#i am STILL trying to remember what ice move hurt her leg

[cheswirls]

ngl this is so sweet but the framing rly confused me here. had the grunt’s face been normally lit instead of textured like this i wouldn’t have thought this was still part of the fb. the sfx is ‘stab’ and next panel looks like this

which tbh STILL gives off the impression that he was backstabbed on mt. coronet like sird caught and punished him for wanting to desert. i thought the trio was reacting to the middle panel instead of the stabbing, like he was still under some sort of control and had free will but not free mvmt or whatever. it threw me off SO hard

and then the reveal that darkrai stabbed him (not pictured its too big. jus trust me) followed by this jus got me even more. oh!! its darkrai that means sird is here!! oh wait?? sird set it free??? sird isn’t here????? is sird gonna do anything since making her return besides strike a cool pose and exposit where she’s been since frlg ended???????????

[ahgasegotarmy116]

Just Take It | Bonus Drabble 5

Summary: Fracturing your ankle was the last thing you wanted to do this weekend but I guess it's not that bad when you have your handsome husband to be your caretaker. Slice of life drabble from the future 🤭 Pairing: Inexperienced f!reader x Best Friend's Dad Jungkook (20 year age gap) Word Count: 2.9k (damn it's been a while since I put one of these out haha) Warning: Some suggestive language if you squint really hard lmao, oc is a pouty baby because she's in pain lol a/n: Barely edited per usual Requested by: 🧜‍♀️ anon 🥰 Start from the beginning

"How are you feeling?" Jungkook asks me once we're both in the car. "Humiliated" I say, hissing when I try to readjust my leg. "People fall all the time when they're hiking darling it's not that big of a deal" he tries reassuring me but it only makes me feel worse.

"But it didn't even happen on a rocky part or anything. We were literally walking on flat ground" I groan, my embarrassment increasing after running through what happened in my head again, remembering how many people were staring at us. 

"Honey it's okay" he chuckles, leaning over to help me with my seatbelt before he puts his on. "I basically tripped on air" I groan, not giving up on how mortified I am, the pain making everything seem so much worse. 

"Hey" he says, cupping my face and making me look at him while he rubs the space between my eyebrows in an effort to smooth out the scowl I'm making, "It's not the end of the world, I promise. It might've been a little embarrassing but it happens to the best of us" he says and my scowl turns into a pout, calming down a little but still upset with myself.

"Did you really have to carry me like that?" I cringe at the thought of how ridiculous we probably looked. "Like what?" he furrows his brows, "Like you were carrying me over the threshold after our wedding" I say, covering my face as if it would help get rid of how shy I felt on top of the humiliation.

He chuckles as his only response leaving me slumping back in my chair, not wanting to snap at him just because of the pain I'm in.

"You sure it's only a sprain?" he asks and I hum, "I've had one before and it felt just like this so I'm sure I'll be fine once we get home and I can ice it" I say and he nods his head.

"Then let's get you home" he agrees and pulls out of the parking lot.

~~~~~

"Are you sure you don't wanna go to the hospital? I can schedule an appointment instead so we don't have to go to the ER if that's what you're worried about" he asks me for the fifth time tonight but I think I've gotta give in since I don't remember my ankle ever swelling up like this.

"Okay" I mumble and he walks up to where I'm sitting on the couch and kisses my forehead. "That's my girl" he praises, handing me the snacks he's prepared for our movie night before plopping down right next to me.

He rests his arm around the back of the couch so I can lean into him while he starts up the movie we chose but as the night goes by the pain gets worse and I have to remind him about making the appointment before we go upstairs to go to bed.

"I don't mind taking you to the ER if it's getting that bad" he says, looking at me with a pained expression, hating that I'm hurting. "I think I'll be alright for the night, can you just help me get upstairs?" I ask and he smirks remembering my earlier complaints.

"Does my bride need me to carry her to bed?" he taunts and I give in, agreeing with him and he gives me a soft smile and a kiss on my temple as a response.

"You ready for bed?" he asks and I nod my head, taking another look at my ankle and growing wary about what could've happened. He turns off the TV and stands up, scooping me into his arms, careful not to move too fast but I still hiss when my foot droops a bit and I notice that the pain killers have worn off.

My hiss turns into a whimper and right after I can feel tears start to well up in my eyes and I can't control it anymore, the pain hitting me in waves as he gets closer to the stairs but turns to walk towards the guest bedroom instead.

"I'm not taking you upstairs if you're crying from walking on flat ground. I really wish you would let me take you in already" he says, placing another kiss on my temple before he lays me down on the bed and quickly grabs some pillows to prop it up adjusting it for me until he sees i'm comfortable.

"No I can w-wait until morning" I say, choking back the tears now that it's supported again. "You sure?" he asks and I nod my head one last time and he decides to respect my wishes.

"Okay well your appointment is at eight AM so you'll have to wait until then to be seen. I'll call them when I wake up to see if they have any cancellations so we can get in earlier" he says and I give him a sad smile while when he wipes off my tear stained cheeks.

"I love you" I mumble and he chuckles, "I love you too baby. You know I'm always gonna take care of you. In sickness and in health remember" he says and I chuckle for a second or two.

"There's that smile I love" he says, cupping my face before leaning down and placing a kiss on my lips. "Can you get me some more pain killers please?" I mumble after he breaks the kiss. He hums in agreement, "Sure baby" he says and places one last kiss on my lips before he goes to get them.

He comes back with a glass of water and another snack making me smile. "I'm gonna go grab your phone charger for you too and this is just in case you get hungry in the middle of the night" he teases. "But aren't you gonna sleep in here too?" I ask, worried that he might leave me alone. 

"I can't honey, I might move around too much and bump into your ankle. I don't want to hurt you" he says and I understand but I hate sleeping alone. "Okay" I say and pull the blanket over my head so he won't see how upset I am about all this. He knows though, he always knows. 

"Bunny please don't cry" he say softly, kneeling down next to the bed once he hears the first sniffle. I had just been crying after being moved in here so the news of him not sleeping here with me was easy for me to get upset about. "I don't wanna sleep alone" I say under the blanket and he sighs, pulling it down so he can talk to me properly. 

"I don't like sleeping alone either Bun but I can stay with you until you fall asleep if you want" he offers and I dry my tears and nod, satisfied with the compromise. I just don't like being alone when I'm hurting like this. I know we could just head to the hospital right now and then we can be together but I know both of us deserve some rest before going since I don't know how long we would be there at this hour. 

He picks up the arm chair from the corner of the room and sets it right next to the bed. "You don't wanna just come a lay down?" I ask and he chuckles. "Oh I definitely want to but it would defeat the whole purpose. Just close your eyes and try to get some sleep okay?" he responds and I nod, doing as he says and soon I find myself drifting off.

~~~ 

When the alarm goes off for us to wake up I groan and reach for my phone to try and turn it off but instead of grabbing my phone I end up grabbing a shoulder, opening my eyes and finding Jungkook laying his head on my lap and an arm draped over my thighs while he's fast asleep. 

I smile and finally reach my phone on the night stand and turn off the alarm. I lay there for a minute, admiring his sleeping face with his lips slightly parted letting out soft snores and I brush his hair out of his face so I can see him better, stirring him awake a little. 

"Did you sleep in here all night?" I ask softly and he hums in contentment from the feeling of me playing with his hair before he responds. "I didn't want to leave you alone" he mumbles and my heart warms at that. "Thank you honey" I say, brushing my thumb along the scar on his cheek and he gives me a sleepy smile. 

"We need to get ready to go" I remind him and he nods and takes a deep breath before sitting up slowly and cracking his back. "You should've gone up to bed Daddy" I tease and he narrows his eyes at me. "You better stop that before you start" he lets out in his deep morning voice and as much as I want to push it we really do have to get going. 

~~~~

"If you took one last bad step you could've completely broken it" the doctor says, bringing the x-rays in so we can take a look and I wince seeing how deep the fracture had gone. "So what happens next?" Jungkook asks, letting me focus on the x-ray a bit more while he talks through the next steps with the doctor. 

"We need to set everything back in place and put a cast on her. It'll take anywhere from six to twelve weeks to heal and from the looks of it it'll probably be closer to twelve. "That's three months!" I say in disbelief, dreading the fact that I'll have to be off my feet for that long. 

"Yes but good news is the baby looks strong and healthy so you have nothing to worry about on that end" he says in regards to the ultrasound we had taken just to double and triple check on them especially after the x-ray. I landed on my ass so I wasn't too worried but it doesn't hurt to check. 

"Thank God" Jungkooks says, taking my hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "But no more hiking. You'll be around six months along if I'm not mistaken by the time your cast comes off and you'll have to take some time to restrengthen it afterwards" the doctor says and I nod my head in agreement. 

"Got it" I respond and I can see Jungkook deflate a little since it's one of his favorite things to do together but he understands how important my health and safety is as well as the baby's. 

"We can get you into surgery in the next twenty minutes or so so just hang tight and one of the nurses will come get you when we're ready" he says and we give him our thanks before he slips out, leaving us on our own. 

"You okay?" Jungkook asks and I smile, "Yeah, I'm just glad they're okay" I say, placing my hand over my little baby bump and he places his right on top of mine. "Me too" he agrees and leans down to place a gentle kiss on my lips and we wait patiently in the room until they're ready for me.  

~~~~~

After the surgery is done and dusted and he's managed to get me home he places me down on the couch, having carried me inside again even though I told him I was completely capable of using the crutches. He said, "No wife of mine will ever have to use those when I'm around" or something to that extent just to make me laugh, and it did.

"You take such good care of me" I say, blinking up at him slowly, still feeling a little out of it from the anesthesia since I knew I couldn't go through all of that if I was awake. "Just doing my job Bun" he says, leaning down to give me a kiss before going back outside to get my crutches out of the car, just in case I decide I want them. 

After coming back inside he grabs the footstool and sets it up to I can keep my leg elevated and puts plenty of pillows as well just like last time. "Doc said the pain meds would start waring off soon and that I should have you eat something before you take your next dose. Any requests?" he asks, walking over to the basket of blankets we have in the living room to drape one over me.

Everything he's done has just made me fall more and more in love with him and at this point I didn't even realize that that was even possible. Maybe I just had low standards from before but I don't know, maybe this is what true love looks like. It's not in the big gestures or the lavish gifts. It's the simple things like this that matter the most.  

"Bun?" he calls out to me and I realized I hadn't answered his question yet "Oh, um whatever you want is fine. You took me to my doctor's appointment and the pharmacy and everything so you can choose" I say and he nods, heading into the kitchen to start making us lunch and before I know it he's already grabbed a tray and placed it in front of me so I wouldn't have to go anywhere.

"Thank you honey" I say and he caresses my cheek before walking back to the kitchen to grab his food. When he's on his way back I hear the doorbell ring and look over at him, wordlessly questioning who might've come to stop by but he just smiles at me and opens the door, accepting some sort of food from a delivery driver which has me confused. 

"What's that?" I ask, the plain white bag a mystery to me until the scent of fries hits me and my mouth is watering. He sees my eyes light up when I figure it out and he chuckles, "And I got you your favorite" he says, handing me one of the two drinks he had brought in as well and I already know what it is. 

"Is that a mango milkshake?" I ask excitedly and he smiles while I take the lid off and take a sip, my milkshake mustache making him laugh. "That good huh?" he teases and I hum, "The baby was craving it" I say making excuses and he shakes his head but puts the fries on the plate next to the sandwich he made me. 

I take a fry and dip it in the milkshake and take a bite, and I can see him laughing again. "What?" I ask, not seeing what about this could be so funny. "You always dance around when you're eating your favorite food" he says and I roll my eyes. 

"Would you rather I dip a pickle in it like last time?" I cock a brow at him and he pretends to gag. "No please, not again" he shudders leaving me laughing at him instead. 

"I still can't believe you made me try that" he mumbles and I refute it right away. "You're the one who wanted to try it!". "Well you should've stopped me if you knew I wouldn't like it" he argues back and I giggle at his horrified expression. 

"How was I supposed to know that you wouldn't like it? They're called pregnancy craving for a reason Honey so you should've know better" I tease him and he grumbles something unintelligible under his breath. 

"Just don't eat it today alright? I don't want to have to taste it when I kiss you" he shudders. "Who said I wanted to kiss you?" I say playfully and he looks at me and then looks at my foot that's still propped up and huffs, slumping back into the couch. 

"What?" I laugh, not knowing what that reaction was for. "Just know that if you weren't wearing that cast right now you would've been thrown over my shoulder and dragged upstairs for that smart comment" he pouts and I laugh again, grabbing his arm and wrapping it around me, placing a kiss on his cheek for good mesasure.

"You know you love me" I say and he hums, "I do, and you better love me too or I'm taking back that milkshake" he says reaching for it and I smack his hand before he can get any closer. "I wouldn't be having your child if I wasn't in love with you dummy" I tease and he smiles and places a kiss on my cheek, making an aggressive smooching sound against it. 

"Stop" I whine trying to push him off and his only response is to hug me tighter and pepper me with more kisses. "Alright, alright I give up!" I call out, hoping that'll make him stop and luckily it works. He finishes off by planting one last kiss on my lips and nudging his nose against mine before standing up and walking back over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water and the bottle with my pain meds. 

"Eat up so you can take your medicine, I don't want you to be in pain again" he says switching back to my handsome caretaker and I do as I'm told, eating my fill and taking the medication.

"Thank you Honey" I say, hoping to display my sincerity and he gives me a soft smile. "You're welcome baby" he answers, placing a kiss on the top of my head and the rest of our day goes by in a blur, laughing and teasing each other until the sun goes down. 

Like I said, it's the little things that matter to most and I guess it was just one of those days for us. 

Series Masterlist

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[fandomzwriterk]

Can you write about the female reader teasing Smoke while cuddling? 😁

A/N: I’m collecting all the Mortal Kombat fans like Pokemon cards now and I couldn’t be more prouder

Warnigns: GN!Reader gets kidnapped + blood warning + The Lin Kuei brothers fight each other + fluffy content at the end

Smoke x GN!Reader

“This is the dumbest idea we’ve ever had.” Bi Han growled

Shang Tsung, Quan Chi, and Bi Han walked around the underground grave, looking around as the other Lin Kuei foot soldiers started building a camp to stay in. They weren’t leaving this place anytime soon.

“Well they’re our bargaining chip so they’ll come soon.”

“My brothers are not idiots.”

“Yet I know one of them is going to slip up.”

Shang Tsung and Quan Chi left, Bi Han staring at the cage Quan Chi built to keep you contained. You had two guards always watching, your leg tied by a chain so you wouldn’t even think of escape, frozen extra solid by Bi Han’s ice. He scowled at you, noticing your dirty and poor living condition. You still had open wounds all over you, pathetically covered in pieces of cloth, staining them to the point you could see the blood underneath.

“You are a pathetic excuse of a Lin Kuei soldier. I know they’ll come for you, Tomas always does.”

Some time earlier…

“I can’t climb that. What do you expect me to do? Have Kuai pull me up with ropes? Have Tomas carry me?”

You remember the scowl on Bi Han’s face, much like the one he gave you now. He hated you, you always knew that. You just never expected he’d hurt his brothers the worst way possible.

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Tomas shouted as he lunged at Quan Chi

Kuai Liang and Bi Han were fighting Shang Tsung, both trying to incapacitate him so they could bring him back to Liu Kang.

“Then why don’t I do this?” Quan Chi replied darkly

Quan Chi’s dark magic opened up under the ground, four ropes of it grabbing your arms and legs, holding you down to the ground. You struggled, but Quan Chi had strong mental power and hold of dark magic.

“This is pitiful.”

One flick of his hand and Kuai Liang and Bi Han got sent into the wall while Tomas was grabbed by one more of the dark magic ropes. He tried stabbing it, smoking away, nothing worked. Quan Chi tied down Bi Han and Kuai Liang on their knees in front of Shang Tsung, being held back by animated corpses.

“Work with me, and I can make the Lin Kuei great and feared again.”

You saw Bi Han’s eyes scan around at each of you in the room, resting them on you as you were helplessly tied down by the magic.

“Bi Han I swear on the Elder Gods if you do this-“

“And what if I did?”

“You wouldn’t hurt us, we’re your brothers, and Y/n is practically like our family too.”

“She’s family Bi Han! Don’t destroy what Father worked so hard-“

“Father was an old man who lost his mind, and I’m glad I left him to die. Now, I’m going to make sure both of you are without the distraction once more.”

Bi Han was let go, standing up as he walked over to you and crouched in front of you.

“You have no place in our family, even if you care about Tomas. You are nothing, and you always will be.”

He kicked your face, feeling the actual strength he’d been holding back from you in practice. It was painful, painful as hell. He kicked you once more, blood falling from your mouth and your eyes almost shut, but you could see his eyes staring at you with years of hatred. He was going to make everyone suffer his wrath, even his own family.

“You mother fucker!”

Quan Chi’s grip on Tomas loosened as he sent a smoke bomb out. Through the thick fog you could see Tomas move to help Kuai Liang up, starting to make his way to you.

“Get her out of here and into the tomb. She’s more valuable alive.”

Tomas and Kuai were fighting Bi Han as Shang Tsung and Quan Chi dragged your body down the cold stone hallway, as you could only watch as the room became smaller and smaller the more you got dragged away.

“You are a shame on the name of the Lin Kuei! Both of you! I am your Grandmaster and you listen to me!”

“I’m not listening to your shit anymore Bi Han! I’m going to end your reign of terror right now. Give her back now!”

“Tomas were outnumbered.”

Animated corpses crawled from under the ground, slowly going to surround both Tomas and Kuai, moving them to the edge of the stone balcony. Tomas could only fight in fear as he watched you get dragged away.

Now…

“Oh I’m going to get out of here Bi Han and when I do, I’m going to make sure you suffer for what you did to your brothers.”

“Ha! Not by the grace of the Elder Gods you won’t. You have no chance of even making it out of this room alive. You’d be dead before you could even think of fighting back.”

You wanted to curse him out, call him a bastard, but you knew words weren’t going to do anything now. You could see his smug expression while he crossed his arms, staring down at you like a dog in the streets.

“It’s been five days, I doubt they’ll be coming for you.”

Five days… this had been hell on Earth for you. Little did you know, somebody was making his way inside. Eventually, Bi Han followed Shang Tsung and left you alone with two foot soldiers. Even if you tried to escape now, the chain on your ankle would stop you. Your body felt weak, feeling faint at the loss of blood that seeped into the dirt you sat on. So, you closed your eyes, praying someone would save you as you fell to the ground.

“Hey! Y/n! Tomas over here!” You heard

Your hearing was starting to sound like you were going underwater, the pain slowly drifting away and you felt lighter, feeling calm as your eyes remained closed.

“No no no no! Y/n! Wake up!”

Through the darkness and light feeling, you could feel someone holding you, putting your body against their chest as they stood and picked you up, walking fast as more voices began to speak.

“Liu Kang!”

“Time to go! Right now!”

You felt the person holding you tightly, their grip never letting go as you felt warmth start to touch your skin. You still felt faint, but the warmth was brining back the sounds you could hear. After some time, you opened your eyes, staring at a white ceiling as you felt your body stiffen up while you tried to sit up. Your vision was blurry, slowly becoming clear as you blinked. You looked down, Tomas’ head laid on top of your hand, feeling the fact he was holding it too. He seemed tired. Had he been looking for you? As if he could hear your thoughts, he looked up, eyes red and puffy from crying. He jumped into you, hugging you like his life depended on it.

“You’re okay. Thank the Elder Gods.”

His grip tightened, holding on to you like it would be his last. Tomas pulled back a little, staring into your eyes as he brushed a strand of hair out of your eyes, tucking it behind your ear. For the first time since you’ve met him, you could finally see his smile. You could see him, the real Tomas, who wasn’t hiding anything from you. You put a hand on his cheek, seeing all the worry and hurt in his eyes. He loved you, more than you could ever know.

“I’m okay Tomas. I’m okay.”

“Good. Cause your dumbass had me worried!”

“Eh?! What does that mean?”

“You are such a dumbass for getting caught.”

“And you’re an even bigger dumbass for letting me get caught.”

You booped his nose, something you often did as kids whenever you teased each other. It was an old habit that even now, as a young man, Tomas still loved.

“But seriously… did Shang Tsung do anything to you?”

“No… I didn’t really see him. It was mostly Bi Han that was around.”

Tomas frowned, moving to sit next to you as he helped you lean against the wall on your medical bed. His silver hair was a mess, having been fluffed up by smothering you. Your hand reached up, trailing along the side of his face, admiring the small scars on his face while you fixed his hair.

“There. Now you look cute.”

“Hm I think I’m always cute… according to you at least.”

“Oh you are so getting when I’m better.”

You leaned against him, head leaning against his shoulder. Your hand drifted, grabbing his hand in yours.

“I promise to never do anything like that again.”

He turned his head, staring at you with his silver-blue eyes, a smile on his face.

“And I promise that while I’m around, nothing is going to happen to you my love.”

A/N: I feel like I did TERRIBLE on this but I’m glad I could do your request☺️ I like writing for everyone!

[babydin]

Sex (With My Ex) 

Wrong place at the wrong time might've cost Javier his relationship with you, but he's as smooth as he is handsome and it isn't long until you fall back into old habits. He's a drug and you're addicted. - Javier Pena x f!reader - 18+, minors DNI! - Song inspo: Sex (With My Ex) - FLETCHER - References to cheating, alcohol, fingering, dirty talk, cursing, vaginal doggy style, light choking, biting, references to bruises - 1865 words -Comments/likes appreciated - A/N: There is Spanish in this and I am not a native Spanish speaker, it is something I am learning so please forgive me if my grammar or anything is incorrect! I'm still making my way through Narcos so I'm sorry if I don't have his voice 🥺 Also I figured out how to post this without splitting it or linking it yay me! 

I just had sex with my ex in a New York apartment.

“Do you want to come in?”   It’s been almost a month since you caught Javier with another woman’s tongue down his throat, it didn’t surprise you and you almost felt like you should’ve seen it coming. He had been spending more time on his case than he had with you, more time with his informants than he had at home, of course it was inevitable that she was getting to see him at his best and his worst, get take out with him, kiss him goodnight, suck his dick when he got praise from the boss. He told you that it was just a kiss, and it was just the one time but he came home to you and slipped into bed and turned his back to you most nights and it was that that made it hard for you to believe him.   You don’t know why you said yes, maybe it was those big dumb Bambi eyes he was giving you, or the way he smelled of lager and cigarettes, but you step into Javier’s apartment and give him a cold look as you brush past him and stares down at the ground like he knows he deserves it. You have a box of things he’d left at your apartment, and you drop it carelessly on the couch. It’s mostly clothes, a few tapes, a mug he bought you from a vacation to Cape Town last year. It had a crudely drawn pair of tits on it, you never did understand his reason for buying it for you but every time you drank from it you remembered spending an entire afternoon getting fucked by him under a mango tree. You both got sunburn. Javier comes to you with a glass of something over ice. It looks and smells like tequila, you don’t want it but you take it to be polite. “You look nice.” “What do you want?” You knew you looked nice. You had purposefully worn a skirt that showed off as much as your legs as you could get away with without getting a public indecency charge on you, and a shirt that accentuated the curves of your torso in a way that wasn’t so obviously trying to, but did anyway. Your hair was tied back, exposing your neck because Javi was a biter. “Babygirl, let me explain. Will you let me?” He looks pathetic; it’s a look you’ve never seen on him before. He’s full of apology, he’s full of regret, his eyes are wet, and maybe he’s terrified of losing you. You shoot the tequila in one gulp and set the crystal tumbler on the side table then take off your jacket and lean back against the back of the couch and raise your eyebrows, indicating to him to go on.  “I swear to you, it was one kiss. Once. She came onto me–” You scoff. “I know. I know that’s such a bullshit excuse but it’s the truth. Her mouth had been on mine for half a second before you showed up. I would never break your heart like that, mi vida.” He moves closer to you, “Come on.” You could’ve melted into him right there, his soft sultry tones and those puppy dog eyes, the smell of tobacco smoke burning in your nose, the shot of tequila burning in your veins. “No, Javi. You can’t just – You can’t just sweet talk me in Spanish and expect me to just forgive you. You really fucking hurt me, you pig.” Javier pouted,  “Soy un cerdo. Un cerdo podrido. Un cerdo muy apenado y podrido.” He reaches up and touches your cheek with his thumb, “Lo siento mucho.” It turned out he could just sweet talk you in Spanish and you would forgive him. The second that apology left his lips you grabbed the collar of his shirt in both your hands and pulled him into a heated kiss, surprised at how much you had missed the taste of stale cigarettes and beer. He pushed into you and forced you to sit on the edge of the couch, your legs wrapped around him and his jeans were so tight you could feel the outline of his cock against you, he wasn’t hard but he would be soon. That feeling alone was enough to get a pool of arousal forming in your panties. Your hips rut against him, desperate for some friction at your core as pressure builds. You haven’t had anyone inside you since Javier, you aren’t sure if anyone else can compare.   He feels your pleading movements and slips his hand between the two of you, it finds a home up your skirt and into your panties, the warm slick welcome he gets makes him moan into your mouth. You pull away slightly to unbutton his shirt, “¿Se besó como yo?” you ask, with the little Spanish he has taught you, you hope it’s intelligible. He spares you the struggle of having to translate, although hearing you speak in Spanish leaves his knees weak, and answers you in breathless English, thick fingers massaging your sex, “Gatita, nobody kisses like you.” You moan desperately and try to buck against his hand, needing more of him, all of him. You pull his shirt out of his jeans and make quick work of unbuckling those. Your trembling fingers are clumsy on the fastenings, but you can feel the ghost of his length as stiff as a board and pushing awkwardly against the already tight denim. “You’re so wet, kitten. You miss me?” “Fuck me.” You’re not above begging him. He doesn’t even have to ask you to, it comes so easily; the way he gets you so riled up so quickly, skilled fingers stroking your clit with ease as you coat them with your arousal, his softly toned chest heaving as he struggled to keep his breathing at a steady pace, of course you had missed him. You needed him. Nobody in the world had ever fucked you as good as Javier Peña.  “Please, Javi.” you get his jeans open and pull them down just enough to reach inside and pull out his thick cock, hard and twitching in your hand. He doesn’t give you any time to pleasure him though, he rips you off the couch and his hand pulls your panties down in one swift move, so fast you barely have time to register what happened, but as your underwear drops to your ankles you step out of it so you can spread your legs as wide as he needs them. Javi turns you around and pushes you back over the couch, his knee pushes between your thighs to nudge your knees apart and he guides his cock between your soaked labia, coating himself in your arousal, and you moan as you feel yourself around him. You suddenly wonder how it would feel to ride him like that, his stiff cock pressed against his stomach under your weight as you rub your clit on his shaft until cum oozes out of him. Your thoughts are disturbed when Javier presses his tip inside you, your sex is aching for him, already pulsating around him, welcoming him in, trying to pull him deeper as he stretches you with his girth. He doesn’t ease in tonight, he fucks his way in, each thrust has him entering you deeper until you have all of him, his hands on your hips pulling you into him and you know you’re going to bruise from the brute force of his pelvis smacking into yours but you will wear those bruises proudly. His fist twists in your ponytail and he pulls you up off the couch a little, leaning down to meet you. That was another good reason to wear your hair up, you thought. Built arms wrap around you, the one hand finding your clit again to rub rapid circles over it as the other holds your throat. You moan loudly without a care for any of the adjacent apartments. Javier’s teeth find your neck, just behind your ear, they sink in and they suck hard and he claims you as his own. You hear him grunting, feel the heat from his breath and the sweat from his brow, and it drives you insane. “Javi—” you gasp desperately, “Javi, ba–baby I’m—” You don’t need to finish your sentence, and he knew exactly what you were going to say. He fucked you harder, so hard it made your teeth rattle, his fingers launching a relentless attack on your clit, as if he was trying to start a goddamn fire down there. You couldn’t hold onto your orgasm anymore at this rate, and you mistakenly turned your head and looked at him, his face all twisted with concentration, tan skin flushed with a fire burning within him, glistening with sweat, hair sticking to his forehead. Each forward thrust of his hips forced a moan from you until you came hard. Both of your hands wrapped around his to stop him from rubbing you any more, and your thighs clamped together as the muscles of your sex ebbed and flowed around his cock, you moaned from deep within your throat and could not believe how sensitive you were. Despite your reaction, Javier did not stop pounding into you, fucking you through your orgasm and when you were coming down he took both your hips in his hands and continued, pulling you into him as he fucked you. You had barely time to recover from your first orgasm and you felt a second brewing already, your knees were weak and you gripped onto the couch for stability.   Javier’s teeth sank into your shoulder and his hand once again found your throat. “You got me so fuckin’ pussydrunk, kitten.” he purred into your ear, his breath heavy as he struggled to catch it between his harsh thrusts. Your eyes roll back into your head and you reach back to grab at his hair desperately, pushing back against him as your second orgasm washes over you so quickly. It’s so intense that your mouth falls open but no sound comes out, the walls of your core clamp down on Javier and claim him and it doesn’t take him long before his calculated thrusts become messy, then few and far between, and then completely still as he spills his orgasm deep inside you. His voice went up an octave as he released his thankful moans into your neck. The feeling of him filling you up made you find your voice, a strangled gasp filling the air as you tugged on his hair and forced him closer into your neck. Javier’s grip loosened on your body, his touch turned suddenly so tender but still he held you close, feeling your body trembling. “Missed you.” he whispered against the shell of your ear. You smile lethargically and try to steady your racing heart that seems to beat only his name Javier. Javier. “You’re amazing Javi.” You tell him. “Stay. Please?” You think for a second and then nod; how could you possibly say no? Nobody in the world is ever going to love you like Javier Peña.

