#i try to end it in between tense moments but i kinda failed this chapter

[beachyserasims]

Geneva Island Legacy┃Chapter eight┃Be Serious

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To be continued in Chapter 9!!

[mrsbuckybarnes1917]

6: SNAPSHOTS AND STICKY NOTES

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Summary: Bucky and the reader take their fake dating arrangement to the next level, planning a social media-worthy “relationship” to convince Sam and their friends. What starts as awkward cooperation turns into something deeper as small moments— shared secrets, teasing messages, and unexpected vulnerability— blur the lines between real and pretend.

Warnings: fake dating, mutual pining, Bucky being emotionally constipated, references to past trauma (HYDRA, brainwashing), soft Bucky moments, a very important whiteboard, reader roasting Bucky’s texting habits, a trip to the zoo that gets surprisingly emotional

Word Count: 2506

The knock on your door came earlier than expected. You weren’t ready— not emotionally, and certainly not physically.

“Hold on!” you called, scrambling to tug a sweater over your head. The hem caught on your necklace, and you winced as it yanked it down against your torso. Naturally, Bucky would show up early on the one morning you were running late.

When you finally opened the door, Bucky was standing in front of you in his usual attire— dark jeans, a Henley, a fitted jacket and his usual guarded expression. His posture was tense, almost like he was regretting coming over.

“You good?” he asked, gruffly.

“Yeah, sorry. Hectic morning,” you muttered, stepping aside so he could enter your home.

Bucky glanced around as he walked into the living room, his eyes landing on the clutter on your desk in the corner. His eyes lingered over the piles of paper which were haphazardly scattered on the desk and on the floor, unfinished designs scrawled across the pages.

“Didn’t peg you for a messy one,” he said quietly, but there wasn’t any malice in his words.

You huffed. “I call it my creative chaos.”

“Right.”

He sat down on the couch, leaning back as though he was trying to get comfortable, but definitely looked like he was failing miserably. You grabbed your notebook and joined him, perching on the opposite end. The distance between you felt like a chasm.

“You know you don’t need to wear a jacket, you literally walked across the hallway.”

You watched Bucky shrug off his jacket, laying it across the arm of your couch. He tugged down on the sleeve of his Henley to cover up his vibranium arm.

“So,” you began, flipping through the crisp pages, “maybe we can work on how to make this more… convincing.”

“How do you propose that?”

“I guess…” you hesitated, chewing on the end of your pen, leaving a small black ink stain on your lip. “We need to get to know each other a bit better.”

“That’s fine, but knowing Sam, I’m not sure an interrogation’s going to be enough for him. He will want… proof.”

“Proof?” you asked, but a realization had dawned on you on what Bucky meant.

“He keeps talking about finding your Instagram.”

“Ahh shit,” you groaned and slumped back against the cushions. “Of course he is. Fucking social media. We’re going to need hard evidence. ”

Bucky watched you, a hint of amusement at your dramatics. “So, what you wanna do? Some kinda of photoshoot?”

“Sort of…” You looked over at Bucky and you could see the sarcastic expression on his face. “Not like those professional things with photographers and stuff… more like a couple of selfies, maybe a few posed ones out and about. That’s the stuff Sam’s expecting to see, and… my friends will too.”

Bucky sighed, running his hand over his face. “Fine. But count me out of anything cheesy. None of those hearts with our hands or matching outfits.”

“What kind of algorithm invaded your feed that made this your first suggestion?” you demanded, your face filled with disgust.

Bucky looked at you blankly, clearly not understanding a word of what you had just said.

“Don’t worry, I wasn’t planning on matching outfits. Maybe we can plan some dates that work for us and then go to those places and take some photos.”

“How did I get myself into this?” Bucky mumbled quietly to himself.

Unfortunately you caught his meaning. “If you don’t want to do this, why’re you here?”

“I’m sorry, I… I just don’t know what I’m doing.”

Bucky’s admission hung in the air, more vulnerable than you expected. He was looking down at his hands, he tugged down at his left sleeve, trying to pull it down over the vibranium. And for the briefest of moments you saw beneath his stoic mask he always wore.

“Look Bucky,” you moved closer to him. “I… I’m not really the biggest fan of this either, I mean… it’s not like I grew up with the fantasy of a fake boyfriend.”

He looked over at you, a hint of a smirk crossed his face. “I guess I’m just having a hard time letting someone in.”

“It’s just for show. You don’t need to share your whole life story with me. We just need to know enough about each other to make this believable.”

Bucky nodded slowly. “James,” he said quietly.

You frowned, confusion etched across your face. “Excuse me?”

“My name… is James.” He looked you in the eyes and introduced himself again, holding out his hand. “James Buchanan Barnes.”

“Hi, James.” 

You took his hand and introduced yourself back to him, enjoying the warmth of his hand for a beat too long. But for some reason, he didn’t pull his hand away.

“I’m trying,” he whispered.

There was a sincerity in his tone that made you pause, your fingers still wrapped in his calloused grip. His hand felt surprisingly steady and grounding amidst all the uncertainty that surrounded you.

“Me too, Bucky… James?”

“Everyone calls me Bucky, but I thought, if  we’re dating, you ought to know my real name.”

“Well, Bucky, we’ll figure this out… together.”

He gave your hand a small squeeze before finally letting go.

“So,” you said, clearing your throat. “Since we’re walking this road together, what kind of first date does James Buchanan Barnes take a girl on?”

Bucky leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees, one hand absently tugging at the sleeve.

“You want to know what I’d have done for a first date back then?” he asked finally, his voice low and measured.

You blinked, surprised by his question, and nodded slowly, trying not to look too eager at finding out more about this mysterious man. “Sure. If you’re okay talking about it.”

Bucky leaned back against the couch again, staring at your blank television as though he could see his previous life play out on the screen. “It was different back then… simpler, I guess. A guy could take a girl dancing or to the movies. Maybe walk her home, if she wanted.” His lips twitched, a ghost of a smile played across them. “I used to go out a lot, actually. Always had a date for the weekend. Guess you could say I was popular.”

You couldn’t resist a little teasing. “A charmer, huh?”

His faint smirk faded, replaced by something more guarded. “Yeah. It was… easier back then.”

“Before you were the Winter Soldier?” you asked, your voice was laced with curiosity but no judgment.

Bucky’s head snapped toward you, his jaw tightening. “That wasn’t my choice,” he said sharply, the anger in his voice cutting through the room like a blade.

You froze, your breath catching in your throat. “Oh, Bucky, I didn’t mean—”

He held up his hand, stopping you mid-apology. You could see the tension in his shoulders despite the fact that his face was turned away from you.

“I shouldn’t have snapped,” he mumbled after a moment of silence. Slowly he sighed, running his hand through his hair. “This is exactly why I don’t…”

“I didn’t mean to pry,” you said, your heart sinking. “I just… I’m sorry. Really. I wasn’t trying to hurt you.” You bit your lip and stared down at your hands, twisting your fingers together nervously, glancing over now and again to see how he would react.

Bucky didn’t respond immediately but the silence between you felt heavy.

Finally, he let out a long slow breath, as if he was trying to expel the pressure that had built up inside him. “I know,” he said quietly. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just… this whole thing? Letting someone in, even just pretending? It’s harder than I thought it’d be.”

You nodded. “I get it. Or, well, I’m trying to. And for what it’s worth… I’m glad you’re here. Even if it is hard.”

Bucky turned to look at you, scrutinizing your face. His lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something, but then he thought better of it and pressed his mouth into a thin line. After that, the two of you sat in silence, neither one of you knowing how to bridge the gap but there was something different between you. It felt less like a chasm and more like a better understanding of the burden he carried. He hadn’t shown his hand, but he had tipped one of his cards.

Eventually Bucky broke the silence, his voice softer. “So coffee shop for the first date?”

“What, no dancing?” you asked with mock incredulity.

Bucky let out a quiet laugh. “I think my dancing days are behind me.”

“Come on,” you pressed, leaning toward him a little. “You mean to tell me the legendary Bucky Barnes can’t bust a move anymore?”

An involuntary but genuine laugh escaped Bucky’s lips and he shook his head. “I literally don’t understand half the things you say.”

“You’ll learn to love it,” you said in a sing-song voice.

“I haven’t danced since 1943.”

“They say it’s like riding a bike. You just gotta get back on the horse.” You grinned at you as you threw random idioms at him.

“You’re doing this on purpose.”

“Guilty.”

He shook his head but there was no sign of irritation— if anything he was struggling to hide his amusement. “If it means we can get off this topic, I’ll consider it.”

“Perfect!” You picked up your notebook and started writing. “First date: coffee shop.” You looked up out of the corner of your eye and lifted your pen off the page and pretended to keep writing. “Second date: dancing.”

“Let’s survive the first one first,” he said gruffly.

The next time you came home, you found a sticky note attached to your door at your eye level. You peeled it off with a sigh, glancing down at Bucky’s neat, capitalized handwriting:

“MEETING AT 7. DON’T BE LATE.”

You rolled your eyes, unlocking your doors and stepping into the warmth of your apartment. It was 6:30pm and you’d just gotten home from work. You grumbled to yourself as you closed the door.

Is texting too much of a chore for him? Man can wear sophisticated tech for an arm but can’t work something as simple as a cell phone.

By the time the fifth sticky note had made its appearance, you’d had enough. You marched down to the local arts and crafts store and bought a small whiteboard and marker. It was the perfect size to hang on your door and you couldn’t help but smirk at the mental image of Bucky and his Grumpy Cat face standing in the hallway, writing on it.

You hung it up and scribbled your own message to christen the board.

“FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS MODERN, JUST TEXT ME.”

As you were leaving the next day, there was a new message:

“TEXTING IS OVERRATED.”

As time went on, neither of you mentioned the board, occasionally leaving random messages, mostly involving you teasing him about his inability to send a text message.

“CAN WE DISCUSS YOUR FEAR OF TEXTING?”

“NOT A FEAR, IT’S CALLED FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION.”

His handwriting was slightly different in this response, a messy scrawl rather than his neat bold lettering, almost like he had been laughing while he wrote it.

"ZOO TOMORROW? DON’T MAKE ME REGRET THIS."

“FINE! BUT IF YOU POUT, I’M POSTING IT!”

“YOU ANIMAL!”

You let out a small huff, glancing over at Bucky as he stared at the pair of arctic wolves lounging lazily in their enclosure. He had been trudging around the zoo behind you all day looking distinctly unimpressed. For some reason, his usual grumpy scowl was starting to get under your skin. 

“What’s on your mind, Oscar?” you asked, leaning towards him.

Bucky turned, furrowing his brow. “Oscar? Who’s Oscar?”

“You,” you said with a teasing smile. “You know, Oscar the Grouch? From Sesame Street?”

His expression didn’t change. “I don’t know where Sesame Street is.” He rolled his eyes and turned back to the wolves, a distant look on his face.

You shook your head, not knowing whether to be amused or exasperated. “If you’re not into this, we could just leave. No need to suffer through it.”

Bucky sighed and his tone softened. “Sorry. I just… this is… different.”

You were caught off guard at his change in tone. It wasn’t like him to sound so reflective and a wave of guilt washed over you for being so insistent on coming to the zoo.

“I didn’t mean to drag you here if it’s not your thing,” you offered quietly.

He shook his head, dismissing your words. His eyes were still fixed on the wolves. “Have you heard of a place called Wakanda?” he asked, but his voice was so quiet, you wondered if he was talking to you.

You nodded, unsure where this was going but sensing it was important.

“I lived there for a while. They helped me with deprogramming the HYDRA brainwashing. Gave me peace for the first time in… a long time. I’ll always be grateful for what they did for me.”

You swallowed hard, not sure how to respond.

“The kids there… they used to call me White Wolf.”

There it was again, that look— like he was off somewhere else— and there was something almost wistful in his voice that tugged at your heart, making it ache. For a while you just stood silently beside him, unsure if he was looking for a response or was just in need of company.

You took a step back, giving him some space, wondering if he would notice your movement. But he seemed to be lost in his past and you hoped that it was one that would offer him some comfort. He looked…distant, yet somehow at peace, as if the memories he was lost in weren’t all bad. His usually guarded expression softened, and for the first time that day, his shoulders weren’t so tense. 

Instead, you took another small step back, watching as his focus stayed on the wolves. Without thinking, you pulled out your phone and snapped a quick photo of him. Bucky didn’t even flinch, his focus still fixed on the wolves. The light filtering through the enclosure cast a soft glow over him, catching the slight furrow of his brow and the way his blue eyes seemed to soften as he watched the animals move.

The sound of the shutter must have finally caught his attention because he turned his head slightly, raising an eyebrow at you. “Did you just take a picture of me?”

You shrugged, feigning nonchalance. “Maybe. You looked less grumpy for once. Had to document it.”

“If that ends up on the Instacart, I'll expect royalties,” he smirked.

You smiled, uploading the photo to your photo to your feed. You flashed the image at Bucky for his approval, before secretly adding your caption. “Found his pack.” #mywhitewolf

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Posting schedule will be Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays around 2.30pm EST / 11.30am PST / 7.30pm BST

[borathae]

chapter 15

Can’t you like it for me?” he says with big puppy eyes.

You look away.

“You’re being emotionally manipulative here.” shut up girl im loving u too much i cant

“You are playing with fire here, Bunny. Try not to burn yourself”, you grumble.

He chuckles and pecks your cheek.

“I like the burn”, he rasps against the shell of your ear, turning to the front afterwards.

SHUT UP IM CANT TAKE IT. try not to lose your shit challenge- mission failed successfully

He treated you so goddamn fucking well that sometimes you still felt the urge to punch him in the face and run away jk in the corner, i'll take that as a compliment

Lately the latter have become more and more. YAY

“Hey kiddo. How are you doing?” he says in a surprisingly deep voice for such a small frame. me with felix and taehyung

“for half a million bucks I expect to have the painter constantly working on it in a metal cage in the middle of my living room or something.” - ........ - a few bystanders had heard you and were now looking at you with weird eyes. SHUT UP THATS SOO ME except my voice would be low and nobody would hear but could be loud too cuz universe makes it louder at times when u dont want anyone to hear shit

although he was stressed and exhausted he never once smelled of alcohol. AHHHH IM SO PROUD OF HIM *gives a big ass hug and a smooch

WHY DOES NERO'S SHOULDERS LOOK FAMILIAR TO HER AND WHY DOES SHE LOOK FAMILIAR TO HIM AHHH STOP I HATE IT THIS CHAPTER IS A ROLLERCOASTER

again a fluffy moment after the tense thank you, her threatening to buy green and purple pillows PLZ that sounds like me trying to threaten my parents by telling them im gonna marry a cat crazy dude

“I’m not asking for it. I am very much anti punishment uwu i love this stupid noodle

He swallows heavily, “a-are we going to make out now?” he asks, grasping for your hips. he is such a cute and horny noodle pls and no u are about to cringe for the rest of your office time

FUCK GET YOURSELF A MAN WHO CAN FIGHT FOR YOU IMMEDIATELY

“don’t say that what the hell my cock twitched.”

“I am not going to apologize because I am way too turned on to care.”

He looks from side to side with the tip of his nose rosy.

“What’s with the sudden horniness oh my god?”

“It’s just that I never really saw you work before and it’s kinda doing things to me.” SAME HERE IM FEELING IM WATCHING SOME HOT CEO FROM KDRAMA BUT EVEN BETTER AAAAH

It makes his ass cheeks tense up and forces a quiet whimper from between his lips. SHUT UP SHUT UP HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO MOVE ON FROM THIS MOVE ON WITH MY DAILY LIFE????? VANESSA HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE LAUGH LOVE IN THESE SITAUTIONS ??

I REPEAT HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO LIVE LAUGH LOVE IN THESE SITUATIONS??? JIWOO SOUNDS SIERIOUS OH SHIT NOW SHE KNOWS AAAH

WHY IS SHE CONNECTING THE DOTS SOMETIMES CHARACTERS SHOULD BE DUMB PLEASEEEE also why is there a group of people surrounding kook??? 👀

the whole thing was soo tense i sweated through my shirt now im a stinky kid -_- BUT WE LOVED IT the emotions was captured soo well and he was supportive yet very unsupportive if your brain's going haywire with an anxiety/panic attack

Twirling him threw him straight into subspace. *insert meme i hope i dont fall, her: twirls him kook : oh no mommy

the mom is sweet AND I CANT STAND THE DAD UGHHH

i prayed for her to not go to the mirror AND SHE DID NOO its really the worst thing to do during a panic attack :(

that was soo scary even i felt the uncontrollable demons while reading and thanks it ended on a good note and it was cute.

anyways i wish her a great day next morning(tho the story has ended) cuz them muscles be hurting like a bitch oof

Me reading through all your reactions:

hahahahha I love how you went on an emotional rollercoaster with this chapter jfdjsf also you quoting so many parts is my weakness hehehe thank you so much for doing that

BROORORORO THE TWIRLING PART WAS THE ONE OF THE FIRST TIMES I WENT "oh fuck i have a mommy kink" LIKE IDK IF YOU GUYS KNOW BUT AAOL WAS MY MOMMY KINK AWAKENING FADSFAHH

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Wounded Love (Lady Dimitrescu/F!Reader) Pt. 3

Fandom: Resident Evil: Village Rating: T for blood/violence and language Genre: Action with a lil bit of fluff Warnings: Lil bit of blood Notes: There's an unnamed character in here who may or may not end up as recurring in my stories. I don't really have anything in particular planned for her, she's kinda just here to fill a role/allow for some easter egg type shit in the next chapter. Previous Chapters: Pt. 1, Pt. 2

{Wounded Love 3: Bloody Valentine (No, not that Valentine)}

“Mother Miranda, I must insist, if these lycans stray any further they might start feasting on the village as well! Pray tell, who will you use for research then? We can’t just-... Forgive me… Mhmm. Yes, I understand. Of course… Have a good night, Mother Miranda,” Lady Dimitrescu said, before setting her phone down with a loud thunk. Her hands shake a little, and for a moment you worry that her vanity won’t survive the coming moments. Then you make eye contact with her reflection, giving her an encouraging smile, watching as her gaze softens. “I’m afraid there’s nothing she can do, my dear. I cannot allow Heisenberg’s negligence to go unpunished, but we will have to take care of it on our own, without Mother Miranda’s support.”

“Is that wise, love? To go behind her back like this? I can’t imagine she’ll be terribly pleased if we cause chaos for one of her favored few,” you replied, clicking your tongue as you thought things over. Again you see anger cloud Alcina’s face, though she makes sure not to direct it at you.

“We are not the ones who started this mess,” she reminded you, through clenched teeth. “But we will be the ones to end it, one way or another. I don’t care if I have to gut that wretched man-thing and bring Miranda his corpse as proof of his incompetence! He has shown his lack of loyalty hundreds of times… and now he will pay.” Gulping, you rise to your feet, wanting to comfort your girlfriend. While you had understood that your injury angered her, you hadn’t (until this moment) realized the sheer intensity of that rage. How much blood would be shed before this was over?...

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

Crimson drips down the beast’s side, across matted fur, before hitting the wooden floor. A stench as awful as you had ever found filled the air, only made tolerable by the nearby presence of scented candles. What a mess, you think, glad that you wouldn’t be the one to clean it up. Why had the girls insisted on bringing the damn thing inside? Couldn’t they have simply snatched a few teeth from its jaw as a prize? Somehow you doubted that the thought had even crossed their minds. Violence was a passion of theirs, and they preferred their trophies to be as large as the effort they put into getting it.

“How close to the path did you find it?” You asked after finishing your examination of the lycan. Next to you, the eldest daughter is rapidly taking notes in a leather-bound journal. Both of her siblings stand near the fireplace, hands held out next to the flames, needing to warm up after being outside for so long. It wasn’t even that cold of a day, with temperatures averaging around eighteen degrees celsius. All the snowfall from the prior week had now melted. While you knew of the family’s weakness, you also knew that they had bundled up before leaving, and had even taken a torch with them in the hopes of using it on a lycan. Their powers had taken somewhat of a hit, temporarily, but not nearly enough to prevent them from killing a single lycan.

“Heard it howling almost as soon as we left the castle. We couldn’t smell it until halfway to the village, though. Once we could we tried to track it, only for the stupid thing to come charging at us. Must have been eight, maybe ten, meters away by the time we collided,” Cassandra answered. There’s a bit of a shiver to her voice, and you can’t help the rush of sympathy you feel in response. Being out on the path, wearing little more than a dress and scarf, had been absolute hell for you. Even if it was warmer outside now, you imagined that being weak to the cold just about made up for the difference. “There was a little more howling once we started walking back here. Louder, if not closer. Heisenbitch isn’t even trying to keep these fucking things in check.”

“Cassandra, language!” Came a voice in the distance, making everyone present look up at once. Strutting down the stairs was a clearly miffed Alcina, eyes narrowed, body tense. “Did you three really have to bring the mutt inside? Surely you advocated against this, Bela? Or did you think I wanted new bloodstains right by the entrance, where everyone can see them?” Next to you Bela winces, but doesn’t respond, too worried about angering her mother further. “And you, my dear, what on Earth are you doing on the floor? You should be resting, in an actual chair, if not lying in bed awaiting my return. There’s enough for me to worry about without you limping around on a useless leg!”

Now it was your turn to wince.

