#i'm so glad we get this more magical cover!!!!! it's like seeing inside the girls' imagination

[theseasideskies]

NEW BLUEY ALBUM COMING SOON THIS IS NOT A DRILL (release looks like October 25!)

If Sleepytime (The Planets) is finally on there I'm gonna 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

[uhohwhathaveidone]

Can I request a Sebastian sallow x reader fic that would be about the reader and Sebastian being childhood friends that have feelings for each other the reader and Sebastian both yearn for affection from each other but they are scared that the other doesn’t like them so they both started avoiding each other in hopes the feelings goes away but every situation and class finds them reuniting again the reader secretly holds Sebastian hands during charms class and Sebastian is just shocked (uhhh you can decide what happens after!! My dumbass really hasn’t thought much about it but I can’t wait to see what you do)

You called? I'm here with a gift!

Here With Me (S.S)

I accidently got carried away with this and turned it into a hurt/comfort, i hope you're ok with that! I didn't really put any spoilers. Also I know you didn't specify like what house the reader was in, so I put them in Slytherin! This is also gender neutral, just so we all know. More to come soon, maybe even withing the next few hours, supply and demand, am I right? Anyway, enjoy! (Part 2, Cardigan)

You had been friends with the Sallow twins for as long as you could remember. You were especially close with Sebastian, whom you spent most of your time together with. You remember walking over to Mr. Sallow’s house one day with a small basket of treats made by your mother, who had asked you to walk them over as a gift. Anxiously, you walked along the dirt path, watching as leaves floated past you in the breeze. It was a nice fall day, the apple tarts were still warm, but you had to get to their house quickly to keep them that way, so you were unable to enjoy the day for too long. As you neared the house, you saw a young girl with brown hair playing in the front, a boy about the same age and with brown hair as well sat under a tree with a book in hand. Squinting, you could make out the drawing of a wand on the cover, and you understood why your mother sent you out to Mr. Sallow’s house. The town was mainly a wizard only area, but every now and then a muggle would move in. Some of the neighbors would play pranks on them to try to drive them out, and your mother did the same thing once before to an elderly couple that came to retire. Scared them near to death.

Mr. Sallow usually lived alone, minding himself as he always did, but he never had kids. You slowed your pace, wondering if you had started to walk toward the wrong house, until the girl looked up at you, shouting toward the house as she ran inside. The boy looked up from his book and looked at you curiously. You froze, caught in the act of walking to the wrong house. Wide-eyed, you slowly walked towards the boy. “Um, hello.” You said, quietly. The boy stood a bit taller than you, and had chocolate brown eyes, ones that matched his hair. He smiled, “Hello there, I’m Sebastian. Who are you?” You fiddled with the basket, “My name is-.” The door to the house opened, Mr. Sallow walking out with the girl behind him. “Ah! Hello there, y/n! It’s nice to see you!” He greeted, walking over, and patting your head. Your face brightened, glad that you hadn’t stumbled upon the wrong house. “Good afternoon, Mr. Sallow! My mother made some apple tarts and asked me to bring some over for you.” You handed the basket to him and he grabbed one, taking a bite. “Your mother is a saint. Why don’t you come inside? You haven’t met my niece and nephew yet, no?” You shook your head.

The inside of the house was cozy as always, maybe a little cramped by boxes, no doubt from the two new kids. He introduced you to Sebastian properly, and to his twin sister Anne. They were the same age as you were, as well as magically gifted. He didn’t go into details, but he told you that the twins would be living with him from now on, and that the three of you should get along well. Anne had reached to grab a tart, eyeing it curiously. Mr. Sallow motioned that she could have one, and she took a bite. Her eyes seemed to glow as she hurriedly bit into it again. Sebastian watched his sister as she ate the tart, bits of apple sticking to her lips. It seemed to convince him they were good, as he grabbed one as well and took a bite. “Merlin’s beard! These really are good.” You shuffled your feet as you watched the two devour half the basket in minutes.

“Do tell your mother we appreciate the gift.” Mr. Sallow said, placing the rest of the treat on a plate and handing the basket back to you. You nodded and started out the door, the twins quickly meeting your side. “So, show us where your house is!” Sebastian said happily. Anne walked on your other side as you nodded, walking back in the direction of your home. They asked many questions for such a short walk. “Have you lived here long?” “What’s it like here?” “Do you have any more of those treats?” You smiled and answered their questions, reaching your house and turning around. “This is where I live.” You said, gesturing to your door. Sebastian nodded, “Got it. We’ll be seeing you soon then!” He said, grabbing Anne’s hand as they walked back to their house.

The next couple of days the twins would be at your door, asking if you wanted to go play with them. You agreed, of course, and found that they were lots of fun to be around.  One night, they had invited you over for a sleepover, and while Anne had fallen asleep ten minutes into the activities you had planned, Sebastian was still wide awake. He grabbed a book from one of the shelves and sat next to you in the blanket fort the three of you had made. You had to carefully set a candle in the middle of the fort, so you were able to see the words. Sebastian would read to you until you fell asleep, then he would extinguish the candle and grab the blanket, snuggling up to you and falling asleep as well.

When winter came, the three of you were always outside. Sebastian had wanted to make an igloo one day, and it took you two whole days to even get halfway done. When it was finally done, you didn’t know what else to do. Any blanket you put in there would get very cold, and maybe even freeze, so you decided to deem it as a landmark, and began building other snow structures around the yard, making a small snow town. Anne had made a snow man and said it was going to be the minister of the town, in which Sebastian had to remind her that the Minister didn’t have time to watch over a small town, and that a mayor would be a better fit.

Another time, you had been playing with Anne’s hair, braiding it, and putting it up in all sorts of different styles. You even began to teach Sebastian how to do hair so he could give Anne any hairstyle she wanted, but since you were already practicing on Anne, he could use your hair. That was a mistake, as minutes later Sebastian had tried to braid a section of your hair, only to fail. He swore that he could fix it, and tried to untangle the strands and try again. It resulted in a huge knot that couldn’t be saved, and your mother ended up having to cut your hair. The next day you showed up, Sebastian apologized while Anne could only giggle at the whole ordeal.

When you turned 11, an owl showed up with a letter attached to its leg. You had been invited to Hogwarts, and you ran over to the Sallow’s place in excitement. The twins also got their letters, and your mother offered to take the three of you out to get the supplies required, along with your very own wand. When you made it to Hogwarts, you fiddled with your fingers, anxious about the sorting ceremony. Sebastian tried to sheer you up, stating , ”We’ll all be in the same house, there’s no way we aren’t.” You nodded as you held onto his arm, watching as Anne was called up and the hat was placed on her head. Wide-eyed, you watched as she was sorted into Slytherin, and she smiled at the two of you as she walked over to her new house. Sebastian was next, and he flashed you a smile as he walked up, hat placed on his head as well. The Sorting Hat mumbled to itself before placing him into Slytherin as well, and you clapped as he walked over to his sister. The names were being called out and you stood there, anxiety growing. When you were finally called up, you walked up, shaking. The hat sat upon your head, asking you questions and seemingly just having a conversation with you. Eventually, the hat came to a decision, and you smiled and trotted over to Sebastian and Anne when the hat yelled Slytherin.

Over breaks, the three of you were able to practice together on your magic, and found ways to do things that you had done when you were younger much easier. Reading when you were supposed to be sleeping had become less of a fire hazard and more of a hand cramp activity, finally able to cast Lumos to use as a light to read with. You had also sent owls to your new friend, Ominis, offering to let him stay for a day or so to hang out. Snowball fights had become more like a warzone as you began to learn charms and hexes, able to make the snowballs throw themselves now.

You were sleeping one night during your break back after you finished your third year, excited to wake up in the morning and hang out with your friends. You had gotten up to get a drink sometime in the early morning, the moon was still up and the birds hadn’t begun to sing yet. There was a strange noise outside as you poured a glass of water, but you didn’t seem to notice. More sounds began to emerge, and you made your way upstairs to your mother’s room to ask her about it. Half asleep, your mother brushed it off as some dogs getting into a fight and told you to head back to bed, so you did. When you woke up, you quickly got dressed and grabbed a basket for the fresh apple pie your mother had just finished baking. She looked tired, maybe worried, you noted, but headed out.

As you neared the house, you noticed a lot more people around than normal. There was even a police officer heading towards Mr. Sallow’s house. You picked up your pace as you weaved around your neighbors and made it to the front door. It was a mess, splinters all over the porch and ground, and the windows were broken. You looked around, not seeing Sebastian or Anne, and tried to get into the house. Mr. Sallow sat in a chair at the kitchen table, muttering to the officer and wringing his hands. You looked into the living room, finding Sebastian and Anne sitting on a couch, a medic kneeling down and looking over Anne. You placed the basket on a corner table and slowly walked over, examining the room. The place was a mess, some chairs were overturned, portraits were thrown off the wall. Sebastian sat there, a blank stare as he watched the medic look over Anne. “What happened here?” You asked, standing in front of Sebastian. He looked up at you and jumped off the couch, enveloping you in a hug. He explained that the house had been raided, and that they had done something to Anne. The medic had been checking Anne over for any signs of injury, yet there were none, which didn’t explain the agony she was in. The medic said that he didn’t know what was wrong, and said there was nothing he could really do about it, and he left. Sebastian stood over Anne, cursing the medic under his breath.

Anne was in too much pain to return to Hogwarts, and you and Sebastian sat with Ominis on the train in silence. The whole year, the three of you tried to find a way to help Anne, but to no avail. Sebastian began to keep to himself around you, and you began to feel inside that something was different.

You walked down the hall to your Herbology class, alone. Sebastian had withdrew himself even more, and would sometimes not even look at you. You felt like you did something wrong, but Ominis had assured you it was not your fault. You didn’t believe him, of course, as you watched Sebastian be himself around everyone but you. Your heart hurt to see it, it felt like you were losing your best friend, yet you were partially glad for it. You had no idea when it began, but you had started to harbor feelings for Sebastian, and you had fought those feelings, telling yourself that you were wrong to have such feelings while still unable to find a cure for Anne. You knew Sebastian wanted nothing more than for Anne to be cured, and you knew he would put everything aside until he reached that goal. Sighing to yourself, you walked through the grass to Professor Garlick’s class, adjusting the strap of your bag and moving your hair away from your face. The breeze was soft and warm, fall hadn’t arrived yet and the summer was still in full. The air wasn’t too hot, but you knew that, when you walked into the greenhouse, you would miss the summer breeze, being replaced with humid air and the smell of plants to fill your senses. You walked in and greeted the professor, taking your usual seat.

Sabastian walked with Ominis, talking about his excitement for charms. He heard that they were going to go over some healing spells, and that it would be a big step in helping Anne. Ominis nodded as he walked beside him, mindful of his surroundings. Sebastian had been searching for a whole year for ways to help his sister, alongside you and Ominis. Sebastian knew that you wanted to help Anne just as much as he did, and his mood dropped a bit. Ominis had mentioned to him about your concerns for him, and Sebastian had felt guilty for avoiding you. While you were his best friend, one he had known for years, he couldn’t help the feelings that had begun to grow, and knew that now wasn’t the time to go after them. He was worried you would reject him, telling him that being best friends was enough, or even asking that they no longer be friends. He was also worried that you might scold him for trying to pursue a relationship when he should have been looking for a way to help his sister. Either way, he didn’t see a happy ending if he confessed, and the only way to keep his feelings at bay, he thought, was to avoid you in hopes that they would go away. He was brought out of his thoughts as he neared the greenhouse, and his heart began to beat at a faster pace. All his attempts to lose those feelings he had for you would be broken down each time he walked into class, as he had to take his seat next to you each day. There was a moment where he would be more than glad to have all his classes with you, but when he was trying to get over you? It was torture. He sighed as he walked in and took his seat next to you.

When the time came for Charms, Sebastian had forgotten the whole “Avoid your best friend” mindset and walked happily with you and Ominis, talking about what he was expecting from the class. You smiled as he talked, heart doing backflips every time he looked over to you with that smile. You became excited as well, hopeful that you would find something to help. As you took your seats, you and Sebastian grabbed your books out quickly, turning to the chapter you would be going over. So far, the spells you were reading about were only ones that could heal wounds like broken bones, split lips, etc. Nothing that Anne was experiencing. You had begun to lose hope, until the professor turned the page. “Reprifors is a spell often used to heal other ailments, like those that had been caused by magic itself.” Your eyes widened as you read the page, looking over to Sebastian, who had seemed to freeze. Without even thinking, you grabbed his hand under the desk, your eyes bright as you gave him a wide smile. Sebastian stared at you, still frozen. His mind was going faster than a Hippogriff in flight. This could be what he was looking for, a way to save his sister. If the spell worked, not only would he have his sister back, but maybe even his best friend. He would be able to finally share his feelings with you and you could accept them. He didn’t even realize that you were holding his hand until you gave it a squeeze, and he finally looked down. He felt his cheeks flush, and when you followed his gaze, your face heated up as well. You quickly let go, clearing your throat and returning to your book.

The two of you began to get close again after that, meeting up and practicing the spell, trying to perfect it. “This is it. This spell is clearly what we’re looking for!” You said happily, trying the spell once again. You didn’t really have a way to know if the spell was working at first, so you and Sebastian took turns taking a jinx or hex to the face, and then trying the spell. You had both done it right three times in a row, and had deemed that you were ready. All you had to do now was wait for a chance to make it home.

As you trudged through the snow toward the village, you conversed excitedly with Sebastian. “We’re finally going to do it! Isn’t it exciting?” You asked, taking Sebastian’s hand, walking faster. Sebastian could only nod in response as he felt his cheeks flush once again from you grabbing his hand. You had been extra affectionate to him since the two of you learned the spell. Sebastian even began to think you started to share the feelings he had for you, but part of him kept telling him it was because you were happy to help Anne. On the other hand, you had begun to let go of hiding your feelings, believing that once Anne was okay you would be able to tell Sebastian your feelings, and you slowly began to warm up to the idea.

The cold breeze made your nose cold, and brought back memories of when you were kids, a smile growing on your face. “Come on!” You shouted, beginning to run. The snow crunched under your feet as you dragged Sebastian behind you. Desperate to catch up, Sebastian moved faster, slipping on a patch of ice you somehow managed to dodge. He fell, and you took the moment to turn and laugh. Suddenly, a wave of cold contacts your face, and you wipe away the snow. Sebastian laughed this time, readying another snowball.  You run behind a tree and start to make your own snowballs, launching them in Sebastian’s direction, not caring if they hit or not. A snowball hits you in face, even from behind the tree, no doubt from Sebastian. “That’s cheating!” You shouted as you watched him enchant the snowballs he made. He only shrugged and laughed as they flew towards you, with no sign of stopping. Shrieking, you drop to your knees, covering your face. The snowballs pelted you, and you counted about ten of them. Looking up, you could see Sebastian start making more snowballs, and you took the chance to jump him. You ran after him, jumping a little as you grabbed him, pinning him to the ground. You took his wand and stuffed it into your pocket, smiling in triumph.

Sebastian looked up at you, cheeks red from the cold and closeness. He studies your features, memorizing how your face had droplets of melting snow, and how you breathed heavily after the small battle you just had. He felt as if he was back home, playing in the snow with you a year after meeting you. You had done the same thing, pinning him to the ground, not letting him go until he surrendered, which he always refused to do. If he took too long, you would even grab snow and threaten to smother him, but you weren’t doing that this time. Instead, you sat there, trying to catch your breath. Sebastian watched as you shivered, your nose had gotten extremely red, and took the opportunity to try the move he did when you were kids. Quickly, he grabbed your waist and pulled you down on top of him, wrapping his arms around you and locking you in. Usually, this would end in his rolling over, pinning you to the ground, but instead, he kept you there, sharing the warmth his body was kicking out. He sighs and nuzzles into your shoulder, muttering, “Thank You.” You smiled and raised an eyebrow; one he couldn’t see. “For what?” “For everything.”

You followed behind Sebastian as he stormed out of the house, cursing to himself. You had made it to Anne and told her that you had a spell that would help her. Yet, after trying the spell over five times, she didn’t feel different. Anne was still in pain. Sebastian was distraught, watching his hopes come crashing down into the ground. You ran after him, now, trying to find a reason as to why it didn’t work. He makes it to the tree, where he sat when you first walked to his house, basket in hand. He drops into the snow, throwing his wand in anger. You slowed your pace and watched intently to see what he would do next. His shoulders shook once, and he sniffled. You made your way to stand in front of him, looking down to see his face wet with tears, brows furrowed in anger and annoyance. He looked up at you, his brown eyes seemingly darker than what you’re used to. “Nothing is working how I want it.” He heaved, “Anne is still sick. She’s still in pain.” You knelt down, placing your hand on his shoulder. He continued, “The spell didn’t work, my plan didn’t work.” Your gaze softened, watching as more tears slid down his cheeks. “My plans never work.”

You pull him into a hug, wrapping your arms around him and rubbing his back. He buried his face into your shoulder, muttering. “And I tried to stay away from you, and here you are. You’re being the caring person that’s been by my side.” You listened, your own tears beginning to pool in your eyes. “I thought, if I stayed away from you, my feelings would go away. At least until we helped Anne.” Your grip tightened around him, your tears finally falling as you realized that you had been doing the same thing. You had been protecting each other from your own feelings. More tears spilled from your eyes as you tried to convey your own feelings back, unsure if you would be able to talk. “And my feelings didn’t go away. And you’re still here, even after all this.” You nodded, moving your head from his shoulder and pressing it against his own. “Thank you.” You hummed in response. “Thank you for being here with me.”

[pumpkinbutt700]

Review: Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost

I'll be honest. This was 100% a cover buy. I found it on the bargain shelf and was immediately taken aback by how striking the cover is.

But the premise hooked me immediately, and I hadn't seen anybody talk about this book, so I had to check it out.

This is a story about the fictional town Elysium, Oklahoma and the game the town is wrapped up in. During the height of the Dust Bowl, the goddesses of Life and Death have decided to play a game. Cut Elysium off from the rest of society, drop it into the middle of a perilous, otherwordly desert, and give the people 10 years to create a perfect society. If Elysium succeeds, the people trapped inside this strange world will be free. If the town fails, all will perish.

Ten years later, just months before The Game ends, we follow Sal Wilkerson, an orphaned girl who is shunned by the town for her prophesies of a rainstorm that they will never see. When Sal is chosen to succeed Elysium's leader, a witch named Mother Morevna, she discovers that the strange foreboding she feels around danger and her prophetic dreams are not insanity, but instead powerful latent magic she has not yet learned to harness.

When a horrible mistake causes Sal to be exiled and dooms Elysium to its death, she will stop at nothing to right her wrongs and use the power inside her to save her town, and she will use the help of a group of exiled witches, a daemon, and a herd of giant mechanical horses to do it.

This book is wild. There's, blood magic, cowboys, daemons, steampunk horses, lesbians, and a whole slew of things that sound like they might feel bizarre in this setting, but it really works.

I'm a sucker for post apocalyptic Western settings thanks to Fallout: New Vegas, and while Elysium Girls isn't technically post-apocalyptic, as the rest of the world around the enchanted desert exists and is completely normal, Elysium and the dusty desert around it is completely cut off, which gives it an isolated, post apocalyptic feeling.

The magic in this is very cool and the usage of magical objects allows for some twists and situations I didn't expect.

The characters are all really interesting, and the cast is pretty diverse. It's always nice to see Western settings that aren't white washed. And while there are allusions to racism- for example, one character is indigenous and spent time at a residential school- racism is not the ultimate folley of Mother Morevna's Elysium, which I fully expected to be this case just a few chapters in.

I loved the protagonist, Sal, and her sidekick, the daemon Asa. Sal is interesting and filled with grit while still being a confused teen girl who may or may not have a sapphic crush. Her journey with the newly human Asa was very satisfying, and I really liked their interactions. By the end of the book, they felt like close friends, which made their final stand much mote epic and harrowing.

My only real critique is that I wished Pentecost had spent more time on the ending. It felt a little sudden, and while satisfying, it left me with some questions that really should have been answered.

Overall, a very fun ride with some really interesting magic and a really interesting setting, unlike anything else I've read before. I'm really glad I picked this one up. If anything in it sounds even a little bit appealing to your tastes, I urge you to get your hands on a copy!

Five stars, and a lucky penney for this one. 🐎🌪🦂

[let-them-read-fics]

Blackpink HC / One Shots: Enemies to Lovers, College AU (2/2)

Requested: Yes

Warnings / Misc. -- Bickering, Rivalry, Fluff

A/N: Hey everyone! This is the second half of the request, featuring Rosé and Lisa. If you want to see the first part, with Jisoo and Jennie, click the link below. I hope you enjoy!

Click for Jisoo and Jennie

♡ Happy Reading ♡

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

Rosé

Park Chaeyoung: The girl who hung with the wrong crowd.

Your problem lied more so with the people she associated with than her herself. You couldn't wrap your head around why such a kind person like her would spend time with the class clowns and bullies, and to make matters worse, she would stick up for them as well.

She spent most of her days in either the art or music room, creating the masterpieces that her brain came up with.

But as soon as school was over, she'd be hanging out with them again and getting into trouble. For instance, because of her talents, they would invite her to go with them and graffiti various hot spots around town. She never vandalized any monuments or landmarks of importance -- she typically stuck to bridges or abandoned buildings -- but after getting caught with them multiple times, it was inevitable for her to be held accountable.

She was given a week's detention to make up for her actions

You, coincidentally, had a teacher that absolutely loathed you for no reason at all. No matter how good of a student you were for him, he didn't care; he had a vendetta against you for some reason, and he patiently waited for the opportunity to ruin your day.

You came in literally 10 seconds after the bell rang, putting the breakfast sandwich you stopped to get on the way into your mouth so you could open the door. He was standing at the front with a smug grin on his face, and you already knew what was coming.

You were also given an ungodly sentence of a week's detention.

Turning Point

"If I see you on your phones, I'm taking them." The monitor informs before sitting at the desk, reclining in the chair and putting his feet up soon after. You sigh and lean back in your seat, attempting to find a way to pass the next two hours without getting in trouble. Your eyes scan across the room, eventually landing on Rosé, where she sits a couple rows away from you. Sunlight is streaming in through the window next to her, its golden rays peeking through the breaks in the clouds above to shine on her. She looks gorgeous as she doodles away in her notebook, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear when it falls in front of her face.

After waiting on the monitor to fall asleep and sending one last glance to double check, you quietly stand from your seat and go sit next to her.

You barely know each other, but she's your only hope of remaining sane and occupied.

"Hi," you greet, looking into her eyes.

"Hi," she copies, a tiny smile forming on her lips when she notices your impressed expression upon gazing down at her paper. You have to hand it to her -- she's really talented.

"You're really good," you compliment, still admiring the artistry. Seeing as how you're looking down, you fail to notice the blush that works its way to her cheeks. Coming from you, the simple remark meant a lot to her.

You spend the rest of the day making small talk and getting used to one another, leaving detention later with the hopes of sitting together again.

----

The Next Day

"Hi again," you whisper, glancing over your shoulder to ensure that the coast is clear. The monitor is out like a light, with his mouth hanging open and an obnoxiously loud snore coming out.

"Hi," she giggles, watching as you dive into the floor for cover when the man shifts in his sleep. You thought he was waking up, and if he finds out you moved seats, he'll definitely have something to say about it.

"The coast is clear, cadet," she nods like a soldier, assuring you that it's okay to move back after a minute.

"That was close," you breathe out in relief, glad to live to see another day.

You share a laugh, though it has to be hidden behind your hands and kept a minimum. It's cute though -- like a little secret between the two of you, only for you to know.

"What're you drawing today?" You ask later, laying your chin in your palm as you gaze down at her work. Her reply comes out stuttered at first when she feels your leg innocently brush against hers under the table.

"D-dalgom. My friend's dog." She manages out, mentally smacking herself for looking like a fool.

You smile, thinking she's adorable. "I bet it'll be great," you encourage. She grins back as her eyes scan over your face, committing the memory of you to heart. She's always had a thing for you, ever since the time you were paired up in Biology last semester, so she's been enjoying detention more than she thought she would. Seeing you makes the time go by faster, though ironically, she wishes it would slow down a bit.

You make her feel appreciated for more than just what she's capable of producing, and the divide between you and her friend group is blaringly obvious. They like her because of the rush she can help them achieve; you like her because of her.

That thought persists in her mind for the rest of detention, and before she knows it, the monitor is releasing you again. She bends down to put her notebook in her bag when a thought pops into her mind: she wants to ask if you want to go to the park with her. When she's done zipping her bag up, she looks back up at you, only to find you on your phone, talking to someone.

