#i still can't use the fucking tag list on chapters like these

[simplyraeblue]

hunter and hunted (jjk)

college (summer) break au: a fic in which y/n is pining over Yuji's older brother Sukuna, while unbeknownst to her, Choso is doing the same thing for her. contents: sukuna x reader, choso x reader, modern college AU, yuji and choso are brothers, sukuna and yuji are brothers, smut warning, fem reader

chapter warnings/tags: mild angst, swearing, filthy raunchy smut, oral (reader receiving), squirting, p in v, creampie, i was diabolic writing this, choso's an oral god, use of "angel" A/N: oh my god I can't believe we've come to the end... how? how how how? it feels like just yesterday I started this hot mess of a fanfic and now it's complete. if you hated it; sucks for you. if you loved it; thank you so much. THANK YOU to all who have commented, reblogged, and showed continous support for this mini series! ദ്ദി(ó﹏ò｡) i love you all so much muah muah MUAH! I've got a little treat in store at the end of this for you, so stay tuned!

index part fourteen | the end no more sorry

master list

part fifteen word count : 5,764 (+ 635 in bonus content)

two months later

school was in full swing again, and the weather was shifting; sandals were swapped for boots, and ball caps into beanies. students flooded the campus in heavy coats, clutching their textbooks, but not everyone could adapt to the change.

your breath formed a fog in front of you as you hurried through campus, realizing you were late. oh so fucking late. Yuji was already waiting for you at the library, ready to scold you for neglecting your studies – though really it would be Megumi doing the actual scolding.

your phone buzzed in your pocket, and as you pulled it out to check the message, you let out a frustrated sigh. of course, Nobara was skipping the study session. she always preferred wild Thursday nights to hitting the books. honestly, you kind of wished you had done the same. 

after rushing (silently) through the library, you finally spotted Yuji and Megumi in a study room. you pushed through the door and immediately felt Megumi’s disapproving gaze. “you’re late.” he said with a tut.

Yuji groaned, sliding him a small bill, and your jaw dropped. “you bet on whether I’d be late?” you asked, setting your things down a bit harder than necessary.

“not if you’d be late, but how late.” Yuji clarified as you took a seat. you quickly flipped open your textbook, trying to catch up to where they were while both of them just stared at you. 

you glared at them, eyebrows furrowed. “what? you’re looking at me like I committed a crime by being late.” 

“we were just wondering…” Yuji started.

“…if you wanted to skip studying and join Nobara.” Megumi finished.

you gasped. “Megumi Fushiguro, you want to party instead of study? what has gotten into you?”

Megumi rolled his eyes, but there was a hint of amusement in his expression. “don’t act so surprised. you know how important studying is to me, but even we need a break sometimes.”

you crossed your arms, pretending to be annoyed. “sure, but you’re the last person I expected to suggest ditching our study session. what’s next, are you going to start dancing at parties?” 

Yuji chuckled, nudging Megumi playfully. “hey, maybe we could both use some fun. besides, Nobara always knows how to make things exciting. it could be a nice change of pace.”

you hesitated, glancing back at your textbook, then at their eager faces. “but what about grades?” pfft yeah right.

“they’ll still be there when we get back.” Megumi said, his tone surprisingly persuasive. “just one night won’t hurt.”

you took a deep breath, weighing your options. part of you wanted to dive into your studies, but the thought of a spontaneous night out with friends was tempting. finally, you sighed, a smile creeping onto your face. “alright, but only for a little while! we’ll come back and study after.”

“no we won’t!” Yuji joked as he patted Megumi’s back and stood from his chair. 

so now, here you were, three shots deep into a bar with your friends. “I can’t believe you convinced Megumi to come out!” Nobara shouted over the music, arm slung around your shoulder. 

“actually, it was his idea!” you responded with a grin. everyone was surprised, truly, but you weren’t complaining. 

the last two months had been nothing short of dreary, and you didn’t mean the weather. 

moving out of Yuji’s house had been the right choice. it felt like you could finally breathe again, even though each breath still carried a twinge of pain in your heart. while you were relieved to escape the heavy tension between Sukuna and Choso, you missed the latter with every fiber of your being. 

it wasn’t for lack of effort on his side. for the first month, Choso had begged Yuji for your address, but found that his brother was under strict orders not to share it. he called and texted constantly, yet you couldn’t bring yourself to respond to any of it.

you were determined to stick to the belief that he would find someone better without you. 

Sukuna, on the other hand, had been much more persistent. by the third week of living in your new apartment, he showed up on your doorstep. despite your protests, he somehow ended up on your couch, enduring nearly an hour of your yelling. 

in the end, he accepted defeat. you vividly remember the relief you felt when Sukuna asked, “can we just be friends?” 

friends. yes, you could manage that. any feelings you had for Sukuna had faded away during your relationship with Choso, and while you hadn’t fully realized it at the time, you were sure of it now. 

now here you were, being nagged by both Yuji and Sukuna, urging you to reach out to Choso. how had you gone from hating the eldest brother to listening to him go on about how you’d made the biggest mistake?

“do you realize how this has affected him?” Sukuna asked one night over a pint of beer at a pub. “while I could drown out my heartbreak-“

“oh, sure.” you rolled your eyes.

“-excuse me. get over my bruised ego, then.” Sukuna smirked at your reaction, though he meant what he said. he understood now wasn’t the right moment to delve deeper. “I could go out, pick up a woman at the bar, and bring her home. Choso, though? he hasn’t done any of that. I haven’t seen him talk to a woman once.”

“yeah, right. Choso could walk down the street and charm any girl.” you joked, but the thought made your stomach churn.

Sukuna chuckled. “doesn’t matter. he’s barely left his room.”

“oh.” was all you could manage.

since that day, the calls and texts from Choso had stopped. whether he had given up or found happiness elsewhere, you chose not to think about it.

instead, you decided to spend tonight drowning your feelings with Nobara, Megumi and Yuji. no thinking of Choso, no thinking of Choso, you repeated the mantra over and over just as you’d done over the past two months.

Nobara spent half the night shoving you gently in the direction of other men, trying to get you to flirt and have fun. no matter how many times you tried to dissuade her, she kept telling you that it was time to move on. but even when a guy would be trying to sweet talk you, you kept having to shake away images of those twin black buns and tattoo striped across the nose. how could anyone compare?

Yuji and Megumi tried to lift your spirits as well by forcing you to dance with them. but eventually, their sweet romantics would make you feel even worse, to no fault of their own. you were just remembering the night Choso saved you from that creepy guy in a bar. 

“Yuji…” you whined, leaning heavily against the bar with your head in your hands. the music blared around you as Nobara tried to slide another drink your way, but you waved it off, no longer in the mood. “did I really fuck up? just be honest with me.”

Yuji offered a sympathetic pat on your head, a gesture that only irritated you more. he’d taken to doing it since your breakup; it made you feel like a helpless child, vulnerable and lost. “I think you did what was best for you.” he said softly, but the words felt hollow and you could see past the fake bullshit he was spewing. 

“but… I don’t know anymore.” you really didn’t. the weight of uncertainty settled in your chest. moving out had felt like the right choice, but breaking things off with Choso? that was a different story. “I just really miss him.

“then why haven’t you talked to him?” Megumi interjected, his expression neutral as if he were presenting the most logical solution in the world.

“I can’t. he’s better off without a brother-fucking girlfriend.” 

“I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.” Yuji grimaced, shaking his head at your remark. the thought of you being… intimate with either of his brothers still made him a little queasy. after a moment, he leaned in closer. “he’s not better off without you. trust me, I know my brother. he might act like he’s fine, but he’s a complete mess without you. his music’s gotten louder – like he’s trying to drown out the silence – and he spends all his time in the dark in his room. I haven’t heard him touch his xbox in weeks. he’s just… an empty shell now. honestly, he’s even more emo than before, if that’s even possible.”

maybe Yuji was right. maybe you hadn’t necessarily made the wrong choice at the time, but the long-term effects felt crushing. you wanted Choso to be happy, that was why you left. if you were happy, great. if Choso was happy, even better. as you often reminded yourself, it was with or without you. but the idea of him suffering made your heart ache. 

“I just keep thinking about the good times.” you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. “I remember how he used to smile when I’d surprise him with his favorite snacks, or how he’d get lost in his music for hours. it’s like I can still hear him playing those songs in my head.”

Yuji watched you closely, his expression softening. “but it’s not just about you and him any more, it’s about what you both need. sometimes love means taking a step back, even if it hurts.”

“I thought I was doing the right thing.” you said, feeling the sting of tears threatening to spill over. “but now it just feels… empty. I thought I’d feel better, but I don’t.”

Nobara returned with yet another full drink, her eyes flickering between you and Yuji. she placed it in front of you, but you just stared at it, not ready to take another sip but not pushing it away either. “you can’t keep punishing yourself for wanting what’s best for both of you.” she said, her tone more supportive than judgmental. “I don’t see why you can’t just talk to him.”

“but what if he doesn’t want to talk to me? what if I end up just making things worse?” the anxiety twisted in your stomach, each possibility feeling heavier than the last.

Yuji suddenly placed both hands on your face, squeezing slightly to get you to turn and focus on him. “listen, you are my best friend in the world – sorry Nobara – and you deserve to be happy. I won’t sit here and listen to you agonize over whether you made the right choice. obviously, if it still bothers you, then you didn’t. I can say with certainty that Choso would want to talk to you, he’d probably cry if he got the chance for one minute to see you. so, get off your ass and talk to him.”

Nobara and Megumi’s jaws dropped, and you could only nod in shock. “I’ve never seen Yuji be so firm.” Nobara muttered to Megumi.

“I know, it’s hot.” Megumi felt the sharp jab of Nobara’s elbow in his side, causing him to chuckle.

finally, after your little pep talk from Yuji, you were stumbling back to your apartment alone, and all you wanted was to think about Choso. what was he doing right about now? was he blaring music through the speakers in his room? maybe he was playing video games or watching a movie. Yuji had said he wasn’t doing any of that, but you could only hope for the best.

you grew nauseous at the thought of him with anyone else tonight.

as you dug for your keys in your purse, you tripped over something right outside your door. fuck, had someone’s food delivery got sent to the wrong address again? “oi, what the hell?” you grumbled as you looked up from your purse, only to stop breathing.

Choso shot up from the ground, buns tousled and eyes puffy. he opened and closed his mouth, struggling to find even a simple “hello” only to give up and shut his lips tightly.

“what are you doing here?” you asked, your voice trembling as your palms grew clammy at the sight of him. your heart raced in your chest, aching for him.

“I had to… I needed to…” Choso stammered, caught off guard that you were speaking to him. he hadn’t expected to run into you; he thought he’d just swing by and maybe catch of a glimpse of you if luck was on his side. “I don’t know what to say now that you’re right here.”

you couldn’t help but chuckle, unfazed by his awkwardness. “do you want to come in?” you slid your key into the door, and Choso nodded firmly. 

maybe it was the alcohol, or just the shock of seeing him after two months apart, but your resolve was slipping.

he followed you inside, mentally letting out a sigh of relief at just being able to speak with you. Choso had begged Yuji every day for even the smallest hint of your new address. to his surprise, it was Sukuna who finally let it slip.

you moved to the kitchen, trying to give Choso a moment to gather himself. “can I get you something to drink?” you asked, glancing back at him.

he shook his head, still looking a bit shell-shocked. “I just… I didn’t think I’d actually see you.”

you turned to face him full, leaning against the counter. “why did you come, then?”

Choso took a deep breath, his gaze dropping to the floor. “I can’t stop. I can’t stop thinking about you, about everything that happened between us. I can’t move on from you.

“Choso…” you whispered, your heart sinking at his words.

he stepped closer, his hand reaching out but hesitating halfway, as if unsure of how to bridge the gap between you. “I can’t move on from us.” he continued, his voice trembling slightly. “I’ll never be able to move on from you.” his hand slowly moved until it rested just above yours on the counter. “I think…” he took a breath, and the vulnerability in his eyes made your heart race. “I think I’ll love you forever.”

your resolve crumbled, scattered like leaves in the wind, as the warmth of his presence enveloped you. “I think… I’ll love you forever too.” you confessed, the words spilling out before you could hold them back.

Choso’s expression shifted, a longing flickering across his face as he fought the urge to pull you into his arms. he wanted nothing more than to kiss you, to hold onto you tightly and never let go, but he held back, willing to let you lead the way. if you wanted him to leave, he would do it, even if it meant breaking his heart all over again.

but standing so close, you felt that pull to him that was impossible to ignore. you didn’t know if you’d regret it, but your body was responding to his proximity, urging you to bridge the gap. “are you going to kiss me now?” you asked, your voice barely above a whisper. 

Choso’s breath caught at your question, his eyes widening with surprise and a flicker of hope. “is that what you want?” he asked, searching your face for any sign of hesitation. 

you nodded, a nervous excitement fluttering in your stomach. “yes.”

that seemed to break whatever restraint he had left. in an instant, he closed the gap, cupping your face gently with his hand as he leaned in. his lips brushed against yours softly at first, as if testing the waters. the kiss was tentative, filled with months of longing, but it quickly deepened, igniting a warmth that spread through you both.

you melted into him, your hands finding their way to his shoulders, pulling him closer. it felt like coming home after a long trip – a familiar warmth that wrapped around your heart.

Choso broke apart from you, breathless, as he rested his forehead against yours. his eyes searched yours, looking for something within them. “this can’t… I can’t handle it if this is just a one-night stand.” he murmured, breath warm on your face. 

you shook your head against him, a small smile forming across your face. “I don’t think I can let you go again.” as you whispered the reassurance, Choso groaned out in relief before pressing his lips to yours again.

where the first kiss had been cautious, patient, his lips now moved against yours with a fervent need to feel every inch of you. Choso’s tongue dipped past your lips to tenderly caress yours as he pulled you closer into him, heaving chests flush together as your hands fisted the back of his shirt. 

“angel…” he moaned lowly, his teeth nipping at your bottom lip as you panted into his mouth. you felt like you were on fire, his hands leaving trails of flame on your body while they roamed and grabbed at whatever he could get his hands on. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too.” you whimpered as his lips found purchase between your neck and jaw. he peppered kisses along your skin before you felt his teeth bite into you before sucking a mark. “missed you s’ much.”

the two of you became a tangle of limbs as he tugged you toward your bed, so conveniently close in your studio, until your legs hit the bed and you both tumbled backward onto the mattress. Choso landed on top of you with a thud, causing you to let out a laugh with the extra weight. 

“somethin’ funny?” Choso asked with a grin as he tucked a strand of your hair behind your ear. “I missed that laugh. thought I’d never hear it again.”

looking up at him, your heart raced, urging you to speak before thinking. he was so beautiful, watching you with a love-filled gaze, that you couldn’t help but melt under him. “I love you, Choso.” the words slipped out softly from your lips but you had no regrets – you did love him, with your whole heart.

Choso’s eyes went wide, shining so bright that you were blinded by the emotion pouring out from his expression. he was shattered when you’d left. you’d taken the sunshine with you, leaving him to hole up in the darkness of his broken heart. but with those three words, you’d started to piece him back together. 

his lips crashed into yours, teeth clattering together with the force of it, as his eyelids fluttered close with furrowed brows. “I….” he started between your lips “… love…” a nip at your tongue “… you.” 

nothing was holding him back anymore from pulling his shirt over his head with one fluid motion, before latching his lips onto your neck and dragging out the sweet little moans he loved from your mouth as he marked you with his teeth. he’d heard them in his dreams, through his blaring music, every day he heard your voice, and now he wanted to make sure he’d hear it until he went deaf.

Choso trailed kisses down to your collarbone before pulling your shirt off and then unclasping the back of your bra. needy lips found your perked nipples, latching on roughly as he sucked one into his mouth. he made sure to leave bruising red marks on the plushest part of your tits as well – just in case the one on your neck hadn’t taken. this skin was softer, easier to brutally bite and suck, dragging the most incredible noises he’d ever heard from you. with every scratch of his teeth against your skin, you moaned out in a mix of pain-pleasure, and your pulse raced under his touch, shivers running through your bones as he continued his path down to the hem of your pants. 

it felt like the first time all over again; the need and desire taking over both of you. he was relentless with his hands dragging over your body, scratching and gripping everywhere they paused. but his hands would only pause for a moment, before moving on to somewhere else, desperately aching to touch you, feel you, taste you. 

“wan’ t’… need t’ taste you, angel.” he murmured against your skin as his fingers worked apart the button, then the zipper, ultimately forcing the pants down your legs and ripping them from your ankles to toss them somewhere on the floor. he had a one-track mind right now – tasting your sweet cunt on his tongue. “miss the taste of you, been goin’ through withdrawals.”

your face flushed at the filthy words babbling from his lips as he kissed your inner things, making sure to leave bite marks there too. “Choso, that’s so gross baby.” you whined in embarrassment and tried to shut your thighs, only to have them forced open by his hands pushing your knees apart.  “it’s not that great, I’m sure.”

Choso looked up from where his chin was nestled between you, eyes half-lidded as if he was drunk off you already. “it is that great, it’s perfect. could do this all day if you’d let me.” and with that, he licked a stripe up your already slick folds and let out an animalistic groan at the taste. “s’ good, tastes s’ good angel. can’t get enough.”

as he began to eat you like a man starved, spit and arousal coating his mouth and chin, glistening over his face tattoo you loved so much, you fisted his dark hair in your hand at the overwhelming pleasure he was giving you. it had been so long – too long – and you were overly sensitive to every nudge of his nose against your clit as he pressed his face deep into your core.

“Cho, s’ too much.” you whimpered when he plunged a single-digit knuckle deep into your warm walls and curled it into your g-spot. your hips instinctively bucked against his mouth, and he let out a pleased hum at your reaction. 

he pulled his mouth away from your clit with a plop! and smirked up at you through his lashes. “feelin’ good, angel?” he asked, but he could feel the answer on his fingers as he stuffed another one deep into you. your gushy walls were as tight as his pants were around his constrained throbbing cock, no doubt already leaking with pre-cum at the sight of you coming undone from his tongue. “wan’ you t’ cum on me, need t’ taste it before I get inside you.”

“please – hah – please wanna cum s’ bad!” your moans were pornographic at this point as the hot knot in your abdomen tightened into a coil ready to be snapped. as you practically rode his tongue to chase your release, Choso’s eyes rolled to the back of his head at the addictive taste of your cunt, deciding that if he died with his head between your legs and your cum on his tongue, it would be the perfect end to his life. 

“that’s it, cum f’ me ‘kay?” Choso urged before his tongue caressed your clit in circular motions while his fingers curled against your g-spot just right. your orgasm came crashing through you, two months’ worth of pent-up need for him and only him coursing through your bones as you came on his face with wild thrashes of your hips. 

he had to wrap his arm over your hips, forcing them to be still as he didn’t give up his pursuit of the most spectacular orgasm he could give you. even though your body felt like it was on fire, he was unyielding in his torment on your sensitive clit. you were still coming, screaming his name as you tried to scramble away from him in a desperate attempt to escape the overstimulation, but he kept you pinned in place with his bicep, growling into your dripping heat every time you tried to move.

“s-stop, ‘s too much!” you yelped as he continued scissoring his fingers inside of you, forcing open the tightness of your walls as he slurped your clit into his mouth and sucked repetitively. you were going to explode, maybe even die with every wave of release that just kept crashing, the warmth tingling through your body traveling down down down until you felt like a dam had burst, and you heard the squelches of your cunt squirting all over him.

Choso was ecstatic, and absolutely feral to feel your pussy juices spray onto his face and coating his tongue. you tasted heavenly, his cock twitching at the sight of you writhing at his touch – he wanted to lap up every bit of you, but even then, he knew his need wouldn’t be fulfilled.

just as you were coming down, body still twitching with overstimulation, Choso stood up and shoved his pants down to reveal his leaking dick, red and irritated from the confines of his pants, ready to feel you wrap around him. “please, need you to fuck me, Choso.” you begged as you reached for him, wanting him inside of you this instant or else you’d implode. 

“don’t worry, gonna make you feel real good again, baby.” Choso pumped his cock with the same hand that was coated in your release before lining up his tip with your cunt. he kissed your lips, and you tasted yourself on his tongue. of course, he’d never wipe his face of your delicious juices. “missed this s’ much, been dreaming ‘bout it every day.”

with one deep, steady thrust, Choso bullied his dick through your wet walls and bottomed out, balls deep within you and letting out the loudest groan you’d ever heard come from his lips. you gasped at the fullness, somehow forgetting just how large he was when he was pressed against your cervix and filling you so deliciously. he took no time in rolling his hips into yours without pause, ready to feel every inch of you coating his cock. 

“fuck, Choso it’s been too long.” you gasped as his tip continuously kissed your cervix, loud and wet squelches coming from your cunt with every thrust he drove into you. your hips bucked to meet him, need, desperate for him to keep going keep going keep going. without a doubt, you’d be sore and achy tomorrow, but you couldn’t give two shits as long as he was fucking you this good. 

your name was a panted-out prayer on his lips as his hands cupped your face to look at you while he fucked into you, primal instinct taking over and urging him to fill you with his cum over and over. every ignored ache of his cock from the past two months had built up to this, and he wasn’t going to let it go to waste. no, he’d pull more orgasms from your pretty cunt, and fill you up over and over until you could never forget the feeling of him.

 “shit – hmph – missed feeling your cunt wrapped around me. look at you, so pretty underneath me, like my own personal angel.” Choso murmured through his pants as his thrust became sloppier. to compensate for his lack of control and quickly oncoming orgasm, he slid his hand down, fingers pressing against your clit in slow, deliberate circles to get you to cum on his cock. 

as the knot began to tighten in your stomach again, your eyes snapped open to look at Choso above you – black hair already sticking to his forehead, twin buns coming loose, pupils blown out from pleasure, and mouth agape as he watched you move underneath him. “I love you.” you whined, turning your head and softly kissing his hand that was against your cheek. “holy shit, I love you!”

at your confession, Choso’s pace on your clit picked up and brought you over the edge, your second release racking your body as you trembled beneath him through it. he could not only feel it, but he could hear it too. your warm walls clenched around him like a vice, lewd wet squelches echoing with every thrust of his cock, and your slutty moans of his name had him crumbling. god, you were perfect to him, so soft and pretty and you felt. so. fucking. good. 

he felt like an animal, rutting into you with all of his strength to get himself off, desperate to release himself inside of you. his orgasm found him as you were halfway through yours, and he groaned out, “I love you!” before smashing his lips into yours as his hips stilled to be as deep as he could inside of you, spirts of his hot cum coating your walls as he shuddered on top of you. “I love you I love you I love you!”

he fucked you through both of your orgasms before crashing down on top of you, head buried in the crook of your neck as you both struggled to catch your breath and come down from the high. “I love you, Choso.” you whispered now, brushing his bangs from his sweaty forehead and kissing him. 

“I love you, angel. forever.” Choso murmured back in response, a soft smile taking over his wet lips as he nuzzled closer to you, breathing in deeply through his nose against your skin. “never gonna stop loving you.”

“that’s okay with me.” 

-

it was Christmas time now, fresh white snow coating the ground as you hurried down the sidewalk. you were late, oh so late, again. you could already picture Megumi’s disapproving glare, and you almost lost your footing on a particularly slick patch of ice at the thought.

when you finally burst through Yuji’s front door, panting and flushed from the cold, Megumi gave you the expected side-eye. but then Yuji bounded over, a huge grin on his face. “you made it! thank goodness. if I had to deal with mr. grinch for one more minute, I might’ve pulled my hair out. and I like my hair – everyone likes my hair!” he rambled on, tugging you in the living room and practically forcing you to sit on the couch beside Megumi.

“who’s the grinch this year? Megumi?” you asked playfully, a teasing grin spreading across your face as you glanced at the raven-haired boy. you then turned your attention to the other side of the room. “or is it Sukuna?”

Sukuna, lounging comfortably in an accent chair with a mug that you guessed was filled with heavily spiked eggnog, shook his head and let out a low chuckle. “take another wild guess.”

you raised an eyebrow, confused, until Choso rounded the corner wearing the most hideous Christmas sweater you’d ever laid eyes on. the sight nearly made you gasp. “oh my god.” you breathed, struggling to stifle your laughter.

“don’t. say. a fucking. word.” Choso grumbled, shooting a pointed glare at Yuji who was wearing a matching outrageous sweater.

“you look so cute!” you exclaimed, unable to contain yourself. you jumped off the couch and rushed over to him, planting a fat kiss on his lips. “I’ve never seen you wear so many colors!”

Choso’s face turned pink as his gaze dropped to the enormous, puffy reindeer on the front of the sweater. “you like it?” he asked quietly, a hint of shyness creeping into his voice as he rubbed the back of his neck. 

“I love it.” you replied sincerely, and when he looked back up at you, a radiant smile broke across his face. “and I love the man wearing it even more.”

“of course, when his girlfriend shows up, he’s no longer a grouch.” Yuji huffed, arms crossed and feigning annoyance as he watched the exchange between his brother and you.

“you know you love it.” Megumi teased, wrapping his arms around Yuji’s shoulders and planting a soft kiss on his temple, a playful smirk on his face.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Sukuna declared, pinching the bridge of his nose in exaggerated annoyance before taking a long gulp from his mug.

you settled back onto the couch, still riding the high of Choso’s blush, when he reached into the pile of gifts stacked beneath the tree. his eyes sparkled with excitement as he pulled out a small, wrapped box with a red bow on top.

“for you.” he said, a shy smile spreading across his face as he handed it to you. “Nobara helped me pick it out, so I can’t take all the credit. she also threatened me to make sure I told you that.”

you snorted out a laugh and took the box from him. you carefully peeled off the wrapping to see a small velvety box hidden underneath, and your breath caught in your throat as you opened it. inside lay a delicate, silver necklace featuring a mountain with two stars atop it. 

“Choso, it’s beautiful!” you gasped, tears pricking your eyes as your fingers brushed over it.

he smiled and gently took the necklace from the box. “while it’s not wall climbing, I thought it would remind you of our first date… and, well, us being the two stars. since… y’know, we went climbing, even though we didn’t do it on a mountain and -”

you looked up, meeting his gaze and causing him to pause his rambles at your expression, and felt hot tears freely sliding down your cheeks at the sweetness of it all. “it’s perfect. I love it.” Choso softly smiled before leaning closer and carefully helping you clasp the necklace around your neck. the pendant settled just above where your heart raced beneath your skin.

Yuji and Megumi exchanged knowing glances, and Yuji elbowed Megumi playfully. “look at you two, all sweet and mushy… makes me sick.” Megumi teased with a tiny smirk.

“I’m sick of all of you.” Sukuna grumbled from his spot, but beneath the mug pressed to his lips, you could see his mouth curving up into a small smile.

Choso’s cheeks flushed again, but he didn’t take his eyes off you. “I just wanted to give you something special.” he said quietly, the sincerity in his voice making you melt. “I love you so much, angel.”

you sniffled slightly, reaching up to touch the necklace that you knew would never be taken off. “I love you too, Choso.” you replied before placing a soft kiss to his lips. 

in that moment, everything felt perfect. you were in love, surrounded by some of the people that you cared about the most on the holidays. and for now, you knew that everything would be okay – more than okay.

-

-

-

-

Sukuna’s POV

months later

he’d never say it to anyone else, but Sukuna’s therapist knows damn well to take the secret to their grave. sure, he’d been in love with you, or some semblance of love at least. so forgive him for being a tad heartbroken that he wasn’t the one chosen after everything.

his therapist had told him not to ruminate over it, that he had sought forgiveness and worked towards being a better person. but had he truly? he’d spent the better part of the cold season getting over it, and while he ultimately had, he was still nagged by the dread of never finding someone to look at him that way again. 

he was happy that everyone else was happy. he’d royally fucked up, he knew that, and he deserved to not be the one chosen in the end. all he could do now was move forward and continue trying. 

try try try. 

it was the mantra he’d carried into the new year, seared in his brain every second of every day. it’s all he ever did nowadays.

well, that and drink himself into a drunken stupor whenever he got the chance. and tonight was no exception – having ditched Yuji’s little party at the house to escape the suffocating romance between everyone but him, he found himself at a quiet bar two pints in, desperately hoping for a mild buzz at least.

he felt like a pitiful fool, drinking away his feelings. this wasn’t like him, or it used to not be. he wasn’t so sure anymore. he still felt the same – angry at the world, annoyed by those lesser than him, but in a way, he was more mature. mindful of the people around him and how he affected their lives. he guessed that was what growth did to a person.

but he couldn’t let his old attitude consume him. he’d try and try and try to be better for everyone else around him.

that was until he met her.

“oi, get your fucking hands off me!” he’d heard a voice shout from just outside the bar. it sounded distressed yet confident at the same time. he wasn’t sure what was going on until he heard two other deep voices, chuckling and hurling derogatory insults in the air as if it didn’t matter.

today, it would matter to him.

Sukuna abruptly stood from his stool, causing it to fall to the ground with a loud crash as he stormed out the door of the bar. underneath the streetlights, he saw her – small and fragile, surrounded by two drunken men reaching their hands out for her. and yet, despite her predicament, Sukuna couldn’t help but smirk at her, rearing back a fist, ready to knock someone out. 

she hadn’t even heard the crash from the bar, focused solely on the annoying assholes bothering her. all she'd been doing was walking home, alone, like an idiot of course. but a little recklessness never stopped her. she doubted her punch would do much damage, but it was worth a shot anyway. 

“I said leave me the hell alone, twatbags!” she shouted, fist shaking but staying firm in a pulled-back position. if they made one more move, she'd muster up the courage and hit one of them. she hated guys like these, her office was filled with them and now she couldn’t even get a reprieve walking down the street.

suddenly, both men went wide-eyed in front of her. hah, so her scare tactics worked, she thought. she'd have to pat yourself on the back later for this achievement. “aw, little ole me got you boys scared? looks like you’re about to wet your pants.” she smirked, crossing her arms in triumph. 

until their eyes traveled from hers, to over her head. 

“these guys bothering you?” 

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . taglist: @nighttwingg @sweetsformysoul @casualpoetrytaco @lvingd3adg0rl @haikomaiko @csolya @deathlypink @sad-darksoul @elisedylandy @jinxiewritings @aldebrana @ravester @futuristiccurlyhair @san-it-is-i-guess @marie-is-in-the-dark @llovergirlll @iseeyouuu @makingtimemine @spicykimchii @shxhari @ratcoone @mollyrocks420 @willybillyletsgetsilly @distinguishedpenguinbread @ren-ni @sugar504 @runfrme @sukuna-for-life @theclassbookworm @avidreadee123 @tibibibi123 bro. just... BRO. we're at the end ｡°(°.◜ᯅ◝°)°｡ i can't believe it!!!! I really really hope I did the end of the story justice, and that everyone is happy with the ending! if not, at least I'm happy about it. THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO'S FOLLOWED, LIKED, REBLOGGED, AND COMMENTED through this whole short story!!!!! and to everyone who's requested to be tagged you have my WHOLE heart. ugh, I'm getting emotional again... but it doesn't make me too sad considering... Sukuna spin off coming soon! (｡•̀ᴗ-)✧ obviously her will turn into you in the next writing, was that obvious enough? no? damn. anyways, hope to see you all later! ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊ . ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ .

[mayajadewrites]

could've been you: aizawa x fem!reader x hawks

summary: You're the new teacher at UA with a rocky past with one of their beloved teachers, Shouta Aizawa aka Eraserhead. You'd rather never see him again but alas, such is life. You also meet Keigo, aka Hawks, who is the opposite of Aizawa. Smiley, golden retriever energy. Nothing could go wrong... right? relationships: aizawa x fem!reader, hawks x fem!reader warnings: some chapters will be NSFW, they will have a warning on them in bold. not many descriptions of reader, other than she's midsize.

ao3

TAG LIST:

@come-away-with-me87, @kxshdoll, @evilsanzu, @friendly-neighborhood-turtle, @lili-pond, @falling4fandoms

CHAPTER SIX

It was this moment when you realized that you fucked up. Feelings for Shouta are bubbling into your mind that you've been suppressing for years.

In high school, you and Aizawa were the best of friends. You would hang out constantly, tell him your deepest secrets, and you trusted him. That's why when you were in the battle with him and Endeavor, you felt so hurt.

Betrayed by him.

All the love you had for him went out the window. You couldn't believe he would risk your life like that.

You look down at the raven haired man that's laying with you. You stroke his hair, twisting his curls around your fingers. He's still sleeping - soundly at that. You felt his chest against your thighs move as he breathed slowly.

You sigh as you continue caressing his hair and dragging the tips of your fingernails across his scalp.

Your phone vibrates with a text from Keigo.

Keigo: I'm sorry about today. I can't believe how strong Shigaraki actually is.

You: It's not your fault, don't stress it. Did you get home okay?

Keigo: I did. Do you want me to come over? I'm down for a sleepover.

You look down at Aizawa sleeping soundly in your lap.

You: Not tonight. I'll call you tomorrow?

Keigo: Sounds good to me. Sleep well, baby bird.

You: Goodnight Kei.

Aizawa stirred in your lap as he gripped your plush thighs gently. He was mumbling words but not of them were audible.

He began to twitch and grip you tighter.

"Stop, please." You could finally understand him.

"Hey, Shouta." You nudged him gently. His eyes fluttered open with a panicked look on your face. "Relax." You whispered as you stroked his hair again.

"Did I hurt you?" He asked looking into your eyes.

"No." You shook your head as your eyes got lost within his. His eyes are beautiful, despite how tired they look. You could feel your heart beat faster as you kept looking at him.

"I should-" Aizawa attempted to stand up and leave the room, but you stopped him. You grabbed his wrist gently as he stood next to the bed.

"You should what, Shouta?"

He just... stared at you. His eyebrows furrowed as if he was talking to you with his mind.

"I can't read minds Aizawa." You kept holding his wrist, now tighter. "Don't make me get in your head."

"You don't want to know what's going on up here." His voice was low now. He kept his eyes on you, peering at you through his lashes.

"What do you want Shouta?" You prop yourself on your knees so you're a bit taller, almost at Aizawa's eye level. "Tell me." Your eyes move from his eyes, to his nose, to his lips - then back to his eyes.

Aizawa leaned in, his lips ghosting yours. "What I want to do, I can't do to you yet."

Shivers were sent down your spine. What did he mean he can't do it to you yet?

"What can't you do to me Shouta? Use your words."

"Anything that's going on up here. It's not time." He tapped his temple with his index finger.

Your lips form into a pout as you let go of his wrist. You turned your head to the side, refusing to look at him.

"Don't be a brat." Aizawa grabbed your chin with his thumb and index finger, gently bringing your gaze back to him. "It's for your own good."

"You act like I can't put two and two together." You furrowed your eyebrows. "Obviously there's something going on here."

"What I want to do to you..." Aizawa leaned down to your level and rubbed his nose with yours. "I want to study each and every inch of your skin. I want to kiss you in places you've never been kissed. I want to learn what makes your toes curl. I want to taste you, Mirage."

There goes your heart again.

"Don't use my hero name, asshole." Your lashes fluttered against his cheeks.

"I thought it fit well." He shrugged and pressed his forehead to yours.

You wanted to kiss him. So badly. You wanted to feel his plush lips on yours. You wanted his large hands to grip your body caress your curves.

Aizawa must've known what you were thinking because he pressed his hand to your cheek. You leaned into his touch and took a deep breath.

Then you felt his lips on yours.

You swore you felt sparks that electrified your kiss. His lips are plush as he moves his mouth slowly, making sure he's feeling every part of your lips. You press your hand to his that's on your cheek and tilt your head to the side - your faces fitting together like a perfect puzzle pieces.

You wanted more. So much more.

But then Aizawa pulled his lips from yours slowly. You savored every moment of that kiss that you could but you already wanted more. The sounds of your lips parting is now your least favorite sound.

"That's it for now." Aizawa stood up and straightened his posture. "It's a school night and your first full day as a teacher."

"You're just gonna kiss me and expect me to act like that's a normal occurance?"

"What, the bird doesn't kiss you like that?"

No, no he doesn't.

But you really like Keigo. You like how you feel with him. How happy he is all the time. How caring he is about every detail of your life that you tell him.

He doesn't kiss you like that though.

Or at least, you don't feel this way after he kisses you.

You didn't answer him, instead you just look away. "Get out, Eraser."

"Don't be like that." Aizawa slipped his shoes on at your front door. "I'm making sure you get a good nights sleep and don't get distracted." He winked and gripped the doorknob.

"Goodnight." You stood up, turned around and stretched, putting your ass on full display for Aizawa. Your shorts hug your curves beautifully and he took notice. His eyes trailed your body, especially the soft parts of you. Your stomach, your hips, your thighs.

"You going somewhere?" He asked as you took a few steps towards your bathroom.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no. I'm going to shower. Get your stink off of me." You smirked as you opened the bathroom door. "Goodnight, Eraser."

Aizawa stood at your front door - one hand on the door knob and his eyes gazing at you.

"Did you forget something?" You let go of the bathroom door and walked over to him.

"I did." He nodded as he leaned down and pressed his lips to yours. He brought one hand to your hips as he kissed you, this time he slipped his tongue inside your mouth. You pulled away once you felt his tongue dance with yours.

"Don't start something you won't finish." You looked up at him through your lashes. "Goodnight Shouta."

"Goodnight." He smirked as he opened your door and left. You heard the few footsteps to his room, and his door close.

You put your hand on your chest as you feel your heart rate increasing. Every time he kisses you it's like he takes your breath away while at the same time he's giving you life. You touch your lips with your fingertips, still feeling the ghost of his lips on yours.

He's only 2 doors down from you but it might as well be 2,000 miles away.

__________________________

Monday morning came quickly. You showered even though you showered before bed, mostly because your mind was filled with thoughts of Aizawa.

Dirty thoughts. Nasty, even.

You put on a black midi skirt that hugged your curves, white platform converse, and a white t-shirt tucked into your skirt haphazardly.

You did your usual makeup and hair, then you were ready to get out the door. Your purse is on your counter when you grab it, your phone pinging with a message.

Keigo: Good luck today baby bird. I know you'll be amazing.

You smiled at the message and typed up a response.

You: Thanks Kei. You have a good day too :)

When you look up Shouta is locking his door. He has his hair pulled into a low ponytail, some of his front pieces of hair framing his face. You looked away from him once he looked at you and walked towards the halls of UA.

You settled into your classroom, writing your name on the board. Your first class will trickle in after homeroom, aka Aizawa's class.

