#how's my angst?

[blucassiopeia]

Spectrum

"A prelude spin-off for an upcoming fic"

warnings: afab!reader, fluff, angst, surprising, 6.8k LONG

An Akaashi Keiji x reader one shot, yes or maybe not? let's see

a/n: felt like writing this rn so i can have a week free of preludes and continue with the main fic, hopefully as i work through being a useful citizen; a bit of meh in the end because it's originally a bonus chap but i decided to incorporate it here

"How would you want our first kiss?"

You never whipped your head that fast all your life, it felt like it was gonna rip out of your neck. He was copying the notes he missed out of your classmates' but his face was beet red beside you, sweat beading at the side of his face eventhough the room's airconditioned. Your look was incredulous, and you started laughing so hard you knocked off your pens due to your fist hitting hard your desk.

He scowled, "Nevermind."

"W-wait," and you continued laughing.

His scowl deepened and he side-eyed you and went back to writing. Classmates were looking already to the sound of your laugh, others were already infected and started snorting and giggling on their seats.

Your laugh curbed to a breathy laugh to a giggle and you scooch over to him more and whispered, "D'you want to kiss me?"

He continued copying, huffing as he goes and done, closing his notes and turning his face to you. You felt his minty breath from the energy bar he had for snacks.

"Of course." whispering back, holding your eye contact for a few seconds and his gaze went down to your lips and you felt like you can't breathe when his gaze came back to your eyes. You swallowed hard.

There was never a time when you won't feel like your heart will skip a beat when you interact with Akaashi Keiji, but on times like this, it doesn't. Instead, it gives your heart an extra beat and a thousand monsters would go wild in your gut, you wanna run away screaming his name until your chords give up. You wonder if he knows that. You wonder if he feels that.

"But not here. Inappropriate." You snorted and sat properly, shoulders brushing his as he, too, leaned back, resting his head and back from a 30-minute write.

"Hmmm," you hummed, lifting your chin up, thinking about his question. How would you like your first kiss? Well, this is not your first kiss. You had your first kiss stolen during middle school at a school festival. Not to worry, Keiji knows it already.

You bit your lip when you realized that if your fantasies happen, fantasies you're about to spill to him now to answer his question, it'll be your first kiss that you both mutually wanted. And not just a stolen one, but a real one. You can't hide your smile and he looked at you, a brow raised and silently smirking.

"Maybe I want it raw."

"What!?" It was his turn to whip his head hard and fast and look at you like you had popped out of thin air. "R-raw?" He stuttered and you narrowed your eyes on him.

You started hitting his shoulder and arm as you processed what he would have been thinking about what raw is. "You! 18 year old man! Captain of the volleyball team! Stop thinking about those kind of things!!" A series of Ows were heard across the room, he has to back away to avoid your heavy hand.

He is laughing through his flinches and it fumed you more. "Stop it, Y/n." He giggled as he grabs both of your wrist. "I'm just kidding. Just kidding." Keiji guided you back to your seat and made his seat again next to you. "Soー" He cleared his throat. "ーraw? Explain." He fought with all his might not to laugh at your still-scrunched-up expression.

"Stop laughing, okay?" He covered his mouth as he nods, resting his elbow at his desk, body turned to you, giving you his full attention as always.

"I want it unplanned. But I, you know, I would especially like it when it happens in a baseball fieldーcoz you know I'm a baseball playerーand I want it raining, and my favorite song comes along and you'll dance with me in the rain then ー" You pouted as you realized you're dreamily staring at nothing as you imagined it happening. And a man not more than a foot away from you is also doing the same thing, while staring at the most precious thing in his life right now.

Keiji never planned on courting you. Nor falling hard for you and your personality. It just happened, one winter morning after the last game of his high school life. When you uncharacteristically praised his gameー that you usually made fun of, of how he is overthinking things and it seeps through in his gameplay. It started as a super confused "Huh?" and ended in a blunt, "Do you want to be my girlfriend, Y/n?", yet you laughed and you said, "Express delivery, Mr. Akaashi? Court me first, HA!"

But you did fold after two months of his rather sweet advances, and now, you're both here, in this topic he also didn't planned. He stared at you one last time as he thinks of ways of how to step up to your fantasies.

Wataru nudges Keiji as they walked together to the school's gym for the athlete's formal turnover of responsibilities. The night's lingering winter cold air wafting his face and against his black dress shirt and slacks. He probably should wait for you inside.

"Where's Y/n-san?" Keiji could feel his scowl when he heard him asking about his girlfriend. Wataru may have seen Keiji's face and backtracked. "Just asking. The event's gonna start in 30 minutes."

Keiji hates the fact that he still can't drive, or his dad can't trust him drive. He can't pick you up in times like this. He's getting anxious and most of the athletes of Fukurodani Academy are already seated inside. He huffs, small misty breath leaving his mouth. He thought of why is it still even cold when it's already spring. He thought of the drastic effect of the greenhouse gases and climate change and abnormal change in the seasons andー

"Hey." He nearly jumped with his heart out when you spoke next to him. You giggled and it's like sleigh bells chiming against his ears. His erratic thoughts leaving him, now filling it up with thoughts of you, not that you ever left his mind.

"You're stunning."

"Oh, stop it, you." You smiled while your hair's softly blown by the Tokyo spring air. Keiji can't help but to commit this image of you in his memory for the years to come.

You kissed his cheek and anchored your hand to his arm. "You look like the man that I somehow see my future with."

You giggled as his other hand found its way to brush your anchored hand, his hand too warm to the touch. "You like that?"

He hummed. "I like that." Though, you both are still in your early months of your relationship, he liked the sound of it. So much.

The event ended an hour ago and you both found yourselves sprawled in the field, clearly unplanned. You invited him after a very toxic program like, why would they hold such event when the teams can do it on their own, and it will be shown anyway in public in the next pep rally. And the program was a mess, not organized. Too obvious it was just a spur of the moment talk, considering they hastily informed the athletes three days before the event.

You rolled your eyes and snuggled to Keiji's chest for comfort. He has his hand gently caressing your hair. You were whining about boredom back at the gym and he has heard the end of it when you both found comfort on the freshly trimmed field, your favorite song on repeat muffled in his slacks where your phone is.

"I just hope no bugs would dare crawl on us right now. I would really grab a missile on them." You grumbled through his chest, his red necktie and upper buttons now loosened. And you felt it, how his chest heaves as he heartily laughs. He hugged an arm around you and kissed your hair.

Your heart swells a little more than when you agreed to be Keiji's girlfriend. These wholesome moments with him are like what you were waiting for your whole life. You would like to be buried with them forever.

And you wanted to kiss him, right at this moment. Fuck your fantasies.

You plopped yourself up while staring him down. He was staring right back at you, and you felt like melting when he tightened his grip on your waist as you motioned closer. You're already an inch away, feeling his hot breath on your face, when the unthinkable happened.

You first felt it in your leg, then at the back of your hand, in his chest, in your arm, his forehead and the heavy drops came pouring.

You were both dumbfounded. And laughed, you crashing at his neck.

"Shall weー" Keiji ran his hand down his face to get rid of the wetness of the rain. "ーShall we take this chance to dance to your favorite song, love?"

Love.

Love?

Your brain stuttered while he heaved himself up on his feet. Heーhe called you an endearment, oh my God. You blinked rapidly through the raindrops on your face and with furrowed brows you turned to him.

"HEY!" He flashed a grin and offered a hand to you. "You can't say it like that so...casually!"

You took his hand and he hoisted you up chuckling, "Why not.. love?"