"Yeah, mom. I'll stop by on the way home. So milk, cereal, ramen, and paper towels, right?"

She watches as you wait for a reply, tucking the phone into the crook of your neck as you move to write the list down on a spare piece of paper.

"Alright, love you, too. See you later." You hang up before looking back at Rosie. She looks a little down, and you have no idea why.

You pause for a moment, silently psyching yourself up for what you're about to ask. "This is gonna sound really strange, but do you want to come with me to the store?"

Her heart's pace increases at that, happy to know that you want to spend more time with her, just as she does with you.

"Actually, yeah. That sounds like fun."

You grin at her before spinning around and doing a little celebratory dance, which wins you a strange look from the monitor. You stick your tongue out at him before grabbing her hand and rushing out of the room, hearing his disapproval shouted after you.

--

"Milk?"

"Check."

"Ramen?"

"Check."

"Cereal?"

"Nope."

You nod at her words, now reminded of what you were forgetting. You push the buggy towards the aisle of cereals, gazing around in wonder at the huge selection. Rosé is just the same, eyeing all of the options like a kid in a candy store. After grabbing your mom's favorite kind, you decide on one for yourself and bring it back to the cart. Rosie scoots her leg over, making room for them beside where she sits, reclined in the cart.

You grin when you see her eyeing a box of fruit loops. Huh; fruity. Go figure.

You wordlessly grab the box and hand it to her, feeling your heart melt when she looks up at you like you hold the key to the universe.

"Thank you, Y/N."

"No problem, Rosie." You say, putting your hands on the bar as you begin pushing the buggy again. "Now, I say we see how long it takes to get to the paper towel aisle. My last record was 30 seconds."

She looks at you, clearly impressed, with her eyebrows raised. Without question, she pulls her phone out and gets the stop watch feature ready to go.

"3...2...1... GO!" She shouts, commanding your legs to start pumping as you race down the long strip of store before you. A couple kids dart out of the way just before getting smacked into, quickly turning around and cheering you on as you charge forward.

Her giggles fill the air as you drift around a corner, shouting apologies to the lady you almost bumped into.

"Sorry ma'am!"

A few seconds later, chest heaving and legs sore, you come to a stop in the aisle, dramatically collapsing in a heap next to the buggy. Rosé checks her phone as she reaches down to poke you.

"22.18 seconds, champ," she declares victoriously, smiling when you magically regain enough energy to stand up and celebrate.

"Woohoo! Team Y/S/N (Your Ship Name) for the win!"

She laughs along at that, joining in on your celebration, but she's blushing like crazy on the inside.

-----

The Last Day Of Detention

Ever since your trip to the store, you and Rosé have grown closer and closer. You traded numbers and text occasionally, though nothing beats having her all to yourself for 2 hours straight with no distractions. She feels the same; when she's in class, she can't wait for the bell to ring and signal your reunion. Part of her wants to get in trouble again, just to see you more often.

So, as you'd expect, it's really no surprise that you're sat right in front of her again, telling jokes and asking about her day. You've grown a bit more bold with every step closer you've taken towards her heart, and now you reach down to intertwine your fingers with hers.

She happily accepts, even bringing your hand up to her lips to press a kiss to the back of it. She smiles against your skin after it, making butterflies take flight in your stomach. She's got you wrapped around her finger, and you don't even try to fight it anymore.

The sound of the classroom door opening alerts you, making her lower your hand. She doesn't let go of you, though, and that fact warms your heart for some reason. The squeaky hinges groan out again as the door opens wider, revealing about 4 or 5 people from the friend group that she hangs out with. They motion for her to sneak out with them, but she just shakes her head.

"Come on, Rosé!" They whisper-scream, offering her a way to freedom. Little do they know that she'd take this imprisonment over freedom any day, so long as you're by her side.

"No! Get out before he wakes up!" She whisper-shouts back, eventually convincing them to leave.

"Why didn't you go?" You ask once they're gone, toying with her fingers as your hands rest on the desk.

"Because I like spending time with you." She admits, letting her defenses down.

"I was hoping you'd say that," you smile, letting her know that you feel the same.

The Fallout

After detention, the two of you walked out of the school, hand in hand

"Would you maybe, I don't know... wanna go to the park with me?" She asks nervously, glancing up at you.

"You read my mind, Rosie." You smile at each other and head towards the parking lot.

You started hanging out more, and she distanced herself from her old crowd

You encouraged her to enroll in your school's art program and show her work that way

"You're really talented; it deserves to be seen."

Your support meant the world to her, and she never failed to let you know

"Thank you, Y/N. Having you behind me means the world to me."

At one of her art shows, where she was tasked with unveiling a new piece that she'd been working on for months, you got the biggest surprise of your life.

She created a mural of you, all decked out with every color of the rainbow, utterly gorgeous

She lit up when she saw your reaction

"This piece is titled 'Mine', which I hope the girl in it will soon be." She says into the microphone, looking at you with hope shining in her eyes.

You nod your head with a smile and walk up to her, pressing your lips to hers in a kiss that was long-overdue. She wraps her arms around your waist, pulling you in closer with her sweater-padded hands and kissing you again and again.

The crowd claps for you, happy to see such an ending.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

Lisa

I couldn't choose between these two gifs so enjoy both for the price of one ^^^

Lisa Manoban: Cocky, smug, and self-assured. The dancer knew she was hot shit, and she wasn't afraid to show off.

You're all for people being confident and happy with themselves, especially when they're talented, but something about Lisa always seemed to rub you the wrong way.

Whether it be her lack of a filter or the arrogant swagger that she naturally exuded, you weren't sure. People wanted to either be her or be with her, but you fell into neither of those categories.

She always left you frustrated in one way or another, whether it be from her teasing or her witty comebacks

The teachers loved her, as did the students. She was the class clown, so her position was pretty sacred in the grand scheme of things

You, on the other hand, irritated her for other reasons. You were the only person she couldn't get to crack; you never gave into her charms, and it infuriated her to no end. She wasn't used to not getting what she wanted (as childish as that may seem) and having you, one of the most attractive girls at school, turn her down? Well that was a massive blow to her ego.

You weren't afraid to say your piece, and that both pleasantly surprised and upset her.

She constantly tried to flirt with you in class, but you knew it was all for the attention. She just wanted to make her friends laugh, which they always did.

"Y/N, come here babe. There's an empty seat next to me," she coos, batting her eyelashes as you walk in the door. It's a free day, so everyone is sitting with their friends, wherever they like.

"I'm good," you decline, deciding to sit against the wall beneath the large window of the classroom.

"Oooo, denied," Lisa's friends laugh at her this time, chuckling harder when she sticks her middle finger up at them.

"Yah, shut up," she says, nursing her bruised ego as she turns around and opens her phone.

You smile as you continue working on the homework you cracked open, scribbling an answer down onto the notebook paper in front of you. Your fingers glide over your textbook in search of the definition of the term you're on, and Lisa secretly watches from afar. Without realizing it, she grins when you light up upon spotting the answer.

Sometimes her flirting does work, though, and you turn into a blushing mess

*whistle* "Damn, Y/N. You're looking fine today," she exclaims, fanning herself. You worry that she doesn't really mean it, but when her eyes remain on you a second too long to just be friendly, you blush. She's taking in all of you, looking impressed all the while.

"Right back at you, Manoban." You wink, sitting down in your seat across the room. She lightly blushes back, though she does a good job of concealing it.

Considering you share a couple classes and the class sizes are relatively small, it was pretty likely that you'd end up paired together eventually

You weren't happy about it, especially not after the way she had acted that week. Her cockiness had been at an all time high as of late, leaving you frustrated and upset. She was so full of herself; all you wanted to do was wipe that stupid smirk off her face.

"Y/N, you'll be paired with Lisa," your photography teacher informs, pushing her glasses up higher on the bridge of her nose.

"But Mrs. Ta--"

"Pairings are final," she cocks her head at you, persuading you to give in. With a sigh, you respond, "Yes ma'am," and attempt to ignore the sound of Lisa's friends high fiving each other in celebration.

The Turning Point

"My parents are gone for the rest of the week..." she says, holding the door open for you as you carry in your equipment. A hint of suggestiveness lies in it; she's alluding to exactly what you think she is, and you push her shoulder upon realizing it.

"Knock it off, Manoban."

"Okay, okay," she chuckles, listening to you for once. The surprise is clear on your face.

She leads you towards the backyard, where you set up one of your highest power cameras and turn it on. You have to create a gallery of different photos, all under the same theme. You both agreed to do a time-lapse of the sunset, and take pictures of the stars after.

Once she makes sure that the timer is set correctly and that the auto shut-off feature is enabled, she motions for you to follow her back into the house. You do, and she leads you into the kitchen.

"Do you want a snack?"

"Sure, do you have any ramen?"

She nods, quickly busying herself by bending down and searching through the cabinets. After she finds it, exclaiming a pleased, "Aha!", she tells you to go get comfortable in the living room.

Three minutes later, from your place on the couch, you begin to smell something burning. You scramble up and rush to the kitchen, only to find Lisa running around like a headless chicken, attempting to put out the small fire she started.

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU MANAGE TO BURN RAMEN?" You shout, though your tone isn't angry. You're just very shocked, and loud about it. You push her away from the pot, albeit gently, and get the flames to go down relatively quickly. You turn the burners off and put the pot in the sink, leaning against the counter to recover from the adrenaline rush.

"Oops?" She asks more so that says, with a growing smile evident in her voice.

You shake your head and chuckle despite yourself, turning around to face her. "You can order a pizza now to make up for that." You point a finger at her, grinning stupidly when she presses the tip of hers to it.

"Your wish is my command, princess."

Thankfully you're already walking away as she says that, so she doesn't get the satisfaction of seeing you blush.

---

"Lisa, I can't keep going." You groan out, sweat dripping down your face. The pizza you ate earlier is giving you a stomache ache, paired with the physical activity you're doing.

"Y/N, just a little longer, we're almost there," she huffs out, keeping her movements steady somehow. You're a mess by now, so you don't understand how she's still going.

A couple minutes later, the TV in front of you lights up, saying, "Awesome moves! You win!" as you collapse to the ground in a heap.

Why you agreed to play Just Dance with her after eating is beyond you.

"Good job," she compliments, grabbing your hand to high five herself with it.

"Yeah, yeah," you roll over, catching your breath.

She lays down beside you as you recover, telling jokes to hear that laugh that she loves so much. She prefers yours over anyone elses, so it's always such a reward when she gets you to crack up.

"We should probably head up now," she notes, realizing that the stars will be coming out soon. You agree, and she carefully helps you up.

"Here, I'll carry you," she turns, bending down so you can get on her back.

"Lisa, you can't carry me," you brush off, feeling insecurity bubble up again like it always does when you're offered a piggyback ride.

"Y/N, I promise that I can. Trust me," she reassures, looking into your eyes sincerely.

"Alright," you sigh, standing onto the couch to get on easier.

"See?" She asks, sliding her warm hands up your thighs to keep you secured against her. "I've got you, babe."

You tuck your head into the space between her shoulder and neck, inhaling the sweet scent of her perfume.

"I'm gonna punch you if you drop me," you whisper, feeling her laugh against you.

"Fair enough."

-----

Later, On The Rooftop

"Careful," she instructs, outstretching a hand to help you climb out the window. Her camera hangs around her neck, and she takes the cap off of the lense once you're both safely sitting on the roof.

"Wow," you sigh, gazing up at the sky in wonder. Her house is far enough away from the city that you're rewarded with a gorgeous view of the stars, unburdened by the industrial fog that hangs over the cosmopolis.

"It's beautiful out here," you say, looking back at her. You tense up a bit, not expecting her to already be looking at you.

"Sorry," she laughs at herself, looking away once she gets caught admiring you.

"It's okay," you reach down and gently squeeze her hand, making her blush lightly.

"Let's get started," you conclude, pointing at the camera. She nods, knowing that she'd never get the assignment done if you didn't step in to tell her to (considering she'd rather admire you), and she points the device to the sky.

After snapping a few pictures, she lays back in order to get a better vantage point of one of the star systems. She hands it to you after she's satisfied with her work, and you take your turn with it.

She notices that you keep brushing your hair out of the way when it falls in your face, so she decides to help you.

"Here," she says, saddling up behind you. She gathers your hair up, running her fingers through it to neatly pull it up for you. Thankfully she always keeps a spare tie on her wrist.

"Thanks," you smile, snapping another picture. The simple act warms your heart; she's being selfless for once, and helping you without even being asked. It's a refreshing change of pace.

"You're welcome." She chirps, sitting back down beside you.

-----

Later, In Her Bedroom

"Oh, I really like that one!" She says excitedly, pointing at the TV. Her phone, which is connected via Bluetooth and automatically receives pictures of her choosing from the camera, is displaying some of your best shots.

"Yeah, you did really well with that. I think we might beat everyone else if we use that as our cover piece."

Your compliment makes her momentarily shy, and she quickly realizes how much she loves your praise.

The two of you continue like that, reviewing the different pictures and choosing your favorites. She always finds ways to compliment yours, noting your technique or the filter you used, and it always makes you smile. She's different than you're used to, and it's throwing you for a loop, pleasantly surprising.

---

Lisa steps out of the room to go to the bathroom a few minutes later, leaving her phone connected to the TV. A ding sounds out across the space, pulling your attention away from the stack of notes laid out before you. Your eyes dart up to the screen, reading the text message that appeared at the top of it.

Austin ⛓: "Dude, did you get into her pants yet? We're literally betting over here 😂"

You blink a few times as their words sink in, making your chest hurt. You were really beginning to believe that you had been wrong about Lisa; clearly, though, your instincts were right.

Feeling betrayed, you shove your folders back into your bag and stand from the chair, willing yourself not to cry. The sound of the sink turning on lets you know that she's almost done, so you hurry your movements and make your way towards the door. She steps out into the hall just as you exit her room, looking at you with wide eyes.

"Woah, woah, woah, what's going on?" She asks with furrowed brows, approaching you. One of her hands lands on your arm, and you shrug it off as you brush past her without another word.

"Y/N, did I do something wrong?" She asks from the top of her staircase, watching as you walk towards her foyer.

"Why don't you ask Austin?" You bitterly call over your shoulder as you turn the knob, slipping out the front door. She hangs her head upon registering your words, realizing what must've happened. She makes a mental note to give him hell when she sees him again.

Tears sting your eyes as you exit the house, wrapping your jacket tighter around yourself. You should've known something like this would happen. The chilly night air bites at your skin, stealing more of its warmth away with every step you take. The temperature doesn't change your mind, though; you're upset, and you'd rather freeze out here than be face to face with her right now.

"Y/N, wait!" She calls after you, blasting out the front foor. Her footfalls sound off behind you, announcing her rapid approach, but you don't turn around. Realizing this, she darts in front of you, keeping you from walking any further.

"Please, don't go. He's an idiot, Y/N."

"He might he an idiot, but that doesn't take away what he said," you scowl, clenching your jaw. "Betting? Really, Lisa?" You ask quietly, hurt evident in your voice.

"It was a stupid thing they tried to convince me to do. I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop them from talking once you and I were paired up. That's not what I want, though. I'm not just in it for that."

"How am I supposed to believe that? This is your M.O., Lisa."

"It's different with you, I don't know why." That's a lie; she knows exactly why you're different than anyone else she's flirted with in the past.

You stand there before her, silently weighing your options. After seeing the pleading look in her eye, her dark orbs full of sincerity, you relent. "Just take me home. We'll work on it another day," you compromise, allowing her in just enough to take you home, but not enough to stay at her place any longer. You're still weary after a text like that, and you will be for a while.

"Thank you," she breaths a sigh of relief, clasping her hands behind herself as you begin walking back to her house. She notices you shiver on the way, and she slips her jacket off without hesitation to cover you. Neither of you have to say anything; one glance from you is enough for her, and she's content knowing you're warm.

The Fallout

From there on out she was always honest with you and actually spoke out when her friends tried to do something stupid

She still remained the charming class clown that she naturally is, just getting rid of the not-so-nice parts of herself

You slowly let her regain your trust, little by little

She did nice things for you on the daily, whether it be holding the door, carrying your books, or offering to buy you some lunch

"Morning, Y/N. Wanna grab some breakfast?" She asks, moving her head to the side towards the café at the center of campus.

"Sure," you smile, laughing when she celebrates.

She invites you to her dance perfomances

When she goes to championships, you're always first on her list of invites

"I want you there." She declares, handing you the flyer.

"You've got it," you decide, knowing there's no where you'd rather be. "I wouldn't miss it for the world."

At said championship, she won the highest title and claimed victory for your school

You joined the rest of the team on the stage to celebrate, congratulating the solo dancer on her achievement.

"I'm so proud of you, Lis--"

She suddenly kisses you, clearly high off her win. She pulls back when she realizes what she just did, a worried look on her face.

"Shit, I'm sorry." She looks between your eyes, attempting to gauge your reaction.

"Get your ass back here," you order, feeling butterflies take flight when she eagerly presses her lips to yours again, wrapping her arms around you to spin you.

"Does this mean I'm forgiven?" She mumbles against your lips.

You squint, pretending to think about it. "Maybe... or maybe not."

Her subsequent gasp is quickly muffled by your kiss, which she can't seem to get enough of.

[giorno-plays-piano]

You were all I wanted Part 2

Pairing: mob!Peter Parker x plus-sized!Reader

Warnings: yandere, obsession, swearing, kidnapping, human trafficking, non-con, minor character's death.

Words: 2655.

Summary: You are bought by the head of Stark crime family for a kid he cares about.

Part 1

P.S. Peter is an adult!

__________

It had started. You could feel the sudden shift in atmosphere when Peter dropped his hand to your cheek, touching you awkwardly as if he were afraid you would disappear once he got more passionate with you. He caressed you gently like a lover, and you felt miserable. The only boy who had ever set his eyes on you was a young mobster who owned you as of you were some soulless object.

"You're so pretty." His whisper was barely audible, his face so close to yours you wanted to shut your eyes.

You needed to relax. No one - even a boy like him - would want to deal with a mad fury. He'd just shoot you: among other things on the table there were there was an actual gun. You needed to keep this guy happy, and maybe Peter would still be sweet with you once he got rid of his virginity.

But then he suddenly stopped and pulled away from you.

"Oh no, what the hell am I doing?" He laughed awkwardly and scratched his head. "Sorry, I didn't mean jumping at you like that. So you wanna take your shower or maybe eat some more?"

You took your eyes elsewhere and did your best not to wince. Keep it cool, breathe, don't push the boy off.

"Can I have some alcohol?" Your voice sounded pathetic.

"Of course!" Peter jumped again and rushed to the drawer. "I have some whiskey and vo... shit, I'm stupid, who the fuck gives vodka to a lady? I'll bring you a bottle of champagne, just a sec!"

He was at the door in a matter of seconds and you gave him a puzzled look. This Peter boy was unpredictable. He grinned at you and went out of the room, locking the door behind him.

You were still on the bed, watching your feet, afraid to move. Technically, in front of you was a regular door with a simple lock and a door handle - if you could find something heavy, you could break it.

Well, actually, you could just snatch that gun from the table and make a few holes in the wood. The problem with that was that you were inside Stark Tower, that ugly building that looked more like an abandoned factory rather than a graceful skyscraper. How many Stark's guys with guns were there? How far would you make it?

You could also put a gun against your head and pull the trigger...

You shivered and stood up, walking to the bathroom. You refused to look at the table.

Stripping yourself of all those lacy undergarments with shame and dropping them to the white floor, you sneaked into the bath and turned on the water, trying not to look around too much. It felt like there were cameras everywhere to record you, naked, miserable, and frightened, so you finished showering as fast as you could and wrapped a towel around youself. Could you take that towel, actually? Was it for you? Would Peter want to see you naked on the bed when he returned instead?

You wiped away more tears running down your face and slowly removed the towel, putting on the lingerie they gave you before the auction.

"Hey, where are you?" Peter's voice rang loudly behind the door. You could feel he was distressed.

"H-here!" You quickly grasped your palr pink silk robe and put it on too, carefully sneaking back to the room to see the boy with a bottle of Moet & Chandon and two champagne glasses in his hands. Huh, classy.

"Oh, hey." He smiled, a bit embarrassed at his outbirst. "I, uh, found this. I hope you're going to like it."

"Thank you, Peter." You murmured softly and saw him grinning wider when he heard you saying his name for the first time.

Although normally you didn't drink much, you heard about your friend's sexual escapades when she was totally drunk many times and assumed everything could go easier if you had enough champagne. Maybe then you would simply forget you were brought to Stark's Tower and forced to have sex with a guy you had never met before.

Peter had already opened the bottle with a loud noise and poured the sparkly golden liquid into the glass, handing it to you. You brushed your hand against his unintentionally and thought how warm he was.

"I'm not good with these things, but, um, I'm glad I met you today." He had that radiant boyish smile on his face. When he raised his glass, you raised yours too, barely understanding to what you were saluting. "I'm so happy from now on you're gonna be here with me."

What a romantic. It would be almost sweet if he didn't hold you here against your will.

"I'm happy to meet you, too." You made yourself smile, and the two of you clinked your glasses. You drank all the champagne in one big gulp, not afraid to appear unladylike and caring only to get drunk faster. You didn't eat much, so it had to be easy enough.

Peter repeated after you with a little laugh and filled the glasses again and then again until you didn't start feeling funny and your shoulders finally relaxed, the alcohol removing all the tension from your body like some magical elixir. When the boy reached out to touch your shoulder, you didn't flinch, feeling his soft lips pressing against yours in a gentle kiss.

It wasn't that bad, you thought. He was being very tender with you, taking his time to unfasten your robe with his fingers trembling from excitement, and then kissed your temple. He trailed his kisses down to your neck as you let out a loud sigh, biting your lips, then burying your fingers in his soft disheveled hair. Peter's subtle touches felt good.

"I'm sorry for hurrying these things up." He said suddenly with guilt all over his pretty face. "I really am, but I have to show the guys you're my girl. They won't understand otherwise, and we might get in trouble."

"It's ok." You kissed his cheek, watching his eyelashes tremble. "Maybe I'm going to like it. You're nice, Peter."

He looked at you with wide eyes, his lips curling into a wide smile once more at your words as he reached to unfasten your pink bra.

"I don't have much experience, but I'll do my best to make you feel good." His breath tickled your face when the boy cupped your breasts, enjoying the softness of your body. You loved that look of adoration on his face.

"Do you have any?"

"I do."

What, really? That high schooler already had his virginity taken by someone else?

"Kids these days." You mumbled and he suddenly pinched your cheek. "Ouch!"

"You're not allowed to call me a kid!" Peter said with a pout, drawing little circles around your nipple and grasping your plump hip. "Only Mr. Stark can. Besides, I'm like year and a half younger that you, so I'm going to call you a little girl then, y'know?"

"Wha... ahh... Peter." You inched him closer, enjoying the way he played with your breast and kissing him in return. "But you look so young, huh."

"And you look like a schoolgirl without your makeup." He chuckled and gently sucked your lower lip, his left hand caressing your soft belly. You tensed immediately again, but the boy lowered you on the bed and kissed your forehead, staring at you from above with loving  eyes. "Please don't be shy. I like you. Every part of you."

You stayed silent, but your eyes were gleaming with tears when you threw your hands around his neck and inched Peter closer, kissing him more. He rested one of his arms close to your pillow, the other one travelled down your body to squeeze your belly gently again, then went closer to your pussy, forcing you to open your legs and caressing your clit covered by the thin pink fabric of your panties.

"I can take care of you." The boy cooed softly at your ear and pushed them to the side to touch your already slick folds. "Do you want me to? Do you want me to take care of you?"

"Yes." You moaned when his fingers rubbed your clit and closed your eyes, losing yourself in the moment. "Please, please, Peter, take care of me."

"I knew you'd be a good girl." He licked his lips impatiently and picked up pace rubbing your clit to make you wail under him. "Yes, like that. I'm gonna teach you to cum from my fingers, and then I'll use that tight little pussy of yours, yeah? Would you like that?"

"Yes, yes Peter, plea... ahhh."

____________

The next morning was peaceful - you woke up to the boy's soft snoring behind you, his hand draped over body. Well, you weren't sure you could keep calling him that since he was actually older than you thought and, uh, way more experienced. If you tried to recall all the things he did to you last night, you could die of shame, probably.

The alcohol helped a lot. Firstly, it was so much easier to blame it for all the pleaser Peter gave you - of course, it was all the alcohol's fault, you couldn't possibly enjoy having sex with someone who thought owing a human being was okay. Secondly, the alcohol allowed you to play the role of a sweet little thing to perfection as you never even once pushed Peter away, probably leaving him satisfied with your submission. If he was satisfied, maybe he wouldn't get rid of you first thing in the morning.