“Please, love, I know you’re stressed, but I can still help. Given enough time I could help ascertain these things’ weaknesses. At the very least I could pass on what I learned during my fight with one,” you pleaded. Then you tried to stand up, wanting to prove yourself, only to stumble, barely avoiding a faceplant- and only doing so because of Bela’s quick reaction time. She helped you to your feet, letting you lean on her, then lead you towards a bench. Begrudgingly you sit back down. “You’re only doing this because I got hurt. Helping you in your endeavor to avenge me is the least I can do.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Alcina snapped, now just a couple meters away from you. Even with that space between you, her presence was intimidating, and you almost felt like a child being scolded. “Were you to get hurt again, how would we avenge you? If you fall by your own hand, there will be naught I can do other than lock you away somewhere without any dangerous elements. What sort of existence would that be for you? I simply can’t allow it, no exceptions.” At this you pout, feeling rather disappointed. It’s not as if you were asking to carry a gun and shoot Heisenberg yourself! Not that you would be opposed to doing so, of course. “Try to put yourself in my place, my dear. Could you live with yourself if you failed to protect me?”

“I suppose I could not, love. Very well, I shall simply root you on from here, and kiss away any injuries you return with,” you replied, at last giving in. Then you found yourself smiling… and on the receiving end of a very soft forehead kiss. “Nothing will separate us, my love. None can tear apart that which the universe has stitched together.”

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

“Like I said, my Lady, I already want him dead. Did you really think that your family was the only one to suffer because of his machinations? I know half a dozen people who would love to put a bullet in that fucker’s skull, bare mims,” the huntress said, white teeth showing in her half-smirk. There was an odd coolness to her voice, like this whole ordeal was just another job, and you couldn’t help but feel uncertain about her. Could she really be the solution to Alcina’s problem? You couldn’t even judge her arsenal, considering she had been instructed to come unarmed. After all, she was a hunter of monsters, with a sizable history to her name. If not for her hatred of Heisenberg, you would never have felt comfortable letting her come within two hundred meters of your girlfriend.

“How can I be sure that you’ll succeed? The last thing I want is to have that wretched man-thing come crawling out of the filth he lives in, angry and coming for vengeance,” Alcina responded, scrutinizing gaze locked on the huntress.

“Didn’t Duke give you my file? Or at least read the good bits out loud? I’ve been in my fair share of scraps, with all sorts of bioweapon mutant freaks. Besides, I don’t plan on leaving any receipts behind. If he manages to survive, which is already one hell of an if, there’s no way he can prove that you asked me to do it. Considering he’s already seen my face, and knows I want him dead… yeah, he won’t bother accusing you, not when I’m in the picture, and certainly not when you’ve got such a big reputation for following Mother Miranda’s word down to the very last letter. So, you gonna make this official, or what?” The huntress asked, gesturing her arms wide. Although you’re still not convinced, Alcina nods quietly, seeming ready to make her decision. Regardless of how you feel about the stranger in front of you, you’re more than willing to support your girlfriend in whatever she planned.

“Very well, huntress. Show us just what you’re capable of.”

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Flames licked at her heels, even as she charged forward, tickling like hot breaths against her skin. Behind her half a dozen lycans roared and screeched in unison. Smoke and ashes flew upwards, into the air, but could not poison her lungs, not when she had come prepared. Still, the mask was not as easy to breathe in as she had hoped, making her chest heave with effort at each intake of air. Good thing I’ll be gone soon, she thought, sparing a glance behind her as she ran. Dozens of trees were aflame, and countless glowing eyes watched from between the branches. They wouldn’t be there for much longer, not with what she had done.

Soon enough an explosion would shake the Earth. Then, finally, both the lycans who had killed her father and the man who desecrated the remains would be dead. And if a certain countess happened to pay her for her services? All the better, really. Funerals could be expensive, especially in such a remote village. More than that… there was no guarantee that she’d be able to outrun Mother Miranda on her own. A little money would make the flight out a hell of a lot nicer.

Assuming she made it that far. There was another scream behind her, this one more human, though somewhat warped by mechanics. It wasn’t a pained cry. No, it was filled with rage. Clearly Heisenberg had come out of his lair, hearing the fireworks, finding his scrap metal and werewolf army in chaos. From the sound of things- metal against metal, electricity crackling- he was coming her way.

“Fuck fuck fuck!” She muttered, desperately trying to get to higher ground. Even if the lycans succumbed to the overwhelming fire, it wouldn’t be hard for their leader to overcome. But the huntress was still too close to her explosives to risk activating the detonator. Just a bit farther, she thought, ignoring the way her lungs ached. Rocks kicked up with every step, loud enough to be heard from a distance, and made traction harder to keep. In the end she had to scramble to get up the side of a short cliff. A few scrapes appeared on her hands, making her curse under her breath.

But with one last movement, pulling herself up with both arms, she was finally far enough to be relatively safe. In one clean second she turned around, pulled the detonator out of its pouch and clicked the trigger. Just like that, a forest blazing turns into a mushroom cloud of pure hellfire. The setting sun makes for a beautiful backdrop, and the sight almost brings a tear to the huntress’ eyes. For a few moments she just enjoys the view. Then, without hesitation or remorse, she starts to walk away, mentally congratulating herself for a job well done.

Until something shoots past her head with terrifying speed. Before she can react another sharp piece of metal flies past her, grazing her arm, and there’s a blood-curdling roar from behind her. Then she’s running, fast as she can, pulse pounding harder than it ever has. One hand goes to the rifle on her back, pulling it out as quickly as she can. The area is rocky, with plenty of outcrops, perfect to hide behind (assuming there weren’t any hidden metal deposits). Quickly she ducks behind one, crouching to keep her head out of sight. Mere milliseconds later another metal spike slams into the ground just beyond her cover.

In the distance, more screams pierce the air, and something heavy drags itself across the ground. It almost sounds like a tank rolling through the woods. The thought alone worries the huntress, but she had never been one to let her fear control her. So she double checks her rifle, adjusts the scope, and pops out of cover. Less than a second later she has her target in her sights. It’s Heisenberg, for sure, more metal than man, but dripping with red. One press of the trigger sends a bullet straight for his ugly head. Unsurprisingly, it’s not enough to pierce his cranium, instead making him mad as hell.

Which is why automatic guns were invented, probably. The huntress holds the trigger down this time, though briefly, before dashing to the next piece of cover. She repeats the process a few times, hoping to kill the man before he could climb the cliff she stood on. If he managed to get up there with her… no, she couldn’t think about that, not now. She had to focus.

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

Hidden among the trees, the Dimitrescu sisters watched as plumes of smoke rose in the distance. Even though they had been aware of the huntress’ plan, they hadn’t expected this much carnage. It was certainly exciting! But they really couldn’t see much from where they were. Getting closer was probably a horrible idea, and yet Cassandra shared a meaningful look with Daniela. A split second later they were forming a swarm, rushing into the trees, leaving their elder sister to yell after them.

“Mother’s going to kill me,” Bela said, before rolling her eyes and following. Maybe she could at least keep them out of trouble?... Probably not.

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

Metal hands wrap around the huntress’ throat, squeezing hard, but do not twist or otherwise break their prey. No, Heisenberg does not intend to end this that quickly. This rodent had taken so much from him, set his plans back by decades. He was going to kill her slowly. When she still fights back, pulling a knife from her boot and trying to stab whatever she can reach, he does little else but laugh. It’s a crazed cackling that echoes through the surrounding rocky hills.

Just barely loud enough to drown out the sound of insects buzzing.

“Fuck that guy!” Someone shouted, right as a sickle descended upon the monstrous Heisenberg’s neck. The first slice isn’t enough to sever the connection, which is why it’s immediately followed by a second, from another sister, then a third, from the eldest, that finally does the job. Just like that the hands release from the huntress’ throat, and she gasps for air. Coughs leave her distracted as the sisters move to surround her. “Good thing we wanted to see the show up close and personal, eh?” Daniela asked, twirling her sickle with a little giggle.

“You idiots are just lucky I followed you,” Bela added, glaring at her sister. Internally, she was relieved that the end result was a success. Still, she worried about what her mother would think, and certainly didn’t intend to voice her satisfaction at delivering the killing blow. “Now let’s get back, before mother assumes the worst and comes to get us herself.” Sighing, she extends a hand to help the huntress up. Though their mutual enemy had been defeated, there was still much to be done. Who knew how Mother Miranda would react? Who, if anyone, would take Heisenberg’s place? There was plenty to be unsure about, and Bela let her mind wander the whole way back, hoping that things would only get better from here...

[unprofessional-bard]

Chapter 12 - The Development, Pt. II

Unprofessional Bard's Masterlist

Losing My Religion Series Masterlist

Previous Chapter • Next Chapter

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female!Reader/OC

Warnings: TW!!! Mentions of depression/anxiety, lack of appetite and suicide; jealousy (the reader is Angry™️); talks of (unwanted) pregnancy and miscarriage (cult activities).

Summary: Who would've thought a dinner and a bouquet of flowers would ever bare bad omens?

Word Count: 5.588

Author's Note: I apologise for the repost! I forgot to do my taglist + the tags didn't work for me so let me try this again. This is a whole chunk of angst and nothing more. I'm sorry about this but it is going to get darker :')

Enjoy!

gif credit: winterswake

"Oof, this wasn't your greatest idea, you know that right?" You sighed anxiously, hands on your hips.

"I've done many things that weren't so great, sweetpea," Joel wiped his wet hands on the cute little apron around his waist after he put the vegetables he had cut into the bowl which was on the counter next to the cutting board: "We both know it, but this totally ain't one of 'em."

He carried another bowl to the dining room where you stood, gave your exposed neck a brief kiss as he passed by. Kiki and Ward were going to arrive anytime now for Joel's infamous dinner plan. When he put the bowl down, he scanned the table with a puzzled expression: "Why are there two more plates?"

You leaned your weight on one leg as you grabbed the edges of the chair, which stood at the head of the table: "I... invited Tommy and Maria over, too–"

Joel's expression made you feel guilty: "(Y/N)."

"What?" You spoke defensively, a nervous expression on your face and tone to your voice. "It was going to be awkward as shit otherwise."

"You don't know that," He growled. "Not when you pull stunts like this."

"I don't care," You emphasised each word, exhaustion present in your stance. "Better safe than sorry, Joel."

He nodded disapprovingly and walked back to the kitchen as you stood there, your head hanging with a sigh. You slowly raised it up, hands on your hips again, then turned your head to the side just enough for him to hear you over the sound of the steamer: "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not," He said when he walked past you, carrying the last piece of dish to the table. His anger wasn't for nothing, you accepted what you did was an ass move.

"You're right." You huffed, which made him look at you. "I'm not sorry for inviting Tommy and Maria over, but I am sorry for upsetting you."

His tense stance eased slowly at your words, then he proceeded to mirror your chair holding pose, huffing quietly: "Well, one of us is gon' have to eat less, I'm more worried about that."

"I'll gladly volunteer, I lost my appetite." You rubbed your eyes, which sported dark circles underneath them– which worried Joel.

He stepped closer to you, reaching for your hip with his dominant hand and began rubbing soothing circles there: "No. You eat. Don't think for a second I didn't notice how you started eatin' less." This whole ordeal was getting to you more than you cared to admit. It had been eight days since your decision to arrange dinner with them, but it clearly didn't escape Joel's notice. You looked down, ashamed, running a hand through your hair nervously: "Hey, look at me," Joel gently took your chin between his fingers and lifted your head up, his nose inches away from yours. The three knocks on your door didn't stop him from saying: "You're worryin' over nothin', sweetheart. It's gonna be alright."

"We'll see," You looked into his eyes with a blank stare, gulping, giving his hand a light squeeze before walking to the door, collecting yourself in the meantime. From the small windows on the door, it wasn't hard to tell the brunette couple had arrived. You took a deep breath as you opened the door with a sincere smile: "Hello there– Come in, welcome."

"Hi!" Kiki grinned and Ward just offered an awkward resemblance of a smile.

After escorting them to the living room, you spoke: "Joel's getting finished in the kitchen, then we can have dinner."

"Joel's cooking?" Kiki gave you an alien look. It wasn't a my goodness what a man I bet he cooks real fine tone, but more a genuinely confused one.

"Uhm, yes?" You lightly flinched but smiled still, equally confused at her question. Giving a brief look at Ward, you noticed how he was staring hard at her and she was pointedly ignoring him. "Don't worry, he actually cooks better than me... haha."

You stared into each other's eyes for five seconds, both of your irises reflecting a pair of question marks at each other, then she let out an odd laugh: "Oh! If you say so... What a beautiful garden you got– Lots of flowers."

"Why, thank you," You smiled a little nervously. "I like taking care of flowers and plants..."

"Oh really? I do– did too, once upon a time..." Kiki did an exaggerated smiley face. "I should bring you some, then!"

"That's very kind of you," You felt yourself soften a little at her words. "Well, how have you both been? Feeling like you two are fitting in? I hope people aren't giving you trouble."

"Oh," Kiki looked at Ward for the first time, who's gaze was focused on you now. "No, I think we started to fit in better–" Ward nodded in agreement, his head turning in her direction: "Gets better every day."

"That's good news," You quietly huffed out a breath of relief, nodding at her words, which was when Joel walked in to greet them, and also when there was another pair of knocks on the door. This time, thank God, it was Tommy and Maria.

The dinner went without a hitch, to say the least. Although it had it's awkward moments, Tommy and Maria always picked it up one way or another. Delicious meals were eaten and wines from your collection with Joel were opened– it was pleasant to a certain degree. You and Joel sat across each other on the other ends of the table, Maria and Tommy sat to your left while Kiki and Ward sat to your right. Kiki was seated by your side, but she mostly had her attention on your husband. She didn't drink, but Ward did, and after his second glass, he seemed to relax more.

When it was time to carry all the plates back to where they came from, Joel and you carried the first party. When you placed them in the sink, and he on the counter, he softly grabbed your hand: "See? Wasn't that bad, was it?"

It sort of was, for you anyway, as much as you tried to calm your nerves with the wine: "Thanks to Tommy and Maria, yeah." Joel sighed through his nose and looked away for a moment: "What?"

"We'll talk about it in the morning." Joel let your hand go, but didn't move away.

"What is there to talk about?" You spoke, frustrated, your arms opening slightly in a gesture. Right then, your eyes moved over his shoulder to the doorway. He turned around to see it was Maria with two of the rect platters in her hands.

"Joel, why don't you go back? (Y/N) and I'll handle it from here." She spoke as she walked over to where you two were, then placed the platters on the counter. He gave you one last look before nodding and walking back inside. As soon as he left, Maria stood very close to you and turned on the water: "You wanna tell me what's going on with you?"

"Not really," You quickly started to wash the plates and she helped with the leftovers.

"(Y/N)," Maria spoke more seriously. "There's obviously something wrong–"

"I didn't say there wasn't, I just don't wanna talk about it right now." You said, turning your head to her a little but not looking her in the eyes. "Please, Maria, I appreciate you and your concern, but–"

"Mind if I help?" Kiki suddenly appeared with more service in her hands, startling you both.

"Not at all," Maria replied in your stead. "I'll leave you two to it, I need to use the bathroom."

You closed your eyes, exhausted, then begged for patience as Kiki replaced Maria's place next to you. She kept a distance, which you also appreciated. After a brief moment of silence, she spoke: "The food was delicious, I'm surprised Joel helped you prepare all of this."

You tried– God knows your tried not to look for a double meaning behind her words, but you failed: "Well, as I said, he cooks better than me."

"No, I mean, he just really helps you around, y'know? Serving, preparing, cleaning..."

You turned to face her, closing the sink, and took a proper look at her: "What's so weird about it? We're partners– Married– There's no helping out, we do it together, as it should be."

"Oh, don't get me wrong," She said after a while, her smile unsettling. "It's just that, I always do the cooking, and preparing, and cleaning. That's what I was taught, while Ward..."

You bit down on your tongue hard as you finally understood what she was getting at, the realisation making you blink once and long, then look away. A silent oh left your lips while you thought about how to respond, forcing a small smile to your lips: "Well... Uh– Why don't you go back, I'll take it from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I got this, you're our guest, after all."

She smiled and nodded, heading back. As soon as she turned around you let out a silent, heavy breath, looking a little bewildered and disturbed at the things she had said. You stood still for a few moments, then ultimately decided to wash your face, so you took it up to the bathroom.

When you woke up the next morning, you had a mild headache from the wine, no doubt. Joel was nowhere to be found, which had you worried for a second, then you realised it was near noon. After washing your face, you dragged yourself downstairs and once you made it to the kitchen, you found Tommy, Eugene and Joel sitting quietly at the table.

"Mornin' princess," Eugene grinned at you, a cup in his hand. Joel and Tommy had more serious, even a little worried looks on their faces.

"Hey," You waved at them and dragged your feet to the cupboard where you kept your coffee, only to find you had ran out of the beans.

"How're you feelin'?"

"I'm fine... What kinda question is that?" You chuckled.

The brothers shared a brief look before Tommy slowly got up, walked towards the island counter and leaned against it with his elbows: "Listen, (Y/N), we're all a bit worried about you."

"I'm not!" Eugene said clearly. "I mean, I am, but not in the way they are– What's going on with you and the newcomers?"

You stared at the brothers, hard, then turned to Joel: "Is this the new town gossip, then?"

He huffed, crossed his arms across his chest and leaned back in his seat: "It ain't nothin'. We were talking about last night," He gestured between himself and Tommy. "Eugene overheard, expressed his own worries 'bout them and wanted to talk to you."

You felt so exposed –out in the open– with the spotlight moving onto you once more. Your eyebrows furrowed as Joel held your gaze for a while, the other men too scared to interfere; until Eugene spoke: "Look, (Y/N), I get what worries you, even if these two bimbos will say there's nothing wrong. I'm here to vouch for ya."

"Thanks," You shrugged and nodded. You felt embarrassed at the three pairs of eyes waiting for a response from you– speaking to Eugene alone about what actually worried you would've made you feel much better, but you just told them about the interactions between you and Kiki. The more you spoke, the more frustrated you got, which ironically made you close up more.

"Which reminds me," He said some time after you mentioned her offer to bring you a flower. "Do you have, uh, mugwort in your garden?"

The abrupt change of topic caught you off guard, but you still said yes, I think so and walked out from the back door, the old man tailing you. The sun immediately burned down on your skin, but a gentle breeze lightened the load on your shoulders as it accompanied you to the edge of the garden.

"Look, I don't actually need mugwort," He said when you sat down on your knees. "If you wanna say something to me that you think they won't understand, now's your chance."

You moved on with your digging quietly while he waited, then finally, without looking at him and venom dripping from every word you spoke, you sighed: "Kiki has eyes for Joel."

Eugene coughed loudly at your cold words, a hand on his chest: "Shit, (Y/N)..."

"Everyone, including Joel, seems oblivious to this– I'll probably get accused of petty jealousy if I tell them, but since you've had your fair share of weird run-ins with her, I think you should know."

He remained quiet for awhile as you worked with the plant, then finally huffed: "That's not a jealous face from what I can see, it's the face of a woman who's sensing something's gonna go wrong."

You finally looked up at him, your cold expression turned soft because of his sympathy, then looked back down: "I'm losing sleep over some stupid– bitch– God, I was... I've been trying to convince myself that it's nothing, but–"

"It's not nothing, (Y/N)." Eugene spoke firmly, grabbing your shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Something's clearly not right with those two, and you've a right to get worried, 'cause I'm guessing it's not just Joel you're worried about."

You gulped, wiped some sweat off the corner of your brow with your wrist, then nodded.

"Well," He took the plants from your hands. "Thanks for this, and, just know that you're not alone. If you ever wanna talk more about this, you know where to find me. Don't be a stranger."

You did pay Eugene a visit a few days later to talk more about them. You felt more comfortable talking to him alone, and you were talking to him because you didn't want to add more to Joel's tension and strain your relationship again. It also felt good to just talk about the whole thing and have someone who understood you.

You had told him that you had no doubts about Joel's intentions, but about Kiki's and hers alone. He had told you he understood and told you that his door was always open if you needed to talk again, so you went to him a second time in a cool afternoon after Kiki had appeared out of nowhere.

"Flowers! As promised!" She smiled brightly, giving you a tiny bouquet of mixed, yellow flowers.

"Oh, wow," You carefully took the bouquet from her, smiling at the sight and feeling genuinely happy for a moment that she actually did something like this. "Thank you, Kiki."

"Don't mention it," She smiled sincerely and initiated smalltalk, then went about her business. After you closed the door, however, reality came crashing down.

You went to see Eugene then: He had just returned from patrol, so the moment you saw him, you grabbed him and went back to your house. A very old book you owned, The Meanings of Flowers, laid on the dinner table while you sat at the head of the table again, the older man to your right. Beautiful flowers rested above the book, a pair of each: Carnation, hyacinth, marigold, rose and tansy. You already knew the names of the most thanks to your free time activities, so finding them in the book wasn't particularly hard.

"Damn, (Y/N), you're really gettin' into this, aren't you?" Eugene said when you first explained and laid the flowers in front of him as he sat down.

You read through the pages and sat across him. "I think... I have, uh– What if she's asking for help?"

"How do you mean?" He gave you a look, and when you stared at him a while, he slowly got what you were saying. "You... think that too?"

