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ladyreapermc · 5 years ago

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This one if for the lovely @penwieldingdreamer “I’m going to take your panties off and make you come in my mouth. Sound good?” with Henry

It was supposed to be smutty but it turned into a fluff fest. Why is my brain like this?

I’’m going to take your panties off and make you come in my mouth. Sound good?’

You blinked in confusion at the words in your screen, a frown in your face. Because one: you didn’t know the number that sent it to you, and two: there was no one in your life that would be remotely close to send you this type of message.

And considering your last relationship had crashed and burned epically only two months ago, you weren’t exactly in the dating scene. Not even for casual sex, though the offer did stir something inside you.

‘Hi. I think you have the wrong number.’

You set your phone aside so you could get ready for the day and it wasn’t until you were about to head out that you grabbed it again, noticing you had another message from the unknown number.

‘Oh, thank God. I think I tried to text my ex last night while drunk and must have missed a couple of digits. I’m so sorry. Have a good day.’

You couldn’t help but chuckle at the words as you made your way to the metro station, thumb flying over the keyboard. You didn’t even know why you were replying again, but their answer was so amusing and pathetic, you couldn’t help yourself.

‘That’s why you should make sure a sober friend keeps hold of your phone when drinking.’

‘And if I’m drinking alone?’

Came the speedy reply just as you were stepping into the tube.

‘Lock it somewhere you can’t get to it.’

You were grinning to yourself like an idiot.

‘But what if I have an emergency?’

‘Well then, sucks to be you!’

You hit sent before you could even think twice then winced because the sounded so heartless. You had a very peculiar sense of humor and here you were texting a complete stranger like they were your best friend.

‘Shit! Sorry that was insensitive.’

‘Noo! It was funny. I deserved that. ‘

You sighed in relief as you stepped out of the station just a couple of blocks from your work places. This must have been one of the best mornings ever since you moved to London and all because you were texting with a stranger. You really need to get out more. Make friends. Have a social life.

‘I’m Henry.‘ The following text said. ‘Nice to meet you stranger who I texted a sex proposition while completely pissed. I’m truly sorry about that, btw.’

‘No worries, Henry. I’m Y/N.’

For the rest of the month as you and Henry text back and forth, an unlikely friendship bloomed surprisingly fast.

He was like no one else you have ever met. Funny and a little bit dorky, especially when it came to his love for fantasy books, videogames and his dog Kal. He was an amazing listener, when the two of you finally switched to phone calls.Also, only his voice was enough to make your knees weak, a deep and rich rumbling baritone that felt velvet smooth and you made sure to always have you earbuds on whenever Henry called because it felt like he was whispering straight into your ear.

How pathetic was it that you were developing a crush on a guy you have never seen? Every time your phone rang, your heart sped up like you were in a pavlovian experiment. Whenever, you saw Henry’s name flashing across the screen, warmth spread through your chest and butterflies fluttered in your belly. Whenever it wasn’t him, the disappointment weighted heavily in your heart.

“I want to meet you,” Henry declared, making you nearly drop your tea mug. You weren’t expecting that. You were eager for it, but not expecting it and now that it was out there, dread clawed inside you. “Darling? You’re still there?”

Part of you melted it at the nickname, but the insecurity was much more prominent, as you chewed on your cheek and considered what to do.

“What if you don’t like what you see?”

“Impossible,” Henry assured, and you could picture him smiling, even if you couldn’t picture his features at all. “I already know you’re the most beautiful person in the world.”

‘That’s so cheesy,” you replied but it still made you grin. “Ok.”

“Friday night, at that restaurant you’ve been talking no stop.”

“Henry, there’s like a three-weeks waiting list for it.”

“I know,” he replied confidently. “I made the reservation three weeks ago. That’s how long I’ve been dying to meet you.”

You couldn’t help but find it adorable and you found yourself nodding, the lump of emotion on your throat too tight for any words to come out.

“You’re nodding right now, aren’t you?” Henry asked, amusement lacing his voice and you chuckled.

“Yeah. And yes. I want to meet you too.”

Staring at yourself in the mirror, you felt the knot of anxiety making it harder to breath and twisting your guts, giving you permanent nausea. You thought about cancelling the entire day, but decided against it, because despite your nerves, you did want to meet Henry. You just hoped he wasn’t disappointed by what he saw.

Grabbing your bag and putting on your shoes, you stepped out of the apartment, taking a uber to the restaurant, which was packed and every step you took towards the hostess stand, it felt like your heart were about to bust out of your chest.

Her eyes lit up when you said Henry’s name, like she knew something you didn’t as she called out for one of the waiters and whispered something to him. He grinned too and you felt like you were the only one not in on the joke and it made you even more nervous.

The waiter guided you through the crowded restaurant, into a small, private nook until he paused at a table and you nearly fainted at the sight that waited for you.

Henry stood up immediately, a flitting, nervous smile adorning his features as his looked at you while you stood there too shocked to move. Henry Cavill was just there in front of you, perfect and handsome and you didn’t know what the fuck to do. Was this some sort of a joke? A prank?

“Hi.” There was a certain tremor in his voice, but it was undeniably him. You had spent the last month of your life flirting with Superman without knowing. “Please tell me you’re not about to run off.”

“I don’t think my legs would allow me to,” you confessed with a weak laugh. All it took was his voice for you to feel right at home.

“Well, better get you seated then,” he grinned, wide and relieved as he pulled the chair for you and you sat down for fear of falling.

There was a strange tension between the two of you, awkward and impossible to ignore. Part of you wanted to just close your eyes, block the sight before you to see if the weirdness would fade, but at the same time, you wanted to drink at the sight of him. He wasn’t just handsome, he was the type of gorgeous that most people would kill themselves to achieve and here you were, common like a girl next door.

“I hope you’re not disappointed,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “I thought about telling hundred times. Especially when you dissed Dawn of Justice…”

“Oh my God!” you buried your face in your hands, acutely reminded of your ten minutes rant on why the movie sucked. “Why didn’t you stop me?”

“It’s cute when you babble.” He shrugged, a shy little smile in his lips and it was strangely comforting. Henry was as nervous as you were.

“I could never be disappointed,” you confessed, reaching over the table to take his hand, squeezing lightly.

“Well, you’re even more perfect than I could’ve imagined,” he said, and you felt the flush surge on your cheeks. “I’m glad we’re here.”

“Me too.” You smiled at him never happier.

#henry cavill imagine #henry cavill fanfic #henry cavill x reader #henry cavill x you #fluff drabble #slutty sunday

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howtowhumpyourhiccup · 4 years ago

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Whumptober Day 9: Coronation

Summary: Written for Whumptober Day 9. Takes place somewhere after Httyd 1. Now fully recovered and the Outcasts and Berserkers taken care off, the dragons think it's time for Hiccup to claim his rightful place.

Rating: Mature

Characters: Hiccup, Astrid, Toothless

Pairing: None

Words: 2 670

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon

Prompt: “Ritual sacrifice”

Whumpee: Hiccup (+a little bit of Astrid)

Author’s Notes: At first I wanted to write something for the prompt "Ritual Sacrifice", but since the prompts are only suggestions and we are allowed full creative freedom, I decided to drop the "sacrifice" part of the prompt.

Not too certain about this one, I'm a little nervous it's too confusing. But I decided to go with it anyway.

Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Enjoy!

Ao3

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It is after a whole week of searching that Astrid finally comes upon Hiccup and Toothless, who had both been missing ever since dinner seven days earlier.

She finds them sitting in the cove, a place that had already been thoroughly checked once by her and the other Dragon Riders and then again and again by Chief Stoick. Because as Hiccup's father, he is understandably worried about his son and his dragon.

Barely having slept or eaten this past week, the man searched all over Berk and in the surrounding ocean, having only a longship and a rescue party to rely on. With Thornado having moved on to begin a new chapter in his life for the sake of three orphaned Thunderdrum hatchlings, Stoick has little choice.

Gobber, too, had been out of his mind with worry. Though knowing that Hiccup is a clever lad and Toothless would never allow harm to befall him, he still fretted for hours into the night. He has accompanied his friend on every search.

And after all their trouble, after all the worrying all of them have done, the entirety of Berk has done, Hiccup and Toothless are both just there in the cove, sitting by the lake and in no apparent hurry to go home.

"Hiccup! Toothless!" Astrid sternly calls their names as Stormfly touches down. There is a twinge of anger igniting a fire in her chest. Okay, maybe it's more than a simple twinge. They've been gone for days!

The Nadder chirps their way as Toothless looks over to watch them land.

They both appear to be unharmed from what she can see and that's all the reassurance Astrid needs. They aren't harmed, so surely they can take an angry rant about what these two have put their village and loved ones through.

Hiccup may not believe it, but everyone has been in an uproar over their disappearance.

As she dismounts, Astrid quickly wipes at her eyes as she approaches, having been maddened by concern, herself. She is ready to begin her tirade and ask the two runaways what the deal was with them disappearing like that for so long, especially with their shaky peace with the Outcasts.

But then she notices something off about Hiccup and her rant is quickly forgotten.

He hasn't turned to her at all as she jumped out of the saddle and came stomping over. It is at least a little bit odd and it's enough to make her wonder if something is wrong. So her stomping slows into a cautious walk before she halts and observes the two.

Toothless is looking her way. He rumbles a greeting and looks rightfully guilty, having some idea of what the two of them must've put their loved ones through.

But Hiccup, he's not even taking a single glance. He's just sitting there with his knees drawn up to his chest and drawing in the dirt, or that is what it appears to her.

"Hiccup," This time she speaks his name in a more worried tone and she manages to run over.

The closer she gets, the more concerned she is.

It's in the middle of the night and maybe she's seeing things, but it's almost like he's covered in blood. His face and the front of his tunic seem to be. Is he hurt?

"Are you... okay?" Astrid comes to stand next to him and struggles to find the right words to use. Her concern is enough to choke her, but she knows better than to force herself into his personal space and be too overbearing. Even if it's to check up on him, Hiccup will not respond well to that.

But she kneels by him and that's when he finally looks up to her.

Astrid's next words, whatever they may have been, end up stuck in her throat when Hiccup's gaze throws her off.

There is something off about his eyes.

She can't quite explain what exactly. Is it the shape? The shape of his pupils seems slightly off. Or maybe she's imagining things. It's so late and she, like everyone else, has barely slept as of late. Her mind must be playing tricks on her.

But then there is also a certain glow to the green of his eyes, like they're reflecting the moonlight just like Toothless' do during the night. As a normally nocturnal dragon, his eyes are adapted to work at the darkest hours of the day, when his exceptional hearing and echoing calls aren't needed.

But Hiccup isn't a dragon, he's a human. And that means she's just seeing things. So she shakes her head to rid herself of these thoughts and focusses on what's more important right now.

"Hiccup, can you talk? Can you tell me if you're okay?" Astrid asks and dares to reach out a hand. First to touch his shoulder and then to run a hand through his blood-crusted bangs, hoping to detangle them and get rid of some of that crust. It's all dried, it's been there for a while.

Toothless watches, his gaze moving from Astrid to Hiccup and back.

Hiccup isn't as responsive. He, too, watches her hand, but ends up not answering her question. Instead, he simply goes back to what he's been doing, drawing in the dirt using a stick.

Astrid isn't mad, finding this to be quite a concerning thing as Hiccup, by nature, is someone who can't stay this quiet and still for this long.

Toothless coos and nudges his Rider's shoulder. It is ineffective as even he can't seem to get Hiccup to respond.

Adjusting slightly to sit in front of him, Toothless presses their foreheads together and Hiccup backs up with a shock, holding his head as if it hurts.

"Hiccup, are you hurt?! Your head, is that where the blood is coming from?" Astrid asks while Toothless lowers himself, crooning his apologies.

If all of this is coming from a head wound she can't see, then Astrid needs to find it and get him to Gothi. Or better yet, take him to Gothi and let her find it.

But then finally, he speaks.

"No, it's just... Too much information... I think?" His voice is quiet, but whatever Toothless just did, it startled him out of this stupor he was in. Like he woke him up from a trance.

"Hiccup,"

"There's too much... going on... in my head?... I don't know what to do with... all... this... Sounds, voices." Hiccup tells her, taking so many pauses as if he's struggling to form his words. What he's saying makes no sense to her, but she's certain it makes sense to him somehow either.

Hiccup leans against Toothless, head resting on his scales. He stares at the water and the reflection of the moon.

His eyes, she tries not to think of them, but they are even more evident with all that blood covering his face. His vest is quite stained and crusted beyond saving. With no injury brought up, it's almost like someone or something has just thrown blood on him. But she can't imagine the kind of situation that would require such a thing and where it may come from sickens her.

Forcing her nausea back down, Astrid wills a hand out and rubs his upper back. Whatever he's seen, whatever he's been through the past week, she can't even begin to imagine. Especially when it affects him, of all people, to this extent.

And yet, Toothless seems strangely unaffected, if a little bit careful with his human. Hiccup's current mental and physical state probably has something to do with it.

As she rubs his back in comfort, his face contorts, his eyes become watery, and his lip trembles. He wants to cry, but he doesn't.

"They all trust me, you know? And... and... and they'll all do exactly as I tell them to... Just like She did." His sentences come out easier, though they still make very little sense to her. And his voice is still too soft.

Astrid waits for him to continue. She can't know for sure without asking, but she has a feeling "She" may be the Red Death. She's at least sure that "they" are the dragons.

"They count on me and I need to deliver as their new... But I don't know... I don't know if I can." He states and she decides to make a guess.

"Who are they? Berk? The dragons?" She asks, knowing no one else who would expect such things from Hiccup besides their tribe.

"My head hurts." He simply says, once again not answering her question and Astrid still isn't mad at him for that. He doesn't even look like he can hear her. Is it because "his head is too full"? Whatever that means? Is it the "sounds" or "voices"?

She comes to kneel in front of him and places her hands on his arms. Toothless did it to get his attention, maybe she can get his this way, too.

"Hey, how about we take you home? Back to your dad? And your bed? Does that sound good?" She hopes she isn't making her sentences too complex, wanting him to understand her in this state he's in.

Gazing up at her with haunted eyes, he nods.

Rumbling, Toothless gets up when Hiccup sits up straight to let him. Astrid helps him to his feet. She smiles at him, hoping to alleviate his spirits a little.

Hiccup tries to return it, but he can't. His heart is too heavy with what he's gone through.

She wants to know what it is, what weighs on him so much, but there is a part of her that doesn't want to know.

Toothless comes to stand next to Hiccup and he gets on, climbing in the saddle with Astrid's help. It's not that he necessarily needs it, it's just that she feels like she needs to help him. He seems almost frail, though Astrid knows he's far from that. He's walked off enough crashes from high altitudes and beaten too many foes to be called fragile in any way.

And yet...

His prosthetic can't find its stirrup. He's too confused.

"Wait, let me..." Astrid takes the initiative and helps the metal leg into it, with no complaint from Hiccup, though he's usually so set in his autonomy. Another strange thing, another reason to worry.

"Bud, can we go home? Oh, I mean..." Though his sentence ends that way, he doesn't continue. His face contorts again, brows furrow, like he's trying to think really hard or like his headache is growing worse. Or she thinks what he's suffering from is similar to a headache.

Still, Toothless rumbles, even though Hiccup hasn't said anything that warranted an answer.

Astrid watches them take off, playing with a sidebang, a habit she has when she's troubled.

"Come on, girl." She says eventually and climbs back into the saddle to follow the two home.

"Say, you don't know what's going on, do you?" She asks her dragon this question and this time it's Stormfly she's not receiving an answer from, although her Nadder usually makes sure to always respond to her in some shape or form.

So she does know something and Toothless clearly knows something, the dragons know something. This whole situation is getting stranger and stranger by the second and the lack of answers is killing her.

When the two of them reach the village, they find Hiccup already in the arms of his father, who is kneeling before him and trying to wipe his face clean of the dried blood.

She can hear his voice all the way up here, but though his voice is loud, he's not mad. He wants to know what has happened, where all of that blood has come from, if he's hurt or if anyone has hurt him, but he's not getting any responses either.

"Come on, inside you go. I'll have Gothi come by later." As Astrid and Stormfly land, Stoick decides to bring his son inside once he realizes the same thing. He believes him to be in shock and maybe that's what's going on here. A hand on his upper back, he guides him into their home and away from the growing crowd.

The other Dragon Riders are there as well and stare at Astrid as they figure she might've been the one to bring him back. But though they stare, with varying expressions of confusion, she can only shrug and shake her head. What can she say to them? She's just as confused as they are.

The next day there's just more of the same. Hiccup distancing himself from everyone but Toothless and even staying cooped-up inside his room, barely leaving his bed. They couldn't even get him to stay inside when he was recovering from his amputation. Hiccup is barely able to speak of his experiences and Toothless is simply unable to because he's a dragon and cannot speak the human tongue.

And Gothi, she can't quite figure out what's wrong as, physically, Hiccup is perfectly fine. So she says that she doesn't know what may be wrong, that everything is okay, and Astrid doesn't have any actual reason to be suspicious of her. Although, she has always been under the impression that Gothi always knows more than she's letting on. Just like the time she chose Hiccup over her as champion for dragon killing training, knowing how he was truly "defeating" the training dragons.

In the end, after days of silence, Hiccup suddenly goes back to the way he was before that week, like nothing's ever happened.

It's a startling change that happens overnight. He just comes down the stairs one morning, as cheery as can be, and talks to his father about some future projects of his.

It's good to see him back to his old self again, but Astrid isn't as relieved as she hoped she'd be. All it does is give her more questions than there are answers.

Maybe time will tell what happened during those seven days or maybe one day Hiccup will confide in her. Until then, she's just going to have to live with not knowing.

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On the evening he disappears, Hiccup thinks Toothless has been acting a little strange as of late. As a matter of fact, all the dragons have been acting strangely.

He can't quite put his finger on why he thinks so, there's just something off about the way they behave around him. It's like they're excited about something and they want to tell him all about it, but can't.

So when Toothless pulls him outside of the house one evening shortly after dinner for a flight and it becomes clear that a regular flight around Berk isn't what he's looking for, Hiccup let's him take him to wherever he wants him to be.

Dragon Island is where he takes him and along the way, other dragons of Berk join them on their flight. It's reminiscent of the time he, Toothless, and Astrid got caught in a raiding pack as they returned to the Red Death's nest, their former queen, except this time there is less hostility and fear.

Instead, there is the excitement that he's been seeing in the dragons grown tenfold. They are filled with glee and it's almost contagious as Hiccup feels himself getting a little worked up as well.

Whatever it is that the dragons want to show him, or what it is he thinks they want to show him, he can hardly wait.

He won't get it until it's already been done, but he has recovered from the loss of his leg. And Berk's biggest enemies at the time, the Outcasts and the Berserkers, they have been taken care of. Berk will face a period of stability now, a period of peace. The time for change is now.

It is the perfect time for a human to have his coronation as a dragon and become one of them.

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tsarisfanfiction · 5 years ago

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Heated (Tales From The Heart)

Fandom: One Piece Rating: Gen Warnings: None Characters: Law, Shachi, Heart Pirates

Law's breath was heavy in his chest. His lungs laboured to draw in the oxygen and exhale the deoxygenised air his body no longer needed. Something cool rested on his forehead, and he mentally catalogued it as some sort of damp cloth. A fever, then, most likely the trail end of one, considering his return to consciousness.

Opening his eyes, his vision was assaulted by several faces looming over him wearing similar expressions of concern that morphed into relieved smiles as they registered his awakening.

"Captain!" his newest find exclaimed. Law noticed that he looked uneasy – that all the crewmembers crowding his personal space looked a little wary despite their smiles – and gave him a grin that he hoped was reassuring. As his senses fully returned to him, it wasn't difficult to pick up on the source of their nervous disposition; although out of his immediate line of sight, his haki picked up a dark aura in the room. Moving his head to the side, seeking the source, his eyes landed on Shachi, who stood a little way back, arms crossed.

The shades always made him harder to read than anyone else in the crew, hiding his eyes and whatever emotions they held. Part of Law wondered if he did it on purpose, refusing to let his eyes be healed so he had the convenient excuse of hiding what he felt when he wanted to. On this occasion, with the brim of his hat pulled low to throw extra shadows over the top of his face, his lips set into a thin line and his clothes, hair and cheek stained with blood, Law didn't need his haki to tell him Shachi was in a bad mood. The black aura only served to sow unease amongst the crew; even those without observation haki could tell that something wasn't right.

The normally cheerful, almost always smiling Shachi rarely fell into such a black mood, so it was unsurprising that even the older members weren't sure how to handle it. Law spared a moment to wonder where Penguin was, and if he would share in Shachi's mood or lighten it. On the rare occasions that the ginger's temper flared up significantly, his best friend was usually there to calm him. His absence was concerning.

"How are you feeling?" His eyes sought out the crewmember that had spoken, landing on the shorter man, and he offered another hopefully-reassuring grin.

"Fine," he told him, trying and failing to ignore the way the haki in the air soured further. "Weaker than usual, but it'll pass." The heavy air intensified again, and Shachi finally joined the circle surrounding his bed – or rather, the infirmary bed he was occupying, he noticed. Their nakama shuffled away slightly, giving Shachi plenty of space to thrust medicine into Law's mouth with little ceremony.

Law swallowed, making a face at the taste, but didn't complain. Whatever fever he'd had may have broken, but he was far from healthy.

"In that case," Shachi said, sounding as if he'd been the one forced to swallow the bitter medicine, "I'll go clean up." The blood must be from their battle – Law vaguely recalled the remains of a marine crashing into him – and he wondered how long his fever had raged for that Shachi had still not cleaned up.

A clink caught his attention in time for him to see one of those damned kairoseki cuffs snap shut around his wrist, and Law glared at him, only to receive an equal glower in return.

"Overusing your abilities landed you in here," Shachi told him bluntly, turning away and walking towards the door. "You don't get to use them again until you're back on your feet." Law watched the older man stalk out of the room, feeling the atmosphere lighten as soon as the door shut behind him, before turning to the members of his crew still present.

"Well?" he asked, managing to shift his wrist enough to lightly jangle the chain attached. Most of the crew were used to the occasional display of mutiny – he would be having words with Shachi when he got the chance – but the newer members had never seen anything of the sort before, so Law levelled them with an expectant look, hoping to coerce them into removing the insufferable restraint.

"Sorry, Captain," the newest whimpered, looking around at his nakama for support. "But… I think Shachi-san would gut me if I touched them." Law frowned. The refusal was hardly new, but he couldn't have Shachi establishing such terror amongst the newer recruits. Nakama should not have to fear each other. Unwilling to unnerve the new pirate further, Law changed the subject.

