#idk i need to let her know sooner than later cause it starts in like 2.5 hours and id need time to get there and link up with them

[august--and-everything-after]

High school friend I've recently reconnected with has invited me to a local pride parade and idk man I really wanted to spend the weekend in after everything I did last weekend, and my folks are out for the day so I have the house to myself for once and I just want to chill. I've been to a few pride parades in different cities and they're as fun as any other parade I guess but idk who else she's going with (there's a chance it's her boyfriend eugh) and I'm kinda too tired to socialize like that

[avatarmerida]

New brain rot? No, just Huntlow in a different font. It’s a Willina (?) HC/ if I wrote a fic this would be it but also I dunno if I will get so here are some crumbs under the cut if you care:

William gives me the vibes of like he is a grimwalker that Belos made but he’s the only one he’s gotten right so he has to “preserve” him until he’s needed because making a grimwalker is hard let alone a sustainable one. So that’s why he’s doing the classic sleeping thing and in his mind he’s under a curse which is why he can’t like remember a lot about his past or who he is and that’s where his arc stems from like he believes stopping by wild magic will restore his memories or something.

Also I feel like a fun little twist since this version of Hunter is very Disney-esque and I think he’d still be made of palistrom trees if they did like a Pinocchio type thing where he can’t lie (or at least can’t lie to Belos) without it causing him pain or like branches grow from him and he just chalks it up to the curse not to the clone thing. I also picture him like that frog from the Swan Princess movie where he’s convinced a kiss from a princess will save him but since he’s been asleep for who knows how long there are no royalty left.

And then okay also his is instantly charmed by Paulina. Like he just thinks she is so cute right away and she’s the only person who isn’t annoyed with his speeches of his backstory and mission and is genuinely nice to him. And they meet sooner in this version and Paulina takes longer than Willow to migrate to the plant track and maybe practices in secret and confides this to William in exchange for his secret about the lying thing. And she’s like “That’s awful, I wish I could help you.” And he’s like “I appreciate it, but only a princess can.”

And I fully subscribe to the HC that he calls her princess as a nickname and so she says “I’d like the try anyway.” And she’s not great at magic but she tries anyway and there’s a montage of them trying different spells and potions and stuff and then either they discover or William finally mentions that a kiss from a princess is how the spell was broken (according to the stories which are not factual but we’re brought over by Belos to like help manipulate people somehow) and Paulina plant girl is like “OMT there is a flower called Princess kiss and it’s rare but maybe that’s it.” And they go on a little quest where they get to know each other better and they find the flower and all it does is make him sneeze a bunch. It’s clear the books mean a literal kiss.

So William is so grateful but poor Paulina is like “If only I was a real princess, and not just a half a witch then I’d actually be able to help you.” And William blushes as he little brain process the fact that she basically said she would kiss him if it would help him and he’s like “Well, it couldn’t hurt to try.” And then they get very close to kissing before being interrupted (of course).

And then later on, William is like on to Belos and done with him and goes to tell everyone but Belos doesn’t wanna destroy him because he worked hard to make him so he turns him into a frog while he makes up another sleeping potion to try again later. And frog William tries to warn everyone but he is not a talking frog so he can’t communicate with them but he brings Paulina the princess kiss flowers and starts sneezing and Luz is like “I didn’t know frogs could sneeze?” (And idk if they do let’s pretend they don’t, Amphibia fans don’t come for me) and Paulina is like that’s weird and she puts two and two together and realizes it him and while they’re trying to figure out how to reverse it, she’s holding him tightly and assures him it’s gonna be okay and gives him a gentle kiss atop his head and he transforms back.

He’s so overjoyed and he picks her up and spins her around and he’s like “I told you being a princess was about more than a shiny crown.” Or something which is a callback to a conversation they had before. It doesn’t cure the grimwalker thing because that’s not a curse it’s what he is but then every time something goes wrong he’s like “Paulina can just kiss me and it’ll be okay.” And everyone is like “Dude you cannot just think you’re invincible because her kiss undid one super outdated curse.” And he’s like “Well it can’t hurt to try.” (It still can, btw) And Paulina is just a blushing smitten mess about how her scrawny little prince truly thinks there is nothing she can’t do.

Idk I feel like it would be a longer fix to explain all the differences but it’s an AU that I would get messy with and a little confused but that’s the vibe I got from th like 10 second clip.

[askinkiskarma]

Hi x i wanted to talk about something that has happened to me recently, because i feel like it needs to be addressed lol. I would have never considered talking about it if the person in question had had an ounce of maturity and respect, but she obviously doesn’t, and it’s my reputation on the line and my fault for expecting it hahahah.

So a few days ago, the whole Jake is Jacob debacle happened on tumblr, which to me was cute and harmless and fun. Now some people really feel the need to bring other people down and prove (to themselves only, let’s be honest) how “superior” and “intelligent” they are, so she started making fun and basically insulting the OP of the post, which really upset me. I didn’t say anything about it and quietly unfollowed the person, because if i find content I disagree with, that is (to me) the only way to approach the situation.

Anyway, later, i was made aware that she continued trash talking people in the fandom, continuing this tired narrative that despite being the one to initiate it, she was the “victim” bullied by “kids”, which i resented, for a couple of reasons.

1. Ageism is ageism no matter the form it comes in. It is no different to shit on a person just for being young and minding their business, than it is to do so with people who are older.

2. I’m tired of the “i was here first and therefore i am inherently better than you” stupid narrative. You don’t get a cookie cause you found something sooner, pls PLEASE understand that.

3. The “everyone is so young” bs is simply not true. I am the same age as her, so are some of my mooties or just a couple years older, and we’re all here, and we’re all trying to have a good time, and that’s what matters. None of us are out here flaunting our age or our maturity, because it is inconsequential.

4. Saying to someone that their “pre-frontal cortex” isn’t fully developed, is fucking ridiculous. What a stupid argument. You’re really going to insult someone for something they have reasonably absolutely no control over and try to use it as an insult against them? Girlie, in 2023? Do you understand how stupid that is? You think you’re superior cause your mum pushed you out a few years earlier like you had anything to do with it??? Like idk that is wild to me.

5. You can’t insult people on here for “being young and dumb” and how much “better” and “more mature” you are, and then in the same breath pick a fight with them and be willing to die on that hill. Because if you have any sort of common sense, that would imply that you must be succumbing to their levels and you are not capable of having any higher level discourse. Like how do you not see that that you're just proving to everyone how immature you truly are?

So, i wrote her an ask. Not on anon, not trying to start anything, just an ask telling her my opinion and telling her that as someone who is the same age as her, her behaviour is disappointing.

Now i need you to see the message because she won’t show it to you, because she wants to build this narrative that people are “harassing” her. Please note that nobody is “harassing” her. If i wanted to harass her, I could and I would not do it with my username intact. I wanted to her to understand the opinion (that i share with my friends and mooties) of someone who’s the same age as her. She won’t answer it because she knows there is no way to spin this in her favour.

Instead, what she can do, is what she does best. Trying to spin this negatively, insulting me and my writing (you’re 26 and the best you could come up with is “god awful cringey ass fics”? ouch, that hurt.) and tagging it “neteyam imagine” cause what person who wants to read neteyam fics doesn’t want to see that. Now again, she is blocked for me because I absolutely do not want to engage with people like her, but i was made aware of this and since she’s talking about me and could potentially come to people’s inboxes or dms and talking trash about me, i wanted you besties to know and to read everything and make your own minds about it, having all the information, not just what she deems appropriate to give you.

Anyway, sorry for this long ass rant, but it needed to be said. Please, if you don’t agree with someone, especially if it’s over something so incredibly trivial as a name, let it go. It’s not worth it. If it’s something not trivial, block. It’s not worth it. Insulting someone for things they have no control over doesn’t put you on top, it makes you a dick. Acting like you’re inherently better cause you’ve been in a fandom longer isn’t cool, trust me. Just please, save your energy and put it in your art, in your job, in your relationships, in yourself.

Now, i will go write my cringey ass fics 😉 good luck besties, and smooches.

ALSO!!! DO NOT engage with this person. PLEASE. Please do not prove her right. Please do not leave her anon hate or anything of the sort, please please please. It’s not worth it.

[kolour-me-kourt]

Chapter Twenty-one:Faithful

*flashback*

Let's do the things we say in text

**texting**

Today was my last day of work for a week ... idk what ima do with the free time.

You need to relax Fr maybe go get a massage or something

That sounds good ... might take the time to get my hair braided and my nails done again

Yeah all that sounds good baby... you need to take sometime I know all this stuff with me has been crazy

I wouldn't change it though ... I've only gotten a few questions at the office and they weren't bad it's just with clients... I need the news to blow over

Nah I get it .... What you doing?👀

Waiting for you to call or something 😂😂 I've already settled in I'll probably have some food delivered for the night

Mmmmm I can't wait to talk to you on the phone ... you was getting spicy last night

Spicy how?😂😂

You know what you said talking about you liked being choked ... crazy ass

That's not how the conversation went Jayson

Oh tell me then🧐😂

Wellll you were talking about that tweet and all I said was she didn't explain if she enjoyed the choking ... because some people do

And then what I say? I asked if you did

And I said probably ... that didn't mean yes

It means you do but you don't wanna tell me you do... whatever I'll find out real soon... can't wait until you start telling me you wet just thinking about me... you know I already can tell when you're horny

And how on earth can you do that?

I wish I would give you my secrets

Lol okay man you trippin

I'm not ... you like talking about sex with me cause you don't know how it feels yet... I could be the best you ever had and you don't know it yet cause you haven't had the pleasure

Do you think you will be?

I know I will be ... cause I already know you like the back of my hand

So what makes me cum?

My mouth when I get it on you

😳😳

Stop playing with me cause I'm not playing with you ... you're wet now btw

Jayson you get on my nerves 😂😂

But am I wrong though? Cause I know Im not

What if i'm not playing?

Mmmmm I guess we'll just have to wait and see... when you bringing your sexy ass back up here

When I get a proper invitation

Well.... Be on the look out for that ... I gotta go I'll call you this afternoon ... relax

😂😂 of course I will talk to you later Bae

Ttyl

*6:00 pm

"I miss you ... come see me while you free"

YN had taken a week of pto to truly relax. She was becoming a little overwhelmed with all the blogs knowing her she had traffic on her Instagram now more than ever and WAGS the blog site was watching her heavily liking and then unliking her posts just to make sure she saw them even commenting sometimes mostly when it had to do with Jayson. She wish she could could go back to their first date .... It was warm it was soft she missed him.... Badly.

It had been a month since Melo swore to leave her alone.... For the most part he had left her Alone except the occasional reaction to her story.

"I got your flowers bae ... they're beautiful" she said smiling extra hard at the screen "so you read my card? You coming?" "So when we were talking earlier... you had already had them sent?" "As soon as you told me you had a week off I was determined to get you up here" "We haven't really done a sleep over yet...." "I been waiting on it to be honest it's been a month and a half" "funny how time flies .... When you're having fun" he laughed "yeah but ... it'll be more fun when you bring your ass .... So can you for me?" "Of course like I said I was just waiting for the invitation"

"damn I should've said something last week" "yeah you should have..." "come tonight?" "Find me a ticket Jay" "fuck a ticket I'll get a private" "no... I will be fine on a commercial flight bae ... it's still too early for big gestures" "I just want you to ride comfortably" "I be comfortable in first class.... Plussss getting your staff and all that first plus a plane .... I'm trying to see you sooner than later it's just a like two hours bae" "you right ... can you be ready for the flight at 9? They have a first class seat available" "what time is it..." "6:45... pack for the week" "um yeah I can make that" "you sure?" "Mhmmmm" "well get ready I'm sending the ticket and all that to your phone" "you gotta get off the phone first I don't want you to see what I'm packing" she smiles

"mmm.... You finally ready to do the things we say over text?" YN laughed "I like when you haven't seen my outfits Jay I get real reactions" "well... I just sent the stuff ima plan some stuff while you packing ... see you soon" "you picking me up from the airport?" "Yeah of course" she smiled "yay okay... well see you soon Bae" "bye baby girl" she hangs up

Maybe during this trip they can finally have sex. One thing about it is if they weren't long distance she would've gave it up weeks ago.... Shit maybe after the second week. She knew it was getting harder to contain herself because their conversations have naturally started getting sexual... like pass the flirting. He wanted to know what she like and didn't like before he even touched her. Their conversations never truly stopped even when it went sexual it wasn't awkward... it made her ready for all of it. She didn't wanna assume he was great but it was hard not to.

*getting off the plane*

After she walked down the stairs off the plane and down the long aisles she got to her luggage searching for an exit standing outside the cool night air hit her skin it felt good to smell fresh air. The plane ride was nice enough but it was 11:30 and she was hungry. Soon enough she saw Jayson rolling in smiling ear to ear.

He parked the car even though he wasn't supposed to grabbing her luggage and placing it in the car.

"Hey baby... I know you tired of me saying I miss you .... But I missed you" he said kissing her lips and then her forehead. "Well now you don't have too" she smiled when he opens her door letting her and then getting back in the driver seats pulling off roughly. She blushed cause he kept looking at her

"Pay attention to the road Jayson" his hand rested on her thigh"how you even more beautiful in person .... That shit crazy" "you look good too... but if we wanna keep looking this way ... you gotta focus on the road" she laughed "that was a good one I'll give you that.... How was the flight?" "quick... I'm honestly a little sleepy now" "did you eat?" "No not dinner" "you wanna get something quick? So you can settle in?" She smiled "yes ... what's near your house?" "Nothing really .... Probably like a Burger King or Wendy's ... chick fil a closed ummm Arby's?" "Wendy's is fine ... I can go for a frosty" "okay bet" he grabs her hand "you eating too?" "Yeah ima get something ...you staying all week?"

"Mhm... self care days" "in that case ... I'm taking care of you all week" "in what ways?" "All— Hmm? What ways you want me to take care of you?" He started to answer but then stopped himself when he registered how she was talking to him. "I was just asking bae" "HA... I'm not convinced" "well ... what can I do to convince you?" She smirked "well shit ... I don't know I gotta look in your eyes and see innocence" they get stopped at a red light so she smiles "look now" he glances over at her staring deeply in her eyes "nah that look is sinster" she laughed "no that's how you want me looking at you" "yeah that's true... and you doing it right now" she smiled "what that mean?" "I guess you'll just have to chill and figure it out" "mmmmmm do I have a choice?" "Always baby" she laughed

"it feels good to be here with you ... I wish we could always be like this" "I was talking to my mama earlier and I just noticed how much I love you.... It's crazy" "love huh?" "Yeah love ... it's like you had made the moment you said my name in the club or when I watched you devour the hamburger ... I don't know it just happened so fast but I'm glad" "me too... I never fell for anyone so damn fast... the fact I let you lock me down the first date... mmmm crazy" she smiled "that was bold of me to ask.... But I felt the vibe" "yeah... cause it was definitely mutual"

"So what about this vibe now?" She smiled "we stay on the same wave length ... I just um I'm nervous ... if I'm being honest" "okay we'll talk more ... when we get back to my place..." she smiled "you like ... Amazing a lil bit you know that?" "Yeah I do ... but I'm wondering what made you say that" "I just love how everything can be a conversation with you... like I truly don't even have to go into detail I just tell you I'm uncomfortable and you're ready to step in and help ... I love that" "well good bae... but you do that same shit.... You don't realize how much better I've been sleeping since you told me those little tricks" she smiled "bae that's small" "nah it's big.... Sleep is hella important and I wasn't getting it ... until you" she smiled completely speechless as he pulled into the drive thru

she laughed slightly when he already knew her order down to the drink and what flavor frosty she wanted. Once he got the bag he passed it to her she immediately started eating the fries.

"Oooou these were fresh ... so hot" "let me taste" she grabs a French fry placing it in his mouth watching him chew she bit her lip ... how was everything he did really that sexy

*time skip

Before she walked out of the bathroom she opened the door already speaking. "Jayson?" "Yeah?" He laughed "you said I should be comfortable right? Do everything I normally do?" "Yes Wussup?" "Well ... you have plans for us tomorrow and I want my hair to be cute so I have something in it" "I seen you with a scarf , a bonnet, hair wild, hair in twists, Bantu knots... all on FaceTime Why would I get weird now?" "cause I'm here" "girl get yo ass out here... cause now I'm curious" she laughed "no jokes?" "Can't promise that.... But let me see"

She walked out of the bathroom. He smiled "you so damn extra" he shook his head. "It's cute?" "You always cute now come here so we can talk and you can go to sleep cause I know you tired" she sauntered to the bed leaning over to kiss his lips and then straddle him. He rubs her ass

"We clearly both want sex .... But I want you to be ready for me... like comfortable" he says looking in her eyes "I am comfortable... I just want it to not feel .... Forced. We've been talking a lot and I've enjoyed hearing the many things you wanna do to me once I'm ready but I need it to be spontaneous" "I get that... I'm just saying it's been moments were I wanted you but I didn't want you to be uncomfortable so I didn't act on it" she kisses his lips "well this is my way of telling you next time you're in the mood .... And I'm in the mood ... go for it" he smiled

"mhm I got you .... A whole lotta foreplay and teasing" "why?" " cause I know you like it" she grinds on him slowly. "I talk too much" she says softly on his lips "why you say that?" "Because I told you I like it... I should've let you figure it out" "I would have ... quick" he kisses her lips "anymore talk in you sir?" She yawns he smiles "nah I'm good ... you good?" "I'm great let go to sleep" "you sleeping on top of me?" "No" she laughed laying down beside him "you could have if you wanted too" "no Jaysonnnnnnnn I sleep wild" "okay then goodnight" "goodnight" he reaches and turns the light off

*next morning

She woke up to him fumbling around the room. "What time is it?" She moaned looking around confused "sorry bae I gotta go to practice I wasn't trying to turn on the light so you could stay sleep" "ohh okay" he kisses her forehead "I'm kinda running late so I'll see you when I get back okay? I should be back by the time you wake up" "okay baby I love you" "I love you too" he rushes out of the room she sighs when she hears his car start and he pulls off.

It was still dark outside so instead of looking at the time she just rolled back over dozing off. When she woke up again it was 8 o clock so after sitting for a while she got up using the bathroom and brushing her teeth. She was hoping Jayson would already be back when she was awake cause being in this big house by herself scared her. She turns her music up high and then steps into the shower taking a quick one after moisturizing her body she slides her robe on and then takes the hair pieces out of her hair.

The curl didn't look how she wanted she wanted a big wand curl and this was wavy at best .... It just looks heat damaged she thought. She tried to find a way to fix it but then decided she would just wear her hair half up and half down as she was finishing up Jayson walks in. "Your music loud baby... Goodmorning" he kisses her forehead as she turns it down a little bit "you like my hair" "I do" "I don't believe you" "why not?" "Cause I don't like it" she laughs "well I don't have to lie to you ... we have two different minds and I think you look cute" "not sexy?" "You're always sexy" "but you said cute .... Like adorable" "so what?" "I wanted to be.... Sexy... I want you to wanna fuck me" "like I said you're always sexy" she takes the hair tie out of her hair fluffing it out  "how was practice" "your hair could be all over your head and you would still be sexy to me ... you know that?" She smiled "I was genuinely asking bae.... Not just switching the subject" "it was great.... I was rushing home to you though" "well I'm glad you did ... it was getting lonely in here" "come here" she walks over to him and he holds her close.

