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maraschinomerry · 9 months ago

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Rock Paper Scissors

Pairings: George Karim x gn!reader, background Locklyle

Summary: George is your best friend, Lucy's convinced there's more to it but he's not your type... is he?

Content: friends to lovers, oblivious flirting, misunderstanding, light swearing and suggestive thoughts, kisses

A/N: it's officially 1 year since I posted my first Lockwood & Co fic!! Thank you all for making it such an incredible year and continuing to support my writing, it means the world to me ❤️ and thank you to the Multiverse of George for fuelling the buff!George fire 🔥 I've even made a montage so everyone can see the vision, plus the gif above of George swinging the chains he's definitely strong 💪

Word count: 4.2k

Taglist: @neewtmas @marinalor @ettadear @honey-with-tea @mischiefmanaged71 (let me know if you want adding or removing!)

Ever since you'd started working for Lockwood & Co, you and George had had the most playful rivalry.

It had started on the very first day, when you came for your interview. Lucy had welcomed you into the living room while George went to fetch the biscuits. After breezing through the tests, Lockwood gestured to the plate still being clutched by the other boy.

“Biscuit?”

You frowned at the boy in the armchair, who looked like the last thing he wanted to do was to share. “Am I supposed to fight you for them or something?”

George had the audacity to snort. “In your dreams.” But then he did offer you the plate, albeit reluctantly.

Once you got used to one another, you found that you actually got on really well and gradually he became your best friend, but by then you'd set a precedent that neither of you wanted to drop.

“We're heading out soon,” Lucy informed you both as she slid cups of tea across the table. She and Lockwood had an appointment with a client, leaving you and George behind to keep working. “Can one of you oil the chains ready for tonight?”

You turned to George; he was already looking at you. A gleam came to his eye.

“Rock paper scissors?”

“You bet,” you grinned, already raising your hand. It took a few attempts, as you'd done it so many times by now that the two of you knew what each other was planning before it happened, but eventually you lost. Sticking your tongue out, you picked up your cup and headed towards the basement. Lucy followed you down.

“Can I ask you something?” she began cautiously.

“Course you can.” It wasn't like Lucy to not just ask straight out. This was odd.

“What's going on with you and George?” This was definitely odd. “It feels like you've gone past teasing, you're almost flirting with each other.”

Your gaze flew to your friend, who had lingered on the stairs. Was she being serious? “It's not like that, Luce,” you replied, wondering if it was warm in the basement or if it was just you. “I love him to bits, but the same way I love all of you. He's just not my type.”

Her eyebrow quirked up at that. “You have a type?”

“Don't say that like you don't,” you hit back. “You and Lockwood are made for each other! And George is great, really, but I prefer guys a bit more… buff?”

Lucy nodded. “Interesting.” It was spoken with the air of someone who knew exactly why it was interesting and someone who was absolutely not going to explain why. “Well… just don't rule anything out, but please be careful. I love you both too and I'd hate to see either of you get hurt.”

It was touching to hear her so candid about her feelings for you both. “I won't, I promise.”

—

You always forgot how ridiculously heavy the chains were. Just trying to hoist them up to make sure you'd oiled all the way round each joint was a workout. It was only adrenaline that carried you through working with them on cases. Thank goodness you were almost finished - your arms were beginning to ache and you were sure you were coated in sweat.

“Need a hand?” George's voice drifted from the stairs. You hadn't heard him come down, probably drowned out by the clanking links and your strained grunts, but there he was, sitting on one of the lower steps and watching you in amusement.

“You mean you want me to dishonour the sacred pact of rock paper scissors?” You mimed fainting in shock, taking the opportunity to slump back on the pile of chains and let the tension dissipate from your shoulders.

He chuckled, climbing down the final few steps and holding out his hand. “Will the sacred pact allow a lunch break? I made soup.” He'd got you there and he knew it. You loved his soup. Grinning, you accepted his hand and he pulled you away from the cold, hard metal.

There were two steaming bowls already set out on the table when you got back to the kitchen, and beside yours was a plate of sandwiches, cut exactly how you liked them.

“You're the best.”

“I know,” George smirked. He was eating with one hand, the other scribbling away on the Thinking Cloth. As he became more engrossed, he leant further forwards, his dark curls flopping over his brow. It was fascinating watching him get so engrossed in his work, the whole world melting away around him. Once you finished eating, you glanced across and took his empty bowl from in front of him. He looked up sharply, snapped from wherever his thoughts had taken him.

“Sorry, didn't mean to disturb you,” you mumbled.

“No, it's fine. We should probably get packed.”

You followed him down to the basement and pulled your kit bags from the shelf. Set side by side on the table, you both began to load up.

“You can carry the chains,” you told him over your shoulder as you picked up a half-empty box of flares and emptied it into your bag.

“Hey, you're the one who lost!”

“Only for cleaning them, I've done my bit.”

He huffed, but gave you a smile as he made his way over to the mound of chains. Your eyes widened as he scooped up a whole length in one easy movement and gave them a quick shake loose. You'd spent nearly quarter of an hour trying to manoeuvre that section earlier.

“How the hell did you do that?”

“They're not that heavy,” he shrugged, then added with a cheeky raised eyebrow, “or at least only when you’re trying to clean them.”

You threw the empty cardboard box at his head with a laugh.

—

A week later, the four of you were nestled in the living room. Outside, rain battered against the windows, which were almost being shaken out of their frames by the driving wind. You'd never have guessed it was June; it felt more like January. The fire was lit in the hearth, the occasional crackle of wood splitting the only other sound.

Eventually, Lockwood broke the silence. “I hate to say it, but someone's going to have to go out. We've got no tea left and barely enough food to last until tonight. We can draw straws to make it fair.”

He needn't have bothered. You and George already had your fists raised. One, two, three, paper. One, two, three, rock. Scissors. Paper. Scissors. Rock. Round and round you went, the symmetry only fuelling your competitive natures.

“This is ridiculous,” Lucy muttered. She was right, of course.

You raised your fist higher, leaning forward in an offered challenge. “Right. Arm wrestle. Loser goes.”

George leaned in, resting his elbow on the table. Lockwood and Lucy exchanged wide-eyed glances.

“Y/n…” Lucy began, but you weren't listening. Your elbow was already mirroring George's, hand in his. You weren't sure why you'd expected the easy, flexible grip of holding a rapier, but his fingers were clenched firmly around the back of your hand. Lockwood moved closer and counted you down.

Your hand hit the table almost immediately.

It felt like all the air had left the room. You stared in shock at the boy opposite, the triumphant toothy grin that crinkled his eyes, the unexpected tightness of his shirt sleeve around his arm. The similar tightness in your chest. Interesting.

Some sort of realisation hit you, and your attention shifted to Lucy. The look she was giving you was almost as satisfied as George's. Warmth flooded your cheeks. You drew in a shaky breath as you struggled to drag your eyes away from George's arm, which was still pinning yours to the table. After a moment, you felt his fingers loosen and with some reluctance pulled your hand away. The silence in the room was palpable. Lucy was still watching you in amusement. Lockwood was watching Lucy, trying to figure out why she had that “I know something you don't” look again over a simple arm wrestle. George was watching you too, his expression slowly shifting from victory to concern.

“Y/n? You okay?” he asked quietly. Your thoughts rushed back into your body, snapping your attention into the real world.

“All good,” you mumbled. “Just preparing to get drenched. If I'm not back in 20 minutes, assume I've been blown to the other end of the country.” At least that got a laugh out of Lockwood. Hurriedly, you stood and made your way to the front door. Why had you agreed to this? It was your own fault, of course, for continuing this whole competitive thing with George, but how were you to know he was that strong? A flash of bicep clouded your vision again, and you reached for the door handle before you did something regrettable.

“Hold on,” a voice came behind you. It was him. Keep it together, you told yourself.

“If you're about to volunteer to take my place, go ahead,” you forced yourself to stay casual.

George moved closer, and you swallowed a lump in your throat. “I was actually going to question why you looked like you were about to leave without a coat.” He reached to the rack over your shoulder, lifting yours from its hook.

“That might help.” You knew you were blushing again, but prayed he thought it was just from embarrassment at being so forgetful. Definitely not how close he was, how he was holding your coat in the same hand that had been holding yours moments ago.

—

By the time you made it back to the house, you were soaked to the bone and almost shivering. It seemed like the storm wasn't going to let up until at least the next day, so you'd decided to stock up on plenty of food which had seemed like a great idea until you tried to carry it all home. You'd had to stop several times on the way, ducking into doorways and bus shelters to escape the weather as you swapped hands, flexed your shoulders or relieved your fingers from where the handles of the bags had started to make dents. When you finally made it, you held the door open with one foot as you negotiated the bags in and dropped them unceremoniously on the hall floor. George emerged from the living room, alone this time; Lockwood and Lucy must have gone upstairs or down to the basement.

“You look awful.”

“Aww thanks, you're not so bad yourself,” you joked dryly. Oh god, Lucy was right, you were almost flirting. A shiver ran through you and this time you hoped it was from the cold.

For a second, you thought you saw George's eyelids flutter. “Well, I uh… I ran you a bath to warm you back up. I'll put this away.” He hauled up the bags of shopping with barely a huff, and you tried to reason that he hadn't just carried them through a storm.

The water was soothingly warm and scented with lavender salts, the smell wafting up in delicate bursts as it swirled around, relaxing all the tension in your aching muscles. As you lay peacefully, you reflected on what had happened earlier. You weren't sure you'd ever felt… You couldn't even identify what feelings you'd experienced during the arm wrestle. Shock? Embarrassment? No. It was something else, something that Lucy had noticed immediately and had been trying to get through to your oblivious self. But she was wrong, wasn't she? You said it yourself, you weren't into George, even if he did now fulfil your main criteria. Then again, so did plenty of other guys you'd met. Kipps was quite well built, definitely had muscles, but that didn't mean you'd considered dating him. He wasn't like George though - smart, funny, thoughtful George. You couldn't imagine Kipps running you a bath or making your favourite lunch, or doing any number of the things that with George felt so natural. And there were all the little things you did for him that you'd never do for anyone else. No, there were no two ways about it: you were a pair in whatever capacity that meant.

Still didn't mean you fancied him, you told yourself.

You volunteered to help George with the dishes after dinner that night. It was always nice to be able to spend time just the two of you in sync, but tonight especially you figured it was a good idea to be around him in perfectly normal circumstances. You'd chat or enjoy the companionable quiet, you'd both be at ease; nothing could possibly happen, which would give you time to prove your feelings were a fluke.

George picked up his blue rubber gloves and tossed you a tea towel. He was dressed casually, in sweatpants and an oversized T-shirt (so large that the sleeves almost met his gloves at the elbow). The radio was playing quietly in the background, giving you a welcome distraction. Whenever a song you recognised came on, you'd start humming along or singing under your breath, and George would smile at you, sometimes even joining in. Your heart leapt a bit when he did, but that was nothing, you were just happy to be sharing this moment with your friend. He stuck an arm deeper into the sink to grab something at the bottom and made a small noise. Water had splashed up onto the cuff of his sleeve. You giggled at the look of disgust he made at the wet fabric sticking to his skin. The sound died in your throat when he took off his gloves, draped them on the side of the sink and rolled his sleeves up out of the way. You were so used to him being hidden behind his giant tops, or at the very least being in longer sleeved shirts, that seeing his bicep completely exposed was a shock in more ways than one. It wasn't much wonder he'd beaten you so easily at arm wrestling with muscles like that. You wondered whether it was just his arms that were so toned, or was the rest of him the same? Was he hiding a set of abs under that T-shirt too? Were his thighs-

“You okay?” George nudged you, and you hastily looked away.

“I was just…” Come on, come on, find an excuse, your brain urged. “...thinking how this means we both got wet clothes today, if you want me to put that top in with my washing after this?” God that was lame. Not much wonder he wasn't interested in you. That wasn't the point, you reminded yourself.

“Oh,” he smiled. “That'd be great, thanks.” He leant over to put a chopping board on the draining rack, and his bicep brushed against yours. A shockwave of warmth resonated through your whole body. Oh.

“Tell you what,” you forced yourself not to stammer, “are you okay to finish up here and I'll go and grab the laundry basket?” He nodded, and you tried not to fall over your own feet as you retreated to the hallway and sucked in a breath to calm your racing heart. Oh.

—

You cursed yourself for ever starting this. No, this was Lucy's fault for pointing it out. No, still your fault.

Being around George was becoming unbearable. Not for anything he'd done, rather the things he wasn't doing. He was carrying on exactly as he always had, that inimitable blend of playful and caring, and it was driving you mad not knowing whether he meant any of it in the way you wanted him to. You couldn't say anything, of course. If you were wrong, it would mess up the whole dynamic of the group. That would hurt almost as much as any rejection. But the more things went on, the more you took notice of the little moments between you, the more your feelings grew until it felt like they would crawl out of your chest.

“What the hell were you thinking?” George snapped at Lockwood. He and Lucy had been out on a case which went badly, and now the four of you were sitting at the dining table in the early hours, George applying butterfly stitches to a cut on Lockwood's arm and you cleaning a couple of scratches on Lucy's face. The misty gloom of the night outside the window reflected the atmosphere within.

“I was thinking,” Lockwood snapped back, “that we only had to handle a couple of Type Ones, according to your notes.”

“I told you those weren't finished!”

“Well maybe next time, don't get distracted.” Was it your imagination, or had his gaze flickered to you?

“Maybe next time,” George replied darkly, “do your own research.”

“Fine.” Lockwood pushed his chair back and stalked from the room. Lucy shot you both an apologetic grimace and followed.

George began pacing round the kitchen, hands twitching angrily. You stayed at the table, knowing it was best to give him the space to say or do whatever he needed to let his feelings out. You were there if he needed you.

“Can you believe him?” It was rhetorical, you'd heard him say it enough to know, so you waited for him to continue. “We end up in this situation almost every week, because he's too reckless to wait! I know he'd rather be in the action, but he'd be able to do all that more if he'd let me give him the right information first.”

You gently waded in, trying to be reassuring. “We all know how useful your research is; he just gets overeager, especially when Lucy's involved.”

“I know you know how important it is,” his words sent butterflies through you, “but Lockwood just…” He gave a frustrated huff. “Maybe I should make him do all the legwork for a change.” You tried very hard not to think about whether George's legs were as muscular as his arms.

“I'll support whatever you decide, but for what it's worth I think you should just talk to him.”

He sighed heavily, placing his hands flat on the table and allowing his head to drop. “You're right. Thanks, y/n.” The sincerity in his voice caught you off guard, as did his deep brown eyes as he raised his head to look at you. You were already distracted by the tension which lingered in his shoulders, the rigidity of his arms as they supported his weight, the way he had leaned into the pose so much that now when he looked up his face was so close it almost filled your vision. You swallowed nervously.

“Any time. I- I have to go.” You stumbled up from your chair, ignoring George's confused stare and sounds of protest as you practically bolted from the room.

—

You lay on your bed in the attic, tears slowly soaking into the pillow you'd buried your face in. This was the end; it had to be. You couldn't carry on working for the agency like this. If George had shown any interest it would be okay - Lockwood and Lucy managed to balance being a couple who worked and lived together, there was no reason you two couldn't do the same, but it could never work being so one-sided. You'd just keep being weird, struggling to hold your nerve around the boy until it would start bleeding into cases and Lockwood would have no choice but to fire you for everyone's safety, if you hadn't already got one of you hurt by then. Not to mention the emotional hurt. It would happen either way, but at least if you walked away now you could control it.

“Y/n?” Lucy's voice came tentatively from the bottom of the steps. “George said you ran off, is everything okay?”

You flipped onto your back, drawing in shuddering breaths to recover from almost suffocating in the pillow. “You were right, Luce.” There was movement on the steps, but you kept your eyes on the ceiling. You couldn't bear to look at anyone right now. “I tried so hard to make sure neither of us got hurt, but George doesn't love me back and now I feel like even if I stay I'm going to lose him.”

The silence that followed dragged on longer than you could bear. Why wasn't she saying anything? You forced yourself to sit up.

George stood at the entrance to your room, eyes wide and lips parted.

You scrambled to your feet. “Shit! I mean, hi, um… how long have you been there?”

George continued to stare.

“I'm so sorry,” the words were rushing out of you now, “I just panicked but I don't want to make things weird so can we just pretend-”

“What do you mean, ‘doesn't love me back'?” he interrupted quietly.

You froze. There was no mistaking it: he'd heard you basically say you loved him and now there he was looking like the mere concept was so unbelievable, like the option hadn't even crossed his mind. Why would it? Time stretched on as you fought the urge to run again, as far as the ever-widening space between you would allow. Neither of you had moved, but you could feel the room expanding around you to make room for the bottomless pit you wanted to crawl into. “I…” you drew in a slow, deep breath, “I was fine just being friends but Lucy got in my head about you being exactly my type and now I think I'm actually flirting while you're still just pretending and I'm sorry…” Tears were pricking at the corners of your eyes and you hurriedly looked away, hoping he wouldn't see.

George stepped closer, and you shrunk even further into yourself. Your heart skipped a beat when he gently tilted your chin up to meet his surprisingly soft gaze. “I meant, why do you think I don't love you back?”

You faltered. Was he saying what you thought he was? “Well, I mean, I thought I'd made things super obvious and awkward but you didn't change so I thought you weren't interested.”

