#i wanted to use the sprite where he shakes his fist before he charges but i couldn't find it :o(

[sangrestarasher]

theyve made their dumb little home in my mind within the little village where all my rarepairs live

just noticing a minor flaw in it on my part, but im horrible at sprite edits

[nazariolahela]

Something Domestic: Chapter 15

A/N: Hey y'all! This story is told in first-person narrative, from Riley’s (MC) POV. There will likely be smidges of canon in this, but not too much. Thanks for reading, and please leave feedback, and/or if you would like to be tagged.

Hope everyone had a safe and happy holiday season. It was a busy one for me. Hence why this chapter is a few weeks late. Anywho, here’s Part 2 of Liam’s POV. We’ll get back to Riley’s POV next chapter.

Catch up here

Series Tags: @burnsoslow @aworldoffandoms @dcbbw @ladyangel70 @texaskitten30 @sunandlemons @jlynn12273 @indiacater @jared2612 @rainbowsinthestorm @drakesensworld @badchoicesposts @msjr0119 @katurrade @blackcoffee85 @cynicalworlds-blog @hopefulmoonobject @cmestrella @sugarandspice-milkandhoney @superharrietsuper @custaroonie @lady-calypso @ritachacha @olympianpantsuit @desiree-0816 @the-soot-sprite @kate-mckenzie @narrytheworld @octobereighth @lynne1993 @queen-anastasia-universe @loveellamae​ @sarzkh31

Synopsis: When Riley Brooks takes a new job as a nanny for the affluent Rhys family in New York’s Upper East Side, she assumes she’s just going to care for the children of the couple who hired her. But instead of just school pick-ups and afternoon snacks, she also finds herself spending time with Liam, the handsome divorced dad. Can Riley control her feelings for Liam while still performing the job she was hired for?

All characters are the property of Pixelberry Studios. Thanks for allowing me to borrow them.

Chapter Summary: Liam helps to mend the rift between Hana and Riley.

The first thing on my agenda is to get to Mara. I know she’s been compromised by my ex-wife, so getting her to confess will be tricky. Leo and I go over how he’ll get Madeleine to spill as we ride through Manhattan in my McLaren P1. Bastien, my most loyal employee, tipped me off to where Mara and the new nanny will be with Philip today, so I took a long lunch to try and get some answers from her.

“So, where is Madeleine’s faithful lackey today?” he asks.

“Bastien said she and Belinda took Philip to the playground.”

My brother nods and taps a message on his phone. “I got ahold of your ex this morning. She wants to have dinner tonight. She’s leaving the kids with Rashad so she can meet me.” He chuckles. “Poor sucker. At least she’s not your problem anymore.”

“Except she’s my children’s mother, so she’ll always be my problem.”

“What are you going to do about her if I get her to confess?”

I shrug my shoulders. I guess I hadn’t thought that far ahead. Right now, I just want the goddamn truth so I can get my girl back. Yes, I called Riley my girl. Even though she won’t speak to me and she’s got another man, I’m not giving up.

We pull up to the park and exit the car. The weather is cooler this time of year, so I fasten the buttons of my dress coat and make my way toward the playground. Leo and I scan the area for any sign of Mara and after a few moments, he spots her standing near the slide. Belinda is sitting on the bench, rifling through her tote bag.

When I approach, Philip is the first to see me. “DADDY!” he shouts and leaps off the monkey bars, sprinting across the playground. He latches himself onto my leg. I pick up my son and toss him in the air before planting a kiss on his cheek. I look into his blue eyes and my heart bursts. To be honest, I had doubts that he was my son after I found out Madeleine cheated during our marriage. But one look at him dispelled them. I had a paternity test done to be absolutely sure, but sometimes I think about what I would have done if he wasn’t mine.

Mara sees me and her eyes bug out of her skull. She turns to Belinda and alerts her of my presence. “Sir?” she says as they approach me.

“Belinda, take Philip over to the swingset. I need to speak with Mara privately.”

The nanny nods and ushers my son away from us. I motion for Mara to take a seat on a nearby bench.

“Everything alright, sir?” she says.

“I’m just dropping in to see how things are going with the new nanny. I know there were some issues with the last one, so I want to make sure we don’t have any similar problems going forward.”

She bobs her head. “Things seem to be going well, sir. From what I’ve seen, Ms. Stewart is having no trouble carrying out her duties.”

“That’s good to hear. Any issues with the paparazzi?”

“Nothing we can’t handle, sir. Sometimes they camp out wherever we go, but they’ve left us alone for the most part.”

I nod. “That’s good. The safety of my children is very important, Mara. I want to make sure the people in charge of them are not putting them in harm’s way.”

“I agree, sir. I take my job seriously.”

“That’s what I like to hear. Because I would have a huge issue if I knew those people were deliberately putting my kids at risk.”

She visibly swallows. “Uh...sir. I-I don’t know what you mean.”

I look over at Philip as I speak and clench my fists. “Mara. I know the tabloids called you. Do you know how I know? My friend Olivia. I assume you’ve met her. Well, she knows someone at Trend. Her contact told us everything. They gave us your name. How much did they give you, Mara?”

Her eyes go wide and she fidgets with the hem of her jacket. “Sir. Please. I don’t kn…”

I hold my hand up, stopping her. “Mara. There’s no use denying it. I know my ex-wife is behind this, but I want to know how you are and you’re going to tell me.”

She bows her head and exhales. “I swear to you, sir. I didn’t know what Ms. Karlington was going to do. She told me to gather dirt on Miss Brooks. She said it was for the benefit of the kids. I didn’t know she was planning to sell the story to the tabloids. She had me plant a listening device in Miss Brooks’ phone when she wasn’t looking. That’s how I knew about you two. That you were involved.”

I cock my eyebrow. “How long did you know?”

“Not very long, sir. Ms. Karlington suspected something after the scholarship benefit. That’s when she had me bug Miss Brooks’s phone. We were able to take the recordings and sell them to the tabloids along with the details of your divorce. I’m so sorry, sir. She threatened to have me fired if I didn’t cooperate.”

Of course, she did. “Why though?”

“She said it was because of the divorce. If you would have just agreed to her arrangement, none of this would have happened.”

I drag my hand down my face. Why am I gasping? I already knew that. The so-called “arrangement” Mara is referring to is one Madeleine brought up after I filed. She suggested that we stay married for our “public image,” but that we could both have people on the side. I laughed in her face. “So, how much did they pay you?”

Mara pauses, unable to meet my eyes. “$50,000, sir.”

That’s it? That’s less than what we pay her yearly salary. I shake my head and rise from my seat. Mara stands and addresses me. “Sir? I’m genuinely sorry for any pain I may have caused you and Miss Brooks. I understand if you can no longer retain my services.” She starts to walk away when I call out to her.

“We’ll figure that out later. In the meantime, I trust you won’t tell my ex-wife about our little chat?”

“No, sir,” she says, shaking her head. She makes her way back to Philip and Belinda. I run my fingers through my hair and head back to the car, where my brother leans against the hood.

“Well? How did it go? Did she sing like a canary?”

I smirk and press the unlock button on my keyfob. “She did.”

He grins and brings his hand to his mouth, kissing his fingers. “Delicious. Now, we just need Madeleine to give us an encore.”

***

Later that afternoon, I’m back at the office, finishing up some quarterly reports when my cellphone chimes. I pull it from my suit jacket to see a text from Leo.