"I got food for us downstairs .... Then I gotta run some errands... you wanna come?" She smiled "yes I would love too" "alright let's eat" "kiss me first" he kisses her slowly. "Can we watch movies tonight? Instead of finding somewhere to go" "whatever you want it's your world" she smiled "that's what I love to hear" "tomorrow night we going somewhere though so already be prepared" "okay daddy"

" now that's what I like to hear" he smacks her ass telling her to come on.

"Jayson ....  Stop before you be eating something else... deadass" he backs her against the wall "you know you don't mean that" he kisses her slowly making her moan "I am being sooo serious" "it's some good food downstairs though" he smiles " well let's go bae"

He lets her in front of himself to walk towards the kitchen she couldn't see him but she felt him ... watching her dissecting the way she walked and talked to him without turning back to look at his face. He couldn't wait to hear her moans bouncing off the walls.

Once they made it into the kitchen she grabbed two paper plates. "You know when you said we had food downstairs I assumed you grabbed some on the way in" "no the chef brought it  here you know she cooks every other day" "no I didn't I didn't even know she was a she" YN laughs placing his food on his plate as he sat down. She walks it over to him and then fixes her own plate.

"Oh well she's been here for years" "nice can't wait to meet her... cause this looks amazing" "can I get some water to please baby?" "Mhm" she grabbed two bottles and her plate and sat down. "So what you have in mind tonight?" "Just movies....? It didn't matter which ones" "ohhh okay thought you had something in mind" "no... do you?"  "Something... funny nothing to soft" " but I'm soft" "That's why I said that" He laughs "you know what they just put back on Netflix?" "What?" "This Christmas" "let's watch that bae" "That's my movie Fr" "shiddd mine too what else we watching"

"mean girls.... I need you to see it" " I don't know bout that" "I do" she smiled "I don't" "ima guest I get what I want ... right?" "Right.... For now" "just now?" "You a brat you eventually always get your way ... I like to put up a fight though" he kisses her lips making her smile "your brat though?" She never moves her lips "Who's brat would you be?... yes mine" she slightly pulls away "I'm all yours" she stares in his eyes "straight up I know"

After breakfast Jayson takes a nap while YN goes down to the gym working out for a solid hour and then she came up to take a shower. He was just waking up. "You good?" He asks she smiles "yes you don't have to entertain me every second ... I know you're still working so I hope you enjoyed your nap" "I did ... I dreamed my girlfriend was finally here with me for a long period of time..." "sounds like reality to me" he laughed "what you about to do?" "Head to the shower and then I'll be ready for you" "alright enjoy your shower bae" she smiles walking off

***time skip

He decided they should go grocery shopping for some snacks and whatever else she might have wanted while she was with him. Grocery shopping felt like a date to her ... she was learning alot about how they both shop. The same items they get but different brands. How something's she splurges on but he wouldn't for himself and vice versa. But at the end of the day they made it through it he placed the bags in the trunk and put the cart up.

"You didn't even get stopped... I liked that" she glances at him as he starts the car up. "Yeah I gotta know when to go.... Right now it's nothing but old people in the store" she laughed "old people don't know you?" "I mean some do... but they also respect privacy .... The same cashiers are there when I go so they've got a autograph or picture already so it's no need to fan out when you see this person every week part of asking your favorite celebrity for a picture is because you've seen them through a screen the whole time and you have no clue when and if you'll see them again" he reaches for the back of her seat to back up he focuses "that all really makes sense.... Perfectly said" he smiles "but?" "How you know it was a but?" "By your voice ... so but?" She laughed "but I hope I can add some spontaneity in your life I hate that you have to be so schedule oriented"

"if I'm not on schedule something suffers ... you know that because it would mainly be you" "mhm I do know I'm just saying with little things like switching up your food or something else idk I just wanna be a splash of color in your life"

**** back at home on the couch

The conversation had been pretty intense for the last ten minutes she truly want to know if she annoyed him cause if she didn't he didn't truly know her yet. She was asking everything in the book to get her answer.

"Do you see my flirting as teasing? Or playful?" She stared deeply at him looking for a sign to make sure he was telling the truth ... before he even said anything. "Nah it's normal ... to flirt we been flirting since we met ... why should it stop?" "I know but you had said something after you invited me here... and I guess that's why I was overthinking the situation"

"what I say?" "Am I ready to do the things we say on text?" "That in no way means we only gonna be fucking when you get here... or you have to do everything you said you would right now... it just means when ever you decide to I'll be here wanting it waiting" "so when I get horny and I tell you..." "I like that too ... I like the conversations about me fingering you or eating your pussy .... I like all of that" she twisted in her seat as her breath increased "me too ... a lot"

"you want me to finger you now? No strings attached" "Jayson you do not have too" " I just wanna try it and I clearly got you worked up from how I'm talking...it's up to you though" she bites her lip ... it's be a great way to start "where you want me?" "On my lap ... like we talked about" she stood up dropping her robe. "Damn you sexy" "thank you baby... facing you?"

"Nah put your back to my stomach" she listens getting comfortable. At first he turns her head just kissing her repeatedly then she starts to feel his hand move up her thighs slowly he travels to her panties tracing the outside of them but never entering. He continued kissing her until she grinds against his hand. "Please?" "Hm??" "Touch me ... please" he moves her panties to the side ... still teasing her for a while but then slowly sliding his fingers inside her "damn... you always this wet for me?" he had no clue she would really be this wet "'mmmmm"

Her legs spread wider and wider. As his fingers dive deeper in her and his other hand was busy keeping her close by wrapping around her neck as he kissed it. "You just drip for me... first time I'm touching you and .....just listen" "please pleaseeee don't stop.... Yes yes yessss"

she squirmed he was touching all the right places at the right time asserting his dominance. "Fuck Jayyyyy" she whined her hand rests on top of his as he rubs her clit slowly. "Hm?" "You're about to make me.... Cum I —- I'm so close" "good ... do it then" his fingers went into overdrive on her clit and then entered her once again. "I really had no plan for this .... But I wanted to feel you .... And you look so sexy with this black lace on... how you make your panties hug your curves like that? Almost like they were specially made for you? Everything you do is just amazing" she gasped as she released over his hand.

"Right there right thereee please don't stopppp" she bits her lip "Oooou damn that was sexy" he places his same fingers in her mouth causing her to immediately suck them softly. "Your mouth feels perfect you know that?.... Just damn" he slowly takes them out and they both sit there wondering what was next. She stands up because she felt awkward that's the last thing she expected to happen and it went down like a movie ... the build up and intensity is always crazy. She stared at him nothing but his sweatpants on. She looked at his body hair that trailed from his chest to his stomach and the very intense look he had on his face because above all he needed to know how she was feeling.... She could see him poking right through his pants she could go and slide down on him with no issue.

"Tell me how you feeling don't just leave me in the dark... I crossed a line?" "You're my boyfriend no" "so what that mean?" "I liked it a lot" "and you wanna chill out?" "Yes... I stood up to get some clothes I— um I ... didn't say much because I'm still ... trying to process" "that's okay just go ahead and get what you want from upstairs and then when you come back we can talk and I won't touch you until you touch me... okay?" "Okay"

She walks off he watched her ass praying for strength because he knew she wanted him. She knew she wanted him.... So why was she almost scared to have sex? It's because it meant more she really liked him and loved him they were in a relationship she hadn't had sex since Melo and sex with a Melo made her see the moon and all the stars... could Jayson match that? Or do better? That's why she was nervous she needed Jayson to be amazing her sex drive was way too high for him not to be good. He was too sexy to not be good at sex.... And she just wanted him badly ... she didn't wanna tease but she had a hard time trusting herself. She grabbed one of his oversized hoodies walking back down the stairs sitting beside him.

"So I was thinking ....if you get uncomfortable let me know and tell me what you need " he says "okay baby" she smiles she could tell he wanted and needed to be a safe space for her "keep eye contact with me.... Did you like when I touched you?" " I liked it a lot ... the way you held me ... and talked to me.... I was relaxed" "you felt ... protected?" "Yes" " ask me something" " I could feel you ... while I was on top of you... are you just gonna stay hard?" He laughed "it'll go down ... I'm good" "it's not uncomfortable?" "Im just ... chillin ... my turn" "yes" "what makes you nervous about me?... we're serious already so why do I make you nervous" " a lot of things but above all ... I need you to enjoy me I wanna be synced I want it to be Amazing for the both of us because this relationship... is great" "when you put your hand on top of mine while I was fingering you... Is it cause I wasn't in the right spot?" "No I just wanted to contribute... did it make you uncomfortable?" "No... that whole thing was for you though so don't worry about me"

she bit her lip "you didn't like what I just said.... Where did I fuck up?" She laughed "even when I'm just giving you head I'll get pleasure from giving you pleasure so even though you're doing something to strictly make me feel good ... I need you to enjoy it" "and I did but that's the key me doing it brings the pleasure already so you don't have to be worried about what I liked and didn't it was about you"  "understood ... anything else mr.Tatum or can we start our movies?" "Nah ... I guess I'm good" "you guess or you know? I need an exact answer" she smiles staring in his eyes making him smile too. "I'm good YN" "can I come closer?" He laughed pulling her body right next to her grabbing a throw blanket placing it on her legs. She rested her head in his lap. He leans down kissing her lips he rested his hand on her thigh. "You ready?" " yes press play please"

As the movie went on she couldn't help but think about him ... inside of her. What would be the sexiest way to take control? ... pull his dick out? Sit up quickly and start kissing him? She wondered how she could take the action quickly.

He was into the movie but kept glancing at her cause he could tell her mind was racing because of the faces she was making and she wasn't laughing at the parts that she usually laugh at. And then finally they made eye contact and she sits up slowly staring in his eyes he closes the gap between their lips. She smiles inside when she felt his tongue go inside her mouth

It was the look in her eyes that made him wanna kiss her. The movie was good but she was better her soft moans let him know she wanted more "I'm taking you to the room" "mmm there's no time" she kisses his lips again straddling him. She grinds slowly . She could feel him getting harder all she could think was this was finally happening. She kept trying to slide his pants off but he moved her hands. The make out session was intense. He pulls away slowly sucking her bottom lip

"fuck" he says softly he grabs her tightly picking her up. "Mmm Jayson I want it now " "it's always time .... What you in a rush for?" And it was at that moment she relaxed

With Melo she always felt the need to rush because his girlfriend would be texting or calling or showing up.... Jayson was hers and she loved it but she wouldn't dare ruin this moment by bringing up Melo.

"I don't know" she stares in his eyes and he sees the realization all over her face. "Well don't rush with me ... stay in the moment... can you do that?" She smiles "yes" "good" when they got to the bedroom he was careful with her. Gently putting her on the bed and slowly taking her clothes off. She couldn't help but feel all over his body she was craving him it was a hunger and desire that she couldn't explain she just wanted him badly.

She was breathing heavy and she could hear her heartbeat in her ears. He kisses her slowly spreading her legs. She could feel him she wondered if he would just slide in or was he teasing like had planned to do all along. She felt his thumb rub in between her folds "oh gosh" "hmm?" He began kissing down her body

"ugh" she said softly moving her hips "you don't want me to do this?" "Of course I do... your lips just feel so good on my body" he smiled he teased as long as possible and then she felt his tongue in between her folds she gasped. "Damn" he moans pulling her closer. Her hips began to move up and down.

"Stop moving baby" "Jayson..." "hmmm? I'm eating it slow baby... I need to go slower?" he kisses her in the same spot over and over. Her legs continued to shake. "Jayson baby don't stop what you're doing... it feels so good" "then baby can you keep your legs open for me" He opens her legs wide holding them down. "Yesss" she replaces his hands "keep your legs still too" "mmmm" he slides two fingers inside of her. "Damnn baby you so wet" when he sucked her clit she thought she might actually go insane.

One of her hands went to his head pulling him in closer. "Oh Jayson please" his fingers went into over drive as his mouth continued he moaned pulling her closer. She shivers and finally cums for him. "Mmmm mmmm mmm" all he could do was moan as she released all over his face. "Yes yes yessss" he pulls away slowly kissing up her body.

"You need to ask me ... if you can cum.... You didn't do it just now or earlier " he says on her lips she pulls him in closer to kiss him. "You hear me?" "Yes I hear you" he slides inside her "you understand me?" "Ohhhhh my gosh ... you're so big" he smiled "you understand me?" "Mhm daddy I understand" "so if you don't do it next time you'll be in trouble" something he remembers from their previous conversations.... She liked to feel dominated if she felt like she had even the slightest bit of control it would turn her off ... so right down to her orgasm he choose when she lets go. He loved being the dominant one he was that way with everyone why should she be any different. He like the fact that he had to earn it cause he's 100% sure if he wasn't doing it right then she wouldn't submit at all.

he moved his hips slowly. "I'll ask... I promise" she kisses him again "You feel so fucking good... you know that?" "Mhmm... you make me feel good" he grabs her hips going deeper. The eye contact made this even crazier for her. He moved slowly but his thrust were so powerful and deep it almost sent her over edge. He went slowly on purpose he had to be different from every other person she had ever been with. She squeezes him pulling him in further "faster" she moans he listens as he continues to kiss her neck he grabs her face.

"You're so beautiful ...." Her eyes closed "mmm baby look at me" " I —-" "you what?" His hips move faster and his thumb begins to rub her clit. "Right there baby pleaseeee" "open your eyes" Her eyes flutter open he places his other thumb in her mouth.

" I wanna cum" "That's how you ask?" "Please?" He smiled laughing slightly "huh?" "Jayson please.... I'm about to ...Uhhh" "you can't hold it no more?" Her legs began shaking harder "no baby ..... it feels so goooooooood" "look at me ... cum for me" "mmmmmm yes yes yessssss" "ooooou you feel so damn good ... you hear this Pussy?" "Jayson baby please" her body shakes more intensely

"please what?" "I don't know I don't know.... I just" he kisses her lips again her eyes start to water "you wanna cum for me again?" "Nooooo" "hmmm you want me to stop?" "No sir ... please don't stop" "so you do wanna cum for me again?" "Yesssss" "why you say no?" Her legs continued to shake. "Hmmm? Answer me baby" her back arched as her tears fell this felt so amazing and they were both so in the moment that it was just too much for her to handle but she was gonna make sure she handled it

"don't cum without asking" "I—-" "what I say baby?" "Can I cum please sir... please can I?" She whined "Mhmmm with your sexy ass... cum for me" she releases while moaning his name "damn you sound so sexy baby... it still feel good? I pushed you to far?" " no baby but let me ... on top" he keeps kissing her "babyyy" she whined he grabs her hips holding her tightly flipping them over so she could be on top.

She smiles "you listened?" "why wouldn't I?.... I need you to enjoy this just as much as me" she gradually began moving her hips "I really love you baby" he grabs her ass helping her bounce. "You feel so good"

"... dick is so big" She says softly "can't ride my dick if you wanna be quiet" he holds her up moving his hips up and down "oh fuck oh fuck oh damnnnn Jaysonnnn" "that's what I wanna hear when you riding this dick ... you hear me?" "yes yesss mmmmm" he places her down on him letting her take over again he slaps her ass

"thank you baby" "you like it?" She smiled she could feel herself getting closer and he was close too "yes... I love it don't stop pleaseee I can feel you throbbing" "I know you wanna be in control but..." he grabs her hips again placing her on his face "oh fuck Jayson ...." She tries to move away "ride my face baby..." he pushes her back on to his mouth her hips moved against his tongue as he slurped every juice of hers that would leak out of her

"oh gosh it's so good I'm gonna cryyyy" right before she lost it all he slides her back on his dick "cum on this dick" she continued to move her hips bouncing and moaning loudly her eyes closed and her body shook as she loses her breath. "Damn look at you cuming on this dick ... you too damn sexy" once she got herself together she leans down kissing his lips and neck she moves her hips upwards so that he can slide out of her as she continued to kiss down his body she takes one long lick of his dick and he almost melts.

"Swallow me up bae" he groans grabbing her hair keeping it out of her face. She strokes him as her mouth focuses on his tip. "You look so fuckin beautiful sucking my dick like that..." she moans lifting her ass in the air "you still want more don't you?? Look at your hips moving in the air for me... fuck" he slaps her ass gripping her hair. "Lay down..." "Jayson I—" he cuts her off "please?"

She repositioned herself laying down he climbs on top of her kissing her as he slides in "oh fuck" her hands find his back digging her nails in. He rubs her clit as he stroked her slowly. "Look at me going in and out of you" she glanced down biting her lip his thumb relaxes on her chin pulling her lip out of her mouth 

" stop doing that" "Jay—" "moan for me I don't care how loud you are... who tf gon hear you?" "You— I don't wanna" he slows down "talk to me baby you don't wanna do what?" "I don't wanna make a noise that you don't like" "anything that's coming out your body naturally is gonna turn me on ... stop holding back" and with that he pulled out flipping her over. "Put your ass in the air ... show me you can really take this dick"

When he slide inside of her she knew she couldn't take his dick at all but she was gonna try her hardest. "It feel good baby?" Her face was burried into the mattress until he pulled her hair making her head come up and her back arch deeper. "Fuckkkk" she moans "answer me" "it's so good .,, soooooo Fuckin good" "that's what I like to hear... you taking me so well" he leans down to kiss and lick her back and then immediately went back to fucking her. "Oh daddy" she moaned he loved that shit it hit different fumbling out of her mouth

"oh say that shit again" "oh daddy I wanna cummmm please" her hips started to fucked him back "oh shit" he says softly. She smiled looking back at him ... he knew he was almost done his hand goes over her mouth making her moan louder "what you trying to tell me huh?" He slaps her as he starts to get sloppy with his thrusts "Jayson you know what I want" "still need to hear that .... What you want from me? Hm? Tell daddy what his baby need"

she moans into his hand almost losing her mind completely... he said the right things at the right time... how was his sex so good and it was just their first time

"Jaysonnnnnnnn" "hmmm?" "I wanna cum.... So bad — I — need- mmmmm" "yeah cum for me baby... with me" she gasped releasing all over him her lower body shook against him. He continued kissing her lips as she struggled to catch her breath.

"I love you..." "I love you more... thank you" "for what?" ".... Just being you I love you" "mhm baby" he begins to stand up exhaling "how was it for you?" She asked staring into his eyes. "It was great for me ... how about you" "same....almost makes me want more" he smirked "let me get some water I'll be back" he laughed walking off.

[shamefullyhornywrites]

Mike Schmidt x Chubby Reader

minors do not interact

its not mature mature but it does have themes and does lead there this is part one

this is a repost from my old account i... deleted it 5 mins ago idk why i was exercising and it just made sense at the time

i have an ao3 account which is how i still ahve this

didnt proofread this the first time mnot gonna do it the second time

kIopHHpo

fanfic

"Listen i know your trying to help or whatever but like i got it ok we dont need this." He shoves the hundred back in his pocket you had paid the babysitter when you got here to relieve her a whole hour before Mike got off, the babysitter was already long gone and he knew form pior experience that you just wouldnt take his money. Usually he paid them before after the last six times you did this but he was already running late and he just got out of the red at his new job.

Not that he'd let this go without a fight he wasnt some charity case, he could afford to pay his damn babysitter.

"its cool" you say shrugging at him, cooly you add "you know I dont need it, man" He grits his teeth trying not to sneer. Yeah he knows youve got the money.

"Still i can pay you back some other way."

