#i have yet to reach the thankful and loving towards past versions of myself step of growth we r in the please dont remind me era

[angelhound]

do any of u know if u can turn off snapchat recaps i dont want to be reminded of what happened in 2020 every day

[timexticksxby]

PRAYER 002 - A TIME OF GRATITUDE AND OATH'S SWORN.

Calvin waited for the cover of night. Feeling the passage of time around himself as he gathered pieces for an offering. He'd waited a week, given time a chance to settle. He wasn't sure if any of the other's had reached out to their parents since coming here. Didn't know a lot about if this would have changed or not, but... Well, he'd happily try for them.

Again, he gathered pictures that still remained. Of time spent with his fellow campers, of people who... Who weren't here but should be. But that was a choice, and the ramifications were a weight he would bear.

A pair of drumsticks, from when he'd first been learning to play the drums. How he'd found his rhythm when the world had seemed so keen to throw him off. Pages from his notes of futures that would no longer come to pass as long as he had the strength to remain standing. The armour he'd worn until given a gift by the prince of it all.

He wore his spoils. Not part of the offering, but a reminder of what they'd endured. The watch that had settled upon the altar in the future, and he was sure might one day rest upon it again, but not yet. The necklace around his throat, a memento from a woman once more allowed to follow her heart and find home. The laurel crown, originally meant as a means of proposing, of signifying love, but instead offered for helping assure that somebody was walking the path they were meant to be.

At least. In Calvin's eyes, the one he was meant to be walking, not the future that led to him losing everything he was. Everybody.

And then, there was Orodeíktis. As he settled in to a crouch in front of the altar, he felt it's weight at his hip. Reward, and approval both. A promise, and recognition. He was worthy to wield it, and would continue to prove himself worthy with every step that he walked.

He chose that moment where one day turned to the next. One time ending, and another beginning. A brief flicker of a moment between moments to offer his prayer.

"I never got the chance to thank you. For seeing me. Watching over me. Guiding me through this. I never got the chance to thank you for trusting me to let me walk my own path. For supporting my... Well frankly reckless decisions that altered all of this. For letting me start to understand all of this. I've got... A lot of questions, but I think I want to start putting them together myself. The discoveries half the fun." "And to thank you for letting him be here for them. Maybe not in the same way they remember him, but... For letting him be a part of their futu- Our futures. Not just a memory of the past that motivated so many changes."

His head remained bow for a moment, before turning his eyes up toward the statue. Remembering the face that had greeted him after the Avatar had fallen. Of how all encompassing that strength had felt.

"I also wanted to ask you to... I don't know what's happened to them. Those versions that my family has taken the place of. The ones paying the price for my decision alongside us, but I hope that they... Find something for themselves. I know I'm never going to come close to understanding all of this, but I think I'm greedy enough to hope for the best as much as I can."

Another quiet moment, before pushing himself up to his feet again. Open palm laying against the altar, staring up at his father. Eye contact with the God with domain over time itself.

"I'd ask you to protect us, too, but that's why I'm here. This timeline is mine to protect, to see this through for as long as I am capable, and I am never going to shirk this responsibility. This I swear, upon the divine blood of yours in my veins, Dad, and upon the mortal blood that has seen me this far and raised me with love. Upon the heart in my chest that allowed me to make it here, and upon Orodeíktis that will guide my hand in to the future. I swear to this entire camp and all who now call it home."

"I will continue showing you, and every other eye upon us, that this is our path to carve."

[primofate]

Smile for Me (Part 4) Zhongli x fem!reader

Summary: Zhongli never smiled at you the way that he smiled at his memories of Guizhong. Thinking that the only way Zhongli would ever be happy is for Guizhong to come back again, you secretly set off on a journey to bring her back to life. But it comes with a price: Your life.

Warnings: pining, angst, one-sided (at first), hurt, angst again, drama, some Guizhong x Zhongli, hints of Xiao x reader, MAY NOT FOLLOW THE ACTUAL LORE, not proofread.

Notes: Sorry this took so long! I was actually a little stuck as to what should happen, and also real life stuff took a turn for the busy. But, here it is! Finally! THANK YOU so much for your patience and for tuning in~

Read: (Part 1) (Part 2) (Part 3)  (Part 5)  (Part 6)

"...Guizhong...”

Zhongli watches as she elegantly picks her head up, eyes brightening at the sight of him. “Oh! You’re back,” she’d always been a gentle one. Kind and patient. She was about to stand and greet him with a hug, but Zhongli’s face is painted in confusion.

“...Guizhong, where is the painting?”

She stops and leans back on her seat. An ethereal smile on her face. “Painting? There wasn’t one when I arrived home, dear,” her voice is as smooth as silk and soft as clouds. 

Zhongli would never, never doubt her.

Except for this time.

It was only him and her who had access to the house and he swore over his 6000 years of life that he had left the painting on the table. 

There was no way Guizhong didn’t see it.

“Guizhong,” Zhongli’s voice start to teeter over the edge of impatience.

How could he not when he was starting to panic over not remembering your face?

And now the painting, the only evidence of your existence, was suddenly missing. 

“I would not accuse you of anything,” Zhongli shifts and watches her carefully. “But you must understand that the painting is valuable. I would like it back, Guizhong,”

“The painting is valuable? Why not just have another one painted then? One of us?” She doesn’t even bat an eye or think about her reply. He’s rather taken aback, because his Guizhong would not do such a thing. In a matter of seconds, he feels as if something is amiss. 

"So you acknowledge that there was a painting here, on this very table?" Zhongli asks again. His gaze turns hard. This time Guizhong smiles. This Guizhong is looking at him rather menacingly. The soft smile and tender gaze is gone. Zhongli glares back at her, unsure of how to react. It seemed as if there was a staring contest going on. 

“...Had we always been this way?” Zhongli’s voice lowers. In his memories he flits about moments with his long lost lover. How she had been kind to everyone she met, and how she didn’t question things. “I do not think...this is what we were,” He could not remember a time where Guizhong had opposed him, or had done something to anger him or upset him. Maybe unintentionally, but not like this. 

This Guizhong was hiding something.

Zhongli realizes it as she scoffs, a look of mockery crossing her face. She stands, still elegant as ever, but her sneering face had spite written all over it. “Rex Lapis,” Zhongli tensed. “What would you say if I had burned the painting?” Her voice had gone up an octave, this was the voice of someone else.

“What would you say if you were never to remember who she was?” The lady screeches, insanity spilling in her voice, like a wailing banshee. Zhongli nearly loses his grip at his own temper, he controls the shiver of slight anger that runs up his spine. “...You’ve deceived me,” his voice is even lower than normal, eyes trained on the lady.

The lady cackles and turns around, head slightly tilted back, her face out of view. When she moves back around to face Zhongli, the Geo Archon feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

You’re standing in front of him.

His mouth slacks open, yet unable to say a thing. His eyes run up and down your face. Tracing your jaw, your nose, your eyes, your hair. Trying to memorize every curve and every dip, in fear of forgetting it again.

“THIS is the girl you’re looking for, correct?” The lady with your face starts off with a low giggle, the noise turning up until she’s laughing aloud. “Would you like her back, Rex Lapis?”

His eyes snap up immediately at the offer. 

“Say her name Rex Lapis, and I’ll return her to you,” A taunt. 

Nothing but words to provoke him because she knew that he couldn’t remember. 

This time he doesn’t control the way that his spear appears on his back, his eyes gleam a dangerous gold and a snarl is ready on his lips. 

But he watches the smile that blooms on your fake face, the hope that presents in your eyes and the way your head turns up to his. “Rex Lapis is a beautiful soul. He cares for everyone, except himself. He doesn’t wish for anything, except for Liyue to flourish. That’s why...” your eyes turn down towards the ground, and slowly closes, “That’s why... I’d do anything, to make him smile again. He deserves it, and so much more so...” your voice trembles at the right places and Zhongli falters, “I’ll gladly offer myself up for his happiness, even if it means...our time together is erased,” there’s a lone tear that slips down your cheek, Zhongli steps back in horror.

He realizes that he’s being shown your last words. 

A cross of hurt and regret appears on his features. The hole in his heart starts to fray at the ends, opening up more and he could feel the hollowness in him widening. 

“So you see, Rex Lapis, she’s happy where she is, you don’t have to worry about her. She’s thought long and hard about reuniting you with Guizhong,” the fake you starts to talk in a normal voice, but there was still a malificent grin on your face. 

Guizhong was long dead. Zhongli remembers it now. He remembers how he fondly held on to his memories of her but he had also long accepted that memories are just figments of the past, never to return again. He had missed her, yes, but he had moved forward confidently for the sake of his land. He had let himself grieve, but he didn’t let himself be paralyzed by the loss. 

And along the way, what pleasure it was to have you.

You who had always stood by his side and believed in him. 

You who got angry when anyone so much as doubted the strength of Rex Lapis. 

You who had taken care of him and watched over him when he was too focused on taking care of others. 

“...She isn’t happy,” he’s surprised by his own conclusion, but his eyes are downturned towards the ground. Sadness emanating from his form. “She has the tendency to...keep things to herself and it turns out that I... have not paid enough attention to her,” he’s frustrated that he doesn’t remember your name, like a misty cloud in his mind making his memories of you blurry and distorted. 

The fake you turns silent, and watches as Rex Lapis ruminates by himself.

“She may have a smile on her face but sometimes she...is merely attempting to hide her pain,” his hand reaches over for his polearm and he slowly maneuvers it to his side. “So I do not believe that she’s happy, wherever she is, at this moment,” he points the polearm at the fake you with a different resolve, his eyes gleaming gold once again,

“And that is precisely why, I will take her back where she belongs,”

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[gothhisoka]

𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖍𝖎𝖕 (𝕮𝖍𝖗𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖔 𝖝 𝕱𝖊𝖒𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖊𝖗)

Title: Worship

Pairing: Chrollo x Femreader

Warnings: Smut, minors DNI, 18+, explicit content

Word Count: 3116 (I promise it is worth it. Oh god is it worth it)

Note: This is from my cross-published fanfic called Hunter University! It is available if you click here on Wattpad and AO3. My fanfic is x OC, but I upload x Reader versions of some chapters here on Tumblr. In short, it is a dark academia college AU with Chrollo as the main love interest.

Background: You are an artist in college and Chrollo is your fellow classmate. You just returned from a night out at a ball, drunk. Chrollo appeared at the door to your dorm room as he promised he would after you danced with one another at the ball.

Chrollo was surprised you looked so intact. He was sure you would come waddling to the door in pajamas as you did the last time he visited your room. Although it had been an hour since the ball ended, your makeup hadn't smudged a bit. Sure, it was faded, and your hair was significantly messier, but overall you looked as remarkable as you did at the start of the ball.

Your tired eyes widened with surprise at the sight of him. He was just as unimpaired as you were. Though now he was missing his suit jacket. His hair had become slightly disheveled, losing its styled waves. He still had on those signature silver rings and little cross earrings.

You attempt to soak in his sight with your intoxicated brain. He looked even more captivating in this particular state.

“Hi…” was all you could utter.

“Can I come in?”

You realized he was waiting for your permission. He didn’t need it.

You stepped aside to let him in and shut the door. Your room was the same as the last time he saw it, with your drawings hung on the walls and lights strung above the desk. Their small bulbs reflected against the night-stained window.

Upon shutting the door, the tension noticeably rose. It was dark in the small space and you were alone. Chrollo took his black dress shoes off near the door, placing them neatly side by side.

So he plans on staying. You tried to hide a smile. The hour of his visit was surely suspicious. There could be only one thing on his mind.

"So what're you doing here?" you spoke nonchalantly, acting like you didn't just fantasize about what could happen in the next few minutes.

Chrollo opened and shut his mouth, his response escaping him. He turned back to you and used his eyes to convey a craving far deeper than any words could admit.

"I said I would come to find you, didn't I?" He said lowly.

He had begun to walk around the room, absentmindedly stopping at a piece of art from time to time. You were too tired to care. The collection included nature scenes, portraits of people he didn't recognize, anatomy studies, and...

He paused, noticing a drawing on the wall behind the place where the door would otherwise be covering.

It was a full-body anatomy study of yourself. To be specific, it would fit further in the category of a glorified nude. It was on a miniature piece of parchment sketched in charcoal. It was obviously you: the woman had your (hair color) hair and distinct mouth and nose. The paper was hardly noticeable amongst the scatter of papers. You wouldn't see it unless you had a careful eye such as that of Chrollo.

You hardly noticed when he reached the particular spot on your wall. Your tiredness had waned significantly with Chrollo's entrance, but it still fogged your mind.

Additionally, you had long forgotten about your secret behind-the-door location for your drawings that were not meant to be seen by a single soul.

Chrollo attempted to hide a mysterious smile. He turned to you, “You draw wonderfully.”

“Thanks?” you reply, with more question in your tone than you hoped to show.

The heat in the room shot through the roof. You were sure if you checked the temperature it would be well above its normal chilly state. Perhaps it was the heat in your cheeks that was causing such a change.

“So…” he began.

“So,” you replied, trying to avoid eye contact. Please, just let it happen already.

You thought you had a good idea of why he had come to your room at one o'clock in the morning after a night of drinking and questionably close dancing. You couldn't be certain, though, because that was just how he was: unpredictable and exceedingly complicated.

You didn’t think him so complicated as to not be able to admit why he was at your room, though.

You waited as he thought about what to say next. This is taking too damn long.

Luckily, you prepared an excuse. You never failed to come ready for something you could expect. And this, the direction in which your encounter is headed, is inevitable. You had been rehearsing the line in your head for the duration of their conversation like reviewing terms for a test.

This was the only way to test if your assumptions are correct.

Blame it on the champagne if I am wrong. But I really hope I'm right.

You look directly at him. Time to be daring.

You took a breath and did your best to look directly at him, "Well, I actually do need some help. You see, this dress is quite difficult to take off by myself..."

Walking towards him, you place a hand at the hem of your dress. Your delicate fingers wrap around its lacy fabric.

Chrollo looked amused. He sizes you up, looking from your hand holding the hem of your dress to your unfazed expression. Unfazed, yet your cheeks were slowly turning a shade of scarlet. Nice try, Chrollo thought.

He gestured, "Turn around."

You obeyed. You desired something far more than the unzipping of your dress, but you were not presumptuous enough to say it. The expression on Chrollo's face told you that he was hoping for the same thing. He hid many emotions well, but being turned on wasn't one of them.

Chrollo brushed your hair away from the zipper, delicately placing it over your shoulder. His fingers purposefully grazed your back as he did this, causing your breath to hitch slightly.

His hands moved to the zipper, carefully pulling it down. It went past the clasp of your bra to your lower back. There was complete silence. Both of you were still. Are we still hesitating?

Chrollo was the first to move. He pulled you close to him so that your back was touching him. His left arm wrapped across your chest possessively, holding you in a tight embrace. With his other hand, he brushed your hair back from your ear. He smelt of sweet alcohol. Clearly, he was slightly drunk as well, for the next words he said couldn't be uttered by a sober man.

His whispered breath tickled your neck, husky with the threat of sleep, "I want you so bad right now."

You tensed with a sudden surge of desire. Your impression had been right. He let his strong arm remain around you, patiently waiting for a response.

You choked out your reply, "The feelings' mutual."

Under his touch, your streak of audacity from earlier dissolved into compliance. You suddenly wanted nothing more than to submit to his words.

With complete control, Chrollo took your shoulder and turned you around. Your dress was now loose on your shoulders. He placed his hands around your hips firmly. He looked at you under his thick eyelashes and slowly leaned in. The pressure was growing to an unbearable level, but he still wouldn't go all the way.

Then his lips crashed against yours with the force of weeks of pent-up desire. This kiss didn't speak of courtesy, of patience. This was raw passion. It was furious and messy. you preferred this to sensitive steps around the intensity they both craved.

"You must still be drunk," you said playfully as you both pulled away to catch your breath. You held your hand to Chrollo's chest. His heart was beating surprisingly fast.

"If I'm drunk, then what are you?" Chrollo said with a lazy smirk.

"I'm drunk as well."

Chrollo threaded his hands through your hair, pulling the long strands through his fingers. He pulled you in close again with his hand at the back of your head.

You opened your mouth to allow for Chrollo's tongue to slip in. He lessened the intensity and slowly moved his tongue against your own tongue and lips. You couldn't help but let out soft moans that made Chrollo weak at the knees.

He pushed you against the wall to deepen your kiss. Drawings fluttered down, becoming detached with the sudden movement. Including that drawing.

Chrollo pulled away, much to your shock. You were left panting with reddened cheeks. Please don't let this end now.

He displayed a shit-eating grin. Even with his ego, in the current moment, his expression made you melt. His face was inches from yours, looking down into your (eye color) eyes.

He shifted his gaze down to the floor and said, "Nice drawing you have there."

You finally noticed what he had been so smug about. Shit. Your face flushed ten different shades of scarlet.

Chrollo leaned in as he did before and murmured in your ear, "I wish I could see the real thing."

You failed to not show your excitement. The way your eyes lit up exposed you. "I can arrange that."

At that, Chrollo leaned in again, this time moving to your neck. His lips fluttered down your throat to your collarbone. You leaned your head back and tried to control your uneven breath.

His lips reached the edge of the neckline on your dress. He raised his eyes to meet yours, asking for permission to go further.

You let out a breathy, "Yes. Please."

What you wanted to say was, Please, take me now.

It could be too soon for him. But based on how this was going, you expected it was leading to something more. Whatever that was, you wished you could know right now. The growing tension between your thighs began to ache.

Chrollo slipped his hand across your skin to the hemline of your dress, moving it completely off of your shoulder and down your arms. Your black see-through bra was now in full view. Your nipples grew hard at the sudden exposure.

At least I went with my fancy bra. You suddenly grew very shy. The last time you went even this far was years ago.

He evidently liked the lingerie for his hands immediately traveled to your breast to caress it as he continued to kiss you.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered against your neck. Your heart fluttered at his words.

Chrollo then moved his lips progressively further down as he slipped your dress off of your body. Soon your underwear came into view, then your feet. He helped your step out of the dress.

"Your turn," you said, unbuttoning his shirt. All the while he continued to distractingly leave lazy kisses upon your face, one on your forehead, your cheek, your lips.

After an agonizingly long time, you pulled off his shirt. Fuck.

You knew he would be defined. But him, this boy standing in front of you, resembled more of a greek statue than an actual human. It looked like his body had been sculpted by the finest stone on earth. He had a six-pack, defined pectoral muscles, and prominent collarbones. His biceps flexed as he leaned his hand against the wall, bracing himself. It was you who needed to brace yourself. Your breath hitched again at the sight of him.

You ran a hand up his firm body as you planted your lips upon his once again. This time Chrollo put his hands beneath your thighs, his fingers pressing into your soft skin. He picked you up easily.

You wrapped your legs around him as he brought you to the bed, kissing him all the while.

He dropped you down gently, releasing his grip off of your thighs. You took this time to look up at him and admire the beauty of his aroused state. He had a dangerous and wild look, with tousled hair and a constant smile playing at his lips. His heavy-lidded eyes were lazily focused upon you.

You continued to make out on the bed, its white silk sheets creating an angelic halo around you. Chrollo couldn't stand looking at you like this, underneath him. It was far too much power for one man to hold.

You reached to your back to undo the clasp of your bra. You threw it to the ground. Chrollo immediately began to touch your naked tits in a way that made you want to dissolve. He moved in circles around your nipples first, watching as they grew harder under his expert touch. Then he moved his mouth to the sensitive area, playing with you and biting slightly. You audibly moaned at the gesture. Damn the neighbors.

Chrollo sensed your desire to take it further. He looked up, grey eyes filled with lust, "Y/n...let me pleasure you."

It wasn't the suggestion you were expecting, but you were satisfied nonetheless. You didn't care about anything in the world besides what he could do to you at this moment, whatever it may be.

"If you say my name like that you can do anything you want to me," you said breathily. It was exactly what he needed to hear.

Chrollo smirked and moved to take off your soaking underwear. Under his pants, his dick grew visibly harder. He threw the underwear onto the floor.

Gently placing his finger at your throbbing core, he began to stroke. Upon receiving his touch your back arched involuntarily. You were beyond eager.

"Fuck... Chrollo..."

This served as encouragement for him to insert his finger deeper into you, curling it slightly. It hit your g-spot repeatedly, eliciting ungodly sounds from you.

As he was doing this, he slowly positioned himself on top of you, grabbing onto the bed frame with his spare hand. He just wanted to look at your face as you opened your mouth in delight.

He inserted one more finger which caused your arousal to heighten. God, he really knows how to do this.

Just as you felt the heat in your core escalating, he slid his finger out. You whimpered in protest.

Chrollo looked down at you with a wicked smile. "Beg for it."

Oh fuck.

You gladly would. It was more your instincts speaking than any coherent thought.