Perfect. Now for part two of my “master plan.” I close my laptop down and grab my coat off the back of my chair. I exit my office and head down the hall towards the elevator. As I step in and descend towards the lobby, I call up Drake.

“Hey, man. You on your way over?”

“Yep. Just leaving the office. Is she there?”

“She showed up a few minutes ago. You sure this will work?”

I sigh. “I hope so...”

He chuckles. “If not, I guess it’s back to escorts and porn for you.”

That’s my best friend for you. Always busting my balls. In all the years we’ve been friends, he’s never been one to let me sit around and feel sorry for myself. But he’ll always have my back when I need him. “Fuck you, man. I’ll see you in about half an hour.”

He laughs and I hang up the phone. I get into my car and head to my destination. When I pull up outside the building, my nerves start to get the best of me. Snap out of it, Li. You can do this. I inhale deeply and exit the car and make my way inside. I stride down the hallway and stop in front of the door. I take another deep breath and knock twice. A few moments later, it swings open.

“Hey! What are you doing here?”

“Hey, Meghan. Is Hana home?”

She eyes me incredulously. “Yeah. I’ll get her. Just a second.” She steps back and allows me to enter the apartment. I look around as Meghan retreats down the hallway. Pictures of her and Hana line the walls of the living room. I smile to myself. My eyes catch a photo of her and Riley in graduation caps and gowns. This one must have been from their college graduation.

“Liam? What are you doing here?” Hana asks as she enters the room. She’s surprised to see me, but it passes quickly and the shock is replaced with a smile. She walks up and I wrap her up in a hug.

“Hey. Nice place you got here.”

We separate and she gestures me to sit down. “What’s going on? Is everything okay? No offense, but you’re the last person I expected to show up here.”

I nod. “Yeah, everything is fine. I was hoping I could get your help.”

She cocks an eyebrow. “Uh...sure. What for?”

I rub the back of my neck. “I heard what happened between you and Riley and I’m sorry that I had a hand in it.”

“It’s not your fault. Riley’s actions were her own. No matter what happened between you and her, it had nothing to do with me.”

“I understand that, but I feel partly responsible. I just want you to know that.”

She nods. “Don’t be. Now, what can I help you with?”

“I need you to help me get Riley back.”

I hear Meghan guffaw from the kitchen. An understandable reaction. Hana looks towards her and frowns, then looks back to me. “You know she and I haven’t spoken in almost a month, right?”

“I do, but I’m hoping to help you out too. I know you guys were super close and this distance has been hard on both of you. Even if I can’t win her back, I want to help you mend your friendship.”

Hana folds her hands in her lap and stares at the floor. We sit in silence for several minutes; I don’t say anything and allow her to gather her thoughts. She finally clears her throat and looks at me. “Okay. What do you need me to do?”

Ten minutes later, Hana, Meghan and I are in my car on our way to the Double Tappe. Hana sits in the front seat, tapping on her phone. Meghan speaks up from the backseat. “Are you sure you want to do this, Hana? She owes you an apology. You don’t owe her anything,” she states, placing a hand on her girlfriend’s shoulder.

Hana covers Meghan’s hand with her own and turns to me. “She’s my best friend. I’ve been kind of stubborn as well through all of this. She’s called me several times over the last month to apologize. I haven’t answered her calls, but the truth is, I miss her. It’s been hard not speaking to her every day. If she’s willing to make up, I am too.”

I smile back at her. Hana is too pure for this world and Riley is lucky to have a friend like her. We pull up outside the Double Tappe and I see Maxwell standing outside, talking on the phone. He looks up and notices us, and a smile spreads across his face. He holds his finger up then wraps up his call.

“Hey, ladies! What brings you here on this fine evening?” he says, wrapping Hana up in a bone-crushing hug. She giggles and tries to wiggle free from his grip. After swinging her around like a ragdoll, he sets her down and grabs Meghan. She squeals as he picks her up, then releases her. I wrap my arm around Hana’s shoulder and the four of us make our way into the Double Tappe.

Drake is the first to see us. He looks up from mixing a drink and waves in our direction. His actions cause the girl at the bar to turn around. There she is. My breath catches in my throat. She looks at me, then at Hana, and her beautiful blue eyes go wide. I watch her as she takes in her best friend. She and Hana stare at each other for several seconds. Meghan gives Hana’s hand a gentle squeeze in encouragement. I can only imagine how they’re both feeling right now. Hana takes a deep breath and makes her way over to Riley. The two talk for a few moments, before making their way to the back of the bar.

I notice the tool I saw in her apartment last week sitting at the bar and my blood boils. Welp, time to audible this plan. I make my way to where he’s sitting at the bar and shake Drake’s hand.

“What can I get you?” he asks me, looking at the tool out of the corner of his eye.

“Give me the Macallan Lalique Single Malt.”

The tool turns to me, eyes bulging out of his skull. “You serve that here?”

Drake smirks. “Only for special occasions.”

The tool looks at Drake, then back at me. “That stuff is like $520 a shot”

“$525,” I reply, reaching in my wallet and tossing a handful of $100 bills on the bar. Drake takes the money and deposits it into the cash register, then hands me my change. I stuff several bills into the tip jar. The tool looks down at his drink, then looks up at me. His shocked expression amuses me.

“Dare I ask how you can afford that?”

I chuckle as I raise the glass to my lips and take a sip. Drake cocks an eyebrow at him. “You have no idea who he is, do you?”

The tool looks over at me, trying to figure out if he knows me. “You look really familiar. Like, I’ve seen you before, but I can’t place it.”

I reach into my suit jacket and retrieve one of my business cards, tossing it on the bar. He picks it up, studying the print. After a few seconds, his eyes widen and he looks back up at me.

“Wait, you’re Liam Rhys? Holy shit, man! You’re the king of this city! I’m Josh. It’s nice to meet you,” he says, extending his hand. I give it a quick shake and force a tight smile, but I cringe internally. Why am I playing nice with Riley’s new piece? He’s just going to be disappointed when I steal his girl back. He starts telling me about his job. I think he says something about being a financial intern for one of my competitors. Note to self: buy them out and fire his ass. I pretend to have an interest in what he says. Drake gives me a confused look from behind the bar, wondering where I’m going with this.

After several excruciating minutes of listening to Josh drone on about gods knows what, I pat him on the shoulder and excuse myself. I notice Hana sitting in one of the booths, with Meghan hovering over the table. I make my way over to them.

“Where’s Riley?”

Meghan nods her head towards the bathrooms. Perfect. I wink at her and make my way down the dimly lit hall. I stand outside the women’s room and wait for her to come out. After what feels like hours, the door swings open.

“Liam? What the hell?”

I stalk towards her and pin her against the back wall placing both hands on either side of her and caging her in. “You’re still with him?”

She glares at me. “Since last week, yeah. What business is it of yours?”

I lean in and inhale her scent. The mix of rose and jasmine makes me want to devour her right here. I run my nose along the base of her neck and she shudders. “You are my business, Riley. Have you slept with him yet?”

She shakes her head. “We’ve only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks.”

Oh, thank gods. “Then why was he shirtless in your apartment?”

She scoffs. “Don’t worry about that.”

“Have you thought about what I said?”

She looks up at me. “Did you figure out who framed me?”

“I did. Come home with me.”