[thiniceofeternalyouth]

MISLEADIN' ME SERIES: CHAPTER FIFTEEN

DAMOCLES SWORD

⊳ Gojo Satoru x f!reader

series masterlist

Genre: angst, fluff, sci-fi, cosmology.

Words count: ~11.5k

tw: rape

⊲ previous

It was an obscenely sweltering day. The damp air slid over your skin, touching your cheeks and arms, then slid deeper and enveloped your whole body, salty drops of sweat dripping from the back of your neck. The sun disappeared behind a shroud of milky gray clouds, leaving the world pale and lonely, and the darkness crept out of its corners. It lured people in with the promise of coolness, but there was no better liar that day than a stray shadow.

Neither ice cream, nor cool water, nor the gazebo in which you were sitting saved you. With a job like Frank's, you didn't get to choose which day you spent time together. Though the time was nearing evening, there was hardly anyone at the amusement park - only the equally desperate or busy.

Rachel was whining under your ear about wanting to go on the roller coaster again, and Frank and Kyle were soothing her, trying to tell her that after a big lunch, the best thing to do was to wait a little longer. You could understand Frank - he did care about Rachel, but as you glanced slyly at your brother and remembered his squeals, you sensed a certain falseness in his words.

"Adoptee," Rachel whimpered, almost climbing on top of you. You lazily tried to shove her off - already in her teens, she was much bigger and heavier than you, and you were afraid your bones might just broke. "Let's just leave them and go alone, hmm?"

"Rachel, don't call her that," Frank said in a mentoring tone. "Your sister might not like it."

"What?" she muttered carelessly, wrinkling her nose unhappily at the unwanted intrusion. "If she didn't like it, she would have said so long ago."

"Young lady," he addressed you gently. "Why don't ya go back to the tent and get some cotton candy for all of us, 'kay?"

You nodded obediently and took the money from his hands and stood up from the bench. Frank watched you very carefully as you moved as far away from them as possible. Still feeling like an outsider, he was unsure of himself or the usefulness of his parental lectures. Was it too late to parent all of you? "Rachel, honey," he sighed, tearing his gaze away from you - you were already talking to the salesman, poking at the display case. "Not everyone gets to talk about their feelings directly."

"What's the big deal?" the girl asked incredulously, frowning her eyebrows. "What's the problem with just saying it?"

"Because we all have different personalities," Frank answered evasively. "And there's nothing ya can do about it. Ya can only accept it, and if ya love a person, you have to accept them as they are."

"And how am I supposed to know she's not happy with something if she doesn't say it?" Rachel resented, splashing her hands. She glanced in your direction - you were still chatting vividly with the salesman, and the one making cotton candy was laughing every now and then. Is that the behavior of someone who's been hurt by something recently?

"I can't answer that question either," Frank said, scratching the back of his head thoughtfully. "I think time and empathy will help ya smooth things over. But, of course, ya'll have to learn to communicate and talk your problems out loud."

"Not me. Her," Rachel snorted pompously, crossing her arms over her chest and throwing her leg over her foot. 

"That's right," chuckled Frank nervously. 

They'd all let their guard down too much. The stifling, smoky air was accompanied by serious conversation, making the environment unbearable as Kyle, Rachel, and Frank sprawled on the bench like melted jelly. Each was thinking as hard as he could, though each thought was blurred into a sloppy puddle of salty, endless sweat. Every now and then one of them would jump up, breaking free from the clutches of the vile damp half-sleep as people passed by their gazebo, talking lazily about something. No one wanted to get up from their seats. No one wanted to stay here any longer. No one noticed the cotton candy vendor standing all alone in his tent.

No one noticed you were missing.

[August 7, 2020; 08:31am; hunters' hq]

There was a tense atmosphere.

Gojo hadn't said a word to you since this morning. At first you were greeted only by sleepy grunting and the rustle of sheets; everything after that was accompanied by total silence as if someone had broken a radio that barely worked. You tried to keep your distance, respecting his personal boundaries, though all you wanted to do was follow him around and ask him what had happened.

You knew how and when the sorcerer was silent, and it hadn't made you uncomfortable before, but now the silence was tearing at your nerves, and you wanted to plug the void as soon as possible, no matter what it took. For a moment, you felt like a stranger - is he behaving the same way with them?

You sat on the bed, sat in the chair, paced back and forth, keeping your eyes on his back. Gift paper was strewn all over the workroom, ribbons of crumpled tape sticking to your feet as Gojo tried to pack a small, flat box, which, surprisingly, caused you not only amazement, but also feel the sting of a needle of indistinct size, whether it barely grazed you or went straight through your heart. 

You finally dared and came closer, sitting down on the table. You stared at his fingers smoothing the paper, then at his face. It was uncharacteristically blank, and it was as if you were facing not a person but a likeness of one - no facial expressions, no color. "Who's this for?" you asked awkwardly, but the sorcerer didn't respond, just cut off more sticky tape. "Satoru, did ya have another fight with me in your head?" you chuckled nervously, and without waiting for an answer, you felt empty again. Snickering and bowing your head, you poked your foot at his shin in embarrassment. "Why aren't ya saying anything?"  

"Knife in my back gets in the way of talking," Gojo muttered, giving up, but you didn't hear his muffled babble.

You looked up. "What?" you asked, delighted at the long-awaited answer from your favorite voice.

"If you got someone, why didn't ya tell me?" he'd better be pouting his lips theatrically or clutching at his heart like he always did. You'd rather his indignant voice hit your eardrums again, making you squint. It would be much easier for you to endure the flashy drama than this unfamiliar, uncharted and frightening ocean of indifference. Gojo's voice may have been like the waves - soft, smooth, lulling, but it was imbued with a coldness unlike any the North had ever seen. "I'm kinda your best friend, aren't I?" he added more quietly. 

"I explained already, it's not exactly a date," you tried to justify yourself, desperately grasping at the attempt you'd been given. "It's a business meeting. Really."

"How long have you been wearing dresses to business meetings?" sorcerer asked absently, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, let's just say I've never seen you in a dress, and for some... barely a stranger you suddenly decided to do such an honor," the more Gojo spoke, the more paper and sticky tape flew to the floor, and the more he thought about what had happened, the more tattered they were. "Did you even see yourself when you got the message?" he asked wryly. "Oh, I have a date, oh, I don't have a dress," he parodied your voice and your lost state, looking around the room with open eyes. "Just ridiculous," Gojo spat out quietly, nearly squeezing and breaking the gift box. 

"I... I don't know what to say," you admitted confusedly, tucking your legs under you. "If ya think I don't trust you again, and I'm holding something back, I told you right away," you said, shrugging embarrassedly.

It was as if Gojo hadn't heard you. "Are you gonna take off the mask for him, too?" your palms instantly went cold, both at the question and at the sound of his voice. "Okay, I'm sorry," he tossed carelessly as if closing the annoying topic once and for all. "Here you go. Give it to Nobara," he shoved a box under your nose, poorly wrapped and ridiculously tied with a satin ribbon. For some reason, his old words about being perfect in everything came to mind. 

"Nobara?" you worried, pressing the gift closer to you.

"Yeah. It's her birthday today," Gojo nodded and glanced at his watch. "That's it, I'm late," he touched his lips to your forehead, and the kiss was like water to your anxiety sprout. You should have ripped it out, but as you watched Gojo walk away, you realized that your hands were just buried in the ground. "Oh yeah," he remembered. "Tell her this gift is from you," sorcerer asked, stepping from foot to foot as he stood on the threshold. "If Nobara finds out it's from me, she'll just throw it in the trash."   

He didn't wait for your answer, didn't even wait for your nod - he just disappeared from sight. You were left alone with a small box that looked like a maimed man under the care of a negligent doctor, only instead of bandages, it was gift paper. You ran your finger over the mottled patterns, repeating their motifs.

You didn't know how the day would end for you or if it would end at all - you might be here forever. It was anticipation. It was the running. From it and to it. It was something cautionary and mesmerizing at the same time, like a lonely firefly that somehow found itself in the empty, impenetrable darkness - following it, the traveler would never be able to guess whether the firefly was paving the way to freedom or luring into the abyss. It was revenge.

You didn't know how the day would end for you. You just wanted Gojo to come home soon. 

The kitchen and living room looked like a small hurricane had blown through. The letters of the brightly colored 'Happy Birthday' sign hanging on the panoramic window were bent as if someone had tugged on them. There was confetti everywhere, so much of it that you could almost feel it on your tongue - you wanted to spit it out. Printed gift boxes were hiding behind the couch, shiny, colorful ribbons were tied to chairs, and food wrappers were everywhere. Though the mess looked deserted and abandoned, there was someone else here besides you.

Thinking the kids had gone to the second floor, you slipped past Shoko, who was sitting at the dining room table sipping wine. "They're not home," her warning made you stop short. "They went to the movies a couple hours ago."

You felt naked, and you clutched the gifts - one from Gojo, the other from you, which you bought in panic. "Uh," you mumbled timidly, turning around. "Okay," you didn't even have time to realize the awkwardness of the situation as your feet led you back to the workroom. "Ya know," you stopped at the threshold of the kitchen, turning around and looking Shoko in the back. You didn't know this girl, and you didn't understand why she suddenly decided to set you and Rachel up again - she had absolutely no use for it. "I just wanted to say-"

"Don't sweat it," she interrupted you unceremoniously with a wave of her hand. "I won't tell anyone," Ieiri didn't know if she was lying or not, but it was your conscience that she was hoping for at that moment.

"That's not what I meant," you cut off, and you went over to the table and sat down next to her, setting the presents on it with a thud. "I just wanted to tell you, uh...," you scratched the back of your head confusedly. "Thanks."

Ieiri stood up, and, taking an unopened bottle of wine from the refrigerator, sat back down. Her leisurely movements made you uncertain - maybe you'd expressed your gratitude in the wrong way? Perhaps you should have said something else? And why was there another glass on the table?

Shoko didn't like you, but more specifically, she didn't care about you. She thought you were heartless and didn't care at all even when her last best friend started hanging around you. After yesterday, she had come to a realization after her fear, and if she still didn't accept you, she now at least understood why you acted the way you did. Looking at your black mask, she now knew there was another mask behind it, and it was so deep in you that it completely hid your heart. "Just don't tell Gojo about this," she clicked her tongue lazily, sliding the glass toward you. "Otherwise he'll whine later about me being a bad influence on you." 

You were disconcerted by this show of approval, and didn't immediately realize that the glass was meant for you. "What are you staring at?" she asked quietly, throwing back her head and glaring at you. "Drink," under the invisible influence and charms of this eternally tired woman, you obediently tasted the wine, which immediately made you cringe - it was dry and sour. You almost dropped the glass when you heard Shoko laugh. "And yesterday you were guzzling tequila like you've been drinking it all your life."

"A dubious compliment," you squeaked, pinching your nose - it stung in your nostrils so badly it almost made your eyes water.

"Oh, come on," Shoko drawled, patting you on the shoulder condescendingly. She was already fully sprawled in her chair, elbows on the back - you got the feeling she'd be smoking if you weren't here. Watching her, so simple and open, you relaxed yourself. "So," she began in between. " Who else knows?"

"Well...," you grasped your glass, then rubbed the fingers of your hands together. "Higher-ups," you said with a shrug. "Kyle, Rach, Frank too-"

Shoko, losing patience, interrupted you again. "And Gojo?" 

"He's aware of it too," you rolled your eyes at her inept attempts at interrogation - couldn't she just ask the question head-on?

"And why am I not surprised," she sighed, raising her eyebrows in feigned exasperation. "Look...," her tired and detached demeanor was too quickly replaced by a fraternal and cavalier one, and you didn't know which corner to shove yourself into - the one where joy sat, or the one where wariness lurked? "Now that this is going on, and the human-alien connection is suddenly punishable, could you-"

"Keep distance with him?" you finished indifferently for Ieiri. "That's all I'm doing."

"No offense," Shoko said, refilling her empty glass. She had counted on this dialog, but right now it felt to her like two particles that were inevitably approaching each other only to collide with tremendous force and fly back to a distance whose extremes no measure known to mankind could reach. "And... No, I'm sure he'll try to break those boundaries more than once," Shoko knew him, and she was sure he would break those boundaries relentlessly and very brazenly - it was only a matter of time. "You just don't fall for it, okay?"

"Whatever," you'd already spent your whole life doing nothing but running, but next to him the landmark kept getting knocked off and you'd end up in his hands.

"I'm just...," Shoko began, hesitating, and it was the first time you'd heard her sound anxious. "I'm just worried about him," she admitted on an exhale and immediately muffled the confession with wine - dry and sour, which washed away any anxiety. "Even though that asshole spent half his conscious life talking about being alone, I've always been there for him."

"Shoko," you turned to her confusedly. "I think ya just meant two different lonelinesses."

"Maybe," she nodded, wiping a drop of alcohol from the corner of her lips. "But it doesn't make me feel any better."

The lonely gifts that had been lying on the table all this time were finally waiting for their time. When Shoko had almost finished the bottle, there was laughter and shouts from downstairs, hurried stomping and the creaking of metal stairs, and when the door opened, the whole party was in the same room with you.

You squinted suspiciously at Itadori's slightly askew and reddish face, then shifted your gaze to the same Yuta, only he was different from Yuji in that he was very embarrassed, while Megumi stood aside and pretended not to know these people. Only Nobara, ever combative and restless, greeted you cheerfully. "Hey," you grinned softly and stood up from your chair, pushing the gifts closer to the edge of the table. Nobara, completely shocked, pointed a finger questioningly at her, which made you shyly duck your gaze and laugh. It took only a nod from you for her to immediately dismiss her stunned expression and grab the larger box.

As she unwrapped the gift, you unconsciously grabbed the glass and sipped the wine, and a subdued warmth spread inside, shifting your excitement. "Holy…," the girl drawled mesmerized, gently moving the folds of delicate silk in her hands. The dress was simple, fitted and strappy, but she was primarily fascinated by its chromatic color - it shimmered incessantly from blue to emerald, each color wanting to draw attention to itself as it flowed relentlessly through the silk. "It's worth as much as an airplane wing," Nobara whispered, unable to tear her hands from the dress, though an inner voice screamed at her not to dare touch it with her dirty fingers.

"There's a receipt in the box," you said, touching the blush on your cheeks - it seemed tangible. "If anything, ya can exchange it or get a refund-"

"Thank you!" she exclaimed enthusiastically, throwing herself around your neck. You, overwhelmed with shyness and breathless, barely found the strength to hug her back. "If this is how you express your love, I'm all for it," she smiled, patting you on the back.

Another gift made her pull away from you - otherwise, she would have been hanging around your neck. You somehow reached the chair on weak legs and plopped down, taking the bottle from Shoko and filling your glass with the rest of the wine.

It turned out to be not so difficult. You were delighted by their almost unfamiliar smiles, delighted by their words of gratitude, but none of them suspected the pain of that rapture. Your fingers shook, your throat tightened, and you couldn't make a sound - you'd been in unemotional oblivion for so long that you seemed to have forgotten how to control yourself. 'Breathe,' you ordered yourself, rubbing your throat. 'It's okay.'

Before you could take a sip, you squeezed your eyes shut at the shrill scream of the girl. There was stomping and clattering, and it sounded like every chair in the vicinity was falling, and you were afraid to open your eyes. "Get them off me!" screamed Nobara hysterically, and you opened your eyes to see her pummeling Itadori with everything she could reach. It wasn't until you saw the many tiny spiders that were scattered across the table that you realized what had happened. "Rip them off me, or I'll rip your skin!" she demanded, desperately trying to shake off the invisible spiders.

"I'm trying!" echoed Yuji in her voice.

Yuji shook Nobara off with all his might, spinning her from side to side, though his own eyes were full of terror. Yuta was not trying to crush the arthropods as a kind-hearted man should, but to catch them. Megumi, on the other hand, sat down on a chair while watching this spectacle. All he was missing was the popcorn. "That wasn't your present, was it?" asked Shoko meaningfully.

You clicked your tongue lazily, shaking the wine in your glass and watching the tiny spider swaying on those burgundy waves. "Nope," you replied, pursing your lips.

When your whole body began to itch involuntarily, feeling the phantom (or not) stomping of little paws, you realized - they wouldn't forgive you. Maybe you deserved this setup. Maybe now you'll both have the same reputation whether you start making excuses or not. Or maybe the kids will figure it out for themselves, like Shoko did.

Walking over to the sink, you poured the wine along with the spider, pulling your phone out of your pocket. "I wanna break something beautiful," you muttered, typing a message.

[16:29] Mochi: u sleeping in the gutter tonight 

Not the kind of message Gojo expected to get from you. Even considering the fact that you'd had a bit of a fight. With one last look at the screen, he quickly tucked the phone into his pocket, stopping himself from trying to apologize again. First, he needed to finish what he'd come here to do. 

In all his time as a sorcerer, he was used to seeing landscapes like this. He was used to it, but he still didn't want to. There was almost nothing left of the small village - no houses, no trees, no livestock, no inhabitants. There were no more voices, no more dreams or hopes - it was all burning with blue flames. Branches and bone ash crunched beneath his feet, and Gojo only looked around, sensing the thin veil of cursed energy. 

His thoughts were not here, not among the dozens of lost souls, but with you. The sorcerer could still feel your confusion and your awkward and desperate attempts to get him to talk, and oh gods, how embarrassed he was. Gojo had long ago learned how to talk and get on everyone's nerves, but he still hadn't learned how to talk. He remembered your frightened face when he'd said that ridiculous thing about the mask, and he wanted to bury his head in that scorched ground. 

He came to the fire that was burning more than the others and stopped at a pile of smoldering beams, laying on top of each other as if someone had just broken them down like a house of cards. He stepped carelessly over them and walked to where the cursed energy was growing as if playfully beckoning to him.

The sorcerer could still hear your footsteps that timidly followed him - it was only now that he realized he shouldn't have taken it out on you, shouldn't have been sarcastic, and when Gojo remembered how he'd mocked you, a lump came to his throat. Instead of taking his anger out on you, he should have asked you not to go, or at the very least, just let you go. When the last words rang in his head, Gojo slapped his cheeks and shook his head. 

As he approached the beam where the energy traces had led him, he grinned thoughtfully, kicking it aside - there was a tiny, barely visible scolopendra beneath it. It scurried, trying to get away, but not before Gojo grabbed it and held it up to his face, examining it. It didn't look much different from a normal millipede, except that its shell occasionally lit up with swamp-green streaks. "You're not the instigator of this whole mess, are you?" Gojo asked, twirling the wriggling scolopendra in his hand. "Pipsqueak," he chuckled, tossing it into the air and catching it deftly. 

There was something else amid the crackling of the fire and the rustling of leaves, though he could feel no one at his back. The flames were growing stronger and stronger, pulling their burning claws in every direction, wanting to spread and take over everything around them. It was clearly the work of someone bigger, but was it here, or had it cowardly fled when it saw the sorcerer on the horizon? "Tell me, is your mother still here?" cooed Gojo, and when the scolopendra began to reach for his palm with fierce force, clacking its jaws, his suspicions were dispelled, leaving only conviction behind. As if sensing his intentions, the millipede began to shriek, its shrill cry frozen in the hot air, and it merged with the ashes of the inhabitants it had destroyed. 

Gojo shook off the dust from the millipede and shoved his hands into his pockets. He moved forward a few feet, and the spot where he'd been standing exploded, fire splintering through the clear air. When he turned around, he saw a scolopendra of unbelievable size standing on its haunches, legs flapping. Its jaws snapping, it lowered itself, ducking as if preparing for another attack. "Where were you when I killed your child? What the hell kinda mother are you?" he grinned mockingly, reaching for the blindfold, but when his fingers touched the fabric, Gojo froze. 

It was immature and childish, beyond anything the sorcerer had ever pulled off. Maybe the plan wasn't meant to work, or maybe it would get you to stay with Gojo for a little while longer. He couldn't accept his behavior, and there was no longer any confidence in him that you would continue to accept him like that either. "You know, though," he turned to curse, grinning sadly and removing his hands from the blindfold. "I think I'll let you hit me once."  

Were you guilty of being deceived once? Was it your fault that you didn't see his true nature right away? Perhaps you should have been grateful - thanks to him and his unconventional ways, he'd gotten the power out of you, or rather forced it into existence. It was a power Rei feared himself - how did he live with the idea that he was the reason the hunters had gotten so close to them? Was he familiar with the feeling of regret? Was he familiar with anything human or was he always pretending to be?

There was only an hour left before the meeting - the most desirable and the most frightening. You'd spent the day in prostration, unable to grasp a single thought - it was as if your head was filled with a viscous absorbent cotton, tamping down your prudence. You tried to focus, looking at yourself in the mirror, but there was only one question - what kind of person would Ray see you as? Would he be pleased, or on the contrary, would he look at you with eyes full of disappointment? Will you remain his liebe after this meeting, or will you become a pet again?

It made you sick to think about it, and you didn't know why you were still looking to this creature for praise and recognition. What he'd done to you was right in front of you in your own reflection, but it was as if you were blind, your eyes no longer seeing the scars or the time you'd spent imprisoned.

Were you beautiful enough? Were you strong enough? Anything could upset him, from messy mascara-molded eyelashes to mannerisms. Ray never said what behavior he liked - what pleased him yesterday became an excuse for lashings tomorrow. You couldn't figure him out, and he remained a blurry silhouette that hurt you forever, only occasionally patting your head gently.

You shuddered, nearly dropping the hairbrush from your hands, when the door to the workroom swung open. When you saw Gojo holding his side and clutching at the wall, leaving bloody marks on it, you thought you were dying yourself. "Hey, hey," you whispered quietly, running up to him and throwing his arm over your shoulder. You frowned, sensing that he was much lighter than he looked, but you didn't realize that he wasn't actually leaning on you, only pretending to. 

After dragging Gojo to the bed, you laid him down on the white sheets, ignoring the dirt. "What... What happened?" you asked in a faltering voice. 

"Nothing serious," he grinned weakly, and you couldn't realize how genuine his smile was - his eyes were still hidden by the blindfold. You'd never seen him like this before. "I guess after the fight with Sukuna, my reverse technique still refuses to work as it should."

"I'll get Shoko," you stated anxiously, rising from your knees.

He stopped you by taking hold of your wrist - his grip wasn't so much weak as gentle. "I called her," he lied sincerely. "She's not home, said she wouldn't be here for another hour and a half at best."

"How come...," you exhaled nervously, holding your head. "I just talked to her literally a couple hours ago," your train of thought was interrupted by a cough, deep and hoarse, the kind that could cut one's throat. "Doc's not here either, it's Friday," you whispered, on the verge of a breakdown, and plopped back on the floor in front of the bed.

"He has an official day off?" he asked playfully, swallowing more blood than saliva. "Lucky him."

"Shut up," you cut him off sternly. As you began to carefully but quickly unbutton the jacket of his uniform, it came to him that the real lucky one was himself. As you unbuttoned the jacket, you saw a huge bloody stain on the side of his jacket that completely soaked the shirt. Holding your breath, you grabbed the edges of the T-shirt and began to slowly pull it up, the bloodier picture emerging as you did so.

It was as if someone or something had torn a piece of him off. There was an intact hip bone visible among the mess of innards - you covered your eyes and felt saliva start to pool in your mouth. "Okay," you said quickly. "You have two options. Either the old-fashioned way, with a surgical needle and thread, or... dark energy."

Gojo frowned unhappily when you mentioned a sharp object. "The second option," he said firmly. 

"Ya sure?" you asked gently and sympathetically. "The first time can be very painful."

"I feel like a maiden on her wedding night," the sorcerer giggled, but you didn't even have to appraise him coolly - the karma had caught up with him. He sucked in air through clenched teeth as he felt a sharp pain in his side. "Doc's treated me before, right? So it wouldn't be the first time."

"Ya were unconscious then," you scratched the back of your head thoughtfully, but realizing that he had chosen his own fate, you didn't interfere and decided for him. You started to open all the drawers of the bedside table, but you found alcohol wipes. Wiping your hands clean, you took a couple of deep breaths, trying to concentrate. Gojo wasn't ready for this - , for some reason it hadn't occurred to him that in the case of dark energy you'd touch him. "Oh shit," you whined, annoyed. "I forgot to bring a towel." 

"What's that for?"

"Then for ya to get it between your teeth," he laughed in your face again, and your patience broke. Okay, since he thought he was the strongest and most invincible, let him prove it.

The sorcerer felt the warmth of your hands long before you intended to place them on his wounded torso. He heard your shuddering breath and began to shiver himself as if in the embrace of a blood-chilling cold, but he was not satisfied with any embrace but yours. He was afraid to look at you, and he wanted to laugh out loud at how scared he was that you would suddenly disappear, taking away everything you had once given him.

When you touched his aching torso, Gojo was ready to give himself up - a quiet, unintentional moan was already there, right on his lips, and he could almost feel what your touch tasted like, but a sudden wave of agony tossed him aside, mockingly taking away the moment of long-awaited intimacy. The incredible pain was embodied in a stifled, muffled scream.

When the very first and most agonizing moment had passed, Gojo, drained of his strength, collapsed onto the pillow, breathing intermittently. "You...," he began, panting - his chest heaving in and out haphazardly. "Do you put up with this every time?"

"We get used to it eventually," you chuckled softly, still touching him and letting the dark energy spread over the sore spot.

"God bless reverse technique," Gojo exhaled in relief, making the sign of the cross. 

"Eh? Aren't ya a Buddhist?" you asked suspiciously, frowning your eyebrows.

"At that point, I didn't care who I prayed to at all," he whimpered, pulling himself up. "How much longer is it?" Gojo asked grudgingly, feeling a tingling and burning sensation in his side.

"Nope," you said, and he dejectedly hung down his head, realizing you'd soon remove your hands and rob him of your warmth.

You watched the dark lines spread smoothly across him, snaking back and forth, creeping up and down his pale skin, crawling over his organs, forming new clumps of flesh and joining them together. "You... You don't want to see me?" asked Gojo weakly, wrapping his forefinger around yours.

"What makes ya say that?" you wondered, cocking your head.

"You're just now looking at me for the first time," he remarked, pursing his lips in embarrassment.

"Ah," it hit you. "Well, just...," you stammered involuntarily, realizing you couldn't even scratch the back of your head - your hands were still on his body. Remembering that, you shook your head, pushing away the thought that it wasn't getting any cooler, just continuing to burn the same way. "It's just the first time I've seen ya in a blindfold, and I honestly don't feel very comfortable."

The sorcerer, perking up, immediately pulled it off of him and smiled at the way you were looking at him just as you had before. "Is that better?" he asked softly, lifting up and resting his forehead against yours.

"Uh-huh," you chirped quietly, trying not to take your hand off him and interrupt the flow of dark energy.

He pulled away a little and looked at you, and for the first time you couldn't recognize what made his blue eyes shine so dimly. "I'll be fine. You should go," his actions contradicted his words - Gojo unconsciously pressed your palm harder against his body.

"I'm not done yet," you stated firmly, shoving him with your shoulder, ordering him to lie back down. "Ya'll probably have a high fever in a couple hours," to hell with Ray's expectations. To hell with his parenting methods. To hell with the pain he'd once caused you. You didn't want to be his pet or his liebe. If fate was fair, it will bring you two together, but you will not indulge him and dance to his tune. You've spent too long looking for him and running away from him at the same time, and even if it was your only chance to face him, you've never regretted it. Today, for the first time, you chose something more instead of revenge, albeit something completely forbidden to you, without thinking about the price you'd have to pay for it. "So I'm not going out tonight."

"Really?" the sorcerer didn't jump up in joy only because you were doing your best to hold him in place. "Mochi," he whispered into your head, wrapping his arms around your shoulders and pulling you close to him, a position that made your bent hands ache and made you grimace. "I know I acted like the asshole again. I know I have no right to pry into your personal life," his own confession came like a traitor - it hit Gojo in the solar plexus and made him gasp. "I know I had no right to lash out on you just because I got it in my head that you behaved wrongly. I mean, I... I'm still learning, really," he sighed, completely dissolving into you and no longer noticing the pain the dark energy was bringing him. "After all, it's a complicated thing. You know, this... What's it called..." 

"Communication?" you ask, chuckling into his shoulder.

"Yeah, right," he laughed in relief upon hearing your reaction. Gojo was almost disappointed in himself when he remembered his recent slipping thoughts. How could he have thought you would just up and leave him? "By the way," he whispered slyly in your ear, intending to give you a slight shiver. "You do realize that you have to marry me after this?" 

"You can only dream without the sparkling ring," you said just as slyly, and he could almost feel you patting him comfortingly on the shoulder, though your palms were still on his torso. It was just a joke to you, but Gojo, feeling his face burning, was already mentally in the jewelry store. "Okay," you blurted out, and pulling your hands away from him, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders and laid him on the bed. "Lie still. I'll be right back."

Before, Gojo would have died rather than show himself to anyone like this, almost defeated and helpless. He'd never imagined what caring looked or felt like, but now he knew all about it, still feeling your slightly rough palms on him. He worried like a child, waiting for you, hands clasped on his chest and feet kicking as if to the beat of some song as you swarmed into the bathroom. He was glad he'd missed the feeling before, and that you were the one who'd been the one to make him stop and look around. "Take your top off," you ordered, returning and holding a wet towel in your hands. 