"It's so obvious," You sighed, a sad expression on your face. "It's the only logical explanation for the way she responds to physical touch. There's more to it than what Ward told me about their past."

"You're right," He huffed, troubled. "Alright, let's see what carnation means."

"Each colour represents something different, but yellow..." What you read made you tense up.

"What?"

"Disdain."

You gave each other a look, then you continued to other flowers: "Hyacinth– Yellow hyacinth is... jealousy."

"Do these even grow in Wyoming?" Eugene was as disturbed as you were. You just shrugged, but you were thinking more about how she came to find these in the first place.

"Marigold– Jealousy, despair... Rose, yellow– Jealousy and..." You gasped shortly, eyes widening at the word.

"What, what is it?" Eugene turned the book to himself a little and his eyes widened slightly as well.

Infidelity.

"Maybe... Maybe tansy means something else?" Eugene flipped the pages as you burned a hole through the table, stunned where you sat. "Hostile thoughts, declaring war... Shit."

He stared at you as you slowly raised your head up and gave him a nasty look, whispering angrily: "Who... Who does she think she is?"

"(Y/N), I– I don't," Eugene knew, like yourself, that this could've been just pure coincidence, but all of the flowers representing almost exactly the same things inevitably had him worried and at a loss for words.

"That little bitch–" Your fists flexed into a fist, your brows drawing together, creating deep lines on your forehead.

"Don't freak out," Eugene grabbed your elbow in a calming gesture.

"She wants him–? She wants a war? I'll give her something worse, she'll regret ever setting foot in–"

"What's going on?" In between your heartbeat ringing in your ear and loud, angry words, you didn't hear Joel come in. Your head snapped towards him, eyes wide open and angry, then turned your head away towards Eugene.

"I think it's best if you sit down." The older man said uncomfortably.

He obliged, never looking away from you as he did. He was clearly worried, careful, but also cross; it wasn't hard to tell, and you had hoped he wouldn't see what you were up to, but alas...

"You know who brought me these?" You asked, focused at something outside the window.

"I have an idea." His eyes were burning through the side of your face, the tension crushing everyone in the room.

You chuckled bitterly. "You must think I'm crazy."

"I think no such thing," He growled, offended by your accusation. "You don't sleep well, you don't eat– Your worryin's making me worry!"

"The thing is, Joel," Eugene intervened. "She has a right to worry."

He finally looked at him with an exhausted expression: "What?"

"Each of these flowers have meanings in this book right here," He tapped the book. "And they're not good meanings at all."

"See? This is what worries me," He leaned back, crossing his arms. "You're gonna check everything she does or gives?"

"So you want me to stay oblivious to– to things, while Ward is probably physically absuing his wife?" You snapped, your head turning in Joel's direction to meet his quizzical expression. You got up from your chair, leaning in with your hands on the table: "If she was meaning to send a message to us with these flowers, asking for help, and we ignored it? That'd be on me."

"How could it possibly be on you?" He replied angrily. "How would she know that you'd– decipher this message?"

"I told you that I told her about–"

"Enough!" Eugene growled. "She sent her a message, despite what could be happening in their household." You sighed heavily and turned your head to the side, Joel glancing at Eugene as he continued: "All these flowers have one thing in common, Joel, and it's that they've bad meanings. This one?" He held up the marigold: "Jealousy. This one?" The hyacinth: "Also jealousy. And this?" The rose: "Jealousy... as well as infidelity."

Joel leaned back, an irked look on his face: "Wh– What?"

"Tansy– Hostile thoughts." He coughed into his fist as he put the flower down.

"So don't sit there–" You looked at him again, leaning in with your head: "And tell me that I'm worrying over nothing. Just because you have no clue about what's going on around you, doesn't mean it's not happening." You gulped, the barbed wire around your throat present once more, then picked up the book and closed it: "Thanks, Eugene."

He just nodded with a concerned look on his face and watched you walk upstairs. Joel, stunned in place, didn't say a word as the older man got up, tipped his head at him and left. He sat there for some time, by himself and stared at the beautiful flowers. He hadn't seen you like this since the Axel case– sure, you both had ups and downs but it had never gotten this bad since then. To prevent another fall out, he knew this time he had to be a little more alert for both of your sakes, if your accusations were indeed true.

But you both needed to co-operate if something was going to be done about this.

It was close to a week later when Ward opened up again.

Joel and you were a bit tense, even after when he suggested the next day after the flower incident that you both went to Maria to change your patrol schedules. She had said Joel only had one more patrol left with Kiki, while you still had three to go with Ward, which was okay for you especially after you found out that Joel's last patrol with Kiki was a group sweep which involved you too.

Joel was more than relieved too, thinking maybe change of patrol partners will finally ease the tension between you and him, but it seemed you'd remain upset until that last patrol was over with, which was the day after your current patrol with Ward.

You were taking a different route this time, on horseback and it was in the afternoon, a chill breeze was present which took the burning feel of the slowly setting sun off your shoulders. The trees were offering shield from the sun with their shadows, too.

"I overheard people talking about you and Joel."

"Really?" You rolled your eyes. "What were they saying?"

"Something about... having a child."

You turned your head and gave him a stern look, but it wasn't directed at him, then you sighed, the grip you had on your reigns tightening: "It's none of their business."

"Exactly what I told them."

"What?" You turned to face him again, the whip of your head smoother than before, and your voice was softer– surprised.

"I told them to stop talking about something which wasn't their business," Ward casually explained. "They then told me that I had no business listening to them, so I threatened to break their jaw if they didn't shut up."

"Ward..." You gave him a look of disapproval.

"Kidding," He offered a small smile. "Leave out the threatening bit, but it did cause a little argument. Maria was there though... organising this event that's coming up. She defended you, too."

You hadn't taken him to be the type to stand up for people he didn't exactly know: "Ward I–"

"Sorry though, don't know who they were–"

"Thank you."

He blinked, equally surprised at the smallest smile on your lips: "Oh, well..."

"Not many people would do that, I appreciate it," Your grip loosened and you allowed yourself to relax a little. "People tend to get ahead of themselves sometimes."

"Inconsiderate, that's what they are." He growled, but his face was thoughtful and troubled exactly like when he told you of his background. "It just– Gets on my nerves. This whole... baby talk."

"You and mine both," You huffed. "It's just funny how people who have almost no connections to me and Joel talk about it, when him and I haven't even put it out on the table yet." It was true. Neither of you had even said the word out of its nickname context.

"I just hope they won't force you to have one."

You turned your head to him with slightly wide eyes: "How do you mean?"

He remained quiet for a while, probably debating on whether he should share what he meant or not – if he should listen to his needs and get it off his chest, or add more to the bottle when there was no space left in it. He finally spoke: "Kiki had to lie, so that they wouldn't separate or punish us. I was too... paralysed to speak when she said We want to have children out of nowhere. Said that it was the only reason why we decided to date and get married. We had been together for just five months."

A sick lie to get out of an equally sick situation, which normally would've made you feel sick, but in this fucked up world and having done the equally fucked up shit you did, you couldn't bring yourself to feel nauseous; however, it did make a shiver run down your spine, the situation reminding you of the Seraphites in Seattle when an escapee had arrived in Boston, months after the fall of that QZ. She had told horrifying stories about how her and five other people had barely made it past them: They had witnessed 'religious sacrifice's, and the manslaughter from The WLF hadn't helped their case either... She had committed suicide a month after her arrival in Boston.

"By then we started to regret our decision more, because they were forcing us to– To have a child–"

"Hey, look, you don't have to tell me–"

"We lied–" He continued, feeling though as if he wasn't going to get another chance to open up again. "For a long time, it was maybe we're not lucky enough, or God's not willing. They... They went as far as to consider fucking exorcism, and it was all on Kiki, and her alone."

You thought for a moment he was going to cry, with the way his face scrunched up, but he kept going angrily: "I told them it could be biological, they told me she was cursed... I told them, maybe the problem was me, they insisted it was her... Until they finally needed proof that we were actually– You know–"

"God," You quietly gasped.

"I don't– We tried to break up, to end the madness, but they wouldn't listen. I had never touched Kiki other than kisses and hugs, while we were lying to them about– She was a virgin and so was I–"

He stopped for a brief moment when his horse whinnied, you were getting closer to the tall walls surrounding Jackson, then continued hesitantly: "She– finally got pregnant, after a whole year of deceiving them, but the stress of it got to her, I think. She... she miscarried." He gulped, closing his eyes tightly, an unpleasant look on his face. "You can imagine how it was received around the community– We had to run, you see, so we did."

You had reached the gates by then, it was Joel who was at the watchtower and waved at you as you waited for the doors to open. You waved back with a worried look on your face, which he must've spied through his binoculars. After bringing the horse into the stables and handing back your rifles, you stopped him. It was unusually quiet and empty around the southern gate, which was normally empty anyway: "Listen, I just wanna say–"

Before you knew it, a stuck gasp left him. His back was to you, so at first you thought he saw something, but as soon as you stepped to his side: "Ward," He was crying. "Oh– Hey, it's okay..."

He whimpered until he ran out of breath, covering his face with his hands. You didn't know how to react, internally panicking and carefully studying his body language, while feeling like a dick about it. You slowly and carefully put a hand on his back, and at the touch, he immediately collapsed by your feet. He was weeping now, and too close for comfort. You quickly looked around to see if anyone was there, only to find out not a single soul was in your line of sight, except for the slowly and suddenly approaching figure of your husband.

"Ward, get up," You lightly shook him by the shoulder to get his attention, but this only resulted in him leaning closer to your legs. You raised your head to see Joel had come to a stop a couple of feet away from where you stood: "Get. Up."

"You said– You said–" He struggled with trying not to cry and breathing at the same time.

"I said there is a group session if you needed to talk," You spoke, defeated, feeling Joel's burning gaze on your eyelids. "I'm sorry for what happened. I really am, but you need to get up."

He looked up at you to meet your stern, pitying gaze, then wiped at his tears. He nodded a couple of times and slowly got up, sniffling quietly. Without saying another word –even though he looked like he wanted to– and sparing you another look, he readjusted his backpack and walked away as if nothing happened. You stood there and watched him leave with your hands on your hips, then let out an exhausted sigh. You were just thankful that you weren't murdered for the most part, irked because of his sudden breakdown, but you also felt like shit scolding him as you did.

"You wanna tell me what the hell was that all about?" Joel. And he neither sounded pleased nor amused.

"You think I have an idea?" You gave him a hopeless look. "Man just– Suddenly told me the rest of his story and broke down, I don't–" Joel stood with his arms crossed, within your 6 feet radius, but there was nothing soft about it.

He was expecting an explanation, and an explanation he got: "That, Joel? That's what fucking scares me! I hear the shit they went through and I listen to it, waiting for the time he's going to get to the part where I did something to him or someone he cared for– waiting for the time they're going to shoot me or stab me– or you! And then they get like– like that, or do something nice to us, and suddenly I feel like an asshole because they're not bad people in the end, they just need some fucking help!"

You breathed heavily as your hands remained open at your sides after all the gestures and motions, your chest rising and falling very obviously as small sweat and tear droplets rolled down your face: "And they're seeking help in all the wrong places, from the most unsuitable people. I don't know about you, but I'm not mentally capable of taking their load while I have my own to deal with."

Joel took in a short amount of breath, as if to speak, but immediately closed his mouth. He stared into your eyes for what felt like 30 minutes, searching for something– you weren't quite sure what. He looked angry, upset, worried and heartbroken all in the same time.

Finally, when he couldn't speak, you added: "If anything happened to me, I could live with that." You spoke calmly, nodding curtly: "But if anything happens to you? I'll tear this whole goddamn town apart and make sure they can't find a place to hide from me."

Your fidgeting, unfocused eyes suddenly found Joel's hazel ones; you saw through all the anger, fretting and upset at that moment.

It was such an adoring, lovely gaze– Bit by bit, it drained you of all the hate and other ugly emotions pressing down your shoulders; a great sense of solace overcoming you as his big, warm hand cupped your jaw. He leaned in to steal the softest of kisses from your damaged lips– subconscious biting had seen to that, but Joel's softer ones made up for the loss on your side.

Before he could give you the chance to debate on whether you should hug him or not, he pulled back, his hand on your cheek still: "I won't let anything happen to you– To either of us. I promise you." You stared into each other's eyes for another moment, then he placed a most gentle kiss on your temple: "I made some dinner for you, go and eat for me."

You nodded, eyes lowering to the ground, then slowly walked away. Joel was quick to take notice of your broken stance– slumped shoulders, slowed steps and, ah, there goes the hand through your hair. He knew, then, that he had to put more effort into understanding how you viewed the couple and respecting your feelings. Sure, you were prone to worry and overthink, but so was he. Nothing, as far as he knew and had seen, had gotten to you like this before. Something ought to be wrong for you to beat yourself up over it as you did.

But despite everything –despite him still not seeing the way you saw the couple– you were, of course (and without question), his priority. He trusted you and your judgement, and it had always been so.

He just hoped it wasn't too late to show you that.

[olivia-anderson-fanfic]

Satisfied, Part 12

First

Previous

Next

I’m going to start answering comments at the bottom but before the taglist now so you guys can get straight into the chapter (unless it’s really important like taking a break or something)

Also I’ve decided to move all the Wayne kids closer together in age. Damian’s 18, Tim is 21, Jason is 23, Dick is 25

~~~

She didn’t go to the coffee shop the next day. Partially because she wasn’t getting her overpriced coffee paid for (at least not without a lot of whining), but mostly because she wanted to do some research where people couldn’t see her.

She sighed as she flipped between all fifty of her tabs, resting her head on her hand. She could hear Tikki trying, and failing, to make her something to eat in the kitchen.

Who could the bat family be? They had to have a lot of influence and/or money to get as much information as they did. She flipped through the most wealthy people in Gotham and its surrounding area, but where was the cutoff? How was she to know that they weren’t middle class people who saved for expensive things?

And then there was the tiny case of the near-slipup on the rooftops. Nightwing was about to call Robin something. He wouldn’t have been saying ‘friend’, he wouldn’t have had to pause like that. What had he been about to say? She hoped it wasn’t ‘boyfriend’, they had what seemed to be a 10 year age gap. Her best assumption was they were going to say ‘brother’, which implied at least most of the bat family was related.

Her eyes found their way to the tab with a picture of Bruce Wayne. He was standing alone, his kids never had pictures taken of them out of respect for their privacy, but everyone knew of his penchant for adopting kids with dark hair and blue eyes.

Great. She’ll never know, then. How was she, a designer, supposed to get close to the Bruce Wayne?

~

On a completely unrelated note, the next day she stood outside of a gate with Tim. Her eyes locked on the weird symbol on the gate, trying to place where she’d seen it before, but her brain couldn’t seem to find it. Oh well, it was probably just one of the rich people she’d researched yesterday.

Tim placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. “You can not let my dad adopt you.”

She gave a small eyeroll, pushing his hands off and smoothing out her dress. It had taken forever to get a dresscode out of Tim, because he insisted that ‘you could wear a burlap sack and my family would love you, just relax’, but he eventually just told her formal. Not helpful. There’s levels of formal, Tim. She had settled for a plain red dress with a black belt.

“I don’t think my parents would be all that excited if I traded them out after a few days here.”

He nodded. “That’s good. Use that.”

“Use tha--?”

The gates swung open.

Tim took a deep breath as if to steel his nerves. “At least Damian isn’t here. You get to meet the nicest of the family first.”

“Why isn’t he here?”

“He got out of it,” he shrugged.

They stepped inside. She stared up at the high walls. She pulled out her phone and took a picture in case she messed up with Tim’s family so bad that she wasn’t allowed back.

The moment she walked in someone pulled her into a hug. “Thank you!” He cried.

Marinette blinked and gave him a short pat on the back. “You’re... welcome?”

He pulled away and held out a hand to shake. “Sorry, I was just so excited to meet the person who got him to take a day off. I’m Dick.”

“You’re... you’re what?” She said, her eyebrows shooting into her hair.

Dick rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh, right, French. I’m Richard but, in America, that gets shortened to ‘Dick’.”

She blinked once, then just chose to accept it. “Nice to meet you, I’m Marinette.”

“How’d you do it?”

She gave a small shrug as they began walking to the dining room. “I don’t know. He just offered.”

Dick sent her a skeptical look, then looked at his brother as if to confirm.

“In my defense, she looked really stressed.”

“More stressed than you usually do?” Came a voice from above. She looked up to see yet another guy leaning over a railing to look at them.

Marinette raised her eyebrows. “I thought you guys were adopted, how do you all look exactly the same?”

The newest grinned. “Dad’s got a type.” He hopped the railing and landed next to them.

She narrowed her eyes slightly as she took a better look at all of them. Tim’s dodge could be put down as self-defense, but hopping a railing and landing without getting hurt?

She blinked as a hand was thrust in her face and gave a weak smile. “I’m Marinette, nice to meet you.”

“Jason.”

Her brain was blaring alarms, trying desperately to tell her something, but it all came out as ‘AHDKFSFHDLKSNDG’, which wasn’t all that useful.

She shook his hand.

It wasn’t until she walked into the dining room and her eyes landed on the Bruce Wayne that she finally figured everything out. Her hands flew to her mouth as she stared at him in stunned silence.

Then she wheeled on Tim and pulled him down by the collar of his shirt. “You’ve been a Wayne this whole time? Why didn’t you tell me?”

He had the decency to look sheepish. “I didn’t want you to use me for my money.”

“Please, I knew you were rich from the get-go, it wouldn’t have mattered if you were ‘goes to Disney twice a year’ rich or ‘could buy Disney if you wanted’ rich. You should have at least warned me outside the gate!”

Bruce dropped something on the desk and Marinette squeaked quietly, letting go of her captive. It was a file of some sort. Crap, was this an interrogation or something? Was that a rich people thing? Do they do in-depth research on people that talk to their kids?

The man slid the file over and she opened it to see... adoption papers?

“Wow, you really weren’t kidding,” she mumbled as she flipped through them. She glanced up at Bruce. “How did you get these so fast?”

“I have them on me at all times at this point,” he explained.

She blinked a few times and then slowly closed the file. “I’m sorry, but I have parents already.”

Everyone (except Tim) seemed stunned. She heard Jason whisper: “Is that allowed?”

Despite the slight confusion, everyone took a seat at the table. There was quite a few seats, but she was amused to see all the kids opting to sit next to her.

Dick rested his head on his hands from his spot across the table. “So, what do you know about Ladybug?”

She did her best not to tense.

“Subtle,” said Jason sarcastically from her right. He turned back to her and gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry, ‘bout that. He’s been obsessed since she appeared, and most of his research has been a dead end. He’s grasping at straws.”

She forced a small laugh. “I’m too clutzy to ever be Ladybug, you can ask anyone.”

Dick groaned. “And I don’t suppose you know who it is?”

“Nope.”

Jason, apparently eager to change the subject every two seconds, asked: “How’d you two meet?”

She glanced at Tim, who was shaking his head so fast she thought it’d pop off, then turned back to his brothers and father. “We met at the coffee shop. He spilled coffee on me.”

She heard Tim’s head hit the table as he groaned.

Jason was cackling. “Awwww, Tim is in a coffeeshop AU!”

Dick grinned. “Next you’ll tell me he offered you free drinks for life or something.”

“Well, actually,--.”

She couldn’t even finish, Jason was laughing so hard.

Bruce seemed less amused. “I would hope that he did, and for the shirt. too.”

She smirked and looked at Tim, who seemed to sense what she was going to do before she did it. He sent her a short look, a ‘don’t you dare’, before she spoke: “Actually, he revoked my coffee privileges.”

The poor kid sighed and closed his eyes. His father was glaring daggers at him, so, after a few seconds of him struggling, he finally gave in. “Fine, I’ll pay for coffee again.”

She cheered and gave Jason a high five.

Dick rolled his eyes. “You’re children.”

“Like you’re so much better!” Complained Jason. “You’re only two years older than me!”

Marinette rolled her eyes and reached out to poke Tim’s face until he finally looked over at her.

“He lives!” She cheered softly and he shook his head and sat up some, a smile playing across his lips.

Bruce chuckled and leaned back in his chair. He’d been watching the four for a little while. They seemed like they’d get along...

“Tim, have you invited her yet?”

Tim went red.

“I’ll take that as a no. Do you want to do it or should I?”

The kid took a deep breath to steel himself, then gently poked her shoulder for her attention. The moment she looked at him, though, he froze and couldn’t seem to get any words out.

Marinette’s head tipped to the side. “Um...?”

Bruce rolled his eyes. “I’d like to, on behalf of my son, invite you to the Wayne Gala.”

To everyone’s surprise, the girl didn’t smile, or thank him, or really react positively at all.

Marinette released a quiet sound, like a balloon deflating, as she slumped into her seat and covered her face in her hands. Tim rubbed her shoulder comfortingly.

“What’s wrong?” Came Dick’s voice.

“Six!” She cried.

“You have something against musicals?” Said Jason.

She lowered her hands just enough to glare at him. “I have to make six outfits in four months.”

“You don’t have --,” began Tim.

“I have to! Make! Six outfits! In four months!”

~~~

When Marinette is done with the gala outfits will I show you what they look like?

I’ll do you one better. I’m showing them now because it took a longgggg time and I KNOW I will forget if I wait until then.

I tried to match their personalities with their posture and clothes. I kinda forgot Penny’s character though lol so now she’s kinda like Nathalie.