You look over your lesson plans, mostly just introductions and what they think strategy means.

You tap your index finger on your bottom lip as you read some notes Nezu left for you when you hear a knock on the door.

"Hey, you ready for them?" You looked at Aizawa in the doorway.

"As I'll ever be." You smile as he swallows you with his eyes. He only nods in response as he lets the kids from class 1A in.

"You will behave for Ms. Mirage. Got it?"

"Yes, Mr. Aizawa!" The kids said in unison. He watched each kid enter your classroom and nodded at you when the last one walked in.

"Good morning." You smile at the classroom full of eager students. "You all know me already, so we can skip that introduction. But I want to know, what do you think strategy is?"

A couple of students raised their hands. Midoria, as always, very eager to learn shot his hand up first.

"Strategy is a plan to achieve a goal. It's essential when fighting villains!"

"You're right, Midoria." You smiled at him. He was so sweet, and willing to learn every day and better himself. You notice Ochako smile at him as if she had hearts in her eyes.

Ah, young love.

The rest of class went off without a hitch, not to your surprise. You know how to keep your ground and make sure the kids stay on task.

You said goodbye to them at the door as they filed out for lunch. You noticed a dual-haired boy try to sneak past you.

"Hey, Shoto." You gently place your hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"That depends. Are you gonna tell my old man if I tell you?"

You blink a few times as you try to understand what he's saying. As a teacher, you have to keep a good relationship with your students. They need to trust you above all else.

Even though you're good friends with his father, this stays between you and Shoto. He's like a nephew to you - you remember when he was just a baby crying in his mother's arms.

You shook your head 'no'. "Whatever you tell me is just for me. I don't need to report back to your father."

"Noted." Shoto said as he continued to walk out the door.

Just like his father.

You bring your bag to the teachers lounge for lunch. You watch Aizawa walk into the room first so you follow after him.

Except he's stopped at the doorway.

You turn your attention to where he's looking - at the round table in the middle of the room where some people eat and socialize during lunch hour. There are smaller tables in the lounge, but this is the biggest one.

A vase full of 4 dozen red roses was placed on the table.

"Ooooh, Mirage has a lover! Yamada held up the note attached to it. "Good luck my baby bird." He sang. Yamada laid the back of his hand on his forehead. "How romantic!"

"Tsk." Aizawa sucked his teeth as he walked to one of the tables on the outskirts of the lounge. You can't help but smile at Keigo's gesture and take a whiff of the aroma of the roses.

You: Thank you for the beautiful flowers.

Keigo: They could never be as beautiful as you, baby bird.

When you look up from your phone screen, Aizawa is staring at you. He takes a bite of his sandwich as his eyes stay glued on you.

"I'm gonna put these in my classroom until the end of the day." You grab the vase full of flowers and walk out of the room.

You can still feel Shouta's eyes burning into your skin.

[astrophileous]

Love Bugs (Pt. 06)

Pairing: Derek Morgan x Female Reader

Synopsis: You and Derek Morgan have an arrangement. At work, your relationship is strictly business. Under the sheets, it's all about pleasure. Nothing more, nothing less. Until, of course, your feelings start to get involved. Your situation is complicated enough without the unexpexted predicament that suddenly befalls upon you. But with a maniac serial killer on the loose, will you ever get the chance to make everything right?

Warning(s): cursing--there's a lot of it--like a lot, psychopathic behaviors, being held captive, verbal and physical violence, degrading nicknames, talks of death and unaliving someone, strangulation, PLS READ WITH CAUTION BECAUSE THIS PART IS REALLY GRIM I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING

Word Count: 4200-ish

Tag(s): I'm tagging everyone who requested to be tagged prior to the long hiatus, pls tell me if you'd like to NOT be included in the tag list for future updates, thanks! @marvelousgoldroses @jay-2s-world @whore-of-the-pumpkin-patch @maxinehufflepuffprincess @cat-or-kitten @littleshadow17 @itzz-me-duh @geeksareunique @paisleebubbles @whateverrrrrrrrs @crazyunsexycool @louderfortheback @wifeyofeveryone

Author's Note: HI EVERYONE HOW ARE YOU?? I know this is long overdue, but pls enjoy the new part of love bugs! I'm so happy to be posting again and I hope you like what I've got in plans for this series. I think we only have one or maybe two chapters left for this story (depending whether I want to write an epilogue or not lol) but in the meantime, pls enjoy this part and don't forget to LIKE+REBLOG+COMMENT !!! thank you 🌹

Love Bugs Masterlist / Criminal Minds Masterlist

The bullpen of FBI headquarters was still reeling in the aftermath of a Derek-Morgan-shaped hurricane.

Emily was just about to enter the vicinity again when she heard the tail end of Derek's furious words, right before Hotch had ordered him to retreat.

"What was that about?" Emily asked as she approached Rossi's side, eyes never straying from the two men who soon disappeared into Hotch's office.

Rossi never addressed Emily's question. Instead, he gestured for her--and everybody else in the room--to be quiet with a finger on his lips, before he pressed the unmute button on the telephone.

"Hello?"

The UnSub's head jerked at Rossi's unfamiliar voice. You were barely successful in getting him to calm down following Derek's unexpected outburst, but the sound of Rossi's voice was threatening to throw all of those poor attempts straight out of the window.

"Who is that?" he demanded warily. "Where's Agent Hotchner?"

"He had to step away for a second," Rossi notified. "I'm SSA David Rossi. I also work with Agent Hotchner and Agent (Y/L/N)."

"I know who you are."

"Yeah? I still don't know who you are, though."

A responding groan vibrated from the other line. "Why does everyone keep asking me that? Do you think I'm fucking dumb?"*

"No one thinks anything here, pal. Just wanted to know who I was speaking to, that's all." At the UnSub's clear signs of agitation, Rossi quickly added, "It'd be nice to know the person who clearly means a lot to (Y/N)."

Rossi's reassurance obviously managed to trigger the intended effect it had sought. Everyone could see how the UnSub physically deflated at Rossi's words, meaning that hopefully he was soon going to let his guard down.

"I can't tell you who I am," your assailant said, still adamant, although his resolve was wearing thin with each word he had stated. "You're just gonna use it to track me down and keep us apart."

The last syllable of his sentence was emphasized by the weight of his dagger on the side of your neck. You instinctively winced at the unwelcomed touch of the blade before schooling your expression once more so your captor wouldn't notice.

"I promise you, no one is going to do that," Rossi said.

"He's telling the truth," you decided to chime in, surprising everyone including the UnSub whose grip of the dagger had teetered dangerously closer to your pulse point at the sudden proclamation. "They are good people. They don't break promises or tell lies. I promise you, nothing will come between us."

The silence that fell next was heavy with the UnSub's hesitation. Bracing yourself, you forced your head to tilt back, locking eyes with him who was still standing like a guard dog right behind you.

"I swear, Darling," you vowed.

The lull in your voice--or perhaps the fact that you had called him darling in front of your team, which he could arguably take as a display of affection--must have stirred up something in his twisted mind. He actually preened at you before his eyes went right back towards the direction of the camera on the wall.

"My name is Arthur," he confessed.

A particular thread of memory in your brain immediately lit up.

Back in the bullpen, JJ and Spencer were finally returning with documents containing your phone records that they had promptly asked Kevin to gather. Spencer didn't waste any time before perching himself on his desk to start rummaging through the thick pile of files.

"Arthur?" Rossi repeated the name, eyes flicking over to Garcia with a silent request to start cross-referencing the name with the other names they had acquired so far in the investigation.

The tech analyst didn't need to be told twice. She began typing furiously on her laptop as Rossi's attention was drawn back towards the projector.

The UnSub hadn't moved an inch. His hand was still just as sturdy on your shoulder. The blade was also still just as cold as it pressed onto your skin.

One wrong move, and you would end up no better than a slaughter animal on the cold hard ground.

"Do you have a last name, Arthur?" Rossi asked.

The entire bullpen held their breath in anticipation. Rossi had planted the bait as strategically as he could. It was up to the UnSub to take it and slip up the one information that would give them a major lead to end this case once and for all.

But before the UnSub could respond, a muffled beeping resonated in the air, through the telephone line, and finally into the bullpen. The sound was enough to make your assailant faltered.

"I have to go."

It was the last thing he uttered before the line, along with the livestream, went completely dead.

The atmosphere was laden with restlessness as everyone tried to make peace with the fact that they had just lost the only mean of communication they had with you. Without the feed from the livestream, no one could possibly know what was going on. The team would have no idea if something were to happen to you.

They would have no idea how to determine whether you were alive or dead.

"Did you find anything yet, Garcia?" Rossi questioned, although in all honestly, it sounded more like a desperate plea.

The thick regret behind Garcia's eyes gave Rossi the answer he needed to know.

"I can't find any Arthur in our files, sir," Garcia informed.

"Anything from her phone records? What about the hospital?" Rossi tried again.

Emily shook her head almost remorsefully.

"Nothing yet," Spencer spoke up from his place on the desk. "Not a single thing stands out from her records."

"What now?" JJ sighed, exhaustion and worry beginning to decorate the lines on her face.

The whole bullpen stood still, as if everyone was waiting for a slice of miracle to descend into the room, holding a map that would eventually lead the team to where you were still being held captive. But such a map didn't exist in this piece of reality, and the BAU knew that they were running out of time.

"Garcia, did you record the livestream by any chance?" Spencer asked at last.

"Yeah, of course I did."

Penelope punched a few keys on her keyboard before the projector once again came alive with the footage from the livestream.

"Can you fast forward to the very end?" Spencer requested. "And then play it again backwards to the beginning."

"What are you thinking, Spence?" JJ wondered.

"I don't know. I just... maybe there's a detail we missed. At this point, even the smallest piece of clue is worth pursuing."

Several pair of eyes glued themselves on the screen as the livestream footage ran backward at a faster speed. Bated breaths waited in tension for just the tiniest hint that the team could scour to determine your location.

"Wait. What was that?" Spencer interjected. "Garcia, play that again."

"What? What is it?" Emily spoke up.

"Look at her hand." Spencer stood up from the desk, approaching the screen to get a better look. "She's knocking against the chair. Garcia, zoom in on her hand. The left one."

Penelope did as she was asked. "Is that--"

"It's morse code," Rossi muttered, realization overtaking his countenance.

"What is she saying?" JJ questioned.

"A-U--" Spencer began spelling out loud, "--T... Auto. She's spelling auto."

"Auto?" JJ's forehead creased. "As in... auto shop?"

"Her records said she went to a mechanic a week ago," Spencer recalled. JJ immediately rummaged through the papers on Spencer's desk, but the pages flipping inside of Spencer's mind moved at a thousand times more speed than any normal pair of eyes ever could. "Dinozzo's Auto Service, 894 Southwell Street."

"Got it," Penelope chimed in from her place in front of the laptop. "Dinozzo's Auto Shop. Originally owned by Carlo Dinozzo before it was passed down to his two sons after his death a year ago."

"Any of them named Arthur?" Rossi asked

"Nope. Luca and Piero."

"What about the employees?" Emily suggested.

"No. I'm not seeing any Arthur anywhere near that place."

"We profiled that the UnSub could be holding down a steady job in his everyday life," JJ said. "He might not even be related to that place. Maybe (Y/N) encountered him there by chance?"

"Nah, I doubt it." Rossi shook his head. "The bastard's too sophisticated to leave anything up to chance like that. He must have found a way to orchestrate it one way or another."

"There must be a connection somewhere, then. No way he just chose a random place off the map," Emily muttered. "We should cross-reference the name to anyone associated with the Dinozzos."

Penelope began to frantically type something into her laptop. "We've still got three names here. Oh, never mind. Two names, 'cause one of them is dead."

"What do we have on them?" Spencer asked.

"First is Arthur Doyle. He went to high school with Luca and Piero Dinozzo, works in a local company, and looks like he travels a lot for his job," Penelope explained. "There's also an Arthur Harrison, works as an accountant in the heart of Arlington. His dad and Carlo Dinozzo were long-time pals. Apparently, his dad was an accountant too and used to handle the shop's finances before Arthur inherited the office. Oh."

"What? What'd you find?"

"Arthur was engaged," Penelope murmured, "to a Claire Dumont. They were gonna get married last year but the wedding was called off just one month before the D-day."

"Where's Claire now?" JJ asked.

"She moved to Ohio shortly after the breakup, and... oh my God. Guess what?" Penelope looked up, her eyes widening almost comically. "She just announced her engagement three months ago."

Spencer hummed. "That could be the stressor."

An image of a woman suddenly appeared on screen, right above the paused footage of your hand. Everyone stared at the picture in shock.

"That's Claire Dumont," Penelope murmured.

JJ held her breath. "She and (Y/N) could be sisters."

"We've found our guy," Rossi declared. "Garcia, pull up every known address associated with this man. And hurry, we don't have much time."

"I have three properties so far connected to Arthur Harrison. Sending the addresses to all of your phones."

As JJ, Spencer, and Rossi rushed to exit the bullpen, Emily turned around and called out to the others, "I'm grabbing Morgan and Hotch!"

Without stopping to knock, Emily pushed open the door to Hotch's office, ignoring the slivers of tension dancing around in the air.

"We may have something," Emily announced to the room. "We think we know where (Y/N) is."

Your assailant--Arthur, as it turned out--pulled his phone out and pressed a few buttons in, silencing the beeping. Once the noise was gone, the room was quiet again.

He looked at you, then. Piercingly. You squirmed underneath his scrutiny.

"Wait here," he eventually said. "I'll be back."

Without taking a second to breathe, Arthur flew past you and towards the direction he had appeared from earlier.

"Wait! Wait. Where are you going?"

The sound of steps ceased on top of concrete. You waited with bated breath for his response. But the only sound ever came was that of the metal door, and as quickly as you could count to three, he was gone.

At last, you were alone once more.

The traces of adrenaline had begun to dissipate out of your system, leaving you in a shivering mess inside that damp concrete room. Once again, you attempted with all of your might to free yourself from the state of confinement you were in. But the metal cuffs binding you to the chair only dug further into your skin the more you tried to escape, while the chair itself stayed nailed in place no matter how hard you tried to rock it.

After a few more minutes of futile attempts, you were forced to face the reality of your situation.

You were never going to get yourself out of that dingy place alone.

Huffing a breath, you knew that there was nothing more you could do except to hope that your team found the hidden message you had left for them to solve.

And with that last thought conquering every room your head, you let yourself succumb to the impending darkness.

You woke up gasping for air.

It took you a few seconds to remember where you were, to remember that you weren't back in the comfort of your apartment and instead, you were still holed up in the darkened cold room where your abductor had been keeping you captive.

It took a few seconds more to realize that the drowning dream you just had might have been a tad bit more real than you initially thought.

Still reeling in shock, you peered up and locked eyes with your abductor, eyes barely registering the empty bucket he was holding in one of his hands. It didn't take a genius to conclude that he was the one responsible for your drenched state.

"W-what?" you stuttered meekly. "What's going on?"

He only stared at you in response.

"Arthur?"

You shrieked loudly when Arthur threw the empty bucket against the wall, sending a resounding "bang" throughout the whole room and breaking the plastic object into two misshaped pieces.

"Arthur--" you gasped, searching for your voice that seemed to have disappeared beneath the layers of brewing fear, "--w-what... what are you... what's going on? Talk to me."

"I don't want to talk to you, you fucking bitch."

The beating inside your chest fastened. Before you could ask yet another question, Arthur had lunged forward, grabbing a fistful of your hair and tugging your head back so you could stare directly into his eyes.

"You're a fucking liar," he seethed. "You lied to me. Everything you said was a lie, wasn't it?!"

"I don't--" you hissed, trying to ignore the biting pain in your scalp, "--I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Stop fucking lying!!!"

A sharp smack reverberated in the air.

It was only when the ringing in your ear grew louder did you realize that Arthur had slapped your cheek.

Hard.

Ignoring the tingling on the side of your face, you lifted your head once more. The room was spinning, tilting your balance left and right, but you held your ground through it all.

"What did I lie to you about, Arthur?" you asked carefully.

He threw something at your feet. It clanged against the hard ground below before landing face up near your toes.

It was your phone.

But the fact that Arthur somehow had your phone in his possession wasn't what caused the sick feeling to stir northward in your belly.

It was what you were seeing on the now cracked screen of your phone: a picture of you and Derek. A selfie that you had impulsively taken of the two of you in bed after one of your nighttime escapades.

For awhile there, you had briefly forgotten about that photo. It was another lost memory in the ocean of rubble left behind in the wake of your fallout with Derek. Seeing that photo again after such a long time triggered waves of emotions that you had been desperately burying for the past few weeks.

The longing, the guilt, the heartache.

The regrets.

The regret of ending your little arrangement so abruptly in such a hostile manner. The regret of not telling Derek sooner about the baby. The regret of maybe never being able to see Derek for one last time.

But most importantly, it was the regret over not revealing the truth of what your heart felt for him that was eating you alive.

"You're fucking him," Arthur fumed, eyes blazing with an indescribable fury that made your entire body shudder.

"Arthur, please... I can explain--"

"Shut the fuck up."

He stepped forward once more, crowding your personal place and rendering you helpless underneath his psychopathic gaze.

"Tell me the truth, and if you dare lie--" Arthur paused, his hand disappearing behind his back before it appeared again with a dagger that he promptly pressed against your abdomen, "--don't ever dream of meeting your child."

"Okay. Okay, I'll tell you the truth."

"You're fucking him, aren't you?"

The bile in your throat had tripled in size. Swallowing it down, you tried to even your voice out as you answered, "I was."

"Ha," he scoffed. "I knew it. You fucking whore. You're no better than any of them."

To your relief, he eventually chose to retract the dagger and stepped away from you, opting to circle the room like a distressed lion in a cage. But even with the blade no longer touching your skin, you knew very well that the danger wasn't over yet and that things could escalate even further in a matter of seconds if you weren't careful.

"Arthur," you called out to him softly, slowly, as to not startle him and risk doing something that would trigger a psychotic break. "Arthur, please. You have to listen to me. That arrangement ended long ago. It meant nothing to me. It happened long before I met you."

Arthur's voice echoed coldly as he replied, "I don't believe you."

"Please, Arthur--"

"That's his child, isn't it?" he cut you off, pointing the tip of the dagger at your belly. "What he said on the phone. He said my child. That's because it's his. You're having Derek Morgan's child."

"No--"

"I thought you were different. I thought you were the one." The dagger in his hand shook with venom. "But you're just the same as the rest of them."

"I'm not. Please, I'm not--"

"I have to start searching again. For the one. You're not her, which means she's still out there."

"Arthur--"

"I'll have to get rid of you."

"Arthur, please!" Your voice cracked, leaking of terror and desperation larger than anything you had ever known. When something wet touched the side of your nose, you realized then that you had started to cry. "Arthur, you have to believe me. I've ended everything with him. There's nothing between us anymore."

The words you uttered kept lingering in the air in a bubble made out of despair. But as if every single one of them had fallen on deaf ears, your captor paid no attention to them. Not even a single acknowledgment to your pleas.

Instead, he had begun taking careful steps forward. Silent and deadly, like a predator stalking its prey.

"Arthur, please! I choose you!"

To your shock, his steps faltered upon your words.

For a moment, you could taste relief on the tip of your tongue before it was washed away by the knowledge that you were not entirely out of the woods yet. But from the corner of your eye, you could see the slight loosening of Arthur's grip around the dagger. It filled you with enough hope to push forward.

"I'm choosing you, Arthur," you stated confidently, trying to convince him of your sincerity. "I don't care about Derek. I'm done with him. I'm done with my old life and everyone in it. I'm ready to leave everything behind to be with you. I choose you."

"You choose me?"

"Yes. I choose you to take care of me. To take care of this baby. The three of us can be a family. How does that sound?"

Seconds ticked into minutes. Minutes stretched into a long silence. The anticipation threatened to break your chest in half.

When he finally began to move once more, Arthur surprised you. He threw the dragger towards a darkened corner in the room, far away from his reach and, most importantly, far away from the possibility of it harming the growing life inside of you.

When Arthur took off the ski mask he had been wearing since the first time you opened your eyes in that harrowing place, you weren't at all surprised to see the face staring back at you. After all, it was the same face belonging to the man who had stopped his car for you when your own car had mysteriously broken down in the middle of the road just around two weeks prior. The same face who offered a business card of his friend's auto shop where you eventually went to get your vehicle fixed.

In retrospect, you should have been at least a little bit suspicious by the whole ordeal, but was it really your fault for choosing to put your trust in the good of humanity?

You knew there was no point in dwelling over what-ifs anymore. Arthur would've found a way, like any psychopath would, and you would've still ended up being tied up in this dismal room with him.

"Did you mean it?" Arthur asked.

You put on your best fake smile before answering, "Yes."

He grabbed you in his arms in just two long strides.

You wanted to throw up. You hated the feeling of his fingers stroking your back. You wanted to kick him away and get this piece of shit as far away from you and your baby as possible. You wanted to rid yourself of the lingering smell of him that had now undoubtedly transferred into your skin.

And maybe, you would've done all of those things if it was only your life that was on the line.

Unfortunately, fighting back was a luxury you couldn't afford anymore. So, you were forced to stay quiet instead, letting your captor whisper sweet nothings in your ear as if it didn't repulse you even being in the same room as him.

You were close to counting towards the 200s in your head when, suddenly, a clanking noise in the distance ripped your attention away.

In a split second, Arthur had peeled his arms from around you and got back on his feet. You knew then that he must have heard it, too.

You watched as he stepped away, dragging a crate from one corner of the room and placing it strategically underneath the only opening on the walls. He got on top of the crate to allow himself to peek outside, but whatever he saw must have startled him greatly. Because the next thing you knew, he had backed away from the wall in the blink of an eye, face crumpling in what could only be described as panic.

"The cops are here," he managed to sputter out.

"What?"

Your heart was hammering inside of its cage. The cops are here. You realized then that the team must have solved the clue you left them. They had solved the case, and they were coming to save you.

Derek was coming to save you.

"What did you do?!"

In a moment of weakness, you had allowed yourself to rejoice in the promise of freedom that you momentarily forgot you actually hadn't possessed it yet. The slip-up was miniscule, but it wasn't fleeting enough to escape the attention of your captor.

"You tricked me!" Arthur's voice boomed throughout the room, carrying rage unlike anything you had ever known. "I trusted you, and you lied to me! Again."

"Arthur--"

This time, there was no room for negotiation.

Arthur didn't even waste a millisecond before he dove forward. He was a lion, and you were the deer. His sharp teeth were calloused fingers, and they dug into your skin as Arthur tightened his grip around your throat.

"You lied to me. You lied to me."

He repeated those words like a mantra, his voice drowned out by desperate gasps as you tried to scour for what little bit of air you could still revel in. Your feet and arms shook beneath their restrains. Your head pounded from the pressure that had gathered inside your skull.

In that moment, death was imminent.

You could feel it coming. You could feel its claws clutching every single drop of life that was still remaining in your bloodstream. It was a battle between the two, and unfortunately, death was winning.

As the dark spots in your vision spread into a massive blotch, you allowed yourself to say goodbye. To life. To the world. To the memories of your loved ones whose faces you wished you could've memorized one last time.

To Derek, the one who could've been, the one you wished had been.

And to the child in your womb, the one you wished you could've met, the one you wished you could've saved.

When darkness came, you expected it to be cold and unforgiving, but as it turned out, darkness was easy. Simple. It welcomed you into its home with open arms, shielding you from the cruelties of the mundane world.

As it pulled you deeper into its abode, you could faintly hear the sound of your name being called repeatedly. It sounded similar. It sounded like home.

But this was your home now, so without turning back, you allowed darkness to lead you further down the dim path. Away from the pain and the heartbreaks of life. Far from the evil that lurked in the streets behind their well-crafted masks.

In the darkness, there was nothing.

In the darkness, you were nothing.

And nothing was exactly what you were going to be.

[dancinglikebutterflywings]

Interruption | Part 05

-> Pairing: mafia husband!Kim Hongjoong x mafia wife!Reader

-> Sypnosis: As her team searches for Mi-Rae, Y/N refuses to leave her husband's side. She starts reminiscing about the first time she met him.

-> Warnings: mafia au. Italics are flashbacks. pocket knife used to threaten someone. poor description of physical violence. Y/N is kind of a psychotic badass. Hints at how Y/N and Hongjoong were destined to meet. more of a fill in chapter. Flashback scene Hongjoong is 18 and Y/N is 17 thats why it hints at them still being in school.

-> Word Count: 2,183 - longest chapter so far, can't make any promises that the rest will be this long but I can try.

-> Taglist: open. Leave a comment on the masterlist post, send an ask or fill out the taglist form.

Interruption Masterlist | Hongjoong Masterlist | Tag List Form

When Seonghwa and a staff member bringing food for Y/N walk into the room, they find Y/N slouched over the bed where an unconscious Hongjoong lies. Her head is resting gently on the bed, and one of her hands is holding onto her husband's as if she’s afraid to let go. While her team have been searching for Mi-Rae, she stayed remaining by her husband’s side, not once leaving him since he got out of surgery a week ago. 

“Just put the food on the table,” Seonghwa instructs the staff member, who nods and promptly follows the order before exiting the room.  

Seonghwa then takes a moment to take in the scene before him. The dim light casts gentle shadows across the room, highlighting the worry lines on Y/N's face. It’s clear that the weight of the world rests on her shoulders, and yet, she remains strong and resilient, determined to shield her vulnerability from even those who know her best. 

With a soft sigh, Seonghwa picks up a spare blanket from the chair in the corner, its fabric soft and warm. He approaches Y/N carefully, not wanting to disturb her fragile peace. Gently, he drapes the blanket over her shoulders to keep her warm in the chilly makeshift hospital room.  

As the fabric brushes against her skin, she stirs, her eyelids fluttering open to reveal a pair of tired eyes. For a moment, Y/N blinks in confusion, her mind still foggy from sleep. When her gaze finally focuses, she finds Seonghwa's concerned expression.  

“I didn’t hear you come in,” she says as she straightens herself from her slouched position. 

“I didn’t want to wake you,” he replies softly, his tone laced with empathy. “You were finally getting some sleep.”  

"Have there been any updates?" she asks him, not wanting to talk about her lack of sleep or care for herself.  

"I'm afraid not," he regrets to inform her. "Wherever she is, she's managed to stay hidden. We're still checking potential locations and speaking to anyone who might have information about her whereabouts and anyone who could be hiding her." His words are steady, but she can hear the frustration and worry in his tone. 

Y/N feels her shoulders droop at his response, the burden of uncertainty weighing heavily on her like a thick mist. She turns her gaze back to Hongjoong, his stillness a stark reminder of the turmoil they’ve faced. Her heart aches at the sight of him, so vulnerable and not quite himself. Their time together is typically filled with joy and laughter, but right now, everything feels different. The days feel colder without the sound of his laughter and voice when he would randomly burst into song, the warmth of his embrace, how he could turn any mundane task into something enjoyable, and the sense of safety and love he brings her. 

She turns back to Seonghwa, a newfound determination etched on her face. "Tell the men to stop being so soft. I don’t fucking care if someone ends up losing an eye. Someone out there knows something."  

"I'll make sure to tell them that," he replies with a nod. "Now, there’s food on the table. Please eat something," he adds, sounding like a caring parent. "And try to get some more rest. Wooyoung or I will wake you if we find out anything." 

Before Y/N can say anything back, he leaves the room, leaving no room for argument. Glancing at the table, she sees the small square table covered with plates and bowls of untouched food. She knows she should eat, but the knot in her stomach makes it hard to even think about food. 

Choosing to eat later, she shifts her focus back to Hongjoong. Taking his hand in hers, she kisses the back of it gently. "I can’t do this without you, Joongie. You need to wake up," she whispers, her voice trembling as tears well up in her eyes once more. She squeezes his hand tighter, as if her grip alone could pull him out of his unconsciousness. "You’re the strongest person I know," she continues, her voice breaking. "You better come back to me." Dropping her head, the tears start to spill over as she fights to keep her composure.  

"Do you remember when we first met?" she asks, spinning his wedding ring around his finger, trying to distract herself from breaking down completely. Despite getting no answer, she continues, "I saved your ass from those little punks that were roughing you up in that side street. "

The moment she utters those words, she’s transported back to the day she first met Hongjoong.  

Y/N, clutching her bag straps, paid no attention to her surroundings as she kicked a pebble along the path leading to the bus stop, she needed to be at to catch the bus home. She was far from happy after her driver failed to show up to pick her up from school. But something soon caught her attention as she walked past a little side street that was mostly used for vans and trucks to drop things off. To the shops that backed onto it.  

Curious, she retraced her steps and turned into the alley, where she spotted five boys, likely around her age or a bit older in their school uniforms, beating up another boy who seemed to be her age as well. 

As she heard the boy let out a pained groan from a harsh kick to his side, she quickly pulled out the pocket knife she always carried for emergencies. 

“Yah!” she yells, drawing the bullies' attention to her as she approaches them. 

"I'd keep walking if I were you, princess," one of the bully's sneers at her. "This has nothing to do with you." 

“It has everything to do with me,” she shot back. "You’re hurting my friend," she declares, even though she has never met the boy they were attacking before. The words slipped out before she could think, but there is something about the way he was curled up on the ground, vulnerable and scared. It reminded her of the situation she’d been in a few years prior and that ignited a protectiveness for the boy. 

"Your friend?" one of the boys scoffed, stepping forward with a menacing grin. "I know for a fact that he has no friends. Why don’t you just run along before you get hurt too?" 

“Try me,” she says holding the knife out towards them.  

The boy who had just spoken started to advance when another boy held him back. “Hold on, I know her,” he said, drawing the attention of the group. “I think she’s Kim Dong-Yul’s niece.” 

“Yeah, so what?” the first boy scoffed, though his confidence wavered slightly. “What’s that supposed to mean? You think we’re scared of some old man?” 

"You should be," the second boy spoke. 

A third boy speaks up, "I don't think it's him you have to worry about. She's a complete psycho. From what I've been told, she lit fire to another girl's hair because she stole her seat. " 

"Yah! She didn't steal my seat, she stole my Lipton Peach Iced Tea," Y/N shot back, clearly offended by their misunderstanding. “Now should I also set you all on fire,” she asks, reaching back into her pocket to pull out the lighter she had in there for no reason at all. Her other hand still holding the knife towards them, ready to be used if it came down to it. 

The boy hesitated, glancing at his friends, who were now shifting uncomfortably. She could see the wheels turning in their minds, until the first boy, clearly the leader of the group of them, spoke again, “Look, we don’t want any trouble. We were just messing around.” 

“Messing around?” she echoed, her grip tightening on the knife. “You call this messing around? You’re terrorizing someone who hasn’t done anything to you. You’re just a pathetic loser.” 

The third boy, who had mentioned the rumor, shifted his weight from one foot to the other, clearly regretting his involvement. “Maybe we should just go,” he suggested, his voice barely above a whisper. “The last thing we need is Kim Dong-Yul on our asses. It isn’t worth it.”  

“Yeah, maybe you should,” Y/N shot back, her eyes narrowing. “And if you ever think about messing with someone again, just know that I can find out where you live, where your parents work and what your little sister likes to eat. You don’t want to know what I can do with that info.” 

“Let’s go,” the first boy finally says and turns to leave, the others following suit.  

“Assholes,” She mutters under her breath before turning her attention to the boy they were tormenting. He was now sitting up clutching his side. “Are you okay?” she asks, taking off her bag as she crouched down to his level.  

“Did you really set a girls hair on fire over a drink?” he asks, watching her unzip her backpack and pull out a small first aid kit. 

"No," she replied, shaking her head with a chuckle. As she opened the kit, she pulled out a cleaning swab to tend to the cut above his eye, which looked like the worst of his external injuries. "I mean, it wasn’t over a stolen drink. It was an accident," she added, tossing the bloody swabs aside and reaching for a band-aid. 

“That sounds like a pretty big accident.” he says, skepticism lacing his voice. 

“Let’s just say, accident or not accident, she never bothered me or the other girls afterwards,” she says, placing the band-aid over the cut. 

“I’m guessing you’re some sort of anti-hero,” He smirks slightly, his deep brown eyes onto hers with an intensity that makes her teenage heart skip a beat.  

For a moment, the world around them fades away. She can feel her cheeks flush, a warmth spreading through her. “Anti-hero? I don’t know about that,” she replies, a shy smile creeping onto her lips as she finishes securing the band-aid. “I just don’t like bullies, that’s all,” She glances down, suddenly aware of how close they are. The air between them crackles with an unexpected tension, a mix of adrenaline and something else she can’t quite place because she’s pretty sure she’s never felt it before. She clears her throat, trying to shake off the warmth rushing to her cheeks. “I mean, it’s not like I go around purposefully setting their hair on fire.” 

He chuckles softly, the sound warm and inviting but winces when it causes him pain. She can’t help but feel a pang of concern for him.  

“Seriously, though, are you okay?” she asks, her brow furrowing as she studies his face. The cut above his eye is small but deep, and she can see the remnants of a bruise beginning to form. She can only guess his ribs weren’t doing too well either. “You should probably go get checked out.”  

He shrugs, a nonchalant gesture that doesn’t quite mask the pain in his eyes. “I’ve had worse.” He pauses, as he stands up with her help. “But I appreciate your help.”  

“Y/N,” she replies instinctively, her voice steady despite the concern swirling within her. 

“I promise, I’ll be fine, Y/N,” he assures her, as he slings his backpack over his shoulder. “Maybe I’ll see you around,” he smiles, making her heart flutter once more before he limps away leaving her alone in the little side street. 

“Ugh, stupid heart,” she mutters, glancing down at her chest, but a smile tugs at her lips. She can’t shake the feeling that this encounter was more than just a chance meeting. Realizing she never got his name, she goes to catch up with him. As she reaches the main street, she looks both ways hoping to catch a glimpse of him but can’t find him anywhere.  

Little did she know at the time, she would be seeing him again only a few hours later. 

“I knew that us meeting in that side street wasn’t just a coincidence,” she says, lifting her gaze to Hongjoong, a small part of her hoping to see those brown eyes she loves so much looking back at her only to be disappointed when they weren’t. “You had me feeling things I’d never felt before,” she says, kissing the back of his hand again before resting it against her cheek. “I really can’t do this without you, Joong.” 

“Boss?” she hears from behind her.  

She straightens up once again, wiping the tears from her eyes. Standing up she turns around to face Wooyoung.  

"We have a lead," he tells her before she has to ask. "An informant told us Mi-Rae could be hiding out at the docks, trying to escape Korea. I had a few men ask around. She was spotted there by three people. One mentioned seeing her this morning." 

“Alright, flush her out and hold her until I get there,” she tells him. He nods and leaves the room. She turns back to Hongjoong and leans down, kissing his cheek. “I’ll be back soon, my love.” 

©️ 2024 dancinglikebutterflywings - do not copy/modify/repost anywhere. reblog instead

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[creedslove]

BETRAYED - PART SIX

Pedro Pascal x f!reader

Summary: Pedro invites you to be his plus one for the night but his attention is caught by another woman and leaves you with a broken heart

Warnings: angst, age gap, established friendship, unrequited love/one sided feelings, fluff, glimpse of Pedro being a great (silly) dad, and more angst of course

A/N: I have no idea how you guys are gonna react. I hope you guys like it, because I was very invested and loved writing every single part of this chapter. Don't forget that all ideas and suggestions are more than welcome ❤️

I still can't manually tag people on the works because I use the app and it won't let me do it, that's why I don't have a tag list at all! 

3k words

PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE

"You did WHAT?" Kate raised her voice without really meaning to, at the shocking news you'd told her. She couldn't believe just a few feet away from where everyone stood, hidden by a couple of trees Pedro had declared his love for you and kissed you.

And the most shocking to her: you had told him to walk away. She was shocked and expressive at first and then she went silent as you finished your account of what had happened. You told her about Pedro's apologies, about how he confessed his feelings and kissed you. And above all, how it took every ounce of strength and self-control to break that kiss.

"And then, what happened next?" She asked with fire in her eyes, anticipation making her anxious and excited to know, which caused you to roll your eyes

"What do you think happened, Kate? You think we just had a quickie in the middle of the bushes?" You groaned and sighed "he walked away, he came back inside, probably went home, I don't know, I came straight to the kitchen to help you" you shrugged. Your heart was still pounding and it felt like it would burst out of your chest at any moment. But that was not the only thing Pedro messed up in your body, you hated yourself to know your lower belly burned in need at the mere memory of his touch, of how warm his body was against yours, how his lips fell perfectly against yours. You hated the fact your arousal pooled in your underwear, every step you took you could feel it and it was a reminder of how he still had power over you, like no other man ever had and you doubted any other man ever would.

Pedro, on the other hand, should've been home at least an hour prior. He was so ashamed of himself for locking himself in the bathroom after what happened, he felt as if he was back in junior high, hiding away after being dumped by the girl he liked.

He stared into his own eyes in the mirror and sighed again, he just couldn't wrap his head around the fact you didn't love him anymore. Maybe you still did, he wasn't sure, but he'd screwed things up so bad you just wouldn't take the chance. And worse, you didn't even believe him. He never thought any of that could happen. He felt so disappointed in himself and didn't understand why he couldn't have been a better man to you, if he had, maybe right now you'd be together. It was no use wondering things now, he knew he'd lost you and he had nothing else to do there, he only wanted to get a glass of water and get the fuck out of that place. He walked silently through the hallway feeling so thankful to see the guests had already left and he didn't have to socialize with anyone, his social battery was drained at that point and he didn't have to pretend to be happy at all.

"But did you even tell him you were dating?" Kate's voice came from the kitchen, making Pedro stop dead in his tracks. He took a deep breath, his gut churning really hoping it would be someone else to reply to the question but you.

"When was I supposed to tell him? When he got his tongue down my throat?" You replied with a hint of annoyance as Kate seemed to be carrying out an interview with you, while you were tired and emotionally exhausted and all you wanted to do was go home.