"Take me to dinner first," he muttered in reply, wrapping up the jacket of his uniform.

His grunt woke up a slumbering memory of days gone by. "Actually, ya were supposed to do that," you muttered almost resentfully to yourself, remembering how you'd yelled into your backpack in Shibalba. "I was just gonna wipe ya, but since ya're a chaste man, ya'll do it yaself," you announced cheerfully, tossing the towel right in his face.

"Me and my big mouth," the sorcerer sighed and pulled off his T-shirt. You almost whistled under your breath and wondered about the room - how long had it been since the light ceiling had turned so gray? As you came to life, you realized how silly a statue like you looked right in the middle of the room. Gathering your strength and suppressing your impudence, you walked over to the bed and flopped down on the floor again, trying not to stare at his body. If Gojo noticed, it would only be a new reason for ridicule. "You really weren't scared?" he asked quietly, hurt, taking his time wiping the blood from his skin. Before that curse, the sorcerer had shown nothing but his own superiority even when he bled - and so it was with others who got in his way or got behind his back with the sole intention of doing so. Until recently, strength had been his only ally, but that relationship couldn't save Gojo from himself, lost and stuck somewhere in between, forever justifying his position with the fact that he alone was honored one. "Weren't you scared at all that I came home barely alive?" he continued, not raising his eyes to you. It's a strange feeling. Having shown hurt in front of another person, he hadn't disappeared, turned to dust, and no one had pierced his heart. An alliance with strength always demanded reciprocation, but weakness held him without demanding anything in return. Gojo swallowed involuntarily as he waited for your answer, and with a glimpse of you, he resigned to it. His weakness had your face.  

"So what's to worry about if ya came alive?" you asked, shrugging.

"Next time I'll come dead," he grumbled, frowning, and wiped away the rest of the blood. When he set the bloody towel aside, you were about to reach for it, but Gojo caught your hands and lifted you up, throwing you into the bed beside him. "Really, Mochi," he smiled warmly, brushing the strands from your face. "Are you afraid of anything?"

"Well...," you drawled uncertainly, squirming and trying not to touch his naked body parts. "I think it's a bit of an irrational fear because it's gonna come true one way or another," you chuckled, and he didn't catch a note of sadness in your laugh. "Ya know, I... I'm afraid of missing out on a lot in this life," you admitted honestly, almost burying your face in the pillow with embarrassment. 

"Why?" he grinned softly. "Quite a good fear, there's nothing to be embarrassed about," he encouraged you, trying to draw you back out - after all, he didn't often have to witness your shyness.

"And ya?" you ask suddenly, taking Gojo by surprise. "Are ya afraid of anything?" 

The most expected answer in the world followed. "Nope," he drawled contentedly and haughtily, hiding any doubt behind a wide smile. The sorcerer had long ago admitted it to himself, but was unprepared to tell you - he was as afraid of saying it out loud as he was of your reaction. He hadn't been able to identify those touches that had sent shivers through him earlier, but now he could describe with precision how cold the fear of loss was.

"Even spiders?" you asked slyly, raising an eyebrow - he immediately flinched, realizing what you meant.

"I do repent," he murmured, and grabbing a pillow, held it against him like a shield.

"Ya'll tell Nobara tomorrow that it was your gift," you muttered indignantly, remembering the commotion in the living room.

"Your wish is my command, my lady," he agreed easily. In the pause, Gojo found the right moment for a transparent hint. "Mochi, listen... Have you thought of going back to that nightclub?" he suggested, his hidden doubt dispelling your confusion.  

You, surprised by the question and how your thoughts coincided, nodded your head. "Thought so. Actually, for your amusement, I wanna tell ya that ya were right back then," you admitted, cautiously expecting a tease, but there wasn't even a squirm on his part. "So I wouldn't mind going there again, this time without being too careful." 

"Good," Gojo chirped, snuggling up to you. You felt his pale skin blazing, and mentally swore as you obediently accepted this blessing or curse with blue eyes that didn't want to leave you for a moment. 

The carpets spread out under the chairs made them look softer. It looked as if this office had been made for a very old man - everywhere you stepped, there were places to sit down. Surprisingly, there were no windows - no beautiful views of the city or the river at night, just blank walls that looked like they were about to start coming together. You were genuinely puzzled by the levitating books, but when you got closer, you saw that there was nothing surprising about them - they weren't flying, just standing on a transparent shelf that blended in with the brick wall.

There was even a personal bar counter, which was loaded with dozens of unopened expensive bottles - all the same, an interior decoration without any functionality. It seemed to be just an area for negotiations or just a pleasant pastime for the club owner away from the loud music and sweaty, heated bodies.

Your attention was drawn to the marble archway, and everything beyond it was hidden behind a heavy, dark emerald curtain. You didn't have time to skulk that way - Gojo was right ahead of you, swinging the curtain open in his own way. "What do we have here?" he chirped, stepping inside. 

The space here was cramped and dark, almost intimate. There was only a wide, corduroy sofa and a table in front of it. At first you thought the table glowed, but when you looked at its surface more closely, you realized that it was actually made of a thousand tiny prehnites. They were glowing. There was an unfinished glass of whiskey and an empty wine glass with dark scarlet lipstick on it, and there was an ashtray, still smoking, and you wondered as you saw the laptop. Was it the same one?

"Okay," Gojo clapped his hands happily, and you cocked your head in surprise. He walked over to the table, and, going around it, sat down on the couch. The sorcerer remained true to his impatience - the laptop was immediately open.

"What is it?" you asked, coming closer and sitting down on the armrest. 

"Password, which is to be expected," he scratched his chin thoughtfully, looking at the blank line of input. "You take a look around for now, and we'll deal with it."

"We?" you interjected, squinting skeptically.

"Me and Meg, of course," Gojo grinned, pulling an earbud out of the case. "You'd better keep an eye on me, or someone might take me away."

You froze for a second at this unexpected collaboration. "Okay," you said, still dumbfounded, then turned and walked away, looking around the office.

It looked exactly the same as it had five minutes ago - expensively furnished but unremarkable, almost empty, the only precious thing here was your time. You kicked back all the rugs that were here, but there was nothing underneath but accumulated dust. You even opened a few sealed bottles, but it really just turned out to be alcohol. Your hands were itching to do some real vandalism - you wanted to rip through every chair for anything, but you stopped yourself and headed back to Gojo. 

Looking around the small and hidden room once more, you only now saw the painting hanging to the right of the couch - how could a person working here be forever under such a gloomy and blank stare from a pale girl?

As you moved closer to the painting, you gently ran your hands over the canvas as the girl seemed about to squirm from the unwanted touch. Your palms felt not a single scratch, not a single bump or imperfection. You tried to remove the painting, but it was fixed to the wall as if it had limbs, and it held on as best it could. With a hum, you felt the dagger in your hand.

When Gojo heard a tearing sound almost under his ear, he glanced in that direction, but before he could realize and understand what was happening, he was back to his laptop. It wasn't until a couple seconds later that the sorcerer realized what he had seen, and he turned around sharply. "Calm down one minute, will you?" exasperated Gojo, watching you slash at the edges of the painting canvas.  

"I was just about to break something beautiful yesterday," you justified, crumpling the canvas and tossing it aside - the silver frame was still hanging on the wall, only now instead of a painting on the wall there was... A safe. "Hmm...," you drawled, tapping on the metal surface. "Can ya give me a hand?" you turned around and, smiling happily, pointed a thumb behind your back.

Gojo looked at you with a steady gaze, his eyebrows raised - you looked like a child who was always mischievous, but he didn't have a drop of anger inside to give you. Behind you, there was a deafeningly loud click and thud.

The safe door didn't look blown up - one side of the door was torn to shreds, like the jaws of a predatory beast. Standing up on your toes and peering inside, you saw that it was stuffed to the brim with money - those wads of bills closer to the lock were torn and no longer of any value. "Well, we're not leaving here empty-handed at least," you murmured contentedly, taking a step back - you took one last look at the money and sat down next to Gojo on the couch, tucking your legs under you. "Anything interesting?" you asked, peering at the screen.  

"In fact, it's so transparent it's boring," Gojo admitted honestly, sighing. "No money laundering, no fake financial statements, no shady dealings," he muttered, running his eyes over the lines of yet another document. "But there is something," he clicked his tongue, opening another tab. "Does the name S&M mean anything to you?" asked Gojo, looking at you closely. 

"Uh...," you pondered, looking not in front of you, but inside yourself. "No," you shook your head, still not remembering anything, and pressed your lips together. "What is it?" 

"All the financial records show the same account," Gojo said, scratching his temple. "It belongs to S&M Construction Company, and Meg already made a bank statement, look," he opened the statement and you stared at it. "They seem to be the ones sponsoring this club," Gojo ran his finger down the leftmost column where the construction company's account appeared. "Right here is the personal account for this nightclub," he pointed to the rightmost column. "All the transfers match all the documentation," Gojo said, looking at you warily, but you, trying to make sense of all the symbols, didn't notice the worry in his eyes. "Except for one thing. There's an amount here that is very large and stands out from the rest, and it's not transferred to the club's account, but to the personal account," your gaze stopped on the line that stood out. Gojo gently, slowly took your hand in his, intertwining his fingers as if to keep you from falling.  

"What do ya think 161 million yen looks like?" you asked thoughtfully, swinging your legs over the table. The sudden dizziness had erased all clear images from your eyes, and you could barely make out the money in the safe. You, now realizing exactly what was there, turned around and stared at the statement again. That transfer was dated the day after Kyle's death.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence?" he suggested softly, not believing himself.

"Who...," you began, nearly swallowing all the words. "Who does this account belong to?"

"Mochi," he whispered. "Do you know someone named Takamura Yoichi?" when you nodded silently, Gojo realized that he had been following you all this time, not realizing that you were lost yourself. He would have been able to give you anything, tear out anyone's wings just to keep you from falling into the abyss right now. Even if the wings didn't save you, he was already ready to pull you back and, if need be, take your place altogether. "Meg, can you get the address of the head office?"

***

Everything she'd done seemed to have been for nothing. The ghosts of Danielle's deeds haunted her, cornered her, and when she slowed down because she was tired, it dug its sharp claws into her back, crept higher, leaving lacerating scratches, and finally reached her mind. Her legs and arms grew weak, and sometimes she couldn't hold a glass of water - she saw blood everywhere. Even on her own hands.

It was quiet, but not for her. Her ears were ringing, and it sounded like someone was sharpening knife blades right next to her, sparks flying in every direction, hitting her eyes and making them water. Her lips trembled as if there was nothing around her but immense cold and hunger, not even the warm, subdued light from the chandelier above her, and she felt as if she were the only one in the spotlight, defenseless, naked, unable to fight back.

When she was required to do something, she was usually found in unremarkable alleys, cheap and godforsaken eateries, but she had never been called directly to the office of a superior. How long has it been? Five minutes? Ten? Only Christian and Yoichi were here, and they hadn't said a word to her since Danielle had gotten here. The girl stood with her head bowed as if expecting to be hit.

It wasn't total silence - the men were talking quietly among themselves, and Danielle, unable to make out clear words, trembled again, the disorderly muttering seeming to prey on her, wanting to close its paws around her thin neck. "If you...," she began in a gray, thin voice, drawing attention to herself. "If ya have called me to give me a mission, I'm afraid that's impossible," she stated, coughing. "I am not of the old generation."

"Oh," Yoichi marveled, raising his eyebrows and flashing a smirk. "Did Y/N really put you through isolation by officially making you a voidrunner?" he asked, smiling wryly.

"No," Dany admitted weakly, biting her tongue.

"That's rather odd," the higher-up shook his head sympathetically. "You've been under her command for over five years now, and yet you still walk around as an apprentice. Is it because she doesn't trust you?" the girl's fragile conscience was splintering more and more with every word uttered. "Maybe she's doing the right thing after all?"

"Why did you call me?" she asked quietly, ready to do anything to make it stop, but unfortunately for her, wishes did have one very unusual, albeit rare quality - from time to time, they came true.

When Yoichi opened his mouth, Christian lightly held up his palm, telling him to shut up. "We just wanted to express our gratitude," he smiled softly, which warmed the girl - she almost stopped shaking. Christian took out a small briefcase from somewhere below and placed it on the table.

Dany stared at him in horror. "I'm not taking anything from ya," she shook her head desperately, involuntarily backing up a step. "I-I didn't do anything like that."

"Really?" wondered Christian sincerely. "You did, and a great deal," whereas before Danielle's memories had been separate entities catching up with each other, now they all came at once upon the girl. Her actions were very far from exploits and incredibly close to betrayal, and the realization, taking the form of tears, overtook her. "I know your performance was far from perfect, but it was your doing that put Y/N in the void without a watch or phone," he reminded her, shrugging indifferently. The floor beneath the girl's feet became a viscous and sticky soil, like a swamp. "But you didn't know she'd find her way out then. You're the one who got your boy talking about the void, and he got so into it that he ended up there, though you were worried sick about him," he savored the way the already fragile girl in front of him grew even smaller. "And on top of all the information you gave me, you're the one who made Y/N stay that day."

"No!" she bellowed hoarsely in his face, raising her head. "She... I wasn't the reason she didn't go on the raid that day," she sobbed raggedly, hiding from the two pairs of mocking eyes again. "I had nothing to do with that."

"Maybe," Christian agreed with her cordially. "But in the end it was you who reported that Kyle was coming, right?"

"Just tell me what ya need," she began choking, not daring to wipe away the tears that flowed relentlessly down her face.

"Well, stop crying, child," Christian consoled her. "Come up," Danielle, exhausted and embarrassed, obediently climbed the steps to the table. "As promised, that was your last assignment. We called you in today just to thank you, that's all," he soothed her in a soft, enveloping voice, and she, relieved that the viscous floor was no longer trying to drag her down, sobbed softly. " But since you don't want money, I'll just have to give you my gratitude. One more thing," he looked the girl carefully in the eyes. "We promise that Megumi won't be touched by anyone. You don't have to worry about that anymore."

Danielle nodded, barely aware of her surroundings. "Can I go now?" she asked barely audibly, mechanically.

Yoichi and Christian exchanged glances, the latter noticing nothing but predatory urging in the former's eyes. "Have fun," Christian smirked quietly, indicating the girl with a nod.

Yoichi stepped around the table and leaned on it, stopping beside the girl. She didn't raise her head, her face hidden behind golden hair that had lost its shine, now resembling straw rather than jewelry. Removing a strand of hair from her face, he saw her glassy gaze, but it wasn't empty at all - terror and fear swam in it. "Since you've already stirred in the dirt, you're not going to say no to me, are you?"

She had no strength to resist. She felt neither hands nor feet, remembered neither her aspirations nor her desires. All she wanted when she was roughly taken by the neck and leaned against the table was death, to be rid of those slippery hands that had torn her blouse from her back and were clutching her body. The tainted places fused like metal - the girl wanted to just melt away, to dissolve, to get rid of suffering and torment, but every painful thrust brought her back to reality, forcing her to memorize every humiliating moment.

Christian could not take his eyes off her naked, defenseless back as if it was begging to be torn off. She didn't even scream or beg for help - she just whimpered and sobbed quietly, which made him want to praise her. He loved obedient pets that accepted their fate favorably.

With a satisfied hum under his nose, Christian got up from the table and headed for the exit, no longer paying a second of his attention to the torment of the other person, small and fragile, who seemed about to fall apart without leaving a bloody stain behind. As he stepped outside and closed the wide doors behind him, Rei was pleased with what had happened - he was long overdue to remind you of the consequences of your worthless stubbornness.

This feeling was fickle, windy. It would abandon you, then come again and make you work even harder, taking away your peace and sleep. It was acting on your nerves, constantly breaking them, then exploding in your imagination with bright realistic colors, made you calm down, leaving behind a bitter taste of unrealization. Revenge roamed around you, humming its cold songs, reciting its relentless mantras, but as soon as you turned to it, it ran away. As soon as you gave up on it, it crawled back again, begging for forgiveness.

Hundreds of windows looked down at you from the skyscraper, each with its own eyes, its own thoughts, and its own life left behind. Glass shone brightly, shimmering in the sunset light as if trying to remind you of what life was really like, but you saw no other color than retribution.

It was his own choice, and you couldn't accept it. You wanted to beg and demand that Gojo leave everything else to you, but he followed you everywhere - you were beginning to choke on the feeling that you couldn't escape. You were torn by insecurity under the oppression of blue eyes from which there was no hiding. A simple desire, hidden in the unchanging silence - you wanted to be alone, not thinking for a moment about what would happen to you if you were really abandon. 

Gojo never voiced his concerns aloud, only held your hand in his persistently and annoyingly as you stealthily passed the reception desk and made your way up the interior fire escape. You were annoyed. No, rather you were angry - a feeling that roamed to depths no ordinary man could reach, but a sorcerer never was. In your touch, weak and almost squeamish, Gojo felt he had no place here, but he couldn't leave you alone with something dark, always wandering around, wanting to lure you in and then tear you apart. It would take on a clear shape, and then it would dissolve back into transparent smoke, leaving no chance for the sorcerer to reach out and be the first to kill. All he had to do was get on your nerves, not letting go of your hand, and keep silent about the fact that his rage was much stronger than yours. Someone was trying to take away his sacred creature, but for the first time, Gojo didn't have the strength to do anything about it.  

When you got to the right floor, the sorcerer was ahead of you. Gojo opened the door with a light movement, hiding you behind his back - there was a pleasant bustle on the floor. The employees, tired and happy, were about to go home. Some of them were discussing how and where they would meet and where they would eventually go. Some of them said that there were delicious food just around the corner, others objected, telling about some bar that had huge discounts on alcoholic cocktails. Gojo whistled, drawing everyone's attention to himself. "Where's the head's office?" 

"Further down the hall...," one of the employees said dazedly, pouring herself some water from the cooler.

"And who the hell are you?" bellowed a man suspiciously in your direction, already wearing a coat - the sorcerer, without thinking, squeezed your hand harder, and you ran. "Hey!" yelled the man in your wake.

The corridor felt infinitely long. It seemed as if there were no people running behind you. Your heart refused to beat - it was tired of the eternal worry and tossing, the doubts and fears. The door was near and it was only a short distance away, but you felt as out of breath as you had ever felt before - no days in the void could compare to this moment. Were you ready to plunge the dagger into Rei's heart? Or would you be too weak as you always were? 

The open door sounded like a gunshot. There was no one in the room, nothing but the table where the note had been laid. You smirked wistfully, wiping at your eyes - note was akin to an eyesore. Pushing away everything that kept you afloat, from hope to Gojo's hand, you walked over to the desk and picked up the piece of paper. After a moment's hesitation, you turned it over and were greeted by a refined, painfully familiar and mocking handwriting.

"You're late for dinner, liebe."

You had money to pay him back. You had jewelry to throw in his face. You had a soul to sell. But you knew what Rei would take his payback with, and he would do it gradually, agonizingly long, painfully twisting your swords. Maybe you really should have just given up, then none of this would have happened. It was all your fault, and your selfish desire to live.

The phone vibrated in your pocket and brought you back to reality. Seeing the doc's name, you answered the call. "Speak," you gritted through your teeth, crumpling the note in your hand.

"Go home. Now," he ordered and immediately hung up.

You knew that this was just the beginning, but what hurt the most was that you had just been twisted like a puppet, and then all the strings and limbs were ripped off, leaving you lying in the corner, unable to do anything about it. You could only hope that someone would find you, pick you up and glue you back together, and do it so firmly and carefully that no force could break you again.

But as you lay there alone, all you could do was store up the rage inside, and the more there was, the more it festered, growing and leaving behind bloody trails that obscured all common sense.

Revenge, baring its venomous fangs, has once again sunk into your heart.

You, frightened and out of breath, were stunned to find yourself here in the alley. That same cotton candy tent stood far away, though it was still visible. What just happened? How could you have moved here so quickly? "Hey," someone behind your back said and put a hand on your shoulder - you, choking on the flame that burned your chest, recoiled in fear and backed away.

A strange man stood before you. He was scrutinizing you carefully, almost caringly as if he was afraid that he might hurt you with his light touch, or was it something else you didn't know? "Don't be afraid of me," he said softly, squatting down. You, having learned from Frank's stories about strangers, were ready to run or pounce on him. You watched cautiously as the man bowed his head - you couldn't quite make out his face. "I have to show you something to make you believe me," you didn't have time to step or squeak - the man raised his head, and you met his dark, all-consuming eyes.

You no longer felt the stuffiness of that day - this man dispelled it with his voice, which was akin to a cool breeze. "Who are ya?" you were still as frightened, but intrigue took over, and you remained standing with the man in the alley.

"You know what I am," the man smirked softly, rising. "A demon, of course," there wasn't an ounce of malice or predation in his voice, his eyes didn't scream that he wanted to tear you apart - the kind of picture Frank had never told you about. "At least that's what the hunters call us," he added as if he'd read your mind. "In truth, though... I'm a part of you, you might say. As you are mine," the man smiled warmly as your fear was replaced by confusion. "And we have many such parts."

"What are ya talking about?" you alarmed, shaking your head. "I... I'm not like ya. I'm not...," feeling tears come to your eyes, you quickly brushed them away with your hand. "I'm sorry, I' have to go," you apologized, stepping awkwardly from foot to foot.

"Are you sure you want to go back to them?" you paused when you heard his attentive tone and heart-piercing question. Turning around, you met the same black eyes that held no spite in them. "Next to them, you can't even laugh normally, can you?" the stranger sighed sympathetically, examining you. "Believe me, I know the feeling," the man stated, and you, suddenly feeling the truthfulness of his words in your chest, could no longer budge. "The feeling that you don't belong here. The feeling that you have to constantly hold back just to be accepted as an equal," you couldn't tell if those were actually your true emotions. You felt as if someone was ordering you to experience this gamut of feelings that overlapped one on top of the other. "You can come with me," he said firmly, letting you know that for the first time in your life you had an escape route.

You turned around, anxious and worried again. Frank was already outside that tent, talking to the salesman, gesturing vigorously - even from here you could see that he was worried. Kyle and Rach were nowhere to be seen. Where'd they go? Had they noticed you were missing? "I know this isn't an easy choice for you," the man sighed understandingly, looking with you at the people you hold dear. "But next to us, you'll be able to laugh when you want to," he continued to pull the threads of your thoughts as he pleased. "You'll be able to cry when you're hurt or sick. And no one," he pressed the last word. "No one will dare judge you for who you are."

Whoever you really were, some part of you really wasn't from around here. It didn't belong to this world, and this world didn't belong to her. Always suspended, standing in the middle, not knowing which way to go. Constantly holding back it's hearty laughter and genuine tears, just so it wouldn't hurt anyone. Will they miss you if you leave? Or would they breathe a full sigh, getting rid of the burden that they never raised their hand to kill before? "Fine," you said hollowly, watching as Frank slapped the counter with force. Though n if they genuinely loved you, it couldn't make them safe from that entity inside you that didn't love anyone.

"Really?" marveled the man joyfully. Deep down, he didn't expect you to agree so easily - he was ready to persuade you further, to give you arguments, but as a special method of persuasion, there was a strand of red hair in one of his hands, hidden behind his back, and as soon as you agreed, it immediately turned to dust. You seemed to be obedient as it was. "You can call me Rei," he said, holding out his palm to you. You took it and felt a lightness as if the emotions that had been built up in your soul were immediately released, making room for a new future. "Come, liebe. I have much more to show you."

next ⊳

[imtryingmybeskar]

Come Home Chapter Eleven

Joel Miller x F! Reader

Word count: 5555

The Winter Dance is finally upon us!

This is basically fluff. Start to finish. No spoilers really, except mention of a few characters who become important in TLOU 2 (Jesse and Dina). Ellie also calls Joel a fogey in TLOU 2 and it stuck with me. This is pretty dialogue heavy compared to most chapters.

Also please don't skate on frozen ponds. It's a good way to die. And definitely don't use 20+ year old make up. It's a good way to get eye infections.

Come Home

Chapter Eleven - Dreams Of Yesterday

“Come on, Joel!”

“I am really not sure about this!”

“Just…c’mon. Do it for Ellie!”

“Oh, that is a low blow.”

“Fine, then do it for the coffee.”

“That’s even lower!” you hear him bellow as you whizz past and you cackle to yourself as you do another circuit.

The journey to the lake was barely fifteen minutes on horseback, and when you had spied it through the trees you had given a sharp intake of painfully cold breath at the simplistic yet staggering beauty in front of you. The perfectly clear, deep blue sky arching above provided a stark backdrop to the bare bones of the trees and dark pines that lined it thickly. Their reflections would be beautifully mirrored at any warmer time, but the solid circumference of pearlescent silver blue that stretched ahead delighted you far more and is exactly what you hoped you would find.

Dismounting the horse, you had pulled two pairs of skates from your backpack and turned to Joel grinning wickedly.

“Wait, are you kiddin’ me?”

“I thought I’d give a pair to Ellie for Christmas, teach her how. But we obviously need to make sure the ice is safe. If it can hold our weight, it can hold hers.”

“And what if it doesn’t?” he had asked, jumping down from his own horse.

“It will,” you promised. “I used to skate like this a lot. Besides, you know I’d never put her in danger.”

“Yeah, yeah I know,” he grumbled, fiddling unnecessarily with the saddlebags.

“Just…trust me,” you had said, thrusting the skates at him before beginning to put yours on. “It will be fun.”

Ten minutes later he was still prevaricating on the shore. You meanwhile had been delighting in the freeing feeling of speeding around, the freezing air ruffling your clothes and biting at your cheeks in a very pleasant way. You approach where Joel is hanging on to a tree at the edge of the lake, his skates finally on his feet. Your gloved hands seek his and you tug him toward the ice.

“I haven’t done this in years,” he protests gently.

“Neither have I. It’s just like riding a bike.”

“Well I haven’t done that in years either.”

“You’ll be fine,” you reassure him. “Just think of the coffee.”

“Are you bribin’ me?”

“Bribe is such an ugly word. I prefer to think of it as emotional blackmail.”

He laughs and it’s a warming, lovely thing amid the frosty air.

As he steps on the ice his eyes widen and he immediately begins to flail as his legs skid underneath him. For such a big man, he resembles nothing so much as a newborn giraffe on shaky legs and you try and fail to suppress your giggles.

“Its okay! Joel? Joel! Look at me, you’re oka-“

The last word is cut off as he finally tips too far and sits down hard on the ice with an “Oof!” He’s still clinging on to your hands for dear life so manages to drags you down too, and you land somewhat painfully on your knees in between his legs.

“Oh shit!” he exclaims. “You hurt?”

You shake your head, unable to speak around the laughter that spills out.

“Well, least we know for sure the ice ain’t gonna give,” he says wryly as you get up and help to pull him to his feet. “But I’m too damn old for this.”

“Aw come on. You’re not that old. And besides, you think Ellie’s gonna give up that fast? You’ll get back into it.”

Once he gets his feet under him and remembers how to move on the ice, he ends up being pretty good. You are patient with him, first skating backward with both of his hands in yours and leading him gently until he feels confident enough to skate next to you holding on to just one hand. When he manages to do a wobbly circuit alone you cheer him on, and his smile grows wide under his flushed, cold-pinkened cheeks. To your surprise but utter delight, he slides his hand back into yours again to complete a few more passes across the ice, your voices raised together in laughter as you move joyously through the perfect winter scenery.

“So…when even is Christmas?” you ask an hour later as you lean against a pine to put your normal boots back on. “Tomorrow? Next week?”

“Coupla weeks,” he replies, grimacing as the cold hits his socked feet before he has a chance to stuff them into his own boots. “Maria somehow managed to keep an accurate calendar all this time. Thanksgivin’ was just before you came to town.”

“Oh!” you say in surprise. “Then…” You trail off.

“What’s up?” he asks as he bends to begin tying his laces.

“Nothing. Its silly really. Its just…that means that it was my birthday. Probably around the time I arrived in Jackson. I’ve not really thought about it. I know how old I am, obviously, and I knew since it was winter it was sometime around now. I just…haven’t marked it since…well, you know.”

“Hmm,” he grunts non-committally, and he touches the place on his coat where his watch lies underneath in a seemingly unconscious gesture. “Well, I’ll haveta get you a drink at the dance then.”

“Oh…yeah. When is that again?” You try to force your voice to sound casual. He hadn’t mentioned it since the clocktower the previous week and you had followed his lead, still not entirely certain whether he had just been neighbourly when he had asked you to go.

“This Saturday. Ellie hasn’t quit talkin’ about it for days. Some of the other kids will be there. Think she’s a little nervous about it all.”

“Understandable. I remember my first dance. I was terrified. Ended up having drinks with my best friend beforehand just to calm the nerves. Not that she needs that kind of courage,” you add hastily.

“If anyone has a way of winnin’ people over, its her,” Joel agrees, a begrudging admiration to his tone. “We’ll come by ‘round sundown if that’s okay with you.”

“Sounds great,” you say, and you hide your grin by bending over your pack to shove your skates inside.

