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#i think i might need the fire department to put down the flames inside of me that he sets
hyunpic · 3 days
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HYUNJIN for CARTIER & ESQUIRE KOREA
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silver-samurai · 6 months
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5 songs, 3 outifts! ( •̀ω•́ )✧
Rules: post 5 songs associated with your OC, followed by 3 outfits they would wear.
Tagged by @mail-me-a-snail <3 your songs and oufits for Vance are awesome. I always have very specific songs in mind when I think of Eito (I'm surprised I still didn't do a playlist), so here we go. No particular order.
5 songs! 🎶
Asking Alexandria - The Black
While I associate this with the relationship between Eito and Johnny in the beginning, it can also be an internal monologue...
You make me feel like I'm fucking drowning (I need to cut you out, I need to cut you out) You made my world come crashing down around me (I need to cut you out)
Blue Stahli - Kill Me Every Time
Obviously, clearly, especially when they f*ck. But also not.
I feel your last conviction - And I'm underneath You kissed me with a bullet - Between your teeth
You like the way that I struggle - You're my favorite sin I'm playing the willing victim - And when I give in
You kill me every time (You kill me every time)
Pendulum - Propane Nightmare
Representing the determination of Eito in freeing both himself and Johnny from the Relic problem, alive of course.
In a trail of fire I know we will be free again In the end we will be one In a trail of fire I'll burn before you bury me Set your sights for the sun
Static-X - December
Not gonna lie, this reminds me a LOT of Mikoshi and the suspention of time in there; in my HC ending, Eito has to "wait" for a while in a Relic chip to be saved, reflecting what happened to Johnny in the last 50 years.
Sun shines through haze I put my thoughts Toward future days It's no surprise I close my eyes And close the door
Soul Extract - Roentgen
This is more related to Phantom Liberty and how Eito goes through Songbird's situation, how he might feel about it; they both run against time to save themselves, and they both trust a code that should never be trusted.
You're alive And I'll find you here waiting inside Holding onto the flame, the fire An ancient device You're alive Stepping closer to the one that cannot hide Reflecting the broken words that fade to night Departing the sickness known as time
And now... 3 Outifts! 🧥
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Since he already tends to a rock/punk style and likes his japanese roots, the first one would be a very casual but comfortable one, for everyday situations (possibly ones not requiring killing lol); Second one is more similar to his current style, but lighter and probably better for a night out; Third one feel like a mix for mixed weather, would definitively wear. I wonder if Veetaniy isn't involved here.
Without pressure feel free to ignore throw me a Chancla™ etc., I tag @koda-shoulda-woulda-but-didnt, @aceghosts and @totentnz But if you're reading this and want to do this, feel booped tagged as well.
Have a lovely day my dears <3
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nevenabadr · 3 years
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50 Shades of You! Tom Hiddleston X Female! Reader
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Note: This is my first ever fanfiction for Tom Hiddleston. I have not written fiction for ages. English is not my first language.
Inspiration: this is inspired by:
“I will live in thy heart, die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes.”
–Shakespeare, Much Ado About Nothing
Word count: 2660
Warnings: Romance, sweet words, and smut–this is +21 and not for everyone.
Enjoy reading and please comment with your feedback. 💚
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During the summer Cambridge University was having a conference "Gothic Elements In John Milton's Paradise Lost." As you the young professor of literature, the coordinate manager suggested that the University alumnus could join for not just attending, but acting a piece of the tragedy. Amongst the candidates was the Classic department graduate and famous actor, Tom Hiddleston. 
You know that he might have scheduled issues or time conflicts, but you suggested the committee email him. To your surprise, he accepted the offer. 
 
The scene of choice was casting the devil out of hell.
On the stage during the conference eve, you did not have the perfect time to watch him, but you took a glimpse of acting from far.
He even caught your show and face attending the rehearsals.
The conference day was pressuring. You were trying to get everything right, in the middle of your so-close meltdown. A voice brought you to reality, "Hello, is this professor Y/N)?"
You turned to find the British handsome alumni smiling peacefully at you. "Yes, how can I help you?"
"Indeed, I am the one offering help." As he adjusted his glasses, I asked the committee manager to take upon some errant backstage. Maybe I can assist with the front ceremony?"
"Of course," you paused for a moment, "can you help me with the dinner's seats arrangement? My assistant is absent and I have to print and arrange them myself."
"Just show me a computer and all will be done."
Both of you took your time arranging an evening missing up some seats. 
 
"Here comes my name. You will be seated with the professors, of course!" He was busy putting name tags over the table.
"Oh! Don't remind me." You replied as if it is a conversation with an old friend and continued "the Classic department and Literature."
"They might start a war." Both of you started laughing 
"I have an idea." He took a tag from his table and moved yours next to his. "Now you will be with a friend"
The presentations finished, you had to go for the gym showers to change and wear your conference and dinner dress.
By the time you arrived, the scene from the tardy was about to be played. You took your place in the front seat.
Tom was playing Satan. He noticed that you were reciting the lines with him. He even almost smiles at you. Could not hold himself from looking at you in the front row while playing the scene of...
 
"All is not lost; the unconquerable Will, And study of revenge, immortal hate, And courage never to submit or yield; (And what is else not to be overcome?) That glory never shall his wrath or might Extort from me to bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee and deify his power, Who from the terror of his arm so late Doubted his empire[.] (I, 106–114)"
 
Your facial expressions captured his eyes, the movement of your lips and then the flame of your applause. 
At the dinner, he was interested to hear all about your work and writings. His eyes could not able to leave you.
 
By the end of the dinner, he walked you to your car, "this was lovely, thank you for tonight" 
You smiled at him, "thank you for accepting our invitation."
You shake hands and opened your car door like the gentleman he is.
"Would you like to go out with me, for a coffee? Books and coffee, maybe." He did not hesitate to ask.
"I would love to. You already have my number within the conference contact information." You raised an eyebrow and smirked.
As your car drove away, he knew he was up for an adventure.
Three months later, you are happily dating and sharing sweet kisses. He suggested a film marathon. Each week one of you chose a topic.
That Saturday's topic was Russian Literature and you had to add: "or inspired by it" 
"Excuse me, but Tolstoy has no comparison!" He grimaced
"Shadow and Bones, love!" You teased him, "it the Netflix adaption of the era" 
"After Anna Karenina, please," he sounded like an old professor.
"Alright then, deal." You tickled him and kissed his lips softly
Both of you enjoyed Anna Karenina, however, you were crying in his arms.
"That dreadful ending." 
He hugged you "Hey, Shadow and Bones will make it up to you, let me make extra popcorn." Once again, he kissed you.
He came back with popcorn that will at least survive three episodes. You snuggled between his arms.
"Look at Alexie, how he said 'Make me your villain.'" 
You were swooning as a fangirl.
"I beg your pardon, I am literally a villain," he complained
Oh! I would literally," stressing upon the last word, "let him have me"
His face was irritated and you not coming close to making love made him anxious, that you might not be ready. He never inquired about you.   
You caressed his tummy, "hey, a penny for your thoughts, sir." It sounded like one of the Jack the Ripper prostitutes, about which you have constantly been talking.
His voice evolved deeper and his eyes did not leave yours "your deepest sexual desire. What do you crave?"
Comparing to your age, you were nervous and inexperienced. "My life was spent between books. I..."
He did not let you continue speaking and took your lips between his drawing your body closer to him, uttering between his hot kisses "I am not just a villain" his lips made the earth move "I am a God" whispering against the sport skin of your nick " a king" his hands were moving down the same tomes his lips reached the line of your bosom whilst his hand slides prevailed touching down pussy and dug his fingers driving you till the edge.
"I want you," you whispered between your soft moans.
He neglected your cravings and maintained his rhythm, watching your complexion and closed eyes till you arched your back in awe.
You collapsed between his arms heavily breathing "that was extremely wonderful, but I need you"
He kissed your lips playfully. "you are a delicious girl, Y/N, but..."
You hashed him with a kiss that he pulled from "if your life was between books, I want you to write me your deepest desire."
"Darling, it was a series, Alexie is fictional." You wrapped your arms around his neck.
"Fictional or not, he is a man, you are paying for this." 
He was deadly serious "write me your longing."
You laugh "What? Like the 50 Shades of Y/N?"
He gazed into your eyes "aiming to please and punish you, darling, avenging my honour"
The next morning when you were with your family on Sunday's lunch, he opened an email titled "50 Shades of Y/A"
 
The content was as follows:
"You!"
 
He grinned to himself and determined to show her how fiction can become real.
Your week was busy. He had signed a new contract for a mini-series and was supposed to film soon.
Not replying to your email made you nervous, even went meeting for dinner. He was quiet about it. 
You checked your sent box millions of times to make sure it arrived. Still, you knew he was busy working, and you were busy with the finals coming soon.
Thursday’s dinner, nothing yet, nothing but gaggling and discussing your days and current reads. 
"Darling, we did not decide this week's marathon" 
He did not take his eyes off the menu "Are not you having a big family week, you should go" he was confident and calm. 
Deep inside you wanted to grab his neck and jiggle him, but for the lady you are and the restaurant, you were calm.
"Wonderful!"
The dinner was over; he drove you home, kissed you goodnight.
Saturday morning, a ringing at your door. Apparently, you received a package, a big one.
You kept thinking that some books might have come early from your publisher. Unwrapping it to a surprise satin 1950 coat with Ruby red entourage and black heels.
There was also a note, she recognised the handwriting:
 
"Wear nothing but this for your punishment. If other pieces were found upon your body, then fear my fury and vengeance.
Love, 
T"
 
So, it was her version of Mr Grey. But have you ever been ready to comply with anyone?"
Suddenly, a message arrived on your phone 
"Reminder, a black will pick you tonight at 8, don't disobey me, Princess."
Your heel clicked on the floor as a man dressed in an old fashion suit opened the car for you. The windows were blacked out, so you did not see where it was heading.
"Welcome, Princess," he greeted you as if you were royalty, "My master is awaiting your presence."
You took his hands. The place was carved out of one of your favourite dark fantasies, a mansion with gargoyles, dark lighting, and a vast garden.
You could not believe your eyes. Tom knew your deepest desires indeed.
But that is not the end.
The inside was as of a dark enchantment with deep red flowers and candles. The servant showed you the way to a dining room fit for a feast. Tom was not there. 
"My master requires you to await his arrival." The servant bowed and left.
You were like a child been left inside her favourite toyshop. The ornaments, the lighting, and even the shapes of the food. That aesthetic you only could dream of but never reach.
"Enjoying yourself already?" You turned to find your man dressed in a black Victorian suit. His face was shaved, shorter hair, no glasses. Just all of the handsome glory.
You took a step forward "no princess, I shall come for you"
He kissed your hand and then sat on the table's head, while it sat on the opposite side and faced you away indeed.
"Are you pleased, princess?" He raised his glass of red wine.
"Yes, my Prince." You smile.
"In here, you shall address me as your king." His eyes lit with fire, and his voice was harsh.
You played along and raised an eyebrow "my king."
"This is not a game, princess, you are my prisoner"
You dined quietly, as he did not drop his eyes from you.
"Enjoying yourself?"
You flirted "deeply, my king"
He left his chair and came closer to you, his fingers left your chain so you can gaze into your eyes.
He asked, "care for a dance?"
You smiled "I would love to."
You stepped forward and took his hand to a ballroom, just for you and him, the dark king.
The following piece of music was sensual and moving.
"The coat, princess, I want to see nothing but heels on your body,"
You obeyed the king, but for a tick. When you took it off, underneath it a short emerald green strapless corset dress tight upon the curves of your body and pushed your bosoms to their glory.
He grinned and his eyes darken "looking for further punishment, I suppose?" 
"Anything to please the king." You took his hand and kissed it. He did not expect it.
He turned furiously and the next song was romantic. He wrapped his arms around you once again, waltz, you sneaky woman, deserved joy before being punished.
Twirling you on the dance floor like the earth has no one but the two of you.
By the end, he carried you "to my chambers, little one"
You were nervous and anxious. What if he did not like what was underneath the dress?
He entered a candlelight room with a four-poster bed in the centre. The curtains of the bed were black and emerald. 
He laid you in bed, kissing your lips and playing with your hair. 
His breathing was heating against your skin.
"You won't miss that dress, will you, princess?"
He did not wait for your reply as he lifted a dagger amongst the layers of his suit and cut the corset down to the last piece of the dress.
You wore nothing else. You were lying exposed as he stood to look upon your naked curves for the first time. 
You spontaneously tried to cover your bosom and private parts.
"No, do not you dare" he was angry and you could not distinguish reality from fantasy.
You throw the rest of the dress away. Hands laying by your head and he stood there for a juncture, gazing at every inch of your body.
"Turn," he ordered angrily as if the soul of Loki took over him, "I said, turn" 
You nearly dropped tears "here my king" 
You felt the softness of his lips upon your delicate shoulders.
Kissing the line of your spine. He knows this will work like magic. You tickle from your back, now trying to lick you, taste you, slap you.
He flipped you to face him. You were sobbing. He could hear it under your moans.
"You are not a princess, you are not a queen."
He wipes her tears from her cheek "you are a goddess and I am your slave."
You giggled between your tears, wrapping your arms around his neck "my king"
"Your, slave" As his voice became softer, he hushed you with a finger.
He kissed every inch of your body. You were playing with his short blonde locks.
"Let me worship your bosom, my goddess" he kissed, licked and played with your nipples and cupped your bosoms gently.
Kissing down till he reached your pussy, "Let me worship your temple" as he licked your clitoris.
You were moaning loader now
“Not this time, my king I want you inside me."
"Alright, as the pleasure of my goddess, I shall obey." 
He adjusted his weight on you and asked, "wider for me, my goddess of beauty" 
You opened for him as he enters you for the first time. You let out a loud breath "are you alright" he took your hands between his.
"Continue, my king."
He is just thrusting himself gently inside you. Your moans filling the room 
"I am a villain, a king, a god, and a man"
Your hands were free to run along his back as he continued, "a man, no, a slave for my goddess"
You were moving with him and moaning louder, "my king, what else?"
 Thursinting himself harder and moving with a faster pace.
"My goddess, the sculptures of beauty," between his breathing and moaning "Da Vinci would not be able to capture your grace"
You were kissing as your nail dug inside his shoulders.
His last whispers as moving himself inside your pussy which was clutching around his manhood. He moved with pace, as you rocked your lap against him
"I will live in thy heart," kissing your lips as you bite his lower lip between your steamy breath. "Die in thy lap, and be buried in thy eyes.”
He was going faster now and you were in tremendous awe and your skin was heating up with your pleasure.
"Look at me goddess" you were closing your eyes as you become close to you your orgasm "look at me," he ordered 
"I love thee, Tom," you said as your pussy was clutching around his manhood and trembling underneath him. His enormous climax followed your orgasm. 
You were shaking. He used his hands to keep himself from crushing you with his weight.
He rested his forehead on yours till both of you caught your breath. Gently took you between his arms as resting on his side "and I love thee, Y/N"
kissed you and as you were falling asleep, yet muttered, "I made you my villain, did not I?"
He giggles, "I beg your pardon, your God, King, and lover"
You kissed for the last time of that night and snuggle between peacefully each other's arms.
----------------------------------------------------
Tag list:
@shafverani
@imsebastiansta-n
@brokenwitty
@221bshrlocked (awaiting your feedback)
@sinner-as-saint
@zemosimp05
@buckys-fairy
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plainbrunettelbl · 4 years
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ABO (A) Firefighter Katsuki Bakugo x (O) Reader New Beginnings and Cold Glasses of Water
Word count: 2335
Warning: Mentions of fire. 
Title: ABO (A) Firefighter Katsuki Bakugo x (O) Reader New Beginnings and Cold Glasses of Water
Summary: You move to a new town and things start off a little rough. 
(Gif isn’t mine. Credit to owner)
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💥-It all happened so fast. 
💥-You had just moved into your new apartment, you were starting a new life in a new city. You had made a long drive so you only had enough energy to get down your air mattress and things you needed to shower for the night. 
💥-You were so glad you were too tired to move anything into your new apartment because that night your new home ended up in flames. 
💥-One moment you were sleeping peacefully on your stiff air mattress and the next a loud banging rang throughout your apartment. You gasped awake and frighteningly at the door. You let out a small chirp before you heard a males voice reach your ears. 
💥-“This is the Fire Department. Your building is under fire. Please open the door so we can evacuate everyone.” The person yelled. 
💥-You instantly jumped into action. You rushed to the front door and opened it. Your sleepy brain made you forget to check to see if the doorknob was hot before grabbing it. 
💥-Luckily it wasn’t hot.  
💥-The Alpha in front of you both scared and calmed you. His bulky frame was, even more, intimidating with his firefighting gear. You couldn’t see his eyes or much of his face because of his helmet but you just knew he was handsome. 
💥-“Is there anyone else in the apartment?” He asked, leaning over your frame and peering inside. 
💥-“No. Just me.” You assured. 
💥-The smell of smoke finally registered and you were quick to cough. The fireman didn’t ask before he tossed you over his shoulder and led you expertly out of the building. 
💥-You heard him radio his team a few times, making sure to know what was going on inside the building. Apparently the top levels were the most affected. Your apartment was near the middle section.
💥-As soon as you were thrown over his shoulder you were plopped onto the pavement in front of the building. Your savior turned around and walked right back into the burning building. 
💥-Your eyes caught the bold letters of “chief” on the back of his tanned coat before he was out of your view. 
💥-Not knowing where to go or what to do you went to your U-haul and stood against it. You kicked yourself for not getting your phone or keys before rushing to the door. 
💥-Fifteen minutes later you were regretting wearing shorts and a loose shirt to bed. It was starting to get chilly even with the building on fire right next to you. Twenty minutes later everyone was out of the building and the fire was put out. 
💥-You let out a sigh of relief. 
💥-Most of the residents were getting picked up by friends and family. You looked enviously at them. A few ambulances were still around so you worked up the courage to go up to one of them. 
💥-You weren’t injured or in need of oxygen so you didn’t want to bother them. When you got to the double doors a man with black hair and a straight smile greeted you. 
💥-He was wrapping up someone’s burn when he turned to greet you. 
💥-“Hello, what can I do for you?” He asked, peering down at your shivering form. 
💥-“I was wondering if I could borrow a phone? I was hoping to call up a shelter to see if they had any bed available.” You explained, nervously playing with the edge of your shorts. 
💥-“You aren’t going to a shelter.” A voice barked at you from behind. 
💥-In an instant, your body was engulfed in warmth, a heavy weight sat on your shoulders. You looked down and noticed the material radiating the soothing warmth was a fireman's jacket. 
💥-By the gruffness of his voice, you guessed the jacket had the letters “chief” on the back. 
💥-You turned to the bulky Alpha. Your heart skipped a beat when your eyes connected to his burning scarlet ones. Your Omega purred at his handsome face. 
💥-“Where else am I gonna go?” You questioned, discreetly slipping your arms into the sleeves of his jacket. 
💥-You told yourself it was just because you were cold and not the fact that his jacket gave off his scent cinnamon scent. Nope, nothing at all to do with his scent. 
💥-“You’re coming back to the fire station with us.” He demanded more than stated. 
💥-You blinked, not sure how to react. 
💥-“No, I’m not.” You said, not sounding too sure of yourself. 
💥-“Yes, you are.” He narrowed his eyes. 
💥-“Does your crew know you are picking up a stray?” You huffed, peeved that this Alpha was telling you what to do. 
💥-“Trust me, my crew wouldn’t mind having an Omega’s presence in the fire station.” He claimed, throwing a strong arm around your shoulders and leading you to the firetruck. 
💥-You knew you could have thrown off his arm and went back to the ambulance if you wanted to but a part of you was enthralled with the rough Alpha. You kicked yourself for liking Alphas with no manners. 
***
💥-You sat upfront with the Alpha whose name you found out was Bakugo. The unfamiliar buildings flew by. You eyed all the buttons and flashing lights on the console. 
💥-Feeling a little upset that he got his way you decided to mess with him. 
💥-“Can I ring the horn?” You asked, looking at the bright buttons. 
💥-His ruby eyes slid in your direction before turning back to the road. One hand left the wheel to point out a big red button. 
💥-“Only once.” He grunted, putting his hand back on the wheel. 
💥-Letting out an excited chirp you leaned over and pressed the button. The whine of the horn hurt your ears but the smile on your face didn’t leave your face. The Alpha had a hard time holding back his small grin. 
***
💥-Once at the firehouse Bakugo helped you out of the firetruck and led you to his private bedroom and bathroom. Being the chief had its perks. He gave you a big grey shirt that said, “Fire Dept” on the front and a pair of orange basketball shorts. 
💥-He set your clothes on the bed before walking back over and getting himself a set of clothes. 
💥-“Once you shower you can come down to the dining area and have dinner with us. Don’t make me come back up here and bring you down.” He said, narrowing his eyes before walking out of the room. 
💥-Dumb domineering Alpha. You scoffed. 
💥-Handsome domineering Alpha. Your Omega purred. 
💥-The soot on your skin was starting to get at you so you quickly showered and freshened up. You helped yourself to his hairbrush since you didn’t want to meet everyone with a nest on your head. 
💥-You opted out of putting on your dirty socks. You just realized you were shoe-less this entire time. You spotted a pair of black slides by his bed and slipped them on. 
💥-They dwarfed your feet and made you feel like you were walking in water flippers but they were better than the cold concrete. 
💥-You let your nose follow the scent of food. All of the firefighters were out of their gear and sitting around a big dining room table. You didn’t think you would be able to eat but the site of the food on the table made your mouth water. 
💥-You didn’t have to awkwardly claim an unoccupied chair. The big blonde Alpha pointed to an empty seat right next to him at the head of the table. You padded over to your spot and sat down. 
💥-You felt intimidated by the amount of Alphas in the room so you didn’t raise your eyes to meet theirs quite yet. 
💥-You noticed a lack of commotion and looked around. You tilted your head back when you noticed all eyes were on you. The Alpha closest to was a black-haired muscled woman. 
💥-She offered you a kind smile and nodded to the serving dish of mashed potatoes. “Help yourself.” 
💥-Oh, you forgot some Alphas didn’t touch their food until the Omegas were severed first. You weakly smiled before grabbing the large spoon and serving yourself. 
💥-Once your plate was full of everything that caught your eye, all the Alphas ceremoniously grabbed for the food. Two Alphas, a blonde one and a purple-haired one, shoved each other while trying to get a hold of the bread rolls. 
💥-“Thank you.” You said, looking at the ruby-eyed male who was observing you quietly. 
💥-All you got from him was a grunt in acknowledgment. You supposed he was done with talking for the night. 
💥-“Sorry about your apartment.” The kind Alpha with dark-hair said, patting you on the arm.
💥-You gave her a kind smile, thanking her for her kindness. 
💥-“I noticed your baggy clothes and big shoes. I might have some clothes and shoes that would fit you better.” She informed, wishing she didn’t say anything when she felt a pair of crimson eyes burning into her. 
💥-The blond Alphas narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. He wouldn’t let you wear other Alphas clothes. Just the thought of it made his Alpha growl and get ready to pounce on anyone that posed a threat.  
💥-She might have been an Alpha herself but the chief was the top Alpha around the station. She instantly backed down, “You know what, I remembered yesterday was laundry day so I might not have anything.” 
💥-“That’s fine, thank you, I appreciate the offer.” The staredown between the two Alphas went unnoticed by you. 