George's hand was still on your chin and his thumb rubbed soothingly across your cheek, wiping away the single tear that had spilled. “I thought you weren't interested! You normally go for those muscly gym guys so I figured I'd take whatever I could get with the arm wrestles and stuff, but then you started avoiding me so I thought you were done with it.”

A small laugh escaped you, and he looked at you in confusion. “Have you seen yourself?” Hesitantly, you raised a hand to his bicep, marvelling at finally being able to feel the muscle instead of just staring at it, and more amazed at the way the boy responded to your touch, drifting closer until you were barely inches apart.

“So then why did you run?” His voice was whisper soft against your face, eyes gazing down at you with an overwhelming blend of sincerity, bewilderment and something like longing. His cheeks were tinted as pink as you knew yours were.

“Got flustered.”

“Flustered? You? I don't believe you.” A smile tugged at the edge of his lips, the playfulness you were used to creeping back into his voice. It was such a relief to feel the tension dissipating from the room, to have your George back, that you buried your head in his shoulder with a giggle. He laughed too, wrapping an arm around your waist. “Oh, I see, you really want to do this? Okay, let's see ‘flustered y/n’ at their best.”

You yelped in surprise as his other arm hooked under your legs and swept you off your feet, your arms flying up round his neck for support. His arm was tense across your back but he looked the most relaxed he'd been since he walked in, and he shifted you closer to press a quick kiss to your lips before setting you down on the bed and sitting beside you.

“Lucy's going to be very smug about this, you know,” he nudged you.

“I know,” you whined, burying your face in your hands. “Rock paper scissors for who has to tell her.” George laughed again and placed his arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer as you leant into the embrace.

“Is this just a ploy to get more hugs?”

“Is it working?”

In response, he brought his other arm around your waist and kissed your forehead. You smiled, leaning up to kiss him properly, and he reciprocated eagerly.

—

Lucy had left George alone on the steps to your room once you started your confession, giving you both a bit of privacy, and decided when he didn't come back downstairs immediately that things had either gone very badly or very well. She believed, and hoped, that it was the latter. Her suspicions were confirmed when she came to tell you she'd made breakfast and found you fast asleep, wrapped in George's arms.

#george karim x reader #lockwood & co #lockwood and co fanfiction #george karim #gn!reader #multiverse of george #buff!george

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biggestxsimps · 1 year ago

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Last Embrace

A/N: I am so sorry for not posting the last couple of months, I've had the worst bloody writers block. I know how much y'all like the Ghost fics so I hope you guys enjoy this! This one's a bit sad, even though angst isn't my strong suit, I really liked writing this and I think it turned out okay.

Just a disclaimer, I know nothing about the military and even less about dying so just let me know of any inaccuracies and I'll fix em.

WARNINGS: blood, mentions of guns and bullet wounds, normal war shenanigans, death (Let me know if I'm missing anything.)

During a mission, everything took a turn for the worse. Ghost urgently gave the order for everyone to evacuate, swiftly conducting a head count, only to realize that Y/N was missing. Filled with concern, he called out for him over the radio. "C/S? C/S, how copy?" Ghost's grip tightened on the radio at the lack of a response. "C/S?! Y/N, what's your position?"

Worry builds deep in Ghost's stomach, an almost nausea-like feeling coursing through him as he speaks through the radio once more. "Y/N. Y/N! I need your location!"

Y/N groans as he hears a loud ringing in his ears, one that fills his mind and brings an ache to his head. His eyes remain shut as he tries to ground himself, though the sound of a familiar voice in his left ear makes his lids slowly blink open.

Though his vision is blurry and everything feels fuzzy, Y/N places a hand on his shoulder and clicks the button on the radio. "Ghost? That you?" Y/N's strained and weak voice makes Ghost sigh in relief. "Ah fuck. Thank god, Y/N." Ghost's voice calms down as he speaks again, his voice stern as he tries to get an answer out of the other man.

"Where are you, Y/N?"

Y/N groans as he tries to look around, his vision still blurred enough to not be able to see anything in detail, he had little to no memory of what he'd been doing before, and the visible bright white walls and floor made him want to close his eyes again. Y/N speaks up once more, his voice holding a slight amusement. "Don't know.. I can't see properly. I'm inside a building, though."

Ghost seems to feel slightly more at ease once he hears Y/N speak, he was glad the man was okay enough to be able to smile through his pain. "Can you see anything? Anything at all?" Ghost looks around at the buildings in the area, Y/N could be anywhere.

"White walls and floors.. I can't make out anything else, though... That help at all?"

Y/N lets his body press against the cold wall behind him, relishing in the relaxing chill shooting through his body. He starts to take a few deep breaths as he tries to keep himself stable, slowly looking around the bare walls, the paint cracked and peeling. His vision gets torn away though, the bright lights starting to flicker, the hall flashing from eerily dark to painfully bright.

An annoying buzz was audible as the light stopped blinking, remaining on. Y/N could see debris on the ground, he wasn't surprised, this was a warzone after all. Y/N slowly closes his eyes, letting himself relax.

Though the feeling of a sharp pain makes his eyes shoot open, a pained noise escapes the man as he looks down at his body. His eyes widened as his gaze trailed down; the only thing he could make out was blood–blood covering his abdomen, blood covering his hands, and blood covering the floor.

Shit.

"Yeah, that helps, Y/N. I'll be there soon, you stay there, alright?" Ghost's voice was gentle, like he was trying to keep the man at ease. But Y/N wasn't listening, his eyes were too focused on the bloody mess in front of him. Y/N's throat starts to close up, the intense smell of the blood making him feel sick.

He brings his hands to the wound, pulling his warm, sticky, blood-soaked shirt up as he tries his best to judge the severity of it. His heart drops as he sees multiple bullet holes piercing his skin, cringing at the amount of blood still escaping him. He was hit with a sudden realization.

"Y/N, you still with me? I'm not far, just stay alive f'me, okay?"

"Ghost.. I don't think I'm gonna make it.."

Ghost's body fills with dread, his heart aching at the sound of Y/N's discouraged and afraid voice. Ghost shakes his head, trying to sprint even faster, his breathing ragged as he speaks through the radio. "Shut it. You're gonna be alright. I'm gonna make it to you, and then we're gonna get you out of here. Alive."

Ghost tries to keep his tone confident, but the shake in his voice shows just how worried he was. He knew that he had to make it there quickly if he wanted the best chance at saving Y/N. His words were rushed as he repeated himself, wanting to hear that Y/N believed him. "Do I make myself clear? I'm getting you out of here alive."

Y/N can't help but slowly shake his head to himself, he could see his wound, he could see how quickly he was losing blood, he could feel the way his body was slowly going numb. His breaths escape him at an uneven pace, his heart racing as he comes to terms with the situation. "Ghost.. I'm losing too much blood. I can't.."

"Yes, yes, you can. You will survive Y/N, I know you will. You have to.."

Ghost ran, ran like he's never done before. He couldn't lose Y/N, not now, not like this. The building was in sight, he was so close to being with Y/N, being able to help him, save him. Ghost could feel the burn in his legs and his lungs and the hard thumping of his pulsing heart. The dry feeling in his throat makes him want to take a breath, but he doesn't stop running, not for a second.

As Ghost ran into the building, Y/N could hear him, his loud footsteps echoing against the bare halls. "I'm here, can you tell me exactly where you are?" Y/N could hear Ghost's urgent yet puffed out voice from both the radio and from the right side of the building, the sound not too far away.

"I can hear you, Ghost.. You're to my right." Y/N's voice was the opposite of Ghost's, he tried to keep his voice as calm as he could, and the strain already being put on his body by the wound, made it impossible to speak any louder without putting himself in even more pain.

"Okay, just.. Just stay there. I'm nearly there, you're gonna be okay."

Y/N's eyes drift to the right side of the building, hearing Ghost's heavy footsteps hitting against the ground. A small and pained smile forms on Y/N's face as he sees the masked man come into sight, watching as he quickly rushes towards him.

A feeling of relief swarms through Ghost's body as he sees Y/N sitting against one of the walls, though the condition the other man was in made his worry come right back. He quickly makes it to Y/N, dropping to his knees as he brings his hands to Y/N's body. "Y/N.. Fuck..." He can't help but take a second to look into Y/N's eyes, his own brown ones showing extreme vulnerability, a look of pure fear.

Y/N lets out a dry and painful sounding chuckle, trying to ease Ghost a little. "Mhm.. it's me." Y/N brings one of his shaky and bloodied hands up, letting it just hover over Ghost's covered cheek, not wanting to get his blood all over Ghost's mask. Ghost doesn't seem to care though, letting his face gently push into Y/N's hand.

Ghost lets out a shaky breath as he feels Y/N's hand against his face. "You're.. You're gonna be okay.. I'm gonna get you out of here, alright? I promise." Y/N gently shakes his head, his small smile faltering as he pulls his other arm away from his wound.

Ghost's eyebrows furrow as he sees Y/N's reaction to his words, but before he can speak, his eyes move down to where Y/N had moved his arm from. Ghost feels his heart shatter as the sight, multiple bullet wounds scattered across his abdomen, blood slowly seeping from each one.

Ghost shakes his head, almost frantically as he brings both hands to the wound, trying to stop the bleeding with his gloved palms. All he manages to achieve though is flooding Y/N's body in pain, evident by the startled cries leaving the injured man.

"Fuck.. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Just let me stop the bleeding, let me.."

Ghost's panicky voice trails off as he sees Y/N's wounds only bleeding more aggressively at his touch. He shakes his head, looking down at the other man's body as he keeps his hands on the wound. The blood soaks through Ghost's gloves, the warm and gory liquid uncomfortably sticking to his skin.

Y/N's hands instinctively reach Ghost's wrists, pulling the other man's hands away. "Fuck! Stop.. stop, Ghost." Y/N's grip was weak and his body had little to no strength now. Ghost slowly pulls his own shaky hands away. "I'm sorry.. I just.. you're gonna be okay, I'm gonna find some way to stop the bleeding, and then we'll.. we'll go back home. We're gonna-".

"Simon."

Ghost's mouth shuts at the use of his real name, an audible gulp being heard. His eyes trail back up to look into Y/N's, the look the other man gave him only made his heart sink, he felt like his world was falling apart. "Please.. we both know I'm not making it out of here.. just-"

"You are. You're going to make it out of here. Shut up with that nonsense." Ghost doesn't want to hear it, he refuses to hear it, to acknowledge it.. to accept it. He tried to keep his voice stern but the tremble that grew with each word made it obvious he wasn't all too hopeful either.

He slowly pulls his hands out of Y/N's grasp, bringing them back down to the surrounding area of the wound, his quivering fingers gently trailed over the scarred skin. He pulled off his gloves, using his bare hands to touch Y/N.

"You.. you can't... You're all I have left.."

Ghost's voice softened, his words paining him as they left his mouth. Y/N rests his hand back onto Ghost's mask, sliding it slightly down as he slips a couple fingers underneath the mask. The injured man remains silent, afraid of the emotion that'll leave him if he dared to speak up.

Ghost feels Y/N's fingers slide underneath the mask, a warm feeling bubbling in his stomach. He brings one of his bare palms to Y/N's hand, holding it in place before slowly, cautiously, pulling his mask over and off his head.

The sight of the rugged man made Y/N meekly smile, his heart fluttering at the long-awaited reveal of the subject of his attraction. He had been into Ghost for quite a while, and he always had a suspicion that Ghost felt the same. It was almost a silent understanding between both men, never outwardly speaking of their true feelings yet knowing they felt them.

Ghost looks down, his eyes falling shut as his grip on the other man's hand tightens, holding him closer against his now bare face. He didn't care for the blood the other man's hand was rubbing onto his skin, he needed this, he needed the Y/N's gentle touch.

"Thank you.." Ghost slowly opened his eyes at the other man's pained voice, watching as Y/N slumps further down the wall, groaning at the pressure it relieved from his wounds.

Y/N lets out a small hum at the feeling of the cold floor pressing against his back, a stark contrast to the warm liquid pouring out the front of him.

Ghost slightly shakes his head, a small smile on his face as he questions the other man. "What are you doing?" The other man signals for Ghost to come closer, his voice strained but trying to keep it sounding as optimistic as he could despite the situation.

"Getting comfortable.. Come here."

Ghost does just that, shuffling closer to the man that was now laying flat on the ground, looking down at him, his eyebrows furrowing as he takes in the man's appearance. One of Y/N's weak hands moves to Ghost's arm, gently pulling him even closer.

"Sit down, relax." Y/N was oddly calm despite the situation, despite knowing his undeniable fate. "Relax? How am I supposed to-" Y/N tugs at Ghost's arm, interrupting him. "Please." The desperation in Y/N's voice made Ghost's stomach wrench, he silently sat beside him, bringing his hands to hold onto Y/N's.

Y/N gratefully hums, his eyes looking over the other man before making a request, pleading evident in his tone. "Think you could hold me..? Jus' for a bit?" Ghost nodded, carefully wrapping his arms around Y/N's shoulders, gently pulling him into his arms.

His senses were heightened, he could feel everything, the warm blood starting to soak through his own shirt and the shake in Y/N's body. The rough and cold hands of the other man, weakly wrapped over whatever part of Ghost he could reach. Y/N lays in his arms, weak and helpless, his skin losing colour and his body shaking more rapidly...

For the first time that evening, Ghost came to terms with what was going to happen, he couldn't deny it any longer, not when it was so obvious. His eyes tear up, his heart thumping louder as all he can do is pull Y/N closer, hold the injured man in his arms as he wishes for this to just be some twisted nightmare.

He couldn't keep himself calm anymore, waves of emotions crashing onto him, flooding his mind and filling his body with unease. His grip tightened, the fabric of Y/N's clothes balling up in his fists, he just pulled him closer, not wanting to let him go, not now, not ever.

"Hey.. Simon."

Y/N looks up at the man holding him, watching as he struggles to hold in the tears his body so desperately wants to let fall. Y/N's cold fingers trace along Ghost's cheek, pulling his face a little closer, his voice quieter and more strained than before. "It's gonna be okay.."

Though the injured man was smiling in a way to comfort Ghost, his true feelings were obvious. His eyes held fear, a fear Ghost had never seen on the usually optimistic man before.

He knew he had to be strong, he knew that whatever fear he felt right now, Y/N was feeling tenfold. He took deep breaths, trying to gather himself. He felt his throat close up, he couldn't speak, not without breaking down completely, he could only nod in reply. He brought a trembling hand down to Y/N's face, his rough fingers caressing the skin with a softness Ghost didn't know he was capable of.

Y/N closed his eyes, humming at the gentle touch, and the contrasting feeling of Ghost's warm hand pressing against his chilled cheek. His presence was comforting, it almost felt like he was cuddled up against a cosy fireplace, like the flames were crackling in front of him and leaving warm kisses on his cheek.

It was a nice thought, a nice feeling, but it seemed like the pain in his abdomen did anything it could to bring Y/N out of his calming mindset. It felt like his body was on fire, but also like he had been out in the cold for days. His feet were numb now and he could feel the way his legs and fingertips also started to lose their senses.

He looked up at Ghost, tears had started to form in his own eyes, ones that were impossible to hide. "I'm scared.. you'll be here.. right? Please.. don't let me go, not yet.." His voice was faint, filled with an uneasy panic. Ghost started to nod, bringing his face closer down, letting his lips press against Y/N's cold forehead.

"..yes, yes.. I'll be r-right here. I'm not moving.. I'm not letting you go..."

Y/N closes his eyes, his head falling to the side slightly as he sighs. "Y'know.. I always looked up to you, Simon.." He leans his head deep into Ghost's chest, his tears slowly falling as he feels his body go numb. He had lost all feeling in his arms and legs, even the ache in his abdomen had started to ease. Ghost shakes his head slowly, biting his lower lip in an attempt to hold in the sobs he so desperately wanted to let go.

"I love you, Simon."

Ghost pulled Y/N closer, letting out quiet, choked sounds. He felt Y/N's body start to go limp in his arms, his hands desperately pulling at the other man's body to hold him in a comforting embrace. "I.. I love you too... Fuck.. don't do this to me.."

"I'm sorry.." Y/N moves his head, digging his face further into the other man's chest. All he could smell and hear was Ghost, the man he had grown so attached to. It brought him some comfort, knowing he would be dying in Ghost's arms, not alone. "Forgive me.."

"Always, Y/N.. always.."

Y/N lets out a weak hum, slightly nodding his head as his body relaxes in Ghost's arms, his head now starting to fall limp, being too heavy for Y/N to move. "..thank you..." Y/N's voice was barely audible, his mumble causing Ghost's heart to shatter.

"Always.. a-always... I-I'm here.. always..."

Ghost cradled the dying man in his arms, soothingly whispering as he slowly swayed his body side to side. "It's okay.. It's okay... You're safe.. you're safe with me.." Y/N's voice was practically inaudible as he tried to mumble back to the other man, his incoherent slurs trailing off into silence.

Ghost felt as if his whole world was crashing down right before his eyes. He could only pull Y/N closer, continuing to cradle the fallen soldier. His movements became a little more frantic as he rocked their bodies, his fingers clawing at Y/N's cold skin.

"Shit- I'm so sorry... I-It's okay.. It's gonna be okay.. It's gonna be okay..."

He whispered into the other man's ear, his voice broken as he felt the tears he had been suppressing, finally fall freely. His words started as a means to comfort his dying partner, but it seemed like he was only trying to convince himself now. He mumbled a mantra of 'It's okay' and 'I love you', the words just tumbling out without his control.