"Keiji!!" You whined as he placed his hand on your waist, still chuckling, other hand outstretched with your hand. You instinctively placed your other hand on his shoulder, brushing his neck as he swing to the rhythm of your song.

"You planned this, did you?" Your scrutinizing eyes were boring on his innocent but sparkling eyes.

"I can't make it rain, love. But you want it raw right? Unplanned?" He still grinned through the rain and you can't deny that you like what you're seeing right now. He looks so divine, you can't stop yourself from leaning on his shoulder, at the crook of his neck while both his hands are now on your waist, your other hand brushing on his shoulder and still swaying to the rhythm of your song and the pouring heavens.

Keiji never thought it would rain. He might have to thank the climate change for that. He never thought this circumstance would present itself now. He can't help but to kiss your head a little bit more tender than usual. You might've felt how his heart beats so erratic now that you're this close to him.

"I love you, Keiji." Oh how do you do that. How do you do those things that makes him crazier and crazier by the second.

He felt his steps paused, his heartbeat in his throat and ears as he held the back of your neck, craning it up to him.

And then it happened.

It felt like the world paused for this moment, the raindrops stopped, the traffic far out the walls of the school, the distant disco songs in the gym. It all stopped. What remained was that moment.

His eyes were closed unlike your eyes all wide from the shock. He pulled you closer by the waist, his hand at the back of your neck prevented you from pulling away from him. And his breath against your face. So close. And your lips... You blushed so hard at the realization. Andーand then he nibbled your bottom lip. You closed your eyes and your hands flew to the back of his neck and his hair. And you kissed him back with the same intensity he's giving you.

God, Keiji. What are you doing to me?

You felt him smile before breaking the mindblowing kiss and he leaned his forehead against yours, catching his breath. You were, too, smiling.

"Is that how you say you love me too, Keiji?" He laughed. Oh, how you love the sound of his laughs.

He kissed your nose and forehead, next. And he left you on the spot, still laughing. It's when you realized something. You scrunched your nose up instantly.

"HEY!" His laughs went louder. "You didn't say it back!" You ran to catch up to his big strides.

Keiji can't say it back. Not when you're this adorable in front of him. Not when his head is over the clouds at the moment. Not when he's still too drunk with your lips.

He might kiss you again. And he's afraid he might not stop 'til he takes your breath away, unconscious.

How he loved the way that kiss went. He laughed upon himself and his realizations, a finger ran on his lips.

But something went wrong with you.

"Yes, okay.ー" You looked at him pacing back and forth, packing up for a trip you did know but can't fathom why you can't go with. "Yes. On my way, Ran. Hm. See you. Yes. Love you too." And he hanged up and looked at you, kissed you and went back to packing.

"I wanna go with you, Keijiiii. Don't leave me hereee." You whined, rolling about your shared bed.

"You can't, love. It's too far, and you have classes on weekends. I'll be dead if your mom finds out you'd be skipping classes for a vacation halfway across the country." You pouted more and he kissed you again. "We'll have more next week, hm?"

You glared at his back as he continued packing.

But that next week never came. More projects, hectic deadlines, demanding reports, from both you and his. College life is stressful. You just wanted to quit and ran away with him. But you know he can't.

It went on for months and school was pressuring you more. Keiji came busy too, too busy for dates now. Study dates, maybe. But just the indulgent ones? You plopped at your chair and heaved a sigh.

And it came buzzing and buzzing. You took a look at his phone on his side of the desk.

"Keiji, your phone's noisy. Shall I check it?" You called him out while still peeking at his phone, still hands off.

"Yes, please, love! Coming over in a minute!" He called back from the bathroom, still showering.

You excitedly unlocked his phone with your anniversary date and took a look at his chats. Your brows shot up at the topic on the GC.

☆ VOLLEYBALL IDIOTS - ABS ONLY ☆

JZJ | Yuuji

@Keiji Akaashi

c'mon, i just had a crush on her for 3 months stop pestering me

DT | Kenji

oh stop lying! you were the longest.

SJ | Issei

you even gave her something during white day last march you idiot!

JZJ | Yuuji

that was obligatory you fucker

@Keiji Akaashi

@Keiji Akaashi

and if youre talking about the longest @Eita Semi's gonna win

FOX | Tsumu

stop spamming!

why are you tagging keiji?

and oh?? @Osamu Miya

JZJ | Yuuji

because i got something for him ♡

HAHAHAHAHA

@Keiji Akaashi

STZ | Taichi

ugh. noisy.

@Keiji Akaashi give attention to the motherfucking parrot.

ITC | Motoya

what is it anyway? and what about how many months did someone had a crush on Ran?

STZ | Eita

he said chances don't go by like this. move before the owner comes back.

CRW | Koshi

you also said that a year ago, Yuuji

and Ran's not a toy to be owned

SJ | Tooru

fuck you, Yuuji! stop it!

CRW | Kei

..

CRW | Tobio

what was that ass hat? chances?

CRW | Kei

😶

CRW | Yuu

wanna be buried again in the sand yuuji?

CRW | Daichi

ehem.

JZJ | Yuuji

hi crows!! hi daichi!!got a surprise for ya!

OH HE'S ACTIVE ALREADY!!!

@Keiji Akaashi honey bunch!!

*sent a video*

OWL | Akinori

when was this?

CAT | Tetsu

@Keiji Akaashi ?

CRW | Shoyo

hey! Yuuji-san, Keiji-san already has a girlfriend! delete it!

CRW | Tadashi

Delete it, Terushima-san.

JZJ | Yuuji

oh cmon thats blackmail material 🙄

not you tadashi youre scary but wait till keiji creates a reaction HAHAHAHA

FOX | Shin

Delete it. You may not know that's his gf that's using his phone.

CAT | Mori

Oh no. Y/n?

SJ | Hajime

he's silent.

STZ | Kenjiro

Y/n?

OWL | Wataru

DELETE IT! KEIJI-SAN SAID HE'S GONNA TAKE A SHOWER A MINUTE AGO!

JZJ | Yuuji

oh fuck!

YOU DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING, Y/N!

hehe

im dead

You closed the chat, pale and incoherent thoughts were running on your mind. Your mind's blurry, so as your eyes. You tried to transfer to the bed but your legs were wobbly as hell. Your breath's getting heavy, it's already hitching.

And the bathroom door clicked open. Keiji, on his sweatpants already, was initially running his towel through his wet hair when he got to look at you. He rushed and kneeled next to you so fast. You felt so betrayed.

"What happened, love? Why are youー"

Keiji had no time to process the stinging slap you gave him when you grabbed your wallet, walked out the door and from your shared apartment. He rushed, taking whatever shirt he got first in his closet and ran after you.

But he didn't caught up to you.

Keiji ran back to the apartment, straight to your shared room, and grabbed his phone to call you. After a few tries, you finally picked up.

"I'm breaking up with you." Your voice was already shaky and hitching as you sobbed hard.

"Why? What happened? Let's talk about this. Please come back love, Y/n." Keiji knew the places where are you could possibly be heading to, so he grabbed his wallet and went out again to take a cab.

"Y-you know what happened to my past relationship. You know what happened butーh-how could you.. Did you even love me, Keiji?" Your mind was spiraling at the thoughts of that 2-month relationship before Keiji's. You closed your eyes at the bitter memory that's now reliving in Keiji's time.

"I didn't cheat, love. What are you talking about? Please. Come bーY/n? Love?" Keiji bit his lip when you hanged up on him. He called you many times after, but it just went straight to voicemail.

Please. Please. This is not happening.

