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hiitsm · 6 months ago

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Heartfelt Moments

Your girlfriend helps you completing a milestone in your heart operation recovery process

Pure Fluff

"Okay, mi vida, are you ready for this? It's totally fine if you're not; we can head back home," Alexia says, her brow furrowing with concern, which makes you chuckle softly.

You reach out, smoothing the worry lines on her forehead. "I am ready, amor, and I'm so glad to be doing this with you," you assure her, smiling softly. She responds by leaning in and gently pressing her lips to yours.

"Okay then, let's keep a slow pace. We'll start with a half-field run, okay?" Alexia suggests, her voice still tinged with a hint of worry.

"Yes, mi amor, that’s perfect," you agree. Although you received clearance to run a few weeks ago, you hadn't felt quite ready until today. Now, with Alexia by your side, you feel prepared to take this step.

Alexia had brought you to the FC Barcelona training grounds, not only because she knew the way there as the FC Barcelona Femení captain but also because she was aware of the abundance of sports physios available to assist you if needed.

Despite your assurance that you could manage a run in the park, your stubborn girlfriend wouldn't hear of it. And secretly, you loved her concern.

"Are you feeling okay, amor? Is your condition acting up? Do you need a break?" Alexia asks, her worry evident, as you reach the 100-meter mark.

You were born with dextrocardia, a condition where your heart is on the right side instead of the left. For years, it hadn't caused any complications beyond the unusual placement of your heart. Yes, maybe you are out of breath a little before other people would be, but you haven’t really had a negative experience with it. However, nearly a year ago, you began experiencing complications: cyanotic heart disease.

"Amor, please don’t worry too much. I'm feeling alright. This pace feels nice," you reassure her, offering a smile to ease her concerns. Alexia returns the smile softly, squeezing your hand lightly before resuming your usual running position.

"You know, running with you always brings back memories of the first time I saw you," Alexia says with a cheeky grin, causing you to playfully roll your eyes at her.

Alexia had been strolling around the park, a routine she followed most evenings, a ritual that helped her unwind before attempting to sleep—though sleep rarely came easily to her. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of upcoming football training sessions, matches, and how she could inspire young girls to pursue their dreams, regardless of their backgrounds.

As you round the corner into the park, your lungs tighten, and your breathing quickens—a familiar sensation that prompts you to slow down to a walking pace. Running has always been your escape, a way to quiet your mind, but your dextrocardia often leaves you breathless sooner than you'd like. Despite the warm Barcelona sun, you wear a running tank top and shorts, embracing the comfortable attire.

As you noticed a beautiful woman walking out of the park, you attempted to control your breathing. But before you could, she spoke up. "Are you alright? Do you need some water? The bottle is still unopened," Alexia offered kindly, her eyes flickering over your face and down your body, causing a blush to rise to your cheeks as you realized she was checking you out.

"That would be nice, thank you," you replied softly, accepting Alexia's bottle of water and taking a few sips.

"Do you come here often?" she asked curiously, her question more for her own benefit than anything else, as Alexia secretly hoped to see you again. But she kept that to herself, of course.

"Yes, this is my usual running route. Some days are better than others," you admitted, feeling your cheeks flush even redder as you noticed Alexia glancing at your sweaty shorts.

"That's fine, we all have those days," she replied with a cheeky grin, a stark contrast to her earlier shyness. Her playful response elicited a chuckle from you, and you found yourself drawn to her presence.

"You know, you were kind of stalking me a little," you teased Alexia as the two of you finished your first half-field run, now resting for a couple of minutes before tackling another round. Sitting on the grass, the warm embrace of the Barcelona sun kissed your skin, and Alexia rested her head on your shoulder.

"It wasn’t stalking, amor. I was just at the park when you happened to be there," she defended herself, determined to make her point. "Besides, I just liked seeing you," she quickly added, a hint of shyness in her voice that made you smile.

Tilting your head slightly to look at her, you echoed her words, "Do you still like seeing me?" You loved how Alexia wasn't the most eloquent with words, but her actions spoke volumes, and it was utterly adorable.

"Of course, mi vida. I always like seeing you... no, wait,.. love seeing you," she corrected herself with a soft kiss, her lips lingering against yours. Then, with a mischievous grin, she continued, "Especially when you’re beautifully lying on our bed, with your legs spread, while being naked." Her cheeky comment made your cheeks flush crimson, and you playfully swatted her hand away as she traced her finger across your shoulder, ending up over your right breast.

"That was awful," you laughed and Alexia joined in, her laughter infectious.

"Do you remember when I first saw you naked though?" Alexia raised her eyebrows teasingly.

"Of course, amor, how could I forget? I was in a rush," you replied with a chuckle, recalling the amusing yet memorable encounter.

"Bebita, I love what you're wearing, but maybe it's a bit too much?" your girlfriend sounded a little insecure as she voiced her concern. You sensed she was trying not to hurt your feelings, but her words only left you feeling confused.

"What, why? I'm meeting your mother and sister for the first time," you replied, gesturing for Alexia to enter your small apartment. It was compact, with the bed, kitchen, dining area, and living space all crammed into one room, along with a tiny bathroom. Alexia had been here before but still seemed bewildered by its size.

"It's just a home-cooked dinner at my mother's house, amor," Alexia said, pulling you close to her. "Even though I love this red cocktail dress you're wearing, you don't have to. It's just dinner. I bet Alba is even wearing her sweats, like usual, just like me," she added softly. "I'm sorry if it was my fault for this dress code you've got on."

"No, mi vida, it's all on me. I just want to make a good first impression," you sighed heavily.

"You'll make a great impression just by being you, amor," Alexia assured you, leaning in to kiss you, and soon the two of you were getting carried away. But reality quickly snapped back as you realized the time.

"Oh, we're going to be late," you exclaimed, feeling the stress mounting. "Amor, please pull the zipper down," you instructed, turning your back to Alexia. She did as you asked. Instead of heading to the bathroom to change, you surprised her by all but tearing your dress off, standing there fully naked. Alexia stood still, trying to process the sudden turn of events.

"I'm sorry, amor. I know this is chaotic, but this is as fast as I can go, and we'll do this properly another day," you half-yelled hinting to your nudeness, rifling through your closet for the right clothes for a simple home-cooked dinner. Comfy clothes were what you were after. Alexia chuckled, finding the situation so typical of you.

"Amor, you weren't wearing anything under your dress?" she asked, baffled yet smug, her eyes drinking in the sight of you completely nude for the first time. Your scar from a heart operation in your youth was visible on your right side, a few lines marking where your heart was misplaced, slightly blue due to the lack of oxygen. Alexia found it mesmerizing. You were so beautiful.

"Lines of bras and panties are ugly, Ale, you know that," you huffed, snapping her out of her trance, hastily putting on undergarments and slipping into pants and a sweater.

When you were finally ready and grabbed Alexia's hand to leave, she pulled you back, cupping your face gently in her hands and kissing you lovingly. "You are beautiful, amor," her gaze soft and full of love. You blushed, realizing her words weren't just about the clothes you wore now. "I'm sorry for the chaos," you apologized, a little embarrassed.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," she replied sofly, pulling you towards the door, ready to face the evening together. It made you smile brightly.

"Let's take it easier now, okay amor?" Alexia's voice was tinged with concern as she observed your labored breathing and slowing pace. She knew you well—knew that you were usually one to push your limits. But ever since your surgery for cyanotic heart disease six months ago, those limits had inevitably shifted. Since then, she'd taken it upon herself to care for you more attentively, watching over you as you both navigated this new chapter. She understood your eagerness to return to running, yet she also recognized the challenges it entailed.

You remembered how, when Alexia had torn her ACL during football training and underwent surgery, the road to recovery was arduous. Having you by her side had been her solace, her strength. She knew well that recovering from a heavy heart surgery wasn't comparable to an ACL repair, but the principle remained the same—a solid support system was invaluable, and that was what she intended to be for you.

"Let's sit down on the grass over there, under that shade?" you suggested, pointing towards a welcoming patch of coolness.

"Yes, amor, I'll be right there," Alexia replied, quickly sprinting towards the FC Barcelona facility to fetch a fresh, cold bottle of water for you. She returned in less than a minute, her efficiency bringing a smile to your face. "Here, please drink," she said, gently brushing a stray hair from your face and tucking it behind your ear. You took a sip, immediately tasting your favorite electrolyte flavor—a thoughtful touch that warmed your heart.

"Thank you, bebita," you murmured, taking her hand and pulling her down to lie beside you on the grass. "Thank you for being here," you added softly, your eyes closed in contentment as you spoke. Alexia squeezed your hand in response. "Of course, amor, I will always be by your side," she assured you, her words reinforcing the bond you shared and evoking a cherished memory, fresh yet profound.

You layed in the hospital bed, the sterile white of the room blurring into a haze of nerves as the time for your operation approached. This wasn't your first heart surgery; the last one had been years ago when you were still a teenager. Now, as an adult, the decision to undergo another procedure felt heavier, tinged with a fear you hadn't anticipated. Alexia had been your rock, discussing the pros and cons with you until you both agreed that the surgery was necessary for a better future together. Despite her own aversion to hospitals, a remnant of painful memories associated with her father, Alexia stood by your side, her presence a silent vow of unwavering support.

Noticing the nervous pacing beside your bed, you couldn’t help but feel moved by her loyalty. Your eyes welled up with tears, which Alexia caught instantly, rushing over. “Are you okay, bebita? Do you need anything?” she asked gently.

Shaking your head, you reached out and gently pulled her arm, a silent invitation. “Can you please lay your head on my shoulder, Ale?” you requested, your voice barely above a whisper.

“Of course, bebita,” Alexia responded without hesitation, knowing how much comfort her closeness brought you. She nestled beside you, her head resting on your shoulder, grounding you with the familiar warmth of her presence.

“Okay, I’m just going in the operation room, I will be put to sleep, I will wake up, and I will see you,” you whispered, repeating the mantra a few times to steel your nerves. Each repetition made you feel a tad more ready.

“I will be here, amor,” Alexia murmured back, her hand gripping yours, her thumb soothingly caressing the back of your hand. “Te amo mucho, mi vida” she whispered, sealing her words with a gentle kiss.

When the doctors arrived to take you to the operating room, a deep sense of gratitude towards Alexia filled you, easing the tendrils of fear as anesthesia drew you into darkness.

Hours later, you awakened to the sight of Alexia's concerned face. “Hola, mi vida. How are you feeling?” she asked, squeezing your hand with a loving gaze.

“Just a bit tired, but happy to see you,” you whispered back, relief flooding through you as she relayed the doctor's positive report on the surgery.

''I'm glad that you're here with me, my sweet bebita,'' your girlfriend said softly. Tears welled in her eyes, and you reached up to tenderly wipe them away. Waiting till you got back from your surgery must've taken a toll on your girlfriend.

“And I’m glad that you’re here with me, my sweet Ale,” you said, voice thick with emotion. Hearing your words, she smiled softly.

That smile reminded you of another, more mundane need.

“Ale, please, can you grab me my favorite food?” you asked with puppy dog eyes. Alexia’s laughter rang out warmly in the quiet room.

“Of course, bebita, but you can only eat after another three hours,” she said apologetically.

You grunted in mock frustration, your hangryness palpable, but the shared laughter was like another layer of medicine, healing in its own right.

As you walked through the door of your shared home, a surprising sight greeted you—fresh flowers beautifully arranged on the kitchen counter. Puzzlement crossed your mind. You and Alexia had left together this morning; when could she have...?

Before you could process any further, Alexia's voice chimed in, bubbling with excitement. "I brought you some flowers, bebita, because you just ran a full football field today, and that milestone should be celebrated!" Her words caught you off guard, turning you around to face her with a look of awe.

"I love you, Ale, so much," you managed, your voice thick with emotion. The words barely scratched the surface of your gratitude and affection. Over the past few months, Alexia's gestures of love had continuously touched your heart deeply.

Laughing softly, Alexia added, "I love you too. That’s why I've also ordered your favorite sushi. It’s on its way." Her grin was infectious, prompting a playful eye roll from you.

"It’s also your favorite sushi, Ale," you reminded her with a smile, feeling the shared joy of the moment.

"Your win is my win, bebita," Alexia teased, her eyes twinkling as she took your hand and led you toward the couch. With a gentle pull, she guided you to straddle her lap, enveloping you in the comfort of her embrace.

"Estic tan orgullós de tu," Alexia whispered in her mother tongue, her words sending a thrill through you. The intimacy of her voice and the warmth of her body drew a sigh of relief from you. In her arms, you felt an overwhelming sense of safety—a confirmation of all the reasons you loved her so deeply.

I hope you all liked this one.

I'm trying a few writing styles so this might not be perfect, but when will writing ever be perfect?

Have a nice evening x keep it kind :)

#woso fanfics #woso x reader #woso #woso community #woso imagine #woso one shot #alexia putellas fanfic #alexia putellas x reader #alexia putellas imagine

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cottonlemonade · 9 months ago

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Pay Attention To Me

word count: 819 || avg. reading time: 3 mins.

pairing: University!AU Bokuto x chubby!Reader

genre: very suggestive, smut-adjacent, established relationship

warnings: mdni, nsfw, clingy Bo

“It might not be visible to the untrained eye, but you are actually not helping.”, you said to your boyfriend who for the past minute had spent his existence as a koala bear, arms wrapped tightly around you from behind, his chin resting on your shoulder.

You were lowkey starting to regret having invited him over but since Bokuto had gone out of his way to clear some time in his strict training schedule and since it was also his first day off in 3 weeks, you didn’t want this opportunity to pass. However, you really had to get this concept done for class, so you leaned over the desk, in deep concentration or as deep as it could get with a 6ft guy hanging off of you like a sack of potatoes.

He started kissing your neck, a method of distraction that had proven to be very effective in the past but today you had your game face on and needed to get your project done.

“Baby, I’ll play with you when I’m done. I promise.”

He whined against your neck in protest. “I wanna play with you now.”, he mumbled, slipping his hand into your shirt, nibbling at your skin. Lord, he was testing you today. You closed your eyes and took a deep breath.

“Give me an hour. Two tops.”

Bokuto took a step back and pouted at you, then-

"Bo, stop poking me!", you laughed, swatting his hand away.

"Not until you pay attention to meeee."

“Fine, 20 minutes and then we can order dinner and have fun, I promise.”

Bo squinted and you sighed. He had one of his bursts of unbelievable energy - they came and went every so often when he just came from training, still riding the endorphine train.

You always pretended to be exasperated by them, because you knew that made it extra fun for him, when in reality you actually thought it was incredibly cute when he got like this.

“I will take a quick shower, alright?”, you said (after exactly 20 minutes) and pushed him back out of the bathroom he had followed you into, “Alone.”

“Not fair.”, he whined through the door and, laughing at his silliness, you stepped under the scalding hot water.

“What do you think about yakisoba from that one place and fried chicken from that other place?”, you asked a few minutes later as you came into the dimly lit living room, a cloud of lavender scented steam billowing behind you.

When you looked around your apartment he was nowhere to be found. Now, your apartment, while relatively spacious, wasn’t that big, so it was not like he could be anywhere.

“In here.”, you heard his voice from the bedroom and through the open door by the sparse illumination of the fairy lights above the headboard you spotted his figure lying in bed, in a pose that could kindly be called seductive, although realistically speaking he was just being a dork.

“What are you doing?”, you shook your head.

“How about we work up an appetite first?”, he grinned and looked you up and down, wiggling his brows.

He tapped the bed, obviously wanting to entice you to join him.

“You just finished a 3 hour practice and I just finished work.”, you noted, standing at the foot of the bed.

Bokuto sat up and gently pulled at the hem of the towel, disappointed when you held it tightly.

“Just a few minutes.”, he said pleadingly, and drew you closer. His eyes watched the little beads of water running along your neck to your breasts.

“Just a few minutes.”, he said again, this time barely more than a whisper. With a skilled, calloused finger he untucked the towel and began to kiss away the last few drops of water clinging to your skin, making you shiver under his touch.

Cupping your cheek he pulled you down for a long sweet kiss.

When you finally let go off the towel his eyes didn’t wander at first. He held your gaze tenderly, smirking ever so slightly, his dorky energy from a minute ago now gone completely.

"Come to me, gorgeous.”, he muttered softly and scooched back on the bed, watching you expectantly. Now his eyes roamed your form, the full hips he couldn’t wait to grab, your breasts he would definitely mark, your thighs… your thighs he wanted to lay between, burying his face into your pussy for hours, having you for dinner instead. His back leaned against the headboard, the quiet glow from the fairy lights on your skin presenting you as the ethereal goddess you were to him. You crawled into his lap. So soft, so achingly beautiful. He leaned in again, his fingers in your hair, his kisses now open mouthed and needy.