"Why are the engines running?" he asked, having registered the background rumble.

"We've set sail for the next island," Ikkaku told him, perching on the side of his bed and adjusting the cool cloth on his forehead. Law assumed his temperature was still higher than it should be, even if the main fever had broken.

"How long was I unconscious?" he asked, quickly doing the maths in his head and finding that it didn't work out, unless Shachi had been in the same bloodied clothes for almost a week.

"Approximately six hours," Clione told him, and Law frowned.

"The log pose wasn't due to set for another five days," he pointed out, watching them fidget. "Don't tell me you didn't wait."

"Shachi-san gave the order to set sail," the new recruit volunteered, and Law wished he had the energy to pinch the brow of his nose, because he felt a headache coming.

"And no-one reminded him about log poses?" he asked, wondering where Penguin and Bepo had been throughout all the madness. They looked at each other before shrugging.

"Penguin and Bepo were the ones that took control of the ship," Ikkaku told him and Law sighed. Well that answered that question, if rather unsatisfactorily. Penguin was supposed to be keeping Shachi in check when he came up with stupid ideas, not enabling him, and Bepo never stood a chance against the pair of them in a battle of wills.

"We wouldn't have had to set sail if someone hadn't been an idiot." Ah, the black cloud had returned to the room, still firmly accompanying Shachi, although the ginger was now free of bloodstains. His hair was still wet, dripping slowly onto the floor and Law wanted to forcibly dry it because Shachi knew better than that. More pressing was the issue of Shachi's attitude, though. He had long since crossed the line most captains would consider mutiny, and with that last comment was dancing dangerously close to Law's own definition.

"Sorry, but I want to speak to Shachi alone," he told his crewmates, who took one look at the ginger and all but scarpered from the room.

"What?" Shachi demanded the moment the door shut behind the last one. "You-"

"Do not speak to me like that," Law interrupted in a low growl. "I do not care how angry you are, there is only so much insubordination I can take and you are testing my patience."

If Shachi had been anyone else, anyone he hadn't known for the past eleven years, the resulting glower Law received would have seen him off the ship for good. As it was, Law chalked it up as one more strike in the tally he would be paying for later and took the sullen silence to mean Shachi was done antagonising him for the moment.

"Explain to me exactly why you decided we should set sail without setting the log pose," Law demanded, wishing he had the strength to sit up. He watched Shachi take a deep breath, and then another, clearly calming himself down before he said something they'd both regret. The fact that Penguin had apparently not argued implied that the reason had been genuine, but Law required details.

"It was too dangerous to remain on that island that long," Shachi eventually ground out, having the grace to at least look Law in the eyes – or as best he could tell, with the shades in the way. "If it were only hours, I might have risked it, but five days was too long."

"Why?" There was little that would scare Shachi enough to make a call like that at the crew's current strength. The Marines on the island had been difficult to handle only due to the numerical advantage they'd held, not because they were particularly strong. What else had revealed itself after Law had collapsed?

"One survivor," Shachi told him. "One witness. That's all it would have taken to bring more Marines to us, or even a rival pirate group." Law frowned, but Shachi cut him off before he could express his annoyance that they'd fled for such a cowardly reason. "Our captain just outright fainted in full view of anyone that might have been watching!" Shachi was getting heated again, but as long as he stayed on topic Law would allow it for the moment. "What sort of message does that send out, huh? That we're weakened, easy prey! Every single Marine unit, rival pirate crew and bounty hunter in the area would have been nuts not to jump on that opportunity! We can handle one or two enemies at once, but not everyone in this area of the Grand Line. This isn't North Blue anymore, Captain! They call this the Pirates' Graveyard for a reason!"

Law begrudgingly admitted that Shachi was right, but the ginger wasn't done with his rant.

"What happened to the subterfuge we used to be so good at?" he demanded. "What happened to not drawing attention to ourselves? Making a name for yourself is all well and good-" Law knew Shachi was actually proud of the fact his captain had a decent bounty, when he wasn't wound up and ranting "-but not when you push it too far! You put us all in danger with that stupid stunt of yours!"

Law winced at Shachi's final sentence. He had no doubt it was specifically crafted to hit him where it hurt – Law's crew were everything to him and Shachi knew that – but that didn't mean it was any less effective.

"Don't you dare do that again," Shachi growled, his voice fading back to its normal volume, before turning half away from Law, nudging his shades up with his arm as he swiped at his eyes. The fabric came away damp and Law froze, the missing piece to the puzzle finally sliding into place.

"Shachi…" he murmured.

"My shades slipped," the ginger mumbled, fussing with them. Law didn't buy it, but chose not to call him out on the lie, too stunned at the revelation that should have been obvious.

Shachi had been worried about him. The whole crew had been. They'd set sail, deliberately not following a log pose path, to protect him while he recovered. They'd encounter less ships on this route, and anyone that might have thought to pursue them if word did get out that he'd fainted wouldn't be able to follow them easily.

"Come here," he ordered, gesturing for Shachi to move closer to him, within arm reach. He was instantly obeyed, and Law forced one hand up, resting the fingertips lightly on his cheek. "Close your eyes and take off the shades." Again he was obeyed, and Law was struck by just how much Shachi trusted him as he carefully swiped away the beads of tears that had been forming in a rare show of affection. "You should be more careful," he scolded lightly, letting Shachi hold up the pretence that the tears were from light exposure and not overflowing emotions.

"I'll try," Shachi replied, a weak grin gracing his face as Law let his arm fall back to his side, permitting the ginger to replace his shades.

"Good," Law said. "And Shachi?"

"Hmm?" the older man hummed, looking at him questioningly. The dark aura had lessened significantly during their talk, to Law's relief.

"I'm sorry."

Shachi grinned properly, leaning down and wrapping his arms around Law tightly.

"Don't do it again," he scolded lightly. Law didn't bother replying to that, smiling into damp ginger hair.

"One last thing," he said after several minutes, as Shachi finally began to pull back. "I want you to apologise to the crew. You were angry at me, don't take it out on them." Shachi bit his lip and tugged the peak of his cap down, casting his face firmly in shadow again.

"I wasn't angry at you," he mumbled. "Not really." Law lifted an eyebrow, clearly recalling the way the ginger had ranted at him. "I was angry at myself. I didn't notice at all! I was just blindly sorting out the loot on the boat while you were getting weaker and weaker. The new guy had to point it out to me. We've been nakama for so long… but I couldn't even see that."

There were tears rolling down Shachi's cheeks again, but this time he made no move to wipe them away as he reached out and undid the cuffs with a quiet clink, startling Law. He'd expected them to stay on until he was fit enough to get out of bed at the very least.

"Don't use your fruit for a while, yeah?" Shachi said, heading for the door. "I'll be back soon. Got some nakama to apologise to."

Law watched him leave, for once the idea of using his abilities to end his misery faster unappealing to him. He'd used them too much already, and Shachi would blame himself for leaving him unsupervised without the cuffs if he exhausted himself again.

Law had had quite enough of Shachi blaming himself for one day.

#one piece #one piece fanfiction #heart pirates #tales from the heart #tsari writes fanfiction #trafalgar law #shachi

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inyournightmares97 · 5 years ago

Text

Her Dowry (Part 2)

The handsome Mr. Park Jinyoung is proud, haughty and says exactly what he thinks. He doesn’t need anyone meddling in his life… much less a spoiled and rich young heiress who is shamelessly in love with her own fortune.

Can two such selfish people ever find comfort in each other?

Warnings: Regency!AU, pretty much a Jane Austen fanfic with GOT7 lol. Angst, Fluff, some attempts at me being posh and using big words that might seem cringey. Please don’t ask when I’ll update because I’m trying my best!

Word Count: 4.2k

Read Part 1 here!

“There is no need to be too careful with those,” you called out to the footman in a breezy tone. “Feel free to drop them if they are too heavy.”

The carriage transporting Mr. Park Jinyoung’s belongings arrived late in the morning. You had been taking a walk with your dog after breakfast in the front gardens, when you noticed the full carriage rumbling up the stone pathway to the large manor. The footmen were currently struggling to take the suitcases up to the guest rooms. You stood to the side among the rose bushes and watched in displeasure. The little Pomerian on a leash beside you noticed your distress, and pawed at your skirts desperately.

“Come here, Snowball,” you cooed as you picked up the little fluffy white dog. She panted at you happily and licked your arm. “Do you see those packages there? They belong to Mr. Park Jinyoung. Now, we don’t like Mr. Park. So whenever you see him, I would like for you to growl at him and make it clear that he’s unwelcome here. Understood? What are you going to do?”

Snowball yipped at you happily.

“No, growl!” you ordered firmly. The little Pomerian merely blinked up at you, her tongue hanging out of her mouth in a cheerful pant. You sighed and patted her on the head. “I really should have gotten a bloodhound like Jackson but what could I have done? You were too adorable.”

Snowball licked you again and you laughed, putting her back on the grass. She danced about your feet happily. You spent a few minutes letting her attempt to jump in order to take a treat from your hand and clapped when she reached the required height. Snowball was munching on her biscuit, when the clip-clop of a horse riding up the stone path became audible.

Mr. Park Jinyoung had arrived on horseback. You watched silently as he rode up to the front of the manor, a classically handsome figure in a simple yet fashionable jacket. He dismounted gracefully and his dark eyes turned to you. You straightened while he approached you with a gentle smile and a polite bow.

“Miss Lim,” Mr. Park greeted you warmly. “I see you are out on a stroll. Isn’t the weather lovely this morning?”

“It was. I’m afraid a rather ugly dark cloud is passing by at the moment,” you commented drily. Mr. Park’s eyes flickered up towards the clear sky. His lips curled into a handsome smirk when he understood that you were not referring to the weather.

“Perhaps a dark cloud now and then is inevitable in life, Miss Lim.”

“I suppose it is. The important thing is that the cloud learns its place and does not ruin everyone’s fun by raining down upon them,” you quipped.

You were interrupted by a sudden tug at the leash in your hand. Snowball had darted forward and was now sniffing eagerly at Mr. Park’s shoes. You tried to pull her back in horror but Mr. Park Jinyoung only laughed. It was a very charming laugh, you had to admit, but a detestable one all the same.

“And who is this?” he chuckled, reaching down to pick up Snowball. She licked at his hands happily and you sighed. Stupid dog. Mr. Park laughed again as Snowball yipped at him. The corners of his eyes crinkled up fondly when he held her up to look at her. How could such a horrible man have such a mesmerizing laugh?

“Her name is Snowball,” you replied.

Mr. Park smiled as he set her down. “I see. A noble name, indeed.”

“Hardly. I named her such because she's round and white, as is evident,” you replied, tugging on Snowball’s leash to pull her back. She let out a small whine and pawed at your skirts sensing that she had upset you. “And I’m sorry to say that I don’t appreciate other people touching her. She’s a very delicate dog. I would prefer that you did not attempt to play with her.”

Mr. Park raised an eyebrow. “I am not ignorant of the fact that you clearly dislike me for some reason, Miss Lim. But asking me not to touch your dog is rather childish, is it not?”

You bristled. How dare this man! Not only did he insult your musical talent before your entire family but he also had the audacity to call you childish? How could a man who was relying on your hospitality and proclaimed himself a gentleman speak to you in such a rude manner? You glared at him and pressed your lips together tightly.

“Then perhaps I am a very childish woman, Mr. Park. You will have to excuse me. I am afraid you interrupted my morning walk. I am sure the housekeeper would be more than pleased to show you to your rooms.”

Mr. Park sighed. “My apologies. I will take my leave, then.”

You turned away from him and pulled Snowball along behind you, waiting until Mr. Park had disappeared inside the manor to pick her up and cuddle her to your chest. “There will be no more licking Mr. Park, do you hear me?” you scolded the little dog in a hushed voice. “If you lick him once more, you will not get your daily treats.”

Snowball whined and nuzzled her nose into your hand in apology.

“Dear, will you be going down to the assembly rooms this evening?” your Father asked you during lunch. You had spent most of the meal glaring at Mr. Park Jinyoung while he ate, and listening to Colonel Jackson rant about some of the antics the officers in his regiment indulged in. You were too busy brooding over your absolute hatred for the man who sat across from you to notice that your Father had spoken to you.

“Sorry, Father. I could not hear you over Jackson’s babbling,” you snapped.

Your Father chuckled. “I was only wondering if you intended to go down to the assembly rooms for the assembly this evening, my dear. It should be a lovely opportunity for Mr. Park to become acquainted with the society here at Portsmouth. The three of you had better go and have a dance or play some cards to entertain yourselves. Surely, it cannot be very enjoyable to spend your evenings here with me.”

You smiled at your father. “I like spending evenings here with you very much, Papa.”

Father chuckled. “Yes, but a young woman like you had much rather go and interact with the society in town, or you shall become an old maid before you know it. And it is our responsibility to introduce Mr. Park to the society here.”

Jackson smiled and nodded. “Of course! We certainly cannot miss the assembly. I will introduce you to some of the officers, Mr. Park, they’re all extremely fine fellows and they play an excellent hand at cards. The society here is almost equivalent to that in London. We lack nothing. And I’m certain you may find a beautiful woman or two to tempt you into a dance!”

Mr. Park nodded with a smile. “It sounds very pleasant. I should be delighted.”

“I will call for the carriage to take us there this evening!”

You huffed and folded your arms across your chest in irritation. You didn’t want to go to the assembly rooms. This was all because of Mr. Park. You gave him one final glare to which he responded with a simple, smug smile.

The assembly rooms were where the cream of society gathered on scheduled evenings to gossip, gamble, dance and flirt. Colonel Jackson’s regiment was currently in town so there were a significant number of officers crowding the card tables this evening. Beyond the card rooms was the dining room where tea and supper was served, and beyond that was the ballroom for dancing. Everyone was dressed very fashionably but you were evidently the best-dressed woman in the room. You smiled to yourself as you smoothed down your expensive silk dress with your gloves.

Jackson was instantly distracted by his fellow officers at the cards tables, and he persuaded a very reluctant Mr. Park to join them for a game. You merely greeted the officers politely and then moved onwards to the supper room.

“Oh! Miss Lim!”

You turned with delight at the familiar voice. The woman who hurried towards you was one of your best friends; Miss Kim was dressed very prettily in a light pink dress and she wrapped her arm around yours eagerly as soon as she saw you. You smiled back at her.

“Oh! What a relief that you are here, Miss Kim! I thought I was going to have to spend the evening alone and miserable.”

She giggled. “Of course I am here! My brother is in town for some business and I simply had to come and visit my dearest friend. I was going to call on you tomorrow if you did not come to the assembly rooms tonight. Oh! But we must sit down and talk. How could you not even write to me about your brother’s wedding? It was so shocking to have to see it in the papers!”

You followed her eagerly to a pair of vacant seats. “I would have written to you if I’d known myself,” you replied bitterly. “I was completely unaware that Jaebum was even courting anyone. He merely wrote to say he was engaged and then two days later, he and his bride had arrived from London with her family in tow. Oh! It’s so unpleasant and painful! Miss Park smiles far too much and her brother is the rudest man I have ever met!”

Miss Kim’s eyes shone. “Ah! That Mr. Park! I have heard that he is very handsome.”

You pouted at her. “If you flirt with him I shall never forgive you.”

“I would never! You know that I have eyes for no man other than your brother, Colonel Jackson. I do sincerely hope that if he should decide to marry someday, you would not allow me to find out through the papers. I really may just die of heartbreak!” she cried dramatically, before the two of you burst into giggles.

Miss Kim had been harboring a fancy for your brother for years now but he never showed her any affection beyond what he would show any other woman. She took the rejection surprisingly well, so you doubted whether her affections were very serious. “Oh! But there is a surprise for you here tonight!”

You blinked. “Oh? And what might that be?”

“Mr. Choi Youngjae is here,” she told you with a teasing smile. “That kind, gentle soul whose heart you constantly trample upon with your leather slippers. I would not be surprised if he came here tonight in the hopes of meeting you. Perhaps he will attempt to propose again!”

Your smile fell. “I should hope he does not. It was difficult enough to persuade him not to do so last season. An official proposal should only serve to embarrass us both.”

Miss Kim looked at you sympathetically. She loved you, but it was difficult for her to understand your behavior.

“Do you really have no intention of accepting him? He is such a good and kind man. Everyone in society loves him and he seems to care for you greatly. He is among the few other eligible men in town. And you are always so determined not to go to London for the season and meet new men. Where will you find a husband if you insist on locking yourself up away inside your home like this? A man is not going to come knocking at your front doorstep.”

You bit your lip. “Then I shall not get married.”

“But why?” she insisted. “Come to London with Mother and I next month. I insist. There are so many wonderful men and I shall have my brother introduce you to them all.”

“Oh? And if there are so many wonderful men then why do you still pine after Colonel Jackson?” you teased.

Miss Kim flushed. “Oh! True love is another matter entirely, my dear. Perhaps I should have been successful in my love if his sister had been a little kinder to me and done a better job recommending me to him… but we are not all so lucky,” she sighed as you laughed. She was constantly bemoaning that you did not do more to draw your brother’s attention to her. “How can you laugh at my despair, you terrible friend?”

You smiled. “Because I do not believe that you are truly despairing, Miss Kim.”

“Well, then!” she stood up, playfully offended. “I shall take my leave now. It is my intention tonight to extract a dance from Colonel Jackson without your help and I will be grateful if you should refrain from interfering. I would rather not end up an old maid.”

“He is at the card tables. You will have to tie him to a pair of horses to drag him away from there. Good luck, Miss Kim!”

Miss Kim giggled and hurried away to the cards room, hoping to find a seat at the same table as Colonel Jackson. You smiled at your silly friend. She had already lost a good amount of money to your brother at the card tables in the hopes of capturing his attention, but Jackson only laughed at her and took her money and never asked her to dance.

You were watching Miss Kim disappear into the next room when you heard a pair of elderly ladies talking at a table nearby. They were sipping their tea and looking at you with distaste. As is common with elderly women who are hard of hearing, they spoke so loudly that it was impossible for you to not overhear their conversation.

“Look; she has come alone again. How terribly inappropriate for her to attend such social events without a female chaperone. Does her father think it is appropriate to send her here with only her brothers? A young woman who has only been out in society a few years?”

The other woman scoffed. “For shame. That girl will find herself in a scandal soon enough. Nothing good comes of letting a young woman with a fortune of a dowry run about in such a loose and careless manner. Who would marry her? She has never had any decent gentlewoman to teach her how to behave. ”

You took a deep breath and clutched your handkerchief. Your eyes flickered sharply over to the elderly women, who fell silent the moment they realized that you were glaring at them. Disgusting creatures. They were so old and withered and wrinkled that they had nothing to do but comment on other women. It was not the first time they had said such things about you, nor the first time that people had commented on your lack of a female chaperone for these events. Your mother had passed away while giving birth to you and you had no aunts, no close female relatives to take you under their wing. The only woman available to accompany you to social events had been your governess; and she had left once you were too old to require one.

You merely glared at the women and turned back to your cup of tea. They could only dream of owning the amount of money that you possessed as your dowry. You knew better than to be affected by their envious words.

Mr. Park Jinyoung entered the supper room just as you were finishing your tea. He seemed slightly lost and uncomfortable. You smiled to yourself at the sight of him looking around blankly until he finally spotted you. Your smile fell when he made a beeline for you and took the empty seat beside yours.

“Miss Lim,” he greeted you politely.

You raised an eyebrow as you sipped your tea coolly. “Is it not extremely inappropriate for you to sit beside an unmarried woman such as myself at a social gathering? I believe propriety demands that we be accompanied by a chaperone.”

Mr. Park raised an eyebrow. The bored tone of your voice indicated that you did not truly care about the absence of a chaperone, but were merely attempting to find some fault in him.

How could a woman as beautiful as yourself could be hiding so much hatred inside? It seemed impossible, but your words only became more poisonous with each conversation you shared. He sighed.

“I am afraid it would be much more improper for me to approach anyone else at this gathering, since I have not been introduced to them. You and Colonel Jackson are my only acquaintances here. I am certain that I shall cause less offence by sitting with my sister’s new family than by approaching someone who does not know me at all.”

You sighed. Unfortunately, Mr. Park was not wrong. “I suppose so.”

Mr. Park smiled. “And is the purpose of a chaperone not merely to ensure that a young man and woman do not cross the boundaries of ordinary acquaintance? I am certain there is no danger of that here.”

You gave him a sharp look. “Certainly not. Although I wonder why you do not choose to stay by my brother’s side; he is surely the more pleasant company.”

Mr. Park sighed again, a hint of discomfort appearing on his handsome features once more. “Colonel Jackson’s company is excellent but I have no desire to lose more money at the card tables. Gambling has never caused me much enjoyment. I prefer not to push my luck, what with me having so little of it in the first place.”

“One would not look at your face and deem you a man of meagre luck, Mr. Park.”

Mr. Park raised an eyebrow and his dark eyes twinkled. You were irritated at how handsome he was and how aware he seemed to be of his own god-given charms. There was no use denying that Mr. Park Jinyoung was extremely attractive. However, once one overcame the deceptive barriers of his perfect face and handsome countenance, it was not difficult to identify Park Jinyoung’s many flaws.

“Is that a compliment, Miss Lim? I am flattered.”

“Not as much of a compliment as you might imagine, Mr. Park. I tend to place more importance in aspects of a person that cannot be covered by luck; such as manners, good-breeding and most importantly, benevolence.”

Mr. Park laughed. “Benevolence! Surely?”

“You do not believe me?” you demanded. “Or do you think my own character to be so lacking in benevolence that it is absurd for me to expect it from others?”

“Indeed; I have no idea how benevolent you are.”

“Let me assure you that I am extremely benevolent!” you insisted firmly. “A necessary quality in a woman who possesses as large a dowry and such excellent prospects as I! A woman with such a large fortune and natural beauty must do everything in her power to share her gifts with those less fortunate in this world.”

“I see you are very inclined to charity, then.”

“Indeed. We live in a world where beauty and a large dowry are the most powerful things any woman can possess.”

Mr. Park Jinyoung's smile suddenly changed; the curve of his plump lips was more forced than it had been earlier. He nodded silently. There was a brief and unpleasant silence which was interrupted by the arrival of another gentleman at the tea table. The only person in the entire city of Portsmouth before whom even Mr. Park was preferable.

Mr. Choi Youngjae.

