#i cannot tell you why this took so long. the chapters are so short. it's a very simple plotless kind of fic lol | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

swordsandholly · 8 months ago

Text

Across the Way

Chapter 4: New and Old Problems Alike

Retired!Ghoap x Fem!Fat!Reader

Ao3 | Previous - Next | Masterlist

MDNI | cw: fainting, some medical inaccuracies

Word Count: 5.8k

Summary: You go to Scotland with high hopes for your future. After all, you have the bakery you always dreamed of and a whole new life to live. Plus, the men who own the butcher’s shop across the street seem nice.

You haven’t texted them, even three days later. That little sticky note haunts the surface of your kitchen counter. It taunts you - tells you that you should text them and at least give them your number. That you’re being a terrible neighbor. They might need you too, after all. Even though you can’t figure out why they might for the life of you. On the other hand, you can’t help but feel wary about it. Men don’t take an interest in you - people in general rarely take interest. It’s hard not to feel suspicious, as pure as you’re sure their intentions probably are.

More so than any of that, you don’t know what to say. If it had been day one you could have just put your name, but now you feel like you need to explain. Or at least be funny or something. Tossing and turning on your designated rest day about what the hell you should do.

You’re overthinking it. You know that. You can’t stop, either.

They just seem so cool - so put together. So unlike you. You want to impress them. You don’t want to ruin the first possibility of friends in this new life you’re building for yourself.

Eventually you work up the courage to send off an initial text to each of them. Just to give them your name to save if they so choose - plus an extra thank you to Simon for giving you their numbers in the first place. Something simple and borderline cold. Too cold, maybe? Maybe you sound irritated. You hope not. You just want them to like you. Friends in new places are hard and to have someone around you who gets how it feels to need accommodations would just feel so… lovely. Your phone may or may not go flying onto your bed while you bury your face in your hands out of sheer nervousness.

You don’t expect it to chime about a minute later. Right as you’re staring to calm down, of course. It sends your heart violently pounding all over again.

J >> Bonnie lass!

J >> So glad u texted!!

>> Sorry it took so long lol

Oh, you could just slap yourself. You don’t have anything better than that? At all? Christ.

J >> Nah Nah

J >> No worries

J >> Actually I was wondering if u would mind if I came by tomorrow

J >> Just to chat

J >> need an excuse to get out of the house

“How the hell does he type that fast?” You scoff to yourself.

>> Yeah, come by anytime.

>> totally

>> yea sounds cool

>> rad, man

A message from Simon pops up mid your internal battle with how to respond, replying with a simple thumbs up. Very in character, you think. He knows how to be nonchalant. What would Simon say? Something casual, maybe a little formal.

>> If you like. You’re always welcome.

Okay maybe that was too much like Simon. You sigh heavily m before adding,

>> I’m trying out a new blueberry loaf

>> If you want to test for me :)

Better. That’s a little better. With another heavy sigh you decide to drop your phone into your nightstand for the rest of the day. Your heart really cannot handle this much emotional pressure.

~~~

You sort of end up just forgetting about the texts. With your phone out of sight and out of mind upstairs in your apartment it almost catches you off guard when Johnny comes striding through the door just before close. He’s dressed more casually than the last couple of times you saw him - having broken out the summer shorts and a graphic tee for some band you don’t recognize. It suits him, though.

“Hey, bon.” He grins.

“Hey.” You smile back, finishing with putting up your stocking baskets before dusting off your hands and turning around. “Simon closing up?”

“Aye.”

You hum. “Come on back, I’ll get you a slice of that loaf I mentioned.”

Johnny follows you quietly. Uncharacteristically quietly. That’s okay - you don’t have a problem with hanging out in silence. It doesn’t feel tense, surprisingly enough. He leaves Riley out front again. Should you get her a dog bed? Maybe if he comes by consistently. That would be nice. Maybe that’s wishful thinking.

“It’s sort of a pound cake but fluffier. I might make an icing for it but I don’t know if that would be too sweet…” You trail off, focusing on plating up the piece. You’re not sure what compels you to try and make it pretty for him. Probably something you could blame on your grandmother. She did have an obsession with presentation.

Johnny hums loudly after taking a bite, talking around the mouthful. “Y’should totally make an icing.” He swallows roughly. “Si would go crazy fer this.”

“Oh?” You smile. “I’ll send some home with you.”

There’s a lapse of silence while Johnny chews on his slice of bread and you pack up some in a paper bag for him to take home. The only sounds in the room comprised of your cutting and folding and the hum of the cooling oven.

“You’re being weirdly quiet.” You blurt, immediately covering your mouth with your hand. “I, uh, I mean that isn’t a bad thing! I don’t mind… I just, uh, was… sorry, never mind…”

“Well I did come wit’ a bit of an ulterior motive…” Johnny admits, glancing off to the side shyly. It’s a show, you think. Johnny doesn’t seem the type of man to have felt shy a day in his life.

You tilt your head. “Oh?”

He dusts off his hands and grins. “Let us take ye out! In celebration of yer first full month.”

Has it been a month already? “Oh - no, no you don’t have to-“

“C’mon! It’s a big accomplishment.” His smile is so bright that you almost believe his idea that you’ve done something great.

“…alright.” You give a tentative smile. It’s hard to believe they like you enough to want to hang out casually in the evening. Hard to imagine anyone liking you that much but you’re not one to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“There’s a pub down the street - the one on the corner. Want tae meet us there around six?” Johnny gives you that lovely smile. How could you ever say no to a smile like that?

“Okay.”

You spend far too long changing in and out of clothes and fussing with your hair. Up-do’s and buns and braids. A tank top then a sweater then a t-shirt. There’s no reason to feel this stressed over it. It’s not a date or anything. Besides, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. Either way you look like a frumpy dumpling. Eventually you land on jeans and one of your designated ‘going out tops.’ At least it’s a good excuse to wear something other than work clothes or loungewear.

Excitement and anxiety thrum under your skin like electricity as you make your way down the street. You feel painfully nauseous - stopping once or twice just to make sure you aren’t about to throw up for real.

The pub is surprisingly quiet when you enter. Obviously somewhere only real locals hang out - there’s no theme or really any decor in general. Just a bar, some booths and a couple pool tables. You scan the floor a few times, not seeing either Johnny or Simon (not that they would be hard to miss). Eventually you just grab a soda from the bar and slide into one of the booths closer to the back. A quiet spot facing the door where you can easily watch for them.

As time ticks on you begin to grow increasingly nervous. Did you get the time wrong? No, no you triple checked. You even wrote it down in your planner. Your leg begins to bounce furiously, heart nearly beating out of your chest. Did they decide to ditch? You wouldn’t really blame them. They’re way out of your league when it comes to friends. Maybe Johnny had an emergency? Should you call Simon? If he had an emergency it would make sense that they would forget to notice you. What if something really bad happened? What if-

The front door opens and Simon’s wide frame strides through, holding the door for Johnny and Riley to come in behind him. You let out a quiet sigh of relief, willing your leg to stop bouncing with a pinch to your thigh. Why are you always so damn dramatic?

Johnny lights up with an ear to ear grin when he spots you, bee-lining for the booth while Simon casually walks up to the bar. It’s almost comedic, the way he dwarfs the counter. Johnny leans on the side of the booth, waiting for Simon, you think.

“Glad ye could come out.” He looks you over, eyes flicking from your plain top to the very practical, not at all stylish up do that you landed on for the evening.

You do your best not to squirm under his gaze. “Me too…”

Simon comes back with two beers in hand and slides them onto the table. He scoots into the inner booth to give Johnny the outer edge. Riley happily sits beside his leg and practically grins at you in a near mirror image of Johnny’s. You’d never do it while she’s on the job, of course, but part of you wants to give her a pat on the head and coo at her for being so polite.

Johnny gives you an apologetic smile. “Sorry we were a bit late-”

“Johnny redid his hair about five times.” Simon butts in, not reacting at all to Johnny’s sputtering protest. He glances at your half-drunk soda. “Want me t’ grab you a beer?”

“Oh, no, I’ll just stick to coke.”

They blink at you. Simon cocks his head slightly. “You sure?”

You chew your lip. “Uh, alcohol tends to aggravate my symptoms is all...”

“Then why’d ye agree to drinks? We coulda gone somewhere else.” Johnny frowns.

You shrug. “I don’t mind. I… maybe this is over sharing but I’d rather go out and be kind of normal than just… not ever. Y’know?”

His expression softens. For having such icy blue eyes they are so, so warm. “I get it.”

“How’d you two meet anyway?” You blurt, taking a left turn to get the conversation off of you. It’s the first question that comes to mind. Maybe it’s rude - maybe you’re prying too much already.

“Military.” Simon grunts. “SAS.”

“Si retired wit’ me after I was discharged.” Johnny points to his scar the same way he did when you first met. “Russians scrambled my egg a bit.”

“Couldn’t do the time apart…” Simon murmurs, eyes locked on Johnny’s face. It’s vulnerable. More than he’s used to - you can see it in the way he tenses after saying it.

Something passes between them that a deep, wounded part of you desperately wishes to understand.

You can’t help but start giggling to yourself. They both give you an incredulous look. “Sorry, sorry - it’s just, that’s like… totally a romance book premise. It’s sweet. Really.”

“Och, aye. Wouldn’t know it t’ look at him but Si’s a real romantic.” Johnny bats his eyes at the other man, who just rolls his in response. The corner of his scarred mouth quirks up subtly.

“SAS…” You repeat, staring at your drink. “That’s like Navy Seal shit, right?”

“We worked with them a few times, yes.” Simon nods. There’s an air of ‘do not ask anything more specific’ in his voice.

“Huh.” You take that for what it is and sit back, squinting at them. “You don’t look it, honestly.”

Johnny laughs. “Tha’s just cause ye havennae seen Simon with his gear on. The Ghost.” He wiggles his fingers along as he makes a stupid, spooky sound effect. “I domesticated him.”

Simon scoffs but doesn’t deny it, just takes a quiet sip of his beer.

“Riley’s a vet, too.” Johnny pats her head. “Got too skittish around loud noises but she transitioned into a service dog nicely.”

“Now she’s just spoiled.” Simon rolls his eyes in faux annoyance. You get the strong feeling that he’s the one doing the spoiling.

You find yourself relaxing as the night goes on. Slouching in your seat rather than sitting ramrod straight and nervously twiddling your thumbs. They never press you to drink, never insist that you’ll be fine with just one. They take your statement as fact and it isn’t brought up again. That shouldn’t be as significant as it is, now that you think about it.

Johnny’s words begin to slur a little bit on his fourth, no maybe fifth, beer. You aren’t sure. It’s very cute, the little blush that forms across his cheeks. Simon loosens up, too. He slings an arm around the back of the booth and Johnny readily tucks himself into the open spot. You find yourself wondering about their military career again. You can’t picture either of them committing violence - especially Simon. Sure, he’s big and gruff but he looks at Johnny so, so softly.

Simon is the one to call it a night - though you have a feeling its because you nodded off a couple times. Not out of boredom, you try really, really hard to pay attention to Johnny rambling about the chemistry of different explosives. He makes it interesting, somehow. Really it’s just that you’ve been awake for… holy shit almost twenty hours!

“D’you need a ride?” Simon asks as you exit the pub, hands firmly shoved into his pockets.

“No, I’ll be fine.” You don’t know how to interpret the look he’s giving you. It’s intense, but not annoyed or displeased. He has such a weird knack for unreadable but distinct expressions. You wonder if you’ll ever get close enough to get good at deciphering them.

You jump when Johnny takes both your hands in, kissing the backs of them with a sloppy, drunk smile. “Thank ye fer comin’ out. “

Somehow your face feels hotter than a damn oven. You tuck your hands to your chest, kicking shyly at the sidewalk. “Th-thanks for the invite. We, uh, we could do it again sometime?”

You glance up hopefully, praying that you didn’t misread the situation. You’ve done that before - thought people liked you more than they did. Johnny just grins wider somehow and nods excitedly.

You watch them walk off in the other direction, hand in hand. Johnny giggles about something loudly and you can see Simon’s shoulders shake with a far more silent laugh. All the way until they disappear down the street.

The sheer amount that the image hurts your heart makes you feel evil.

~~~

The pub changed something. What, you don’t know. Either way, you fall into an easy pattern with Johnny and Simon over the next couple weeks. Exchanges of food, leftovers or morsels about to turn, little visits back and forth between your shops. Johnny continues to stop by after close, just hanging around with you while Simon closes up shop.

You can’t deny how much you look forward to hearing that door chime followed by a too-loud greeting from Johnny. How your heart flips in your chest when those bright blue eyes peek around the corner into the back room or light up while trying a new recipes you’ve been testing. You’re still a bit awkward - unsure how to react when he throws an arm around your shoulders or listens oh so intently while you talk about nothing important.

Things can’t ever be all sunshine and rainbows, though. Not for you. A new problem has arisen as summer truly sets in - the comfortable spring breezes giving way to nothing but bright, unfiltered sun. One you didn’t expect to impact you this much living this far north.

Heat.

It’s hard to breathe in the back room while you’re baking. Hard to keep your water and salt intake high enough to compensate for how fast you lose them. You might as well get a permanent saline drip attached to you at this point. You definitely didn’t google if that was physically possible. Your budget for liquid IVs and other supplements nearly doubles. Standing over the massive oven in the back room has your head swimming a few times. You end up resting longer on your weekends, unable to keep up like you could in cooler weather.

It’s okay, you tell yourself, the summer here isn’t like back home. It will pass quicker. Plus, you at least have methods of dealing with it now other than crossing your fingers and praying.

“Bonnie!” Johnny suddenly appears in your doorway - that charming smile splitting his face from ear to ear. “Ye made it up Main Street yet?”

“No?” You tilt your head and try to ignore the way your vision spots momentarily at the motion. “Why?”

“Ye dinnae hear about the summer festival?” He leans on your counter. You shake your head. “It’s a yearly thing. Not that big a deal but they have some fun games an’ it’s nice tae see everyone out an’ about. Si an’ I are about tae head down. Come wit’?”

You hesitate. The exhaustion in your body tugs at your spine. Your limbs feel heavy. This morning really got to you - out of towners who must have come for the festival flooded your shop the moment it opened on top of your Saturday regulars. Not that you’re complaining, really. It’s easily your best day so far. You want to go with them, though, despite the ache in your back and the sting in your joints. It sounds so fun and it’s never a bad idea to take part in your new community’s festivities.

“Yeah. That sounds nice.” You smile. You can tough it out for an hour, then come back home. Yeah, just an hour. You’ll be fine.

You hadn’t noticed Simon leaned up at the entrance to your shop. Your eyes lock on his arms. This is the first time you’ve actually seen him in short sleeves. You can’t help but stare at his half-sleeve tattoo - all skulls and bombs and other military motifs. Faded and sun worn. Yeah, if you’d seen that sooner you definitely would have picked up on the whole military thing. You bite your lip to keep from snickering about it.

You can hear the music drifting from the speakers down the street. A few kids run by with balloons and cheap carnival prizes. It almost reminds you of the Spring Fling back home, just missing the extreme American flag theming across every booth and vendor front. Now that you’re looking around, you can actually see several booths that have been sponsored by various businesses in the area. Even the post office has a snow cone stand. The deeper you get into the event, the more flamboyant the decor becomes. Multicolored streamers and pennet flags connect stands, creating an almost canopy effect.

Simon stops rather abruptly at a booth, waiting behind a few teenagers tossing rings onto bottles. You stop with Johnny about two feet away. What’s he thinking? Simon doesn’t seem like the type who would be too entertained by basic carnival games. Even so, he steps forward and passes over a couple bills to the vendor as soon as the teenagers leave.

“Si’s really good at these. Watch.” Johnny grins beside you.

“Aren’t they rigged?” You raise an eyebrow.

Johnny doesn’t answer, eyes locked on his husband as he lines up one of the rings. You have to lean slightly to see around the breadth of the man - the multicolor rings almost cartoonishly small in his hands. Cute. Your eyes get impossibly wide with each toss, every single one landing comfortably on the bottle necks as if it’s the easiest thing in the world. As if this isn’t one of the most commonly rigged carnival games.

“Holy shit…” You mutter, still staring.

“Aye, tha’s a SAS sniper for ye.” Johnny laughs. “Glad tae see it still comes in handy.”

Simon huffs out a quiet laugh at that. Almost more of a sigh if it weren’t for the shaking of his shoulders. You love it - their little dynamic. The bond between them that’s so strong it’s almost visible.

“‘ere.” Simon turns to you suddenly, holding out a cheap little carnival prize. You can’t even begin to decipher what it’s supposed to be - some sort of furry puff ball with big, embroidered anime eyes and two felt antennae sticking up out of it’s purple head… body… thing…

Your face heats. “F-, uh, me?”

He shrugs. “Suits you. Riley will just chew it up if we take it home.”

“Aye. She’s so good with everythin’ but cheap plushies.” Johnny snickers.

You glance down at the dog in question - her dark eyes glued to the toy in Simon’s hand. Her tail thumps against the ground where she sists dutifully, but you can see the desire to snatch the thing away in her twitchy ears and pleading eyes. You snort, taking the stupid thing and tucking it under your arm with the prayer that they don’t notice the heat now spreading from your cheeks to your ears.

“Thanks…” you murmur, already mentally deciding where to add it to the mess of stuffies covering your bed already.

Somehow you end up walking between them down the street - Simon on your left and Johnny on your right with Riley in tow. You stop at a few other games here and there. All pretty basic. Johnny absolutely kills at the dunk booth.

Simon tires his hardest to help you with your terrible aim, “Just visualize it. Y’have t’ account for the arc.”

You get to the point of sticking your tongue out in concentration. Even so you only manage to knock down a couple of the wooden ducks at the ‘Dunk-A-Duck’ stand. You do, however, win one of those rock candy sticks at the guessing booth. You just hand it off to Johnny. It’s probably not best to load up on sugar in your current state.

Johnny excitedly points to different buildings giving you a rundown of the history of his hometown as you walk. Simon seems to barely be listening. He’s probably heard this a thousand times. Prattling on about the old town square, the church bell that a bunch of teenagers spray painted one time (Johnny was not involved, how could you accuse him of that?)

You find yourself focusing on your feet - keeping each step even and fast enough to remain on pace with them. One, two, one, two, one, two. The air begins to thicken. Muggy and heavy on your skin. Your breaths become shallow and fast. You can’t catch it, the air seeming to get stuck in your throat rather than reaching your lungs. Spots begin to dance across your vision. You stumble over nothing.

Not now! Come on! You’ve been doing so well!

Riley presses against your leg acting as a counter weight. Your body moves on instinct to grab whatever you can - hands wrapping around something strong and covered with cloth. An arm solid as rebar. Hopefully it’s someone you know. All you can see are colorless shapes.

“Gonna pass out - don’t freak!” You gasp before your legs give out.

It’s not that you go entirely out - it’s rare that you fully black out. It’s more like being stuck. Limp and fuzzy and confused. Almost like sleep paralysis. There’s voices and people moving around you. Someone has picked you up, you think, based on the swaying motion and the passing shapes around you. Maybe that’s just vertigo. A door bell chimes.

You finally begin to really come to when something icy is pressed to your forehead. It couldn’t have been more than a handful of seconds that you were gone, but it takes much longer for the world around you to come back into focus.

“I’m sorry…” You murmur, eyes stinging. Even after all these years it’s so damn embarrassing. You blink, the distinct mural that decorates the ceiling of the post office slowly coming into view. Johnny said a big time traveling artist painted it back in the nineties.

“Ye alright?” Johnny murmurs, crouched down beside you. Riley sniffs at your hand, seeming satisfied when you finally move it on your own.

You nod slowly. “Overheated…”

“Give her this.” Someone says. An event medic, you think. The boys must have flagged them down. Fingers press to your pulse point, a light shines in your eyes and you follow it. A quick check of vitals. Johnny shoves a water bottle in your hand as soon as the medic decides you’re fine to move - the contents distinctly murky from some sort of electrolyte pack that’s been shaken into it.