You shivered at the thought and realized you didn't hear his snoring anymore.

"Good morning." He yawned, sneaking closer to you and pressing his face into your hair. "Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning, Peter." You found the strength to gently caress the back of his hand laying on your belly. "Yes, thank you. Did you?"

"Are you joking?" The sound of him giggling made you relax a bit. "I think the last time I slept so soundly was when Aunt May was still alive."

You went quiet, staring at the white bathroom's door across the room. So, the woman he told you about yesterday was dead. You could imagine she was the one who raised Peter, but withour her to take care of the boy - who could be very young at that time - he ended up with Stark's crime family. Then it made sense why he didn't behave exactly like those vultures surrounding his boss as he most likely didn't grow up on the streets of New York.

Were you pitying the man who was holding you captive here? Yes, yes you were.

"Does it hurt?" He asked in quiet voice and touched your lower belly tenderly.

"A little. But not as much I thought it would."

He moved his hand up and cuddled you, kissing the top of your head. You hoped it was a good sign and you wouldn't end up in a ditch in the evening. Was Peter going to keep you here as his personal toy? It was humiliating to even think about that, but anything seemed better than dying to you now.

He let you stay. In fact, he had never considered letting you go after Mr. Stark bought you - you were Peter's girl now, right? So he did his best to accommodate you in that room where he lived, providing you with clothes, shoes, cosmetics and all the things you needed, a laptop included. Of course, there was no wi-fi or anything that could help you to connect to the outer world, but Peter recommended you strongly against it. You've already seen enough that made it impossible for you to leave - Mr. Stark would never take it kindly if you tried to run or, God forbids, go to the police. It wasn't just your life at stake, but the life of your family, too. It was embarrassingly easy to find out everything about them, including where they lived and worked, of course. Tony could kill them with a snap of his fingers.

Though you weren't allowed to leave the room, Peter promised he would do everything to give you more freedom a bit later. The guys needed to trust you before they would grant you permission to move freely around the building - not that you really wanted it. Who in the right mind would walk the Stark's Tower full of deranged criminals?

Anyway, the place where you were now was mostly comfortable - you could watch TV and play video games if you were bored; Peter also brought you a pile of books and magazines, and he was always providing you with nice food. Honestly, you expected something way worse than that.

It was the end of the third day when the boy returned with a box of pizza and a few bottles of Starbucks frappuccino, his usually cheerful expression turned all gloomy and tired. Something must had happened, but you were not sure if you were allowed to ask him that - you had never discussed the things he was doing outside of this room.

"Hi, Peter. How was your day?" You stood up from the bed and took a box and bottles from him, placing them on the side table close to the microwave. Before you could turn to him, you felt the boy kissing the back of your head.

"Tired." He mumbled and step back, taking off his bomber and sneakers before moving to bed and sitting down. "I've had a hell of a day."

"I'm so sorry. Do you want me to draw you a bath?"

When he looked at you, you saw him chuckling warmly as he motioned you to come closer. You lowered yourself on the bed, too, and Peter kissed your lips, then grinning and laughing like a kid.

"You don't know how happy I am to have you, Baby. You're sweet and smart and, uh, you don't want to run from me because you know there's no good in that."

Maybe his words were intended as a compliment, but you shivered and quickly placed a fake smile on your face. You had already figured out Peter was not even half as sweet as he seemed. What did you expect from him being Stark's favourite?

"Did something happen, Peter?" You knew you were going to regret asking that, yet you felt like you had to. You needed to pretend your relationship with him were genuine.

"Mr. Stark shot Amanda." The boy shooked his head sadly.

"Who?"

"His new girl. The one he bought at the same auction as you."

That immensely beautiful woman with her eyes deep as ocean and hair dark as night? She could easily be the world's next beauty queen, and he killed her? He killed an innocent woman who, besides that, was stunning, graceful and perfect and walking on air?!

"I mean, of course she brought it on herself when she whored with her guards to make them let her go, but, shit, I don't like it when Mr. Stark kills his girls." Peter covered his face with his rough palms and rubbed his eyes as you stared at him, terrified.

"Does he... does he kill them all?"

"Not all of them... but most."

You heard youself sobbing and clamped a hand against your mouth right away, tears pouring down your face. Your pathetic attempt to hide your fear failed as Peter leaned closer to you, taking your hand away and kissing your eyelids to shush you. He rubbed your back reassuringly and let you put your face against his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Baby." That was how he called you now. "You're not his girl, you're mine. This will never happen to you because I love you a lot and you're smart, right?"

_________

Tags: @finleyjayne @alexakeyloveloki   ​@helenaeisenhower @villanellevi @hurricanerin ​@void-hoechlin @abyssaint @msruchita @opheliadawnwalker3

[lovelystarlings]

Chapter One - Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts

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The Beauxbatons Academy of Magic was a beautiful chateau located in the north of France, surrounded by majestic gardens, and crystal fountains that were filled with water as clear as the ice sculptures that surrounded them. The place practically oozed elegance, perhaps that's why the Delacour parents had insisted Camille's sister's attend.

The Delacour's had been attending the school for centuries, right up to their grandmother, Dominique Delacour-who had been a full veela in her time. Dominique had married a man by the name of Lancelot Delacour, the father of their mother, Apolline Delacour. Both their father, Monsieur Delacour and their mother had attended Beauxbatons, their father only for a short while before it became an all-girls school. Due to Fleur, Gabrielle and Camille's grandmother being a full veela, the two were ¼ veela; giving them a full scholarship to Beauxbatons as the school had a strict student body of only veela's or veela blooded students, other witches needing to pay a large amount of money to attend.

However, Camille despised the school with a passion. It wasn't the students that went there, or the teachers. Nor was it the headmistress, who she had visited many times on account of helping her learn certain essential spells before she started her schooling at Hogwarts, a school in Britain that her parents had decided to send her to instead of Beauxbaton's. The school just wasn't her type of place, she wasn't fond of all the perfection and balls and girliness, she just hated it. Hence why Camille was so glad her parents were the way they are, she was glad they were understanding and allowed to her to switch.

That lead to her to where she was now, stood at the entrance of Kings Cross train station in London, crying her eyes out with her arms wrapped round her sister, who was sobbing just as much.

"I'll see you soon, ok? Summer's only like what, seven months away? And I might come home for Christmas, who knows?" Her sister sniffled, and Camille was stricken by the realization that she wouldn't see her family for over half a year, which was a long period of time considering they would be in completely different countries as well. Parting from Fleur gently, Camille took a hold of her trolley which held her case and her snowy owl, who she had named Persephone, after one of her favourite Greek myths. Looking down at her ticket and up at the platforms surrounding her, her eyebrows furrowed, and her lips tilted. There wasn't a Platform 9 ¾ in sight. Hearing the ramble of a large family behind her, she turned her head and was reassured to see a group of red heads who looked slightly welcoming and had 'Hogwarts' written on their many cases.

"Excuse me," she spoke gently, her soft French accent showing as she tapped the woman on the shoulder and gestured to the trunk on her trolley.

"D-do you happen to know how to get to Platform 9 ¾ ?" She questioned, the woman who she had tapped jumping round, a wide smile on her face.

"Of course, dear! I was just about to explain it to Harry here," The lady spoke, her hand grasping Camille's hand in a comforting manner as she noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. A black-haired boy stood next to her waved, clearly out of place with the family. "You're a first year too I presume? So are Ron and Harry here." She pointed to the youngest ginger boy, who was staring at the brunette, almost entranced; Camille assumed it was her veela charm.

"Hi. I'm Camille." Camille spoke, her hand reaching out to shake Ron's, who shakily took the hand and shook it, his cheeks now blushing red. Cute, she thought, It matches his hair. "I'm Weasley-I mean Ron, Ron Weasley but you already knew that." Camille giggled slightly, letting the poor boy's hand go and grabbing her trolley as Mrs Weasley began to walk off, gesturing for her to follow.

"All you have to do is walk straight at the barrier between platforms nine and ten. Don't stop and don't be scared you'll crash into it, that's very important. Best do it at a bit of a run if you're nervous. Go on, Harry, you can go before Ron, and Camille you can go through with Harry."

Camille pushed her trolley round and started to walk towards the barrier, Harry by her side. Fear struck inside the young girl, she and the boy next to her were going to smash into the wall and get scolded by the muggles and then they'd be in trouble. Camille pushed harder on her trolley and ran faster, the barrier coming closer and closer and the trolley wheels wobbling as she began to lose control of it, her feet somehow still solid on the ground as she closed her eyes, ready to smash into the wall-yet the crash didn't come and she slowly opened her eyes.

A scarlet steam engine was waiting next to a platform packed with families and children with trolleys. A sign overhead read Hogwarts Express in bold black writing and Camille let out a sigh of relief. She locked eyes with the boy beside her, both smiling widely. Peering behind her, Camille spotted another sign that read Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

They had made it.

Camille and Harry made their way through the thick crowd until they eventually found an empty carriage near the very end of the train. Both had agreed that they should stay together as the two were new to Hogwarts, and Camille had begun to inform on the Wizarding World, shocked that he had lived with muggles for so long.

"Hey, do you need a hand with that?" One of the redheaded twins from earlier spoke as he followed through the wall.

"Please," Camille panted, sending a look to Harry who was simply watching her struggle, having already loaded his trunk into the carriage and was waiting for her to load hers up so they could enter.

"Oi, Freddy! Come over here and help the pretty lady!" He yelped over to 'Fred', leading Camille to assume that he was George. With the two's help, Camille's trunk was finally tucked away in the farthest corner of the compartment; she didn't want to risk her personal belongings being stolen.

"Thanks," she spoke as she grabbed Harry's hand and began to pull him up from his slouched position on the nearby bench, when one of the twin's began to point at the boy's forehead.

"Blimey," he spoke, as he leaned closer to Harry, who seemed uncomfortable with the lack of personal space the older boy seemed to have. "Are you-?"

"He is," said George, "Aren't you?" he added, nodding Harry's way, and giving a strange look to Camille, who had no idea what either of them were on about. The French didn't pay much attention to the British wizarding world, even during the Wizarding War they kept to themselves, only fighting in their own country.

"What?"

"Harry Potter," chorused the twins, the name ringing a bell in Camille's mind.

"Oh, him," Harry spoke, nonchalantly shrugging at the statement, "I guess I am."

The two boys stared at him in shock for a few minutes, only leaving reluctantly when they were called by their mother, who gave the other two children a kind smile and wave. Harry took a seat next to the window, Camille flopping herself on the chair opposite, ensuring no one else would be able to sit next to her. The two watched as Mrs Weasley said goodbye to her children, the twins still whispering and glancing occasionally at Harry.

The door to the compartment slid open and the young red headed boy from earlier stepped in.

"Is anyone sitting there?" He pointed at the seat next to Harry, "Everywhere else is full."

Harry shook his head and looked over to Camille, who had now tucked herself into the corner with a book, the title reading 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'. It wasn't that Camille was anti-social or an introvert, she just felt that the two boys would connect more without her input, and who was she to get in the way of a budding friendship. All she was interested in was her book and the food trolley, the latter of which she hoped would be there soon, as she had skipped breakfast and was dying for some chocolate.

Ridding herself of her cardigan, she tucked her legs underneath her and continued reading, ignoring the twins who had once again popped up.

"Hey Harry, Camille," They spoke simultaneously, ignoring their brother who simply shook his head at the pair.

"We didn't introduce ourselves earlier. Fred and George Weasley. Budding bachelors," They gave a joking wink at Camille, who simply flipped them the bird as they laughed, "And this is Ron, our brother." They gestured to Ron, who also looked fed up with their antics. "Well, we'll see you happy people later, then." And with that they left, a pretty meaningless visit Camille thought, but who was she to question the actions of people she didn't know, especially when she herself could be strange at times.

"So, is it true what they said then?" The ginger boy spoke, and it was only then Camille noticed the grey rat that sat in his lap, its beady eyes seemingly glaring straight through the French girl, like the eyes of a predator would its prey. Reaching above her she draped her cardigan back over her shoulders, which at the moment were only covered by the thin straps of her dress, as she hadn't changed into her school robes just yet.

"Are you Harry Potter?"

[georgemackayhey]

Rules For Falling In Love: #3

summary: In which George wants to get married. But… you’re not dating. Why should you say yes?

a/n: So sorry I've been MIA! Here's the news. There are only two chapters left of this fun little story. And something else is in the works for which I'll be posting a sneak peek of very soon (bet ya can't guess what it is!) I hope you're all still just as in love with this plot, though, because I know I am. Let me know your thoughts as always, dudes

w/c: 3k

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"What the hell are you doing?" You hissed through your teeth at your very own reflection. You were dressed for any imaginable occasion. If folks noticed you waltzing down the street, they might assume you were on your way to lunch with friends. They might think you were headed to the market, or to the movies, or shopping around. But they most likely wouldn't imagine you were on your way to get married. But you were.

You perfected your lipgloss and fixed your hair, and when there was nothing left to primp, you stood there, still, waiting for the girl on the other side of the glass to reach through, grab your shoulders and shake some sense into your head. But she didn't.

///

"That's it? We're done?" You asked in a stunned breath. The cheery old fellow who'd walked you through the process of signing a bunch of papers and reciting a few promises smiled, but studied you for a beat before nodding.

"You're married, now. Congratulations!" He escorted you and your group toward the door, waving a bony hand from the entry before slamming the old wooden door shut, abandoning you in the massive marble halls.

"Oh, that's absolutely not it." George's sister whined. The girl yanked you and her brother out into the warm sunshine. She shoved some wildflowers in your hands, forced you to stand in place, and shoved her brother to your side. George draped an arm around your shoulder as you both grumbled for the girl to stop making such a fuss.

"Just think of all the things I was talked out of doing. The party I could have- no, should have thrown. Now smile!" She rose her phone camera and snapped a few shots, humming with satisfaction when she was decidedly finished. Bless her, she really did only want the best for the two of you. And you and George were due for some new photos besides the ones snapped of your forced smiles at the latest award show.

"Well, I forgot to bring cake as promised, but let me take you round the cafe uptown to kick off my stress eating. " Dean sighed as if someone was making him pitch the offer.

"Sounds like ya need it." You jested. Dean rolled his eyes and gave you a real, soft smile. George's sister left with a big wave and a dramatic congratulations.

Dean was excited to choose your celebratory treats himself, and was the first to dart inside the posh cafe when you arrived. You and George followed, laughing about how your friend had transformed into the classic "kid in a candy shop." You lost Dean to the winding line and moved to find some big comfy seats in the busy shop.

The reality of your latest achievement hadn't quite set in yet. George's laughter was such a familiar, comforting sound, as you settled beside him on some ridiculously oversized ottoman. Today was just... another day.

"Please tell me that what Dean just told me is a big fat joke." A familiar lilt pipped up from the other side of the paint chipped coffee table in front of you. George's agent was stood, slack-jawed with a big, whip cream filled to-go coffee in hand. How funny she happened to be here, you thought. Only her surprise greeting was much different from the times you'd bumped into each other and chatted in line at the markets, before.r

"It's nice to see you too, Donna." George laughed, watching as she set her drink down and moved to sit in the claw foot chair at your side. The woman reached for your hand in a flash, focusing on the ring you'd grown rather attached to over the week.

"Surprise?" You laughed, a twinge of worry settling in your stomach as the woman glanced up to you, eyes full of shock.

"Why on earth did you get married?" She asked in a slow squeak, turning to George as you drew your hand out of her clutch. "More importantly why haven't you told me?"

"Well, it's only just happened. Like half an hour ago." George looked to you, then back to his agent. Donna let out a laugh, and you understood her shock, but her reaction was a bit unnerving. She continued to ask a string of rhetorical questions, how, why, where, why, why?

That was about the time Dean emerged from the line that was now flooding out of the doors and around the building. Was it filling up in here, or was the place closing in on you? A nagging unease settled at the base of your lungs as George told Donna some of the things you'd discussed and what led you to signing some papers, together.

Your favorite third wheel plopped down a tray of little bite-sized cakes, decorated in different shades of pretty pastel icing. They reminded you of the macaroons George brought home from the last award show after-party, and never shared.

"Care to join in the celebration? Tea is on it's way." Dean spoke in Donna's direction before casting his gaze to you, sitting across the way.

"Unfortunately, I've got to get going, but I do wish we could continue discussing what the hell you two have gotten yourselves into." Donna stood, with a wavering smile, grabbing her condensation covered to-go coffee, and spinning toward the door to the tune of your crew's goodbyes.

You glanced down to the cakes Dean had picked out, as he piped up to explain their fillings and flavors. George reached over to place a hand on your knee, as he nodded along to his friend's excited dessert-themed rambles. All the worry that had sprouted at Donna's confusion was swiftly put at ease when you noticed the ring on George's finger. This was your decision, together. You'd talked it all the way through and back. Anyone else's worry over the matter didn't hold value over that fact.

When your tea came, you had managed to ask Dean about the girl he'd been seeing. The three of you noshed on divine desserts and listened to your friend gush over the girl he'd taken on a fourth date, just the night before last. His eyes sparkled and you couldn't help but smile when he paused to think up just how to describe his new beau. He was lucky to have found someone who brought a blush to his cheeks at the mention of their name. Hers, was Claire.

You'd been enraptured by Dean's rose-colored chatter, so much so that your phone's sudden rhythmic buzz in your pocket made you gasp aloud.

"Oh shit." You muttered, past a bite of cake. "We're gonna be late for that thing." You turned to George whose face lit up in recognition. He had an interview today, one for a late-night talk show that would be on air long after you'd settled in for the night.

George thanked his friend for the desserts and for being there today, for the both of you. You knew George meant it, you knew how important it was to him. But to hear his genuine appreciation in his goodbye to Dean made your heart lurch.

"I know I've been giving you both a hard time about this, and I'm still a bit confused by the whole thing, but honestly, I'm happy for you both. And I'm glad you let me come along today." Dean shrugged as you all stood to head your separate ways. Now your heart was a puddle, as you flung yourself to the fellow, wrapping him in a hug and thanking him for being too good a friend. You were lucky too, you figured.

///

It was almost actually funny how uncomfortable these things made George. He was so keen to be a movie star, in the most romantic sense, of course. He could go on for days (months, even, you suspected) about the magic of storytelling and all the lessons to be learned from his chosen career.

But promoting his works, promoting himself, wasn't something he was fond of in the very least bit. So once, you tagged along to some garish dinner party that was really just a competition for best dressed, in disguise. He mingled with the people he knew, and the people he was meant to know, trying with all his might to make genuine connections because if he'd failed to learn at least one person's life story on a night out, he considered the evening wasted. And when they asked about him, he'd get it over with in a flash before turning his attention to you, introducing you, asking you to tell that one story. And when you were left alone to await the next celebrity encounter George begged you with his hands clasped together to come along with him to all of the ridiculous Hollywood shindigs he was ever required to attend. And of course, you couldn't tell the boy no.

So tonight was another one of many. You went home, tossed on a dress, and spun out of the door again without a second to breathe. All your focus was spent reminding George that this would all be worth it in the end. How selling his latest film to millions of viewers would ensure the story he was so proud to have been a part of would effectively become dear to most everyone who tuned in to hear his interview.

When you crept through the studio doors, hand in hand, the welcome George received was perplexingly warm. Interns offered both of you snacks and drinks, directors passed through the green room doorway with beaming smiles, and instructions for George to follow. Writers breezed in, covering the last of the bases, and a friendly old makeup lady fussed over his look just in time for George to float to the stage. When he did, he dragged you along with him. You let go behind all the cameras, promising you'd be near the door's he was meant to exit- near enough to give him the odd thumbs up and dash away when it was all said and done.  

A small audience murmured as the set changed, and cameramen fluttered about. And then it was off. A man in a casual suit sped through a nauseating, over-rehearsed introduction and you wondered how many of the audience members were laughing for real or because they'd been told to.

And then, out of nowhere, without any warning, the interview took a turn you hadn't prepared for in the least. After the usual quick nice to see you again greetings had been passed back and forth, the host asked George a question he already knew the answer too and presented a photograph you hadn't even gotten the chance to see yet.

It was the one his sister had taken this morning, with the wildflowers, out in the midmorning sun. She'd posted it to her Instagram, tagging you in the caption that featured some long-winded sentiment. And you knew that the girl only had you in mind. She probably wasn't dreaming of George's next interview when she uploaded the photo for the world to see. She most definitely probably wasn't thinking of a moment like this coming true, and how her brother would hate it. In the blink of an eye, you envisioned George angrily phoning his sister and her dramatic defense, and a big unnecessary row breaking out.

But then you zoned back to life and watched George answer the interviewer's question with a small smile. He confirmed that he was officially married, and glad to be. George swiftly moved the conversation toward the film he was meant to prompt, which didn't sway the host on a strict schedule to cover all sorts of topics in the next three minutes. But George wasn't dismissive of the subject. He didn't squirm when the aspect of his personal life was spoken aloud to a room full of strangers. He smiled and caught your eye from the stage. You were too stunned to give him the usual thumbs up from where you waited, you just watched as he grinned, and nodded when the host offered his congratulations.

Then it was over, and the audience flooded away, and you and George hurried to collect yourselves and leave in as big of a hurry as you could without seeming rude. He held your hand like a vice, and you led the way out of the exit, toward the car park.

Before you could reach sweet freedom, a small crew of George's fans had been waiting near the back, with hopes of catching a moment of the guys time they'd come to watch get interviewed. The three young girls held out a marker and asked for his autograph in a shy manner. You noticed most of the fans George encountered over the years were just as meek and mild as the guy himself.

So he smiled and agreed with pleasure, as you awkwardly shifted on the sidelines, unable to flee to the car across the way because he had the keys.

"We're really happy for you, by the way." One of the girls piped up, facing you. "You guys have like, always been our favorite couple."

"You restore our faith in love." Another one of the girls giggled, approaching George with movie posters in hand.

All the complex feelings in your gut the rose at the girl's comments didn't matter. It was entirely too sweet of them to say something. So you thanked them with a smile, and waved goodbye when the last of them had their selfie with George. He said goodbye and turned toward the car with a sigh. You could practically see the weight of the evening's events fall off of his broad shoulders.

You piled into the passenger seat, debating on what to have for dinner, already knowing he dreamed of nothing more than a self-indulgent end to the long night. When you both agreed on what to have, a silence fell over the two of you for the first time all day.

It was heavy with different versions of the same question, the same subject. You'd woken up in one era, one that ended around ten this morning. And neither of you had much of a chance to talk about the fact that you were married now.

"Are you... happy?" You spoke up, at last, watching the world float by on your drive through the city.

"I am. Are you?" George smiled, turning to catch your eye, glancing back at the road ahead a couple of times.

"Yeah." You laughed a little. You wouldn't have agreed to any of this if you weren't dead sure you'd be at peace when the decision was made. And you were filled with that same calm that filled you in the cafe, this morning when George rested his hand on your knee. You'd made the right decision for the both of you, and you were very glad for it indeed.

///

Three months had passed. They were quite busy, and filled with all the usual stress that any typical trio of months held. But as the days passed by, you found George was right, somehow. Things... were easier. Maybe you'd talked yourself into believing so, but you noticed celebrities had stopped leaving you out of chit chat when they breezed through after-parties. You notice stranger men had stopped pestering you at the bar, half of the time. And when you met new people and wound up in new places, you didn't have to go through the long spiel of who Geogre was to you, and why he was always around. He was simply your husband, now.

It was strange to get used to the tile at first, but by the time you'd made it to month four, it rolled off your tongue like melting butter. George seemed most keen to use your unity to get out of other plans.

"Sorry I'll have to miss the next gala, my wife wants to go kayaking." You'd never kayaked. You didn't know how, and you'd never brought it up.

"Ah yes, I am that guy from that one movie but sorry I can't come back to your motel, I've got to help my wife pick out dinner." He had rushed you along grocery store stalls in a hurry to escape the odd, unnerving encounter.

That's how your week started, avoiding the scary fan who kept stalking through the market, stopping George with strange questions around too many corners. It wasn't his most unsettling encounter, but one that left the poor guy on edge for another day or so. You'd get home after fifteen-hour shifts, too tired to talk about it. Too tired to ask what he'd been up to all day.  

By the end of your week, you'd barely seen George, and he'd been just as busy. You ended your last, hellish never-ending shift with tears in your eyes from the thousands of little things that had piled up and left you stressed till it was time to clock out.  