“Miss Lim!” Mr. Choi greeted you politely and kindly, with a bow. His manners were impeccable and he was always well-spoken and kind, but his sudden appearance made your stomach turn. “It is so wonderful to see you here this evening. Please; allow me to convey my apologies at being unable to attend your brother’s wedding. I was detained in London.”

You smiled politely at Mr. Choi. “Of course Mr. Choi; I am certain that my brother understands completely. There is no need for your apology.”

Mr. Choi smiled hopefully. “Yes. Thank you. I was wondering, Miss Lim, whether-”

“Mr. Choi, have you yet had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Park Jinyoung? He is the younger brother of Miss Park; or should I say Mrs. Lim now, the woman whom my brother has had the fortune of marrying. He is staying in Portsmouth for some time on business. Mr. Park, this is Mr. Choi Youngjae. A good friend of mine and a businessman who often comes to Portsmouth to do his business,” you explained hurriedly.

The two men shook hands politely and exchanged perfunctory greetings. Mr. Choi’s eyes were fixed on you and you knew that he was hoping to speak to you alone. You could not allow that to happen. You quickly rose from your seat and gave the two gentlemen a polite smile.

“Well; since you are now acquainted, I hope that you will find some topic of conversation suitable to both of you. I am on the lookout for my good friend Miss Kim, so I will excuse myself,” you curtsied politely and hurried out of the dining room.

The two men blinked after you in surprise.

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Park Jinyoung could not help but feel a little pity for Mr. Choi.

The young man had evidently approached in the hopes of obtaining your attention, but you had hurried off and left him to converse with a near stranger. It only took a few minutes of conversation with Mr. Choi for Jinyoung to determine that the man met all of your expectations in a person. Mr. Choi had manners, good breeding and plenty of benevolence. He heard of Mr. Park’s hopes to avail of certain business opportunities in the shipping industry and immediately offered his assistance.

“I would be very glad to see you at my offices soon, Mr. Park!” Mr. Choi said welcomingly with a large smile. “We would have a much easier time discussing business there than in this noisy environment at the assembly rooms. I am based out of London for the majority of the year, unfortunately, but I do travel to Portsmouth often. How long do you intend to stay here?”

Mr. Park bit his lip. “I do not know; I am currently residing at my sister’s home on the Lims’ estate. If business goes well then I may need to look for some more permanent residence so that I do not impose upon their hospitality. If not, then I shall return to London to stay with my mother.”

Mr. Choi nodded. “Indeed; I look forward to furthering your acquaintance in either city.”

“May I ask if you are closely acquainted with the Lims?” Mr. Park asked curiously. Although he did not want to interfere in your personal business, he felt extremely curious about your evident desire to avoid such an amiable and harmless young man. It was one thing to detest Jinyoung, but what problem could you possibly have with Choi Youngjae?

Mr. Choi blushed at the sudden question but there was something disappointed in his expression. “Ah; I have never had the pleasure of meeting Lord Lim himself, but I am acquainted with Mr. Lim Jaebum in passing and have also had the pleasure of losing to Colonel Jackson at cards. As for Miss Lim, well, I uh, I happened to meet her while she was in London a few years ago and we have continued our acquaintance since then. She’s a very charming and beautiful young woman.”

Mr. Park nodded. It was clear to him that Mr. Choi Youngjae was interested in you. He cleared his throat and smiled. “Well, am I to believe that some sort of congratulations will be in order in the near future?” he wondered.

“Oh! No; that is, I don’t think Miss Lim has any such inclinations,” Youngjae admitted. His cheeks flushed red fiercely. “She has told me quite firmly that she has absolutely no intention of marrying and leaving Portsmouth to live far away. I… I had rather hoped that she would compromise but the truth is that my estates and business are primarily located in London and there is nothing much that can be done about that. I do travel down to Portsmouth a few days in a year but that is…”

Jinyoung blinked. “I suppose it’s not sufficient for our spoiled young Miss Lim.”

Mr. Choi’s eyes widened. “Oh!”

“Surely, Mr. Choi, you cannot be so blind to the fact that the woman you are pursuing is indeed rather spoiled?” Jinyoung demanded. “She speaks to people just as she pleases and has no qualms boasting of the size of her dowry in public!”

Mr. Choi Youngjae smiled. “I see you do not understand Miss Lim very well yet.”

“Don’t I?”

“Indeed you don’t,” Mr Choi replied. “It is human nature for us to be proud of what we have, Mr. Park, especially when deep down we know that there are many other things we lack. Miss Lim has been deprived of a great many things that most young ladies have. I suppose we may let her have her dowry, at least.”

Jinyoung frowned.

What could a rich and beautiful heiress with a loving family possibly lack?

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#got7 #got7 scenarios #got7 scenario #got7 fanfiction #got7 regency #park jinyoung #got7 jinyoung #got7 jinyoung scenarios #jinyoung scenario #jinyoung regency!au #jinyoung angst #jinyoung fluff #got7 angst #got7 fluff #got7 imagines

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harryimaginedstories · 6 years ago

Text

a hint of yoghurt

plot: she’s reluctant to forgive him for forgetting about her while he was spending time with an ex. genre: angst but sometimes funny (I hope). please enjoy!

The tranquility reigning in their home was a strange contrast to the heavy screaming that had echoed from its walls only few hours ago. It did very little to make Y/N feel better. A heaviness weighed down on her heart.

Y/N sat with her legs dangling from the counter as she rested her back against some drawers. One particular drawer kept poking her shoulder. Still, Y/N refused to go to sleep. Part of her excused this by claiming to need something to eat first, when really she was afraid. She didn‘t want to go to bed alone. Though she often complained or playfully pushed him away, Y/N knew she wouldn’t find any rest without Harry’s heavy arms around her hips and the sound of him snoring in her ear. Instead, he was now snoring peacefully on the couch. Alone. The quietness was almost eerie. Especially after having heard Harry’s rough voice bellow out more words than he could have ever meant. In her hand Y/N held her makeshift dinner of yoghurt and oatmeal - a mixture of sticky and dry. It was clearly less fancy than what she would have had if he hadn’t forgotten and left her stranding on the street. Y/N tried not to think about the nice Italian meal she had been excited to eat all week as she spooned the sweet mixture into her mouth. Y/N shifted. She also would have been sitting on a comfortable chair rather than hard stone that felt cold through her thin pijama bottoms.

It hadn‘t been the first time they‘d clashed after finding something they disagreed upon. As in any relationship it was a natural thing that sometimes happened. However never like this. Never had Y/N been on the receiving end of that kind of anger and truthfully she hadn’t ever expected to be. Especially that it had come from Harry out of all people was confusing to her. Usually he was nothing but kind with her. Every touch was tender, every word said with adoration in his tone. Even when they fought he had never shouted other than maybe a quick “Y/N!“ to get her attention when she was ranting. To have him scream and throw word after word at her head had definitely been a first.

“Late supper?“

Though she hadn‘t heard him get up and make his way from the living room and into the kitchen, Y/N wasn‘t surprised. Part of her had wanted him to wake up and come apologize. However now that he was looking at her from the opposite side of the kitchen she suddenly felt very small. Sitting there in her tiny light blue shorts and with yoghourt smeared on her upper lip she didn‘t exactly feel ready for another round. Y/N briefly considered to just bolt back to her room. If he were to scream at her again she knew she wouldn’t be able to stand it. Luckily Harry looked tired himself and appeared to be very calm. Too much so as that he could have resumed their argument.

“Being mad at you made me hungry.“

Harry cracked a small smile. “I bet.“

Same counted from him. Missing out on dinner with her had left his own tummy empty and rumbling.

“Is that yoghourt?”

Y/N nodded and fed herself another spoonful. Harry bit his lower lip. Under other circumstances he would be standing between her thighs and have her feed him some of her dinner, right after licking off that spot of yoghourt smeared on her lip. He wasn’t oblivious to it being his own fault that he couldn’t do that now. Y/N lowered her gaze back to his feet. Looking at him gave her a strange mixture of feelings. On one hand he looked beautiful, even when he was so tired he could pass out. His hair was soft and his eyes bright, making all of her want to reach out and tug him into a hug. Slowly her eyes traveled upwards, from his socks to his legs until they stopped on his shorts. Y/N bit back a pleased smile. She recalled throwing the clothing at his face when he had followed her to the bottom of the stairs, still shouting and trying to get her to hear his point.

”You know,“ Harry said, reading her thoughts, ”that actually kinda hurt. Metal button hit my nose.“

”Too bad.“ But when she noticed the frown appear on his face she chose to quickly add, ”Sorry, Harry.“

He waved her off, relieved to have her looking at him again. ”It‘s not like you were meaning to. S‘alright.“

Y/N willed herself to smile but quickly looked away again. She hated feeling uncomfortable around her own boyfriend. Another first. Harry leaned his back against the doorframe as he watched his girlfriend finish her supper quickly and he hoped she wasn’t hurrying in order to get away from him. Though he would’ve understood. Guilt grew in his chest until it felt almost crushing. She looked terribly soft with her bare legs swinging from the counter and a shirt he recognized as his own covering her upper body. This made him smile at last. He hadn’t expected her to still be comfortable wearing his clothes but he was glad that she did.

The longer Harry stood there looking at her the harder it got for him to understand why they had been arguing. More importantly, how he could have been the one doing all the shouting. Why had he yelled at her like that? She had been terribly reluctant to hear him out, but why had he believed screaming would help his case? Worst of all, Y/N had had every right to be angry with him. He had clearly been in the wrong and yet refused to own up to it.

He should have just come straight home form the gym. He should have been on time, taken a shower and then went to pick up his girlfriend from the cafe she had been spending her afternoon at. They should have gone to dinner together. Had he been smarter then he would have her in his bed and wrapped in his arms right now. Instead, Harry’s back ached from laying on the couch. All because he had been stupid instead.

“So you’re telling me you are late because you were with her?”

Harry remembered Y/N’s eyes looking sadder and sadder. But he hadn’t reacted the way he should have.

“I told you, we just ran into each other. Why is that such a big deal to you?”

“You made me wait because you were with the only woman you know I feel uncomfortable you hanging out with! Actually, you didn’t even make me wait you just straight up forgot about me!”

“For fuck’s sake, I forgot one thing, Y/N. Once! I said that I was sorry what else do you even want fro me, huh? It’s done! Get over it and accept that I apologized!”

“How sincere that sounds when you say so while screaming!”

Harry knew he had been wrong and so had she. That was probably why he had started yelling in the first place. However a loud voice couldn’t overpower one that was in the right. He remembered her flinching when he had first started to grow louder, yet he hadn’t stopped. Neither had she. She had defended her point until her eyes had leaked tears while Harry kept screaming until she stormed off. He still felt a slight soreness in his throat. Sore from shouting at his girlfriend until she cried.

Harry sighed heavily and stepped closer, cautious not to scare her off. To his surprise and relief she didn’t even tense up.

“I’m embarrassed.”

Y/N put down the empty bowl. She met his careful gaze with hard eyes. “Really. Why?"

“Because I yelled,” Harry mumbled, taking another step forward.

“You did.”

“And I was being mean.”

“You were.”

Harry gave a soft and regretful smile. Carefully he reached out and brushed his fingers over the bare skin of her left arm.

“I’m very sorry, Y/N.”

The words were so quiet and calm, yet sincere. Y/N struggled to compare them to those he’d spoken earlier that night. Feeling his fingertips caress her skin however did bring her some sense of calmness. Perhaps she would find some sleep that night after all. Harry struggled to catch a breath. They weren’t ones to not know what to say to the other and Harry hated the unfamiliar distance that had grown between them. As if in attempt to break it, he allowed his back to rest against the counter she was sat on. It wasn’t the same as embracing her in his arms, but at least his hips were only centimeters away from her legs. Overcoming the emotional barrier quickly proved to be more difficult. Though he wanted her to say something further and perhaps forgive him already he was hesitant to push her. She might allow him to be physically closer to her again, but he didn’t mistake that a sign of her being ready to forgive.

Y/N looked at the side of his face, mustering the tense expression he wore. “Are you really?”

“Of course,” Harry replied with no hesitation and a weak movement of his shoulders, “Was stupid of me.”

She cleared her throat. “Yeah, it was.”

Harry met her gaze. He hoped not to overstep any boundries and slowly leaned in to brush his arm against her leg. Y/N didn’t move away.

“You know,” he said, “I think I deserve an award or something. Doubt anybody’s messed up this badly twice in one night.”

“Three times actually.”

“Yeah?”

Y/N nodded. She almost expected to find a sign of his anger returning, yet his face remained calm. It was encouraging enough for her to continue.

“I presume one and two are you spending the evening with your ex-girlfriend without notifying me and then later shouting at me for feeling upset.”

Harry nodded and pulled at his lower lip so hard it looked painful.

“Well, I’d say you forgetting to pick me up counts as a misstep as well.”

At that he chuckled and shook his head. He held both arms crossed against his chest and kept his eyes on the floor.

“Shit, you’re right. That, too. So three mistakes in one night then, huh?”

“Hm.”

“Fuck.”

Again they said nothing, letting all playfulness in the air fade. Y/N sniffled lightly. The noise straddled Harry at first but he was relieved to find that she wasn’t crying. His heart had almost dropped. Seeing her tears would’ve been too much. Y/N’s knuckles brushed against her nose and again Harry was reminded of how enamoured with her he was. With a heavy sigh escaping his mouth Harry reached out and rested his hand on top of her bare knee. Another brave gesture he was relieved to find she allowed.

“It’s an award I wish I hadn’t earned.”

“Harry,” Y/N breathed shakily, “just tell me why. We’ve both said so much and I... I still just don’t understand. Why did you meet with her?”

“I ran-”

“You ran into her, yeah I heard that the first ten times you said so.”

Y/N shook her head and briefly considered pushing him away again. She needed him to be honest. No bullshit, no excused. She wanted him to finally say what had happened and not just words he hoped would soothe her anger.

“On your way to the showers you bumped into her, you two talked a few minutes and then she asked you to go grab a coffee. I heard all that already. What I don’t know is your reasoning behind it. Why was a cup of coffee with your ex more important than a dinner with your girlfriend?”

“It wasn’t.” Harry looked at her with desperate eyes.

Y/N tilted her head. “C’mon now. Yes it was. And honestly that’s where my head starts to spin. What does it say about us that you prefer an evening with her over a dinner with me? What kind of couple does that make us?”

“Y/N, please.” Harry removed his hand from her leg and stepped around her to stand opposite of the counter she remained sat on.

If he were to make her feel uncomfortable again he knew she would leave. Understandably so, especially since he had pushed her too far once that night already. So he was cautious not to be too close, just enough to get a good look at her.

“I’m sorry,” he said honestly, eyes trained on her face attentively, “really am.”

“I know you are,” she replied, and he sighed at the softness in her voice, “but it still hurts.”

“I understand that.”

“And it makes me overthink.”

Harry swallowed and willed himself to stay calm. The look of disappointment written all over her face made his heart shiver. For the first time he felt like his own girl was slipping away, into the worry he had caused and Harry felt like he had run out of words to stop her.

“Y/N,” he croaked, “this says nothing about us. Only ‘bout me.”

She huffed. “That you care less about time with each other than I do?”

“No, that I-”

“Listen, I know I’m reading a lot into this. But Harry it’s not like you’re home all the time and we see each other so often we get sick of it. You’re gone the better part of the year and I always respect that but I won’t anymore if you leave me hanging the short time you actually are around.”

Harry bit his lip. Again she was right. Of course she was. She stayed home while he travelled the world, be it for his job or to visit the people he had met on his journey. Not once had she minded, only ever asked him not to forget about the girl he left behind. Tonight he had forgotten, even though he’d been less than 30 minutes away from her.

Water filled his eyes before he could stop it. In attempt to shield the view from his girlfriend Harry pushed both palms against his cheeks and turned away. Seeing him cry was the last thing she needed right now. He had messed up. Consequently he wasn’t the one in the position to deserve comfort. It was too late of course and Y/N’s heart broke into pieces at Harry’s distress. He heard her curse before her naked feet met the cold tile floor. Small hands grabbed at his wrists and Harry choked, still trying not to let her see. He tried to shrug her off, attempted not to be weak but once again he failed miserably.

“Harry, hey, shh. No, no, no, c’mere.”

Y/N caressed his arms as he cried, standing so close in front of him he could feel her breath hit his skin. The sudden warmth in her tone made him flinch. More tears poured from his eyes and his hands caught them as he was overcome with emotion. Never before had Harry felt undeserving of his girlfriend’s compassion.

“Harry, baby.”

He sniffled. With a forceful jerk she removed one of his hands from his face and moved quickly to catch his body in an embrace before he could shield himself from her again. Her face pushed into his neck. Harry whimpered and let his arm drape around her shoulders, still crying heavily.

“M’sorry.”

“I know,” she said. One of her hands found the back of his head where she began to stroke his hair. “I know you are. It’s okay.”

“No,” Harry croaked, finally dropping the other hand from his face as well, “don’t say it’s okay just ‘cause m’crying.”

“But it is,” Y/N pressed her lips to his jaw, “You can’t do more other than saying that you’re sorry.”

“Fucked up so badly,” Harry said and let his head drop to her shoulder.

Feeling his tears meet her skin was probably the worst thing she had ever felt. Y/N squeezed him to her and scratched his head. She made sure to keep him close, even when feeling him cry was like pushing a knife into her heart.

“You did. And you’re sorry and you own up to it. We’ll be fine, I promise.”

“You didn’t think so couple minutes ago.”

“I did a little bit.”

“Crying doesn’t make me any less of a dick.”

Y/N smiled. “No, but it makes me not wanna treat you like one anymore.”

“See?” Harry pulled away to meet her eyes, “M’so manipulative.”

“Oh Christ,” Y/N reached up and brushed the falling tears from under his eyes, “Harry.”

He didn’t stop her fingers from rubbing his sore skin, but frowned when she squeezed his cheeks. Y/N pulled and rubbed his face while smiling until finally he did too. A tiny smile, barely there, but it was enough to make her tummy dance. She rewarded him with a kiss on the lips.

“Now you’re not crying anymore,” she said softly, “and I still want to forgive you.”

“I shouldn’t have let you down,” Harry looked into her eyes, wishing he could drown in them, “I was supposed to just come home to you. Don’t even know why I didn’t. All for a shitty cup of coffee.”

“Where did you go to anyway?” Y/N giggled.

“Rosanne’s cafe,” Harry muttered and gave in to a grin when he heard her laugh.

“Rosanne’s? Oh, awful coffee! Terribly overpriced, too.”

“I know.”

Y/N let both hands wander up and down his shoulders. She held his gaze, recognizing a curiosity in them that made her weak. One hand met his jaw and his lips parted as she drew her thumb over them. If only she could soothe the worry she had planted in his heart.

“You didn’t mean to hurt me,” Y/N whispered.

Harry shook his head. “I didn’t.”

Y/N let herself move closer and press against his chest. A happy sigh fell from her mouth and Harry’s hands found her hips to keep her close against him. It still sounded hoarse and shaky whenever he breathed, but at least he didn’t feel himself close to tears anymore. The relief of her allowing him to hold her again was too consuming as that he could have cried. Hesitant, Harry leaned in and nudged the side of her head with his nose. When she looked up he was closer than expected, enough so to gently attache his mouth to hers. Y/N whimpered as she kissed back. She could feel the reluctance in his movements and it made her aware of how afraid he still was.

“I’m not slipping away,” she murmured against his lips, “I love you, Harry.”

A groan that made her legs feel like jelly tumbled from his throat and this time when he kissed her it was with more urgency. His tongue brushed her lips, her hands scratched his skin and soon their breathing got heavy. Her hands found his hair, his her naked thighs. Somehow he had her back on top of the counter, only this time with his body pressed to hers and his heart back in one piece. If he concentrated enough on the kiss he could even taste a hint of yoghurt.

please tell me you liked this because I really did.

my stories

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ravenqueensspecialboi · 5 years ago

Text

Home With You

Fandom: Haikyuu Ship: UshiTen Rating: T for talks of dragon slaying Creature: Dragons Read on AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21265073

For @kemoiunder as a part of the @fantasyhaikyuuexchange 2019!

Enjoy!

It was an easy enough task to accomplish, Ushijima Wakatoshi reasoned as he buckled the sword borrowed from the village armory around his waist. No, that wasn't right. It was an easy enough task to undertake. Accomplishing it would be slightly more difficult. There was a dragon, and it had to go.

It all started a year ago. A few farms about fifteen miles west side of the village reported smoke coming from the distant mountain. Within days, the first cow went missing. Taken from the pasture in broad daylight by something large and red, with wings like a bat. The distraught farmer had traveled to the village within a day, ranting about demons in the sky, but the villagers had brushed it off as the ravings of a man who had spent too much time in the sun. Things remained quiet for another month, during which the cow was replaced and life returned to normal. Then another cow disappeared, this time from a farm ten miles south from the village. This pattern continued for the remainder of the year – each month, a cow would vanish from a farm, and each farm was progressively closer to the village. Most of the villagers had taken to watching the horizon, waiting for the telltale rush of wind beneath veiny wings and the haunting cry of cattle being lifted to their fiery demise. A general feeling of dread and paranoia had settled over the village, leading to a decline in moral and productivity on the surrounding farms. After much deliberation, the village leaders all agreed: Something had to be done. The leaders of the village had put out a call to arms for any villager brave enough to face the dragon in the west. Wakatoshi initially had ignored the call; he was a farmer to his very core, he wasn't one for fighting. He would have happily let someone else go off to face the dragon if it hadn't been for one Goshiki Tsutomu.

Wakatoshi had brought on Goshiki Tsutomu as a farmhand the year before. The boy was a few years younger than Wakatoshi, a quick study and more than eager to assist on the more difficult tasks around the farm. He was more of a talker than Wakatoshi would have liked, and he had the tendency to seek validation for the smallest of things, but Wakatoshi enjoyed Goshiki's company nonetheless. Which was why when Tsutomu's mother appeared on Wakatoshi's doorstep with tears in her eyes, Wakatoshi had known immediately that he was about to partake in something dangerous.

"Ushijima… my son, Tsumotu, he… he volunteered to go slay the dragon," the woman had sobbed, her brown eyes so much like her son's red from hours of crying.

Without a word, Wakatoshi had rushed to the village. Upon arriving at the village's castle, he'd pushed his way into the council chamber, ignoring the guards' demands for him to stop. Wakatoshi only stopped once he reached the center of the leaders' chamber, placing a hand on the trembling shoulder of Goshiki Tsutomu.