"How Mike?" You hum clearly annoyed with having this conversation again. "Im not taking ANY money from you and Abby." He tries to offer something else anything he cant keep taking from you you money, your time hell your car that one time his wouldnt start. No matter how much you make as a factory worker or how much freedom you had when you moved away from your big family sooner or later you'll resent always being the one to pay up in this friendship.

And he cant make you hate him he cant have another person in his life hide their disdain for Abby your too important to him. He knows you would too youd bury it like you buryd your issues with your mom or your older sister youd bury and bury until you blow up and move across the state beause you cant take the guilt of hating your own suffocating family. You've lived there for 7 years Abby doesnt remeber a time without you inviting them over to color and cook. And he would miss you. The way you smiled with your whole body, your stance on frozen pizza brands, your quiet jokes to him when hes fighting sleep trying to convince him to let you drive "Your so tired mikey babe cmon." He cant lose you too .

"What are you gonna do for me?" You step closer to him you were the same height he mightve had a good inch on you but you were broader than him and carried your head high with a confidence that made people hear you even with your soft spoken nature. Mike never had the time to nurture such a thing.

Still he wasnt some helpless kid anymore hiding away as his parents argued desperatly trying to calm Abby as they're arguing got louder and louder. He tries to offer something else he cant give you but you interupt him "What, Mike?" You bump your chest into him pressing him against the counter tired of him rejecting your help tilting your head to the side you widen your eyes in challenge.

Mike scoffs looking away he's not going to do this with you not with the stink of work still wafting off him "Nevermind" face flush with anger fine he'll drop it clearly your combative today.

You werent done you loved this stupid man but damn did he piss you off some days "huh Mike. Gonna get on your goddamn knees for me!" You whisper yell still mindfull of Abby sleeping tomorrow was the weekend but she didnt need to be awake for this anyway.

He snaps his neck to look back at you,nose to nose hes sure you heard the way his breath hitched eyes wide his jaw drops.

"Cause we both know thats the only tangible thing you can offer me." He blinks shocked you would offer him the chance to do that for you he wasnt much to look at compared to you but its not like it would be much of a chore nothing with you ever was. He looks down at you gentle brown eyes bright with anger, curly hair frizzy without your conditoner you accidently left here last sleepover and forgot to grab for a week, soft stomach holding him against the hard coutnertop, thick thighs you loved to cover with thin leggings, a wide ass he felt once when you backed up into him and fell on him last fall at the apple orchard Abby and you had gasped with laughter after pulling him up and your heaving breasts pressed against his torso. You admitted to him once you liked to bounce them when you walk just for fun "I do it to my pony tail too, i swing my head." it spooked him he was worried youd seen him ogling and this was your way of calling him out but it was just a funny story to tell your best friend for you.

Your wearing favorite work sports-bra meaning it was so thin and worn it stopped holdng your girls up years ago it really only pressed them together. Through the worn cloth he could feel your hard nipples pressed against him, they stood up against the cold, the houses heating sucked. In his favorite sportsbra they hung low and heavy he gulps, one would overfill his hand while the other stuffed his mouth full.

"Abbys sleep." He states automatically "We'll have to go to my room." He whispers quiet, pupils dilated studying your face "We'll have to" He licks his lips your eyes follow "be quiet."

You scoff disgust filling your face

"im not gonna fuck you so you can feel good about letting me help you Michael." You sneer Mike balks as you back away from him. Did he ruin everything, he knows you were trying to be cruel knows you were trying to get it through his head that he didnt have to repay you, you just wanted to make a point and he the loser that he is jumped on the first chance to get in your pants "I care about you Michael." Your hands grip nothing as you shake your fists clearly frustrated "im not gonna appease your fucking martyr complex like that. I would never use you like that you. I help you because your my friend and i care about you. I dont need anymore than that and it’s fucking gross youd think id ever take advantage of you like that."

Mike grips the kitchen counter shaking his head through your speech he tries to tell you the truth he quietly stutters out attempts at words, at explanations while you glare at him angry tears in your eyes. You make your way to the door, this was enough of an argument for you neither of you were gonna change your mind neither could relent their side it was late technically very early morning you both had a long day youd come back tomorrow to call him an idiot and apoligize for going to far.

"Then just use me." He begs reaching for your fisted hand he holds it with two hands he opens his mouth to say more. (Let me be good for you,I just want you anyway I can,I want more than friendship have for awhile,I wake up sticky from dreams of you,I care about you too.) Nothing comes out. You wait patently tears dried hope a heavy lump in your throat. Your his best friend, known him for years you know when he wants to say more, ask for more. You can still see the want plain on his face you don’t say anything let him collect himself rubbing your thumb along the backside of his big hand the only comfort he will take.

"i mean. i uh dont want to fuck you to repay my debt. I just want to make you feel good" he lets go of your hand to rub his face harshly “ and I want to be with you in a relationship.”

The silence of the morning grips his throat he waits for you say something to deny the tension that soared tonight. To let him down gently but you don’t.

“I do too.” You smile bright, the gap between your teeth sweeten your smile it’s redundant like syrup on cupcakes, he loves it.

Mike lets out a manic giggle relief relaxes his shoulders and smiles wild he shakes his head. “I’m glad.”

It was late and you both worked so late neither of you had to work tomorrow but you were always on call and Mike was known to take any shifts he could get it would be smart to go to sleep but as you wrap soft arms around his neck and lean into his lips the night feels young.

He moans as you grind on him mouthing at his neck biting down his jaw.

“Mikey baby” he moans at the way you gasp out his name he unzips your jacket and gropes one of your boobs through your sports-bra. He goes to his knees ready to repay you in the way you demanded half an hour before.

You laugh loudly before shushing yourself when a creak echos through the house from Abby’s room Mike looks down the hall with wide eyes he looks back to you.

“Your room.” You insist pulling him up by his shoulders.

“ Yes !” He whimpers rushing up he and you both stagger to his room trying to keep quiet while Mike tries mouths along your skin out through layers of clothes on the way to his room.

i dont know how to seperate with the um 'keep reading' button

[jungshookz]

Hey Cee, I don't think I ever thought I'd ask for advice like this. But I genuinely just want to know what your take or anyone who reads this thinks about my situation?

I have a guy friend I had met on a dating site. Originally not intending to be friends, but ended up just being friends because he thought of me only as that. However, before he had come out of left field with that statement, I had thought what we had going on was flirting? Talking every day, even still, sending each other funny reels and going to museums or cute fun places together. Meeting up and just talking or taking a walk together, yknow.

And I guess because he had stated he doesn't see me as anything more than just a friend already, I wasn't letting myself get my hopes up. He drew the line, and I was okay with it, im still okay with it, because i genuinely value him as a friend, and i love talking and meeting up with him.

But I've gotten attached? Maybe it's because I never got to even tell him I like him before he went and told me how he only sees me as a friend. And after all this time, I've come to like him more and more? And as sad as it sounds, a small part of me wants to think it would be possible he'd like me or eventually come to like me after so long?

But recently, he asked me to help him take pictures for his dating profile. And like a good supportive friend, I said I'd help. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for helping him, but I suddenly thought about smitten y/n and how she went above and beyond to help JK with his date despite having huge crush on him herself, doing it to be supportive and seeing him happy. Going to get the flowers and then florist Yoongi asking her "why are you doing this? What do you get out of this?"

And then I had to take a step back and really ask myself, what AM I doing?? Ngl, it kinda stung seeing that he'd ask me to take pics for him to update his dating profile cause he wants to get back onto dating and finding someone. Cause after so long, I thought maybe he hasn't gotten back into it because we've been talking and going to do stuff together? Maybe I'm being delusional or hopeful. Realistically, I know I don't have a chance. I never did. But it felt like i might have had a possibility after so long?

I guess after that entire spiel, my question is, should I continue on as we are and take those pictures, be genuinely supportive friend, and learn to move on sooner or later? Or idk, what other options do I really have?

I don't want to ruin this friendship, what we have going on right now, by telling him I like him. Cause I know what the answer would be, and it would hurt even more to lose him as someone to talk and hang out with. But it kinda stings knowing I was never an option to him romantically.

I guess it's also because recently im starting to feel like I'm lacking to be appealing or attractive to guys. I'm only ever seen as friend material and not dating material.

Thank you so much for reading this. I just felt like I needed to rant and get some outside opinions.

hi! i’m happy to help as best as i can but don’t feel pressured at all to listen to me or anyone else, do what you’re comfortable with doing!! also my answer might be a little all over the place because i have so much to say and i feel like i need to get it all out before it disappears from my brain so here we go ALSO reading over this there is some tough love in here but i feel like everyone needs tough love every now and then and also everything i’m saying here is coming from a place of genuine love and care :-)) i’m a sagittarius we r blunt people whoops 

some guys have extra firm tofu level dense brains and don’t interpret what you’re doing together the same way that we’d interpret it — the sending each other memes, going to places together, etc — if you asked them they’d just be like yea i sent you that meme because i thought it was funny and also we went to the park together because it was nice out and i like the park?? 

i know you said you’re okay with being friends but are you really okay with it? because i don’t think you’d still be pining after him if you were really okay with it!! it’s okay to NOT be okay with it, don’t force yourself to try to feel another way just so you can justify continuing to be friends with him — holding onto the hope that one day he’ll come around and like you back is not a healthy way to deal with your feelings

with that being said, we can’t rule out the possibility that maybe one day he’ll change his mind and see you in a romantic light, but we have to take the situation as it is in current time. right now, he’s made it clear that he sees you as a friend and that the relationship is platonic. right now, he has asked you to take pictures of him for a dating app. right now, i assume he is on the dating app talking to other people. you can be hopeful, but you also have to be realistic. 

smitten!y/n did go above and beyond for jungkook! she did all of that for a man who didn’t see her in a romantic light and was literally on a date with another woman. and yoongi was so right in grilling y/n with those questions because really, truly, WHY would she do something like that for jungkook knowing that she’d get nothing in return? why is she hurting herself just so she can stay close to him?

of course it would be sad to lose him as someone to talk and hang out with, but talking and hanging out with him when you like him romantically and the feeling isn’t mutual is guaranteed going to be an even more horrible feeling. and it’s only going to get worse if he started dating someone and you still had feelings for him

at the end of the day it’s really up to you whether you’d like to continue being in this friendship or not. i can’t tell you what to do, your friends and family can’t tell you what to do — the only person you can listen to is yourself. that’s one thing that i learned from my relationship — even though everyone around me was telling me to do this and that, ultimately i had to listen to myself and do what i felt was right. 

this is your life and i am simply a person on the internet, but this situation is one that i’ve faced before and i promise you that there is someone out there who’s going to be more than happy to go on walks with you and send memes to you because they’re romantically interested in you! i know it’s hard to believe but at one point even i thought that i was just unattractive and unloveable and that no one was going to date me but i am a firm believer that the universe will start to work its magic once you come to a place where you’re happy with yourself <3 it’s tough work but it’s so worth it, i’m not there yet either but i hope you find comfort in knowing that i’m right here working on myself alongside you!! 

[moonyslove78]

🕷️🕸️PART 2 OF CHAPTER 22 SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT🕸️🕷️

Here's the rest of the reblog because I'm an obsessive bitch and have to add every single screenshot even though I said I wouldn't and now my first post has exceeded the image limit of 30. 😅😂

Yessss!!! I've anxiously awaited this moment from the beginning! Her "claiming" him as her's, is probably the most anticipated part for me. I was screaming the whole time, "YES! HONEY, GET YO' MAN!!" 🎉🙌🏼 As tears were streaming because I know what's coming next now. 😭 And such a powerful statement! "There is nothing on this Earth that I love more, and I'm not leaving you!" I've waited so long to hear her say this to him and it couldn't have been more perfect. Or come at a better time, to be honest! (if it were only sooner, but we're gonna work with it, they've been through some shit! 😅)

And following it up with this response from him just took me out! I started getting woozy when he added the "No matter what you hear, okay? I love you forever. No matter what." It was either the fact that those words from him to her did it, or knowing that that could only mean SOMEONE is about to get a little 'mean', I just hope that someone's on their way to bury me cause I've died a thousand times now and I'm gonna need some dirt to fill this hole with! 🪦

I gotta say I am SO glad you threw in the comic relief in this part, because had you not, I would have been broken into pieces. Even knowing he was just putting on a show to protect her, her reactions showed true to exactly what his cold remarks and standoffishness were doing to her. So these little anecdotes of humor threaded throughout made it so much easier to take in stride. And those above were just a FEW of my favorites (even though I think I included most all of them 😂👀) I also have to say hearing Peter use 'Tiger' may even be better than hearing Honey use it. Idk though, maybe I could get some of her calling him that, future for reference, later? 😂

Oh fuck... here it comes... I'll tell you, I'm not sure what I was expecting him to do or say when he inevitably cornered Honey, but I wasn't ready for that heartbreak that ensued. 😭💔

Whatever switch he flipped there when right before they barged in, was so fucking seamless! I really had a hard time pinpointing if Peter was even there half the time. Like he let that evil, menacing personality take over and that was that. And the way he was able to do this to her without batting an eye was incredible. It hurt.. a LOT... But it was bloooooody brilliant! And you write both sides of his personalities so beautifully. 😫 It's just unereal!

OUCH!!!!

Okay, THAT one hurt a LOTTTT!

But fuck, how he caught himself and fixed his mistake was priceless! 😂 If Honey hadn't have been so mortified by the fact that the assumption was made about her, I feel like she'd have found his quick wit in the moment to be fairly amusing. But, alas, that's not exactly how it went and now I wanted to scream, cry and throw up. 😭😭😭

👀👀👀

When I say I gasped! Damn Peter! 😲 He pulled no punches, that's for certain. And his response to George's reply... "Thank God. That woulda been so weird." 🤭

Ow, OW! OWWW!!! Okay, okay... I lied before! It wasn't the venmo comment, it was this! My heart was breaking for her! AND I KNEW HE WAS ACTING!!!

🤐🤐🤐

Nope, I'm not gonna say it... I'm keeping that one to myself, Peter!

I mean, I'd pay a fee to see him topless...🤭👀 Oh, wrong place, wrong time? My bad... 😅

Fuck! Now we got Matt tearing her down! 😐 If I wasn't so heartbroken, I may have had some comebacks I'd have loved to hear her say. But I'm too busy crying into my pillow over here! 😭

Though this was the best possible answer she could've given them, I really hope she wasn't actually feeling like that. Though in that moment, that's exactly how I'd have felt. 😭 I just want to hug her and hold her and cry with her and tell her it's going to be okay and that he didn't mean any of it! WHY DO I GET THIS WAY ABOUT FICTIONAL CHARACTERS?! 😭

Holy hell, I've reached the end of the 50 screenshots! 2 posts later, I have highlighted the entirety of chapter 22 as my favorite "moments" 😂😂 It's your writing, Liz! It does something to me that I cannot explain!

I honestly don't think I could possibly get through the other reblogs tonight for 23/Epilogue because my braincells are running on fumes and I don't want to get repetitive, especially for the finale! 😭🎉 So I'm gonna leave you with this tonight and work on those two tomorrow!

I just want to reiterate that I will literally follow you to the ends of the earth and back, if that's what it takes, to support your writing! Katie put everything so perfectly last night in her's, so I'm not going to verbally repeat everything. But just know, that you are so incredibly talented and an beautiful storyteller and writer. You're such an amazing person, who I have had the pleasure of getting to know and I am so grateful for that! And you're the reason I am able to call some of these incredible people, including yourself, my friends!

You deserve so much recognition for your talents and the work you do! And I hope that the new journey you're embarking on from here is successful and worth every bit of time and energy you've put into this! You've built a community around this series and it's incredible to be apart of and watch grow! And any success you have from this, you've earned already!

I love you tons and I can't wait to work on the last chapter(s) tomorrow and sob some more! I'm gonna need all the hugs I can get! 😭❤️

sugar and vice, pt. 22 [mob!tasm!peter x fem!oc]

summary: no amount of money ever bought a second of time.

words: 6.9k

chapter warning: soft smut, characters pretending to be mean and therefore breaking your heart

series warnings: mob-typical bang bang violence, hurt/comfort. smut. Spicy situations. spousal / domestic abuse. family trauma. verbal abuse. PTSD, psychotic breaks/episodes, drug use. coercion. manipulation. kidnapping. gore. blood. possessive!peter, protective!peter. toxic/yandere!peter (maybe, sorta), negative self talk, shameless forced proximity trope. ‘only ten one bed oops’ trope, imprisonment. slowest burn. a dash of questionable and/or morally grey intentions. extremely toxic relationships. having happiness ripped away from you.

This version of TASM Peter is not canon. The relationships and characters here are not healthy.

Don't date a mob boss.™️

18+ You’re responsible for your own media consumption, but if you weren't alive when Tobey Maguire was Spider-Man, maybe you should wait.

Part 22

A wise woman once told Peter that time was the key to the universe. She was so incredibly right.

Even so, Peter had a complicated relationship with time. He was always on the wrong side.

He had too much, or too little. He’d lose it. It would get away from him. It’d be just out of his reach, mocking him from the ivory tower of a future he would never have. 

The phrase ‘what if’ ticked away in his mind, like seconds on a clock. Like the broken hands of a clock face not too far from Roosevelt Island.

If he’d gone to bed an hour later, maybe he would’ve been awake enough to be able to save Ben and May from the gunfire.

If he’d gone into that convenience store a minute earlier or later, he would’ve never had the opportunity to try to be a hero.

If he had more time with Gwen…

If he had given her more of his time…

Time was the key to everything.

For someone who could crawl up walls and bend steel in his bare hands, he was rather powerless. What’s super about any of those party tricks compared to the power to control time? His estrangement with time left him weak and weary—no more than a street magician with cards up his sleeve.

But the night his Honey gave herself to him—for the first time in a long time—Peter felt superhuman.

He took his time with her. Washing the grime from her hair. Relishing her touch as she reached up to wash his back, and again as she ran gentle fingertips over his mending ribs. Long after their skin pruned, he held her beneath the roar of the shower, right next to his heart. 

Peter would’ve let the oceans run dry if it gave them more time to just be.

When they emerged, the sun was setting.

He counted heartbeats and freckles and dimples and breaths as they searched one another for injury. Patiently, they tended to each other’s wounds, but he didn’t waste too much time with his temporary discomfort. 

He’d live. In fact, he’d had worse. His natural healing abilities would take over eventually.

Until then, he could take his mind off his pain. And he was determined to do the same for her.

Peter focused his energy on stretching out each moment into an eternity, although that was hardly enough time to worship her how he wanted. He knew her so well already—or at least he thought he did— up until he noticed how her lower lip would twitch and fall agape as she reached orgasm. 

This discovery intrigued him. More research was needed. 

There were things about her body that only experimentation and practice could teach him, and the thought of unlocking more of her mysteries drove him wild. 

He wanted to study her. To become an expert in what made her gasp and quiver. A master of her body and heart, even as he became a willing slave to both. 

He wanted all of her, just as he’d said. 

To know her, wholly. 

Pleasure and pain. Joy and sorrow.

With a tender touch, Peter studied the scars of her past, stamped on her flesh like letters inked by a typewriter. He read each line, over and over, now committing to memory what he’d managed to miss because before he’d been in a hurry. Such a fool.

He followed the path of every bead of her sweat that served to punctuate the ecstasy of the present. Her soft sighs soothed him—crisp-sounding, like turning of pages in a book.