“I love you.”, he mumbled in your ear, before dipping his head lower to brush his lips along your neck.

#bokuto x chubby reader #haikyuu x chubby reader #bokuto x reader #bokuto smut #haikyuu bokuto #bokuto koutarou #hq bokuto #chubby reader #haikyuu smut #haikyuu x reader #haikyuu x curvy reader

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justrustandstardust · 9 months ago

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‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚. you try to confess to suguru on valentine's day. due to a certain somebody, it doesn't go as well as you'd hoped. ‧₊˚❀༉‧₊˚.

@kn09960180 on X

synopsis: it's your first valentine's day at jujutsu tech and you're crushing hard on a dark-haired senior student. you're determined to make him yours, a task that ends up being more difficult than you'd anticipated.

warnings: suggestive sexual activity, nothing too explicit.

a/n: this is dedicated to all the homophobic anons that have been blowing up my inbox lately to insist stsg are purely platonic. happy valentines day, girlies. this is for you 😘

it's only your first valentine's day at jujutsu tech, but you know in your heart of hearts that it's going to be the first of many with him. you may have joined late, a classmate of nanami and haibara in the year beneath him, but you've got the rest of your lives to make up for lost time. you may only be sixteen, but you're old enough to know what you want— and what you want, what you crave, is him.

you spent hours on the cards you made him, open-whens for every occasion. you pored over ever detail, spraying each one with your most expensive perfume and sealing it with a lipstick kiss. open when you're sad, open when you miss me, open when you need to smile. it's the perfect gift, answering his every whim with a handwritten note accompanied by a handpicked treat, designed to make him think only of you.

that's why, when you're standing in front of his door, you hesitate before raising a fist to knock. what if he doesn't like it? what if he doesn't like you? shaking your head to dispel these thoughts, you rap on the door, telling yourself for the hundredth time that the way he looks at you cannot be mistaken for anything other than pure adoration.

you wait with bated breath, bouncing on the balls of your feet. enough time passes that you start to wonder about knocking again. maybe he's not home? he could be out on a mission, the provider that he is. your heart cracks at the thought of him risking his life but you know he puts his duty above all else. it's one of the reasons you love him so much.

you're about to knock again when the door swings open, revealing a rumply suguru, hair mussed and collar popped. he smiles gently down at you from all 6'2 of his height and you have to actively fight the urge to swoon.

"hey, what can i do for you?" the corners of his eyes crinkle as he smiles kindly, and you have to remind yourself to breathe.

"this—this is for you," comes out of your mouth all in one breath as you push the giftbag out at him. the corner of his mouth quirks, eyebrow raised as he slowly takes it.

"that's very kind of you," he says, making eye contact. "you didn't have to do that just for me."

"i wanted to," you breathe, watching him chuckle.

"well, i feel very lucky," he says, brushing his hair out of his eyes. he smiles at you again and you blush, hard. "i just feel bad that i didn't get anything for you."

it takes every ounce of courage in your body to speak the next words. "i can think of something," you say breathlessly, tongue darting out to lick your lips. suguru is staring at you, and your heartbeat is thundering in your ears, the only thought echoing in your mind that this is it, he's going to finally kiss you it's literally happening right now oh my god—

"whatcha got there?" satoru pops up over suguru's shoulder, startling you into taking a step back. he's equally rumpled, his hair similarly mussed. you can only watch in abject horror as he unceremoniously plunges a hand into suguru's giftbag, pulling out a card.

"open when you want a kiss?" satoru reads, devilish grin creeping over his face. you're frozen as he barks out a laugh, tearing open the card to find a hershey's kiss inside. suguru rolls his eyes as he gleefully unwraps it and pops it into his mouth, chewing loudly.

"that's rude, satoru," suguru chides, bumping him with an elbow. "they were just trying to do something nice, something that you could take notes from." satoru looks at you over the top of his glasses, munching on the candy you got for suguru, stolen from the gift you spent so much time making for him. he tosses the beautifully decorated card over his shoulder and you watch it flutter to the floor, landing amongst the clothes strewn around suguru's room.

"this was nice, that's for sure," satoru says derisively, blue eyes piercing. you gulp, and with the humiliation of a medieval peasant being tomatoed in town square, stutter out your goodbyes before fleeing back to your room. panting hard, you slide down in front of your door. slumping dejectedly, one thought crests in your mind: valentine's day isn't over yet, and you have plenty of time to make sure suguru knows that he's yours.

****

a few hours later, you've ventured out into tokyo and returned with a bouquet of roses. you went all out, buying the most expensive one the shop had even though you're a penniless student. you know you should be more budget-conscious, but you'd buy a hundred more bouquets if you could. he's worth it.

you're wandering around the halls, bouquet clutched against your chest, when you bump into haibara.

"hey haibara!" you exclaim. "do you know where geto is?" haibara tilts his head, chewing his lip while thinking.

"i'm pretty sure i saw him go into yaga's classroom earlier!" haibara says, pointing down the hall. you pat his arm and thank him, returning his sunny smile as you head down the hall towards yaga's classroom.

pausing outside, you wonder again if you've done too much. no, you reassure yourself, he's going to love it just like he loves you. red roses are classic and he's a classy man, only one year older than you but what can you say? you've always liked them mature. dignified.

the door is shut, which is weird because yaga is notorious for always keeping his open. as you shift the bouquet to your other hand to grasp the doorknob, your phone clatters onto the floor with a loud clank. swearing to yourself, you hike the bouquet up into your elbow and reach down to grab your phone. straightening and trying to look as alluring as possible, you open the door.

you're confronted with the sight of suguru, standing behind the podium that yaga usually lectures from. he's gripping the sides of the wood, his knuckles almost white. his lower body is obscured by the bottom half of the podium, only the top of his chest and shoulders visible.

what is he doing with the podium? probably rehearsing a speech for something incredibly important, as he is wont to do. your respect for him only grows.

"hey," suguru smiles at you, although it seems little tight. "what can i do for you?"

you start to walk towards the podium, intending to give him the roses, but stop in your tracks once he throws a hand up in alarm.

"w-wait, i'm just— i just have a little cold, i think i'm sick. i wouldn't want you to catch it," he smiles kindly, and your heart warms.

how thoughtful. that's your suguru, always looking out for the people around him. you smile to yourself, laying the massive bouquet of roses on the table.

"these are for you," you say shyly, gesturing to the flowers.

"that's —ah!— very kind of you," suguru's face is pinched, his grip tightening around the podium. you raise an eyebrow and he chuckles hastily, waving a dismissive hand.

"just got a charley horse, you know how it is. from all the— training, all the time."

you never cease to be amazed. such an incredibly dedicated protector— that's a real man.

"i hope you like them," you say bashfully. suguru appears to briefly choke on his tongue before swallowing hard, his adam's apple bobbing in his throat.

"i like it—them, i like them very much," he hastily amends, face contorting in an effort to remain causal.

"would you wanna grab coffee or something later?" you ask, summoning every drop of bravery in your sixteen year-old body.

suguru's eyes nearly bulge out of his head, and for a moment you wonder if you've said the wrong thing. he tips his head back, inhaling deeply and exposing the long column of his throat. his fingers flex against the wood of the podium.

"s-sure, i'd— i'd like that," he manages, attempting a smile. your heart soars.

"i just n-need to finish up some, uh, stuff in here so— so i can, um, meet you later, if that works!" it comes out in a rush, suguru's breaths growing laboured. you nod ecstatically, thinking that this could not have gone better. waving in farewell, you skip out the door, practically floating down the hallway.

as you're about to round the corner, you realize a familiar weight is missing from your pocket. fuck, in all the excitement, you forgot your phone! you rush back the way you came, opening the door only to be greeted with a flushed suguru and a mussed satoru, wiping at his mouth.

"oh! hey!" suguru's voice is a little shrill, eyes wide. "satoru just popped by to help me with my— my, um, stuff! he just got here and now he's leaving!"

your brows crease in confusion. you didn't see satoru in the hallway.

"he teleported here," suguru says hurriedly in explanation. "you know how he is, always breaking the rules!" he huffs out a laugh but it sounds manufactured. your eyes dart over to satoru, who's levelling you with a cool stare. you suddenly have the inescapable sense that you are prey.

"i do enjoy breaking the rules," satoru intones, voice laden with meaning. he ignores the warning look suguru shoots him and takes a step toward you, the knees of his pants visibly dirty.

"and i'm even more willing to break rules —laws, even— to protect what's mine," satoru says darkly, eyes never leaving yours. the bouquet sits on the table, forgotten. silence hangs heavy in the room, broken only by suguru's nervous laughter.

"that's satoru, always a jokester!" he titters with too much levity, but you think that you've never heard satoru sound more serious. you have no idea what he's talking about but the urge to leave overwhelms you, satoru's eyes following your every move as you snatch up your phone and scurry from the room.

you pause down the hall, panting. sighing to yourself, you think that the third time has to be the charm. suguru agreed to a date, after all, and that's a win in your books. you straighten, shaking out your hair. valentine's day isn't over yet; you have plenty of time to make him yours. he basically is already, you think giddily as you set off in search of shoko.

****

"you want to what?"

"surprise suguru while he's sleeping!" you exclaim excitedly. "i texted him to see when he wanted to meet up for coffee and he said he's feeling a little tired from his cold, so he's gonna take a nap and meet me after."

shoko looks you up and down, raising an eyebrow. "and you want to break into his room and surprise him."

you nod enthusiastically. "that's why i need your key to his room!"

"he gave that to me for emergencies," shoko sighs, handing over the key from her pocket. she takes a long drag from her cigarette, exhaling slowly.

"you sure you wanna do this?" she asks, sounding like she knows something you don't. you brush it off, practically vibrating with excitement.

"of course! i know he'll love it!" your smile is eager and the corners of shoko's lips quirk upwards, like she's suppressing a smile. she shrugs, sliding her hands into her pockets as she turns to leave. "up to you, i guess. go for it."

shoko heads down the hallway and you're bouncing on your feet with excitement. the gigantic sign you made with yours and suguru's names encapsulated by a massive heart is tucked under one arm, glitter flaking off onto the floor as you stride purposefully to his room. it's only six p.m and he said he'd be up by six thirty, so he's definitely fast asleep right now. it's the perfect time to surprise him.

your heart thunders in your chest as you pick up the pace towards his door. you won't hesitate this time. you're sure of yourself and you're sure about how much he's going to love you.

not wasting a second, you take shoko's key and slide it into the door. not wanting to wake him rudely from sleep, you turn it quietly, thinking that you'll gently wake him up with the sign and a smile. you grin to yourself as the lock clicks, shivering in anticipation.

as you silently push the door open, the first thing your ears pick up on is a rhythmic thumping noise, like a bed banging against the wall. it's dark, so you can't quite see anything and you squint, trying to adjust to the low light.

"ah, suguru, harder!" your blood runs ice cold, your heart plummeting to your feet as every single hair on your body stands on end. you can only stand there, gobsmacked, as your eyes adjust to two figures moving beneath a blanket on suguru's bed.

"nngh, baby, right there!" moans a voice that is unmistakably satoru's. you're frozen in place, sign clutched loosely in one hand. you hear suguru chuckle and the bed squeak as he flips them over.

"you like that?" he asks breathlessly, smirk audible in his voice. you've never felt so fucking ashamed as the blanket falls off suguru's shoulders, exposing his toned back as he hikes satoru's leg further over his shoulder. the muscles of his ass are flexing as his hips thrust relentlessly, long hair cascading down his back.

paralyzed with shock, your hand suddenly relaxes and the sign clatters to the floor. you can't do anything but stand there in horror as suguru whips his head around, eyes blown wide in panic. he yelps at the sight of you, yanking the blanket over his shoulders, covering himself and satoru.

he scrambles up the bed and satoru's white head pops up from beneath the blanket, cheeks flushed. there's a horrible moment where everyone just stares at each other.

"i wasn't— i'm just— i'm sorry, i didn't mean—" your heart is in your throat, ears flaming red with humiliation. you want nothing more than to leave but your feet are plastered to the floor, imprisoning you in this nightmare.

"that's right, bitch," satoru huffs smugly, clearly out of breath. he looks like he would flip his hair if it was long enough. "he's mine."

you're utterly speechless as suguru pushes at satoru's shoulder, rolling his eyes. "it's not a crime to be nice, satoru. they were just trying to express their feelings on valentine's day."

he meets your horrified gaze, eyes kind. "i am afraid, though, that i am a taken man."

you can only watch as he brushes his hair out of his eyes, smiling gently. "i'd still love to hang out with you though, as friends."

"that—that's okay," you blurt, voice shrill. with shaking hands, you lean down to grab your sign, attempting to obscure it from view.

"h-happy valentine's day!" the speed with which you flee suguru's room is only rivalled by usain bolt's iconic 100m dash at the 2008 olympics.

you eventually make it out to the quad, finding shoko smoking on the steps. you look at her, eyes full of despair, and she just laughs.

you don't see suguru and satoru for the rest of the day, both because you're avoiding them and because they never leave suguru's room. sitting dejectedly in your room while tearing the sign into pieces, you think morosely that valentine's day should be renamed to S.A.D: Single Awareness Day. or perhaps Satoru is A Dick, because after today you've learned both are true. you know one thing for sure— you're never celebrating valentine's day again.

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1-ichi · 6 months ago

Text

I’d like to see a frustrated fet n/anami just going through his day where all the ppl around him just happen to be sneezy. He toggles back and forth between guilt and horn, and it’s just really hard for him to focus throughout the day.

I/jichi in the car. There’s a lunch reception for sorcerers and N/anami was also invited. It’s quite a long drive there, and I/jichi kindly offered to drive him there. It starts off with I/jichi silently stifling, curling into his shoulder as he tries his best to simultaneously keep his eyes on the road. They are muffled, ticklish little things. N/anami, sitting in the passenger seat tries to keep his eyes off of the creases building on the bridge of his nose, and just how red his ears are turning. Eventually, I/jichi just can’t hold them back any longer and there are open, louder volleys of sneezes. They sound messy, and almost allergic.

“Is there still a tissue box in the back seat, Nanami san?” “Uh… yes, I can check. A moment please.” He gently plucks a couple of tissues, only for Ijichi to gruffly bring the wad to his reddening nose. Later, Ijichi casually mentions that the new seat cleaner he used for the car was not agreeing with him. Nanami can feel the knot building in his stomach get stronger and stronger. For god’s sake, it’s Ijichi-kun. And it’s only 10am…

Up next is Gojo. They find him at the reception in a nice black suit and tie. Just as Nanami approaches him, he can tell it’s going to be a long day. Gojo looks great, but he doesn’t hide the dry skin at the rim of his nostrils and the redness growing around his nose. Something must also be setting him off today. Nanami’s observations are confirmed when Gojo steps away and catches a couple of sneezes in the crook of his elbow. Unstifled, raw, and quite rough for Gojo to be like this in public. He must have been going about with this for quite some time. Nanami suggests to step outside, and surprisingly Gojo agrees. As they both step out to the empty veranda, Gojo takes out a wad of tissues from his suit pocket and blows obnoxiously. “Gosh, the perfume is intense in there.” Gojo continues to babble about the sandalwood and the tea tree, interrupting himself with his own fits of sneezes, but Nanami decides to tune him out for a bit. He wants to be there for Gojo, but with the hitching breaths and the way his eyes repeatedly flutter, looking in no particular direction but in search for relief, it’s hard for him to focus and remain the “good underclassman”. “Let me find you some more tissues, Gojo san.”

Nanami steps into the bathroom to find Geto, also in the same predicament as his best friend, just slightly more contained. Nanami sighs at the sight of Geto wiping his allergic nose with a shitty paper towel. Through uncharacteristically loud nose blows, they make eye contact, and Nanami nods in silent acknowledgement. He understands he's stepped into a private moment. Much to Geto's dislike, immediately after, his breath catches again and the little itchy stifles echo in the fancy hotel bathroom. Nanami notices the back of his neck get redder and redder in embarrassment, and he feels bad for his poor senpai. He did not like this type of attention, and Nanami could feel the discomfort growing. "Please, text me if you need some antihistamines. God knows if they will help," Nanami says as he walks away with a stack of tissues. "Or anything else. Gojo san is in the same shoes as you. I don't mind the trip. Really." Geto musters an unenthusiastic thank you before Nanami leaves to return to the hall.

The day continues. Testing season for the University leads to some of the college students at the lunchin being sick. Gojo and Geto just continuing to being allergic messes during the reception, occasionally stepping away. Even Shoko being a bit under the weather.

Usually, Nanami can keep all of it to himself. He's quite good at pretending to be a functioning human in society. But today, he could feel himself in a constant state of flustered embarrassment. Really? Did he have to be the one surrounded by atrociously sneezy people? ...And he hated himself for kind of liking it.