You got home to find George in the living room, reaching for the remote. He left the thing on the coffee table when he twisted to see you in the doorway, worn down, strung out, over it. He asked if you were alright as you kicked your shoes away and hung your coat up in a hurry to decompress.

You demanded George wait to watch whatever film he had in mind for you to join him. You desperately needed to shift your focus from your own worries to an unrelated fictional realm. In a hurry, you showered the day from your achy body and slipped into your comfiest nightclothes.  Then you piled up your best blankets on the sofa, using a couple as faux pillows while you and George shared one big, massive quilt, and flipped on the film.

"What'll be tonight then?" You asked, sinking into the cushions at long last.  

"That one my mum won't shut up about. About that couple who gets divorced? WOn a bunch of awards." George muttered, clicking on Netflix. He'd always made it a point to watch the films the public raved over, to find out if the fuss was worth it.

"What if this kick starts our own divorce." You joked, the thought escaping your lips as soon as it passed through your head. Regret might have seeded itself in you if George wasn't so quick to laugh.

"I solemnly swear I will not let a fictional couple's marital issues affect my promise... no, my genuine desire to continue working at being with you for better or for worse."

Where the hell did that come from? You gapped at George as he queued up the film.

"Damn. You're getting good at this whole husband thing." You let out a small, stunned laugh. It made the dull ache in your head hammer. George noticed as you drew a hand to your brow, waiting for the thrum to settle.

"I'm sorry you had another bad day," He whispered.

"Thanks, You softened, knowing he truly empathized.

George lifted his arm and bobbed his head, beckoning you closer. You took the invite to curl into his side with a sigh. He was warm, and comforting, and his bicep was the perfect pillow. You relaxed for the first time in forever, it seemed, closing your eyes in to soak up the calm, quiet evening. The sounds of the film faded as you fell into an accidental nap.

You were jarred awake by a dreadful buzzing coming from the coffee table. George's phone was ringing, and when he twisted too slowly to reach for it, you realized he'd fallen asleep too. You noticed Dean's name flash across the screen as George answered, lackadaisically holding the cell in the hand that wasn't still closely wrapped around you.

"You're on speaker," George warned, as you stayed lethargically content at his side.

"Good! I have a question for both of you." Dean 's voice crackled through the telly. His assumption that you were already wherever George was, made you chuckle.

"Claire and I are staying in that quaint little seaside town, this weekend. Fancy coming along? In fact, it was her idea to invite you both to join us." Dean explained, it sounded as though he was walking through the city, shouts and clangs passing through the call.

You glanced up to George from where your head still rested near his shoulder. Neither of your expressions held signs of disinterest so when George carefully responded to Dean that the idea sounded nice, and asked for more details, you grinned and relaxed back into place.

Dean listed off some more information as George hummed and murmured in response. When the call had ended and new plans were made, George tossed his phone back on the table, and settled deeper into the sofa, shifting the weight of his arm beneath you, but hardly disturbing your peace a bit. The sun was peeking through the cracks of your curtains, and the movie must have been nearly over. You both drifted back asleep without another word, and all seemed well. It must have been.

You and George were closer than ever before- and you had already been classified as inseparable. But you'd hardly gotten to enjoy each other's company since making whatever you had official. Rule number three of this marriage enforced you must take every opportunity to for a bit of fun, as possible. It was time for a small getaway. A peaceful sleep would have to do, till then.

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taglist: @whenthe-smokeisinyoureyes​ @andux @imaginationandlove @velvetgoldsilver @queen-bunnyears @maria-josefin @dearevansamham​ @belledamsceno @nilletellsstories @loulouloueh @visionsofmelodrama @haileymorelikestupid

[breakingsomething]

the fall part ten - break

basic summary: anti is rude to kazuki. marvin and henrik finally talk. jackie and aaron mess up royally. the usual.

trigger warnings: violent thoughts, mild self harm, hypnotism

the first thing anti saw upon waking was the face of a woman he had definitely not been expecting to be at his bedside.

shock hit him straight away. he was immediately pushing himself up on the bed - the bed he hadn't previously been on, what the fuck? - and staring into her face, eyes wide. the woman smiled at him warmly. "anti mcloughlin," she greeted him. "i've been wanting to speak to you."

anti scowled, eyes darting around the room. it was then that he saw another person behind the magician, a young girl looking no older than twenty with a bob of red hair and a neon green shawl. she flashed anti a grin, and he scowled, tearing his eyes away to look at the rest of the room. it was very large, with relatively tall ceilings and a few other beds with turquoise screen dividers around them. there wasn't any more people anywhere that anti could see, meaning that he only had to worry about two threats. he glared at the black haired woman who he had seen first, the one he knew, and began signing despite being sure she didn't know bsl. "not m-c-l. not my name."

to his surprise, the red haired girl turned and spoke to the other woman in a loud, clumsy voice. "he says that's not his name, miss kamata."

anti furrowed his eyebrows, heart pounding. he suddenly realized his legs were covered in blankets, and he threw them off. his hoodie had been taken, the cast on his right arm on display. he suddenly felt very exposed.

"oh, this is my translator, celeste!" the older magician said, interrupting anti's thoughts. she gestured towards the red haired girl, who smiled very widely before ducking her head. "she's partially deaf, and also speaks many languages. it's a skill of hers, as with your brother marvin."

anti made a face. he suddenly fucking hated everything to do with this situation, and went to pat his pockets for his knife before remembering his hoodie was gone and instead wrapped his arms around his knees, disgusted with how vulnerable and awkward it made him feel. anti had long ago promised to himself that he'd murder anyone who made him feel unpleasant emotions, but now he couldn't even do that. the thought made him even more panicky, which in turn made him angrier. in an effort to distract himself, he turned to the girl and began to sign as fast as he could. "what languages do you know, then?"

"quite a few," she signed back without missing a beat. anti blinked, and the girl grinned proudly. "i speak bsl, english, spanish, french, korean, mandarin chinese, and i am learning arabic."

anti wasn't quite sure what to say. could he tell her that he knew a few languages too, though only through his ability to absorb information through the internet? he chose instead to simply glare, extremely aware of how pathetic he looked hugging his knees on the bed like this. he sat up properly and stretched his legs out, ignoring his desperate need to comfort himself and instead trying to look intimidating.

"i'm sorry this conversation can't be completely private," the magician told him, crossing her legs professionally and causing anti to unwittingly flinch back at the sudden movement. "i don't know much sign language, and writing would be rather time consuming. you don't mind having miss graham in the room with us, do you?" she didn't even give anti a chance to reply before continuing. "my name is kazuki kamata. i basically run this branch of our lovely organization. but you knew that already, didn't you?"

anti nodded slowly. the movement made his head hurt more, and he accidentally let slip a whine of pain. kazuki turned round and produced a plastic cup of water from the table next to celeste. "here," she said. "for your head. i understand you still may not be feeling well, and that's partially what i wanted to talk to you about."

anti stared down at the water suspiciously. his throat hurt so badly, but then again, he didn't trust hecate or any of their members as far as he could throw them. which usually would be pretty far, but in recent times, not as much. he swirled the water in the cup before setting it back down on the bedside table, much to the dismay of his pained throat. "why here?" he signed, celeste translating aloud. "in this place. why not the hospital?"

kazuki sighed. "i'm a busy woman. i'm sure you understand, anti. by the way, do you have a last name, if not mcloughlin? i understand that some call you "antisepticeye," but that's not your surname, is it?"

anti felt his face burn, and dug his nails into his arms. he thought about telling her, but his hands were shaking, and he didn't dare move them. fuck, but he wanted her dead. he wanted all of them dead. it was taking all his self control not to try to strangle the innocent looking girl who was smiling so cheerfully as she translated for him. gods, he was repulsed by how weak that fucking hero had made him. anti was going to tear him apart. and it was that thought that calmed him enough for him to sign, "none of your fucking business," which celeste loosely translated.

"fair enough," kazuki said cooly. anti's harsh language hadn't affected her at all, and it just made anti angrier to see her sit up tall and professional while anti shivered and clawed at his arms, unconsciously tracing old scars. "i wanted to ask a few questions about jackie mcloughlin. what do you know about his magic?"

oh, the hero was the one of the last people he wanted to talk about right now. "what does that have to do with why i'm sick?" he snapped, wishing he could stop shaking. he was just glad he wasn't throwing up anymore; that had been miserable. his mouth burned.

"well, that's the thing," kazuki said. "your brother -"

"don't call him my brother," anti interrupted. "they are not my brothers."

the woman raised an eyebrow, but continued. "ok. i assume your br- the others have told you about the bmo - the black magic organization." anti shook his head. kazuki didn't look too surprised. "well, we don't know a lot about it, not even its name. but jackie, it seems, has someone gotten caught up with them, as we've discerned from what chase and henrik told us. and i am aware of certain black magics that could allow for the state you're in currently."

anti rolled his eyes. "fucking get on with it," he signed, before turning to celeste. "make sure she knows exactly what i'm saying."

celeste looked uncomfortable. "uh… miss kamata, am i allowed to use bad language?"

kazuki laughed. "it's no problem if you don't wish to say, dear. i can understand that you're a bit frustrated." this last part was directed at anti. "just be patient, i'll explain."

"i've never been patient a day in my life and i'm not about to start now," anti signed meticulously. celeste snorted.

"ok, so... what do you know about black magic?" kazuki asked, shifting in her seat. "in fact, what do you know about hecate in general? i understand you have an interest in our humble organization."

anti did, in fact, have an interest in hecate. not that he'd admit that. a year ago, he would have delighted in being inside of their headquarters. now, he just wanted to be back in the abandoned waterworks where he'd been living since dapper left. "i don't have to tell you shit," he snapped. "black magic bad. i get it. stop dancing round the subject. why is my magic fucked up and why can't i stand up without bloody fainting?"

"because jackie has been given what i believe to be a soul artifact that has seemingly bonded to him and must have absorbed part of your magic in the time you were with him." kazuki said this all so matter of factly that anti was momentarily stunned, staring wide eyed. the magician tilted her head. "is that the answer you wanted?"

anti lifted his hand, about to say something, but suddenly couldn't think of words. he wanted to be alone. he wanted everyone to disappear and leave him to think by himself.

"you're saying he stole my powers," anti signed slowly. "i can't - he - he stole my -"

"i can see you're in shock," kazuki said softly. "i'm… very sorry. sorry that this happened to you, at least."

"why?" anti said without thinking, tapping his chest. kazuki frowned, softening and glancing down at the floor.

"i believe there's good in everyone," she said. "i always have. i understand how that can be detrimental to our cause, especially with the bmo out there. i think there may be good in you too."

the silence was almost deafening. then anti snorted, rolling his eyes. "whatever," he signed. "how do i get my magic back? and how did he steal it with one fucking necklace?"

"must you curse so much?" celeste piped up softly after translating. anti shot her a glare, turning his eyes solid black, and she shrank back with a gulp. good. at least someone was still afraid of him.

"i'm sorry, but that's something we don't know," kazuki said. "on both counts. what kind of powers did you have, exactly? i've only heard what your brothers - what marvin, chase and henrik have told me."

anti ran his fingers down his arms lightly, trying to ground himself before he kept talking. "glitching," he signed. "but i can still do that, kinda. then hypnosis. technology manipulation. i can't do anything now, and what i can do, i can't control." he chose not to mention possession, as he hadn't had the chance to test that one out yet.

kazuki took a breath. "ok," she murmured. she sat up straight, tilting her head up. "is it alright if i ask about jackie? do you know where he would have taken a… a prisoner? and how did he capture you, exactly? i understand that you used to be very powerful."

it was the "used to" that made anti want to slam the woman's head into the floor and rip her throat apart with his bare hands. he shuddered, pain blossoming in his arms as he dug his nails in deeper. talk about jackie? how dare she, how fucking dare she even ask, how dare she mention it so casually, like he couldn't claw her eyes out and - and - and he couldn't even think of any creative insults, he was so tired and hurting so badly. all he could do was shake his head and turn away, breathing heavily.

he could feel the magician scrutinizing him, and he was disgusted with how his face burned with shame. "that's alright," she murmured. "that's alright. we can talk about that later if you wish. we'll leave you for now."

she and celeste stood up, and anti flinched back. "is there anything else you need?" kazuki asked. anti scanned her face to see if she was making fun of him. it didn't appear so. his stomach rumbled, and he wrapped his arms around his stomach, hoping she hadn't heard.

anti shook his head and turned away, making it clear he didn't want to talk anymore. after a moment, the women exited the medbay, leaving anti completely alone.

-

the silence between the two of them was usually awkward, sometimes a bit painful. now, it was fucking deafening. marvin could hear the blood pumping in his ears as he wrung his hands, listening to a train rumble by and leave them in quiet again.

he thought about saying something. but what would he even say? were there correct words for a situation like this? was there anything, anything that could make this slightly right?

i'm sorry, i'm sorry. i'm sorry that had to happen to you again. sorry i left you. sorry you were alone. sorry you were so scared and i couldn't help. sorry you got hurt. sorry we can't fix you. sorry, sorry, sorry.

henrik cleared his throat and marvin jumped slightly before immediately settling, hoping he hadn't noticed. henrik didn't say a word.

"train should be arriving soon," marvin suddenly blurted. he hadn't meant for the words to leave his mouth so quickly. blink, blink, blink, don't turn to look at him, eyes down.

"yes," henrik murmured. he also didn't look at marvin. his shoulders were almost at his ears. "it should."

fuck, but marvin needed chase right now. he couldn't handle this himself. the world was scary and their brother, marvin's brother, was the cause of all their pain.

there had been a time where they fantasized about anti being gone. jackie had said he'd quit being a vigilante and work retail instead. that had made them laugh. the thought that working retail would be an improvement on running from anti had been the joke of the night. at points they had gotten serious. they were going to travel the world. they could live in separate houses if they wanted. they wouldn't have to fear for the poor bastards who were unfortunate enough to want to be friends with them in case anti ever got ahold of them.

now anti was extremely sick and henrik was infected with dark magic and marvin was being destroyed from the inside out and jackie was the threat. jackie. jackie, who had made them all laugh with the idea of getting a job at primark as his first act of freedom from anti. marvin suddenly felt very lightheaded.

"i didn't mean for any of this."

marvin said the words quietly enough that henrik could ignore them if he wanted. he kept his gaze fixed on the yellow line next to the train tracks, fingers digging into the cold underside of the scratched white bench they were sat on.

"i wouldn't have left you alone if i knew - actually, fuck that. i shouldn't have left you alone at all. i knew you were hurting and i chose to ignore it." marvin's eyes blurred with the weight of what he was saying. he didn't blink. "hen, i care about you a hell of a fucking lot. i know we scrap basically every day and our love language is taking the piss out of each other… unless you genuinely hate me and i've been misinterpreting it this whole time, in which case, i am even more sorry, but…" he laughed softly, forcibly regulating his breathing so he wouldn't cry."i'm a selfish bastard and anti hurt you and i basically erased that by leaving to find anti which must have felt like the biggest "fuck you" ever but it wasn't meant to be, i love you and i'm sorry i couldn't have prevented what happened, all i wanted and want to do is fix the mess that jackie made because it's always been my responsibility to tell him when enough was enough but i can't now and i can't shake the feeling that it's all my fault -"

he took a loud, gasping breath and lurched forward with the effort of not immediately bursting into tears. one of his hands flew to his throat as he tried not to sob. henrik stayed silent. marvin was too scared to look at him.

"w-well?" he choked out eventually. "go on, say something! tell me you hate me, please! just - fuck, i just poured out my goddamn heart to you, don't just patch me!"

they were silent for a good minute. then henrik broke the tension. "it's ok."

marvin sat up and looked, properly, at his little brother. his glasses were fogged up, usually neat hair messy, bandages peeking out from his collar. he turned his head and the two of them made eye contact, pale blue meeting turquoise.

"i don't forgive you," henrik said. he tapped his new cane against the ground tunelessly. "but i get why you did what you did. thank you for… for apologizing. that's more than i expected, honestly. it couldn't have been helped."

marvin let out a small sob. he couldn't even speak because he knew if he did, he would instantly burst into tears.

"the next train now approaching platform two is the 15:44 southhampton train stopping at fareham, chichester…"

marvin instantly stood up, glad for something to relieve the tension. henrik took slightly longer to stand, and marvin offered an uncertain hand to help him up. henrik flashed him a quick smile as thanks. marvin's chest tightened.

"does it still hurt that bad?" he said, voice small. henrik sighed, gripping marvin's arm and his cane at the same time.

"some days more than others," he admitted, then chuckled softly. "i say like this is an old war wound and not a magic injury i got from my brother's boyfriend." he winced, shifting on the spot and almost falling into marvin.

hecate didn't understand what had happened. it was a kind of dark magic wound that couldn't be healed, and left henrik's back and leg in constant pain. the injury looked like a normal burn scar, but darker somehow. he had to walk with a cane in order to stay upright. he was lucky to have been allowed to leave hecate in the state he was in.

"i'm sorry," marvin whispered again as the train rolled up. "i'm so sorry."

when the train finally stopped and chase stepped off, he was surprised to see henrik and marvin waiting for him, both their faces splotchy and red, not looking at each other but holding their hands together tightly like they were both the other's anchor.

-

"so this is it."

jackie gripped aaron's hand, well aware of his palm sweating. the grass in the field tickled his legs, and the cold air pushed his hood further over his ears. the two of them stared at the small manhole, almost completely covered by grass.

"yep," aaron agreed. "this is it."

he slashed his arm through the air, covering them in a field of smoke. he bent down and yanked the cover off effortlessly, letting go of jackie's hand and gesturing for him to go inside. when jackie hesitated, aaron touched his face gently and smiled. "you want me to go first?"

"i'm not scared," jackie insisted. he was trembling slightly. "i'll go first."

the two men climbed down slowly, gripping the slippery bars and trying desperately not to fall. once they reached a certain point, the cover above closed itself, plunging them into darkness.

"light it up in here, jackson, i can't bloody see," he heard aaron say. jackie swallowed hard and lit up his hand and eyes like a torch. aaron giggled. "thank you, mr glow stick."

"what a creative title," jackie laughed softly. he didn't tell aaron how much using his photokinesis hurt him as of late. aaron didn't need more to worry about.

it was a while before they got to the bottom. when they did, jackie swept his arm out, ignoring his own pain in favour of lighting up the whole hall in front of them. the walls were a dark brown with curved columns carved into them, crimson stripes painted down as far as they could see. the ceilings were low, so low that if jackie was half a metre taller, he'd be too tall to get in.

"spooky," he said in a silly voice, attempting to lighten the mood. aaron snorted and took his hand again, squeezing it reassuringly. jackie smiled, glad he had the weight of the necklace on his chest as well as his boyfriend's hand in his. aaron had told him not to bring the necklace, which was weird, but jackie was sure it was ok. the two of them set off down the hall in silence.

eventually, the walls began to change from the murky brown to a much lighter colour, almost silver. a few signs were plastered to the walls, which jackie couldn't seem to take his eyes off. aaron led him away. "they're spelled," he said. "make you want to turn away on the very slim off chance that someone outside of - would find us." jackie noticed how he winced and cut himself off, but said nothing.

there was a door at the end of the hall. "turn away," aaron said, and jackie did. about a minute later, he turned back to see the door open and… fuck. a huge, white room, the walls covered in doors, blinding lights on the ceiling lighting up the room further. several people were walking purposefully back and forth, dressed in dark colours and carrying various objects. as they stepped forwards, jackie saw that the door they came out of was identical to so many of the others. he wondered what was behind some of them.

"woah," jackie breathed, spinning in a circle. he heard aaron giggle as he looked around.

"calm down, dude," aaron whispered, still laughing. "we have an audience with - with -" he made a noise, struggling to speak.

"babe, don't worry," jackie said softly, patting aaron's back. "once they let me in, you'll be able to tell me everything you want. they won't be able to stop you."

they were starting to get weird looks. a tall, impressive looking man with chin length white hair came up to them, eyes narrowed. "mr mckenzie," he said with distaste. "and a friend. you are the one that has requested an audience with an stiùiriche?"

jackie had no clue who that was. he assumed it was the leader of the organization and smiled broadly. "that's me. hi, jackie mclough-"

the man lifted a hand, and jackie's mouth was shut instantly. he tried opening it again, panic rising, but found it was as thought it had been sealed. "we want to hear nothing from you," the man said, sounding bored. he tilted his head, looking aaron over. "what fools are you bringing to our esteemed organization? what kind of an idiot are you?"

jackie grunted and managed to break free of the spell. "pl-please, sir, i've done a lot to make me worthy of - of your - of this wonderful organization, i swear." his stutter was coming in full force, and he could see the harsh amusement in the other man's eyes. "i got you a mem-member of hecate and b-broke through their defenses, did i not? and while i was there, i also -"

something hit jackie's shoulder, and he gave a loud oof. he turned to see aaron glaring, an eyebrow raised. ah, right. he wasn't supposed to mention that either. he gulped and looked up at the taller man, who's expression hasn't changed at all. "uh, yeah," jackie laughed nervously. he rubbed the back of his neck. "i'd like to see - whoever it was you said before."

"you don't even know the name of the man you're here to see," the magician said flatly. his arms were crossed, and he didn't budge.

"i - well, aaron can't - can't tell me anything, can he?" jackie said boldly. "you guys are like, cursed to silence to non members or whatever?"

he winced. maybe he shouldn't be talking so casually to such an important looking person. however, he maintained eye contact (which was a huge feat for him) until the man turned round and began to silently lead them through a door and down a set of halls.

jackie and aaron were quiet for a bit. "i'm sorry," jackie eventually mumbled. "i don't mean to -"

"let me do the talking, ok?" aaron hissed. he put his hands in his pocket, likely so he'd remember he couldn't hold jackie's hand in here. his green eyes almost glowed in the dark. "just - don't mention what we did at hecate, don't mention any magic but your photokinesis, and do not, do not, mention the bloody necklace."

jackie was about to ask why when the man in front of them suddenly stopped, almost causing jackie to slam right into him. "this is it," he said, stepping aside to show a small black door. "in ya go."

jackie and aaron exchanged glances. "this - is a different room than usual," aaron said uncertainly.

"different room each time," the man said. was it jackie's imagination, or was there a faint smirk on his face? "now get in, or i kill you and no one up top will ever find your bodies."

he said this so casually that jackie found himself opening the door and stepping inside, suddenly desperate to get away. "good man!" the magical chortled. he slapped jackie's back as he passed. jackie winced before looking up at the… pitch black room. complete blackness. he whirled round to ask the man what was happening just in time to see the door close, the man's booming laughter echoing down the halls.

"hey!" jackie cried. his heart was racing, chest tight with uncontrollable fear. he pounded on the place where the door had been, only to find a smooth black wall. "hey, what is this? some kind of trick?"

"jackson, stop," aaron hissed. he grabbed jackie's arm, pulling him away.

"is this - is this like an initiation or something?" jackie cried, voice high pitched. aaron shook his head.

"this isn't - this -" he made a noise of despair and slapped his hands over his mouth, shaking his head. jackie pat his arm reassuringly.

"it's ok," he murmured. "we'll -"

"well, if it isn't aaron mckenzie and jackson benjamin mcloughlin. wonderful to see you both here on this fine summer's eve."

something lit up at the back of the room. a spotlight, shining on a older man in a sleek, circular chair that hung from the ceiling on black chains. the man had short salt and pepper hair and a black beard, built like a tank and wearing a dark blue suit covered in constellations. when he shifted, the stars didn't move, like a weird illusion. jackie was instantly transfixed.

"i see you consulted me far in advance about letting a stranger in here, mckenzie," the man laughed warmly. jackie almost found himself laughing too, he felt so suddenly comfortable around the man. "thank you for that. you know, i had a schedule for today. things to do, this is a busy organization! you think everything gets done by itself around here?"

"no, stiùiriche," aaron murmured. his head was facing down, not looking directly at the man. he tugged on jackie's hoodie sleeve, gesturing for him to do the same, but he couldn't. the man was… almost hypnotizing to look at. he could stop breathing and he wouldn't even notice.

the man - stiùiriche, how did aaron pronounce that? - stood from his chair, black smoke rising around him. he smiled, and jackie smiled back dopeily, warmth blossoming throughout his body. what a strange, lovely feeling. jackie couldn't move.

"so you brought us a member of hecate," the man said softly, a huge grin spreading across his face. the look in his eyes made jackie shiver. "well, that is just fantastic, isn't it? thank you for him. he was a higher up, as well, an advisor of hecate's own leader!" he threw his head back and let out a booming laugh before clapping a hand to jackie's shoulder. when had he gotten close enough to do that? "we appreciate him greatly. he'll come in handy, i'm certain."

