#i feel like the boy ends up being close to Klaus

[klaus-littlestwolf]

Hello Love, I was wondering if you would write one Dark! Yandere!Mafia! Bucky and Klaus x chubby reader, where they meet her at the park while she was having a stroll and a random group of boys start disturbing her, Klaus gets furious and bucky is already on the move, they save her and from then on they become friends according to the reader's perspective but to them she is already their Princess. They keep an eye on her, put security around her apartment as well as her work space and any man who even dares to look at her gets to face their wrath. One day they decide that they have had enough and kidnap her, obviously she is terrified but seeing them she is heart broken how can they do this to her but they don't think this to be an offense and begin courting her. Eventually she falls for them and you can continue Idk..... They tell her stories about the evil that lurk in the shadows just so they could keep her close making her feel safe in the hands of the Devils . Can you also write about how she is the one who kills Mikael when he attacks Klaus since Bucky was absent and she cannot bear someone hurting her Nikky. When Bucky returns he finds out about the whole event and is so proud of his Doll but it was her first murder and now she is so full of guilt and Klaus is doing a terrible job of comforting her so he takes the matter into his own hands...... Idk can I request a fluffy ending at the last. Sorry the request is too long. It would be great if you could write this one shot....... ( This is my first request)

(P.S. - My hands are shaking writing this up, I am super nervous)

I love you very much and your writings just make my day , if you don't feel comfortable you don't need to write it up.

Bye Love.

A Strange Kind of Love -Yan!Mafia!Bucky B./Klaus M.

It’s actually a very interesting idea and I like it a lot. I assumed you wanted a human AU. I went against my instinct on this one since you didn’t ask for a Daddy Kink so it does not contain DD/LG content

Also, you never need to be nervous to make a request, I don’t judge anyone for the things they want to read. I’m sure you can tell from the things I write (that range from strange to truly fucked up) that I understand wanting to read specific things or kinks or relationships and honestly (especially after writing this) I want to do more KlausxOCxBucky cause they’re so cute together with their Princess (so if you have more ideas make your requests). Never worry about your requests cause trust me, everyone on this app has thought about (and read) weirder in every way🤣

Thank you for the compliments btw, I’m so glad you love my stories so much. I never in a million years would have thought people would like them so much but it makes me so unbelievably happy🥰

Warning: Smut! Threesome, Breeding Kink, Kidnapping, Mentions of abuse, Mikael being a Dick

Bucky and Klaus hadn’t meant to be in the park that day at all. They had just gotten done taking care of a group of idiots who thought they could come into the Mikaelson’s city and do whatever they wanted. To their credit, Bucky had given them a warning, they just chose not to listen and Klaus had run out of patience, deciding that setting their house on fire sounded like fun. On the way out the cops were between them and their car so they had their man pull around the park and they would meet them.

On their way through the park to the car, they came across a scene that angered the both of them. A women, holding her bag tightly and trying to move away while 3 men were seemingly playing some kind of game with her as they grabbed at her clothes.

‘Come on babe, we just wanna play with you!’

‘Yeah, don’t run away, you have time for a game!’ One of the men pulled her shirt hard and ripped two of the bottom buttons apart making her scream, kicking him in the knee as hard as she could. The idiot collapsed with a yelp much like that of an angry chihuahua before glaring up at her.

‘Don’t touch me!’

‘Oh, you’re gonna get it for that one girlie!’ The other one grabbed her arm but was cut off, hearing the sound of Bucky clearing his throat.

‘That’s no way to treat a lady.’ Klaus stated, fingers around the handle of the blade he keeps tucked into his pants as the asshole released her and began backing away, clearly recognizing them.

‘My friend is right. Run along now and hope this young lady doesn’t want revenge for this later.’ Bucky spoke, helping her up from where she had fallen before the men ran away. ‘Are you alright?’ She nodded, holding the bottom of her shirt closed as Klaus came back, having run after the idiots a ways to scare them into not coming back, Bucky knew that Klaus loved to tease idiots like that in hopes they would fuck up and he could kill them. ‘I’m James but everyone just calls me Bucky, this here is my brother for all intents and purposes, Klaus. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Kitten.’ Both men enjoyed the blush on her cheeks at the nickname, taken aback by how cute this girl was.

‘I’m Y/n, thank you for your help. I’m really grateful…oh fuck! I’m so late for work, I have to go!’ She turned to go when Klaus caught her arm making her flinch.

‘Sorry, no need to be afraid. I had just hoped we could have your number. We’d like to make sure you’re still alright later.’

As Y/n looked up at Bucky and Klaus she couldn’t help but feel safe. She didn’t know why but they were comforting and so she nodded, taking Klaus’ phone and doing just that for him.

Bucky and Klaus, upon getting to their car, began talking about the sweet girl they had met and realized they both felt a pull to her, one that was strong and desperate. It wasn’t often that Bucky and Klaus genuinely liked a women in any way other than wanting her in their bed, let alone the same women but they had shared before and they knew that Y/n was worth it.

They never thought it would become what it had, them falling in love with the perfect women, but here they are, head over heels a month after meeting and taking her out to dinner for the 4th time that week.

Neither of them could go very long without seeing their girl, both Bucky and Klaus knowing they have obsessive personalities but they also knew they would never hurt Y/n, they were in love with her.

Of course she was naive enough to think they were just her friends, never expecting both of them to want to be with her so it never crossed her mind that these were dates they were going on. The men saw no issue with Y/n in any way, she was their beautiful Babygirl. She was sweet and innocent, the most loving girl they had ever met and far more than they deserve (though they would never admit that they both knew that out loud), they never even considered that she didn’t ‘look the part’ of a women that they would normally date. She was a little on the chubby side but they loved everything about her, Bucky loving to feel her weight on top of him when he lays back on the couch, pulling her with him and refusing to even hear her complaints. Every time he ends up trying to hide his erection as he dreams of wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her still while he ruts his cock up into her tight little pussy until she’s crying in ecstasy. Klaus enjoys resting his head on her thick thighs like the comfiest pillow in the world while she plays with his hair, dreaming about the day that she would allow him to be smothered between them. He would eat her pussy like a man dying of thirst and could only imagine the sounds she would make for him.

They didn’t understand why she thought she wasn’t good enough for them but honestly it gave them time to get everything the way they needed it so they would put up with it, until the house is finished.

It was the mugging that pushed them over the edge.

She didn’t call them that morning like she always did, not even at least sending a text to say ‘good morning’ as she always had and so Klaus and Bucky found themselves in their Chevrolet Corvette E Ray (which Klaus had just gotten specifically to take Y/n for a scenic drive/picnic and impress her even if money didn’t really do that) to get to her as fast as they could.

They broke about 45 different traffic laws but the cop that noticed them and began driving after them pulled off quickly, probably having run the plates and realized who it was, not wanting all the paperwork or the lawyers involved just for whatever ticket he was going to write. Upon arriving at her apartment they found out that their girl had walked to the corner store that morning and been robbed, her phone being taken so she couldn’t text them. Bucky kissed her head before leaving the room, getting on his phone and having his men work to track hers and find the asshole who did it while Klaus used his phone to order them breakfast to be delivered, snuggling their Babygirl as close as he could and wiping her tears repeatedly before calling her boss to let him know she wouldn’t be in the next week. Thankfully they had met her boss at a work event they insisted on joining her at and the man wanted more than anything to impress them both.

They spent the day cheering their girl up, even getting her back her phone which had sadly been destroyed by the idiot trying to get into it before staying the night with her, snuggled between them in her bed.

‘This is the way it should be. Our Princess cuddled up between us without a care in the world.’ Klaus noted and Bucky agreed.

‘I called today, they’re working shifts round the clock now. The cabin will be finished in 2 days, Steve and Elijah are having everything moved in right now. Just 2 more days and our Kitten will be ours, brother.’ The men couldn’t hide the smiles on their faces, knowing they were going to keep their Babygirl safe where nothing could ever hurt her again.

Waking up was disorienting, the drugs clearly still being in her blood stream but she pushed through the feeling, sitting up to find herself in a huge bed that was probably the comfiest thing she had ever laid on. As she looked around, her head spinning with dizziness, the bedroom door opened and her head snapped up to see Klaus walk in.

‘Klaus! Thank God! I thought I was alone!’ She moved to the edge of the bed, Klaus catching her before she could collapse. ‘Where’s Bucky? Is he okay?!’

It was obvious that she didn’t immediately think that they had brought her here, she thought they had all been brought here together. ‘He’s downstairs making you some tea.’

‘Making tea? Why would…no…Klaus no…w-why?’ She whimpered, tears rising in her eyes but as Klaus moved to wipe them away she smacked his hand from her face, stumbling back as her legs gave out but not letting him help her.

‘Princess, please? Just let me-‘

‘Don’t Touch Me! Don’t You Ever Touch Me Again!’ She screamed, turning and using the bed to help her stand, turning to the door Klaus had just come through before he cut off her exit. ‘Why are you doing this? I want to go home Klaus, I’m scared and I want to go home.’

Klaus felt his chest tighten, hating to see tears on his Princess’ face. ‘You are home baby, it’s okay. We brought you here to keep you safe. No more mugging, no more shitty bosses or backstabbing friends, just us…you, me and Bucky. Doesn’t that sound nice?’

‘You kidnapped me…and now you want me to tell you that it sounds great here? Fuck you!’ She hissed, sitting back onto the bed before the door opened again and Bucky stepped in with a tray.

‘Good morning-Now I know you’re feeling a tad angry, but we did this to protect you.’

‘You pretentious asshole! You-‘

‘Enough!’ Bucky exclaimed, clearly done with her attitude making her flinch away and Klaus moved to her side, taking her hand in his and pressing it to his lips.

‘We will never harm you Baby, not ever. Please don’t flinch like that? You know we would never let you get hurt.’ Klaus’ eyes were big and needy, hating the idea that the girl he is desperately in love with would be afraid of him.

‘You Kidnapped Me! You were my friends! How could you guys-‘

‘We were never your friends, Doll.’

‘Bucky!’ Klaus snapped but he was ignored, Bucky’s metal fingers trailing down the side of her face.

‘We have been in love with you since the moment we met and there’s no way you don’t know that Kitten.’

‘You’re insane! Men like you don’t go for girls like me, let alone 2 of you! I’m not stupid…at least not completely considering I believed you cared about me to begin with.’

‘Okay, now you’re just being dramatic-‘

‘You’ve kidnapped me-‘

‘We Love You!’ He shouted, becoming overwhelmed with your disregard for their feelings. ‘We’ve loved you for months, Doll…this ain’t some casual fling for us, we’ve shared girls for a night before but never more than that. Never something like you…we love you so much Kitten, more than I thought possible.’ Bucky admitted, Y/n staring in shock, unsure of what to say.

‘As well as more than I thought myself capable.’ Klaus spoke up. ‘You know about my father…my family and I…I never thought I would be able to love someone the way people talk about in those cheesy love stories but you did that for me…you broke down walls I’ve been building since I was a child and I…I need you not to hate us. We had to protect you…Please?’ Klaus pleaded, desperate for her loving gaze to be back on him as it’s been since the day they met.

‘Klaus I-I could never hate you…but I don’t know that I can just get over being kidnapped by the people I trusted most in the entire world. You have to understand that, and so do you. I trusted you, the whole time you could have just told me how you felt but you didn’t, you let me think I was disgusting and fucked up for liking the both of you and now I don’t know that I can forgive you. Especially if this is who Bucky really is-‘ she said, turning to look at him. ‘because I loved the sweet man who snuggled with me whenever I was sad but this angry one who shouts at me for being upset at being Kidnapped? I don’t know who he is and I don’t know that I want to if this is the way you are.’ Bucky had the decency to look saddened by her admission but didn’t let it bother him too much as he handed her the cup of tea.

‘We do understand Princess, and there’s some things we need to tell you. No matter what though, you are safe with us.’ Klaus promised, kissing her hand and sat down beside her on the bed along with Bucky where they spent the next 2 hours explaining who they really were. Their lives, childhoods, and jobs they now had as the heads of 2 separate crime families that only joined together thanks to Klaus and Buckys resilient friendship.

Y/n would have been impressed if she wasn’t so horrified…she’s a bit impressed by them, though she refused to forgive them that quickly. They had a lot of making up to do if they wanted to be friends again…or whatever it is they really wanted to be…?

It was nearly a full week later that any kind of development happened in the battle Y/n was fighting against them.

The crash was startling and as much as Y/n wanted to pretend that she didn’t care, she didn’t want Klaus to be hurt and she knew Bucky wasn’t here leading to her standing from the bed and creeping down the stairs quietly. She had just planned to peek into the den to make sure he wasn’t dead before going back upstairs but as she looked in she saw Klaus on the floor with blood dripping from his nose and mouth and a man crouched over top of him with a sinister look in his eyes.

Y/n instantly recognized the man from the family pictures that Klaus had shown her. This was Klaus’ step father, the man that had spent Klaus’ entire life beating him senseless and making him believe he was unworthy of any kind of love and affection.

This was Mikael.

Bucky had spoken about murdering the man only 500 times in their relationship and she knew he wanted the man dead almost as much as Klaus did and she expected one day that he would show up.

What she didn’t expect however, was Klaus to lay there completely frozen, petrified.

Y/n, who had been trying so hard to remain angry at Klaus and Bucky in the last week, felt her heart break at the sight of this strong man who she had depended on time and time again, looking so small and scared. She knew she couldn’t just go back upstairs and do nothing, she hated this man. Hated him for everything he had done to Klaus, everything he had made her friend feel. She knew that Bucky would want to kill Mikael, she knew he would be doing it already if he was only here, but he’s not here…she is.

Y/n crept around to the living room and got to the fire place, retrieving the fire poker as quietly as possible, as well as the duct tape from the junk drawer before approaching the den again.

‘You really thought you could hide from me, didn’t you, boy? You’ve been hiding behind that boyfriend of yours since you met, found yourself a tough son of a bitch to protect you like the weakling you are and always have been. But he’s not here now, is he?’ She quietly crept up behind the man, instantly despising him even more than she already did which she would have thought was completely impossible. ‘Theres no one left to hide behind, who is going to protect you now, hmm?’

‘I am.’ Y/n spoke up, clearly startling him as he spun his head around only for her to swing the fire poker and slash it straight across his face. She swung it again into the back of his head before he could move and he collapsed off of Klaus and onto the floor. She hit him once more before grabbing the duct tape, rolling him onto his back and pulling his hands together to wrap the tape around them far too many times before doing the same with his feet before taping them together as if he was hog tied-just with way too much tape. Y/n turned to look at where Klaus had been laying and he had turned to see where his Step Father laid, eyes wide and completely shocked. She dropped the fire poker and moved to kneel beside him, wrapping her arms around his neck and he instantly sat up, pulling her onto his lap with his arms firmly wrapped around her waist. He was sniffling over and over, clearly trying to control himself and his body as it continued to shake thanks to the adrenaline rushing through it. ‘It’s okay. You’re safe now…you’re safe Klaus.’

Klaus reached his hands up, cupping Y/n’s cheeks and pressing his lips to hers desperately. It felt wonderful to be in Klaus’ arms again, she had missed him. ‘You saved me.’ He spoke against her lips, hands squeezing her waist.

‘‘Of course I did…I couldn’t let him hurt you. I love you…’ she admitted, seeing Klaus’ face light up in happiness before he pressed his lips to hers again, groaning as he felt her hand pulling his shirt over his head prompting Klaus to grab hold of her collar and rip her shirt open, buttons flying everywhere while he yanked it off, followed by her lacy black bra.

‘Gods, you are fucking perfection, you know that?’ One thing Y/n loved about Klaus and Bucky? They never failed to make her feel like the prettiest girl in every room. They never even seemed to notice the fact that she was chubbier than all of the women who stared at them unashamedly even when she’s right there as if she’s such little competition they don’t even have to think about it. They never even glance at other women when she’s there and even now, Y/n feels like the sexiest women in the entire world.

‘Your hands feel so good, never stop touching me, please?’

‘Never! Never stopping Princess, I will touch you for the rest of forever until we take to the grave and we are buried together for eternity! No more running, all ours now…’ he swore, lifting her leg over him from where she had sat on his lap so she now straddled his waist. Klaus pulled her pants down before just ripping them off to avoid moving her again. ‘So fucking perfect baby-‘

‘Please?’ She whined, feeling him move her thong to the side and brush his cock against her clit.

‘No need to beg Princess, don’t worry, I’m going to fuck you just how you need. My good girl deserves to be rewarded for protecting me, doesn’t she?’ Y/n nodded her head rapidly, crying out quite loudly when Klaus pushed his cock up and into her sopping wet cunt, stretching her hole deliciously. ‘So perfect baby! Perfect fucking cunt, oh Shit!’ He wrapped one arm tightly around her waist to pin her chest against him while the other arm rested up her back and his hand held her shoulder giving him the leverage to pull her down against him with every thrust of his hips.

‘Ah! Ah! Right there! Please?!’

‘There?’ Klaus wondered, thrusting his hips particularly hard.

‘Fuck Yes!’ Y/n shrieked, nails digging into his back again and most definitely drawing blood.

What neither of them heard in their blissful desperation was the front door opening and Bucky running into the house having gotten an alarm alert on his phone when Mikael came in. Neither Klaus nor Y/n were answering their phones and he was panicking until he heard the noises coming from the den. Peeking his head around the corner he was shocked to find a hog tied man that he recognized from Klaus’ family pictures as well as his brother with their girl on his lap, his cock buried inside of her as deep as possible.

‘Close…so close! Please?!’ She begged and Bucky moved quietly into the room crouching behind them. His hand moved between them finding his Kittens clit to roughly caress, her entire body stiffening a second later before she cried out and Klaus held her down against him as he grunted, cumming deep inside of their girl the way they had always dreamed of.

Once they had relaxed and Y/n had snuggled into Klaus’ neck, Bucky decided to make his presence known. ‘That was beautiful.’ He stated, both of them jumping in fright, Klaus ready to pull her behind him just as he realized that it was just his brother.

‘Fucking Hell Buck! Don’t do that, I’ve had enough scares for one day.’ He spoke and Y/n turned his head, kissing his lips softly.

‘He won’t touch you again Nikky, you’re safe now.’ She promised and he snuggled into her neck, enjoying her comfort.

‘Course you are bro, especially with our little protector here. You did this, didn’t you killer?’ He teased, but held a level of respect in his eyes that made her happy.

‘He was gonna kill him, I didn’t have a choice…I-‘

‘You did so well Kitten, I’m so proud of you!’ Bucky insisted, pulling her face closer to kiss her softly. ‘You know what that means, don’t you?’ She looked at him curiously while Bucky and Klaus looked at each other, knowing exactly what they’ve been waiting for for months on end. They were finally going to have her just the way they wanted. ‘Good little Kittens get rewarded…take her upstairs Nik, I’ll take care of him.’

‘But…I wanna watch.’ Y/n pouted making both men laugh.

‘Buckys gonna lock him in the shed. Don’t worry Love, you can see as much as you want to.’ Klaus hoisted her up into his arms and carried her through the hall and up the stairs to their bedroom, which made up the entire first floor other than a bathroom.

Bucky dragged the man down the hall and through the kitchen out the back door to the shed. They had it built just in case someone should decide to try and hurt their Babygirl here, giving them the perfect place to have some…fun with Mikael. Bucky cut all the tape off before chaining him to the floor in the center of the room, locking the doors behind him and quickly running back to the house where he locked everything else up as they wouldn’t be leaving any time soon.

Y/n was back on Nik’s lap and kissing him contently when Bucky came back in, stripping off his suit in no time, crawling up onto the bed and getting their attention. ‘Wow…’ she mumbled as she looked over his toned body. Bucky knew he was nice to look at, while Klaus had muscle he was leaner where as Bucky held muscle extremely well and while his cock was slightly less thick than his brothers, it was almost a full inch longer. It drew their girls eyes instantly and he couldn’t hide his smirk if he wanted to.

‘Did you enjoy Nikky stretching your pretty little pussy on his cock?’ She nodded her head with a whine, turning to face Bucky who grabbed her thighs and yanked her forward. A squeal left her as she fell back onto the giant bed, him lifting her legs to present her cunt to his eyes. ‘I bet you did, but now it’s my turn and I’m gonna fuck my cock into you so deep you’ll be carrying my babies by morning.’ Her eyes widened dramatically before he leaned down and pressed his mouth against her clit.

‘Oh God!’

‘That’s right Princess, in this room we are your Gods. You worship and we give you everything you could ever want…riches-‘ Klaus leaned down, pressing his lips to hers sweetly. ‘-Pleasure…’ he kissed down her chest to her breasts, nipping her skin teasingly. ‘-Fertility…’ he smirked, wrapping his lips around her nipple and twisting the other just as Bucky shoved his tongue into her hole, his nose brushing her clit hard and sending her over the edge, making her cry out.

‘There you go, good girl!’ Bucky smirked, lifting her legs as he pushed his way between them, his long member brushing against her sensitive clit. ‘We’ve been waiting a long time for this Kitten, and you have too, haven’t you?’ Y/n whimpered as Klaus continued his teasing at her breasts. ‘We’re gonna put a baby in you tonight, one way or another.’ He gestured to Klaus who hopped up, moving to the closet and grabbing a box that he set on the edge of the oversized bed, pulling out a silicone plug with a purple jewel on the end making her tense and Bucky groan. ‘That’s right Kitten, we’re gonna fill you up all night long.’ He promised, taking hold of his cock and pressing it into her slick hole, not stopping until he bottomed out completely. ‘Nothings ever been so deep in this pretty little cunt, has it?’ She whined needily which answered his question just fine before he began thrusting into her.

‘Oh Fuck! Too Much!’

‘Too much? Too Much? Impossible! Our girl can take anything and everything we have to give her, can’t you Kitten? We’re gonna fill you so full you’ll be leaking all over the bed, gonna make us Daddies tonight, aren’t you?’ Tears were falling from her face as she nodded frantically, practically begging him for more. ‘Gonna plug you up so full it won’t be possible that you’re not knocked up!’ Bucky was thrusting up into her so hard she knew she would be sore but she couldn’t find it in herself to care as Klaus turned her head to the side and shoved his cock between her lips.

‘Fuck! Such a hot fucking mouth! Christ! Sucking my cock so good for me Princess!’ She moaned, choking on his cock as he pushed into the back of her throat.

‘Oh shit! Gonna fill you up so good Kitten, you want your pretty little pussy full don’t you? You need it!’ She moaned around Klaus’ dick but Bucky got the message just fine. ‘Yes, gonna give our girl a baby, Fuck!’ Bucky growled as he shoved his cock as deeply into her body as he could, cumming hard and holding her on him to keep himself as deep as he could. ‘My good little Kitten.’ He hummed, pinching her nipple teasingly.

‘Move Buck!’ Klaus insisted, pulling himself out of her mouth which caused her to whine, Bucky pulling out and laying beside her as Klaus stretched her hole around his cock again. ‘Just needed to fill your cunt again. You can drink my cum 10 times a day when this womb is full, but-ah! Until then we’re gonna fill this hole every…single…time! Oh Shit!’ Once again Klaus filled her up and she whined at how full her body felt now. His cock stayed buried into her as his hand put pressure on her lower belly, caressing her as if it would ensure their seed took.

‘Open your mouth.’ Bucky told her and she did, only to have the plug shoved between her lips to wet it before pulling it back out and moving to shove it into her cunt as soon as Klaus pulled back, not allowing a single drop spilled. ‘Good girl. Now, you rest because after you have had some time to relax, we’re gonna do it all over again.’ She whined before Klaus laid at her other side, shushing her.

‘Relax Princess. You’re all ours now, and we’re gonna take such good care of you.’

A Strange Kind of Love Moodboard

Klaus Mikaelson Masterlist

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

[nixotene]

consider this: the hargreeves siblings numbers are based on how easy to control they are.

Luther is the most easy to control. He always wants to appease Reginald and do what he can to complete the mission and be daddy’s special boy.

Diego is rebellious, but in the sense that acts out for attention from his abusive parental figure. So Reginald puts what he wants to close to his reach, l knowing full well he will always be “number two.” I mean, at the end of the day, Diego was out kicking ass and being a “hero” until the end, just like Reggie trained him to be.

Allison tends to place her own needs first. Which makes sense since her power literally allows her to have whatever she wants when she wants. Reginald had to make things feel like they were “her” idea and use mind games. She didn’t care about her number, but she didn’t care about going against Reginald either. She stayed in her lane.

Klaus is when we start getting a bit harder to control, but not in a way that would affect Reginald’s “dignity”. He ran to drug use in order to suppress his abilities. He constantly was acting out and getting into trouble. But he didn’t act out very obvious ways to Reggie (ie: standing up to him verbally and publicly).

Now, Five. He is stubborn and believes himself to always be in the right. He’s a lot like Reggie, in a way. Which is probably why Reggie did not like him until they met in s2 and Five was mentally around the same age as him. They felt like equals, when before, Reginald saw Five as a child when Five did not see himself that way.

Ben was literally killed by Reginald because he did not follow his instructions. To a mission he did not want to go on. Ben constantly shows how he does not like using his powers (like Klaus) and therefore would be hard to force to train and go on missions.

Viktor. Oh, Viktor. His hard to control nature, high emotions (mostly due to his abuse), mixed with his world ending power level is not a force to be reckoned with. So instead Reggie decided he wasn’t worth the trouble. We see Viktor’s hard to control nature through the montage of Vanya/Viktor as a child throwing nanny after nanny around the house like a rag doll. And breaking the wine glasses with enough power to cut Reggie when he did try training.

Or it could be random because Reginald numbered them since birth. Who knows.

[soshadysoquiet]

TUA Rewatch Drawings: S1E4

[ID: A close up of Luther's horrified face, hands held up towards his face as he looks at something offscreen, he's scruffy with overgrown hair and beard. Behind his shoulder is the image of a child's jack-in-the-box monkey popping up, it's holding an umbrella. Written at the top of the image is "Monkey on the Moon". End ID.]

Favourite Moment: Cha Cha and Hazel having their hang over donuts, its so classic.

Favourite Line: "You're the one with the damn orthepedic bracelet." "I told you already, it's just for support!" - Chachh & Hazel / "I barely remember what we had for breakfast at this point." - Hazel (and me, on a daily basis)

Most likely to skip moment: Klaus' gurgling waterboarding torture - I hate the sound so much!

Most likely to rewind moment: The Meritech fire dance and surrounding scenes. Hands down.

I chose this because it's such an iconic opening to me, the horror on Luther's face, the coldness of the surgical room he's been left to sleep in. The fucking monkey. It's all so horribly good. And the way this came out like a bad old horror film poster pleases me greatly.

I know Luther makes some Questionable Choices in S1, but each time I rewatch it I remember just how fucked up he must be - whilst it doesn't excuse his actions, it does fuel them, in the same way Viktor slashing Allison's throat can't be excused, but the fuel behind the action is no less present.

I mean this boy:

Was at least emotionally manipulated as a child, but likely straight up abused.

Was thrust into a leadership role he had no business being in.

Lost 2 siblings.

Was isolated in a mansion, oscillating between boredom and life threatening situations.

Then he dies

Gets some truly horrifying and unconsensual body modification

Shipped off to the moon for 4 years of complete physical and near total social isolation.

His father dies who he has complex feelings for, then Grace, then Pogo betrays his trust and its one whole lot.

One of his siblings nearly kills the one he's closest to.

I never hated Luther in S1, and on this rewatch he showed so many more moments of sibling consideration than I remembered, in between being a mess of course.

Also: Eudora. I'm debating what purpose her death serves for the narrative. I think 90% of the emotions her death inspires in Diego could have easily been done by:

Diego thinking Klaus had died when he escapes, or just rage for someone torturing his brother?

Eudora could have been wounded and that would still make Diego think about pushing his agendas on people - except even with her death he doesn't think that.

I know he goes on a mini killing-people-won't-bring-you-peace arc, but, and maybe that brings him closer to Five? But another convo could have done the same? It's not like Eudora is particularly in the way of the plot so I don't know why she had to die - maybe Diego's growing up moment could be realising he doesn't have to keep pushing his agenda and affections on her?

I like her as a character and her presence because she gives Diego depth and a life outside the academy, which we rarely see in the others. Potentially she dies to show the danger of Hazel and Cha Cha, I don't know. Either way I'm conflicted about her, mainly because after 3 months in the 60's Diego seems to forget she exists, though I might have forgotten moments.

[weolucbasu]

So, @da-proti-toku-grem kind of inspired me to make a lengthy post, sharing some positive vibes across the fandom, listing the reasons why I love each member of Joker Out and why I would go full mom-mode on them and cook for them and bake them gluten-free cookies.