"Plus, I'm not dating anyone, I'm just seeing Liev, it's not serious, just a few dates here and there…"

"And some fucking too, Y/N, or you really think I haven't noticed how you and him simply disappeared in the middle of dinner the other night and returned to the table all flushed and giggly?" She raised her eyebrow in a playfully way and saw how you blushed

"Kate!!!" You censored her "that's embarrassing, yeah, it happened a few times, so what? I'm single, he is single, or do you really think Pedro doesn't sleep around? I mean, he did when we were friends and close all the time, even if he knew it hurt my feelings, would he stop it now?" You asked "besides, I don't really buy this sudden gust of feelings he's got for me, I mean, the apologies were really important and I felt they were honest, and I really appreciate that, but don't you think it's too much of a coincidence that he suddenly discovers he loves me right when I'm about to walk out his life? You know he loves being loved. There's nothing wrong with that, we all want affection and love, but not when it comes at the cost of someone's happiness" you shrugged and got ready to leave.

Pedro was speechless and unable to move as too much bombarded him at the same time. First of all, you were dating? He couldn't believe his ears at first and it didn't make it any easier when you explained to Kate you weren't dating, you were just fucking the guy. If anything, it made it all worse. He couldn't believe that damn ape got to have access to your gorgeous body, a body that should be his, touched, kissed and worshiped by him and no one but him.

But the moment he heard your suspicions on his feelings, he felt like disappearing. He couldn't even describe how painful it felt, the pang in his chest was intense and he couldn't help but feel his eyes filled with tears. He didn't care if he looked pathetic, childish even, he was broken-hearted and done with that situation.

"Fuck this" he mumbled under his breath and finally exited the house, he was definitely getting you out of his mind.

•••

You hadn't seen Pedro many times after Flora's party. There had been other dinner parties you attended and some you even took Liev along with you, but Pedro was never present. He always came up with excuses saying he was busy doing photoshoots, studying his script or he was just out of town, little did everyone know, he felt left out and offended to know he hadn't been invited to the gatherings right after you two had fallen out. He didn't want to take out on any of your mutual friends, but it did seem to him it was pretty clear they preferred you over him. Not to mention no one wanted to have a simple friend get together turned into an awkward show by you and your boyfriend and Pedro there, lingering and watching you from afar.

But sometimes you two ran into each other at the gym. He usually kept to himself, always greeting you and asking how you were doing, but as soon as he saw Liev approaching, he'd put on his headphones, turn his back to both of you and focus on his training. He hated every single minute of those gym sessions, they were torture, he hated seeing you with that man, and no matter how much he tried not looking at the two of you, he couldn't help doing it. It was like a morbid curiosity that struck him every time and ripped his chest open. So he just decided to change schedules and avoid that sight once for all.

After his training he just shyly waved goodbye to you and headed home, he stepped into the shower in order to clear his mind, hoping he would forget about you and the unresolved feelings that haunted him. Every time he felt his heart ache, he thought of how much you suffered because of him and had to admit to himself that yeah, maybe he did deserve what he was going through. It pained him to think of everything he made you go through, but now you were happy, and as much as he tried being happy for you, he couldn't. It hurt him, but he was an actor after all and he would have no problem pretending for you. If you let him in, he would put on a happy face and support you as much as you helped him.

He got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, walking to the closet and finding something fresh to wear. Pedro knelt down to look for his pair of sneakers when he came across a box. He frowned softly as he didn't recognize it at first, it took him some time to finally acknowledge the object. It was the box you had handed him his birthday present. You'd always been really good at giving presents and the last birthday you spent together wasn't anything different.

He opened the box and smiled sadly, it somehow still held your perfume inside, making his heart flutter in his chest. He chuckled at the happy memory and frowned as he spotted something under the bow. He hadn't seen that when he got it nor the months that followed it, but now it had caught his attention and he was curious to find what the heck that was. He pulled it carefully, seeing it was a small card and thought maybe it was just something extra that came in with the box and you hadn't noticed it as well.

He still opened and held his breath at the words he found beautifully written. That handwriting he would recognize anywhere.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to find this card… I'm not that great with words, but here it is:

Feliz cumple mi amor. Te deseo toda la felicidad del mundo y quiero que sepas que siempre estaré a tú lado. ¡Te quiero hoy y siempre! **

- Y/N"

Pedro had lost track of how many times he'd read that message over and over, but by the time he was able to put it down, he had made up his mind: he wasn't going to let you go that easily.

•••

You were almost finished preparing dinner, placing the last potatoes in the baking pan and waiting for the oven to reach the right temperature when you heard the doorbell ring. You frowned and checked the clock, it was still early for Liev to show up, so you sighed, feeling a little annoyed at the uninvited guest. You went silent once you opened the door and saw Pedro standing there, he didn't say anything at first either, just scanned you with soft eyes, admiring you, taking in every single beautiful feature he came to love over time.

"Hey mariposa, can we talk?" He asked in his sweet voice, wanting to come inside desperately, you noticed his hands fidgeted with something nervously.

"Sure, Pedro. Come in, let's go to the kitchen, I'm cooking and can't leave stuff unattended" you said giving him space to walk in and saw him following you, you had no idea what that visit was about.

You asked him to make himself at home, offering him something to drink which he politely declined, and observed you put the baking pan into the oven. Only then, he realized how much he missed your cook, how you'd spend the weekends at his home, baking all the things you enjoyed eating, and he would always end up with the dishes as he was not skilled with his cooking at all.

"Listen, princesa, I came here because we need to talk…"

"Pedro please, don't call me that…" you said in a low voice and bit your lips, finally turning to him. You saw him frown and shake his head softly.

"Call you what, hermosa?" He questioned you, seeing a soft flush spreading across your face.

"Calling me those pet names, Pedro… I know I used to like them, but it's not appropriate anymore, I mean, we're not that close and-"

You were interrupted by his hands gripping your hips, squeezing them gently and gluing his body to yours, your faces inches away from each other's, he closed his eyes, leaning towards you, his short beard scratching against your chin, your skin so sensitive to his touch, it sent goosebumps all over it.

"So you don't wanna be my mariposa anymore? You're not mi cariño? Mi hermosa, mi muñequita, mi amor?" He asked in a whisper against your ear. Even if you tried to break free from his touch, which you straight up didn't, it would be impossible. Your body felt on fire at that teasing, at that taunting moment, you hated how Pedro ruined you. But you also loved.

"Answer me, Y/N… I know you don't believe in me, you don't believe in my feelings for you, but guess what, I think you are a lying little shit as well" he kept the same tone, but this time it was followed by soft kisses spread all over your neck, ghosting it softly. "You are a fucking liar Y/N, because you told me you didn't love me anymore" Pedro continued, his lips on your throat, making you squirm as he added his teeth, leaving soft bites all over it, before finally getting to your lips.

He stopped and stared into your eyes, stroking your cheek gently and pecking your lips and chuckling.

"If you don't love me anymore, care to explain this?" He showed you the card you had written for his birthday, seeing your widened eyes and your disbelief. You hadn't forgotten about the card, but you just hoped really hard he would never find it.

You gasped and moved your body against his, so he would stop holding you so close, but Pedro used his weight to prevent you from escaping.

"Cat got your tongue, princesa? I guess it means you still fucking love me, don't you?" He chuckled "that means you are not only a fucking liar, but also one little stubborn muñequita, because you love me, you know I love you and you don't want to be together" he shook his head.

"Pedro, we can't, please, I already told yo-" you squealed the moment you felt his heavy hands on your ass lifting you up and placing you on the kitchen counter. He only took his time to settle you down before attacking your lips with his. The kiss was urgent and deep, his tongue brushing against yours as his hands roamed around your body, at the same time you tugged his hair, not helping yourself but moaning at how heated you were making out.

Pedro broke the kiss and smirked at you "Eres tan linda, mi amor" he whispered and stroked your cheek, sinking his hand down your lap and getting under your shirt, his thick, rough fingertips brushing softly against your skin like he'd never done it before.

"We can't…" you whimpered in need and only earned a scoff from him.

"Mi amor, mira…" he said patiently and let go of your body, though he was locked in your embrace as your legs snaked against his waist "if you want us to stop, we will, but does it really seem you do?" He tilted his head and gave you one of his sweet innocent smile, waiting for you to let go of your body, which you just didn't.

He pulled you back for another kiss, his hand tight on your hair, dragging sweet moans from your mouth. You couldn't resist any longer, you know you should, you had to, but it felt impossible to break free from his spell. You were tired of lying to yourself, you ached for Pedro and you would go all the way with him.

Suddenly the sound of a door slamming shut interrupted you both, you immediately broke the kiss and saw an enraged Liev staring at you both.

"What the fuck, Y/N?" Your boyfriend shouted in pure anger. You can see jaw tightening and the way his veins were more visible.

He took a step closer to you both "what the fuck is this piece of shit doing here? I thought you were done with him?" He yelled "I guess you couldn't keep in your panties anymore, you really got that hungry of a cunt to want two cocks at once? I didn't know you were such a filthy whore" he said taking another step closer to you.

Pedro closed his hand in a fist "shut the fuck up, don't you fucking dare talk to her like that, asshole" He immediately placed himself between you and Liev, shielding your body with his own.

"You shut up, asshole. I'll deal with this bitch first and then I'll fucking kill you!" Liev yelled and aimed his punch at you, but hitting Pedro instead, as he stood there to protect you.

You were so nervous you didn't even know what to do, you just screamed, so terrified and scared at how angry Liev punched Pedro. You had no other reaction than grab a knife nearby and point it at Liev

"G-get out Liev, get out now!!!" You threatened though your voice and your hand was shaking.

The man laughed at your attempt to scare him away, but was distracted enough to receive Pedro's punches on his face as payback for the first attack. Liev wasn't expecting and lost balance for a moment, falling down.

Pedro groaned in pain, but turned to you, taking the knife from your hand "calm down cariño, things will be fine" he said trying to soothe you as he turned to the man "get the fuck outta here and don't come back, I'll fucking kill you if you ever get anywhere near Y/N" Pedro threatened with cold anger in his eyes, anyone could see he was deadly serious, and Liev got up slowly, walking towards the door knowing if he gave in to his revenge thoughts, the cops would be on him at any minute.

He shot you one last glare "and you, little bitch, enjoy your moment with this dick, I hope he treats you like shit, exactly like a filthy whore like you deserves it"

Liev exited and left you shaking in nervousness at everything that went on. Pedro held your face gently, his own bleeding at the wounds he got. You whimpered and began crying.

"Shh it's okay cariño, I'm here for you, you're safe now" Pedro wrapped his arms around you, holding you close, only caring about your well-being and nothing else.

-----

** translation: "Happy Birthday my love. I wish you all the happiness in the world and I want you to know I'll always be by your side. I love you today and forever"

A/N: I hope you guys have enjoyed it!!! Again, I picked Liev with Liev Schreiber in mind but it was a just because situation so you guys can picture whoever you want. If you have any other ideas for the next chapters, let me know ❤️

[lovelyiida]

THE RACE TO WEDDING BELLS ❤︎︎

CHAPTER 7: PASS THE SALT

"You know what they say about secretaries."

KATSUKI BAKUGO X SECRETARY READER

SYNOPSIS: as the years went by... bakugo realized that he was the last to get married. the days grew cold and the nights turned lonely. bakugo wants to marry, but he doesn't really feel like falling in love. at least he has his trustee secretary!

❥ WARNINGS: implied fem reader, aged-up! Pro-hero MHA characters over the age of 27, vulgar language, suggestive wording, and content.

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WORDS: 4.8K

"A what?"

The revelation hit like an unfathomable wave, leaving Katsuki in utter shock and embarrassment. His words slipped out uncontrollably, and he hung his head low, attempting to collect himself before facing his parents' reactions.

With just a grunt escaping him, the blonde struggled to conjure up a somewhat plausible response. "Just… don't freak out. I've been meaning to say this for a while now, just couldn't find the time."

Deep into his face, palms buried, he rubbed his eyes, attempting to shake himself from the grave he had unwittingly dug.

"How long have you guys been dating? I mean, we're happy, right?" Bakugo's father sought assurance from his wife, but all he received was a long stare.

"Um, I've known her for a while, I guess—"

"Ya' guess? What's that supposed to mean?" Mitsuki interjected, a little disheveled from the news, trying her hardest to take things step by step.

"Please, let him speak," his father interjected.

Another loud pause set into motion, catching Katsuki off guard as he had not anticipated bringing up the topic of you that day. "We were talking, then we started to hang out, started to go out, and the rest was history—"

"What happened to not having time to do anything, since you're, y'know… putting our safety first?" Mitsuki quipped at the hero.

"I can still go out and find love; I'm not some sad and lonely prick!" Katsuki yelled. "If it makes you feel any better, she's my secretary. Still ass-deep in my work."

Katsuki's response earned a scoff from his mother. "I just don't understand why you couldn't tell us about this, of all things. These matters are very important. You didn't even ask for our blessing, Katsuki," she said.

He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was hurt, almost feeling a sense of betrayal. One of the most important moments of her son's life has passed and she wasn't a part of it.

"I want to meet her," she says, Katsuki's breath hitches.

Katsuki swallowed hard, the weight of the situation sinking in. He lifted his head, meeting his mother's gaze, and nodded hesitantly.

"Yeah, uh. I'll bring her over sometime soon. You can meet her, ask whatever the hell you want," he mumbled, trying to keep the conversation under control.

Mitsuki folded her arms, a mix of concern and curiosity etched across her face. "You better not be hiding anything else, Katsuki. We're your parents; we deserve to know what's going on in your life."

Bakugo's father, still trying to process the information, chimed in with a more composed tone. "Son, we just want to understand and be a part of your life. If you're serious about her, then we should support you. But communication is key. You can't just shut us out."

Katsuki sighed, "Yeah, I get it. I messed up, I'll tell her you wanna talk"

His mother's expression softened slightly, though traces of concern lingered. "Good. We're not here to judge; we just want what's best for you."

The tension in the room began to ease as the family started to navigate this unexpected revelation. As the married couple soon go their separate ways, Katsuki storms out of the house. Heading to his car, he jumps in with force.

"Fuck, what the actual fuck is wrong with you?" Looking out towards the distance he lays back into the seat with a drafted sigh. The blonde thinks hard about the decision he's made. He didn't want to rope you into the situation though he didn't have a choice. The old bats wouldn't get off his case (Katsuki self-sabotages quite often).

How the hell is he gonna break this down to you?

"He went to see his mom and dad?" you asked, your curiosity piqued.

The redhead nods nervously, his hand reaching over to fiddle with the closest plant in range. The room falls into an awkward silence, and you find yourself shrugging in response. "Okay? I just don't understand why he couldn't tell me that..."

A thought crosses your mind, "It would've saved me a lot of trouble," you muse to yourself.

"It was so sudden, Ms. L/n, we had no idea—" Riot's explanation gets cut short by the sudden buzz of his phone. With a jolt, he quickly grabs it and stares at the screen. His eyes scan the messages with vigor as he quietly reads the words to himself. You can't help but be curious, "Is that Dynamight?" you ask.

The redhead's eyes shoot up to you for a split second, and then he continues reading. With a quick sigh, he places his phone down and puts his hand up against his temples, squeezing with firm resolve. "Uh... yeah, that was him."

Concern flickers in your eyes as you press further, "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah! everything's fine; it's just Monday, y'know?" he says with an offputting chuckle. Your eyes narrow at him for a split second before scanning the room to check the clock.

"Well, thank you for your kindness, Mr. Riot, but I should get going. I have a meeting with my queen-sized bed." You chuckle, attempting to lighten the mood. Giving the office cat one more affectionate pet, you rise out of your seat with ease and turn towards the door.

"Wait!"

Red Riot's voice booms through the room, causing you (and the cat) to jolt in surprise. "Dynamight's on his way; he really needs to see you," he says quickly. As you blink to process the information he just shared, you can't help but let out a defeated sigh. "So close," you whisper to yourself. Releasing the doorknob, you turn around, putting on your best business-coded smile.

"Sure, just tell him I'll be in his office." Turning back around, you head out the door and walk through the proclaimed hero's office. It's striking to see how night and day the two offices are. The aesthetics shift from sleek and black to relaxed and colorful.

Even the attitudes of the workers differ; they actually seem like they want (or at least don't mind) to do their job. The atmosphere is palpably different, and you find yourself absorbing the contrasting energies as you navigate through the hero's domain.

As you traverse back to the boss's office, you smoothly enter his main office, somewhat savoring the familiar ambiance as you feel a little bittersweet about being back at the office. You begin to unpack your things and get straight into work.

One hour passes, the minutes ticking away in a rhythmic dance.

Two hours pass, each moment blending into the next, creating a seamless continuum.

Three hours pass; you tiredly watch the passage of time marked by the silent ticking of the clock on the wall. A rather substantial chunk of time has passed since Red Riot mentioned that Dynamight was on his way. And you're mad as hell.

You completed everything you needed to an hour ago and decided to sit and wait just for good measure.

But now, impatience gnaws at you. Huffing, you quickly gather your things and head out of the office. Taking the elevator down to the parking garage, you aimlessly walk towards the chauffeur, the air heavy with anticipation as you slip into the sleek vehicle.

You know you're not exactly allowed to use the chauffeur, but fatigue has settled into your bones, and you simply don't feel like dealing with the hassle of taking a cab back home. As the chauffeur skillfully maneuvers through the city's nocturnal labyrinth, you find solace in the gentle hum of the engine.

Finally dropped off at your apartment, you collapse into the welcoming embrace of your bed.

Another couple of hours have passed since you left work. Glancing at the clock, a sense of worry creeps in as 10 pm emerges. "Must've been a serious conversation," you ponder. Out of habit, you pull out your phone and mindlessly text your boss.

TO: Dynamight (BOSS)

Riot told me where you were.

Next time… just tell me not to come in.

Placing the phone down, you continue watching mind-numbing daytime TV reruns. "I wonder if he thinks I'm some joke," you say aloud. Anger quietly simmers in your stomach as you shift your feet around, attempting to find comfort in the folds of your bed.

Not even five minutes later, Dynamight answers your text.

Picking up your phone, your eyes widen at his text.

FROM: Dynamight (BOSS)

outside

we need to talk.

Oh, this is serious…

Jolting out of your bed, a rush of adrenaline propels you to the window, where you cautiously peek outside. There he is, waiting at your door. Surprisingly, he looks a tad bit nervous, perhaps uneasy?

Shutting your blinds, you slip on your house shoes and stomp towards the door. Opening it with a swift motion, you look at the hero. He meets your gaze, appearing tired and somewhat defeated as you begin to let loose on him.

"You need to be more considerate of people's time and what they're going through! Do you even know what I went through today? Well, I ended up in your buddy's office today, okay—"

"Please, L/n… just let me in," the blonde's voice rasps at you. Blinking, you notice how unfazed he looks as you stop your scolding. Quietly cursing under your breath, you hold the door open for him to come in.

As the blonde enters your place, he takes off his shoes and sits at the dining room table. Your boss's demeanor today is unusual compared to how you've seen him before. He looks almost vulnerable to you.

"You want anything to drink?" you say quietly. The blonde rolls his neck and then looks you in the eyes. "Got beer?" he says. You quietly nod and go into the kitchen to get him a beer.

"Get yourself one too; you're gonna need it," he says, the last part just below a whisper. You hum in agreement and grab the beers. Sliding one to him, he grabs it and cracks it open with vigor.

You watch as your boss quickly gulps down the contents, as you only take a small swig. Placing your drink down you look at him concerned.

"What did you need to talk about?" you say softly.

"Um… listen," you watch as the blonde shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He lets out a deep sigh, placing his hands into his pockets, and his head hangs low.

"So, I talked to my parents today—"

"I know that—"

"I was talkin' to them, you know… how parents are. They get on your ass when they need to, and they were definitely on mine. My mom said some things, and I got upset. I started to blabber a whole bunch of shit for no reason—"

"I'm having a hard time figuring out what the issue is. So you're being held accountable?" you say, confused. You watch as he clenches his fist and closes his eyes, trying his absolute hardest not to explode in anger right then and there.

"As… I began to ramble, I brought you up, and I told my parents that you're my girlfriend… we're engaged." He says defeatedly, a long pause of silence goes by as you stare at your boss, absolutely dumbfounded.

What?

"WHAT!"

Jumping up from your seat, you start to pace around the kitchen in anger. "I can't even look at you right now— are you serious?" you turn towards him, eyes wide, and lips turned upward in anger.

"C'mon, it's not that serious—"

"Not that serious? Are you messing with me?" you say outraged.

"L/n, please just sit down so we can talk this out—"

"Talk this out? No, I don't wanna say anything to you. God, how could you do this? It's like I'm not even a person to you; like I'm just a toy that you continuously beat against a hardwood table over, and over, and over—"

"L/n!" Dynamight's voice roars over yours, and you flinch at the sound. The rhythmic sound of your breaths huffing is the only sound that penetrates through the air.

"Okay, fine. We can talk, but I'm not sitting down," you say sternly, which makes the blonde roll his eyes. You hear him mumble a quiet "whatever," which almost sets you right back into another frenzy.

Fighting the urge to escalate, you take a deep breath and continue to pace, the tension in the room thick enough to cut with a knife.

"My parents want to meet you tomorrow, is that okay?" he dares to ask. You wanted to say something witty, something that would tick him off, but you started to go into deep thought.

"Give him a taste of how he's treated you, Y/n; the time is now."

Turning to face him, you look at him with no emotion. "Okay, that's fine," you say. This throws your boss off guard, "uh, are you sure? You seemed pretty against it literally three seconds ago—"

"No… I think it's fine. I know we talked about taking things slow, but it's whatever," you say defeatedly. You watch as the blond takes his hands out of his pockets and places a box out and in front of you.

"You'll need this," he says.

Eyes tracing down from his hand and onto the box, your stomach drops to your ass in a heartbeat.

An engagement ring.

"I'm not forcing you to put it on right now, but just have it on before I see you tomorrow," he says. You aimlessly nod, eyes still glued to the ring. You hear your boss stand from his chair with a screech and walk towards you.

"You don't need to memorize my favorite color or whatever the heck—just be present and actually act as if you're interested, please?" he pleads with you. You hum with a silent nod.

"I'll let myself out," the hero mumbles.

After a few moments, you hear the door close and the sound of his car speeding off into the night. The room is left in silence, filled with the weight of unexpected developments and the promise of an imminent meeting with Dynamight's parents.

Sitting back down at the table, you grab the velvet box. Opening it, you can't help but let out a gasp. The ring is absolutely beautiful, looking way too expensive to be just a regular engagement ring. Taking it out of the box, you can't help but marvel at its beauty.

"I always thought later in my life I would be proposed to a little bit differently…" you chuckle to yourself, unable to help feeling a little bittersweet at the moment you're currently experiencing. The unexpected turn of events, coupled with the striking beauty of the ring, creates a whirlwind of conflicting emotions within you.

Sighing, you place your head down on the table, feeling the cold wood press against your skin. Closing your eyes, you didn't know what to think or feel—you were just there.

"What the hell are you wearing?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why do you look so… fancy?"

Currently sitting inside your "fiancé's" car, you're being berated once more for no exact reason. "I just thought that since I'm meeting your parents and all that I would dress nice," you say unbothered as you fix up your makeup in the passenger mirror.

"Plus, I bought this a year ago; m'not letting it collect dust."

You hear the blonde let out a drawn-out sigh, before you knew it, you felt a surprisingly soft hand wrap around your wrist. Looking over, you see him stare at the ring on your finger.

Swallowing your spit, you look over at his hand.

No ring.

"And where's your ring?" you say sternly. "It's right here," he mumbles as he reaches into his armrest. "I was gonna put it on but… I didn't know which finger to put the stupid thing on," he says.

You chuckle at his words as you grab the box from his hand and open it. He chose a pretty nice ring for himself also. Taking the ring out of the holder, you grab his hand and slowly slip the ring on.

"There," you speak softly.

"Thanks," the hero mumbles before quickly snatching his hand away from your grasp and placing them on the steering wheel. Quickly driving off.

Looking at the sights, you see the transitions from the bustling, busy city life to a quiet suburban city. You watch as the hero drives around the town, memorizing every turn and every stop.

Sometimes he would tell you a story about him from childhood whenever he would see a certain park or store. It was nice.

But that "nice" feeling in your body soon turned into anxiety as you watch the car turn down a neighborhood road. The neighborhood is nice, beautiful homes with nicely trimmed grass. This is a place you'd see yourself growing up in if your family actually had the money to.

As the car slows to a stop, you park outside the home of your boss's parents. Swallowing your spit, you nervously play with your ring before looking up at the blonde.

"Hey," he says, and you lift your eyebrows in response.

“Call me Katsuki.”

Your eyes widen at the thought of already starting a first-name basis. "Okay, you can call me Y/n," you say. Katsuki nods at your words, "nice name" he mumbles (he's too bashful to be authentically nice).

"Thanks, you have a nice name too," you say.

"Thanks."

A beat passes before you then watch the blonde hop out of the car and walk over to your side. Opening your door, he holds out his hand for you. Looking at his hand for a moment, you press your lips into a line before grabbing it softly.

Interlacing your fingers with the pro-hero, you didn't know what waves of emotions were going through you at the moment. You felt like a high school girl going on her first date.

You notice once more how soft his hands were. Who knew hands that were known to brutally fight against evil and maintain justice and peace in the city were so...soft.

Taking your other hand and placing it on his arm, the both of you walk side by side to the front door. As Katsuki rings the doorbell, you squeeze his hand.

"You'll be fine."

You silently nod before hearing the door unlock. As the door swings open, you're met with a man with brunette hair and glasses who looks exactly like your fiancé. Thus, none other than his father, of course.

"Oh, hello!" he says pleasantly with a soft smile. Unraveling yourself from Katsuki's grasp, you reach out to shake. "Hi, Mr..." your brain paused for a moment.

"Bakugo, Mr. Bakugo, dear," he says with a chuckle. Shaking his hand, he gives you a firm shake before letting you go. You smile as you revert to resting your hands at your center.

"Or you could call me Dad, or Mr. Dad—"

"Please, old man," Katsuki groans. This earns a quiet chuckle out of you.

"Please come in," he says awkwardly, motioning you to follow. As you step into the house, you can't help but quietly speak as you feel the warm touch of Katsuki's hand ghosting around your waist.

As the both of you settle in, you can't help but look at every corner of the house. The modern home was everything you thought it would be. Sleek design yet a homey color palette; you wish this was your childhood home.

Your eyes grazed over framed photographs capturing moments of joy from the pro-hero's childhood. A part of you still didn't believe you were seeing the things you were seeing today.

As you move through the house, Katsuki's father engages in casual conversation, sharing anecdotes and stories about their family. The initial nervousness begins to subside as you find yourself being drawn into the easygoing charm of the Bakugo family.

The living room, adorned with plush furniture and warm hues, invites you to take a seat. Katsuki, still by your side, maintains a protective presence that brings a sense of comfort.

"Dinner will be ready soon. Why don't you make yourselves comfortable?" Mr. Bakugo suggests with a warm smile, leaving you and Katsuki alone for a moment.

The two of you find a spot on the couch, and as you sit together, the air is filled with a mix of anticipation and the gentle hum of family life. Katsuki's hand finds yours again, offering silent reassurance amidst the subtle excitement of the evening.

"He's nice," you mumble softly at Katsuki, which earns a humorous scoff from him. "Yeah, he's too nice, maybe he actually took his meds today," the blonde says. You silently mouth an "oh" before looking around the room some more.

Suddenly, you catch a glimpse of Katsuki's mother in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the meal. She also looks just like him; you watch as her eyes match up with yours. Before you could politely bow or smile, her eyes were off of you.

Looking back down into your hands, Katsuki immediately tells that something is off. "Hey, don't mind the old hag; she's just in her feelings." You breathe in, trying to register your emotions and the "old hag" quip.

"Yeah, but I mean, she has every right to act the way she's acting. If I didn't know my son was getting married—let alone had a girlfriend until it's basically time for them to say their vows—I would feel a type of way as well."

Katsuki rolls his eyes as he attempts to place his hand on your thigh. But you turn away from him with a frown. Before the blonde could say anything else, "Mr. Dad" comes walking through.

"Hey, kids, the food is ready," he says with a smile.

You nod before looking back at Katsuki. As the both of you walk towards the dining table, Katsuki pulls out your chair and helps you sit down. As you settle down, you hear a quiet scoff in the distance. Already gathering that scoff was owned by his mother.

Looking down, you stare at the food placed before you. The aroma wafts through the air, and you can't help but smile. "Wow, this looks amazing! I haven't had a home-cooked meal in so long, thank you."

"No need." Looking up, you notice another figure sitting on the opposite side of the table. "Hello, Mrs. Bakugo," you say with a soft bow.

Nothing in return.

Looking over at Katsuki, you could sharpen a dozen kitchen sets with the look he just gave his own mother. The tension in the room becomes palpable, and you find yourself navigating the delicate balance of emotions while trying to enjoy the anticipated family dinner.

As the family gathers around the table, you notice the strained atmosphere between Katsuki and his mother. The unspoken tension hangs in the air, creating an undercurrent that makes you tread carefully with each bite.

You exchange glances with Katsuki, silently acknowledging the situation of family dynamics. Despite the awkwardness, you decide to break the ice by engaging in conversation with Mr. Bakugo.

"So, how did the two of you meet?" he asks. Looking over at Katsuki stuffing his face with rice, you look back over at his father with a bashful smile.

"We met at work; I'm his secretary," you say with a chuckle. Katsuki's dad lets out a chuckle along with you. You also notice that his mother is chuckling too. As she looks into your eyes with a mischievous smile, her eyes glaze over at her husband.

"You know what they say about secretaries…"

"Which is?" you look over at Katsuki, throwing mental daggers at his mother. She swallows her food and chuckles, "I'm just saying! Clearly, you have a type."

"Keep pushin' me; old dirty hag," Katsuki spits venom with every word that comes out of his mouth. Your eyes widen at the vulgarity of the words he chose. Placing your hand above your mouth in shock.

"Or what? Little bastard—"

"Okay!" Mr. Bakugo yells out.

All eyes snap towards him.

"Mitsuki, do you have any other questions for Y/n?" he says anxiously.

A moment of silence passes before she speaks again.

"Where are you from?" she asks.

"I'm from (hometown)," you respond.

"Education?"

"I'm a college graduate in hero analysis and communications."

"How old are you?"

"27, ma'am…28 in (birth month)."

"How many kids are you willing to have with my son?" she suddenly asks. This makes Katsuki and his father choke on their food, sending you aback, and a warmth grows on your cheeks.

"Oh, what? It's not like they haven't had sex before!" she argues.

"Well—"

"Well, what? You're celibate?" She questions; you look over at Katsuki before quietly nodding. "Oh wow, I guess he's really in it for the long haul." Mitsuki sips her drink before going on another brigade of questions for you.

By the end of dinner, things were…okay? You believe you made a good impression on Mr. Bakugo. His mother, on the other hand, was a whole different case.

Soon, you and Katsuki were in the kitchen washing dishes while the older couple sat on the couch to converse. The clinking of dishes serves as a backdrop to the muffled conversation in the living room. The warmth of the water and the shared task provide a brief respite from the earlier intensity.

As you scrub a plate, Katsuki breaks the silence. "Sorry about that, she can be a real pain in the ass."

You look over at him, a small smile playing on your lips. "It's okay, I can handle it. Besides, I'm getting to know your family."

He grumbles in response, his usual tough exterior softening for a moment. The rhythmic sound of washing dishes continues, and you can't help but feel a sense of unity, even in the midst of familial complexities.

"It's not okay; she's never acted like that towards a guest ever, and it's you of all people," he says. You can tell through the tone of his voice that he's genuinely upset. You watch closely as he washes off some scum from a knife with his fingers.

"You didn't deserve that—god, she can be such a bitch—ah, shit!" Katsuki curses as he holds out his finger. He didn't realize, through his fit of anger, that he'd cut his finger.

Your eyes widen at the sight.

"What's going on in there?" You hear Mitsuki yell out.

"K-Katsuki?" You stumble with your words.

"Damn it, sorry," he mumbles.

"I'm fine, there's a first aid kit under the sink."

Quickly grabbing the kit, you come to his aid. Carefully bandaging up his finger. "Katsuki, I promise I've gone through worse. This is only a nib in the bud," you reassure him.

Finishing up the bandage, you place the first aid kit back under the sink. Looking back up at the blonde, you softly smile, placing your hand on his arm before glancing back over.

As you look over, you see Mitsuki staring into your soul, but this time neither of you breaks contact. "Did you guys want to stay for dessert?" Katsuki's father follows up.

The both of you look over at him, and you begin to speak, "Um—"

"Nah, early patrol and an interview tomorrow," Katuski speaks as he sneaks an arm around your waist. "Mm, yeah. That also translates to a lot of paperwork and notes for me," you attempt to make a joke to lighten the air.

This earns a chuckle from the father, "Well, let us lead you out."

As the four of you head towards the door, you watch Katsuki from the corner of your eye get a pat on the back from his father and a thumbs-up, mouthing "I like her" before he slips away from him.

Before leaving, the both of you turn and bow. "It was nice seeing you both for the first time. I hope to come here more often; the food was great."

"Anytime Y/n, the pleasure is ours."

As the both of you turn away hand in hand, you're stopped by a gasp of your wrist. "I'd like to give you a couple of words," says Mitsuki.

"Oh—"

"Whatever you say to her, you can say to me," Katsuki says sternly. His mother rolls her eyes, "Oh, please go to the car; I'm not gonna bite her head off!" She complains.

You give Katsuki an assuring glance before letting him go to the car. Facing his mother, you expect the worst. "Yes?" you say.

She lets out a sigh before she speaks, looking at you with almost a pitiful look. “I don’t know if you’re a good fit for my son yet, but I can tell you care for him. And that’s what matters the most.”

She then places her hand to touch yours, lifts your hand, and observes your ring. "Y'know I was staring at this the whole night? I just can't believe it."

Staring down at the ring, you nod your head in agreement.

"Me either."

I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED IT!! THE FIRST HALF OF THIS BOOK IS COMPLETE! ONLY 6 MORE CHAPTERS LEFT!

— lovelyiida

[loveisanimaginarydagger3000]

The Babysitter (23)

Welcome To The Family

MILF Wanda Maximoff X Reader 18+

Summary: In need of money and a way to escape the problems at home, you get a job babysitting two lovely boys named Billy and Tommy Maximoff. What happens when you start to feel things you shouldn't for their mother? Will it bloom into love or leave you heartbroken?

A/N- I would just like to say that there will be some sensitive issues in this story such as alcoholism, homophobia, anxiety as well as more mature content such as smut so, if you continue to read this, please consider this warning.

The Babysitter Master list | General Master List

Chapter 23- W/c 4.5k

Tag list- @natsluttt @cerberus-spectre @dorabledewdroop @bibliophilicbi @hopelesslyfallenninlove @simpform1lfs @get-the-fuck-outta-here @natashaswife4125 @marvelwomen-simp @supercorpstan97 @aliherreraaa @aru-son @the-ox-fan20 (Comment if you want to be added)

Welcome To The Family

Gentle rays of sunlight seeped through the small gaps in the curtains, resulting in your eyes to softly flutter open, squinting a little as you adjusted to the light. Your gaze almost immediately went to the woman who laid beside you, tranquillity written across her face as she slept next to you.

Wanda looked ethereal besides you, the sunlight creating this angelic aura about her as soft, quiet snores left her lips, your lips tugging into a content smile. It was impossible to keep your eyes off her, gaze flickering across her face as you admired her features. Her auburn hair still somehow framed her face perfectly, her cheekbones slightly on show with how her face was pressed against the pillow, lips slightly parted, long eyelashes adorning her eyes, she was perfect. You continued to gaze lovingly at her, only being snapped out of the moment when she spoke up, voice low and raspy from having just woken up.

"It's rude to stare," she murmurs, her tone containing hints of teasing, eyes eventually fluttering open to reveal various shades of amused green.

"I'm not staring," you whisper out, scared if you spoke any louder that the peaceful atmosphere would be broken. "I'm admiring, there's a difference," her teeth bite down on her lower lip to try and prevent the smile stretching across her face, the sight adorable to you as she peers through her lashes.

"Admiring is just a nice way of saying staring," she mutters, her hands moving to snake around your body as you lay facing each other, your legs a tangle of limbs under the sheets. A small chuckle escapes you at her words, her eyes closing as a blissful sigh escapes her, savouring the moment.

"Well, it's hard not to stare at someone so beautiful," your tone barely above a whisper, honesty and care lacing your words. At the way you softly spoke the complementing words, Wanda's cheeks turned a light pink, her face turning to the side to press further into the pillow, trying to hide her flustered expression. "Are you blushing?" you tease, a smile stretching on your lips as her cheeks turned even darker, your hands wrapping around her body and pulling her closer.

"No," she grumbles defiantly, despite the clear colour tainting her cheeks.

"Yeah you are," your tone teasing but still soft, your lips moving to press against her cheek, lingering and moving to whisper in her ear, "You're beautiful my love, I can't keep my eyes off of you."

"Shut up," she mutters playfully, wanting the heat in her cheeks to go away, your words somehow making her blush even more prominent. She wasn't used to being showered in this much affection, and the way you said it... it almost made her fall in love with you all over again.

"No, I want you to know how I think you are perfect," she moves to hide her face at your neck, her warm breath tickling your skin.

"Stop it," she mutters again, still getting flustered by your kind and caring words.

"Or what?" you murmur out, "What are you going to do?" At that, her head instantly pulls away from your neck, the shy glint having faded into a more dominant stare as she raises her brow at you, her persona radiating pure power now. You swallow nervously at the dominant look in her eyes, the way her lips curve into a mischievous smirk, hands slipping under your shirt and trailing up your bare back.

"What am I going to do?" she rasps out and you were totally fucked. Her tongue swipes across her lips, wetting them and you can feel the heat and arousal starting to pool between your thighs, completely switching the roles from a minute ago. "I'll remind you who's in charge Detka," you're hyper aware of her nails scratching down your back, the way her lips ghost yours, a small, needy sound escaping you. Her lips stretch into a smug smile, revelling in the hold she has over you. "Do I need to remind you? Or will you behave?" she purrs, moving her body so she was hovering over yours, your back flat against the soft mattress as you peer up submissively at her.

"I'll... I'll be good," you whisper out, her lips softly meeting yours. Her tongue swipes across your bottom lip, your mind losing yourself to the thought of her when she pulls back, sitting smugly on your lap, bewilderment and disbelief etched onto your face.

"So submissive," she teases and now it was your turn to blush, hands moving up to cover your face as she laughs softly, leaning back down to litter your face in soft, gentle kisses.

"Stop teasing me," you grumble and all you can think of is how karma is a bitch. "I'll send your birthday present back," you threaten when another taunting comment is on the tip of her tongue, the smug expression turning into curiosity.

