand. I need those. Please, I need them. They—they’re my medication.”

“Right, Pamela Manson,” Drew sneered. He kicked the other crutch over to Danny, who scrambled to unlock it and push himself up.

“You don’t understand,” Danny said, his voice slightly less panicked now that he was on equal footing. “I’m a—a halfa, human medication doesn’t work the same on me. I have nerve damage.”

“And so, what, you need to go behind the doctors’ backs? Steal other people’s shit?” Drew laughed. “Doesn’t that go against your moral hero shtick?”

“No—I—” Danny gritted his teeth in frustration. His throat closed, his voice betraying him.

“Don’t get yourself worked up, kid. I don’t care.” Drew put the plastic bag back in his backpack. “I just think it’s funny, is all. It also makes sense. I mean, no one can get thrown into so many buildings all the time without having a little something to take the edge off.”

Annoyance pinged through Danny. This guy was completely misunderstanding the situation, but Drew was a total stranger accompanied by other strangers. There was no way Danny was about to get into the intricacies of ghost biology and Obsessions with this random guy.

But he couldn’t just let people think that Phantom was some sort of junkie who only got into ghost fights because of drugs.

The voices around them were starting to pick up again.

“Who woulda thought.”

“I always figured the guy was on something.”

“So much for the hero thing.”

Danny cringed, listening to the whispers making all sorts of assumptions about his character.

No, no, no. Why was this happening? Now everyone was going to know that he used drugs and everyone was going to think he was some sort of addict chasing his next high rather than the truth.

He needed to fix this. Do something—say something. Anything. He needed the medication. For pain, for sleep, for anxiety, to be normal. Didn’t they understand? No, of course they didn’t. They didn’t know what happened while he was supposedly arrested. There were rumors, but they didn’t know, they didn’t get it.

But his voice didn’t work, and it was obvious that Drew had a smarter tongue than he did anyway. He needed to show them. There was a way. He had the visual evidence, didn’t he?

Before he could talk himself out of it, he phased his hoodie off and pulled his T-shirt up to his neck.

“Whoa, Phantom, what are you—” Drew’s eyes snapped onto his chest, and despite wanting to crawl into a hole and die, Danny forced himself to keep looking forward.

The room was silent once again.

“This is what the—what the government did,” Danny said.

Realization hit Drew’s face, and his jaw dropped as horror overtook his features.

Danny released his T-shirt, humiliation crawling up his spine. “They had to recut me open at the—at the hospital after because the—the operatives didn’t bother putting everything back together correctly.”

He looked out into the room, and the faces of disgust, revulsion, and pity looked back at him. Self-consciousness threatened to knock him back down to the couch, but he pushed it away.

He’d never told anyone what happened outside of therapy. Sure, Sam and Tucker may have pieced it together more or less on their own, but these guys were strangers, and Danny had never told strangers anything.

“So the rumors are true,” the round-faced girl from the doorway said. “You know, what they been saying about you.”

Danny leaned on his crutches. “That’s why I have the meds. Honestly.”

Drew exhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Why not go to a doctor? Aren’t you fucking famous?” He handed Danny’s bag over, finally.

Danny didn’t want to mention that the contents of his backpack were still scattered all over the floor.

“Wouldn’t you be able to get this shit from them?”

“Because, like I already said, my metabolism burns through this faster than—than normal humans. I can’t just—I’m already on a prescription. It doesn’t work, and they won’t listen to me because I’m too young.”

“And now you just happened to land here.”

“What?” Danny guffawed. “You think I planned this?”

“No, no, that’s—” Drew sighed sharply and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. He glanced around the room, seeming to realize the audience they still had around them. “Alright, everyone get the fuck out for a second. Except…” He looked at one of the bodybuilders next to him. “Except you. Everyone else, out. And don’t say a fucking word about this or you won’t like what happens.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not a snitch,” one of the men said. He grabbed a jacket thrown over the couch and began leading the group out.

The group of scraggly men gave Danny a sympathetic look, and the man in the beanie nodded one last time to him. “Good luck, Phantom.”

“Nice to meetcha, kid,” the woman said. She paused, looking like she wanted to say more, but then ducked out the back door with everyone else.

And then it was just the three of them: Danny, Drew, and the third man who, without the interference of ghost powers, could probably beat the shit out of Danny in about two seconds flat if he wanted to.

Thankfully, Danny had intangibility on his side.

The door closed, and Drew collapsed onto the couch, picking up a blunt from the table. He took his time lighting it and inhaling, before, much to Danny’s surprise, he held his arm out, offering it to Danny.

“Uh—um, no thanks,” Danny said quietly. “I don’t smoke.”

Drew shrugged and took another hit instead. He gave Danny a curious look. “Jeez, kid, I’m not gonna bite. Sit down.”

Danny glanced back at the bodybuilder, who was also sinking into an armchair, before he decided to sit back down. Which, glancing down at his quivering legs, was probably good timing.

“Alright, so you were being chased, you said?” Drew asked.

“Yeah.”

“By who?”

“The Guys in—Ghost Investigation Ward,” Danny responded, barely remembering to use their official name rather than the mocking one he and his classmates preferred.

Drew shot him a suspicious look. “I thought y’all went to court with those guys?”

Danny’s silence was enough of an answer.

“Figures.” The bodybuilder tsked his tongue. “They don’t play by their own rules.”

“The fuck were you doing in this part of town anyway? Aren’t you from the west side?”

Sometimes Danny forgot that nearly all his personal life was easily found online. “I—uh, I can fly. It’s…I get around.”

“Shit, I guess you can.”

They fell back into silence, and Danny watched the smoke swirl around the air. Now that any lingering adrenaline had completely left his body, he was steadily becoming more aware of his own discomforts. The fire from the fall prickled his chest, and his ectoplasmic power itched his skin, threatening to emerge and force him to fly away. His throat was parched, but his water bottle was still somewhere on the floor with the rest of his stuff.

Drew tracked Danny’s eyes to his scattered belongings and jerked his head to his friend. “You mind getting our guest’s things?”

“Huh?” the man said.

Danny instantly felt self-conscious all over again. “No—no, don’t worry. It’s fine.”

“Marcus, the kid can’t walk, come on.”

The bodybuilder grumbled but nonetheless stood from his chair, scooped Danny’s things up, and stuffed them haphazardly back in his backpack.

Danny sat tense on the couch. He wasn’t sure what this sudden tone shift from Drew was about, or what his new objective was by shooing everyone else away. He couldn’t have been in a rush to talk to Danny given the blunt that he was blowing into the room. Regardless, every single movement had Danny on high alert.

The bodybuilder jerked his arm out to Danny, who flinched on instinct. “Here,” the man said gruffly, and it took Danny a second too long to realize that he was returning the backpack to him.

“Oh. Thanks.” Danny accepted the bag and gently lowered it to the floor by his feet.

That seemed to satisfy the two men, who settled back into their chairs and passed the blunt between them.

The awkward air was too much. Danny ran his fingers through his hair, saying, “Um…I’m sorry to have intruded, by the way. I—the Ghost Investigation Ward should be gone now. I can leave.”

Drew waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. Those guys are freaks anyway.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Listen, kid,” Drew started, his tone shifting. Apparently, now he was in the mood to talk brass tacks. “I don’t know what the fuck happened to you, but I’ve been around the block and I know your type.”

“My type?” Danny said, bewildered.

“Yeah. Your type. Dumb, upper-middle west kids who get into this world not knowing how the fuck it works.”

“I—I’m not—”

“Don’t fuck with me,” Drew snapped. He took a hit and let the smoke cloud over his head. “I’ve been in this scene my whole life. You think you’re the first kid who went through some shit and got into drugs to help?”

Danny’s mouth slammed shut at that.

“Listen.” Drew dragged himself off the back of the couch and leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I know the shit they sell nowadays. You know what fentanyl is?”

Danny shook his head slowly.

“That’s what I thought.”

“West kids, huh?” The bodybuilder barked a laugh.

Drew ignored his friend, continuing, “I’ll be honest, I always liked Phantom. I always thought you were a good guy just doing what you could do to help with the ghost problem. And if it meant that I didn’t have ghosts fucking with me so much, then I thought it was great that you were out there doing your thing. Which is why I’m gonna propose something to you.”

Danny’s tongue dried. “What is it?”

Drew nodded to Danny’s bag. “If you want something, you come to me for it.”

Whatever Danny was expecting to happen, this wasn’t it. “What?”

But it seemed, by Drew’s unchanging expression, that he was serious. “I don’t want you getting laced shit off the street from some guy who is gonna take advantage of you. If you want some good shit, you want pills , you get it from me.”

“Wait—wait.” Perhaps for the first time, Danny looked around the room and noticed the bags and powders scattered around. “Hang on, are you a dealer?”

The bodybuilder reacted as if Danny had said the funniest thing he’d ever heard. His laugh wheezed, and he wiped his eyes with thick fingers. “Oh man, kid, you’re something else.”

Drew’s lips quirked into an amused sort of expression. “Yeah, Phantom, I’m a dealer. And if you want some pills, then I can give it to you for a fair price. And that’s my proposition.”

“Oh…” Danny’s eyes trailed to his legs. “Oh.”

Never in his life would he have imagined he would be in this position, seriously mulling over the words of a drug dealer.

Danny was a good person. He always had been. He wasn’t some…some addict who needed a drug dealer to cope. He wasn’t that person.

He wasn’t.

And yet, the GIW had fucked that all up. They ruined his body, turning him into someone with constant pain and PTSD to boot. Now they were stalking him, waiting for the best opportunity to snatch him for round two, and if Danny didn’t hurry up and finish healing, they might succeed.

He was a good person, he tried his best, and yet he had no choice.

He needed the medication.

It was that simple.

“Okay. Yeah, thanks.”

Drew stood and stretched, satisfied. He walked out of the room, and Danny heard him rummage for a moment before he returned with a small bag containing a few white pills. He tossed it to Danny, who caught it on reflex.

“Here’s some oxy on the house,” Drew said. “Call it a belated thank-you.”

“For what?” Danny mumbled, turning the bag around as if it were gold. Inside was a scrap of paper with a phone number scratched on it.

Drew didn’t answer, and instead went back on the couch, pulled a vape out of his pocket, and scrolled through his phone.

Getting the cue, Danny stuffed the plastic bag in his backpack and stood to leave. “Thanks,” he said, hoisting his bag over his shoulder and hobbling to the door.

“Don’t mention it,” came Drew’s faded voice as Danny closed the backdoor behind him.

The alley was empty now. Straining his ears, he couldn’t hear any operative voices. But that didn’t mean there wasn’t still a van camped nearby. He slowly shuffled down the block, trying to put distance between himself and Drew’s apartment before he transformed.

Not alerting the government of Drew’s drug den was really the least he could do after everything Drew had done for him.

He turned a corner and found the guy in the bomber jacket smoking along the wall with someone else. The two held each other’s gazes before the man nodded stiffly to Danny, who returned the gesture.

Then, without fanfare, Danny let the rings wash over him, invisibility to cloak back over his body, and he was gone.

In the air.

With his backpack and everything else inside.

****

previous / next

****

Thank you @imekitty for beta reading the chapter!

#danny phantom #everything was white #my writing #angst #please read the ao3 tags #fanfiction

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originalfatfiction · 9 months ago

Text

Project AX3

Tap. Tap. Tap. I was utterly dazed and in a state of total confusion. Someone was at my door, and they were knocking in a very precise nature. It was a constant string of taps with hardly any pause between them. I figured whoever it was would go away after realizing I wasn’t going to answer, but the knocks were persisting, the tone not even increasing in volume. There was no urgency, so I moved slowly, not completely awake. I have to get up, I thought. I reached for my glasses, putting them on my face sleepily. I looked over at my digital clock, noting that it was nearly three. Who in the hell would be at my door at three in the morning? I was suddenly much more alert, kicking off my comforter. I stood up, pulled on a pair of shorts, and ran to answer the door.

“I’m coming!” I called, my mind waking more and more by the second. At the sound of my voice the knocking stopped. They hadn’t been knocking as though they were in distress. It could be the building manager, but in my two years of living here, Bonnie had never knocked this late. Someone could be messing with me. Or it could be a potential intruder. Or it could be a demonic presence. I was making myself panic like I always did. Chill out, I thought. There is probably a simple reason why they’re knocking.

Cautiously, I peered through the peephole to get a look at the culprit. There was nobody there. I paused for a moment, almost certain what awaited me on the other side would bring my demise. I opened the door, and I quickly looked both ways down the hallway of my apartment complex. Maybe it was just some practical joker. I didn’t think there’d be anyone living in this building with the sense of humor of a ten-year-old.

Looking down, I found a note with a key taped to the back. It read, in small, neat writing:

Hello Mr. Kirby,

This is from your neighbor Jomei Tanaka. I live in 707 and I was hoping you would look after my apartment while I am away. Please keep an eye on things, for it is uncertain when—and if—I shall return.

He hadn’t signed his name, just having written the word goodbye.

Why would he just up and leave? Why would he ask me of all people to look after his place? I took the note into my apartment and placed it on the end table by the front door. It gave me a bad feeling, definitely. The nature of the note felt so final, I worried he’d done something reckless. I hoped he would be all right.

I didn’t even know what Mr. Tanaka looked like. I had never seen him. I was pretty sure he even got his groceries delivered. Could I go to the police with just a hunch? Did I need more vital information? I did not want to go rummaging around his apartment this late and get the cops called on me. After about thirty minutes of internal debate, I was starting to get groggy. I would check things out in the morning.

A few hours later I dressed quickly for class, making sure to leave enough time to check out Mr. Tanaka’s apartment. I was feeling guilty about not going to the cops when I first received the note. Mr. Tanaka could be dead in his apartment, and I could’ve made sure he survived. I was once again thinking the worst.

I ate a bagel with cream cheese as I packed my bag for the day. Moving from the kitchen to the living room I grabbed my computer from on top of the coffee table as well as a few textbooks. I had a pack of gum, a couple mechanical pencils, and some other miscellaneous items in the various pockets. Once I finished my breakfast, and was certain I had everything I needed, I headed over to Mr. Tanaka’s. I wondered what he even needed me to look after. His plants? His pet snake? I took in the brass numerals on his door: 707. Unlocking the door caused his alarm system to chime. I worried he might have had it set, but after a few moments of silence I assumed I’d be okay to continue my survey of the scene. I adjusted my glasses and looked around before entering further.

Mr. Tanaka sure left in a rush, or the place had been robbed before I showed up. I stepped over a shattered mug, making my way towards the sofa to set down my bag. His apartment was the deluxe. One of the seven apartments on each floor was a deluxe model. That meant there were four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. My place was miniscule in comparison, being a one bedroom, one bathroom. What did one man need so much space for? He was probably some sort of swinger. I could imagine wild sex parties taking place in each of the various bedrooms. Maybe he’d fallen for someone just this morning and they had to elope in Vegas. Love was just that powerful! I laughed out loud at the idea of it all. That was far-fetched, even for my imagination. My theorizing was cut short by the sound of a ringing telephone.

It continued to ring as I looked around, frantically searching for its location. It was going to be an ordeal attempting to locate it in Tanaka’s tornado zone of an apartment. I had given myself plenty of time to handle this, but I started to fear it was going to make me late for class. I was a junior at the university not too far from here, studying English.

“Hello,” I said reservedly. There was no response. I’d found the phone in one of the bedrooms, which was a total mess—the bedspread on the floor, clothes all over the mattress. “Hello?” I called again. I had picked up the phone just as it stopped ringing so maybe I had missed the caller.

“Hello, this is Doe speaking.” Her voice sounded like one of those recordings they used for voicemails. “Jomei Tanaka, state your authorization number.”

“Uh, hello, Doe,” I said. “Mr. Tanaka isn’t home, and I don’t know when he’ll be back. Can I take a message?”

“No, that will not be necessary. Project will be terminated.”

“Project?” What was she talking about? I wanted to question her, but it was really none of my business. “Doe?”

“Goodbye.” The line went dead. I set the phone down, still trying to figure out what she was talking about. I exited the bedroom, ready to get my bag and—oh my God.

There was a guy, a naked guy, shoving all of my gum into his mouth.

I froze. I had no idea what to do. I didn’t know if I should approach the mentally deranged guy chewing on a twenty-piece wad of peach bubble gum or if I should just snatch my bag and get the fuck away from him.

“So sweet,” he said. His voice sounded kind of like slurps, because of all the gum, but underneath that was a deep, raspy tone. I looked at him more closely, and he appeared well-groomed. He wasn’t bad looking either, actually really handsome. He was tall, somewhat lean, but incredibly muscular, and had barely any body hair. That is to say he had eyebrows and thick black hair on his head and around his penis, but he wasn’t a Sasquatch. “More?”

“Uh, I’m going to take my bag,” I said gently, in case he really was crazy. He grabbed the bag and held it in his arms. If it weren’t for my computer and textbooks, I would have left empty handed. “That—that’s mine.”

“Your bag,” he said. His whole Tarzan routine was concerning. “Your bag! Your bag has chewy stuff inside!”

“Gum?”

“Your bag has gum! I want more gum!” I had just noticed he wasn’t chewing the gum anymore. He had swallowed it, paper and all. He walked close to me, and I got a little nervous. I took a step back, but he kept coming. He extended his arms, holding the strap of my messenger bag. I couldn’t move back any further, my back against a wall. He’d cornered me, though he didn’t seem aggressive. He put my bag on me, his penis brushing against my hip.

“Uh, thank you,” I said, my face hot from discomfort. He didn’t seem to mind being naked. Where did he come from? I had locked the door behind me when I came in; he couldn’t have gotten in that way. He must’ve already been here. Was Mr. Tanaka actually into some sort of weird sex stuff? That’d be outrageous. “What’s your name?” I asked.

