#i already know he gets a redemption arc | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

shaisuki · 1 year ago

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DADDY'S HOME

FT. GOJO SATORU, NANAMI KENTO, TOJI FUSHIGURO, GETO SUGURU

content warnings: yandere themes, past mentions of abuse, noncon, baby trapping, dubcon, manipulation, stalking, forced pregnancy, stockholm syndrome, ooc characters, crying, redemption arc?, murder, abuse, rushed writing. dead dove do not eat.

notes. my first post in april. been struggling for awhile and having writer's block plus having the new addition of two chunky puppies that looks like potatoes with legs. requests are slowly being worked on and i deeply apologize for the delay. thank you!

synopsis: long they searched for you and only to find out you have a child. their child. would they be still the same person who had hurt you or a changed man for the sake of your child?

GOJO SATORU

“where's your mom, little guy?”

there is no doubt about it. the child in front of him is his. it is like looking at the younger version of himself except for the hair, dyed black to conceal the snow-white hair identical to him. how fast can he come up with the conclusion that the child is his?

gojo was careful of the past hookups he got tangled with. there's no way he will knock some random stranger and be forced to take responsibility for a child he didn't want. there is only one person he did get pregnant, you.

his wife who escaped left him a few years ago with his unborn child growing inside your belly. funny how all those escape attempts you'd done in the past, you only succeeded once and that is when you're pregnant and then after that you disappeared like you didn't exist in his life but gojo isn't that willing to let you go. he will find you. there's no force or power in this life that can stop in him and only fate to intervene and guide him to you which leaves him in this current situation.

the sun begins to set and the clouds turned into a mix of oranges and red. the swing makes a creaking sound as it sways back and forth along with chains clanging with every move. resonating into the emptiness of the park and his son only ignores him. barely glancing at him while staring at the distance. waiting. waiting for his mother. waiting for his wife to pick him up.

gojo chuckles at the cold treatment his son have been giving him. hadn't been the most affectionate person just like when he's at that age. unforgiving and arrogant. he looked at the ground beneath him. a brief memory flashes by before looking at his son again. leaving the swing at a flash and sprinting towards someone. he follows the little boy and gojo smirks. fate do favor him.

“mama!” your little boy called to you. almost jumping in your arms and you fumbled a bit. balancing the plastic bags in your hold to pick up your son. threading his hair with your fingers and kissing his forehead like you always do.

“satoshi! sorry for making you wait. mama had errands to do. how are you?” in which your son looks at you with a huge grin in his face. making you smile in return and he whips his head to look at the swings and you followed his sight. there he is, your nightmare. the reason you have your son.

the temperature drops with every second as the wind blows stronger. you hugged your son tighter to you. your body freezing with your mind telling you to run and with a deep breath. you squeezed your son before taking a step backwards and turning around. never looking back.

he watched as his son went to you and you picking him up and you realizing that he's near you. just within arm's reach and that fear coming from you. good to know he still have a hold on you.

calm down! you tell to yourself while you carried satoshi away from that man. you know you can't hide from him forever. you will just run again. no matter how many times. you did it once — what's the difference of doing it again.

you write a mental note to yourself to pack your bags after this. you're not going back again to him, not with your child. you don't want him to go through the same things he put you through. he was already dead to your son and to you and he's merely a ghost who terrorizes you. when you got home, you made sure to lock all your doors before making dinner and tucking your son to bed and then you grab the bags.

after packing up the last necessities, you slowly trudged your way up to your son's room and your heart drops when you see him looming besides your son's sleeping figure.

“quite bold of you.” he began to speak and your lips tremble. he didn't face you and kept looking at his son. your face bereave with anger. “s—” the words die out before he interrupted you.

“going as far to dye my boy's hair. almost thought he's not mine and thinking you found yourself another man to take care of you. breaks my heart to kill him and take you.” caressing his son's hair. satoshi remained asleep despite the scene unfolding.

“satoshi doesn't need someone like you. we don't need you. stay away from him. from us.” you murmured. careful not to wake satoshi up and find his father. you don't need someone like gojo to be around satoshi.

“can't i?” said satoru. slowly standing up and making his way to you. “cause the last thing i remember, you were still mrs. gojo. pregnant with my baby.” you let out a silent yelp when he suddenly hugged you.

“let go.” you firmly warned him. squirming from his grasp but he only held you tighter. “i won't. now you're here with me. you don't know how much i have missed you.” he breathes out. his hand in the back of your head until it slowly descends on your back. squeezing the dips of your hips and you silently gasp. trying to keep the tears at bay. his nose in the pulse of your neck. breathing in your scent. “you won't deny me.” he whispers and before he could fully go down in you. he hears the bed creak, followed by someone shifting and a sniffle coming from his son. his hold got loose on you and with that, you pushed him off. joining his son in his bed to comfort him.

satoshi sniffles, his eyes fluttering and showing the blues that he inherited from his father. “mama?” he calls you and you immediately shush him. “mama's here, satoshi.” you coo. pulling the covers and tucking it beside you and satoshi latched into you. his eyes beading with tears. “it's just a nightmare, satoshi. nothing's going to hurt you.” you lied. there's only one who could hurt you both. the man who put you in hell for his own. he can do that to satoshi too and you won't let him.

although gojo had longed and wanted to take you there at the moment, he let you tend to his son. set aside the urges of longing for you who left him. a discovery he just had found hours ago. he's a father now. his back presses at the cold wall behind him and he melts at the tender moment before him. this is what you had been doing for the last five years and is it that long. five years. five years had gone by and he missed it. he wasn't there to take care for you and watch his child grow up. you stole the years and the moments where he could be with you and his son.

there's the gnawing feeling that eats him inside. the betrayal simmering in his chest the day you left him, days after he received the news that you were carrying his heir. it feels like an eternity after that.

when satoshi finally settled and you can hear the tiny snores coming from him. you slowly removed yourself from his side. it took awhile to pry his hands clutching your top before replacing it with a pillow. you kiss him in the forehead and it's finally to face him.

you're beneath him. his head hung low while he stares deeply at your eyes. both of your hands are pinned beside you. he glances at your bedside table. littered with pictures of you and satoshi. it makes his heart bleed to see him absent from all of it. he wasn't even there to see satoshi as a baby, taking his first step and see him grow to what he is now. it's all because you choose to leave him.

“you raised satoshi well.”

“i did. i'm not raising satoshi with you around.”

gojo hums, “oh, really? he didn't ask who might be his father is?” quite curious about it and he knows what you're about to answer and you didn't disappoint.

“i did. told his father was dead because you don't exist to us. to satoshi. why bother with us who don't want you?” you bravely stared back at his eyes and you thought this is going to be satoshi when he grows up to be satoru's age.

“i am bothered with it. my wife leaving me out of the blue with my child inside you. i told you, didn't i? i will always find you.”

you take a deep breath to keep the tears from spilling out of you. “five years. five years, satoru. you should have moved on. find another woman who can give what you want.”

“they can't if they are not you. why would I want myself another one when i know my wife and child are alive. how could you be so cruel to me, (y/n). you're my one and only.” gojo holds your cheek in his one hand while his eyes roam to your face and then landing in your lips.

he's been dying to kiss you for a long time and he can do it again. it feels like the first time he had kissed you. soft. gentle and sweet. it hurt him a bit to see you bite your lips with your eyes closed but he didn't care. he knows this was also the same way you reacted when you both created satoshi.

a familiar warmth creep up on him. his once cold heart melting at the contact of your lips against his. heart thrumming in slow beats. shallow breaths fans your skin and he gazes at you, with the same adoration present in the blues of his eyes.

“leave, satoru.” you protested but gojo ignores it. “no, i won't. you're stuck with me.” you cry softly when he kisses you again. hands wandering all over your body and whispering filth of how he missed your body.

“satoshi's sleeping next room.” he shushes you. “i know, that's why we have to keep quiet. you sure can manage that, mochi?” he didn't change with his nicknames and you were left weak and hopeless against his touches.

that night he ravaged you. marking the expanse of your skin. praising how you were still his wife and you never changed. the plushness of your body and just everything about you. motherhood is kind to you. he says. your body is made for him, nurturing his child and you freeze when he talks about putting one on you again. saying that he will give the next his all love with you present and you will both take care of satoshi and his sibling. you were terrified. tasting freedom once and he's back on you again to take it. escaping will be harder and you don't think it'll allow you with again.

in a blink of an eye, you were in your own prison again. you find yourself staring at the familiar garden and you think five years will change it. he kept it the same as the last when you left with promises that you will both be watching as your children played.

satoshi's hair had gone to its natural color. he's the spitting image of his father much to his delight but his child remained wary of him. even he's staring at the older image of him. he remained by your side.

“will i have a baby brother, mama?” he asks you while you were resting. “i don't know, satoshi. do you want a baby brother?” caressing your swollen belly and you fought the tears. satoshi noticing the tears pooling in your eyes, instantly expresses his concern. “no...no. mama is just a bit tired, satoshi. don't you worry about it, okay?” you assure him. “is it the baby?” you nodded at his question. he pouts at your answer. “then i don't want a baby brother.... or a sister!” he exclaims before jumping to hug you.

“satoshi, don't be mean to your baby brother or sister.” your husband pulls satoshi from you. “i hate who makes mama cry.” gojo chuckles at him. “me too, satoshi. let's protect your mama, shall we?” he embraces your son. satoshi nods, and you die a little inside.

you will spend the next years playing house with him with a new addition to this family. you still can't accept this. his words haunts you and you just can't.

gojo caresses your belly. looking at you with a smile on his face. “can't wait for this little one to arrive.” he says to you and you crack a smile at him. the thought of escape no longer lingers in your mind. not that you can think when you have a child with him and one coming.

NANAMI KENTO

nanami didn't take you leaving him to be so distressing. his life revolving around you and a baby on the way. it's going to be complete. a life with you and it took one night for you to leave him without a trace and so he goes back to working overtime.

the first days were grueling. searching for everywhere. going as far in finding information with your relatives who had given up on finding you. there's no sign of you. he spent the days and night thinking about you. worried about how you're doing without him. what about the baby? if the baby was to survive and reach the age of consciousness will his child think of him? the thoughts are endless and he don't think he can live another day without you.

the fluorescent lights are too bright for his eyes that has been drowned by the darkness of his room. his headaches becoming unbearable as the minute passes by and the stench of the hospital adding to his already dulled senses. cheeks hollowed with his sunken eyes. dragging his step to move forward. he shouldn't be here but if he wants to continue his job, a prescription would be nice from a professional.

after a scolding from the older doctor, balding with a pot belly. yapping about his health while he wrote his prescription. consisting of vitamins and stuff he didn't bother to read cause he will only give it to the pharmacist and continue his own source of living.

he was nearing the exit when a particular sign caught his sight. pediatric & maternity ward. he stops for a moment. wondering if you were here and he's accompanying you to get the first check up of your pregnancy and then an appointment for your ultrasound. hear the first heartbeat of his child and know the due date of you giving birth.

it's almost a year since you left him and he was to blame. nanami knows it was wrong to keep you for himself. telling that the outside world is dangerous for someone like you and he's facing the consequences of hurting you.

you must have given birth at this day and the baby must be four-months old. his heart grows heavy the more he thinks of you and his child. he began to walk away, the ward giving him pain and the regrets showing up. before he could step outside the doors from the ward opens and he hears a voice that he misses dearly.

when he turned around, he had to rubbed his eyes to ensure his vision wasn't playing him. there you stood, a nurse assisting you and talking on what he can assume as good wishes to you.

his breath hitches and when the nurse bid you farewell before going back to her duties. you smile back at the nurse and your attention is back in your baby. adjusting the blanket to provide warmth for the infant and when you were contented from it, you raised you head to look at your way. beginning to walk and you notice him.

you stopped when you recognize him. out of all the places to meet him, a hospital it is. worst is — you have your baby with you. hesitating to move forward or turn around and look for a another exit but it's him. it's nanami. you couldn't forget him and his ways of making you feel trapped.

what feels like an eternity and standing like a statue you continued to walk. abandoning the fear of being under him again. you could just ignore him and go home and so you did.

it hurts so much to let you go and he didn't have the strength to confront you. knowing that you'll run again and he don't want to scare you and make things worst. it pains him and yet, he was at peace. a heavy weight being lifted from his chest and he thinks he can breath properly again.

it took him awhile to get back in his daily routine when you were still around. he'd gotten better. there's no longer the dark lines under his eyes and he seems productive nowadays. he knows you won't take him back and he can't do that again to you. he won't give you a reason to loathe him again — not when his child is present in both of your lives.

he got your address effortlessly and now, he's standing in front of your door. holding a bouquet of flowers and he's adjusting his tie before knocking in your front door. he hears the shuffle of feet and the lock clicking. revealing yourself in front of him.

in a span of a year, you slowly managed to get back on your feet. body aching while you wash yourself clean and heal the wounds you inflicted in yourself while you were in his captivity. you needed to change — if you were going to bring this baby in the world. a brand new start for yourself.

when you met him that day at the hospital with his child cradled in your arms. it won't be too long for him to get you back and you feared for the safety of your child. you know nanami isn't that heartless but considering how could he be selfish at times — you knew what fate would await for your daughter.

not until he came knocking at your door. you weren't prepared for it and you did what only you can do — shut the door. it didn't happen, his arm blocking the door. “please, darling. let me explain.” he pleaded and it kinds of break your heart to hear him pleading but you're too hurt to give in. “leave us alone, kento.” you say to him but he's persistent.

he won't be leaving anytime soon, you think and maybe he'll force his way and escalate into something that can harm you or your child and you give in. you pull the door open and nanami sighs in relief when you opened the door for him.

“what do you want?” you bite your tongue when you said it. he didn't need to answer, you know what he wants.

“can we talk?” although he's a little worried about how you will react about it considering his past mistakes and he knows you're not going to open up at him anytime soon.

he didn't missed the change in your attitude. what hostility forming into you change into something of a hesitation. chewing into your lips as you decide whether you were ready to talk to him until you nodded. granting him to explain what he was about to say to you.

“come inside.” you softly mutter as you turned your back around him.

the full force of his regrets came crashing down at him from how the way you treat him. a reflection of how he badly treated you from shielding you against the world when it was him who was truly hurting you.

“so...” you started to speak at him. “what brings you here?” why are you this!? you thought to yourself. screaming internally at the the questions you were asking to him. how come you are this weak when it comes to this. you needed to be strong. prepare for the worst.

“you. i came here for you and for the baby. forgive me, darling but is the baby mine?”

you flinch when he questioned your baby's parentage and the bottled up feelings you were suppressing instantly bursting into the scene.

“is the baby yours?...” your words drawl out. “is the baby yours!? i didn't know that you could be this stupid, kento?! you kept me chained for years and knocked me up with your baby and you question me about her! how could you....?” so much for suppressing the feelings you couldn't say to him for a long time.

a wave of regret washes over him and you were right. he is stupid. you were crying because of him again. you were shaking like a leaf while tears continuously flowing out from your eyes. your sobs are muffled and tears are soaking his shirt. his chin resting in the top of your head while he held you close. he wishes he could take your pain. redeem himself from his old ways of treating you bad.

“you come here telling me you want me back and you want to be a part of her life.....” days. nights. you were thinking of him despite what he had done to you. “i told you, i didn't want her. didn't want a child for me to raise... cried myself to sleep every night after escaping you.” it was true. how you feel your baby growing inside you every seconds of your life, it terrified you. thinking how can you raise the baby.

kento's eyes softened. he didn't know it would hurt so much like he felt when you left him. you were getting the brunt of it more than he did. he thinks back from the days of how he treated you and the whole duration of your pregnancy and you giving birth alone. you must been so scared and alone.

all of that, the words of what you said sinking deeper in his skin. remorse and regret is evident in his face while he held you.