“Liam…” she whispers as I plant soft kisses along her collarbone. She moans softly and grips the lapels of my jacket. My dick instantly hardens. Part of me is hoping the tool ...I’m sorry… Josh comes looking for her and finds us. I drag my lips up her throat and pull her bottom lip between my teeth. She inhales sharply, then pushes me away. “Tell me. Who was it?”

What were we talking about? Oh, yeah. The tabloid leak. “Who do you think it was?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t know. I can’t think of anyone who would hate me enough to do that.”

“It was Madeleine. She found out about us so she had Mara sell it to the gossip mags.” I fill her in on everything Mara told me and Leo and my plans to get Madeleine to confess. Riley’s eyes glimmer with tears.

“W-Why would she do that?”

“Because she’s a hateful bitch. Why else would she try to make me miserable? This was never about you, babe. You were just collateral damage.”

She sniffles and wipes a lone tear away. “I don’t understand. Does she want you back?”

I laugh humorlessly. “No. She just wants the façade of the perfect marriage. She wants to have her cake and eat it too.”

Riley nods. “So, what are you going to do?”

“Well, as soon as I get everything I need from Leo, I’m taking her ass back to court and fighting for primary custody. I’m not letting her hurt my kids ever again. Or you.” I lean in and kiss her forehead.

She sighs. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Well, for starters, you could say, ‘I’m leaving Dickbag out there for you.’ Then, you could say, ‘Fuck me in the coat closet right now, Liam.’”

She giggles and slaps my chest. “I can’t do that to him. He deserves better.”

I capture her wrist and place a kiss on her palm. “Well, it’s going to be hard to continue dating him when you’re mine.”

She leans in and plants a chaste kiss on my lips. “Let me talk to him first. I owe him that much.”

I sigh and brush a lock of hair from her face. “Fine. But don’t take too long.” I leave her with one last kiss on the lips and stroll down the hallway back towards the bar. Josh is still there, talking Max and Drake’s ears off about something. I pass Hana’s table, where she and Meghan are snuggled inside the booth. “You guys need a ride home?”

Hana looks around then back to me. “No. I think we’re going to hang out for a little while.” Her eyes dart to the left and she rises from the booth, engulfing Riley in a hug. She looks back at me. “Thank you for everything, Liam.”

I give her a warm smile and wave goodbye to Drake and Maxwell as I make my way outside. I check my phone for an update from Leo. Nothing yet, but at least we’re heading in the right direction.

[angelic-holland]

What We Deserve // th x fem!reader college au

request by @jennypizzaholland : Heyy😊 could you write one where tom and the reader are playing truth or dare with some friends and the reader finds out that her boyfriend cheated on her zshe gets really angry and tom is there for here? Then she goes to his house to chill and smut happens? I'm sorry if its too much 😢

Summary: You are at the cast party of the theatre show you and your friend Tom had just finished when you find out something that rips your heart in two. Tom is there to comfort you.

notes: including everything but the smut because I felt like it didn’t really fit. Let me know what you think, like, reblog, comment, and follow for more content. 

warnings: mentions of sex, mention of cheating, fluff and angst

word count: 3k

“Alright you guys, my place for the cast party,” Wendy says as you are all lounging in the dressing rooms, finished with strike and waiting for the tech director to let you go.

“Let’s check in with Ben first,” you pipe up, knowing he’d want you to do a once over as Stage Manager to ensure everything was clean and you wouldn’t get charged a cleaning fee by the rental space.

You make your way to the stage, “Ben! Where are you?” You shout, squinting up at the booth.

“Hey! Y/N, we just gotta bring these lights to Kate’s car, it’s a two person job so you can send everyone home. Great work tonight.”

“You too buddy! Wendy’s throwing a party, maybe we’ll see you there?”

“Yeah!” He shouted and you made your way back to the dressing room, almost screaming when Tom jumped out from behind the door to scare you.

“Fuck off Tom,” you laugh, grabbing your backpack, “we’re all set guys, let’s get outta here,” you watch as everyone files out the door, Wendy asking if you’ll be at her place. Tom leans against the wall as you confirm.

“Yeah, just wanna do a quick once over, I’ll see you soon.”

Wendy leaves and you walk through each dressing room, picking up trash that the actors left behind, they always fucking left some mess for you to clean up.

“Tom, are you going to follow me around or are you going to help me clean?” You ask, crossing your arms as Tom grins down at you, grabbing an empty water bottle off the table.

“Here?” He laughs.

“Why didn’t you go with the rest of them?”

“It’s late, didn’t want you walking to Wendy’s on your own.”

“Thanks,�� you laugh, tossing the trash out and shutting the green room lights off, grabbing the flowers your boyfriend Luke got for you, to congratulate you on your amazing show.

“You did amazing tonight, can’t recall you missing any cues, except when Jordan forgot his line that cued you but he’s an idiot.”

You giggle, “not so bad yourself Tom, even for a boring show like Three Sisters.”

“Honestly don’t know how I didn’t fall asleep on stage.”

“Kate almost fell asleep in the booth,” you say as you start to head towards Wendy’s place, Tom following alongside you. He was a really nice guy, who you’ve come to be really good friends with throughout the rehearsal process for this show and your fall show.

“Think you wanna do this next year?”

“What? Stage manage?”

“Yeah, theatre.”

“Sure, love it, gives me a break from school, got me a pretty good friend.”

“Me?” He asks, stopping in his tracks and grinning at you.

“Nah, Ben,” you joke, Ben was a friend but nowhere near as close to you as Tom was.

“Rude,” he scoffs as you turn on Wendy’s street.

“Whatevs,” you shrug, “Where the fuck am I gonna put these flowers?”

“They won’t die if you just leave them by your bag at her place during the party.”

“Good idea,” you say, knocking on her door.

She opens, squealing at the two of you and urging you inside.

“Already a little drunk?” You laugh and she nods, holding her red cup high.

You and Tom leave your backpacks in the front entrance, kicking off your shoes too.

“What are you all up to?” You ask as Wendy leads you down the hallway to the combined kitchen and living room.

“Well we’ve got alcohol and mixers here,” she says, pointing at the choices on the counter, “and some of the cast is playing truth or dare in my room, the rest of us are hanging out up here.”

“Truth or dare? Now that could be fun,” Tom laughs, pouring himself and you some sprite.

“I guess? Yeah let’s go check it out,” you say, taking the cup from him. You both preferred not to drink, not a fan of hard liquor. A part of you was still in stage management mode and wanted to make sure everyone was staying safe and feeling okay.

“What up what up?” Tom asks as you both walk into Wendy’s room.

Piper, Diego, Quentin, Sarah, And Rachel were all sitting in a circle on her floor, laughing with red cups in hands.

“Hey!!!” Quentin greets you both and they all shuffle around to make room for the both of you in the circle.

“Hey Tom, truth or dare?” Diego asks.

“Hmmm, dare.”

“I dare you to chug your cup right now.”

He smirks at you and raises his eyebrows at Diego before drinking his entire cup, his face scrunching up in a fake scowl to pretend he’s got actual alcohol in there.

“Dude!” Diego laughs as Tom shows him the empty cup.

“Alright, uhh, Sarah, truth or dare?” Tom asks.

“Dare,” she says.

“I dare you to do a handstand.”

“A HANDSTAND? I’m so drunk right now I don’t know,” she says standing up, stumbling a little bit. You all scoot farther away from her as she prepares herself. She was a dancer, been doing handstands for ages so it wasn’t something she couldn’t do. After successful doing a handstand for a few seconds she plops back down on the floor.