“My name is AX3,” he said. That was not a name, at least not in the traditional sense. “That is what Jomei called me.” He was still in my personal bubble.

“Why did he, uh, leave?” I asked cautiously. My hand found its way to his stomach, which felt as if it had been sculpted from marble. I pushed him back gently, for the sake of my nerves. My brain was trying its hardest to make sense of this. Maybe this guy had done something to Mr. Tanaka. The note could have been a means to throw the authorities off, an absolute forgery. It sure looked like there’d been a struggle in this apartment.

“He left because of me, because I was violent—because I was imperfect.” Once again, I was dumbfounded. Was this his way of admitting to harming Mr. Tanaka? I stood silent, terrified of what this giant could do to me. I glanced towards the front door, determined to escape no matter what. “What is your name?” he asked me audaciously, even though I would have been majorly embarrassed if I was standing in front of some stranger in my birthday suit. His question didn’t deter me from focusing on my escape route.

“Casey,” I said, glancing at him and then back to the door. He repeated it back to me, looking me up and down.

“I like you Casey. You look nice.” What did he mean? Nice, like a good person? That I was attractive? Or nice, like the perfect next victim? I walked gingerly towards the door.

“Uh, well I have to get going. See you later, AX3.” I was going to leave the key here because I sure wasn’t coming back. I’d tell the police everything I found, all my suspicions, and be finished with the whole situation. That was my plan. I hadn’t signed up for this. I could handle houseplants and pet snakes, but this was not something I was qualified for.

“I do not want to be alone,” he shouted, walking towards me. He grabbed my arm, pulling me into his naked body. I felt his stone body against my own, noting that he was very warm. “Do not leave! Casey, do not leave!” He was strong, incredibly strong. I was pulling away, but he was grabbing me harder, his penis touching me more and more, pressing against my stomach. It was like he didn’t even notice. Was he getting hard? No, it had to have been my imagination.

“You’re hurting me,” I said, a little alarmed. He let go of me immediately. I looked up at him, and he frowned heavily, like a sad puppy dog. It was actually pretty cute.

“I–I did not mean to hurt you,” he said. “I am sorry.” When Mr. Tanaka’s note asked me to take care of things, did he actually mean him? Like seriously. Did Tanaka think this was an okay thing to ask a distant neighbor to do?

“It’s all right. I forgive you.” He smiled, revealing a set of perfect, white teeth. “I wish you came with instructions,” I mumbled. He smiled even wider and hurried off into one of the bedrooms. I got to take a look at his perfect, round butt. He sped back into the room and handed me a pamphlet. It was his—care instructions?

I doubted I was going to make it to my classes today. Why would Mr. Tanaka leave someone alone who didn’t seem capable of taking care of himself? I was going to get this guy some help and then email my professors about my wild morning. I was sure they’d understand my absence. This was not normal. The telephone rang again.

I retreated back to where I’d left the phone, answering it quickly. “Hello?” No response. I swallowed, my throat dry. I didn’t like feeling like I was in danger. “Doe?”

“You should evacuate the premises. Leave everything as you found it. Goodbye.” I hung up the phone and looked at AX3, who had followed me into the bedroom. He stood perfectly still. I could hear a faint hissing sound.

“Uh, AX3—?” He looked at me, and then I started to feel slightly dizzy. He strode over to me quickly and picked me up. “What—what are you doing—?” My words trailed off. AX3 cradled me in arms, walking quickly towards the front door. He opened it forcefully, breaking the lock in the process. He pulled the door closed before he walked all the way down the hall towards the stairwell. He sniffed my hair as he held me in his arms. I kind of liked him, even if he was nuts. I was still kind of dizzy. “Your hair, it smells like—like sweet!” He was so ditzy, though it was kind of charming. He was probably talking about my hair oil. It was coconut scented. He was still holding me, and though I wasn’t heavy, I didn’t think he would be able to carry me for so long.

“Could you set me down?” I asked. He complied. I stumbled slightly, and he supported me, making sure I had my balance. I wasn’t too sure, but I had a feeling that Doe had something to do with what happened in there. Was she trying to kill AX3? He’d made sure I made it out of there okay and now I had to make sure he was taken care of. I’d help him get into contact with his family, his girlfriend—anybody who could make sure he’d be safe. “Follow me.” We walked back down the hall to my door. I fished around for my key in the pocket of my jeans. I unlocked the door, but not before Mrs. Horowitz saw me with a naked man pressing his flaccid dick into my back. All because he seemed to lack the basic instinct of personal space.

We stumbled in and he followed me into my bedroom. He was like a little duck, well—a big duck. I pulled out a pair of briefs and handed them to him. He put them on, and they rode up his ass. I couldn’t believe I was getting an erection with all that had happened today. He didn’t even try to pull them out from between his beefy cheeks. It couldn’t be helped; they were really small on his large body.

I handed him a t-shirt and that was also too small. The sleeves hugged his biceps and if he moved his arms the shirt rode up on his flat stomach. I walked up to him, pulling at the hem of the shirt, trying to make it cover more of his muscled stomach. I laughed when it wouldn’t stay put. He lifted his arms and once again I tried to pull the shirt down. He gave a husky laugh, smiling at me widely, like it was a game. I was forced to accept I’d just have to look at him semi-nude. My clothes just weren’t going to fit him.

I wasn’t even at his shoulder, meaning he most likely weighed way more than I did too. I couldn’t see him weighing anything close to 145 pounds. I figured he had some clothes back at Tanaka’s, but with what happened earlier I didn’t think it would be a good idea to return there. He’d just have to make do with my too-tight underclothes for now.

I had set down the pamphlet he gave me when we first entered the apartment. I went to retrieve it. He followed, of course. I stood by the end table next to my front door and he stood behind me.

I could hear him breathing behind me as I read the three lines of text. They were labeled as Vital Information.

1. Do not leave AX3 alone for more than 48 hours.

2. Do not allow AX3 to consume more than 500 calories per day.

3. Do not anger AX3; he has the ability to kill.

That was not very helpful. Hell, that gum he swallowed was most likely over 500 calories. I looked at the back of the pamphlet. It was just a diagram of AX3. He was 6’5” and 230 pounds. I sighed and turned around. There he was, smiling at me dimly.

“Who are you?” I mumbled softly. He blinked at me, looking at me with a confused stare. AX3’s eyes were a very pure, bright blue-gray color that seemed almost electric. God they were pretty eyes.

I had monolid eyes, the irises brown in color, inherited from my paternal grandmother who was Korean. The rest of my ancestry was African. In high school, my best friend dubbed me the “Miniature Tyson Beckford.” My freshman year of college I dyed my hair blond, and I was currently in my blue period, with a bold cerulean fade.

“I am AX3.” He smiled again. “You are Casey.”

“I know who you are. I was just thinking out loud.” I didn’t know what to do with him. Should I report him to the police? Should I just let him stay here? “Do you have a way I can contact your family? Your mom or your dad?”

“I only have Jomei,” he said. It nearly broke my heart. I needed to figure something out, because unless I could find Jomei Tanaka it appeared AX3 would be a stray. “Do you know where Mr. Tanaka went?” I asked.

“Away,” he said.

“Yes, but where?” He shook his head no. Whatever the relationship he and Tanaka had, it seemed to be a rocky one. I hated to keep bringing him up to AX3, but he was the only lead I had. “Did he say when he was coming back?”

“He is not coming back, because he does not want me anymore. Because I was imperfect. I failed too many times.”

“What did you fail?” I asked, trying to figure out who AX3 really was—and I was getting tired of calling him AX3.

“The inspections, the tests. He said I was broken. He said they would kill him if I did not pass the tests. I did not like those tests.” He looked angry, and it was an emotion that didn’t suit him. He had such a happy-go-lucky attitude that this was almost like a different person. Looking at me, he panted ferociously. I stepped back, unsure of what he would do. He started punching the wall, over and over again. In a matter of moments, he’d punched three holes in my wall. I could kiss that safety deposit goodbye. I didn’t want to yell at him to stop, afraid that would just make him even more upset. “They hurt! The tests hurt!”

“How—how about a cookie?” I asked, my voice shaky, uncertain if this would calm him down. He stopped, looking confused for a moment, then smiled at me. “C’mon.” He followed me into the kitchen, and I took out my cookie jar. They were oatmeal chocolate chip. I handed him one and he put the whole thing in his mouth.

“Can I have another cookie?” he asked, not even done with the first one. How many calories was this? I handed him another and he ate that one just as fast as he ate the first one. I had to tell him no more after the fifth one.

I was sure I broke the 500-calorie rule, but I was trying to satiate him. 500 calories were like nothing at all and he was huge. It baffled me that he would be able to live on only 500 calories a day. He was probably hangry. It was almost understandable he turned my wall into a punching bag. Maybe Mr. Tanaka had been starving him—though if he were, AX3 wouldn’t look to be in such fantastic shape.

I spent the rest of the day talking to him, every so often bringing up little questions about Mr. Tanaka. I found out that he was a single, older man. They’d lived in that apartment together for the last four years. He only let AX3 eat chicken breasts, celery, carrots, cottage cheese, and water.

I had hoped to find out more, but at around eleven I decided to call it a night. I made up the couch for myself and told AX3 he could sleep in my bed.

“I want to sleep with you,” he protested. It had been a while since I’d heard that from a guy. I wanted to ask if he and Tanaka shared a bed but decided against it. “Please Casey.”

I would never do something so crazy under any other circumstance, but I went with him into my bedroom. He was still wearing the underwear and t-shirt I gave him earlier. I pulled off my jeans and pulled on a pair of athletic shorts. Normally I slept in my underwear, but that didn’t seem appropriate considering the situation. I put my glasses on the nightstand.

We positioned ourselves on my queen-sized mattress and he held onto me. I wanted to push him off, but I didn’t. He wasn’t a bad guy, though I felt like one. He didn’t know what he was doing, and truthfully, I let him in bed with me because I felt lonely.

My ex-boyfriend dumped me out of the blue about a year ago. It was during finals week, and I was completely overwhelmed with essays and projects. I got a text message saying he needed to focus on himself, and that he didn’t have time for a relationship. I was devastated. He was a year ahead of me in school and very popular. The worst part was that I thought everything was fine. We’d gotten dinner the night before and studied in the library together for a few hours afterwards.

I still saw him sometimes in the coffee shop where we had our first date. My freshman year I spent most of my free time there, loving the atmosphere. It was special to me, and that was why I suggested we meet there. Now he was always there, and I was rarely able to avoid him. He always had numerous unsolicited updates about his amazing life.

Before long, with AX3 cuddling me, I was fast asleep.

I woke up around six and looked to my right. Shouldn’t someone have been next to me, or was yesterday a dream?

No—AX3 was gone. I sat up, reaching for my glasses. Hopping out of bed, I put the aviator frames on my face as I rushed from my bedroom into the kitchen. There he was, drinking milk from the jug.

“You don’t want a glass?” I asked. I looked at my counter. It was littered with food packages. He had finished off all the cookies. He had also finished some leftover pizza, a fruit tart my mother made me, a pound of honey roasted turkey breast. My Cinnamon Toast Crunch was gone, as well as my coffee creamer. I think he’d even eaten a stick of butter. His belly was full-looking, and it was shocking how bloated he appeared to be. I wanted to touch his stomach, like I had yesterday. He brought the jug from his lips. “I am sorry Casey,” he said to me. “Do not be mad.”

The 500-calorie rule had officially been broken, though nothing bad seemed to have happened.

I hadn’t gone to my classes in three days, and I was determined to go tomorrow. It would be Thursday, and my last day of classes for the week. I’d spent my time getting to know AX3, and to be honest we didn’t do much aside from hang out. We watched TV and listened to music. I taught him how to make grilled cheese sandwiches. That evening, as we watched an old Disney movie, he asked me to give him a regular name. I was sick and tired of calling him AX3, and I guess he was tired of hearing it as well. I told him he could choose one and I would respect whatever name he chose. He insisted that I had to be the one to pick it, and I settled on Axel, considering it kind of looked like AX3. “How about Axel?” I asked. He laughed, smiling wide, and repeated the name. He liked it.

The next morning, I got ready to leave for class. It was my only true commitment, considering I didn’t work. My parents paid for everything I needed. They told me that they wanted me to focus on my education. I was a bit spoiled in that regard and it was only because they had a great deal of money.

They ran a genetics lab and had hoped their only child would study genetics as well. Sadly, I ran from science courses, never having an affinity for them. Maybe I should have taken Axel to them, but they’d look at him and see he was perfectly normal and shoo me out of their office.

I told him I would be back in less than eight hours. He was eating marshmallows and I had given up on his care instructions. I’d need to go grocery shopping soon. We couldn’t live off pizza and Chinese food forever. We also had to get him some more size appropriate clothing items. “You are leaving?” His eyes got wide.

“I have to go to school. I’m a college student.” I took the marshmallows from his hands and placed them on the counter. “I will be back.”

“No!” He grabbed me into a tight hug, like that day in Mr. Tanaka’s apartment. He was lifting me up, the toes of my shoes scraping against the linoleum of the kitchen floor. It started to hurt. “You will leave just like Jomei.”

He sounded irate, getting more and more worked up. He grabbed harder. He was so unhinged, and it broke me inside to think of what he’d been through to make him this way. Tanaka had really screwed with his head. I started to wonder if he had been abducted as a child. Again, he squeezed tighter and I started getting that lightheaded feeling from a lack of oxygen.

“Axel you’re hurti—I can’t breathe—” He sat me down, looking fearful and apologetic. He reached for the marshmallows, pawing at the neck of his t-shirt. It was probably too tight.

“Please come back soon.”

“I will come back. I promise,” I said. I walked towards the door and he followed. I pushed him back gently and closed the door behind me. I looked down the hallway and at apartment 707 was a man in a black suit. He was balding, and his hair was a snow-white color. This was a white man, so I figured it wasn’t Jomei Tanaka.

We made eye contact and I noticed he was holding an envelope. I couldn’t do anything right this second, but if he was going to leave something there, I was so going to take it as soon as I saw him leave. I left him in the hallway and took the elevator down to the lobby. I went outside and sat at a nearby bus stop.

No longer than five minutes later he walked down the street to a sleek black car and drove away. I ran back into the building, key in hand and up the seven flights of stairs. My face felt flushed, but I couldn’t stop the excitement that began to grow inside of me. This could mean more information for Axel.

I tried to use the key, but it didn’t fit in the lock. How had the other man gotten in here? He didn’t look like the type to pick a lock, but I’d recently learned not to judge a book by its cover. I, however, had no locksmith abilities whatsoever. “Shit,” I whispered to myself.

“What are you doing?” I must have jumped a foot in the air. It was Axel, and he was in the hallway in nothing but my too-small gym shorts. I guess he got fed up with the shirt. I had to buy him some clothes of his own. He seemed—wider. His chest was broad, his pecs sizable and incredibly plush. His nipples were pert and pink, the areolas a bit larger than a quarter. His abs, which had looked to be chiseled by Michelangelo himself, were nowhere to be seen. His tummy bowed out, as if he’d just eaten a large meal. I really needed to make sure he ate less, but he always seemed so happy when he was eating.

“There was a man who left an envelope in there. I have this key that Jomei left me,” I said, holding it up for him to see. “But now it seems the locks have been changed.”

“You want to go inside?” he asked. I nodded. He pushed me aside, and in one swift kick he knocked the door wide open. It was sexy, not going to lie. I looked around the hall, making sure nobody saw us, especially that busybody Mrs. Horowitz. I ushered him inside the apartment quickly, walking behind him.

When I got to look around my jaw dropped. The apartment was back to normal—well not exactly. It was clean, yes. But this was an entirely different place than four days ago. Someone had completely redecorated. Had Doe done this? Was this her getting rid of all traces of the project? All of the furniture was different and there were new colors on the walls. I saw the envelope the man had been holding, picked it up, and continued to look around.

They’d removed all of Tanaka’s belongings. It was like we were in a hotel penthouse. We had to get out of here. What if they had something worse set up than the stuff they used last time we were here? “Let’s go Axel,” I said, looking at the envelope in my hands. He pulled the door closed and we went back to my apartment. I threw my bag down and sat on the couch.

He sat on the ground in front of me in a pose that reminded me of a little kid. He had his legs tucked into his chest with his arms wrapped around them. His biceps bulged with muscle, and they looked larger than when we first met. Maybe the 500-calorie rule had something to do with why he was getting so big so fast. He’d definitely grown since moving in with me, which was strange as it had been less than a week. I thought he still looked great, which was a thought I tried to ignore. I had to remind myself that we were only friends, if that.

I opened the envelope and pulled out six folded up sheets of paper. It seemed to be a review of Project AX3 and its terminated status. It detailed what the project was and why it was ended.

Axel was named from birth twenty-three years ago AX3—so he had never had a “real” name. He was twenty-three. There was something odd about knowing his birthday. He was a December baby. I had just turned twenty last month, in July. These documents claimed his mother “donated” him to the study, helmed by Lieutenant General Jomei Tanaka and a Dr. Lionel Lawry. He had been with them his whole life.

They were creating the perfect combatant and had been testing different formulas on him: a growth serum, a muscle developing medication, a brain stimulant which targeted receptors for aggression and rage.

They were being funded by the government. I couldn’t fathom how this was pitched, let alone approved and financed. Doe was a member of the government inner circle who led this and other experiments for the military. She was the one who decided to cut funding for multiple projects, and to terminate this project in particular.

His brain had been permanently damaged by the drug targeted at his frontal lobe. When he gets angry, he can’t control it. They rewired him—his brain. They’ve been manipulating his emotions, trying to make him ruthless, but it didn’t work out how they would have hoped. From what I read, about the tests, he had never been up to government standards.