“i didn't know.” he whisper, his voice above a breath. “i didn't know you felt that way, darling.” the endearment of what he used to call you and calling you again with it again cause more tears to spring in your eyes. oh, how you love and hate him at the same time.

“i didn't know i could hurt you this bad, i—i was only thinking that if i have you back, everything will be fine. i didn't realize i was hurting you this much.”

he slowly moves away from you. reaching tentatively to hold your hands and his heart breaks to see the face he loves so much to be this hurt. “i want to make things right, darling.” there's a slight tremor in his voice. “i know i can't undo what i had done to you, but please, let me be here for you, for our child.” he holds your hands gently. “i'll do whatever to earn your forgiveness.” you were taken aback from all of it but deep down you could never trust him or forgive him. you didn't respond and you can only shake your head not until you hear crying in the nursery room where your baby sleeps.

“if you want to be better, leave us.” you began to walk away and as much nanami wants to snatch you again, you stop in your tracks. “and maybe, i'll let you back to us.”

“for now.” you added.

he kept true to his words. it's hard but it can never compare of what you had been through and he respects the boundary you were setting. he sent you flowers during the time he wasn't around and it was not enough, he needed to see you and when he did, he was granted to see his daughter, hold her in his arms.

the baby looks like you except for the blonde hair and it was just like he dreamt. a family with you. she's perfect. perfect as her mother who graced him with her presence and this baby, he will protect this child with you.

he finds you crying. masking it as dust getting in your eyes but nanami knows you like the back of his hand. after tucking his daughter back to her crib, he joins you. sitting beside you and it broke his heart a million pieces knowing you were still in the process of forgiving him.

he's a father now but he is still your husband. “i'm so sorry, darling.” he whispers, holding your hand in his. pulling you closer to rest your head in his shoulder but nanami had longed to kiss you again.

he cups your face in his hands. caressing your round cheeks and despite wanting to recoil from his touch and avoid his gaze, some part of you wants to be held like this and you can't lie to yourself that you missed him despite everything. tough love it was or is it there still love in that?

“let me make it up you.” you shaked your head. closing your eyes and a tear escaped from the corner of your eye. nanami frowns. sighing before pressing his forehead into yours for a moment before pulling away to kiss your forehead.

this is nothing, he will endure it for a very long time until he can be yours again.

TOJI FUSHIGURO

he call it a happy accident. toji happens to beat that self-proclaimed sorcerer piece of shit and now, that shit is meeting his creator. he pays the body no mind when that leather wallet of this weakling drops beside his body. well, it's not the body is only cold. he expects to find some cold, hard cash there and he gets more than that. a picture of his wife and toji clicks his tongue. kicking the son of a bitch's body. annoyed that his wife is playing house with a another man that didn't even manage to put a scratch on him.

an idea appeared in his mind and toji smirks. he could pay this wife of his a visit. you would be so happy to meet him.

he came knocking at your door and the look you expressed is the best you can ever muster in a true horror of him finding you, it didn't disappoint.

“hey there wife. remember me?” he said in the most cocky voice he can muster and look at you, you're almost shaking in your boots but toji is surprised as you are when you were holding a toddler in your arms. a dead ringer of him. round, emerald eyes with the same eyelashes and face as his. clutching your blouse with a pacifier in his mouth.

his sight narrows to his son and to you. his once surprised face being replaced with a bored look and you couldn't even bring yourself to close the door. you don't know what he's thinking and so he got you when you're weak.

“you birthed a brat and it's mine?” it's not a question really when he comes doing this. his hard body pressed against your soft one. trapped in the cold table where you prepare him tea. insisting that he's a guest in your house and you must be a good host to serve him.

toji sighs, a low grunt coming from him. “you could be so mean if you want to. hiding my child and you come playing house with a man you replaced me with.” your blood runs cold with every words he said and the hands wandering all over your body until it came creeping below your blouse and his rough hands are squeezing the flesh of your stomach. you closed your eyes shut.

“he's a good man. which you will never be and you killed him.” your lungs contracts before releasing a breath that will took you days, months or for years to tell him that and you said it in one breath.

his eyebrows twitch. a look of disdain dawning in his face. just because you tasted freedom and you're acting like a goddamn independent bitch. you deserved to be punished.

the tea's now forgotten cold. you're pinned in the counter top with toji's cupping your jaw in a deathly grip. the skin of your wrist turning into a another shade. the circulation cut off and it begins to numb.

“who said about me being good man? he's a weakling who can't even protect himself and that weakling lead me to you and you're his what? his bitch? a body to warm his bed? when you should be doing it to mine!? you're one ungrateful bitch.” toji chuckles and he smirks triumphantly.

“my kindness needs to be paid, princess.” and here he goes calling you with the spiteful nickname to you.

he didn't give you the time to reply and forcefully kissed you. you almost choked at his whole body weight crushing your own. you couldn't even move your face to the side and reject that kiss of him. you didn't need him and your mind froze thinking of megumi.

you don't want him to see you in this position with his father. you kissed back, giving him what he wants so you can tell him. resistance is futile with megumi present in your life now.

toji grunts. you can feel him smile against your lips and when he breaks the kiss. you stare at him with your eyes pleading. “megumi.” and toji got the message of what you're talking. he glances at the door of the kitchen and he can the tiny shadow of his son walking, although a little wobbly and using the walls to balance himself. he scoffs at his son, ruining his reunion with his mother and toji is quite annoyed by it but it didn't stop him from feeling proud of birthing his son.

toji lets you free and your knees wobbled, giving out on you and you were left kneeling at the cold floor. megumi spotted you and in his own steps made his way to you in which you hugged him tightly.

“you ain't going to introduce him to his old man, wife?” you pursed your lips at his question and ignored him. rubbing megumi's back and shutting his father out and it ticked toji to just take his son away from you but resisted the urge to do so. knowing he can use this to keep you to him again. you would be so obedient with a little threat.

“careful now. you don't want me taking our little megumi away from you.” he warns. “now, put megumi to sleep and we can continue this little reunion of ours.” you nodded and you immediately scamper away from him and you see the front door. you can run but he'll catch you. you accepted your fate now and you would take the brunt of his punishments cause you're a disobedient wide who didn't care about your husband's desire.

it would be a waste to chain you again. toji thought. you're a mother now and he got a son with you. he don't want any interfering from how you will raise his son. he couldn't think about anything and maybe after you put megumi to sleep. he could think the ways he could keep you by his side again. for now, he'll just be a little patient and he can have you again for himself again.

GETO SUGURU

it was a mix of being ashamed and scared.

you knew this day will come when suguru and his child will reunite once again. the last he seen you was a baby bump visible in your dress in which he was happy. it did take root. a new lineage for the age of sorcerers.

dusk beginning to settle in the skies and you were supposed to fetch your son in the front yard telling that supper is ready and to your surprise. you found suguru standing tall, head low to face your son. a smile plastered in his face the whole time talking to your son and then he notices your stiff figure standing in the pavement before slowly walking towards them.

“i am your father. did your mommy told you that?” he asks and your son is processing what the words could mean. taking a glance between you and to his father. waiting for an answer in which you remained silent and only to tell him to go inside and wait for you.

suguru smiles. the smile that you hadn't seen for years and you can't deny that it still have an effect on you. “missed me, (y/n)?” the curse user spoke to you. his black and long hair swaying in the rhythm of the gentle breeze blowing.

“not really.” you honestly said to him and suguru's eyes changes into something dark from how you responded. “guess you got tired of all that luxury or everything's not enough for you.” he tuts. following the changes that is present in your face but he only received a curt shake of your head.

how shallow is that. you were like a pet to him. something he owned. a possession. he didn't like you being you and so you were lavished with expensive stuff that would keep you chained from the compound and to his little family. family. one you never had and never truly belonged in his place however you laid with him every night and the result, your son. living and breathing.

once you found out you were with child. it was a realization that you were never free and it hit you that this child will suffer the same fate as you and so you walked out. never looking back with the sole intention that you will raise this child with a perspective of the world and not to be influenced. his own and so you lived for years in peace until he showed up.

a shiver went down your spine from the contact of his fingers tracing to your soft jawline. electric and shocking. with a touch you will obey him but it's different. you're a mother now and something so good will only bring you to your own demise and it will extend to your child.

it is but you missed him touching you. a slave for his affections and you weren't really different from your past self. mustering the courage is the same as surrending yourself from the man who you treated as your world.

closing your eyes and you raised your head to meet suguru's eyes. purple it is. “you would understand why i left you, suguru. i can't raise ryū in that place.”

“and you think excluding me from ryū's life will change it?” not breaking eye contact while he caress your round cheek.

“yes. you're mad suguru and i can't change that.”

suguru chuckles. how motherhood impacted your ways of thinking. finding it so endearing to see you standing up and you wouldn't believe it that he's much more in love with your or whatever he was feeling. he knows it's bad for him and to you. “look at that, motherhood did you good. mad? i'll show what's mad, my dear wife.” he leans to whisper something to your ear. “i will let this go once and then prepare yourself. you will be back to me and with ryū, there's no chance of turning your back away from me.” he softly threatens to you and it weighs heavier. a contrast of the mellow tone of voice he was using.

“see you soon, (y/n).” kissing your cheeks before waving a hand to say goodbye to your son who was staring behind the windows.

suguru left after that and you knew what's about to come and you wished none of that will happen but suguru was always true to his words and you abandoned hope.

he will come back.

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mellosdrawings · 2 months ago

Note

what's Leverage (this is an invite to infodump)

Hohoho ok ok ok. Wiki-level infodump incoming!

So, Leverage is a 5 seasons TV show from the early 2010s that has come back in 2021 with a follow-up show called Leverage: Redemption. It is a Robin Hood kind of series in which a group of thieves help poor/honest citizens get back at the rich/powerful who wronged them/stole from them/abused them.

Despite most episodes following the same format, it manages to stay interesting and attention grabbing thanks to its peak attention to details. Everything you see in the episode is a hint for how they get the bad guy, which should be a staple of the police genre but which is particularly well done here.

It's a character focused series, with very interesting development and overarching themes and plots. It also does an amazing work at blurring the line between "good" people and "bad" people. Some good guys are absolute pieces of shit, some bad guys are just down on their luck. Several episodes have the main gang changing plans totally because the "bad" guy they were trying to scam ended up being just another victim, so instead they started offering their help to fight the actual bad guys. Many times the bad guy is a piece of shit but when there needs to be nuance, the job is done incredibly well.

There's also a very purposeful Found Family Trope that's just... great. It's awesome.

Now, I just said it's a very character focused show so I'll have to dive in more into the actual characters. I'll be trying to keep it to the very first episode and remain vague on the rest but there will be some spoilers ahead! Especially so since every single in-show introduction is a masterpiece that I must talk about.

The Mastermind: Nathan "Nate" Ford is the brain of the group. He's an ex-Insurance employee who got fucked over by said insurance company when they refused to pay for his son's medical fees (something I'm sure many US citizens can relate to). He ends up having to work with criminals he has previously hunted down before, which gives him a good overall knowledge of how they all work while his time in the insurance company explains why he knows so many scams.

Despite being the "token good guy" in the first season, I'd say he's the most interesting at first. He's a self destructive genius with a terrible alcohol problem, and that alcohol storyline is just so beautifully handled in the first 2 seasons, I was completely hooked. Starting season 3 the line between honest man and criminal blurs though, as it should considering his activities for the past couple years, so he lost my interest just a bit. Still a very strong character with amazing storylines and a terrible personality.

Among the Found Family Trope, he is the depressed alcoholic father who pushes his kids too far but would still do everything to make sure they come home safe. His arc is literally going from deadbeat dad to the dad that steps up.

The Hacker: Alec Hardison is an early 20 years old sassy chatty black kid who, not content of being one hell of a hacker, is also an amazing grifter who picks up skills on the fly. While the sassy chatty hacker who is the comic relief of the show is a common trope, he's one hell of a charming character who will weaponise everything he has underhand to get away with stuff. Absolute kudos to his actor who was also in his early 20s at the time who regularly offer some of the best performances ever seen on TV. I swear that guy is too good.

His introduction depicts all that in seconds. He's the first thief to appear, already talking his head off and giving his opinion on the technology he's been given for the job. His introductory flashback is interesting as it doesn't show him in the middle of hacking, but instead getting caught by police having fun in a hotel room he stole and giving a Star Wars reference. Just from both of those you flag him as a young easy-going guy who still messes up a bunch.

In the Found Family Trope, he is the youngest child who messes up a lot. He has the most obvious father/child undertone with Nate, and an equally obvious bigger/younger sibling undertone with Eliot.

The Hitter: Eliot Spencer is a thirty something years old man whose job is keeping the rest of the gang safe. When it comes to the hardened ex-military trope, you expect scary brooding man who always avoids being hit while getting rid of his opponents in seconds. That's not quite the case with Eliot. Yes, he gives off scary and brooding vibes, but he actually has the biggest heart of the gang. He's regularly shown being the one who worries the most for others, and there's an ongoing thing about him being the defacto person to go to get help help when you're 18 and under. Eliot has an incredible amount of screentime being soft and helping/protecting children.

Not only that, Eliot isn't some kind of super soldier. He gets hit. A lot. But the point is that he always gets back on his feet to continue the fight. His hitter prowesses come more from the fact that he has a lot of knowledge in the matter, rather than from being a perfect fighter. He also has an underlying theme with self-control and anger issues. Eliot is a character that is constantly annoyed/angry, and who uses fighting as a self-regulating tool.

On top of all that, he's also a good grifter who, when not there to hit people, is there to hit on girls. He's regularly used as eye candy to keep the attention away from the others. He's also (not so) surprisingly low key. Eliot is often described as "hiding his game well", his opponents often underestimating him.

Eliot is the second thief to appear on screen, being asked by Hardison what exactly was his job here and not answering, nailing in the "low key" aspect of him that confuses his opponents. It's reinforced by his introductory flashback which has him sipping coffee while having guns pointed at him, then cutting to the outside of the room so we don't see his skill in action, then back to the room where he's still sipping his coffee, unfazed, while everybody else is K.O. The last part of his introduction comes when he finally shows what he is capable of, appearing out of nowhere to put out of commission several guards who hold Hardison at gunpoint, to which he finally answer to Hardison earlier question of what exactly he was here for, with a smile. That's where you start getting a glimpse of his softer side that is entirely focused on keeping his team safe.

In the Found Family Trope, he is the eldest son. He bullies Hardison at least once per episode (and Hardison fucks him over about as many times too), and is the one who, with Sophie, keeps Nate in check so that he doesn't go overboard. Nate and Eliot have a lot in common and while they are rarely clashing, there is definitely a tension between them.

The Thief: Parker is a (most likely autistic (edit: she is indeed autistic, it's canon)) young woman who loves money and throwing herself off of buildings. She starts off as quirky/weird/off putting until we (and the main gang) start to understand her. She is both the most obvious and the most complex character of the bunch, who unabashedly loves what she does and has a lot of fun with her new partners, all the while having absolutely no idea how to handle interpersonal relationships.

She is the one that grows the most during the show, picking up skills left and right (fighting from Eliot, grifting from Sophie, etc), developing her interpersonal skills and empathy, learning to rely on others and falling in love. Her evolution is just the best and she never gives up her whimsy while developing.