He should’ve taken his time to read her before, to really see her.

He wouldn’t repeat the mistake.

And so, ever the good student, he took his time. 

He wanted to know her by heart. He’d turned his bed into a seminary, where soon he’d be able to recite her like passages from a Bible.

Devotion like that takes time.

‘All a man has is time,’ Uncle Ben would say, ‘and what he chooses to do with it.’

Peter wasn’t going to waste a moment of it.

A thin sheen of cooled sweat coated his nude form as he stood at the foot of his bed. In reverent silence, he regarded the delicate woman softly dozing in his sheets. His gaze was content as he took in the peacefulness on her face. Her lashes hung heavy on her round cheeks, and her chest rose and fell in a steady pattern. 

She was curled up, snuggled with her face in the pillow as she clutched the bedsheet around her like a teddy bear. The eerie glow of dusk illuminated the curves not concealed by the sheet. Hidden paths up her thighs lured his gaze, barely obscured by the Egyptian cotton threads of the bedding. Her tiny fingers cuddled the edges of the fabric. It had turned into a chaste vestal robe which concealed places his mouth had explored an hour ago.

Even in her sleep, she was saintly and seductive. It was endearing as much as it was enticing.

His soft gaze continued down the path of her body. The rest of him hardened. 

“I can feel you, you know,” she murmured against the pillow. “Creeping on me.”

The tips of his ears went red, eyes widening like a cartoon robber frozen in a giant spotlight clutching a money bag in his hand. She snorted with amusement as she peeked at him over the covers. 

“You’re supposed to be asleep,” Peter chuckled in response, blushing.

“I’m not sleepy,” she lied. “Just resting my eyes.”

Both were exhausted. 

If they went at it again, it would count as Round 3 for him, and Round 5 for her. Maybe even 6. His regenerative abilities blessed him with seemingly endless stamina, but it was no match for the kind of day they’d had. 

The onslaught of damage, both physical and emotional, wore them down. Their activities wouldn’t have been possible if not for a mind-numbing wave of adrenaline-fueled lust that seized them. They were driven by the desperate need for compassion and comfort.

And yet, there he was: a caveman leering down at her with a boner. 

She twisted around, studying him with sparkling eyes. She reached out her hands in his direction, making grabby claws with her fingers. “M’not even tired. Lemme show you.” He snickered, watching her fight off a yawn that suggested the opposite.

Carefully, he crawled up from the foot of his bed to her side, pulling the sheets back to position himself behind her. He pulled her close until her back was up against his chest, skin-to-skin.

“Noooo,” she whined softly. “Gimme you.”

Peter couldn’t hold back his grin, although he shook his head. “You have me. What you need is some rest.”

“You’re the one who's ogling me in my sleep with a hard-on. Like a weirdo.”

His smile glowed in the darkness. “Can’t help it, Honey.” He leaned down over her shoulder, his warm breath tickling her ear. “Everything you do makes me hard.” He followed the statement with the evidence lined up against her lower back. His hands roved over her hips, greedily gripping the flesh at the top of her thighs. 

She hummed in satisfaction, making a noise that wasn’t helping either of them. He felt her body press even closer to his, rolling her hips. Peter couldn’t let out the erotic hiss gathering in his chest at the sensation of his shaft sliding between her cheeks.

He was losing control again. He propped himself up on one elbow with his hand keeping her hip still. “We... we should... sleep—you should sleep. Sleep is good. Sleep—”

“I don’t wanna.” Her head was turned upwards, glancing back at his winded expression. 

“But-but you... need to—”

She bent her neck and captured his lips with her own. She pulled away with a seductive pout. “I thought you knew what I needed.” 

Again, her mouth sweetly teased his, delicately coy, until she charged forward and conquered his kiss. For a few seconds (or... maybe a few minutes), he was the submissive one, as he succumbed to her desire. He remained helplessly complacent as her tongue toyed with his. It was only when he realized he’d lost track of the time that he pressed his fingertips to her chin and pulled away. 

It was one of the hardest challenges of his entire life.

“Wait, wait, wait,” he pleaded, voice deep in his chest. His forehead kissed hers as he held his eyes closed.

She blinked up at him curiously as he nuzzled her nose. “Do you need a moment?” she said shyly, biting her lower lip.

His lashes fluttered open as he stared down at the Milky Way in her eyes. 

Strangely, he thought of the great sea explorers of the past. He pictured himself in Magellan’s place, standing at the helm of a carrack in the eerie darkness of the Pacific. He was adrift in a vast ocean of uncharted waters with no land in sight, nothing but the stars overhead to guide him. He clung to them desperately, fearful of the darkness outside of their hold, but awestruck by their wonder. It was like gazing at the gate of heaven. Being alone in the Universe, locked in an intimate moment with God herself.

“What are you thinking about?” she murmured curiously. The question wasn’t worried or rushed.

Peter observed her intently, memorizing the pattern of her freckles. “I need so much more than a moment,” he breathlessly replied. His eyes shimmered in the dim light. “I need to stop time.”

She blinked several times, pondering his response with an uncertainty that might have gutted him if she had let it go on too long. 

Thankfully, she answered with another passionate kiss, tilting her chin behind her shoulder. The air was swept from their lungs when she pulled away from his lips. “What about a lifetime?” she whispered. “What could you do with that?”

Affection warmed his eyes while passion ignited his stare. He didn’t hesitate further. The width of his hand cupped her jaw firmly, and he crashed his lips into hers. He breathed her into his lungs as he leaned over her, his cock resting heavily in the space behind her back.

She let her fingers card through his thick, brunette waves, playing with the damp ends that had curled up after the shower. Synchronizing her movements, she dragged her backside across his shaft and her nails through his scalp. He purred, twitching against her spine. 

His hand travelled down again, memorizing the feeling of each pore from her jaw to chest...to her stomach... across her pubic bone... and finally slipping into her dripping folds. A satisfied hmmm rumbled from his chest as he licked a spot beneath her ear. The warmth of his tongue, matched with the roughness of his fingers, made her quiver in his grasp.

She pulled her hand away from his scalp, urgently searching for his waist to pull his lower back into hers. As the gentle tease of his fingers formed into a languid massage, she bucked her hips impatiently, using the arm under her pillow to balance herself.

“So needy,” he muttered, tone sizzling. 

She mewled, her hand frantically searching for a place to land. It fluttered at his wrist, his bicep, his nape, then over to her chest, her breasts, and back to his hand again.

“Told you I’d take care of ya,” he whispered, bringing his other hand on the underside of her hip bone, replacing the outside one. “Just relax.” His other hand gripped her uncertain fingers, guiding them down to her breasts. He slowly squeezed each one of her mounds with his hand over hers, allowing his fingers to spin a wheel at her tender bud.

Intently, he watched as her eyes disappeared, rolling into the back of her head.

“That’s it, baby, I gotcha.” His voice was dripping with dark chocolate. “Keep goin’ just like that.” 

It was an order, somehow delicate and firm.

It drifted into her ear like smoke from a wildfire and only added kerosine to the blaze in her belly. He reached down and lifted her outer thigh, forming a V with her legs. Opening up her core allowed his hand better access to her clit, while the other hand groped his cock and positioned it at her entrance.

“You need me to slow down?” he questioned, his mouth going dry from the panting. “Jus’say the word, and we can stop at any—”

“Don’t stop, Peter,” she cut him off impatiently, her voice lilting in desperation. There was no room for shame. “I need to feel you inside me.”

With a breathless gasp, he obliged her hunger and his own. He pushed the eager, leaking tip of his cock through her wet folds, perhaps a little more forcefully than he otherwise would have. He drank in her expression—the wince on her face, the flutter of her eyelashes, the pathetic whimper quickly melting into an erotic moan.

“S’okay, pretty girl,” he soothed. “M’gonna make it better.”

The grip of his fingers pushed dents into the meat of her thigh as he pried her open and rolled his hips into her heat.

“Doin’ so good for me,” he praised, his need overwhelming his senses. He pulled his hips back and drove them forward, slow enough for him to imbibe in her tremors. Her core fluttered over every inch. 

“Am I still a good girl?” she gasped with wide, wet eyes. Her head was thrown back against his shoulder and cradled against his bicep.

“Yeah, you are, princess,” he practically growled. She could feel the reverberation of his voice in her heart. “You’re my good girl.”

He sealed his lips around her open-mouthed moan, greedily licking it up for himself.

Each second stretched to a millennium. That’s what he would wish for if the Devil himself offered him a trade. However, it wouldn’t take long for the Dark One to realize that he had been cheated. Peter’s soul belonged to someone else already. 

Until mountains erode into sand. That’s how long he wanted each kiss to last. 

“God, you feel so good, baby...”

When sequoias that pierce the sky tumble and decay into the soil, from which a new giant is born and completes its life cycle. That’s how long he wanted each of her sighs to last.

“M’gonna be good t’you, always...”

Until every tectonic plate wades to a new home atop a pool of lava, and the face of the Earth is unrecognizable.

“You’re so good to me, Pete... s-so good—”

Until all the glaciers have melted. At the end of the next Ice Age. 

—“...radio waves from Galaxy 0402+379, whose coordinates appear in the constellation Perseus,  featuring binary supermassive black holes with the least separation of any directly observed binaries, at a distance of approximately 23.88 Light-Years. Now, who can tell me what happens when these two objects reach singularity? Anyone? — Yes, Mr. Parker...”—

“Don’ever wanna lose you, Honey... Never, never...”

Until the end of the Milky Way’s last dance, as the curtain falls while it takes its sister Andromeda by the hand.

“Shhh, you won’t, baby. You won’t lose me. Just—ahh—stay with me...”

Each moment stretched out into eternity. Slow like molasses. Dripping like honey.

She was right. Time was the key to the whole universe.

And as Peter pushed her toward another summit, clutching her close as they tumbled over the peak together, they shared a sweat-coated sigh of relief. Both of them were finally sated, at least for now. At this moment, they were content drifting off to sleep in the cradle of each other’s embrace. 

He kept her body wrapped around his, her face buried into the crook of his neck. His hand weighed heavily across her back. Eyes closed, he listened intently to her familiar purr.

He knew it well. It was the one that would confirm she was asleep—the signal he would wait for to open his eyes and observe her beauty freely, without hinderance or shame.

“I love you,” he said. 

Always.

A vow. 

A hope.

A plea.

She woke up to the sound of rain pattering on the window panels. 

Grey light pushed on her eyelids, prying them apart, while cool air scratched at her back. She responded by folding herself tighter and burrowing her nose into a warm chest. She was still dreaming, she thought. The scent of cedar and cinnamon filled her airways as calloused hands tickled her back.

She was dreaming. And it was a beautiful dream. She refused to acknowledge the light, fighting off the waking world.

When she felt a gentle brush of fingers clearing a lock of her hair from her face, she found the courage to open her eyelids. Gazing fondly at her were a pair of doe eyes. The light of day reflected off their hue, but the facets were illuminated from within. 

Like candlelight. Like fire. Roasted chestnuts, caramel, chocolate, hazelnut, whiskey, brown sugar, and molasses. Warm amber, deep garnet, charred topaz, smokey quartz, bronze, brass, and gold. Earth and fire and water and the air that escaped her lungs.

And honey. Delectable, delicious honey. 

She found it all in his eyes.

“Morning,” he murmured, his throat thick from hibernation. A beaming smile burst through his lips, burning through clouds outside.

Her heart stuttered as she basked in its glow. “Morning.”

He glowed. Her friend. Her protector. Her lover.

They lay in silence, regarding one another with warm gazes and warmer hearts.

“How long’ve you been awake?” she said with a tired smile, leaning back into her pillow to get a better look at his face.

“Not sure,” he whispered, threading his fingers through her hand and placing it near his heart. The short distance between them at the present was as far away from her as he could stand. “I was jus' thinkin' about how long I've been asleep. Too long.”

She blinked at the awe in his expression, blushing as she realized he wasn’t referring to last night’s rest. Her eyes sparkled back at him, feeling a slight ache at the corners. They held several seconds of blessed silence, taking in each other in peace, until Peter rubbed the haze from his eyes.

“We outta get up,” he sighed. “Need to pack.”

“Pack?” she repeated. Her smile dimmed a bit, as the dark memories of the past couple of days crept back into her consciousness. “Where are we going?”

“You let me worry about that,” he said, though not unkind. He kissed the back of her hand tenderly. “All you need to know is that we’ll be safe. And Bella and your sisters will be waiting for us.”

Her eyes fluttered wide. “Really?”

He smiled. “Really.” Gazing at her fondly, Peter watched the relief wash over her until it brimmed at her lashes. “I’m jus’ goin’ over the details in my head,” he added thoughtfully. “Does your ma ever play the lottery?”

She smirked. “No.”

“Well,” he pondered, “she’ll be so surprised when she finds out she’s won a million dollars and another vacation getaway.”

A snort broke through her foolish grin. “Practically astonished. Won’t even bother to question it.” 

“She can come along as long as she doesn’t ask any questions,” Peter said delicately before giving it some thought. He added on a condition. “And she keeps her mouth shut.” More thinking. “And stays alone, in her own place, away from us and the girls.” His brow furrowed as he continued to ponder. “Maybe even on a different continent. I’m still fine-tuning the kinks in my plan.”

“Hmmmmm,” she grinned, leaning into another soft kiss. “Kinks.” 

Playfully, she brushed her tongue against his, stirring a deep groan from his chest. When he pulled back, he fixed her with a sultry gaze. “Careful...” he warned. “You might start somethin’ you’ll have to finish. Again. And again. And again—”

She giggled and leaned in for another kiss until they were interrupted by a sharp knock on the door. The couple jumped, with Honey clutching the sheet to her chest.

“Pete!” they heard Felicia’s voice through the wall. “Open up! Or... close—whatever it is you’re in the middle of.”

Honey snapped her eyes to Peter, embarrassment flooding her expression. He grinned wide, amused by her flustered state. 

“Just a minute,” he called back as Honey pulled the sheets off the bed and dragged them with her. Alarmed, she scurried across the room with a shocked look. “C’mon,” he muttered at her with a jeering chuckle. “You didn’t think we were that quiet last night, did you?”

Scowling, she flipped him off and disappeared into his closet. Coming to a stand, he paused with one foot over the edge of the bed, his smile fading.

There were two heartbeats at his bedroom door.

“Hurry up, Peter,” Felicia repeated, a lack of levity in her tone. “We’ve got company.” 

In a blink, he had on a pair of sweatpants and was reaching for his phone. He pulled up a camera feed outside of his bedroom. 

Felicia stood with her arms crossed impatiently, tapping her fingers along her biceps. A familiar face waited beside her, wearing crimson-tinted sunglasses and clutching a white cane. 

Something sharp pulled at his chest, the brightness of his smile dimming. He glanced back at the closet doorway. 

“C’mon, Pete. We don’t have time!”

Peter frowned.

Of course they didn't. It was always out of his reach.

He wiped the self-pity off his face as he pulled open the door. He hadn't bothered with a shirt, facing them with a bare chest still striped with bruises. 

“Matt,” he stated, reading the grim look on the other man’s face. Peter didn’t need many words to confirm what he could already hear in his friends’ heartbeats.

“Sorry to wake you,” Matt stated tensely, “but we’ve got a problem.”

It took a minute for Honey to be brave enough to poke her head out of the closet. She was fully clothed, wearing a silk robe tied snugly around her waist, but her flushed cheeks telegraphed her embarrassment.

She expected smug and teasing expressions, if not from Matt, then definitely from Felicia. What she saw was the opposite.

“How much time?” Peter asked, brows furrowed and arms crossed tightly.

“Maybe a minute,” Matt answered. "Maybe less."

“Building’s surrounded,” Felicia added anxiously. “Cleaning crew just left. We haven’t had time to check the work.”

“They’re good at what they do,” Peter assured her. “It’ll be fine. We just need to put on our game faces, stay calm, and we’ll get through this—”

“They’re bringing an army down here, Pete,” Matt implored. “You need to be sure.”

“If I weren’t, I wouldn't be standing here,” he replied.

“You oughta be running,” Felicia said sharply, "preferably to LaGuardia."

“Leaving is a bad look,” Matt argued. “I cannot stress that enough.”

Felicia glared at him. “But you would recommend a trip to Ryker’s? I thought you were supposed to be a good lawyer?”

“Cat. We need to deflect attention right now. Stay calm.”

“Where are we going?” Honey questioned, her voice cutting through the tension like a hot blade into butter. 

The conversation came to a screeching halt.

Eyes snapped in her direction, but she noted how Felicia immediately looked away. Even Matt turned his head; his nose pointed at the floor.

Peter was the only one who looked her in the eye. And when he did, it made her stomach twist. Despair filled his gaze.

He didn't need to say a word. She already felt faint. “Pe-Peter...?”

He dashed across the room, taking her face in his hands. As quick as the motion was, everything felt like it was moving too fast—need more time—and Honey couldn’t keep up. Like concrete weighed down her feet—what happened, what just happened, what’s happening—and the lights of an oncoming train blinded her. 

“Pe-Pe—But—-wh-wha—? What is he talking about whatdoesthatmean who’scominghere wha-what-whatdoesshemean—”

“Easy, easy,” he cooed. “It’s okay. It’s gonna be okay, yeah? I’ve got it under control.”

Her voice shattered beneath a whisper, “Don’t lie to me, Peter!” 

He fell silent. Sorrow twisted his closed lips. Then, hesitantly, he explained, “The cops are here. They know about Walker.”

Honey gasped. And then she felt herself go numb.

“They were expecting him to check in this morning. And when he didn’t, somebody knew to come here.”

Tears flooded her vision with wretched memories riding them like a tidal wave. A python tangled itself around her lungs, constricting her breath. 

“Now, they’re gonna come in and make a big show,” Peter continued to explain, “but it’s very important that you stay calm, Honey. Don’t say a word. Don’t answer any questions. Just follow my lead.”

She was crying. Her mind was traveling through wormholes in time. She was hurdling untethered into a cosmos of what-ifs and should-have-dones. Doubt and terror filled her expression as her heart broke into pieces.

“Nothin’ bad’s gonna happen to you, sweetheart. On my life, I swear it,” Peter softly declared. “You’re gonna be okay.” 

Honey blinked wet lashes up at him, still existing outside reality. “I... I’m... I’m not afraid.”

Peter went still, lips parting.

She stared at him with resolve, her voice turning to steel. “I don’t regret what I did. Even if I have to go to jail—”

“You’re not going to jail,” he promised, shutting down the idea.

“I’m not sorry that I killed him. I’d do it all over again, if I had to. He was a monster... and-and he needed to die. I’ll tell them—”

“Honey, you’re not going to jail,” Peter firmly repeated. “I am.”

She froze, her stomach and heart plunging. Her wet eyes went wide. “What?” Terror gripped her. “What!? What do you mean—”

Peter noted how she physically pulled back, like a cobra ready to fight to the death.

“Listen to me, listen, listen," he pleaded. "We don’t have a lot of time, so I need you to listen to me carefully, yeah?” Peter murmured, the sight of her tears twisting a knife in his chest. “It’s gonna be fine. They’ll take me in, but we can fight it. Nobody has to know what really happened, alright? All you gotta do is follow my lead—”

Now her mind was traveling elsewhere, plummeting down into hell.

She pictured Peter in handcuffs. In an orange jumpsuit. At his trial. For murder. Of a goddamn shitbag. A federal agent. Sentenced. To death.