He could only have 500 calories a day because when he was going through puberty, they tested another formula that would allow him to survive on a diminutive number of calories, in case he was stranded in combat. He’d put on weight more quickly than a normal person because of it; his body didn’t burn the calories properly. I doubted they ever tested long-term what would happen if he did eat more than 500 calories a day, because it seemed to have an effect on the muscle developing medication.

He was a government guinea pig, and they were just going to toss him aside because he didn't fit the mold they wanted. He never got to live a normal life. He would have died if I never went to Mr. Tanaka’s apartment.

Scribbled across the back of the final page was a note from Dr. Lawry. The handwriting was messy, the lettering somewhat jarring. It read:

LTG Tanaka,

This is a complete farce. Does that bitch really think 25 years’ worth of research can just be tossed aside like this? You’ve got to take the boy and get out of here. I fear that they’ve already gotten you both. If you get my letter, you know where I am hiding. Call my emergency number. Get in contact with me ASAP.

He signed the letter L.L.

I must’ve read the entire thing three times before I looked at Axel. When I did, he was smiling at me sweetly, eyes lively and good-natured. “What?” he asked.

Did I look worried? I was worried. What was I supposed to do with him? I didn’t want him to stay cooped up in my apartment for the rest of his life. Dr. Lawry sounded desperate. He must have been to leave this correspondence after seeing Tanaka’s apartment. He had to have been able to tell that things were amiss in there. Did he really think his colleague was just biding his time before returning to the apartment? I bet Tanaka got out of dodge before anyone could put a bounty on his head. His guilty conscience was why he left me the note, to make sure Axel was taken care of.

Axel stood up and sat next to me on the sofa. He put his arm around my shoulder. This isn’t what you think, I reminded myself. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.

“I’m fine,” I said. I looked at him in the shorts. He’d stretched out the waistband and I didn’t think the elastic would bounce back. I only had little underwear, so he was going commando. His sizable penis bulged obscenely, trying to be contained by the thin, purple cotton fabric. “Though I think maybe we should go out and get you some clothes.”

“But I am already wearing clothes,” he said, jumping up. His ass was another problem. It was pornographic. Like my briefs that first day, the shorts rode up his butt. Even if he felt comfortable in next to nothing, he needed clothes because I couldn't take looking at him semi-nude any longer. This was a test from the universe—having the hottest man I’d ever seen living with me, parading around in the nude, and not being able to suck his dick.

I suddenly realized he didn’t even have anything to wear to go shopping for something to wear.

The next day, my day off from classes, we went to get him some things. He put on one of my biggest t-shirts and a pair of my running shorts. By conventional standards, the fit was terrible, but it was all we had to work with. His feet must’ve been at least a size fifteen, but I had a pair of flip flops that actually worked. They’d come into my possession one drunken night and I had no clue how. Had I stolen them? Most likely.

We left out around noon and I wished that I had a car so people didn’t have to see him so—sexy? He had a powerful strut that showed off the sheer size he carried around. In four and a half days, he looked to have put on at least twenty-five pounds. Walking next to him felt good, and I felt lucky to have met him. It felt like a date, and I had to remind myself I was simply helping a friend, like I was all five guys from Queer Eye rolled into one.

I lived close to many shops and we first stopped at a shoe store. I thought a pair of sneakers would be nice. I measured his feet, size fifteen and a half. I told him to pick any gym shoe he wanted. He held up a tiny shoe with a light up cartoon character. I couldn’t help but laugh. I doubted those were made in his size.

I told him to pick again and forlornly he chose a pair of Nikes. I also picked up two ten packs of socks. I paid, and we left the store to try to find some actual clothes. He didn’t get out much with Jomei I assumed. He was amazed by every store we passed and stopped to look in each of the front windows.

After some more shopping, we came to the coffee shop where he-who-shall-not-be-named often hung around. He saw the shelf of cookies and treats and turned to me, face excited and eager. “Can we get something? Please.” As much as I wanted to avoid this place, I just couldn’t say no to him.

“Yeah, let’s get something.” I opened the door and he walked in. I followed. We went up to the counter and I saw his eyes explore the shelf of goodies. “What do you want?” I asked after ordering a large, iced coffee.

“I do not know. What should I get Casey?” he asked me, still staring at all the pastries. They only had twenty different items.

“May we have one of each?” The worker asked me if I was sure, looking towards Axel, then back at me. “Yeah, I’m sure. Thanks.” She pulled out a box and began to place one of each inside of it. I took the box and my coffee, along with three milks for Axel, and sat at a small table near the exit. He placed the bags he had been carrying beside his chair. Along with his shoes and socks, we had bought two pairs of sweatpants, three pairs of athletic shorts, a multipack of t-shirts (he chose purple, because they matched his new underwear), and a pair of blue jeans.

He had eaten three of the cakes and I sat watching him enjoy himself as I sipped on my coffee. He was a behemoth and taking him in outside of my living room was bizarre. In my apartment he dwarfed everything, but even in public he took up space in a way I wasn’t accustomed to. He made everything seem so tiny. The milk cartons in his hands looked surreal. The width of his shoulders was intimidating, and the fact that he was still wearing my shirt that didn’t fit exaggerated the muscularity of his neck and traps. He also had a small gut that peeked out the bottom of the shirt, which was more akin to a crop top. I wanted to rub his belly, to feel his beefiness with my own hands.

“This one is really good,” he said through a mouthful of lemon cake with vanilla frosting. “You have to try it.” He leaned forward, extending the dessert to me. “Bite it,” he directed, smiling. I took a small bite, savoring the tart-sweet combination.

“That is good,” I said. He smiled even wider, pleased with himself. I was really starting to like him. He asked if I wanted any more and I declined. He then shoved the remains of the cake into his mouth, smearing frosting on his lips and nose. We needed napkins. “I’ll be right back,” I informed him. I went up to the napkin dispenser by the service counter and grabbed a couple while he continued to eat his food. The 500-calorie thing was dead and gone.

“Space Case!” I cringed at the pet name. I turned to face my ex-boyfriend. “Blue hair, huh?” He smiled at me, though I could tell he was being facetious. He was a fake, all of him, everything about him. But even knowing he didn’t matter in my life anymore, that he had no control over my self-image, it made me feel small. He was a dick—but I still cared about him. I still thought about him. I still had hope that maybe one day he’d say he made a mistake when he broke up with me through text message. “How’s it going?” he asked, sure that I was doing terribly.

“Hey Jonah,” I said, smiling. I could feel myself being fake too. I hated it. “I’m doing great, how about you?” It had always been so hard being myself with him. It was nothing like this with Axel. I didn’t feel so worthless, so insignificant. I felt my hand squeezing the napkins. They’d be too crumpled to use if I didn’t chill.

“Oh nothing, been dating a lot.” He smiled wide, sure I hadn’t been on a date in forever. He reveled in the fact that I hadn’t gotten over him. “I’m just trying to get through these next twelve weeks. I’m graduating in December, a semester early. I can’t wait for graduation. Can’t wait to move out west.”

“Awesome,” I said, feeling that none of the things he said were remarkable. He was a braggart. I knew he just wanted to tell me how great things had been going for him.

“Have you been seeing anyone?” he asked. That was all he really wanted to know. I could lie, but then he’d hassle me for details, and that would trip me up.

“Well, I, uh—um,” I stuttered. Just then Axel walked up to us. He still had some stuff on his face. “C’mere,” I said. He leaned down so I could reach his face. I wiped it off for him, taking in his beautiful eyes for the millionth time.

“Is this your boyfriend?” Jonah asked. Wiping food off of Axel’s face did make us look a bit like we were together. I wanted to shove Axel in his face more than anything. Jonah wouldn’t know what to do with himself, honestly. I wanted to, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t use him that way, no matter how much I wanted to.

“No, just a friend,” I said softly. He set his gaze on Axel and started flirting up a storm. I didn’t even get to introduce them. I didn’t get to tell Axel anything about Jonah. I could tell Axel was over it, and I was worried he’d get upset. Funnily enough, I was the one getting angry. I wanted to punch a couple of holes in something and it wasn’t my apartment wall. I counted backwards from ten, and with each number I pictured something that made me smile.

“You must be an athlete,” Jonah said. “With all those muscles.” He deliberately glanced at Axel’s package, which admittedly was somewhat obscene in my shorts, but it was still creepy as fuck of Jonah to do. Axel looked at him blankly, and I was once again afraid he’d get upset.

“Back off Jonah, he’s not interested.”

“He can tell me that,” he replied, sure he’d won Axel over.

“I am not interested,” Axel said plainly. He grabbed my arm and walked me back over to our table. I glanced back at Jonah, who didn’t look nearly as good as I remembered. He over arched his eyebrows and wore too much cologne. I felt myself smile. Axel had stood up for me.

“Can we go now?” he asked. “That weird man keeps staring at us.” I glanced over at Jonah, his face scrunched up and displeased. His laptop was open, but he was staring daggers at us. Axel still had five or so pastries left, but I was sure he’d eat them at home. We gathered up our belongings and went back to my apartment. I laughed a little bit at the memory of Jonah’s face.

In the hallway I saw the man with the snow-white hair, Dr. Lawry. I hadn’t expected to see him again. He looked at me, and then at Axel. His face registered shock and we walked by quickly. Axel walked close to me, his body pushing mine forward causing me to stumble. He was afraid. I didn’t want that bastard anywhere near Axel. I had to keep him safe. “AX3!” Lawry shouted. “AX3!” Axel glanced back at him, but I told him to keep walking.

“I know that man, he works with—with Jomei,” Axel said to me as I attempted to unlock my door. “He is not nice. He is not nice, Casey.” My hands were shaking, and I was still balancing the desserts from the coffee shop.

“AX3!” he yelled again. “Perro de Presa Canario!”

Axel dropped his bags and turned towards the older man. His entire posture had changed. He looked ten times more aggressive, his hands in fists. Lawry smiled—before Axel lumbered over to him, lifting him off of the ground like a ragdoll. He threw Dr. Lawry effortlessly, the old man bouncing off the wall and hitting the floor of the carpeted hallway.

Axel turned towards me, looking the most frightening I’d ever seen him. This was different from the other times. He seemed removed from the situation, as if acting on a vicious autopilot. All of his muscles looked tense and his nostrils were flared. I backed up slowly. He exposed his teeth, like some kind of dog. It couldn’t have been the same person—the person who loved the color purple and cookies. I dropped the box, covering my face instinctively.

“Palos Verdes Blue,” Lawry shouted. There was a loud thud, and when I peeked out from behind my arms, I saw that Axel had hit the ground. He’d passed out.

“What did you do to him?” I shouted, almost crying. I felt the tears welling up. “What did you do!?” I ran over to Dr. Lawry, tackling him. I sat on top of him, and he smiled up at me. His smug face was infuriating, and before I could stop myself, I punched him. I had never hit anyone before. I didn’t enjoy it, but he stopped smiling.

“Let’s just go inside,” he said, rubbing his jaw. I stood up, heart racing. I looked at him, and then at Axel, who was still unconscious. I grabbed all of the bags and put them inside. I picked up the box from the coffee shop and set it on the end table by the door. Hopefully, the desserts were still edible. Dr. Lawry was only a bit larger than I was, so it took the both of us to drag him inside. Axel was so heavy, we couldn’t put him on the sofa, so I just placed a pillow under his head.

“It seems you’ve been feeding him well,” Dr. Lawry said condescendingly, taking a seat on my couch after removing his suit jacket. I stood a few feet from Axel, hovering nervously. “You don’t know about the 500-calorie restriction, do you? You’ve single handedly destroyed everything Jomei and I have worked for.” He sighed deeply. “How did you let him get so big, so fast? He’ll have to go down to 400 calories a day and be put on a strict exercise regimen if he’s going to get back down to 230 pounds.”

I was slightly embarrassed, like I had messed up somehow. Axel was such a big man, if he wanted to eat who was I to stop him? I looked over at him on the ground, his belly rising and falling as he breathed deeply. Compared to when we met in Mr. Tanaka’s apartment that first day, he definitely was not his usual 230-pound self. I wondered if Axel even noticed. I think he enjoyed being able to eat whatever he wanted more than getting fat.

“No,” I said angrily. “If he doesn’t want to, he doesn’t have to.”

“If he doesn’t, Doe will never reopen the project. We’re too far in to start on a new specimen.”

“Who gives a fuck? You have destroyed a person’s life. You took his freedom, his sanity.” Lawry was talking about him like he wasn’t a person. Like he was honestly just a project. I looked down at Axel, still asleep. “Why can’t you give him this chance to start fresh?”

“How did you come upon AX3?” he asked me, ignoring my question.

“Mr. Tanaka left me a note asking me to look after his apartment.” I sighed. “So, you’re Dr. Lionel Lawry, I’m assuming.”

“Yes, I am Dr. Lawry,” he confirmed. “And you are?”

“I’m Casey Kirby.”

“AX3 has never been around an African-American for such an extended period. It might be worth getting your testimony about your experience. Was he receptive? Both AX1 and AX2 were also white males. Perhaps that’s where we went wrong.” He was rambling, his mind obviously trying to piece together what factors could improve Axel’s chances of passing the government tests.

“Racism isn’t inherent,” I said. “So, unless you taught him to hate black people, he would treat everyone equally.”

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “It would still be worth doing some studies.”

“Why did Axel get so worked up? What did you say to him?”

“It was just an activation phrase. We use it to get him to attack. You see, he was a difficult subject, but the only one which survived. AX1 and AX2 both suffered deaths in training.” He narrowed his eyes on me before speaking again. “To activate the attacks, you must say Perro de Presa Canario. To deactivate them, say Palos Verdes Blue. But that’s all irrelevant to you, Casey Kirby.”

This was much more intense than I could have imagined. I wanted to ask more questions, to voice my opinions on the whole matter, but I couldn’t vocalize anything. My throat was so dry. I wanted a glass of water, but I didn’t want to leave Axel alone with this man.

Dr. Lawry broke the silence. “When can I take him?” he asked, before laughing obnoxiously. “Disregard that, I’m taking him as soon as he wakes up.”

“You can’t take him! We’re—you can’t.” I felt nauseous. He couldn’t take Axel from me. I felt selfish, but I liked having him around, and I wanted to make sure he was happy. Even if we weren’t a couple. Even if being in each other’s lives was only temporary. I had to help him be independent. Had Mr. Tanaka treated him like nothing? Like some simple weapon who didn’t have his own feelings and thoughts?

“You’ve had intercourse?” he asked. “He’s too unstable for that, he could kill you. What if he snapped your neck after ejaculation? Or couldn’t control his sexual urges and raped you?”

“How would you know?” I retorted, blood rushing to my face. “Have you studied his sexual behavior? Did he fuck someone to death? You didn’t even know he wasn’t racist until a few minutes ago, you sorry ass excuse for a scientist.”

“No need to get hostile. I would not know how he responds to sexual intercourse. From what I know he is a virgin. We had him masturbate a few times, as a test, but I do know he’s done it without our asking—each time he seems different afterwards.” He smiled, and it felt very inauthentic. “Do you want to, uh—sleep with him?”

“I think you should leave,” I said. I didn’t like him, not at all. He was a total ass.

“I will. As soon as AX3 wakes up, I will be on my way.” He really thought he was going to take Axel. Well, I wasn’t going to let him. This punk ass dude was getting me more riled up than Jonah ever had.

“His name is Axel, which is what he wants to be called, and he’s not going anywhere with you. And to reiterate, I really think you should leave.”

“I’m not going—” Dr. Lawry started, but I didn’t let him finish.

“Get out,” I shouted. “You have no right to take him. He’s not some piece of property, he’s a person.”

“AX3 is government property. You have no claim on him,” he said. “How do you know he wants to stay here? You don’t.” I hoped he enjoyed staying with me. I had really grown to care about Axel.

“I want to stay here with Casey.” Axel sat up on the floor. I didn’t know he had woken up. “I do not want you bothering Casey ever again. Or me.” He stood up quickly, as did Dr. Lawry, who put on his suit jacket.

“AX3, really, you don’t know what you’re doing,” Dr. Lawry said in a calm tone.

“Now I really think you should leave.” Axel looked at me, still somewhat composed.

“Now AX3, calm down so we can go and—”

“My name is not AX3. My name is Axel.” He was getting angry, his eyes narrowed, nostrils flared. “Get out!” He lunged over to Lawry and picked him up again. “You—you and—and Jomei.”

He made a growling sound. I took it Dr. Lawry had upset him. It seemed like he didn’t know the guidelines either. Axel shook Lionel like it was nothing, throwing him to the ground after a few seconds. He knelt down beside Dr. Lawry and began to punch him in the chest.

“Stop, Axel no!” He’d kill the elderly man, who didn’t compare even a tad to the durability of my apartment wall. I ran over to them, and Axel pushed me back without much effort. I fell backwards onto the coffee table, breaking two of the legs. He had knocked the wind out of me. Axel looked over at me, his face contorted in anguish. He looked back at Dr. Lawry, who was panting loudly, and jerked him up from the floor, dragging him out of the room towards the front door. Axel stormed back in, his breathing heavy.

“I hurt you,” he lamented, which wasn’t entirely true. For the most part I was fine. He hadn’t caused me any permanent damage. “I am broken. I am stupid.” I was still laying on the broken coffee table. He fell to his knees, and I could feel the floor vibrate from the sudden thud. He leaned forward, crying loudly. “Casey, I am sorry. I am sorry.”

I got to my feet and made my way over to him. I placed a hand on his back, rubbing it gently. “I’m okay Axel, really.”