She's the third thief to appear on screen, but she's actually the first one being mentioned! Nate tells his client that "Parker is crazy" before agreeing to take the job. She appears hanging upside down from a rafter, interrupting the boys to ask playfully if she can have an earpiece too, and finally jumping off the building with a joyful yell before Nate can give the go. Then in her introductory flashback, we see her as a young kid, with a terrible family situation, literally blowing up her house after her "father" dared her to become a better thief to get the bunny plushie she wanted. And so you know Parker is the wild card of the team who is actually pretty forthright once you've pinpointed her interests.

In the Found Family Trope, she's the middle child who has... whatever is going on with Hardison and Eliot. While the boys have more obvious family interactions with Nate (the father), Parker mainly has them with Sophie (the mom) who teaches her the most out of everybody. Nate still regularly is there to explain things to her when she's confused, and Eliot teaches her how to bully Hardison (lovingly of course).

The Grifter: Sophie Devereaux is an actress that the gang fetches when their client fucks them over. It's a bit hard to depict her personality like the others because her whole theme is that she has identity issues. As a grifter she has many identities, and she plays them so often that she comes to forget who she even is in the first place. She's a quick witted, caring person who helps tempering Nate and coming up with plans, she's a femme fatale who either seduces or instills fear in her preys, she's the one who puts at ease the clients who come ask the group for help, she's the one who comes up with on the spot solutions when something goes awry and needs an immediate fix, she's the one always at the forefront of the plans keeping the attention on her so the others can do their jobs, etc etc. Sophie is everything and nothing all at once, which makes her a fascinating character that is difficult to explain properly.

She's the last thief to appear on screen, being brought by Nate. She's introduced as a terrible actress, all three thieves being appalled by her prestation on stage while Nate is smiling wildly. Then we get a glimpse of the romantic tension between her and Nate when he asks her for help, and another glimpse at their closeness when the three thieves turn to her when Nate confuses them, only for Sophie to tell them he really hasn't changed. Her introductory flashback focuses on her stealing a painting, being intercepted by Nate, and them both firing at each other. Finally the last part of her introduction comes when she shows off her actual acting talents while grifting the bad guy, startling Hardison who was still worried about her acting skills.

Sophie is introduced with her acting skills and her relationship with Nate instead of her personality or quirks like the other (the only quirk here being that she's a terrible actress on stage but an excellent one when she's grifting), which keeps nailing down her identity crisis.

Since we're on Sophie, I'd like to point out how well the writing team handled the actress being pregnant and needing to stay away from the show for a while. Her reason for being away tapped into her identity crisis, but she still was there to give advices to the others, mainly the "kids". While it was obvious in one episode that they placed the characters and angled the camera to avoid showing she was pregnant, the rest was handled beautifully well.

The show seems very respectful of its actors, to the point it lets them showcase their skills in season 3 like Hardison and Eliot's actors' music prowesses. It also allows them to shine in the filler episodes by having them play other roles, to which they deliver amazing performances (especially Hardison's actor. I'll never shut up about him, he's just perfect).

And yes, that was the time when we still had filler episodes! And they are GREAT! Some of my favorite episodes are filler episodes, like one where the whole gang go over a theft they all accidentally did together years ago, constantly fucking each other over without realising, all from their own perspectives. There are jabs at each other, like Sophie's accent or Eliot being a ladykiller and a terrifying psychopath, but there's also an insane amount of details scattered. One of my favorite being that everybody else saw the head of security carrying a rifle while Eliot was the only one (save Nate) to see it as only a box. It's a minor background detail that the show doesn't even point out, but when I caught it I got super invested in the episode. At first I believed it was because Eliot hates guns and sees them as sticks to beat people up with, but with the last perspective being shown with the "truth", it turned out Eliot was the only one seeing it as a box because it was a box. Eliot would be attuned to the amount of danger the objects around him would pose, and so wouldn't mix up a box for a gun. Once more, it's a background detail but it just ended convincing me that the showrunners care a lot about this show.

Ok I'm officially out of fumes. I think I could go into more if I dove into the actual episodes but I don't want to spoil more than I already did. All in all, great show, handles heavy stuff like addiction and grief and neurodivergency incredibly well without being condescending, scratches a hitch by fucking over powerful people in the most horrendous ways, makes you aware of the kind of scams there are around, etc etc.

It's just one hell of a good show. 10/10 would recommend. I only wish the 5 seasons box set wasn't so expensive, I can't throw that much money in it ToT

ONE LAST THING! If you wanna watch, the seasons are all available on Youtube (US only, get your VPN ready if you're not from there) in the RIGHT ORDER! The first season was aired out of order by the network so you will probably find it in the wrong order online too. It's not much since each episode is mostly contained, but it did make me pause at one point because of consistency issues.

Season 1 link

Season 2 link

Season 3 link

Season 4 link (careful, the Playlist starts with the last episode and finishes with the first. You gotta reverse the order of the Playlist!)

Season 5 link (careful, the Playlist starts with the last episode and finishes with the first. You gotta reverse the order of the Playlist!)

Redemption S1 link (careful, the Playlist starts with the last episode and finishes with the first. You gotta reverse the order of the Playlist!)

You're welcome 😘

#Leverage #Leverage (2008)#Leverage TV #nathan ford #nate ford #alec hardison #eliot spencer #parker leverage #sophie devereaux #analysis

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varggies · 1 month ago

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Hit a point where I'm going through the Cullen Critical tag on tumblr cause I really like Cullen, but in a fucked up way and I hate that the writers overlooked some of the more egregious things this guy did (or, more accurately did *not* do) while serving in Kirkwall

Mostly i think im mad that the writers fucked up the chance to take a guy who spent a long time turning a blind eye to and justifying a fucked up system of abuse, and actually have him held accountable for it

Instead of him just. Feeling kind of bad about it but not actually addressing it in a real way?

I mean, dont get me started on how Inquisition fumbled pretty much everything that happened in DA2 (the fact that there's no option for Hawke, Varric, or even the Inquisitor to agree with what Anders did? You can either condemn it or like... waffle around it?), but like. Cullen was actively looking the other way when Mages were getting whipped in the streets, SA'd and fucking lobotomised

The templars turned Kirkwall into a police state by the end of it, and all the writers have him saying is like "man, i feel bad :("

Cant believe im saying this, but Blackwall actually does have a better redemption arc than Cullen

I just

There is gold. Right there

They had a fucked up guy and completely squandered the opportunity to have him SO fucked up about the shit he's done

They still could've had their poor little meow meow of a commander! Just make him so much more fucked up about his mistakes man!

But we already know bioware is full of cowards so im pretty much talking to the wind here

#i just.#i fucking NEED this guy to have a fucking crisis of conscience full-scale breakdown about this #give him a proper penny-drop moment where he clutches his chest #starts muttering to the maker when he realises the full weight of his actions #have the guilt overwhelm him and stop him in his tracks!#have that shit replace the whole lyrium choice!#where he considers falling off the wagon because turning to the lyrium is the only way he think to cope #the Inquisitor is then having to contend with a commander that is wracked with guilt and unable to make decisions #because he cant fucking trust himself to know what is right #and he keeps saying that maybe he should go back to the lyrium because at least he was sure of himself when he was on it #make him difficult! to deal with!#make the Inquisitor have to force him to step down to get his shit together!#maybe even make the Inquisitor have to choose between giving him time or replacing him!#ugh #there are so many tasty opportunities here and all squandered #anyways this fucking mess of a man has been on my mind for a while now #and Anders #but thats a whole other thing #bioware has some fascinating characters in their hands and they dont even know what to do with them #dragon age #cullen rutherford #chantry critical #yelling into the void idk

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9-1-1-buddie · 18 days ago

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Mind you I am not good at regulating my emotions at all. On that note:

This truly has to be the stupidest thing Tim Minear has ever done.

He said something about this being a thin branch he is balancing on. Yeah well, I think it's not holding the weight of your big head, buddy.

1. He pissed off the general audience aka wine moms and the Buddie shippers, basically the only two audience groups this show had (I don't know and care about the Bommy shippers and if they care about anybody other than LFJ).

2. You really wanna tell me, that you didn't think anybody would care that you are filming BOBBY'S casket out in the open street? In a time where everybody is so chronically online, in a country where everybody is always filming everything in the open street, in a city KNOWN for film making. Really?

3. You kill off the most beloved character in such an unnecessarily cruel and brutal way. Wanting to live again for the first time, isolated from his family, Athena watching yet another husband of hers die, Buck losing one of the most important people in his life, Eddie not being there for any of it and hearing from all of this through A PHONE CALL that will probably happen OF SCREEN. Chimney will possibly never recover from the immense guilt he is feeling, in addition to the immense guilt he is ALREADY feeling with Kevin. He will name his son after Bobby and be reminded of it every single day. Athena now has to continue living in a house, that Bobby will never have lived in. Alone. Because she lost her home with every single memory of Bobby and her kids in a fire.

4. You fumbled Bucks sexuality arc so immensely and you KEEP bringing back a deeply bigoted side character who had ZERO onscreen redemption, as his love interest, making him witness all of this, while Eddie is still nowhere to be seen. And don't get me started on that absolutely boring helicopter chase, where I had to watch Temu steer to the left so many times I almost punched myself in the face.

5. I don't know how Bobby could somehow survive this, should this be a stunt and Bobby not actually be dead, because he bled to death due to organ failure, infected with a highly contagious and lethal virus, that has no cure. There is not even a miracle that could make you survive that. I don't think my anger would subside, should Bobby miraculously survive it.

That was by far the worst choice this show has done, and they gave Buck a biological child he couldn't keep, brought Tommy Kinard back as a love interest, and brushed off SA by a therapist.

You know, you could've just not renewed the show, Tim. You didn't need to run it into the ground.

#911 rant #stage of grief: anger #I'm far from being done #911 abc #911 spoilers #9-1-1 #anti tommy kinard #buddie #bobby nash

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dystopyx-blog · 8 months ago

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more yandere octotrio!

Dedicated to @mr-trick <3 ty for your support

"Your grades have been slipping."

When you had been called into Azul's office, you certainly weren't expecting him to scold you like a parent. To add insult to, well, insult, Jade and Floyd were there, too, and the latter couldn't stop themselves from snickering.

"I wasn't aware that was any of your business." You shot back. You didn't bother asking how he knew–you'd had twin eels trailing you since Azul's overblot. It was rare for you to go anywhere these days without the sight of one looming at you from this distance. If their heights didn't make them obvious enough, there was the eyes. Though you had a feeling stealth wasn't the goal.

You'd be right. The tweels found it very important that you knew they were close by. Azul may have preferred for them to be stealthier, but they enjoyed your reactions too much. Plus, their presence kept others away. It's probably why Azul let them continue.

But back to the scene at hand.

Azul's response comes naturally, almost too naturally–as if he was prepared for that response. "Of course it is. The success of Night Raven students has always been my business–"

The look you hit him with was enough to stop him in his tracks.

He chuckled, adjusting his tie and his approach. "Of course, business has changed in recent times. In the past the goal was to attract as many poor unfortunate souls as I could, offering contracts with the goal to better myself, and not them. But now I've mended my ways and made a switch, so to speak. Now I wish to truly help and better those I come into contact with, starting with those I already feel close or indebted to. And what better first than the one who helped me see the light in the first place."

He waited for your response, but you offered none. Not unless you included your suspicion.

"Look, business has been rough lately since the incident, and helping you seems like the best way to restore people's faith in me."

"And thus the truth comes out."

You were so proud of yourself for sussing him out. What you didn't know is that that wasn't the truth–like at all. He didn't give a fuck what the other students thought of him, especially since he was still getting business regardless. This was about you and spending time with you, the strange, magicless student that had caught his attention like a worm on a hook. Buy to you, that would be even harder to believe than an act of true goodwill.

But that didn't matter anyway, because he had you. You agreed to help him out of the goodness of your heart–taking the opportunity to mock him. It was difficult for Azul to keep the smirk from his face as you fell into his hand. He could tell the twins felt the same way. Even if he couldn't see then standing behind him, he could still tell when Jade's gloved hand went to cover his smile, and when Floyd's slight sway stilled just enough to zero in on you.

With that, a deal had been made: you let Azul help you out of the "goodness of his heart," and you spread the word of Azul's redemption arc.

As soon as you're gone, Azul lets an easy smirk spill onto his face like oil in water.

"We got 'em boys."

What would follow is a series of study sessions, every night, either with Floyd, Jade, or Azul himself. Study session with Floyd rarely involve studying. Sometimes you would start with studying, but he’d always end up getting bored at some point, and then declare you two would be doing something else. Other times, you wouldn’t even get a chance to study, as he’d already be dragging you off somewhere before you can even set your stuff down. Floyd, being Floyd, ‘something else’ could include anything depending on his mood. Some examples of activities you’ve done during study sessions with Floyd: karaoke, ping pong, pottery, a treasure hunt all over the school for something Floyd lost a while ago and had suddenly remembered at that moment (it was in his pocket), ballroom dance classes, shopping, video games, baking. You don’t even bring any study materials with you at this point.

Jade and Azul are more what you’d expect from tutors.

Jade’s method of tutoring is hands off. He mostly just has you do your homework while he sits across from you, working on his own stuff. And if you don’t have homework or finish before study time is up, he’ll give you readings and practice assignments to do. He encourages you to ask him questions whenever you have them, but for the most part, you two are silent. What you don’t realize is that he actually spends most of the time just staring at you. Studying you.

Azul is more hands on. Like with Jade, youre expected to either work on a class assignment, or one of Azul’s specially crafted study guides. Unlike Jade, who always sits across from you, Azul sits—or, more often, stands—next to you. Instead of just silently watching you work, Azul works you through each problem. He’ll often end up hovering next to you, sometimes taking your writing hand in his to guide you through whatever problem you’re working on. He also offers coffee/tea/snack breaks, where you two can just talk, not just about schoolwork, but anything else.

You’re spending every night with one of them. You often get back to Ramshackle late (especially if it was a session with Floyd). You don’t see Horns as much, if at all. Study sessions with your freshman friends become almost nonexistent. Even Grim is starting to see less and less of you everyday.

Who you end up spending the most time with is, of course, the Octotrio. Not just for nightly study sessions anymore. Floyd will approach you outside of tutoring for fun activities. Jade often offers you treats for doing so well, including trips to Sam’s and lunch at Mostró Lounge—all on him, of course. And Azul often pops in to check in on you—to make sure you’re holding up your side of the deal. And, even if you don’t realize it, there’s always at least one of them waiting to walk you to class.

It’s no secret that Azul basically always has business on the brain. And this? This was his strategic move to monopolize you, and he got you hook, line, and sinker.

#yandere #yandere rambles #yandere twst #yandere twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland #twst #yandere octotrio x reader #yandere octotrio #octavinelle #yandere octavinelle #octotrio #yandere azul ashengrotto #yandere jade leech #yandere floyd leech #yandere x reader #yandere oneshot

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sparkleyun · 2 months ago

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7 minutes in heaven

Part 2

pairing: jake x fem!reader genre: fluff, highschool au synopsis: After weeks of burying yourself in textbooks, your best friend has had enough. She insists you take a break and drags you to a party thrown by her and a few of her other friends. You’re skeptical at first, since parties aren’t really your thing, but you find yourself actually enjoying the night. That is, until he walks in. The guy who’s made your life miserable all year. The one who never misses a chance to tease you. wc: 2.4k warnings: Jake teases reader for being uptight and a "nerd", alcohol, Jake redemption arc basically

"Come on, you can’t seriously be saying no again."

Your best friend is sprawled across your bed, her head hanging off the edge as she stares at you with an exaggerated pout. You don’t look up from your notes, but you can feel the weight of her gaze.