His body trembled, his throat letting out more choked sobs now than it had in the last 10 years, his eyes were screwed shut, his head dug into Y/N's frozen neck. His hands tried their best to pull Y/N's limp head up, his tears pouring down his bloody cheeks as the other man's head just dropped back down.

If only he made it there sooner, if only he was there to protect him; none of this would've happened. He wouldn't be here, holding the corpse of the man that showed him what it was like to be alive, how to feel, how to love. The one person that had been able to break down his walls and make him feel human again.

It felt like hours, hours of cradling his deceased lover in his arms like a child, hours of sobbing and mourning the one person that brought light into this cruel world.

"Ghost? Do you copy?"

Ghost heard the static of his radio before the familiar voice of his Captain rung through his ears. "Ghost?" Ghost's teeth grit as he hesitantly brought his hand to the radio on his shoulder, forcefully composing himself before clicking the button. "I'm here." He looked down at the deceased man in his arms, hugging him close as his body threatened to break down once more.

"Evac's here, did you reach C/S?"

Ghost lets out a shaky breath, his fingers shaking as he grips the radio. "C/S's.. C/S's been KIA." His hand falls from the radio, his blood-stained fingers gently caressing Y/N's cold cheek, gently pulling his face closer. Ghost couldn't help but admire the other man, his eyes closed and his eyebrows relaxed. His lips were tugged into a small smile, his skin devoid of its usual colour. He looked.. peaceful.

There was a few seconds of silence from the other line before it was cut by Price's voice once more. "I'm sorry, Ghost." Ghost placed a soft kiss on Y/N's bloody forehead, speaking through the radio one last time, leaving no room for argument. "I'll be there in a few, I'm takin' him with me."

Ghost snatched his mask from the floor beside him, pulling it on before scooping Y/N into his arms. He lifted him up, holding his limp body against his chest as he whispered. "It's gonna be okay.. I've got you.." He held the man tightly, his eyes glancing down at Y/N's motionless figure every few steps he took.

"I've got you..."

A/N: Could you tell I struggled ending this? I won't lie, I teared up a couple times while writing this, I think this might be the saddest thing I've written. Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated, especially since I'm still not too familiar with Ghost's personality. This is also my longest fic ever, about 3.4k words!

Also a big thank you for over 400 followers, we're so appreciative of all your support!

Masterlist

- Written by Owner 1

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callsign-muffin · 4 months ago

Text

Heal Together: Chapter 3

(Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw fic)

I kinda want to make a playlist for this fic with all the music I mention in it. But I also work crazy hours and my writing time is my time to relax, so I don't know if I want to add something else on top of it if no one would care, ya know?

Masterlist

Word Count: 1.8k

“He started talking a little more last night.” Carly smiled after she finished giving you report, “He didn’t say much to me besides ‘thank you’ and asking for whatever he needed. Maybe you’ll be able to get more out of him, you guys seem to have really good rapport.”

“He responded very well to my sarcasm. Patient’s often don’t so it was a nice change.” You shrugged.

“Do you think he’s gonna be transferred to a step down unit?” She asked.

You nodded, “Yeah and I’ll miss him. It was nice having a patient I could actually interact with.”

Carly’s eyes widened, “What kind of ICU nurse are you? We love ‘em intubated and sedated.”

“A tired one!” You stated, “I need a few more sips of coffee and then let’s go sign off meds.”

█ ✪ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ✪ █

Rooster was only slightly awake when Y/N and Carly entered the room to finish their morning sign off. They didn’t turn on the light, spoke in soft whispers, and used the glow of the computer screen as their light. He turned over groggily, as his vision cleared, he saw Y/N there. She looked so beautiful with her hair pulled back messily in a claw clip and her bright eyes quickly traveled back and forth as she compared the medications hanging on the IV pole with the computer. She moved about the space as if she owned it. Hell, with the way she’s helped Bradley the last 48 hours, she practically does own it.

“Good morning, Bradley.” She smiled down at him sweetly, “How ya feeling’?”

“Not too shabby.” His voice was still a bit raspy.

She feigned surprise, “Ah! He speaks!”

Rooster smiled up at her, “Soon you’ll be wishing I had that tube back down my throat to shut me up.”

She shook her head, “Never.”

“I see Carly removed your catheter last night.” Y/N inquired after finishing her head to toe assessment on Bradley.

He nodded, “About 2 hours ago at 5 in the morning. It was fucking awkward having someone 10 years younger than me touch my dick.”

Y/N snorted trying to hold back a belly laugh, “I hate to break it to ya but that girl is more than 10 years younger than you.”

His face dropped in horror, “Holy shit, that’s a child!”

“She has the same license I do.” You shrugged, “She’s absolutely qualified to do what she does.”

“Unbelievable!” Rooster playfully rolled his eyes.

Y/N slightly pivoted the conversation, “You feel strong enough to get up and pee? Or do you need something to use while in bed?”

“Like a bottle?” He questioned.

She nodded, “We call it a bedside urinal but it’s the same idea.”

He nodded, “Yeah, I’ll try and get my ass up.”

“Good choice. You wanna try now?”

Bradley thought for a minute, “I mean… I probably should…”

“Alright champ, let’s do it nice and slow.” She moved his tray table out of the way.

He looked around, “Can you give a man get some privacy?”

“Not when you’re fresh off the vent. I’m not risking you falling ‘cause you have a shy bladder!” She rolled her eyes jokingly.

He grinned playfully, “Don’t go checking out my junk.”

“Already seen it and I wasn’t planning on doing it again.”

█ ✪ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ✪ █

“Alright Lieutenant, looks like you’re cleared for transfer down to a medical observation floor.” A different older doctor from yesterday said with his posse of residents, “Glad to see you’re on the mend.”

“Me too, sir.” Bradley agreed.

The same resident from the day before, Carl Parks looked at you with disdain, “Nurse, I’ll get the transfer orders in when I can.”

“‘Preciate it, doc.” You fired back coolly. It was cute that he thought that he’d be able to get under your skin.

They all exited and moved on to their next patient for rounds.

“What’s up his ass?” Rooster asked you.

You smirked, “The shame of being wrong.”

He gave you a questioning look.

“He didn’t think you were ready to get off the ventilator yesterday, I challenged him on it and the attending doctor took my side.” You explained, “Guys like him hate being wrong, their egos get bruised.”

He scoffed, “I don’t know how he’s smart enough to be a doctor if he was dumb enough to question you.”

“But what if this new unit sucks?” Bradley complained as you wheeled his bed down the hall and towards the elevator.

“All hospital units suck,” you scoffed, “Except for maybe labor and delivery.”

“I’m guessing my lack of vagina means I can’t go there.”

You stopped at the elevator and pressed the button, “You’d be correct.”

“Well shit.” He chuckled.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened; you carefully pushed the bed inside.

“This is a good thing,” you pressed the 3rd floor button, “the sooner you get out of the ICU, the closer you are to going home.”

Bradley sighed, “Yeah but… I’m going to miss you.”

“Really?” Butterflies began to flutter in your stomach.

What the hell was that? You thought to yourself.

He nodded, “Yeah, you’re the first nurse that made me feel like a human being.”

You paused, taken aback by his words. “I don’t think you even understand how much it means to me to hear you say that.”

The elevator dinged again and the doors opened to your floor.

“I mean every word.” He said as you pushed him down the hall towards the medical observation unit, “You’re a good nurse— a great nurse.”

“Wow,” you stopped at the unit entrance and used your badge to open the doors, “Thank you so much for saying that.”

The nurse that was taking over Bradley’s care interrupted your conversation and helped you get his bed into the new room. You guys did your checks, you gave her a quick beside report, and you were good to go.

You looked at Bradley and sighed, “It was a pleasure taking care of you, Lt. Bradshaw. Keep getting better.”

He nodded and gave you a soft smile, “I will. Thank you for all you did for me.”

█ ✪ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ✪ █

Two weeks later

It was Bradley’s first night out since before his deployment, it felt like a lifetime had gone by. He couldn’t wait to see all his friends at the Hard Deck and show them he was doing alright. The only one who’d seen him since he was med-evaced from the aircraft carrier was Phoenix. She was the one who picked him up from the hospital after discharge and took him home. He told her all about the angel nurse he met, how she bathed him and talked to him while he was intubated, how she was by his side to talk him through his extubation, how she made him laugh, and how he hasn’t stopped thinking about her.

“BRADSHAW,” Jake “Hangman” Seresin, his best frienemy, shouted across the bar from the pool table, “as I live and breathe!”

“We weren’t sure if he was living and breathing for a second back on the carrier.” Coyote quipped.

All the men greeted each other with big hugs and claps on the back. Despite their joking in the moment, those men were terrified that they were going to lose Rooster. Hangman was on the cot next to him in the infirmary as they were intubating him. It was a nightmare, to say the least.

“Glad you’re okay, buddy.” Bob said, “Let me buy you a drink.”

“Are you sure?” Bradley questioned, “But you don’t drink.”

Bob shook his head, “Doesn’t matter, I’m just so glad you’re here.”

Phoenix lovingly patted his cheek, “Awww Bob, you really are the best of all of us.”

“Truly.” Bradley agreed.

He could’ve sworn he was going crazy. He saw Y/N. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her. But to be fair, he thought he saw her everywhere. She hadn’t left his mind since the day he met her. But this time he heard her voice and her laugh in the crowd. His eyes scanned the crowded bar for a familiar face. BINGO! There sh was, waiting for a drink at the bar. With a familiar young, little blonde. Was that Carly the child?!

“Go find yourself a cute sailor or something!” He heard her say over the loud music, “That’s what I’d do if I was young and hot!”

“Y/N, shut up! You’re only 28, you’re young and hot too!” The little blonde nudged her.

Wow, she was just as beautiful as he remembered her. Though she was a little more dressed up, she still had that same calm and caring demeanor that she had every time she walked into his room in the ICU. She was wearing a tight white T-shirt and faded jeans, effortlessly beautiful.

“Oh no you don’t!” She grabbed Carly’s wrist as she tried to slip her card to the bartender who just served them their drinks.

Carly ignored her and handed over the card, “Oh yes I do! You’ve helped me so much ever since you started, I feel like I’m actually getting the hang of this nurse thing with your help. Let me treat you!”

Y/N pouted, “Fine! But no more after this! You need to save your money for fun and adventure!”

“Yes, ma’am!” Carly saluted her like an officer.

█ ✪ █▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓▓█ ✪ █

“Absolutely not,” You cried over the music at Carly and the other younger nurses that were with you at the Hard Deck.

“Absolutely yes!!!” Another young nurse, Madi handed you a tequila shot and a lime.

You groaned, “I’m too old for this!”

“NO YOU’RE NOT!” The girls chorused.

You looked down at the tiny glass, could your stomach even handle this anymore.

“Dooooooooo it!” Carly taunted evilly.

“Doooooooooooooooo it!” Sam echoed.

You groaned, “Ugh! Fine!” And you tossed the shot back like a champ, chasing it immediately with the lime. Your face contorted, “Oof it burns.”

All the girls cheered and threw their shots back together.

Suddenly the jukebox cut, making the room fall silent for a moment. Then a couple of chords slammed on a piano.

You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain

Too much love drives a man insane

You broke my will, but what a thrill

Goodness gracious, great balls of fire

Your head whipped around, wondering where the hell this piano was coming from.

“Holy shit.” Carly’s jaw dropped.

You looked in the same general direction Carly was, “Holy shit.”

“What?!” Madi asked over the loud music and singing. Many others had since joined in.

“That’s the patient Y/N fought Parks about extubating .” She explained.

You were still frozen.

“He’s kinda hot.” Sam giggled.

All you could choke out was, “That’s quite the mustache.”

Tag list:

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#bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley rooster bradshaw fic #bradley rooster bradshaw x reader #bradley rooster bradshaw x y/n #rooster x reader #rooster x y/n #rooster x you #top gun fic #top gun maverick fanfiction #bradley bradshaw x you

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justanofficeworker · 5 months ago

Text

TW: This Fic contains kidnapping, dub con, NSFW scenes, Stockholm syndrome among other things. Please do not read if these themes upset or disturb you. That being said, welcome and enjoy the ride.

A/n: Thank you for waiting for this chapter, after like 2 weeks of writers block and not knowing how to pull story beats together its done. I'm gonna start chapter 3 next Monday and hopefully release it before Friday. As always thank you for your support and drop a follow if you like my work.

Chapter 2- The date

You could hear what sounded like rattling metal as you ended your call with Simon. ‘Probably the dog he had mentioned at the store’ you thought to yourself as you began to frantically sift through your closet. It was a simple coffee date, no need to get dolled up. Maybe just a cute top and some jeans. “Yeah this should work “ you say aloud as you lay out your outfit for tomorrow.It had been so long since you went on an actual date. Sure you had the occasional hook up and to be truthful a lot of them, were not up to snuff. But this coffee date was something to actively look forward to. Simon was polite and patient from what you could tell. He had suggested somewhere highly public and not tried to get you to his place immediately . Maybe all your waiting had finally paid off and you had found an actual nice guy. “Let's just hope he’s not some kind of serial killer” you mused to your house plant as you passed it on the way out your bedroom and to your now cooling bath. Now all you had to do was relax and let tomorrow come.

Simon pov

Simon was late. Johnny had decided he needed to be a brat as soon as Simon made his way to the front door. Pulling at Simon's belt , murmuring ‘just’ a quickie, fer good luck and’ a clear head’ he had murmured. That quickie ended up being more of a half hour event, with Johnny whining for him to ‘go harder, please sir, wanna feel you while you catch our bird’. Granted Simon did have a clear head as he walked through the door to the small-ish coffee shop you’d agreed to meet him in. Panning his vision across the small space yielded a sight that could make an angel fall. There you sat, eyes wet , idly stirring what looked like a chocolate flavored coffee topped with pink sprinkles. God you looked so dejected , like everything that could go wrong in the world had all happened just before Simon had walked in. Slowly, Simon made his way towards you internally cursing Johnny for being so persuasive in his efforts to hop on his dick and spin.

“Ello lil bird, I'm sorry to be so late,” Simon remarked as he stopped , right behind Beanie’s chair.

The brown skinned woman sat up quickly , blinking away un-shed tears. “Oh shit, Simon, heeeey. I figured you wouldn't show” She greeted , turning in her seat. Simon felt lower than low, seeing the wetness in her eyes gather and release a single tear that she quickly wiped away.

“God you must think I'm well and truly an ass' ' Simon retorted with a sad crow “my dog decided he wanted to make a mess right as I was leavin my house. If I had known it would take so long to clean, I would have just left" Simon's eyebrow furrowed at that last remark, sudden anger foreign.

“May i?” he gestured to the chair opposite you.

Nodding you avert your eyes to look at the door , suddenly thinking about whether or not you should just make a run for it. “ you know normally if someone is this late to a date i leave” you quip , hoping to hide your nerves.

“Yeah? Well I'm honored that you decided to stay. I hate to admit it but you've been on my mind since yesterday. I’ve gotta tell ya I'm curious, who are you , where you've been , what you want and how i can factor into those plans. You are mesmerizing "Simon finished , in awe of you all but glow under his complements. a feeling shoots up your spine as you feel you face heat at the confession.No one had ever said something so deep to you and been genuine . Most of the time guys would say ‘deep’ shit to try to charm their way into your bed. Maybe it was because Simon was hot and made you feel butterflies in very inappropriate areas or maybe his vulnerability was something you craved , you weren't sure yet. You did know that you were going to keep Simon in your life for as long as he would let you cling. Plus he had a dog and everyone loves dogs.

“That's a lofty ask Simon , maybe I'll tell you who i am on this date and for each date I'll answer one of you questions. But you gotta answer them too” you bargain. Simon seems pleased that you want to know him just as much as he wants to know you.

“ Well then Simon, my name is Y/n L/n, most people call me Beanie. I’m 27 and i work from home as a freelance book editor. My favorite desert is flan and house plant tending is my hobby." Beanie formally introduces herself , much like one would do in front of class at the beginning of a school semester.You look at Simon expectantly.

“ oh um ,’ he starts “My name is Simon Riley, Simon is fine, I'm 37 and I'm a retired military vet. Not by choice mind you, ended up with a bad injury and got discharged with a couple of my men. Now i just garden and take care of an old geezer of a dog.”

You and Simon talked for another hour before the cashier announced the shop would be closing early due to some sort of electrical issue. Simon took this as the perfect time to draw your date to a close and promising that he would text you later. You agreed that it was a good idea to end here and make plans for a later meeting.

_____________________________________________

Your second date, a week later , ended up being your idea. A quiet afternoon at a local park for a picnic.

“Well Simon, your next question of where I’ve been” you said propping yourself up on your elbows. “I’ve been to the states, Canada, the Caribbean. Ive got family there , but we don’t talk much. And finally London. I ended up staying and applying for a citizenship after my work visa ran out and i gotta say, i like it here.” You finish with a giggle. You’d been looking forward to this date all week.

Simon was so open and honest, telling at length about his injury and it felt to basically repurpose his life after being discharged. You couldn’t imagine having to reboot how you went about your life so abruptly. He was so strong for that. Handsome, kind and thoughtful, Simon had even gotten you a bouquet of peonies, your favorite flower. You weren't entirely sure how he knew, but it was thoughtful none the less.

Simon looked deep in thought before he responded “ originally born an’ raised in Manchester, though during my military career I've seen all corners of the world , but I’m much more content with the more rural areas of London”. Simon looked off into the distance, surveying the park goers when he caught sight of a black and brown blurred bee lining straight for you.