The game goes on for a little bit, as the drink flows between the rest of the group the questions and dares are a little more out there.

“Y/N, truth or dare?” Quentin asks.

“Truth.”

“When’s the last time you had sex?”

You laugh, of course they’d want to know, “uhh end of last week? Right before tech since we’ve spent all our time in the theatre but don’t worry Luke and I will make up for it tomorrow,” you blush, you had planned to spend the day at his dorm, his roommate conveniently gone for the weekend.

“Damn girl get it,” Sarah laughs.

“Truth or dare Tom?”

“Truth.”

“Oh my god y’all are so lame!” Piper moans, “don’t gotta chose truth all the time.”

“This is literally the first time I’ve chosen truth Pipes,” Tom says, rolling his eyes.

“What’s your biggest fear?”

“Probably spiders, Diego, truth or dare?”

“Dare!”

“I dare you to kiss anyone you want right now, with their consent of course,” Tom smirks, looking at you. You both knew that Diego had a huge crush on Quentin, and Quentin liked him too. Maybe they’d finally get their heads out of their asses.

He blushes and looks over at Quentin who’s sitting next to him, blush on his cheeks as well, looking right back.

“Can I, can I kiss you?” Diego asks and Quentin nods, leaning over to quickly kiss Diego before sitting down again.

Sarah is howling with laughter, “finally!”

“What do you mean finally?” Diego asks.

“You two have been dancing around each other, stupid crushes and can’t even articulate how you feel when you’re in THEATRE, you should know how to get your point across.”

“Yeah yeah shut up Sarah,” Diego laughs, “truth or dare Piper?”

“Truth.”

You and Tom look at each other, after she made fun of both of you for choosing truth.

“Who’s the last person you had sex with?”

“Luke,” she slurs, giggling a little.

“Luke?” You ask, brows furrowed, she obviously must mean some other Luke, there’s plenty of Luke's here. Not your Luke, Luke Winters.

“Yeah, like three months ago why?”

You can feel your heart beating faster in your chest.

“Luke Winters?” You hear Tom ask.

“Yes?” Piper asks, sounding confused as to why you’re both questioning it.

You stand up, legs shaking, running out of the room, you can hear Tom following you, people calling after you but you can’t take in what they’re saying.

You rush out of the apartment, you hear Tom tell Wendy you’re not feeling to great and he’ll take you back to your dorm.

“Y/N, wait, come here, you’re gonna get hit by a car! Stop!” Tom shouts, grabbing your shoulder and turning you towards him.

You’re crying, tears running down your face, he pulls you into a hug as you sob.

“Shhh, it’s okay, it’s gonna be okay,” he says, holding you tight.

“I need to, needa talk to him, need to figure this out.”

“Are you sure you want to?” He says as you pull away from him.

“Yes, cause maybe, maybe Piper was lying.”

“Exactly, so why don’t we go back to your dorm, calm down, and talk to him tomorrow morning?”

“No, I need to talk to him now,” you say, pulling out your phone.

“Y/N, you don’t want to do that,” Tom says, taking your phone out of your hands.

“Give it back Tom,” you say, reaching for it but he holds it over his head.

“Y/N, this is a conversation you need to have with him in person.”

“Fine,” you say, stalking off.

“Where are you going?” He says, jogging after you.

“To his dorm!”

“Y/N, come on, it’s late, this can wait.”

“No, no Tom it really can’t.”

“Okay, at least let me come with you, mediate.”

“Fine,” you say, giving up as Tom falls in step beside you, handing you your phone back. You notice that Luke has texted you.

Luke: you were so great tonight, can’t wait to see you tomorrow

You frown, tears welling up in your eyes again. Ignoring him you shove your phone in your pocket and you and Tom walk in silence towards Luke’s dorm.

You get in, waiting for someone else to show up so you can swipe you in, you only have access to your own building.

You make your way to his dorm eventually, knocking on his door. Tom stands to the side, leaning against the wall, watching your demeanor.

You’re shaking, you’ve stopped crying, hands clenched into fists at your sides.

“Y/N, hey!” Luke says, swinging the door open.

“Did you?”

He looks at you confused, you push your way into his dorm room, Tom following behind you.

“Whoa, Tom, hi to you too I guess?” Luke asks, shutting the door, “Y/N, what’s going on?”

“Did you fuck Piper?”

He sighs, nodding.

“What the fuck?!” You scream.

“What do you mean what the fuck?”

“You had SEX WITH SOMEONE, WHILE WE’RE DATING?! AND YOU HAVE NOTHING TO SAY?”

“Y/N, we, I, we never said we were like in a closed relationship, I figured you knew that.”

“A CLOSED RELATIONSHIP? AREN’T ALL RELATIONSHIPS CLOSED? WHY WOULD WE HAVE AN OPEN RELATIONSHIP?”

“Because we’re in college? Because nobody stays committed to just one person in college, yeah we’re dating but it’s not like we can’t see other people.”

“Oh, and that’s something you just decided? You decided that our relationship was open without even bothering to, I don’t know, ASK?”

“I thought that was a given.”

“A given? A fucking given?” You’re screaming, you don’t give a fuck if his entire floor hears, if the entire dorm building hears.

“Y/N, let’s talk about this, it doesn’t have to be open if you don’t want it to be.”

Before you realize what you’re doing you’re slapping him, and Tom is dragging you out of his room.

“I don’t want to see you, talk to you, EVER AGAIN ASSHOLE!” you shout as he slams the door, Tom’s arms around your waist, practically carrying you down the hallway.

“Y/N, listen to me, please, calm down, you’re too angry right now,” he says as you try to wiggle out of his grasp. He’s whispering in your ear and you try to calm your breathing as his arm’s loosen their grip.

“He, he, just, I can’t believe him,” you are still seething as you leave his dorm building, Tom’s arm still around your waist, trying to calm you down, rubbing your side and whispering in your ear how everything’s going to be alright, everything will be okay eventually.

He guides you back to his dorm building, you don’t even realize you’re standing in front of his door and not your own until you look up and see the wrong number.

“You don’t want your roommate to see you like this,” he says, unlocking his door.

Everything was happening so fast, you thought you really liked Luke, you weren’t going to say love because you’ve only been together for 7 months but, you wanted him to meet your parents, you wanted to be with him for a long time. You’re still shaking, don’t know whether to scream or cry so you let out a short shriek and break down, sobbing as Tom wraps his arms around you, dropping his backpack and your own on the ground, letting you cry.

“It’s gonna be okay, shh, cry it out, let it out,” he mumbles against your head. He holds you as you cry, until you literally can’t cry anymore and he still holds you as you shake.

“Come on, let’s sit down,” he says, guiding you to his bed.

You sit down, looking at your hands on your lap, trembling.

“You know, he’s a fucking idiot, nobody just decides a relationship is open before talking with their partner,” he says, sitting next to you and holding your hand.

His thumb rubs the skin of your hand, trying to calm you down. He did it often, if you were studying and got anxious, if you were anxious about a cue you were practicing with him. He’d take your hand in his, just holding it, a small comfort. It always worked, and tonight was much the same.

“I don’t, I can’t believe Piper never said anything, never even mentioned it, ‘hey I fucked your boyfriend’.”

“I mean, to be fair she probably thought you knew and just didn’t want to make things awkward.”

“Oh god, his entire fucking dorm heard me didn’t they?”