She rapidly blinked as if doing so could clear the horrifying image from her vision. Instead, she kept shaking her head as the nightmare unfolded.

Her tongue wouldn't work right. “But-But—”

“You’re my brave girl,” he said with soft desperation. “Jus’ need ya to stay brave a little longer, alright?”

“You... you didn’t do—no, no, you can’t—”

“I’ll make sure you’re safe,” he pleaded. “You, Bella, your sisters—you’re all gonna be okay. Just like I promised, alright? You just gotta go along with what I say. Whatever you hear, you gotta stay quiet, okay?”

“But...”

“No buts, you gotta trust me—”

“But... M’not—”

“I’m serious, Honey. I’m not playin’ around. Don’t fight with me on this—”

“I’m not letting them take you away from me!” she snapped, her voice breaking.

He went quiet as her fingers gripped him by the arms, nails digging into his flesh. She shook her head vehemently. In fact, her whole body was trembling like the facade of an avalanche. Hot tears spilled down her cheeks as she stared desperately up at Peter.

“You belong to me, too!" she said through sobs. "Okay? You’re mine, and I’m not letting you go. I’m not running away. There is nothing on this Earth that I love more, and I’m not leaving you!” 

Time stopped. 

Peter blinked at her, unsure if he actually heard what she just said. 

When he listened to her heart, it beat steadily. Drumming its truth. Each beat the tolling of a bell, ringing clear.

One moment stretched out into eternity.

Peter's eyes shimmered as he gazed down at her. His heart swelled beyond his chest, outside of the room, dwarfing the skyscrapers, eclipsing the sky.

Craning his neck, he touched his forehead to hers. He swore he could feel her devotion through her skin. He was empowered by it. Weakened by it.

Swallowing hard, he breathed her into his lungs.

Suddenly, they were alone in the room. In the city. On the planet. A shudder racked through her, a silent sob escaping her lips. “I... love you, Peter. I love you so much—”

“I know you do,” he nodded with a reassuring tone. Tears budded at his eyelids. “I know.” He hooked his fingers beneath her jaw and pointed her gaze up at his. 

There she is, he thought. His light in the darkness. His hope. His Honey.

“Do you trust me?” he whispered. 

She felt her pulse in her own throat as she gazed up at him with red eyes. He waited for a response. She sniffed and nodded, swallowing her panic back down. 

He smiled warmly. “Then I need you to remember that I love you,” he said. “And don’t ever forget it. No matter what you hear, okay? I love you forever. No matter what.”

Heavy footsteps echoed from down the hall. Her stomach twisted helplessly at the sound. Peter pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead. When they parted, he turned away from her. She watched his retreating form until she felt Felicia's fingers take her by the shoulders. Gently, the woman led her back away from bedroom entrance.

Honey watched him longingly as her arms ached to hold him. He kept his back to her, eyes fixed on the ground. 

“Police!” a shout boomed from the hallway. “Coming in!” Honey felt a scream bubbling in her throat, desperate to break free.

The door opened with a bang. 

Peter kept himself steady, casting his eyes downward as a herd of boots stampeded around him. In a blink, at least a dozen of NYPD’s finest filled the space, with pistols and rifles pointed at Peter. They barked orders, shouting over one another. 

He was motionless.

Honey’s eyes darted around to see the ridiculous show of force, more befitting of Michael Myers or Hannibal Lector.

Half of them wore traditional police uniforms and bulletproof vests, while the other half wore full body-armor and carried SWAT-style equipment. Her eyes narrowed in on the SHIELD patch on the arms of one of the officers, her stomach twisting into knots.

“Hands up!”

“Put your hands above your head!”

“This is absurd—you’re in my client’s private residence!”

“Hands where I can see them!” 

When Peter looked up at them, he was a different man. He looked surprised. His eyes glittered with amusement, and his mouth was crooked with a brash grin. Relaxed, he leaned back on his hands as casually as any visit, observing the intruders with a pompous smirk

“Mornin’, boys,” he said boldly. “Please tell me one of you brought donuts.”

“On your feet!” one of the SHIELD agents hissed. The man sporting dark stubble over his jawline and a military crew cut stepped forward and gripped Peter by the shoulder. With a yank, he hauled the half-naked man to his feet—or rather, Peter allowed himself to be manhandled into a standing position. 

“Hey, watch it!” Matt snapped. “You lay a finger on my client, and I’ll have your badge faster than you can say your overly complicated acronym.”

“Tell ya what, Murdock,” the dark-haired SHIELD agent glowered at him with a cruel smile. “If you see something, say something.”

“You hear that, Matty?” Peter snorted. “Small Dick Energy over here’s brought his big guns and blind jokes today... What’s ya name anyway, pal?” 

“Rumlow,” the SHIELD agent spat. “What’s it to you?”

“No big deal,” Peter shrugged. “I’m gonna wanna know which funeral home to send the flowers to, is’all.” 

Rumlow’s face turned red with rage, giving him a look that shot terror down Honey’s spine. Peter smirked haughtily as a different police officer turned him around and wrenched his wrists behind his back. 

“Ooh!” Peter hissed playfully, with a lascivious wiggle of his brows. “Easy, tiger. Gimme some time to recharge 'ere. I had a rough tumble last night—”

“It’s about to get rougher,” a husky voice called from the entrance. 

Honey turned to see George Stacy’s ominous form blocking the doorway. His eyes were even baggier than the last time she saw him. His stringy, graying red hair looked unwashed, and he wore a wrinkled white dress shirt under his Kevlar vest. Marching into the room, the man glared at Peter with narrow eyes that could melt steel.

“Georgie!” Peter called out with glee. “I thought I smelled bacon. Good to see ya, buddy!”

“Captain Stacy to you, asshole,” Rumlow bitterly remarked. 

“Oh, no, Georgie and I go waayy back—wait a sec....did you say ‘Captain?’” Peter questioned before turning to George in shock. “Really? Still? Ya mean they haven’t given you a promotion yet? That’s some bullshit right there—”

“Peter Parker,” George declared sharply, popping each ‘P,’ leering at him like a shark hunting a sea lion. “It’s with the utmost pleasure that I inform you that you’re under arrest.”

“I’m happy for you, Georgie,” Peter smirked. “Really am. You look like you could use some pleasure.”

“Captain Stacy,” Matt snarled, inserting himself between the two men, “I had a conversation with the Commissioner this morning. We agreed that Mr. Reilly was coming in of his own accord—”

“‘Ben Reilly’ can come on down whenever he wants,” George sneered disdainfully, pointing at Peter. “I’m here for him.” He flicked his eyes back to Matt, “If you wanna take something up with the Commissioner, go ahead. He’s downstairs.”

“That’s perfect—maybe we can all do a round of 20 Questions!” Peter grinned wide. “Anybody up for a game? Here. I’ll start:” He glanced over at George, lifting his chin proudly. “Never Have I Ever... been suspended from active duty for showin’ up to work three-sheets-to-the-wind and smellin’ like I bathed in a vat of Irish Whiskey.”

George chuckled mirthlessly, loathing in his eyes. “That’s funny. Always so clever.” His smile faded. “Make jokes all you want, Parker. They’re still gonna take it outta your ass at Ryker’s. If you even make it that far.”

The humor dimmed in Peter’s eyes, but his grin was infallible. “Don’t tempt me with a good time.”

“I know exactly how to tempt you,” George said through gritted teeth. He glanced across the room to the small woman hugging herself in a silk robe. “You.”

Honey’s glossy eyes went wide, stunned motionless as all eyes turned to her. “Me?” Her voice trembled pathetically, tongue fumbling. She was incapacitated by her fear as much as she was by her growing anger.

“You," Stacy grinned with a set of shark teeth. "You’re comin’ too. Cuff her.”

She flinched as a blue-shirted officer stepped towards her. 

“Wait. Who?” the cuffed man piped up.

They halted at the sound of Peter’s confusion. With a crooked brow, Peter leaned forward, bending at the waist. When Honey made eye contact with him, she was shocked to see him practically looking through her. His face went blank, eyes widening slightly.

“Oh,” he said, as if he’d found a stray cat on his front stoop, or a slightly-interesting ad in his mailbox. “Hi, there.” Awkwardly, he smiled at her, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Uh...” He blew out an exaggerated exhale, utter shock on his face. “You!”

A crease formed between her eyes as she stared back. The crowd of officers glanced between them with growing confusion. 

Peter eyed her with a blush, embarrassed. Sheepishly, he blurted out, “Eh. I gotta level with you. I didn’t know you were still here.” 

A hitch formed in her throat as she blinked at him, her face looking as if he’d slapped her. By contrast, besides the slight discomfort of being caught off guard, he appeared apathetic. Like she was a total stranger.

“Um, look,” he said, scrunching his face like he was about to rip off a bandaid. “I... uh, usually this isn’t my style, but... M’kinda in the middle’a somethin’. So... if you could grab a cab home, that’d be great.” 

Her stomach twisted.

Peter fixed her with an apologetic grin that was half-cringe, as if he was still attempting some level of charm without any kind of real remorse. 

“Just hit me up on Venmo,” he added, as if their relationship was some transaction. Like selling an old couch on Craigslist. He suddenly looked alarmed, glancing at the officers around him, then added, “For the cab fare! Not the... y’know, anything we did last night.”

Mortification hit her like a truck. He simply wrinkled his nose and shrugged, then glanced away. He didn’t look back.

Honey wanted to vomit. She lacked the air in her lungs to respond in words. Instead, she responded with a brokenhearted, glazed-over expression of shock and horror.

“Bullshit,” Captain Stacy said, eyes narrowed between Peter and his mistress. “Don’t play games with me, Parker. I know who she is.”

Peter blinked at his estranged father-in-law, completely daft. “Really?” He glanced back in her direction, avoiding her eyes, then to George again. “Wait. She’s not your daughter, is she?!”

“No!” the man replied, his face turning red.

Peter sighed. “Thank God. That woulda been so weird.”  

“Don’t bullshit me, Parker!” the police captain growled. “This woman is just as culpable as you are!”

“Really, Captain Stacy,” Matt added, skeptically. Doubt was slowly overtaking the room. “You can’t honestly believe that this, uh... um—” The lawyer cleared his throat, “—Mr. Reilly’s guest—is somehow useful to your case?” He scoffed with a laugh. “Or that she’s of any kind of consequence to my client at all?”

George pointed at the woman, who looked humiliated and near tears. “This woman is a witness, at the very least!” he barked. “She’s his girlfriend! His ‘Honey.’”

The way Peter raised one of his brows was almost comical, if it wasn’t so cruel. Incredulously, he glanced over at the devastated woman and snorted.

He looked back at George incredulously. “Seriously?” he scoffed. “Do you have any idea how many ‘Honeys’ I go through each month?”

The wince that followed could be felt throughout the whole room. Even strangers averted their eyes. 

The mob boss laughed cruelly. “Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great lay with a cute face. But that’s it.” 

A vein popped out of George’s forehead. The surrounding officers avoided eye contact, the situation becoming uncomfortable for everyone in the room. “This woman is practically an accomplice!” he bellowed, raising his voice loud enough to echo into the hall.

Peter gazed at him like he had two heads. “Accomplice?” He raised a brow. “You’re losin’ it, pops. I don’t even know her name.”

The pain was so sharp, she flinched. Like a stab to the back, or punch to the gut. A slap in the face. Her stomach lurched. Eyes blurred. She wanted to scream and vomit and die.

And still, she wanted Peter to look at her. To give her some kind of indication that this was all just a ruse.

Instead, he kept George fixed in his gaze, watching the sweat bead on the police captain's forehead as his outrage flared.

“‘Sides,” Peter taunted, licking his lips like a dog. “You know my type.”

The man’s eyes shot back to Peter, flashing red.

“That reminds me,” the mob boss grinned, a lewd twinkle in his eye. “How’s Helen?”

At the mention of his wife, George’s face dropped. His eyes went wide, the color vanishing instantly. The grown man lunged across the room with a growl. His hands were wrapped around Peter’s neck in the blink of an eye, practically tackling the cuffed criminal to the ground.

A ruckus of shouting, grabbing, and grunting broke out as George’s colleagues physically restrained him from continuing to choke Peter. 

The melee suddenly came to a halt when an authoritative male voice shouted out from the doorway, “What the hell’s going on here?”

The humorless tone snapped the whole group into order. The doorway was shadowed by the silhouette of a tall, broad-shouldered man with dusty blonde hair wearing a tailored suit. He was older, possibly in his 70s, and judging by the way the officers tensed up as he strode into the room, he outranked them. 

“Anybody want to tell me what the problem is?” the man ordered, keeping his tone soft.

“Well, I’m missing a shirt, for one,” Peter complained. “And if you plan on takin’ my picture, I gotta tell ya, I don’t go topless. Least not for free.”

Matt spun towards the authoritative presence, infuriated. “Commissioner Pierce,” he greeted him firmly, with a faint tone of relief. “Your officer just attacked my client while he was restrained in handcuffs. Respectfully, I request that he be removed immediately from the premises.”

The Commissioner’s eyes roved from Murdock to George Stacy, who was still panting wildly, hair disheveled, and shirt askew.

“Captain Stacy, you’re dismissed,” the man declared. Just like that, it was over. Not even the SHIELD agents attempted to argue. George opened his mouth to protest, but Pierce silenced his rebuttal. “That is all,” he said calmly.

George snapped his mouth closed, stunned at the turn of events. He gulped down rage, and jerked himself free of his fellow officers’ grip. Without another word, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room. 

Now Pierce was in charge.

He gazed over at Peter, staring at the lanky man past the end of his nose. Pierce looked as if he was sizing him up. His eyes were cold and impersonal, like judging a cut of meat. Defiantly, Peter glared right back.

Matt stepped in, more sensitive to the man’s authority than Peter. “Commissioner Pierce, I appreciate you sharing my concern for a conflict-free investigation—”

“No need for posturing, Mr. Murdock,” he answered. There was a sophisticated nature to Alexander Pierce that the others were incapable of. “We can make this quick and easy. Your client’s coming with us. Gentleman, please, kindly escort Mr. Reilly from the room.”

“So... no shirt then?” Peter remarked, before being 'pulled' along by the beat cops at his sides. The other officers moved with him, filing out behind him. “Forget my lawyer!” the mob boss called back from the hallway. “You’re gonna hear from my agent!”

Pierce scanned the room like a shark through water, landing on the small, mortified woman in the back. Honey looked up to see Pierce’s eyes narrowed in on her. Matt remained close, and deep down, she knew it wasn't for her support. The tall man approached her, studying her intently. 

“So that just leaves you, then,” Pierce said. “Mr. Murdock, do you represent this young lady, too?”

Eyes glistening, she swallowed hard, focused on keeping the bile from crawling up her throat. 

“No, sir,” Matt stated, mouth twisted with a smirk. “In fact, I don't have a clue who she is. I’m pretty sure you could question every person in this house—you’d get the same answer.”

With a firm jaw, Pierce said to her, “Who are you?”

Fawn-like, she stared up at him, blinking wet lashes. “I... I’m....” Her mouth fumbled before forming the correct words. 

“I just make coffee.”

Continue to Part 23 - Coming 4/30

[devildomdisaster]

Idk if you read Lore Olympus but chapter 129 gave me an angsty request idea.

So Persephone, who’s the goddess of spring, goes into a hibernation-like state and when her emotions go out of control, she ends up growing her hair really long and her body sprouts a lot of plants from her; to the point of covering her and whatever area she’s in with her plants.

So I would like to request head cannons of the Brothers reacting to an MC who gets really sad whenever the brothers insult or threaten them and after several weeks of being berated by demons it causes MC to shut down and go to their room but mistakes a comfort spell with a plant curse that causes their hair and plants to grow continuously long. The plants fill up MC’s room and while they would normally be surprised at the mistake, they don’t care any more. They allow the plants to to grow, even wrap around their neck and body, and hopes the curse kills them off before the brothers notice as they go in the “hibernation” stage of the curse (The curse causes the victim to grow a lot of plants and vines from their body until they die, which can take a few days).

I’m sorry for being so long and descriptive, I just wanna see the Bros panic and feel guilty that MC felt pushed to do this to themselves but I understand if you don’t want to do it

I don't read Lore Olympus but you described the situation really well so I hope this is something close to what you wanted.

Comfort spell gone wrong

Lately, nothing seemed to be good enough for the demons. No matter what you did one of them would find something to berate you for.

“Mc, your grades are subpar even for an exchange student. You’ll have to try harder in order to not be a disappointment to Diavolo and myself.” Lucifer warned over breakfast.

“Mc, you burned dinner. You should learn to be a better cook.” Beel grumbled. As if you had ever seen any of these ingredients before ending up in the Devildom.

Even Mammon seemed to be in a particularly unpleasant mood. A never-ending string of complaints about how hard it is to protect an ordinary human. “Geez, you’re such a hassle human.”

Taking refuge in the library to study and to give Mammon a break from you proved disastrous and nearly deadly. Somehow you’d managed to spill your cup of tea all over an old somewhat rare text after Asmo had barged in and startled you. Your string of bad luck continued when Satan rounded the corner and saw the soggy tea-stained pages you’d been trying to decipher. In his fit of rage, he’d called you several unpleasant names and asked if you were “capable of doing anything right or if all humans are as stupid as you?” You’d left as quickly as you were able to avoid any more of his wrath.

No matter where you went you kept walking in on Belphie napping and without fail he’d say something nasty to you, that would make tears burn the backs of your eyes.

Levi had angrily called you a “useless normie,” who he wished would “never come back.” and had pushed you from his room with a slam of his door.

Even Asmo who usually just ignored you when he was upset found every reason imaginable to critique your every aspect. Physical and personality. Not a single one of which made you feel any more than worthless.

So was it any wonder when at the end of a long week you’d locked yourself in your room and decided to try that comfort spell you’d heard Solomon talking about? It seemed simple enough. But then your tears had blurred your vision as you’d recited the words and your Latin was still shaky at best. But it was just a few lines! And there was no way you were going to go to one of the brothers for comfort when they had seemed perfectly happy to make you miserable for the last few weeks.

You’d read the spell aloud and curled up hoping that the spell would kick in and you’d feel even just the slightest bit better. The blinding green light and sudden drop in energy was the first and only warning the spell had gone wrong. But being new to magic meant it still sapped your energy, so you didn’t stop to think something might be wrong. By the time you realized what was happening, everything was out of control. Plants had begun to sprout from your skin and the floor around you, growing and growing. With each inch they grew you felt your exhaustion creep up and consume you. You were just so tired. Your eyes fluttered closed. This was wrong! You forced your eyes open again. You need to fix this. The spell! But a short nap wouldn’t hurt, would it? You’d have more energy after you woke up. Then you could go get one of the brothers. Satan would know how to fix this. Or Lucifer! He’d clean the spell up easily. Yes, after you woke up…

Lucifer hadn’t seen you all weekend. He figures you’re most likely studying. But you don’t show up for meals and none of his brothers have seen you either… and oh Diavolo! He can feel the spell from the dining room. How did he not notice sooner? The cold pulling sensation of the spell, like it was sucking the warmth and life from its surroundings.

When Lucifer reaches your door Mammon is already there. Knocking and shouting for you, but there's no answer. He all but breaks your door down, his brothers behind him, and finds you at the center of the spell. Unresponsive and covered in the plants using your energy to grow. The plants had begun climbing up the walls and twisting through your hair, sending out snow-white flowers.