“I should go with him,” he said. “It is where I belong. I do not belong here. I do not deserve this.” I knew he didn’t want to hurt me, and it didn’t seem like he ever really wanted to hurt anyone. I wanted to help. I wanted him to feel better.

“When—when I’m angry,” I started. “I count backwards from ten, and with each number, I think of something that makes me smile. So, for example, uh, let’s say for the number ten I’d think of teaching you to make a grilled cheese. Remember? You put six whole slices in yours.”

“You were right. It was too much for one sandwich.” He started to soften, his breathing becoming regular once more.

“What’s something you’d use for your number ten?” I asked. He sat up, looking at me. His belly rose and fell with each breath.

“Sleeping in bed with you. That always makes me feel calm. Or how you got me all those cakes today. Or when you taught me to dance to Beyoncé.” I felt my face get really warm, and I wished he didn’t make me feel like this. I didn’t want to abuse the situation. I wanted to just be friends.

“That’s ten, nine, and eight. You’re good at this.” He got to his feet, and now he looked down at me.

“Are you all right?” I asked. He nodded, pulling me into his body. We hadn’t ever hugged like this before, the closest we got to one another was in bed. I could feel his penis against my stomach again, but this time he was definitely hard. I didn’t know what to do.

“When Dr. Lawry asked you if you wanted to have sex with me, you never gave him an answer.” I stood in his arms, completely caught off guard. Had he been awake, listening in? The day we met he barely knew what gum was, but now he was asking me about sex? We'd been watching a lot of TV and movies, some of which did have sexual situations. Axel seemed to have a very large capacity for learning new things. He was always asking questions. He loved when I explained things to him. Maybe he wasn’t as clueless as I thought.

“If I said yes would it make you uncomfortable?” I asked. He hadn’t initiated anything sexual before. I didn’t know if he was gay. Could he even be gay? Could they have made sure that wouldn’t have happened with some sort of pill?

“No, I do not think it would.” We stood silent, his arms around me. I didn’t want to take advantage of him. He was vulnerable, and he’d been through a lot. If we had met through an app or on the internet, I wouldn’t have hesitated. I would have made my move as soon as he let me know it was okay. “I am sorry for getting so angry,” he said, releasing me from his grasp. “When that happens, I remember it, but it does not feel like me. Something just takes over.”

“It’s okay,” I reassured him. “How about a snack?” He smiled again and nodded. His leftovers from the coffee shop were a little banged up, but they were still edible. He ate them happily, getting frosting on his nose and lips again. I smiled to myself as I went to get him a paper towel, but the thought of Dr. Lawry’s return weighed heavily on my mind.

I knew Dr. Lawry would be back and I knew he’d be coming for Axel. I had been going to class off and on for over a month. I was still doing my work, making sure to get to campus to turn in papers and other major assignments. Every time I left the house, I feared I’d never see Axel again. That I’d return home to my apartment torn apart and my enormous houseguest nowhere to be found.

“Casey,” Axel called out to me from the kitchen. I’d given my friend an assignment for tomorrow’s class and she had gone home. I made my way to where he was. He sat shirtless at the table with his legs spread apart and his belly bulging out in a heavy sphere, relaxing his stomach muscles after indulging in some cookies we baked earlier in the day. His meaty backside filled up the kitchen chair over capacity.

His back was arched and his meaty pecs, which were covered in a substantial layer of flab, jutted out making him look massive. There was no pretending he was the same size or hiding his belly because it bowed out even when he hadn’t eaten, as rare as that was.

His once thin face had begun to fill out and he started to get a double chin. I noted that his cheeks were very red. It was honestly the first time I ever saw him look embarrassed or nervous. He didn’t seem to ever convey those emotions. “Are you okay?” I asked. “Your face is flushed.”

“I am all right,” he said, much more confidently than he looked. He lifted his bulk up out of the chair and made his way over to me at the counter. He looked down at me, face serious and determined. His belly pressed my body back, my butt up against the counter. His stomach pressing me back like that was so arousing.

“I am going to kiss you,” he said, cheeks rosy. Before I had the chance to reply he pushed his mouth against mine. He kissed me, and I kissed him back. He tasted like gingersnaps. His breathing became heavier and I thought slightly about what Dr. Lawry said, about rape and the neck snapping. I knew that wouldn’t happen. Axel would never do that—ever.

He was so warm. I hadn’t had sex since Jonah, and I wanted nothing more than to give myself to Axel. It had been on my mind ever since that day Dr. Lawry bombarded his way back into Axel’s life. That whole conversation made me confront the possibility of an intimate relationship with Axel.

I wasn’t thinking clearly, at least not with my brain. My dick pressed against my jeans making my pants feel really tight. I knew Axel was turned on too, as I could feel his dick on my stomach. He bit my neck, sucking on it, then covering it with gentle kisses. I moaned loudly, unable to control myself. I grabbed his butt, working my way up his back. He’d have a large V-shape if his love handles didn’t pour away from his body, thick and fleshy. He kissed me on the mouth again.

We moved towards my bedroom, stopping outside of the bathroom. “Can we do something?” I asked.

“Okay,” he said. “But what is in the bathroom?” I directed him to the scale and told him to stand on it. I was curious about how much he could put on in five weeks. Up until this point I had never made him weigh in, but I needed this. “Am—am I in trouble?” he asked, his arms covering his middle. He looked at the scale nervously.

“No, of course not,” I said. This was perverted, and I’d made him uncomfortable. What was up with me? I liked a wide range of male body types, but I’d never been with someone as big as Axel was. There was something so erotic about having seen him grow into the biggest, most muscular man that I’d ever seen. I hadn’t considered that he was self-conscious about his body.

“When I do not do well in the weigh-ins, I do not get to eat for a while.”

“I won’t be upset with what that scale says,” I told him, about to be completely honest with him. “Axel, I—I kind of like it. How big you’ve gotten.” He moved his arms.

“You like it, really?” he asked. “I did a good job?” I smiled awkwardly, nodding my confirmation. He walked over to the scale and stood on it. I hit the floor, so I could read the results. 347 pounds. My penis surged, and I felt a small drip of pre-cum.

I stood up, and he stepped off the scale, smiling at me. I’d never been more turned on in my entire life. I pulled him towards my bedroom, and looking at my queen-sized bed, I found it to be awfully small. He pulled off his cotton shorts, which we had purchased on our second shopping trip, revealing a small purple pair of striped briefs. His thighs looked gigantic, larger than my waist. He could hold up a house with those legs.

His ass was beefy and round, an enhanced version of the butt I saw a little over a month ago. His penis made a significant bulge in the underwear and I unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down. He removed his briefs at the same time I pulled off mine. I stood closest to the bed and he pushed me back, a bit forcefully.

He straddled me, kissing me hard. His hands pressed against the bed on the opposing sides of my head. His forearms were huge, and I couldn’t believe how firm they looked. He was even more muscular than when we first met, but he didn’t go to the gym or anything. He stopped kissing me, looking at me intensely. Once again, I was seeing a different side to him. He was so fucking hot, his lips parted in lust, his eyes staring at me with desire.

I pushed him off gently and walked towards my dresser. “We need some things,” I said as I rummaged through a drawer. I pulled out some lube and the largest condom I had. I had to help him put it on. He said it tickled. Leave it to him to say a condom tickled. I lubed up his dick as well as my hole. I told him what to do and he placed his sizable penis near my ass.

He slid in faster than I would have anticipated, and I gasped loudly. “Are you okay Casey?” he asked.

“Keep going,” I said, face down on the bed. He thrust his ample hips and held onto me with his big, manly hands. He went harder and harder and I thought of what Mr. Lawry said again. Harder. He grunted, his breathing deep. I just hoped I wasn’t too loud, not wanting to alarm him. Harder. Cum shot from my penis in what felt like an eternal stream. I’d never come from just anal before, and definitely not so fast. He was better than—what was his name? Joseph? Johan? Who cared! Axel was still going, and he was getting a little more aggressive. One last grunt and he came. We laid next to one another.

“I love you, Casey,” he said with all the feeling in the world I almost started bawling. “I never knew I could feel this happy.”

“I–I love you too, Axel.” He grabbed me, spooning me. His belly pressed against my firm body. I was still hard, and he was too.

“I did not hurt you,” he said, his face conveying a large, proud smile. I didn’t have the heart to tell him he was a bit rough. Hell, I kind of liked it.

“You didn’t,” I confirmed, returning the smile. He asked me when we could do that again. I laughed and told him soon. I needed at least a couple hours before I’d be able to go again.

It was a night about a week after we’d had sex and it was late. Axel stood up and looked around, wearing a pair of black short-shorts and a white t-shirt. He walked out of the room.

It didn’t appear to be his typical late-night snack or something of that nature. Something had worried him. I stood up too, waiting for him to reenter. I heard the front door slam, and I ran into the hallway, putting on my glasses.

“Axel, is everything all right? Who was at the door?” He was on the ground, doubled over in pain. I saw Dr. Lawry and a small Asian man—Jomei Tanaka. Dr. Lawry held a very large needle in his hands, and it appeared he’d already injected Axel with something.

“How did you get in here? Get out!” I shouted. Axel groaned, still on the floor. I walked towards him and he stood, straightening up. His shirt was ripping at the arms. He was larger, even more so than usual. “Axel, a–are you okay?”

“AX3,” Dr. Lawry said, smirking, “I would like you to fight Casey Kirby.” Axel ripped the shirt open, throwing the tattered remains to the floor. His belly was rounded out, with a slight happy trail. It was large, but perfectly in proportion with his large arms and legs. He walked towards me and I noticed the aggressive stride. I stepped back. He took a swipe at me, but I ducked. I stumbled into the kitchen and fell back. He kicked me in the side, and like that day he pushed me onto the coffee table, it knocked the air out of me. My glasses had fallen off my face.

“What did you do to him?” I shouted at the pair. They had followed the two of us into the kitchen, looking on at us—at Axel trying to kill me.

“AX3, a moment please.” Axel stood up straight, feet planted firmly on the ground. “Well, first off, I would like to thank you Mr. Kirby for looking after my things for me.” This was Lieutenant General Tanaka. He didn’t speak with a thick Japanese intonation like I thought he would, but instead with a New York accent.

“Fuck you,” I said, shaking. “Just get out of here. Just leave us alone.”

“I’m sorry, but that is not possible.” He smiled sympathetically, and it was much more believable than Dr. Lawry’s fake-ass grins. “However, to answer your first question, I have given AX3 a drug Dr. Lawry and I have been working on for the last month. We have hardly slept trying to hurry and get AX3 out of your hair.”

“He wants to be here, and I have no problem letting him stay,” I said pleadingly. Were they going to have Axel kill me? I stood up, finally better able to breath.

“You see,” Dr. Lawry interjected. “He lacked the ability to take direction. Not anymore.” He smiled. “He’s perfect—well, almost. He appears to have eaten his old self. Though, some of his growth seems to be the doing of the injection. That was unforeseen.” He chuckled.

“He’s gotten too big. You can just let him stay here.” Both men laughed. “I’m serious. I already know Doe ended the project. She doesn’t want him anymore. Just change him back and leave. Please.” I was standing near the drawers in my kitchen, butt against the counter.

“We’re sorry, but we can’t do that.” Tanaka looked from me to Axel, a slight frown on his face.

“AX3, you need to knock Casey Kirby unconscious,” Dr. Lawry commanded. Axel walked over to me. I pulled out a knife from one of the drawers.

“Axel,” I said, knife shaking. “Don’t do this. This isn’t you. You’re better than this.” My side hurt from the kick. He grabbed my wrist. His breathing was deep, and I saw his substantial belly shaking. He squeezed harder and I dropped the knife. His other hand around my neck, he lifted me off of the ground.

I was starting to cry; the life being choked out of me. He walked me over to a wall and set me down. I think my wrist was broken. He looked down at me, his face cold. With his massive hand, he grabbed the side of my head. Those electric eyes I had looked into a million times were so cold. They were the last thing I remembered seeing before he slammed my head against the wall.

When I woke up my head hurt, but thankfully it wasn’t too severe. It was early, maybe about five in the morning, but I wasn’t sure at all. The room I was in was very bright, fluorescent bulbs humming above me. I was laying down on the floor of a large cage. I could hear Tanaka and Lawry talking. “We took the boy from his apartment Lionel, now what? You really think we have to kill him?”

“Of course we have to kill him,” Lawry said. “He knows too much. We could never let him live with all this information. Imagine what AX3 has told him.”

“When will we make contact with Doe?” Tanaka asked.

“We’ll run a few more tests, making sure AX3 is entirely obedient, and then we’ll reach out to her. This has to be perfect Jomei. It’s the only way this will work.”

“AX3,” Lawry called. I sat up, looking out at the three of them across the room. Everything was slightly blurry without my glasses. “You must go over to that cage and kill Casey Kirby. Do you understand what I am asking?”

“I am to kill Casey Kirby.”

“Proceed,” Dr. Lawry said.

“I can’t watch this,” Tanaka said, standing. “It’s too much for me.”

“Sit, Jomei,” Lawry said. “This is a perfect test to see what AX3 is capable of. I will need your evaluation of the situation to get the best possible analysis.” I could hear Axel making his way over to where I was being held. I looked around, no potential weapons in sight. Part of me felt that this was karma. I should’ve never had sex with him. The universe was punishing me for taking advantage of him.

He reached the door of the cage and opened it, stooping down so he could enter. He was still in nothing but the black shorts. His thighs bulged with muscle and their size was intimidating. The shorts looked almost painted on. His biceps were unreal, as was the thickness of his neck. How much did he weigh now? Would he use the strength of his legs to smash my head in? Or maybe he’d simply snap my neck. He grabbed my legs and dragged me to the center of the room. I could see Tanaka and Lawry watching intensely.

I flipped over to my back. Looking up at Axel, it was almost like taking in a mythical giant. “Axel, please,” I begged. “You’ve got to snap out of it.” He crouched down over me, grabbing me by my shirt, and slammed me into the concrete. I didn’t want to die like this. I didn’t want Axel to lose his freedom. I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him.

“I love you,” I said, finally crying.

“Ten,” he said, still crouching over me. “Sleeping in bed with Casey.”

“What in the hell is he talking about?” Dr. Lawry yelled.

“Nine. Baking cookies with Casey. Eight. When Casey smiles it makes me smile.” I was still crying, completely dumbfounded by what was happening. He remembered what I told him. He was controlling his anger.

“AX3, kill Casey Kirby. Now!” Axel balled his fist up, punching me in the face, though it probably was not as hard as he could’ve done it. I felt my mouth fill with blood, and it spilled out over the side of my lips.

“What’s number seven?” I asked, hopeful the Axel I’d grown to love was fighting his way out from the controls of whatever poison Lawry had injected him with.

“Seven. Watching funny movies with Casey. Six. Going shopping with Casey. Five. Accidentally ripping my pants and Casey laughing.” He stood up, helping me to my feet. Dr. Lawry and Mr. Tanaka were absolutely in shock. They’d been so sure they perfected their formula.

“This is a failure, Lionel.” Tanaka stood.

“Attack!” Lawry shouted. “You worthless garbage, attack!”

“Four. Dancing with Casey. Three. Having sex with Casey. Two. Hugging and kissing Casey.” Dr. Lawry ran over to where Axel stood. “One. Casey saying that he loves me.”

“You listen to me, you big idiot. You really think this little faggot is going to care for you for the rest of your miserable life. I have raised you since birth. I have given you everything you’ve needed, and you have yet to yield any results for me.” He turned towards me. He had finally lost it. His years of research had ended, and he had basically nothing to show for it. I pitied him, but I also hated him. He wasn’t working with robotics or plants. This was a human being he’d tried to play God with.

“You have ruined everything,” he spat at me, slapping me across the face. There was a moment of silence, and suddenly Axel grabbed Dr. Lawry, and in one swift twist of his arms he snapped his neck. I jumped back at the sound, in disbelief. He walked towards Mr. Tanaka, who back peddled, trying to get away from Axel.

“Axel, no!” I screamed. He stopped walking and looked back at me. “I’m fine, you’re fine. Everything is okay. You don’t have to hurt Tanaka.”

“AX3, come here.” He walked over to Mr. Tanaka. “You too, Mr. Kirby.” I walked around Dr. Lawry’s body, feeling slightly queasy. “I think it is time to admit that this project has come to an end. It was doomed the day AX1 died. Regarding your weight, you’ll likely level out and begin to gain weight more normally. At what size that is I am uncertain. On the mice we ran trials with, they often doubled their body weight before they began to process calories normally again.”

“Okay,” Axel said, holding me upright.

“And AX3—Axel, I mean, we have no antidote for what we gave you, and its effects have not been thoroughly tested.”

“Meaning what?” I asked.

“Meaning if you truly want to take him with you, there are some uncertainties that you will have to face.”

“He can stay with me?” I asked, relieved. I wasn’t so sure what Tanaka was saying was true. He could be biding his time, waiting to gather reinforcements to better control Axel. It was so obvious he was just trying to not meet the same fate as Dr. Lawry.

Tanaka went over to his briefcase, returning with an envelope. “Take this. It contains his birth certificate, social security card, and other government papers.”

“You’re serious?” I questioned.

“Yes, I’m sorry for the trouble. I regret having gotten you involved.” He looked from me to Axel nervously. “And I am sorry for this, amongst everything else, but I have to make sure I leave here in one piece—Palos Verde Blue!” Axel hit the ground. I watched as Jomei Tanaka grabbed his few belongings and rushed from the laboratory.

This chapter in Axel’s life had finally come to a close, at least for now—hopefully forever. I held onto the envelope containing his documentation and smiled. My neck was sore. I sat on the floor next to Axel and rested my head on his chest. His heartbeat was even and steady. I was so relieved.