“So what if they did, he’s an asshole, deserves it.”

“Thanks Tom,” you sigh, laying your head on his shoulder.

“Any day sweetheart.”

Before you can recognize your own movements, you’re turning towards Tom, kissing him. You’re not sure why you’re kissing him. You’re upset, you’re mad at Luke, you sort of want to forget about Luke. He pulls away from you after a few moments, it took everything in him to actually pull away.

“Y/N, you’re not, you’re not in the right headspace, you shouldn’t be kissing me right now. You’re upset about Luke, you don’t want to do something you’ll regret.”

“I wouldn’t regret this.”

“Why don’t you calm down and rest, think about this, about, everything, okay? And if you still wanna kiss me later, you can kiss me then.”

“You’d want to kiss later?”

“Yes but that’s not the point, you can stay here if you want, my roommate’s back home for the weekend.”

“Can I, can we rest together? Can you just hold me?” you ask, staring at him.

“Of course,” he says, “lemme find you something nicer to wear to sleep than those jeans and shirt.”

You nod and he gets up, looking through his drawers and pulling out a few pairs of sweatpants and a t-shirt for you.

“I’m gonna get changed and brush my teeth, you can change here okay? Will you be alright?”

You nod as he hands you his clothes.

You change after he leaves, checking your phone. There’s more than a dozen messages from Luke but you ignore them all and block his number. You’re fucking done.

Tom knocks, “you decent?”

“Yes,” you say, crossing your arms in front of yourself, he gave you one of his university t-shirts, they gave one to everyone when you first got here, all extra large so it was pretty big on you.

He steps back in, “I think I’ve got an extra toothbrush,” he says, rummaging through his bedside table.

“Thanks Tom,” you say as he hands that and the tube of toothpaste to you.

You brush your teeth in the girls bathroom on the floor before making your way back to his room. He’s lounging on his bed, phone in hand. He places it down when you get back, patting the spot next to him. The dorm beds are twin beds, not leaving much room for the both of you so you lay next to him, letting him wrap his arm around your shoulder and pull you into his side, your leg wrapping around his.

“Try to get some rest,” Tom says, kissing your cheek.

And you do, you fall asleep rather quickly. It’s been a long day, it’s incredibly late and you just had your heart torn in two.

Tom however stays awake, thinking about the events that unfolded. Thinking about how you kissed him, thinking about how he wanted to keep kissing you, thinking about how he didn’t want to take advantage of your vulnerability so he stopped. He wanted you to be in the right state of mind while you kissed him, which admittedly was something he thought about often.

****

You woke up to the feeling of Tom’s hand running up and down your arm, drawing circles into your skin.

“Hi,” you smile at him and he smiles back.

“Morning.”

“Morning it is,” you say, relaxing in his arms.

“Have a good sleep?”

“Yes, was nice to forget about all the fuckery that happened last night.”

“Are you feeling any better?”

“Yeah, I guess, I guess I wish we had been more communicative, Luke and I, wish we told each other everything, kinda like you and I, wish he didn’t keep secrets, wish I don’t know, he told me he hooked up with Piper, so I could’ve broken it off three months ago.”

“He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Yeah but what do I deserve? If I’m stupid enough to not even realize he slept with someone else, what the fuck do I deserve?”

“You deserve the goddamn world sweetheart. Wish you would understand that.”

“You’re too good to me.”

“It’s what you deserve.”

“You know, this is cheesy as fuck but maybe that book was right, what was it? The one that says we accept the love we think we deserve? Maybe I went along with Luke because I don’t think I deserve any better.”

“Sweetheart, how can I make you understand you deserve the world?”

“Dunno, gonna take time,” you shrug, laying your head on his chest.

“Well I’m glad that’s something we’ve got.”

[fulcrum-agent]

Prompt #24: Undertones

Water glittered in thin strands, falling from the cliffs far above, flickering over the stone face in the afternoon sun. Docile water sprites, content with their hidden sanctuary, float above the pool, and along the shelf that clings to the right side of the canyon. Sounds are muted above the roar of the waterfall, the clash of the watery ribbons into the shimmering pool below, though the chirping of birds, the chirping of insects, the distance sound of the dock at the end of the gorge flutter through the rush of water.

A lone figure waits atop the shelf of stone, gaze turned towards the myriad strands of water that lace down the cliff-side, the shadows of the gorge helping mask his expression. Red hair danced in the wind created by the cul de sac of stone, tips lashing across the metal trimmed eye-patch with a faint whisper. Multitudes of blades are sequestered on his person, none visible to the naked eye, though he knew that his quarry would realise that.

Yet, still his quarry willingly walked into the trap. Rel had insisted he would take responsibility, accept whatever punishment was handed down to him, even if it meant death; part of him couldn't blame Rel - if he had spent nearly thirty years apart from a twin of any sort, he might have wavered in his own convictions. The cold, rational side realised the danger the plan that the bastard prodigal child of Dalmasca carried, and couldn't accept that someone like Rel had gone along with it, after thirty years of playing dead.

The sound of footfalls against the loose grave that covered the shelf drew his attention, causing him to turn back towards the thin strip of land that lead to the alcove. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, the pit of his stomach beginning to gnaw at him. Something was wrong with the situation, so variable he wasn't aware of had been introduced, he could feel it. As he watched the finely dressed man approach, his senses honed to a razor's edge as he tried to find the missing piece of information.

He caught sight of the man standing at the edge of the stone shelf, noting all the small changes to the man's body language. While Saber was capable of controlling even the minutiae expressions of his body and face, he had known him long enough to see through even the most marshalled of expressions the rogue could give. The other man was tense, more tense than he had seen him since they first met some ten summers ago when the brash young man took over his father's work, becoming his keeper.

Still, he strolled down the canyon at a leisurely pace, whistling one of the old Dalmascan tunes he often turned to during long walks. These songs, hummed or whistled, often let him notice whether another of his kinsmen were in the area, and while from time to time, he would notice an expression of familiarity cross someone else's face, no one had ever confronted him about it. It often let him ferret out Saber long before he could otherwise find the man. Today, there was little need for the technique, given the other man was standing out in the open - aside from perhaps reminding the young man who he was dealing with.

"You needed to speak with me, Saber?" he inquires casually as he enters the end of the gorge, hands resting lightly along the pockets of his pants. "I expect that this is over something of import, given the Bismark wasn't used."

Keeping his expression as neutral as possible, he nods in acknowledgement of the greying knight's assessments. Arms folded, he moves across the stones, uncovered eye locked upon the other redhead, mind considering everything that must be effected in the span of minutes. He halts but a handful of fulms from his former friend, giving his best sardonic smile as he ceases his advance.

"Little gets past you, Rel. I always liked that about you," he mentions, head shaking two or three times. "You've generally been easy to work with, more so than most of the people I have to deal with."

It was his turn to have the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. The words that the other redhead used did nothing to veil why he had been called here, to a remote location where it's hard to hear anything but the sound of the waterfall and the rushing river. Instincts primed, eyes finding each and every weak point the mercenary possessed, along with the strengths he had.

Weaknesses, strengths, and the six or seven daggers the other man had hidden beneath his jacket, pants, and boots.

Taking the situation in stride, Rel proposes in a quiet voice, "You don't have to do this, Saber. Think it all through, kid. Orders are not often as specific as you think they are."

