#i just finished chapter 11 so... 7 more chapters to go? with nothing much to do tomorrow..... | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

fiveisnumber1 · 9 months ago

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Timeless - Five Hargreeves X Reader

Main story parts:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37

A/N: Hi Everyone, sorry it took so long to put this chapter out. I swear I really tried to get it done sooner, but without going into too much detail, let's just say I got majorly hit by the Author's Curse. It wasn't easy but I finally am in a place where I was able to finish this chapter and I have already written some of the next one. Let's just hope I don't have a repeat of last time. Hope you enjoy and if you can please leave a comment that would be so cool! They make my day and really help to motivate me!

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Pt 38 - Don't (Let Me) Go

Light pushed through the silent darkness that surrounded you, the brightness slowly increasing as time went on. You could hear a ringing in your head, and as you opened your eyes to look for the origin of the sound, light flooded into your receptors causing you to wince at the intensity. You shut your eyes tightly once again and turned your head to the side trying to avoid the piercing light directly above you. Slowly, you could feel the rest of your senses begin to kick in. You were lying down somewhere and as your fingers slightly moved back and forth you could tell that you were on a carpeted floor. You felt like there was a layer of sweat covering your skin. Your mouth felt extremely dry like you hadn't had water in days and all you could hear was the buzzing of what you assumed to be the light source above you. Carefully, you opened your eyes, wincing at the light once more before allowing your cloudy vision to focus as best as it could. The world was bright and still a bit blurry, but you could make out the room enough to realize you were back in Kenny's basement.

You were confused. How the hell did you get back here? You shut your eyes again trying to force yourself to remember what happened last night but everything was a jumbled mess and it hurt to think.

You moved your head slightly in an effort to look around more but the slightest movement made you feel like you were moving through jello. Just slightly out of arms reach you could see Dean lying on the floor as well.

"Dean..." You groggily called

However, he did not move.

"Marks..." You called slightly louder

Still nothing.

You knew what you had to do. With all the energy you could muster you rolled yourself from your back onto your stomach. A wave of nausea washed over you, but you somehow managed to stop it. Now within reach of him, you slid your arm over and placed your hand on his forehead before smacking it repeatedly.

"Ah!" He shouted as he quickly sat up "Estoy despierto!"

You did not move your head to look at him and instead just opted to use your peripheral vision as best as you could. You could see as he lifted his hand to his forehead to hold it. You couldn't tell if it was from a headache like yours or because you had just repeatedly hit it. Dean looked around the room confused before turning his attention to you on the ground.

"Oh, you don't look good." He commented

"I'll be fine..." You replied still slightly disoriented "What did we do last night?"

"What didn't we do?" Dean stated back "I can't even remember everything."

"That's- not comforting..." You responded

Seeing that you were not getting the answers you wanted from Dean, you knew that you would have to start asking around to piece together the puzzle, but there was no way you were going to get an idea of what happened last night from your spot on the floor. However, the thought of getting up felt like a Herculean task given your condition. You had never gone as far as you did last night. Honestly, you should've listened to that alcohol and drug lecture you got back in freshman year, no matter how lame they were. They were correct when they rhymed Drinking lots is really bad, it makes your head and tummy sad. Your head and tummy were very upset right now. If only you had some water, then you could force it through your system with your powers and wipe a lot of your discomfort away. If only you didn't have to get up to accomplish that.

Wait.

You didn't.

Through your tired and headache-filled haze, an idea came to mind. All you had to do was roll on your back once more, open your mouth, and use your powers to collect the water molecules in the air close enough to create a physical stream of water.

You were a genius.

Gathering your physical energy once more you rolled yourself back onto your back. The basement lights above shined into your eyes once more, but you did your best not to focus on it and instead focus on the task at hand. Looking up you concentrated on the water molecules in the air and began to bring them together. Quickly, the molecules pooled together becoming an orb that floated in the air. The ceiling lights shone through the water and reflected the light into brilliant rays. If it weren't for your thirst you may have considered staring at the growing water ball longer. When the orb looked sizable enough, you opened your mouth, and let the water begin to fall.

Unfortunately, you realized too little too late that your genius idea was actually incredibly stupid as the orb of water fell from the air and down onto your face. Your open mouth caught a good portion of the water, but instead of swallowing it as you had planned, you began to choke as you somehow managed to drown yourself. The shock of it all sent a jolt through your system causing you to sit upright and let the water still stuck in your throat spill out onto the floor. With most of the water either on the floor or swallowed into your system you began to gasp loudly for air as you tried to settle yourself back down. At least you were sitting up now. As you began to catch your breath, you heard as a voice asked,

"Did you just waterboard yourself?"

Your head slowly turned your head left toward the voice and saw Bren sitting against the wall. His expression was still tired mixed with some shock. You furrowed your eyebrows in annoyance as you attempted to shout between gasps,

"N-no!"

Rather than replying, he just raised one eyebrow curiously most definitely implying he did not believe you.

"Shut up!" You shouted, finally regaining your ability to speak "I didn't mean to!"

"Shhh..." Viktoria shushed, waving her hand at you "You're too loud."

"Sorry..." You whispered

Finally taking a look around the room you could see the rest of your friends in some state of alertness although some look worse for wear than others. Dean and Bren seemed tired but not in pain, Lucas and Addison seemed like they had light sensitivity but nothing some ibuprofen couldn't help with, but Viktoria looked like she was gonna need a stronger concoction of remedies to get better. As people began to move around you considered actually getting up to get water, but before you could you were greeted with the cheerful yet loud voice of Kenny exclaiming,

"GOOD MORNING KRUSTY CREW!"

"SHHHH!" Viktoria emphasized louder

"Oh shush yourself, Vi. I've got home remedies and medicine to fix you all up." Kenny replied matter-of-factly

Ah yes, of course, the part-time EMT and full-time party king himself would know exactly how to help you all. You watched from where you sat on the floor as Kenny, who seemed completely unaffected from the night before, passed out items from a tray to each of your friends. Coffee for Dean and Bren. Extra-strength migraine medicine and Gatorade for Lucas and Addison, and the prior plus saltines for Viktoria. And then lastly there was you. You watched as Kenny walked over to you and reached down to hand you a giant glass of water. As he did so though he noticed the remnants of water that soaked your top half.

"What happened?" He questioned confused

"I'm far stupider when my head hurts." You replied annoyed "Please just give me the water so I can fix myself."

"Makes sense," Kenny commented as he handed you the water

Chugging the water he had handed you, you finally managed to set out what you wanted to do with your original plan. Getting the water into your system, you used your powers to move it about your body helping you to start feeling better. It was an incredibly weird feeling when you messed with only some of the molecules inside your body, but it was better than being nauseous and in pain. And truly, a recovery that took two minutes of being uncomfortable was far better than one that took two hours.

Soon enough, the searing pain in your head and the unease in your stomach both managed to subside allowing you to focus on more important matters. Like drying yourself off for one. Using your abilities to collect the water molecules in your shirt, you distributed them back into the world, ridding yourself of the evidence of your mistake. which finally led you back to your original plan, FINDING OUT WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT.

Finally feeling confident in your ability to stand, you got up from where you sat on the floor, moved to the center of the room, and looked around at your friends. There were markings on each of your friends' left wrists wrapped in clear bandaging that conjured hazy memories of a weird biker bar. Looking down at your left wrist, you saw it was also marked with a symbol of your own. The memories became clearer as you recalled your conversation with Pogo and how you drew the image for him to tattoo. Looking at the tattoo once more you noticed that it seemed to already have healed over. Of course, it had. Your scars never stayed. At least not the physical ones.

That wasn't important though. As you pulled your clear bandage off your wrist you went back to looking at your friends. Things at first seemed ordinary even with the blacked-out gaps in your memory. But then things became odd. Bren had what looked like a streak of black paint on the side of his neck and Addison was wearing a diamond ring on her ring finger.

"Bren, how did you get paint on your neck?" You asked

"Probably got it when we graffitied that stupid banner last night." He replied, looking up from his coffee

You looked at him blankly. You had no recollection of that whatsoever. What banner would the two of you hate enough to even do that, anyway?

"Right." You responded, attempting to hide your lack of remembrance

After responding, however, you quickly looked over toward Addison who was snuggled up next to Lucas on one of the basement's couches.

"And where did you get your ring again, Addi? It's just so lovely." You asked feigning ignorance

"Oh, Lucas found it in a ring box in the bathroom of the club we went to and proposed to me with it." She answered, happily showing it off

"Yeah, and I finally got to use my Certificate of Ordination to marry them when we went to City Hall." Kenny chimed in

"Of course. How could I forget." You replied, still trying to hide that, in fact, you did NOT remember

There were vague memories of someone referencing City Hall when you were at the bar Pogo worked at, but besides that, you had no clue what happened there. Looking over towards Dean you could see that he had a smirk on his face. Locking his eyes with yours, you could hear as he said in your head,

You don't remember shit, do you?

You scowled slightly as you replied in his head,

Shut it. Just tell me what else happened. I already feel stupid enough from the accidental waterboarding...

His smirk turned into a smile as he explained,

Beyond breaking into City Hall so Lucas and Addison could get married? You helped Lucas forge adoption papers so Luther and Sloane Hargreeves are now his legal parents.

You thought to yourself for a moment before stating,

That does like something I would do.

Externally Dean gave you a nod before adding in your head,

Although, you should ask Viktoria where the fanfiction she printed for you is. She ran out like three government printers to put it all into these huge ass binders.

Your eyes went wide for a moment as you questioned,

Binders?

Oh yeah, at least two to my knowledge.

You gave Dean one more look before carefully turning toward Viktoria who was slowly going between eating saltines and sipping on some orange Gatorade on the other couch in the basement. Taking a few steps closer to her you softly began to say,

"Hey Viktoria, about those binders you put together yesterday-"

"Spider-Man fics are in the red binder. They're mainly Amazing Spider-Man focused but some are just general Spider-Man. However, In A Matter of Time fics, are in the blue binder and are sorted by who they're about." Viktoria replied matter-of-factly in between sips of her drink

Well...you did say you wanted to read some of those stories. Viktoria knew the types of tropes you liked and she read everything from the best of works to the worst of it all so at least you knew you were going to get the good stuff.

"Cool. Where are they?" You asked, still hiding the fact that you forgot about this too

"In the black bag over there?" Viktoria stated, pointing in the general direction of the far wall

Walking over to the wall you saw not one, but two, black bags resting against the wall. They were both relatively similar in appearance so you weren't sure which one she was referencing.

"Which bag is it?" you inquired, gesturing to the two bags

"I don't know, the left one?" She shrugged

Taking her word you walked over to the bag on the floor to the left. Crouching down, you opened the zipper on the top of the bag but instead of finding the aforementioned binders you were instead met with the sight of a large sum of cash, all in perfectly banded stacks. You paused, confused at the unexpected sight before you.

"Did you find the papers?" Dean asked

"Not the type that I expected to be in here." You replied

"What do you mean?" Viktoria questioned

"These aren't binders. This is cash." You stated, turning around to show the group "And a lot of it."

"Oh, that's my bag!" Kenny exclaimed, "Viktoria's is the one on the right."

Everyone slowly turned to look at Kenny. Confusion and concern running across all of your faces but his.

"Kenny, why do you have stacks on stacks in that bag?" Bren interrogated

"Oh, because I took it when we were at City Hall," Kenny stated nonchalantly

the jaws of you and your friends dropped as you looked at him. He seemed to not have a care in the world about what he had done. This was bad. Not apocalypse bad, but still, pretty fucking bad.

"You stole thousands of dollars from the government?!" You exclaimed

"The world is in chaos why would the government care?" Kenny explained

"IT'S MONEY!" You shouted, "THEY CARE ABOUT THIS SHIT MORE THAN HUMAN LIFE!"

Kenny paused for a moment, somehow only now realizing the severity of what he had done.

"Ah fuck...you right." He stated

"Hey, hey, calm down," Bren interjected "I'm pretty sure I managed to turn off their security system though."

Turing your attention from Kenny, you looked at Bren and questioned,

"How sure?"

"Like 75 maybe 85 percent sure." He answered

"That's pretty good." Lucas tried to encourage

"That's not a hundred," Dean replied

"So what? We can't leave this basement until the world ends?" Viktoria questioned

A silence fell over the group. You looked at each other waiting for someone to say something but no words came. Was Viktoria right? Was this it? Were you all stuck here in Kenny's basement for the short, but foreseeable future?

No. You couldn't let that happen. If the world was ending you were doing whatever you could to fill the time. You weren't going to become like the rest of the world hiding themselves away from the inevitable. You wouldn't let the dread of the end creep into you all. If you were going out, it was going to be together, as a group, on your terms. You refused to let the world take this from you.

"No, we can. We just need to keep a very low profile." You spoke up

Your friends turned their attention to you. There was confusion amongst the group, but that notable spark of hope in their eyes. There were a plethora of things you could count on your friends for. Friendship, support, humor, connection, loyalty, etc. But the most important one was hope. It was their hope that kept you going when things were tough just like it was your hope that kept them going during their dark days. You were a family. You loved each other. And when it came to wanting the best for each other no expense was paid to giving out hope to one another.

The apocalypse wasn't your fault, but it was your doing that they were aware of it. If there was anything you could give them now it was hope. Looking back at them you stood up straighter, and with confidence in your voice you explained,

"Like Kenny said, the world is in chaos, people are disappearing, and they might not put as much effort into looking for us as they would under normal circumstances."

Slowly but surely, there were nods of agreement at the statement. They made sense and if you were so confident in that fact then they should be too.

"Still, we should find a new place to lay low these next few days." Dean added, "God forbid, it's that 15-25 percent that Bren isn't sure, they'll probably still come checking our homes just to say they tried."

"Okay, but what place is going to take in seven strange kids no questions asked?" Addison commented

There was quiet chatter amongst the group about where you all could go to lay low. However, the confident look on your face dropped contorting into a grimace as you already knew where would be best suited to hide out. You did not want to take your friends there, especially with who were already staying there, but deep down you knew it was best.

"What's that look for, sis?" Dean questioned

"I know a place..." You sighed

"And you're sure they won't ask questions?" Addison pressed

"Positive." You explained, "The same guy has been working the front desk since at least the sixties and didn't ask why I haven't aged a day after 56 years."

"Well, I don't know about you guys but that works for me," Kenny stated

Everyone else seemed to either nod their head or mumble some type of agreeing statement to the idea. In your mind, it wasn't ideal but you knew it was your best bet.

"Alright then, everyone grab your important shit, shove it in my car, and let's go." Dean said

With Dean's declaration, your scattered friends started to get up and gather their things. Some more slowly than others. You felt a twinge of sadness as you looked around Kenny's basement. This place was your main hangout spot and it was filled with memories. You had hoped you could come back to this place each day, but just like many other places in your life, you had to move on. What was safest was best. There wasn't all that much to grab since most peoples' items were back at their respective houses, but soon enough everyone had gathered their sentimental stuff and gathered by the basement stairs ready to go. As you all began to make your way up the stairs, and to the front door you could hear Kenny exclaim behind you all,

"Wait!"

Everyone stopped on their own specific stair, except for Lucas who had already made it to the main floor landing and looked back at Kenny.

"What's wrong?" Bren inquired

"My tumbly's grumbly." Kenny replied

"Oh! I can make us eggs before we go." Lucas suggested

"No!" The rest of the group interjected

Lucas looked down the stairs at you all, his head tilted to the side in confusion at all of your reactions.

"Uh- no thank you, Lucas." You said, in a more polite tone "We'll get breakfast on the way."

With a quick shrug of his shoulders, Lucas smiled at the rest of you as he replied,

"Okay!"

And as he walked off toward the front door the rest of you looked down at Kenny who still stood at the bottom of the stairs, all giving him an annoyed glare.

"I don't know why you all are mad at me. You said no too." Kenny complained

Letting out a little sigh, you, like everyone else, continued up the stairs and out to Dean's car. With everyone piled in Dean pulled away from Kenny's house and drove off. After a quick stop at a diner, where you ordered and ate breakfast food besides eggs, you got back in the car and directed Dean to drive to the Hotel Obsidian, telling him it was mostly a straight shot down the road with one left turn after 20 blocks.

With that explanation though, Dean's sense of caution seemed to dissipate as he whipped out of his parking spot at the diner and floored it down the road. Weaving between the abandoned cars and ignoring most traffic lights, it seemed as if Dean had forgotten the speed limit, that there would still be some other cars on the road, and thatyou were trying to lay low. You could hear the sound of the song Tokyo Drift playing in his head as you sped down the semi-apocalyptic streets. You took a look at your friends in the backseat, most of them seemed at least slightly entertained except for Viktoria who was starting to look green. You were almost at the hotel though, so you hoped she could at least hold out til you got there to possibly spill her guts. As you approached the left turn to arrive at the hotel, Dean quickly spun the wheel left causing the car to do a few donuts in the intersection. You let him enjoy his fun for a few rotations as Bren and Kenny encouraged him from the back seat, but with Viktoria's condition seemingly worsening you decided to hit his arm suggesting he get a move on.

Finally making the left turn, Dean slowed down slightly as he pulled up into the front drive of the hotel. You all stepped outside of the car, leaving most of your items with you before having Dean lock everything up. You did however wonder why Kenny felt the need to bring his medbag with him, it's not like anything major was going to happen at the hotel. Nevertheless, you made your way, with your friends, toward one of the front revolving doors as you all collectively tried to push your way through in the same turn.

"Will you- god- back up, Kenny," Bren complained

"Dean, your elbow's in my ribs," Lucas stated

"Okay, we didn't all-" Addison began to criticize

"Move forward!" Dean shouted as he pushed the group

After a moment, the seven of you finally made it through the door and to the other side of the entrance. Spreading out to give each other space, you mentioned

"You know there were two doors, right?"

"Thank you, girl who can go through walls. That's some great insight coming from the person who didn't have to use the door with us, but did anyway." Addison remarked

Your mouth fell into an awkward frown as your eyes moved to look toward the floor. Sometimes you got so wrapped up in what was going on that you forgot your powers were even an option. It was a rare occurrence, but it still happened from time to time. However, being reminded that you forgot about your innate abilities made you feel a bit stupid.

"Okay, you're right, but you don't have to be mean about it..." You responded slightly embarrassed

As you dealt with recovering from your faux pas, however, your friends looked about the place they were now going to be staying in the meantime. However, any excited curiosity slowly began to fade as they took everything in. The sub-par hotel was noticeably old. From the furniture, to the lighting fixtures, to the carpet itself nothing looked like it was from this century. It barely looked like it belonged to the last one. The other people who inhabited the hotel were also an odd mix. Your friends tried not to make eye contact with them even as some of them quietly stared at the group.

"This place looks lame as fuck." Dean commented

"It smells like my Grandma's house," Kenny added

"(Y/N), why are we here?" Lucas asked disappointed

"Lucas you know why we're here. I have connections here, along with the Academy crew staying here as well." You explained, "I brought you all here so you'd be safe."

Lucas nodded his head at your response but then you could see as his eyes widened. A revelation came to his mind as you mentioned that the Academy was also staying here.

"Oh my god." Lucas said in a low tone, "I might get to tell Luther he's my dad now."

"Gonna be honest, looking at this place I'd rather take my chances with the government finding us," Bren remarked

You could see as the rest of your friends looked around at each other. No one was replying to Bren's statement, you could tell that they were thinking about it. Except Lucas of course who was too preoccupied with the thought of actually getting a new father.

"Listen, I know it's not great. But it's safer." You added reassuringly, "And I promise we will have a good time. Charlie and I found many ways to make this place at least a little fun."

There was a slight hesitancy, but after a moment you could see your friends become less tense about the situation. Their shoulders relaxed and their postures became more casual. It wasn't ideal but you were going to make this work for you all. As you looked about your group of friends though, you noticed that there were only 5 out of the 6 standing around the lobby.

"Where's Viktoria?" You asked concerned

"Right there," Bren replied pointing behind you

Turning around you saw your petite friend leaning over a small trash can looking as if she was about to puke. Poor Viktoria, her stomach upset so easily. Granted, you couldn't blame her given the events of last night and Dean's driving right after eating. You watched as she looked over toward your group, her head close to resting on the rim of the can. Between the paleness of her skin and the tired look in her eyes, you could tell that she did not feel well.

"Why don't you drive a little more recklessly next time, huh Dean?" Viktoria ridiculed, sickness evident in her tone

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm the safest driver I know." Dean replied, "We're all here in one piece are we not?"

Viktoria shot Dean a dirty look, but quickly after a wave of nausea washed over her causing her to turn her face back toward the opening of the trash can. Fortunately, she faced the can just in time as seconds later a stream of bile came from her mouth. There was a mix of grossed-out grimaces and sympathetic looks on the faces of you and your friends while other guests of the hotel looked on in disgust. As Addison rushed over to Viktoria's side you turned to look at the rude patrons staring at your friend.

"Mind your business!" You shouted, your eyes angrily flaring up

The prying eyes of other guests quickly averted themselves as you returned to normal and turned back to your group. Now kneeling next to Viktoria, Addison gently ran a hand up and down her back trying to ease her discomfort. With a sympathetic smile, Addison cooed,

"C'mon Vi, let's see if they have some old pretzels or something behind the bar to help your stomach."

Kenny quickly perked up at the word bar as he excitedly looked around the lobby once more. He had missed it the first time, but off to the side, there was a fully stocked bar with no one attending it. A wide smile came to his face as he ran off toward it cheering,

"It's unmanned! That means it's free!"

As quick as Kenny started running though, Bren took off after him.

"KENNY! NO!" He shouted, pulling out one of his whips to try and grab onto him

As Bren chased Kenny toward the bar, you looked back at the scene in front of you. Addison was trying hard to get Viktoria to get up so they could walk over to the bar and hopefully help her feel better. However, her efforts were futile as Viktoria's body refused to let her leave from her kneeling position.

"I can't move..." Viktoria groaned as Addison tried to lift her once more

Letting out a defeated sigh, Addison called out,

"Lucas! Come help me carry Viktoria."

"Oh uh- yeah," Lucas answered coming out of his thoughts, "Sure thing, babe,"

Walking over to where Addison was Lucas lifted Viktoria off the ground with ease. He was a very strong boy and lifting someone small like Viktoria was a piece of cake for him.

"Don't worry Sonata, I got you." Lucas comforted as he picked Viktoria up

He waited for a moment for Addison as she picked up the trash can and continued to hold it close to Viktoria's head. Once she was ready the two of them slowly made their way over to the bar to not disturb Viktoria's stomach more. And then there were two. You looked over at the rest of your friends by the bar before turning to Dean and saying,

"Well if everyone else is over there we might as well too,"

"You can go. However, I have to piss." Dean replied

"I told you not to drink four glasses of orange juice." You reminded

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just point me to the nearest bathroom." Dean remarked

Rolling your eyes, you pointed toward the back of the lobby toward the elevators.

"Off to the side of the elevators, there is a hallway. Down at the end of the hall is a communal bathroom. There are stalls, showers, and baths so don't be surprised if you see anyone in just a towel." You explained before commenting, "Or less."

"Do you know that from experience or...?" Dean questioned

"Not my experience. Charlie's." You answered, "I always showered at the Academy."

"Alright. Well, I'll meet you back at the bar with everyone else." Dean replied

With that, Dean gave you a short nod as he walked off toward the bathrooms and you began to head toward the rest of your friends. As you made your way over to the bar, you noticed Viktoria's phone on the ground. It must've fallen out of her pocket as Lucas had carried her. Picking it up, you took it with you. She'd probably want it back when she was feeling better, but given you hadn't used a smartphone in four years you felt very compelled to use hers. As you approached, the bar you called out to Viktoria,

"Vi, I found your phone. Can I use it?"

Viktoria, however, didn't look or talk back. Instead, you could see her give a shaky thumbs up. And with that approval, you sat down on the bar top, surrounded by your chaotic friends, and unlocked her phone to scroll social media.

Unbeknownst to you though, just across the lobby, the rest of the Umbrella Academy were gathering together as well. One by one, the members of the Hargreeves family had found all of themselves standing near the elevators asking each other what had happened to them recently. But as a silence fell over the group, a vortex of blue opened beside them spitting out Lila and Five onto the carpet of the hotel. Luther, Viktor, Allison, and Diego all jumped back in shock as they watched as the two of them collided with a travel magazine stand, smashing it to pieces. Five and Lila groaned from where they lay on the ground, surrounded by magazines and broken wood.

Rolling onto his back, Five could feel his head spinning. Through his eyes, he could make out the figures of his siblings, but it seemed like each of them had two extra duplicates.

"Shit." He muttered to himself

Sitting up, Five pushed himself to stand, but as he got on his feet he could feel his legs wobble beneath him as the world spun a little more. His mind was racing and yet he couldn't think straight.

"Where have you been?" Viktor questioned

"Facing my mortality, Viktor. I don't recommend it." Five replied as he began to regain his balance

With the world around him a little more stable, Five fixed his jacket and brushed the dust of the wooden stand off his suit. Regaining his composure, he now tried to regain his train of thought. It seemed like every time he time traveled it always seemed to screw with his head a bit. He didn't know if it was the act of traveling through time or the fact that he only ever did it under duress that made his mind get disorganized. Either way, it didn't help especially with so much on the line. As he focused more on the important things at hand, his focus was interrupted by Allison aggressively remarking,

"You had the briefcase? We've been looking for this!"

"Well, look no further. That's the last one on Earth." Five replied

Five watched as she knelt next to the case and took it into her hands. Examining it closer, it was obvious the thing was broken. Between the dents, scratches, and billows of smoke coming off of it, there was no way it was going to work again.

"Or was the last one." Five added

Allison scoffed, tossing the briefcase down to the ground in frustration before getting up and walking away to sit on a nearby staircase. With Allison off to the side, Five went over to the briefcase to inspect it. He didn't think it was workable, but given everything it didn't hurt to check. With one glance though, it was evident that the case was broken beyond repair.

"Yeah, that's toast." Five said aloud

As Five stepped away from the briefcase and began to finally collect his thoughts, Lila rushed towards Diego and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him into an embrace.

"You're happy to see me. What's wrong?" Diego asked

"Turns out there's less time to hold grudges than I had planned. You're off the hook." Lila explained before asking, "Hey, where's Stan?"

Even with the idle chatter in the background between his family members, Five was able to gather his thoughts. The world was ending. He knew that. It was because of a Kugelblitz that it was ending. He learned that. Another version of himself created the commission and also died. He witnessed that. You, his girlfriend, were in danger of also dying. He discovered that. None of these thoughts were good, and they needed to be resolved fast. Calling the attention of those around, Five announced,

"Hey, Chatty Cathys, quit the chitchat, all right? I'm calling a family meeting here."

Hearing that, Lila attempted to walk away from the group but was stopped by Diego who held her wrist and said,

"Ah, ah, ah. That means you too."

With his mind fully in focus, and the things he needed to address listed out in his head, Five looked around at the group that stood before him, but as he glanced at each individual he noticed a very important one was missing.

"Where's (Y/N)?" Five asked the group

Besides Lila, who was with Five the whole time, the rest of the group looked around at each other for an answer. Their eyes met each other as shoulders were shrugged and uncertain mumbles filled the air. No one seemed to know where you were.

Concern bubbled up within Five. How could they not know where you were? You were with the group of them when he had left. How did they not see you? Terrible thoughts started to flood Five's mind as he thought of the possibilities of what could've happened to you. What if you were kidnapped by the Sparrows? What if a kugel wave blitzed you? Or worse, overwhelmed your powers and killed you? What if he was too late and you were already gone? In their conversation, his other self told him that he shouldn't have left here, that his time was running out. Was this what he meant?

"Where is my girlfriend?" Five harshly emphasized

Uncomfortable looks spread on the faces of the Hargreeves siblings as they stayed silent. Their silence though began to push Five into a spiral. His body tensed and frustration flooded his face as he looked at his siblings. There was one more thing about him that only Lila managed to notice. Panic. There was panic in his eyes even if his expression was angry.

His panic however was a cause of concern for Lila. Five had already stated that if he didn't have you, he would end the world himself. And if anyone besides Viktor has a reason to do it, it would be him. Lila didn't care about you appearing because she liked you, but more so because she had things she needed to do and Five ending the world would get in the way of that. And whether she liked it or not, if there was one person Diego cared about besides her, it was you. So he had to be the one to know where you were.

"Diego, where's (Y/N)?" Lila asked

"Uh, I mean she has to be here somewhere, right?" Diego responded

That was not the answer Lila wanted to hear. Hoping that with a little pressure Diego would remember, Lila pressed,

"Well, she's your sister so shouldn't you know where she is?"

"No, I've been busy with Stan," Diego replied

"Of course you fucking have." Five snapped from across the group

Five's comment didn't register with Diego though as out of the corner of his eye he saw Stan walk by with an armful of chemicals. Not really thinking about the issue at hand and instead wondering what Stan was up to, Diego announced,

"I'll be right back."

"Don't leave me with your- Dieg-" Lila called but it was useless as he had already walked away

Five's frustration began to boil over as Diego walked away to follow Stan. Diego, who still continuously criticized him for even breathing in your direction, apparently couldn't care less that you were missing. Only a few days ago, if you were missing he would've gone nuclear, but now it seemed that didn't matter. What a fucking hypocrite. With his emotions continuing to build up, Five faced the rest of the group, but with a crowd of blank stares looking back Five couldn't help but shout,

"SOMEONE BETTER TELL ME WHERE MY FUCKING GIRLFRIEND IS NOW."

"I know where she is." A voice called out

Hearing those words a sense of relief washed over the entire group. Thank god, someone knew where you were because none of them did. However, after that moment of relief, they realized the voice was not familiar to them. Everyone's head quickly turned toward the voice only to be met with a teenage boy who had a similar resemblance to Diego. To Luther and Allison, there was something familiar about him, but Viktor and Lila had no clue who this kid was.

"Who's the mini Diego?" Viktor asked

"Y'know Viktor, I take offense to that, but seeing as we've never met before I'll let it slide." He responded

Viktor looked toward his siblings only to be met with more shrugs from Allison and Luther. But the look on Five's face was a different story. Five knew who this person was, but it didn't make sense why he'd be here.