Anyway:

A Joker Out, brain-rot, appreciation post

(members listed in alphabetical order)

Bojan

First up - as someone who had the chance to see them live, he is an insane performer

His ability to enchant the crowd is insane and you can tell really well that he has great acting abilities too

Watched him in Gospod Profesor too, spot on for someone who is a so-called amateur

His singing voice is... amazing to say the least, it feels really unique

Also, the way he talks, the sound of his voice, the words he uses, his pronunciation, if there were awards for talking he would get one

The languages he speaks, I want to study him, linguistically, he is truly a phenomenon

We of course love a bilingual king

He looks like he has his priorities straight

I also respect him so much for how open he is about his mental illness

I might relate to him a bit too much at times whoops

And the fact that he can somehow befriend literally anyone??? Love that

His friendship with Jere is the main one of course

Oh yeah and the fact that he literally helped people who collapsed at their gigs a few times

Bless him, he deserves all the rest he is hopefully getting

Jan

First things first, I have a soft spot for math guys

And the way he talks about math is fascinating (but you still won't get me to like it Jan)

Cat dad???? We absolutely adore Igor and a man loving cats is such a green flag

I know people say he mumbles a bit and it's hard to understand him at times, but idk, he talks nice and slowly, so it's still really easy to understand him

He comes from my home region, so I am very biased haha

Also, every band needs a guitarist with luscious locks

He absolutely owns the colour red, that colour was invented specifically for him

The nose ring suits him so well too, this man KNOWS what fits him

And if that ends up being jackets with nothing underneath when he performs, THEN SO BE IT

I know people call Kris the lesbian icon, but from what I've seen lesbians are very drawn to Jan as well

Oh, and he gives me Klaus from the Umbrella Academy vibes (I blame the hair and the pink boa)

Jure

Holy shit, sunshine in human form????

The most underappreciated one in the band imo

His surname literally means 'cat' and I am so normal that Jan has called him 'muca'

He also comes from my region haha, bias again

He's really good at filming, he actually shot a few things for RTV (national TV station) and edited them as well, god, talent

Also playing drums... I have sang, I have played guitar, played bass, but drums is something I feel like I could NEVER do, so hats off to you

As @da-proti-toku-grem pointed out, THE MOLE ON HIS LIP? weak knees, yes

He also reminds me of a good friend of mine and I vibe with him so much, I feel like I would vibe with Jure as well

I really don't like the fact that drummers tend to get ignored and I just wish there was more Jure performing content

Though I love it how every time, during Novi Val, he comes to the front and hangs with the others

His hair also looks so soft and fluffy aaaaaa

Again, biased but he resembles my bf the most out of everyone so hmmmm

Kris

The baby of the band! (and the only one in the band I could actually call 'mulc')

In case you didn't know yet, he's half Dutch

And he speaks Dutch, which, as someone who speaks Dutch (in theory, not in practice) makes me really happy

I wish to study him linguistically as well

Also his parents' story feels very close to me, as I'm dating outside of my culture as well

According to him he was menace as a kid and I think we should normalise the fact that you can become a better person as you grow up

But pls don't honk at me on the road Kris, pls, I will cry

The songs he wrote??? NGVOT and Vse kar vem??? Oh boy, I love them, adore them

His holey sweaters are also a vibe

Dutch fans, if you don't shower him and the rest of the band with gifts at their Dutch concerts, I will be mad

Also gotta honorably mention Maks

They gotta be my fav nepo-but-not-really babies out there

Kinda like Maya Hawke?

I am ranting

He also looks like the only member of the band that I would fight, and idk why

Also, I must know if he supports Max Verstappen haha

Minus points for chemistry though, I cannot with that

Nace

Okay everyone

Here we go

We have reached my beloved

I love all of them, but Nace just a bit more

It was love at first sight, I cannot lie

I have a soft spot for bassists and he might actually convince me to try and play bass again

He has been playing it for so long too??? like wow

Oh and of course; THE TATTOOS, BLESSETH BE THE TATTOOS

I will always go feral about his tattoos

At every concert

I know he was the last to join the band but it looks like he fits in so nicely, it's beautiful

Strong mom-codded dad friend vibes

He kinda is the dad of the band haha

And he looks like he gives amazing hugs (lucky all of you who had managed to get one already)

A nice addition to the band

Oh and he's apparently shit at sports which is like... felt

Plus the fact that he wanted to be a vet?

Me too boo, me too, but neither of us is there now

Anway, I'll stop now. In conclusion, this band has my whole heart and they deserve every good thing that happens to them and so much more.

[fitzs-trained-monkey]

❄️To Run Afoul of Winter❄️

(Not my Gif.)

Request by: @unstablereader

Title: To Run Afoul of Winter

Word Count: 12,000

Warnings: Casual violence, some language, seasonal depression, segmented flashbacks.

Summary: In your human life you had been born a cripple - a frail, feeble little thing barely clinging to life. It was a miracle you survived long enough to join your siblings in becoming the first vampires. Bouts of what your family called Frost-Sickness kept you bed ridden each winter and despite your twin brother's efforts to cheer you up, life just hardly seemed worth living. When you turned, your body grew stronger, but so did your mental affliction. This is your story. || Mikaelson Family x sibling!reader || Here lies my Masterlist ||

A/N: This was written in like two days of an absolute writing frenzy. I know the request would have preferred Klaus to be the reader's twin but I just couldn't figure that out in my brain. Sorry! I hope you like it anyway. Also, one more thing. This fic is the first official fic of Cassie's Christmas at the Compound 2022 which I'll be kicking off later today as I was too lazy to do it on Dec. 1st. Thanks for being here and supporting my writing. Happy reading!

❄️STORY BEGINS BELOW❄️

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: December 21st, 998 A.D.

"Sister?" You recognized the speaker instantly - you always had and you always would. Just as one always recognizes their own reflection, you could never forget the voice of your other half. 

You didn't say anything in reply, offering a soft hum instead. You didn't feel much like talking.

"We're lighting the bonfires," He continued. "Come along now before you miss all the fun!"

That wasn't really what he'd said all those years ago. No, your native language had long since been lost to time, morphing into a variety of tongues since then. You and your siblings were likely the only ones in the world who still knew it in its pure form - not that you spoke it anymore. You hadn't spoken your native language in so long, not even with each other. There was something lonely about it and the lot of you were already so alone.

Especially you. After all, what did you have besides dreams to keep you company in your most quiet estate? But that was beside the point.

"Really?" You lifted your head from the pile of skins that made up your bed. "They're starting so soon?" 

Standing in the doorway, the boy’s dark eyes widened in alarm that quickly faded into concern. "Y/N…" He began cautiously. "What day do you think it is?"

You had thought about that. Of course, you should have known something so trivial yet so vital to your livelihood but keeping track of the days seemed like such an exhausting chore. Akin to many things lately.

"Is it not eleven days to winter?" You asked, tilting your head. Then again, the village was lighting bonfires… but no, you couldn't have been Frost Sick for seventeen days! That was absurd.

Your twin's lips pressed into a thin line - they did that when he was worried and that was how you knew it must have been serious. For Kol son of Mikael was so rarely a worried soul.

The boy shook his head. "Y/N, it's the first day of Year's End - of bonfire season…" His voice thinned, close to breaking. "The harvest is plentiful, the moon is waning, and Odin smiles upon us. Can you not abate the sickness but one evening? Will you not join us?" He entreated you. "Will you not join me?" And oh how your twin had cherished the season so. Always first to cast his wish into the flames, always the first to dance, always the first to smile and laugh like the boy he had been so long, long ago. 

You didn't want to disappoint him, but you felt so weak. The chill of the evening air pricked at your skin and bones, threatening to sink into your very soul. "I-I don't-"

"Please, sister? Bring your blankets with you if you must, just please come celebrate?" Your brother begged. His eyes were once wide with innocence, love, concern, and yearning. His eyes didn't look like that anymore. For long since had darkness shrouded them, rendering their pine-bark depths as hollow and empty as this memory that you sought comfort in. The boy standing before you in your dream was naught but an illusion. Your twin had perished in the dark, alone and frightened, in years left to history long since forgotten. 

And the creation that had taken his place?

You weren't entirely sure who he belonged to. For certainly he was your sweet, fun-loving, intuitive brother often enough but from time to time the bloodlust consumed him entirely and that creature was not one you recognized. He was not your twin.

Just so with all your siblings, if you were honest. They all had faded away - shells of the family you knew and adored. Animosity had grown between each of them. All except you. 

"Y/N?" His voice called to you again. Oh, how you missed the innocence in it. 

You lifted your head, clutching your blankets as you stood on frail, trembling, legs. "Coming! I'm coming, brother." 

The boy grinned and raced out the door. You followed him eagerly despite your limp. Passing under the arched doorway of your family's hovel, you found the scene outside blurred and out of focus. You blinked and your vision sharpened, although now you were no longer standing just outside your home. 

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: October 31st, 988 A.D.

You were kneeling on a patch of frost-covered grass in front of a pile of wood stacked haphazardly. Kol knelt beside you and the sky overhead was bleak and gray.

"Show me again, brother," You demanded, buzzing with excitement, though you couldn't quite remember what for. "Please show me it again? I want to see."

"Y/N, you know father hates it," He said, frowning.

"Father isn't here and I won't tell him," You argued. "Please, Kol?"

"I don't know…"

Your voice quieted. "You're the only one that can help me," You insisted. "The Frost Sickness tugs at the edges of my mind even now. Your light is the only thing that keeps it at bay."

"Alright," He conceded with a sigh. "Just don't let it touch the firewood."

You nodded eagerly and held out your hands. Kol rubbed his own together vigorously before moving them close to his lips. 

"Incendia," He whispered. A spark burst in the air before his lips with a splitting crack and before long, bright orange flames leaped between his fingers. Some in your village whispered that Kol was cursed but you didn't believe them. Your brother was blessed by Frigga with the gift that was magic and he was brilliant in his craft. The boy grinned and glanced up at you. His eyes seemed lighter then, like a sunset. "Ready?" 

"Yes," You breathed, still in awe of your brother's magic. This was not the first you'd seen of it but it still amazed you all the same. "Yes, I'm ready."

Kol offered you another sweet smile. Shuffling a little closer, he gathered the fire in his hands before tilting them and letting it pour into your waiting palms. The flames flickered and danced, licking your fingers as they sent wave after wave of warmth radiating through your body and soul. You sighed. The magical fire burned away the creepings of your Frost Sickness, postponing it a little longer. You were lucky to have a twin like Kol for only the flames of his witchcraft could assist you with your illness.

You memorized his face then, the innocent, joyous, impishly youthful smile on his cheeks and in his eyes cast in the warm glow of the fire held in your palms. He hadn't smiled like that in so long. So, so long.

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: March 31st, 989 A.D.

Left to your reverie only a moment, the scene before you shifted once again. It was spring, glorious spring all around you. The flowers were in bloom, the trees burst with leaves, and you were once again awake - wide awake. Crossing a bubbling brook with the confident leaps of a small child, undeterred by your bad leg, you admired the beauty of the moss-covered stones you employed as your bridge before continuing on to explore the forest. 

Along with having been born frail, you had also been born with a bad leg. The bones were a little misshapen and it couldn't support your weight. Ayana - the village's healer and foremost practitioner of magic, had fashioned you a splint to help you walk, and you had since refused to let it slow you down. Niklaus had carved for you a walking stick for balance and though you couldn't run, you could skip with the proficiency of a stone on a smooth lake. You danced between the trees as you chased a beautiful butterfly through the brush when a nearby shout brought you to a swift halt.

"Y/N!" That was the voice of your eldest brother, Finn. He didn't sound very pleased. Although, then again, Finn was rather easy to upset. 

"Be gentle, Finn." A different voice chastened. Elijah. "Y/N! Come out, little one!"

This, of course, only prompted you to duck behind a tree to hide as the footsteps of your brothers drew ever nearer. 

"Y/N!" Finn called again, attempting to sound a little less stern. "I swear, that child and her tvíburi are creations of Loki."

"You had best hope not," Elijah advised. "If either of them grow to be any more clever or cunning, then I fear we'll never be able to find them." 

You couldn't help the giggle that left your lips at his statement as you were rather flattered by his praise. Their footsteps began to fade a moment later and you peered out from your hiding spot to check.

"GOTCHA!" Without warning, two arms wrapped around you from behind and hoisted you into the air. You shrieked in surprise but soon began to laugh as you realized that it was Elijah who had captured you. He smiled warmly. "Hello, little one."

"How did you find me?" You wined, pouting a little. 

"Simple," Finn supplied. "We merely listened for the sound of complete disobedience and followed that."

Elijah sighed. "Finn…"

"No, brother. She needs to be taught," Finn said. He rounded on you again. "What were you thinking, running off on your own like that? Do you have any idea what could have happened? You could have gotten lost! You could have died!"

"B-but I was chasing pretty butterfly," You whimpered, beginning to tear up. 

"I don't care what you were doing!" Finn shouted. "Do you know what a wolf would do if it found you? Or Odin forbid - a bear? It would have-"

"Enough, Finn!" Elijah demanded. "That's enough!"

"Is it?" Your eldest brother argued. "Is she too young to understand the danger her frailty will bring to all of us? You know how mother worries about her. Tell me, Elijah - look at her! Is she not so very light to carry?"

"She is but a child," Elijah sighed. He knew Finn spoke the truth. You had been born small. Even now, you were hardly more than half the weight of your twin brother. 

"Rebekah is younger and yet she is heartier still and more stable on her feet." Finn stepped closer, lowering his voice. "You and Niklaus were always so fond of her. But how long do you really think Y/N will last - afflicted as she is? By tradition, Father should have left her to the gods."

You did not understand his words at the time. But no matter what Finn said, you weren't afraid. Finn liked to worry - he never wanted you to do anything - but Elijah, you knew, would always protect you. Nothing bad would ever happen as long as Elijah was there. And even as a child, you knew he always would be.

Elijah stood up a little straighter. "He tried if you recall. He left her in the woods all the night long but the forest would not take her. A fox and vixen stood guard over her until morning; small as she is, they deemed her worthy."

Finn didn't reply, or if he did, you didn't hear. You were far too busy watching a robin make its nest not far away until Elijah spoke to you again.

"Y/N, might you happen to know where your troublesome tvíburi is?"

"Noooooooo…." You lied. You absolutely knew where he was - you always did.

"I think you do," Elijah coaxed, poking you in the ribs. Giggling, you shook your head.

"I don't, though."

"He's probably attempting to burn one of our neighbor's homes to the ground," Finn suggested with a sigh.

Elijah sent you a questioning look and you shook your head again. 

"No!"

"Or torturing some innocent animal…"

"No, we're doing that tomorrow."

"Or hiding everyone's left boot…"

You giggled. Now, that was a fond, fond memory. It took Sven two days to find his boot and by that time he already had a foot full of splinters.

"Or putting worms in someone's pillow - likely mine…"

"Couldn't find any worms - they're still sleeping," You replied with a shrug.

"Or-"

"Alright! I'll tell you!" You finally huffed, rolling your eyes. "But don't tell Father."

"You have my word," Elijah promised before Finn could say anything. Your eldest brother had some annoying traits but he wouldn't make a liar out of Elijah. 

"Kol is making protection wards for Henrick and for everyone so bad things won't happen to us," You informed them in a whisper - this was a secret after all.

"Why is he making them, little sister?" Elijah wondered. 

You just shrugged. "I know not. He said something about having a bad dream last night."

"I see, and what's that little miscreant got you doing?" Finn asked. 

"Picking berries," You answered simply. Elijah let you down and you took each brother by the hand as they began walking back towards the village. 

"Berries? Why?" 

"Snacks!" You chirped. Then you tugged on their hands. "Swing me!" You commanded, bringing your knees up. Finn rolled his eyes but both your siblings caved to your demands, swinging you back and forth between them as they walked you home.

Northern Virginia, Viking Colony: November 10th 1000 A.D.

When the world shifted yet again, you were met with a familiar blackness. The furs of your bed brushed over your skin and the midsummer night was warm and wet though the cool draft breezing through the cave made it rather pleasant. Light from the full moon shone down through a crack in the ceiling overhead but you didn't mind - you liked the nightlight. The rustling of blankets sounded on your right and before long, the dark outline of one of your siblings was creeping its way toward the mouth of the cave. You sat up and pursued as silently as you could in spite of your limp. Though you tried your best, the walking stick Nik had carved for you clacked against the stone floor, alerting whoever was sneaking out to your presence. Still, you waited until you were out of earshot of the rest of your family to speak up.

"Where are you going?" You hissed into the dark, unsure who was doing the sneaking. The figure froze.

"Go back to sleep, Y/N," Niklaus's voice whispered back.

You stepped closer. "Nik? What are you up to?"

"Nothing." His response was too quick to be the truth. "Don't worry about it. Just return to your dreams."

"But I do worry about you, Niklaus," You said. "I know you admire the wolves - I can feel your curiosity." You had always been in tune with the thoughts and emotions of those around you. Sensing them came rather naturally to you, just as spellcasting came so easily to Kol. Somehow Niklaus's emotions had always been the most vibrant of all your siblings and his thoughts the easiest to read. It was probably why the two of you were so close.

"Your magic is growing stronger then?" Nik tried to change the subject but you didn't fall for it, knowing what weighed on his mind. You stepped closer, tilting your head.

"You feel like somehow… you belong with them… as if you're meant to be up there running with the pack." Your brows furrowed and your mouth twisted into a frown. Your eyes grew unfocused and your voice took on a droning quality. "Running. Yes, running. Running underneath the moon and the stars but not the sun. Running. Yes, running on and on forever… always and forever. Running. Running for eternity. Running wild, running scared, running hungry, running blind. Running cursed. Yes, we'll all be running cursed…"

"Y/N?" Niklaus jabbed your shoulder. When that didn't stop your mumbling, he took hold of your shoulders and gave you a firm shake. "Y/N, snap out of it!"

You blinked, shaking your head. Then you looked up. It wasn't odd for you to have visions. You had quite a few of them while your brother had only ever received maybe one or two. Most were rather mundane or just complete rubbish but every so often you would be privy to a glimpse into the future. This night had been one such time, though you hadn't realized the true extent of your visions' significance. You remembered this night. Yes, you remembered it all too well. It was but one year to the day that your mother cursed you all.

"Niklaus, do you not love me?" You asked suddenly, feeling tears prick your eyes.

"What? Of course, I do!" He insisted. "Why ask such a ridiculous question?"

"Because you feel like you belong with them - with the wolves," You explained. "But I don't want you to be with them. I want you to be here with me… and Finn, and Elijah, and Kol, and Rebekah, and Henrick. I don't want you to go and replace me."

Niklaus smiled fondly, reaching out to ruffle your hair. "Oh, sweet little sister… How could I ever replace you?"

"With a dog," You muttered.

He shook his head. "A dog can't find the perfect flowers to make paint out of - not like you can. I love you, Y/N. I'll always love you."

"Then don't sneak out to see the wolves," You pleaded. "They hurt someone tomorrow… or yesterday… I don't know. Can't remember the order. " The events were all jumbled up in your head. Past, present, and future all existed simultaneously and you had no way to distinguish which one was which.

"Did you have a vision?" He demanded. You nodded.

"Things change when you go," You told him. "Wait a little longer? I want one more bonfire season before this era comes to an end."

It wasn’t his fault that he didn’t understand what your words or your prophecy had meant - you hardly understood them yourself most times and the rest of your siblings stopped trying. Not that it mattered anymore. You no longer had visions, no longer cast spells nor drew wards. It wasn’t long after that night that everything fell apart. Henrick died and your mother cursed your family and everything - everyone - fell apart. 

Finn lost himself to self-loathing. He became as winter itself - cold and distant. Though you tried to reconnect with him, it seemed to you as though that was the last thing he wanted. 

Outskirts of Rome, Italy: May, 18th 1156

It was summer if your recollection served - your recollection of the last moments you spent alone with him before Niklaus decided he was a danger to himself and the rest of you, that was. You had sought him out that afternoon. You were the only one to do so as the rest of your siblings had given up attempting to include him.

But that wasn’t you. 

It was how you and your twin were different. Kol had always been a bit of a flake, however, he was an extremely prudent one, to his credit. He would come at a problem a thousand different ways, but would never try the same solution twice. On the other hand, you liked things simple and direct and knew that sometimes a problem requires tenacity. You just hadn’t been ready to let go of Finn. Abrasive as he was, you loved him.

“Do you mind if I join you, brother?” You asked, having finally found him. He sat leaning against the base of a mighty oak tree at the edge of a summer meadow. The grass was bright green and the sky a brilliant blue - it was your favorite time of the year.

Finn glanced up, his expression unguarded as it was, displaying a lost sort of melancholy. “I suppose you may,” He said. You smiled and sat down beside him, leaning your head on his shoulder. You were still so small for your age. Despite having turned eighteen merely a week before Henrick died, your appearance could pass for that of a fifteen-year-old. You looked more like Henrick’s twin than Kol’s.

“What are you doing all the way out here?” You wondered, watching the white puffy clouds drift overhead.

Finn shrugged. “Just… sitting quietly,” He replied. He did this quite often, though you were more inclined to think of it as wallowing in self-pity. Not that you would say that out loud. The last thing Finn needed was more mockery, though your siblings didn’t seem to see that. Finn was a bit more like you it seemed. Your family and village had always called it Frost-Sickness, though as the world developed and greater advancements were made in the realm of medicine, you came to discover in later years that your condition was labeled Seasonal Depression. It was a sickness of the mind rather than the body and saw to it that your moods were more heavily influenced by the weather than those of other people. 

Thus, Finn you figured, must have been a bit like you. Except the rain cloud which hovered over his head was not quite as severe and certainly less predictable. Though it didn’t leave him bedridden as it did you, his bouts of sadness came and went as they pleased and when they came they drew him further and further away from his siblings.

“What about you?” Finn asked, fiddling with a branch he’d picked up off the ground. “Why are you here, sister?”

You shrugged. “Kol can be really loud sometimes,” You said simply. 

Finn hummed his agreement, nodding. “That he can.”

“There are days when I find it impressive,” you admitted, voice pensive. “but today is not one of those days.” You planned to continue adding elements to your reasoning until you won a laugh from him. You were the only one of your siblings who could make Finn laugh. “And then Niklaus joins him and you know how those two get when they drink together so may God have mercy on that poor, poor, tavern -” Finn huffed, rolling his eyes. “Then, bloody hell, I don’t know whose idea it was to invent Pub Archery but let's hope it doesn’t catch on, otherwise Italy will have gained a new sport and we’ll have to listen to those two gloat about it for the rest of the century.”

“Pub Archery?” Your brother questioned, raising a brow.

You nodded. “Indeed.”

“Dare I ask?”

“Well, the rules are dubious at best but from what I can tell, a mug of ale is placed on a table halfway between the wall and wherever the player is standing. A bow and an arrow with a mid-sized hook affixed to the shaft are given to whoever is currently in play. Apparently, Kol has officially dubbed this position “the Arse in Question” - he was very clear about that when explaining the game to me.” You shrugged and continued. “Anyway, the Arse in Question then attempts to send the arrow through the handle of the mug, while doing their best to ensure that the fish hook catches on the handle as the arrow passes through it. Their goal is to lodge the arrow in the wall with the mug of ale still on it. If the mug is still somewhat full by the time the Arse in Question can make his or her way over to it then they are awarded the proper number of points and they have to drink whatever is left. Three points for a full pint, two points for half-full, and one point for a quarter pint. Now if the mug falls off, or the arrow fails to remain in the wall, then the Arse in Question loses five points.”

Finn frowned, slightly confused. “And what if the… bowman were to miss the mug on the table completely?”

“Well, in that case, he takes a shot.”

Your brother rolled his eyes. “When does this game - if it can be called that - end?”

“I haven’t the faintest,” You shrugged, shaking your head. “Though, so far I think it may be with whoever is the first to pass out. According to Rebekah, there’s a fifteen-point penalty for fainting, so I’d assume at least competitive play ends after that. I didn’t stick around long enough to inquire further. I value my eyes.”

“Smart decision,” He said with an approving nod. “And does Elijah know of this latest depraved scheme?”

You sent him a look. “Elijah’s the self-appointed referee,” You deadpanned. Your second eldest brother liked to believe he had some maturity and admittedly he had more than you, Kol, Nik, or Bekah, but it really wasn’t much.

“He approves?” Your bother asked in slight disbelief. 

“Elijah’s responsibility is a facade. What is a wall of stone to outsiders, we know to be a bride’s veil,” You said sagely, nodding solemnly. 

And finally, finally, Finn laughed. It had been years since you had heard him laugh. It was a soft chuckle, not much at all, but it was there and you knew better than most that sometimes that’s the best someone can give.

“You make a fine point, little one,” Finn mused, patting your hand. “Would you like me to talk some sense into them?” 

You snorted. “Right. Good luck with that, mikill göltur.” You gestured lazily with a few reeds you had plucked and were now playing with absently. “By all means, go right ahead; although, I must warn you that the aroma of that establishment is a fine shade of brown.”

Your eldest brother grimaced at your description. “I see. In that case, I think I’ll leave Elijah to deal with them.” He leaned back against the tree, folding his arms behind his head. 

“You should go see that Sage woman again,” You prompted, entirely out of the blue. It amused you to see the blush that covered your eldest brother’s cheeks at your suggestion. He was fond of her.

“W-what on earth makes you say that?” He sputtered, casting his gaze pointedly to the sky.

“She makes you happy,” You answered, plain and simple. That was who you were, plain and simple. “I like seeing my siblings happy - all of them.” With that, you tossed your creation - a corsage woven from wildflowers - into his lap and hopped to your feet. “Now go see her!” You commanded, nudging his knee with your foot.

He sat up. “Perhaps I will.” 

“Good!” You turned and began to skip away.

“But only if you talk to that blacksmith lad!” Finn called after you. You froze. Whipping around on your heel, you gaped, staring at him with wide E/C eyes. He just shrugged, smug as could be. 

That was the last you saw of your eldest brother. Nik put a dagger in his heart and then there were five.

Now, Elijah on the other hand, was not Finn. They were radically different and Elijah got lost in his own way.

See, Elijah was hungry and he killed Tatia. He killed his love and the grief consumed him. He became so obsessed with somehow making it right as if keeping his hands clean from then on could somehow remove the stain of her blood. You knew what he’d done and you didn’t blame him but through the next hundred years and on it almost seemed to you as though he forgot. It was odd, but you chose not to bring it up; perhaps that was a mistake on your part. So it was that instead of drawing away from you and your siblings, Elijah drew closer. He viewed it as his responsibility to watch over the family and keep everyone together. What Elijah could not see, however, was that some things are simply fated to fall apart.

Somewhere Off the Coast of Cadiz, Spain: June 22nd, 1730

Five hundred years after you spoke to Finn beneath that tree in Italy, you found yourself in front of Elijah in the somewhat damp confines of a cargo hold in a ship just off the coast of Cadiz, Spain. Behind him stood two caskets and inside one of them was your twin brother, immobilized and in excruciating agony. You could practically feel the dagger in your own chest yet Elijah refused to let you free him. 

“Move aside, Elijah!”

“I’ve said no and my answer is final,” Your brother repeated. “Kol will remain as he is until such a time as Father is half the world behind us. Only then will we risk reviving him.”

“That’s not fair!” You argued.

“Oh I do believe it is,” He countered, crossing his arms and looking down at you. He was much taller than you were. “It was Kol’s mass slaughter in Cadiz that led Father right to us and clearly nothing you or I have said to him has made an impact.This was never my first course of action, Y/N. But until you should devise some other more prudent method to disway your brother from devouring the entire town, I’m afraid this is how things must be. He. Must. Learn. Control.”

You rolled your eyes and huffed, long since tired of his condemnations and hypocrisy - intentional or not. “He’s our brother and for the millionth time, Elijah: That’s not the problem! It’s not his fault if he can’t control it, because you lot have never given him a reason to!”

“That is preposterous and you know it,” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

“Do I?” You demanded. “It’s always you, Rebekah, and Niklaus. That Always and Forever pact - that was you three. It wasn’t us! I knew that you would make it before you did and yet nether of us were a part of it! Whenever the three of you do something, you never think to invite him along. The few times you and Nik actually ask all of us to vote on a decision, you don’t give our opinions half the weight you give to Rebekah’s.” 

Elijah frowned and held up a hand to stop you. “That is not remotely true. I view each-”

“No, you don’t,” You hissed, fighting the tears pooling in your eyes. “You hardly even notice us when we’re in the room with you, unless one of us is shouting and if either of us leaves, you might as well forget we exist entirely! I remember one time when Kol just up and left - said he was going to catch one of the bloody crusades.” You laughed but there wasn’t much humor in it. “He was gone for five and a half months and you didn’t even notice!”

“I did notice, actually.”

You glared at him. “I distinctly recall you commenting about how quiet it was one morning, after he’d been away three months. I told you he left. You were surprised and then you went right back to your book; you didn’t even ask where he’d gone!”

“I suppose I would have if such a question mattered, but unfortunately, Kol can look after himself,” Elijah said in disdain. You were aware that Elijah had carried a grudge towards Kol since the day the two of you were born. Though he’d never said it out loud, he’d always thought of your twin as a leach because he’d been born strong and you had been so frail. “He excels at it.”

“Because you don’t care to do the job!” You exclaimed. “You discount our opinions and refuse to see either of us as anything more than children. I mean, you hardly so much as look at me unless I’m attempting something you deem too dangerous. I hardly dare speak to a boy, even if he’s naught but a servant, lest I ensure that Niklaus shall orchestrate some awful accident to befall the poor lad. Both me and Kol - you see us only as another burden you bear and you ignore any attempt we make to change your mind.”

Aside from Kol, all your siblings had always seen you as weak and in need of protection - Elijah most of all. His eyes narrowed and he looked over you with scrutiny. 

“Always so quick to defend him,” He huffed. “If what you claim is true, then how have you mastered the control he so completely lacks?”

“It’s different for me,” You insisted. “My magic was different.”

“How was it different?” 

You bit your lip, mulling over your answer. You wanted to get this right, wanted to make him understand that the bloodthirsty monster he condemned was merely a prison and that your sweet, bubbly twin brother was locked somewhere deep inside. 