"Present?" she questions and you just screwed yourself over, Wanda now eager to find out what you had gotten her, her birthday in a couple of days.

"Present? What present?" Your tone is painfully obvious, trying your best to act innocent and oblivious while Wanda just smiles down at you, her lip caught between her lip, driving you insane.

She's about to ask more questions, but a knock at the door interrupts her, Billy and Tommy by the door.

"Grandma and Grandpa are on the phone Mom," you can hear Tommy say, cheering internally as he's saved you, Wanda climbing off your lap and towards the door, letting them both in as you were both presentable.

"Your hair is funny," Tommy teases once having seen your bed hair before he and Billy jump on the bed, their small bodies squishing you.

"Your face is funny," you immaturely retort back, Wanda chuckling at your antics before moving to sit in the small chair in the corner of her room, legs crossing as she leans back against the cushion, greeting her parents.

You busy yourself with quietly talking to the twins, Billy telling you all about his dream while Tommy tries to further mess your hair up playfully, earning faux serious looks from you to make him giggle softly.

"Oh," You hear Wanda say, your head tilting to look towards where she was, her teeth biting down gently on her thumb, a habit of hers when she was deep in thought. "No, that's fine Mama, I just, I need to do something before I say I can come," green eyes meet yours, Wanda quickly saying goodbye to her mother and promising to call back shortly with an answer, the twins also intrigued in what was going on.

"Dorogoys, do you mind letting Y/n and I talk for a moment?" she asks them sweetly, both boys nodding their heads and leaving the room, saying they were going to get some breakfast, Wanda rolling her eyes when she heard Tommy ask Billy to help him raid the cupboards for cookies before turning to you, a worried glint in your eyes.

"What's wrong?" you ask, opening your arms out for her, her body sliding into your lap, arms loosely wrapped around your neck.

"Nothing, it's just Mama and Papa invited me and the boys around as they've booked a beach house for us all as a birthday present..." she trails off the end as you comprehend what that would mean. You wouldn't be able to see her on her birthday. "We'd stay over at theirs tonight and head over to the beach house in the morning as it's not that far."

"Oh," is all you manage in response, Wanda's fingers playing with the baby hair at the back of your neck.

"You could come with us," she says, her face containing hint of hesitation, "We could tell my parents about the two of us, and then you could come with us, if that's something you would want."

You grow nervous at the idea of telling her parents, a reminder of your own parents' reactions invading your mind. It had been a couple of weeks since Wanda came with you to visit your father's grave, her support and care causing you to fall even harder for the woman, still a little hesitant on saying the big three words though. She also helped you overcome some of the anxieties surrounding your sexuality, assuring you that is wasn't a bad or immoral to like who you want, the thoughts still sometimes lingering.

Would her parents react the same way? Would they be accepting? Would they get mad at Wanda? Hate her the way your mother hates you?

"Detka, stay with me," she murmurs encouragingly, placing her finger delicately under your chin and guiding your head up to look at her.

"Do they know that you-" you cut yourself off during the sentence, not sure if you should ask that.

"They do," she answers what you were going to say anyway, your face relaxing a little at the revelation. "They caught me kissing a girl in my room once," she explains and you don't know whether you should be relieved they're accepting or jealous of the other girl. "They're ok with it, I promise you Dorogaya."

"Would they care about the age gap?" you nervously ask, never having spoken about the difference in age with her. Her brows raise at that, never having thought about it deeply. You were only eighteen, turning nineteen soon and Wanda was about to turn thirty, having had the twins in her late teens.

"I think the only thing they will care about is whether I'm happy or not," she says, reassuring the both of you and pressing a lingering kiss to your forehead. "And before you ask, yes, I'm extremely happy." You smile shyly at the older woman being able to predict what you were about to ask, leaning forward to rest your head against her shoulder.

"Do you think they will mind if I tag along?" you murmur against her skin, her smiling at the idea of you joining them.

"No Detka, in fact, I think they would love an excuse to embarrass me," she chuckles out, a laugh inevitably leaving you at the soft sound leaving her lips.

"In that case, I'd love to come," you raise your head to look at her, gazing into her eyes before adding, "Only to hear the embarrassing stories though, I still need to find out about that table story and-" Her hand covers your mouth to shut you up, an amused glint in both of your eyes as you continue to speak against her palm.

"I will protect that story with my life Detka," she says, making you smile against her.

Oh, you're definitely going to get that story out of someone.

***

Carrying the suitcases out of the car, along with Billy's superhero backpack on your back, you walk up the remainder of her parents' driveway, astonished at the mansion in front of you.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Wanda murmurs while walking up next to you, carrying her own bag while the boys run up to the front door, knocking eagerly to see their grandparents. All you can do is nod in agreement, admiring the architecture and trying to focus on anything but the nerves bubbling inside you, Wanda's hand giving yours a reassuring squeeze before following her boys, letting you take in the stunning scenery.

When the grand doors open, your gaze instantly goes to the familiar woman standing at the door, her face lighting up at the sight of her grandchildren and daughter. You watch with a tender smile as she greets them all, placing many kisses on Billy and Tommy's faces to have them struggling to breath with laughter, her gaze soon turning to you, your body lingering behind. Your cheeks go red as you stand a little awkwardly, the child's backpack and bags in your hand not ideal.

Natalya simply flashes you a charming smile, a smile sneaking onto your lips as you now know where Wanda gets it from, before she walks over to you, enveloping you in a hug.

"I've missed you dear," she says, tone motherly as she walks you into the house, ushering for you to leave the bags in the hall and follow her into the living room where the twins were already playing with their Uncle. "How have you been?" she asks politely and you catch Wanda's gaze, the soft and relaxed look on her face causing a majority of your nerves to dissipate.

"I've been really good," you answer honestly, enjoying speaking with the older woman. "What about you?"

"Oh, I'm fine dear, back pain is starting to creep up on me again though," she says while sitting down on a sofa, patting the seat next to you and taking you under her wing, her husband busy entertaining the twins along with annoying his children. You smile when you see Wanda trying to escape her father's grip, his hand ruffling her hair like he just did to Pietro, your gaze flickering back to the woman sitting next to you.

Before you know it, you're at complete ease, enjoying the welcoming environment and people, occasionally catching Wanda's gaze as you check up on each other, Pietro noticing the lingering looks with a mischievous grin on his face. His expression, along with Wanda, goes to dread when Natalya returns with a photo album, both twins trying to protest from the various embarrassing tales you were about to be told.

You attentively look at all the images in the album, a tender and amused expression etched onto your face as you take in all the baby photos of them, your eyes naturally drawn towards Wanda. You laugh at a funny baby photo of your girlfriend, her hair a complete mess while her hand's are covered in paint, face also containing smears of the blue paint, along with the wall and a displeased Erik in the background.

"Mama," Wanda groans when her mother pulls out another album from nowhere, this one containing photos of her when she was a little older, in her early teens and onwards.

You have to bite your tongue to refrain from making a comment about her emo phase, thoroughly enjoying the photos of her darker hair and clothes, as well as the many rings and jewellery littered across her body. There's a photo of both of them, Pietro's hair bright silver while Wanda's was dark brown, their arms slung around each other as they sat on a brick wall, the view of Sokovia in the background making you wonder what it was like there, a chuckle leaving Natalya when she flips the page over.

"Dorogaya, do you remember this?" Wanda comes over at her mother's words, standing behind the sofa and peering down into the book, your gaze glued on the woman behind you. You can't help but let your gaze roam her skin, starting at her sharp jawline before slowly travelling down her neck, then to her- Nope, not now.

Wanda smirks at you, having caught your gaze and the blush tinting your cheeks, answering her mother instead.

"How could I forget Mama," she says in a small grumble, knowing where this story was going.

"What happened?" you curiously ask, looking back at the blurry photo, too much motion happening for it to be in focus. All you could make out was a body falling backwards and someone running, but other than that you were a bit lost, Pietro jumping out of his seat and having a peek at which photo it was.

"Oh Sestra," he chuckles out, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her closer, Wanda playfully pushing him off, "You're not still mad, are you?"

"It was my favourite jacket," she complains, laughter spilling out of her brother and mother's lips, causing a smile to stretch across your face at the light-hearted atmosphere.

"I asked Wanda to pose for a photo by the side of the canal," her mother explains, your teeth biting down on your lip to stop the laughter that was about to escape you, your mind having a vague idea of where this was going. A snicker leaves Piero, Wanda smacking him lightly and muttering something rude in Sokovian to him.

"Then this idiot had to go and ruin it," Wanda directs the comment to her brother, who stands with a proud and cocky smile on his face, Wanda wanting to say a lot worse but refraining as the twins were nearby.

"I pushed her into the canal," Pietro smugly says, crossing his arms over his chest while Wanda glares at him, remembering how cold the water was and how her favourite red jacket forever stank because of the water.

You can't help but chuckle when Wanda starts to mutter something in Sokovian, Pietro commenting back making them bicker playfully, Natalya breaking it up with a clearing of her throat, both adults cowering at their mother's stern gaze.

"Erik, dear?" Natalya says, gaining her husband's attention from the other sofa along with the twins, "Can you make sure these two don't kill each other while I make dinner?" He laughs at his wife's words, coming over and hugging Wanda, who reluctantly listens to him while he says something in Sokovian, a wide smile stretching across her face when he presses a small kiss to the top of her head.

Wanda then ends up sitting next to you and it takes every ounce of willpower to not cuddle into her side, instead just letting your knees touch with how close you were sat. Erik asks Wanda about her work while you talk to Tommy at your side, the young boy planning to sneak up on his uncle who had just disappeared to go to the bathroom. You encouraged the boy to scare him, thinking it would be funny if Pietro was the one pranked for once.

Eventually, a small scream can be heard, the silver haired man trying his best to mask the swear word that left his lips, Tommy grinning ear to ear and teasing his uncle for the bad word, running in to tell his mother.

"Such a bad influence," she teases her brother who rolls his eyes, flopping into the seat next to you and about to make small talk when Natalya announces dinner is ready.

You didn't think it was that possible to move that fast, Tommy and Pietro practically running with super speed into the dining room while the rest of you made your way there at an appropriate speed, Natalya directing you into the seat opposite Wanda, ready to eat.

Heaven was the only word floating around in your mind when you sat back against the chair, your stomach full with the traditional dish the older woman had made. How was it possible for something to taste so good? The flavours melted on your tongue in the best way possible, a blissed out expression on your face from the delicious food. Amused green caught your reaction to the food, a content smile playing on her lips as she gazes at you briefly before Billy asks her something at her side.

Once you're all able to move after eating so well, the boys are allowed to stay up a little longer past their bedtime, too excited to say goodnight just yet. However, their energy soon fades away, Billy pressed up into your side while he tries to stay awake, listening to whatever story his grandpa was saying.

"You're sleepy," you murmur teasingly to the top of the boy's head, him slowly shaking it against your shoulder, a tender smile on your face as his eyes can barely stay open. Tommy is in a similar state, his body up against his grandmother, Billy's body pressing further against you.

"No I'm not," he says in a little grumble, "I'm wide awake, see," to prove his point he looks at you, nothing but exhaustion written across his face making you chuckle softly.

"Mhmm, do you want to go to bed? I'll take you up if you want, you don't have to stay awake because everyone else is," you softly whisper, knowing that nobody wants to be the first to leave. He thinks about it for a moment, nodding shyly against your shoulder. "Come on," you give Wanda a look, her catching the silent message by the way you scoop Billy into your arms, everyone else also catching on and smiling at the boy who was practically falling asleep on you.

Asking for directions from a sleepy ten year old proved harder than you thought, trying your best to navigate your way around the mansion towards where his room was, eventually making your way there when you see Wanda walking Tommy towards his room, his feet trudging along the carpet.

Due to how tired they are, it's fairly easy to get them all tucked up into bed, Wanda looking at them both with a motherly and affectionate look before kissing their foreheads and wishing them goodnight. You wait at the door frame, her arms snaking around your waist as you step into the hallway, everyone else still in the living room.

"Are you ready to tell them?" She murmurs softly, pressing a kiss to the top of your head, thumbs softly caressing your skin as her hands slip briefly under your shirt.

"Yeah," you sigh out, the nerves creeping back up a little before your brain rationalises the thoughts with what Wanda told you earlier about them only wanting her to be happy. At your response, her lips slowly and intimately meet yours, completely washing away your nerves as she pulls back with a loving glint in her eyes, her smile able to completely calm you down.

***

It had been around an hour since the twins were put to bed, your body sat next to Wanda as you all did the typical things once the children had gone to bed, the talk becoming more adult while everyone drank whatever alcoholic beverage they liked.

Despite your distaste for wine, for obvious reasons, you could help but watch in awe as Wanda slowly sipped on her glass of red, her hand gently tilting the glass to swirl the wine before bringing it to her mouth, looking over the rim to whoever was talking. Your gaze flickered from how her hands wrapped around the glass, to her lips, then to her jawline before settling on the floor, trying to get a hold on the inappropriate thoughts floating through your mind. She was just drinking, it shouldn't be that hot.

It was as if the older woman knew, smirking around the glass at how easily you blushed, watching you through the corner of her eyes as you zoned out looking at the floor. You seemed to be brought back when her hand subtly placed itself on your thigh, causing your gaze to snap back up to meet her soft green.

"It's so nice of you to be able to join us dear," Natalya says while taking a sip of her drink, presumably gin and tonic by the way it looks.

"It's so nice of you to have me," you say, turning away from Wanda, Pietro catching on to what his mother was trying to do and glaring at her.

"That's actually something we wanted to talk about," Wanda says as the opportunity present itself, naturally turning back to face her, unable to keep your eyes off of her. You block out everyone else around you, solely focussing on her with a smile engraved on your face, love swirling around in your eyes. You don't notice how Natalya smiles around her glass, the other two paying close attention to what Wanda was about to say. "I didn't bring Y/n along to help babysit the kids like I said on the phone Mama," her hand interlocks with yours by your sides, her eyes moving away from her parents stare and towards you, a comforting smile stretching across her lips at the way you look so enamoured by her. "She's my girlfriend," she says proudly, "And I love her."

Smiles appear on the faces of her parents, Pietro letting out a loud groan making both yours and Wanda's head snap over to the man, confusion written across her face while yours contains anxiety and fear.

"Ебать (fuck)," he mutters, staring at his mother who merely raises her eyebrow at him, smirking at her son which further confuses you both. "You couldn't have waited one more night, Sestra?" he groans, reaching into his pocket to retrieve his wallet, pulling out a few notes and handing them to his smug mother who gratefully accepts her winnings.

"You put a bet on us?" Wanda says in disbelief, the two of you significantly calmer at the happiness on everyone's, well almost everyone as Pietro sulked about losing, face, clearly elated at the fact you were together. "How did you know?"

At her daughter's words, Natalya lets out a laugh, placing down her drink and coming over to sit on the sofa with you both, sitting next to her daughter and enveloping her in a hug.

"Did you really think the twins would be able to keep a secret from me?" her tone teasing as she pulls back from the embrace, Wanda smiling to herself at the twins actions. "I'm so happy for you Dorogaya," she murmurs softly to Wanda, her gaze turning to you, "And I'm so happy you found someone so kind and special," you blush a little at the complimentary words, offering a shy smile in return.

"Me too, Mama," she whispers and you can hear Pietro going 'aw' in the background, his tone teasing as he smiles at his sister, glad she had found someone better than Vision.

"As for you dear," Natalya says, standing up and ushering you to do so too, her arms enveloping you in a tight embrace, her actions motherly. "Treat her well for me," she whispers so only you can hear, a small nod from you in return making her pull back, her smiling widening.

"I will, that's all I want to do," you softly say, her pulling you back for another hug, a breathless laugh escaping you at her affectionate manner. When the older woman finally pulls back, her father approaches you, pulling you in for a quick side hug, before speaking up.

"Welcome to the family," he jokingly says, Wanda stealing you away from him and wrapping her arms around you, your face having lit up at his words.

Family. 

You were finally part of a family again.

[sarah-bear706318]

Chasing Storms and Finding Love. Chapter 6:

Series Summary: When Tyler's baby sister joins him and his team for a season she seems to catch the eye of a certain StormPar member much to her brothers dismay... will she listen listen to her big brother or follow her heart?

Chapter Summary: Your brother walks seeing you and Scott sleeping and loses his mind! Your brother and new boyfriend get into fight right in the middle of your room. In the aftermath of the fight you try to talk to your brother when he says things he can't take back

Pairing: Scott Miller X fem!reader, Tyler Owens x sister!reader

Series Warnings: Sneaking around, Pissed off Tyler, Love Struck Scott, ALOTS of kissing, A little age gap, Cussing, Drinking, Storms(duh), Falling in love, Slow burn

Chapter Warnings: MAJOR ANGST(sorry) A very pissed off Tyler, fist fights, LOTS of yelling, sibling fight, cussing, soft! Scott, asshole Tyler, lots of tears, heavy makeout session, fluff

A/N: this chapter might hurt but I do have a plan! also I saw on google Tyler's middle name was James so I went with google lol Thank you everyone who is reading liking and reblogging my story! I am new to writing and it makes me feel good and encourages me to keep writing!!! and aslo big shout out to @nikkicloudie for always letting me bounce ideas off her, you are such a big help!

@nikkicloudie @papichulo120627 @thespillingvoid @turnerintoabutler @lindsayjoy444 @glenpowellluver @harrysgothicbitch

If you want to be added to the tag list let me know!

"WHAT THE FUCK"

You are jolted awake at the sound of a very pissed off older brother and something hitting the wall. Before you have anytime to think you feel Scott being ripped out of bed.

"WHAT THE FUCK TYLER LET HIM GO, AND HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET IN MY ROOM"

"THAT DOESNT MATTER WHY THE FUCK IS HE IN YOUR ROOM IN YOUR FUCKING BED"

" THATS NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS TYLER, NOW LET MY BOYFRIEND GO AND GET OUT OF MY ROOM NOW!"

Tyler is seeing red at this point and looking between you and Scott, he's shocked enough to let the grip he has on Scott loosen, and Scott stumbles trying to keep his balance.

"BOYFRIEND?! DID YOU JUST SAY BOYFRIEND Y/N?!" Tyler yells going to grab Scott again, but isn't fast enough, you are in between the 2 tall men in the matter of a second.

"YES BOYFRIEND" you yell at your brother

"I'LL KILL YOU" Tyler yells pushing you aside and goes to throw a punch when Boone grabs his arms and pulls him back, while Javi does the same with Scott. You look around wondering where the hell they came from, then you see your brother never closed the door.

"What the hell is going on in here" Javi says looking at the three of you.

"I FOUND THEM IN BED TOGETHER AND SHE JUST CALLED CLIPBOARD HERE HER BOYFRIEND"

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT, NOW TELL ME HOW AND WHY YOU ARE IN MY FUCKING ROOM TYLER JAMES OWENS"

"I WANTED TO SURPRISE YOU WITH COFFEE SO I USED THE EXTRA KEY"

"YOU HAVE A KEY TO MY ROOM TYLER ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME RIGHT NOW"

"YES THEY GAVE ME 2 YESTERDAY"

"SO YOU KEPT ONE WITHOUT TELLING ME ARE YOU INSANE TYLER"

"NO BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER RIGHT NOW Y/N" your brother yells to you before he turns his sights to Scott

"NOW WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING IN MY SISTERS ROOM IN HER FUCKING BED"

"WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING DUDE LIKE SHE SAID WE FELL ASLEEP WATCHING A MOVIE" Scott yells

"WITH YOUR FUCKING SHIRT OFF"

You look over to your new boyfriend where Javi is still holding him back from your brother and see he does indeed have his shirt off, holy fucking hell does he look good you think to yourself, but when did he take his shirt off, but before Scott can say another word you hear another voice.

Kate, Lily, Dani, and Dexter are now standing in the still open door to your room looking very confused to what they are seeing. Great more people to witness this It's Kate that speaks up first. "What is with all the yelling we can hear the 3 of all the way downstairs".

"I JUST FOUND MY SISTER IN BED WITH THIS ASSHOLE, AND HE HAS NO SHIRT ON THATS WHATS WITH ALL THE YELLING"

Your brother pulls out of Boone's grip and tackles Scott to the ground and Javi right along with him. You stand there in shock with a mix of angry and hurt tears streaming down your face while your big brother and boyfriend throwing punches at each other. Javi gets to his feet and does his best to grab Scott with the help of Dani as Boone does the same to your brother with the Dexter helping him. You have had it at this point

"KNOCK IT THE FUCK OFF BOTH OF YOU THATS ENOUGH!" you yell at the top of your lungs "I CAN'T BELIEVE THE TWO OF YOU ACTING LIKE THIS! SCOTT SIT SO I CAN CLEAN YOUR FACE, BOONE GET MY BROTHER OUT NOW" you say pulling your boyfriend from Javi's grip and pushing him on the bed.

"WHY DOES HE GET TO STAY" your brother yells still being held back

"BECAUSE TYLER HE DIDNT COME BARGING IN UNVITED, AND I CAN ONLY YELL AT ONE OF YOU AT A TIME AND I'M MORE LIKLY TO KILL YOU RIGHT NOW THEN HIM TYLER JAMES"

"I'M NOT LEAVING TIL WE TALK ABOUT THIS Y/N"

"YES YOU ARE TYLER I DON'T WANT TO TALK TO YOU OR SEE RIGHT NOW, BOONE DEXTER GET HIM OUT NOW" you yell

"This isn't over Y/n" your brother says before he angrily shrugs out of the grip Boone and Dexter have on him and stomps toward the door. The others look between you and Scott before they too are heading to the door.

"Hey Javi could you please bring me some ice to put on this idiots face and Boone will you check on my idiot brother so he doesn't do anything stupid" you say to the men, and they both nod

"Do you need anything Y/n" Kate ask in a soft voice from the doorway

"Actually coffee would be amazing Kate thank you" you say looking at her then to the wall where you heard something being thrown at it just minutes ago, "and maybe a few extra towels since I not only have to clean a bloody face but coffee off the floor and wall and make my brother pay for the coffee since he started all this" you say meeting Kates eyes.

You make your way to the sink to wet a rag for Scott's face, and to see if you can find a first aid kit. As your walking back to the bed to clean up your boyfriends face you are beyond pissed, and Scott can tell so he just stays silence. He has a busted lip, a cut over his right eyes and a bruise forming on his cheek. "This is gonna sting but I gotta clean it" you say to Scott before wiping the alcohol pad over his lip while he winces. Before Scott can say anything there is a knock at the door and the sound of the door opening.

"Here's the ice your coffee extra towels and your extra key Kate made your brother give it up" Javi says walking over to hand you the bucket of ice and setting the coffee towels and key down on the bedside table.

"Thanks, hows idiot number 1" you ask still wrapping ice in a clean rag and handing it to Scott.

"He's bout the same as idiot number 2 here, Kates taking care of him"

"Tell her thank you"

"I will, I'll leave you to tend to him I'll check back later"

"Thank you Javi" "Thanks man" you and Scott say at the same time then Javi is out the door leaving you and Scott alone.

Scott breaks the silence "I'm so sorry baby". You say nothing as you walk to the bathroom to throw away all the bloody supplies you just used to clean his face, then back to the side of the bed where your coffee sits, picking it up to take your first sip.

"Baby please talk to me please" Scott begs

"What do you want me to say Scott hmmm, That its ok you and my big brother got into a knock down drag out at 7 in the morning in my room" Scott stays silence still holding the ice to his face

"Or do you want me to say I love knowing the fact that the whole state of Okla-fucking-homa just heard me and my brother yelling at each other, oh how bout this cleaning my boyfriend's bloody face first thing in the morning is how I wanted to start my day, and all this without coffee, so please Scott where do you want me to start"

"I can't say enough how sorry I am, I didn't want to fight my girlfriend's brother shirtless first thing in the morning with 5 other people watching and having to hear you cry and yell at your brother broke my heart, I will do anything to prove how sorry I am baby"

"It's not just you I'm mad at. My brother did barge in and you were only defending yourself I hate fighting with my brother" you say in a small voice trying to fight back tears. "He's one of my bestfriend and I know he means well but I think sometimes he still sees me as that 5 year old little girl he walked door to door with taking me trick or treating" Scott let out a laugh at the thought of that.

"I know you and my brother have a history and you hate each other but I can't do this every single day cleaning blood off one of your faces because you both wanna throw punches everytime you see each other or have a screaming match with my brother, I want him to be ok with the 2 of us. I really can see us going the distance and I want that so much but I really cant live with the two the men in my life fighting, and don't worry my idiot brother is gonna get the same talk with too" you say looking to Scott while wiping your eyes

"I don't think me and your brother will ever see eye to eye or be friends but I can be civil with brother if that's what you need me to do, I'll do anything to make this work with you and keep you as my girl" Scotts says brushing hair from your face

"You'd do that for me really" you ask

"of course I will babygirl" Scott replies pulling you into his arm

"Can I ask you one more thing baby" you say looking at Scott

"anything sweetheart"

"Not that I'm complaining because I most definitely am not but what happened to your shirt and why did I not get to help you out of it" you hear Scott laugh before he replies

"Well baby that is 2 questions" Scott laughs while you rolls your eyes

"But I got hot I'm not use to wearing a shirt while I sleep or having a gorgeous girl cuddled up next to me, as far as you not helping i thought you wanted to take it slow"

"I do but I'll never complain helping you get shirtless" you say with a wink and a kiss to his lips

************************************************************************

You and Scott stay in your room for a bit longer before you decide its time to go talk to your brother. You reluctantly pull yourself from Scotts arms to go get dressed. Once your dressed you and Scott walk out of your room, you turn to see your brother at his truck and you catch his gaze. Scott's room is on the first floor so the 2 of you walk down the stairs hand in hand you can feel your brothers eyes on you the whole time. Scott kisses you goodbye and tells you to text him when you're done or if you need anything.

You make your way over to your brother, the look he is giving you is making you feel like you did when you were 15 and took his old truck for a joy ride with your friends and crashed it. You make it to his truck and finally get a good look at his face, Javi was right he didn't look much better then Scott.

"You ready to talk about things like grown ups Ty"

"You tell me Y/n" Tyler replies

"I know you don't like Scott and there is a history there but you cant just bust into my room at 7am and be pulling people out of bed throwing coffee at my wall and punching people. I really like him, and he has treated me with nothing but respect and been so sweet since I met him. Can you please for me get on board?" you say to your brother

"No I can not get on board you wanna know why, I walk into my baby sisters room and see the ONE person I told her not to mess around with in her bed shirtless and you what expect me to turn and tip toe out off the room maybe put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door on my way out"

"No Tyler but I do expect you to act like a person and not a caveman, and like I told you we fell asleep watching a movie"

"WITH NO SHIRT Y/N, DON'T EVEN GIVE ME THAT LINE"

"EXCUSE ME WHAT LINE TYLER"

By this time you are both screaming and now have your brothers whole crew along with Javi and Kate stand there watching everything unfold. You look to your left and see Scott walking over as well.

"YOU WERE JUST WATCHING A MOVIE AND HIS SHIRT HAPPEN TO COME OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF IT"

"I'M NOT USING A LINE TYLER THATS WHAT HAPPENED WE FELL ASLEEP AND HE GOT HOT AND TOOK IT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, AND EVEN IF SOMETHING DID HAPPEN ITS MY ROOM AND I'M 25 YEARS OLD AND CAN DO AS I PLEASE IN MY OWN ROOM"

"I DONT CARE THAT YOU ARE 25 I'M NOT GONNA STAND BACK AND WATCH MY BABY SISTER GET HER HEART BROKEN BY FRATBOY CLARK KENT AND I PAID FOR THE ROOM I PAID FOR YOUR PLANE TICKET DOWN HERE AND YOU ARE MY LITTLE SISTER AND YOU ARE DONE SEEING HIM"

As soon as the words left his lips he saw the tears forming in your eyes and he knew he just crossed a line, he looked around at his crew and their faces told him the same thing. Before Tyler could speak you beat him to it.

"Wow Tyler I didn't know you were keeping a tab stupid me I thought this was my graduation gift from my big brother guess I was wrong" you say with tears now running down your face then you dig in your purse for your wallet. You pull out all the cash you had on you and shove it at your brother. "Heres all the cash I have its about $380 this should cover at least the plane ticket I'll get the rest for the room and anything else you paid for by the end of the day, I'll have my stuff out of the room you paid for and see if they have an open room if not I'll figure out something I'd sleep on the street at this point, thanks for the gift big brother" you turn to Boone and hand him one of the keys

"Here Boone have your own room for once give me 10 minutes to get my stuff and I'll leave the extra key on the bedside table" You turn around and start to walk away with tears running down your face, you hear your brother calling after you but you don't want to deal with him. Tyler has never in 25 years to cause your tears only dried them, he was the person you went to not the one you ran from.

"Jelly bean" Tyler yells again

"Give her space T" you hear Bonne say to your brother

Scott meets you at the stairs and walks up with you to get your things from the room you stayed in last night. While your packing your things you don't say anything the tears have stopped and at this point you feel numb to a degree, you don't fight with your brother he's your favorite person in the world so this is an all new feeling.

After you gather all your things you walk down to the front desk with Scott to see if they have an empty room.

"Can I help you ma'am" the older woman behind the desk ask

"Yes I was hoping you have an empty room I can rent for a few days" you say to the woman

"I'm so sorry ma'am with all the storm chasers and the extra people that came in from Soonersville from the storm yesterday we are all booked up but there is another hotel down the across town its about 15 miles up hwy 25"

You hold back tears and force a smile before thanking her and walking out of the office. Once outside the dam breaks and you can no longer hold back the tears you then feel Scotts strong arms wrap around you pulling you into his chest. All you think about is what you're gonna do for a place to sleep tonight. Your first instinct is to go to your brother but for the first time in your life you cant and you are feeling helpless.

"I don't know what I'm gonna do Scott, I have no place to stay I don't even have a car to get me to another hotel or to sleep in" you sob into his chest

"Baby please don't cry you have a place to sleep, you can stay in my room"

"Don't you share one with Javi tho?" you ask

"Javi wont mind you staying I promise. I'm not letting my girlfriend sleep on the street or in a hotel across alone where I cant protect her, come baby lets get get you to the room to relax and I'll go get you something to eat." Scott says kissing your forehead.

You get to Scotts room he opens the door for you to enter first. Javi sitting on his bed with his laptop, the opening of the door gets his attention and you see him look up from what ever he was doing. He sees you and Scott with your things so he gets up to help.

"They didn't have anymore rooms available and I didn't want her staying across town alone, so I told her she could crash with us at least until a room opens up, that's cool right?" Scotts looks over to Javi

"Yeah man that's not a problem, I wouldn't want her staying across town alone either"

"Thank you Javi, as soon as I room opens up I promise I'll be out of your hair" You say looking to Javi

"You can crash in here as long as you need to Dr.Owens" Javi says with a smile

Scott and Javi help you get settled after the events of the morning and the fight with your brother

"Baby I'm gonna go grab something to eat for you is there anything else you need?" Scott says coming to sit next to you.

"I'm ok I'm not really hungry but thank you , could you take my card and pull some cash from the ATM another $200 should pay Ty back the pin is 9291 hell pull out all that it will let you so I know I don't owe him anything and Javi could you take it to him please I really don't wanna see him, If he needs more just find out how much and pull it out" you say in a low voice handing Scott your card

"yeah y/n I'll give it to him" Javi said

"Sweetheart you have to eat something, so how bout we compromise I'll you get an order of those spicy tuna rolls we had last night and you can put them in the refrigerator for when you get hungry later hows that " Scott says running his hand through your hair

"ok" You smile up at your boyfriend with tears in your eyes

"Also keep your money I'll draw some out from my personal account for Javi to give him" Scott says handing back your card

"Scott no I cant let you do that, that's to much money you are already letting me stay in yalls room, I cant be a freeloader to yall too I have the money I promise"

"You are not a freeloader I want to do this for you, you've been through enough today, if it makes you feel better I'll let you buy me a coffee in the morning" Scott says with a wink

Before you can say another word Scott gives you a kiss before him and Javi leave, when you hear the door close behind you let the tears fall once again. What you thought was gonna be a great time with your brother has turned into a nightmare with your brother. You grab the remote and flip thru the channels until you land on some movie, you lay there watching it until you feel the morning catching up to you and you fall asleep

***********************************************************************

It's been about a month since your fight with your brother and he has been nonstop blowing up your phone but you were still so hurt that you just weren't ready to talk to him or see him. This was the longest time you have ever gone not talking to your brother and it was killing you, you missed your big brother but the words he yelled at you kept replying in your head. You also haven't done but 2 chases with Scott you have been mainly staying behind the scenes reading the data reports and radars for both teams again just another way to avoid your brother.

You moved hotels a few times and was back in a room to yourself, with some over night sleepovers with Scott. Things between you and Scott were going amazing and despite the fight with your brother you couldn't be happier. The two of you were still taking things slow nothing beyond some heated makeouts and getting a little handsy.

You were sitting in your room waiting for Scott to get done with their chase and texting Casey and Ashleigh in a group text

🩷Casey💛: Have you slept with him yet y/n😉

💛Ashleigh🩷: Oh I want details😉😉

Y/N: Yall no we have not had sex yet but plenty of making out and touching🫣

💛Ashleigh🩷: Is he a good kisser?

🩷Casey💛: And what do you mean touching?

💛Ashleigh🩷: Ohhhh I wanna know that too🤗

🩷Casey💛: Under the clothes or on top of the clothes🤔

💛Ashleigh🩷: Please tell us y/n we're your sisters and from the pictures you have sent he's so hot!🔥

Y/N: GIRLS lol ok ok I'll throw yall a bone, Yes is a very good kisser the best kisser EVER we spend hours making out😍, and as far as the touching its been a mix of both but we stop before it goes to far. But i love waking up in his arms he makes me feel safe like nothing bad can happen as long as hes beside me🥰

🩷Casey💛: AWWWWW my zeta bata little sis is in love ❤️ have you told him yet

💛Ashleigh🩷: I love LOVE❤️😁

Y/N: no I haven't said the words yet I don't know if he feels the same and I don't wanna scare him off I have never felt this way before I really see it all with him

🩷Casey💛: if you want my advice tell him the way you feel talk about him and the looks I see him giving you in all those pictures he totally feels the same, take a chance

💛Ashleigh🩷: I totally agree with Casey, you need to tell him you cant keep it in forever. Now have you and your hot brother made up yet?

Y/N: No thats a whole other story...

After another hour of texting your ZBZ sisters about the whole ordeal with your brother and what they are up too the door opens and Scott walks in looking tired but oh so sexy

"Hey babygirl " he greets you with a kiss on the forehead before putting his things down

"Hey baby" you smile standing up to wrap your arms around him pulling him down to your level in a heated kiss before pulling away and lightly pushing him down on the bed and straddle his lap.

"I like coming home to this baby"

"Oh well you are gonna love this" you say before running your hands through his hair and pulling him into another kiss this one with more passion and heat. He swipe his tongue over your bottom lip and you open granting him permission. He runs his hands up and down your back and under your shirt. You tug at his hair and a little moan slips out and you take advantage of and take his bottom lip between your teeth. Scott starts to kiss down your neck and nip at your pulses points and a moan leaves your mouth. All of a sudden Scott pulls away and looks at you.

"I love you y/n, I know it's only been a month and its ok if you don't feel the same but I couldn't go another second without telling you"

You stare at him in shock with tears forming before you speak up

"I love you too Scott"

Scott smiles back at you before flipping you on your back and hovers over you before pressing his lips to yours, in a kiss so heated and so full of passion your mind goes blank and the breath is stolen from your lungs. Just as things are really getting heated there is a knock at your door. You and Scott pull away and sigh as he rest his head on yours.

"I'll get it" you tell Scott as he rolls off of you and on to the bed.

You open the door and are face to face with your brother for the first time since your fight a month ago

"Tyler" you say arms folded over your chest

"I'm so sorry Jelly bean"

[pedroshotwifey]

To The Flame chapter nine

Series masterlist

Pairing: Dark Javier Peña x Fem!reader

Chapter word count: 2.1k

Chapter tags/warnings: fluff, angst, manipulation, anxiety

Chapter summary: Making this move is going to be tougher than you thought...

A/N: Hey babes! Sorry for the short chapter, but I'm super excited because after this, things are going to get real dark real quick. We can really see some of the first big bits of manipulation here. I already have so many deliciously dark scenes written, and I can't wait to share!

****

The next couple of days are chaotic, full of making arrangements for flights, organizing through all of your possessions, and figuring out what bills need to be discontinued. It’s a lot to handle, but Javi takes it in stride, making sure you don’t have too much to worry about. 

He handles most of the interactions and arrangements when he’s not working, leaving you to get the little things done. Even though you’re not tasked with much, it’s still extra stressful to deal with after just having moved a few weeks prior.

You barely have any time together since Javi’s running around trying to get everything done in time, so you savor the moments when your schedules actually align. It’s mostly at night, after he gets home, and the two of you will eat dinner together and then do whatever you have the energy for. 

Today’s the first day he’s been given off since he found out about the promotion, and if everything goes according to plan, he should be off until the move. The two of you have gotten everything you’d needed to do today knocked off the list, and decided that you deserve a bit to relax instead of more packing. 

You both sat and watched TV for the better half of the day, all the fans on and the windows open in an attempt to cool off. The house is fucking sweltering thanks to having to cancel the A/C. It’s one of the hottest days you’ve had all year, because that figures. 

Both you and Javi have peeled off your shirts, leaving you in your bra and shorts, and him in his usual jeans. Despite the lingering looks thrown each other’s way, you both know it’s too hot to engage in celebratory activities right now. 

Javi’s on the phone in the living room while you prep some sandwiches for lunch to use the rest of what you have in the fridge. It’s likely that the next few days will be filled with an ungodly amount of fast food and diners. 

You finish putting the sandwiches together and slip back into the living room with two plates, handing one to Javi as he hangs it back up on the reciever. 

“Here you go baby.” 

“Thank you, sweetheart,” Javi smiles at you. 

You take a seat next to him on the couch and the two of you eat in silence, too tired to have much to say. You’re both off in your own worlds, you thinking about what you have left on your checklist; sort through clothes, pack pictures, get the dishes organized, call your sister. 