"Please... Chrollo..." you said between breaths.

You wanted to not only plead for him, you wanted to worship him.

"More."

This is what you had been missing out on all those weeks. And oh god, did you eat it up.

"FUCK please do that again," you exclaimed.

It was enough to convince him. Chrollo moved his face towards your slickened pussy.

Is he about to...

He pushed his hair back out of his face with his clean hand, his forehead tattoo revealed. For only a second, he raised his eyes to gaze into yours. You fell for him all over again at that simple glance.

Then he entered you. His tongue made you want to weep. He devoured your insides, soaking up the salty juices. You couldn't help but hold his head, pulling it closer to your body. You ran your hand through his soft black hair. There was so much heat between them that you were both perspiring.

You began to shudder." I'm going to... oh... fuck," you gasped.

You felt the sweet release of cum spread below you onto the sheets and Chrollo himself. You felt self-conscious for a moment. That is until Chrollo began to lick up your juices. He ran his tongue up your soft thighs.

"You taste so fucking good, darling."

Chrollo looked at you like he had fallen all over again as well. You grinned back at him. Your cheeks grew even redder, if possible. Your heart screamed to continue but you were too physically exhausted to move. Still, wouldn't Chrollo want his turn?

You laid there, naked and panting on the silk sheets. Chrollo flopped next to you, unaffected beside his flushed cheeks and a wide grin.

The lights were still low in the little room. Looking out the window, you saw that the sun had yet to rise. This was a positive fact because the only thing you needed to do now was to sleep. And preferably, cuddling with the boy next to you. You hoped he would stay. It was more than hope, really. Your body couldn't spend any more time away from him after that.

Damn. He was good. He was really, really fucking good.

He knew his way with words, to begin with. He said exactly what needed to be said to escalate your arousal. You wanted to worship those fingers, the way he so expertly felt around you like he had memorized a map. And his tongue was even more worthy of revere.

You flipped over to your elbows. Your breasts brushed against the bedding, noticeably making Chrollo gulp. You boldly reached to touch the front of his pants.

"You don't want a turn?" you smirked.

"This was more than enough for me."

He stared into your eyes as if he was calculating a complex math problem rather than looking at the person who just received the best head of their life.

You yawned, despite yourself. Your body ached with all the action of the night.

"Go to bed, sweetheart. I'll be here."

Those were the last words you heard before your eyes drifted shut. Exhaustion stilled your naked body. Chrollo reached over you to turn off the bedside lamp.

He wasn't nearly as tired. He could've gone for a couple more rounds, perhaps take it a step further if you so desired. But he knew you needed the sleep. Most of your makeup had rubbed off, displaying the dark circles under your eyes.

He slipped off his pants and threw them onto the floor with the rest of the clothes. He found the soft sheets and pulled them across you and himself. The bed was small but cozy. His strong chest was flush against your back.

Your (hair color) hair smelt of a summer day, like sunlight and wildflowers. He took this opportunity to feel up the rest of your glorious body. He ran his hand lightly from your shoulder to your hips, to your thighs. All of it was angelic to him.

He moved you closer with his arm, protectively wrapping it across your front. Somehow holding you like this felt far more intimate than any sexual activity. The way the moonlight graced your skin was majestic.

How had he fallen so hard, so fast? It was unlike him to act with such recklessness.

Through it all, he still had his mind. you had no way to tell the extent of his feelings. He made sure of this. His libido could act one way, that was clear from tonight. But he was an expert at controlling his outward emotions. You would never know. If you did, it would be over for him. All the planning will be for naught.

He closed his eyes before he could fall upon any more worries. He had already pondered the issue for many sleepless nights.

He fell into a dreamless slumber with you safe in his arms. You both slept soundly until the sun peeked through the window.

[velvetcloxds]

WIZARDS IN BEACON HILLS| D.T.

Pairing: Dean Thomas x Fem! Reader,  Harry Potter x Teen Wolf

Word count: 2418 words

Warning: toxic family?

Summary: Dean, Seamus and Neville join the reader to visit her hometown of Beacon Hills for Christmas finding a slightly unconventional family setup.

“Put that away,” I say, sighing tiredly as Neville stumbles to do as I ordered, stuffing his wand into the inside of his jacket. Seamus and Dean share a subtle glance between the two of them, trying to avoid my eyes. “What?” I ask and Dean is the only one to look my way, he smiles slightly as he pushes his hands into his pants pockets.

“You’re nervous.” He notes carefully, stepping closer when passengers start crowding the platform. I scoff softly, rolling my eyes as he watches me carefully.

“I am perfectly calm,” I retort, proving myself wrong as my voice rises in tone, his smile grows and I simply shake my head to dismiss him. “I have no reason to worry.” I say and all three of the boys nod in agreement.

“Exactly.” Dean replies, smile faltering when his eyes linger on something behind me. I tilt my head back to see what he’s looking at, sighing almost instantly when the red-haired little weasel comes into view.

“Ignore her,” I say as I turn back to him, even though his attention remains solely latched on Ginny Weasley as she shamelessly grips onto the hand of Harry Potter. “Dean,” I call and he looks over at me when my hand softly grazes his shoulder. I pull away immediately, hoping he doesn’t notice the warmth in my cheeks as our eyes meet. Smile from earlier replaced with the same depressed stare I’ve been stuck with for weeks. I sigh softly. “I mean it, Dean. She cheated on you; she doesn’t deserve another second of your attention.” I tell him surely and he shakes his head in reply.

“Easier said than done when they’re everywhere.” He replies, looking back at the pair again.

“It’s a good thing we’re leaving then,” Seamus notes, a hand on Dean’s shoulder as he turns to me. “Right, Y/n?” He asks me hopeful and I hover for a second before nodding enthusiastically.

“Yes,” I say loudly and put on a smile. “Far away in fact,” I tell him and grab my bag from the ground when the doors of the train open for people to go inside. “And crazy family aside, you’ll all love Beacon Hills.” Dean meets my gaze for a brief second before his smile returns.

“I’m sure we will,” He says, picking up his own bag before reaching over and taking mine, raising a brow when I try and stop him. “I got it.” Is all he says as he nods for me to head inside, looking back at Ginny briefly before following me, Seamus and Neville trailing behind him sheepishly.

“When will the trolley come by?” Neville asks, peaking around the train as people settle into their seats. I smile as he sits back down, flinching when Seamus slaps his hand away from the armrest.

“It’s not that type of train,” Dean tells him, skootching in beside me, smiling when our arms brush against each other. “At least not the type you’re used to,” He adds, pulling four packets of peanuts out of his pocket and throwing it towards the boys. “Complementary.” He says mockingly as Neville stares down at the nuts confused. I laugh softly, sinking into my seat as I move to look out of the window, ignoring the feeling of Dean’s arm that rest against mine on the arm rest.

“Tell me about your family?” Dean asks after a long moment, the train starting to move as Seamus and Neville argue softly about whether there should be raisins in the peanut packets. I turn back to Dean, smiling at the already intrigued expression on his face. I shrug.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” He replies quickly, eyes raking their way over my face slowly. “You never talk about them, is all and if we’re spending Christmas with them…” He trails off as I nod.

“Well, my mother is Talia, she’s the best of us, kind and good, never hovers to help someone who needs it. Laura is the oldest, she’s a pain, always trying to keep us in order, no room for mistakes. Derek is my older brother, he’s a sweetheart if he wants to be, but he’s also the most annoyingly protective person you’ll ever meet. And Cora is the youngest, she’s like the female version of Derek if I’m honest, but angrier.” I say, stopping myself when I realize how long I’ve been talking, turning to look at him, he smiles.

“They sound lovely.” He offers as a reply.

“They are,” I retort and sigh. “With the exception of my uncle Peter of course, who is quite frankly the worst of us. Always working some sort of angle, only looking out for himself. When he found out what I was, he demanded I be sent to Hogwarts, as far away from the family as possible,” I scoff. “He made me out to be some sort of disgrace.” I comment, tensing up when Dean’s hand softly folds over mine.

“You’re not,” He informs me and pulls his hand away as quickly as he extended it. “You could never be anything but perfectly brilliant,” He says and shoots a somewhat warning gaze towards Seamus when he looks over at me questioningly. Dean shakes his head, turning to be facing the boys instead of me. “I look forward to meeting them all,” He informs me and closes his eyes. “Wake me when we’re there.” He says and I can’t help but frown as I look at him, confused by the sudden mood shift that is not only completely bizarre, but not like him at all.

“Would you like one?” Neville asks, holding out a packet of peanuts towards me, smiling shyly when I shake my head.

“No thank you,” I say and lean forward to ruffle his hair when he blushes. “You boys should get some rest as well, it’s a long ride.” I inform them before turning back to look out of the window.

The ride seems to pass in a blur, my mind so busy that it felt like mere minutes before Dean was carrying my bag out of the Beacon Hills train station, Neville and Seamus having to be called every few minutes when they get distracted by muggles and their strange accents.

“Don’t you dare.” I whisper angrily when Seamus start trailing away from the set path that leads to the house. He steps away slowly, flinching back when he passes my pointed finger. Dean gives him a serious look as he falls into step next to Neville.

“Are you okay?” Dean asks me and I nod quickly, looking around for the markers I set up years ago to remind me of the way. He passes one bag to Neville before lightly placing a hand on my back as we walk. “Y/n…” He whispers, the sudden closeness of his voice making me shiver. “It’s okay if you’re nervous.” He tells me and I stop. Neville and Seamus stumbling behind me to do the same. I look up at the large Hale mansion that stands in all it’s glory just past the last couple of trees. I breathe out slowly.

“I haven’t been home in years,” I say and look to Dean carefully. “What if it’s horrible? What if everything has changed? What if they somehow hate me even more?” I ask him quietly, knowing that Neville and Seamus have very subtly stepped back to give me some space. Dean’s face softens as he looks at me.

“They couldn’t possibly hate you, Y/n Hale,” He tells me and shrugs. “Everything will be perfectly fine,” He adds and softly pushes me to start walking with him again. “If it helps, I won’t leave your side the entire time.” He promises with a sweet smile and I return the notion as we still at the front door where Derek and Laura are already waiting for us, the scene in the woods probably catching their attention.

Derek is the first to smile as he sees me, eyes catching everything, from the boys behind me to Dean’s hand on my back- where his gaze lingers a little longer before our eyes meet again.

“Little sister.” Laura comments as we stop next to them and Derek scoffs before skipping the stairs and pulling me into a hug, making sure to pull me away from Dean in the process.

“I’ve missed you,” He announces as he pulls away, purposefully ignoring the pure existence of the boys. “Laura has been acting like a drill sergeant since mom left.” I frown at the statement and look to Laura for answers. She shakes her head.

“Later,” Is all the offers before turning to the boys. “I didn’t know you were bringing more wizards here.” She notes, looking them over slowly, I scoff and so does Derek.

“She told us she was bringing friends from school, Laura. What did you think they would be?” He asks her dryly and then turns to Dean with and extended hand. “Derek.”

“Dean.” The two shake hands and Derek does the same with Neville and Seamus, my eyes remaining glued to Laura’s through the entire interaction, the clear disapproval in her eyes making my body ache.

Dean moves closer to me again, making sure not to touch me but hovering close, like he had promised he would.

“Derek will take you to your rooms.” Laura informs the boys, leaving no room for questions as Derek leads them inside, Dean catches my eye before disappearing.

“Is Cora here?” I ask and Laura shakes her head.

“She went with mom to the pack meeting out of town.” She says and knowing I’d ask more she lifts a hand to dismiss me. “No more questions, Y/n. The people who wanted to be here are here.”

“And you?”

“Well, I didn’t have a choice.” She replies coldly before turning and walking into the house. I take a slow, shaky breath before following her inside, the usually busy house silent and empty as she leads me through it.

I ignore the ache in my chest as I pass multiple empty rooms, knowing damn well that the only reason they’re empty is because I decided to return and no one wanted to be here when I did.

“I once tried to make it by using a spell, but it exploded everywhere.” Seamus says as we enter the kitchen, looking into a glass. Neville smiles at his side.

“You’re used to that though, aren’t you?” He questions and Seamus frowns, mumbling something under his breath as Dean and Neville laugh.

“Y/n, have you made any potions yet?” Derek asks when he notices me, pulling something out of the oven in the process, hiding the fact that he didn’t use an oven mitt. I nod with a slight smile.

“Many,” I answer, absentmindedly stilling next to Dean by the counter. “Although none of mine exploded.” I add and Seamus mocks a laugh.

“What type of potions do you make?” Derek asks as well and Neville excitedly starts naming all the different potions we’ve learned since first year, dumbing them down for Derek to understand.

Dean leans closer, turning to whisper in my ear. “You okay?” I look over at Laura who is still hovering at the door, hearing everything, including Dean’s whisper. I hold her gaze as I nod.

“Perfectly fine.” I answer, avoiding Dean’s gaze as the conversation continues, the boys managing to entertain Derek for hours with stories of creatures and spells, most of which not exactly supposed to be shared with muggles, but all of them too busy to remember. Dean watches me through the night, looking away when I notice and joining in on the conversation soon after. Laura went upstairs, not pleased with Derek’s curiosity about the wizard world, the party having moved to the sitting room.

Soon however, it became dark and the fatigue from the long train ride caught up with us, Neville and Seamus stumbling to their assigned rooms to get some sleep before Christmas morning, excited for whatever presents their owls might deliver to them from the other side of the world.

“You can go too, Derek.” I say, arms folded over my chest as he sits on the couch between Dean and I, looking over at us curiously.

“I’m not tired just yet,” He informs me, shuffling to get comfortable. “Besides, Dean hasn’t been very transparent with his intentions.” He announces and I almost swallow my tongue.

“Derek Hale,” I say, trying not to wake whoever might be asleep already. “Dean is my friend.” Derek smiles.

“Maybe. But friends don’t look at friends the way he looks at you,” He notes and Dean is the one to shift in his seat this time, avoiding both my gaze and Derek’s. “See, he’s not even denying it.”

“There’s nothing to deny, he was just trying to make sure I was okay,” I say and get up from the couch. “Which was very much appreciated, because clearly you haven’t gotten the memo just yet,” I announce and swallow as Derek’s playful protectiveness shifts to worry. I sigh, pushing down my emotions to muster up a semi-calm look. “It has been a long day, Derek and I’m tired. Could I please have a moment of peace before bed?” I ask and he hovers, clearly going through every outcome of his reply, looking at Dean who is looking at me and then looking at me with a sigh.

“Okay,” He decides and stands up, pausing to look down at Dean. “Just remember, you may have a wand, but I have claws and I don’t mind using them.” He informs the thoroughly confused boy before slowly leaving the room and threading up the stairs.

We walk out to the terrace, him taking a seat on the wall as I stand in front of him. There’s a long pause of silence as he stares up at me, taking in every movement I make and watching with intense focus as I stare back at him.

“I shouldn’t have come home,” I say suddenly and he tilts his head. “I’ve driven them all away, not even Peter showed up,,” I add and briefly feel the shaking of my hands. “Could I possibly be so damn awful to be around that not even my own mother wants to see me?”

“No,” He answers quickly and jumps up from his seat. “No.” He repeats more calmly and takes my hand in his own. “You’re not the problem, Y/n. Besides, it’s their loss. If they can’t look past something as ridiculous as your magic to see everything else about you then it is most certainly their loss,” He tells me and lifts our hands to be raised in between us. “I for one can’t think of a single thing that would keep me away from you.” He says, voice softer this time, likes he’s thinking out loud and he lifts his other hand to stroke a single finger over my cheek. I look down, cheeks reddening once again as his hand lingers on my face.

“He’s right about that stare.” I whisper, instinctively grabbing his jacket to center myself before closing my eyes.

“He is.” He answers and I shake my head.

“But Ginny…” I say, ignoring the objection of my mind and looking up at him once more. He shakes his head with a smile.

“She isn’t you. She’s never been you, which is why I broke up with her months ago,,” He smiles at my confusion. “She did cheat on me, but honestly I might as well have done the same because how very wrong of me to feel what I feel for you when I’m actually dating her,” He admits and he might as well have explained nothing because at least a hundred new questions pop into my head. He smiles, releasing my hand to grasp the other side of my face. “You’re my best friend.” He says and I nod.

“And you are mine.” I say, tightening my hold on his jacket.

“But I can’t keep denying that I am completely and utterly in love with you.” He says and leans closer, hovering above my lips.

“Thank Merlin.” I whisper, breathless with anticipation before his lips softly meet mine.

Hi there, more of my work can be found on Wattpad under @mjoubert. Mxx.

Masterlist

[stewblog]

WEST SIDE STORY (2021)

Steven Spielberg’s take on the Broadway classic West Side Story is one of the best movies of the year and it makes me slightly angry.

Angry not at any aspect of the production itself, but rather at the fact that it’s taken so long for Spielberg to finally make a musical. In a career that has given audiences no shortage of definitive, iconic films this still manages to stand out as one of the director’s best films. It may be relatively familiar territory thanks to the ubiquity of Stephen Sondheim’s Broadway musical and Robert Wise’s equally iconic 1961 film adaptation, but the style, energy and substance Spielberg infuses his version with makes it an equally worthy take on the material that sits comfortably alongside its predecessors.

For anyone unfamiliar, West Side Story is a loose adaptation of Romeo & Juliet, set during the 1950s in the upper west side of Manhattan. Tony (Ansel Elgort) and Maria (Rachel Zegler) are star-crossed lovers pulled between their (almost assuredly doomed) romance and the respective gangs that make up their family, the Jets and the Sharks. The two gangs are determined to duke it out until only one side is left standing all in a futile effort to maintain supremacy over a sliver of the island that is slowly being demolished in the name of “progress.”

The love story between Tony and Maria, as it has been with every version of Romeo & Juliet I’ve ever watched, is the least interesting aspect of the film. Even taking into account that this is only a few steps removed from a fairy tale, it’s still far too rushed for me to capably invest myself in its obviously doomed trajectory. I’m not sure how you amend that without drastically altering things so it is what it is. That said, Elgort and Zegler sell it as well as possible. Elgort is fine enough though he never quite reached a pitch that convinced me he should have necessarily beaten out any other qualified actor for the part. He can at least sing better than I expected. Zegler, on the other hand, is a remarkable find. Pulled from obscurity with zero screen or professional stage credits to her name, Zegler answered an open casting call and caught Spielberg’s eye and it’s not hard at all to see why. She has a poise, presence and, perhaps most importantly, a voice that immediately screams “I’m going to be a star.”

What lands hardest this time is the rivalry between the Sharks and Jets and the way Spielberg manages to draw a stark contrast between them while still illuminating the ways in which they are equally failed by a system and society that is more than happy to pass them by. The Jets, led by Riff (Mike Faist giving my favorite performance in the film), are practically nihilists. Emaciated and aimless, they fight tooth and nail to maintain the illusion of control. The Sharks, led by Bernardo (David Alvarez), just want their slice of the American pie. They came to New York City just like countless other immigrants and, like them, work to the bone to earn their way yet are still shunned and demeaned simply because of their skin color.

These gangs are perpetually at each other’s throats in a rivalry that culminates with deadly consequences. Yet Spielberg takes care to emphasize that they’re fighting against the wrong forces. At minimum, each side should be empathetic to the other’s plight given proximity and similarity. And yet they can’t look past their own petty rivalry to realize the city and society’s apathy toward them is far more important than who “controls” a few blocks of a neighborhood. Their meaningless feud has never felt more heartbreaking than it does here.

Part of what makes the depiction of these gangs work is the casting. I mentioned above that Faist gives my favorite performance of the film and it really can’t be overstated just how wonderfully cast he and the rest of the Sharks and Jets are. They inhabit and embody a specific sensibility, as though Spielberg managed to pluck them right off a 1950s sidewalk and herded them right onto the set in 2019. Modern actors simply do not look or sound like their contemporaries from decades ago and yet somehow Spielberg managed to have them embody a manner of being that simply no longer exists. Feist embodies this perhaps moreso than anyone else with a wiry, tightly wound demeanor and physicality that feels precisely like the Bruce Davidson photos he apparently studied in preparation. Riff is one of the more tragic characters in the film and Feist delivers a performance that feels worn and weary in a way that’s rare for a musical and yet is never at odds with the more heightened tone of the genre.

Speaking of heightened, there are simply not enough superlatives to throw around in praise of what Spielberg pulls off with West Side Story’s musical numbers. For anyone wondering what the point of remaking an already iconic film (especially one with music and lyrics as beloved as those in West Side Story), this is why. Spielberg infuses a style and energy into these numbers that simply didn’t exist in Wise’s version. That’s not a cut on the original film, this version exists perfectly alongside it but with a stamp placed on it by its director that is unmistakable. Take “America,” for example. In Wise’s version it feels much more stagebound, even conversational between the characters. Spielberg keeps the back and forth nature of the song but has it unfold throughout the neighborhood. It becomes a sprawling number bursting with color and energy. The new version of “Mambo!” is nothing short of breathtaking. It’s a little difficult to pick a favorite because they’re all just so good.