“Up y’get. Slowly does it.” Simon helps you sit up with a hand on your back. It’s so gentle. You don’t miss how he cages in your body the way only someone intimately familiar with caretaking might. Fully ready to catch you if you go limp again.

You sip slow, eyes glued to the ground. You feel so fucking stupid. Can’t even walk down a street without creating some sort of scene. They’re never going to want to hang out with you again, are they? You can’t go out drinking, can’t walk around a festival for longer than a couple hours. You distracted Riley. What if something happened to Johnny while you were having your spell? She might not have alerted correctly because of you. She might have gotten confused and then he could have gotten hurt. He might have-

“Ye really should drink tha’ instead of glarin’ at it.” Johnny pulls you from your thoughts. He’s now sat with his legs crossed beside you. Riley’s head rests in his lap. She seems calm. Content now that the emergency is over and happily lying on a cool floor.

You hum, chugging the last bit of it quickly. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t be.” Simon says curtly. “Does this ‘appen often?”

You shrug. “Not as much anymore… usually my medication keeps me stable.”

“Do ye need a doctor?” Johnny tilts his head slightly. There’s no judgment in his tone - in either of their tones. Just calm concern. It probably shouldn’t make you want to cry as much as it does.

You shake your head. “I’ve got liquid IV at home. Just need to sleep it off.”

Hopefully. In reality, a pain flare up is inevitable now. You just won’t know how bad until you’re fully in it.

“Let’s get ye home.” Johnny says, knees popping as he stands.

“I-I’m fine!” You insist, mentally preparing to get yourself up off the floor. “I can get home on my own - I don’t want to ruin your time.”

Johnny levels his gaze onto you, so serious it almost looks angry. It doesn’t match his face. “We’re not leavin’ ye tae get home alone like this.”

You’re caught off guard when an arm slides under your back and another under knees - lifting you like you weigh half of what you do in reality. Like you’re a paperweight instead of a boulder. You blink up at Simon, far too surprised to be embarrassed. At least at first. You splutter out a poor attempt at convincing him to put you down. Excuse and reason after reason and excuse. They roll off him like water off a ducks back. Your face burns as he steps out of the post office with you neatly tucked against his chest - Johnny and Riley in tow.

If you allow yourself to be honest, to give into that weaker part of you (or, at least, the part you consider to be weak) you could possibly admit that this feels nice. Being cared for feels nice. Having your body up against someone else feels nice. It’s been a long time since anyone touched you outside of a polite handshake or accidental bump. You sink into it despite yourself - relaxing against Simon’s chest. They were right, you wouldn’t have made it back. Your head is too fuzzy and there’s that telltale pain in your shoulders radiating up to your neck that signifies an oncoming Bed Day.

It doesn’t take long with Simon’s lengthy strides to get back to your building. You probably wouldn’t have been able to keep up to that running. Well, you can’t really run much at all so you definitely wouldn’t. A stupid, muddled train of thought that melts into the hazy bog of your current mental state. Even Johnny trails a few feet behind. Neither of them speak, marching in determined silence. You attempt to subtly check their faces for any anger. You’d understand if they were angry. Most people would get angry. You interrupted their day out with your useless drama. All you get is a wide, bright grin from Johnny when your eyes eventually meet his.

Simon puts you down with all the care in the world. As if you’re made of fine china. His hand stays on your upper back - planted firmly between your shoulder blades and ready to catch you if need be. Your vision swims a bit, your joints feel like jelly but you manage to dig your keys out of your pocket and unlock the door.

“Here.” Johnny plops the puff ball back into your hands just as you turn to say goodbye. To say thank you - to apologize profusely.

Your brows raise. You completely forgot about it while swimming around in a sea of embarrassment - he must have picked it up for you. You hug it to your chest with a quiet, “Thanks.”

You shift your weight side to side, psyching yourself up for the crawl up the stairs. Probably literally. You don’t think you could stay upright if you tried to walk them like a regular day, or even with an aid. Like a regular or semi-regular person. Fuck.

Johnny follows your eyes up at the staircase. He must sense some hesitation in you. “Do ye need help up?”

You bite your lip, staring at the ground. Standing in one place seems alright, but the thought of climbing is so daunting, even with the cane you have stationed at the bottom of the steps for that exact purpose. It’s embarrassing. You’re young, you should be able to walk up some damn stairs. It isn’t even that many. It’s barely a full flight. Just one story of stairs for fuck’s sake.

“Hey.” Simon touches your cheek, the action snapping your eyes to his in surprise. “It’s okay. C’mere.”

He picks you up again in the same fashion with barely a grunt, taking his time up the steps so as not to jostle you. How many times has he done this with Johnny? you wonder. That’s the only explanation for how good he is at keeping your equilibrium so even. You wonder if he practiced - if he took caretaking classes. He probably did. Does he keep up at the gym just so he can take care of his husband? Simon might be quiet and a little formal, but he exudes dedication.

“Sorry it’s messy…” You murmur when they reach the top of the steps. Glancing behind you, you see Riley sitting patiently at the bottom. Johnny must have told her to stay. “Haven’t gotten to fully unpack…”

You’ve been spending too much time in bed on the weekends. Fucking lazy.

Johnny just laughs. “Ye shoulda seen the first place Simon an’ I had.”

“Wasn’t that bad.” Simon argues, carefully setting you down on the couch. His hands hold your waist to steady you. They’re so warm… It feels wrong to be disappointed when he lets go.

“We hadnae figured out a system yet.” Johnny huffs, hands on his hips. “We ended up hirin’ a specialized maid service the dishes got so backed up.”

You scoff, laying back against the couch with that stupid carnival prize still in your arms. Like it’s the only thing grounding you to reality. The tears that have been stinging your eyes this entire time continue to threaten to spill - a myriad of blinks and careful breaths the only thing keeping them back.

Johnny sits beside you slowly. You can’t meet his eyes. “Do… do ye want tae tell us what it is? Ye donnae have tae - it’s up tae ye. Just if somethin’ happens again…”

“We’d like to be prepared.” Simon jumps in where Johnny trails off.

You chew your lip, still staring up at the ceiling. It splits and that coppery taste coats your tongue for a moment. “I, uh, it’s called POTS. There’s different types but basically my body can’t regulate blood flow and pressure right…” You shrug. “Like I said my medication usually keeps me mostly okay.”

It’s the pain that really gets to you usually, but you don’t need to start dumping on them about that. There’s no reason to spill your guts about things they can’t fix.

“Thanks fer tellin’ us.” Johnny smiles. You stiffen slightly when he reaches out to tuck some hair behind your ear. You tilt your head, still resting on the back of the couch, to meet his eye. “Get some rest, yeah? We’ll lock the knob behind us. Call if ye need anythin’.”

“Okay.” You nod, keeping your eyes down and picking at your nails. “Sorry… about all this… I didn’t - I don’t… I’m sorry.”

“Donnae apologize.” He says softly as he stands. “Never apologize. We’re your friends, aye? Friends help friends. Tha’s all there is to it.”

Simon gives you a discerning nod behind him, expression both soft and deeply serious.

Friends? They consider you real life proper friends? Really? You can’t help but beam up at him. “Yeah.”

A/N: I’ve re-read this chapter so many times that it’s total mush in my brain which tells me it’s time to be done with it.

Bonus: I made a Pinterest board for this fic

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delilahsturniolo · 2 months ago

Text

no body, no crime

— m.s

find other parts on my masterlist!

chapter 5 . . . cold blooded

in which . . . you and matt are private investigators, trying to figure out an unsolved murder from years ago.

warnings . . . use of a knife to hurt someone, murder, blood, violence, graphic descriptions and physically fighting. read with discretion.

written by @delilahsturniolo. do not copy, re use, or modify my works. do not take inspiration without asking permission. happy reading! :)

your vision was hazy as your eyes began to flutter open, your head was pounding and your hearing was slightly muffled. your eyes scanned your surroundings.

it was a dark room, no windows, absolutely empty. you tried getting up, but only hitting the floor again. you looked down, realizing that your wrists and ankles were firmly tied together.

great. just great.

you grunted in pain, the rope stinging against your skin. suddenly, all of your memory was coming back to you.

you were at gianna’s house…she gave you tea…then drugged you…

and now, you were here. absolutely helpless, no one to save you. that was, until you heard heavy footsteps echoing. you quickly adjusted your position, preparing for whoever would walk in. you were expecting gianna, but that wasn’t who walked in.

a tall, middle aged looking man entered the room. he had a plaid shirt on and short blonde hair. his shirt was slightly unbuttoned, showing off his hairy chest.

wait a minute…you recognized this man. it was the same guy who walked in emily’s room when you and matt were looking for the diary.

gianna’s dad, max jones. what was he doing here?

“i see you’re finally awake?” max taunted, looking down at your weak frame. you struggle against the rope.

“let me go.” you demanded, max only laughed, finding your struggles to be amusing.

“i’m afraid i cannot do that, you know too much, sweetheart.” max teased, stupidly smiling at you. your eyes widened out of realization.

“you. it was you.” your voice wobbled as you spoke.

“you killed emily and justin. it was you!” you raised your voice slightly. max grabbed you by your collar, lifting you up slightly and holding you against the wall firmly. you gasped, your heart beginning to race.

“took you long enough to figure it out, pretty girl.” max teased, you almost threw up from the nickname he called you.

“why? why did you do it?” you asked him, practically pleading. nothing made sense, nothing added up to you. how did all the evidence lead to…him?

max scoffed. “you seriously askin’ me that? i fuckin’ hated that justin kid, he wasn’t good enough for my daughter.”

“and that gives you the right to kill him?” you raised an eyebrow, max’s grip on you tightened, causing you to wince.

“shut the fuck up. i shot him, and then my daughter saw. i couldn’t let emily live knowing she saw what i did. so, i shot her too. justin already owned a gun, i grabbed it with gloves so my DNA wouldn’t be on it and framed him.” he explained.

“you’re disgusting.” you commented. you couldn’t believe it, you were standing in front of a murderer. he was psychotic.

“just wait till i tell the police.” you smirked confidently, max shook his head. he took out a kitchen knife from his back pocket, you froze as he placed it upon the side of your neck.

“oh no no no, you won’t be telling the police shit. you won’t be getting out of here alive either.” max pressed the knife against your neck, your breath hitched as a tiny drop of blood seeped out.

that was it. this was your last straw. you tried wriggling free from his grip, but nothing worked. the knife against your neck was threatening, you knew he could end your life with one quick movement.

max grunted against your struggles, holding his sleeve against your mouth to muffle your yells.

“scream all you want, sweetheart. no one can hear you, we’re in a warehouse in a very isolated place.” max told you, giving your neck one last squeeze before letting go of you and walking away, slamming the door behind him.

you slid down the wall breathlessly, hitting the floor. you sat there, tied up and useless as tears formed in your eyes. he was right, no one could save you. no one would hear you, no matter how loud you screamed or cried.

a singular tear rolled down your face, you began to softly cry. in this moment, all you wanted was matt. to be in the warmth of his embrace, to have your lips on his again. you missed him. you should have listened to him, he was only trying to protect you. and all you cared about was this dumb case.

you abruptly stopped crying, you came to a realization. a knife, you always had a knife in your back pocket. you could use it to cut the rope, that is if you could reach it.

you grunted as your restrained wrists behind your back attempted to reach into the back pocket of your jeans. you felt the handle of the sharp knife, sliding it out of the pocket.

you couldn’t see what you were doing, or where you were cutting. you firmly slid the knife back and forth on the rope, gaining hope as it slowly began to rip.

you untangled the rope from your wrists, grabbing the knife and working on your ankle restraints now. you had to be quick, max could walk in any moment now.

finally, you freed your ankled and tossed the rope to the side and slid the knife back into your pocket. you stood up, your legs a bit wobbly at first, but you gained your balance within a few seconds.

suddenly, your heart dropped.

your eyes widened with fear as max walked back in. his eyebrows furrowed, realizing you broke free. he began rapidly approaching you, you gasped and swung your fist, sending him backward.

max scoffed. “oh, you little bitch.” he murmured, grabbing you and slamming you against the wall harshly, you winced in pain, trying to hit and kick him as much as you possibly could.

max took out his knife, holding it against your chest, threatening to kill you. after all, you were his next victim.

and that’s when you completely lost it.

you gripped the handle of his knife, grabbing the weapon and disarming him. his eyes widened in surprise as you shoved him backwards, the knife in your hand.

“pfft, what are you gonna do with that? you’re a cop, you can’t kill me. that wouldn’t look so good on your record, yeah?” max taunted, provoking you even more.

you stepped closer to him.

“and then what? no one would believe you and your little detective partner. they’d want you both dead, in jail. that kid is just using you, he doesn’t fuckin’ like you.” max smirked.

something about that last part set you off. fuck, it did more than set you off. it made you go crazy. max tried grabbing you again, but you held the knife up high, stabbing it right through his chest.

“what the fu—“ max groaned in agony from the knife, tears of anger slipped down your face as you twisted it, making him scream from the pain.

he could barely speak, he fell backwards with a big thud, his eyes rolling to the back of his head as the knife was stuck in the middle of his chest.

you stood there in shock, realizing what you had just done. your hands were shaky and your face was tear stricken.

blood, blood everywhere. blood pooling from his body, blood on your hands.

he was dead. you killed a man.

a/n 💌: matt wasn’t in this chapter but I promise he’ll be there next time! and, i’m sorry for the ending. i wont leave you all hanging for long, i’m working on the next part. but, it’ll all make sense soon..

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cr4yolaas · 20 days ago

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WHIPLASH — LOOK BACK

work is horrifying. men are horrifying. the whole world is horrifying, and horribly against her. she tries not to let her structure crumble — but there are limits to everything.

002. that's the industry, baby! / masterlist / 004. distractor

"I hate him," she mutters under her breath. It's barely a whisper beneath the noise around them, but the anger laced in it is pungent. He watches her take one, two, three sips from her drink before slinking down onto the wooden counter.

"You still haven't told me why."

Her head slowly rotates, shifting around in the nook she's created with her folded arms, to face him in all his midnight glory. The music is nothing but white noise, and all she can hear is the subtle thumping of her heart against her ribs.

(She doesn't really remember how he looked that night. All she recalls is his signature hat and the pretty jewelry he wore.)

There's only a string of restraint left in her. Her rationale — fine-tuned and perfectly curated after just a few years of surviving through this industry — tells her to keep quiet; that any details about her irritation and regret, no matter how long they may fester in the pools of her stomach, cannot slip out. But when he lays down to match her position and whispers a question, one she barely misses, the little string snaps.

"I'll just listen, if you want. No advice. No input. Just an ear."

(What happens between that and the moment they find themselves outside is a blur.)

It all spills out, the reservoir that she's been carefully maintaining up until then bursting at the seams. She rambles on about shitty coworkers, who can't seem to stop relying on her, shitty editors, who don't have any sense of proper management, and a shitty ex, who used all of it to get his way. All of her — the people pleasing, the work obsession, the ease in which she let things happen under the guise that something good would come out of it all. She tells him about it all in chronological order (because it's the only way she seems to remember things these days), from the opportunities he'd stolen from her grasp and the arguments and the pure, bubbling humiliation she feels just from thinking about it.

And he listens. Like he'd promised.

A part of her finds solitude in the knowledge that her chances of seeing him again are slim to none. Another part longs to see him again — how can she resist when he looks at her like she'd hung up the stars over their heads?

(The rest of the night is gone to time. She can't recall anything — she actively tries not to, a subconscious decision made the day after. What she does know is that she regrets it — regrets baring her soul, wide open, for someone gone so quickly.

It's a necessary evil. She knows she can't grow attached. But part of her wishes he'd stayed, just for another hour.)

★ super short filler/interlude :) a little background on megs' and yn's history

★ this took place when yn just transferred publishing companies -- she wasn't a sport editor at the time, hence why she didn't recognize him

★ i'll leave this chapter up for interpretation buttt there is an actual plot behind it, mainly w/ what happened @ yn's old company

★ in the main tl, the aespa fangirls don't know abt this night nor anything that yn shared </3 they r under the assumption that she transferred js for the fun of it

★ they minus toge

★ i rlly don't like how this one came out but i couldn't figure out how else to write it without it getting too detailed. this night is meant to be a memory that yn tries to force down, which is why it isn't as in-depth

★ hope u all enjoyed :)

TAGLIST: @kameyyy @s777athv @solecitoszn @1l-ynn @valvoria @standcom @kissunday @hqnge @applepi25 @fushiguruuzzzz @reveurdoll @anotherwriternamedclara @sh0ot1ngst4r @starrysho @lizbix @diearama @cherryredribbons @asuritam @tiramizuloz @saltypuffin1040 @burnishingbagels @beepbopzlorp @reezerdotcom @tibibibi123 @carneries @gumims @chososcamgirl @anngelllla @fefesooli @anngelllla @tiramizuloz @vrxouei @s3ns4ti0n4l @lucentwings @sentifua @in-the-marina-trench

divider creds @/animatedglittergraphics-n-more

#jjk angst #jjk fanfic #jjk x reader #megumi x y/n #megumi x reader

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lcvehee · 4 months ago

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lost and found (smau)

#11. 4 lifers

꩜ .ᐟ a/n: classes started again this week!! i am not ready but fuck it we ball. anyways, hope you enjoy this long chapter (i ohysically cannot write short ones idk why haha)

꩜ .ᐟ 0.9k words.

꩜ .ᐟ synopsis: a few weeks have gone by and their friend circles seem to have merged. chaos ensues.

"what?" yeri gasped, putting her iced americano down, "everyday?" she added.

anton nodded. y/n shrugged.

"we found out we had some classes together this semester, so we usually end up studying together after."

anton scoffed. "that still doesn't explain you two hanging out everyday? surely, you don't have classes in common everyday?"

"first of all, we just get along, okay? plus, it's not really everyday..." y/n sighed. she downed the remainder of her iced matcha in one go, making her cough.

yeri rolled her eyes and said, "that's what you get for not telling the truth." this made y/n glare at her.

"what. do. you. mean." she huffed out in between coughs.

yeri took her time taking a bite out of her fruit tart and sipping on her coffee. "i just think you're being stubborn. you know you can tell us if you like someone right?"

anton choked on his crepe as he heard this.

"what? it's true!" yeri laughed.

"but i don't!"

y/n just couldn't understand why yeri was insisting on this. she clearly didn't know about how frustrating sohee was. he just knew how to get on her nerves! yeah, sure, the guy's cute and all, but that cheeky attitude of his that only seemed to appear when he's alone with her was downright infuriating. y/n simply found yeri's ardent feelings on the matter laughable.

"giselle, back me up!"

"no comment." giselle smiled sheepishly. y/n looked up a the sky and sighed deeply.

"this is my 13th reason."

"girl, i have all the receipts on my phone..." yeri showed her gallery, full of screenshots.

"oh."

the three raised their eyebrows at her.

"i guess we do hangout everyday now." y/n laughed weakly. "but!" she cleared her throat, "that doesn't mean we like each other!"

"yeah, yeah, okay." yeri waved her off, "sure jan."

y/n grimaced.

"kinda off topic, but," anton cut in, sheepish. "when you guys went to a bar the day you met, i didn't tell you what happened after i picked you up at the bus stop..." y/n turned to him, dumbfounded.

"i thought i blacked out?"

"yes, but before that, you were blabbering like an idiot. full offense."

"i would pay to see that." yeri snorted.

"and you seemed pretty cheerful, you know? so i was kinda confused when you two kinda had beef afterwards..."

this was the first time y/n heard this.

"what'd i say?"

"honestly, it was like... 3 or 4 weeks ago, i don't remember much," he muttered, "all i remember is you saying you had fun, wanting to see him again and stuff... then falling asleep."

expecting y/n to deny this vehemently, anton was surprised at her calm demeanor. y/n's heart started to race, thoughts starting to spin.