“Beel! Don’t!” Lucifer warns as Beel reaches out to pull a handful of plants from you. “We don’t know what did this and what will happen to Mc if we just rip the spell off like that.”

“Lucifer, Mc did this to themself,” Satan points to the open spellbook. “It looks like they got a comfort spell mixed up.”

Fortunately, your last tired thoughts were correct and Lucifer is able to break the spell quickly. You wake surrounded by the brothers.

Lucifer:

All this happened for a comfort spell? Because you didn’t feel like you could come to him, to any of them?

He’s so sorry Mc. Enough that as he leans down to pick you up out of the mess of withering plants you can feel tears fall onto your face.

“Nothing I did was good enough for you Lucifer. Any of you. I just wanted to feel… I just wanted-”

His heart breaks when he realizes this is his brother’s fault, his fault. “You are always good enough, Mc. Much more than I could ever ask you to be, and if I ever made you feel like you weren't. No, the fact that I made you feel like you weren’t, means I have been truly terrible.”

You’re choking back your own tears now and you curl further into his arms as he carries you down the hall. “You said I was a disappointment.”

“My dear Mc, you have never been, nor could you ever be a disappointment to me. Forgive me for ever making you feel as if you were.”

Lucifer takes you to his bathroom and draws you a bath to wash away the last of the plant matter from your body.

Afterward, he’ll bring you anything you ask for. He wants to wrap you in his arms but doesn’t want to push you, so he asks softly if he can hold you.

He’ll spend weeks trying to make this up to you, even after you forgive him, he’ll be sure to tell you how much he loves you more often than he did before.

Mammon:

Shit human! Why didn’t you come to him? He loves you so much and oh. He made you feel like a burden.

How could he be so stupid when he knows how his brothers make him feel?

Mammon begs for your forgiveness in front of all his brothers.

“Please can ya forgive me? I never meant to make ya feel like a burden. You're the only human I- I want to protect you Mc. I’m so sorry.”

Mammon helps you up and since your room is covered in plants he offers to let you sleep in his room for the night.

He wraps you in blankets and brushes the hair from your face with trembling fingertips.

There are still a few stubborn leaves sticking to your face and in your hair so Mammon takes a warm washcloth and wipes them from your face before gently untangling the plants from your hair.

You’ll be getting little gifts and tokens of mammon’s affections for the foreseeable future.

Levi:

He threw you out of his room when you came to him for comfort and the guilt at seeing you almost die because of it is eating him alive.

He feels frozen

Maybe you would be better off without an otaku shut-in like him. He starts avoiding you like the plague.

You start to think that Levi is so disgusted with the fact that you did that spell that he doesn’t want anything to do with you anymore.

Despite this Levi still checks up on you. He wants to know that you are ok, he just does it without you knowing.

He’ll ask his brothers about you and discreetly glance at you during meals to make sure you’re eating enough and look healthy.

A few days later when your favorite and manga anime start showing up outside your door you confront Levi. “Are you mad at me? Do you just not want to be around me after what happened? Levi, I miss you!”

He is shook, and he can’t believe he messed up so badly.

He’s happy that he can invite you to hang out again, and he makes sure to spend long nights gaming or watching movies with you until you fall asleep against him. He’ll even stutter out how much he treasures his time with you, blushing fiercely all the while.

Satan:

Satan feels anger swell up inside him. How could he have let this happen? How could no one have seen how upset you were?

Once the spell has been dissolved he is at your side instantly. Brushing vines from your skin. His fingers are shaking in anger but his touch is so gentle.

When both you and your room are cleaned up Satan sits at your bedside, book in hand, reading to you.

He just wants to be close to you now. He wants you to know how much he cares about you but is still too worked up to get his thoughts out properly.

Eventually, his thoughts calm and he stops reading in the middle of a sentence. “Mc, I am so sorry. I never meant to make you feel unwanted. Every day I spend with you is infinitely better than a day without you. I know the spell was a mistake but… we almost lost you. I almost lost you.”

He wants to talk about what pushed you to do this. He won’t push but he really does think that he will be better able to help you if he understands.

Satan makes sure to spend more time with you from now on. He makes a conscious effort to check his temper at the door and be with you when you need him.

Sometimes he’ll just read to you until one of you confides in the other in quiet voices.

Asmo:

As you blink your eyes open Asmo gently brushes some plants from your cheek.

You are so pale and his heart breaks as you flinch away from him. You feel like a mess and you know you must look like one too so curl your body away from him trying to hide. Trying to avoid his critical gaze.

This is the moment Asmo knows he screwed up.

He draws his hand back, for a moment, before reaching out to you again. Cupping your cheek and wiping your tears away with perfectly manicured hands.

Lucifer has him take you to his bathroom to clean up while the rest of the brothers work to clear the plants from your room.

Asmo is quiet for a long while as he untangles plants from your hair.

“You’re so loved, Mc,” he says softly. “You are.” he insists when you shake your head no.

“More than you could ever know, and it’s our fault for not telling you. My fault for not making you feel worthy.”

After this incident, Asmo wants to make sure you know how beautiful you are. He starts self-care days once a week that soon turn into whole family affairs. Each week different combinations of his brother attend and you all work to pamper each other.

Asmo makes sure nothing like this happens again, he never wants to be part of the reason you feel unloved ever again.

Beel:

At first, Beel thinks you did this on purpose. Once the brothers realize you messed up the spell he is less angry but no less distraught.

Once you wake up, he wants to take you to get desserts. He’s heard humans eat Chocolate/ other sweets to feel better. And this makes sense to him, food does make everything better.

But you don’t want to go to Madam Screams or the kitchen to make your own. You’re still so tired. Not to mention embarrassed that you screwed the spell up this bad.

And now they are all staring at you like they care so much when none of them had any time to notice how they were making you feel before.

When you become unresponsive to the brother’s questions and apologies Beel scoops you up in his arms and walks away with you.

Something about the way he holds you close to his chest and his warmth causes you to finally let go.

You bury your face in his shirt to muffle your crying.

“I just… I felt so alone! And… I...but no one” you gasp out shakily between sobs.

Beel soothes you with soft murmuring as he gently cards his fingers through your hair and strokes down your back.

Once your crying quiets he starts to speak “Don’t do that again. You can always come to me Mc. I’m so sorry you felt like you couldn’t”

Belphie:

Belphie thinks it’s a joke at first. “Man, how could they mess up this bad?”

Then he sees Lucifer’s panicked expression and it hits him how serious this is.

Belphie is immediately by your side. Hands frantically feeling your wrist for a pulse.

After Lucifer breaks the spell and your eyes flutter open Belphie is filled with relief until a wave of guilt washes through him.

He can’t believe he fucked up so badly again. Sure this time he didn’t directly cause you physical harm, but he did play a role in causing you to almost die again.

“I am so very sorry Mc, I never meant to hurt you.”

He does everything he can think of to make it up to you. Anything you ask him for, as long as it’s within his power, is yours. No questions asked.

He asks permission just to hold your hand for weeks afterward as if he thinks you’ll come to your senses and decide you don’t want anything to do with him.

He wants to comfort you so bad.

To make sure you don’t feel like this again Belphie pulls you away to nap with him as often as he can get away with it. Most likely only a few times a week (much less often than he would like). Sometimes he uses this time just to talk with you. Others you really do nap, and Belphie curls himself around you. Occasionally he enters your dreams while you nap together to make sure no nightmares can touch you.

[weebswrites]

Heyy! I recently came across your blog and a absolutely love your writing! 🥰

Would it be possible to request an angst hc with the Obey me brothers? So maybe the bros were having a bad day and they lash out at the MC. The MC leaves them alone and the brothers don’t hear from them for hours and think MC just doesn’t want to talk to them but in reality MC got attacked and is barely alive. And maybe MC summons the brother with what little strength they have left so the brother is met with an MC laying in front of them almost dead.

Ah I’m sorry I know this is a lot so feel free to ignore this if it’s too much! Have a good day :D

A/N: YES YES YES I LOVE THIS THANK YOU ANON

The Demon Bros Saving Your Life (this will have swear words and light descriptions of violence so if that makes you uncomfortable read at your own discretion pls I love u guys)

Lucifer

“MC, please just leave me alone” he spat, trying to stay calm but losing his patience quickly

“Lucifer, I’m not letting you shove me away. You can do that to your brothers, but not to me” you insist, remembering your conversation where he said to ignore him when he tried to push you away

“I’ll do what I want to you, human, don’t forget your place” he boomed, so loud your eyes reactively filled with tears

“Fine, do what you want” you mutter at him before storming out, slamming the door behind you

He knew he fucked up, but wasn’t in the headspace to chase after you, so he stayed in his office and worked. He’d apologize later

You ran out of the HoL, just wanting to be out of Lucifer’s reach for a bit. You decide to go to Purgatory Hall to visit Simeon, your best friend outside of the HoL, but take the scenic route there to clear your head a bit and calm down. Before you know it the sun is setting, and figure you should get to Simeon’s sooner rather than later.

“Hey, aren’t you Lucifer’s bitch” you hear from an alleyway, and suddenly you’re just as annoyed as before. But you know better than to engage with any demons that are egging you on like that, so you keep walking

Then you’re grabbed from behind and slammed against a brick wall, hitting your head roughly against the surface

“Fuck” you exhale, vision already blurring

“Think you can ignore me, human? You’re weak here, nothing” the demon drove a fist into your stomach, causing you to cough

“I’ll show you not to come back to the Devildom ever again, filthy human”

By the time he was done you were a bloody mess crumpled on the ground, in the fetal position to protect your vital organs as much as you could, but you felt yourself losing consciousness

The demon spat on you before leaving, laughing as he walked away. Your body was in so much pain, and you felt yourself losing your grip on reality

You could felt your lips moving as your vision turned to black, and your last coherent thought before blacking out was realizing you were summoning Lucifer

“I...summon the Avatar of Pride...” you inhaled as much as you could, but his name came out a whisper, “Lucifer”

You saw his legs appear before you lost consciousness, thankful you were actually able to summon him

“What the fuck” was his first comment, as he didn’t see you at his feet, but as soon as he did he felt his heart shatter

“MC! Fuck, MC. MC?” he shook you very lightly, and when you didn’t respond he went into overdrive. He picked you up gently in his arms after examining where you were most badly injured, as to not make anything worse

He was in demon form from the moment he saw you, wanting as much of his strength at his disposal as he could have. He flew you to the nearest hospital (idk if there’s a hospital in the devildom but there is now) and demanded you be placed in the best care possible, and also made it very clear that he wasn’t going to leave your side

He watched as doctors sewed your wounds closed and put an IV in your arm, unable to take his eyes off their every move. After a few hours, the doctor turned to Lucifer

“They should wake up within a few hours,” the doctor said before leaving

“Thank you. Please mail the bill to Lord Diavolo and I’ll take care of it” he said, figuring that was easier than having to fill out the HoL on paperwork

He was then alone with you, and he scooted his chair next to your bed and took your hand in his, holding it gently

“I’m so sorry, MC” he whispered and pressed his lips to the top of your hand as he tried not to cry

He sat there for what felt like hours, but just twenty minutes passed before he felt you move slightly

Your eyes fluttered open, and you took a moment to adjust to the lights

You felt warmth around your hand, and recognized it instantly, looking to your side and locking eyes with Lucifer

“Luci” you whisper, voice hoarse from not having used it for hours

“MC, I’m so sorry” his voice was soft and you could tell how distraught he was, “I never should have snapped at you, it was out of place and rude and I’m sorry” he rambled on like this for a minute, and you just appreciated his genuine care for you as you listened to him speak

“Lucifer” you cut him off, “Thank you for taking care of me. I forgive you”

Mammon

“Just get a job! Then your brothers won’t shit on you all the time” you suggested. Mammon had come to you venting about how some of his brothers had ganged up on him again and demanded that they pay him back. You were more understanding than you probably should have been with him, but wanted him to be proactive and get himself out of this on his own

“It isn’t that easy! Damnit MC, I thought you understood me!” he snapped, and you decided you should just let him cool down

“Look, Mammon. I’m always here for you with this, but you can’t keep complaining about this and not doing anything about it when there’s an easy solution. I have to go study with Satan for a test we have, so I’m going to go meet him. Text me when you’ve calmed down”

You meant it to be caring, but his mind was clouded, and he took it as you pitying him and running away - his greatest fear

“Fine!” he huffed, turning his back to you

You were saddened by this, but genuinely had to go, so you turned and left, thankful for the bit of time that you knew Mammon needed alone to clear his head

You were walking to the library, in the middle of a text to Satan when you accidentally bumped into another demon

“Shit, my bad” you apologize, but the demon had no intention of letting you get away with that

“A human, eh?” he grabbed your shirt collar and instantly drove a fist to your jaw

“What the fuck” you tried to say, but couldn’t really speak

The demon punched you a few more times, and you thought that they had the strength of Beel with how much it hurt

Your body was tossed to the ground and kicked before being abandoned, and you wished you didn’t take the back way to the library

“I summon the Avatar of Greed, Mammon” you whispered, hoping your words were enunciated enough for the summoning to work

“MC!” he noticed you instantly, crouching down and putting a hand on your arm, “MC what happened. Wait don’t talk, can you stand?”

You began to sit up, which he took as a yes, and he wrapped his arm around you to help you stand

He studied your injured face as you stood, and wished he had the power to heal you instantly

“Come on MC, the hospital is close”

“T-Text Satan I’m not coming” you handed him your phone, not wanting Satan to think that you ditched him

Mammon exhaled a laugh through his nose, “You’re always thinking of others, MC” he commented, “We really don’t deserve you”

You just shook your head, feeling like you didn’t deserve the joy the demons brought you

Mammon stayed by your side until you were completely healed, which took a few weeks. He even signed up for a job with Akuzon DC. It was the most selfless you’d ever seen him, and you thanked him for his kindness once you were healed with a gift card to his favorite store

Leviathan

“Just stop! I get it, you have other friends, I don’t care. Go have fun with them” he snapped. Levi hadn’t slept in about 48 hours and you could tell

“Levi, please sleep. I’ll be back in a few hours” you try to comfort him, but he isn’t hearing it

“Whatever, MC”

You’re hurt by his attitude, but know he’s just exhausted. You turn to leave and plan to head back to him a bit sooner to spend extra time with him (quality time love language lookin demon) (also the avatar of envy but that’s not as funny of a joke so)

You were planning to meet with some classmates to study, but you ran into a demon on your way that had been bullying you for being human for the whole semester

You hadn’t told any of the brothers because you didn’t want to make a big deal about it, but you were worried suddenly what the demon would do to you outside of the school grounds

“Hey, it’s the human” she snarled, stepping in front of you to stop your path

“Sorry, I’m busy” you tried to walk around her, but she had no intention of letting you go unscathed

“Not so fast” she stomped her foot over yours to stop you and shoved you back against a light pole nearby

You felt the cold metal slam against your spine and grunted in discomfort

“Can’t take a little pain? That’s too bad” she said, taking you by your shirt and  throwing your body on the road

She kicked your body for what felt like minutes while spitting insults at you, before leaving your weakened body on the ground

You tried to get up once she was gone but screamed in pain, not able to move a muscle

“I summon the Avatar of Envy, Leviathan,” you said, tears starting to run down your face at his name

“Levi, Levi please, help me” you whispered as he appeared

“MC, I’m here” he kneeled down beside you and inspected your body, “I’m here, don’t worry”

“Levi” your hand tightened around his jacket, “Help”

He picked you up, maintaining your position in his arms, and took you to the hospital as fast as he could while keeping you comfortable

He stayed by your side as much as he was legally allowed to while the doctors cared for your torso and x-rayed your foot. After a day or so you were allowed home, and he insisted that he stayed by your side until you were completely healed

Satan

“MC, I’ve asked you eight times to leave me alone, I’m clearly trying to read, can’t you take the hint?” he sighed exasperatedly and waited for you to leave, not intending his words to be so harsh but he figured you’d be fine

You were not fine! What the fuck Satan.

“Fine, screw you then” you retorted and left, slamming the door behind you

He realized that you weren’t fine, but wanted to finish his book. Then he’d apologize. But when we went to your room later that night to talk, you didn’t answer.

“MC, come on, open up. I’m sorry for earlier, can we just talk?”

Beelzebub was walking by, “I haven’t seen them since this morning, they left the house crying” he said awfully casually, “I never saw them come back”

Satan felt the blood drain from his face and he ran out of the HoL, ignoring Beel’s “I’m sure they’re fine now!” from behind him

He barely made it out of the doors before he was summoned, and he was confused before he realized the only way he could be summoned was by you

As soon as he was there he saw you, thrown against a dumpster, barely able to hold yourself up

“Satan” you called, voice weak, and he was at your side in less than a second

He stood in front of you and you got on his back, wrapping your arms over his neck

“Tell me what happened. Who did this” his voice was firm and you could almost feel the anger radiating off him

You muttered a name under your breath before resting your head on his shoulder, trying everything you could to not pass out

“Satan, talk to me. I can’t stay awake”

That scared him, so he walked to the hospital a bit faster, but gently still as to not cause you any extra pain

He started telling you about his book since that was all he did that day, but it ended up turning into a long apology for pushing you away and raising his voice earlier. You would have cut him off but you didn’t have the strength to, so you just listened to his words, noticing the thought he had clearly put into them throughout the day

“Satan-” you started, and he instantly stopped to listen, “I forgive you”

He was silent, a sense of relief and appreciation for you washing over him and he thanked you for your understanding of his anger as you arrived at the hospital

Similar to Lucifer, he demanded you to be seen by the best doctor there was on staff, price be damned. He watched intensely as the doctor checked you out, eyeing them up and down to make sure they were good enough and treating you with the same care he would

Once you were released he had Diavolo send a car to drive the two of you back to the HoL, where Satan had had your room prepared with new pillows (the kind you mentioned liking from his room, as well as new ones of the ones you had), freshly washed sheets and duvet, and a cup of your favorite drink waiting for you (he definitely didn’t bribe his brothers to get your room ready, not that it took much bribing)

In addition, each of the brothers had pitched in to get you flowers and a stuffed animal that you’d mentioned wanting, a few weeks ago. The sight of it all made you tear up, and you wrapped Satan in the tightest hug he’d ever gotten

Asmodeus

“I appreciate you trying to cheer me up, MC, but I just need some time by myself,” he said, and you could tell he was losing his patience

“Are you sure?” you offer one last time before leaving, wanting to make sure he really wanted to be alone

“Yes! I am!” he snapped, and you felt bad for pushing

“Sorry, Asmo. Feel better” you leave and take care to close the door as quietly as you can on your way out

You were having a bit of a bad day yourself, so you decide to go walk around the devildom and let the fresh air clear your head

Which ended up being a bad idea, as you ran into one of the demons that always hit on you in one of your classes.

“Hey, MC, you finally aren’t with any of those idiot brothers” he approached you and tried to touch your arm, but you pushed it away

“Oh, they’re fiesty. I’ll have to teach you a lesson” he spat on the ground next to you and before you knew it he pushed you against a wall and was punching you senseless

It felt like he’d never stop, but eventually it did, and he left you to bleed on the road. You tried to stand up, not thinking your injuries would be that servere, but you couldn’t move. You sighed and closed your eyes, exhaustion suddenly washing over you

You knew you probably had a concussion and some broken ribs, and that you shouldn’t lose consciousness, so you did the only thing you could think to do. You summoned Asmo.