This is Spielberg working at the height of his powers, which is perhaps an odd realization to come to given the rumors of his possible impending retirement. But whether he’s got one more movie left in him or a half dozen, this will still stand strong among the best work he’s ever made. There is a command of craft on display here that most directors could only dream of. Spielberg’s desire to make a musical has been evident ever since the dance hall brawl from his infamous World War II-set flop, 1941 and his Busby Berkeley tribute in the opening of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. I wish we’d gotten West Side Story sooner. But regardless of when it arrived, it’s more than worth the wait.

[misslilli]

Whelp, with yesterday we're back at school. Teaching first grade is hard, man 😂 Thank you guys, again, for going on this adventure with me :)

Felix Felicis

MSR. AU. PG-13. | tagging @today-in-fic | read on AO3

Chapter 17 - The Mulder Boys's Birthday Bash

[ DS ]

The Saturday of the Mulder Boys’s Birthday Bash, I find myself standing in front of my closet with the girls, frowning at my selection of dresses. “What about this one?” Holly fingers a yellow sundress.

“Nah, it’s pretty but she looks like she’s going to church in that one.” Sarah tugs on a dress with a daisy print on it.

“Are you joking? That one’s even more Virgin Mary than the yellow one!”

Alex reaches into my closet and pulls out a navy two-piece dress I bought on a whim a few years back, but have never worn since then. “How about this one?”

“A, that’s perfect! It’s classy, yet sexy, just what we’re going for!” Sarah shoves me towards my bathroom. “Go try it on, D! And wear those nude heels with it.” I take the dress out of Alex’s arms and the shoes from Sarah and change into the outfit quickly. The straps drape across my arms just below my shoulders and it’s low cut just enough for my comfort. My cross necklace gleams against my skin and I decide to keep it on for tonight. Since it’s a two-piece, there’s just a sliver of skin visible between the top and the skirt, which flares out and swishes around my knees.

Slipping on my heels I step outside and the girls gasp in unison. “Yes, that’s the one! How does it feel D?” Holly pulls me over and I twirl in front of the full-length mirror, smiling as the skirt billows out around my legs.

“It’s beautiful, I love it. Thanks, girls!”

“The Mulder boys won’t know what hit ‘em when you show up wearing that!” Sarah winks at me suggestively and I roll my eyes at her.

“You know exactly that that’s not why I’m wearing it!”

Now it’s Sarah’s turn to roll her eyes. “Yeah sure, just keep telling yourself that…”

“Come on guys, we’re already unfashionably late. I’ll just call us a cab, are you ready?”

I grab a shawl against the cold and my purse before we make our way downstairs to wait for the cab. When we arrive at the house, we can already hear faint party noises from the backyard and my heart’s beating hard against my chest when we walk up the front walkway to ring the doorbell. My gaze wanders around the front of the house, the glass veranda on the right catching my eye. It’s completely different from our beach house, but it’s beautiful all the same.

The door opens to reveal Principal Skinner with a glass of whiskey in his hand and he holds the door open for us. “Hello ladies, come on in! You look extraordinarily beautiful tonight! Follow me, the party’s out back in the yard.”

He leads us through the house and I notice that it’s got polished hardwood floors and is furnished with antiques, giving it a cozy feel. We walk past the glass veranda which houses the dining room on the right and the living room with a massive couch to the left, which opens into the kitchen. The wooden staircase to the first floor is tucked away in the back. Skinner points us to the bathroom as we walk past it before we step outside onto the back porch and my breath catches in my chest.

They really went all out on this party, there’s string lights twinkling all around the hedge and in the trees, catered food and a bar in one corner, round tables in the middle and a massive dancefloor with a DJ in the other corner. Holly whistles through her teeth. “Man, they sure know how to live it up. Why are our parties never this nice? Jesus, I think they invited half the town for this.”

“Well, that’s on me I guess, they don’t know many people around here yet so I figured it would be the perfect opportunity to make new acquaintances,” Principal Skinner admits but I’m only half listening because my eyes are too busy scanning the crowd. Sarah nudges my hip and tilts her head over to the bar and I’m embarrassed that she knows exactly who I was looking for. There he is, deep in conversation with Skinner’s wife, laughing at something she said.

He’s wearing a dark blue suit with a white dress shirt and a crimson tie and while the sight of him in a plain t-shirt with jeans are enough to make my heart skip a beat, him in that suit is going to give me a heart attack.

“Would you look at that D, you color coordinated, matchsiiiesss.” Holly whispers in my ear and I give her a pointed look.

“Shut up, Holly!” I hiss at her.

Just then, he looks over at us standing on the elevated porch and I can practically feel the slight burn his eyes leave as they travel up and down my body, giving me the once over. I hope he has a defibrillator. He flashes us a smile and raises his hand in a small wave, then continues his conversation with Arlene Skinner.

“Come on, girls, let’s put the presents on the gift table and get something to eat and drink.” ‘Eat, drink and be merry for today you may die.’

At the bar we sidestep the wine for now, since we haven’t eaten yet and I don’t want to embarrass myself by getting tipsy and stumbling over my heels. With my luck, I’ll just faceplant at a certain someone’s feet. ‘Huh, maybe he’ll catch me in those strong arms of his, though, if you’re really lucky…‘

When he spots our little circle, Felix comes over to us wearing a boy version of his dad’s suit, only with short dress pants and sneakers better suited for running around with the other kids. He’s tugging a tall woman along, with wavy brown hair and a kind face that seems somewhat familiar, but I’m not sure where to place her. His face is flushed and he beams at us happily.

“You came!”

“Of course we came, happy birthday Felix!” Sarah raises her glass to him and we all chime in with our Happy birthdays. The woman he came over with also raises her glass and ruffles his hair affectionately.

“This is my teacher Miss Anderson, and Miss Carter and Miss Spencer and Miss Scully,” he introduces us while the woman takes her turn shaking our hands. She regards me curiously and her lips curve into a smile.

“I’m Sam, Fox’s sister and Felix’s favorite aunt!” His sister, that’s why her face seemed so familiar. “So you’re the enigmatic Miss Scully I’ve heard so much about. It’s so nice to finally meet you!” She notices the surprised look on my face. “Only good things, I promise. Felix won’t shut up about you when we talk on the phone.” I laugh, mostly because of the exasperated look Felix gives his aunt at revealing his secret.

“Glad to hear it, we’re having a lot of fun with him during recess! Nice to meet you, Sam. I really like your dress, did you get it around here?”

“Thanks, but no, I got it back in LA, I’m only visiting for a couple of days, I just couldn’t miss my two handsome boys’s birthday bash!”

“Handsome, huh? You spoil me sis!” Her brother has snuck up behind her, throwing his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his side and planting a kiss on her cheek. “Hi ladies, thanks for coming, you look very lovely today!” We raise our glasses to him as well, wishing him a happy birthday and my drink spills over a little in my shaky hand. I pray that no one notices.

“Sam I’m so sorry to drag you away, but can you help me out and check if everything’s alright with the caterers?” They excuse themselves and we decide it’s time for us to check out what said caterers have prepared, our stomachs already rumbling. Hopefully, the butterflies in my stomach will make room.

----------

[ Sam ]

After checking with the caterers inside, I return to the party, standing on the back porch to watch everyone have a good time and I’m secretly a little proud of myself. Planning the party from all the way across the country had been stressful to say the least, but it turned out great. My gaze wanders around the tables and it catches on the tiny red-head and her three friends, who seem to be having a great time, laughing and chatting at their table.

I’ve heard many stories from Felix over the last few weeks but what surprised me the most was the way my brother looks at her. When I saw the way his whole face lit up when she walked in, I realized that Felix was not the only one taken with Miss Scully. She’s not his usual type - not that she’s not pretty, she is, very much so - but she’s actually nice. A vast improvement from the piece of work that’s his ex-wife, let me tell you. I wonder if he’s thought about asking her out yet.

----------

[ DS ]

After dinner, we’re treated to another visit from the little Mulder, who’s breathless from the game of tag with his friends. “Hey Felix! Are you having a good time?” He nods enthusiastically, trying hard to catch his breath.

“Yeah, auntie Sam did a really good job! I can’t wait for my cake, she said it’s really huuuge! And the DJ is playing aaaall my favorite songs, too!”

Suddenly shy, he shuffles his feet a bit and then, gathering all his courage, he looks up at me and holds out a tiny hand. “Miss Scully, will you dance with me?”

“Of course, birthday boy, come on.”

----------

[ Sam ]

Once I’m finished making another round of checking that everything’s running smoothly, I spot my brother standing at the bottom of the stairs, watching the party. Stopping on the last step, I wrap my arms around his waist and rest my chin on his shoulder. “Great party, huh?”

“Yeah, you did a pretty good job sis. And Skinner’s managed to gather up quite a crowd. Almost everyone’s here tonight!”

“You know what I think? You’d be just as happy if it were only you and one other special guest here tonight.” He turns his head a little, frowning.

“What?” I motion my head to the woman who’s currently talking to Felix at her table. “Aah. Is it that obvious?” I snort derisively

“Are you kidding me, bro? I’ve known you all my life, I can see the hearts in your eyes from a mile down the road. Have you asked her out yet?”

“No… I’m so nervous around her I can barely string more than a few coherent words together. She probably thinks I’m a huge idiot. I asked her if she believes in aliens, Sam!” We watch as Felix holds his hand out to her, asking her to dance with him. He’s so cute I can barely stand it.

“I’m sure that’s not true. You should take a page out of your son’s book though, boy’s got game!” My brother laughs as the somewhat mismatched pair sways on the dancefloor.

I release him from my embrace, an idea popping into my head. “You should go and cut in.” Now he fully turns to me and looks at me like I’m crazy.

“What? No…” He’s making his panic face.

“What yes! Carpe diem, right now!” I give him a gentle shove in the direction of the dancefloor. “Go! I’ll handle the music.”

----------

[ DS ]

Of course, I can’t say no to the little charmer and we make our way to the dancefloor and I sway with Felix in time to the music, twirling him around until he giggles.

“You look really handsome tonight, Felix!”

He smiles shyly and narrowly avoids stepping on my shoes. “Thank you! You look really beautiful too.”

“You’re absolutely right, son. Mind if I cut in?” A tingle shoots up my spine at the sound of his voice and Felix nods, stepping back. His dad holds out his hand to me. “A dance for the other birthday boy?”

“Well technically, it’s not your birthday for a few days.” I tease him, but I slip my hand into his and he spins me against him, wrapping his right arm around my waist, clasping my left hand in his tightly. The DJ fades into a new song and I groan inwardly as Sonny and Cher’s “I got you babe!” starts droning from the speakers. We sway for a few beats before he whips me across the dancefloor in a quick waltz. Over his shoulder I can see countless pairs of eyes following us but for once, tonight, I don’t care because all I can feel is the burn of his fingers resting on the sliver of exposed skin of my waist and the tickle of the hair at the back of his neck against my hand. God, this guy can waltz.

On the last few notes, he twirls me out with a grin on his face, tugging on my hand to bring me back in and then he dips me back for the grand finale. Dips me. The move takes me by surprise and I laugh, breathless when he brings me upright again.

“I don’t think you’re supposed to dip your lady in a waltz!” I realize my Freudian slip a fraction of a second too late. ‘Your lady? What the heck, Dana.’

He just shrugs nonchalantly, still grinning. “If I fancy to dip my lady, I will dip my lady! Thank you for this dance, Miss Scully!” He bows his head and I chuckle, curtsying. “The pleasure was all mine, Mr. Mulder!” ‘Who ARE you?’

We step off the dancefloor and I return to our table, sitting down still a little bit out of breath, only to be met with three incredulous stares. ‘Here we go, 3, 2, 1…’

“What was that, D?” Holly.

“Oh my God, the two of you on the dancefloor!” Sarah.

“That was incredible!” Alex.

I shrug, picking up my glass, but I can’t hide the blush on my face and smile around my straw. “Mr. Mulder can waltz.” I’ll never live this down.

Sometime after the birthday cakes came out, Felix appears at my side again and leans against me heavily. I can tell he’s coming down from his sugar-high. “Miss Scully, remember how I told you about the encyclopedia on butterflies?”

“Yeah I do, what about it?”

“Would you like to see it?” He looks up at me hopefully and I agree, glad to get away from the action for a while.

“Okay, come on!” Together we climb the steps to the back porch and he tugs me inside into the living room where we sit down on the couch. I can finally slip off my heels while Felix runs to get the encyclopedia and after returning, places it on my lap curling up into my side. He opens the heavy book and shows me his favorite butterflies, explaining in great detail what’s so special about it.

His voice gets more and more quiet with each new butterfly until he stops talking altogether and looking down I realize that he fell asleep, completely wiped. Coming off my own sugar high, I scoot down lower into the cushions and lean my head back against the back, closing my eyes. Just for a second.

[zeldas-cigarrette]

Now, I’ll drive alone past your street. (Ⅱ)

A/n: This is the sequel to my last post, I couldn’t write any smut, I wasn’t in the mood for it. Just wait for another story in which I’ll definitely include it !!! If you have any requests, feel free to leave them somewhere ^^ And thank you so much for the interaction on my last post:))

Part 1

Word count: 1,635

Warnings: none

Zelda Spellman x female witch reader

———————————————————————

It pained you when sudden thoughts about Zelda flickered in your head. Although you decided on leaving for a while, you missed her, Hilda, Ambrose, and Sabrina. The wittiness of Hilda when you came down for breakfast, looking like a complete mess. Sabrina when she was onto something, including you in every step of the way. And Ambrose, when he was fuzzing about the mess his younger cousin had caused again.

The sudden ring of your cell phone tore you out of thoughts. Hilda’s caller ID showed up just as it did the past week. You’ve always been too afraid to pick up, scared of listening to her ranting about you letting her sister marry this man. But unlike the other times, the Brit has called, now you were brave enough to answer the call. Maybe Zelda fulfilled her task and became High Priestess?

„Y/n, I tried to reach you all week” Hilda hastily explained. „I know, I know but-“

„There is no time for explanations, you need to come back. Something’s wrong with Zelda” she cut you off while unsteadily breathing into the speaker.

You hesitated to speak, not being sure what you shall say. You loved the red-headed witch too much to let her suffer. „I’ll be there Hilda,” you said and quickly ended the conversation.

You knew it was about time to go back and fight for your love and show Father Blackwood who’s in charge.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

It didn’t take long for you to teleport you back to the mortuary, you left a few of your belongings where you’d stayed. You took a deep breath before knocking on the red front door. The familiar scent of your friends home crept up your nose and you started to loosen your tension. „Praise Satan you’re here, come in quick” the British woman rambled and pulled you inside.

„What’s going on?” You asked curiously. „My sister has changed during her honeymoon, it’s just as if she’s under some kind of spell.”

You nodded and hung your coat onto one of the hooks. „She does everything Blackwood asks her, Zelda would do anything to protect our family and now that bloke tries harms us and she just agrees with everything” Hilda explained and you knew immediately what she was trying to say. „And, Ambrose is said to have killed the Anti Pop. Nicholas Scratch helped him get away before Blackwood could lay his hands on him” she added pulling a grimacing face.

„I will go to the academy and inspect the situation myself, we will fix this mess” you tried to reassure her. The witch nodded and led you into the kitchen where the two cousins sat, pondering over how to help her aunt. „You’re back Y/n!” Sabrina exclaimed and hugged you tightly. A smile formed on your lips. Deep down you were happy to be back even though it took you some time to realise.

The darkness slowly came over Greendale and millions of stars peppered the night sky. „I will head to the academy and see what happened to your aunt and in which condition she is” you informed them and drummed your fingers on the tabletop. „Be careful, Blackwood is crazy at the moment. His misogyny went up to a new level” the young witch rambled worriedly. „I’ll take care.”

You grabbed your coat before leaving the house, inhaling the sweet scent that lingered in the house once more.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

Arriving at the academy, a weird feeling spread in your gut. You entered the school for witches and warlocks, having an exact destination to where you wanted to go. You walked through the halls of the academy searching for either Zelda or Blackwood. A sharp pain shot through your arm when a hand grabbed you and pulled you into a room.

The facet of the person immediately let you know who it was. „Blackwood” you explained and freed yourself from his tight grip. „You ought not to be here” the sharp tone in his voice sent shivers down your spine. „I came to speak to Zelda.”

He eyed me. „Wife!” The High priest yelled and waited impatiently for Zelda to come. Seconds passed before a woman in a flower dress entered the room. „Would you give us a few minutes?” your voice thickly filled with annoyance. The warlock just nodded and left the room.

„Zelds, what happened?”

„I don’t know what you mean?” her voice almost pitching. „Honey, you can tell me” your hand reached for hers. „But there is nothing to tell. If you excuse me now, I ought to make tea for my beloved husband.”

Her words sounded surreal, fake just simply not like Zelda. A hopeless sigh escaped your lips, you should’ve told her how wrong it was to marry that bloke. The only thing to hear was the sound of her music box.

✧ ೃ༄*ੈ✩

„It’s like she’s a doll” you took a sip of water before continuing, „no free will, and devoted to someone she said she’d overthrow.”

Hilda’s gaze wandered through the room. Footsteps echoed through the Spellman house, both of you looked at each other before stepping in the hallway.

You two saw her walking in the kitchen having her hand draped over something. Hilda followed her sister closely. The next thing you heard was high pitched screams from Sabrina who must’ve been in the kitchen. Your legs moved as fast as they could to see what was happening. Zelda stood there, wounding a mouse through the meat grinder. „Aunt Zel, why did you do that? That was our only chance to save Ambrose?” Sabrinas said stunned while her mouth fell agape.

I didn’t know what she was talking about, but surely Leviathan, who now was just a mashed version of itself, played its role in it. „I think I know what’s going on!“ Hilda exclaimed and it looked just as if a light bulb appeared over her head. „Sabrina, you have to get that music box from Zelda’s room in the Academy“ her aunt explained. The teenage witch nodded. Her aunt expected her to leave but that wasn’t the case, she somewhat teleported the box.

Zelda just stood there, staring at the mashed familiar. You couldn’t deny the fact that you were curious about how she teleported a box to her, but you suppressed the thought until you knew what was going on with your toner girlfriend. „Open it up darling” Hilda demanded her niece, „this has to be some kind of Caligari spell.” „What spell?” You asked genuinely interested. „A spell, typically used by old warlocks, to turn their wives into conscious witches aware of every action, yet, unable to make their own choices” the Brit explained and pulled out a photo of the music box.

„Just smash it and our Zelda should be freed from the spell,” Hilda told Sabrina who now held the picture in her hands. With a loud thud, the glass of the frame was broken, leaving a confused Zelda. You saw her facial expression change when she laid eyes on you. „Zelda is it you?” you asked nearly on the verge of tears.

You knew how stupid it was, leaving her alone with the whole situation, telling her she was better off without you. „Y/n...” the woman stuttered not daring to look away from you. You couldn’t contain your happiness and relive of having her back, you stepped closer and hugged her in a hurry. Her hands instantly sneaking around your waist, pressing you close to her body.

„I was an idiot, Zelda Spellman and I am sorry for how I behaved” you whispered in her ear. Her red locks were spreading on your face, you inhaled her scent. „Don’t worry, I must admit it was my fault too. How could I ask my girlfriend if I could marry another guy?" she mumbled in your shoulder and pressed yourself just a little closer to her body. „Alright, lovebirds” Sabrina sighed and let herself fall back on one of the kitchen chairs.

You loosened your hug and drew back to look at her. „Why don’t we get you something proper to wear?” You suggested and eyed her flower dress. „Satan, wearing this dress the whole time, internally drove me mad” Zelda admitted and tugged on the hem of her dress.

You took her hand in yours and softly moved your thumb over her skin. The fiery woman was broken, you saw it in her green eyes. Gently, you pulled her after you, scared she might break if you’d do it more hastily. Arriving in front of her bedroom door, you were hesitant if she’d even want you to come in put she slightly pushed you towards the door. „Don’t blame yourself, you had every right to leave. I wouldn’t want to see how you marry someone else” the witch remarked after a long silence. „I just feel like I could’ve prevented you from the pain,” you told her.

Zelda just shook her head and patted next to her on the bed. You followed her plea and sat next to the witch, staring down at your hands. „I haven’t told you this for weeks now, but I love you,” the older woman said and took your hand into hers. You slowly placed your head on her shoulder. „I love you too, but never ever marry anyone again as long as we are together” you had to add that. „Never” she mouthed before planting soft kisses along your jawline. „As dominant as ever” you giggled before the woman pressed you down on the bed beneath.