💥-Once you finished your plate you bid everyone farewell and made your way back to the chief’s private room. You noticed a toothbrush on the bed and made use of it. 
💥-You sighed once your tired body rested under the soft sheets of the Alphas bed. The smell of his scent surrounded and comforted you. You didn’t even shut your eyes before a knock sounded on the door. 
💥-“Come in.” You sat up in the bed. 
💥-Bakugo walked into the room with a glass of water, he came over to the bed and set it on the nightstand. 
💥-“Thought you might need it.” He clasped his hands behind his back, trying to keep them from touching you. The urge to do so was strong. His hands had been itching to get you back in his arms ever since he set you down. 
💥-“Thank you, Bakugo.” Your fingers nervously played with the sheet. 
💥-He smelled your uneasiness. 
💥-“What’s wrong, Omega?” He questioned, tensing up at your scared scent. 
💥-“I’m grateful that you invited me to stay the night, but this is just temporary. I’m gonna need to start looking for other places. I was lucky enough to get that apartment. I don’t know I’ll be able to find another one.” You chewed on your lip, worried at the thought of being homeless. 
💥-“I have a house. It’s pretty big. I wouldn’t mind a roommate.” He couldn’t resist, his hand went up to your chin and pulled your lip away from your teeth. 
💥-“I don’t know. Living with an Omega can be difficult.” You said, trying not to nuzzle your head into his hand. 
💥-You Omega was very pleased with the Alpha and his gentle touch.   
💥-“We can cross that bridge when we get to it. If you are really worried about it, you can look for other places while you’re staying with me.” He reassured, glad his other hand was still behind the back, you weren’t able to his that his fingers were crossed. 
💥-He didn’t know if he would be able to let you go after you wiggled your way into his home and undoubtedly his heart. He knew for sure once you made yourself at home in his house, that it would never feel the same without you in it. 
💥-You felt a weight lift off your shoulders. 
💥-“It’s a deal! You make sure to tell me if I do something to upset you.” You smiled, relieved at his offer. 
💥-“I will, Omega. Now, you should get some rest. You had a long night.” He ordered, pushing you down lightly to the bed. 
💥-You snuggled down and looked up at him. “Thank you, Alpha.” 
💥-“No problem, Omega.” 
💥-He walked out of his room, knowing he wasn’t planning on letting you go anytime soon. 
Bonus: 
💥-Three years later. 
💥-You just brushed your teeth and crawled into bed, a hulking figure was already laying in the big bed. You settled down into the sheets and curled into his side. 
💥-You laid there a moment before letting out a huff. 
💥-“I forgot my cup of water.” You whined, getting up to walk to the kitchen. Before your back could leave the mattress your Alpha was already up and out of bed. 
💥-“I’ll get it, Omega. Stay here, you need your rest.” He commanded, gently pushing you back down. 
💥-You nodded, burrowing back down into the nest, your big stomach a small hill under the plush comforter. Your little pup was quiet tonight, they were lulled to sleepy by their father’s deep voice, earlier that night. 
💥-Suki walked in with a big glass of water. Your greedy hands took it from him, the cold water sliding down your throat making you shiver slightly. You felt a harsh jab against your stomach. 
💥-“Oops, someone isn’t a fan of the cold water.” You hummed, softly rubbing your stomach. 
💥-“Settle down, it’s time to sleep, little one.” Suki soothed, resting his large hand on your stomach. 
💥-They stopped kicking instantly. You handed him the glass and snuggled back down again. He was quick to set the cup down and slip behind you. His chest rumbling with a comforting purr. 
💥-You two laid there in sweet silence. 
💥-“I”m glad, I didn’t leave.” You whispered, melting into your Alphas embrace. 
💥-“I am too.” He rumbled, holding you tighter.   
💥-He wasn’t supposed to say it, as a firefighter, but he was glad your building caught on fire.
Lol it would have been a twist if he saw you earlier that day and set your building on fire to get closer to you.
That being said, I finished this yesterday before I got a request asking to make things more GN so while I did edit it to make sure it fits the GN standers I understand that the ending is a fuzzy area. (Please tell me if I missed something in my editing.) 
While male Omegas can get pregnant I understand if my masculine readers are put off by the idea. I hope to make my fics more inclusive from here on out! 💙💙
Please reblog and leave a comment! Reading your sweet comments really motivate me to write! 
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paperpocalypse · 4 years
Text
crackers and jam.
50 Cliché Tropes and Prompts: 41. Overhearing they have feelings for you.
Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Reader
Word Count: 1,703 words
Warnings: Swearing
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Some time back, not long after he got stranded in the post-apocalyptic world and perhaps a year and a half before running into you, Five’s only companion was Delores.
It had been a meeting of chance (as everything is) in the middle of a destroyed department store. She had been looking at him. And maybe that’s why he was so drawn in – that stare; it was a lifeless stare, yeah, but it was not by any means a dead stare like the ones he had met too many times before. No life had been lost to create that stare. She was smiling, too.
Five had lifted her carefully out of the chunks of concrete, greeting her because there was no one else. For the first few weeks, he just placed her at the corner of her store and visited every once in a while, then took to occasionally toting her around the City when he needed to talk. He liked to pretend that she answered back – sometimes. After a few months, he named her Delores.
Then he met you.
Unlike Delores, you were human. Breathing. Alive, somehow. And you had thoughts and feelings that weren’t always connected to his and – and it was weird. It was home.
You didn’t question his friendship with Delores. Five had seen the half-burned stuffed frog in your wagon, so you wouldn’t have had anything to hold over him anyway. He knew that you knew that he still went to the department store in the middle of the night. And, shit, deep down Five also knew that Delores was, in the end, just a hunk of plastic with eyes. But after a year and a half of having nobody else, she had become something of a comfort. And a confidant. Burdening you with his issues was not an option, so when things became a little shittier than usual, he would slip out from underneath his blanket, make sure you weren’t having a nightmare, and head downtown to voice his thoughts aloud.
Over time, though, he learned that you were willing to listen. You listened, and you were always kind about it even if you didn’t always understand. His nightly visits decreased. And it was okay for a while.
But then Five began to struggle with a new issue – one that was a little different than the usual mess of stress and anxiety – and one night, he finds himself looking down at Delores again because talking to you about it is definitely off the table.
Unfortunately, Delores’s kindness is different from yours.
Well, here we are. Again.
“I’m just here to think,” he snaps, combing a grubby hand through his tangled mess of hair. The lantern beside him glows weakly as he plops down onto a slab of concrete. “Mind your business.”
Your business is everyone’s business here, Five. And to put my own two cents in, I think that you’re scared of your own feelings.
Blood travels to Five’s cheeks, unwarranted, as he narrows his eyes at Delores. “For the last time, that’s not what this is about. It’s – Jesus Christ, I’m gonna get over it. This isn’t a life-or-death issue.”
Then why have you been ranting about it like it is?
“I’m not.”
Ha! Rich.
He grits his teeth. She stares back at him, unperturbed. Bastard.
You know, maybe you’ll feel better if you say it out loud. Air it out. Test to see if it’s real.
“I’m not doing that.”
Do it.
No.
Say it.
No.
For god’s sake, Number Five, take a goddamn look at yourself –
“Fine!” Five hisses, though it feels more like an explosion. He throws his hands up. “I like [Y/n], alright? We’re the last people on this goddamn planet and I like them, and I shouldn’t care this much but I do. Happy?”
Delores pauses. Five looks away.
Very.
Ugh.
Did it feel real?
He clicks his tongue, crossing his arms, and doesn’t answer. The smile on Delores’s face seems a little smug, and it makes him want to hurl. He shouldn’t have said it out loud. Relieve some of the pressure and everything starts to boil over …
Breathing in deeply, Five forces his shoulders to relax. He bids a soft goodbye to Delores, then heads back to camp.
A week later, Five’s visit comes back to bite him in the worst way possible.
You’ve been having a hard time starting the fire for tonight, so he finishes splitting the evening rations to help you out with the bow drill. As he does so, you watch in silence, both of you waiting patiently for the smoke and dust.
“Do you think we have enough wood?” you eventually ask.  
“It’s enough,” he murmurs, only half paying attention. After a while, a few chalky wisps of smoke begin to rise from the charring wood. He leans in to blow the ember carefully once it forms, then puts it into the tinder and coaxes out a flame. “Get the kindling?”
You oblige, and within a few minutes, a healthy fire starts to dance atop the wood, scorching his face and fingers with heat. Five stares intently at the oranges and yellows for a moment, lips pressed together, intrigued in a tired sort of way. Warmth. Then he backs off and grabs a portion of crumbled up crackers, handing it to you.
You spread the cloth over your knees. “Now all we need is some jam.”
“What kind?”
A soft hum escapes your throat. You contemplate unhurriedly, dabbing up some stray crumbs with a finger. “Blackberry,” you reply after a few moments. “Or strawberry. The kind that’s sort of chunky.”
It’s been a long time since he’s tasted either of those things. The simple thought of whole crackers spread with fresh jam, sweet and dark and sticky, is a luxury in and of itself. Five tries not to think about it too much, munching on his third fragment of stale cracker. It makes his mouth dry. “Hm,” he says, picking up the canteen for a few drops of water.
The fire pops. A few sparks fly out into the air and die just as quickly. You finish your supper and wipe your mouth, stretching your legs out in front of you as you sigh.
Five tilts his head at you. “What?”
“What?” you parrot back, though he sees the way your fingers fidget.
“You have something to say.”
Your facial expression shifts just the smallest bit. “How can you tell?”
(Simple – because he knows you. He knows your ticks; knows how you tick. He knows your smiles and all the subtle ways that your voice rises and falls. He’s memorized you because he fears forgetting, and it’s a problem.)
“Kind of hard not to,” Five replies.
“Oh.” You chew the inside of your cheek, still seeming unsure. “Well, um … I just wanted to talk to you about something. And please don’t be mad.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Why?”
“Um. A couple nights ago, I had a bad dream.”
“I know.”
“Not the one you woke me up from. A different one,” you mutter. “The night after we found the pillows.”
“Oh,” Five says.
“Yeah.” You look down at your hands. They’re dusty and rough, littered with small scars from climbing and falling and holding. “I … um, that night, I woke up and you weren’t there. And I sort of panicked, and went looking –”
The blood drains from Five’s face.
“I went looking for you, and I found you. Talking to her.” You glance at him for a split second. “About me.”
Oh, fuck.
Five stares at you as you fiddle with the scrap of cloth on your lap. You know. You weren’t supposed to know. You weren’t supposed to ever know, and now you do.
“Five?” Your voice is curious and small.
His voice is raspy. “How much did you hear?”
“Almost everything.” You grab the cuff of his coat sleeve as he attempts to stand up. “I’m sorry for eavesdropping. I really didn’t mean to, but –”
“It’s not your fault. Look, I don’t want to talk about it,” he replies tersely. “We need more firewood, anyway.”
“We have enough,” you say, though you relinquish your hold when he tugs a little harder away from you. You sound hurt. “Five, it’s okay to feel like that.”
“It’s not. It makes things more complicated.”
“How?” Standing up, your brow furrows. “I like you too, Five. If that’s what you’re worried about.”
His chest tightens. “That just makes it worse.”
“I like you,” you repeat. Your hand moves down to take his gently. “A lot. And it’s okay.”
(Did it feel real?)
Five meets your gaze solidly despite not quite wishing to, a familiar sense of guilt washing over him when you squeeze his hand.
Sometimes, he wishes he hadn’t met you. Then he would’ve gotten what he deserved for his recklessness – nothing – with nothing to concern himself with other than equations and survival and time. That, he’s fairly sure, would have been easier to manage. He hadn’t been taught to care for someone else. Not like this, at least.
But you. You. Five swallows the lump in his throat.
“I might have to leave you behind,” he murmurs, more hoarsely than he’d like to admit. The words burn like ice on the roof of his mouth. “One day.”
You don’t reply for a few seconds.
Then, for some inexplicable reason, you step a little closer. “But not tonight," you say. "Right?”
For shit’s sake, you’re so optimistic. Five chuckles dryly, hand still engulfed in yours, blinking away the vague stinging in his eyes. “Of course not.”
“Then I forgive you. If you feel like you need it.” With a mild exhale, you smile at him. Your eyes are glossy. “So can we sit back down? I like doing that.”
He quietly agrees.
So you bring him back down to sit before the fire, closer to him than before. No more words are left to be said. A heavy silence settles in their place, neither good nor bad, and almost comfortable. For the first time in a long time, Five tries not to think.
You lean against his shoulder. He welcomes it.
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ill-skillsgard · 3 years
Note
I need Faust and Faith's reunion after he's done touring 👉👈 No pressure or anything. I just miss them a lot!
I always miss Fausty boy! I have some other prompts I wanted to incorporate into this one, but it was getting too long. I hope you enjoy!
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Warning: 18+ mentions of public sex, mature language, anti-religious overtones, mentions of blood, violence, death, and drug use.
Summary: Faith goes to her first black metal show and asks Faust about the black circle.
- Not based on Lords of Chaos. I use Faust!Valter’s likeness only as inspiration.
Read more Faust x Faith here [x]
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The duelling guitars screeched through twin stacks of speakers and filled the auditorium with malfeasance. Faith had never witnessed such a carnal reaction. As she watched from the side stage, the crowd below opened into a whirling pit of black-clad showgoers, pushing, jumping and banging against each other. The drums kicked into a blistering rhythm, and her attention turned toward the man she barely recognized with white and black makeup painting his face like the ghost of a demon.
Faust punished his drumkit with expert precision, his arms blurring in the chaos of their first song. His black hair swung as he banged his head without missing a beat. Horned and studded limbs spilled over the metal barricade, tongues lolled, and eyes lit with blissful fury. The singer's growls seemed to rise from the depths of hell, a monster shrieking at its thralls for more destruction.
Even with earplugs in, Faith felt the music blowing back in waves, shaking the column of her throat and turning her brain to mush. She dared slip one plug out to hear the true volume and quickly stuffed it back in when the intensity struck.
During the ambient interludes between songs, the crowd roared still. A few hundred people raised their hands, praising the men on stage. It reminded her of church, how they would let their eyes roll back, chanting the hymns and facing their palms skyward. This was no church she had ever set foot inside. The walls were painted black, the floor sticky from spilled beer, and its congregation made her gathering's displays of loyalty seem demure. The air reeked of salty skin and malt embedded in the paint from nights like this.
Faith saw people wearing shirts with Faust's band logo on the front, and a burst of pride warmed her belly. Though she was remarkably out of place, there was an odd sense of welcome. She could run headfirst into the crowd and get swallowed up and spit out like anyone else.
When they finished their set, Faust retired his drumsticks to a holder, chugged an entire bottle of beer and took a brief bow to the crowd before walking off stage. Faith bounced as he approached and scooped her off the floor, smearing her face with paint from around his mouth. When he set her down, his lips were partially visible through the now grey muck.
"How was it?" Faust asked.
"You guys are amazing. That's was so cool, babe!"
"Ah, you're just saying that."
"No, really! I can't believe how crazy they went for you!"
Faust sneered playfully, though their reception had been one for the books. "Probably 'cause half the crowd are friends of ours."
"Doesn't matter. You still kicked ass."
Faust's smile was unbreakable from a show well played and seeing his girlfriend waiting for him at the side of the stage. He led her to the green room as stagehands and managers nodded them through and let her dab the corpse paint off her face in the bathroom. Faust sopped up the sweat in his hair with a towel and changed his stage clothes before Faith returned. His bandmates soon joined them, and the chatter was unintelligible. People from other bands came in to talk and congratulate the young group on their first cross-country tour, and soon the back was filled with people hanging VIP badges from their pockets.
Faust pulled Faith from the bedlam before the room grew too hot. They made their way to the main floor and the rows of merchandise tables. Faith couldn't help but feel privileged to have access to the other side of the tables where Faust told her she could stash her coat and purse while a lineup of fans waited to purchase t-shirts and albums. Admirers pulled Faust away several times to take photos and shake hands. Faith watched in awe as people took turns posing with her boyfriend, who stayed looking stoic in his half-melted face paint. Her boyfriend. People from all walks of life wanted proof they'd met him, asking him to sign album covers and tour posters.
When Faust broke away from the clamour of excited metal fans, he took Faith's hand and pulled her through the crowd to a stairwell guarded by security. He flashed his tour badge, and the guard permitted them to the balcony where a few other musicians sat in a less crowded area.
"Come on, let's go outside. I need a fucking smoke," Faust said.
They went through a set of metal doors to an outdoor balcony where two men leaned against the railing, passing a joint and chatting. One spotted Faust, and a smile cracked over his face.
"Hey, Faust. Great show, man. We watched from the balcony. You guys were fucking killer," the man passed the joint to the drummer.
He hauled a significant bout of smoke into his lungs, then expelled it into the night air, handing it back with a nod.
The man refused. "Pass it to the lady."
"She's good," Faust said.
"I'll take a hit," Faith countered.
Faust glanced at her, brow raised high. "You sure?" He chuckled.
"Yes. I'll be fine."
Faust handed her the joint and turned to his fellow musicians. "Thanks. Glad you guys enjoyed the set."
As Faith inhaled, the other man turned to her and offered his hand to shake. "Hey, I'm Janne."
"Faith," she mouthed around a lungful of searing smoke.
"This is Yosh," Janne gestured at the man who'd initially offered Faust the joint. "Good to meet you."
"Is this your girlfriend, Fausty?"
"Yeah. She's my girl."
"Aw, that's cute. Didn't take you for the relationship type, to be honest. You like this scary son of a bitch?" Yosh asked.
Faith giggled as she looked up at the towering man dressed in black while he lit a cigarette. "He's not that scary. At least not to me," said Faith.
"Good man to have by your side at a show. You might get trampled down there."
"This is actually my first show."
Yosh choked on a hit and coughed, "really? And you came to a black metal show? That's ballsy."
"Well, it's not really my thing, but I wanted to see them play. I came from out of town just to be here tonight," Faith said proudly.
"Oh, right. You guys are from the green belt, right? Or should I say, the black circle?" Janne tittered.
Faust's eyes grew stony. "No. I'm not part of that shit. Bunch of fucking posers."
"We were just talking about the church fire there a couple weeks ago. You guys are known for that, aren't you?"
"I don't know. Guess so," Faust shrugged.
"They said there was a body found after they put out the fire, and it was nailed to some pieces of wood...like a cross or something. Can you believe that shit? How metal is that?"
Faith swallowed. She had heard the news break the day after the fire before they announced the unidentified body and after Faust had surprised her at the bus stop. They had prayed about it in church the following week and set up a collection to bulldoze the wreckage and reconstruct the chapel even bigger than before. Her mother was so stricken from the news that Faith had to spend a night at her parents' house consoling her while her father bad-mouthed the city's youth.
Bunch of heathen Satan-worshippers in this town. If I'd have known how disgusting some of these people are, I'd have never moved us out here.
Faith, her sisters and their mother all huddled on the sofa watching reruns of Full House while Stan stood hard-backed at the front window, peering out every few minutes as if the culprit might attack them next.
Oh, Stan, you don't know who did it. You can't point the finger when the police haven't even updated the community. Give the embers a chanced to cool. Besides, it's places like these that need the most help. We'll raise the money. I just hope to God they catch the people who did this.
All Faith could think about as she ate her sundae next to her sister was what she was doing the night after the fire. While the fire department was busy putting out the flames across town, she was pressed against a brick wall getting fucked by one of the heathen Satan-worshippers her father despised. She tried not to connect dots that had no business forming any kind of picture. Faust's appearance had been a coincidence.
I'll tell you who did this... It's that damned black circle. They've done it before, and they'll do it again.
Faust waved a hand in front of Faith's face, and she flinched from her reveries. "Babe? You there?"
"Oh, sorry," she laughed. "Kind of zoned out."
"Wanna head back inside?"
Faith didn't realize she was shivering until Faust rubbed her upper arms. "Sure. Yeah, let's do that."
"One puff of a joint, and you're on another planet, huh? Good seeing you Janne, Yosh... We should tour again."
"Yeah, man. As soon as possible. We're always on the road. We'd love to have you out for as many gigs as you guys can handle."
Faust nodded and clasped hands with both men before urging Faith along with a palm on her bottom. Once they made it inside, he snuck his fingers under her skirt and pinched her hard enough to give her a jolt but not to hurt.
"Faust!"
"What? No one's looking. Hey, you wanna check out our tour bus?"
Faith went to the balcony railing and saw the next band setting up their gear. She pointed below and turned to Faust. "Won't we miss the next band?"
"You actually wanna stay and watch?"
"Uh, yeah! This is my first show. I wanna see all the bands."
"All right. We can stay up here or go to the floor. But I'm warning you, it can get ruthless down there."
"I want to go down. It looks fun."
"Then we have to go now. We'll try to get right up front where you won't get swallowed in a circle pit."
"Really?" Faith gasped. "Like, right up front at the barricade?"
"Sure, why not? If you want the full experience. I'll stand right behind you and make sure crowd-surfers don't land on your head. Then after, I'll show you the bus, and...I dunno...Probably fuck."
"Oh my goodness, Faust. Yeah, right!"
"I'm serious. I'd fuck you right here if there weren't people around."
Emboldened by his suggestion, Faith whirled around and stared up at him with her brows lowered. "What's all this about the black circle?"
Faust scoffed. "What are you talking about?"
"I've heard it mentioned before and that you're part of it. I just wanna know. Is it some kind of gang?"
"Do I look like I'm in a fucking gang? No. It's just some dumb shit they made up in high school."
"They as in your friends?"
"It's stupid and means nothing."
Faith stood in place. "Well, they're saying that church burned down because of your friends. Aren't you afraid someone might ask you questions?"
"I'm not afraid of shit because I've been on tour this whole time."
"Faust—"
"What did I tell you about the twenty questions? Now, do you wanna go watch the show or do you wanna keep talking about irrelevant shit?"
Dissatisfied with his response, Faith clammed up and followed Faust to the main floor. They wriggled through the tightening crowd and got upfront before the lights lowered, and a gust of smoke covered the stage. Ominous chanting heralded in a band dressed in black hoods. Faith watched, awestruck, but in the back of her mind, thoughts of the black circle fermented, giving off a foul smell she couldn't ignore.
After the headlining band opened with pyrotechnics and the frontman tossing a skull of pig's blood over the crowd, Faust took Faith around back, where the tour buses formed a barrier between the street and the venue. He led her inside and turned on the light to reveal the interior in a state of disarray. Beer bottles overflowed in the sink, ramen noodle wrappers littered the floor, and spiked leather decorum hung over seats and tables. There was a shredded porn magazine, its contents pinned to the wall and drawn over with a black marker, breasts shooting fire and snakes slithering out of places that made Faith blush.
"Sorry about the smell. Touring always has a distinct odour of unwashed balls and puke."
Faith tried not to touch any surface until Faust showed her to the back lounge area, where they sat and looked at each other in prolonged silence. Faith reined in a smile while her boyfriend sat back and studied her face.
"I'm glad you came. Sorry that it's probably more chaotic than you expected."
"It's okay. I'm having fun."
"You sure? I know it's not really your scene."
"You're my scene," Faith said.
He reached for her hand. Faith thought he meant to hold her, but he tugged her closer instead, straddling her over his lap. His hands came up under her skirt and over her ass while they kissed. Faust pulled away as she rocked her hips forth and placed his hands on her hips.
"So, how's school?"
"You're really asking me about school when we haven't seen each other in weeks?"