Keiji's last resortーyour family's house. As much as possible, he's not gonna go in to respect your father's wishes but, he's sure you're inside those walls. He didn't waste a second more before he rang the doorbell. A minute passed and your father greeted him by the gate. He swallowed hard.

Keiji was sure your father's seeing his unflattering self right now outside his gate. Keiji was sure he'll not bat an eye more than a minute and he'll close the gate to his face. But he's practically begging the heavens right now.

"Sir. Y/n's inside. Please, can I talk to her?"

"No." It was plain but rigid. Keiji could feel a boulder weighing down on his chest.

"Please, sir. I love her. I wanna fix it."

"You love her?" Your father scoffed. "Then why did she came home crying to her mother's arms?"

"I'm sure this is just a misー"

"You told me you wouldn't make her cry, Akaashi. Whatever the reason is, you told me you wouldn't make her cry. Just out of joy. Now, what did you do to her?" Keiji felt his tears welling up his eyes. He swallowed harder.

"IーI don't know sir. I honestly don't know. She told me I cheated on her." He answered your father truthfully because he can't think of any at the moment. He just want to talk to you.

"And, did you?" Keiji looked at your father's eyes, ignoring the tears that fell to his cold cheeks.

"No. I didn't. Never. I wouldn't cheat on someone I plan to marry in the future, sir."

Keiji took hold of your father's scrutinizing stare and broke off, huffing. "Go home, Akaashi. Her brother's mad and coming home. I don't want both of you to see each other now."

And Keiji did what he was ready to do. He might've reserved this when he'll be asking for your hand in marriage but the circumstances took him here, right now. He went down on his knees and grovel in front of your father. Your father just stood there, staring at your boyfriend's grovelling.

"Please sir. Let me talk to her." Your father sighed and closed the gate in front of Keiji. "Please sir. Please."

He closed his tear-filled eyes and cried against his arms, across the ground, muttering Please sirs and let me talk to her over and over. You can hear his crying pleas from your room, and you cried with him.

Keiji hadn't realized how he got back to your shared apartment. All he knew was his face hurts, his knees hurt, his arms hurt and his heart hurts. But you're hurting more, he thought. He can't think of reasons why would you think he cheated on you. He never did anything unfaithful in your back. His life is literally devoted to you and your well being. Heー

Wait.

His brows furrowed as he started picking up the pieces before that slap happened. He plopped to the couch and started backreading on the GC. The boys were in panic because of something. Then he saw it. But what video? Yuuji? He initiated a conference call and put it on speaker. He can't trust his voice right now, his arm hurts, but he has to know.

The boys started picking up the call.

Atsumu: "It was Yuuji! I swear I didn't do anything!!"

Osamu: "You were the root of it!!"

A flood of yeahs sounded through the call. He still can't find the strength to talk as he draped an arm against his eyes.

Wakatoshi: "Let the man speak first."

Kenji: "He's not even speaking."

Shoyo: "Keiji-san?"

Hajime: "Keiji? What happened?"

Shigeru: "This is your fault, Terushima Yuuji!!"

And a chaos was in the call again. Keiji's breath hitched. He didn't realize he was already crying again. What did these boys do to make you leave him like that?

Tadashi: "STOP TALKING."

Kei: "Akaashi-san."

Tetsurou: "Akaashi."

"Wーwhat happened?" His voice was hitching. He groaned as he realized it.

Akinori: "Y/n really saw it, Yuuji! You motherfucker!"

Shinsuke: "Speak up, Terushima Yuuji."

Yuuji: "I'm sorry, Keiji."

He felt his throat constricting at the sound of Yuuji's voice and he began sobbing so hard.

What.."did you do? What".. did.."she see?"

He tried to talk but that's all the sentences he could form. He's pathetic without you.

Yuuji: "Shallーshall I send it again for you to see?"

Morisuke: "Send it again."

Taketora: "That's all you're good at!"

Eita: "Bury him in the sand again, Yuu!"

Yuu: "Tsk."

Daichi: "Stop. Send it again, Yuuji. Keiji's waiting."

A video was sent on the groupchat. He saw himself on the thumbnail and he knew instantly what the video was about. But why? Did he misremember something to make you think he cheated on you? Did he say something he can't remember saying to make you think of that? He found his shaking thumb pressing the play button.

The video shakes through the voices of Atsumu, Rintaro and Yuuji. It was blurry at first and then it finally focused on Keiji's drunk figure.

"C'mon Keiji. Out of all of us, you're the closest one to her. Well, except for her team and her boyfriend." That was Atsumu, out of the frame.

He heard himself groan at the prior question. "Okay. Okay." He breathes and stares up the sky. "I HAD been inlove with her since I saw her in that bloody training camp. Who wouldn't be? She's cute and amazingー" hik "ーshe's fucking beautiful."

He heard Yuuji giggled. "Right? Tell me about it."

"And d'you all see her sets?" Keiji hugged himself. He remembered it was out of bliss, alcohol and the cold air blowing in Okinawa. "I'm inlove with those."

The trio out of the frame chuckled at him and he grabbed Rintaro into the frame. "Butーbutー"

And the video stopped there.

"Why did it stopped there, Yuuji?"

Keiji remembers what he said there. Keiji remembers. But why did it stop?

Yuuji: "Iー"

Atsumu: "See? That was what we were asking!"

Rintaro: "There was another video of it. You haven't sent it. You were too focused on messing with Keiji and his drunken state."

Yuuji: "C'mon."

Sou: "We kinda want to see the second part?"

Atsumu: "And save it. Send it to Y/n."

But Keiji's anger was boiling within him. He doesn't know why did it stopped there. Yuuji can't be fucking serious.

"Terushima-san. I'm asking you a question, you better answer it."

The conference call went silent at his cold monotone voice. Some even squeaked to silence and murmurs.

Yuuji: "My hand slipped, okay? There was another video butーy-yeah, I wanna mess with you so Iーkindaーjust sent the first half. It was kinda my intention because I want to let them know your feelings for Ran before. Before. Yes, before Y/n. It was my fault, I'm sorry."

"Do you know what happened to us? Do you know what happened after she saw thatー" His tongue tastes bitter in his words. He has to force it out. "ーthat video? Do you know what her father told me? HUH!? DO YOU FUCKING KNOW WHAT DID I FUCKING DO JUST TO HAVE A FUCKING CHANCE TO FUCKING TALK TO HER!?"

Keiji felt himself stood up from the couch. "SHE WAS CRYING LIKE HELL, TERUSHIMA! SHE BROKE UP WITH ME! SHE THINKS I'M FUCKING CHEATING ON HER! Did you even know that's her relationship trauma from her previous one? ANSWER ME!!"

"Answer him, Terushima Yuuji. I'm waiting."

The angels may have graced the call because of the utter dead silence that followed her voice, except for Tadashi's and Kei's.

Tadashi: "Why didn't you knock?"

A series of fucks and Nos and Rans flooded the call. And Keiji found his tears streaming again. From the heartbreak, from the anger and the tension.. and now from the embarassment. He rubbed his hands on his face and plopped back to the couch, his anger fading.

Yuuji: "Cーc'mon, it's not just m-me!"

Ran: "Answer him. Fix it."

Kei: "Okay, that's enough for us. Excuse me and Tadashi."

Ran: "H-hey!"

Tadashi: "You shouldn't even be eavesdropping. That's boys' talk. You have your girlー"

And their line cutted off.

Yuuji: "I'm so dead."

Atsumu: "Glad w-we're at Hyogo right now. Right, Rin?"

Osamu: "Yeah? You're glad? She can even kick your butt even from Mars, you idiot!"