"Dean?" Five questioned confused

Dean smiled. Not only because Five recognized him but because he was back and that was going to be such a relief for you. After he apologized for leaving in the first place, of course. Walking over to Five, he placed a hand on his shoulder as he greeted,

"Hey, Five! Great to see you. Sorry to hear about the black hole consuming all of existence, I know you tried really hard to stop that."

"A black hole is destroying existence?!" Allison exclaimed angrily

"It's called a Kugelblitz." Five replied flatly as he attempted to process what was going on

Lila looked at the teenage boy standing in front of Five. Who was this kid? And why did he look like a younger version of her boyfriend? Obviously, he wasn't a younger version because Five addressed him as Dean, but that didn't make it any less confusing. And even more so, he knew about the Kugelblitz. Lila thought the only two people who knew were her and Five. Trying to learn more, Lila questioned,

"How do you know about that?"

Dean looked towards Lila. he hadn't noticed her before, but he recognized her. They had never met of course, but Dean knew her as one of the villains from the Dallas arc of Charlie's comics. The comics that he now knew were about your life and the people in it. Dean narrowed his eyes at Lila, as his face contorted with disgust. Like most other fans of Charlie's comics, Dean did not like Lila. In his mind, Lila deserved no respect. And now, after coming to realize her significance in the circumstances that led you back to him and the things she had done, he hated her even more. She was actively ruining your life by just existing in it. And you, his beloved twin sister, should not have to put up with her existence. Dean wasn't going to tolerate that. Glaring at Lila, in a vile-laced tone, Dean responded,

"I don't associate with homewreckers."

"Excuse me?" Lila replied taken aback

Who was this kid? Who did he think he was calling her a homewrecker? What home was there even to wreck? Diego didn't have a wife or a child. Why was this boy so hostile toward her when they had never met before?

"You're not excused." Dean deadpanned

Lila's jaw dropped as she wracked her brain trying to make sense of what was going on right now.

Like Lila, Five was also trying to comprehend his current situation. Whatever semblance of a plan to discuss the end of the world with his family Five had was now thrown out the window. He was bewildered. Dean was here. Why? Dean knew who he was. WHY? Dean knew about the Kugelblitz. WHY? None of this made sense. Most things didn't make sense at this point but this was something else, and Five needed it to start making sense or he was going to go insane. At least more insane than he already was given what he had come back from. Placing a hand on Dean's shoulder, Five brought Dean's attention back to him.

"Dean, look at me," Five interrogated "How do you know who I am?"

Dean's eyes pulled away from the woman at the top of his shit list to look at Five. Five's face was filled with confusion, which finally reminded Dean of the fact that he technically was not supposed to know who you or the Umbrella Academy were.

"Oh uh, (Y/N) stabbed me with a needle and my brain became a recovered Google Doc and now I recall everything from the first timeline." Dean explained, "Except my death, of course."

Five's head tilted slightly, as he was now more confused than before. How did a needle jog his memory? Why did he mention his death? And what the hell was a Google Doc? Before Five could ask any follow-up questions though, Dean had turned to look at Viktor and added,

"And don't worry Viktor, I don't blame you for killing me, my friends, and everyone else in the world, but that's probably because I can't remember how we died."

The words that had priorly come out of this kid's mouth were confusing to everyone, but that statement struck Viktor like a semi-truck. His confused expression morphed into one of terror as he processed the words he heard. Viktor had killed this kid? He killed this kid's friends? And the only reason he wasn't mad was because he couldn't remember how it happened? What a terrible statement to have come out of some random teenager's mouth and what a terrible reality he now had to live with.

"I- um- what does that even mean?" Viktor questioned concerned

"No time." Five interjected, "How do you know about the Kugelblitz, Dean?"

"Oh, (Y/N) figured it out like a day and a half ago. She scribbled a bunch of math on a wall for an hour like a deranged scientist and then told all of us." Dean answered nonchalantly

Besides Five, the rest of the group look around at each other all wondering the same thing.

"Who's us?" Luther questioned

"The rest of our family. Who I need to be getting back to by the way." Dean responded as he started walking off toward the bar, "They're all over there."

The rest of the group quickly followed behind him but as they approached the bar, they were met with a chaotic scene. A blond boy nervously paced back and forth holding papers in his hands. A sickly-looking girl was heaving over a bin as her friend held her hair and ran a hand up and down her back. And then there was the lanky boy on the ground attempting to claw his way toward a bottle of alcohol just out of reach, as another boy used two whips to hold him by the ankles and pull him back.

"LET ME HAVE IT!" The curly-haired boy shouted

"You've had enough to drink!" The one holding him reprimanded

As most of the group took in the chaos a few revelations came to mind. For Luther and Allison, they recalled vague memories of their time in the bowling alley from the first apocalypse and began to realize that these teens were the same over-enthusiastic ones from then. For Viktor and Lila however, they realized that these kids bore a striking resemblance to the Umbrella Academy with each one corresponding to a different member. It was a little eerie seeing the similarities.

Unlike his siblings though, Five took no notice of the scene before him and instead, his focus shifted only to you. Once his eyes had locked on you it was as if he saw nothing else. He froze for a moment taking in the sight. There you were standing next to the bar looking at some rectangle in your hand. You were okay. You were still alive. He hadn't failed yet. The lights from above the bar cast you in a warm glow that seemed to brighten when you smiled at whatever you were looking at. Looking at you, the panic he had felt from not knowing if you were safe faded away, and without realizing it, he began to walk over to you. Step by step he drew closer, and yet every inch still in between the two of you felt like a mile. For someone whose whole thing was understanding time, he could never seem to grasp how it flowed so differently when he looked at you. Time seemed to move in slow motion as he gently took your face into his hands before pressing his lips firmly against yours.

Your eyes shot wide for a moment and Viktoria's phone fell from your hand as you tried to process what was going on, but you quickly realized there was only one person who could kiss you this sweetly. Five. Even this close up you recognized his face. You let out a happy sigh as he kissed you, your eyes fluttering closed and your arms wrapping around his neck as you pulled him closer to you. You were so relieved he was back.

As the two of you kissed each other, off in your own little world, the rest of the people around looked on. His siblings were honestly shocked. Five never came off as the affectionate type. Sure, he always stated that he loved you, but displaying that affection was rare. They could recount a few occasions in which he held your hand, but besides Luther who saw you kiss him when you showed up at the hotel a few nights ago, none of them could ever recall a time he had openly kissed you like this. Hell, Luther wasn't even sure if that kiss a few nights ago was your first or not.

Your friends however were a completely different story. Whatever they were originally doing came to a complete halt as mischievous smirks and smiles came to their faces. Loudly, they oohed and awed like a group of children finding out you got called to the principal's office. Hearing the comments from your friends, you and Five pulled back from each other, a red blush creeping onto both of your faces.

"Kissing before marriage? So scandalous." Addison chimed

"Yeah, get a room you two." Bren teased

"Shut- shut up." You stammered embarrassed

This was terrible, but this was your karma for teasing your friends about their crushes all those years. Just like you had found their red faces, averted gazes, and stammered responses funny in the past, they now felt the same about you. You could hear the stifled giggles of your friends around the bar and in an effort to avoid their gaze, you instead looked at Five. But as you finally took a good look at him, you now had a new issue on your hands. He was wearing a suit. The suit itself wasn't the issue, it was a nice suit and it looked well-made. The issue was that your boyfriend looked far too good in it. Your brain started to think about the kiss you shared a moment ago. It was sweet with a slight hint of desperation. You thought about how you would've reacted if you had seen him coming your way. Perhaps instead of wrapping your arms around his neck, you would've taken him by the tie to pull him closer. Maybe he would've stepped forward a little more pinning you between him and the bar. You wondered what would happen if the rest of the world was gone. If it was just you two. Alone.

"Jesus Christ, you're down atrocious." Dean remarked aloud, snapping you from your thoughts

Breaking from your trance, your head whipped toward where Dean stood leaning against a pillar.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" You exclaimed loudly

You quickly brought a hand to cover your mouth, regretting how loudly you snapped at him, but the shocked expression on your face and reddening cheeks did not match your twin brother's look of mischievous joy in the slightest. You could see as his smirk became replicated on that of your friends as they all realized Dean had gotten a glimpse into something they weren't privy to, but would love to be.

"What did she say in her head!?" Kenny asked Dean excitedly as he escaped Bren's grasp and grabbed the bottle near him

"Oh, it's not what she said..." Dean responded, mild insinuation in his voice

"Tell us! Tell us! Tell us!" Lucas chanted from his spot next to Addison

"Oh my god, fucking stop." You shouted nervously at your friends before turning to Dean and adding "And you! Get out of my head!"

"Think quieter." Dean remarked, "Before everyone else starts to hear you too."

You were so done with his and the rest of your friends' teasing. Were you down atrocious? Yes, obviously. But that didn't mean they needed to point it out and embarrass you in front of people like this. Especially not your boyfriend and his family. Luckily enough though, as you look around at the Hargreeves present all of them had bewildered expressions on their faces. You were safe. For now. Trying to switch topics before someone could mock you again, you mentioned,

"Anyway! Uh- end of the world, right?"

"Nice pivot." Bren teased

You shot him an annoyed look before turning back to Five who had finally remembered why he had left you in the first place. He left to find out why the world was ending. He found out more than he expected to, but nevertheless, he had the answer to his original question.

"I found out how the world's ending." Five stated, "It's a Kugelblitz."

As much as you missed your boyfriend, the second those words hit your ears you could feel a tinge of annoyance grow within you. You had asked Five not to seek out Lila. Not to leave you when you knew the two of you could figure it out together. But alas, he asked you again and you let him go. However, in his absence, you figured out what was happening with almost 100 percent certainty. You tried to keep your expression neutral, but your voice conveyed your true feelings as you mentioned,

"I know, I figured it out too. Myself. Here. In this time. All on my own."

It was evident that you were still upset about his decision to leave. He felt bad for leaving, but at the time he believed it was the right choice. Maybe he could've brought you with him, but he didn't think that was the best option. He couldn't see you and Lila getting along. And their method of time travel might've caused you pain. And seeing another version of Five die could've hurt your feelings. And...

Five reached into his pocket and held the ring he had found tightly between his fingers. If you had been there when he had found it, he couldn't have possibly given it to you. It would've been disappointing and not how he wanted that to go.

Five pushed his thoughts to the side. He needed to focus on what was going on now. Treading lightly, he responded,

"I heard. Dean mentioned that you figured out about the Kugelblitz."

"And? Anything else?" You inquired, your tone indicating you were looking for a specific response

Over your shoulder, Five could see as Lucas quickly grabbed a white napkin and marker from behind the bar. Rapidly, he wrote something down before holding up the napkin. There was an intense look on his face as he pointed repeatedly to what he had written down. In bold, black letters the nakin said only one thing.

APOLOGIZE

As the only other person in a serious relationship, Five quickly assumed that Lucas knew how to respond from experience. Also, if anyone knew what to say to you in this situation, it would be one of your other friends. Taking his advice, Five looked back toward you and took one of your hands in his, and with sincerity in his tone, he replied,

"I'm sorry for not listening to you and leaving. You were right, we could've figured it out together."

You blinked a few times in surprise. You wanted him to but didn't expect him to actually apologize for leaving. You looked over your shoulder at some of your friends for confirmation that he really did that, and while Lucas frantically shoved something in his mouth, Addison and Viktoria nodded their heads, letting you know you had heard Five correctly. Turning to look back at him, your lips curled up into a smile and you held his hand a little tighter.

"Oh um, thanks. I appreciate you saying that."

Internally, Five let out a sigh of relief. At least for now, that issue had subsided, but there was so much more he wanted to talk to you about. He tried to start forming words in his mind, but as he did so Allison stepped forward. She hadn't followed Five over here for his and your reunion. She followed to get answers about what was going on, especially since Five had returned with the briefcase destroyed.

"I've had enough of this, are you going to tell us what's going on or not, Five?" Allison remarked, frustration in her tone

Five looked at his sister. She wasn't happy, and she hadn't been for a few days now. It seemed like anything anyone did was infuriating to her, but it's not like she was helping to fix that either. However, even with her unpleasant disposition, she was right. Five needed to explain at least to his siblings what was going on since you had already informed your friends. Letting go of your hand Five walked around to the backside of the bar.

"Yeah, okay." Five replied, "Gather round everyone."

The rest of the Hargreeves and Lila, while still unsure about what just happened, and the random teenagers hanging about, stood around the bar while you and your friends stayed where you were. Grabbing some shot glasses, Five began to pour out drinks for the rest of the group, handing them out one by one to his family and Lila.

This was going to be a hard talk...

Five wondered how you delivered the news to your friends. They seemed so upbeat even when all of existence was disappearing. Then again, from what he knew, your friends respected you far more than his siblings did and probably didn't blame you for something out of your control. Pouring a shot for himself, Five immediately gulped it down. A little bit of liquid courage never hurt, and perhaps it could numb the pain of the verbal pile-on he expected to happen.

"So this Kugelblitz, it's...?" Viktor began to speak

"The end of everything." Five interjected "Every rock, every star, every atom sucked into a radiant black hole. Randomly collapsing matter every moment in time across all existence till nothing's left."

"Oof." Kenny said aloud

You couldn't help but snicker at his comment. You were in a terrible situation but oof was probably the funniest response someone could give to that explanation. It was a simple joke and reminded you of easier times, what was there not to enjoy about it? However, you realized your sentiment wasn't shared as the heads of the Hargreeves and Lila quickly turned to look toward you. The way they looked at you was as if you had laughed at a funeral. Well, given that the end of the world was at hand, you kind of did. Remembering that it was not just you and your friends anymore, you regained your composure and in a more serious tone stated,

"I'm sorry. It's not funny."

You could hear the mumblings of your friends saying they thought it was funny, but the Hargreeves paid no attention as they turned back to Five. Pouring himself another shot, he looked into his glass, stared at his reflection in the liquid, and mentioned,

"Hate to say I told you so, but..."

"You love to say I told you so." Viktor retorted back

"You know, it's impressive." Lila began to speak, setting her still-full glass down on the bar

The attention of you and your friends turned to Lila as she spoke, but the lighthearted vibe that was present between you all just a moment ago was quickly replaced with one of anger and resentment. The Hargreeves and Lila could feel the tension grow in the air as the chattering of you and your friends went silent. You all watched Lila, with expressions ranging from neutral to judgemental to disgusted. Nevertheless, Lila finished her statement saying,

"Whoever knocked off your mums hated you all enough to end the entire universe."

Lila's remark instantly sent anger through your system. If her comment was a gunshot your response was the ricochet. You couldn't speak for the mothers of the umbrellas since they did technically sell their children, but your mom, and by extension of what had happened, your dad, didn't deserve to die. They were the best people you knew. Before you could even realize you had done it, Lila's shot glass exploded in front of her. Tiny shards of glass flew outward in the area catching everyone's attention. You didn't look at anyone, but you could feel their gazes on you.

"Fucking bitch." Addison muttered as she reached to hold your hand

Taking her hand, you held it tightly, as you held the beginnings of tears back. You took deep breaths and tried your best to keep them quiet. You had to keep a strong face. You could be upset, but you couldn't cry. If you did, Lila would probably take it as a win against you and your friends would see it as a reason to start a fight. And neither of those things you needed.

Some of your friends however were already willing to start a fight. Out of the corner of your eye, you could see Dean step away from the wall he was leaning against, his expression angry and his eyes trained on Lila. But before he could walk over to her you used your powers to gently shove him back against it. Looking at him you thought,

Don't do it.

He looked back at you, still obviously disgruntled, but with arms crossed over his chest, he leaned back against the wall. You could hear it in your head as he thought,

Fine.

As Addison held your hand, and some of your other friends whispered comments to each other, Kenny walked over to you and poured some of the liquor from the bottle he was drinking from into your glass. Your friends' actions were small but they meant a lot to you.

There was a silence as everyone glanced around at each other waiting for who would be next to speak. Viktor looked between you and Lila. Between Lila's comment and your reaction to it, there was no safe way for him to bring up what Harlan had shown him. And that wasn't even including the reactions everyone else would have if Viktor did say something. He needed to do something to get the conversation away from where it was headed and to lessen the tension in the air. Trying to divert the topic, Viktor hesitantly said,

"We- we don't know that Lila..."

"It doesn't matter who created the thing." Allison stated firmly "We just have to kick its ass."

"Oh really? How?" Luther questioned sarcastically "Are you and Diego gonna punch it in the Kugel?"

Allison shot back a glare at Luther, but it was quickly ignored as he could feel the presence of someone behind him. Turning back, he saw the boy from the bowling alley who looked like him standing there. The boy nervously fidgeted with a stack of paper in his hands as he shyly greeted,

"H-hi Luther."

Luther couldn't remember this kid's name in the slightest. all he knew was that he looked like him and was one of your friends.

"Ah, it's...you." Luther said awkwardly, unsure of how to proceed "Bowling alley kid."

"It's Lucas." Lucas stated, reminding Luther of his name

"Right." Luther replied

The memories were vague, but he was starting to remember more of that night at the bowling alley. However, the only thing that came to mind was the numerous similarities the two of them shared. It was slightly unsettling, but there wasn't much either of them could do about that. Luther waited for Lucas to say something, but instead, Lucas stared up at Luther with a smile. Trying to figure out what was going on here, Luther asked,

"Can I help you with something?"

"Oh uh- yes!" Lucas replied, remembering why he approached Luther

Lucas looked down at the adoption papers in his hands. You had helped him forge the signatures of Luther and Sloane last night, before making a copy of the documents and filing them away in city hall. It wasn't the most ethical way of going about things, but it made Lucas happy. He had new parents! This was all he ever wanted. Even with his excitement, nervousness still filled him. Lucas had to tell Luther that he was his parent now, and he wasn't sure what to say. This had only come to fruition last night, and instead of preparing he was busy doing other things.

"I- wow, I really thought I'd get more time to prepare for this but uh-" Lucas stuttered

"Lucas, the world is ending. Spit it out." Luther requested

"YOU'RE LEGALLY MY DAD NOW!" Lucas loudly proclaimed

The heads of the Hargreeves snapped to look over at the two tall blonds. Most reactions were that of confusion, but Allison's face morphed with rage. First Diego gets a child and now Luther too? What was next? You and Five picking a baby off the street? It wasn't fair. She had Claire, her daughter, and she couldn't be with her! But everyone else got to be a parent? It was wrong. Angrily, Allison drank from her glass, her gaze boring into Luther's back as he stood there unmoving.

Lucas looked at Luther, silently waiting for him to say something. Anything. But nothing came. It's not that Luther didn't want to reply, he just couldn't formulate any thoughts. And instead of saying anything of meaning, he could only manage to get out a simple,

"What?"

"Don't worry though!" Lucas quickly explained "Your girlfriend, Sloane, she's legally my mom. It's all in here."

Lucas held out the adoption papers for Luther to take, and after a moment of hesitation, he did. Quickly he flipped through the documents, but to his surprise, they were legitimate. Even Luther's signature looked correct. Luther didn't know how this happened, but he couldn't be Lucas' father. He didn't know what to do. He didn't even have a good example of what to do either. And anyway, he saw how poorly Diego was doing with Stan, and he didn't want to be like that. Lucas seemed like a good kid, but Luther wasn't sure if he could take on this responsibility. Especially not with the world ending. Trying to let Lucas down nicely, Luther began,

"Listen, I-"

Seeing where Luther's response was going, you pulled yourself together and cut him off as you interjected,

"Lucas, can I speak to Luther real quick?"

"Oh, sure!" Lucas replied

Politely, you pulled Luther off to the side away from the bar. Using your powers you controlled the molecules around you, creating a sound barrier to stop anyone from hearing your conversation. With your back facing the group, you looked up at Luther with a serious look on your face and began,

"Luther, you better listen up because I am only going to say this once. That sweet angel of a boy has been through hell, sometimes worse than you did, in TWO timelines, to get to this moment."

Luther's eyebrows furrowed as he processed what you said. Lucas went through hell sometimes worse than Luther ever did? That was a serious statement to make.

"What happened?" Luther asked, cutting you off

You grimaced. Although the only one who could see so was Luther. All the times Lucas came to you for help because of what he had gone through with Austin ran through your mind. It hurt you to remember your friend's pain.

"I can't tell you exactly what happened. I promised him I wouldn't, but it was badand he didn't deserve it..." You replied quietly, a slight tremble in your voice

Luther looked at you and your pained expression before looking behind you at Lucas. Noticing Luther look his way, Lucas smiled brightly and waved excitedly, completely unaware of what Luther had just learned. He seemed like such a nice, happy kid. No one would ever guess something bad happened to him.

"He's my friend. I care about him and his happiness so much." You stated firmly, a hint of pain still in your tone "So if you break his heart, I will kill you in the most painful way possible and then go tell Sloane you did something so heinous the only option was to kill you. Are we clear?"

Luther turned his attention away from Lucas and back to you. Luther did not want to die by your hand. If you said you'd make it painful, you meant it. And on top of that, he didn't want Sloane to think poorly of him. But most of all, Luther didn't want to hurt Lucas, who he now saw some of himself in beyond just appearance. The world was ending, and currently, they had no plan to stop that, so he could at least try to do something good. Luther nodded his head at your words, and seeing his acknowledgment, in a more positive voice with an undertone of violence, you replied,

"Good. Now go be a better father than yours was."

Luther grimaced slightly at your words. You weren't wrong, but it still hurt. Nevertheless, he was going to do what he was told because there was still an undercurrent of violence radiating off of you. Carefully stepping away, he made his way back toward Lucas, who looked up at him excitedly. Luther stared back at him blankly as he wondered what to say. As you had stated, he didn't have a good father. What does a good dad say to their kid? Luther couldn't say I love you because that would be weird to say to a teenage boy he just met again, even if legally it was his son. He could probably say he's proud of him though, right? That's something Reginald never said so it had to be something a good dad would say. Then again, Luther didn't know what there was to be proud of, he was literally pushed into this role less than a minute ago.

"So...son...you have any recent accomplishments..?" Luther asked, still trying to figure out what to be proud of

Lucas was silent for a moment after hearing the question. Neither Austin nor Meredith ever asked him about his accomplishments. They may have birthed him and raised him, but for seventeen years they never cared about him. And yet here, barely one minute after telling Luther he was now his father, he asked about what he had accomplished. It was his first question to him as his dad. And on top of that, he called him son. Not Lucas. Son. Tears began to form in Lucas' eyes as his hands clenched into fists to hide the shaking that was starting to happen. He was happy and sad and everything that could fall in between, but if he burst into tears it would ruin this first moment. He couldn't do that, time was finite. He had to make this count. He looked over at Addison, his one and only, and smiled. She was his home. She was where he felt safe. She was his everything. And having her by his side was his greatest achievement. Looking back at the man he now called dad, he gestured over toward her as he happily exclaimed,

"I got married last night! My girlfriend is now my wife!"

Well, that wasn't what Luther was expecting, and by the looks on the rest of his siblings' faces, they surely didn't expect it either. Lucas and his...wife...seemed a bit young but, nevertheless, marriage is a nice thing so Luther could be proud of that.

"Congrats, son. I am proud of you." Luther said in an awkward but supportive tone before looking at Addison and adding "And hello...daughter-in-law."

"Hi, Luther." Addison replied politely "Ignore my friend puking. She's not sick anymore she's just so excited to finally meet Viktor."

"I'm going to talk to Lucas again now." Luther said unsure how to respond to that

"What? Me?" Viktor questioned

"Vi, don't be weird. Say hello." Addison encouraged

Looking up from her trash bin, Viktoria's eyes met Viktor's as she excitedly stated,

"Hi. I'm Viktoria! I was Viktor a long time ago but I'm not Viktor now, I'm Viktoria but you're Viktor so we're like the same and that's cool!"

Immediately after finishing her statement though, Viktoria once again puked into her bin from excitement. However, excitement was not the word Viktor would use to describe this meeting. Instead, a few different descriptors came to mind. Bewilderment. Concern. Deja vu. Overall, everything after Five and Lila's return had been confusing and concerning but looking into the face of a teenager who looked exactly like Viktor when he was younger. Now that was something else. And on top of it, he didn't understand anything of what they had just said.

"I'm sorry what?" Viktor asked looking for clarity

"Oh uh, Viktoria is transgender like you and your current name is her old name. Y'know Viktor, Viktoria, they're very similar so she's excited." Addison explained, "You're her hero."

"How?" Viktor questioned confused before quieting their tone stating "Nobody knew about me until my book."

Picking her head back up from the bin Viktoria replied,

"That's not true! I saw you in the background or off to the side of interviews the Umbrella Academy did. I picked up the viola because I saw you had a string instrument case on you in one of them! I practiced the viola every day. I owned and memorized your book in three languages. I did a whole report on you in middle school!"

"I hated that project." You chimed in

"Yeah, yeah. Broken hand, emotional trauma, we already know." Viktoria retorted before continuing, "Anyway, I wanted to be just like you."

"Really?" Viktor inquired

"Yeah! Of course!" Viktoria replied sincerely, "You're my hero."

A small smile came to Viktor's face. It was nice to know that someone looked up to him even before he figured out about his powers again. And in a way, even though this was someone else saying these things, it felt like a younger version of himself telling him he was worth it even before everything that happened.

While the emotional bonding between some of your friends and the Hargreeves was happening, it had no effect on Five. He stopped paying attention to what was transpiring after he heard Lucas state that he and Addison got married. Five wasn't shocked by their young age, nor the short time frame in which they were reunited and then married. He was just surprised that a wedding had occurred. It felt like the universe was sending him gut punch after gut punch when it came to marriage. The hallucination, the ballroom, the ring, and now this! He didn't know if the universe was trying to push him in a direction or just down an emotional spike pit. Still in disbelief Five restated aloud,

"They're married?"

"They sure are! I married them last night!" Kenny exclaimed

Five looked from Kenny over to Lucas and Addison. There was love in their eyes as they looked at each other. They had no cares except each other even if the world was ending. Five couldn't help but feel a jolt of jealousy run through him. It wasn't fair that he was burdened with saving the world while everyone else got to do as they pleased. But these were your friends and it felt wrong to be upset at their happiness. In an effort to hide his feelings, Five picked up his drink taking a big sip of the liquor within. But as he did so Kenny spoke up commenting,

"Why are you and (Y/N) looking to get married? I'm legally ordained, I can marry you two right now."

Hearing those words, Five began to choke on his drink, and whiskey, a drink that typically would go down smooth, did anything but. Five's mind darted all over the place as he processed Kenny's words. Married? Now? No, you couldn't. He hadn't proposed. But he had a ring in his pocket. So he could. Surrounded by friends and family is kind of romantic, right? But he just announced the end of the world, and that certainly wasn't. And this was nothing like he planned in his head. But if the world kept sending him signs maybe the two of you should just bite the bullet? As his mind raced and he coughed on his drink, his eyes darted over toward you trying to gauge your reaction. However, he was only met with a look of concern probably because he was literally and metaphorically choking. With no context clues from you on how to respond, Five stuttered, trying to get any response out,

I- uh- well- we-"

"Kenny! This is the seventh time you've done this in the past day!" Bren reprimanded, smacking the back of Kenny's head "Stop asking people if they want to get married!"

Relieved by Bren cutting him off, Five managed to pull himself together. This was going terribly. He could anticipate the way his siblings reacted to situations or the types of comments they would make, but he couldn't say the same for your friends. Glancing over at you again, he saw as you calmly sipped from your glass watching your two friends bicker.

"What! Nothing speeds up major life decisions like the end of everything!" Kenny replied exasperated at Bren's disapproval

"Some of them weren't even couples!" Bren shot back

You were completely unaffected by this. It was honestly impressive. Then again this is what you dealt with for years, you must've been used to it by now. But as you lowered your glass he noticed something else. You smiled. Curious, he leaned closer to you and asked,

"You're happy they're fighting?"

"They're best friends, it's not fighting to them." You replied taking another sip from your glass "And there's comfort in the chaos."

"How so?" Five inquired

"It's familiar." You answered, "Reminds me of times before well...y'know."

"Oh." Five said aloud "Right."

Five's eyes averted your gaze and his head turned slightly to look away from you. Perhaps it was unconscious to him, but you could sense the shift in his demeanor. Placing your hand on his cheek you gently turned his face to look at you. You could feel as he leaned into your touch. It seemed that with every curveball life threw at him he needed these small gestures of affection more and more, and you would never deny him the love he both needed and deserved. With his gaze returning to you, you looked back at him softly.

"They're here and you're here, and that's all I want at this point." You cooed "So stop worrying about me and put that smart brain of yours toward coming up with a plan."

"I can never stop worrying about you." Five replied gently

"Maybe you should." Allison jabbed "Do you even have a plan, Five?"

The harsh comment caught the attention of everyone else as they all turned their gazes to Five. However, Five looked toward his sister, an irritated look was plastered across her face. He knew what her problem was, but he felt no reason to engage with her. If she didn't want to accept reality and blame it on everyone else that was her problem to deal with. Not Five's. Turning away from his sister, he looked at the wider crowd around the bar.

"Well, the best plan is to go back in time and eliminate the paradox and destroy whatever it was that took out our mothers and stop the Kugelblitz before it starts," Five explained, "But we can't do that. Briefcase is kaput."

"And why the hell can't you just jump us out of here?" Allison complained

"Last time I tried that, we all got trapped in time. Do you really wanna risk that again?" Five questioned back

Leaning over to Addison and Viktoria, you lowered your voice as you told them,

"I'd risk it if you guys could come this time."

"Let's go to a timeline where Spider-Man is real and falls instantly in love with you." Viktoria jokingly whispered back

"Jeez, Viktoria wants to see a fight." Addison quietly chimed in

"A fight? Viktoria wants to see a homicide." You quietly shot back

"Well, do you want to see a homicide?" Addison teasingly inquired

Your eyes darted over to your boyfriend as you recalled the time you and he killed the board of directors for the commission. The way he was covered in blood and the determined look in his eyes. God, he was so hot. Honestly, part of you wanted to see what he was like jealous. And the thought of him getting in a fight over you? Well, now that was appealing. You were surely willing to lose Spider-Man if you got to see that. With a smirk on your face, you looked back at Addison and Viktoria as you replied unseriously,

"Whaaat? Noooo...that would be crazy."