Whenever he came to, we’d find our way out of this warehouse and back to my apartment. I’d ace all my finals and we’d celebrate with a large dinner. He’d meet my mom and dad and all of my friends. I’d finish college and help Axel get started in school or a job. We’d be together, and things would be okay. I would never feel inadequate again.

I was glad I found him chewing on all of my peach bubble gum, naked, and as weird as the project he had been a part of.

The End!

#gainer stories #gainer fiction #gainer story #fatfiction #gainerfic #gainerstory #gay feeder #gay feedee #weight gain

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maarrgarr · 2 years ago

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The Unknown Heir

part four

masterlist of the Unknown Heir.

Gojo Satoru x fem! reader

Synopsis: The reader returns after being gone for two years and leaving her boyfriend, Satoru, without giving him a reason. But now she doesn't come back alone.

Warnings: English is not my first language, possible grammatical and spelling mistakes, some plot changes.

A few days after telling Ieiri about your decision to return, and she practically jumped with happiness, you received a call from an unknown number. "Hello?" you answered, "Y/n-chan?", you recognized that voice instantly, "Yaga-sensei" you said between surprised and nervous, there was a minute of silence until he spoke again, "Goddamn, girl, how long were you planning to disappear, what happened to you, are you okay?!". You felt how a lump formed in your throat and how the tears fell, you took a breath and spoke, "I'm fine, many things happened, so many that I can't explain here" he heard your voice cracking, "It's ok, little one. Ieiri told me that you want to come back and work here, you know you can come back whenever you want. Besides, it wouldn't be bad for this school, to have one of the best come to teach" he said and you felt a great relief, "Sorry, Yaga-sensei, I-" he interrupted you, "It's ok, when you come you will explain everything, ok?".

They arranged that in a month and some more, you would return to the Jujutsu College, you explained to him that first you had to fix some things where you were and he told you to take as much time as you need. You also asked him to keep your return a secret and he agreed.

First, you explained to Ryusei that you were both moving out, you were afraid that such a change would affect him in a bad way, but he took it quite well. Second, you considered selling your house, but then you decided not to, it was a very nice place and it didn't hurt to have a place to visit from time to time. Finally, it was several days of packing up all your things, with a little help from your son.

It was Emma who went to see you off at the airport, you both hugged each other, thanked her for all the help and agreed to keep in touch, Ryu also said goodbye to his dear aunt Emma and told her how much he loved her.

The trip was quite quiet for Ryusei, who only ate, slept and played a little. For you, on the other hand, it passed quite fast, you couldn't sleep much, due to the nerves that gnawed at you. It was Ieiri who greeted you once you landed, when you saw her a few tears formed in your eyes, you almost ran to hug her and she greeted you the same way.

You lifted your son up, and said, "Look Ryu, this is your Aunt Ieiri" his eyes sparkled and he opened his arms for Shoko, to lift him up. Ieiri, for a moment, froze. She knew Ryu was similar to Satoru, but she didn't think so much, seeing him through a screen was not the same as seeing him in person. "My goodness, you're beautiful, Ryu" your friend said as she pinched his cheeks softly. Ryusei was quiet for a moment and then replied, "I know."

After they both laughed at what Ryusei said and you scolded him and told him to say "Thank you very much" instead of "I know", they left for the Jujutsu College.

You were too nervous, so much so that you were almost shaking. Ieiri told you to calm down, and that everything was going to be fine, but you felt the opposite.

Gojo Satoru was calm while watching his students train, when he felt it. He felt that energy that he had not felt for a long time, but he thought that maybe he was wrong, although deep down he knew that he was never wrong.

Everything was still the same, nothing had changed, was the first thing you thought, when you returned to school.

Ieiri had left you since, apparently, a student had broken his nose while training, but before leaving he told you that Yaga-sensei was waiting for you. So you were on your way there, as you didn't want Ryusei to be there alone, so you took him with you, and you had to introduce him to the principal.

You were walking looking around, with Ryu holding your hand and looking at you in amazement at your behavior. You were afraid of meeting Satoru.

You stopped in front of the door and knocked. "Come in," you heard. When you entered, you saw who had been your master sitting, creating his next cursed body, around him were several of his "dolls", but you did not expect what happened next: Ryusei let out a cry of excitement at the sight of so many "toys", and ran towards them, wanting to play. Masamichi Yaga opened his eyes to see his worst nightmare in front of him, another Gojo Satoru in miniature version, touching their cursed bodies.

"Ryusei!" you exclaimed and quickly walked over to your son and picked him up, before any of them could do anything to him. "They are not mere toys, don't go near them!" you told him with a frown, and he quickly nodded as he noticed you were serious. "Y/n, can you explain to me who this child is?" Yaga used a serious tone, one she had very rarely used with you. "He is my son, Mochizuki Ryusei" you replied. "And why is your son identical to Gojo?" he questioned, though he could already imagine the answer. "Because he is also his son."

#gojo satoru #gojou satoru x reader #jujutsu gojo #gojou satoru x y/n #gojou satoru x you #jjk gojo #gojo x reader #satorugojo #satoru #jujutsu kaisen x reader #jjk x y/n #jjk x you #jujutsu kaisen #jujutsu kaisen satoru #geto suguru #ieri shoko

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sequinsmile-x · 6 months ago

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Retour

A prequel to Retour Des Morts

-x-

Hi friends!

As always, this kind of got out of control. I originally thought it was going to be 2 parts, but it ended up just being the one!

It also wasn't initially intended to be part of the Retour series, but as I was writing it that's what it became! Since this is a prequel you don't have to have read those parts for it to make sense.

Please let me know what you think <3

-x-

Warnings: canon typical injury

Words: 5.1k

Read over on Ao3, or below the cut

She hadn’t wanted a cigarette this much in years.

The craving makes her skin itch, a welcome distraction as she sits in a hospital hallway, her leg bouncing as she waits. All she’d done today was wait. Wait for Aaron to contact her. Wait for Penelope to find him once Emily found his apartment empty, a blooming blood stain on the spot not too far from where she’d fucked him for the first time.

She considers going to buy a pack, to visit the little store in the hospital that inexplicably sold them, but she doesn’t, worried that the smell would remind her of ice blue eyes and constant danger. It would be enough to tip her over the edge, to pull the last bit of control from under her like a rug, knocking her off her feet in a way she was not entirely sure she’d get back up from, and she couldn’t risk it.

Not when Aaron needed her.

They’d been together since New York. Despite his insistence that he was okay to fly, she’d offered to drive him back to DC having overheard what his doctor said to him. It was something she’d offered to do without thinking, still battling with how she’d felt when she realised he was the one who’d been caught up in the explosion. How her breath had caught in her chest, how she hadn’t felt okay again until she knew he was okay, palpable relief washing over her like a wave when it was all over that she knew had nothing to do with the fact they’d stopped the terrorist’s plans.

She’d had a crush on him since the start. It had infuriated her at first. Anger that burned her from the inside out that she wanted nothing more than to kiss her boss. Her boss who seemed to hate her.

Her boss who was married to someone else.

It only got worse as he slowly started to trust her and they became something close to friends. After he came to her apartment and asked her to go to Milwaukee with him they got even closer, losing any pretence that they weren’t friends after the team was reunited afterwards. He’d come to see her after he signed his divorce papers, tears he wouldn’t shed in front of her at the time shining in his eyes as he drank the scotch she gave him. He fell asleep on her couch, embarrassment coming off of him in waves the next morning that she assured him he didn’t need to feel. They got closer again after that, close to tipping into more than friends, but she didn’t want to be rebound, didn’t want to be his consolation prize.

She told him as much when he leant in to kiss her when she dropped him off at his apartment after the drive back from New York. She’d pulled back, everything in her body screaming at her as she did so and he’d frowned. Told her that she could never be a rebound, that she’d always been more than that. She remembered staring at him, her eyes flicking between his eyes and lips, before she nodded and leant in, kissing him softly, delicately. A new thing that she now did every day, her lips against his a way she said ‘I love you,’ ‘hello’ or ‘goodbye.’

She loved him. She loved him so much and he loved her too. Usually, it brought her joy, made her so happy she thought she could burst, but right now it hurt. Her chest felt empty, like her heart had been carved out. Dug out with Foyet’s knife and left somewhere with what she’d hoped their future would look like. Plans of living together that they’d been making only a few days ago, a discussion interrupted by the call that had taken them to Canada, felt like it had happened in another lifetime. Like it had happened to different people.

All she can think is that she should have gone back to his with him last night, that if she had maybe things would be different. If there had been two of them there, if she hadn’t been convinced to go out for drinks with Penelope and JJ to blow off some steam after such an awful case, maybe they could have apprehended Foyet, stopped him before he had hurt Aaron in the way he had, before he’d disappeared.

Before Aaron had to try to explain to his son that he was having to go away for a while.

It’s why Emily had stepped out of his room, leaving his side for the first time since she’d found him here, so he could have a private moment with Jack and Haley.

Haley had, overall, been surprisingly okay with Emily and Aaron’s relationship. There had been difficult moments at first, comments she’d later apologise for that were said in anger, but she seemed mostly happy for them. She was happy for Emily to spend time with Jack, and Emily was grateful, her love for the little boy something she couldn’t quite explain.

She sighs when a shadow enters her line of sight, her solitude over as Dave clears his throat and draws her attention up to him from the tiled floor.

“Emily,” he says, so much sympathy painted across his face she can barely bring herself to look at him, “Are you okay?”

She laughs, the sound catching in her chest, making her ribs ache so much it feels like they’ll burst open. Broken from the inside with the force of everything she was desperately trying not to feel.

“Am I okay?” She asks, her lips pressed together as she shakes her head, “Let’s see shall we, Dave? I was out drinking whilst my boyfriend was being attacked by a serial killer,” she says looking up at him again, “I was doing shots of tequila whilst the man I love was…” she drifts off, her voice cracking as she blows out a slow breath, “And now he’s saying goodbye to his son for God knows how long. So no…” she clenches her teeth, forces tears that press at the back of her eyes back, refusing to let them fall, “I am not okay.”

They fall into silence, or at least the closest thing possible to silence in a hospital. The tension between them punctuated by the hum of medical staff talking to each other and the beeps of pagers and machines keeping people alive. Dave stares at her, his hands on his hips as he stands frozen in place for a moment before he slips into the seat next to her, his elbows on his knees as he forces himself into her line of vision.

“You are very good at your job,” he says, offering her a half smile when she frowns at him, confused at the shift in conversation, “Excellent even. One of the best I’ve ever seen-”

She sighs, the compliment seeming misplaced, hollow, the ache in her chest getting worse with every passing second, “Dave-”

“But George Foyet is good too. In the worst possible way,” he carries on as if she hadn’t interrupted, “He would have always chosen a moment when Aaron was alone. Even if you had been there he would have been prepared for it and you’d be hurt too,” he reaches out and places his hand on her shoulder and squeezes it, trying and failing to offer her comfort, “And you and I both know Aaron wouldn’t have wanted you there in danger like that. He’ll be glad you weren’t there.”

She chokes on a laugh and it tastes wrong, bitter and heavy as she shakes her head, turning away from Dave just long enough to wipe away a stray tear, the only one to escape the dam she’d hidden everything behind, a leak she refused to allow to get worse.

“Yeah,” she says, her lips pressed together as she looks back at him, “He is an idiot like that.”

Dave squeezes her shoulder again before he lets his hand drop away, seemingly all too aware of how close she was to falling apart, “He’s an idiot who loves you.”

She hums and nods, “I love him too,” she blows out a breath, “I…I don’t know if he’ll make it through this Dave,” she looks down at her hands, at her torn-up cuticles, her thumbnails framed with blood, “Foyet disappeared for years last time. A whole decade for fuck sake. How is Aaron going to survive if he has to go that long without seeing his son?”

“We don’t stop until we find Foyet,” Dave says, sounding so sure she can’t help but look up at him, certainty written across his face that she wished she shared, “And Aaron has you. That’s how he’ll get through.”

She’s not sure she’s enough. She never had been before, not for anyone, but she’d try. She’d do her best to help hold him together, to help him learn where all the newly shattered pieces of him went. She’d make sure she’d remember. That she’d be able to put him back together from memory, even if her fingers got torn up on the pieces, cut on the sharp edges she’d already seen a hint of in the short time they’d been in the hospital.

“Emmy!”

She turns as she hears Jack’s sweet voice, a brief moment of reprieve, of innocence, in an otherwise awful situation. She stands up, forcing a smile as she leans down to catch him in her arms. As she heaves him against her chest, settling him on her hip, she tries to take note of the weight of him, the feel of him in her arms. No matter how long he and Haley were gone he’d have changed by the time they got back. He’ll have grown up, days or weeks or months, maybe even years, lost.

“Hey, honey,” she says, false enthusiasm in her voice as her eyes flick to Haley before she focuses on Jack again, “Did you speak to Daddy?”

Jack nods, his eyebrows knitting together, looking so much like Aaron it made her ache, the hollow part of her chest throbbing, “He said me and Mommy have to go away for a while.”

She smiles, hoping he doesn’t see the shake in it, and she runs her fingers through his soft hair, “That’s right,” she says, “Just for a little while.”

It’s a lie and she knows it. It’s bitter and makes her stomach roll. She never wanted to lie to him, never beyond the usual innocent ones that came with childhood. But this was beyond Santa and the tooth fairy, and if she could protect him from the magnitude of this situation she would.

“You’re staying here with Daddy?” He asks, tangling his small fingers in the chain of her necklace, something he did to self-soothe when he was sad or sick. She nods, swallowing thickly to push down everything she couldn’t afford to feel in front of him.

“Yeah, I’m staying here with Daddy,” she confirms, running her hand up and down his back. She knows the team are behind her now, can hear them whispering to each other, and she hates it. She feels like an exhibit in the zoo, the usual privacy she treasured gone, smashed into pieces on the floor around her.

“I’ll miss you, Emmy,” he says, burying his face in her neck and she holds him closer, her hand tangling in his hair as she kisses the side of his head.

“I’ll miss you too, sweet boy,” she says, kissing his head again before she looks at Haley and sees a flash in her eyes. She squeezes Jack tightly and encourages him to look at her, “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

She blows out a breath and turns to the team. She nods at JJ who steps forward and then Emily looks at Jack, “You go with Aunt JJ, okay? I’m going to talk to Mommy.”

“Okay,” he says, waving as she passes him over to JJ, “Bye, Emmy.”

“Bye Jack,” she says, her hands forming into fists as she lets him go, forcing herself to grab him back.

“Come on, Jack,” JJ says, turning back to the team, “Let’s go see what snacks there are in the vending machine.”

Emily watches as they go, her eyes on Jack until he’s out of sight, and she closes her eyes, wiping away a stray tear before she turns back to Haley. She clears her throat as she steps towards her, her arms crossed over her chest.

“I’m-”

“You’ll look after him, right?” Haley says, cutting over whatever platitude Emily was going to say, “Aaron? He’s…not very good at looking after himself when he’s hurt.”

She nods, “I will,” she promises, “I’ve got him.”

Haley smiles, “And I’ve got Jack,” she says, chuckling, “A Hotchner each.”

Emily laughs, the sound wet as it catches in her chest, “Yeah.”

She doesn’t know what to do, or how to address this situation. Haley steps forward and hugs her. Emily freezes before hugging her back, her arms tight around her back for a moment before she pulls back.

“We’ll do everything we can to get you back as soon as we can,” Emily promises, “Foyet won’t win.”

Haley nods as she stands back, “Aaron said something very similar,” she says tucking her hair behind her ears, “You two really are made for each other I think.”

Guilt she doesn’t understand cuts at her insides, stealing her breath as she shakes her head, “Haley-”

“I’m not being a bitch, I promise,” she says, shrugging her shoulders, looking down at the floor between them, “I always knew he’d move on. He’s a good man. He wasn’t the right man for me anymore, but that doesn’t take away the fact he’s good,” she looks back up at Emily, tears shining in her eyes, “I knew he’d move on, I just never thought he’d meet the person he probably should have always been with.”

She doesn’t know what to say, how to respond. Everything she wants to say stuck in the gaping hole in her chest. In the end, she settles on the only thing that feels right, “I’ll look after him. I promise.”

Haley nods and closes the gap between them, her hand squeezing Emily’s arm as she passes her, “I know you will,” she smiles tightly, “I’ll see you soon, Emily.”

“See you soon,” she says, watching as she heads in the direction the team had gone. She blows out a slow breath, her hand pressed against her forehead as she tries to gather herself. She clears her throat and shakes her head, heading in the opposite direction to everyone else, knowing she’s needed elsewhere.

She pauses in the doorway of Aaron’s room, “The team are taking them now,” she says, stepping further into the room, purposely keeping her distance. Her heart seizes in her chest at the look in his eyes, a tight vice around it as if Foyet himself had his fist around it.

“Good,” he says, clearing his throat, “That’s good.”

They fall into silence. It’s awkward and harsh and everything they usually weren’t. She picks at her thumb and looks down at her hands, “Do you want me to leave you alone?”

“No.”

She looks up so quickly she thinks in normal circumstances it would hurt, but it doesn’t. She struggles to heave in a breath for a moment, her lungs stuffed full of grief and sadness because of the look in his eyes. She’s not sure if it was his floppy hair, or the tears shining in his eyes, or both, but he looks like Jack. Young and scared and innocent and it breaks her heart. She walks over to the bed and silently encourages him forward, steadily and slowly helping him so she can settle behind him. She wraps her arms around him, careful not to press on any of his wounds, and she hugs his head to her chest.

“I’m right here,” she says, turning her head to kiss his forehead, “I’m right here, sweetheart.”

“I…” he drifts off, “I can’t lose you too.”