"i'm glad to hear," jackie said, voice hoarse. he swallowed, breath hitching as the man looked at him. his eyes were black, pupil and iris as one. it was unnerving.

"so," the man whispered, still smiling. "how did you do it?"

aaron made a small noise, and jackie snapped out of his haze just long enough to remember his and aaron's preconstructed story. "my brother was a member of hecate. he was a fool. their defenses were lowered just long enough for me to get in."

there was a pause. the man very, very slowly turned his head so it was almost touching his shoulder. jackie unconsciously followed his movements, and the man laughed, leaning in slightly closer.

"you're lying."

jackie blinked. somewhere outside of his daze, he heard aaron protesting loudly. "lying? stiùiriche, i was there! you trust me, don't you? i can vouch for him! i swear!"

"yes, you would vouch for your lover, wouldn't you?" the man said without a pause. aaron let out a gasp. jackie couldn't even turn to look at him. all he could see was the amusement on the man's face. "yes, i do know about that. have you forgotten, mckenzie, that i see everything? i'm always, always watching. you can't hide anything from me."

his hand touched jackie's chest gently. his eyes widened, but he couldn't say anything as the man's fingers brushed against the necklace underneath jackie's hoodie. his smile faded, face darkening.

"and you reek of black magic," he murmured.

"sir!" aaron cried, rushing forward and grabbing jackie's shoulders, yanking him backwards away from the man. jackie breathed a little quicker, regaining control of himself. "it's because he's been hanging out with me, i'm sorry, we should - we should go, this isn't -"

"your brother was not involved," the man said quietly, dangerously. "you've stolen something from me."

"no, no, he didn't!" aaron pushed jackie behind him, acting as a shield and allowing jackie to collect himself. "he didn't steal, he -"

"aaron?" jackie mumbles. his head was clearing, and he was starting to become confused. "what does he mean - you said this was a gift, you said it was a tool to help me prove myself!"

"i - you brought it with?" aaron spun jackie round, patting down his chest and practically sobbing when he felt the necklace underneath. "you - you - you fucking idiot, why, why, why did you -"

"oh, mckenzie, i would have found out anyway," the man said with a smug smile. he suddenly sliced his hand fowards, a streak of black cutting through jackie's hoodie and into his chest. he cried out, stumbling back and clutching at the wound while aaron screamed.

"stop, stop, please, i'll do anything!" he sobbed, desperately grabbing at the man's arms. scowling, the man turned and kicked aaron right in the chest, sending him flying across the room. a swirl of black magic slammed him into the wall, and jackie yelled, trying to look at him as the man forced him round, staring at the necklace resting on his bare chest.

"bloody hell," he whispered. then, much louder, "bloody fucking hell!"

he grabbed the necklace forcefully, or at least tried to. jackie screamed in complete agony, writhing in pain as his legs gave out beneath him. the man yanked on it, to no avail. the necklace had fused to jackie's skin, black trails having emerged from it and snaked down his skin like an infection.

"you bastard," the man hissed. his eyes had turned fully black, and his face was contorted in rage and disgust. "you pathetic creature, you dare steal from me, you dare steal that from me?"

there was a coughing from behind them, and jackie could see aaron struggling to get to his feet. "you… didn't… notice," he wheezed, hacking into his sleeve as he swayed on his feet. "didn't even know."

"aar-aaron?" jackie asked, bewildered. a bad feeling was starting to come over him. "you - you didn't -"

"you stole it," the man said. his tone was calm, controlled. "this - this precious artifact, this priceless piece of magic - do you have any idea what you've done?"

"jackie… 'm sorry," aaron called, his voice pained. "you were so desperate, you wanted to protect your family, and anti was getting in your head, i thought - i heard there were artifacts that could protect, could -"

"you fucking fool!" the magician roared, and a huge, black shadow rose up behind him and squeezed jackie's throat, lifting him into the air. "you don't know what that weapon does, you have no concept of - it's embedded itself in you! a soul bond! there's a reason these weapons aren't used, even by us!"

jackie was struggling to catch a breath. he clawed at the man's hands, but his magic was so tight around him that black spots were starting to dance in front of his eyes. aaron held up both hands, looking terrified.

"please - please, stiùiriche, let him go. i stole it, i was the one who lied. i'm - i am begging you to let him go. i'll do anything!"

"n- nngh, no, aar-!" jackie choked, head swimming. his chest felt very hot, like someone was pressing a flame to it. aaron's eyes were wide with fear, and jackie could only watch helplessly as he got down on his knees, both hands beside his head.

"please," he sobbed. "don't - please. don't hurt him. he didn't know."

jackie was suddenly released, and immediately slumped to the floor, gasping for breaths. the man left him there and walked over to where aaron was trembling, fear in his eyes, but not looking away, still that one last sliver of defiance that couldn't be crushed. "you disgusting little traitor," the magician spat down at him. "you've endangered everything this organization has worked for for two hundred years. i cannot believe you would ever think you could get away with what you've done. how stupid do you think i am? i am your stiùiriche, your leader, i am -"

the stiùiriche suddenly gasped. a small, choked sound escaped his lips, his body stilling entirely as black strings of smoke wrapped around his limbs and he lost all control.

"you are a f-fucking idiot," jackie said calmly. magic pumped through his veins, and despite the fact that his hoodie ane shirt were torn and hanging off his shoulders, he had never felt warmer. "you don't understand how powerful this has made me. have you ever felt the earth in your veins?" his voice changed, like it was layering over itself over and over, louder and louder. "have you ever felt a universe connected to your body? have you ever - have you ever done this?" he twisted a hand, and the magician's body contorted. he screamed, fire, literal fire, burning in his eyes. "i - i am so, so powerful, magician, and i can guarantee, you have never -"

the magician broke free and instantly shot a dart of dark blue fire right at jackie. he tossed an arm up in protection, a shield of shadows appearing in front of him, and he rolled aside to get away. the voices has returned to his head. people screaming. he ignored them and he laughed to drown them out, he laughed, he laughed. his heart beat in time with the warm pulsing of the necklace partially embedded in his skin.

"jackson!" aaron screamed. he was racing to his side, throwing thin bolts of dark green magic. he and jackie stood side by side, ready to fight as the man stood straight, hands and eyes blazing.

"stop this," he said loudly. "you are a fool. unchecked, this will kill you and many others. you've turned yourself into a walking weapon."

"jackson," aaron hissed. "do the thing. get us out of here."

"listen to me!" yelled the man, the magician, an stiùiriche. "you can't go unchecked with this amount of power. you won't be able to take it, you're going to end up destroying everything!"

"shouldn't have let me near those artifacts, eh?" aaron laughed, suddenly confident as he clung tightly to jackie's chest. fiery heat swirled around his legs and up to his chest, and he held onto jackie with the last of his remaining strength.

and then a blinding light lit up the pitch black room and jackie was holding everything in the universe in his arms and then it was dark, so dark, and they were shadow walking again, far away from where they had been.

they came out in a dark alleyway, somewhere in the city.

"fuck," aaron cried instantly, collapsing to the ground. jackie fell too, sinking to his knees as they turned to jelly underneath him. they sat against the opposite walls, panting and catching their breaths as the artificial darkness faded away, leaving only a flickering streetlight.

"you lied," jackie eventually managed. "you told me the necklace was to help me, like a test."

"i'm sorry," aaron said miserably. he whimpered in pain, clutching at his chest where the magician had kicked him. "i wanted to help you. i am so, so sorry, i… i care about you so unbelievably much. i didn't want to see you hurt. i thought… the extra protection of -" he clapped his hand over his mouth again, wincing.

"still can't speak?" jackie murmured. he shuffled over next to aaron, pressing his side to his. "i guess fighting your - your leader guy wasn't enough to break any silencing spells, huh?"

"an stiùiriche," aaron mumbled. he didn't look at jackie. "i didn't think it would, anyway. i'm glad we're both alive."

there was a short pause in which they listened to the evening traffic go by.

"you stole it for me," jackie said quietly. "why?"

aaron shrugged. "dunno," he muttered, shifting slightly on the spot. "i care about you."

"why?" jackie repeated with a small laugh. "fucking - why? why - i've always been such an asshole to you. what have i done for you apart from, from, i - i don't know. i don't get it."

"you've done far than you know," aaron almost whispered. jackie turned to look at him, his fingers gracing his partner's knee gently.

"i'm sorry i've been lying to you too," jackie said. "about the necklace. i should have told you how bad it was getting."

"'s'ok," aaron said. he took jackie's hand fully in his, blinking rapidly. "i guess we're fugitives now. wanted by both hecate and - them." he barks out a laugh. "not many places to turn now, huh?"

jackie thought. and thought.

"i know one guy," he said. "one person who could help us that isn't with either organization."

"who?" aaron asked, surprised.

"you've met him," jackie said. they both turn towards the other at the same time and their noses brush together. they giggle like schoolchildren, both blinking tears away. jackie swallowed hard. "we'll be ok. i'll get my brothers back and - and - and it'll all be ok. i'm not alone. i have you. i have you."

"you have me," aaron echoed, and he did. they had each other. that was enough for jackie.

for just a moment, that was enough for jackie.

just one moment.

[wolferals]

🇪🇸champaña y flores🇪🇸

finally fallin' chapter 8 / FINAL CHAPTER

arón piper x reader

(The spanish is all google translate, i wont take responsibility for mistakes)

chapter 8 / (this is it guys⭐️)

Your last encounter with Arón was now exactly one week ago. It was Friday night and your actual plan had been to stay in, watch some tv and snack meanwhile.

As you put on your sweatshirt, your phone rang.

Arón. Again.

He had called you about 10 times the past 6 days. He wasnt lying about that he'd annoy the shit out of you.

You had never picked up but you did this time.

„Arón." you spoke and tried to sound annoyed but started chuckling right after.

You heard him laugh as well.

„Good evening, y/n." His choice of words made you grin.

„Whats up?" you asked and sat down on your bed.

„Well, its Friday night. What are you up to, can I maybe join?"

You rolled your eyes.

„No you can not join, im just home too. Watching tv."

-„Can I come over, I wanna see your place. Por favor?"

Immediately you shook your head after looking at this mess of a room. Clothes everywhere. Dirty dishes on your desk and a thick layer of dust on the floor.

„Arón." you started but got interrupted by him right away.

„Come on. I wanna do something and you got nothing to do either, I wanna show you some things you havent seen before."

You lied back on your bed and stared at the ceiling with the call on speakerphone, resting your phone on your chest.

„I dont wanna dress up now." you groaned as you thought of going to the bathroom, doing your makeup, picking a cute outfit and ACTUALLY leaving the house.

„Please y/n, i really want you to see something."

He sounded frustrated almost. You sighed.

„Also you dont have to dress up or anything, just come outside, I'm in front of the building."

Quickly you jumped off the bed and ran to the nearest window that was facing the street. You tiled your head out the window and couldnt believe it.

„You fucker." you spoke and looked down at him as he was standing at your door in his usual black jeans and a loose band shirt.

He grinned at you and then waved.

„Come outside. Ill be waiting here."

Then he hung up.

Your first reaction to this was by giving him the middle finger and then going back inside.

Since you looked like absolutely trash, you rushed to apply some concealer because girl, we need to cover them eyebags. As well as brushing your hair out and quickly moisturizing your face.

Then you threw on a top and a cozy little jacket on top, making your sweatpants look a little better.

This whole look didnt even take 5 minutes and you were off to go downstairs to meet this dude.

„I cant believe you." you spoke and hit him in the chest as you walked past him on the sidewalk.

„Nice to see you too." he laughed and caught up with you, now walking beside you.

He was wearing a strong cologne. But you liked it. It always reminded you of him.

„I promise you're gonna like this place."

You tried to play this „annoyed little girl" but you were just too bad at it.

The laughters slipped through everytime you tried to say something mean to him.

„Be honest, how much do you like me on a scale from one to ten." He suddenly asked and you could feel his eyes on you.

You smiled a bit and looked up to him.

„Ill tell you later."

He just laughed.

And then he did something unexpected.

He took your hand. He was holding your hand. And you didnt pull away. It felt good though, it was warm and comforting somehow.

„We're almost there." he broke the comfortable silence at some point as you turned a corner.

„You keep walking, I'm behind you, I just want you to see it first." He smiled at you and eventually let go of your hand.

And this comforting feeling was gone. The one you already missed.

But you did as he said and walked through the little alley somewhere inbetween people's houses.

And then you saw it.

In the middle of 4 small houses was a hidden location, with a small white table in the middle and two baby blue chairs.

There was fairy lights everywhere and it smelled like flowers due to the beautifully decorated balconies over your heads.

„Wow." was all you could say as you felt Arón's chest hit your back.

„Come."

He took your hand and lead you to one of the chairs.

„I even got food." He smiled and grabbed a brown basket from close to the bushes.

You were in awe. Had he set all this up for you? And you had the fucking audacity to reject him first and now sit in this beautiful little garden with your black dirty sweatpants on? Girl you need to step up your game a bit if you want this boy to stay this nice.

„Arón, you." you started but he just smiled at you, hypnotizing you with his beautiful eyes.

„I know you're not sure what you feel and all but I wanted to do this because you said that no guy has ever properly taken you out. And I know its not a fancy restaurant or a nice bar but i figured you'd like this more."

You couldnt help but be speechless.

He seemed to notice and grinned.

„Here, Itzan said you always stole his strawberries at lunch so I got you some."

You intentionally grabbed a strawberry and bit into the sweet little fruit.

Spanish strawberries did taste different than what you were used to. They were a lot sweeter than the ones you had at home.

„You want some champagne as well?" He asked and held up a nice bottle of „Veuve Clicquot".

You just nodded. He poured you a glass, then one for himself and you just looked at each other for a little while before happily speaking a „cheers".

It tasted like magic. Not only the champagne, this entire moment was magical to you. No guy had even remembered how much you loved strawberries and Arón had bought what looked like an entire bucket full.

This felt too good to be true.

„Y/n?" Arón asked you after a while of you just stuffing your mouth with strawberries since they were just too delicious.

„Hm?" you asked with half your mouth full. He laughed.

„You're so fucking cute, do you know that?"

There it was again, the blushing.

„Thank you." you then spoke and looked around before looking back at him.

„De nada, of course." Arón smiled again and took another sip of the champagne.

You then got up to walk around the rather small table to observe the scenery. You could feel Arón's eyes following your every step as you were looking at the different kinds of flowers, even smelling them.

„You're so beautiful." you heard him say behind you. It made you smile brightly but you were glad he didnt see that.

You continued looking at everything for a couple of minutes until you then heard Arón get up and he walked closer to you, hitting your back again.

„You dont know how happy I am right now." he whispered and placed his chin on your right shoulder.

„I'm happier." you whispered almost inaudible only for him to hear.

Out of reflex you turned around to him, his eyes were lit by the lights above your head. He smiled at you again.

„Y/n, I dont even..."

You cut him off by softly pressing your lips to his.

He immediately reacted and cupped your face to deepen the kiss.

This guy did have deeper feelings for you and he made you genuinely happy, you knew that now.

The kiss lasted a few moments before you needed to take a breath. You slowly opened your eyes and looked into his beautiful brown eyes.

He was brightly smiling, showing off his tooth gap.

You had noticed it right away and it made you remember him immediately. It was just cute and unique.

There was this silence again, his hands were still holding your face and your left hand was placed on his side.

The warm air was moving your hair, some bees were buzzing in the flowers around you.

Aróns breathing was just as heavy as yours, you could feel it.

You had to smile again, you were just too bubbly inside right now. And excited. You finally had a guy who loved you for who you were and even kissed you in a beautiful yard with your damn sweatpants on.

The next thing you did was running your fingers through his short hairs on the back of his head. They were slowly growing back from when he had to shave it off for Élite.

You noticed little curls forming already.

He leaned his head back, fully enjoying your movements.

„Hm y/n?" he spoke quietly and looked back down at you.

„Hm?" you replied but were too concentrated scanning every part of his beautiful face.

„I dont know if they still do this. This is probably dumb. But do you want to be my girlfriend?"

It made you chuckle. You werent sure either if it was still a thing to officially ask since you figured it was just a state to be in. „Dating".

You looked at him once again before replying with a short little „yes".

And this boy smiled brightly again. And just looking up at this man made you realize how much you missed in your life so far. Love wasnt about feeling you have to tell someone what you actually feel. Love was a lot more than that and you had never had the chance to experience it.

No guy ever gave you the feeling you were worth more than sex, making him happy and occasionally getting a compliment.

But Arón, he was treating you like the queen you are.

You were important to him, and he was important to you.

He loved you. Someone finally loved you the way you deserved it.

And you were sure it was that love too what you felt growing inside you.

You had fallen for him.

And you were still falling for him.

You were finally fallin'.

*

*

☀️thank you guys so much for commenting and complimenting me on this story, this is it. thank you☀️

[1-800-hellraiser]

(Just a P.S.A, this is more of a 'father and daughter' type thing, in this oneshot, you're 15. MAPs are disgusting. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.)

Requested by: no one 

Pages: 7.5

Words: 2,733

Genre: fluffyyyyyyyy

Associated song: Daddy Issues - The Neighborhood

!TW! Mentions of family issues, mental and emotional abuse, blood, murder and some swearing.

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

"And if you were my little girl, I'd do whatever I could do. I'd run away and hide with you, I love that you got daddy issues." 

​​​      Throughout your life, you were a good kid. You followed directions, you were kind and friendly, everything a parent could ask for in a child. Except, your parents were different, your parents hated you. They would call you names, manipulate you and put you down. You obviously hated it, so, one day you snapped. You killed your family, you didn't feel guilty.

     Now, you live in a mansion with a bunch of serial killers, some human, most not. They are your family now, and you're glad to call them that. One being in particular that makes you feel this way is Hoodie. He was the first one to take you to Slender's mansion. Since then, you've been training to becime a proxy, just like him. 

     You see him as a father figure, you never said anything about it though. You don't want your relationship with him to be ruined. You're scared that if you tell him how you'll feel, he'll abandon you. The only  one who knows about this is Slender, since he's the only one (other than Hoodie) that you trust in the mansion with this information. 

      You have a big day ahead of you today. You go on your first mission with Hoodie. You've been living in the mansion for about six months, those months have been used as training months. Now, you're ready for you're first misson as a proxy. You're excited, but also very nervous. What if you mess it up. What if the target gets away. What if you lose Hoodie.  What if you lose his respect. What if-

      "Good morning Y/n. You have to get up to get ready for the mission. You've got thirty minutes, I'll be waiting downstairs." You turn in your bed to face Hoodie. You take your hand from under your covers and give him a thumbs up. He chcukles at your action and closes the door. 

   After Hoodie leaves, you roll to the edge of your mattress and sit up. You raise both your arms above your head and stretch your back. You get up and pad over to your dresser. You open up the first drawerbto get undergarments and socks. The next drawer, you pull out your f/s (favorite shirt). You open the second to last drawer to grab some denim jeans.

   You walk over to the bathroom built into your room. You put your clothes on the edge of the sink, and grab the towel that you used yesterday. You gently turn the handle to adjust the temperature. Silently taking off your pajamas, you toss them on the floor. Making a mental note to get them when you get put of the shower, you step into the shower. 

    You step out of the shower and grab your towel. Wrapping the towel around you, you pick up your pajamas with a dry hand, then toss them in with your dirty clothes. You pad back in to the bathroom and dry yourself off. After you dry off, you style your hair how you want. After that, you put on some deodorant and start putting on your clothes. 

    "Damn, this smells good." You comment to yourself  about your body fragrance. You look in the mirror above your sink. You twist and turn a bit, then put your hands on your hips confidently. "I look like a boss ass bitch," You comment at your reflection. You walk out of the bathroom and grab your combat boots that are put neatly next to your bedroom door. 

    Sliding on your boots and tying them tight, you grab your weapon of choice. A simple aluminum baseball bat. You also grabbed your plain black zip-up hoodie, and headed downstairs. You try your best to walk down the stairs as quietly as you possibly can. You don't want to wake anybody up. Especially Jeff, you rather not get stabbed today. 

   Silently stepping off the last stair, you gently speedwalk to the living room. The living room is also close to the kitchen and the front door. The only thing dividing the kitchen from the living room was a counter. Bringing yourself back from the decor of the murder mansion, you turn to see a smiling Hoodie. He doesn't have his mask on yet, which suprises you greatly. 

   Hoodie always wears his mask, even if its unbearably hot outside, or when he's sleeping. You don't understand how its comfortable, but you learned from living with a bunch of serial killers to just not question it. "You ready to go?" His soft tone brings you back from your thoughts. You just simply nod and walk out the door with him. 

   The pastas and proxies don't normally have to use cars to get to their destination, but there are rare occurrences where they do. Only on missions that take more than an 45 minutes in walking time. This one was not an exception, just driving to this person's house will take you and Hoodie about a hour and a half.  

  The only car the pastas and proxies have is this big white van. Dubbed 'the candy van' by Jeff and BEN. Because of it's nature in media, you can see why the name sticks. You hop into the passenger seat and make yourself comfortable. You silently stare out the window into the vast forest that surrounds you.

   You see why Slender put the mansion in the middle of a forest. Even if most of the inhabitants are stuck there, at least they have a beautiful view. You're torn away from your fixation on the forest by the revving of the ignition. You steal a glance at Hoodie, then relax into the questionably stained seat of the van. 

   The car ride was full of you seeing Hoodie become more, how do I put it, talkative? Yeah, he told you a lot about his past, you knew some if it, but not all of it. You feel honored to have this information and trust. So, its only fair you tell him your story as well right? You told him everything, everything from the nitty-gritty, to your favorite memories with friends. Mini road trips are magical. 

    Hoodie pulls into a rocky drive way at an unknown l youocation. The little GPS on his phine still showes about a five minute walk to the destination. He takes his phone, turns it off, and slips on his ski mask. He glances over at you, you are spacing out at the forest in front of you. "You okay?" His voice cuts through the air like a knife. You blink a few times, trying to get your train of thought back on track. "Yeah, I'm good, I just spaced out," You explain sheepishly.

   Hoodie nods understandingly. You both hop out if the car parked in the dense forest area, and make your way to the victim's house. "So, what's the sitch Hoods?" You ask, not knowing the plan because you and Hoodie forgot to talk  about it on the way there. But it was worth it. 

   "A woman by the name of Annie Butler has been sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. She's finding out way too much. So, we have to take some files of hers then kill her." You nod, hyping yourself up to do this. Admittedly, you are a bit anxious, but that won't stop you from gaining more of Hoodie's trust and respect. 

   You are hoping you don't fuck this up big time. You cant lose the bond that you and Hoodie have, it's way to important to you. You give a gentle sigh and keep walking with Hoodie.

  Eventually, you arrive at the house of the person of interest. The house is white and the trim is a robins egg blue. It looks like the house of the traditional nuclear family, but with a bit more, suspicion. You start walking towards the house through the drive way before Hoodie grabs your arm.

   "We gotta go around back to break in, she'll see us comming up the driveway." He informs, you blush, embarrassed about not thinking about that.  You follow Hoodie around to the back of the house. Annie has a very nice white patio with a glass table and five black metal chairs with white cushons on top. She has a medium sized firepit adjacent to the patio near the backdoor. 

   "I think we should sneak in through that window." You say, pointing to the window next to the patio. Hoodie nods and you both start to walk over to the window. Once you reach the window, you slide up the protective  screen and pull up the window.

   Luckily, this lady is dumb enough to leave her windows unlocked. You set your butt on the windowsill and stick one leg in, then your torso, then the other. Hoodie follows in suit as you stand in the garage. You see the door that leads from the garage to the house and go to open it. Unfortunately, this lady is smart enough to lock the doors.

   "What dumbass doesn't lock their windows, but locks their doors?" You say, Hoodie chuckles softly at your jab. You smile and fish around in your pocket, you grasp the cold metal and pull out a bobbypin. You pick at the lock for a while before hearing a small 'click'. You try the handle again and the door opens this time. 

   You and Hoodie both sneak into the house, you do not see Annie yet. "I'm going to go check the kitchen, you check the living room," You give Hoodie a thimbs up and tou both ho your separate ways. You silently pad over to the doorway leading into the living room and peak inside. 

   The living room walls are painted a light grey. There is a black couch on one side of the wall, and a flat screen t.v on the other. In the corner between the couch and the wall is a house plant in a modern, porcelain plant pot. Above the couch sat a few picture frames with pictures of what looks to be Annie and her family. You give a slight smile, she looks so happy in the photos. You see no sign of Annie.