The three of you attempted to stifle your laughter so as not to distract the Hargreeves from their incessant bickering over what to do now. But as you tried to enjoy the moment with your friends, Dean noticed a trio of figures heading toward the bar. Klaus Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves, and some random kid, who he could only assume was Diego's oops baby. Whatever joy he may have felt from seeing his friends having a good time together disappeared the moment he saw Diego's stupid face. Instead, anger began to build up inside Dean as he recalled the things you had told him that Diego had done recently that upset you. He knew he was the better brother. He had never done anything to hurt you like Diego had and one way or another, he was going to make Diego recognize how badly he fucked up. As the trio finally arrived at the bar, and Diego walked up beside Lila, Dean commented sarcastically,

"Wow, what a surprise. The deadbeat actually showed up."

"Mine didn't..." Kenny mentioned

"This isn't about you, Kenny." Dean replied

While Dean's comments didn't phase your friends, some sideways glances were sent Dean's way including one from you. However, unlike the Hargreeves, your glance was that of concern.

Dean was...passionate.

He felt things very deeply and had a tendency to express his feelings openly. And he wasn't one to shy away from an argument either. Or a fight.

You hoped that his comment was a one-off jab, but knowing him you'd have to keep a watchful eye out.

As Stan stood next to Diego, he looked around at the people around the bar. Some of the faces were familiar to him but there were a number that he had never seen before. Looking to Diego, Stan asked,

"Who are all these people?"

"Oh, and he brought the sentient jizz stain too." Dean remarked

Like the rest of his siblings, Diego gave another sideways glance toward Dean. However, unlike the disbelief on their faces, Diego's reaction was more disgruntled. He couldn't recall much of this kid, but he knew one thing, he was your friend. Looking around the bar, to much relief, he saw you sitting across the way.

Your eyes caught Diego's for a moment, and from his face, you knew what he was looking at you for, and unsurprisingly, it wasn't the fact that you were missing for almost two days. There was no sense of concern on his face, only an annoyed look as his eyes flicked over to Dean before looking back at you. Pretending not to have noticed his gaze, you summoned Viktoria's phone which you had dropped earlier, to your hand and began to start scrolling through it again. You felt no incentive to stop Dean's comments because honestly, you co-signed his sentiments. You couldn't make comments like his without stirring the waters between all the Hargreeves, but Dean could make his comments freely without causing too much interpersonal drama. So unless you felt like he was about to get hurt, there was no reason for you to intervene.

Lila however, did not appreciate Dean's comments. Turning around to look at him, she criticized,

"Hey, don't be mean to my kid."

"Hey, nobody asked Wrong Direction." Dean replied, mocking her tone "And for your information, nobody here believes that the sex trophy- no- participation award- is actually yours."

Lila's eyes darted around the rest of your friend group, only to be met with disgusted glares or smug smirks. Did you all know the truth? Did you know that Stan wasn't her or Diego's child? Or was it only a comment made to catch her off guard? Either way, there was a slight unease at the thought that made her keep quiet. But before she could think of something to say, Klaus walked up to the bar, grabbing a glass out of Five's hand, as he stated,

"Gimme that."

"What happened to you?" Five questioned, looking at the blood on his shirt

"Oh, just a speargun to the chest. I died. No big deal." Klaus replied

"Oh neat! Did you meet the girl on the bike?" Kenny asked

"No, thankfully I didn't have to deal with her," Klaus answered, taking a sip from the glass

But as he drank, he realized the voice that had asked the question was unfamiliar. It didn't belong to one of his siblings, or you, or Lila. Placing his glass down he looked over to where the unknown voice came from only to be met with a teen boy who looked just like Klaus in his youth. It took a moment, but through his resurrection haze, he vaguely recognized the boy as the one from years ago at the bowling alley. Klaus paused for a moment. The little girl on the bike, aka god, could only be met on the other side. Not even ghosts who stuck around on this plane of existence knew who she was. So how did this kid, who was very much alive, know of her?

"I'm sorry- how do you know god?" Klaus questioned

"I've met her. I see her sometimes when I pass out at parties. She adores me." Kenny replied enthusiastically

Kenny's response left Klaus with more questions than answers. This kid met god? And multiple times at that? How? He would've had to die to have met god. Did he die? Was this kid also immortal somehow? And what did he mean by she adores him? Klaus' experiences with her were filled with annoyance, so why was he welcome?

"I have follow-up questions," Klaus stated aloud

"This isn't about you, Klaus." Diego interjected, before looking at Lila and asking "What did we miss?"

"The universe is ending, and we're all going to die," Lila answered

"You say it as if it isn't your fault..." Dean scoffed

Diego's head whipped over to look at Dean. He had only made a few comments, but those few were more than enough, and Diego was tired of his shit. Trying to get an answer for his actions, Diego stepped up toward Dean and snapped,

"What is your deal?"

Dean scowled at Diego and rage burned inside him. Dean hated Diego for all the ways he had upset you. He hated him for forgetting Eudora once she died. He hated him for hooking up with the first person who gave him attention after Eudora's death. He hated him for being stupid and getting said person knocked up. He hated him for abandoning you consistently throughout that process when you needed him now more than ever. He hated that even through all of that he had the gall to still consider himself a brother to you. But most of all, he hated that he actually looked up to such a degenerate scumbag for so long. Taking a step toward Diego, with fire in his eyes and vile in his tone, Dean shouted back,

"My deal is that you've got a lot of nerve showing up here, fucking Benedict Arnold."

And with that, it was time for you to intervene because whatever was coming after this wasn't going to be pretty. Flashing over to Dean, you placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him back a few steps. Lowering your voice, you asked,

"What are you trying to do? Start a turf war in the middle of this shithole?"

"No, I'm saying what needs to be said," Dean replied before raising his voice and loudly stating "But I wouldn't mind getting a few swings on the infidelity duo over there."

"Stop that." You chastised "You're going to get hurt."

"No I won't," Dean refuted "With you I'm already on the winning side."

Dean was right, if he got in a fight with Diego you would take his side. And on top of that if you could solo all the Sparrows you could 100% take down all the Umbrellas. Well...so long as you beat Viktor to the punch, but that wasn't important. No matter how capable of a fighter Dean was, and he was capable, you didn't want him to get hurt.

"Dean no," You said pushing him a little further from Diego and Lila "Just take the high ground. Please."

Dean was your twin brother, and if you made a decision or suggestion, he was always the first to accept and respect it. If he backed down now then hopefully Diego would resign himself as well. You watched as Dean looked at you, his face softened upon seeing your pleading gaze. Placing a gentle hand on your shoulder, he looked at you sincerely as he replied,

"No."

Your pleading look turned to confusion as Dean sidestepped you and locked eyes on Diego. Marching over to him with his gaze unbreaking, Dean's rage came back in full swing as he angrily shouted,

"Fuck you Diego Hargreeves you traitorous ass bitch! I regret looking up to a two-faced adulterous prick like you. I hope you constantly stub your toe. I hope your dick falls off. I hope all of your knife attacks miss even with your bitch ass powers. I hope your pet sperm right there is a lifelong disappointment like you. I hope you ruin your life and don't realize it until it's too late you snake-ass No Belt Prize-winning whore."

You look at Dean in disbelief. He rarely even went against you, especially not after the incident when you were seventeen. However, it seemed that currently, his emotions were stronger than his judgment. You readied yourself to jump between the two of them, but you paused as you felt tension fill the air. It wasn't the type of tension that came from people disagreeing though. No, this was the tension that built before something snapped.

"(Y/N), are you gonna do anything about him?" Diego angrily asked

You didn't respond. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up as you sensed something growing in energy. Slowly, you turned your head to look in the direction of the sensation only to be met with a terrible omen. You saw as the molecules around you began to vibrate faster and faster and faster. More than they typically did. A knot formed in the pit of your stomach as you stared down the danger heading your way.

Breaking his gaze on Diego, Dean looked at you. Immediately, he clocked the way your hands shook at your sides and the slight staggering of your breathing. Were you okay?

"(Y/N)?" Dean called concerned

You couldn't respond. You couldn't move. You couldn't do anything except prepare for what was coming. And while no words escaped your lips, you only had one thought,

Help.

Hearing your thought, Dean pushed Diego out of the way and as another wave of the Kugelblitz hit you and you began to collapse to the floor, Dean caught you from behind and brought you to the ground. The pain was searing as you now lay on the ground, your head resting in Dean's lap. The energy of the wave ripped at you causing the prior gashes on your cheek and hand to reopen, while new ones formed on your forearm and collarbone. Blood seeped from the wounds as you looked up at Dean for help. You tried to speak but your breath caught in your throat. No. It wasn't just caught.

You couldn't breathe.

Fear filled your eyes as you attempted to gasp for air only to be met with nothing. Dean held your face in his hands, fear reflected in his eyes as he watched you struggle. His mind raced back to that day in the warehouse. He couldn't let that happen again. Looking up, with a tremble in his voice, Dean called out,

"Guys h-help."

But by the time he had finished his plea the rest of your friends were already surrounding you. Kneeling in a circle on the ground, your friends' bodies unintentionally created a wall keeping others away from you, including that of Five. He tried to get close, tried to kneel by your side like the rest of them, but there was just no space. And so, he was relegated to just standing and watching in fear as you struggled against something completely out of his control.

As fear coursed through the veins of all your friends, Kenny knew he had to do something. Of course he was scared for you, you were his friend, but he couldn't let his fear get in the way of helping you. He was the most qualified in this situation after all. Taking a deep breath he calmed his nerves, and as he had done many times before in his EMT job, he quickly began to control the situation. He first looked toward Bren, who was kneeling to the left of him, and commanded,

"Grab my bag. Now."

Quickly, Bren pulled out one of his whips and snapped it towards the medbag that Kenny had miraculously brought in with him. Snagging the bag's handle, Bren pulled his whip back toward him. With the medbag in hand, he passed it over to Kenny who immediately opened it.

As Kenny put on a pair of latex gloves, he looked at Addison and directed,

"You need to get her to breathe. I don't have the supplies to monitor her this time if she loses consciousness again."

With a quick nod of her head, Addison turned her attention back toward you. Hesitantly, Dean removed his hands from the sides of your face as he now let Addison hold it. Your eyes were glassy from the lack of oxygen, but the fear behind him as you fought to stay conscious was ever-present. Gently, she maneuvered your head to meet her gaze and when your eyes were focused on her she stated,

"(Y/N), I need you to breathe. It can be a gulp, it can be a gasp, but you need to breathe. NOW."

As her words hit your ears and you saw the serious look in her eye you felt compelled to do what she said. Pushing through the pain, you found the strength within yourself to breathe. Taking in large gasping breaths, the world came into more focus, but each breath felt like a dozen knives cutting into your lungs. You wondered if death would be less painful than this.

Your thought didn't matter though as Kenny had already decided that you were not dying today. With you finally managing to breathe he began the process of quickly fixing you up. Using a large rubber band, he tied it tightly just above your elbow to cut the circulation of blood off and stop the gash on your forearm from bleeding out. With the largest problem mitigated for now, he used alcohol wipes to clean up the blood and disinfect your other open wounds before placing medical tape over them.

You let out a scream as the alcohol stung your gashes. The world was already tearing you to shreds from the inside and the sting of the alcohol, although minor in comparison, hurt like a bitch when combined with the pain of the wave.

"Hold on to my arm. You can grip it til the pain stops." Lucas encouraged as he switched spots with Addison

Your hand shakily moved to grab his arm, but you hesitated for a moment. If you grabbed him, it was going to be tight. The pain was unyielding. You didn't want to bruise him. You thought,

I don't want to hurt him.

Dean looked away from you for only a moment as he met Lucas' eye and informed him,

"She doesn't want to hurt you."

Lucas looked away from Dean and back toward you. Taking your hand, he placed it on his arm. He knew why you of all people would hesitate, but you were always there for him when he was hurting and now he was going to do the same for you. With sincerity in his tone, Lucas stated,

"(Y/N), you could never hurt me."

You gave him a weak smile, but tears fell from your eyes as you internally begged for this to be over. With each wave, the time between starting and stopping increased, just as the intensity of the pain you felt grew too. You shut your eyes tightly, but opened them again as you felt someone wipe away your tears. You looked up at Dean who, just like when this ordeal started, held your face gently in his hands.

"You're gonna be okay. I'm here. I'm he-here this time. I'm gonna k-keep you safe. I swear." Dean comforted as he tried to choke back sobs, "Just keep your eyes open. Please just keep your eyes open."

With the hand that wasn't holding Lucas' arm, you shakily reached up and wiped your brother's tears away.

"You're the one in pain, y-you shouldn't be worried about us." Dean slightly joked, his voice still wavering

Through gritted teeth, you managed to smile slightly. You loved your friends so much. They meant everything to you and in a time like this, where they all worried for you, you needed them to know.

"I...love...you guys." You managed to get out, "Don't...let...me go."

"We could never let you go." Vitoria responded

"Yeah, you matter far too much." Addison added

"You're our glitter glue, remember?" Lucas reminded "You keep us together."

"Not just that, you're our family." Kenny mentioned

"If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't be us." Bren stated

"We love you." Dean replied, "Never forget that."

Even through the fear and the sadness, you could see the beginnings of smiles on your friends' faces. You could feel as they all got closer and each of them tried to hold some part of you. You could feel it as the wave became stronger again. It was finally returning. Even though it hadn't been more than a minute or two it felt like forever, but you could feel that this would be over soon. You closed your eyes tightly and focused on the feeling of your friends surrounding you as the wave finally went past. And when it stopped everything around you felt...lighter.

Opening your eyes, you took a deep breath and fortunately, it didn't feel like you were being pierced repeatedly anymore. You didn't have the strength in you to stand yet, but you did manage to get yourself to kneel. With your mind no longer focused on the pain you felt, you looked for your friends, but they were nowhere to be found. All that you could immediately see were the shocked or horror-filled faces of the Hargreeves. Why were they looking at you like that? You looked up at Five, his jaw was slightly agape and sadness swirled in his eyes. Looking down at yourself, you saw blood stains and gauze litter your body. Oh. He was probably so worried about you. Turning your gaze back to Five, you gave him a weak smile.

"It's not that bad. Kenny can take care of it." You comforted before looking around and asking, "Where is he? Where are my friends?"

Five's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach as he heard your question. How could he look you in the eyes and tell you that all of your friends were gone? As you struggled with the pain of the kugel wave, he watched as all of your friends got blitzed. Quickly, quietly, and god, hopefully painlessly they vanished. How could he explain this without breaking your heart?

"Love...they..." Five tried to speak

He stopped. He couldn't get the words out.

"What?" You questioned concerned "Where are they?"

"Ma cherie..." He replied mournfully

His lack of response worried you. Frantically, you began to look around the area for your friends again, but you still couldn't see any of them. It wouldn't be like them to leave your side when you were injured. They had never done so before. They always stayed closed until they knew you were okay. Where were they? Using your powers you tried to sense their molecules, but there were only faint traces in the area from loose hairs and skin cells. Your head whipped back and forth in a panic searching for any sign of them when you saw a glint out of the corner of your eye. You reached back for the sparking object, took it in your hand, and turned to look down upon it. There in the palm of your hand was a set of car keys.

Dean's car keys.

His car was his prized possession. Veronica was his baby. He never forgot his keys. He never lost his keys. He never went anywhere without his keys. But if these were here and he wasn't...

Oh god...

No.

A blood-curdling scream erupted from your throat as you clenched the keys against your chest. They were gone. They were gone and it was all your fault. You bought them here to keep them all safe and now you had none of them. Your body hunched over as you gasped for breath between your screams and sobs. Your face was red as tears streamed down in messy streaks with nowhere to go except the floor where your friends' once kneeled at your side.

Dropping to his knees, Five wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into him. He held you as tight as he could and ran a gentle hand through your hair as he tried to soothe you. His efforts didn't do much at all though, and how could he expect them to? If he was in your place, if it was you that he lost, he'd be inconsolable.

"THEY PROMISED!" You shouted grief-stricken "THEY PROMISED WE'D STAY TOGETHER!!!"

"I'm sorry my love." Five tried to comfort "I'm so sorry."

Looking at your boyfriend, you tightly grabbed his jacket, the material balling in your hands as you begged,

"Baby, bring them back. Please."

"I- I can't..." Five sorrowfully replied

"Yes you can! Just reverse time! Bring them back!" You cried

If Five could've brought your friends back, he would've done it already. The sight of you in so much emotional distress was somehow more painful than seeing the way the kugel waves affected you. In either case, he had no control over what happened, but he wished he did.

"I can't...I used all my energy to get back here." Five lamented "And even if I could, I can't stop the kugel wave from happening."

You could feel your chest tighten and another piece of your ever-fragile heart shatter as you struggled with the fact that you got your friends back only to lose them again. Pain morphed into anger as you pushed Five away shouting,

"WHAT GOOD ARE TIME POWERS IF YOU CAN'T EVEN FUCKING USE THEM!"

Your words stung and it hurt Five that you pushed him away, but he knew that you were only acting out of grief. You didn't mean it, you were just hurt.

Quickly, your anger came and went as the feeling of overwhelming grief returned. Dropping Dean's keys on the ground in front of you, you threw your head into your hands as you let out another mix of uncontrollable sobs and anguish-filled screams. As you cried the lights in the area began to flicker and nearby objects rattled in their place.

Seeing the disturbance in the area, Stan, who was already on edge from accidentally killing Klaus and witnessing a bunch of people disappear, became frightened. Looking up at Diego, he said nervously,

"Dad, I'm scared."

Hearing Stan speak, you looked over in the direction of his voice. Oh? He was scared? What did he have to be scared of? He wasn't the one bleeding out, nor the one who just lost six loved ones. You were. If anyone was scared and in need of comfort, it was YOU. You saw as Diego looked at you. There was concern on his face and for a moment you thought he would come over to you. But then he looked at Stan behind him and you watched as Diego, literally and figuratively, turned his back on you to hug Stanley. And in that moment, something in you broke as you realized you had no family left.

Diego knew that you were the cause of the flickering lights and shaking objects. Occasionally, when your emotions became too extreme it caused your powers to affect the world around you. He needed to calm you down, and things would return to normal. Letting go of Stan, Diego looked at him and comforted,

"It'll be okay. Just give me a second."

Turning from Stan, Diego began to walk over to you. Your face was wet from tears, but adrenaline rushed through your veins as he approached. You couldn't stand to be near him. Fury outweighed your body's weak unease as you began to push yourself to your feet. Seeing you try to stand, Diego took your arm to help you up, but you quickly shook him off as you demanded,

"Don't touch me!"

"I just want to help," Diego explained

"No! Go away!" You yelled

"Let me just-" Diego began to say as he tried to take your arm once more

Like a storm in your mind, waves of emotions all clashed together. Sadness. Grief. Betrayal. Anger. Abandonment. Mixing together they were a recipe for unimaginable sorrow. You weren't just hurt, you were broken. Why did Diego want to help you now? He didn't rush to your side, like Five or your friends, when the wave hit. He didn't hold you and tell you you'll be okay as the world ripped you apart. He didn't comfort you as you realized all your friends were gone. He did none of those things. But you knew who would've.

Your dad.

You were his little anomaly. His perfect little girl. Your dad loved you so dearly and if he was here he would've been by your side already. How dare Diego, in the aftermath of everything, now decide to come over to you. How dare he now decide you were important enough to help. You didn't want his help! You didn't want him! You wanted your dad! Rage, strengthened by your grief, engulfed you as you shouted harshly,

"YOU'RE NOT MY DAD, DIEGO!"

A heavy silence fell over the group as your words echoed through the area. As you finally managed to get to your feet, you bent down and picked up the roll of gauze from Kenny's med bag. You refused to look at Diego and instead opted to wrap up the wave-induced gash on your forearm, but all Diego could look at was you.

A clenching feeling formed in his chest as your words rang through his head. Diego knew he wasn't your dad. He never touted himself as such and yet your words hurt him more than anything his own father had ever said to him. You only said it because you were lashing out, right? You were upset about your friends and so you were lashing out at others? That had to be it. Diego saw you lash out at Five, and you loved Five, so you were probably just lashing out at him too. Taking a step toward you, Diego reassured,

"I just want to take care of you..."

As Diego took a step forward, you took a step back. Finally looking at him you could see the hurt in his eyes. For a moment you felt your anger falter, but as you processed what he had just said, the flame reignited.

"Oh, now you wanna take care of me?" You question sarcastically before gesturing to Stan and Lila "How about you go take care of Stan because apparently the random kid that shows up out of nowhere looking nothing like you OR Lila is more important than the one you fucking raised!"

"Princess..." Diego cooed

"No! You don't get to call me that and expect me to just- to just run into your arms and say it's okay!" You rebuked before angrily questioning "Don't you understand why I'm upset?"

Of course he knew why you were upset, especially after the comment you had just made. It was the same reason that you were upset this whole past week. It had to be about Lila. Yes, she did try to kill you, and yes, she did show up out of nowhere again a few days ago, but a reaction this large seemed a bit much.

"Prin-(Y/N), is this about Lila again?" Diego asked

Lila? He thought this was about Lila? Sure, she tried to kill you which was annoying, and yeah, she did show up again without any real consequences for her actions, but this wasn't about her. And in that moment, you came to realize that none of it was ever really about her. These feelings took root not through her actions, but his.

"Oh my god! It was never about Lila! It was about YOU!" You snapped at him "God forbid I didn't want to see you as a bad person. I wanted a reason, a scapegoat, something to explain your shitty actions!"

Your statement took Diego aback. What did you mean this was about him? What had he done? He was so confused, but he wasn't the only one confused either. Five looked over to Lila who was already looking over at him. She tilted her head to the side with a confused look on her face as if to ask him for clarity, but all Five could do was shrug. This was a new development for him too. Granted, it's not like you two had the time to talk about it either, but nevertheless, he knew nothing about this.

"I don't understand." Diego replied confused

You thought back on memories with Diego. So many of them that had once brought you joy or comfort now felt different. They felt tainted. You didn't know if you were finally seeing clearly or if your pain was causing you to look at them in a bad light. And then you thought about the day that Diego and Eudora split. How she wanted him to stop trying to be a hero and to focus on their relationship, and he refused. His desire to be a hero trumped his desire to be with her. All this time, did he ever actually care about you or was he only concerned about being viewed as a hero in someone's eyes? Lila was giving him the attention he had wanted from Eudora, and as of late, he seemed to focus more on Stan because Stan was focused on him. Your burning anger flattened into a calm rage. Your heart rate slowed, you straightened your posture, and your face showed no clear emotion as you looked Diego in the eye.

"I do. I see it so clearly now." You explained monotonously "You don't care about me anymore."

"What?! Of course, I do!" Diego exclaimed

Of course, he cared about you. Why would you say such a thing? You were his little sister. His princess! He had always cared about you. He didn't know what he had done to make you think otherwise, but it wasn't true. His bottom lip started to quiver as he wondered why this was happening.

Seeing the pain in his eyes, you started to rethink yourself. This was Diego. Your Eggo, your older brother. He was the one who came in the middle of the night to the academy when you were still hallucinating the young Umbrella Academy and made them go away. He was the one who comforted you when you had nightmares and held you til you fell back asleep. He took you to all your first days of school. He was there for all of your accomplishments. He took you to tour colleges. If none of this had happened then two months from now he would've been sitting at your graduation. No, you had to be thinking wrong. You were going to give him a chance, an olive branch, to prove to your broken heart and possibly clouded judgment that he did care about you. Taking a deep breath, you tried to center yourself before speaking. It was going to hurt to bring this up, but in your mind, it was the only way to know if he cared or not. Letting out your breath, you questioned,

"If you care about me then acknowledge Eudora. I just want you to acknowledge that she existed. That she was real and she was ours. I want you to remember what she meant to us, but you avoid the topic of her like the plague. So tell me, was she real to you like she was real to me?" You questioned

Diego looked at you blankly. He didn't know what to say. He wasn't prepared for a conversation like this. Not here, not now. He didn't want to do this. He didn't even know if he could.

His silence didn't help you though. Why wouldn't he talk about her? All you wanted from him was to say something to show she was still in his mind. That the memories you created together were still there. Anything to prove he loved and cared for her and what you all had. Hurt bubbled inside you again followed by a slow anger. You needed an answer.

"Did you love her, Diego?" You pressed "Or did you stop caring the moment you couldn't be a hero to her anymore?"

Your questions weren't fair. He wasn't ready to speak about this, especially not with Lila around. He loved Lila. How could he have this conversation without the possibility of making her feel less than or secondary? This wasn't a conversation for her to be a part of. At least not yet. Why were you so determined? Why was this the hill that you had decided was so important to die on?

"(Y/N), it's- it's complicated." Diego tried to explain

Complicated? How? Why? What was so complicated about remembering a person you loved? Anguish and anger swirled together as Diego's words, or lack thereof, affected you. Whatever composure you had tried to build quickly slipped away. Why couldn't he give you this? Why couldn't he even say her name? At this point that would be enough. Your throat and chest clenched tightly as if your body was caving in on itself, and tears streamed from your eyes as you wondered why he was hurting you like this?

"ANSWER THE QUESTION! DID YOU LOVE HER?" You demanded, your voice trembling as you begged for an answer, "DID YOU LOVE US?"

Diego looked at you silently, tears pricking his eyes, and the words he wanted to say caught in his throat. Of course, he loved her. He loved both of you. For so long, you two were his entire world. But he couldn't acknowledge Eudora. If he did it made her loss real. It made her death final. Even if he tried, he would never be able to forget her because you were so much like her. The way you cared for others, the way your face scrunched when you were upset, the joyful light in your eyes as you looked at him, and your resilience when things got tough. All these little quirks you had were glimpses of her. Looking at you was like looking at the last piece he had of her. It had been years for you, but it had only been three months for him. He couldn't do it.

"(Y/N)- I-..." He tried to speak, his voice stuttering

But it was too late. He took too long to answer. And to you, that meant only one thing, he never actually loved you or Eudora. He never cared. All the things that he did, all of those moments of kindness were in search of admiration, not love. When you looked at him now, there was pain, and there was anger, but most of all there was resentment. You resented the fact that all these years, all those moments that you thought were genuine, were all just for a stupid ego boost. Your happiness never meant anything to him. And just like that your mood swung again, and your emotions disappeared. You felt nothing. You felt empty. You looked at Diego, with eyes that no longer had light in them and quietly stated,

"I'm glad she doesn't remember who I am because at least it means that she never knew you either."

Your words hit Diego like a ton of bricks. Not only because of how they impacted them but also because of the weight of what you meant. If she didn't remember you, that meant she was here. It meant she was alive.

"She's alive? You saw her?" Diego asked sincerely

You didn't understand why he cared now? Now that she was possibly alive he wanted to acknowledge Eudora? What a selfish fucking prick.

"I'm not going to tell you because you don't deserve to know her anymore. What I will tell you is that she loved you so much, but time and time again you choose to stroke your massive ego and play hero to others over the people already around you. And I know now that I'm not worth being around for when you have the amazing opportunity to play hero for these two."

"(Y/N), it's not like that." Diego responded

It was at this moment, knowing what Lila knew now, that everything finally clicked together, and she felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. As you had said, it was never about her or what she did. Except for trying to kill you and Five, but that wasn't the point. You had shouted that your parents were dead and that Diego raised you and she could assume that by extension this Eudora did too. Wasn't too hard to conclude that Diego had replaced your dad, and Eudora had replaced your mom. It was, mostly, never what she did that upset you so much, it was what she represented. Like your mini-Diego-looking friend said, she was a homewrecker, Diego was a traitor and they both were adulterers. He said those things because that's how you viewed the situation. You weren't a sister upset that her brother got a new girlfriend, you were a child watching their parent replace the other one. It was no wonder Diego was doing a relatively decent job with Stan, he had already done it before. With you.

However, you didn't want to hear what Diego had to say. You were done with him. Completely. In totality. Forever.

"You don't need to explain, because I don't need you anymore." You spat "I actually don't need anything from you anymore."

Pulling all the knives off your body, you tossed them to the ground in front of Diego. You had your powers, you didn't need some stupid knives to fight with. They didn't mean anything to you anymore. They were just worthless metal to you.

But to Diego, this was salt in the wound. These knives were gifts given to commemorate celebrations or important events. Birthdays, winning your first boxing match, getting your license, etc. These were the physical embodiment of his proudest days of you. Why? Why were you tossing them back?

"(Y/N), no..." Diego begged

"Go on, give them to Stan since he's the one you care about. I promise I won't get in the way of your happy little family ever again." You explained in a sarcastically cheerful tone before flatly stating "From now on, I only ever had one brother, and he died trying to keep me safe."

Hearing those words, Diego became paralyzed. It felt like time had stopped moving but that certainly wasn't true. Everything happened so fast and he didn't know how he got to this point. What had he done to cause this outcome? How many times had he unintentionally hurt you that now you wanted nothing to do with him? At that moment, it felt like a large part of him died because he didn't just lose you, he lost Eudora. The light In your eyes that you both shared when you looked at him was gone. How could he have let this happen?

Lila looked between you and Diego. He looked so broken...so defeated. She never wanted this for Diego. She might've disagreed with you, but she loved Diego and Diego loved you. Part of her felt like this was her fault, even if you said it wasn't. You were just a scared, hurt child looking for love, and whatever you were looking for you didn't get. And now, to you, all your parents were dead. In a way, Lila could relate. When she had lost her parents and was taken in by The Handler all she wanted was to know she was loved. But like her, you didn't get it, and now you were lost. Maybe there was a reason why these people loved you. Maybe she had misjudged you this whole time. Maybe you two were more similar than you were different.

You however couldn't stand to be here anymore. This place felt heavy like an inescapable weight was crushing you. It was suffocating being in a place with so much misery. You needed to leave. Grabbing Dean's keys from the floor and summoning Viktoria's phone to your hand, you turned without saying a word and began to head to the front door.

Mimicking Five's powers, Lila jumped over to you and grabbed your wrist to stop you. Looking back, you expected to see your boyfriend but were surprised to see it was Lila who had stopped you.

"Where are you going?" Lila asked "The world is ending and you're a bloody mess. Literally."

"Why do you care?" You replied, "I thought you wanted me dead."

Right. Lila may have realized that your hatred was misplaced, but you had not realized that hers was as well. She was gonna have to work on that.

Phasing your wrist through her grasp, you tried to walk away once more. You need to get away from this place. Away from Diego. Away from the Umbrella Academy and the end of the world. You weren't a hero. You were never meant to be a hero. Saving the world was never supposed to be your responsibility.