"what the fuck did we do that night?"

"maybe you can ask sohee?" giselle blurted out, noticing y/n's frown.

"well, i did, not long after... and he said he didn't know."

"you should ask him, maybe he remembers now?" y/n gulped, dreading to discover the truth.

— the next day.

the professor was yapping about the proof for theorem 3.16 when lee sohee looked at the clock on his phone.

2:54pm, 6 minutes left.

he turned to his left and showed his phone to y/n, nudging her arm.

"library after?" he whispered.

y/n shook her head, then scribbled something on her ipad.

"you want go at my place? why?" he whispered, tilting his head. "i thought you wanted to revise again for the calculus–"

someone shushed him before he could finish his question.

"later," she mouthed, already turning her focus back on the prof.

— at his apartment.

"so what did you have to say to me that needed a change of scenery? or did you want to see my apartment so bad?" he sat on his desk chair, throwing his beanie absentmindedly on his bed.

y/n shifted uncomfortably, sitting on the edge of his bed.

truth to be told, sohee was nervous. from the moment he laid his eyes on her this morning, y/n seemed different. he didn't know what to do. she'd avoid his gaze and laugh weakly at his teasing. instead of indulging in his banter and countering with quick remarks, she'd freeze up.

sohee's eyes softened. "did something happen?"

"not really..."

"then why are you so... tense?" he asked, looking at her. y/n did not expect to see concern in his eyes when she looked up.

"it's just... do you really don't remember what happened that night? when we got drunk?"

"you said, verbatim, 'we don't talk about that night'. so i thought... you remembered what happened." he uttered, shocked at the revelation.

"i said that because i thought i did something embarassing!" y/n gestured at herself. "anton told me i was... really happy that night," she muttered the last part, hugging one knee to her chest.

sohee's breath got caught in his throat at those words. "really?" he smiled, his ears turning pink.

"listen to me." y/n clicked her tongue, forcing a frown on her face. "i'm not trying to boost your ego. now, what the hell did we do?"

he stiffened at her question. he was playing it cool until now, but how was he supposed to leave unscathed without lying? he didn't want to expose the cringy shit they did. for his own dignity. and hers! all he wanted was to bury that in the past and start afresh with her.

i guess that plan's going straight to the trash. i gotta tell her.

y/n sent him quizzical look. "so?"

"i didn't tell you at that time because, frankly, i was embarassed."

y/n scoffed, not believing him. "you, embarassed? what?"

"i still am." he fake coughed. "let me finish." he clicked his tongue repeatedly, shaking his head in a joking manner.

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© lcvehee | taglist is open: @secretiny @totheseok @renjuneoo @molensworld @wccycc @onlyhyunjin @mystarsohee @llearlert @nujeskz @yoursyuno @minkkumaz @rikisluv @xcosmi @zularen (bold couldn't be tagged, you may have to check your settings!)

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crookedkryptonitebeliever · 1 year ago

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Best and Worst of Both Worlds (Part 29)

Tw: mental breakdown and thoughts that made you go a little "wtf", mentions of non con touching, a bit of smut, chapters kinda short

okay here u go Evangeline enjoyers

Part 30

You decided to confront her. The suspense as to why she did what she did is killing you.

So you have to work, on composing a long-winded paragraph with a beginning, middle, and end. Your hands were shaky from the adrenaline coursing through your veins, you were never really assertive. So this is very new to you, yet exciting, yet frightening.

You tried not to be too accusatory and not too dismissive. It was hard because you either tend to paint her as a horrible person or paint yourself as an overreactive dramatic. However, you managed to find the right balance with the ultimate goal of extracting her reasoning behind her latest behavior towards everyone.

You held your breath as you tapped send.

You waited and waited while chewing on your nails. Imagining all the ways she would respond. Anger? Remorse? Revenge? Nonchalance? It could be anything, even no response at all.

Which you thought you might be getting. She hasn't replied to you yet and it's been 30 minutes since you sent it. You sighed, she's probably just busy and will take her time to read too, you should be patient and find a way to calm your nerves.

You were about to put your phone down and prepare yourself dinner; which is just following the instructions Yves plastered on its container- usually only involving the microwave or the saucepan. You jolted when your phone buzzed to life, your mouth was gaping wide when you saw the contact to be your dreaded friend: Evangeline.

You whimpered, pacing around the room as you let it vibrate. You feel unprepared, inexperienced, and upset. You regret doing this in the first place. You wish you could just disappear into a hole somewhere, or disappear into Yves's warm embrace.

It stopped ringing. A text message took its place after that.

"Pick up"

She didn't give you more than ten seconds to read before attempting to call you again.

So you decided to take a leap of faith and answer her call.

"(name)? I read your text, what are you talking about?" She sounded concerned and worried, and there were hints of something darker that you picked up in her voice.

She did not read your text. At least, she refused to understand it. You were clear in what you wanted from her; which was to stop doing what she was doing and reflect upon her actions, giving you her rationale behind her offenses at the same time.

You summarized it, telling her that she was confusing and weird. You didn't like how she tried to touch you without your consent. You cannot figure out for the life of you if she was on Montgomery's side, Yves's, or yours.

"I'm on your side, of course. I'm your friend! What? So I can't touch you now? I think you need to get out of your shell more, (name). That didn't mean anything, you can touch me the same way too if you want to get even--"

You cut her off and told her no. You don't think whatever she's doing is merely a friendly gesture. You felt dirty and violated even having Evangeline suggest that you do the same to her.

There was a beat of silence, followed by a sigh.

"...I'm sorry you felt that way, (name). I didn't mean to hurt you. I was just trying to be a good friend."

You didn't know what to say next. Soon after, you heard sniffling and soft weeping.

"I'm so sorry. You're such a good friend to me, I don't want to lose you. Please don't be mad at me." Her voice cracked and wavers. You

You don't know how you feel about her reaction. But you do know that, unlike Yves, you have the power to walk away from her. He's coming back tomorrow anyway, so you won't be the 'friendless' on campus anymore. So you can afford to cut her off because she's acting strange and you think that being with her, will lead to more trouble.

You told her that you're not mad at her. But you don't feel comfortable hanging out with her anymore.

"What?! W-why? I apologized, what more do you want me to do?" She raised her voice and strained it painfully. You hear that she began to sob and wail.

You told her that there was nothing she could do except to move on. You wished her the best and said goodbye.

You hung up before she could get another word in. You immediately blocked her and flopped onto your bed. The breath you exhale felt like smoke evacuating your lungs, you felt you could breathe properly again without feeling too worked up. At least that chapter of your life is done, you most likely would either need to take the bus or Yves would drive you around. Fine by you, no Evangeline or Mr. Jones in sight.

You will let Yves handle Montgomery, he has a bigger, legal hammer to beat him with.

"Sweetie...?" Mr. Jones creaked the door to her room open, letting the lights from the hallway spill into her pitch-dark room.

She was crying, her breathing was choppy and her whimpers bounced off the walls. Evangeline was sobbing into her pillows, her blond hair was a mess around her, unlike her usual combed style. Her beautiful dress was wrinkled and her blue eyes were red and puffed.

Her father stared at her with heartbreak and pity. You must have told her already. However, he knows that this behavior of hers needs to be addressed. Evangeline's mother is cooking downstairs, she was never the type to be compassionate in her discipline methods. So Mr. Jones decided to be the one to break the news to her.

"Oh, Evangeline..." He switched the lights on and sat right next to her sniveling form.

She didn't acknowledge his presence, nor did she wish to talk to him. But he has to discuss with his daughter that some things aren't acceptable.

"Sir Yves... he called me earlier." Mr. Jones felt her entire body tense up to the mention of his client. "Mx. (Name) told him you were touching them inappropriately, is that true?" He was gentle with his words, careful not to provoke his already emotionally unstable daughter.

She neither confirms nor denies. Evangeline just stayed very still.

"...Please, Evangeline. You have to talk to me." He pleaded, rubbing a soothing hand on her shoulder. "What's going on?"

No response.

He shuffled himself on the bed uncomfortably. Mr. Jones cleared his throat.

"You can tell us anything. You know Mommy and Daddy love you no matter what." Evangeline moved a bit, but it was only to adjust her positioning. Her face remains buried in her pillow.

"I-I don't get it, I know you're a good girl but... these things that happened to you, these things you did... Why?" He asked, gently shaking her as Mr. Jones looked at her in desperation.

"Hitting your baby cousins suffering from illnesses, pushing your pregnant aunt Myrtle down the stairs, accusing your uncle Ben of infidelity, the rumors about some... ridiculous cheating scandals, and now this? Why?" Tears threatened to fall from his eyes as well, he bit back his lip to try and avoid it from rolling down his cheek.

He retracted his hand when he felt Evangeline trembling. It was soon made known to him that she was shaking in hysterics.

"You are all so ungrateful! I was trying to help everyone!" She snapped, her heart holding an ugly contempt for the world around her, which included her doting father.

"They weren't going to live long anyways, their mothers constantly complain of needing to take care of their children. I wanted to save Aunt Myrtle from that horrible, horrible fate, but I'm the villain? Uncle Ben hated his wife and kids, he wanted to escape. I gave him that escape, didn't I? He went ahead and married a woman much prettier and younger than his ex, didn't he? Why am I the villain?" She screamed as she hyperventilated, her father taking a step backward to avoid her erratic movements.

"Evangeline-"

"I didn't- I didn't steal her boyfriend! I was trying to get along with him, I wanted us to be a big happy group but they were fighting. I didn't want them to fight..." She sobbed loudly into her hands. Her nails dig into the delicate flesh on her face as she tries to quell her rage. "They were my friends! (Name) was my friend, I tried to help them, I tried..."

She crumbled to her knees and bawled. "I tried helping them get along with Sir Yves, but I was punished for it. I tried helping them get along with Monty, but I was... told I was 'weird'. I just wanted something back, I just wanted to touch them, they were so good to me... I wanted to touch them. Was that so wrong?"

"Yes, Evangeline! You can't just... touch them like that! You don't touch your friends in that manner, you don't touch anyone in that manner! What are you..." He was at a loss for words. Her father tried looking back at what was being taught to her, nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but why couldn't she think normally? Her logic is distorted and her sense of entitlement is demented, it's much more serious considering that she began her unhinged quests for justice just a year ago.

She looked away and wept some more. Evangeline is alone again, a feeling so familiar to her. It's ironic, that her parents tried to expose her to as many people as they could to improve her loneliness as an only child. But in a room full of children and adults who she knew on a first-name basis, she was alone. So, so alone.

There is nobody in the world she could tell her thoughts to. She tried telling her mother, her so-called 'friends', her extended family... they all deemed her crazy. She was forbidden to have her truest opinion on life and Evangeline never understood why, it felt unfair, it felt like the world was against her. Not even the vastness of the internet allowed her to find like-minded companions, she was shunned out of communities she desperately yearned to be in for being true to herself.

"You're just like the rest..." She mumbled inaudibly under her breath. "It's useless..." She muttered, a bit more coherently now. Enough for her father to pick up on.

"What's useless, sweetie?" He wiped away his own tears of anguish, it was horrible to see his child suffer like this, but he did not have the skills or understanding to help her.

"Crying about it... it's useless." She sniffled and wiped away her tears. Mr. Jones watched her blink multiple times with a neutral expression.

Evangeline stared into the distance for a few minutes. She didn't blink nor did she speak, not a single twitch of her muscle could be seen or felt. Her father was worried that she wasn't even breathing because her sniffles stopped and the girl let her nose drip freely. Her blue eyes are dilated and blank.

"Evangeline...?" Her father hesitantly shook her by the shoulder. She blinked one last time, allowing a tear from each eye to roll down her already damp cheeks.

When she opened her eyes once more, her usual girlish sparkle was back. Evangeline blew her nose on a piece of napkin she pulled from her tissue box nearby. She crumpled the soiled sheet in her hands, a long strip of muscle on the inner side of her wrist was raised when she squeezed it in her fist. She let go and threw it into her trash can.

"All better." She smiled, patting the area under her eyes with her fingertips.

Baffled by her sudden, impossible change, Mr. Jones tried asking her all the questions in his head, but it came out as a pathetic stutter.

"I'm sorry for costing you a customer, Daddy." Her eyes were downcast. "I promise I won't do it again."

Mr. Jones's eyes darted around her. Confused and terrified at this strange switch of hers. "Sweetie, I-"

"If you'll excuse me, Daddy, I need to freshen up." She stood up and smoothed her hair. "Please leave my room, I will join you and Mommy downstairs for dinner, later. Okay?"

He has no words to give. So he nodded and as usual, became a pushover for his daughter.

She guided him out, waved goodbye with the sweetest smile, and closed the door. Her hand went to the knob to lock it shut.

She took a moment to stare into space as she listened for her father's footsteps. Once she's positive that he has gone downstairs, she lets out a sigh.

Evangeline switched her lights off and headed to her bed. She laid on it and picked her phone up.

The screen illuminates her face. She made a few taps on it and soon found herself scrolling through her picture gallery.

"Maybe it isn't so bad to be the Villain..." She mumbled to no one in particular, grinning to herself.

Her pupils dilated tremendously when her optics landed on a picture of you on the beach. You were bending over and collecting seashells, so focused on your activity that you didn't notice a pair of lenses capturing this moment.

Evangeline's breathing became more ragged as her eyes glimmered at the sight of your mildly saltwater-dampened rear. You're such a prude, how she wished you wore something a bit more accessible. That would have made her very happy. Maybe if it was a little warmer, you would have worn something a lot more revealing and easier to worm her depraved digits around.

Her soft hands slowly slid down to her panties, torturously tucking one finger at a time under the fabric.

The more the blonde stared at different pictures of you, the further her perverted hands and thoughts went.

She stifled a moan as she touched herself, she imagined doing all kinds of unspeakable things to you. She wanted to see you under her, she wanted to see you squirm and beg for her forgiveness. Evangeline wanted to ravage you like the beast she was under that heroine-like persona.

She quivered as she pumped her fingers into herself. But her eyes never strayed away from that photo of you. Evangeline wanted to take you so badly, she wanted to overpower you and have you pinned against the wall, the bed, the floor... She drooled at the thought of you so helpless and despaired.

Her baby blues shifted towards your clueless face. You looked like you never experienced the high of an orgasm before. She could fix that, she could make you cum over and over again until you fell unconscious in her fluffy pink handcuffs, eyes rolled back into your head, and all your orifices dripping with sexual fluids. What a sight, she thinks.

She had to push her face into her pillow as she let out a powerful moan.

Even then, she still went on. Furiously rubbing herself and imagining herself as this antihero in your story. But ultimately, you saw her as your savior in her mind.

#yandere #yandere concept #tw yandere #oc yves #yandere x you #yandere oc x reader #yandere male #yandere x reader #male yandere oc x reader #yandere oc #oc evangeline #oc montgomery

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lynnerdo · 7 months ago

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* The heart is not meant to rule *

Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen x Atreides!Reader

Tag list: @wo-ming-bai

Slow burn, knife kink, blood kink, strangers to lovers, softer!Feyd-Rautha, CONSENT, 18+, arranged marriage, assassination, poison, murder, etc

Previous Chapter - The Fall Current Chapter - Blood for Blood

***

All you could do right now is wait it out, you thought to yourself. Your situation more dire than you had imagined, what if nothing ever changed on Giedi Prime, and you’d be stuck here for so long that Feyd would find someone else to fulfil his needs and wants. You frowned at the idea because it sounded so stupid in your head but doubt always likes to settle in at the worst of times.

Your thoughts quickly dispersed as you received a message from one of your staff.

“Another letter, my lady”, they spoke softly as they handed you a handwritten note in a sealed envelope.

The both of you had reverted to using an old-fashioned method of communications even if that meant that it would take a longer while. You both had a trusted servant who would make the trip and deliver them. The Baron had no idea of this, and it could not be traced easily. You had been doing this for weeks now, sending letter back and forth, updating each other on what was happening on your planets, reminding each other what you were fighting for.

Feyd sat down in his room, ink at the ready, a blank sheet before him. He stared at the empty page, struggling to find the words to convey his feelings.

“Dear Lady Atreides…”

He paused, feeling the inadequacy of his greeting. You, miles away on Caladan, had written him letters full of warmth and longing. Each word you wrote brought him comfort, yet he found himself unable to reciprocate with the same eloquence.

“I hope this letter finds you well. I miss you terribly. The days here are long and lonely without your presence.”

Feyd frowned, scratching out the last sentence. It sounded too formal, too detached. He wanted to tell you how his heart ached in your absence, how your memory haunted his dreams, but the words felt clumsy.

He tried again.

“Your last letter brought me much joy. Your words are like a balm to my soul. I wish I could express myself as beautifully as you do.”

Again, he hesitated. This wasn’t right either. His frustration grew, and he pushed the parchment aside, covering his hand over his face in shame.

“Why is this so difficult?” he mutters to himself.

It was then that he realised: he was a man of actions, not words. His strength lay in what he did, not what he wrote. You knew this about him, appreciated it even. You had always understood his need to show his feelings through deeds rather than letters.

He took a deep breath, a new resolve forming within him. Picking up the quill once more, he began to write.

“My dearest, I have struggled to find the right words to tell you how much you mean to me. Every attempt feels insufficient. So, instead of words, I send you this token of my affection.”

He reached into a small box on his desk and took out a very intricate looking pendant. He had commissioned this a while back but never found the time and place to give it to you. Bearing the crest of House Atreides intertwined with that of House Harkonnen, a symbol of your forbidden yet unbreakable bond.

As he continued writing, the words flowed more easily.

“This pendant represents my promise to you. No matter the distance, no matter the danger, my heart is with you always. I will come to you as soon as I can, to show you what my words cannot express. He will not stand in our way much longer. Yours always, Feyd.”

Sealing the letter with the pendant inside, Feyd felt a sense of relief. He knew that you would understand. He allowed himself a rare smile, thinking about you wearing the pendant as soon as you read the letter, knowing that his love would feel the depth of his emotions.

As you finish reading the letter you’re practically cry-laughing. His letter short and direct, but the pendant gorgeously detailed and intricate. The design of it making your heart flutter in all the right ways.

You glance back at the letter and wonder what he meant by those last words about the Baron. It seemed like a threat, and you just hope he won’t do anything stupid.

After giving the letter to the trusted servant Feyd goes into the palace again and challenges the Baron to a duel, fully knowing that the Baron never fights his own battles. You would be telling him how stupid this was, and how he broke his promise to not do anything risky while you were gone. But he simply cannot handle this anymore. His hatred for the Baron is overtaking his every thought, and now he finally found the courage to overthrow his abuser.

To Feyd’s surprise the Baron almost immediately agrees to a duel, choosing one of their best assassins as an opponent. Feyd knew something was up but had no idea who to trust. Luckily, Tula had been loyal as ever to the both of you, so she had been able to get intel before the duel.

She told Feyd about how this was not going to be a fair match, since Feyd was their best fighter, so they had arranged the assassin’s blades, so they were coated with poison. Highly illegal, but necessary if the Baron wanted Feyd dead.

“So, all I have to do is not get struck,” Feyd spoke matter of fact. As if it was that simple.

Tula raised her eyebrows at him. Almost in disbelief at how fast he shrugged this deafening information off him.

“My lord na-baron… If you get hit once…”, she didn’t want to finish her sentence, for the looming doom sounded too dark to utter.

He stared at her face for a while, knowing the implications, agreeing that he had to be careful. He felt a moment of weakness, of himself opening up to her.

“If I ever want to see her again…” he spoke while looking away.

Tula felt his persistence and understood how he felt, her own appreciation and love for you convincing her that this was the only option. She had faith in him, knew he would overcome, but feared the other outcome greatly.

Feyd Rautha stood in the dimly lit arena, the sand beneath his feet a stark reminder of the deadly encounter ahead. The Baron's chosen champion stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with a murderous intent. Feyd noticed the subtle exchange between the Baron and his fighter—a set of blades, their edges glinting ominously in the light. Feyd’s heart sank. The poison. Tula had been a respectable associate.