Also that took forever. If ya’ll want that again you gotta pay me. Christ.

~

Why is she making an outfit for Adrien if they aren’t friends?

They aren’t on bad terms, they just grew apart due to a difference in ideology. But, beyond that, she has her reasons. You’ll find out when Adrien comes by.

~~~

Taglist

@thatonecroc @comet-kun @trippingovermyfeet​ @swiftie-miraculer13 @nickristus-dreamer @moongoddesskiana @i-am-ironic @indecisive-mess-named-me @thebooki3h​ @insane-fangirl-of-everything​ @deepestobservationwombat​ @theymakeupfairies​ @fatimaabbasrizvi​ @clumsy-owl-4178​ @fanofalittletoomuch​ @iamablinkmarvelarmy​ @nathleigh @lilkymilky @silvergold-swirl​ @dino-lovingreen-angel​ @thestressmademedoit​ @kissa-chan @ladybug-182 @alysrose-starchild @t1dwarrior-of-earth​​​

[avengerscompound]

Until the end of the World - 2

Until the End of the World: A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Bucky Barnes x Steve Rogers x F!Reader

Word Count:  2623

Rating:  E

Warnings: Talk of pregnancy, smut (MMF bisexual threesome, oral sex, vaginal sex).

Synopsis: Four years after Steve and Bucky got to the bottom of the HYDRA conspiracy that had led to you and your son being hunted for the first three years of his life, you, Bucky, and Steve have carved out a nice life together.  Things are calm and you feel like a family unit.  When Geo starts calling Bucky and Steve ‘dad’, a decision is made to try and add to your family.

Things aren’t as calm as they seem.  When your pregnancy hits the papers, HYDRA rears its head once again, and Steve and Bucky need to track you down to protect the family they had created.

Chapter 2

The day at the Magic Kingdom had been exhausting, exciting, and emotional.  Steve had thought his heart had stopped when Geo had called him dad, and then it broke a little when he thought he’d hurt the boy.  Then, after whatever it was that Bucky had said when the two had talked, Geo had just started calling Steve ‘dad’ like he’d been doing it all along.  Steve had tried to play it cool and not make a big deal about it.  Geo clearly didn’t want attention called to this momentous step in their lives, but it was big and Steve wanted to make a big deal about it.

So he spent the day holding it in, riding roller coasters, and buying terrible park food and souvenirs before coming back at the end of the day and eating Prime Rib at 1900 Park Fare, and heading up to the room.

Steve had gone all out on this trip.  Four years of living together and promising holidays but failing to deliver had made him want to spoil all three of you in the hopes it would somehow make it up to you.  Steve had the money, he had earned a huge payout from the Army when he’d woken up again, so that was not an issue.  The problem was he wasn’t used to spending it.  Growing up poor and with as many health issues as he had, his relationship with excess was tenuous.  He had given away most of his wealth to charity.  He tried to live frugally.  He especially hated eating expensive food or eating at all if there was a big audience.  But he wanted to spoil you, Bucky, and Geo and give you all the things he’d grown up wishing he had.

This trip was the overindulgent result of that.  It was two weeks in a suite at the Grand Floridian at Disney World.  You’d be seeing all the parks, eating at most of the character restaurants, and there were trips to other theme parks too.  On Geo’s birthday, they had the In-Room celebrations booked and a cake would be delivered to the restaurant after their dinner.

It was an essay in excess and it made Steve very uncomfortable.  The only thing that saved it for him was the fact that he’d been taking Geo out to do things like work in soup kitchens and donate blankets and clothing to shelters so that he had an idea how the poorest people lived too.

That and the fact that Geo had called him dad.

Steve had read to him that night - the boy still enjoyed a bedtime story as much as he enjoyed jabbering away to FRIDAY, but tonight Geo was so exhausted from his day out that he passed out halfway through the chapter.

Steve crept from the room and switched off the light, before heading to the main bedroom.  Bucky was stretched out on the bed in just his boxers, watching something on the big screen TV.  The bathroom door was open and he could hear the occasional slosh of you shifting in the bath.

Bucky turned off the TV and smiled up at Steve.  “Does he need us to say goodnight?”

“No, he passed out mid-chapter,” Steve said.

“Knocks it out of him,” Bucky said, patting the bed beside him.

“We’ll do another part-day tomorrow and then the day after he can go to the Mousketeers and we’ll have a relaxing day,” Steve said, climbing up next to Bucky and resting his cheek on the other man’s shoulder.

“There’s always the pool too,” Bucky suggested.  “He can swim while we lie in deck chairs.”

“Is chlorine okay with the arm?”  Steve asked.

Bucky shrugged.  “Guess we’ll find out,” he said and looked at Steve.  “We not going to mention how he’s calling us ‘dad’ now?”

Steve smiled and shook his head.  “Can you believe it?  When it happened he looked like he was going to be in trouble.”

“He did think he was going to be in trouble,” Bucky said.  “I guess we should have talked to him about it.”

Steve nodded.  “I didn’t want him to feel like he had to.  But I’m really glad he did.”

Bucky hummed and nosed at Steve’s cheek.  “Mmm… me too.”

“Can you believe it, Buck?” Steve asked.  “When we were growing up, I was so in love with you, but there was no way I’d get to have you, let alone this.”

Bucky started to unbutton Steve’s shirt. “I kinda figured I’d get married and have kids. Didn’t expect this, and this is so much better than anything I imagined.”

“What are you doing?”  Steve asked, playfully.

“What’s it look like, you little shit?”  Bucky teased.  “We gotta have the talk about the birds and the bees again?”

Steve laughed and caught Bucky’s hand, the cool metal fingers curled around Steve’s warm flesh ones.  “Bucky,” Steve whispered.  “We’re dads.”

“I know,” Bucky chuckled.  “It’s good, isn’t it?”  He brought his lips to Steve’s.  Steve hummed at the prickle from Bucky’s beard as it moved over Steve’s lips.

As Bucky pushed Steve back on the bed, there was a sloshing sound from the bathroom and the gurgle of the drain as you let out the bath.  A moment later you padded into the bedroom and cleared your throat.  “Starting without me?”

Bucky pulled back and offered you his hand.  “Feel better after the bath?”

“Mm much better,” you said, letting your towel slip as you climbed up onto the bed.  “Though, I do want to talk about what happened today.”

“We were just talking about that too,” Steve said as Bucky kissed your neck.

You hummed and closed your eyes, tilting your head back.  “You’re really both okay with that?  I mean… I know you’ve both been filling the place of his dad, but we’ve never spoken about… any of that.”

“We are all for it, darlin’,” Bucky hummed, kissing down your collarbone.  “I love that kid.”

Steve nodded and caressed your jaw.  “I’ve definitely been thinking about him as my son, it feels good that he feels that way about me too,” Steve said.  “How do you feel though, sweetheart?”

You tensed up a little and Bucky pulled back and looked at you. “You don’t want him to?”  He asked, sounding hurt.

“No, it’s not that,” you said quickly.  “I just with his dad had got that too.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Steve soothed, pulling you close.  “I know.”

“I’m happy,” you said, obviously trying to reassure them both.  “I love you both so much.  It feels right.  Don’t you think?”

“It does,” Steve agreed, as Bucky went back to kissing your neck.  “We’re a family.  But you’re right, ever since we all moved in together we’ve just been coasting with what we have and not spoken about what we want.”

Bucky sat back with a huff.  “You are both killing my boner.”

“Buck, this is serious,” Steve scolded.  “What do we want?  Is this it?  I mean, we can’t get married.  Was living at Avengers’ Tower the four of us the happy ending?”

Bucky furrowed his brow and you shrugged.  “When we were on the run, I didn’t think I’d get to stop running.  I’m happy where I am.  But if you wanted something else…”

“Can I say something?”  Bucky asked.

“That’s why we’re talking, Buck,” Steve said.

“If I think about what I’d like… how I see our ideal life… we live in a house with a yard and we have a cat and a dog, and we have a couple more kids,” Bucky said.

“Buck, we can…”  Steve started.

“Let me finish,” Bucky said.  “Because that’s what my dream life looks like, but I still don’t think I’ve earned it.  I love you guys so much, and I love Geo, but even this feels like more than I deserve.  I need to keep working with the Avengers.  How’s Tasha put it?”

“Wiping the red from her ledger?”  Steve suggested.

“That’s the one,” Bucky said with a nod.  “I think if we left the tower I would constantly be waiting for the other shoe to drop.”

“You want more kids?”  You asked.

“I mean… yeah.  I don’t… I don’t think I need them, and before I met you, I would have said no way, but I kinda like this whole ‘dad’ thing,” Bucky said.  “But if you don’t want them…”

“No,” you said quickly.  “I do.  I would.”

Bucky pulled you into his lap and went back to kissing your neck.  “Damn.  Talking is good.”

Steve chuckled as he watched the two of you.  “You both deserve all the things you want,” Steve said.

“And what do you want, Steve?”  You asked.

“Bucky’s dream world sounds pretty good to me,” Steve said.  “But I also don’t know if I can stop either.  So the house might be out for me too.”

“Geo loves living in the tower,” you said.  “He’d miss FRIDAY if we left.  And if he’s happy, I’m happy.”

“Are we really going to try for more kids?”  Bucky asked, looking up at you.

“I’m game if you both are,” you said.

He pulled you into a deep and passionate kiss and you tangled your hands in his hair.

Steve cleared his throat.  “We still have a lot to talk about.”

“Steve,” Bucky groaned.  “I love you. But we’ve talked enough for now.  We aren’t knocking her up this second.  It’s been a long fucking day.”

“Fine,” Steve chuckled, pulling off his shirt.  “If that’s what you want.”

Bucky pulled him down into a kiss so that you were pressed between both of them.  You kissed Bucky’s neck and reached behind you, running your fingers through Steve’s hair.  Bucky made a sound like a cat purring.  The three of you edged down the bed a little.  You kissed down Bucky’s chest and turned, sucking a patch of skin on Steve’s neck.  Steve broke the kiss with Bucky and leaned down, capturing your lips.  Bucky curled himself around you and pulled one of your nipples into his mouth as he reached in between Steve’s legs and palmed his cock.

Steve’s cock hardened under Bucky’s hand and he pushed his hips forward.  Steve moaned into your lips and nudged you so you were half on top of Bucky.  The kiss moved again as you pulled away from Steve and began kissing Bucky.  Steve took the opportunity to move his way down both your bodies.  He kissed around your hip and worked Bucky’s boxers down.  The scent of your sex blended with the floral aroma of the soap you used and the salt from Bucky’s sweat.  It was intoxicating.  Steve licked a stripe up Bucky’s cock, collecting up the bead of precome that had leaked from it and begun smearing on your skin.

Bucky moaned and tangled his flesh hand in Steve’s hair.  Steve smiled and lapped over the head of his cock and moved to your cunt, swirling his tongue over your folds.  You moaned and spread your legs a little wider, giving him more room to lap up your tart fluids.

He hummed and flicked his tongue over your clit and sucked it into his mouth.  Your moans got louder and you pushed your hips up against Steve’s mouth.  He switched again, sucking on the head of Bucky’s cock.  He cupped Bucky’s balls in one hand and rolled them gently as he began to rub your clit with his other hand.

Above him, Bucky was sucking on one of your breasts as you threw your head back and moaned loudly.  Steve switched again pushing his tongue inside you and swirling it around before starting to suck hungrily on your clit.  Your arousal ran from you, coating his tongue.

“Oh god,” you moaned.  “I need …”

“What do you need?”  Bucky teased, pulling back and looking at you.

“Bucky…” you whined.

Bucky pulled you on top of him.  “On my face, babe.”

You climbed on top of Bucky, straddling his face.  Bucky didn’t wait at all, he was hungrily sucking on your folds before you were even fully in place.  You dropped down and began to suck Bucky’s cock.

Steve watched the two of you for a moment, stroking himself as the two of you used your mouths on each other.  He moved up behind you and as Bucky sucked on your clit, he teased the head of his cock over your wet entrance.

Bucky hummed and lapped his tongue over the head of Steve’s cock.  It made a shiver run up Steve’s spine and his cock jumped against you.  He groaned and eased into you.

The wet warmth of your sex encompassed his shaft, squeezing and massaging it, and Bucky licked over the base.  He groaned again, the sensation sending a current right through his core.  He began to thrust.

Bucky continued to suck on your clit as Steve fucked you.  You mewled, arching your back.  Steve braced his hand on your shoulder and picked up his pace.  The way Bucky kept flicking his tongue out over the base of Steve’s cock as he lapped at your cunt, Steve was sure he wasn’t going to last long.  From the way your cunt fluttered and you moaned, Steve could tell, you weren’t either.

You began to pant, but you kept moving your head up and down on Bucky’s cock.  Bucky had begun to snap his hips up into your mouth, though you never gagged.  Steve leaned over and kissed your spine and with a loud moan, you came, your cunt clenching tight around Steve’s cock.

Steve groaned and kept thrusting, fucking you through your orgasm.  You shuddered and moaned and seemed to speed up the bobbing of your head.  You slipped your hands between Bucky’s legs and started playing with his balls as you sucked his cock.  Bucky groaned and his hips started to stutter under you.  Steve picked up his pace, pounding into you and pushing you down onto Bucky’s cock more.  Bucky grunted and arched his back a little, pushing you up against Steve more, and with a low moan, he came, releasing straight down your throat.  You pulled off, swallowing it down, and then just rested with your head on Bucky’s thigh, gripping the sheets as Steve fucked you and Bucky sucked on your clit.

You panted between both men, your body shuddering as another orgasm approached.  Your muscles tensed at once and you came, shuddering under him.  “Oh god,” you moaned and bit softly on the inside of Bucky’s thigh.

Steve kept thrusting, chasing his release.  Your cunt squeezed and spasmed around his shaft, massaging it and making his balls tighten.  Bucky lapped his tongue over them, and with a grunt Steve snapped his hips forward and came, his cock pulsing inside you as he emptied inside you.

“Fuck,” you sighed.  Under you Bucky slowly lapped his tongue over the place where you and Steve joined, drinking up the results of both your orgasms as they dripped from you.

Steve pulled out and flopped down on the bed.  As you rolled off Bucky and he crawled back up the bed, Steve wrapped his arm around both of you pulling you both close, so you were sandwiched between the two large men.

“I’m really glad you sprung for the two-bedroom suite,” Bucky said as he tried to get comfortable.

Steve smiled.  He knew Bucky was talking about the sex, but the three of you had only been here one full day and already Geo had started to call him dad and the three of you had made a decision to make a big jump in your relationship.  “Mm…” Steve hummed.  “I’m thinking this trip was exactly what we needed.”

// NEXT

[danieyells]

Messy mutterings about Chapter 55 spoilers with a small angst warning, copypasted from discord with little cleaning and edits lol

I'm imagining Raphael sent Luke away so he wouldn't interfere with him killing/fighting Michael and Simeon went along with the idea and is in the human world too so Luke's not, y'know, on his own in a strange new world and to reduce Luke's suspicion and all. But as Michael and Raphael are fighting or whatever Luke somehow learns what's going on/realizes why things are off and rushes home to try and stop it.

He tries to get between Raphael and Michael(perhaps his back, Raph perhaps striking while Michael is lost in thought missing the brothers, spaced out, staring at the wall where their portraits were) and is struck violently by Raphael's spear instead. Simeon, ofc, followed him home to try and protect him but is too late because of Luke's own determination to protect Michael bonus if he grows a little in this scene--just magically, because his current smol form is too weak to help surely but if he were a little bigger, a little stronger, maybe he could make it in time--!! and Luke is impaled.

He doesn't die but none of the three wanted Luke hurt in this confrontation--Michael is angry at Raph for attacking/being violent in the first place, Raph is mad at Simeon for failing to restrain Luke, and Simeon is like is now really the time for this because hello Luke is hurt.

Angels are made of strong stuff, he's not gonna die but he'll be in a bad spot if they don't get him to an angel who specializes in healing. I've elected this to be Uriel for now although I've been told that Raphael is generally percieved as the angel of healing--but with OM canon his reputation sonfar is so hostile I'm gonna say that may not be the case. Michael (or Raph) can stave things off for a bit but he's not healing specialized either--they're all Archangels and Seraphs but their fields are elsewhere, mostly combat.

(Luke tries to assure that he's fine and attempts to remove the spear. They don't allow this because the spear is, of course, keeping most of his blood in at the moment.)

They can't fly him to someone because it'd be bumpier so they have to carry him or call/run/send for help--so other angels do learn what's going on and speculation begins. Luke is hospitalized and Raph and Michael and Simeon stay with him while he sleeps, kinda tensely, not really ready to talk out whatever happened. But before he passed out Luke tried to tell Raphael not to fight/kill Michael, to talk to him instead. He wanted to tell him to talk to the demons/humans too, they're not as bad as they think(he and Raph are very likeminded so he thinks 'maybe Raphael will listen to me since I'm starting to see that I was a little wrong maybe') but he couldn't get it out.

Simeon messages the demons, Solomon, and MC and says he won't be returning to the human world/devildom for a bit because Luke was hurt in the CR. Mammon, having had recently gotten attached to Luke, is stunned and angry and anxious and wants to know what happened. Simeon isn't ready to tell them yet, and Mammon demands Barb make a portal to the CR for him to check on Luke--surely Barb is also worried because he cares for Luke too!

Diavolo says they're not allowed to go and Barb agrees(he felt as much before Diavolo said anything too.) Simeon agrees because there's some unrest now and speculation and with an exchange student angel having had been injured by a notoriously demon-skeptical Archangel some angels are worried the demons may be involved in this somehow and if demons suddenly showed up it'd make things worse. Mammon curses his helplessness because his new little brother minion is hurt and he can't even check on him. Simeon feels helpless too--he's an archangel, a Seraph, but he can't help Luke either.

I imagine MC then offers to visit instead--they may be a powerful sorcerer now but they're still just a sheep human with an inhuman aura right? They wouldn't be as concerning for the general populace. After some consideration the demons and Solomon agree this would be okay, as does Michael and Simeon [and Raph maybe] but they say to wait a few hours/a day or two before doing so, just to allow some cooldown/recovery in the CR.

(In the meantime Mammon reviews one of Luke's recent text chains to him where he's baking something. He tries to copy all the steps and instructions and clumsily makes some cupcakes. They're ugly and Mammon isn't known for his stellar cooking, but they kinda relieve him a bit and Beel says they taste alright, so Mammon asks MC to bring them to the CR for Luke for him--there's enough for Michael too since he's probably going through a hard time. It's not like he cares or anything!! He's just building up credit! They'll owe him with interest when this is all said and done!!!)

Idk what'd happen afterwards--it's probably the first time MC meets Raph so it's not under the best circumstances and he definitely wouldn't trust sweets from a demon. And even if he was gonna fight/kill Michael he doesn't trust that Mammon would give him anything safe and instinctively would tell Michael not to touch them, let alone Luke if he's awake to do so. So it's not like he hates Michael, he just. Things need to change and he tried to incite it the only way he knows how--or, rather, the most effective way, given how quickly things changed after the Rebellion. A spear to the throat makes anyone listen. A rebellion is what made Michael change, so maybe it will help him go back to normal too.

(Maybe Luke is awake enough to hear them talking about these things and weakly asks if Raph is going to be exciled over this--the first thing he says since passing out. They're surprised because. He got injured trying to protect Michael but he's still trying to protect Raphael, Michael's assailant? But Luke understands how Raphael feels because he feels the exact same way--or he used to. He didn't trust demons or humans or sorcerers or the exchange program, he didn't think they should get along at all. And he saw how sad Michael was without the brothers and hated them for that too--and Raph feels the same way, right?

Angels are all family. Raphael, Michael, Luke, Simeon, even when they disagree, when their views don't align due to time and perspectives and experiences and ages and positions, they're all brothers. And Lucifer and them were their family too. Even if they disliked them or how they behaved, even if they resent their rebellion and its effects they were still family and they loved and cared about them.

And Raphael doesn't want to see Michael hurting anymore either--certainly not over people who don't care anymore, certainly not over people who turned on them and Father, who must hate them as well. . .but he's been with the brothers for over a year now. Maybe two or three at this point. And he may have only learned it recently but. . .they haven't forgotten. They probably don't hate them. And the demons, the humans, even those unfaithful and the practitioners of dark magic, the fallen, they're not as bad as they thought. They're not necessarily their enemies. Raphael doesn't know it like Luke does because he's never left the CR aside for war and maybe visiting the human world briefly too, right? But if he'd consider things differently, if he's allowed a chance to learn, Luke himself promises Michael, promises Father who's surely watching as he always is, that he'll understand. Raph made a rash decision albeit after many many years of consideration-- but it was out of ignorance, so please forgive him and give him another chance and don't excile him? On top of that he needs a chance to learn and do better--imagine how he'd feel, being turned into something he hates or fears? It will help him learn, sure, but it also may only make him feel worse or make him do something more rash or result in another Fall if he has supporters.

Raphael doesn't hate Michael--he just wants things to be different. Perhaps to go back to normal. And he doesn't want Michael to mope over the loss of the seven brothers and Lilith anymore either.

And maybe in this time, since they'd have to decide what to do about Raph, Michael requested Diavolo come over too--y'know, in case Raph is exciled, they'd want Diavolo's approval and reassurance to keep an eye on him too. So maybe he or Barb, as they arrive in the room, would approve of Luke's appeal--ask what Michael and Simeon And Raph and MC think. They could always bring him in as an exchange student too! 😘 That worked for Luke!