"What? Is there something else you wanna do?"
"I think you know what I want."
"Yeah, but I want you to say it."
Faith peered down the hall, past the bunks, toward the front of the bus. "What if someone comes in?"
"Not like my band hasn't walked in on you sucking my cock before."
"Oh my gosh, don't remind me."
Faust darkened, pulled air through his teeth. "Did you miss me?"
"Of course, I missed you. How is that even a question?"
He tilted his hips up and let Faith drop when he relaxed. She tugged his shirt up to appreciate the trail of hair leading down from his navel.
"What did you miss the most?"
"Your big, throbbing heart," Faith giggled. "I missed cuddling with you and going on walks together. Waking up with you beside me. Your cooking."
Faust pulled her down for a hug. "All right, all right. I get it. You wanna fuck, just not in the bus."
"Do your bandmates fuck girls in here?"
Laughter burst from his mouth as he rocked Faith back and forth. "They fucking wish."
The couple chuckled until another silence proceeded. Faith saw the fiery look in Faust's eyes, the appetite for her body that never tapered, his joy from having her there on his tour bus. Yet, all Faith saw was a building on fire, flames flickering behind his green stare. She smothered the thoughts with a kiss Faust took for permission to explore under her skirt again. Maybe she could kill her suspicions by reminding herself how much he loved her, the lengths he would go to protect her.
Voices yelled outside the bus, distracting Faith but not Faust, who rolled beneath her hips, oblivious to the arousal shooting through his groin.
"Yeah, come on, baby. Pull my cock out and sit on it for me. It'll be quick."
"Faust!" Someone shouted outside of the bus.
Faith pushed on his chest and perked toward the sound.
"Where the fuck is that asshole? First, he fucks off for an entire day, loses his phone, makes us cancel a show, and now the prick can't be dicked to help load out because his bitch is here? Getting real fucking sick of the bullshit, Ola."
"Mordy, chill out, man."
The bus door opened, followed by a waft of cigarette smoke. Boot tread hammered across the floor, and Mordy swayed through to the back, scoffing when he saw Faust with his girlfriend perched on his lap.
"You wanna take apart your drumkit, or are you just gonna let it sit in the way of everyone's gear? Oh, sorry, should have known you were too busy to be fucking bothered."
Faust lifted Faith off his thighs, and she bounced on the sofa as he shot up and stared Mordy down. The bass player didn't flinch.
"What? What're you gonna do, Faust? Punch me out? Good thing it's our last show. Wouldn't want your personal business getting in the way of the biggest tour of our fucking lives so far."
"You don't know shit, so I suggest you shut your mouth."
"No, I'm not gonna shut my mouth. Someone has to stand up to you, and none of these pussies will. Go load out your fucking gear, man!"
Faust smelled whiskey on Mordy's breath. He was far too sober to start a fight with the bass player and nodded, shouldering past him. Mordy crashed into the wall and cursed as the drummer stomped off the bus, leaving Faith fidgeting with the edge of her skirt and unsure if she should follow. Mordy scoffed at her and exited the bus after Faust, shouting until she no longer heard him.
When Faust returned, Faith stood up and wrang her wrists. "Should I leave?"
"We're both leaving," Faust muttered as he tore open the zipper on his backpack and scrounged up his clothes and stage effects to stuff inside. He ducked into the small fridge and took four bottles of beer, sticking two in the holders of his bag and pocketing the other two inside his leather jacket.
"Come on. We're out of here."
"But, neither of us have a car, and we're far from home," Faith said.
"Call a cab."
Outside of the bus, guitar cases and boxes of merch waited for loading. Faust opened a tote, wrenched open a steel moneybox and took some of the cash inside. He found Faith's coat and purse and passed them to her before kicking a hole into the plastic container. Mordy and Ola noticed this as Faust walked away with Faith in tow.
"Hey, asshole! What do you think you're doing? You can't just fucking take off with the merch money!"
Faust turned around, grabbed his crotch and flipped them off. "Suck my dick, fuckbags. Find a new drummer."
61 notes · View notes
ficforce · 4 years
Text
So Cool
Akitaru Obi x Reader SFW No set timeline New relationship
Y/N stared in wonder at the scene in front of her, her cheeks were warm and not only from the heat of the flames. She hadn’t been with Company 8 for long and this was her third or fourth call out with them, she was a second-generation with supporting abilities for others - a buffer. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched Obi Akitaru walk out of the burning building with Arthur over one shoulder and Shinra under his other arm. He had run in when the whole building collapsed without a second of hesitation.
His clothing was smoking, and his silhouette made an imposing figure against the fiery backdrop, “He’s so cool…” It took a second for her to get herself back in focus and she ran to her Captain in order to check on the boys over. They were fine, just overheated, she looked up at him in awe, “You’re amazing, Captain!”
“You think so?” He pulled his face guard and helmet off, breathing in the fresh air with a relieved grin, “You really helped out on this one, Y/N. If you hadn’t have boosted Maki’s ability it might have gotten messy in there.” Obi pat her shoulder and headed over to Lieutenant Hinawa, the stoic man confirmed that the fire was under control, then he noticed that Obi was a little flushed and asked after him. “Huh? Yeah…Just… Y/N said I was amazing so…” He rubbed the back of his head bashfully.
Hinawa stared at him for a long second, “Do I need to remind you that she’s your subordinate, Captain?”
“I know, I know…” He glanced back at the woman who was rubbing dirt off Tamaki’s cheek, “It still makes me happy when a cute girl thinks I’m cool - let’s head back.”
Back at the Firehouse, they all headed into the locker room, placing equipment to the side to be serviced and removing their gear. “Y/N! We’re heading for the showers, hurry up.”
“Sorry, I can’t get my jacket off…” Y/N gave the zip pull a violent tug, “The zip is stuck. I’ll catch up, Tamaki,” She waved the girl off and then nearly jumped out of her skin when she turned back to find Hinawa in her space, “Lieutenant?”
He always made her jump when he appeared from nowhere like this. He was the one who scouted her, he approached her in the cafe she had gotten an emergency job in and proceeded to tell her about the awful record she had with the firefighters. Then he had recruited her. “Your zip, do you want help?” At her nod he took hold of the pull and pinched a bit of it to keep it straight, the man gave a hard pull but nothing happened. He took a closer look before stepping back a little, “We’ll pull it over your head.”
They got about halfway up when she let out an awkward sound and stopped him, “Ah, Lieutenant Hinawa, it’s caught up on my clothing inside. I should get one of the girls to help remove it - thanks though.” Y/N wasn’t sure how she would feel about Hinawa seeing her in her bra. He probably wouldn’t care and she was certain he’d probably seen worse but she minded.
“What’s going on?” Obi had taken a call when he got back and had come back to finish changing, “Why aren’t you changed?”
“Zip malfunction.” Hinawa explained, “Her shirt’s caught in it and we can’t budge it.”
The Captain came close to Y/N and took hold of the zip giving it an experimental tug, “There’s a little movement, if we pull it up a little we can probably fix it.” He wriggled the pull part and it gave a little - he gave another tug, all of a sudden it gave completely and her head jerked back as he struck her accidentally. Obi was mortified, he was completely speechless as blood began to pour from Y/N’s nose and then he was apologising profusely whilst trying to stop the bleeding.
— -
He took a final look at his new recruit’s face and sighed, “I’m so sorry, Y/N, I’ve never broken a newbie before.” Obi could see that her face was already bruising under one of her eyes but at least they had set her nose straight again. Y/N had taken it so well, barely making a fuss as he treated her, “I’ll buy you all the ramen you want.” Obi figured she wouldn’t think he was so cool now and he didn’t think he’d ever get over this humiliation.
“It was an accident, Captain,” Y/N wasn’t blaming him, after all, he was so apologetic and he had fixed her up himself, he’d been as gentle as he could as he administered the first aid. Her heart beat a little faster as she couldn’t think of a time she had been alone with him this long or so close, it was a little embarrassing for him to be paying so much attention to her. He still smelt of smoke and sweat, his shirt clung to him and made his every muscle pop, she knew he was fit but didn’t realise how sculpted he was. “I won’t say no to cake instead of ramen though…”
She liked sweet things, he smiled at her and agreed to buy her cake the next time they got a day off. “It’s a date then.”
“A date?”
“Sure,” he helped her up and pat her shoulder, “Head to the showers and get some rest - let Maki know if you feel dizzy later on.”
— -
She hadn’t thought Obi would actually take her out for cake, she thought he would just bring one back but as they walked to a nearby dessert bar, just the two of them, she felt a little nervous. He looked good in casual clothes. The man took Shinra and Arthur for Ramen all the time, this wasn’t any different. Despite telling herself that over and over, Y/N blushed as their hands brushed by chance.
“How are you finding Company 8?” He asked as he opened the door for her and they were pointed to a table to sit at.
“I love it!” She exclaimed and then she sent him a devious grin, “When My Captain isn’t punching me in the face that is.” Y/N watched Obi groan and hide his face for a moment as she giggled, “Seriously though, I’m so grateful you guys picked me up after the regular firefighters sacked me.” She honestly had been so lost after she had lost her job. Her department had been cutting corners, they weren’t maintaining equipment and she had disobeyed orders by going back into a burning factory to save civilian stragglers, she wasn’t quiet about the lack of care from her superiors and had been punished for it. “It’s great that my ability can be helpful to the team and I can walk away from a call with a sense of pride for once…” She took the menu from Obi and then her eyes widened, “Wait… that sounds bad - I mean, it’s awful that we, you know…”
Obi threw his head back and laughed at her, she was so cute as she stumbled over her words and tried to explain, “I get it, Y/N, don’t worry!” He liked being able to walk away knowing they had done all they could, put an infernal to rest, given the family some sort of closure, he tried to make the violent act as gentle as he could for the victims. Her record showed that lives mattered more than her career.
“I just feel a little bad that I can’t help you, Captain.”
The man looked up from the dessert menu and blinked, Y/N was glancing down at her own menu with a nervous little smile that he found endearing. Her abilities only worked on other ignition users and gave them extra firepower for a short time. “I train every day. Not just for me but for the people we help and for my team, knowing that my team can support each other without me is all the boost I need.”
“Captain Obi, you’re so cool.”
He was so happy that he couldn’t help grin, “Enough about that, let me apologise in the form of calories. Hinawa will get them out of you in tomorrow’s training exercise.”
— -
Y/N’s ears were assaulted by explosions, the roar of fires, yelling, boots on the ground, gunfire and through it all she still heard her Captain’s voice yelling her name - searching through her. She could smell the smoke, feel the heat of it over her battered body and when she tried to open her eyes it hurt too much.
It hurt.
Everything hurt.
Trying to take a breath heeded no result, instead, a gurgle and the pressure of the metal beam that has fallen on her was crushing. Y/N didn’t want to die, she was terrified that she was going to die all alone, no one knew where she had fallen after the explosion. Obi’s voice was closer this time and with a rush of adrenaline, she managed to move just a little to get enough oxygen to call back to him.
“Y/N!”
His voice again, somehow clear as a bell through the carnage around them. “Captain…”
“It’s okay, I got you, Y/N.” Obi grabbed the beam and began to lift it, it was heavier than he expected and he struggled to get enough grip, “We don’t leave anyone behind, not on my watch!” The weight of the beam began to lift from her and Y/N was able to take in more oxygen. She coughed on the smoke, gasping as it burned her lungs, there wasn’t enough relief from the beam for her to crawl out yet and she looked up at the blurry image of Obi, he was struggling to lift it - if only she could use her ability on him.
“I’m sorry, Captain…”
Y/N sounded so defeated and Obi knew what she was likely thinking, “Remember what I said, Y/N?” He gave a growl and pushed himself, his muscles protesting as he forced the beam further up and up, “I train every day for situations like this!” A crash of debris deafened her but she was pretty oblivious to anything other than the sight of Obi with the beam above his head, his eyes so determined as he helped her escape from death.
“Captain…!” Y/N threw her arms around him gratefully, “I…I…!” She didn’t know what to say, couldn’t think of a way that would tell him exactly how she felt. “I - I’ll b-buy you all the ramen you want!”
“It’s a date.”
Captain Obi was so cool.
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snowgoldwaylon · 3 years
Text
Ring of Fire - Alex Mason X Reader
Mason saves you from an apartment fire. Are you happy? No. But, did you just meet a very attractive man? Yes.
TW: Strong language, fire, eventual fluff!
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"Alex Mason! Meet me in my office please!' Is what Mason heard after a long, hard, and hot training.
Mason felt anxiety by the way his drill sergeant spoke to him like that. So, Mason hauled ass to the office, and stood professionally until the drill sergeant finally came in.
"Ma'am" Mason said with confidence, in attention.
"At ease Lieutenant. Now, take a seat. I have something to discuss with you." She said, sitting down and pulling a file out.
Mason took a seat, and watched her pull a thick, yellowish file from her desk. She opened it and layed out several pieces of paper in front of Mason so he could see everything. He took a closer look and saw something for the local fire department, a look of confusion clouded his face.
"Lieutenant Mason, you are being asked to take part in giving a hand to the Fair Banks Fire Department. Their chief has been layed off for a while due to a recent building fire, and they need men. And you just so happen to be the perfect candidate for helping out!" The drill sergeant said, pulling out a cigarette.
Mason was hesitant, he didn't know how to feel. He was afraid that he might fuck up and get someone hurt. Or worse, killed. But, he already worked in that part of the field. One mistake and it means death.
"Drill Sergeant Rivers, I don't have the proper training for this kind of thing. So why am I being picked?" He questioned.
She hit her cigarette and exhaled. She shot a glaring look back at him, while reaching for a pen nearby.
"Mason, they wouldn't just send you in with no training. They are offering on the job skills training and certification. You provide won't even be working there for very long anyways, they just need help until the Chief comes back. So that means, you'll be chief Alex Mason for a whole three months!" Rivers spoke, ashing her cigarette.
Rivers slid him a pen, and gave a devious smile. She pointed to the words on the contract as she spoke.
"We'll still be paying what you make here hourly, and they will also pay you for the position. You'll receive a work vehicle, and housing options if you are interested. But, if you will, please sign here, and here. And then finally, date this at the bottom."
Mason sighed, and grabbed the pen.
"I really hope this isn't a stupid idea, Drill Sergeant Rivers. I'll still have my position here in the Marines, right?" Mason asked.
"Of course, Lieutenant. You are the best of the best. Besides, I don't think Frank would last very long without you." She said with a chuckle.
Mason signed the papers, and slid them back over to Rivers. She quickly and carefully tucked them away safely into the left pocket of the folder, and set it off to the side.
"Thank you, Mason. The Fire Department is going to welcome you with open arms, and everyone is going to greatly appreciate what you are doing. Now, why don't you get on out of here and head over to the Fire Department. The director is anticipating your arrival at 0700 hours. You are dismissed."
Mason stood up, and quickly saluted Rivers. He turned on his heel, and gathered his things. Woods come up to him and patted his back. Mason looked back at Frank.
"Man, what was that about? Sounded like you were in some hot ass water. Did she find out about last weeks breakout?" Woods asked with a smirk.
Mason slapped him, and told him to stay quiet. Mason rolled his eyes, and started walking. Woods followed close.
"No, she didn't. I actually have gotten assigned to something new all together, but just for 6 months. So it looks like you'll be a lone wolf until I get back." Mason said.
"Wait, where in the fuck are you going? And when the hell are you comin' back??" Frank asked as they stepped into the elevator.
Mason clicked up, and the doors shut. It took them up to ground parking.
"I'm filling in for a Fire Chief for a while, I got personally hand picked for the job is what I got told."
"Well brother, you can't argue with that. We are still gonna have boys night on Friday's, right?" Frank asked, before getting out at where the elevator stopped.
Mason laughed, and nodded.
"Of course man, as always. Bring a 30 pack this time!" He shouted to Frank as the door closed.
"My ass!" Frank called out.
Mason patiently waited as it took him up. The elevator dinged, and the doors opened. He walked to his pickup truck and got in. He slammed his door shut and laid his head back onto his seat.
'I hope I don't fuck up.' Was all he repeated to himself.
Months later......
Mason was heading to his office with a newly made friend, Dixon. Dixon was a higher up who worked with everyone, so he frequented Mason. They had coffee in hand, and were ready for safety reports.
"Oh shit, Dix. Do you remember any information on the structure at the controlled burn on the corner of Euclid and Odin we did? I need details for my JHA but I can't recall shit for some fucked reason." Mason asked as they both sat down.
"I can tell you that it had 5 stories, and over 50 apartments in it. Oh, it stood next to Crane Run Bakery. The ignition was faulty wiring, right?" Dixon responded.
"No, it was a gas line pipe. The faulty wiring happened at that bowling alley on Curtis Avenue. But thank you, hopefully I can get this JHA filled out how I should!" Mason said.
Dixon went on with Mason for about 30 minutes about baseball and football. Mason filled out his paperwork, ordered new parts for gear and trucks, and inspected everything with a fine tooth comb. It was a normal night shift for the fire crew, until the alarm system began to wail.
"We have a structure fire on Linden Ave, at 26435 Linden. Possible civilians trapped." Dispatch called through the speakers.
Within minutes, the whole shift was suited up and already in the truck and headed Northbound. Mason was behind the wheel, lights and sirens at full blast. The roads were dead at this time, minus the few cars that happened to be out at 2 AM.
"Dispatch, tell me what we're looking at. I have another truck enroute to said location, and about three ambulances. How high are flames?" Mason asked, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Dispatch here, we have flames about 20 feet up and rising. Recommend you get here quick."
"10-4." Mason responded.
They reached the fire within minutes. When they pulled up the fire was quickly engulfing anything in it's way. Mason knew what needed to be done. But right now, they needed a buidling sweep for any possible trapped people.
"Dixon, set up a crew to stay on hoses, bring about four out and hookup. My team, your with me! We are going in!" Mason said.
Mason put on his face gear, and quickly looked around for a way in. He spotted a perfect way in through a safe looking way. He quickly pointed his team that direction, and headed in. He always made sure to go ahead of his crew so he could determine what was happening.
He got in, midst the hot heat, heavy flames, and the small mist screen of water he'd feel periodically. He lead the way, and began to check every corner and possible place to hide he could. They swept the buidling for a grand total of 30 minutes before Mason determined it was clear.
"Head back everyone. Everything is clear, no indication of anyone." Mason said through the radio.
Everyone headed outside, Mason being left so he could check more. By now, the flames were out. The only thing left was smoking ruble and hot ashes. Mason carefully looked around, and looked even closer at a piece of burnt wood that was beginning to move.
Without thinking, he pulled it back, and revealed a small door that had shut, but by either luck or circumstance, hadn't been burned. Mason soon heard pounding on the metal door, and he went to open it. But it was behind blocked by something.
He struggled to open it completely, the pounding was now more frequent. He pulled with all his might, but it wouldn't budge. He could hear the sounds of a female crying, and begging for the door to be opened. Mason's adrenaline kicked in at this moment.
"I found a live one! Bring in a large ax for me, this damn for isn't opening!" Mason shouted into the radio.
"Miss, I'm going to need you to step away as far as you can from the door! We are going to cut it open! Shield your face until I get you!" Mason yelled.
He took out his small ax, and began to chop away at the hinges. But, the small ax could stand no chance against the hard metal. Instead, he quickly turned and saw Dixon with the industrial ax. He took it, and with brute strength, he swung done with control and accuracy.
The hinges slowly began to break away, until finally the door popped right off. Mason gave the ax back, and quickly threw the door off. He looked back down inside, and saw a girl about his age, coughing her lungs out. He wasted no time, and held his hand out.
She took it, and Mason lifted her out. He quickly adjusted her so she'd be against his back, to where he kept a good grip on her and carried her out. She was covered in black ash and soot, and was damp with water and sweat from the heat.
Once they were out, Mason quickly sat the girl on the gurney and took his respirator off. He secured it around her face, and up to her mouth and nose. The fresh oxygen would help her with breathing, seeing as if her lungs just went through extreme stress.
"Are you alright? Is there anybody else down in that basement?" Mason asked once her breathing returned to normal.
She looked at him, and slipped the mask off.
"No, it was just me. I was just trying to do my laundry for work, and that's when the door slammed shut and I couldn't get out....."
Mason felt a pang in his heart for this beautiful lady.
"Well, you are alright now. We are going to have EMS check you out, and ride you to the hospital to run standard tests." Mason said, giving a smile.
He took his respirator back and turned on his heels. He walked away to regroup with his crew, and Dixon. They cleaned up best they could, and headed back to the station for a shower and change of clothes.
Months After....
Mason sat in the town sqaure, drinking a coffee in his uniform. He was sat on one of the square benches, reading the paper as he waited on Woods. It was Friday, they were going to play poker after a long, exhausting week.
"Excuse me, sir? May I sit with you?" A voice said.
Mason looked up from his paper, and confusion hit him. A familiar looking face flooded his view, but he just couldn't place it. Her face had small bandaids, and a few purple bruises.
"Well, of course. Do I know you?" He questioned.
She sat down, only then did Mason notice the green box in her beat up hands.
"My name is Y/N Y/L/N, you actually saved my life in a fire on Linden street, I talked to a man named Dixon at the fire house to where I could find you.....I have something for you here." She said, handing it to him.
"No Miss, I can't take that. I was just doing my job, I don't need a reward. Seeing you alive and breathing is reward enough." Mason said.
She pushed the small box towards him. The smile on her face was warm, and made Mason feel butterflies.
"Please, I insist." Was all she said.
Mason took the box and opened the lid. Inside was a beautifully made chocolate cake, all kinds of different snacks, and a check of $15,000 dollars.
"Miss, no, I can't. This is way too much money, I will not take it." Mason said, putting it back.
"Please sir, I don't mind. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. It would mean so much to me. If anything, please donate it to your firehouse." Y/N said.
"I will do just that then. We've been needing new parts for months...."
Mason looked back up at Y/N, and smiled.
"I'm Alex Mason by the way, I'm glad to see you are recovering well. Maybe I could take you to dinner sometimes?" He asked slyly.
You chuckled, and nodded.
"Of course, I'd love that.
Taglist: @smokeywhalee @kapanovangswife @americas-monster @wennbergbabe @direwolfspostsrandomshit @kazazure @draw-with-eri @scumbagg @silomotism
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dameafterdark · 4 years
Text
Fanning the Flames [Roy Mustang x Black Femme Reader]
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CW: workplace sex, oral sex, vaginal penetration, blow job, body worship, pubic hair, making out, light femdom, tickling, enthusiastic consent, boss/employee relationship, semi-public sex, porn with plot, BBW reader
WARNING! The contents of this fic are NSFW! Read at your own risk!
word count: 5769
summary: After transferring to Central Command, you’re determined not to let a certain smooth-talking colonel distract you from your job duties.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You never could have imagined meeting a man like him when you walked through the doors of Central Command. But then again, trivial things like infatuation and love making were the last thing on your mind. Bright eyed and eager to impress, what mattered most to you were your ambitions. You didn’t have time to fool around with romance; a cushy job in Central was everything you could have hoped for as a fairly new recruit. And besides, the higher ups didn’t look too kindly upon fraternizing. 
You had heard of the twenty-something aspiring general long before you sent in your letter of acceptance, but didn't think much of him. You learned long ago not to get involved with military gossip, especially the kind that involved sleazeballs like him. You know, the type of man that flirted with anything on two legs with a pretty face. You barely liked guys on a good day, so you were certain you’d have no trouble rejecting his advances. Lay low and work hard was the motto you repeated to yourself every morning as you ironed your uniform.