One second you were turning your head to see what Simon was looking for and the next you were in his lap as a very hyper doberman barreled right through the spot you had been sitting in. A very frantic dog walker yelling an apology as he dashed passed, leash in hand. A giggle tumbled out of your mouth as you watched the pair until they were out of sight. It was only then that you realized , you were suddenly very close to your date.

Your eyes met his and it was kind of like fate. Like the stars had aligned and pushed your two souls into each other's orbit , willing you to meet. Your eyes connect and Simon leans closer.

And closer.

Till his lips are just barely ghosting over yours. 'screw this waitin shit' you think as you surge forward, closing the distance and sharing a searing kiss. His lips tasted like the strawberries you had brought and the champagne Simon surprised you with when you had met at his car. It was like everything clicked together and the world stopped for a brief second. Sadly you both had to breath at some point and you pulled away.

"Oh wow" you sighed, almost giddy with the lack of oxygen. "I've never been one to kiss on the second date, but that felt"

"right?" Simon finished your sentence for you. " to be honest I've never felt as comfortable as i do with you." he reveled , holding you close.

You stayed like that for a while, sun beginning to set and the park lights flickering on. Soon it was time for you to leave. You folded and packed away your picnic basket and made your way back to Simon's car. he had insisted that he take you home, the drive to your building was comfortably silent , the radio playing some new love song by an obscure boy band. It didn't occur to you that you hadn't given him your address, too love struck for the thought to register.

The drive wasn't long and soon you were parked outside of your home, Simon slipping out to open your door and walk you up the stairs. "I had a nice time, thank you for the picnic" you say to to Simon suddenly shy as Simon crowded you against the door.He leaned down, close to your ear and said " for our next date , I'll take you somewhere real fancy, wear something pretty for me , ok?" he voice soft and velvety. Planting a quick kiss on your cheek he stepped back and winked. You release a breath you weren't aware you were holding, face hot. "yeeah, yep. c-call me when you get home k!' you stammer as you unlock your door and slip inside under Simon's watchful eyes.

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

Simon signed as he watched your door slide shut. Your date was a success and soon, so very soon you would be home with him and johnny. You had felt so soft in his arms and now that he had had a taste of you , there was no substitute. he just had to get you home, without damaging you too much. He had the whole drive home to finalize his thoughts.

Pulling up the gravel drive way , he could see johnny lazing on the front porch, face tight in concentration as he sketched on a drawing pad, near manic in he fervor.

"ech-em" Simon cleared his throat, jolting johnny out of his thoughts, "Jesus, ye big bastard. Did ya need to scare me half to death?" he admonished as he set aside his art supplies. Simon chuckled a the Scot's crassness, "And here i was ready to tell you how my date went with our bird and all i get is yelled at. Maybe I should' Simon trails off as johnny all but bum-rushes him, shouting obscenities as he forcefully pulls Simon towards their front door and into the living room , where he promptly shoves Simon down onto the couch and straddles his lap with an expectant look. " now, tell me everything" johnny pushes , blue eyes wide an waiting.

Simon lets out a warm laugh as his hands run up and down the fat of johnny's ass and thighs, gripping and groping every now and then. "There's my eager puppy. You wanna know all there is to know about our precious bird, dont'cha?" Simon pulling his lover close so he can whisper into his ear. “Her favorite fruit is strawberries, want to taste?” He teases as johnny rears back and smashes his lips with Simon’s. Johnny can only whine as Simon's tongue slip's past his lips.

They had much to 'discuss'.

#simon riley x reader #ghost x reader #soft!ghost #john soap mactavish #cod mw3 #domestic fluff #cod mw2 #simon ghost riley #ghost x soap #ghoap #ghoap x reader #ghoap fic

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fallingrealms16 · 7 days ago

Text

CAITVI FIC REC LIST PART 3 (???) <3333

I love them *sighs*

OKAY !! Part 3??? So I said in my previous normal post that this was coming soon and that it was going to be short fics. Apparently I lied. Forgot I had this draft *cackles*

Reminder‼️ pretty please read all the tags on each fic before reading as I am not responsible for any emotional trauma you may experience ^3^ (more notes at the bottom ty, ily <3)

⤵️⤵️⤵️

Face The Noise by hesychia

54.7K Words // Chapters: 19/19 // Hits: 55K COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT// //this is part 1 of a trilogy//

Jayce, Viktor, and Caitlyn get invited to a house show. When a new band, the Firelights, takes the stage, Caitlyn finds herself drawn to the mysterious, pink-haired lead guitarist.

Part 2: Teen Idle (jinx one shot)

Part 3: Beat the Daylight (Caitlyn x Vi)

Ignore the author note in chapter one, they end up adding more spice to more chapters hahaha

Parabolic by Enchantable

69K Words // Chapters: 22/22 // 53K Hits // COMPLETED

//TEEN AND UP//

Missing scenes across Acts II and III and the aftermath.

Each chapter is a missing scene

Fixing for a Family by Bari_514

136.8K Words // Chapters: 24/24 // 37K Hits // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

While creating homes for other families, Caitlyn and Vi learn that building a family isn't always an easy endeavor. They’ll discover that some things simply cannot be fixed, but can be endured; together.

CUTENESS OVERLOAD

Knockout Chemistry by iheart_wheein

149K Words // Chapters: 90/?? // Hits: 128K Hits // NOT COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT// being updated frequently

When Caitlyn Kiramman, a perfectionist law student from Piltover’s elite, and Violet "Vi" Lanes, a rebellious boxing star on scholarship, end up as dorm mates, their worlds collide in all the worst ways.

But when Caitlyn’s unwanted admirers start interfering with her studies, and Vi’s slipping grades threaten her spot on the team, they strike an unconventional deal: fake date each other to solve both problems.

The plan is simple—no drama, no feelings, no complications. But with their complementing personalities and undeniable chemistry, keeping things strictly business might just be their biggest challenge yet.

Cheeky bonus o/s fic recs🤪

Craving for you by YourSinfulScribe

4K Words // Chapters: 1/1 // 3.4K Hits // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

After severing ties with her younger sister Powder, Vi finds herself lost, with only her fists to keep her moving forward. She spends her days brawling in grimy underground pit fights, letting the pain and adrenaline numb the emptiness inside. But something feels wrong, she can sense someone watching her, a constant, unnerving presence lurking in the shadows.

When Vi finally confronts her mysterious stalker, she’s startled to find herself face-to-face with a stunning woman who is more than she appears. With a sly smile and a dangerous glint in her eye, this stranger lures Vi into a thrilling game from which escape might be harder than Vi ever anticipated.

Sorry about the small text^ it was realllllly long in larger font :( can make it normal if you guys prefer xx

Helping Hand by lettucehater007 @lettucehater007

4.7K Words // Chapters: 1/1 // 4.6K Hits // COMPLETED

//EXPLICIT//

Basically just Vi and Caitlyn being soft and taking care of each other on their periods. Because that's what good girlfriends do.

I needed this fic for my soul honestly.

This is what you asked for by Sexterp

4.8K Words // Chapters: 1/1 // 8.7K Hits // COMPLETED

//COMPLETED//

After their fallout, Vi and Cait were apart for months. Vi spent her time fighting in a pit and drinking. But what if Vi's vision of Caitlyn wasn't just a vision? What if they slept with each other too drunk and devastated to see through the greasy paint or a fuckass blonde wig?

Ngl this one’s a bit out there…

Posting the next one soon sooooon! Will be a drop with ones shots tehe (maybe a long one or two. Maybe)

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natspookie · 1 year ago

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when you show up

an, hello anon! thanks for the req, hope you’re doing well and life gets less angsty for you:)

made reader a lil nerdy and smart here hehe and this is kind of a comfort fic for me toooooo (inspired by tasm 2)

natasha rushed through the halls, excitement filled to see you. her ap class, captain of the cheerleader squad, and extra circulars were all weighing down on her shoulders.

you had more work than natasha, badly needing a scholarship. with 4 ap classes, captain of debate team, part of school council, and varsity of volleyball, you had been tiring yourself out. hence, natasha’s plan to let you relax today, the start of your one week break.

she hadn’t seen you since tuesday, it was friday now. but you never failed to send her a little text to ask about her day.

natasha went to your favorite bakery, getting your favorite pastries, starbucks for your favorite coffee/ tea, the makeup shop right beside that to get that blush you had run out of, and got herself some jelly for her pb&js that you loved. you were always there for her, now it was her turn to show up.

natasha had already shooed away your kind roommate, wanda, setting her up with her friend who wanda happened to have a crush on, vision.

natasha used the key you gave her to your dorm and started setting up. it was nearing 6pm when she heard your keys jingle.

you shut the door and looked up to see natasha fixing the night light on your bedside table.

“nattie” you sighed, dropping your bag on the floor and jumping on her, giving her a bone crushing hug.

“i miss you too, darling” natasha laughed “waittt i’ll be back i just need to shower, im really sweaty” you kissed her cheek “i already have that fluffy towel you like set up” natasha spoke as you walked towards the bathroom “you’re an angel”

natasha had also refilled your shampoo which was her shampoo as well. when you got out in your pajamas natasha was awaiting you on your bed.

a tray of all your favorites was reheated and sat on the floor, where you sat. “you didn’t have to do all this nattie” you pouted and she flipped on her stomach, just watching you “you deserve it” “oh oh oh! it’s this croissant i love! i haven’t eaten since 10am” you mumbled “dekta you need to take care of yourself, alright”

“mhm.. you too. how was class?” you leaned against your beside table while eating” “the usual, i missed you this week” “i missed you too. but y’know its much harder when we have events to plan for school council” “are you guys in charge of planning the graduation next next month?” “yeah we’re involved in that thing… hows practice for next weeks game?”

“i almost got dropped by the new member when we were forming a pyramid” natasha giggled “are you alright?” you sat up and she just nodded, holding you back “have you eaten?” you asked and natasha thought about it “nattieeee! you need to eat as well” you held up half of the croissant and you moved beside her on the bed, embracing her with legs and arms intertwined.

natasha switched on the tv to your guys’ comfort show, friends. “i love you, thanks for being here with me” you weren’t sure if natasha was up but you said it anyways before falling to sleep

of course the day would come where you and natasha would graduate. thankfully, the college natasha wanted was not too far from your choice of college.

it was the night before your graduation when worries overtook natasha “you’ll be there for me even from a far, right?” natasha whispered “every step of the way.” “i promise we’ll make the… sorta.. long distance thing work, ‘kay?” “i need to work, i need you to function as a human being” you giggled “good” she mumbled, falling asleep

the next morning, you were going over your speech like a crazy woman. “dekta you need to relax” natasha slipped her hand into yours and rubbed circles. “i’m going to make a fool of myself… and i have to shake like 190 people” you chuckled nervously “including meeee!” “my favorite person” you teased

natasha was the loudest in the crowd when you gave your speech, of course mentioning how she helped you through your journey.

it was almost natasha’s turn to walk up and she had something crazy in mind. natasha smiled as she saw you in beside the dean.

“Natalia Alianova Romanov” they announced and Natasha walked up confidently up the stage and shook the dean, receiving her diploma. she shook your hand as well and whispered “can i kiss you” your eyes widened and nodded as natasha took your face in her hand and one on your back. the crowed cheered and you giggled, turning red as natasha smirked walking down.

you straightened your posture as you glanced at the dean who laughed at natasha’s antics.

either way, it ended up with you and natasha together and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

#natasha romanoff fluff #natasha romanoff x reader #black widow #natasha romanoff #natasha romanov #natasha romonova #black widow fic #natasha x y/n #highschool au

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blnktkck · 2 years ago

Text

remind me

pairing: mingyu x reader

genre: fluff

word count: 1.2k

warnings: mentions of food

first ever fic! my man needs to calm down with all these bf pics cause it’s actually driving me insane

being an art student is not easy. from the intensive workload to having to satisfy your inner perfectionist, you’re bound to be tired, and today was one of those days. you made it to the comfort of your home and decided to take a long shower to organise your thoughts while also reviewing your day, silently giving a pat to yourself for making it through the day. you were so out of it that you didn’t notice the sound of the door to your bedroom clicking, and also the footsteps waddling in.

“hey babe! i got this claw clip that i think you’d li- oh jesus, how long have you been in the shower?” the familiar husky voice brought you back to reality and it made you notice that you’ve been stuck in the shower for a good half an hour, your fingertips getting all wrinkly. you look around, and you see that the bathroom is clouded from the vapour of your hot shower. your vision brings you to the door, and you see a tall figure leaning against the doorframe. it was your boyfriend, mingyu staring at you with the purest look of admiration you’ve ever seen.

it’s hard to not notice him when he’s in the midst of the crowds. he’s tall, has a gorgeous honey like skin accompanied by his gorgeous husky voice- you were down bad, heck, you’re so smitten by him that he finds it adorable that you still get nervous with him despite being together for 2 years. you often wonder how you must’ve saved a whole nation in your past life to deserve a partner like him.

“c’mon, let’s get you out of this hellhole. i don’t want my precious darling to look like a wrinkly raisin before we turn gray,” he smiles as he grabs a large towel to wrap it around your body, letting the soft material hug you while mingyu attempts to dry you. you whine at the loss of heat from the hot water, but all mingyu does is flash his toothy grin at you and gives a quick peck on your forehead, making all of your frustrations disappear.

it was almost 7pm and you were starving. mingyu had to take an urgent phone call, so you had to take over kitchen duty momentarily. he knew you were tired so he opted for takeout, but you were craving a homecooked meal that is warm and hearty. you start preparing the ingredients to make soup noodles, a dish that your mom makes whenever she drops by you and mingyu’s place to check up on you guys. luckily, the recipe was pretty simple, so you made yourself busy by preparing dinner to fill in the absence of mingyu.

you were focused on preparing the soup until you felt a strong and sturdy pair of arms wrap around your waist. “have i told you that i love you so much?” he murmurs into your neck, peppering kisses in between his sentence. “you’re so dramatic, gyu. your mother really wasn’t joking when she told me the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, huh?” you giggled. you could feel the vibration coming from his chest as he let out a chuckle. your heart was swelling with so much adoration for this man.

“i mean, she’s partially right!” he gleamed, letting go of his grip from your waist to turn you around so that you’re facing him. he cups your cheeks, forcing you to make eye contact with his honey glazed eyes.

“it’s not only through the stomach, it’s because of you,” he wiggles his eyebrows, making you both burst out in laughter. “god, you’re so cheesy” you muttered while shaking your head, resuming to cooking dinner. mingyu was a little upset that you dismissed his pick-up line (which he was so proud of since he thought that it was a really smooth one) but helps you out in preparing dinner for you two anyways.

mingyu insists on setting up the table for dinner, and you let him. it was nice that he was willing to help you out without you even asking to, and you’re so thankful for him. as you brought out the dishes you both made, you notice that mingyu set up the cutleries a little differently today. rather than your usual seating, he placed both of your cutleries next to each other with only one chair to be seen. you shrugged it off, thinking that he was still in the process of setting things up.

“gyu! dinner’s ready! could you help me get an extra chair? there’s only one here,” you stood there, waiting for your boyfriend to answer. mingyu appeared, and you could see that mischevious glint in his eyes when he heard you bring up this minor ‘inconvenience’ at the dining table.

“you can sit on my lap.” he said it cockily, leaving you confused. of course, you don’t mind sitting on his lap, but having a meal while sitting on his lap might be uncomfortable, not to mention that sitting on his lap for such a long period of time could leave his thighs with pins and needles.

he sees you contemplating your choices, so he goes on to his next tactic: be super clingy. “please, bub?” he pouts, “just today, pretty please? i haven’t been seeing your pretty face lately cause you’ve been cooped up in your room working on assignments” he wraps his arms around yours. it feels like you’re trying to convince a toddler to head back home after playing in the park but they refuse to.

“alright, alright, whatever makes gyu happy, okay?” you both laugh as mingyu happily seats on the chair and invites you onto his lap almost immediately.

“guy, why aren’t you eating?” you question, noticing that mingyu has not touched the bowl of noodles in front of him. “is everything alright? did i burn the soup? maybe i -” he pecks your cheek. “it’s fine, darling. it’s just..” you raise your eyebrow, wondering what he’s gonna say next.

he continues, “you kinda broke my heart a little when you didn’t react to my pick-up line earlier” he muttered, pulling you closer to him, “and i think the only fair deal for you to make up for it is to feed me!” he gleams at you.

“you really went all out just to get back at me for this?” you chuckled, putting down your cutleries to cup his cheek as you looked at him. “yup,” he said, popping the p, “and i won’t be taking no as an answer” he smirked, leaving you two erupting in laughter at this silly moment.

“okay my prince, you had a really smooth pick-up line there just now. here comes your first bite! say ahh” you pretended to feed him like how you’d feed your toddler niece, and he willingly takes a bite and hums in satisfaction.

“did i tell you that you’re amazing?” mingyu said while pulling you closer to him to the point where you could feel the rapid moment of his heartbeat from his chest.

“maybe a few times, i guess. care to remind me?”