“My magic was more constant, I think,” You started, speaking slowly. “You must understand brother, magic wasn’t just something Kol and I did; it was something we were, it was a part of us, but I think we each felt it in a different way. He was so good at spell casting - at manifesting his very will into reality. I was always better at seeing, sensing, feeling, and just knowing the thoughts and emotions of everyone - everything - around me. My magic was a blanket, a quiet comforting reassurance that I wasn’t alone and that nature was looking out for me.” That loss still weighed on your soul every single day. You sighed but continued anyway, “But for Kol I think it was more like water. He’s always hated feeling helpless, and for him, I think magic meant that there was always something he could do to fight back.”

“Fight back?” He questioned. Your expression grew grim, eyes darkening. 

“Against Father,” You said. “You know Father hated Niklaus most but Kol was always the next he would hit. Magic wasn’t a luxury for Kol - it was his survival. When he first tapped into it, our brother knocked Mikael flat on his ass - Kol earned Father’s respect. For him magic was a thrill, a lightning excitement, power, and reassurance, both a sword and a shield, and a bonfire wish - it was everything. It was like water - and like water, its absence consumes him. He tells me often now that it’s much too quiet. He can’t stand the silence - the vulnerability maddens him. He didn’t mean to bring Mikael upon us… He fears father more than you know.”

“And you do not?” Elijah challenged, regarding you strangely. Again you thought about your answer. 

“No,” You decided after a moment. Your brother frowned, shaking his head. 

“You are not such a fool as that, lítil víx,” He said with a disapproving gaze. He called you little vixen - the fox’s, smaller, swifter, and wiser counterpart. 

He turned to leave the cargo hold, knowing you would not disobey him, but you whipped around and caught his sleeve.

“I do not fear him as much as I once did,” You amended, looking your brother dead in the eyes. “Father fears death, he always has though I did not see it then. Knowing that what he fears is so common, so natural, and so inevitable a thing, my fear of him has dwindled. I think I more pity him now than I fear him. For how very sad it is that he hunts us with no other purpose than to destroy that which reared into being. How very sad it is that he disregards the exuberant beauty all around him in favor of his hatred. How very sad indeed.”

Your second eldest brother blinked, taking a moment to completely process what you’d said. “I suppose you’re right,” He said slowly, nodding. Then he frowned. “Do you not fear death, Y/N?”

You smiled softly. “Oh, I wouldn’t say that.” You glanced towards the coffin that would imprison your twin brother for far, far, too long. “But I do not fear it as Mikael did, nor as Esther did. I anticipate it, I think. I anticipate it as one anticipates the surprises a new day might bring. Good or bad - it’s a new experience; though it shall certainly be nice to be free of the Frost-Sickness, I think. However that may be.”

Your brother considered your words but you knew they would not change his mind. For your family was frozen in body and mind and that was how you would remain for the rest of eternity. You were as eighteen then as you’d been one hundred years before… Well, perhaps you were slightly more. Each year only seemed to make you stronger, faster, sharper, and more eighteen. Time was the seal of your mother’s spell. Immortality polarized.

“I know you miss him, Y/N,” Elijah said with a heavy sigh. “But this is for the best.” 

You hung your head and nodded, allowing the tears in your eyes to spill down your cheeks freely for a little while. Your older brother reached out and brought you into his embrace, letting you cry as long as you needed. “Then I have just one request, if you’ll grant it,” You proposed, voice chipping like the stained glass windows of cathedrals you so dearly loved. 

“What is it, little one?”

“Don’t wake him while I’m sleeping?” You sniffed. “I don’t want him to be sad.”

“You have my word, lítil víx,” He promised.

Then there were four. 

It wasn’t that you forgave Elijah. No, that would take time. Rather you simply could never bring yourself to hate any of your siblings. Not even Niklaus. As much pain as he caused, as much terror as he sewed, and as much paranoia as he reaped, you could never bring yourself to hate your dearest artist. Bastard, hybrid, abomination - none of those labels ever phased you because he was still the quiet, loving brother who painted you flowers when you were Frost-Sick. 

It didn’t matter to you that he had killed your mother.

You loved him anyway.

London, England: October 16th, 1702

“I see your skill with a brush is improving, Nik!” You declared, flouncing into the second-floor study that your brother had commandeered as his studio. “You have perfectly captured the Siberian tundra. Congratulations. Though, your depiction might have been better had you simply left the canvas as you found it.” You smirked to yourself, rather satisfied with your wit, as you reclined in the overstuffed chair you dragged into the room behind you.

Niklaus let go of a long sigh and returned the brush he was working with to a basin of water he kept beside him. When he spoke, he did not turn to address you.

“May I ask what I did to warrant myself deserving of such bite from my littlest sister?” He asked, calm and fluid. He wasn’t in a good mood - you could tell. Thus you wanted to stay all the more. Perhaps you could cheer each other up. 

“I am not even that short,” You stated. Niklaus tossed a different brush, still covered in paint, over his shoulder, aimed for your face. You lept to dodge it with a giggle. “Secondly, it’s the season - I simply can’t help it.”

It was autumn in the city of London and the year was 1702, only a hand full of years before your family relocated to Cadiz and then later, New Orleans. Autumn was a difficult time of year for you as it was when the Frost-Sickness began to take hold. It had only grown worse since your transition into a creature of the night, just as everything about you had been enhanced. Though the Frost-Sickness could no longer afflict you with illness as it had when you were human - keeping you bedridden or even unconscious for days or weeks at a time - it could now do arguably worse. 

As autumn came, you could feel your mind and body begin to weaken. You felt frayed and tired and uncomfortable in a body that had for too long remained unchanged. You felt the loss of your magic so much more keenly and the loneliness that caused was far too acute. As the season wore on, it would only grow worse until you knew only misery. At that point, the silver daggers Niklaus had kept seemed like mercy, and without Kol’s magic to keep your head above water, you had willingly begged for their employ. They were your only escape from the pain that came with winter.

“Oh, how tragic,” Klaus remarked. You could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “Where’s your twin?”

“On a bender,” You deadpanned.

Nik huffed. “Figures. Go annoy him. I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to entertain you.”

You gasped in full shock. “Nik! How could you say that?”

“Simple. I pass air between my lips - like this!” He twisted around and stuck his tongue out at you.

You continued, unbothered. “I do not annoy, brother. I berate. There’s a difference.” 

“An impressive distinction, to be sure.”

“And yes, I am sure Kol would love to entertain me if he were not otherwise preoccupied entertaining someone else.” 

Klaus groaned. “What’s he done now and do I need to dagger him for it?”

“Please don’t make me think about it longer than necessary, but no.” You frowned, shuddering. 

“Now you have to tell me,” Your older brother grinned.

“I’m pretty sure he’s endevoring to sleep with the entire female population of London.”

“...Wow.”

“Indeed.”

He whistled and returned to working on that painting of his. “Well, you have to admire his audacity if nothing else,” Nik chuckled. 

You made a noise that was certainly anything but ladylike, followed by a gesture that was far worse. “I absolutely do not have to admire any aspect of him!” You exclaimed. You had hoped Klaus would have been just slightly more decent - if only for the sake of propriety. “He may be a strumpet of a man, but I am not. I am a lady.”

“I don’t see why this upsets you so,” He hummed, shaking his head. 

You huffed. “Because unfortunately, I am also his genetic copy. Therefore - technically speaking - if he’s slept with them, then I’ve slept with them! Which, admittedly, wouldn’t bother me if this were not the absolute bloody cesspool that is the bloody city of London!”

You’d expected him to laugh, and he did just a little bit, but it wasn’t nearly what you wanted. Dirty jokes almost always cheered Nik up and hearing him laugh never failed to make you laugh. Peering over his shoulder, you caught a glimpse of gray fur. He was painting wolves again. 

“Must be nice,” He mused a while later, having left you to silence for over a half hour.

“What?”

“Having a twin as you do,” He explained, voice wistful and far away. “Having someone you belong with completely, a reflection of yourself you know could not betray you nor abandon you any than the sea can abandon the shore. Must be nice.”

“Its not all bliss,” You reminded him, sitting up in your chair. “Kol still agrivates the living daylights out of me.”

“Such is the nature of being Kol.”

You nodded but said nothing, allowing him a moment with his thoughts before you asked the question he so desperately wanted to hear. “What’s wrong Niklaus?”

He sighed, though it sounded broken.

“Do you ever miss our mother, Y/N?” He asked.

You stilled. Out of all your siblings, you were the only one who knew what Niklaus had done. How he had murdered your mother. You had received visions of the moment throughout your life but particularly often in the months before it occurred. He didn’t know. You had never told him.

“Why ask me that, brother?” You returned, tilting your head.

“Because I want to know if this grief that still weighs so heavy on my soul is mine own fault or her’s.” He eyed you with a flat stare and you nodded, pressing your lips together. You didn’t want to hurt his feelings but you didn’t think your answer was one he would like. 

“I loved our mother dearly,” You eventually decided to say after a few beats of silence had passed between you. “But I do not miss her as you do.”

Nik’s voice trembled and the paintbrush clutched in his fist snapped. 

“Why?”

You smiled thinly. “Because I knew her as you do not.”

Your brother glanced up, meeting your eyes with an expression that demanded you explain yourself. You sighed heavily. It was time to come clean.

“I know what you did, Nik.”

His entire body stiffened, his eyes widening in alarm and terror.

“I know you killed her.” You shrugged. “I’m not mad.”

He drew in a sharp breath, shaking his head, his expression a mixture of guilt, relief, and confusion.

“How? W-why?” He choked out, unable to grasp the concept you’d laid in front of him.

“Because you’re my brother and I love you,” You said, smiling as though it was as simple as the words would imply. “Esther loved all of us in her own way, but that was not how a mother should. She loved the idea of children but the reality was more difficult than she had predicted and she struggled to understand her place, I think. Esther was barren, you see. She tapped into some very dark rituals to change that. Thus, we are all products of dark magic and such things so rarely receive a generous fortune from the spirits of nature. So we were all damned from the start, I think.” Pulling yourself to stand on legs that were still so frail, you wandered over to a side table and picked up the brush that rested upon it. You began moving it through your H/C hair in careful strokes. “In the end, Mother paid the price for her selfishness, I suppose. I don’t blame you. I cannot blame you, Niklaus lest I blame myself equally because that woman never loved any of us enough to save our souls and for that, I am simply unable to forgive her. I may never be able to.”

Tears slipped down your brother’s face. “But she loved you. I know she loved you most of all,” He said, through gritted teeth. 

You nodded, huffing a slight laugh. “That she did. Actually, I think she loved me a little too much.”

“You reminded her of Freya,” Klaus whispered. “Of her firstborn, the one she lost to plague.”

“I know.”

“She worried for you constantly, terrified some sickness would take you just as it took Freya.”

“I know.”

“When your Frost-Sickness rendered you unconscious, she nery left your side!”

“I know.”

Klaus clenched his teeth and growled. “Yet still you whine like a spoiled cat!” He spat, rage and jealousy now taking the forefront in his aquamarine eyes. “You never suffered our father’s rage, never had to labor as the rest of us did to please him, you were always doted apon by everyone - never had to feel as though you didn’t belong, as though you had you earn your place! How dare you take all that for granted.” 

Your jaw locked and you gently placed the brush down to avoid crushing the fine wood into splinters. Inhaling deeply, you fixed your gaze on your brother. “I have never taken for granted anything that was given to me. The sun, the moon, the stars, the trees, the rivers, the land, and more than anything this family have I given thanks for every single day I have been allotted. You, Niklaus, know not what it is to wake up, surprised that you made it another day. You, Niklaus, do not understand what it is to rejoice in the unfathomable agony that plagues your bones as it means that you’re alive. You, my brother, cannot comprehend what it is to put off sleep in fear that you may not see the next dawn - nor to fight through a hell of your mind’s own making for no other cause than for the love of family.” You shook your head, disappointed in him. “Do not call me ungrateful, Niklaus.” 

“Then why do you think of our mother with contempt when even I who took her life cannot forgive myself?!” He bellowed. His voice and eyes were hollow and broken, his soul desperate for an answer to his heart’s riddle. 

You could feel yourself begin to cry as well. Not for your own sake, but for his. 

“Her love wasn’t for me, Nik,” You sniffed. “It wasn’t mine - it was Freya’s.”

“N-no… She-”

“I grew up smothered by a shadow of love and regret that never had anything to do with me!” You cried, wrapping your arms around yourself as if they might contain the pain that threatened to tear you apart. “Mother’s doting wasn’t compassion! It was obsession! She thought that if she could just fix her past mistakes that it might somehow change how things were for us, but it was always a lie. A fairytale.”

When your older brother opened his arms, you ran to him, and he embraced you as any older brother should. You had aimed to cheer him up, but such was not the outcome. Sometimes things don’t work out the way they’re planned and Niklaus just let you cry. At the end of the day, your siblings would always be there for you - even if it was only at the very end.

“What’s worse was that I knew, I felt it every second,” You sobbed into his shirt, clinging to him like a plank of wood in a storm-tossed sea. “I saw myself in her eyes and believe me when I say that through them I know what our dearly departed sister looked like. She even called me Freya more times than I can count.” You shook your head, letting the pain run its course. “I was just her replacement, Nik. Just a replacement she tossed to the wayside like the rest of of her children - damned from the start.”

In this memory it was Niklaus who hung his head, ashamed of his quick accusations. He pressed a kiss to the crown of your hair. “I-I’m sorry, Y/N,” He said. “My minnsta vix, you are my sister - blood be damned - and I’ll never doubt your loyalty agian.”

And he never did. Of all your siblings, you were the only one Nik never daggered out of fear or as a punishment. Not like Kol, who was easily the one finding himself at the wrong end of a dagger too many times to count.

As much as his actions against your family, Niklaus especially, pained you, you couldn’t blame him. Your mother’s curse had consumed your twin brother and oh how acutely did you miss the mischievous boy you had adored with all your heart. The only time he truly seemed to return to you was around Bonfire season, or as it came to be called, Christmas.

New Orleans, Louisiana: December 3rd, 1904

“Kol, sweetheart, honey-bunch, mistletoe of mine; you had better start running because I’m going to beat your ass to a pulp as soon as I reach the bottom of these here stairs,” You sang from the balcony overlooking the courtyard of your families New Orleans compound. A wide, placid smile was spread over your face but it was the equivalent of thin ice because your eyes promised death. 

Down below, decorating the positively gigantic fir tree Klaus had somehow managed to fit through the front gates, stood your menace of a twin brother. He glanced up, flashing you the world’s cheekiest grin. “Oh, darling that’s not very peace on earth of you, now is it? Especially when I’ve done absolutely nothing wrong!”

Your eyes narrowed. “I think you know exactly what you did, Charles.” 

He snickered but held your eyes. Beside him Rebekah looked confused, glancing back and forth between the two of you. “What exactly is going on here?” She asked. Your younger sister also took a step away from your twin for good measure. She was a smart cookie.

Keeping your razer sharp glare fixed on Kol, you drew an object from behind your back - a long, thin, wooden object. You held it on display before you, twirling it like a staff between your fingers. You said nothing.

Rebekah groaned, rolling her eyes. “Really? We’re back to this again?” She scoffed and rounded on Kol. “What, did you run out of actually clever pranks to pull?”

“There’s nothing wrong with the classics, Rebekah,” Elijah cut in from where he sat with his book in the corner. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens - how appropriate. 

“There is when its this one,” She claimed. “We’re going to be cleaning bits of Kol off the walls for a century when she’s though with ‘im!”

“Damn right, you are,” You said, eyeing your twin brother like a lion eyes a gazell. “Got anything to say for yourself… dim-wit?”

Kol grinned from ear to ear. “Why yes actually, I do.” He cleared his throat and straightened his jacket. Then he looked up, spreading his arms wide. “God bless us, Everyone!”

For a moment you didn’t move. You just glared death at him and he grinned back. Then, you chucked the crutch in your hands like a javelin, aimed directly at his face before vaulting yourself over the railing, screaming at the top of your lungs. “SUFFER THE WRATH OF TINY TIM, YOU KNOB-HEADED WANKER!!!”

Kol squealed like a girl and bolted just as fast as his legs could possibly carry him. “Is it too late to say I’m sorry?” He tried as he backed away from you, using Elijah and his chair as a shield.

“You forged these chains link by link and yard by yard,” You quoted, inching closer. “No apology can save you from me!”

“Bloody hell!” He yelped and leaped to the side as you made a grab for him, just narrowly dodging. He raced into the room closest to the two of you, dashing around the dining room table and through the opposite door. “Just because you’re a cripple doesn’t mean I don’t love you!”

You pursued him into the Kitchen. “How’s this for cripple?” You lept onto the counter and from there flung yourself onto your brother’s shoulders, tackling him to the floor. “Surrender or die!” You commanded, pressing your forearm against his throat.

“Fine! I surrender!” He conceded. You moved off him and allowed the boy to stand. 

“Mean cripple,” He muttered under his breath. 

You punched him in the gut.

It was that playful side of him that you missed. The one that would tease you with jabs that didn't sting just a little. The one who never sneered at you or yelled. You even missed his endless supply of cripple jokes, because that was him. That was your Kol and he was gone now. Your mother's curse had changed him most of all. 

Rebekah, on the other hand, hadn't changed much at all. Though she had developed something of an extreme side, her patterns remained the same. She followed in Niklaus's footsteps, wherever they may tread. She trusted and feared him. Rebekah always chose Nik over you and your twin.

New Orleans, Louisiana: December 21st, 1914

"No!" You shrieked as you watched that cold silver dagger pierce your twin brother's heart once again. The color in his skin faded to a corpse-like gray and the veins beneath blackened and ran dry. "No…"

He was gone. Kol would be locked away and there was no telling whether Niklaus would ever let him out again. The grief, the pain, and the agony were too much. You had only nearly been hanging on and only for Christmas - only for Kol because he loved the season so. But with him gone, the pain assaulted you in droves. Tears burned your eyes and you found yourself turning towards Rebekah.

"I trusted you," You whispered - heartbroken. "We trusted you."

"Y/N/N, I-I had to," She claimed. 

"No, you didn't." You shook your head, tears already making their way down your cheeks. "No, you didn't."

"Y/N, you don't understand-"

You didn't let her finish. Shaking your head, you turned away and carried yourself back to your room. There, you let yourself collapse on your bed, allowing the weight of the Frost-Sickness to crush you. Already your body felt heavier, your chest like a vice. You didn't want to be here any longer. Not without him.

A knock sounded on your door. 

"I don't want to talk!" You shouted.

The knock came again.

"Go away!"

The door opened and Niklaus stepped in. You glared at him.

"Do you not speak English?" You demanded. "Go away, I said. Trŭgvaĭ. Partir. Verlassen. Scram. Beat it. Leave me alone, it's what you're best at."

"I did what I had to do," Klaus said, eyes hard.

"Keep telling yourself that," You spat.

"He was plotting against me, forging a dagger-"

"He wasn't going to use it!" You bit your lip, your whole frame shaking with unshed tears. "He-He wasn't… He was never-" You fell back against your pillows, burying your face in your hands.

"Love, please-"

"I can't." You heaved and gasped for breath but you couldn't seem to get enough oxygen. "I can't a-and I don't want to. I don't want to be around without him - not now. I don't want this pain any longer! To run afoul of winter will surely shred my soul! I can't stand it, Niklaus! Just put me to sleep!"

Klaus closed his eyes and sighed. "Are you confident this is what you want?"

"I can't do it without him. This whole season - I can't stand it. I don't want to spend Christmas without him! Not this one or any other!" You rubbed your red-rimmed eyes. "Let me sleep through the winter, and wake me when you wake him."

"As you wish, dear sister." 

From his pocket, Klaus withdrew a gleaming silver dagger. Its edges glinted like snowflakes, though New Orleans didn't have those. He moved to sit by your side, raising his arm so you could lean against his shoulder. You closed your eyes, and a moment later, felt the chilling metal slice your flesh, lodging itself firmly in your heart.

"Merry Christmas, Nik." The words were the last to leave your lips.

"Sleep well and dream of butterflies, minnsta vix," Those words were the last you heard Klaus whisper to you. "I promise I shall wake you one day."

You knew Klaus would keep his promise, though it startled you when that promise came to fruition.

Mystic Falls, Virginia: Present Day

The first thing you registered when you awoke was a voice. Two voices actually. One that sounded like music and another that reminded you more of a rotten honeycomb - slimy, sticky, and brittle. You remained still and listened as these were not the voices of your family members and thus, they would have some serious explaining to do.

"Damon?" The musical voice spoke. "We did it. Abby and I opened the coffin."

The second voice, most likely this Damon fellow - not that you cared - sounded rather muffled. Almost as if he wasn't actually in the room. Speaking of, whatever sort of room you found yourself in was large and open. That is, everything echoed.

"Yeah?" The voice prodded impatiently. "And what's in there? What did you find?"

"Another corpse with a dagger through it," A third voice joined the conversation. This voice was similar to the music-like voice of the young girl, though it had a smokier quality.

"What?" That second voice did not sound happy. "That's it?"

"Yup. She's just some girl," The first voice replied.

"How old are her clothes?" The second asked. 

“Uh, I don’t know…” You felt someone pinch the fabric of your skirts, likely inspecting the make.

“Early ninteen-hundreds, I’d say,” The third voice spoke. How long had you been out? Niklaus wouldn’t have kept you daggered for that long, would he?

“Did you take the dagger out?” Damon demanded.

Always one for a dramatic entrance, you took that as your cue. Sitting up slowly, you turned your head and opened your eyes. Your whole body felt drained and dry and you knew the telltale signs of desiccation were still there. Two women stood in front of you, one adult and one no older than seventeen. Both had beautiful caramel skin and black hair and they shared the same gorgeous green eyes. Witches they were - mother and daughter. You could tell in the way they carried themselves. Both of them gasped in unison.

“I’m afraid they did,” You said with a smirk. “Hope that’s not too much of a problem.” Of course, you didn’t mean such a statement but for now, you were in good enough spirits to be amused. You focused your gaze on the younger of the two witches, schooling your expression to assure her that you meant the girl no harm. “Hello, darling. Would you be so kind as to tell me the date? I’m afraid I’ve been asleep a rather long time.”

What odd clothes these women wore. Instead of skirts, they sported trousers. Scandalous to be sure, but what you wouldn’t give for a pair.

The young girl floundered for a moment, searching for words but you remained patent. 

“Uh, um… I-it’s January 20th, 2012.” 

Your eyes widened in shock for a moment as you digested that information, then your expression fell into a grimace. “Great,” You huffed. Tossing your hair back, you hopped out of that cramped coffin and onto the floor of the cave. “Well, in that case, who are you and do I need to murder you both?”

Both women took a hesitant step back. 

“I-I’m Bonnie, Bonnie Bennet,” The younger one said. “And this is my mother, Abby.” She pointed to her senior companion. 

“I see,” You nodded cooly. Your mood was souring by the minute.

“We-we were told you were the weapon capable of killing Klaus Mikaelson,” She said.

You raised a brow and laughed. "Kill him? Kill Niklaus?" The expressions of the women before you were entirely serious though they quickly began to deteriorate into confusion as you doubled over laughing. "Now why on Earth would I do such a thing?"

Both witches glanced at one another, uncertain. "Well… because he daggered you?"

"At my behest!" You dismissed with a wave of your hand. "As if he could suffer me anything against my will; though, by Odin, I would certainly love to see him try. Ha! Kill him… I'd sooner let Kol have the pleasure - as long as we're suggesting absurdities. However, I will have a few choice words for him, just as soon as he comes to collect me, that you can be sure of." You shook your head as your laughter faded.

"That'll be hard, princess," The owner of that second voice you had heard waltzed through the mouth of the cavern. "The big bad wolf's got no clue where you are, so I don't think you'll be telling him anything."

He was a tall man, a little shorter than Kol but a little broader in the shoulders, with hair as black as a raven's plumage and pale skin to match. His eyes were a piercing sort of blue and you might have found him attractive had it not been for the unnerving gleam in those eyes and the sneer marring his lips.

"I beg your pardon?" You questioned, falling back into a more defensive stance at the sight of him. You didn't fear the man but something about that voice of his set you on edge.

"No one's coming to get you, sweetheart," Damon said.

You scowled, snapping your gaze back to Bonnie who had begun inching towards her ally's arrival. "You, girl! Why do you seek my brother's demise?" You demanded, eyes hard and sharp.

Bonnie froze. "I just want to protect my friends," She replied.

You shrugged. "A noble cause, at least."

"Wait, Klaus is your brother?" It was her mother who voiced the question and you rolled your eyes.

"Yes, of course he is. What else would he be?" You answered impatiently.

"Then why did he have your coffin sealed?" The woman questioned.

"Because my siblings are a rather overprotective lot and they tend to overdo my security just a tad." You huffed and turned back to the daughter. "Do you know where my brother currently resides?"

"Y-yes." She nodded.

"Very well, darling. Take me to him," You ordered shortly. Your tone left no room for debate and the women both moved to obey you but the man held his arm out to stop them.

"Woah, woah, woah. Not so fast. You're not going anywhere, princess," He said, taking a confident step forward.

"Step aside," You demanded. You had run out of patience.

The man - Damon - shook his head. "Not gonna happen."

You raised a brow. "Oh?"

"Nope."

"I should warn you, that's rather ill advised," You said, smiling thinly. Your eyes promised danger.

"And why's that, sugar?" That southern accent of his was certainly grating on your already thin nerves.

"Because I lack my twin's fun-loving temperament and all-around more reasonable nature," You replied. "Move aside and take me to my family or I shall skin you alive and tear each strand of sinus from your muscles one by one as I weave them into a nice rug."

Damon snorted. "Could you at least make me into a tapestry? I always wanted to be one of those."

"This is the only warning I will give," You ground out, eyes narrowed.

He scoffed. "Come at me, short-ass."

The insult was entirely his mistake. 

You rushed at him, dodging right at the last second to avoid his attempt to grab you. Snatching his arm for balance, you angled your feet to the wall of the cave and pushed off. That initial push supplied you with enough momentum to cartwheel your tiny body over his shoulders. Your weight combined with the force you applied, threw him off balance and you took the opportunity to drive your elbow firmly into his skull as soon as you were solidly back on the ground. Damon reeled in pain but you didn't give him time to think. You swept your leg around and kicked his own out from under him, sending him crashing to the cave floor.

You knelt on his chest and met his eyes.

"Take me to my family," You ordered, impressing your will on his inferior mind.

The man smirked and tossed you off of him. You were sent stumbling and your back slammed into the side of the coffin you had awoken in. You blinked, shaking the slight daze away. What had happened? Why had your compulsion failed?

"Sorry, cupcake," Damon gloated, getting to his feet. "I had a vervain cocktail for breakfast."

"No matter." You shrugged and straightened up again. "I was simply intending to be nice. I should be thanking you. For now I can have a little fun without Elijah reprimanding me for it." 

You rushed him again and this time he was ready for you to evade his outstretched arms. He stepped to the right to counter you but this time you ducked and slid between his legs. Twisting around with all the agility of a coiled servant, you kicked him in the groin like the simple, prudent soul you were. Damon cursed and fell to one knee, glaring at you over his shoulder.

"That was cheap," He bit out, grimacing.

You shrugged. "That was practical," You replied, smirking primly. "And so is this."

Grabbing him by the wrist, you twisted his arm and pulled it around his back, pushing him over. You positioned your fingers to perfectly utilize the fulcrum point of that wrist as your shoved his hand forwards. Damon grunted and you grinned. Then you started breaking his fingers. One at a time. 

Snap!

Snap!

Snap!

The man cursed and screamed and you just giggled like the innocent little girl you had once been but were no longer.

Unfortunately, in your eagerness to take down the man in the black leather jacket, you had entirely forgotten about the two witches in the room.

"That's enough!" The younger one shouted. A searing pain ignited in your skull, prompting you to release your grip on the raven-haired man. You cried out clutching your skull as the other woman yelled:

"Motus!"

You were thrown back into a semi-damp wall of stone and held there by an invisible force. The pain in your head faded and your gaze snapped up, locking on Bonnie and her mother. You hissed, teeth-gnashing and eyes wild. You were tired and starving and miserable and cold and they were in your way. 

Then, a blur of motion startled you and before you could blink, a tall figure in a dark suit caught the elder woman by the throat and raised her into the air 

"Miss and Mrs. Bennett, I suggest you release my sister at once." Elijah's booming voice struck through the cavern and you grinned, turning your head to the door. There stood your brothers - well, two of them, anyway - and neither of them looked very amused. Klaus moved to intimidate the younger girl and Kol smirked as he delivered a few swift, bone-crunching kicks to Damon's ribs. 

You smiled wryly.

As it turned out, Klaus, Elijah, and Kol made for quite the menacing trio when the three of them stood together on something. You made a mental note to encourage them to agree more often. The magic pinning you to the wall faltered, the witch responsible having lost all her bravado along with most of her oxygen supply. You dropped to the ground, landing in a bit of an unceremonious heap. 

"Ugh! About time you three got here," You huffed, rolling your eyes as you brushed yourself off. 

"Apologies, sister," Kol grinned, finishing with Damon by snapping his neck before prancing over to you. "We had some urgent remodeling to take care of - you know how it goes." He tossed you something and you caught the object, inspecting it. The thing appeared to be a plastic bag containing… blood? 

Huh… how peculiar.

You shrugged and tore into it. The sweet nectar inside wasn't as fresh as you would have liked but beggars can't exactly be choosers now, can they?