"I have a chemistry exam next week." you reply, flipping a page in your textbook for dramatic effect.

She groans, dramatically rolling onto her stomach and burying her face in your pillow.

"You always have a chemistry exam, or an essay, or some other reason to close yourself off and forget what fun is."

You frown but don’t respond. However, she doesn't stop there. She props herself up on her elbows, eyes narrowing.

"You know what your problem is?"

"Oh, I’m sure you’re about to tell me." You mutter, playing with your pen as you agonizingly await her answer.

"You don’t do anything," she declares, flinging her arms out like this is some major revelation. "You just study and go to school, and come home and study more. When’s the last time you had an actual conversation with someone who wasn’t a teacher or me?"

You open your mouth, then pause. You were unable to answer her question, which unfortunetly meant she was right.

"Exactly. Which is why you’re coming to this party tonight." she says with a proud grin plastered across her face.

You scoff. "Yeah, no. Not happening."

"Yes, happening." She rolls onto her side, supporting her head up with her hand. "It’s just a party, not a death sentence. You go, you loosen up, maybe even talk to a cute guy"

You shoot her a glare.

"Fine, fine." She waves you off. "But at least let yourself have fun. You deserve a break."

You hesitate. You really don’t want to go, but she knows you too well. She’s persistent, you're compliant, and she always gets her way eventually.

She starts listing all the things she’ll do in exchange: buying you coffee for a week, finishing your half of a group project, doing your laundry, etc. Exhausted by her antics, you finally cave.

"One hour," you say, closing your textbook with a sigh. "And if it sucks, I’m leaving."

She grins like she’s just won the lottery. "Deal."

───

The party is already in full swing by the time you arrive. The house is packed with people, and the music is playing so loudly that you can feel the bass vibrating in your chest. They are everywhere, spilling out onto the front lawn and swaying to the beat of whatever playlist is blasting through the speakers inside.

You hesitate at the entrance. This isn’t your usual scene. Crowds, noise, chaos- it’s the opposite of the structured, predictable and quiet world you are used to.

"Stop overthinking it," says your friend, linking her arm through yours. "I swear, you’re gonna have fun."

You let her pull you inside, where the air reeks of alcohol. The energy is infectious though, and despite being outside of your comfort zone, you start to loosen up.

After a few introductions (most of which you forgot immediately), you manage to carve out a comfortable spot in the kitchen, leaning against the counter with a soda can in your hand. Surprisingly, you’re enjoying yourself more than you expected. You’re still not a party person, but it’s nice to let go for a while, to watch the chaos from a safe distance and not worry about exams or deadlines.

Then, just as you start thinking this might not be so bad, your stomach drops.

Jake is standing near the pool table, laughing with his group of friends.

Your body freezes and your heart begins to race. No, no, no. This isn’t happening. Out of all the people in the world, why does he have to be here?

He hasn’t seen you yet, but that doesn’t stop the familiar wave of irritation and, if you’re being honest, a little bit of panic, from crashing over you the moment you realized he was there. Jake, your personal pesterer, the guy who has spent the entire year making you miserable. He’s always got a sharp comment ready, always looking for ways to get under your skin. And now, somehow, he’s here, in the same space, at the same party as you.

Your first instinct is to disappear. Maybe you can blend into the crowd, maybe-

Too late.

His eyes land on you.

You watch in real time as he recognizes your face, followed by something else. A quick curl of his lips into that infuriatingly familiar smirk.

"Well, well," he drawls, abandoning his friends and making his way towards you. "Didn’t expect to see you here."

Your grip tightens around your drink.

"Didn’t expect to be here." you mutter, shifting your weight as he stops in front of you. He looks effortlessly relaxed, dressed in a way that makes it clear he belongs here, like he was made for this kind of scene. Meanwhile, you feel like an imposter.

He tilts his head, his smirk deepening. "So, what happened? Library closed down?"

You roll your eyes. "Wow, you must’ve been saving that one all year."

He chuckles, clearly amused by your growing impatience. "I gotta admit, I’m kind of impressed. Didn’t even think you knew what a party was."

You glare at him, but before you can snap back, your friend suddenly appears at your side, looking between the two of you with an arched brow. "Everything okay?"

Jake doesn’t even glance at her. His focus is still on you, eyes fixated on your nervous figure, despite your attempts to retort.

"Oh, we’re just catching up," he says smoothly.

"Yeah, more like trying to ruin my night" you mutter under your breath.

He grins. "Now, now. I didn't do anything besides try to have a pleasant conversation."

"Are you kidding me?" you muttered under your breath.

Without thinking, you grabbed your best friend by the wrist and pulled her towards a quieter corner of the room.

"Whoa, what was that about?" she yelped.

"Why is he here?" you hissed, jerking your head in Jake’s direction.

She blinked, following your gaze. "Who?"

"Who do you think?"

When she spotted him, a look of realization crossed her face.

"Ohhh, him? Yeah, I invited him."

You gaped at her. "Are you actually insane?"

"Relax," she said, waving a hand. "He’s friends with a bunch of people here. I didn’t think it’d be a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" You stared at her in disbelief. "He makes my life miserable, and you invited him?"

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, y/n. He teases you, yeah, but it’s harmless. He’s actually kinda fun if you get to know him."

"I don’t want to get to know him."

"Well, too late," she said, nudging you playfully. "You’re at the same party. Might as well make the best of it."

You exhaled sharply, resisting the urge to throttle her.

Just then, as if the universe was conspiring against you, Jake glanced back in your direction. The second your eyes met, his lips curled into that infuriating smirk once again.

"So" he drawled, making his way toward you. "You didn’t think I’d see you here, huh?"

Your grip tightened on your best friend’s arm.

"Look, can you just let me have this?" The frustration in your voice clearly displayed. "I don’t want to deal with you tonight."

He raises an eyebrow, lips curling into that all too familiar smirk. "Wow, I didn’t know you were so desperate for a night off from me. I must really be living rent free in that head of yours."

You shoot him a sharp glare, but to your surprise, he just chuckles, raising his hands in a mocking surrender. "Alright, alright. I’ll let you sulk in peace for now."

With one last glance, he turns around, meeting his friends and disappearing into the crowd, leaving you exhaling in relief, but your body still tense.

───

You’ve been at the party for over an hour now, and to your own shock, you’re not hating it, even after the small encounter. Your best friend was right. Getting out of the house for once wasn’t the worst decision. You even found yourself relaxing a little, laughing at jokes, sipping your soda, and, of course, avoiding Jake as much as possible.

Unfortunately, your luck runs out when someone shouts over the music.

"We’re playing seven minutes in heaven! Everyone get in a circle!"

Your stomach twists. No, absolutely not. No way.

You immediately shake your head and turn to your friend. "Nope. Not happening."

"Oh, come on," she groans. "It’s just a game!"

"Yeah, a game where people get shoved into a closet together for seven minutes," you point out."That sounds like my personal hell."

She rolls her eyes. "You don’t even have to do anything. Half of the time people just talk. It’s just for fun."

You’re still not convinced. You’re about to make a run for it when a hand suddenly lands on your shoulder, stopping you in your tracks.

"Oh, you’re definetly playing"

You already know who it is before you even turn around. Jake stands behind you, looking infuriatingly amused.

"I am not playing," you insist.

"She is!" your friend calls, betraying you in an instant.

Before you can argue, someone grabs your wrist and drags you toward the circle. You shoot a desperate glare at your best friend, who only grins and mouths "you’ll thank me later".

Doubt it.

With a pained sigh, you lower yourself onto the floor. The circle is filled with laughter and excitement. Most people are already whispering about who they hope to get. Meanwhile, you sit stiffly, arms crossed, willing yourself to become invisible.

"Alright," someone announces, shaking a hat filled with slips of paper. "Ladies first!"

One by one, people take turns drawing a name and disappearing into a nearby closet. You silently hope the game will be over before it gets to you, but of course, life isn’t kind like that.

Eventually, the hat is passed to you.

You hesitate. You knew that if you refused now, you’ll just draw more attention to yourself. Sighing, you reach inside and pull out a folded slip of paper. For a brief, hopeful moment, you pray it’s someone harmless.

Then, you unfold it, and your stomach drops.

Jake Sim

Your breath hitches as you stare at the name, hoping it would magically change. Maybe if you blink enough times, you’ll see someone else’s name instead.

No such luck.

"Who’d you get?" someone asks eagerly.

You open your mouth to lie, to make up a name, but before you can, he leans forward, plucking the paper right out of your hands. His laughter is immediate.

"Well, this is going to be interesting."

You glare at him, heart pounding. "I’ll pick again."

"That’s not how it works." someone protests.

"C’mon, rules are rules." Jake chimes in.

You clench your jaw. He’s still looking at you, waiting, enjoying this far too much.

"Fine." you snap. "Let’s get this over with."

Someone cheers as you push yourself up, and before you know it, you’re being ushered towards a small coat closet. He follows you at a relaxed pace, as if this is all just another way for him to mess with you.

The second the door closes behind you, you cross your arms tightly over your chest and sit down on the floor, determined to count down the minutes in silence.

For a while, that’s exactly what happens. Neither of you speak. The only sounds are the muffled bass of the party outside and the occasional distant noise of people speaking.

Then, predictably, he breaks the silence.

"You’re taking this way too seriously."

You don’t respond.

"What? Are you afraid of being alone with me?" he teases.

"No." you mutter.

"You sure? Because you’re standing all the way over there like I’m contagious."

You scowl. "Maybe you are."

He chuckles, amused. "Damn."

Silence again.

Then, softer this time, he speaks as he bends down to sit at your level "You really don’t like me, huh?"

You look away, your throat tightening. "What gave it away?" you say in a sarcastic tone

He sighs. "Look, I know I mess with you a lot. But it’s not that serious."

Suddenly, something in you snaps.

"Not that serious?" you echo, your voice rising. "You humiliate me every chance you get. You make fun of me in front of everyone. You act like I’m some kind of joke- like I’m beneath you. So yeah, it kind of is that serious."

The words spill out before you can stop them. Your voice is thick, emotions bubbling to the surface all at once. You didn’t realize how much had built up until now.

He doesn’t respond right away, but when he finally does, his voice is quieter than you’ve ever heard it.

"I didn’t think it actually bothered you."

You scoff. "Of course it bothers me."

There’s a pause. Then, unexpectedly, he says, "I’m sorry."

You blink in disbelief. "What?"

He exhales. "I mean it. I didn’t think- I just thought it was fun, you know? I didn’t realize I was actually hurting you."

You look at him, really look at him, and before you can process it, there’s a shift in the air. The small space between you two seems to shrink, his apology hanging heavy in the air, dense with unspoken feelings. Your pulse suddenly quickens.

Then, he reaches out.

Your body freezes as his fingers brush against your wrist, the touch barely there. You should pull away, you should, but for some reason, you don’t.

"I didn’t mean to make you feel like that," he murmurs. "I swear."

Your throat tightens. "Then why do it?"

His fingers curl slightly around your wrist, hesitant. His voice is almost too quiet to hear.

"Because it was the only way I knew how to get your attention."

Your heart stops. The space between the two of you shrinks, and something shifts in your chest.

Before you can process it, the door suddenly swings open.

"Time’s up!"

Light floods the tiny space, and you both flinch. Laughter erupts from the crowd outside, but you’re too disoriented to play along.

You step out first, heartbeat hammering in your ears. Jake follows closely behind, his expression unreadable.

"Well?" Your friend asks eagerly. "What happened?"

You open your mouth, but nothing comes out.

You’re still reeling, still processing the fact that everything between you and Jake abruptly changed.

Because he apologized.

Because he meant it.

Because for the first time ever, you don't hate him at all.

a/n: this is my first ever fanfic so I hope it's good ( ◜ᗢ◝ ) if this post does well I might post a part 2!!

332 notes · View notes

queers-gambit · 21 days ago

Text

Let the Redeemed Tell Their Story [ pt. 2 ]

part one: Not So Heavenly Surprise

pt 1: Let the Redeemed Tell Their Story

prompt: reunions are bittersweet. feelings are hard. times are tough, redemption is sought, goodbyes feel impossible; there's blood in the snow, tears in their eyes, and a haunting goodbye in the air.

pairing: Joel Miller x female!wife!reader

fandom masterlist: HBO's The Last of Us

word count: 7.8k+

note: in my best Tom Segura voice, "get. fucking. ready." -> second 24-27 from this TikTok for reference

second note: broken up into two parts. pt 1: the reunion, pt. 2: the drama and angst

warnings: suicidal ideology / mention as pertains to Joel's story. we talk death and dead bodies, mentions of dead children. cursing, use of Y/N, so many spoilers, reader insert!! pet names for / by all, step parents are REAL parents, forgiveness, heavy redemption arc, canon-level violence!! small comfort, some fluff, established relationship, and then super-sized angst, author wants you to hurt! oh, and fatal main character injury! maturity and caution required! written before season two! intentional person shift at the end.

❗️season one, episode six (and beyond) spoilers

you will find no comfort here. you've been warned!

Tommy was heard from the mouth of the stable, revealing you grooming and tacking up an angry looking beast the color of an oak tree in the middle of the aisle. "And if you really wanna get under her skin, just start nitpickin' all she does, all right?" He smirked at Ellie, who appeared ghastly that morning. "I'm talkin' the way she makes a fire, fixes food, shoots her gun - "

"You're fixin' for a smack down, Tommy Miller, better watch yourself," you warned with a chuckle. Ellie trudged towards you with her pack - slowing when she noted in the stall just before where you stood, Joel, tacking a chestnut horse.

She didn't question the two horses being fixed up, thinking one was for her and one for you; instead setting her unimpressed glare on Joel. She sneered, "You came here to say goodbye or something?"

"No," Joel answered. "I came here to steal one of these horses and go."

"We woulda gave you one," Tommy offered sadly, looking towards your knowing smirk with confusion.

"I know," older brother assured younger. "But then, this nagging voice just started - "

"All right, fuck off," you chuckled, patting your horse's neck. "Truth is, he changed his mind - don't matter who convinced him or nagged him," your eyes rolled. "You deserve your autonomy, darlin'," you directed at Ellie, turning your gaze to Joel to silently encourage him to speak up.

"She's right," Joel sniffled, approaching Ellie, "you deserve a choice. I still think you'd be better off with Y/N - "

"Let's go," Ellie shoved her pack into Joel's chest.

"Okay," he stiffly accepted, meeting his brother's amused stare before dropping it to you. "You get a choice, too, Y/N."

"I didn't get up early out my warm bed with my long-lost husband for fuckin' nothin', Joel," you scoffed. "Y'all don't know where you're goin', I do. So let's shut up and let's ship out, all right?"

"Okay," again, Joel accepted begrudgingly.

Tommy followed you out of the stables, taking the reins when you handed them for his hold as you helped Ellie acquaint herself with the basics of riding; letting the brothers say goodbye as you offered her a leg-up. "Hold onta both," you told her gently, handing over the reins; her nodding and humming in agreement, letting you adjust the stirrups and latch the last of their packs.

When the brothers pulled out of their hug, Tommy assured, "There's a place for you here. Both of you."

"Countin' on it," Joel agreed. "Can I borrow that?" He asked, looking to the tricked-out rifle on Tommy's shoulder.

"Yeah," Tommy agreed without hesitation.

"'Cause Maria took mine, you know?"

"Already said yes, Joel," he smirked, situating the strap over Joel's shoulder. You turned from Ellie to stand at Joel's side with a fond expression, Tommy looking the pair of you over before bidding, "Adios, big brother."