The battle began with a flurry of movements, both fighters clashing with ferocity. Feyd's opponent was relentless, his skill evident in every precise strike and parry. Feyd, though equally skilled, found himself pushed to the brink, barely keeping up with the brutal onslaught. Both men kept doing the deadly dance for what felt like ages, often times coming close to striking each other but never quite.

Feyd got distracted by the crowd, definitely cheering him on, but also reminding him of what he would lose should he die. Then, it happened. A sharp, searing pain in his shoulder as the poisoned blade found its mark. Feyd staggered, feeling the venom course through his veins. His vision blurred, and he could hear the Baron's triumphant laughter echoing through the arena.

But Feyd refused to fall. Summoning the last of his strength, he launched a desperate counterattack, his movements fueled by sheer willpower. In a swift, decisive strike, he brought down the Baron's champion, the man crumpling to the ground in a lifeless heap. The arena fell silent, all eyes on Feyd as he stood over his fallen opponent, panting heavily. The Baron, watching from his perch, smiled coldly, confident in his victory despite his fighter's defeat. Feyd should be collapsing any moment now, succumbing to the deadly poison.

But Feyd remained standing. Minutes passed, and he did not fall. The Baron’s smile faltered, confusion and anger replacing his smug confidence. Why was Feyd still alive? The crowd went from a silence to a roaring mass, scream-shouting Feyd’s name, for a new Baron had risen before their eyes.

Feyd met the Baron's gaze, a defiant glint in his eyes. He understood now. The poison was the same as that from the viper on Caladan, the same venom that had nearly claimed his life once before. It felt almost poetic. If he were to write about it, he could make up 30 different ways of how you indirectly saved his life multiple times without realising it.

Realization dawned on the Baron, his face contorting in rage and disbelief. Feyd straightened, a victorious smile playing on his lips. He had not only survived the duel but had exposed the Baron’s treachery and emerged stronger for it.

As the arena erupted in cheers for Feyd, he silently vowed to himself and the reader who had saved him: this was just the beginning. Together, they would face whatever challenges lay ahead, their bond and their combined strength unbreakable.

#feyd rautha #feyd x reader #feyd x you #the heart is not meant to rule #fanfiction #dune #dune two #dune part two #dune 2

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minniethemoocherda · 6 months ago

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Iridescent: Chapter 22

A/N: Holy shit!! Cannot believe that it has been over a year now since I started this fic! Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck around for this long!! Xxxxxxx

Ao3

FF.net

It was early the next day and Prowl was trying to catch up on paperwork after the fire had completely knocked him off schedule. Which was not an excuse to not go to see Bluestreak in the temporary med-bay.

Prowl hadn't even opened his first file when his office door was hacked open.

At this point, Prowl had come to expect Jazz's unscheduled break ins, so he when the door opened, he was surprised to see the twins instead. Not least for the fact that the pair were supposed to he unconsciousness in the temporary med-bay.

Sideswipe's optic was still cracked and without any replacement lenses they were just going to have to wait for the self pair nanites to do their work and whilst Sunstreaker's arm was hidden behind his back, Prowl knew that it was currently wrapped in a cast.

An unusually serious expression was work by both their faces. It was never a good sign when the twins were serious.

Before Prowl could ask what they thought they were doing here, Sideswipe as usual opened his big mouth.

"So you know how we were banned from the med-bay right?" Sideswiped started.

"I am aware." Prowl replied curtly.

"Yeah well we were trying to sneak in to see Bumblebee so we borrowed a trick out of his book and went through the vents but Sunny's fat aft got stuck.-"

Sunstreaker punched his brother in the arm but Sideswipe continued unbothered.

"-so whilst I was trying to push Sunny along the vent for no particular reason whatsoever, through the grill we saw Silverstreak running out of the med-bay. Which is odd because usually you only people running towards the med-bay like when they're dying or rushing to see their conjunx who's been injured after a big battle. But Silverstreak was totally fine after her last mission and according to the base gossip she isn't dating anyone. So we thought that she had to be running away from a wrench wielding Ratchet. So obviously we hung around to watch because that's always fun to see when its not us and-"

"-And then the med-bay exploded." Sunstreaker interrupted cutting straight to the point.

"Yeah exactly and then- err hey Prowl? You doing okay dude?" Sideswipe asked. Sunstreaker barely managed to drag his brother out of the way as Prowl marched out of his office.

Prowl couldn't speak. They couldn't even think. All he felt was white hot rage. All of his tactical net was now focused on one mission. To kill Silverstreak.

For once luck was on Prowl's side as he spotted Silverstreak at the end of the command corridor.

Silverstreak took one quick look at him and she must have seen the bloodlust in his eyes because in the next second she bolted.

Prowl transformed, sirens blaring as he raced after her.

However his luck was short-lived as he hadn't even made it to the end of the command corridor when someone walked out of a nearby door opened and Prowl immediate switched all his focus into breaking on time to not run them over.

"Do you want to tell me why you're trying to kill one of my agents?" Jazz asked, appearing unbothered by the fact that he had almost been flattened.

"Because she tried to kill Bluestreak!" Prowl yelled, trying to drive around him, but Jazz just stepped in front of him again.

"And you think this because?"

"The twins told me!" Prowl yelled, aiming a punch mid-transformation at the spy's face.

Jazz caught his hand with a raised optic ridge.

"I know the twins," Prowl argued, trying to yank his hand free of the spy's grip. "And we both know that they wouldn't joke about that."

"Well that would explain why I've currently got Sideswipe shouting down my comm that you're going to kill somebody." Jazz replied, keeping a tight hold on Prowl's wrist. "But we can't kill Silverstreak yet. We need her alive for questioning first."

Reluctantly Prowl had to concede that Jazz did have a point. Not that he was going to tell him that. Prowl managed a sharp nod, finally pulling his hand free as Jazz loosened his grip.

Prowl didn't wait for Jazz as he returned to vehicle mode, catching a glimpse of Silverstreak before she turned a corner.

It was late so the corridors were relatively empty. The few bots they did come across were to quick to get out of the way.

Prowl took a few shots at the traitor but despite their shared Praxian forms, Silverstreak was faster, her sleeker form allowing her to dodge his lasers. Jazz wasn't having much luck either, the other spy already knowing most of his tricks before he even got a chance to try them.

Suddenly Silverstreak transformed. In the air, during her transformation, she used her new legs to leap off the wall, down the sharp turn of a slim maintenance hatch.

Prowl sped past before his optics even had time to process what had just happened. He skidded to a stop, scrapping his sides on the walls as he forced his body to turn around. Jazz had to jump over him to stop themselves from crashing.

Now in robot mode, Prowl squeezed himself down the maintenance tunnel trying to shove himself down it as fast as he could despite the fact that he had to run sideways down the narrow passage. The hot rusted cogs of gears and bolts stabbed into his paint. However, Prowl paid no notice to the warning of surface level damage to his body, his mind focused entirely on one purpose.

Prowl saw a flash of light up ahead as Silverstreak must have opened and closed the hatch at the other end. Barely a minute later, Prowl reached the same hatch. He charged through it, a set of hinges clattered to the floor as it snapped.

On the other side was a seemingly ordinary corridor. Prowl glanced left then right but he could not see Silverstreak. He did however spot Inferno.

The fire truck who had been driving along the metal floor, jumped the sight of the Second in Command running towards him.

"Woah where's the fire-"

"Did you Silverstreak?" Prowl demanded, his voice barely more than a growl.

"Err no, not since we came back from Tyger Pax." Inferno replied, turning into robot mode so that he could hold up his hands as took a step away from the usually stoic commander.

"Then where is she!"

Prowl scanned the corridor back and forth and back and forth. Logic dictated that Silverstreak should still be within his lone of sight but no matter how many times he turned his head he could not see her anywhere.

Eventually Prowl's sight latched back onto Inferno, the only other bot there.

"And why aren't you at your post!" Prowl screamed.

Inferno apparently decided to interpret that as a rhetorical question and sped towards the temporary med-bay before they could give him an answer.

Prowl was about to storm after them when he felt someone grab him by the shoulder.

Prowl spun around, hoping to find Silverstreak but instead it was Jazz climbing out of the hatch.

The spy was apparently unfazed by his anger, simply pointing to the ceiling. Prowl looked up to see a vent with the grate now hanging by its hinges.

Prowl shoved Jazz off him. He climbed up the grate. His wings screeched against the metal as he tried to push himself inside the enclosed vent. But the facts of reality was that he was too large to fit inside.

"I commed Red Alert," Jazz called up to him, evidently deciding that trying to stop him would be a pointless battle, "I told them to seal off all exists, including the vents."

Prowl couldn't even bring himself to nod. He was too angry at himself for being too much of a slave to his emotions to think to call Red Alert before. If he had, the chances that they would have caught Silverstreak increased astronomically.

The suddenly influx of calculations and missed possibilities crashed onto his head like a freight train. He stumbled as he dropped from the grate.

Jazz caught him before he could trip over his own exhaustion.

"It's okay." Jazz tried to reassure him, stroking a hand down his arm, but Prowl just shook his head.

"No. It is not. Not until Silverstreak is dead."

#transformers #jazzprowl #transformers jazz #transformers prowl #prowljazz #autobot jazz #bluestreak #silverstreak #sunstreaker #sideswipe #jazz x prowl #jazz #prowl #tf jazz #tf prowl

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occasionallyprosie · 11 months ago

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A Thousand Ways

Chapter 11: "Frost Over Charcoal"

Legend learns that he's really bad at saying no when someone is being sincere and genuine, especially when he trusts that someone.

First | <<Previous | Next>>

Febuwhump 2024 | Prompt 8: "Why won't it stop?"

Read On AO3 Warnings: Implied Character Death

----

"What happened in there?" Warriors asked, his voice so uncharacteristically soft that Legend just--He didn't know how to respond.

They had found the black blooded monsters on the road from that town to a larger, merchant village (Mabe Village, Hyrule said that it would survive to his era remarkably. Legend did wonder why that village had been the one to appear on Koholint) that would've had the information they'd need.

From there, a portal took them to the usual places of eras between their times.

They got to a local inn, but it only had two rooms with two beds each. As a result, they split into two groups with Time going with the four youngest heroes if Legend was excluded from the list, though none of them actually knew how old he was except for Wind. Either way, that left--and Legend was certain it was on purpose--Sky, Twilight, Warriors, and Legend in the other room.

Legend inhaled slowly, trying not to break down again. "I cannot emphasize how much I really do not want to talk about it."

He knew it was obvious, especially since he felt their eyes on him when he changed not five minutes ago. It didn't help that his current outfit was short sleeved either, and didn't have the really high collar he used to wear.

He knew his new scars were obvious, but he also knew that they weren't too familiar with his old ones that they shouldn't be able to tell just how many of the new scars were actually new. All they knew was that not a single stretch of skin on his arms and torso was scarless anymore.

"I know," Warriors promised, and Legend wondered why he was the one taking point in this conversation when both Twilight and Sky were harder to look in the eye and deny anything. Warriors, Legend just had the instinct to deny him everything out of pure spite.

Legend realized how wrong he was when Warriors approached, careful and slow, and guided him to sit. Legend just sort of stared, he didn't want to snap at anyone. He really didn't want to be sharp, driving them off was dangerous now. If he drove them off, who could he look to, who could he hope for see, if he ever got captured again? Besides, those almost three months of being separated put into perspective that yeah, he actually cared about them.

So he couldn't snap, he couldn't drive them away during what little time they'd have together. How could he taint such memories when soon enough those memories would he all he had of them?

Warriors had him sit on the bed beside Twilight. Sky was sitting just opposite them.

"I'll make a deal with you," Warriors said gently, "if you just answer three questions for us, a simple yes or no will suffice, we won't bring it up again unless absolutely necessary."

You see, Legend had teased all three of these heroes for being mother hens, for being fussy and worrywart's, he teased them and called them the group's "big brothers" to Time's group "dad" thing, the others even agreed!

This was just unfair. All three of them ganging up on him and even though he thought Warriors would've been the easiest to shut down, the earnestness and sincerity was almost overwhelming, combined with Twilight leaning into his side, warm and grounding, and Sky just being there and offering an encouraging smile.

He didn't break, but he huffed and had to look away and curl in on himself as some kind of measure of defense.

"Fine," he bit out. "Three questions."

"Are you--Is it okay?" Sky spoke up immediately.

He didn't respond for a long moment, debating lying. Finally he just quietly shook his head and muttered, "No."

Warriors squeezed his hands gently and Twilight's arm wrapped around his shoulder. It made the pressure behind his eyes worse but he really tried to ignore it.

"Those tools on the table--"

"Yes."

Warriors' mouth clicked shut and the soft look was briefly replaced by something blazing and violent. Legend flinched into Twilight just as quickly as that look was snuffed out and replaced by something sad.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Twilight asked.

Legend shook his head, not pulling away from how he had curled into him as a result of Warriors' anger. "No. Just--stay."

"Of course," Sky promised. "You’re stuck with us, vet. I don’t think the Rancher's going to let you go anytime soon anyways."

He snorted, forcing the amusement out more than anything to just please, get rid of this heavy atmosphere. Stop all this worry and claustrophobic caring.

Warriors cracked a small smile. "I guess we know how the bedding situation's going to be."

"Shut up, you’re just jealous I get the kid," Twilight retorted playfully. Legend startled a bit as the second arm wound around him and pulled him into the warm chest behind him, but he knew who it was so he didn't jump too bad.

Warriors huffed. "As if I'd want to share a bed with him, he kicks."

"Like a bunny," Sky commented, a grin on his face that had Legend immediately squawking.

"Not if you cuddle him enough," Twilight chimed in and hugged him closer.

Legend felt his face heat up as he tried to escape. "I will kick you right now--let me go."

"Aww, don't be like that, bunny," Sky teased.

"Don’t call me that!"

Sky cackled and Twilight and Warriors both laughed too. Legend squirmed but couldn't escape Twilight's grip without actually trying.

Eventually he just gave up, and about that time conversation shifted to something far more calm and casual.

The older heroes mostly talked between themselves over Legend's head. And older they were, none of them were secretive about their ages. Sky was the youngest of the three at 23 and was six years post his adventure, Twilight came next at 26 and eight years since his last adventure, then Warriors was 28 and ten years in the aftermath of the war. Legend just relaxed into Twilight and let their voices become a white noise as he played with his magic in his hands until he ended up falling asleep first.

The three older heroes knew what had happened in that cell. Twilight had told them that Legend confirmed it was his torture cell, and they had an idea of what tools had been used, and they knew that he wasn't okay in its aftermath.

Thankfully, as promised, none of them said a thing to the others. As far as the younger heroes and Time knew, Legend just lost his cool and ran off into the woods before he exploded the rest of the building like he did the front door.

After a few more unnamed eras, Legend stepped through the portal and was immediately greeted by the familiar magic of his era.

But when he opened his eyes, his blood went cold.

They were on a path just outside Kakariko, but the late afternoon sky was darkened by smoke rather than the setting of the sun. A huge plume of black and darkness filling the air, he turned too slowly, despite getting whiplash from the action.

The billow came from the wrong direction.

Fire should not be burning that high that way. Ever. That kind of fire was a forest fire, a house fire, it was something damaging and dangerous. That was no campfire.

"No," he breathed.

"Vet? Whe--COLLECTOR WAIT!"

He did not, in fact, wait.

Instead he ran headfirst toward the forest. He ran right where that fire was burning.

Showing up far too late, Legend came up to a large crowd that had already formed. He shoved through, people yelping and beginning to scold him before going silent as they realized who he was.

He reached the front of the crowd and the edge of the property and he stopped.

Oh goddesses, no.

A farmhouse too familiar for his rabbit-fast heart to handle was burning sky high. Deep red and orange marring the oaken walls, staining it black and eating holes through the wood, windows either blocked by flames or burned beyond transparency.

"Link?" Someone called. "Is that--Link, I'm so sorry--"

"Where are they?" He demanded, searching the faces of Kakariko's villagers. "Where--My grandparents, they're not--"

"We hadn't seen them leave, but they may not have been home," one of the ladies--Elizabeth, the wife of the mason-- said.

Legend inhaled sharply. He couldn't lose them--Not them too. Not like this. He couldn't--

He ran toward the burning farmhouse ignoring all the cries for him to wait and stop as if this wasn't his home, as if this wasn't where he grew up and it wasn't where his grandparents may be dying or already be dead at.

He never wanted to return home to this.

The fire had started in the house, it was spreading but the plants were well trimmed and the ground well worn from walking. It did not spread easily to the pasture, but the barn was caught in it. He threw a blast of pure magic at the cucoo coop as he passed it. He saw the pasture empty and hoped to the goddesses that Epona and the cows had ran by now. The fowl were escaping quickly and Legend was about to slam his whole body weight into the burning front door.

Someone grabbed him from behind.

"Vet no! You can't--"

"Let me go!" He fought against their hold.

"It's about to collapse! You'll die!"

He didn't care. He had to find them. He needed to find them. They were all he had left! They weren't supposed to die like this! They were supposed to grow older, maybe even be there when he finally settled, they were supposed to live to their natural ends! He had to--

The farmhouse that Legend spent half his formative years in collapsed. The burned walls giving in to the weight of the upper floors. It crashed to the ground and whoever grabbed him pulled him close and curled their body around his protectively.

A rush of ash and soot surrounded them, turning the world dark.

The dust settled and the fire still burned, though it was more of a huge bonfire that tried to spread.

Legend shoved Twilight away and grabbed the Ether Medallion.

Winter came early in that moment, an explosion of frost and ice exploding off him and leaving every person untouched but the flames were subdued.

He wanted to collapse, magical precision like that was exhausting, but the muddled voices stopped him. He couldn't break, he couldn't fall and scream and beg the goddesses to just please, let him have someone.

Why did they need to take everyone from him? Why was he doomed to lose them all?

He couldn't. He couldn't break. There were people here and he was still the hero. He had to stay strong, be that damned pillar of strength and courage for the world that was out to break him.

Link?

He turned, looked down, and a little ash covered cucoo was approaching him.

You came back, Piyoko clucked, nudging his leg. I'm glad to see you... I don't know what happened, one moment things were fine then the next the house was burning. Your grandparents had just gone inside for dinner too.

Legend sighed softly. "Gather the others. I'll get you guys to safe farmers."

Piyoko clearly had her own opinion about his response but thankfully didn't push it. She chirped and went toward wherever the other animals had run to. Legend turned to head back to the crowd, his throat trying to close up and his eyes stinging.

It's just the smoke, he told himself.

"Link? Are you..."

"I'll see what animals survived and check on the crops," he told them as calmly as he could, and a few--people who knew him--looked even sadder. "I'd--I would like to see it cleaned, but I don’t have the time do so, though I'd be willing to pay for it to be done. If you’re willing to help out, or willing to take what surviving animals there are, then I'll be here tomorrow morning by dawn."

The heroes looked confused and a bit against that decision, but Legend could care less. Most of the villagers gave him looks of pity, some mixed with concern, others with contempt.

"Everyone should get back home before it gets dark, monsters still roam these parts even if it's rarer than before."

Murmurs seemed to agree with his statements and the townsfolk left, some muttering about how sorry they were for the fates of his grandparents, others promising to be back in the morning. None of them actually referred to them as his grandparents, only calling them by name and telling Legend they were sorry.

Then they were all gone and left the nine heroes in the melting aftermath of the fire.

"Why'd you promise that?" Wild asked with a frown on his face. "We have a job to do, can't the family's next of kin handle this, or maybe the nearest town's mayor--"

"I'm the next of kin."

The following silence was horrible and it further ripped at his chest as he directed his carefully crafted blank look at the champion.

"This was my grandparents farm. Go hunt monsters if you want, I have things to handle right here and that starts with finding the animals that survived while the rubble finishes cooling, that ice is still steaming after all."