“I summon the Avatar of Lust, Asmodeus” you spoke, and there he was

“MC! Babes, what happened? Where are you hurt” he knelt in front of you and looked over your body

“Ribs...and my head...” you whined, leaning forward for him to take you in his arm

Asmodeus was stronger than you realized, and he picked you up easily and started walking you back to the HoL. “Let’s get you laying down and I’ll call a doctor” he said gently, “Then Satan and I will take care of the idiot who did this”

Until you were healed he was by your side, bringing you anything you even thought of wanting and getting the classwork you missed from your classes

Beelzebub

“Hey Beel, what’s up!” you walked into the kitchen and greeted your favorite demon cheerily

He grunted, usually a sign that he should be left alone, but you wanted some Beel time and figured you’d just be cautious and give him his space

“How was your day” you asked innocently

“Not now, MC. I’m not in the mood” his voice was firm, and you took the message

“Got it, I’ll leave” you said apologetically, and left the kitchen. You were a bit upset by him pushing you away, but knew he just needed space. You decided to walk to get takeout for dinner, and made your way to the restaurant on your own.

That was a mistake. You weren’t even halfway there when you figured later you were just in the wrong place at the wrong time

“Is that a human? Here?” you heard from across the road, and sighed, hoping to get off easy

“Hey, human!” the demons walked over to you and you stopped, deciding to at least acknowledge them so they’d think they could insult you and move along

“Wow, I’ve never met a human in real life before” one of them smirked, “I wonder just how weak they really are”

“I wouldn’t test it, just because I’m a human doesn’t mean I don’t know some demons who would make your lives miserable if you hurt me”

The other demon scoffed, “You’re lying. What demon would befriend a human”

You were getting irritated at the attitude being thrown at you, so you decided to fight back with a little sass of your own, “Lucifer, Satan, Beelzebub, and Lord Diavolo, to name a few” you smirked and crossed your arms

“Bullshit” one of the two demons got in your face, “there’s no way a demon like that would look twice at you”, and before you could begin to think of a comeback you felt a sharp pain in your side

You looked down to see a gash in your side, thankfully seeming to not have hit an organ, but it was still bleeding pretty badly. You didn’t know what to do, but didn’t really have the chance to do much because a few strong punches were delivered to your core immediately after

“Fuck” you mumbled as you crumpled to the ground, and heard the demons laughing as they walked away. You felt yourself bleeding pretty heavily, and knew you wouldn’t be able to make it back to the HoL

“I summon the Avatar of Gluttony. Beelzebub” you said, hoping you remembered how to use your pact correctly

He appeared before you and you let out a sigh of relief, then wincing in pain at your own action

“MC!” he instantly took off his grey hoodie and pressed it to your wound, “There’s an underground hospital close, is it safe for me to lift you or can you walk”

“I think I can walk, but can you keep an arm around me” you ask, and he obviously does

You get to the hospital and are instantly checked in and brought to a care room. Beel holds your hand and lets you squeeze it as tightly as you need as your wound is sewn up, and then the nurses give you pain medication for the next few weeks

You didn’t know the names of the demons who hurt you, but Lucifer found out easily with his many connections, and he and the rest of his siblings, along with Lord Diavolo, made sure that the two demons never so much as thought about you ever again

Belphegor

“Belphie, please let me in” you knocked on his door again, not knowing what had caused him to storm off in the first place

The door opened, but before you could say anything Belphie was talking

“MC, I’m fucking pissed right now, and the last person I want to be around is you” his voice was sharp, and you almost teared up at how genuine his words seemed

“Fine, okay, I’m sorry for trying to help” you responded before turning and running down the stairs from his room in the attic, wanting to give him space but also run away from him

You were going to try not to cry, but as soon as you stepped outside the HoL you couldn’t hold back anymore. Sniffling, you walked to the park nearby to sit at a bench and think. You pulled out your D.D.D. to text Beelzebub and ask him to check up on Belphie, but didn’t even unlock it before someone sat down next to you

You didn’t recognize who it was, and you wiped under your eyes as the demon began to speak

But they didn’t say anything near what you expected. Well, you didn’t know what you were expecting, but it wasn’t to be called a filthy human by a stranger

The demon proceeded to call you names, but you were too mentally exhausted to fight back, so you just sat and listened as they tried to get a reaction from you

“What, aren’t you listening to me? Stupid human” and the demon started punching you. Hard.

You tried to fight back at first, but compared to the strength of a demon you couldn’t really do much. Once you started losing consciousness the other demon left you to sit, laughing at your wounds

You didn’t know what to do, you didn’t want to bother Belphie if he was still in a bad mood, but you needed help. You pulled out your D.D.D. and saw a text from him, reading: ‘MC, I’m sorry. Please come back, give me a chance to explain’

As you couldn’t move, you realized your only option was to summon him, so that’s exactly what you did

“I summon the Avatar of Sloth, Belphegor” you suddenly got nervous, unsure why since you and Belphie were so close, but you knew he’d help you no matter what

“MC? MC holy shit” he sat next to you on the bench and you instantly leaned into him and started sobbing

“MC I’m so sorry, this never should have happen” he had an arm around you

You sniffled, “It isn’t your fault, I was just clearing my head” you reassured him, still hurt by his previous words but not at all blaming him for the other demon’s attack

He brought you back to the HoL and gave you ice packs for the bruises that were starting to surface, making sure you had everything you needed for the next many days until you were healed

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

A/N: This took me longer than I thought it would to write but I also kept taking breaks and had three classes today lol. But here it is !!! I love writing angst hehe so this was really fun

[lovely-angst]

I’ve been kind of going through it a bit at home. Maybe a scenario where almost everyday fem y/n parents are fighting everyday because the dad is always coming home late from drinking and that’s when the argument starts and they put the blame on you for them arguing and Katsuki comforts you the whole night and just takes you out? Idk I just need a comfort scenario rn I hope you don’t mind doing this !! You don’t have to do it if it causes a trigger ofc <3

a/n: I’m sorry I couldn’t get to this sooner! I know it is hard, just know you’re not alone! i also changed request a bit, hope it still helps! <3

tw: broken family, arguing

genre: fluff and angst

pairing: bakugou x reader

summary: bakugou takes you to his house after a long night of your parents arguing and you get a glimpse of what a loving family looks like

word count: 1.6k

02.20.2021

-

Nights like these, you’ve learned to tune them out. It sounds like a ringing in your ear as you watch your parents gesture around angrily at each other as you sat on the couch, thinking of ways you could escape to your room. 

It was always like this. Your dad would come home drunk and your mom would always get angry at him for it. You didn’t know why they always seemed to rope you into these arguments, but it wasn’t like you could stop them from keeping your name out of their mouths—they never listened to you anyway.

They always blamed you. Using you to throw all of their problems onto, acting as if it would relieve some of their problems. Deep down, you knew it wasn’t because of you, but it didn’t stop you from questioning if they were right.

Somehow, you managed to escape to your room, muffling their voices further as you shut the door. Days like these, you felt alone.

A ding beside you snapped you out of your thoughts before you reached over to grab your phone—it was Bakugou.

‘I’m at the convenience store by your house, did you want something?’

It was like Bakugou was your guardian angel. He always seemed to be there when you needed it the most, especially when you were reaching out silently. Your heart was so full of love for him, he was too good.

‘I’m not feeling great, can we hang out a bit?’ you hated being so negative with Bakugou, but right now, the only thing you wanted was him. And not even 30 seconds later, he replied.

‘I’ll be there in five minutes’ And like he said, five minutes later, he was outside. Slipping in a sweater, you made your way back into the living room, where your parents continued to argue.

“I’m going out,” you say, not bothering to check if they heard—not that it mattered.

Shutting the door behind you, you immediately press yourself against Bakugou’s chest, taking in his presence and his scent. His muscular arms wrap around you gently as you let out a heavy sigh. You never wanted to leave the safe place of his arms.

“Are your parents arguing again?” Bakugou questions and all you could do was nod. “I just needed to get out of there.” He lets out a hum, rubbing your back with his free hand before gently pulling away to reach into his bag. “I thought this would cheer you up.”

Your eyes lock onto the meat bun in his hands before you give him an embarrassed smile, “Why do you always assume food would make me feel better?” you say, taking to meat bun from his hands.

“Cause I know it does, and I know you love that shit,” Bakugou intertwines his large one with yours as the two of you walk down the street in a comfortable silence. “Can I stay the night at your place?”

“Wouldn’t your parents get upset?” he asks, but you shrug. “I’d rather get in trouble staying over at yours than to hear them arguing until the sun rises.”

Bakugou didn’t want to be the cause of trouble headed your way, but you seemed determined to get out. Letting you stay over was the least he could do.

“Do you think your parents would mind?” You ask, glancing up at him for an answer only to feel him squeeze your hand gently, “You know they love having you over.”

“Yeah, but it’s a bit late for me to be coming over and especially on such short notice,” and before you could worry any more, Bakugou leaned over to press a kiss onto your lips before facing forward once more.

“Just let it happen. You’re not a bother to us, I mean it.”

It didn’t take long before the two of you arrived at the Bakugou household. You’ve always enjoyed being around his family, even if he and his mom bickered. It was out of love and not pure hatred.

“I’m back and I brought (Name). She’s staying the night,” Bakugou announced from the door as the two of you placed your shoes neatly on the floor before walking into the living room.

“Nice to see you, (Name),” Masaru greeted with a smile from the couch as you gave him a polite bow, “Thank you for having me. I apologize for coming so suddenly.”

“Don’t be! It’s nice to have another lady in the house and we love having you over!” Mitsuki exclaimed as she walked out from the kitchen, coming over to hug you. “It’s refreshing to have you over and Katsuki’s so much calmer when you’re here!”

You give her a smile and a giggle when you hear Bakugou yelling beside you. “I think it’s the other way around. I feel so much more calm and relaxed with Katsuki,” you say, earning an embarrassing pout from him. “I don’t know what I would do without him.”

-

It was just past midnight and the Bakugou household was now dark and quiet, not a sound to be heard other than the soft mingled breathing of you and Bakugou.

“Close your eyes and go to sleep,” Bakugou mumbles as you stare up at him, eyes wide and very much awake. Even with his eyes closed, he could feel your eyes focused on him.

“I like looking at you,” you confess before Bakugou wrapped his arms around you, pressing you tight against his chest. Each beat of his heart brought you closer to sleep as your eyes slowly drifted shut. Bakugou rubbing your back comfortably to soothe you to sleep.

“Do you think I’m a bad person?” you question and Bakugou furrows his brows in response. “I mean, my parents always blame me for their arguments. Am I doing something wrong?”

“It’s not you who is doing anything wrong,” Bakugou continues, “your parents just don’t want to put the blame on themselves. You know it’s not you.” You nod but couldn’t help the sigh that escaped your lips, “I know, but it doesn’t help to hear it daily.”

“Thanks for bringing me here,” your soft voice tickles his chest gently, your fingers running along his arm. “I wish I could live with you,” you say quietly and Bakugou hums in response, “I know.”

“Maybe someday?”

“Mhm.”

Even in his drowsy state, Bakugou meant it. Smiling, you snuggle deeper in his arms with a content sigh. You wished every night could end like this.

-

The sounds of dishes rattling in the kitchen stirred you awake from your sleep as you curled into your side, hoping to meet the warm chest of your boyfriend. But, his side of the bed was cold and empty. Opening your still tired eyes, you looked around to be met with a room void of Bakugou.

Throwing your feet over the bed and onto the cold hardwood floor, Bakugou’s voice suddenly came from the doorway. “I was just about to come to wake you up,” he states, earning a pout from you.

“I would’ve liked to have been woken up with you by my side,” you whine but walk over to slump yourself against his body, already feeling the drowsiness once more.

Bakugou’s chest rumbles as he lets out a chuckle. “Hurry up and get ready so we can eat breakfast,” he finishes, kissing you on the forehead before ushering you to the bathroom.

Walking into the bathroom, you stared at your toothbrush that Bakugou had kept for you. “Because you always forget your toothbrush,” he would say, but you knew he always had a spare for you.

Cleaning up your appearance, you walked over towards the dining table where the Bakugou’s were waiting for you happily and warmly like always. “Sit down, we’re so happy that you’re able to join us for breakfast,” Mitsuki says as you take a seat beside Bakugou.

“Would you like some tea?” Masaru offers and you nod, taking the cup politely. “Don’t be shy, dig in (Name).” He says, chopsticks already in his hands.

Glancing down, everything looked delicious. There was a bowl of miso soup beside your small bowl of rice, a plate of salmon that already had your mouth watering and a steaming meat bun beside you.

“Katsuki had told me that you loved meat buns, so we had one heat up for you,” Mitsuki comments as she saw the way you eyed the meat bun. “He tells me a lot about you.”

“Hey! Shut your trap!” Bakugou snarls and Mitsuki shoots back, “Don’t talk to your mother that way! Just say you’re in love with (Name) and go!”

That seemed to shut Bakugou up. His arms crossed with a pout on his lips, but you didn’t miss the blush that adorned his cheeks and ears. His father chuckles before turning towards you, “That boy is wrapped around your finger though, (Name).” 

Mitsuki giggles at Bakugou before they continue to banter at each other playfully. Masaru enjoying his breakfast whole heatedly with his family.

It was different, you thought as you watched them. How a family could be so loving towards each other, so full of love.

“This...This is really nice,” you say with a soft smile as your hands wrap around the bowl of miso soup. “I’ve never had a family breakfast like this before,” you confess shyly. “My family is never happy like this, so thank you for showing me what a loving family is supposed to look like.”

Bakugou’s eyes slightly widen at you from your sudden confession and before he could move or do anything, his mom spoke up. “Sweetie, know you’re always welcomed here! You’re already apart of our family!” she says and Masaru gives you an approving nod.

You couldn’t help the widening smile on your lips as you hunch in on yourself shyly, “I can’t thank Katsuki enough for giving me this. For bringing me so much happiness.”

Underneath the table, Bakugou’s hands seek out yours before giving you three firm squeezes as to silently say:

I love you.

[mitsungo]

　∧＿∧

（｡･ω･｡)つ━☆・*。

⊂　　 ノ 　　　・゜+.

しーＪ　　　°。+ *´¨)

　　.· ´¸.·*´¨) ¸.·*¨)

(¸.·´ (¸.·’* ✫⌒*･ﾟ

　　

　　I didn’t expect the second part to become more popular! It honestly shocked me! I kinda have an idea of where I’ll be going with the ending—kinda don’t. Idk. We’ll just wait and see how this progresses! Also just go with the flow on this please 😵‍💫

　　✧༺🔥༻∞　🌸　∞༺❄️༻✧

Kyojuro had never wished for nothing more than to live a peaceful life with Y/n after retiring from the demon slayer corps. She was a wonderful person, ever since he had met her, he had known that she would be the girl he would one day call his wife, and she would call him her husband. He and his fellow hashira, named Uzui, would talk about marriage and occasionally talk about children and retiring. Though Uzui would get carried away when it came to the children part, adding more to the conversation about making the children and not imagining how the children would be like. When Uzui talked about that topic, Kyojuro would get startled and start sweating, before he would change the topic as fast as he could. But heaven knows that Uzui would pick up the idea that Kyojuro was still, pure, as Uzui would put it. So what if he was? He and his fiancée agreed that they would consummate their marriage duties once they got married. But then again, Uzui would tell him about how wonderful it felt to, be intimate with a partner.

“Y/n, may I ask you something?” Kyojuro asked, his eyebrows furrowing a bit, to show off that he was going to be serious in the conversation. “Of course Kyo, what is it that you wish to know?” Y/n replied gently, her eyes now fixated on his own. “Have you ever thought of, being intimate…on another level?” Kyojuro felt his cheeks heat up in embarrassment at the question he had just asked his fiancée. Y/n abruptly stopped sewing, she didn’t move for a good minute, before she put the needle and kimono down on her lap. “Well, if I am completely honest. I don’t really know what you mean by that dear. What do you mean, ‘on another level’? Are you trying to say…” she paused, her cheeks turning bright red as she realized what he meant. “I hope I didn’t make you uncomfortable by asking you that. But I just, wanted to know. You know? I mean, the farthest we’ve gone to is kissing and occasionally leaving small marks on one another.” Kyojuro said, he really hoped he hadn’t made y/n’s opinion change on him. What if she thought he was a pervert now. How embarrassing. As he was lost in thought, y/n burst into laughter, starling Kyojuro in the process. “You could have just asked me if you wanted to make love Kyo. No need to be shy with me! We’ve known each other since we were children darling!” She let another fit of giggles escape her mouth as she desperately tried to cover it with a hand over her mouth. How cute. “Guess you’re right! I’ll try to be more straightforward next time!” He shot her a bright smile, causing y/n to stop giggling and stare at him in awe. Kyojuro made his way over to y/n, kneeling down in front of her and taking out a small picture of her and him together in kimonos she had made for them. “Always and forever, my beautiful wife.” He felt y/n gently put the picture back into his pocket, her fingers entangling with his own. “Always and forever, my handsome husband.” Kyojuro looked into his future wife’s eyes, those beautiful shining orbs of life and color. She leaned in closer to his face, her lips touching his. “Let’s get married here now then. And we can consummate the marriage before you depart tomorrow for that mission of yours.” Kyojuro closed his eyes, placing his forehead onto her own, smiling gently at her, “Very well. I will marry you here. And you will marry me here. Together, we will bring our two families and more importantly our souls together.” She nodded, smiling back at him with a warm smile like the sun. They both leaned in, closing the gap between them. Just how lucky was he to have such an amazing woman in his life? He would never know.

Now looking at the situation he was in, with upper rank 3’s arm piercing through his stomach, he wished he had married y/n sooner. They had only spent two months secretly married together, he was hoping to be spending his entire lifetime with her. He couldn’t give up now, not without a fight, not until he cut this demon’s head off. Kyojuro knew y/n would want him to fulfill his mission, just as his mother would too. He had to do it now. “I WON’T LET YOU ESCAPE! NOT UNTIL I CUT THAT HEAD OF YOURS!” He yelled at the demon, who had began to panic due to the sun rising. “LET GO! I SAID LET GO!” Akaza screamed, but to no avail. Kyojuro could feel his body start to succumb to his wound, no, he had to continue fighting. His mind started to get a bit fuzzy his vision on his right eye following right behind. Kyojuro felt Akaza rip himself away from his grasp, so this was it. The fight was over. He could finally rest. He had also lost the picture he always kept near his heart of him and y/n, how much he wanted to cry from not being able to see her face one more time.

“You will, live on without me. I will see you again.”

The day after Kyojuro’s funeral, she locked herself up in her room, ignoring her aunt and uncle’s plea for her to come out and eat or be in the garden. How could she eat or do anything when the man she loved had just died? Y/n undid her hair, throwing the pin away in a corner of her room. The sound of it hitting the wall harshly, she didn’t pay no attention to it, nothing mattered anymore. Nor she, or anyone. Her eyes started to tear up again, she looked up and saw one of the unfinished kimono’s in her room. Y/n grit her teeth in anger, yanking the kimono from the rack, grabbing a pair of scissors and tearing it apart. The one beautiful piece of fabric was now a torn up piece of cloth. She fell to her knees, her head starting to hurt from the anger and grief.