Rintaro: "Dumb ass. She's gonnaー"

Keiji don't wanna hear the end of it. He had enough. He just wanna hear your voice right now, to maybe soothe everything in him. He dialed your number countless times but to voicemail he was redirected.

He felt like dying.

You haven't been yourself lately. It's obvious you're still shaken by that cursed video Yuuji shared to the GC. The day you went home was a nightmare. You still could hear Keiji's cries off your gate, and how your brother punched your boyfriend's face numerous times you had to keep yourself from defending him. Your father isn't even talking to you, just sighs of disappointment.

Your important things for school is sitting right by your desk in your room, some clothes were still at that shared apartment you missed right now. Your shared apartment. The one both of you took time to pick, the kitchen you both decorated with lots of necessities, where he often kisses your shoulder when you try to cook, or you hugging him from his back when he tries to cook for you. The fridge full of ice creams and frozen pizzas for movie nights. And the counter whereーYou gulped hard. That's just the kitchen. And you had to stop, minding the toll it has given you.

You're not going to go back there. It's scary. He'll hurt you again. He doesn't love you. He loves someone else. He never loved you. He cheated on you.

That's all you have been in mantra for the whole month.

You took a deep breath and walked out of your class as soon as it ended. It was a morning of late November and the pending winter's coming. But winter came a month early for you. You fluttered your eyes close, pausing a little while on the lobby of your building.

"Where's her fucking building, Kenma!?"

"Ranー"

Your eyes immediately focused on the familiar golden-haired girl that's yelling on a distraught Kenma. He was the first one who spotted you, followed by Kei, then Tadashi, the cursed Yuuji with ears and cheek all red and clearly manhandled.. and she whirled to face your direction. Her golden eyes turned stormy as she pounced on you and slapped you hard, and again on the other cheek.

"Ran!"

You froze as your head is still tilted to the direction where she slapped you. The searing pain coursing through your head. Yells and grunts were all over you and you feel like crying for Keiji's name.

"Why did you do that!? Why did you slap her!?"

"I slapped you extra in case the first one didn't woke you up!"

Your breath hitched and your eyes travelled to her. She was already held back by her waist by Tadashi, Kei yelling at her and Yuuji, giving you an apologetic stare, keeping a scaredy arm-distance from Ran. Kenma went to your side and checked your cheek.

"I knew I'll be hating you sooner or later, then now, wow, you didn't disappoint Y/n! More disappointed at how you turned my comical hate to something more hellish!" You can't process what's she's saying, does she makes sense now? No. You can't understand why she's here or why she slapped you.

"Ran, that's enough!"

"You even haven't heard Keiji explain his side! How foolish can you be, huh!? You're traumatized of your past relationship? Can't you see how Keiji loves you with all his heart!?" She struggled against Tadashi's arms, you fluttered your eyes close.

You wished she'll break free and slap you again.

"It's disgusting to see Keiji smiling and laughing around you but looks so stoic infront of us! Can't you see that!? Open your fucking eyes, Y/n! You think he doesn't love you!? I'm gonna skin you alive and he'll still fucking love you, youー"

"Calm down, Ran." That was one demanding tone Tadashi gave to her, to which she stopped abruptly and breathed heavy. You have to close your eyes to try not to remember what Keiji told you about her.

Yuuji took small steps to you, wary about Ran's distance from him. "Y/n, I'm sorry. I will explain for Keiji. Though I can't say it in words, can you please look at this video? It's a continuation of the prior video which youーy'know."

He handed you his phone shakily, Kenma got it, noticing you were shaking so hard as well. He eyed you first before pressing play. Your eyes were glued at the familiar figure of Keiji, now with Rin in the frame.

"ーy'know. That all changed since I met my wife. The love of my life." He kissed Rin's cheek, to which the latter disgustingly turned away, but Keiji was hugging him tight. Laughs from Atsumu and Yuuji were off the frame.

"She changed me. Ran is..ugly..now to my eyes. She can't compare to my wifeー" hik "ーI'll marry her one day. Have kids that looks like her. I really don't mind not having boys." He dreamily sighed and leaned at Rin's shoulder that's pushing him away.

"Then don't wear a condom when you fuck her!"

"We didn't do it yet, Chumu. I respect her father as much as I respect her."

"Fuck, you're whipped." The screen wobbled and it turned black.

You didn't noticed you were crying until Ran, still at Tadashi's arms, screeched to Kei, "He called me ugly, Kei!"

"Yeah, you're realizing that now?" Kei smirked at his twin. "Ugly."

Your eyes were on Kenma. "Why didn'tー"

"She's uglier Kei!"

"You deactivated. You avoided us for a month, Y/n. Your father repeatedly turned Keiji's pleas down on talking to you. How would you know? You even blocked our numbers from your phone. There was one time we had to stop Keiji from climbing up your fence. He's 18 and can be arrested already. And your nasty of a brother giving him threats of suing him."

"No, you are."

"Then, you're ugly too. We're twins."

"Stop it, both of you."

"Keiji hasn't been in most of his classes. His father can't do anything to keep him moving. Eyebags around his eyes from lack of sleep. He's dying without you by his side, Y/n."

Kenma was so sullen on recounting those words to you. You knew you were selfish. After seeing that video, you knew you've made a terrible mistake, to the love of your life. How can you be so foolish? Ran's right. And you deserve her slaps.

You wanted to see Keiji now.

"We somehow got his face fixed, got him out of the apartment because of an emergency. We're going to Nagano inー" He took a look at his phone. "ーless than an hour. D'you wanna go? They're at the station now, waiting for me and Yuuji."

You heard Ran scoffed at Yuuji that's standing behind you shakily.

"I wanna go see him. Can we go now?"

You found your way to the Ueno Station with Kei and Ran still bickering at the back, on your either side was Kenma and Yuuji, and Tadashi up front, clearly done with the twins.

Your heart was racing when you all entered the station and walked a little bit more to the platform for the Nagano train. Mori spotted your crowd and nudged Akinori on his side and jutted his chin on your direction. Akinori immediately pointed to the far end of the platform, and there you saw him, standing alone, head low.

Tetsurou was nearby, but when he spotted you, his eyes widen and immediately distanced himself, walking to Ran's direction.

"Is the spot on your side taken, Mr. Akaashi?" You were at his back, and you saw how he froze and you can almost hear his relieved sigh and shaky breaths.

"Yes. I'm waiting for my love that's jealous and jumping to bad conclusions, making me wait for her alone in our bed." You pouted hard.

"If she's not you, please walk away. I don't want her to be jealous and think I'm cheating. I feel like dying without her already." His voice was hoarse to your ears. Is heー

You rounded to his front fast and hugged his limp figure. You noticed how his figure became noticeably thinner than usual. You cupped his cheeks and your heart dropped at his tear-filled eyes.

"Keiji."

"I was scared. So scared, Y/n." You tearfully nodded and hugged him again. "I thought I'm gonna lose you forever." You nuzzled your face to his neck and your other hand patted his cheek. You can feel how his breath hitched and deep, you think he might sob at any second.

"I'm here now. I'm here. I'm so sorry love." You kissed his neck, his jaw and his cheek and you stared at his eyes, wiping his tears off his cheeks and lashes.

"I love you Keiji."

And you closed the gap. It was not like the first time, but it was more meaningful now. The first time was out of bliss, now it's full of commitment and faith. If the first time was your fantasy, this one was your reality. If the first one was full of butterflies and rainbows, this one was through the storms you're willing to walk with Keiji.