"I will take Goshiki's place," Wakatoshi had announced to the village leaders. "I will take care of the dragon."

The Elders had muttered amongst themselves before a smaller man with white hair got to his feet. Elder Washijou was the oldest of the village leaders, and had known Wakatoshi since he was a child. Of all the villagers, Wakatoshi was his favorite, not that he would ever say it out loud. He had eyed Wakatoshi, then sighed heavily.

"This is no small task, Ushijima," Elder Washijou said. "Are you sure you want to undertake this task?"

"I am," Wakatoshi replied. "Goshiki is too young to go."

"I agree with you on that point," Washijou murmured, ignoring the undignified squawk from Goshiki. He rubbed his chin, lost in thought for a moment before he continued, "Do you have a sword? Armor?"

"Neither."

"You can take some from the armory," Washijou said. "We expect you to return it upon successful completion of your mission."

And so Wakatoshi set about preparing for his task. The mission was simple enough. Venture to the mountain to the west, slay the dragon, and return to the village with its head as proof. Simple. The armor would take some getting used to; Wakatoshi had never had to wear it before, and the unfamiliar weight left him feeling uneasy despite his naturally broad stature. The sword was even more unfamiliar, and as he strapped it about his weight, Wakatoshi found himself hopping he wouldn't have to use it. He was a farmer, not a fighter. But he had intervened on Goshiki's behalf, he had to follow through on this. Wakatoshi packed enough food to last the week long trek to the mountain, strapped the heavier parts of the armor to his pack, then left the village on his horse without so much as a backwards glance.

By horseback, the trip had taken less time than Wakatoshi had estimated, but the five days' ride had given him plenty of time to think. By himself, Wakatoshi didn't stand a chance against the dragon. If the dragon was easily carrying away cattle, what could one man do against it? The armor would provide him with some defense, but the reality was an army would have been better than a solo man. Maybe he had been a little too rash in his decision to volunteer. But if he hadn't, Goshiki would have been the one to go, and Wakatoshi would be able to handle himself for longer than Goshiki would have been able to. He would just need to come up with a solid plan before he reached the mountain.

The plan never quite came to Wakatoshi by the time he reached the mountain. Everything he envisioned ended in dragon fire, or a long fall with a sudden stop off of the side of the mountain. Still, he had made it, and it was time to act. Wakatoshi dismounted his horse, strapped the remaining armor to his body, and set his horse back on track to the village. He watched it go for a while, then turned back to the mountain with a determined nod. He had a dragon to find.

It took Wakatoshi several hours to find the path to the dragon's cave, and another day to follow it to the cave. He knew that he had found the correct trail once the cow skeletons started appearing in abundance. Half a mile from the cave, he slowed to a crawl, trying once again to formulate a plan and once again failing to come up with something more productive than 'Catch it off guard and hope you can kill it in one clean stroke'. It wasn't much of a plan, but it really was all he had.

There was a clearing at the top of the path, just before the cave. Cow skeletons littered the charred ground, and for the first time, Wakatoshi felt dread well up in his chest. He had been worried about his chance before, but for the first time he felt an acute sense of fear.

"Did they really send someone to find me?" came a deep voice from the dark cave, jerking Wakatoshi from his thoughts. So much for the element of surprise.

"Show yourself, lizard," Wakatoshi called, unsheathing the sword. He could feel the temperature rise as he crossed the clearing, swallowing his fear with each step,

"Lizard, huh?" the voice rumbled, amusement obvious. The ground rumbled beneath Wakatoshi's feet as something large, far larger than anything Wakatoshi had ever experienced dragged itself to the front of the cave until at last, it came into view. "I supposed I've been called worse."

The dragon towered above Wakatoshi, all sharp spines and glinting burgundy scales. Bored, crimson eyes flashed dangerously as the dragon tilted its head to the left, then to the right, taking in Wakatoshi. After a moment, it reached one taloned hand towards Wakatoshi. Wakatoshi took a step backwards, his foot crushing a loose bone as he retreated from the dragon.

"Get back," he commanded, his voice surprisingly level.

The dragon snorted, a stream of fire bursting forth from its nostrils. "There's no need for that," the dragon said. "I just wanted to take a closer look at my would be killer."

Wakatoshi tightened his grip on his sword and the dragon chuckled.

"Do you have a name, Sir Knight? I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

Wakatoshi eyed the dragon; dragons weren't supposed to be this cordial, were they? "My name is Ushijima Wakatoshi."

"Ushijima Wakatoshi," the dragon repeated. "Well, Wakatoshi-kun, you may call me Satori. Now tell me, why are you here?"

"I'm here to make sure you never bother my village again," Wakatoshi replied, his unease returning in full force.

"Is that so?" the dragon asked. "Tell me, why are you here to kill me?"

"Yes."

The dragon—Satori—tilted his head. "Why?"

"My village sent me to."

"Because I took a few cattle? All things need to eat, Wakatoshi-kun, and I only take my fill once a month."

Wakatoshi frowned, weighing his options. It was true that the dragon—Satori—had only taken livestock for food. None of the villagers had been harmed directly. But if he left the dragon alive, would he eventually start taking humans? Wakatoshi doubted humans had more nutritional value for a dragon than a cow or a sheep, but could he really be confident enough in that line of thought to risk letting the dragon live?

"You sure are taking your time deciding if you want to kill me, Wakatoshi-kun," the dragon purred. "Planning on letting me live?"

Wakatoshi glared at the dragon—Satori. He didn't like that the dragon seemed to know what he was thinking. That he could get into Wakatoshi's head like that. Could dragons read minds? Maybe they could, maybe they couldn't, Wakatoshi didn't know. What he did know was that this dragon—Satori—seemed to be willing to negotiate.

"Promise me you won't steal from the village again," Wakatoshi said.

Satori tilted his head again. If it could have raised a brow, Wakatoshi was sure he would have.

"What's in it for me if I do?" he asked.

"I won't kill you."

Satori let out a snort, this time hot smoke erupted from his nostrils and swirled around Wakatoshi before dissipating into the evening light.

"You drive a hard bargain, Wakatoshi-kun," the dragon sneered, "but you and I both know that you don't know how to use that sword. Well, I don't know, but I'm sure my guess is correct."

With a scowl, Wakatoshi shoved the sword into the ground. He knew Washijou would be displeased if he found out, but in the moment, Wakatoshi didn't care. He couldn't kill, but he could negotiate.

"What would it take for you to never bother my village again?" Wakatoshi asked.

Satori hummed, another low rumble, but softer than the previous ones had been. He slowly extended his head towards Wakatoshi until they were face to eye. Wakatoshi stood his ground as the blank crimson eye examined his face.

"Tell you what, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori purred, "if you keep me company for a whole week without trying to kill me, I will never bother your village again."

Wakatoshi glared at the dragon. It wouldn't be ideal to spend any longer away from his farm than he had to, but if it meant that Satori would never bother the village again….

"Deal."

Wakatoshi had never seen a dragon grin before, but the way Satori's mouth stretched to reveal a row of fangs the size and sharpness of swords, he never wanted to again.

***

The following week was nothing that Wakatoshi could have anticipated. After agreeing to Satori's terms, the dragon had led Wakatoshi deep into the heart of the mountain, leading him through the intricate cave system to an underground oasis, the remains of an ancient underground temple, Satori explained. Wakatoshi hadn't bothered to ask Satori to clarify, having been too entranced by the pools of water that glowed under the lights of the strange mushrooms on the walls. Inside the pools were nearly translucent fish with unseeing eyes.

"They're edible," Satori had told him the first night of his stay.

"Why don't you eat those instead?" Wakatoshi had asked.

"As if something so small could sustain me," Satori had scoffed in reply.

The first day was spent outside of the temple, listening to Satori talk about his life. Satori had been born to a large flock of dragons 500 years previous. About 100 years ago, he had split from his flock and had been traveling from mountain range to mountain range before settling into his current cave system a year previously. He was a rare breed of dragon, one that could shapeshift, but only once in a lifetime. He had never tried it, not wanting to become stuck in a form he would later regret. Wakatoshi told Satori about his own life. How his family was one of the wealthier farming families in the village, how he was an only child now left in charge as his parents were too old to work. His stories weren't as fanciful as Satori's, but Satori seemed endlessly amused by the fact that Wakatoshi was left-handed.

The following two days, Wakatoshi explored the derelict temple. Only a handful of walls remained standing, exposing the remaining structure to the cave around it. Satori elected to stay outside the temple, but kept a running commentary on things as Wakatoshi explored what remained. Wakatoshi learned that it was from a time when dragons were revered as gods, a bygone age that Satori wished he could have seen. Wakatoshi wasn't entirely sure if Satori was telling him the truth, but he enjoyed the dragon's stories nonetheless. And when he lost his footing on a particularly weathered staircase, he was pleasantly surprised to find a clawed hand was waiting to catch him.

"Watch yourself, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori had chuckled as he placed Wakatoshi on more solid ground. "If you were to die here, I don't think your replacement would be as much fun as you are."

On the fourth day, Satori led Wakatoshi back through the cave system. He showed him all of the significant identifiers so that Wakatoshi could find his way back to the temple, then left him to find his own way back. It took Wakatoshi the better part of the day to make it back to the oasis, but he could have sworn Satori looked proud to see him emerge through the curtain of moss that separated the cave system from the oasis. It was a nice feeling, if Wakatoshi were being honest.

The remainder of the week followed in much the same way, and before Wakatoshi knew it, the week was over. It crept up on Wakatoshi, as he had no way of tracking the rising and setting of the sun in the cave. But Satori knew, and true to his word, on the seventh day he brought Wakatoshi back to the clearing in front of the cave. Night had fallen by the time they reached the surface. The sword stood in the middle of the clearing, right where Wakatoshi had left it. He crossed to the sword and pulled it from the ground, sheathing it. He was stalling, he knew it, he just couldn't figure out why.

"Well, a promise is a promise," Satori said. "You stayed with me for a week, and you didn't try to kill me. After I take you back, I'll never bother your village again."

Wakatoshi frowned, "What if you…"

"Stayed with you?" Satori finished.

Wakatoshi turned towards the dragon, not daring to let his enthusiasm for the idea show on his face. "You could shapeshift into a human."

Satori shook his head. "Your village would never accept me, even as a human," he said. "I'm a cattle-eating monster."

"I could stay here," Wakatoshi offered, his voice lacking conviction.

Again, Satori shook his head. Instead, he extended a hand towards Wakatoshi. Wakatoshi stepped onto the offered hand, letting the dragon place him gently on his back. Satori waited until Wakatoshi had a solid grip on one of his spinal ridges before launching into the air. Wind whipped around Wakatoshi as he gripped the spine harder, his eyes widening as the ground vanished beneath them. Satori shot above the mountain, twirling lazily before straightening out and beginning the trek eastward. It was a cloudless night, the moon bathing the countryside below in a soft silver light as it rushed beneath them. The light bounced off of Satori's scales and Wakatoshi's breath caught in his throat at the beauty of it all.

The flight back to the village only lasted an hour, but Wakatoshi counted it among both the best and hours of his life. One that he committed to memory from the door to his farmhouse as he watched the dragon disappear into the nighttime.

***

The village elders hadn't been pleased at the lack of a tangible dragon head, but Washijou had gotten them off Wakatoshi's back after a month passed with no dragon sightings. Wakatoshi returned to his farm, and all of the mundane tasks that came with it. Goshiki returned to the farm as well, along with a handful of other boys from the village who were awed by Wakatoshi and his escapades. Wakatoshi hadn't shared his story with the village, but after a fortnight-long absence, the village had come up with their own stories. It was fine by Wakatoshi, they could have their stories. As long as what actually happened stayed with him and him alone.

Still, Wakatoshi found himself longing for the cave in the mountain as a month became two, then four, then twelve. Or rather, he found himself missing the flash of red scales out of the corner of his eye. The low rumble of laughter that filled his ribcage. The crimson gaze that only seemed to light up around him. The thought of what could have been.

***

Wakatoshi had always been a light sleeper, being a farmer required that much. So when someone came knocking on his door in the middle of the night, Wakatoshi was quick to rise and answer it. Wakatoshi lit a few lanterns, ignoring the incessant knocking on his door in favor of being able to see when he did answer it. Once the room was bathed in soft candlelight, Wakatoshi answered the door.

Standing below the porch was a tall man draped in loose, dark clothing. His dark red hair stood on end, and his lazy, crimson eyes lit up as he took in Wakatoshi. Wakatoshi felt his heart leap to his throat as he took in the man's appearance.

"Hello, Wakatoshi-kun," Satori said. " I hope the offer to stay with you is still available."

Without a word, Wakatoshi grabbed Satori by the arms. He pulled him into a crushing embrace, burying his face in the dark red hair. Even as a human, Satori smelled like fire.

"Welcome home," Wakatoshi murmured.

Satori's arms circled Wakatoshi's shoulders, squeezing him tight, and for the first time in a year, Wakatoshi felt complete.

#fantasyhaikyuuexchange2019 #haikyuu fanfiction #ushiten #dragon au

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fanficsrusz · 5 years ago

Text

My Collection Part Five- John Wick series

A/n: part five it out and i think there might be one or two more parts left after this im not to sure.

Masterlist

_________________________________________

Slowly awakening, bright lights aggravated y/n's eyes as she tried to lift her hand to her head in an attempt to ease some of the pain that rumbled through her skull but something stopped her actions. ‘What?’ she mumbled to herself unable to understand what was happening. Her arms and legs were not responding as she wanted to them. Gradually she began to get her senses back as Images of john on top of her flooded her mind. She looked down at her form and saw that she was sitting in a chair, her arms bound to the chair armrest and panic set in. Her breathing quickened as she began to tug at the restraints, causing them to dig in and burn against her skin. Her attempts were trivial so she stopped closing her eyes trying to calm herself down. “ok.ok .” she comforted herself before opening her eyes again “get it together.” she began to look around the room she was in trying to see if she could piece together where she was or find a way out.

The room was small, dark grey cement walls were illuminated by a single light that hung overhead and a single door stood in the middle of the far wall. Newspaper snippets covered the wall to her left as well as a small window blocking out any sunlight leaking in. She squinted to see what the newspapers said but could only make out a few pictures of some people. But they weren't just any people, they were the girls who had been missing. Her blood pressure rose as she thought of the situation she was currently in. She knew she had to remain calm if she wanted to find a way out but it was hard. Moving to look at the wall to her right, she couldn't help but let out a cry. Knives, saws and various surgical instruments decorated the drab grey wall and y/n began to squirm in her seat again causing it to scrape against the floor as she tried to loosen the grip the ropes had on her. After what seemed like hours and felt like a waste of time, the ropes began to loosen. She laughed quietly in disbelief that something had actually happened and as a sign of happiness. She slowly was able to free a single hand before turning and untying the other. She tried to keep as quiet as possible as she fixed herself taking the chance to look around. As much as she wanted to run to the nearest police station, she needed to know the truth about John. Why had he taken the other girls? What did he do to them? Why did he take her? But most importantly, why take Tom? He was the anomaly. He didn't fit the pattern. She walked over to various cupboard pulling them open only to reveal glasses of random liquids and empty boxes. Just as she was about to close the doors ready to move on, a brown wooden box on the top of the cabinet caught her eye. Reaching up on her toes she pulled the box down, revealing its contents. In the box were various I.D badges. One after the other she pulled them out examining each. Chris Webber: IT Technician. Steve Omen: janitor. Paul Roberts: doctor. All of the names and occupations were different but there was one thing that was the same through: John's picture was on each and every single one of the cards. "who is this man?" she thought to herself slowly closing the box and placing it back in its designated spot.

As much as she had tried to be quiet, Her previous struggles were not as quiet as she hoped as heavy footsteps broke the silence in the room. They were coming from the opposite side of the door. She looked around the room frantically trying to find somewhere to run or hide but there was no where she could turn. She didn't know what else to do as the footsteps got closer and soon the noise began to mimic the beating of her heart. She sat in the chair again, moving the ropes to cover her wrists in an attempt to look as if she was still tied down. She closed her eyes, hoping it would cause whoever was there to think she was still unconscious and leave her alone for a little while longer.

The door swung open and john entered the room calmly carrying a bubbling bucket of unknown liquid. His hair was wild and it didn't match the formal clothes he wore: a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and black trousers. He walked further into the room and y/n could sense his presence in front of her as he made his way over and crouched down, placing the bucket next to them. He grabbed her face roughly and y/n tried to hold in a whimper. “I know you’re awake” he growled and y/n knew the gig was up as she slowly opened her eyes and was met with johns powerful glare. She gulped and john snickered “there's my beautiful girl. Making so much noise” he stroked her face and she physically recoiled as if his touch burnt. He stood up and began to walk to a cabinet on the other side of the room pulling random items out of it and placed them on a small table.

“You won't get away with this. I figured you had something to do with tom and those girls within a few days of being here. The police will find me. they will figure it out as well” she cried using the small amount of courage she found in her to knock johns confidence and john just laughed wheeling the table over to her. He placed his hands over the top of hers as he leant down and closed the space between their faces. “It's funny. I've been doing this for years, going from town to town and yet i haven't been caught ” he laughed and stood up placing his hands on his hips “in fact you're the only one who has even become suspicious. Even the police are to thick to see the patterns and piece them together. Strange really isn't it “ he shrugged and turned his back on her beginning to make his way back to the cabinet before rustling around in it. She looked down at the table john had wheeled over and saw a small knife laid on it. Looking up to see John to occupied with whatever he was doing, she saw her chance. slowly she pulled her hand from the rope and grabbed it as quietly as possible and hid it under her arm as john continued to rant. “see the boy Tom, it's a shame really, he's a nice kid. But he was getting too close to you and he would have got in the way of my plan” he paused and turned to face her just as he was inserting a needle into a small jar of anesthetic. Her eyes widened at the sight but she pushed the fear down. “That's the one thing I can't figure out. What is your plan?” she stalled and he put the needle down on the side and he walked over sitting on the floor in front of her. He looked up at her as if he was a child telling his mum about his day. He was so excited “ you're the only one to ever ask me that. I knew you were special” he stated and looked into her eyes deeply before beginning his story “ when I was younger, my mother used to make these dolls and they were all so perfect. However, one day my father walked in on my mother with another man and he went insane and bludgeoned her to death. I never saw her again. My father sat me down and told me that women are good for nothing, only cause pain and should only be used to look pretty and so i found a way to do that” he looked over to the bucket he had earlier and dragged it closer. “You see if i turn the women into dolls with wax then they will not be able to hurt me the same way my mother hurt my dad and their beauty will be preserved for years to come. They will become part of collection”. A tear slipped down y/n's face as john stood up and began to walk over to the anesthetic again. “Don't worry though, i need to do the embalming process first” he walked closer “I don't want the new member of my collection smelling now do i”. His smile was crazed and he was now Practically hovering over y/n needle in hand.

It was now or never as so she lunged at him with the knife driving it hard into his eye. “AHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!” he screamed falling to the ground as blood pooled out of the wound. y/n ran out of the room and up some stairs. She entered the hallway and stopped momentarily trying to find an escape route, her adrenaline rushing through her veins and she saw a window. Running towards it she looked outside hoping to get the attention of someone passing by but there was no one. She didn't even recognise where she was as woods surrounded the house she was in. she tried to open the locked window but it didn't budge “NOOO” she screamed. she was in the middle of nowhere, no one would hear her. No one would find her. She bashed her elbow against the window to try and smash it but it only hurt her. “YOU LITTLE BITCH” John shouted, his deep voice sending shock waves through her and his heavy steps could be heard coming up the stairs. She looked back towards the basement seeing his shadow coming up the stairs before running of too find the front door. She ran to the end of the hallway and entered the living room where she saw the front door. Running towards it she tried the handle and it didn't open. “Nonononononono” she cried. There was no escape and so she made her way into one of the side rooms in an attempt to hide. She closed the door as quietly as possible and hoped the saying ‘you can run but you can't hide’ was completely wrong.

y/n pressed her back to the door for a second before she propped a chair under the handle so john couldn't get it. She finally looked at the room she was now hid in. At first it was dark but her eyes soon adjusted to the lack of light and she could make out a few pews and the silhouettes of people who occupied them. She waited for them to move but when there was nothing she slowly made her way over to one of the people sat there.

She closed her eyes as a floorboard squeaked under her foot and stopped to see if john had heard. After several seconds of silence she continued her examination. Getting closer she could see the people clearer, except they weren't people. They were dolls. Dolls of women. The dolls john had told her about. Skin smooth and perfect. She touched the face of the doll she was looking at and it cracked and a bit of the face fell off. She didn't know what she expected to see when she looked at the hole on the 'dolls' face, but she was met with the harsh reality of the situation she was in. Rotten skin laid underneath the spot where the wax previously was. Her hand covered her mouth to stifle her cries.

Stepping back she looked at the 'dolls' as they sat there lifelessly, and She realised she could identify a few of them as the missing girls from the news and the others must have been from other towns. This was going to be her fate if she didn't find a way out, all to satisfy the strange delusions of a psycho. She wanted to cry out but couldn't instead turning to walk further into the room hoping to find another exit.

Movement in the corner caught her eyes as she stopped dead in her tracks. Looking towards the dark corner she could see a dark shadow shifting on the floor before strange gurgling noises came from it. She looked round and picked up a large candlestick from the end of one of the pews as a makeshift weapon. She slowly made her way closer ready to defend herself. As she approached, it became clearer what or more like who was on the floor. She gasped and dropped the weapon to her feet rushing over to the shadow.

Tom was proped in the corner, blood and bruises covered his body. . "tom" she whispered placing a shaky hand onto his face as tears ran down her own face. He looked up at her and managed a weak smile, the boy was barely alive from the amount of blood he must have lost. A huge blood stain on his shirt caught her attention and she looked closer: it was fresh blood. She slowly moved the stained shirt out of the way and y/n saw the extent of his wounds. A knife wound leaked blood and she knew he would need help soon or he was going to bleed out. She pushed as much pressure into the wound to stop the bleeding before looking into his eyes smiling at him. "hey tom. You're going to be ok" he coughed up blood and at that moment she knew there was not much she could do. "i…. I...im sorry i couldn't save you" he weakly pulled his hand up to hold her face "dont be stupid tom" her smile faulted as she felt guilt consume her. If she didn't talk to him, he would be perfectly fine and not bleeding out in some random house. "y/n….. i….. I lov-" tom was interrupted by the sound of john bashing on the door trying to break it down. "OPEN THE DOOR Y/N" john yelled through. Y/n leant down and tried to pick tom up but he pushed her away "just go hide" he barely whispered. she stood up and looked towards a cupboard on the other side of the room. She ran over and hid in it just as john burst through the door. She watched through a small hole in the door as John walked in looking between the pews trying to find her.