This time, nobody stopped him when he turned his back. Twilight and Hyrule both followed him.

Piyoko was on the edge of the survived forest, the fact that none of the surrounding trees were caught in the fire... There were four cucoos, Epona, and a cow. More than Legend expected frankly.

They saw him approach and he knelt down in front of them. Piyoko was quick to press against him and Epona nuzzled his face. Ali, the cow he had won in Labrynna and sent to the farm, drew closer too.

What now, Link?

He let out a steady breath. "Hopefully some of the other farmers around will take you guys in. You guys know as well as I do that I won't be... Rebuilding to stay here."

Epona nudged his head. We know. We'll stay with you, I can keep up.

We'll go, don't worry. It isn't a surprise, Autumn, a russet hen, cooed.

He got a headcount. All the hens intended to go, Piyoko stubbornly insisted on staying with him, and Epona promised she'd follow him too. Ali assured she'd be fine on a new farm.

After that he went and got them all under shelter, he didn't care what the other heroes were doing, he just made sure the shade out by the pasture wasn't about to collapse and then collapsed there with the remaining farm animals.

Twilight and Hyrule had been nearby, but they didn't come too close. Twilight did, eventually, but he just sat beside Legend while Hyrule headed toward the small orange glow over by the nonexistent front gate.

"I'm sorry," Twilight said quietly.

Legend tried desperately to keep himself in check. "It's fine," he managed. "I don't--They're... They were inside when the fire broke out, I-I can't--Why didn't you let me go in?"

There was a chance they were still alive before the building collapsed.

"If you went in, you would've died. It was about to collapse and it did seconds later. If you'd gone inside... I'm sorry about your grandparents."

If he'd gone inside maybe he'd have stopped killing all the people he's cared about.

"Go join the others," he grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around himself.

"I'm not leaving you alone right now."

"I'm not alone. I have Piyoko, and Epona, Ali, Autumn, Britt, Nettle, and Thorn."

"I'm still staying. I promised to help you and that's what I'll do."

Oh he was unsteady. He had to keep strong, don’t break... He's broken too much this adventure, too many times.

Twilight wound an arm around his shoulders and pulled him into a hug slowly, giving him plenty of time to escape but he went rigid and didn't quite process what was happening until the rancher was holding him to his chest, a hand in his hair and carding through it gently.

Oh.

He buried his face into his chest and sobbed. The dam broke and so did he.

"It's okay, it's going to be okay. We're all here and we'll help you get through this."

"I-I can't--I--" Legend gasped, choking. "I can't keep doing this," he forced out.

"I know--"

"Why doesn't it stop? Why won't it stop?" He begged, he needed to know.

Why did he still hurt? Why did every single person he cared about get hurt? How could he protect them if he's the reason they're hurt?

"Why won't it stop?"

Next>>

#linked universe #febuwhump 2024 #lu legend #linkeduniverse #legend lu #fanfic #lu warriors #lu wild #lu sky #lu twilight #linked universe fanfiction #whump fic #whump #epona #implied character death #house fire #prosie writes #a thousand ways au #fluff to angst

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matchawrites-n-doodles · 2 years ago

Text

To Give Back

Din Djarin x F!Reader

Chapter 1: The Spruce Blue Plush

Masterlist

Author’s note: I was going to turn this into a one shot but… I guess it’ll be a short series? I don’t know let’s just see how this goes. I have plenty of ideas on how this is going to be. I’m kind of winging it as well as planning some chapters. Hope you guys like it!

Also planet’s all made up and I don’t know what I’m doing. I just have this idea in mind and I cannot resist writing it. It has been a while since I did something like this. I’ll try my best to do more research so that I don’t fk up. But if I do, feel free to correct me.

Summary: It has been a year since you lost your friend and upon his wishes, you kept his armor in order to find his people to give back it to them and you got some secrets that will be unveiled to your new friend. (Sorry sucky summary but it’s the best I can do without spoiling the story)

Warnings: not much. Just fluff and even angst. Some violence. Mentions of blood.

Disclaimer: I do not own Disney or the Mandalorian or you just the story plot.

Words: 1,699

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You’ve only been on a planet for about week and luckily this day is just like any other day. Early in the morning where the air is usually cool and refreshing after a good night’s sleep.

Its multiracial citizens living their normal lives peacefully… in some days, but at least you’re able to rest easily while still alert for bounty hunters in case you know them or any other threats. As long as you keep your hood up and stay inconspicuous, it’ll be fine. It’s what the locals would tell you anyway. So far, there has been no problems.

You took a look at the town in front of you from your ship after checking what you need to stock for supplies. You’ve decided to leave the next morning after a well rested vacation and as much as you like it here, you felt that you shouldn’t stay too long.

With a satchel and your bag of credits by your side. Your hooded cloak on. Your staff set on your back, your blaster pistol holstered on your right leg. Your knife on your left hip. Your comfortable attire for easy movement. All hidden under your cloak with just your front slightly exposed. You feel all set to go.

Before closing the ramp of your ship, you took one more look at the closet that is next to your bed area on the right side. That feeling of melancholy starts to linger on your chest. You took a deep breath, head down. Your hands placed on your hip as you lean on your dominant side. You grunted, letting that feeling aside and started gliding down your ramp.

…

You took your time around the area, since that’s the reason why you came early and it’s where most vendors are open and there would be fresh produce and supplies at stock. Feeling the grumbling of your stomach, you settled on fresh fruit and your started heading to a fruit stand where a twi’lek sits behind. She gave you a smile, and you smiled back, looking down to look for your favorite fruits.

Paying the twi’lek, you smiled, thanking her before setting out to other vendors.

You enjoyed your little fruit snack until you spotted something at a different vendor that sells little trinkets, toys, and books. You hummed, eyes wandering all over the table and stopped, noticing a cute little handmade frog plush.

You picked it up, smiling at how cute it looks. Noticing the familiar spruce blue as it’s main color for the plush. You gave it a light squeeze, staring into the eyes as a thought floods your mind. You felt the sudden ache on your chest again.

The sound of tiny giggles snapped you out of your thoughts as your eyes trailed over from the plushy to a tiny green creature with large ears as big dark brown eyes stared at you with curiosity. Three little fingers reaching out to you. You felt your heart nearly leap out of your throat, startled at the sight before calming yourself, realizing that what you’re looking at is a little baby tucked inside a brown bag, all snuggled and safe, just a foot away from you.

As you look at its big brown eyes, you felt a small familiar connection to it and you crank your neck a little, tilting your head to the side, curious.

You find yourself smiling softly at the baby, gently whispering, “Hello.” Wiggling a finger at it, not planning to move any closer before a large gloved hand grabbed the little baby’s hand out of your reach and tucked it into the bag.

You jumped slightly at the sudden movement and your eyes met with a black t-shaped visor. Staring right into you, observing you. His tall stature feels as if he’s hovering over you but his body is facing the vendor and his head turned slightly as what seemed to be him glaring at you and your eyes would widen, realizing now that standing before you is a Mandalorian.

He stood tall, shoulders squared. His armor purely made from beskar from what you remembered to be the most toughest metal of the entire universe and… It rightfully belongs to his kind. Your mind remembering the armor that is sitting in your closet back at your ship.

You noticed how his hand is over the child, protectively as he stared down at you.

You obviously couldn’t tell what he’s thinking with that shiny helmet of his. Everyone should be afraid when one is at the presence of a mandalorian but… You couldn’t help but stare in awed.

You murmured ‘beautiful’ softly, accidentally in mando’a, only later held your tongue hoping he didn’t hear you but judging by how he reacted, he for sure did. He only stared at you still.

You felt flustered, quickly setting down the plushy only for it to fall over. You bend over to grab it from the floor and bumped your head under the table with a loud thunk. All that happened in a matter of seconds.

“Dank farrik!!” You whispered yelled, rubbing your head. You carefully stood up, minding your head this time and then using the table to lift yourself up. Placing the frog on the table again and making sure it stays.

You looked at older lady in front of you, nodding your head to apologize while she softly asked if you were okay. You felt the heat radiate from the tip of your ears from embarrassment. How are you even still here?!

You glanced back at the Mandalorian, seeing that he’s still looking at you, only you noticed how his head tilt to the side, sort of mocking you in a way before focusing on the items in front of him. You pouted at his reaction. Your eye trailed to the items in front of him. It looks like he’s also looking at the different color variety of frog plushies.

You look back down at the child, noticing how the little one is still reaching for the plushy that you were holding. You assumed that that’s why they’re here, standing pretty awkwardly in front of the vendor.

You figured maybe the lil babe wanted the one you were touching. You lightly squeezed the plushy. You actually wanted the plushy for yourself because of personal reasons but seeing that it’s the only one color, oddly enough, you decided to give it up.

You slowly slid the plushy to the Mandalorian’s side, smiling at the green baby, mumbling you can have it before turning around to head on your way. Just a few feet ahead, you paused for a moment before shaking your head.

…

It was getting close to night time and it was also starting to rain a bit so you hurried back to your ship so that you could put your goods away and enjoy the scenery in front of you.

At night, the town would light their lanterns and it would just look so beautiful even when it rains. It’s often that it would rain on this planet but tonight, it looks like it’s going to be pouring. You sighed, taking a one more look at the beautiful lit up town once more before closing the ramp.

As you reached for the button, you heard loud screams and blasters going off. The voices echoed throughout town. You whipped your head to the direction of the commotion.

Blindly grabbing your staff, feeling a bit uneasy. This is the first you’ve ever heard chaos unfold within the small, what used to be peaceful, town, in the week that you’ve stayed.

Luckily you had already dimmed the light of your ship’s interior so that you wouldn’t attract any attention. Your ship’s pretty hidden in the woods which is just behind the town, and people hardly go to the woods so you’re not too worried.

However, you felt a tug in your chest and worry begins to wash over you. Thinking back of the child and the Mandalorian. You didn’t really think much of it but it’s just something about them that draws you to them. Mainly towards the child by force but with the Mandalorian… Well, it’s much deeper.

You heard a child’s cry and whimper out in the distance and you turned your head, squinting your eyes as your noticed a very tiny figure hiding behind one of the houses. Holding closely what looks to be the same plushy from this morning. Your eyes widen. You grabbed your satchel and cloak, quickly putting it on.

You ran towards the child and when the child saw you, it whimpers and started running towards you with one hand reaching up to you.

“Little one! What are you doing out here by yourself?!” You shouted, concerned.

Your heart dropped when you noticed a trandoshan lurking in the shadows. Its eyes on its prey.

You gritted your teeth, “Get away from him!” You whip out your staff, as your snatched up the child, blocking the hunter’s attack. You kicked the lizard in the crotch, swinging your staff down with full force to knock him down.

The impact caused him to slam into the ground hard and as he was about to grab your leg, you slam the end of your staff to his scaly hand, causing him to yell in pain and spoke atrocities at you. Most likely calling you insults, so you swung your staff at his head once more to shut him up, knocking him out with the end of your staff again. Making sure he’s unconscious (maybe dead.) You huffed, leaning on the wall and placed your staff next to you. You looked down at the child.

“You okay?” You asked him, using your thumb to gently rub his hand. He cooed, grabbing your shirt for comfort, seemingly out of breath and scared. On his left, he holds the plushy that you left for him to take. He placed his left hand on your finger. You smiled, “Your dad must of gotten that for you. That’s good…”

Your brows furrowed, using your finger when you noticed dark splotches on the child’s rope. You gasped, realizing that it’s blood.

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Chapter 2: Safe Place

And that’s the end of chapter 1. Not bad so far. Hope you guys like it! Expect the next chapter maybe next week?

#din djarin x reader #mando x you #mandalorian x reader series #mandalorian x reader #for fun #disney #the mandolarian #his name is grogu #grogu #grogu djarin #mandalorian and grogu #baby yoda

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shitty-fallout-art · 3 months ago

Note

For the fic writer asks:

11,21, 23? :]

11. What was the most challenging aspect of writing it?

-I struggle a lot with dialogue, I feel like it comes across as awkward or stagnant cause it’s ironically enough haveingn to put THOUGHTS into WORDS. That’s why I like internal thoughts better, more abstract and easier to describe. Overall though, the hardest part of writing is motivation and focus. I REALLY cannot get stuff done if I’m not in the mood to do it, I’m not one of those people that can push through bad feelings for the sake of productivity. So often I open my word doc and then just close it cause my brain feels like pudding, and my weekends are spend doing nothing when I really want to be doing ANYTHING. If I could, I’d put out more than one chapter a month, but alas.

21. Did the fic end up shorter or longer than you had planned?

-…. Ok, technically, none of these were meant to be fics AT ALL. Rusted shut was supposed to be a single chapter thjng for the sake of experimenting how I wanted to get my au out there, especially since it was danse that really pulled a lot of people to it. Felt like I had to give something to keep peoples interest. Ended up doing three chapters cause, well, I can’t keep this shit short, no matter how hard I try. After I got a lot of support for it though, I decided to keep writing it, and boy has it ended up WAY longer than I initially anticipated. I half joked once that at the current rate I’m going with the story, and there amount of stuff I have planned for it, it might take YEARS to get it written down. 💀 really hoping it doesn’t take that long but it’s been three years already….

23. How did you come up with the title?

-the au names themselves are all undertale au parodies. That’s how this whole things started. Hypotheticals and jokes that people took genuine interest in and I latched onto cause I liked being noticed. Chapter titles are a swing and a miss for me. I actually hate Rusted ShUt as a title but I couldn’t think of anything and couldn’t leave it blank. The others have more well thought out meanings, especially the lamb which is a play on what abrahman tells Issac before he sacrifices him in the Bible. Fellout is a lot more simple, I’m just gonna take the titles of the in universe songs and change them around to be fitting.

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monsoon-of-art · 2 years ago

Text

Donut Hole - Chapter 15

Two Time

I'm out on the block again (Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba) So hopped up that I can't pretend (Ooh) Two time! (Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba) Stay friends Problem that you can't defend (Oh) Hands up, feel okay (Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba) Whose heart could I break today? Two time! (Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba) Stay friends Problem that you can't defend

[Big long chapter for you guys to snack on!] [ao3 Link!]

The two clan leaders met on the path to Jubilife.

“Good morning, Irida.”

“There is little good about it.”

Adaman smirked a little at this. “Oh, Sinnoh forbid you had to wake up early-”

“There was an accident at my settlement.” she said, the coldness in her voice immediately made Adaman regret his joking quip.

“I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware. Is it an overstep to ask what happened?”

“Yes. Yes it would be.”

They may have been working together to quell the nobles with the Galaxy Team, but things were still…frosty.

But Adaman wasn’t one to give up. “Just as well.” he said, arms crossed over his chest, his tone casual. “We’ve had issues as well. Currently half of our settlement is buried under mud from a landslide.”

“But it’s not the season for landslides?” Irida said quietly, raising an eyebrow.

“I know. There was…an incident.” he explained. “That's why I’m here, to seek the aid of the Galaxy team. My people can’t handle the frenzied nobles and the aftermath of a landslide.”

Irida was silent for a moment. “...there was a fire. A very bad one. I am here to discuss options-”

“It was the boy, wasn’t it?”

She shot him a surprised look. “How did you-?!”

Adaman shook his head. “Call it a hunch. And between you me, that kid was behind the landslide. He’s been running my poor people ragged. He ruined Iscan’s tent, and he even bit Arezu.”

“He bit her?” she repeated, “I suppose we’re lucky he only caused a fire.”

“That you know of. He’s still in the Icelands, right? Pray your precious mentor can handle him!”

“Well he handled Palina, Lian, and I-” she shook her head. “We are getting off topic. My people need to rebuild, and my Wardens cannot afford any more of their time. He already rattled Ingo something fierce. He won’t tell us what Berry said to him, but it’s clearly bothering him-”

“Well. Then we are here for the same reason.” Adaman drawled. “That kid needs help. And we don’t have the time -”

“- or space -”

“- to do anything about it. But Jubilife should be able to help, right? I’d hate to ask, but this seems like their…thing. They took Dawn in, what’s one more wayward child, right?”

Irida grimaced. “Argh. Dawn. Should we tell her?”

He waved her off. “Nah. Poor girl has so much on her plate already. She doesn’t have to worry about some…feral kid.”

As the two approached the gates, who else but Dawn ran out to greet them. Despite themselves, both Adaman and Irida smiled.

Despite the circumstances of their previous meetings, both of them had grown quite fond of the girl.

She was a sweet little thing, kind and quiet. Every warden she had previous interactions with spoke highly of her (aside from Melli). And her way with pokemon, while terrifying, was equally as endearing. She really did love them.

“Irida! Adaman! It’s so good to see you!” she chirped upon seeing them, running up and around them like an energetic shinx. “I caught the most AMAZING pokemon yesterday! You have to see him!”

“Oh, I would love to under normal circumstances.” Adaman said, sounding genuinely disappointed. The last time she wanted to show them ‘an amazing pokemon’, it was the Alpha Sliggoo from the mirelands. “However, we must meet with the Commander. Time is short-”

“Oh, come now, Adaman. I am sure your Almighty Sinnoh won’t mind you spending a few moments to entertain her. Besides, I was told to offer well wishes from Ingo.” scolded Irida. “We would love to see your Pokemon, Dawn.”

Dawn’s grin split ear to ear. “I found him on the Coastlands yesterday, and he’s beeeeautiful!”

(Irida was almost positive it would be a Gastrdon. Adaman had his bets on a Drapion.)

Dawn presented the two with a buizel, slightly smaller than average. But the main thing was the color; this particular buizel was a pale yellow, its collar a brilliant white.

“Look! Look! It has different colors!” she squealed, hugging the pokemon tight. “He’s one-in-a-million! He’s absolutely perfect, and we’re going to be best of friends!”

“Wow, I’ve never seen a buizel like that!” Adaman said, looking it up and down. “And I bet you’ll take good care of it.”

“Back home, my bestest friend in the whole world had a buizel.” Dawn said, voice barely above a whisper.

Adaman and Irida shared a look. Dawn rarely, if ever, spoke about her time before Hisui.

“Yeah?” Irida asked, more than a little curious. “What was he like?”

The dam burst, and Dawn began happily telling the pair everything.

“Well, we were neighbors, and we went to school together! From the very beginning!” she began, swinging the buizel in her arms like a stuffed toy, practically bouncing in place. “None of the other kids liked him because he talked and talked, but I liked hearing him talk!”

(Irida and Adaman wanted to interject and ask questions, but there was no stopping her now.)

“And we’d go on adventures! We traveled really far! He was always a step ahead of me, but he’d always make sure to wait! And when my bike broke, he’d let me sit behind him on his bike and he’d take me places! We’d share food! He loved- he-he loved-”

The joy in her voice was quickly souring. She had stopped bouncing. Adaman and Irida had noticed the shift, and even the buizel in her arms seemed to be aware.

“H-He loved pecha berries. An-And whenever we’d eat, I-I’d give him my berries. We-We got our pokemon together. W-We were side…side by side…always…always… and…a-and I miss hiimmmmmm…”

Dawn melted into a blubbery, weeping, whining mess, crying into the buizel’s fur. Immediately, Adaman and Irida knelt by her side, trying to comfort her.

“It’s alright, it’s alright, no need for tears now.” Irida cooed, petting the girl’s hair.

Adaman put a hand on her shoulder. “I’m certain you’ll see him again, Dawn. It sounds like you were the best of friends, and I doubt that Almighty Sinnoh would tear you two apart.”

Dawn wiped at her face, still holding the confused buizel in one arm. “I-I named this buizel after him, a-after an inside joke, where we’d call a buizel ‘Barry’ and I-I’d call my friend ‘Human-Barry’, h-he never thought it was funny-”

“Dawn.” Irida said, an anxious tremor in her voice. “What was your friend’s name again?”

“Barry.” she repeated. “His name is Barry.”