It’s the most vulnerable she’s ever heard him sound and it makes tears splash down her cheeks, landing in his hair as they fall from her face. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You promise?” He asks, sounding every bit as young as he looked. His defences stripped away by pain and medication. By the heartbreak of saying goodbye to his son for an undetermined amount of time. She nods even though he isn’t looking at her and rests her cheek on top of his head.

“I promise.”

___

She was furious at him. He could see it rippling under her skin, in the tightness of her shoulders as she purposefully sat as far away from him as possible on the jet home, her arms crossed over her chest as she pointedly looked out of the window the entire time. Barely blinking, let alone ever tearing her gaze away from the inky black sky to cast a glance at him.

The worst thing was, Aaron knew she had every right to be angry at him.

He’d taken a risk. Acted without really thinking about the consequences, everything he’d been refusing to feel since he’d been attacked in his home, since he’d said goodbye to his son, all flooding to the surface at once. Anger and sadness and the need to control something propelling him forward into the house unarmed, not even deterred when he heard Emily yell after him, the use of his first name, the way fear had been pressed into every letter of it, not breaking through.

Dave squeezed his shoulder as they stepped off the jet, a flash in his eyes that could only mean good luck as he nodded towards Emily who was already in her car, engine on, her grip on the steering wheel tight as she waited for him to join her. The drive home to her apartment - the only place they’d stayed since she’d gone to his place alone to get some of his things before he was released from the hospital - is also silent. He doesn’t even switch on the radio, doesn’t flick between channels until he finds a song they both like, instead he watches her. His gaze fixed on her profile, on the way her eyes are shining even in the low light. Flashes of sadness, flickers of devastation that he’d caused, sparking with each streetlight they passed.

He waits until they are inside, until he’s locked the front door behind them, before he speaks, “Em-”

“Don’t,” she says, cutting over him as she drops her go bag onto the ground, the thud of it loud and echoing. She huffs out a laugh and shakes her head, one hand on her hip and the other on her forehead, soothing the headache he knows he’s caused, “Don’t,” she blows out a breath and looks up at him, her lips pressed together, a last-ditch attempt to hold back everything she hadn’t said for weeks, “What you did was so fucking stupid.”

He frowns, anger he knows she doesn’t deserve licking at his insides, “Now wait a minute-”

“No,” she exclaims firmly, stepping towards him, her hand held out as she points at him, “You are not my boss here. I am not your subordinate. I am your…” she trails off as her voice cracks, “I am your girlfriend who watched you walk into a house unarmed and heard a gun go off from outside as I was held back,” she swallows thickly. He can see it, can see the force it of, how she pushes down everything she’s feeling, how she almost chokes on it as it catches in her throat, one of his favourite places to press a delicate kiss when she was half asleep, “You were stupid today.”

“I did my job.”

“No, you didn’t. You’re good at your job, Aaron. You’re excellent at it. What you did today was stupid and self-destructive.”

“No, it wasn’t.”

She scoffs, “You have met me, right? I’m the queen of self-destruction. I recognise it when I see it.” She laughs bitterly and shakes her head, turning her back on him as she throws her hands up in the air, “That isn’t the job. You put yourself in danger for no reason other than your own…what? Arrogance? Lack of self-preservation? You could have died. Do you just not care what that would do to me?”

It guts him, makes him stumble backwards a little as his new scars throb. He presses his hand over where the thickest one is, the phantom slice of Foyet’s knife vibrating through them.

“Em…sweetheart. Of course, I care,” he says, reaching out for her, his chest aching as she steps back, his hand grabbing air instead of her, “I love you.”

She sighs, her chest shuddering with it as she closes her eyes, tears spilling down her cheeks, “Yeah,” she says, licking her lower lip, “Well right now that’s hurting me, Aaron.”

She goes to walk past him but he stops her, grateful when she doesn’t pull away this time. He wraps his hand around her arm and feels how she melts into his side against her will, “I’m sorry.”

She nods and pulls away, “I know you are,” she says, sounding defeated as she heads for the stairs. She stops after she steps onto the bottom one, turning to look at him with her hand gripped tight on the handrail, “Do you want to know what I think pisses me off more than anything?” She asks, not waiting for him to answer before she carries on, “I’ve spent the last two days insisting that you’re fine. I told everyone else that you’re good to be back at work,” she shakes her head, “So not only are you making them doubt your judgement, you’re making them doubt mine,” she presses her lips together and shakes her head, turning her back on him, “I’m going for a bath.”

He knows she’s asking to be left alone, to be given some space, so he doesn’t follow her. He watches her walk up the stairs, her footsteps fading away until he hears the bathroom door close. He pinches the bridge of his nose and sighs, shaking his head at himself as he walks to the living room. He sinks into the couch, his physical exhaustion catching up with him as he sits down. He feels worn out. Exhausted in just about every way possible, weary in a way he couldn’t bring himself to cover now he was home.

Aaron knew he was being difficult. He knew he was trying Emily’s patience, that he had for weeks. Haley had always told him that he was hard work when he was sick or hurt, and Emily had said the same countless times since he was released from the hospital. She’d muttered it under her breath when he refused to do physical therapy, or when he insisted he was fine, that he could do things for himself even though he could barely stand at the end of the day.

He wanted everything with her. A house. Marriage. Children. He wanted to watch Jack be a big brother and watch Emily become a mother, something he knew she’d be excellent at through her interactions with his son and the children she worked with on cases, but he felt stuck. Frozen in time as he waited for his son to come back to him, waited until he was no longer constantly looking over his shoulder, and he knew that Emily was frozen too. Standing by his side, her love and loyalty unwavering, even though he kept trying to push her away. He was worried about her getting hurt, about Foyet going after her too, but she always waved off those concerns, a glint in her eyes he didn’t understand when she said she knew how to handle herself around men like George Foyet.

He gives her some time to herself, and waits until he hears that the water has stopped running upstairs. The soft splashing of it around her as she moves the only sound in the apartment. Eventually, he goes to the kitchen and pours her a glass of wine before he goes upstairs, lightly rapping on the door before he walks in.

She’s sitting in the middle of the tub, her knees against her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs. She’s surrounded by bubbles, the smell of lavender and vanilla on the air, and her hair is in a loose bun on top of her head. She looks tired, like she’s as run ragged as he is, but she’s beautiful. An ethereal thing that was somehow his.

“Took you long enough,” she mutters, a wry smile skipping across her face as she grabs the wine from him.

He smiles and sits on the edge of the tub, and he reaches out to squeeze her knee, the soft slippery feel of her skin grounding him, “I really am sorry, sweetheart.”

“I know you are,” she replies, her smile faltering, “But you can’t pull crap like you did today. I can’t…I can’t lose you,” she says, placing her hand on top of his and linking their fingers together, “And I can’t explain to Haley and Jack that you got yourself killed doing something stupid when we get them back.”

Her faith that they would succeed, that they would win against Foyet, had been absolute since the start. It was something he wished he shared, a type of optimism that seemed out of place given everything they’d seen in their careers. It was almost childlike in its innocence, out of character for her, but he wanted it to be true. Wanted to believe that good always triumphed over evil, that the bad guys never won.

“If we get them back.”

She sighs so sadly he wishes he could take the words back. She pulls him closer and he follows, not caring that his tie is dipping into the warm water surrounding her, and she presses her forehead against his, “We will get them back, honey,” she says, nuzzling her nose against his, “We’ll get them back and then we can move forward.”

He nods, even though he isn’t sure he believes it, and he stamps his lips against hers, “Is there room for one more in this tub?”

She smiles and kisses him, “Why do you think I didn’t put more water in it?”

He gets undressed quickly, purposely making sure he doesn’t look at himself in the mirror, still not used to the scars scattered across his chest. He sinks into the water behind her and she leans against him, sighing contentedly as she settles into the cradle of his hips. She passes him the wine and he takes a sip, his arms snaking around her as he pulls her closer. He reminds himself that he has this, that he has her. That somehow, in amongst all the awful, terrible things he had seen he’d found her. His anchor in a storm, a shining light that would always guide him home because she was his home, and all of a sudden, any reason he had for putting things on hold, for waiting until everything was perfect again, disappears.

“We need to make sure we have a tub this size when we buy somewhere.”

She tenses in his arms, tilting her head to look up at him, her eyebrows pulled together with confusion, “What?”

He smiles, his lips catching the corner of her mouth as he leans in to kiss her, “When we get a house. I need a tub like this in the master bathroom. Non-negotiable I’m afraid.”

Emily huffs out a laugh and turns in his arms, her skin slipping against his as she looks at him properly, “You…you still want to find somewhere else to live?”

He cups her cheek, transferring suds from his hand to her skin, “Yes. I…I know we’re in limbo,” he says, clearing his throat, “I know I’ve put us in limbo-”

She looks devastated, guilt that he hates that she feels shining in her eyes as she shakes her head, “Honey, no. It’s not-”

“But I know this could take years,” he says, leaning forward, his forehead against hers as his voice cracks, the reality that he had no idea when he would next see his son making him ache, forcing grief and anger to crack his ribs from the inside out, “And I don’t want us to just stand still whilst we wait,” he pulls back to look at her, unsurprised to find tears shining in her eyes too, “I won’t let him take our future from me too. I won’t let him take it from you.”

It was a hard thing to consider. To think that years could pass, that Foyet could disappear as easily as he had before, and that life would just carry on in the meantime. By the time they caught him again, Jack could be far older than he was now. He could come back to a life where his father had married again, where he’d made him a big brother in his absence. The thought of it alone broke Aaron’s heart, made it feel like it was in a vice of his own making, but without the hope of a future, of something beyond the broken misery he’d been feeling lately, he knew he’d sink into it. That he’d drown in reckless decisions and self-destruction. And whilst he’s sure he’d do that if he was alone, if he had no one to hold the pieces of him in place whilst he struggled to do it himself, he couldn’t do that now.

He couldn’t do it to Emily.

She leans forward and kisses him, her lips fierce against his as she hooks her hand around the back of his neck, holding him in place even as the kiss comes to an end, “I love you. So much. And we’ll get through this, okay? Together.”

He nods, his forehead knocking against hers, and for a moment, a brief moment with the woman he loves pressed against him, he lets himself believe it’s that simple, that life was ever that kind to him.

“Together.”

-x-

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love-that-we-were-in · 1 year ago

Text

the harder the pain, the sweeter the sun

the aftermath of Luke's quest. or the consequences of not being a hero.

a/n: hello i didn't mean to be so sad on my entrance but we move! have fun (i'm so sorry)

It shouldn’t be like this, he thinks as he steps back across Camp Half-Bloods borders. There’s still the same mill of activity, archery and pegasi and swords grating against one another. Everything is exactly as it was when he left. Some people notice him as he makes his way towards his cabin - they don’t make small talk, what’s the point of that when he’s not the hero returned. His scar, still fresh, still raised and red across his face, feels heavy. It’s almost a beacon; a guiding light towards his failure. No one comments but he can feel it, the shift in energy as he walks past each cabin. Pity for the son of Hermes.

His bunk is untouched.

Collapsing onto the sheets, he glances around the space. It’s only him here, faced with his own reckoning and renown. His bunk is untouched but there’s two abandoned opposite, a careful stack of belongings at the end of each. Before dinner, he’ll change those sheets. He’ll pack Cora and Eric’s belongings into a box to stow away in the big house, amongst a dozen others he’s left there over the years, and he’ll burn shrouds to them with his campmates in the evening.

Luke wonders, as he takes in the makeshift beds on the floor, if it was even worth coming back at all.

Everyone moves on. Within days, there’s barely a mention of either of his quest companions. Both of them were unclaimed, watching their lives tick by in the two years he’d known them with little idea of who they were. The Stoll twins were given their beds upon their arrival at camp two days after he returned. They had been claimed, sent in the right direction by Hermes himself, and Luke despises the way he has to sit down with people he’s known for years and tell them they’re back to sleeping on the floor. Seniority is one thing - being claimed is more important.

He trains. It’s the only thing he can do. There’s no pride that comes with failure. Some of the Ares kids jeer at him but none of them try to fight him, just watch as he fights with Annabeth like old times. Knife against sword. He trains and he studies and he watches as the floor of Hermes cabin becomes a minefield of belongings as summer peaks.

Little will change between now and fall, he knows that with certainty. He’ll still be stuck burning food for his father, willing something to happen that will earn him a deserved quest. Maybe it’s foolish, this desire to try again, to keep going on quests until he returns from one he can say was his. Not a feat of Hercules, but a tale of Luke. He has camp glory, he needs more than that.

Summer ends, as it always did. He says goodbye to more cabinmates than anyone, standing at the edge of the borders until the sun is nearly setting in the sky. Thalia’s tree is behind him as the last kid leaves, an eleven year old girl that had done nothing more than stare with wide eyes every time he lifted a sword. He wonders if he’ll see her next June at all.

“Back to basics again,” Annabeth says from behind him and he rolls his eyes as she shimmers into existence, baseball cap in hand. “Do you think it’ll get easier?”

He forgets sometimes that she’s still a kid. Wise beyond her years, a strategist to be admired, but just a kid. And a first time cabin counselor. She hasn’t said goodbyes like this before, to everyone she’s housed over three months. Teenagers that had looked to her as their leader, even if they didn’t understand her being given such power. Children who revered her position and her history as if she were a Greek tale herself.

Luke had understood it, had fought for it in April when Kieran Ho had sent word to Chiron that he wouldn’t be returning that summer. She had seemed so prepared to take on the role. He hadn’t realized that it might take more of an emotional toll than she was ready for.

“Honestly,” he leans back against Thalia’s tree, surveying the camp below them as if he’s never seen it before. Annabeth glares at him for it. “It gets harder every year. It doesn’t end.”

“Some of those kids aren’t coming back.” Annabeth says it as a statement, a fact of life that they’ve both come to terms with. But there’s a shake to her voice, the kind saved only for when she’s terrified of being wrong, so he lets it linger in the air and get carried away. He thinks that’s answer enough.

Winter Solstice comes and he feels ready. Months of only fighting Clarisse and Annabeth. Meals spent with the busiest table still, but with nothing to talk about. So long dedicated to being angry, to dreaming, to waking up in a cold sweat from everything he’s been given permission to see.

He steals the bolt. It’s a simple plan, one he doubted originally, but it works a charm. There’s no questioning how important the Gods think of themselves anymore, how above everybody else they view themselves (literally and figuratively) to be. He escapes from floor 600 of the Empire State Building with the source of Zeus’ power in his possession and no one bats an eye.

Annabeth will never have to come to terms with losing campers. Thalia’s sacrifice won’t be in vain the way it has been since his return. Hermes won’t be able to ignore him any longer, pretending as if being a glorified mailman means more than his son. By next summer, the world will already have begun to change.

Trekking through Manhattan, he understands now why he was destined to fail against Ladon. What his scar will come to represent in years to come. Luke Castellan was never meant to steal an apple - he was destined, instead, to change history and with that, the world.

#luke castellan #percy jackson #pjo #🖋️abi writes…

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xoxomoonlightxoxo · 10 months ago

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Somewhere Between Hello and Goodbye | Ch. 4: Strangers With Memories

a/n: more angst but at least they aren't as awkward, however, after this chapter, I fear it's only going to go downhill for my babies :(

The dreadful No Contact Rule. Difficult not to break when the relationship is over and even more so when the relationship comes to a sudden halt but the feelings are still brewing inside. When the distance is forced and fueled by the guilt of losing that person again. However, I would be lying if I said that Jungkook is no longer part of my life. That I have somehow completely barricaded myself from his presence. How could I, when not even a conscious stream of thought can overcome the yearning of a broken heart? One that still longs for his touch, his sweet smile, his laugh. One that has been holding on to the memories of our past despite the lack of recollection in Koo’s eyes. To him, we are simply picking things up from where they were left off. Not a complicated task in nature until you realise that our story left off with his first and last “I love you, Mira”. So, no matter how hard I try to push him away, the heartstrings of my own soul seem to pull us back together. Even if he sees me as just a friend, I am willing to fight for everything we could have been, until one day he finally remembers it all. Remembers me, remembers us.

Unfortunately, with school starting, everyone has been getting back into their routines, leaving little time or opportunity to actually hang out. Despite this, Jungkook has made a special effort to “build back what he can’t remember”. So, seeing him has actually become part of my daily ritual. Whether that be going on a morning jog or grabbing a quick coffee after class. Like the good old days, we are connecting as close friends, since everything began that way. Before anything, Koo was my friend, one who somehow filled the void of my family when we were separated by an ocean. For that, I will forever be grateful to him.

Today was like any other. Tae and I met our new cohort leader, the head of the ER department in the local children’s hospital, who was this older gentleman who wasted no opportunity to crack one of his dad jokes. He absolutely adored Tae, said that he saw his younger self in him, and unless he was a sleep-deprived, broke college student, I’m not sure what the correlation was. To be honest, Tae hasn’t been having it easy either. His grandma was recently diagnosed with pneumonia, so he spent the entire summer working three jobs to send as much money as he could back home. Being the only man, and thus, the breadwinner in the family after the passing of his father, he constantly tells me about the guilt he endures being far away from his mom, younger sister and grandma. The three women in his life he would give up anything for. And, as I’ve watched him slowly run himself thin, I have grown to be protective of Tae myself. Although he is older, in my eyes he will always be like a little brother to me. One whose shoulders carry the weight of a whole lineage.

Packing up our staff after class, Tae recommended we try the new pastry shop that opened by our dormitory. One that he first mentioned when Jungkook was admitted into the hospital in hopes of cheering my numb self. However, during that period the aching pain in my heart wanted nothing more than to be by Koo’s side. So, seeing that this time Tae was the one in need of support, I made sure to take him up on the offer as we indulged in our daily debrief. At the end of the day, we might not know how to properly give an IV but you best believe that we know how to run our mouths. In the span of half an hour, we managed to cover every possible topic known to men, ranging from the rise in the cost of eggs to the hideous new haircut the grumpy librarian decided to debut today. Our conversation could have gone on for hours until it was abruptly interrupted by the buzzing of my phone.