Ultimately Raph probably wouldn't be exciled/become a Fallen but be given another chance. Maybe he's stripped of his title temporarily, until he's sufficiently deemed to learn about demons, angels, their history together, culture, whether or not they can get along, etc--so he's bitter, but thankful. And Michael understands that perhaps he's been allowing how much he misses the brothers and Lilith to cloud him and maybe it's time to move on and make changes to the Celestial Realm again after all this time. Bonus points if the bros came along and he was too distracted to sense them--someone's like "oh you're moving on? So we came here for no reason after all?" and ofc he's happy to see them again and gets to hang out with them again for a while before getting to say a goodbye with more closure. And he hangs off of Lucifer's neck the whole time they're there lol he and Dia bond over being Lucifer fanboys too.

Luke's okay in the end--a little worse for wear because being stabbed by Raphael is Not A Small Ordeal but he's okay and he shows a little more maturity. But he's also still same old Luke who will happily point out how awful demons are and use it as an excuse for distrust/fear--but he's more mindful of it now because he feels like he needs to set a good example for Raph lmao.)

[stellarcat52]

Timeless blue chapter 11

Archie flew ahead as Douxie and Krel hurried behind him. The shattering of glass quickly notified them of where Arthur and Morgana had just jumped out of the window, and where Nari had been frozen solid in a block of ice.

With a quick spell Douxie frees their friend. “Oh, thank you. The order shall surely rip your soul to pieces for this.”

“We’ll work on your pep talks later. I don’t think my little trap was going to last-“ Archie flies in as Douxie speaks.

“The arcane order is back, we’re out of time Douxie.”

“Alright, let’s get Nari back to the others. She’s safer with all of us.”

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure the order doesn’t”

as if summoned by their name Bellroc and Skrael make their presence known, “Nari!”

“Find you. Go!” Douxie casts his arms back, pushing his friends away from him and their enemies. “Keep running, don’t look back!”

Without the head start the others had, Douxie fell behind the order. His infinite corridor suddenly replaces him as the only thing between them and Nari.

“An infinite corridor eh? Beginners magic. This cannot hold us!”

Douxie let’s a sphere of fire fly past him and into the door that would transport it to behind Skrael. “Buttsnacks!”

“You will die for this!”

Douxie summons his staff, “That was kinda the plan. But it’s worth it, because it means my friends, Krel,” his voice softens as he realizes this is what Krel had feared. Their separation, someone getting hurt, “and Nari can get away!” He finds his courage, saving the world or saving his friends wasn’t a choice he could make. He could make the choice between saving the world and saving himself, although he forced the pain of leaving Krel behind into his stomach.

———

Krel looks behind him immediately after he hears Douxie being pushed down, seeing the infinite corridor go up, even without knowledge of what it is. That barrier would trap Douxie in with two beings more powerful than Krel knew.

“Krel! Douxie will be fine!” Archie had seen more of Douxie’s battles than Krel had, and yet he had to force himself to trust the small dragon.

Even as spells sound from behind them, Nari, Archie, and Krel only spare a few glances back, none of them pausing for more than a moment to try and listen for Douxie’s voice. When they finally got to a place where Archie could safely fly Nari down, Douxie and the Order’s battle is naught but echoes.

Archie glides down and Krel takes inspiration from Morgana in the past to try and levitate himself down. He still falls a great distance, but the Akiridion body is not as fragile as a human one.

Jim and Claire were having a face off, Toby and Steve were off to the side. Krel had never seen such bright human eyes before now, Claire had unnaturally purple eyes that flowed with her own magic.

Krel glances down to where his arms have these magical traces inside, each one glowing and fading as they’re needed or dormant.

As Claire unleashes a great beam of dark magic, Jim falters and gives the whole team hope. This side of him was a result of the order’s magic, if Claire could overpower it and save Jim, surely Douxie, and Morgana, could do the same.

Behind them, Krel saw the gold of Morgana’s magic against Arthur.

“The world isn’t ours anymore, you have failed to destroy it, and I have failed to save it.” The fight between Claire and Jim seemed to fade to background noise, Krel could almost entirely forget about it. “Perhaps they can fare better!” She unleashes another attack. “You are no longer worthy of wielding Excalibur! Magda mani achtenebris kraga doom!” The explosion caused by her spell inturrupted Claire’s concentration and cast Excalibur aside. Just as all seemed to be doing better it was made clear that Excalibur is not what kept Jim tied to the green knight.

“Please Jim, I love you!” Claire’s choking cry almost made Krel jump in to help. “We all do.”

Jim drops Claire after what seemed to be a moment of thought.

———

Douxie was struggling against the order, but he was holding his ground better than he ever thought he could against such powerful legendary creatures. The Order were gloating of his defeat even though the wizard still stood, out of breath albeit. As the order finishes, speaking of a summoning that will happen once they are through with him, Douxie mustered up a final spell.

“Tenebrius...” he started, a blue magic circle being danced to life in each hand and then on the surface on which he stood, “exellium!”

His and the order’s unspoken magic meets, both sides struggling against each other.

Between the magic circle holding his spell together and the mystic glow in his eyes Douxie struggled to see clearly.

“Goodbye, my friends, goodbye Krel.”

He lost the magic keeping him alive and safe from the Order’s attacks. He only hoped what last burst of strength he had given would keep the order away from the other’s far below.

———

Krel watched as Camelot fell, how Claire and Jim got their happy ending. He finally thought things were going up, but as soon as the Order’s lair explodes, and he sees Douxie’s limp body falling through the air, he thinks it foolish for those thoughts to exist.

He was the first to start running. He didn’t bother risking using a portal, Douxie was right about him being untrained.

He still was out of sight of Douxie’s body when he hears that sickening thud.

Claire and Archie had made it there faster. Arch had an ear to Douxie’s chest and with every breath that Douxie must not be breathing his feline features only seem to grow more grim. Krel takes a few moments to get the guts to join the others around him.

He looked down and wished that somehow he could give his core to the human he loved.

Douxie’s body seemed too cold for someone who had only been dead for a few minutes at most. Krel sat down on his knees and pulled Douxie’s head onto his lap. He just stared at him for a minute, tears blurring his vision and too scared to blink them away in case Douxie vanished. He hung his head down, only taking a moment to wipe each of his eyes individually.

“Krel?” Archie caused him to look up, just for a second.

“Why did he have to face them alone?” Krel choked. “I was right there, I could have gone back.”

“That’s just the way Douxie is.” Claire answered, Krel only now noticed she was holding onto one of Douxie’s hands.

Zoe spoke up as she came over to kneel beside them. “Hisirdoux never really learned how to accept help. Not from anyone beside Archie. He always had to them himself, stupid apprentice.”

“Wait!” Archie shouted, pressing an ear to Douxie’s chest again. “His heart!”

Krel could feel the tensing of Douxie’s back muscles as he loses the stiff relaxation of death. His skin grew to a temperature that wasn’t as frightening, but still cold.

It was if Douxie had a second chance, like what a core would have given an Akiridion. Maybe this is something magic could do to humans.

The moment Douxie opened his eyes, Krel stopped caring how. He couldn’t even find the words to say.

“Douxie.” Archie purring into Douxie’s chest. “You brave, foolish boy.”

“Ow!” He yelped as Douxie helped him sit up, shifting to be besides him. “Ow! Everything hurts!”

“Sorry.” Krel mumbled as Douxie looks over at him and grins.

Claire took his attention back for a second. “I can’t believe you’re okay!”

“Barely, seems you’re the one with mine lives!” Douxie let’s Archie rub his head against his cheek. “Don’t you ever do something like that’s again.”

Krel pulls Douxie to his feet, holding him up with his arms. “You scared me you idiot.”

Douxie nearly falls and clutches his chest. “Hey! I just came back from beyond the grave! Be careful.”

“Sorry.” Krel turns his head and kisses Douxie’s cheek. “I’ll protect you next time.”

“I feel like I missed a lot.” Jim spoke up, eyes widening as Claire ran up to hug him, still very happy to just see Jim as a human again.

“Same, but I think we can catch up over brunch.” He looked around again, Krel could see the worry in his eyes. “What about Arthur and Morgana?”

“Squished.” AAARRRGGGHHH looked towards where Excalibur lay imbedded in the stone.”

Of course Toby immediately tried pulling the legendary sword out of the rock it had cut into. To no avail, but he tried nonetheless. Blinky, Douxie, and Claire all urged Jim to try, but his efforts were fruitless as well. Excalibur stayed rooted, and as the group leaves it behind, Jim leaves behind his hope that he may still be a trollhunter, though that might not be the worst thing right now.

———

Zoe and Nari got ready to leave, New York would be gaining two magical beings within a few weeks, and Akiridion 5 would be gaining at least one new human citizen. Claire and Jim were still on the fence of whether or not they wanted to stay or just visit Eli and Aja. Either way after this they knew they wanted to stay together.

Krel and Douxie had told the group they were dating, and Krel got a surprising amount of threats from the almost everyone. AAARRRGGGHHH being an exception but also Jim, Nari, and Toby.

Krel knew that Douxie would get some as soon as Aja and Varvatos were told the news, and Eli would be ready to ask Douxie so many questions about magic that he’d go crazy. Still, nothing could make these two want to risk staying on earth with the Genesis seals one more day, so alongside with Toby, Jim, and Claire, they step into the portal to Akiridion 5 and are whisked across the universe, traveling past planets and stars in mere seconds.

The earth would be safe unless something changed, and although they knew something would, Krel and Douxie were willing to put that to the back of their minds for as long as they can. They are happy, safe, and together.

And as long as Nari is out of the order’s hands, that’s all they care about.

[ibuki-says]

3AM Thoughts

Pairing: Ibuki Mioda x Kazuichi Souda

Rating: PG-13 - Slight mentions of violence/gore and cursing

Word Count: 2,173

Spoilers: Up to Chapter 2′s class trial and slight spoilers for Chapter 3

Prompt: “Why are you awake right now?”

If there was one thing someone shouldn’t be concerned with during a literal killing game, it would be dumb trivial things like romance. Hell, someone could go to sleep and the next day they’d wake up dead. If that wasn’t enough to get your heart racing and a pit forming in your stomach, then there’s no way someone holding your hand or not liking you back would cause the same reaction. However, for a certain raven-haired rocker, that was exactly what was happening. Ibuki Mioda always tried her best to keep the energy high and everyone smiling, but even she had her moments. She wasn’t able to keep her head up all the time, though she tried not to let anyone else see it. Things were already bad enough with their friends dropping like flies, her being sad wasn’t going to help anything!! These were all things more important than any stupid feelings she had, ones she was pretty much 100 percent sure weren’t even reciprocated anyway, so there was no reason to dwell on them!! Or at least that was something she hoped she could come to terms with. 

It was a few days after Peko’s execution. Everyone was still stunned and sad, as expected. Fuyuhiko was still recovering after the insane stunt he pulled and that (still kinda creepy) memorial thing Hiyoko created for Mahiru still loomed in the background while everyone was in the restaurant eating their breakfast. Ibuki was uncharacteristically quiet as everyone made idle chit-chat around her. It was alright though, it wasn’t like she was feeling particularly down or anything, just thinking. As she picked at her food and pondered, her eyes trailed up to focus on a particular pink-haired mechanic. Kazuichi was on the other side of the room, speaking with Akane about her eating habits. A sigh of quiet relief left the musician’s lips. She didn’t have anything against Sonia, not even in the slightest. In fact, she’d probably consider the blonde one of her closest friends at this point. However, even the toughest person would admit it was hard watching someone they had feelings for fall over themselves to impress someone that clearly wasn’t interested whatsoever. Not that anyone knew about this crush she’d been harboring. They were still stuck in a killing game, damn it!! This wasn’t important! So then why did her heart break a little every time Kazuichi attempted to woo Sonia only to be met with indifference? She shook her head clear of her thoughts as she finished her meal, just in time for a certain pink bunny to join the conversation. Monomi was greeted with the same annoyance that she typically was before she’d explained that she’d defeated another Monobeast and in turn, another island had opened up. The mood was still low, so there was some indecisiveness whether they should really go while Fuyuhiko was still recovering, or how sketchy Monomi’s position in this whole thing really was. However, they ended up agreeing to go explore the new island, mostly thanks to Chiaki encouraging everyone to go explore and instead of sitting around and doing nothing. With that, and the smallest amount of hope in their hearts, the group made their way to the third island. 

Ibuki was dead. That was what happened right? Ibuki Mioda, the Ultimate Musician, had died and gone to heaven, right? Cause that was the only explanation for what she was seeing right now. She was silently stunned for just a moment before letting out a loud “YA-HOOOOOO!!!!” Right before her eyes was a certified, amazing, best-thing-she’d-ever-seen MUSIC VENUE!! Her yelling had attracted the attention of several of her friends, who’d  immediately made their way over. 

“Is everything alright, Ibuki!?” Sonia was the first to approach the ravenette, who only nodded enthusiastically, pointing aggressively at the venue. 

“Ibuki found a music venue!! ...Ibuki found a music venue!!! This is the best day EVER!!!” Ibuki cheered, looking back and forth between her friends and the incredible building. Kazuichi, who was still panting some after rushing over so quickly let out a larger sigh as he crossed his arms. 

“Oh man, that’s it? I was- er- you made Miss Sonia rush over and worry for nothing!” The mechanic huffed, looking over to the princess as if she was going to reiterate his point. “Miss Sonia?” Evidently not as the blonde was simply grinning widely towards Ibuki. “That’s wonderful! I am certainly looking forward to hearing you play here, Ibuki!” She said as Akane let out an audible sigh from behind both of them. 

“Ok cool. No danger? C’mon then, let’s go find some more cool stuff!!” She exclaimed as the other two followed, clearly assuming Ibuki wanted to stay at the music venue for a little longer. After they left, Ibuki let out a long breath. It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to Kazuichi prioritizing Sonia over pretty much anything and everything else, but that didn’t mean it hadn’t stung when he’d completely glossed over her excitement about the music video to worry over Sonia. Especially considering they were still supposed to be friends, right?? She sniffled then immediately shook herself out, determined not to let these dumb feelings overshadow her happiness about there being a music venue!! An entire music venue!! It was like it was made just for her!! With a slightly heavy heart, she went inside to explore the venue itself just a bit more. 

--

After...an incredibly eventful rest of the day in which Fuyuhiko was revealed to be alright, albeit missing an eye, Ibuki returned to her cottage, absolutely exhausted from everything that's happened up to this point. Her eyes were drooping and her physical body was more than ready to slip into as peaceful of a sleep as she’d be able to manage. Unfortunately for the musician, her mind was running a mile a minute, as was normal, but tonight it seemed to be at a pace that wouldn’t allow her to drift off anytime soon. Thus Ibuki was stuck pacing around her room, itching to play something in an attempt to empty her thoughts, but knowing everyone else was likely asleep, or at least attempting to. She was loud and a bit oblivious at times, but even she had the sense not to play her music this late. “Grrrr!! Shut up!” She whisper-yelled to herself, pointing an accusatory finger towards the culprit: her own head. Her thoughts normally didn’t bug her so much, so she had no clue what the issue was today! However, she froze when her mind took her back to a certain event from earlier. Huh. Suppose that was having a bit of a bigger effect on her than she would���ve liked. Groaning to herself, she finally decided she had enough of her room. She needed fresh air. Quietly opening her door, she confirmed that the lights in pretty much everyone’s cottages were off. Trying her best not to make a sound, she escaped to the only place she could think of.

The music venue was quiet. Not too different from earlier, but it was still an eerie silence considering how loud and lively they typically are. Making her way over the stage, she allowed herself to daydream about what it’d be like to play here. Perhaps for the others?? It wasn’t much, but it was definitely something she could do to help lift everyone’s spirits. Considering everything that’s been happening, Ibuki thought that would be the most important thing at the moment. Once she reached the stage, she turned around and lifted herself up, so she was sitting on the edge, allowing her legs to dangle lazily over the side. Alright, she got away from her cottage. Now what? She rubbed her temples as if that would keep her racing thoughts at bay. Unfortunately, not such luck. She sat in silence for who knows how long, eventually allowing herself to lay back down on the stage and stare absentmindedly towards the ceiling. 

Ibuki wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she stubbornly refused to leave until her mind had calmed down. Obviously, this hadn’t happened yet by the time she heard the loud creak of the main door to the music venue opening. Instantly sitting up and fearing for her life (she still was in a killing school trip after all) Ibuki scooted back with her eyes wide. “Who’s there!?” She demanded before seeing the unmistakable head of pink hair poke out from behind the heavy doors. 

“Just me!! I swear!!” Kazuichi almost immediately held up his hands in surrender before fully entering the music venue. Not sensing any sort of danger anymore, Ibuki felt herself relax a bit. However, she tensed back up once more remembering that the reason for her sleep troubles stood right in front of her, though completely oblivious about it. She let out a gentle sigh before pulling one of her knees up to reach her chest and resting her chin on it. “Thought I saw you leave your cottage…’spose I guessed right where you’d end up…” Kazuichi continued despite Ibuki’s uncharacteristic silence. Eventually he ended up at the stage as well, lifting himself up to sit beside her. Seeming to finally catch on to her mood, glanced over to look at her with furrowed brows. “Hey, uh, why’re you awake right now? I mean, I guess I get it but it’s almost three in the damn morning!” Hearing what time it actually was, Ibuki’s eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Had she really been sitting in the music venue and moping for that long?? Instead of answering, she pulled her second leg up to her chin and continued staring into the nothingness of the music venue. Ugh, what is wrong with me? She internally scolded herself, but couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth. “Ibuki? Hey, you can talk to me y’know!?” The concern in his voice was apparent as he craned his head to get her to look at him. 

“It’s stupid. Ibuki’s just overthinking… Don’t worry about it.” Ibuki finally turned to him, cracking a smile in an attempt to get him to drop it. However, this failed as his expression changed to one that clearly said ‘I don’t believe you.’

“That’s BS. I specialize in stupidity, and even I know that something that makes Ibuki Mioda this quiet isn’t nothing. So c’mon. Out with it!” He retorted, flashing his signature shark-toothed grin that always managed to make Ibuki feel at ease. She let out an involuntary chuckle and self consciously tugged at her hair. 

“Like Ibuki said: overthinking. How messed up everything is. Worrying about small stupid things when everyone’s dying. How you like Sonia when it’s obvious she’s into Gundham-” The second the words left her mouth, she wanted to stuff them back in and never speak again. Damnit!! Subtly was never the rocker’s strong suit and it really showed. She watched Kazuichi let out a sharp breath, leaning back on both hands. Ibuki was ready to run off, praying he’d forget everything and remember it as some weird dream when she heard his soft voice finally begin speaking. 

“Y’know...at this point, I’m not even sure. Yeah, she’s a hot blonde princess, someone my pop would’ve seen as acceptable to bring home or whatever. I dunno…” He ended up trailing off with a faraway look in his eyes. 

“I’m sorry…” Ibuki wasn’t quite sure what she was apologizing for, probably opening her big mouth. Kazuichi shook it off with a dismissive wave of his hand. 

“Don’t be. It’s whatever. I’ll get over it.” He shrugged, looking back at Ibuki. The two locked eyes for just a moment too long before the mechanic cleared his throat. “Anyway, in the meantime, we should probably get you some sleep. C’mon, let’s go.” Kazuichi hopped off the stage, holding his hand out to her with a grin. “Gotta be well rested if you wanna make use of this place and perform for us sometime.” Ibuki let out a yawn, the exhaustion she was feeling from the day finally hitting her. She simply let out a little ‘mhm’ before taking his hand and allowing him to guide her out of the venue. “Oh hey! If you ever wanted to add some sweet modifications to your guitar I could totally do that!! Maybe if-” Kazuichi rambled on about cool things he could do to her instrument while Ibuki listened with a content smile. She could tell it was an attempt to keep her awake until they got back to their respective cottages. Thankfully, it was working, though she still needed the support of an arm around her waist to make sure she didn’t wander off or anything. As she took in the brisk incredibly early morning air, she practically felt the atmosphere between them changing, and wondered if he could too. Whatever happened next, they could face it and get off this island. She was sure of it.

[indecisivedolly]

Silent Words - Chapter 6

Word count: 1949 words

Warnings: cursing, minor character death (do I even have to say this?), gory death description, tiny mention of sex trafficking, angst

After breakfast, Y/N cleaned up with Bucky. It was silent and comfortable and she knew that he felt it too. After finishing up the house (which was quite the mess) she plopped down next to Bucky with the envelope in her hand. She was absentmindedly staring at it when she felt a pair of eyes watching her. 

“You can ask me whatever’s on your mind, I don’t bite.” She said nonchalantly. 

“Well... You kind of do.” He said, grimacing.

Turning to face him, she put her right leg underneath her left and leaned her back on the couch’s handrest. She was grinning at him.

“I promise I won’t bite you this time, I’m all ears.” 

Bucky was careful with his words around her. Whatever is going on between them, he doesn’t want to ruin it by saying something stupid.

“Well, I was just thinking, we’ve fulfilled 2 wishes in a day and a half. Don’t you think we should take a break, just for the day?” He stammered nervously.