A scoff falls from his lips as he watches the dead man, a shake of his head causing the tips of his hair to flutter across the eye-patch. He had expected Rel to try to get him to reconsider, leading him to think of myriad arguments against it. Anger began to rise to the surface, and he silently cursed Valera for putting him into the one position he'd hoped he would never have to be in.

"You know better, Rel - I warned you what would happen if you listened to that piece of shit noble," he retorted, unconsciously shifting the blame from his life-long friend to the fallen hero. "There were other ways of going about what you wanted, parading around looking like the dead prince was the worst possible one."

He had to keep the mercenary off balance, buy enough time for his fail-safe to prepare. And so he shrugs at the younger man, shaking his head as his arms deliberately spread to either side of his body, palms turned at an angle towards the other redhead. He keeps his tone steady and even, audible above the roar of water, but he refrains from yelling.

"Come on, Saber. You said yourself the distraction had its uses. What happened to moving our emissaries around?" he inquires, shifting away from why they were both here. "With Imperial eyes on me, and my sister, you said a good number of them could be moved to Doma without notice. Get them to Lord Hein without their prior locations being revealed. What happened to the promise of making the best use of my folly?"

Despite his efforts to choke down his anger at the other redhead, his nature gets the best of him. He lashes a finger out at the older man, sneering at his words, countering, "None of that is any of your concern anymore, Rel. What's done is done, and it's time to lay in the bed you've made. I ain't gotta answer a damn question, so stop asking them."

His hands lower, dipping inside of his pockets as adrenaline rushes through his form. Breaking into a dead run, he launches forward, blades sliding from their hidden holsters, turning towards the man before him. Aware of the fact that his quarry possesses a far more powerful weapon, his blades hone in on the man's palms, seeking to undo all the years of work they'd put into regaining the dead man's lost strength.

A thin strip of fabric wraps around the mercenary's left blade, jerking upon the weapon hard, shifting the alignment of his attack. Her ward jerks to the side, hands lowering as the blades go wide as she pulls hard on the rest of the apron. There's a flick of her wrist, and the fabric slips away from the blades, threads severing against the edges, though there's plenty more fabric for her to work with.

The mercenary's attention shifts towards her, his expression incredulous yet highlighted with fury as he's now forced to defend himself. It was not lost on her that had the attack struck true, her ward would be defenceless. Instead, she gave him the moment he would need to turn the tables, as her apron would only last so long.

With the younger man's attention on the maid, the elder redhead gives a soft sigh as he reaches towards his back, as if to draw a blade across his shoulder. His hand nearly closes into a fist around the air, when a flash of illumination from beneath the leather strip on his right wrist explodes. Cobalt metal halts his fingers, and they wrap around the hilt of the blade, pulling it from the aether at pace, swinging it around his form and into position.

Her gamble had paid off. Her master had warned her that her charge may possess a blade that matched his sister's, but they hadn't had time to discuss it before it's needed. He had asked her to buy him some time, should the mercenary chose to attack, but she didn't have confirmation as to why.

Now she did, the raw aether bleeding from the blade causing goosebumps to flicker across her skin.

"That's enough, Saber," her charge intones, bringing the blade to bear. "Don't do this, man. You're leaving us little choice."

Attention shifts, the single eye of the redhead flickering towards his former friend, a grimace twisting across his lips. He moves to resume his attack on the other man, shorter daggers being traded for longer ones as he pivots on the ball of his foot, sprinting towards the knight. She sighs at his recklessness, his anger, recalling the day she had attacked the man who would become her master.

Wrist twists, the apron lashing out, one end of a tie held in her hand, the rest of the fabric fluttering forward, the second tie finding the mercenaries' wrist, wrapping like a whip around it. A grunt escapes her lips as she yanks back on the apron, forcing the man to spin towards her direction, his footing stuttering as he attempts to stay upright in the wake of the velocity change.

"Eyes over here, boy," she growls, her voice rough and unrefined - a startling contrast to the girly dressings she wears.

Sneering, the man slices a blade through the apron strap that holds his wrist, aether coalescing along the now free blade as he flicks it in her direction. The blade distorts, splitting into myriad thinner blades that begin to assault her. Separated from its target, the apron flutters back towards her, twisting this way and that as she dances back, the fabric deflecting well over half the flying blades, while the rest bury themselves into the stone beneath her former position.

Her charge sighs, twisting his blade towards the other man, making a slight slashing motion at one angle, before shifting to make another slash in the opposite direction, creating a cross of aether. He finishes the movement by slicing the blade through the centre of the cross, and the sound of shrieking metal echoes through the canyon, the mercenary's blade almost exploding in his hand.

Throwing the weapon as it begins to rip apart, the hot-blooded man curses at his former friend, "Fuck, Rel, goin' right for the throat, eh?"

She surges forward, the half-shredded apron lashing out again as she spins on the ball of her foot to generate more kinetic force, wrist flicking the ribbons on either end outward, aiming for the younger man's foot. The fabric connects, but fails to wrap around his ankle, and the mercenary continues his charge at the knight.

At the last second, the young man's form collapses, aether surging forward and past the guarding blade, twisting back into his shape on the other side of her charge. A smaller blade slips from its hidden sheath, and the mercenary spins around, driving it into the other redhead's side, burying in flesh.

Breaking off his attack, the mercenary darts down the path leading out of the gorge, slipping into the shadows as he flees. The knight drives the sword into the stone, parting it like butter as he leans against the Blade for support, gasping in pain. Fleeing attacker forgotten, she rushes to her charge, slipping around his body to inspect the wound.

She was no chirurgeon, but she knew that withdrawing the blade would cause his blood to flow more freely, while moving him with the blade buried in his flesh would lead to more damage, the sharp edges rending more tissues with each movement.

Her hand raises to the linkpearl at her hear, activating the small device as she growls, concern slipping into her words, "Master Valera, we've been attacked. The prince is injured, and we need help - moving him is not an option."

((L’enah, the maid, is one of @thelionofdalmasca‘s characters, and I feel ashamed at having to write her according to his design. Also, more pictures in a minute - taking too long to get them all.))

[twilightpony4]