Joel nodded, hand lifting to squeeze your bicep to let you have your own goodbye. "You behave while I'm gone, boy."

"You know I won't," he teased, something in his eyes shifting. "You be careful out there. Watch each other's backs..."

"We will."

"Want all y'all comin' home," he tried to smile, opening his arms and bringing you in for a tight embrace. However, when he went to pull back, you tightened your embrace - just needing an extra moment with your best friend. "You be fuckin' careful, hear?" He hissed in your ear, throat tight with emotion. "Your nephew's gonna need you. I'm gonna need you, too."

"Can't get rid of me so easily," you quipped, patting his shoulder roughly. "I'll be seein' you real soon."

"Better be, babygirl," he sniffled, the pair of you letting go at the same time. Joel was mounted in his saddle, looking away to give the pair of your privacy, but Ellie watched the entire exchange with a somber expression; having witnessed one too many goodbyes in her short lifetime. "All right, now," Tommy held your horse in place as you expertly mounted, "bring me back a souvenir, yeah?"

"You're an idiot," you chuckled, nudging your horse on to lead Joel and Ellie to the gate; which opened upon your command. "Hey - love you," you reached for Tommy's hand; him lifting to grab yours as the horse prodded along.

"Love you, too, babygirl," he smiled, nodding as he was forced to let go; catching his brother's eye as they passed through the gate after you. They nodded with intention, never needing to say many words, and Tommy watched from inside the territory as you and Joel set out into the wilderness. "Close it up," he waved to the guardsmen.

Ellie decided within a day she liked you.

There had been a strange sort of jealousy within a couple hours of listening to you and Joel recount memories of the past; but soon, you had looped the girl into conversation with shitty jokes with shitty punchlines based on shittier puns. Joel sighed, "Ah, fuck, there's two of 'em now."

It spurred the pair of you into deeply personal missions to annoy the man; instantly teaming up to put your best shitty jokes to use. Then came the construction of new jokes, which made Joel smile as he listened to you bicker about the proper nuances of puns. The conversation naturally then lulled into embarrassing stories - of which, you had plenty about Joel. The jealousy of sharing Joel's attention soon morphed into appreciation as the man loosened up under your warm gaze and silky voice; revealing a new side of himself, a part of him Joel had long since thought dead. That night, Ellie noticed the way Joel slept leaning back into your chest when camp was made, thinking he must've felt safe enough to doze even for a couple hours.

By the second day, you had convinced Joel to let Ellie try her hand at Tommy's rifle; assuring you've handled it before and was safe to use. Your own wasn't anything impressive, that left to the ex-Army Ranger; so, naturally, it remained strapped to your saddle as the three of you took time to set up a practice firing range.

"How do you know how to do all this?" Ellie asked you.

"Tommy taught me," you smirked. "I used to be afraid of guns, you know. Didn't fuckin' like 'em."

"What? No way," she scoffed, noting the handgun holstered in the back of your jeans.

"Uh-huh," Joel returned to the fallen tree you'd posted at from setting up a target few yards out. "Wouldn't let me keep one in the house."

"We had a kid runnin' around!" You reminded. "That's how accidents happen!"

"Why didn't you like 'em?" Ellie wondered.

"I was an ER doctor," you revealed. "Saw a lot of unnecessary bullet holes in too young'a bodies. Tend to develop a dislike after seein' shit like that."

"Makes sense," she nodded, taking up the rifle. "Guess it's normal now for everyone to know how to shoot and fight, huh?"

"Just the way the world works," you frowned, lifting the binoculars to watch as she fired her first shot. "That's all right, readjust, don't be afraid of the recoil... Take a breath, try again, honey, you got this."

Her second shot went left, hitting a dead tree. You handed Joel the binoculars after the third shot hit a snowbank. He watched the next few rounds hit everything but the target he erected. When Ellie huffed, he noted, "Wide right. Y/N's right, you're flinchin'."

"The target's too small," Ellie deflected.

"I made it bigger than I should've."

"Eject the cartridge," you told Ellie softly.

"And I'm not flinching!"

"I never said you were! That was all him," you blamed Joel.

"Mhm," Joel shared a bemused look over Ellie's head with you.

"The rifle just sucks."

"A good craftsman never blames the tool, darlin'," you advised. "Here, give it. Lemme see."

Ellie sighed, letting you take control of the weapon; kneeling where the gun was propped on the tree. "It doesn't aim right."

"All right."

"You'll see!"

"Hm," you considered, peering through the scope; suddenly acutely aware of Joel posted just behind you.

"See what she's doin'," Joel pointed out to Ellie. "A deep breath in, slow breath out. Then she's gonna squeeze the trigger like she loves it." You tried not to laugh out loud but smiled broadly, lining up your shot as Ellie hummed and peered out the binoculars. "Gentle," Joel narrated, "steady... Nice and slow, baby," he directed at you.

Which made Ellie quip, "You gonna let her shoot this thing or get her pregnant again?" She just smirked knowingly at the exasperated look you and Joel pinned her with.

"I thought we were on the same side - against him, damn, Ellie," you muttered, looking back through the scope.

"It isn't gonna work," she told you. "It doesn't aim right - " But the gunshot cut her off, watching a small plume of debris sprinkle the air from impact. "Youuuu dick."

With a grin, you just shrugged at Ellie, who clocked Joel's look of immense pride. "That's my girl," he muttered, kissing your temple as you handed off the rifle to stand.

On the third day, Ellie rode with you.

"So, what's Ajax mean?" She wondered as you pet your horse's neck.

"I guess Greek mythology's pretty redundant these days," you quipped to Joel, who only shrugged. "Ajax the Great was a mythological hero, second only to Achilles."

"Oh, I've heard of him. There's a part of the body named after him, right?"

"The Achilles Tendon," you nodded.

"Where's that?"

"In the heel. Do you know the story of Troy?"

"Uh..."

"FEDRA ain't teaching mythology, sugar," Joel shot at you playfully.

"Guess not - why would they?" You sighed. "Okay, Ellie, do you know the term Trojan Horse?"

Ajax whinnied to the girl's amusement. "Nope."

"Troy was an ancient civilization, impenetrable. Until the end of the ten-year-long Trojan War when the Greeks tricked them by building this huge wooden horse - but inside, the Greeks were hidden. So, the Trojans, thinking it was a gift of sorts, brought the wooden horse into their city, and as they slept, the Greeks struck and Troy finally fell. So, a Trojan Horse is a term used when the sheep invite the wolves to dinner."

"Oh... Okay, so, who's Achilles?"

"Greatest Greek hero," you boasted. "He was shot through the heel by an arrow, disabling him to his death. Hence the tendon coined after him."

"That's kinda cool. So, Ajax was his second...?"

"Kinda, if you wanna think that. He was another Greek warrior, best around besides Achilles. He played a major role in the Trojan War. Do me a favor, honey," your head turned to direct at Ellie, "and if you ever get your hands on a copy of the Iliad, read it. 'S a great story, bit long - but worth."

"You named your horse after a dead guy?"

You scoffed playfully, "I named my horse after a strong-ass, legendary dead guy, thank you very much. My boy here - most loyal around, would go through a ten-year war with me. Has even saved my ass few times on outings, sensed or heard the Infected before they could get to us."

"No shit? Horses are loyal like that?"

"Oh, yeah. My boy," you patted the dark bay's neck again, "is a friend till death. I raised him... We go on every raid together, so it's only fitting this be our last, right?"

"Hopefully his ankles don't give out," Ellie teased, making you snicker slightly.

"Not like Joel's back, right?"

Ellie snorted and wrapped her arms around your waist comfortably; head resting to the side, allowing you and Joel to smile at each other. When you turned forward, he just watched the pair of you together, his heart hammering for an entirely different reason. When your gaze turned to him again and caught his stare, you offered a look of gentle confusion, earning a mouthed, "I love you," in return. You grinned until your cheeks hurt.

On the fourth, Ellie rode alone on your trusted steed, Ajax; too excited by the freedom of riding in open fields to comment on Joel's tight and intimate holding of you. She trotted along, learned to canter, made laps around the pair that appeared all too at peace grinding against each other, snuggled tight; calling out the occasional riding direction.

It was mildly impressive how Ajax took verbal command, or so it seemed to the 14-year-old. She was beginning to get a sense of why you were so taken with the beast.

On the fifth, she rode with you again to give Joel's not-named-after-a-dead-guy horse a break. Joel was explaining the logistics of various sports, the pair currently on the topic of American football as your trio approached the conjunction on interstates.

"So, basically just moving in one direction," the child simplified.

"Basically," you agreed, "but violent."

"Oh, well. There's that," she mused, holding your waist loosely as Ajax moseyed along.

Noting the I-25 sign, Joel commented, "Well, how 'bout that? Made it in five days."

"Easy days," added Ellie. She squeezed your waist, "I don't know what you were so afraid of."

"Still time to find out," Joel cryptically told her.

Ellie mocked, "'Still time to find out.'" To Joel's unimpressed look at her behind you, she continued in a raspy voice, "The Contractorrrr."

"We missin' something, Y/N?" Joel asked you, ignoring Ellie's self-amusement and your smirk.

"Not every venture is this easy," you shrugged. "Cities are more dense, more room for raiders and Infected to hide out. And bein' we don't frequent 'round here, they got the jump on us already..." The two horses were directed towards the distant city, "We'd all do good bein' on lookout from here out."

"Yes, ma'am," Joel nodded.

"Yes, ma'am."

You smirked at Ellie over your shoulder.

From then on, you were in the lead, navigating the city by the old, rusting signs pointing towards the university campus; the city overgrown with brush, winter killing most to crackle satisfyingly under horse hooves. You nodded to Joel, telling Ellie to hold the reins for you as you both armed yourselves; three heads then on a spin for any sign of life or movement.

Approaching the campus entrance, Ellie read aloud, "'Home of the Big Horns'. What does that mean?"

"Team mascot," you pointed out the charicture, "the rams. It's a kind of sheep."

"Oh, see, Joel?" Ellie noted the nervous energy between the adults, trying to relieve it by offering sweetly, "One step closer to your dream."

It was enough to make you smile at Joel, "The sheep ranch? Really?"

"You get your horses, darlin', don't worry," he eased.

"Uh, guys?" The pair of you glanced at Ellie, who pointed out, "I don't see any Fireflies, though."

"They're probably in the middle - safer that way," you offered, Joel nodding in silent agreement.

"Uh-huh." The arms around your waist tightened and Ajax shifted his weight.

"This way," Joel lead on, you keeping even par.

Through the campus, Ellie gazed around in wonder, your eyes flickering up and down, side to side; never resting in one place for too long. "So these places... People would live here and, like, what? Go to classes and stuff?"

"Yup," answered Joel.

"Even though they were adults."

"Sort-of adults," he corrected. "I think it was just as much about partying and findin' themselves as anythin' else. Figurin' out what they wanted to do with their lives."

Ellie repeated with a breathy chuckle, "What they wanted to do with their lives. That what you did?"

"Sorta... Met Y/N when she was at a school like this," he offered with a sweet smile, "realized she was the woman I wanted to spend my life with."

"You fuckin' butterball," you chuckled, offering him a soft look. "Yeah, he won me over real easy. Was impossible t'say no."

"How'd he do it?"

You shot Joel a coy look, who distracted Ellie, "So I've been thinkin'."

"Mhm?"

"I don't want a sheep ranch, actually. I mean, if the deal is I can do anything?"

"That's the deal."

"Well... When I was a kid, I wanted to be a singer."

Ellie couldn't contain her glee, laughing with disbelief, "Shut up."

"Why is that funny?" Joel looked so vulnerable, it made your heart clench. Only children had this way of unlocking the authentic side of stone cold hearts - Ellie already wedged deep in Joel's.

"Oh, he's got a beautiful voice, darlin'," you tacked on with a grin. "It rumbles like a rain storm. This one time - "

"Baby, don't give her the ammunition - "

Ellie cut Joel off, "You gotta sing something now."

Who immediately refused, "No."

"C'mon, man. I'm not gonna laugh."

"You're already laughin'."

"Yeah, okay, true." Hooves clip-clopped over brick in a distinct echo. "Well, you're singin' for me later. I'm gonna save the fuckin' world, man, it's the least you can do for me."

Joel considered her words for a moment, agreeing, "Fair enough."

"What about you, Y/N?"

"Hm?"

"Dream job - perfect world, no barriers or whatever. Go."

"Oh," you blinked in thought. "Maybe... A historian."

"What? But you're a doctor!"

"Yeah, I know, but you said perfect world, right? I love history but the only career path I could've taken was becomin' a teacher - and I'm none too good with all that."

"She's lyin'," Joel mused, "she's damn good at everythin' she does." Your eyes rolled playfully.

"So why a doctor?"

"Paid more," you joked. "Nah, it just... Felt good helpin' people, fixin' problems. I had a little brother, right? He was a surprise baby, born early, had these medical problems, and I don't know - just really inspired me the way they gave my parents a new hope, fresh outlook on life."

"That's nice. So, ideally, you'd, like, work in a stuffy library?"

"Maybe," you mused. "Get to see all the great cities around the world, recount stories and lore, meet the people, embrace the culture... Sounds pretty cool to me."

"Hm," Ellie smiled, leaning her cheek to your shoulder; a fond smile stretching across your lips as you relished in the feel of a kid depending on you again. The further into campus you got, the stranger sounds that echoed; putting you and Joel on edge. However, the young, sharp eyes of the child riding behind you saw the source of the noises and gaped, "Are those monkeys!?"

Joel offered in explanation, "Must be from the old labs."

"Fuck's sake," you muttered when Ajax side-stepped in annoyance to the scampering creatures; heading bobbing and snorting with mistrust. "Easy, boy, you're all right," you patted the broad neck, Ajax snorting again when the monkeys took off running.

"Look at them go," Ellie laughed.

"First time seein' a monkey?" Joel quipped.

"First time seein' a monkey."

"Y/N," Joel nudged your arm, nodding ahead to a campus directory. There was a spray-painted yellow Firefly on the biomedical science building sign.

Feeling you sit up and situate your rifle with definition, Ellie sighed, "Here we go." Approaching the relatively unaffected building, Ellie pointed out, "Guard stations."

"Mh," Joel hummed. "No guards."

"Uh..."

"Yeah," you breathed.

"Gun?"

"Yeah," you shared a small look of skepticism with Joel.

"What'chu thinkin', darlin'?"

"They could've moved," you shook your head. "Ain't no use theorizing anything until we see for ourselves, right?"

"Right..."

The two horses came to a halt, you offering Ellie one of your arms to help her swing down from Ajax; following suit as Joel did the same. You both left your horses loosely tethered to a tree branch; Ellie arming herself with her handgun as you and Joel did the same - rifles slung over your shoulders.

"Stay close t'me," Joel muttered to you, nodding at Ellie; trio moving forward into the biomedical building as cautiously as possible.

Inside, you were greeted with what appeared to be an abandoned building. The lobby was left in a tattered mess, supplies, machines, papers and more left in disarray as if someone had already picked through everything. Or left in haste.

"There were definitely doctors here," the girl poked through few supplies left on a trolley. "Hey, Doc, these make any sense to you?"

You approached the trolley and leafed through the file left behind; Joel looking over your shoulder, so close, you could feel his warm breath on your neck. After a moment to read over it, you identified, "This is a packing list. Somethin' you make before movin' - when you don't wanna forget the most important shit..."

"They just left?" Breathed Ellie in confusion, thinking they had been waiting for her. Wouldn't they have been? If she was immune? Why leave if they knew she was on the way? Before either adult could answer her, there came a distant clatter from the floor above them; metal hitting linoleum, by the sound of it. "Maybe not all of them..."