You needed space, but the Hargreeves knew they needed you for this. Trying to get you to stop and reconsider Luther blurted out,

"What about the Kugelblitz? We need you to help figure out all the-the- y'know- your powers and stuff. We're family!"

Hearing that word you stopped in place. Family. How dare he use that word like some type of "gotcha". That word was supposed to mean something, and it did mean something to you. It meant so much more than just the definition in the book. It was a representation of all the people you had loved. All the people who you lived and fought for. All the people who had loved you to their dying breath. All the people who were now gone forever. To treat that word like a quid-pro-quo was like a slap in the face. You seethed at his negligence and slowly turned on your heel to face the Umbrella Academy.

"Family?" You questioned angrily "You use that word so frivolously. What do you know about family? What do ANY of you know about family?"

"I don't think I understand the question." Luther replied

"Of course you don't. Because you're all selfish, stunted, pathetic adults." You remarked spitefully "You don't view me as family. You guys only use the word family when you need something."

"That's not true. We're a family." Viktor retorted

"No you're not. You are a group of people who share a last name." You spat "You wouldn't know the first thing about family if it manifested as an entity and punched you in your fucking faces."

"(Y/N), you don't mean that..." Diego pleaded

God you were sick of these people! You said what you said and you meant it. They had no clue about what it meant to be a family. They had no respect for each other. They only ever came together to help each other when it was too late. You sacrificed everything for these people and none of them would do the same. They found out your parents died and they didn't care. They watched you struggle on the ground, bleeding and screaming, and they didn't step up. They saw all your friends vanish and offered no condolences. If you were in their shoes you would already been trying to help them, but they didn't care to do the same. You were done with them. Going on a tirade, you shouted,

"I DO! I treated you like family! I lost my parents, and friends, and the lives I built trying to help you all because I cared for you! I LOVED you! And besides my fucking boyfriend, who is the only one here who seems to care, none of you would do the same for me! The only one of you who ever genuinely treated me like family was Ben. And he's gone! I've lost EVERYTHING! I have NO FRIENDS! NO FAMILY! NO HOME! AND IT'S ALL YOUR FUCKING FAULTS! YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"

A heavy silence fell over the group as you caught your breath from yelling so much. To Allison, she didn't care much for your anger, you had no interest in finding her daughter so why should she care for your parents or friends? For Diego, this only worsened the heartbreak he already felt. He had failed you. And for Luther and Viktor, they felt like kids again, this aching feeling reminiscent of the day they realized you had disappeared along with Five. Their first friend, the first person who loved them for who they were, was lost again.

And then there was Five whose guilt had no bounds. He felt terrible seeing how upset you were, shameful that he couldn't prevent or change the events that led to this moment. The amount of pain you were going through was probably unimaginable, and even though you singled him out and separated him from his siblings as the only person who cared, he still felt guilty for his impact on your life. You had told him multiple times since he returned to you that you didn't blame him, but in a way, he was still the catalyst. That original time jump may have been an accident, but its impacts were very much real. You had put helping others first for so long that you never asked for help yourself. He wished he knew how to fix this. He had to find a way.

Turning on your heel once more, you started to make your way to the doors again. You were getting out of here and nothing was going to stop you this time. Except that's never how it goes, does it? Immediately as you started walking away you felt a minor molecular disturbance behind you and someone gently take your hand. You knew who it was. It was the only person who could break your conviction. The only person who could make you want to stay. Slowly, you turned around to look at Five. His green eyes filled with sadness and concern as he looked over you.

"Baby, please don't go." Five begged

God, why did he have to do this? Your heart ached looking at him. You never wanted your life with him to be like this. To be one filled with trials and tribulations. When you got real moments together everything was so beautiful, the world felt brighter, and your heart felt light. Why couldn't you just run away with him? Forget the world, cope with the pain of the kugel waves, and spend your last days together. Why did life have to be this way? Why couldn't you two just be happy? tears welled in your eyes once more as your strong composure quickly faltered.

"I can't do this..." you whispered, trying not to cry

"And I can't let you go..." Five replied desperately

"Th-that's not fair." You rebuked stuttering over your words "I-I let you go when I didn't want you to."

Five grasped your hand tighter. You were right, just a few days ago you were in his place begging him not to go, but let him anyway. He'd be a hypocrite to not let you do the same, but he just couldn't bring himself to do so. Looking you over, you were injured, bloodied, covered in gauze that was slowly turning red, and he knew for a fact you were not in a rational headspace. He couldn't blame you for any of it, the circumstances leading to this were out of your control, but his head was screaming at him to hold onto you.

"What if something happens?" Five questioned concerned "Another kugel wave and I'm not there to help you? What if you-"

Five stopped. He couldn't get the words out. He shut his eyes tightly as he tried to push the thought out of his mind, but it was haunting. He lost you once before, he wouldn't survive if it happened again.

Five's grip on your hand tightened even more and you could feel the way his hand trembled as it held yours. You held his hand tighter and with your other hand, you reached up and gently ran it through his hair pushing it out of his face before resting it on his cheek. Your thumb gently brushed back and forth against his skin. You watched as he leaned into your touch more, even if most of what he felt was the gauze on your hand. You hated seeing him so upset. Back and forth your brain fought between doing what would make you feel better and doing what would make him feel better. That was the issue with loving someone so deeply, so desperately, you could never stop thinking of them. Five was a constant thought in your mind and loving him was like breathing air. But this hotel, these people, it was suffocating you. Your head wasn't in a good space, but you knew you couldn't do both right now. You couldn't take care of yourself and Five. It was one or the other and you had to make a decision. Gently, you brought his face closer to yours and pressed your forehead against his.

"I need time, Five..." You whispered

"We don't have that." Five mumbled

"We never do." You quietly replied "But I still need it. I need to go."

Opening his eyes, Five saw the way you looked at him. Your gaze was gentle and sincere. Even through the chaos of your emotions, he knew that you still loved him. He could see it all over your face. And yet, that made him want to hold on tighter. Letting go of your hand, he wrapped his arms around your waist and held you close.

Resting your head on his shoulder you let out a sigh. You felt like your heart was breaking and part of you started thinking that maybe you should put up with his siblings and stay. But then you thought again, and you knew that if you didn't get the space to clear your head then you wouldn't be able to do anything going forward. It pained you but you needed your space. You had to go. Lifting your head, you looked at Five once more.

"Please don't make me use my powers." You pleaded, tears falling from your eyes "Don't force me to slip away."

Five had no choice. He had to let you go because no matter what you were going to leave. It was what you wanted. All that was up to him was if it was going to be amicably or regretfully. Loosening his hold on you, Five sighed,

"Okay..."

You took a step back out of Five's arms. It was a bittersweet feeling. You didn't want to leave him, but you appreciated that he respected your wishes. Yes, you were forcing his hand slightly, but it did still show he cared. You wanted to give him something though, something that could perhaps ease the worry you knew he was feeling. Summoning the sharpie you saw Lucas put down earlier, you popped the cap off before gently pushing up the sleeve of Five's jacket and shirt. On his arm, you wrote down the number to Viktoria's cell phone, which you now carried on you, adding a little heart after the final number. Putting the cap back on the marker, you placed it into his jacket pocket. Looking up at him you explained,

"If it's an emergency, if you really need me, call this number and I'll be back as soon as I can."

Part of him worried that this was the last time he'd see you. That he was making a huge mistake. But he loved you and he knew you loved him. You had always managed to find your way back to each other so he had to trust that you'd come back again. Taking your face in his hands, he kissed you desperately, like it was the last kiss you'd ever share. If you were leaving his side then he needed you to feel how much he loved you. But he had to trust that this wasn't the last time. He had to believe that his lips would meet yours again.

You pressed your lips firmly back against Five's, the tears you had cried making the kiss salty. Your heart didn't want to leave him, but your head knew that you wouldn't be able to help him going forward if you didn't. It wasn't pleasant, but you swore once your head was clear, you'd come straight back here and into his arms. It felt like hell, but you gathered the strength to pull away.

"I love you." You stated sincerely

"I love you too." Five quietly replied

And with that, you gave him one more kiss on the cheek before turning and walking to the doors. As you got to the revolving door though, you stopped and looked back at him to make sure he was still there. You loved him too much not to. You saw as he looked back at you and quietly mouthed the word go. With a small nod, you looked ahead and walked out the door of the Hotel Obsidian.

#the umbrella academy #tua #umbrella academy #five hargreeves #five hargreeves x reader #tua five hargreeves #five hargreeves fanfic

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kiwiana-writes · 3 months ago

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20 Questions for Fic Writers

A big ol' fuck you to @rmd-writes for the tag xoxo

1. How many works do you have an AO3? Lol. Lmao even. 289.

2. What's your total AO3 word count? 914,620 on AO3, but that includes co-writes as well as things I've podficced where the fic and pod are in the same work. My actual personally-written wordcount, per my Batshit Spreadsheet, is 771,819.

3. What fandoms do you write for? Mostly RWRB these days, though most of my back catalogue is Schitt's Creek. Also The Pairing and various other things scattered about.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Kinda think that I might be his type aka Alex and Bea fake date coming in at the top spot, which will never not bewilder me. Don't get me wrong, it's a lovely fic!! But I am always surprised that it was a few hundred more kudos than:

With so much of my heart (that none is left to protest), the Much Ado actors AU. My magnum opus, my beloved.

We were supposed to find this - baby's first soulmate AU and my first RWRB fic. The brainrot really took hold with this one lmao.

All the Lonely Starbucks Lovers, in which Henry takes 'open mouth insert foot' to a whole new level.

Warm like the glow that you feel head to toe, the age gap fic with older Senator Alex and younger Prince Henry. This is probably the only one in my top five that really surprises me, considering age gaps are... divisive.

5. Do you respond to comments? Always always always.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? I mean I did write that one MCD fic in Schitt's Creek, though I maintain the other five parts in that 5+1 are in fact angstier than the MCD ending.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? Uhhhhhhh, the rest? The Doylist answer is any of my fics where the HEA is literally forever rather than 'till death do us part'; so, the Schitt's Creek afterlife AU and the RWRB zombie!Alex AU. (Is that all? Am I forgetting one?)

8. Do you get hate on fics? Yeah, sometimes. Weirdly, more through tumblr anons than on the fics themselves? A lot of them I just delete, sometimes I'll give them a bit of a public scolding etc. Frankly at this point if you come into my ask box to be a cunt on anon I'm going to assume you have a public humiliation kink and will indulge you accordingly.

9. Do you write smut? Who's to say.

10. Do you write crossovers? I'm more inclined towards a fusion than a crossover (love a good media fusion) but I did write a short RWRB/The Pairing crossover for VoiceTeam.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not to my knowledge.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Someone did ask recently, so we'll see!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before? HEAPS. @ships-to-sail is an ongoing collaborator, but I also did a bunch of "each write a chapter" type collabs in Schitt's Creek. Currently co-writing something truly fucking incredible with @indestructibleheart.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? IDK if it's a WIP by the strictest definition, but every day the likelihood of the SC kink!verse series being completed slips further away lol.

16. What are your writing strengths? Rae, you're the worst.

Smut, I guess? Giving people new kinks, apparently. Character voice. Also a very specific type of world-building where I explain nothing because the characters already live in that world and let y'all infer how it works, which came up a LOT on one of this year's Kinktober fics in particular and led to my spouse saying "okay so you're basically the Brennan Lee Mulligan of tree fucking", which is sure not a sentence I expected to ever be directed towards me, but here we are.

17. What are your writing weaknesses? Anything original, apparently. Good thing I didn't quit my job to be a writer or anything OH WAIT.

(In all seriousness, though, I am genuinely shit at, like, plotting. And action sequences.)

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic? If it makes sense for the character, sure! I'm enlisting someone who speaks it for anything more complicated than, like, a pet name - I've seen what Google Translate tries to spit out for my second language and therefore don't trust it lmao.

19. First fandom you wrote for? terf queen mcgee's property.

20. Favourite fics you've written? The RWRB fic specifically based on the episode The Husbands of River Song from Doctor Who. Hands down the best thing I've ever written.

I also fucking LOVED the Much Ado actor AU. My love letter to Shakespeare and theatre and queer joy.

Tagging @blueeyedgrlwrites @cactusdragon517 @cricketnationrise @firenati0n @getmehighonmagic

@hgejfmw-hgejhsf @indestructibleheart @inexplicablymine @notspecialbabe @orchidscript

@piratefalls @sherryvalli @sparklepocalypse @stereopticons @whimsymanaged and, as always, anyone who wants to play!

#20 questions for fic writers #kiwiana-writes

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jsmelodies · 1 month ago

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2024 Fic Writer End of Year Roundup

Thank you for the tags, @popjunkie42 @littedidyouknow @crazy-ache @zencetera

Answer and then tag three or more creators to keep the game going!

(If you're in my answers consider yourself tagged if you'd like to play!!)

1. How many words did you publish on AO3 in 2024?

A nice 86k (I write slowly, y'all)

2. How many fics did you complete this year?

I finished my one multi chapter for Nessian week as well as a bunch of one shots!

3. How many in progress or ongoing fics did you start this year?

...too many. Four, I believe? And one that I may go back to👀

4. What was your favorite thing you wrote?

Definitely The Knight and His Witch! It was fun to escape canon for a bit, and it gave me some worldbuilding practice.

5. What piece was your most experimental or different from your usual style?

Oh that would have to be I'd Go Back to the Winter for @laxibbeb, for a lot of different reasons. I was playing around with a different ship (Elucien!!), and it's probably the wildest idea I've ever come up with.

6. Did any fics surprise you - either while writing or their reception?

The reception for Till the Dawn Breaks genuinely surprised me so much. Mostly because I wrote that within the span of 3-4 days, and wasn't sure if it was that good when I posted it.

And I try my best not to focus on stats, but that fic got so much engagement!

7. Do you have a fic you wrote and loved that went under the radar? (This is your sign to reblog/repost it!)

Yes, if you like Elucien, check out I'd Go Back to the Winter!

8. Who is an artist that inspired you?

So many! @laxibbeb @dustjacketdraws @climbthemountain2020 , and some of @podemechamardek's commissions!

9. Who is an author that inspired you?

@littedidyouknow - thank you for being you (and bullying me into finishing stuff)

Also I fear the 530k words you've written this year (can I steal some please)

10. Who is a new author you discovered?

I love all of you💕 @moodymelanist @c-e-d-dreamer @kale-theteaqueen @xxvalkyriesxx @wishcamper @unhealthyfanobsession @whyisaravenlike-awritingdesk @dustjacketmusings @underneath-the-sidras

Also @popjunkie42 @beesays @crazy-ache @foundress0fnothing and so many more!

(Technically some of these were late 2023 but I’m counting them)

11. Did you do any collaborations? How did it start?

Not yet!

12. What accomplishments are you proudest of?

Finishing my first multi chapter fic! And also getting involved with the fandom more.

13. What did you learn about writing or creating this year?

I've been working a lot on my descriptions and story telling, and it's been so rewarding getting specific comments about that.

And something I'm still learning - that the story I want to write might not always be the story someone else wants to read, and that's ok.

14. Any advice you’d like to share with new or aspiring writers?

To love your writing, in whatever stage it's at. It's so easy to hate our own work, especially when we first start out.

Sometimes I'll go back and read my old chapters. Is it a little choppy? Do I see now that there was room for it to improve? Yes, of course. And I'm sure I'll think the same a year from now. But our writing all starts somewhere, and my writing wouldn't be where it is now if I didn't keep going.

And that makes those earlier chapters a lot easier to love.

Also, remember this is supposed to be fun!

15. What are your creative goals for 2025?

Nothing specific really, I just want to keep working on the fics I already have going and start the new ones I've been planning for a while.

I also have some original work that's been sitting on the back burner for a while, and I'd love to return to it.

Not tagging anyone else but feel free to join!

#tag game

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sinner-sunflower · 1 year ago

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A HH Lucifer-centric AU 4/?

PART 1 , PART 2, PART 3, PART 5, PART 6, PART 7, PART 8, PART 9, PART 10, PART 11, PART 12, PART 13, PART 14, PART 15, PART 16, PART 17, PART 18, PART 19, PART 20, PART 21, PART 22

Thanks to your support, I am so committed to this. When I finish this, I plan to make it into a long, proper, one-shot- better format and everything!

I've been doing these chapters in the middle of work lmao, so if you see a typo or some edits, it's me rereading it after work.

I'm trying to include more Alastor but he's pretty hard to write.

I used Velvette so much here cos I love her as that bitch you love to hate. She is obviously the spokesperson of the Vees

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

The hotel lobby is filled with unbearable silence as hell's overlords and high members of the Ars Goetia arrive one by one.

Just a few hours ago, Alastor heard from Carmila Carmine that the king had called a meeting for the top ruling people of hell. Charlie doesn't know why her dad called for it in the hotel.

The Ars Goetia (minus Stolas) were whispering among themselves and shooting the sinner overlords dirty looks every now and again. The overlords were good at pretending they couldn't hear anything. Apparently, they at least have the sense to know that that would be a fight they cannot win.

The hotel's residents collectively claimed it as their spot. Husk is talking with Angel quietly, keeping him distracted and out of view of Valentino, Vaggie is holding her spear as she keeps a close eye on the strangers in their home, Nifty is obsessively cleaning a corner of the bar (Husk keeps telling her that it is still dirty just so she won't venture elsewhere), and Cherri is playing with an unlit bomb in her hand.

Rosie and Stolas decided to approach Charlie and Alastor at the bar at the same time, both slightly bowed to her.

Charlie: Prince Stolas. Rosie.

Stolas: Hello, princess.

Charlie: How's Octavia?

Stolas: Via misses your outings together. But she is fine. She's with her mother today.

Rosie: Not that I'm not happy to see ya, Alastor. But why exactly are we here? Our Carmila has not stated a reason why.

Alastor: You know as much as me, my dear.

Stolas: It must be dire. His majesty rarely calls for the Goetia's presence. He is not here yet?

Charlie: No. He went down in Sloth earlier. I'm worried. After what happened yesterday, I..

Rosie: Yesterday? Did something happen, sweetie?

Charlie realizes the slip up and backtracks.

Charlie: Nothing, Rosie!

Rosie gives her a look that tells her they're going to be talking about it later. She gives the overlord a weak thumbs up.

Meanwhile, Velvette decides enough is enough and they have wasted too much time waiting.

Velvette: Ugh! Vois, let's go. This is a fuckin' joke.

Carmila: Velvette, calm yourself.

Valentino: Why should she? I had very important shit to shoot today and me being here is making me lose money.

Alastor: Then perhaps you should step down. Having to attend the bare minimum duty of their title must be so difficult for someone so... undeserving.

The Radio Demon has a giant patronizing grin plastered on his face. Alastor's comment prompted Vox to speak up.

Vox: Oh, you timely piece of shit! Fight us right now, Alastor!

Alastor: How unbecoming. Throwing tantrums in front of royalty!

Velvette: I for one, don't want to sit here waiting for a no-show fossil

Charlie's demon side flares as the demon insults her dad.

Charlie: How fucking dare you?!

Random Goetia: You shall know better than to disrespect your king, insolent pest.

Velvette: Ha! You think we're scared of a bunch of birds?

Alastor: Should have known you three cannot behave for a simple meeting haha!

Soon everyone was yelling obscenities at each other, filling the hotel with chaos. Before a proper fight could break out, the door opens with a bang, silencing every demon.

Lucifer has arrived, following him were the other Sins. They were arguing amongst themselves from behind him. Charlie can only catch glimpses of what is being said as voices overlap each other.

Beelzebub: Bel-

Mammon: Are you fuckin-

Satan: Wrath is-

Leviathan: We cannot-

Asmodeus: Evacuation-

Belphegor: Grown another mile-

Lucifer says nothing the entire time and just takes a seat in the middle of the semi-circle table he conjured up. With the way the table was placed in front of everyone else, Charlie gets the feeling of deja vu of her hearing in heaven. But now her dad will be the one passing judgment.

Most of the sinners in the room back up as the Sins continue to argue with their full form.

Lucifer sits back and raises a hand and the yelling stops.

Back then, she never really understood why demons were afraid of her dad. He was always a silly and happy guy when spending time with her. But one time, she sneaks into his rare meetings with the Sins and sees why he was called the devil.

The anger she saw then could have given her Uncle Satan a run for Uncle Mammon's money.

Lucifer: Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I will cut to the chase. I have called you all here because something is brewing at the very depths of hell. Something that may affect us all.

Stolas: The Ars Goetia is at your disposal, sire. But may I ask what is this about?

Belphegor: I can answer that. A few months ago, an anomaly appeared at the edge of Sloth. It was not a problem until-

She pressed her touchpad and a hologram screen appeared showing the infected ground.

Not a single demon didn't widen their eyes.

Angel: What the fuck is that?

Belphegor: We wouldn't have called you all here if it was not this severe.

She taps and shows a mutilated demon pig.

Belphegor: This is Patient Zero. An animal on a nearby farm made contact with the anomaly. It instantly infected the whole body, controlling the creature whilst killing it slowly. If it can affect an animal like this, we fear what it may do to-

Velvette: And what do you expect us to do about it exactly? Why the fuck would we care about some old place we can't even go to.

Belphegor is briefly stunned by the interruption but ignores the sinner's disrespect.

Belphegor: Because you would have to be naive to think that it will stop in Sloth. We cannot be too careful.

Velvette: So you think we would risk our lives? Yeah. No thanks. How do we even know that it will affect us? It's just a pig. The worst we can get is horrible floor decor.

Lucifer stands up and moves silently towards the middle for everyone to see.

Lucifer: Free will does not mean you are free from consequences.

The king starts to remove his shirt to everyone's panic, except Belphegor.

Mammon: Woah woah, mate. The fuck ya doin?

Lucifer shrugs off the last piece of clothing to reveal the glowing, infected marks. It has not been a day since he touched it but the veins are already covering the entire right half of his torso.

Charlie: Dad!

The princess attempts to go to her father's side but Vaggie holds her back.

Lucifer: Shall we proceed without any more interruptions?

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

What to look forward to in Part 5:

the rest of the meeting

more dialogue from the other Sins. Cannot decide what personality to give to Leviathan.

My HC for Satan is he's like one of those old butler types but has a jacked body (I know he has that workout app, but I'm leaning more of the liver king type of a gentle strongman with anger issues. I don't want him to be a fuckboy gymbro)

more badass lucifer

the Vees getting scolded like the children they are

128 notes · View notes

dollystuartwrites · 3 months ago

Text

Stray Gods - Chapter 50

Pairing: Gods!OT8 x !F!Reader Genre: romance, friends to lovers, polyamory, mystery, supernatural, angst, fluff, smut Wordcount: 5120 Chapters: [1] - [2] - [3] - [4] - [5] - [6] - [7] - [8] - [9] - [10] [11] - [12] - [13] - [14] - [15] - [16] - [17] - [18] - [19] - [20] [21] - [22] - [23] - [24] - [25] - [26] - [27] - [28] - [29] - [30] [31] - [32] - [33] - [34] - [35] - [36] - [37] - [38] - [39] - [40] [41] - [42] - [43] - [44] - [45] - [46] - [47] - [48] - [49] - [50] [51] - [52]- [53] - [54] - [55] - [?] MASTERLIST Summary: With no memory of who you were, you wake up in the woods, only to be found by eight unusually handsome men. With no information of the past, the guys decide to take you in and take care of you for the time being. But that time becomes years, and as time passes, you start to notice that there is something different about them... and something different about you... Warnings: angst, praise, thigh riding, kissing, fingering, overstimulation, lovebites, bad/miscommunication, low self-esteem, swearing, name-calling, dry humping, college, degradation, gods, special powers, vaginal sex, oral sex (f&m), mentions of contraception (condoms&thepill), injuries, mentions of death (but no character deaths), virgin!reader, teasing, orgasms, poly relationship, semi-public sex, daddy kink, strength kink, grinding, I've probably forgotten some, so let me know if I did and I will add more as the story progresses.

Taglist: @eastleighsblog @tangerminie @swittyregan @septicrebel @jiimout @zandra-42@julciaqwerty @vampcharxter @mercurezed @thatgirlangelb @cookiemonstermusic258 @stayconnecteed @bubblelixie @smilingtokki@hash2013 @juskz Want to be added or did I miss you? Just send me an ASK or DM

Lots of love and many thanks to my current beta’s from Wattpad: rocker7898 and sydneye2411. You guys made my writing so much better <3

‘So, I guess we won’t have any more privacy at all now,’ you said, clicking your tongue half annoyed and half amused.

‘Did we ever?’ Chan chuckled as he yawned and stretched his arms above his head. You had all been sitting at the dining table for dinner as Han told everyone about his newfound power.

‘But didn’t you already kinda have this power?’ Jeongin asked, leaning back in his chair. ‘I mean I remember you saying that you could know who was where by “listening to the grass” or something.’

‘No but this is different,’ Han said excitedly as he wiggled from side to side on his chair. ‘This is more like… Like x-ray vision or something,’ Han tried to explain. Jeongin crossed his arms over his chest, covering himself and looking indignantly. Han rolled his eyes.

‘It isn’t like that, and besides, it’s nothing I haven’t seen before,’ Han said, annoyed.

‘So how does it work again?’ Minho asked, having finished his dinner like everyone else, but still holding his chopsticks thoughtlessly in his hand.

‘It doesn’t seem to come from plants this time,’ Han said, enthusiastically turning to Minho to explain it once more. ‘And normally I kinda just get “told” the information, but I don’t see anything. But this is different! I can literally look at a floor or a wall, and-’ he said as he looked at the kitchen wall, ‘it’s like it's not even there. I can just see outside, or down, or into a room, as if there are no walls or floors at all.’ Han explained. ‘It feels like… The earth's vibrations itself are within me now and-’ Han went on.

‘Yeah, I gotta go to work,’ Hyunjin interrupted, getting up from his chair and acting like he wasn’t impressed. You knew full well that Hyunjin was very happy for Han and had heard him congratulate his friend as soon as Han had told him, but you also knew he could get a bit tired when Han was in one of his “zones”.

Han continued to talk about his powers with some of the boys as Hyunjin, Jeongin, and Chan one by one left the table for work.

However, as Jeongin bade you goodbye, you noticed him acting a little off and being a bit short with you.

It was only when he shut the front door behind himself that you realized why. After all, you hadn’t been too nice to him when you found out Han was sick. It had been unreasonable of you to react the way you had towards him, even though you had been emotional at the time.

For a moment, you thought about going after him, but you quickly changed your mind.. Although you wanted nothing more than to apologize as soon as possible, doing so at his work might not be the right moment or setting. You made a mental note for yourself to come up with a good apology before you got up from the table to help Changbin with the dishes.

‘Have you heard anything from Seungmin yet?’ you asked Changbin as he rinsed the dishes and handed them to you to put in the dishwasher. Changbin sucked in some air between his teeth.

‘He contacts us every now and then,’ he said thoughtfully, tapping the temples of his head to indicate that it was via mindreading. ‘But he’s being a bit… vague?’ Changbin said, frowning. You looked at him with raised brows. ‘Hm, I’m not sure,’ Changbin shrugged indifferently. ‘You know how Seungmin can get, especially when he’s at work. He won’t explain much. But I think he might’ve found something unexpected or unusual,’ Changbin said thoughtfully, handing you some empty dirty cups.

‘What makes you think that?’ You asked curiously.

‘Well, he should’ve been back already, but it’s been days. He won’t stay out there just because, especially not when you’re here,’ he added, poking you playfully on your cheek with a wet finger.

Changbin’s words made you curious as to what Seungmin would have found in the stars, but you knew it would be of no use asking him until he returned home.

Trying to suppress the wild fantasies of dangerous asteroids, external lifeforms, and new planets, you decided to join the boys for a good old-fashioned evening in front of the TV, watching ridiculous reality programs while sitting on their laps.

The dark ceiling of your bedroom seemed to stare down at you. The longer you lay in bed, the more you felt guilty towards Jeongin and how you behaved towards him. You felt restless but seemed to be unable to come up with an apology that would rectify your inexcusable behavior towards him.

Anxious, you sat up in bed, chewing on your lip as you looked around in the dark.

Shit.

How did you always manage to make things right and at the same time screw up something else?

You slid out of bed but stopped when you stood beside it. Everyone had long gone to sleep by now. You knew Felix had an early shift tomorrow, and Han and Minho already hadn’t gotten much sleep lately. And although Changbin was a great listener, he wasn’t really one to give out advice. You wished Chan were home, as he always knew what to do or say or how to fix or settle things. But you hadn’t heard him come home yet. Nor Hyunjin or Jeongin himself for that matter.

You looked over at the alarm clock. It was only 2 o’clock. Jeongin wouldn’t be home until four at the earliest. You pressed your lips together, thinking, but nothing seemed to come to mind.

Restlessly your feet started to move, small steps in the direction of your door. Quietly, you left your room, your mind feeling like it was a high-speed train, racing by, but the train seemed to be empty somehow and the destination seemed to be nonexistent.

You sighed as your feet stopped in front of Jeongin’s door. You weren’t sure what you were doing there as he wasn’t home anyway, but the guilt gnawing at you wanted to be in his presence any way it could be as if simply being where he usually was could fix things. Even though you knew it couldn't.

Quietly, you opened the door to his room. Even in the dark, you could see it was a bit messy but you had never minded that. Carefully and silently you tiptoed around the pieces of clothing, shoes, and sneakers, and even a few workout instruments until you reached his bed.

The sheets were unmade and his pillows were slumped on top of each other. Trying to think of something to say when he would eventually come back, you started mindlessly making his bed, a task you usually didn’t even like to do for your own bed.

By the time you were done the only sentence that you had thought to say was:

“I’m sorry, I’m a dumb jackass sometimes.”

It clearly didn’t seem to be a good apology.

You sighed, annoyed with yourself, and took a deep breath inward. Jeongin’s soft scent entered your nose and seemed to calm you down a little. You breathed again, his smell warming your heart and making you feel at home. You blinked slowly as exhaustion started to creep up on you. As Jeongin usually used his phone as his alarm clock, there was nowhere you could tell the time. You yawned and your feet took a step towards the bed again.

I want to stay.