Unfortunately, your name was on everyone’s lips before you had the chance to introduce yourself. It couldn’t have been avoided, and you were naive to think it could. Being the only non-native Amestrian in the Central forces was mostly to blame, but you figured your looks also had something to do with your sudden popularity. After all, you were below average height, and your round curves rivaled the thin waifish figures of most Amestrian women. It definitely wasn’t the “ideal” body of a soldier, but that never stopped you in the past. Your brown skin, head full of tight curls, and full lips were impossible for others to ignore. You demanded attention whenever you entered a room, whether you wanted it or not. 
And as soon as the two of you made acquaintances, you knew something was bound to happen eventually.
From the moment he uttered that first sultry “Hello” and took your gloved hand in his, kissing the back of it like he was some sort of prince out of a fairy tale, your heart decided on its feelings faster than your brain could process. He pushed the knife in deeper with a little coy smirk that made your breath hitch and your stomach tighten.
“(Y/N), at your service,” you stated, doing your best to hide the tremor in your voice. “It’s an honor to make your acquaintance, Colonel Mustang.”
“Please,” he said as he let go of your hand, his eyes never leaving your own. “Call me Roy.”
Those four little words sparked the first ember, and from then on you walked with fire in your chest and heat pressed against your cheeks. And no matter how often you dampened those flames, they always reignited into an inferno.
You weren't the one to give into your primal urges, though. You were a professional, for God’s sake, and after clawing your way up through the ranks you’d be damned to throw away years of hard work for a pair of bedroom eyes. Especially when so many others only saw your job offer as an Affirmative Action-esque handout. 
It’s not worth it, you’d mumble under your breath while sorting through piles of paperwork, doing your best to avoid meeting the colonel’s gaze as he sat across the room from you. Knowing what might transpire if you did. For weeks you daydreamed about making that connection with those steely grey eyes that followed your shapely figure wherever you walked, most likely imagining what was underneath. Truthfully, you wanted him to want you. You desired to be desired by the man that tossed out flirtatious remarks right after another, remarks you pretended to hate yet secretly made you giddy. Steely eyed with a boyish charm, he was 100% your type. And you had no idea what to do about it.
At first, you resisted him under the pretense of “work professionalism” and your “commitment to duty”. Sure, you'd play with him a little every now and then just to watch him squirm. Pursing your lips in the shape of a kiss whenever you caught him staring, bending over with the right side showing after “accidentally” dropping something in front of him, giving him a peek at the black skin tight crop top you wore in lieu of a bra whenever you stretched your arms. 
And he'd respond by taking every opportunity to get close to you. Like placing a hand on your waist whenever he moved past you and letting it linger a few seconds longer than it should have, or coming up behind you to whisper something in your ear until goosebumps lined your spine. 
“Your uniform is looking pristine today, (Y/N),” he complimented you one day after you dropped off another pile of urgent documents on his desk. “But I know something that will look better on you.”
You rolled your eyes in response, but decided to humor him.
“And what would that be, sir?”
“Me.”
You couldn’t help but laugh as you made your leave. Sure, it was predictable, but it was earnest, and the more desperate he got the more it amused you. 
It was all in good fun, at least in the beginning. But after the first couple months, you could sense his growing agitation as each day passed. His movements became strained, his eyes hungrier, his muscles more tense. One day, as you sat at the edge of his desk with your ass just inches away from his hand, you could visibly see him clench his fist as if fighting against an insatiable urge. The sight gave you a rush of power unlike any other.
By the end of your three month mark, the entire department was making bets on when the two of you would finally hook up. Which became a nuisance in the eyes of one person in particular.
That’s right, it wasn’t just your position you had to worry about. Although most of the other military members were quite welcoming to you on that first day, First Lieutenant Hawkeye was the exception. She gave meaning to the phrase “if looks could kill”. Sure, you pretended not to notice the daggers she shot in your direction every time you dared to banter with the roguishly handsome colonel, but that didn’t make it any less intimidating. However, you were no stranger to workplace rivalry, especially in the military. No blondie was going to run you out, not after you worked your ass off to get there.
All of your resolve, however, was put to the test one fateful Friday evening.
Central Command was nearly empty. The rest of the officers had gone home for the day (or were sent home, in Hawkeye’s case, but you didn’t find that out until much later). Apart from a few stragglers hanging around in the hallways, you were pretty much the only one left… apart from him, of course. You’d only been there for a few months, so you had taken every opportunity to build your reputation as a workaholic, refusing to go home unless ordered to. You were hoping it would show your diligence and dedication to the right people. You could practically taste the promotion, you just had to hang in there a little longer. If you could resist the colonel for another few months, you’d be a shoe in. You just knew it.
You headed towards his office to drop off one last pile of paperwork. One he was certain to ignore until the following week, but at least it would’ve been out of your hands and his responsibility. You gave the door a quiet, yet firm knock with the back of your knuckles and waited for permission to enter.
“Come in,” he crooned, his voice sounding more alluring than authoritative. 
You opened the door slowly, clutching the thick pile against your chest before heading inside. When it closed behind you, you clicked your ankles together and gave your colonel a firm salute.
“At ease,” He said off-handedly, placing the file he had in hand onto his desk. You heard him crunching on something, most likely one of those peppermints he always kept by the phone. He focused his rigid eyes onto you, clasping his hands together to form a small tent for his chin to rest on. 
“The paperwork you requested, sir,” You gave a staunch reply, hoping to hide the nervous butterflies that suddenly began to flutter about in your belly. Ah, what was it about that look in his eye that made you feel so skittish? It wasn’t so intimidating when there were people around, but now that you were finally alone...
“I told you, there’s no need for these formalities when it’s just the two of us.”
“With all due respect, this was how I was trained. Sir,” You put extra emphasis on that last title and flashed him a cheeky grin, knowing how much he loved hearing you call him that. It did something to you, seeing his breath hitch and his grip tighten. If he was attempting to hide his arousal, he was doing a pretty shoddy job.
“Were you also trained to put in 12 hour days without clearance?”
Welp. He got you there. So much for all that overtime pay. Not like it would've been approved by HR, anyway.
“...No, sir. But you asked to have these forms done by the end of the week, and I promised to follow through.”
The colonel raised an eyebrow in amusement, not bothering to show restraint as he looked you up and down. The way his eyes were devouring you was enough to make you question all your morals.
“Or maybe you were just looking for an excuse to get me alone.”
You felt your face heat up at his comment, which only got worse when he flashed that usual shit eating grin of his.
“And what if I was?”
“Then I’d forbid you from working so hard and offer to take you out instead.”
You blinked a few times in disbelief, unsure how to interpret his words.
“...What?”
“You’re still pretty new to Central, aren’t you? You’ve been working so much, I doubt you’ve gotten the chance to really explore the city. I could be your tour guide.”
“Are you…?”
“Asking you out? Affirmative.”
Your lips parted in shock, then formed into a grin as the corners of your lips crept up.
“Isn’t that a bit inappropriate, colonel?”
“It could be. But only if you wanted that.”
“Sir.”
“Please, (Y/N), I said call me Roy. We’re close enough now, aren’t we?”
“...Roy,” his first name was unfamiliar on your tongue, yet rolled off like smooth silk. It felt odd to call your superior out of his title, but you’d be lying if you said it didn’t excite you.
“Yes?”
“Your offer is tempting, but I’ll have to decline. I can’t risk losing my position.”
“Who has to know?”
“People talk, you know.”
“Then let's give them something to talk about.”
It was corny, but genuine. You could tell he was really trying, perhaps as an attempt to live up to his womanizer reputation. It made you wonder if that was all an act.
“What exactly did you have in mind?”
“Why don’t you come here and find out.”
Under normal circumstances, you wouldn’t have hesitated to obey a command from your superior. But hearing him toss aside the suggestive comments for a more direct method of flirting had taken your head for a spin. After months of playful teasing that usually led to nowhere, you suddenly found yourself on a direct course to somewhere. 
It was foolish to fall for a man like him, but there wasn’t a single thing stopping you from taking the plunge. You were about to dive in headfirst without bothering to take a breath.
“Alright, then. I guess I’ll have to come to you.”
He stood up abruptly, pushing his chair back so he could come round the desk and make his way towards you. Your heartbeat steadily increased the closer he got, pounding against your rib cage until it felt like you’d explode. In just a few short seconds, the colonel’s face was inches away from your own and you could practically smell the peppermint candy he had been sucking on just moments ago. You didn’t realize that you’d backed up against the wall until his right arm was suddenly beside your head. He leaned in close until you could smell of his expensive cologne wafting in the air. It reminded you of your dad’s aftershave, with hints of sandalwood and bergamot. 
You’d never been so close to the colonel before and hadn’t realized how much height he had on you. He wasn’t anywhere close to being six feet, but you had always been on the shorter side, and the confidence oozing from his aura was making you feel three inches tall.
“(Y/N),” he said with a stern tone. “I’m going to ask you something, and I need you to give me your honest answer.”
“Sure.”
“That’s an order.”
“... Yes, sir.”
He took a deep breath, his eyes boring holes into you as you waited with stalled breath for him to go on. A few moments passed; you noticed part of his face twitch before he took a big gulp.
Was Roy Mustang… nervous?
“Do you…” He finally spit out after several long seconds. “Do you… want this to go any further?”
You stood there quietly for a moment, wondering if you’d do permanent damage to his ego if you toyed with him any longer. You decided on a mix of genuine honesty and playful taunting, just to keep him on his toes.
“What kind of woman do you take me for, Roy?” you teased, crossing your arms while donning an amused smirk.
“A phenomenal one,” he half-whispered. “One I’d be honored to know more intimately.”
“And once you’ve known me?” you said, meeting his famished gaze. “What will happen?”
“Whatever you want. I could give you space. I could never give you space again. It’s your choice.”
“My superior has handed me the reins,” you goaded gleefully. “What will our colleagues think when they hear of this?”
“I’m serious, (Y/N),” he growled with an unfamiliar sense of urgency. “If you want this… whatever this is, to end here, just say the word and I’ll obey without question. This will never happen again, and everything will go back to the way it was.”
You fell silent, your smile fading away as the conversation began to fall out of your favor.
“But,” he continued, letting out a sharp exhale. “...If you’ll have me. We could m-”
You silenced him with a kiss on the lips, one that left him red faced and dazed. It was a risky move, but one you were more than willing to take. You pulled away after a few seconds and held back a chuckle when you saw his shocked expression; certainly, those long months spent building up tension had paid off. Armed with a silver tongued response, you let your words sink into him like teeth in supple skin. You leaned in close until your breath wisped across his ear.
“Does that answer your question?”
He stared at you with wide eyes and mouth agape for a few moments before pulling you into his embrace once more, kissing you deeply.
His kiss was ravenous, but his hands rivaled that hunger, taking in palmfuls of you as much as he could with all those layers of uniform covering your body. You felt his tongue against your own and relished the sweet peppermint flavor while strong hands slid under the fabric of your outerwear, causing your back to arch further into his grasp. You felt his hands on your back and then again on your hips, groping every curve until his appetite was satiated.
Desperate to get closer, he suddenly pushed you against the wall and grabbed the backs of your thighs as he prepared to lift you up. You let out a tiny yelp a little too late, a weak attempt to warn him of your weight, but your words failed to reach his ears and soon you found yourself in the arms of the Flame Alchemist. Your legs instinctively wrapped around his waist as his hands rested comfortably on your ass, cradling each cheek in his wide palms. You looked down, realizing that your concern for his strength was unfounded. It was as if he was carrying a basket of feathers; there wasn’t any sign of strain to be found in his expression. Your anxiety returned to passion while your hands found their way into the jet black fields of his hair. You found yourself grabbing fistfuls of it as you kissed him deeper and deeper, smiling against his lips every time he moaned from the action. 
Abruptly, he pulled away, eyes soft with desire and longing. You opened your mouth to speak, but he silenced you with another wet kiss before carrying you towards the burgundy couch on the other side of the room.
He laid you down carefully on the velvet cushions, as if you were made of delicate porcelain. Your uniform was already in shambles; the hem of your top coat had ridden up, exposing your disheveled black undershirt and your lack of a bra, and your outer apron was practically on backwards. He took in the sight for a moment; his eyes lost in a lustful haze before finally doing something about it. He dug his fingers under the waistband of your pants in search of the buckle, causing you to let out a surprised squeal right before bursting into giggles. 
“Stahahap!” You weakly batted his hands away. “It tickles!”
You were doomed as soon as the words escaped your lips. With the narrowing of his eyes and a mischievous grin, he placed his fingers in the same spot you just pushed him away from and dug into your belly with a gentle, yet maddening touch.
“Ticklish?” He asked, already knowing the answer. You would’ve spat back a retort had you not been laughing so hard. Feeling him wriggle around in such a sensitive area was more than you could handle at the moment.
“Aaaaah! Roy!! Nooohoho!”
“Ah, now she calls me Roy. Who knew all I had to do to get you to obey me was to tickle you.”
“Nonononono- AAAH!”
Your little outburst was due to him raking his nails down the length of your now-exposed sides, which made you arch your back and push yourself further into his grasp once again. He quit the unbearable wriggling, trading them for soft and gentle strokes, but even those were enough to make you squirm. Your laughs quieted down to muted giggles, ones you tried to mask by covering your mouth with both hands. He took care of that swiftly, taking both wrists into one of his big hands and pinning them above your head. You could feel the heat radiating from his palm, and it made you sweat even more.
“There will be none of that,” He said with an amused smile, looking you up and down as you laid there at his total mercy. Heat crept up your neck and into your cheeks, and you quietly thanked whatever deity was out there for giving you so much melanin.
“Aaahaha… pleeease…” You half-heartedly begged, not for his hands to leave your skin but to continue touching the rest of you.
His free hand trailed up your side, purposefully tickling your bronze skin every inch of the way up until it reached your chest. Now only protected by a thin layer of dark cotton, he began to caress one of your budding nipples as it poked through the fabric of your undershirt. You let out a small moan, unable to hold yourself back. He gave the same attention to your other nipple, flicking the swollen tip until you began to whine. The gentle stimulation was enough to drive you wild, despite the fact that he had barely touched you.
“Why don’t we remove this troublesome uniform so I can find your other sensitive spots?” He cooed, eager to continue his exploration of your body. He released your wrists momentarily and waited for you to undress. You rolled your eyes but obliged, pulling off your unbuttoned top coat and white gloves while he got to work on his own clothes. You scoffed at him as he fumbled around with his own gloves and pants; you assumed the colonel would be a pro by now, with all the “experience” he bragged about having with the ladies, but seeing him awkwardly stumble around like a preteen about to lose his virginity was enough to make you laugh out loud. He put an end to it quickly, however, with another scurry of fingers up your sides. You shrieked again, curling up into yourself to get away from those torturous touches.
“How dare you mock your superior,” he joked, finally managing to undo his belt buckle. His pants slid off unceremoniously; he kicked them across the room and flinched when they landed on an expensive vase, subsequently knocking it over and shattering into pieces. You covered your mouth again, failing to hide another laugh. However, one look at his dejected expression made you regret poking fun at him.
“This is not exactly how I imagined this going,” He mumbled, furrowing his brows in frustration. 
“It’s alright. It’s cute.”
“How dare you call your superior officer cute. I should punish you for that.”
“You’re such a big baby. Stop whining and touch me already.”
“Look who’s giving orders now.”
“Shut up and do as you’re told.”
“As you wish, ma’am,” he teased as he leaned forward, pulling your pants down your thick legs and tossing them aside, this time with a bit more care so as not to break any other valuables in the room. All that was left were your black lace panties and matching undershirt.
He unbuttoned his top coat, removed his white undershirt, and placed both of them on the floor beside the couch, and finally it was your turn to admire his form. You knew the Flame Alchemist was strong after fighting in two different wars, but you had never gotten the chance to see his body in its full glory without the layers of his uniform hiding it away. The muscles in his arms bulged with every movement, complemented by thick veins that ran from the back of his hands to his forearms. He must have been committed to his core workouts as well; he had a well defined six pack that rose and fell with each haggard breath he took. It was enough to make you go feral. You couldn’t stop yourself from reaching out to caress his milky pale skin, which flinched at the sudden contact. It was warm beneath your fingertips, and after a taste you wanted more.
It would have to wait, though, for he was a gentleman and wouldn’t dare come before his lady. 
He crouched down and planted a gentle kiss on your stomach as he began his worship of you. Your skin quivered from the tender gesture and you struggled to hold back another tittered reaction for fear of ruining the moment. Biting your lip failed to stifle the giggles bubbling in your throat as he kissed, licked, and sucked every inch of your exposed belly. He flittered his lips along your sides, moving from waist to navel until his tongue dipped into your belly button. Each subtle movement sent electric currents throughout your body, filling you with pleasure as he adored every centimeter of your seldom touched skin.
Moving downwards, his lips grazed your thigh crease as they continued their descent, but when he went to spread your legs you grabbed his shoulders to stop him. He looked up, brows furrowed with worry at your tense expression.
“Wait,” you said as insecurity overcame you. “I don’t… like how I look down there.”
He said nothing, his gaze returning to the empty space between your thighs that he planned to fill himself. He rubbed the tops of your legs with the lightest pressure, making you writhe in place. He looked up at you again with puppy dog eyes, begging for you to let him in.
“May I?”
You hesitated, but nodded in response. He slowly pushed your legs apart, and suddenly you felt more exposed than ever before. The scars that dotted your pantyline were front and center, the ugly browns and bumpy red ridges garnering all the attention from your colonel. Your pubic hair was wild and unkempt, so much that he’d have to sift through the strands like a man on a safari. Surely, seeing these scars, along with the state of your pubic hair, had turned him off completely.
“It’s just… been a while,” you continued your lament. “A long while.”
Still saying nothing, he leaned forward and surprised you with more gentle pecks directly on the scarred skin you had spent years hiding away from the light. He added his tongue, pulling your thin lace panties to the side and carefully spreading your lips so he could begin to feast. That first lick sent your mind soaring to the heavens, causing your hands to clutch the stiff fabric of the couch for leverage. The space between your legs increased as you opened yourself to him, allowing him access to your seldom shared treasure. Your insecurities quickly faded into nothing, and you surrendered to him body and mind.
Admittedly, it took awhile for you to cum. Longer than you wished. But he was dedicated to your pleasure, keeping his face planted between your thighs through every guttural moan or sudden thrash. You made sure to let him know he was doing the job well, your moans growing louder whenever he licked your clit in just the right way. Alternating between sucking and flicking, he finally found the rhythm that suited you best after several long minutes of trial and error. He kept going, refusing to change his pattern until he heard those magic words.
“I’m gonna come,” you cry out in a breathy voice. “I’m gonna come I’m gonna come I’m gonna-”
An explosion of stars in your peripheral, plus the involuntary curling of your toes, told him all he needed to know. Waves of pleasure washed over your body as your mind went fuzzy, like television screens after a long day’s broadcast. Your chest rose and fell in rapid succession, and upon opening your eyes you were greeted by a victorious smirk from your baby-faced superior. He leaned his cheek against your thigh, lazily kissing along your path of scars until he reached your knees.
“You’re amazing,” he uttered in between smooches. His fingers traced constellations in your skin, making you flinch now and then from the ticklish sensations. You tried to grab his hands, but he was faster, and made sure to take advantage of your vulnerability and increased sensitivity by tickling your hips until you screamed.
“And you’re a menace!” You cried out, playfully slapping his cheeks while he laughed at your expense. 
Once you regained logical thought, you pushed yourself up and faced your superior officer head on. He had given you a taste of pleasure, but you craved more. You wanted him inside you, and you wanted him your way. It was time for Roy Mustang to take orders.
“Lay down,” You commanded, a sudden authoritativeness washing over you. Roy seemed just as shocked as you, but followed your command willingly. He laid back on the couch across strewn cushions and scattered pillows, allowing you to take full reign over him. He wasn't moving fast enough to your liking, so you pushed him down and wrapped your hand around his throat with enough pressure to hold him in place without affecting his breathing. You kept your thumb and forefinger in the shape of a V, careful not to press down too hard too quickly. Your fingers rested comfortably on the sides of his neck as he looked at you with eyes full of affection.
“(Y/N), I never took you as an aggressive one,” He teased, showing no signs of fighting back.
“There are a lot of things you don’t know about me, Roy,” you ran your thumb over his bottom lip and caressed his freshly shaven face as he watched you, holding back from acting on his arousal.
“Well, I’d certainly love to find out.”
You released him from your grasp and carefully stood up on the unstable cushions, lifting your undershirt over your head and sliding your panties down until you were stark naked. Stark naked, in front of your superior officer, who was gaping at you like he’d just discovered the eighth wonder of the world. You crawled on top of him, seizing the waistband of his own briefs before yanking them off unceremoniously. They were discarded next to the couch with the rest of the wrinkled pieces of your uniforms.
Finally, you saw his member in all its glory. It was pale, with a hint of rosy hue, and exactly the right shape for your preferences. If you had to guess, it was at least 8 inches erect. He’d teased you with his dickprint for those long months, aware of how its size and girth demanded your attention every time you were lucky enough to sit next to him in a meeting. How long had you yearned to feel it for yourself?
You took his rock hard penis into your hand, gathering all of the saliva in your mouth before taking it in. You licked the tip with a flicker of your tongue, smiling to yourself when you saw him writhe where he laid. You wrapped your mouth around him as he cried out in pleasure, finally giving him the relief he desired. Your head began to bob up and down as your tongue licked the entirety of his member. You felt it twitch in your mouth every so often as he began to pulsate, grunting every time the tip hit the back of your throat. You suppressed the urge to gag, slowing down whenever that sick feeling arose, then returned to the same deliberate rhythm when the feeling passed. You could tell the ebb and flow was driving him mad. It was time to give him more.
“Do you have a condom?” You asked, ready to go all the way.
He nodded, reaching over the side of the couch in search of his pants. He fumbled around for a bit, letting out a frustrated curse every once in a while before he found what he was looking for. He ripped off the plastic wrapping and pinched the tip as he slid it down over his painfully erect penis.
When he was ready, you climbed on top and spread your legs.
“Do you want me?” you said, pressing the tip of his head into your vagina. He let out a groan and pushed his hips upward, desperate to get deeper inside of you.
“Yes,” he murmured.
“How badly do you want me?”
“I want you so bad,” his pleas became more urgent, almost turning to whimpers. “Please, let me feel you.”
You obliged, taking him into you. You were still quite wet from his masterful oral skills, so his member slid inside easily without much discomfort. The cry of pleasure that came from him almost caused you to stop in place. You lifted yourself up, then back down again, your cheeks making a smacking sound as they slammed against his thighs.
“Fuck,” he sighed with eyes closed, grunting with every long stroke. “You feel so good.”
You silently agree as your body rises and falls in a steady pattern. He feels so good, so unbelievably good inside you, and all you wanted in that moment was to make him feel as good as you did. You bounced around, testing out different angles to see which gave the best reactions, then settled on one and sped up your strokes.
“Tell me you love it,” you demanded, dripping with sweat, seeking affirmation of a job well done. 
“I love it. I need it. Please, give me more.”
You could feel him getting close. He squeezed his eyes shut, clutching your hips for dear life as you rode him into dawn and let out more than a few moans of your own.