"y/n i dont know why you're running for. I will find you. It's your fate. You and all these other girls were broken dolls before I even got my hands on them. Lost souls that just needed guidance and a place in the world. I gave them that place, a permanent place on my wall as perfect little dolls. You may not have seen it, but I saw how you felt lost. How you practically begged me with your pretty eyes. Begged me to put you in your place and here i am to deliver exactly that" john ranted as he continued to look around soon he was inches away from the door. She closed her eyes in an attempt to wake up from this nightmare and covered her mouth with her hand thinking her breathing was to loud.

Within seconds, John yanked the door open revealing y/n stood there " found you my little doll" he laughed darkly.

TBC

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A/N: dundundun. 😂😂😂 Just ask to be tagged

Tag list:

@softwhispers

@lushboy148

@dorinasfavs

@ghost-brocolli

@xanaphiavictoria

@constantinediamond

@cumberbatchbaps

@eleventhdoctorsangel

@greensadmoon

#john wick #keanu reeves #keanu reeves x reader #keanu reeves x you #john wick imagine #john wick oc #john wick x reader #john wick x you #keanucharlesreeves #Au

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kagettbayo · 5 years ago

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@shikkotsunin

Drool was threatening to fall from the Hokage's mouth. He wore an agonizing expression upon his features, the rumble of his stomach the only thing keeping him awake. His cheek was propped against his fist as he slouched over the desk in boredom. This particular meeting had gone on for hours with the change of events happening to their youth as their topic, the elders were relentless about it and it was like a rehearsal at this point. They wanted to be prepared for the upcoming summit. During the summit the only ones from the leaf present would be Shikamaru and Naruto but Naruto had this down by now and their long winded explanations were from habit in case they missed anything. Naruto didn't care the how's or why's he was simply focused on protecting everybody.

The Talk No Jutsu became a regular every time somebody was in front of him but he was far too tired to try it now. It surprisingly, was working so much better than the unanswered questions and lost paths when handling the village issues. He was always blunt with his thoughts but in adulthood he held more reserve because some words could be taken wrong being counter productive. All lessons he had learned from the third of what not to do he kept close so not to make the same mistakes. Sweeping things away didn’t really fix their issues and he was living proof of that; thankfully he took after his parents in will.

All the same, he couldn't help but become bored when Shikamaru went on one of his big worded rants. As Hokage, he couldn't just interrupt and ask him to use words with less than three syllables, that option would certainly send the male on another lecture of how he should take things more serious, It simply wasn't worth the trouble.

Naruto had also learned to understand Shikamaru with the basic points, keeping pace blue eyes following the male across the room. Naruto could always tell which topic’s Shikamaru was honestly concerned with, such was shown with the movement of his hands. The male made habit of letting passion seep out in body movements. Blue hues then moved to Kakashi and his thoughts went astray. He had not seen his Sensei as much lately but Kakashi appeared well. Matter of fact, Kakashi had life in him that was a bit different not to mention he traveled the world happily so Naruto was happy for him.

His Sensei managed to always remain close enough to help when it was needed but far enough away to finally have found peace. Skimming to Konohamaru he shifted his posture to set back listening to the reports given in proof. Naruto gave a sigh having finally having had enough for one day. The Uzumaki set back folding his arms over his chest patiently waiting for the point to be made and agreed upon.

Naruto was always up to speed because in the end he was listening to what had already read prior in the reports filed, he was tired of hearing the problem instead of solutions but didn’t voice it. Exhaustion was beginning to cloud his logic anyways and Naruto now had the attention span of a five year old. Konohamaru had grown up and worked very hard, in fact, Naruto was impressed over all but he missing one fact, their young were going to be just like them if not better.

"Listen, We should put a little faith in the kids too. I mean we didn't exactly look very competent either and things went kinda fast. We can protect them until they will protect us, ya know.

Naruto laughed with a carefree shrug taking a deep breath standing up to stretch not regretting one word. The male was going to attempt break the weight that had fallen over the office and those inside. They needed a shift of tempo on a positive note because they were drowning int he bad. Placing his hands on the desk, Naruto leaned forward to speak his mind opening his lips to respond with two words to explain why he was rushed to leave.

"Im hungry! I mean, the summit is weeks away and debating what could happen all night wont make it come any faster!"

Shikamaru had stated his point three times already in the last two hours and gave a shrug in agreement having nothing more to say. He figured a breath of fresh air wouldn't hurt and remained silent already making his way to the door in lazy stride. He was also opting that they take a break to refresh their minds, perhaps it would bring back the focus. Naruto hated the tenseness that often came in these meetings.

Finally the Hokage was free and Naruto wasted no time locking everything away. When he finished he turned rounding the desk in a bolt for the door. He stopped in the doorway with a shake of his head flicking the light off pulling the door up behind him.

His mind went to the old days the frown upon his features reflecting how bad the blond wished to go there where everything seemed so simple even when complicated. Nowdays things were just complicated. After enjoying his ramen to fix the first of issues he turned for the sunset rushing for the gates. He had been scolded many times for disappearing but still found the time for himself without regrets even if he was just running along treetops with no destination.

After an hour he passed into the small clearing studying the cozy villa. He let a few bouts of laughter escape him as he landed on the wooden planks leading up to the compound careful not to make a sound. The location was genius and held a sense of peace so he didn’t worry too much for them either. He chased Sasuke across the world for years, and he hoped Sakura would know it didn’t matter where she went, he would always come to check on her.

Cursing under his breath he began to rub the back of his neck a thought dawning on him. Naruto had not brought a gift of greeting out of custom. He would wing it but what would he give Sarada? The Hokage's eyes shifted from the door and he began to pat himself down his brow twitching as the Hokage hunted for something of value to give them.

Biting his lip he shoved his hand into his pockets only to pull out a bit of lint. Taking in a deep breath his eyes moved from the door as he turned to gaze out to the surrounding area with plan B. Moments later he returned to the same doorstep with neatly groomed flowers in his hand. Twisting the small vines he tied it into place with a satisfied smirk. Inspecting it from a side angle the Hokage continued to work on his little project making it as neat and colorful as possible. When finished the Naruto finally knocked on the door his eyes still glued to his project making sure it was suitable.

"Dr. Haruno you alive in there I think I broke my........everythin’?"

Naruto wasn’t too sure she'd be more impressed he found the place so quick or the fact he challenged her with his statement of being injured. He couldn’t help the Cheshire smirk that crossed his whiskers. The blond mentally counting the seconds before she answered in a blaze of glory.

#@shikkotsunin #Hokage naruto #@kagettbayo #sorry its late #if its off im sick as hell let me know and ill redo it when im not dying silently

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final-fantasy-mama · 5 years ago

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Reload and Release (Ch.2)

Emet Selch X Mature/Wol

Takes place during the Raktika Great Woods event, loosely follows cannon with some dialogue changes.

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“Can we simply not take a moment to enjoy the view together? Or would you rather I spied from the shadows?” ~ Emet Selch.

“I for one would prefer you where I can see you.” The hero spoke up after everyone else went silent. Emet Selch was grinding on everyone’s nerves with his comings and goings as well as his snobbish attitude. It took all the will power Thancred had not to take a swing at the Ascian while they all made they’re way through the Great woods in search of Y’shtola. If the hero hadn’t stepped in to hold him back, he very well would have.

With a hand holding Thancred’s sword arm, she stepped forward to confront the ever-growing source of their discomfort. “I know we’re all on edge here, but can we please just try to get along for the remainder of the journey. I don’t want to waste precious bullets on either of you!” She scolded like a mother would a child as she was wont to do. She was a mother after all, it ran in her blood. "By the fury, my 8 year old has more sense and maturity than the lot of you put together!"

Emet shrugged his broad shoulders but submitted to her in the end. “Of course, hero, my apologies. But Perhaps you should keep your rabid dog on a leash.”

Thancred ground his teeth and took a threatening step forward. “Why you son of a…!”

“We’ve got children with us and that was a cheap shot Emet Selch!” The hero raised her voice to hush her companions and then marched up to the Ascian. “You are to stay in my sights and by my side at all times from here on out! No ifs ands or buts! And if you give me or them any lip, I’ll throw you over my knee and spank the Zodiark out of you!”

Emet gave a coy smile. “Oh, that is just too enticing a punishment to not attempt.”

She shot him a look that could kill and hissed. “I will make sure you don’t enjoy it!”

With a small bow and look of sly satisfaction he submitted and motioned for her to lead them on. So, she did just that as they walked deeper into the woods. Everyone finally silenced by her intervention and the zipped mouth of the Ascian.

Another hour had passed before Minfilia spoke up. “W…would it be possible to rest for a bit?”

“Are your feet bothering you?” Thancread asked looking down at his young ward.

She shook her head and hid her face. “It…its not that its just…” a loud rumble resounded from the pit of her stomach that made everyone stop and stare at her. She blushed furiously.

“It has been a while since we have had anything to eat. Maybe a rest is in order?” Alisaise suggested with a small laugh.

The hero nodded her agreement as everyone sought the shade of the nearby trees and sat down to rest. Alisaise dropped her shoulder bag and fished out some rations and then passed them around but hesitated when she glanced at Emet who stood by the hero’s side. “I don’t suppose someone like you would enjoy food like this….” She began and he waved a dismissive hand to her.

“You’re correct, I would not.” He said simply.

“No need to be arrogant about it.” She said under her breath and offered some to the hero who also refused.

“I’ll stand guard while you all eat.” The hero offered and walked a few yalms away to a better vantage point with Emet at her heel.

He nearly bumped into her when she suddenly stopped. “I said you had to stay by me not on me!”

“And miss a chance to receive a royal spanking?” He smirked.

“Oh gods, its that your kink?” She groaned and reached into her brassier to produce a small metal case. Inside was a few cigarillos that she put to her lips and lit via small lighter. She took a long drag and blew the smoke away from him.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

“Tall Guys with pointy ears.” She shot back and offered him a cigarillo. He waved it away.

“How about tall guys with pointy noses?” He joked and pointed to his own rather large hooked Garlean nose.

Another drag of her smoke and she said with a straight face. “Never thought of it. You know I still haven’t forgiven you for invading my room the other night.”

“After the gift and wine and chocolates? I must be losing my touch as most women invite me back after the first time.”

She threw the cigarillo butt to the ground and stomped it out. “I’m not most women and you’re too optimistic for your own good.”

Something dark crossed his face as he stepped in closer trapping her against the trunk of a large tree. “A show of faith then? Shall we continue where we left off the other night?”

With his towering form and shadow hanging over her he leaned in so dangerously close it annoyed her. “Have you made it your mission to seduce me or something????”

“Seeing how it flusters you so can you blame a man for trying?” He purred against her ear.

Her lower eyelid twitched. “Flustered?” She growled as she grabbed him by the jacket collar “Listen here buster! I’m not some red-light hussy you can sway with a cheap smile and bit of gil! I don’t know how they breed women in Garlemald but you’re going to have to work for my favor if you ever hope to gain it!”

Emet’s eye seemed to light up with joy at her rant and he looked at her like a child eyeing a tempting piece of candy. “Oh my you are a fireball!”

She jabbed a finger into his chest. “And you are……..” Her voice trailed off as she gazed over his shoulder and suddenly lashed out, grabbed his collar again and threw him to the side as a arrow buzzed past and planted itself in the tree where his head had been. “AMBUSH!!!!!” She screamed as she pulled out her Musketoon and dragged the Ascian away as they both ran back the way they came.

Arrows pelted the ground and trees around them as the Warrior whipped her gun around, spraying bullets and knocking arrows our of midair with each bang. One hand was firmly on the Ascian’s fur lined collar pulling him along the way one might drag an old dog, only this old dog had a bemused smile on his face the entire way.

The other adventurers were on their feet and ready to go by the time the Hero and Ascian reached them when a group of black clad hunters flanked them and had them effectively trapped.

A large Hrothgar at the lead pointed a finger at them and shouted. “Now surround them!” following a brigade of well-trained bowman had bows at the ready and arrows pointing down at them from all directions.

Everyone slowly put up their hands with the exception of the Hero who only put up one hand and kept the other firmly gripping her companion’s jacket, preventing him from escaping into the shadow’s as was his won’t at times like these.

The lion like face of the Hrothgar looked them over. “These sin eaters…they are not like the others!”

Thancred spoke up in everyone’s defense. “There’s a reason for that. Lower your weapons, please. We mean you no harm.”

“How is it they can speak?” One bowman gasped in confusion.

“It’s a sin eater’s trick! They mean to kill us all!” Exclaimed a nervous female in their group.

There was a moment of silence as both parties sized each other up and tried to mentally decide what to do next. Emet Selch, of course, could not keep his mouth shut to save his or anyone’s lives.

“Oh for the love of…” He drawled in an uninterested tone. “I had hoped that by accompanying you we might come to understand one another. But all I have come to understand is that you have a knack for inflaming the natives. You’ve committed the cardinal sin of boring me. And so I retire to the shade.” When he made to escape in his usually flourish of dark Aether the hero’s hand around his collar kept him in place as she yanked him down to her level and looked him square in the eye.

“No Ifs Ands or Buts, Ascian. Don’t make me regret not shooting you in my room when I had the chance.” She said sternly.

“Then what do you plan to do about all this?” he jutted his head in the direction of everyone else.

A cunning sparkle filled her eye as she let go of his collar to free her hand, grabbed a cylinder off her utility belt, threw it up into the air and shot it quickly with her Musketoon. The whole area bursted with green mist so foul everyone had to raise their hands to block their mouths and nostrils.

While some of their captors did just that others let their arrows loose but the Machinist already anticipated that. She reloaded her gun with special ammo and let off another shot that enveloped her allies in a sphere of blue light and ricochet bullets around them, blocking and knocking any projectiles aimed at them.

With all the coughing and sputtering going on around them from the noxious fumes, she used the opportunity to quick load her gun with gas rounds and shot them off rapid fire, moving her arm in a steady sweeping motion. One after another, the bowman fell to the ground, completely knocked out by whatever gas she managed to pack into her bullets until there was not left but a few spearman (who were shaking in their sandals) and the Hrothgar who’s eyes were wider than dinner plates.

She had managed to take out the entire brigade in less than a few seconds using only her guns and her keen eyes. She spun the Musketoon in her hand and holstered it on her back as she turned to Emet Selch and said in a cocky tone, “There. Oh Emperor of eternal boredom. Are you not entertained?”

Yellow eyes that quivered with excitement refused to tear themselves from her spry leathered form as a faint blush colored his usually pale cheeks. "Zodiarks Mercy, that was so incredibly and undeniably titillating." He said in a breathy voice that made the hair on her neck stand on end.

#emet selch #shadowbringers #finalfantasyxiv #shadowbringers fanfic #worrior of light #thancred waters

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thegirlwhowrotefanfiction · 6 years ago

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Dating the Enemy Part 2

Word Count: 1,643

Summary: Reader remembering how she met Jason, and the Liars saving the reader

Pairings: JasonxF!Reader

Warnings: Some cussing, mentions kidnapping. Rest is fluff

Requested: Yes. (mentioned on part 1)

Author's Note: Here's the long awaited Part 2 of Dating the Enemy! I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!!

------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Sunday Morning: Your POV*

Rolling away from the small stream of light shining in your eyes, you blink the blurriness away, confusion clouding your thoughts. You looked around the small room you were trapped in seeing a couple of sleeves of crackers and some water. Piecing together the memories from Friday night, you came to the conclusion that -A has got you hidden away somewhere.

Standing up, you stumbled a little, before getting your bearings and walking to the boxes you found pushed into one of the far back corners . You were rummaging through the boxes, trying to find some kind of clue as to where you were, when you came across your favorite sweater. “I lost this almost a year ago, at Noel’s... That's where I'm at.” You mumbled to yourself.

Flashing back to that night 11 months ago, you smiled, even though given your current situation you shouldn't be. That really was a great night. The girls had dragged you to Noel Kahn’s cabin for his annual New Year's party, when all you wanted to do was curl up and watch Grey's Anatomy. You had finally given in after all the relentless begging, and that's how you found yourself sat in a circle playing 7 minutes in Heaven.

Spinning the bottle, you watch does it slow down coming to a stop. Looking up, you found the bottle landed on Jason. The loud sound of whistling and hollers drowned out the sharp and take a breath you took As you stood up and followed him to the attic. Nervous butterflies fluttering in your stomach as the latch will shut and the only light was from the moon shining through the small window. The light illuminated his face in all the right places making him look even more beautiful. Your heart sped up and you prayed he couldn't see the slight blush coating your cheeks. “Fancy seeing you here Y/N.” Jason grinned

You giggled slightly, “Yeah, I'd rather be at home watching Netflix, but the girls dragged me here.” He nodded in acknowledgement before continuing, “Same here. I'd rather be at home but my friends bugged me until I gave in.” You both chuckled as an awkward silence filled the small space of the attic. Thoughts drifting, you looked around avoiding eye contact when a slight cough caught your attention.

Head snapping back towards Jason, you quirked an eyebrow at him, urging him to continue. “Can I confess something? I don't want to make things awkward between us, but I really need to get this off my chest.” “Sure Jase, what's up?” You shrugged off your sweater and threw it on one of the boxes behind you, waiting for him to continue. “Well... he paused, “for as long as I can remember, I've had this huge crush on you. And I know it's wrong because you're my sister's best friend but I can't help it. I really like you Y/N.” He ranted, pacing around the room.

Catching his arm in your hand, calming him down slightly, you spoke. “Whoa, whoa Jason slow down. I like you too. Have for like forever.” Looking at the ground shyly, you felt Jason's hand glide up your arm and towards your face. Tilting your chin up, Jason grinned at you. “Really?” His grin grew brighter as you nodded bashfully, watching as he slowly lean down towards you. With confidence surging through your veins, you reached up on your tiptoes and met him halfway. When your lips met, it was like everything made sense. You understood everything those sappy romance movies talked about. It was in that moment, you knew your life had been changed for the better.

Coming back to your senses, you realize you don't even know what today is. You could have been out for a week for all you knew. All you knew was you had to get out of here. Pushing and kicking at the latch on the door, you hoped it would magically drop open; but instead it didn't even budge. Realizing -A must have locked it from the outside, you looked for anyway for you to let your friends know where you were. They had to know you were missing right?

Remembering you had your cell phone with you when you were abducted, you rush back to your makeshift bed hoping to find it. Throwing blankets behind you, searching for your jacket, you finally found it under the last blanket. Shaking out your jacket, your phone clatters to the ground. Sign and relief, you pick it up and turn it on, praying you have at least some charge left. Seeing the time and date, you're shocked to see it's 11am on Sunday. You've been missing for over 40 hours!

You panic seeing your phone only has a 15% charge and only one bar of signal. You only have enough charge to send a small message, but what the hell were you supposed to send that they would understand and know where you were? Finally deciding on what to send, you click on the last girl you texted, which was Aria, and slowly walked around the room trying to find a better signal.

Stopping abruptly in your tracks, you saw all five bars. Quickly typing out your message, you press send. As soon as it sent, your phone died, ‘just my luck’ you thought. Hoping Jason was with the girls to decipher the message, after you missed your weekly breakfast with him, you sat back down on the pile of blankets with a pack of crackers just waiting to be found. You hoped they would get there soon.

Meeting back up at Spencer's house, it was obvious they had no luck in finding you. The longer you were missing the more worried that got. Not knowing if you were even alive sent the feeling of ice through their veins. They need to find you soon! Where the hell did -A stash you?

“Okay, so where all have we looked?” Emily was the first to speak. Thinking out loud, Hanna replied, “Well we've looked in all the abandoned houses and nothing.” “There was no sign of life at Noel's cabin.” Spencer spoke up. “I even drove out to Lookout Point to check the shack to see if she was there, and nothing.” Jason sighed becoming more and more worried about you. “Where the hell could she be?” Aria piped up.

Before anyone could reply, Aria's phone chimed, lighting up with a new message. Jumping for the phone, she was surprised to find a text from you. “It's Y/N guys!” She exclaimed. “What’d she say?” They all asked. “All she sent were three emojis. The number 7, a clock, and an angel.” “What does that even mean?” “I don't know Hanna, but it's obviously some kind of clue as to where she is.” Jason let his thoughts wander, trying to solve your clues, as the girls bickered in the background. That sequence of emojis seems oddly familiar to him; and that's when it hit him.

“Wait, was the emoji a clock or a stopwatch?” he questioned. “I guess it could be a stopwatch. Why?” Aria answered. “Because I know what it means. The emojis stand for the game 7 Minutes in Heaven. She's in the attic at Noel’s cabin!” He rushed out. “How did you figure that out?” Spencer spoke. “It's where and how her and I got together 11 months ago. Now let's go save Y/N!”

Arriving at Noel’s cabin, they could feel the hope washing over them. Hope that you were here, and alive and well . Hanna slid a bobby pin out of her hair and started picking the lock. After what felt like hours to them, but was probably only 2 minutes, they were finally in.

Rushing through the door, Jason sprinted to the back room with the girls hot on his heels. “Y/N, we're here! Hold on and we'll get you out!” Spencer yelled out as the rest looked for something to bust the lock with. Jumping to your feet, you breathed out a long sigh, thankful your friends found you. Stepping back just in case they broke it open, you prepared yourself for the flood of light that was to come. After a few minutes, you finally hear what sounds like a rock hitting the lock that keeps you from your friends and boyfriend.

With one last slam to the lock, it breaks and falls to the ground. Light flooded the small space of the attic and you see a ladder appear at the entrance. Stumbling towards it with your things, you clumsily make your way down. Feeling several pairs of hands guide you down, you reach the ground and get pulled into a group of crying girls. All you heard was a cluster of “thank God, you're okay”, “Never do that again”, “We're so sorry!”, and “We love you!” as you hugged your best friends. Hugging them a little tighter, you let go and turned to your boyfriend.

“Hey.” you smiled. Rushing forward, he swept you into a hug, mumbling about how worried he was. Running your fingers through his hair, you apologized, “I'm so sorry for worrying you. I needed air that night. I didn't think -A would kidnap me.” Pulling back slightly he stroked your cheek lovingly, assuring you it wasn't your fault. “It's not your fault -A is a sadistic bastard and likes to hurt you guys. I'm just glad you're back in my arms.” Snuggling back into his chest, you enjoyed the nice moment until the rumbling sound of your empty stomach filled the room.