Yawning again, and deciding that thinking would be something that was better left to tomorrow, you thoughtlessly got into the bed. Pulling the covers over yourself high, you felt like you were wrapped in him, his warmth and smell seeming to hug you. You allowed yourself to close your eyes for a moment…

‘Y/n?’ A gentle voice whispered. With difficulty, you opened your eyes, but there was nothing much to see except for darkness.

‘Hm?’ You hummed, too sleepy to make another sound.

‘Hey baby, what are you doing in my bed?’ Jeongin’s voice asked softly and with a chuckle.

You frowned for a moment trying to think hard, but your brain was foggy and only choppy sentences seemed to come to you.

‘I am sorry,’ you uttered with difficulty, closing your eyes again. You could feel his hand on your cheek, cupping it, as another was laid on top of your head.

‘What? Why? You don’t have to be sorry that you’re in my bed,’ he chuckled softly. But even with your sleepy brain, you realized that he misunderstood your words.

‘No… I… know…’ you mumbled sleepily. You could feel a finger stroking your forehead, making it even harder to stay awake and tell him what you needed to.

‘Then why are you sorry?’ Jeongin’s hushed voice laughed.

‘I… was mean… Sorry…’ you mumbled with difficulty. The hand on your forehead stopped and stilled for a moment before both hands were pulled back. The sudden coldness made you open your eyes again.

You could only just make out Jeongin’s features in the darkness as he sat beside you, his face level with yours. But it was too dark to make out his expression. Suddenly he bent over to you, kissing you on the forehead with soft lips, lingering for a moment, and causing you to close your eyes once more.

‘It’s alright baby. I love you. I’m over it.’

You inhaled again. His scent was warm, just like his voice.

You could feel the covers being pulled up as he slipped into the bed beside you.

‘Come here,’ he whispered as you felt his arms wrapping around you. You nuzzled your face into his chest, one of your arms around his waist and the other against his heart, which you could feel beating through his shirt. The rhythm of it was all it took for you to fall asleep once more.

A small ray of light was peeking through the curtains when you opened your eyes. You looked over at Jeongin beside you, no longer holding you but fast asleep. His golden hair was a mess and the pillows that you put back neatly last night were already scattered all over again. You smiled. All was well again.

You turned around towards his nightstand to search for his phone. As usual, it was on the charger and you tapped the screen to see the time.

09:30

FUCK

Your panic mode was instantly activated. You shot up from the bed, quickly looking around to make sure you hadn’t woken Jeongin, but he still seemed to be sleeping deeply.

As fast and as quietly as you could, you tiptoed out of his room.

As soon as you closed the door behind you, you threw all caution to the wind. You ran up the stairs back to your room, changing as fast as you could while at the same time trying to wash your face, comb your hair, and brush your teeth. Breakfast would have to wait ‘till lunch.

You grabbed your bag from your desk, not bothering to check whether everything you would need was inside, and sprinted out of the door down the stairs again only to stop in the living room. The house seemed to be deserted. For a moment, you considered waking up Jeongin so he could teleport you to school, but you knew he’d refuse, as it would be too risky to get caught.

Shit

You ran out of the door, closing it behind you and looking at the driveway. All the cars had gone. You cursed Han and Minho for not waking you up this morning, knowing that Han, with his newfound X-ray vision, knew perfectly well that you had still been in the house, asleep with Jeongin.

There was nothing to it. Public transport it had to be. Which would take ages…

Mumbling all the curse words you had learned in your past four years on this earth, you stomped out of the classroom.

‘Well, good morning to you too little miss sunshine,’ Adam’s voice caught you by surprise.

You turned around to face him and simply nodded.

‘Wow okay, bad day?’ He asked, seeing your miserable face.

‘You can say that again,’ you huffed, turning around again to follow the masses towards the school lunchroom.

‘Oh boy,’ Adam chuckled. He walked over to you, putting an arm around your shoulder in a friendly manner. ‘Wanna tell Auntie Adam about it?’ He said in a high-pitched pitched sugary voice.

‘You know those days where nothing seems to go right?’ You asked as you walked with him. Adam nodded, taking his arm off your shoulder and listening to you seriously now. ‘Yeah, well today is one of those days,’ you grumbled.

‘What happened?’ Adam asked, as you entered the lunch room and found a place to sit.

‘I overslept,’ you began.

‘Don’t you have like six roommates who could wake you?’ He said, raising a brow.

‘Eight, but yes, and they didn’t, even though two of the fuckers work here,’ you said teeth clenched irritably as you scanned the room, hoping to see them, but they were nowhere to be found.

‘But skipping a few classes isn’t too bad, right?’ Adam asked, trying to console you but failing. You looked at him sharply.

‘It wouldn’t be normally, BUT,’ you began, as you inhaled deeply, readying yourself to unleash your annoyance. ‘No one was home and all the cars were gone so I had to take public transport, but then I couldn’t find my card so I had to pay with cash, but this stupid-ass bus driver was being difficult and everything, claiming that they didn’t accept cash anymore and he kicked me off! Then I had to wait for the next bus that did accept cash, but then that bus got stranded with a flat tire. Like when does a bus ever get a flat tire?! So I had to walk the last twenty freaking minutes, with this damned weather, before I finally got here. And when I finally got here I remembered that today we would have a guest lecture by some upper-class whats-it for Mr. Kang’s class and that it would last the entire freaking day. And I don’t know if you ever had Mr. Kang, but I’ve never met anyone with a stick up his arse as big as his so of course when I came in three hours too late to his class he gave me shit for it in front of the entire class and of course, he managed to give us an essay to write that I probably won’t be able to finish before I retire, but it has to be finished in two weeks.’

‘Wow,’ Adam said quietly, looking at you with large eyes. ‘Yeah, that sounds like kind of a shitty morning indeed.’ You rolled your eyes at him and stuck out your tongue.

‘Actually,’ he began, bending over and rummaging in his bag, seeming to look for something, ‘I was saving these for Sera, but I think you need it more right now. Ah got it,’ he said. He pulled out what seemed to be an opaque plastic bag. You looked at it curiously. ‘These, my friend, are bonbons from my home country. Best chocolate you’ll ever have, and guaranteed to make your day a little less shitty,’ he said with a grin and a wink. You sighed, but took a chocolate out of the bag he was holding and put it in your mouth just to entertain him.

He wasn’t lying though, the chocolates were extraordinarily tasty.

‘Right?’ he grinned when he saw your surprised face. You nodded approvingly at him.

‘But how have you been?’ you asked, not wanting to be reminded of your annoyances anymore and hoping for some distraction.

‘Fine,’ Adam shrugged, popping a chocolate in his own mouth as well. ‘My mom has been urging me to take Sera to the upcoming family dinner, but Sera isn’t really feeling up to it,’ he said, scrunching his nose, causing the scar on his face to become even more distorted.

‘Why not?’ you asked interested, happy to talk about something else.

‘It’s not that she doesn’t like my family or anything, but my parents have the habit of reverting to our native language whenever it’s just the family. They just kinda seem to forget she’s there or something, or they might think she's such a part of the family that they forget she doesn't speak our language,’ Adam explained.

Adam and you spoke a while about him and his family, their traditions and habits, which now and then differed quite a bit from yours. The conversation started to shift to a new subject when suddenly you felt a tingle on the back of your neck. Automatically, you shifted your eyes away from Adam, looking over his shoulder. Two familiar figures entered the cafeteria.

Minho’s unmistakable gray hair always gathered a lot of attention whenever he appeared somewhere public in the school. He was talking with Han casually, ignoring all the girls who instantly came running at the two of them, asking them all kinds of questions.

For some reason, you could feel your heartbeat increase, your cheeks suddenly glowing.

Minho and Han finally stopped talking when two girls went to stand in front of them blocking their way. You had no way of hearing what they were saying, but it was clear Han responded to them in a friendly but definitive way, which made the girls nod and smile, but cleared the way for the two men.

Your eyes felt like they were glued to the two of them. The urge to get up and go over to them was overwhelming, but for some reason, you couldn’t seem to move. Your stomach seemed to be fluttering as you stared after them while they disappeared out of view again.

‘Hello? Y/n?’ Adam's voice suddenly sounded loud as he snapped his fingers in front of your face. You looked at him startled. ‘You okay?’ he asked worriedly. You blinked a few times as he looked at you with a frown. ‘Your face is all red,’ he noted, unsure.

‘What? Oh sorry, I was just daydreaming,’ you said quickly, unsure about what had just happened.

‘You sure?’ Adam asked worriedly, looking at you inquisitively.

‘You really are starting to sound like Auntie Adam, you know,’ you teased him, trying to get the attention away from yourself. This time it was his turn to click his tongue and roll his eyes at you, but he chuckled.

‘Well, as I was saying before you so rudely decided to check out of the conversation, Sera told me about, well you know,’ he said, suddenly sounding a bit awkward.

‘What?’ you asked, trying to remember what he said but not getting it yet.

‘The erm, boyfriend situation,’ he said, lowering his voice, and looking around to see if anyone heard.

‘Dude, if you’re going to be this awkward about it, I’m not telling Sera anything ever again,’ you said annoyed.

‘No!’ he protested quickly, ‘It’s not that I’m awkward about it. It's fine, great!’ he said quickly. You pursed your lips and pulled up your brows. ‘I’m sorry okay?’ he sighed. ‘I’m really not good with these kinds of things. You know how awkward I can be sometimes. It’s just- I- I guess I just have to get used to the idea, or something,’ he said sheepishly. ‘It’s not like I think it’s weird or anything,’ he added hastily after seeing your face. ‘It’s just, you have to admit it’s not something you encounter every day, and they are your roommates too, so I don’t know…’ he said awkwardly.

‘It’s fine,’ you assured him. ‘I understand it’s unusual and might be awkward for some people. I mean, I didn’t tell you in the first place either because I understand it’s kind of weird. I sure don’t really like other people knowing, but I hope you guys can be cool with it,’ you added, feeling slightly insecure.

‘I’m cool with it,’ Adam said quickly. ‘As long as you’re happy, all’s good right?’

‘I am,’ you said with a smile.

‘By the way, about that double date with me and Sera, I totally get it if you don’t want to go, you know,’ he added a little softer.

‘You know you’re saying all the wrong things, don’t you?’ you told him dryly. Adam slapped himself on the good side of his face.

‘Let me rephrase that; I would totally love to do that double date with you and your- your boyfriends, but I hope you don’t feel pressured. I know what Sera’s like,’ he explained.

‘That’s better,’ you chuckled. ‘I have to admit, the idea felt a little scary at first, but now that I think about it, I think it could actually be quite nice.’

Adam smiled and nodded at your response as the bell finally rang. You groaned.

‘I guess it’s back to another few hours of guest lecture hell,’ you sighed.

‘Here, take these,’ Adam said, handing you the bag of bonbons, 'at least you’ll have something to snack on.’

‘What about Sera?’ you asked, taking the bag from him.

‘I’ll just ask my parents to bring more next month when they’re back. Just don’t tell her you got them from me and she’ll never know,’ he said, getting up and swinging his bag over his shoulder. ‘Oh, and don’t get caught snacking in class, either.’

There was a knock on the door of your room.

‘Hm?’ you said, not looking up from the book on your messy desk. As soon as you had gotten home, you sprinted in a straight line to your room. Although the day had been hell and the guest lecture boring, something the guest said had triggered an idea for your essay for Mr. Kang, and you were eager to get it done as fast as possible.

You had already been sitting at your desk for quite a few hours, studying, reading, and researching for the paper frantically, hoping the hyperfocus would last as long as it could.

You could hear the door opening. Even without looking up, you knew who it was immediately. His scent instantly seemed to intoxicate you, but you refused to let it take over, staring fiercely at the page of your book.

‘Are you coming down to eat?’ Chan asked you, staying in the doorway. You prayed he wouldn’t come in, knowing you’d truly lose all focus and not knowing when you’d be able to continue again.

‘Maybe later,’ you grumbled, eyes still fiercely locked on a word you suddenly couldn’t read anymore. The urge to look over at him was pulling at you hard, and you had to press your lips together to stay focused.

‘You know you do have to eat something baby,’ Chan said softly. His voice was so sweet, so low and caring. You wanted him to come over to you, to touch you.

Get it together!

‘Later,’ you repeated forcefully, closing your eyes now.

‘Alright, but promise you’ll take good care of yourself, okay?’ he added kindly. You could only nod.

It was only when you heard the door close behind you that you dared to open your eyes and breathe again.

What the hell was going on with you?

You hadn’t been like this since you found out you were a goddess. Why was your body acting so… immature?

You shook your head wildly.

No. This was not the time to think about these things. You had to focus. You had to get as far as possible with that paper, knowing there would be no way you would be able to finish it properly on time otherwise.

You put the questions out of your head and forced yourself to re-read the page until your focus returned.

An odd pain in your neck woke you up. You lifted your head slowly, feeling the muscle in your neck had been in the wrong position for too long. Looking down, you saw all the scattered papers and books you had used earlier. You checked your laptop quickly, but the file was fine and saved. Annoyed at yourself that you had somehow fallen asleep while writing the paper, you got up from your desk and stretched. Instantly, you felt your stomach rumble.

Crap, you forgot to eat.

You looked over at the time on your computer, noticing it was already nighttime. You hesitated for a second, feeling tired and wanting to go to sleep properly in your bed. But you had promised Chan to eat something and your stomach was probably rumbling too loud for you to be able to sleep anyway. Deciding there was no other option, you quietly left your room, not wanting to wake any of the others. On your tiptoes, you made your way to the top of the stairs to go down until-

‘That long?!’ you heard Jeongin say shocked. You stopped to listen.

‘Shut up,’ you heard Chan’s voice hiss at him. ‘You’ll wake her.’

‘Sorry but, why does it matter? She’ll find out anyways,’ Hyunjin said with a dry chuckle.

‘Yeah, it’s not like we can really hide it when it happens,’ Changbin added.

‘That’s exactly the reason why,’ Chan argued, ‘We can’t hide it so we’ll have to keep her safe.’

‘You really expect her to not notice anything during the entire solstice?’ Minho scoffed.

‘We’ll just have to try and avoid her as much as we can,’ Chan said, starting to sound a bit desperate.

‘She’s our Goddess, Chan, we can’t hide from her,’ Minho objected.

‘Besides, who says it won’t affect her either?’ Seungmin suddenly chimed in.

Your heart made a little jump at the sound of his voice. You had missed him more than you had admitted to yourself and were overjoyed to hear his voice again. But something told you to stay put. They all seemed to be downstairs, talking about something important, but what you didn’t quite understand yet. And what was more, they were planning on not telling you. Slowly you crouched down, sharpening your ears.

‘Actually, that’s quite a good point,’ Felix said thoughtfully.

‘I’ll contact Namjoon about it. See if he or Lady can tell us more,’ Chan said quickly.

‘Are you going to tell them you’ll keep it from her too?’ Minho said prodding.

‘She has the right to know, Chan.’ Changbin agreed. More agreeing voices sounded. The sound of a chair being pushed back entered your ears.

‘We have to keep her safe,’ Chan said, his voice sounding authoritative but desperate. ‘Changbin, how many times did we have to put out fires last solstice? And Seungmin, how many storms did you cause last time? Nearly flooded the country for heaven’s sake,’ he growled. A grumble could be heard from both parties. ‘And I don’t even want to think of what Felix or Hyunjin would do to her…’ Chan added, his voice sounding worried.

A snort could be heard.

‘You think this is funny?’ Chan asked sharply.

‘Not really,’ Minho sounded casually. ‘But it does sound a little silly, don’t you think?’

‘Why so?’ Chan asked, his voice a dangerous and cold calmness.

‘Well, have we ever harmed each other during a solstice?’ Minho asked simply. It was silent for a minute.

‘Not really, but-’ Chan began but he got caught off.

‘Precisely. We haven’t. I know you keep going on about her supposedly fragile human side and all, but you keep forgetting she is a goddess. Our goddess. And the solstice only amplifies. Meaning her goddess will be amplified as well,’ Minho argued.

‘We don’t know that yet, though,’ Seungmin spoke. ‘For all we know she might not be affected at all, I think we should just-’

‘Han,’ Chan suddenly interrupted.

‘Wh-what?’ Han replied, startled.

‘What are you looking at?’ Chan asked sharply. Your heart stopped. You had totally forgotten about Han’s newfound X-ray powers and there was no way he hadn’t seen you crouching here on top of the stairs. Your body froze up as you waited for his reply.

‘Nothing. There was a mosquito on the ceiling,’ Han said quickly.

‘Felix?’ Chan said authoritatively.

‘Look, if I gotta keep up with every living ant that crawls around here I’d go mad,’ Felix said defensively.

Chan sighed and it was silent again for a moment. You thanked Han and Felix for not ratting you out but wondered why they kept your secret.

‘Look,’ he began in a softer tone, ‘I don’t like it either, but as Seungmin said, the solstice is coming earlier than he had calculated. We’ve talked about a contingency plan when we first took her in, but we never got around to it and now we're running out of time. So all I’m asking is to just give me some time to figure this out,’ Chan proposed.

There was some soft mumbling and you could hardly make out their intentions.

‘We all want to keep her safe right?’ Chan asked. Everyone hummed agreeingly. ‘Then let’s just keep our distance until I’ve heard back from Namjoon, okay?’ Chan suggested.

‘Even us?’ Jeongin said. You figured he would be pointing at some of the members.

‘Our powers are amplified but also unbalanced. We can’t take any risks,’ Chan said determinately.

There was silence again for a bit.

‘So when will you go?’ Han asked after a minute.

‘I have to work tonight,’ Chan answered. ‘But as soon as I’m done I will go to them.’

‘So it’ll just be for tomorrow morning then, the distance thing?’ Jeongin said hopefully.

‘There are no guarantees they have answers for us. I don’t know if they experience solstices like we do, or how many they’ve had. Let alone how many they’ve had with Lady. We might be in the same line of work, but we’re still very different from them,’ Chan argued.

‘Then what if they don’t have an answer?’ Changbin asked the same question that was on your mind.

Chan didn’t answer.

The sound of wind dispersing in a small room could be heard. Your body seemed to unfreeze and as quick as you could you tiptoed back to your room.

Closing the door behind you, you let yourself fall on your bed, turning to face the ceiling, your hunger from earlier completely disappeared.

You felt somewhat dizzy as the conversation you just overheard replayed itself over and over in your head, two words especially lingering with a dangerous tinge to it.

The solstice.

#fanfic #stray gods #fan fiction #fanfiction #stray kids #skz #straykids #bang chan #hwang hyunjin #lee minho

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vibratingskull · 7 months ago

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Yandere Thrawn x F!reader chapter 12

Yandere AU - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11

Tags : Yandere behaviors (duh), gaslighting, funerals

“It is with a heavy heart that we have to say goodbye to two of our esteemed colleagues.” Thrawn ceremoniously says, in front of two coffins in the grand hangar of the Chimaera, “Those two women accomplished their duty with diligence, uprightness, and more than anything, with an undying loyalty to the Empire. We can only strive to do as well as them.” He concludes.

He advances and leaves a single rose on each of the coffins. They are both empty, but the gathering behind him doesn’t know it. One coffin for the Captain promptly expelled in the cold and never-ending night of the universe and one for you, carefully hidden in his suite, paralyzed and powerless.

All your colleagues are here for a last homage to two women who strived to accomplish their duties each day with righteousness. Only Thrawn knows the truth about you two. “Farewell, Ma’ams.” He finishes and everyone bows to your coffins.

The coffins are taken to the furnace of the Chimaera and the gathering spreads in little groups, discussing about you or what this ceremony inspired them. Thrawn sneakily steals a third rose in the bouquets displayed and walks calmly among the cells, accepting greetings and congratulations as he walks by before joining the little group of officers that beat you up. The group is strangely silent contrary to all the others, still uneasy, like they could be discovered now.

“Gentlemen, Ladies. My congratulations.” He says, his hard gaze traveling from one face to the other wincing with more or less discomfort. “You have executed your last mission with brio. You can be proud of yourself.”

But they aren’t. In their eyes they killed two of their colleagues and nothing will be able to take that weight off their shoulders. Not even Thrawn. That is well, he doesn’t care if nightmares prevent them from sleeping at night. “I know this is little consolation, but you have my gratitude.”, “Thank you, Grand Admiral.” one of them mutters. “Just know you have done the right thing,” he assures them before approaching Faro who stayed in the doorway.

“You did not want to see the ceremony from a better point of view?” He asks, curious. “No.” She responds with a somber tone, “I do not deserve it. I was a bad friend to (F/n)...”, “How so?”, “I turned my back on her when she needed my help the most. I did not believe her when she proclaimed her innocence to me. This is unforgivable.” She lowers her head, clearly disappointed in herself. “The false proves were convincing. I, myself, had some difficulty separating facts from fiction.” He consoles her, but she hears none of it. “Still! I should have known, I should have believed her no matter what. And now I can’t even say sorry.”, “I am sure Lieutenant Commander (f/n) would not hold it against you. Raise your head, Commodore. Do not let it hold you down, I need you ready and alert.”, “Yes, Grand Admiral.” she acquiesces but her heart isn’t into it. “Do not be too hard on yourself. You have done what was expected of a Commodore in your hard situation. You can be proud of yourself.”, “Thank you, Grand Admiral. What are you going to do with that rose?” She tilts her head. “This little thing? My suite could use some rose fragrance.” He answers enigmatically. If Karyn didn’t know him well she would have thought he sadistically smiled. But she does know him well, he isn’t like that!

Thrawn walks silently in the corridors, inhaling the scent of the red flower pressed against his nose. He will give you that rose. He will command you a proper large bouquet later, for now, he will offer you that single flower, red like his heart beating for you.

You gave him so much pleasure yesterday you deserve a gorgeous bouquet! He also started looking into the housing market and he found some properties on some isolated planets, some charming little cottages away from towns and villages. With a big garden for you to lazily bask in the sun, to do some gardening if you so wish, but mostly for his children to play. He can’t wait to meet them, to see them running around you two and doing cartwheels in the green grass.

He wants a big tree to install a swing for them to play, a pool for you to relax on a deck chair to read, and a patio to eat under the sun with the family when the good days finally arrive. He wants a large family.

He wants children with you! He wants to see you round and swollen with his babies.

He keeps fantasizing about his future domestic life when he reaches his suite. He immediately heads towards his bedroom where you obediently await his return every day. “Hello, Cha’cah.” He greets you with a smile.

You are hidden under the covers, recoiling in a ball. Still and mute. If he couldn’t read your heat signals he could think you were dead. He sits on the edge of the bed, laying his hand on your hidden shoulder and gently squeezes it, “Stop hiding, Ch’acah. Let me see your face.”

As you refuse to move he grips the cover’s hem and pulls on it, revealing your face to his eyes. How beautiful you are, all pouty like that! You grumble and immediately try to hide your face again.

You cannot face him.

Not after what happened yesterday. You are still in shock.

He chuckles and pulls more on the cover, “Come on, now. Do you intend to deprive me of your ravishing face?” He demands and immediately leans in to kiss your cheek. You do not respond to the kiss, forcing your eyes shut, slightly trembling.“I have a little present for you.” He takes a little lick at your cheek and takes the rose off behind his back.

You remain mute and eyes shut. He brushes the rose under your nose making you sneeze and finally react. You hesitantly take the rose between your hands while he kisses your temple.

He is so happy! You’ve made such progress in your relationship! You desire him as much as he desires you now, craving each other's presence. He wants to hug you all day long, having you on his lap while he works at his desk, embracing you all night! He wants the complete page! The real deal!

You surely spend the whole day awaiting his return desperately counting the hours until he returns in your arms. Your pa ack ssionate night must plague your mind and entice you to do it again, but you’re so shy you surely won’t try anything

He can’t wait to hold you tight tonight again. And surely you too!

But he knows he still has to tame you, he is only midway through his goal. He needs a lot more tenderness and sweet touches for you to be fully comfortable and open.

He knows it.

But he is prepared for it.

You?

You are confused, out of your mind, dwelling on the same questions, the same interrogations spinning in your head non-stop.

You trusted him, you looked up to him, felt safe with him… You placed your life between his hands!

You spend all day eyes hypnotized by the bay; looking at shiny stars, dissociating completely, mind bubbling and bursting out of your skull.

His fingers come gripping your chin to spin your face towards his burning red gaze. “Let me look at you, Ch’acah. Let me admire your gorgeous face, I miss it dearly all day long.” He demands, between a plea and an order, “How I love to appreciate it in detail. Your expression yesterday night was just so... Exquisite.” He praises, his red eyes shining brighter, “If only you knew how long I desired it.”

You gulp, lowering your gaze before him.

Was... Was it all your fault? If you kept your mouth shut and didn’t speak his name, would it have happened still?

“Why do you not look me in the eyes, my sweet? I so long for your gaze on me.” He asks, his thumb coming to caress your lower lips, parting them lightly. You gasp, at a loss for words. What to respond? How will he react? Will he kiss you? Will he become violent? Will he just shrug it off? Will he slap you? Will he leave you alone and untouched?

Far away from your confusion and trouble, Thrawn observes your face, idolizing your features, adoring your dazed expression. How are you so effortlessly beautiful? He wonders, simply amazed. And your voice... Truly mesmerizing.

“I... I just...” You start, raising your eyes to meet his to immediately get a flashback of the dark and heavy gaze he had last night. Absolutely terrifying. He looked like a carnivore that spotted a bleeding prey.

And he acted like one...

How much of what happened is actually your fault? How much responsibility do you hold? Clearly, you shouldn’t have masturbated in your Grand Admiral’s bed, but does it legitimize his actions?

Surely not... Or maybe... Yes?

“You were so captivating yesterday.” He continues, “Touching yourself so shamelessly in my bed like that. I could have admired you for entire hours. And when you whispered my name... So lowly, so... lecherously...” He deeply inhales like he is fighting back something inside of him and buries his head in the crook of your neck, making you jolt and tremble, on edge, “I could not believe what I heard. You, desiring me? My heart warmed up in joy. If only you knew how much it meant to me.”

You... Desiring... Him? It’s true you were masturbating to him, but... Did that give him any right?

He lazily kisses your neck, laying on you, trapping you under his weight. He gives sweet, little licks, making you start and tremble between his large hands. He cannot help but chuckle, it is so endearing how reactive and sensitive you are. You are simply so sweet to him. So adorable and easy to adore. One of his hands traces its way up your arm to trap your valid hand and intertwines your fingers together, holding it firmly.

“You are so silent, Ch’acah. I miss your melodious voice, will you not sing a single word to my ears?” He demands, kissing the scar on your neck, letting the sweet memory replay in his mind. “I... I am... not sure I-” you start before he cuts you entirely, “Of course, Ch’acah, of course you are confused. It is a large step that we took together, it is a true leap of faith. But together we can make it work.”

You can clearly hear the satisfied smile in his voice as he pecks your nape tenderly, but you are not as sure as him. “It’s not... It’s not what I am trying to-” You moan sharply, hissing as he suddenly sucks on your skin. You squirm under his large and tall body, trying to get out of under him, but your two casts prevent you from moving properly, and either way, his strength keeps you firmly in place under him. He raises his head to look at you with a foggy gaze, heavy with dark desires.

“It is all right, ch’eo ch’acah.” he murmurs darkly, “We will figure it out. I will satisfy you like you never were before.” And before you can contradict him he captures your lips in a demanding kiss. He devours your mouth, robbing you of all your air. You refrain a yelp and bite his lip til he bleeds to make him stop. He parts with you with a grin, licking his bleeding lip with brighter eyes, “Interesting...” He takes note, strangely pleased by your reaction.

You try to look enraged, frowning your brows and baring your teeth to deter him, to make him realize he should back down. But instead, you see even more hunger brewing in his predatory gaze, like something switched in his mind. A single drop if his blood falls on the corner or your lips and he spreads it on your lips with his thumb, adorning your mouth with rich, deep red.

“I love your energy, Ch’acah.” He says with an increasingly deranged gaze, but his voice as still and calm as it always was, “Can you keep it up all night?” He asks, hope flourishing in his dry heart. You look at him shocked and at loss for words you only can gasp at his outrageous demand.

He visibly softens at your reaction, caressing your cheek tenderly. “It is all right, ch’eo ch’acah. We can take it slow.” He says lowly, brushing his nose in the crook of your neck, “There is so many things I would like for us to do, so many things I would like to share with you.”

You do not know it yet but you love him too, he knows it, but you are still confused. He will give you more time.

At least until he cannot repress it anymore...

“I just want you to know you filled my heart with joy yesterday.” He confesses, “Knowing we reciprocate feelings... This is truly a blessing by the Warrior.” He tenderly looks into your eyes, holding your cheek with his warm large palm, preventing you from escaping him.

Are you reciprocating his feelings? Wait, what feeling are we talking about? Lust? Love? Hate?

“Thrawn.” You manage to say with a firmer voice, catching his attention, “I think you are... misunderstanding the situation. You are dear to me, but... I don’t think I wanted-” He tilts his head, squinting a bit, his gaze slowly switching to dark lust to...Warning and threats, shutting you up.

You feel yourself starting to tremble under his black gaze.

“Ch’acah... Oh Ch’acah.” He chants, a grin flourishing on his face, “You do not make any sense, ch’eo Ch’acah.” He darkly chuckles at your discomfited expression, “You called for me, and I simply responded. I would never have laid a hand on you without you desiring it, I think you are mixing responsibilities here. ” He lowers his head to brush his nose with yours, a purr raising in his throat,

“Thrawn...” you try again. He shushes you, putting his bumpy forehead against yours, looking deep into your human eyes, “You are still confused. Your consciousness is trying to convince you you did not want it because you lost your former lover tragically. It is trying to protect itself from pain and loss.” His thumb caresses your cheek as he speaks, hypnotizing you with his red eyes.

Is... Is it true? Thrawn never lied to you until now and you cannot imagine him truly assaulting a woman... Could it be the truth?

But why are you feeling so dirty and disgusted with yourself?

“It is a perfectly natural reaction, it is your survival instinct trying to protect your mental and physical integrity. It is extremely common in fields bordering on death daily. I have witnessed it plenty of times.” He outrageously lies to you, “Trauma can take many forms, denying oneself a chance with love is pretty common after a loss.”

“But I felt so gross after it...” you feel tears rising behind your eyes, his touch burning your skin off. “How can I even know you’re right?” Your voice cracks.

You didn’t let yourself cry in his presence, and while he was away your mind was so full and blank at the same time no tears reached your eyes, but now they threaten to spill all over.