Gosh, why did it have to be sneezing?

#j/jk #snzblr #snz #snzcanons

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toasttt11 · 18 days ago

Text

helping

February 28, 2020

Hayden let out a long breath dragging a hand over her face as she sat in her car after a long therapy session.

She’s been in therapy for a little while now and has had quite a few sessions already.

Her therapist suggested maybe changing some things in her house so it was not a harsh reminder of her parents everywhere her house.

She didn’t even know where to start. Everything in the house is a reminder of her parents and it’s hard on her. She knows getting her house redone and maybe her keeping all of her parents things in their room could help.

She didn’t know who to ask for help other than Connor and Lauren especially with Lauren being an interior designer, she would know how to help.

Hayden drove the short distance to Lauren and Connor’s house, she tapped her fingers nervously against the steering wheel before taking a deep breath and getting out of her car.

She walked up to the front door and knocked on the door.

The door opened within a few second and Lauren beamed as she saw Hayden, “Hayden!” Lauren happily exclaimed not expecting Hayden today.

“Hi Lauren.” Hayden sheepishly spoke feeling bad she just showed up at their house.

“Come on in darling.” Lauren kindly smiled stepping aside letting Hayden walk in. Lenny immediately was trotting up to Hayden rubbing against her leg and Hayden petted him.

“Is everything alright?” Lauren softy asked as Hayden has never showed up at their house like this and she looked a bit nervous.

“Uh i was wondering if you and Connor could maybe help me with something?” Hayden softly asked fiddling with her bracelet.

Lauren’s face soften and she wrapped an arm around Hayden’s shoulder, “Of course anything you need.” Lauren softly reassured her, she knows how hard is for Hayden to open up and ask for help.

“Hey Hayden!” Connor smiled in surprised as he walked into the kitchen and saw Hayden with Lauren.

“Hi.” Hayden spoke back pursing her lips nervously.

“What did you want to ask Hayden?” Lauren encouraged gently getting Connor’s full attention.

“I have had a few sessions of therapy so far and she recommended to maybe try and redecorate my house so it’s less reminds of my parents.” Hayden quietly admitted, “I didn’t know who else to go to.”

Lauren and Connor shared a look relieved that Hayden came to them so they could happily help her.

“I would happily redecorate your house.” Lauren kindly told Hayden squeezing her shoulder softly.

“Oh you don’t have to do that i was just gonna ask for a recommendation.” Hayden tried to tell Lauren, she really didn’t want to make Lauren redecorate her house.

“She would love too.” Connor told Hayden firmly as he walked over and clapped his hand on her shoulder.

Hayden looked back at Lauren for an answer.

“I would happily do it.” Lauren reassured her with a soft smile.

Hayden nodded slowly looking between the two, “Okay.” Hayden accepted their help.

“Do you want just redecorating or renovations too?” Lauren asked already thinking of so many ideas to do for Hayden.

“I’m fine with either.” Hayden just shrugged truthfully not really caring just wanting her house to feel more like her house not her childhood house.

Lauren hummed nodding as she thought, “Why don’t i come over tomorrow and we can plan some things out?” Lauren asked.

“Sure what ever you think is best.” Hayden accepted making Connor smile fondly as he watched the two converse.

“Would it make it easier if i just gave you options for things rather than you picking things out by yourself?” Lauren kindly offered noticing Hayden looking a bit overwhelmed answering questions.

“You would do all of that?” Hayden asked surprised, she truthfully hated the idea of picking things out for Lauren and having Lauren pick things out and letting Hayden pick from the options would make everything easier.

“Your family now Hayden Blake.” Lauren softly but sternly told Hayden, “Of course i would do it.”

Hayden’s face soften and she hugged Lauren tightly. It’s been awhile since she has a had a real hug.

Lauren blinked in surprised and smiled as she wrapped her arms around Hayden.

Connor smiled gently at the happy look on Lauren’s face and seeing Hayden slowly opening up to them.

“Thank you.” Hayden mumbled grateful for everything Lauren and Connor have done for her.

“Any time darling.” Lauren easily answered back gently rubbing Hayden’s back before they let go of each other.

“What only Laur gets a hug?” Connor softly teased his rookie with a kind smile.

Hayden rolled her eyes fondly with a small smile, “She is my favorite.” Hayden teasingly said back making Connor frown playfully and Lauren laugh and smile smugly at Connor.

Hayden let out a small laugh and hugged Connor softly. Connor smiled gently and hugged her back.

Lauren smiled at the two and snuck a quick photo before they let go of each other.

“Will you stay for dinner?” Lauren asked her hopefully once Hayden let go of Connor.

Hayden titled her head thinking before she nodded, “Sure.” Hayden agreed making Lauren beam.

“Perfect, i’m making salmon bowls.” Lauren told Hayden as she linked arms with Hayden and they headed to the kitchen.

Hayden smiled looking excited as she has learned that Lauren is an incredible cook and she loves eating anything Lauren makes.

Connor watch the two with a fond smile before Lenny and him headed to the living room to watch a hockey game.

Hayden helped Lauren in the kitchen as they made dinner together. Hayden was in charge of cutting up all of the vegetables for the bowls as Lauren for the salmon into the oven and made some rice.

It was the first time since her parents died that Hayden helped someone in the kitchen. Hayden didn’t tell Lauren that it was her first time and Lauren didn’t even realize how much she was helping Hayden heal.

Hayden laughed quietly at something Lauren said.

Slowly but surely she was healing.

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cannibal-nightmares · 1 year ago

Text

Lost With You

Viktor has a bad pain day that Jayce helps him through. Jayce considers their present and future together. Set sometime in the middle of season one.

Arcane (League of Legends) - Jayce x Viktor (SFW) // whump, sickfic, fluff, chronic pain, non-verbal Viktor, medication, bathtub cuddles, discussion of losing a loved one, domestic, angst

Word count: 3,777 -- [AO3 link] -- [Viktor Spotify playlist]

Something about a winter’s chill in the air made drifting light seem crystalline upon morning’s wake. Jayce gently raised his eyes to the tall window parallel to his side of the bed, noting the beautiful shade of slate gray of the sky, flickering with a jolt of blue as a Hexgate out of frame powered up, activated, and sighed to rest again. Every glance outside was a reminder that they were on a path to something great and greater still; as quickly as their ideas collaborated and conjoined, there were never any telling signs as to what would come to their minds–and, consequently, the reality of their lives–next. With a small grin of childlike wonder, Jayce put his hand out behind him to search the sheets for his partner, rolling over to find his usual space empty.

A beat, and the councilman sat up with only a slight start. It wasn’t unlike Viktor to get up early on his days of study and projects, but, disoriented, Jayce had to take a moment to figure out what the date was. Was it the weekend? After instances of very clear overwork, Jayce–with the crowbar-help of Viktor’s doctors, of course–had convinced his partner that days off were just as necessary as the days kept over a grindstone. They were both fully aware of how “time wasted” frustrated and frightened Viktor, but with some persuasion of simply suggesting spending time together convinced him enough to take a day or two off every week. This eased Jayce’s mind from picturing his lover collapsed in the lab again.

Talis slipped on the t-shirt that was draped over the headboard and threw his bare feet to the cold floor, padding curiously to search the dead-silent condominium. Delicate steps through the darkening hallway, and Jayce peered around the corridor into the living area to find Viktor sitting propped up in the close corner of the couch under a light but functionally warm blanket.

“Hey,” Jayce spoke softly as to not startle him. He met his fingertips to Viktor’s shoulder. “What are you doing out here?”

Viktor was barely awake as much as he was barely asleep, so the gesture didn’t take much to stir him.

“Hm?” He hummed, dazed. “‘Couldn’t sleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“You didn’t sleep much the night before, either.” Jayce got down on his knee to convey his intended demeanor. His partner’s voice, too, was so low he had to focus hard to understand him clearly. He tenderly held the hand that peeked out from under the throw, which was warm with sweat.

Viktor closed his eyes, resisting a furrow, and let out the smallest of faux-amused huffs. “The cold weather is not treating me kindly.”

He didn’t have to speak. There were enough signs for Jayce to know exactly what was going on.

“Let me get you your medicine. Have you had it yet?” Talis wanted to react with haste, both to get his beloved exactly what he needed as soon as he possibly could get it, but also to hide the glimmer of concern he was all too aware was growing across his face. He knew, too, that sudden movements should remain out of the equation; Jayce took his time in standing upright again, taking a single step towards the kitchen.

“No,” Viktor’s gaze fluttered open again in the smallest of panic. “No, it needs to be taken with food–” He started to protest, but conjured a coughing fit, which he had to sit up to stifle with his arm and meticulous breaths. He paused, waiting, and sank ever-so-slowly back into the sofa.

“On second thought,” his small voice returned, “maybe that would be a good idea…”

There was not much Jayce could say to comfort him, and he tried to keep his heart together, regarding. Before walking away, he leaned from his height to kiss him on the forehead, his hand meeting the brave scientist’s jaw caressingly.

Viktor gently took his wrist for a moment before it could slink away. “Could you add some naproxen to my cocktail?” He chuffed with a half-attempt at reassurance.

“Of course. Just take it easy. I’ll be back with everything you need.”

Jayce passed into the kitchen, retrieving and sitting out a mild-flavored protein shake and began preparing an ice bath for a washcloth. It didn’t matter how many bad days they had together, his hands were still trembling as he flipped on the stove to heat a warm water bottle. Viktor asking for specific medication paired with the careful ways he was moving meant he undoubtedly had a migraine, often brought on by his already excruciating pain, and loop: Body pain meant headache meant more body pain. Jayce didn’t know soldiers who would put up with the torment that his lover did, but Viktor would not hear of it. He did not like to be praised and cooed over for something he had to endure. What he couldn’t see, though, was himself in the picture of his work; in other words, Viktor saw his completed projects and his name on their patents–he acknowledged the hours put in, but couldn’t consider the inherent physical struggle it took him to even make it to his workbench every day. No one could tell if it was pride or selflessness in this variant of supposed ignorance.

“We're going to get you right.” Jayce said with a hopeful smile. He rolled a standing lap table to the couch, set with a plate of plain bread slices, a rinse cup of several differently coloured capsules, a pre-opened protein shake, and a glass of water. In tow with Jayce was a bowl of ice water and a small towel over his shoulder.

Viktor utilized familiar microexpressions to express a more genuine appreciation than his voice allowed. He would have normally made some sort of argument or joke, but he now did not think to move.

“Thank you, Jayce.”

“Are you able to comfortably sit up?” Talis almost felt his words falter in his throat as he asked the question.

A slow exhale, and Viktor gestured from under the blanket for Jayce to gently pull it off of him. Anyone who has experienced a migraine before would know that even such a forgiving instance of touch like that felt like fire and ice picks all at the same time. He put his hands behind and underneath him, redistributing his weight to move his legs off the sofa, but he unintentionally drew in a sharp and raspy groan in response.

He was done putting up a facade.

Jayce took care in sitting next to him–hardly even on the edge of the cushions–being mindful, too, of the walking crutch that was revealed to have been lying next to Viktor.

“Tell me about your current pain. Let me help you.” Steady now, Jayce.

Viktor managed a hand to cover his brow. He couldn’t afford to cry, trying to prevent it from exacerbating the panging in his head he was pretending not to have in the first place. Without looking up to him, he reached out his other hand to meet the side of Jayce’s neck. His palms were hot with fever, yet he was very obviously holding back shivers. The contact shattered Jayce’s attempt at a calm demeanor of his own and his jaw went weak with surprise. Regardless, he knew his lover well enough to understand what he was trying to convey.

“Okay,” he started, becoming teary-eyed, “it’s okay, I’ve got you.”

Jayce doused the towel in the ice water and rang it out, bringing one firm hand to Viktor’s shoulder and dabbed the chilly washcloth with the other to the side of his cheek.

“Zmrd!” (pron. “zmehrt”) He hissed and winced, but let go of his strained countenance as fast as it had arrived.

“I know, I know,” Jayce hushed. He honed his focus on the task at hand, surely what the man in front of him did every day. How did he do this every day?

Eventually, Viktor let the arm holding his shielding fingers go limp to the couch, breathing in deep concentrated breaths of the scent of his caretaker. If you had asked him a year ago, there was no one Viktor would have allowed himself to be this vulnerable around, but his trust in his friend-become-high-councilor-become-lover far surpassed his ability to shade his ever-raging illness. He felt a shard of guilt in his chest, but quickly knew Jayce would have shut it down with any mention of it. They loved each other, after all. It’s what people did. Right?

The headache ebbed in waves, and it took a great deal of concentration to get the timing right to do anything without feeling like there were fingernails on chalkboards from the inside of your skull. This was all, of course, entirely disregarding the usual and incessant ache in Viktor’s leg and spine–he tried to pass it by himself as “the usual business,” but the migraine was only making it all worse. He had been honest from the start: The winter weather has always been a notorious catalyst for pain.

As the current wave momentarily subsided, shivering took its place. Jayce noticed immediately, and scrapped his previous considerations for being cautious about haste and paced across the room to start up the fireplace. When he turned back around after several beats, he felt a twinge of relief to see Viktor taking sips from his glass–albeit, that of which a hummingbird could have competed with.

“Is this melatonin in my medicine cup?” He tried to humorously tsk. The more tired he was, the thicker his accent paralleled.

"I figured we could cover all our bases." Jayce’s statement was genuine, but didn't expect to be called out on it. He hoped he hadn't offended him in some way.

"Probably best thinking." Viktor said shortly. Simply by the way he ended his sentence, it was obvious he was intently keeping his remarks brief. He used his current energy to his advantage by downing the capsules as quickly as he could, although generally uncomfortable, unable to maintain holding his water glass in tandem.

Jayce gracefully rushed over in one movement to help him. Once complete, he returned to patting the cool towel to his partner’s forehead.

“Don’t you have a council meeting today?” Viktor side-eyed him with the tiniest of smirks.

So it was Friday, afterall. Jayce shook his head. “They’ll have to have it another day. This is more important.” A realization made him sit upright from his task and tilt his head to search the man’s avoiding gaze. “You’ve never missed a day of work before. As much as I am proud of you for staying home, what is different this time?”

Viktor reached for and hesitantly fiddled with the shake on the tray. “Let’s just say vomiting from pain isn't in highest regards for productivity.” At first he chuffed at his own remark, but a sort of angry emptiness took over the shine in his eyes. He brought the bottle to his lips but sipped so minutely it seemed like nothing was happening at all.

“How long has it been like this?”

“Enough with the interrogation.” He gritted.

“I’m serious, Viktor.” Jayce held his ground sternly. “If there’s anything we can tell your doctors that may be relevant to your care–”

“There is no ‘we’ in this, Jayce.” He met his eyes with a familiar fury. “What is happening to me and my body is up to my discretion. Pity and dead-end medicine is not how I want to spend my time.” He took just a second to hear his own words and corrected himself. “Today is a setback shorter than what someone might force me into, otherwise.”

Talis held his tongue, taken aback. The message was received. As Viktor untensed with a concealed exhaustion, Jayce traded the cloth between his hands and swept hair out of his partner’s face.

“I would never let anyone make you do something you didn’t want, even if I didn’t understand.” It ached him to add the latter words. “It’s your fight, yes, but I will always be in your corner rooting for you.”

Viktor closed his eyes and nodded smally. “I should know this.” Upon calmly opening his heavy lids again, he continued. “I am sorry for snapping at you.” A quiet and deliberate inhale, and he leaned his weight into Jayce’s shoulder, gripping at his own right thigh to prevent it from acting up with the movement.

“I know.” He sighed with a reassuring smile. “There’s no need to apologize. I know.” The councilman took bread from the plate and brought it to Viktor’s free hand. “Here. Eat a little more while I draw you a bath.”

Surprised, he lit up. “A bath? You know how I don’t like to be babied.”

“We all deserve to be babied sometimes.” Jayce grinned as he repeated the wording. He rubbed Vik’s back before gently standing and stepping off into the other room.

Truthfully, Jayce was terrified, and, strides away, the fear that he hid exploded to his unwitnessed face. Would he really let Viktor make his own decisions to the bitter end? Talis wondered just how far he would let it get before inevitably needing to intervene. Viktor was stubborn, but was today proof of some reasonable leniency towards himself? Jayce fought against the thought–like many-a-loved one might, he considered–that hard love would one day need to be pressed against his will. While Viktor fought a battle against his illness, Jayce held a burning ember of wits. He had to give over his lover his own difficult choices, even if that decided his fate. It was his life, afterall. As much as they wanted there to be, there really was no tangible concept of “we” in the circumstance. One day too soon he would lose his Viktor.