The room was filled with ecstasy and lust after Zelda was finished pleasuring you. You snuggled closer to her chest, not daring to leave her side again. Zelda’s red locks covering your face once more, made you feel comfortable with falling asleep. ‘You’ll be there for her on every step of the way, no matter how much strength it may take’ you thought to yourself before sleep hit you.

—————————————————————

[magicmanias]

The Wanderer

Episode 2 of Polaris

[per - uh - jee] (n). Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body at which it is nearest to the earth

Pairing: Loki x Reader

Summary: A fugitive out of time + interdimensional space travel + a love story. Always on the run, and while Loki might be able to escape the TVA, he always gravitates towards you. Not even bending the fabric of space and time itself can cut his heartstrings.

Occurs after the events of Endgame. Replaces Loki mini-series timeline.

Warnings: You know it’s gonna be angst. You just know. Come on now.

Word Count: 3.0k

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I have exams coming up, so I’ve been having to study for those a lot. Once exams are over at the end of May, you know I’ll be writing like a maniac. Also, the word count will definitely increase as the chapters go along. It's been a bit short, but right now, we're just building traction! And yes… You will come across a part that is vague and opens up more questions about the reader who I have named Goddess Divine.

<- Previous | Next -> (Coming soon)

“Thank you.” Loki rubs his wrists as the chains fall to the ground. “Where did you learn to do that?”

“You—My husband taught me,” you said. Loki nodded but offered nothing in response. “We need to leave here. I know a way.”

“Hey, hold on.” Loki reached out to grab her wrist, but lowered his hand once he got her attention instead. “We don’t have the Tesseract.”

“There are other ways to leave this planet.”

Loki scoffed. “I don’t think you understand how powerful that thing is.”

You turned fully to face him, craning your neck to meet his eyes. “I know more than you. Trust me. It’s better if you forget about it.”

The children are constantly at the forefront of your thoughts even as you searched for an escape in the caverns under Asgard. Memories of posies in hand and your old, favorite pink dress drew all your attention from the damp halls illuminated by enchanted flame. This place… this time that you’re in was all-too-well ingrained in the core of everything you remembered of your home.

Your calves started to strain and it took you some time until you realized that you’ve been trying to sync your steps with Loki’s, an unconscious effort you would always put in walking alongside your husband. The difference was that his doppleganger didn’t take care to shorten his strides to allow for you to keep up.

“We’ve fallen into a past timeline of yours.” Loki glanced at you over his shoulder. “Those children were you and… your husband.”

“Yes.” You give up on trying to keep up and let him take the lead. “I remember why we were up there. Today was the Perigee.”

Loki was curious. He’d never heard of such a thing. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”

You made a confused look on your face, but then immediately understood. “I suppose you don’t observe that in your world.”

“No, I can’t say that we do. Is it a celestial celebration? We only commemorate the coming of the seasons.”

At the end of the hall, you finally arrived at the center of the caverns, a chamber of nine interconnected murals telling the story of creation. You and Loki used to play under these paintings, waiting until Thor would find you at last.

“The Perigee is not of Asgard. It exists on Midgard, the mortal planet, when the moon is at its closest point in orbit to the earth. It happens so often there, but we hold the festival when Asgard, too, is at its closest point with Midgard.”

“That seems a bit arbitrary,” he commented, now gazing at the murals of his father above him. Odin was painted in a beautiful light as he constructed the world. Ymir simply seemed to disappear from the artwork, but the muralist failed to convey that Odin slew the giant and used his body to form the cosmos.

“There is a story behind it, like all great Norse holidays have. It tells the story of Gaea and Máni. A tale of forbidden love. Lofn loves to tell the story for all the children at each festival. She claims that without her, they would never have ended up together,” you laughed, “I remember pulling Loki from his books so we could make it on time.” You giggled at the memory.

“Máni? I haven’t ever heard of him retiring from pulling the moon. And Gaea has been sleeping for eons.”

“Our history is different, perhaps. I do not exist in your Asgard, yes?” You continued to walk, choosing the fourth passage from the left that led to the waterfall beneath the palace.

“No. No, I’m afraid not.” Loki paused in thought as he contemplated your assumption. Surely you must have existed somewhere in his world. “So what was so forbidden of their love?”

“Where I come from, Gaea was truly the first realm to exist, made of the blood and dust from a time even beyond her. In an empty universe, she was lonely, though she was a goddess of life itself. So she collected more dust in the reaches of space and breathed life into Máni. He was born, bright like the stars and light in his heart. He was grateful for life, and in return, he gave her his love… and her children. The mortals. But when they came close to embrace one another, he came too close and scorched the earth, burning her children. Gaea mourned, crying until Midgard flooded with her tears. From the water, the plants regrew and the animals emerged, but still, she missed her children. Máni couldn’t bear to see his love so saddened, so he sacrificed almost all of his power to breathe new life in the mortals. He grew dim and small, no longer so mighty without Gaea’s magic. Now in a realm of eternal darkness, Sol had finally caught up to Máni. She was born with the duty to bring light to the mortals, but Odin also tasked her with the job to separate Gaea and Máni when they became too close. Every day, she shines her light on the earth, but when she goes to rest, Máni returns to see Gaea before Sol wakes up once again to warn Máni. Yet sometimes, Máni can’t help but to come a little bit closer to Gaea—the rising tides his only warning. We call it the Perigee.”

“And what of Lofn? How did she contribute her skills in this forbidden love?”

“Oh yes. Lofn told us that she was the only being to give her consent to their love. The rest of Aesir vehemently rejected the bond. She used to try and match all the children up in the village and she would host all the play weddings. We must have been married by her hundreds of times. She could never resist the idea of the God of Mischief with a maiden Vanir.”

The sound of water crashing down into the abyss grew louder and louder as natural light started to creep into the passage.

“What is your role?”

“My role?”

“Yes, what do you do? What do you reign over?”

“Oh, I’m really no one. I don’t even think the Midgardians are aware of me. My role is quite insignificant compared to the likes of your brother or even the infamous trickster.”

“What is your role, Goddess?” he pushed once more.

“Seidr,” you shrugged, racing your finger along the stone wall.

“I would hardly call that insignificant. The power of prophecy is a force to be reckoned with.”

“I was born with a divine title, but I can’t even perform a healing spell,” you admitted.

“Your husband never taught you?” Loki smirked, the tease hanging loose from his lips.

You frowned. “No, he couldn’t.”

A rumble of footsteps approached and neither you nor Loki hesitated to make a final run towards the end of the tunnel. As you started to gain some speed, you suddenly froze, completely still as a hazy orange light encased you. Loki’s hand glowed green, battling against the force that trapped you, but just as quickly as he tried to free you, he was captured.

The TVA launched you through the exact same process as the first time. Long lines, an infinite number of signatures on documents you didn’t understand, and a maze of doorways. You didn’t see Loki again for a long time. It felt like days, but in a place as distorted as this, you couldn’t keep track of the hours.

Another agent guided you into a holding cell. It looked strange—more like an inn room more than a jail. There was a bed, a tiny washroom, and a square box that showed what looked like a play for children. The characters chattered silently while their simple dialogue was scrawled in the glass. The door opened.

“It appears we’re roommates this time.” Loki strolled into the room and the agent closed the door behind him, the lock clicking in place.

The box flashed and the program changed to the man you had just become acquainted with before your escape. “Well that was fun, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, we will have to keep you here since you didn’t seem to enjoy the more open kind of hospitality we offered you last time. Just until everything is processed. You know how bureaucracy is. I’ll see you in a few.” Mobius winks and the moving picture contraption clicks off with a warm hum.

“Tell me about myself.” You looked up from the book provided by your captors. Loki leaned back in the desk chair with his legs on the table. He fiddled with a glass cup, tossing it in the air and catching it.

You dropped the book in your lap, still open. “I’m sorry?”

“Well you were married to an alternate version of me. He’s lived more life than me. Surely you must have something to tell me that would be of use.” He shrugged, not bothering to drag any more of his attention away from the glass.

You were sure you looked surprised as he followed his answer with, “Am I so different from him? Come on now, he must have been at least half as charming.”

“Oh… He was charming.” You closed the book and placed it on the table next to the bed. The edge of the sheet rubbed between your fingers while you considered what to tell him. “He was my best friend in childhood.”

“Tell me about the children. The younger versions of yourselves on that day. What were you doing?” Loki placed the cup on the desk and crossed one leg over the other.

It was so easy to answer. In all the years, you never forgot that particular celebration. “It was my idea to climb the hill. To pick flowers before we watched the Perigee. Lofn had paired us up for her little wedding ceremony to host in front of the children and I wanted a bouquet… for the morning gift. I didn’t know what they were at the time, but I figured it could be anything.”

“Aren’t morning gifts usually given to the bride? And… in the morning?”

You tossed your head back in calm, tired laughter. “Yes, but that wouldn’t have stopped me anyway. I think I gave them to you after we said ‘I do.’ We were… eight at the time.”

“Goddess Divine…” He kissed her hands. The red skyline fades into purple as the water at the dock darkens below. “Never doubt my love for you. Will you miss me?” said he.

“As much as there are stars in the sky.”

“Always the poet’s tongue,” said he.

“Well, I had some inspiration,” said she.

He looks wearily past the Goddess, but smiles warmly once more. “I’m afraid our time has come to an end, Goddess. I love you.”

“No resurrections this time...” No. It was supposed to happen like this. Thanos. He wasn’t supposed to be here. It’s happening all over again.

“LOKI—”

Warm water tickled your cheeks and then you were enveloped in a pool of water. Your husband’s arms wrapped around your waist as the water climbed the walls of the tub. No, this wasn’t him… It wasn’t him. It wouldn’t ever be him. “Goddess…”

“Let me go! Let me go… I want to go.” You grasp desperately at the edge of the tub, wringing yourself from Loki’s grasp. You fell onto the tile floor of the washroom, your wet clothes heavy on your back.

“Wait, just—” Loki cuts himself short when you stumble into the bathroom doorway and pull the knob to the bedroom.

“Shit—Loki…”

“You need—”

“Don’t tell me what I need! You don’t kn—know.” Your body felt weak. The walls felt like they were closing in on you. No matter how hard you tried, it seemed like you could never get enough air.

“I know being alive is certainly better than suffocating in space.”

“Is it!? I can’t even grieve for him! Be-Be… Be—cause I… Becau—se I ke-keep…” You choked, breaking out into a violent sob. Your legs buckle underneath you, but you managed to catch the ground under your hand. Tears stained the fabric covering your lap as you struggled to breathe in between your bawling, forcing you to hiccup only further fueling your frustration. “Why am I here?”

Loki knelt down and watched as you pulled your knees up to your chest and buried your head in the space between. “Heartbreak is… a sorrow that I am all too familiar with. The feeling of your chest burning and freezing and being crushed all at once. But I didn’t give you a moment to simply… catch your breath after I, admittedly, forced you to escape with me. And I will never understand what it’s like to have to look at the face of your husband every minute of every day, but I do know this…” Loki let out a steady breath. “I will never leave you behind. Ever. Until I am able to fix this mess that I have brought upon you.” Loki lowered himself onto his knees. “That is my vow to you, goddess.”

He placed a hand over yours. It was a small gesture, leaving you wanting more. You tugged on his hand, manually tucking his arm underneath yours. He leaned into your motion, sitting on the floor behind you and pulling you close between his legs. Your eyes pierced him like venom, toxic but more addictive than the sweetest wine. A Goddess Divine.

Loki grew older in recent years, but his eyes had never changed. A sea of chaos and calm. He was there, your husband. Right in front of you, holding you.

“I always liked your eyes,” you murmured. You dragged your finger across the top of his cheek, tracing a line under his eye.

And I, yours.

You slid your finger up and cupped his face in your palm. Your husband. “I love you.”

Your lips swept gently along his; hesitant, yet your hand dragged through his hair, pulling him closer. Loki held still, but made no move to stop you. Your breaths grew harder as you grew more persistent. Even though you knew you would never be able to utter a word about this after, the need for him overcame you. In the sickest of ways, he was your only chance at truly saying goodbye to your husband.

Never doubt my love for you.

Your lips were soft. As irrational as the better part of him knew it was, he couldn’t help but think this felt almost habitual. He knew he should have pushed you away or reminded you of who he was. But when your fingers glided through his hair, Loki lost all sense of what was proper. He leaned into your touch, letting you relax in his lap as you continued to kiss him… eyes clenched shut. Loki wished he could look at your eyes and pretend he was the man you were pretending he was.

“Thank you.”

The agents dragged Loki to a door labeled “INTERROGATION ROOM #603521.”

An agent walked into the room, reviewing several documents attached to a clipboard.. “Do you know why you’re here, Mr. Laufeyson?” She didn’t bother to look up from the papers as she sat down in the seat on the other side of the table.

“Where is she?”

“I’m afraid your questions will have to be saved for the end of this, Mr. Laufeyson. Please comply.”

Loki lifted his head lazily, shifting his legs wide in the metal chair. A grin curled at his lips. He didn’t know how they were going to escape this hell. Running from an infinitely powerful force existing beyond time. It would never end… Was he ready to drag you through eternal hell with him?

Yes.

He would rot in hell for all he cared, but the TVA was no more than a joke—a circus of clowns playing their parts… and he would find you.

“I’m going to burn this place to the ground.”

“Never teleport me again. This is worse than the Bifrost.” You placed a clenched hand to your forehead and winced. The pounding in your head was ceaseless, though you were too cold to be completely tortured by it. The TVA was left in shambles, subjected to Loki’s wrath after he found you freezing in the depths of space. He hadn’t said a word to you since he discovered you, nearly lifeless. The ice burned your skin and your vision was useless for the time being. You could hear the crackles of flame and stone beneath your feet. “Where are we?”

“I don’t know, but we need to heal these burns before they scar.” Loki carefully lifted your hand, examining your wounds. “Are you in pain?”

“I can’t feel anything. Just cold.” You inched your feet closer to the heat of the fire. It wasn’t as painful as you had expected it to be. Dying in space wasn’t such a bad way to go… You only wished Loki had anything else less painful.

He hummed in response. The burns begin to warm. A peculiar feeling tickles your skin and makes its way down your torso.

“Seidr?”

“My mother taught me. I can teach you.”

“What?” Loki placed more wood on the fire. Perhaps Thor’s boyish interests were good for something…

“You need to learn how to use your powers. A seidr goddess is no goddess without seidr.”

“I told you. I don’t have it. I’ve tried. You’ve tried.” Loki didn’t answer, but footsteps fell away from you.

Loki watched the asteroids floating in the foggy atmosphere. Odin once told him stories of how he acquired all his wisdom. Life itself is knowledge, he would say. War, politics, distant planets. They all have something to offer, but there is a place where wisdom flows like water in the roots of the Tree of Life. “The Allfather once traveled to the roots of Yggdrasil to attain knowledge and guide his reign. Perhaps we can go there.”

[my-simp-land]

Every Stitch With Love

been on a writing spree. tbh feelin lots of burnout from my other hobbies. welp here we are. this one feels more emotional. bucky and you come to an understanding. bucky x reader. 1690 words. noice

Being an Avenger meant that either all your time was taken up, or you had all the time in the world. There was never a casual day where you went to work in the day and hung out with friends in the evening. It was never go out for brunch then come back and do some paperwork. You were either swamped with field reports or had an empty desk.

However, you were never free enough to pick up a real hobby, like book club on Thursdays or pottery class on Saturdays. You were always a wrist flick away from being sent on a mission for days, weeks, or months. That meant getting creative with your free time. Most of the Avengers indulged in some work related hobby: Natasha did ballet, Steve went on runs, Tony working with his suits.

Working out has never been my favorite, so I had to get extra creative. Reading is usually reliable. It only sucks when you come back from a two month long mission to the last book of a seven book series with little to no knowledge of what’s happening. That’s always fun. Baking was fun, until you strike some bad luck and everything you make sucks.

I picked up a new hobby a few months ago though: embroidery. The texture of the fabric, the cool needle, the transformation. It was the perfect muscle memory hobby. You just follow the pattern. It gives your brain just enough of that itch to keep it happy, but it’s easy enough that you can just disconnect and autopilot the entire time.

At first, my room and the commons became littered with embroidery hoops with simple designs. It quickly transformed to patching peoples clothing. Suits were always professionally patched or replaced, but you’ve got that special shirt or pair of pants that you just can’t get rid of. From there, I quickly grew bored and started giving people extra designs with their patched clothing. Natasha usually got edgy things: knives, flowers, spiders. Wanda always got flowers with the flowy lines and designs. Cap and Sam got lots of stars with the occasional firework. Tony got the funny, immature designs. Soon, people were coming to me with designs. Natasha wanted a sweatshirt with an embroidered sleeve like a tattoo sleeve. Peter wanted a Spider-Man hoodie. Tony wanted matching pocket tees for him and Bruce. That inspired me to make matching pocket tees for Steve, Sam, and Bucky.

Everything in the past had always been fun and easy. Everything changed when I decided to make Bucky something. I nearly threw myself in the lake trying to come up with the design. Actually putting my designs on a shirt was entirely different. I spent countless days and nights trying to make it absolutely perfect. It basically meant I was holed up in my room for who knows how long to also keep it hidden from him.

Knock knock. “It’s me, Nat. Just checking in.”

“Come in.” Natasha slipped in and quickly closed the door. She scanned my room. Nearly every surface was covered with pieces of cardigan or string. “It looks like a confetti cannon went off in here but with your yarn stuff.”

“Thanks Tasha. I’ve only spent, oh I don’t know, thirteen days in here trying to get my design right.” I huffed and threw down the shirt; my head dropping to my hands. “I don’t get it. Why can’t I do this, Tasha. I’ve been embroidering for months, and suddenly, I woke up and can no longer do it.”

“Honey, you’re overworking yourself. You just need to take a break. Let yourself rest then try again in a week.”

“I can’t do that! I want this to be done by the time he gets back from his mission. It’s his first mission since he was freed. I know it can be hard. I just...I just want him to come back to something that shows him I’m here.”

Natasha couldn’t help but frown. Ever since Bucky had joined the team, you two had had a rough relationship. The two of you were very private and closed off. It almost felt like putting two brick walls in front of each other to converse. Soon, the two of you were able to find a solid middle ground, but it was still really hard some days. You both denied it, but the love between you two was undeniable. There was still a bit of growing before the relationship had enough foundation though.

“I’m sorry. I can always go and sabotage the mission. Make them have to stay longer to give you more time.”

“Good heavens, no! I wouldn’t want him to have to be out of his comfort zone for a moment longer than necessary. I’ll just- just give him the best product I have when he gets back. It’s only a few days now. I’ve got enough time to start a new one but that’s it.”

“That’s the spirit. You usually work well under pressure; I’ve seen you cook dinner. I know it will be perfect.”

“Thanks Tasha. Guess I need to make a trip into town.”

Today was the day. Bucky. Steve, and Sam should be arriving within the hour. Return day from a mission was always rough. It always seemed like the day could never end. I’ve spent all morning doing everything I can to prevent that. A warm chicken pot pie, comfy socks, fresh drinks, and a clean area always helped. It may have been influenced by some mania, but that’s for another time.

“Miss, the group will be here in approximately 15 minutes. They have a debriefing then they should be free for the remaining portion of the day.”

“Perfect. My pot pie will be out in just enough time. Thank you F.R.I.D.A.Y.”

15 minutes to finish preparations, take pot pie out of the oven, change into clean cosy clothes, dish out food, then spend the final minutes preparing myself.

“Welcome home guys!”

They were shocked to say the least. Usually everyone avoided each other on mission days. It was always awkward despite them all going through the relatively same thing.

“I made chicken pot pie and got some comfy clothes ready, so y’all can just pick up your stuff and head to your rooms for some decompression.” Steve and Sam quickly, but gratefully, grabbed their designated plate and clothes and headed to their rooms. Bucky lingered though.

“I- uh, thank you, doll. It was very kind of you to do all this.”

“It’s no trouble, Bucky. I- uh actually have something else for you. I’ve been working on it for a while.” I quickly grab the box on top of the fridge. “I wanted to make you something cozy. I know- um that we’ve had a rough time becoming friends, but I wanted something to say that I’m always there for you even if we aren’t together...ya know? Uh, here you go.”

Bucky stares down at the box for a long time. Like an awkward amount of time. Enough for Natasha to come into the kitchen, realize what was trying to happen, and quickly flee.

Finally, his hand reaches for the ribbon, gently pulling it from the delicate bow. He sets the ribbon on the counter behind him. He carefully removed the top to reveal the insid-oh god. That’s...that’s the wrong sweater. Oh no. No no no no no. This can’t be happening.

“Wait, You can’t look at that. That’s- that’s not right. I must’ve made a mist-”

“Doll?”

“Yes, Bucky?”

“You made this for me?”