"Don't ever presume to threaten my sister again. Do I make myself clear?" Elijah growled his tone a harsh bite emphasized by the glare Klaus cast between mother and daughter. Both women nodded vigorously and Elijah dropped the one he was strangling. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath and he turned to you, seeming to inspect your figure for injuries before speaking. "Are you unharmed, lítil víx?" He asked gently.

"I'm quite alright. Though, I most certainly would like to know whose fault is was that I fell into the hands of such incompetent brutes as these," You hummed, continuing to suck out the contents of the bag in your hands rather contentedly. Beside you, your twin brother smirked and threw an arm around your shoulders, pulling you firmly into his side as he turned and started from the cave. The other two followed with Klaus making one last rather threatening gesture before taking up the rear. 

"I'm afraid it was Niklaus's regrettable negligence that allowed all of our coffins to be stolen," Elijah informed you.

Klaus made a strangled noise of offense. "It wasn't my fault!" He protested. "I was a little distracted with killing our father!"

"Father's dead?" You asked in surprise. Your siblings nodded. "Oh… Well good riddance."

"Thought you might say that. Now, don't you ever scare me like that again, darling. Understand?" Kol demanded, hugging you closer. Despite how he had been changed by your mother's curse, you could always be sure he would still care about you. No curse on the planet could change that.

"Ah yes," You agreed, rolling your eyes. "I'll try my very best to avoid being kidnapped while under the influence of a magical sleep in the near future."

Your twin brother poked you in the ribs in response to your wit.

"He's serious, love," Klaus added. "You nearly gave us a heart attack."

"Careful, Nik. Statements like those might lead one to think you have a heart," You chastened playfully.

The hybrid chuckled. "Only for you, love. Only for you."

"And for the occasional blonde, let us not forget," Elijah quipped, smirking to himself.

You giggled but your mirth didn't last long.

Stepping out of the mouth of the cave system, you were met with the blackness of night and air even colder than that of the cavern. Snow drifted from a dreary sky and you frowned, shivering. Discomfort weighed in your soul and you could feel it begin to grow just as frigid rime creeps along until it smothers a plant. You sighed. It was going to be a difficult few months until spring. 

Kol rubbed your arm comfortingly and leaned in close. "It'll be alright, Y/N. I'm right here. I may not have my magic, but I'm not leaving you and you won’t be alone this winter."

Yes, as always, it was going to be a difficult few months until spring. 

But at the very least you had your family.

No matter what, you would have your family. Always and Forever.

Tagging: @yn-ymn-yln @r13mar @rootbeerfaygo @iiskittles16ii @fandomrulesall-blog @dark-night-sky-99 @railingsofsorrow @apolloroid @thatweirdoleigh @misswe03 @eat-cake @felinegrate @trikigirl271 @cute-freak27 @fayeatheart @archangelslollipop @slaypussypop-21

Hey there, people of the internet! If you want on or off the tag list for this series and/or all my other works, just comment or send me a DM to let me know! And if Tumblr won't let me tag you, I'll just send you a friendly DM reminder at your request. Thanks for reading!

[silver-tooth-the-panther]

Time For Twins AU

Headcanons

(Just remember to treat Pastra like a  person, okay?)

This is just a list of headcanons that I have for the series! You may do with them as you wish!

Basic Stuff:

Alex - non-binary, asexual, they/them, Autistic

Spector - He/They, asexual, incredibly oblivious to sexual stuff, ADHD, they look cartoonish

Clyde - He/They, AroAce, they have an incredibly hard time establishing relationships, subtle ADHD

The Hijacker - They/It, AroAce, does NOT understand the appeal of being in a committed relationship

Winfrey - They/Them, bisexual, has a hard time finding mates because of their size

Mortimer - They/Them, pansexual, both ADHD and Autism

Simon - He/Him, straight, severe social anxiety, OCD

Jack - He/It, gay, hyperactive ADHD

Klaus - He/Him, they are child

The Flock - It/It’s, they are a big bird

Pre-Raid:

The Hijacker would read Spec’s stories from within the computer. They’ll never admit it, but they love Spec’s work.

Even though Clyde acted like they didn’t care about their interests, they listened intently to Spec whenever they babbled about a hyperfixation.

Clyde and Spector were very close before the war. They played together as children and Spec looked up to Clyde.

The same goes for Lankmann and The Hijacker, but as we know, insecurity got to Herbert.

Alex was a social butterfly when they went out of the house, but they secretly felt very lonely

They also can’t flirt for shit. It’s their sweetness that pulls people in.

The same goes for Spec, but they are just more oblivious

Spec loves to make food for the ones they love. They cook almost everyday.

Alex shows their affection by giving gifts and physical touch. (They are so warm!!!)

Winfrey would take in little Veldigun children until they found their parents.

The Hijacker and Spec were the only Veldiguns that used technology

Klaus is actually the son of Patient 66 (oh boy, the angst…)

Post-Raid:

Spec often braids Alex’s hair to try to calm them down. They even do this to their tails! If anyone draws this, I will go feral

Those two cuddle all the time. One of their favorite things to do is to wrap a blanket around them and watch movies.

Many of Alex’s art pieces are in Spector’s novels

Spec often finds Alex sleeping in the strangest places. Sometimes on the table. Sometimes on the floor.

This is because their tails will force them to sleep, no matter what Alex does. This constantly annoys them

Speaking of which, Alex is a caffeine addict. They will chug four energy drinks at once

Mortimer ended up adopting Klaus due to not being able to find his mother.

I feel like they would be like Bandit when it comes to parenting. Especially when it comes to Klaus’s creativity

Winfrey is like a parent to everyone. Especially Clyde and Alex…

Clyde and Alex still fight on a regular basic. Clyde causes the vast majority of them.

One of Clyde’s favorite ways to torment Alex is to hold them up by one of their tail.

This was…until Alex swung themselves back at Clyde and fought them. I’ll let you guess who won.

Alex has some sensory issues. For example, they hate slimy textures. Especially, things like eggs, boiled noodles, and thawed meat.

Clyde uses this to torment Alex as well

It has gotten so bad that Jack and Simon have a “Days without Clyde and Alex brawling” board.

Jack knows every bit of drama and tea in the group. Don’t ask how he knows. He may be listening to you right now.

Simon takes care of The Flock. It reminds him of his old pet crows

Spec calls Alex “Little Critter”. Don’t ask why. They just think it’s cute.

Alex’s wings glow during the northern lights

The Hijacker spends most of their time in Spec’s computer. They get anxious around a large group of people.

That’s it so far! I hope you genuinely enjoy this strange little post!

[familyromantic]

(Submission)

I'm devastated I can't ramble on forever about my number one incest OTP Klaus/Elijah because there are already a couple of gifsets of them on this blog, but after trying to think of what other ships I have that could fit the criteria, I remembered a pairing I haven't thought about in a while but wish was more popular.

Johnny and D'avin Jaqobis from Killjoys. 

gif source: @anissagraces on Tumblr

To sum up their dynamic - they have a complicated and somewhat rocky history, but their loyalty is unwavering no matter what. They bicker and mess with each other constantly but will go the ends of the galaxy to protect each other.

A quick intro to the show - The three main characters are Dutch, Johnny and D'avin. They work as bounty hunters, known as Killjoys. 

D'avin and John were estranged for 8 years before reuniting at the beginning of the series. They were very close as children, only having each other to rely on growing up in an abusive household. Until D'avin ran away and joined the army when he was 17 and disappeared out of John's life without a word, not to be seen or heard from again until the events of the pilot.

John harbours a lot of anger, resentment and distrust towards D'avin for abandoning him, but still doesn't hesitate to risk his career, his friendship with Dutch and his life to save him when he hears there's a kill warrant out on him. He steals Dutch's ID to take D'avin's warrant without official clearance and sneaks off to prevent him from being killed by another Killjoy. Dutch follows him and together they work to find out who put the kill warrant out on D'avin and get it lifted. Despite them going rogue, mysterious orders from high up clear John and Dutch and D'avin is recruited to their team. 

As the season goes on, the brothers work to slowly repair their relationship and rebuild trust as more is revealed about why D'avin left, why he didn't contact Johnny and what he's been involved in that made someone want him dead. 

On to why I ship them, headcanons etc. Aside from that I'm a simple bitch who'll ship just about any two (or more) pretty boys (and/or girls) especially ones who have fun banter and a slightly crazy level of devotion for each other - if you look at things through a shippy lens, there's a decent amount of fodder there to build off.

Firstly, sexuality is depicted as pretty fluid in the Killjoys verse. Though they're both ostensibly straight, they both have occasional moments that could be read as interest in guys or at least openness to the possibility. Bisexuality seems pretty common and casually accepted in their culture, so it's not too far-fetched to imagine that in the right circumstances either or both of them could develop an interest in a man, or at least be willing to seduce one for a mission if nothing else.

Their dynamic is complicated and layered - they have mutual feelings of admiration and almost hero worship, mixed with an oftentimes juvenile sibling rivalry. They each look up to and idolise the other in different ways. D'av envies that doing the moral thing seems to come naturally to John while he struggles with bad, impulsive choices. Johnny regards D'av as more like a father to him than their actual father.

I don't really have any strong shippy headcanons about them; generally I'm the sort of person that likes my headcanons to be somewhat realistic and plausible, and obviously it would take a fair bit of tweaking from canon to get them to a place of developing romantic feelings for each other that isn't totally OOC.

However, what else is fandom for? It's mentioned that Johnny's first kiss was with their cousin, and neither of them seem to have had many friends or been very close to anyone other than each other while growing up poor on a harsh and small, isolated planet with their abusive, alcoholic father. Perhaps in an AU where they never left Telen, it would be easier to imagine lines getting blurry.

Or perhaps pile some more trauma, loss, isolation (and booze) on them and a codependent, dysfunctional 'turn to each other for comfort because no one else could understand' situation could unfold. (my predicative text wanted unfold to be unfortunately, which is fair lmao) 

Then there's the 'not really canon but the Vibes are Vibing' pseudo-poly thing they have with Dutch. She and John have a platonic soulmate thing where he considers her a sister, albeit with the occasional hint, particularly in a flashback to how they met, that he might harbour some romantic feelings for her deep down. John is not happy at first when Dutch and D'av become romantically interested in each other.

John: Dutch is family too. Meaning, don't plow our sister. D'av: Remind me, was that on the Jaqobis family crest?

He claims he's not jealous, it just feels awkward that "it's like my brother is banging my sister" but it's easy to interpret a bit of jealousy and possessiveness from John towards both of them.

While it never truly goes there in canon, no matter how many times they claim they're not a throuple, they can't shake the reputation, so there's a lot of building blocks for shipping any combination of the three.

gif source: (99+) KILLJOYS 5.04 (2019) – @swallowedabug on Tumblr

The family dynamics only get more complicated in as the show progresses, when an enemy-turned-reluctant-ally, her girlfriend who Dutch was cloned from and D'avin find themselves the surprise parents of a rapidly aging child with enhanced abilities.

source: https://www.tumblr.com/booasaur/176364392675/killjoys-4x02?source=share

In 5x01 when their memories are altered and they believe they are strangers, they very quickly fall into their typical snarky bickering and roughhousing, with the addition of John commenting to Dutch after D'avin bests him in a fight with one stealth hit

John: Okay, yeah. I see what you see in him. That's straight-up sexy.

Granted, he doesn't remember D'av is his brother at this time but it's very funny when contrasted with Dutch, who starts to remember their real lives the moment John kisses her and it feels wrong. Whereas John, for all he calls her his sister, didn't have any problem believing the false memory that she was his wife, and immediately calls his brother 'sexy' and 'handsome' as soon as they meet.

There's another scene in season 5 where Dutch and D'av are trading innuendo-laden banter while trying to escape from zipties, and despite protesting that he doesn't want Dutch to talk about his brother while they're pressed against each other in handcuffs, he also quips "'Johnny' is my safeword." Hmm, D'av, I think most people wouldn't even joke about saying their brother's name during sex, but you do you.

There's probably at least a couple more examples of Totally Normal and Not At All Weird things to say to/about your brother that I'm forgetting since I've only watched the show once at the time it aired.

But now, on to the shippiest moment, the pièce de résistance, the holy grail of brocest ship fanservice, rivalling Supernatural for sheer 'wtf I can't believe the writers went there' energy.

I already low-key shipped them, both on their own and in an OT3 with Dutch, but mostly due to just being a huge slut for multi-shipping. Nothing had really inspired me to give them all that much thought as a ship, until an episode that I can only assume was the work of a dedicated incest shipper breaking into the writer's room and replacing the script with fanfic.

In 4x02 John gets badly injured and to save his life D'av has no choice but to infect him with Green Plasma - an alien parasite that gives people enhanced healing, strength and reflexes, but also erases their emotions and turns them into sociopathic killers called Hullen. 

source: https://www.tumblr.com/librathefangirl/759257136932028416/whumpgifathon-day-19-relationships-what-is?source=share

I was already feeling spoiled by all the D'avin worried sick and tenderly cradling an injured Johnny, and then it turns out the whumpy goodness was only scratching the surface of the ship fodder.

When John wakes up we get this... interesting scene.

 A newly Hullenized Johnny first attacks D'av, throwing him against a wall and choking him, then laughs and thanks him for the 'upgrade of awesome' with a kiss.

https://x.com/Killjoys/status/1023346674134147072

  On the lips.

Sure, closed mouth and like 1 second long, but there's a weird intensity that doesn't exactly give off wholesome familial vibes.

I have so many questions. 

Like, is Johnny still mostly himself and just acting a little manic with relief to be alive, exacerbated by the effect of the Green Plasma? Or is the real him already almost gone and he's simply intentionally acting weird and creepy to unnerve D'avin?

Presumably it is meant to be one of those interpretations and not that he's secretly always wanted to kiss his brother and the Green lowered his inhibitions enough to do it, but hey, the third option's much more fun! ;)

But seriously, even one of the writers (or directors? someone involved with the show anyway) pretty much said in a tweet that (paraphrasing) the kiss wasn't really necessary to the plot but they couldn't resist throwing it in as a jokey shiptease. Unfortunately I cannot for the life of me find the damn thing because twitter's search function is terrible, nor a screenshot anywhere because the fandom is pretty small. 

Oh, and that's not even all. I genuinely completely forgot about this bit (I guess because I still can't believe it actually happened) until I was trying to track down the half-remembered tweet and saw some comments reminding me that they continue the joke to an even more unhinged extreme in a later scene in the same episode.

D'avin says he'll find a way to cure Johnny after they escape the planet, and John smirks and cocks an eyebrow in what can only be described as a lascivious manner and asks "Like you cured Sabine?"

So, important information to know - D'avin is immune to the Green and his system repels it. This ability can be temporarily passed on to others via transfer of bodily fluids, which he inadvertently discovered the previous season while having sex with Hullen spy Sabine. To put it plainly - when he came inside her it made the Green expel itself from her body.

D'avin hastily protests that's not what he meant but Hullenized John continues to taunt him

...and despite his freakout, D'avin concedes he would fuck him to save him from being permanently Hullen if he had to.

And his choice of phrasing?

source: selecting a bagel (tumblr.com)

So. Many. Questions.

(Like were the writers on crack, for a start.)

Why, of all things Hullen Johnny could have done or said to mess with D'av and push his buttons, did he go with a kiss on the lips and sexually charged taunts, all the way up to pretty much straight-up propositioning him?

Now, he does knock him out and kidnap him a moment later, so the conversation did serve as a distraction technique, but again, there were surely less weird ways to distract him.

And D'av's response that he would if he had to - how serious was he being? Now, John's already drugged him at this point, which probably goes a long way towards explaining the flippant way he says it - but it's intriguing to wonder, could he really bring himself to do it if it really was the only possible cure? And how would they deal with the aftermath?

From the extreme fanfic-y end of the scale - where Hullen Johnny is exposing real hidden desires, to the less exciting and presumably intended option - that he's simply making the most shocking and abhorrent suggestion possible for the sadistic amusement of seeing D'av squirm - there's so many fascinating angles to consider and explore.

Headcanon-wise, I think my interpretation lies somewhere in the middle of the scale - that there's some genuine interest/curiosity/desire on John's part in that moment, but it wouldn't normally be there. With the Green rendering John unable to feel an emotional attachment to D'av as his brother and removing his capacity to have a moral objection to incest, all that's left is the objective potential for purely physical attraction and no reason not to express it if it's there. Given that he has commented on D'av's objective attractiveness a few times, that explanation makes sense. And it's hilarious to imagine them having to spend the rest of their lives in the quiet knowledge that he'd totally be down to bang if they weren't brothers and they both know it lol.

I've reminded myself of why I'm sad they're such a small/rare pairing, and already halfway convinced myself to start work on contributing the 9th fic to their pairing tag on Ao3, so I'll end it here. What else could top a canon scene of brothers actually pondering the question of what they'd do in a Fuck or Die scenario (well, a Fuck or Stay an Alien Slime-Controlled Emotionless Killer Forever scenario) and coming down on the side of 'welp, ya gotta do what ya gotta do'.

Actually, I'll chuck in one more gif that does a great job of summing them up - being the most stereotypical 'still have the mentality of 12 year olds when it comes to annoying each other' brothers ever, with an added dash of the occasional bit of slightly weird, almost flirt-adjacent dialogue.

source: dailykilljoys

Thanks for reading my ramble about two of my fave dumb boys, hope you enjoyed!

  Ok, one last thought - I'm going c r a z y trying to figure out what exactly he was even supposed to have meant by the exact word choice of "I'd wreck you." After seeing it again, I'm wondering if he was just saying with conviction that he'd do it without question (and do it thoroughly!) if he couldn't find any other way.

Because my first reaction was to interpret it as him suggesting he wouldn't do it, and was warning him to drop the subject, and he meant 'wreck' in a dumb, macho, bragging way like 'Oh, you think you could handle me but there's no way you could take it, so good thing this is only hypothetical because my dick's so big and/or I'm such a wild animal in the sack, I'd hurt you.'

Or could it have even been a dumb, macho bragging thing in the other direction, like 'I'd fuck you so good it'd blow your mind how much you'd love it and I'd ruin you for sex with anyone else'?

Or was it just the knockout gas making him delirious? A bit of all of the above? 

Who knows.

Who. Knows.

It was totally option three and you can't change my mind 😁

[morningstargirl666]

When is The Big Bad Wolf Act 2 coming out?? Are you going to release monthly or all at once?? (I just finished the series and I’m in love 🩷🩷 no rush to write, just wondering if you have an idea because you have loyal readers waiting to love it!!! Have a great day <3)

Hello! Lovely to meet you and thank you so much for reading, that fic is a BEAST. So glad you enjoyed it!

So. When is the next update coming out? [nervous laughter]

Thing is, I told myself now I'm halfway i'll go back and edit, smooth things out before this fic literally becomes too long to tackle and that kinda...turned into a full rewrite?

I'm not changing the plot. That's exactly the same. But my ideas for the lore have changed since I first started writing and I wanted to add in a whole lot more of characterisation and set up for the chapters to come. I rewrote The Little Wolf back in December and recently did some tweaking to chapter 5 of it just this last week (I couldn't work out how to fix it when I first did the rewrite but I had an EPHIPHANY okay). So The Little Wolf is around 35k now, which is a huge difference to the 11k it was in November when I posted chapter 35 of tbbw. It's got tons of new scenes, a sharper forcus on the Mikaelson siblings not just Klaus and two whole new chapters. Of course, you've probably already read that as it is posted and you're a new reader, but that's what I was doing before Christmas, essentially.

As for The Big Bad Wolf itself...boy, where do I start. I'm approaching 85k on the rewrite...only on chapter 7. Which technically used to be chapter 6, because I got 5 chapters in before I added a new chapter. I guess that's a record for my restraint, at least.

So, in terms of what's happening: I'm re-writing tbbw. The plot isn't changing, but new scenes are being added, conversations are being tweaked, the lore is being more consistently fleshed out. Grammar for dialogue is being given a complete overhaul because that was a mess. But. Listen. It's so much better. It's so fucking better. I re-read the chapters I've done and in some places, the drafts aren't quite finished yet, like my writer brain is like fix this later BUT omg it's like, THE shit. It's so good. I've very excited.

I'm not sure how long it will take to finish. I might be able to stop halfway and post the rewritten/edited chapters I've got so far but I make no promises because I feel more inclined to keep going and get it all done in one. Some chapters won't need much work at all as they've been more heavily edited in the past (chapter 8 and 9 should be done pretty quickly, just giving them a facelift), while others I'm really ripping into. There's one chapter I know I'll either delete or delete scenes from to be replaced with something else (don't worry, the scenes will go into my deleted scenes fic on ao3, it's not gone forever).

So yeah. At the rate I'm going, I'm not gonna lie, it may take till the summer before I get all this editing done AND finish the new chapter 36 update - and you may get two new chapters at once, because it might be a long one and I might split it. But by the end of it, tbbw won't be 378k anymore. It'll probably be closer 450k. So you'll get a 50k+ update (along with some bonus stuff) to the whole fic and then a week later I'll post the new chapters (I used to post fornightly, a chapter every two weeks, and I'll go back to that when I'm done).

But yeah. I've written like, 110k since December, which for context is is closing in on the equivalent of the second book of TLOTR trilogy: The Return of the King was 137,115 words. That's an epic novel's worth. In three months.

An arguement could be made that I'm making this fic way too long but I don't really care? I love writing this. It makes my head spin and makes me tear my hair out but...it's so much fun too. And I get to rewrite canon, the way it should have been (we were so ROBBED 😭😭😭), so hey! It's free therapy too! I'm not going to stop as long as I'm loving every second.

Thanks for reading, and thank for listening to my insane plans! Hopefully, I'll see you there on ao3 when this fic is back for business!!

-And it WILL be back.

[shipcestuous-two]

Daddy's Boy

So I was writing some short incest stories that involved father x son and it made me think of a real life one I witnessed long ago. 

Trigger warnings: Eating disorder, drug addiction and abuse mentioned. (These do not relate with the incest. The incest relationship here was consensual. Both adults.)

So back in 2012, I met this boy at school and we became close friends. Because we were both outcasts, gay and had family issues at home. And we have the same interests. And no, nothing romantic or sexual ever happened between us. I was actually in love with someone way older at the time, but never went for it. My friend, let’s call him Kol, he had an on and off boyfriend at the time.

Unfortunately, our love lives didn’t work out, we just never could find the right guy, but it gave us more time to hang out. Kol had finally revealed that he struggled with an eating disorder due to his mother, let’s call her Esther, mocking his weight and looks since he was little, and just making everything horrible for him, even hitting him or locking up all the food pantries to starve him if she caught him eating food that looked unhealthy.

And in return I told him about my drug addiction issues and conservative family hating me for the choices I make and all that bullshit. Kol talked about how he hated his mother, how she made his father leave when he was a kid and how he wished his father would come take him away. So I encourage him to try to look for his father.

Then in 2013 summer time, my friend had gotten in contact with his father, let’s call him Klaus, by getting his number from a friend of his father who worked at a store and thought Kol’s surname seemed familiar and asked if he was related to Klaus. Apparently Klaus was still in town, but lived out of town in a cozy cottage in the woods. But Esther was angry about this and did not let Kol and Klaus meet, which caused Kol to be depressed, that sometimes I wouldn’t hear from him for days.

2 months later, me and Kol were supposed to go a trip to the beach that Esther planned, but I had got into a fight with someone at school, then fought with my family back at home because of it, and then later I ended up taking too much pills to get high and almost overdosing to death, then I had to be taken to a hospital for a while. Kol kept in touch and visited me from time. I feel bad about this until now, but I stopped talking with him after I left the hospital. I just wanted to be alone and hid in my room forever whenever I wasn’t needed.

2 years passed and it was 2015. Me and Kol were 19 now, we haven’t spoke since, but he saw me playing a video game again on Steam PC one night, because we were still friends there and he messaged me. I apologized for being a shit friend and ignoring him, then he told me he was so upset, but he forgives me. He then went on to tell me that he finally met his father recently after just texting only each other back in 2014 and had been hanging out at his cottage now. I was happy for him and then Kol invited me to stay over at his father’s place anytime.

I figured why not. I can’t rot in this room forever. So I packed up and met up with Kol at our favorite juice shop we used to go to. We both changed so much. I used to dress in a more conservative clothing, but went with an all black wardrobe. But Kol looked amazing. He used to be really thin and dressed in hoodies and sweats. Now he’s toned with muscle and dressed in shirts and shorts that were tight, clearly to get attention.

So I finally met his father who was driving us. I guess I should also mention Kol told me back then that his mother and father had him at a very young age, so it wasn’t really that a shock to me that his father would look young just like his mother. Klaus was really handsome. He had dark hair, green eyes like Kol and it was obvious he was really buff under that suit he was wearing. Klaus said he would need to be in the office soon and he drove us to his cottage, so I assumed he was one of those rich office workers.

Alright. Let’s go to the incest now.

I started hanging out at the cottage quite a lot. I would notice things with Kol and Klaus. I should also say that I’ve been an incest shipper since forever so I wasn’t freaked out by this. I thought it was cute. Sometimes would even ship them together in my mind. Like when we were watching a movie together one night. Kol would sit on his father’s lap and Klaus would have his arms around him. Then they would give each other loving looks every few minutes. Or sometimes I would fall asleep in the living room. Then I would look for Kol, just to find him snuggled in Klaus’ arms in his father’s room. Or I would find Klaus sleeping in his son’s room, then later Kol would take a nap and join him, and Kol would just be in his boxers getting hugged by Klaus.

I pushed thoughts of them being lovers out of my mind, because they haven’t seen in each other in forever and maybe they’re just close and affectionate like that. Because they both sure didn’t get love from that evil creature of a mother. So a few weeks later, I was at the cottage again. Yeah, I probably spend way too much time there than my own home. But whatever keeps me away from my own rancid family. I actually walked there by myself to, it’s really not too far. At least to me.

So I saw that Klaus had brought a man and woman, who look like they were in their 30s over and they stayed the night. They were both attractive and dressed like they going to a party and they both made flirty comments to Klaus, which he smirked at, and I took that as Klaus being bisexual. I could tell Kol wasn’t happy about it. He seemed jealous and just quiet, but pissed off.

The next day, me and Kol were in the kitchen eating sushi, talking about a weird dream I had about waterspouts. His father came in, shirtless just in his pajama pants, and the same man showed up, also shirtless, then the woman showed up as well, just wearing a shirt. They tried to introduce themselves to Kol and me, but Kol got up and slammed the table in anger and said “You’re both done fucking around with my father! Now get the fuck out!”

Me and everyone was shocked at that. I mean I was kind of laughing inside. He was so jealous. The man and woman said nothing and quickly left. Then I heard Kol and Klaus in the other room. Kol was crying and accusing Klaus that he’s gonna find someone else and abandon him back to his mother, which Klaus explained, he did not sleep with that couple, they were just his friends and that he loves Kol only. I peeked through the crack of the door, because I’m fucking nosey, and saw Kol jump into his father’s arms crying. They hugged for a long time.

“What a daddy’s boy.” I thought. I was actually kind of jealous myself. He was so close to a family member and I fucking hate all of mine. So then thoughts of them being in love came back to me when Kol had a little party at the cottage with people who I don’t even recognize. Turns out, they were girls and boys who Kol met up at college while I was rotting in my room back then.

During midnight, the rest of the party goers left and we were with 4 girls and 4 boys at a bonfire near the woods. They were all drunk and telling dumb stories. I met a guy earlier and we started liking each other pretty quickly. Let’s him Stefan. So I found some fruity candy that melts if you put it in your mouth and started to play a game with Stefan where I would take a candy in my mouth and put it into his mouth, which resulted in kissing. The rest of the group saw us and started copying us.

I didn’t expect Kol to join us. He put a candy into his mouth and I thought he was just gonna eat it. But then he went into his fathers lap and pushed his face into Klaus’ face who didn’t stop him, their mouths quickly touched, while they made eye contact and Klaus took the candy and ate it.

I was the only one who saw this happened, the others were drunk laughing about something with Stefan. I was so surprised. No father and son would do that together at all. Now I really thought they were a thing or at least secretly wanted each other.

This is when I get full confirmation. I started becoming close to Stefan and we got together and I started seeing Kol less, because I was spending more time with Stefan at his apartment, but me and Kol texted everyday. A year later, 2016, it didn’t work out with Stefan, he had cheated on me and I decided to stay single for a while. So then I realized I can go back to hanging out with Kol again since I didn’t have some guy bothering me anymore.

It became June and Kol had invited me to his 20th birthday party. When it came to that day, I noticed there wasn’t really much people involved and I know Kol, he liked inviting tons of people when he threw parties. It was just Klaus, Kol, me and a few college friends and his father’s work friends, but they all left early after the cake. I asked him about this and he told me he just needs his father and his friend (me) with him, that’s all that matters. I thought it was sweet.

Later on, I was getting ready upstairs so I can use the hot tub outside, when I heard a woman’s voice down stairs. I secretly got by the banister and looked down into the room below and saw that it was Esther. Kol’s toxic abusive mother who had another man by her side, who I assumed was her new boyfriend. She came uninvited and she was screaming at Kol and Klaus.

This is when I finally get my answer. Esther had revealed that she was still so disgusted at Klaus and Kol, because she caught them having sex in the lake near the cottage. So yeah, they were a couple after all. I fucking knew it. Them being lovers wasn’t just something my incest shipper rotted mind made up.

She then threatened them she was gonna tell the police, but when Klaus was telling her she had no proof of what they had done and warned her to leave. Kol snapped and told Esther that if she tries to do anything that keeps them apart, he will also let the cops know she beat him and starved him for days.