Y/N stiffened.

 “I don’t think that’s a good idea.” She says abruptly, changing the mood from relaxed to tense.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t wanna waste any time, the sooner we finish this the better. If you want to take a break, fine. But I’m not gonna sit here and waste my time. You can catch up with me tomorrow if you’d like.” She said as calmly as possible.

Bucky blinked and watched as she left. I really didn’t have any bad intentions, I just don’t want her overworked, that’s all.

Y/N went to her room and sat down on her bed. She sighed, regretting the way she acted towards Bucky. He meant well, she thought. 

After being lost in thoughts for what felt like hours, she heard a knock on her door. Shit.

Get up and get your shit together! Should I sit on the bed or the desk chair? Wait, why am I acting like this? 

She cringed at herself and cleared her throat.

“Uh, c-come in!” Jesus Christ, that was awful.

The door slowly opened and revealed a guilty-looking Bucky. He got in and it was silent for a few seconds.

“I just wanted to apolo-”

“I’m sorry for the way I act-” 

They started at the same time, trying to apologize for themselves. Upon realizing that they tried to apologize at the same time, they started laughing.

“We really are a couple of fuck-ups, aren’t we?” Y/N said, still laughing.

“Yeah, we definitely are.” Bucky replied, smiling down at her. 

She’s so beautiful, If only I didn’t leave her behind.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” She said, looking confused.

He coughed awkwardly and felt his ears heat up, “Like what?” He said, trying to play it cool but failing miserably.

“Like a sad puppy.” She said amusingly now, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

“I-I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He tried to deny, but again, failing miserably. He looked at the ground, unable to look at her.

Silence.

“We’re here now, ya know.” Fiddling with her necklaces, she started to feel nervous and her eyes looking everywhere except for him.

His eyes shot up at her. Did she mean it like that, or am I getting my hopes up?

“Yeah, we are.” He replied, looking at her hopefully.

Now it was her turn to shoot her head up and look at him, feeling her cheeks turning red.

A few moments later, they found themselves getting ready for the third wish.

“Do you- do you wanna read it this time?” She said shyly, looking at him.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” He said and gave her a small smile, in which she gave one back.

Y/N handed Bucky the envelope and he opened it to reveal wish 3.

My third wish is that you help Dolores Garcia out with her garden. She loves her buckwheat crops.

“Buckwheat needs lots of care, you know? Sometimes you have to trim them, almost like you’re mutilating them. But in the end, you have to let them die because otherwise, they’ll be hindering other crops. And they die slowly.” Y/N shot him a knowing look and nodded, she understood. 

She shot out of her thoughts. “Dolores Garcia, she’s a sex trafficker. If someone’s buckwheat you mutilate them and let them die slowly. She’s located in Prague.” She said.

“She’s also HYDRA.” Bucky added.

She hummed, “I should’ve known that.” Throwing her stealth suit on the couch and grabbing the hem of her oversized shirt to take it off, she was suddenly stopped by Bucky.

“Wow, wow, wow. What the hell are you doing?!” He said quickly. He had already guarded his eyes with his right hand and turned his face the other way.

She scoffed amusingly. “Oh come on, don’t be such a big baby. You’ve never seen a woman’s body before? Or do you simply just not remember it?” She said jokingly.

Immediately after saying it, she knew that went too far. She saw it in the way his body halted too. Not facing her, Bucky put his right hand down and licked his lips to react but decided not to, and simply walked away without sparing her a glance.

“Car, 10 minutes.” She heard him say before he disappeared into the hallway.

Damn it, I shouldn’t have said that.

“I- sorry!” She decided to yell after him.

A few hours later, they arrived in Prague. 

“Are you still angry at me?” She said, still feeling guilty. 

She couldn’t bring herself to say anything to him during the entire car ride.

He sighed and turned to look at her after what felt like forever. How can I stay angry at you? Especially when you look so cute when you look so guilty and apologetic.

“No, I’m not angry at you anymore.” He said and he saw her look at him with raised eyebrows and a small smile. 

“That doesn’t mean that you’re not a pain in the ass.” He said, turning back to park the car.

She playfully glared at him, turned to look at the road, and smiled.

Unfortunately, moments like this never laster forever.

Bucky should’ve known this, he out of all people should’ve known that life isn’t filled with perfect moments lasting forever.

It’s filled with desperation and rage.

Y/N kept falling in and out of consciousness. She moved her legs, only to find out that her feet were shackled to the ground. Her head was pounding and felt heavy, but all she could think about was Bucky. 

Was he okay? Did they get him too? Are they hurting him again? 

The more she thought about it, the more her head started hurting. She quickly pushed those thoughts aside and started looking around to find a way to escape.

Then, she saw an awfully familiar shadow move in the darkness of the room. Her body stiffened. 

Are they back to hurt me again? Am I going to die for real this time? 

She couldn’t help but lightly panic. The ghost-like shadow noticed and started shushing her. 

“It’s okay, please don’t panic. I’m here to save you.” She heard a voice whisper. 

Instant relief washed over her, as she recognized the shadow to be Bucky. She slumped back onto the ground, not using anymore of her energy because she knew Bucky would keep her safe.

Then, she heard yelling and gunshots. She shrunk, her legs close to her abdomen, one arm around her head and the other hand holding her butterfly necklaces. Before she even realized it herself, Y/N began singing a lullaby which she used to sing for her sister.

Vole, vole, vole papillon,

Au-dessus de mon école

Vole, vole, vole papillon,

Au-dessus de ma maison

She kept singing it as if it was a prayer bound to protect her. She couldn’t hear anything but the lullaby. Through choked sobs and winces, she still kept singing. She even kept singing when she felt a hand on her shoulder, thinking that she had imagined the touch. 

“Hey, look at me doll. Shh, it’s okay. You’re safe now.” Bucky shushed her. He then opened the shackles on her ankles with a key -she wondered where he got that from- and lifted her. 

She didn’t have the power to keep her eyes open or stay alert, trusting Bucky to keep her safe in her vulnerable state. 

The sound of some sort of door rang through her ears and she was placed in a tight space. Bucky folded her legs a bit and closed the door. She recognized the sound to be of a closing car door. 

She heard the trunk open and close and then the door closest to her head opened, seeing Bucky holding something. “I’m gonna inject you with this okay? That’ll take your pain away.” He took her hand and straightened her arm to inject her. A few moments later, she felt good enough to be able to sit up. Then, Bucky got in the car.

“I finished your wish.” He said bluntly, pushing a phone in her hands.

A woman was in the middle of the same room Y/N had found herself in a few moments ago. Her mouth had been cut open from the corners of her mouth to her ears. She had been stabbed multiple times in her abdomen, legs, and face. She was still alive, judging from the shallow breaths she still took but she was not going to survive due to her rapid blood loss. The woman was shackled to the ground in the same place Y/N was shackled.

“Thank you.”

No reply.

“I said th-”

“I heard what you said.” He cut her off angrily.

“Wow, sssorry.” She slurred, slightly startled.

These meds are kinda strong, she thought.

“Yeah, I bet you’re really sorry for acting so fucking reckless. What’s your fucking problem? Do you not care about your own damn safety? Even when realizing it was too dangerous to go in there, you still did. Do you not realize your fucking value?” He said angrily.

“Duuude, chill out a bit. Why are you sooo damn pressed?” She slurred, annoyed. 

“I don’t even know what the hell that means!” He said, feeling outraged.

“That meaaans, don’t be so f-fucking ssstupid. You didn’t ssseem to care about my damn safet-ty when you left me b-behind. Huh?” She meant for it to sound angry, but all it did was sound slurry.

“Can you fucking stop about that already? I apologized for that and I’m trying to make things right, you can’t keep using that against me. That’s just fucked up. And yes, keeping you safe is far more important than killing her.” He gritted.

“Well, you-you’re fucked up for m-making me think you didn-” sigh “didn’t want me anymore.” 

“Oh come on!” He said, growing angrier.

And what did you w-want me to do, let her esc-cape?” She said as angry as possible.

“Uh, yes? Your safety is far more important than killing her. We would’ve found her eventually!” He started shouting.

“I’m nnnot having this con-converssation, with you, if you start y-yelling.” She said, falling asleep.

“Oh yeah?” He said, still angry but not yelling anymore.

“Yyyeah!” She managed to push out, before falling asleep.

Bucky sighed, why the hell is she acting like this? He looked into the rearview mirror, only to find her asleep. Shaking his head, he started the car and drove them home. 

Upon arriving, he lifted Y/N out of the car and into the house. He got her into her pajamas and bed effortlessly. He sighed, sitting next to her. He looked at her and caressed her cheek. 

Why do you not realize how much worth you are to me?

Taglist (if you wanna be included, send me a message!):

@saiyanprincessswanie @disasterbii @zaynzierulez @kingbuckyx @ms-marisz

[sanderssidesfanfiction]

If There’s a Place I Could Be - Chapter Thirty Two

If There’s a Place I Could Be Tag

November 4th, 1993

Emile swallowed and shifted on his feet as his mom looked him over. He must have been quite the sight, covered head to toe in dirt and blood. To be fair, Sully had started the fight, but something told him that Mom wouldn’t want to hear that right now. Sully had started it, but Emile had finished it. By shoving Sully into the side of the building, which happened to be where the metal gutter was, landing Sully with a concussion.

Finally, his mom took a breath. Emile knew this lecture was going to be long, but he didn’t know exactly how long it might be, and that’s where the real fear kicked in. He hoped he’d have time for dinner before bed, but judging by the look Mom was giving him, his odds weren’t very high.

  May 26th, 2001

Emile finally left his room when his dad called up that it was time for lunch. He walked down the stairs to find Remy resolutely not looking at him as he sat at the table with a plate of meatballs with some sauce Emile couldn’t identify, and rice on the side. Emile sat down next to him tentatively, where another plate was waiting. Remy didn’t acknowledge him.

His mom and dad came in with plates of their own, his mom said grace, and they all started to eat. Remy went for the rice first, but Emile was curious and immediately halved a meatball, skewering it and humming in surprise. The olive oil brought a depth of flavor to the meatballs that he had never tasted before! “The olive oil was a good call, Rem,” Emile said. “I’m super impressed.”

Remy’s eyes flickered over to him for half a second. “You mean that?”

“Yeah! I’ve never had the meatballs taste like this before, and it’s absolutely delicious.”

Remy’s smile at that was small, and shy, but completely genuine. He wasn’t putting up a front, or playing up his emotions. He was genuinely pleased. And in Emile’s mind, he definitely should be. “It’s been forever since I’ve cooked,” Remy admitted. “I missed it.”

“Well, if this is what you can do with simple ingredients, we’ll have to invest in real food more often,” Emile said. “This is, without a doubt, the best meal I’ve had in months.”

“Emile!” Remy laughed, cheeks flaming red. “You’re gonna embarrass me!”

Emile shrugged and said, “Well, I’m just sharing my opinion,” before backing off and going back to eating.

The atmosphere in the room was slightly less tense after that, though no one really said much, aside from the occasional praise to Remy about improving the recipe. Remy ducked his head with a blush every time, but Emile could see that he really enjoyed the end result of his experiment. It got Emile thinking. Remy would make an excellent cook at a restaurant, or he could probably make new mixes for coffee at the smaller chain, if his managers let him. But food service seemed to be where Remy excelled. He knew a lot about business and math, but he enjoyed cooking. He tucked that thought away for later. He was sure he could make sense out of a half-baked idea at some point in the future.

“So, Remy, do you want to tell us a little about yourself?” Mom asked. “Obviously, you’re a wonderful cook, but outside that.”

Remy shrugged. “I mean, I kinda like sports. Not to the point where I’d be called a sports nut, but it passes the time, and it’s fun to play and to watch. I’ve read some...novels, and books, but uh...my biggest hobby by far has to be...uh...comics. Like, DC, Marvel, anything in between, indie companies, I love them all.”

“Oh, that’s nice!” Mom said. “Do you think you like comics as much as Emile likes cartoons?”

“I’m not sure if anyone could like anything as much as Emile likes cartoons,” Remy laughed. “But yeah, I’m pretty enthusiastic about them.”

“Who’s your favorite superhero? You can’t like comics without having some kind of favorite superhero. Or perhaps a supervillain?” Dad asked.

“How about an antihero?” Remy shot back. “Deadpool is by far my favorite comic series. Anything with Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy comes in second, and first for everything DC, but Deadpool takes the cake.”

“He’s tried to explain the timelines to me, but I can’t keep up with them,” Emile said with a shake of his head. “It’s too confusing.”

“You just lack the ability to apply ret-conning,” Remy informed him. “That makes understanding timelines so much easier.”

Emile and Remy fell into banter about whether or not cartoons or comics were better that had them both laughing by the end of lunch. Everyone put their dishes in the kitchen to be washed later and Dad asked, “Do you boys want to do anything in particular? If you want, we can always go to the community center for a game of basketball or something similar.”

“Uh...if you don’t mind, Mister Thomas, I’d like to talk to Emile alone a minute, first,” Remy said.

Emile’s hair stood on end as his dad nodded. “If I hear shouting, I will come over to break it up,” he said. “You both are mature enough that I hope it won’t be a problem.”

That unspoken behave may as well have been written on a neon sign to Emile. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes as Remy led him upstairs, back to Emile’s room. Remy closed the door behind him softly and hissed, “How many times do I have to tell you, Emile, I don’t like you talking smack about my family!”

“It was a knee-jerk response,” Emile said, crossing his arms.

“The first sentence might have been. The rest certainly wasn’t,” Remy snarled.

“Well, what do you want me to do? Lie to your face and tell you I believe you when you say your parents will change?” Emile challenged. “Look, Rem, I don’t want to hurt you, but you’re setting yourself up to be hurt again putting that hope in your parents!”

“Yeah?” Remy asked. “You’re so certain they’re going to fail me, huh?”

“Every person I’ve ever met who has acted like your mother did never changed their tune. I’m speaking from experience, Remy! I don’t want you to get hurt anymore!”

“They can change!” Remy exclaimed. “They took Vanessa and Toby and I on trips when we were little, and they were doting and caring to all of us at one point or another. They have good in them, Emile! They have good days! They can get more good days if they only put in the effort!”

“Is it worth it, though?” Emile asked. “You’re ripping at the seams, a thread that’s slowly unravelling into insanity. You know your parents weren’t good to you, Rem. You’ve been over this with me and with Kim. But do you know what Kim might not have told you?”

“What?” Remy asked.

“Any good days that they had do not negate the bad days and the hell they put you through most of the time. If you believe they can be good? Then great. Let them prove it to you. Don’t force them to do anything, don’t be the one to reach out first. Make sure that they know you’re serious, you won’t back down, you’re your own person.” Emile shook his head. “You’re making excuses for them and putting all your eggs in one basket. What happens if they don’t come around?”

“They will,” Remy said with certainty.

“But what if they don’t? What happens if they only accept you to a point? They say that you can be who you want in terms of a job, but you can’t be gay, or you can’t have certain people as your friends? There’s always something with those types, Rem. Something will always keep them from being happy.”

Remy’s fists were shaking at his sides. He brought up a hand and Emile flinched, but Remy just pointed. “You know that you can act like a real ass, Emile? It’s not just me who has my moments, or my months!”

Emile took a deep breath, remembering his mother’s words about being gentle. “Remy, I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, holding his hands up. “I’m trying to be realistic, and I know you don’t like it when I sugarcoat things.”

“You talk about my family like they’re all scum,” Remy said. “Well not all of them are that bad, or bad at all! Toby’s the one who gave me ‘the talk’ when I told him I was gay! Vanessa always snuck me snacks if I was banished to my room for however long and I might have missed a meal! Nate and Magenta are angels! Not all my family is my parents, Emile, and even my parents have the potential to change!”

“But it’s only potential, Rem. I don’t want you taking all your hopes and putting it on potential. I don’t want your mom to keep stalking you. I don’t want your parents to ship you off to the military. I don’t want you getting hurt. I just...I can’t find the pretty words to explain why something won’t work!” Emile exclaimed. “I know it can’t work, but you disagree, and I can’t figure out how to get you to see it from my side!”

“I have seen it from your side!” Remy exclaimed. “I saw it from your side on Thanksgiving. When my mom came to me at work. When I put all my hopes on you and moved in with you. But you have extreme, visceral reactions whenever my family gets brought up that make me feel sick to my stomach. They’re not bad people, Emile!”

“They’re bad parents,” Emile insisted. “And bad grandparents. Your cousins and Vanessa are mostly off the hook for now, and Toby was never on it, but your parents? And grandparents? And the aunts and uncles who wouldn’t stand in your corner when you needed it? They’re hurting you, whether intentional or not, actively or passively. And I don’t want to see you hurt!” Emile’s eyes were clouding with tears. “I love you, you idiot! I don’t want to see you hurt!”

“But you hurt me too! When you say my family is evil and my parents are bad and toxic, that hurts me too! Because I want to believe that my family can be good! And you refuse to give them that chance!” Remy hugged own torso. “Maybe I give them too much of a chance, but you definitely give them too little. I could change, why couldn’t they?”

“Rem...” Emile trailed off. “You didn’t change. They tried to change you and you resisted, and you put up walls and fronts around yourself to get their approval, but you were always a kind, caring person at heart. That’s you. And they...they aren’t.”

Remy scowled at him.

Emile shook his head. “I’m sorry, Rem. But I can’t...this is one thing I can’t sugarcoat even if I wanted to. You deserve to know that your parents were hurting you. Are hurting you, even now.”

Remy crossed his arms. “So, what, I’m just supposed to go through life without parents? Without family? Without a safety net? Just free fall the second my mental health takes a dive and crash onto the pavement below?”

“No,” Emile said. “You can borrow my parents and family if you need. You have me, and Clara, and Theo, and Xavier, and all of our mutual friends as a safety net. The second your mental health takes a dive we’ll be there to support you in any way we’re able to.”

Remy kept his arms crossed, eyes growing glassy with tears. “But what if I don’t want you? What if I don’t want them? What if...what if all I really want is my parents there for me? My mother supporting my decisions, and my father praising my hard work?! What if I want that?!”

The last word was shouted at max volume, and Emile could hear his dad rushing up the steps. Emile swallowed. “Well, Rem...you can’t always get what you want.”

Remy’s face darkened and he bellowed, “Screw you!” just as Emile’s dad rushed in. “You don’t get to tell me who I can and can’t go to for help! Maybe I want to reconcile with my parents! Maybe you’re the one being controlling and demanding! You’re the one who’s hurting me, not them!”

“Okay, okay, break it up!” Dad yelled, stepping between them. “Remy, why don’t you go downstairs? I’m sure my wife can help you with whatever you might need at the moment. She has a much gentler touch,” the last part was said with a pointed glance at Emile. “It’s my turn to talk to Emile, now, for a minute.”

The look Emile was getting spoke volumes. He was in massive trouble. Remy huffed and left the room, and Emile braced himself for perhaps the sternest talking-to he would ever have in his life as his stomach sank.

[itmighthavebeenintentional]

Walk Me Home - Ch 3

Summary: Twenty-four years ago, Kimberly Harper met a boy who changed the course of her entire life before up and leaving one night. She spent years moving past the memories, building a stable, satisfying career as professor of folklore and mythology at the local university. Then the accidents start, and she’s forced to seek help among her hunter contacts. All it takes is a knock on her office door to send Kimber’s carefully built emotional walls crumbling to the ground.

Featuring: Teen Winchesters, high school romance, reunions, misunderstandings, high intensity emotional turmoil, Dean’s love of pie, Dean being adorable, Sam being adorable and maybe a bit nosy eventually, much group adorkable-ness, show-style investigation, mention of our favorite werewolf, gratuitous and obvious love of fall, DID I MENTION ROMANCE, fluff, smut, tension. 

Warnings: Show level violence, show level parental neglect (let’s not John bash, I’m just saying), show-style witchcraft, show-level mental manipulation, stalking, bit of angst, sexual content (higher than show level),swearing, general yearning

Word Count: 3422

Author’s Note: Mega thanks to @mskathywriteswords​ , @fangirlxwritesx67​, and @cracksinthewalls​ for editing, revision, flailing, and generally knocking sense into me when I’m being stubborn. You all made this story way better than it started it, and I love you. Thanks to everyone who read/reblogged/liked the first chapter. I hope you enjoy the story as much as I do. 

@thoughtslikeaminefield​ , babe, I love you, and I love this story so much.

Keep in Mind: There are a lot of flashbacks. I tried to write current events in present tense and flashbacks in past tense. Here’s hoping I got everything right!

Please read/heed the warnings. 18+ ONLY. 

In Case You Missed It: Ch 1 | Ch 2 ItMightHaveBeenIntentional’s Masterlist

Chapter 3

“Breathe, sweetheart, take a deep breath and hold it. Watch me, follow my breathing.” Dean’s hands, warm and solid against her clammy skin, hold her face so she has no choice but to look right at him. 

His eyes pierce the haze of fear that locks her lungs, and she pulls in her first shaking breath since she spotted the doll. She must have screamed, because one moment she was alone with the damned thing, and the next he was by her side, pulling her out of the room.

“Come with me, we’re getting out of here. Right now.” In a habit that miraculously stayed with her since she first knew him, Kimber stumbles after Dean, her fingers clutching his with a level of desperation that would leave her shamed if she had the thought capacity to care right now.