You stop on that one, resisting the urge to cringe. You haven’t called her since you moved, and she has no way of getting to you. You feel like a coward but you almost don’t want to face her. You’ve done nothing wrong, and yet you almost feel like you’d abandoned her and moved on. 

You know she wouldn’t think that, but it’s still a nagging concern in the back of your mind. What would you even say? Just tell her that you’re moving? You don’t know your address for Columbia yet, but the least you could do is let her know what’s going on. 

You finish your sandwich and sigh, making Javi glance your way. 

“You okay, sweetheart?” 

“Yeah, just tired,” you tell him after a second, deciding you don’t really want to explain the way your entire thought process just went. 

“I’m sorry, baby. We could take a nap if you want?” 

You smile at him. “ I Might have to take you up on that in a minute.” 

You gesture for his empty plate and he hands it to you, offering to do the dishes instead. You, of course, shoot him down. It doesn’t take you long, but you’re able to convince yourself to bite the bullet as you’re sticking the plates in the drying rack. 

You walk into the hall with the phone, drying your hands on your shorts as you go. Javi’s brows furrow as he watches you pick it up. 

“What are you doing?” 

You pause on dialing and look up at him to where he’s still sat on the couch. 

“I’m going to try to get a hold of my sister to tell her we’re moving.” 

Javi sits up a bit, suddenly more energetic than he has been all day. “You can do that later, can’t you? Come see me.” He flips his palm up and reaches for you the tiniest bit. You smile warmly at him. 

“Just give me one second, it’ll be quick,” you tell him. He frowns. 

“I’ll be quick too. Just a kiss?” He smiles hopefully up at you and you melt a bit before giving in. 

“Alright, just a kiss, no more, you bad man,” you laugh at him as his smile widens the closer you get. 

You lean down to meet his lips, and then you’re being pulled forward, giggling as you land in his lap. His mouth immediately finds yours as he pulls you into him, trapping your body against his. 

“Baby,” you laugh, trying to pull away. “I’ve got to call her!” 

Javi hums to signify that he heard you, but doesn’t let up from the sloppy kisses he’s planting on your neck and chest. You can’t help the small moan that slips as he sucks on a particularly sensitive spot. 

“M, Javi, I’m being serious honey,” you try again. “I need to get in touch with her before they cut off our service.” You try to push yourself up, but his arms tangle more tightly around you. 

“Javi, quit,” you’re not joking around anymore. You’re a little concerned that the service is going to be cut off sometime today, since it was the day you were supposed to pay for it. You’ve already put off calling your sister for too long just out of nerves, and now you don’t want to miss your chance. 

You push against him, trying to pry his arms away, and this, combined with the seriousness ebbing into your tone, finally catches his attention. He looks up at you, a slight pout on his full lips. 

“I just need to let her know,” you say, waiting for him to loosen his grip, but he only sighs. 

“Honestly, I don’t think that’s a good idea, sweetheart,” he admits, looking at you with genuine concern. 

You frown, a bit taken aback. 

“What do you mean?” 

He sighs again and looks down past you, almost like he’s getting ready to explain something to a small child. You don’t like the way it makes you feel like such. You’ve noticed recently that he has a tendency to make you feel like a kid, though you don’t think it’s intentional. The age gap definitely doesn’t help either. It makes you worry sometimes that you’re too immature for him, even though you know you’re not in the slightest. 

“I don’t think you should tell anyone you’re leaving,” he explains. 

“What? Why? She’s my sister, she deserves to know.” You have no idea where this is coming from. You’ve told him about your relationship with your sister, how it’s nothing like your connection with your parents. 

“Can you really trust her not to tell your parents though? Or them to not listen in? They don’t need to know your address.”

You shift uncomfortably in his lap, getting agitated with his protests. 

“Javi, I’ll literally be in a different country, I don’t think it matters even if they do.” 

His lips press into a thin line and breathes deeply through his nose. He unwraps his arms from around you to place his hands on your hips, holding you steady as he looks back into your eyes. 

“Honestly, sweetheart, it’s my job. My superiors want me to limit who knows our address, especially if it’s not someone we can completely trust.” 

Your stomach sinks at this. It makes sense, and you don’t want to do anything that could jeopardize his position, but leaving your sister with no explanation? She’s done nothing to deserve that. 

“But I–” 

He cuts you off with a pointed stare, his jaw ticking slightly. 

“I’m not asking for much here. It’s just one thing. You really can’t do that?” 

Your ears heat with shame as you swallow down bile rising into your mouth. You cast your gaze down so you don’t have to look at him with your embarrassment. You’re being selfish again, and you both know it.

“No, I’m sorry. I didn’t think,” you apologize quietly through the lump in your throat. 

Javi’s hand comes to your chin, raising your eyes back to his and seeing the sheen in them. He tuts sympathetically and cradles your head to his chest, petting your hair in a soothing motion. 

“I know it’s hard, honey. I’m sorry it has to be like this.” 

You nod into his shirt, a tear slipping down your cheek despite your efforts to keep them in. You feel extremely overwhelmed all of a sudden. 

He hushes you and lets you cry silently into his chest, whispering encouragement as he rocks you gently. 

“You’ll be okay, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” 

And you know you will be, it just doesn’t seem like it right now. 

*****

You have pretty much everything else packed within the next few days. It was honestly miserable having to put everything away after you’d just put it out, both in a physical and emotional sense. You don’t know how many times you had to remind yourself that you were doing this for Javi, that he deserved it. 

That fact definitely softened the blow, but not enough so that the sadness was completely snuffed. And now knowing that you’ll have to pretty much cut contact with your sister, who is also your only friend, it’s been a hard pill to swallow. It’s going to be hard leaving everything behind, but you’re willing to do it for your husband. Hell, he’s the one that got you here in the first place—it’s the least you could do. 

You leave for Columbia tomorrow, most of your stuff already in the process of being moved to the apartment Javi was assigned to. Well, most of the stuff you were able to move anyway. You’ve had to pick and choose what you want to bring with you, and what needs to stay at the old house for storage. The apartment isn’t very large, so there’s no way to take everything. Another thing that saddens you. 

You’d picked through all of your clothes and decided to put all your dresses into a box for storage and take everything else. There’s no sense in bringing them since you’ll likely not have a need for them. There’s only a couple that you stuffed in with everything else, just in case. You’re also bringing your books, some photos, and some sentimental things from your childhood. 

Javi’s bringing about the same. Just his everyday clothes, a suit or two, and some of his personal items. It all got loaded onto a little trailer, and Javi took it either to the old house or to the airport. 

You’re left now with just the bare minimum in the house. A few kitchen items, the couch that you won’t be able to move, and the mattress that you’ll be taking tomorrow. You’re both laying on that now, you with a book in your hand, and Javi reading through some paperwork. 

He received his assignments a couple of days ago, and he’s been looking through to memorize most of the important stuff. It sounds like there’s going to be a lot less office work in his future.

You put your book down, huffing a dramatic sigh. 

“Javi?” 

“Yes, sweetheart?” 

“I’m bored.” 

He puts his paperwork down, rubs his eyes, and purses his lips at you. 

You smile at him, and he can’t resist the way his lips tug up as well. You crawl over to him, situating yourself into his side, and hand your book to him. 

“Read to me.” 

He sighs at you but takes the book. 

“I’m probably going to be slow.” 

“That’s okay.” 

“Alright, fine. You’re lucky you’re cute.” 

You smile wider, snuggling further into his body as he clears his throat and picks up from the page you left off on. Your eyes close as you listen to the sound of his gravelly voice somehow smoothing out as he gets into the groove of the love story. 

Before long, your eyes start to get heavy and you have to actively resist the urge to fall asleep. He’s not even a chapter in when you’re lulled to sleep by his voice and the ceiling fan running in the background.

**** Hope you enjoyed this chapter! It wasn't my favorite but some of these next ones are, so stay tuned 😈

Series taglist: @corazondebeskar @yorksgirl @nerdieforpedro @axshadows @melaninmommy @survivingandenduring @kewwrites @oldenoughtoknowbettersstuff @callachloe @missladym1981 @sofiparallel @koshkaj-blog @sheepdogchick3 @movievillainess721 @jessie8605 @casa-boiardi @justlulu @iamsherlocked-1998 @hjzghi-blog

[startrekfangirl2233-writes]

Summer 2020 - The Hard Deck

Chapter 8 Part 1 of You Are My Soulmate

Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Reader

Description: Two months. Sometimes you can't believe you've already been dating Bradley Bradshaw, the most perfect man you've ever met and your soulmate, for that long. But with the pressures of being officers in the Navy and everything your jobs entail, you haven't taken your relationship to the next step. When a night at The Hard Deck has you seeing green, you decide enough is enough. Bradley is your soulmate and you're going to make sure he knows just how much you love him.

Disclaimers: Misogynistic speech. Mentioned Homosexual Relationships. Angst. Flagrant disregard for protocols or Authority. Angst. Anguish.

This content presented in this story is for audiences age 18 and over only. MINORS DNI. I will not be accepting tag-list requests from Blank or Ageless Blogs for this story.

Warnings: Female!Reader

Word Count: 4051

A/N: Hiya lovelies! I'm back with yet another chapter of YAMS! My muse sort of went into hibernation between March and now, but never fear, this fic is not on hiatus! I hope you all love this chapter as much as I do!

AO3: Cross-posted Here!

Wattpad: Cross-posted Here!

My Masterlist

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Tinkerbell

It’s been only a little under a year since you came to North Island. So much has changed over that time. The biggest change? Finding Bradley Bradshaw. You can’t believe you once wished anyone else could be your soulmate. Now, you’re not sure you could wish for anyone else. It feels like your entire outlook on life has changed, because you’re not sure you could go back to the person who wasn’t quickly falling in love with their soulmate.

Bradley Bradshaw is different now, too. When he’s not on base, he’s sweet and kind, considerate in a way you’d agreed he wouldn’t be when you were on duty. A part of the reason why is because nobody on base (except your best friends) knows that Bradley Bradshaw is your soulmate. Neither of you is in a rush to put a label on what you are either. Jake and Javy have both asked you, repeatedly, whether you're together, but you can’t tell them not when you’re not sure what is going on between you and your soulmate. After your contentious first few months at North Island, you’re a little afraid to ask Bradley, as well. What if that question makes everything devolve between the two of you? What if you go back to the fighting? You’re not sure you can go back to how it used to be between the two of you, with tension rising in the air between you. You think Bradley feels the same as you do. You hope he does. While you can still see the disbelief on his face sometimes when you kiss him, like he can’t believe he’s yours, you’re still not sure.

The rumor mill around North Island hasn’t helped anything. It’s obvious the newest Top Gun class has heard the rumors of the last few months. It should be a blessing they haven’t focused on the events leading up to Hawk’s inquiry and its aftermath. Instead, they’ve chosen to focus on what is going on (or may be going on) between you and Bradley. No doubt they’ve heard from Calypso, who was as gossipy as could be, before coming to North Island. You’ve witnessed it yourself, how the LTJG gossip network works. How else would news of the great Maverick’s latest brush with the Admiralty become the next talked about thing when you’re on board a ship for months at a time? Now every interaction you have with the Dagger Squadron is examined with a fine-toothed comb when superior officers aren’t present. You’ve heard some truly ridiculous things at this point, just by walking past the lounge.

“Have you seen how Tinkerbell is with Phoenix and Bob? I’m pretty sure she’s fucking both of them in addition to Bradshaw. The question is if they know or if she’s cheating on each of them with the others?”

As if that wasn’t ridiculous enough, it seems like you’re rumored to be romantically linked to almost every Dagger you speak to.

“Okay, but have you seen how she acts with Coyote and Hangman? If she gets any closer to them when they’re off duty, she’d be on top of them.”

“I bet you 50, she is!”

“I’d take that bet, but Hangy’s too buttoned up for that!”

If only it were just the Dagger Squad you’ve been rumored to be in a relationship with.

“She’s totally got an April-September thing going on with Admiral Mitchell! You’ve seen him napping on the sofa in front of her desk! Why else would an Admiral be in the AMDO hangar?”

Your favorite rumors of all, though, are the ones about Bradley and you. 

“Bradshaw has to be who she is dating! He smiles so much when she’s around him! There’s this tension between the two of them all the time! If they’re not head over heels for each other, then I think I need a vacation (or my radar is broken).”

“That’s a shame, Jiffy! Are you a WSO or aren’t you?”

“Fuck you, Toast! Anyways, like I was saying, they’ll be fucking before we graduate from Top Gun!”

They’re your favorite rumors because they’re the ones most likely to come true, not that any of the class will come to know, especially not Toast and Jiffy, from whom you heard that last parlay. 

It’s the turmoil of being known as Bradley Bradshaw’s soulmate which has had you in a tailspin since the aftermath of that all too successful first date. Can you be known as his? Yes. Do you want to be known as his? Yes and no. That’s about where your feelings and thoughts get complicated. You’d love to scream “Bradley Bradshaw is my soulmate” from the rooftops. But you’re also tired of the double standard. You get enough of it as is, being a successful female, AMDO Lieutenant Commander in the US Navy. The words Bradley had flung at you that first night on North Island (the ones he has apologized for a hundred times)? You’ve heard them more times than you can count. You’re sure you’ll hear them again. But you’re also sure that if the news of you and Bradley being soulmates gets out, every achievement of your career will be in question.

Despite all of the leading research in the world, nobody fully understands how far and deep soulmate bonds go. After all, it’s difficult to, when there are as many types of bonds as there are and even more types of soul markers. You and your soul shared dreams, centered around different objects integral to your soul's identity. Your parents only heard the music the other was listening to until they met. Jake and Javy hold each other’s names on their skin, written out in each other's handwriting. It seems like each type of bond holds a different type of connection, too. In the two months since you and Bradley crashed together, opening the bond, you’ve begun to feel his emotions, get a sense of what he's thinking. Nobody knows how the bond will evolve, but you’re sure it could evolve into a full telepathic bond given time. If anyone were to know, they’d assume your talent with fighter jets came from your soul. They’d find it hard to believe you knew anything of your own. The thoughts have you questioning yourself just a little, too. Before you met him, who knows how much of the bond was open? How much of your success was due to him and how much of it was due to your own hard work?

Thankfully, you have Mav and Ice to confide in and counsel you. Their advice and reassurances have gone a long way in helping you sort out exactly how and when you want your bond publicized. As it turns out, you weren’t the only person to be shocked when they found out Ice and Mav are each other’s soulmates. It’s probably the US Navy’s best kept secret, to be clear. Very few people know, mostly family and commanding officers. You’ve even had the chance to view their public files. There is only a singular line mentioning their bond in each file, stating the words Soulbound, Married followed by the other’s initials.

The way Mav tells it, keeping each other hidden, keeping their bond quiet, has been the biggest help of their careers. Ice would have never been able to protect Mav over the years if their bond had been widely publicized. Of course, like most things in life, it wasn't easy. But it's the price they've each paid time and again to be with each other in spite of their dual need to succeed in their chosen fields.

Bradley and you've talked about it, too. It wasn’t a unilateral decision on either of your parts. You both have goals in your careers you are trying to achieve. So you're trying to follow the same precedent and example. But despite Mav’s warnings, you weren’t expecting keeping your distance from Bradley Bradshaw to be quite so difficult. At work, it's not as big a deal, staying away from each other. It feels like you couldn’t behave in any other way, honestly. Every motion is choreographed, governed by the muscle memory of bodies conditioned by the US Navy into holding themselves a certain way, responding in a certain way.

Unfortunately, the two of you act the same way when you're alone. When you're at home or at Mav and Ice's house, you melt into him, kiss him, hold him like you've been aching to for your whole life. But when you’re out and about in San Diego, he keeps a constant distance between you. He doesn’t slip his arm around your shoulder or your waist, kiss your cheek or shoulder or any of the hundreds of little ways couples you see on the street show their love for each other. You know it’s part and parcel of your pact. But it still makes you feel like a dirty little secret when you know you’re anything but. At least Bradley still kisses you like he believes you are going to disappear if he blinks. Each embrace, each brush of his lips against your skin sparks an inferno. But that is it. As soon as his lips meet your skin, they're gone again.

For weeks you've been feeling the itch under your skin, begging you to get closer to your soul. You're craving intimacy, a need to imprint yourself on his skin so deep he'll never forget who he belongs to. You might not be able to show it publicly, but privately, you’re ready to stake your claim. You know how gorgeous your soul is, inside and out. After all, you have eyes. You would never have noticed him the first night at the Hard Deck all those months ago if it weren’t for his charisma and looks. If only there was a way you could show him, in front of anyone who matters.

It doesn’t help that you can’t even kiss him when you’re off duty most of the time, because you inevitably find yourselves at The Hard Deck with the rest of the Dagger Squadron. There are too many eyes on you, on the Dagger Squadron when you’re there. They’re practically famous, and with Naval personnel other than the Daggers around, you can’t risk anything. When the Daggers are involved, things always seem to get turned on their heads. They are an affectionate squadron, closer to family than colleagues, preferring to hug each other with impunity. After all, you’ve seen the puppy-pile the lot of them turn into after a particularly rough training session at the behest of Mav. So it’s no wonder the rumors fly as fast and furiously about them as they do.

Anti-fraternization regulations are one thing. The badge bunnies and the odd bachelorette parties who wander into the Hard Deck for fun with some men and women in uniform are something else entirely. With enough alcohol, they flirt with anyone in sight. It’s no wonder they flirt as much as they do with your soulmate. They fall over themselves when he sits at the piano at the end of the bar, a flirty smile on his lips as he tickles the ivory keys and sings with his gorgeous voice. He’s your soulmate. You know it in your soul, just as you know all the reasons why Bradley would never pick one of them. But logic and reasoning don’t keep you from seeing red whenever other women flirt with your man.

It’s late, half-past 11 at the very least, with the time ticking closer to midnight with every elapsed second. All the regulars have mostly cleared out tonight, leaving only the Daggers, you, and a few scantily-clad girls in the bar. The Daggers are often the first to enter the bar when it opens and the last to leave. Right now, they’re all arrayed at the pool tables, talking shit and taking shots with the cues in turn. Penny’s behind the bar, like always, though even she seems less than pleased by the high-pitched giggling from the bachelorette party tottering about on too high heels. You hope she’s at least getting good tips from their repeated squeals for shots.

Bradley’s the only Dagger not at the pool tables. Even Bob with his ever-present can of soda and cup of peanuts is over there. If you focus, you think you can hear him roasting Jake in that quiet understated way of his. But most of your focus is on the badge bunny draped across Bradley’s broad chest. She stinks of cheap tequila, you could probably smell her from a mile away, and only the sash draped around her proclaiming her to be the maid-of-honor explains why she’s in this bar. What’s pissing you off just a little more than how this slut is draped over your soulmate is how she barely seems to care how you’re right there. You’ve been standing next to Bradley all night long, closer than is proper for colleagues. His hand’s been looped through one of the belt-loops on your jeans all night too, hidden behind the high table, palm scorching as it rests just over the swell of your ass. What part of your posture screams “This man is single”? If that wasn’t enough, he’d been leaning into your face as you chatted in intimate whispers barely audible over the music. 

She’d barged right into the middle of your conversation, tossing her hair and batting her eyelashes. Even now, she’s flirting and giggling, the high-pitched noises making you wince, putting you so thoroughly on edge that you feel like you’re seconds from snapping. You sigh when she finally stumbles away, her heels clacking clumsily over the sticky floor. You could do without the come-hither eyes she sends Bradley’s way, but at least Bradley doesn’t seem to notice. His attention is on you, like it has been all night.

“Fuck,” His voice is rough, the sound wrapping around you in a way that makes your panties just a little wet. “I’m sorry about that, sweetheart.”

He tugs you in a little closer by your belt loops, the motion soothing the ragged edges of your nerves as the Sandalwood of his cologne drowns you.

“She just wouldn’t go away!”

He drags his hand, the one with his US Naval Academy ring with its garnet gem through his curls as he downs the last few sips of his beer. You track a droplet as it drips down his cut jaw, and desperately want to kiss your soul once again. Of course, that feeling is drowned by more rage as you catch the cow-eyes little miss Maid-of-Honor is making in her sparkly hot pink dress on the other side of the bar. 

It makes you a little reckless as you spit words out, trying to provoke an argument, something to make your soul realize little things like a woman flirting with him, touching him, bothers you.

“Hmm… I wonder why, Roo?” You roll your eyes and stamp your foot a little. “Maybe it’s ‘cause you looked happy to have her wrapped around you?”

He recoils at your words and vitriolic tone, a puppy-dog pout dragging the corners of his mouth down for just a few seconds before resettling his lips into his most charming grin. It’s too charming for words, eroding at the edges of your anger just enough to make her flirting seem less troubling than it is.

“Is everything okay, Tink?” His hand slides up, rubbing at your hip in slow circles, but you’re not willing to give in. “C’mon baby, tell me what I did wrong. I can’t fix it if I don’t know.”

You gulp the last bit of your margarita in response before shoving the glass into his chest.

“It’s nothing, Roo. I’m fine. Just a little thirsty, that’s all.”

Your excuse is slim at best. You know it. So does he by the quirk in his brow as he looks at you. 

“We’ll talk about this when you’re ready.”

Maybe it’s the bond working to let him know when you’re not ready to talk. But when he grabs his empty beer bottle and your martini glass and turns around to walk back to the bar, your irrational anger rears its ugly little head again. Because there she is in all of her glory, whispering with one of her friends, waving him over with red-taloned fingers while seductively staring at your soul. She’s obviously noticed the swagger in his hips just as much as you have. If only she’d noticed your glower in her direction, a gaze which is quickly turning into a piercing glare. You’re not trying to pick a fight, tonight. It's not Bradley's fault that women find him irresistible. You just want your soul to know she bothers you. And you want her to know he’s not hers to seduce into her bed just because he’s hot.

So your tone is artificially light as you call out, just loud enough over the din that Bradley hears you.

“You don’t even know you’re doing it, huh?”

“Doing what?” He sounds confused, adorably so.

“I mean, it’s obvious you haven’t spent any time on a farm.”

You grin from ear-to-ear, fighting the urge to fist-bump the air, when he turns around, out of the line of sight of little miss Maid-of-Honor at the other end of the bar. He thuds the empties down and crosses his arms across his chest, the muscles bulging mouth-wateringly in front of you. It’s obvious he knows what you’re up to based on the amused quirk to his lips, but he’s playing along regardless.

“And you have?”

There’s a sparkle in his eyes as he looks down at you. Your grin could be called positively wicked in response.

“Sure I have! Seresin Ranch is an awful lot of fun at Christmas-time!” You tug one of the chairs over and sit down in it, keeping the high table between you and your soulmate. “You know what else they have at Seresin Ranch?”

“Lemme take a quick guess here…” 

His eyebrows raise as he pretends to think. 

“Chickens?”

“Yup!”

You relish in the shape of your lips as you pop the ‘p’ in your too cheeky response to him.

“And there is one ole Rooster in the flock, too. And you know how he walks? Especially when he’s got a hen he’s wooing?”

“Just like I do?” Your lips quirk at the disappointment on his face, destroying the mock thoughtful pout you'd sent your soul's way moments before. When a smile sneaks onto his lips unwillingly, you giggle. He looks fondly exasperated at the sight of your glee, but takes a step closer to you.

“God, Tinky! If I hadn’t been right here all night, I would’ve been asking you just how much you’ve had to drink tonight!”

You can’t find it in you to respond, the thoughts flitting past at lightning speed. It feels like you’re magnetized to his presence. One of his big hands wraps around your hip as he comes to stand between your open legs. He’s a lot, all of a sudden, standing there so close. It’s a little overwhelming. You can’t keep your eyes off of his face, eyes straying repeatedly over the little laugh lines stamped at the corner of his eyes and the way his lips are spit-slicked and a little chapped. You’re so close to him, you’d be kissing him if you pressed upwards just a little more. But somehow, you can’t bring yourself to.

“You’re jealous.”

Everything in you screams you should deny the statement. But you can’t lie. The bond would tell him what your face hasn’t already.

“C-can you blame me?”

The words leave you in a puff of breath, barely audible over the clinking glasses and the whir of the jukebox in the corner.

“Why would you be jealous? I promise there’s no reason for you to be jealous. I promise, sweetheart.” There’s something almost knowing in his face.

“I - I should believe you, Bradley, but I don’t. There's no reason why I shouldn't be jealous of the girls who flirt with you who look like that.” You want to believe him, but the words aren't reassuring in the slightest. “E - especially when I know I’ve never once looked like that on my best days, forget my worst.”

He cups your cheek in his big hand, his skin hot against yours.

“Fuck, you’re so beautiful, sweetheart.” He sighs, then, pressing his forehead against yours. “And you don’t even know it, do you? That first night? When you were chatting with Penny at the bar wearing that sundress? I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you. I was tracking you all night. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you ever since. You have a way of taking over the room with your presence. You’re so sure of who you are and what you’re capable of. You’ve never shied about going after what you want. I admire that about you. I adore that about you.”

“So trust me, beautiful, when I say you have nothing to worry about. You never have and you never will. I know it in my very soul.”

This? This is exactly why it took less than two months for you to fall head-over-heels in love with your soulmate. He always seems to know what to say to make you see things in a different way. All of a sudden, it feels like there isn’t anyone else in the room. The noise of the jukebox, of the Daggers squabbling in the background fades away. All you want in that moment is your soul. But just before you fling yourself into his arms, the shattering of glass jolts you out of your feelings. You're too close to Bradley Bradshaw - too close for a pair of colleagues sharing a late night drink after a long day. Were you both anywhere else, you would have kissed him already, given your preoccupation with the taste of him, the scent of him, the feel of him.

Instead, you murmur, “I'm heading out, Roo. I've got this terrible headache and I should probably turn in early for the night.”

You know he's looking at you with those big, deep brown eyes, trying to get you to meet his gaze, convince you to stay for another drink, another chat, another laugh. But you can’t. You're at the end of your rope. If you were to fall now, loosen your grip on the chains keeping you in check, it would result in the destruction of your efforts. The Daggers barely acknowledge your goodbyes, too absorbed by the game of pool happening before their eyes. Penny wraps you in a motherly embrace as you pay your tab, enquiring fussily if you need her to call a cab. With every move you make, you feel eyes on you. You know exactly who it is, your soul, watching eagle-eyed as you collect your bag and walk out to your car. You know it’s that old Bradshaw chivalry rearing its head, something Mav told you Goose had exhibited with Carole his whole life.

So, of course, you're not alone in the sea-perfumed night air for long. Footsteps disturbing gravel follow you as soon as you step out of the pool of light cast by The Hard Deck’s lamps, hints of sandalwood scent curling around you on the breeze.

“C'mon, sweetheart. Don't I even get a kiss goodnight?” He's wheedling, enticing. Damn him, because you ache for his skin in a way you're not sure you could ever voice. He’s weakening your resolve with every step in your direction.

“There isn't even anybody watching!”

“Who said I was saying goodnight, Roo?” 

The shell-shocked look on his face makes you giggle as you start your car and drive away from The Hard Deck. The roads are deserted, but not for long. Only seconds later, you hear the growl of an engine and smile at the sight of a blue truck pulling up behind you. Your phone chirps with a text as you idle at a stoplight.

This time, I'm not letting you go.

This time, you muse as the light changes, you don’t intend to let him walk out the door so easily.

I DO NOT CONSENT TO HAVE MY WORK POSTED, TRANSLATED, OR PUBLISHED ON ANY SITES OTHER THAN ON TUMBLR, WATTPAD, OR AO3 BY ME. IF YOU SEE MY WORKS ANYWHERE OTHER THAN ON TUMBLR, WATTPAD, OR AO3, THEN THEY HAVE BEEN POSTED WITHOUT MY PERMISSION AND I WILL BE WORKING TO TAKE THEM DOWN.

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[life-is-unreal]

Stranger Danger~ {Genshin Impact x reader} Chapter 1-5 (non teyvat chapters)

0.5- Note from the Author

*Hiiii :))) <3. This is my first fanfic so please don't judge it. Some bits are a bit cringe (SRRY!!!), you will be referred as Y/N and You. The MC will be a female so if you're not, just read it as a he/his. Btw, this story is a bit of a chat fic (Idk the proper name) but don't worry as it's mainly normal. (My grammar sucks so sorry in advance).

*this is my work from wattpad :D I'm not gonna post the OC descript or any images. Skip directly to Teyvat chapters if you wish :D

Wattpad: LifeIsUnreal

Tag list (I think that’s how u do it):

@dragontammerz

Chapter 1 - The Crimson Witch

Italic- thoughts

No! Please. Please wake up! Barbatos...please save him. I beg you...

"Rostam... Look at me, open your eyes. Please, it's over..."

You twiddled your fingers as you stared at Rosalyne strangely from a distance. It's such a pity that she died in Inazuma. Everything wants to kill you in that place, how the hell do people survive there? "Barbatos, I beg you." The woman sobbed, crumbling beside her lover.

"Miss Rosalyne, we've already checked his pulse. It's not there." Wrong move mister, wrong move. Her tear-filled eyes met with the knight's eyes. "Where is Barbatos? Surely he can save him?" She was met by the cold silence. You marveled at her from a random knocked-down barrel, the breeze mixed with blood and swayed her hair as she kneeled amongst the battlefield beside her lover. Her scholar uniform was stained with blood from interactions with dead bodies.

"Where is Arundolyn? Bring me to him!" She screamed. "Miss Rosalyne, he's severely wounded-" Rosalyne screamed even louder, clutching her head. She's deranged in a beautiful way. "No. Why? Why!" She whispered brokenly. You shifted your spot slightly, you could already feel small heat waves coming off from her. "She's going to go crazy soon." You muttered, checking your phone. Ah, Shit. No battery "When the hell is that portal going to pop out again?" you grumbled. It's been quite a few days since you've been in Teyvat. You literally had to save up your battery and camp outside. "I literally didn't finish my homework." After she gets batshit crazy, she's gonna ruin Monstadt, set it on flames, and get recruited by Pierro. I wonder if Khaenri'ahn's descendants are still chilling around. I mean some of them definitely survived. Meeting them would be cool, like imagine if I met Rhinedottir. And imagine if Lumine or Aether has already become the Abyss prince or princess.

"Who are you?" You yelped from shock as you felt some hair touching your skin. "Uh, Hi?" You gulped as you looked down to your feet. The knights were all tidying up the bodies and cleaning up so nobody noticed Rosalyne moving to you. Rosalyne's eyes narrowed, looking you up and down.

"Um, my name's Y/N." you giggled awkwardly. Her aura was still unbearing, "Rosalyne. Girl, chill. It's not exactly Ven- I mean Barbatos's fault since he was like, asleep during the cataclysm. As for the knights of Favonius and Arundolyn, well Rostam and the Grandmaster lead the war so you can't blame Arundolyn, and I mean a lot of knights died. Plus, I'm pretty damn sure that your lover wouldn't be really happy if you went batshit crazy due to him dying. And like if you wanna have your vengeance or something like that to the knights or citizens- well, I mean he died protecting them so uh yea."

Rosalyne opened her mouth confused. You took notice of this and babbled random things out, "And um, if you see random suspicious people coming up to you to join their cult refuse 'kay? They might like use you or something. Oh, and um, have some candy." You quickly shoved a bag of candy into her hands. My favourite lollipops. You sniffled slightly.

The woman's eyes shot open wide as she stared at you alarmed. "Bro you good? Oh wait, damn I'm disappearing. Wait that's fucking cool." Yup, you were dissipating right in front of your very own eyes.

Long after you disappeared, the platinum blonde finally reacted, "Y/N?" she muttered. Weird name. "I...didn't tell you my name. Barbatos? Asleep? He's indeed unqualified as an archon then, and those warnings...they're oddly specific but of course. Why would I listen to a random stranger who's been stalking me?"

The first thing that you did was to charge your phone. That random ass boar almost stomped on it. And fuck, I'm starving. You were literally living off the kindness of Monstadt citizens like you can fight but a visionless person in Teyvat can't really survive in the wild like you're pretty damn sure some random slime could kill you if it wanted to. They're so damn cute thooo.

A small noise captured your attention as your phone gained one single percentage of power. "Holy shit, it's only been a minute." You gaped at the widgets in amazement. I was there for a week or longer and damn.

After lying down and procrastinating for a long long time on your bed you decided to do your homework. Wtf is this. The hell am I going to do a 60-question paper. Oh, wait, I've got friends.

"Yooooo guys." You were met with two very disgruntled teens. Yvonne sighed, "Girl, it's bloody 12:35, what do you want? Credit card number? Cheque?"

"That's very tempting but I need the answers for the math assignment."

"Wait what." "What."

Yeleris raised a brow. How tf do you raise a brow? "You're supposed to be the smart one here. I was depending on you to do your homework so I could copy it. But then, I don't see why you and I should care since we're still going to get at least an A with our grades so far."

Yvonne gaped, "WDYM THERE'S A MATH ASSIGNMENT?!"

You sighed, "We're fucked if we don't do this, it's like 20% of our grades and I'm pretty sure Yvonne's gonna fail since she skipped like 20 classes alone this term. AND Yeleris, we all know that you're a genius at Science and that includes Physics which is literally Math but with weird ass words."

"Okay, I actually agree with that."

"I DON'T WANNA FAIL!"

"Weeeeell, you wouldn't have to worry 'bout this if you spent less time on shopping sprees and skipping class to do random stuff."

"YELERIS! That's mean."

"Achoo! Damn it, who's cursing me at 12 am in the morning jeez."

Chapter 2 - Wow, a pretty lady

Hello, my name is Skirk.

The rain was absolutely deafening, a black rain signal had already been issued the day before. You loved rainy days, there's no school when the black rain signal is issued. But then, here you are, under a tree for absolutely no reason.

"Where the hell am I?" You gaped at the grassy fields and scorching sun.

You quickly took notice of a teleport waypoint next to you. "Isn't only the traveler able to use this?" Yup. The waypoint was blue even though you definitely did not touch it.

After scanning the area multiple times to make sure that there weren't slimes or hilichurls you finally sat down. You almost got suffocated to death by a hydro slime, if you were a character, you're definitely going to be a level 1 character with the worst stats possible. 

It's literally so unfair, like a slime could kill you and they're like the most harmless and cute things ever in the game. Except for the geo slimes, they're hard to kill.

"Holy motherf- ARGH." A fucking boar was charging at full speed and the target was you. "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU COME FROM?"

After climbing up a tree and killing the boar by throwing random stuff that you could find, you decided to stay exactly where you were. Why? Simple, you could literally see two pyro whopperflowers and a horde of geo hatchlings. Like hell you're coming down the tree.

Why the fuck are they coming closer?! Oh wait shit, they want the fucking boar. Don't look up. Dontlookup. Dontlookup. Oh fuck. As if on cue, one of the whopper flowers noticed you. "Oh hell no."

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" You clung desperately to the tree as it started to shake. The whopperflowers were literally burning the tree down and the wretched geo hatchlings were pummelling at the tree.

To your horror, the relentless attacks finally made the tree give out as it fell down, crushing you under it. Immediately, you screamed in pain. "What the hell did I do to y'all?"

Something that you didn't notice was that their attacks stopped the moment you fell to the ground. Suddenly, a shriek interrupted the silence. You whipped your head around, just to see the cryo whopperflower absolutely obliterating the pyro whopperflower. I thought the pyro whopperflowers were the strongest. You looked to your left after hearing screeches and it was chaos. 

The hatchlings were killing each other, you saw one of them tearing the other's scale and pulling its eyeballs out brutally. A few minutes ago, they were cooperating to destroy the tree and now they're committing amicicide.

"Holy shit." Although you usually refrain from swearing, this scene made you quite disgusted. They're literally tearing limbs and organs down. You attempted to get the branches off you. "How is a tiny thin tree so bloody heavy?" You sighed, throwing your head up. Holy- "WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?"

 Above you, inches away from your forehead was the cryo whopperflower. Seeing that it made no move to attack you, you decided to do the dumbest thing in your life. 

You cleared your voice and decided to ask in the babiest, honey covered words that disgusted you that such a sickenly sweet voice could come out of you. "Whopperflower dearie, will you pretty please help me to lift this tree?"

Why the fuck did I just say that. You closed your eyes in dread. I dug my own grave, Yvonne would literally laugh her ass off if she was here.

"Krrr. Krrr." Huh? You hesitantly opened your eyes and to your surprise, the whopperflower was subdividing the tree and it looked quite happy. You stood up slowly, noticing how something slimy stuck onto your shoe. That whopperflower -. 

Under your shoe was a dead geo hatchling with icicles imbedded so deep into his impenetrable skin that its scales were cracked and on the verge of peeling, and a few meters away were more geo hatchlings stacked up on each other, some disfigured, some with their organs spilling out and some with their bodies frozen or charred. Next to it was a pyro whopperflower, unlike the others, it was still alive.

It slowly hopped to it's feet- roots weakly. "Krr." The cryo whopperflower's eyes narrowed, shooting icicles towards it. The pyro whopperflower ignored it's half frozen petals and continued to nudge forward until it finally reached you.

"Uh, hi." The cryo whopperflower blocked your view as it growled menacingly at it.

"Yo chill. It's not trying to attack me." You seemed to finally accept the actions of the weird whopperflower as it slowly snuggled into your arms. To your amazement, the whopperflower began to heal almost immediately after touching your arms, only leaving a few minor injuries.OMG.IT'S SO CUTE AND WARM. Oh wait, it's still injured. 

You glanced at the cryo whopperflower. "Help me take out the bandage in my bag please." Begrudgingly, the creature fumbled with the zippers and took out the white bandages, slowly wrapping it around the head of the whopperflower.

Suddenly, both whopperflowers got into a defensive stance as they blocked your view once again.

"How interesting."

A girl slowly approached you. "They seem pretty protective don't you think so?" She giving me HSR vibes.

She grinned, her smile not matching her youthful face and lifeless eyes. "Sorry for not introducing myself. Let's start from the beginning. Hello, my name is Skirk."

You gently nudged the whopperflowers away. "Nice to meet you, my name's Y/N."

The name was weirdly familiar and you were pretty sure you've seen her before. "So you saw everything?" You asked, bending down and tearing a jagged scale from the ground. The girl giggled at your horrible choice of weapon. A sword materialized in her hand as she played with it. "You mean... The scene where you're clinging on the tree for dear life and screaming incoherent, inappropriate words? And then falling down from the tree?" She snickered, walking closer and leaning down to your face, watching your ears turn pink. "Then yes, I saw all of that."