This made her shut up and back down. This is when I come downstairs. They were about to leave, but then I made a snarky comment towards Esther about how “So that’s why I was smelling dead skunk.” and Esther’s boyfriend didn’t like that and attacked me. He punched me and Esther called me a white trash crackhead. And I had lost my temper and fought back, I hit him many times. The cops were called, but I made it seem like she came over here to start shit with me and had her boyfriend attack me. They both were taken away. 

Kol asked if I heard everything. Meaning If I know about him and his father. I told him yes. Kol and Klaus both explained that there’s no abuse going on with them. That they fell in love and truly really love each other and make each other happy. I told them I understand and support them. And I also admitted they look cute together. Me and Kol hugged for a while, because sadly I wasn’t gonna see him again after this.

My stupid family finds out about my fight and then decides to move away to a different state where my aunt also lives to start fresh. Because according to them, I caused so much trouble in this town and now everyone talks bad about me and my family. When it happened in 2017, I ended up leaving my parents new home and moved with my aunt and her new husband. They were much nicer to me.

I keep in contact with Kol, but we hardly talk that much anymore, because he got busy with work. Which is totally understandable. Last I heard in 2021, he and Klaus moved somewhere new and are still secretly, but happily together. I’m glad for them.

--

A lot of speculation about others gets sent in to this blog but you actually got to find out the truth. 

Thanks for sharing this with us and for including all of the details. It was like watching a movie!

I hope everyone is happy and doing well. 

[generouskittentidalwave]

I AM THIS CLOSE TO INTERNALLY COMBUSTING

I am GRABBING Netflix by the throat and strangling them WITH THE MIGHT OF THOR AND ZEUS COMBINED

OKAY LISTEN UP, LISTEN HERE CAUSE OH OH OH BOY HOT DIGGITY DOG I THINK I FINALLY SNAPPED

I don't care what ANYONE SAYS OR THINKS, Umbrella academy season 3, aside from Viktor coming out, IS NON CANON

IT'S BEEN LIKE- A YEAR NOW SO I'M LETTING MY FEELINGS FLY

FIVE IS GREAT, KLAUS IS GREAT, VIKTOR COMING OUT IS GREAT, MEANWHILE THE OTHER CHARACTERS ARE POORLY WRITTEN, THE PLOTS SUCK, THEY AREN'T CONSISTENT WITH ANY OF THE PREVIOUS CONTINUITY OR CANON OF THE SHOW AND NOTHING IN IT MAKES SENSE, SO MUCH SO THINKING ABOUT IT MAKES MY BRAIN HURT AND ALL OF IT IS VERY VERY RUSHED

I will agree season 3 did have it's good moments like Five being a great character and Klaus being great character, the two going on a road trip, Viktor coming out, and Reginald struggling to open the tin of butter cookies that I know for a fact we all struggle with opening on our own.

The series an adaption that very loosely followed the comics, much like how Big Hero Six did with it's comics, the series and the comics are in their own seperate world entirely. BUT, SINCE THE COMIC OF UA ENDED WHERE SEASON 3 BEGAN, AND SEASON THREE IS ABSOLUTELY FOUL COMPARED TO THE 2 OTHER AMAZING SEASONS BASED ON THE COMIC BOOK, SEASON 3 (ASIDE FROM VIKTOR COMING OUT) IS NON CANON TO ME

Gather the guys and gals and nonbinary pals we are pulling a Harry Potter fanbase and TAKING AWAY THIS FROM NETFLIX AND CLAIMING IT FOR OURSELVES, YES NETFLIX LOST UMBRELLA ACADEMY PRIVILEGES THEY ARE NOW OURS

Unless they redeem themselves with season 4 they aren't getting them back, I REFUSE

This show is amazing to me and the only canon things to me are season 1 and 2, and Viktor coming out, THAT'S IT.

IT'S NOT FOLLOWING THE COMIC ANYMORE THEREFORE IT ISN'T AN ADAPTATION LIKE THE OTHER 2, THEREFORE EVERYTHING IN SEASON 3 ASIDE FROM VIKTOR COMING OUT EXISTS IN IT'S OWN UNIVERSE.

[klaus-littlestwolf]

I’ve been hesitant to write stuff like this, despite the fact that I write fics like this just for me all the time, but I’m glad to know I’m not he only depraved person here. I hope this is everything you want it to be.

Dead Dove-Do Not Eat

Don’t Like=Don’t Read

Fic Moodboard

Klaus never meant to find her in the first place.

Klaus found out who his real father was when he was 6, his mother had to tell the truth so that he wouldn’t be alone when he first began turning. Werewolves shift for the first time during puberty. Klaus’ father was a very good teacher, and treated the boy much better than Mikael, so Klaus enjoyed their time together. He began shifting at 11, the full moons being something he can’t resist and it took another few years for him to gain control during them but by the time he was 14 he was spending all night every full moon running with his pack…until he turned 16.

Y/n had moved to town 2 weeks earlier and while Klaus quite liked her, she was almost instantly popular and he knew he had no shot. That full moon however his wolf didn’t give him a choice, Klaus had thought he was insane for hearing his wolf talking about her in his head (his wolf never really caring for anyone before) but here he sits, fully shifted, in the woods behind her house as she does her homework in the shed which seems more like a bedroom from what he can tell from the window.

He couldn’t control his paws for the first time in years as his wolf brought him here and now he refused to leave, staring at Y/n in awe. Klaus could practically feel his cock swelling desperately as he stared at her and it seemed his whines were too loud when her head snapped up and she moved to the door to peek outside.

Once again Klaus couldn’t move as he tried to keep her from seeing him but his wolf said “no” very clearly when his feet wouldn’t move. ‘Holy shit!’ She gasped, lunging back as she saw him staring at her, the abnormally large wolf clearly startling her. ‘Um…hi? Are you okay?’ She asked and Klaus had to remind himself that she doesn’t know who he is and wasn’t actually asking him, though he found it touching that she was asking his wolf if he was alright…his girl is so sweet. ‘Are you hungry?’ She spun around to go back inside and while he knew she would come back he once again couldn’t stop as he walked into the small shed (that he took up nearly a quarter of), making her gasp as she turned around. ‘Don’t hurt me, please?’ She pleaded softly as if to not startle him and he shook his head. ‘Woah…do…do you understand me?’ He dropped his chin in a nod and her jaw fell, dropping the bag of chips to the floor where he licked a few from the plastic and ate them before sitting down. ‘So you’re an overly large wolf that can understand me and answer my questions…cool. Okay Y/n, don’t panic.’

Klaus whined, creeping closer and resting his big head on her lap which caused her to gasp but she didn’t push him away, taking a moment before petting his head and beginning to scratch behind his ears. He whined again, rolling onto his back on the floor and waiting for her to rub his belly and he wasn’t sure if it shocked her or him more.

‘You’re such a sweet boy, aren’t you?’ Now Klaus understands why dogs love this so much, belly rubs feel incredible!

He ended up laying beside her on her bed while she did the homework Klaus still hadn’t done himself and every now and again she would take a break to give him scratches. He was actively ignoring his pack searching for him but there was something about this girl that pulled him in, and not just him but his wolf.

Y/n drifted off somewhere around 1 am and he stayed there with her, she hadn’t needed a blanket as she wrapped her arms around his body and eventually he drifted off as well. It wasn’t until 4:30 that he awoke again knowing he was close to changing back and woke her to let him out. He knew she was waiting for him to come back and it hurt his heart but he couldn’t and this time his wolf begrudgingly listened to him, running back home before he shifted back. He ran back to the home he stayed in with his father since he had turned 10, finding his phone and not taking but 2 minutes to find her on Instagram and spending the next 20 minutes looking through her pictures, his wolf howling in his head as he saw her again. It was at that point that his father walked into the house, a questioning look on his face.

‘Would you like to tell me where you were?’ He asked and Klaus settled himself to be screamed at before explaining exactly what had happened tonight. ‘Oh my boy, you’ve found your mate. Congratulations!’ He grinned, clapping Klaus on the shoulder. He had heard the term ‘mate’ a few times since meeting his father but not often and he didn’t really know what it meant. ‘Every wolf has a mate, their other half, though we’re not all lucky enough to meet them this young, you have truly been blessed son-‘

‘Blessed?! How have I been blessed?! A girl like her will never give me the time of day! She’s pretty, and popular, and perfect! I’m just a freak who’s only friend is the howling animal in my head!’ His dad rolled his eyes, finding his sons excuses to be stupid and pointless.

‘Klaus, our mates are our mates for a reason, they’re perfect for us. Popular or not, that doesn’t matter, she will feel it too. Not quite as strong as you do until you’re mated, but she will. Trust your wolf, he knows what he’s doing, and he knows what he needs. He is driven to care for and protect his mate, she will notice you eventually, I promise. She’s also the only non-pack member you’ll ever be able to tell about what you are, she is your mate and that makes her family. Try not to worry Niklaus, I’m sure she’ll be yours soon enough.’ With that his father told him to go to bed, always taking him in for a half day after a full moon so that he could get some sleep. All he saw was her though, his perfect little mate staring back at him with a smile on her face.

He dreamed of her arms wrapped around him again, a comforting warm feeling of having his mate snuggle up with his wolf…his dream turning much less innocent quickly when it comes to his wolfs desperation to rut his mate and while he had never imagined it before, it’s all he could think about now, his perfect little mate presenting herself for him, tasting her perfect little cunt before mounting her and-

He jumped up in his bed as his alarm went off, groaning at the raging erection he was going to have to deal with before getting up to get in the shower.

The half day was long as he was so tired, but at least he got to see her, staring at her in the library as they all worked on a book report that Klaus couldn’t give less of a shit about. It wasn’t until the end of the day after that, that he saw her again and Klaus felt his feet moving without his consent again. As he tried to stop he was overcome by the growl in the back of his head and the sound of his father telling him to trust his wolf. He was stood at the bottom of the stairs when he finally stopped, hearing a squeal before he looked up and thanked God for his wolfy reflexes as he opened his arms and caught his mate as she tripped down the last few steps. He held her to his chest and they both froze, looking into each others eyes as if in a trance, Klaus’ wolf howling in his head at having his mate in his arms and her seeing those eyes from last night all over again…but that’s impossible.

‘What the fuck? Put her down you freak!’ A voice snapped and just before a hand grabbed onto Y/n, Klaus placed her on her feet and grabbed the hand, twisting it painfully away from her.

‘Oh God! You are really strong, aren’t you?’ She asked him and all Klaus could do was blush.

‘You fucking freak, you are gonna pay for that.’ The jock that Klaus had never bothered to learn the name of snapped.

‘Sean! That’s enough! He saved me, stop behaving like a caveman!’ His mate was…sticking up for him?

She’s adorable when she’s angry.

‘Thank you, um…it’s Klaus, isn’t it?’ He nodded his head and she smiled. ‘I’m Y/n. Thank you Klaus, you just saved me some major embarrassment…and probably a few injuries.’

‘You’re welcome Y/n.’ Sean threw his arm around Y/n’s shoulder and pulled her away before she could say anything else and Klaus glared back at him, hating the asshole that gets to touch his mate, that should be him!

By the time Klaus got home he was ready to collapse into bed and call it a night, even if he’d only been at school half a day. That’s when his phone chimed and he looked down to see he had a new follower on his Instagram. He saw Y/n’s page shining back at him and a notification that he had a message from her, opening it to see a phone number. His stomach was doing somersaults as he quickly saved the number and texted it, her name and a question mark as if she would give him someone else’s number.

Mate: Who else would it be🤣

Her response put him at ease as he messaged her back again, and she promptly answered him. They spent the rest of the night like that, texting back and forth, getting to know each other and he couldn’t believe the fact that his father was so right!

They texted through the next few days before they decided to hang out, Y/n coming to Klaus’ place after school on Friday and spending time together for the first real time since he was a wolf. Speaking of wolves.

‘You have a lot of wolf stuff in your house.’ She commented as she looked around the living room and they did, decorations and carvings, their pack emblem being almost everywhere.

‘Yeah, it’s kind of a family thing I guess. If it freaks you out we can go to my room.’

‘No, it doesn’t freak me out, I like wolves…we can go to your room though.’ She shrugged and he thanked God for his abilities again because he could smell just how nervous she was. He didn’t understand how she came off so calm and relaxed while she was so nervous, but he admired it. He took her hand, leading her through the house and up the stairs to his bedroom. His fathers room was the entirety of the basement so Klaus had the master bedroom which he loved, having to share a room with Kol his whole life until he moved here at 10. ‘Wow! This is huge!’ Klaus smiled, sitting down on his bed with her beside him as she looked around. ‘You have a lot of art work, do you paint a lot?’ He nodded.

‘Yeah, it’s a hobby. I hoped to go to school for it but I already have a job here lined up after school so I get to just keep doing it whenever I want.’ She smiled at that.

‘That cool. It’s nice that you know what you’re gonna do…I don’t want to go to college, I’m garbage at school and I know I’m just gonna flunk out but my parents insist. I have savings and they want me to use that to pay for the first few semesters and then go into debt after so that I can get a job that will suffocate me for the rest of my life…I’m sorry…I don’t know why I just told you that.’ She blushed a deep shade of red and his wolf howled in the back of his head, pushing him to comfort her.

‘It’s okay, I…I like that you’re so comfortable around me. If you don’t want to go to school then don’t, use the money to figure out what you want…maybe you’ll know by the time we’re done school.’ He shrugged but she shook her head.

‘I doubt it…I’ve always felt like my parents just want rid of me. I’m their last kid and once I’m gone they’re done, they’re shit parents already anyway but…I always wanted a real family, one that just feels comfortable and safe, you know?’ He nodded right away.

‘Honestly I do. My dads family is like that for me, once I moved away from my mom and step dad I felt so much better, this place is…home.’

‘I’m glad you have that Klaus. You deserve it.’ He hugged her to his side and she rested her head on his shoulder.

‘You do too.’

He quickly found out that Sean wasn’t Y/n’s boyfriend which he thanked the Gods for, giving him the chance to ask her out himself and he did. Since that first weekend at his house they spent almost every day together and he took her on dates every weekend, loving that he got to make his girl feel special. He wanted to give her everything. Klaus knew that Y/n wasn’t the normal girl their age, she didn’t want to attend college or get a fancy job, even if she never said it out loud he knew she just wanted to be safe and loved for the first time in her life. It’s what he had wanted before finding out what he was too and he knew that’s why she was his perfect mate, and he wanted so badly to give her that. To give her a home and a family, to protect his mate the way he was driven to and he thanked the Gods that she seemed happy around his pack because he knew he could give her everything here.

Klaus spoke to his father about Y/n, and he knew that once they graduate she could come and live with him, he’ll have a job in the pack, his own place on their land and be able to take care of her…as long as she knew about him first. He didn’t know how to go about that though, it’s not a normal conversation to have honestly, he worried for a while about how to tell her but thankfully he didn’t have to. She figured it out herself.

It had been a month since Klaus had met Y/n and once again his wolf was excited to go and visit his mate, sprinting all the way to her house, seeing her in her room which he now knows is the she-shed out back that she turned into a bedroom so her parents didn’t bother her. He whined as he approached the door, scraping it gently and it opened quickly, her smile growing wide at seeing him.

‘Hey buddy! You came back!’ She moved to let him in and shut the door behind him before turning and petting his head gently but still cautiously. ‘Where have you been, huh? I was starting to think it was all a dream.’ He hopped onto the bed beside her and ate the cheese puffs she fed him for a few minutes before she reached for her phone. ‘Klaus is never gonna believe this.’ She spoke, FaceTiming him quickly and he watched her face fall when he didn’t answer. ‘He always answers, he answers me at 3am, what the hell?’ She tried again and once again he didn’t answer. ‘I hope he’s okay…’ Klaus felt guilty for not being able to answer her but what could he do? He just wanted to stay right here and snuggle up next to his mate. He laid his head down on her lap, smelling the heavy scent of her crotch right next to his nose and suppressing the response his body desperately wants to have. He could suddenly smell fear coming off of Y/n and he looked up to see her staring right back at him with a weird look on her face. ‘…Klaus?’ She asked and he felt his eyes widen and his ears go flat against his head. ‘You have the same eyes…you don’t answer your phone…the wolf can understand me and it’s a full moon every time you show up-Oh My God!’ She jumped from the bed and moved for the door making him lunge in front of her to stop her from leaving. She backed away slowly, clearly scared of how he was going to react so he whined, laying down on the floor and covering his nose with his paws as if to show her that he won’t hurt her and she seemed to agree to calm down, sitting back on her bed and staring at him. ‘Werewolves are real…cool…that’s cool, right? I mean it could be worse…’ he whined, nuzzling under her arm and making her scratch him. ‘Okay, I’ll chill out.’ She laughed, scratching his neck until he rolled over and enjoyed a belly rub once again. ‘This is the strangest thing I think I’ve ever done, I’m rubbing my boyfriends belly.’ He didn’t notice right away, enjoying the scratching that she was giving him though he realized quickly when she gasped and pulled away from him that she could see his erection coming out at the wonderful feeling she was giving him and he quickly jumped up. ‘It’s okay Nik, it’s not a big deal.’ She said, moving to touch him but he leaned away. ‘Hey, it’s not your fault, do I look upset?’ She didn’t, she looked as understanding as she always did and he both loved and hated it. ‘I don’t get upset when you’re human and it happens, why would I get upset now? Now let me rub your belly, come here.’ He rolled back over and did as she asked, enjoying the belly rubs she continued giving him. ‘It doesn’t hurt, does it? Like do you…do you need help?’ Did he hear her right? Did she just offer to help with his erection while he’s a wolf? He whined, feeling his cock begin to throb even harder as he pictured his mate with her hand wrapped around his red, swollen cock. He looked up at her as she stared at it before shrugging and reaching out to touch it, her fingers grazing down it before taking it in her hand and pumping it gently. His tongue flopped out of his mouth and he was panting like crazy as his cock just got bigger the more needy he got, his hips thrusting up into her hand and prompting her to move faster. ‘I’m not hurting you, right?’ He shook his head quickly from where it rested against her thigh. ‘It’s really hot…’ It was only another second of her stroking him before his cock began shooting out a truly impressive amount of cum. ‘Oh Fuck!’ She stroked him through it before using tissues to clean the mess off of her. ‘I can honestly say I did not see this being how my night went.’

It took a moment for him to begin thinking clearly again, feeling as if his wolfs mind was overtaken by the lustful ecstasy she had given him, staring up at her in awe before licking her face and making her giggle like crazy. His nose then trailed down her top, smelling her deeply and knowing how wet she is, practically tasting it on his tongue already making him whine and sit back to look at her.

‘No, it’s okay. You don’t need to-Ah!’ He cut her off, biting onto her pajama pants and pulling her forward quite hard, her whole body jerking with his firm yank. ‘Holy Shit, you’re strong! Okay! But no teeth!’ She warned and he rolled his eyes. Klaus may not have ever done this in his human body before but he did understand that she wouldn’t take kindly to teeth against her pussy…especially wolf teeth. She was dripping as she removed her panties, leaning back against her pillows awkwardly. He really wanted to be human right now and enjoy eating her out for the first time while he had opposable thumbs but he would be happy with this. ‘Klaus, you know you don’t have to-Oh Fuck!’ She shouted as he licked his long tongue straight up her cunt, lapping at her roughly. She tasted like magic on his tongue and he knew he would never get enough of this making him wonder if she would continue letting him eat her out as a human. ‘Don’t stop! Never Fucking Stop! Oh God!’ He buried his long tongue into her hole as far as he could, his cold nose nudging against her clit and making her hips jump hard before he flinched back, watching her body go rigid as she came, squirting a bit onto the blanket covered bed. ‘Fuck, I’m sorry-‘ she was startled as he cut her off with a growl, not liking the idea of an apology for something so perfect and sexy before he licked at her pussy again, tasting her even stronger than before. ‘Okay, too much...Come here and snuggle.’ She instructed, pulling a fluffy blanket over her half covered body before stripping off the top layer and just laying there naked. With that he nuzzled back into her arms, feeling her hold onto his fur.

Y/n spent the rest of the night snuggled up against him asking every yes or no question she could think of since he couldn’t really answer her, she asked all she could about werewolves and him and his family but never once did she say anything about how she feels about any of it…or him.

Klaus left at the same time as last time, her scratching his ears and yawning a ‘goodbye’ before watching him run off and as soon as he got home and shifted back he jumped into the shower, getting ready for school and completely forgoing any kind of sleep. He ran passed his father who was taking a nap on the couch and made his way to school a bit too early, waiting for Y/n to get there, texting her repeatedly but not getting an answer.

The longer he waited the more sick he felt, she was always at school no matter how much she had slept…and she always answered him…

He felt like he was being a bit stupid for being so worried but he couldn’t help it. He had never told anyone his secret before, not even his family, and now that she knows the only thing he can seem to picture is her telling him that she can’t see him anymore, that she’s afraid of him, that he’s a monster and she regrets ever letting him touch her…he needs to see her.

He never walked into the school as she never arrived, running back through the woods all the way to her house and trying to peek into her room only to find the blinds shut. Klaus knew he shouldn’t just walk in but he needs to see her, the near constant growl in the back of his head now controlling his actions. His wolf had never controlled his human body before but it feels as if he is when he can’t stop his legs from taking him to her doorstep or his fingers from reaching for the handle. He opened her door to see it was unlocked which was odd and he immediately thought she must be in the house or gone but when he peeked in he saw her asleep in her bed, clearly unconscious. ‘Y/n? Princess?’

‘Mmhmmm…’ she hummed and he smiled. ‘Finally…come snuggle me.’ She held her arms out tiredly, moving over and making room for him to crawl in where he had been snuggled up an hour before. He locked her door, dropping his bag and stripping to his boxers before he climbed in. ‘Why didn’t you come when I texted?’ She asked, clearly still half asleep.

‘You didn’t text me Princess, I’ve been texting you.’ He picked up her phone and opened it to see a message typed out.

Just come back when you can and skip with me, too tired to go to school.

‘Y/n, you never sent it.’ He chuckled and she giggled, snuggling into his warm chest and pulling the blankets around him more. ‘Y/n?’ He questioned and she grunted. ‘You’re not afraid of me, are you?’ Her eyes flew open and she moved to look down at him with an aggravated look on her face.

‘Seriously? You think I would have let you in here, and let you stay the whole night talking to you if I was scared? Invited you back?’ He shook his head and she leaned down, nose to nose with him. ‘You think I would have touched your cute little cock if I was afraid?’ His eyes widened and he growled playfully, pulling her against him tightly and pressing his lips to hers.

‘Thank you…I just needed to hear you say it.’ He admitted. Klaus had never been vulnerable with anyone but with Y/n it was easy…it was comfortable. She felt safe to him, as safe as he felt to her.

‘I love you Nik. And I would never tell anyone if that’s your next worry.’ He shook his head.

‘It wasn’t. I trust you.’

‘Good. Now go to sleep wolf boy. I’ll ask the rest of my questions later.’

‘Good. By then it will be time for you to meet my family.’

Please let me know your thoughts on this one. I’m very set on doing a part 2 cause even I want to know what happens next🤣

[countrymusiclover]

47 - Vampire Friends

Part 48

Family is More than Blood

@secretdreamlandmentality

Missy’s pov

Walking through the hallway of Mystic high standing beside my boyfriend’s locker waiting to leave when he got out of school for the day. Hearing footsteps and a familiar heartbeat rhythm that I would know anywhere coming towards me. “M & M, what are you doing here?”

“I wanted to see you, E. Hey, you okay?.” I admit pushing my body away from the lockers and he smiled seeing me wearing one of his sweatshirts that he had left in my room back at the mansion.

He shifted from foot to foot telling me he was nervous when he wouldn’t look me in the eye. “Uh yeah. Just got into a fight with one of my former teammates in class a minute ago.”

“What was the fight over?” I tilted my head to the side.

He shook his head avoiding my gaze still. “Please don’t think less of me because it was about…you.”

“Me. Why me?” I questioned him.

Ethan finally looked into my eyes. “You’re kidding right. You’re amazing and not just because you are a vampire and a witch.”

“Ethan…” I smiled at the human boy feeling my turn red at his words. I didn’t care if he was human and I was supernatural. That wasn’t what drew me to him, what drew me in was how nice he is to people.

He shoved his hands inside the pocket of his gray sweatshirt he wore. “Dennis was talking crap about you. He said you were a slut and the only reason I was with you was because your family is rich. Even though that’s not the case at all.”

“Hmm, I’m glad you stuck up for me.” I nodded in understanding.

He corrected me. “Andrea, Lizzie and your Uncle Klaus showed up too. Andrea probably would have thrown Dennis like a rag doll if they hadn’t got there sooner.”

“She does have the family werewolf temper that’s for sure. But she’s like every member of the Mikaelson and Lane family. Just doing what we can to look out for each other.” I sighed where we started heading to go get into his truck.

He walked closely beside me letting some silence fall upon us briefly. “So…have you given what I asked anyone thought after talking with your other Headmistress?”

“Ethan, I really don't want this to come up in every conversation we have now. We're already taking a big risk being together as is.” I sighed heavily, sending him a slight glare.

The boy gave me a confused glance. “What kind of risk? You already showed yourself that you can handle not feeding from me.”

“My parents are fine with us being together. But our former headmaster Alaric Saltzman is afraid that if humans and the supernatural date bad things could happen like he had seen before his daughters were born. If he saw us together like this he wouldn't be happy.”

“Missy, what are you doing here?” We paused in our tracks when I looked over my shoulder seeing Josie coming around the corner.

“Hanging out with my boyfriend. Why are you here?”

“I saw what happened on the football field. So I thought I should check on Ethan.” She answered.

Someone else could be heard where the three of us all saw MG coming towards us with Dr. Saltzman on his heels. “Jo, Missy. Andrea told me what happened.”

“Does everyone need to know about our personal lives!” Throwing my hands up away from my sides the veins were appearing underneath my eyes out of frustration.

Dr. Saltzman came over to me and Ethan. “Melissa, do you want to explain to me why you’re clearly dating a human?”

“Uh sir…it’s because I know that she’s supernatural.” Ethan stepped forward looking at the former headmaster of our school.

Alaric moved his gaze from all the teenagers around him. “Find an empty classroom now. We need to talk all of us.” He instructed pushing us into the nearest room and locking the door.

“Dr. Saltzman, we shouldn’t have to compel him.” MG first started the conversation.

Dr. Saltzman answered him. “It's about what's best for Ethan.”

“Is it? Or is it more like keeping our secrets safe at his expense?” He made a face.

Josie replied. “Burdening Ethan with it won't end well, either. Dad's right. We can't risk it.”

“No offense, Jo, but what are you really worried about risking?” MG asked.

“Do I get a vote?” Ethan spoke to sitting on the couch with me.

Alaric looks in our direction. “Well, this isn't a democracy. But we can hear what you have to say.”

“I think it's really cool that MG has superpowers, because I already know about Missy so it's not that different.” My boyfriend began explaining by taking my hand in his. “She told me everything about the school and her family so I understand why you'd want to keep that a secret. And I'm happy to keep it.”

Alaric nodded. “Yes, I believe you. But I made your mother a promise that I'd look after you and keep you safe. MG? Please compel him. That's my decision.”

“Compel me to do what?” Ethan got to his feet when MG came closer to him.

MG grabbed his shoulder with me just sitting there hands clasped together in my lap. “There's no reason to be scared. You had a bad day. You got cut from the football team and you're mad about it, so you went home after gym class. But you're gonna wake up tomorrow feeling better. And you're gonna find what makes you happy that's not football, then go after it. But you're not going to remember this conversation or anything that happened with us today or what happened between you and Missy.”

Ethan paused for a second before answering. “I feel better already. I don't remember a thing.”

“So you don't remember the thing you're not supposed to remember?” Josie made a face.

MG glanced at Alaric then to me. “Is there any possibility that you told his mom about vervain?”

“Son of a bitch….Melissa why are you smirking?” Alaric noticed my current expression that crossed my face.

I had a huge smirk on my lips like I had seen my father have growing up when his enemies thought they could beat him. “Because I blocked your compulsion. You see I only compelled him once as my own way of protecting him.”

“You’re talking about how I can remember your family of supernaturals and the school everytime I see you.” Ethan put the piece together

Lowering my gaze to the tile floor I prayed for his response. “Please don’t be angry with me, E.”

“I get it, M & M. I get why you were afraid of me being in danger.” My boyfriend made a half smile cross my lips.

“Missy will undo the compulsion she did on him. Then you and MG can try having that, uh, conversation again. If something different than that happens, give me a call.” Alairc and Josie left the room needing to talk.

MG turned on his feet talking to me. “Missy, I don’t want you to compel him but you heard Dr. Saltzman.”

“He’s not my father! He’s also not the headmaster anymore. My parents are so ask them, Milton.” I snapped at the vampire, he thinks he can talk me into this but he should know better than to challenge a Mikaelson.

MG gave me a look wishing my answer was different. “Huh then this is going to take some more time then Dr. Saltzman wants.” He slumped his shoulders moving over towards the couch.

Ethan leaned against the window, arms crossed over his chest. “I guess we got time to kill. Might as well tell me your origin story.”

MG disagreed. “Uh, I don't think that's a good idea.”

“Why not? You're just gonna wipe my memory anyway, right? Kind of like how Zatanna mind-wiped Batman.” Ethan shrugged his shoulders

MG saw a grin cross my face when he asked him. “In Identity Crisis issue number six. Hold on, hold on. How'd you know?”