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asirensrage · 16 days ago

Text

Saudade - Chapter 27

Rating: Explicit Pairing: Mikey x OC, Hanma x OC, Ran x OC, Mikey x OC x Draken Fandom: Tokyo Revengers Warnings: swearing, violence, threats of violence, murder, smoking, sex, consensual sex between teenagers, alcohol, recreational drug use, mention of trafficking, torture, family neglect, mentions of sexual violence. isekai OC. memory loss. unbeta’d **warnings are not exhaustive** Summary: No one seems to realize she doesn’t belong until she finally runs into her “new” brother, Hanagaki Takemichi. Now, hearing his story, Takara makes the choice to help him and hopefully find her way home, but faking it til you make it only lasts so long when you start losing the memories of the life you had before. As Takemichi becomes the only family she’s ever known, how far will she go to protect him?

notes: Merry Christmas all! I'm currently super sick, but I wanted to add a new chapter for the holidays. I hope you all have a good one! Thanks for reading and commenting. It means a lot.

also on ao3

fic masterlist - prev chapter

She doesn’t know how long it takes.

The sun sets as she dents the bat into another head, demanding to know where he brother is. Either Mucho kept it from everyone, or they’re all stupid enough to keep it from her. She doesn’t care. One way or another, they’re going to pay. The sooner she finds her brother, the better chance they have of surviving her.

She calls Chifuyu every few guys she finds, just to check in and ensure that Takemichi isn’t home. He asks her every time where she is. She never answers.

It’s too fucking easy to sneak up on them. Some of them hear her and try to run, but Takara’s fast and none of them expect her to leap over ledges in ways that could easily break her neck if she’s not careful, but Takara is fueled by the desperate need to find her brother. To exact revenge on the one who took him.

None of them manage to escape.

✨

She’s in the middle of knocking someone’s teeth out when she hears her name.

The guy under her coughs, trying to crawl away from her. She kicks at him, making him curl up in pain before she looks at the intruder.

He approaches slowly and it takes a minute for her to register that it’s not a threat or another target. It’s Draken.

He holds his hands up in front of her like he’s approaching a wild animal. “Hey, it’s me. Just me.”

“Don’t fucking stop me,” she says. Her vision is darkening on the edges but she forces it back. She can keep herself on her feet. She’s been through worse than being constantly on the move for a few hours.

“Not here to stop you,” he says softly. “I’m here to bring you home.”

“I’m not fucking going home until I have my brother,” she snarls.

“I know,” he steps forward. “I know. Chifuyu called. We’ve all been looking for you. Takemichi made it home.”

She drops the bat, dented as it is. “What?” She steps towards him. “He’s home?” The man at her feet groans and she stomps on his head. “Shut up!” She turns back to Draken. “Takemichi’s home? You promise?”

“You know how long it took to find you? Gotta get you a new phone, Kara. I’m just here to give you a ride and save you some time.”

“What the fuck are we waiting for? Take me to him.” She heads toward him. “I swear to god, Draken, if you’re lying to me, you’re next on my list.”

“Not lying. Come on, let’s get you to your brother.”

✨

Takemichi stares at her in shock the moment he sees her. “Takara? What-”

She cuts him off, lunging forward and hugging him tightly. Tears build up in her eyes and for once, she’s the one crying as she clings to her brother. “Takemichi!” She bawls, relief setting in at the sight of him alive and fine. “I thought he killed you!”

Her brother clutches her back. “He didn’t. I’m fine, I promise, Taka, I’m fine.”

She doesn’t let go, the fear of the future happening too soon, making her bury her face in his neck. Her brother looks terrible. He looks like he’s been through hell and it’s only luck that kept him from breaking something in his face.

Takemichi pulls her back, looking at her. “What the fuck happened to you, Takara?” he asks quietly.

“He took you!” her voice cracks and the tears continue to fall down her cheeks. “I watched him beat you unconscious and he took you!”

Takemichi hugs her again. “I’m sorry, Takara. I’m so sorry.”

“If you ever scare me like that again, I swear to God, Take, I’ll string you up by your balls and Hina will have to find someone else because you’ll be a fucking eunuch!”

He looks at her in horror. “Takara!”

She laughs before her vision finally goes completely black and she feels herself fall as she passes out.

✨

The first thing she realizes when she wakes up is how sore she is. Her muscles protest with every movement and she can feel the sharp sting of missing skin on her hands, back and legs. Skidding across pavement was not a good idea. She forces herself to sit up, wincing as she does. The sheets were sticking to her skin. It was going to be a bitch to peel it off.

She’s in her own bed and as she finally breathes through the pain, she looks around and freezes. Mikey and Yuzuha are in her room. Mikey is browsing her shelves and posters while Yuzuha ignores him, focusing on her phone instead.

“You’re awake.”

Mikey moves towards her as she looks up at him. “Leave.” He orders and Yuzuha looks at Takara, waiting for her to nod, before she does.

Takara forces herself to sit up, jaw clenching as she feels the fabric pull off of her shoulders. “What are you doing here?” she asks.

Mikey sighs. “Why didn’t you come to me?”

It takes her a moment before she realizes what he means. Takara looks down. “You would have stopped me. Mucho is Toman. I watched Takemichi get beaten until he was knocked out and kidnapped while other Toman members tried to hold me down. I couldn’t waste time.”

“You didn’t trust me.”

“It’s not that,” she says, even if there’s a grain of truth in it. As far as she was concerned, Toman had turned on her brother. She couldn’t ask for help from anyone but the boys who had been there and she had put them on clean-up duty.

“Mucho is a traitor,” Mikey tells her as he sits down on the edge of the bed. “As are the ones who attacked you.” He reaches out and grabs her chin lightly, turning her face to each side as if he can inspect the damage.

“Stop,” she shoves his hand down off of her.

“I would have helped you.”

“They were your men,” she points out.

“That wouldn’t have stopped me.” Her breath hitches in her chest at the way he’s looking at her. “You’re mine too, Takara. I’ve already told you.” No wonder everyone thought they were dating if this was how he was acting. “I’ll speak to Takemitchy and the first division today. Whatever happens, Takara, stay out of it.”

“What?” she leans forward. “I’m not fucking done.”

“You are for now,” he says. “Look at you. You need to rest and recover.”

“I need to find that motherfucker Mucho and kick his teeth in.” She throws off the blankets only to regret it because her legs are still scraped up and it hurts like hell. She hisses at the feeling.

“Stop,” Mikey orders, grabbing her hands to keep her still. “I won’t let him get away with this, Takara. Trust me.”

She pauses and looks at him. Mikey’s eyes are dark but she thinks she can see the same anger that flows through her. The only difference is that he’s the one who’s been betrayed. Again. She’s merely angry for the sake of her brother. “I want his head.”

“You’ll have it.”

“...fine.”

Mikey leaves with a promise for her to get better and when Yuzuha walks back in, Takara doesn’t need to see her face to know what she’s thinking.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Yuzuha laughs.

“You don’t need to.” Takara forces herself to her feet. Someone helped clean her up a bit while she was out, but she needs a shower and to inspect the damage she did to herself. Running on adrenaline and anger last night kept her from feeling most of the injuries. “Can you do me a favour?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to shower but after…can you help me check the scrapes on my back?”

“Of course,” Yuzuha agrees. “You gonna tell me what happened?”

“They beat and stole Takemichi right in front of me while holding me back.”

Yuzuha looks at her for a moment and when she responds, Takara practically sighs in relief at the understanding. “Did you kill them?”

“No. But I will when I find Mucho.”

Yuzuha nods. “Go shower. I’ll wait.”

“Thanks.”

✨

As much as she wants to go back to bed and stay there, Takara forces herself to move. She has a decent amount in her savings. At least enough for her to go buy a new phone. She’d hate to have to explain to her parents that she lost hers because she was running from a gang. It was a miracle already that no one had called the cops with the fight at their front door. She didn’t know how the boys had cleaned up but they did a good job.

Yuzuha goes with her to get the phone, and bubble tea, which Takara is pretty sure she used to hate but now enjoys. Especially the strawberry flavour. She doesn’t think too much on it. People stare at the bruises and scratches on her face, but Takara waves the injuries away. It’s easier to believe it’s a sports injury, or a bad rollerblade fall than to think that she hunted down gang members in the night like some weird vigilante.

By the time she gets back home, Takemichi is back from meeting with Mikey. He hovers around her as if he’s expecting her to crumble around him again.

“Knock it off!” she snaps. She sits down in the living room and looks at him. “What happened at the meeting?”

Takemichi sits on the floor. “We’re going to fight Tenjiku tomorrow. Inupi thinks that’s when they’ll attack. Mikey’s calling an emergency meeting tonight.”

“Hm.” She leans back against the couch before she hisses at the feeling and leans forward instead. “What happened yesterday? When that fucker took you?”

“Takara!”

“What? It’s not like our parents are around. Tell me.”

So he does. Like all the times he returns to the future, Takemichi tells her everything. He tells her how he was taken just to be a pawn to convince Kokonoi to join Tenjiku. He tried to stop him, to protect his team, but Kokonoi took the offer to keep Takemichi and Inupi from being beaten to death. Instead, they were knocked out again and dropped off into a garbage pile. Takara has barely interacted with the former Black Dragons that Takemichi took under his wing, but Kokonoi has earned her gratitude.

If only for protecting her brother. Even if he claimed otherwise.

She sends Takemichi to grab a nap before he has to be wandering around at night. He repeats Mikey’s request to stay inside, to stay home and be safe. She rolls her eyes but agrees. It’s not like she has any plans anyway. She’s still exhausted and if she hides in her room, she might be able to avoid their parents if they come home.

She spends the time to set up her new phone. It’s reconnected to her number and while she has to redo all of her contacts, she starts with Takemichi’s whom she seems to know by heart.

By the time night falls Ran has texted her again, from what she can tell from the message. She doesn’t reply. She has nothing to say to the man who’s involved with a gang that tried to kill her brother again, whether or not he knew. Even if she likes him more than she’ll ever admit.

An unknown text comes in with <didn’t know you could get hotter ❤️ >. She ignores that one too. There’s no name to it, but it’s not hard to guess that it’s Hanma. She doesn’t know how he gets her number but she blocks him immediately. She doesn’t have the energy to deal with him.

Takara buries herself in her blankets, turns her phone on silent, and goes to sleep.

✨

tag list: @raith-way @zeleniafic @veetlegeuse @chickensarentcheap @residentdormouse

@themaradwrites @kingsmakers @thatmagickjuju @awkwardchick87 @hayatoseyepatch

tr tag: @mitsuwuyaa @blackfire2013 @bleach-your-panties @reiners-milkbiddies

saudade tag: @thisbicc @scythegal @bontenxo

network tag: @pixelcafe-network

#tokyo revengers fic #sano manjiro x oc #haitani ran x oc #hanma shuji x oc #tr oc #tokyo revengers oc #tokyo rev oc #tokyo rev fic #tr fic #sano mikey x oc #ran haitani x oc #shuji hanma x oc #fic: saudade #oc: takara

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alexiswritingstuff · 1 year ago

Note

Hello! I was wondering if you’d be okay with writing a Gus piece where maybe Gus and the reader are having an argument and the reader gets scared or flinches if he says something (in THE tone). Naturally, he feels really guilty and comforts the reader or something with a happy ending? Thank you!

Okay, this took wayyyyyy to long to write, and I'm very sorry to the person who requested this. I really hope that you like this, and that I conveyed this in a way that feels natural, but most importantly correct. And that it's also what you wanted.

Just a truck.

Pairing: Gustavo Fring x Gender neutral reader.

Content: hurt/comfort.

Warnings: arguments, implied past abuse and/or trauma.

A/N: If anyone has any issues with phrasing, anything, then please inform me! The last thing that I want to do is offend someone with my writing.

I would also like to say that this fic is very long, so please grab a drink, take a seat and a snack.

I hope you enjoy!

More Gustavo fics.

Taglist- @sukunamybeloved - @viviennemuerte - @miwagila - @marksassybanana

“Sir?”

That time of day had arrived where the restaurant had grown calmer; passed the designated hours that people usually chose to have a meal with the things served at Los Pollos Hermanos.

It sounded like it echoed when the knuckles of your dominant hand knocked on the door in front of you, a good few times. “Gus, It's Y/n.”

There was a beat of silence, the cause of which unclear due to the wood blocking your vision, but it was something that created an urge to fidget as you flexed your fingers.

And then there was the muffled sound.

“Come in.”

Any other person who had to do this probably would have walked in already without knocking. Most of the guys on your side of the business had attitude problems, that whole thing where they thought of themselves as higher than each other.

In turn, it usually meant that a lot of people would just do things without proper thought.

But not you.

It wasn't like you were scared of Gustavo. At this point you had known him and worked alongside him for so long that it was honestly difficult to remember when it had started.

However, when the door in front of you slowly swung inwards, revealing the office that always seemed to be engulfed in this dark lighting, a ball of nerves gathered at the bottom of your stomach.

Your posture straightened, an attempt to present yourself as stoic as possible, when you finally took a step in.

Here we go.

The door latched behind you after a few more slow and careful steps into the room. You halted, looking down at the man who was staring right back at you.

Regardless of the fact that he was simply sat in a chair, the way he held himself always brought a feeling like you were about to start sweating. He was unmoving; the breaths he took not appearing to expand or deflated his chest.

Gustavo didn't even twitch. And neither did his eyes.

This time, when the air passed into his lungs, you could hear the whistle from his nose. “I'm listening.”

Every joint in your body felt as if it stiffened the longer he held your gaze. It was like he could see into your soul and, from his tone, your mind as well. “We believe that one of the trucks has been stolen.”

It felt like you were stood in the centre of a stage. As if the words said had just echoed around a grand hall, and you now awaited some kind of response from an audience. Either overlapping boos or shocked gasps.

Gustavo merely raised his chin, “And how do you know this?”

“The truck didn't arrive when it was supposed to.” You swallowed, “We asked the men at the previous checkpoints, and it appears that it had missed quite a few before that as well.”

It was probably the need to deliver bad news that had your body feeling as stiff as a board, so, when you finally allowed yourself to take a proper breath, your shoulders lowered with it. “We're not sure who did it.”

Now, since the moment the door had opened, was the first time that Gustavo looked away. His gaze dropped, lowering to a neat pile of papers you guessed he had been going through before your appearance.

Was he mad that you interrupted? Processing the news? Thinking of what to do?

When Gustavo started to lean back it had your eyebrows itching to furrow.

It was a slow movement that shifted almost every part of his body, except his hands that remained in the same position on the desk no matter how stretched his arms became, until his back fully pressed into the chair. And then he met your eyes again.

This time it had you gulping.

“May I ask why you've come all the way out here to tell me information that could've been passed over the phone?”

You blinked for a second, waiting for the words to process even though they already had. Your head slightly tilted, “Pardon?”

“You have just told me that one of my trucks has been intercepted,” Gustavo rephrased, pronouncing his words a little slower as if he needed to speak more clearly, “And Instead of trying to find it. You are here. In my restaurant.”

Whenever it was time to tell someone bad news, there was always an ability to get consumed in the "what ifs" There was no way to accurately guess how a person was going to react to something, especially when it came to Gustavo.

But this hadn't been one of the possibilities you imagined.

Your eyebrows officially furrowed, “Sir, we already have men on the job-- I came here to collect Victor and Tyrus, and I just thought it would be good to inform you--”

“Do you have a last known location?”

His tone had switched again, his words fast in a way that said enough on its own. He was looking at you expectantly, the expression on his face making it clear that his patience was being tested.

“Um...” You just blinked for a moment, jarred by the sudden change in topic, “Yes... Yes, we do, but I'm afraid it's from a long time ago.”

Within about five seconds, Gustavo rid his hands from their overlapped position. He slid them towards himself across the smooth surface and, when they got to the edge of a table, he pushed.

His chair rolled for about a second, the squeaking of its wheels being the only sound throughout the room, until he could stand on his feet, “Great.”

Gustavo grabbed one of the armrests, stopping the big chair from smacking into the corner of the table for the printer, and moved it to the side so that he had space.

Above that very printing machine was the only window in the office. The bottom portion of it was the vent system, as the creation for viewing the outside world was just for that. It wasn’t openable.

And though the blinds were mostly drawn, the slats so close to turning to their full extent, you could just see a sliver of the outside world. Gustavo turned towards it, his stiff hands slowly clasping behind his back.

There was some accompanying noise, like: the muffled sound of cars outside, chatter from the dinning area in the restaurant, the blow of air that almost brought goose bumps to your skin.

But the silence was what you could hear the most.

You cleared your throat, attempting to do it in a way that wasn't too loud. Now you understood why Mike didn't want to interact with Gustavo when he was angry.

I mean, you could understand his frustration. It wasn't like you were happy with having a truck go missing yourself, or that you wanted to say something that could make him upset.

However, this was a reaction you didn't properly know how to respond to. And that meant that it could escalate within a simple breath.

“My intention wasn't to... disturb your peace,” you began, trying to word your sentences as carefully as you could, “Is there a particular way you would like this to be handled?”

Once again, the man remained still. The wind was coming from right in front of him and yet his body didn't even sway. He was just staring out of the window. “Isn't that for you to judge?”

His voice was flat this time, like he wasn't even paying attention to what was coming out of his mouth.

The ability to stomach his attitude was getting a little harder with every statement Gustavo made, but you remained calm. It was better to get this all over and done with than to argue like a game of ping pong. “I could make a judgement, yes, but it isn't my truck.”

“We also don't have that much information on the whereabouts, so--”

“Well, did the truck just disappear? Into thin air?” By the time you had blinked he was facing you once again, his expression matching the way his words snapped throughout the room.

You tried to hide the shock from your face, but in doing so your confusion seemed to take over instead, “No... But, Gustavo, we don't know where it went since its last destination--”

“Then follow the tracks.”