"I love you more, Y/n. God, I love you more." He hugged you so tight and kissed you more passionately than ever. You tried to ignore it the first time but you could hear cheers not so far from your scene.

"Hey! Why are you crying!?"

"Shut up! God, I hate her!"

"You can come with us."

"No. She won't."

"Killjoy, Kei."

Keiji's brows furrowed, broke the kiss and stared at you.

"Why's your cheek so red, love?" He motioned to lay a finger on your cheek and you flinched to his touch. His eyes widened. His thoughts were bunching up to a conclusion and whirled to Ran's direction. You have to grab his arm to prevent him from anything else.

"Did you slap her!?" He growled at Ran, audience were too stunned to speak.

"Can you see it now, Y/n?" You can't help but smile at her, welp, through the lingering pain on your cheeks.

"Answer me, Tsukishima Ran!" You tightened your grip on Keiji's arm as he threatened to move closer to the now chuckling Ran.

"If I hadn't done that, she wouldn't be here smooching with you, fucking traitor!"

"I'm gonna punch him hard if he's not under the rubbles!"

"Don't you dare, Akaashi Keiji! I'm gonna skin her alive in front of you!"

"Ugh. Shut up. So embarassing."

You chuckled at the banter and can't help but hug Keiji from his back. You can't believe you doubted his love for you, his love that knows no bounds. From that peeking high school boy glances, to the fight between your dad and brother, even to this moment, he loves you with all his heart. And you've been fucking blind to how his love ranges, from the fantasy-filled moments to the real-to-the-bone ones.

"Don't let her slap you again, okay?" His hands rubbing your arms that's around him. You hummed and hugged him tighter. "D'you want to go to Nagano with me?"

You shook your head against his back. "I trust you. And I'm gonna go back to the apartment. I have a horrified image of it in my head."

He laughed, and that's the favorite music you have on your mind right now.

You're devouring the slice of cake in front of you when the detestful bride took notice of your table. You gripped your fork tighter and sliced the cake to smaller portions harder.

"Oh, how do you like the cake, Y/n?"

You scrunched your nose up and glared at her, taking a forkful of her wedding cake in front of her.

"Tastes bland, d'you spit on this?"

You saw how her smile dropped and nose already scrunched, too. Keiji and her groom sighing on both your sides.

"Be careful on your seat, I planted a bomb under it so you can go off together with the fireworks later."

"Oh, that's nice. So I can ruin your wedding too. Thank you, Ran. You're such a thoughtful friend. It's a pleasure."

"Ugh. I hate her, Keiji!"

"And I hate you, too!"

You both growled at each other til her father whispered something to her. She rolled her eyes on you, walking away with her groom's apologetic smile.

"Why do we hate her, Ran?"

"Don't you dare hate her."

"Shall I get you more cake, love?" Keiji was too poor on hiding his chuckles, you pouted at him.

You motioned him to move closer to you and he obliged. "Can you please check under my chair? That damn bride's sometimes serious."

And he dropped his head on your shoulder and laughed loud enough for the nearby tables to turn to your direction.

At a distance, Ran shrieked Keiji's name, to which you laughed heartily too.

You continuously tugged Keiji's sleeve as you saw your celebrity crush finished singing at the small pavillion just off the couple's platform. Keiji's still talking with his volleyball friends and you're already pouting so hard as Semi already walked past by your seat.

"What is it, love?"

"Semi!!" You whispered your shriek in his ear and he chuckled.

"Yes, yes, hold on."

He guided you to Semi and you can't help but to shake Keiji's arm violently as you neared their table. Keiji cleared his throat.

"Semi-san."

"Hm?" Semi stood, towering over you. "Keiji." He hugged your boyfriend with one arm. "How're you? And yourー" Your eye twitched at his giggles, rather than squealing in your mind. "ーgirlfriend?"

"We're fine. We're fine. This is Y/n. I haven't introduced you both formally."

"Nice to meet you, Y/n. I'm Semi Eita." He shook your cold hand, fangirling back on.

"She's curious about if you wanted a girl vocalist? Maybe she can join your band?" Both you and Semi stuttered a shocked face at Keiji. You felt your jaw dropped, cheeks blushing by his sudden reveal.

"Keiji!"

"What?"

"My dad wants me to be a doctor to be fitted to your family."

"And I'm too touched, but you also mentioned you wanted to be with Semi's band, right? Then, go do the things you love when you still have the chance."

Oh my God. You wanna kiss him right now.

"Hey! No cheesy scene in front of me. How dare you both." You found yourself chuckling with Keiji at Semi's retorts, with the others listening too.

"She can start now, actually. We really need a girl vocalist. I'll talk to the management about her." Your eyes bulged and you squealed. Semi's the singer of your favorite song and this is really really a dream come true.

"Really!? Oh my God." Your hand found its way to your mouth and Keiji was laughing at your actions, too fond of your reactions.

"Yeah. I shall eat first, and I'm gonna swing by you later at your table. Hm?"

"Oh my God. Thank you Semi!" You bowed numerous times and fast to Semi's direction through his laughs and a pat to your shoulder. Keiji dragged you away from Semi to stop you from your bowing. "Oh my God, Keiji."

"Oh my God, Y/n." He chuckled and kissed your forehead. "Do your best."

And Keiji was really touched about how your father wanted you to become a doctor for his family. But he knows you well, you don't want it. Or maybe you do, because you wanna be perfect for him. His heart was swelling and butterfliers churns his stomach as he listens you sing with Semi.

Whatever you wanna do, he is here waiting and supporting you. And oh, with the ring now burning in his slacks. There's a time for it. And he wants to elicit your best reaction yet to carve in his mind forever.

Semi Eita | Sugawara Koshi | Kuroo Tetsurou | Sakusa Kiyoomi | Kageyama Tobio | Oikawa Tooru | Miya Osamu

Reblogs and interactions are appreciated. Theories will be entertained. Cassie 2023.

[hinamie]

to moving forward

[chloesimaginationthings]

Gregory knows he looks LIKE HIM in FNAF..

[paintedcrows]

Holiday Classics

Been thinking about Ford watching the 70s Animated Lord of the Rings Movies... (companion comic to this post!)

[mobius-m-mobius]

#the Nowhere Man who waits and the God of Stories who watches

[littler0b1n]

They make me sick/pos

[lotus-pear]

mourning black and the death of ideals

[a-scary-lack-of-common-sense]

Part 2/2

By the time Stanley had realized he wasn't as alone as he believed himself to be entrapped in this ravenous abyss; he had honestly begun to suspect that he was finally starting to properly lose his mind.

In all the ceaseless miles that Stanley had journeyed during his apparent permanent residence within the dark devouring void, not once had he encountered another conscious, walking, talking being similar to himself. Every other formerly living creature that he had crossed paths with had been so... silent. Empty. Dead, in every sense of the word. It was as though the very essence of life itself had been sucked out of their bodies with a straw, their forms slowly falling apart piece by piece under the vicious gluttony of the darkness that surrounded them. They looked like they actually were supposed to be there, unmoving and comatose, unlike him.

So, when Stanley first began to encounter the twins, all of a sudden, he wasn't the only one in the dark.

When meeting the first pair of them, he found himself standing in a lake.

He hadn't even noticed the changes at first. It felt as though he had been walking for weeks on end, his body moving purely on autopilot and his aching legs leading him towards a destination only it knew. A thick fog of forgetfulness and flickering memories had descended upon his brain like a heavy blanket of numbing static as he had traveled. In this absentminded state, he hadn't even realized that the ever-present undulating, buzzing darkness surrounding him had begun to gradually shift and morph to form a horizon line; stretching into tall looming cliffsides that almost seemed to close in on him. Once the nonexistent floor beneath his soles abruptly began to ripple and warp, like the disturbed surface of a shallow puddle; only then did he finally notice his transformed environment.