“All right, look, I would never admit this to anyone, but...I've loved comic books since I was a kid.” Ethan chuckled and MG joined him with my phone vibrating showing a text from my father probably asking where I was. “You're a vampire too.”

MG was now sitting on the couch. “Now, it's nowhere near as dope as getting bitten by some radioactive bat or anything, but, uh, yeah, it's the truth.”

“It's still cool as hell. Super strength? Super speed? The blood thing is a bit of a bummer, but the only bad part was your mom and dad not accepting you for what you are.” Ethan grinned lowering his smile when he thought about how it was different than my situation.

MG stopped chuckling. “Yeah. That part was, uh, definitely rough.”

“My story's the opposite. My mom's done everything she can to support me, even letting me stay here in Mystic Falls to let me make the most of what I got. Which isn't much, compared to you. But that's why getting cut hurts so much, 'cause I don't know how to tell her. Or who I am without football. Wait, can you compel that into me?” Ethan sighed heavily confiding in me and MG the stress in his human life.

MG leaned back on the couch. “Uh...Yeah. But, um, I'd rather help you figure that out on the other side.”

“Well, I'm curious about your next move.” Ethan said knowing I wouldn’t compel the truth from him. “You can say that you're not a superhero, but that's a load of crap. If there's one thing guys like us know, with great power comes great responsibility. So how are you gonna use those powers for good?

My phone vibrates in my pocket where I put it to my ear standing away in the corner from the two boys hearing my father’s voice. “Melissa, finally I thought we agreed no ignoring my text messages.”

“Sorry, dad. There’s some stuff going on with Ethan. What’s wrong?” I asked him.

My father responded before he hung up the phone. “Your mother is running off somewhere and I’m going to follow her. I’ll be back in a few days.”

“Hey guys so if we are keeping this whole friendship/ relationship a secret we should probably get out of here. How about we go toss the old pigskin around?” Clasping my hands together I went back to the guys who ended their conversation. MG nodded and Ethan had a huge grin on his face.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[livlepretre]

yYou updated at the perfect time for me. I’m on the last day of my vacation, so I’m tanning on the mediterranean beach, sipping sangria and devouring every single word of this chapter - what a sweet way end to my holiday!

The last update gave me such a sad feeling for elena, even though you said she is actually happy. Now that she's decided to ignore Stefan and not allow him to impact her, to take charge of her relationship with Bex and get a sense of control over their relationship (I LOVE that Rebekah lets her, I think she can tell that she needs it), and, of course, to form a new bond with Kol, I can truly feel her happiness. My jaw was on the floor when she confided in Kol about her feelings about the daggering. She hadn't even discussed it with Rebecca to this degree, so I can only imagine how relieved she must feel now that she's spoken up and that Kol has genuinely understood and offered unspoken support.

Of couse my favorite thing about this chapter is Klaus’s misery which is bringing him closer and closer to his breaking point. Him yearning for her, regretting his past decisions and being in pain always puts a smile on my face. My favorite scene by far was him having to sit next to her while she was genuinely enjoying her time and he was just NOT.

I havent seen this mentioned in any comment: I feel like Stefan is actually going off the rails, like what the actual fuck???? was it him alone that killed that entire club?

My theory is that Kol is there to find a way to kill Klaus, as that was his agenda 100 years ago which got him daggered (what else would he be doing in nola anyways??). Rebekah is helping him because she knows she can’t actually be free from Klaus and can’t freely pursue her relationship with Elena (she wants to turn her but klaus is so against it and I feel like Rebekah secretly chooses Elena over Klaus. She chose Stefan over Klaus back in the days in Chicago. OMG maybe that’s what she means by the nostalgia of a farewell???)

Fuck this was such a great chapter I will definitely write more about it once i sober up and reread it lol

Also I wanted to ask you, do you prefer getting comments/asks here on tumblr or on ao3? I will adapt to your preference for future chapters😁

PS im getting progressively drunker as I’m writing this so it might not even make sense fuck me I hope you got the gist of what im rambling about💕😘

ugh, tanning on the Mediterranean beach, YOU ARE TRULY LIVING

going to admit that I was shrieking my way through this comment, thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on this chapter with me 💖

I think Elena needed to just draw some boundaries-- she's done it with Stefan, she's done it with Rebekah, and she's even managed it with Klaus (which: that is HARD work)

I think she was probably able to talk to Kol a little better because they're sort of intimate strangers-- they have the same people in common, she has read and admired his work-- but she doesn't really know him, and so there's no baggage there-- no fear of rejection, really, or of being honest-- because really, what are the stakes? and he catches her at just the right moment, in just the right mood, to want to share that with him

SUCH a great point though, that these are feelings that she has kept so closely locked up inside of herself that she doesn't share them with anyone-- and maybe she managed to share them better with Kol BECAUSE he would have used the gold dagger himself-- because he had that same capability to slay Klaus, someone he loves (even if it's very complicated)

I realized while editing this chapter that it takes forever for Klaus to even have a speaking line, but BOY does that silent smothering agony during the play speak volumes about his state

oh, our boy Stefan is going as far off the rails as it is possible to go

I think actually Elena was the last thing keeping him going and now that she's decided she's done, he's gone, he's speeding downhill on fire and just gathering speed, and there is no one at all who is going to stop his fall. it's actually terrible timing for him that Kol is here now, because Kol is just going to find things to add fuel to the fire and enjoy warming his hands by it-- being an Original, I think Kol is a bit more impervious to the downsides of being a ripper (ummm insanity? but I guess all of the Originals suffer from this anyway?)

As for the club, Rebekah and Klaus ended up killing some folks, but only Stefan was feasting; I think Rebekah and Klaus were doing damage control

Fascinated by your theory as to what Kol is doing here, and just, everything you said. I will neither confirm nor deny-- but leave it to the upcoming chapters to reveal all! Absolutely SCREAMING though that you are still percolating over the nostalgia of a farewell line!

and I am thrilled to get any comments at all, ao3 vs tumblr is really up to you!

xoxo thank you so much for this comment!! hope the remainder of your vacation was GREAT!

[sinful-huntress]

would any of the boys be into shibari? i wonder who..

Hm....

So, I had to look this up to make sure I knew what was going on. And so we're on the same page:

Shibari, or Kinbaku is the casual, artistic, or sexual/ sensual art of rope tying with an emphasis on the act of tying ropes rather than the knots themselves. Often paired with nicer ropes/ materials as the point is to enjoy the sensation of the ropes not being tied down completely.

Klaus

Is very hesitant at first, doesn't like how overly controlling it feels at first

Comes around because he the feel of the material against his partner's skin and he can take his time (and he doesn't have to actually tie his partner up)

Prone to use silk, satin, and lace "ropes" (more like scarves than a traditional rope) for the soft, flowy sensation

Can get extremely into the act (and lowkey riled up to the max) due to how intimate it feels (even if it's more casual [like I'd assume doing so fully clothed or only around the legs/ arms? not sure about that but Klaus loves it to pieces]

Won't be the first to ask, but won't turn down his partner when they request (out of respect and not wanting to force anything on his partner)

Has no problem letting his partner tie him up, but will be very vocal about things he finds comfortable the whole time (gently though cause he trusts you completely)

.

Steven

Was the one to suggest first (because he loves this)

Near expert level with it, a little too smooth with his motions, and can flip his partner around way too easily

Also prone to using silk, satin, and lace but won't hesitate to use soft ropes as well despite how much more teasing he can do with scarves

Would do this every night if his partner wants to, preferably in a sensual/ sexual context

Might be a little pushy about turning casual play into a teasing fest until you cave to being more intimate

More than a little reluctant to be the one tied down, but will submit on occasion

.

Leo

Has to look it up and save up to get anything that won't leave scratch marks on both of you

Would prefer to use blankets or sheets (torn into strips or something) until one of you can get better ropes/ scarves (assuming you don't have some stashed away)

Can get a little panicky about submitting to be being tied up (the number of times this poor boy has been kidnapped...)

Gets flustered very quickly and fumbles a lot... trying to follow a guide or specific pattern the whole time (until you tell him not to)

Red tomato face for days, he didn't know he'd like it that much and hesitates to ask about doing it (even if he does love the feeling)

.

Zapp

Cannot do this to save his life

Always ends up just tying his partner down and having sex

When you can get him to slow down, he's relatively good at it

He prefers to use rougher materials with intent to mark his partner as his (a few good smacks or rules in the bedroom usually calms this down)

When he does let himself enjoy the sensations, it drives him wild and he can get super creative by using his blood threads to guide the rope/ scarf across your body while his hands go the opposite direction just to feel

He makes it non-negotiable about being sensual/ sexual, he blatantly refuses to do this casually

.

Zed

TOO. MUCH. RESEARCH.

Despite being very flustered over the act, he loves it (it is basically what he does anyways just with added soft materials to make it better)

Hesitates to actually tie knots, so usually just slides the material across his partner's body

Makes sure he isn't hurting you to an excessive degree the whole time and that you're comfortable (since he's naturally cold plus the silk/satin/lace rope/scarf being chilly to bare skin)

Memorizes certain patterns and techniques (particularly ones his partner likes) and becomes a bit of an expert on this

Can be a little hesitant about being the one tied down, but ultimately trusts you to both listen to him and not do anything that would harm him (Especially when you get close to his neck/ gills)

Very experimental with the materials and techniques, but only uses his blood threads if his partner is okay with it

Though he will try the pull up one way and slip a hand down the other method a few times just to see

Doesn't understand how it could be casual and gets very flustered if you try to show him videos of the artistic side (until he realizes the non-sensual/ sexual versions are performed fully clothed... then he wants to try it)

Won't try to force it, but will ask often enough (maybe once or twice a week) because it allows him to be that little bit extra intimate with his partner

[nicolettesdreamworld]

Guilty as sin - Chapter 10

The next day, Nicolette found herself sitting in her car in front of the Salvatore home, staring at the house, but unable to move. Her head was spinning with a whirlwind of emotions, each one battling for control. First, there was the happiness. She and Tyler had spent the previous night talking, really talking, about everything—their relationship, his new hybrid nature, the pull Klaus had over him. It was raw, honest, and in a way, it had brought them closer.

One thing had led to another, and what had started as an emotional heart-to-heart had turned into a passionate night together. For the first time in what felt like forever, Nicolette had felt connected to Tyler again, like the boy she had fallen for was still in there, fighting to resurface. For a moment, she had allowed herself to believe that maybe, just maybe, they could fix things.

But today was different. Today brought confusion and unease. Sitting in her car, Nicolette scrolled through her phone for the tenth time, her thumb hovering over the message she had received that morning from an unknown number.

"Meet me at the Salvatore house. We need to talk. – Rebekah."

Rebekah. Just the thought of her name sent a shiver down Nicolette’s spine. She had no idea why Rebekah would want to talk to her, but the prospect made her stomach twist in knots. After everything Rebekah had done—snapping her neck, tormenting her about Klaus, and now apparently being tasked with watching over Tyler—what could she possibly want?

Her mind raced with worst-case scenarios. Was this a trap? Another one of Klaus' manipulative moves to get under her skin? Or did Rebekah have her own agenda?

Nicolette leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. Part of her wanted to drive away, to ignore the message and not get involved in whatever game Rebekah was playing. But the other part—the part that wanted answers, that needed to protect Tyler and everyone else—knew she couldn’t just walk away.

With a sigh, Nicolette opened her eyes and stared at the house in front of her. Whatever was about to happen, she needed to be ready. After all, this was the world they lived in now—where ancient vampires, hybrids, and supernatural games dictated their lives.

Nicolette debated driving away, her fingers tightening around the steering wheel, heart thudding in her chest. Just as she was about to turn the ignition, Elena's car pulled up next to her, snapping her out of her internal conflict. She frowned and, after a moment of hesitation, grabbed her keys, pocketed her phone, and stepped out of the car.

Elena climbed out of her car, looking equally tense. “What are you doing here?” Nicolette asked, her voice laced with confusion as she crossed her arms, trying to shake the nervous feeling in her gut.

Elena looked just as surprised to see her. “I’ve been bugging Rebekah to tell me about her family ever since we found the cave. She’s been avoiding it, but today, she finally said she’d talk.” Elena paused for a moment, then asked, “What are you doing here?”

Nicolette glanced around the empty grounds of the Salvatore house, almost as if expecting something—or someone—to jump out at them. “She texted me,” she said, her brow furrowing. “Said she needed to talk.”

Elena raised an eyebrow. “That’s... strange.”

Nicolette let out a huff. “Tell me about it. I’m still trying to figure out why Rebekah would want anything to do with me after everything that’s happened. But I couldn’t just ignore it.”

The two girls exchanged a look, both sensing the tension hanging in the air. Whatever Rebekah had planned, it couldn’t be good. Rebekah wasn’t exactly known for her kindness, and the last time she and Nicolette had crossed paths, it had ended with broken necks and threats.

“You think she’s up to something?” Nicolette asked.

Elena shrugged, though her expression was far from confident. “With Rebekah? Always. But we can’t ignore her. We need to know what she knows, especially with Klaus still calling the shots and Stefan out there doing God knows what.” Her voice grew quieter, and Nicolette could sense the worry beneath Elena’s determined facade.

“Yeah,” Nicolette sighed, glancing back at the house. “I guess we’re about to find out.”

Together, they walked toward the Salvatore house, both bracing themselves for whatever twisted game Rebekah might be playing.

As they walked through the doors of the Salvatore house—because, honestly, who ever knocked here?—Nicolette and Elena stepped into the living room. Rebekah was already there, lounging on one of the couches as if she owned the place, a faint smile tugging at her lips.

“Ah, finally,” Rebekah said, her voice sweet but dripping with that usual smugness. “Nicolette. So glad you could make it.” Her gaze flickered to Elena, her smile fading slightly. “And Elena. Well, I suppose I can tolerate your presence for now.”

Elena shot a quick glance at Nicolette, but Nicolette couldn’t take her eyes off Rebekah. Something felt... off. The way Rebekah looked at her wasn’t filled with malice or condescension like usual. In fact, she seemed almost... friendly.

Rebekah rose from the couch and, in a move that nearly had Nicolette’s skin crawling, approached her with an odd sense of warmth. “I’m glad you came,” Rebekah said, her tone sincere, as if this wasn’t the same woman who had snapped Nicolette’s neck the last time they’d met. “We have a lot to talk about.”

Nicolette forced a polite smile, though she couldn’t hide the unease creeping through her. “Yeah... we do.”

It felt strange, standing here in what felt like friendly conversation with Rebekah. The girl who’d taunted her, hurt her, and made her life a living hell in recent days. And yet, Rebekah seemed genuinely happy to see her, which freaked Nicolette out more than if she had walked into a room full of threats.

Elena cleared her throat, breaking the tension. “So, what is this about? You said you’d tell me more about your family, Rebekah. That’s why I’m here.”

Rebekah’s smile twisted, growing a little sharper as she glanced Elena’s way. “Patience, doppelgänger. I’m sure you’ll find it worth the wait.”

Rebekah’s voice cut through the tension as she turned her back on Nicolette and Elena. "But first..." she said, her tone dripping with amusement, "Girls, have at it."

Nicolette furrowed her brow, confusion filling her as she exchanged a quick look with Elena. Who was Rebekah talking to?

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the house, and a line of girls entered the living room, all wearing homecoming dresses. They walked in with vacant expressions, eyes glazed over as if they were puppets on strings. Compelled. The realization hit Nicolette like a punch to the gut.

"Okay, now twirl, please," Rebekah commanded, her voice saccharine sweet as she gestured to the compelled girls. Without hesitation, the girls spun around, showcasing their dresses as if they were on some kind of bizarre runway.

Nicolette and Elena exchanged looks of disgust, both equally appalled by what they were seeing. Rebekah, however, looked utterly delighted by her impromptu fashion show.

“You’ve compelled your own private runway show?” Elena asked, her voice filled with disbelief and a hint of anger.

Rebekah’s smile widened, her eyes gleaming with pride. "I need a homecoming dress. So what do you think?" She glanced between Nicolette and Elena, as if this were the most normal, everyday thing in the world. "Pick one."

Nicolette stared at her, completely speechless for a moment. Of all the things she’d been expecting—some form of manipulation, a threat, maybe even some cryptic message from Klaus—this was the last thing she had anticipated.

“You’re joking, right?” Nicolette finally said, her voice laced with a mix of disbelief and irritation.

Rebekah's expression remained unfazed, her eyes still fixed on the compelled girls. “I wouldn’t joke about something as important as this. I’m going to make quite the entrance, after all.”

Nicolette let out a frustrated sigh, glancing at Elena again, who looked equally exasperated.

"Rebekah, seriously," Elena said, her voice steady but filled with irritation. "This is insane. You can’t just compel a group of girls to play dress-up for you."

Rebekah scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, spare me your moral high ground, Elena. It's not like I’m asking for much. Just a little fashion advice." She turned to Nicolette with an expectant smile. "So? Which one do you like best?"

“We’re not here to help you shop,” Elena said firmly, her voice steady. “I’m here to talk about why you don’t want me to wake up Mikael.”

Rebekah’s smirk widened at Elena's words, but the amusement in her eyes quickly turned to something more dangerous. In a flash, she sped across the room, fangs extended, her arm gripping a blonde girl from behind, her teeth hovering dangerously close to the girl's throat.

Elena tensed, instinctively taking a step forward, and Nicolette was right beside her, mirroring the movement.

“I said pick one, Elena,” Rebekah’s voice was sharp, her fangs still on display, daring Elena to defy her.

Elena hesitated, her gaze flicking between the terrified girl in Rebekah’s grasp and Nicolette, who looked back at her with wide eyes. After a moment of tense silence, Elena lifted her hand and pointed to one of the girls. “The red one.”

“There,” Rebekah cooed, smoothing out the blonde girl’s hair with a chillingly gentle touch. “That wasn’t so hard, was it? Go away. Remember nothing.”

Nicolette watched in silent horror as the compelled girls left the room, their expressions vacant and unaware of the danger they had just been in. The casual cruelty in Rebekah's behavior sent a shiver down her spine.

Rebekah turned back toward them, her eyes glinting with that same mix of charm and menace that made her so unsettling. She strode over to Elena, her expression hardening as she met her gaze.

“You do not threaten me,” Rebekah hissed, stepping closer until they were nearly face to face. Nicolette, heart racing, instinctively moved slightly in front of Elena, shielding her.

Rebekah’s eyes flickered to Nicolette briefly before refocusing on Elena. “You will learn what I allow you to learn. Is that clear?”

Nicolette’s pulse was pounding in her ears, but she kept her posture firm, refusing to be intimidated. She could feel Elena tensing behind her, but neither of them backed down.

Rebekah’s gaze lingered for a moment longer, her smirk returning as if she'd won some silent battle. Then, without another word, she stepped back, her demeanor shifting once more to something more playful, like the tension moments earlier had never existed.

"Now," Rebekah said lightly, as though nothing had happened, "let’s talk about Mikael, shall we?

Rebekah’s smirk softened as she shifted the conversation, her eyes clouding with the distant look of someone recalling memories long buried. “Our family used to live in Eastern Europe. It was during the time of the plague, and death was everywhere. My father, Mikael, was a hard man, determined to protect us. But even he couldn't fight an invisible enemy.”

Nicolette and Elena stood still, listening intently as Rebekah’s voice took on a strange melancholy. It was clear that the memory weighed heavy on her, though she masked it well with her usual aloofness.

"But then," Rebekah continued, "we heard stories. Whispers of a new land across the sea. A place where people were healthy, strong, and fast."

Elena's brow furrowed, her mind working quickly to piece it together. “Fast?” she repeated, her voice tentative.

Rebekah looked at her sharply, eyes gleaming with something close to pride. “Yes, fast,” she confirmed. “We didn’t know what it meant then. We just thought it was paradise, somewhere to escape the death that surrounded us. But it was more than that.” Her gaze turned hard. “We were settling in what we would later come to know as werewolf territory.”

Nicolette’s heart sank. It was as if a dark veil had been pulled over Rebekah’s tale, and the weight of what was to come felt inevitable.

"It was my youngest brother, Henrik,” Rebekah said, her voice softer now, almost a whisper. “He was... curious about them, the werewolves. He and Niklaus snuck out one night to see the transformation. But..." She paused, eyes downcast for a brief moment before hardening again. "Henrik didn’t make it home.”

The room felt like it had grown colder. Elena’s eyes were wide, a flicker of sadness and realization crossing her face.

Rebekah didn’t stop, her voice hardening with bitterness. “It was a full moon. They attacked. Tore my brother apart while Niklaus watched, helpless to stop it.”

Elena’s breath hitched as she fully grasped what Rebekah was saying. “That’s why your mother...”

"Turned us into vampires,” Rebekah finished for her, her voice sharp and cold. “Yes. After Henrik's death, my mother, the Original Witch, did the unthinkable. She cast a spell, creating us as the first vampires, to make us stronger, faster... to protect us. But it came at a cost."

Nicolette stood frozen, the weight of Rebekah’s words sinking into her bones. It wasn’t just a story anymore. It was the origin of everything that had led them to this moment—the Salvatore brothers, Klaus, the Originals, and even Tyler’s transformation. It all traced back to this tragic event, to this one family and their fall from humanity.

"Our father, Mikael, hunted us down like animals,” Rebekah continued, her tone laced with bitterness. “He saw us as abominations. Monsters. He despised what we had become, especially Niklaus...”

There was a heavy pause, Rebekah's eyes darkening.

“Klaus,” Elena whispered, understanding now, “because he’s a hybrid.”

Rebekah’s gaze snapped to Elena, her lips curling slightly, as if proud that she’d caught on. “Yes. He’s part werewolf, and for that, Mikael hated him more than all of us combined.”

Nicolette felt a chill run down her spine as Rebekah’s words settled in. Everything had been set in motion by a single event—Henrik’s death. The origin of the Originals. Their curse. Their pain.

"You said your mother turned you? How?" Nicolette asked, her curiosity tinged with disbelief.

Rebekah's face was unreadable as she replied, "She slipped some blood into our wine, and then our father drove a sword through our hearts."

Nicolette gasped, her eyes widening. "He killed you?" The thought of Mikael, a father she already knew to be terrifying, murdering his own children sent a shudder through her. She touched the faint scar on her face, a reminder of her own near-death encounter with him centuries ago. She had always known Mikael was brutal, but this? This was unimaginable.

Rebekah's expression remained detached, her voice cold. "He wasn't gentle about it, either."

Nicolette's heart sank. She had experienced Mikael's cruelty firsthand, but hearing that he had killed his innocent children in such a calculated way left her shaken. She had never imagined the depths of his madness. Killing his children, turning them into something he would later hunt and despise, was beyond anything she could fathom.

Elena looked between them, wide-eyed, trying to process the revelation. "But why?" she asked, her voice cracking with disbelief. "How could he do that to his own family?"

Rebekah's gaze flickered to Elena, her lips curling into a bitter smile. "To make us stronger. Faster. So that we could survive. In his twisted mind, it was the only way to protect us. But in doing so, he made us into the very monsters he came to hate."

Nicolette’s heart sank even deeper. The Originals weren’t just powerful, immortal beings. They were victims of their own father’s twisted love, cursed to live forever because of his inability to protect them in any other way. The cruelty of it weighed heavy on her chest.

"And Niklaus?" Nicolette asked softly, not sure if she really wanted the answer.

Rebekah’s eyes darkened at the mention of her brother. "Niklaus had a different curse to bear. Our mother, in her grief and fear, discovered his werewolf bloodline. She bound his wolf side, made him a hybrid—but incomplete. He spent centuries searching for a way to break that curse, to become what he is now."

Nicolette felt a surge of anger. Klaus had caused so much pain in her life, in all of their lives. But hearing the truth about his past, about the betrayal by his own family, made her understand him in a way that she wished she didn’t. It didn’t excuse his actions, but it added a layer of complexity she hadn’t been prepared for.

"Your family...," Nicolette started, but words failed her. She couldn’t imagine the centuries of pain, betrayal, and violence that Rebekah had lived through.

Rebekah raised an eyebrow. "Yes, my family," she said with a cold smile. "Is it any wonder we're all so messed up?"

Nicolette remained silent, the weight of the truth pressing down on her. She had spent so long hating Klaus and fearing the Originals, but now that she knew the full story, she found herself feeling something she never thought possible—pity.

Rebekah swallowed hard, her face tightening as if she was on the verge of tears, but she quickly pushed past it, brushing by both Elena and Nicolette. "You've heard the story. It's time to go," she said, her voice cold and distant. She shot a sharp look at Elena. "I said leave, Elena! I don’t know what you’re up to, but I am no longer playing along."

Elena stood her ground, her tone steady as she said, "I’m just looking for one good reason why we shouldn’t wake Mikael."

Nicolette, frowning in disbelief, turned to Elena. "Are you serious, Elena? That man is an abusive murderous monster!"

Elena looked at Nicolette, her expression one of confusion. It was clear she didn’t understand why Nicolette was suddenly defending Rebekah, the girl who had caused so much pain.

Rebekah shook her head, bitter laughter escaping her. "She will anyway," she said, her voice full of resignation. "I know you want him to help you kill my brother. I’m not stupid."

"It’s no secret that I want Klaus dead," Elena admitted. "He has a hold over Stefan’s life and over mine."

Rebekah's glare hardened, her eyes flashing with fury. "Do what you need. Wake Mikael at your own peril. But make no mistake," she said, stepping closer to Elena. "If you come after my brother, I will rip you apart. And I get my temper from my father." She pointed toward the door. "Now leave."

Elena cast her eyes down, the weight of Rebekah's threat settling in. She looked back at Nicolette. "Let's just go."

Nicolette hesitated, glancing between Elena and Rebekah. "You go," she said after a pause. "I promised Damon I'd come by, so I'll wait for him here."

Elena gave her a puzzled look but didn’t press the issue. She nodded and headed for the door, leaving Nicolette standing alone, her lie hanging in the air. Rebekah didn’t seem to care about the deceit, but Nicolette could feel the tension thickening around them.

Rebekah settled onto the couch, her usual air of confidence and sharpness briefly giving way to a quieter, more reflective demeanor. Nicolette watched her for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. Finally, she walked over to the bar cart, poured two hefty glasses of bourbon, and made her way to the couch, sitting down next to Rebekah. Without a word, she handed her one of the glasses.

For a moment, they sat in silence, the weight of everything unsaid between them. Then, almost unexpectedly, Nicolette spoke, her voice soft. "I'm sorry about Henrik... and what your father put you through."

Rebekah looked at her, visibly caught off guard. Confusion flickered across her face, as if she couldn’t understand why Nicolette was suddenly offering her kindness. "Why would you say that?" Rebekah asked, her voice quieter than usual, still carrying a guarded edge.

Nicolette shrugged, staring down at her drink. "Because... I know what it’s like to lose people, to be hurt by someone you trusted. What your father did, it's beyond cruel." She glanced up at Rebekah. "No one deserves that."

Rebekah’s expression softened for just a moment, the walls she’d built so high around her emotions beginning to crack. But she quickly masked it with her usual bravado. "I’m a thousand-year-old vampire. I don’t need your sympathy."

"I know," Nicolette replied, her tone steady. "But it doesn't mean you don’t deserve it."

For a moment, Rebekah said nothing. She took a sip of the bourbon, her eyes distant, as if lost in a memory she couldn’t escape. The silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable, though—it was filled with a quiet understanding.

Rebekah’s gaze narrowed, and her voice dropped to a more serious tone. "When I spoke of my father... you touched the scar on your face. Am I safe to assume he did that to you?"

Nicolette nodded, a heaviness settling in her chest. "Centuries ago..," she replied, her voice steady despite the memories that threatened to resurface.

Rebekah’s expression shifted, a mixture of shock and empathy crossing her features. "I can’t believe he would go that far," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He did the same to his own children."

Nicolette could sense the pain in Rebekah’s words, the shared trauma binding them in an unexpected way. "You survived," she said softly. "We both did. That counts for something."

"Does it?" Rebekah asked, her eyes reflecting a storm of emotions. "Sometimes I feel like the scars we carry define us more than we’d like to admit."

"They only define us if we let them," Nicolette replied, her voice firm. "We have the power to rewrite our stories." For a moment silence filled the space surrounding them.

Nicolette chuckled lightly, breaking the tension in the air. "To be honest, I still think you’re a raging bitch," she said, a playful glint in her eyes. "But at least now I understand why. It doesn’t excuse your cruelty, but it explains it."

Rebekah raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Well, at least I’m not just a villain in your story anymore," she retorted, her tone lightening. "I’m a villain with a tragic backstory."

"Exactly," Nicolette replied, a warmth spreading through her chest. "We all have our demons, don’t we? But it’s how we choose to face them that really matters."

Rebekah’s smirk faded slightly, replaced by a more genuine expression. "Maybe there’s hope for me yet," she said, her voice softening. "Or maybe I just need more bourbon."

Nicolette laughed, raising her glass. "Here’s to bad choices and unlikely friendships, then."

"Cheers to that," Rebekah replied, clinking her glass against Nicolette’s once more. In that moment, beneath the weight of their shared histories, a new understanding began to blossom, laying the groundwork for an unexpected alliance.