Finally, he reached his peak. You could feel his warm cum bursting inside you, protected only by the thin lubricated condom. You sat there for some time, delighting in the random pumps and twitches as he continued to burst inside you. 
Exhaustion finally hit, and when he pulled you into an embrace you didn’t bother protesting. The two of you laid there for however long, lost in a world of ecstasy. One hand was wrapped around your shoulder while the other stroked your wild curls. You closed your eyes and melted into him, making sure to enjoy the moment as much as possible before it was over.
“Roy,” you spoke up after a long bout of silence. “What happens now?”
He didn’t answer for a moment, continuing to caress your frazzled curls and rubbing the back of your neck every now and then. Seemingly lost in thought.
“I told you,” he spoke up after some time. “You call the shots.”
You clenched your fist as it rested against his chest. You could feel his heart beating rapidly, unwilling to let the excitement go.
“I want more of this. I want more of you.”
He responded by cupping your cheek in one hand, pulling it towards his own face so he could address you properly. For once, you felt shy as you made eye contact with your colonel.
“What are you doing tomorrow night?”
“Uh, nothing. I have to tend to my garden, but that won’t take long.”
“Let’s do dinner at 7. Then I’ll tend to your garden afterward.”
He was truly something else. You scoffed at his ridiculous innuendo, gently backhanding him for daring to be so cheesy at such a time. He simply smiled back, pulling you in closer so he could kiss you again, and again, and again.
Work, promotions, envious colleagues… all of that could wait. Right now, you had everything you wanted. You’d figure the rest out later.
After all, you were a phenomenal woman. 
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jarienn972 · 3 years
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Weathering the Storm - Part Four
For a multitude of reasons, it has been ages since I've been able to update this story. I had the chapter all plotted out, but never seemed to be able to find time (or sometimes just motivation) to write. I appreciate those who reached out to me asking if I planned to update it and I thank you so much for your patience! I absolutely plan to finish it and right now, there are 2 more planned chapters to close everything out.
For now though, since it has been a few months, here’s a quick recap of where we left off in the last chapter: Emma braved the elements to investigate the abandoned Sheriff cruiser, and after seeing the dashcam video, knows that her husband is injured after the disastrous traffic stop. She's made the assumption that Killian would try to make his way to the closest dwelling to the lonely stretch of highway - Zelena's farmhouse. We're going to pick up at that same farmhouse as the unrelenting thunderstorm continues. 
If you’d like to catch up from the beginning, you can find all of the current chapters on FF.net and AO3. Tumblr: Part One  Part Two  Part Three
Despite the warm glow from the flickering orange and gold flames in the fireplace behind her chair, the lingering dreariness of the day was wearing heavily on Zelena's mood. The sky was still laden with dull, grey clouds unleashing unholy torrents of rain upon the farmhouse's metal roof and continuous gusts of wind threatened to blow away the fluttering blue tarp which was only barely protecting them from the elements.
Oh, what she wouldn't have given right now if she could still possess the ability to poof them all away from this isolated outpost deep in the forest. Maybe she shouldn't have been so hasty and rammed that beat up old jalopy of hers into the Black Fairy. She wasn't particularly good at driving the beast but perhaps she could have managed to get into town… Oh, heavens...who was she kidding? In this weather, she wouldn't have made it to the end of the drive, and anyway, the ugly, metal death-trap was still sitting on a lot in town, rusting away as it awaited repairs. It hadn't been a high priority to fix when she'd had electricity and a working telephone to call Regina who'd pop in with supplies and whatever if she needed a hand with something. If she couldn't solve the problem with magic from a distance, she'd drive out to help her sister and niece, but she certainly couldn't do that right now.
At least, she could be thankful for the simple fact that Robin would sleep through almost anything when she had a full tummy. She couldn't recall the exact time she'd put her daughter down for her afternoon nap, but she estimated that it had been about an hour and a half, meaning her child was going to awaken soon and Zelena would have to figure out a way to entertain a cranky toddler in a dark, drafty house. For now though, the exasperated mom was enjoying the quiet reprieve from this stress-filled day before Robin was awake and wanting to play ,and then Zelena would also have to figure a way to keep the baby from bothering their guest.
Their guest.
How long had it been now since Hook showed up sopping wet on her doorstep? Two hours? Closer to three? Surely Emma would have realized that something was amiss if she'd not heard from her husband by now. How long might it take before someone realized that he was lying on her sofa right at this very moment? He was still semi-peacefully slumbering after taking a swig of the children's pain reliever which might have taken enough of the edge off to allow him to rest - or he'd just passed out from sheer agony and exhaustion.
Either way, she tried to distract herself with a little bit of reading by the firelight. The dancing flames cast odd shadows across the pages making the text difficult to see at times, but then she wasn't fully paying attention to the prose before her. She could scarcely recall a thing she'd read from the prior chapter, much less the last paragraph. She just needed something - anything - to keep her weary mind occupied during this brief reprieve. She was going bloody stir crazy, even beginning to believe she was hearing things that weren't there. She'd swear she just heard something rapping on the kitchen window, but quickly dismissed the thought, figuring it was just the swirling wind rattling the creaky door.
Until she was certain that she heard the sound of her name being called over the howling of the storm.
**********
Emma had briefly considered poofing herself right into the center of Zelena's kitchen, but decided against it at the last second, instead materializing from a cloud of pale grey smoke on the front porch instead. While she was somewhat protected from the storm by the narrow extension of the roof, rain water poured over the eaves in sheets. Considering that the gravel driveway leading up from the road had morphed into a shallow, muddy lake, the porch was relatively dry in comparison, although Emma wasn't certain just how protected she was from Mother Nature's fury when a bolt of lightning lit up the darkened skies. The tin roof above her head probably wasn't the safest right now…
She took a long stride closer to the door, wiping away some condensation from the glass with her sleeve as she peered through the window. She couldn't make out much inside the empty kitchen as it was fairly dark with a faint orangish glow in the distance. Zelena probably had a fire burning to provide some light and heat to stave off the chills with the power still out. She couldn't hear any voices emanating from the interior of the house, but it was possible that the noise of the rain striking the metal roof was drowning out any sounds from inside. But in the dim backlight provided by the firelight, Emma could make out a dark mass draped around the back of one of the ladderback chairs - a shape that looked decidedly like the collar and shoulders of a coat. A dark coat that had enough of a sheen on its surface to reflect the warm hue of the flames. Just like a certain black leather coat that her husband had been wearing when he departed for the station this morning.
Please, let that be Killian's coat, she begged of whatever higher power might be listening as she knocked anxiously on the window. Not noticing any movement inside the farmhouse, she rapped again, but this time on the wooden door instead of the glass as her sight fell upon a ruddy stain upon the white paint. Was that blood?
"Zelena?" she shouted, hoping that her voice would carry louder than her knocking. "Zelena? Are you in there?" Well, that was a stupid question...Of course she had to be inside. Most people wouldn't leave home with a fire still burning and where exactly would she go? Even if she'd managed to get her crappy car running, there was no way she would have made it into town in this downpour. She probably wouldn't have reached the end of the driveway… "Zelena!" she cried out even louder this time.
Seeing the familiar hue of the former witch's wild auburn hair through the steamed up glass, Emma's nerves abated momentarily and she let out a relieved exhale as the door was yanked open.
"Emma?" a startled Zelena muttered as she found the drenched, blonde sheriff standing at her doorstep, but her mood instantly lifted. "I am so happy to see you! I was hoping that you'd soon figure out your husband came here to seek help."
"Thank goodness. There weren't many places he could have gone, so I was really hoping he made it here. He recorded the whole thing on the dashcam, so I know he was shot. Is he alright?" Emma tried to keep her nerves in check, but as she rambled on, she knew she was failing miserably.
"He's in on the sofa. He's sleeping right now. Well, at least I think he's sleeping… He's been in and out of consciousness," Zelena explained as she waved Emma inside. Emma brushed past the redhead who closed the door quickly before the wind blew any more of the never-ending precipitation into the kitchen. Zelena continued detailing all she'd done to help, even though she doubted Emma heard half of it. "I've tried my best to get the bleeding under control. It isn't near as heavy as it was before, but he still lost a lot. The bullet that hit him went clean through and I don't think anything too vital was struck, but I really don't know for certain. He's still a bloody mess and a bit feverish. I tried giving him some of Robin's baby ibuprofen to help with the pain too, but I don't have a bloody clue how well that worked..."
Half-listening as she rounded the corner into the living room, Emma made a bee-line over to the sofa where she discovered her husband curled on his side with a woolen blanket draped over him. Even with the golden glow cast by the flames, his skin bore a deathly pallor. "Oh, Killian…," she sighed as she dropped to her knees on the floor beside him. She cupped her palm around his cheek, finding it cool and clammy beneath the warmth of her fingers. A muted, but guttural moan escaped his throat as he stirred at her touch. He blinked twice in the low light but as his sight adjusted, his eyelids parted fully to focus on the unexpected, but magnificent face of his true love.
"Swan?" he mumbled, his muddled brain trying to determine if she was real or just a cruel hallucination.
"It's me," Emma smiled, happy to find him conscious and communicative. "I'm here and I'm going to get you help…"
"Now that you can heal him, it'll all be fine," Zelena spoke up. "I would have already done that if I still had my magic, but now Emma can get you all fixed up," she gave a nod to Killian but the expression that crossed Emma's face confused her.
"Unfortunately, it isn't quite that simple…," Emma groaned in frustration. "Because this situation involved criminals from outside of Storybrooke, I had to have David notify the state police and put out a bulletin to watch for the vehicle. They'll have questions about the shooting, and if the deputy who they can see being shot on dashcam footage is suddenly, miraculously healed, those questions are going to get uncomfortable and weird and cast doubt on the whole thing. I don't even think that saying Killian was wearing a bulletproof vest would hold up under the circumstances…"
"So, what does that mean?" Zelena questioned.
"I'll have to get him back to Whale - transport him directly to the hospital…"
Emma was cut off mid-sentence as the storm unleashed a tremendous gust of wind that blasted through the broken window, billowing out the tarp until the nails could no longer hold and the resulting gush extinguished the fire. Swirls of raindrops, leaves and other debris were forced through the opening as the tarp floundered and flopped about the floor. Without a moment's hesitation, she spun around and raised her hands. In a split-second, a magical wave of bright light filled the room, vanquishing the tarp and all of the storm debris as it repaired the damaged window, restoring it to its original state like its twin further down the living room wall.
Zelena breathed a sigh of relief as the threat of further damage subsided for the time being, even though the room was plunged into darkness without the flames illuminating it. She wasn't going to miss that ugly plastic sheet, nor would she miss the drafts and rainwater that seeped in around its edges.
"Thank you for fixing that awful eyesore," Zelena said as Robin let out a terrified wail after being awakened by all of the commotion. "I'm coming, my love," she assured her daughter but she also gave Emma a quizzical look before heading over to the play yard. "Do you think you're going to have to explain that one?" she asked Emma with a gesture towards the repaired window.
"Hopefully, it won't come to it, but I suppose I'll think of something, if necessary," Emma replied as she turned her attention back to her wounded husband while Zelena scooped up a whimpering toddler. "Okay, one crisis averted," she whispered as she gently squeezed her husband's bicep through the blanket. "Let's get you into town so we can get you fixed up too."
Killian gave a weak nod and allowed his eyes to fall closed again as he steeled himself for teleportation, never knowing how rough the landing may be when they re-materialized. The commonplace of magical transport was something this grizzled mariner was still getting used to.
"Take us with you," Zelena interrupted. Unprepared for such a request, Emma glanced upward into the pleading eyes of the redhead who was still bouncing a teary-eyed toddler on her hip.
"What?" Emma stammered, her brow knitted in confusion. Had she heard that right?
"Please… Will you transport us there with you? I promise, we will be out of your way as soon as we get there. I'll call Regina to come pick us up, but I can't stay isolated out here in this bloody storm with no power and no way to get in touch with anyone. I hate not having magic anymore… I don't want to be a bother, but please…?"
"Um...sure, I guess," Emma responded. "For everything you've done for Killian today, I suppose it's the least I could do."
"Oh, thank you! Thank you!" the former witch gushed. "Let me grab Robin's things. I'll be less than a minute!" She scurried into the bedroom to collect Robin's diaper bag as well as a jacket for each of them, then quickly darted into the kitchen to grab the baby's pre-made evening bottle, which the little one eyed greedily as they returned to the living room. Her final task was to toss a pitcher of water onto the smoldering remnants of the fire to ensure it was completely out before they vacated the farmhouse. Returning to Emma's side, Zelena gave her daughter a tight hug and exclaimed: "All ready."
"Then off to Storybrooke Hospital we go," Emma stated, swishing her wrist before the magical cloud enveloped them.
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ofeva · 3 years
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01. EVANGELINE ASTOR.
“She’s...she’s not like I expected. She’s just a rather unpleasant sort of girl, really.”
Evangeline is nine when she overhears this from the top of the stairs at her parent’s home. She doesn’t know what it means, really, but she knows that it’s about her. It’s not unusual for her parents to whisper about things after they think that she’s gone to bed, but even at this age, Eva has never been particularly good at ‘going to bed.’ At this point, her parents have not done a particularly good job at hiding the fact that they don’t like her very much, so she’s decided that she doesn’t like them very much either.
Even though she’s light on her feet, the stair in the old house creaks when she stands up. Hopefully her parents have had too many dry martinis that they won’t hear the sound, and even if they do, they won’t think much of it. The house is old and always making strange noises, the doors sometimes open and shut on their own, wind comes in gusts through the poor insulation. It sometimes sounds like voices, and Eva likes to think that the house is full of ghosts and that they’re all on her side. She’s never been the sort of girl to run for her parents in the middle of the night when she hears a tapping at her window. She’s the sort of girl that just says, “Hello.”
When she was younger, she tried to tell her mother that she thought her room was haunted. Elizabeth Astor dropped a plate of pastries, fine china shattering into bits on the hardwood floor. Eva’s not supposed to talk about things like that.
When she gets back to her room, she feels quite upset. She doesn’t really know what to do with herself, the dark, resentful feeling that grows in the pit of her stomach and puts in roots at the base of her heart. She can’t turn on the light, not since her father got angry with her for tracking mud in the house a couple months ago and slammed his fist into the wall. He broke the switch. Eva’s not yet tall enough to reach the light cord that hangs off the bulb on the ceiling and do it manually. So, she lights a candle.
She loves the feeling of striking a match, the sound it makes, and there’s a certain amount of POWER that comes with holding something burning in her old wooden house. Imagine if she dropped it? Just let everything burn? The flame reflects in her dark eyes as she leans over to light the candle at her bedside, pulling a stack of books out of her bottom drawer. She’s reading Julie of the Wolves, the story of an orphan girl sent to live with her distant and cold aunt. When she runs away and begins to coexist with a pack of wolves, she becomes torn with the choice of staying with them or going back home. It’s one of her favorites, but Eva doesn’t think she’d have any difficulty with that choice. Too bad there aren’t many wolf packs in East Sussex.
It’s nearly dawn when Eva finishes her book, slowly drifting off to sleep. She blows out the candle before bed, watching gentle smoke spiral up toward the ceiling. It still burns within her.
June 2021
Eva returns to the UK after leaving Gallagher because she’s not sure where else to go. She doesn’t have much with her, a duffel bag of clothes and a couple books, having ditched all forms of electronics. She’s got a bit of cash on her. There’s an ache in her chest when the bus pulls onto the road of her old hometown. At first she doesn’t know what it is, but she thinks maybe this is what people talk about when they say that their heart hurts.
It’s been a harrowing semester.
When she steps off the bus, she feels a rush of memory. It’s not nostalgia, she has no longing for the past, but it’s easy to remember how this little seaside town shaped her into who she was, and how lonely she used to feel, walking on this exact same path to home. It makes her realize she feels less lonely now, in the same way that Julie made a pack of wolves her family, she’d found her own group of outsiders in Cole, Cecilia, Carmichael, and Christian. She was not the only one who always felt something wild within her, and just like the wolves, when you weather the storm together you better your chances of survival.
Before she even reaches her destination, she knows exactly what she’s going to do. Some people might find it pointless, or even petty, but for Eva it goes deeper than that. Being petty is reserved for focusing on matters of little importance, and this is more important to her than anything, it’s the final closing chapter before she leaves this little town and her childhood home for good. It’s a clear, beautiful Sunday morning when she stands in the trees beside her house. She knows that her parents will likely leave for church soon, at 9:45am on the dot like they always do. They’re addicted to their little routines. And Eva is addicted to other things. She lights the cigarette between her lips, exhales with a sigh. The grass is so dry she wonders what would happen if she dropped it. How long would the fire burn?
Eva looks up when she hears the slam of the front door of the house, the careful movement down steps. She hasn’t seen them in years now, and her father helps her mother down the steps and into the car. She walks with a cane. Had they always been this small? They look so frail to her from this distance, so fragile, and it’s hard to believe how many years she allowed these little people to lord over her life, to try and shape her into something she couldn’t. How could such fragile people have suffocated her so much? How had she let them do that to her? 
It’s not until the car is far down the dirt road that she feels like she can breathe properly again. Eva ashes her cigarette and puts it out on the bark of a tree before she heads up toward the house. It’s amazing to her how well she remembers things, exactly where her mother keeps the butter dish or the weird crack on the ceiling in the dining room. The wind howls through the hall in gusts from where her father left the window open in the study, and she feels strange. Like now, she is just one of many ghosts that inhabited the halls of this old house. She is not a guest or a visitor, there is a piece of her trapped forever, emblazoned in the woodwork. There will always be a part of her that is that lonely little girl with something so dreadful about her that she couldn’t be loved properly, that little girl who stayed up all night, feeling something rotting inside of her.
She wants to destroy it.
Eva moves through the house like a memory, and it’s not hard to find what she needs. Gasoline, mostly, and she’s one of those sick people that loves the smell. She loves it even more right now. It’s not petty to her, it has to be done. It makes so much sense to her to set all the ghosts free that live in these walls, and it’s the best place that she knows to spread the fire that wages war inside of her.
She has to be quick after she strikes the match, she can’t revel in the feeling that she loves so much – there is a power that comes from starting a fire, no matter how small. Then she lets go.
She’s far out of town by the time the air becomes thick with smoke, not around to watch the floorboards of her childhood home get consumed by the flames, but it’s an old house, the base is rotting, and there will be nothing that the town’s tiny fire department will be able to do to preserve it in time. 
Sometimes, to grow, you have to kill a part of yourself to do it, cut off the part that’s gone bad. Leaving, she feels like she’s gotten a part of herself back, like she’s burnt out the rotten bit at the center of her core. It’s revenge, surely, but she’s always been fond of that. Even more so, it’s the end of something old.
And once again, Eva will find somewhere to start new, like a phoenix from the ashes.
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pl-panda · 4 years
Text
The vines that bind us - Chapter 8
Chapter 1 || Previous || Next
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“I trust you to act responsibly. And as a Guardian, you probably should start learning magic anyway.”
“Let’s get started then. Please tell me I can curse Lie-la!”
“Mari!”
“Just kidding, alright?” She smiled innocently and Tikki shook her head. 
-------------
Somewhere into the evening, Chloe called her to inform her that she was on her way back and she shouldn’t worry. When the blonde entered the room… it was a mess, using the word loosely. The walls were in all colors of the rainbow sans their original one. The room seemed to be double its size and Chloe was pretty sure her bed just got a fourth dimension added to it. There was also that the plants seemed to have taken over one corner and created their own kingdom. She could even see them raising a flag with Marigold Design and creations logo on it. 
“Figures! I leave you for one afternoon…!” Chloe said with disdain while trying to step over what looked almost like a black hole. 
“Chlo? Is that you?” Mari’s voice came from two and a half directions at the same time. The blonde had no idea how was it even possible.
“Isley! Get your pretty ass here so I can properly scold you!”  
“Um… Kinda tied at the moment,” came an answer.
“I don’t want to hear it. I had a long day of scheming and I need my beauty sleep.” Chloe complained. “Get me my bed fixed at least.”
“Oh fine! Tikki! Spots on!” There was a pink light from two separate directions and suddenly Ladybug jumped out of the small hole in the ground. “Miraculous Ladybug!” 
After the wave of shining bugs settled and the room was back to normal Mari detransformed and smiled apologetically at Chloe. “Sorry. Got carried away with the new book.”
“Picasso’s guide to architecture and interior design?” Chloe deadpanned. 
“Nope,” The bluenette smiled and pulled a rather hefty tome from her bed to show it to her friend. “Someone dropped it inside our room when we were out. Tikki deemed it safe and taught me the basics.” 
“I think you will need remedial lessons, given how our room looked. What exactly was the purpose of making my bed four-dimensional?”
“I might have tried to expand the room a bit, but I miscalculated a tiny bit. There is a surprising amount of math in magic.”
“Whatever. I would tell you how my date went, but I’m utterly exhausted now.” Chloe teased her friend. She expected the girl to beg her for the details. Instead, Mari pointed her arm at the bed.
“Pea and feather go along. Make this bed out of stone.” Her iridescent green and blue eyes flashed for a moment… and nothing happened. Chloe smiled triumphantly and tried to jump onto her bed, only to hit the cover hard. While on the outside, the bed looked like nothing changed, in reality, it was hard as the floor. Funnily enough, she could easily slip under the cover, but it still felt like lying on the floor with sheets of paper sewn together as a blanket. 
“You’re mean!” She cried. “I’m now commandeering your bed.” Before Mari even understood what Chloe meant, the girl jumped under her covers and snuggled on one side. There was still enough space for Mari to join if she was brave enough. 
“Ugh! That’s my bed!” 
“Exactly. You can take mine if you like it enough to modify it.”
“Tikki!” Mari cried, hoping that at least the Kwami would support her.
“Nope. You’re the one that made the bed so now you must sleep in it.”
“Um…” Mari tried to look in the book for a counterspell, but in the end, she just pointed her hand on the bed. “Princes found her prince at last. Take the curse and…” she tried to quickly find some rhyme. “break the glass? Ups…”
The window suddenly exploded, but the bed glowed, and after checking it was okay she picked Chloe to move her over. Except it totally didn’t work and the blonde instead pulled her into the comfortable bed. The tired Mari was too exhausted, both emotionally and physically, to care. She just cuddled closer to her adopted sister for some comfort. And heat since there was now a hole instead of the window and it was February.
----------------
The next morning Mari and Chloe woke up in a similar mess to the day before. And once again they were clothed.
“Ugh… I should probably calm down on magic.” Mari stretched herself a bit to get ready. She quickly changed into the fresh version of her yesterday’s outfit and helped Chloe gather herself a new ‘something’ for the day’s work. Apparently, for the next step of her scheme, she needed to look like a perfect Parisian princess. Something about Media attention. Mari was too busy with her tablet to care. 
She received a mail at 6 am that there was a slight change in the time of the press conference so she needed to forward it to the conference center before she even got to work. While eating breakfast she checked over the summary reaction about the public statement and emotions that accompanied the fallout. Predictably, the pictures served as a nice distraction, but also rallied the citizens behind the company. They treated it as someone making fun of the suffering company and flamed the Lila girl, even though the company said that she was also a victim. Well, there was a footnote about it. 
“You know you don’t need to put so much work into it?” Chloe asked while eating her croissant.
“I do. But if I can’t manage it now, how am I supposed to one day make MDC as big of a brand as Gabriel?”
“By not working yourself into a coffin?”