   You meet Hoodie at the foot of a stairwell. It probably leads up to her room. "This stairwell leads up to Annie's room," called it. You and Hoodie walk up the steps, being as quiet as humanly possible. You both see two doors "Her door is the left one" Hoodie states nonchalantly. You silently step towards the eggshell white door. You take a deep breath, and roughly shove the door open. Bat in hand, you speedwalk into the room, Hoodie right behind you. 

   You see Annie sitting at a desk with a monitor on it. She flinches into her chair and whips her head at you and Hoodie. "W-who are you, and what are you doung in my house?" Annie gets up from her chair and stumbles backwards a bit. "You know too much, we can't have that, we know what you know." Hoodie states reaching for the handgun in his hoodie pocket. 

   "S-STAY BACK", Annie shouts, pulling a meat cleaver from under her pillow. You chuckle lowly, "Do you really think we're afraid of you, Annie?" You seer, she gives you a look of shock and horror. "How do you know my name?" She questions, you laugh in her face. "Oh dear Annie, we know every little thing about you~" you laugh and step towards her menacingly. She stumbles backwards and falls on her butt, she scoots as far away from you until her back hits her bed. 

   You tilt your head to the right, signaling Hoodie to go get her files. You slowly and menacingly step towards Annie, every step you take your bat hits the floor with a solid 'thunk'. Your standing toe to toe with Annie's shaking form, you raise your bat. "P-please don't." She whimpers, her arms blocking her face. You chuckle and get ready to swing the bat.

   "Too late, sweetheart." You say as you bring the bat down as hard as you can onto her head. Blood spews all over everything. Annie lets out a scream as you bring down your bat once more on her head. She lets out a gurgle as blood drips down from her bashed in skull, out her nose, and her mouth. Hit her with your bat right in her temple to make sure she's dead. Once you know she's dead, you lean on your bat, and try to wipe spewed blood off your s/t face. 

   "You got the files?" You turn to Hoodie, he holds up a thick manilla folder. "Ok, let's go." You say, as you start to navigate to the front door, Hoodie follows in suit. You both find your way out of the house, and take a trail through the forest to get to the van, so you won't get noticed. You finally get to the dirty white van and you hop into yhe passenger side. 

   Almost as soon as you both get on the road, you pass out. Who knew bludgeoning someone to death with a bat could knock the energy out of you. When Hoodie sees you passed out, he smiles and chuckles softly. It's normal for a new proxy to clonk out after their first mission. 

   Once you and Hoodie got home, it was about 5:30 pm (17:30). Hoodie gently shakes you awake. "Y/n, you gotta get up, we're home now." He whispers gently to your sleeping form. You stir and slightly open your eyes, you blink and sit up straight. You yawn and stretch a bit. "How long was I out for?" "About 45 minutes." Hoodie informs, you nod, grabing your bat and getting out of the van. 

   You and Hoodie proceed to walk back to the mansion. "Hey kid, you did a great job today, I'm proud of you." You smile, still sleepy and out of it. "Thanks dad." Hoodie stops in his tracks, you turn back and let what you said sink in. "UH, I meant thanks Hoods, eheheh." You say and speedwalk as fast as you can to the mansion. 

  As soon as you enter the mansion you haul ass to your room. You shut the door and run into your bathroom. You sit in the toilet seat, trying not to hyperventilate as you flip your shit. You just called Hoodie dad, you're royaly fucked. You start toncry a little before you hear a knock on your door. You stop everything you're doing.

   "Y/n, please come out, I need to talk to you." You jear Hoodie's soft voice call from your door. You sigh, fuck it. You get up and trudge to the door. Your shaking hand grips the knob and turns it slowly. Your door creaks open to reveal Hoodie. "I'm so sorry for what I said I didn't mean to say  it out loud I don't want you to think of me any less and I would like to forget this ever happened." You spew out, flinching back when you're finished. Hoodie frowns underneath his mask and puts a hand on your tense shoulder. 

   "It's ok Y/n, I never knew you thought of me that way, but, It's okay." He almost whispers. You start to shake again, Hoodie sees this and engulfs you in a hug. He gently rocks you back and forth as you let out muffled sobs of shame. "It's okay honey I'm here, I'm here." 

   "Love is just a history that they may prove, and when you're gone, I'll tell them my religions"

[pennys-th0ughts]

Robert Gray. The Origin Of Pennywise 🤡 - Final Chapter

I was sitting in the second row looking nervously to both sides waiting almost impatiently for the next number to start. Carou’s number. Finally the lights went out and the spotlight shed its light on a thin but beautiful figure. Her hands began dancing, first slowly, keeping up with the soft music in the background as if they were a couple of doves flying in slow motion. When the hands were about to conclude their act the feet stepped in and followed the rhythm marking a faster pace. And there is when a bright red ribbon started to dance, making curls and waves, as if it was a blood droplet making its way across the blackness of the space.

I was so deeply captivated by Carou’s dance that for a moment I got lost in time, but the best part was about to start. Suddenly the lights went out for a second time and when they got turned back on again Carou was sitting on a ring in the air. She looked like a fire bird, balancing backwards and forwards, defying gravity with such confidence that made me feel goosebumps in all over the back of head. She let herself go and remained hanging upside-down like a rag doll, lifeless and yet full of mystery and mystic energy. Her golden eyes got fixed in me for a second and in that precise moment I felt overwhelmed by them.

Her look pierced my chest like a burning ray of sun. I was literally hypnotized with every movement she was making and by the time her number finished I was already nervous to go and say hi. I sneaked out towards her dressing room carefully so nobody could see me and waited. Carou didn’t take long to show up and when she did she got surprised when she saw me with a small but colorful bouquet of flowers in my hand. Carou was such a sweet woman that instead of shaking my hand she directly hugged me and kissed my cheek.

– ¡I'm so glad you could make it! – She practically shouted her excitement.

I nodded with a smile feeling lucky to be able to be around this lovely girl. She discretely invited me to come inside so we could talk without being interrupted and more privately. I took my top hat off and sat on the stool; she put my things on a curvy sofa and sat next to me while still removing her makeup.

– I must say, you were stunning out there – I praised her-. It has been a long time since the last time I went to a circus.

– We are planning on staying in Derry for a couple more months since we have been having a very warm response from the people here – she revealed me-. You can come by whenever you feel like it.

We kept on talking for more than two hours about how the circus worked and the people that lived in it until early hours of the morning. We drank some vodka and ate some caviar she had stashed in a very peculiar place and would only offer it to her special guests. It was the first time I tasted such strange food and yet it was kind of addictive. Carou managed her way to get me drunk that night and not only that; her persuasive and seductive ways of talking and moving were already intoxicating and I bet she even didn’t know it.

Carou sat down on my lap, white and red paint on hand, and began coloring my face. The soft hairs of the brush were coming and going, up and down caressing my skin gently. She applied a white base and waited for it to get dry and once it was dry she took a thinner brush and soaked the tip with the red paint.

Red lines begin to form and traced their paths vertically along my eyebrows and cheeks crashing right against my lips. Carou was turning my face in to some kind of work of art, quite abstract to be more precise. I didn’t know much about art however I was very satisfied with the outcome when I could finally look myself into the mirror. Carou chuckled when she saw the expression on my face.

– ¿What am I supposed to be? – I asked her making weird faces in front of the mirror.

– You can be a clown – she said raising the bottle of vodka to the air as if it was some kind baptism- or better yet, you can be my clown.

She spilled some of the liquid on my lips and without warning she smashed her mouth against mine. My first reaction was to move her away, I wasn’t the type of man that takes advantage of a drunken woman, but in this particular case I decided to enjoy her naughtiness encouraged by the booze. I kissed her back tasting the sweet notes of cherry in her lipstick. For a moment I thought she had her mind made up in taking my breath away because the way she was wrapping her tongue with mine.

Fire brought more fire and when we less expected it we were both ashes. While we were laying down catching our breath Carou told me that her nickname inside the circus was Carousel, very appropriate given that her very name sounded quite alike to one of the main fair attractions. We kept talking and debating about an imaginary name if I ever were part of the circus. After long minutes discussing the subject we agreed that Pennywise would sound very fitting.

A sharp pain crossed my chest like an arrow waking me up roughly. I was covered in sweat and everything around me was spinning fast. I was surrounded by darkness and faces I could barely distinguish. I tried to find Carou looking desperately to every corner of the room and when I finally saw her she was being hold back by a person I couldn’t see the face, only a macabre mask made with leather or something like it.

My hands and feet were strongly tied up and I couldn’t speak but to mumble fragments of words because the gag in my mouth. Carou was fighting hard to release herself until someone hit her head leaving her unconscious. Tears of desperation began rolling down my cheeks feeling so powerless and unable to help her. Then something disturbing caught my attention completely making me look forward. It seemed to be a woman given the complexity and shape of the body despite she was all covered with a black tunic which only part of her body that I could clearly see was her eyes.

The woman came closer and crutched over me holding what apparently was some kind of a dagger. The handle of the sharp object was adorned with little rubies and the metal was dark. I was so mad at these people, especially to this woman, that the mere contact with her body forced me to twist and shake mine with violence. She suddenly whispered something that I couldn’t understand, the language sounded odd as if it was an old ancient dialect, and then I froze. I began feeling my limbs getting paralyzed and heavy, nonetheless, my breathing was still erratic to the point of having the sensation that my heart would burst at any minute.

Helpless I watched the mysterious woman put a metallic piece in her finger and started to carve the lines Carou painted on my face earlier. Blood began flowing out of my freshly cut flesh spoiling the rest of the makeup. When the woman was done torturing my face she went further down and opened my shirt exposing my chest pearled with sweat.

She ripped off the fabric making the few buttons fly through the air. Someone standing behind her that was assisting the ritual handled the woman a big white spider she later put on my chest and forced the creature to sting me right where my heart was. The stinger reached my vital organ and injected the poison so fast that I began feeling the pain but a couple of minutes later and how my beating increased considerably fast.

I felt myself dying so painfully that my whole body was almost begging for that merciful dagger to pierce my heart and end my suffering, and so it happened. The woman in black took the sharp object between her hands and without further warning she stabbed me. The shiny blade cut my flesh as if it was butter. She didn’t stop there and slipped the dagger down until it got to my belly button and once there she pulled it out. Terrified I watched how her hand began getting inside my chest and rummaged for something. The moment she found what she was looking for, she grabbed it and ripped it out with all her strength.

I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw my own heart giving its last beats in the hand of this woman who was holding it like some kind of a trophy. In its hollow she placed three small amber-like stones and whispered those ancient words again. Later she would sew my skin using a black needle and one of Carou’s white hairs while she was still alive. Before she closed my eyes and left, the woman lit up a red candle and spoke to my ear.

– When the flame of this candle dies, you shall live again and all this will seem to be a nightmare.

Time passed and I remained dead for who knows how long. When the candle finally was consumed, then and only then, I began breathing, blinking and being able to move. My mind was completely blank and the memories I could have had before that entire nightmarish event were blurry as if I was recovering from a rough hangover. I sat down and looked around still feeling a little lightheaded and slightly disoriented, but slowly fragments of what I thought might happened started to take form in my head.

I stood up, looked straight to the wardrobe and saw an outfit hanging from one of its doors. I got dressed and fixed my makeup for the last time. Something was telling me that I needed to be ready but I still didn’t know why so I just followed my instinct. When the makeup was almost perfect I moved on to my hair and brush it giving it a more peculiar shape by also cutting the ends. I looked myself in the mirror for the last time and felt satisfied with my appearance so I got ready to go out but in that moment I got an awkward sensation in the back of my head. I looked back but nothing seemed to make sense so I shrugged and left the dressing room.

Inside the main tent, the one that hold the magic tricks, the stunts and freak shows, there is where I belonged now. I was patiently waiting behind the red curtains, waiting for my name to be called. Adrenaline and excitement were now the only ones rushing in my veins and the thrilling feeling inside my guts left no space for any other emotion. I put my white gloves on and checked my shoelaces to be properly tied; I took a deep breath and exhaled it all out.

I closed my eyes and waited…

Then I heard the presenter shouting out my name and introducing my number: “¡And now ladies and gentleman, with you Pennywise, The Dancing Clown!”

I opened my eyes and the spotlight fell on me…

And then I smiled and danced and danced and danced…

Image: Andy White (@deviantart )

[romance2d-otomegame]

The Route Thief

Sumary: Everybody used to tell me to stop playing those games, but what can I do? An otome game is pretty addictive and specially if is one like Wizardess Heart. This game is my life! Wait, I didn't mean literally... Then, why I'm suddenly inside on my game!? Is that Hiro and Zeus? When I said this game is my life I didn't mean to want that this game BE my life!

Pairing: Hiro x Marian

Chapter 3

I was walking from here to there on my room. They make me change into a dress too much elegant for a diner. A new make up and a new hairdo, and then I've been the rest of the evening trying to joint points. Could it be that I'm really on my otome game? How come? Just what happened to me before? Besides, on what timeline am I? Do really exist magic? Since I've never leave my room. This days, I can't tell.

"Young lady, why don't you rest a little? There's something that bothers you?"

Are you kidding? Everything bothers me!

"Say, Clarisse. "

"Ye-Yes?"

"Are you... Able to use magic?"

She opened wide her eyes and then smiled faintly

"No young lady, I'm afraid I can't use magic."

"Oh, you can't?"

"No. But, the young lady is such an amazing wizard! Maybe you can try sometime. "

"Wait, I can use magic!?"

"Of course. I saved your wand here. "

She opened a shelve and pulled off a box, she opened in front of me and inside was this silver wand whit a red stone on the handgrip. I grabbed the wand, and probably I was waiting something like a Harry Potter moment happened to me but, it didn't, it was just like hold a simple stick. Do I'm really able to use magic?

"Maybe this is not the time for this. "

I put the wand back on her box.

"The young lady might be right. Your fiance is about to arrive any soon after all. "

And I was more nervous.

"Hey, Clarisse, uh, how is the relation between... Zeus and me?"

"Oh, uh... Well, is very... Enthusiastic?"

Why are you thinking on it so much? Soon a knock on the door call for me.

"Young lady? Young master Zeus Brundle has arrived. Please come down to welcome him."

Okay life, is this is a dream this could be the perfect moment to wake up... Wait, actually, can you wait until I see Zeus whit my own eyes? I went down the stairs where some servants and the mother was waiting for me. She didnt even glanced at me. The door on the other side opened, and I stayed on such awe that the only thing I could do was hold my breath. Definitely, that man was Zeus Brundle, no doubt! He was walking so arrogant like I always imagined, and he was wearing his usual casual clothes. Wait, I'm wearing a party dress and he came dressed like that? Men are the same in any dimension... Suddenly I caught a glimpse of someone walking slightly behind Zeus, could it be...? No way... Hiro!? That's... That's Hiro Tachibana right!? OMG I wanna scream! Though he was wearing a white shirt and a black jacket whit his sleeves rolled up, he was looking just as hot like I always imagined! I covered my mouth cuz I feel that I would scream like a fan girl of a band on a concert!

"Why are you covering your mouth like that? Are you gonna barf?"

I hear a grave voice just in front of me. Darn it! I didn't realize he was already in front of me! What do I do!? What do I do!?

"Err... Ah... I-I... "

"What is wrong with you? Say welcome to him already!"

"We-we-welcome very much. "

OH SWEET LORD PLEASE KILL ME NOW AND MAKE SURE NOBODY FIND A SINGLE BONE OF ME!!! Can I go and lockdown on my room for the next three years!!??

We moved to the dinner room after my "kill me now" moment. I was unable to see Zeus right at the face even when he was sitting in front of me. Hiro was standing behind Zeus. It unusual for me but, I guess that is because Hiro is considered Zeus's bodyguard. Zeus was just there sipping his soup and nobody was saying a single word, it was getting on my nerves. Now that I notice, Zeus was actually behaving on the table. That was different from the game were it said that he attacked food like a beast. He and Hiro. But here, his manners were quite decent. I guess even him knows that he have to behave on a situation like this. Wait, but, doesn't he hate that?

"How is the soup Zeus? Is it your liking?"

The mom broke the silence

"Uh? Ah, yea is pretty good. "

Zeus barely rise his eyes to look at her.

"I glad to hear it. I apologize again, my husband is in a business trip and he couldn't accompany us today on your visit. "

"Yea I know, you don't need to worry about it."

It is my idea or Zeus answers are curt? Hiro approached Zeus from behind and whispered something to his ear.

"Oh, yea, uh, so... How are you? I hear that you fell and hit your head or something like that."

Something like that? If you're going to visit a sick person at least pretend that you're worried for her.

"Ye-Yea I fell from a horse while riding, but I totally fine know, hehe."

But probably I'm going to be killed by my own mother if she keeps looking at me like that. My face don't know if it have to turn red from embarrassing or pale from scare.

"Marian, did you thank Zeus for coming?"

Her look on me was like she was about to swallow me if I didn't.

"Uh... Th-Thank you for coming to see me, Zeus, It makes me very happy. "

I tried to give my best smile but, the look on Zeus was strange. His frown became even deeper. What is it? Did I said something bad? Di-Did he notice that I'm not his fiance?

"So tell me Zeus, when will you go back to Gedonelune?"

The scary mom continued

"mmm, on three days."

"So soon!? But I thought that classes will be staring next week."

"Yea but since I'm a Prefect I gotta be there before to prepare the welcome party of the new students. "

You do say that whit a big smile and proud huh?

"How wonderful! A welcome party!"

I don't think is the kind of party that you are thinking, mother.

"I am so glad to know that you are such a responsible prefect Zeus, you work so hard and you must be incredible at magic too. "

Excuse me?

"No need to say all that hehe. "

And you don't smile so proud when we all know the truth!

"I feel so much at easy to know that my daughter will be in such a good hands. I was worried just to think that she'll be so far away from me. "

Wait, where are you sending me now?

"Wait, where are you sending her?"

Thank you so much Zeus!

"Why of course to Gedonelune! Marian did not told you? She was accepted as an exchange student on the Royal Magic Academy, she will be joining the next week."

HOW IN THE NAME OF OTOME I'LL KNOW THAT!? Besides, the surprise on Zeus and Hiro faces shows that they didn't know either.

"No, she didn't told me."

Wait, Zeus, you don't need to look at me like that, I swear I didn't know anything! I don't know anything about magic, how I'm going to study on a school like that!? I'll be expelled right away! I want to scape please! SOMEBODY!!

To be continued...

[rnufharose]

Chapter 19

Words: 2.2k

Warnings: None

︻デ═一 ♥

The Magic Shop reopened, and Bella was stocking up the shelf behind the bar, her silver hair tied into a ponytail, and she wore a fitted black dress that hugged her figure in all the right places.

"Testing," Yoongi droned into the mic, which screeched and hurt Taehyung's ears, prompting him to cover them while wincing with discomfort. "Sorry," the older male chuckled and fixed it.

"Let's hope the customers come back," Namjoon said as the lights outside the cabaret went on. "I wouldn't blame them if they're a bit shaken from what happened though..."

"And we don't know if Neullie is coming back," Jungkook said as he took the chairs off the table and set then down. There was melancholy in his eyes and tone. "What if we don't see her again?"

"Then we'll have to report that Sehun guy to the police," Jin answered. "We aren't letting him keep her to himself."

Jimin frowned at Jin's words, "I don't think he's as bad as you make him out to be... I'm sure he's taking very good care of her."

"I agree with Jimin," Hoseok said as Dawon added last minute adjustments to his suit. "You're probably jumping to conclusions. And who knows? Neullie might come in today."

"Yeah, don't lose hope," Dawon smiled at them, pulling away from her younger brother. "I'm sure she's doing a lot better than we think she is. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me if she's been living a life of luxury since that guy decided to take her in."

That was when the doors opened, and Taehyung was ready to greet the first customer that entered The Magic Shop, but instead, he was greeted with an employee—a familiar face he had missed for the longest time.

Haneul stood before them, wearing another short black dress and a cropped blazer over it. On her ears were dainty silver drop earrings, her bag on her shoulder, her hair falling down her back and her makeup light but pretty. On her feet were black laced heels. "Annyeong." She greeted her friends.

"Neullie!" Taehyung choked, and he walked toward her, inspecting any sort of injuries she may have sustained while living with Sehun, but there was absolutely nothing. "Gwenchana?! You're not hurt, are you?! Did he do anything to you?! How did you escape?!"

"I-I..." she stammered, clutching the long strap of her bag tightly, unsure of how to answer here. And then, Sehun entered, his very presence rendering the cabaret in silence.

"Annyeonghaseyo," Sehun bowed before them, and when he stood up, he found the faces of Haneul's friends full of suspicion and uncertainty with the exception of Yoongi, Namjoon, Hoseok, Dawon, and Jimin.

"What is he doing here?" Taehyung asked with a bit of hostility.

"He wanted to drop me off,” she explained to him, giving him a reassuring smile. "Nothing happened, don't worry."

"She's right," the raven-haired male bowed his head. "I never laid a finger on her. Like I promised, I've been taking good care of her. I don't want her being alone or feeling like she's a prisoner in my home. I'm okay with her working here as long as she comes home." He faced the brunette and gave her one of his eye smiles. "Call me when your shift is finished. I'll come and pick you up then."

She stared at him for a moment, her cheeks growing a slight pink and her heart skipping a beat when he spoke to her, but she answered quickly with a nod, smiling back at him, "I will. Have a good day at work."

Bella dropped her shoulders, sighing with relief. The more she looked at him, the more she realized Sehun wasn't as bad as she initially made him out to be. His eyes were sweet and kind as he looked at her friend, the initial cold exterior she had seen back then almost dissipating before her eyes. He was a big softie at heart, it seemed.

"And you as well," he chuckled, stroking her head before leaving The Magic Shop and taking a seat in his sleek black car, driving away toward the Kim Estate.

"You're finally back!" Jungkook exclaimed, running toward the girl and throwing his arms around her. Haneul staggered for a moment, feeling him tighten his hold on her ever so slightly, and he began to tremble. "I was so worried about you..." He broke into tears, burying his face in her shoulder, and she wrapped her arms around his midsection, comforting him.

"Don't cry," she rubbed his back. "I'm okay, really. Sehun's been taking very good care of me. I know he looks cold but he's very kind and gentle. He and I have become friends."

The slightly older male pulled away, wiping away his tears with the back of his hand and sniffling, "He's your friend?"

"Yeah... it's funny, isn't it?" She chuckled to herself. "I was afraid of him too, but he was very patient with me nonetheless. He's a big sweetheart. You all have nothing to worry about."

"We're so glad you're back," Jimin walked up to her and took her hand. "Let's get ready for our next performance and have a good time, alright?"

She gave a single nod, and everyone was beginning to get ready for when the customers arrived. Haneul made her way toward the back like she used to, touching up her makeup and hair and placing her bag down, hanging her blazer over the arm of the couch. While she did so, Bella and Dawon entered, and they noticed the slight flush in their friend's cheek and the little dreamy smile she harbored.

"Just what is going on between the two of you?" Dawon questioned, her arms crossed as she teased the brunette.

"What are you talking about?" Haneul asked.

"Well," the older woman hummed. "You're looking happier, and you were staring at Sehun with that twinkle in your eyes."

Haneul began to stammer, and Bella entered the room with a giggle, "Unnie is right. If we didn't know any better, the real reason he's become a big softie is because you brought it out from under the cold scowl he usually wears."

"And not to mention he's sexy!" Dawon commented with a smirk. "Like who pulls of black that well? Why, if I wasn't his noona, I would be all over him!"

"Unnie!" Haneul gasped with horror, her cheeks growing even more pink. "It's not like that at all!"

"'There may be something there that wasn't there before,'" Bella quoted quickly, folding her arms over her chest. "Think about it: pretty girl lives with big scary guy and he turns out to be a big softie. Then they fall in love!"

"We're just friends," Haneul denied quickly, thoughts of what transpired this morning crossing her mind, and she tried desperately to forget how quickly her heart was beating that moment. "Please don't make Disney references early in the morning," she was flustered now, making for the door to get to work, but someone stood there, his big eyes resting on her, and Haneul stopped herself before she could bump into him. "Soobin!"

"Noona!" He cried and called out to the others. "Guys! Haneul noona is back! Come and see!"

"She's back?!" Beomgyu gasped.

"Noona's back!" Huening Kai cheered, followed by Taehyun and Yeonjun, who all came running toward her. The five boys were thrilled to see her again since it had been a long time.

"You're okay," Yeonjun sighed with relief. "We're so happy to see you again."

"Looks like what Yoongi hyung said is true," Taehyun said. "That Sehun is taking good care of you."

"You look happier too," Soobin chuckled. "Welcome back, Noona. Let's work hard today."