Koo: Will 20 minutes be enough for you to get ready?

Mira: Depends … where are you taking me?

Koo: It’s a surprise, just wear something comfy ;)

“Who got you smiling like that?” Tae chuckles teasingly, seeing that his words have lost my attention.

“Oh nothing, I’m sorry, it’s just Jungkook,” I say, nibbling on my lips to suppress the urge to keep smiling.

“What did he say?” he leans forward taking a sip of his Americano.

“I think he wants to go somewhere?” my words drag on as he searches my scattering eyes.

“Now?”

“Well, no you’re right, I’m just gonna tell him that I’m busy,” I try to comfort Tae with a smile, sensing the guilt of leaving him alone.

“No, I mean, don’t you want to freshen up? How much time do you have?” he mumbles, gaze softening at my flustered state.

“Oh, are you sure? I hate to pause our little hangout,”

“There’s always tomorrow,” Tae assures with a boxy smile.

“Okay, I’ll see you at breakfast, alright?” I say, packing up my stuff before we wave each other goodbye.

Thank God, the pastry shop was a short walk away from the dormitory as I suddenly realised how valid Tae’s suggestion of a shower was. Let’s just say that today’s clinical was one for the books. Not only did I spill a whole IV bag on my scrubs but I’m pretty sure that there are still some pieces of dried cream in my hair as one of the older patients refused to cooperate. So, as I finally managed to open the front door, I headed straight into the shower, washing myself free of the chaotic aftermath.

Debating between a woven sweater and a cashmere pullover I settled on the one Koo loved the most. “Peaches, you’re so soft,” he used to say, pulling me into a tight hug as his hands caressed the delicate cashmere. I wore it on our last date before the incident, the one we spent on Oceana Beach talking about the future, our future. Miraculously, after all this time, it still had his scent, the sweet vanilla musk lingered like the memories of our past. I remember crying sleepless nights, holding the cashmere close to my heart as if it were the only thing left of Jungkook. With my eyes closed, I could almost feel his warm embrace.

Beep Beep

My reminiscing, however, was interrupted by Jungkook’s arrival. Quickly touching up my makeup, I grab my purse and phone before locking the door behind me. Maybe it’s from the actual physical rush or the fact that I get to see him again, but my heart sure is beating hard. I could practically feel it in my throat. And, the appearance of his bunny smile as our eyes finally met certainly did not help it either.

“Sorry to make you wait,” I say out of breath, tucking some stray pieces of hair behind my ear.

“No worries, I just came,” Koo assures softly, leaning back on his car.

“So, where is this mystery destination?” I grin teasingly, folding my arms in front of my chest.

“Surprise, remember? Ladies first,” he grins back, opening the passenger door, before helping me buckle up. And, just like that, my heartbeat went through the roof again.

Driving down the bridge, we were in awe of the beautiful sunset that covered the sky in warm tones. Blasting our favourite song, Jungkook rolled down all the windows before pausing his phone just in time for the high note. And, as silence filled the car I could feel the flush rise up my cheeks from the sheer embarrassment that was my singing. It wasn’t just a voice crack, it was the complete demolishment of my dignity.

“Yah, how could you betray me like that?” I scoff in disbelief, rolling the windows back up to shield myself from the passing cars.

“I couldn’t help it, you looked so concentrated,” Jungkook chuckles, mimicking my singing face.

“Okay, relax, eyes on the road bunny boy,” I smirk, turning the music back on.

“We’re here,” he says, turning into the parking lot. Looking around, chills run down my spine as I realise where we are. The Oceana Beach. This means that while I was fully immersed in our karaoke session, Jungkook unknowingly drove past the exact spot where he lost consciousness on that cold, winter night. All this time, I’ve been trying to avoid this place in hopes of erasing the image of Koo’s frail body lying on the side of the road. Now, I have to act like none of that happened, since he doesn’t remember any of it.

“Hey, are you okay?” Jungkook’s voice pulls me out of the spiral, as my chest heaves up. Feeling his hand on mine, my body almost jolts from his touch, unable to hide the fear rushing through my veins. It all felt so surreal, to be looking at him alive in flesh but knowing that the Jungkook I once knew was no longer there.

“Yeah, I … I just remembered something,” I lie with a nervous chuckle, unbuckling myself. Helping me out of the car, Jungkook looks concerned, eyes searching mine.

“You sure, you’re alright? I can drive back jus…”

“No, no don’t be ridiculous. I swear I’m all good,” I interrupt his sentence with a reassuring smile. Reaching for my hands again, only this time with slight hesitation, his worried eyes meet mine as his thumb caresses the back of my palms.

“Mira, you’d tell me if something was wrong, right?” his words are layered with a tone of fear, uneasiness, and genuine worry. But, there’s a short period of silence, as my mind filters through possible replies.

“Of course,” I manage a small chuckle, swallowing down the lie. With a nod of acceptance and a soft sigh, he intertwined his fingers with mine, taking the bags from his trunk before walking us toward a small spot by a campfire. Setting everything up, I was commanded to just relax, covered under a woven blanket.

“I used to love making smores when I was little,” Jungkook smiles, handing me a bag of marshmallows, before covering himself under the same blanket. Jimin was right, he could still remember the earlier years of his life, but nothing of the recent events.

“Can’t relate, I somehow always burned mine,” I frown as he can’t help but laugh, scrunching his nose and letting that bunny smile come on full display.

“Hey, don’t laugh,”

“I’m sorry, but how does one mess this up?” he leans closer, nudging my shoulder before looking back at the sparks. If only time could stop and we could stay this way forever. If only he could feel the way my heart ached at that moment.

“So, Mira, do you have a boyfriend?” his sudden question brought me back again, as my eyebrows visibly furrowed from the bluntness of his curiosity.

“Why? Are you trying to pitch an offer?” I chuckle, leaning closer to the fire to warm my hands, before looking back at his teasing grin.

“Just trying to figure you out,” he replies softly, eyes searching mine.

“I used to,”

“Oh, yeah? What happened?

“He moved away. Long distance didn’t work out,” I reply slowly, allowing the fake story to play out without succumbing to the tears.

“That sucks, you guys don’t keep in touch at all?” Jungkook’s curiosity is innocent in nature but naive to our past. I can’t even get mad at him for digging deeper, even if it hurts.

“I’m not sure he remembers me anymore,” I sigh, replying almost defeated.

“That’s a lie. Who could forget you?” he laughs, shaking his head in disbelief, blind to the irony of it all.

“Yeah …” a little chuckle escapes me as well, as my eyes dissociate into the distance. “I'm pretty unforgettable, aren't I?”

“Pretty and unforgettable,” Jungkook replies with a quick wink, covering my shivering body with his share of the blanket before taking a bite of my half-burned marshmallow.

Replaying our last conversation in my head, I felt bad for snapping at Jiah at the mall. It was totally uncalled for and simply a projection of the thoughts that haunted my mind. Not a fibre of my being meant it as we rarely ever fought or even came to a slight disagreement with each other. To be quite frank, during that time it seemed like every interaction I had was like walking on a minefield. With one wrong move, I was destined to blow up and take everyone else down with me.

Not being able to talk to her freely pained me, as I grew to miss my best friend with each passing day. And if one thing was for sure, then it was that Jiah deserved an apology as she fell victim to my self-destruction. So, after a few hours of crafting a well-developed apology, I made my way to her apartment, which was literally a level below mine. Nonetheless, the walk there seemed never-ending, most likely due to the sheer panic I was experiencing. It wasn’t fueled by the fear of her reaction but the shame I felt from how I treated Jiah. However, none of it mattered anymore, as I stood in front of her door, hand ready to place a few knocks. That is until it suddenly swings open and our eyes finally meet again.

“Jiah,” I mumble before she pulls me into a tight hug as tears stream down both of our faces. No words needed to be said. Everything was understood through the emotions we were experiencing. Melting deeper into her embrace, my face dug deeper into her hair as the sweet smell of coconut filled my senses, reminding my body of her aura. I missed her so much that I could physically feel the void in my heartache as my teary eyes searched her sad gaze.

“Jiah, I’m so sorry,” I manage to let out as she gently wipes the tears off of my face. Holding onto her hand, I keep it close to my chest as my heart beats faster.

“It’s okay, love. I’ve missed you so much,” she says softly, tucking a few pieces of stray hair behind my ear. And, just like that, we were back in each other’s embrace, making up for the lost time we were apart. Catching up, we spent the whole afternoon discussing everything that happened since our falling out. She showed me the emerald jewellery set Jimin gifted her for their 1 year anniversary and the pictures they took following their celebration. They looked so happy that I couldn’t stop smiling. If they ever break up then I’ll know that love isn’t real, because in my eyes they were destined for each other. No one understands Jiah better than Jimin and no one cares so deeply for Jimin more than Jiah. Simply put, they’re soul mates.

Feeling lightheaded from all the tears we’ve cried, I suggested we go out to grab some late lunch, or early dinner before going on a walk around campus. Jiah was quick to agree as she changed into some jeans and a hoodie before grabbing her purse and keys. Stopping by my dorm, I quickly touched up my makeup in hopes of not scaring innocent civilians from the aftermath of my mental breakdown. And, as we rode the elevator down to the main lobby, Jiah and I were inseparable once again. That is until my eyes widened at the sight of Jungkook standing by his car, shuffling in place to keep himself warm.

“Oh? Jungkook? What’s wrong?” I stutter, worried eyes searching his.

“Sorry Jiah, but could I steal her from you?” he asks softly, as Jiah's face turns to mine. Hiding the way her chin was trembling, she didn't know how to reply before taking a deep breath.

“Call me when you get back?” she nods, separating her hand from mine as I pull her into a hug.

“I’ll bring you some pastry from the new shop Tae recommended,” I say with a reassuring smile before waving her goodbye. Making sure she got in safely, my eyes turned back to look at Jungkook’s bunny smile.

“How did you know I was here?” I ask with a skeptical tone, slowly making my way towards the car.

“You really don’t think I pay attention, huh?” he says teasingly before opening the passenger door.

“You mean to tell me that you’ve memorized my schedule?” I scoff, looking up at his softened gaze.

“Pretty much,” he replies with a grin, leaning onto the door frame before caressing my cheek with the back of his palm.

“Hey, were you crying?” Jungkook asks, concerned, as I cover my red cheeks with my hair. Way to not be obvious, Mira! I guess, my attempt to hide the fact that I’ve been sobbing for hours failed miserably since he managed to notice it after one glance.

“Oh, yeah, it’s nothing. I promise,” I shake my head with a soft smile before looking back up at his worried eyes.

“Mira, you know you can always talk to me, right?” his words are followed by a deep sigh as he crouched down before my still form.

“Of course, I know that, Koo,” I manage to let out a giggle, patting his head in hopes of making him feel at least somewhat at ease. In all honesty, however, I knew that he wasn’t fully convinced, but I also didn’t necessarily hate that. Because a small part of me hoped that maybe, his curiosity would somehow help him regain the memories he once lost.

“Anyways, where are you taking me this time?” I try to change the subject, as his eyes look back at mine.

“I need your help,” he replies, buckling my seat belt before heading to the driver’s side.

“May I know with what?”

“A song. A love song,” his voice is abrupt, but still layered with tease.

“I beg your pardon, a love song? Jungkook If you think I’m going to sedate you with some vocals then you are greatly mistaken,” I scoff with my arms folded in front of my burning chest. A love song? As if seeing him again isn’t hard enough. Now, he is giving me yet another reason to cry at night.

“Shhhh, I’ll explain everything when we get there, just sit back and relax,” he assures me with a sly wink.

“Mmhhm,” I nod, loosening up the seatbelt before crossing my arms over my chest. Navigating through all the turns, my mind is trying to piece together our destination, until we finally stop at a brick building near the campus gymnasium.

“Koo, where are we?” I ask cautiously, scanning the premises as he opens the passenger door.

“It’s a studio my buddy owns. Don’t worry the inside looks more welcoming than the outside,” Jungkook grins, locking the car as we make our way up the stairs.

“Be careful here, they’re still under construction,” he points to a hole in the wooden floor, grabbing my hand as I tip-toe behind him.

“Right, and this buddy of yours, you know how?”

“He used to produce for the band the guys and I were in. The Bulletproof Boys,” he replies proudly until I burst into a cackle, which promptly faded the smile on his face. I couldn’t help it, I was still not over the first time he mentioned the infamous band name. The Bulletproof Boys. Peak comedy if you ask me.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing with you,” I try to regain my composure looking at his pouty lips.

“I’m not laughing,”

“Okay, then I’m laughing at you,” I tease again, poking his side as he opens the door to what seemed like a small recording studio.

“Hey, guys! Come on in,” a man’s voice welcomes us into the dimly lit room.

“Hi hyung, thank you again,” Jungkook shakes his hand, before looking back at my flustered face. I’m usually not as awkward but something about being in a room with a stranger, Jungkook, and a hypothetical love song just did not sit well with me.

“This is Mira, she’s going to be our female lead,” Jungkook smiles, giving me a sly wink. A lead? I really do hope he is kidding. Is today April Fool's or something? Where are the cameras?

“Sounds good to me, who wants to go first?” the man asks the both of us, as I try my best to avoid his eye contact. Fiddling with my thumbs, Jungkook could sense that I was becoming more and more uncomfortable. So, he suggested that we go in together since it is my first time doing something like this after all.

“Just follow me okay?” he says softly, helping me put on the headphones before handing me the lyric sheet.

“Alright, let’s just see how the melody plays out, okay? Jungkook, if you want to jump in with your vocals now, by all means. But, Mira, you can just use this take as practice. I want you to get comfortable with the lyrics,” the producer explains, giving me a thumbs up as I nod okay.

Following Koo’s lead I tried to mumble the words under my breath, getting the feel of the song. And, to my and probably everyone’s surprise, everything was going somewhat okay? We were able to finish recording the intro in under an hour and have just gotten to the pre-chorus. After some practice, I was beginning to feel capable of managing this project, until my ears were pierced with a sudden “I love you,” projecting from Jungkook’s microphone.

“Oh?” I let out a loud gasp, covering my mouth as my eyes shot up at his form across the booth. Searching my flushed face, he grins, pointing to the lyric sheet on my stand. Furrowing my eyebrows I begin scanning the lines with my finger, realising that he was singing one of the adlibs. However, what came after almost made me sick. Suddenly, it all felt a bit too real. Shutting my eyes, I tried to regain my composure, and within a second, I was back in that hospital room, sitting across from Koo’s frail body as his thumb caressed my palms.

“I love you, Mira. I’ve been loving you this whole time,” his sweet words played in my head, as tears rolled down my face. Feeling the knot in my throat, I was practically screaming, but nothing came out. I couldn't do it, not then and not now. I couldn’t say the words he desperately deserved to hear. And just like that, I was back in the booth, only this time, my heaving body was plopped on the floor surrounded by both Jungkook and his producer. But, before they could ask me anything, I rushed out of the room, virtually sprinting towards the nearest washroom, where I hoped to lock myself from the outside world. Closing my eyes, all I could see were the replays of that scene before they were suddenly interrupted by the knocking on the stall door.

“Mira! Mira, open up, it’s me,” Jungkook’s voice is heavy, almost breathless.

“Are you in the women’s washroom?” I yelp in disbelief, wiping the tears off of my face.

“There’s no one here, come out, please,” he pleads softly, moving back as I slowly open the door. Lowering my gaze, I fold my arms over my chest before leaning back on the stall as if I didn’t just pass out in front of him. Taking a deep breath, I tried to explain myself before feeling his arms wrap around my shoulders as our bodies melted into a tight hug. Oh, Koo, if only you knew how much I missed your warm embrace.

“Mira, please tell me what’s wrong,” Jungkook whispers, burying his face in the curve of my neck, as I feel his breath on my skin.

“Koo, I told you, I’m fine,” I managed to lie, placing my hands on his shoulders to create at least some distance.

“Fine? You dropped to the floor and were unresponsive,” he shouts, furrowing his eyebrows from frustration as his hands grab mine.

“I … I think my period is coming soon. The days before are always killer,” I explain, trying to convince the both of us, before feeling his worried gaze search my scattering eyes.

“Your period?” he confirms.

“Mmhm,” I give him a few nods, feeling his grip on my hands slowly loosen. Tucking the stray hair behind my ear, Jungkook leans closer, tracing the trail of dried tears on my face before letting out a soft sigh.

“Okay, I believe you. I’ll always believe you, Mira,”

Please, don't.

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toast-tales · 7 months ago

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Cursed Cravings, Chapter 15: Over the Threshold

In which Danny finally returns home, and finds that Nathan hasn't been the only one awaiting her return. Contains: 3.8k words | Chapter 1 | Read this story on A03!

The next morning came too quickly, and in no time at all Danny was standing in the entryway of Christopher’s manor, staring out at a world that seemed impossibly huge. She knew it was an illusion, and that she was only tiny inside the house, but it still made her stomach turn to see trees bigger than the tallest buildings in the world, rising into the sky like a biblical affront to the heavens themselves.

She chose instead to turn and face Christopher. The giant knelt down beside her, holding a traveling pack full of supplies that was big enough to fit Danny and every single animal from the farm back home within it, with room to spare.

“Are you ready?” he said quietly, managing a paper-thin smile as he gestured lightly towards the open door. He held up the pack. “Everything you need for a day’s journey should be in here. And—” he continued, noticing the way her eyes widened. “Don’t worry. It’ll be your size when it leaves the mansion.”