She began to shoo the whopperflowers away. "I'm not going to kill some random stranger. So let me talk with her." Skirk then reached out to pull your body up to a standing position. Damn, she's taller than me. "You don't seem to look like someone from Liyue."

You inspected your clothes. Uh-huh, a hoodie and a skirt. To them, I'm wearing stuff even weirder than the traveler. "I'm an adventurer." She probably knows I'm already lying but I've got two whopperflowers that killed a horde of geo hatchlings.

"I'm just an apprentice that's in Liyue in search of some geohatchlings and I was about to take these until the cryo whopperflower killed all of them." She sighed, "You wouldn't mind if I took these would you? Don't fret, I'll exchange something in return." So basically, I'm getting something for free. "Do you have any uh, weapons?" You bit your lip. Yes, you couldn't fight anything to save your life but having a weapon was still better then fighting with absolutely nothing.

Skirk looked taken aback. "You don't know how to fight?" She asked incredously. "Yeah? Is it not normal." She blinked, "Everyone is taught to fight, some people even start from as young as four!" So, I'm weaker than a toddler. Damn. "I- You know what, I'll give you a catalyst completely free of charge since you absolutely have zero fighting skills. Now pick something else before I make up my mind."

Sugarmommy vibes.

In the end, you got a catalyst, an electro crystal and a bag that had infinite capacity.

Skirk left a few minutes ago to go aboard a ship to snezhnaya, saying something about meeting her apprentice. So now you were all alone with two very worried whopperflowers. 

"Krrrrr. Krr." The two of them circled around you, lifting your arms to see if Skirk had harmed you. I wanna keep them so bad. "I have to leave anytime soon man." They deflated almost immediately, their petals drooping down. I'm feeling so bad now. Please don't do this to me man. 

You cleared your throat. "Okay, listen up. I don't know when I'll come back and where. It could be hundreds of years or tomorrow but if you see me, ya'll can have my hairbands so tie them around your petal or something and I'll know that it's you ok? I'm pretty sure you guys respawn every now and then so it'll be ok." They perked up and began to tie their petals with your smiley face hairbands. Why they look so cute with it.

"Now come and watch the sunset with me."

Chapter 3 - Text Buddies

(very short chapter)

Approximately 13 minutes ago, you decided to do the Fontaine Archon quest since you completely forgot about it until you remembered that Skirk seemed to have her debut somewhere in there.

Picture your shocked face when you saw the way that Skirk casually yeeted Childe into some random portal.

Considering that she mentioned that Childe's her apprentice, she went to Snezhnaya to visit Childe, and considering that she looked like she was in her early teens when you met her, it's definitely been at least 3-4 years after she met you that she's met the traveler.

I take it back. She could've killed me the second she met me and stole the hatchlings. She wouldn't even need to trade the inventory bag and the catalyst. You checked the catalyst on the web and it was the "Lost Prayer To The Sacred Winds", it was a goddamned 5-star weapon. You were confused at why Skirk would even give you such a precious weapon but you decided that she just thought that you were interesting.

The moment that you touched the catalyst, your phone lit up and opened Genshin. As a firm nonbeliever of ghosts and spirits, you decided it had to be a "you" problem. Seeing that the phone automatically got into the inventory icon, you finally saw your catalyst and electro-crystal in a new category that wasn't named yet.

Purely out of curiosity, you placed the catalyst into the bag that Skirk gave you, and the catalyst's equipped tag disappeared. Oh wait, does that mean that I get to level it up? You immediately leveled it up to lv90. Oh hell no, I'm in the character menu. Right above your team was you, however, it was just a blank circle with your name on it. Clicking into it led to your stats, talents, artifacts, etc.

To your relief, your face wasn't on the screen but when you read the stats, you decided that you were truly weaker than a lv5 slime. Okay, Name: Y/N, Max HP: 1000. Okay, better than the traveler, Attack...20?! What?! Defence: 72. Not bad but Idk why I need that. EM: 0, Stamina.. WHAT?! 31?!

You threw a pillow across the room, "WHAT THE HELL? HOW IS THE TRAVELER STRONGER AT LVL1 ?! AND I'M AT LVL 3?!" Something that Genshin has gladly bestowed on you was that your starting point was at lvl 3 whilst everyone else was at lvl 1 but you were still weaker than everyone who's at lvl 1.

"STAMINA 20? I MIGHT DIE FROM LOW STAMINA BY CLIMBING A ROCK OR SMTH?"

"Ooooooh." Holy moly, 1608 attack and 33.1% Crit Rate. Damn. Ilysm Skirk

Ding. 3 Unread messages.

You raised a brow, lol, who uses that app anymore, only old ass people use it, like Zhongli would use it if he had a phone.

The sky has darkened and the bustling city slowly lit up with billboards decorating the skyline. You stretched in front of the brightness, the darkness of your room disappearing as the humongous screens started changing. Mihoyo, that billboard advertisement is expensive asf and you decided to put hsr and not Get Shit Impact?

Ding. 102 Unread messages. Wtf.

                                                                                                                                                                                Yo.

You finally picked up your phone.

                                                                                                                                                                       Srry bt dat.

Can you please speak English?

???

I don't understand what you're saying.

Oh I said "Sorry about that"

Lol, sorry.

Anyways, is there anything that you need me for?

From your description, it says "Teyvat here I come"

Oh, that was last year when me and my friends still used this app.

It's quite outdated now, I just update my description whenever I feel like it.

Can you tell me about Teyvat?

I don't understand the things online.

... wtf, this guy is creepy, theyve got no pfp and they don't understand text T-T, Pls don't be my mom...Act cool, act cool

Hm?

You want to start Genshin?

Genshin?

Bro's asking abt Genshin without knowing what it is, did bro just get his/her phone?

Genshin Impact?

Teyvat is the world that exists in the game??

Game?

My bafflement jeeeeez

Yea, Genshin.

Teyvat has 7 nations.

They have like 2 mcs (maincharacters) and the player chooses them and boom, their sibling disappears and they need to find them so they just travel around Teyvat whilst helping random people for no reason

Poor Lumine has traveled half of the world and the gods won't tell her shit. Just leave Aether and his abyss shit and go marry someone or smth. Bro's a prince and you're a traveler, he's living his life in the abyss.

Main characters...

Oh wait, is this some old person who just downloaded this app to find people chat? Oh wait shit, my bad, lemme channel my nonexistent inner angel.

Oh, sorry, I should've explained more clearly. :)

You see, the two main characters are called Lumine and Aether, they're travelers who go in and out of worlds, but they were trapped in Teyvat because of the Heavenly Principles.

If you're like me and choose Lumine, Aether will become the Abyss prince and wake up a few hundred years earlier than Lumine and go around the world. Then after Lumine wakes up, she fishes out Paimon and begins her journey around Teyvat searching for her brother who she found quickly enough but for some reason Aether wants her to find him after she visits every nation.

That...

Is a nice plot.

You know a lot.

I may have started it just a year ago but I know a lot of lore :D

Thank you.

?

For chatting with me, nobody answered me and only you replied

OMG. I feel bad for this old person,

:D my pleasure XD

I think you need to sleep now.

Good night.

You too!!! Good luck with the game XD

Chapter 4 - Lockdown

The rain poured and the sirens blared, the rain outside had already flooded the first floor of the dormitory.

"I know my luck sucks like hell but come on, we literally just came." Moniqa scowled as she lifted the satin curtains. "They even locked the gates, what, after two days are the winter holidays, they expect us to stay in here?" The strawberry-haired girl tossed her phone onto her bed. "I literally only came here to take my stuff back." Yeleris rolled her eyes, "I don't even have stuff here, like literally. I went to the mall and met Y/N and I brought her back to our dorms since it's cold as fuck out there," she flopped onto your bed sighing, "none of us even live here, it's just registered because of projects."

You peered through the window, the water had almost completely flooded the university and two floors beneath you, you could see several students blocking the doors with sandbags.

"My housekeeper said that only our area is raining." Moniqa's eyes narrowed, "quite weird wouldn't you say? This rain is quite- sudden, wouldn't you say Miss President?"

Your brows furrowed a bit, " Yea, I checked the school group chat, everybody's talking about the weird weather." You turned around, noticing Yeleris in the corner, staring emotionlessly at her laptop. "You're that annoyed? Princessssy?" Moniqa snickered, noticing her expression.

Yeleris stared at Moniqa blandly through her luscious eyelashes. "We're in a lockdown."

Silence. "WHATTTTTTT THEEEE FUUUU- " Yeleris thwacked her head with her laptop. That laptop is hella expensive, its case is limited edition and she bonked Moniqa with that?!

"Hey," you scrolled through your phone, noticing how everything was loading slower and slower. "Is it just me or does the WiFi suck and mobile data ain't doing what it's supposed to be doing?"

Moniqa gazed quietly at you, "I know who might be able to tell us some stuff." 

You hurriedly followed her out of the building, hissing as the ankle-length water splattered against your bare thighs. It was freezing cold, the three of you waddled into a nearby dorm building, it was one of the newly renovated ones that had stairs to it and didn't have any sandbags around.

"Who the hell are you- oh, it's Moniqa." you raised you brows at the man that towered over you. "Oh, hello Miss President." you scowled, being the president of several clubs are pretty nice but having everyone call you that even your friends could be a little annoying. 

"Is Lorelei here or did she go back home?" He rolled his eyes at the question, "She was planning to leave but the rain got a tad to bit large and she didn't want her eXpeNsive sHoes wet, but yeah, she's in her room, 109 I believe, one floor up."

Thud. Thud. Thud. "Lorelei, it's Moniqa." "..." "Lorelei?" "..." "I'll buy you boba." "...ugh...coming."

A short strawberry-blonde girl greeted you by the door. "You guys are lucky that my roommates aren't here. Get in before I change my mind," She tossed Moniqa a small booklet. 

"No snacks?" Lorelei squinted at her, "that's only for new customers."

She turned to you, "Oh, you're new, there's some snacks on your right." You smiled lightly at the short girl, not because of her kindness but because she has that one type of candy you love that the school doesn't sell. 

"Ahem, since you're a new customer, I will gladly give you an introduction to my services," she tossed a small bottle of peach juice to you, "I am Lorelei Stirling, sophomore, I basically give people info that they want on people on campus, test results or rankings of everyone, not the normal ones that the school gives you of course, and a ton of other stuff, in or outside school. Ummm, that's pretty much it, I'm the head of my dorm and pretty much everyone in this building helps me in gathering info, so we're like an association that tells you everything the school doesn't tell you and some news outside of school that the public doesn't know."

She smiled sweetly at you, "Of course, things come at a price but for you, Miss President, I'll give you a discount. If you want any info in school, the price range will be $10-250, and outside of school will be $10-400. Anything special? The price will be decided by me. Now how does that sound?"

"WhAt? You told me it was $20-600 for in-school and up to 800 outside?" Moniqa snarled. Lorelei rolled her eyes, "First of all, your cousin pissed me off when I was in freshman and you're loaded which means you don't really care about the price of stuff. And anyways, the quality of my info never changes. If I hated you, I would've given you double the price. You'd like that?"

She turned back to you, smiling, "My phone number is on the bottom of your drink, you can call me when you need my services. But considering that you guys literally waddle here like ducks meant that something went wrong with the wi-fi and the data at the same time right? So please tell me what you want before it reaches the point where you have to swim back to your dorm room." 

-...-...- Unknown's pov Somebody's gotten it. It's someone in y/s, the after-effects are growing, I need to find the host. Many things have already been infected with RH-o1, the amount of things that have been leaked will soon make Earth change drastically.

I need to find the diary, quickly, #%^*><\$&%* It has all the leaks, it materialized the moment this world was tainted.

I've been trapped here. We all belong on different paths, one is reality, one is $&@/"-, hopefully, I'll survive, I asked $&":$!(& to help me change how the time flows.

I've just gotten here but every minute feels like decades. My sister is out there somewhere, perhaps the paper that she took gave her a better fate than mine. We don't belong here, before I die, I will send her out. I swore to &&"-).

The sheer amount of rules in this place is driving me insane, if only I was like &&"-), she's insane but her type of insanity doesn't affect her logic and abilities. Why did I have to get the hardest one? Why me?

Chapter 5 - Fish blasting

"Are you sure that she can fix the Wifi?"

Yeleris nodded, eyes glued onto her book.

Moniqa giggled, "Lorelei may be annoying and bratty but she does have the skills that made her the head of her lil association in her sophomore year, my friend told me that two years ago, there was also an association like that one but it was taken down quickly because they dug a bit too deep and the high ranked members were all kicked out of the school. I'm pretty sure one of the high-ranking members who wasn't kicked out was her older sister. I heard that she had some blackmail on the school and she threatened to leak them if they kicked her out."

Ding.

All eyes swiveled onto the pile of devices that were charging in the corner.

Ding,dingdingidndinidgndingd- "SHE DID IT!"Moniqa lunged towards her phone, "FINALLY, I WAS DYING FROM BOREDOM-" Thwack. Yeleris towered over her, "Can you shut up."

You typed a few letters down,

.-.-.-.

Totallynotlazy

Is this Lorelei

Loreleisnotgrumpy

???? Who you?

Totallynotlazy

Y/N, you gave me your number in your room.

Loreleisnotgrumpy

? I wasn't there tho? Do you mean my twin Lorelie?

Loreleisnotgrumpy has added you as your friend

Totallynotlazy's name has been changed to Y/N

Loreliesnotgrumpy's name has been changed to Lorelei

Y/N

Can you give me some info on the rain?

It's not normal, in fact, it's kinda acidic?

Lorelei

WhAt?

I mean sureee but I need some time since, yk it literally just rained. Btw, I'll give you the price after I get the info because I'm actually nice and Lorelie told me to give u a discount so just wait for my messages.

Btw, how'd you know it's acidic?

Y/N

Me, Yeleris, and Moniqa had to go to your dorm because of the Wifi not working to ask you to get it fixed but as you said your twin was there and she fixed it for us.

Lorelei

Huh, Yeleris and Moniqa? They only came to me once and I never told them my dorm number and Anthony wouldn't tell random people my dorm number. Ig that your roommates had deals with my twinny rather than me.

Y/N

Prob. Anyways, when we got back, our skin was red and some bits were bleeding and I tested the PH.

Lorelei

Hmmm. I'll get you some info by the end of this week, I'll give Lorelie your number. Don't tell random people about Lorelie though, she's a bit bratty and hates a lot of people, and she likes acting like me. She'd get angry if people knew that she was pretending to be me

Y/N

Ok, tysm

Lorelei

Have fun XD

.-.-.-.

The lovely violet sky was soon covered in a sheen of eerie red, after effects of the blood rain. The WiFi had stopped multiple times in the last few hours, only recovering due to the twin's perseverance of fixing the WiFi for the enormous amount of money they were given by hundreds of people.

The power outs were so frequent that the night became very dark, only a few gleams from torches and phones, and soon you drifted into a deep sleep, unaware of your surroundings.

Patter. Patter. A silhouette was outlined by the faint moonlight. "Y/N...The time isn't right yet. You weren't supposed to have visions yet. Why did I have to be the only one in the dorm that's reincarnated? The apocalypse is in a year but since you've gotten your powers so early, does that mean that the timeline has been messed up? Lorelie wasn't supposed to be there too. Has she reincarnated? Perhaps transmigration? A time traveler?" The girl muttered.

"The rain, it's supposed to be acidic in a few days, the acidity is also stronger. What's happened? The future is changing. Butterfly effects, if I can come back, others can come back too. My sister is still finding the records of the apocalypse, we would all die without the records..." The figure opened your phone, "Genshin...maybe the world of Teyvat has something to do with all of this as you were in Teyvat for a year or two, but- who's this?"

-.-.-.

"Y/N WAKE UP." Moniqa shrieked as she woke you up. I finally wasn't in Teyvat, Moniqa scared the shit out of mee. "What?"You stretched happily, "Bro! It's raining fucking blood!" WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKKKK You rushed to open the window. You cautiously placed a small cup outside the window. "Hey." Yeleris beckoned the two of you to the TV. '

"It's global." "No shit, Sherlock." You took the cup out and closed the window once again. "The rain here seems a lot darker than the TV." You turned to Moniqa, "Moni, you have a lot of small seedlings you got from the gardening club right? Add some of the rainwater in one, I want to see something."

~time skip~ (2days)

"Pretty sister! Pretty sister! Are you ok?" You rubbed your bleary eyes. The loli smiled down at you, "Pretty sister, are you ok? Klee was soooo worried about you." she smiled innocently at you, cherry pink eyes glinting under the morning rays.

"Hello Klee, I'm fine." You sat up, "Sweetie, where are we?" The girl laughed, clapping her hands together, "Is pretty sister a visitor? This is Cider Lake!" She grabbed your hand and pulled you towards the water.

She's unbelievably strong... "Since pretty sister is a visitor, Klee will show you around Mondstadt and we can go fish blasting with Dodoco!!!"

"Klee?" You poked her weakly, "Is something wrong pretty sister?" You pointed behind you, "You sure you want to do it in front of the city?"

You've woken up after you and Klee blasted the majority of the fish population of Mondstadt. At first, it was only Cider Lake, but she soon decided that it wasn't enough and she started putting bombs all over the nation, one on some poor lad's roof in Springvale, one besides the anemo hyptostatis, one near the statue of seven and a lot of other places that you couldn't remember. It was only until a knight of Favonius saw Klee putting bombs in a merchant's stall did you leave.  You did not want to be brought to Jean, so you hid on top of a tree as Klee was dragged away. She made a heart in the end which quite literally melted your heart and soul into a puddle.

The next few days passed like a flow, the rain never stopped but day by day, the water had slowly turned back to it's usual colour, in fact, the small samples of rainwater collected before slowly turned transparent just like the rain.

It wasn't until eight days later did you notice something was too eerie with the rain.

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

Teyvat Chapters 1-10:

https://www.tumblr.com/life-is-unreal/757207106530213888/stranger-danger-genshin-impact-x-reader-teyvat?source=share

[jasntodds]

Petrichor [17]

Pairing: Jason Todd x Fem!Powered!Reader (little bit of fwb)

Words: 12,212

Chapter Warnings: Swearing, angst, little bit of hurt/comfort, blood, gunshot, canon violence, mention of Jason pushing a serial rapist from a building

Summary: ❝Pylades: I’ll take care of you. Orestes: It’s rotten work. Pylades: Not to me. Not if it’s you.❞

Gotham is home, not just for Jason but for you, too. And now that you’re both finally back home, together, you’re ready to see where this next chapter brings the two of you. He’s your best friend and you’re his. And you both might want a little something more with being back home, the place you both feel most comfortable. Surely, nothing could possibly go wrong now.

A/N: I can't believe we're almost done with season 3 and then we can move onto season 4 (I have a plan) lol You can add yourself to the tag list below, ask me to be tagged, or you can follow my library blog @jasntoddslibrary  and turn on notifications if you prefer that!! I love feedback, I swear it keeps me posting on a weekly basis 😭

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You're still sitting on Jason's bed, eating a few of the granola bars he gave you and drinking water to gather the energy to make your way back to the manor. And for just this hour, it's peaceful. You're scrolling on your phone as it charges, just scrolling through Instagram and catching up on some things you've missed while also quickly scrolling away from whatever chaos about Gotham someone is posting. It's peaceful for once even when you know it won't be soon. It is nice. For right now.

But, then your phone starts vibrating before your scrolling is interrupted with a video taking up your entire screen. The screen is black for a few seconds before the Batman symbol appears on your screen as Crane's voice starts talking.

"Gotham City used to have a protector, a guardian angel." Crane's voice says as it switches to a red Titans symbol.

That's not good.

"But Batman abandoned Gotham and left Nightwing and his friends in his place." A screen showing every Titan, including Sam, shows up on the screen with "Titans wanted" at the bottom of the screen. Then it switches to a clip of Nightwing fighting. "And what has Nightwing done?" Crane asks as texts calling Nightwing a thief, liar, and a conman flash across the clip. "He's robbing you. Poisoning the very water you drink," The clip changes to one of Gar as a tiger, attacking someone. "The water you give your children. Nightwing is a criminal." The clip changes to one of Nightwing and Starfire blowing up one of the drum barrels that poisoned the water. "Protected by Gotham City Police. Only you can stop him. There will be a $50,000 reward paid to the person who brings him in. Dead or alive." The clip changes again to a clip of Gar changing into a tiger. "But take heart Gotham, a new hero will rise and you will know his name." The clip changes to Jason's Red Hood symbol with a picture of the helmet on top. "Red Hood."

"Oh fuck." You groan.

None of you can really catch a break for longer than five minutes. And you find yourself even more irritated that Crane had the audacity to think Jason would just go back to him after almost killing you. Crane really thinks you don't mean anything to each other and you swear that's his downfall, underestimating what you mean to each other. Because Crane doesn't know Jason isn't going to be on his side anymore. Though this video seems like it's going to complicate things.

It's been bad enough with Jason wanting Dick dead the last few weeks but now the entire city of Gotham is going to want him dead. Gothamites already aren't thrilled with the Titans and this going to push them over the edge. They're already upset Batman abandoned them after Robin was killed. It seems like the city didn't mean too much to Batman if he fucks off the second Robin is killed. Gotham has been absconded and Crane is going to use their distrust and distaste over the situation against the Titans.

You let out an annoyed huff before ripping your phone from the charger and grabbing another granola bar for the road. You have to get back to the manor before every citizen in Gotham decides to become a bounty hunter. You don't have your suit but you're thinking it might be safer to get the hell out of the city sooner rather than later.

When you get to the manor, it's empty. The manor has always had a way of seeming just a little too quiet. It's a big space with only a handful of people living in the halls at any given time. It didn't bother you much before, because Jason's voice tended to bounce off the walls, etch itself into the plaster. And with so many Titans around, it filled a bit of the silent void but today, as you walk in, it's quiet. The hairs on the back of your neck start to stand on end because, from your experience, quiet in a place that's not usually quiet, is bad. You grab a knife from your belt as you make your way, quietly into the Batcave.

With every step, you try to figure out why you're being so paranoid about this. It's the Batcave. No one outside of the Titans or Bruce would even be down here and the Titans are likely out trying to sort out the mess Crane just created for them. But, something in you grips your knife tighter as if it's some sort of sick reflex to always dread for the worst. Maybe that's growing to be a bit exhausting, too.

Your worry washes away as you enter the main area of the cave and see Dick standing in front of the Batcomputer with his arms crossed, his eyes glued to the monitor. You pocket your knife as you continue to walk closer to him, gaining his attention. A sense of relief pools at the bit of Dick's stomach to see you're alive and walking. It wasn't just Gar that was worried about what happened to you.

"Where the hell were you?" Dick questions, not skipping a beat.

"Walking." You shake your head, looking at the screens to see the other Titans fighting what seems to be civilians. "Given the broadcast Crane put out, do you really think it's such a good idea to have them fighting civilians?" You look up at Dick, a look of worry and sorrow washing over your tired features.

Dick gives you a harsh glare that softens the second his eyes meet yours. He shakes his head before looking back at the Batcomputer. You watch Kory fight someone and watch their body twist into positions it should not. The man gets up, foaming viciously from the mouth like a bad case of rabies.

"Kory." Dick warns.

"What the fuck did I miss?" You question as you scrunch your nose in disgust.

It has to be the water because the more you watch, it's as if this person is bending like a zombie from a movie or something. He won't stay down and he looks rabid but his bones are broken and it's as if he doesn't even notice. It almost reminds you of the Rage Virus from 28 Days Later, just without the blood.

Kory takes another hit to the man and this time he goes and stays down.

"A lot." Dick mutters. "Maybe it wasn't a good idea, me staying here."

"No, you got a fifty thousand dollar bounty on your head. It'd only make things worse." Kory says.

"I got another one." Gar says as a man with an axe starts to walk towards him and fight. "Oh, come on, Pal." Gar groans before he starts fighting this guy until he goes down.

"Looks like the worst of it is over." Dick says, not seeing any other civilians that look to be affected.

"Hold that thought." Kory says as more innocent civilians walk over but they all keep their distance from the Titans.

"Please, don't hurt us." A civilian yells.

"Shit." Dick mutters.

On the one hand, you're a little offended these people saw one video and immediately switched sides. But, on the other, Batman abandoned them and ever since Nightwing and the Titans showed up, Gotham has been more of a shitshow than usual. To some extent, you can kind of see why they're upset and distrusting of the Titans. It's also Crane who can manipulate most people. But you want to know where their sense of loyalty is. So many people just throw their loyalty to the side when one thing goes wrong. You think it's actually pretty sad.

"Everything's alright." Kory assures them.

"You're Titans, Nightwing's gang."

"No, we're not much of a gang, really. More like roommates." Gar says back, trying to make light of the situation the best he can.

"Just get the fuck out of here and leave us alone." Another civilian says.

"We're here to help." Conner says. "That video you saw, it's all lies."

"They're the reason the water's poisoned." A civilian yells.

"Kory, get em out of there." Dick states.

"He wants us to just leave?" Conner asks.

"I vote stay. Give them a good reminder of which side we're on." Blackfire says.

"If you stay, it'll only get worse." Dick says. "Get out. Now."

The Titans do as directed, leaving the people to themselves. You look up to Dick who just looks frustrated. It must be hard to make a call like that when he's been raised for years to always help. The people have always wanted his help. Now, they don't want anything to do with him or the Titans. The Titans became some sort of collateral damage in it. It can't be easy and you feel for him.

"So..." You clear your throat, breaking the silence. "You were right. He did plan to poison people but...he just outed that? And the GCPD also put out a warning anyway? So, most of the city isn't infected."

"Luckily. We just have bounties on our heads while we're dealing with this." Dick lets out a scoff. "Do you want to explain what the hell happened last night?" Dick looks back at you with the raise of his brows, a look you're kind of tired of receiving. It's always the look of disappointment that makes you feel guilty.

"Well...I just...I just wanted to make sure you weren't gonna attack Jason so I went. And then, uh, I ran into Tim who was following Jason." You explain, earning a look screaming 'told you so' from Dick. "Crane was there first though, picked up a gun, and then he shot us." You look to the floor, your heart still feeling like it's filled with lead at the thought of Tim lying on the ground. "And I told Jason to run when he showed up because I knew you'd blame him because you always do. Took some convincing but he listened and I said I'd talk to you. It was all Crane. Not Jason." You nod your head once. "Then...I just-just couldn't do so I left and walked around. I ended up at Jason's a couple hours ago."

Dick nods his head with understanding. As much as he would appreciate you listening to him every once in awhile, he's starting to accept that you're going to do what's best for you and Jason regardless on what he says. Some part of him might find some part of that at least admirable. At least someone here has some loyalty, even if it ends up hurting the Titans. Most of him is still annoyed though and really wants you to understand that what he does and says is for everyone's best interest. Jason included most of the time. But, he is glad you're okay.

"So Crane shot the both of you because you were there?" Dick asks for clarity.

"Basically. I think he really just wants me dead but Tim was there. Which, uh...h-how is-is he?" You ask, dodging Dick's face.

"I don't know." Dick answers honestly. "He had a pulse when the ambulance took him."

"Cool." You nod softly, knowing you'll need to find your way to the hospital or Excellent Gotham later to find out how he is. "So, um...Jason's still on our side, by the way."

"Are you sure?"

You nod. "Yeah, Crane shot me and tried to kill me." You offer a wide smile. "He's a dead man walking now." You offer a chuckle. "So, he's working with Crane now to try and find out what his next step is. Poisoning the water system can't be his only plan, especially with that video. Jason wasn't gone long enough to have shit to do with it so he's got something else planned and Jason's going to try and get it out of him by pretending to be on his side."

Dick pauses, squinting his eyes at you before he looks back to the monitor. He doesn't like it because he's not sure they can trust Jason. You can all you want. You haven't been Jason's target the last two weeks. But, if this works, at least they have someone on the inside.

"What makes you think Crane will believe Jason is still with him?" Dick asks. "If you've been someone Crane has wanted dead and Jason refused, why would that suddenly change?"

"Because Crane is an arrogant ass." You quip right back. "He already had that video ready to go. He knew Jason would come back to him regardless. Though, I think he might have thought I'd die and I didn't. But, with the video up, I think Crane thinks he still has Jason. Also, Jason is more than willing to convince him just to tear him down later. Revenge is great motivation." You nod your head with confidence.

"Right." Dick nods his head, looking a bit displeased with your last words. "Alright, fine." Dick agrees knowing having Jason not trying to kill them is a lot better than nothing. "Where does that leave you then? I need to know where you plan to stand with everything that's happening."

"Since Crane grouped me with you guys, I'm with you and yes, I will listen." You roll your eyes.

"Yeah, I've heard that before." Dick snarks back.

"Yeah." You laugh softly. "Well, I'm with you guys. Gotta be anyway. Gotta make Crane think me and Jason are on opposite sides." You shrug your good shoulder.

Dick nods softly. "Alright." He clears his throat. "You're gonna stick with Gar this time."

"Stick with Gar." You echo.

"Good." Dick nods his head, grabbing his jacket from the chair. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." You nod your head quickly. "Uh...Jason helped. He, uh, he got the bullet out and everything so I'm good." You offer him a thumbs-up with a closed-mouth smile.

"Okay, good. I'm glad you're okay." Dick nods once. "I'm going to meet with Babs, the Titans are on their way back. Stay here until they get back and fill them in."

"Will do, Dickolas." You nod your head once, sucking in a breath before Dick shakes his head and heads out of the Batcave.

When the Titans get back, you fill them in just as Dick asked you to. They aren't too happy about being pulled out from the streets but they also understand Dick's point of view of the situation. Everyone just hopes his meeting with Babs is to think of some sort of plan to get the city back. So, while you all wait for Dick to get back and tell you the next move, Gar shows you some of the things he's found about the Lazarus Pit including Bruce's notes about Ra's al Ghul. It doesn't say where the Pit is. It does say there are more but Bruce had sealed most of them off. That's all Gar really got so the two of you dive in to find out if you can find out how Ra's made it and what else it could be used for. It doesn't sit right with either of you that Jason was brought back to life using the Pit but no one even knows where it is or how it works or how it was created. So, you search as you wait.

When Dick comes back, he gathers everyone in the living room for a meeting. He stands in front of the main living area while everyone is scattered around, standing and waiting for what he has to say. Dick then explains that him and Babs think it's in everyone's best interest if the Titans turn themselves in. The room falls deadly silent with his words, everyone mostly looking at each other before looking back to Dick. According to Dick, it's for the best and it'll be just a show.

"So, we turn ourselves in and then what?" Gar asks.

"And then we post bail." Dick says. "Continue doing our work but in a less public way. Work in the shadows. Take the city back night by night. It's not gonna be easy and it's not gonna be fast but we can do it. If you have a better idea, please now's the time." Dick gestures a hand to the room before crossing his arms.

"They hate us." Gar says softly, voice etched in hints of defeat.

"They've been manipulated into hating us by Crane." Kory corrects.

"Y/n, Conner, Blackfire, what do you think?" Dick asks.

"It was brutal out there. I don't want to be looked at like that again." Conner says, his voice almost matching Gar's.

"Well, surrender isn't my thing. But I am used to people looking at me like I'm a monster so whatever you all decide on, I'm in." Blackfire states.

You hang your head and you think it's a horrible idea. You trust Babs, absolutely but there are parts of the GCPD that have been corrupt long before and long before her dad and long before Barnes. It doesn't matter how good someone's intentions are in the GCPD because there are always others within the PD who don't care about the greater good or what's good for even themselves. If anyone should know that, it should be the former detective. Does Dick really think him and Babs can just protect all of you? If people in the GCPD were corrupt before, they're going to be corrupt now. Crane got the entire city to hate all of you with one video, how do you all know Crane doesn't have eyes in the department?

"I think it's a bad idea." You say quietly.

"You weren't out there." Conner states.

"No, I know." You nod your head. "And I don't care if people look at me like that. They look anyway." You say softly, tugging your sleeve over your hands. "I just...we trust Babs but does Babs trust every single person in the department?" You look back at Dick.

"We won't be dealing with everyone. It'll be a select few to put on a show, make it seem legit." Dick explains. "You're just coming to our side. It's up to you if you want to go through with this."

You look to Gar and maybe it's against your better judgment but they are your friends, your family. You've done everything to protect Jason and it seems like that might be fixing itself now. Which means you need to fix your own relations with the Titans. And that, for you, means following Dick even if you think it's a bad idea. Plus, you really need to sell you being with the Titans, at least for Jason's own safety against Crane. You don't want him getting wind of Jason not actually being on his side.

"No, I'll do it." You nod your head, earning a quick look from Gar, surprised you agreed. "You just have to be sure this is going to be safe. I trust Babs. I don't trust any other person in that entire department."

"Why not?" Conner asks.

You look to Conner and you don't want to burst his bubble into trusting this plan. You will happily pop the bubble of police for him later. "Just don't." You keep it short.

"It'll be safe." Dick assures you.

"Alright then." You agree.

"Kory?" Dick asks.

"We've played it by the book so far and this is where it's led us. So, maybe you're right. Maybe we try a new way. I'm in." Kory says.

"Alright then, let's suit up." Dick states. "We go in together. As a team. As a family."

While Dick was busy talking with the Titans about turning yourselves in, Jason is the one who started to panic with pure rage. After Jason's managed to convince Crane that they're still good and Jason agrees with him, Crane got word from one of his moles in the department. The commissioner is setting up for the Titans to be "arrested" and then let you all post bail. The commissioner is in on it but Crane was prepared for that. The commissioner has always had a hand in helping Batman and company. So, when Crane gets word, he sends Jason with a bag full of money to pay this mole off with several of the other cops who ride with him to take in the Titans. Override the commissioner. Bring the Titans to Crane.

If Crane gets the Titans, with everything in the Batcave, that's where Jason's worry comes in. The Titans still stand a good chance but if Crane gets all of these guys to go with him and given how unlucky the Titans have been lately, Jason is growing more and more concerned. If Crane has the Titans, the city goes to Hell. It will be destroyed. Jason doesn't know what else Caane is planning but he does know whatever it is, it's not for the greater good of the city. So, he does what Crane asks him, hoping he'll be able to call the Titans to call it off. Maybe Dick will say the others didn't want any part of it. Or maybe you will back out of it if you even agreed to it in the first place and then you and Jason can figure something out. So, once the deal is done and the plan is set into motion, Jason calls you.

But, as his own luck would have it, you don't answer. It rings and rings and then just goes to voicemail. His best guess? Dick has already set the plan into motion with all of you and you're preparing to turn yourselves in. You're going to side with Dick to make this whole thing believable even though Jason figures you're against this whole plan. You're too smart to fall for something like this. You'll go overprepared but you'll be the only one. So, Jason keeps calling, desperate to warn you and he tries Dick but that goes to voicemail, too. He tries Gar and nothing. None of you are answering your phones which leaves him two choices.

Keep trying until one of you picks up and hope for the best. Or, he can go to GCPD himself to try and warn you -- or help if he's too late.

Once all of you are suited up and ready to go, Dick goes over the plan one more time just for extra clarity to make sure everyone is on the same page. All of you are going to pile into some SUVs, ride over, walk in, and then Babs will take it from there having you all be fake processed and the bail will be fake. Then, all of you get to go right back to the manor. In and out. It seems simple but no part of this has been simple. But, none of you argue. All of you nod along and once it's time, you pile into the SUVs just as Dick said.

You hop into the SUV with Gar, Conner, Blackfire, and Krypto while Kory and Dick take the other SUV. Krypto sits in between you and Gar in the back while Conner drives and Blackfire takes passenger. You find yourself watching the city pass by on the drive, your stomach twisting into knots. The last time you were arrested, you ended up with Jerry. This whole thing just seems like such a bad idea. And if it is and you have to fight back, that's even worse. That's just a bigger target on your backs if you can get out of there in one piece. There just had to be another way to win the city back. The city wasn't always on Batman's side.

"On Tamaran, it is called The Pit." Blackfire starts, pulling you from your thoughts. "It's dark. So dark, you cannot even see your hand." She explains, making you and Gar both look to your hands and then at each other.

Conner picks up her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers. "It isn't like that here." Conner says. "Right?" Conner looks in the rearview mirror for reassurance from Gar and you.

"Right." Gar starts. "I-it's totally not like that. It's gonna be fine." Gar offers a smile but you swear it's incredibly unconvincing. "Dick and Barabara have a plan. We're just going to go in and out. This is really just all for show." Gar explains, looking to you for reassurance. And now you just think he's trying to convince himself.

"Yeah, it's really not like that." You add in. It isn't like The Pit. It's not great and it sucks. There is a lot of unfairness and cruelty but it's not The Pit. And you think telling Blackfire everything about the corruption among the GCPD, probably won't help the situation. "I've been for real arrested once. It's not like The Pit." You explain, omitting every other detail.

"We'll be together the whole time. I've got you." Conner assures Blackfire with a calm but firm tone. "I promise." He glances over to her with a soft smile as you catch him squeeze her hand.

You smile softly because for all anyone knows, this isn't going to work out. Nothing has gone to plan but Conner still offers reassurance anyway and it's kind of sweet to watch. Gar offers a chuckle, catching the smile on your lips. It earns him a light shove with the roll of your eyes. It's just nice seeing the two of them unbothered by everything that's happening. It's maybe even a little cathartic in a weird way.

Within a few more minutes, both SUVs pull up to the back of the GCPD. There are snipers on the roof and several GCPD officers standing guard with full swat gear outside of the doors. This is supposed to be for show but you're really not buying it. This is a lot of people for something that's supposed to be fake.

Everyone starts to get out of their vehicles, you meeting up with Gar in the front of the SUV.

"You okay?" Gar whispers. "I mean, we trust Barbara." Gar nods his head, his brows raised as if looking for some form of reassurance from you. This isn't sitting right with him either.

"Yeah." You shake your head, eyeing one of the snipers on top of the roof. There are ten total and you start to think of an exit strategy to avoid them or take them out on your way if it comes to it. "If shit goes south, get out of here immediately. I'll be right behind you and stay close to the building until you reach the back alley. Less light and I didn't see snipers over there." You whisper back, pulling your attention right back to Gar.

Gar gulps, looking up at the roof where the guns are pointed right at you. "That wasn't reassuring." Gar almost whines as he looks back to you.

"Wasn't supposed to be." You shake your head, as you chew the inside of your cheek before you start walking. Gar follows right behind you until he's walking side-by-side.