HomeFront: 36. There Wasn't Anything

The run felt like it took him an hour. Trying to get over the fact that he was always on the edge of falling down a mountain wasn't a good feeling at all. The best they could have done was make the path wider for a person to pass and carry a load behind them. But, no. No passing room (thank you nobody was coming in the other direction) with just barely enough space for his shell to jab at the Rock every now and then as his body bounced side to side with his movements. It felt like he had just hit a home run when he had the Wu Kwan in his sights with all the flat space stretching far and wide. Upon his arrival, his teacher opened up the door to the porch and stood in the doorway. With a cup of tea in her hand, she advised that he should take a moment's rest and come back. Apparently, she had a surprise in mind and wouldn't want it to be spoiled for him. Although he smiled and took off with it, he felt like it was go no to be very unpleasant. If anybody says there's a surprise briefly after getting cross with the other, there was nothing fun about the outcome. With the break, he had a good moment to dawn on the thought in the comforts of his home of a few months. When he first arrived, Leonardo dwelled on the fact that Venus may be home. She probably woke up and noticed that he had gone by now. Probably doesn't even want to see him right now. He had to admit, that was a really… um… Not really nice thing to do to her. Every morning they woke up together, so he sure wouldn't have gone unnoticed. He better try to make peace with her at least. Alas, wherever he looked, the lady turtle was nowhere to be found. Not in her room, not in her father’s room, not even in her glorious backyard. Venus probably took off somewhere. Miwa didn't mention whether or not she was in the Wu Kwan, so maybe she's somewhere else? The hole? An old friends? Oh no, what if she's with Yujin? She hadn't talked about him much since, but that couldn't mean that she's forget about him. Leo jumped onto the couch. He wished he could say that he cared whether or not it would break under his sudden weight, but now he could care less. Could he really have driven her back to her.. Her guy-friend? That was the last thing he would want and it was entirely his fault if she did. Oh, man. He may have messed up big time. The whole point of him going home for a while was a time for relaxation, but how was a turtle honing to relax with these thoughts through his head? He tried calling her, but with every call there was no answer. Typical. Well, if he wasn't going to relax, might as well go back and meet up with Miwa. Besides, keeping further bottled up feelings without blowing off some steam will make him repeat the same actions that brought him here in the first place. He went through the back entrance to where Miwa had sent him off from earlier that morning. On the walk there, he tried to drop the subject altogether in order to keep from taking his frustration too far in the face of his teacher. It wasn't her fault anyways. It was nobody's fault that he felt such a way. Nobody's fault but his. A careful hand turned the knob and pulled the door open. The creak of its hinges notified that someone was coming in. Upon closing it behind him, he stood there as he waited for the incoming footsteps to meet up with him. As spritely as ever, it was Miwa. Her cup was no longer in her hand after having finished it a while ago. Updated nag her face was a black mask made of some type of netting by material like chiffon of some sorts. The black shadowed her sharp eyes outlined by her edgy makeup. A torso of a silver plate adorned her along with strapped pads on both her shoulders and forearms. She looked ready for a fight. “Welcome back.” Her words were mellow. “I have someone in the dojo for you.” She didn't explain her new get up, which was odd since he had seen her wear nothing else but black pants and shirts. Something was definitely up. Good or bad for him, it was seriously leaning towards the bad side in his stomach. Like a good student, Leonardo followed as she led him to the other room. A lump in his throat went down as they neared the dojo. “Is Venus here? She wasn't back at the house.” He forced himself to say. Maybe talking could calm him down for the possible worst behind the door. “I don't want you thinking about her right now.” She snapped, letting half of her covered eye pierce his soul. “In other words, she brought him in for you.” Her face disappeared behind her head. “Him?” Leo questioned with a raised brow. His teacher did not answer. Miwa opened the door to the dojo and walked in. A small panic surged through the brave turtle for the surprise was just beyond this point. With a careful mind followed by confident steps, he tip toes into the room. Miwa was looking at one sode. A smile plastered on her red lips with her hands holding her hips. The turtle sealed a big lump of courage before looking at what she looked at so smugly. “There's the monkey boy!” The familiar, frog like croaking of the Ancient One sang so brightly. A squint in his eyes observed him more carefully. “You look sweaty, like a freshly washed cucumber only rotten looking.” He referred to his glistening state from walking over in the hot sun in addition to the anxiety he had coming in here. Normally, Leonardo would make some type of assurance that he heard his critique loud and clear, but for now, he was a little preoccupied. After hearing the Ancient One announce him, it turned around to see. The man had to be at least eight feet tall; a staggering giant next to the little old man. Was it right to refer to it as a man, as in, a human being? The creature wore a getup of blue pants and golden boots that curled at the toe. Not even the elf-ish style of his footwear made him any less intimidating. His physic was rock hard, rippling muscle everywhere including his four arms. Yes, his four, muscled arms shaded in the same blue-gray color of his body. Here and there, tufts of blonde hair lined his forearms and shoulders. He fancied a rather bushy beard that stopped just before the rope of his cranium. If he weren't interesting enough, a long tail with a striped pattern limped behind him. Mona had nothing on him when it came to length, but hey, she's supposed to have an adequate length and more thickness as a mixed salamander turtle. But this guy, what was he? “Heh. Just a little boy I see.” His haughty laugh frightened the confused turtle even more. He stood there like a dork, mouth still agape. “W-what? Who…?” Leonardo stammered. He couldn't function. The creature rendered him helpless, trying to comprehend his state of being. Was this what it's like when people meet him? Letting him suffering for a good few seconds, Miwa gave in, but with a sly smile. “This is D’Jinn.” She presented the strange creature with an extended hand. Her student continued to stare blankly. The teacher took hold of his bottom jaw and pushed it up. The click of his teeth snapped him out of his trance for he looked into her eyes and off the visitor. “You are going to be fighting him today.” Wait. Fight, him? The eight foot, four armed dude? Fight him? “Y-you mean like… right now?” Leonardo asked, wondering if he understood her right. With closed lids, she lowered her head. It's as bad as it sounded. “Whats the problem?” He laughed. “Afraid to get pummeled by an old timer?” His voice mixed of old and smoker, yet the deep bass surely did justice for his size. Leo gave his opponent another look over. In confusion, his eyebrows furrowed. Green lips pursed into an ‘o’. “Who?” The turtle almost sang as he liked back down to his teacher at his side. “What is he?” “Later. For now, prepare yourself Leonardo. This is one of your final tests. So far, you have learned and progressed with the new techniques I have taught you, but there is only one lesson left.” She approached the creature with amazing confidence. A space was created In the middle just before the Ancient One and the large gray man.“Defeat D’Jinn and you pass. If not, you are not the ninja we thought you were.” Well, that was encouraging. The student terrapin took one last look a D’Jinn before taking his place on the other side of the room. A list of advatnages and disadvantages went through his head. Master Splinter always warned him of never to assume anything during a fight, but if Miwa wanted him to fight him and apparently Venus did too, this guy had to be pretty good to pose a challenge to him. Leo walked to the other side of the dojo. Miwa and the Ancient One took refuge to a far corner of the room. ready to judge and spectate. D’Jinn casually sauntered to his place, letting his tail drag behind him. Leaning against the wall was a large, wooden bat that had the appearance of that of what a caveman would use. He chuckled as he grasped it and played with it childishly, showing off to the already worried terrapin. He turned around and face the turtle, smiling all the while. His nose stuck into the air. A couple audible sniffs went up his nose. “I can sense your fears, and your failure.” Two grey fists from the same side of his body formed, clenching at ‘failure’. The ninja turtle growled, teeth clenched so tight that his lips couldn’t hide his slight overbite. His animalistic voice grew higher in volume as he charged the awful creature. A leap in the air, he held out his katanas. A quick fip was added to assure a kick to the upper torso. Unfortuantely, his scheme was all too predictable. Before he could get a hit, he could see D’Jinn smile before winding up his bat and swatting him down. The flying turtle plodded onto the floor facedown. He tried to get up with his shaking arms, but D’Jinn gave hima brutal kick to the side of his shell. The power behind it sent him flying into the rafter. Thankfully, the wood barely splintered and kept the place upright. The shock was absorbed through his back armory, so it was more of a pinch than it would if he actually hit his skin. The terrapin caught himself and stuck the landing on the floor. When he looked up from his crouched position, he was less than pleased.