The bath had been drawn, warmness steaming the room along with an alluring aroma of calming lavender. Jayce lost himself in the white clouds and rippling water, skating his fingers back and forth over its surface. He snapped himself out of it when he heard his partner coughing down the hall, becoming attentive again and collecting himself.

“Fallen asleep yet?” Jayce light-heartedly joked as he returned to the living room.

“Hm,” Viktor muttered with an ever-so-slight pep in his voice now that only someone close to him could notice. “Not quite.”

Talis delicately picked up the shake bottle to feel what of it remained, but once he observed that there was still about half of it left, he noted he had no idea how to suggest to his patient to drink more of it without stepping on his toes. The boundary lines were blurring, he dared to realize, in Viktor’s times of struggle.

“Your bath awaits you, sir.” Jayce playfully extended a strong hand gallantly to his partner, provoking a chuckle. Some of the medicines in his cocktail–his words–were rather fast-acting and were already apparent to be helping.

Or so they thought.

Viktor swung his crutch over his lap and took a deep breath before committing to hoist himself up. Jayce stepped near to guide him, and it was with good timing, too, as Viktor’s leg gave out from under him and he shouted in what Talis wasn’t sure was surprise or pain, if not both. Jayce caught him under the other arm; vertigo seemed to have clobbered him over the head on his right side, and Vik leaned hard into his walking stick whilst accidentally grabbing onto the back of his lover’s shirt.

“Are you alright?” Jayce asked with his hand firmly to Viktor’s collar, keeping him generally upright.

“Yes, sorry, I–” he hesitated. He was startled by the timidness in his own voice. “I just felt dizzy all of a sudden.”

“It’s what I’m here for.” Jayce lended his confidence to him while he nodded away his instinct to search the man’s eyes at any sight of concern.

Viktor accepted his help into the bathroom, where he ended up leaning his crutch against the wall and slipped himself out of his sweat-soaked shirt; Jayce hovered his hands around his waist to ensure his balance. Before sitting on the edge of the tub to remove his pajama bottoms, he gave an unshy eye to his talisman.

“Will you be joining me?”

Jayce was immediately flushed. “Would you– Are you offering?”

“Well, you didn’t let me finish what I was saying earlier. I am grateful it is you I have to baby me.”

Boldness was not out of character for Viktor, but his advances always managed to surprise. Jayce copied him in taking off his own clothes and what followed were gestures of non-verbal planning in how they were both going to fit comfortably–and safely–in the tub. Talis stepped in and guided Viktor by his hands which he put his weight into with full faith; as Jayce sat down in the water, Vik led with his good knee and his shoulder into his partner’s chest to keep from slipping. They giggled about how silly it was for the both of them to be in the bath together, and, for just a moment, they forgot the whole reason why they were doing this in the first place.

Tiredness was then quick to hit Viktor–be it the comfort of his partner, the soothing water, or his medicines–and he sunk all of his weight and trust into Jayce’s arms. The pain in his hip seemed to dissolve in the warmth.

“You didn’t put any bubbles in.” He quietly joked.

Talis scoffed at the comment, amused. “I’ll try to do better next time, your highness.”

Viktor held back a few coughs as the floral oils stung his throat momentarily, to which Jayce rubbed his shoulder in reassurance as his body shook. After it steadied, he stared closely at the water. There was something particular about being so close to someone whilst not able to look them in the eye and resting on his stomach made him feel like a lost boat at sea. Jayce hummed a familiar song in his ear:

“Dear friend across the river My hands are cold and bare Dear friend across the river I'll take what you can spare I ask of you a penny My fortune it will be I ask you without envy We raised almighty towers Our homes are built of stone So come across the river And find the world below…”

“I don’t think you’re the one supposed to be singing that song.” Viktor slurred teasingly.

Jayce only grinned and hid his face in Viktor’s hair. They both knew he was reciting a familiar tune for the sole purpose of being comforting. It was kind of surprising he knew all the words. Half-awake, Viktor’s expression melted into a genuine but darker quandering.

“How much do you think about what little time we have left?”

Though Viktor couldn’t see it, Jayce shook his head, taking a glance to the ceiling and anxiously to the wall with the thought.

“Simultaneously not as much as I should and far too much entirely.”

They shared a silent moment of listening to their echoing breaths against the porcelain.

“I’m not going to insult you by asking how often you think about it.” Jayce dared to say honestly.

“I try to not make expectations of an otherwise predictable ending.”

They were both painfully aware of the intense reservations the great scientist had towards his fate and what progress on his work he’d make before the matter. It drove him mad. Even though Viktor writhed to readjust how he was resting, sleep was becoming more and more inviting.

“I am so lucky to have you. I wish I could return that luck to you.” He murmured.

“Nonsense. You already have.”

It would have been easy to assume that even a loving partner would have had to grasp for straws in an exchange like this, but Jayce’s dismissal was true. Viktor taught Jayce appropriate patience–when to wait and when to demand more. He taught him persistence and skillful haste; empathy and hard love. He showed him a new value in hard work and attention to detail–how to expect nothing nearing mediocrity. Jayce’s work as a councilman and inventor, alike, wouldn’t have achieved their levels of greatness without his partner’s collaborations and perspective. Above all, though, Viktor taught Talis the grace it took to simply be human, whether he was aware of it or not.

They eventually lost track of time, and Jayce only figured it was time to get out by the cooling temperature of the water and the pruning of their fingertips. By this point, Viktor was snoozing deeply on the rise and fall of Jayce’s rhythmic breath and he was slightly worried about attempting to move him, though kind of curious to find out just soundly he was asleep. He was unfortunately notorious for all-nighters and early mornings, so Jayce knew any amount of rest was going to do a world of good for him in one way or another.

As quiet as one could be getting out of the water, Jayce adjusted his body to snake his arm under his loved one’s knees and stood with one near-effortless motion. He stepped carefully over the tub wall and around the corner into their bedroom, lying Viktor’s frame on his side of the bed where the sheets were already pulled back from earlier that morning. Jayce swiftly changed into the clothes he had left in the bathroom and respectfully covered Viktor’s lower half with a soft towel, despite being partners; he wasn’t going to attempt to dress him with his tender leg in mind. He brought the sheets and a duvet to his neck then fetched the rolling table and warm water bottle from before, sneaking it under his partner’s thigh. Finally–Jayce sighed with relief–he set a chair next to the bed and laid a cool damp cloth on Viktor’s forehead.

Coming to a rest in the chair, Jayce took Viktor’s hand. There was no way he could convince him to believe the same, but he almost considered for just a moment that it wouldn’t have even mattered if the walls of Piltover came crumbling down in that very instant. What mattered was the spark they cared for in each other and the efforts they reasonably made for their people, which is already what they pressed forward to do. Time would continue on with or without them, the infallible rule. It was perfect.

Viktor was perfect.

[AO3 link] -- [Viktor Spotify playlist]

#arcane #viktor #jayce talis #league of legends #fanfiction #fan fiction #jayvik

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ask-healthy-light · 11 months ago

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A bittersweet smile grew upon Luna's face as the fiery gate closed before her eyes, and she put her hoof to her chest in an attempt to calm down her already aching heart, before she quietly whispered a prayer to the Heavens for her Daughter and their friends to be all right; and as her eyes started to well up with tears, Cadance walked over to console Luna, carrying a sleeping Flurry in her arms.

After the last sparks fell on the grass and had faded from view, the area fell silent, and not even Luna's weeping was heard over the gentle wind that blew over the fields in which they were; but the others, who were standing some distance away, knew that there was little more they could do for the Royals, if anything at all, and slowly started to return to the Castle, until only a few were left.

Since they knew it would not be wise to sit in the fields, sombrely waiting for the return of their friends and Family, yet also realising that the Mirror could not be left unguarded, Eclipse quietly suggested to Luna and Cadance to return to the Palace; and they sweetly asked Spike and Sunburst to keep a close eye on the two while they stayed by the Mirror, and to request Shining to send Guards.

The two both solemnly nodded in return as they helped Luna and Cadance stand up, before they kindly led them back to the Palace, while Eclipse walked over to sit next to the Mirror, patiently looking out for the Guards to arrive; but before she followed the others, Luna asked them if they could let her know where she could find her Sister and Mentor, as she much desired to see and talk with them.

But Eclipse merely gently took her hoof, and promised Luna they would lead her whither Celestia and Starswirl were upon their return to the Palace, but for now, they knew of no other who could handle more, so only they should stay; and they asked her to rest, and to stay in touch with the Eastbound group when she was strong enough, be it for their guidance and reassurance, or to comfort her mind.

To their relief, though Luna let out a deep sigh, she nodded, and her smile grew warmer, before she turned around, and joined the others as they returned to the Palace, leaving Eclipse by themselves; but while Sunburst and Spike led Luna, Cadance, and Flurry back to the Crystal Castle, on the other side of the Eastern Sea, Nox, Light, and Inferno stepped into the Dragon Lands, after the Pink Pup.

When the fiery gateway behind them closed, there was a brief moment they could feel a pain in their hearts, before confidence and resolve took its place, and they all nodded to each other with smiles on their faces; and they left the spacious cave into which they had stepped, chasing after the Pink Pup by listening for the echoes of Its bark, reverberating in the cave after It ran into the light.

The Dragon Lands swiftly became clearer as the three approached the mouth of the cave, when Inferno suddenly picked up her pace, and hurried towards a sight she had not seen in a long time; and Light and Nox trotted after her until they left the save, where they had to shield their eyes and snouts, as the strong and stinging stench of sulphur drastically worsened, knowing there was no better way.

Luckily, it did not take them very long to get used to the terrible stinging feeling on their eyes, and the overpowering stench that assaulted their senses, and they eventually managed to look around at where they stood; and they walked up to Captain Inferno as she stood on the edge of a cliff with spread wings, where she took a deep breath, and quietly admitted she had missed the familiar scent.

It took Light and Nox some time to gather their thoughts, but they managed to tell the Captain that they were glad to know she felt at ease, when Nox added they were very grateful for her offer to be their guide; but before they could head to the furthest East, they had to find the last two members of their party, as the little Pup was nowhere to be found, and the other was not here to meet them.

At that moment, they heard a bark behind them, and somebody clearing their throat, who said:

"I did promise I would meet you here. Don't you lot ever look up?"

(Thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed, please reblog! Thanks in advance!)

Send an ask or request! | Start at the beginning! | Next part!

Featuring: Nox Lunarwing from @nox-lunarwing Boomlord from @thedumbguywithaheart43 Solar Eclipse and Twilight Sparkle as Twilight Eclipse from @asktwilighteclipse

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atths--twice · 2 years ago

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Chapter Twenty Two

Fifteen months have passed... what have they been up to?

Here we are, at the end of the journey.

I am so thankful for all the support and excitement over this story. I had such a fun time writing it this past year and even these past few weeks. I have loved living in this universe so very much and I'm glad you have as well. Thank you for reading and for all the comments and encouragement. 💓

Epilogue

Fifteen months later

Fox looked at Ivy and smiled. She had been rather quiet during their early lunch at the diner, where they had come in to visit and catch up with Joe and Manny. She had not eaten much and even turned down the chocolate pudding Manny had offered her, which they all knew she loved. Glancing at Dana as they left, calling goodbye to everyone, she nodded in understanding. Suggesting they take a walk around their old haunts, he took Ivy’s hand, and gave it a squeeze.

“You okay? You’ve been quiet. It’s not like you to not be talkative.”

“I’m feeling a little nervous,” she said quietly, squeezing his hand twice.

He stopped walking and turned to her, still holding her hand. She looked up at him and he smiled.

“You want to talk about it? Or just take a minute?”

“What if I mess up the words? What if I don’t read it perfectly?” she asked, taking a deep breath.

“Hmm,” he hummed, squatting down and nodding. “I know that feeling, believe me. I used to have to give speeches for school sometimes and readings for my books. I also worried I would mess up somehow.”

“So what did you do?” she asked, biting her lip and stepping closer to him, her hand going to the collar of his sweater, twisting it gently, and he bit back a smile.

She had to be feeling even more nervous than she let on if she was holding onto his collar, something she only did under distress. The last time of which had been over seven months, when she had missed the first week of second grade.

A cold that lingered had kept her home and feeling miserable. Even through fevers and a stuffy nose, she had worried about all she had missed, crying sadly as she had lay on the couch.

Hating to see her so upset, Dana had contacted the teacher and asked if there was any chance that they could come in after school once Ivy had recovered, to meet her and to see the classroom. Her teacher had kindly obliged and when Ivy had finally been better, they had all gone to the school to meet her new teacher.

Ivy had been excited and fairly bursting to get out, but once she had, she had stood by the car and looked up at him, reaching for his hand and squeezing it twice.

Squatting down, she had put her arms around his neck and twisted the collar of his shirt in her fingers as he held her.

“Take your time, honey. No rush,” he had told her softly and she had nodded against his shoulder.

Taking a few deep breaths, she had held onto his collar as he had looked up at Dana with a small smile. She had stuck out her bottom lip and sighed as she had stroked Ivy’s hair.

After a couple of minutes, Ivy had released her hold on him. Stepping back, she had taken a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“Okay, I’m ready now,” she had said and he had smiled.

Standing to his feet, they had each taken one of her hands and gone inside to meet her new teacher and tour the classroom.

Smiling at that memory, as he felt the tug of her fingers in his collar, he smiled at her.

“What did I do to not be worried about speaking and reading in front of people?” he asked her and she nodded. “Well, the most important thing I did was practice what I would be reading, just as you have done over the past few days.”

“And that was enough to make you not feel nervous?” she whispered, twisting his collar gently.

“Well, yes and no,” he said. “It helped for sure, but I usually felt calmer after I got to the place where I would be speaking. I knew what I was going to say, but not where I would be. Sometimes it’s nice to have that visual, like when we went to school after you’d been sick? It helped you feel better about going to school the next day, right? You knew your teacher and where your classroom was so you felt more confident, right?”

“Yeah,” she said, nodding her head. “Could we do that now? Go to the bookshop early?”

“Oh… I don’t see why not,” he said. “Let’s talk to Mommy about it.”

“Okay,” she said, as she released her hold on his collar and he saw her visibly relax. “I’d like to do that, please.”

“Okay,” he said, smiling and kissing her forehead again.

Standing up, he took her hand and they rejoined Dana, telling her of their plan.

“Would it be helpful to you, honey?” Dana asked her.

“Yes, Mommy.”

“Then I think it’s a good idea,” she said, smiling at her. “But I’m not quite ready to go yet. Would it be okay to meet up with you and Daddy in a little bit?”

“Yes, that’s okay with me,” Ivy said with a smile and Dana smiled back.

“Okay, you two head over and I’ll meet you there soon, okay?”

“Sounds good, hon,” Fox said, kissing her softly and winking at her, knowing what her plans included. “See you soon.”

Taking Ivy’s hand after she had hugged Dana goodbye, they began to walk towards the bookshop. He considered taking a cab, but thought Ivy could do with a bit of a walk to clear her head and talk more if it was needed. She seemed better however, pointing out things and places that she remembered along the way, bringing up memories and laughing.

Joining in on the reminiscing, he squeezed her hand as they reached the steps to the basement bookshop and hopped down each one. He smiled as he read the sign on the door, written in Mary’s beautiful cursive.

Closed for a special engagement.

Turning the handle, the familiar sound of the bell tinkled above the door, greeting them as they walked inside.

“Fox!” Mary cried, as she rounded the corner, smiling broadly. “And Ivy. It’s so good to see you both again.”

“Mary,” he said, embracing her with a happy smile. “It’s good to see you too.”

“Is Dana not with you?”

“Oh she is, but she’ll be here a little later,” he said, his hand on Ivy’s head as she leaned in close to him. “We decided to come here early and see the bookshop to calm our nerves a bit. We were feeling a little nervous about today.”

“Oh. I can understand that feeling. Doing something we’ve never done before is definitely a little scary, as we don’t know what it will be like until we do it.” She smiled at Ivy and Fox smiled at Mary, knowing she understood. “Would you like to see where you’ll be reading, Ivy?”

Fox felt her nod against his side and he smiled as he looked down at her, stroking her hair.

“Come on, honey,” he said and they followed Mary further into the shop towards the children’s section.

Ivy gasped as they reached it, stopping and standing frozen to the spot.

“Oh my gosh,” she said softly and Fox grinned at Mary before looking at Ivy. “It’s so beautiful. Daddy… it’s Pandy’s castle! Look! It’s Pandy! And Butter! And Funny Bunny! And Arlo!”

She ran into the children’s section, squealing loudly as she looked at everything. Fox smiled as he watched her, tears stinging his eyes at the happiness on her face.

“Maggie, Will, and Bill were here last night setting it all up,” Mary said to him quietly and he nodded, knowing they had been. “You married into a good family.”

“That I did,” he agreed, wiping his eyes.