The two of you fall in line right behind Kory and Dick while Conner, Blackfire, and Krypto follow Gar and you. As you all make your way to the entrance, every single person with a gun, trains their weapons on all of you. The Titans are the targets and these people are just waiting for the signal to start shooting. That's what it feels like. Being a vigilante is illegal, technically, but this is...a lot.

"This seems excessive." Kory states as all of you enter the building, passing by even more men with guns and swat gear.

"Barbara cleared it with me." Dick states. "It's all for show. They need to stand their ground." Dick states and you roll your eyes. Basically, they need to stroke cops' egos. What else is new?

"This is just optics, right?" Gar asks Dick, the growing pit in his stomach is starting to bubble. Gar doesn't normally second guess Dick's plans but tonight, he is. This seems wrong.

"Optics." Dick confirms calmly.

The Titans stand on the main level, looking up to the second floor where Babs and one of her right hands is standing beside her looking over the railing. There are cops on all sides of you and above you, covered in their swat gear with shields. Dick can say it's optics all he wants but you're getting a really bad feeling about this one. And then Blackfire bumps into you, making you and Gar turn around. One of the cops, used his shield to bump her and Conner used his superspeed to immediately be at Blackfire's side.

"Back off." Conner threatens, standing toe-to-toe with the cop that shoved her.

This is bad.

This is bad.

This is about to be really, really bad.

You look around as the cops start to slowly close in on all of you. This is not good. If this is optics and a show, they've done it. The show has been shown and it's time to get the hell out of here and finish the plan. There is no reason for them to be approaching the Titans. Not if they're on Barbara's side.

Dick sticks out of his hand, easing them away but it's not working. They're not going to listen to him. They just keep closing in with their shields and weapons pointed right at all of you. The Titans might not be here for a fight, but very clearly, the GCPD definitely is.

"Easy. We're not here for a fight." Dick states, keeping his voice calm but stern as to not piss anyone off.

"Move in." One of the men up top states, demanding the entire room.

Everything falls into slow motion as you look up to him, the other Titans and Barbara doing the same. It's as if everything starts to crumble at your feet. You are severely outnumbered and outgunned. This was a bad idea and you knew it was. It shouldn't have been but no one can trust people outside Barbara. That's how it is and now you're all trapped in this mess.

The cops start to close in, shoving all of the Titans. They try to shove you into smaller sections in order to separate you but you stand in between Gar and Dick as your hands form into fists. Your eyes scan the room quickly and there are fewer men up top. You could get up there and escape pretty easily with the grappling hook.

"Stand down!" Barbara yells but they aren't listening. They don't work for her anymore.

"There." You whisper to Gar, looking up to the second floor. "When you get the chance, get up there."

"What?" Gar questions quickly.

"They'll be too distracted by what's happening on the floor. You can get up there easily as a tiger and I can follow you." You nod your head once at him, reaching for a knife from your utility belt as you prepare for your own opening the second things start to turn violent.

This isn't going to be peaceful. Gar sees the knife in your hand, your hand gripping it tightly and he wonders when you became so prepared for everything to go south. He wonders if it's just trauma build-up like a clogged artery preparing for a heart attack or if this is a Bruce thing or maybe even a Jason thing. You never came here with any form of optimism.

Conner holds some of them off while others start to crowd Gar and you. Dick is entirely covered in cops before he shoves them off of him but then a gunshot rings out through the GCPD, Conner stopping the bullet with his hand. You, Gar, and Kory look over just in time to see the cop fire a second bullet and this time, it hits Blackfire.

"No!" Kory yells.

And that's when all hell breaks loose. Conner starts attacking the cop that shot Blackfire while the other cops jump in to attack the rest of you. Three go for you but you're quicker than they are, already having your free hand glow at your side. They're covered in protective gear and with the shield, you know you're not going to make any good shots with a knife. Desperate times, desperate measures. So, you pocket the knife and your other hand glows before you shoot acid at one of the men and the shield starts to melt. The other men keep coming closer, you punching and kicking them before you touch them with your hands, the acid melting right through their uniforms as they let out blood-curdling screams. The fabric and plastic becomes burned into their skin, sending them to the ground in agonizing pain.

Once those men are down, you jump in to help Gar so he can transform. You distract them and fight them until Gar jumps from behind you and then in front of you, fully turned into a green tiger. You can feel the bullet wound slowing you down. It's aching and throbbing, taking more of your energy you could really use right about now. And you swear you can feel blood leaking from the wound and down your arm as you land a right hook to one of the cops. That's when you hear that same guy above you, telling his men to shoot Gar.

"You gotta get out of here." You urge, shooting a hand full of acid at another man and melting his shield.

But, it's too late, as Gar defends himself, a tranquilizer is shot right out at him and he lets out a growl in response. This is just like the tower. Outnumbered. Outgunned. Even with the other Titans, you don't stand a chance. You can hear the other Titans fighting, getting a glimpse of the fire coming from Kory and Dick and Conner fighting hard. All of you need to get out of here.

"Go!" You point to the top, right where the man is. "Go, I'll be right behind you." You hold off the other men, giving Gar time to jump to the second level and head towards the exit.

You follow him, shooting your grappling hook to the top. The man pulls out his gun just as you reach him. With your feet planted on the floor, you put your hands up, the throbbing the front of your head echoing like a beating drum. He cowered when Gar jumped up here. You are fully confident even with a bum shoulder you could wrestle that gun from him with ease.

"Put the gun down!" You hear Barbara yell and that's when his eyes dart to her for just a second, giving you the perfect opportunity.

You lunge forward, grabbing the gun and then his wrist, twisting his arm. You squeeze and turn, just as Jason had taught you in several of your training sessions and then he drops the gun. You grab it before he even has a chance and you turn the gun on him.

One pull of the trigger and he's dead. That's all it would take. And you're ready to do it. All of the fighting is happening below you and yeah, maybe this guy is just under Crane's shit. But, you're really sick of it. He's not high. He's not drugged. He didn't have to join Crane but he did and he just got Gar shot. It feels like minutes as you almost debate shooting him at point-blank range but it's been five seconds. Five seconds for Barbara to realize you might not back down. Five seconds for the shooter behind you to aim his own gun at your back, kickstarting the throbbing in the back of your head.

"Bluejay!" Barbara yells and you grit your teeth.

Fine.

You spin around, aiming the gun at the shooter's leg and shoot just once. It sends him to the ground and then you take off, not leaving the gun behind. You're real sick of people hurting the people you care about. He was going to shoot you on your way out anyway. Do or die. Kill or be killed.

You find Gar outside, limping as the tranquilizer is starting to take effect. He's not going to make it far and Sam needs to find somewhere for him to go. There has to be somewhere near here. And that's when she realizes...Gar isn't shot. Besides the tranquilizer. Sam looks up, not seeing a single sniper or cop on the roof and then she looks around the parking lot, not seeing anyone here either.

What the fuck?

That's weird given how many were here when the Titans arrived. That also cannot possibly be good. You roll your eyes and decide you both just need to get out of here and you'll find somewhere on the way. There's a tunnel entrance not far and you're pretty sure you and Gar can hide there until you think of a better place.

"Follow me, we're gonna go to the tunnels." You whisper to him as the two of you head for the alley that leads out to a side street.

The two of you run off to the alley, Gar slower than usual and your cape flowing behind you. Your shoulder is aching and you can feel the adrenaline wanting to crash. You're certain now that it's bleeding and your hand is shaking. Your entire arm is shaking. Gar isn't the only one who needs to take a breather.

The two of you exit through the alley and make your way on a sidewalk. You know if you take the sidewalk down to the intersection, you can cross over and head into an alley on that side of the street. The tunnel entrance will only be a block away and you'll be on the right side of the street.

But just as you and Gar go to walk past an alley right before the intersection, your head throbs from the side right before someone grabs your arm, yanking you into the alley. You fight back until the person spins you around and then you stop as relief comes over you.

"It's me. It's fine." Jason urges through the helmet just as Gar walks into the alley having seen you get grabbed by Jason.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" You spit back.

"You guys have to get the fuck off the streets. They'll be looking for you. Come with me." Jason urges you and Gar, trying to walk past but you and Gar block him.

"Answer me, Jason." Your eyes are narrowed at him and without seeing your mouth, Jason knows you're gritting your teeth behind the mask.

"I'll explain but let me get you guys somewhere safe first. You think those snipers just went on a fucking coffee run?" Jason quips back making you look to the Gar. Gar shakes his head and you let out a breath.

"You?" You ask, your eyes narrowing. How the fuck did he know to be there?

Jason nods. "Let's go before they show up." Jason's voice is stern and almost forceful as he walks past them.

Jason leads the two of you across the street and down a different alley. You exclusively take alleys and you're just relieved they clearly used a tranquilizer that wasn't as potent as the one CADMUS used. Gar is still slowing down but he's at least awake. But, you're still stuck trying to figure out how Jason knew and why he didn't do anything about it. You were all just attacked and you all could have been killed. He knew though. Pretending to be with Crane doesn't mean screwing the Titans over. You know there is probably an explanation but right now, you're pissed off and scared and in pain.

You reach an abandoned building and Jason opens the door in the back for the three of you. The three of you make your way upstairs and into a room with boarded-up windows. This place doesn't have any type of belongings but you're willing to bet Jason is hoarding the place. Jason would probably never not have a place to go after everything. Gar practically collapses on the floor before he starts to transform back into himself.

"Sleep it off. I'll wait until things calm down and I'll go looking for Dick and Kory, okay?" You crouch down to Gar as you put a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?" Gar gets out with a labored breath.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Better at this now." You offer a nod and if Gar weren't so exhausted from the tranquilizer, he'd be worried about why you're suddenly better at it. Maybe Gotham does change people. It's something Dick warned the Titans about. Gotham eats people alive.

"Are you sure?" Gar's words start to slur together just a little.

"Yeah." You nod your head and offer him a soft smile. "Just...sleep, okay? I'll find you clothes, too."

Gar's face starts to burn. "Okay." Gar nods his head, plopping down on the floor as the tranquilizer finally kicks in entirely.

"Here." Jason offers a blanket of some sort and you use it to cover Gar before you get to your feet.

"He'll be out awhile." You say softly, a sadness coating your words.

There's almost a numbness that's coming with this territory. You wonder if this is how Bruce has done it for so long, maybe that's why Bruce is the way he is. His parents were killed in front of him and then...here he is. Batman, vengeance. Maybe in order for him to be Batman, he has to be numb to it, to the pain of what comes with being a hero. Maybe he's let some of that numbness leak into his personal life and that's why he was the way he was with Dick and why he tried to be better with Jason but still failed. You wonder if he just numbs it all in order to keep going. And maybe that's not entirely Bruce's fault. Because you don't want to be numb about everything.

The pain is the worst part but outside of pain, Bruce seems to push things away and maybe that's still how he can be Batman. Maybe it wasn't always like that but bad things happen. You don't want that. It's just, you're standing here with Jason and you're annoyed with him but you're not even that mad anymore. You're tired, your shoulder hurts but emotionally, the only thing you really feel right now is worry. Worry for Gar and the Titans. That's it. That doesn't feel too good either.

Jason nods his head before he looks to the floor. He looks back to the window and then to you, nodding his head toward the window. The two of you head over to the boarded window, taking a seat below it. Jason takes his helmet off, resting it beside him as he stretches his legs out in front of him. The white streak flops onto his forehead, you getting the slightest hit of a smile at the sight.

You follow his lead, taking your own mask off as you pull your legs to your chest. You rest your head against the boards, closing your eyes as you take in a breath. Jason watches you carefully, seeing a slight tremor in your hand of the shoulder that was shot as you rest your forearms on your knees. There's a mark near your temple that looks like it might be forming into a bruise. But, that's it. Jason doesn't see anything too bad. GCPD has never been very good at taking out vigilantes. It's not really their thing which Jason is thankful for. But, he really wishes he weren't too late.

It's not his fault. He's trying to work Crane and part of that is still doing his dirty work. He had no choice but the second he could, he tried his absolute hardest to warn the Titans. It just wasn't enough. It's another really hard pill to swallow. Working with Crane is his biggest mistake. Everything is a mess and that, that part is on him. He is desperate for it all just to come to an end.

"Oh, here." You mutter, pulling the gun from your utility belt. You hand it over with caution, Jason noticing the tremor worse as he takes the gun from you. Jason blinks at you and then at the gun, trying to find the right question. "Wrestled it from a piece of shit who caused this shit, shot the piece of shit that shot Gar, then I took it."

Jason shakes his head as his eyes close for a second, growing confused. Desperate times, desperate measures. He entirely understands how you ended up with the gun. That's not really the question he has now. It's you shooting someone. Your hands are shaking and your hands very rarely ever shake after a fight. It's one of the things Jason finds the most interesting. It's your steady hands before, during, and after heavy conflicts. He was like that, too and then Deathstroke happened but now they're shaking a lot. And something looks really wrong which could also just be what happened at the station. But, Jason wonders if it's the use of a gun. You always said you weren't a fan of using them.

"You shot someone?" Jason raises a brow at you as you read the disbelief on his face.

"I mean, yeah? You shoot people." You scoff, looking forward again. "I wrestled the gun away, had it aimed at the guy and Babs yelled at me. So, I turned and shot the guy who was about to shoot me who also shot Gar. Had it in my hand, might as well." You clear your throat, still dodging Jason's stare. "I didn't have a choice. He was gonna shoot me if I didn't do something." You state quietly as you chew the inside of your cheek.

It's really not the gun. The way you see it, it's really not that different than you throwing a knife at someone's head. It kills them all the same. It's not all that different than you throwing a knife at someone's leg. It wounds them all the same. It doesn't matter. It is just everything from the last two weeks. You really hate not having the choice to walk away. You might still pick the violent answer, but you'd like a choice. You would like a choice in the way your life goes.

"Alright." Jason nods his head before he shakes it. "Why the fuck did you take it with you?" Jason asks. You know these guns can be tracked. It's police issued.

"Fuck them." You state. "If I left it, they'd shoot me. So I took it to give to you to get rid of. Or I'll throw it in the Harbor out of spite."

"Right." Jason nods his head. "Shot someone? Using my R blades? Combat? Got a cape? You really are following in my footsteps, huh?" Jason offers you a teasing grin to try and lighten your mood, just a little bit. He just hates seeing you like this.

You narrow your eyes at him but Jason catches you starting to smirk. "You're really good at this." You roll your eyes. "Be stupid not to take notes. That's what you told me to do anyway."

Jason lets out a soft chuckle. "Can't believe you fucking listened."

"Yeah, it is a rarity." You quip before you look at him, lifting your head up. While this is nice discussing your own motives, you'd love to turn it around now. Jason knew to be there and when. That sounds like a problem. "You wanna tell me what the fuck?"

"Crane." Jason lets out a scoff. It's his turn to turn his attention forward. "Had me pay off one of the guys to turn on Babs, turn the whole department. Then, take all of you guys to him." Jason looks back at you, his face reading blatant annoyance.

"And you didn't warn me?" You shake your head in disbelief, the question coming out more as a demand -- an accusation.

"No! I tried! You, Dick, and Gar didn't answer!" Jason defends himself as he turns to face you. "I'd never let you walk in there if I had a choice. I tried. And when I got there, you were already inside. So, took out the snipers." Jason shrugs his shoulders. "The Titans against the GCPD?" Jason lets out a scoff. "I figured you'd all be fine inside but I didn't leave until I saw you and Gar. I was gonna go in to help when I heard the fighting but you and Gar walked out."

You nod your head before you pull out the burner and sure enough, you have three missed calls. That makes you feel a lot better. No part of you ever really believed Jason wouldn't at least try to warn you. You are relieved though, that even when things are messy as all hell, he still has your back. He always did but tonight just feels different.

"Took out?" You raise a brow.

"Knocked them out." Jason nods with a single nod.

"You know they're gonna tell Crane Red Hood got them, right?" You question, wondering how he plans to get himself out of it. And maybe you're a little relieved. You really hate him working with Crane still even if it was your idea.

"Thought of that." Jason says through a chuckle. "Wore a different mask, put on a different hoodie. They won't know any better. I was in and out anyway." Jason offers with confidence, clearly proud to do this work.

You shake your head but give Jason a gentle smile. "Well, thank you for risking it anyway. And for trying to warn us."

"Always." Jason nods his head right back, a toothy smile on display. It's a warm smile this time. "You alright, though?" Jason asks.

"Uh...yeah, I-I uh, I think I'm bleeding again." You state, looking to your shoulder and then back to him.

"Let me see." Jason states, gesturing his hand for you to lean forward.

You lean forward as Jason unzips your suit in the back and pulls down the shoulder part of your suit. Sure enough, the wound has bled through the gauze and there's blood everywhere he can see. Jason's heart jumps to his throat. It's been hours and the wound isn't that bad. For there to be this much blood in such a short amount of time, you had to be fighting like hell to get out of there. And you did it while looking out for Gar. And Jason gets a proud smile.

"What?" You raise a brow at him, wondering why the blood is making him smile.

"Trained you well." Jason states softly, confidence and pride etched into those three words.

"Shut up." You groan. "You would take credit for it." You let out a soft laugh.

"Well, if it weren't for me, you'd get your ass kicked." Jason quips right back. "So...you're welcome." Jason gives you a smirk.

Your eyes narrow before you roll them. "Yes, thank you so much. I would just be in so much distress if not for you. Please, where would I be?!" You fake a loud whine, the sarcasm spilling from your lips.

"Arrested." Jason answers plainly as he blinks at you.

You nod your head. "Fuck you." You shrug as you widen your eyes, earning a laugh from Jason.

"Oh, well in that case, I don't have to help you now. Ya know, if you don't need my help or anything." Jason sits back, his signature smirk crossing his face.

You let out a sigh, giving him a fake glare. "You won't let me bleed out." You state with confidence. "Where would you be without me? I'm the only one who plays your games." You offer him the same smirk.

Jason gives you a single nod. "Because I play yours." Jason quips.

"Which brings us back to you not letting me bleed out." You grin at him.

"You're really confident in that." Jason nods his head, knowing damn well you're not going to bleed out.

"I'm always confident in your abilities to not let something really bad happen to me." You say softly but there's a smirk on your face. It almost reads as a joke but Jason can tell by the sweetness in your voice and how quietly you said it that it's true. Even if you only said it out loud to mess with him.

Jason fake groans. "Alright. Fine." Jason says dramatically. "Guess I'll be fucking nice and help."

"You were going to anyway." You let out a soft laugh that makes Jason's stomach spin.

"Yeah..." Jason says softly, his smile turning soft as he scoots back over to you. "How many you take down anyways?" Jason asks as he pulls the gauze off.

"I lost count." You state. "There were a lot of them though. Uh, one of them shot Blackfire though. I think Kory was trying to get out with her. Dick and Conner were still fighting when we left though."

"I saw them follow you guys out." Jason assures you. "They're alright."

A surprised but kind smile starts to come to your lips. "Did you watch for them?" You ask.

Jason shrugs. "Saw you were alright and Gar, so maybe yeah. I just hung out a minute to make sure the others got out. Kory was with Blackfire and Dick was with Conner and Krypto. Blackfire was the only one who looked hurt." Jason explains as he grabs a gauze pad from his pockets.

"Didn't help though?"

"You know there's no fucking way in hell Kory would have let me." Jason quips back.

"Yeah...." You let out a sigh. "That's probably true." You nod as Jason sticks the gauze pad to the wound. "You just carrying first aid stuff now?"

"Just being prepared." Jason chuckles. "You should be proud." Jason nods up at you once the gauze is stuck and in place. "You should be okay. Here." Jason pulls another gauze pad out. "Just in case."

"Thanks, Jay." You take it, the shaking in your hands not as prominent now.

"You and me." Jason nods once at you with a soft smile before zipping her suit back up.

"You and me." You nod back before putting the gauze pad in your utility belt. "So...Crane has the department?" You clear your throat. It would be easier not to discuss that but you don't have that privilege.

"Yep." Jason shakes his head. "He's got more than that. The video, everyone is falling for his shit. He's gonna try to destroy Gotham." Jason states.

"How?" You ask.

"Taking over everyone and turning everyone against you guys for starters. I don't know what else he has planned. I know it's not fucking good though. He's losing it."

"Fantastic." You roll your eyes.

According to Bruce's file on Crane, this is what always happens. He has a plan and it works well at first but then he starts to crumble, spiral, and it all goes to shit. Crane does try to take people with him though and no one is left unscathed when Crane starts to fall off the deep end. You're getting the feeling this isn't going to end well.

"You, uh, you should probably head out then, right?" You ask cautiously. "Like, if someone sees you with us, leading us here or sees me leave after seeing you leave. That'll be a problem. You know Crane wants the city, so find out how."

Jason grits his teeth and he hates this. It was his idea to go to Crane in the first place and maybe this is just his penance for it. Being forced to work with him not that he wants to kill him. And he hates the idea of leaving you and Gar. The entire city is going to want you dead. The GCPD already tried to turn them in to Crane who would have killed you. You can handle yourselves but anything can happen out there. Worse things can happen though if he doesn't find out what Crane is doing and put a stop to it.

"Yeah." Jason answers shortly. "Alright, yeah." Jason nods his head with a sigh. "Use the burner though, let me know if you find anyone. I'll try to get into the traffic cameras and see if I can locate anyone for you and Gar to get to." Jason explains as he gets to his feet.

"Thanks, Jay." You offer him a soft smile. "We'll be fine." You assure him.

"Right." Jason nods his head, plucking his helmet from the floor. "If shit starts going south--"

"I'll call or text. I got it, Jay. We've been here plenty of times now. Look who's the one worrying now." You scrunch your nose at him, mostly to try and ease some of his worry and hide yours.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jason lets out a scoff but the corners of his mouth tug up slightly. "Good luck." Jason nods once before he turns and heads out of the room, leaving you alone with an unconscious Gar.

You sit against the window for several hours, just looking through the slats of the window. The city is going to shit. Chaos is already starting to hit the streets. Fires and fights, you can see the few buildings across the street boarding up their windows. Maybe this is what Crane wanted. GCPD is with Crane and Gotham doesn't have any vigilantes to protect it. That's when you start to think how odd this whole thing is.

Bruce ran the city on fear. Fear of the Bat and how he could take down anyone, send them to Arkham but with the insurance policy of making it out alive. It was still fear that kept a lot of people from committing at least serious crimes and it did keep Gotham, at least, somewhat safer with certain things. Crane's entire obsession is with fear. He makes people live out their worst fears. It's what he does but now he's trying to control Gotham by turning everyone against the vigilantes which just makes them unafraid. You aren't sure what that has to do with anything or if it even matters but it's something you can't help but think about it. And you wonder what will happen if it works. What happens if he gets what he wants this time? Where does that leave the Titans? Gotham?

You've never been much of a team player. You've always done better alone or with one person. It's easier that way. You wonder if that's how it should be. You remember when you left the tower and Dick said you could be a Titan again. If you wanted to. But, the more you sit here and think about it, maybe you don't want to. There are too many moving pieces and even though it's not your responsibility, it's too much to have to worry about so many people all at once. And if Dick fucks up, they all die. That's a pretty big burden to carry and you aren't so sure you want that every single day. Maybe to help sometimes, yeah. But, maybe not every day and if Crane wins, this is Gotham. You'll fight tirelessly until it's not his anymore because this city doesn't belong to him. It doesn't belong to anyone like him.

After a few more hours, the sun starts to come up, the gloomy clouds blocking most of the pretty oranges and pinks. You check your phone, only for there to be an x where the service bars are. You try to make a call to Dick but the service is unavailable. Fantastic. Your best guess is this has to do with whatever Crane has coming or the chaos that Gotham is under which means you and Gar are on your own until you're able to find the rest of the Titans. But you can't just sit here for right now.

You still need to grab some sort of food for you both and grab clothes for Gar so while the streets aren't as busy you decide now might be a good time to try and find supplies. The streets aren't as busy as they were earlier and nothing should be open yet. There's a convenience store not far so if you're quick, you could break in, grab what you and Gar need, and be back before anyone spots you. It shouldn't be too hard. So, you grab your mask and make your way to the door Jason let you through last night only to be caught completely off guard as the door swings open.

"Rachel?" You question as you pull your mask off.

Rachel blinks at you a few times before gaining a soft smile. "Hey." She didn't know you even got a suit.

"What the hell are you doing here?" You ask as you tug Rachel inside and close the door behind her.

"I don't know. I just had a feeling I needed to come back." Rachel states, somewhat ominously.

You've never been so relieved to see Rachel. Rachel is literally the daughter of a demon. Based on how Gotham is looking right about now, you might need that. So far, nothing else has worked and Rachel killed her dad. Not to mention, the Titans could really just use some more hands if you stand a chance against the entire population of Gotham City.

"Oh, yeah no we could use some fucking help right about now." You laugh softly.

"Yeah? What is going on?" Rachel looks around the abandoned building, taking notice in how rundown and cold it is. "It's kind of weird out there." Rachel states, remembering how Gotham was before when Dick brought them on the way to San Fransisco.

This is not that Gotham. There are fires in the streets now, people yelling, being more guarded than usual. It's every person for themselves and it's six in the morning. No one should even have enough energy for that now. But, word got out that the vigilantes are gone and the commissioner was arrested. People have really lost it since.

"You haven't talked to anyone right?" You question, remembering Rachel was unreachable to everyone meaning she probably needs a full recap.

"Right, I couldn't really talk to anyone while I was there." Rachel says with hesitance, starting to worry about where this might go.

"Awesome. Jason died." You spit out, ripping the bandaid off.

Rachel coughs. "He what?!"

"Yeah, Joker beat him to death with a crowbar. So, Bruce went and killed the Joker. Fast forward to all the Titans showing up, and surprise, Jason's alive again. Lazarus Pit." You spit it out before Rachel can even ask. "Only he's Red Hood now and he was addicted to a drug made by Jonathan Crane, Scarecrow. That made him fearless which was unpleasant, honestly. So, for the last two weeks, I've been trying to get him clean while he's been trying to kill Dick. And Dick's been trying to capture him. He's clean now and on our side but I got shot and Dick got shot and Gar just got tranquilized last night. Crane is trying to take over the city, he poisoned the water. We were almost all killed last night because of it. It's been a mess." You nod casually as you finish.

"Um..." Rachel tries to find the right words to even process any of that. "I missed a lot." Rachel nods.

"Oh, yeah, welcome to Gotham." You mutter as you lead Rachel up the stairs. "And now, apparently, cell towers are down because I can't get a call out. I have no idea where everyone else is. It's just Gar and me."

"Okay, wait. So, where is everyone else? And where is Jason?" Rachel questions. She could tell that all of the Titans weren't here but she didn't realize you and Gar would be on your own entirely.

"No idea. He's been trying to find out what Crane is planning. He's the only reason any of us got out alive last night. He took out the snipers. As for the Titans, I don't know." You say sadly, sucking in a deep breath. "We got separated and the city went to shit not long after."

"What a mess." Rachel says softly.

"Yeah. Donna?" You ask with hope. If Jason can be brought back, there has to be a way to bring back Wonder Girl.

Rachel shakes her head sadly. "Nope."

You let out a sigh of defeat. "I'm sorry. At least you tried though." You look over to her as you reach the room where Gar is still passed out. "More than what most people would do. There has to be a way though." You assure her.

"Yeah, maybe we should ask Jason how it all works." Rachel says only half joking.

"He doesn't know. I did ask." You let out a soft laugh. "He doesn't even know where it is." You let out a breath. "Anyway, we're hiding here until we figure out what to do and until Gar wakes up." You gesture to the room just as Gar starts to stir awake.

Gar's eyes land on the two of you as confusion wraps itself around him. The last thing he remembers is you and Jason being here. It's fuzzy but he remembers that. The person standing next to you is not Jason though. Jason doesn't normally wear all black. He blinks a few times, trying to get his vision to focus and once it does, he's certain something went wrong.

"Rachel?" Gar asks, eyes still partially closed with sleep while the two of you get closer. "Did I die again or are you really real?"

"Of course I'm real." Rachel says as the two of you crouch down.

"I found her." You state.

"I found you." Rachel looks back at you.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah same thing." You state. "How you feeling?"

"Tired." Gar chuckles. "How did you find her?"

"I could just feel you guys." Rachel states simply. "Your energy. I started at GCPD, ended up here." Rachel explains as she hands Gar his clothes.

The two of you stand up and turn around so Gar can change. You're definitely thankful Rachel was able to grab his clothes because that was one thing you were not confident you could grab. And he can't very well just be out there with a blanket.

"Did you find anyone else?" Gar asks as he gets dressed.

"No, I came here first." Rachel says.

"I actually didn't leave. I opened the door and Rachel was there but cell towers are down so I can't even reach out to try to find them." You roll your shoulders.

"So, now what?" Gar asks once he's fully clothed.

You and Rachel turn around, looking between each other.

"I have no idea." You answer with defeat.

Meanwhile, Crane decides he's earned his right to Wayne Manor. With the Titans out of commission and in hiding, the manor is open. It's safe and it'll be the perfect place for Crane to call home now. It'll make it easier to run Gotham from the Manor, having access to not only the Batcave but everything within the Batcave. And of course, he decided to take Jason with him who's still not liking this whole getting along with him thing when the only thing he wants to do is put a bullet in his head right about now.

With the lines down, it's going to make it that much harder for him to even contact anyone. If Jason does find out what Crane is planning, how is he supposed to find Dick without Crane catching onto what he's doing? This whole plan is a mess and being back at the manor isn't making Jason feel any better. It feels wrong.

This isn't Crane's home. Jason is pissed -- hurt by Bruce but maybe that doesn't mean letting Crane into the manor is a good idea. He's going to take over the place and make it his when he doesn't even belong here. But, Jason is also thinking of how he doesn't belong here either. Bruce abandoned him. This was never really Jason's home anyway. He tried to make it fit, tried to make it stick but it was never really him anyway. The fancy manor, the galas, events, press, money, just having a place to go home to that was safe. Even the training didn't feel like him. He loves it more than words but at the beginning, even that just felt like he was just trying to fill in the shoes that would always be the wrong size. But now, it feels worse. He feels more like he's trespassing. He's not supposed to be alive, let alone here with Crane. In another world, Jason thinks maybe he'd have ditched Crane after being brought back and he would have walked in to find Bruce. Maybe it would be different then.

But, it's not.

"So, this is what a billion dollars gets ya?" Crane asks, standing overlooking the living room. Crane makes his way down into the main living room, examining the curtains on his way down. "Interior designers the world over-exclaimed, meh." Crane shrugs with boredom before glancing to Jason who's still standing on the landing looking over the room. "Alright enough with the whole tortured hero stuff. Come on. We have reached the summit. It's time for us to enjoy the view. I think this calls for some spirits." Crane states as he takes his coat off, tossing it onto the couch before he grabs a bottle of alcohol.

Tortured hero? That's what he thinks the issue is here? Crane's gotten Jason to make a drug, get addicted to it, kill innocent people, turn on everyone who ever cared about him, Crane almost killed you, and is trying to tear down the city. Being this so-called tortured hero is not Jason's issue. Crane is arrogant and delusional. Jason can't tell if he's just doing it on purpose or if he believes any of the shit that leaves his mouth. Crane is selfish and cruel. Jason is kicking himself for not seeing it sooner. Crane doesn't care about anyone or anything besides himself. And Jason's just stuck here playing along.

"Look," Crane states as he uncorks the bottle. "Make a toast. To Batsy." Crane says, pouring himself a glass. "To beating them. To knowing them. To growing them." Crane says as he hands a glass to Jason. Jason takes it, not bothering to start the argument now. "We gotta redecorate." Crane says, looking around. "Starting with this." Crane says as he eyes the large painted portrait of the Wayne's hanging above the fireplace.

Crane pushes a chair in front of the fireplace, using it as a ladder to grab the painting. He places the painting down in front of the fireplace, kicking the chair out of the way. Then he grabs a knife from his pocket, eyeing the painting.

"Actually, you should do the honors." Crane turns around to face Jason, offering him the knife.

Jason walks around the couch, grabbing the knife from Crane before Crane walks to plop himself on the couch. Jason watches him before he looks back to the painting, questioning if he should actually listen to Crane on this one. It feels wrong but he is still really hurt.

"It's time to finally pay back your father for the gifts he's given you." Crane states with ease.

Jason stares at the painting and at first there's a guilt that comes over him. This is of Bruce and his parents. His parents are gone, it's not like this can be replaced. But, the more he stands here, the more he thinks about how badly he's been hurt by Bruce.

Bruce gave him magic by giving him Robin and then he just...ripped it away. He did what everyone always does. Promise him something and then take it away, take from him. He begged him not to give up on him and Bruce did anyway. Bruce gave up on him just like everyone else. He never bothered to try to understand him. Bruce just sent him to Leslie to fix him. And while Jason knows, he is the one that went after the Joker, Bruce didn't do anything about it.

He didn't even realize something was wrong or that something was going on. He should have noticed and he should have tried to help. Based on the context Jason has gotten from you, it does not sound like Bruce was worried and asked you to check on him. You figured it out. Not Bruce, the world's greatest detective. Jason was cooking Crane's drug and seeing Crane and Bruce never once figured it out. You did and while you're good at detective work, Bruce is supposed to be the best. But, when it comes to his own son, he just...failed? Jason swears it was on purpose because how else did he fucking miss it? How did he miss that Jason was struggling so badly? Jason doesn't scream from the rooftops that he needs help but he also makes it obvious in his own way and Bruce missed every single cry for help Jason has ever given him.

Bruce knows Jason's entire past, every piece of it and he will never understand. Jason pushed a serial rapist off a building and all Bruce did was get mad. He never bothered to care to understand Jason's point of view of the situation. Maybe that's just Jason breaking the rules, but it was Bruce's job to try to understand. Jason was just a kid. And he was brutally murdered and it's fine Bruce has a no-kill rule but the way Jason sees it, he should have killed the Joker because the Joker took Jason away from Burce. Jason is Bruce's son, he said so, and he picked him, and yet he's the one that feels left behind and abandoned and damaged. He was never good enough. He was always too much of a bother to try to understand. Bruce only ever wanted to fix him in the way Bruce wanted to fix everyone, make them just like him. But, that doesn't work for Jason and he doesn't think he'll ever be fixed and he's pissed and hurt because he hates feeling broken.

So, he pulls his arm back and starts slicing up the painting with everything in him.

prev. chapter | next chapter

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[earthtoharlow]

SERIES MASTERLIST

Previous Chapter

yourinsta just posted to their story!

THESHADEROOM

liked by 478,085 users

theshaderoom: #TSRBreakups: Looks like things may be over for #Drake and #Y/N Y/L. According to @tmz_tv, the two have separated after almost two years of dating. The former couple share a child together.

view all 6789 comments

user: ok maybe she’s the problem

user: probably because she’s fucking that Urban guy

user: we been knew she never keeps a man

user: Y/N just wakes up one day and be like “unhand me, get out.”

user: She really hasn’t been the same since Jack

user: what if Jack is her soulmate

user: she just needs to focus on herself and be the best mom she can be

user: Jack is unusually quiet during all this

THATGIRLSTACEY

liked by jackharlow, cassie, iamkaylanicole, joiechavis, diddy, ladylondon, meekmill, djdrama and 697,368 others

thatgirlstacey: “Willow darling, go grab daddy’s Amex and tell him you’re going shopping with mommy cause we have some celebrating to do” 🤣❤️‍🔥

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user: your karma is coming bitch just wait

user: nasty individual

user: teaching your daughter how to be a hater and a weirdo….?

user: Y/N put her through hell and now she can celebrate her downfall????

user: caption crazy 🤣

user: anyone scared of how Jack is going to react

user: notice how you asked Willow to get Jack’s card and not yours, cause you’re broke!!

YOURINSTA

liked by urbanwyatt, flomillishit, summerwalker, saweetie, kehlani, druski, 1dessdior and 789,468 others

yourinsta: Broke up with em and a bitch just got badder

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user: um

user: so tmz was right damn

user: don’t tell me Drake fumbled!!!

user: the baddest 🔥

saweetie: love you sister ❤️‍🔥

user: well that explains why she didn’t publicly wish him a happy Father’s Day

user: damn well anyway it’s my turn

user: you can not keep a man to save your life on god

user: man fuck all that noise!! You look fine af

user: single looks good on you

user: that momma weight 🥰

CHAMPAGNEPAPI

Liked by neelamthadhani, icespice, partynextdoor, chubbsview, ayeshacurry,nemoachida, thedanielclark, druski, and 1,425,116 others

champagnepapi: There’s no ribbon givin’ to anyone that you dealt with. No badge of honor, no ceremony or benefits, I gotta start us up a support group with a membership.

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URBANWYATT

liked by yourinsta, selenosunni, joeywagner, cozane, yungmiami305, SZA, dojacat, jharlowupdates, and 467,086 others

urbanwyatt: when you convince your best friend and god daughter to leave Canada and move in with you in Kentucky >>>

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user: Jack still hasn’t said anything y’all, I’m scared

user: Y/N back in Kentucky???? Stacey and Jack are going crazy I’m sure

yourinsta: don’t know what i’d without you 🥹

user: Stacey will be commenting in…

user: 3…2…1

thatgirlstacey: you got a lot of nerve! this exactly why Jack isn’t speaking to you…what kind of friend are you

thatgirlstacey: glad you’re out our lives

thatgirlstacey: never liked you

user: that didn’t take long

user: oh the karma that’s gonna hit Stacey is going to be amazing

urbanwyatt: won’t engage with the foolishness going on in my comments but I will say this. I’ll go to war for @yourinsta and if you got a problem with her you have a problem with me. Don’t need anyone in my life that doesn’t love or appreciate her

user: FINISH HER!!!

user: I know she’s sitting there gagged 🤣🫵

user: GET HER AGAIN FOR ME!