They’re out the front door, in his car, and speeding away before she even realizes he’s on the phone. 

“Yeah, Sam, I saw the doll on her bed. Front door was definitely locked when we got there, but I didn’t get a chance to check the windows or back door. She’s talked to the cops before this, they didn’t do shit then, but maybe now that the bastard actually went in her house. I’m taking her back to the motel.” 

He’s silent for a long moment, listening intently, his lips pressed thin and tense. Her face is wet, and she realizes she’s crying. She takes a moment to wipe away the tears streaming from her eyes, discreetly clearing her throat. She has a strange, disconnected moment of panic when she realizes she left her purse in the house and the door unlocked, but she shoves the words back down her throat so fast she nearly chokes.

That horrible...thing...on her bed, and she’s worried about her purse?!

Priorities, Kimber, she scolds herself. Dean is talking when she comes back to the moment, and she catches him mid-sentence.

“-agree with Kimber, I think it’s probably a witch. Gonna check for hex bags, ask her about anybody that might have a motive. We’ll go over her house when you get here, but I’m gonna try to keep her out of sight in the meantime. Don’t have a tail, but I’ll keep an eye on the way to the motel. See ya in the morning.”

He hangs up, eyes flicking over to Kimber then back to the road.

“How you holdin’ up?” The genuine concern in his voice breaks through the worst of her panic, giving her something other than her growing dread to focus on.

“I...I’ve been better. I mean, I know that nothing actually happened, but...Dean, I-”

“Oh, no, I totally get it,” he says, his eyebrows rising high on his forehead. “Fucking dolls, I hate ‘em. That creepy shit absolutely ain’t right. Anyway, we had no idea if someone was still at your place. Better to high-tail it, regroup, and plan than get stuck in a shootout with somethin’ that might not even go down with a bullet or five in it. You heard me talkin’ to Sam?”

She nods, doing her best to hide her sniffling. Without a word, he opens the glove box, pulls out a napkin, and hands it to her. She takes it gratefully, failing in her attempt to discreetly blow her nose while boxed into a moving vehicle.

“Thanks. The thing is, though, as far as I know, nobody has a motive to want to hurt me.”

This time he only lifts one eyebrow. “You, a college professor in a highly specialized academic area that’s typically full of eccentrics at best and nutbags at worst, have no students with chips on their shoulders? No jealous colleagues? Never forgot to tip the barista or leave a Christmas bonus for the janitors? Really?”

Her face heats up. She’s thinking like a scared kid, and she should know better. She may not be a hunter, but she knows the lore, knows the signs, and she really should know better.

“Okay, you’re right, you’re right. I’m not thinking clearly. Just...gimme a sec to get my head on straight.” 

She sucks in a sharp, deep breath through her nose, focusing on a droplet of water that’s sliding down her window. She presses air slowly from her lungs, watching the drop gain speed as it joins with more water dotting the outside of the glass, repeating the process until the raindrop slips off the window and her thoughts are focused again.

“I haven’t actually had to fail anyone in my classes lately, but I suppose someone could have held a grudge from previous semesters or just not been satisfied with a lower passing grade. As far as I know, no one in the department is jealous of my position. I’m not really anything special, literally just a glorified storyteller. I’m not on any boards or committees, I haven’t received any awards in a few semesters. No particular nutbags lately, but…”

She frowns as he pulls the car into a motel parking lot. Something is tugging at the back of her mind, an almost non-incident from a few Thursdays ago. She’d dismissed the conversation as random but harmless, but even the smallest details could be life or death. She’s been shown this over and over in her dealings with hunters. It’s about time she learned from other people’s mistakes.

“There was something, a few weeks ago, but I can’t quite remember,” she says, frustrated at how inadequate her memory is proving at the moment. The vestiges of panic still cling to the edges of her mind, leaving her thoughts scrambled and disjointed. 

“Think on it. Let’s get checked in, get somethin’ to eat, and you can tell me then,” Dean offers. 

She smiles her appreciation at the reprieve and climbs out of the car to follow Dean into the motel office. She uses the time Dean spends, first talking and then arguing with the clerk, to jog her memory, trying to recall everything she can about her encounter at the end of a self-defense class the previous month. 

It had seemed so harmless at the time, and nothing odd happened afterwards. At least, not that night. But as she stands next to Dean, straining her memory, she realizes Helen’s accident was just two days later. Her unseen watcher trailed her for the first time a week after Helen’s fall. Then Professor Lawrence a few days after that, and just last week Allen and the stapler.

She feels the heat of shame flooding her face. She’s a researcher by profession. How did she never put the pattern together? People have been hurt, nearly died, because she was too stupid to connect some dots? 

“I connect dots for a goddamn living,” she mutters to herself, earning her an odd glance from Dean. He turns back to the clerk, who shrugs.

“Take it or leave, sir.”

“Fine,” Dean growls, shoving a credit card at the man. Five minutes later, Dean unlocks the door to a room with two queen-size beds whose decor calls strongly back to a decade long past and best forgotten.

“I think they decorated this place before we were born,” she murmurs, earning her a tired smile from Dean. “At least it’s clean?”

He nods, tossing his bag on the bed nearest the window. “Sorry we have to share, they’re full up. Some sort of convention in town?” 

She hesitates, her stomach fluttering uneasily at the thought of a wall between her and Dean. “I don’t mind. I think...maybe it’s safer this way, in one room. I would offer to get dinner, since you paid for the room, but…” She trails off, empty hands spread at her sides. 

“Not a problem,” he says, dropping down on the bed and reaching for the phone. “Know anywhere good that delivers?”

 Forty minutes and two cheeseburger combos later, Dean lifts her reprieve and presses her for information again. The food helped ground Kimber’s jittery brain, and she’s thinking clearly for the first time since she spotted the doll.

“A few weeks ago, after self-defense class concluded, a guy came up to me. I’d never noticed him before, I thought he was new, but he said he’d seen me a few times and wanted to know if i would go get coffee with him. I wouldn’t have said yes, regardless, because...I mean, picking up dates at a self-defense class? Feels kinda predatory.”

Dean nods, lips pursed as he listens. He’s stretched out on his bed while she’s opted to sit in one of the two chairs by the table a few feet away. Kimber scrubs her face with her hands before running them back through her hair. 

“I just...I got this weird vibe off him, though, Dean. He may have found me attractive, I don’t know, but I seriously doubt it. He didn’t really want to ask me out. I have no clue why he asked; I could tell he wasn’t into me. He wouldn’t meet my eyes, his face was kind of stoney the whole time? Almost like someone put him up to it even though he really didn’t want to?”

Dean frowns, just as perplexed as she is.

She sighs, resting her chin in her palms and elbows on her knees. “I know. He was acting just a little too off. On top of that, I didn’t know him at all, so I turned him down. I wasn’t rude, at least I don’t think I was. He just accepted it, though; he didn’t push or even look upset. He didn’t really look anything at all. He just left. I didn’t see him in class again after that, and, honestly, I’m certain I had never seen him before.”

Dean rubbed the stubble on his chin thoughtfully, eyebrows furrowed. “I don’t...I mean, yeah, maybe. A strong maybe,” he conceded. “But we need more information. Even if that guy is our perp, we need to find out more about what’s actually going on. Sam can help me look over your place tomorrow; you and I can search your office. We should check out the other accident scenes. Did anyone else in your class see the guy or talk to him?”

“Maybe the teacher?” Kimber offers, stifling a yawn. She’s weary to the bone and suspects she may still be feeling the after-effects of shock. She stands, intending to hit the shower in the bathroom, when she remembers just how quickly they had to leave her house.

“Um...Dean, I didn’t get to...we left my place so quickly. Do you have anything to wear that I could...borrow?” She doesn’t mean to sound so hesitant and vulnerable, but her emotional filter is fading with her energy, and she doesn’t have it in her to put up a tough front.

His eyes widen, and he jumps up from the bed to rifle through his sports bag. He reaches out, holding what looks like a white t-shirt and pajama pants. She takes a step towards him to accept them just as he moves over to meet her, and they both stop just shy of a full-body collision.

His fingers brush her skin as she accepts the clothes, and she’s annoyed at how her hands tremble from the brief touch. Her eyes flick up to find him watching her, his color high and lips parted. His hands close more solidly around hers, fingers rough and welcome against her wrists. Her pulse quickens, and that cold spot near her heart ratchets up a couple more degrees. 

His pupils dilate in response, black circles swallowing the mossy irises. Dean’s tongue flashes over his lower lip as he swallows convulsively, and her eyes track the movement. She wonders for the span of a single breath if he still tastes the way she remembers. It would be so easy to find out; just step in, drop the clothes.

All she has to do, really, is reach out.

…

Her fingers paused halfway between them, hesitating. He glanced up from his plate of pie, eyeing her curiously. Feeling suddenly, deliciously brave, she brushed her thumb over his lower lip, swiping a bit of whipped cream he’d unknowingly smeared there. She sucked her thumb for just a moment, self-consciously looking away as her cheeks blazed red. 

She’d never been so forward before, brazen even, and while she was proud of her courage, she was still shocked she’d had such nerve. She risked a peek at him across the table just in time to see him flick his own tongue over the exact spot her thumb had just been. He caught his lower lip under his teeth, grinning at her, somehow looking just as flushed and off-balance as she felt.

“You, uh...taste good,” he murmured, eyes shining. She couldn’t help the giggle that bubbled up at his sweet, simple sincerity. 

“You do, too.”

They had finished tutoring early, and it was only their second week. Dean was keeping up just fine in class, so she was more than happy to accept his invitation for a snack at the nearby diner. The day was pretty warm for mid-September, and they were technically still supposed to be at the library, so she asked if he’d like to maybe take a walk and talk some more.

“You’re just using me for my stories,” he said with a mock pout as they strolled down the sidewalk. “Is that all I am to you? A source of entertainment?”

“Dean, you’re the best show on. I wouldn’t even skip the reruns.” She felt so light around him, so comfortable and giddy all at once, like he was sucking the oxygen from her atmosphere while giving it right back to her all at once.

Just when she felt like her chest might burst holding all this inside, she reached out and linked her fingers through his. She felt a slight falter in his stride (or maybe she imagined it), and they walked on. She asked him about his family. He told her less about his Dad, more about his little brother, and nothing about his mom, but mostly he asked questions.

What did she like to read? Where was the best pie in town, because that place was not it. Where did she have her favorite birthday party growing up? What did she want to do when she graduated? Favorite family vacation? Favorite holiday? Was it as awesome being an only child as it seemed, or were there actually drawbacks he didn’t know about? What did she really think of his jacket, be honest?

Eventually, they found themselves back at her house, not quite time for her to be home yet. She was reluctant to say good-bye, and if his grip on her hand was any indication, so was he.

“I know!” she said suddenly. She tugged his arm, leading the way around her house and into the backyard. Neither of her parents were home from work, so she didn’t have to worry about their well-meaning interrogation as to why she was dragging the new boy around by the arm.

“Ta-da!” She spread her arms wide, grinning as she indicated the treehouse she and her dad had built together only a few years earlier. “Best craftsmanship, all the comforts of home, minus electricity, heat, air conditioning, and plumbing!”

“You mean it’ll hold us both, and there's some pillows and blankets up there?” He laughed, his grin growing as she glowed back at him. 

“You get me so well!” she squealed, grabbing his hand and tugging him forward again. “Come on!”

Though the structure swayed ever so slightly, it didn’t embarrass her by creaking, and there was plenty of room for the two of them to prop up against one of the walls, stretching their legs out on the nest of cushions and blankets she kept up there during good weather.

Rather than settling down, her heart began to beat against her ribs so loudly she was certain Dean could hear it. Her shoulder brushed his, and she could feel every minute shift of his body. Her nostrils flared a little as she steeled herself and turned to meet his intent gaze.

“I would really love to kiss you right now,” he said, his voice low and velvet soft. 

“Does that usually work on girls?” she asked breathlessly, her eyes glued to his impossibly lush mouth.

“Why, is it working on you?” The raw want in his voice was unmistakable, even to her inexperienced ears. No boy had ever looked at her the way Dean was right now, as if he’d never seen anyone else he’d rather kiss. He reached up, slid his fingers into her hair, thumb brushing her cheekbone.

“Yeah, it, um...it really is.”

He tasted of cherry pie and coffee. Years later, she would recognize that kiss as the moment her dependency on the caffeinated beverage began, but at the time, she wouldn’t have recognized her own mother. His lips moved gently, so tenderly it stole her breath and made some random spot in her chest clench painfully. 

She turned, leaning across him, almost on her knees. Her fingers slid over the impossibly silky bristles on the back of his neck. He shivered under her touch, lips parting from hers as he sucked in a sharp pull of air. 

“Kimber,” he murmured, eyes closed. She nudged the tip of his nose with her own, her eyes fluttering shut as she pressed the smallest of kisses to the corner of his lips. Dean’s breath caught, and then he pulled her up into his lap suddenly, tilting her head just so before claiming her mouth again.

She didn’t know how long they sat in the treehouse exactly like that, learning each other’s contours and tastes, trading kisses and caresses but nothing more, until she heard the front door of the house close. 

Kimber jerked upright, shocked as if she’d been dashed with a bucket of ice water. She’d honestly forgotten there was a whole world that existed outside the two of them in the treehouse. The sun was much lower in the sky, almost gone in fact.

“It’s almost dark, Dean, I have to go inside.” She spoke reluctantly, the words pulled out against her will. She didn’t ever want to be responsible, even indirectly, for telling Dean he had to leave.

Dean’s chest rose and fell rapidly, one hand holding tight to her waist as the other began to reluctantly untangle from her hair. He leaned forward, brushed her lips with his one last time before wordlessly encouraging her to put herself to rights.

Kimber checked the backyard to make sure the coast was clear before leading Dean down the ladder to the ground. 

“If you go that way,” she said, pointing out a thin spot in the hedge at the far side of her yard, “it’ll take you right out to Evergreen Drive. One more block over, and you’ll be on the same street as the school.” He nodded, glancing in the direction before turning back to her. 

God, his eyes. 

She was frozen to the spot and on fire all at once. In all her seventeen years, she’d never felt anything as intense as Dean just looking at her. How did he do that?

“I think I’m going to, uh...need a few more study sessions,” he said softly. “We might need to really get...in depth with the material.” This time his smile was a little shy, a lot less cocky than the first time she worked with him. And yet there was a mischievous glint in his eyes that let her know Dean Winchester would absolutely be worth every bit of trouble he got her into.

“I’ll see you at school tomorrow,” she said, intentionally not addressing his statement. For one thing, she didn’t think she could match his level of casual innuendo without sounding like a complete idiot. For another, she didn’t trust herself to respond without turning bright red. 

She turned towards her house when Dean seized her hand, yanked her carefully back, and caught her face between both of his palms. This time the kiss was blazing, not a trace of the gentleness from the last hour, and when he finally released her, she stood dazed and shaken, staring at him completely unfocused.

“See ya,” he said. He grinned as he released her and turned, loping across her yard with an easy grace before disappearing into the hedge. ...

Chapter 4

[wayhavenguide]

Book Two, Chapter 15

If Deduction is 60 or higher, or People is 60 or higher, the Detective will ask if the Trappers were successful, as they can’t see many maa-alused around. Otherwise, A will ask if the Trappers achieved their task.

Choice 1

(ALL OPTIONS HAVE NO EFFECT)

Choice 2 *If N is the Love Interest, or on the Love Triangle path

...decide to walk with [F].

F Friendship +1

...decide to walk with [M].

M Friendship +1

...walk to my car alone.

No effect

Choice 2 *If M is the Love Interest

...decide to walk with [F].

F Friendship +1

...decide to walk with [N].

N Friendship +1

...walk to my car alone.

No effect

Choice 2 *If F is the Love Interest

...decide to walk with [N].

N Friendship +1

...decide to walk with [M].

M Friendship +1

...walk to my car alone.

No effect

Choice 2 *If A is the Love Interest, or on the Friendship path

...decide to walk with [F].

F Friendship +1

...decide to walk with [M].

M Friendship +1

...decide to walk with [N].

N Friendship +1

...walk to my car alone.

No effect

WALK WITH F

Choice 3

Smile. “No, of course not. I’m with you guys to the end.”

F Friendship +1

Wink. “You think scary humans and rogue supernaturals are gonna shake me?”

F Friendship +1

Chuckle. “Guess it’s lucky I’m not your run-of-the-mill human.”

F Friendship +1

Shrug. “Some time to learn about all of this would have been nice.”

No effect

Frown. “The more I learn...I don’t know.”

No effect

“I didn’t expect working for the Agency to be easy.”

F Friendship +1

WALK WITH M

Choice 3

Smile. “I doubt we’ll have much of a problem if we work together.” [STAT CHECK]

M Friendship +1

If Sarcastic is 35 or lower, M will say that they’ve never heard anyone say things like that as genuinely as the Detective does. If Sarcastic is 70 or higher, M will be skeptical about the Detective’s words and say that sarcasm comes out of them like a leaky faucet. Otherwise, M will simply nod in satisfaction.

Wink. “Lucky I’m not so easy to take down either.”

M Friendship +1

Shrug. “It’s not as if I have much of a choice but to try.” [RELATIONSHIP CHECK]

If M Friendship is 6 or higher, M will nod their head in goodbye before leaving. Otherwise, the Detective will not hear or see any farewell gesture.

Chuckle. “You obviously haven’t met some of the people who come into the station.”

M Friendship +1

“I’ll do what I have to do. It’s my job.” [RELATIONSHIP CHECK]

M Friendship +1

If M Friendship is 6 or higher, M will nod their head in goodbye before leaving. Otherwise, the Detective will not hear or see any farewell gesture.

WALK WITH N

Choice 3

“I’m worried about them. They’ve not only been attacked but lost their home.”

N Friendship +1

“Kinda felt like they showed us more of their true colours when they attacked us.”

No effect

“It’s worth trying to make things right with them.”

N Friendship +1

“We have the ability to help them, so we should. My opinion doesn't matter.”

N Friendship +1

Shrug. “I don’t think much about them beyond what the job requires.”

No effect

“I’m not sure we know enough about them to tell yet.”

N Friendship +1

PATHS MERGE HERE

Choice 3/4

“Oh, is that why they’re called Unit Alpha?”

No effect

Take a stuttering breath in excitement. “Are you serious? Actual werewolves?”

If the Detective was afraid or confused about the reveal in Book One, F will say that they’re hurt because they weren’t excited to learn about vampires. Otherwise, F will ask if the werewolves have perked the Detective’s interest.

Frown. “Great…”

No effect

Grimace. “Like slobbering, no-control werewolves, or…?”

No effect

Chuckle. “Ah, the ‘Dogs’ thing makes sense now.”

No effect

Wait for the conversation to continue.

No effect

The Love Interest will react to the two men from Unit Alpha sniffing the Detective, and the men will tease the Love Interest about something going on between them and the Detective. If F is the Love Interest, what they say will change slightly depending on if Unit Bravo knows about F and the Detective being official or not. If on the Love Triangle path, A will be the one to react, and there will be a tense moment where N looks on as the brothers from Unit Alpha tease A. If on the Friendship path, A will tell the men from Unit Alpha to back off, and they will listen immediately.

Choice 4/5

Smile warmly. “It’s really nice to meet you all.”

Unit Alpha +1

Grin charmingly. “You certainly don’t disappoint.”

Unit Alpha +1

Say in a light tone, “Just so you know, I like museums too.”

Unit Alpha +1

Stiffen. “You took your time getting here.”

No effect

Chuckle. “That was...quite the entrance.”

Unit Alpha +1

“You might have made a better impression if you didn’t insult my friends.”

No effect

Just give a formal nod of greeting.

No effect

If the Detective is attracted to men, Tane’s eyes will wander over the Detective and he’ll wink at them, and make a suggestive comment.

Choice 5/6

Determines what Unit Alpha will call the Detective

Smile. “Yes, it is.”

Unit Alpha will use the Detective’s title.

“You don’t have to keep it so formal. [Name] is fine.”

Unit Alpha will use the Detective’s first name.

[If the Detective has a nickname] Chuckle. “Sure, but most people call me [Nickname].”

Unit Alpha will use the Detective’s nickname.

Give a nod.

Unit Alpha will use the Detective’s title.

If the Detective had the Agency blood tests run, Tamiko will ask if they’re the one with the blood, and the Detective will respond with “do werewolves even drink blood?” If the Detective did not have the Agency blood tests run, Tamiko will ask if they’re the one with the blood, and the Detective will say they’re not sure if it’d work on werewolves.

If the Detective is attracted to men, Tane will make a suggestive comment about this, and the Detective’s Love Interest will react negatively to it.

If A is the Love Interest, or A Friendship is 7 or higher, A will say that they don’t need Unit Alpha “crashing through this town”. Otherwise, A will use the word “barrelling” instead of “crashing”.

If the Detective encouraged Tina to find the truth about the supernatural, or failed to bluff her, Verda will call. If the Detective didn’t do anything about Verda’s research on the supernatural, or failed to corrupt his research, Tina will call (Version A). If the Detective successfully stopped Tina or Verda from pursuing the supernatural, Tina will call (Version B)

VERDA CALLS

Choice 6/7

(ALL OPTIONS HAVE NO EFFECT)

TINA CALLS (VERSION A)

Choice 6/7

(ALL OPTIONS HAVE NO EFFECT)

TINA CALLS (VERSION B)

Choice 6/7

(ALL OPTIONS HAVE NO EFFECT)

PATHS MERGE HERE

Choice 7/8

Frown. “No. And it’s getting harder every day.”

A Friendship +1