Danny laughed, far and away used to all manner of magic strangeness by now. “Oh, really? I thought you were going to have me drag something bigger than a house through the woods. My bad.”

The giant simply rolled his eyes, though she could see his grin become a little warmer.

Then Danny’s eyes widened as she realized a rather critical oversight. “Wait! I don’t…didn’t Nathan take our horse? How am I—”

“You’ll take one of mine,” Christopher interjected, having clearly thought this through more than she had.

She tilted her head to the side, suddenly curious. “You have horses?”

“Sam takes care of them,” he said, sadly. “I haven’t seen them in a long time, though.”

She wondered what a giant who couldn’t leave the house would need horses for, but thought it was the wrong time to ask questions. Maybe he lent them out to other people he’d eaten. She nodded. “Thank you. That’s…um, very generous of you.”

Christopher managed a melancholy smile. “Say hello to Maria for me. She was…I’ve heard she was always the sweetest.”

Danny nodded, and then took a long, deep breath. “Alright. I guess I’ll be going then.” She met Christopher’s eyes one last time, wondering how best to wish her giant friend goodbye. She had little time to wonder before he extended a hand towards her palm up—though when she reached out to it, he grasped her hand lightly between his fingers, holding it so that the back of her hand faced upwards. And then, the giant bent down even closer to the ground, almost on all fours as he placed his lips delicately against the back of her hand as a formal farewell.

She stayed completely still, eyes wide as he nearly prostrated himself before her. His long hair spilled onto the floor around her before he let her hand go and raised his head again, looking just a little bit more proud of himself than before.

“Be well, Danny.”

She regained control of her senses and gave him a good-natured smirk in return, along with a somewhat playful curtsy. “You too, Christopher.”

She turned to face the threshold again, eyes focused on the floor ahead of her and the point she needed to cross to reach the outside world. She took another deep breath and made a few determined steps forward.

Immediately, the landscape before her changed, and for the first time in nearly a month, she was in a world that was her size again. The trees were no longer an unfamiliar height, the floor was no longer an endless ocean of tile, and—

She whipped around, and there he was—Christopher Penn, the giant, gazing at her at eye level.

They stared at each other, neither quite knowing what to say. There was an indecipherable expression on Christopher’s face, something full of longing and a sadness she couldn’t understand the depth of. And, shared between them both, a sense of wonder—both of them seeing more detail of their friend than they’d been afforded before.

Without thinking, she reached out as if to touch him—but the minute her hand crossed the doorframe, it disappeared, falling short of him. A glance down revealed that her hand was now far below her, tiny and hovering near her feet on the other side of the door.

She quickly yanked it back, feeling queasy at the sight, and gave Christopher an apologetic grin.

He narrowed his eyes as if in thought. Wordlessly, he placed his own hand in front of him, spreading it out in midair as if there was an invisible wall in the open door frame—and she thought that perhaps, for him, there actually was.

She mirrored his action and slowly placed her own palm against where his rested, careful not to cross the doorframe’s magical barrier as she did so.

She couldn’t feel the warmth of another person’s hand against hers—but the look in Christopher’s face as she did this, the look of surprise that became a genuine, almost childlike happiness—it was more than enough to make up for it.

It was so strange to see Christopher at her size—just a normal man, at least in appearance. Still taller than her, but by comparison it was hardly a noticeable difference at all. He seemed much less imposing, and she realized most of his confident air and authority must have come from his towering height.

Because now, at eye level, he seemed much more like a sad, uncertain child who just wanted a friend.

He was the first to take his hand away, and he lifted up the pack in his other hand. “Sam—”

Instantly, an invisible force plucked the bag from Christopher’s hands and flew it over the door frame, into Danny’s waiting arms. Unlike Danny, it didn’t change its size when it left Christopher’s house. She slung it across her back, and gave the giant—though it was strange now to think of him as such—one last wave goodbye. “I’ll see you soon, bastard.”

He nodded solemnly, his smile fading slowly. “Soon, doll.”

* * * * * * * * * *

The trip back home wasn’t nearly as oppressive as the one she’d taken to get to the giant’s mansion. For one, she at least had Sam to keep her company occasionally through the mirror—she never had to press them hard for conversation. The food she’d been given was delicious, and there was plenty enough for her to not have to worry about rationing it out for the day. Christopher had also lent her a traveling cloak that far surpassed her own in quality and warmth, and likely was worth more than her and Nathan’s entire house.

Why would a giant who can’t leave his house need a traveling cloak?

There were so many other things in her mind that those thoughts about Christopher never lingered long. It didn’t matter to her what kind of strange life her friend lived, now that she had seen what she assumed must have been Christopher’s most grievous secret laid bare before her.

She didn’t regret keeping her memories, of course, but the events of last night were hard to banish from her mind entirely on that long journey home, just as they had been hard to forget about last night when she’d tried to sleep.

She itched with impatience the entire way, desperate to get home to Nathan, and plagued by worry the entire way—she occasionally checked the mirror for him, just to be sure his condition wasn’t worsening.

Finally, just before dusk, the path widened and revealed a familiar landscape before her, and the old farmhouse she called home came into view.

She almost leaped off of the horse—Maria, Sam had said—but maintained her better judgment to lead her to the shoddy stables first and set her up there before sprinting across the snow to the house, a feeling of exhilaration rising up in her lungs. She felt like she could have shouted with joy.

She was home.

“Nathan!” she called, before she’d even reached the door. “Nate!”

The door opened just before she’d made it to the house, and within its frame stood Nathan, hardly any different than how she’d remembered him last. His eyes widened before a huge smile came across his face, and without a second thought he scooped her into a bear hug and spun her around, both of them laughing without a care in the world.

“Danny, oh my god, it feels like it’s been so long!” He gently set her down onto the ground again, though he didn’t relinquish his hug. “I’m so glad you’re back. I’ve missed you so much.”

She buried her face in Nathan’s shirt, which brought with it the familiar scents of earth and warmth she was accustomed to. “I missed you too,” she said, her voice nearly breaking with raw emotion.

Their hug was interrupted by a spasming cough from Nathan, who quickly backed up to try and cover it.

Danny almost shoved him back into the house. “Hey, get out of the cold. You’re sick!” She pushed him forward and closed the door firmly behind her. At least there was some warmth in the house from a crackling fireplace further in.

“I’m fine, Danny, I’m just—” He coughed again, and she could tell he sounded worse than when she’d watched him last night.

She immediately took off the cloak Christopher had given her and wrapped it around Nathan’s broad shoulders. “Here. This thing’s super warm. Just sit down, and—”

She began to rummage through the remnants of her traveling bag, pulling out some of the food. Nathan held the delicately stitched edges of the thick coat in awe.

“Danny, where…where did you get this?” he gasped.

She stared down at the table for a moment, a creeping sort of dread starting deep in her stomach as she tried to determine what would come next. She hadn’t thought about how to explain her situation to Nathan—it hadn’t been the most important thing to her.

Now, though, it would be unavoidable.

“My friend, the one I’ve been with this past month,” she began, a little uncertainly. “The one who sent you money…right?” She paused. “...Christopher Penn?”

Nathan’s eyebrows furrowed for a moment, before his face broke in recognition. “Oh, that’s right. Yes. That’s where you’ve been. I…” His face scrunched up again as he tried to recall more details, and seemed to come up short. “I don’t…quite remember what the occasion was. I don’t remember him well. I’ve met him, haven’t I?”

“Nathan, did you receive the money from him?” she asked, a little more forcefully, hoping to banish any lingering doubts she might have had about Christopher.

To her relief, Nathan nodded. “It was…more money than I’ve seen in my life, actually,” he almost whispered in awe. “I was able to use some of it to hire some help while you were gone. I didn’t realize you knew someone so…well-off. I felt badly about accepting such a huge sum, but I figured you’d yell at me if I didn’t, when you returned,” he admitted sheepishly.

She laughed. “Damn right I would have. Trust me, he can afford it. And you deserve it, Nate.”

She wondered if Christopher paid Nathan because he felt guilty about eating him—if the money had been more a way to ease his conscience than to help them as a simple act of benevolence. Either way, she wouldn’t complain—and she was more than grateful for it.

She ushered Nathan into a chair, handing him some of the food Christopher had brought. Only when she’d placed a warm drink into his hands and taken a seat next to him did she begin her story again.

She had a thought that perhaps it was best that Nathan didn’t know everything. She wasn’t sure if telling him more about what had happened to her would make him remember his own nightmare.

If she had no plans to return to the giant’s mansion, maybe it would have been a secret she kept close to her heart. But she didn’t think she could continue to lie to her best friend if she was to leave and visit Christopher in the future, again and again.

“Nate…” she began, hesitantly. “I…I need to tell you the whole story.” She took a deep breath. “I know you don’t remember much about him, but you did meet Christopher once. I came to find you, and you’d come across a mansion in the woods. There was…there was a giant inside. Do you remember that?”

Nathan gave her a funny look, which made sense given how ridiculous her claim was. “A giant? What do you mean? I don’t remember any mansion in the woods.”

Danny bit her lip, wondering if this would be a good idea or not.

“Sam,” she said, pulling the mirror out from her coat and holding it before her, “show me Christopher, please.”

“Yeah, sure thing, Danny.”

“Did that mirror just talk?” Nathan exclaimed, nearly spitting out his drink.

Danny didn’t get a chance to answer—before them both, the mirror swirled and shimmered before revealing the face of Christopher.

She felt something pull at her heart as she saw the lingering sadness in his face, his eyes barely focused as he looked downwards at something. It was faint, but she could almost hear the sounds of a piano being played.

He plays piano? I never knew that.

As the face disappeared, she felt Nathan beside her begin to tremble, and she looked up to him with concern. His face was ghastly pale, and his eyes widened further and further as he pulled the cloak tighter around himself.

“I…I remember,” he whispered, with a voice so fragile it could have shattered like glass.

Danny felt instant regret, and set the mirror on the other side of her, out of Nathan’s view. It pained a deep part of herself to see her best friend so distraught, to see the hurt so clearly in his eyes, and to know the cause herself. She knew very well what Nathan had gone through now.

Nathan’s head snapped to Danny fearfully. “You…he ate you too, didn’t he?” His voice was barely a whisper, strained with hurt and disbelief.

She sighed, and tried to put on a smile for him. She wore it thin as a threadbare shirt. “He…he did, but it’s okay. I’m okay.”

She continued before Nathan could interject further. “He explained everything to me—he has to do that every few weeks, or he turns into a…a monster. I know that’s how he was when…you first got there. He…” She swallowed nervously, the memories of last night still fresh in her brain, uncomfortably so. “He didn’t want to. And he’s sorry that he had to do it to you, too.”

Nathan got out of his seat and knelt down before her, holding her face between his large, warm hands. She’d have protested him doing this if it didn’t feel so comforting, to have his steady hands against her cheeks. She’d gone too long without it.

“Danny,” he whispered, “I’m…I’m so sorry. I…if I had known, I—”

She shook her head. “It’s not your fault, Nate. He took your memories, so you wouldn’t have to remember it. He offered to take mine too, but I wouldn’t let him.”

Absolute confusion overtook Nathan’s face. “...why not?”

She swallowed, trying to maintain her previous conviction as she met Nathan’s eyes. “...because I want to go back and see him again, eventually. I didn’t want to forget him.” She held up the mirror again, which had gone back to reflecting her own weary face instead of Christopher’s. “That’s why he gave me this—to make sure I could find my way back.”

Nathan’s hands shakily fell from her face as he stared in disbelief. “You…want to go back?”

Danny’s smile strained a little further upwards. “He’s been good to me, Nate. He’s really not a bad guy. He’s just…he’s lonely. He can’t leave his house. And he doesn’t really have any friends.” She shrugged nonchalantly, as if it wasn’t such a crazy idea for her to return. “He showed me his library, and he said he’d teach me how to read when I came back. He’s a good cook. He even…he even made me a dress. He needs me, Nate.” She all but pleaded as she looked back into Nathan’s eyes, which swam with uncertainty and fear. “He needs a friend.”

Nathan was silent for a long while, staring back into Danny’s eyes as if he was searching for the truth. She knew there were two things warring in his mind—his trust in her, his best friend, and the memories of Christopher he’d regained.

“Danny, all I remember of him…he was a monster. He had…claws, and his eyes were black, and he…he ate me. I know you…you said it was some sort of affliction he had, but how do you know he won’t be that way when you go and visit? What if he…” His voice squeaked, “eats you again?”

Danny’s lips pressed together. “I guess I…won’t know for sure. But he already said he can’t eat me again. He said it has to be a new person every time.” Her eyes lowered to the floor. “And, frankly, that’s probably when he needs someone the most.”

Nathan’s face began to crumble, disbelief giving way to a strained uncertainty. “He didn’t hurt you?”

She shook her head. “No, he didn’t. I’m fine. He treated me well, Nate. He’s a good man.”

Nathan looked as though he wanted to refute her, but he slowly nodded, even though there was still fear in every line of his face. “I trust you, Danny. If you want to go back…it’s fine. I just…I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

She laughed softly, and reached down to hold Nathan’s hands in her own. “It’ll be okay. You know I could take a giant on, anyways.”

A grin slowly crept onto his face, recognizing the teasing tone of her voice. “You just think you could, which is part of why I worry about you.”

She laughed, and pushed Nathan back into his chair, putting a mug of warm liquid in his hands again. And for a moment, everything felt right again. She had her life back, Nathan would get better, and she had a friend to visit. Everything was all right.

* * * * * * * * * *

The next morning, there was a knock at the door.

Danny rushed to open it before Nathan could get up—it had been hard enough to get him to stay still and rest, and to let her take over the chores for a while. She hadn’t worked in almost a month—she felt inclined simply because of her absence to make up for it.

She swung the door open and almost immediately regretted the action when she saw the man on the other side.

Mr. Cyrus Livingston was well-known and respected in town—and had enough confidence in the fact to swagger right past Danny into her house.

Danny tried not to scowl. She hated Cyrus. Every unfortunate instance that led to her crossing paths with the man ended up making her blood boil in some way. He held the air of someone who treated their meager amount of importance as worth much more than it actually was. He was nothing more than a banker, but he held himself as though he was some sort of royalty. His smarmy grin made Danny want to vomit.

This better not be another fucking courting call. Cyrus had taken it upon himself many times in the past year to stop by and suggest the possibility of Danny being his wife, a suggestion she found utterly revolting. She hadn’t been afraid to tell him as much after the first five or so times he’d asked, but even that didn’t seem to deter him. He was like a pesky, disgusting fly she couldn’t swat away.

“Miss Robertson, a pleasure to see you as always,” he crooned, taking her hand in his and pressing a kiss to the back of her palm. Danny snatched it back, resisting the urge to ball it into a fist. “I trust you’ve been well?”

She glared at Cyrus, sensing something rather unfriendly behind his paper-thin facade of courtesy. She felt as though she was staring down a snake.

“Mr. Livingston,” Nathan muttered behind Danny, having already risen to his feet and come to stand by her side—likely because he knew she would snap at Cyrus soon without him there to hold her back. “To what do we owe the pleasure?”

“The fuck do you want, Cyrus?” Danny spat, crossing her arms across her chest defiantly.

Cyrus narrowed his eyes, though his sneer didn’t leave his face. “That’s no way for a lady to talk.”

She snorted derisively. “Bite me. Do you not understand what the word ‘no’ means? How about ‘never in a million years’? Or maybe ‘if you were the last man on earth, I’d sooner drown myself?’”

Nathan’s hand tightened on her shoulder. “Danny,” he hissed quietly.

Cyrus laughed in a rather unkind manner, seemingly unaffected by her insults—though she could see the way his face twitched slightly in irritation. “Oh, Danny, I’m not here to try changing your mind,” he drawled. “There’s just something a little concerning I wanted to address with you both, since I heard you were finally back from your little vacation, Danny, darling.”

If she hadn’t felt Nathan’s hand tighten even further on her shoulder, she likely would have called Cyrus something half as flattering and twice as long. She regretfully bit her tongue.

Cyrus reached into his coat pocket and produced a folded note. “According to this, Mr. Hayes, you received a rather large sum from the estate of one Christopher Penn earlier this month. That’s correct, isn’t it?”

Danny felt something heavy sink into her stomach.

Nathan nodded. “...yes, that’s correct. Was there a problem with it?”

“As I understand it, our lovely friend Danny has been staying with Mr. Penn for the past month, hasn’t she?”

“I have,” Danny snapped matter-of-factly. “But frankly, Cyrus, I don’t think it’s any of your business.”

“Oh, I believe you’ll find it is my business, Danny,” Cyrus sneered. He waved his arm, and suddenly a group of five burly men came into the house through the open door Cyrus had swept through earlier. Danny didn’t recognize any of them, but they were all clearly allies of Cyrus, standing behind him like a group of leering playground bullies. “You see, you’re the first person I’ve asked who seems to remember seeing Penn recently.”

“And why is that important?” Danny growled, standing up a little straighter and trying not to seem intimidated by the posse Cyrus had brought with him, for whatever reason.

Cyrus smiled like a shark. “Because, darling, Christopher Penn is a man who’s been missing for almost ten years now.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Next chapter ->

Okay, I lied about the break. I've at least got another chapter after this, and if nothing goes crazy IRL, I should be able to maintain my normal posting schedule.

The question now is: why does Cyrus care about Christopher so much? Don't worry - that question will be answered in next week's chapter, Your Humble Servant.

Thank you, as always, for reading, and for your support!

#cursed cravings #itwom au #beauty and the beast au #itwom #vore writing #vore stories #gt writing #gt stories #gt vore #sfw vore #nonsexual vore

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