“And…what did he look like?” Irida continued, suddenly looking very pale.

Dawn sniffled a little, the strangeness of the question seemingly distracting her from her sadness. “He…he was slightly taller than me. And blonde, with hair that tended to spike up, no matter how hard he tried. And he loved his green scarf, because he thought it made him look like his dad-”

“His father. What was his father’s name?” Irida continued the questioning, slipping into her ‘leader’ tone of voice.

“Uhm. Palmer?” Dawn squirmed, leaning closer to Adaman. “You’re freaking me out.”

“Irida, back off a little.”

She did so, hesitantly, flitting back like a spooked starly. “I-I apologize, Dawn. This must be hard for you.” She grabbed Adaman’s arm, starting to pull him away. “W-We really must be going now-”

He spun around, confused. “But what about Kamado-”

“I. Need. To Talk. To You. Remember?” Irida said through grit teeth, glancing at Dawn. “Alone.”

Irida dragged him away, giving poor, confused Dawn a polite wave as she did so.

Once a decent distance - out of Dawn’s earshot anyway - Adaman yanked his arm out of Irida’s grip. “Look, is all this really necessary-”

“The Boy that has caused so much havoc. He appeared out of nowhere, with clothing not native to Hisui, with the innate ability to tame pokemon?” Irida hissed through grit teeth. “Sound familiar?”

Adaman blinked. “...Ingo?”

“No! It-” Irida took a moment to stare vacantly into space, processing. “...maybe. Not what I was going for. We’ll put a pin in that.”

Adaman tried again. “You can’t be saying the Boy is the same as Dawn’s friend Barry. What if you’re wrong? Would you be willing to break a little girl’s heart by raising her hopes like that?”

“I’ve seen him. You haven’t. He’s a blonde little boy with spiky hair and a green scarf! Although granted, he looks as though he’s been dragged through dozens of mud puddles - You cannot deny these coincidences!”

“But what if they’re just that? Just coincidences?”

“What if they aren’t?!”

“What if they are?!” Adaman shook his head. “We are going in circles. What do you suggest?”

"We bring Barry to Jubilife. By any means necessary. If he is not Dawn's friend, then the Galaxy Team can take care of him at the least." Irida said. "We'll drag him here if needed."

"That I can agree on. Should we tell Kamado?"

Irida hesitated. Adaman didn't answer either. An uncomfortable silence fell over the two.

Adaman finally answered for her. "...so that's a no. Let's get Barry here first. And we'll explain along the way. I'll tell my Wardens. I still believe this to be nothing more than a series of unfortunate coincidences."

"And I believe you to be a fool."

---

When Barry finally woke, most of the egg pokemon were gone. A few chansey and happiny lingered, but the rest of the herd had left.

He awoke to a shrill noise, one that annoyed him initially, but after a moment caused alarm.

It was crying.

Barry sprang to his feet, ignoring the confused noises of his team, the aching in his legs, and the cold starting to seep into his bones.

“Someone’s in trouble-!” he muttered as he darted across the frozen, snowy wastes. “Someone’s in trouble! Someone’s in trouble!”

The crying grew louder, enough for Barry to realize it wasn’t a baby or child crying. It was a pokemon cry, but that did very little to dissuade him.

Finally he crested a hill, seeing the source; a little snover, wailing and crying as it tried to pull its foot out of a snare trap.

Barry felt his blood start to boil.

What heartless, absolute dickhead of a person would set traps for pokemon like this? Didn’t they have pokeballs? Unless…Unless they were going to kill this snover.

He carefully approached. “Hey, hey buddy. I’m here to help!” he said, keeping his voice low and soft.

The snover whined, trying to squirm away. “It’s OK buddy, I’m gonna let you go now. But don’t freak out.” Barry reached into his pocket for his knife, leaning forward to cut the trap.

The pokemon whined louder, fearing the knife in his hands, but the snover seemed to settle when it noticed Barry was cutting the trap and not at it. It even allowed Barry to cut the twine wrapped around its foot.

“There! You’re free!”

Barry was caught off guard when the snover almost tackled the boy in a hug. But he returned it as best as he could, if a little awkward. “Yeah! You’re welcome buddy! You’re free!”

When he let go, the snover continued to stare up at him. And when he started to walk back, the snover started to follow.

“Oh, you are. Coming with me.” said Barry, seeing the snover waddling behind him with determination. “How does this keep happening to me?”

Barry - with snover in tow - returned to the dug out cave where his confused pokemon were waiting for him. “So uh. I found this guy.” he glanced at the snover. “...girl. Unsure. But I think they’re gonna stick around!”

His pokemon chittered amongst themselves, as if discussing their new companion. Barry turned to the snover. “Well? Got any neat tricks or anything?”

The snover paused, looking down at the ground, thoughtful. Then, around its midsection, small white berries began to form. Once they were the size of a strawberry, the snover plucked one and handed it to Barry.

Barry didn’t hesitate in popping the berry into his mouth. It had the texture of frozen yogurt, and it tasted mildly sweet.

“...I’m gonna call you Snacks.”

The now-named Snacks gave an appreciative croon. But then it glanced down at its foot, red and swollen from the snare trap. Barry also gave it a glance with a frown. “...I bet there’s oran berries around here.”

Rummaging in his bag, Barry said, “Alright team, slight detour while we look for oran berries for-”

He paused, realizing that Fern and Pest did not technically have pokeballs. That was very dangerous, especially now that Barry had no way to carry Fern if they were injured.

Returning to his bag, he pulled out one of the remaining great balls and pokeball. “Fern, you have seniority, so you get first pick. Which one do ya want?”

Fern trilled, shaking its head. “No, c’mon. You need a pokeball for emergencies. If you get hurt I can’t drag you to a pokemon center. I won’t even keep you in it, but you need one!”

With this reassurance, Fern relented. As its paw hovered over the great ball, Barry quickly snatched it back. “Actually I want Pest in the great ball. I want the colors to match. You’re kinda red, Fern!”

Giving the boy an annoyed glance, Fern picked up the pokeball, carefully turning it over in its hands. Satisfied, Fern tapped the pokeball to its forehead, allowing itself to be captured.

(Pest thought it was a game, dodging the pokeball for a time, but he too, allowed himself to be captured.)

Upholding his promise, Barry released the two as soon as they were registered to their respective pokeballs. “Alright! Let’s start looking for some berries, then we can get back to the mountain! Spread out, but don’t go too far!”

Mystery cawed and cawed, gesturing to something behind the boy.

Glancing over his shoulder, Barry saw a little sitrus berry, set in the snow just beyond the dug-out entrance. And beyond the sitrus berry was another. And another. And another. Dozens of sitrus berries in a neat little line, leading off to…somewhere.

“That’s…odd.”

Normally, Barry would be very suspicious. If anything, this looked like a trap from a cartoon. But this wasn’t a cartoon, and he sincerely hoped that Team Galactic didn’t think he was this stupid.

There was no chance this was one of Team Galatic’s tricks. No, it must’ve been the chanseys! Trying to lead him somewhere.

So Barry and his odd little companions followed the trail of berries. He made sure his pokemon got their fill in this unexpected berry feast before tucking them away in his bag for later.

If he squinted, Barry could see the trail of yellow and blue berries snaking through the snow, twisting around a group of enormous icy spires. Maybe that’s where the blissey and chansey normally lived?

He was finding it a bit harder to cling on to his ‘chansey’ theory, especially as the giant ice blocks loomed above them all…

Fern too, seemed to sense something he didn’t. It stuck to Barry’s side, eyes darting about. His other pokemon were still collecting berries without a care.

After crossing between two massive pillars, Fern froze. As if standing steps away from a threshold of some kind, Fern refused to take a step further.

“...buddy?” Barry whispered. “What’s wrong?”

Then, Barry made the unfortunate mistake - or perhaps very fortunate mistake - of looking behind them.

There was a Magmortar clearly stalking them. Following the trail of footsteps they had left in the snow, obviously trying not to be seen.

Barry felt his heart skip a beat.

This was a trap, wasn't it.

“Don’t take anymore berries.” Barry hissed, keeping the magmortar in the corner of his vision. “We need to leave.”

But to his horror, he could see another stalking figure just outside of the ice pillars; an Electivire prowling the outskirts, blocking him in. The only path he could take was deeper into the ice.

Vaguely, Barry recalled nature documentaries. Packs of Pyroar intentionally luring their prey into bottlenecks or blockades, where they had no chance of escape.

Was he the prey?

Was he going to die here?

Barry found himself reaching into his bag and clutching his knife.

Barry and his team found the end of the berry trail, leading into a large clearing in the ice. And at the end of the trail was a shirtless man and a young girl.

The man glanced at the girl. "I cannot believe that worked."

"I told you it would! My clairvoyance is never wrong!"

Instinctively, Barry pushed his pokemon behind him. "Who are you? Are you part of Team Galactic?"

The man burst into a bellowing laugh. Only then did Barry realize - to his bewilderment and slight disgust - the man's chest hair was trimmed into the circular symbol of the Galactic splinter group.

It was obvious he was part of Galactic.

"If I wasn't so furious, I'd almost be tempted to go easy on you for that!" The man said after settling himself down some, but a very irritated grin was still on his face. "Proper introductions are in order. I am Gaeric, Warden of the Pearl Clan!"

"And my name is Sabi, of the Diamond clan."

"You are Berry! The strange, wayward child that sets settlements ablaze and causes landslides!" Gaeric crossed his arms over his chest. The irritated grin was gone, leaving only anger. "And you will go no further."

The electivire slowly stomped into the clearing, the magmortar entering opposite it. From behind, Barry recognized the familiar silhouette of a Rhyperior.

Cornered. Trapped. Prey.

"Here are your options!" Gaeric held up a hand. "You willing come with me to the Pearl Settlement, and you wait while we decide how to punish you for your crimes. Or…we drag you there by the ankles."

"Ooooh, tough choices!" Sabi chirped. "Which will you pick, hmmm?"

Barry glanced between the three pokemon trudging through the snow to reach him. It felt like hundreds of battle strategies and movesets and possibilities raced through his mind at impossible speeds.

(He remembered fighting side by side with Her. He had begged her to come to the Fight Area, and she had gotten lost trying to find the ferry in snowpoint. Oh, oh how he had teased her for that. “I thought it was my job to get lost!” he said between fits of giggling.)

(Then, Flint and Volkner had challenged the two to a battle. With Her by Barry’s side, he knew the two of them would never lose. Flint sent out his magmortar and Volkner sent out his electivire, and-)

“Pest! String shot on the electivire, it’s fastest, so we gotta slow it down. Then, keep it distracted! Keep it confused! String shot, confusion, quiver dance! Go!” he barked, Pest launching itself off his head to follow the orders.

“Mystery! You take on the magmortar! Dodge the blasts, get in what hits you can! Haze to keep yourself hidden!” With a loud squawk, Mystery took flight, circling the fire type pokemon from above.

Finally, Barry turned to face the rhyperior behind him. “Jen! You’re on the rhyperior! It’s slow and bulky, so skirt around it until there’s an opening! No necessary risks, got it?!”

Fern shifted, ready to join the others in combat, but Barry grabbed its arm. “Not yet. Stay here. I doubt that’s all the pokemon they have…”

And his assumption was correct.

Gaeric groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose and exhaling loudly. “I knew you would do something stupid like this. Fine. If you want to fight so bad, I’ll give you a fight!”

Behind him floated in a glalie and froslass, both of them looking to the man for orders. “Freeze the boy! We’ll drag him to the settlement as an ice cube if we must!”

“Fern, take care of the ice types! I’ll protect Snacks!”

And Fern was all-too-happy to spring into action; the glalie, the froslass, and Fern circling one another in a strange, combative dance, none of them wanting to take the first shot.

Sabi frowned as she looked at all the battles before her, “You’re being so rough to my friends! That’s not how playing works! You’re being so mean!” she said with a whine.

With their Pokemon engaged in combat, Barry began to slowly move away from the battlefield, Snacks shuffling awkwardly behind him. He was looking for a potential exit, an escape plan. But it looked like they were trapped by ice and the trio of ‘friends’.

His hand was still in his bag, gripping the knife’s handle so tight it felt like he was about to lose circulation in his fingers. He was completely trapped. Cornered. Cornered. Cornered.

Gaeric, as if sensing Barry intent to escape, began making his way closer. Barry started to tremble, pressing himself against the pillar of ice behind him. Snacks let out a mournful croon, wrapping its arms around Barry’s legs.

But the man stopped. He stopped a few yards away, arms crossed. He had a strange look on his face that Barry couldn’t identify; the irritation and anger was still there…but just underneath was something softer.

“You’re not leaving.” Gaeric finally said. “I know you flee at the first chance you get. It’s not happening.”

Barry pulled out his knife, holding it with a shaking hand. “S-Stay back! I'm warning you!"

“Who taught you how to hold a knife?" Gaeric asked with an unimpressed frown. “Look at that stance! You know what-” he resumed his stride, gesturing at Barry. “Give me that. Give me the knife.”

“W-WHAT?” Barry squealed, pressing himself even more against the ice.

He didn’t actually want to have to use the knife. Barry was hoping he could bluff his way out of this, and clearly he could not.

Gaeric grabbed the boy’s wrist, the same hand currently holding the knife. “Alright. Give me the knife. You’re going to hurt someone.”

“AH- LET GO OF ME!” Barry shouted, scrambling to pull himself away. But the larger man was as solid as a boulder.

“Give me the knife!”

“NO!”

“Just give me the knife!”

A near in-human noise clawed out of Barry’s throat as he squirmed and writhed in Gaeric’s grip. He tugged and pulled, his free hand clawing at Gaeric’s wrist.

Gaeric stood there, looking at Barry as if the boy had transformed into a feral shinx before his very eyes. “You are freaking me out. Listen, you’re not going to win this fight. Look-”

He pulled the boy over, twisting him around to show the battlefield. Pest was still keeping the electivire distracted, Mystery was dodging the magmortar attacks, Jen was still keeping the rhyperior occupied.

Fern was currently locked in battle with his glalie, attempting to land a punch on the floating ice type. What Fern didn’t notice, though, was froslass creeping behind it.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with your deformed Gardevoir…Gallade…thing. But whatever it is, I know it won’t be able to take a shadow ball in the back.”

“FERN!” Barry screamed, still trying to tear his wrist from Gaeric’s grip. “FERN BEHIND YOU!”

The warning came just moments too late. Fern was just barely able to spin around and raise an arm to try and protect itself from the attack.

The shadow ball was a direct hit.

Fern was engulfed in an explosion of purple, ghostly energy.

But when the smoke cleared, Fern was still standing. Shaking, clearly injured, but still standing.

Gaeric’s jaw dropped. “What in Sinnoh’s name IS that thing?!”

“That’s my FRIEND, you ASSHOLE!” Barry practically screamed, continuing his writhing struggles.

Snacks was crying behind him. Pest and Mystery were clearly growing tired. Jen was barely dodging attacks. Fern was outnumbered.

His pokemon needed him. His pokemon needed him!

“NOW LET! ME! GO!”

Barry kicked him. Kicked him hard. Right between his legs.

The surprised and pained squeak from the man was almost satisfying. But more importantly, as Gaeric slumped to the ground, he let go of Barry's wrist.

His glalie and froslass, alerted by their master’s distress, abandoned combat with Fern.

“FERN!” Barry shouted, trying - and failing - to pick up Snacks. (Since when were snovers so heavy?) “GO HELP JEN!”

A bit slow from the shadow ball, Fern eventually staggered over to the rhyperior.

“Hey! That’s no fair! And no fun!” Sabi yelled from…somewhere. Barry had kind of lost track of her in the fight. But he finally noticed her on top of one of the pillars with a giant bird. “You’re cheating!”

And said giant bird looked mean. There was no way his team could take that thing on, not now.

“I’m fine with that!” Barry yelled back. “Take out the rhyperior!”

The rhyperior wasn’t sure which target to focus on with Fern joining the fray, and this confusion was enough for Jen to land a well-placed water pulse and for Fern to hit with a close combat immediately after.

The enormous rock pokemon staggered, falling onto its back. It wiggled pitifully, like a stuck ledyba.

It wasn’t fainted. But it was an opening.

“LEAVING NOW! LEAVING NOW!” Barry called to his team. He grabbed his very last pokeball, tapping it against Snacks’ head to capture it. “Sorry bud, you’re real slow. Fern, Jen, you too-” and he recalled them for good measure.

He could hear Pest and Mystery start to fly after him. But he could also hear the screech and wingbeats of the giant bird under Sabi’s command.

Barry risked glancing over his shoulder. The giant bird was gaining on them, any moment it’d swoop down and crush Mystery and Pest between its talons-

That was, until Mystery spun right around and smacked it with assurance. The giant bird, either taken by surprise or genuinely hurt, let out a loud squawk and gave up chasing them entirely. It flew back to Sabi, metaphorically tucking its tail between its legs like a frightened poochyena.

“HA! YOUR STUPID BIRD CAN’T HANDLE US!” He shouted, Mystery letting out a loud caw in agreement.

“YOU ATTACKED LORD BRAVIARY?!” the girl squealed, Braviary pitifully crooning and nudging its head into her chest. “You’re going to be in sooooooooooo much trouble!!”

“I don’t care what pedigree or whatever that thing is! You’re lucky I didn’t fine you two!”

With the electivire breaking the silk slowing it down and the magmortar helping the rhyperior back onto its feet, Barry knew it was time to leave.

He ran back into the frozen wastes, Pest and Mystery flying just behind, hoping that Gaeric and Sabi were too slow to give chase.

Luckily for him, they didn’t bother giving chase at all.

Sabi and Lord Braviary made their way to Gaeric, curled up on his side, on the ground. “Well. That could’ve gone worse.” she said with a shrug.

Gaeric laid there for a moment before asking, “...Sabi. How much of that fight could you see…with your foresight?”

“Hmmmmm, I saw most of it. Attacking Lord Braviary was a surprise-”

“So you knew. He’d kick me in the dick. And you said. Nothing?”

“Yeah! It was sooo funny!”

He groaned again, “I hate you. I hate you so much.”

---

[Finally!! Dawn Speaks!!! And the Leaders know…….] [And a team update! Now featuring Snacks!]

#pokemon legends arceus #pla #rival barry #barry in hisui

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shostakobitchh · 9 months ago

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Hello! On my millionth re-read of Aim and Ignite, and would love to know how you would have wrote/envisioned Snape’s reaction to the memory Lily left for Ariel and him. When Lily says that she “loves them both”, Ariel doesn’t linger too much on those words as she knew Lily loved her dearly, having read so in the letter/seen Lily’s love and sorrow for her in the Mirror etc. I can only imagine what Snape must have felt when he heard Lily say that she loved him, even though she couldn’t truly know that he was “on his way back”... I think it’s interesting that Snape doesn’t ever think about/reflect on that moment, is it just too painful? Is it locked away forever in his mind? I absolutely adore your story and would love to hear your thoughts!

so, I love this question for two reasons.

(1) this was the very first thing I wrote for aim & ignite - the story was actually meant to end on this moment - and it is my favorite thing i’ve written thus far.

(2) I kept a lot of what Snape felt here a mystery because you’re completely right! he has never reflected on the memory, has never really thought about it. I actually don’t think I’ve ever written him ever even having a passing thought about this moment and how it’s affected him - and there’s absolutely a reason for that!

Short answer: yes, Snape finds it almost unbearable that she loved him, and he cannot mentally handle that memory, so he keeps it under lockdown. Notice that he doesn’t say a single word after they emerge from the memory - Ariel even remarks that she can’t tell if the hand on her shoulder is to comfort her, or to keep himself upright. She sees him in a very, VERY vulnerable state. I believe he’s covering his face, too - my original intention was that he was trying not to cry, actually - I know, a rare one for Snape! But it’s open to interpretation honestly.