As he watched the joy on Ivy’s face, her nervousness all but vanished, he let out a deep breath as he thought about the last few months and what it took to reach this moment.

The day he had proposed the idea of creating a real book, one to publish and share, Ivy had been excited and agreed immediately. They had gone to the copy store and created a rough example of the book to look at together and to show Dana.

Over dinner, they had discussed the idea and Dana had been just as excited as Ivy at the prospect of it.

They had decided on the main central characters, a storyline, and setting. Creating another book, they added more information and illustrations. Reading and then rereading it for the final time, they had all been together when he pressed send on the email to Susan with the book pdf attached to it.

“Now we wait,” he had said, looking at Ivy who was holding Pandy in her hands.

“It will be simply splendid,” she had responded in Pandy’s high pitched British accent and they had all laughed.

And Pandy had been right… or Ivy had.

Susan had loved it, finding it incredibly endearing and sweet.

“It has a good fun story, a lesson to be learned, empathetic characters, and eye catching illustrations,” she had said, calling two days later when Ivy had been at school.

“You think it could work?” he had asked, walking into the kitchen and waving at Dana to get her attention as he had put the phone on speaker. “You think people will like reading it?”

“Yes, Fox, I do,” Susan had said and he and Dana had high fived silently.

What had followed had been a flurry of activity.

He had been in the middle of writing his own novel, but The Adventures of Princess Pandy and Her Friends took precedence. They had worked hard, Dana listening to new ideas or tweaks, offering her opinion, and letting him rant when needed.

In April, as he had been waiting on an email from Susan with the final draft of the cover of the book, Dana had walked into his office as he paced.

“Hey,” he had said, letting out a sigh. “It’s funny that I feel so nervous. I’ve published four books and I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way. Even with the first one. Isn’t that weird?” He had laughed and looked at her, but she had not joined him. “Dana, is everything okay?”

“Uh… yes?”

“You don’t know?” he had joked as she had taken something from her pocket, held in a sandwich baggie. “What is that?”

“It’s a…” She had handed it to him and he had known instantly what it was.

“What?” he had asked, looking at her and then the item in his hands. “You… oh my God!” He had laughed and held it tightly as he had lifted her off the ground and spun her around.

“Fox!” she had shouted, holding onto him, laughing and crying at the same time.

“Oh, honey,” he had said, stopping and shaking his head. “I can’t believe it.”

“Hmm,” she had hummed, her arms around his neck as she had kissed him.

“How…?”

“How?” she had said, a teasing smile on her lips. “Well…”

“No,” he had laughed loudly. “I know how.”

“Well, that’s good,” she had said, kissing him again.

He had set her down and shaken his head, unable to stop smiling. Dropping to his knees, he had laid his forehead against her stomach.

“Hello in there,” he had whispered. “I’m your daddy. You’re going to have such an amazing life with us, little sweetheart. Mommy, Ivy, Hazel and Willow are out here waiting for you, not to mention a huge family that will love you so much. Oh, my love… I can’t wait to meet you.”

His email alert dinged, but he had not heard it as he had wrapped his arms around Dana’s waist and she had run her fingers through his hair and they both cried.

For two weeks they kept it a secret, waiting for a doctor's confirmation. When they had gotten it, a due date of November thirtieth given, Fox had held the sonogram picture as they stood in the elevator.

“It’s just…” he had said, staring at the small bit of grayish white floating in a black circle. “They’re so tiny. So… it’s amazing how procreation works.”

“From the smallest seed,” she had teased and he had smiled.

“To break it down to basics, yes,” he had said as they left the elevator and walked through the main floor. “Ivy’s going to be so excited.”

“I can’t wait to tell her,” Dana had said, hooking her arm with his and laying her head on his shoulder.

They had picked Ivy up from school and gone to a cupcake shop she loved, letting her pick out anything she had wanted. When they each had a cupcake, they had sat at an outdoor table and ate them.

“Ivy,” Dana had said, setting her cupcake wrapper and dirty napkins aside. “Daddy and I have something to tell you.”

“Okay.”

“I went to the doctor today and… Ivy,” Dana had said, taking Fox’s hand. “I’m going to have a baby. You’re going to be a big sister.”

Ivy had stared at her, looked at Fox, and then back at Dana.

“A… baby? You’re going to have a baby? Like Auntie Tara?”

“Yeah. Like Auntie Tara,” Dana had said with a smile.

“A baby girl?”

“Well, that we don’t know yet,” Dana had said. “It could be a boy or a girl. What do you think, honey?”

Ivy had smiled, frowned, and then burst into tears.

“I’m really happy,” she had cried, coming to Dana and climbing into her lap and clinging to her. “I love the baby.”

“Oh, honey,” Dana had said, holding Ivy close and rocking her.

Later that evening, as they had gone to bed, on Dana’s pillow they had found a note for the baby from Ivy, covered in heart stickers, happy faces, animals, and rainbows.

I love you little baby. I hope you are a girl but a boy will be good too. I love you so much. Love Ivy Mulder.

Dana had cried as she had handed it to Fox, her hand on her stomach.

“She’s going to be the best big sister,” he had said, sighing as he placed the note on the nightstand and smiled.

The Adventures of Princess Pandy and Her Friends, had been released in late May and they had gone to all the local bookstores and taken pictures with them, Ivy grinning as she had held them up. The pictures had then been hung on her bedroom wall beside the ones taken of her and Fox as they had worked on the book.

Riding high on the excitement over the book, and the coming arrival of the baby, planning for the nursery took center stage. They all had ideas and opinions when it came to decorations and items that would be needed.

Learning in July that the baby was a girl, Maggie and Will had come over and painted the nursery a pale blush pink. To it, Maggie had painted a large, brown branched tree with darker pink and white flowers on it. In each flower, she had written the names of people in their families, creating a beautiful family tree for the baby.

All the necessary items had been purchased as Fox had continued working on his novel and also the second book in the Pandy series, of which the first had been met with great reviews and interest.

Ivy insisted that the second one had to be about Arlo the anteater, who no longer wanted to eat ants, but was interested in trying new things.

“I want it to be that one,” she had said, sitting beside him in the chic pink office chair Fox had purchased for her to use, as they looked at the table of contents they had created, all of their stories organized for easy reference.

“Okay,” he had said, clicking on it and looking through it, smiling at their illustrations of anteaters with horrified expressions at the thought of not eating ants. “Any particular reason why?”

“Because people have to try new things. Sometimes kids forget that and adults have to remind them. Maybe if another kid tells them, or a cute little anteater, they will think about it more.”

“Well,” Fox had said, smiling and nodding. “I can’t argue with that logic.”

“And then we’ll do Leon the Lion next,” she had said, clapping her hands as he had laughed.

In early November, with the baby’s due date fast approaching, he had finished his novel, which he felt may be his favorite that he had ever written. Arlo the Anteater and Leon the Lion, a story about a lion who was far too bossy, had also been finished and turned over to Susan’s very capable hands.

Feeling a sense of relief that it had been completed, the focus then fell on waiting for the baby.

“I can’t get comfortable,” Dana had moaned late one night, getting up from the bed, her due date three days past. “I feel so huge and weighed down. Ugh… and I have to pee, again.”

“Can I get you anything?” Fox had asked, closing his eyes against the light coming from the bathroom.

“No,” she moaned. “I just need this girl to… Oh, Fox! You need… shit! My water just broke!”

Never had he gone from half asleep to wide awake in his life faster than when he had run into the bathroom and seen that her water had in fact broken.

A moment of panic and then he had sprung into action. A call had been placed to Maggie, his calm exterior hiding his inner worry and anxiousness as he had watched Dana pace in the bathroom.

Maggie had arrived within fifteen minutes, smiling and calm, as he had hurried through the house, grabbing the bags that had been packed in preparation.

Dana had one contraction as they had driven to the hospital, squeezing his hand tightly and breathing through it.

“Another December baby,” she had said with a small laugh when it was over. “We’re going to have to have so many advent calendars. The girls' birthday ones, the animals, Christmas…”

“Yeah,” he had said, gripping the steering wheel.

“You need to breathe, Fox,” she had said, smiling as she looked at him. “Everything will be fine. Please don’t faint on me.”

“Huhuhuh,” he had said, mock laughing as he had exhaled and stopped at a red light.

“Honey, it’s going to be okay. I promise,” she had said, her tone serious as she had squeezed his hand. He had raised her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles with a nod.

At six thirty in the morning, on December fourth, a tiny baby girl had been placed onto Dana’s chest and Fox’s knees had given out as he had stared at his daughter through the tears in his eyes.

“Hello, my sweet Ella,” he had said softly, holding her later as she slept, wrapped snugly in a blanket. “Welcome to the world.” He had smiled at Dana and she had smiled back tiredly.

“Ella Marie,” she had said and he looked from Ella to her with a slight frown. “We hadn’t really discussed middle names, but I want her to have part of your mom’s name. Ella Christeena is too rhyme-y, but Ella Marie, that has a much better ring to it.”

“Yes,” he had said, smiling as he had looked at the baby again. “Ella Marie… named for two amazing women.”

“Hmm,” Dana had hummed, her eyes closing as she fell asleep.

Ivy had been brought in by Maggie a few hours later, looking nervous at the sight of the hospital room.

“Come here, my love,” Dana had said, opening her arms to her as she sat on the bed. Ivy had hurried over and climbed up beside her, snuggling close. “Did you have a good day with grandma?”

“Yes. Did you have the baby?”

“I did. Are you ready to meet her?”

“Yes.” She had pulled back and smiled, her eyes wet. “I was worried about you. And the baby.”

“Oh, honey,” Dana had said, smoothing Ivy’s hair back and kissing her forehead. “I’m fine and so is the baby.”

“Good.”

“You ready?”

“Yeah.”

She had scooted back onto the bed and crossed her ankles, looking at Fox with a nod, and he had smiled as he lifted Ella from the bassinet. Kissing her head, he had walked over to Ivy and laid Ella into her waiting arms.

“Oh…” Ivy had breathed. “She’s so tiny.” Smiling, she had stared at Ella and shaken her head. “Was I this small when I was born?”

“Hmm. Yeah, you were,” Dana had said, smiling as she ran her thumb across Ella’s capped forehead.

“She’s so cute. I love her so much, Mommy. Thank you for my sister.”

“Oh, honey,” Dana had said, shaking her head and sniffling. “You’re so welcome.”

Once home, they all had loved and spoiled Ella, who was a happy little thing. Ivy especially loved her, always asking to feed, hold, or rock her.

One afternoon in January, tired and unsure as to why he had come into his office, Fox had heard Ella crying from her nap in the nursery. Another cry and he had heard Dana sigh deeply and start toward the stairs.

But the crying had stopped and he turned around in the silence and left the office. Meeting Dana’s eyes, they had then looked upstairs and back at one another.

Together they had gone up the stairs, not speaking, and walked to Ella’s room. Pushing the partially open door to completely open, they had both stopped in their steps.

Ivy’s purple bathroom step stool had been placed in front of the crib, which she had obviously used to climb in beside a swaddled Ella to lay beside her and quietly read her a story.

“What are you doing, honey?” Dana had asked Ivy in a whisper, as they stepped closer to the crib, and saw that Ella had fallen back to sleep, her pacifier hanging out of her mouth.

“Ella was crying. She needed me,” Ivy had stated, looking at them and then back at the book, as she had continued reading.

“Oh,” Dana had said, looking at Fox with a smile and he had grinned back.

After that, anytime Ivy had heard Ella cry for more than a few seconds, her shout could be heard from anywhere in the house.

“I’m coming, Ella Wella. Your big sister is on the way!”

Ella grew every day, laughing and cooing at them, but especially Ivy, who she already adored.

Everyone living under the roof of the “Ivy house,” which had been changed to be known as the “Ella and Ivy house,” was happy and healthy.

When the second book, Princess Pandy and Her Friends Introduce Arlo the Anteater, had a release date set for March, Mary had called Fox, asking if they could do a launch party at Lantern Books.

“Mary, I would love that,” he had said, glancing at Ella’s books sitting upon the shelf, and recalling the evening he spent with Dana in Mary’s bookshop.

An idea began to take shape when he had hung up and he had called Maggie, who had then called Bill. The three of them had decided on a plan, and Maggie, Will, and Bill- when time allowed- had begun to build pieces of a castle that would be used to turn the children's section of the bookshop into Pandy’s Palace.

Four medium height, thin, wooden turrets had been cut and painted pink. Details of stone, small windows, and weathering had been added by Maggie, making it look amazingly realistic. Three green rolling hills, the three main characters of the series and Arlo, had also been made from the same thin wood.

Fox had gone over to Maggie and Will’s, in awe of their garage workshop as ever, and helped where and when he could, mainly when Ivy had been in school.

He had always felt he was a decent, if not above average artist, but as he had watched Maggie create and paint, headphones on and lost in her music, he had known he would never measure up to her level of talent.

“She’s amazing,” he had said to Will two nights before the launch party, as Maggie hummed to the music only she could hear, double checking all the pieces, and they cleaned the workshop. “Both of you are. Thank you so much for this, Ivy’s gonna love it.”

“She will at that,” Will had chuckled. “I was happy to do it. It’s been awhile since I could spoil that girl properly, and this was something easy and fun to do.”

They had driven down yesterday Will, Maggie, and Bill, the pieces secured and covered in the back of Bill’s truck, and gone straight to Mary’s shop to set them up.

Melissa, Artie, Tara and the kids were taking the early morning train in and meeting up with Dana, Maggie, Will, and Bill, to come to the reading at one thirty.

And Ivy had no idea they were coming.

“It looks so good,” Mary said, and he nodded.

“Maggie is an amazing artist,” he agreed and Mary nodded.

“And a hoot and a half,” Mary laughed. “She has a fantastic sense of humor.”

“She does,” he agreed with a chuckle and then stepped into the children’s section to look around.

Fairy lights were strung above them, and across the turrets at the entrance to the cozy children’s section and the two in the back to make it feel as though you were really inside of a castle.

“Do you love it, Ivy?” he asked and she nodded enthusiastically.

“It’s so beautiful, Daddy,” she whispered. “It’s like Christmas lights. It feels slow and reverent.” She smiled and he scooped her up, hugging her tightly.

“I love you, Ivy Mulder,” he whispered.

“I love you too.”

They helped Mary set up the snacks she had purchased, along with coffee urns, and dispensers full of ice water and lemonade.

Coloring pages that pertained to the story, were set out on a long, child height table to color once the story was finished. Gift bags holding the new book, a bookmark, a stamp pad, and a smiling panda stamp, had been tied with pink ribbon and were placed on a table near the door for the attendees to take as they left the bookshop.

Twenty minutes before it was scheduled to begin, a knock sounded at the door and Ivy gasped, looking quickly at Fox.

“It’s not time yet, honey. Maybe it’s just someone wondering why the shop is closed today,” Fox said, knowing full well who was on the other side of the door.

“Oh, okay,” she said, looking relieved.

Mary opened the door and Ivy gasped when she saw Dana and everyone else standing outside and smiling at her.

“Surprise!” they all yelled and Ivy ran to them, laughing happily.

They all trooped in, exclaiming over the ambiance of the bookshop. Mary flushed as she accepted their compliments, thanking them profusely.

“How did you like the castle, Ivy girl?” Will asked, grinning at her.

“It’s beautiful! Did you see it?”

“I did!” he laughed. “Grandma, Uncle Bill, and I made it for you.”

“You did?!” Ivy asked, her eyes wide and mouth dropping open.

“We did,” he said, laughing as she hugged him.

“Thank you, Grandpa! I love it.”

“You’re welcome, honey,” he said, as Maggie walked up and Ivy hugged her too, thanking her for the castle.

Everyone talked over one another, looking at the books and decorations that had been set out. The kids ran around, Delilah taking pictures of them with Melissa’s phone.

When other people began to arrive, Fox, Dana, Ivy and Ella waited near the bookshelf of “hallowed treasures,” enjoying the petit fours that Dana had picked up from her old favorite bakery, until Mary would be introducing him and Ivy.

They listened to the sound of excited chatter as the children saw the castle and the animals, calling out to their parents to take their picture.

Fox looked around the bookshelf and smiled as he saw two little girls standing in front of the large cutout of Pandy, their grins wide as they held hands. A little boy was looking at the cutout of Funny Bunny, reaching out to touch his nose.

“Ivy,” Dana said, smiling at her as she gently swayed a sleeping Ella held in her wrap. “You ready?”

“Yeah,” Ivy said, with a nod, wiping her hands and mouth on a napkin. “I was feeling nervous before, but Daddy helped me feel better about it because we came here early.

“That’s good, honey. You’re going to do great.”

“Thank you, Mommy.”

“And how about you?” she asked Fox, smiling softly at him.