You leaned back within a second of the sentence catching your ears. Your eyes crinkled, lips curling upwards at the joke... But Gustavo’s expression remained the same.

He was being serious.

“You can't...” Your head slowly rose, your brows remaining furrowed while every other feature had dropped, “Sir, with all do respect, that could take hours. The truck would have already reached wherever those people wanted to take it.”

“And not to mention that wind-- The sand has probably shifted by now.”

The more you spoke, the more you realised that you could say anything and it wouldn't change the way his mind was working right now. He was frustrated, the tension visible in the way his muscles sat.

He wasn't going to listen.

“Then I suggest you start making progress.”

Unbelievable. His tone, the look on his face, the request-- No, the command. It was unbelievable.

Of course, you could understand where he was coming from. You knew what was being transported in those trucks, and you knew what could happen if another business found out how easy it was to take stock from Gustavo Fring.

He had every right to worry about the situation, though he seemed to be too stuck in the possibilities of what could happen.

It was strange to see him like this. You were expecting to see the intimidation tactic you had seen him use more times than you've seen him smile, fuelled by anger which was very common in this line of work.

But as he stood in front of you, the way his body presented itself, the way his face remained in the same expression like he was trying to stop something from appearing. You could see it in his eyes.

Right now, he wasn't angry, he was... scared?

Gustavo Fring was scared.

“What if we don't find it?” you finally spoke up. If he was going to make you do this, he would need to think about all the other possibilities and consequences, “What if we send people out in that desert searching for hours, and the only thing that comes out of it is heatstroke and sunburns? Hmm?”

His eyelids lowered enough that it hadn't really narrowed his gaze, but the movement was visible. The lines closest to his mouth had deepened, and you swore the side of his nose had twitched in way that made it look almost like a snarl. “That truck holds a shipment of something that has any person of the law waiting to strike.”

“If they found it. If the people that took my truck let others know that they have taken my truck... What could happen is endless.”

A sigh huffed through your nose as you looked back at him. This was pointless. The decision to talk to him was pointless.

Maybe he's had a bad day. Maybe being the owner of a business like his had gotten too much this morning and then you just decided to come in later in the day and add onto that.

But now you couldn't just back off. You couldn't apologise, leave and pretend this never happened. You were too far in.

Gustavo was staring right at you. He was stood in place, the breaths that he took now visible in his chest, as the emotions started to attack his facial features.

It was like a standoff. A fight only because two people had an understanding of a situation, just with different perceptions.

Who would've thought.

“I get that... I do, okay-- Just... Look, we have no idea who is behind this, Gus. ” you started up, wanting to fully collected your words before attempting to speak, and Gustavo's head slightly lowered at the phrase, “We don't know if those people are waiting for us to act, and if they are, then we could start something far worse.”

“What we need is more time--”

Out of nowhere, all at once, was this sound that purely rippled through the air as if it was played through a multitude of speakers.

It was something that felt like it had engulfed the room longer that it had rung. Something that had then been followed by a set of words that you were merely guessing came from Gustavo. But you couldn't hear it.

You couldn't hear.

It was only when you tried to look for the source of sudden panic that you noticed that you couldn't properly see either... And that's when you realised.

Your arms were up, your hands held in a way almost lined perfectly with your eyes. Your palms were open, but your fingers were ready to curl as if they needed to ball into a fist.

They were twitching, doing so with every second that went by, until your brain clocked onto the fact that, no. They weren't in fact twitching.

They were shaking.

The movement was almost staggered when your arms finally attempted to lower, and soon you could see over your limbs. Right as Gustavo's hand had removed itself from the desk.

This silence was different.

Your eyes were wide, your heart on a rampage within your chest, by the time your arms stilled at your sides. And despite the movement of Gustavo’s arm, he was frozen as well.

It replayed over and over in your head. The moments prior, the words said, the second you saw something erupt within his eyes. The attention that you had on him seemed to end with your mind missing his movements.

He had slammed his hand on the desk.

His anger had gotten the best of him so much so that it overrode his usual ability to maintain a calm exterior, and though Gustavo still resided behind his desk, you were now stood closer to the door than him.

No words could find themselves flowing through the air. Every attempt Gustavo made, every twitch of his mouth, ended with the same silence.

The two of you could stand in the same opposing position for hours and still no words would be shared.

You had been doing so well.

After however long, the ability to feel began to return throughout your body, and soon your shoulders deflated once again. Like the stance you held upon entering this room, your spine was straightened as much as it could. Your chin rose, expression devoid of any emotion.

Until you smiled.

It was small. Weary, though held in a way to show otherwise. “You're right, Sir.” No matter how many times you swallowed, the lump formed in your throat never ceased, “I'll-- I'll get right to it. Sorry, for the... inconvenience.”

And then you turned, your body stiff enough that you had to actually force it to carry out any sort of movement.

By the time you next blinked the door in front of you was open once again, allowing the cool air in the hallway to meet with your skin. And you began to walk through.

Gustavo's mind was screaming at him to move his legs, to walk round that damn desk and close that door before you could... But what would he even say?

What could he do that hadn’t already been done?

His actions had caused this. His inability, for once, to not control himself ended with you... you thinking that he was going to harm you? Hurt you?

He didn't move. There was a spasm of a muscle throughout multiple parts of his body, but it wasn't enough to set him off. Gustavo remained where he stood, watching as the door to his office slowly closed so that it wouldn't make a sound.

“Oh, come on.”

Nothing.

There was still no sign of that truck. It had been hours since you were first informed of the news and yet there had been barely any progress, no step closer to finding it.

Sure, a multitude of people had been out, wondrously travelling back and forth across the same dirt and sandy road. But it's not like you could follow tracks when you got to the tarmac.

So, you were lost. Unsure of what to do next.

You leaned forward in the chair beneath you, waiting until your elbows could land on the table to stop.

A sigh seeped from your mouth, your hands raising to your face. Your fingers pressed into the sides of your nose, almost touching the corner of your eyes that had been closed.

The room was well ventilated. Cool air flowed around often enough that it could be felt, but it also seemed like the hotness of most places of America was a tough battle to defeat.

Your skin felt clammy despite being indoors, out of direct sunlight. But whenever it got to the point where it was too much, the cold air would complete its cycle. Meeting with your body once again, though it apparently couldn’t ease the warmth of your face.

When another breath was sucked into your lungs, your hands slid from their previous position. They glided to the top of your head, smoothing out the hair beneath, and then followed the back of your skull until they reached the nape of your neck.

Your head sunk a little the moment your fingers began to press down, letting your eyes fall closed all over again.

This was supposed to be your job, something that you were supposed to be good at.

I mean, this wasn't the exact reason that you were hired, but surely you were expected to be able to handle something like this? You should be able to handle something like this.

Yet here you were, sulking in the meeting room of the poultry farm while your team tried and failed again, and again, to find that damn truck.

At this point, you didn't even care to find it because of what was in it, what could happen if some officer stumbled upon the hidden compartments. All you cared about was Gustavo.

If it got to the 24 hour mark, he wasn't exactly going to be happy about it. I mean, he wasn't before when he...

But this was your fault. You were the person that dedicated more time talking to him when the truck was first lost, and maybe that was what made this whole thing worse.

You lost the truck and made Gustavo mad.

Your body was about to give into the urge to slump forward, wanting to lay against the table in a way that might grant the ability to sink both through it and the ground beneath.

But then the door to the room unlatched.

Instead of carrying out any of the wanted movements, you stilled, an attempt to gage any other sounds that may follow more clearly. Though, it proved to be a bit difficult when your ears caught onto a set of footsteps.

Finally, your head rose, the bones of your elbows beginning to ache due to the amount of time they had remained on the table.

Your eyes were almost lazy when they opened once again. You were expecting to see Mike, or other members of your team, coming back to deliver some other form of bad news.

You had not prepared for anyone else.

It took a moment for your vision to focus on the new figure. They had taken a few more steps before they remained in place, even clearing their throat.

Truth be told, your eyes didn't even need to rid themselves of the blurriness to catch onto who it was.

You could recognise that stance from miles away.

In about a second, all the tiredness seemed to drain from wherever it clung both inside and outside of your body. The features on your face relaxed, but your eyes grew wide instead.

You jolted up from the chair you sat on enough so that the back of your knees bumped into it. The legs squealed in an echo as they scraped backwards against the floor, “Sir.”

“Sir, what-- what are you doing here?”

Like before, when the door shut, the surrounding room was engulfed by a silence that was hard to ignore.

Now, the two of you were stood on opposite sides. You were the one behind the desk, while Gustavo was the one waiting to speak.

Despite how you imagined the man presenting himself at this hour, he wasn't in one of those fancy suits that always looked like they were freshly bought. Even if he had them for a long time. He was still in his uniform. Like he had come straight from Los Pollos Hermanos... But he never did that.

Gustavo always changed first.

“What am I doing in my own factory?” The tension wasn't in his face anymore. It had dissipated, leaving behind a much lighter look that settled across his skin and within his eyes.

He even had the slightest smile worn on his lips, but it was hard to tell if it was genuine or the one he usually used to hide.

You cleared your throat, the amount of blinks your eyelids allowed increasing as you processed your past phrasing, “I meant... I mean, I thought you needed to be at the restaurant?”

“All that is awaiting me now is more paperwork.” Gustavo insisted simply, even sounding as if he was about to chuckle through his words, “You don't have to worry about...”

In real time it only happened for about a second, but Gustavo suddenly sort of froze. His lips were parted, the words still urging to roll of his tongue while the skin under his eyes crinkled.

And then his face dropped. It was a subtle movement, one that you had almost missed if it wasn't for the way his gaze narrowed immediately after.

That feeling came back again. Being at the centre of a stage with all the lights shining right on you. Only this time there was no tension, nor fear, created by the attention being put onto you.

Just general confusion.

“Sir?”

The man before you merely hummed to acknowledge your voice, the expression on his face remaining as he started to move forwards.

He was analysing you, taking slow steps closer to the opposite side of the table as if you would take off running if he did it any other way. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

Gustavo stilled himself right behind the back of the chair on his side. His posture was the same as it always was, straight as a ruler, though his shoulder looked a little lower than usual. His chin slightly raised.

He could see it. He could see the sort of dullness to your eyes, that seemed to have increased the more the day had drained you of life.

He took in your stance, the rigidness clear within your arms that were held by your sides and sometimes even twitched in a way that made it clear that they wanted to drop down; hang loosely in the air.

Usually the lines of your face weren't visible to the naked eye like Gustavo's were. When you would smile, make a face in response to something, it would bring them out, show them off to whoever was looking until you needed to focus again.

But there they were, carved beneath your eyes in a way that made the skin almost look like someone had pulled on it for hours.

You looked as if you shouldn't have been able to stand without swaying, but there you stood, determined to act any other way than you had earlier.

“Sit down.” It took a minute for even Gustavo to realise the words had left his mouth.

You blinked, the previous reluctance to move further stilling your body regardless of the command. Thus, when you still made no sign of compliance to his words, he even gestured to what you had previously been seated in for further insistence.

“But...” It felt like it took hours for your lips to move for a singular word. It was the most confusing feeling too because you had worked so many shifts like this, so what was the difference? Why were you reacting this way?

You swallowed down the lump in your throat, even if it was going to return either way, your stiff arms now allowing movement as you clasped your hands together in front of you. “I-- I shouldn't have been sitting in the first place, Sir.”

Your eyes weren't on his anymore. Your gaze was sort of mindlessly flickering about as it succumbed to the many thoughts swirling through your head, “I didn't-- I didn't mean to sit in your seat.”

“My seat?” The skin between Gustavo’s eyebrows crinkled. He wasn't angry, or looking at you like you had done the worst thing in the world. It was genuine confusion, “Y/n, that is a plastic, foldable chair.”

“It is not mine, or anyone else's-- It is an object with a purpose that I would hope that you're familiar with.”

He was trying to not be direct this time. The command of telling someone to sit down felt harsh, forceful. He had already been both of those things today.

When there was still no movement, his jaw clenched. There was a quiet breath that seeped through his nose, the cold air almost making it feel like he inhaled water, until he blew it back out.

“Please.”

Maybe it was the difference in attitude that made it hard for you to choose the proper reaction. Earlier he had looked at you with such hatred that even though you weren't the direct cause or reason for it, it still affected you.

But now his gaze was light. It held remnants of the tiredness he always felt after a shift, though he would never tell. You could see the mixture of emotions that stormed as the release from work allowed a genuineness that he couldn't always feel. That he didn't always want.

He wasn't commanding something this time. He was asking.

After another breath filtered through your system, your body finally made the choice to move. You took a step to the side, hearing the way the floorboards creaked beneath your feet. And then you took a seat.

The slight relief was visible within Gustavo's face as you brought the chair a little closer to the table. But like it always did, the look disappeared within a second.

“Now,” By the next time you blinked, resuming your position from earlier, Gustavo had began to walk along the length of the table, “I'm guessing you found Victor and Tyrus?”

Your eyes were on him not matter how fast or slow he decided to move, “Uh, yeah-- Yes, I did.” You watched him move round the edge of the table, aiming towards a set of four cabinets that sat against the wall. Each both a different colour and height, though not by much.

“We followed the tracks as far as we could-- As far as they went.” you insisted, taking a moment to lean your elbow against the table again while Gustavo moved towards a certain cabinet.

“They went onto the main road.” the man concluded as his feet finally stopped. You could hear a slight breath huff out of his lips, his head even tilting a bit before it went right back.

Just in the way it had earlier, the ability to part your lips had become a sort of struggle.

He hadn't shown an ounce of hostility, and even now, as he stood with his back towards you, it should allow you the feeling to speak your mind. But that cautious feeling reappeared like you were dealing with a wild animal.

“Yes.” you finally confirmed regardless of the fact that it felt like your voice was caught in your throat. It was a wonder that the words even left your mouth, “I'm sorry, Sir.”

In about a second, Gustavo had turned his attention. He looked over his shoulder, most of his body still facing the cabinets, until his eyes met your own. “No need to apologise, Y/n.”

“You weren't the one driving that truck.” That was it. The was his only other comment in response to yet another one of your failures before he turned right back to the wall.

“What about Mike?”

Your eyebrows furrowed, your back leaning further into the chair while your gaze remained on whatever he was doing, “Mike? Um... He was the one to figure out which ways the truck turned.”

Gustavo reached for the top of the cabinet farthest to the left. It was a sort of greyish green, contrasting with the carpet and the particular wood the walls were made of.

There was this white fan that sat atop the set of drawers. It was an item that you honestly hadn't realised was there until now, even if it was one of the main reasons that the heat hadn't completely consumed you.

Gustavo's hand moved along the long neck of the object and soon it arrived at the front grill. Though, when he began to shift it, moving it to face more to the right, your train of thought sort of slipped.

“Oh-- Actually I forgot to... tell you, but Mike managed to find an angle from some of our cameras where you could see the number plate.”

Gustavo lowered his arm back down, seeming to get lost in the spinning blades as he just seemed to stand there for a moment, “He found it?”

Your excitement fizzled out almost as fast as it had appeared. Alas, when you thought a piece of information was useful, in reality, you were a step further back than you were before.

Still so far from solving the problem.

“The truck was very fast.” you informed, and that seemed to jump start Gustavo's brain again as he turned away from the cabinet with a slight hum.

“It would disappear by the time you blinked... Too blurry every time we tried to pause it.” He started walking again, following the wall that was now to his right until he got to a table closest to the corner.

This time Gustavo didn't respond as he stopped himself once again. Instead he reached for the divided tray, that was always brought to this room for Mr. Fring himself, the cling film over it crackling when his fingers touched down.

You should’ve known he was coming.

“But he's-- He's working with a few of the guys right now. Trying to see if they can fix it up enough to get a match.”

Once the plastic was peeled back, Gustavo took the tray into one of his hands and lifted it from the surface below before twisting back round. “Good... Good.” he remarked in a way that had your eyebrows yearning to furrow, but your mind lost focus when he chose to walk behind you.

Your body stilled, waiting for him to appear in your peripheral vision once again. But even when he did, your muscles never managed to ease the built tension.

“And what about you?”

Before your eyes could snap towards what could be seen of him, his arm suddenly reached to the side as he rounded table corner closest to where you sat. And now, for whatever reason, the tray that he took was placed right in front of you.

“What about me?” you questioned a little lazily as your mind zoned in on the new presence. There was a different vegetable in each section, cut up smaller than they actually would be so that they would fit. And also because it looked nicer.

“What are you doing?” The clarification allowed your attention to shift and this time, when you got yourself to look up, you found Gustavo stood to the side of table.

The question had you just staring at him for a moment. If he had asked this earlier, your heart would have been pounding in a way that felt like it would come up your throat.

But his tone was normal. One that held nothing but genuineness that conveyed curiosity. Not anger, or burning hatred. He just wanted to know.

Either way, you will admit that it had you almost gulping when you realised it in fact looked like you hadn't been doing anything when Gustavo first walked in.

So, you cleared your throat, “Well, I... I didn't want to stand around while Mike and the other guys did their thing, and Victor took Tyrus with him to gather more information, so.. I decided to wait here at a local point so that people could easily keep me updated.”

On the table, in front of where Gustavo stood, sat two metallic bottles.

“Makes it easier for me to pass it on too.”

The one to the left helped the water within maintain its heat if to be accompanied by a tea bag, or keep a coffee hot. You could even put a hot chocolate in there if wanted.

And the other, the one Gustavo had took in hand, kept the water cool. Useful for days like these, as if you left the water out on the table you could half expect it to start bubbling. “Hmm...”