"Joel," you reached for his arm when he meant to move forward in investigation. "Look around, baby, ain't nothin' left - shit's already been scavenged over. Or whoever was here, left in a hurry. Should cut our losses and go - I-I can get us on the radio, I'll find Marlene myself - "

"We came all this way, darlin'... We gotta check it out."

"Hey, hey, I get it - I do, Joel, you know I do. But in my experience, noises in abandoned buildings aren't usually friendly. This has bad written all over it."

"It's all right," he soothed, caressing your cheek with his bare hand. "Stick together, we watch each other's back. That's how we stay safe, right?"

You huffed and nodded, knowing it was probably the right thing to do to check for signs of life but every nerve in your body was alight, on fire, begging you to get the hell out of there. Yet as you've done so many times before, you followed Joel; hoping your bravery would pay off towards this act of contrition.

The clattering continued, a sort of trail for you and Joel to follow; Ellie nearly snug between you both, safe. Your teeth clenched and hands held your gun in a steady grip, feeling a renewed sense to protect your husband and his sort-of adopted daughter; love, bravery, adrenaline, and possibly stupidity racing through your veins. Up stairs and down halls, you heard a clash from one of the classrooms; sharing a look with Joel that made you instantly press to the wall, pushing Ellie along with you. His eyes met yours, watching you nod and raise your gun; turning back for the door and wincing as it opened with a creak.

However, inside the mummified room was just a monkey; who screeched in alarm and jumped out the shattered window, leading two more to escape after it. Nobody was sure if they were relieved or disappointed to find the room empty, but Joel still mused, "Well... At least it ain't Clickers."

"Yeah, no Fireflies either," Ellie shot back. "Maybe in all that research, they turned into fuckin' monkeys."

"It ain't no worry, you two," you tired to assure, "I'll get on the radio back home and try to figure this out. All right? C'mon, might be somethin' 'round here that says where they went. Go 'head, look around."

Ellie was already toeing her way through whatever was left on the floor, Joel spying a bulletin board displaying a map. "Y/N?" He called, drawing your being to his side - and Ellie.

"That's where they went?" She asked, using her gun to point at the pinned map to Salt Lake City.

"All the pins lead there," Joel seemingly agreed, gazing over the tricolored pins leading to the city. "Maybe gettin' ahead of the weather, better facilities? I don't know."

Your hand slapped over his mouth and head snapped towards the open window when a voice sounded from below, "This way." With your hand held up, you silently tiptoed your way over, keeping to the shadowed side to peer out, just in time to note four raiders stalking past on the ground with weapons in hand.

"Fuck me," you hissed, backing away to face Joel. "There's four - "

"We can take 'em."

"We're not riskin' it - not with Ellie! We gotta go, now. C'mon, out the back."

Joel nodded at Ellie to follow you; hoping the raiding party wasn't split in two as you swiftly took off in the opposite direction they appeared to be heading in. Before taking corners, you listened for the intruders before leading Joel and Ellie around - finally making it to the doors and pushing out quietly. Joel took refuge behind the sandbags as you caught the door and shut it gently; only then moving as a unit to the next guard post to observe the territory, horses in sight.

"All right," you whispered, "we're gonna make a beeline - and all I want you to do, darlin', is get on the horse. Okay?"

"Okay."

You nodded, glancing at Joel, "Good?"

"Good."

"Ready?" You asked Ellie.

"Yeah."

You moved first, leading the three swiftly for your horses. Ellie evidently had a problem with taking direction from authority as she only grabbed the reins and held Joel's horse as you both swiftly stored your rifles - but movement caught your eye just as Ellie shouted, "Joel!"

You moved into action before a single thought registered; a final act of truest and purest redemption: sacrifice.

Bullying Joel out of the way, the raider swung the wooden baseball bat into the tree; missing his mark but shattering the handle. You used the man's momentum against him, Joel watching in horror as the man managed to wriggled around before you wrapped the man in a headlock and didn't hesitate to snap his neck. Being a doctor and knowing the body had few perks. The fight was over before it began, throwing the dead body aside with the only thought being Joel and Ellie were safe; turning to face them with a pant.

But Joel's face cracked, eyes drawn low, "Oh, my fuckin' God. Baby..."

"Y/N?" Ellie whispered, holding both horses by the reins in one hand, gun still in the other and pointed at the ready.

"What?" You looked down, suddenly aware of the baseball handle protruding from your gut. "Oh. Huh..." You gingerly wrapped your hand around the base, wincing, and without thinking it through or realizing your adrenaline-fueled actions, yanked the wood free.

Being a doctor didn't make you a God - you were still human. And humans made mistakes. This one just happened to be your worst one to date... And your last.

"No!" Joel yelped, lunged forward as if to stop you, but it was too late. He caught your stagger into his side, "No, no, you should've left it, baby, fuck! No, it-it was like a plug - not supposed to pull it out."

"Shit," you chuckled, holding the bloody wound with him; dropping the handle to the dead grass. "I-I didn't think, I'm sorry..."

Ajax whinnied in warning. "Joel! Get her on the horse!" Ellie demanded, eyes over their shoulders at the approaching raiders. She mounted herself, crying in panic, "Now! Get her up! Joel!"

"C'mon, baby, we gotta go," Joel worried, lifting you to Ajax with a scream of pain ripping from your lungs. "I know, I know, just gotta hang tight, all right? Just hang on - "

"Joel! C'mon! Get on the horse! Let's go!" Ellie offered her hand, Ajax already whinnying and rearing his head as if he knew how to protect you by getting away from the rushing threat.

"Hang on, baby, just hang on for me!" Joel panted, reaching to jump on behind Ellie as you whimpered and encouraged Ajax forward.

"Go!" Ellie yelped after him, holding the reins to let Joel reach out and push you upright to prevent you from toppling over the galloping horse's shoulder. "Get back!" She shouted at the raiders, firing her gun wildly at the enemies taking cover.

"You motherfuckers!" They heard in the distance, horses galloping off campus and out of the city.

Joel reached out to keep hold of your body as you tried to staunch the bleeding, supporting whatever weight he could as Ellie constantly looked back down the train tracks they walked down. "They're not following us. I think we're safe," she alerted in time to catch sight of Joel leaning out to try to catch you.

"No, no, no, shit, no!" He grimaced when you slid sideways away from him, landing in the snow with a small grunt. "Baby, no, no, no, hey, hey," he dismounted without stopping his horse; leaving that part up Ellie. "No, hey," he dropped to his knees beside you, pulling you in his lap, "hey, baby, no, I'm here, all right? Yo-You gotta stay conscious for me, okay? Hear me? Hey, I got you, I'm right here," he readjusted to press his hand over your wound, letting the other cradle you.

"Joel?" You wheezed. "Joel - "

"Yeah, baby, it's me - I'm here. I gotcha."

"Hi, darlin'," you whispered.

"Hey," he sniffled, slowing down as he heard the finality in your voice, "hey, hi, sugar, yeah, it's me."

"It's cold," you chuckled, coughing lightly to send a splatter of blood over your chin. Ellie bowed her head as tears slowly built as Joel readjusted you so you weren't totally in the snow. "Never really liked the cold, did I?"

"No, no, never did - 's why we never left Texas."

"Right," you breathed with an easy smile. In near-delirium, you asked, "Hey, baby... I-I'm not makin' it outta this one, am I?"

"No, don't fuckin' talk like that - we're gonna get you help. All right? Ellie - Ellie and I, we're gonna get you help, baby, just gotta hang on - "

"Joel," you wheezed, sounding as if all your strength was being channeled into speaking to him, "just listen, would'jah? Got somethin' for yah."

"I don't need nothing but you, baby, c'mon - "

"'Round my neck," you continued, eyes fluttering, "take 'em."

"What?" He sniffled, shaking his head.

"Take 'em, Joel, please, and remember the good we had... The good we did..."

His brows furrowed but gingerly moved the neckline of your coats, discovering a single golden chain. It was one he recognized from you wearing it everyday after your grandmother gifted it to you, and around the loop, two rings. "Oh, God," he chuckled breathlessly, "you kept 'em?"

"'Course I did... Always knew you'd find your way back t'me," your smile was hazy, eyes unseeing. "Take 'em, please."

"Nah, nah, baby, here, lookit," he sniffled, unlatching the necklace to drop the wedding bands in his hand with a chink. "These ain't never comin' off again, hear me? It's you and me, baby, how it's always supposed to be - in life and death, right? That's what we said, till death do us part. Here, here, I gotcha," he slid the diamond ring back on your bloody wedding finger, shoving his own on and holding it up. "See that? Hey? You see it, baby? They're back on, all right? Where they belong a-and won't ever come off again, 'cause we're not finished." He wrapped you in his arms, hand back over the wound with yours over his, "You hear me? We're not over yet, darlin', so, please, just hold on a little longer. I know you can - please, you have to. All right? You're so strong, baby, just hang on, please. Okay? I just found you again, you can't leave me - I need you, Y/N. I need you. Don't do this, please, please, please," he chanted, the sobs wracking his lungs to chop the words messily. Behind him, Ellie sniffled. "It's supposed to be you and me, doll, remember? So, please, don't do this, I need you. I need you - "

"I'm always with you," you managed to whisper. "But you gotta be there for yourself now, Joel... And Ellie, she needs yah, too."

"What about what I need? Huh? What about how I need you?"

"I'm right here..."

"Shit," Joel glared at his bloody hand. "All right, hey, there's a town - right? There's a town not far, baby, it's just up ahead, you just hang on until we get there." But when he tried to move you, the whimper of pain made him stop, rambling on, "We're almost there, okay? You're doin' so well, baby, but just hang on a little longer. An-And we'll find supplies, we'll get you help, honey, all right? Sound good?"

"Yeah, sounds nice," you slurred. "Hey, Joel?"

"I'm here. You gotta hang on for me, please, okay? Y/N, you fuckin' hang on - I can fix this. All right? I can fix all of this, but you gotta be strong for me - you gotta let me fix this, Y/N, please. I gotta get you safe, but then it'll be all better, okay?"

"Joel," Ellie whispered sadly, knowing they weren't moving anytime soon.

"No, no, no," Joel chanted, pulling you closer as your eyes cracked open to gaze up at him. "Hey, hey, pretty girl, hey, it's me. Please... I need you. I can't fuckin' do this without you."

You smiled that pretty smile, blood lining the impeccably white teeth. "Thank you... For comin' back. For findin' me. I love you so Goddamn much, hate w-we had m-more time apart than we d-did t-t'gether."

Joel whimpered, the tears flooding his cheeks as his chest finally caved in. "I'd find you anywhere, pretty girl, in every lifetime. And I never stopped loving you, you know that? Not a day, not a single minute; it's always you, it'll always be you, you gotta know that. C'mon, baby, just stay with me, all right? We're-We're not supposed to end like this. We got fucking years to make up for, like you said! And we have so much left to do - I just found you again. Please, hang on f'me - "

"I don't think we get anymore do-overs, baby," you smiled still. "But that's okay... It's all gonna be okay, I promise. You're gonna be okay, Joel, because you're the strongest person I know. You got a family waitin' for yah in Jackson, 'member?"

"You're part of that family, Y/N!"

"Not anymore," you sniffled, the tears flowing as the adrenaline drained from your system. "And that's okay, Joel. You're gonna have a new chapter in life... And that's so excitin'."

"You're supposed to be in every chapter," he sobbed, shaking his head. "I need you, baby, please, fucking please!"

"You know what's not fair? How handsome you are - even when you cry," you choked, hand over his tightening. "It's okay, Joel... It's okay to lemme go, you're gonna be all right. I promise, my love, you're okay... It's all gonna be okay..."

Joel's heart stammered as you grew weaker, realizing in your last moments of need, you were still comforting him. He knew that was unfair, that you needed him. So he cleared his throat, found his strength, and nodded, "Yeah, all right, sugar, yeah. You're always right, aren't yah? It's all gonna be okay... You're gonna be okay, just like you say."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, baby, yeah, I-I-I can fix this. Hear me? I'll fix this, you just - you just relax. It's okay... You don't have to be strong anymore, I've got you. I'll be strong for the both of us, and we're all gonna be okay. Got that? You and me, baby, we're gonna be okay. All right?"

"You promise?"

"Of course," he leaned in to peck your forehead. "I'm gonna fix this - like I fixed the roof that time? Remember?" He saw the faint smile and continued, "I swear it, pretty mamas, you're gonna be okay, I'll fix this, don't you worry."

"Oh," you breathed with another pretty smile that would haunt Joel for his numbered days. "Haven't heard that name in ages. Always loved it... When you called me that..."

"Yeah? Remember your first Mother's Day? When Sarah first called you that?"

"I was in that yellow sundress... W-We went t'the park... Had a picnic, just us three..."

"You were so Goddamn beautiful in that dress - still are, you still are, my pretty mama," he grinned, nodding. "And Sarah - Sarah was just in awe, called you that - called you pretty mama all day. Told everyone we saw that her mama was the prettiest, didn't she? That she had the best mama around," he sobbed gently. "Made everyone say 'happy Mother's Day' to you, remember that?"

"She was such a good girl," you remembered, "so sweet, so pure - I don't know how she came from us."

"She was raised with so much love," Joel sniffled, leaning down to press his lips to your forehead. "And she was so smart, and-and always right, just like you - y'all ran circles around me, huh?"

"You kept up..." You coughed, whimpering in pain.

"You're all right, baby, I gotcha. It's okay... Y-You can rest now, I'm right here. I have you, ain't never lettin' go. I'm gonna fix all this, but it's okay if you wanna rest... You've redeemed yourself, mamas, hear me? Hey... Y/N, you hear me?"

"I hear you," you slurred, the smile still there.

"You redeemed yourself. You're good, pretty girl, you're so good. You did so good."

"Joel - it-It hurts," you grimaced, whimpering brokenly as the hysteria set in. "It hurts and I-I'm scared, I'm scared, Joel, please, please, please, don't let me go - I don't wanna go. I love you, I love you, please, I don't wanna be alone, Joel, please, I-I don't wanna leave you, I don't wanna be without you, I love you too much, I can't go alone, I don't wanna go - "

"I know, honey, I know, just breathe, you're safe, I've got you. This won't for much longer, okay? I promise, I'm gonna fix it, okay? But you, you just relax. It'll be over soon, I swear, pretty girl. You're okay, baby... And, just think, you're not gonna be alone 'cause you're gonna see Sarah a-and Delilah again. Okay? You're gonna see our girls. That's what you're gonna go do, it's okay - "

"No, no, not with you. We should all be together, please."

"That's all right, mamas, I won't be joinin' y'all just yet, but you go ahead without me. It's okay. I know it's not what we wanted, it's not what we planned, but I'm here with you now and it's okay to let go, baby. You... You don't gotta be strong for us anymore, I'm here, I'll handle this, all right? I'll fix this. I've gotcha... You're okay," he whimpered against your forehead, pressing repeated kisses as if to distract himself from the way your life teetered on the edge. "I love you so much, Y/N. Hear me? Baby, please, I need you to know how much I love you."

"Mh," you hummed, coughing out as breath came harder, "no more... Than I love you..."

"All right, yeah, it's a tie, always been a tie," he chuckled, caressing your cheek as he began to rock. "I love you, you've done so good, baby, I'm so proud of you. I'm so fucking proud of you, my strong girl, my pretty girl," he whispered, leaving another kiss to your lips, "you did so good. You're okay now, baby, you redeemed yourself an-and you're gonna be all right. Hey, just do me a favor? You listenin'?"