Breaking apart everyone chuckled. “Let's get you out of here and get you some food.” Agreeing you walked hand-in-hand out the door with your favorite people. You were all thinking the same thing; ‘thank God you were okay.’

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Tags: @fightme-brendon @aunicornmademedoit

#jason dilaurentis #pretty little liars imagines #jason dilaurentis x reader #jason dilaurentis imagine #pll imagine #pretty little liars #dating the enemy part 2

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calucadu · 6 years ago

Text

Missing - Chapter 1

Missing, a League of Legends Fanfic. Chapter 1.

Summary: When a yordle goes missing, all Hell breaks loose. Or maybe it's the best thing that could've happened to him.

Characters: Rumble, Ziggs, Tristana, Teemo, Poppy, Heimerdinger

Rating: Mature

Prologue // Next chapter

Read on AO3

Read on fanfiction.net

Or read below the cut

Ziggs P.O.V.

“Rumble is missing.”

It took my brain a whole thirty seconds to register what Poppy had just said. I blinked furiously, images of his lively smile coming to mind with the thought that I might not see him again.

All the yordles had been called to an emergency meeting, to which I’d been late. I hadn’t known it was actually going to be important. Poppy hadn’t beaten about the bush, she’d just uttered those three words and the tension was nearly palpable in the room. My own tummy twisted and I thought I was going to throw up.

“What?” I whispered in a harsh tone. ‘No, no, no. It can’t be.’ I screamed inside my mind.

“Rumble didn’t appear today when he had to play a match.” The female yordle calmly said, raising an eyebrow at me. “We have looked in his apartment and his lab, and he’s not there. We believe he has ran away.”

But that didn’t make sense. Not any.

“Can’t be. Rumble wouldn’t do that.” I frowned.

“Fraid so, kiddo.” She sighed, drooping her shoulders.

“He’s probably been kidnapped or something!” I cried out, unwilling to believe what was right in front of me.

“His mech is missing too, Ziggs.” Poppy whispered, her tone soft, as if telling a child to not be disappointed. “I know it’s difficult for you to understand.”

“But, but…” I tried to say something – anything! – but my lips just quivered mercilessly. ‘Tristy is gone.’ It was all summing up in my mind, logic surpassing hope, breaking it and crumbling into tiny pieces.

But it just didn’t make sense. Why would he do this to us? Why would he do it to himself?

I got up, still not facing defeat and ran out of the room that we’d been assigned to speak things over.

I nearly fell down the stairs, then bolted down the hall into the lab section of the building. I knew where his was nearly better than I knew where mine was situated and got there as quickly as I could, breathless and trembling apprehensively. Opening the door in a rush, all I saw was the cluttered lab that I knew so well. And, to my dismay, no Tristy. She wasn’t in her normal spot.

My heart started beating slower, as if time had stopped itself. It was weird to have barged in and not get a miffed look from my friend, but then a gentle greeting and maybe even a smile. It felt… empty.

‘He has ran away.’ Was all I could think off, tears in my eyes, shock displayed clearly on my face. It felt like I’d been hit in the gut and the air had been knocked out of my lungs. I pushed the door open again and started up the stairs, to reach the room again. I burst in, panting and still surprised.

“It’s not there!” I shouted at them, as if it meant that we were all going to die.

Heimerdinger scoffed, bobbing his head up and down.

“Rumble ran away…” I muttered, going back to my seat and slumping in it.

“While you were away, Ziggs” Poppy talked, looking directly at me, showing me how annoyed she was with my sudden leaving “We discussed the consequences of his actions.”

“What’s gonna happen to him!?”

“Well, if he doesn’t come back soon, he will be banned from at least five matches, and… if he takes even longer to appear… he will be kicked out of the League.”

“No! Rumble can’t be banned!”

“I’m afraid those are the League’s rules. He shouldn’t have just ran away like that. It was unprofessional.”

“I’m going after him. I’m the only one that can talk some sense into him.” I abruptly got onto my feet

“No! Ziggs!” Tristana shouted at me, getting up too. “You’ll get banned too.”

“I don’t care.” I went towards the door, but she followed me and grabbed my shoulder. I shrugged her off and turned to look at her.

“Plus, how’re you going to find him? Ziggs, don’t be silly. I know you’re not stupid. Don’t do this. He’ll come back when he feels like it. It’s Rumble we’re talking about.”

“I’ll find him. I know where to look.” I lied. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m leaving.”

I’d been in my room for twenty minutes, packing. I’d narrowed it down to two shirts, some trousers and a few jerseys, just in case it got colder. I walked over to the kitchen, to stuff my backpack with food, which seemed the most important thing at that moment. I didn’t know if Rumble would have thought about taking any grub with him, and knowing the way he’d been acting the past few weeks, I couldn’t really rely on him to feed himself properly. I sighed, searching for stuff that wouldn’t go bad if left out of a fridge.

A light knock was heard throughout my house, and before I could answer, the door opened, and then Tristana started calling me. I kept silent and stopped what I was doing, hoping that she would go away thinking that I wasn’t home.

“I know you’re there, Ziggs.” I heard her say behind me. I sighed, turning to look at her, my shoulders drooping.

“Whatcha want?”

“Don’t do it. Just, think about it.” She calmly said, choosing a table to sit on. “Remember when we were kids and Rumble just disappeared one day? Well, it’s just like that. He’ll be back.”

“Yeah, I remember. Remember that I went after him? Remember that I brought him back?”

She kept silent, thinking of something new to say to make me reconsider what I was about to do. I knew it was stupid, she didn’t have to convince me.

“What’s up with Rumble, anyway?” She asked after a while of watching me look in all the cupboards, picking out cans of food and the like.

“What do ya mean?” I answered absentmindedly, scratching my chin.

“Why’d he leave?”

“He’s got an unreturned crush on someone.” I mumbled, not realising the information that I’d given away before it was too late. I cursed myself as I saw the change of expression in her face. I tried to cover up my mistake clumsily. “Oh, you don’t know her. She lives back in Bandle, that’s why I’m going there to see if he went to see her or something.” I was fumbling with my words by the end of my rant, but she’d paid it no heed.

“It’s me, isn’t it?” She whispered, her head lowering, her smile gone. She couldn’t look me in the eyes, something I was secretly glad about.

“What?” I murmured, trying to avoid answering.

“Rumble likes me, doesn’t he?” she asked again, this time a bit louder.

“Uh… no…”

“Oh, come on, Ziggs. I’m not stupid. His mech is named Tristy. He asked me out on a date. When he’s around me he’s all fidgety.”

“Yes, Rumble’s into ya.” I grumbled, admitting defeat.

There was a silence, only disturbed by the sounds of me stuffing food into my backpack, and occasionally getting something out.

“I don’t return the feelings.” She whispered.

“I know.” I answered, not really wanting to keep this conversation going. But, I couldn’t stop myself, I had to ask. “You and Teemo…?”

“No.” She sighed, rolling her eyes. “We’re just friends. I don’t know why people keep assuming, y’know? It’s just annoying.”

“Mmmhmmm” I put one last can in and then zipped it up. I swung the rucksack around my shoulder when I got to my feet and looked at her, silent apologies in my eyes.

“You know I don’t approve of this, right?” She murmured, hopping back down from the table and coming closer to me. She squeezed my hand tightly. “Just bring him back, safe. You know what he’s capable of doing… Be careful, ok?”

She hugged me tightly before walking out with me. I closed the door, and, for the first time in a long time, locked it. I gave her the key, telling her that I trusted her completely.

“You can have my food if you want. Don’t really want it to get rotten…” I trailed off, feeling a little empty and sad with what she had previously told me. She nodded, and we stood there for a while, unsure of how to say our final goodbyes.

“Take care.”

“You too.” I said, turning around and walking away.

“You’re making a mistake” Heimerdinger told me, walking past me. “You are not going to find him. You’re only getting yourself in trouble.”

“He’d do the same for me.” I didn’t look at him, only made my face sterner as he stopped in his tracks and started hopping behind me.

“Oh, really?” He asked. I swear I heard a snicker, which made me raise an eyebrow, incredulous. “Rumble would go looking for you?”

“Aha.”

“To be clear here, we are talking about the same Rumble, right? The one that burns your fur while laughing maniacally on the battlefield when you’re on opposing teams? The one that didn’t even bother to tell you what was wrong? The one that left you in the first place?”

“You’ve made your point clear. Just because you don’t like him doesn’t mean anything. You don’t know him.”

“Oh, but I do. I know Rumble’s fuelled by mainly rage. He is arrogant and self-centred. He wouldn’t care if you went missing.”

“Of course he would!! He isn’t heartless! And for your information, he is none of those things!” I bit my lip in order to not shout out a bunch of insults at the yordle. He was kinda my boss back at the University.

“Just think about it. You’re risking far more than what you have to gain.”

I scoffed at him, stopping abruptly. “Rumble’s safety is worth less than the League?”

“Rumble’s fine, Ziggs.”

“No, he isn’t. I have a feeling here…” I pressed my thumb against my chest, frowning when I said it. “That he’s not alright. And, I will do this. I’m bringing him back, just you wait and see.”

He chuckled, bobbing his head and turning around, going back to what he was doing before. I didn’t even bother saying goodbye to him, I was in a sour mood.

I was planning on really going back to Bandle. Maybe he’d be in the old junkyard, foraging for parts, trying to build a new machine or something. But I couldn’t leave yet. My mind was racing, something bothering me, forcing my tiny feet accidentally to his place. I entered and was shocked by how empty it felt. I took a few steps forward, awkwardly looking around, my eyes taking in every tiny detail which could possibly lead me to where my friend was.

I noticed he had gears and even a spanner just lying around the floor of his living room. His messy apartment forced out a little smile from me as I remembered he’d always been like this. Back in Bandle, when we were children and he’d sleep in on a Sunday when I wanted to play I’d sneak into his room, to wake him up by throwing the stuff that was on his floor at him. He’d always answer with a scowl or a grunt, and on a good day he’d toss his things back at me. It always ended with us playing together, be it at his place, mine or the junkyard. And when we were teens I’d found a few dirty mags that he’d sloppily tried to hide under a pile of clothing and I’d snicker for minutes on end until I’d winded him up enough and he’d get all defensive about it, saying he’d never seen them before in his life.

The memories of our childhood almost brought tears to my eyes as I tried to fight the ominous idea that there was a chance I wouldn’t get to see him again.

I quickly searched his room, finding nothing of interest there, which made my heart sink a little. I shut the door to his apartment behind me and started walking again.

I went over to his lab next. By then it wasn’t just sadness that I was feeling. I couldn’t help myself and I ran my paws around the papers on his desk, shuffling them around in my despair. I knocked a stack of blueprints to the floor before my eyes scanned the room. There was a picture of us hanging on one of the walls and a mountain of books on shelves, but nothing that could help me figure out where he was.

It wasn’t as if he’d leave a map with a marking saying “I’m going there” for everyone to see if he had made a run for it and wanted no one to know where he was.

I didn’t even know why I’d gone there. Of course there wouldn’t be any clues or leads for me. I sighed in defeat, about to grab my rucksack and leave when I turned to look at the empty place where Tristy should’ve been, my paws going to my head and tugging on my fur tightly. I was in so much pain.

Until it clicked. Tristy. Tristy! I screamed her name out as an idea struck. There was no way Rumble had managed to leave with his mech without no one seeing him. His beloved Tristy might be trustworthy in the battlefield, but she was big, loud and most importantly, slow. And that’s how I reached the conclusion that someone must have seen him leave.

I swear I’ve never bolted down that aisle faster.

“Poppy! Poppy! Poppy! Poppy! Poppy! Poppy!” I screamed as I ran, walking past other champions who looked at me in concern. I finally reached her, when she was about to go to the bathroom.

“Ziggs?” She asked, an eyebrow raised.

“Poppy!” My mind still couldn’t form a different word.

“Ziggs I swear to God if this is about Rumble…” She started but I stopped her by yelling.

“Tristy isn’t there!”

For half a minute she looked at me as if I were deranged. Or stupid. It’s as if she couldn’t believe the ridiculous thing I’d said. She took a deep breath to calm down and stared into my eyes.

“Yes, Ziggs, Tristy is gone.” She managed to tell me in her calmest voice, trying to reassure me. Maybe she thought I had gone into shock before and only now my brain had managed to register that piece of information.

“No, you don’t get it! Tristy is gone!”

She couldn’t take it any longer. “No, Ziggs, the one that doesn’t get it is you.”

“There is no way Rumble walked out of the Institute with Tristy without anyone noticing it.”

Her brow furrowed and her expression become dark. She grasped my shoulder tightly as she took in what I was saying. Good thing she was pretty sharp sometimes.

“You’re right! Plus, there are security cameras around!” She gasped, a hand covering her open mouth. “Why didn’t I think of it sooner?”

She leaded the way towards the Head of the Tribunal’s office and barged in, demanding to watch the security cameras footage. She had to do some explaining before we were given permission and they took us to the screening room.

“The sooner you watch him leave with your very own eyes, the better.” I heard Poppy mutter, tapping her foot impatiently against the floor. “Then maybe you’ll leave me alone.”

We were in that room for nearly two hours. We watched all the footage from all the cameras starting two days ago up until the moment we rushed over to the office. Poppy stood beside me, open mouthed and wide-eyed while I did a victory dance. I was stupidly celebrating the fact that I’d been right before the reality sunk in. No Rumble. It didn’t matter how you looked at it, the menace was nowhere to be seen on the tapes.

“Wh-Uh… What? He can’t have possibly vanished!?” The yordle beside me screamed, placing her hands on my shoulders and shacking me. “Where is he, Ziggs?”

Even the Head of the Tribunal was in shock. “We’ll… we’ll use the magic detectors. See if there’s any trace of magic that can explain this. If he’s been teleported somewhere, we’ll know.”

It didn’t take long for a bunch of humans with weird equipment to appear. I watched anxiously as they played with their machines around his lab, even outside it. Poppy was still with me, a hand squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. Now that she was a bit more relaxed, she apologized for her behaviour.

“Next time I’ll listen to your gut.” She whispered, and I nodded, but my usual energy was gone.

“Hey, Poppy?” I asked after a while.

She looked at me, a small smile spreading on her lips. “Yes?”

“We didn’t watch the footage from the labs.” I whispered.

“Oh. There are no security cameras down here.”

The men had finished speaking with the Head of the Tribunal, who turned around and looked at us. “There are no traces of magic here. Not recent, at least.”

“What… what does that mean?” Poppy asked, worried.

“It means Rumble’s still here. He hasn’t left the Institute.” I spoke slowly, my eyes widening at the realization.

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blackaquokat · 7 years ago

Note

Iv datective friends to romance

iv) Somewhere along the way of getting into bar fights together, staying up allnight with movie marathons, other friendship things, I’ve fallen in love withyou but oh my god this could ruin EVERYTHING

For @dontworryaboutanything

So, inwriting this prompt, I’ve realized this is exactly the missing piece I need forpart of my DAtective series, ‘Law and Disorder’ and here we are! If you wish toknow the origin of this pairing, I shall direct your attention to how theymet inthis series. This work also foreshadows the next installment.

Oo00oO

Abe has no idea when it began.

Not the friendship, obviously. He will forever remember thatfirst meeting at the DA’s office, the way his lawyer friend took to the case likea shark to its prey. Then later, when the two of them were supposed to rejoice a job well-done, their close-minded asshole ofa coworker decided to ruin the celebration.

Although it wasn’t sobad. Their outing did end with a rather lovely sunset.

Since then, Abe has outright searched for reasons to spendtime with them in between cases. Advice on how to talk to a victim, checking inon them at home when appropriate, and sometimes just popping by without awarning because old habits die hard and he’s not so great at personalboundaries.

They haven’t kicked him out yet though, so Abe considers thata good sign. They’ve even taken initiative and dragged him to a few films,invited him out for drinks, and taken him to the pier again to watch thesunset.

He doesn’t even understand why he’s so intent to be around them. They’re easily annoyed,reticent, and not friendly at all,not in the typical sense anyway.

But then, maybe that’s it.

They aren’t typical. And neither is he.

True, the two of them are very different kinds of different, but hey, Abe likes to think that’sexactly why he’s drawn to them. The thrill of finding a kindred spirit willdwindle eventually, but he’ll drag it out as long as he can and then they’llboth move on to being mere acquaintances.

Which is what brings him to his current situation.

They’ve just completed their second successful case together,and rather than go to the pub, he drags them to the fair taking place in thecity.

“What part of ‘I really do not like crowds’ do you notunderstand, Lincoln?” they growl as he drags them by the hand down the street.

“What part of ‘Just trust me’ do you not understand?”

“Last time you said that, it was about the fact that you licked a corpse’s fingers beforeforensics could look it over.”

“Don’t start spouting logic, we’re supposed to be having fun.”

“You told me this in the courtroom.”

“Details, details, you’re still coming with me.”

Abe ignores the groan, because they’re only a few blocks awaynow.

“Abe, I appreciate that you’re trying to get me out of myoffice more, but I’m exhausted. Ijust want to go home and take a nap—”

They cut off when Abe pulls them to the entrance to the fair,staring wide-eyed at the bright lights everywhere, the countless tents andrides. The air smells of cigar smoke and fried food. Aggressively cheerfulmusic is played via strategically placed radios.

More importantly, however, there are a rather minisculenumber of people taking part in the festivities.

“Where…where is everyone?” they ask, looking at him withhesitant excitement.

“It’s the last day of the fair,” Abe answers. “It alsohappens to be Sunday, so everyone is at church right now. No lines, not toomany screaming kids, no risk of someone bumping into you and sending your foodeverywhere.”

“Abe that happened once!”they defend. “It’s not my fault you can’t watch where you’re going.”

“I could say the same about you.”

They laugh, making an enchanting sound that sends a jolt ofelectricity through his chest. “Anyway, um, the peanut vendor is over there, Ibelieve…” he mutters.

The pair spends a good two hours at the fair, sharing a bagof peanuts, making fun of the people looking at them with judging eyes, andtrying out a handful of the games offered. Oddly enough, Abe’s companion dominates the sharpshooter tent.

“You never told me you know how to use a gun,” Abe mentions.

They shrug. “It never came up. Is it really so surprising?”

“Not really, no.” Whey they glance at him, he explains, “Youdid tell me both of your parents were in the military. But, honestly, mostpeople just dissolve on the spot when you turn your Angry Eyes on, so youknowing how to shoot a gun doesn’t seem like much of a stretch.”

The corner of their lips quirk upward, and Abe suddenlynotices that they have dimples. Why is he just noticing that now? Why does that little detail make his chest thump faster?

Matter of fact, this entire evening has been an exercise in notstaring at them for too long, because damn it, this is a side of them he hasn’tseen yet. This utter delight, a smile bright as the moon, eyes lit up likefireworks, Abe wouldn’t be surprised if they started glowing of all things.

“I can’t believe you remembered that about my parents…” Theylook around some more before seeing, to his dismay, the Ferris wheel. “I haven’tridden a Ferris wheel in years.” Theystart heading in that direction and Abe moves with them.

They’re about to get on when they notice he hasn’t tried tojoin. “You’re not coming?”

“Uh…well…nah, I don’t…” Abe clears his throat. “Not too big afan of Ferris wheels. You go on ahead.” He shoves the last of the peanuts inhis mouth before he says anything incriminating.

They gaze at him a moment longer and he just prays they don’t read too much into hiswords. “Alright.” As they enter the ride, they turn back to him with a smirk. “Foryour information, if I could make people dissolve with my ‘Angry Eyes,’ therewould be four people left at the DA’s office, including myself.”

Abe chuckles so hard he nearly chokes on the peanuts.

After that ride, he walks them home in silence, which isuncharacteristic for him, but not so much for them. Normally their strollstogether involve him ranting about a case or his fellow officers while they nodin sympathy and occasionally throw in a complaint about their own coworkers.

This time the silence feels…different. If he didn’t know anybetter, he’d think they might have something they wish to talk about.

“Thanks,” they eventually say. “Thanks for, um, bringing mealong.”

“Not at all,” he answers. “These sorts of events aren’treally fun to take part in solo anyway—”

“I’m not done,” they interrupt. They take in a deep breathand roll their shoulders. “I’ve had exactly onefriend in my entire life. Due to our current career paths, we haven’t been ableto see each other as much, so I’ve been a little…lonelier than normal. I guess what I’m saying is…it’s nice to haveanother friend and not feel like I’m, um…too strange to be around.”

Abe’s mouth opens and shuts. What the hell is he supposed tosay to that? How does one respond to the realization that you’re one of two ofthe only acquaintances a kick-ass, emotionally distant ADA has?

Whether he would have found a response or not, Abe will neverknow, because they hurry to fill the awkward quiet with, “Also, the DA calledme into his office earlier today and said he planned on retiring early nextyear.”

It takes Abe longer than it should to switch gears. “Oh, um…that’sinteresting. Why would he tell you?”

They bite their lip, almost like they’re trying not to smile.The two of them stop walking. “God, I shouldn’t be telling you this…he basicallytold me that if I was interesting in being the DA, he would back me in aheartbeat.”

Abe swings around to face them, eyes bulging from his head. “I-you’reshitting me??!!”

“I had to pinch myself to keep from leaping with joy.”

He can’t help it. He grabs them into a hug and actually spins them around a few times beforesetting them back down, both of them laughing in joy as they start moving oncemore. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? We could have been doing something farmore high class, like eating at a fancy restaurant or crashing a prom—”

“No, I hate big fusses, you know that,” they dismiss. “I just…Ireally wanted to tell someone. I mean, obviously this isn’t a guarantee. He’sgoing to announce his upcoming retirement soon, so I really need to buckle downand get started on a campaign. I’ve built a reputation in the community andmade a few public statements about community outreach, but I don’t exactly havefunds—”

“Hey, all of that will work out,” Abe interrupts. He’s still grinninglike an idiot until a thought occurs to him and it disappears. “I guess thismeans you’ll be pretty busy for a while, huh?” He tries to sound nonchalant,but he doesn’t think it works. Much as he’s been expecting this relationship todie down, he doesn’t want it to do so this soon.

They give him a strange look as they stop walking again. Aberealizes they’ve reached their home.

“I won’t be too busy to spend time with my favoritedetective,” they assert in a determined tone. “Not when he still owes me aFerris wheel ride.”