The one thing he took away and keeps at the forefront is that Lily asked Snape to care for Ariel. She asked him to do what he should have done from the beginning, and he does, which you see when he’s strolling through Little Whinging with Ariel after the events of Book 1. He’s actually trying.

Long answer (I just typed all this out a deleted it I’m going to kill myself)

At the time, Lily had no idea what she felt for Snape. It’s my own personal headcanon that Lily always loved him, in a way, had some sort of crush but didn’t understand it until the Mudblood incident. That’s why the inciting incident of Snape saving Lily during battle drives her crazy in the flashback in Chapter 11 (I think it’s Chapter 11, anyway).

Snape, in the meantime, has always loved her - never stopped, never will. The idea that he HAD Lily - he could have had her after that night in the inn - probably could have saved her life - is crushing him. And this is ON TOP of the prophecy (and The Other Thing, but we’re not there yet).

And, despite all of his mistakes - “you’re on your way back.” Lily still believes in him. He showed her enough that night that she knows, somehow, someway, he’ll come back and do the right thing. For Snape to know she had that much faith in him - at a time when he was still a loyal Death Eater - he just can’t handle it. He can’t forgive himself for fucking up so massively.

Snape knows he could have saved Lily, but even with what happened between them it changed nothing, so he doesn’t think his love was enough. Lily, however, loved him knowing he wouldn’t come back - not for a while, anyway - but she had to try something - anything - for Ariel.

I also think finally confronting that memory will directly tie into how Snape feels about Ariel. He’s admitted he cares about her - okay, great. What’s he going to do with that? Well, right now, he’s caring in his Snape-way, but he’s not exactly doing it well. And why is that?

Because he loves Ariel and doesn’t know it yet.

And once he admits he loves Ariel, he can begin to make his way back to Lily, and what she tried to give him in the Pensive.

#sam speaks #aim and ignite #snape vibes #lily vibes #ariel vibes #ask #anon #i think this is my favorite ask i’ve ever gotten lol #i love this scene so fucking much #and snape never thinking about it is so intentional #i’m so happy someone picked up on it

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xaeethebaee · 2 years ago

Text

Shuji x Shortcake Chapter Six

Minors DNI. 18+ ONLY!

Chapter Warnings: Profanity and masochism.

Disclaimer: All characters are over the age of 20.

A/n: So you finally meet the Kanto Manji Gang and things get really interesting. Also, this chapter is a very dialogue-heavy chapter, and to be perfectly honest I'm not the best when it comes to dialogue if you haven't noticed. I certainly tried my best with this.

Word Count: 4.4k (Longest chapter so far.)

Staring into the bathroom mirror, you cannot help but reflect on tonight’s events. It all started when you arrived at the Haitani house with your work friend, and despite the brewing anxiety, you eventually found yourself having a good time. That is until your drink was spiked and thus you ended up in Shuji Hanma’s bedroom.

Even though your childhood best friend gave you the reassurance that nothing has happened to you while you were unconscious, it does not stop you from feeling violated. It is especially apparent as you examine the black hoodie you are wearing since your short dress has been stripped off you. Hanma’s natural scent and the smell of cigarettes still linger on the article of clothing which brings you an odd sense of comfort that somewhat overshadows your already present uneasiness.

Your eyes then avert back at the mirror before you, and your gaze lands on your lips which have become chapped. Subconsciously, your fingers graze over them thinking back to when Shuji gently kissed them. It felt like your body was set ablaze feeling his lips against yours and all the emotions you’ve felt for your childhood friend was spilling out into one action. Admittedly, reuniting with Hanma has been the best thing that has happened to you in spite of tonight’s events, but why is there still a bit of doubt?

For the past few weeks, you were constantly bombarded with unnerving news reports of a series of gang attacks throughout the streets of Tokyo. The violence seems to get worse day by day and in no time, murders started to be reported. Law enforcement seems powerless against the sudden uproar of savagery that even the police chief is considering implementing a city-wide curfew. All of this is linked to the Kanto Manji Gang - one of Tokyo’s most dangerous organizations. So dangerous that many civilians believe just uttering the name brings misfortune to them.

Recently, you have not been able to get away from their presence. It all started the other night when you were face-to-face with the infamous group, serving their meals. Now, you ended up at the Haitani Brothers’ mansion. Although the brothers are known socialites and playboys around Japan, the rumors of their suspected involvement with the gang still persist. Said rumors have all been confirmed for you since regaining your consciousness. It was courtesy of Shuji Hanma who briefly gave an explanation about tonight's events.

“I took care of the assholes who were gonna hurt you then afterward, I took you to my room so no one will bother you. I then went to go see Ran and tell him about the mess in his downstairs bathroom. That was when I got shot.”

Hanma explains with a shit-eating grin on his face. In the reflection of the mirror, you see the tall man sitting on the edge of the bathtub as he finishes wrapping his injured arm with a cloth.

You take the time to continue looking over his body, admiring how much he has grown over the years. Without realizing it, you lick your lips thinking about your kiss previously and wondering how it would feel to press them against his collarbones. You then examine the muscles present on his arms and his abs that subtly poke through the white t-shirt that he is wearing. Sin and Punishment then grace your eyesight along with his long fingers which inadvertently made your imagination go off the rails momentarily.

“Did you finish washing your face?” Hanma asks, despite not looking directly at you, he can still feel your gaze on him.

Using the moist washcloth, you go over your face again, washing off any remaining makeup, tear stains, and dirt as well as figuratively washing away your dirty thoughts about someone who is supposed to be your childhood friend.

“Yea. I’m finished now.” You answer, fixing your hair so that it is presentable.

“Good. We need to get down there.”

Hanma says, standing up and walking towards you. Almost immediately he towers over you as he reaches for his hairbrush. You can feel his body heat radiating off him as he stands close behind you. While brushing his hair, he places his Sin hand over yours before squeezing it softly.

“Did you put on those slippers?” He asks.

“I did but they are too big.”

Shuji chuckles and then adds:

“You gotta put them on. The Haitanis hate it when people are barefoot in their house. This isn’t America.”

He says with a chuckle, making you roll your eyes.

“Where are my heels then?”

“They are still downstairs. You don’t need them anyways.”

Immediately, you reply with a stern tone:

“I’m not putting on those slippers, Shu. They are too big for my feet.”

“Well, they are too small for mine and those are the closest I have to your size.”

His response made you pout slightly, though you aren’t surprised by it.

“You have long feet, so it’s uncomfortable wearing those slippers. Plus, it’s easy to trip in them.”

Hanma listens to your tiny rant as he places his hairbrush back down on the sink once he finished fixing his hair. After that, he wraps his arms around you leaning closely and nearly engulfing you with his large body.

“It won’t be for that long. We just need to convince Mikey that you aren’t anything to worry about then after, I take you home.”

His words come out soft, unlike the usual amused tone he uses. You’re somewhat relaxed by them as well as the warmth exuding from his body. Even though it is not the first time you two are in an embrace, you always feel a sense of security in his arms.

“Besides, having long feet means that I have a lo--”

“Please don’t finish that sentence.”

You hastily cut him off with an assertive voice, causing the tall man to heave out a series of chuckles. You, on the other hand, just scrunch your face slightly reminding yourself that Hanma almost never takes anything seriously. Though, you still have a fuzzy feeling once you realize that he has barely changed throughout all these years, and that is even after being involved with the Kanto Manji Gang for so long.

Speaking of, you’re still dreading the fact that you are going to meet them in just a few minutes.

“Let’s get down there now. We can finish catching up later.”

He says, letting go of you, though Punishment grabs one of your hands before interlocking fingers with it. Taking a deep breath, you peer up at Hanma who returns the look. He just gives a soft smile and then says:

“It’ll be fine.”

After those comforting words, you set aside the dreadful anxiety.

It takes a few minutes as you and Shuji traverse through the massive Haitani mansion. Unlike previously when much of the house was dark save for the multicolored strobe lights, now it is lit with regular lights. You’re in awe of the sheer amount of decorations throughout the rooms, and even though there is some trash and discarded wine glasses lying about, you can still see the beauty in which this home has to offer.

Though, the brightness and beauty soon end once the entrance to the basement is in sight. You immediately see the contrast, and thus your anxiety and fear resurface, which did not go unnoticed by Hanma. The tall man gently squeezes your hand with his in an attempt to comfort you. The action did little to set your mind at ease once you two begin descending the wooden steps into the dark abyss.

After watching so many horror movies growing up, there is one thing you have learned. That is to avoid basements at all costs and here you are, willingly going down one to be face-to-face with the gang that has caused so much anarchy in what was supposed to be one of the safest cities in the world.

Upon reaching the bottom of the steps, you expected the basement to be nothing but a concrete wall and concrete floors, various torture devices conveniently placed on a nearby metal table, and the stench of decomposing bodies invading your nostrils. Instead, it is nothing more than an ornate high-end boardroom with a stocked bar off to the side. Walls are decorated with paintings and neon signs, the centerpiece of the room is a large leather couch that wraps around a rectangular mahogany table, and there is a sweet smell of lavender floating in the air.

The beauty of the rest of the home also extends to the basement. Although you’d like to be relieved that it was not the typical torment dungeon like in the movies, the presence of several men sitting on the couch sends shivers down your spine. Almost as if you were an art exhibit, Hanma presents you in front of the guys who all stare blankly, unamused.

Quickly, you recognize Shion who somehow looks even scarier as he leans back in his spot, legs manspreading like he is an authority figure. Across from Shion are both of the Haitani brothers. Rindou leaning forward with his face resting in the palm of his hands as if he is about to sleep and Ran pouting angrily as he holds what appears to be an ice pack over his crotch. Lastly, you notice the droopy-eyed bartender from earlier who still has that look of boredom on his face. After taking note of him, you quickly make the connection as these are the same men that you saw the other night looking as intimidating as ever.

“It’s about damn time you two got down here.” Shion Madarame says with a smirk present on his face.

Hanma just chuckles. He never drops his grin as he lets go of your hand in favor of putting his arm over your shoulders.

“She’s the so-called ‘Person of Interest’. Ask her whatever questions you need, so I can take her home.”

The tall man remarks; however, he is quickly shot down by a pink-haired man.

“Last time I checked, Mikey is the one who calls the shots around here. You just sit and wait for his orders like the attack dog you are.”

“Shut up, Sanzu. I’m not surprised if you knew what Mikey’s ass tastes like considering how often you kiss it.” Hanma responds.

Quickly, Sanzu stands up while twitching his left eye. You feel a lump forming in your throat upon noticing him picking up a diamond-encrusted dagger that rested on the table.

“I should fuckin’ kill you right here.”

“You can try, drug boy,” Hanma says mockingly, prompting Sanzu to begin walking forward but a voice stops him.

“That’s enough. Sit down Hanma and Sanzu so we can get this questioning over with.”

The man next to Sanzu demands with a bored tone. The man is blonde with dark eyes as he leans forward with his elbow resting on his thigh and head on the palm of his hand. He has a dull expression as he looks you up and down trying to read your body language and be slightly intrigued by the hoodie that is way too big for your body. He notices the way you’re slightly fidgeting as you softly run the fingers on your left hand and over your right arm in a self-soothing manner.

Reluctantly, Hanma splits from you to obey his leader. He sits down in the spot closest to you, though you still feel alone as you stand in front of the Kanto Manji Gang.

“That’s definitely her.” The bartender says with a dry tone.

Rindou looks up and you two make eye contact. He just nods his head before uttering:

“Yeah, she came here with that teething bitch.”

Suspicious, the leader named Mikey just peers at Hanma.

“Why was she in your room?”

“It’s a long story.”

“We have all day.” Mikey quickly follows up.

For a moment, Shuji looks at you and you can vaguely make out a subtle look of sadness on his face. Nevertheless, he explains the events from tonight.

“She was drugged, so I took her to my room where she’ll be safe.”

The man next to Shuji just heaves out a chuckle. You quickly take note of his large stature and rattail mohawk. Menacingly, he looks directly at you.

“And here I thought you were just another one of Hanma’s whores.”

“Excuse me, what?”

Those words slip out of your mouth before you could thoroughly process what the man has said. Offended, you just breathe a sigh, trying to calm your nerves. While you’re doing that, Hanma rolls his eyes and his smirk is quickly wiped away by a look of annoyance.

“Hey, ugly bitch. Be careful with who you’re talking to.” Came a threatening tone from Hanma.

The man just faces him, smiling as if he came to a realization. He just continues to laugh.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting pissed, Shuji Hanma.”

“I’m just telling you to be careful. She’s someone that I’ve known for a long time.” Shuji responds.

The man just laughs more, completely amused by Hanma’s eagerness to defend you.

“Long time, eh? About how long we’re talkin’?”

“Mind your fuckin’ business, Mocchi.”

Shuji’s reply came out sharp, showing Mocchi as well as everyone else that his demeanor has changed. This sudden conversion causes an alarming aura to ooze from the black and blonde-haired man. You can only watch as he just cracks his knuckles while glaring intently at the man next to him.

“Damn, did I hit a nerve? All I did was tell her that I thought she was one of your whores.” Mocchi remarks with an amused grin.

This time, a man who has a scar over his face was the one who speaks up.

“Well, now you know that she is not. Let’s get back on topic.”

The guy then looks directly at you and despite his outwardly scary appearance, he presents a soft expression on his face as he asks you a question.

“So you were drugged, correct?”

Hesitantly, you reply with a nod.

“Someone spiked her drink,” Hanma answers while still glaring at Mocchi.

“Thanks but I think she can speak for herself.”

The scar-faced male follows up and then he looks at you again. Although you feel very uncomfortable, you explain:

“I got a drink from the bar then I followed my friend to the dance floor. That was when I started to feel………weird.”

Your explanation prompts everyone to veer at the bartender who is removing a lollipop from his mouth. Just leans forward as his droopy eyes become more focused.

“Wakasa, you were at the bar all night.” Scarface points out.

“I know I was,” Wakasa replies.

The room momentarily goes quiet for a few seconds before Wakasa adds:

“I stayed vigilant, and nobody fucked with her drink.”

After his response, everyone then looks back at you and then Shion speaks with an aggressive tone.

“So you lied to us, woman?”

You open your mouth to deny the accusation; however, Wakasa cuts you off before you could utter a single word.

“Nobody fucked with her drink while she was at my bar. Who’s to say her drink didn’t get spiked when she stepped out of my sight?”

“Did anyone happen to see that shit?” Shion asks.

“If any of us did, then the person responsible would’ve been dealt with.”

This time, another large man who is sitting next to Wakasa answers.

“If you knew she was drugged then why didn’t you do anything about the person who did it?” Shion asks Hanma.

“I never said I didn’t do anything to them.”

An unhinged grin surface on Hanma’s face as he thinks back to his actions earlier that night.

“They were properly dealt with. Speaking of, Ran and Rindou, you two might wanna call the clean-up guys again. This time in your downstairs guest bathroom. You can use my card for the payment.”

Both of the Haitani brothers look directly at Hanma with disgusted faces.

“What the hell did you do?” Rindou asks.

“I’ll tell you two all about it but not while Shortcake is here,” Hanma answers with his usual shit-eating grin.

“Damn you. Is that why you came to my room earlier?!”

Ran angrily shouts, gripping his ice pack tightly.

“I don’t even want to know about what went on down there actually.”

The younger Haitani brother just groans while running his fingers through his hair.

“Knowing Hanma, it’s a fuckin’ mess,” Sanzu adds.

“Who the hell is Shortcake?”

Mikey utters in a soft tone, gathering everyone’s attention. It did not take long for the other men to catch on to the pet name that Hanma revealed. Quickly, they piece it together and Mocchi is the first to point it out.

“I’ve heard you mention that name once before when we were Tenjiku. THIS is that American friend you were telling Kisaki about?”

“Yea.” The black and blonde-haired man proudly admits.

“I thought she was just an imaginary friend.” Shion remarks.

“The more you know,” Sanzu says.

Mikey then looks at you.

“You’re the shortcake?”

You hesitantly nod while being moderately embarrassed by Hanma’s slip-up.

“Why do we keep going off-topic? We still have to finish questioning the lady.”

The scar-faced man says clearly getting impatient. Upon hearing those words, everyone’s attention is then averted back to you.

“So about the drugging thing-” He begins but he’s quickly cut off by Shion.

“We know what happened after that, Kakucho. Let’s ask the important question like, do you have any affiliation with Brahman?”

Once again, you’re confused as you’ve never heard of that name before. Just like before when he already asked you about it earlier, you remain to have the same response. Shaking your head, you softly deny affiliation, but that does little to ease his suspicion.

“I don’t believe you. You came here with that bitch who was clearly planning something.”

Once again, you are reminded of your work friend.

“Where is she?” You ask.

“I’ll tell you once you tell us why the fuck were you two here in the first place.”

Shion’s extremely aggressive questioning earns an annoyed look from Wakasa, the man next to him, and Kakucho while Hanma’s smirk once again drops and is replaced by a demented glare.

Momentarily, you pause trying to process the mixture of emotions that are inside of you. Fear and uncertainty course through your veins from meeting the members of Tokyo’s most terrifying gang. Concern overflows your mind upon fully reminding yourself of your work friend’s unknown fate and annoyance due to Mocchi’s initial offputting comment as well as Shion’s antagonistic behavior. All of these emotions together have you scrambling to find the words.

“Well?!” The light-haired man says, clearly showing that his patience is running thin.

“She asked me to come with her to the party, and I did. Our plan was just to let off some steam and then go home.”

“Yeah well, she almost bit off Ran’s dick.”

“Hey! She didn’t need to know that!” The elder Haitani brother yells, obviously embarrassed.

The reveal catches you off guard slightly and you feel a little bit of amusement bubbling up inside of you. Nevertheless, you continue to display a look of confusion.

“I don’t know what else you want me to say.”

“Prove to us that you’re not one of them.” Shion demands.

“Be realistic. How can expect anyone to do that.” Shuji says giving him a full-on glare as if he has killing intentions.

Shion goes silent for a moment which gives Mikey enough time to take over the interrogation.

“Brahman is a rival gang and your friend is part of it. How did you not know anything about it?”

Shrugging, you reply:

“We just work together. Tonight was actually the first time we actually saw each other outside of our job.”

“So you don’t know anything about what they could be planning?”

“No.” You shake your head.

A loud groan is heard and it came straight from Shion. The light-haired man just stands up before approaching you menacingly.

“Hey, what are you--?”

Hanma stands up as well, getting ready to take Shion’s incoming attack however the black and blonde-haired man is hastily yanked back onto the couch by Mocchi. Much to his dismay, the bigger man then holds him down.

You now display a look of absolute fear in your eyes once Shion is within arms reach of you. The man did not hesitate with grabbing your arm roughly, making you squeal.

“You expect us to believe the shit that came out of your mouth, girl?”

He asks, smiling as he is clearly entertained by the fearful look on your face.

“Take it easy. We have no reason not to believe her.”

Wakasa speaks up in your defense as he starts standing up followed by the larger man who was sitting next to him.

“So you’re just gonna take her word for it?!”

“Why not? She was drugged out in Hanma’s room while her friend tried to kill Ran. That should be proof enough.” The other man replied.

You look past Shion to peer at both of the men, who are clearly the oldest members. Shion quickly forces you to look directly back at him. He does think over the words that were spoken; however, there seems to be a small spark in his eye.

“Yeah, I guess that could be the case, Benkei.”

He says. Although it appears that he is contemplating, Shion still remains to have a tight grip on your arm. The grip is so tight that it feels like he is stopping the blood from flowing. At this point, fear and irritation boil over causing you to subtly grind your teeth.

“You are actually really cute. No wonder Hanma kept you around for so long.”

“Oh God, he’s being a fuckin’ creep now.” Wakasa slyly remarks as he rolls his eyes.

“This is exactly why he doesn’t get girls.” The man named Benkei adds with a smirk curling at the corner of his lips.