"Hm?"

"Tell our girls I love 'em when you see 'em, all right? Can you do that for me? Tell our girls I love and miss 'em, yeah?"

"Mhm."

"Good, good girl, all right, you're okay. I got you, I'm right here... I'm so sorry, Y/N, I'm so sorry, I should've been faster, I should've been payin' attention - " He paused when your head lulled towards his chest, seeking warmth; so he readjusted and brought you in closer; sobbing with his forehead on yours. "Oh, my sweet girl, I'm so sorry, it-it shouldn't've been you, but you're all right - " Joel was forced to pull back when the elevated position he had set you into exasperated the wound that punctured your lung. He watched helplessly as you choked on blood, eyes widening in panic; clawing at him for reprieve, as if you knew he could relieve the pain. The blood in the snow grew darker in a larger, ever widening shape and Ellie's tears froze to her cheeks. "No, no, no, hey, hey, you're okay - you're okay, baby, no, hey - " But the convulsions that wracked your form began to lessen and lessen, eyes dimming of life, and Joel knew this was it. "I love you so much, I love you - you're okay, baby, you're gonna be okay. Ju-Just try to breathe f'me, you're doing so good, I'm so proud of you. Don't have to be brave anymore, 's almost done, I got you - I love you... I love you, mamas, so much, you did so good, I'm so proud, my beautiful girl, I love you so much, Y/N, please - I'm so sorry..." He whimpered as the movements slowly stopped to leave you petrified in his arms.

Just like Sarah.

Understanding you were no longer with him, Joel felt his panic peak; giving a gentle jostle to your form, "Baby?" When there was no response, only your absent, far-off stare, Joel begged, "Baby, hey? No, no, no, Y/N, please... Please, please, wake up! Fuck, don't do this - don't leave me, don't leave us! Fuck! What am I gonna tell Tommy, Y/N, huh? Y-You promised him... Please... Wake up," he whimpered, sobbing as he pulled you into a frozen hold; crying loudly into your neck. "I need you, please! Y/N! Come back, don't do this! I-I can't do this without you, doll, please, just - come back! It's not supposed to end this way, I-I just found you again! Please! Wake up! This is my fault - I shouldn't've - fuck! Don't leave me, not like this! Please, not like this, baby, I need you. Come back, come back, come back..."

Ellie turned away at the harrowing pleas and sobs, her stomach churning with emotion as Joel mourned his wife.

It took the better part of two hours, Ellie sitting on the track as Joel came to terms with the dead body in his arms. If anyone thought he was dead inside before, they didn't understand the meaning until now; where Joel carefully pulled her away from his form with a stream of tears Ellie feared would never end. He slowly set his wife down and backed up a foot; just trying to breathe, keeping a hand on her at all times. Slowly, Ellie stood and neared Joel's side; taking a ginger seat beside him and offering, "I-I'm so sorry - "

Ellie let out an 'oof' when Joel yanked her into his embrace, a fresh wave of tears starting when she instantly wrapped him in a hug. She inhaled shakily and clung to his warmth; the pair counting their blessings they were still alive... But at what cost? "It's like you said, Joel," Ellie whispered, "she's redeemed herself. She's safe, she's okay, she'll be waitin' for you... But we still gotta go, right?"

"We can't leave her here," Joel sniffled, pulling back to wipe his face and pinch the bridge of his nose.

"We're not," Ellie decided. "We're gonna get her home, all right? Give her a proper burial... We're not leaving her out here. Not alone." This made Joel dissolve into another fit, Ellie silently laying her hand on his shoulder in support. "Why don't we move her into town - that way, you can stay with her, where she's safe, and I'll look around for anything we can use to build, like, a sled or something?"

"N-Not alone, you shouldn't be alone. Those raiders are still out there - "

"I'd be worried, if I were them," Ellie snarled, "runnin' into me. After what they did to her... They'd wish they had more back up."

"Right," Joel sniffled, wiping his tears. "I-I didn't protect her - she pushed me out the way."

"She sacrificed herself for you - for us," Ellie nodded, repeating what she heard Tess say once upon a time, "but we can't let her die in vain, Joel. We gotta keep moving."

"Salt Lake City?"

"Salt Lake City," she confirmed; not knowing the repercussions Y/N's death would eventually have. It'd make Joel overly protective and slightly selfish - and eventually, when they got to the Fireflies, her death would make Joel so raw that he'd unflinchingly kill nearly an entire hospital of people to keep his Ellie safe. Being that she was all he had now.

But before that, while searching for material to tote Y/N back to Jackson, the raiders would find Ellie first and snatch her back to their camp. Joel, still mourning, wouldn't come to realize the girl was missing until members of the cannibalistic clan would come searching for him; a mistake none of them would come to contemplate. Fresh off of losing his beloved wife and fearful about losing his adopted child - his third daughter - his found family - Joel would naturally resort to his behaviors and tactics before Y/N began her redemption arc. His emotions were shut off, forced to leave his wife in a stranger's room, in a stranger's house, in an abandoned town, in the middle of nowhere under the loyal watch of her horse; and torture the answers out of the unfortunate raiders he chose to interrogate. There was no coming back after loss like that, and Joel was willing and able to do everything in his power to keep the one single semblance of normalcy he now knew: Ellie.

The pair would slaughter her kidnappers and escape the fiery inferno, but neither were sure how to find their way back to town; needing to move ahead towards Salt Lake City without Y/N. By the time they returned, Ellie in a hospital gown and in a stolen vehicle, Joel's blood-stained hands would wrap his wife's frozen body in a sheet and carefully load her to the truck before releasing Ajax - who had miraculously kept himself alive. Trusting the beast to find his way home, Joel began the journey back to Jackson to his brother and another empty house with a multi-colored stain-glass butterfly hung in a newly vacant bedroom window. A gift in remembrance of their lost daughters that never got the chance to be fully appreciated. When the car ran out of gas, Joel carried his wife's body, carried the golden chain the kid had latched around his neck with her wedding ring strung, and carried the weight of his sins he prayed saving Ellie could redeemed.

[ pt. 1: read here ]

[ part one: Not So Heavenly Surprise: read here ]

requesting rules and masterlist

TLOU masterlist

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azula-hates-men · 4 months ago

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a lot of people don’t understand why caitlyn gets so much criticism for her actions in s2. while it is true that she was being manipulated by ambessa, caitlyn was already taking a dark turn before ambessa suggested martial law and appointed caitlyn as a general. in ep 1 she uses “us v them” rhetoric to describe piltovans and zaunites when she tells vi “i thought you were on our side” and later refers to zaunites as animals. in ep 3, her turn to fascism is cemented when she gasses zaun (which is a war crime) and threatens heenot when he was being cooperative. it’s very infantilizing to blame all the bad stuff she does in s2 to ambessa’s influence when we are shown countless examples that prove otherwise and caitlyn herself has always been pretty classist. while it does make sense that caitlyn would grow wary of putting the city under martial law, we should’ve seen the process that lead her to that position instead of having time skip after she becomes the dictator of piltover. it’s even more frustrating when she never faces any consequences for her actions in s2. i know a popular argument is that caitlyn is “redeemed” by giving sevika a seat on the council, my problem with that argument is that the audience can’t deduce bc it is the background of an EPILOGUE instead of being a full scene in an episode. additionally, i don’t think that caitlyn “giving” sevika a council seat is actual redemption since she is the only zaunite on the council and it is still dominated by the wealthiest clans in the city. caitlyn is apart of one the richest families in piltover, she could have easily redeemed herself by quitting the police force and using her wealth to improve zaun; it would’ve been a logical conclusion to her character arc bc in s1, after learning about the struggles zaunites go through, she works with vi to try to improve things. in s2, she should be fully aware of why brutally occupying zaun was wrong and amend her wrongs by helping heal the city like she promised in s1 ep7.

#caitlyn kiramman #caitlyn arcane #arcane #arcane critical #arcane criticism

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suiana · 11 months ago

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could i ask for a yan!childhood friend. but the childhood friend is the friend of our daughter and we’re her parent. (we think he likes her but he likes us. 18+ obviously) the darling is like a milf or whatever. pretty please with a cherry on top :)

SHUT UPP i love this idea, childhood friend redemption arc?!!?! maybe he wont be my most hated yan anymore!?

(yandere! childhood friend x gn! parent reader)

"my dear, you need to calm down. you don't like me, it's just the hormones-"

"please! pleasepleaseplease just give me one chance! i know you and your spouse aren't together anymore so just give me a chance. i may be younger but i promise i'll treat you so good that you won't regret choosing me!"

the male whines, his hands clasped together in front of his face as he begs you to accept his confession.

obviously you weren't going to accept. why would you? you practically watched him grow up alongisde your daughter! and yes, you knew he's had a little bit of an obsession since he was young but you always thought it was just a kid thing. you never encouraged it, always politely told him that he'd grow up, find someone else his age he'd truly love, maybe someone like your daughter.

what you never expected was for him to continue his obsession well into his early adulthood. especially when it's on you, a 40 something year old that was the parent of his best friend.

you knew you were attractive. you've had lots of people tell you that since forever, and the compliments only rose after you became a parent. you've even heard some kids nowadays call you a... parent they'd like to fuck? was it? you always found it weird. but either way, you never entertained any of their words, especially confessions as you had not wanted any of them to get the wrong idea.

most of them moved on. unfortunately not this boy.

"you're literally the only one for me! i don't care if you're almost 50! it's only like... 20 something years! i'm legal already!"

he continues to beg, hands caging you against a nearby wall. you merely let out a sigh, shaking your head as the male continues to ramble on about how much he adores you.

"my dear, i will not get with you no matter what."

you merely reply to his heartfelt words with a simple sentece, patting his shoulder before you try to push him away. though, you could only freeze in place as you feel the air around you drop in temperature, the aura around the young man changing in an instant.

"if you don't go out with me i'll kill myself in front of you and change the trajectory of your life forever."

"what?!"

ah, younglings and their passion for older people. how fun! not for you though.

#suiana's sinners #yandere #tw yandere #yandere x reader #yandere drabbles #yandere imagines #yandere scenario #yandere concept #yandere childhood friend #yandere childhood friend x reader #gn reader #suiana rambling #suiana brainrotting

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mtchee · 11 months ago

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Silence is Silver, Your Voice is Gold - [Shouto Todoroki] SOULMATE SERIES | GN

blurb:

The piercing first words spoken by your soulmate leave you shattered, and your passion driven brother, Inasa, doesn't take kindly to it either. Resolving to ignore Todoroki (leaving him in blissful ignorance), your secret is outed in the conflict between Todoroki and your brother. When his eyes snap to you, your own gaze hardens, and you turn away. You thought you could get over your soulmate's rejection, accepting it wholeheartedly. So, why is he being so nice all of a sudden?

cw: not edited, second-person-pov, [name] is Inasa Yoarashi's twin, SPOILERS if you haven't watched BNHA like at all but nothing descriptive or major, i know i'm the one writing this but i'm also mad at shouto on behalf of [name] lmao, Inasa best brother, deku squad friend squad!!, redemption arc for shouto, he's actually very sweet, love of your life fr, tooth rotting fluff at the end

| masterlist | boku no hero academia collection |

[4.3k]

"I'm not here to make friends."

Those were first words Shouto Todoroki said to you. Unfortunately, those were also the soul words written on the outside of your left thigh.

On your very first day at U.A, you'd barely even opened your mouth, having been about to utter a chirpy greeting to your blank faced classmate before he interrupted you.

Immediately your heart had dropped and you took a surprised step back. Though his face was impassive and his voice a monotone trail, the words and their implied meaning didn't bite any less.

Back off, I'm not interested--that's what he meant.

Thank god your uniform covered the glow of your soul words.

You'd stiffly bowed and quickly moved away, snatching a different seat on the otherside of the classroom before they were all taken.

In that single instant, you knew you would never get the happy ending you and your brother would always giggle about as kids. Even if you turned back around and spoke to him now, you knew he'd never come around. It was obvious he doesn't care.

It was evident he never would.

So why bother? It hurt enough now, and speaking up wouldn't change that outcome. So, you resolved to never speak to Shouto Todoroki.

Inasa was right, the Todoroki's were horrible.

You hadn't gotten in through recommendations, so you took the normal trials to get into U.A. It was no wonder Inasa was upset when he got home from the recommendation's test, Endeavour's son was just as stand-offish and cruel.

You thought your twin brother had been exaggerating, but you had always been more sensitive between the two of you.

No wonder he declined U.A...

And now you were stuck here, with a heartless soulmate and no brother to keep you company.

Is it too late to transfer?

You think your brother was more upset than you were when you later told him who your soulmate was. Inasa had teared up dramatically and collapsed to a knee in front of you, vowing to you that had he of known he would've taken you with him to Shiketsu instead like he should have in the first place.

You think you were still in shock though, since normally you would have burst into tears at the prospect of your soulmate rejecting you.

Subconsciously, you think you already accepted it too. He was a Todoroki after all. The son of the Number 2 Pro Hero Endeavour. If he knew, he wouldn't want you anyway.

Unlike your first day at U.A, before your first class where you had introduced yourself to most of your classmates and had been chittering away happily, you were quiet.

Luckily though, you befriended Ochaco Ururaka, Tsuyu Asui, Tenya Iida, and Izuku Midoriya, most of whom were more than happy to yap in your stead.

Todoroki had since lost any respect you held for him--even more so than from when your brother had first encountered him--but he still scared you too.

You didn't have the confidence that Inasa did to pull his nose up and scoff, rather, you tilted your head down and averted your eyes, nullifying your presence as much as possible.

To your misfortune, you had to verse Todoroki in 1v1 of the Sports Festival. You don't think he even remembered you, not that he said anything anyway. His eyes were as lifeless as his expression when he was looking at you, and you couldn't help but glare back.

Your quirk similarly manipulates the wind as your brother does, though while his quirk is Whirlwind, yours is Piercing Breeze. Whereas Inasa can manipulate and summon impossibly powerful gusts of wind, you can create and control short and sharp bursts of air that can cut through cliffs of stone.

The battle between you and Todoroki was a cruel one, where your quirk sliced through his protective walls of ice and littered him in various lacerations.

However, it was Todoroki who ended the fight victoriously after managing to forcefully kick you out of bounds after feinting an ice shield and propelling himself into the air as you did.

You had refused to look at him as Present Mic announced his victory over the speakers, keeping your head down as you trudged your way from the field, not bothering to see Recovery Girl before taking seat in the stands.

You ended up coming in third, but when you went home at the end of the day you cried in your brother's arms about the events. Inasa could only hold you tighter with pain filled eyes when you started to scratch at your soul words.

Silently, you damned the world around you.

In any other circumstance, you would be absolutely petrified at your own morbid thoughts, but desperate times called for desperate cussing.

Not only had you and the rest of class 1-A faced one too many debacles so early on in your schooling, but each time without fail you were in someway, somehow, paired alongside Todoroki.

Group projects saw you put in an assignment with Todoroki and a couple others. Training saw you either fighting alongside or against the dual haired boy. And, possibly worst of all, Midoriya and the others took a liking to Todoroki's company (like, how!?) so now he'd started sitting with your lunch squad. Also, you have dorms now.

Fun.

Eventually, you gave up trying to perk up and find your way around things, but you were just so tired now. And over it.

So you shut up.

With Todoroki in vicinity, you didn't say a word.

If you noticed him approaching, you would calmly turn yourself around and walk away.

You began excusing yourself from lunch and would grab something small from the vending machines before taking a long stroll around campus.