“Good system.” He reached for the set of tall glasses that sat in front of the bottles. It slid against the uneven surface of the table, slightly managing to scuff up the wood, until it was close enough to Gustavo.

The thumb of his other hand pressed into what you were guessing was a button close to the neck, and soon, the lid clicked; snapping open. All Gustavo had to do was tilt his wrist and then the stream of water began to spill into the glass below. “Any word from... local businesses.”

It was piecing together. A lot of things were. The longer your eyes trained on watching the glass get fuller and fuller, the more points began connecting in your head.

“No.” You blinked, trying to bring back a sense of reality as you attempted to swallow the sudden feeling of thirst. “No one wants to make any moves.”

There was something going on here. Something Gustavo was doing since he entered the room.

If he needed something he would have already asked. He would have immediately sat right down in the chair opposite you and said whatever he needed to say.

But he wanted something.

“I heard that were even hesitant about...” Something that he apparently couldn't get with ease as you watched that glass begin to get dragged in your direction. “About?” Gustavo questioned, his arm slowly extending the further he pushed.

“About...” you repeated, the next few words proving difficult to locate through your mind, “About conducting meetings--”

In a split second, before you could even process it yourself, your elbow rolled until your forearm met with the wooden surface. Your hand barely had to reach out, as within about a second, it was pressing into the oncoming glass, halting it before it could fully get to your side of the table.

“Okay, what is this?”

Gustavo's head snapped in your direction, eyes aimed on your hand that trapped his own against the glass for a good few seconds before his gaze flickered to yours, “I'm trying to give you water.”

“No, not--” you huffed out a breath, fighting the urge to shake your head, as you freed both yours and Gustavo's hand from the grip. “All of this. The-- The pouring me a glass of water, which I can easily do myself. The turning the fan in my direction, even though I made no remarks of wanting that.”

“And this.” You grabbed the tray in front of you, the cling film sticking to your fingers as it still hung on the side, and held it up between the two of you. Your eyebrows were completely furrowed now, “Why did you give me this?”

“There has been no one else who was allowed to even put a hand near it, let alone eat it for themselves,” Gustavo's eyes were practically the only part of his body that moved as the travelled to what you held. “So, now I am asking you.”

“What are you doing?”

That silence was back again, layering across every surface that it could in a way that even made the fan sound loud, while the two of you stared back at each other.

The next breath that he took was heard by your ears. Finally, he removed his hand from the glass, that had begun to feel like it was freezing his skin, letting it remain where it was placed on the table.

His footsteps echoed once again as he begun to slowly move along the side of the table, rounding the next corner so that he could do the same on the next side.

It felt like your heart was in your throat by the time Gustavo had reached the chair opposite you. Even more so when he pulled it from its tucked position.

When the chair was a good distance a way from the table, he sat down, his back straightening in a way it usually did. Which you could never managed to do yourself.

He leant his forearms down onto the table top, his palms flattening against it while the fingers on each hand overlapped, resuming the familiar position that made it seem like you were back in the Los Pollos Hermanos office.

But you weren't.

This was the factory. A place settled far within the middle of no where to the point that you couldn't hear those cars anymore. You couldn't hear the chatter of customers, or the people working away in the kitchen.

The only thing that met your ears were your own breaths. And Gustavo's which were steady, though the look in his eyes told you something different.

“There are... a lot of things that need to be said...” He was almost nervous, the fingers pressed onto each other begging to twitch the longer your gaze stayed on him, “And yet, I forget that a voice is needed for that.”

For once, Gustavo didn't care how he felt. He didn't care about the argument, or that damn truck, even if it still made him anxious to think about what could happen.

But even then, the consequences wouldn't just effect him. They would damage his employees for both this business and the restaurant, which could then extend to their families, and that meant that it would end up at your feet.

This situation wasn't just about him.

It was about you.

“Y/n, I don't want to make you uncomfortable by sitting here, and talking at you about... what happened.” There was no name for that moment. No word to accurately convey the events, how it made either of you feel.

Still, it was like your body wanted to shy away from the singular mention of it.

“But, I can't ignore it.”

You wanted to get up. Wanted to move through the room as fast as you could and just bolt out that door, “Sir, we have more important things to talk about--”

“No.” His voice was louder than before. It wasn't enough to echo, or make you almost jump out of your skin, but it was a sound that had your mouth snapping shut. “No, we do not.”

It was like he was staring into your soul. As if he could read every thought that so much as passed through your mind, even just for a second.

“A truck is a truck. You are a person, living and breathing.” Gustavo continued, this unwavering insistence held within each word, “A person who, even after... wrongful treatment, stayed working hours on end for my benefit.”

Your head was shaking before the sentence had finished, “You didn't... Sir, this is my job.” No matter the difference in conversation topics, or the change of reasoning, your eyebrows always remained furrowed.

“Sure. Your job is whatever I say it should be,” Gustavo began, the slightest shrug shifting his shoulders, “But do you know how many people would have quit if I told them to do what you did?”

The nerves within your system had fizzled out at this point. “So what? Were you trying to to test me?” The only thing rampant through your veins was the exhaustion. A feeling that would soon lead to frustration, “Trying to find a weak spot to see if you needed to let me go?”

“No, I'm trying to say that there is no one else here like you.”

Your back pressed further into the chair you sat on, the upper half of your body almost slumping with it, “Mike could easily do what I did today.”

“Maybe so,” Gustavo did the opposite, he leaned forwards. And this time when he spoke, his voice was filled with this simplicity that it almost annoyed you, “But doing it without complaining? No... No, I do not think so.”

“Gustavo,” One of your hands raised to your face, while your head shook, in a way that sort of squashed your nose.

Your fingers rubbed at the muscles, trying to ease the tension that had begun to ache, and then your hand lowered so that you could look at the man across the table once again. “Are you going to give me a medal? A gold star? I was just doing my job--”

“And I am just trying to-” Gustavo caught himself. He let his lips fall closed, and so did his eyes while a breathing sucked through his nostrils. Though, when the breath cycled back out, they opened like before.

“This morning. What I asked... What I forced you to do-- The way that I spoke.” Gustavo's brows lightly crinkled. There was this look on his face while his head lightly shook, like he could see the past events right in front of him, “It was completely unacceptable.”

“I am... very sorry for what I caused.”

Your hands lay still in your lap, your fingers gripped onto the edges of your shirt as you stared back at Gustavo. “You didn't...” you started, almost forgetting that you could speak in a way that made you pause for a moment, “You didn't do anything.”

Gustavo nodded his head without a second to waste. “I did.”

The expression on his face remained regardless of how much time passed. His gaze flickered, his iris jumping from side to side, up and down, as if he was scanning every feature he could see. “I don't... I don't know what has happened in your life. And I don't need you to tell me.”

“But I know what I saw.”

You wanted to look away. Wanted to look down at the surface of the table below and let your mind zone in on the discolouration of the wood, or the difference in texture.

But you couldn't. You couldn’t move your eyes away from his face, the look on it that was such a thing that you had never seen it before. At least not on Gustavo.

“What I am trying to say-- What...” He took in a deep breath, attempting to unscramble the words in his head. And for the first time, you recognised the look of tiredness that washed of his features.

Or maybe it had been there all along.

“There is only one thing I want from you. One thing that I want to ask.” he finally managed out, and though their was clear frustration over the struggle, he spoke in such a careful way. Correcting himself of his past mistake.

“Okay.” Your voice was just above a whisper. In all honesty, it didn't feel like the sound was going to get passed your throat. But it did. And now, there was this look of relief that almost cleared the lines of Gustavo's face.

His back straightened, something you didn't even notice that he had to do.

“Will you work for me?”

Your eyebrows furrowed like they had many times before. Your head slightly tilted to the side, lips about to part in a way that Gustavo seemed to predict. “Not for the business. Or the company-- Not for any other person...”

“Just me.”

It felt like one of those jokes that took too long to understand. A phrasing of words that everybody else could get within a second. But not you. The most you could do was stare back at him. “What for?”

“Whatever you would like, I just-- Today made me realise a lot of things.” Gustavo began to lean backwards until his back was pressed against the chair. “I get so caught in what people do, what they say, that I only react for myself.”

“I am controlled by my own wants and needs, but my ability to react, or to feel, has only been allowed because of you.” The way his eyes crinkled, the upturn of a corner of his mouth. He was trying to be serious, but there was something else peeking through. “What you have done for the business, for me, surrounds us everyday, and...”

Suddenly, the expression on his face drained. Whatever sentence was about to roll off of his tongue got put on hold in a way that made you almost want to look around for whatever caused it. But then Gustavo cleared his throat.

He almost looked... shy.

“I... I do realise that the timing of this makes it sound like I'm trying to bribe you.”

It had felt like it had been the longest time since the urge to smile had tugged at your own lips. And at this point it was almost a strange feeling. You shook your head, “No, I get it.”

For the first time in what felt like days, the corners of Gustavo’s lips allowed themselves to curl. He looked down, nodding at your assurance that visibly eased his mind.

Finally, the two of you were on the same page.

“What I know... What I see is that there is a difference in a lot of things when you are in charge.” His voice oozed with a sincerity. It was this genuine and confident sound, like he had seen whatever he was a million times before.

With his next words, when he had mustered up the courage that was usually so easy for him to utilise, his eyes found your own set across the table, “When the mornings comes back, there is want to get through the stages of a day instead of a need to.”

His gaze swirled with an intensity, something that he almost looked confused about, unsure of how to deal with. And either, it was because he had never felt it before, or it had been a very long.

“I want you to work with you by my side.” It was insistent at this point. The way he sounded, the tone he used, the look on his face. Gustavo wasn’t asking anymore. It was a want.

A need.

It clicked. In a second, that very feeling sort of faded after his phrasing settled within his own ears. He was thinking about himself again. Acting based off of what his mind was telling him to do.

So, Gustavo’s back straightened, his head rose high and the expression on his face returned to the usual one he held when needing to deal with business. “If you would want that.”

It didn’t matter how tired you were. It didn’t matter what you had been doing all day, or the way your bones were practically aching by now. In fact, it was like your mind had completely forgotten that there was even a world outside the room you were in.

Right now, you were looking at Gustavo Fring. A man who was feared by many, not just because of his job. A man who was fuelled by the want for revenge, to seek justice for things no matter what extent he had to go to for it.

Yet here he was, sat on the opposite of the table he usually ruled at, naked under your unmoving gaze.

There was no part of you that wanted to leave the room anymore. No part that wanted to succumb nerves that told you to avoid the eye contact, and his presence all together.

When you finally spoke, finding the voice that felt like it was going to falter like a flickering candle, it was the fullest it had been all day, “Yes.”

No fear. No want to run for the hills and never come back. You remained in your seat.

Gustavo fought for control of the muscles beneath his brows as they nagged to pinched together. He was nodding again, fully processing your confirmation in a way that allowed him to properly breath again.

And, for the first time in what felt like months at this point, the two of you were smiling at each other.

After all, it was just a truck.

“I would.”

#gustavo fring #breaking bad #better call saul #gustavo fring x reader #gender neutral reader #gus fring #hurt/comfort #breaking bad x reader #gus fring x reader

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twstfanblog · 7 months ago

Text

It's live people

The fabled main story rewrite fic is finally posted. I will mainly be posting it on my AO3, which I'm officially dropping here. But I will also try to give you guys the first chapter of each book as like an announcement of them starting. And as such here you go!

Yuu never remembered her dreams and this was the same all things considered. Echoes of voices calling out in desperation, the sounds of stones breaking and the phantom heat of what seemed like a fire. As usual, whatever she dreamt about started to fade away the lighter their sleep became. Half-baked thoughts and visions drifted into nothingness, leaving her blinking slowly back to the waking world.

She was breathing slowly and it was dark, was everything a dream then? Rubbing at her eyes, she yawns, hands moving carefully to find her phone where it should be placed lower on her bed. Instead, she feels the cool touch of foreign fabric under their fingers. Eyes snapping fully open, they start to trace their hands along their surroundings and body, "What is this…? I don't…"

Silk. She hated silk. 'Fabric of Luxury' her ass, silk was hot and always felt weird on her skin. Any pair of silk pajamas were quickly given away since she couldn't even comfortably lounge in the material. But now, Yuu realized she was standing, everything was dark and she was covered head to toe in a silk outfit that kept her pleasantly cool.

Reaching out she feels the smooth texture of a wall, hands roaming around she feels another three walls. A box. She's in a fucking box. Was she buried alive? No, that wasn't possible. They had to, like, remove her organs to bury her, didn't they? Oh fuck. Was she about to be cremated ?

Her hands reached out in hesitance, making sure she felt the cool wood under her palms before she started to hit the surface. After a moment of silence, her hits start to increase in speed and force, “Hey! Hey, someone’s in here! Hello!?” Open palmed slaps turn to closed fists banging on the unmoving wall, “Hey!”

Every moment she spent hearing only her voice made her panic more and more. At the very least her banging was slowly inching the lid of whatever she was in. She huffed, fingers just barely squeezing through the gap. Luckily enough, the outside of the box was brighter, giving Yuu some sense of relief. Sadly it was short-lived, still seeing little and no one around, “Hello!?”

“Man, I need to find a robe fast…”

Yuu wiggles her fingers, hoping to draw the attention of whoever she had hoped she heard, “Hey! Over here! Oi!”

Quick steps echo in the room before the voice hisses at her, “Be quiet! You’re gonna get me caught!”

“Fuck you! I want out of this box!” She tries to move the lid again, groaning when it barely budges. This felt like a basic wood lid, why was it so hard to move? “Just help me!”

Whoever was outside was quiet for a moment, only to speak with an audible smirk, "Only if I get that robe you're wearing."

" I will - fine! I do not care! Just open the fucking box-"

“DEAL!”

It sounded like an explosion, the force of it ripping the lid away and a scream out of their throat. Their fingers felt uncomfortably dry yet sweaty from the intense heat that had suddenly enveloped them. They pulled their hand close, checking it over to make sure they still had all of their digits.

Once Yuu was confident they weren't missing any fingers, they stepped out of the box, "Thanks. You could have given me more…warning...Where are you?"

Yuu looked around the room, full of ornate coffins creepily enough, in confusion. Creepiness aside the room was large and decorated with gray tasseled flags sporting some type of blackbird as an emblem. It was like nothing she had ever seen before, nothing outside of a storybook anyway. Old, yet polished stone brick walls lined with green fire torches, dark. It looked pretty fancy.

They had started to walk, eyes tracing along the walls in unashamed curiosity before a voice jolted them from their stupor.

"Down here, human!"

Their eyes move downward, widening at the angrily pouting ‘cat’ sitting just in front of their feet, a three-pronged tail lashing around in annoyance.

"I let you out, so hand over the robe or you're gonna get it!"

…

Whatever confusion and surprise that had gripped them faded away. A talking cat, with blue flames coming out of its ears. They were clearly either dreaming or their brain was giving them one hell of a last chemical horah.

Yuu looked down at themselves. The robe was really nice now that they could see what they were wearing; silky black and lined with complex patterns of gold along the sleeves, a wide purple belt fastening it closed with an ornate golden buckle. Looking back to the cat, Yuu raises an eyebrow, muttering under their breath "I don't think this is gonna fit you, kitty."

The cat poofs up, blue flaming ears bursting out briefly from anger, "I'm not a cat! And you better hand it over if you don't wanna be extra crispy!"

" I will punt your ass, try me ." But, Yuu still started to unfasten the belt. Threats aside, they did make a deal and the ‘cat’ had helped them. Slipping the robe off their shoulders they were pleasantly surprised to see they were wearing a long-sleeved button-up, the sleeves ending fingerless with a loop around their middle fingers.

Picking the belt back up, they refasten it around their waist. They didn't have a mirror, just the general feel of their new outfit was plenty, "...Cute."

The robe was tossed onto the cat, the larger fabric engulfing the smaller creature's body easily, leaving it to hiss and scramble underneath it.

Yuu raised an eyebrow, watching the fabric shuffle and jolt around before taking pity on the poor thing. Taking the sleeve of the robe and lifting it off, they smirked at the frazzled cat, “Need some help?”

“No! I don't need help from some cruddy human! I'm Grim, master of magic and mystery! You should be bowing to me!”

Yuu will admit, the fire the cat spat out in anger was a little formidable. But they had a clear three feet over the beast and much stronger legs. If he actually attacked, the fight would be quick.

Tilting their head, they teasingly waved the robe around, jerking it out of Grim's reach whenever he tried to grab at it. Only when the cat had sat still, ears drooping in a truly pitiful display did he mumble out.

“...Fine.”

“...” Yuu shrugs, holding the robe out in front of them to give it a once over, “I'll take it. Hold still.”

The robe was not only too big for Grim to wear properly, but also had no way to close it. While they could give him the belt, it made their current outfit too cute to lose, so they had to come up with a new way to style the top. Rolling it up from the top, keeping the sleeves free until they had shortened the body of the fabric. Taking a gamble, they folded the sleeves in half to shorten them as well. Kneeling they tied the sleeves into a faux bowtie around Grim's neck. The way it was folded gave the illusion of four loops, leaving the rest of the robe to act as a cape.

Checking over their knot, they smile, patting the cat on the head a bit roughly before placing the oversized hood over his head. Though silently they wondered how his ears didn't set the fabric on fire, “There! Now you'll look dapper when you threaten to burn people alive.”