“Oh, I’m very excited,” he said, also wiping his hands and she laughed quietly as she rubbed Ella’s back.

“Ladies, gentlemen, and kids of all ages!” Mary said, the chatter in the room quieting almost immediately. “How are you all doing today?”

“Good!” they all shouted and Ivy looked at Fox.

“You still doing good?” he asked and she nodded with a smile. “Great.”

“Are you all ready to hear the new book in the Pandy series?” Mary asked and the crowd chorused again, shouting that they were very ready. “Then let me introduce the people who have come to join us today, the authors of the book, Fox and Ivy Mulder! Please give them a warm welcome!”

Everyone clapped and cheered as Fox took Ivy’s hand. He smiled at her and she smiled back.

“Go get ‘em,” Dana said, and he gave her a quick kiss as they walked out and into the castle.

They took their seats, the new book sitting on a small table between their chairs, waiting to be read aloud.

“Thank you all so much for being here, it’s nice to meet you,” Fox said with a smile. “I’m Fox and this is Ivy. We’re so happy you liked the first story and we’re very excited to share the new one with you. Are you all ready to hear it?” They all cheered and he smiled. “Wonderful. Ivy, could you please read the story to us?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Fox picked up the book, smiling at the cover of the three friends, plus Arlo.

“Here you go, honey.”

“Thank you, Daddy. Okay, here we go,” Ivy said as she took the book from him and let out a breath. “Princess Pandy and Her Friends Introduce Arlo the Anteater. Written and illustrated by Fox and Ivy Mulder.” He smiled at their joint names as she opened the book and turned to the first page.

Listening to her read, stumbling over some of the words but continuing on, he smiled again at her persistence.

Looking out into the audience, he watched the children laughing as Ivy read the story. They answered back when a question had been asked and he chuckled softly.

The adults sitting behind their children also seemed to be enjoying the story. He saw Maggie whispering to Melissa and Tara and they both smiled with a nod. Will and Bill were also smiling as they watched Ivy reading. Artie was taking a video with his phone and for some reason, that caused Fox to draw in a deep breath.

They had all taken a two hour trip to listen to a story they had already heard as it had been discussed while they were working on it and each of them had been given an advanced copy of it. They were all happy and smiling as they listened to Ivy reading, encouraging her by their presence alone.

He looked at Ivy again as she showed everyone the illustrations in the book, her eyes sparkling as she giggled, and he smiled.

Sudden movement from the back of the room caught his eye and he watched Dana swaying with Ella. She smiled at him with a wink as she kept swaying, running her hands slowly up and down Ella’s back.

“I’ll be right back, Ivy. Okay?” he asked, searching her face for any signs that she was uncomfortable.

“Okay, Daddy,” she said, barely looking up.

He got up and walked straight to Dana, pulling her carefully into his arms, mindful of Ella between them.

“What’s going on?” she whispered and he shook his head.

“I love you,” he whispered back as he closed his eyes.

“I love you too.”

“Thank you,” he whispered again, opening his eyes with a smile as he heard Maggie and Will laugh along with the children, as Ivy reached a funny part of the story.

“For what, honey?”

“For giving me purpose. For loving me and making me whole.”

“Fox,” she whispered as they began to sway slowly.

“Thank you so much for loving me.”

“Thank you for being so easy to love.”

#the x files #xf fanfic #msr #alternate universe #modern setting #diner #bookshops #epilouge #catching up with the Mulders #happy life #new adventures #family #love #happiness

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parcequecestnotreprojeeeet · 2 years ago

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Hi, it’s me, Fanfic Anon #2. I saw a request for their Friday night in London, so requesting Anon, this is for you. Hope everyone enjoys!

"Thank you very much," he heard her kindly dismiss the bellmen who had helped them up to their hotel suite, in her (at least he thinks it’s adorable) English. He smiled at that, at her kindness, in the things that are so her they make his heart sing. He sensed her move back into the suite, closer to where he was standing, smiling as he took in the smell of her perfume now wafting through the air, the unmistakable sign she was there, with him, beside him; that he was whole.

"What are you thinking about, chéri?" She asked as she sidled up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist, snuggling close to him, and resting her chin on his shoulder after pressing a quick kiss to his cheek.

"I’m just enjoying this. Being here, with you."

"Mhmm," she bummed wordlessly in agreement, as she felt him lean into her.

"Wanna play hooky?" He asked suddenly, turning his head towards her, twinkle in his eye. “We’re too late to make the reception now.”

She laughed, letting him go and taking a step back, "what do you have in mind?"

"Go slip on your trainers. I want to go wander the streets with you,” he gently suggested, leaning in to steal a quick kiss.

“Give me ten minutes, then,” she smiled as she pulled back from the embrace. “While I’m gone, find our rain coats! I don’t want you complaining in the Abbey tomorrow that you have a cold coming on because you got too wet tonight.”

“If I‘ve done my job right, you’ll be the one who’s too wet,” he flirted meaningfully.

“Emmanuel!” She exclaimed, blushing furiously at that.

“It’s cute,” he smiled at her, once again his heart overflowing with love for this remarkable woman in front of him.

“What’s cute?” She asked skeptically.

“You still blush, even after all of these years.”

“Give me five minutes or we’ll never leave.”

“That’s fine too,” he smirked, approaching her slowly.

“Walk first,” she stopped him, gently pressing her arms outwards against his shoulders to hold him off, before continuing with a teasing look of her own, “I’m a lady, I expect to be wined and dined first,” she winked before disappearing towards the other room where their suitcases had been left.

He shook his head gently. “God, she’s perfect,” he whispered to himself with a silly grin when he was sure she was gone.

He still had the silly grin on his face when he heard her, “I thought I said to grab our coats.”

“Sorry,” he apologized sheepishly.

“Forget it, the sooner we leave, the sooner we finish, the sooner we’re back,” she offered out her hand for him to hold, squeezing his fingers lightly when they intertwined.

He had to admit, as much as he would have loved to spend the rest of the night in that hotel suite, there was a magic in the air as they strolled. Hardly anyone recognized them, so for the first time in a long time they could be almost anonymous in the crowd, soak up the energy, the sights as a normal couple, as Emmanuel and Brigitte, as M. and Mme Macron, not as President and First Lady. There was magic too in the way she shined under the city’s lights - the way the lamp lights caught on her eyes, making them dance; the way the bright lights highlighted her beautiful blonde hair; the way her beautiful smile reflected of the puddles in the streets like the other lights above.

There was joy in the meal they shared in the little place he pulled them into, off some winding arcade, joy in the taste of the surprisingly good wine, in the warmth of a hearty meal, in the way her hand felt in his as it sat on the table between them while they traded Shakespearean sonnets in this city so synonymous with the Bard.

But most importantly, there was love - in every movement, in every moment, in every breath taken when they returned to where they started, lips, limbs, hearts, bodies intertwined so closely that no one could tell where one began and the other ended.

After, as they caught their breath, her head gently pillowed on his broad chest, he told her, “we should do this more often.”

“I think we do that plenty often.”

“Not that,” he laughed. “Not that I wouldn’t mind more often,” he replied, slipping his hand to gently squeeze her ass.

“You’re insatiable!” She gently smacked his stomach in reproach.

“That’s not fair! How else is a man supposed to act when he’s married to you?”

“What do you want to do more often?” She asked sincerely, turning the conversation back to where it began.

“Little trips like this, where it’s just you and me.”

“That sounds nice,” she agreed with a yawn.

“Falling asleep on me?”

“You tried me out! Besides, I need my beauty sleep for tomorrow. I can’t have you walking in with a tired old woman on your arm.”

“You are no such thing, and I don’t even want to hear you joke like that. You are the most beautiful woman in the world. And you will be the most beautiful woman at the ceremony tomorrow.”

“I -“

“No, don’t fight me on this because I’m right and you know I’m right. Now sleep.”

“I love you.”

“I love you more, my Queen.”

Hellooo fanfic Anon #2! ❤️

What a sweet and adorable piece! And nice pun there with the “wet”!

I bet Emmanuel is now regretting taking her out and not just want straight to the room... 😜

Thank you so much, fanfic Anon #2! ❤️❤️❤️

#fanfic #fanfic anon 2

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rainywerewolfmoon · 1 year ago

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The Fairyland

Ao3 link here The Fairyland - Chapter 14 - Princessmh9 - Multifandom [Archive of Our Own]

Chapter 14: Meeting Fae Royalty

As Genevieve takes in the breathtaking beauty of the Royal Throne Room, she hears a royal voice and turns to see King Oberon seated on his throne. He is even more handsome and regal in person than in any books or shows she has encountered. King Oberon's clothing, crafted by Apricot, further accentuates his status as a King. Kendra guides Genevieve to the base of the throne platform and nudges her to kneel, and she follows suit.

Oberon: Rise, my faithful guard, and your friend as well. (He speaks kindly and gently.)

Genevieve and Kendra both stand, and Kendra steps forward, bowing her head.

Kendra: Your Majesty, King Oberon, may I present a friend of mine and King Linder. (She gestures for Genevieve to step forward.)

Genevieve: Your Majesty, I am Genevieve, the great-granddaughter of Arthur. (The necklace glows again.)

Oberon stands up and touches the necklace given to her by Arthur, smiling at the response.

Oberon: That human-loving elf and wizard were right after all. (The necklace glows even more, and he smiles kindly at her.)

Oberon: Welcome to mine and my Queen's kingdom.

Genevieve: Thank you, Your Majesty.

Oberon then turns his attention to Kendra, placing a fatherly hand on her shoulder.

Oberon: Kendra, did Puck mention it again? (He asks softly, and Kendra nods, tears streaming down her face. Oberon gently wipes them away.)

Oberon: I will talk to him again, I will.

Kendra suggests that Oberon inform Genevieve about the Unseelie and the Wild Hunt, and he nods in agreement. Oberon walks over to a massive portrait depicting the Fae and Folk together, sitting on thrones with nobility.

Oberon: It was 1000 moons ago, during the time humans refer to as the Celtic age. Back then, there was only one Royal Court, and every Folk and Fairy were happy and merry. Grand parties were held every night, filled with games, laughter, and carefree joy. But on one Midsummer eve, everything changed for the worse.

Oberon Once 1000 moons ago the court was initially good and kind, assisting humans in exchange for their aid. However, the youngest prince, fueled by anger, proposed punishing humans, claiming they were destroying believers in the Folk. The oldest king opposed the idea, stating that humans had not yet disrespected or harmed them. But the prince, refusing to be part of a seemingly weak court, stormed off, supported by some of the Folk who believed in his cause.

>Months later, on a dark moonless night, the prince and his followers launched an attack on humans. Babies were replaced with changelings, maidens were taken away, and chaos ensued. When the court discovered the prince's actions, they banished him and his followers, declaring them Unseelie. The remaining royals, undecided at first, eventually sided with the prince, leading to a permanent division.

{Kendra in a sad voice,} And sometimes they take something of the highest vale of a Fae or Fairy, {Oberon touches her arm in comfort.}

{Oberon} You don't have to tell our friend if you want to, {he says wisely as Kendra shacks her head no.}

{Kendra} I need to show her what I have lost in battle

{Removing the top half of her armor and then her top, Kendra stands before Genevieve and Oberon, wearing only her singlet. Taking a deep breath, she turns her back to them and pulls up the singlet, revealing two long, ugly scars that were once infected. Genevieve gasps in horror at the sight, realizing the severity of Kendra's loss.}

{Kendra,} They took my wings. Fairies and Fae wings are our most prize thing we have. Taking our wings is a crime that is punished by death. And the Unseelie and Wild Hunt know that. {she says as she lets tears fall as Oberon finishes for her.}

{Oberon} And the wings are something the Wild Hunt loves to go for when they attack in our Realm {he explains to her as Kendra puts her amour back on. After she has done this, Genevieve gives her a massive hug.}

{After Kendra puts her armor back on, Genevieve wraps her arms around her in a massive hug}

{Genevieve} I am so terribly sorry to hear that, Kendra. No wonder you hate Puck talking about it {She says, understand as she hugs back grateful.}

{Kendra,} thank you for saying that my friend.

{Oberon} And it is a loss that you worried about later because if you went after them trying to get your wings back, my dear Titania or our Willow and Aurora would not be here and that is something we both are grateful for {he says, hugging her.}

{Kendra} Queen Titania were only 5 moons; I was not going to let her or the unborn Prince and Princess fall at the hands of the Wild Hunt {she says smiling at Oberon who nods his thanks to her. He then looks at Genevieve.}

{Oberon} Come, I must present you to my Queen and children, {he says delighted as Genevieve's eyes light up in joy of meeting them.}

#the fairyland

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yelenasdiary · 2 years ago

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Darkest Secrets

Pairing: Kate Bishop x Reader, Wanda Maximoff & Natasha Romanoff x Reader (Platonic)

Summary: Kate’s worry about you leads her turning to Wanda and Natasha for help.

Please read all warnings before reading ahead, if this is too uncomfortable for you, please keep scrolling.

| Heavy Angst| 1.9K | Dark themes: SA mentions, Mental and Physical abuse mentions, suicidal thoughts, self-harm mentions, language warning, depression, weapons | If I missed any, please don’t hesitate to let me know!

Requests are closed.

AC: Woke up this morning feeling a little (maybe not so little) down and had this idea come to mind. Named this after one of my favourite songs. Please know, my DMs are always open for anybody who needs to talk x.

Kate sat and watched your anger unfold, taking out anything you had inside you on the boxing bag in the gym. Kate made note to lock the doors to give you the space you needed. “Baby, talk to me. What’s going on” she asked when you kneeled in tears of anger, sweat dripping from your forehead causing your baby hairs to stick to your skin. Hurt and anger fuelled your body, a side of you Kate had never seen. You heard her words but the idea of telling her the news you were told this morning made your stomach turn. “Maybe I can help” she added. You threw the boxing gloves on the floor, shaking your head at her before storming out of the compound gym and almost crashing into Natasha.

“Woah there, what’s got you so fired up” she asked quickly stepping aside. “Piss off Natasha” you snapped without looking at her, continuing to your room. Nat was taken back a bit by your outburst but brushed it off. Walking into the gym she saw a worried Kate picking up the boxing gloves. Worry written all over her face. “What’s up with her?” Nat asked. “I have no idea” Kate shrugged, “She got woken up by a phone call and they’d been angry ever since. She won’t talk to me about it” she explains. “Maybe give her some space, sounds like she needs it” Nat suggested, “I was thinking the same thing” replied a worried Kate.

Things didn’t get any easier over the next couple of days, you’d completely shut Kate out and avoided her whenever you could. At night, she noticed you’d leave the compound and come back in the early hours of 5 am only to spend the day locked in your room. Kate’s worry only got worse to the point where giving you space wasn’t enough, she just wanted to help and make sure you were okay. Something in you switched that morning, Kate saw it in your eyes that something wasn’t right, something dark had consumed you within the short 2-minute phone call.

Wanda and Natasha were in the common room going over mission reports when Kate interrupted them with tears down her cheeks and a shortness of her breath. “Kate, sit down” Wanda stood from her seat in a flash, using her magic to pull out a chair for Kate. “Take a deep breath for me” she coached as Kate refused to sit. Shaking her head, “so-somethings wrong” she spoke, “with Y/n, please you have to come” she pulled Wanda’s arm harshly, Natasha followed the two to you room.

“Y/n, it’s Wanda can you open the door?” she asked after twisting the handle to the locked door. “Go away Wanda, please” you spoke. Wanda looked to Kate, “go downstairs, we’ll handle this” she said. Kate didn’t argue, just nodded, and took herself downstairs. She didn’t care who it was, but she just wanted you to be safe and okay, if you didn’t want to talk to her then so be it but she needed you to talk to somebody and she knew better than anybody that Wanda and Natasha could get through to you even when you didn’t want them too.

“She’s been like this for days” Natasha whispered softly, “I thought she’d snap out of it or was just having a bad day but”

“Yeah, somethings not right” Wanda kindly stopped Natasha, “it’s loud” Wanda added. “Y/n, I need you to open the door. It’s just Nat and I”

“I said go away!”

Wanda looked to Nat for approval to unlock the door herself, Nat gave her a soft nod and with a gently flick of her hands Wanda heard the click of your door unlocking. The two welcomed themselves into your room and closed the door behind them.

“Fuck sake, I said go away!” you snapped not looking away from your desk.

“I’m sorry but we’re worried about you, so is Kate” Wanda spoke.