Though you had been given clothes by Maria when you arrived and are grateful that they are both warm and free of any kinds of disgusting stains, at the moment you are cursing the fact that they are also all extremely practical. An hour before Joel and Ellie are due to come over, you stare at your reflection with a sigh and root around in your closet for the third time in the hope that something distinctly impractical and extremely sexy has materialised since the last time you looked. Strangely, it has not. So you make do with jeans, your boots, and a flattering and fairly low cut vest top with a more practical but still figure hugging long sleeved shirt over it. Most of the make up you had nabbed from the store is unusable, as you had imagined, but you manage to eke out a little eyeshadow and a little tinted lip balm. Just enough that you feel slightly more dressy than usual.

The knock at the door startles you, even though you have been anticipating it with nervous excitement all day, and you smooth your hair and pull on your coat before opening it. Ellie is bouncing excitedly on the balls of her feet in front of the door, Joel lounging at the bottom of your porch steps.

“Hi,” you greet them warmly. “All set?”

“Yup,” says Ellie excitedly.

“Anyone would think you actually do wanna be around people,” you tease as you pull the door to.

“Pfft, I just don’t wanna spend another night playing cards with you guys,” she fires back. “Fogeys, both of you.”

You hold your hand over your heart and pretend to be deeply wounded even as Joel lets out a disbelieving scoff.

“You’re just mad ‘cause I always beat you at Go Fish.”

As you walk to the centre of town you look up to see that the sky is a perfect winter sunset – violently orange and pink and gold in the west and fading to a purple black up above where the first stars can be seen emerging. It seems like the whole town will be in attendance tonight. People are coming from every side street, stepping from porches after closing up their shops and houses and all are heading in the same direction – a largeish building that you have never been into before but that you have noticed on your wanderings around town. You had been slightly anxious about the prospect of being around so many people all at once after so long, but you found that with Ellie by your side and Joel next to her, it wasn’t so bad and you could focus on the excitement of the night building in the air instead.

As you approach the hall music swells and you hear whoops and cheers and clapping from within. A sudden burst of warmth spreads throughout you to join the pleasant anticipation you’re already feeling – despite everything, despite what lay outside, these people were being so very human, gathering together and celebrating nothing more than the fact that they were alive.

“Ellie! Hey!”

The girl who calls to her is with small group of teenagers up ahead. She is about Ellie’s age, dark haired and dark eyed with tendrils of hair escaping her high ponytail to frame her face.

“Oh, hey Dina,” Ellie calls back, and then gives Joel a sideways glance.

“Well go on then, don’t let us fogeys cramp your style,” he murmurs in an amused tone, and she leaps forward, rushing to join the group without looking back.

“Guess I don’t have to worry about drinking in front of her and being a bad example,” you smile.

The hall is packed with people and the warmth of their collective body heat begins to thaw your frozen extremities almost immediately. The walls are made of a cosy, rustic wood, with thick, dark coloured drapes across the windows to keep out the winter’s night. Metal-framed lanterns cast their patterns to the ceiling, strings of lights have been hung from the rafters above and splay in random bursts across the walls, tables and chairs have been pushed back to the edges of the room to maximise space to dance. People twirl, faces delighted and free in a way you haven’t seen in so many years. Your eyes rove over the scene feasting upon the sight of joy and happiness. When they flick to Joel he is looking down at you with an appraising smile, the low light making his eyes twinkle black.

“Its beautiful,” you murmur, though you’re sure your voice is lost in the music that stirs the room.

You and Joel make your way to the wooden panel of the bar, where several other people stand propping it up – watching the dancers, chatting, laughing, throwing back drinks.

“Lemmie get you that birthday drink. Whaddya havin’?” Joel enquires.

“What do they have?”

“Beer, whiskey, wine, some folk brew their own moonshine but even I’d think twice about that!”

“Wine sounds good. Thanks!”

As Joel waits for Seth to serve him, you take off your gloves and stuff them in the pocket of your coat before taking that off too, folding it and holding it against your stomach. You spot Chloe and Vanessa across the bar from you, deep in conversation. Chloe catches your eye and waves and when you return it Vanessa also turns to greet you. Once she spies Joel next you she raises a very suggestive eyebrow and grins widely, making the heat rise into your cheeks. They resume their talking, now smiling and casting occasional speculative glances in your direction.

Joel turns back to you, holding out a glass of reddish liquid and you take no small pleasure in his subtle double take when he sees you properly, his dark gaze taking you in before he passes the wine to you.

“You look…nice,” he offers.

“Thanks. It’s the lack of bloodspatter I think.”

“He snorts into his beer, almost choking on his laugh before he manages to swallow the liquid.

“Yeah, that’s gotta be it.”

He places his beer on the bar and removes his own thick coat. He looks much the same as he does day to day – you hadn’t been expecting a tux after all – but since you very much enjoy how he looks anyway, you allow your own gaze to linger briefly on the triangular patch of freckled skin that the undone top buttons allow you to see, the straining of the material across his broad chest and shoulders.

“You look good too,” you say simply and he inclines his head in thanks as he gently clinks his glass against yours. The slightly bitter taste of blackberry explodes on your tongue as you take your first sip of the wine and you both stand with your back to the bar, observing the spectacle in front of you. His arm brushes yours as he moves, and while you know it’s only accidental you still get a tiny tingle across your skin.

“So…you come here often?” he ventures and now it’s your turn to splutter into your drink.

“Smooth, Joel.”

“Look who’s talkin’. You damn near spat your drink across the dancefloor.”

“I’ll bet you were king of the cheesy pick up line in your day.”

“Thought you said I wasn’t that old.”

“I didn’t say when your day was now did I?”

“Hmmm…fine, fine, you’re pullin’ it back,” he mutters, taking another swig of beer. “But no, I never dated much. Havin’ a kid and workin’ all the time didn’t leave much over for shit like that.”

You cover your surprise and embarrassment with another gulp of wine. You hadn’t been serious with your comment and hadn’t thought it an invitation to actually get him to share anything with you. But since he had…

“It wasn’t all it was cracked up to be,” you sigh. “Not that I did much of it anyway. I guess I was lucky in that regard. Got married shortly after college.”

Your hand shakes a little as you make the confession, and you cover it by taking two large gulps of wine. You can see Joel facing you in your peripheral vision, but don’t feel able to meet his eyes right now. Instead you focus on the dancing, the pairs of people moving seamlessly together round and round the floor, their happy faces bathed in the soft glow of the lights. You spot Ellie standing against the opposite wall, chatting animatedly with a tall boy with a mop of black hair and the girl you had seen earlier and then hear the empty clink of a bottle as Joel puts it on the bar. He asks the only question you have any interest in answering right now.

“Another?”

Another goes down nicely, as does the third. After getting away from the insidious topic you and Joel had been skirting around earlier, you find yourself relaxing into the night again and enjoying the conversation that flows. Tommy and Maria come to chat, as do Chloe and Vanessa. Ellie ducks in and out, appearing suddenly at your elbow as you sit atop your barstool and disappearing again just as quickly.

The evening takes on a hazy, fuzzy texture after a while and you are very aware that you are treading the line of having drunk far too much, but the alcohol and laughter buzzing through you makes you unable to care.

Do you dance, Joel?" you ask him, drunkenly.

"You askin'?"

"Pfft hell no. Trus' me, you don't want my feet anywhere near yours. You'll have bruises f'r dayyyys!" you smile. "Bu' I want you to have a good time tonigh'. Not jus' sittin' here babysittin' me. If you wanna dance, go dance."

"Oh I'm doin' just fine here," he confirms, raising his beer toward you. Tommy's the dancer of the two of us. I just sing." He suddenly clams up at your overly delighted expression.

"You siiiing?" you ask, intrigued.

"Well, sometimes," he smiles.

“ 'm gonna haveta hear you one of these days. Set up Jackson's first karaoke bar jus' f'r you."

"Aw hell no," he says fervently. "I'll take my chances on the outside if that's the way you're gonna play it!"

You giggle before taking another sip of wine, allowing yourself to look at him much more fully than you would if you were sober. His big, strong hands are picking at the edge of the rounded paper that passes for beer mats here, the movement causing muscles in his exposed forearm to twitch hypnotically back and forth. You give yourself a little shake and try to focus on conversation.

“So…where did you get your coffee hookup before me ‘s what I wanna know,” you slur at Joel, resting your hand heavily on your chin as you look at him.

“Oh, I was jonesing for a while,” he smiles.

A thought strikes you and you voice it, ignoring the slight pang in your heart as you do.

“Wha’ ‘bout Chris?”

Even in your inebriated state you notice Joel’s face darken and then the shutters come down, his eyes closing off and his smile fading to nothing.

“What about her?”

“Well when she came b’fore? I know she traded some of it las’ time she was here.”

He laughs and you detect a note of bitterness. “Trust me, she wouldn’ta traded with me.” He turns to his drink, sips it and you study him. The realisation hits you like a thunderbolt and your lack of filter at this particular time makes the words that come next unstoppable.

“Ohhh, you’re asshole Joel!” you exclaim. Heat suffuses your cheeks immediately afterward and you begin to splutter. “Fuck! I…s-shit. Shit! I’m so sorry, that wasso rude! It’s jus’ she mentioned a guy called Joel who-“

“Was an asshole?” he supplies, a wry smile curling one side of his lips.

“Well yeah but…oh Christ, fuck I’M the asshole,” you groan hopelessly.

He turns back to you and holds up a placating hand.

“I’ll forgive ya if you let me tell my side of the story,” he offers.

You bury your head in your hands. “Maybe one day I c’n talk to you without embarrassin’ myself. Today is appar’ntly not that day,” you mutter half to yourself.

Warmth covers your hand and you feel a gentle tugging. You go with it, let him pull your hand away from your face and look up at him expecting to see at least some annoyance, but there is only indulgent amusement.

“I’d seen her around a coupla times before we spoke. She wasn’t usually here long enough for me to actually get to know her. One night she came into the bar, came on to me. Very drunkenly, very loudly and very publicly. I said I wasn’t interested in the nicest way I could, but that far down the whiskey bottle she didn’t seem to understand subtlety anymore. So…I rejected her as publicly as she had propositioned me. And she did not take kindly to it.”

“Yikessss,” you replied, grimacing. “Sounds messy. I feel like I should apologise for her but um…well, uh…” You trail off and to your horror feel your chin begin to wobble.

“Hey,” Joel says softly, his eyes raking your face. “Are you okay?”

“Uhhh yup,” you manage as you take a sip of wine and swallow hard, pushing the sudden pain of her loss down inside to be released at a more appropriate time. “So uh…why did you say no? Fuck! That’s…that’s also embarassin’. Sorry. I’ll shut up…jus’…jus’ ignore me.”

He lets out a short peal of laughter. “Between the coffee and the ice skatin’ and the bein’ next door neighbours, I’m not sure ignorin’ you is an option.” His smile fades once more but his face is still kindly. “It’s ok. I understand. It’s still fresh.” You raise your eyes to his again and nod, not trusting yourself to speak this time. “Well, to answer your question, I tend not to sleep with drunk women, especially not when I’m stone cold sober. And to be honest…not my type.”

Relief that he’s not annoyed with you, mixed with inebriation makes you a little giddier than you would ordinarily be, and you let out a loud scoffing noise.

“Oh come on! Chris is everyone’s type!”

The vision of her battered face suddenly swims into your mind, lower jaw broken half off and blood marring her smooth skin as she snarled mindlessly at you before you put her out of her misery. You shudder and your breath catches in your chest as you realise what you said.

“I mean…I mean was…”

You stand up abruptly and can’t quite meet Joel’s eyes anymore for fear that you might break if you are faced with any kind of kindness or humanity at this moment.

“ ’m drunk,” you announce, entirely unnecessarily. “And ’m about to bring down the mood. I should go home.”

It’s only when you begin to walk away that you realise he is still holding on to your hand and you look down at it stupidly before looking back up at him.

“If you wanna go, I’ll walk you. Told you I’d get you home safe.”

“No, you should stay. Ellie-“

“Ellie left twenty minutes ago with her friends. They said they’d walk her home. She’s old enough and smart enough not to get herself into too much trouble in the meantime. Come on.”

With one smooth movement he stands and places your hand into the crook of his elbow, steadying your steps as you make your way outside. The freezing night air hits you with force, and you immediately feel its sobering effects. The snow crunches under your feet as you traverse the distance to your house, Joel’s warmth extremely welcome on one side of your body.

“ ’m sorry,” you mutter. “You shouldn’t haveta look after me.”

“I knew what I was signin’ up for. And so did you.” You give him a grumpy look and he laughs. “Well, you did say you wanted this.”

“Urgh, so dumb,” you murmur, already feeling the potential headache start to form.

“You think those folk in there are gonna be feelin’ good tomorrow? Just…let yourself want things.”

His words strike a chord deep within you. It’s a dangerous, dangerous idea. To want anything in this world was to leave yourself vulnerable. Avoid unnecessary risk at all costs, that was the rule. But here in Jackson it was different, wasn’t it? You could count on four strong walls, warmth, food. You could count on not being woken by terrible noises, of people trying to batter down the doors you had fortified or infected seeking you out. And maybe…just maybe…you could count on him.

“You okay?” he asks beside you. “Gone awful quiet over there.”

“ ’m good,” you reassure him. “Just…thinkin’”

Of your thighs bracketing one of his, strong, muscled arms sweeping over your back, of his lips brushing over your neck, whispering in that deep, sinful voice that he wanted you right here and right now…Christ.

You pull your mind back with an effort and realise you are almost at your door. He won’t want you, you know that. He wouldn’t when you were in this state anyway, but you’re too much of a chaotic mess in general to be an attractive prospect to someone like him. But... you also don’t want him to leave just yet.

“Will you come in for a bit?” The question sounds reedy and feeble to your ears, less of an invitation and more of a plea.

“Sure. I wasn’t just gonna dump you on the doorstep you know,” he smiles.

“Yeah I know. You’re good like that. You take care of people.” Maybe the cold hasn’t sobered you up as much as you think because part of you is aware that you’re still far too loose tongued for your own liking. “Wish I’d known you ten years ago,” you mutter. “Coulda done with someone lookin’ out for me.”

You feel his arm tense up beside you, and then slowly relax. “Naw,” he says shortly. “I wasn’t the same person ten years ago.”

“I was,” you giggle stupidly. “A fuckin’ mess then and a fuckin’ mess now.”

He stops and turns to you, placing his warm hand on your shoulder. “If you were that much of a mess, you think I’d want you hangin’ out with Ellie?”

“Fuckin’…panic attacks-” you mumble, trying hard not to focus on how close he was to you.

“So what?” he interjects. “We all got our shit. You can take care of what needs to be taken care of when it matters. And-“ he takes a deep breath and sighs it out heavily, his breath hanging white and twisting in the frozen air. “-I’m sorry if I made you think that I didn’t think you could.”

The apology wasn’t asked for and you don’t even feel that its warranted, but you get the impression that he’s not a man to apologise often or lightly.

“Thanks. And s’ok,” you slur. “I’d be wonderin’ ‘bout you too if you freaked out over a dark room in your own house.” You smile up at him and your attention is suddenly drawn by what is above his head. “Wowww,” you gasp breathily. He follows your gaze upward.

Stars. Thousands of them. Millions. Clusters and swirls and galaxies in the crystal clear winter sky above you twinkling silver and pale blue and pink, the dusty green and orange cloud of the milky way running through it all. There were so many. There were too many for you to comprehend. You crane your neck too far, and dizziness brought on by the alcohol overtakes you and makes you stagger backwards. Joel clutches your shoulder a little tighter, steadying you on your feet.

“Come on,” he laughs. “Let’s get you inside.”

With the absence of a fire burning this evening the house is cold, and you realise just how much you’re looking forward to wrapping yourself in your duvet. The stairs in front of you look like an insurmountable foe, and the thought of being cosy is the only thing that gets your feet moving clumsily up them. You half stumble and Joel catches you again, stopping you from faceplanting.

“Okay, I’m gonna come up if that’s alright? I think I’d feel better if I knew you weren’t gonna fall down the stairs.” You nod, suddenly too weary for words.”

Staggering into the bedroom, you fumble with the bedside lamp a couple of times before you manage to flick it on, half blinding yourself in the process.

“Thanks, Joel. F’r everythin’. I had fun tonight,” you say. Being in your house has sapped you of any remaining giddy excitement of the evening, and all that was left was a drunken exhaustion that only sleep could remedy. Not that you wanted him to leave, especially. You just desperately wanted to close your eyes.

Instead of taking the hint, Joel frowns as he looks down at your bed.

“Where’s your pillows and stuff?” he asks and you can’t even find it in yourself to be embarrassed by the truth.

“Jus’ throw me in the tub, I’ll be fine.”

“What, you gonna take a bath now?”

“Not exacly,” you slur.

You fumble with the bathroom door and open it, showing him the nest you’ve made for yourself. He gives you a look of puzzlement and you sigh at the thought of the effort you have to expend to provide an explanation, keeping it as brief as you can when you do speak.

“House felt too big. Bed felt too big. Used to Chris nex’ to me. Can actually sleep in here. Sometimes.”

You expect an amused smile at your ridiculousness, but instead you see a flash of pity in his eyes and the wave of shame you feel is boosted to annoyance by the wine.

“Mus’ be hell on your back,” he mutters.

“S’fine. I’m makin’ it work,” you inform him tersely.

“Well…not tonight. Come on.”

Before you can argue he has scooped the pillow and duvet from the bathtub and has begun rearranging your bed for you. The annoyance you feel starts to soften around the edges into something else in the face of his concern for you and you try to pull it back, to hone it into something sharp again. You don’t want him to pity you. You don’t want him to think you’re incapable of managing your own shit. And now, perhaps, you do want him to leave.

“Joel if I’m sleepin’ in that bed, you’re stayin’ with me.”

His movements stop abruptly and he looks over his shoulder at you, his eyes wide with shock.

“Not like that,” you protest, hands on your hips. “Mind outta the gutter…wait what’s your last name?”

“It’s Miller,” he says, emphasising the last word in a rough and slightly put-upon way as he turns back to his task and begins to shake out your pillows.

“Mind outta the gutter, Miller,” you say as if you hadn’t interrupted yourself. “If you’re so hell bent on me sleepin’ there tonight, you gotta stay. Even with half the wine stock Jackson’s got inside me, soon as you step outside ‘m gonna have to get right back in that tub.”

His hands no longer busy, he turns to you, the soft light from the bedroom lamp outlining his broad frame as he puts his hands on his hips too.

“Okay,” he says softly.

“No funny business,” you continue grandly, your brain very slow to catch up with your ears. “Clothes on, shoes off and – wait, what?”

“I said okay,” he repeats, a small smile on his face. “I can witness that hangover you were so desperate to recreate.”

You freeze where you stand. You don’t know what to do. You actually don’t know what to do. You expected him to shrug and bid you goodnight and walk away to leave you to it. You never expected him to actually agree to this. To sleep next to you. All night. To wake up next to him. With your inevitable messy hair and morning breath and puffy eyes. Not that he hasn’t witnessed that before but not like this. Not so close. Not together.

His broad form is so casually relaxed only feet away from you. How can he be this calm, how can his eyes betray such amusement when you’re screaming so loud inside? Your brain is short circuiting again and you do the only thing it will allow. You blow a raspberry at him.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make the coffee in the morning,” he laughs.

“You better,” you mutter darkly.

“I’m gonna go get you some water, okay?”

“Thank you,” you say in a small voice.

While he’s gone you take the opportunity to go to the bathroom, wash your face, brush your teeth and get dressed in your usual baggy t shirt that you use for sleeping in. Tonight, you add a pair of leggings but whether its to make yourself or him more comfortable you really can’t tell.

By the time you emerge from the bathroom he’s sitting on your bed and halfway through taking his boots off. You want to tell him it's okay, to not be silly, that you were only joking, that he doesn’t have to do this. You also really do want to sleep in that bed. Especially if you get to wake up next to him. So you say nothing. You allow yourself to want.

The bed itself is cold under the duvet and you shiver as you pull the covers tight around you. Joel lies down with a groan, closing his eyes and grinding his back into the mattress as he settles in.

“Uh, Joel?”

“Hmm?”

“You can…you can get under the duvet too you know. It’s…kinda cold.” Internally you roll your eyes at your unceasing ability to state the fucking obvious in front of him.

He holds your gaze for a moment longer than you find comfortable before getting into the bed properly, and relaxing back into the mattress again. You reach for the light, managing to switch it off first time this time before lying on your side away from him. The presence of another person - this person – is just as comforting as you knew it would be, and that in addition to the alcohol soon has you floating in a dreamy, near sleep.

“Hey.” Joel’s voice husks into the dark. When you turn on your other side to face him, he’s still lying flat on his back, but his face turns to you and in the dim light of the room you can see the hollows of his eyes and his facial hair standing dark against the rest of him. And you can see the smile as it spreads slowly across his face.

“I had fun tonight too.”

@thisshipwillsail316 @prostitute-robot-from-the-future @elegantduckturtle @dihra-vesa @midwesternwitchery @just-here-for-the-moment @eri16 @readsalot73 @littlemisspascal @princessxkenobi @harriedandharassed @pagannightwitch @tentacruels @kirsteng42 @shirks-all-responsibilities @deadhumourist @pedrostories @abbyhaslongshorts @celebrtyskinz @majahu @sanscas @myloveistoolittle

Next chapter

[soraavalon]

DM: And he'll take you, you're staring to head up and then suddenly he will veer into the graveyard and takes you up to, you have definitely seen this woman before Eudora, this very very old Halfling woman, very very pale, she's got like a bonnet that's veiled that's hiding most of her face and she's just sort of sitting on this bench out in the shade. She has a wood cane with a grip that looks like a raven and she's just sort of sitting there quietly and enjoying the breeze and she's doing that thing where she's really still and there's a moment where you're looking at this very old, very still person. Tark (OOC): Oh god, she's dead. DM: Yeah. Tark (OOC): Oh god, she's dead. DM: Yeah until you get a little closer and her head will turn in your direction. Myrna: I hear an approach. That'd be Hector and who you got with you? Tark (OOC): I love her already. Eudora (OOC): I love her so much. DM: I think she had this accent... I hope. Well she does now. Tark (OOC): 'I hope' This is her now. Here you go. Eudora (OOC): You mean you're not giving her a fake Texan accent? DM: I can't. Tark (OOC): *laughs* -DM swearing she can't do a Texan accent and Thaddius agreeing that the attempt wasn't good- DM: So she's not from Illsyronia. Myrna: Who's there with you? Hector: This is Tark and Ms. Wildthorne, who you know. Tark is also a friend of Hunt and says that they are, well potentially both Chosen. DM: She kind of slowly will get up from her bench and you realize her cane isn't just for balance. She kind of taps it ahead of herself and follows it. Tark (OOC): Oh, she's blind. DM: Yeah. She kind of peers up at you through her veil and you see her eyes are completely cataracted. Tark (OOC): Oh. Oh. DM: This is a tiny tiny Halfling woman. Tark (OOC): Yes, my goodness. (IC): And Tark will, like he goes to reach out and shake her hand and then be like, 'Is this the appropriate greeting?' DM: She reaches out and shakes your hand. Tark (OOC): Oh beautiful! Okay. That would've been awkward. Fuckin' alright. (IC): Tark kind of looks back at Eudora like 'Where do I go from here? What do I say?' Myrna: You're a Chosen, you say? Tark: Yes. Myrna: Of the Lunar Lady or someone else? Tark: "No, someone else." He kind of side-eyes like 'should I?' Eudora: Eudora nods encouragingly. Tark: Lady Luck. Myrna: *chuckles* No, seriously. Tark: I am very serious. Myrna: Huh. Alright, well... Tark: If you wish, I could demonstrate? Myrna: Certainly, let's see what you can do. Tark: And then I think *looks through spells* Let's see... I'm trying to decide which... I think he would just, you know what, what else am I gonna do right now? Yeah, I think Tark would just summon the bee. Just like 'alright' 'cause I don't know, 'cause there's no way Tark can heal cataracts so... DM: Yeah. Tark: Let's not, that's not something he can demonstrate and no one else is hurt. DM: Right. Nathaniel (OOC): You can hurt somebody. Eudora: Eudora's fully pulling out a pocket knife or something. Hunt (OOC): Remember you stabbed your own leg. Nathaniel (OOC): There's plenty of people to hurt here. DM: That's true. Tark (OOC): You're not wrong, but no. I'm not. (IC): Tark kind of bats the... 'What are you doing?!' and just summons the bee. DM: She sort of closes her eyes as they are unseeing anyways and sort of listens to it buzzing and I kind of imagine it moves around her and--- Tark: Yeah. DM: She's sort of feeling it flow through the air. Myrna: Alright, another Chosen, interesting. There seem to be a lot of those in these times. Tark: Yes, so that is what we've been finding out also.

[thatoneguy031]

I'm not sure what really happened.

All I heard was a rumble and crash, followed by most of the people on the boat beginning to panic.

I immediately looked for Cherry and Frost. And I had picked up Cocoa, too. I knew she was another Pokemon that was potentially in danger, and I didn't want to leave her behind to get hurt.

We all headed to the main deck, and there was another ship beside us, too far to just jump to, not even with the boost Work Up gives. On the ship was... Team Plasma. Again.

Why? What do they want from us? Why can't they leave us alone?

As if they had heard my thoughts, one of them spoke up, from under their mask. "We're here to take back what's ours! He's the thing we need to continue our plans of achieving true liberation!"

...As much as I didn't want to admit it, I understood what he had meant. I froze in my tracks, trying to process... everything. I ran away years ago... I thought I was safe... Didn't I go through enough?

By the time I had regathered my senses, Cherry and Frost were already in the heat of combat. Cherry had already begun flying to the other ship, using Dragon Pulse and Bulldoze to ensure that she was able to close the gap between her and them, and Frost was playing defense, using a combination Mirror Coat and what I assume was Ice Beam to create a massive wall of ice to defend against any incoming attacks. I knew that I had to do something, too.

I racked my brain, trying to come up with something, anything I can do with my current abilities. I had Water Pulse as my strongest long-range option... But I had no idea how far it could go, and it wasn't like I was good at it, anyway. I could also use Slash if I had to, but that meant I'd have to sacrifice one of my seamitars, no matter how briefly. I can't afford losing either of them in a situation like this...

Actually thinking about what I had learned up to this point... made me realize just how useless I am to this crew. But I couldn't think about that now. It was getting more difficult for Cherry to defend against Plasma's Pokemon, apparently including some of the ones that were on our boat, and it wasn't going to be long until we were completely overpowered.

I set Cocoa down next to Frost, and climbed the ice wall he had created, using Work Up twice to double my base strength. If I could reach Cherry's location and get rid of the source of the problem, that should give us enough breathing room to clean up shop. This is going to be a risky maneuver, and I'll probably be put out of commission after this... But as long as I can get in good enough hits as soon as I get there, that shouldn't matter.

I planted my feet into the ice, starting a Revenge attack. I made sure to transfer the energy from that move from my arms down to my legs... and I leaped.

I immediately felt the consequences of such a careless strategy. The lower half of my body was met with an excruciating pain, and with the combination of Revenge and the strength boost of Work Up, I knew for a fact I had broken at least one of of my legs, if not both.

As I soared through the air, though, I heard a voice behind me. One that I really didn't want to hear right now.

"Guy, WAIT-"

I turned back, and I saw Frost shouting at me. I say saw, because he was interrupted by the loud whirring of the wind. I knew what that meant.

Frost opened his mouth and actually spoke. And now, we have to realize the hard way why he tried to avoid this.

I instantly felt the temperature around me drop. An intense hailstorm had started, roaring thunder and everything, throwing everyone off, including myself for a short bit.

But I had to focus. I used Aqua Jet for one final push, and I had finally made it to the opposing ship. But I still had to think of a landing. There was a Zangoose under me, preparing a Slash of its own. Talk about unfair.

Remembering that I still had the Work Up boosts, I used Revenge one more time to kick them away. They had blocked it by using Slash, and countered my attack by using Shadow Claw, hitting me across my face. Screw me, I guess, now that leg is completely useless, and I'm taking unnecessary damage. 3 limbs to use left...

I used Slash to get the Zangoose out of the way, and began moving to what I assume were the main problems... Two Plasma grunts, only one of which being a Trainer... odd.

I chased down the Trainer's Scrafty, and used Fury Cutter to make quick work of them, and the following Palpitoad.

...However, it all seemed to be a distraction from the second grunt, who had... an Ultra Ball?! I thought those things were stupid-expensive, do they just give them to anyone now?!

And with the look in that grunt's eyes, I knew exactly who they were aiming for.

I can't let them throw it!

In a desperate attempt to intercept the throw, I rushed towards the grunt. But I forgot about my injury, and stumbled to the ground as a result. I slid just out of range to grab his ankle. Not like it would matter. He had already thrown it, and it was was going to hit Frost, right in his face.

"FROST, LOOK OUT!"

They had turned around just in time to open their jaws... just for the Ultra Ball to land directly in it. There was a flash, and the next thing we saw was the lone ball on the ground. It shook once...

...Twice...

Three times...

...

...And just like that, it was done. Frost... had been captured.

Another friend... Gone, potentially forever.

All I could do was scream, "FROOOOST!", as a Lycanroc chucked the Ultra Ball back to the grunt, before I was filled to the brim with anger. with Team Plasma... at myself... Why couldn't I save anyone? Why does everyone get hurt whenever I get involved?!

...It's happening. It's happening again. I couldn't do anything. I was too quickly losing consciousness, and all I saw was red... And there was no one to do anything about it this time.

help me...

[Guy and Frost are unavailable for asks.]

[shiningnightstars]

5 and/or 9?