“Well… Wait a moment.” Mari was interrupted when her phone ringed. She quickly picked the call and her smile was replaced with a frown. “I understand. I will be there soon. Please keep an eye on him and tell the security not to let any more paparazzi.” she hanged up.
“Trouble?” Chloe asked with a grin.
“I’m afraid to ask…” 
“Damian is doing an errand for me. He is such a good sidekick.” The blonde smiled. Mari did not answer but urged her best friend to move on faster.
Since they stayed in their room for breakfast, neither girl wanting to deal with their moronic class longer than needed, they got down just in time… to see the bus leaving them in front of the hotel.
“Are you kidding me?” Chloe raised her hand. “We are in Gotham. Does that… that… Has she got any idea how dangerous is it?!”
“Said the girl that taunted the Riddler.” Mari deadpanned.
“He wouldn’t hurt me.” The blonde answered confidently.
“Anyway… we could call a taxi.” Chloe sneered at the idea, so Mari offered something else. “I could also test that portal spell…” 
“Taxi!” The girl shouted. Mari just shook her head and pulled the mobile phone. After less than five minutes Chas Chandler rolled next to them in his cab.
“I was in the neighborhood.” He smiled.
“Nice seeing you sir.” Mari greeted him before pushing Chloe in the back seat and joining her.
“To the Wayne tower, please. I would appreciate it if you could get us there fast. I need to get my boss to do his work.” She hoped they would arrive before the class to see their faces.
Sadly, the cab got stuck in the traffic and it took them over an hour to arrive. When Mari entered the lobby, she was angry enough to turn into a ‘stern assistant’ mode. Not a nice place to be if you are on her way. She stormed past the security while flashing her badge. They didn’t dare to try to stop her. 
“Get McKinsley to HR. And by the time I arrive I want Lila Rossi and Alya Cessaire to be sitting there!” The second one was directed to the receptionist, who nodded. So far everyone loved Mari, even in her bad mood. It didn’t stop them from being terrified. 
Both she and Chloe got into the elevator. When the doors closed, the blonde grinned. 
“I love it when you finally show your Gothamite side.” 
She got no response from the angry Mari, but through the ride, her smirk did not disappear through the ride. Once they separated, the bluenette continued alone. Angry did not give her emotions justice. She was furious.
Once she finally got on the floor, she stormed through the corridors right to the head of the department’s office. Luckily for everyone, Lila and Alya were already there.
“Who do you think…” Alya started only to be silenced by a death stare from Mari. For the first time in her life, she realized that the bluenette was someone not to be trifled with. 
“Apparently, since this morning I’m your superior.” Mari deadpanned. “Funny thing. I would probably only learn about this from your bragging later on if you didn’t decide, in all your stupidity, to write yourself reference in my name.” It was clear that she did not find it funny. 
“Puh-lease. You bullied Lila since she came. I thought that it was only fair that you’ve repaid her somehow.” Alya babbled, already forgetting her earlier fear.
“So you take full responsibility for forging both your resume?” Mari asked with a raised eyebrow, wanting to have it said out loud for the record. Especially since Madame McKinsley was standing in the entrance.
“Of course. It was totally unfair that such a bully got all the privileges while hard-working Lila had nothing.”
The Head of the Human Resources department sent Mari a tired look that seemed to mean ‘is she for real?’ She was a woman in her thirties with neatly cut black hair and skin in the color of dark chocolate by the name Mrs. Alicia Lynch
“Oh… In that case, you’re disciplinarily fired.��
“What?!” Alya screamed.
“And I will make sure this incident finds itself into your acts,” Alicia said with a frown. 
“You can’t…!” Alya was once more cut off, this time by madame McKinsley.
“They can. And you’re lucky that we are not pressing charges for attempted sabotage.” 
“The security will show you out. The teacher and your guardians will be informed. Since the hotel is paid by Wayne Enterprise for the members of the interns’ program, you will need to find alternative accommodations or simply return to Paris. I’ll leave this to the teacher and parents to resolve.”
“But… But…” Alya wanted to argue. All blood left her face and she seemed close to passing out. A man in a suit, carrying the security badge helped her out of the chair and led her outside.
“Now about you.” Mari turned her gaze toward Lila, who so far was busy checking on her nails.
“Oh! This is ridiculous! I had nothing to do with it. I’m a victim too!”
Marigold turned to McKinsley, who looked dejected.
“We can’t fire her. She was hired for the six months period.”
“Mutual agreement?” Mari asked. She’s been researching ways to dissolve her contract faster. Sadly, she already knew the answer.
“Two months waiting period. Standard to ensure she doesn’t use any of her knowledge against us.” For Mari, it was a year when she couldn’t work for any other company. Luckily, running her own business was still on the table, as long as she stuck to restrictions.
A different idea formed in Blunette’s head. She smirked slightly. “Well, Miss Rossi, looks like you’re in luck. Welcome to Wayne Enterprises. I hope you didn’t have any great ideas.”
Lila gulped. “Was that a threat?”
“No. If I threatened you, you would know. You and your little attack dog forgot that this is not Paris. This is Gotham. Here, we play by my rules.” With that she spun around and left, typing on her tablet. Just before the doors closed, she tossed another sentence that drove the nail deeper. “And this time, there is no minion to do it for you.”
----------------
Marigold didn’t calm down before reaching the top floor. Her emotions subsided a bit, but she was still on edge. 
“Ugh! How dare those stupid witches to try to use my name to sign their references! And that idiot who somehow believed them. He will definitely not get any bonus this month. Or next. At least they had enough common sense to call me. Except after the fact!” She was pacing in front of her desk. 
Tikki peaked from the inner pocket of her jacket. “At least you could do something about it!” She cheered.
“True. I got rid of one trouble. Without her, I will have a chance for some peace…” She barely finished the sentence when there was a crash in the room next door. Immediately, she rushed inside to check. Turns out her boss for some reason decided to move the desk. He ended up knocking the computer over. 
“Ehm.” She faux-coughed to get his attention.
“Oh! Um… I was just…” Tim tried to find some excuse.
“Trying to open the secret stash of coffee?”
“How do you…” he started to ask flabbergasted, but she interrupted him once more.
“I studied the schematics. And Sarah left me a note about it.” A smirk ghosted her stern face.
“Damn! Now I will need another hiding place.” Tim gathered himself from the ground. “Wait! You moved the desk by yourself?”
“Do I look that strong to you?” She asked, her face unmoving. Just because she came to hate liars didn’t mean she didn’t know how to bend the truth a little. And technically, she just avoided answering altogether.
“Whatever. You must’ve ordered the repair crew to move it then. I want my coffee.” He said pouting.
“Sir. I’m supposed to help you manage your time better. I am not simply your secretary.” Marigold informed him firmly. She checked with both Chloe and Nathalie what her responsibilities included.
“But you made that divine brew on Monday!”
“That was a gift for my first day of work.” Plus I had no idea what I was doing.
“But…”
“Enough buts for today. You have a meeting with Mr. Fox about the Friday presentation in half-an-hour. Did you familiarize yourself with the content of the email he sent you?”
“Ah! Of course, I did. I totally didn’t spend my night…”
“Then I would appreciate it if you spent the next half-an-hour on doing so.”
“B…” He didn’t even finish when her glare stopped him. She could pull Batstare better than the original.
“If you act like a proper CEO, I might think about making you some of my ‘divine brew’ as a reward.” She suggested and closed the door, leaving him to his own device. She had several calls to make and set other meetings
---------
It was two hours later when angry Caline Bustier demanded a meeting with her. Mari didn’t even think before redirecting her to HR. The teacher was supposed to be the chaperone of the group and look after them after work. She was also directly responsible for all of their actions. She was very displeased that now she had to take care of Alya for eight hours a day that used to be free time for her. So of course, she blamed everything on Marinette. This time, it backfired. She had to quickly give up any accusations before she ended up in an even worse situation. 
Luckily, after that little incident, the day passed without any more surprises. She had half-a-mind to search the town for her mother in the evening. Since she was hired, she was now technically independent of the class. Chloe had a slip from her father that allowed her to basically ignore the teacher. The blonde convinced Mari that mindless wandering the city would only get her robbed. Or at least involved in attempted robbery since she could easily kick ass if she only wanted. Instead, Mari spent the afternoon shopping for materials and working on a new outfit for uncle Jagged that he ordered for his visit to Gotham in a month or so.
She also made a quick call to Paris to discuss things with her hire. The girl informed her that she would happily run the store a little longer. Mari promised to even consider to hire her permanently if she did well. 
Chloe had another date scheming meeting with Damian Wayne. At this point, it was unclear what their relationship was. Good thing: neither did the tabloids. Mari promised to the blonde to hold back on the search for her mom until Friday afternoon. She also promised to take both Adrien and Chloe with her when she visited a contact in the local club. They would celebrate her getting a job and the first week over.
All would be great. If she didn’t spot a vigilante on the rooftop next to her (now fixed) window. Even then, it was Gotham. The bats were rather common at this point. It wasn’t like when she left and they were only starting. Batman was still mostly a myth back then, even after six years of work. Except this vigilante was clearly staking her room specifically. he even had binoculars that she was sure had night vision in them. 
She opened the window and picked a pencil. With deadly precision she tossed it. The wooden tool sailed through the air until it hit the binoculars and broke one side of them. She huffed and closed the window before pulling the curtains closed. How rude.
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NEXT
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aomine-ryo · 4 years
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I loved the scenario with Aomine as a cop! Can you do a scenario where Kagami is a firefighter and gets to a scene where the fire is at his gf's work/appartment? 😁
This was interesting to write! I’m glad you liked the previous scenario and I hope you like this one too :)
Scenario: Firefighter Kagami gets called to a fire at his girlfriend’s workplace
Kagami was just about to head out of the department for his lunch break when his radio suddenly alerted him about a nearby fire. As he tried to listen carefully to the address, a few of his colleagues rushed past him, heading towards the trucks. “Oi Kagami, quit standing around and gear up!” one of them shouted.
Kagami did as he was told and quickly climbed onto the firetruck with his coworkers. As the sirens rang through the streets they drove on, Kagami looked out, eyes fixated on the clouds of smoke in the sky that grew closer and closer. The vehicle finally came to a halt and Kagami and his coworkers piled out. The second the red head stepped out and faced the fiery building, it dawned upon him that it was your workplace. His eyes frantically looked around for your familiar face amongst the crowd of office workers that gathered underneath the building, but to no avail.
“Bakagami!” Kagami snapped out of his search and saw his friend in the police department, Aomine, marching towards him. “Not everyone got out of the building. Some people might be trapped inside,” he informed.
Kagami and two other firefighters rushed into the building upon hearing this information while the others worked hard to extinguish the flames from the outside.
Meanwhile, you were seated on the floor by your desk, holding on tightly to your coworker that was passed out in your arms as you tried your best to breathe through the handkerchief that you clasped against your mouth and nose in order to avoid inhaling the smoke that had filled the room. You tried escaping the room earlier with a fire extinguisher in hand, but the corridors were so engulfed in flames that the extinguisher ran out before you could even get to the staircase. So you just stayed by your desk hugging your unconscious friend for comfort as your mind began to lose hope.
You began to get light headed, the panic and helplessness bringing you to tears as you tried to come up with an escape plan, though it didn’t seem to be working. As you sat there sobbing, you suddenly heard the faint sounds of a siren, which immediately got you to stop crying. You began to hear loud footsteps and deep noises coming from outside the room.
“Help!” You cried out as loud as you possibly could, hoping someone would hear you. You were sure that if you stayed here any longer you too would pass out. “Someone help!”
The door swung open with a loud thud, startling you for a moment as you tried to make out what was happening through your teary eyes. Two large blurry figures who you assumed were firefighters, rushed towards you and your friend, you could hear one of them calling your name, voice familiar though your mind was too distant to think straight. As you felt yourself being carried by strong arms, you began to doze off.
You woke up a few minutes later in a panicked sweat. You were laying down on a stretcher, and you figured that you had been rescued from that fiery hell. However, that didn’t stop you from balling your eyes out and sitting up to assess your surroundings. You were still in the open parking lot in front of your workplace, though the fire had been put out. Looking up at the unsightly smouldering remains of your office building made your throat tighten up as you remembered how hard it was to breathe in there and how you just barely escaped death.
Kagami, who was listening to what the next course of action was from his superior officer, noticed that you had woken up and immediately excused himself. You were shivering and crying when he got to you. “Y/N, thank God you’re okay!” He said breathlessly.
Seeing your boyfriend there brought tears to your eyes as your mind began to imagine what he’d be like if you didn’t make it. You weren’t ready to leave him behind just yet. “It was s-so scary Kagami,” you mumbled as you tightly gripped onto the blanket that was wrapped around you, begging your mind to rid itself of those horrible thoughts.
Kagami wrapped his arms around your trembling body and held you tight, “It’s okay babe,” he whispered to you, the familiar feeling of being held by him easing you slightly, “You’re okay now. You’re safe.”
You began to sob even harder into your boyfriend’s shoulder. You weren’t too sure whether they were tears of fear, relief or something completely different, but crying was all that you could do.
The sounds of your traumatised sobs broke Kagami’s heart. The paramedics informed him earlier that you were fine and you just had a few scratches that they easily cleaned up while you were knocked out. Although you were fine physically, it was quite clear that you were far from okay mentally.
“Hey,” Kagami said softly as he rubbed your back, your cries dying down a little, “when we get home I’ll draw you a nice bubble bath, I’ll even light those candles you like. I’ll also cook up any dinner of your choice... sound okay?”
The suggestion seemed to stop your cries, bringing a smile to Kagami’s face as he finally stopped hugging you to look at you properly. “Y-Yeah,” you sniffled, your voice raspy as he wiped your tears away with his thumb.
“Great,” he said, flashing you a wide and comforting smile before placing a soft kiss on your forehead. “I just need to inform my colleagues and then we’ll be on our way, okay?”
You nodded. He was just about to turn around to leave when you quickly said his name, causing him to immediately look back at you.
“What’s wrong?” He asked softly, searching your face for answers as you took his hand in yours and squeezed it tight.
“Thank you for saving me,” you said, finally able to muster a small smile.
Seeing you smile again filled Kagami with happiness as he began to get a bit flustered. “Of course. I’ll always keep you safe, Y/N. Now start thinking of what you want for dinner while I sort things out, alright?” he said, responding to your nod with one more reassuring smile before heading off.
You began to do just what Kagami had told you, finally deciding on having pasta for dinner, your mouth beginning to water as you remembered how good his pasta was. You weren’t too sure how he had managed to calm you down so easily, but you were grateful that he did. His mere presence brought you comfort and he knew exactly what to say to you. You watched him chat with his colleagues, admiring him from afar. He glanced over at you to make sure you were doing alright without him, and you gave him the biggest smile you possibly could, knowing that it was the best thank you gift you could give him at that moment.
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Text
Smokey Skies and Pretty Fires
Hecking FINALLY
This took like a whole ass month my dudes
There was no prompt, just some good ol self indulgent marelinh :) (that started as a joke but-)
About: Marella x Linh, vigilante arsonist/fire fighter au
Word count: ~4,250
Tag list: @cadence-talle @ruewen-and-rising @lemontarto @a-lonely-tatertot @clearlykeefitz @percabetn @vibing-in-the-void-deactivated2 @sewersewersewercouch @everyonehasthoughts @imaramennoodle @enbies-and-felonies @blxckh0les42​ @rainbowtay-11 @callas-starkflower-stew @impostertamsong @appalyneinstitute1 @stars-and-splendor @anna-without-an-e @mistythegirlfluxmess @we-have-no-bananas-today @we-wont-dissapear 
Warnings: corrupt governments, fire, swearing
Linh bent down, examining the ash that covered the ground.
Some of the structure still remained, but very little of it. This was intentional, and the perp knew what they were doing.
The long string of arson incidents on government buildings was getting to be too much. At first, Linh didn't mind much. No one was ever hurt, the files inside were saved and released to the public, no fire ever spread to other buildings. But as a fire investigator and, due to her hydrokinesis, a firefighter it was getting kind of annoying. She had better things to do with her time.
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Hey Song, come over here for a minute."
It was her boss. She, obviously, followed.
"Chief Zaldo."
They nodded.
"I have a special assignment for you. We've gotten word that the arsonist may be attacking the courthouse next. We need you to scope out the place and put out the fire."
"Not stop the fire?"
"No. These people, or this person, might be dangerous. Just put it out, don't engage. Try to catch their face."
Linh nodded. She...wasn't great at taking orders, but she could try.
"Do you know when this is happening?"
"Three days. We hope to get more details soon."
"Who's your source?"
"Confidential information. Now go back out there, the folks will get suspicious soon."
"They don't know?"
"You ask a lot of questions, Song,"
"I have the right. Are...are you sure something bad won't happen, Chief?"
Zaldo sighed.
"No. No, I'm not."
~*~
Linh sat in the parking lot of the building next to the courthouse in the most nondescript car she could obtain.
... That being her own. The higher ups didn't exactly give her department the most funds. That went straight to the police sector. She stared at the news on her phone as reports came in of a protest across town. If she wasn't stuck in a stuffy government provided position she'd be down there with them.
She looked out the window once again. So far there were no signs of the arsonists yet.
She sipped on her mostly milk coffee. This seemed like it was going to be a long night.
~*~
At nearly three a.m. Linh awoke to a warm glow outside her car.
Shit.
Her orders from the Chief Had been forgotten completely. Without hesitation, she sprung from her seat and looked around frantically for the culprit.
There. A small figure was running away from the blaze. Linh chased.
"Hey! Kid! Get back here!"
The figure kept running. She couldn't blame them. She would too.
Luckily she was significantly taller than the person and caught up quick. It was probably very ill-advised, but she tackled them to the ground.
So much for "do not engage."
In the light of the still raging fire she saw that the apparent arsonist was a girl. She was about Linh's age with blonde hair and pretty eyes and-
CHRIST! LINH, SHE'S A SERIAL ARSONIST, GET IT TOGETHER.
Linh shook off her brief moment of lesbian brain fog.
"Who are you and why are you here?"
"I could ask you the same." the blonde girl looked in her eyes with a challenge.
"Only one of us was just caught in the act. You're going to jail."
"Am I?"
In one swift movement the girl shifted so she was on top of the pin.
"Welp, I'm going to head out now. Good luck with that fire."
She got up. Linh was still frozen in place as she ran away.
She turned around mid run and paused.
"Oh, the name's Marella. Not Mare, not Ella, no nicknames. Make sure you tell the papers that."
With a wink she was gone.
~*~
Linh sat in the Chief's office, twiddling her thumbs until they got there.
She had put out the fire that night. In fact, a lot of the structure of the courthouse was saved. When she came into work the next day she was welcomed with a warm applause.
When they walked into the room, she stood respectfully. Before she could greet them, they started talking.
"Song, how'd it go? Did you get any info?"
"Um...no, no I didn't. They must've run the other way."
"Dammit. That's okay. The fire's out, that's what matters. The cops can do the rest."
"Yeah, I guess." Linh couldn't meet their eyes.
~*~
Marella looked over the morning paper with disappointment.
"What's up?" Sophie said as she peered over her shoulder.
"They didn't even mention the fire, I made it extra dramatic and everything."
"Oof, guess we have to try again."
"Ugh." Marella flicked her wrist and set the paper to flame, it turned to ash as it hit the floor, "I'm so tired of these assholes. Peaceful protests don't work, aggressive protests don't work. These council bitches are stubborn. Our requests are reasonable, but nooooooo. Can't even let us have a real say in who controls everything."
Sophie hummed noncommittally.
"Like I said, we have to try again. Fill the skies with smoke, they have to notice eventually. Just like Forkle always tells us. Oh, and it's your turn to empty the dishwasher today by the way, Biana said she would put them all in your bed if you forget again,"
Marella waved her off, returning to her black coffee.
~*~
The next day, Marella went through the same motions as usual. She had leaked where she would be lighting up again, the first time was a risk but if all their cops were like the last she'd be perfectly fine.
And if it was the same cop...more than perfectly fine.
As she hauled the boxes of files out of the city hall she noticed a particular car sitting in the parking lot.
Guess she would see her favorite officer today.
Soon after the blaze started building, the woman got out of her car. Marella didn't run away this time, rather walked towards her.
"Lovely night isn't it?'
"You again."
"The one and only." Marella turned to her blaze. "Strangely beautiful, don't you think?"
"Yeah... I mean no- I mean-" The woman sighed. "Why are you doing this?"
Marella shrugged. "Well, it's simple. Peaceful protests seem useless at the moment so we're taking a more hands-on approach."
"No, why are you doing this? Not this...group, if there is one, why are you risking your freedom for this?"
"What freedom?"
Marella walked to her car. As she drove away she saw a large wave come from the fire hydrant, putting out the building in one go.
~*~
As Linh walked into the office, Zaldo already sat at their desk.
"Song, did you find anything this time?"
"No, I didn't, I'm sorry."
They sighed, putting their face in their hands.
"Song, I'm giving you one more chance. You're clearly determined, and to me the stealth angle seems best. But if this fails? We're going to the police,"
"Yes, Chief."
With a nod they gave permission for her to leave. She stood in the hallway for a moment, knowing what she had to do next but not knowing if she had the courage to do it.
~*~
Linh stood at the house's front door. She had chased down arsonists and saved kids from blazing fires and yet this was still the scariest thing she'd ever done.
She rang the doorbell. Maybe he wasn't home. Maybe she wouldn't have to do this.
The door opened.
In front of her stood the grown-up form of the teenage boy she had left Tam as. He still had his trademark silver bangs, apparently he hadn't cut his hair very much since they were kids. She had gotten rid of the silver long ago, dyed hair doesn't go over too well in the corporate world and her shoulder-length bob was much more practical than her long hair.
"Hello,"
"Long time no see," Tam's voice had an annoyed sound to it. "Came here to tell me 'Tam! You shouldn't mess around with that Black Swan stuff! They might be dangerous!' Again?"
Tam's impression of her voice was crude, unfortunately that was a direct quote from the last time they had talked right before their falling out. He always could hold a grudge.
"Well, um, actually, uhh... I mean sort of,"
Tam sighed.
"You know what? Whatever,"
He brought her into a tight hug.
"Come in, lecture me as much as you want, I'm not risking another 8 years without talking to the only family I have left,"
"I'm sorry about that, by the way," She said, crossing through the door and sitting on the couch.
"It's ok, you tried to make contact, I was being the asshole."
"I love you, asshole,"
"I love you more, dumbass. Now, go ahead and get your lecture started while I make us some coffee."
"Look, that arson stuff that's going on. Is that...you guys?"
He stopped mid coffee ground scoop.
"Considering you're with the government, it doesn't seem wise for me to confirm or deny,"
"Tam, I'm trying to help I swear. I just wanted to say that if it is then you should stop, I can only buy time for so long before the police are brought in,"
He put his hand on the counter, back still facing her.
"Are you threatening to call the cops? Well, we're not going to stop. It's not our fault that after years of our society abusing you, you decided to help it,"
"Tam I-"
"No. We've fought too long for what we want and you've worked too hard to make everyone forget you had a twin. I think it's best if you leave, Linh. Fitz is going to be home soon and he's heard too much to be fond of you."
"Fitz?"
"My boyfriend. Should be husband by now but your dear councillors aren't letting that happen any time soon."
"Tam, please, it's not like that I-"
"Please go. Right now. You know where to find me."
Linh nearly said something else, she wanted to argue, wanted to make sure she wouldn't lose her brother again.
Instead, she left without another word.