“Yes. I’ve made countless variations. That one is just the first one. I promise if you let me go grab the right one you’ll love it ev-”

“Doll?”

“Yes, Bucky?”

“You made this for me. You created this. With the intention of giving to me.” I can see the tears begin to sparkle on the edges of his eyes. The blue becomes stormy. “You made this with thoughts of me. You said you made countless versions. You thought of me the entire time I was gone.” He unfolded the cardigan and holds it out in front of himself. “Just like I thought of you. Every second my mind was running back to you. I thought going on that mission would make me feel better; make me feel like I’m finally contributing towards bettering the world from myself. But I was wrong. I was better with you.” He slips the cardigan over his shoulders. It fits him just as I imagined. “I’m better with you. I’ll admit, therapy and my mission helped, but it’s you. Just knowing that you are in my corner, thinking of me and cheering me on...i just. You know?”

At this point, tears are streaming down both of our faces. We’ve had our moments of vulnerability but nothing like this. We both take that step forward into each other’s arms. We’re both engulfed with love. We squeeze each other, trying to get closer to one another. His scent engulfs me: his musky cologne and the sweat from his mission. His tears dampen my neck, but I imagine his neck is damp with mine. I can feel his heart beating through his chest; fluttering like a bird.

We hold each other for a long time: pot pie and a shower lost to time. At some point, we become one. His beginnings become my endings. In that time, there were no more words. It was completely silent, but we had a conversation. Every gentle caress, every heavy breath, every move became more. Bucky and I have never had a conversation as deep and understanding as that one, and we never will again. To connect with someone like that is a once in a lifetime thing. Not just anyone can rub your back and pull you close like Bucky can.

Eventually, we had to get up. Dinner was soon, and people would begin to use this area again.

“Bucky. We need to get up.”

“Just- just a few more minutes, doll. I’m not ready to let go of you yet.”

[somethingvaguetodo]

Strangers in the Night (Two Lonely People)

This is for @lnc2 who has been having a tough time lately, and loves Ladrien. Hope you like it! I realized I’ve never written just Ladrien before, so that had to be fixed. I imagine this taking place as an alternative ending to Gang of Secrets (no reveal), but it could be anytime. 

Read on AO3 here.

~~~

Ladybug tumbled over the rooftops, bounding over Rue Soufflot and performing a series of impressive aerial somersaults before landing on her balcony. She rested for a moment against the railing, taking a deep breath of crisp night air and glancing up at the crescent moon. She let her eyes scan her surroundings, slipping from the metal scaffolding around Notre Dame to the façade of her school. Ladybug leaned forward, her attention piqued. A strange glow emanated from the courtyard of the collège, shining through the windows.

Before she could think about it twice, Ladybug leapt from her perch, landing silently on the roof of the school. Below her in the courtyard was a lone figure, illuminated by the glow of a lantern, who was slashing a fencing sabre through the air. It was easy to identify the midnight fighter, his golden hair gleaming in the light.

Adrien.

She dropped down from the roof to land behind him.

“Hey.”

Adrien jumped, dropping his sabre to the ground and letting out a yelp. Ladybug covered her giggles with her hand as he spun to face her, a guilty look on his face.

“I’m sorry I know I shouldn’t…” Adrien rushed out, before pausing. “Oh, it’s you, Ladybug.”

“Gee, thanks,” she answered.

Adrien shook his head. “I didn’t mean it like that. I thought I was going to get in trouble for being here.” Suddenly, he looked alarmed. “What are you doing here? Is there an akuma?”

“No,” she assured him. “I was just out patrolling and saw the light, so I figured I should check.”

Adrien bent to pick up his fallen sabre. “Do you often patrol alone? I thought you usually patrol with Chat Noir?” he asked. There was something strange about his voice and the way he asked the question, but Ladybug chose to ignore it.

“Usually.” She shrugged. “But I couldn’t sleep so I decided to stretch my legs. Didn’t want to bother Chat Noir for that.”

“I don’t think he would mind,” Adrien said, his voice soft. He shuffled his sabre from his right to his left hand, bouncing it as if he was testing the weight.

“Probably not,” Ladybug conceded. “But enough about me. What are you doing here in the middle of the night?”

Adrien met her eyes, holding her gaze for a moment before turning away. “I couldn’t sleep either, so I came here to burn off some energy.”

The longer she looked at him, the more she could see the signs of weariness in him. The slump of his shoulders, the bags underneath his eyes. He wasn’t dressed for fencing, but was more casual than she was used to seeing him. He had on black sweatpants and a white t-shirt, emblazoned with a large Gabriel logo. His hair was messy, and he looked almost like he had rolled right out of bed and into the school courtyard.

Despite having a pile of her own troubles, Ladybug felt a tug on her heartstrings. Adrien usually looked so polished and put together. Something must be really bothering him if he went out like this, even if he didn’t plan on running into anyone.

“Do you want me to give you a lift home?” she asked him.

Adrien kicked at the duffle bag sitting at his feet. “I’m not really ready to go back yet. Are you gonna rat me out?” He looked up at her, eyes wide.

Ladybug smiled gently. “Of course not.”

“Do you want to stay?” Adrien asked. Ladybug thought he sounded like he wanted her to, but maybe it was wishful thinking. “I have a foil in here too.”

“I don’t really know how to fence.”

“I can show you.” Ladybug nodded, and Adrien held out his sabre to her. “Here, take this, it’s easier to use.”

Ladybug reached out and took the sword from him, her gloved fingers brushing against his palm. She wrapped her hand around the grip, watching as her fingers trembled slightly. She was a little nervous about fighting him, but more so about being with him like this, in the quiet glow of this midnight meeting.

It had been a while since she was alone with Adrien, and usually Marinette was clumsy and awkward where Ladybug could be confident and sure. But there was no danger, no villain to fight and nothing to focus on except the sad boy by her side. She really didn’t know who she was supposed to be with him like this.

Adrien stepped up next to her. “Loosen your grip just a little bit, you don’t want to be squeezing your sword too tightly.” He lay a hand on her forearm, and Ladybug’s pulse skyrocketed. “Lower your arm a little,” he said, applying gentle pressure to move her arm into the right position. “Bend at the elbow. Other arm behind your back.” He gripped her empty wrist with his other hand, guiding her arm to rest at the small of her back.

She could feel him behind her, the heat of his body so close to her own. He was still holding on to both of her arms, and she really didn’t want him to let go. She turned her head toward him, only to see that he was looking directly at her face, almost as if he wanted to say something. She waited, the silence stretching between them, but Adrien didn’t speak. Instead, he shook his head and stepped back. Ladybug mourned the loss of him.

“There, that’s perfect.”

Ladybug watched him as he went to his duffle bag, breathing deeply to try and steady her pounding heart. He pulled out another sword and swung it around, before popping a bright red safety tip on the end. He stepped forward, putting a matching one on hers.

“It’s not a real fight, and we aren’t protected,” he said. “How about we just try some attacks. You lunge, I’ll parry.”

Ladybug nodded.

“En garde!”

Ladybug bent her knees and lifted her sword to cross with his.

“Prêts?”

She nodded her confirmation.

“Allez!”

Ladybug extended her arm forward toward Adrien, but he blocked her easily. She stepped back to try again.

“So,” she said, breaking the silence between them. “What was keeping you up tonight?”

The minute the question slipped out of her mouth, she regretted it. It was probably too personal to ask, and it wasn’t like Ladybug and Adrien really knew each other that well to warrant her pushing. But Adrien didn’t seem to mind.

“Have a lot on my mind,” he said simply, blocking her attack once again. “All the expectations people have of me. Who they want me to be, trying to figure out who I want me to be.” He stepped back gracefully with his back foot, giving her the space to lunge again. “What about you?”

Ladybug lunged, overbalancing and stumbling a little. She paused to think for a moment. “Oddly enough, the same things that kept you up. A lot of people expect a lot of things from me.”

Adrien nodded. “Makes sense. Being Ladybug must be a really big responsibility. Do you want to try parrying?”

Ladybug nodded, and this time, braced for his attack. “It’s literally like having the weight of the world on my shoulders,” she divulged. “But not only that, people in my civilian life too. My friends, family… people expect a lot, and it’s hard to live up to that.”

“Tell me about it,” Adrien said. He lunged forward, the tip of his sword coming at her shoulder, and she was just able to get hers up in time to stop it from making contact. “Everyone expects me to be who they want me to be, but I’m still figuring out who I am for myself. The pressure can be too much sometimes.”

In a way, she suddenly realized, she was doing the same thing. She had been surprised to see Adrien as anything except polished and perfect, but maybe that was just the version of him that she was expecting to see. Maybe rumpled-and-wrinkled, wild-hair-and-soft-eyes, fencing-alone-in-the-middle-of-the-night was Adrien too.

But mostly, it was nice to spend some time with someone who understood how she felt, and felt the same way. Someone who wasn’t pushing her to give more than she could, but who knew what it meant that people expected too much from them. Even with Chat Noir, who knew her better than most but still not as much as he should have, the barriers between them were sometimes too much for her to bear. Adrien, who didn’t realize he was here with his friend and classmate, but thought he was spending time with an anonymous hero. A lot of people wanted to know more about who she was underneath the mask, but Adrien didn’t seem to mind her vague answers.

He lunged, she parried.

“Is this what you do, when the pressure is too much?” she asked him.

Adrien looked thoughtful. “I have a couple outlets. Fencing can be one, or playing the piano… or talking to a friend who understands.” There was something about the way he was looking at her that made her blush, and made her wonder if he was thinking the same thing she was a moment before. She didn’t know if he really thought of Ladybug as a friend, but hopefully he found some solace in the thought that they understood each other, even with the words that remained unspoken between them.

Before he had the chance to lunge again, she attacked, thrusting her sword forward. He was surprised, but managed to block it, and suddenly all rules were off. Their swords slashed, technique gone, and Adrien started laughing, beautiful and full, in a way that made her think of thunderstorms and first meetings.

Despite his carefree attitude, he was still in top form, and managed to slip past her defense to press his safety tip against her left shoulder. “Touché,” she laughed, looking at her shoulder as if she could see a physical mark where he touched her.

“Looks like I got you,” he said with a smile.

Boy do you ever, she thought.

In the comfortable silence that lingered, Adrien collected the swords and put them away, extinguishing the light in his handheld lantern before also putting that in his duffle.

“I should probably get going, I don’t want anyone to realize I’m gone,” Adrien said.

“Do you want me to give you a lift?” Ladybug offered again. This time, Adrien nodded, securing the zip on his duffle bag. “How did you get in here in the first place?”

Adrien grinned a genuine smile, pulling the strap of his bag over his shoulder. “Ask me no questions, and I’ll tell you no lies.” The edges of his smile were sharp, and it felt out of place, and yet oddly familiar. Nevertheless, his smile made her heart and her cheeks warm.

“If you say so,” she muttered, lifting him up in her arms as he wrapped his own around her shoulders. She crouched and leapt, onto the roof and beyond.

The trip to Adrien’s house wasn’t very long, but Ladybug felt like she would remember every second of it. The weight of him in her arms, the way his eyes glowed in the dim moonlight, his cheeks dusted pink. There was something about Adrien Agreste, that even through all these years and all the ups and downs and fights and failed conversations, he could pull her back into his orbit like nothing and no one else.

One of Adrien’s floor to ceiling windows was propped open, and Ladybug landed on the ledge, pushing it open with her toe. Adrien hopped down from her arms, dropping his bag to the floor. His room was dark, just a nightlight glowing in the bathroom. Ladybug lingered in the window frame, unsure what to say.

“Thanks for keeping me company,” Adrien said, breaking the silence.

“Thanks for teaching me how to fence,” she answered. Unsure what else to say, she turned to leave. “Well, goodnight,” she said, sending him a little awkward wave.

“Wait!” he called, and she looked over her shoulder back at him. He looked young and happy in the low light, and Ladybug couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow, this whole night had been a dream. “If it’s worth anything, I want you to know I like you just the way you are. Saving Paris or fencing pretty poorly.”

“Hey!” she laughed, indignant, but really felt like she was glowing from the inside out. How amazingly easy it really was for him to accept who she was, in any form. “It’s worth a lot,” she said sincerely. “And I like you just the way you are. Picture perfect or trespassing on private property in the middle of the night.”

In the back of her mind, Ladybug wished she was brave enough to lean down and kiss him, but she knew that would only end up complicating a beautiful moment. Instead, she pressed her fingers to her lips and blew him a kiss before leaping back into the night, satisfied.

[evabellasworld]

An Unforgettable Honeymoon

For @10-porgs-in-a-trenchcoat , this is my gift for you as part of the @starwarsfandomfests event. Thank you to @lilhawkeye3 for organising this event. I really enjoyed it so far.——————————————————————————————

Summary:  Bly and Aayla head to a tropical island planet for their honeymoon, where they create an everlasting memory as a newly-wedded couple

——————————————————————————————

AO3 Link

Arriving at a tropical, humid planet, Bly and Aayla got off from the cargo ship as they had their suitcases in their hands, standing in a station full of tourists and locals from all walks of life. Bly noticed a blue Twi'lek girl, who shared similar resemblances with his wife and was around 4 or 5 years old, held both her parent's hands as they made sure that their daughter was well-protected from danger.

This might be us in the future, Bly let his lips curl upwards as he rested his head on his right palm, and he saw three Rodian boys in their shirts and beach shorts, carrying their own surfboards. They reminded him of his closest siblings, Ares and Ahri, who hung out with him whenever they’re on a break from war. Ahri and Ares would love surfboarding at the beach.

Aayla glanced at her husband's curiosity and placed her hand on his shoulder, prompting him to shift his focus towards her. “You seemed deep in your thoughts, dear,” the blue Twi'lek teased. “First time on a vacation, commander?”

“Yes, general,” he replied, his voice laced with doubts. “This is my first time I’m going on a vacation with you.”

Aayla let out a chuckle, leaving his cheeks turned pink. “Did I do anything wrong, general?”

“Bly, you know the war is over, right?” she grinned. “Besides, we just got married two days ago, so you can just refer to me by my first name.”

Scratching the back of his head, he nodded slowly as he squirmed his lips and released an agitated laugh. “My apologies, general, I mean, Aayla. I'm still getting used to this new life as a clone. Besides, you referred to me as commander, so I thought I was fighting battle droids on the battlefield.”

“Don't worry about it, dear,” his newly wedded wife smiled, caressing his tan, tattooed cheeks. “You'll get through with this. Besides, I'm also getting the hang of this as a Jedi Master. It’s really difficult to adjust myself after three years of chaos. It’s strange that I have to get used to a peaceful life.”

“Yeah, it is strange,” he bobbed his head solemnly as he reached out his arms and took her hands, reminding him just how lucky both of them finally got to spend quality time with each other, without any interruptions from protocols and orders from a higher authority. “Should we head to our hotel now? I can’t wait to have some privacy together,” he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows twice.

“Lead the way, my love.”

Placing their suitcases on the red, carpeted floor, Aayla sighed in relief as the couple were greeted with scarlet rose petals on their bed, making them feel welcomed. Feeling a bit of exhaustion from the journey from Coruscant to Moluqu, she slid open the balcony door and gazed at the picturesque view of the beach from their room.

With the warm breeze blowing from the west and the illuminating pink sunlight, she sat on the rattan chair with a delicate, pearly cushion, her legs crossed.

Listening to the cheerful laughter of children, she was brought back down the memory lanes as a young Padawan, who used to sprint around the garden, which was filled with a cherry blossom tree, honeysuckles that were grown in shrubs, and morning glories that tangled around the black, iron gates. Whenever she tried to pluck a blue daisy from a pot, Master Vos always caught her red-handed and chased after her, but Aayla always outran him in the Temple.

I was such a mischievous child in the past, Aayla snickered to herself, looking at the horizon. But I'm grateful for the lessons he taught me, walked me down the aisle and accepted Bly.

The clone trooper glimpsed his wife, who was relaxing on the balcony. Changing into his beach attire, he put on his shades and leaned behind the sliding door, clearing his throat. “Hey, Aayla. We're heading to the beach right now. Are you coming? We haven’t got all day.”

“Of course, dear,” she answered him and got up from her seat. "I'll be right there in a minute.”

As she headed inside, she drew the curtains and changed into an ultramarine strapless bikini top with a high-waisted bikini bottom, carrying her towel by her forearm. Putting on her blueberry flip flops which she bought yesterday at a Coruscant night market, the couple linked arms with each other as they left their hotel room and strolled leisurely towards the beach, feeling the fine, warm sand underneath their bare feet as they took off their shoes.

Despite memorising the colours of the ocean, Bly felt like it was the first time he had experienced the shimmering sea in front of his eyes. He fought at a beach during the second year of the Clone Wars, but his eyes glimmered at the turquoise and deep blue palette of the ocean, where children and adults alike of all species gathered and swam. Rows of coconut trees were swaying with the balmy wind as tourists lay underneath the cooling shade, forgetting all their troubles at the present moment.

Aayla spread out their lemon-patterned beach mat underneath the palm tree, which was stubbier than the coconut trees. The only worst thing that could happen to the couple was a bunch of squirrels invading their peace, which occurred once during a scouting mission. “Well, we found a perfect spot to rest,” he jestered, squeezing her thighs. “Don't you agree, general?”

“Yes, commander,” bemused the Jedi Master, finding his touch rather ticklish. “We managed to find a good spot for us to rest and have a little privacy from the rest.”

He raised one eyebrow at her reply, before realising that he addressed her in a formal tone, just like how it was during the war. “My apologies, Aayla. I swear to the Maker that it was a slip of my tongue.”

“To be honest with you, I still don't mind you calling me general,” she quipped, leaning against the bark of the tree. “After all, I was the one who proposed to you in the first place.”

His smile grew wider as Aayla brought him back to that particular day, one he would never forget. “I still remember that day,” Bly reminisced as he moved his eyes upwards, before gazing at her hazel eyes. “It's as if you got down on your knees yesterday and asked me to be your husband.”

“And you were hesitating to say yes,” she recalled. “It's like you weren't expecting that day to actually come to you.”

“I was overjoyed, but I didn't really know what to say. It's funny that I dreamed of settling down with you when we were secretly together, but yet, my mind went blank when it actually came true.”

Chortling, Aayla slapped her knees and covered her mouth, leaving his cheeks turned red as a beet. “That is completely valid,” she assured him. “Honestly, your feelings that day were valid. It is normal to be nervous about moving on to the next step in life. Believe me, I've been there before and it wasn't easy for me to adapt.”

His eyes widened. “You were jittery before? But you seem so confident and calm all the time.”

“Yeah, it's surprising to see me anxious, but it's normal, you know. Everyone goes through that when they have to step out of their comfort zone. I felt the same way as you did when I decided to marry you.”

“So, how did you cope with your overwhelming doubts?” he asked, leaning closer to her. “Like, what is your secret?”

Aayla took a deep breath as she felt his warmth and gazed at his burnt cocoa eyes, ready to pull him into the other side of her mind. “When I'm in doubt, when my inner voice tells me that it is impossible to do something, when I feel like I'm never going to make it through my obstacles in front of me, I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I clear my mind, I remind myself of all the blessings that I have with me and my own strength. That's how I cope with my doubts.”

What an amazing woman, Bly praised, when he heard her smooth voice in his ears. I envy her for sharing her vulnerable side with me. She is as courageous as a lioness on a golden throne. “So what are your blessings in life so far?” he wondered, gazing at the cloudless, azure sky.

Aayla tilted her head upwards as she hummed softly, before shifting her eyes towards him. “Besides surviving the war and getting a chance to see the beauty of life, I am blessed that you have become part of my life. I will never regret meeting you on Kamino, I am glad to see you develop into a better version of yourself, and I am proud to call you my loving, sweet, husband. So thank you, Bly, for choosing to stay with me.”

For a moment, he was speechless. In his mind, he desperately searched for a word that would go well with hers, but for some reason, it was empty. He felt frantic and blamed himself for always keeping quiet in the tender moments with his wife, but then, he remembered every single word she told her, about how she overcame her doubts. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I clear my mind, I remind myself of all the blessings that I have with me and my own strength.

And when he did so, the words that he wanted to spill to her finally popped up in his mind. “Aayla,” he finally spoke, after a few minutes of silence between them. “When I first met you, I only saw you as my superior. Nothing more, nothing less. But then, you sparked a couple of conversations between us, and wow, I actually felt something for you. I mean, I didn't think much about it, though, but as time went by, as battles got brutal and as we spent more time hopping from one planet to another, I realized that I loved you so much. I accepted your flaws, I commend your strength, I acknowledged your quirks, and yeah, I adored your beauty but you know what I loved most about you?”

“What is it, Bly?”

“I cherished your heart. Your valiant, compassionate, heart. That's what attracted me to you in the first place. And you know what? I never regret choosing to love you as my partner, as my confidant, and as my plucky, unfaltering wife.”

As they let their lips brush together, Aayla stood up and dragged Bly for a swim in the shallow part of the ocean, underneath the rosy sunlight. Like their love, the waves flowed with the rhythm as they lived and laughed together, creating everlasting memories on their first day of their honeymoon.

[sassyhobbits]

"Why are you awake right now?" FOR ROWAELIN PLEEASE

enjoy this one!