The transition was seamless, almost dream-like. One moment, he was still surrounded by that filthy, overwhelming abyss; and the next, his boots were suddenly plunged deep into the cold, dark lake water.

The silence didn't leave, however. It still choked and stuffed its way into Stanley's ears to clog up his mind with thick cotton; the eerie quiet not quite matching the calm, almost serene scenery the void seemed to have abruptly transformed itself into. Like a movie with its sound cut off; leaving only the unsettling hum of the projector to fill the empty air.

It was odd. The lake was surely incredibly deep. He could obviously tell from how thin and pathetically small the shores appeared all the way from where he now unceremoniously stood in the middle of the lake. Stan could look down and see the darkness below his feet swallow what meager light that managed to break through the murky waters. The overwhelming black almost seemed to beckon him, gaping and haunting; a bottomless underwater pit of pitch black that never seemed to end.

And yet, he didn't sink. Stanley remained perfectly level, the almost ink like waters stopping just at ankle level, as though he were held up just above the surface by some invisible force. Even the writhing waves seemed small and low, as though the waters were shy to climb up his legs further than that. It was odd, so very odd.

However, it wasn't nowhere near as odd as the sight that greeted him when he finally lifted his eyes from the waters.

Stanley had crossed paths with truly unbelievable sights in this strange somewhere; from bursting, collapsing stars; to the imploding heat death of entire universes, but none of them seemed to hold the candle to what he saw then when he lifted his eyes:

Children.

Two, to be exact. Two, nearly identical looking children stood motionless before him; completely soaked through to the bone as though they had taken a plunge into the frigid water that pooled around their ankles. It was a girl and a boy, both adorned with twin expressions utterly devoid of emotion, their wide eyed stare seeming to burn holes into his thin jacket. Their drenched clothes sagged off of their scrawny frames; thin rivulets of water dirpping off of them and disturbing the glassy surface of the water at their feet. The little girl's hair had messily stuck to her face in thin sodden strands, her cheeks still full and round with youth just like the boy's. They looked young. Too young to be in a place such as this.

Oh, but their eyes; their eyes.

They burned with such anger; such injustice, brighter than any dying star or galaxies he had ever seen. Anger towards the world, to fate, to whatever cruel deity that had deemed them fit to be sent to this wretched place so prematurely. They were too young to be here; to be entrapped like he was amongst this hungry darkness. And yet, here they were, sheer denial against their own untimely deaths being the only thing keeping them awake and conscious amongst the dead and rotting. A show of juvenile defiance to nature itself so vehement even the all-consumign darkness seemed hesitant to devour them whole just yet.

It saddened him. It saddened him to know that they belonged there, that they were supposed to be there. He could see it, he could feel it; they were dead. No amount of determination could deny that universal fact.

When they spoke, Stanley could hear anger:

Stan chuckled in a futile attempt to lighten the suddenly heavy atmosphere that threatened to crush him whole. "A lake monster? You kids and your imagination," he teased, hoping to somehow rid the poor kids of the haunted look that seemed to whirl in their glares. No child should have been burdened with such a knowing look; such eyes that looked like they had seen everything there was to see about the world, the horrid and the good.

Clearly, it had been the wrong thing to say, and Stanley's faux pas was rewarded with a scowl from the little boy. A world's worth of sour contempt etched into every contorted groove that his grimace seemed to dig into his much too young face. Stan suddenly felt guilt squeeze at his weary bones for having caused that.

"That's what they all said," the boy spat out, eyes shining with a sheen of wetness Stan wasn't sure he was prepared to deal with.

Stan left that first interaction with the twins with the feeling of guilt and sorrow still clining to him.

He couldn't have known, at the time. He couldn't have known that this wouldn't be anywhere near the last time that he would meet the pair. He hadn't realised just how many of them there were. After that first pair, his endless journeying within the Abyss was hardly be spent alone anymore. Countless more times, he came face to face with the exact same two young and impossibly worn faces; forced to meet one pair of beaten and bruised kids after another.

Not one pair had died the same death as another. Some had gotten lost, prey to whatever threat that had snatched them up out in the open; some had fallen from high up; some had been crushed under an incredible weight; some had burned; some eaten alive; some zombified. Some didn't even seem physically harmed at all, body perfectly intact, and yet that same faraway, distrubed look in their eyes remained.

He thought the worst ones were the ones he found alone. A little girl or a little boy, left all lonesome without their other half there. Twins, he remembered a pair of them telling him once.

Once, he had come across a town full of silent, stone statues. It was a rustic, shabby, almost nostalgic looking town- odd and strangely familiar. The sight of it had tugged at an aged memory that had long since wasted away in the back of his mind. It was serene, almost deceptively so. The sun shone; the air smelled crisp and fresh; numerous waterfalls continued to crash down from the tall cliffsides; and a soft nonexistent breeze whistled through the thicket of pine trees that blanketed the outskirts of the town. None of it seemed to match the gruesome scene of the hundred wailing statues that littered every inch of the town.

He had found the boy's statue on the other side of town, deep within the green forest and toppled over the gnarled roots of a towering tree. Like the rest of the townsfolk, he too, was frozen mid-shriek; his stone face twisted and contorted into a mock impression of a silent scream as his body lay paused in a writhing struggle. He made sure to be gentle when he carried the boy's statue over to place it beside the girl's, whose statue stood far deeper into the forest, sporting the same rictus grimace of terror as her brother's. It somehow felt wrong for them to have been so far apart from one another, even in death.

He had come to dread meeting of the twins. He hated every second he had to confront yet another pair of dead children that did not belong here, but fate had decided they did. He despised having to listen to their tales of woe as they wept about the injustice of the world, of having died young; he despised himself for being unable to do more than weep with them.

"We don't belong here, Grunkle Stan," he would listen to the little girl weep, calling him a title he didn't recognize. He never remembered if they had ever told him their name, but they all seem to know his, without a fail. "If we're dead, then what about you? What about Grunkle Ford? Mom? Dad? What about them? We can't be dead, we can't be," they would say, confusion and frustration written all over their faces. They didn't understand. They didn't understand why they had come to the darkness so early, so unfairly.

He never knew what to say, he'd never been good with words.

All he could do was kneel down to their levels and engulf them in his arms, hoping he could somehow squeeze the pain straight out of their bodies in his embrace. He hugged them, because what else could he do?

[reichurine]

bodyswap au but a bit of a sad take oops, pt3

pt2 here

[nuzipilled]

post traumatic stress disorder (nonsexual nudity)

[starry-bi-sky]

There are two things that Damian knows that he knows Father doesn’t.

He has an older brother

He was dead

(And a secret third thing: Damian was glad he was dead. They did not get along.)

Well. No, correction, they were two things that Damian knew that Father didn't. Past tense. Strange magic swirled through the air and created a mirage before his eyes, and immediately a scowl forms across his face.

The mirage shifts and shimmers like the light hitting a slowly turning prism, and then it settles into a memory. One that Damian does not recall. Like looking into a tv screen, it shows, faintly, a room, with most of the magic going into the image of a crib.

His mother was standing on one side, and next to her, standing on his tiptoes was a small five year old boy looking up at her. With dark hair and skin that was only few shades lighter brown than Damian's, the little boy's resemblance to Damian was undeniable.

However, his eyes were blue. Not green. Damian's scowl deepens, and he sinks back. "Danyal." He mutters, and feels eyes turn on to him.