~*~
Linh stood outside the back of the new makeshift city hall (which was just an old fire department building repurposed) anxiously tapping her foot, waiting for Marella.
Soon enough a car pulled up and the petite woman got out of her car.
"Heya! You're waiting for me this time, that's new. What changed?"
Linh sighed.
"Look, you have to cut this stuff out. I- the police-"
"I don't care about the police. Lock me up, you have me right here officer,"
She extended her wrists straight out, offering to be handcuffed.
"I'm not a cop,"
"Really? Are you just an excitable citizen then? I thought you were just absolute shit at your job,"
Linh cracked a small smile but repressed it quickly.
"I'm a fire investigator...okay technically I'm just a firefighter but they needed more people,"
Marella cocked her head to the left.
"So none of this is even part of your job? You get paid more right?"
"Well no but-"
The girl opposite of Linh doubled over in laughter.
"Oh gosh lady you're just as bad off as the rest of us! No wonder you haven't done anything to stop us. Speaking of, scoot over, I have a fire to start,"
"No. Like I was trying to say you have to knock this off. They were trying to be stealthy but since I haven't given them any information they're sending in the cops if I don't get anything this time."
"You're trying to save my ass?"
Linh felt her face start to burn.
"Well um..."
"What's your name Miss Not-Even-A-Fire-Investigator?"
Linh sighed.
"It's Linh. Linh Song."
"Song? Like..." She trailed off, thinking for a moment. "No fucking way. You're the sister Tam always talks about. You know, putting me in cuffs won't do any harm to your brother, I'm no snitch."
"Tam has made it very clear he doesn't want my protection,"
"Why are you doing this then? You're risking your job, your...everything really,"
"I don't know,"
There was a tense silence. Marella stared her down, it was like she could see right through her into her soul.
"Linh, let me into the building,"
Linh didn't know why she moved. She didn't think she ever would know.
But she watched wordlessly as the files were taken out, loaded into a car, and then Marella walked a decent way from the building and tossed a ball of fire.
The building went up quick. It felt wrong to just stand there but...the fire was very pretty.
Soon enough Marella joined her in watching the blaze. They were wordless for a good while.
"We should get out of here soon. Someone's bound to notice the smoke," Linh was starting to get anxious.
"We? You don't have to wait for me, Linh. You have your own car,"
"Yes, I know,"
They were silent for another minute.
"Tam talks about how much he misses you, like a lot. Normally when he's drunk but still. He'd um... I think he'd like it if you um..."
"Yeah..."
Linh thought. And then she thought some more. What did she have to lose? She didn't have friends, or family, she went home every day to a mediocre apartment she could barely afford. She was underpaid and overworked.
"I want to join you,"
"You know, you said it yourself, you're risking your freedom,"
"What freedom?"
Marella smiled.
"Well, in that case, go home and get your things packed up. Meet me at the diner on 5th street tomorrow at noon. You might want to quit your job, we don't need a missing persons case on our hands."
"Be honest, is this a bad idea?"
"It depends how much you have going for you, but considering you're willing to run off to an undisclosed location with an arsonist I'm guessing you don't have much to lose. No offense," Marella looked panicked at what she said.
"None taken. Don't worry, I'm on my own. No wife and children or anything."
"Same,"
A siren wailed a few blocks away.
Marella smiled again. Wow, her smile was beautiful.
"Welp, see you tomorrow,"
"Yeah,"
Linh watched her walk away, a dorky grin on her face the whole time, before realizing she should probably get out of there before the police caught up.
~*~
The next day, Linh stood in the parking lot of the small diner. The only things with her a small backpack and a crate with Princess Purryfins, her murcat, inside. She didn't even take her car, rather walking the whole way.
Soon enough, a familiar car pulled up next to her and Marella got out.
"Is that it?" Marella pointed to her bag.
"Yep, like I said, no wife and kids or anything,"
"Yes but most people have, I don't know, clothes?"
"Swiftly changing the subject, I have a couple questions,"
"Shoot,"
"Since I'm not working anymore, how...exactly will I stay, y'know, alive and fed?"
Marella laughed. Linh knew that even if her answer was 'you won't, we live in the woods and you're our next dinner' Linh would still follow her if she was promised she'd hear that laugh again.
"Well, frankly I shouldn't be saying this in a public space, but we have allies in high places. They fund us,"
Linh nodded as if she understood fully.
"Any other questions?"
"None worth asking,"
"Cool, ready to go?"
Linh nodded again, tongue-tied from anxiety.
~*~
Nearly an hour later, they pulled up to a building in a rural part of the county. It seemed cozy enough, plenty land to be a farm though there were no animals. A small pond out to the side of a cabin that had clearly been added onto to make significantly larger.
As they walked up to the door, Marella pulled out an odd key with a swan insignia painted on the grip.
"Here is your new home for...as long as you choose to stay. You can always go out and get your own house if you want, but only paid with cash and no renting. We have to stay off the grid as much as possible,"
Linh just nodded again.
"You've been quiet," Marella pointed out.
"Yeah I'm just...it's been a lot,"
"I know, I'm sorry, you can still turn back,"
Linh shook her head.
"No, I'm committed now. I already sent the letter quitting my job,"
Marella gave her a sympathetic look.
"Alright, your room is down the hall, third to the left. I'll be upstairs if you need me. We're having a meeting tonight over dinner, then you can see everyone,"
Linh smiled politely, but started tearing up when she was left to find her room. What was she doing? Getting involved with an illegal organization against the government.
Ah the extents she would go to for a pretty girl. And nice. And funny. And smart.
Ugh. Cute girls would be the death of her.
~*~
Marella tapped her fingers on the table, waiting impatiently for the meeting to start.
Most people were there and she had introduced Linh to them.
Well, everyone but Tam and Fitz, who weren't there yet like the late-ass bastards they were.
Marella sat right next to the very quiet Linh, she seemed completely resigned about the whole ordeal. It had to be a very strange day for her.
Forkle stood up at the head of the table, tapping a glass with his dinner knife as if to get everyone's attention, even though the room was mostly silent.
"Good evening everybody! Today we have been joined by the lovely Ms. Song. Unfortunately we have not been blessed by the appearance of her brother as is usual of him."
Marella and the rest of her colleagues chuckled, Linh didn't.
As if on a timer, the door opened.
"Well speak of the devil," Forkle said, turning around to peer at the men in the doorway.
Tam's eyes went wide at the sight of Linh. He quickly ran over and scooped her into a hug.
Their conversation was quite long and very quiet, even for someone right next to them. All Marella caught was "I promise I won't leave again, I love you asshole," Linh came away with a slight sparkle of tears in her eyes.
After they broke apart, Forkle continued.
"Okay, now that we're done with that sweet moment, it's time for the boring stuff. It'd come to our realization that we can't continue on as we have been. We need something new to grab their attention. Anyone have a suggestion?"
The table was silent.
"Ms. Song? Perhaps you're more diligent than these kids,"
"We're very much adults, thank you very much," Keefe piped up.
"Mr. Sencen, when was the last time you changed the oil in your car?'
"...touché,"
Forkle sighed, and after a moment Linh started talking.
"I was thinking...all this fire stuff probably isn't great for the environment and stuff. And, well, water should work just as well. But, I mean, I don't want to impose-"
Squall cut in. "Ms. Song that's a great idea, we can cause just as much destruction with less harm and throw them off,"
Everyone around the room nodded their agreements and Marella nudged Linh's arm.
"See? You're fitting in already, nothing to worry about,"'
Linh smiled.
~*~
Linh sat at the edge of the pond, making small ripples in the water and looking at the fish. A toad croaked in the distance.
She didn't know if she was supposed to be out here, or if there were any rules at all. It didn't seem so, of all the people she'd met so far they treated this base like their home.
She felt a tap on her shoulder that made her nearly jump out of her skin. When she turned around she was expecting Tam or someone on their 'Collective' or whatever. Turns out, it was just Marella. She sat next to Linh on the bank.
"Told ya' everything would go fine,"
"You told nothing of the sort,"
"I was thinking it,"
Linh chuckled. "Yeah, it was fine,"
"So, what's your first impression of the gang?"
"Sophie and Dex seem nice, I'm a bit concerned for Keefe's car's health, I don't think Fitz likes me very much..."
"They can take some getting used to,"
"Mhm," Linh mumbled before they fell back into silence.
"So..." Marella said after a while. "Do you think you'll stay? Here at the base I mean,"
"For a bit. I don't exactly have an apartment anymore and this is way better than the one I had anyway. Just until I can get back on my feet by myself,"
"You can really stay as long as you'd like. Most people have their own homes but quite a few stay here. Sophie, Biana, and I do, at least,"
"Then maybe I'll stay a while,"
"I'd like that,"
Linh felt Marella's body heat get a lot hotter just then. She couldn't quite see in the moonlight but she guessed she was...blushing?
"I um... I was thinking um...that...um," Marella seemed to continue to heat, Linh was concerned she was going to catch fire. "I was thinking that maybe we could um...go out sometime? I- I mean as a date, o-or as friends if you don't-"
"I'd love to,"
Marella sighed in relief. "I didn't expect that to go well, honestly,"
Linh laughed. "Well, how does tomorrow at 8 sound? We can go to that pottery place on 2nd street, I think they mostly do kid's birthdays but that's never stopped me before,"
"Sounds great, it's a date,"
"It's a date,"
Linh almost just got up but hesitated for a moment. She quickly pecked Marella on the cheek before going back to the house as fast as possible. She almost thought she saw the light of a fire in the corner of her eye.
~*~
The beep-like news theme comes on followed by the announcer.
"Tonight on the 7 o'clock nightly news with Jennifer Watson"
The woman on T.V. straightens her papers.
"The two silvered-hair bandits known as the "Trouble Twins" by the public are still escaping the police's grasp. They have flooded two government buildings this week and don't seem to be intending to stop any time soon. They claim all they want is to have a proper negotiation with our lawmakers. Will the council respond to these vigilantes? Or will they continue to let our buildings be destroyed? And coming up next, this video of Bobo the panda has the internet going wild-"
Marella turned off the T.V. and slouched further on the couch. She bit into her apple, unamused.
"Babe, you have to be patient. We're getting closer, Councilor Oralie said she was going to introduce the idea of negotiation, it'll be ok,"
Linh's words helped but Marella was still unsure.
Linh sat back on the couch and nudged her.
"There's nothing to worry about, c'mon, give me a smile,"
Marella couldn't help but grin at the dork she called her girlfriend.
"There it is! Dinner will be ready in like...5 minutes so," Linh took away Marella's apple, "Then we can go meet up with Tam to fuck up the Tribunal Hall,"
"Sounds like a lovely night,"
Linh laughed.
"I love you, you know that?"
"We do say it to each other quite often,"
"Yes but I don't know," Linh looked down at her lap. "It's been almost a year and... I guess I thought I'd regret joining you guys at some point but I never have,"
"Well, I am quite charming,"
"She says, as she slowly slides off the couch,"
Indeed, Marella was now halfway to the floor. Linh just laughed.
~*~
"Order in the court!" Councilor Emery slammed down the gavel.
Bronte rolled his eyes. Ever since they decided to cut the telepathic communications (Emery's migraines were getting bad) he had been using that stupid thing.
"Today the council will be voting on one thing, are we willing to listen to the Black Swan's pleas? Or do we attempt to wrangle them?"
Everyone around the room scratched on their piece of paper with the old-fashioned and unwieldy fountain pens. Bronte already knew what his vote would be, he had many conversations with the Forkle brothers in the past, now down to one. It was an easy decision.
Once all the votes were in the box, Emery started counting. He sighed.
"And, with a close vote of 7 to 5, we will be attempting to negotiate with the vigilante group," He pounded the gavel again. "Meeting adjourned,"
Oralie gave Bronte a thumbs up from across the room. He rolled his eyes again, but fondly this time.
~*~
BAM BAM BAM.
The gavel was loud, Linh didn't like it, her anxiety was high enough that day, the stimulation of it all was too much.
Marella gently held her hand under the table.
"Order in the court!"
Sure, "court", not like they were sitting in the community center because they hadn't managed to rebuild the actual places of court yet, not at all.
"Today we have gathered to discuss many things. First, on the agenda is discussing giving citizens the right to vote as a democracy. Then, the details of a possible police reform and redistribution of funds. Finally, on what the current legal definition of marriage is, and the possibility of changing that."
Tam caught Linh's eye from across the room, he nodded at her.
Now, the real fight began.
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yatorihell · 3 years
Text
In The Darkness Chapter 85 - The Battle of Hogwarts: Part One
Noragami x Harry Potter AU
Words: 5,052
Summary: The Battle of Hogwarts begins.
Also available on Yatorihell AO3
Hogsmeade was nearly unrecognisable when Yato, Hiyori and Yukine Apparated.
Dusk had already fallen, sending the village into deep darkness as the sun had already set behind the hills that encircled them. They huddled together in the middle of the road underneath the Invisibility Cloak, taking in their surroundings. The shop fronts were dark and few of the lanterns had been lit. The road curved around the Three Broomsticks, the only source of light and noise from the raucous punters inside.
Yato all felt an ache in his chest; the familiarity of being somewhere he considered home for so long, yet he was a fugitive from that happy life he knew – they all were.
A scream ripped through the air, akin to the Sorcerer’s own voice in the same agony of feeling his soul within the locket destroyed. Yato knew that pain and it terrified him when he knew what it was and that it was directly caused by their presence.
The door of the Three Broomsticks crashed open before Hiyori or Yukine could ask what had happened. A dozen cloaked figures surged forward and poured into the cobbled street with their wands aimed. Yato grabbed Yukine’s wrist as he too raised his wand, shaking his head. There were too many of them, and they didn’t know where they were.
One of the Deatheaters waved their wand and the scream stopped abruptly, though Yato couldn’t tell if it was still ringing in his head or in the mountains around them.
“Who goes there?!” the Deatheater bellowed. Yato tensed his grip on the cloak, and they held their breath.
After a moment’s, silence the Deatheater gestured at the others. “Spread out.”
Five of the Deatheaters surged forward up the cobbled path, their footsteps beating in a thundering rhythm. Yato, Hiyori and Yukine scuffled back as quickly as they could, thankful that the added darkness as they ducked into a narrow alley. The Deatheaters passed and they waited with bated breath, listening to the shouts around them.
“Let’s leave,” Hiyori whispered furiously. “Disapparate!”
A ball of light went whizzing over them, sending the shadowy patterns of the cloak dancing across their faces.
“They were ready for us,” Yato replied. “Whatever alarm we set off, it may have triggered a charm to stop us from Disapparating again, to trap us -.”
“Down there!” One of the Deatheaters called, a female voice that sneered at them from across the road. They knew that it was impossible for them to be spotted under the cloak, but their hearts skipped a beat. The woman and two other men passed by their hiding spot.
“We have to try!” Yukine urged Yato.
Yato gripped Hiyori’s and Yukine’s hands, but the air around them was thick and soupy. They couldn’t Disapparate.
Yukine swore under his breath, and they pressed in together closer as the Deatheaters passed their alley once again. They began groping their way through the darkness, retreating into the poor sanctuary the alley offered, praying that they would be able to get past the boundaries of the charm and out of the village unscathed.
Their quiet footsteps echoed uncomfortably loud, but Yato stopped short and pulled Yukine and Hiyori back with him into the shadows of the alley. Two Deatheaters passed in front of them, wands seeking them out in the dark.
“Whoever set off the Caterwauling Charm isn’t here anymore,” a Deatheater grumbled. “It was probably a cat -.”
“Cat or not, if that infernal child has made his way to Hogsmeade, then the Dark Lord will have our heads on the castles spikes for the owls,” the other Deatheater snapped back. Their voices receded into faint bickering as they turned the corner.
A sharp grinding noise erupted behind them, and the three spun beneath the cloak, wands clutched in their hands and hearts bursting. A thick wooden door had opened in an alcove to their left, and a dark cavern yawned at them.
“Get in!”
They didn’t need telling twice. Yato, Hiyori and Yukine ducked into the doorway and past the short figure cloaked in darkness. The door closed behind them quietly and the bolt grated back into place.
“Up the stairs, keep the cloak on, keep quiet,” the voice said.
Whilst they might have wanted to stop and see who their saviour was, the fact that some sort of alarm had sounded when they entered Hogsmeade, and that it triggered a search party of Deatheaters, made them think the questions could wait.
Yato’s eyes adjusted to the gloom. In the faint light from a stuttering candle on the bar, Yato could make out the shelves of glasses and barstools that had been upended onto the tables. They were in the Hogs Head Inn, a grubby and one of the less nicer pubs in Hogsmeade touted by old drunks.
The bar ran the length of the wall, and thick cobwebs in the rafters showed that the pub had been disused for some time. The bar gave way to a set of dark stairs and they clambered them quickly and as quietly as the creaking slats would allow.
Thoughts raced through their heads but they were too afraid to speak them. Was this a friend? A member of the Order?
They came out in a living room decorated in stuffed animal heads and a threadbare rug. A dying fireplace lay underneath a large portrait on the mantle of a girl who looked at them serenely.
Yato pulled the Invisibility Cloak over their heads, letting it pool of the ground. He stepped towards the window and risked a look outside from the safety of the musty curtains. The Deatheaters had given up on their hunt, striding off back towards the Three Broomsticks and muttering to themselves. They heard the door close behind them.
“Get away from the window.”
Their saviour had appeared in the room, cloaked in grey and hooded to hide their face. They crossed over to the fire and added a few more logs to the dwindling flames.
Silence enveloped them as Yato pulled the curtains tight at the order and stepped away. Hiyori had tucked the Invisibility Cloak into her bag, and Yukine cautiously stepped around one of the faded armchairs, keeping a wary eye on the hooded figure as they worked on restoring the fire.
Yato opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes caught on the mantlepiece. The girl in the portrait above turned away from them, retreating into the picturesque landscape, but his attention was fixed underneath on a gilded frame, its surface smashed and missing a large piece in the centre.
The woman rose and Yato’s eyes locked on his. They were green and wide… just like Ebisu’s.
Yato felt his jaw drop along with Hiyori’s and Yukine’s. The figure before them had the soft curves of a woman who looked far too young to be who they knew and the poise of a leader. Her hair was white and fell over her eyes, green gems that remained unchanged and glittered in the firelight.
The Minister of Magic, Amaterasu.
“You…” Yato trailed off. You are the Minster of Magic. You are meant to be dead. “You sent Ebisu to save us.”
Amaterasu nodded.
“But you’re dead,” Hiyori spoke Yato’s thoughts. “That night at the wedding, the night the Ministry fell, we were told you were dead.”
“That is what my advisors believed, but my death was staged,” Amaterasu said. Her voice was soft as she pushed her hood back. She crossed in front of the fire, golden flames casting their shadows over her hair in a sheen of starlight. If not for the orange warmth cast over her, she may have looked like a ghost.
“What do you mean, ‘staged’?” Yukine asked.
“I knew what my Minsters were planning. They supported Oshi in her reign as Headmistress of Hogwarts just as much as they do now. When it became apparent that she was colluding with him -,” Amaterasu said, being careful not to use the Taboo word on the Sorcerer’s name. “Then I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I was deposed.”
Amaterasu caught Yato’s gaze as it flickered from the mirror to her, but she continued, looking at each of them in turn. “When the coup took place, I fled.”
“To where?” Yukine pressed.
“To the Order of the Phoenix.”
They stood in silence, listening to the fireplace crackle and pop. There were so many questions: How many people knew that the Minister of Magic was alive? Who put her in this small house above a pub so close to Hogwarts and Deatheaters? But one question was already pressing out of Yato’s lips.
“How did you get that?” Yato pointed to the broken mirror on the mantle: the same one that Sakura used to talk to him.
Amaterasu looked to the mirror and stroked a finger along the silver frame.
“It was found in the Department of Mysteries the night that the prophecies were destroyed,” Amaterasu said softly. She turned to the three of them, a knowing look in her eye of what had happened there. “I believe it belonged to your sister?”
Yato nodded, throat tight. That’s why he couldn’t find it in Grimmauld Place; Sakura had the mirror with her the night she died. Did Sakura know that Yato was coming to save her? Had she been desperately trying to reach him before he fell into the Sorcerer’s trap? Either way, she paid with her life to stop him.
“I know that she was the one who brought the Order of the Phoenix back from the ashes,” Amaterasu plucked the mirror from the mantle and held it in her hands, fingers skimming the broken glass. “I was told that Tenjin’s legacy told died with him, but I knew it wouldn’t be so hard to kill.”
Amaterasu held out the mirror in her hands, and after a stuttering beat of his heart, Yato stepped forward and took it. He felt the familiar weight of it in his hands. The final piece of the puzzle.
“If you had the mirror, then how did Ebisu know when we were in trouble?” Yukine asked.
“The Order of the Phoenix is connected,” Amaterasu held her hands in front of her, as poised as if she were standing in the Ministry itself. “One message was all it took.”
Kofuku, Yato realised. She had got the message to Ebisu from Amaterasu when he asked for help. She had hidden the Minster of Magic right under the Sorcerer’s and Deatheater’s noses in Hogsmeade. Fiery, feisty Madame Kofuku.
“But why?” Yato shook his head slightly as he looked up from his fractured reflection. “Why would Kofuku put you here in plain sight? Deatheaters could find you at any moment.”
“Not with the right charms, and besides,” Amaterasu crossed over to the fireplace again. The girl in the painting was returning, a blob steadily growing larger with another shape bobbing along after her. “She knew that you would need a way home.”
Before the girl could stop in the frame of her painted prison, the portrait swung open on hidden hinges, revealing a tunnel that stretched into the darkness. A boy with dirty glasses and messy hair was crouched on one knee, eyes keen and smile lopsided as he caught sight of Yato, Hiyori and Yukine.
“Madame Kofuku has received your message,” Kazuma announced. “The final horcrux is within the castle. The time has come to end this, once and for all.”
~
The tunnel gave way to smooth steps that levelled off into an earthy passageway. The walls were fixed with dim lanterns that barely lit the path ahead as the portrait swung shut behind them, plunging them into darkness. Kazuma led the way, followed by Yato, Yukine and Hiyori.
“How did you find us?” Hiyori asked. “How do we know that no one else knows about this tunnel?
“Amaterasu,” Kazuma said simply. “She sent the girl in the painting to tell us you had arrived. Once we told Kofuku about the horcrux being in Hogwarts, she knew that you would come straight to Hogsmeade. It’s just pure luck that you happened to end up right at our door.”
“Did you know about this one?” Yukine asked Yato, referring to the winding passage ahead. His eyes were just about able to make out the blot of his outline as they turned a corner.
“I never knew about this one. It must have been here for years…” Yato shook his head. He thought he knew all of Hogwarts’ secrets, but here they were in one right now. His attention turned to Kazuma. “I thought there were only seven passages into Hogwarts?”
“All the passages were sealed at the beginning of the year in case you tried to get back into Hogwarts,” Kazuma said. “They set up curses and checkpoints at all the exits just in case. Either way, we still have a back door into the castle.”
The horcrux was definitely in Hogwarts if the sorcerer had taken such measures, Yato thought to himself. At least it was for now.
Kazuma turned his head slightly, light glinting off his glasses and a grin on his lips. “Did you break into Gringotts? Did you escape on a dragon? It’s all over the newspapers, everyone is talking about it.”
“We did, we got Helga Hufflepuff’s goblet,” Yukine said.
“And the dragon?”