“With everything that has happened, you are doomed to fail both yourself and others.” The blue bandana turtle stood up straight, katanas at his sides. “You don’t know what you’re talking about!” Again, he charged with great fury. Miwa and the Ancient One looked on in silence as the two got into a brief slashing battle before D’Jinn’s bat stopped the two katanas from cutting him vertically. Leonardo pushed down with all his might while the creature pushed up to hold him there. “Believe me, I do!” Suddenly, he pushed him back, shaking off the angry turtle. Then, he pulled hit bat over and behind his back, ready to spring. He swung down. Leonardo’s blades formed an ‘x’ in an attempt to guard against it. Suddenly, there was a bright flash. Donatello was in front of him. The cattle-like prods from the Foot shocked his already wet body in painful ways. With the addition of rain and the tech already on him, he was taking it the most. His grunts and held in screams were clearly audible, as if the Foot took the all over again. Then, there was Michelangelo. With the blood slowly withdrawing from them, he was the first to partake in its effects. Before Raphael had shown up, Leonardo looked to his right. His youngest, the happy one was pulled forward in a slumped position. Never had he seen his head hang low so involuntarily as his juvenile life was being sucked out of him and flowing through a tube. Another flash and he was back in the dojo; Right back into the middle of the fight. It was weird, but there was no time to register what happened as he found himself perfomring a double backflip to make space between his opponent. His hard footsteps shook the ground as he would up his bat again. Raphael, beaten to the floor and all he could do was watch his little brother fly and be humiliated by that monster. The sound of his bulky armor clinked and haunted his memories as he drew closer to his fallen brother. A foot pressed against his shell with hydronic force. More and more pressure pushed him down. The sound of the cracking bone that would soon become a crack in his shell began to break open under his shoe. The visions. Was this his mind playing tricks on him? Surely none of these thoughts were remotely near his brain at this time, but there there were. Clear and vivid. Such gruesome sights, he shook his head, hoping it would stop regenerating his past. Another charge came from the turtle, With his head in the clouds, he could think of no other tactic. It bothered him like crazy, but there wasn’t much he could do. He had to pass him test. D’Jinn waited patiently, which irked the turtle more as he pounced at him. With his legs curled back as well as both him arms, he wanted to dice up the arrogant alien. Before he could knick his skin. Two arms stopped him in mid air, gripping at his shoulder and the other at one of his legs. In a fit of rage, the D’Jinn wound up and smashed him into the floor, shell first. Then, there was Master Splinter. His body was being suspended by the same monster who did them wrong. As crisp as the real thing, his metal arm moved back and swung with the momentum. Splinter grunted as the blades cut at his stomach. So carelessly, was his body tossed to the floor. More flashes as he watched he and his brothers dropping like flies as they were attacked from behind until they blanked out. If it could become any more disturbing, their faces and bodies began to melt. Slowly, their distraught expression dissolved into the air along with the Foot holding them hostage. He was alone in their old home; Alone, with the exception of D’Jinn taking up the space the Shredder was once in before dissappearing. He laughed haughtily, letting his bat fall playfully into one of his palms. The memory was worse than the real thing. It all felt too real. The feelings and pain returned once more. The top of his head showed because her dropped his chin to his chest. His hands clenched the edge of the broken cemented floor while his knees scratched along with its jagged surface. “I’m- i’m so sorry!” He apologized out loud. His strong voice now shook. “I’m so sorry.” D’jinn continued to laugh, obviously enjoying every moment of the powerful leader breaking before him. Leo cold hear him, but it didn’t matter. Appologizing to his family was his biggest concern. “I- I’m. I did the best I could!” Suddenly, it hit him. He looked up. D’Jinn was still in his same, overconfident state. “I did the best I could!” Leonardo yelled with power behind his voice. The katana on the floor were picked back up as kickly as he got back onto his feet. The creature had to rush to gain better control of his bat as the mutant turtle came running at him like a freight train.“There” Clash! “wasn’t…” Block! “anymore…” Clash! “that I could’ve done!” His voice rumbled animalistically as he held the surprised creature in a deadlock. “If there was nothing more that you could have done, why do you punish yourself so?” An inquiry posed upon by the Ancient One pierced the imagery. The turtle paused. Blades lowered to his sides, shoulders relaxed. Before long, a smile warmed up his face. He got it. He understood. As quickly as it arrived, the awful background melted around them. They were back at the dojo, or , at least, could see it since they've never left. D’jinn backed off from the turtle. His large torso gave him a slight bow. Leo, now knowing he was no longer a threat, placed his katanas in the sheaths of his back. When the last one fell to the bottom on the carrier, he squared himself up with the noble creature and bowed with him. A few seconds and the two rose up. Suddenly, a blue aura surrounded him. His body was engulfed by a blinding light as he grew shorter and thinner in stature. At 6ft, he stopped changing and the light faded away. There stood Venus, smiling with all of her heart. It was her. She was him the entire time! Before he could say a word of disbelief, the female turtle engulfed him into a bear-tight hug. Her face pressed into the nook between his shoulder and neck. The move stunned him massively, but it didn't take long until he embraced her just the same. “I didn’t know it was that bad.” She was referring to what had happened between him and the Shredder. Surely, she knew of the story, but she had never seen it with her own eyes. “You needed help, but you wouldn't let us.” It sounded like a soft sob while she spoke into him. Leo nodded, agreeing fully. She pulled away, using a hand on his shoulder to distance herself and use the other to wipe her face. “Leonardo, you have so much promise and you're a great leader, but you thought you needed to be perfect in order to live a wonderful life. It's okay for a glow stick to break. Eventually, it will shine.” The sincerity. Such truth passed from her lips. It felt so good for him to hear words of praise towards him after a while of nasty remarks about his behavior. Assuredly, this feeling was way better than being angry all the time. “And you have proven yourself today.” Miwa chimed in. The two turtles turned their attention to their approaching teacher. The Ancient One was escorted by her side, arms wrapped around hers as she led. “Under my wing, you have learned many lessons in aikido, judo, Kung fu, and contact caopeira, as well as two important lessons that were personal.” “What were those?” “Lesson 1: taking critism and handling it nicely. Neither The Ancient One nor I thought you were a terrible prospect when we first met you.” “I did.” He raised his free hand proudly. Miwa chooses to ignore him after giving him a passing glance. “It was discouraging critism meant to break you down. At first, it did not seem to bother you but over time you applied it to getting better rather than expecting encouraging word and believe you were perfect. Lesson 2: don't let everything fall on your shoulders. I know you are the leader of your clan, but you can't be held responsible for everything. Some things are just beyond our control. When something as bad as that happens, accept that it happened and move forward. You are an exceptional student, Leonardo, and probably the best of students I've had. Your training is complete.” Those words. Leonardo has been waiting for them for the longest time. He accomplished his purpose of coming. Now, he can go home. Now, he can see his family again. Now, he can be at peace. Leo took a step towards the two mentors. Both Miwa and the Ancient One lifted up their chins to see his face. A calm exchange of facial expressions created a tacit treaty of peace. The terrapin took a deep breath before taking a bow. His hands were stiff at his sides as he lowered himself almost to the Ancient One’s height. In mutual respect, the two teachers bowed their heads, forgiving and congratulating their student. A few seconds passed until both parties straightened back up. Leonardo had the sweetest, most assuring smiles youve probably ever seen him have. This was what he wanted, and he got it. It took some blood, sweat, and quite a few tears, but he got there. Breaking his train of thought, a hand firmly grasped his chin. The beholder of it turned it abruptly towards her at his side. Venus smiled brightly. “Ready to lead a mission again?” A/N: Back at it again with the 2k3 references! The Character “D’Jinn” is from the Battle Nexus episodes. The action sequence comes from The Ancient One. Ok… be honest… how many of ya’ll did I trick from those last three sentences…? I know I did :p