“It is quite simple, ch’eo Ch’acah.” His smile dripping with false sweetness, “If you cummed it means you enjoyed yourself and desired it. This is not something easy to fake, is it not? Did you cum?” He plays cruelly with you, forcing you to admit your greatest shame.

That you came under his assault.

“I... I am not sure? I-I just-” He licks your cheek with the flat of his tongue, making you whine and gulp, “You cummed really hard Ch’eoh Ch’acah, like I promised you would. There is your proof my sweet.” He muses, thoroughly amused by the situation.

It is so sweet of you to try to understand the situation while reconciling with the sweet persona he offered you all this time. Your broken mind cannot compute the fact that he of all people did that to you, that you must have provoked the situation in some way. That your gentlemanly and sweet Grand Admiral could never assault you.

And he fully intents to take advantage of this vulnerability.

“Discard those negative sentiments and doubts, your body knows what it wants and what is good for it. The mind is more tricky to appease once wounded, it will take you time to heal, but I know how to help you mend quicker.”

“You do?” you ask with a voice where hope and fear mix.

“We should simply do it again.” He drops the bomb with a deliciously satisfied smile. You open your eyes wide open, incredulous, “Excuse me?” You ask in a white voice. “It is exposure therapy, Ch’acah. Making you confront your fear will help you.”, “I am not sure this is for me.”, Thrawn tilts his head like he didn’t understood your reaction, “I only want what is best for you, (Y/n). You know that right?”

“I... Think” you gulp.

“I only want to help you.” He insists, “Do you believe I could do anything to hurt you? Me? Your Ch’acah?”

Your mind froze. The memories of yesterday night fighting the memories of your sweet polite friend. Thrawn, always so nice and supportive, your Ch’acah who forgave your stab in his back. The one you wounded in his flesh. Is it possible? That you completely misconstructed that situation and he is telling the truth? You knew each other for years, Eli and Karyn trust him. He never raised his hand on anyone. He is an upright man, a moral person you blindly trusted.

Your brain cannot reconcile those two very real aspects of him, one must come up on top. He simply awaits which one, ready to jump into action and modify his plans in split second if you realize the monster he truly is.

“...No...” you finally let out, tears flowing on your face.

He smiles carnivorously, congratulating himself. Those long days playing the good loyal friend all cumulated to this moment. Before the impossible dilemma he presented you, your brain chose to hide the truth, too ugly to witness. That he is such a monster, that he assaulted you and took advantage of you in more ways than one... Before the hideous reality, your mind buries its head in the sand and convinces you all of it was just a bad dream, a misunderstanding, that your tormentor is still your nice friend, only wanting the best for you.

“No, I cannot believe that...” You broke down completely.

“Shhhhhhhhh... It is good, my sweet.” He caresses your hair gently, brushing your noses together, “I do not hold it against you. In confusion you are ready to believe anything. Even that your most loyal support could do anything against you.” You sob, big tears rolling off your eyes, you gasp for air “I... I never wanted to think that about you!” You gulp, “But I was so confused and afraid. Thrawn I am so sorry!”

“No need to be, Ch’eo Ch’acah. I forgive you.” He holds you tight, hugging you, shielding your body with his massive one. “You are grieving and in pain. Your disarray is understandable. You may not worry, I am not holding it against you.” He murmurs into your ear with a sickly sweet tone.

Oh, sweet thing... So sweet and fragile little darling... How blissful he feels at this very instant. You, presenting your excuses to him, your torturer, craving a rational explanation that aligns with your views of the world so much you are willing to believe your executioner. You are just a sweet, little bird with broken wings. It is easier to believe you hold responsibilities and lay against yourself than face the reality that your best friend and benefactor assaulted you.

Absolutely fascinating how one’s mind is ready to believe anything rather than a painful and uncomfortable truth. But right now he is incredibly grateful for it. He ravished you and got out of it dirt free.

No.

He got out of it as a saint! As the one who tries to heal you, working against your dysfunctioning mind and consciousness. How could you be mad at him? Him who forgave you every transgressions and kept you under his wing to propel your career?

At least in your eyes...

This gamble was high risk, he is deeply, viscerally aware of it, but also high reward and he hit the jackpot! Now you are his, and his alone. To toy and play with all he wants.

He refrains from whispering “I love you.” in your ear, you had enough earth-shattering info for the day. He will whisper it endlessly to you later when you are less on edge.

He buries his nose in your hair and deeply inhale your scent. You still smell like sex. Nothing surprising, he left you as is yesterday, in your soiled clothes, drenched in your essences and musk. As much because he wanted to smell his victory on your body for one more day than because he felt you would have clawed his face if he approached you. He spend the whole night in his office working to leave you alone with your fear and doubts, letting them fester in your mind to destabilize you mentally.

And it was the right call...

He stands back up on his feet, wrapping his arms around you to lift you up bridal style, “You are soiled, ch’eo Ch’acah.” He lets you know, forcing you to lower your gaze in embarrassment and defeat “Let me clean you up thoroughly, you will feel so much better after...”

@bluechiss @blueninjablade3 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @twilekchiss@pencil_urchin @ineedazeezee @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @obbicrystaleo @germie2037 @leo4242564 @davesrightshoe @holylonelyponyeatingmacaroni

#yandere au #thrawn x f!reader #thrawn x you #thrawn x reader #thrawn x y/n #thrawn #grand admiral thrawn #mitth'raw'nuruodo #fanfic #vibratingskull

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nightlyrequiem · 6 months ago

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The Other Side of Paradise

6) Bad Things, Worse Things, Better Things

Cross posted from AO3

Ch.1, Ch.2, Ch.3, Ch.4, Ch.5, Ch.6, Ch.7, Ch.8, Ch.9, Ch.10, Ch.11

You try to make the best of your life working at a small bakery in a city with rising cartel violence. One slower day, a man starts harassing your coworker. Despite the obvious threat, you stand up to him anyway. Unbeknownst to you, Valeria just so happened to be there to witness it.

A/N- All chapters containing smut will be labeled mature. The fic is fully written with the whole thing on AO3 but chapters on Tumblr will be posted one a day.

Tags/Warnings: Fluff, Angst, Dual POV, Happy Ending, Plot with Porn, Graphic Violence, Inappropriate Use of a Knife, Masturbation, WLW

Valeria watches her subordinate with narrowed eyes as he delivers a verbal report. There are British soldiers in town.

"...I saw them myself." He continues. "Riding an armored truck with that colonel." Valeria's lips automatically twitch down. Alejandro. She could kill all of his little vaqueros and he still wouldn't cease being a thorn in her side. She has no doubt that he brought them here to try and take her down. Well, he can try all he wants. It's hard to catch someone without a name or face.

"Do you know their names?" She asks. "Descriptions?" The man shakes his head.

"I only saw them; I don't know their names." He says uncomfortably. "I came to tell you about them straight away. One was a white guy with a dumb haircut but the other one..." He trails off. Valeria clenches her jaw impatiently. The other one what? He needs to finish his sentences faster before she just decides he's more useful without a tongue. "He was wearing some kind of mask... a skull, he had a skull on his face."

Valeria frowns. A skull mask? Her nose wrinkles with annoyance. He sounds like an edgy pre-teen boy. Surely Alejandro has higher standards?

'Are you sure they're soldiers?" She asks. The man hesitates before nodding.

"I'm pretty sure they were. They were dressed like soldiers." She sighs, feeling a headache coming on. This is just what she needs. It's always one problem after another.

"Keep an eye out." Valeria orders. She turns and leaves the room. Walking outside to have a smoke.

She lights one and takes a satisfying hit while she thinks. She's going to have to deal with the soldiers. They can't just waltz into her town, her territory. Soldiers are no trouble for her. Nothing but mere pests, really. Valeria's mind drifts to more pleasant thoughts. It's been a few weeks since you and her had gone out to that bar. Since then, you've been speaking almost daily and she's discovering just how easy to read you are. You practically project your thoughts with every look you give her. She can see how much you want her, and who is she to deny you? She just needs to take care of a few things, free up her schedule. Valeria stubs out her cigarette and walks off to her car. Everything will be fine.

Everything just keeps going wrong. Valeria can feel herself trembling with rage. Not only was Hassan and his escorts attacked, but one of her warehouses was raided, the one holding the missiles she only just managed to obtain. Not all of them, at least. Valeria knows better than to keep all her chickens in the same coop. Still, this is a sizable loss for her. Her men were killed, and some of the missiles were repossessed. Hassan made it out at least. The only issue is, she doesn't know who attacked them. The bodies left over were not wearing British uniforms. Valeria didn't recognize them at all.

She takes a deep breath to calm herself down. She'll have to pay the corporal a visit. He's supposed to be a defense against this kind of thing. It's what she's paying him for. Unless someone offered him more money to betray her. An offence she won't take likely, if that's the case. First and foremost, she needs a break. She decides to pay you a visit. You're the only person not actively irritating her. Like always, you're standing at the counter, just waiting for your shift to be over. You look up from the book you're reading when you hear her come in. The easy smile you flash her calms her down a little.

Maybe she can understand why some people in her line of work get married. Going home to someone completely unconnected to the violence and stress must be nice. A buffer, perhaps. Not that Valeria wants to marry you. Not yet anyway. If you prove yourself to be good enough stress relief, she might consider snatching you off the market for good.

"You look stressed." You remark. She is stressed. How kind of you to notice.

"There's been a few... unexpected surprises at work but I'm dealing." She replies smoothly. That's all she's going to say because that's all you need to know. It would be such a shame if you got too curious and stuck your nose someplace it didn't belong. You seem like a good girl though. Good at minding your business.

You lean down and dig around somewhere before setting down a soft round shape. It's a concha.

"I saved the last one for you, just in case you came in today." You beam at her. "I actually took it out of the display case this morning because if I waited, they would've all been bought." You add on quietly. It's not money, or a solution to all of her problems. The last thing on her mind is baked goods. You did something nice for her though, as small as it is, and she appreciates it.

"Thank you." Valeria says, reaching and grabbing the bread roll. Yes, she thinks, she can definitely see the appeal of having someone to return home to after a long day. She sets her free hand down on the counter. As close to yours as she can get without physically touching.

"It's your weekend tomorrow, yes?" Valeria inquires. You shift your hand subtly and it presses against hers.

"It is." You nod. Looking at her expectantly. Valeria has a lot to do and work out, but she's been doing nothing but work lately. No harm could possibly come from spending one night away from the stress. In fact, the one night away might actually add a few years onto her lifespan.

"We should do something then." She hums. Brushing her thumb against your pinky.

"I'm down for whatever." You murmur.

"I know a good club, I'd love to take you there." Valeria lost the desire to go out clubbing as she entered her thirties, but the club she's thinking of is one she frequented often in her younger years. She's feeling rather nostalgic. That, and it's a good atmosphere to for... physical contact.

You smile.

"Sure, that sounds good." You say. Valeria smiles back. She can't rely on work going her way but at least she can rely on you being so agreeable.

"Great, I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight." She hopes it finally goes somewhere. There's an itch she needs scratching. She could probably find someone else to scratch it in the meantime but even though she doesn't care much for relationships she still prefers to have only one person sharing her bed at a time. A night out with you is exactly what she needs to take her mind off of all her current problems.

#valeria garza x reader #valeria garza #cod mw2

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ywpd-translations · 1 year ago

Text

Ride 750: Blue sky

(Thank you to @monkeyingaround for helping me with a couple of things in this chapter!! <3)

Pag 1

1: Right?

Hahaha

2: 'morning!

'morning!

Did you bring the thing we talked about yesterday?

Pag 2

1: Summer is here

Pag 3

1: Yeah

2: Look at the color of the sky!!

3: It's a crisp blue sky!!

Well, the color is sky blue, after all

4: Ka....!! You're seriously so narrow-minded! Your eyes are so narrow, too, and that's why you're not close with our kohai

My eyes have nothing to do with... huh!? The kouhai!?

Se... senpaii!! Teh

5: Huh?

Pag 4

1: Rokudai!!

Naruko-san, Imaizumi-san

Good morning!!

Why are you greeting us with so much enthusiasm?

2: You have a huge bag as usual. What is it?

Thank you so much!!

Why are you thanking us!!

Oh, Kinaka is here too

Good morning!!

3: We collected

4: everyone's laundry at training camp, and now we're putting them to dry!!

Yes

Don's take it all on yourself!!

5: It's towels and t-shirts used at training camp that we don't know who they belong to!!

Ah yeah, but even so

Pag 5

1: And the weather is nice, so putting them to dry is nice!!

You already finished drying the first round?

An extreme manager spirit!!

2: What about the other first years?

Ah, they haven't arrived yet, teh

They're not coming?

3: I'll kick them out

Huh...!

What a fast decision!!

4: Think about it again, please!!

Hmm, then let's kick out half of them

Waaa.!!

…. that's what I meant, Hotshot

What?

5: Ah, uhm... by the way, uhm... what about Onoda-san?

Ah, he should be here soon

6: Ah, he's not a morning person?

….. no

Pag 6

1: After training camp, Onoda-kun....

2: Fu fu fu

Ratatata, to the sun...

3: I want to go together... fu fu fu

5: Far

6: Far away..!

Fu fu

That student on the city bike i so fast!!

Pag 7

2: Good morning, everyone...!!

3: He watched everything I recorded while we were at the training camp, and now he's here!!

All the anime!!

4: Look, he's gleaming!! That's the face he has when he's in a good mood because he watched a good anime and came to school while singing its theme song!!

Ohh...

5: Interesting... he watches anime, and... his face is gleaming....

You're taking notes about Onoda-kun's life?

Pag 8

1: Ahh, I'm so happy that “Kawazanyou wa at shiro”, shortened in “Kawashiro”, really has good animation as the preview reviews had said

Oh, yeah?

Imaizumi-kun, will you watch it too?

I'll think about it

Think about it...!!

2: And the second part of “People of the dead”, “the bloody battle” was so scary but so good!

Oh, yeah?

3: You have never seen it, but Onoda-kun

4: He hums an anime song during races

5: And he becomes super fast!!

7: Th.... that's so cool...!!

Pag 9

1: Now!!

2: Third years

Make up supplementary lessons for the members of the bicycles racing team that were away for trainig camp

3: It'll be boring like every year, but we'll get through it

Yeah

Tch, supplementary lessons?!

Pag 10

2: Apply this formula

3: Therefore, the value we're looking for is...

6: Go, Rokudai

For us, too

Pag 11

2: Another three minutes

3: I can see a light!!

He's coming

4: Ohh!!

5: I wasn't expecting this, Furuya

Yeah, Murakami

6: The only one among us first years who could run the whole 1000km in this training camp in the time limit is-

Just a little bit more!

You're in time!

Press on the pedals one last time!

Pag 12

1: The former manager and beginner, Rokudai Renta!!

Pag 13

1: The only survivor

2: Two minutes before the time limit, 23:58, the first year Rokudai

3: completes the 1000km...

4: and is ranked

5: sixth

Kinaka-kun!!

Pag 14

1: You did it, Rokudai

2: Kinaka-kun!!

Ugh-!

3: Thank you, Kinaka-kun.... I could have never done it if you hadn't been there, Kinaka-kun, teh....!!

You did it with your own strength

Guaaaa, thank youu....

Pag 15

1: Cough cough

Are you alright!? Is it your throat, Kinaka-kun!?

You slammed your elbow into it

Teh!?

Hahaha

3: Alright now, let's gather around, give an ending ment, and then leave

Yeah!!

4: Please make a firm ending speech, captain!!

Ah....!!

5: Right... a speech... I have to say some wise saying.... wh- what should I do

Kakaka you can just say whatever you're feeling!!

6: Anyway, finally

Pag 16

1 / 3: All six members who will fight in our last Inter High

Pag 17

3: Are here!!

Pag 18

1: Thank you so much!!

Thank you!!

-you!!

2: I'm tired..

But you retired so early on

Yeah but the senpai's race was so intense

I know, right

3: Ahh... this year even just watching it from here made my heart rate increase

4: Yes!! It was an intense training camp!!

Pag 19

1: We're counting on you, Rokudai

4: Oi.... Issa, wake up

5: The teacher looks incredibly angry!!

6: Huh? That daifuku is half the price!? Really, Naruko-san?

It's no use, he's sleep-talking!!

Pag 20

1: Everyone worked really hard at the training camp

3: It's coming soon this year, the Inter High

#yowamushi pedal #yowamushi pedal translations #yowapeda #yowapeda manga #yowamushi pedal manga #yowamushi pedal spoilers #ride 750 #i'm sorry but page 14 is my new personality ;A;#if it wasn't clear enough already: I LOVE ROKUDAI AND KINAKA SO MUCH THEY'RE MY MOST PRECIOUS BABIES #AND THEY HAVE THE SWEETEST LOVELIEST AND MOST PRECIOUS RELATIONSHIP #AND HUGGED!!! i love when my fave characters huuuug and it doesn't happen enough but it did now!!! watanabe loves me and i love him #after last chapter i started writing a fic when just this happened and now it really did asdahjfgksfgs #useless to say that i am still writign the fic bc my feels are stronger than ever #watanabe really has the talent of creating new characetr and making them my new faves #first with the mtb boys and now these two #also this chapter was really for me huh #my imanaruuuuuuu #they really are always together sadjlasdgjad funniest pair ever #i feel like writing another fic now #also also roku-chan taking notes abotu onoda sfhasdgad hes such a fanboy i love him #also have yall noticed that onoda hasnt done anything yet mhhh sometimes watanabe forgets that hes his main character lmao #how could i forget otaku imaizumiiiii #and naruko telling rokudai the hime hime singing thing that makes onoda faster lmao #the otaku racing team #cant wait for roku-chan to also sing it during this IH

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rorywritesjunk · 10 months ago

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Let’s be one another’s present tense

Buggy ‘rescues’ you from an abusive situation, and after a less than stellar introduction, he has you audition for his crew to keep you safe. You want safety, security, and joining a circus seems like the best idea.

Rating: This chapter NC-17. MDNI. Warning: Everyone is consenting in this. There's roughness, brattiness, whines, everything. Again, everyone is consenting. Buggy gets uncertain in the end and needs some comfort because I can't not write him that way. Word Count: 2.6k A/N: Everyone. Is. Consenting. I enjoyed writing this chapter though because I knew I wanted to finally write a chapter based on the original prompt of this fic, you know. And while Buggy is in charge, Cupcake is also very much in charge as well.

Title comes from “Crater Lake” by Lady Lamb

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7 + Chapter 8 + Chapter 9 (NC-17) + Chapter 10 + Chapter 11 + Chapter 12 + Chapter 13 + Chapter 14 + Chapter 15 (NC-17) + Chapter 16 (NC-17) + Chapter 17 TAGLIST: @lostfirefly @neuvilleteismybby @fluffybunnyu @sinning-23 @the-angriest-angel @ane5e @fanshavegottensotoxic @honey-deerling

Chapter 15

When the ship set sail, Buggy had shot off a Buggy Ball into the previous village as a send off while you said nothing. What was there to say? He even checked in with you, making sure you were okay leaving your home. Your response was to kiss him. Why should you stick around?

Thankfully there was only one stormy evening while the crew traveled to the next location. You were buried under the blankets while Buggy helped his crew manage through it. It wasn't pleasant but you were relieved when he came to bed, drenched and frustrated. You made sure he dried off and got warm under the blankets.

It took a few weeks to get to the new place: Orangetown. You weren't a pirate, you just did their laundry, so Buggy had you stay in your shared quarters when the crew attacked, blasting the village, attacking and killing anyone who got in the way. You tried to ignore the sounds of chaos and destruction but it was hard. After all this time, it was weird to think of Buggy as dangerous when he was so sweet and tender with you.

When they finished attacking and setting up the tent, Buggy sent for you. It was a little surreal to be entering the tent once more, same people, smells, but new noises, faces in the audience. The only familiar thing was the energy: fear and panic from the audience mixed with the excitement and joy from the crew. They were happy to be on land again to practice their routines, show off to a new crowd. You found Buggy in the middle of the ring, barking orders at the crew as they fixed the lighting, restrained the crowds, and led Richie to his cage.

His face lit up when he saw you, his hand reaching for you and tugging you over to him before he kissed you on the cheek. “Well, whatcha think?”

“Think about what?” You asked, leaning into him as you looked around. It was pretty impressive. He put one hand on your shoulder while the other gestured to the scene in front of you.

“The setup! This is it, all brand new and ready to go!” Buggy replied, looking quite proud of it. You glanced up at him before shrugging.

“It's okay.”

“See, I knew you-”

Everything stopped when Buggy realized what you said. He tightened his hand on your shoulder, digging his fingers in. You winced and looked up at him. He was smiling, but it wasn’t the playful friendly one you were used to seeing. It was the smile he used when he wasn’t happy, when he was going to make an example out of someone for saying or doing something incredibly stupid.

“Care to repeat that?” He asked as you looked up at him, trying to think of the right response. Was it worth it to anger him?

“I said it was… okay.” You replied. No one seemed to be paying attention to the two of you, which was perfect, because Buggy turned you around to face him. You swallowed heavily and looked up at him. “I mean, the lighting looks a little off, one of the bulbs is flickering, not to mention you, Buggy, need your clothes washed if you want to stand out to this new crowd. I don’t think you look that impressive right now.” You shrugged again. “I mean, your crew did most of the work anyway, what did you do besides scream at them?”

That did it.

He patted you on the cheek a little too hard before calling over to Cabaji that he was going to show you where your room was. You wondered if maybe you went too far, but he had asked what you thought and you were honest about it. He let go of your shoulder, taking your hand instead, leading you out of the main area and to where you figured was your bedroom. He didn’t say anything, obviously choosing his words carefully, but you wondered what he was thinking.

Buggy brought you to a room with your shared bed in the middle, his vanity to one side and the wardrobe to the other. This would be your space for the next few months until he decided it was time for everyone to move on.

“You hurt my feelings back there, Cupcake.” Buggy told you as you turned to face him. “Got pretty mouthy about how I dress. That wasn’t very nice of you.”

“Yea, well, you-”

“Shh, no, I didn’t say you could talk.” He said, bringing his hand up to grasp your chin, tilting your head upwards as he grinned at you. “Cupcake, babe, sometimes you forget your place, you know?”

“You asked-”

“No-” He tightened his hold, the position becoming uncomfortable, “-talking, do you understand?”

You swallowed nervously and nodded. He looked in your eyes, searching for any resistance, before his free hand began to unbuckle his pants. He finally let go of your chin and you took a small step back, rubbing the back of your neck. His hand grabbed the front of your shirt, jerking you back over to him as he smirked down at you. “Where do you think you’re going? I need you to learn a lesson, babe, about treating the captain with respect.”

“Look, Buggy-”

“Captain.” He corrected as he let go of your shirt, pointing his finger down. “Knees, babe.”

“Wait, Bug-”

“Now.”

You hesitated for a moment too long. His hand was on your shoulder, forcing you down on your knees. You winced as you hit the ground, eyes widening when you saw he had already pulled his cock free of his pants, hard. You glanced up at him as his hand went to your head, smoothing your hair back gently as his other hand took hold of himself.

“C’mon, it’s pretty obvious.” He chuckled as you shook your head. “No, no, you need to be taught a lesson, Cupcake. You were disrespectful to your captain and I need you to understand that it’s not acceptable behavior, got it?”

When you didn’t open your mouth, he rolled his eyes and grabbed a fistful of your hair, yanking upwards and causing you to cry out in surprise. He took the opportunity to shove his cock into your mouth, causing you to gag and choke as you tried to pull back. He was stronger than you, it wasn’t hard for him to hold you how he wanted. He kept a hold of your hair as he pulled back just enough for you to gasp for air, eyes watering, before he snapped his hips forward, shoving his cock down your throat.

You couldn’t stop yourself from gagging, putting your hands on his hips for balance as he fucked your mouth. He started a pattern of thrusting a few times before pulling back to let you breathe, admiring the tears in your eyes, how wet your lips were, the spit and cum that was spilling out of the corners of your mouth and dribbling down your chin, before he would push his cock back in with a groan.

“That’s it, baby, are you learning your lesson?” He grunted as he pulled you off, keeping a firm hold on your hair as his hand reached down, caressing your face gently. “Are you going to be a good girl?”

“‘M sorry, Buggy.” You managed to whimper. He sighed and shook his head in disappointment. You shouldn’t have called him by his name. You reluctantly opened your mouth, sticking your tongue out, wincing when he took his cock and slapped it against your tongue.

“Such a brat.” He muttered, stroking his cock against your tongue before he forced it back down your throat, your nose pressing into his pelvis, buried in the blue pubes at the base of his cock. You let out a muffled whine, putting your hands back on his hips, digging your nails into him as you were held into place. “Y’know, been a while since you’ve had to hold your breath, babe… how long can you hold it with my cock down your throat?”

He laughed, pulling you off his cock long enough for you to get air before he thrust back into your mouth, holding your head in place as he started to count slowly, gripping your hair tightly. You shut your eyes, trying your best to do what he wanted, but it was hard. His free hand had detached, moving to the waistband of your pants and slipping down your pants. It was hard to focus when his fingers slid over your clit, surprising you, eyes opening wide as you whined around his cock.

“Oh, babe, no underwear? Really?” Buggy chuckled as his fingers slipped past your folds to tease you. “And already wet… is this turning you on, me using your mouth to warm my cock? D’you want me to fuck you next?”

Another muffled whine, eyes pleading with him as you tried to push off him. It was almost too much. You needed air. He held you in place for another ten seconds, counting down, before he pulled off and let you breathe.

“I really wanted to cum down your throat…” He sighed as he looked down at your tear streaked face. He let go of your hair and caressed your cheek gently, a contrast to how he was just handling you moments ago. His other hand continued teasing you, ghosting over your clit. “You know what, I’d rather fuck your pussy than your throat, so get on the bed and on your knees.”

“W-What?” You managed to get out, trying to catch your breath as his hand was pulled from your pants. He grabbed you by the front of your shirt, pulling you to your feet and shoving you toward the bed. “B-Buggy-”

“‘B-Buggy!’” He mocked as he started stripping off his clothes. “Get your ass naked and get on the bed now.” He had to take a moment to admire that you actually listened to him, starting with your shirt, using it to wipe your face before kicking your shoes off and letting your pants drop, stepping out of them to kick them aside. You stood and looked at him, biting your lip before he snapped his fingers and pointed at the bed once more.

You did as you were told, climbing onto it and positioning yourself on your knees, hoping it was right Apparently it wasn’t because there was a hand on your back, between your shoulders, shoving you face down into the mattress, leaving your ass up in the air. Buggy chuckled softly as he climbed onto bed behind you, giving your ass a slap, causing you to yelp.

“Oh, come on, that wasn’t that hard.” He chuckled, slapping your ass once more while his other hand took hold of his cock. You were quite the sight, ass in the air, you craning your neck to look back at him, face red as he dragged the tip of his cock through your folds, causing you to whine. “Fuck, just look at you, babe. You like me choking you with my cock? You’re fuckin’ dripping all over yourself.”

“S-Shut up!” You huffed, glaring at him as he pressed the tip of his cock against you. You squeezed your eyes shut, trying to ignore the bit of discomfort, but he suddenly pulled away for a moment. Confused, you opened your eyes, ready to say something, but you felt his tongue instead, moving through your folds, tasting you as you let out a cry, fisting the bedsheets. “Buggy!”

He pulled back, giving your ass a sharp pinch. “Say my name one more time.” He warned as you whimpered. “It's Captain Buggy, you brat.”

“‘m sorry!”

“Are you?” Buggy asked as he straightened up, taking hold of himself once more to press himself against you. “Should just get this over with, I got shit to do after this.”

He kept one hand on your hip as he pushed himself in, grunting at the tightness. He moved his hand to your back, keeping you pressed down as he bottomed out, letting out a groan as you whined and moaned for him, wriggling underneath him as he stilled for just a moment.

“Aw, fuck, babe.” He groaned, pulling his hips back before snapping them forward, jolting your body with his movements. His pace was slow, pulling back to thrust forward, dragging his nails over your back. You let out a whimper as his hips moved, closing your eyes, gripping the bed sheets tightly. It was almost too much, the position you were in, the way he angled his hips, his cock brushing over the sweet spot that had you seeing stars-

He pulled back, the tip still in, before slamming his hips into you. He leaned over you, your knees buckling under his weight, as he reached down to brush your hair out of your eyes. “Aw, babe, you're not supposed to be enjoying this.”

“C-Captain-”

“Oh, there we go, finally sinking in?” He chuckled, hands gripping your hips, fingers digging in and leaving bruises, his speed increasing as you moaned and cried out under him. He wasn't sure he would last much longer but he needed to be sure you learned a lesson. “Maybe… maybe next time I'll do this in front of the crew, let them know that sometimes even you have to be punished.” He felt your muscles clench around him and he laughed. “Oh, you like that idea, don't you, babe?”

“N-No, I don't!” You whimpered as your body responded to his words. The idea of anyone seeing you fucked like this by Buggy, them hearing the words he said to you, was too.much. His pace picked up, hitting your g-spot, as his hand reached under to play with your clit. It didn't take much to have you crying out as you came, clenching around him. He came after a few thrusts, holding himself against you, not letting a drop of cum out before he started to pull back.

“Fuck, babe, are you okay?” Buggy asked as he helped you onto your back, brushing your hair out of your face. His tone was different, softer than before, as he looked you over. “Was that too much?”

“‘m good.” You mumbled as you grinned wearily at him. “You? Are you okay?”

He hesitated for a moment before nodding; you reached for him and pulled him onto the bed, pulling him to you as you kissed his temple. Honestly, you weren't concerned for yourself but him. You two collaborated on this scene, knowing what was to be expected, but he still seemed unsure about being rough with you.

“You were wonderful, Buggy, thank you.” You assured him as he wrapped his arms around you. “I love you so much.”

“You're okay then?” He asked as he glanced up at you. “I didn't hurt you?”

“No, no, you were fine.” You told him as you removed his bandana and tossed it aside. “Do you want me to get you anything? Something to drink? I need to get you cleaned up.”

Buggy just shrugged, tightening his arms around you as he settled himself in your arms. He just needed a moment, he wanted to be sure you were okay. You let him stay in your arms for a bit, running your fingers up and down his arm gently, letting him relax. Honestly, you loved every second of it and hoped you could do it again, but you wanted to make sure he would be okay.