“Set it free.”
Their shadows flickered up the wall as they passed another torch, their footsteps muffled and the tension palpable.
“What’s happened to Hogwarts?” Yato asked quietly. If Oshi’s rule under Amaterasu was anything to go by, it would be unimaginable to think of what she could do now with the Sorcerer I charge.
The smile slipped from Kazuma’s lips. He turned to face forward. “It’s… well, Madame Kofuku is the only one of us who knows what it's really like now. Defence Against the Dark Arts is just Dark Arts now. They make students use the Cruciatus Curse on students who have detention -.”
There was an audible gasp from Hiyori, the flames stuttering in their lamps as if they too were scandalised by the suggestion of forcing children to use and suffer Unforgiveable Curses.
Yukine pressed his lips together, fingers unconsciously going to the faint scar at his hand. “What else?”
“Muggle Studies – its compulsory now –, teaching students how Muggles are animals who stole witchcraft and forced us into hiding, and that ‘Our Lord’ is re-establishing the natural order.”
There was a moment's silence that passed between them, interrupted by the scuffling of their own feet. Hogwarts, their home, had been turned into hell.
The passage had narrowed and become steeped, a few sparse steps noting that they were rising up to the surface. They were walking straight into the dragon’s lair. What would await them?
The question was answered a few minutes later.
They approached a door similar to the one that shut behind them at the Hogs Head Inn. Kazuma burst through the door triumphantly. “He’s here!”
A jolt of panic shot through Yato, Yukine and Hiyori, quickly followed by a wave of guilt at realising that they thought that Kazuma had betrayed them again to Deatheaters. A wave of cheers went up from the room as Kazuma jumped down from the ledge, followed by Yato, Yukine and Hiyori.
A bookshelf had been dragged away from the wall, standing haphazardly in a crowd of people to hide the presence of the door they had just come through. He took in the faces around him – cheerful, hopeful faces – of students he didn’t recognise yet recognised him, the one who had come to defeat the Sorcerer.
Yato took in the blackened stone walls and the familiar chill of being underneath the Great Lake; they had ended up in a disused potions classroom in the dungeons. Yato remembered how Kofuku had told him that she was the cause for several of the classrooms being abandoned following experiments that failed spectacularly and gave her pink hair. Pink hair that he could see coming straight towards him.
Kofuku threw her arms around Yato, Yukine and Hiyori, though she was not able to reach around all the way.
“I don’t know what the hell you were thinking breaking into Gringotts,” Kofuku pulled away from them with tears in her eyes. “But I’m glad you’re ok.”
Yato felt an unwelcome lump rise in his throat. “You too, Miss.”
Kofuku turned and Yato finally noticed Daikoku, Bishamon and Kazuma now stood behind her, smiles on their faces. Daikoku wrapped the three of them in a bear hug, and to Yato’s surprise, Bishamon did the same.
“You’ve been recruiting,” Yukine observed, feeling awkward that so many eyes were fixed on them, the chatter and the whispers as they looked to them for instructions.
“We moved underground, but yes,” Kofuku admitted. “The only way to take the castle is from inside. We don’t have much choice, but the students are happy to fight for their home.”
Yato picked out a few familiar faces in the crowd as they moved through: Touma, the Ravenclaw girl who had rallied the Order to help them at the Ministry of Magic the night Sakura died. Ex-students in Yato’s own year that he had classes and battled in Quidditch. Hiyori’s friends, Aimi and Yama, hugged her tight and cried. So many faces, so many of them young and fearless.
Yato had a sudden realisation that, just like Father, he had his own child army. For good or evil, forced or volunteered, they were still children playing at war. But for them, this was a battle they had to fight. This was a battle they had to win.
The Battle of Hogwarts.
~
A black cloud hung over Hogwarts, the evening threatening a storm that would wash over the mountains and engulf the castle in summer darkness.
Oshi watched over the uniform lines of students marching through the courtyard into the Great Hall, their footsteps echoing in perfect synchronicity. She would’ve sighed in contentedness if not for the news she’d received. Her madness seemed to subside when things went her way, but now she could feel it rising like potion turned foul.
Her Lord would not be pleased if the rumours were true.
Oshi’s footsteps resounded in the Great Hall as she passed through the neat lines of students. The professors stood on the edges of the room, their eyes following her with a sadness she couldn’t understand. Two of her most trusted Deatheaters stood at the head of the room on either side of where her throne should have been. The furnishings of the room had been removed on this occasion, leaving it as bare as the vault above them.
The ceiling had not been decorated with lights or frivolity for her entire reign of Hogwarts, leaving the room bland and dingy as the storm clouds blocked the suns rays from illuminating the hall. She stopped at the bottom step in front of the largest window at the back of the hall, keeping her back to the students. She could feel their eyes on her as she collected herself before she slowly turned to face the room.
“Many of you will wonder why you have been summoned at this hour,” Oshi said clearly. Her voice carried across the room in a way that she loved, knowing that her children hung on her every word. Her eyes grazed the faces of those in the front rows, but none would meet her eye, their heads hung low.
Oshi folded her hands in front of her stomach, barely touching her pristine white robes. “It has come to my attention that, earlier this evening, Yaboku was sighted in Hogsmeade.”
The student’s heads rose instantly at this revelation, their eyes catching each other and smatterings of whispers erupted around the room. Oshi narrowed her eyes. They almost sounded happy to hear he was alive.
“Now,” Oshi cut through the talk with her crisp curtness, silencing them instantly. “Should anyone attempt to aide Yaboku, or conceal information of his whereabouts, they will be punished in a manner consistent of the severity of their crime.”
Oshi put one foot in front of the other, the click of her heels on the flagstones echoing around the chamber as she surveyed the students with cool grey eyes. As time passed, she thought of these students as her children, and she as their mother. She could give them grace. She could be fair. She could be merciful.
“If anyone had any knowledge of Yaboku’s movements this evening, I invite them to step forward…” Oshi let them hang on her words, slowly turning her head to try and make eye contact with any of the children who desperately avoided her look. “Now.”
Silence hung in the air. No one would raise their heads.
Someone broke rank, stepping in the cross path between the student's houses division. They threw back the hood of their black robe and there, right before her very eyes, stood Yaboku.
A ripple of exclamations and gasps filled the room, heads turning to catch a glimpse of what had happened. The Deatheaters behind Oshi came to attention, their wands drawn and aimed at him, awaiting the order.
Yato glared at Oshi, teeth bared into a snarl. “Despite your exhaustive defensive strategies, it seems you still have a bit of a security issue, Headmistress.”
The doors of the Great Hall burst open. Kofuku and Daikoku spearheaded the Order of the Phoenix as they fanned out to block the exit. Hiyori, Yukine, Kazuma and Bishamon stood side by side, wands drawn.
“How dare you stand where he once stood,” Yato spat, the emotion a clear weakness in his voice but he didn’t care. All that Tenjin had done for Hogwarts in one hundred years had unravelled in a few months. 
The air bristled with electricity as the students veered away from the centre of the room, pressing in on each other with gasps and shrieks as Oshi drew her wand and bared her teeth, and the other Deatheaters followed suit. Yato’s wand twitched in his hand, but his view of the hateful witch was quickly obscured by a figure slightly shorter than him. Kofuku stood between him and Oshi her wand aimed square at her chest. The Order shifted behind them, Daikoku’s eyes glinting dangerously as he watched the scene unfold before him.
No one moved.
Kofuku took the first shot, a bolt of red light spitting from her wand. Oshi deflected it easily and volleyed a curse back, but the green light dissipated instantly against the protective shield Kofuku had thrown up. Another spell spat from Kofuku’s wand, this time green and deadly, and it missed its mark on a Deatheater behind Oshi, crumpling to the ground in a heap of black robes.
Yato gripped his wand, willing Kofuku to move out of the way so he could kill Oshi himself, but she only advanced forwards, throwing out spells faster than Yato could keep track of.
The Great Hall was filled with the sounds of spells shattering on the flagstones, the window arches and the occasional grunt as Oshi was forced back. The second Deatheater fell when Oshi deflected a spell to the side which hit him in her stead, and in that moment Yato saw the fear on her face when she realised this was a fight she could not win.
Oshi turned her back, morphing into a billowing shape resembling a Dementors cloak before bursting through the window behind her, shattering it into a thousand crystalline pieces as she fled into the sky.
“Coward!” Kofuku screamed to the darkening sky. A roar went up from the students, surging forward in celebration at the victory – Hogwarts was free.
Yato felt hands grab at him, students he had seen down in the dungeons only hours before and others he didn’t know but knew him – the Chosen One, Undesirable Number One, the one who would defeat the Sorcerer. Then Hiyori and Yukine were in front of him, and he caught sight of Daikoku taking Kofuku in his arms and the blur of Bishamon’s hair beside them.
Yato’s eyes focused on Professor Tsuyu approaching through the crowd, her face sallower than what he remembered when Professor Tenjin was alive, but there was still a spark in her eye when she faced him.
“I hope you have a reason for returning, Yato,” Oshi said softly, her features wretched in worry. “What do you need?”
“Time, as much as you can get us,” Yato urged.
“Oshi will be heading straight to the Sorcerer to tell him that you’re here.”
Yato nodded. “Kuguha possesses the Elder Wand. We need to destroy the final Horcruxes before the Sorcerer realises that its power is not his. If he realises and kills Kuguha before then, it’ll be over.”
“The rest of the Order is coming,” Kofuku said, coming up beside them with Daikoku, Kazuma and Bishamon in tow. She looked to Professor Tsuyu. “Do what you have to do. We’ll secure the castle.”
Yato nodded and Professor Tsuyu, Kofuku and Daikoku dispersed, running out of the Great Hall to prepare the defences for the Sorcerer’s inevitable arrival.
Yato shucked off the school robe turned to Kazuma and Bishamon. “Even with the defences, we need to make sure there’s no way into Hogwarts - destroy the wooden bridge, detonate it, even the tunnels. Make sure there’s no way in or out.”
“On it,” Bishamon grabbed Kazuma’s hand and they took off into the crowd. From the look on Kazuma’s face as he looked over his shoulder it seemed he didn’t even think to argue about what they were about to do.
Yato turned to Yukine next, gesturing to Hiyori’s bag which she dove into instantly. “The goblet needs to be destroyed. There’s only one way to destroy it without the Sword of Gryffindor – Basilisk venom.”
“Got it,” Yukine confirmed, grabbing the cup from Hiyori’s hands. “The Basilisk skeleton is still in the Chamber of Secrets.”
Yukine paused after a step before grabbing Yato and Hiyori around the necks in a tight, brief hug. “Don’t get yourself killed.”
“You too,” Yato said.
He and Hiyori watched and Yukine jogged away through the dispersing crowd, noticing how the students were organising themselves at the teacher’s orders, stripping to their shirtsleeves and brandishing their wands in the face of the Sorcerer’s arrival.
“Hiyori, I don’t have the first idea where the diadem is,” Yato confessed. “No one live has seen it, and it’s a big castle. I need you to try and find anything about it – break into Ravenclaw Tower, ask the paintings, get into the restricted section in the library.”
“Yato -,” Hiyori started.
But where to start? Hogwarts was under attack. Yukine was returning to the place of his nightmares. There was no escape from here. This day was always coming, but she always thought they would face it together.
Yato knew the words that were on her lips through the look in her eyes. He had experienced this feeling a thousand times as he debated his actions and their consequences on those around him, even more so in the last year.
Yato took Hiyori’s hand and stepped closer. Hiyori looked at him, startled, and her eyes involuntarily dropped. Yato touched his forehead to hers and closed his eyes. He let himself soak in the moment – one of his last on this night – before he strengthened his resolve.
"Don't worry about me," Yato opened his eyes, looking straight into hers. "I’ll see you soon.”
~
Kofuku stood in the central courtyard of the castle, her wand aimed to the night sky.
Beside her stood Daikoku, his hand tight in hers. The Order, their foreign friends from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons Okuninushi and Kinuha, and a sea of teachers and students who were powerful enough to cast such strong protection magic.
A stream of charms murmured from her lips, repetitive, resounding all around her in a chant, a prayer, for salvation.
“Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri, Repello Inimicum. Protego Maxima, Fianto Duri, Repello Inimicum.”
Filmy wisps escaped her wand, filtering up to the sky and joining the others that had begun to bleed and shimmer together in a protective barrier that encased Hogwarts beneath a shimmering bubble of incandescent light.  
Professor Tsuyu stood before the entrance hall, the oaken door spread wide open. The foreboding darkness ahead on the viaduct, the most direct path to Hogwarts, told her that in the distance, invisible in the darkness, someone was watching. She turned her back and faced the grand, ancient castle and raised her hands, wand held delicately between her fingers.
“Piertotum Locomotor!”
A reverberating grating of stone rumble through the castle. The carvings that had stood silent and sentinel in the castle walls shifted and propelled themselves from their casings. The ground rumbled on each impact as the guards hit the floor and marched forward onto the viaduct, each holding an armoire of weapons: halberds, swords, morningstars, and axes.
Professor Tsuyu watched as the army came to life, and in the distance, so did the Sorcerer.
~
Hogwarts was protected in a pitiful attempt to stop the inevitable.
The Sorcerer looked down on the castle in disdain. A group of children had taken his stronghold from a witch who had failed him time and time again. He could feel her nervousness as she stood behind him alongside Kuguha, who’s disposition had changed once he saw the Sorcerer slaughter a room of loyal servants when Hufflepuff’s cup was stolen from Gringotts.
“My Lord…” Kuguha said. He had taken a step forward, a bold thing to do on a night such as this when the fate of the world hung in the balance. The Sorcerer looked over his shoulder, and the poison in his glare sent Kuguha slithering back into the ranks of his army without another word.
Kuguha’s only worth so far had been to murder Tenjin and retrieve the Elder Wand, but even now in his grip, he could feel its resistance to him. He was used to wanton disobedience from his children, but this power would not yield to him.
The time for watching and waiting was over. The Sorcerer looked to his beloved pet, his obedient child who would not betray him like Yaboku.
“Come, Nagini.”
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official-weasley · 3 years
Text
The Irreplaceable Charlie Weasley: Pt. 6, Ch. 7
PART 6: THE YEAR WHEN EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE Chapter 7 - The Help From Egypt
Nova
I appreciated Penny's help to figure out who I wanted to go to the Ball with but I still couldn't shake this guilty feeling I had about my dream with Murphy. I had a feeling the dream might have something to do with my decision for the dance. After Penny's judgemental looks when I told her about him being able to walk, I knew I couldn't talk to her about it so I decided to talk to the one person, I knew would understand my situation.
I went to the Owlery as soon as I finished talking to Penny and send Pip to Bill. He responded that evening to tell me that we can meet through the fire in the Ravenclaw Common Room at midnight. I have only heard about this type of correspondence from my dad and I wasn't exactly sure how it's supposed to work.
Staying up until Midnight and being in the Common Room was no problem being a Prefect. I pulled one of the armchairs as close as possible to the fire and looked at the time. Only a minute more.
Suddenly, the fire sparkled and something started to move inside of it. I leaned closer.
“Boo!” Bill's face appeared in the middle of the flames.
“Merlin's beard, Bill! You scared me!” He was laughing so hard that I couldn't help but join him. I missed him so much at Hogwarts!
“I will put out your fire, Bill!” I mocked him. His face got serious again.
“How are you Nova, how's school?” His friendly face confirmed that he was the right one for this conversation.
“Good, everything's going great.” I didn't want to make small talk, even though I wanted to know everything about Egypt and how his job is.
“You seemed pretty concerned in your letter. What's wrong?” He said, worried.
“It's rather stupid but I don't know who else to talk to about this.” I frowned, scratching the back of my head.
“Here I am! Pour your problems on me, Blackwood!” He grinned.
“Okay, so! I already asked Penny about this but I need a second opinion. It's about the Ball and who I would like to be asked by.” I blushed. I didn't know how exactly he could see me but I was hoping he couldn't see the color of my cheeks.
“Oh.” Bill looked slightly embarrassed. “Wouldn't Tulip and Tonks be of better help in that department?” Even in the fire, I could see him getting uncomfortable.
“Well, I am deciding between two.” I started.
“Murphy and Charlie.” He said matter of factly.
“How...how do you know that?” I was stunned. I never talked to Bill about my crush on Murphy and I definitely didn't talk to him about Charlie. I even didn't know I had a thing for Charlie until a few weeks ago!
“Nova, I know you, okay. I am not blind.” He winked. “So what do you need help with? I hope you don't expect me to help you choose, you know I would pick Charlie, my whole family is trying to make you a Weasley since First Year.” He said casually.
“Why does everyone think that going to the Ball with someone makes you get married?” I frowned.
“Oh, you'll see.” Bill winked at me. Why was everybody winking at me? What was I missing!?
“Bill, focus! You are here for a reason!” I clapped at him. “I had a dream about Murphy a few nights ago.” Bill made a smug face.
“Not that type of a dream, William!” I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, I dreamt he wasn't in a wheelchair.”
I was waiting for Bill's reaction. No judgemental face. No gasp.
“I don't understand your problem?” Bill scratched his cheek. This is why I wanted to talk to him. I knew he, out of all people, would understand and not judge me.
“I feel bad, Bill! I don't mind if he's in a wheelchair. I never even thought about it and I never would if I didn't have the stupid dream. I feel like I am leaning towards Charlie because I could dance with him normally and it's killing me because I know what a bad person that makes me!” I felt like I was going to cry.
I fell for Murphy knowing about his condition and it never crossed my mind that was something that would turn me away and I knew that if I went to the Ball with him, we could've danced just fine, wheelchair or not. So why was I beating myself over it so much?
“Hmm, do you reckon that your Charlie vs Murphy dilemma isn't about Murphy being in a wheelchair?” Bill asked calmly. I never thought of that. What else could it be?
“Oh, I know how we can figure that out!” I clapped my hands together. “You will ask me a series of questions as quickly as possible and I have to give you a quick answer. Penny did it to me before when she was trying to help me figure out who I want to go to the Ball with.”
“That's brilliant! And what was your answer then?” Bill questioned.
“Charlie.” My cheeks, red. Suddenly, I was very aware that I was talking to his older brother.
“Mhm.” Bill winked at me again and I replied by rolling my eyes.
“Focus, Mr. Curse Breaker!” I stuck my tongue out. “Your job is to make me find out if I am overreacting or am I the worst person on the planet because I am dreaming about someone being able to walk.”
“Alright, are you ready?” His eyes focused. I nodded.
“Your favorite subject at school?”
“Care of Magical Creatures!”
“Your favorite professor?”
“McGonagall!”
“Who's a better Prefect me or Charlie?”
“You!” He beamed but didn't stop the questions.
“Who's your favorite Weasley?”
“Charlie!”
“Aww!” Bill looked offended.
“Bill, focus, I love you too!” I frowned at him.
“Do you think my dad is too obsessed with Muggles?” He snapped out of it.
“No!”
“What is the real reason, you don't want to go to the Ball with Murphy?”
“Because all he talks about is Quidditch!” I gasped. Penny was a genius introducing me to this game. If I knew about this earlier, my life would make so much more sense.
“You mind if all Murphy talks about is Quidditch but it doesn't bother you that Charlie talks about Dragons ALL THE TIME?” Bill narrowed his eyes.
“I like Dragons more than Quidditch.” I answered nonchalantly. It made perfect sense to me. Who would prefer Quidditch over Dragons? Well, Murphy probably.
“Mhm, I bet that's not the only thing you like more.” He winked at me again. This time I knew he was referring to Charlie.
“Bill, I will put your fire out!” I snapped at him. If I could see his full body in the flames, I could've sworn he was on the floor, rolling and laughing.
We continued talking for another hour. I missed him so much and I couldn't get enough of him talking about just how much fun he is having at his job. After he realized that it's past 1 o'clock in the morning he retook his Head Boy position for a second, saying goodbye and sending me to sleep. I knew he was perfect for the dilemma I had and I couldn't be more grateful that I knew I wasn't bothered by Murphy's wheelchair.
Tulip
I was sitting alone in the Courtyard, observing the clouds. I couldn't think of the last time I did something alone or just looked at the sky. I didn't feel like going to the match, Quidditch never really was my thing and I knew that most of the school will be there and I took the opportunity to have some alone time.
“Tulip! For Merlin's sake here you are!” I got up at once and saw Jae running towards me, in panic.
“What? What is it? Is Charlie hurt?” I knew he was going to the game and the look on his face scared me.
“I didn't...make it...to the game!” Jae panted. I made him sit down so he could tell me what was going on.
“Jae, you're scaring me, what is it?” I lifted his head so he looked me in the eyes.
“I was ready to leave for the game when I saw something on the floor next to Charlie's bed. I know I shouldn't go through his stuff but something told me that I should look.” He paused to catch his breath. “And I know you girls are more into crushes and such but even I can see that Nova said no to all those mates because of Charlie.” I gasped.
“What do you know, Jae?” I asked, still terrified.
“I think...” He reached for something in his hoodie pocket. “This is the reason Charlie didn't ask Nova to the Ball.” He finally started breathing normally and handed me a letter.
“I know I'm a guy and we never talked about it but I am pretty sure Charlie fancies Nova for quite some time now and even I began to wonder why he hasn't asked her yet and I think this is it.” He pointed at the envelope in my hands.
“It's dated a few days after the Ball was announced and if I know Charlie, I would say he is conflicted about what to do.” I started to open the letter at once.
“I think Nova deserves to know because I think he might just leave, especially today when he will see her with Murphy again!” My eyes were hurrying through the letter, the look of horror on my face getting bigger.
“Oh, no! And she thought he didn't ask her because he doesn't fancy her but he probably doesn't know how to tell her about this!” Jae nodded. “And now she will say yes to Murphy and Charlie will see them and...”
“Get the wrong idea and leave!” Jae finished my sentence.This was last year all over again.
“We have to get to her, Jae! They have to know how they feel about each other!” I stood up at once, grabbed Jae by the hand, and started running towards the Pitch.
“No, the game has ended already! How are we going to find her?” I stopped just as we were about to enter one of the stands as students and teachers started to come out.
“Tulip? I thought you didn't want to see the game?” I turned around to follow Penny's voice.
“Penny!” We rushed to her and I shook her shoulders. “Where's Nova?”
“She's with Murphy, remember?” She looked as if she was afraid of me.
“And the match is over.” I lowered my head. “We're too late, Jae.” He turned me around and let me bury my head into his shoulder.
I know he doesn't take these things as seriously as I do, but it meant a lot to me that he understood and wanted to help Nova and Charlie anyway. He was an amazing boyfriend and I was a very lucky girl to have him.
“What is going on?!” Tonks shouted.
“We think this letter is the reason why Charlie hasn't asked Nova to the Ball.” Jae said and I handed them the envelope.
“Oh, no.” I thought Penny was going to faint.
“He got this letter a month ago?” Tonks couldn't believe that nobody knew about it yet.
“He is probably conflicted about what to do. This is huge!” Penny wiped her eyes. I was on the verge of tears myself.
“And Charlie probably saw her with Murphy and we ran here as fast as we could so she could talk to him because after what happened to them last year, I think seeing her with Murphy decided for him.” I sniffed, tears gathering in my eyes. I buried my face into Jae's shoulder again.
We loved our friends so much and we hated seeing them like each other but struggle how to approach one another because they were best friends. We always figured that they will eventually connect the dots and end up together. We all knew they were perfect for each other. But we never thought that something would happen that might just never bring them together.
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