~~~

Rowan was thoroughly passed out when sound of his phone ringing cut through his peaceful sleep. Normally, he would ignore any call that came for him past twelve, but unfortunately for him, he recognized this ringtone. Aelin had set it herself.

Rowan groaned and peeled his eyes open, grabbing his phone and answering.

“Why are you awake right now?” he grumbled out as a form of greeting.

“I’m outside your door,” Aelin’s familiar voice came through the phone. “Can you please let me in?”

“What the fuck…” Rowan whispered mostly to himself, checking the time. 2:30am. He rolled lazily out of bed, not bothering to shrug on a shirt. He threw open the door, shuffling over the hardwood floor of the halls. He tried to keep quiet for Lorcan’s benefit, knowing his roommate was asleep in the other side of the house.

Rowan reached the front door, not bothering to glance out the peephole before opening it. Aelin Galathynius stood there, wearing an oversized sweatshirt that he was pretty sure she had stolen from him in the past, golden hair tossed up messily. Even in her casual clothes, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He had been best friends with Aelin since sophomore year of college. They had despised each other before then, but being forced to work together on a project had allowed them to come to an understanding that morphed into friendship… and eventually, something more. For Rowan at least. He wasn’t sure what went through Aelin’s head. She was always thinking, creating, scheming… it was one of the reasons he was so drawn to her.

But he had to keep his distance. Aelin was involved with someone, had been dating him for a little over six months. Rowan could still remember the bitter disappointment that cut through him when she had mentioned offhand that she had started seeing a man named Chaol Westfall.

She had seemed happy at first, those first few weeks of puppy love. Rowan had met him on a handful of occasions. Chaol seemed like a nice enough man. Rowan just couldn’t help but think that he wasn’t right for her. He couldn’t put a finger on why exactly. Maybe he was just hoping they were wrong together, though he knew it was wrong of him to think. He should be hoping for her happiness for now and long into the future.

Yet, Rowan couldn’t help but watch when they were together. Curled up on the couch side by side, sharing casual kisses and touches, always knowing that they would leave together after a party, would spend the night together in bed. Rowan knew he was jealous. And it was an awful emotion.

Aelin seemed unharmed, but there was something in her eyes. Fatigue, maybe. Sadness? He thought about what she had mentioned about her day. All he could remember was her mentioning she was going out with Chaol that evening.

“Is everything okay?” he asked, voice still raspy from sleep.

She gave a stiff bob of the head. “Yeah, it’s just… can I come in?”

Rowan nodded, stepping aside and allowing Aelin into his apartment.

“Salvaterre here?” Aelin asked quietly.

“Yeah. Asleep. We can head back into my room.”

He knew it was something he should think twice about. Inviting Aelin into his room so late, especially when she was dating someone. It wasn’t anything they had thought twice about before in the past. They had slept in the same bed plenty of times before, nothing romantic about it. Still, Aelin had stopped staying the night since she started dating Chaol. Rowan understood, but he still missed her. Missed that extra bit of intimacy.

Rowan shut the door behind them as Aelin plopped down on his unmade bed, hanging her head in her hands with a heavy sigh. He sat down beside her, placing a gentle hand on her back.

“Aelin, what happened?”

She released a shuddering breath before sitting up, eyes gleaming in the sliver light of the moon. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Chaol. He, uh… he- we… we broke up tonight.”

Rowan blinked, wondering if he had heard her correctly. But… he had. It was true. They had broken up.

“Oh. Oh gods, Aelin. I’m sorry. Are you alright?”

Aelin sniffed and wiped at her face. “Yes. I think so at least.” She released a small, bitter laugh. “Is it weird to say that I’m almost relieved?”

Rowan hesitated, not knowing exactly what to say. “Were things… bad?”

Aelin shrugged. “It wasn’t really bad. I mean, he wasn’t being cruel and we weren’t fighting constantly. It’s just… for the past couple months or so, I got this feeling that what we wanted from each other, from the future… wasn’t the same.”

“What happened tonight then?”

“We were at dinner, and we were talking. Chaol mentioned something about marriage. I tensed up. He noticed. We talked about it on the way home, argued. He said I didn’t love him the way he loved me. I said he didn’t love me, he loved the version he had created in his head. It got a bit nasty. He called me some not so nice names. We didn’t end on the best of terms.”

Rowan’s jaw clenched. The idea of Chaol spewing insults at Aelin made him see red.

“You didn’t tell me,” Rowan said, the fact hurting more than he thought it would. “That you had been feeling that way for so long.”

Her eyes flickered towards her hands in her lap. “It’s not easy to talk about, you know? I didn’t tell anyone about it. Maybe I should have. Someone would have talked some sense into me and we could have made a cleaner end.”

“Do you need me to kick his ass?” Rowan asked.

Aelin released a short laugh. “No. I can kick his ass all by myself, thank you.”

Rowan wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. “I know you can, Ace.”

She sniffed and hugged him back, resting her head against his shoulder.

“Do you mind if I stay here tonight?” she asked, looking up at him through her lashes. “I left my apartment to clear my head and I left my keys inside. Lysandra is with Aedion tonight so I won’t get back in until tomorrow morning.”

“Of course, Aelin. You’re always welcome here.”

She smiled and it warmed Rowan’s heart. She detangled herself from Rowan, taking the right side of the bed, her favorite. Apparently, they hadn’t changed since she had started dating Chaol. He took the other side, helping to fix the comforter and get her tucked in properly.

They settled on their sides, facing one another.

“I missed this,” Aelin confessed softly, reaching out and placing a hand on his cheek.

Rowan covered her hand with his own, relishing in her touch. “I missed it too.”

Her eyes fluttered shut, scooting an inch or two closer to him. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Rowan.”

He smiled, breathing in her flowery scent, admiring the contours of her face highlighted in the cool moonlight. He would do anything for this woman, he knew.

“You’ll never have to find out, Ace.”

[stardust-walker]

Undying Fidelity

(Loki X Sigyn!OC)

Summary: Sigyn is feeling v stressy and depressy after Loki dies. She volunteers to return to 2012 New York with Tony, Steve, Scott, and Bruce. Her reasons weren’t selfish, she promises. Chaos ensues. Big dorks. 

My first time writing for any fandom besides TWD but this idea has been in my head since the Loki trailer came out and I couldn’t shake it so here it is lmao.

Sigyn had felt like the world moved in slow motion from the moment the life had left Loki’s body. The snap had only made things worse. It had been 5 years since she had seen pretty much anyone other than Thor and sometimes the residents of New Asgard. She kept to herself more often than not. 

It was almost ironic how Loki had spoken of undying fidelity shortly before his life had been snuffed out. Meanwhile her own undying fidelity had seemed to leave her cursed with never-ending grief.

The talk of time travel had gained her interest almost as soon as the idea was pitched to the team. Asgard was an option but she knew that wouldn’t be the best option for her. Odds were that in the time they would send them back to, the residents would still think that she was dead.

Her heart had done a funny sort of flip-flop as they talked about heading back to New York. Her stomach sank even lower as an image of Loki was pulled up on the screen.

“So Sigyn will come to Asgard with myself and the rabbit,” Thor began to announce.

Her brown eyes drifted over to where Rocket had, once again, slapped himself on the forehead in frustration. “As much as I would love to go back to Asgard, I believe my skills are needed in New York.”

“You sure that’s such a good idea there, Frosty?” Tony quirked an eyebrow. 

“Are you sure it’s such a good idea to have two Hulks in one place? No offense, Bruce.”

“She’s right.” Steve spoke up, “I know what you’re thinking, Tony, and it won’t happen.”

Sigyn locked eyes with Tony for a moment before the older man relented. “Fine. But any funny business and I’m leaving your ass back in 2012.”

~

She hated travel. Whether it was through space or time, it all sucked to her. All the hair on her arms seemed to stand up inside of the suit as she shared one last worried look with Thor before they were off. Something was different about hurtling through space when you were a lot smaller.

“We all have our assignments,” Steve began as Sigyn stood up straighter and began to glance around. She knew he was around but more importantly she could feel him again.

A loud roar jolted her from her thoughts as she took a step closer to the men she had traveled with. There was the Hulk. Or the old Hulk. However time travel worked, there was the previous Hulk from that time smashing up a car like his life depended on it. 

A small smirk crept onto her face as she caught the embarrassed look that Banner had on his face. That was the champion she had seen back on Sakaar. A total wild animal. 

This Bruce, however, didn’t seem to have any of that in him anymore. Sigyn’s head tilted slightly as the rest of them watched the green man try to get back into how he was before. “Well, he’s a little confused..” She muttered.

“But he’s sure got the spirit.” Tony joked. “Let’s roll.”

Sigyn didn’t even have to ask where they were going. Sure, they had talked about it in the plans but she felt like she was almost in a trance as she scurried after Tony and Scott as Steve split off from them with a flash of a reassuring smile.

~

After not using her magic for what was probably years, she was surprised that she didn’t stumble as she landed inside the Stark tower right after Tony. As she slipped behind the stone wall to hide from their old selves, she couldn’t help but sneak a peek. Did her hair really look like that from behind? Ew.

“If it’s all the same to you,” her heart leapt into her throat, “I’ll have that drink now.” Tony gripped her arm a little too hard. Her eyes narrowed as she shot him a look.

The 2012 version of her let out a quiet snort of laughter. She remembered the look that Natasha had shot her. “What?” She heard herself say. 

“All right, get him on his feet.” The younger Tony Stark ordered. “Uh-uh. Not you, princess. Come on, Point Break. Get him up. We can all stand around posing up a storm later. By the way, feel free to clean up.”

“Wow I almost forgot how much of an ass you were, Stark,” Sigyn hissed through gritted teeth.

“At least I had style. Speaking of! Mr. Rogers, I almost forgot. That suit did nothing for your ass.” Tony shook his head in mock sympathy. 

Steve practically sounded like he was rolling his eyes. “No one asked you to look, Tony.”

Sigyn raised an eyebrow and shrugged in agreement as she caught sight of Captain America. That suit really was terrible. 

“I think you look great, Cap. As far as I’m concerned, that’s America’s ass,” Scott called out over the line.

“C’mon.” Sigyn whispered, “No one likes a...kiss ass.” She smirked as Tony shot her an appreciative look.

“Who gets the magic wand?” Nat asked.

Thank god that Tony knew his way around Stark tower more than anyone even after years of not living there. Sigyn’s eyes narrowed as she watched the Hydra agents in disguise begin to file into the apartment from their new hiding place.

A laugh nearly slipped out as she watched Loki transform into Steve from across the room. “I mean honestly,” he joked as he turned back into himself, “how do you keep your food down?” 

“Shut up,” Thor snapped as he placed a lock over Loki’s mouth. 

“I wish I could tell you dearest,” she heard herself say as she watched the scene unfolding in front of her. In spite of Loki being in chains. A prisoner. She watched herself grab him gently by the arm to lead him into the elevator with Thor almost like when they used to walk through the gardens together. “But then I would have to kill you.”

Tony’s grasp on her shoulder pulled her out of the moment as he pulled her back towards the window. The plan flooded back into her mind as she began to plummet backwards towards the ground. She let out a grunt as she was finally able to regain her own balance to drift back towards the ground without Stark’s help.

“What’s-a matter, Frosty? No knight in shining metal armor today,” Stark joked. 

“You burn my hair with those flaming feet of yours and you won’t make it back to the future,” she hissed through gritted teeth as the small green embers flickered from her own fingers as she continued on a quick course back to the ground. 

~

“Looking fresh, Stark,” Sigyn mumbled as she walked up beside Tony in her own security outfit. The only difference was her long blonde hair hung out from under the helmet. “Almost didn’t recognize you without the extra few inches of metal.”

“That really hurts me, you know. I would think for someone so old you would want to be a little nicer to the younger gen-ow!” Tony rubbed his arm as he received a hard pinch. 

“Shut up. Here we come,” she swallowed hard as she spotted herself again out of the corner of her eye. She walked side by side with Loki with her head held high. It was amazing how she could walk like that when she remembered how she’d felt. She had known that Loki had pretty much signed his own death sentence and yet still she walked beside him with pride. He was her husband and she was loyal to him. It was her gift and her biggest curse. 

“Thumbelina, do you copy? I’ve got eyes on the prize,” Tony chirped into the ear piece. 

“I’m going inside you,” Scott whispered back after a moment. Sigyn’s eyebrows shot up as she shot an amused glance at Tony. 

Sigyn flashed him a delicate smile. “I didn’t realize I would learn so much about your personal life today, Mr. Stark.”

“Quiet down, Glinda. We don’t want Elphaba to hear you.”

“May I ask you where you’re going?” Pierce’s voice made her skin crawl as she watched him approach the group. 

“A bit of lunch and then Asgard,” Thor answered cheerfully.

“Perhaps a stop for gas. I hear mileage on the Bifrost is killer these days,” past Sigyn cooed as she shot a look back at Loki over her shoulder. 

Pierce stood up a little straighter. “I’m going to have to ask you to turn the prisoner over to me.”

Sigyn could almost feel her throat close up all over again as she watched herself take a defensive step back towards Loki. Her hand came to rest a mere inch away from the handle of her knife.

Tony whispered beside her, “Easy, Sig. We know how this goes, right?” He paused. “I see what you mean by the whole fidelity thing though but the victory thing?”

“Hush!” She hissed back as she watched Loki turn slightly with an annoyed look in his eye. The woman turned to face the other way quickly as chaos seemed to be breaking out behind them again. Pierce had always been an asshole that much was sure. She wished she could’ve said she were surprised when she found out he was Hydra all along. Her stomach churned as more thoughts raced through her head of what they would have done to her husband if they’d gotten a hold of him in the first place.

Sigyn squeezed her eyes shut tight as she heard the crackle through the ear piece and a different sort of chaos broke out. “Oh my gods! Stark,” she heard her own panicked voice and the two of them turned to see herself abandon Loki and reach a hand out to steady Tony.

“Aw, you do care.” 

Sigyn resisted the urge to punch Tony in the chest for good measure. Her heart leapt as the suitcase with the tesseract spun towards them. Her pulse quickened as Tony leaned down to pick up the case and her gaze wandered for just a moment. Loki had noticed. 

“Good job, meet me in the alley,” Tony mumbled as he began to quickly exit the building. She was just about to take a few steps to follow when another explosion happened. Except it wasn’t so much of an explosion as it was a rampaging green monster busting down a door.

“Oh shit,” she hissed through her teeth as she skittered back. Stark landed at her feet with a groan but a softer noise drew her attention. A soft tinkling noise and her gaze flickered to the case. The tesseract. 

Time seemed to stand still again as Loki glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with her. A confused look crossed the upper portion of his face for a moment before he glanced back towards the chaos ensuing over past Tony. He had noticed.

With one last look back at her, he knelt down to pick up the tesseract. She thought she heard Tony grunt something but her feet carried her quicker than she could ever remember running before. 

Just as Loki stood again, Sigyn came within one step of him. The sudden noise behind him made him turn once more. She gritted her teeth into a grimace as she placed both her hands on the tesseract. Sigyn fully intended to yank the damned thing right out of his fingers but before she could, she felt a strange sensation. A wall of blue and black smoke engulfed the pair of them.

She hated space travel.

~

Loki landed in the sand with a loud grunt despite the muzzle still over his mouth. The tesseract was still in his grasp. Had he even really seen what he thought he had?

A loud scream echoed through the air around him. His eyebrows raised as another portal seemed to open in the sky right above him. A figure all in black fell through it; arms flailed and legs kicked as the ground seemed to raise to meet them.

Another loud grunt left Loki, this time a more pained one as the smaller figure landed right on top of him. 

Quickly, the woman rolled to the other side and let out a quiet groan as she pulled the helmet from her head. With a fluid movement, the black object was tossed aside into the sand before she flopped back onto the sand. A grunt beside her alerted her to the presence of the man. Without even a glance to the side, she reached over and pressed a hand to his mouth to deactivate the muzzle. 

“Lovely of you to drop in, Sigyn,” Loki coughed as he took a deep breath.

Sigyn let out an annoyed grunt. “A pleasure, as always.”

Loki caught her gaze out of the corner of his eye as he rose to a sitting position. “You should have just let me take it,” he hissed through his teeth.

Sigyn let out a heavy sigh as she sat up and shrugged off the heavy black bulletproof vest and jacket she wore. “And let you cause more chaos and destroy more cities?”

Loki glanced over at her. A nearly imperceptible look of nervousness crossed his face before he smirked at her. “Who says that’s what I was going to do with it.”

Sigyn rolled her eyes as her gaze flickered forward to a small group of people that were moving slowly towards them. “I would like to think I know you better than you know yourself. Whatever you do, we’re in this together now.” She wasn’t about to lose him again. Not so soon.

“I’m positively touched,” he cooed.

“Til death do us part, darling.” And even after.

[passable-talent]

Hi yes so I just finished the anakin punk au and it was uh perfect? And you should 100% please write more in that au it doesn’t even have to be in some coherent storyline, just more punk anakin please I am hooked

say no more my dear

I write this. and I think to myself “punks. they like weed. they drink. I should talk about that.”

and then I don’t. because I have a,,, responsibility to promote good health I guess?

don’t do drugs kids. most of them arent worth it i promise

and yes just like i mentioned wattpad in the last one tumblr is coming up on this one we’re breaking the FUCKING fourth wall

part one here

You passed out on his shoulder, exactly as he predicted, at about 2:00 AM.

He didn’t notice for a few minutes, and once he had, he had to make a very hard decision. 

He knew you were leaving in the morning, you had other places to be. And he had to get home, Cliegg was going to be pissed he’d been out this late as it was. But- just like you, he never wanted the night to end.

At 2:15, he shimmied out from under you, finding your room key quickly. Once he’d slipped it into his pocket, he picked you up, carrying you all the way back to your room. The door seemed to scream as it opened, but none of the girls were awake. He laid you onto the only empty bed, leaving your room key on the dresser, and kneeled at your beside, for just a moment. 

A night he wasn’t going to forget. One he wasn’t willing to leave behind. 

He found the notepad left by the hotel for guests and its nearby pen, scribbling his phone number onto it before smacking it onto your room key so that he knew you’d see it. 

He wasn’t taking any chances. He did everything he could to make sure that you were safe, that you’d sleep soundly, that he’d see you again. It was a bit of a walk back to where he’d left his car, at the venue, but it was worth it- he shrugged his jacket up around his neck against the cold and kept going, remembering how it’d felt to hold you. 

But, in all of his kindness, he had made one mistake. You didn’t get to say goodbye. 

You woke up in the hotel room the next morning, for a moment thinking that maybe you’d dreamed the whole thing. But then you realized you still had your shoes on, and you were laying on top of the sheets, why the hell would I do that, and you phone hadn’t been plugged in, and- 

And there was a phone number on the dresser. 

You weren’t really ‘dating’- you shouldn’t call it that. If you were going to call it that, then there would inevitably be a post on someone’s tumblr that you had a boyfriend, and who was he, where was he from, yada yada... that damn website already had half the internet convinced you were dating Padme, you didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire. 

So no, you weren’t dating. But you were texting every day. You learned so much about him, about how he was raised by his mom and worked at her friend Watto’s auto shop, about his step-brother and future step-sister-in-law, how his mom died when he was nineteen, about how he’d tried to move to California with his friend Obi-Wan a few years ago, but it fell through. In return, you told him about your life- living in the outskirts of San Francisco, being pushed into ballet lessons as a kid (as he said- ‘that’s why you look weightless on stage!’), being cut out from your family for quitting college to pursue music. 

You texted every day and every night, sent him videos from gigs, and he sent dumb little snapchats from underneath whatever car he was working on. You expected that to be it, probably for a long time- neither of you had the money nor the time to see each other more often. So you held onto the connection you had, the night you’d spent together. 

And you thought that’d be it. But- the universe has a funny way of surprising you. 

Your record label was based in LA, so you lived in Salta Ana, about thirty miles away, where the real estate was way cheaper. The band lived together, close as four friends could be, so they knew all about how you’d fallen for Anakin. Ahsoka would notice you glued to your phone, and ask snarkily “texting skyguy?” to which you always scolded her that his name was Skywalker. 

Living so close to LA made it easy to do gigs at any venue that would take you- bars, clubs, a particularly anarchist biker hall. A bar- such was the case for tonight. 

Like usual with a gig like this, Aayla had taken to instagram and called any fan in the area, so the bar was mostly filled with people who knew the music, but there were regulars, too. People who couldn’t be damned to listen to the lyrics, and just let the atmosphere move them. 