#buggy the clown #cupcake x buggy #buggy the clown x you #buggy the clown x reader #buggy the clown x oc #buggy x reader #buggy x you #buggy x oc #opla buggy the clown #opla buggy #opla buggy the clown x you #opla buggy the clown x reader #opla buggy the clown x oc #opla buggy x you #opla buggy x reader #opla buggy x oc

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bingebuddie · 10 months ago

Text

Here... We... Go...

Hi all,

Well, so far, 2024 has sucked for me... but anyway...

I've been feeling pretty out of sorts mentally, and depending on where my head is at, I've been bouncing back and forth between Fics and my Wes and Cole novel.

I am going on a writing retreat May 4-12th... so... expect some major movement...

I wanted to provide a few updates on where I am with my Fics and other works.

Sideways:

Published updates here have been slower than I wanted or anticipated. This has nothing to do with the story, as I have this outlined for Arcs 6-10... Yes, up to Arc 10.

My personal life has gotten in the way a lot over the last few months and has just eaten up my time to write.

Now, Arc 6 will lead right into Arc 7 and 7 into 8. You will want to throw some stuff at me for some of the wtf moments and having to wait between arcs... but it's all coming. Anyone new to the series has had the benefit of reading five fully finished-out arcs that took me about a year to write. Have some patience with me. It will be worth it.

Arc 6, Into The Unknown, has multiple chapters drafted. I just need to clean up some edits from my beta, and they will be posted. May is going to be a big month for this arc.

This is a pivotal point in the series. It spans Chapters 37-48, making it the longest arc so far. This installment will delve into the Seals' backstory, their connection with Buck and Eddie, and much more. It’s a substantial piece of the puzzle that you won't want to miss.

This one does have some heavy moments...

This does end with a cliffhanger... But I promise, it's not our boys directly you are left wondering about...

Arc 7—Strong—Eddie will need his friends and family like never before. This is a heavy Diaz family arc. The outline is eight Chapters.

This also ends in a cliffhanger and that promise I made above... does not apply here.... insert evil laugh...

Arc 8 Genesis—This is the big one. It all comes together here, and it is the part I am most excited to write. It is also the longest, with an outline of 16 chapters. You will find out more about Genesis in Arc 6.

This arc will change all of their lives and the status quo as we know it. Grab your seats and tissues. The previous title for this was Unleashed...

Arc 9 - Experience/Circles - Tentative Title - No tease, as it will spoil what's to come...

Arc 10 - My All - googles Mariah Carey ...

Sideways isn't going anywhere...

Shifted:

Volume 1: Nevermore

This was originally planned to be 30 chapters. I have 20 published right now. The rest of this is outlined, and chapters 21-25 are written and ready to be published. I haven't posted these because Chapter 25 ends on a massive cliffhanger, and I don't want to leave you all hanging. I will be finishing this... after Arc 6 of Sideways ...

I have a plan for the second arc... but that's all the way behind everything else on my docket...

Impossible:

If you have read this one, I have yet to post the last chapter...

This has an MCD, and while I was writing this, I lost a friend. It was hard to finish. I have finished the outline, and this will be completed soon.

Run:

This is on hold. I have too much else to focus on. Consider this on hiatus until I say otherwise. It might even be scrapped... will see...

Would You Mind:

This one was a lot of fun... The wrap-up/epilogue is done; it's with my beta...

Lap Dancing Eddie will return... in Sideways...

I Don't Want To Be Your Freind:

As of today, 7 of 11 chapters are posted. This is all outlined. I have drafts of chapters 8-11 done. Going to beta and will be posting soon...

I started this leading up to Season 7; it was my mind dealing with all the rumors and leaks... In my mind and my group chat, I was calling this my Anti Tommy and Marisol fic...

This got way out of hand and became a monster of a fic...

Now... on to what else I have brewing...

Future Shock - 3 Part Series - Magic/BAMF/Mayhem/Found Family/Soul Mates/Redux/Ryan Throw's The Timeline Into A Blender and Tada...

As It Is - 2030 and the 118 have been a fractured team since the lawsuit. When members of the team start to be picked off one by one, Hen, Chim, and Bobby, have no one to turn to until friends and family return in their most desperate hour.

As It Was - Details what led to the fracturing of the 118. A retelling of Season 2 and part of season 3...

As It Was Always Meant To Be - Now reunited, will the 118 be able to rally around each other, or will their painful past be too much to overcome.

This has a loose outline and it's very large ...

Depressed, Devasted, and Destroyed aka Something To Hold On To:

I keep calling this Triple D or DDD... This is a pure angst fest... major whump... like I'm mad at myself for the whump here ... seriously...

This has an outline...

Relationship Goals—In an effort to rebuild their friendship after their recent relationships crash and burn, Buck and Eddie join a local hockey team along with some of Buck's old seal friends. This was pure fan service to myself and a way to get Buck, Eddie, Wes, and Cole to play hockey and not have to do it on Sideways. This currently sits around 60 pages.

Stolen - A stolen kiss changes everything between Buck and Eddie... This angst fest is somehow incredibly soft... This is about 35 pages right now...

The Ties That Bind - Buck breakdown fic... This might get scrapped and merged into DDD from above...

All I Want for Christmas - Think Scrooged Vs. It's A Wonderful Life Vs 911... This won't be posted until holiday time...

The Wes and Cole novel is still moving along... it's my refuge when the show does something stupid...

I should probably get to writing... it's not like I have nothing to do....

#buck x eddie #buddie #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buck and eddie #911 abc #buckley diaz family #evan buckely diaz #911 buddie #buddie fic #a03 fic #my fic #fic writing #911 fanfic #buddie fanfic

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hide-in-imagination · 2 months ago

Text

“Roads That Cross… Not Knowing What To Do"

You can read the previous chapters here: (1),(2), (3), (4), (5), (6), (7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (16), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24), (25), (26), (27), (28), (29), (30), (31), (32)

Thank you all so much for your continued support, it means so much to me.

Things were fine, but they also weren’t.

That night, after their hug, Simón had insisted they finished the garlands as they had set themselves to do. Ámbar truthfully couldn’t have cared less about the garlands or her original plan of getting them done— Simón had forgiven her. Nothing else mattered to her. All she wanted was to be close to him, hug him more, kiss him, reaffirm herself that they were alright— She had been so scared...

But she didn’t want to be too imposing after they’d just reconciled, so she followed his lead, and agreed to work on the decorations.

Then they had dinner with everyone, and, sure, Simón was a little less talkative than usual—especially when he got asked about his ‘headache’ and Ámbar could feel his discomfort radiating from him— but they’d gone through an emotional moment just an hour ago. It was normal if things were still a little tense.

Then they climbed up to her room, with Simón carrying the cardboard box after having offered, and after he placed it on her coffee table, Ámbar held his hand and asked if he would stay the night with her. Simón hesitated, just a little bit, but then he smiled and squeezed her hand and said, ‘of course’, and Ámbar felt so relieved that she kissed him. She kissed him gently at first, just a tiny thing, but then she sought his lips again and tried to linger, tried to deepen the contact, and that was when Simón pulled away.

“Do you want to use the bathroom first or should I?”

It wasn’t an out-of-the-ordinary question, so Ámbar answered ordinarily as well. “Uh, no, I gotta take off my makeup and do all my skincare, so it’s going to take eons— You go first.”

And he said ‘okay’ and went to the bathroom, and it was normal, seemed just like routine, but Ámbar felt it… off.

Later, as they were lying under the covers to sleep, she soaked in the normalcy of it and convinced herself everything would be fine. They had just fixed things between them, so it was normal if it felt a little weird. They were still snuggled up together in spite of that, with Ámbar’s face on his chest and Simón’s arms around her, and it felt so nice after spending a whole night alone, in this bed that felt too empty without him.

She breathed in Simón’s scent and fell asleep, thinking everything would be better the next day.

It wasn’t. Not really.

Nor was the day after that.

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

There was an air of hesitation that lingered around Simón and every move he made now. It wasn’t constant— it appeared every now and then, subtle, but Ámbar noticed, and it kept her from relaxing fully into their normal routine.

It also didn’t go unnoticed that they weren’t having sex. Which was fine— they didn’t need to do that every day. But they used to. So it was… different.

She couldn’t say it was all Simón because she hadn’t tried to initiate it either. But the mood just never felt right, and that was exactly the problem.

Getting there used to be easy, and now it was not.

And that, she felt, applied to everything.

It wasn’t like Simón was distant. He didn’t avoid contact with her or acted cold— Nothing like that. She also didn’t think he was… punishing her or something because of what happened. Whatever was up with him didn’t seem to be on purpose— In fact, it seemed like he wanted it gone just as much as she did. But it kept coming back.

The worst part was that Ámbar couldn’t address it. What could she say? Ask if there was anything wrong? She knew there was. And she knew it had to be related to her lies and her secrets, so she couldn’t bring it up because that would just lead to questions she couldn’t answer.

It was distressing.

And then, as if Ámbar didn’t have enough problems, Sharon happened.

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

The final nail in the coffin came in the form of a phone call— Again. Ámbar was in the mansion, working, when her phone started ringing, and every thought of the upcoming event she was overseeing flew out of her mind when she read the caller id.

‘Vanessa.’

Ámbar rejected the call. It was the middle of the day and the last thing she wanted was to talk to her godmother. After all the trouble she had caused her. After all the pain she kept putting her through because of her inability to do things right.

Ámbar put her phone on vibrate and continued working. But not two minutes passed by before her phone started vibrating, and when she didn’t pick up that call either, her screen lit up with a new message.

Vanessa: Pick up the phone, Ámbar.

When her phone started vibrating for the third time, Ámbar finally gave up and answered it. With a bit of luck, she would make it quick, and then she could go back to try to not let Sharon ruin her life.

“What do you want? It’s the middle of the day, I’m working.”

“Ámbar.” The sound of her name in her voice always brought her an ominous feeling. “How kind of you to finally pick up. Since you’re going straight to the point, allow me to do so as well,” Sharon said drily. “I heard from Rey that not only do you refuse to help me, but you’ve been also wandering around the mansion, searching for ways to stop my plans.”

Ámbar growled internally. That damned Rey— He’d fallen onto her clutches again, right when she’d had hope that Maggie had managed to convince him for good. Not only that, but he had tattled on her to her godmother after she specifically told him, threatened him, to keep his mouth shut.

Must everything go the opposite way of how I want it to?

“I don’t know what Rey told you, but I have no ulterior motives,” she replied as casually as she could. “I’m just working from home because all the noise at the Roller was distracting me.”

“Don’t play dumb with me, Ámbar; you’ve tested my patience enough already,” Sharon shut her down with a scathing tone. “I want you to stop this absurd rebellion you have against me immediately. Whether you like it or not, you and I are on the same side. The Valente will never forgive you for helping me, and you know that perfectly well. That’s the reason why you haven’t told them anything despite wasting your time pestering me, or am I wrong?”

Ámbar clenched her eyes shut. Maybe at some point that had been one of her worries, but it was never the main one, couldn’t she see? “I don’t want to have to tell them anything— I just want you to stop this before you ruin your life,” she begged.

All she wanted was to keep her safe. Everyone safe. Was that so much to ask? Couldn’t this war just end?

“And I want you to stop meddling with my plans, so listen carefully,” Sharon said in a hard voice. “Either you let Rey and Maggie do their jobs or I’ll be making a call to your two-bit boyfriend.”

Ámbar’s heart stopped. Every muscle on her body seized, quick and violently with the impetus of dread.

“What?”

She could hear Sharon’s sadistic smile on the phone. “I imagine you don’t want him to know about our conversations. How do you think he will react when he finds out you’ve been helping me since last year, pretending to be Sol Benson when you knew Luna was the real one?”

Ámbar shook her head. “You can’t do that.”

“No? How long do you think it’d take me to get his phone number? Half an hour? Less than?”

Ámbar swallowed her saliva, her mouth as dry as a desert, and took in a shaky breath. “No, you can’t do that because, if you do, I’ll talk,” she said. “I’ll tell them everything I know— Your new identity, that Rey and Maggie are helping you— everything about your plan.”

“So I’ll make another one,” Sharon replied easily, sinking Ámbar’s stomach to the ground. “I have time and resources. Rey and Maggie too are expandable. I could get other people to help me.” Her voice lost its levity then, gaining a dark edge to it. “One way or another, I will have my revenge, Ámbar. Now you can either stay on my side like you’ve always done, or face the consequences all by yourself. It’s your choice. This is your one and final warning.”

She hung up the phone.

Ámbar sat there, frozen from head to toe, trying to convince herself that this wasn’t happening, that it was just another nightmare. But the more she stayed there, the more achingly clear it became that this was reality.

She’s not going to stop.

The feeling sunk in and her chest started clenching. Panic.

She’s not going to stop. There’s nothing I can do. I have to tell them.

But Sharon, the other part of her wept. What will happen to her? I don’t want anything to happen to her. Why does it have to be me?

She could tell Maggie to do it. Maggie could give them all away— it wouldn’t have to be Ámbar.

But even then, the moment they were captured, either Rey or Sharon would make sure to tell everyone that Ámbar knew. They would want her to go down with them.

Simón would find out that Ámbar knew, and once again, she wouldn’t get the chance to explain anything to him because she wasn’t the one who told him.

But I don’t want to tell him. I want to be happy. I want us to continue being happy for a little longer.

Wouldn’t Simón choose the same? Stay in happy oblivion for a little longer instead of going through heartbreak? Anyone would choose happiness, right?

Especially now that the Day of the Dead Roller Jam was coming up. She couldn’t ruin this for him. Maybe she could tell him after, but not right now.

Yeah, after. She could tell him after. At some point. She could do that.

She had to… she had to focus on the event first, and then on fixing whatever weird thing was up with her relationship with Simón, and then when things were good between them again, she could unveil everything, and maybe… maybe he’d understand. Maybe everything would be fine. Maybe…

Ámbar spent was felt like hours trying to calm down her pulse. She had no idea what a panic attack felt like, but she imagined the starts of one felt like this— like shortness of breath and a knot behind her sternum, so she had to calm down, think of something else.

She worked on decorations, one after another, focusing on the repetitive movements, and eventually, it worked. Her mind was getting clearer.

Then Rey walked in through the front door, passing by the lobby, and Ámbar saw red.

She was out of her seat in a fraction of a second. She yanked him into the empty dining room by his suit jacket and turned to him with such a fierce glare it should’ve killed him.

“How could you rat on me with Sharon?” She snarled. “You do know I can talk, right? I warned you, Rey. I told you not tomess with me. Are you out of your mind? Do you truly care more about Sharon than your own damn safety now?”

“I'm going to expressly ask you to calm down,” Rey seethed through gritted teeth, “and to not lay a single hand on me again because we both know you have a lot to lose from all of this.”

Ámbar scoffed and shook her head. “I don’t get it. I swear to god, I can not understand it— How can you not see this is reaching the end of the line, Rey? Any moment now, my godmother is going to sneak into this house because she is obsessed with that stupid chest, and she’s going to get caught, and then she, you, and Maggie are going get sent straight to a prison cell— You should be stopping her, not helping her!”

“Your godmother is not going to back out, miss,” Rey said with certainty, spitting the last word with venom. “She is unyieldingly set on destroying the Valente. And ensuring she doesn’t get caught doing it is my job. All you have to do, as you’ve done until now, is remain quiet.”

“I can’t, Rey, Ican’t— This is wrong,” Ámbar said in agony. “The Valente don’t deserve this— God, not even you and Maggie deserve this. Do you know what she told me?” She expressed with incredulity. “Do you know what Sharon told me when she called me earlier? That you’re replaceable,” she affirmed. “That she doesn’t care if you and Maggie go to jail because she can just pay someone else to do her dirty work. Open your eyes, Rey. This is going to end badly for everyone.”

Rey reared his head back a little. A few emotions flashed through his eyes—Fear, Ámbar was almost certain, and something that looked like hurt— but then all of that was gone as he put his firm expression back.

“I don’t believe a single word you say,” he enunciated strongly. “Your godmother considers me her right-hand man— I’ve spent years supporting her in everything she’s ever endeavored and she recognizes that.” Ámbar closed her eyes and shook her head, frustrated, distraught, but Rey kept talking. “You just want to confuse me because you’re scared of what your little boyfriend might think of all this. Sharon already warned me that you might react this way. But that’s all the more reason for you to keep your mouth shut. And I know you will.”

He leaned forward and looked her right in the eye. “You always do what’s most convenient for you. You can stop pretending otherwise.”

Rey straightened the jacket of his suit and walked away, leaving her standing there.

And Ámbar…

Ámbar hit the spot where he had been on the wall and drowned her fingers in her hair.

She couldn’t take this anymore.

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

Later that night, as they were getting ready for bed, Ámbar put on a smile and turned to face Simón.

“Good news! Well, I hope it’s good news. Starting from tomorrow, I’m going to work in the Roller again.”

Simón finished putting on his sleep shirt and blinked in her direction. “Oh. You’re not going to work from home anymore? I thought you could focus better that way.”

Ámbar avoided his gaze by pulling back the covers. “Mm, maybe, but the Roller Jam is this Friday and I need to be where the action’s at.” She sat on the bed and reached for his hand. “Besides, I miss being able to see my favorite person all day.”

Simón’s expression showed a hundred different questions. He was suspicious—Of course he was. Her decision to start working from home had been abrupt, and now she was coming back to the Roller just as abruptly. It could be just whims. Ámbar was known to have them. But Simón wasn’t stupid.

He wasn’t, but he just showed a little smile and said nothing.

They got under the covers after that, and again, the air between them wasn’t tense, but it was different.

Maybe this different was their new normal. With everything she had done and was still doing, maybe she didn’t deserve more than this. Maybe it was something she had to get used to.

Ámbar buried her face in Simón’s neck and tried not to cry.

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

On her very first day back in the Roller, she was surprised to find people happy to see her working there.

“We were starting to miss seeing you at that table,” Eric told her with a gentle smile. “I’ll bring you your usual juice right up.”

Ámbar blinked as he went to the bar. “Thank you…”

And then Ramiro smiled at her as well. “The Roller’s not the same without you, so welcome back.”

Warmth gathered inside of Ámbar. Everything looked so bleak lately that sometimes she forgot she had good relationships now— She wasn’t in the dark pit she once resided in. She didn’t have friendships based on hostility now. She wasn’t the pariah, completely alone, shunned by everyone. She wasn’t even that girl who only had friends because of the popularity she exuded.

She had genuine bonds now. Because she didn’t pretend anymore, nor did she attack anymore, and, surprisingly, some people seemed to like her without any facades.

Delfi saw her working on decorations in the afternoon and offered to help her with them. Ámbar felt a surge of joy and readily said yes— If there was one bond she was happy to have back, it was that one. This new go at their friendship was still rocky, but she felt like it got better every time they talked, and that was exactly what they did as they made the handicrafts— Talk, leisurely, casually, gloriously light and breezy with no particular direction.

Some minutes after they sat down to do that, Jim and Yam saw them working and asked to join in too. It took Ámbar by surprise, but the Roller Jam was just around the corner and she had to get these done, so the more hands, the better. She accepted gratefully.

Then Jazmín arrived and claimed she didn’t want to be excluded, so she started helping too. Ramiro joined in as well soon after, followed by Nina, and before Ámbar knew it, she had a whole group gathered on the Roller’s stage, all making decorations together. Even Simón and Pedro took a break to join them.

It felt so nice. Seeing everyone talking and working together… Feeling part of a group... Ámbar was pretty independent, and she didn’t mind doing things alone, but it was nice to be able to turn her brain off for a minute and let herself be carried by a cheerful current.

So, of course, something had to ruin it.

“What if we put candles around the rink like they do in México?” Jazmín proposed with sparkling eyes.

“It’d be very pretty, but also very dangerous, so let’s better not,” Simón kindly shot down her well-meaning but poor idea.

“Yeah, did you forget already how the rink caught fire last year?” Pedro said.

It was like a black hole had sucked out all the calm they’d felt until that moment. Ámbar’s chest contracted, and one could’ve heard a pin drop in the silence that followed.

Many stares fell on her at once.

Simón turned to his friend with a reproachful look. “Pedro.”

Even in the awkwardness, it made her a little happy to see him jump in her defense, but Ámbar didn’t want this to turn into an argument, so she hurried to intervene.

“No, it’s okay, you don’t have to censure yourselves for me,” she told them. The fire was something that happened and that affected everyone— It was bound to come up every now and then.

She didn’t want it to be a taboo topic forever. She didn’t want everyone’s eyes to turn judgmental and distrustful every time they talked about last year.

Of course, there wasn’t much she could do about that, but… there was one thing.

Ámbar cleared her throat a little, joining her hands in her lap to stop them from fidgeting. “Since you’re all gathered here, I’d like to take the opportunity to apologize about the fire.” She glanced at them. “I know most of you won’t believe me, but it really was an accident, and I’m sorry about that. And…” She brought her gaze down to her hands. “I’m sorry about the other stuff I did too.” There were so many she couldn’t even count them. She squirmed a little with discomfort and rushed her words, looking up. “I know that just saying it is not enough and that it’s going to take a while for you to see I really changed, but either way, I…”

Ámbar had to look away again. She was not good at this. “I don’t know, I just… wanted to… say that.”

Lame. That ending was so lame.

She stood up quickly. If she had to sit through one more awkward silence, she was going to jump off the roof. “I’ll go check the decorations in the rink.”

Ámbar walked away, fighting a grimace. God, she couldn’t believe she had done that.

But that’s it. I did it. It’s done now.

She knew she had to apologize at some point— it probably should’ve been item 1 on her list if she meant to mend her ways, actually. She should’ve planned more how she was going to do it, maybe rehearse the words or something, but the important part was that it was done, right? Better an improvised speech than nothing.

Once in the rink, Ámbar went over to her worktable, looking for something to do. There were a couple of skull decorations that could use a second coat of paint, so she gathered her brushes and the paints to do just that.

Before she could start working on the first, though, she heard footsteps approaching, and when she turned her head toward the sound, she saw Simón had come after her.

Oh.

She thought she’d have a little more time before she had to talk about it.

Simón stood barely two steps away from her, and her eyes flicked back to the decorations. She couldn’t ignore him though, obviously, so Ámbar placed the skull and the brush carefully back on the table and wiped her hands on her clothes before facing him, even though they were clean.

“On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad was that apology?” She tried to joke, letting out an awkward huff of laughter.

Simón didn’t hold a fraction of her tension though. The smile that grew on his lips filled his whole face with warmth. His brown eyes looked at her with an incredible softness.

“It was great.”

Ámbar almost got speechless seeing such fondness directed at her. Simón grabbed one of her hands in both his own and held it between their chests. He caressed it gently with his thumb.

“That couldn’t have been easy. I didn’t expect Pedro to bring up the fire so out of the blue, I think it took all of us aback, but you handled it so well.” His hands squeezed hers. “You spoke from the heart, and I think the guys realized that too.” He took a step closer to her, his face absolutely beaming. “So, from one to ten, a hundred, bonita. A thousand. I’m very proud of you, my love.”

Oh.

Suddenly, Ámbar tried to remember if he had called her that the past few days. He had, of course, he had. But not like this. Not with that tone in his voice. Not with eyes so affectionate they kicked her heart into overdrive.

“Yeah?” Her voice came out too breathy, so she cleared her throat and spoke again, fast, a little clumsy. “I mean, I should’ve done it a long time ago, really. And maybe better. But it was the right thing to do, and, like I said, it’s not that I think this will fix everything; it’s not that easy. But at least—”

Simón held her face and kissed her. It wasn’t a hard kiss, but it was enough to cut off her nervous thoughts and leave her mind pleasantly blank.

“You were great,” he told her again, close.

Ámbar smiled, a mirror reflex from seeing him smile so beautifully, and welcomed his lips when he kissed her again.

And that night, their kisses did linger, and the contact did deepen, and Simón held her closer and closer. It was heady, and slow, and consuming.

It was easy.

*****************

“I’ll go check the decorations in the rink.”

Simón followed Ámbar with his eyes as she walked away, his heart doing a weird thing where it seemed like it wanted to squeeze and expand at the same time. Around him, his friends were just as quiet as him.

It was Nina who broke the silence. “Wow.”

Simón brought his gaze back to the group and saw similar expressions of surprise on everyone’s faces. The good kind.

“Is this the same Ámbar or did someone switch her with a clone?” Yam said in disbelief.

“I told you guys she had changed,” Delfi said with some superiority.

Simón couldn’t stay to hear more after that, possessed with the need to go to Ámbar.

His heart was thrumming as he walked toward the rink. It was a rush of elation, an invigorating mix of relief and love that started building the moment Ámbar started to speak. See? It screamed. I wasn’t wrong. I’m not wrong for believing in Ámbar. I never was.

It’d been hard the last few days. The constant fight against the voices in his head, rationality and emotion working on different wavelengths, and him, caught in the middle.

But that apology had been a balm to his anxious brain. Empiric proof that Ámbar was different from how she was before. Simón felt aligned again. He had hope. Sometimes, that was all he needed.

Things were much better after that day. They were good, actually. Their time spent at the Roller felt like old times. Everyone was smiling, excited by the upcoming Roller Jam, and the smiles didn’t dim around Ámbar anymore. Everyone worked together on the final preparations for the event. It was almost like they were all friends again.

In between waiting tables, Simón showed off his costume for the party to Ámbar and then stored it in the dressing room, ready for Friday. He was excited about sharing a little piece of his culture with his friends and with everyone who showed up, lured in by the decorations, and the food, and the music.

Ámbar said her costume was ready too. She refused to let him see it though, insisting on keeping it a surprise for the big day.

She really loves her secrets, doesn’t she?

Simón shot down the intrusive thought. He’d been doing that a lot lately. They kept popping up, but he wasn’t going to let them fester, especially for something like this. He loved surprises. It was fun.

Time flew by and suddenly it was the last night before the big event. At dinner, it was all everyone was talking about: Luna told her parents that they had to go check it out, even if only for a little bit. Mr. Alfredo invited himself too, which, of course, everyone agreed with. The guys went over the itinerary with Ámbar, especially Pedro and Simón, who would be on the employee side of things, and Michel marveled about how he was getting the best student exchange experience ever, because he didn’t only get to learn about one new culture, but two.

After dinner, when everyone had finished their food and the first few were excusing themselves to go up to their rooms, Maggie finished picking all the dishes from the table and turned to Ámbar with a smile.

“Ámbar, sweetie, want to do the dishes with me like last time? So I’m not so lonely doing it?”

Ámbar looked a little surprised, and bemused, by the invitation. Honestly, Simón was too. Maggie didn’t usually ask anyone to do things with her. Mónica sometimes offered, and Ámbar offered once as well, but that was it.

“Yeah, sure,” Ámbar replied after a moment, smiling, and got up from her chair. Simón thought of how much she’d changed from the conceited girl he met when he first arrived in Buenos Aires. That Ámbar would’ve never agreed to something like that, much less with a smile on her face. “Goodnight,” she told Simón, placing her hand shortly on his shoulder. She couldn’t openly say ‘See you later’ in front of Luna’s parents.

“Goodnight,” Simón said back, and watched her disappear inside the kitchen with Maggie. He stayed talking with his friends for a little longer and then excused himself and went up to Ámbar’s room.

The first thing he did was kick off his shoes and throw himself on the bed. He was tired from work, but also so excited about tomorrow he wasn’t sure how he was going to sleep. He knew he had to catch some good hours though— There was going to be a lot of movement tomorrow, lots of customers, and then a party. Hell, he even had a performance! He definitely had to sleep.

It was still early though, so he checked social media for a while, and then turned on the TV.

He had just opened Netflix when Ámbar walked into the room.

“Hey, just in time,” he greeted her, smiling. “I was thinking of watching a movie or something. What do you think?”

Ámbar blinked at him for a moment and then at the screen. “Um… Yeah, sure,” she said softly. “I mean, if you want.”

“I think I’ve been picking the movies for a little too long,” Simón joked self-critically. “You pick something.” He offered her the remote. “Whatever you want.”

Ámbar looked at the remote for a moment before taking it. “Okay.”

She went to the bed and Simón scooted over to his side to make space for her. Not like there was much space to give, the bed was small, but that wasn’t a problem when they were used to touching anyway.

Ámbar sat next to him, crossed-legged, and began to scroll through the different titles.

A moment passed. Simón watched her profile.

“You okay?”

Ámbar’s eyes moved from the screen to him. “Hm?” It took her a second to process the question. “Yeah, why?”

“Nothing, just, you’re a little quiet.” Ever since she came in, actually.

“Oh. No. I’m just focused on finding something,” she said, and brought her gaze back to the screen. “I don’t know if I want to watch a movie though— Maybe something shorter. With a faster pace. I don’t know, distracting.”

Ah.

Simón brushed back a lock of her hair and caressed her face softly with his knuckles.

“Are you nervous about tomorrow?”

If he was going to have a hard time sleeping, he could only imagine how she was feeling.

Ámbar met his eyes. There was something in hers, something familiar, like something he’d seen there before, but she lowered her gaze before he could discern exactly what. She could’ve stayed quiet and it would’ve still been obvious something was up. She confirmed it anyway. “A little.”

Simón cupped her face, waited until she looked back at him to give her his most reassuring smile. “It’s going to be amazing,” he told her with certainty. “You’ll see. You’ve worked too hard for it not to.”

Ámbar smiled.

The both of them focused on the screen after that to find something to watch. They ended up deciding on a sitcom, and they settled together with their backs against the pillows and Simón’s arm around Ámbar.

Simón enjoyed the show, but Ámbar still seemed a little distracted. She laughed a little late at the jokes, and was a little restless, moving her fingers constantly, checking her phone every few minutes, sometimes even seconds apart, as if she hadn’t looked at it right the first time.

She had to be really nervous, Simón thought. Ámbar had a tendency of being a perfectionist, and a little workaholic, so he wouldn’t be surprised if she was checking work emails even now. God knew it wouldn’t be the first time he caught her doing that after work hours.

After the second episode ended, Ámbar detached herself from his side and sat up. She shoved her phone into the pocket of her jeans as she turned to look at him.

“You know what? I think I’m gonna make myself some tea in the kitchen, maybe even something to eat, I don’t know— I’ll be back, okay?”

She started to get up but Simón caught her arm.