5. what made you start your blog?

me and mallow, my qpp, were actually making a hermicraft au, and i started my blog with hopes that we could start an ask blog for it! the plan was that i would make the pfp, and they would make the banner. hooooowever he uh. forgot to make the banner and eventually october came around, meaning time for hermittober, and i decided i wanted to join, so i quickly made a pfp and intro post and start posted, and the rest is history.

we still have yet to make the au, and at this point neither of us are hyperfixated on hermitcraft anymore, so..... rip au :[

9. tell a story about your childhood

ooh boy i have a good one. (its really long so ill put it under a cut.)

okay so setting the scene. me and a friend were having a 2 day sleepover during winter break. one day at her house, and one day at mine. it was the second say, so we were at my house. it was just after dinner, and i have a loft bed in my room so me, her, and my brother were all on top. my friend had brought some glow in the dark stars that we were gonna put on my ceiling, and we had them in a plastic bag. however, my brother decided to take the bag and spill all the stars on the ground. i got angry, and went to go down my ladder so i could retrieve the stars. however, my ladder wasnt in its usual spot, so i step down and there wasnt a ladder there, and i fell.

i remember falling, almost in slow motion i guess, and trying to grab something, anything, while my eyes were closed. and then i hit the ground with a thud. nothing happened immediately and i had time to think. i wasnt in pain, but my arm felt really weird and i thought it was broken, so the next thing i did was scream as loud as i could. not out of pain, but because i had a need to get help.

my parents, my brother, and my friend said that i screamed basically right after i fell. i remember having time to think things through. it was REALLY weird.

next thing i knew, my parents were standing in the doorway, and my mom says that dad had pulled me out from my ladder since my legs were tangled up in it. my mom asked if anything hurt, and i said no, but that my arm felt broken, and thats when she saw it.

it was gross, so for your sake i shall not describe it. thankfully, though, it was just the bones in my arm that broke, not my skin or flesh. so no blood spilt.

my mom immediaty told my dad to call 911, and im pretty sure both my sister and my sibling came upstairs, and i think my sibling said they walked in, saw my arm, and immediately turn back because they didnt feel like puking.

my mom helped up, and put some slippers on my feet and gave me a stuffed animal, and took me into the kitchen to get some ice on my arm. this was the first time i had actually looked at my arm. my sister was, at this moment, ushering my brother and my friend out of my room and into either her room or the living room. either way, she was getting them OUT of my room.

the paramedics came and got me in the ambulance and drove away. they put an iv in my right arm (the one that wasnt broken) for painkillers, and just tried to keep me calm. i had no chance to feel pain at all from a mixture of painkillers and adrenaline.

i got to the hospital, the doctors put me under anesthetics, and i was out. i still remember the dream i had, though. i was being rushed around the hospital in a hospital bed, except the hospital was void of any decoration or people, and i somehow knew that there was no one pushing me, and that i was just. moving. and then i woke up, arm in a split and a sling. in about an hour after i woke up, the doctors had me try walking around a bit, and then they put me in a wheelchair and pushed me to the front door, where my aunt was waiting for me. it was like, 1 or 2 am at this point.

me and mom (who came with me in the ambulance and watched the whole procedure with fixing my arm) got home and i went and sat on the couch and fell asleep. no way was i sleeping in my loft bed.

i woke up in the morning, and my friend was actually still there and, turns out she didnt want to leave and ended up spending the night in my sister's room instead. she was in a cat onesie and was really just vibing, and i was haply that she was still there even though i wasnt.

eventually i got a cast, and it was purple and the doctor let me cover in in gliter glue so it was nice and sparkly, and i loved letting people sign it. however, it was hard to wash my hair with the cast since we werent allowed to get the cast wet. SO i also got my first haircut. i was, what, 8 or 9 i think? yeah. first. technically second but i dont remember my first haircut so this was my first haircut to nobody but myself. so some good did come out of it!!!

anyways thank you for letting me ramble, i shall now turn off my phone because it is at 17% and i do not have a charger 👍

[beann-e]

Summary : You were just a little insecure and insecurity’s never hurt anyone right

Your eyes pranced around the gym as you watched your boyfriend go up for his twelfth spike in his volleyball game . You hadn’t been counting but you knew for sure he’d made somewhere around there anytime you turned around you would see him up in the air hitting something you just weren’t fast enough to make out

Your hands coming up in a loud clap and cheer when you seen him make the last hit the ball making a loud thump throughout the court

You were happily screaming out his name until your eyes caught wind of someone yelling slightly louder than you

Eyes moving over to said someone every few seconds trying to check them out

Your cheering stopping when your eyes raked over her outfit that barely covered her legs a sweatshirt with your boyfriends name and number on the front and back you’d have thought she was his girlfriend

You decided to let her cheer for him as you placed yourself softly back in your seat taking in a cool breath of air as your eyebrows came together eyes shifting to the floor quickly before they ran back to the girl who’s friend was lightly tapping her

you biting your lip as she turned to you speaking loudly “ uh — hey if your gonna give me a love confession here don’t ok — “

she smiled widely “ i’m here for someone “ her painted thumb moved to the back of her jersey showing off the name as you stuttered and moved out the seats head low and hands sweaty

‘ she just doesn’t know y/n , and it won’t matter anyways— ushi doesn’t care for her he doesn’t even know her your ok y/n your relationships ok ‘

you moved to enter in through the lower level of the gym just in time to see the team bowing and giving their thanks ushijimas eyes scanning the seats looking for you until you waved slightly at tendou who moved you over quickly to ushijima

“ he needs some love — some cuddles he’s been practicing all week endlessly please reward him y/n - chan “

he sighed as he pouted putting his elbow on your head as you two stood in front of your boyfriend

“ he won’t take my hugs “

“ because your hugs always turn into something more “ he said facing tendou

you laughed “ something more ? is there something your not telling me —do you have a crush on my boyfriend “

“ no y/n who’d ever have a crush on ushiwaka-kun hes so — oh my condolences I forgot you were dating him “

“ tendou i’m sure you’ve said the wrong thing you give your condolences when someone or something has died “

tendou draped his body over yours “ no trust me something has died —“

“ what “

“ the conversation “

“ I do not understand “

“ how do you put up with him “

you smiled as you embraced your boyfriend. Arms barely wrapping around his body fully your poor body being suffocated in his chest and arms

“ bewause whes ‘ so fufffy “ your voice came out strangled as his grip was pressing you into his chest before he allowed you to look up at him

you smiled as your thoughts from earlier quickly vanished “ wakatoshi “ you said as you stared at him

“ yes my love “

you smiled softly “ I’m enough right “

“ more than enough —though I could fill my physical hunger with another match but why are you asking “

“ no reason “ you pulled away from him as you inched over to stand next to tendou again you knew ushijima liked physical touch when it was you but , he also still needed some space it was a lot all at once to just throw your love at him and he needed time to warm up to it so you always started out small .

“ ok so what are we doing after this “

“ i’m walking y/n home “

“ i’m allowing ushi to walk me home “

“ allow but you always beg me “

you pouted “ no that’s not true “

“ yes or you get really mad at me and then I go back to my house to find a deflated volleyball on my bed the next day “ tendou choked as ushijima continued

“ I always have to buy another practice volleyball too it makes me never want to do what I did the previous day again “ he shivered as you smiled

“ at least I still leave the she—“

“ USHIJIMA-KUN“ a loud voice rang through the gym causing both tendou and your boyfriend to scratch at their ears after hearing loud noises non stop on the court “ ushijima-kun i’m a big fan “

he turned to the girl as you smiled

“ you can go “ you said softly knowing he would ask you first but this time you decided to just let him leave talking to tendou as some time passed by until you seen a sight you’d rather not have

your eyes widened as you saw the same sweatshirt from earlier in the crowd ice running through your veins as you saw her with her polished hands on your captains uniform

“ earth to y/— hey what’s up why are you looking like that “

you smiled “ oh I just got confused for a moment“ you looked to the floor before looking back over to the wicked sight taking place next you

Taking side glances every so often to see her hands traveling to different places

“ let’s go talk to ushiwaka ok “ tendou said happily understanding what was happening to you he never wanted you to be jealous of someone else let alone feel insecure especially when so many were jealous of you and you didn’t even know

You both made your way up to the people in front of you hearing the end of the conversation

“ ushijima-kun why aren’t you talking “

“ because I want to respect my s/o and your advances seem wrong “

“ their not I swear — we can be friends I’m sure your s/o wouldn’t mind you just speaking to me right — their not mean right ushi-kun —someone mean doesn’t fit you —you need a friendly person “

“ I do not like that nickname “ he stared at the girl in front of him “ and I am also not talking to you because I simply just don’t want to talk to you “

“ h-hi guys “ you moved to hold your hand out to the taller girl “ h-hi i’m y/n wakatoshi’s s-“

“ oh god ushijima-kun this persons a stalker they were up in the bleachers not that long ago trying to confess to me “

tendou scoffed as he turned to look away feeling the embarrassment for the girl grow in waves

“ i’m sure my s/o’s not looking for someone else nor are they interested in friendly girls as far as I know “

he turned to you stoic face resting on yours “ are you y/n “

“ w-wait s/o “

“ yes that is what I said —you are a good listener “

“ did you just call them your s/o “

“ nevermind “ he looked towards the girl “ I take it back you are not a very good listener “

“ I-i’m sorry for earlier I was just — you were wearing my boyfriends jersey and I — I was a bit confused“ you smiled softly “ but if you wan-“

“ ushijima—kun — I really liked how you played in the volleyball game “

“ thank you what was your favorite part “

she shook not expecting the question before she put her hands in her pocket “ oh um when you hit it — that was totally cool and it made a loud echo “

“ oh you must not know volleyball terms “ he said confused “ if you want i’m sure “ he turned to you

“ y/n can you help her out — y/n watches all my games and tells me what I need to improve and what I did wrong i’m sure they could help find the play you were talking about they remember them all —they’ve been doing this a long time “

you smiled knowing that’s not what the girl wanted before playing with your thumbs looking away from the scene “ love are you going to help her she seems“

he spoke confused at the girl in front of him “ she seems quite upset “ he put his hands in between the two of them “ ma’am I assure you—you have nothing to worry about not understanding one of my plays—or the game itself is ok — do not be mad at yourself — my s/o will supply help “

tendous laugh came out as he moved his hand over it to turn it into a cough

“ tendou are you in need of water I would gladly go get you a bottle “

you knew ushijima felt uncomfortable and was trying his best to get out of the situation “ yeah you two can go get water i’ll explain your play to — um what was your name “

she looked from you to ushijima twirling her hair “ um sai “

“ oh ok sai —i’ll explain your play to her “ you moved to hug tendou as ushijima gave your hand a squeeze before walking off “ ok so the play I think your talking about is when goshik— “

“ I don’t know what your playing at but you need to stop “ her voice was sharp “ I don’t know if he’s your brother and your just joking to get me off his back or if your the sibling of someone on the team but “

your eyebrows came down as she was beating into you “ it’s not cool i’m sure you just got mad that I rejected your confession and so you came down here to screw over my chances with ushi “

you thought to yourself ‘ he only lets me call him ushi‘

your face dropped into a sad pout “ h-he’s just my boyfriend really i’m not lying “

“ but you are — look I feel bad really does he even know your going around lying to people like this and did you tell him the meaning of s/o meant something else “

“ no like I said he’s my boy— “

“ why do you keep saying that “

you kept saying it more so for yourself than for her you wanted to remind yourself that he loved you and not her that he was your boyfriend even through all her mean claims that she spit at you next

“ look you need to stop being a liar liars don’t die peacefully — no one would want to date someone like you “

her hands pulled at your hair and shirt “ look at how your dressed your so — your dressed like a child — a little boy and your hair is horrible and not brushed are you seriously thinking in your mind that your dating the ushijima ace of Shiratorizawa he may not be captain but still “

she scoffed as she stepped back “ look at you-- this just proves that your a liar if you were dating him you’d have tough skin seeing as though he has more fangirls than Oikawa — it’s literally only me down here and your on your knees crying in my face like a wounded dog “

you knew it was wrong to cry and have your head to the floor but you knew she was right . Why would ushijima like you let alone love and date someone like you when she was here

Her tall slender legs everything that you wanted , height something you always dreamed of , clear skin something you’d never managed to hold for more than a week and body exactly what you asked for in your prayers

Your mind couldn’t help but think she was more of a perfect fit for him than you’d ever be

and you just couldn’t see where you could be wrong

“ like I said stop lying and back the fuck off — I don’t know how you managed to manipulate ushijima into dating a fucking weird evil person like you but it’s not cool “

“ I find it quite cool how they got together actually“ tendous singing voice cut through as he took a sip of his drink

“ if you mean manipulating me with her patient heart and understanding for my busy schedule than yes y/n you really are evil “

“ I mean are you sure your not the weird one here — your the one trying to beat someone else into saying their not dating someone — like their relationship is gonna change if you get her to agree with you“ tendou scoffed continuing to speak to her

“ they’d still be dating no matter if she said no or not ushijima only has two things he focuses on volleyball and y/n so “

“ yes he’s correct volleyball has my heart in a way —and y/n has my mind— it’s hard to focus on anything else when she’s sitting in it all day “

“ told you — you had no chance even if you did make shorts to go along with that handmade jersey — which you really should have made —your legs look awfully cold “

“ he is telling the truth your legs have goosebumps — I really do hope you brought a jacket “

“ and I don’t know if your friends — the same ones laughing at you from the balcony right now “

tendou looked up waving at the girls “ hi margo “ the girl waving down happily

“ I don’t know if they told you before you came down here but they knew y/n and ushijima were dating so really your the stupid one not my best friend here “

he moved to drape his arm over you as he pointed at the girl

“ I mean your not stupid — that’s mean but you look really bad right now—yes “ ushijima cut him off as his stoic voice shook the girls core everytime he spoke

“ also I meant to tell you since y’know your friends didnt — your jersey you made “ tendou spoke

“ how— howd you know I made it — maybe I g-got it from— “

“ stop lying to yourself — ushijimas name is spelled wrong and hes not just the ace like your jersey says — he’s the captain ? “

the girl shook as she moved to play with her hands in embarrassment you finally noticing she had the words ace underneath ushijimas name that she forgot to add and I to before the j

“ well I do hope that’s not how people spell my name that looks deathly scary “

“ you may go “ tendous voice came out as the girl hurried off ushijimas loud deep voice making her freeze along with everyone else in the gym

“ Hey sai “ she turned to look at him tears in her eyes as his eyebrows furrowed “ you are very talented but — id like if you could put your talents to other use and maybe write my s/o a card explaining how pretty they are “

he looked to you “ their feelings are hurt and you are the reason and instead of fighting you in a volleyball match since you don’t have a team nor do you know anything about the sport “

the girls at the balcony laughed moving to leave the girl as ushijima continued “ i’d rather just have you sit down and rethink your hurtful actions and think about how pretty my s/o actually is — inside and out“

he nodded his head at the girl “ do you think you could do that “

tendou squeezed you in a hug as he draped the rest of his body on top of your head “ it’s either that or I continue to cut into you — I know I could do it for hours “ he sung out the girl crying as she shook her head in a yes motion leaving you alone with the two males around you

“ are you ok y/n “

“ yes love are you doing allright — I had a feeling something was wrong so I came back immediately “

you smiled softly “ e-everything is fine thank you both really “

ushijima looked to tendou as the latter understood and moved to whisper in your ear “ y/n I do think your really pretty myself and if you and ushijima weren’t happily together for 2 years already — and he didn’t do it like he does now — I’d make sure you knew your beautiful everyday “

you smiled at his kind comment you knew he just wanted to make you feel loved and to not believe your thoughts right now

“ do not listen to tendou he would have had no chance to date you seeing as though I liked you and am a lot bigger “

tendou laughed “ y/n doesn’t care that your big ushijima id totally win “

“ no she does — you have no space for her to crawl and cuddle on “

tendou waved him off as he walked towards the rest of the team as they closed the door and left you two alone in the gym leaving you to stare up at your boyfriend only to sit back on the bench

“ i’m sorry to make you do all of that ushi I just — I felt like I couldn’t say anything “ you bit at your lip

“ I don’t want you to think i’m weak and that you have to constantly remind me that you love me or even just to have someone who can’t stick up for themselves “

“ you are not weak “ he said as he sat down next to you “ you are one of the only people who can handle my energy and not break “

you laughed “ you have no energy ushijima “

“ if I have no energy then how do I play 2 matches of volleyball ? “

“ I mean no energy like that “

“ y/n I do not understand you are making no sense to me my love “

you laughed as more tears fell out “ I know ushi I know “

“ I do not understand why you are crying — If you understand that I do have energy that is no reason to cry just because you were wrong “

you played with your hands as he reached out to hold them rubbing them softly “ you do not have to believe her she was wrong “

“ was she though “

“ yes or I would not have said that just now “

he looked to wipe your cheeks “ you do not have to cry because you choose to believe baseless lies “

he wiped your eyes “ that is your own fault that you are sad right now —because you want to believe those idiotic claims“

he faced you as his hand moved to rub your cheek “ You are very beautiful and your smile makes me smile which I did not know I could do unless I was playing volleyball with my dad — that was the last time I smiled y/n—I thought i’d lost the emotion and you found it “

he sighed “ I look forward to my time with you because you always manage to make me smile and feel comfortable which I havent felt in a long time you make me feel loose and not so uptight “

he laughed “ there are times when I feel like tendou while hanging out with you and I cannot say I don’t enjoy it “

you smiled as he ran his thumb over your lips “ I love you no matter how you think you look or how others think you look — what I really love you for is your patience with this sport and my love for it “

you shook your head in a yes form you really did love him and you would wait anytime he said he had practice and couldn’t see you — only because you knew he had a talent and could go far with it and you didn’t want to be the reason he stopped short “ I love you y/n “

you smiled “ you couldn’t have said it with more meaning “ you laughed

“ well yes I could have used it in a way that has a different meaning the word means a lot of different things “

“ no I mean you couldn’t have said it without your voice sounding so bland “

“ what do you mean —does my breath smell bad is that whats making the words so tasteless to you“

you laughed “ no ushi I just meant to say them with meaning “

he smiled laughing while he spoke “ y-y/n I do not know what you mean my love “

“ like that “ you smiled hearing the happiness in his voice “ just like that “

he pulled you into a hug kissing your head “ I love you y/n more than the feeling of that last point I just scored — and more than the sport I wake up to practice for every morning “

[pippytmi]

16 + 4 + 2 (werewolf supercorp?)

It is not uncommon for Kara to wake up in a puddle of blood.

At this point she is immune to the shock that comes with it, really. She has adapted; knows all the best tricks to get stains out of her clothes, knows all the best laundromats that don’t ask any questions. Heck, she even has Alex’s ex-girlfriend on speed dial, just in case there is a freak chance the blood Kara wakes up in might be human (it has not happened yet, knock on wood).

But there are other parts that still take some getting used to. Like, for example, the loss of memory that comes with every night of the full moon. Because yeah, she understands why she wakes up in a pool of blood. What she doesn’t understand is why this time around she wakes up in a pool of her own blood, and in so much pain that it hurts to open her eyes.

“Ow,” Kara whispers to herself, twisting onto her side with a groan. Her clothes are gone—no surprise—but even as she is laying down on the cold, rocky forest floor, the only thing she can focus on is how much her head hurts. She’s dealt with branch scratches, sore legs and arms, the occasional plethora of bug bites, but never a headache. Her one comfort is that at least she has made it into the backyard of Sam’s cabin. It takes a considerable amount of strength to push herself up off the ground; walking is going to be much harder than anticipated.

If Alex saw her now, she'd—well first she would hit Kara over the head and yell at her about being dumb, but afterwards she would snicker. And probably hit her over the head again for good measure.

“Oh my God—!”

Okay, it’s official. Kara is now dead. Even if the stranger gawking at her is not the one who kills her, Alex definitely will.

And it’s that thought that makes Kara drop right back down on the floor, knocking the wind right out of her lungs, and she groans into the dirt pitifully.

“Oh, fuck,” the stranger whispers, almost as if to herself, scrambling to come to Kara’s side. “Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck this shit. Fuck!” Said stranger belatedly claps a hand over her mouth, green eyes widening in horror. “Holy shit, are you alive?”

Kara pitifully rests her cheek against the ground and tries not to look too offended. “Uh, kind of,” she replies. (So this must not be Sam’s cabin, then.) “Sorry. Am I in your yard? It is a very nice yard. Five stars.”

“No, it’s not my—I’m house-sitting,” the woman explains, though she is giving Kara a look that says really? That’s what you want to focus on right now?

“Well, it’s still a nice place,” Kara says, because she is polite and small talk is always a good thing to fall back on when you’re naked on a pile of dead leaves. “Wait, I don’t suppose you’re house-sitting for Sam, are you? Sam Arias, super tall, has a daughter who is freakishly good at checkers?”

Stranger-who-swears-like-a-sailor frowns. “How do you know Sam?” she asks suspiciously.

“She dated my sister. It was a whole—it’s a thing,” Kara says. “You know?”

“Wait. Are you Kara? Are you Alex’s sister?”

“Yes! So you do know!” Kara would grin if her face were capable of any emotion besides mind-shattering pain. “Then you must be Sam’s friend…uh, bear with me…Lena? Or Jess?”

“Lena,” says the woman, still notably wary, so Kara makes the decision to wiggle until she can prop herself up her elbows and look less, well, like a corpse.

“Hey, got it in one!” Kara says as cheerfully as she can muster. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. And can I just—uh, say—that you don’t have to worry. I won’t die here or anything. I know you would obviously be the number one suspect for murder and it wouldn’t be nice of me to put you through that.”

“…right. Never mind that you would be dead, or anything.” Lena begins to shakily unbutton her coat like a woman possessed, as if her doubt has morphed entirely into concern now that she has confirmation the freak naked in Sam’s backyard is not an entire stranger. “Here, this is long enough to cover you. Do you—do you need help getting up?”

“No, no, I’ve got it, thank you,” Kara insists, and gradually, she manages; she shifts sideways and then tentatively onto her butt, and accepts the coat when it’s all but thrown at her face. There is blood mixed in with the leaves and general guck beneath her, and she winces at the sight. “I’ll come back and clean this later,” she’s quick to add, and Lena frowns in response.

“Are you serious? Forget cleaning, you need—stitches, at the very least. I can take you to the hospital if—”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that!” Kara blurts out, and with the adrenaline from that burst of energy she’s able to scramble to her feet. She is shaky, unsteady, but she manages to stay upright at least and she’ll count that as a win. “Shoot. I’m sorry for yelling. I just—no hospitals. I can’t do hospitals.” She has never had to form an excuse for this, and her mouth can’t quite wrap around the right words.

But Lena—green eyes wide and unsure, skin pale in the early morning light—nods, like she understands. “Okay,” she says. “No hospitals.”

“Thanks,” Kara mumbles, wrapping the coat tightly around herself. There are startling black spots in her vision and her head still feels like it was used as a piñata; she wonders what the heck her next move should be now. If Sam needs someone to house-sit, she must be out of the city. And if Sam is out of the city, Kara can’t exactly waltz into Sam’s house to wash all the blood off her body (and then call up Alex from the couch while stealing whatever ice cream Ruby picked). Sam lets her do that, sure, but that’s Sam. It would be pretty rude to do that when Lena is right here.

“Do you…” And Lena pauses, nose scrunching up as if something has just occurred to her. “I can give you a ride somewhere else, if you’d like. Back to your house?”

“No, that’s okay,” Kara hurries to decline, because how can she really explain that she lives in an apartment, and that if little old Mrs. Jensen saw her coming up covered in blood she’d finally succumb to her third heart attack? “Can I just use Sam’s phone to call my sister? Then I’ll come right back out here, I promise.”

“Why would you come back out here again?” Underneath her coat, Lena is wearing plaid pajama pants that are rolled at the ankle (Sam’s, most likely), and a tank top that is extremely fitted. Very, very well fitted. Like, you-can-tell-it’s-frigidly-cold-outside-kind-of-fitted.

Kara coughs and tries not to let on how her train of thought has twisted. “Because…I’m a stranger?” she tries. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Remember, if you die I’m going to be the first one they question,” Lena says, tilting her head expectantly in the direction of Sam’s cabin. “Come inside, warm up. Call your sister.” All things considered, she is far more concerned than Kara expected her to be—as if, somehow, ridding herself of the weirdo walking around bloody and probably concussed isn’t the very first thing on Lena’s mind.

So Kara doesn’t look a gift horse in the mouth; she accepts the offer. It’s a small comfort that if she really does get murdered by a total stranger, it won’t be while cold and naked.

Lena goes right into Sam’s room the instant they go inside, already gathering a million outfits for Kara to pick through. “The shower is fickle, but it does have hot water,” she says, adding a towel to the pile in Kara’s arms when she re-emerges. “You just have to—”

“Hit the wall twice, and give it a few seconds,” Kara finishes. “Yeah, Sam reminds me every time.”

“So you…visit Sam often, do you?”

“Uh.” And suddenly, despite the long, cold night she’s had, the air indoors feels a bit warmer than is comfortable. “Only sometimes.” Once a month, Kara thinks, and Lena crosses her arms and just stares.

Really stares, dragging those sharp green eyes up and down Kara’s whole body. Squints at the scratches on her face, scrunches her nose at the way Kara awkwardly shifts from side to side. Finally Lena speaks, and it’s only to say, “It’s you, isn’t it?”

“...come again?”

“It’s you. Sam told me she’s been helping out a friend with a—furry predicament—”

If it were possible to choke on air, Kara would be dead right now. “Did she really call it furry? But she’s also—!” She has to pause, now, because she feels an urge to clarify, “Wait. Are we talking about the same thing right now?”

Lena narrows her eyes slightly. “You mean talking about how you’re a werewolf?”

“Oh!” Head lighter, Kara sucks in a laugh that makes her ribs feel like they are splintering open. “Then yes. That’s good, I didn’t want you to think I was a—anyway. I didn’t think Sam told anyone.”

“Sam and I have been friends for a long time,” Lena says slowly. A beat. “She actually ate my hamster once.”

Kara winces. “Recently?”

“No! Back in the fifth grade,” Lena frowns, like she might’ve added dumbass at the end of the sentence. “I’m a grown woman. I don’t own hamsters.”

“What? Come on, having pets isn’t just a kid thing,” Kara says. “I used to have a cat, but he…”

“Oh my God, you ate him?”

Kara’s jaw drops. “What—no! He turned out to already have an owner, so she took him back. He just liked to wander into my apartment.” She hugs the clothing pile tighter to her chest, and tries her hardest to scowl. “I’m responsible, okay? Most of the time. I’m not dangerous.”

“Except to deer, or rabbits, or whatever else you killed last night?” Lena quirks an eyebrow, but surprisingly not in a manner that’s judge-y. Just…curious.

“Right,” Kara says defeatedly, and her head throbs enough that her grip on Sam’s clothes begins to falter. “Sorry. I wasn't trying to be defensive or anything.”

“That's alright.” And stranger still, Lena reaches out to gently touch the side of Kara’s head. “So does the same thing happen to you?”

“Huh?” The proximity has scrambled Kara’s brain momentarily, and she finds herself unthinkingly holding her breath.

“Do you also black out,” Lena clarifies. “Like Sam does, every time she shifts.”

“Oh. Yeah, I’m pretty sure it’s—a universal wolf thing,” Kara says.

Lena hums, and her hand retracts. “And are you a serial killer in wolf form?”

“Uh, I hope not? I’m pretty sure all this is…” Kara gestures over her body with one hand, still hugging the pile of clothes with the other. “Not human.”

“Okay.” Lena casually walks away, but pauses to throw over her shoulder, “I’ll help you clean up your head once you’re out of the shower. I’ve helped Sam a hundred times.”

“Are you—do you have some kind of healing magic, or—”

“Close. I’m an ER nurse,” Lena says amusedly, and when she smiles a dimple emerges on one cheek. “All the witches I know have fled the city, so I’m afraid you’re stuck with me.”

“You joke, but Alex dated this witch once, and she hexed my sister to spill her first sip of coffee every time she went to take a drink for three weeks straight after they broke up,” Kara says, and Lena again scrunches her nose in that quizzical way.

“Seriously? Witches are real too?”

“Duh,” Kara says lightly. “What, you thought it stopped at werewolves? Please. I’m pretty sure the neighbor two doors down is a gorgon.”

“Well, it would explain her fondness of statues,” Lena says, strangely nonplussed. “I’ve never asked, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at this point. How do you take your coffee?” As she asks, Lena deposits a few fingers of whiskey into a mug, and at Kara’s questioning look says, “Sorry, we’re all out of painkillers. This is as good as you’re going to get.”

“Maybe I’ll do better if it’s straight,” Kara says, unable to hide her grimace, while Lena shrugs a shoulder as if to say it’s your funeral.

So after Kara showers, she sits on the couch and sips gross whiskey out of a chipped mug that reads World’s Best Mom in bright pink letters. Lena has turned on the TV to the local news station—clearly she has stayed with Sam before—and a man on screen is recounting a tale of how he hit a giant wolf strolling too close to his farm with a baseball bat.

“If I had my shotgun I would’ve killed the fucker,” he swears, red in the face, and above her Lena gives a little scoff.

“What a dick,” Lena says, her hand steadily stitching up the wound on Kara’s scalp, and her voice has a hint of an accent; it’s really cute, actually, and Kara doesn’t even mind that the next poke of the needle is sharper than the others.