Grim smiled back, silently happy that this human had taken their time to help him, though he'd never say thank you, “Hmmmm. There may be more use for you yet, human. When I'm a great mage, I'll remember you when I rule the world!”

“Yeah, I doubt it. But, go have fun. I’m gonna…fucking leave, I guess.”

Yuu and Grim parted ways once outside of the room. They stood still, watching the creature scurry down the hallway and out of sight behind a corner, the shiny gold-laced robe flapping in the breeze. They let out a huff of a laugh, hands managing to find the pockets of the, strangely, perfectly tailored pants and walking in the opposite direction of Grim.

Wherever they were, dream or otherwise, was nice. It was nighttime, the sky empty of a single cloud and full of glittering stars and a massive greenish moon, the clean and crisp smell of ozone just barely noticeable. The grounds were like a castle; regal, old, and somehow effortlessly classy. This place was fancy, fancy . A fact that was only set by the number of tapestries and ornate portraits framed along the wall with shiny metal plaques resting under them. Their eyes tried to look from a distance at the details before turning away to gaze out the open arches, missing the paintings tilting their heads in confusion at their back. They pass by an open door, seeing what looks like a lecture room. It seemed lifeless in its empty state, but with designs carved into the wood of the built-in desks and rich colors, it was hard to call the room as such. There was an indescribable zing of something in the air here, like the feeling she'd remember having as a little kid on Christmas morning.

They found the exit to the building after wandering into a few more lecture rooms, leaving the empty halls through two large double doors. Pushing them open, just enough to squeeze through, they marveled briefly at the sight before them. A long stone staircase leading down to a perfectly manicured landscape. More buildings were stationed neatly on the flattened mountaintop, they could see what looked like a large iron gate blocking off the seemingly barren mountains outside of them. The glittering lights of a town far off in the distance, just barely covered by fog at the base of the mountain. Yuu smiled, looking up at the crystal clear sky full of stars as they leisurely descended the large number of stairs. As they looked at the bright green moon, they simply nodded their head in confirmation; a dream then.

They walked along the landscape for tens of minutes, reaching up to pluck an apple from one of the trees scattered about. Looking it over, they could only think about the old wives' tales of not eating the food in your dreams, a rule Yuu was never sure if they actually followed or not. They study the fruit, wondering if they could decipher the type from looks alone. It was big, like a Honeycrisp in season yet had the bold red coloring of a Red Delicious. Turning it over in their hands, checking for blemishes and finding none. Shrugging, they bring the apple to their mouth and bite into it.

Sweet, like a Honeycrisp, but had the lingering tartness of a Granny Smith. The combination making their mouth water and demand another bite while still leaving them satisfied with what they had. The skin was snappy, giving way under their teeth with ease yet filled with that ‘apple skin’ flavor Yuu couldn't help but love. They finished the apple in record time, tossing the core into a nearby bush and reaching for another; this one they would save for later.

They frowned, realizing they didn’t have their trusty shoulder bag with them. Then they realized they didn't have any of their possessions with them. Not their phone, their bag, the only thing that seemed to have remained on them was their underwear. Well, this was a dream anyhow, into the ‘Boob Pocket’ the apple went.

They look around briefly, seeing no one had spontaneously popped into existence the second they chose to be indecent, they undo the first few buttons of their shirt and shove the apple into their cleavage. Big boobs are good for one thing and it’s holding items. They’ll eat the apple later.

Seeing the brick path led farther away from the building, they looked behind them. Yep, still there. The castle hadn’t disappeared or become impossibly far away the second they left it, so maybe it was a more permanent fixture of the dream. They turn back to the path, giving the castle one last glance before continuing on their walk. It looked…weirdly familiar though Yuu wasn't sure where they had seen such a castle.

The ground level held more buildings to explore. Tall structures stood in the distance but there was a large building sitting just to the left of the stairs. Curiosity peaked, they walked toward the front and pushed open the door, wincing at the long squeak it produced. But, looking inside, their budding fear was quickly gone at seeing the rows and rows of towering bookshelves. Yuu steps into the room, glancing around to see if the area was really as empty as it appeared. Seeing no one around, not even a hellish prep school librarian, Yuu tip-toed into the room and closed the door behind them, breathing in the distinct smell of pressed paper and old leather.

Yuu walked through the shelves, not looking at the titles yet but enjoying how bright and vibrant the spines were. Some even had a gold lining! Just how much money did this dream school have to burn? They tap at one book, pulling it from the shelf and reading the cover before repeating the title aloud.

“The Great Freeze of the Northern Isles: A Personal Account from Olaph Christenson…” Yuu shrugs, tucking the book to her side and walking farther into the shelves. Before long Yuu had amassed several historical fiction books, even one that seemed to be a fantasy book about potions. They walked to a cluster of tables, just as ornately carved as the desks were in the main building. Sitting down, they crack open a book and start reading; not much else for them to do in this dream it seemed…

Yuu had surprisingly made their way half through one book before abandoning it for another. They did always love reading fairy tales; the ones in these books simply wrote about them in a more grounded manner. They had opened the potions book, reading the introductory paragraph and glancing at the table of contents before hearing doors slam open and the sound of yowling. They couldn’t see anything from their seat, at least not until they watched Grim scrabble his way through the aisles, yelling over his shoulder for an overgrown bird to leave him alone.

…

Not her monkey. Yuu turned back to the book in hand, trying to refind her place only to jump at the sound of a whip cracking. The book was forgotten for a moment, eyes looking around in bewilderment trying to find the source of the sound.

Soon, they found the source; a tall man in a lavished blue and black suit combo with a black feather boa collar walked from between the shelves. Grim in his grasp via a black whip that held the cat yowling and squirming around.

The man sniffles, slacking the whip only to tighten it and silence Grim’s whining, “Consider it tough love …now just to find- Ah!” Black-tinted lips pulled into a pleased smile as he seemed to lock his sight on them, “There you are! I was growing worried I wouldn't be able to find you before the night was up.”

Yuu jolts lightly in their seat, not realizing they had made eye contact with the masked man. They couldn't actually see his eyes, the dim lighting of the room only showing bright glowing orbs from black pits. They quickly grabbed the book they were reading, standing from their seat.

The man sighs in relief seeing them stand, starting to walk over to them, “Oh, good! You're not going to be as troublesome as- AH! Wait!”

Yuu started out in a light jog away from the strange man, their pace picking up as they heard him following after them. Soon they and the unknown man were sprinting around the library, the masked figure calling out for them to stop.

Their response was to turn around and blindly launch the book at him. They tilted into a full run, turning sharply into a new section hearing the heavy thud of the hardcover book connecting and the man's squawk of pain. They duck behind a large desk, hiding in the opening underneath and hoping the man just assumed they had escaped the room.

Instead, they nearly screamed and kicked at Grim, the cat scrambling under the table with them. Yuu looked at the cat in surprise, noting his hair standing on end as they hissed out, “The fuck, don’t you go here or something? Why'd you bring that crazy guy here?”

Grim huffed, glaring up to them as he tried to press himself tighter against their legs to hide more under the desk, “I'm- I'm trying to be admitted here…I don’t know who that crazy bird is though…he saw me in the hallway and started throwing a fit-”

The man suddenly leaned in front of them, “There you two are-”

“AH!”

“ AH!” Yuu screamed along with Grim, their leg shooting out and connecting hard with the unknown man's chest, sending him crashing into the back of another sturdy desk.

“OW!” the man groaned, rubbing the back of his head.

Yuu and Grim scramble from under the desk, the pair making their way to the agape double doors of the library. The bird man couldn't hope to chase them both down once they were out of the room. It was going to be a matter of luck once they got out whoever he decided was more important to chase down.

The sound of ice crunching suddenly filled the air. A bright blue light sailed over their heads and hit the ground in front of the doors. Yuu's eyes widened, watching ice form, grow, and completely consume their only exit. The ice didn't stop at just the door, a patch had raced toward them and Grim. They slipped, gold-heeled feet quickly leaving the floor and sending them hard onto their back and sliding into the wall of ice.

Yuu looked behind them, eyes widening as they saw the man still standing a good distance away with his cane held out. At the very tip of the cane (Does it say RAVEN???) they could see the fading bright blue light that had shot out the ice, “The fuck?”

“Enough of your running! We have places to be and I'm not going to let you cause any more havoc on my campus!”

Yuu turns to Grim, the cat creature equally panicked, “Dude, don't you have, like, fire powers or something to melt this!?”

Grim perks up, ears twitching as he grins and turns to the ice, “Oh yeah! Watch as the Great Grim melts this lackluster magician's ice- ACK!”

Yuu scrambles away just as the whip wraps around Grim, the cat being yanked toward the mysterious masked man. Grim squirmed around, yowling and trying to escape the wrapping.

“WHA-WHAT IS THIS!? I CAN'T USE MY FIRE!?”

“Honestly…” The man sighed, swinging Grim loosely as he walked forward, “You're in a library, fire should be the last thing you use in such a place. The money to replace all these books would destroy my vacation fund…”

Now that he stood in front of Yuu, they realized with an unsettling feeling in their stomach they actually couldn't see his eyes. Behind the fanciful face mask of a crow were nothing but two actual voids of black with pinprick lights of yellow. He stood right in front of them and tilted his head with a slight click of his tongue.

“My, my! I'm not sure if you're a troublemaker or simply an overzealous student.” He smiles, updating his gentle swing to twirling the cat creature in a slow circle, fully ignoring Grim's whines, “But, I am most pleased! We need more students who enjoy studying. Surely, we'll be able to out do- OW!”

Yuu swears under their breath, they missed the man's knee and had only kicked him in the shin. Not the fully devastating attack they hoped for, but it was something since the man took his time to bend down and nurse his leg. Time that Yuu took to push themselves up and make a break for it. Hopefully, this library had a second entryway somewhere.

They sadly didn't get far. Another bright light shot out from behind them, this one being green. It hit just before their feet, sprouting vines that easily snatched them up by the ankles and held them upside down. They flailed only a bit before the vines had stretched them back to the now frowning man.

“Stop. Kicking me! I've made my decision, you are a troublemaker . As such you will be properly punished once you are sorted. And another thing-” The man took care to grab them by the bicep, holding them as the vines slowly weakened and disappeared to leave them feet back on the ground, “You must learn to control your familiar. It's not even the first day and you've already violated the school rules multiple times!…”

The man goes on and on, not seeming to realize that Yuu had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. He went on about gates and orientation, claiming Yuu must have the ‘temerity’ to open their gate before he called for them (whatever the hell temerity meant…). They try to make eye contact with Grim, only to see the creature simply struggling in the whip wrappings and doing great heaving breaths as he tried to summon his fire.

“Are you listening!? Goodness, you are shaping up to be quite a poor student. How disappointing…”

“...I don't go here…”

The man blinked at them. He leaned in closer, humming softly as he brought the head of his cane to gently tap them on the forehead, “Oh. You must have gotten disoriented during the journey. Not uncommon…but not an excuse either. You've wandered very far from the main building and have brought such an unruly familiar on campus-”

“That thing ain't mine.”

“Stop interrupting me!” The man huffs, shaking his head before twirling his cane.

Yuu watches in surprise as the metal rod disappeared, vanishing from sight in a show of navy-colored sparkles like it had always been some type of optical illusion, “The fuck?”

The man taps them again on the forehead, clicking his tongue before forcibly turning Yuu around and lightly shoving them toward the thawing ice blockade, “No foul language. Come along now, let's get you to the mirror chamber before everyone decides to leave. Goodness knows you've already wasted so much of my time…”

“Can you hear me? I don't go here!” Yuu tried to wiggle their way out the bird man's grip on their shoulder.

He laughs, easily gripping Yuu by the back of their shirt and pressing against the center of their back, forcing them to walk out of the library, “I shall help you regain your wits as we walk. Aren't I such a kind and compassionate educator?”

“ Get off of me!?”

Yuu had all but dropped themselves into dead weight after they had been forced back up the stairs to the courtyard. Sadly, all it managed to do was have the man drag them with no effort. The man who they learned to be called Dire Crowley, the headmaster of Night Raven College.

Groaning, Yuu punched at Crowley's arm again. It didn't help the first few times but it was all they could do to show their frustration, “I'm not even old enough to go to college! I didn't sign up for your damn school!”

Crowley frowned, with one hand keeping Grim in a tight hold, he wasn't able to properly deal with his new unruly student, “Nonsense. You were brought to our campus and are dressed in our ceremonial robes! You clearly are to be a student of ours. Age aside, as long as you are 16 by the end of the year, you qualify for your first year here.”

Yuu let out a growl that slid into a throaty scream. Gripping their arms onto Crowley's, they actually dropped their weight to lift their legs and kick at him from behind; not very strong in the long run, but he didn't have room to dodge them, “I. Dont. GO HERE!”

“AH! NO! STOP!” Crowley cut his losses and released them, frowning heavily at the panting figure on the ground, “I will say, you are impressively physical for a magician. Perhaps you will be more useful in sports than academics …”

“...” Yuu lifted their head from the ground, staring into Crowley’s voids with a stunned expression, “I’m sorry, I'm physical for a fucking what now?”

“...A magician-”

“ A magician!? Like, an Alakazam kinda bullshit!?”

“Bless you?”

Yuu pushed themselves off the ground of the courtyard, pointing to their person in quick motions, “I ain't no fuckin’ witch!?”

Crowley perks up, tapping a clawed ring to his chin, “Ah! Do you use female pronouns? That's not normally seen here these days, but I will make sure it is added to your student file. Aren't I truly so understanding and-”

“ I AM GOING TO ACTUALLY SHIT, SHUT UP FOR LIKE TWO SECONDS!”

The only sounds were of Yuu's controlled breaths, the fading echo of a flock of birds fleeing for their lives in the distance. Crowley merely blinked at them, sharing brief eye contact with a still bound and gagged Grim before shifting his sight back to them.

Once they were back to a sense of calm, Yuu pressed their mouth to their clasped hands. Blinking, they looked around, eyes lingering on the full green moon before turning to Crowley, “There's been some kind of mistake. I don't…I'm not from here. I can't have, like…signed up for classes here or something because, I'm not from here .”

Crowley only huffed, rolling his eyes as if Yuu was the one not listening, “An ebony carriage should have met you carrying your gate. It was the vessel that brought you here.”

“ Carriage? Like a horse-drawn buggy?” At Crowley's nod, Yuu sputtered, “I didn't see no fucking horse! Let alone a carriage!”

“Hmmm…But you awoke in a gate, did you not?” Only now did Crowley seem intrigued, yellow orbs focusing on Yuu in a new manner, “You were in a gate and you are in the ceremonial robes. Unless you want to admit to breaking onto the campus and stealing a set of robes, you are clearly meant to be a student.”

Yuu groaned, face falling into their hands, “I didn't break in anywhere! I woke up in a coffin- fucking weird by the way-”

Crowley perks up, smiling as he makes a pose as though to say ‘Eureka’, “Yes! That is the gate; it was shaped after a coffin to signify the ending of one life to begin your new life here on campus as a Night Raven student.”

“...” Yuu stared at Crowley, the man taking full notice to see how she suddenly became subdued, “I don't remember a carriage…I was…I was inside before I woke up…I wasn't…I don't…”

“...” Crowley placed his hand back to Yuu's shoulder, gently and to be the comforting weight they seemingly needed, “The gate transport can cause gaps in memory. You may start to remember more once you complete your orientation. But to do that we must make haste to the chamber. It'd do no good to have your dorm leave you behind.”

They both stand in silence, only Grim's ever-constant struggle a sound before Yuu took a deep breath. She looks up to Crowley, nodding their head; they didn't have much of a choice.

“Ok…”

Crowley smiles, eyes turning to crescents through his mask, “Then off we go!”

The walk back to the school seemed so much shorter. What had taken them nearly half an hour had ended in only what felt like five minutes with Crowley's hand pressed on their shoulder in support. Yuu wasn't entirely sure where they were in the castle; It seemed so small in the few halls they had wandered through earlier. But now they were able to fully grasp the sheer massive size of this unexplored location. Soon, their small group came to large double doors; the bustling sounds of multiple people closed behind it.

Crowley gave them a glance over his shoulder, either to silently tell them to brace themselves or to make sure they didn't bolt the second his hand left their shoulder. Either way, he gets his answer and turns back to the doors, pushing them up to hear a bright voice speaking loudly.

“-be his stomach was upset and he's taking a long bathroom break!”

Whatever serious air the headmaster had around him was instantly broken, the masked man stuttering and nearly stumping onto the large stage, “I was not having stomach issues! I will have you know I was not lollygagging around the school; I have brought back our wayward final student and their familiar.”

Yuu looked around the room, hundreds upon hundreds of masked individuals sat in what could only be described as a ritual room. Tall ceilings and branching archways of stone frame the room yet still draw attention to the grand oversized full-length mirror in the center of the cleared area. Yuu stared at the face in the mirror, it seemingly staring back with a look void of all emotion. From behind the ornate mirror, Yuu could see a small ensemble of other cloaked figures sitting in raised seating behind the mirror, a clear way to set them apart from the lower seated masses.

“...” Yuu blinked, “Oh…I get it. This is a fucking cult. ”

…

The room was silent, the stray and strangled laughter of a few students quickly being snuffed out. A few of the students on the raised seating looked completely scandalized, expressions angered yet stunned in their silence. Crowley turned around to face them, his face finally showing the correct amount of confusion, “ What?”

#twisted wonderland #twst #disney twst #twst wonderland #yuu oc #Main Story Twst

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