The setlist changed, when you were at a place like this. You didn’t necessarily rely on the hundred voice chorus that you loved so much, and so couldn’t include some of those songs. Your music strayed a little more to the rock end of the spectrum, when you played in places like this. With that high energy came faster music, more running around the stage, more movement, but you weren’t tired, when the set ended at 11:25. You were more energized than usual, in fact.

“Pads, I’ve never heard you solo like that!” You said, a bright smile on your face as you pushed out of the employee entrance of the bar. She gave you thanks, but not a moment later stopped dead, not saying a word, staring at you. You paused, looking at her, then Ahsoka and Aayla, who’d both stopped, too. 

“What?” Ahsoka and Aayla, though, were looking at something past you, which made you realize that Padme was, too. You turned, and leaning against the wall was- was Anakin. 

“Oh my god,” you said under your breath, dropping into a run toward him immediately. “Anakin!” He shoved himself off of the wall, letting you run into his arms, and just held you. You pulled away to look at him, amazed that after months, here he was, right in front of you, real. 

“What are you doing here?” you asked, bewildered, surprised, ecstatic. 

“Visiting Obi-Wan,” he said, and he lifted his hand to your face, giving you a good look at that tattoo you hadn’t quite forgotten, dark lines reaching from his elbow to his palm. 

“And you,” he added. You couldn’t help it- you hadn’t seen him in so long, you couldn’t help the way you leaned into it when he pulled you into a kiss, and this time you weren’t exhausted, and you could let yourself feel it, you could pay attention to his chapped lips and the way he slid them over yours, still soft, even after waiting in the cold. You never wanted to leave this moment, like so many of the others that you spent with him, his hands on your face keeping away the January air. 

“Yeah, I’m heading home,” Ahsoka said, making you break the kiss. “Coming, or not?” You looked back at her with a bit of a glare, letting Anakin’s hands fall to your neck. 

“You guys go ahead,” you said, checking your jacket pocket for the essentials- wallet, phone, house keys. “I think I have a tradition to uphold.” 

The bar you’d played at tonight was a bit far away from the place you wanted to take Anakin, but you didn’t mind the walk, since it was with him. You’d been texting every day, and yet it felt different, there was so much more to talk about now. 

Apparently, Anakin hadn’t seen Obi-Wan since he’d left to move to LA, so it was a visit to an old friend as much as it was an excuse to see you again. 

“So you’re staying with him?” You asked, leading him by the arm down the street. 

“Yeah,” he said, hooking his elbow into yours, which let him keep his hands in his pockets. “He’s got an apartment in east LA, it’s got a nice couch.”

“East LA, not bad. What’s he do?” 

“He’s a talent manager, actually. Went to business school and everything.” Anakin paused, suppressing a chuckle. “He told me that he’d love to represent you, if you didn’t already have someone.” 

“Sadly, we do,” you said, playful, “but I’ll keep him in mind.” 

You’d pretend it was the winter chill that brought the flush to your cheeks- he’d told his friend about you. That had to mean you were important to him, right?

“Where are we heading, anyway?” He asked, and you, luckily, could channel your inner dramatic and turn toward the doorway you’d been heading toward all along. 

“Right here,” you said, and you took him inside. 

This was your recording studio- it was always open, so that any artist could stop in and get out whatever creativity they had. You showed your ID card to the lobby clerk, who approved it and called the elevator. Anakin followed your lead until the door closed, and just like you had on the night you met him, you pressed the button for the highest floor. 

“This is one of the buildings for our record company,” you said, the elevator so familiar. 

“Which would explain why he let you in,” Anakin said, a slight teasing tone to his voice. All you could do was chuckle, waiting for the elevator to reach the top floor.

From there, you lead him to a glass door, and swiped your ID card through a reader near its frame so you could step outside. 

“This is the rooftop set,” you said, gesturing to the wide space, “It’s where we film a lot of music videos.” This close to the door, it was hard to see over the side of the building, and so you took Anakin’s hand.

“The city lights keep us from stargazing,” you said with a smile, and brought him to the guardrail at the edge of the roof. “So I thought I’d show you the city’s version of the night sky.” Looking out across the city, there were a thousand orange sparkles, windows illuminated in buildings stretching as far as the eye could see. Criss-crossed between them were lines of red and white, LA traffic clogging the city streets even so late at night. 

No matter how many times you came up here, you’d never get tired of the view. Fifty-five stories up, there were other buildings that dwarfed this tower, but the west was free of them, so your view to the horizon was clear, even in the LA overcast. 

“Wow,” he said, looking out over it all beside you. “I’ve never- I don’t think I’ve ever been up this high.” You fixed him with a surprised expression, leaning your elbows down onto the banister. 

“No? Really?”

“I didn’t grow up in a city, like you,” he said, settling in beside you, his arm pressed to yours. You let your head rest onto his shoulder, remembering the night you met. 

“I’m glad you came out to LA,” you said, “though I’m hoping you’ll stay a while. I  want to go on an actual date with you.” You heard him exhale.

“You don’t call this a date?” he asked, and you lifted your head, looking at him, the lights of the city giving his face the slightest, golden glow. 

“Well, I mean-” If this was a date, then so had been the one after the show, back in October. Which meant this was your second date, and you’d technically been ‘dating’ this whole time, which kinda made him your- boyfriend? 

“Is it?” Anakin slipped his hand into yours, lacing your fingers together.

“This is better than any dinner and movie we could’ve gone to, I think.” He turned over your hand, tracing his first finger over the skyline tattoo that bisected your forearm. “Especially since it seems like this means a lot to you.” You couldn’t believe he’d noticed that tattoo- it meant he really was paying attention to you. 

“Yeah,” you said with a smile, lifting your arm up, his hand still held in yours, aligning the tattoo with the skyline you were looking at. “I got this done after we did our first video.” Silently, he examined the ink and compared it to the sky, seeing what you meant. 

“That’s really cool,” he said, bringing your hand back down, since his fingers were getting cold in the wind, and he had to assume yours were too. 

“How long are you going to be in town?” You asked, resting your temple down onto his shoulder again. 

“A week, or so. Watto says he needs me to work on a mustang that we’re getting- I think Cliegg told him to say that since he doesn’t want me in the city.” 

“Well, I don’t want to undermine your dad,” you said, “But I wouldn’t complain if you stayed here a lot longer than that.” You ran your thumb over the back of his hand. “It’s really nice to actually have you with me, and not over the phone.” Anakin turned to kiss the top of your head.

“Tell me about it. It’s worse for me, I promise- I listen to your music all the time, and it just makes me want to see you.” 

“Sometimes I forget that you were once just a fan,” you said with a laugh, “listening to our music.” 

“The luckiest one in the world,” Anakin added, and you almost wondered how you’d ever lived without him. 

You let a moment pass, in silence. 

“I’m twenty five,” you started, wondering if you had the courage to finish, “do you think I’m too young to be in love?” Anakin didn’t respond, at first. He turned to you, lifting his furthest hand to your face, making you look up at him. You could never get over those blue eyes- you’d forgotten how intense they were. 

“I guess it depends on the guy,” Anakin said, his teeth quickly catching his lower lip. “Do you think you are?” You reached up past his arm to his face, your first finger tracing his eyebrow before your palm came to rest on the ridge of his cheekbone.

“No,” you said, and you rushed forward to meet his lips. 

-🦌 Roe

[periminkle]

Orphic | 01

After moving into your own place, it seems life is finally going your way; the path to independence leading you to a quaint suburban town where even the grass seems to grow a little greener. Although a shocking encounter leads you to believe that perhaps appearances can be quite deceiving.

pairing: hybrid!jk x reader (first person)

genre: hybrid au, angst, fluff

word count: 7.3k (includes slightly edited version of preview!)

rating: PG-15

warnings: mentions of blood, swearing, scuffle, not nice people >:(

author’s note: the first chap! thanks so much for all the love for the preview and pls let me know if you enjoyed it bc i have even more of a praise kink than our king jimin :) i don’t wanna know if u hated it lmao get outta herE

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“Almost there... And... Done!”

I heaved the last of the sturdy boxes into the narrow doorway, pride bubbling at my unexpected strength. Droplets of salty perspiration were beginning to form at my temples and became increasingly uncomfortable the longer I stood there. 

But, with a litter of obnoxiously brown boxes blocking the route into my recently purchased home, I had no way of setting foot past the minimal space by the doorway. “Shit.”

Spontaneously deciding that enough energy had been exerted for the day, evident by the shroud of darkness out the expansive windows, a few steps took me back out the front door. I followed the chipped white timber of the sides of my house, heading towards the back entrance.

Even though the plot was relatively large in size, the cottage built upon the land was minuscule; a single floor encompassing a kitchen, living room, hallway, bedroom and bathroom. 

With that being said, the rest of the expanse was mine to revel in and admire. Hence the lack of fence encompassing my area, seeing as the forest bled its way into my recently mowed lawn anyhow.

The bulk of the towering woodland was hidden in a blanket of obscurity, brought about by the later hours that subtly induced unease. Those late night horror movie marathons only worsened the unrest in my mind. 

I tried to dispel the disquietude with thoughts of the methodic chirping, courtesy of the tiny orchestra of crickets that seemed to be scattered in every which direction. The smell of the damp earth invaded my senses and relaxed my shoulders a fraction.

Albeit, the crunch of dead leaves being trampled under a heavy weight belonging to an unknown being unsettled me enough to break into a scurry along my wooden porch. 

With a slight shiver slipping down my spine, I shook any solicitude off and slid open the unlocked door. I was greeted by the cool air conditioning of the indoors, as well as a telltale grumble from my own drained form.

I preheated a batch of leftovers that I’d thankfully packed from my family’s house, foreseeing how debilitating the move would be. Without regard to the lamentable furniture surrounding me, I plonked down on a creaky seat and felt my depleted energy stored slowly being refilled with each bite.

Even though my furnishings and house were humble, regret had no place in my mind for the difficult decision I’d made to pack up and leave my childhood home. Over there, the lights never flickered and scuffled furniture simply didn’t exist, with even the moldings on the walls lacking even a speck of dust.

But I witnessed, lived, through the monstrosities that lay beyond all those superficial aspects. The suffocating nature, not in the air that circulated around the place, but in the individuals with no respect for one another. My tolerance thinned over the years and I’d left the second I could.

Living in a secluded area of my tiny town had its own perks for my antisocial self — one of which being an absurd amount of land for a relatively cheap price — but the appeal of living in a bustling city wasn’t lost on me. 

For reasons excluding my relatives, I was simply tired of having lived in a city my whole life and desired some form of change, meeting new mindsets and developing my own.

Before I’d even properly settled in, I’d been convinced that moving out here had been a brilliant decision. Saving up for a couple years to be able to rent out a cozy cottage with a stunning forest as my backyard was turning out to be my haven.

Albeit, the pesky bugs were certainly not a part of that bliss.

I detached myself from the distant thoughts about my life hundreds of miles away and focused on the scenery across from me, better able to observe the breathtaking quality of the tenebrous forest from the safety of my new home. The sylvan scent penetrated my home, having closed only the window screen behind me when I entered.

Hearing the weak mewl of some kind of feline peaked my curiosity, wondering if a neighbour’s cat had taken a long journey and gotten themselves lost. I picked up the slow movement slinking among the bramble that connected my backyard to the thick timberland. 

The light from my lamps only extended so far and unluckily, I was unable to properly identify the animal staggering towards my back porch. My heart ached, thinking that this poor animal must be starving and in need of help. 

An apparent limp in its movements tugged at the last of my heartstrings. My fridge was stocked full, being one of my top priorities when I moved in; so food wasn’t a problem right now. Deciding it would be nice to make a new friend, I gathered my own bowl and headed outside.

The sliding of the window screen startled the pitiful creature, making a hasty retreat in the form of a hobble to find refuge in the foliage, hiding and waiting for my next move. I let out a small smile, hoping to appear as friendly as possible as I slowly stepped out into the chilly night air once again. 

“Hey buddy, what’re you doing out here?” I crouched down and laid the bowl on the floor. “It’s kinda cold out, hm?”

Not even the twitch of a leaf.

“Are you hungry?” 

I was met once again with no reaction. Deflated yet understanding in the lack of trust, I pushed myself back up, grabbing the bowl. As I stepped towards the door though, I heard it again.

Mew.

With a quiet giggle, I turned back, winked at the still-hidden creature and stepped inside, sliding the door closed. The night was silent, save for the trill of the crickets reaching their own encore for the night when the door abruptly opened once again.

“You like tuna, bud?” A smaller plate with canned tuna, out of the can but still in its cylindrical shape was placed on the last step of the porch. “Thought you might like that more than leftovers, huh?”

Although the same lack of response took place, I wasn’t deterred this time, smiling one last time into the darkness. “Enjoy it, but not too much okay? Go back to your owner’s house after this.” I let a shiver run through my body from the cold nipping my bare skin before ambling back inside to finish off my own dinner.

Despite my words, I did hope the kitty would come visit again.

I felt yet another ache pulse through my stiff back. The absence of a proper bed to sleep in at night was duly noted and the task of assembling my bed frame was bumped up higher on my to-do list for the day. Another night of cuddling up on the freezing, rigid floor with only a flimsy sheet to cushion my restless body might strip a decade out of my life expectancy.

A feeble attempt to flatten out my wrinkled button up — that I painstakingly ironed the day before — proved as fruitless as the dozen other times I tried smoothing it out just this morning. I brushed the imaginary dust off my modest pencil skirt while I was at it, resigning to my rumpled fate.

Groaning, I swiftly nabbed a granola bar and a pre-made sandwich I’d filled with tuna, inspired by the incident with the hidden feline last night. Despite the gruelling urge within me to check for possible remainders on the porch step, the blinking light from the oven clock pushed me down the slender hall and back to my barricaded doorway,

I squawked in recollection, pushing at the hefty boxes in a flurry. Eventually, I created a tunnel which I crawled through, slipping some sneakers on before stumbling out to the bus stop. When I recalled that the closest stop was a five minute walk, time being a luxury I couldn’t afford right now, I broke into a sprint.

With heaving lungs, I reached the little blue shelter just as the bulky vehicle rounded the corner. A few steps, the tap of a card, the beep of the completed transaction, and a huff brought me on to an austere seat. 

The same shade of prosaic blue within the bus itself led my eyes to the view beyond the dirty windows, marvelling at the vibrant greens and bright earthy tones that blocked any view of the sky. 

Fifteen minutes condensed into seconds, my mind racing with the new possibilities and experiences this town would bring me. Even the prospect of the shy kitty returning again tonight prompted a brief smile.

Dismounting from the stifling vehicle, I took a moment to adjust to the blinding white shade of the laboratory; I pursed my lips in determination. Hoping to appear graceful with long strides, I made my way to the entrance, pulling open the heavy door with a click. A receptionist came into view. 

She could barely be seen over the lengthy, curved desk, only the top of her coiffed strands on the crown of her head peaking through. As I approached, I took in her excessively teased hair and big brown eyes, accented with thick, black liner. 

Clasping both hands together in a bundle of chilly nerves, I patiently waited for the tapping of the keyboard to cease before she turned one heavily shadowed lid towards me. “Hello, welcome to the Test Centre of Enriched Mutagens, how can I help you today?”

Only slightly intimidated, I fumbled with my fingers out of sight. “Uh, hi there. I recently got hired as a lab attendant here.” Cursing my distinctly timid tone I continued, “I was instructed to ask for a Kim Seokjin?”

A stiff nod and more typing was my only reply. Orbs remaining trained on the monitor in front of her as the lady picked up the receiver, punched some numbers in a rapid succession, then situated the phone between her right shoulder and ear. The fervent tapping continued.

I wondered what she was typing up that was so important.

“Yes, she’s here director,” she quipped. My gaze lodged itself onto her name tag, framed by her strawberry blonde locks. Bae Eunmi. “Of course, I’ll send her up.”

The receiver clicked in place as she nodded her head towards the left. After a couple seconds passed with no further acknowledgement, I became increasingly aware that the short interaction was all I was going to get out of the curt woman, trekking over to the elevator she had indicated earlier.

With only two floors to the laboratory, the trip wasn’t long enough to grant me time to compose myself from the abrupt conversation I experienced before I was met with a long hallway, ending with a sturdy door that had a slit above the bulky handle for a keycard.

Seeing as I had not received any sort of card, I peered around at the nameplates drilled beside the other wooden doors. This floor ominously had no windows, a dingy, low lamp the only source of light that allowed me to decipher the engravings.

I passed a few flashy titles before I reached Assistant Director Kim Seokjin.

With a deceivingly confident knock and a shaky inhale I picked up a faint, “come in.”

A rather spacious office was revealed as I pulled open the heavy wood — shelves filled with packed binders, loose papers scattered across the desk with a thin monitor practically concealed under neon coloured sticky notes. Even the two chairs tucked away in the corner had a teetering stack of paperwork on each seat.

I took a step inside the chaotic space and bowed to the man whose sunken eyes flickered to my own. “Hi, sorry to disturb you. My name is Y/N and we talked on the phone last week. I’m the new research attendant.”

He flashed me a kind smile through his exhaustion, his evidently dull features proof of a long night. Considering the sheer amount of paper work in his office, I wasn’t sure a good night’s rest was ever on this man’s schedule.

“Ah, yes, you came down from the city, correct?” I nodded in confirmation, glad he remembered our previous conversation. “My apologies that the director couldn’t meet you himself, but you’ll get to see my handsome face instead,” he chuckled, sounding faintly similar to a windshield wiper. “I’m Kim Seokjin, the assistant director, but you can just call me Jin, everyone here does.”

I felt my tense body slacken at his warmth and bright disposition despite his arduous workload. Unconsciously, I suspected the whole staff may be terse and unwelcoming, though I was thankful that I was pleasantly mistaken. In my comfort, a chortle escaped my lips. “Alright then, Jin, a pleasure to meet you.”

“Of course it is,” he exclaimed with a jesting harrumph. “So, how are you liking this lonely town so far?”

Taking a few steps closer I responded honestly. “Even though the loneliness hasn’t hit me yet, I feel like I can finally breathe here. The city was a bit much sometimes.”

Humming in an understanding tone, I watched him rise from his plush chair, plucking one of the many binders out of the shelf and placing it on top of the mountain of papers on his desk. “That’s a good mentality, you know? I hope you can always find the silver lining in any situation you’re thrown into.”

Jin grips one of the many contracts laid within and slides it over to me with a pen. “Sign each highlight please.”

As I read over all the nitty gritty details, the man across from me continued, “I really hope you can be as resilient as we need you to be, Y/N. I know it’s tough work, but I just have a good feeling about you.”

Not paying much mind to Jin’s ramblings I easily agreed and handed the completed contract back.

“Well, come on then, I’ll introduce you to the people you’ll be working with.”

I accompanied Jin back out his office and down the hall, past yet another sturdy wooden door. The strong, pungent scent of coffee assaulted my nose, confirming the new space I’d entered was the break room; two male employees lounging around and sipping on their steaming mugs. 

“You finally came out of that office Jin?” A tall man leaning against one of the tables called out first, grinning with his dimples on full display. “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Yeah, well, it seems like I’m the only one doing work around here anymore.” He jested, a playful smirk attached to his handsome visage.

“You can’t blame us, you know Hyunho and Minzi would never let us breathe the same air as their ‘confidential project.’ Wouldn’t want our ‘inexperienced hands’ ruining the whole thing.” The other man in the room rolled his eyes, taking another sip of the bitter liquid in his cup. 

“We’re not getting into this again, you two.” Seokjin gave a stern look, any lighthearted air in the room dissipating along with his remark. He glanced back at me, nudging me forward with a tap to my shoulder. “This is the new lab attendant, Y/N.”

Although the sharp-eyed man spared a sympathetic glance my way he backfired with, “yeah, the third one this month.” 

“Yoongi, I said that’s enough.” Although Seokjin’s words were strict and clipped, the palm rubbing over his face displayed his fatigue.

“I just don’t understand why we can’t even have access to the files, I mean we are researchers too, this is complete bullshi—”

“Y/N, I’ll be heading back to my office to finish up some paperwork, alright? These two can show you ropes.” The assistant director turned in my direction, the corners of his lips twitching upwards ever so slightly before trudging back to his office.

The shorter man slammed his mug down on the shabby table with a low, “goddamnit.”

“Honestly, I think this little guy is the best part of the whole place.” The dimpled man who had introduced himself as Kim Namjoon flashed his dimples, attempting to overcompensate for his gloomy partner, Min Yoongi. 

The two had been working as lab assistants here for a few years now and despite the seniority, Namjoon insisted on maintaining a first name basis with both him and Yoongi. He also offered a tour, which I graciously accepted.

“A jaguar?”