It is the strangest morning Kara has ever had. Drinking whiskey before eight in the morning, with a kind stranger who she’s barely met but is suturing her skin together, who smells faintly of lavender soap and strong black coffee.

“—National City is not safe when wolves are wandering close to homes—”

The scent of rich hot chocolate bubbling on the stove is beginning to fill the room, the ancient pipes are rumbling throughout the walls, and Lena’s fingers are soft against her head. Kara closes her eyes and decides that she will wait a little longer before she calls Alex to pick her up.

[plainbrunettelbl]

ABO HC How (A) Todoroki, (A) Bakugo, and (A) Hawks would react to finding the (O) Reader held hostage:

Word count: 3199

Warnings: Cursing, violence, mentions of blood, and assault.   

Title: ABO HC How (A) Todoroki, (A) Bakugo, and (A) Hawks would react to finding the (O) Reader held hostage:

Summary: Your Alpha walks in on you being tied to a chair and he is not happy. 

Prologue: 

You had been a well-kept secret from the public. No one knew that your famous Pro Hero Alpha was courting an Omega or even in a long-standing relationship. Your Alpha was too paranoid about your safety to let any of the news outlets find out about your existence.  

You supposed it would have been beneficial for the public to know now that you were in this situation. Surely if the villains knew they would come across an Omega, resting in their nest, they wouldn't have tried to rob the Pro Hero’s house. 

You put up quite the fight once you smelled unfamiliar Alphas near your nest. One hard knock to your head had you subdued. You didn’t dwell over your quick loss considering one Alpha was nursing his swollen balls. 

You got in one good kick before the painful hit fell on your head. 

Now here you sat, tied to a chair, while the robbers argued with each other and what they should do now.

Shoto: 

🧊🔥-“I told you we should have checked the place out before we robbed it! I would have never tried to rob the place if I had known a freaking Omega was here!” The brunette Alpha growled, glaring at his blond friend. 

🧊🔥-“What’s the big deal? So what if the little icy-hot freak has a girlfriend? We will be out of here before he even comes home.” The blond scoffs, shoving expensive silverware and china into his black bag. 

🧊🔥-“You should know how Alpha’s get around their Omegas! He is gonna hunt us down! I don’t want a Pro Hero on my ass.” The brunette seethed, glaring at the goose egg on your head. “Especially since you decided to hit the poor thing! We will be lucky if he doesn’t skin us alive!”

🧊🔥-“The bitch hit me in the balls! Of course, I thumped her one on the head, serves the Omega slut right!” The blonde huffed, sick of hearing his partner complain instead of ransacking the place. 

🧊🔥-“Mmh.” You mumbled, your eyes blinking open to a fuzzy view. 

🧊🔥-“Fucking shit! They’re waking up! I’m not dealing with a weepy Omega.” The brunette cursed, going into Shoto’s office to avoid the whole situation altogether. 

🧊🔥-“Well, if it isn’t Miss nut-cracker.” The blond chuckled darkly, walking over to your tied up frame.

🧊🔥-You didn’t back down and just glared at the dumb fool. 

🧊🔥-“Aren’t too smart, are you? What type of shitty criminal robs a Pro Hero? Dumb ones, that’s what.” You spit, narrowing your blurry eyes at him. 

🧊🔥-No doubt you would need to go to the doctor after this whole ordeal. Not like you would have a choice. You were sure even if they didn’t lay a hand on you that Shoto would have insisted on one. 

🧊🔥-“You dumb little bitch!” The blond lifted his ring covered hand to hit you again. You tried not to flinch as it came down to strike you. 

🧊🔥-The brunette stood in the office doorway, his bag filled with expensive clocks and other expensive desk items. 

🧊🔥-“I got everything in the office. Did you...” The brunette didn’t get to finish his sentence. 

🧊🔥-The front door was busted open. Shoto had smelled two Alphas on the other side of the door and he was not pleased. He was even less pleased when the door slammed open to reveal his battered Omega tied to a chair. 

🧊🔥-His mismatched eyes turned dark. The temperature in the room both dropped and elevated at the same time. His tired body was instantly filled with murderous intent. 

🧊🔥-A loud growl shook the room. 

🧊🔥-How DARE they lay a hand on their Omega! His vision tinted red and his fangs dropped. 

🧊🔥-“This will only take a minute, Y/N. I’ll take out this trash.” He calmly said, his tone was so cold you felt yourself shiver even knowing his silent rage wasn’t directed at you.

🧊🔥-“Yes, Alpha.” You responded, making sure voice quivered a little. You may have been glaring right back at the intruders before he came but you wanted them to suffer so you played the scared Omega role. 

🧊🔥-They lost your sympathy as soon as they pulled you from your nest. 

🧊🔥-The robbers, who were frozen in fear by the intimidating Alpha’s entrance, shuffled into action. 

🧊🔥-The brunette was quick to give his partner up. “He hit her, not me!” He said, before running down the hall, looking for a way to escape. 

🧊🔥-“You fucking asshole!” The blonde shouted, trying to run out of the room as well. 

🧊🔥-He didn’t get far, ice trapped his feet and his lower body soon followed. Shoto made sure to form it in a way that sharp icicles tore at his skin if he so much as moved half an inch. 

🧊🔥-He wanted to shoot an icicle into his leg for good measure but he didn’t feel like cleaning up blood off his floor. He wished to burn the skin off his bone but you had forbidden him from using fire in the house. 

🧊🔥-He had accidentally caught one of your favorite blankets on fire and was banned for life. 

🧊🔥-“We didn’t know she was here! If we had known we wouldn’t have come!” The blond groveled, panicked at the feral look in Shoto’s eyes. 

🧊🔥-“You could have left after you saw my Omega was here, but you stayed and decided to hit her too. You should be lucky I didn’t just kill you on the spot.” He growled, cutting the blond’s cheek just a bit with an ice shard. 

🧊🔥-The blond just whimpered and passed out. Shoto was quick to hunt down the other and give him the same treatment. He had made it out of the house so he was pleased to release his burning anger out on him. 

🧊🔥-Once they were out of the way, Shoto ran to your side and burning away the binds holding you down. 

🧊🔥-“Are you okay, my Dove?” His voice was soft, his cold hand going up to your head and trying to soothe the aching bump. 

🧊🔥-“Yes, I’m just a little dizzy. Everything’s a little fuzzy right now.” You leaned into his gentle touch. 

🧊🔥-“I’ll call someone to deal with those two. Let’s get you to the hospital, my Dove.” He hurriedly lifted you and carried you to his car. He treated you like glass when he sat you down in the passenger seat. 

🧊🔥-You leaned your head against the cold window as he dashed around to the driver’s side. Your head hurt too much to look out the window so you kept your eyes closed. 

🧊🔥-Your Alpha made sure you didn’t accidentally slip asleep. 

🧊🔥-You let out a small whine when a thought crossed your mind. 

🧊🔥-“Alpha my nest is gonna smell like them.” You sniffed, opening your teary eyes to look at him. 

🧊🔥-Shoto’s hands went white on the wheel, his face contorted into a snarl. He couldn’t wait to visit them again at the station. He had friends there that wouldn’t hesitate to turn a blind eye. 

🧊🔥-His anger instantly simmered when his eyes met your glassy ones. 

🧊🔥-“Don’t worry, Little Dove. I’ll buy you more. We can even go shopping at that blanket store you like so much.” He assured, taking one hand off the wheel and clasping it in yours. 

🧊🔥-Your eyes lit up. “Really! It’s kinda expensive though, I don’t need new ones. I am sure we can find some nice second-hand ones.” You squeezed his hand, bring it up to your lips to place a kiss on it. 

🧊🔥-Your exhausted brain choosing to ignore the specks of blood on his hand. 

🧊🔥-“My Dove, what have I said about me spending money on you?” He gently reprimanded, his eyes still soft. 

🧊🔥-“Accept it and say thank you.” You repeated without delay. 

🧊🔥-“Exactly, I won’t hear any more about it.” He ended the discussion, his eyes focusing back on the road while his hand remained in your grasp. 

🧊🔥-If your head wasn’t killing you, you would have been bouncing in your seat. “I can’t wait! They are coming out with some pretty fall blankets soon! Oooh! We have to get some cute Halloween ones too!” 

🧊🔥-“Anything you want.”

Bakugo:

💥-“Why did you have to hit them!? Ground Zero is gonna come after us now!” The brunette cried, desperately holding ice to your head in hopes that the bump on it would go away. 

💥-“Shut up! Get back to robbing the damn place instead of taking care of the freaking Omega.” The blond hissed, throwing a plate at the panicked Alpha. 

💥-You sat back in the chair not knowing how to process the situation. You knew dating a Pro Hero was dangerous but you thought villains would be your main concern, not petty burglars. 

💥-“If you leave now and don’t take anything, I’ll tell him I tripped and fell.” You wouldn’t, but they didn’t know that. 

💥-“See! Let’s just leave. We can go rob some other place.” The brunette pleaded, already trying to untie you. 

💥-The Omega in you wanted to feel bad for the whining Alpha but then you remembered he messed up your nest when he dragged you out of it. You Omega was fuming. 

💥-I just got the nest just right! She huffed, pacing around in your head.  

💥-She didn’t seem threatened by the Alphas in the room. She knew her Alpha was coming home any minute and he would take care of them. 

💥-You, on the other hand, was slightly panicking now that the situation sunk in. Katsuki was gonna rip them to shreds. You Omega was already smugly licking her paws at the image, while you shuddered at the thought. 

💥-“You should go. I don’t want to be mopping up your blood all night.” You urged, looking anxiously at the door. 

💥-“See! We need to go!” The brunette cried, trying to tug his friend towards the door. 

💥-“Shut up! We can leave once we get everything valuable.” The blonde growled, shoving off his partner. 

💥-The jiggle of keys at the door made everyone in the room stop and hold their breath. The doorknob turned and the door was pushed open. You looked at the chair you were tied to, the robbers, and back at the door. 

💥-There was no way to play off the situational. I don’t want to be mopping up blood. You whined, praying your Alpha wasn’t going to go too berserk.  

💥-“Hey, Spit-fire! I got us, your favorite curry you were wanting. I made sure to get it extra spicy.” He walked in carrying a bag of takeout. 

💥-He paused in the doorway once he got a whiff of unfamiliar Alphas in the house. His ruby eyes viewed the scene before him. He growled at the sight of the two Alphas. 

💥-From your point of view, his eyes didn’t look red anymore with how big his pupils dilated at the presence of Alphas near his Omega. His hand instantly dropped the food to the floor. 

💥-The sound of the bag hitting the floor heightened the tension. 

💥-His fangs instantly dropped when his nose picked up a faint coppery smell, his eyes zeroed in on the small trail of blood on your head. The growl that ripped through his chest shook the room. 

💥-“Alpha, please, no blood in the house.” You pleaded, shifting against the ties holding you in place. 

💥-“No promises, Omega.” His voice was so dark that you didn’t even recognize it. 

💥-“The brunette didn’t hit me. He even tried to ice it. Go easy on him.” You said, knowing his control was waning. 

💥-The veins on his neck looked ready to pop, his arms straining to hold themselves still and not plummet the Alphas standing before him. He eyed the patio door that was pushed open, most likely where they entered in from. 

💥-That would solve the blood problem. 

💥-He grinned viciously, “How about we take this outside?”

💥-He rushed the two Alphas, grabbing them by the backs of their necks and throwing them out of the house and over the balcony. He laughed darkly as he followed them, jumping from the balcony. 

💥-You wiggled free from your restraints and made your way to the front door, you picked up the takeout bag and brought it to the kitchen. 

💥-“Suki will be hungry after beating those two up.” You hummed, making him a plate and then making yourself one. 

***

💥-“Is the water too hot?” His voice was raspy from all the yelling he did earlier. 

💥-You sat with your back leaning against his chest in the bathtub. The warm water and the heat of your Alpha calmed your stressed body. Being tied to a chair was as comfortable as it looked. 

💥-“It’s fine, Alpha.” You hummed, delicately washing his bruised and bloody hands. 

💥-“I’m sorry, I wasn’t here sooner Omega.” You smelled a hint of sadness in his scent. 

💥-“Don’t worry, Alpha. I knew you were coming. I wasn’t scared one bit.” You reassured, bringing his hand up and planting delicate kisses on it. 

💥-“My strong Omega,” he purred, nuzzling his nose into your hair. He flinched when he picked up the faint smell of another Alpha. He snapped up the bottle of shampoo and poured half the bottle on your head. 

💥-“Got to get this disgusting scent off you, Omega.” He growled, gently scrubbing your scalp. 

💥-“Alpha! That shampoo is fifty bucks!” You gasped, picking up the half-empty bottle. 

💥-“I’ll buy you another one.” He assured, rinsing of the soapy suds and giving your head another sniff. 

💥-“Much better.” He hummed, pulling you tighter against his chest. 

Hawks: 

🍗-“You shouldn’t be here.” You whimpered, trying to curl in on yourself, the ties preventing you from doing so. 

🍗-“Why the fuck did you have to hit them? You know I can’t handle weeping Omegas, my Alpha hates it.” The brunette growled, trying to awkwardly pat your arm. 

🍗-You winced away from his touch, another Alphas touch was too repulsive. You felt your skin crawl as his fingers grazed your arm. The thump on your head making you more nauseous than you already were. 

🍗-“So what if your Alpha is a pussy. Unlike you mine enjoys their cries.” The blond smiled at the tears dripping down your face. “The bitch deserved it anyways.”  

🍗-“Whatever.” The brunette scoffed, rolling his eyes and going back to robbing the place. 

🍗-“You guy’s really shouldn’t be here...” You tried to warm them but you were too late. The door creaked open, your heart warming and racing at the sound. You knew it would be a bloodbath once Kei realized what was going on. 

🍗-“Baby bird! I hope you are already in comfortable clothes, I’m ready to cuddle in our nest.” His soothing voice causing you to relax in the chair. 

🍗-“Alpha.” You cried, your head still throbbing. 

🍗-The silence was enough to tell you he spotted the two Alphas in the room. 

🍗-“Omega.” He growled, his eyes bleeding red, the sight of blood trailing down your head sent him into a frenzy. 

🍗-His wings puffed out, the room suddenly flooded with crimson feathers. You felt two feathers sailing your way and cutting the bonds holding you. You swiped them up in your grip and clutched them to your chest. 

🍗-The soft texture of them calming you down some. 

🍗-A feral roar sounded throughout the room. You ignored the harsh thumps coming from behind you, the sound of one of the robber’s heads getting bashed into your kitchen counter made you wince. 

🍗-You wanted to get up and get away from everything but your body was in shock and it wouldn’t let you do anything but clutch the crimson feathers to your chest. Your other hand was rested on your stomach. 

🍗-You tried to warn them. Nothing was more dangerous than someone harming a pregnant Alphas mate. You were still pretty early along so they might not have been able to smell it in your scent. 

🍗-You Alpha was sure able to, the instant he got a small whiff of it he was chirping happily against your stomach. You had a hard time getting out of his ruby wings that day. 

🍗-“You DARE harm my mate and chick!” You felt the pure rage behind his words. 

🍗-The blond was already passed out on the floor, his front teeth knocked out. The brunette was about to pass out with him, your Alpha choking him with his shirt. He made sure to use his feather to cut up his arms and face. 

🍗-His wings behind him puffing up and flapping angrily.

🍗-“Didn’t know...” The brunette slurred, his head bashed in as much as his friend’s head. 

🍗-If they wanted to hit his Omega on the head then he was all too pleased to return the favor. The brunette finally succumbed to his injures and blood loss, he went slack in Kei’s hands. 

🍗-Kei dropped him to the grown without care. 

🍗-“Pathetic.” He hissed.  

🍗-His head snapped up in your direction once he heard your tiny sniffles. He was at your side in an instant. 

🍗-“Oh, baby bird.” He cooed, lifting you from the chair and wrapping his arms and wings around you. 

🍗-“Alpha, I told them to leave.” You whined, snuggling into his chest. 

🍗-“I know, baby bird.” He soothed, breathing in your scent, checking on the baby chick in your belly. They seemed well. He was still gonna fly you to the hospital. He made his way to the balcony outside and spread his wings, without a second thought he jumped. 

***

🍗-“Don’t worry, Omega. I already ordered some new blankets. They should be here by tomorrow. I hope you don’t mind the guest bedroom for now.” He hummed, he was curled around your balled up form. 

🍗-You didn’t even build the nest surrounding you, Kei delicately dropped you down on the bed and instantly began building the nest. He would angrily chirp if you so much as lifted a finger.   

🍗-Everything was fine with you and the pup, or chick as Kei liked to call them. As soon as you arrived home Kei refused to leave your side or let you out of his sight. 

🍗-You were not to roll over on your side without his permission. 

🍗-“Thank you, Alpha.” You thanked, nuzzling your head into one of his soft wings. 

🍗-“I also called a security company, they will be here to set up a new system tomorrow.” He informed, nuzzling into your hair. 

🍗-One of his hands was tangled in your hair and the other was snugly cupping your stomach. 

🍗-“No more Alphas in the house.” You sniffled, shaking your head. 

🍗-“Of course, baby bird. I told them, beta’s only.” He reassured, kissing your head. 

🍗-“I love you, Alpha.” You whispered, almost lulled to sleep. 

🍗-“I love you, too baby bird.”  

First HC I have done in a while, also the first time writing for Hawks! What did you think of him? I hope you enjoyed it! Please be sure to leave a comment and like! I really enjoy hearing your reactions. 💕

[levisgirll]

𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐚𝐨𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛 𝐰/𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐬

Hello everyone!

This is a special collab post brought to you by ‘cookiefics’ and ‘levisgirll’ and we decided to work together and write up a post which is y/n pranking their aot boyfriends!

Check out cookiefics for Eren and Reiner 

And

Check out ‘levisgirll’ for Levi and Jean. (Here!)

Synopsis: Y/N decided to prank the boys in attack on titan by saying they don’t want to ‘sleep with them tonight’. Some will get annoyed, sad, might tease you back or try to get your attention! And to make it up, Y/N ends the prank by saying the 3 words they long wanted to hear! So pick or check out which character you like the most and enjoy <3 We promise this will be good that is filled with love, fluff, entertainment and a little bit angst.

text: I feel honored to work and make a collab post with cookiefics, this was extremely fun to do and working with her was one of the best decisions I made! This is my first collab post and I am happy to say that I am glad and proud how this turned out! Important point please support and check out my friend’s cookiefics post for Eren and Reiner, you won’t regret it😩💖 (her work is amazing- and I admire her writings and ideas a lot so check her account please :,)✨)

Levi:

‘Okay I’m gonna do it! No more backing away.’ Y/N thought as they took a deep breath while turning the door knob to enter the bedroom. They are gonna do the prank on Levi tonight.

Y/N entered the bedroom, and the first sight they see is Levi, their boyfriend, sitting on the chair while his legs were crossed and sipping his tea.

He would always wait for his partner before going to bed, he never once went to bed without first Y/N going to bed. He was that loyal and such a gentleman, and also because he is deeply in love with you.

He can’t even relax or lay on bed if you are not by his side! You are his everything, and he will not and never have a goodnight rest without you being by his side because you matter to him a lot.

Oh how you feel bad doing this prank on Levi, your great boyfriend...but you had to, you wanted to see how he would react!

“Love...I was waiting for you.” He sounded so glad, and happy once you entered inside. But, he realized you were a bit late and the next thing shocked him.

You just walked past him with a stolid manner, and did not even reply to him as you went straight to the bathroom. You took your toothbrush and started to brush your teeth.

Levi picked that up QUICKLY and would try to figure out what is wrong with Y/N, while still sipping his tea but now he has uncrossed his leg (cause this sudden act from his partner made him worry). Watching Y/N, observing them in his own sherlock style.

“Hey...Something wrong?” Levi would say as he laid his shoulder against the bathroom door which was open.

When you finished brushing your teeth, you were washing your hands and coldly said “No.”

He lowkey starts to get nervous and then he would probably start to think he is the problem why his lover is acting like this. He will think and be like ‘The hell? They don't love me? What am I to them….?’. He clearly starts to doubt himself and overthink. You gave him no sort of clue what was going on!

When you left the bathroom and went into the bedroom, you started to change into your nightwear, still giving Levi your back. 

Levi is quick and smart to catch on things, especially if the vibe is not the same. ‘Fuck did I actually mess this up’ He tries to initiate the conversation by asking you “Hey Love, did you drink the tea I made for you?”

“Hm, Oh yea.” Y/N said, still with her stolid manner and then proceeded to brush their hair. ‘What?!...Something is definitely wrong, this is the second time I'm saying love to them and they haven't once said love back.’ Now he is getting concerned and he started to come closer towards you, he is conflicted also to hug you or not. (you noticed that and that broke your heart-)

“Y/N, Something is wrong...was the tea bad!?” Levi said out loud in his unease tone. 

He turned around and went to his drawer to get the tea box to check if there was anything that was mentioned that could be bad.

He was ready to sue this tea company, ‘I want to end this company’s whole career...how dare they.’

“No Levi….it was not the tea.” You said all worried, ‘What tea is he even talking about?! And why does he look ready to murder someone’ You thought as you looked at him, but also trying to hold your laughter.

He gave out a sigh, relieved it was not the case. Now, he can sleep with you right? He went to change into his sleeping outfit and he was all thrilled to hold his Y/N and sleep with them. It was indeed his favorite time of the day.

But...Y/N wasn't moving towards the bed? And they begin to say “Hey Um...I wanna sleep alone tonight. So, could you leave?”

Levi had a sinking feeling in his stomach, his eyes widened ‘What..?’

He turned around to look at you all confused and...hurt by what you said. “No.” He said after 3 minutes of silence, he was trying to process what the hell was even going on. (poor man-)

“No? Okay, I’ll leave and go sleep in the other guest room we have.” But, before you could even go near the door to leave.

Levi would block the door by standing in front of it, not allowing his lover to leave. “If..” He started to look at you and raised his eyebrows, being all serious. Then, he said in a serious tone. “You go there, I swear to you I will kick the door down and break it.”

You had to hold back your laughter, and tried to control yourself because you know for a fact your man will do that and it would be a lie if he is not clingy. Cause, he is.

“Why! Tell me.” He looked at your eyes, searching for any sign of answer on your facial expression. One hand cupping your side cheek and the other hand rested on your shoulder as he gently stroked it. 

“If it is about the tea, I will try my best to drink those damn bubble teas, frappuccino or whatever they are that you like so much with you!” He gave you a look, that was determined and he was ready to go out and get one even if it was midnight just to prove it to you.

He is actually kind of shocked and he would stand there waiting for your response. But inside, he is sad and hurt about this all cause he is blaming himself this is happening because of him!

“L-Love!! It's a joke, a prank okay?” You couldn't hold yourself and you finally said it was a joke, you just missed not saying love to your boyfriend and you wanted to hug him again and express your love towards him cause you know he was hurt!

Levi would get irritated and annoyed, and let you go. He heads towards the bed. After, he would say. “Again, with your fucking pranks hm? No one is laughing here.” He is clearly pissed at how he fell for this but also, lowkey glad it was not none of the things he was thinking about.

Y/N surprises their boyfriend and would finally say it to make it up for Levi. “Hey...Um” Y/N stood there, all shy while looking down and holding their arms. Levi turned around to look at them, “What? Again another prank? Because that won't wor-”. You ran towards him and brought your arms around his neck while hugging him tightly “Ugh No, I love you!” While you said that, you kept your face on his shoulder and he felt your face burning up.

After you finally say those three words, he goes all soft and starts to even get butterflies. It was the first time he heard you say that out loud, because he knew you are usually shy.

He would think about it again the whole night and that makes him forget you even pranked him.

He hugs you even tighter tonight and kisses their neck quite a lot, he was showing you some of his rare affection and love.

Levi would later say “so you still like sleeping with me...hm? You didn’t say anything about that.”

He wants to make sure his s/o loves and cherishes him, and also he started to show more love tonight to you. 

Jean:

To start the prank with Jean, you decided to give him the silent treatment, and that upsets him to unknown levels for you. He was a really soft boy and small things like this really overwhelmed him!

“Babe...Do you want something?” Jean tried, he really did. To get any sort of reaction from you, he softly rubbed both of your shoulders as he was behind you. He was about to kiss your neck when you said. “Jean...I want to sleep alone tonight, maybe you should go and sleep on the couch because-” You were about to continue when he made you turn around quickly and held both of your arms.

“First of all, who is Jean? I don’t know any Jean! I’m babe for you, remember?” He was highly strung, and tried to pretend he did not hear you say his first name. This guy would always crave and was eager to hear you call him by his pet name. It really boosted his ego up and he loved it the way you always say it. He was deeply in love with his Y/N.

You couldn't bring yourself to laugh yet, because it was kind of cute to see Jean like this and it made you want to tease him even more! “Okay but I wanna sleep alone tonight, Jean.”

‘Wait, wait, Wait! My girl is upset! Shit, what the heck did I do? STUPID JEAN’ He would think while putting his hand on his forehead, trying to think while having an existential crisis on the couch in their huge bedroom. Then he jolted up and said, “Maybe...is it because I ate the ice cream that you left for yourself??!”

‘Um, what the fuck is with this man? And what ice cream is he even talking about!’ Y/N would think as they had a confused look. They couldn't even focus on the prank anymore and were wondering which ice cream it was.

You then turned around, grabbed a pillow and was about to leave the room but Jean was hugging and holding your waist from behind, not letting them leave and he would yell out saying. “No! I won’t let you leave babe! Will you forgive me if I buy more ice cream RIGHT NOW?” Your man was more than ready to go out with his pajamas and his slippers to get you all the ice creams from the nearest corner shop.

He really was willing to do and try literally anything to get you not upset with him and sleep with him tonight, he can’t go on the night without you!

Since Jean is really upset about this prank, y/n had to make it up for him and break off the prank.

“Calm down! It’s a prank babe.” You said giggling, and rubbing his biceps (he really likes that).

He let out such a long sigh and was relieved to hear that, like this guy kept thanking the world it wasn’t because of the ice cream. “Damn it, you scared me there!! Babe, please you will end up giving me a heart attack with these pranks.” He said with such a calm tone and hugged you.

“But you know...I can’t sleep without you.” Y/n said in a soft tone and went near Jean as they put their head against his chest. “You know I love you anyways...”

There was silence, he pushed your shoulders to look at your face that was red right now. “Wait...did I hear that right.” Jean just stood there, and was taken aback by what you just said. You were a blushing mess right now, and looked away. “Nothing Babe!! Let’s go to sleep now, okay?”. You tried to hurry back to your shared bed but he held onto you from behind again.

“Say it again...you made me suffer now with your stupid prank, so you’re going to repeat it! I heard it!” He was holding you so tightly and Jean was not going to let you go until you say it again.

Y/N gets all red and shy, while Jean is just too excited and takes this to his advantage. When you said it again after he was persuading you, he grabbed your hips and picked you up and you both were on your shared bed and he kept tickling you. Love and laughter filled the room and that melted Jean. He loved seeing you laugh, smile and being happy, it meant the world to him.

He showed you and gave you so much love that night you both did not sleep that evening.

We hope you ALL enjoy and love it <3 and if you do please leave a like, reblog or you could let us know what you think about it in the comments or asks🥺💕

[delu-jean]

𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐞 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞? (𝐏𝐭 𝟐)

(Akaashi x fem!/reader) -> Angst/Fluff? -> 3.2k 

Synopsis: Akaashi is strolling through Tokyo, and on that day, meets a boy who looks all too familiar. One whose eyes remind him of you. 

Part One: Is He Mine? 

Part Three: Is Her Mine? (Part. 3) 

Notes: Part two as promised! Maybe I’ll make a part three (haha >:)). Be sure to comment if you would liked to be tagged for the next part, and reblogs are always appreciated. 

-> Also, for those tagged in this post, I’ll tag you in the next as well ^^ 

“Y/n...please tell me.” 

“T-tell you what?” you asked nervously, as he felt just the same. Inhaling his breath, hoping he could keep calm. 

“Is...is he mine?” 

---

“Is he who’s?” 

“Mine Y/n...is he mine?” 

You stared at the gentleman. Though his question was reasonable (?), that was the first thing he was going to ask you?...after all of those years?...years of torment, resentment, and whatever else. Maybe you were overreacting, but yet again, you were a woman who stood by her morals. And that being the case, your instincts had said your reaction was as reasonable as his question. 

Some part of you wanted to snap. To holler at Akaashi for asking such a ridiculous question, yet the other part...was scared. You felt anxious when thinking of a proper answer. Was Ryu his?.... If taken out of context, he could’ve been asking if Ryu belonged to him, and of course he didn’t. Ryu wasn’t an object that could be owned by merely anyone. He was his own person, and that being the case, wasn’t something that could’ve been held down. Yet even though you could’ve interpreted it that way, you knew what Akaashi really meant. Yet you didn’t exactly have an answer. 

“Ryu?” 

“Yeah...” 

Akaashi seemed suspicious. He could tell you were hiding something, and even though very obvious, he didn’t want to assume. Hoping that you would confirm things so that you both could talk it out. Yet here you were, not giving him a response. He was confused to say the least, shouldn’t the answer have been easy? Ryu looked exactly like him, and plus, him not having a father was another takeaway. Using those facts should’ve given him enough confirmation. 