"Yeah, let's," Haneul agreed as she looked between the younger boys, her smile growing wider. "Let's make the customers feel safe and happy. Let's give them something good in exchange for the bad they've experienced." She was happy to be working with her friends again. If there was one thing she missed while she was away, it was singing and playing the piano for those who came into The Magic Shop.

︻デ═一 ♥

Sehun pulled up beside the Kim Estate, exiting his car and locking it while he walked inside. He figured Junmyeon had already heard of what had transpired at Jeju Island, which meant there had to be a new assignment ready for Sehun to tackle. He only wondered what it could be.

"Sehun-ah," Xiumin exited one of the rooms, wearing a white suit with a navy blue button down underneath, greeting the younger male. "You're here."

"I am," he bowed before the older male. "I'm here to talk to Junmyeon hyung."

"He should be finished with his phone call with Yixing right now," Xiumin accompanied him toward Junmyeon's study. "How's the girl doing?"

"She's doing well," Sehun answered with a soft smile, his thoughts wandering toward Haneul and how pretty she looked today—she became prettier everyday, in fact. "I just dropped her off at The Magic Shop for work."

"I see you've taken a liking to her," Xiumin caught the little smile on his face.

"Much more than a liking," the hitman spoke sincerely. "You could say... I'm in love with her."

"Jinjjah?!" The older male gasped, grabbing his shoulder and giving him a playful shake, the widest grin on his lips. "Yah, you cheeky bastard! You really love her?!"

"Of course!" Sehun answered. "I wouldn't make that up, especially when it comes to something strong like love. Neullie is... perfect," his lovesick smile grew bigger now. "She's kind, beautiful, and when she sings, it's like she becomes the center of my world..."

"Wow... She really struck you in the heart with her love shot," Xiumin teased, and a voice up ahead groaned at his corniness.

"Kim Minseok... just... don't," Kyungsoo was standing there, unimpressed by his choice of words. "You're not the one who is supposed to be making those jokes. That's Kim Junmyeon's job."

"Sehunnie's a fool in love!" Baekhyun popped out now, giggling childishly, his eyes bright and mischievous. "I knew there was a reason why you were so willing to protect her!"

"They do make a good pair, don't they?" Chen asked, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks. "I'm all for it. I think this might be good for the both of them."

"No wonder you're smiling more," Chanyeol remarked, grinning devilishly. "Irene noona told me everything, by the way. She even punched you in the gut!"

Sehun raised his eyebrows before he turned and cursed under his breath. He was going to have a talk with Irene at some point. It seemed his cold image was compromised, but at the same time, he didn't really mind it. If Haneul had made him into a fool in love, he was okay with it. "Remind me never to put you and Irene noona in the same room."

"We have a new assignment, everyone!" Kai said, walking toward the others to join them, and behind him was Junmyeon, he was still talking to Yixing over the phone, but it wasn't long until he ended the call. "Junmyeon hyung said it's important."

"Kai is right," the leader of their syndicate put his phone away, looking between his brothers before speaking. "The FT Clan has heard of what happened in Jeju Island. Wonbin has grown afraid and he's willing to negotiate."

"What will you have us do?" Sehun asked.

"We're hosting a party here at the estate," Junmyeon answered. "I've invited all the other syndicates, which will make it harder for FT to attack us. With more witnesses, they wouldn't dare do anything to us. However," he frowned, his gaze downcast, knowing he would regret his next words. "Haneul needs to attend as well."

Sehun's eyes widened a bit, watching his older brother, wondering if he had heard him correctly, "You want Neullie to attend this party?"

"I know it's dangerous and she wants no part in the world we live in," Junmyeon explained solemnly. "But we have to make it a point to the FT Syndicate that she is under our protection and if they or any other syndicate try to hurt her, they are hurting us. They know we have the most power among them and the Cho Syndicate was not only our ally but just as powerful."

Sehun didn't like this idea. He knew it could end one of both ways: either the FT Clan capture her or they kill her. They are the ones responsible for her grandmother's death, and the last thing Haneul needed to was look upon the faces of her killer. However, he understood where Junmyeon was coming from and she wouldn't be in any danger as long as she stayed close to him. No one would dare harm her unless they had a death wish. "Alright," he spoke after a moment. "Neullie can come but I will not leave her side the entire night."

"Good," Junmyeon nodded. "I don't want to use her but trust me, this may be good for her and all of us. Her name holds so much power and knowing she is with us will put us at an advantage when it concerns the FT Clan."

"I agree," the raven-haired male replied. "I'll tell her as soon as I pick her up from work." But first... I have to find her a dress.

[etlunainmorte]

🖤 I See My Future Before Me 🖤

***

She managed to acquire it for a very low and reasonable price. After all, who would use an old record now, especially with the booming technological culture that was steadily becoming popular with the younger generation?

She placed the delicate thing on her glass top table and took a good long look at it. Dante would pick her up any minute now, and she must definitely get ready for the mission ahead ( this time, a couple of magic - wielding higher Demons ).

However, for some strange reason, she couldn't shake the urge that she must play at least one song with it.

With that in mind, and her strong belief in intuition ( not to mention Cassandra's constant meddling ), she picked up the vinyl record she bought along with the old instrument and proceeded to the task. And with a little help from an almost useless and age - old manual ( its pages were yellow and crumbling at the edges ) that came with the merchandise, she finally managed to play the song. She took a few steps away from the table and allowed the sweet, old music to soothe and calm her senses.

She closed her eyes, letting the melody sink in,...

... when a vision suddenly flashed through her mind.

She opened her eyes once more, unable to believe her wicked sense of premonition ( or Cassandra's ) and allowed the vision to take over her entire mind.

And in that vision, she saw herself dancing the waltz with someone - a tall man clad completely in black. They were dancing to the same music that she was listening to, in the middle of the summer night, on a beautiful, Grecian balcony, below the starry, evening sky, the full moon shining above them.

It was,... simply perfect,...

But, who was that man?

The vision ended as soon as she opened her eyes.

However, something near the window startled her. She took a good long look at it as it slowly materialized, and right then and there, she saw him - the man she was dancing with in that vision,...

It's him! The man she's been searching for for such a long time.

The man,... with the white hair,...

And he was there, standing a few feet away from her, giving her a confused, and yet longing, look, as if he was also seeing her, himself.

She cautiously went closer to him and observed how his eyes followed her movements. She knew perfectly well that he was just a vision. Of the past or future? That she was not certain.

All she knew was that he was holding out his hands in front of her in a clear gesture that successfully conveyed his desire to dance with her,...

***

XXVIII

***

"Here." Nico mumbled sleepily as she handed V a mug of warm chocolate. He thanked the woman as he took it from her hands. He was about to take a sip when he noticed the woman giving him a suspicious look. She pointed two fingers at him and said, "Eh, so you're really Vergil, huh? Dante's twin brother?”

The man smirked as he finally took a sip of the warm chocolate, its enticing scent calming his tired and restless senses. He pursed his lips as he glanced at the calm and serene evening atmosphere from the balcony of (Y/N)'s unit.

"I was." He answered, his eyes darting from one cheerfully lit house to another. Some of the residents have already made their way back to their homes after the Dreadnought incident, and things were slowly going back to its normal and boring pace.

Nico almost choked on her chocolate when she heard V's answer. She chuckled as she took a good long, and thorough look at Vergil’s form from head to foot. "You,... were?" She chuckled.

V smirked once more as he looked at her. "It's the truth."

"I don't understand. How can you not be Vergil right now? I mean, come on, Sir Changes – A - Lot!"

The man chuckled as he helplessly shook his head. He held out a single hand as little orbs of light radiated from it. The almost translucent orbs, then, spread out from his hand to his arm, then from his torso to his other arm. The orbs reached his entire body as the curious little lights morphed him back to the V that Nico was used to seeing - black leather vest, tooth necklace, a pair of unflattering black sandals, and all.

"This,... is merely an illusion.” V explained. “I could never become whole again. It is,... completely impossible. Even with the powers of the Sisters Of Fate."

"Your hair,..." Nico mused as she pointed at V's snowy white hair. "It's not turning back to black." She, then, pointed at his skin. "And your tattoos are barely even there!"

"This is how I look like before all this,... began. This,... is the real me."

"Wow. And I thought (Y/N) was the only one who can change looks,..."

At the mere sound of her name, V's heart skipped a beat and his breath clearly hitched. The girl was sleeping in her room, unconscious since the whole battle with Pandemonium ended. He promised her sister that he would take care of him, and Galatea left her body as soon as she was done healing her.

But, then, somehow, he knew deep within his tainted heart that she would never be fully healed.

Would she,... ?

His question came out like a soft breeze that was almost missed by the Artisan. She stopped sipping her chocolate and glanced back at V, seeing the man leaning on the railing and clearly looking uncomfortable.

"Sorry?"

V looked at her eyes and repeated his question. "Would she find it in her heart to forgive me? After everything I've done to her?"

"Oh, that." Nico came closer towards the man and patted him a bit forcefully on the shoulder. "Dontcha worry a thing 'bout that! She'll forgive ya and yer pretty, lil' skinny ass. Believe me.”

V chuckled at her crude humor and sighed.

"You don't have,... any idea what I did to her back in that demonic ship,..."

"I know. You killed her. Well, almost."

V's eyes widened as he straightened up and looked at her. "How did you - ?!"

"Found out? Oh, she knew 'bout that. She told me herself."

Oh, it must be Cassandra, V thought as he leaned against the railing once more. "Of course."

"But, hey, she's still alive, right? And you're fine! At least, you didn't turn evil or somethin' and caused the world's destruction."

At those ridiculously accurate words, V bowed his head down low, trying to conceal his face until he could no longer endure the emotions. With trembling shoulders and teary eyes, he threw his head back, his low and evil - sounding laughter ripping out of his throat and scaring the hell out of Nico.

"Hahaha! YOU make me laugh,..."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "O,... kay?"

"You have no idea,... how messed up I've become. I failed her. I failed miserably. I'm only here because, apparently, Galatea still thinks I'm worthy. After,... everything I did to her."

"Hey, we all make mistakes."

V smiled at her. "I will tell you,... the story of my insanity,..."

With wide, doubtful eyes, Nico patiently listened as V recounted to her the events that took place in the Dreadnought, from the moment he stabbed (Y/N) up to the point where Fleminger stabbed him, taking the Sisters away from him and letting Pandemonium kill everyone.

"Wait, wait, wait,..." Nico blabbered as she pushed the frame of her red - rimmed glasses to her nose bridge. "So, you're sayin' that,... everyone,... died?"

"Yes."

"Hooee! Well, I'm sure glad that Galatea brought you back. I wonder how I died back there?"

As Nico went on blabbering about how she could possibly die in that far off alternate universe, V suddenly saw,...

... a spectral - looking hand reaching up at the railing of the balcony just behind her. V was definitely not one to get frightened of ghosts but, the vision did startle him. He focused his gaze into it as the creature climbed up the balcony as effortlessly as it could.

It was (Y/N), and she was, somehow, strangely barefoot. Her pants looked like they were burnt from the knee down, and her movements were as light as possible. She tiptoed her way to the window when she suddenly heard some voices inside.

So, did V.

“ ... they even mentioned some famous and obscure names in the Devil Hunting business who got the invitation. And let me mention this - Dante also received one."

Her eyes widened at whatever she saw inside and she couldn't prevent herself from letting out a yelping sound.

“Someone’s listening!”

She covered her mouth and stepped away from the window.

“Looks like we have an,… unwanted visitor.” Then, he heard it. That voice. It was him. He could remember everything: this was from that time when he first arrived at this place.

So, it was true: someone really was outside that time. And it was none other than her,...

“Best to make it at home - ” He heard himself speak once more.

“Guys, guys! Stop! What did I say about making a mess?!”

“Hey, hey! There’s an intruder right - AHH!” A very loud and obnoxious noise was heard from the inside, like someone, or something, was just thrown to the other side of the room.

“To not make any?”

“Exactly! That’s just the - ah - neighbor’s cat!”

“That,… does not sound like a feline, at least to my ears.”

“Okay, okay, guys! Trust me and put your weapons down. Thank you! Now, as I was saying, we must go to this event and find out what this, Wrath of The Gods, is!”

“We cannot go shorthanded. If we take the riddle in a very literal sense, then,… we would not have enough strength. We would be dealing with the Wrath of The Gods,… after all.”

While listening to the conversation inside, he saw (Y/N) as she tiptoed her way back closer to the window, lovingly gazing at something inside. Her eyes widened, then returned to normal once more. She raised an arm and wiped the tears that started coming out of her eyes with the sleeves of her pale pink hoodie.

She was crying, and yet she looked clearly happy at what she saw. Like she finally found something she has been searching for after so long.

Like, she was deeply longing to see whatever that was,...

And this made V's heart twitch in unbelievable pain.

He,... knew who she was looking at. He knew,...

... who she was longing to meet,...

“That’s where I come in! Nero, how’s the breaker coming along?”

“It’s fine, sure.”

“Oh, yeah? Then, I’ll be making new ones.”

“Isn’t this enough?”

“No! And, you! You seem interested in all this, yes?”

“As a matter of fact, I ‘am."

“Then, go get your own formal wear! I can’t provide you with one. I’m an Artisan, not a freaking, fancy tailor!”

“Wait, like, right now?”

“Duh?! Are you, like, gonna wait till Saturday for that? Go, go, GO!”

She cautiously took a few steps away from the window once more.

“Hey, hey, if you’re looking for some chicks, then you’re in the wrong place! Get moving!”

There were more sounds, and when they finally subsided, the window violently opened and she finally entered the threshold of her own home.

“Are you crazy?! Why would you be hiding there? This is your home, for crying out loud! Are you a thief, or something?!”

“It’s him, Nico.”

“I’m sorry, what?”

“It’s him! The man with the violin in my visions!”

“Who?!”

“The one with the markings on his skin!”

“The mysterious man? Are you sure about that?”

“It. Is. HIM!”

"¿Por qué estas descalza?" V heard a distinctively different voice of that of a little girl.

He closed his eyes at the sudden change, and when he opened them once more, he was suddenly transported to a sunny, suburban place. A little girl with dark pigtails was staring at him, her hands on her hips like a wife who was angry at her husband for coming home late and drunk.

He realized she was not directly looking at him, and this made him turn around. And to his surprise, he saw (Y/N). And just like in his vision a while ago, she was barefoot, and her pants looked burnt from the knee down.

(Y/N) opened her mouth to answer but, then, she realized she can't speak the little girl's language. This made the smaller girl smile.

"¡Ven conmigo! Te llevaré a nuestra casa." The girl excitedly said as she practically went through V like he was a ghost and grabbed (Y/N)'s hand.

V followed the two as the little girl led (Y/N) to one of the charming little two - story houses on the left. The little girl opened the door and let (Y/N) in.

"¡Madre!" The girl called. "¡Madre!"

"¿Alicia?"

A woman in her mid - fifties came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands with an orange towel.

"¿Hija?" The mother's eyes widened as she abandoned her towel, practically throwing it to the side as she made her way to the two girls. "¡Que chica tan linda! ¿Es tu amiga?"

The little girl laughed and shook her head, making (Y/N) a bit surprised and culture - shocked. "Ella no habla Español. No te preocupes, yo me encargo." The girl turned to (Y/N) and pointed at herself, then her mother. "My name is Alicia. This is my mother, Maria. I go to English class every Saturday."

"Oh, that's nice." (Y/N) answered as she received a pair of slippers from the little girl. "Thanks."

"She said you're pretty."

A faint rosy tint crept up (Y/N)'s cheeks. She looked at the smiling older woman and nodded. "I, ah, thank you."

Maria nodded, understanding the words she just said.

"What are you doing outside with no shoes?" The little girl asked her as she pulled her towards the living room.

"Umm, you see, ah,..." (Y/N) muttered as she sat down on the maroon sofa. "I was, ahh, looking for someone. A white haired man who plays the violin. I've seen him pass here. Have you, umm, seen him?"

White haired man who plays the violin?

He had been here?!

Alicia turned to his mom. "Ella pregunta si hemos visto a un hombre de cabello blanco por aquí, dice que toca el violin."

Maria frowned and shook her head. “No, lo siento mucho. Pero podemos avisarte si lo llegamos a ver."

"She said no. But, we will tell you when we see him."

(Y/N)'s face showed a clearly disappointed expression. But, despite this, she still sincerely smiled and nodded. "Thank you so much."

Alicia nudged her on the elbow to help her relax. "No hay problema." She answered with a smile. "That means no problem."

"I can't believe how fast you've grown!"

V heard another voice from the hallway. He went there and saw, in shock, the same little girl,...

... except that she was now the same height as (Y/N). Her hair was no longer in pigtails. Instead, she was wearing it down. And her fashion sense seemed to have changed, as well.

"I'm a teenager now!" And clearly, she was better in English. "And it seems that you haven't aged a bit since I last saw you!"

It was true. For some reason, (Y/N) still looked the same.

How many years has passed since she first met Alicia?

"So, have you seen him?"

"Oh, that man? I think mom has!"

"Really?"

"Yeah!" Alicia grabbed her hand and led her to the living room like what she did the first time they met. "Madre, (Y/N) is here!"

The woman, whose dark brown hair has clearly turned gray, looked up from her stitch work and stood, meeting the girls halfway and kissing the both of them on their forehead. V noticed that she now walked with a slight limp.

"It has been a long, long time, Miss (Y/N)!" Maria told her in straight English, grabbing her hands and squeezing them.

"Mom studied English for you." Alicia said with a proud and huge smile.

"That's really cool!"

"Mom, she’s asking whether you've seen the man she was looking for."

To this, Maria's face suddenly fell, a frown now gracing her warm and gentle features. She only shook her head and went back to her stitch work. And without saying another word, she sat down and went on with her work like nothing even happened.

"Oh, don't mind her. She's just like that at times. But, she's not mad at you, don't worry!" Alicia whispered.

(Y/N), who was clearly alarmed at the sudden change in Maria's demeanor, couldn't help but nod as she tried to hide her worry.

"It's okay."

"You haven't given up?"

V heard Alicia's frantic voice on the hallway once more. He immediately went there and saw her,...

... clad completely in black from head to foot. She clearly looked a bit older, and she was not dragging (Y/N) around like how she used to when she was younger.

And (Y/N)?

"You still haven't changed?" Alicia questioned her with raised eyebrows.

"Where's Maria?"

Something in her question triggered something in Alicia. And it unnerved both (Y/N) and V.

"Get out."

"Sorry?"

"I said, GET OUT!" Alicia screamed as she pushed (Y/N) out of the house.

"Alicia, what happened?!"

"GO AWAY!" The girl screamed as she shut the door close. She then ran towards the sofa, grabbed Maria's old stitch work, and cried. The handiwork was clearly half - finished but, some words were visible from it.

"El amor es paciente, el amor es amable. No envi - "

"HEY!"

V snapped back to reality as Nico snapped her fingers in front of his face.

"You alright?"

"Indeed. Yes, I' am." He answered.

Nico breathed a sigh of relief as she clutched at her chest like she was having a heart attack. "I thought I lost you back there. You know, (Y/N)'s visions were short and sweet - "

"She's been to Spain."

"Sorry?"

V looked at her and repeated his words. "It's (Y/N). I saw her. She was in Spain."

"Oh, that! So, you've seen her?" Nico answered as she went back inside, V following close behind her. "You know, she's been to many places, more than what you could imagine. She's searching ten years for you, God!"

"Ten,… years?!"

"Yeah. She comes home often, though. She's learned to channel that power of hers to her feet and legs so she could move fast and jump to high places." Nico explained as she went to one of the drawers and pulled something out from it. "So, she's never really gone for too long. But, I'm gonna tell ya this: that channeling the power to her feet thing often burned her pants."

So, that's why,...

"I don't understand." V went on as he watched Nico flip through the pages of an old album. "She was searching for ten years, but I've only been to such places for three weeks. I was,… travelling. It's what I've been doing before coming here to Red Grave."

"Really? Well, it's a long story. Let's just say that she wanted to meet you because the entity that was possessing her wanted her to fulfill some kind of a mission. Don't ask." She handed the open album to V and pointed at one of the photos. "That's them."

V's eyes widened in awe as he saw the photograph of (Y/N) and Alicia during the Spanish girl's party for her sixteenth birthday.

"Alicia. One of the people she frequently visited and stopped seeing after ten years. Said she’s starting to notice."

"Notice what?" V looked up from the album.

Nico went closer to V and whispered like she was passing on a well - guarded secret to him. "Okay, this sounds weird but, she actually came from the past."

"I know."

"Yeah, yeah! I thought at first she's just plain nuts. But, listen to this: the first thing she did after recovering was search for her family's old farm in Fortuna. V, there hasn't been a farm there since a hundred years ago! It's all concrete now, and streets.

"So, she searched for her parents and any people she could remember from her past. Some of them either died already or have grandchildren of their own. And her parents? She found out that they separated and had families of their own."

"A girl,... out of her time,..." V mused as he flipped through the pages of (Y/N)'s old album, seeing her with unknown faces.

"Exactly! She's, like, super old when you think 'bout it!" Nico went to one of the paintings and looked up at it. "And, not only that, her looks stayed the same for those ten whole years I knew her. Like, she's stuck or somethin’.”

"Galatea's stasis." V breathed.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing."

Nico frowned and raised an eyebrow at him. She went on. "She craves for things from the past. So, she started collecting antiques like this. Other than helping her cope after being plucked from when she came from, these things she have reminded her of all the places she's been. They remind her of you."

The poet looked up from the album and saw Nico picking up her keys on the glass top table. There was an old record there, similar to Fleminger's, that he hasn't taken notice of before.

Was it there the whole time?

Nico saw the confusion in V's eyes as he looked at the antique. "Oh, this? She bought this about a year ago. Thought she's gonna want to listen to old songs when she wakes up. So, I took it out. It's gonna get moldy with disuse."

The woman walked towards the door but, before she went out, she turned back to V. "I'll leave her to ya, V. Don't mess this up again." And then, just like that, she walked out of the door, leaving him alone with (Y/N).

The silence felt deafening, the darkness depressing. V nearly collapsed on the sofa as he carefully placed the album next to the record. He was about to touch it when he heard a loud tapping against the window. He turned around just in time to see Griffon and Shadow entering the unit.

"HOO! We made it." Griffon breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way towards V while carrying something broken in his hands.

"I see you found it." V carefully took the broken violin from Griffon's long fingers. It was (Y/N)'s.

"Yeah, well. Kinda got all bloody searchin’ through Dreadnought's rubble for that."

"Thank you."

"Wait!" Griffon held up two long fingers in front of V and made way for Shadow to get close to the poet.

V smirked, controlling his mirth and amusement as he looked down at the now human Shadow. After the cleansing, she has turned into a pale human girl roughly the size of a middle - schooler. Her long black hair that reached her feet was awfully unkempt, and the clothes that Lady lent her a while ago was too big for her.

She quietly looked up at him with her big red eyes and showed him a pair of stilettos.

It was (Y/N)'s. She wore it when,...

"This girl took it badly when you threw them out during your mad state, if ya can’t remember. She looked for them all over the place and kept them with her." Griffon explained as Shadow gave the shoes back to V. She turned towards her fellow familiar and gave him a strange look. She, then, turned back to V with an angry, yet adorable, look. "Oh, and she's saying that she hates ya for hurting (Y/N). And that she will never forgive ya."

"Oh, I'm,..." V grasped the shoes and looked down at them, thinking of the girl who owned them. "... forgive me."

"Well, you've been a naughty schtick! Ya should've been punished for bad behavior!" The bald Demon made a ruffling gesture that was much akin to his movements when he was still a bird and collapsed on the sofa. "So, happy with yer new powers?" he, then, asked sarcastically.

"No." The poet answered monotonously as he slumped back to the sofa just beside the familiar, the shoes still in his hands.

Griffon rolled his eyes. "Figures,..."

There was a moment of silence between the two, and during this very awkward time, Shadow took a liking to the old record on the table. She poked the thing with her tiny finger and managed to turn it on, its weird mechanism startling her and making her hair stand. She drew back to a corner, giving it a confused and cautious look.

This made Griffon laugh a lot. "I wonder how that would sound, though."

"It,... wouldn't hurt if we try." The poet quietly said as he placed the shoes on the table and took the vinyl record just beside the instrument. Apparently, the record was simply titled as "Nat King Cole". He began with the long process of playing it and when the music finally came out of it, he turned it off immediately.

"Hey, why did ya turn it off?!" Griffon complained. He was about to rant more when he noticed the look on V's face. His eyes were wide and his mouth was hanging open. "V? You okay?"

"I' am. I just,..." The man held out a hesitant finger as he turned on the instrument once more.