Danyal Al Ghul. Damian's older brother. A prodigal swordsman like Damian, and five years his senior. He'd be fifteen if he was still alive. His memory of the last time he saw his brother was still clear in his mind.

(A sword to Danyal's neck. Stars were glittering through his window. Damian was five, Danyal ten. He is not sure why Danyal had snuck into his room, all he remembers is hearing a sound and on instinct reaching for his sword.)

(His brother had intercepted easily. But had not shoved the sword away. Moonlight hit his blue eyes, and Damian remembers seeing the pupils shrink to let the light in. His eyes looked almost silver.)

(His brother bares his teeth at him. Damian wants to slice his neck more than anything, and he bares his teeth back. "Good." Danyal says, his voice low in a hiss, "Your reflexes are good, little brother.")

("Of course they are," Damian remembers snarling, and presses the sword closer. But it does not budge. "I am an Al Ghul.")

(Something unrecognizable passes through his brother's eyes, and his mouth twists into something like a smile. "I know." He says, and tilts his head downwards at him. "And you will be great.")

(His brother shoves the sword back, causing Damian to stumble. And like the wind, he is gone.)

(The next morning, he goes on a mission with mother and a few others. Mother is the only one to return with Danyal's sword, and a red-eyed look in her eyes. Damian does not mourn. Now there's only one of them.)

"Momma." The little Danyal-mirage speaks, a furrow between his childlike brows as mother lowers a bundle into the crib. His blue eyes watch her, and lifts onto his toes to peer into the crib as she sets the baby down. "Who is this?"

Their mother's hand comes to rest along his back. "This is Damian, my son." She murmurs, voice low. "He is your little brother. Protect him well."

Damian scoffs internally -- not likely. He remembers every spar he ever had with Danyal, every harsh word and insult. His pushing, pushing, pushing for Damian to get up. To try again. Do it again. The only kindness he ever showed him was when his fingers bled. And even that was harsh, firm. Rolling gauze around his wrist and scolding him, telling him how to wield his weapon better.

(It was the same as everyone else, but somehow it hurt worse coming from his own brother.)

But he watches his older brother's youngest self tilt his head to the side, and then reach his chubby hand through the crib's bars. He runs small, blunt fingers over the baby's arm, and the baby jerks. Through the crib's bars, Damian sees himself grab Danyal's fingers.

And he scowls even deeper.

And Danyal's eyes... widen. He lets out a little gasp, and a small smile Damian's never seen him wear tilts at the corner of his mouth as he looks up at their mother. "Mother," he whispers, "he grabbed me!"

Damian... his scowl falters, for a moment.

He doesn't wait for a response, he looks back to the baby with sparking eyes. His expression melts like sugar as he bounces the finger being gripped tight by the small hand. "Hello, little brother." His brother says, voice its of usual firmness, but there's more fondness underlying it than Damian's ever heard. "My name is Danyal."

The mirage shifts before Damian can comprehend his older brother's voice. It shows the crib again, appearing as if a few days had passed. There is night lilting through the nearby window, and a creek of the door. The baby doesn't stir.

Danyal sneaks in, still wearing his training clothes and a sword strapped to his side. Damian's scowl returns, watching him creep over to the crib. Of course -- the last night he saw his brother wasn't the only time he'd snuck into his room.

Would he go so low as to attack an infant? Damian wonders, watching his brother cross the room to his crib. But while his fingers rest against the hilt, they never curl to unsheathe.

His brother peers into the crib again, and there it is again, that smile wider in the corner of his mouth. It's not a full one, but its as uninhibited as it gets. Dripping honey-sweet with awe. "You are so tiny." Danyal whispers, and pokes a finger back through the crib. It wriggles, then pokes Damian's cheek gently. "Was I as small as you when mother gave birth to me?"

There is no response from the baby. Not a coherent one anyways, the little thing snuffles and turns his head, mouth open to latch. Danyal stills, his eyes grow ever wider again.

Danyal says nothing else, just rests his cheek against the crib and watches the baby sleep in silence. The affection never leaves his young face.

Damian feels unsettled. Off-foot. This Danyal is foreign to him... He wonders what happened to have changed his brother's mind on him.

There's a scuffle, quiet, but there. Danyal picks up on it just as Damian does, and his head pricks up like a deer, head already turning away from the crib. The affection leaves his face, falling away like water into something serious. His blade is already slightly unsheathed.

Two assassins, belonging to grandfather, burst out of the shadows. Their swords swinging into the air and ready to strike.

Danyal kills them both, his back to the crib. It's not without struggle, and when the two assassins lay dead on the floor, the baby is wailing at the top of his lungs. Danyal has a laceration cleaving down diagonal of his cheek. It's close to his eye, just barely missed blinding him.

Damian never knew how he got that scar. He does now. (He doesn't know how to feel about it.)

His brother clutches his bleeding face, sheathing his sword as tears well up onto his face. But he turns towards the crib, and hurries over. "You're okay, you're okay, you're okay." He hushes rapidly, the League-drilled seriousness fallen away to reveal a panic-stricken five year old. He sticks one hand into the crib, the one not clutching anything, and grabs little Damian's hand.

Their mother comes bursting in that moment, and Danyal turns his head towards her. "Mother." He says, his voice cracks un-wantingly. Their mother steps over the bodies of the assassins easily. "They tried to kill Damian."

"But they did not." Talias says, kneeling down next to the crib to inspect Danyal's face and Damian's well-being. When she finds nothing of concern beyond the injury, she continues. "You killed them before they could, Danyal. Well done."

The mirage of his brother nods, his eyes teary and red.

Damian... is discomfited. he never thought Danyal would kill assassins for him. He would have thought his brother would sooner look the other way. The mirage shifts again, and it quickly shows time passing.

Danyal sits in Damian's nursery every night, after that. He lays at the foot of the crib with his sword, a pillow and a blanket with him. Some nights there is nothing but peace -- or as close to peace as a baby could achieve -- and some days assassins break in.

Danyal kills each one.

The mirage shifts again, and it shows more memories of Danyal interacting with Damian during his youth too young for him to remember. His first steps, his first words.

"Danya." The small toddler of Damian says, arms reaching for Danyal.

A frown curls across Danyal's face, and pulls Damian into his lap. "No, no, little brother." He scolds, voice firm but.. softer. "It is Danyal, Damian. Danyal."

"Danya!"

Damian's brother sighs, but there is that same-small tilt at the corner of his mouth. A glimmer in his eyes. A glimmer... that Damian is finding he recognizes.

(He always thought his brother got that look in his eyes when he was mocking him. Was he wrong?)

The mirage shifts again, and this time it shows only mother and Danyal, alone. Danyal is older, taller. Seven, if Damian had to guess. Mother has a stern look on her face, her hands tight on his shoulders. "Damian will be starting training soon, my son."

Ah, then close to eight then. Training starts, always, at three years old. He watches Danyal nod, his expression mimicking their mother's. His arms are folded, always folded, behind his back, always neat.

"You can no longer have the relationship with your brother as you did before." Mother says.

Danyal's expression... falters. It shifts, it fluctuates. He looks surprised, thrown off. Like he isn't quite sure he heard what mother just said. His brows furrow. "What... do you mean, mother?"

"I mean what I said, Danyal." Mother says, stern, "Ra's will be keeping a closer eye on Damian now that he is of age to begin his training. He will not like if he sees you both getting along."

"I am sorry, my child. But your relationship with Damian ends here. You are rivals now, not brothers." In a cruel form a gentleness, mother raises her hand and tucks a stray curl out of Danyal's face.