But then again, maybe the answer wasn’t as easy as it should’ve been. What if Ryu wasn’t his?...what if Akaashi had made an assumption out of impulse, because of a lingering feeling he had. One of which you sparked for him to feel. 

Maybe he was being delusional, and instead, was trying to make an excuse. An excuse to spend another minute, even a second with you there. Ryu was important to him as well. His or not, he respected that you had started a family, and was glad Ryu was a part of it. He adored Ryu, but he also admired you. Speaking of Ryu, the boy then clung onto you. He seemed confused about the interaction, and tried asking for clarification. 

“His? *GASP* Am I Akaashi’s brother!? Momma, you never told me!” he smiled happily, ecstatic at the news. 

“Eh-no dear, he’s not your brother,” you chuckled, for him to ask: 

“Then what did he mean? What did you mean, Akaashi?” you then stared at Akaashi. You knew he was smart enough to play things through, and even so, you still panicked the slightest bit. 

“I was wondering if you would be mine for the night, along with your mother. We could go grab dinner, or ice cream even,” you looked at him in shock as his eyes seemed determined. Needing an answer, and willing to get it in whatever scenario possible. 

“But what about Kuroo?” 

“Oh my, I forgot about that,” you then glanced at your watch. 

“Kuroo?...but how-oh….” Akaashi then thought about how you and Kuroo were very close friends. So close that sometimes, he would even find you hanging out with Kuroo, over himself. Though it wasn’t because you liked him (in that way), rather, you were both very good friends. Akaashi let it be since you both had mutual trust, and Kuroo was someone he was also friends with. Besides, Akaashi also respected your personal life with others, and so did you for him. 

They still talked till this day, and not once had Kuroo mentioned you having a child. But to be fair, Kuroo never mentioned you. That being because both you and Akaashi had broken up, and it would’ve been an uncomfortable topic. Still, Akaashi found it strange. If Kuroo knew, wouldn’t Bokuto have as well?...meaning that Akaashi would’ve known by now? His thoughts continued to trail as you looked at him in disbelief. 

You did have plans with Kuroo, but then, you also had a couple hours until he’d come around. Even so, you didn’t want to spend that time with Akaashi. He was one of the last people you needed to talk to. The grudge which still stood in your heart, clenched with each second he stood there. The anger which he had gifted you, was something that was eager to return. As you had thought this, you then stared at your son. He seemed thrilled to be with such a man, as he gripped onto Akaashi’s hand in excitement, saying: 

“Yay! We get to eat together!” 

“We’re going to have so much fun!” 

“Let’s try some bubble waffles!” 

You then remembered that even if you had felt that, your son instead felt joy being with Akaashi. And that being the case, you didn’t have the right to take that happiness away. After all, Ryu was not yours either. He wasn’t someone you could drag away from events, just because you had conflicts with a person. Though there were times where doing so was appropriate, was now really such an event?...not even you could answer that. But even though you couldn’t, his smile which brightened the mood, had answered for you. 

“Okay buddy, slow down. Fine, we can go with brother...Akaashi. We’ll meet Kuroo sometime later, just let me text him.” 

“Okay mom! Akaashi, Up!” you then eyed the boy, for him to insist regardless. 

“Please mom! He’s so tall, and I can see everything-” 

“Ryu no-”

“Sure, what not?” Akaashi then grabbed the boy, placed him on his shoulders, and secured his legs with his hands. You then sighed. If Akaashi had agreed, what could you do? You then texted Kuroo, grabbing your bag firmly as Akaashi spoke: 

“I know a place where we could grab ramen. If not, we could instead-”

“No, ramen is fine,” you said in a stoic tone. 

“Okay...then let’s get going.” 

---

The walk to the outdoor stand was awkward. Well...for you and Akaashi at least. The last time you two spoke, was the day he broke things off. He never reached out to you during that time, and now...here you both were. Expected to have a lengthy conversation, and to enjoy yourselves. Key word, “expected.” Though it would’ve been nice if you both could have talked care free, it wasn’t going to happen. That event occurred when both parties have mutually moved on. From Akaashi’s perspective, he still had lingering thoughts, yet kept them to the side. Going on with his life as he expected you did yours. Though he thought you had moved on, you had thought differently for different reasons. 

Even though you both had your differences, Ryu was there. Entertaining the both of you separately. He complimented you one second, and played with Akaashi the next. You had never seen Akaashi so enthusiastic with a child before. Though he wasn’t going all crazy, and acting like a kid himself, he was being a lot more open. Talking back and forth with Ryu, giving nice remarks, and also rewarding him...with that beautiful smile he bestowed. 

Even so, you tried to ignore it. Remembering that this entire ordeal was for Ryu, and not for your observations. 

“We’re here. What do you want Ryu?” 

“Hm, could I get the one with Tonkatsu? I’ve been craving it all day!” 

“Haha, sure buddy. And...you, Y/n?” 

“I’m not hungry, you guys go ahead,” Akaashi then sighed, obviously not believing you. 

“We’ll get two Tonkatsu ramens, along with Fukuoka ramen.” 

“Sure, that’ll be $18.35 please.” 

“Debit-”

“Um...I can pay for both Ryu and I,” you said, as you tried scrambling for your wallet. Akaashi then tapped the machine, placing his hand on your own (the hand in your purse). 

“It’s fine. Afterall, I already paid,” you shook your head, but let it go as Ryu pointed to a table. 

“Come on! Let’s sit!” 

---

“Akaashiii~!”

“What is Ryu?”

“How do you know mommy? Mommy would never talk to a stranger, so that means you both know each other.” 

“Oh...well, um,” Ryu was truly a bright child. One who caught on a little too quickly. He really did remind you of his father. Quick witted, yet wise with his tongue. Being certain to use specific words or sentences, to ensure/secure his curiosities. 

“Well...mommy and Akaashi were very good friends,” you replied. 

“Ahhh. So if that’s the case, why have I never met him before?” 

“Well you see-” 

“It’s because I live further away from you guys,” Akaashi answered. 

“But so does Kuroo,” Akaashi then pondered, and placed his hands together. 

“Hm, I guess you’re right. Well, maybe your mother has an answer,” the two black haired boys, then stared at you. Both were awaiting for an answer, and yet both had different intentions. One wondering out of pure curiosity, while the other...was waiting for an explanation. One which could clear up any, if not every misconception. 

“Well sweetie, sometimes good friends have to part ways. Everyone has their reasons, but most of the time…” you then looked at Akaashi. 

“It’s because it’s for the better,” his gaze was locked onto yours. The stare was unreadable. It didn’t feel tense, yet it was. Was it cold, hurtful?...you wouldn’t have known. But what you did know was that Akaashi was good, too good at hiding his thoughts. So good that when together, he would let things slip without reaction. Sometimes that was a great thing...and others...not so much. 

“Why would it be a good thing? You both were best friends!” you then placed a hand on his head, patting it gently. 

“Well...friends have to grow up. That doesn’t mean you can’t see them again, but, what it does mean is that you’ll have some time...alone. And that time...is used for you to grow.” 

“Ahh, I see mom! Is that why we don’t see Kuroo often?”

“Haha, no sweetie. That’s actually because we live further away. If Kuroo lived in our city-” 

“He would be living with us, right?” 

“Hm...I guess so,” Akaashi then looked in the other direction. There was no tint of emotion, just...silence. 

“Akaashiiii, the ramen is here!” 

“Oh, is it Ryu?” 

“Yeah, it is!” your bowls were then slid over. Ryu stared at Akaashi’s hands, and at first, Akaashi wasn’t sure as to why. Ryu didn’t touch his food, and at first, he was worried that the boy didn’t like it, but then noticed he was holding a pair of scissors. Pointing them towards the gentleman. Though confused, he then caught onto Ryu’s gesture. 

“Dear I can-” before you could finish your sentence, Akaashi started to cut his noodles. Making them bit size for the boy. It seemed like second hand nature, yet something new to him. Though, you would’ve felt more comfortable doing it yourself, you weren’t complaining as the job was now done. 

“Thanks Akaashi!” 

“No problem Ryu. Now, let’s eat.” 

---

You all then finished your ramen. Though you had said you weren’t hungry, you couldn’t help but eat it. After all of those years, Tonkatsu ramen was still your favourite, and Akaashi still knew. He was glad that he remembered the littlest of details. Ones which may have been overlooked. Ones he made sure to be attentive to. Not only that, but he was glad Ryu had enjoyed the meal as well. He truly was your son as he had the same tastes as you. Akaashi found it quite cute, and found it even more adorable as he ran out of the restaurant, shouting: 

“Mom, Akaashi! I want to play at the park!” 

“Hm...it’s a little late buddy,” Akaashi said, for you to respond: 

“It should be fine. We’ll be over here watching Ryu. No funny business young man!” 

“Okay mommy!” the young boy then climbed the slide, as Akaashi sat on the bench. Patting on it, indicating that you sat beside him. And so...you did. Your legs together, hands as well, as your head looked down. He then sighed, asking: 

“Do you feel uncomfortable? I can move if-” 

“No...it’s fine. We’ll be leaving soon, so no need to worry.” 

“Is Kuroo picking you up?” you then nod as he did the same. 

“I see...so...how have you been?” 

“Oh...um...I’ve been okay. I’ve done better, but...yeah.” 

“Hm, I see,” you really didn’t want to be in this situation. Maybe for him, it seemed civil, but to you...it was awkward. Neither of you knew what to say, and neither did you try to hide it (successfully at least). Akaashi then twitteled with his thumbs. A rare sight you would see every once in a while. Akaashi was a well spoken person, and usually had something to say in a well mannered way. But when he didn’t, or didn’t know what to say, he would play with his thumbs. Hoping that something would spring to mind. 

“You must be having fun.” 

“Fun doing what?” he looked at you. 

“Playing with your thumbs,” you smirked, for him to put his hands away. 

“Not really.” 

“Hm...so...what have you been up to?” you asked, curious and yet not wanting to know. 

“Nothing much...just work and well, Bokuto and I still hang out from time to time.” 

“Ahh, really? I’m glad. You both were the bestest of friends.” 

“And still are,” he smiled, while watching Ryu climb the monkey bars. 

“Hm, you have a girlfriend yet?” he then paused for a moment, for him to answer:

“No...not yet. I haven’t found anyone interesting.” 

“Ah, that’s unfortunate.” 

Was it really?...you wouldn’t know how to think after today. If you hadn’t met Akaashi here...you would’ve thought otherwise. Glad that he hadn't found someone else, for his actions sickened you. Such a gentleman, yet someone so cruel. You would feel awful if he had grasped someone, just as tightly as he did to you. Sprinkling you with such intoxicating, yet graceful pleas, and yet he left you there to rot in such doing. Such a passionate man, yet that same person could find passion in such coldness. 

For the past years, you had found him to be utterly despicable. After that one event...you couldn’t help but think that. But even so, after seeing him with Ryu today...you couldn’t help but melt. The two were so sweet together, and even though you hated to admit, had a spectacular relationship within just hours. They really acted as the best of friends, and Akaashi seemed to enjoy it. Not only that...but his smile...it was one which was truly admirable. 

You then stared at Akaashi, while he watched Ryu. He really hadn’t changed. He was calm, quiet, and reserved. His posture was on parr with the rest of his body. His hair was styled more neatly, and actually, it had grown a bit, along with his height. His figure, a lot larger than what it was in university, and his cologne smelled of lavender, along with a hint of pepper. It was a strange combination, but it worked. He really had grown up to be even more attractive. And that being the case, it surprised you that he didn’t have a partner. Said attractiveness, along with the kindness of his nature...had drawn you in, and yet dragged you out. Leaving you in a confused, and undecided state of mind. 

He then took note of your stare, and grinned. Secretly glad that your attention had averted towards him, yet, he was trying to be subtle. You truly looked astonishing tonight. Even after a couple of years, you still looked the same. That same highschooler who he had fallen in love with, the one who had constantly supported both him, and Fukurodani. The only person who truly understood such a stoic man. That same girl he would forever hold a place in his heart for. Although, now you weren’t just a sweet girl, but now, a beautiful lady instead. 

Deep down, he would’ve wished for a space to open. Allowing such a lady to make way into his heart. Hoping said lady, would do the same. And maybe, just maybe...a prince could join you both as well. Making his thoughts come true in the utmost blessed way. 

He made sure you didn’t catch onto his stare, the one which he had latched onto you. His attempts were taken very seriously, as he didn’t want to make things too obvious. Unfortunately, you did catch him in the act, and turned away, embarrassed. 

“Hm,” he smirked, as you fished for your phone. 

Kuroo ᕙ(`▿´)ᕗ

-> ‘Are you still coming?’ 

-> ‘Of course. Sorry, traffic delays. I should be there in ten.’ 

-> ‘Okay...see you soon’ 

You were about to turn of your phone, to then see Kuroo text:

-> ‘Also...don’t worry too much. You can do this Y/n, good luck, and I’ll be there soon.’ 

You then smiled, and Akaashi took note, thinking: 

‘She’s probably talking to her…ah...’ he sighed at the thought, to then ask: 

“Are you talking to your husband?...you seem happy,” he smiled. Even though smiling was a happy gesture, he couldn’t help but make it the opposite. Making his grin, feel ever so agonizing. 

“Ah...well...that was Kuroo,” Akaashi then batted a brow, surprised to say the least. He’d only seen that look on you when you were vulnerable. Whether you were scared, or secretly happy. Regardless, that was only around him...not even Kuroo had seen such a stare. But now that he saw you in such a state, it made him question if you, and Kuroo were in a relationship. That being the reason why he never brought it up, and vice versa. 

“Oh...I see. So that means,” Akaashi then started to think. Yes, the younger child looked like him, but then, there was also resemblance between both Ryu, and Kuroo. They both had black hair, Ryu had a peckish, yet sweet smile (like Kuroo...minus the sweet-), and the bits of information fit logically. If you and Kuroo had Ryu, it would’ve made sense. 

Both childhood friends who had grown together, to then realize what they wanted after he...had left you. Starting a family, and being with each other?.... Ryu looked like he could’ve been Kuroo's, or anyone for that matter. But even if Akaashi would have liked to think that way, the connection was too uncanny to deny.

Even so, Akaashi was still suspicious. Wondering as to why Ryu would be so reluctant towards his father. Why he would call “Kuroo,” well…”Kuroo,” and just as to why you both lived so far away. Maybe you both had a situation?...but then again, wasn’t Kuroo on his way to pick you up? Akaashi was confused, and felt like he was over-thinking things. Maybe Ryu wasn’t his...and Akaashi was instead looking for something...that wasn’t there...nor his to compensate. 

“That means what?...” he then locked his eyes, with yours. Though he was someone who was hard to read, you could tell how desperate he was. His stare, piercing right at you, hoping he could get an answer. 

“Y/n...could you please tell me...if he’s...mine?” you then saw the sorrowful expression, which struck him. The guilt which seeped in, had dug even further. Not sure how to tell him, nor how to phrase things. Your hands clenched, inhaling slowed, as your body trembled. He seemed just as scared for your response, to then hear: 

“He’s-”

“He’s mine, Akaashi...Ryu is mine,” Kuroo said, for silence to then fill. 

For Those Who Wanted To Be Tagged/Reblogged/Wanted A Part Two! ^^ :

@bokutojuicyass; @realbugmom; @exactlygreatlove; @instantdinosaurhottub; @suchagoodgirlxoxo; @nomadicadventures; @greenhoodie-mark; @n5koma; @animclarinerd; @personalficarchive; @sabrinakishi; @amecchii; @daffodilpetals; @lerougestvelvet; @notamazinglizzy; @akaashimarryme5; @m00ndust2​

->Sorry to those who tags aren’t working qwq 

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Wounded Love (Lady Dimitrescu/F!Reader)

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: M for mature. Blood, more blood, heavy language, seriously lots of blood. Literally the bloodiest/most detailed thing I've written. Genre: Super angst with some fluff to ease the pain. We're talking putting honey in your cup of poison to make it taste better. The ending is split, with both a happy and a sad ending. Warnings: Minor surgery (technically?) while the patient is fully awake (that's the reader, btws), blood loss, graphic depiction of a wound and how said wound is taken care of. Possible trigger for self-harm, as the reader is performing part of the surgery themselves. Also brief mention of cannibalism in the bad ending. This may very well be a Dead Dove: Do Not Eat sort of thing. Notes: While I have more medical knowledge than the average person, due to my Girl Scouts training + having a mother as a nurse, I am in no way shape or form a medical professional, and do not suggest that the methods of treatment used in this fic be taken seriously. If you find yourself seriously injured, do not attempt to replicate anything you read here. Only a portion of this is based on a real-ass incident I went through, the rest is based on a dream, and what I experienced was not what you want to do in an emergency.

{Wounded Love}

This was a mistake. Blood stains your leg, your fingers, and bruises start to form all over your exhausted body. And for what? Why had you, a tiny, fragile human, dared to pass through this damned, lycan-infested forest? Because a woman who didn’t even love you asked you to. Now you were going to die, body certain to get left out in the cold or reduced to a pile of gnawed bones. If you had more strength remaining, you might have slammed your hand into the ground in frustration, or screamed until your lungs burned from something other than frost.

But that wouldn’t get you anywhere. Wouldn’t help you get back to the castle, wouldn’t ease the racing of your heart. So you settle for the only thing that might do any good: One quick motion pulls the scarf from your neck, sending a chill down your spine that you promptly ignore. Even with shaky hands and numb fingers, your experience is enough to let you wrap the cloth around your leg, tying the ends in a knot to secure it. The pressure hurts, just not enough for you to prefer bleeding out. A test step reveals that walking is mildly more difficult now.

“I’m going to haunt her,” you muse, under your breath, tears starting to freeze at the corner of your eyes. Still, you are as quietly determined as ever, and so once more you limp down the path. Every time you put weight on your injured leg it protests harder. If not for the snow and ice covering the ground, you might have quickly searched for a walking stick. “What could be so important about this damn package? Couldn’t Doug or whatever-his-fucking-name-is deliver it? Man can practically teleport, and here I am, watching as blood loss and hypothermia race to see who can kill me first.”

Gods were you angry. Why had this happened so soon after you had settled in? Finally you had been comfortable in Castle Dimitrescu, no longer as frightened of the residents, even finding them… charming, in a way. Then the Lady of house called to you for what she claimed to be a simple errand. You had believed her, even when she explained that you would have to leave the relative safety of her home. What a fool you had been.

“What a fool she must be,” you murmur, “to think me safe here. To think I could outlast wolfmen prowling the village outskirts.” Would she even care if she saw you now? Would she be surprised, disappointed? Would she do something to change your fate? There was no reason for her to do so. It didn’t matter how much you had helped her, how much she claimed to appreciate what you did (heavy lifting, repair of clothing, massages). You were as replaceable as any other Maiden there was. And that, that was what made you have a double-take. It came to you in that moment, a thought so painful that you could not deny it was the truth. “She never thought I would survive.”

Bitterness coats your tongue, like blood in your throat, and your brain demands that you destroy your cargo, the very thing that got you sent here in the first place. You almost do it. Feet stopping, arms shrugging the carrying straps off, bloody hands taking hold of it. Tears fall, just two, and hit the package. At that moment your plan changed. This new idea would be far, far more satisfying… as long as you succeeded.

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

Spite was one hell of a drug. Enough of it and you could march your warm corpse right back to the castle, fist banging on the front door with everything you had. The path had been shorter than you thought, thankfully, but it had still taken so much out of you. Now you were leaning against the door, sliding down it, unable to support your own weight. Nothing inside the castle stirred. Were they ignoring you? Was Alcina really going to let you die inches from your “home”? Fuck that, you thought.

“Alcina!” You scream, loud as you can, startling the birds in the distant trees. The word echoes around you and rattles inside your ribs. It’s not enough. “Damn it, I am seconds away from dying, get out here now so I can look you in your fucking eyes!” Something tears a little in your throat, turning the last of your words into a hellish screech, leaving you to gasp and croak in the snow. You go to wipe your tear-filled eyes with your hands, only to remember just how much blood they’re covered in.

Sobs overtake you in just a few moments. You’re blinded by tears, deafened by sorrows, and numb from all the cold. In the aching seconds before you black out, you can only barely make out the silhouette of someone rushing to your side…

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

The first thing you feel when you wake up is mind searing pain. You try to jolt upwards, only to find a pair of strong, gloved hands holding you down. Someone shouts something, but you can’t make it out, and you feel another hand gently squeeze one of your own. Pained gasps escape your throat one after the other, but whatever is hurting you doesn’t stop. It takes a full minute for you to adjust enough to make sense of where you are. At last, you understand what’s being said.

“-it’s okay, shhh, please, we’re trying to help,” says none other than Lady Dimitrescu herself. She’s the one holding your hand, doing her best not to hurt you with her grip, trying desperately to calm you down. One the other side of you, Cassandra is positioned to hold you down. There’s a tight-lipped scowl on her face, and her brow is furrowed, but she’s not looking at your face, but rather eying somewhere in the opposite direction. Following her gaze, you find her older sister is sitting near your injured leg, and is undeniably the source of some of your pain. In one hand she holds a bottle of alcohol (notably not the wine her family produces), the other holding a wet cloth to your wound. No wonder it stings so much.

“Shit, shit, stop,” you growl, barely getting the words out. But all anyone does is look at you. Alcina’s mouth opens to speak, only for you to cut her off. “I’ve got medical training, for the love of Mother Miranda let me help! How long have I been unconscious?” This time Bela stops, glancing at her mother for direction. The grip on your torso grows looser, with Cassandra evidently heeding your words, and you take the chance to sit up, careful not to move your leg. At this point you realize that there’s a needle of sorts in your arm, attached to a tube, which trails up into a blood bag. It’s clearly been improvised with equipment from the “wine-making” part of the castle.

“Fifteen minutes at most,” a new voice chimes, from somewhere behind you. “I got that cloth you wanted, mother, but something tells me I’m not done fetching things.” Ah, Daniela Dimitrescu. Was the whole family helping you?... Why? As much as you wanted answers, there wasn’t (currently) time for questions. Not when one glance at your leg tells you that some of your flesh is rapidly decomposing. The wound was made only an hour ago, and already it was getting deadlier than you could even process.

“I need a sharp, clean knife, a needle with thread, a glass of water, and someone needs to put a metal tool, sterilized, on the stove, right now,” you said, finding it easier to talk now that no one was cleansing your wound. Without hesitation Daniela dispersed into a cloud of insects, heading towards the kitchen, while Cassandra stood up and moved towards the stairs.

“Guess I’ll get the needle,” she said, sounding rather unenthusiastic.

“What are you planning?” Alcina asks, more concerned than you had ever heard her before. Attempting to reassure her, you manage a small smile before explaining.

“Got scratched and slobbered on by a lycan. Whatever they have, it’s infectious. If I want to save my leg, or at least have a chance at surviving, I have to take measures to reduce the likelihood of an infection,” you say. Now Alcina is slowly stroking her thumb across your hand, eyes narrowed with concern. There’s a look on her face that you can’t quite parse, something she’s not saying. For now you ignore it and continue going over your plan. “The best thing would be to amputate. The tourniquet might have helped prevent the saliva from getting further into my body- and I do mean might- but I can’t keep it on forever. Problem is… I don’t want to lose it. God, I’m terrified of that, and with what we have in the castle I… I’d be more likely to die of shock than not. So, well, forget that idea.

“I’m just going to remove the wound. By making a bigger wound. It’s crazy, I know, but this will kill me if we do nothing. It will probably kill me if we do. The technical term is some shit like ‘de-bride-ing’?... No, debridement, I think. Except normally the poor fucker getting cut open is asleep for the procedure.” By the time you’re done, Lady Dimitrescu is looking at you with horror. Yeah, you had a feeling she wouldn’t appreciate the idea. “Look, if this is too much… if it’s not worth saving me, if you’d rather give me a quick death, I understand. If I were-”

“Don’t be foolish, dear. You will not die, not as long as something can be done about it,” Alcina replies, quickly, eager to stop hearing you talk about dying. It’s… strange to hear her sound so confident about saving you, even stranger to realize what she called you. As if reading your thoughts, she shifts in her seat, avoiding your gaze for a moment. Shyness didn’t suit her, and you imagined it was more about her finding the right words. When she speaks, she’s looking right at you again. “I have hesitated to tell you the truth, and now I find the world playing a cruel trick on me, trying to take that which I adore. But I don’t want to aggravate your stress right now. Please, think nothing of what I have said.”

Before you could reply, footsteps reached your ears, and soon enough Daniela returns. In one hand she holds a large pitcher of water. In the other? Several knives, of various sizes, one of which you’re pretty sure you’ve seen Cassandra playing with before. As soon as you see her your face lights up, glad to be able to start the procedure.

“Oh thank fuck- or, I mean, thank you, Lady Daniela,” you stutter, reaching out as she offers you the items. Thankfully Bela had already made room on the table at your side, where she had set the bottle of alcohol down. For a moment you had forgotten that she was there. Had she already known about her mother’s feelings? Based on her lack of reaction, you could only assume that she was well aware. “I’m gonna scream, B-T-dubs. Just, uh, cover your ears?” You offer, already holding your chosen knife (big enough to be effective, small enough to offer precision).

“So… you’re going to do this yourself? Didn’t think you had it in you, red. Try not to cut anything important. Wouldn’t want to have to clean that mess up,” Daniela teases. As soon as she’s finished she has to shift into a swarm, as Bela flat out throws a knife at her. For a moment you freeze, watching as Alcina rises to her full height, staring her eldest daughter down. Behind her, Daniela reforms, clearly using her mother as a shield. “I was just trying to relieve the tension, jeez. It’s like you think she’s already dead.”

“Don’t speak another word!” Alcina snaps, sending a frightening stare towards Daniela. You cough, awkwardly, not knowing what to do. Meanwhile Bela is pinching the bridge of her nose between two fingers, clearly tired of dealing with her sister’s sense of humor. “No one will speak a word until this is finished, unless my dear needs something, understood?” Both the girls nod at that, neither feeling a need to risk any further ire.

“I’m just going to start working now,” you awkwardly chime, taking a deep breath before leaning in towards your injured leg. On closer inspection you can see a strange, dark residue in the wound. They’re specks, scattered along the length of it, and they seem more common the closer you look to the gash’s center. Gross, you think. Half curious, half checking for legitimate reasons, you bring your other hand to the cut and gently spread both sides apart. It hurts like hell, and you have to bite down on your lip to stop yourself from screaming. But sure enough, the residue is practically solid at the deepest point of the wound. “Those lycans really should be on leashes.”

Out of the corner of your eye you can see Daniela exchange looks with Bela, but neither of them disobey their mother (yet). Shaking the thought away, you finally get to the brunt of the task at hand. Your hand moves slowly, reluctant to inflict such damage against its own body. As soon as the tip of the knife touches your skin, you start to doubt your ability to do this. It takes looking at Alcina, seeing the way she watches you with equal parts concern and tenderness, to remind you why you’re doing this. Death just wasn’t something you could accept right now; not after what she had said, what she had implied.

The knife is fantastically sharp. Hardly any pressure is needed before your flesh gives away, cells letting go of their neighbors like it was a casual affair. You start at the left side of your injury, digging down a little, trying to only go as deep as you needed to. Tears formed in your eyes but you quickly blinked them away. As the first of many screams leaves your mouth, you turn and twist the knife, cutting to the right, then up. Like scooping the seeds out of a pumpkin. Fresh blood springs from the wound, starting to fill up the crevice. Quickly you discard the skin you removed by tossing it into the same bowl that Bela had put a bloody towel in earlier.

“Yes,” you shudder through gritted teeth, “this hurts so fucking bad. No, I don’t need someone to take over yet.” At this point neither of the present sisters are looking at you, seeming oddly uncomfortable at the sight of you cut up like this. Hadn’t they done worse to your fellow Maidens?... Whatever, the thought couldn’t last long when you still had work to do.

Next you take a fresh, damp cloth and dab at your injury, ignoring how it throbbed beneath your touch. Then you resumed cutting, forced to press the knife deeper in order to remove the spreading residue. If you had been a scientist, this would have been utterly fascinating to observe. Whatever had been in the lycan’s saliva was slowly eating at your flesh, but not outright dissolving it. No, it simply left the skin where it was, but killed and rapidly broke it down. Yes, it would have been fascinating, if not for the fact that there was a chance you wouldn’t be able to outpace the bacteria.

With this in mind you force yourself to hold in your next scream, hoping to make it easier for you to focus. The knife continued to cut, going lower, setting nerves alight as it did. Your vision starts to blur, and for a few seconds you think you’re going to black out. Someone says something you don’t hear, and then suddenly there’s a hand on top of your own. When your vision clears you see Bela is responsible, her grip keeping you from dropping the knife. She doesn’t let go until you give her a clear nod. Even then, she seems reluctant to let you continue.

Around this time is when Cassandra returns. Her footsteps catch your attention (it’s your understanding that carrying objects is much harder in swarm mode), and you spare her a quick glance before getting back to work. A few moments later she’s placing a set of needles and a long spool of thread next to you. Ironically, they’re the same tools that you’ve used to repair and adjust Alcina’s dresses over the past year. Hopefully they work just as well on flesh, you think. Your next thoughts are canceled out by unbelievable pain. More cries leave your lips, and your hand starts shaking. Panic is settling in fast, your movements getting sharper, leading you to make a brash decision: Time to care less about precision and more about speed.