"Unforgettable, that's what you are. Unforgettable, though near or far. Like a song of love that clings to me,... "

"It's this song." He confessed with a shaky voice. With cold and trembling hands, he covered his mouth, already feeling the tears as they started falling down his blurry eyes. "It's,... from that evening."

Griffon saw the changes in V's demeanor and actually felt sorry for him. He tapped V's shoulder in a sincere effort to calm him down.

"Unforgettable in every way, and forevermore, that's how you'll stay,..."

He stood up and went towards the window, all the painful memories of everything that happened within a single week coming back to him. He found the love of his life, danced with her, and lost her because of his foolishness.

All because he let himself be manipulated.

Still unable to control his emotions, and the tears that came along with them, he turned back, and saw,...

... the girl, herself, standing a few feet away from him looking confused like he was.

But, this time, unlike any other vision he had of her, she looked like she was actually seeing him for real. She went closer towards him as he observed all of her movements. He held out his arms, hoping for his desire to dance with her once more to come across.

And, as if by some form of an unknown miracle, she let his hands take hers as they began the basic steps of the waltz,...

... just like the first time they did it on the Grecian balcony that evening.

"That's why darling, it's incredible, that someone so unforgettable, thinks that I am unforgettable too."

Griffon and Shadow silently watched as V danced with something they couldn't see. The male familiar shook his head and grinned as he saw the poet actually enjoying the dance.

"No, never before has someone been more,..."

He tried to hold her closer despite the fear that she would vanish and rested his head on the crook of her neck.

"Unforgettable,… in every way,..."

He quietly and gently sang along, the lyrics tearing a new wound to his already beaten heart. How he wanted to hold her so much, how he wanted to actually feel her smooth skin against his,...

... how he longed to dance with her once more.

But, she’s hurt. Because of him.

And instead of her actually dancing with him, she’s lying on that bed inside her room with no guarantee of when she’d wake up.

"And forevermore,… that's how you'll stay,..." He felt a warm sensation on his body and realized that her vision was rubbing him on the back, her arms around him, wanting him to cease crying. He looked at her eyes and cupped her cheeks. "That's why darling,… it's incredible,… that someone,… so unforgettable,… thinks that I ‘am,… unforgettable too,..." His heart ached with each word he sang, feeling like they were directed towards him and making him feel guilty than ever before.

He wanted so much to tell her that: that she’s unforgettable,…

… that he was grateful to her for everything that she did for him for the past ten years,…

… that he was grateful that she found him and made his life a little less miserable.

But, of course, he had to make a very stupid mistake of hurting her.

And he regret everything he did and did not do to her.

As the song came to an end, his face inched closer to hers. He wanted so much to feel her lips against his,...

... when something startled her.

She reluctantly pulled away from him as she looked at the door behind her. She opened her mouth and said something he couldn't hear, and turned to face him once more. She gave him a warm, and yet weak, smile as she held up a single hand to caress his face. After that, she stepped away from him and went to the door, looking at him one last time before finally going through it.

"Please,..." V begged her, holding out a helpless and powerless hand to reach her. "Don't,... leave me,..."

***

🖤 Special thanks to @beyond-the-mirror for the Spanish dialogue and translations. Also for introducing Alicia and Maria. 🖤

🖤 @la-vita , @micaelagua , @vergils-daughter , @lessy86 , @diabeticsugarush , @ehrzeth , @ceruleanworld , @simmy-ships , @boundbysoul , @heaven-on-a-landslide , and @krazy06 . 🖤

***

She heard a knock on the door and heard Dante calling her name. She turned away from the lonely man, not really wanting to go.

"I'm coming!" She called back, then looked at her partner's anguished face once more. Despite the pain that she suddenly felt in her heart upon seeing a vision of him, she still made an effort to caress his face and smiled, reassuring him, hoping that he would understand. She left him standing there in the middle of the room.

And as she glanced back at him, the sight that greeted her hurt her even more. In fact, the pain was unbearable.

His tears were streaming down his face, his expression simply too painful to withstand.

He doesn't want her to go.

He,... doesn't want her to leave,...

***

[daphne-fandom-writing]

Backstage fun

I KNOW I have requests and I'm sorry that I haven't finished them yet. But I went to the IDKHOW show in Amsterdam last Sunday and left with inspiration for this.

Some of these events happened (only the locking eyes and smirk that Dallon ACTUALLY gave me wow)

NO HATE TO DALLON'S WIFE OR FAMILY BECAUSE THEY SEEN GREAT AND ADORABLE HE IS JUST SINGLE FOR THE SAKE OF THIS FIC

Anyways this is smut!

Word count: 2752

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Everytime that the background music stopped playing it felt as though I was going to faint. And that happened way too many times. Until the lights went out and the music stopped for real. It was pitch black until a white light accentuated Dallon walking on stage. Later Ryan joined and Dallon started stomping his foot as a beat and the whole audience joined in.

Goosebumps appeared on my arms and a chill found it's way to my back. The vibe they radiated was mysterious and a little dangerous but loving at the same time. They played 'Opening band' as their first song, the intro with no bass, no drums. Only Dallon, Ryan and the audience. It felt as though you were the only one they were playing for.

During 'Opening band' and 'Modern day cain' Dallon looked into the crowd more than a few times. You could've sworn that you locked eyes with Dallon during the songs. This feeling was strengthened when they started playing 'Bleed magic'. At one point during that song you locked eyes again, Dallon's hair partly covering his face but you could see his eyes. You were mesmerised, drawn into them, until he smirked, still holding your gaze. Then he looked away into the rest of the crowd. For a minute you were questioning yourself, thinking that you imagined that little moment that you shared. But you turned to the friend that you made in the line and they gave you a look that said all you needed to know, you didn't imagine anything.

During the rest of the show you sang, danced and shared stares with Dallon. Because yes, mr. Weekes kept looking your way. Then it was time for 'Visitation of the ghost'. You chose a great spot, obviously knowing what was gonna happen during this song, because the line he made in the middle of the crowd was right next to you. So just when you thought that you couldn't get any luckier Dallon stopped walking through the crowd right next to you. And even though he explicitly stated personal space, he happened to brush his hand against your when he turned to the other side of the crowd. Before he returned to the stage he locked eyes with you again and put his finger to his lips to signal silence and well... that went straight to your core.

When Dallon and Ryan finished playing 'Choke' and after having the whole crowd sing with them, they left the stage only to return a few minutes later to play one last song. The last song was 'Boring' and the lighting changed to a bright white and everyone had their flashlights on their phones in the air. You were quietly singing along to the lyrics, both enjoying your last moments there but also dreading the ending of the song.

Dallon strung the last chords of the song, the room went pitch black, he threw away his last guitar pick and Ryan and him disappeared into a door a few rows of people left of you. As the lights turned back on people started leaving the venue. You didn't, you kept standing there already replaying everything that happened and convincing yourself that it was all real. Soon you noticed that you were almost alone in the room and that a guy with a baseball cap, that you saw on stage before the show a few times, was approaching you.

He told you that if you wanted to meet the band that he could take you backstage with him. He added that Dallon specifically asked for you.

"The girl in the bright orange top with (Y/H/C) hair, I can only see one girl like that and it's you." Is what the guy said.

Your heartbeat started accelerating exponentially and you obviously nodded. It wasn't as if you were going to pass up an opportunity to meet the band.

The guy with the cap leaded you through the doors that Ryan and Dallon had walked through as well. It lead to some hallways that lead to dressing rooms. The guy stopped at a door that said.

'Dallon Weekes - IDKHOW'

"There you go, just knock and you'll be okay."

You were certain that you were gonna faint if your heartbeat didn't start slowing down. You took a deep breath and lifted your hand, you knocked the deep brown wooden door twice. Your heart beat in your chest as you waited for a response.

It seemed to take minutes before the door opened and Dallon stood in it's place. You had to look up to see his face and you almost had to steady yourself because of how he looked. He was still a little sweaty and his hair was all over the place. He still wore the same outfit that he wore on stage, a baby salmon pink blouse with black and white flowers, previously with a light grey jacket on top of it that he discarded for the last song and black skinny jeans. He had unfastened the top few buttons of his blouse and it gave you a little peek at his chest.

It took all of your self-restraint to stop yourself from blushing and to keep cool about the situation you were now in.

Dallon looked at you for a moment before he smiled brightly and spoke.

"Hey! You actually came, it was a long shot to send Alex your way but I'm glad that I did. Come in!" Dallon stepped aside and held his hand out into the dressing room to signal that you should come inside. So you did. You walked into the room and Dallon shut the door, you turned around to him extending his hand.

"Dallon." He said as you took his hand and shook it. "Y/N, and yeah... I know." You said with a smile.

Dallon laughed "I guess you do." He paused for a bit, looking into your eyes, before he spoke again. "A drink?" He said, as if he forgot that he was going to ask you.

"Ehm yeah." You looked at a table with drinks on it. "A water would be nice." Dallon walked to the table and got you and him a bottle of water.

As he took a sip he motioned to the couch. "Wanna sit? You've been standing for more than an hour now, right?" He took a seat on the couch he meant and looked at him gratefully. You moaned in relief as you took a seat.

"I needed that so much, thanks." You looked at him with a smile, a smile that faded when you saw the look he was giving you. His light blue eyes that you know so well were not so bright as they were before, they darkened, a shade that gave you chills and flutters at the same time. It made wonder as to why Dallon even invited you, and why Ryan wasn't there.

"Dallon?" He nodded. "Mhm" You swallowed.

"Can I ask why you invited me over? Not that I'm not happy to be here, because I am, but I can't help being a little curious."

He seemed to snap out of... well whatever that was going on and seemed to focus again.

"Well, I saw you in the crowd. Never with a phone, only enjoying the music. It's not something you see a lot these days. Then I caught your eyes more than once." You blushed and looked at your hands, Dallon smiled at you and put his finger under your chin to make you look at him. "And I have to say that those glances we shared..." He paused for a second. "They did something to me and my body and well... I had to see you again, up close this time."

He leaned in a little and you could feel his breath on your lips, you fought the urge to close your eyes.

"Tell me to stop and I will. Tell me to go on and I will too." Your breath hitched in your throat.

"Dallon" His forehead touched yours, his finger moving from your chin to put his hand on the side of your hair. "Tell me Y/N. Stop or go."

"Please" You looked at his lips and back into his eyes. "Go."

I took less than a second for Dallon to put his lips on yours. His hand in your hair got a little more force behind it and your hands ran through his hair in return. His lips were soft and moved in time with yours in a passionate frenzy, no romance, only lust. Dallon' hair felt soft to the touch, long enough to pull. And you did, Dallon moaned at the sensation so you did it again. As retaliation Dallon started kissing your neck. He moved your bodies into a laying position on the couch, Dallon hovering on top of you, just slightly touching.

You spread you legs and he positions himself between them, you feel his hardened length through your clothes and writhe underneath him. Dallon sucked on a particular sensitive spot on your neck and you moaned loudly. Dallon immeadiately put his hand over your mouth. He retracted his hand and placed his index finger in front of his lips.

"As much as I love the sounds you make, Ryan is in the room next door." You nodded and pulled Dallon back into another kiss. Your hands moved to his blouse and started unbuttoning it. Button after button more and more of his chest appears. After the last button you run your hands across his chest and down over his stomach. When you reach his belly he pulls back and sits up abruptly.

"Please... don't." Dallon looks away from you, he looks ashamed.

"Did I do anything wrong? Do you want to stop? Because we can... if you want."

He immeadiately looked up at you. "No!" He ran his hand through his hair. "No, I'm just... It's silly really. It's an insecure part of me. I just... hate that part of me I guess."

You smiled at him. "Let me prove you wrong." You pushed Dallon on his back and spread his blouse out of the way to get access at his chest. You crawled on top of him and gave him a peck on his lips. You moved to his neck, kissed him behind his ear and sucked on the skin above his collarbone, leaving a hickey. Dallon shuddered underneath your touch. You moved downwards and kissed all over his chest, stopped to suck on his nipple for a second and made your way even lower. You stopped for a second before you continued.

"Do you trust me?" Dallon nodded and you gave him a peck on his stomach. Dallon tensed. You looked at him through your eyelashes and kissed, licked and sucked all over his beautiful belly. All the tension that once was disappeared and pleasure made it's way to his face when you moved Dallon's hip bones. The pleasure didn't just show on his face, his boner was an absolute reveal of that. You traced you fingers over the denim covered bulge and heard Dallon take in a hiss of breath. You smirked at his reaction and when Dallon looked at your face... well... all of the innocent and insecure parts of him disappeared. They made way for a dark look of primal lust and passion.

Within a second you were on your back again while Dallon discarded his blouse. He started kissing the bottom of your own belly and moving his way upwards, taking your top off in the process. As Dallon kissed alongside the outline of your bra you started working on the button of his jeans. You pried them open and Dallon stood up to take them off, when he did you took of your bra and opened the button of your own jeans. Before you could take them off yourself Dallon was already back on top of you. He licked and sucked your breasts and left a hickey on top of your right nipple.

"Dallon..." you moaned and his eyes lit up with desire.

"Yes, my dear." He spoke with a rasp in his voice which made you moan again. He smirked at your reaction and went to take of your pants, taking your panties with them. He stood up to take off his own underwear and when he did... You looked at him, eyes looking at every part of his body and appreciating it at the same time.

"Like what you see?"

"A lot." You held out your hand at Dallon and he took it. Crawling back on top of you, his hand caressing the skin on your sides, moving along your outer thighs to circle back along your inner thighs. He looked at your eyes again and you nodded at him, urging him to move along.

"Dallon, please." He buried his face into your neck, giving a kiss and brushing the skin with his nose before whispering.

"Tell me what you want." His breath tickled your skin and goosebumps crawled over your skin. "You Dallon, every bit of you."

Dallon's hand moved from your inner thigh to swipe along your folds. "So fucking wet. Perfect." He all but purred into your neck that you bared for him. His hand moved to align himself with you.

He started moving slowly, easing into you at a horribly slow pace until he had fully penetrated your body. His breathing accelerated almost immeadiately and you wrapped you legs around him to feel him even deeper. After around a minute Dallon started moving again, slow still at first but picking up the pace very soon. He groaned with every moan you let go, he fit you perfectly. Every curve of his body complimenting yours. Every inch of skin left untouched. At some point Dallon's thrusts started becoming faster and faster. Your hands moved from his shoulders to his and back down to grab his beautiful butt and back up to pull his hair.

Dallon whispered sweet nothings in your ear, from how beautiful you are to the way you make him feel unpure feelings. Dallon's hands were on you thighs to keep your legs up, then in your hair to pull your head back and finally in your clit. He rubbed small circles only adding to the pleasure he was filling you with already. You felt the familiar knot in your stomach and you knew it wasn't gonna be much longer.

"Dall... I'm-" He kisses you as the both of you come undone.

Dallon pulls back and breathes into your neck as you bury your face in his hair. Your hand wander over his back and his rub circles on top of your shoulders. It doesn't take long for the two of you to fall asleep.

[inevitable-anna]

Escape The Night S4X06 Spoilers.

Hello, it’s ETN time again! I believe this may be my longest reaction post yet! I’m working on my ‘possessed guest’ theory.

Here we go...

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Oohh The Gorgon and The Collector are having an argument!

Ummm... The Gorgon doesn't turn to stone when she looks at her own reflection?

Holy Musical B@tman! The Minotaur came out of nowhere!

R.I.P random Greek warrior dude. Press f to pay respects!

Still loving the opening credits!

*The Gorgon enters the lounge* My mind: "Here's Gorgie!"

Ahh! No! Don't hurt The Sorceress! Bad Gorgon!

AHHHH! MORTIMER IS TURNING TO STONE! THAT IS NOT GOOD!

ASDFGHJKL! I'm sorry, I know Mortimer is probably dead now, but his statue looks hilarious!

The way The Sorceress was touching the fingertips of Mortimer’s statue, when the guests came back into the lounge. :(

"Oh, baked beans!" I love Ro so much, and I know I say it every time but she's great!

"I will gouge her eyes out for this. Mark my words!" The Sorceress vowed to avenge Mortimer!

"I knew he was a stoner." If Bretman dies I'm gonna be so mad!

Oh, this is the ‘rainiest day’ that Merlin was talking about!

The group used the 'guardian angel' stone!

ATTFSRKDBWORNZWLBEBUANRBFKRBFOWRPGOHEBNGORKD KENNGIIIWBSIA!!!!!

MATPAT AND NIKITA ARE BACK!!! YESSSSS!!

AND RO'S STILL ALIVE SO MATT/RO REUNION!!!

Ro: *sees Mat* "starts screaming"!

Awww! Mat just lifted Ro up and gave her the biggest hug! Yay! They're reunited! This is the one of the things in the series that I was waiting for and I’m so glad it happened!

Wait? Is Mat's hair purple? It looks good.

No one:

Nikita: *shows up*

Colleen: "Nikita's a really sucky guardian angel because last time I was with her, she shoved me into a box of spikes and murdered me."

Me: :|

"We only have a limited amount of time to save as many of you as possible." Oh? Are Mat and Nikita only here for this episode then? :(

Ro: "Did you join a cult?" Mat: "What?" Ro: "I saw the symbol on her, it's on Joey. You got it." Nikita: "We're the Society Against Evil." Mat: "We're here to help. We're the good guys." Ro: *suspicious af face* "This cult is recruiting. I do not trust them." I just found this funny.

But I do agree with Ro. I don't trust the SAE.

I missed Mat. "I mean, Jael and Ryu are kinda weird. Bit quiet. They puke magic. It's kinda disgusting." Lol

Thank goodness for Mat! "Thinking Gorgon, I immediately think of Greek mythology."

Mat and Ro's friendship is everything! Mat: *thinks of possible solution* Ro: "Mat, you smart. You smart." Mat: "Thank you."

Mat doing a victory dance, when his theory is proved to be correct, is brilliant!

Colleen: "The Collector, despite being a real b*tch, happens to have one in her museum." Does Merlin's note actually say the bit about The Collector being a b*tch or did Colleen add that in? Because it's hilarious to think of Merlin writing that!

Joey: "I volunteer not to hold the shield, so." When was the last time you actually volunteered to do something Joey? Because I can't remember! (This is gonna be really stupid if he volunteered an episode or two ago)

Colleen. WE KNOW YOU HOLD A GRUDGE BUT PLEASE STOP BRINGING IT UP EVERY 5 MINUTES!

ALEX! YOU ARE STILL SHADY AS HELL TO ME! EVEY TIME YOU SAY "I need to prove that I'm on your side" IT JUST SEEMS MORE SUSPICIOUS!!

Joey: "The Gorgon's lair is gorgeous." Camera: *shows The Gorgon's lair, which is covered in fog and statues that are actually deceased people* Me: 'If Joey thinks this is gorgeous, I'd hate to see what he thinks is ugly.'

Please let Alex get turned to stone!🤞🏻 Please let Alex get turned to stone!🤞🏻Please let Alex get turned to stone!🤞🏻

Bretman: "Alex tries to look at her through the mirror and Miss Gorgon was like, 'B*tch, you dumb.'" Bretman is still great.

Alex: *gets captured by Minotaur after failing to turn The Gorgon to stone* Bretman: "Why are the cute monsters never grabbing me?" Me: "... Wha?"

I love how whenever the group gets a note and someone reads it out, you can see Ro trying to remember it and figure it out in the background.

Ok, three riddles to open the three gates of the maze. The answer to each riddle will be an object inside the maze. This sounds cool, I love riddles! I’m not great at them but I like them.

Nikita: "Shut up and just look cute. I'm gonna save your ass."

First riddle: "I have a head a tail but no body." No body but it has a head and tail?

Ohh! It's a coin. Good thinking Nikita! And Nikita got captured!

Now we're with team Mat.

Oh so they have to find what each statue was missing and return it to said statue.

Okay, The Sorceress was helping Ro hide from The Gorgon was awesome and now I want The Sorceress and Ro to be friends!

(Photo credit to @sun-shine-lolli-pops)

Okay, back to the team Nikita.

Second riddle: "Feed me and I live. Give me a drink and I'll die." EEK! I know this one! It's fire, the answer is fire!

Nikita: "A candle. Look for something with fire." Alex: "Don't listen to her." And Alex keeps trying to convince everyone that he's not bad?

Grapes? Okay, now Bretman has used the lighter!

Okay, the second gate has been opened. One more to go!

Bretman has been captured as well.

Now it's Joey's turn! Third riddle: "When you need me you throw me away. When you are done with me you bring me back." Hmm?

Wait! On the table is an anchor! It's the anchor! It's the anchor, Joey!

Third and final gate complete! And Joey didn’t get caught.

Uh oh... Joey has to vote for himself or vote for either Nikita, Bretman or Alex and Joey will get immunity.

Back to team Mat.

Good thinking with the empty pedestals, Ro!

I love how Ro takes the high pedestal and has to, literally, climb on top of it because she's so tiny, while Mat and Colleen have the short pedestal and just have to step onto it.

Ro yelling "Team Cinnamon Roll" is everything! #TeamCinnamonRoll

Colleen: "Mat and I have to stand on the one that says, "Kiss of the jewelled lover." Matt's married and has a kid. I'm married and have a kid. So that ain't happening. So he's gonna get a big ol' kiss on the cheek."

Colleen: "Are we doing this?" Matt: "Give me a kiss, lover!" The way that Matt says that is hilarious!

Mat: "Are you the new Calliope? Are you the one who's shuffling the cards?"

Sorceress: "I'm The Sorceress."

Ro: "She's pretty cool, Matt."

Mat: "Yeah?"

Ro: "Yeah, she's really helpful."

Colleen: "Snake lady freaks me out."

Matt: "Didn't Joey say that she killed him?" That whole interaction was brilliant.

Phew, Joey voted for himself. Which makes my earlier dig about him not volunteering look stupid now.

Ro asks Alex if he wants to go in and he said yes!

WHAT? Who the heck voted for Colleen?

ASDFGHJKL! Bretman: "Miss Colleen, prove yourself, Duchess." It was Bretman!

Alex is going in too!

Alex: "What? Rosanna! I didn't know what I was saying earlier. I was just cold." Ro: "You told me to vote for you!" Anyone getting S1X06 Matt vibes here? When he said he'd do the exorcism and then tried to back out?

Oh this is an interesting challenge! The ‘guardian angels’ Mat and Nikita has to traverse the maze and find the parts of a puzzle, while Alex and Colleen have to assemble the puzzle pieces to make the Parthenon.

Nikita crawls under the legs of the Minotaur! That is gutsy!

Colleen is almost done!

NIKITA! WHAT THE FLIPPETY FLAPPITY FUCK?!?!?

I'm sorry for my language there but what the hell, Nikita?

Nikita has cheated at this challenge and the last person to cheat was Destorm and he automatically forfeited his life as punishment. I feel like Alex should lose now. (I’m not saying this because I dislike Alex, I’m saying because Nikita cheated and I think there should be a punishment.)

No! Where's Matt gone?

Thank goodness! Matt is still alive! He’s just outside the museum.

R.I.P Colleen Ballinger.

First death- stabbed to death inside of the iron ‘maiden of madness’.

Second death- “ripped to pieces” by the Minotaur.

I used to like Nikita... not anymore!

Yesesss! Kill The Gorgon! When Alex tells the Minotaur to stay in the maze, the Minotaur stomps of like a child being sent to their room.

Nikita: "I seem to be doing pretty well for my first mission as a Society Against Evil girl." Nikita: *cheats at challenge, which gets Colleen killed*

Ro: "Alex and Nikita return to the lounge. Which means Matpat and Colleen did not make it." She thinks Mat is dead and she looks so sad! Someone hug Ro! Please?!

Ro: "There's this fire that's starting inside of me that's just starting to ignite, and I'm just... I hate these monsters." #LetRoBeABadass2K19

A lamp? Does this mean that the genie/djnn looking person from the trailer is next?

"Wishes are not free." Well, that's ominous.

And that’s my reaction post for S4X06 done!

And as I thought about the end of this episode, I thought that, apart from Nikita, Rosanna is the only girl left in the group. If Nikita only stays for one more episode then Ro will definitely be the only girl left and that should guarantee that she is one of this seasons survivors! Until I thought that Colleen is seen in the pirates episode, which means she may be revived, which will probably be bad for Ro as they probably won’t have 2 female survivors (Although Ro is is the pirate episode as well). Excluding S2, The survivors are always Joey, a boy and a girl, so it’s unlikely that it would be 2 girls and Joey to win this season unless they decide to change that. But who knows?

Quick question, who do you want to win this season?

Hope you like this post! :)

Have a lovely day!