Of course. Damian never had a relationship with his brother because of Grandfather. Of course. No, he's not feeling a little bitter. No. There's not an inner child that still, like a candleflame, wishes that he'd had a bond with his only flesh and blood.

Danyal is dead now. So it's not like it matters. He's happy about this.

Danyal frowns, and he steps back. He looks lost in thought. "We are still brothers, mother," he says, argues, and looks up to meet mother's eyes. "Let me train him, I will make sure he gets the skill he needs. If we must be rivals, then I will teach him how to defeat me. If he can defeat me, he can defeat anybody."

Their mother, and Damian, both blink in unison. Then mother smiles something sharp, calculated. She folds her hands behind her back. "Then do it. But you will make him hate you."

"...So be it."

Damian.... Damian is silent. His world axis has been tilted on its head. He is sliding, and sliding, and sliding down. Spinning. Many things click into place at once.

More memories from the mirage show. It shows Danyal training Damian. It shows their arguing, their bickering. It shows Danyal going to their mother to praise Damian and his skills, how fast he is picking up on the sword. How one day he will surpass even him.

It shows Danyal sitting outside Damian's bedroom door every night, listening in for anyone who dares to break in. His knees drawn to his chest, his sword at his side. Sometimes he sneaks in, sword drawn, when he hears a sound.

Some nights, Damian wakes up. He remembers those nights. Danyal standing over his bed with his sword unsheathed and tight at his side. He remembers the instant terror as he immediately reached for his own weapon.

His brother always scolded him for his lack of vigilance. That had he been anyone else, Damian would have had his neck cut. He would've been dead already. It only made Damian's hatred of him grow.

But he understands now. Because there were assassins in the room that Damian, four years old, three, did not notice. Not until later. He always assumed the attacks on him after Danyal's death had been because now there was a new heir to target.

It had been the only lesson he'd been even somewhat grateful for.

Then finally the mirage shimmers, and it shows Danyal, ten years old, in one of the training rooms, mid-spar with Mother. It's fast, sharp, impressive and like a blur. Damian is unsure if at ten which one of them was the better swordsman. Some of the assassins who have never met Danyal said Damian was, but the ones who had said it was Danyal. He'll never know.

In a lull in the fight, when their swords are crossed, mother speaks. "Ra's wants you and Damian to fight." She says, teeth grit into a deep scowl. The cross breaks and Danyal jumps back, he frowns.

"We have fought, mother." He says, and dives in first, swinging for mother's feet. Mother dodges, and slices at his arm. He swerves out of the way, twisting on his feet like a dance. "We are always fighting, doesn't he see our spars?"

"Not a spar like that, my son." Mother says, a snarl in her voice. She lunges, and Danyal blocks her blade. "A fight to the death. Father has grown tired of having two heirs."

That gets Danyal's attention -- or, more accurately, it distracts it. His eyes widen, and his sword lowers for a single moment. A mistake. "What?" Is all he gets out before mother has him on his back, her blade pressed to his throat.

He freezes. As does Damian. Danyal's brows furrow, then unfurrow, only to knot up again. "Mother, what do you mean a fight to the death?" He flips to his feet when mother removes the sword. She walks over to grab her water.

"Must I repeat myself, Danyal?" Mother snaps, rubbing her forehead before swigging from her canteen. "Father wants to find out which one of you is the stronger heir, and so you will fight to the death after your training in a few days."

Danyal's tan face loses a shade of color, he looks ashy. "There must be some mistake!" He exclaims, his arms gesturing out as he peers around mother. "There is a five year disparity between us, Damian has only just started training two years ago. It would be an unfair fight!"

"Do you think me unaware?" Mother whirls on him, and there is a grief-stricken look on her face. Like she is already mourning Damian's death. Damian feels ill. "Your skill is far beyond what Damian can accomplish right now, and there is nothing that I say that can convince Father otherwise."

Danyal wears an expression like he is scrambling for answers. A white knuckle grip on his weapon. There is a long silence, and his lower lip curls up. His throat bobs, he swallows. "Is there really nothing we can do?"

Mother makes a frustrated sound, pushing her loose hairs out of her face. "Not unless Father changes his mind, or I send one of you away. But Father would surely send someone to look for you or Damian."

"What if one of us faked our death?"

Mother stills. As does Damian. No, he thinks, stiff as a rod, no way. These mirages were lying, nothing but figments of an imagination. Of some quiet what-if that Damian had not yet stomped out.

Mother's expression shifts, and then turns contemplative. Danyal notices, and keeps pushing, he looks as hopeful as he could get beyond his usual unwavering, stone-like expression. "One of us could go to father--"

"No." Mother cuts off, voice sharp. Danyal wilts, confusion flittering across his face. Damian, from the corner of his eye, sees Father tense as stone. His white-slit eyes have not left the mirage. Nobody's has.

"Father will undoubtedly check there first, it would not be a good idea. You or Damian will have to go somewhere where he would not think to look. Someone unaffiliated with the League."

Danyal's face falls, shutters, and then closes up again into stone. Mother begins to pace, and Danyal's blue eyes follow her. "So a stranger?" He asks, and there is disgust lilting into his voice.

Mother nods, and she looks just as offput as Danyal.

The mirage of Damian's brother rolls his shoulders back. "Then I will do it, mother." He says, voice unwavering. There is a stubborn note behind it all, one that Damian recognizes. "I will fake my death, and Damian will stay here."

Mother's eyes turn sharp on him, and she stops in her spot. She pivots. "Are you sure?" She asks, eyebrow raising, "There is a chance you will never meet your Father if you leave. Nor will you see I or Damian again, if you do this."

Something like fear flickers across Danyal's face, eyes widening momentarily -- as if that very thought had not crossed his mind. But then it smooths over to sharp determination. He nods. "It would be the same for Damian if it was him instead. I will do it, Mother."

Damian feels ill again. Father has a strong set in his jaw, his teeth grinding.

Mother stares at Danyal, and then her expression softens. And like before, it is grieving. "In a few days time, I and another member of the League will be going on a mission to the American States. I will tell Father that you will accompany me, once there we will dispose of the other member and then orchestrate your death."

The American States. Danyal was here, in the country. He was out there somewhere -- but no this was fake. It had to be. Danyal was dead. A fool who got himself killed on a mission with mother and left the title of Heir to Damian.

Or maybe it had been his plan all along. His and mother's both.

...Was mother ever going to tell him?

The mirage of Danyal nods, sharp. Understanding. There is a gleam in his eyes that is not pride, it is tears. And when Mother leaves the room and leaves him alone, the stone-like expression on his face crumbles and falls.

His brother, ten years old, curls up his lip in an ugly way. It wobbles as the tears in his eyes do, and he brings up his hand to slam it over his mouth. And sinks to his knees, a yell-like sob muffled behind the skin.

His brother, ten years old, looks smaller than Damian remembers him being, and cries.

Damian has never seen Danyal cry. Not once in the mirage of memories, nor in his own.

The memory holds for a minute, and then disappears. And no new one shows up. The magic is gone, and it leaves a silence in its wake. Heavy, staticky, and full of revelations.

So there are two things that Damian knows that his Father now knows too.

He has an older brother

His older brother is alive.

(And a new secret third thing: Damian wasn't sure how to feel about it.)

[hinamie]

mentor

[chloesimaginationthings]

What if Mike got the bad ending of the FNAF movie..

[a-slashersfinalgirl]

Oh naur

[majunju]

[right to left] hypnosis

[mobius-m-mobius]

it's a fair question 🙃 Lokius Incorrect Quotes [12/∞]