“Distract me, please,” you gasp between grunts. No one responds at first, and you know they need clarification. Speaking is getting harder by the second, but you do your best. “Brain can’t process many stimulants, same time. Just- fuck- trace skin around wound, touch hair, anything.” Somewhere between your semi-broken sentences and screams, Alcina gets the message. She’s moving closer, now, behind you, one arm wrapping around your waist, the other rubbing gentle circles on your undamaged leg. Across from you Daniela is too busy pacing to help, though you can hardly blame her.

“Should I get the metal thing from the stove?” Cassandra asks, silently hoping that Dani hadn’t assumed someone else was going to handle that part. You’re still in too much pain to talk, so you half nod half grunt in response. Not bothering to say anything, the middle child takes off, swarm moving at what might be a new speed record.

As much as your hands are shaking, you still manage to cut away another strip of flesh, tossing it aside with even less care than before. This time Bela wipes the wound for you, practically reading your mind. The moment her hands are completely out of the way you start cutting again, crying out, throat shredded to pieces from all your screaming. Alcina sounds like she might be close to sobbing, but she doesn’t stop her movements, doing her best to distract you just like you had asked. Even Bela helps, now, tracing spots around your injury whenever she knows she won’t be in your way. The effect is minor, in the end, hardly making a dent in how much pain you’re processing.

If you survive this, though, you’re hugging every daughter as tight as you can and showering them with affection… but only after you finish doing the same for their mother.

“You are so brave,” Alcina murmurs next to your ear. It’s even clearer now how close she is to crying, her voice seconds away from cracking. Hearing her like this almost hurts as bad as the initial lycan attack did. “You are so strong. No other mortal could ever be your match. Do you understand, my dear? You are blessed, divine, and I love you so much.”

In any other setting, her words would leave you melting in her arms, radiating affection so strongly that you might as well have been radioactive. Instead, you are unable to respond, or even look her way. All you can do is press the knife to your skin again, showing your own feelings by destroying yourself for her.

The blade is starting to find more resistance, and you’re having to pause more often, spots appearing in your vision. Going faster only makes things worse, your hand threatening to slip. You’re determined to finish this, no matter what, but your need to control the situation is gradually making things worse. Alcina notices this before you do, and acts before you have a chance to protest.

“Bela, the knife,” she says, then tightens her grip on your waist. Your confusion shifts to panic as your arm is carefully, but forcefully, pulled away from your wound. “Can you finish the job?” It takes you a few moments to realize that Alcina isn’t talking to you. No, she’s speaking to her eldest daughter, who doesn’t hesitate to take the knife away from you. It’s so easy for her, between her strength and your weakness. “Don’t struggle. Let us finish this.”

Protests rise from your throat and die in your mouth. Pain flares harder now that Bela isn’t distracting you. Once more your vision goes dark, but this time there’s no pause, no hesitation. You are suffering, horribly, and the Dimitrescu family refuses to make you hurt longer than necessary. It’ll be over soon, you think, not knowing whether you refer to your pain or your life itself.

Something wet drops onto the back of your neck, then darkness overtakes you…

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

“Damn those lycans, I should string Heisenberg up myself! They’re his responsibility, after all,” Lady Dimitrescu snarls, trying to ignore the tears in her eyes. Now that you’re unconscious, unable to hear what ails her, she feels free to voice her thoughts. “The damn things should never have come close to the path to the village.”

“What if she strayed from the path? Wouldn’t that explain it?” Bela suggests, even as her hands work to remove what seems to be the last piece of dead/infected flesh from your leg. She hates how the words feel in her mouth, hates suggesting that you of all people might have betrayed her mother’s trust. But it makes sense. After all, this whole mess, with you leaving the castle to retrieve a mysterious package, was all a test to see if you would try to run. It hadn’t been her idea, and Bela admitted to herself that she thought it was unnecessary.

“On the way back? Why would she bother getting the package if she intended to run?” Lady Dimitrescu asks, right as Cassandra returns. The middle child is practically juggling the metal spatula she’s carrying, irritated (not harmed) by the heat it produced. One of her brows perks up when she hears the conversation, but she keeps any thoughts she has to herself.

“Just a thought, mother, I didn’t quite believe it myself,” Bela chimes, after a pause. With that said she holds up her hand with pride, clutching between her fingers the last of the decaying flesh. The way the others react, one might have thought that a miracle had been performed. Daniela clapped her hands together, giggling a little, and finally stopped her pacing. “Don’t celebrate too much, now,” Bela reminded her, taking the spatula from Cassandra as she did. “There’s still plenty to do. It’s a good thing she’s not awake for this part.”

A good thing, indeed. She uses her fingers to spread the remaining skin a little, giving a quick examination, then deciding that she had successfully removed all remaining residue. Keeping her fingers where they were, she pressed the side of the spatula to your skin, putting the most pressure at the center of the wound. Three seconds passed, then she lifted her hand. A pause. She pressed it back into place, keeping a close eye on the affected area. This repeated several times, the gaps being necessary to prevent unintentional damage. Once the wound seemed properly closed she set the spatula aside.

“Is that it?... Did we save her?” Daniela asks, opting to finally sit down in a nearby chair. Something about her word choice makes both of her sisters scoff.

“I could sew it closed, as a precaution, but there’s no way I’d do it the way she had intended. It might be best to just give her time to rest, and see what she thinks when she gets back up,” Bela answers. For a moment her words hang in the air, but eventually Alcina gives a little nod and a hum.

“Very well. I shall carry her to my quarters, where she won’t be disturbed. Please, let one of the Maidens know to bring some food up this evening,” Alcina says, gently taking you into her arms as she does…

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

BAD ENDING: It’s been six hours, with no sign of you waking up. Your other wounds had been examined, cleaned, and bandaged. Food had been carefully prepared and brought up to you, though it now remained on the bedside table, untouched. Alcina has gone to call Mother Miranda, intending to speak to her about the growing unrest of the lycans, as Heisenberg hadn’t answered his phone. For the first time since you returned you are alone. It is now, of all times, that you awaken. A gasp sends you into a coughing spree, forcing you into a sitting position. The space around you feels like it's moving, and your vision blurs. Blood spills from your mouth as you finally regain the ability to breathe.

Seconds later your vision clears, but what you see is enough to make you wish you couldn’t. The blood that spilled onto the sheets is a dark red… with even darker spots scattered throughout it. All at once you know what happened: Residue had hidden from you, or gone deeper than your wound, infecting you before you ever stood a chance. Tears threaten to spill from your eyes, but something deeper starts calling to you. Something older. Darker. It drags you to your feet, ignores the pain of your wounds, and sends you out the bedroom door.

Your mind is racing, thoughts never quite clear enough for you to understand. It doesn’t feel like you’re in control of your own movements. Was something else in charge, or were you operating on an infection powered autopilot? Answers weren’t coming, just bloodshed.

“You’re not supposed to be out of bed yet!” A voice calls out to you, making you turn to investigate. On the other end of the hallway is a maiden, one you instantly recognize. You’ve worked with her before, plenty of times, tag-teaming more tasks than you could count. She was like a sister to you. When she sees the blood staining your clothes, she gasps, then moves to support you. “Please, Lady Dimitrescu will be so upset if you-” her words melt into a blood curdling scream. For a moment you don’t understand.

And then you swallow, a chunk of hot meat slipping down your throat, and the scream dies down.

“What?...” You whisper, finally tasting the blood in your mouth, watching as your friend’s body falls to the floor. There’s a chunk of flesh missing from her neck, and the dots connect themselves in your head. You did that. Every part of you wants to scream, wants to cry out and beg someone to come kill you. Instead you fall to your knees, hard, uncaring. Your hands move themselves, grasping at the still warm corpse. Something has made you stronger, or at the very least removed the mental limits that kept you from destroying yourself. Flesh gives under your touch, tearing like paper, and you start crying as it reaches your mouth.

Footsteps approach, thundering fast, and you want to warn whoever it is. When you turn to look, you feel your hands let go of your meal. Your gaze meets that of a stunned Cassandra Dimitrescu, then drifts to the sickle in her hand.

“Kill me,” you growl, voice distorted, practically echoing. “Kill me now!” Not needing to be told a third time, Cassandra moves lightning quick, swarm-jumping forward before manifesting behind you, sickle dragging across your throat in one smooth motion. But it’s not enough. She realizes this, though, and slams her foot into your back, sending you tumbling forward. It’s enough to prevent you from countering, which gives her time to advance again, this time pulling a knife from her boot and driving it into the center of your back. When you scream, it’s not with your own voice, but that of a monster.

“Fucking fuck, what the fuck, red?” Daniella asks as she rounds the corner, eyes immediately landing on your bloodsoaked mouth. She’s quick to take in the scene, drawing a conclusion easily, even if it breaks her heart a little. Your vision fades as she approaches, and you know that it’s finally over. If only you had expired a few seconds earlier… because the last thing you hear is the startled cry of your would-be lover.

“No! No, darling, what happened-” Alcina finishes her sentence, but you do not hear it. You do not hear anything, anymore. You do not know it… but there will be hell to pay for your death.

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

GOOD ENDING: When you awake, you find yourself in the softest sheets you’ve ever touched, a warm and familiar presence next to you. The first thing you see is Alcina’s sleeping face next to your own. She’s on her side, one arm around your waist, the covers pulled up to her hip. Warmth fills your chest as you take in the sight. For a few moments you just… appreciate this. Never before had you imagined that you would get to wake up next to the woman you loved so much. A sigh, one of bliss, leaves your lips. Slowly you move forward, gently placing a kiss to Alcina’s cheek. Seconds later her eyelids flutter open, and she tiredly takes you in.

“You’re… awake,” she murmurs, hardly awake herself. But her fatigue doesn’t last long. As soon as she’s fully processed the situation her eyes go wide. Then she’s pulling you closer, careful not to hurt you, and peppering little kisses over your face. “I’ve been so worried, dear. You scared us so much.” The hurt in her voice leaves you restless, making you curl up against her, desperate to soothe her worries. Moving hurts a little, but not enough to dissuade you from your goal.

“I’m sorry, love,” you say, tears pricking your eyes. “I’m okay, I’m alive, the plan worked out. You don’t have to fret for me anymore. I won’t leave you, I promise.” Slowly but surely, Alcina calms, exchanging kisses for softly running her fingers through your hair. There’s such love in her eyes that you can hardly believe you aren’t dreaming. “You’re amazing, Alcina. I could stay like this all day.”

“Maybe we should,” she offers, chuckling a little. Once again you give her a quick kiss, unable to resist the urge. “I should have never asked you to leave. I should have just trusted you.” The words give you pause, and you tilt your head in confusion. Realizing that you still didn’t know the full story, Alcina frowns. “The package is worthless, just a bundle of straw and a few rocks for weight. It was never what I cared about.”

Tension builds in your chest, and for a few seconds you have no idea how to react. It takes a minute for you to think, to connect the dots, but once you do it’s a tad bit easier to breathe. A scowl twists your lips as you think of what to say.

“If I had known that Heisenberg was forgoing his duties, I never would have sent you outside,” Alcina adds, the silence taking its toll on her.

“You shouldn’t have sent me either way,” you respond, bitterly, thinking of all that you had seen and heard on your journey. “I would have done anything to prove to you how I feel. There are other ways to show devotion- far less dangerous ways, at that.”

“I know, dear. You have every right to be angry… and watching you suffer has taught me all that I need to know,” Alcina says, still playing with your hair, trying to ease the tension. As upset as you about this recent revelation… it’s not enough to change how you feel about her, and you want her to understand that, fully and completely.

So you lean into her touch, let your eyes drift close for a moment, then softly place one of your arms around her as best as you can.

“We’ll need to talk about this more… just not right now. Right now, I need you, Alcina. I need to hold you, and be held by you, and just know that you’re here. That I’m here. That neither of us are going anywhere,” you say, resting your forehead against hers. “I need to feel safe, and your arms are the safest place I can imagine. Stay here with me?”

“It will be the easiest thing I have ever done.”

[blzzrdstryr]

Reveries of the Past. Yandere!Childe x Fatui!gn!reader

Wordcount: 3875

CW: Dissociation, graphic depiction of violence, hallucinations, unhealthy relationship and unhealthy power dynamics.

A.N.: I used a lot of my experience with dissociations in this and if it makes you uncomfortable, I would advice not to read it. I also plan on writing continuation for this, as it’s set before the Rite of Descension. P.s. I am not a native English speaker, so could you notify me if there’s awkward wording.

[Next chapter]

There are plenty of times you find yourself reminiscing about the past and now, your mind slips back to your memories, as you look at the horribly mangled body of the treasure hoarder. The stench of blood stuffs up your nose, it’s sickly sweet metallic odor making your gut clench and nausea rise, as your limbs grow heavier and numb. You don’t feel  like you belong in your skin and bones and blood anymore - it’s cold, so cold, yet you don’t feel any of it. You are an outsider, an unwanted intruder in the house that is your body, an indifferent observer looking at the world through the thick glass.

The world around disfigures, shapes and colors changing in the constant whirlwind - they jump and dance around, small becoming large and large shrinking so much it’s barely visible, green shifts to red to blue and to yellow and to million of other colors, and sounds suddenly become muffled, losing their sharpness, but you don’t care about it: the part that is “you” fled to the daydreams of your childhood moments ago, leaving a clinically observing, yet unfeeling being behind. 

Adults would describe you as a perfect child: quiet, obedient and dutiful, you were a stark contrast to the other louder and more free spirited kids. You studied hard, cleaned the house, helped with dishes and cooking and never talked back. 

I can't upset mom and dad because they work so much. I can't play with other kids because if I do, they will make fun of me, I have to study hard and get good grades, because mom said I will have a good job and become rich and help them. 

These particular memories don't feel good to you: they're bleak and boring, yet full of silent shame - they make your throat clog and eyes water, as something burning starts to bloom deep underneath your skin. 

Childe stops beating the still alive treasure hoarder, a blood smeared on the cheek and a dangerous glint in his eyes, and turns his head to you. 

"Hey, how about lending me a helping hand?", there’s a hunger in his voice you recognize, he wants to teach a lesson to the debtors, then. You walk towards him, feeling your knees get weaker and weaker with each step for some reason. A dagger made of ice shines in your hand with cold light. 

"It's no wonder [First] received a vision! My [First] is always so good and smart, there are no children better" the exact words your mother says, as she brags to her friends, showing them the vision you were bestowed with. You left it to her, not caring what will happen to it - despite all the child's wonder you felt before receiving it, the glowing orb doesn’t look so amazing to you now. It feels foreign and ugly, a reminder of what happened seconds before you gained it. 

“You know, when I was a child”, he takes the weapon and focuses on the treasure hoarder’s leader again, “we made a special kind of promise”. It’s tip travels to the hoarder’s hand. “You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life”

The sweet voice he uses and the fact that you  know the nursery rhyme too would make you sick in the stomach the other day, but not now. 

You don’t exactly remember how you joined the Fatui - it happened shortly after you gained a vision, when you were still too numb and cold to the outside world after the Event. 

Mom will hate me, dad will hate me too. I can’t let them know.

Your parents say that officials just knocked on the front door one day and offered you an entry into the Fatui and a monthly salary, big enough to stop your parents from overworking themselves. You were terrified back then, Fatuis despite being known as a diplomatic organization are still a mystery to the ordinary Shezhnayan and a direct servants to Her will. The thought of disappointing Tsaritsa or letting down Snezhnaya was enough to paralyze you, but seeing the smiles on your parents faces was enough to make you swear to yourself, that you will work there no matter how scary it seems.

“You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on the ice.” The blade stops between phalanges of the little finger: “The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend", he presses it, strong enough to detach the limb from the rest of the body in one swift slash. Treasure hoarder starts to cry and scream from the sudden pain, yet quickly chokes on it as Childe hits him in the solar plexus. The crack of bones feels deafening among the sea of muffled sounds.

Training was rigorous to say the least, you came back to your dorm room absolutely exhausted and after you fell on the bed you were practically dead to the world. Turns out, having a vision wasn’t enough to make you a fighter - you needed to know how to climb, swim, run with a weight to lift and wield a weapon. There were other children and teens with you, they eyed your vision with a mix of adoration and envy, you pretended not to catch it in turn.

“The frost will freeze your tongue off so you never lie again”, harbinger forces the victim's jaw apart by squeezing it with one hand, the other rapidly forcing a dagger inside the mouth. Treasure hoarder gasps and mumbles, fat tears forming in his eyes. A part of you expects a sound of parting flesh, but none comes: Tartaglia stands up and removes the blade, leaving a shivering and terrified man laying on the ground.

“Well,” Childe shrugs, as if he didn’t just dismember a person, voice back to his cheery tone : “You didn’t actually make a pinkie promise, so consider it a small mercy”. The treasure hoarder cowers even more, snuggling the injured hand close to the bruised chest. “But if you fail to repay your debt I will oversee that the frost”, he points in your direction, a treasure hoarder’s eyes going wide as he notices your vision, “will actually freeze your lying tongue off”, his voice descends again, back to it’s dangerous half-whisper.

You meet Ajax during the winter, he’s close to you in age and just arrived into Fatui grounds. He boasts and shows off to all of you, and you desperately want to retort something acidic to shut him up and rip off that arrogant bravado, yet say nothing, picturing how the tomorrow training session will have him laying flat on his back, too hurt and too tired to move even a single finger. 

He defeats the trainer in less than a minute.

Now, that the treasure hoarder fled, still snuggling disfigured limb, Childe turns attention back to you. “You seem a little bit disinterested here”, his hand on your cheek is so foreign, it’s burning and freezing at the same time, the shock from the unwanted touch almost strong enough to pull you back into reality. He notices your unintentional flinching and unfocused eyes “Ah, you hurt my feelings, [First]! And I thought we already became friends”. 

You say nothing, cold and unmoving, blind and deaf to the outside world, his words register a second too late, and there’s no cliche phrase for you to reply with. He looks a bit baffled and deflated for a second, but shrugs it off, just like he did during teen years, when you deliberately ignored all his attempts at catching your attention.

“Huh, even if you are so cold to me, I still forgive you”, he takes your hand, his touch still too overwhelming for you to process and pulls you back to Liyue harbor, your legs barely bending as you walk after him, like an obedient dog trailing it’s master.

“You know [First], I can beat you up so badly, that you will barely walk”, you put feather aside, stopping writing the letter to your parents as you glare at Ajax with barely masked indignation. He grins, satisfied to finally catch your attention after the whole day of pestering you. “I am aware of that” you reply in an absolutely flat tone, holding yourself from pouncing on him and trying to break the teeth out of that smug smile. He beams even wider, as if sensing your not-so-good intentions, revealing even more pearly whites as if taunting you.

“But I won’t, count yourself lucky”. And he leaves, this short interaction filling you with so much rage that you shake, handwritten letters noticeably becoming sharper and faster, your thoughts clouding around the idea of acquating his face with your boots. 

 Nonetheless, you indeed count yourself fortunate enough, when you see Ajax defeating grown men with bare hands. When you two, the only vision holders among your peers have to spar, he always goes easy on you, prefering to immobilize you rather than beating, making your defeat less painful yet even more humiliating. 

Almost at the end of your trail he suddenly stops and says something, but you don't catch it, words turning into separate vowels and then fusing together into one unintelligible gibberish mess. He leans in, close enough for his breath to burn your neck, and he continues to get closer, until his empty eyes look into yours glazed ones. He seems disappointed for a second and backs down, his breathing no longer fanning your skin. 

Distantly you think that you somehow angered him and he will slap you for it, and do nothing to dodge the hit - you barely feel pain in this condition anyway, but he doesn’t. The road to the Northland Bank is completed in absolute silence, Childe no longer trying to grab your attention, only when you enter Liyue Harbor does he whisper, that you two must look like a pair with all that hand holding. Judging by the volume and tone of his voice he says it more to himself than to you.

***

You come back to yourself in the safety of your room on the third room of the Northland bank. It feels like a rush of sensation, as everything becomes sharper and clearer again, like you just swam to the surface of water from the very depths of it. An invisible bubble around your head pops in one moment, and the world becomes real again, mind and body connecting for once more.

Eyes and ears focused you take in surroundings: the room is neat and lifelessly empty - just a bed and a working desk with a stack of written but unsent letters, along with a small bookcase near, no figurines, pictures or even plants to decorate living place, as you see no reason to adorn the area you use for sleeping only. Indiscernible wallpapers and a small window close to the middle of the bed finish the picture of austerity.

 Once, your memory catches up to you, you can't help groan from the shame and irritation, hiding your face in both hands. Afterwards  always feels both like a disgraceful escape and a warm blanket during the stormy night, a duality that you accepted long ago after joining the Fatui and today is no exception. You curse Harbinger when you remember why exactly you had an episode, and get up from the bed you threw yourself on minutes ago. You come to the desk, taking a clean form of a relocation request from the drawer and writing materials. 

Filling in the blank feels like commiting a felony to you for some reason - you stop several times when you hear footsteps in the corridor, focusing on the door,ready to hide the half written form and say some lie as an excuse. You don't list the Childe-related reasons, knowing that there's nothing that could make any of the Harbingers face the consequence for their actions, and instead you write completely normal and fake causes: health concerns, family matters and so on. Part of you doubts that this will work and you will have the fortune to get away from a certain harbinger as far as possible. Trying and failing is better than never attempting, you think, quickly writing the paper.

Once you finish it, you almost rush to Ekaterina, praying that you won't run into a certain ginger on the way. Sometime ago you caught Tartaglia checking your letters, for a secrecy he said back then, we can’t let anyone know about the coming operation. Childe then instilled that every sent and received letter should be checked, lest Qixing and other Liyuens learned what Fatui had in plan. It sounded logical and sensible, but the paranoid thought that he enforced this policy just to have a glimpse at your feelings never stopped eating at you. From that day on you sent your family the most basic and vague letters, just stating that you’re in good health and mind, still missing them and Snezhnaya, leaving the ones with more private sentiments in your room. 

Her eyes are completely obscured by the mask, but even with that you can’t miss the pointed glare she sends your way - Tartaglia never shied away from showing off, be it his strength, money or his twisted obsession that he calls love. With the amount of time and finances he spends on you and the way he acts like a kicked lovesick puppy in your vicinity, you are pretty sure that at least half of the bank workers see you as a cunning and cruel seducer, so keen and devious in the art of temptation that you managed to lure in Eleventh Harbinger.

As if archons decided to laugh at you, Childe descends from the second floor too, catching the sight of you near the receptionist. He looks unusually somber for a moment, but then he sees you, a smile appearing on his face as he takes the form from Ekaterina's hands. You can just feel how Ekaterina rolls her eyes under the mask, as if muttering complaints about the lovers’ spat and insubordination, having been working with her for some time, enough to have a clue of the inner workings of her mind.

You have to give him that he plays the confusion and regret very persuasively. He asks how he can fix this, says what a valuable team member you are to him and how much you are needed in the Northland bank. You agree to his suggestion - if years of training with Ajax and then work with Childe taught you anything, it is that Ajax is the chaos incarnate and Tartaglia is Ajax’s less tolerable and more unpredictable version, so it’s better not to anger him.

***

In the end he invites you to dine with him at Wanmin restaurant, a place Childe heard from some “xiansheng” as he called them. A bustling Liyue street is open before you two, tall midday sun painting the whole street into bright orange, so unlike the pristine white landscapes of Snezhnaya. He orders two Black Back Perch Stews on the chef's recommendations, and hands a bouquet of local flowers in a parody of a normal boyfriend. Any random observer would really see it as a date.

You take the flowers, pretending to pay more attention to  them than to a man sitting near you. Tartaglia is an unpredictability wrapped in human skin, there’s no privilege as being lax and carefree near him, as even Tsaritsa has no idea what he will do next. 

To your mutual confusion Xiangling presents the meal with two pairs of chopsticks. Utensils feel foreign in your palm, you having no idea how to handle them and Childe, by the looks of it too. Tartaglia specifically asks the chef for spoons, while you observe the other clients, noting how they use theirs. Holding one stick like a pen and then placing the bottom one in a fixed position under the thumb you manage to grasp the fish from the soup, albeit clumsily. You consider it a small win. 

The image of a mighty Harbinger struggling in a failing battle with chopsticks would look funny to you, if it wasn’t for the whole "date" you were having. After putting them aside, and seemingly admitting defeat, Childe starts from afar: "You know [First], you changed a lot since I first met you" .

You raise an eyebrow at the starter, it's vague and innocent enough, but experience tells you that he will or at least try to stir the conversation into your relationship with him again. Straightening a bit and finally turning your eyes to him, you pause for a second, picking the least offensive reply you can muster - there’s a swarm of insults buzzing at the tip of your tongue prepared just for him, growing and sprouting since your pubescent years.

“Yes, I got taller”, he laughs it off, like you said some funny joke, his giggles not stopping for some time. "No, I mean as a person. Remember how you used to glare at me for joking? And now you act so unfazed ”

Joking. Is this what he calls it? Shivers creep up your spine when your memory oh so conveniently conjures the images of the aftermath of his jokes.

“Your jokes weren’t funny to anyone but you”. Breathe, you think, there’s no need to anger him. There are pictures of broken bones and bruised bodies and a cacophony of somebody else’s pained screams flashing and rattling in your head, Adults never did anything. Why would they? They had a golden boy Ajax, why would they help the others when they had him? Why would they help you? Bitterness and anger you thought you swallowed long ago rise up to the surface again, and you decide to bite down on the stew - Tartaglia always found a way to turn your words against you and hurt you, no need to give him more weapons now.

“I changed a lot too. I know I was insufferable as a teen”, he must have taken your silence as a free pass to continue whatever nonsense he’s sprouting, “I am sorry”.

The last three words catch you off guard, a piece of fish almost stuck in the throat from the jolt. Ajax takes you by surprise once again, for him to finally acknowledge and apologize for all the pain he caused and years he tormented you?

You blink and look at him intently, his facial expression changing into an unusually somber one. It seems authentic enough.

“Let’s start from the scratch?

You contemplate unsure what to say.

Was he lying?

Looking back, you in a sense are luckier than most of Childe's victims, witnessing his youth, familiarizing and distinguishing the tells of him lying and scheming, observing the way he bloomed into the manipulator he is today firsthand. You see a familiarity in his face and voice, something that helps you from falling to his charms. There's also the added fact that you were and still are an involuntary witness to the way how carnal and bloodthirsty usually friendly Ajax can become. 

When did you catch his attention?

You remember his smile when he first approached you, less teeth and more sincerity that is thereafter,a hand outstretched to you. It happens on the next day after his arrival, almost as cold and unpleasant as the previous one. You brush the limb away like a noisy fly, secretly angry at his arrogant attitude and how effortlessly he endured training. His smiling doesn’t stop, yet you feel a sudden change in the air around you.

Would your fate be different if you took his hand?

You can't forget how your mind disconnected from your body for the second time. It was Ajax again vying for your attention akin to a spoiled child, and like one he threw a tantrum when you refused to give him any. The poor recruit you were talking with was hospitalized the same day, as you helplessly watched the carnage before you. You didn't fight, you didn’t flee, you just froze, like a scared animal, paralyzed by fear, yet somehow too detached from feelings. That day was bizarre: once you felt reality, it was solid and undeniable and then you didn't. The realness of the current diffused, slipped through the fingers like sand, leaving nothing but unreliable and delusive reveries behind.

Will he let you go? 

“People do change and I see that you changed too. I don’t think of you as a teen you were” you carefully pick the words, Tartaglia visibly blooms, thinking that his apology worked, yet your next words snuff out his triumph: “but my memories stay the same. I don’t think we can start from scratch”

You bite the tongue, the second part still coming out too harsh for your liking. The moment of sincerity is interrupted, you see him, changing the masks, unsure what to do. It seems for the first time it was you who caught him off guard. You guess which one of the two standard facades he will decide to show to you, having spent years by his side to observe him masterfully wielding both, the friendly one with a vacant smile that never reaches his dead, dead eyes or the calculating one, distant and devoid of humanity?

In the end he uses none, a hurt still evident, dripping in his tone, face and moves - is it another mask you never got to see or is it real? - “So that is your answer”, he leans in closer, dull cerulean eyes looking right into yours.

You hold his stare, nodding, instead of saying anything and he hums, sitting back and wearing the cold mask, reserved for his enemies: “Just wanted to remind you that I am the Harbinger and you are just a position higher than an ordinary agent”. Despite seeing it so many times, it’s the first time he directs it at you and you have to suppress the shiver. The unsaid threat hangs heavy in the air, suffocating you.

You two are no longer solemn [First] and annoying Ajax, who trails your steps behind like a puppy, no, you are a special agent [Last] and Eleventh Fatui Harbinger Tartaglia, to whom you are personally assigned by Tsaritsa herself. Even possessing vision and delusion yourself you can’t match Childe’s power, and your loss would be easy to overlook if your harbinger wished for it. Honestly speaking, there are a lot of things he could do to you without anyone questioning it, the Harbingers being the second most powerful figures in the organization, right after Tsaritsa herself. You heard the stories of Krupp and other assistants who got missing under Il Dottore, you heard of horrible accidents happening to the people Scaramouche dislikes, you heard about the injuries Signora inflicts on the unfortunate recruits when she is in foul mood, yet you never thought that Tartaglia will abuse his power in the same way.

“Don’t worry” he seems to have taken mercy on you, “I won’t use my position like that, it’s cheating and I like to play the fair game”, despite the seemingly reassuring words , you don’t let yourself relax, knowing him for years.

“Don’t think I will back down though, I am not the type to give up”