“A baby jaguar.” The sprawled sleeping form of a pitch black feline met my eyes. “He was brought in about three months ago. His name is Taemin.” I carefully approached the cage, maintaining a safe distance as a general precaution despite his lack of consciousness. 

Rather than providing comfort, I found that the muzzle locked around his jaws unsettled me further, which I found oddly paradoxical. I guess my designated tour guide picked up on my discomfort when he voiced, “he’s docile enough to us, but if Hyunho or any of his lackeys come by, he can get real aggressive.”

This was the second time that name popped up into the conversation and I quelled my blazing curiosity, dispelling any urges to question Namjoon about the mysterious figure. With the negative context his name was brought up with and the dark, brooding look Yoongi wore, I decided it was best not to prod, for my own sake as well.

I was brought back to reality when the animal in front of me shifted slightly. Despite my reluctancy to become attached, I couldn’t help but coo when a stretch wracked his small form, turning over in his sleep. 

Although I had done my share of research into this laboratory before applying to the position and was cognizant that they didn’t harm any of their subjects — I knew Taemin’s life wasn’t in any danger, but he would be gone once all his testing was complete. I refused to get too emotionally attached in order to avoid future heartache.

 I noticed his head cuddling deeper into his plush bed and knew my plan was futile. “You think he would like me?”

Namjoon let out a hum in thought, “I’m not too sure. You can try petting him if you want, just make sure to let him sniff you first.”

Slowly unlocking the cage, I extended my hand towards the muzzle, waiting with bated breath. The still sleeping animal brought up its head and placed his cheek in my cupped hand, letting loose a faint purr that I felt traveling up my palm. I stroked the edge of his jaw that wasn’t covered by the muzzle.

Oh no.

It was too late, Taemin owned every inch of my heart.

Gently placing his head back down onto his fluffy bed, my hand made a swift retreat as I flicked the lock back in place. I hoped I would be able to see more of the baby in the future.

Standing back up to face Namjoon I reluctantly tore my gaze away from the angel behind bars. Pondering when we would head to the second floor after having examined every speck of dust in the first floor, I voiced my thoughts to the lanky man. “So, are we heading back up now?” 

A sigh met my ears and I turned to look at the brooding culprit who hadn’t opened his mouth since the tense interaction with Seokjin, simply tagging along the tour that Namjoon narrated. “We can’t introduce you to anything you haven’t already seen upstairs.” When he met my confused orbs he continued, “we can only enter the break room and Jin’s office up there, everything else is off limits.”

“Oh, um... I don’t mean to sound rude, especially since this is my first day and everything, but the equipment down here seem pretty... Insufficient for quality resear-” I stuttered out my concerns.

“Don’t you think we know that? Why do you think we go through lab attendants so quickly? Nobody wants to stay in a place that doesn’t have the proper equipment to perform any kind of substantial research. Not to mention neither of the head researchers trust us enough to even look at the stupid files.”

Namjoon piped in, probably sensing how heated the other man was getting. “We mainly just note the patterns in the bases of a variety of animals’ DNA that involve certain genes.”

“Not to say that’s not effective research, but scientists with your qualifications usually investigate more ground-breaking subjects.” I became a bit dejected at my own future here; I applied for a job here to further my ambitions, knowing this lab was well-known for its high quality studies.

Would I be forced to move back to the city? I couldn’t tuck tail and scutter home after all the effort and money I expended on this move, not to mention the disastrous situation I would be faced with if I returned now. No, I was desperate to find a reason to stick it out. “Why do you two stay here then? Why not just find another lab?”

“It wasn’t always like this, Y/N. It’s been over half a year now since the new management came in and basically brought in a whole new set of personnel with them. They took all the most expensive equipment upstairs and sealed it behind a locked door.”

“They even replaced the damned cleaning staff.” Yoongi scoffed out, painstakingly fed up with the circumstances.

Namjoon crossed his arms, giving a warning look over to man with bleached locks, probably in order to keep his anger from bleeding through for the second time today. “They were adamant about keeping Jin and he let us stick around, couldn’t leave this lab in the hands of complete strangers.”

“But why—”

My wrist was suddenly enclosed in Yoongi’s long, thin fingers, dragging me into the assistant researcher’s office they had familiarized me with half an hour ago. I saw Namjoon glance around before entering in after us and closing the door behind him.

Yoongi released his grip on me, leaning in close and hissing out, “it’s all some cryptic confidentiality bullshit. They’re doing something up there, something revolutionary, something dangerous, and they only trust their own people to keep quiet.” 

With a hum, slightly intimidated, I questioned, “okay, but why did they evacuate the whole place, why not just build another lab and—”

Namjoon leant against the door, lowering his voice as well. “This is a remote town, there won’t be many people to question and investigate what they’re studying all the way out here.” 

With many overwhelming thoughts raging, the locked door upstairs abruptly came to mind. “You don’t have the keycard either, I’m guessing.”

“You pick things up pretty quick, huh?”

After the draining events at work, I felt no motivation to peel off my thoroughly wrinkled items of clothing, having switched out of the lab clothes in the changing room back at work. 

Rather than a physical enervation, the realization that my expectations to further my own studies was not a reality here sapped me of any incentive to unpack or do anything of value.

The temptation of warm pyjamas encasing my shivering body as I slept another night on the hard surface of the floor was almost reason enough to conjure up some hidden energy from the deepest recesses of my body. 

I crawled my way though the makeshift hole I made earlier in the day through two of the boxes. Thankfully, no roommates meant that the house was absent of another being to pester me regarding the hassle I made at the entrance, though I thought it was quite clever considering my circumstances.

The sun had set many hours back, which I failed to detect as all my concentration was set on marking down the base sequence that brought about Taemin’s black fur colour. Jin was double-checking the state of each room before locking up for the night when he discovered my form, hunched over a microscope. 

Continuing to the kitchen on hands and knees out of my present shortage in strength, I nearly decided to call it a night right there in the middle of the hallway. Though, I settled with briskly whipping up an egg or two in hopes that it would replenish enough energy to tidy up a bit before retiring to bed. 

I left the eggs to cook as I departed, off to locate a plate, which I only had two of at the moment, courtesy of the unloading that needed to be completed at the doorway. A glimpse into the sink revealed the location of one suspect, dirty from yesterday’s dinner.

I tugged open the nearest cabinet to search for the other one because I sure as hell was not washing any dishes right now. But, instead of the ceramic I was expecting, the bare walls of the storage area stumped me.

The memory of the creature I’d met yesterday flashed through my mind, bringing about a sudden burst of excitement that had me shuffling my way to the backyard door, flicking the porch light on and staring at the wood that seemed to glare back at me. 

No sight of the tuna or the plate. 

Initially, I took extreme offence to the absurd situation. I graciously extended a helping hand to a vulnerable cat to enjoy some savoury tuna and the bugger decided to steal—

Wait.

How in the hell did the thumbless feline pick up the hefty plate in the first place?

After snooping around the surrounding area a bit, no sight of the pristine plate, I gave up. Maybe it held the ceramic in its mouth?

The mental image I’d conjured up brought a slight chuckle out of me, cutting short when catching sight of several crimson paw prints on the porch, accompanied by specks of the same hue. I pondered the unusually large size of the print, slightly larger than my palm. 

An alarmingly large quantity of blood appeared with each step, the pace of my heart quickening with worry both for myself and the creature. Who could harm a massive animal like this and for what purpose?

I also thought about if the splotches would wash out with the rain or if I had to slot in a time to come out and clean off the marks. Although, the cleaning supplies were also in those unpacked boxes, so any stain removal had to be put on hold.

The bloody prints extended into my lawn as well, blades of grass covered in a layer of red. From what I could make out, the trail was U-shaped, beginning from the forest, coming to where I stood at the porch, then heading back.

A spike of fear travelled through me when a thicket shook violently. Were these stains left by the kitty I encountered the day before? From my limited knowledge in zoology, I doubted that large cats could even produce such pathetic mewls with their vocal chords, which were better suited to growl or roar. 

But what was a creature of this size doing on the outskirts of civilization? I wasn’t too sure about how far the woodlands extended past my yard, but I was relatively certain that the bulkier predators had more than enough space to themselves without needing to expand their territory.

I was in the midst of this back-and-forth conflict with myself when I heard a familiar cry reaching my ears. Pushing back my raucous thoughts for a moment, I settled on responding to little thief.

“You’re back! Do you happen to have my plate by any chance?”

The lack of response confirmed my suspicions. I was now down to one, currently grubby plate in the house.

“Alright, fine, keep the damn thing.” The initial fear and suspicion I felt had simmered down quite bit, heavily due to the lack of aggression on the animal’s part and a distinct fondness I held for my first friend here that I wasn’t aware of yet. Though, I remained on guard, as there could always be another beast lurking.

In order to discover any of answers I was seeking, I knew that I had to take matters into my own hands and decipher whether my pitiful kitty was actually a large, ferocious feline— badly hurt, nonetheless. I took the portable first-aid kit out of my bag as well as the forgotten, squished tuna sandwich.

Removing the saran wrap and crumpling it into a ball, I placed the much-smaller-than-I-remember sandwich down on the wood as bait. “Guess we can’t be civil, huh bub? If you’re gonna steal my plate, have the courage to show yourself, you criminal," I teased and hoped to lure the cautious creature out. 

Nothing.

“Hey, you wanna come and let me get a look at you? I can see if I can patch you up, how about that?”

Nope.

“Come on, look! You’re favourite tuna, in a delicious sandwich now!”

Nada.

I pouted at the bundle of leaves I knew the feline was hiding under, hoping to elicit some kind of reaction. Albeit, any sliver of hope was crushed with the lack of movement. Worry grew at the back of my mind, desperately hoping that the creature could live through their seemingly dire injuries. I flashed a regretful smile and lowered the sandwich on the last step. 

At the very least, I wished that the snack would provide energy for its body to repair itself. With one last glance at the silent underbrush, I turned my back and lumbered into the confines of my cottage. Hopefully, I would get another chance to beckon the mammal out of its hiding place tomorrow.

The contrast of the dark droplets of blood against the light wood of my porch disturbed me more than I’d like to admit.

The daily routine of travelling to work, interacting with the few friends I made there and coming back home to attend late night meetings with my concealed kitty was growing on me. I was elated that I finally found a group of my own people, and not-quite-people, to converse and share thoughts with. 

However, this town also seemed to have its own fair share of rotten apples.

I finally met the rumoured Lee Hyunho, a bulky man who introduced himself as one of the two head researchers. He seemed polite enough at first, but I detected the same brusque characteristic I noticed in the receptionist from my first day. 

It appeared that all the staff brought in by the “new” management had this particular quality. 

My own frustrations began to grow alongside Namjoon and Yoongi, constantly repeating the same tasks over and over again, day after day. When I tried to confront the other head researcher, Joo Minzi, about granting us more access to the studies they were conducting, she made it very clear that my “inexperienced hands” were not permitted to touch any of their files, test subjects or even approach the lab upstairs.

Charming, really.

The interaction left me fuming, much to Namjoon’s amusement, claiming that he now had two fiery beasts to quell. My interactions with the arrogant staff members were limited though, and bouncing between Namjoon, Yoongi, Jin, and the surprisingly amicable janitor made the work days bearable. 

I also took immense pleasure in going against Minzi’s words by playing with Taemin every once in a while.

I was proud to announce my accomplishment in finally unloading all of the supplies within my many boxes to anyone that would listen, now able to revel in the tidiness of my living space. The guys were able to visit now too, previously refusing to crawl through my rather unique entryway.

Progress concerning my kitty was little to none, but I did discover that it was immensely therapeutic to relay my worries to the mammal, finding comfort in its presence.

I took the rustling of the leaves as acknowledgement for my exasperated tone. “I mean, I don’t even feel like a researcher there! It’s all ‘hey newbie, go get me a coffee,’ ‘this is classified, no touching,’ ‘you can’t participate, this isn’t a charity,’ blah, blah, blah...” I raised my tone and ended my rant with a pout, embodying the childish behaviour that encompassed how I felt I was being treated as of late.

“Remember the really cute janitor I was telling you about? Jung Hoseok? Well, he was telling me about some stuff he heard when he was cleaning the lab upstairs.” I heard a short swish of foliage being disrupted, which I assumed was a result of the creature tilting its head.

“Apparently, they’d made big advancements on whatever stupid ‘highly confidential’ project they’re working on. It definitely has something to do with the patterns in different animals’ DNA, but I can’t pinpoint exactly what they’re trying to accomplish...

“And guess what? Hoseok said he’d overheard that they’d lost a test subject a little over a week ago! There’s probably a mouse scurrying around somewhere, living his best, liberated life right now.” I shifted in place, adjusting my position to make myself more comfortable in the chilly night. “I just wish I knew what was going on, you know...”

“I wanted to prove them all wrong.” I sneaked a glimpse at the forest for any indication of a vocal response I knew the creature gave occasionally. In a small voice I added, “but maybe they were right.”

Another shuffle broke through my lengthy monologue and I facetiously grinned towards the camouflaged animal. “Y’know, I’m starting to really question whether you’re here for my company or for this,” I pointed to the tuna, disturbingly still in that short cylindrical shape. 

I stared past the obscure stalks of the trees, having found consolation and tranquility in the space a few days prior, even from beyond my glass door. My initial apprehension of unknown monsters subsided and it was reassuring to know that my kitty was somewhere in there as well.

Another shuffle revealed a pair of bright, beady eyes meeting my own enlarged ones. I could feel my heart beating out of my chest by the sudden appearance, although I tried not to alarm the creature back into hiding by revealing my own trepidation. 

Knowing the keen senses felines had, there was little doubt in my mind that the one across from me wouldn’t be able to pick up my instantaneous change in demeanour.

“You gonna come and get it or what?” With a slight nod towards the meal, I cursed the slight quiver in my voice and prayed that the creature felt comfortable enough to reveal more of itself to me. My curiosity was bubbling as I allowed my gaze to travel to the crown of its head. 

I concluded that the creature’s fur was either pure black or another dark tone, hard to decipher when I didn’t have the enhanced night vision of the mammal perched a few metres away. Said feline made no further movements, keeping his gaze trained on me. 

I analyzed the elongated slits that served as pupils, engraving the rich green shade of its irises into my mind, fearful that this sudden intimacy may scare the mammal off, never to be seen again. But, I found myself unable to divert my gaze, feeling as though I was staring at a physical manifestation of the pure soul of the forest.

It was utterly mesmerizing.

An impatient gruff left the creature’s mouth, snapping me out of my reverie and I resigned. “Alright, alright, don’t get your panties in a twist. I’m leaving alright?”

Maybe one day the mammal would feel comfortable enough to eat in front of me and I could migrate my dinners to the porch outside. Refusing to get too greedy, I reminded myself that the baby steps taken today were infinitely better than none at all.

With one foot in my house, I turned back to the tantalizing eyes, still focused on my pyjama-clad form as I beamed back gratefully. “’Night bud.”

The snapping of the lock clicking back into place alleviated some of the soreness of my overworked muscles as I took another step inside. My head fell back to sneak a glance at the ceiling, hoping to peek past the old plaster and stare into the eyes of any higher being out there.

I quickly considered whether to thank them for this opportunity of a lifetime or to curse them out for my seemingly limitless workload.

As my eyelids slid close in defeat, an exhausted sigh involuntarily slipped out into the silence. Kicking off my shoes into the pitiful pile by the doorway to join the rest of its brethren, I wandered deeper into my rather small abode in the darkness; only my padded footsteps and the zipper of my jacket being undone 

Hearing my stomach rumble with its complaints, I made the couple steps toward the kitchen’s light switch. But, an abrupt halt came with the memory of yesterday’s optimistic plan of embarking on a trip to the grocery store after a short work shift.

Evidently, I hadn’t predicted the gruelling day I would have nor the extra hours that would be requested of me. I found that I’d been frequenting the store quite often as of late, the demand of food increasing once another mouth to feed came into question.

In a reluctant fashion, I pulled my jacket back up to my shoulders, knowing that the fridge was just as empty as my stomach currently was. I pushed my aching limbs back towards the entrance, pondering over whether the grocery store was even open this late in the night.

However, I was forced to a grinding halt once again as I heard a booming thump from my backyard and my blood ran cold.

I waited with bated breath as my heart rate elevated, pounding in my ears. A minute of stillness passed before yet another sigh escaped my jittery body. Another disadvantage of a remote plot included being frightened by every snap of a twig.

As a scoff passed through my chapped lips at my own cowardly antics, I began to resume my trek to the front door when another thud reached my ears. The recognition of the sound coming from the backyard alerted me that this time may be different, with the presence of an actual threat.

Following a series of gut-wrenching cracking noises, hurried footsteps approaching the wooden porch in my backyard startled me to action.

Hastily, I dashed back to the kitchen to grab an unnecessarily large kitchen knife out of the drawer and flew to cover behind my minuscule island. A quick glimpse down towards my chest revealed my shaking hands. Well, this is certainly one way to spice up my night.

Listening to the intruder fumble with the lock for a little while before it was being smashed into, I knew I couldn’t just stay cowering behind my kitchen island, waiting for this murderer to come and end my night (and all my subsequent nights thereafter). The rage behind having to buy and reinstall a new lock also propelled my need for revenge.

I took in a deep breath and steeled myself as the footsteps wandered in, coming straight towards the kitchen. A loud growl reverberated throughout my house and befuddled me further. Was the intruder simply a feral animal? The lack of a problem with my lock dismissed that thought but I couldn’t shake the feeling of a predator having sneaked into my house.

The feeling of being stalked.

I rapidly shook off that irrational thought, doubtful the stranger even knew of another presence in the house. As the intruder turned the corner — coming straight towards my hiding spot — I reared back a little before launching myself with my dull knife leading the way.

A screech made its way out of my throat as the intruder’s reflexes were evidently a lot better than mine, catching my wrist before I could inflict any damage. But, I refused to give in just yet as I attempted to smash the hard edge of my palm straight into the stranger’s nose in order to buy myself some time to flee.

Unfortunately, for me, that attack never reached its target as the intruder caught my throat in his other hand much faster and used his larger frame to smash my body against the fridge.

The wind escaped me, though I kept squirming to try whip my knee straight to his crotch as a final ditch attempt. I lightly cursed as a glimpse informed me the intruder was a brawny man.

He noticed my struggle and easily flipped me around, one hand finding purchase in my hair, banging my head against the cool metal of the fridge and the other held both of my hands pinned to my back. The knife clattered to the ground in a dangerous arc.

In the middle of wondering how the hell he gathered my wrists and disabled me in a split second, I felt a heavy growl in the shell of my ear. A cold shiver slipped down my spine, adrenaline slowing leaving my body as we both puffed out breaths of exertion.

What the actual fu—

“No hurt, need bandage and go.”

His broken English came out with a slight accent and I found myself nodding instantaneously as I tried to work out what he needed. “Okay, okay,” I muttered as best as I could with half my face smushed, “I have bandages in the big drawer by the sink. You can take those.”

I only received a grunt in acknowledgement. He nudged me with his foot to shuffle backwards with his hand still wrapped around my wrists and led me to the sink. Half curious about his motives and half accepting that I could never overpower the stranger, I followed obediently. Though that didn’t stop me from deliberating over how to outsmart the man.

Deciding on waiting for an opening or a slack in the grip around my wrists, I nodded my head towards the drawer I was referring to earlier and finally peered up at my intruder’s shadowed face. He wore a black ball cap on, aiding in hiding his features which were mostly guarded by the lack of light anyway.

A glance at the lower half of his visage allowed me to witness his pale lips and the small mole directly underneath them, as well as a sharp jawline leading to his exposed neck. Inconspicuously bringing my gaze even lower, I took in his matching tattered black outfit, confirming his bulky build and scuffed sneakers.

Maybe I could run to the nearest police station — which admittedly, was rather far, and provide a detailed description of the criminal. Considering if I made it out alive, of course.

With his vacant hand he swiftly pulled the drawer open, taking handfuls of bandages, gloves, bandaids and other miscellaneous items I crammed in there. The stranger stuffed as much equipment as he could fit into the large pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.

I would have found his full little pouch endearing if I wasn’t preoccupied with worrying over my own well-being.

Another awkward wobble later, we were back at the fridge. At this point, I was gathering all the courage I had left to aim for a pressure point on the criminal’s thigh that I vaguely knew the location of. I should have paid more attention in those self-defence classes, damnit.

Just as I turned to act, he bent down to pick up the discarded knife off the floor, effectively deterring my attack and forcing me into submission. He then turned to me to flash a slight smirk.

“Cute.”

Releasing his death grip on my bound wrists, he sprinted back out my now broken back door, heading off.

After a couple minutes of stewing in my thoughts, back against the cool fridge, I  struggled to comprehend the brief interaction and the dark drops of crimson littered all over my white tiles.

I still have to go grocery shopping.

tags: @aurorakingsley​