“I’m fine, just leave me alone” you continued working on the bullets in front of you. “What are you doing?” Natasha asked stepping forward towards you, looking over your shoulder. “What does it look like Natasha?!” you spun around on your chair to face them, “What do you guys want? I told you to leave me alone. I just want some damn space”

“Y/n, you’re making home-made bullets, you’re not okay. What’s going on?” Natasha crossed her arms over her chest. One look at Wanda and you knew she was inside your mind. “Fuck off Wanda! You’re not allowed to that” you stood up looking into her eyes, “get out of my fucking mind”

Wanda didn’t listen, she couldn’t hear the words coming out of your mouth. Your memories and thoughts almost deafened her as tears filled her eyes. “Don’t!” you snapped once more at her when you saw a tear fall from her eyes.

“Wands?” Natasha questioned.

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Wanda asked. “Because it’s nobody’s damn business!”

“What’s going on?” Natasha asked, looking between the two of you. “That call, what was it about?” Wanda kept her eyes on you. Anger filled your body once more, “Wanda. Mind your own business, yeah?” your eyes glued to hers. “What’s your plan?” Wanda’s head tilted slightly to the left. Natasha stood back when she didn’t get any answers, she noticed your legs coming weak as you dripped the edge of your desk. “I said go aw-away” you chocked on your words, Wanda using her powers to tell you everything was okay, you are okay. “I’m not okay Wanda, please stop” you begged as your own tears filled your once bright eyes.

“I know honey but it’s okay, we’re here and we just want to help” she spoke, taking a step towards you, “we won’t let anything happen to you” she added, catching you in her arms as your body gave out on you. Natasha watched with concern as Wanda wrapped you tightly in her arms finally letting you break down into sobs.

“I don’t understand” you sobbed in her arms, “I know darling, it’s not fair” Wanda comforted you. She listened to your sobs as your tears soaked her shirt, Natasha’s eyes noticed the hand towel covered in blood by your bed, “Y/n, be honest… what’s this?” she asked pointing to the towel. Wanda let you out of her hold for the moment, with a feared look on your face, you looked at Natasha “I was stupid” you said softly, “I took it out on myself” you added.

“Oh honey” Wanda’s tears soaked her face as she pulled her into her arms again. Natasha looked at Wanda with more concern than before. “Let’s get you into the shower and then we can talk, okay?” Wanda suggested earning a head nod.

“I’m going to take this” Natasha said as she grabbed the towel before Kate would ever see it, “good idea” Wanda spoke softly before leading you into the bathroom and turning the shower on.

There were no words spoken in the bathroom, Wanda saw the marks left on your thighs by the razor, it broke her heart to know you’d let yourself fall into such a dark place without asking for help. You turned your body away from her when in the shower, the water covering your tears. Wanda left you alone while she grabbed some fresh PJs from your wardrobe.

“Wands, you’ve gotta tell me, what’s going on” Natasha whispered once she returned. Wanda looked at Natasha with tears, “Let her tell us if she wants but you and I, we have a mission tonight. Just between us” she spoke. Nat nodded taking note of Wanda’s serious tone, “and if she doesn’t tell us? I need to know what we’re doing”.

“She was abused”

“What?! When?! Who?!” Natasha quickly filled with anger. “Nat, stop. We need her to know we’re here for her, I’m angry too, from what I saw, she was young” Wanda explained quietly, Nat shook her head in anger as her jaw clenched “and Kate doesn’t know I’m guessing”.

Once showered and into fresh PJs you sat down on your bed facing Wanda and Nat who weren’t leaving until they knew you were okay.

“The call I got” you started, “it was to let me know that they released him, he served his time” you looked at Wanda knowing she knew more than Natasha then you looked to Natasha who you could see was angry on the inside and had trouble hiding it. “All of it, Nat” you spoke, confirming her suspicions, “sexual, mental and physical” you added with aching heart, “Kate doesn’t know…I didn’t know how to tell her…I didn’t think I would have too but recently, I” you paused to swallow the lump in your throat, “I’ve been having thoughts” you admit, “I knew this day was coming, I’d known for months and I thought I could handle it but it just made me sick, like my life was a joke…I don’t understand it and I never will”

Natasha sat down beside you and placed her hand gently on your knee, “is that where you’ve been going at night?” she asked to your surprise. “I tired so many times to handle it, you know…but every time I saw him, I just froze”.

Nat gently squeezed your knee for comfort, “has he seen you?”. You shook your head, “no”.

“You know you could’ve come to us honey” Wanda spoke. “I know and I wanted too, I did but I just…how was I supposed to tell you both that I-“ tears filled your eyes once again as you looked at her, “that I want to fucking die” you broke, Natasha wrapping her arms around you, “I can’t do this, I don’t to live like this…in fear…I just can’t” you sobbed more into Natasha’s arms. She looked at Wanda and now understood what the mission would be, sending her a slight nod at the idea.

“Listen to me” Natasha whispered, “as long as I’m here, as long as Wanda is here, as long as we are all here, you are safe. We would die before we let anything happen to you, do you understand me? You are family to us, you’re like a daughter to me and I promise you for as long as I’m here, you’ll never have to live in fear again” she spoke, rubbing your back. Her words making you cry harder.

The two let you cry until you’d fallen asleep in Natasha’s hold, gently she placed you into bed and pulled the covers over you. She removed all the equipment from your desk before leaving the room with Wanda. “Wands – “

“I know, he’s gotta go” Wanda replied.

Wanda and Nat were meet with a worried Kate when they got back downstairs, “is she okay? Can I see her? What happened? I need to know” she asked quicker than Wanda or Nat had time to reply.

“Go be with her, she’ll be okay in time. She’ll tell you if she’s ready but right now, she just needs to be loved and protected” Wanda softly smiled. “She’s asleep right now but I’m sure she won’t mind you going up there” Nat added earning a nod from Kate. “Thank you” she said before making her way to your room.

“Got any ideas?” Wanda turned to Nat with a cold smirk, “oh I have plenty” she replied.

#kate bishop #kate bishop x reader #natasha romanoff #natasha romanoff x reader #wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x reader #marvel #fanfiction

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sanguineterrain · 3 years ago

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Go Easy - Bucky Barnes

For @real-jane 's healing hands challenge! I chose to write a healing from skin hunger/allowing themselves to be touched piece. Congrats Kate! ❤️

Word count: 719

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x gn!reader

Pure fluff 🥰

****

You didn't often find yourself awake at this hour. Sometimes missions left you with excess adrenaline, which could make it hard to sleep later on. But you were never without company. Working in the Avengers tower often came with night owl tendencies. Tonight was no different.

The gym lights were on, and there was only one person who'd be up at four AM, tearing up punching bags like his life depended on it.

"Can't sleep?"

Boom! The bag flew off the chain.

"Tony just replaced those," you added, trying to lighten those looming, tight shoulders. It didn't work.

Bucky Barnes had been down here every night since the first night you started coming down, almost a year ago. His knuckles were raw, the serum already working double-time to heal over the scrapes. Gingerly, you took the tape from the bench, waiting until he finished hanging the next bag to offer it.

Bucky shook his head.

"'S fine."

"You're bleeding," like he didn't know.

"Doesn't hurt."

"Bucky," and he stopped, turning his body towards you. You set down the tape.

"Did you try any calmer activities before coming down to beat the shit out of sandbags?"

"Needed to clear my head."

"You need to take care of yourself," you corrected. "Have you told Dr. Cho about your sleeping? The difficulty concentrating?"

Bucky stiffened, drawing himself to his full height. You didn't waver.

"Yes."

"And?"

"She thinks the serum increased my requirement for contact."

And that was it. He returned to throwing punches, each one harder than the last. You winced every time his fist connected with the bag, until finally, you couldn't take it anymore. You stepped next to him, and Bucky caught himself before the next punch so he didn't send you flying. You put a hand on the bag, blocking him.

"Y/N, come on. This is how I manage stress."

"Well, it's not working very well, is it?"

You gently closed your thumb and middle fingers around his wrist and tugged until Bucky followed you to the sink basin. There, you wet a washcloth, wringing it out.

"What're—"

As soon as the cloth touched his forehead, Bucky quieted. You dabbed it over his temples and cheeks to cool him down, then wiped the spots of blood on his hands. You set down the cloth and reached forward, placing both hands on the back of Bucky's neck.

"Okay?" you checked and he nodded.

Slowly you drew small circles at the base of his skull. Then you moved forward, under his ears, to his jaw, where you brushed his skin in light strokes.

Bucky's breath hitched, lids growing heavy. His head leaned forward and you eased him into your neck, scratching at his scalp, inhaling his soap and sweat.

"C'mon," you murmured, moving your hips closer. "Touch me, it's okay."

His big hands crept to your waist. Bucky hesitated with his metal fingers. You continued brushing his face, both hands cupping his jaw, thumbs caressing his cheekbones.

"That's good," you hummed as Bucky slowly pulled you closer, melding your body to his. "Good, Bucky, good."

"I don't… I shouldn't…"

"You deserve this," you reminded, pushing a lock of hair behind his ear. "You deserve to be touched kindly."

Bucky shuddered. One hand was on your spine, the other in the curve of your waist.

"Been a long time, hmm?"

"Yeah," he whispered, still afraid the walls were listening.

You wrapped your arms around his neck, lifting your leg to fit it over his hip. Bucky’s gaze grew unfocused.

"Dr. Cho suggested maybe I… I get a pet or something."

You hummed, rubbing between those broad shoulders, feeling him sag as the tension dissipated.

"Pet would be good. Maybe a cat?"

His arms tightened around you.

"Maybe. I dunno."

"You know, it's not one or the other, Bucky. You can have the cat and you can have me."

He looked up at you, eyes wide, pleading.

Don't give yourself to me. You don't know what you're doing.

You smiled, resting your forehead against his.

"As long as you want me."

"What if—" he licked his lips, swallowing. "What if I want you for a long time?"

"Then you've got me for a long time."

"I do," he confessed. "I want."

You brushed your lips over his brow bone.

"I'm here."

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes x you #bucky barnes x gender neutral reader #bucky barnes x yn #bucky barnes fanfiction #bucky barnes imagine #healinghandschallenge

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toasttt11 · 7 months ago

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daughter

August 7, 2006

Sidney was pacing out side the hospital walls, hearing the screams of Jasmine, who has been in labor for 17 hours now. Sidney had sent home his parents and younger sister as they had been with they all day and he wanted them to at least get some sleep.

Sidney’s head snapped up as the door opened and one of the nurses walked out, “Mr. Crosby, your daughters been born.” The woman gave him a kind smile.

“Daughter!” Sidney choked out as Jasmine didn’t want to find out the gender as she didn’t care for it.

Sidney shook his head pushing back the emotions, “Can i see her.” Sidney questioned looking desperately towards the nurse.

“Of course.” The nurse kindly replied and gestured for him to walk into the room.

Sidney walked in and only spared a single glance at his ex-girlfriend, who was turned away from the door and away from the bassinet that had his newborn daughter in it.

Sidney took slow steps and looked down and saw the most precious thing in the whole work, Sidney knew his daughter has already stolen his heart and nothing was more important to him then her, he gently picked her up and she made a small cooing sound as her little fingers wrapped around his finger.

“Hello Cameron.” Sidney lovingly mumbled, letting out a watery laugh as he feels his cheeks wet from his tears.

He has picked out the name when he found out about her, He loved it because it fit for a girl or a boy name, just like his.

“Sir?” One of the nurses kindly called out gaining his attention, “You have to write out full name and as Ms. Waters has signed away all of her rights so you will need to sign this for the birth certificate.” The nurse set down the papers in front of her him and handed him the pen.

Sidney nodded and shifted his daughter carefully to his one arm and picked the pen up in the other hand, he wrote out her name, Cameron Taylor Crosby. And signed everything he needed too and handed the papers back to the nurse.

“We just need to clean her up and give her a checkup and you’re good to bring her home dad.” Another nurse kindly told Sidney and stretched her hands out towards to take Cameron, Sidney hesitated not liking the idea of letting go of his daughter.

The nurse just calmly smiled because she is use to parents not wanting to let go of their kids, “Why don’t you come with us.” She kindly suggested and Sidney quickly nodded and followed the nurses out of the room not even sparing a glance at his ex, he picked up his back pack swinging it onto his shoulder.

Sidney followed them into the room and gently and reluctantly set his daughter onto the bed, he stayed closed by her side tho and let her fingers stay gently wrapped around his finger.

The nurse started doing a thorough check up on the newborn making sure everything was good and she was healthy before she then started cleaning her up, “Do you have an outfit to bring her home in?” The nurse asked him as many parents will bring in an outfit to bring their baby’s home or the hospital will give them one.

Sidney nodded and opened his backpack pulling out a white and pastel yellow onesie that has little flowers on it, the nurse helped him put it onto Cameron.

The nurse then made sure she went over everything with him as she could tell he was nervous and she knew he was a single father so she wanted him to feel prepared.

“And you are ready to take your girl home.” The nurse kindly told Sidney making him smile, he nodded and thanked the nurse before he started the walked out of the room and down the hallway towards the front of the hospital, he walked out of the front doors and to his car.

Sidney opened the back door and gently laid his newborn daughter into her new car seat and he gently caressed her tiny and soft cheek and gave her one more lovingly smile before he shut the door and he walked around putting all of his stuff into the car before he got into the driver seat.

Sidney took a nervous breath as he turned on the car and slowly and cautiously pulled out of the parking spot and drove the short drive to his house in Nova Scotia, he had recently bought his own house in his home town and bought a house in Pittsburgh as he wanted his daughter to have homes.

Sidney gently grabbed his peacefully sleeping newborn, he slung his bags over his shoulder.

He walked into his house for the first time with his daughter and it felt like home with her.

He set down all of his bags by the door and gently walked over to his couch and slowly sat down being mindful of his daughter in his arms.

Sidney knew he needed to tell his parents and younger sister, and his team that his daughter has been born but he wanted some time alone with Cameron, taking a moment to just have with his daughter.

Sidney slowly and gently slipped his shirt off as he read in one of the parenting books that babies enjoy skin to skin contact and he gently rested his newborn daughter on his chest and pressed a gentle kiss to her head.

Sidney knew that being a single dad and only about to start in his second NHL season, he knew it would be a lot of work but he had a good support system and it would all be worth it for his daughter.

Sidney felt his daughter squirm around slightly and he gently hummed a small soft tune and gently rubbed his tiny back and felt her let out a little puff of air before relaxing fully against him once again.

Sidney smiled contently and relaxed more into the couch and pressed a soft kiss to the top of her head and could feel his eyes slowly beginning to fall shut.

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bxcketbarnes · 3 years ago

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Assassination to Soulmates

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader (Soulmate AU)

Words: 4200+

Author’s Note: I see a lot of soulmate type pov’s on tik tok and decided to write one of my own, and here it is. I did not expect it to be so long... oops. Uh, I really hope you enjoy it! Lemme know what you think, okay? I love feedback xox

"Mr. Pierce says that he needs to be eliminated," you hear a gruff voice say, and your brows furrow together, halting your footsteps.

You peek your head around the corner of the dark alleyway, seeing two men with guns in their hands and another man kneeling on the pavement.

"Well, we shouldn't be doing it right here," the other guy suggests and turns his head towards you. You quietly gasp and shuffle out of view before they could see you, feeling your heart pounding against your chest. "There could be eyes anywhere and then we'll get out asses chewed out."

"It's almost midnight, dude. There's no one out right now. C’mon, just fucking do it so I can go home."

You peek around the corner once more in time to see one of the men lift his gun before shooting the civilian in the head. Your eyes widen and a louder gasp leaves your throat, gaining the attention of the two gunmen.

"Goddamnit, I told you!" One of the men shouts and you start booking it down the street.

You start to hyperventilate as you can hear the footsteps running after you. A few gunshots are heard and you duck your head before running down a side street.

Fuck fuck fuck. You curse to yourself as you desperately try to find somewhere to hide. You eye the dumpster warily, not exactly wanting to jump into it but there's no way you're outrunning these guys.

You quickly throw the dumpster lid up and jump inside, resisting the urge to gag as you quietly close it afterward. You hold your breath as you hear the footsteps become louder, huffing and puffing leaving the men's lips.

"Goddamnit. She got away," one of them states and you chew on your lip, keeping your breathing steady.

"Not for long. We'll send him after her. Pierce will know what to do. C'mon," the other mentions and you wait a bit longer as their footsteps grow quieter.

You sit in the dumpster for what feels like forever before deciding to finally leave. Your heart beats quickly against your chest as you constantly look over your shoulder during your walk home.

Who were they?

Who's Pierce?

Are they in a gang?

What did they mean by sending him after you? Who were they talking about?

Why did they kill that man?

So many questions go through your head as you shakily unlock your apartment door, slipping inside the dark space. You let out a deep breath and rest your head against the wooden object, feeling like you're going to vomit.

You lock your door behind you, deciding that you're not going to leave for a bit before things cool down.

It's been almost a week since the night you witnessed a murder. Almost a week you've been hiding out in your apartment, too scared to leave for anything. Your anxiety has heightened since that night and you find yourself pacing in your bedroom multiple times a day.