***

An: hated breaking them up i really did, I promise :) Who leaked the voicemail any guesses??? 🫣 Months ago an anon gave me the idea of a voicemail leaking, kisses to you anon 🫶

also a bitch just hit 900 followers that’s insane!!!! thank you all so much I can't believe this 🥹🫶 thanks to everyone who reads, comments, likes my work. It means so much to me

Tag List:

(message me if you’d like to be added or removed)

@heavyhitterheaux @hoodharlow @neon-lights-and-glitter @babiefries @toocriticalharlow @mace23477 @jackmans-poison @dstark-0706 @harlowsbby @itsyagirljaz @leftapricotprofessorlover @comehomeimissyou @minkookie95 @harlowcomehome @jackharloww @jaydaaasworld @blossomluvv​ @fdl305 @khiyah @kkrenae

[maggiedelusional]

Let Me Go || Part 10

Pairing: Hangman x f!reader, Rooster x f!reader

Warnings: ANGST (but you knew that), minor character death, Some Fluff

Word Count: 3.8k

Summary: Reader is married to and shares a child with Hangman. Life and circumstances drives reader into Rooster’s arms, but Hangman isn’t giving up that easily.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

Author's Note: The long awaited Part 10. So this is the final part of the story, but there is still an epilogue coming (actually already started writing it as we speak or rather type). Sorry for the long wait once again, school and law school apps really got the best of me. But I did end up getting into law school with a great scholarship so yay! This chapter was so hard to write, I really kept going back and forth on how I was gonna end it and I know I'm not gonna make everyone happy with how I ended it but I think I went the best possible and realistic way that's healthy for all the characters involved. And I am really happy with what I came up with. I also had such a bad case of writer's block but thanks to some brainstorming with one of my best friends (who I forced to listen to the plot of the story). He helped me come up with an ending I was happy with. So thank you again for your patience and I also I wanna apologize to everyone who asked to be in the tag list that I didn't add, its impossible to keep track of who asked. But without further ado, here is Part 10 of Let Me Go!

You needed a moment to gather your thoughts before responding to Jake's plea. You took a deep breath and wiped the tears from your eyes.

"Jake, of course I still love you," you said, your voice quivering slightly. "But that's not the point. Love alone is not enough to fix what's broken between us."

"I know," Jake replied, his eyes downcast.

"You also have to understand that what I had with Bradley was not the same as what we have," you continued. 

"Yes I fell in love with him. How was I not supposed to? He loved me when it felt like you could not, he loved me selflessly and loved our daughter like his own. I can’t just ignore that.” 

"You fell in love with Rooster…." Jake repeated, voice low and full of despair.

“I thought it was you and me forever Sweets. I can’t believe you’d go back on our vows and leave me for Rooster!”

“And its not just you and me (y/n), we have a daughter! Imagine how confusing all of this is for her!” Jake was fuming once again, clearly jumping from the bargaining stage of grief back to anger. 

“You didn’t think about our daughter when you fucked that corpsman!” 

“That’s different (y/n)! She was a stranger, you fell in love with MY friend. Someone I thought was JUST your friend.”

“This is different," you said, feeling a mix of anger and frustration rise in your chest. "Rooster is not just a friend, he's someone I have a deep connection with. And I know it's hard for you to understand, but I can't just turn off my feelings for him."

Jake looked up at you, his expression a mixture of hurt and anger. "So what are you saying, that you want to be with him instead of me?"

"No, that's not what I'm saying," you replied firmly.

Jake's eyes widened as he processed your words. "So what is it? You're just going to leave me here, alone and broken?"

The anger began to rise in you as you spoke. "No, Jake, I'm not leaving you alone and broken. You did that to yourself when you cheated on me. You broke our trust and shattered the foundation of our relationship. And now you have to deal with the consequences."

Jake's face fell as your words hit him like a ton of bricks. "I know what I did was wrong," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But I'm willing to do anything to make it up to you. I love you, (y/n), and I don't want to lose you."

Your anger began to boil over as you listened to Jake's pleas. "Love is not enough, Jake," you spat out. "It takes more than love to build a strong and healthy relationship. It takes trust, honesty, and respect. And you betrayed all of that when you cheated on me."

Jake hung his head in shame as you continued to speak. "I need time to heal and figure out if I can ever trust you again. And right now, that means being on my own. I can't just forgive you and forget what you did. It's not that simple."

“And I know you said that you’re willing to forgive my relationship with Bradley, but we both know that the hurt lives in you, you cannot just instantly forget what Bradley and I shared.”

Jake looked up at you, his eyes pleading. "Please, (y/n), don't do this. I know I messed up, I know we both did, but I'm willing to do anything to make it right. Please do this with me"

"We had your chance, Jake," you replied, your voice stern. "And we blew it. I shut you out rather than figure it out with you. I fell in love with someone else.We both need time to think and figure out what's best for ourselves and our daughter. And right now, for me,  that means being away from you."

Jake's eyes filled with tears as he realized the gravity of the situation. "Please don't do this," he pleaded, his voice breaking. "I need you, (y/n)."

But you stood firm in your decision. "I'm sorry, Jake. But we can't keep putting ourselves and our daughter through this pain. We need time apart to figure things out."

Jake looked at you, sadness etched on his face. "But what if we can't make things work? What if we can't get back together?"

You took a deep breath, feeling the weight of his words. "Then we have to accept that and do what's best for our daughter. We both love her, and we'll always be there for her."

“I love you (y/n), I always will, no matter what.”

“I know Jake.”

_________________________________________________________________________

"We need to talk"

“Can I come over?”

His heart rate picked up as he replied, "Of course”

“I'll be there in 10 minutes."

Bradley quickly got up from bed, threw on a hoodie and pants, and sat on his couch as he waited for your arrival. The minutes felt like years as he tried to control the thoughts racing through his head. Was something wrong? Was everything okay with Jake and Astrid? He had to find out.

When he heard a knock on the door, he noticed that he forgot to turn the lights on, probably a result of his distracted thoughts. He opened the front door and waved for you to enter.

"Hey," you said, walking into the living room. "Thanks for letting me come over again, for the second time tonight. I know its late"

"Of course, what's going on?" Bradley asked, concern etched on his face.

You took a deep breath before speaking. "Jake and I are separating."

Bradley's heart dropped as he heard the news. He knew how much you loved Jake and how much you wanted to make things work with him, despite everything that had happened. But he also couldn’t forget your year together.

He knew he shouldn't feel happy that your marriage was falling apart, but a small part of him couldn't help feeling hopeful for what it might mean for him and you. But he quickly pushed those thoughts aside, knowing that this was not the time or place for them.

 "I'm so sorry, (y/n). Are you okay?"

You shook your head, tears streaming down your face. "No, I'm not okay. But I need to be strong for Astrid.”

Bradley wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a tight embrace. "You don't have to do this alone. I'm here for you, (y/n). Whatever you need."

You shrugged off his embrace, which you have never done before. This action took Bradley by surprise, and he couldn’t lie hurt a little bit. But he knew that there was a large weight you holding on your shoulders, one that you were mustering up the courage to tell him.

“I need to leave, I’m moving back to San Diego. I’m going to take Astrid with me.” 

“You’re leaving?” Bradley couldn’t believe it

“But..how about us?” 

Bradley knew it was selfish asking about his standing with you after you told him that you and your husband were separated. But the thought of losing you and Astrid left his body feeling like its been hit by a truck. 

“Roo.. I love you.”

Surprise painted Bradley’s face upon hearing your words, you finally told him those 3 little words that he’s been desperately waiting for. 

“But I can’t be with you. Jake cheated on me with another woman. But I am not innocent in this situation. I fell in love with you knowing that there was another man that I promised my life to. He hurt me, but I’ve hurt him just as much. And its not okay.”

“I am so in love with you but I need to get away from here. I don't know what I want right now, and I need to figure things out on my own.” 

As the words left your mouth, Bradley felt like the ground beneath him had given way. He had hoped that this would be the moment when you would finally see him as more than just a friend, and he got his wish.  But now, it felt like the walls were closing in on him.

He tried to keep his voice steady as he responded, "I understand, (y/n). Take all the time you need." His eyes were burning, and he struggled to keep his composure. He couldn't bear the thought of losing you now, after all this time.

You looked at him with a sad smile, and his heart broke a little more. "Thank you, Bradley. You're a good friend."

Friend. The word echoed in his mind like a taunt. He had been fooling himself all along, thinking that he had a chance with you. He couldn't help but wonder if he had missed his shot.

Before you could leave, you turned to him and said, 

"I hope that there will be a time for us but not right now."

“I promise,maybe one day when my head is less fucked up, and I can give my entire self to you and I can give you all the love you deserve. When I’m ready, I will come back for you. If you’ll have me..”

Those words left him feeling even more uncertain. He didn't know when you would be ready, or what you would say when you finally did reach out. All he knew was that his heart was breaking, and he didn't know how to fix it.

As he watched you walk out of his apartment, he couldn't help but feel like everything was slipping through his fingers. He didn't know if he would ever get another chance with you, and that thought left him feeling empty and alone.

Bradley closed the door and leaned against it, taking a deep breath. He knew that he needed to give you the space you were asking for, but it felt like the hardest thing he had ever done. All he could do now was wait, and hope that one day you would come back to him.

____________________________________________________________________________

After you returned home, you saw that Jake had some of his belongings packed in a bag. You made eye contact with him as he walked down the stairs, hating yourself for hurting not just him but Bradley as well. But you knew this is what you all needed. 

“Thank you for staying with her, while I went to talk to Bradley.”

Jake felt his throat get dry at the sound of his rival’s name, biting down the bitter remark that would leave his mouth, knowing that it would do nothing to help the situation. Choosing to plop himself down on the couch.

“I went to tell Pixie goodbye but she’s still asleep. Can you tell her for me?”

You gave him a small nod in response.

“I’m going to stay at a place on base, give you your space.” 

“Thanks Jake, I promise we’ll only be here for a few more days. Until I make arrangements for me and Astrid to get back to San Diego…. Penny said we could stay with her until we find our own place.” 

“Are you sure leaving is the best thing to do right now?”

“I think its the only thing that makes sense for me to do right now.” You replied, sternly. 

Silence hung in the air as Jake stared at you, processing your words. You could see the hurt and confusion etched on his face, and you wished that things could be different. You wished that you could turn back time and make different choices, but you knew that was impossible.

After a few moments, Jake nodded slowly. "I understand," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I don't like it, but I understand."

You let out a shaky breath, feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders. "Thank you," you said, your own voice barely above a whisper. "I just need some time to think things through."

Jake stood up from the couch, his eyes still fixed on you. "I'll give you all the time you need," he said. "But just know that I love you, and I'll always be here for you and our daughter."

You managed a small smile, grateful for Jake's words. "I know," you said. "And I love you too. But right now, I need to be on my own."

With that, Jake nodded and headed towards the door. Before he left, he turned back to look at you one last time. "Take care of yourself," he said softly.

You didn’t understand why but that exact moment you remembered the day of your wedding. 

The wedding took place on a the beach next to the Hard Deck, where you first met, with soft white sand and the sound of the waves crashing in the background. The sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow over the entire scene.

You wore a simple backless satin white gown with a slit and court train that flowed behind you as you walked down the aisle. Jake had never seen anymore radiant or breathtakingly beautiful.

Penny held your arm tight, as you both made your way down the white aisle in the sand. She was the closest thing you had to family since your mom died and it meant so much to you that she not only planned the whole event but also wanted to be the one to walk you down the aisle.

As you reached the altar, you looked up and locked eyes with Jake, a dashing naval aviator in his dress uniform. He wore his medals and insignia with pride, and the way he looked at you made yout heart skip a beat.

You and Jake agreed to not write vows, you knew how you felt about each other and you didn’t feel the need to have to express it with words. Which is why it surprised you when he pulled a piece of folded paper from his pocket and started reading. 

“My sweets,

I stand before you today, in my dress whites, feeling like the luckiest man in the world. As a naval aviator, I have flown through the skies and seen countless wonders, but nothing compares to the beauty of you. You are my everything, my anchor, my inspiration, my love.

From the moment I met you, I knew there was something special about you. Your spunky attitude, your unwavering ambition, and your stunning beauty captivated me from the start. I have never met anyone like you before, and I never want to let you go.

As we stand here today, I want to promise to always support you in your dreams, just as you have supported me in mine. I promise to stand by your side through thick and thin, in good times and in bad. I promise to cherish every moment we spend together, and to never take our love for granted.

I promise to be your rock, your confidant, and your partner for life. I vow to always make you feel loved, respected, and cherished. I will be there for you in every moment, whether it's sharing the highs of your accomplishments or the lows of your struggles.

Together, we will create a life full of adventure, joy, and love. I am so grateful to have you as my partner, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for us. I love you more than words can express, and I promise to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much you mean to me.

Yours forever,

Zuko

You felt tears swell in your eyes at his admission, you had never felt this much love from anyone, and here is this man promising you love and devotion forever. None of it felt real. 

“Jake… I-i I didn’t have anything prepared…” You whispered cheeks red in embarrassment. 

“You don’t need to Sweets, I wanted you and everyone here to know I felt about you.”

“You show me how you love me every single day and that’s all I could ever want.”

You nodded, tears pooling in your eyes. 

You exchanged rings, Jake took your hand and lifted it to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on your skin. Before he gently took your face in his hands placing a soft delicate kiss on your lips.

You smiled and blushed, feeling overwhelmed with love for your husband.

After the ceremony, both of you as husband and wife took a walk along the beach, hand in hand. Jake  swept you bride off your feet and carried her across a shallow part of the water, causing you to laugh and giggle like a child.

At the reception, You held each other tightly as you swayed to soft acoustic playing out of the speakers. You were surrounded by their family and friends, who toasted to your happiness and future together.

As the night drew to a close, Jake took your hand and led you away to a secluded spot on the beach. You sat down on a blanket and watched the stars twinkle in the sky, cuddling close to each other.

Jake whispered sweet nothings into you ear, telling you how much he loved you and how grateful he was to have you as his partner for life. You shared a tender kiss as the waves lapped at your feet, promising to love each other forever. 

That memory flashbacked in your mind, cracking your already broken heart even more that it already was. But you were set in your decision, you two were different people then. With different dreams, love untainted by time and circumstances. You don’t know if you could ever go back to the way you were.

You nodded, watching as he closed the door behind him. Alone in the quiet house, you let out a deep sigh and let the tears fall freely once again. You didn't know what the future held, but you knew that you needed to take things one day at a time. For now, all you could do was focus on yourself and your daughter, and try to heal from the pain and heartbreak that had consumed your life.

You are going to be okay. You and Astrid are going to be okay. 

______________________________________________________________

“Mom! Hurry up! I’m supposed to be at practice in 10 minutes!”

Your 8 year daughter was such a stickler for punctuality, you honestly sometimes questioned if she really was your daughter. You had the tendency to be fashionably late (if fashionably was 30 minutes), taking your time to make your way to events. 

“The field is 5 minutes away Atty, you’ll be fine.” 

“That’s what you said last week, but I ended up being 10 minutes late to warm-ups!” 

She pouted as you walked out into the foyer pulling your shoes onto your feet.

“Coach wouldn’t let me play the first half!” She continued. 

“Well don’t worry Sweetie, you make such a pretty benchwarmer.” You joked pinching her cheeks. 

You were greeted by your daughters scowl, she looked absolutely terrifying for a little (*ahem* big) girl dressed in a bright yellow soccer uniform, pastel pink cleats, and pigtails. 

Her punctuality and her terrifying glare, two things she’s inherited from her father. 

You dropped her off at a mostly empty soccer field, with only the two coaches and 2 other players occupying the area. 

“Where is everyone?” 

“Coach moved practice to 30 minutes later.” Your devious daughter smiled coyly. 

“Astrid Eleanor Seresin…did you just lie to your mother?” You raised an eyebrow at her. 

She quickly opened the car door and rushed out. 

“Omission is not a lie!” She yelled as she ran away. 

“Casey’s mom is dropping me off at home!” 

“Okay! I’m gonna see Auntie Penny!” 

“Tell her her I said Hi!”

You chuckled as you watched her retreating figure get further into the field. What kind of 8 year old knew the word “omission”? She no doubtly learned that from her father. Classic Jake. 

You put your car back in drive and made your way to the Hard Deck. 

“Hey Sweet Pea! Where’s my sweet little goddaughter?” Penny asked from behind the counter as you walked into the bar. 

It was still early afternoon so the bar was occupied by the bar staff getting ready for a night of servicing navy men. 

“Soccer practice.” You replied. 

“You said putting her in sports will tire her out but its somehow made her more energetic.” You groaned taking a seat at the bar. 

“She is her father’s daughter.” You heard a voice quip originating from the supply closet. 

“Hey Mav.” You smiled at the captain, 

“Hey (y/n), you and Atty still coming for the barbeque on Thursday?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world, Atty says no one can grill em like you.” you responded. 

“That’s why shes my favorite.” Mav smiled with a toothy grin as he returned to the storage closet. 

“Sweet Pea, do you mind manning the bar for a second? I’m sure no one will come in, but just in case. Last time I left Pete unsupervised he dropped a whole pallet of beer.” Penny sighed. 

“It’s been a little while, but sure Penny.” 

“Anything for you.”

“Thanks Sweet Pea”

It was strange to be behind the bar, you and Astrid had been back at Fightertown for the past four years. 

It was really hard to explain to her the situation, but she was a smart child. She knew there was more going on between you, Bradley, and Jake than you let her in on. She knew that space from her Uncle Roo Roo and her Daddy was absolutely necessary for her mother’s well-being, and she was more than willing to be amenable to change if it meant you were happier. 

You eventually found a little one story house near Penny (and now Mav’s house), it was small but it was cozy and it was more than enough space for the two of you. You found a job in a nearby law firm, where you rose up the ranks and got your own corner office. 

You finally got the time to relax and breathe, to really focus on yourself, your dreams, and your daughter. And finally after 4 years, you finally felt at peace. 

The pain and the trauma will always live within but you have gotten to a place where you are content with your life and your past because it led you full circle. In Miramar, right where you belonged. 

As you stared down on the bar and wiped down the glasses reminiscing on your life, you didn’t notice the figure that walked into the empty bar. 

He plopped himself down in a stool in front of you and cleared his throat. 

You looked up and made eye contact with the figure and smiled. 

“Hey”

“Hi”

It honestly felt like coming home

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@wishingwell-2 

@my-soulmate-is-mycroft 

@carolinecakes  

@angzls 

@saintnourah 

@ebonyhogan24 

@taytay3212 

@fangirl-316 

@babyspiderling 

@iangiemae 

@yogabigooby 

@gracie145 

@choslover 

@maudeeloise

@cursedandromedablack 

@marland56 

@ynbutbetter 

@turningtoclown 

@dilfsandtherapy 

@strawberryblogg 

@unluckymonaghan 

@queeniesdiary 

@emilyniamh3679-blog 

@shaded-recs​ 

@romxnticist 

[swaqcenix]

࿐ྂ The Great war | N. Romanoff P1 ࿐ྂ

Bruised like violets | chapter 1

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Pairings: Natasha x Reader, age gap! younger reader, enemies to lovers? slightly dark Natasha if you look close

Bruised like violets | chapter 1

Chapter Summary: As you drink thoughts away from previous missions, your mind goes places through flashbacks. You need something else in life as a distraction, yet that something seems close..

Warnings: alcohol usage, flashbacks of violence, flashback of painful memories & relationships, mentions of panic attacks

Word count: 2.3K

Minors DNI

Tag List: @natsxwife @imnotslouching @lonewalker17 @marvelwomen-simp

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The whiskey sat half drank on the table as your mind drifted through many thoughts. It turned down the volume on the thoughts, however the memories never stopped dancing. You let yourself dwell in them rather than thinking.

Yet the oncoming storm of the passing feelings never ended, they simply didn't want to. It was frustrating. It's not like you wanted to be sat here at 1:30am drinking god knows how many number of whiskeys. You stopped counting after your third glass.

The mission was intense, it was only supposed to be an in and out kind of thing. Nothing too serious and nothing too crazy or dramatic. That's what Fury had told you. It was one of your few newer missions.

They said they wouldn't put you on the extreme missions, well their definition of extreme missions anyway. S.H.I.E.L.D expressed how you needed to be introduced into it gently.

If that was their fucking definition of gently, their definition of in and out then what the fuck?

The only way you could drown out the gun shots, the shouting and the stabbing pain of glass was through whiskey. It made you feel weak feeling this way, but you weren't necessarily unfamiliar to it.

— Earlier that day —

"It's just a simple mission, nothing too excessive or dramatic okay?" Furys voice rang through your ears.

He cared about you in a way you weren't used to, not exactly accustomed to. It's not that you weren't grateful, by gods you were you just weren't sure how to show gratitude, how to.. express it.

You found yourself nodding understandably, without wanting to. You did understand though. It's just your gut, your mindset it was nibbling at you from the inside. Like they both knew something would crash, something would go wrong.

As she always said, nothing ever last's forever. Not really and that's how you learnt. As you'd glared down at the object she was right. Nothing nice ever does last forever.

"I understand, but are you sure it's safe?" You questioned knowing your answer deep down.

"Y/N, you're a smart girl. You aren't stupid nor are you gullible. If I told you any mission was safe, it would be a lie," he said confirming what you didn't wish to hear.

Why you had bile rising up slowly in your stomach and up your throat you weren't entirely sure. It's not like you didn't know what you were signing up for, hell you were ready for it. She made you into who you were. She built you into everything you didn't want..

A person ashamed of mirrors, ashamed of glass and of what you'd see hiding in the reflection. A broken and twisted person staring back, still waiting for her. It was always going to lead back to the woman who killed you in every which way possible aside from physically.

Still none of it mattered now. After that entire part of your life had crumbled down you had no choice but to pull yourself up. That's how you found yourself standing here. With S.H.I.E.L.D as their new agent.

"I can't promise you your entire safety, I never can. What I can tell you, is that we do care for it. And when you do these missions you save other's lives," he stated looking directly at you.

His eyebrow raised at you in a knowing manner. He knew, of course he fucking knew. Well, not all of it. Nobody could know all of what happened. Nor did he know who, not really.

When he recruited you though, he knew your darkest secrets buried in a tomb so deep within you, no light could come to them. Without knowing it, you found your head nodding in confirmation, almost like your body wanted you to do this.

You had to do this, if not just for you but for other's to. For one's you'd lost. For the one you'd lost. That's how you found yourself on a jet, flying towards the mission.

They only needed intel, but you'd been assigned with three other agents, two of them having being there a while the other only a mere few months. Yet, none of it mattered on the job. The only thing that could ever matter was the mission, aside from your lives of course.

Yet that's when things backfired. You were supposed to infiltrate it from the inside, but it seems someone got wind that the S.H.I.E.L.D agents were going to be there.

The next thing you knew was Agent Adams shouting down the coms you'd been caught. That you all needed to get out. It didn't stop the chill from going down your body, nor did it stop the racing thoughts of not listening or following directions. It became this instant thirst to prove yourself. It was like some weird act that you had to prove to the woman who caused your life to crash down on you that you could do it. You would do it.

Your lungs felt like they were breathing in fire as you ran down corridors, fighting the enemies, doing your best to knock them out. You were close you could feel it. The scratches on your face indicating strength and determination. It was only when Fury screamed down the coms there was a bomb, you turned just as the sound blasted through the building.

— Present time —

You swirled the whiskey around as the small memories flashed through you. Nick of course wasn't impressed you'd not listened. It was your mind driving you in all honesty. You needed that feeling to power through. That you'd accomplished something, you'd done yourself justice.

A laugh slipped past your lips as you muttered aloud to the room how stupid you'd been. Always acting and never thinking. That's what happened every time, it had almost become an addiction to act and not think.

You snatched your phone out of thoughts deciding you couldn't stay here much longer. Your mind was getting away with itself and you felt the familiar feeling of a panic attack slowly creeping up into your body, filling your veins.

Looking down at your phone, you scrolled down through your contacts until you found the one you were looking for. With a quick swipe, you pressed the dial button and waited half impatiently for the receiver to answer.

One beep... Two beeps. Three. It felt like they weren't going to answer which was typical. You couldn't be too surprised though as-

"Hello?"

The sound of the voice almost made you jump due to the abruptness of it.

"Hey, Fury is me," you began.

"I gathered that from the call Agent Y/L/N. What can I do for you?"

Always straight to the point. You did have to admire that about him, he certainly didn't like to beat anything around the bush.

"I need um, another mission," you tried to be blunt, confident even but the wavering in your voice betrayed you.

"Are you.. after today? After recent events, I'm not sure that's a good idea Agent Y/L/N." He was apprehensive but it came from a place of care.

He cared for you in a weird way, one you couldn't fathom to understand but chose not to. He cared for most his agents, but for you it was different, he was tougher yes, but protecting somehow. It was unnerving but calming all at once. Still, you knew despite his caring you had to stand your ground, your mind was dancing with pain and anger, drowning in it.

"Fury. Please, I wouldn't ask if I didn't know I needed this, but I do," your voice was half pleading, desperate in a pathetic way really.

It was silent, deathly silent for a moment. Chills ran up your spine as you waited for his response in the mere seconds that felt like hours. Shaking with anticipation, your poured another whiskey needing the burning sensation tricking down your throat just to breathe.

"Very well, meet me in an hour, you know where," he simply stated and with that ended the call.

You were glad of the lack of small talk between the two of you, it saved time saved energy. Energy nether you nor Fury had any effort nor need to be spending. Chugging the neatly poured whiskey down, you slammed the glass down harder than intended causing you to flinch slightly. Flinging yourself up, you got your gear ready and had a fresh clean shower to wash away the thoughts and pain as well as alcohol.

The water trickled down your body, the steam heating your cold and clammy skin up causing fresh prickling goosebumps to cover your skin. As you washed today away, your mind decided to have thoughts of its own, it always had to go back to her. Your breathe fell short as you stumbled back into the shower wall feeling what you deemed to be another panic attack succumb over you.

— 1 Year ago —

The house fell cold and silent as you slowly entered. Your girlfriend was nowhere to be seen, not a trace in sight or at least not that you could see.

Your primal and training instincts jumped in as you reached for the gun that usually stayed strapped to the back of your jeans, never leaving your side. However your fingers grazed a simple pouch of where the gun used to lay.

Breath now hitching, your throat constructed from fear as you were not an idiot. Nothing of the sort, a mere simple girl now stood in your household in your four walls shaking, even though you were the girlfriend of an agent. You felt practically helpless without a gun at your side, which was barbaric given the fact you were also trained in combat. Not because you were an agent. No, she simply didn't want you to be weak, so you didn't. You were trained in work life, office work.

Opening the door silently your body came to a halt as you looked at the living room. It was torn to shreds, vases crashed to the side, pictures of yourself and your lover smashed laying on the floor. Fear overtook you and anger not long after.

They could have taken her, must have. Yet, it didn't make much sense. She was an Agent of shield and so much more given her past of what little you'd slowly come to learn. She was her own knife, her own weapon. There's no way they managed to destroy her too, it seemed simply impossible, unfathomable.

You walked over to a certain picture frame, smiling watery down at it. It was a photo of you and her, looking content and at one. She looked at you like you were the only thing she could see, the only thing she could feel. You looked at her like she'd personally hung each and every star in the galaxy itself. Like she had planted each flower, danced with each aroma and each sound of music.

You'd dragged her to a funfair and decided to snap a shot on a ferris wheel like you were cliché idiotic girlfriends and anything but. In reality she'd been allowed off duty and intended to make the most of it. You brushed your thumb over her cheek on the photo frame, being careful to miss the glass that lay heavy on it.

A clicking sound from behind you, caused you to swivel on your heels in fear and your fight or flight mode kicked in. Your hand grasping for a light switch, preparing all training and all skills you'd been taught in these situations by her. The voice that echoed through the room caused you to fall short, your hand freezing over the switch as your throat felt like it was going to break on you entirely.

"Y/N."

Your hand was shaking heavily, hard as you pulled every bit of courage you had together, squeezing your eyes shut tightly as you prayed it wasn't what you suspected. Flicking the light switch on you counted 3 seconds before opening them.. 3.. 2..1..

The sight you were met with made everything crash down and the very world you danced in the muse you lived with, the songs you sang to come into one deathly cold screech.

There she stood holding a gun pointed directly at you, not a warmth placed within her eyes. No love, no stars, no muse. Your girlfriend, Natasha Romanoff stood utterly composed holding it directly at you with not a single care left and you broke. Utterly entirely fell and that's when you knew. You had to become everything she was and so much more. You had to be an agent in order to survive her betrayal.

— Present time —

The panic attack had almost drowned you in the shower as the water poured down over you, your breathes raspy and ragged. You shook and slapped yourself together angry that you'd allowed her to once again take ahold of you.

You'd thought you'd got the attacks under control now, but they never really did go away. The sleep came less and less until you did well to avoid it all together, especially when on a mission. You couldn't afford others to see your downfall, Natasha Romanoff who was now an "infamous Avenger" be the destruction of you.

You were the only one to know her for who she really was, what she really was. A traitor, a betrayer. An enemy and heartbreaker. She'd only fooled the world into thinking otherwise letting you live in your own world knowing the distant truth.

You switched off the water, strutting out of the shower and looked at your phone, huffing when you saw the little amount of time left. Your eyes only widening when you saw news of trouble with the avengers.

Part of you worried, the other half didn't care. She was the one who wormed into your heart and stood without any love nor emotion with your life in her hands. She was your now ex girlfriend who moulded you into the monster. You knew that much as you headed to Fury's destination.

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[hey-august]

I'll Be Your Whatever - Chapter 2

Story Description: Life is full of all sorts of characters - some who come and go, and others that stay. After propelling yourself into a lie you can't (won't) take back, a certain pirate captain may have a reason to come by more often. (Chapter 1) Word count: ~1.9k Warnings: SFW, some profanity. Buggy x afab!reader. No use of Y/N. A/N: Fake dating is one of my favorite romance tropes, but I have a few other classic tropes in mind for future chapters... Tag list: @rorywritesjunk @ane5e

The title comes from "your whatever" by lovelytheband.

˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗ ✩ ˗ˏˋ ★ ˎˊ˗

Days later and you were still wallowing in the hole you dug, which had been reinforced with pity. Self-care turned into avoidance as you stayed home and indulged in unnecessary excuses.

You did leave one morning to purchase a few groceries from the corner shop, but the background chatter and voices took the forefront of your attention. A weight sat on your chest as you worried that you would have to talk about a relationship you knew nothing about. After the outing, you decided to remain inside and come up with an excavation plan. 

You passed the time by painting and completing commissions, while hoping your creative muses would help concoct a narrative that would finish off this chapter you were suffering through. Unfortunately, their jurisdiction didn’t extend that far and you were on your own.

The only story you could draft involved a recent break-up. You didn’t recall seeing the pirate clown around town often. It seemed unlikely he would show up again, so ending the relationship could explain his absence. While you wouldn’t have to continue living a fictional life, you were certain that Reeves and Bolsti would try to use this short tale to their advantage and come up with more awful one-liners that would fizzle instead of flatter.

These thoughts looped in your mind, trudging along a worn path that always ended in the same place. The monotonous thinking occupied more than half of your mind, while the remainder was used for the few activities it could manage - cooking, eating, sleeping, and painting. 

One afternoon, a series of knocks at the front door abruptly paused the repeating thoughts. You hesitated on the other side of the door. Without a peephole or nearby windows at eye level to peek through, you settled for pressing your ear against the wood to listen for clues about who was on the other side. Or at least figure out who it wasn’t.

You couldn't hear anything. No voices, no chatter, no banter. Whoever was outside rapped on the door again, managing to bang their fist on the exact opposite side of your head. The loud reverberations bounced in your skull aggressively.

Annoyed with the unintentional gift from the unsolicited visitor, you swung the door open and prepared to berate them from pulling you away from important work (leaving out that the “important work” was hiding from your problems). The angry spark died at the sight of the seafarer in front of you. You barely had a moment to register the double layer of fake smiles on his face before slamming the door shut.

“What the fuck,” you said to yourself in a hollow voice. You had been afraid that your problems would come find you, but you didn’t believe that they actually would.

“I think that’s my line,” Buggy snarked as he re-opened the door. He still wore two smiles - one that was tightlipped and forced underneath his usual painted one.

“N-no, no you shouldn’t be here. You have to go.” The words stumbled out of your mouth, as clumsy and confused as the rest of you. 

You still had a hand on the door, and while any attempts to close it were not obeyed by your body, it wouldn’t have made a difference. Not only was the pirate larger than you, he had already stepped inside.

“Don’t be like that, sweetheart. I even brought you flowers.”

You ignored the condescending pet name and focused on the bouquet daisies he held. They looked so out of place that you knew this was real. There was a pirate captain standing in your entryway. An entryway that felt cramped now that it was filled with his large presence. The man standing in your home had a big hat with blue tassels, ocean-colored eyes, a red nose, face paint, stubble, a long jacket, gloves, and a bundle of white daisies. Even the muses couldn’t come up with a sight like this.

“Why? What are you doing here? How did you even get here?” Although you accepted the fact that Buggy was truly in front of you, there were still too many mysteries to ignore.

Buggy rolled his eyes and pushed the flowers towards you again, their silly little heads bobbing as he motioned for you to take them. You accepted the offering, unable to ignore how nice the bouquet was. The daisies were full of life, wrapped in a bit of paper, and tied with a red ribbon.

“This is nice…did you actually buy it?”

“Sure.” Buggy’s cocky grin wasn’t enough protection against the sharp stare you threw his way. “Fine, yeah. I thought it looked nice.”

You nodded silently for a moment, looking past his scowl. A little petal stuck on his fluffy lapel caught your attention. You reached out, only for Buggy to pull away.

“It’s just a petal,” you commented, before plucking it off his coat and letting it flutter to the ground where it landed on the green carpet. “I’m surprised, you managed to get my favorite flower.”

Maybe it was because you hadn’t been outside in the fresh air for a while, but you couldn’t stop admiring the happy flowers. You turned around to grab a vase from the kitchen and Buggy followed you down the hallway. His bootsteps deepened when he stepped off the carpet and onto the wood floor.

“That probably explains why those shop people told me where you live,” he commented as his eyes drifted around.

You stopped short and the pirate plowed into you. He grabbed your shoulders, trying to keep you both from toppling over. A forceful shrug relieved his grip and you spun around. There were too many feelings and thoughts bubbling inside and your face couldn’t decide which one it wanted to emote. Shock or betrayal? Surprise? Maybe fear? Resignation? And anger, but how much?

Buggy bit his tongue. Your rolodex of emotions was the best thing he had seen all day, but laughing in your face was not part of his plan.

“They did give me a hard time. Actually, I waited outside of that damn store for hours. I thought you would show up at some point, but you didn’t. I must have looked like I got stood up.” Buggy paused and took a breath. He was trying to comfort you, not berate you. “Eventually I demanded they tell me where I could find you. Obviously they were convinced with one look at your handsome ‘boyfriend,’ or whatever, holding your favorite flowers.”

His monologue ended with a flourish of his hands, waggling eyebrows, and a laugh bursting from your mouth. There was only one store he knew you'd probably visit, so he must have been talking about Mr. Inslo or his husband. Neither of them would have given in so easily, especially if a loud, boisterous pirate stomped around the shop demanding information, like a greedy kid in a toy store. Imagining that scene unfolding in front of an innocent bystander brought tears to your eyes. Your recent isolation magnified the humor and you indulged in the levity. Satisfied with that explanation for the time being, you wiped away the joyful tears and finally made your way to the kitchen. 

Buggy leaned against the doorway, which creaked under the weight. He watched you make quick work of rehoming your flowers while periodically stifling a giggle as you replayed his story.

At first he was irked at how hard you laughed at his very true story, but the glimmer in your watery eyes and speckled flush on your cheeks smothered the small fire in Buggy's chest. Laughter is like music to a clown’s ears, after all. At one point, you locked eyes with him and it brought out another fit of wheezing laughter - one he couldn’t resist joining with a chuckle. Your infectious giddiness was becoming it’s own amusing performance.

You finally calmed down as you tied the red ribbon around the glass vase with a delicate touch. A ribbon that Buggy chose himself. The florist forced him to pick, so it wasn’t anything special, but seeing how you treated it with care made Buggy feel strange. Uncomfortable. He needed a distraction.

“The shop owner told me to drop this off,” he blurted while pulling out a very small brown package from a coat pocket.

You took the item and unwrapped it to reveal a single watercolor pan. It was a special order that you meant to pick up a few days ago, but you forgot when your self-imposed shitty solitary confinement began. Normally, new art supplies would fill your heart with glitter, but this felt like you spilt ink in your chest.

You swiped a few drops of water from the vase and rubbed your finger on the paint. It didn’t take long for the block to soak up the moisture and release some pigment. You dragged your finger along the paper the daisies came wrapped in. The color was impressive and lush, the hues swirled and shifted in the water. Buggy looked up - your eyes contained the same shimming colors but there also was excess water threatening escape.

“Wrong one?”

“No…I just meant to pick it up a few days ago.”

Buggy knew your statement was true - the shop owner told him the same thing - but you were telling a half-lie. The pirate clown was also skilled in using select phrases to hide feelings. Something else put a morose look on your face. Something related, and Buggy could guess what it was.

“Right, since you’ve been staying inside like a creepy recluse and avoiding everyone because you created a biiig fucking problem and don’t know how to get yourself out of this shit-tastic situation?” The eyes that held joyful tears not long ago now looked at Buggy with despair. 

You nodded. It was harsh, but that seems to be how he talks. And, honestly, you needed to hear it put bluntly like that. You were soft with yourself - making excuses, sugar coating your concerns, running away when you could.

“Let me help. We can make a deal and this whole problem will go away, I promise.” Buggy finally exposed the reason he came by. He hoped he didn’t screw up the plan before this point. Each beat of his heart echoed in his skull and he was beginning to worry that you could hear it too.

Instead, all you could hear was a small voice inside you which was relieved to hear what Buggy had to say. It knew that was the only reason he’d be on your doorstep and felt vindicated hearing the truth. The voice was also irrational, because it was telling you to accept his offer. If the irrational little voice was right the first time, then it’ll be right again. Clearly, the pirate wanted the treasure map you mentioned last time. He was desperate enough to buy flowers, but not to knock you out and ransack your home, or worse. 

And even though you knew Buggy was offering an empty promise, it gave you a glimmer of hope. If he was willing to go through all the things he did to find you - to find the map - then maybe he meant some part of it.

“Okay…yes. But there need to be rules.”

The twinkle in Buggy’s eyes flickered and his smile bordered on the edge of a grimace, but he held it in place.

“Of course,” he muttered before turning up the charm and continuing, “Of course! A contract, right? I’m sure we could work something out.” He held out a gloved hand, eager to seal the deal.

The shake of your head finally jostled Buggy’s tense grin down into an irritated glare and his body drooped with disappointment. You bit the inside of your lip, trying not to smile at how quickly the intimidating pirate captain turned into a petulant child. It seemed like he wasn’t used to getting his way, which only confirmed you were right to wait.

“Contract first, then we shake.”