Sigh. “It’s part of the job. I knew that when I took it.”

A Friendship +1

[If the Detective stopped Verda or Tina from searching for the truth] Nod. It’s safer for them not to know.

A Friendship +1

[If the Detective did not stop Verda or Tina from searching for the truth] Look away sheepishly. “Right, yeah.”

No effect

Sag. “I thought it would be easier than this.”

A Friendship +1

Shrug. “It is the way it is.”

No effect

Nod without replying.

No effect

If A is the Love Interest, or on the Love Triangle path, the Detective will ask A about family or friends. If A Friendship is 6 or higher, the Detective will ask how long A means by “very long years”, and A will tell them they’ve been alive for nine centuries. If A Friendship is below 6, A won’t give the Detective a specific answer about how long they’ve been alive.

If A is the Love Interest, or on the Love Triangle path, A will place their hand on the Detective’s arm or cheek, before snatching it back away. If A Friendship is 6 or higher, A will grasp the Detective’s shoulder with their hand. Otherwise, A will not touch the Detective at all

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Fifty-Five

A/N: I'm dedicating this chapter to @xpoisonousrosesx , HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY, BEAUTIFUL!! I hope it was a good day, and I pray this is your best year yet. I love you!!💕💕

Words: 3.8k

Warning(s): explicit language, mentions of drug abuse

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I smooth the hair dye through Nikki's roots, wiping my forehead with my forearm as he chatters on and on about the album.

"Tommy's fixed on making a song about strippers, and Mick's giving pretty good riff ideas, but Vince is too busy frying in the fucking sun to give a shit. As usual." He complains and I lick my lips and keep quiet. "Don't even get me started on how I showed him 'Veins' and he outright said he wasn't singing that 'shit'. If he doesn't like the fucking lyrics he can get his ass off the fucking beach or pull his cock out of cheap-bitch pussy and write a fucking song himself. Lazy fucking bastard. Then he wants to groan about how hard he works. Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware standing in front of a microphone and giving half-assed vocals is so fucking exhausting--which counting how much energy he spends talking back to me or Mick or Tommy, he probably is exhausted by the time he's done laying vocals and blowing load after load down a line of groupies' throats while Sharise is at home taking care of their fucking child. Fucking asshole."

"Vince has always been that way. I don't know why you're just now realizing this." I mumble, sectioning off another piece of his hair before glopping dye onto it.

"No, no. He had an attitude to begin with but it was the perfect amount for the band. Now he's getting singer syndrome and I'm not dealing with his prima-donna bullshit."

"He's not perfect, Nikki, maybe he's just going through something and he'll get better once whatever it is passes."

"He's not going through anything, he's just drinking again." He states and I raise my brows.

"Nikki, he's not drinking again."

"Yes, he is."

"How do you know?"

"I know what beer smells like. He reeks of it anytime he's in the studio."

At least it's not crack.

"So, this song about strippers..." I change the subject, starting on another section of his hair.

"Tommy just has the main tagline of the chorus in his head and we're working on lyrics and music for it, now. I think it'll be a good single."

"What's the main tagline for the chorus?"

"I can't tell you, it's a surprise." He grins when I step out from behind him to look down at him. "But you'll like it."

"Whatever you say." I sigh, finishing his hair, taking the gloves up. "Alright, leave it in for twenty minutes then we'll go rinse it out." I tell him, turning my back to go throw the box dye supplies and empty bottle away.

"Hey, does this stuff stain the floor?" He calls while I'm in the kitchen.

"...Yeah." I reply before it hits me why he's asking.

I rush back into the dining room to see him swiping the towel that was once over his shoulders, being wiped back and forth against the floor by his boot, probably trying to soak up what dye he got on the floor.

"Nikki!" I exclaim.

"I'm getting it up." He reassures me, laughing me off.

"It's getting on your shirt now!"

"You know how to get it out in the wash, though, so it's fine." He shrugs, smirking at me and I have to keep myself from screaming at him, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Okay. Okay." I say to myself, aloud, feeling his hands hold at my waist and I open my eyes, looking up at his dye soaked hair that's dripping down his shirt now that he doesn't have his towel on his shoulders to protect him. "You wouldn't take your shirt off before I started dyeing your hair, you wouldn't keep your towel over your shoulders and now you have dye on your shirt and I'm gonna have to scrub at it with vinegar and soap. You are a child. I am married to a man-child."

"You can spank me if you want to." He raises his brows and I have to keep myself from cracking up, holding back my smile.

"It's not funny." I tell him.

"It is." He argues.

"No it's not."

"It kind is."

"No, it's no--ahh!" I squeal, jerking away from him as he tickles me.

He stops in a split second, his eyes focused on something over my shoulder.

I turn my head to see Vanity standing at doorway, and I can practically feel the anger rolling off of her as she grinds her teeth.

She doesn't look as sweet as usual.

"Where the hell were you last night?!" She asks him, and I feel him tense up like a cat with it's fur standing up due to being threatened.

"With my wife."

It seems like she twitches at the word "wife" before she rolls her jaw.

"That's the third time you've bailed on plans made with me, Nikki. I'm really starting to get the impression you don't wanna be friends anymore."

"I've been working on music and trying to take a step back from the drugs, Vanity. When I feel like going down hill again, I'll give you a call." He states to her and she glares daggers at him before looking at me.

"You should be very proud of him, Vivian, I mean, really." She sarcastically let's out. "He really takes his marriage so serious."

"Vanity, you're stoned. Get lost." Nikki orders her and that seems to make it worse.

"Get lost?! I'm trying to figure out what's wrong, Nikki, and why you don't want to see me, so I can fix it!"

"And I'm telling you I'm busy working on the album, trying get sober, and, oh, yeah, spending time with Vivian because my life doesn't revolve around my friends. I have other priorities and you're not on that list anymore."

Her brown eyes shift to me, her jaw tightening and loosening the more she focuses on me.

"He only wants you around because you're sober. Just like he only wanted me around because I know how to have a good time."

"Vanity, I'm sure he'd be willing to hang out with you if you weren't constantly on something." I politely interject. "I was the one that suggested he manage his time spent with his friends that were involved in the things he was trying to get clean from." I add. "And we've been together for six years. I don't think he wants me around just for my personal preference of sobriety."

Her and Nikki seem to be having an entire conversation with just their eyes before she's letting out one last breath.

"Fine. Just call me up when you're desperate for an escape, again." She tells him before turning on her heel, stomping out of the house.

"What the hell was that about?" I ask him and he just shakes his head.

"Don't worry about it, Viv. She's fucking crazy." He mumbles, giving the direction she walked out in, one last glance before going to rinse his hair out in the shower.

When he gets out, I've got big, velcro rollers in my hair and I'm putting on makeup.

"Where you going tonight?" He asks me and I finish my mascara before giving a small shrug.

"Duff and I are gonna go try to see about finding him another place to move. They're starting on the album and when he starts getting money from it, he wants to get a nicer place." I explain.

"That's what you said last night, Viv. And the two nights before that." He adds, fixing his towel around his waist.

"Feel free to come with us, Nikki, I'm sure he'd love the company of another guy." I offer, not even realizing what he's getting at.

"Well, maybe I was gonna take you out." He tells me and I look at him for a moment.

"Nikki leaving me in a club while you go shoot up in the bathroom isn't 'taking me out'. It's using me as a coverup." I sigh.

"I'm off smack, Viv." He states, finishing smearing shaving cream over his jaw, picking his razor up.

"Is that why you were hanging out with Robbin last night?"

The thud of his razor hitting the sink has me jumping slightly, and I glance at him from the corner of my eye to see him staring at me, obviously pissed.

"Nikki, don't look at me like that. I'm being honest."

"For once." He scoffs out and I stop what I'm doing and focus on him.

"What's that suppose to mean?" I ask.

"I've just heard stuff, Viv, that's all." He informs me and I raise a brow.

"Heard what from who?"

"Vanity said she's seen you out with Duff more times that you've failed to mention to me." He throws.

"Oh, Vanity. The same woman you discredit because she's 'fucking crazy'?"

"She's not lying about that, Vivian, because she has no reason to. It's all in the fucking papers, anyway."

"What are you talking about?" I snap and he raises his brows before stepping out of the bathroom, coming back with a stack of cheap news papers...I'm on the cover of every one, with Duff.

I'm wearing church dresses in a few of them.

Shit.

"I didn't wanna say anything because I get that you're your own person and can do whatever, but you can kinda see why I scratch my head when my wife tells me church service ran late and then shows up on a magazine with another guy.

"Nikki, there's nothing going on." I reassure him, finishing my makeup.

"Then why the fuck have you been lying about it?"

"To avoid this!" I motion between us before grabbing the papers from him and throwing them towards the garbage can in the bathroom.

"If I was spending every sunday afternoon on a fucking date with some chick and lying to you about it, it'd be the end of the fucking world, Vivian."

"Duff isn't just some random person, Nikki. You know him. You're friends with him. Why the hell would anything happen? Do you really think I would do that to you--that he would do that to you, knowing that all you'd have to do is call him out for it publicly, once, and ruin his shot at music?" I ask harshly and he licks his lips.

"Next time you two hangout without telling me about it, I'll do just that. Don't fucking try me, Sixx. You're lucky I'm not kicking you to the curb for this shit." He states, his voice graveling.

"It would make sense for you to do that to me, Nikki, it really would. I stay with you after you treat me like shit, shoot me, ignore me, laugh at my fear for your life and safety and the second you think I'm spending a little too much time with my best friend--completely your paranoid opinion, by the way--I'm an embarrassing whore and you're wanting to kick me out of the house. I swear to God, I have no idea how someone can go from thinking they're God, to being an insecure little bitch."

"I don't care if you hang out with him but fucking tell me the truth about it!"

"Like you tell me the truth about Vanity?! How much time is she really spending at our house, Nikki, because almost every fucking time I go out and come back home, I'm getting whiffs of her perfume and freebase. And I know you aren't just around her to talk. When she's around, so is the crack."

"I'm not listening to this shit." He gives one last swipe of his razor over his skin before he's finished, getting the left over shaving cream off before grabbing his hair dryer.

"Yeah, you love putting the things I do under a microscope but the second Nikki's in the hotseat, it's an invasion of his privacy, right?!" I call after him as he slams the bathroom door behind him when he leaves.

I knew he was bound to find out I was lying to him, but when he did, I expected him to be angrier or make more of a show patronizing me for it. I didn't realize he didn't give much of a fight because he already had the sick gears in his mind turning.

I pull my dress and heels on, stepping through the house to find Nikki.

He's in Karen's room, probably venting to her about me, when I walk in to see him pacing back and forth in front of her bed while she patiently listens.

"Can I talk to you?" I ask him and he just looks me up and down before rolling his eyes, trudging toward me, shutting Karen's door behind him. "You're not an insecure little bitch. You have a reason to be upset with me and I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth about the Duff thing. But you overreact when it comes to me, Nikki, you really do. It's like you can have all the girls around you that you want, and I don't know who the hell they are, but the second a guy even glances at me, you're on the defense. Do you not trust me?"

"You lied to me about it, Vivian."

"To try to protect you."

"From what? There's nothing wrong with you and him hanging out!" He tells me, losing patience. "...Is there?"

"No, there's not, Nikki."

"Okay, then. I don't care. Apology accepted. Go have fun." He carelessly waves his hand to the door, but I know he does care, he doesn't accept my apology, and "go have fun" means "just fuck off and leave me alone."

So I do.

"Alright, bye."

"Bye."

He shuts himself back into Karen's room and I head to my car.

"You're All I Need" was written that night while I was out with Duff and once it was written, Nikki found trouble.

I unlock my car as Duff and I finish leaving the Franklin Plaza after just looking at one of the suites.

"I'm sold." He tells me.

"Really?"

"Yeah, why not." He shrugs and I chuckle.

"Okay, so now what?"

"We wait for a check, and then pack my shit--which consists of three t-shirts and two pairs of pants--and then move in." He says.

"Sounds good." I agree.

"Now, to celebrate..." He starts, thinking for a second. "...food, and then find the guys on the strip."

"Deal." I reply, heading to Denny's.

Once we're done eating, we decide to just walk down the strip in search of at least one of the other four members of Guns N' Roses.

Seeing Duff's car, that Steven borrowed, parked on the side of the street, we find a place to park.

"Rebel Yell" blares through the speakers of the Cathouse once we get inside, and we automatically look in the direction of the bar.

Like we expected, we see Slash, Steven and Izzy, all down drinks.

I pluck Izzy's hat off his head and turn it backwards before tugging at the end of Stevie's hair.

They snap around, and Izzy's lightly hitting my arm in retaliation while Steven's pulling me to him.

"The hell have you been?" He asks me over the music and I brush some of his blonde bangs from his eyes.

"I could ask you the same thing." I tell him, poking at the end of his nose and he kisses my cheek, squeezing me to him for a second.

"I've missed you." He states as Duff and Slash have a brief side conversation.

"Izzy." I acknowledge him and he nods a single time.

"Viv." He replies, taking a sip of his drink.

"Where's Axl?" I ask Stevie, glancing around.

"He's meditating in the bathroom." Steven in forms me and I furrow my brows.

"He's what?"

The blonde looks at me, takes his arm from around me, holds his hands out and touches the tip of his pointer finger to his thumb, closing his eyes for a second, imitating meditation.

"He's meditating." He repeats, obviously finding humor, chuckling when Izzy holds back a smile and knocks him in the arm.

"Better than doing smack in the bathroom I guess." I shrug.

"Oh, speaking of which." Izzy blows smoke past his lips, looking at me. "Nikki and a friend of his is in V.I.P. he came by and said, 'hey' to us and invited us over." He states.

"Why'd you say 'friend' like that?"

"'Cause she was hot." Steven states. "That Vanity chick." He adds.

"Are they still here?" I ask them and Izzy shrugs.

"Hell if I know. She's fucking coo-coo for cocoa puffs, though." Izzy says. "And she's touchy-feely. A little too much."

Izzy didn't like Vanity because he could tell from first glance Nikki and her were fucking around.

The reason he didn't join Nikki in V.I.P that night was because he told Nikki I was more of a man than he ever would be with the shit he was pulling with Vanity.

That pissed Nikki off.

"I'll be right back." I say to them, heading to V.I.P.

I get in, seeing Vanity giving a near strip tease, completely absent from her mind while Nikki completely disregards her, staring off, looking like he just had a hit of junk.

I feel like I'm spying on him, being nosy, and turn to go back to the guys to avoid pissing Nikki off.

"You find him?" Steven asks me and I nod.

"Yeah."

"You find her?" Izzy asks next.

"Yeah. She's really not that bad, Iz."

His eyes nearly bug out of his head as he snaps his attention to me, scoffing out: "what?" in disbelief.

It occurs to him that I'm friends with her and his expression shifts to a sort of sadness before he's finishing his drink and quickly brushing off his demeanor.

He started to slowly distance himself from Nikki after that...that was a low even he wouldn't try to swing to.

Izzy never told me about Nikki and Vanity, not to protect Nikki, but to protect me.

I couldn't be angry at him when I found out he had known, because I knew without a doubt he would have told me had he thought I would have been able to handle it.

The rest of the night ends with me trying to keep a drunk Steven, Slash and Duff out of trouble with Izzy and Axl encouraging their foolery.

When it gets time for them to start going home or either finding chicks to go home with, all seem to disappear...except for Duff.

I'm walking him back up to their apartment, laughing as he almost face plants, stumbling over himself, giving out a sound that sounds almost like Goofy's laugh from Mickey Mouse, only making me laugh harder.

"Sorry." He tells me, grasping at my hand to steady himself so he can get the key for the apartment out of his jacket pocket.

"It's fine." I say when I calm down.

I watch him struggle to get the key into the doorknob.

"That's weird, I usually always can get it in the hole." He says as a joke, and my face turns red as he laughs at himself. "That was a pretty good one."

"Yeah, it was."

"Here, you do it." He hands me the key after struggling some more and I easily unlock the door, causing him to stare at me.

I just smile a little and make my way into the apartment.

"You need help with anything else or you got it?" I ask him as he steps in behind me, taking his jacket off and leaving it in the floor, going to the kitchen.

I pick his jacket up and place it on the couch, going to the kitchen to see him pull a bottle of vodka out.

"No, no." I calmly stop him, gently plucking the bottle from his hands. "You've had plenty for tonight. You're gonna be sick tomorrow." I explain.

"Oh, yeah." He doesn't argue and I put it back where he got it as he leans against the counter.

"Get some sleep. I'll see you later." I order after a second of him just looking me up and down.

"Wait, wait." He stops me, his hand enveloping mine.

"What is it?" I ask him.

"Can we talk about something?"

I feel a lump form in my throat and I blink at him.

"It's really important."

"O-Okay." I nod.

"Viv, I love you." He says. Relief fills me, not even giving a thought to him meaning it differently, and I grin up at him.

"I love you, too, Duff." I say and he scrunches his face up in frustration.

"No, I, like, love you." He repeats, and I raise my brows.

"I-I love you, too."

"That's not what I'm trying to say." He argues, rubbing his face.

"Well, what are you trying to say?" I ask and he groans.

"I love you."

"Duff, I know you do. I said--"

"--That's not what I'm trying to say, Vivian." He starts getting flustered.

"Well, what are you trying to say, Du--" I'm cut off with his lips on mine, despite his sudden move, it's a sweet kiss that doesn't last but a few seconds, not even giving me time to react, once he pulls away.

"I love you." He repeats and it clicks in my mind what he means.

I just slowly blink up at him, the breath taken out of my body as my mind races.

"Duff," I say, catching my breath. "I love Nikki that way."

"I know. And you don't have to feel that way for me, I just needed to tell you, Viv." He says.

"Thank you, but you can't do that again." I tell him. "I'm married. To Nikki. Your friend."

"I only hangout with him because he's married to you."

"Duff."

"I'm just saying. He's a fucking asshole. He doesn't deserve you."

I don't take what he's saying seriously, he's drunk and tired.

My hands hold at his face, making him look me in the eyes.

"Get some sleep. I love you. Goodnight."

I played it off but I was terrified. I drove home that night a sobbing mess. Not because I was confused and didn't know whether to choose Duff or Nikki, I knew not having Nikki wasn't ever an option for me. I didn't want anyone else. But I was upset because I wished Nikki would have been more like Duff.

Once our affair ended, I realized Nikki was like my heroin.

And Duff was my krokodil, which is what some addicts, that are desperate enough, resort to shooting if heroin is unavailable.

It gives the body a bigger high, but does so much more damage than heroin...even if it doesn't feel like it.

[imagines-mha]

What we now know about the Todoroki family (from chapter 249)

Enji

Enji wants to move on from the past and become a better father/husband with his family

He keeps having the same dream over and over about his family being happy and reunited and he wants to make it a reality

He’s doing his best and he won’t give up on being a good person til they forgive him

in his dream, he isn't part of the dinner with his family. He knows that he isn't a part of their happiness

Fuyumi

Fuyumi is lITERALLY THE ICING ON THE WHOLE TODOROKI FAMILY CAKE SHE KEEPS IT TOGETHER fr someone give this gal a trophy she’s literally a godsent

Enji said to himself that she’s the one who saved him

She brought everyone around for dinner, cooked it herself, and kept the convo flowing nicely

Really did keep any tensions held down and kept the atmosphere really sweet and happy for the most part

Even when natsuo and enji had that moment™️ she was the one to get the conversation back on track and change the topic

10/10 hostess

She’s trying so hard to have the family back together again and she’s so caring for her siblings etc its cute af

However she also said in this chapter that she's having a hard time letting go of the past, too. However, from this chapter and the last Todoroki dinner chapter, we can see that she's prioritizing her family

Natsuo

Natsuo clearly isnt ready to move on just yet, but he made a huge effort to come for dinner so thats smth to be said

He kinda made a few digs at enji but other than that there were no real outbursts

Was there smth that happened with him and cooking? He says that his cooking “failed to meet someone’s standards” and suddenly the air grows like 10000x tense and awkward between him and enji??? Wot????

He shuts up after fuyumi pinches him in warning

Leaves after he finishes, doesnt stay any longer

He says that he just isn’tready to forgive yet, and apologises nonetheless

Otherwise we know he still can’t move on and that’s okay

Shouto

Shouto says how he can’t forgive him as easy as everyone would think. He thinks abt how much his mother suffered because of Enji and how his scar was technically Enji’s fault

That said he said that he doesn’t really know how to feel about Enji. He can’t really see anything

HoweVER after bakugo and deku EAVESDROP, It’s suggested that he’s preparing to forgive him but rn just ain’t the right time

Rei

Rei is said to be moving on and working hard to get over the past

She wrote them a letter and she’s only mentionned briefly but it’s said she’s trying her best and thats all tht counts

The doctors said she may be getting discharged soon

She’s trying so hard to be better y’all i can’t

Touya

So they have a shrine (?) dedicated to him in their house

Enji states how he wants to have him back in the family and make up with him

The end of the chapter says “one more person, no longer there” BUT IT DOESN’T SAY HE’S DEAD THEREFORE IN CONCLUSION TOUYA IS DABI CONFIRMED 😎

((Edit: credit to @riceforeveryone for adding more points on tysm my love 💕))