Next chapter

[osarina]

ᡣ𐭩 WORSHIP LIKE A DOG AT THE SHRINE OF YOUR LIES

FEATURING: dazai osamu

SUMMARY: an unfortunately timed encounter with dazai drives you to make a reckless decision, and reckless decisions have devastating consequences. your attachment to him is becoming dangerous: too many people are becoming suspicious of it, and dazai is becoming suspicious of you. it has to end.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: PART TWO AT LAST!!! i will have you guys know i literally went through 6 different crises writing this chapter, rewrote it literally 4 times and nearly cried because i couldn't figure out what was wrong with it BUT i'm pretty pleased with how it turned out!! i hope you guys enjoy!! also for those of you that keep up with the general pm!reader universe, we're finally being introduced to one of the major charas i've been talking about there <.< anyway, take dazai slowly starting to figure things out but then being willfully blind and reader being an absolute fool. they're both stupid for each other i fear

GENERAL WARNINGS: fem!reader, port mafia executive!reader, civilian!dazai, dazai's struggles w suicide & sh, reader partakes in mafia business, dazai isn't dazai without a bit of obsessiveness and possessiveness (the possessiveness doesn't come til later but the obsessiveness starts from day 0).

CHAPTER SPECIFIC WARNINGS: reader gets slapped (not by dazai LOL), reader also gets hurt pretty bad in this chapter, we get into some general world building for bsd!europe & japan here too

SEE: WASTELAND, BABY! SERIES MASTERLIST

The next time you run into Dazai, it is very unfortunately timed.

You’re with one of your subordinates—Klaus, Klaus of all fucking people—trying to hunt down one of the members of the Inagawa-kai who has been sticking his nose too close to one of the Port Mafia’s biggest warehouses in the ports of Kanagawa-ku. It’s almost dusk, and it’s about to start raining, so the last thing you expect to hear is a confused call of your name from behind you.

“What the fuck?” Klaus mutters, turning to face the direction that the voice had come from, but you stop him before he can, physically stopping him from turning his head by pressing your palm flat against his face and forcing him to look forward

“Go to the warehouse,” you say coolly, hoping your voice doesn’t come out half as taken off guard as you feel. You think you succeeded from the way Klaus gives you an irritated look instead of a concerned one. “That’s an order, Klaus.”

Klaus bristles, clearly having no intention of budging. Stubborn boy, you think, and it’s usually with a distinct fondness, smiling to yourself when he’s not looking over how the kid went from hating your guts to throwing his life on the line to keep you safe, but now it’s only with frustration because you cannot allow Klaus to meet Dazai. You care about him, you do, he wormed his way into your life after Itou’s death in a way that you didn’t think anyone would ever be capable of, but he’ll expose you. Dazai is much sharper and calculating than he likes to make himself appear. If he interacts with Klaus, there’s no way he won’t figure out something is up, and if he does… 

No loose ends.

“If those Inagawa fuckers show up-” Klaus begins, snapping you out of your train of thought, voice tight and body tense, but you cut him off sharply. 

“To the warehouse,” you say, harsher this time. “Now. Or next time, I’ll bring Akutagawa.”

Klaus gives you a surprised look but then scowls at you, snapping his head forward and promptly storming away from you in the direction of the ports, making a show of how displeased he is. You roll your eyes and turn to face Dazai, who’s looking between the two of you curiously, an iced coffee cradled between his hands, one that you’re sure is filled with a copious amount of milk and sugar.

“It’s cold out,” you say dryly, making sure your voice comes across as judgmental as possible to offend him, knowing it’ll draw him out of whatever suspicious thoughts he’s currently having.

Dazai instantly scowls at you, and amusement bubbles in your chest. He’s dressed up today, compared to how you usually see him, wearing black pants and a white sweater with black stripes, a suit jacket that’s too big for him draped over his shoulders. Cute, you think, a bit of warmth spreading through your chest at the sight of him, but that makes you frown, Chuuya’s words from the other night ringing through your ears.

“You’ve been ignoring me,” Dazai sighs whimsically instead of acknowledging your veiled insult, words drawn a bit long into a whine and lip pushed out.

“I always ignore you,” you say dryly, leaning back against the wall, tilting your head to the side as you look over him once. “I have literally only ever responded to one of your messages.”

“Yeah, but you always read them.” Dazai is undeterred, pushing his lip out more as he gives you big, doe-like eyes. “You’re not even reading them anymore.”

“I’m busy,” you shrug, and it’s not entirely a lie. 

You are busy—more than busy, actually, you’ve been completely swamped with trying to get things together for the event taking place in a week and a half. You’ve had meetings every day, you’ve hardly slept at all the past week or so, and you’re sure it shows. 

But it’s not an excuse as to why you’re not reading Dazai’s messages, because you enjoy reading Dazai’s messages. They’re a nice break from reality, being able to scroll through and read all of his complaints about his class assignments, and classmates, and professors.

they didn’t have my favorite pastry today at the cafe o(〒﹏〒)o i saw this plushie and it made me think of u. get it, cuz it’s a penguin, and u always wear fancy suits (⁀ᗢ⁀) penguins r one of my favorite animals btw ;) there’s a reallyyyyy nice restaurant by campus i wanted to go to. hint hint. HINT. 

It’s not a matter of being busy—it’s a matter of Chuuya’s warning haunting you every time you get a break from work. You do go to look at his messages whenever you have time, but when you’re about to click on the message thread, you find yourself chickening out, the thought of one of your enemies getting their hands on him too real of a threat for you to ignore.

This is dangerous, too, you realize, with a lump in your throat. You’re here with Klaus to get your hands on one of the members of Inagawa-kai, the syndicate that’s been pushing further into the northern wards. They’ve had scouts pressing too close to one of the Port Mafia’s biggest weapons warehouses, and you need to handle this before it escalates.

“Too busy to even read my texts?” He sounds aggrieved, drawing you from your thoughts, and it makes your lips curl up slightly. “I think-I, uh, I think-I…”

Dazai stares at you, face flushed, and you raise your eyebrows, wondering why he’s stuttering so hard over his words.

“You think…?” you drawl, urging him to continue, but Dazai only stares at you, lips parted and dark eyes soft and pretty—the setting sun hitting them in a way that makes them look like warm pools of honey. The quip on your lip dies quickly as you watch the light spread across his face, breath hitching at the sight.

Oh.

“I think you’re really pretty,” Dazai says softly and then snaps his lips shut as if he hadn’t meant to say it out loud. He fumbles as he forces out, “Really pretty annoying. I mean, honestly, I take time out of my day to give you all of my life updates, the least you can do is acknowledge them.”

“Oh yeah?” you say, a smile tugging at the corners of your lips—a genuine one, and you try to remind yourself again of Chuuya’s warnings. You try to picture what could happen to Dazai if you continue this, but all you can picture is his flustered expression under the golden rays of the sun and the way it made your chest all light and fluttery.

“Yes,” Dazai stresses, lifting his chin as if to make a point. “That’s what I said, yes.”

Your lips part to speak, but before you can, a loud crash comes from one of the back alleys behind you leading to the ports. Your smile drops instantly, gaze cutting to the side as you try to figure out what’s going on. 

Shit, you think, remembering why you’re here. Did the Inagawa-kai show up?

You look back at Dazai and catch the curious look that drags between you and the alley behind you, obviously having put together that whatever it is, it has to do with you—and that’s not good. You need to get him out of here. You’re sure Klaus is somewhere back there dealing with this, but if the fighting draws out into the open…

“I have to go,” you say, trying not to come across as too suspicious, but you’re pretty sure it’s a lost cause from how Dazai is studying you. “I’ll read your texts later.”

Dazai doesn’t answer them for a moment, as if trying to decide whether or not he’s going to press you for answers, be annoying and try to tag along (which you obviously can’t let happen), or if he’s just going to leave. You have to physically hold back a sigh of relief when he chooses the latter.

“Will you answer them too?” Dazai presses with a sweet smile, eyes wide and imploring.

“Don’t push it.”

Dazai sighs dramatically, tilting his head back. “She ignores me, she shoos me away like a bug, and now she spurns me,” he whines melodramatically. “My sweet bella hates me. She wants me dead.”

“You’re so dramatic,” you tell him before lifting your hand and waving your hand to literally shoo him away, snorting as he gasps in offense. “Goodbye, Dazai.”

“Goodbye, cruel world,” Dazai pouts, gaze lingering on you for a moment before he turns to leave. You watch him walk away—as soon as he’s out of sight, you’re turning on your heel and making your way down the side street where the crash had come from, hand slipping into your suit jacket to grab the grip of your gun, flipping off the safety before turning the corner.

You pause when you see Klaus there, pinning an unfamiliar man to the ground hard, teeth grit as he spits out whatever vile insults come to mind. A kyodai of the Inagawa-kai, you recognize after a moment, dread starting to tug at your stomach. Klaus silences when he hears you approach and when you raise your brows, questioning, he presses his lips together.

“He was watching you with that guy,” Klaus says tightly, and instantly, your world comes to a halt. “Was about to take a picture. I stopped him.”

You take in a short breath, mind racing as your gaze focuses on the man pinned to the ground by Klaus’s foot. His cheek is pressed hard against the asphalt as he glares up at you, lips sealed. You make sure to keep your expression void of the panic spreading through your chest, the realization of just how close the Inagawa-kai had come to learning about Dazai. Your heart races, a pit forming in your stomach.

Fuck.

“What do we do with him?” Klaus asks, putting more weight on the man’s back when he tries to push up, holding him firmly in place. “If we kill him, it’ll start a war with the Inagawa-kai. He’s one of their kyodai, and they won’t take this without some form of retribution. The boss didn’t want that yet.”

Fuck. Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck. For the first time in years, you’re at a loss as to what to do. Your mind fails you, desperately trying to come up with solutions but not a single one is viable. If you bring him back to headquarters, there’s a chance that Dazai’s existence will get out to the rest of the Mafia, and if Mori finds out… You don’t even want to think about that. More than that, there’s a chance he’ll escape, and then Dazai will be a target of the Inagawa-kai. Letting him go isn’t an option, obviously. And killing him…

You’d start a war. You’d throw Yokohama into a conflict that could escalate to the heights of the Dragon’s Head at its peak if you and Chuuya can’t get a handle on it before it explodes. If you kill him now, you’ll have to have Chuuya act tonight, and last-minute operations never end well.

But if you don’t… 

“He attacked you,” Klaus finally decides for you, blue eyes darting up to meet yours. “He attacked you, and I reacted. That’s what happened.”

“Klaus, no. You’ll get in trouble,” you tell him quietly, shaking your head. “Mori will be livid. He-”

You’re cut off by a disgusting crunch, eyes fluttering shut as blood splatters up, staining your pants and shirt. Your lip curls up in revulsion when you see that Klaus’s foot crushed right into the man’s back through to his chest. He grimaces as he pulls his foot out of his body, looking up to catch your gaze again.

“Klaus,” you breathe out, horrified. “No. What did you do?”

“He saw you with that guy. He was a civilian, wasn’t he? Looked like and you looked… I had to. If anyone knew you were seeing a…” Klaus’s throat bobs as he swallows, eyes flickering toward you nervously. He suddenly looks a lot like the seventeen-year-old he is, skittish and afraid. He asks quietly, “What do we do now?”

“... Call Chuuya. Get back to base and get everyone else ready for an operation. We need to act now.”

Hours later, Dazai is still puzzled. He sits on his futon, frowning as he stares at his phone. You have yet to read any of his messages like you promised, and Dazai isn’t stupid—far from it, in fact, no matter how much he tries to portray himself as it. He’d seen the concern flit across your face when you heard the crash from the alley, and he’d noticed how you were immediately trying to rush him out of there. 

Dazai had half a mind to trail after you, to see for himself what was going on, but he had a feeling that you might not forgive him for that when you were so plainly trying to get him to leave, and Dazai isn’t keen on losing the one person he can actually consider a friend.

He sighs as he sits cross-legged, resting his chin on his hand, elbow propped up on his knee as he absently scrolls through his phone.

He pulls up your message thread, typing out another message.

Dazai: helloooooo :(

He doesn’t send it. 

What were you doing there? 

Dazai was only cutting through the area because he had an appointment in Tsurumi, and it was faster to cut through the outer edges of the port shipyards to get to his apartment building than to go all the way around. But the ports are a bad area—shady people ranging from addicts to rapists skulk around the outskirts looking for unfortunate people to prey on, and in the inner parts of the ports, everyone knows the Mafia controls them. If you even try to get within half a mile of them, you’ll be shot, and your body will be dumped in the bay. 

It’s not a place he would’ve ever expected to see you, of all people, a woman with more money than god and a strong taste for the finer things in life. Why were you in one of the sketchiest parts of the city? And why did you seem comfortable there? Even Dazai is uncomfortable crossing through the outskirts of the ports to get to his apartments, will outright avoid it if the sun is going to set before he can get back to Hodogaya-ku. It makes no sense.

It’s suspicious.

Dazai’s mind begins to race with theories, none of which make any sense to him. He gnaws his bottom lip raw, brows furrowing in frustration, and then-

And then the entire city shakes.

Dazai’s eyes widen, hands flying to the ground to steady himself as his apartment rattles so hard that the dishes on his counter tumble over and shatter onto the ground, his whole bookshelf swaying back and forth dangerously. It lasts long—too long—Dazai swears that it goes on for over two minutes, dragging himself beneath the nearby counter to wait it out.

When it finally ends, he sits up straight and crawls out from beneath the counter to look out the window, trying to figure out what that was. He hears sirens in the distance, sees flames rising up above the skyline in the distance up in the northern wards

An earthquake?

It had to have been. 

What else could it be?

But something in Dazai’s stomach isn’t sitting right. He glances down at his phone, lying haphazardly on his futon, where his message thread with you is still open. He swallows thickly as he reaches to pick it up, deleting the drawn-out ‘hello’ he’d been debating on sending earlier.

Dazai: are you okay?

This time, when you don’t respond, Dazai’s heart sinks down into his stomach, a distinct feeling spreading through him that something is seriously wrong. 

You can’t breathe.

Ash and smoke clog your lungs, pain spreading through your body from the gaping wound on your side. You’d made it to Chuuya, and that’s what matters the most—the Black Lizards will have gotten to him by now. They’ll extract him and bring him back to the headquarters. 

Forty seconds, that’s how long he’d been in Corruption before you were able to put that wretched calamity god to sleep with your ability. Chuuya will be fine—his body will ache and be sore, he’ll sleep for almost a full day, but he’ll be okay. You, on the other hand? Your entire body feels like it's been set aflame, wounds litter your skin, everything protests as you try to push yourself forward—the high costs of trying to get near a deity of destruction that can manipulate gravity, you’re lucky you hadn’t been crushed into a pile of blood and dust.

Where the fuck even are you?

All you can see is fire and rubble, black spots dotting your vision. Your ears ring, you can’t hear anything. Your phone is gone, so you can’t even call for help. The northern half of Tsuzuki-ku had been obliterated by Arahabaki—no residential districts in the ward, luckily, but a ton of manufacturing centers had been demolished by the initial blast. Most of the Inagawa-kai branch that had been sent to expand into Yokohama should have been eliminated, and those that weren’t will be hunted down in the coming hours by the Black Lizards and your subordinates.

It was as successful as it could be considering how short of time you had to act on—Chuuya will be okay. The Port Mafia has landed a decisive strike on the Inagawa-kai. You just need to figure out where you are. You need to get back to headquarters. You need to-

Your knees buckle, and you lean against a crumbling wall, pressing your fingers to the laceration cutting through your abdomen caused by a shrapnel from the blast. Blood spills through them, pooling on the ground beneath you, and your head spins. 

Where are you? How had you gotten so separated from Chuuya and your subordinates? Did Arahabaki get one last blast off before it was put to sleep? Where is Klaus? Akutagawa? Kyouka and that new weretiger? The Black Lizards?

Your eyes feel heavy and blurry as you drag yourself forward. Southern Tsuzuki? Did you cross over into Midori? You can’t tell; there’s still rubble around, but not nearly as much as there would be if you were still up in the northern part of the ward. How the fuck did you get so far away? What had happened? The last you remember, you were crumpled on the ground near Chuuya, hardly withstanding the rising pressure around him, blood dribbling from your ears and head aching, reaching out for his arm, and now you’re… where?

You want to call out for Klaus, or Akutagawa, or anyone, but your throat is clogged with ash, and you fear that maybe you were dragged out here by surviving members of the Inagawa-ku, captured but for some reason, they’d gotten separated from you and you don’t want to alert them to where you are.

Where can you go?

You’ll never make it all the way to Naka-ku. Never. Your wound is too big, you’re bleeding too fast—you’ll never make it. There’s no one you can call, your phone is gone, and there’s no one in sight. You’ll die. You’ll die if you can’t get to someone you trust soon.

Where can you go?

Your eyes slide shut, and soft brown eyes burn behind your eyelids, a smile that’s become so achingly familiar.

No, you think desperately. No, it’s too risky.

But do you have another choice?

Dazai almost doesn’t hear the knock at his door. It’s weak, barely audible over the sirens resounding throughout the city, but he does hear it, so he sighs as he forces himself out of his futon, stumbling around through the dark to get to his front door. He’s irritated and bitter because he hardly ever sleeps if he’s not drunk or popping sleeping pills like candy, so when he opens the door, it’s with a twisted expression and vile words, ready to lash out at whoever decided three in the morning would be a good time to show up at his apartment.

“You-” The words die on his lips instantly, lips parting when he sees you leaning against the wall of the hallway.

For a second, Dazai is giddy. His expression lights up, his heart flutters in his chest; you’re in front of his door and Dazai’s world feels bright and warm again, like it always does whenever he’s around you.

And then he sees the blood.

Well, he smells it before he actually sees it. The thick scent of iron is one he’s unfortunately familiar with, so as soon as he inhales at the sight of you, it invades all of his senses. At once, his face drops, gaze lowering to your body, trying to seek out where the blood is coming from, but you’re wearing a long black jacket that you have tucked neatly around you as if purposefully hiding from him.

“I need to use your bathroom,” you finally say. Your voice is weaker than usual, breathier. You wince when you speak as if it physically hurts you, and your eyes are a bit unfocused. Dazai can only stare because what is going on?

“You’re bleeding,” he points out astutely.

“I’m on my period.”

Dazai watches as blood drips down from beneath your coat onto the gray tiles of the complex’s hallway, stares at it for a moment before he looks back up at you, partly in disbelief at your excuse and partly concerned. 

“It’s heavy,” you add after a moment, seemingly noticing what he’s looking at. “Bathroom?”

Dazai’s body moves on its own, blinking a few times as he steps out of the way for you, letting you into his apartment. Should he call an ambulance? Would there even be one available with the earthquake that just took place? He doubts it, so-

As soon as you take a step into his apartment, your knees buckle, and Dazai’s hands dart out to stop you from hitting the ground hard, sputtering out apologies when you gasp and cringe away from him after his hand makes contact with your side, which must be where the wound is. His heartbeat is erratic in his chest as he tries to figure out what to do, gaze darting around his messy apartment, actively trying to keep his breath steady. Your jacket is soaked with blood. His hands slide against the material as he tries to keep you steady, and his throat spasms when he sees how the warm, red substance smears across his skin and white sweatshirt, gagging. 

He’s used to blood. He is. The number of times he’s had to stitch himself up, the number of times he’s been dragged to the hospital to get stitched up, Dazai is so used to blood by now, so then why-

He has to force himself to move. His legs are stiff and uncooperative as he carefully scoops you up. He lets his mind wander to try to distract himself from your weight in his arms because, no, this is not how he imagined his first time being able to hold you would go, but he doesn’t really have time to think of that right now. He brings you over to the couch, laying you down carefully before kneeling on the ground next to you.

His eyes drag from where he’s pretty sure the wound is on your side back up to your face. His hands are shaking in his lap, and he’s glad you can’t set them because you’re studying him carefully, eyes a bit more unfocused than they usually are, and Dazai’s swallows thickly, wondering how much blood you lost.

He needs to-

He needs to see the wound. Right. He needs to see the wound to stop the bleeding.

“Can I…?” Dazai says hesitantly, motioning to your dark jacket. 

You look reluctant, but after a moment, you nod, and Dazai reaches out to shift your jacket to the side, eyes bulging when he sees the deep wound cutting through your side. The thin leather top you’re wearing is shredded around it, and the material seems to be so wet and sticky with blood that it’s sinking into the wound.

“How-”

“I tripped and fell,” you say flatly, wincing as you shift a bit to rummage through one of your pockets. Dazai’s lips part to tell you to stop moving, that you’re only going to make the wound worse, but his throat is dry, and no words can be pushed out. By the time he thinks he can speak, you’re already settling against the couch again. You pull out a pack of cigarettes and frown as if you were looking for something else. Then you look at him and ask, “Do you have a lighter?”

Dazai stares at you, appalled. The sheer audacity of your question momentarily draws him out of his frozen state. 

“Seriously?” he asks, voice riddled with disbelief, “Now?” 

But he does go over to his kitchen and grab his lighter, tossing it over to you before rushing into this bathroom. And for a moment, he just stands there at the sink, staring into the mirror, wasting time that he knows he doesn’t have. 

He fumbles to turn on the water of the sink, eyes lingering on how blood smears across the metal of the faucet.

God, the last time he was covered in someone else’s blood-

“Wash your hands before trying to treat the wound, Dazai. You’re going to cause an infection.”

Dazai flinches as Odasaku’s words ring through his ears, urging him to get moving. He takes in a sharp, shaky breath as he shifts his trembling hands under the faucet, watching the clear water start to run red as it slides over his hands.

“Soap, Dazai.”

Dazai’s dark gaze flickers up to the disinfectant soap sitting on the edge of the sink, desperately trying to keep his heart rate steady as he squirts some out over his hands before putting them back under the water, watching it pool in the white sink, the half clogged drain not able to drain the water fast enough. 

“Odasaku! Odasaku! What do I do? I don’t know what to do!” 

Stop. 

Dazai’s breath shudders as his surroundings tunnel and blur, shifting from the tiles of his walls to a familiar street in Naka-ku. There are too many people around. They’re watching, no one is helping, and Odasaku is on the ground—he’s on the ground, and there’s blood everywhere, all over Dazai, all over the pavement, and Dazai tries to stop the bleeding, he tries, he does but-

“The longer you wait in here, the more likely she is to bleed out. Get moving, Dazai.” 

Dazai takes in a sharp breath, eyes wide as he looks around the bathroom again, remembering where he is, remembering what happened, remembering where you are. He pulls his hands from under the running water to drop to his knees, quickly rifling through his cabinet to find the supplies he needs.

He finds his bandages quickly, grateful that he had to restock the other day, but it takes quite a bit longer for him to find his medical kit because it’s stuffed behind several other boxes under his sink. As he grimaces, stretching his arm to the back of his cabinet, his mind races. He has to actively work to keep his mind off of Odasaku, off of what happened four years ago—he can’t afford to freeze up with you in there bleeding so heavily.

So instead, he focuses on you.

I tripped and fell.

That’s a fucking lie if Dazai’s ever heard one. He doesn’t care how badly you fell; no type of fall would leave you with a wound like that. Did you get caught up in that earthquake, maybe? But why would you lie about that? It doesn’t make any sense. 

He seeks out answers desperately, thinking back to his notebook, where he’s listed all of the odd things he’s noticed about you. Why didn’t you go to a hospital? Why did you come to him? It doesn’t make any sense. It doesn’t make sense. What is he missing?

He finally gets his fingers around the medical kit and snatches it, rising to his feet and rushing back out toward you. Maybe he can bring it up to you, see how you react because-

“Stop!” Dazai says loudly, voice shrill when he catches sight of you on the couch.

His eyes are wide as he crosses the room in four long strides, grabbing your wrist to stop you from pressing a hot blade against the wound on your stomach. His lips part in disbelief, realizing that you hadn’t asked for the lighter to light a cigarette—or well, you had; he can see one dangling between your lips as you shoot him a withering look, not very effective considering your gaze is all unfocused from blood loss—but clearly, your main intention behind asking for the lighter was so you could try to cauterize your wound on your own.

Where did you even get the knife? Why is that your first instinct? What the fuck is going on? Who are you? What is happening? Dazai thinks he might be going crazy. His heart thuds in his chest erratically, and his breath is all pitched and shallow.

“Calm down, Dazai. Focus.” 

“I’m going to bleed out if I don’t stop the bleeding,” you say tightly, trying to pull your wrist from his hold, but Dazai doesn’t let you go.

“I’ll stitch it,” he tells you, showing you the medical kit, hoping you don’t notice the way his fingers still tremble. 

He thinks the look you give him is almost offensive, doubtful, and full of suspicion. “I think I’d be better off cauterizing it,” you mutter more to yourself than to him, but you stop struggling against him, so Dazai takes the knife—why do you carry a knife around?—and places it on the coffee table. 

Dazai breathes. Three in, three out, just like Odasaku taught him to do whenever he started to feel panic claw at his chest, threatening to consume him entirely. He lays out the medical kit on the coffee table, kneeling in front of where you’re lying on the couch.

“Clean the wound, Dazai. Come on, you know this.”

That’s right, Dazai grabs the saline solution in the kit, turning back toward you and looking down at the wound on the right side of your body. Oh, he thinks, a bit nauseous—first, he has to get your shirt out of the wound.

“Dazai,” you sigh. “Give me that, I’ll do it.”

Dazai ignores you, shifting closer and putting the solution down as his fingers curl around the hem of your shirt. He lifts it just high enough to expose the wound, grimacing as he watches the shredded strands pull up from where they’d embedded in your skin. You hardly seem to react to it, your lashes flutter, and you look up at the ceiling, but that’s all the physical reaction you have to what Dazai knows must be agonizing pain.

Dazai doesn't know what the fuck is going on.

As Dazai takes all of the shredded parts of your shirt out of the wound, picking up the saline solution to rinse it clean, he starts talking—partly to distract himself from what he’s doing because the longer he stares at the wound, the more it seems to morph from the deep laceration on your side to a familiar, lethal bullet wound to the chest, and partly to try to get some answers.

“Did you get caught up in the earthquake?” Dazai asks, hands no longer shaking as he gets to work, glancing up at your face.

“Is that what that was?” There’s a lilt to your voice, one that strikes Dazai as odd. His brows furrow slightly, listening as you continue. “I don’t know. I don’t remember. Woke up in Midori-ku with the wound… the last I remember before that… I don’t know. I must have, I guess.”

You trail off, a strange look crossing over your face as you stare ahead, and Dazai thinks. His mind spins as he tries to figure out what pieces he’s missing right now, as he tries to figure out what exactly that odd lilt to your tone meant. You’d questioned the earthquake, but it seems like you already knew what it was. As if it was something else, and you know it was something else, but you’re trying to play it off as if you didn’t know.

Why though? And if it wasn’t an earthquake, what was that? Dazai doesn’t understand, head aching as he tries to come up with answers. Nothing about you adds up: the wealth, the way people address you, how comfortable you were by the ports in Kanagawa-ku, what is he missing?

The last bit of what you said seems to be the truth, up until you trailed off, trying to recall the last you remember, but Dazai is more focused on where you had woken up and finally asks the question that has plagued him since he opened his door.

“There are three hospitals between my complex and Midori-ku,” Dazai notes off-handedly, watching you from the corner of his eye as he leans back to grab the sutures from the bottom of the kit before turning to face you again, looking down at the wound and trying to figure out how to start this.

“Ninety-degree angle. 4 millimeters from the edge of the wound.”

“I don’t like hospitals.” Your voice is tight as Dazai gets to work. He’s not sure if it’s because you’re in pain or if it’s because you don’t like this topic. He hopes it’s the latter, mostly because he doesn’t want to hurt you, but also partially because he’s hoping to get some answers out of you, and if he’s getting into a topic you don’t like, he can only assume he’s getting close to answers you don’t want to give. “Where did you learn to do this?”

You’re quick to change the subject, which is frustrating, yes, but it means Dazai was on the right track about something. He just has to ease back there somehow. He becomes more relaxed as he gives his mind something else to work on, letting it bounce around seeking out answers while Odasaku’s voice guides him through helping you.

“Ah… I also don’t like hospitals,” he admits, throat tightening a little as he continues, “that friend I told you about… the one who asked me to finish his book. He taught me how to stitch up wounds in case I got hurt so I don’t have to go to one.”

You make a noise in the back of your throat, and Dazai looks up at you, catching the curious expression on your face. “What a broad skill set,” you say more to yourself than to him.

Dazai realizes that he’s probably not the only one trying to get answers from this situation, and that scares him because whenever people see beneath the shallow mask Dazai wears and see him for what he truly is, they always run. And it’s been nice having someone to talk to for the first time since Odasaku’s death. It’s been nice not being alone, having something to look forward to. He doesn’t want to lose this.

“Is it?” Dazai asks, voice wavering now as he tries to figure out what to do. Maybe if he stops asking questions, you’ll stop, but then he’ll have to give up his chance of trying to actually know you, and he doesn’t want to do that.

“Mhm,” is all you say as a response.

Dazai glances down at the wound, now half stitched up, trying to figure out what you mean. Odasaku never told Dazai what his job was in the past; he always kept it vague, always changed the subject. Dazai noticed—how could he not?—but he never pressed it, fearing that if he pushed too hard, he’d drive away the first person who had seen him for what he was and stayed. 

“Why don’t you like hospitals?” he finally questions as he continues closing up the wound, hoping it comes across more as him trying to keep the conversation going than prying.

“Why don’t you like hospitals?” you counter instead, and Dazai grimaces.

“Fair enough,” he says more to himself than to you, realizing that he’s in the same exact situation as he was with Odasaku: nervous to push because of the lingering threat that you might leave entirely if he does.

He had to change his angle somehow—make his questions less prying into your personal life and more vague. But what vague questions can he ask that might give him more insight into you? What other topics are there?

Small talk won’t cut it, clearly. He doesn’t think talking about literature will give him any good insight, even if the conversation would be enjoyable. So maybe-

Politics?