Your soul words had been itching painfully, so you started to keep a cooling patch on it to stop yourself from scabbing it anymore than you already have.

But every third or so day, you'd call your brother and cry about it.

About how much it hurt. About how irritating the micro scars were. About how the skin the words were etched on were ever so red and swollen and pulsing. You wanted to tear off the skin and be rid of it.

Inasa panicked at that one.

But you did nothing of the sort, you knew how low your pain threshold was anyway. That much was evident with your whining from a few scratches.

Tsu was the one who noticed you withdrawing the most, but you just brushed off the subject and changed it.

The Provisional Hero License Course was where it clicked for your closest friends. When they saw you reunite with your brother, they were surprised at how much... louder, he was than you.

But also at his uniquely polite mannerisms towards others his same age. Although, that part kind of made sense to them, seeing as your classmates had also witnessed that from you.

The first trial was fun, at least you thought so. Apparently, Inasa had talked you up to the point his own classmates (and hence, also your opponents) decided to leave you alone lest they face his nagging. You did have some trouble with a couple other schools, but you passed pretty early on.

It was at the final trial that it all went down hill.

You were successful in rescuing many of the false civilians in the debre, and you knowledge on their injuries and acting manner impressed many of them.

When Gang Orca and his croonies started attacking, you switched from rescue to defense as it was better suited for you quirk.

It just so happened that your brother and Todoroki also made that choice, however, clashed in their tactics.

"Inasa!" You'd called out after sending an onslaught of wind blades towards a line of crooks, "pick your fight elsewhere!"

But his eyes remained locked on Todoroki who was positioned opposite him from Gang Orca. A passionate anger fuels him on your behalf, and he couldn't pass up the opportunity to show up Endeavour's son and put him in his place for wronging his kin.

"What is your issue?" Todoroki finally called, frustrated at his continuously foiled efforts from his very much one sided feud.

"My issue," Inasa growled, sending a hurricane off to the side to gather up concrete and Gang Orca's accomplices, "is your issue with [name]!"

"What?" Todoroki frowned incredulously, not taking his attention off their main opponent.

"Inasa!" You snapped. He ignored you.

"We barely even talk."

Todoroki dodged a flying boulder.

"They're suffering because of you!" Inasa summoned another gust to throw Gang Orca off balance, but it's only intercepted by Todoroki's flame, "if you weren't so uptight and entitled--"

Your eyes widened, "Inasa--"

He let out a battle cry when his attack once again gets interrupted.

"--then maybe you'd have even a decent chance with a soulmate who aleady deserves WAY BETTER THAN YOU!"

Todoroki's attention wavered.

"--he doesn't know!"

Inasa's whirlwind stopped, and his heart dropped. Todoroki's gaze darted to your panicked form, eyes widening as he spied the inked skin on your left thigh from your torn costume.

He made eye contact with you, and everything seemed to stop.

Fear and shock painted your features, and both your lips and throat are dry from horror at the revelation your brother had dropped.

Todoroki's right wrist tingled pleasantly despite the terror filled words you uttered.

"...You weren't supposed to know."

Inasa and Todoroki failed to pass in the end.

Along with a few others, but they were lucky to be offered remedial courses.

You weren't so lucky though.

Well, you passed. But it wasn't long before your soulmate situation became common knowledge. On one hand, unsuspecting classmates came up to you to congratulate you on bagging the grade's pretty boy.

On the other, your friends knew better about it.

After all, Todoroki had been sitting with you guys for lunch and hanging out at many other points in time throughout the year.

You made the conscious effort to stay back from everyone when it was time to leave, spying your brother and some others from Shiketsu talking to Todoroki and your class.

You'd said bye to him earlier, though a bit gruffer than usual becuse of his mishap. You saw him bow lowly to everyone, speaking a few more words to your dual haired soulmate before you had to depart.

You sat beside Koda on the way back, knowing he wouldn't say much on the situation. You didn't miss the stressed and concerned glances he sent you though.

In the following days you dodged your friends like bullets--barely.

It didn't seem like Todoroki wanted to talk to you anyway, and it was easy enough to avoid him after school due to his remedial classes.

Inasa had apologised to you profusely afterwards, decidedly giving you part of his allowance to spend on your favourite drinks and snacks to earn redemption. You tried to give him the cold shoulder at first, but when his eyes had started watering you were quick to tear up with him and gave in.

You didn't bother approaching him on the subject of Todoroki again. You felt stressed enough that they shared their remedial class, and a bit guilty that one of the reasons for your brother's failure was because of your coulmate issue, though he didn't see it like that.

Since the hero licence course, your friends had been subtly poking at you to find out about your soulmate predicament.

Uraraka was intent on listening to your side of things, so she managed to squeeze out a few details from you. Iida was intent on you confronting Todoroki, which you sternly refuting facticiously that Todoroki didn't care anyway.

Midoriya was similar to Iida, though in a much more roundabout way. He wanted to listen like Uraraka did, but you also knew how much closer to Todoroki he was, so you kept your mouth shut with him.

At some points, Momo chatted with you between classes to piece things out on her own. It was unlike her to get involved, but you noticed while she didn't push you to talk to Todoroki, she made sure to address him in a positive light.

Tsu scared you the most.

She had cornered you (again) and made you fess up everything one night after everyone dispersed after dinner. You ended up bawling in front of your door from the stress of it all, and Tsuyu had panicked as she tried to calm you down. Talking to her lifted a weight off your chest, but it also made you relive all those repressed feelings of longing and anger and hurt. You cried yourself to sleep that night.

Damnit, Tsu.

The day that your brother finished his remedial classes, it all seemed to change.

Despite you teetering around the topic of your soulmate with Inasa, he suddenly seemed... invigorated?

Well, he normally is. But, it was different this time.

When he finally got his provisional hero licence, he called you and started yapping about the positively riveting tale of his harrows, before eventually cooling down to address the issue about Todoroki.

At first, your brows had furrowed in concern when Inasa talked light about his interactions with Endeavour's son, which eventually turned into praise about his skill and his ethic.

"Since his quirk worked so well with mine," Inasa had started, "there's no doubt that you two'd pair together perfectly!"

You almost hung up on his strange change in character.

Inasa had planted a seed. And your friends continued to nurture it.

The school festival was right around the corner, and gave everyone an excuse to hang out. At the suggestion of a performance, you'd bounded right up with Ashido to make up a dance, the two of you giggling and wiggling around in front of everyone in excitement.

When you caught sight of Todoroki watching you with a meticulously blank stare, you winced and shrunk back, looking back at Ashido with a lesser smile than moments before.

After most of the band had been decided (courtesy of Jirou), the topic of special effects took everyone's attention.

"Hold up, how's this for an idea!?" Ashido took the reigns once more.

"Uraraka makes Todoroki and Kirishima float! And then, Kirishima chops at Todoroki's ice and sends it flying! Then, Aoyama can be a mirror ball, and all the light twinkling off him and the ice will make it look like it's raining stardust!"

"You know," Momo intercepted, thumb and index finger beneath her chin, "[name]'s quirk would actually be perfect for that. Instead, Uraraka could make [name] and Todoroki float, that way, with the suble manipulation of [name]'s quirk, the movements would be much more fluid, and they could continue the dance routine in the air."

"Oh! That's a great idea!" Ashido beamed.

You felt a cold sweat break down the back of your neck.

"Indeed, that would be much more effective!" Iida stiffened, but blatantly ignored you when you spun around with a disbelieving glare.

That settled your schedule for the festival preparations. When the class wasn't practicing together for the dance, everyone was split into their groups for their assigned tasks.

You were positively sweating at the prospect of speaking with Todoroki--but you didn't want to let the others down.

It was the first time you would talked to him since the incident, and the second time actually talking to him altogether. You stuggled to meet his eyes first time around, his gaze intense with slow, cat like blinks.

You started the discussion, stictly about your parts in the performance, which he only ever added to when necessary, otherwise he was busy observing you.

It was only after scurrying away that you processed how amicable he and patient he was, simply waiting unperturbed as you gathered your thoughts and piping up gingerly when your ideas needed a nudge.

But you digress, it was strictly business.

At least, it was for you.

For some reason, Todoroki took that initial conversation as an ice breaker of sorts, and immediately started seeking you out for things pertaining to more than just the school festival.

When you sat down at lunch the next day, he made a point of sitting right beside you with a bottle of one of your favourite sodas that the vending machine had ran out of when you checked. You couldn't help but pout at the sight of it before turning back to your food.

Your sad bottle of unopened water was then swiftly stolen from your tray right in front of you, and then quickly replaced by the carbonated drink you oh so desired.

You straightened in surprise, looking to your left only to see Todoroki slurping up his soba undisturbed.

You hazarded a look across the table and spot Uraraka and Midoriya still with wide eyes and Iida biting back a small knowing smile. You glance at Tsu beside you, and she blinks slowly with each eye individually.

Todoroki sat beside you at dinner too, but not before having taken your plate and filled it with parts of the meal that you liked most, ensuring you got first serve before sitting down.

A few seats across and down from you, you saw Momo cover her mouth with a light chuckle.

The dual quirk boy also volunteered to clean up with you, though that only really consisted of him shadowing you in the kitchen as you put away the clean dishes.

You worried at first. Not that you really thought he'd do anything to you, but after having avoided each other for so long it was... nerve wracking.

Since you were used to keeping your mouth shut around him, it was kind of hard to break that habit.

In class when you yapped to the others, you could spy him staring at you from your peripherals. If you went out of your way to seek someone out, he would watch you converse intently.

You only really talked to him again at the next rehearsal for the festival, but he sat with you once more at both lunch and dinner. You had an inkling that you had no choice in the matter.

He was quietly stubborn.

The cycle continued for the upcoming weeks, the school festival drawing closer and closer. He'd started initiating small talk with you during lunch, and he'd lean a bit closer to engage with you at dinner. Gradually, you started talking to him on your own--and really, he wasn't that bad.

To be fair though, having your soulmate reject you before they even knew you was hurtful.

But you did also carry the guilt of having not spoken up. Still, he obviously didn't want anything to do with you.

You figured he didn't care about the whole soulmate debacle, so you put that behind you and focused on making subtle amends for ignoring him.

Sure, the thought about the rejection still stung a bit, but what was there to do? Todoroki wasn't making a fuss, so neither would you.

Your soul words didn't itch as much anymore.

It's now the day of the school festival, and you are buzzing with nerves. Sure, practicing the dance and details with your classmates was fun, but now, you actually had to put that plan in motion.

But you refuse to let it dampen your mood!

You gotta keep the energy up for everyone else! Though some of your friends were ecstatic, others such as Midoriya and Jirou look just about ready to keel over.

Todoroki hadn't really left you side all morning--you did drag him out to practice your moves one last time though, before your nerves got shot and you stiffened.

He kept up with you bouncing around and checking in on everyone, and helped you set up wherever you offered your assistance. When he noticed your energy already starting to deplete he turned around to retrieve a tangerine, a small packet of cookies, and a bottle of your favourite flavour of fruit infused water.

You couldn't stop your knee from jumping up and down anxiously, even when he firmly sat you down on a set of stairs outside the gymnasium.

You made sure to distract yourself by babbling about all the preparations so your stress wouldn't overwhelm you, Todoroki standing beside you peeling the tangerine as he listens.

"--the box nearly tipped, so the streamers would've gone everywhere, but Shoji caught it before it did, so it was fine. Also, the sign Denki made was spelled wrong, but Momo did something so it actually looks like it was meant to be that way--"

Todoroki crouches down in front of you, holding out a meticulously peeled tangerine slice that he feeds you when you open your mouth.

"--Mmf," You lick your lips, "thanks. Momo's super resourceful that way, which is cool. Iida's similar, I think, but he lacks the creative capacity she has."

He feeds you another piece.

"--Uraraka's getting nervous, I can tell. But Mina's been hyping her up, so I think she'll be okay. Also, have you seen Midoriya? He might've gone to the bathroom but it's been so long... oh, also, Ojiro needs help setting up the synthesizer since Jirou's busy with the mics. Then we need to do a sound check."

"Drink this."

Todoroki pops open the bottled drink, watching intently to make sure you get your fill. When you go to talk again he tips the bottle back up to your lips for another sip before nodding contently.

"Mm!" You perk up, more energised now, "I love that flavour."

A smile tugs at his lips, "I know."

"Thanks for helping me with that ladder by the way, I didn't see Hagakure when I was walking with it--no pun intended. I would've wacked her with it if you weren't there."

When you're done with the tangerine (rejecting his offer of the last few slices, which he then eats instead) he opens the packet of cookies.

He hands it to you absentmindedly when you make a quick grab for it, the processed sugar and chocolate bits being much more appetizing than fruit.

"Oh, I love this brand!"

Todoroki watches you fondly as you munch down two at a time, nodding off handedly at your statement.

As you continue your ramblings, your nerves gradually lessen--as does the amount of cookies. When he offers you the drink again he spots a smudge of chocolate on the lower corner of your lips and gently grips your chin with his hand to thumb at it.

He pays no heed to your sudden silence as he cleans your face, humming contently when the tiny mess is gone and leaning back casually.

You blink at him.

"What was that."

"Hm?"

You frown, "That."

"Don't worry too much," Todoroki ignores you in favour of addressing your prior anxious babbling, "the performance will go fine. Everyone's worked really hard too. We'll do well."

He kisses you on the cheek.

You feel faint.

"What was that."

"What?" Todoroki blinks stupidly.

"That."

The change in his features is subtle, but he almost looks like he's pouting, "Did you not like it?"

"What?"

"What."

Your face burns, and you frown at him, "Don't copy me. You need to answer my question."

"But you didn't answer mine?"

The sheer audacity of this man to tilt his head at you after a move like that.

"You... You kissed me!"

"You didn't like it." He comes to the conclusion with the look akin to a kicked puppy.

"I-I didn't say that!"

"What do you like then?" His face is carefully stilled as he watches you with round eyes, "what do soulmates normally do?"

"What."

"What?"

"Stop that!"

His head bows, "You still didn't answer my question.."

"You've... soulmates!?" Your heart thrums in your chest, and a rush of feeling threatens to overwhelm you, "you want to be my soulmate?!"

His carefully placed mask breaks into surprise at your outburst.

"Of course I do," His eyes pierce into you like you've said something strange, "why wouldn't I?"

Your mouth drops in shock and disbelief, "B-Because! You said," your hand rests over the covered words encripted onto your thigh, "you're not here to make friends..."

"Oh," He has the decency to look ashamed, "sorry. I didn't know those were your words. Is that why you didn't want me to know?"

"Well, duh! I thought you rejected me!" You huff, taking an angry sip from your tasty water, "Inasa really didn't like you then, you know."

He breathes out a laugh, "I realise."

He watches you adoringly, and when you glance at him you're suddenly all too aware of his closeness. As your lips part from the rim of your bottled drink you're reminded of his chivalrous acts from the weeks prior.

You had thought he was being weird, but you also didn't really care to get to know him before then. Whereas he, on the other hand, did attempt polite conversation when he first started sitting with your group at lunch. He was also civil with you whenever you were paired together for anything.

You suddenly felt awful.

"What about now?" Todoroki's voice pulls you out of your pit of self-deprication, "what do you think? Do... would you like me to be your soulmate?"

When you look at him knelt before you, a subtle pink flush on his cheeks and an almost unnoticable nervous shake in his otherwise placid tone, you can't help but swell with happiness and relief.

You decide to pay him back with a kiss on his scarred cheek, and he takes in a sharp breath.

Your cheeks ache with how wide you smile at him, "More than anything."

As it turns out, you would get your happy ending after all.

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