“Want me to get it for you?” He offered. It was the least he could do. All of tomorrow’s event was basically for his sake. “That way you don’t have to move.”

Ámbar showed him a smile but declined swiftly. “No, thank you, I’ll do it, don’t worry.”

She stood. Simón did as well. “No, really, I don’t mind.” He walked over to the other side of the bed to stand in front of her. “I mean,” he smiled playfully, “what use is the best Mexican boyfriend in the world if he can’t even bring his girlfriend food in bed?” He let out a little laugh. “Come on, what do you want? I believe you said tea. What flavor should I bring?”

“I don’t know, love, that’s why I want to go myself, let me do it.”

“Oh but that’s no problem, I can bring different options for you to choose, like before.” He felt a surge of amusement and fondness, remembering that time. “It’ll take me a little longer but—”

“Enough.”

Simón stopped in his tracks.

“That’s enough, Simón,I said ‘No, thank you.’ I’m very grateful, but I’m perfectly capable of doing things by myself. I’m going. Now drop it.”

Ámbar said it all sharp and fast, in one go, like exasperated.

Simón stood very still. His train of thought had turned to nothing.

Ámbar winced looking at his face and sighed. Her whole body softened and she moved closer to him, placing her hands on his shoulders gently.

She caressed them as she spoke. “Look. We’re both tired. Tomorrow’s a big day. Why don’t you stay here, rest, put on a movie like you wanted to, and I’ll watch it with you once I’m back, okay?” She kissed his cheek. “Wait for me.”

With that, she pulled away and walked out of the bedroom.

Simón stared at the door in her absence. Strange. All of that had been too strange. One second, they were fine, and the next, she was snapping at him with a hard voice— She didn’t have to get so defensive over something like that.

Unless it wasn’t about that.

Why was she so desperate for me to stay here?

Simón walked over to the door, and his hand was already on the handle when he stopped himself.

“No.” He let go and turned around, letting out a huff of laughter. “No, come on, what am I doing?”

Why would Ámbar lie about going to the kitchen? It was ridiculous. He was paranoid. What did he want to do? Go down there and make sure she was actually there?

What if she isn’t?

Simón shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. He was overthinking it. Yes, she was acting a little strange, but she was nervous. Worried and stressed about tomorrow. That was most probably why she lashed out too, but she realized her mistake and changed her tune immediately. Those things happened under stress.

He decided to stop dwelling on it and walked over to his side of the bed. He picked up his phone from the nightstand and checked the time. It wasn’t that late yet. He placed it back on the nightstand, and was about to put on a movie, like Ámbar said, as a distraction, when a thought struck him.

Her phone.

Simón’s heart stuttered. He flicked his eyes toward the opposite nightstand. It was empty. His feet brought him over to it as if to make sure, and then he looked around, over the vanity, the table. Nothing.

He remembered he’d seen her putting it in her pocket.

His stomach sunk low.

She took her phone with her.

Simón’s mind went into overdrive. Ámbar had been checking her phone incessantly since she walked into the room, hadn’t she? He thought it was work emails—What if it wasn’t? Why would she bring her phone to make herself tea?

Maybe just to pass the time?? A critical voice retorted in his head. You’re exaggerating.

Was he? Because it was all adding up. She’d been acting strange, distracted, checking her phone instead of focusing on the show, and now, suddenly, she wanted to be alone so badly that she basically ordered him to stay here, and she took her phone with her.

She could’ve taken it without thinking, it’s not that big of a deal, the voice reproached again. It sounded like himself. Like his old self. The one who had stronger views of right and wrong.

Good thing that she took it too or you would’ve already gone through it with the way you’re acting right now.

Simón stopped pacing at once. He hadn’t even realized he was doing it.

No. Absolutely not.He was not that kind of boyfriend.

He kept repeating that in his head while he fought the urge to go to the kitchen. I’m not like that, I don’t want to be like that, I won’t do it—

But his eyes kept glancing at the door.

**********************

“Ámbar, sweetie, want to do the dishes with me like last time? So I’m not so lonely doing it?”

Upon receiving Maggie’s invitation, Ámbar immediately got a bad feeling in her gut. Maggie’s expression was sweet and chirpy— overly so, if you knew how she really was, which was a clear indicator that something was up. Ámbar saw it in her eyes. ‘Come with me’ they urged.

Ámbar did so. Once in the kitchen, Maggie handed her a pair of gloves, the same ones she’d used last time, and for a moment, they just washed the dishes normally.

“Sorry about that, but I needed to talk to you,” Maggie started in a quiet voice.

“Yeah, I figured, what happened?” Ámbar said in the same volume.

“Well, you didn’t hear it from me but…” Maggie looked around quickly, making sure there was no one near. She leaned closer. “I overheard Rey talking on the phone with Sharon. She’s going to sneak into the house tonight.”

Ámbar’s heart leaped. “What? At what time? Right now?” She expelled in a rush.

“I don’t know!” Maggie whisper-yelled too. “Rey didn’t even tell me about it— I only heard him because I noticed he was acting weird and spied on him. Clearly, he’s being very cautious.”

Ámbar scrubbed the plate in her hands to let out some of her nervous energy. She should’ve known it was only a matter of time before this happened. She wasn’t expecting to hear about it, though. Now that she had the information, what was she supposed to do with it?

“Why are you telling me?” She asked Maggie. If Rey didn’t even tell her about it, clearly the plan was exclusively between him and Sharon.

“I don’t know, I thought maybe you could do something about it and save us all from going to prison?” She suggested. The fear and urgency in her voice were evident, and in her movements as she washed the dishes too. “I mean, it’s too risky coming here again after she was almost caught twice before. I’m telling you, Sharon has completely lost her mind.”

Ámbar lowered her gaze to the sink. She felt her heart drop to her stomach, wilted like a two-week rose. “I know. But there’s nothing I can do to stop her,” she admitted ruefully. “I’ve tried everything; it’s useless.”

Maggie sighed heavily. “Rey too. For a moment, I thought I had gotten through to him but… Ugh! I don’t know what enchantment that woman pulled him under.” She scrubbed the dishes with more force. “So, what do we do?”

Ámbar watched the suds and food scraps drip down the drain. Her voice came out hopeless. “I don’t know.”

The two washed the dishes in silence for a while. Ámbar got lost in her thoughts. Thoughts of how she wished things had gone differently. Thoughts of all the things she could do… and all the consequences those decisions could bring.

Maggie broke the silence after some minutes. “If they catch her…” Ámbar’s heart faltered. “Could you please tell everyone that I tried to stop this?”

Ámbar looked to the side, meeting her gaze. Maggie drew a tiny smile on her lips. It looked gloomy. “My designer clothes weren’t made for jail.”

Once more, Ámbar was made very aware of all the lives that were entangled in Sharon’s plot. Everything that could be ruined if she talked. Everything that could be ruined if she didn’t.

She wondered if Rey had told Maggie about what Sharon told her on the phone, about replacing them, her disregard for their safety.

Even if he didn’t, Maggie seemed to know. She wouldn’t be asking her this otherwise.

“Yeah, I’ll tell them,” Ámbar promised. She couldn’t control many things, but this she could do.

She went up to her room with a thousand thoughts raging through her mind. Of course, Simón noticed. He always noticed when something was up with her, even if he didn’t know why.

Outwardly, Ámbar tried to seem composed while her pulse galloped with anxiety, harder every minute. She couldn’t stop looking at the time, wondering if Sharon had already entered the mansion or if she hadn’t yet; wondering if she should talk, right now, put an end to everything once and for all, or stay out of it and hope it resolved by itself. Maybe someone else would catch her. Maybe something would come up and Sharon wouldn’t sneak in at all. But if she did— How could she waste such an opportunity to stop her? But if she didn’t, Ámbar would just be ending her peaceful days prematurely for nothing. But it wouldn’t be for nothing— It was the right thing to do. But she had the event tomorrow. But that wasn’t the most important thing. But—

The second episode of the sitcom ended and Ámbar couldn’t have said what any of the character’s names were. She had to leave. She had to do something.

But Simón was being inopportunely sweet, and ugh—

She walked out of her room feeling like a rope frayed to the last thread, tugged in all directions. She had to move, or she was going to break.

Ámbar sped over to Sharon’s room. There was no one inside when she walked in. Was she late? Had it already happened?

She pulled out her phone to call Sharon but then stopped herself short. She couldn’t call her— What if she was already making her way inside and the ringtone alerted everyone of her presence? Same thing with a message. She wanted to believe Sharon wouldn’t be so stupid as to not set her phone on silent mode, but she hadn’t been making the most rational decisions lately, so she didn’t know.

She chose to hide somewhere and wait. Everyone hadn’t gone to bed that long ago— it was unlikely her godmother had been in and out already. The curtains next to the bed were long enough to hide her feet, so Ámbar got behind them and turned to the window, which gave her a view of the front yard of the house.

She didn’t know how long she spent standing there, looking out. It was probably just a few minutes, but her nerves were strung tight, and it felt like hours. She thought she saw something at some point, but it was dark and she was high up, and there was the chance that Sharon wouldn’t even use the main entrance to walk in. All the uncertainty and the waiting did nothing to assuage her heart rate.

Then she heard someone opening the door.

Ámbar held her breath. Her senses zeroed in on every little noise, cataloging each of them, discerning.

Heels. She could clearly hear the sound of heels walking on wooden floor.

Ámbar pushed the curtain aside and stepped forward.

In a red hair wig and a similar dress to the one she’d seen before, Sharon stopped in her tracks and spun around quickly, reacting to the sound of footsteps other than her own, and her wide eyes met Ámbar’s in the semi-darkness.

Sharon’s posture relaxed, just slightly, when she saw it was her. That was a mistake. Ámbar would let her know.

“What are you doing here?” Sharon’s voice was accusatory.

“I should be asking you that.” Ámbar marched across the room, passing by Sharon and standing between her and the bookshelf that concealed the secret chest. “I told you it was too dangerous. But, of course, you wouldn’t listen to me. You don’t listen to anyone but yourself.”

“I don’t have time for sermons, Ámbar,” Sharon said dismissively and tried to go toward the bookshelf.

Ámbar stood in her way.

Sharon glared at her with irritation.

“Step aside.”

“No.”

Sharon’s eyes threatened murder. “Ámbar.”

“What’s most important to you?” She asked. “Whatever’s in that chest or your revenge?”

“Both,” Sharon spat darkly, and tried to push past her, but Ámbar blocked her way again.

“No, you don’t get both.” Her voice was strong and resolute. Her posture firm. “You’re in a checkmate, godmother. One scream from me and all your plans are over— Rey will not be able to save you in time. You’ll have to pay for what you did.”

Sharon looked at her appraisingly, taking her words for what they were— A threat.

Her lips curled into an ironic smile. “So, it’s finally come to this, huh?" She shook her head. "Raise crows and they will poke out your eyes.”

Ámbar didn’t respond to that proverb. This wasn’t a betrayal. She told herself it wasn’t. “I’m giving you a choice,” she made clear. “Take whatever is inside that chest, leave all of us alone, for good, and you can spend the rest of your days building an empire somewhere else or whatever it is that you want. But if you insist on your stupid revenge, I promise you, I will personally make sure to stop you, even if you manage to escape tonight, which seems very unlikely.”

Sharon watched her in silence, and Ámbar could see in her expression that she knew it too— Right now, the cards weren’t in her favor.

“So, I ask you again,” Ámbar said with finality. “What’s more important to you?”

The two took each other’s measure, unblinking, unmoving.

Sharon spoke flatly. “Step aside.”

“No.”

“Move, Ámbar,” she reiterated with annoyance. “I’ll take what’s mine and go. Far away,” she clarified. She was conceding. “So long as you keep your end of the bargain as well.”

Ámbar hesitated. Could she trust her to keep her word? Could she trust her own vow of hunting her to the ends of the Earth if she didn’t?

Ironically, it was Simón’s words that crossed her mind.

For someone to change, you have to give them a chance to do so.

Sharon wasted no time in advancing toward the bookshelf once Ámbar stepped out of the way. The furniture made a clicking noise as the secret compartment was revealed, and Sharon pulled the little doors open to access the chest inside. Ámbar stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, watching as Sharon pulled the key out of her purse, hoping she wouldn’t regret this later.

She had to look away as she opened it. What if this was a terrible mistake? What if whatever was in that chest was even worse than the revenge she wanted to inflict on the Valentes? What if—

The sound of struggle reached her ears. Metal against metal, wood being shaken, followed by an angry tsk of Sharon’s tongue.

“It’s not working— This is not the right key!” She fumed.

Ámbar whipped her head toward her. “What?” How could it be the wrong key? Right when she’d made a deal with her? “Are you sure? Here, let me try—”

She reached for the key, but Sharon twirled around quickly, blocking her way to the chest. “No!” She exclaimed, frantic. “I don’t want you anywhere near this chest, you hear me? Especially you. And Luna.”

Ámbar frowned, both at her exaggerated reaction and the words that came with it. What did she mean ‘especially you and Luna?’

She didn’t get to ask about it because, right then, the knob of the door rattled as someone tried to open it. Sharon had had the good sense to lock it when she walked in, but that didn’t change the fact that there was someone outside the door right now, someone who then knocked when they couldn’t push it open.

“Hello?” It was Luna. “Is someone there?”

Time seemed to slow down around Ámbar. It was over. The key didn’t work, so Sharon couldn’t have what was in the chest, and without that, their deal was void, so she couldn’t risk letting her go— She had to give her away. Now.

Her eyes met her godmother’s, and she knew from the look in them that she was thinking the same thing.

There was fear in them. Ámbar didn’t think she had ever seen her that scared before, with the certainty of doom paling her face, and never with that look directed at her.

Ámbar didn’t think. She just acted.

“Hide.”

Time started moving again.

Ámbar went to the door and turned the key to unlock it. Before opening it, she took a glance behind her back, making sure Sharon wasn’t visible. She couldn’t spot her.

She opened the door just enough to show herself to Luna.

“Luna, hi, sorry for locking the door.”

“Ámbar?” Luna looked at her with her face wrinkled in confusion. “What are you doing in Sharon’s room?”

“You have no idea what just happened.” Ámbar walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. Years of pretending to be good paid out now, fueling her improvisation. “I was coming back from the kitchen when I started hearing some weird noises. I thought they were footsteps and I got scared— I thought maybe Sharon had come here again, so I came to her room, but there was no one. I haven’t seen anyone else either, or heard anything since then. I think maybe I imagined it all. I’ve been paranoid since the last time she came here.”

Luna’s eyes fluttered with surprise. “Wow, I— I haven’t heard anything. I was in my room and wanted to come here, and I didn’t see anything on the way either, maybe you did imagine things.” Ámbar nodded her head. Luna frowned. “Wait— And why did you lock the door?”

Her heart jumped to her throat. “Because I’m paranoid,” Ámbar said. “Like I said, I got scared that maybe someone was here and they were going to try and come for the chest, so I locked myself inside, and then you knocked on the door and almost gave me a heart attack.” That part was actually true.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t mean to,” Luna apologized. She lowered her gaze a little shyly, fidgeting with her fingers. “I just— Since tomorrow we’ll be celebrating the Day of the Dead at the Roller, I got a little sentimental and I thought maybe I could search for some pictures of Lily and Bernie.” Her eyes looked at the door wistfully. “This used to be their room, before. Would you help me look?”

Her hand reached for the handle but Ámbar blocked her way. “No, no, I don’t think it’d be a good idea.” She contorted her face into an image of empathy. “I mean, if you’re already feeling kind of sad about it, I think seeing pictures would only make you feel worse. Maybe tomorrow,” she suggested, “with the whole Roller Jam and everything, you’ll be in better spirits and you can search then.”

“Well, I’m not feeling that sad really—”

“And now that you mention it—” She needed to get her away from here, now. “You know, I have a problem with my costume for tomorrow, you think you could help me?”

Luna frowned. “Me?”

“Yeah, I mean, you’re from México, and there’s something about it that doesn’t seem quite right to me. Maybe I’m exaggerating, but I’d like a second opinion. Could you come to my room and check it out with me?”

“Simón is from México too, why don’t you ask him?”

“I’m keeping it a surprise from him, he hasn’t seen it yet.” Again, all the better lies always had a kernel of truth. Ámbar joined her hands together. “Please, Luna? It’ll be quick, I promise, I’ll let you be after that.”

Luna hesitated, still looking very confused, but she agreed. “Okay, sure.”

Powerful relief flooded Ámbar as they started walking and left Sharon’s room behind, further and further with each step they took. She had no idea what minimal detail of her costume she was going to point out to Luna once they got to her own room, but that was unimportant— The coast was clear now. Sharon would be able to escape.

As soon as that thought registered in her mind, her chest hitched with a sharp pang. Her stomach sunk along with her relief, both crushed under a wave of guilt so potent it was almost asphyxiating.

Her brain reproached her without mercy. You weren’t supposed to let her escape— You had to stop her!

Ámbar’s pulse went wild again, and she became very aware of her own breathing. She tried to keep it normal, but now that she’d stopped moving by instinct, her mind was frantic, urging her to action so loudly it was like a blare in her ears.

It’s not too late. Turn around. Tell Luna to go get her parents. You have Sharon right there, served on a silver platter— What are you doing?

But Sharons’ face. The fear in her eyes.

Who cares? You’re not at fault for everything she has to pay for. Hand her over, help getting her captured, and the Valente will be grateful. Maybe even Simón will be happy. Maybe he’ll be proud of you, for doing the right thing, like when you apologized in the Roller.

Ámbar felt her stomach so tied up in knots it was like she was going to be sick.

“Ámbar?” Luna spoke to her. “Are you okay? Is something wrong?”

Her heart pounded even harder.

“No.” Her natural instinct was to lie. Hide everything behind a smile. “Everything’s fine, I’m okay.”

“Is the issue with your costume that bad?” Luna ventured, clearly not believing her words.

A breathless laugh burst out of Ámbar. “No, no, that’s just a tiny thing, you’ll see when we get there.” Her hands fidgeted. “It’s just…”

She could feel Luna’s stare on her face. Ámbar swallowed.

“It’s just that… thinking that Sharon had sneaked into the house again left me a little rattled, that’s all.”

Lie. Liar. Say the truth. Stop this. Stop this.

“I didn’t know that Sharon’s appearances had affected you so much,” Luna said with sympathy, but there were some strong undertones of surprise and bemusement. “I mean, with how close you two used to be, I would guess you’re the one with the least reasons to worry. She would never do anything to you.”

Thump.

A dagger ran through Ámbar’s heart.

It took her a while to regain her composure. She had to remind herself how untrue that was, all the things Sharon had done, everything she had threatened to do.

“You forget she lied to me about my identity,” she said to Luna. And that’s only what you know.

Luna looked down, embarrassed. “Oh. Right. You’re right,” she said quietly, and remained quiet all the rest of the way, which suited Ámbar just fine.

She didn’t want to talk. She wanted to wrap up this ruse as quickly as possible and then get into bed. She had a big day tomorrow after all. That was the only thing she had to focus on right now.

Coward, her brain grumbled at her.

‘You always do what’s most convenient for you,’ she heard Rey’s voice. ‘You can stop pretending otherwise.’

She was sure that was how it looked from the outside. But Rey was wrong.

Ámbar didn’t do what was convenient for her, almost never. She did whatever poured out of her in the moment— Whatever she could. She told herself she was smart, and cunning, and calculative, but she wasn’t. She followed her emotions more often than her head. She got things wrong. Over, and over, and over.

Maybe she could break that cycle if she weren’t so stupid, she thought numbly. She would never know, she guessed. She was too emotional to do things right, too much of a disaster to stop making more messes.

I deserve everything coming my way.

She opened the door of her room and saw Simón on the bed, already wearing his pajamas. He did a double-take when he saw she wasn’t alone, surprised and confused.

“Luna?” He said, blinking. “Wha…?”

Ámbar drew a smile on her face.

Time to perform! Don’t you just love that, you lying bitch?

“I found Luna on the way and asked her to help me with my costume, sorry for startling you.”

She closed the door behind them.

**********************

Simón didn’t go to the kitchen.

He didn’t leave the room at all, mainly because he had made a decision, long ago, regarding Ámbar. He chose to believe in the good in her. He chose to trust her when he started this relationship, and chose it again when she apologized about the phone call. He had to stick by that choice. He couldn’t keep wavering over every little thing.

Ámbar wouldn’t lie to me again, he stated in his mind, with conviction, with logic. Not after what happened the last time. She knows better and she wouldn’t do that to me. She loves me.

Since she loved him, she wouldn’t purposely do something that would hurt him, right?

Simón went to use the bathroom and do his nighttime routine— brush his teeth, wash his face. Ámbar had a wide variety of products and she’d told him to just help himself to whatever. There was a cleanser he liked, so he’d taken to using that one. It definitely made his face feel better than regular soap.

He usually would take a shower, but he wanted to be present when Ámbar came back to the room (he told himself there was no particular reason behind that). He could take one in the morning, he decided, and walked out of the bathroom.

He changed into his sleep t-shirt and pajama pants, a soft cotton combination he fancied in the colder months. Well, usually he wore a little more, like thicker pants or a long-sleeve shirt, but that was in the loft when he slept with barely a sleeping bag on top of him, and most importantly, that was when he slept alone, because Ámbar might use him to warm up her cold feet every night, but that didn’t mean her body didn’t produce heat. If Simón tried to sleep more covered, he would lie awake in a puddle of sweat.

Ámbar still hadn’t come back when he laid back down on the bed. He scrolled through Instagram for a few minutes, checking the passage of time, until he realized he was doing that and put his phone down. He grabbed the remote and searched for a movie to watch (he didn’t really want to watch anything but…)

He had just selected something when the bedroom door opened. Simón looked toward it, expecting to see Ámbar, but he didn’t expect to see—

“Luna?” He sat up. “Wha...?”

“I found Luna on the way and asked her to help me with my costume, sorry for startling you,” Ámbar said to him, and closed the door behind them both. “Thank god you were dressed.”

Luna grimaced so hard after hearing that.

“Oh,” Simón said, taking that in. He crossed his legs, leaning slightly forward. “Does that mean I finally get to see it?”

“Nope,” Ámbar replied humorously. “We’re gonna be in my en-suite— No peaking!” She started crossing the room and looked behind her. “Follow me, Luna.”

The two disappeared inside the bathroom seconds later, leaving Simón alone again.

He frowned.

Well, that was weird.

Ámbar left to serve herself some tea or something and then she showed up around twenty minutes later with Luna in tow?? Had Luna ever even been inside Ámbar’s room before? They never had the best relationship. They got along well enough now, but enough for Ámbar to bring her here and ask for her opinion on her costume? A costume that she didn’t even show him?

Well, if she doesn’t want to show it to you, it makes sense she’d have to ask someone else.

But now? The night before? When Ámbar liked to be prepared for everything and always tried to leave things ready in advance?

You’re overthinking again.

After some minutes, he heard the bathroom door open, so he quickly schooled his face into a neutral expression. Luna and Ámbar reappeared in the room, the latter stopping by her closet to put back a hanger with a black garment cover on it.

“Thank you again, Luna, sorry for bothering you.”

Luna chuckled. “I really didn’t do anything— I don’t know why you thought there was something wrong with your dress.”

“Ssh.” Ámbar tilted her head pointedly toward Simón.

Luna’s eyes widened. “Dress, pants, blouse—Who knows?” She corrected, letting out another light laugh. She smiled at both of them as she walked to the door. “Goodnight, Simón, see you tomorrow.”

He smiled at her. “Goodnight.”

Luna left the room, letting the two of them alone. Simón’s eyes immediately focused on Ámbar. He saw her sigh, the slightest bit of tension dropping from her shoulders, and she ran her fingers through her hair, probably in an unconscious gesture.

“How was it that you ended up with Luna again?”

He made his voice sound curious and not suspicious— Just conversational. Ámbar’s back still straightened before she turned to look at him.

“I was coming back from the kitchen when I heard some weird noises,” she started saying. “Or, well, I thought I had heard weird noises. Evidently, I was wrong.”

Ámbar bent down to take off her shoes. She kept talking as she put them back in her closet, and then as she walked toward her vanity and started taking off her jewelry. “But when I went to check Sharon’s room to make sure everything was fine, that’s where I met Luna. She wanted to look for photos of Lily and Bernie. She said that since we’ll be celebrating the Day of the Dead tomorrow, she was feeling melancholic. I told her it’d be better if she saw them some other day, since looking at their pictures now would only make her sadder, and that’s when I asked her to come help me with my costume.” Now that she’d stored everything back in its place, she spun to face him with a smile. “What better way to take her mind off such sad topics, right?”

Simón’s shoulders slumped a little. “Right.”

He felt a little bad after hearing her explanation. It all sounded perfectly reasonable— even nice toward Luna.

I’ll have to ask her later to see if she tells me the same story.

Simón shook himself internally right after finishing that thought. What was wrong with him? He was blowing this whole thing way out of proportion— He just had to believe her and that was it.

Ámbar went to her nightstand to leave her phone charging. Simón finished processing her words.

“So… there was nothing wrong with your costume, actually,” he concluded.

Ámbar turned her head toward him, and her whole posture revealed she’d been caught. She showed him an apologetic smile with a tint of playfulness. “Could you keep it a secret from Luna?” She asked. “I don’t want her to think I was just messing with her like I used to do; that wasn’t my intention.”

Simón smiled. “Yeah, sure.”

So, there was a lie, but just a little white one. Maybe that was what his intuition was picking up on and it was nothing bad after all. It definitely was more believable than Ámbar seeking help with her costume the night before the event.

And her doing all of that just for Luna is more believable? His brain mocked. They’re not even friends.

Simón tucked his hands under his thighs and curled them into fists. Stop it.

“Thank you,” Ámbar said. She glanced at the TV. “I see you found a movie.” She climbed onto the bed and sat next to him. “Did you start watching it already?”

“No, not yet.”

“Good, so we can watch it together,” she said smiling. “Although,” she checked her phone briefly, “it’s a little late now. I better take off my makeup first, so we can just turn off the TV after and sleep.” She slipped out of her side of the bed. “I’ll brush my teeth too. I’ll be right back.”

Simón got up. “Wait.”

He intercepted her on the way. Ámbar stopped and looked at him curiously.

He wrapped his arms loosely around her and put on a smile. “I want a kiss first.”

Ámbar’s face filled with tenderness. With her hands on his chest, she tilted her head up to give him a kiss, sweet and short. Too short. “Are you charging me a toll to pass through now?” She said with amusement.

“Yes,” he said, and leaned in to join their lips once more.

He kissed her longer this time. Softly at first, then a little more insistently, tilting his head and parting her lips with his. He sucked on them slightly before pulling back.

She didn’t taste like tea.

Simón held her head between his hands and kissed her deeper. Ámbar’s hands went to his back, and when his tongue entered her mouth, her fingers dug into his skin and she let out a little moan. Simón felt an answering shiver go down his body. Heat pooled low in his stomach, but she didn’t taste like anything. She didn’t smell like anything. Nothing.

Then what did you do for twenty minutes?

Ámbar pulled back, panting a little. Simón’s breathing was accelerated too. Her hands held his shoulders. “Um.” She looked down momentarily. “Not that I don’t like it, but maybe we should just watch the movie,” she said slowly. “We have a long day tomorrow and it’s already late.”

Simón knew the twinge in his chest wasn’t rational. He felt it anyway.

“You don’t want to?”

Ámbar looked a little troubled. Maybe it was an unfair question to ask. Maybe it wasn’t. Simón felt like he didn’t know anything at the moment. “It’s not that I don’t want to, it’s just…”

She looked to the side and— Oh… There was that look on her face again. The one she always denied that existed.

She blinked it away soon. She always did. “Actually, you know what?” She cupped his face. “It doesn’t matter.”

And for once, Simón instinct wasn’t to ask. He didn’t want to know what was causing her hesitation. He didn’t want to talk. He wanted to drown himself in a feeling.

So, when Ámbar kissed him, that was exactly what he did.

He poured all of himself into the meeting of their mouths. He held her against him and moved them to the bed, and with every layer they took off, he reminded himself of something.

She loves me.

Ámbar pulled him down and closer, pressing her body against his and circling him with her legs.

Even if sometimes I annoy her. Even if I don’t have that much to offer. Even if I don’t have a place of my own. She doesn’t care about any of that. She doesn’t want anyone else. She loves me.

He entered her in one slide, groaning at the tight, melting feeling, and Ámbar moaned, sighing as he bottomed out as if it was a relief to have him this close to her. She kissed the side of his neck, his jaw, his temple, and Simón started to move, stealing a gasp from her kiss-swollen lips.

Ámbar loves me.

He kissed her mouth and her neck. Heard her moan.

I know she does.

He thrust harder.

I know she does.

“Hey.”

Ámbar grabbed his face. Simón stopped.

“What’s the matter? Is it a cramp?” She asked breathlessly. “Why the painful face?”

Simón’s chest seized. Ámbar was looking at him with worried eyes.

He didn’t want to talk.

“Yeah, it’s a cramp,” he said. “But it’ll go away, it doesn’t matter.”

Ámbar’s face softened with sympathy. “Let’s switch positions.”

She guided him gently to lie on his back while she got on top of him. She arched up with her hands on his stomach and moved her hips, getting fully seated on his cock. A little trembling sigh left her lips.

“Better?”

Simón reached for her. “Can you kiss me while you do that?”

Ámbar lowered her upper body, moaning a little at the change of angle, and pressed their lips together.

Simón held the back of her neck and kissed her fervently as she moved.

Ámbar loves me. I know she does.

…

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

I played a little with the timeline in this chapter, doing some back and forth, which is something I hadn’t done before. I hope you liked it. I personally love this chapter a lot.

As a fun fact, I’ll tell you that this changed drastically from my first draft back in 2020. The ending, though, with the ‘Ámbar loves me, I know she does’ is the one thing that didn’t change, and I’m very happy I could keep it.

I’M SO EXCITED ABOUT NEXT CHAPTER !!!!

Coming up -> Roads that cross… with the Day of the Dead (Part 1)

#simbar #soy luna #simbar fic #simbar fanfic #soy luna fanfiction #My Writing #roads that cross #I love so many things about this- Especially Simón's last POV- like uggghhhh love this so much #I know I wrote it but I dont always love what I write so let me enjoy this ksjdnf

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