You scrunch your face in slight disgust but more-so frustration. Despite that, you try breaking free from his grip but it is to no avail. Hanma can see the change in your expression, and this time, it is he who feels an unhinged aura from you. The man stops writhing under Mocchi as a result, suspecting what is about to happen next.

“Shion, let her go.”

Kakucho demands but he’s ignored. Shion just laughs, feeling you shake in his grasp as the rest of the Kanto Manji Gang executives stand up, getting ready to charge at Shion.

“He said let go of me.”

You muster out though it did not take too much longer before your body reacts to the terrifying encounter before your brain can fully process what is happening. Your free hand rises up and in no time, it makes a harsh impact on Shion's cheek causing him to stumble backward while simultaneously letting go of you. All of the guys - including Mikey - stand in complete shock by your sudden action.

As soon as you calm down slightly, you realize what you have done as Shion regains his composure. Noticing a red handprint on his cheek, you just slightly step back.

“You fuckin’ slapped me!” He shouts.

“As she should’ve. You had no reason to escalate this.” Rindou remarks.

It seems the slap also brought some sense back into Shion as the usually belligerent and loud man just stands quietly. You’re just as surprised as everyone else, and Hanma starts laughing loudly at the turn of events.

“That’s my girl! Fuck, tonight has been nothing but full of surprises!”

He cheers. His demeanor catches Mocchi off guard long enough for him to be forced off Hanma by Kakucho. Almost immediately, Hanma goes to you before gently grabbing your arm and inspecting it.

“You better hope you didn’t break it.” He says.

“Of course, I didn’t,” Shion responds, rubbing his stinging face.

“Yeah ‘cause you might get slapped again,” Benkei says with a series of chuckles.

The Haitani brothers step forward while looking at you. Mikey and Sanzu are the last two to gather around you. The former softly gazes at you and despite his dark eyes and perpetual dark aura, you can see small hints of his childish personality.

“So what’s the verdict, Mikey? Is she safe of what?” Hanma asks the much smaller male.

Everyone in the gang - including you - looks at Mikey waiting for his response. The room is silent as the blonde man just tucks his hands in his black pants before simply stating in a blank tone:

“I highly doubt she’s involved with Brahman based on what we know, so that means you can take her home. Just make sure she does not come back here. Meeting adjourned.”

After stating that, Mikey starts walking towards the stairs followed by Sanzu. Relieved, Hanma puts his arm around you.

“See? I told you that everything will be fine.”

“My friend. Where is she?” You suddenly ask, catching him off guard.

“Relax, she just needs to be questioned a little more.” Rindou answers.

You’re a bit unsatisfied with the answer, but you stop yourself from questioning further knowing that you’ve just barely put everyone’s suspicions at ease. At this point, you’ve learned that despite the Kanto Manji Gang’s awful reputation, the members are nothing how you imagined. Instead of these scary and ruthless gangsters you see on tv, you meet a bunch of guys who you chalk up to being a bunch of weirdos just like Hanma.

“I wouldn’t worry about her much. After all, she did not bother to check for you once at all. She still hasn’t asked about you.” Ran says.

“What?” You ask though you’re slightly relieved at the confirmation that she’s still alive. At the same time, you’re conflicted as you also put the pieces together in regard to your friend’s behavior tonight.

“See, Shortcake? I told you that you have terrible taste in friends.” Hanma remarks.

“And what does that say about you?” Wakasa asks while raising an eyebrow.

The tall man just chuckles again.

“I never said I was a good friend but I’m a helluva lot better than most people.”

The remaining men just listen to Shuji’s response before averting their eyes to see your reaction to it. You just present a half-smile while simultaneously feeling conflicting emotions.

“Whatever the case may be, get her home safely,” Benkei tells Hanma.

“Yes, Benkai. I know what to do.”

Shuji smiles more and then he grabs your hand, interlocking your fingers with his before escorting you to the wooden steps. You two ascend up the stairs and back into the main part of the house, leaving the rest of the executives.

“I can’t believe he let a pint-sized woman shoot him,” Wakasa adds referencing your work friend’s previous actions.

“I can’t believe he has a woman,” Mocchi adds.

The younger Haitani brother then points out Hanma’s behavior.

“He’s so fuckin’ in love with her that it kinda annoys me.”

“I should’ve fucked her instead,” Ran interjects while sighing.

“Yea, she does seem better than the usual women we have here.” Kakucho follows up though he slightly scoffs at Ran’s statement.

Lastly, Shion speaks up while rubbing his still-red cheek. The sparkle in his eyes becomes apparent as a lovesick smile adorns his face.

“She fuckin’ slapped me and I loved it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Safe to say, the KMG are a bunch of simps but at least you're safe......for now]

[So about that Reader x Draken fic I mentioned a while back. Well, it turned into a threesome with Hanma. If you still want to be on the tag list for that, let me know.]

Taglist: @510hz @reiners-milkbiddies @sleeplessreader

#tokyorevengers #tokyo revengers manga #tr fanfiction #shuji hanma x reader #ran haitani #shuji x reader #hanma shuji #shujihanma #tokyo revengers hanma #rindou haitani #kakucho #kantou manji gang #shion madarame #wakasa imaushi #benkei #tokrev mikey #mocchi

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aeoki · 3 months ago

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Swing Night - Life is Short: Chapter 2

Characters: Adonis, Kouga, Kaoru & Rei

Kaoru: Oh, so Adonis-kun has a fiance, huh…

I wonder why I feel so complicated. It feels like I’ve lost as a man – like how a kid has all grown up without the adult realising…

Adonis: ? I’m sorry, I don’t think you’re my parent, Hakaze-senpai.

Kaoru: Uhh, it’s my own problem, so don’t worry about it.

I do think it’s a very Adonis thing to do, though. Why are you always so serious – you’re a little like a stick in the mud?

Adonis: Stick in the mud…? I don’t know that word.

Kaoru: Well, I probably shouldn’t say that after what you’ve just been through. You’re a prince, Adonis-kun, so it might not be strange for you to have one or two fiances, huh.

I always tend to forget when I’m with you.

Adonis: I’m a prince…?

Kaoru: Huh? You’re not? Your family are basically billionaires, right? One that me or Rei-kun can’t even compare to, no?

I always thought your family was like an oil magnate. And seeing as you’re the son, then that would make you a prince, right?

Rei: Rather than a prince, more like a man of wealth in that region.

We can’t compare these things on the same worldly scale in the first place.

I don’t know how much I can say, so I phrased it in a rather ambiguous way, though. Adonis-kun’s family is one of the top five noble families with a long and honourable history in his country.

Naturally, his house is the most impressive one in that region.

I’ve visited several times and it’s so luxurious, I feel as though I’d stepped foot into a movie.

Adonis: Sakuma-senpai, it may not be to the same scale, but your home is rather grand in its own sense as well.

Kaoru: Really? So this… Urania-chan? Is she someone from your country? She sounds like a foreigner.

Adonis: Yeah. She’s from my country.

Rei: Hmm. I knew you had a fiance, but I presume the engagement took place after you came to Japan?

Or was it recent?

Adonis: No. It was established before I came to Japan. I was still young back then.

Kouga: It was when you were a kid? So you guys were like childhood friends, then?

Adonis: I’m not sure. I don’t think we would be what people call childhood friends.

Childhood friends refer to two individuals who have spent a certain amount of time together, right?

Urania and I may be from the same country, but we live in different regions.

So I couldn’t see her often. We’ve only met a handful of times.

Kouga: Huh? So you’ve only seen her a few times? Some fiance she is.

Rei: Now, now. You cannot say that, Kouga.

Kouga: …Tch. I know. My bad.

Rei: My apologies, Adonis-kun. It appears something unacceptable in Kouga’s eyes has occurred, so he’s on edge.

Adonis: It’s fine. It doesn’t bother me.

I understand that my engagement with Urania is different from the norm.

Rei: Perspectives also change when you see them from different angles.

It would be rarer for people from a family like yours to be engaged in a general manner.

Kouga: So why didn’t you just tell the reporters what’s going on when they were askin’ for answerS?

The rumour about Adonis havin’ a girlfriend was fake, so couldn’t you have said the same thing ‘bout your fiance?

Even if you told the reporters that you have a fiance, she’s from a faraway country, so it’s possible she might feign ignorance, right?

Kaoru: Well, I guess that’s true. I think I might’ve lied if I was in Adonis-kun’s shoes.

But he’s not a good liar. There is the saying that a little lie can go a long way. I think it should be fine to lie if it’s not going to hurt anybody~

Adonis: No. I couldn’t lie in that situation.

If I did, I’m sure I’d be met with a flood of harsh criticism over the next few days.

I told them the truth because that was the best option I had.

Kouga: Wha? They ain’t gonna fly all the way to your country and investigate.

Rei: Indeed. Usually, removing evidence is the final option, but that still would’ve been an option open to you. It does create a lot more trouble, so I don’t recommend it, though.

Adonis: That would have been difficult.

I received a message from Urania saying that she wanted to see me perform in one of “UNDEAD’s” concerts, so she’ll be visiting Japan in the next few days.

Kouga: HUUUH!?

Kaoru: Ehhh!? Your fiance is coming to Japan, Adonis-kun!?

Adonis: Yeah. There’s bound to be information spread about her sooner or later when she arrives.

Rei: I see. I thought you had made a rather rash decision.

But once your fiance is involved, this is a matter beyond the idol you. So this is what you meant when you said there’d be no point in removing information in the entertainment industry.

Adonis: Exactly.

Kouga: W–W–What do you mean? Are you seriously gonna get married like this, Adonis!?

Adonis: Don’t worry. I don’t intend on getting married.

After all, the engagement talks only happened because…

…………

Rei: Hmm. It seems there’s more than meets the eye.

How about it, Adonis-kun? We can’t leave this place anytime soon.

We have plenty of time, so could you tell us about your story with Urania?

Adonis: …Alright. It’ll be quite long and not entertaining in the least. But I hope you’ll listen to our story.

ㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤㅤ← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂ Next Chapter →

#swing night

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catyo90 · 2 years ago

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Fighting Fate: Chapter 4

Ch.3

Zelda stood almost completely frozen, her hair swayed in the wind as the words he said echoed in her mind. What was she to say, she couldn’t tell him she was from the future, at least not yet.

She sighed taking a breath as she kneeled down and bowed her head before him.

“Forgive me...but I cannot say. At least for now. I swore to keep such information private as the truth would be too much to bare...I would hope that you understand.”

“is it truly so imperative to keep your origin a secret?”

“Yes...it is.”

She brought her hands to the ground bowing her head, she knew if Urbosa saw her like this she would be very agitated but It would have to be done.

Ganondorf simply chuckled as he lift her chin up gently with one finger making him look up at her.

“While the sight of you bowing before me gives me some amusement...I will honor your request. For now.”

Upon their return to the city, Zelda was immediately greeted by many vai who showed concern with them being gone so long explaining and how they were preparing to send out their fastest riders to find them. Eventually all of the citizens had gathered. Zelda looked up at Ganondorf and walked up the stairs of the palace looking out to all of them as she gestured for him to join her. Ganondorf stood beside her shouting loud for all to hear.

“My loyal and proud people, Zelda and her company are herby welcomed to our home. In a few days the leaders from each realm will send word, if all goes well. We will be celebrating a marriage between Hyrulian and Gerudo.”

Silence swept through with a few murmurs before all the people cheered on in their native language as the hyrulian that accompanied Zelda were shocked but still clapped in celebration. Ganondorf walked away from the crowd up to his palace as Zelda followed closely behind, but before retreating she did smile at seeing the many vai pulling out fruit and drink to celebrate and even instruments that they would play long into the day and night.

Walking into the throne room she saw Ganondorf had stopped in the middle of the room and looking in front of him Zelda was shocked to see a familiar face.

“Naboris?”

Sitting on the golden throne wearing the helm of the divine beast under the same name was Naboris, her face covered by the zonai mask given to her as her long red hair flowed past her waist. In her hand was a letter.

‘Vasaaq dear Zelda, it is quite I sight to see you. With the news I received from your letter...well I had to ensure no trouble was caused. From both of you.”

“Though I also bring word about the others.”

“Are they alright?’

“Oh of course. They simply wished for me to deliver a message.” she said holding out the letter to Ganondorf who took it and looked over it rather quickly before he passed it to Zelda.

‘Why are you in my throne Naboris?” Ganondorf said crossing his arms as Naboris simply smirked under her mask.

“I was tired from the travel and wished the comforts of home. But I promise this is no ill will toward you dear Vohve.” she said standing up from the throne.

Zelda looked over the letter. It shorts terms it simply was a congratulative letter informing both of them that each leader from each realm requested safe travel into his kingdom as to discuss the potential treaties or at least some agreements.

“The others simply wished to come here on your terms Vohve, nothing else.” Naboris said walking over to the side of the room pouring a vase of cool melon juice into a few goblets and passed the drink along to him, taking a small sip herself.

Zelda listened close to the word Vohve, it was one she hadn’t heard before and wondered what it meant.

“They may enter my city Naboris, but I will keep a watchful eye on each...I will not fall for any tricks even from you.” Ganondorf said before drinking the juice completely in one gulp.

“Ha, such a worrisome look on your face. You have no need to worry. After all even King Rauru and Queen Sonia have sent their goodwill in that letter.”

“Will they be joining the meeting as well?” Zelda asked placing the letter down on the nearby table.

“They have decided to defer to you, for their trust is with you to speak for their people.”

Zelda was a bit shocked but she understood the risk of both of them coming here. At least with her speaking for them...less conflict was guarantee. She took the goblet from Naboris and savored the flavor and welcoming the refreshment.

“They will be here in three days time. Until I recommend you relax for the few days and come up with arrangements between both of you. After all it has been some time since our lands were blessed with a Queen. Naboris said sipping on her own goblet before bowing her head to Ganondorf before walking over to Zelda and whispering in her ear.

“Do something for me, relax and enjoy yourself. My Vohve is intimidating there is no mistake about that. But I promise...he would not harm you.”

She said walking away from the two of them down the stairs to join her fellow vai in the celebration. Ganondorf looked over at Zelda and noticed she was covered almost head to toe in sand and her pure white dress was stained with it as well. Her skin was slightly more tan but not too significantly different. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and spoke.

“I hope she did not say anything to disturb you.”

“No Ganondorf, she was simply expressing her goodwill to me. Nothing to worry about.”

“Alright. But I would recommend you retire to the private chambers and bath. The sun may not have burned you but the sands that cling to you no doubt will make you uncomfortable. After all...sleeping outside like that could not have been very comfortable.”

Zelda said nothing as she remembered waking up on the rug gripping onto his arm. In truth while she would not admit it to him, she had never slept so calmly before in this time period.

“It could have been worse, but I do have to agree. A bath would be quite agreeable but also for you.”

Ganondorf smirked as she pointed to his skin where just like her, he was covered in grains of sand. He gestured for him to follow him down the stairs to a hidden bathing area between the plaza and the training ground. Toward the right was a door locked on their side. Most likely the baths for the other vai. This one being his private baths. It was cooler than the rooms above and the water in front of them gave off steam with a different smell than what she was familiar to. Most likely from aromatic oils and spices she saw nearby.

She turned to see there was no separate baths for men and women. At which point she turned around right as Ganondorf undid his hair tie allowing his hair to drape effortlessly over his shoulders as he looked down at her she quickly looked away to give him privacy.

“Surely I should wait for you to bath first...then I may later.” she said when she suddenly saw him holding a small towel out to her.

“The water is slightly murky on its own and the other vai use these.”

‘What about you?” She asked taking the towel.

“I usually do not use them as these are my private baths...but i suppose for now I can cover myself with one as well.”

He started to disrobe, which made Zelda blush so much she could have sworn her ears were red. She turned around until she heard his heavy steps enter the water. She looked over her shoulder to see his hair was now soaked and his arms were rid of cloth but still adorned with gold. His skin has a thin layer of water and fragrant oil. She started to become a little nervous at the idea that not only could he peek at her but potentially see her bare.

“If seeing your body is a concern, I can swear I will not look.” He said as she saw him washing his arms keeping his back to her.

She breathed in and out for a few moments before taking the dress off and laying it down along with the royal head piece before gently wrapping the towel around her body. Taking a small step into the water she felt the warmth of the water almost immediately caused her to relax. The deeper she got into the water the more the feeling overtook her. She looked over at the small vials of soap and oils and gently lathered up enough for her skin and hair.

The scents of volfruit and hydomelon enticed her as she rinsed herself off. She could hear Ganondorf sigh to himself as he was sitting down on the underwater bench. His head leaning back as his felt all his muscles slowly relax more and more with each minute.

Zelda smiled for a moment as she rinsed off the last bits of soap studs. After a few moments she stepped below the small waterfall nearby rising her body of completely. A knock at the door that she saw earlier made her jump at the sound before hearing it open and close quickly seeing two pairs of clothes on a nearby table. Quickly and carefully she stepped up the stairs to see the clothes were Ganondorf’s robes which were simply the same, as for the pair next to them. It was a female vai clothes set, the color was white with small geometric shapes on the sides along with a veil that seemed to reach further than the normal ones she was associated with. Another pair of clothes were vai clothes to sleep in.

She was about to gather the clothes up to change until she felt and heard Ganondorf standing behind her. His skin was slightly still wet as his hair was still hanging over his shoulders covering most of his chest as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Might I ask you to pass my clothes to me?”

Zelda looked up at him handing his clothes to him, careful not to drop them. After which she took her own and started to dress herself. It was mostly easy to put together until she tried to tie the top of the outfit making her struggle with tieing it securely.

She suddenly felt herself freeze when she felt his hand catch her own causing her to look up at him a little puzzled. He watched her move her hand away as he brought his hand to the ties and secured it as he moved her hair as to not tangle it.

‘Thank you. I must admit Gerudo clothes seem easier to wear than Hylians ones but tieing ropes lies seems a bite difficult to handle.”

“Better you wear that than what you normally wear. In truth I'm surprised you could bare the heat in such clothes.”

She merely shrugged with a smile on her face.

‘Oh I meant to ask...and I suppose now is as good as anytime. But Naboris called you ‘Vohve.’ what exactly does that mean? I’m not familiar with it.”

“Its a rare word only used every 100 years. It means brother.”

Zelda's eyes went wide for a moment as she thought on what he said for a moment.

“As in brother in arms?”

“No, Naboris and I are biologically siblings. No different than Rauru and Mineru. Our births were quite different. I was reborn first by her mother and then she came after. I never met her father but we do have the same mother...that was more than enough for me.”

Present Day

Link awoke in the lavish bed the was gifted to him by Sidon who just so happened to be laying asleep beside him. He smiled as the handsome Zora prince breathed deeply. Link was overlooking ancient books reading over page by page searching for any hint of what could have happened to Zelda. At first he thought to travel into the depths but that didn’t go as planned when he came face to face with an armored Lynel.

It had been weeks now and still there were no more sighting of Zelda at least none that were actually her.

But not all was lost, he had found the stones for not only Sidon but Tulin as well. However with every good piece of news there was also bad. The stones were inactive and what their purpose was used for all those centuries ago was not clear. But he sighed with some relief knowing that finding these stones was helping the lands recover from the awoken Demon King.

Some movement made Link look down at Sidon who was smiling with his ever beaming sharp smile as he spoke.

“Any luck finding any clues as to the princesses whereabouts?”

Link signed with his hands.

‘No, still nothing. It would probably be best for me to go back out and search for her more thoroughly.’

Sidon sat up immediately with a worried look.

“My dearest friend, you are still injured. No hero no matter who strong can not endure everything. I would ask you rest until your injuries have healed completely.”

Link smiled up at the tall Zoran and simply nodded with a smile making Sidon grab both of link’s hands.

“Thank you my friend. After all Riju will understand. Hopefully the books she found will shed some light on this whole situation...but until then you need to rest.” He said kissing Link’s forehead.

#zelda #Ganondorf #ganon x zelda #link x sidon #fightingfate #fanfiction #new #catyo90 #@s-kinnaly #enjoy #non canon

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