“The military bill passing through the Diet is going to draw all of the criminal organizations in Japan out of the woodwork to try to get it to stop. The Morning Glory, the Sun and Steel, the Port Mafia—if this bill passes, the military will have complete discretion to do whatever they want to eliminate organized crime in Japan. Those three groups and the major Yakuza syndicates are going to do whatever it takes to prevent this bill from passing. If we have any chance to expose them, this will be it—they’ll be desperate in their attempts to turn Representatives and Councillors against the bill. Reckless.” 

No, Dazai immediately thinks, pausing from where he’s about to finish off the stitches, eyes drawing from the wound back up to your face. You tilt your head to the side curiously, and Dazai remembers all of the things he listed off before: the wealth, the evasiveness, the respect. More than that, the fear that his landlord had shown at your presence—Dazai had assumed it was because he didn’t want to lose his job, but was he wrong? The sketchy situations—first at the port, now tonight.

The ports-

The ports.

How had he overlooked something so obvious?

No, he thinks again. He must be wrong. 

Still, he finds his lips moving. 

“Can I ask you something?” Dazai asks after a few moments, keeping his gaze pinned on the wound he has to force himself to finish off, fingers stiff and clunky, trying to ignore your sharp gaze.

“You don’t usually ask,” you say dryly. “What’s so important that you have to ask before bombarding me?”

Dazai hesitates, glancing up at you briefly before looking down again. “Do you have an… opinion on the military bill proposed to the Diet?”

It comes out stunted and awkward, and Dazai almost feels embarrassed. More so when he notices the unimpressed look you’re giving him—god, how do you still have it you to look so judgmental when you’re bleeding out on his couch?

You raise your eyebrows, watching Dazai carefully before asking, “You’re a political science major now too?”

Dazai scowls. “It’s a big topic in my journalism class right now-” Not exactly a lie, but not exactly the truth “-and can’t I care about what our government is doing without needing a reason?”

The look you give him is nothing short of amused. “Fair enough,” you drawl. “What makes you think I have an opinion on it?”

You’re still studying his face as if trying to figure out if there are any underlying motives—which there are, so Dazai is especially careful to keep his expression smooth as he finishes off stitching your wound. 

“Rich people always have loud opinions,” Dazai scoffs, maybe a little bitter and you definitely notice from how you snort.

You hum, and Dazai leans back on his heels when he finishes, looking up at you. The look in your eyes is intense, it almost makes his breath catch, and Dazai wonders if he’s right, if he’s right, and you know what suspicions he’s having right now.

After what feels like an eternity, you sigh and look away. “Have you been to Europe?” you ask quietly.

Dazai doesn’t know how this relates, but he has a feeling you’re not trying to change the subject so he humors the question. 

“No.” 

“What do you know about the Great War?”

“Not much,” Dazai admits. “Just what everyone knows, really. First war utilizing ability users. More deaths than in World War II.” 

“Mainland Europe was devastated by the war,” you say, eyes trained up to the ceiling. “Cites turned to rubble, populations massacred. What happened here was only a fraction of the destruction that the European mainland faced. After the war, the general population and governments took a very strong anti-ability user stance. To be expected, I guess, seeing what happened, but because of this, all of these ability users who fought for their countries during the war started being forced underground because of backlash. Eventually, the mainland countries started passing bills—similar to this one—giving their militaries complete discretion as to handling hostile ability users.”

Dazai squints, trying to conjure up all of his minuscule knowledge of European politics, trying to figure out where you’re going with this. Ango had always been quick to talk about politics, but Dazai tended to tune him out whenever he opened his mouth about it.

“And targeting hostile ability users is a bad thing?” he finally asks, and you give him a wry smile.

“What’s your definition of hostile?” you ask instead. 

“Aggressive? Violent?” Dazai offers.

“You’d think,” you reply dryly. “The legislatures were careful not to give a definition of the word so it could be construed broadly. A child who doesn’t know how to control their ability? Hostile. A teenager being bullied by his classmates and accidentally triggering his ability? Hostile. A circus performer using their ability for one of their acts? Hostile. It got to the point that an ability user’s existence was considered hostile. For the past ten years, ability users have been actively persecuted in Europe—imprisoned, killed, trafficked, or forced into the underground. Did you see that boy with me near the ports before I sent him off?”

“Yes,” Dazai agrees, brows furrowing as he thinks, remembering the blonde who had cast him a dirty look before rushing off.

“He’s an ability user that was stuck in one of the biggest trafficking rings in Europe. From six years old when his ability manifested to fifteen. One of the branches of the ring ended up coming into conflict with one of our… subsidiaries. I was sent to Europe to work with law enforcement in getting things handled. I met him there. His name is Klaus.”

A smile twitches on your lips as you speak of the boy, a warmth in your expression that Dazai finds himself longing for, lips parting a bit as he watches you. He has to force himself out of the half-dazed state to ask:

“But their bill was specifically targeting ability users. This one is about organized crime.”

The look you give him makes Dazai feel like he’s stupid. 

“Is that what you really think?” you ask him, the fond smile shifting into a more sardonic one. “Organized crime has always been an epidemic in Japan. What’s changed in the past few years that makes them want to target it now?”

“… Ability users,” Dazai says quietly, remembering all of the studies he’s read about ability users being dragged into criminal organizations from a young age, most sold off by their own families.

“For all of the noble and honorable reasons they might give for this bill, it just comes down to the same thing that it did in Europe. They give no definition of organized crime in their bill. Right now, it may be Yakuza syndicates and other mafias, but what about in two years? Five? How long do we have until peaceful gatherings of ability users are considered a crime? Until a group of children playing outside who happen to be ability users is considered a crime? How long do we have until the word crime becomes synonymous with ability users? The crime itself is their existence, just as the mere existence of ability in Europe is now considered hostile?”

Oh, Dazai thinks, one last question on the tip of his tongue but he’s not even sure if he should ask it. Would he even get a straight answer from you? Dazai suddenly becomes acutely aware of just how little he knows about you—not for a lack of effort on his part, but you’ve expertly evaded every inquiry, every attempt for him to get closer to you. Before Dazai can even process it himself, his mouth is moving, and the question is flying past his lips.

“Are you an ability user?” 

You suddenly look tired, sighing as you turn your head away from him, and Dazai swallows thickly.

“Go to sleep, Dazai,” you say quietly. “I’ve kept you up late enough. Don’t you have class in the morning?”

Dazai doesn’t even have it in him to feel giddy over the fact that you know his class schedule because his breath is catching at the unintentional confirmation you just gave him. You are an ability user—that’s the only reason why you would evade the question like that. He wants to push, he wants to know what your ability is, wants to know who you are, but he has a feeling that this right here is the tipping point, that if he keeps pushing right now, this is when you’ll draw back, disappear, and Dazai doesn’t want that.

He forces himself to be content with getting to know something about you—something big, even. Huge. So, he nods, rising to his feet.

“Yeah, I do,” he says, the words feeling bitter on his tongue. “You'll still be here in the morning? I mean, you’re not exactly in a condition to move, so…”

“Yeah, I’ll be here,” you agree with a sigh, shifting to get a bit more comfortable on the couch, grimacing. “Your couch sucks. Where did you even get it? A dumpster?”

Dazai almost snorts.

“Hah… well, about that,” Dazai laughs, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. Immediately, you give him an alarmed look. “Kidding. Kind of.”

“Kind of?” you ask, appalled. 

Dazai only gives you a simpering smile. “Goodnight, bella.”

“Dazai,” you hiss, but Dazai is already making his way over to his futon, making himself comfortable. He listens to you let out a sigh, and his chest feels warm and fluttery when he hears you say back, “Goodnight, Dazai.”

But even as the warmth starts to spread through him, and he’s slowly lulled to sleep, his mind still races.

Everything he’s noticed in his past encounters with you, your stance on the military bill, likely being an ability user yourself… doesn’t all of that add up to…

You’re gone when Dazai wakes up.

A part of him expected it deep down—knew that the promise you gave him to stay was flimsy at best—but a larger part of him is disappointed, eyes lingering on the couch you’d been laying on. There’s a blood stain where you’d been that Dazai knows is never going to come out, but Dazai can’t even bring himself to be annoyed, more anxious than anything else because walking around on that wound so quickly can’t be good. 

He sighs as he pushes himself off of his futon, running his hand through his hair and yawning. He makes his way across the room toward his kitchen, not sure where he left his phone last night in his haste to get you patched up, absently wondering if you’d even shot him a message before taking off.

As the thought crosses his mind, his eyes catch a sticky note pinned to his fridge.

Thanks. Ordering you a new couch. Will be here Friday. That disease-ridden excuse of a piece of furniture better be gone by the next time I’m here.

A smile curls at Dazai’s lips, a fluttery feeling in his chest as he pulls the sticky note off of his fridge and holds it in his hand, looking down at it. All of the suspicions from the night before entirely disregarded at the sight of the ‘next time’ written clearly on the yellow paper, insinuating that you would be here again one day.

The entire right half of your face stings.

You stare at the wall, head snapped to the side under the strength of the slap that’s just been laid across your cheek. The door to the meeting room is still closing, the other executives just finishing filing out of the conference room—you’re sure they all heard. You have to force yourself to turn your head back forward again to look at Mori, who stares down at you with an eerily blank expression beside the cold rage plainly visible in his eyes.

“Tell me,” Mori says as the door closes, taking a few steps back to sit down in the chair at the head of the conference table. “What exactly made you think sending your subordinate to lie about the beginning of this conflict was a good idea?”

Klaus, you realize, lips pressed together tightly. He really had followed through with keeping Dazai a secret and taking the blame for the operation. Your chest tightens with worry at the thought, but you don’t speak as you wait for Mori to continue.

“Don’t worry,” Mori says with a thin smile, folding his hands over each other as he rests them on the table. “He is being dealt with properly.”

“I can handle my own subordinates’ punishments,” you tell him tightly. “I-”

“You have started a war,” Mori finishes, leaning back in a seat. “Two, actually, in the span of a matter of three weeks. First with the Guild and now with the Inagawa-kai. You are not usually this reckless. I’ve been thinking for quite a while now, trying to figure out what could have led to this sudden change…”

You don’t like where this is going. You can feel your heart thudding painfully in your chest as you wait for Mori to finish talking. The wound on your side hurts; every second you remain on your feet sends pain rocketing through your body so badly that you think you might pass out.

“And I remembered when you left the meeting a week ago,” he continues and you take in a sharp breath, shaking your head. Mori only gives you a cool smile in return. “It’s not often that something unnerves you enough to make you have a physical reaction, much less one in front of other executives. You’re always so careful to retain control over yourself… Which leads me to believe one thing: something—someone—has compromised you emotionally.”

“I am not emotionally compromised,” you say instantly, voice hard. “Keeping Nakajima from the Guild was a logical decision. They want his ability desperately, it’s not worth giving up until we know why. For all we know, he could have the power to destroy this city.”

“And the Inagawa-kai?” Mori hums, looking as if your response has only further confirmed his suspicions. 

You don’t even know how to respond to him, staring at him for a split second with no smart words on your tongue. The pain in your side muddles your thought process, and you know that you’re only making things worse for yourself when you force out the lesson that Mori taught you years ago: “He who strikes the first blow…”

The way Mori smiles chills you, a lump in your throat as you wait for his next words.

“And you think that gives you the authority to start a war without my approval?” he questions, resting his chin on his hand as he peers up at you. “No, this was rash. Driven by fear. The question that remains is what exactly has you so scared that you’ve forgotten all of our lessons over the years? That makes you think you can lie to my face without getting caught?”

You don’t respond. Dazai’s face burns the inside of your eyelids every time your eyes slide shut. The peaceful expression on his face as he slept on the futon a few feet away from you, the fear that spread across his face when he realized you were hurt, the way he pushed through an imminent panic attack just so he could help you even though you told him you could do it.

God, you don’t think you’ve ever had someone go out of their way to take care of you like that. Not when they're fighting through their own pain, not without ulterior motives. You had wanted to stay with him as you promised, you did, but you were riddled with fear over whether or not the Port Mafia would come looking for you. And if they did… if Mori finds out about him-

You can’t let that happen. You can’t. He won’t take kindly to anyone interfering with your focus on the Mafia, much less a civilian. He wasn’t pleased with Chuuya back then; he’ll hate it even more with you now. You wouldn’t put it past him to get rid of the distraction by any means necessary. He’s too careful to have it traced back to him, and he’s done it before. 

“It must be something you’re trying to hide from me,” Mori notes, working through his theories right in front of you, fingers thrumming against the desk, clearly enjoying the way he’s stressing you out. “You’ve never hid anything from me before, little hime. I’m almost proud. If you were anyone else, I’d assume betrayal, but you don’t have that in you… So, a lover then? You rushed off so quickly during the meeting. Maybe you thought they were in trouble? Thought that they were being targeted by the Inagawa-kai? Maybe they were, and that’s why you rushed for this operation… No, the timing isn't right…”

“I don’t have a lover,” you say, careful to keep your voice steady and void of the rising panic you feel. “You’re way off-base. I only did what I thought was necessary.”

“An almost-lover then,” Mori corrects, smiling lightly, ignoring your words. “The Inagawa-kai saw you with them. You couldn’t risk your… closeness to them getting out, so you ordered the operation to take place the same night. I wonder… you were sent to the ports in Kanagawa-ku yesterday, and it wasn’t long after that you started making the moves necessary to start the operation. Tell me, have you had the chance to wipe the cameras around the ports yet? Like you did at that apartment complex a few weeks ago?” 

You have to physically stop yourself from blanching at his words, not realizing he’s noticed that much already—since weeks ago when you ran into Dazai at the apartment complex before you even left that meeting. “I don’t have a lover or an almost lover,” you tell him, but your voice is tighter now, betraying your nerves.

“I’m interested in seeing how long you keep up this little ruse,” Mori says with an amused smile. “If you let it affect our business again, I’ll be removing the distraction. Do you understand?”

You don’t respond, jaw tight as you stare at him, but Mori is unperturbed. He rises to his feet, resting his hand on top of your head, deceptively gentle.

“Come, little hime,” Mori sighs. “Let me fix that wound you’ve been trying to hide from me this whole time so you can focus on final preparations for the event on Friday while I handle the situation with the Inagawa-kai… What would you do without me to clean up all of your messes, hm?”

When you find yourself back at his apartment two days later, you have a multitude of excuses at your disposal. 

You were already in the area, so it’s not like you’re going out of your way to see him. (Given by in the area you mean in the ward, and you were definitely not anywhere near the apartment complex, this excuse is weak, but you don’t acknowledge that)

You want to make sure the couch was delivered properly. Otherwise, you’ll have to have words with the people you sent to drop it off. Dazai didn’t text you earlier when you got the notification for delivery, and he texts you about everything so you can only assume it never arrived. Actually, he hasn’t texted you all day, which is a bit concerning.

You already have the cameras at the complex being looped so that no one sees you enter or leave.

You’re going to cut him off. For real, this time, no more fucking around. You’re done with him. Mori suspecting his existence is more than enough to scare you straight. He cannot find out about Dazai under any circumstances. It’s bad enough that he knows there’s someone. It’s only a matter of time before he finds out who if you keep this up.

Still, you know deep down that you’re making a mistake as you raise your hand to knock on his door.

You do it anyway.

When Dazai doesn’t answer the door, you frown. It’s late enough that you think he should be back from classes, and from what you’ve noticed of him through his texts, he doesn’t really go anywhere except class and back. Sometimes to a bar, but not usually on a night when he has a morning class, like tonight.

So you stand there, becoming increasingly more impatient. When two whole minutes pass, you raise your fist again to knock harder but pause when you finally hear the door unlock, lowering your hand to cross your arms over your chest.

The witty comment on your tongue dies when you see the dark bags underneath his eyes, blacker than usual as he stares at you. He’s frustratingly quick to hide it, but you can tell that he’s forcing his expression to light up at the sight of you because he can’t fully get rid of that empty look in his eyes.

“Hey,” you say a bit awkwardly before he can go off into some half-assed tangent to distract you. “Can I come in?”

His lips part to reply, but no sound comes out, so he just nods. You hardly wait for him to step out of the way, slipping into his apartment so you can shoot a text to your subordinate to resume the camera feed—the less time it’s looped, the less likely someone is to notice it. You’ll have to be quick to message him before you leave too.

His apartment is a mess. You’d noticed it when you were here the other night, but however bad it was then, it’s ten times worse now. Half-empty cans of crab clutter all over his coffee table and kitchen, empty bottles of sake are littered on the ground near his futon, and books are haphazardly tossed on the ground. You glance back at him and note that he looks embarrassed, eyes flitting around all of the garbage lying around his small apartment.

Your eyes land on the new couch set up in front of his television—there’s a crack in it that hadn’t been there the night before, a shattered bottle of sake lying on the ground in front of it. 

“You didn’t text me after it was delivered,” you say absently, making your way over and sitting down on one corner of it, pulling out your phone to send the text about the cameras. “You like it?”

“I, uh, I meant to text,” Dazai says, making his way over to you, hands stuffed in the pockets of his dirty sweatshirt. When he notices you glance down at the stains on it, his face flushes. “I like it. A lot. It’s really comfy. My sweet bella spoils me.”

He hardly sounds into the comment—his whimsical tone falling flat as he takes a seat on the opposite side of the couch. His hands drop onto his lap, fingers twisting in a way that makes you realize he must be uncomfortable or nervous.

“Yeah, well, I’m surprised you didn’t catch a disease from that thing,” you respond vaguely, resting your head on the back of the couch as you eye him. “You good?”

He stares at you for a moment as if not comprehending what you’re asking, and then his brows furrow. “Of course I’m good, I’m with my bella,” he says with a smile that’s soft around the edges, would seem genuine were it not for the distant look in his eyes, one that makes your chest tighten with concern.

You want to press, but you don’t. There’s a more important conversation to be had.

This has to end.

“Did you come because you missed me?” Dazai teases, the light slowly returning to his eyes. It’s faint, but it’s there and you find you much rather prefer it to that awful black emptiness that had been there when you first walked in.

I want nothing to do with you.

I don’t want to be your friend.

I’m blocking your number.

“Maybe,” you tell him instead, watching as his smile becomes a bit more genuine.

“I knew it,” he says brightly. “You love me.”

You roll your eyes instantly, regretting your words as soon as he opens his mouth, more mad at yourself than anything because why can’t you force out what you need to say? This has to end. Even if the Inagawa-kai have been taken care of—which they haven’t been yet—there are still their allies to worry about: the Shimazaki-kai and the Murakami-kai are violent and aggressive. If Mori isn’t able to come to terms with them, there’s going to be a war on the scale of the Dragon’s Head Conflict. Even if you don’t have the Yakuza syndicates to worry about, there’s the Guild, who will undoubtedly be making their move soon and you need to have your full attention on that. Even if you don’t have the Guild to worry about, there’s Mori.

There’s Mori.

“Dazai,” you start to say, but you falter when he looks over at you, brown eyes wide and imploring, waiting for whatever you’re about to say. 

Say it, you tell yourself. Get it over with. 

His expression falters when you don’t say anything right away, his smile starting to drop and a hesitant look crossing over his face. Your chest feels unusually tight, words lodged in your throat before you can even formulate them. 

Get it over with.

“I’m leaving the country for a while,” you finally tell him—definitely not what you mean to say but you can work with it at least. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”

“Oh,” Dazai says quietly, face falling. He sounds disappointed, so much so that you almost feel guilty. Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you? You’re an executive in the Port Mafia, and here you are, feeling bad for hurting Dazai’s feelings. You’re trying to spare him from a brutal and untimely death, but you feel guilty about a bunch of words. You need to get a hold of yourself. “When are you leaving?”

“In the morning,” you lie, watching as he averts his gaze down to the ground.

“Oh…” he says, softer this time, “but I’ll still be able to text you, won’t I?”

Fuck.

You should be mean. You know you should be mean. You should tell him to fuck off and find someone else to bother, even if he’s very much not bothering you anymore. In fact, you’ve started to look forward to his messages, which is why you were so disconcerted by him not sending any today. But you would be doing him a favor if you were mean; cut this off at the root so he’s not sitting around waiting for you when you’re never going to come back to him. 

But you feel guilty. The lonely expression on his face in the library. The wistful way he spoke about his dead friend. The empty look in his eyes when he first opened the door. Dazai Osamu is someone who has lost. The melancholy in his eyes is something you’re very intimately familiar with—you saw it in the mirror every day after Itou’s death up until you met Klaus almost a whole year later, when the shades of blues and grays had finally started to bloom into color again.

You have to physically force yourself to say, “I don’t know. I’m going to be really busy. Probably not.”

You’re softening the blows too much. Christ, this is so unlike you. What are you trying to shield him from? It’s just going to hurt more in the long run if you give him hope. You’re doing this to protect him, aren’t you? So, what the fuck are you doing then?

“I see…” Dazai’s voice is strained. “Well… Do you maybe want to stay for a bit? It’s late already… If you're leaving in the morning, you may as well get some sleep here. I’ve got a new couch, y’know? It’s pretty comfy.”

No. No. No. Get the fuck up and walk out of the apartment.

“... Yeah, that’d be good.”

Shit.

But Dazai’s face lightens at your words, and the tenseness in his shoulders dissipates. When he looks at you, the smile on his lips is soft, and it makes your chest warm. You want to regret giving in—just like at the boutique, you hadn’t been able to go through with it—but you can’t even muster disappointment in yourself.

You sigh as you take another look around his apartment, eyes lingering on the half-eaten cans of crab littered throughout the room and the sake that you can still smell on him. You turn your attention back to Dazai, whose smile had fallen a bit when he noticed what you were looking at.

“I hope you’ve eaten more than canned crab the past few days,” you say dryly.

“Canned crab is good food,” Dazai protests, raising his chin at you and pointedly looking away. 

“A meal fit for kings, truly,” you say sarcastically, pulling out your phone to order real food. Mostly because you’re hungry. You didn’t have the chance to grab food before coming over here. But also because you figure if you’re going to stay for the night, you might as well get some actual food in his apartment; you glance at the now cracked television and sigh, maybe a new TV too. “What do you eat besides crab?”

“... Ramen?” 

“Ugh,” you mutter more to yourself than to him, ignoring the offended look he gives you as you scroll through the app, trying to find what you’re looking for. He leans close to you so he can watch what you’re doing. You can feel his chest brushing your shoulder.

It feels too familiar. Too comfortable. You’re too at ease with his presence already, and you’re acutely reminded of Chuuya’s words from a week ago. The threat from the Inagawa-kai and their allies, the threat from the Guild, and the threat from Mori. What are you doing? You should stand up and go back to your own apartment—you know that, but you don’t. Can’t even bring yourself to push him away.

Maybe one last night is okay—you can pretend just for a little longer that you’re living a normal life. A life where your parents hadn’t been killed during the Great War, where you hadn’t been taken in by a man who stripped you of your childhood to groom you into becoming the perfect Mafia heir, where there was no blood on your hands, and you could go to college and sit at a cafe with a pretty boy your age and debate whether or not the translation of Il Canzoniere stripped it of its emotional expression without having to fear that the wrong person seeing you with him could lead to his corpse being dumped and abandoned in a mass grave.

But it’s gone too far. You think of how excited he gets when he sees you, and you’re reminded of the fate he’ll face if the wrong person catches him with you: body cold and rotting in the dumping grounds, forgotten and nameless, left for the rats to devour. You think of the warm feeling that had started spreading through your chest when Dazai fumbled around awkwardly trying to help Kido take his measurements, the fluttering whenever he directs that soft smile toward you, and you remind yourself of what happened with Chuuya two years ago, and how he has yet to recover from it, a shell of who he once was. 

You think of the what ifs—what if you don’t cut him off? What if you let him into your life? What if you give this a chance?—and you remember Mori’s threat. His promise.

It’s gone too far.

He points to a tub of ice cream as you pause, lost in your own thoughts. When you side-eye him, Dazai only gives you a sweet smile. You roll your eyes and add it to the cart. 

One last indulgence, and then you disappear.

It’s not easy to watch a movie on a cracked TV screen, but somehow, he makes it work. It’s a bit embarrassing that you showed up just in time to see the results of a depressive episode, albeit it’s only the first stage of one. It’s uncomfortable all the same. Bottles of alcohol are strewn about the room, half-eaten canned crab haphazardly tossed about his kitchen and floor, and then there’s the screen of the television that cost him three paychecks. The right half of the picture webbed due to a bout of irritability that he couldn’t control, but you don’t seem to judge him for it.

Or, well, you definitely do judge him, but more so, you’re judging his choice of food and alcohol rather than the state of his apartment and blatant instability. 

He doesn’t even know how this one came on so quickly. Usually, he can feel them coming from a mile away—like that night he met you at the bar, he’d felt one looming, threatening to overwhelm him if he gave it the chance, but meeting you had driven it away at least momentarily. Distracted him enough for him to ignore the emptiness. 

This one came on so hard and so fast that it’d left him crippled this morning, curled up in his futon, knees to his chest as he tried to push it away. He’d hardly been able to force himself out of bed to open the door when the delivery crew arrived with the couch, wanted so badly to text you about it but couldn’t even bring himself to look at his phone, much less muster the energy to send a text.

He thought for sure he’d end the night in the river or on his bathroom floor. His vision had been blurring and tunneling from where he’d been sitting on his futon, the shadows at the edges of his vision edging inward. The heaviness on his chest made it hard for him to breathe, coldness spreading from his core to his limbs. His skin has felt numb and prickly all day. He’s been itching for something to feel through the emptiness. 

And then you showed up. Again.

And you pulled him out. Again.

You’d helped him clean up the garbage while making snide comments about canned crab of all things—which he takes personal offense to because canned crab is his favorite food. You ordered groceries because you claimed you were hungry, but you got enough to stock his fridge and freezer for two weeks, and even though you rolled your eyes whenever he pointed out something he wanted, you added it to the cart. And now you’re sitting with him on the couch watching a movie that’s half unwatchable, considering half of the screen is broken, but you don’t even seem to mind.

Dazai thinks he might be in love.

Oh.

Oh.

The gravity of his thoughts hit him hard, breath catching in the back of his throat as his eyes widen. No, he can’t possibly be in love. Dazai isn’t even sure if he’s capable of it, but… the way his chest flutters around you, the way he feels so warm, the way even just your presence seems to be able to push away the void that’s been threatening to consume him his entire life. Maybe not love—not yet, the correction scares him—but something damn close to it. 

He turns to look at you, and then-

And then, he halts. He doesn’t even notice how close he shifted toward you while watching the movie until he tilts his face to the side to look at you and nearly bumps noses with you because you were evidently already looking at him. His breath hitches when you don’t immediately move away from him, an unreadable expression on your face as your eyes search his—he doesn’t know what you’re looking for, but it makes him nervous. He doesn’t know if he likes how you seem to be able to read him so well or if it scares him. 

Maybe both.

He wants to kiss you. He’s so close, all it would take was the tiniest lean forward for him to brush his lips against yours and he wants it so bad that his chest aches at the mere thought of it. His gaze flickers down to your lips, lingering for the sparest moment before focusing back on your eyes. He wants to, but he knows he shouldn’t. A mistake like that could cost him—it could cost him huge. If he tries to kiss you and you’re uncomfortable with it, the last thing he wants to do is drive you away. 

You’re his friend—his first one since Odasaku—he can’t risk ruining that. 

But you haven’t moved away yet, the traitorous voice in the back of his head whispers, urging him to try.

He shouldn’t, but he does.

Dazai’s breath is shaky, lashes fluttering shut as he leans forward just enough to let his lips graze yours, waiting to see your reaction before pressing his lips to yours more firmly. He waits—for an agonizing three long seconds, he waits for you to react. To kiss him back. To pull away. Something. But you’re like a statue.

He pulls away, heart in his throat and an apology on his lips, hoping to salvage what he can. He hardly has enough time to catch the conflicted expression on your face before you lean in to press your lips against his, hand coming up to cup his cheek as you move your lips slowly as if savoring the taste of him.

His breath catches, eyes slipping shut, and hands dropping to your waist as you move closer to him, half on his lap. You don’t move to deepen the kiss, your touch never becomes impatient or harsh. Dazai has kissed a lot of people in his life—men and women alike, whoever he could woo into his bed for a night just so he could have a reprieve from his own mind—but none have ever felt like this.

They were always impatient, a clashing of teeth and a rush to remove Dazai from his clothes—he would end the night with the taste of blood in his mouth and bruises on his body. But you kiss him slowly. Your lips are soft against his chapped ones, your hand is warm and gentle against his cheek, fingers brushing through the tips of his hair. You kiss Dazai in a way that he’s only ever dreamed of being kissed—like he’s something worth being treasured, something capable of being loved.

When you finally pull away, Dazai chases after your lips, but you don’t let him, your hand against his chest stopping him from capturing yours again. He stares up at you, breathless, taking note of the expression on your face—even more conflicted than before, like you’re internally warring with yourself about something. 

His fingers tighten on your waist, wondering if you’re regretting the kiss, but before the thought can even fully process, you’re leaning forward again. You kiss him harder this time—just as gentle as the first one but firmer, head tilted to the side as you lay him back against the plush cushions of his new couch. His lashes flutter shut again, helping you adjust so that you’re straddling his hips; his lips part for you, and he sighs into your mouth when your hand shifts to the back of his head, fingers entwined with his hair as you hold him close to finally deepen the kiss.

With his lips sliding against yours and his hands on your body, he can almost forget that everything you said earlier in the night was a blatant lie.