A nervous chuckle rumbles in his chest. “Uh…yeah, yeah,definitely…”

It’s time for them to part ways, but Abe is suddenly overwhelmedwith the thought that he should do somethingbefore the night officially ends. But what?A handshake? A hug? The thought of kissing them flashes through his headjust long enough to make his face turn beet red. He desperately hopes it’s darkenough under his cap that they don’t notice.

“Well…I had a lot of fun tonight, Abe,” they eventually say. “Thanksagain. I’ll see you again soon, alright?”

It takes three gulps to actually force a sentence out of hisdry throat. “Absolutely. Have a good night.”

When they finally entire their house, Abe stares at the doorfor the longest time, feeling like a total buffoon, before cursing to himself andhurrying down the street.

He never looks back, so he doesn’t see the attorney part theshades a hint to watch him leave, a smile tugging at their cheeks.

Oo00oO

The months pass and, unfortunately, Abe and the attorney’s timespent together shrinks a rather significant amount, what with Abe’s suddencaseload and them taking on more and more court cases to further solidify theirreputation.

They make time to leave him notes though, at his doorstep,especially if weeks go by without them seeing each other. He starts doing so inreturn, though not as often, he’s ashamed to say. He’s still awfully shook upby that night, the way they looked under the porchlights and how the thought ofkissing them actually crossed hismind.

Now that it’s happened once, it’s been happening more andmore often lately.

Abe will look over a case and notice a quirky detail, whichhe then wants to share with his friend, butthen those thoughts dissolve into definitelynot friendly thoughts and he’ll endup spilling his coffee on his lap. These sorts of incidents have happened, invarious ways, more than he’d care to admit.

Damn them. This is their fault. He’s never been this distracted byanyone except three of his pastpartners, and look at how those turnedout.

He just…he can’t.

Not again.

And so time goes on in this cycle of missed calls and lettersonly sometimes answered. Before either knows it, the DA retires, gives a glowing endorsement to Abe’s favoriteattorney, and it’s only a month later that they’re elected into office by an overwhelmingmajority.

Abe wishes he could say that he was at the celebration whenthe news hit, but he was seeing someone about a new case.

His old friend Mark had finallycontacted him again, after almost two years of complete silence. Their meetingended up lasting several hours, both catching up on the latest personal events(he suspects Mark hasn’t been particularly forthcoming about why he’s been sounreachable) and discussing what Mark wanted Abe to do for him. It turns out tobe a simple recon case: check out the guests and employees for an upcomingparty Mark is throwing. Nothing too out of the ordinary, aside from the Mayor,of all people, being included in that list.

But when he returns to his car and switches on the radio, hehears the results of the election.

At first, Abe lets out a whooping cheer in the confines ofhis car. He is so proud. They’veworked so hard for this, fighting for justice in the courtroom and againstprejudice in their own office…

Simultaneously, however,he felt this awful guilt gather inthe pit of his stomach at the realization that his friend had won a positionthey’ve been struggling to reach for so long and Abe wasn’t there to celebrate with them.

So now, with these thoughts eroding his mind, he leans hishead back against the seat of his car and makes a new resolution.

Abe will finish this case for Mark, check out these peoplelike he wants.

Then…then he’ll make it up to the new DA, somehow.

For the moment, he needs space to clear his head. Otherwise, he’llruin the best thing in his life.

Oo00oO

@skidspace , @peaceiplier , @beereblogsstuff , @sassy-in-glasses , @chelseareferenced , @musical-jim , @sketchy-scribs-n-doods , @cosmic–frappucino , @wkm-detective-abe-squad

Sendme a prompt for Detective Abe/DA, Damien/DA, Actor!Mark/DA!

#datective #wkm #y/n district attorney #abe the detective #kat writes #law and disorder #prompts for kat

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moustache-otaku · 7 years ago

Text

Noragami Secret Santa

Surprise @asliceofcolor! Your secret santa was none other than moi. I’m so sorry I took ages, but I got your present in by the 27th! Well, I mean, there are still time zones to consider so uh...

Um, enjoy your present! It’s not exactly the Yatori you requested I’m sorry I got carried away please forgive me And I hope everyone has a great holiday!

The train slowed at the station, and soon came to a stop completely. Its passengers began to file out in as soon the doors opened. A cool winter wind ushered them down the stairs and into the warmth of the station below, each person clutching their luggage tightly and searching for signs guiding them in the right direction.

One particular girl was being swept along with the crowd helplessly. She had her scarf wrapped around her snugly, a splash of pink in a dull sea, and the air about her was clearly one of a person wondering why they ever thought this would have been a good idea. However, the exasperated expression on her face may not have been from the impatient people, as much as from her companions.

‘I can’t believe we’re in Kyoto!’ Yato cheered, dancing about on the tips of his toes. ‘We can go visit Kyoto Tower, Kiyomizu-dera, and even get some decorating ideas for my shrine!’

‘Shut up.’ Yukine sighed and slapped him with a rolled up guide map. ‘How do you plan on decorating your shrine anyway? Just leave Hiyori’s handiwork be.’ He unfurled the brochure, skimming over its contents. ‘I really want to visit the bamboo grove. We can pay our respects to all the other gods around here as well.’

‘How about you spare some worship for me instead?’ Yato pouted. ‘I’m your master, you know. Have some respect!’

‘You’ve been telling me that ever since we met. What makes you think I’m going to change now?’

‘I’m hurt! You should be offering me all your money and asking for my blessing. Come to mention it, I think I hear something jangling around in your pockets. Could it be that you’ve been secretly preparing an early Christmas present for me? You’re such a good regalia! Now, give it here and I can-’

‘Like hell this is for you!’ Yukine retorted, raising his map threateningly. ‘I need to eat as well!’

‘Come at me.’ Yato growled, and tried his best to assume a threatening stance. However, this was rather difficult in such a crowded area. With his arms in absurd positions above his head and one leg raised, he nearly toppled to the ground.

‘Can you guys please just, like, chill?’ Hiyori groaned, wheeling around furiously.

She regretted her decision almost immediately. Yato seemed to be concealing himself on purpose, as the people around her shot strange looks the girl who seemed to be talking to thin air.

Hiyori felt herself go red slightly when the women behind Yato raised an eyebrow and trotted away in an indignant huff. Yukine spotted her discomfort and looked apologetically in her direction, while Yato actually did topple. He was trampled by a hoard of tourists speaking rapid Korean, and Hiyori pushed to the side as they hurried past.

‘He will be missed,’ Yukine said, forcing his way back to her. ‘By no one. Well, not including Kofuku. She’s too nice to hate anyone. Come on, Hiyori, let’s go.’

‘My friends!’ Yato moaned from the floor.

‘Not us.’ Hiyori said and grabbed Yukine’s hand, the two of them hurrying away.

Finally making it out of the train station with nothing but Hiyori’s hair looking rather ruffled, they were met by the sight of a elegant tower dressed in red and white. It wasn’t nearly as tall as the skyscrapers in Tokyo, but impressive nonetheless when compared to the surrounding buildings. A large shopping mall sat at its feet, tourists hurrying in empty handed and out again with bags in hands and their wallets significantly lighter.

Oh, Yato was there too by the way.

Breathing heavily and pointing accusatively at the two who had abandoned him, he looked surprisingly okay for someone who had just been run over.

‘How did he even get over there in the first place.’ Yukine muttered.

‘Never mind that.’ Hiyori replied. ‘Look closely, now, at this perfect example of what not to do when crossing the road. Note the importance of traffic safety, Yukine.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

Yato opened his mouth and took a deep breath, preparing to start ranting at the top of his lungs, but was interrupted by the sound of rumbling wheels. He looked to his right far too late and was met by a bus, crashing straight into him and driving onward without its driver batting an eye. Yukine winced, but Hiyori nodded approvingly.

‘Now he knows.’ Hiyori smiled with an evil glint in her eyes.

‘Traffic safety is no laughing matter.’ Yukine murmured, following after Hiyori and looking down at Yato’s unmoving body as the light turned green and they passed by. ‘Geez, is he dead?’

‘Probably not. Let’s go, he’ll catch up.’

**********

‘Okay, now listen.’ Hiyori began sternly, looking at Yato in particular. ‘I don’t want you guys doing anything too weird, alright? I know that you can handle yourself, Yukine, but Yato… You really need some work.’

They were sitting in a new room, having checked into their hotel just a few moments earlier. Three beds lined one wall, while a window sat perpendicular to them, letting in moonlight through the gap between curtains.

Yato and Yukine sat side by side at the feet of the middle bed as Hiyori stood in front of them, her gaze sliding between the two. Yato frowned as if he didn’t know what she was talking about, but Yukine nodded in agreement.

‘Listen, won’t you just cooperate for a little while?’ Hiyori asked. ‘It was you who wanted to come to Kyoto so desperately, not me. My parents thought I was crazy when I said I was going to go. Right now they think I’m on a trip with Ami and Yama, not a god and his regalia.’

‘Thanks for bringing us.’ Yato mumbled.

‘Hiyori’s right. Why did you want to come so badly anyway?’ Yukine cut in, looking at Yato suspiciously. ‘You were really serious about it and everything.’

‘I thought Kyoto looked… Nice?’

‘You’re not convincing anyone, you know.’

‘Okay, okay, fine. It’s my lucky spot, alright?’ Yato admitted, avoiding their eyes. ‘I got my fortune told, and the old lady told me if I went to Inari shrine, I was going to get rich! A win in the lottery, boom in business, success in school-’

‘You don’t even go to school!’ Yukine interrupted furiously. ‘What the hell, man!’

‘I don’t even want to know how much that fortune cost.’ Hiyori said, beginning to feel faint. ‘Are you serious, Yato?’

‘Wellll…’

‘I’m going to murder you!’ Yukine shouted, jumping to his feet. ‘We wasted Hiyori’s money for this? Come here, you crappy god! You deserve what’s coming!’

‘Oh no, Yukine, that's alright. Money isn’t really my main concern right now.’ Hiyori laughed weakly. ‘Since we’re here, I suppose we might as well go.’

‘Yeah! Hear that, Yukine? There’s no problem here!’ Yato said quickly. ‘And just put that chair back down, okay?’

‘Are you sure, Hiyori?’ Yukine asked, still eyeing Yato irritably. ‘I mean, it really wouldn’t be any trouble.’

‘No, no, that’s okay.’ Hiyori hurried. ‘Let’s just get some sleep, shall we? We’ll have to get up early if we want to avoid the crowd of tourists.’

‘You’re a real god, you know that, Hiyori?’ Yukine said. ‘Yato doesn’t deserve someone like you.’

‘Hey!’ Yato interjected. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

‘I’m going to bed.’ Hiyori said loudly over the renewed argument. ‘Don’t blame me if you can’t wake up tomorrow morning.’

‘Of course I’ll be able to! I’m a god, after all. I can do anything.’ Yato huffed proudly.

As it turned out, gods could not do everything. Not even close. And as Hiyori woke the next morning feeling disgruntled but refreshed, Yato was still snoring away next to her. Yukine, too, had managed to pull himself out of the warm sheets, but Yato really was hopeless. It was only after taking a pillow to the bed that he sat bolt upright, drooling slightly and mumbling something about sukiyaki.

Hiyori and Yukine were already dressed and ready, but of course, it wasn’t as if Yato had another change of clothes anyway, so they hit the road rather quickly.

The cold clung to them as they marched along the empty streets, save for the occasional passing car or pedestrian. Hiyori could feel the sun on the verge of rising, but so far, stars still covered the sky. She was glad they had chosen a place to stay which was near their destination, and it seemed Yukine was as well.

‘We’re here.’ he groaned in relief, slumping down onto a bench outside the entrance. ‘Finally.’

‘We’ll take a small break, then keep going.’ Hiyori smiled as she tossed Yukine a drink from the nearby vending machine. ‘If we hurry and climb, we might get a nice view of the sunrise when we get to the top.’

Yukine downed the water and sighed. He stretched, glancing at the deserted shrine grounds behind him. The food stalls were all closed, and so were the souvenir stands, giving an eerie feel to the place. Getting up slowly, Yukine stuffed the empty bottle into his bag and glanced at Yato.

‘You ready?’ he asked, and it was only then Hiyori noticed how unusually quiet he was being.

Yato gazed at the shrine with hands in his pockets, an unreadable expression on his face. His eyes jumped from the torii gate before him to the prayer hall further on, and then to the mountain hidden away behind the complex of shrine buildings.

‘We shouldn’t have come here.’

‘What?’ Yukine stared at him.

‘Come on.’ he said, turning and reaching for Hiyori’s hand to pull her away. ‘Let’s go somewhere else, okay?’

‘Yato-’ she began, unsure of what she was hearing.

‘Please, just trust me on this one.’ he insisted.

‘What’s gotten into you?’ Yukine said, flaring up. ‘First you drag us here on a whim, and then say we should just go without even giving a reason?’

‘I was arrested by heaven just a few days ago, remember?’ Yato shot back. ‘I doubt Inari is going to want us in her shrine. I wasn’t thinking much of it before, but now that we’re here, I can sense how hostile the spirits are. It would be better if we just left them be.’

‘Maybe you can’t go, but Hiyori and I sure can.’ Yukine answered angrily. ‘Just stay here and wait.’

‘Hold on. Yukine!’ Hiyori shouted, but he was already marching under the gate.

She held her breath and waited for something to happen, but nothing did. Whirling around triumphantly, Yukine glared at Yato, who looked back blankly.

‘See? I’m perfectly fine.’ he sniffed. ‘And Hiyori will be too.’

But before they had any time to respond, a furious gust of wind blew by, sending the trees into a frenzy and the shrine’s bells clanging loudly. It didn’t take a genius to work out that that was not a good sign.

‘Yukine, come back now!’ Yato shouted over the squall.

Hiyori raised an arm to shielded her eyes from the dust being blown in their direction, but the tempest stopped as suddenly as it had started. She looked up quickly, hoping for the best, even though she knew it would be a miracle if Yukine came out of this unscathed. As it turned out, things were much, much worse than she could have ever imagined.

The gate had disappeared, along with the entire shrine. In its place was a vast forest, spreading endlessly before her. Leading into that forest was an old path, overrun with moss and a maze of cracks over its otherwise plain surface. Hiyori couldn’t see where it headed, but that wasn’t her primary concern. Her primary concern was the fact that the ground had disappeared from under her feet.

She felt a strange, momentary weightlessness, then began to fall barely a second later. Reaching for something, anything that would save her, she managed to grab onto a hand just as the path flew upwards out of her sight.

‘Hiyori!’ Yato shouted.

Hiyori opened her mouth to speak, but all intelligent conversation went out the window as soon as she glanced down.

‘OHMYGOD YATO SAVE ME!

‘Okay, okay!’ he relented. ‘Give me a second.’

He took a deep breath and gripped onto the edge of the ground with his other hand, steadying himself. Then, with a great jolt, he heaved Hiyori up over the edge. She collapsed onto the grass a few feet away and scrambled to her feet, heart pounding against her rib cage.

‘W-What happened? Where are we?’ Hiyori stammered. ‘Where’s Yukine?’

‘I have no idea what happened, or where Yukine is.’ Yato admitted, throwing a sidelong glance at the emptiness behind him. ‘But as for your second question, I think you have a pretty good chance of guessing. There’s really only one place like this you’ll ever visit.’

‘Takamagahara.’ Hiyori realised as she took in the pink sky and floating islands in the distance. ‘But how-’

‘Look, sister. The foolish spirits seem to have been here before.’

The voice was high and cruel, and there was a cold amusement to its tone. A sly laugh accompanied this statement, echoing around them as if they were in a great hall instead of the space which surrounded them.

‘Well of course. That’s the Yato-god, is it not? He must still remember his near encounter with the executioner’s blade.’

‘Who said that?’ Yato asked, looking at the space above the forest. ‘Show yourself.’

‘Oooh, scary.’ came the first voice. ‘The little cat thinks himself a tiger.’

There was a bright flash of light, and two women appeared where Yato was staring. Dressed in traditional outfits of red and white, they were obviously Inari’s shrine maidens. The two dropped gracefully to the ground with barely a rustle of the grass. They observed Yato and Hiyori through foxes’ eyes, the only show of emotion on the curved mouths still visible beneath the half-masks adorning their faces.

‘Well? Should we tell them?’ The younger giggled to her partner. ‘About what we did to the little boy.’

‘Yukine!’ Hiyori took a step forward. ‘Where’s Yukine?’

‘Hush, child. The adults are speaking.’ The other maiden chided.

‘Tell us where he is.’ Yato repeated, glaring at the woman.

‘Oh, we’ll give him back to you.’ she laughed. ‘But first, you have to play a game with us.’

‘Isn’t that a bit cliche? Us having to go through trials and crap to get what we want?’ Yato asked. ‘If you want a fight, let’s go. Right here and now.’

‘‘Cliche’?’ she tilted her head. ‘What do you mean by that?’

‘Ah, fine.’ Yato muttered. ‘Go on.’

‘It’s quite simple, really.’ Her partner smirked. ‘There are five torii gates scattered throughout this forest. Your job is to find them all.’

‘That’s it? No strings attached?’ Hiyori asked, but neither of the maidens looked at her.

‘Answer Hiyori’s question.’ Yato demanded.

‘Yes, that is all.’ The elder relented, her lip curling slightly in distaste. ‘Bring them to the top of the mountain once you’re done, and we’ll see about the boy. You have an hour, starting now. Best of luck, Yato-god.’

‘Wait! What happens if we lose?’ Hiyori called, but another blinding flash, and they were gone. ‘Great, thanks.’

‘We should hurry.’ Yato walked past. ‘The clock’s ticking.’

‘Why can’t we just go on vacation in peace?’ Hiyori groaned, and hurried after Yato’s retreating back.

The forest grew thicker the further in they went. Very soon, only thin needles of sunlight illuminated their path. Yato scanned the left while Hiyori took charge of the right, searching for any sign of a gate or clues that might lead them to it. She figured that it couldn’t have been as easy as the maidens made it out to be, and was on guard in case anything should attack.

Their first challenge appeared in the form of split paths. A common trope that, Hiyori had to admit, she was waiting for.

‘Right.’ Yato voted.

‘Right.’ Hiyori agreed, and they carried on.

Well, that was extremely anticlimatic. Hiyori almost found herself disappointed by the lack of resistance they were facing. But as they say, be careful what you wish for, because the narrator can be a massive jerk sometimes. (Spoiler alert: I am a massive jerk.)

An eldritch fog began to roll in. Slowly at first, and Hiyori barely noticed until she was squinting to see where she previously had no problem looking. It was quite clear this wasn’t natural. She reached for Yato, but he was no longer by her side.

Hiyori felt idiotic. How could she have let him wander off like that? Now she was stuck in the midst of a creepy cloud without anyone to talk to. Just great. And then, the whispering started.

A tiny voice murmured something from far off, and Hiyori felt her breathing speed up. Calm down, she told herself. You’re just imagining it.

‘Yato?’ she called.

No response. Something rustled in the shrubbery behind her, and she flinched.

‘Yato,’ she said again. ‘If this is you, it’s not funny.’

Once again, no one answered. Barely a second later, the voice reappeared, and it was a lot closer this time. Hiyori’s walk turned into a brisk jog. By the time the words, still unidentifiable, were being whispered from beside her, she was sprinting.

‘Yato!’ she shouted, desperation now clear in her voice. ‘Yato, help!’

Another whisper started up. It didn’t get louder as the other one had, but seemed to be screamed directly into Hiyori’s ear. She gave a shout of surprise and turned quickly, but the voice stayed. It was how you would imagine a snake to sound if it spoke human words, even though this one didn’t either. It was strange, the way it stayed at a mere whisper but the volume seemed to increase with each passing second.

Hiyori backed away with her hands over her ears, trying to block out the noise. She half expected people to emerge from the blank grey that now obscured everything, hands outstretched and eyes dull, grabbing at her clothes, pulling her hair, trying to drag her into the mist.

She felt something against her heel and stumbled, crashing into a tree. Hiyori felt the people close in on her, their voices growing crazed and agitated, desperate for attention. Then a hand escaped the fog and reached out, reached out so suddenly that it forced a scream from Hiyori’s lips.

‘Hiyori!’

The hand closed around hers and dragged her to her feet, pulling her into a tight embrace that smelt… Nice.

‘Y-Yato?’

He let out a deep breath and hugged her tightly. The voices faded. The fog clearing out and leaving without any sign that it had been there in the first place.

‘Yato!’ Hiyori blushed, stepping away and looking around frantically. ‘Where did you come from?’

‘I think the real question is where you wandered off to.’ he complained. ‘Leaving me alone like that. God, I was so worried.’

‘Oh, so I was the one who wandered off?’ Hiyori found her fear quickly turning into anger. ‘Where the hell did you go?’

‘To the gate, obviously.’ Yato grinned. It was obvious he had been building up to this, because the surprised look on Hiyori’s face seemed to be just what he was waiting for.

‘You found one?’ she asked. ‘Where is it?’

‘Right here!’ Yato announced, pulling a miniature torii gate from his pocket.

There was a brief moment of silence.

‘What did you do to it?’

‘Nothing!’

‘It’s the size of your hand, Yato. I don’t think that’s ‘nothing’.’

‘It was like this when I found it.’ Yato protested. ‘Just sitting there at the foot of a huge willow tree.’

‘So they’re all tiny?’ Hiyori slumped in exasperation. ‘That’s why it was so hard for us to find.’

‘Well, now that we know, the rest should be no problem.’ Yato continued enthusiastically. ‘We’ll just have to look a little more carefully.’

‘What was that fog anyway?’ Hiyori asked once they had started walking again. ‘Some kind of spell?’

‘Must be. I have no idea what it could have been.’ Yato confessed. ‘Regalia have all kinds of magic they keep to themselves, especially Inari’s. They’re foxes, so what can you expect. Mischievous like always.’

‘You speak like you’ve met them before.’

‘Well, there was this time a while ago when I used to hang around Inari’s shrine a lot, and those stupid foxes kept mocking me. They even stole my fluffy fluff scarf and hid it! Seriously, they’re nothing but trouble.’

Hiyori laughed, imagining just what sort of pranks the regalia would have gotten up to, but was interrupted by the sound of rushing water. Looking ahead, she noticed the forest seemed to end in just a few meters.

‘A river?’

‘Let’s check it out.’

The grass slowly gave way to rough pebbles and grains of sand, pink sky coming into sight once again as they stepped out into the open. The path continued to the other side, where the forest resumed, but the problem was it went under fierce river to do so.

It was going to be nearly impossible to cross. The current was strong and would wash away anything that didn’t have a firm hold on the ground, including Yato and Hiyori. But, there was good news as well.