A sigh leaves your lips and runs a hand through your hair, deciding to take a bath to ease your mind. You strip yourself out of your night clothes before walking into the bathroom, turning the faucet on.

You wait a few minutes for the water to fill up, staring at the clearness as that night flashes through your memory. You shake your head before letting out another sigh, needing to get your mind off the horrible event.

You grab a bath bomb from under your sink and remove the plastic wrapping before dropping it into the tub. You step in and lower yourself into the steaming hot water, your hands gripping the edge of the tub so hard your knuckles are white.

"I can't live in fear forever," you say to yourself while sinking further into the water. You calm your nerves for almost an hour when your door opening catches your attention.

You quietly try to get out of the tub, leaving the water in it, and grab a towel from the rack beside you. You press your lips together as you tightly wrap the fluffy material around you, securing it before walking closer to the closed door.

Something crashes from the other room and your breath hitches in your throat, causing you to stumble into the shelving unit beside you. You wince as a few things get knocked off the shelf and you quickly turn the light off before hiding in the corner.

You suppress a scream when the bathroom door gets kicked open, the wooden structure coming off the hinges completely. What the fuck. Your eyes look towards the man who walks into the room, his long hair and the mask he's wearing covering his face.

You swallow the lump in your throat as your eyes come into contact with the metal arm he's repping. Who is this guy? You think to yourself as he walks farther into the room.

Taking a deep breath, you quietly sneak your way towards the open doorway without having the strange man notice you. A gasp leaves your lips as he turns around immediately, seeing his steel-blue eyes reflecting off the moonlight.

You quickly make a run for it, not making it very far as the man easily catches up. You go to open your front door when he slams you against it. A groan escapes your lips and you glance over your shoulder to see him raising his fist. You dodge his fist, crouching a bit as the metal fist bursts through the door.

Your heart pounds against your chest as he suddenly wraps his hand around your throat. Eyes widening in fear, you start to pry his metal hand off of you. You're gasping for air as his grip tightens and your eyesight begins to grow fuzzy. "P-Please…" you plead as best as you could, looking into the eyes of the man in front of you. "I-I won't say anything I swear. I'll move to a different country if I have to."

The man doesn't lighten his grip and you're sure that you're going to die here. Black dots begin to fill your vision as your struggling dies down. Your window shatters and the man gripping your throat suddenly lets go of you.

You fall to the floor, taking in deep breaths as you attempt to crawl away. You look towards your shattered window to see Captain America standing in your living room, relief filling your body as the two men begin to fight.

It doesn't take long before the metal-armed man jumps out the window, but not before looking back at you one more time. You cough a bit, gathering your oxygen back as your eyes begin to finally focus.

"You okay, Miss?" The Captain asks you while kneeling beside you.

You nod your head a bit before looking up at the man. "T-Thank you," you choke out and rest your head against the floor.

Captain America gently moves your head to look at your neck, seeing the skin already bruising. "Why was he after you?" He questions with a furrow on his brows.

You slowly sit up, letting out another cough as you rest your back against the wall. "I witnessed two people kill someone," you inform him and a hum leaves his lips.

"I'm Steve," he introduces while holding his right hand out for you to shake.

"Y/N," you tell him and raise your left arm to shake his hand, his blue eyes drifting towards the birthmark on your arm.

Steve tilts his head before looking up at you through your lashes. "Interesting mark," he mumbles and your cheeks flush, pulling your arm away from him. "My friend, Bucky… he used to have one just like it."

Your heart breaks at the past tense he uses, your eyes casting down to the unique shape on your arm. "Used? He- Is he dead?" You ask softly and Steve nods his head.

"It's strange though since he was born in 1917," Steve mentions and a short groan leaves your lips. Of course.

"Only I would have a soulmate that's not from this day and age," you sigh while subconsciously rubbing the mark. "I've kinda got used to the fact that I'll be alone, so I guess it's not so bad."

Steve frowns and lays a hand on top of yours. "You'll find someone. Whether it be your soulmate or not. Maybe there's another out there that has the same mark."

You nod your head, not wanting to talk about it and Steve moves to stand up. "Steve?" You ask and look up at him, gaining his attention. "What am I supposed to do? I-I can't stay here."

He smiles kindly at you and holds his hand out for you to take. "C'mon, I know a place where you can stay," he mentions and your lips part slightly and you grab a hold of his hand.

"So, this Winter Soldier is after her? Damn, he's got a lot of contracts," Sam mentions as you, him, Natasha, and Steve sit at the table.

Steve brought you to Sam's place, informing you that you can trust him to keep you safe. You fiddle with your fingers as you listen to their conversation, not making any attempt to say anything.

"Y/N?" Steve asks and you snap your head up, looking towards the man. "The three of us are going to leave. We've got some stuff to do, but please stay inside and out of sight, okay?"

You gulp and nod your head, mumbling your thanks to Sam. The man smiles gently and waves his hand. "It's no problem. A friend of Steve's is a friend of mine. I'm glad to help," he tells you and you smile in reply.

Steve pats your shoulder, mumbling to you that it'll be alright before the three of them walk out the door. You wait a few minutes before standing up from your chair, walking towards the window to see if everything is clear.

A deep breath comes from your lips as you think how stupid this plan is, but you couldn't get Steve's friend he mentioned out of your head. You recall the blonde mentioning that Bucky was alongside him in the war before he fell from a train in Germany, so you decided to sneak to the museum to see if they have anything on him.

You grab one of Sam's hoodies that sits on the edge of the couch, quickly putting it on before walking out the front door. You shove your hands into the hoodie pocket while lowering yourself into the cab, telling the driver to bring you to the museum.

You pay the driver once you get to your destination before heading inside. You walk around the Smithsonian, taking in brief information as you suddenly find Bucky's memorial. You see a picture of him and Steve together, smiles on both of your faces, and your chest clenches.

He's cute. You think to yourself as you frown, seeing a full-body photo of the man and notice the unique birthmark on his left arm. You bring your hand to your mark, gently rubbing it as you silently wish you could've met him.

You've always been confused by the whole soulmate's thing. You've never heard about two people who lived in different generations having the same mark. It made you curious for sure, but you didn't know any expert on the matter.

You leave the Smithsonian after almost an hour when you hear screams in the distance. You throw your hood up, not wanting anyone who works with those two men to recognize you as your feet take you closer to the chaos.

You're hiding behind a few cars that have been knocked over and your breath hitches in your throat upon seeing the Winter Soldier and Steve fighting. You watch as Steve throws the soldier over his shoulder, noticing that his mask fell off in the middle of it.

Steve's eyes widen as the man slowly turns to face him and your eyes begin to widen as well. How's that… "Bucky?" He asks and the brunette tilts his head a bit.

"Who the hell is Bucky?" The Winter Soldier asks before going to raise his gun when Sam comes flying in, kicking him in the back.

You quickly leave the scene as Steve gets arrested by S.H.I.E.L.D., noticing Bucky walking down an alleyway and you stupidly decide to follow him. You keep your head down slightly as the two of you walk farther into the alley, trying to gather the courage to yell out to the man.

Your brows furrow together when you look back up to see the Winter Soldier disappeared. "What the-" you mumble and quickly turn around, finding yourself alone. You turn back around and let out a gasp as the soldier now stands in front of you.

His metal arm wraps around your throat once more, pressing you against the brick wall. "Who are you?" He asks and your eyes stare into his.

"I'm Y/N," you whisper and Bucky pulls out a knife. You panic slightly and grab a hold of his wrist, stopping him from stabbing you.

Flashes of the two of you together flood your minds, your chest rapidly rising and falling. Another gasp leaves your lips as the flashes fade and tears come to your eyes. The soldier suddenly lets go of you and stumbles back, a look of confusion on his face.

"What was that? What did you do?" He asks and you can hear the agitation in his voice.

"I-I didn't do anything," you stutter and place your hands up in defense. You swallow thickly and push the sleeve upon your arm, revealing the birthmark etched in your skin. "Do you… do you recognize this at all?"

Bucky's blue eyes dart down to your forearm, seeing the unique mark before furrowing his brows. He gently brings his hand to your arm, feeling his fingertips glide over your warm skin.

Before he has the chance to say anything a blunt force meets the side of your head, knocking you out instantly. Bucky manages to catch you before you fall, glancing to his left to see two agents standing beside him.

"Pierce needs you. Bring her too. He'll want to see her," he states before walking away.

You jolt awake when someone throws a cold bucket of water onto you, a yelp leaving your lips as you shake your head. "What-" you cut yourself off as you try to move your limbs only to find them restrained. You look around the room, seeing about five other agents standing around along with a few scientists.

Blue eyes meet yours and your breath hitches in your throat, seeing Bucky sitting in the chair across from you. "Buck-" you start but get cut off by the man beside you, your cheek stinging by the slap you received.

"Not a word," the man growls and you swallow the lump in your throat, nodding your head in reply.

The Winter Soldier stares off as the scientists work on his arm, looking to be lost in his mind. You jump when Bucky suddenly swings his metal arm, sending the scientist that's working on it across the room.

The guards raise their guns, aiming them at the man and you start to worry that they might kill him. Your cheat heaves rapidly as you keep your eyes on him, hearing the door to whatever room we're in opening before closing once more.

"Mission report," an older gentleman demands and you tear your eyes away from Bucky. "Oh, and a familiar face. A job you couldn't finish I see."

Bucky goes to move out of his seat when the older man walks towards me only to have two agents hold him back. You try to pry your hands from the restraints, wanting nothing more to be out of this place.

A gasp leaves your lips when the man slaps you in the same spot as the last slap you received. Tears spill from your eyes as the stinging almost becomes unbearable. "Leave her alone," Bucky suddenly says, causing the man in front of you to whirl his head around.

"Interesting," he goes and looks between the two of you, a smirk on his lips. "Now, what would be the reason why our asset would suddenly want to protect you?"

"Mr. Pierce," an agent pipes up causing the blonde to look towards the man standing beside you. The agent lifts your sleeve to reveal the birthmark on your arm. "We believe that they're somehow soulmates."

Pierce clicks his tongue before letting out a laugh. "That is interesting indeed, isn't it? I'll get to you later," he tells you and turns to face Bucky. "Mission report, now."

Bucky's eyes stay on yours and you can see a tinge of softness in them when Pierce crouches in front of him slightly. You jump once again when the older man backhands Bucky, the soldier whipping his head a bit before furrowing his brows.

"The man on the bridge," he mumbles and looks towards Pierce, "who was he?"

"You met him earlier this week on another assignment," Pierce tells him and Bucky's eyes dart towards yours.

"I knew him."

Pierce grabs the stool beside him before sitting down onto it. "Your work has been a gift to mankind. You shaped the century, and I need you to do it one more time. Society is at a tipping point between order and chaos, and tomorrow morning we're going to give it a push. But, if you don't do your part, I can't do mine. And HYDRA can't give the world the freedom it deserves," he explains to the soldier.

"But, I knew him," Bucky states once more before pressing his lips together. You can practically see his brain putting the pieces together about Steve and you're feeling relieved. Bucky looks back towards you once again, seeing an unreadable emotion in his blue eyes. "And she's my soulmate."

Pierce lets out a sigh and stands up from the stool, telling the scientist beside him to prep Bucky. "He's been out of cryo freeze too long," the man in the lab coat explains as your heart begins to pound in your chest.

"Then wipe him and start over."

"W-Wait," you whisper to yourself as the two scientists lean him back in the chair. Bucky places the mouth guard into his mouth when his eyes meet yours. His chest heaves quickly when he gets locked into place, his head leaning back as the electrode machine begins to descend onto his face. "Stop!"

You thrash in your chair as Bucky's muffled screams echo off the walls. Tears stream down your face as you squeeze your eyes shut, not being able to watch what's happening to him.

"What do we do with her?" An agent asks the older man and you can feel his eyes on you.

"Wait until he's done and then have him kill her," Pierce orders before walking out of the room.

A couple of the agents undo your restraints and lift you from your chair. You thrash and kick amongst their grasp, doing everything you can to get out of their death grip. Screams leave your lips as you look back towards Bucky, his screams stopping as the scientists finish the mind wipe.

"Bucky, please!" You desperately call for help as the two men throw you into a concrete room before shutting the door.

You pant heavily as you back up against the corner of the room, running a hand through your hair. You can faintly hear them ordering him around on the other side of the door and you look up at the ceiling, feeling like that’ll be the place you'll die in.

The door bursts open and you jump, cowering against the wall as Bucky walks into the room. His blue eyes are stone cold as he waltz's over to you before wrapping his hand around your throat for the third time.

"Bucky," you plead, your hand resting on his chest and you frown when the flashes don't play through your mind again. Your lip trembles and you gasp for air when his hand squeezes.

You slowly bring your hand to his face, gently stroking his cheek as you begin to grow dizzy. Memories from the first time you met the Winter Soldier plays through your head as you slowly lose oxygen.

Bucky releases you and you slump to the ground, growing unconscious as the brunette looks down at you. He can still feel your hand on his face as he glances over his shoulder.

I'm getting you out of here. He suddenly thinks to himself while coming up with a plan.

Bucky drags his fingertips up to your spine as you sleep peacefully, his lips peppering light kisses along your arm. A soft knock on the door makes the man glance over his shoulder to see Steve leaning against the frame of it.

"How is she?" He asks while crossing his arms over his chest.

"She's good. No major injuries which are good," Bucky sighs while slowly removing himself from the bed, making sure not to wake you.

The two men walk out of the room you and Bucky share, the ex-Winter Soldier looking back at you once more before quietly shutting the door. "How are you feeling? With all of this?" Steve asks, causing Bucky's brows to furrow.

"What do you mean?"

A slight laugh comes from Steve as the blonde looks towards him. "The whole Soulmate thing. Is it going well?" He clarifies.

"Oh, uh, yeah. It's going great. Other than the times that I tried to kill her when we first met, I'd say we're doing well," he explains and scratches at his jaw.

Bucky and Steve sit at the table in the main area, seeing some of the others watching whatever's playing on the television. "Do you still think about it? The time you two first met?" Steve mentions and Bucky sighs before nodding his head in response. "You know that it's been four years, right?"

"Doesn't stop me from thinking about it, Steve. Hell, I still think about the people I've wronged as the Winter Soldier," Bucky comments with a sigh, leaning his chin against the palm of his hand.

"Did she tell you what she did when she first heard about you?" Steve asks and Bucky furrows his brow before shaking his head. "It was right after you jumped out the window of her apartment. I noticed the mark on her arm and mentioned that you used to have a similar mark on your arm back in the day."

Steve notices you walk into the living area and you press your finger to your lips, silently telling him to not say anything.

"So, Y/N told me this a few years later but when I brought her to Sam's place to keep her safe… she snuck out to go to the Smithsonian to learn more about you. She thought you died in the war, and well, so did I obviously."

Bucky's heart flutters a bit at the story he's telling, fiddling with his fingers. "I just… I don't know how she feels about everything, you know? Like, we've never really actually talked about it," he sighs and you frown from behind him.

You drape your arms over his shoulder, causing the older man to jump in his chair before whipping his head back. "Hi, Buck," you whisper and feel him relax at the sound of your voice.

Bucky rests his flesh hand on top of yours and squeezes gently. "Hey. How long have you been standing there?" He asks and you chuckle in response, placing a kiss on his cheek.

"Long enough to know that you don't know how I feel," you inform him and Bucky's heart stops, not wanting you to find out this way. "Why don't we go talk?"

Your soulmate nods his head and stands up from the chair he's sitting in. You lace your fingers together and lead him back to your shared bedroom. Once inside the room, Bucky sits down on the edge of the bed and you climb onto his lap.

"What's going on inside that pretty head of yours?" You softly ask while running your hands through his now short hair.

Bucky's hands rest on your hips, gripping the soft flesh every few seconds as he takes a deep breath. "Do you ever wish that you had someone… normal? Someone who's not a murderer?" He questions and you shake your head immediately. "You didn't even think about it."

"I didn't have to. Bucky, I don't care if you used to be the Winter Soldier and that you once almost tried to kill me. That wasn't you. You were being brainwashed by a horrible group of people," you explain to him and his blue eyes soften at your words. You smile at him before leaning in to kiss his lips. "I love you in every way possible. You're funny, kind, dorky. Everything a girl could ever ask for. So, please, stop worrying about me."

"God, you're incredible. How did I get so lucky?" Bucky asks with a slight laugh, hiding his face in your neck.

Giggles leave your lips as you card your fingers through his hair, pressing gentle kisses to the side of his head. "We all need someone to keep us grounded. I'm just glad I got you."

Taglist: @jessalyn-jpeg @bumblebet-20 @queen-of-mischief

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