A solidary rock stood in the middle of the river, stubbornly refusing to move. Standing on the rock was none other than-

‘The gate!’ Hiyori exclaimed. ‘But why is it there?’

‘They’re foxes. They get real creative sometimes.’

‘Well, how do we get it?’

‘Stay here.’ Yato ordered, rolling up his sleeves. ‘I’ll grab it.’

‘You can’t! You’ll get washed away by the river.’

‘Don’t worry, I got this.’

Ignoring Hiyori’s protests, Yato walked straight into the river, making for the gate. It was okay at the start, with the water only pushing at his ankles gently. When it reached his waist, however, the trouble really started.

If he slipped, he would be done for. And unluckily for him, the river floor was covered with large rocks, each of which had smooth surfaces. Yato began to regret his decision, but the shrine gate was getting closer. Just a few more steps was all he needed.

Hiyori watched from the shore with bated breath. She crossed her fingers and edged closer to the river, ready to jump in at any moment should Yato need help. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the gate was close enough.

Reaching out gingerly and being careful to keep his balance, Yato managed to snag it with the tips of his fingers. He shoved it into his pocket quickly and turned around.

However, as I said, I am a jerk. And also the narrator. All in all, not really such good news for our heroic duo. Yato’s not going to be making it back that smoothly.

‘Look out!’ Hiyori shouted.

Yato whipped his head around to see a massive tree branch being washed downstream, straight towards him. He cursed his bad luck and tried to speed up his pace, but this was a mistake.

He lost his footing and, with a splash, went under. Without a second to lose, Hiyori turned and ran along the shore, trying to keep up. The branch went whizzing past, and missed Yato by inches. Occasional splashes in the water told her where he was, and she could tell they were getting further and further apart.

Quickly running out of breath, Hiyori saw the river narrow further down, and the branch seemed to be lodged firmly in this strip. Yato crashed straight into it. With a strangled yelp, he resurfaced and clung onto the wood, gasping for air.

Hiyori rushed to his side and reached down to pull him up, breathing heavily. Yato grabbed her hand weakly, but the force of the current was far too strong, and the branch gave in. Yato was washed away once again, but he refused to let go of Hiyori’s hand, and so she was as well.

The water was freezing cold, and she was completely soaked within a few seconds. Hiyori struggled for air, untangling herself from Yato and splashing about for a handhold. Every time she found something to hold onto, it turned out to be either Yato’s face or his leg, and they continued downstream in this fashion until finally, the foxes seemed to have gotten bored of their futile efforts.

The river gradually branched off into smaller streams, getting increasingly more shallow and the rapids weaker. Soon, Yato and Hiyori rolled to a stop entirely. They lay in the small river for a solid minute, gasping and coughing.

‘Never. Again.’ Hiyori spat, sitting up slowly.

‘You say that like I chose to drown.’ Yato protested weakly.

Hiyori eased herself to her feet and waded out of the water. They were in a part of the forest that was completely unfamiliar to them, but the path was still here. It was almost as if they had been washed in a circle.

‘Stupid foxes.’ Yato muttered, expressing Hiyori’s feelings perfectly.

‘Hey, what’s that over there?’ Hiyori asked, suddenly spotting something further down the bank.

'I don't know, and I don't care.' Yato struggled to her side. 'Let's just get out of here and keep searching for the gates.'

'Yato, look again.' Hiyori insisted. 'I think that might be a gate.'

Yato froze and looked in the direction she was pointing. A red shape lay innocently on the sand, nothing special about it. They walked over cautiously, expecting traps or an ambush, but nothing happened. They looked down at the gate curiously, then exchanged confused looks.

'Maybe it's ours and it got carried away?' Hiyori asked. 'Check your pockets. See if we dropped one.'

'No, they're all here.' Yato answered after a brief rummage through his tracksuit.

Hiyori bent down and picked up the gate. Nothing happened.

'This is a trap somehow, but I can't quite put my finger on it.'

'Let's get out of here before the trap activates.' Hiyori suggested.

Yato nodded in agreement and they trotted quickly across the river. Still nothing. Hiyori supposed that, after undergoing such a terrible ordeal, the spirits were taking pity on them. Either way, she decided to just accept this stroke of good fortune without questioning it any further.

Just as they were about to step foot inside the forest once again, a strange silence befell their surroundings. The stream's flow grew hushed, and the trees stopped rustling. Then, a single drop of water, and a tinkling laugh.

Yato and Hiyori whirled around to look at the river, but there was no one there. No one the laugh could have come from, or any sign of peopl apart from themselves walking these lands. Even so, they both knew Nora had just paid them a visit.

'Come on, quickly.' Yato said, clasping Hiyori's hand and pulling her into the shelter of the trees.

'But Yato, that was-'

'I know.' Yato looked grim. 'We'll have to watch ourselves from now on.'

Having collected three of the five gates they were meant to, Hiyori would have been in high spirits, were it not for the knowledge that they now had a murderous little girl to watch out for.

The path was definitely sloping upwards now, and she suspected they were climbing to the top of the mountain. Her legs were getting incredibly sore. After everything Hiyori had been through, who could blame her. She had such a wonderful time contemplating what horrid things they would have to do to get the last two gates that she didn't notice Yato stopping, and ended up crashing right into him.

'What is it?' she asked, rubbing her sore forehead. 'Do you see something?'

'There.' he answered.

Hiyori glanced over his shoulder and saw that they had reached a flat plane. The incline stopped suddenly, and so did the path they were walking on. She could see it continue from across the empty space, where the climb also resumed.

Yato stepped up onto the field with Hiyori following closely behind him. Another gate was visible at the foot of the path, and it was clear something was going to happen here. The air was thick with tension, and Hiyori didn't think it was just hers or Yato's. She doubted this would be another smooth victory like the last one, and if it was, she would seriously begin to dread what awaited them at gate number five.

As Hiyori scanned the barren land once again, she couldn't help but think how much it looked like an arena, and it was no mystery who the fighters were going to be.

Smells nice.

Hiyori inhaled sharply and looked around.

Smells nice.

'Yato...'

'Yeah.' Yato glanced at the sky above them. 'It's coming.'

Smells... nice.

A low growl made the ground tremble, and Hiyori clung to Yato's arm tightly. Something was approaching from the mountaintop. A sudden shadow obscured the light, making Hiyori look up quickly. A huge fox dropped to the ground before them, the trademark eyes of a phantom scattered across its body.

Hiyori felt herself step back as the creature tilted its head in their direction and a mask became visible, hanging on its forehead. It wasn't just Nora, the conjurer was here too.

'This is just getting better and better.' Yato muttered.

'What do we do?' Hiyori asked frantically as the fox bore down on them.

'We fight.'

'We don't stand a chance!'

'I said we fight, not we win.'

'Oh my god. Can you even try to be little more reassuring??'

The phantom pounced, and Yato dragged Hiyori away from its claws. Hiyori didn't look back at the feet which would have squashed her in one go, but she was quite certain they were there. The fox leaped after them, and Yato pulled Hiyori to the right, avoiding another fatal swipe. They weren't going to be able to outrun it forever, and the phantom knew it. It stalked towards them slowly, watching its prey back away.

'When I give the word,' Yato murmured. 'Run.'

'I'm not leaving you behind!' Hiyori shot back.

'Who the hell said you're leaving me? Don't you dare leave me, I'm so screwed if you do.'

Hiyori saw Yato stop, and she did as well. The phantom was practically on top of them now. It glared down at them with red eyes, and Hiyori prayed Yato knew what he was doing.

'Ready?' Yato asked her.

Hiyori nodded weakly, and he let go of her hand.

'So, um, hey.' Yato greeted the phantom. 'How was your day?'

Hiyori wanted to murder him. This was his plan? To talk with the phantom until it died of boredom?

'You don't seem to be in a very good mood right now, so I won't bother you too much.' Yato smiled nervously, and Hiyori breathed out slowly. 'But I have to ask. Is that Inari over there?'

It was the most overused tactic in the history of overused tactics, but if the shrine maidens hadn't known the meaning of 'cliche', then the phantom wouldn't either. It turned and looked over its shoulder, unaware of what Yato had planned. He looked at Hiyori pointedly, and she could see him mouthing one word.

‘Now.’

Yato scooped up the shrine gate by his feet and rushed up the stairs. Hiyori stumbled, having not realised how close they had gotten to the other side of the field. After a brief moment of confusion, she found her pace again and raced after Yato, the phantom slowly realising he had fallen for a trick.

A furious howl assured Hiyori that it would be coming after them soon. She managed to catch up with Yato, and the adrenaline in their veins sent them hurtling towards the top at full speed. The thundering of paws told them the phantom was in hot pursuit. However, the large amount of crashes and rustling trees meant that its trip wasn't nearly as smooth as theirs.

Hiyori could see sunlight peeking down from above, the trees thinning and signalling how close they were to the top. They finally managed to break away from the forest, standing at the top of the mountain with fresh air filling their empty lungs, only to find that there was nothing there.

A small shrine stood on the otherwise empty landscape, the entirety of the forest visible beneath them. Hiyori felt an overwhelming sense of vertigo and took a step back, but this vertigo was quickly washed over by another pang of fear as the phantom growled again.

'What now?' she asked Yato breathlessly.

'Cut me some slack, okay?' he panted. 'I haven't thought that far yet.'

'Are you serious?!'

'Okay, okay!’ Yato shouted. 'I know what I need to do.'

'And?'

'And I don't want to do it.'

'Oh for god’s sake. Yato, we are about to be eaten. Just hurry up and do it!'

'Come on, please?' Yato pouted.

'I can't believe you.' Hiyori breathed. 'Fine. Tell me what it is, and I'll do it.'

Yato looked at the shrine with a mixture of uncertainty and distaste.

'We have to ask for help.' Hiyori realised. 'But isn't Inari the one trying to, well, kill us?'

'She can't be.' Yato shook his head. 'I thought so too, what with all the foxes and everything, but those shrine maidens must be acting by themselves. Hell, they might not even be Inari's regalia. It's easy for anyone to wear some masks and claim themselves to be a ‘servant of the gods’ or whatever. The only hitch is that it would seriously blight their actual master. But then, if that master didn't care...'

'Then they could do whatever they want.' Hiyori finished. 'But why wouldn't they be Inari's regalia?'

'Come on, Hiyori. Can't you just trust me blindly and not doubt my decisions?'

'Not after that little incident with Heaven.'

'Okay, fine.' Yato sighed, very aware of how close the phantom was getting and speeding up his talk. 'Even if Inari wanted to kill me, there's no way she would enlist the help of a masked one. Inviting a phantom up to her realm is already unthinkable. If anything, she would just have gotten rid of me outside the Fushimi Shrine.'

'So we ask for her help and pray she responds?'

'Yeah, pretty much.'

'Well, it's not like we have any other choice.' Hiyori knelt down in front of the shrine, pulling a coin from her pocket as an offering. 'Here goes.'

'There will be no need for that.'

The phantom burst from the woods and leaped towards them, fangs bared and ready to finally finish them off. However, neither Hiyori or Yato were paying him any mind, their attention focused solely on the shrine.

'What an ugly phantom.' The voice said. 'Disappear, monster.'

There was a faint poof, and the fox disappeared in a puff of smoke. Hiyori felt like she was meant to laugh at this comical sight, but she was much too taken aback by the talking shrine.

'Lady Inari?' she asked cautiously. 'Is that you?'

'Of course it is. Who else would I be?' Inari answered rather haughtily.

'Oh, well, um...' Hiyori struggled for the right words. You had to be careful when speaking to gods, or else risked being struck down by a bolt of divine lightning. 'Thank you very much for saving us.'

'I wasn't saving you, I was getting rid of that disgusting creature.' Inari huffed. 'I can't believe a monster like that managed to sneak into Takamagahara without my noticing.'

'Say, Lady Inari,' Yato cut in. 'Those women who set up this trial weren't actually your regalia, were they?'

Inari fell silent, and Hiyori took that as her not wanting to answer.

'Well, at any rate,' she hurried. 'Do you happen to know where Yukine is? Those people sort of kidnapped him and, uh, we can't seem to find him.'

'That little boy?' Inari thought for a second. 'Yes, I see him. He's right where you left him, standing at the entrance of the shrine.'

Yato and Hiyori exchanged exasperated looks.

'Seriously?' Yato groaned. 'God, I was so worried.'

'He's looking pretty lost himself.' Inari seemed to be smirking as she spoke. 'You should go back quickly. I'd wager he thinks you ran off without him.'

'Oh no.' Hiyori sighed. 'Poor Yukine.'

'You were set up to fail.' Inari laughed. 'There were never five gates in the first place. Only four were set out.'

'They're seriously pissing me off now.' Yato fumed, and Hiyori didn't need to ask who he was talking about to know. 'But wait, if you knew this business was going on from the start, why didn't you stop them?'

'Well, it was rather amusing to watch, you know.' Inari replied. 'Especially when you got washed down that river. That was-'

'Yeah, don't remind me.' Yato interrupted. 'I'm still sore from that.'

'Watch yourself, Yato-god.' Inari warned. 'Not all gods are as lenient as I am. You being in my realm uninvited is already a perfectly good reason for me to kill you. But as you can see, you are still very much alive.'

'And we're extremely grateful for that.' Hiyori interjected quickly before Yato had a chance to reply. 'We'll be off now, Lady Inari. Thank you for everything.'

She bowed deeply, but Yato just gave a small nod. He seemed to recall the last time he bowed to a god, and how well that occasion had gone. Inari must have remembered as well, because there was a hint of amusement in her voice when next she spoke.

'Try not to get yourselves into anymore trouble,' she said. 'Especially when you're near one of my shrines. But please, do come back to Kyoto one day. You'll be sure to enjoy your stay.'

'We will.' Hiyori answered with another bow, and the shrine didn't reply. Inari was gone.

'I don't think I'm going to survive another visit to this place.' Yato grumbled. 'Let's go, Hiyori.'

'Yeah.' she agreed, feeling the exhaustion start to set in. 'Yukine's waiting.'

Yukine had been waiting for nearly fifty minutes now. Yukine was not happy.

'Where the hell did you guys go?!' he shouted after the initial shock of them suddenly reappearing beside him. 'I was worried sick!'

'I don't really want to talk about it.' Yato yawned. 'And maybe we should just come back tomorrow, or not at all. I'm far too tired.'

'What? But we're right here!' Yukine protested.

'I hate to say it, but Yato's right.' Hiyori admitted. 'Let’s just go home and get some sleep.'

'What happened?' Yukine asked, starting to feel concerned. ‘Why are you two being so secretive?’

Hiyori glanced at Yato, who shrugged.

'Alright,' he said. 'We'll tell you on the way back. Come on, let’s get moving.'

#im so sorry this took ages #i hope you like ittt #noragami secret santa #noragamisecretsanta2017 #noragami #yato #hiyori iki #hiyori #yukine #yatori #sort of #ehhh #writing #yes thats enough tags now

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romioneflufffest · 7 years ago

Text

Late Night Snack

Title: Late Night Snack

Author: @aloemilk

Prompt: The Burrow, middle of the night

Description: Nothing short of a raging war will interrupt them again.

Rating: K+

Ron woke without opening his eyes. Filtered by his closed eyelids, it seemed to him that there was no light in his room; he guessed it was all pitch black. Through the soft mist clouding his waking mind, he realized then he had probably slept a whole day and at least half the night.

He tried to go back to sleep, but soon gave up. He opened his eyes to look around his room, a world of black and grey around him and around Harry, who was sleeping in his cot.

Harry, who had ended the war. Harry, who had insisted he would sleep in the same lumpy mattress he had gotten used to over the years, when the house had filled up with all of Ron’s family after the Battle. Harry, who was now snoring away, clearly still needing to rest after all they had done and survived over the past few weeks. Over the past years, really.

But Ron didn’t want to think of that. He didn’t want to think of hardship and loss and grief. The war was over and it was time to think of hope and happiness and a bright future. That was what they had fought for, wasn’t it? He would be honouring everyone… and Fred… if he did just that. So he got up quietly, trying not to wake Harry, promising he would focus on healing and growth and the full potential ahead. That’s what you lived for, brother. I will do it for you.

He went to the bathroom, where he checked his watch to learn it was 3:32 in the morning. But he was thirsty, and he was ravenous, so he ignored the notion that going for breakfast this early would be a bad idea. He would willingly ruin his chances of settling into a normal schedule if it meant his stomach would stop rumbling, so he went straight to the kitchen. Apparently, Ron wasn’t the only one who had decided to ignore sensibility, for Hermione was sitting there, her back to him, holding a steaming cup of tea in her hands.

He stopped at the doorway, hesitant to disrupt her, but she must have sensed him for she turned around on her chair to look at him.

“Hey,” she said.

“Morning,” he said back, and walked to the food cupboard. “Are you eating anything? I’m starving.”

“I had a couple of biscuits. There are more on the jar.”

“Biscuits? Nah, I need something more filling right now. Do you want a sandwich? I can make you one if you like.”

It took her a moment to reply, which he knew meant she was hesitant to eat at this absurd hour. She must have been as hungry as he was, for she finally relented. “Thanks, I’d love that.”

Ron worked quietly, unsure of what to say. As soon as he had seen her sitting there, he had been invaded by a million and one thoughts and visions and wants, but none seemed to distill into an idea or plan. Only one thing was clear: he wanted to somehow steer the conversation to the kiss they had shared about twenty-four hours ago, and ask whether they could do it again.

He really, really wanted to kiss her again.

The day before, once the family had done all that could be done at the school, they had used the fireplace in what had been Dumbledore’s office to come home. They had had a quick bite at the castle and had not bothered eating once at home, before they had all disappeared to their bedrooms. He had hoped at the time to have some alone time with Hermione, but Ginny had looped her arm around Hermione’s shoulders and had taken her straight to Ginny’s bedroom to sleep. The only thing they had shared before she disappeared into the room had been a lingering look.

Maybe, alone now in the kitchen, he could fix that. It was kind of his turn, after she had jumped at him and kissed him in the Room of Requirement.

Jumped at me. Kissed me. Blimey.

He cleared his throat.

“How did you sleep?”

“Wonderful,” she replied. “I don’t think I’ve slept that deeply in months.”

“Yeah, me too.” He grabbed the plates and set one in front of Hermione and the other at the place next to her. Pretending like it was the most natural thing in the world, he went around the large table and sat by her side.

Silence. It was so quiet, that Ron swore he could hear her jaw working through the food.

“Tea?” she asked with no warning, using her wand to summon a cup; she filled it with the aromatic liquid, added three sugar cubes to it and a dash of milk– just the way he liked it.

“It’s funny that you know how I like my tea, isn’t it? And I know how you like yours: only one sugar and twice the milk I like.”

She continued chewing her food, and didn’t reply until she had swallowed and drunk from her cup.

“It’s to be expected, isn’t it?” She stared down to the table as she spoke. “I’m pretty sure we know as much about the other as any coup– any two people can. We’ve spent so much time together. We practically lived together over the past year. We are bound to notice these things about other people after spending all that time in each other’s presence.”

He had been looking at her, curious at what her answer might be. But now a hopeful smile pulled up at the corners of his mouth. He couldn’t have imagined that, right? She had insinuated they were a couple, right?

“You know,” he said, making up his mind and leaning to the side, so that his bicep bumped against her shoulder, “I don’t know how Harry likes his tea.”

She set her cup down and turned her head to look at him. “You don’t?”

“Uh-uh.”

He could still feel the smile on his face, and saw how the corners of her own mouth curling up, even as she nervously bit her bottom lip.

“Actually, I don’t, either.”

Ron took a sip of tea with as much aplomb as he could muster, trying to look casual and collected. He then turned on his chair to face her and, leaning in a third of the way, asked the rhetorical question dancing in his mind.

“And why do you think that is?”

Hermione turned, mirroring his position, and lifted her face to him in a sign of courage, even as she dropped her hands to her lap and wrung them together.

“I think that, perhaps, we have been paying special attention to each other,” she offered.

“I agree. I have loads of small tidbits of information about you. For example,” he continued, leaning in a bit further, “I know you have a small mole behind your ear.”

“And I know,” she added, not biting her lip anymore but still smiling, “that you mess with your hair when you’re tired.”

He lifted a hand to her face. “I know that when you get sleepy while reading, you do this–” he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear–“over and over in an effort to wake yourself up.” He left his hand there, his fingertips curling around the curve of her neck.

“I know that, even when you complain, you do listen to me. You mentioned Gamp’s Law and then… and then you mentioned the elves.”

His heart hammered at a hundred beats a minute, but the rush did not reach his vocal chords. It got stuck in his throat, so his voice came out as a whisper.

“I know that as soon as Harry forced us to stop kissing, I was determined to kiss you again.”

Ron tried to ignore the way his voice had trembled, even in its low volume, or how his stomach had rolled with butterflies.

“I know,” she began and hesitated. She seemed to come to terms with something, and got closer to him with unwavering eyes and a nervous smile. “I know I would like you to–”

She didn’t get to finish; Ron had interrupted her with the kiss that had waited on his lips for years. It was the kiss he had envisioned himself giving to her, on all those nights he found it hard to sleep thanks to his romantic frustration; a kiss that stopped her in the middle of a rant or well-deserved nagging, one that had been born from longing and passion and love.

She responded with as much enthusiasm as he had during the kiss in the middle of a war.

Their knees bumped together now, both fully facing each other. He lifted his other hand to cradle her head, savouring her lips and the softness of her skin. He felt her hands make contact with his chest and climb up to his shoulders, where they grabbed a handful of his ratty pyjama shirt. He was immediately ready to take it further, he–

“I knew I would find you here. I–”

Unwillingly detaching his lips from Hermione’s but keeping his hands around her face, Ron looked up behind her towards the door, where a sleepy Harry had frozen in place.

“Mate,” Ron warned, “please sod off.”

“But… food…” Harry tried, evidently stumped.

“We’re not in the middle of a battle anymore, Harry,” Hermione said. “I don’t want to stop what I’m doing right now, if you don’t mind.”

Harry looked like he wanted to argue, but he didn’t. Instead, his mouth curled into a mix of exasperation and acceptance. He lifted his wand and summoned the jar of biscuits, which he promptly tucked under his arm. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but finally only shook his head, leaving the kitchen in a huff.

As soon as Harry left the kitchen, Hermione turned back. Ron, not missing a bit, leaned in back to her, his lips a whisper away from hers.

“Where were we?”

His rhetorical question was left unanswered.

#Romione #Ron and Hermione #Romione Fluff Fest #romioneflufffest #Fic #submission

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