“Kyojuro! Why did you leave me all alone? Now who will be my other half if not you? Gods, what have I done to anger you enough to take away my husband from me? Please, take care of him for me until I go with him and my parents. Who am I to judge you for your decisions? Even then, I can not live without Kyojuro!” She proclaimed to no one, her hands gripping tightly on the kimono she had just shred into pieces. Why was this world so cruel to her? To everybody? She knew others had gone through much worse, and only now did she understand those who have lost their entire families, friends, and even themselves. How tragic. Her uncle and aunt were shocked when she had come down later in the night to the garden. Y/n looked up at them, her hair a mess, eyes red and a shredded kimono in hand.

“I renounce my title as a seamstress.”

A whole month has passed since Akaza had met Y/n. The two have gotten closer to one another, almost as if they were best friends. He had just arrived for the night at her home, the scent of her perfume in the room.

“Oh, Akaza. You’re here. Please. Take a seat.” Y/n said, gesturing for him to sit down in his designated spot. As he walked over to the small tea table, his eyes caught a certain picture frame that was placed in between a small shrine. Akaza picked up the frame, glancing behind his back to make sure y/n was not there, he studied the picture, it was Y/n and Kyojuro. Both of them smiling softly with their hands intertwined. It made him a bit jealous seeing kyojuro there with her, he didn’t deserve a woman like y/n. “So, are you going to teach me how to sew details into a kimono today or are you just—.” He stopped mid sentence, his mouth covered by y/n’s hands. She leaned into his ear and said, “I know you were the one that murdered Kyojuro.” He felt his eyes widen. “But don’t worry, I do not hate you. Humans and demons are sworn enemies. One may say that you are evil, doing unspeakable things to mankind, but even so, you are still a living creature, as I know you do not age, and you can be killed. Any living thing can be killed, though your morals are different than ours, I understand. What you think you do is righteous , and what the demon slayers think they do is righteous, it will in the end be the same. Killing one another because of different perspectives.” Y/n pulled her hands off his mouth, and backing away slowly. Akaza turned to face her, his face written with confusion and thoughtfulness. “You truly are an odd woman.” Was all he said in response. “They say the best people are a bit odd.” She giggled, taking his hand into her own. “Come now, let me show you how I do these details.”

The wind had began to pick up more now. With the petals of fallen wisteria flowers being taken away by the air and into the unknown. Akaza had just had a hard night, first he was summoned to an upper moon meeting, it seemed that an upper moon had died and their master was not happy at all, then that idiot with the blood stained hair had to go and bother him. How irritating, if only he could beat that parasite. But at least he would be going to go visit y/n today, since he didn’t have much do to. Akaza arrived in a matter of time, he poked his head into her room, his eyebrows furrowed when he noticed y/n’s scent was different today, sickly almost. He began to panic.

“Y/n? Where are you?” He took another look around the room and ran towards the end of the hall. “I’m downstairs, in the study room.” Akaza heard her say, he quickly made his way down to the room she said she was in. He slid open the door and saw y/n sitting down with her hand over her stomach. “Akaza, I found out, today, that I am pregnant.” His jaw dropped at the news, what the actual fuck? “How are you pregnant? I mean, is that even possible? Who’s baby is it? Have you been seeing men behind my back?” He started asking her, though he knew that couldn’t be the answer, as he would have smelt the scent of another man sooner. “I’ve only ever slept with you and kyojuro. This is very hard for me to even understand.” Akaza frowned when he realized that the baby growing inside had to be Kyojuro’s, it irritated him, now this day has truly become the worst one. As he was lost in thought, he snapped back to reality when he felt y/n’s soft hand tightly grip his. “I do not know why, but I have a feeling that there are two babies in me. And you are the father of one of them. You don’t need to stay by my side anymore. I understand. I wouldn’t stay either.” She happily said. Akaza’s eyes widened at her words, could that be a possibility, and would he actually want to keep staying here with her? Perhaps it was, or not. Only time will tell. As for staying with her, he didn’t know how to feel anymore. Y/n looked at him, her gaze slowly breaking away from his own, as if she was getting the aura that he wasn’t so sure anymore about anything. Y/n felt a smile creep up on her face, she pulled her hand away from his and slowly got up. But Akaza quickly yanked her back and embraced her, not too tightly, as he was worried he would hurt her and the babies. Akaza closed his eyes as he felt her arms wrap around him. This was a familiar feeling. He opened his mouth to finally give a response,

“I will stay with you no matter what.”

[clocks-are-round]

Gone - a Tucker fic

Content Warnings: contains semi-graphic(?) descriptions about injured dead bodies, and may make you sad?? possibly? idk

oh, and very descriptive anxiety attacks

Just a heads up, this is a little over 7000 words.

It can also be read on my ao3

———

“You must prove yourself worthy,” the purple holographic Sengheli decreed.

“This shit again?” Tucker tilted his head in annoyance. “Talk to Santa, he can vouch for me.” This better not take all day. He and Junior had a very important video call tonight, and he’d really rather not postpone a third time.

“We need the spare parts to repair a temple back on Chorus. Surely that’s a worthy enough cause,” Carolina said, fingers twitching. She was ready if they had to fight. She really took after her milf of a mom in that way.

“Yeah, we just need this temple’s junk drawer,” Grif said. “What, we’re not worthy enough for the junk drawer?”

“Your heart is too heavy to proceed,” the AI stated, staring at Tucker.

“What? I feel fine.” He felt arms wrap around him and lift him effortlessly off the ground.

“Caboose, put me down!” He kicked his dangling legs through the air, hoping the extra resistance would convince Caboose to let go sooner rather than later.

“Yeah, I don’t really know what Purple Santa is talking about. Tucker is not very heavy. He’s pretty small. His heart is probably just the normal amount of heavy.” He set Tucker back down, to his ego’s relief.

Kai wasn’t present, so the only one shorter than him was Sarge-- who looked as amused as everybody else. Jackass.

Tucker wasn’t even that short, everybody else was just fucking tall.

“C’mon, just turn on the temple for us,” Tucker insisted.

The AI paused, as if considering.

“Wielder of the key. Intentions aside, to have access to the inner temple, you must pass a test.”

“I hope it isn’t History. We didn’t study for that one.” Caboose whispered loudly, “Tucker, the answer to the first question is your name. That’s-- It’s kind of a trick question.”

“You must relive your weighted memories and set yourself free of them,” the AI continued. “Do you agree to this?”

“Yeah, sure. Whatever I need to do. Won’t be the first time,” he said, remembering the time traveling. He hoped he wouldn’t see Felix again. Douche.

The AI pulsed and the sword felt hot through his glove. Like it was glued to his fingers, he couldn’t let go. His ears rang as he staggered to the floor. Did he cry out or was it just in his head? Landing on his knees, he heard voices around him, muffled then silent. The hard floor fell away from his fingertips.

The TV went dark. The movie was over, so Mama had turned it off. Still, Tucker wasn’t ready to get up. He was comfy and warm, and his eyes were threatening to close. But he wasn’t sleepy yet, because he didn’t want to get ready for bed. Mama was staying put too. He wished they could do this more. He wanted every day to be this special.

Tucker hugged his mama’s side, head rested against her. He could hear her heartbeat. “I don’t like it when you’re gone, Mama. Can’t you just stay here more?”

She sucked in air through her teeth, and he felt her chest lower as she exhaled. “I’m sorry you feel that way, kid, but going out with friends is what makes me happy.”

“It makes me not happy.”

“Well, that’s a you problem.”

Tucker blinked heavy eyelids. Didn’t this already happen? The deja vu was for real.

A squeal of excitement interrupted his thoughts. His mama was happy dancing, her braids bouncing around her.

“Guess who just got pro-mo-ted!” Mama grinned at Tucker, who was interlocking legos on the living room floor. It was gonna be an awesome fighter jet when he finished.

“You?”

“Yeah, me! I gotta tell Sal about this. Told you so, bee-otch!”

She dialed and held the phone to her ear, her smile slowly melting into annoyance.

“Bitch, pick the fuck up.”

His mama tapped her foot, then started pacing.

Tucker watched her cross the room three times before they made eye contact. She stopped abruptly, then pulled a chair over from the kitchen table, and sat on it backwards, facing him.

“Okay, so I’ve been pretty cozy with the owner, right? Just short of being a suck-up. Laughed at his jokes, smiled at him a bunch, nickname basis.”

Tucker set down the colorful blocks and did his best to look interested. He could play with toys anytime. Mama was talking to him. It wasn’t even a holiday, he didn’t think.

“Well, he was trying to decide whether to move or not a while ago. I basically just encouraged him to follow his dreams, because otherwise you just KNOW he’d be bitching about what could’ve been. He said he wasn’t sure how he could leave the business, since he doesn’t have any family around to pass it on to—“ She took a breath, her smile a mile wide, “So I was like yeah, I don’t know if Clare, Penny, or Steve could really handle running this place. I’d give it a shot though. I just fucking went for it and now I am LITERALLY the boss!” She squealed in delight, dancing in place. Her face was aglow. “I can quit my other job with this.”

Tucker perked up. “Does that mean you’ll be home more?”

“No, it means I don’t have to commute so far since it’s the closer one to home. More me time, ba-BY! Plus, I’m my own boss. I can drink or smoke on the fucking job because it won’t be Dan’s rules anymore! Like, I’ll go easy on that, still got a job to do, but still! Might be a little bit of a pain to figure it all out, but Dan’s gonna show me the ropes before he moves away. So TECHNICALLY, I’m not the boss yet. We’ve got a couple months. I just gotta not do anything to fuck it up!”

Her excitement was infectious, even if nothing was really going to be different for him. He was gonna “go for it” too. “Can we do something to celebrate? Together?”

She considered. “You’re a little young for the bar or the club, kid.”

“We could go roller skating. It’s really fun,” he insisted. He hadn’t actually skated before, but he saw it on TV.

She hemmed. “You know what? That does sound like a good time. I haven’t been in ages. Sal missed their chance. I’m not waiting to celebrate. We’ll get pizza there too, how does that sound?”

He forgot about this. How could he forget? Memories like this one were so rare.

“Hell yeah!”

She swung her legs off the chair and walked over, crouching in front of him. “Watch your language, Lavernius. You wanna get the school board on my case?”

She tickled him and his legs kicked, squirming away. He was too old for tickling, but he couldn’t really be mad. He liked the attention. Still, he batted at the offending fingers. “Mama!” He protested.

She laughed. “Go get your shoes on. I’m gonna change and then we’re going skating!”

He beamed and scrambled to his feet.

Tucker was fucking pissed.

He shut the fridge door so hard he heard everything inside shake. Some condiment tumbled out of the door shelf.

“Should I just start calling you Julie? ‘Cause most moms make it to at least one recital in their kid’s life.” Just one. That’s all he asked of her. Just one school event.

“I don’t care what you call me.”

“Mama, that’s not the point!” It was all spilling out now. She hated whining? Deal with it, bitch. “You’re only ever home to sleep. What family has the kid doing all the cooking and cleaning themself? None of my friends.” This was already their longest conversation in weeks. That just made Tucker’s blood boil more. “I’m your fucking kid, doesn’t that mean anything? Do fucking mom stuff once in a while.”

She stared back, annoyed. “Half your life, when I wasn’t working, I was taking care of you. I did my time. You’re a teenager now, why would you need me taking care of you? I managed just fine.”

Tucker crossed his arms. “Yeah, managed to get yourself knocked up before you even graduated.”

“Oh shut up, asshole. If you’re lonely, make some more friends or get a girlfriend or some shit. Don’t make it my problem.” Her keys jingled, dropping into her purse. “I’m going out. There’s money on the table for pizza. Save me a slice.” She slammed the door.

Tucker clutched— something— he couldn’t see.

He was going to be sick.

His head spun and ached

His eyes burned.

Why was this happening?

What was happening?

This  all  already  happened.

A     d  r  e  a  m    ?

It was raining outside. Not a storm yet, just a sprinkle. He saw through the window, above his new sneakers he bought last week. They’d get splashed with paint at school and he’d come home without them because he couldn’t stand to look at them, but not yet. Nothing was ruined yet.

No no no. No, don’t fucking happen. Just skip past this, please.

“Don’t eat all the pie. I want some when I get back.” He heard her voice behind him.

He couldn’t turn.

“Yeah, okay. See ya,” he responded, he turned away from the door, back to his homework. What? Not even a glance at her? The midterm was tomorrow. Stupid that they had an assignment due too. Most classes gave at least a day of no assignments to study. Look up, before she leaves. Math sucked ass. He hated it, like most people, but this was his last year. Then he would finally be done with graphs and cosines and crap. That didn’t matter right now. He wasn’t sure what he’d do after graduating, but he’d have more options with his diploma. High school diploma was enough for a lot of places. What with so many people fighting in the Great War. Goodbye waiting on tables. Even if he did stick with that, a full-time job would be better than the hell that was high school. Say something, at least look at her one last time. Hell, maybe he’d go to college. Find some academic cuties with deep pockets. Oh shut the hell up. Things would start looking up soon enough. Yeah, look up. She’s right there.

The door closed with a thump and a click.

That was it. It wasn’t a special day. A couple sentences exchanged, more than most days, but it wasn’t too out of the ordinary.

A normal day where his mama would go out and come back late at night.

Not this time.

He didn’t know the first time, but he knew now. His chest ached. He knew. He knew that was it.

He couldn’t grab his phone and call her. He couldn’t run out the door and stop her. He just knew.

His eyes scanned the photos idly. Most were of his mama with various friends. He assumed. He only really knew a handful by name, and fewer by face.

There was one of her with him. Well, he assumed it was him, unless he had some secret sibling he didn’t know about. Mama didn’t really take pictures. Maybe Sal brought it in. Sal was alright. They played with him sometimes when he was little. They were one of Mama’s only friends who’d been to their house.

“I’ll be honest, I totally forgot she had a kid. If Darren didn’t remind me, I would’ve forgot to invite him!”

“Oh nooo! That would suck so much.” Laughter.

“Guys, this is a funeral. Little respect?”

“You think Julie would’ve wanted us to be all mopey? This is still probably too formal for her.”

Tucker didn’t recognize many faces. His mom kept her home life (or lack thereof) separate from her work and social life. Maybe it was a form of kindness from her, not surrounding him with the night life at home, but it was still lonely.

Sal was the MC. They said some things. Tucker wasn’t really listening. He broke out of his haze when someone nudged him. “Your turn to say a few words, if you want.”

Tucker stood and walked to the front. The sea of strangers watched him, expectantly. He hadn’t prepared anything. Not really.

“My mama always said you couldn’t turn back the clock, so you should make every day one you won’t regret. Guess she wasn’t thinking when she decided to walk home in the rain.”

He couldn’t just end it there, but his mind was a blank.

Words found their way to his mouth, despite his brain freeze. “Anyways, she’d want you guys to have a good time. Don’t be shy, help yourself to stuff. There’s drinks, snacks. Just, get a ride if you’re not sober. I don’t wanna have to say ‘Same time next week?’.” Some laughter.

He didn’t recall taking the microphone from Sal, but he was holding it, so he handed it off to them and returned to his seat.

Did she always say that? Or was it just once or twice? Guess it didn’t matter. She said it at some point.

People are supposed to cry at these things, right? His eyes were dry. He just felt heavy, and kind of annoyed. He half-expected her to walk in, “Hey, back from my trip! What’s with the gloom? Let’s hit the bar. See you tonight, kid!”

He stared at the door, but she didn’t come. She wasn’t coming back this time.

He blinked and squinted from the bright light through his helmet.

“Alright, soldiers, listen up. You’re all space marines now. No crying about missing your mommies. Got that?”

“Yes sir.” Tucker responded with the others.

After the drills, Tucker was pulled aside.

The CO said under his breath, “I read your file. Impersonating a medical officer to feel up women, huh?”

In his defense, that was part of the job description. He just happened to not be qualified for the job. And, like, he apologized and crap.

He had wanted a change of scenery after that stupid highschooler got him into trouble. And for another reason. Liar said she was eighteen, next thing he knew he was hot goss in the local media, called a “groomer” and shit. The charges got dropped, but it made him realize if he got some positive media attention-- like, say, became a war hero-- the ladies would be all over him! Of age ladies. He was gonna have to start asking for IDs after that shitshow. Didn’t that kid bitch know lying was nothing but trouble?

Anyways, just a couple white lies on his resume, and he got the cushy low-death-risk job of physician. He’d much rather diagnose ladies with F-I-N-E than, well, do the drills and crap that he was stuck doing now. Not his fault one of the chicks got suspicious about his credentials.

He checked to make sure she had a heartbeat-- but whoops the stethoscope wasn’t working, I’ll have to improvise; may I? Checked for breast cancer, yep those are boobs. Holy shit, what the fuck was wrong with him? He did the boring stuff too! Shone the light into her eyes, used the tongue stick to make sure the dangly thing looked normal, tapped her knee with the tiny hammer while keeping himself far from kicking range. He did his job, and he did a great job. Damn, he used to be either really stupid or really cocky. And everything he did was consensual, so was it really that big of a deal that he didn’t have some piece of paper from some doctor college? Oh, right. He was both.

He did all the doctor shit he did every time, and she still somehow sniffed him out. None of the others seemed to have any problems with Dr Cloitus and his PHD in military physicianry. Fucking snitch.

He wished he could physically cringe right now.

He didn’t dare say any of this to the CO, though. This guy was a hardass who could and would riddle you with bullets if you tried to talk back. Some of these military dudes were fucking nuts.

“You’re just lucky scum like you are more useful shooting on the battlefield than dead.” He gripped his shoulder tight. “‘Course, dead is still gonna happen, there’s just no use doing the reds’ job for ‘em. Better you than a good man.”

Tucker swallowed. He felt the same dread he did then. But, he wouldn’t be around this CO much longer. Command would call him in for an interview soon, and he’d get stationed in Blood Gulch.

Captain Flowers was way more chill than his last CO. He was nice and had some pretty cool armor.

“I’d like you to meet your comrade-- Private Church,” the captain said.

“‘Sup! Are you a chick?”

“No.”

“Bummer.” Tucker turned away. They’d probably never get a chick on their team because of his file.

“Yeah, I don’t like you.”

“Come on now, fellas, we’re a team!”

Well, he wouldn’t give up hope. Maybe if he pestered Command about it enough they’d give in. Add some diversity to the workplace. Hey, that was good! He’d have to include that in the letters.

The captain’s upbeat attitude was contagious. The little time they had together blurred into a string of events; hours or even days apart were now one after another.

“Tell you what,” Captain said, “If we ever go out on a scouting mission like this again, I’ll let you do the honors.”

“Awesome!” He was psyched to use the sniper rifle next time. He wouldn’t get to.

Weirdly enough, the gulch was starting to feel like a home. Like he could even enjoy being here. That wouldn’t last much longer.

“‘Sir’? Tucker, I told you to call me Captain, or Cappy… I don’t want silly things like rank interfering with our team dynamic.”

“You got it, Cappy.” Yup, that felt weird. Cappy was so friendly it bordered uncomfortable sometimes. He wasn’t sure if he liked it or not. It was still so alien to him.

“I think I’m commanding the finest army in all of Blood Gulch.” He was a little condescending and sappy, but it was better than getting threatened to be gutted or riddled with bullets.

“Isn’t there only one other army?” Tucker said. “Those red guys?”

“Yeah.” Church always sounded miserable for no reason. Well, he had been through a lot, apparently. “You know, the enemy?”

Flowers crossed his arms. “I’ll tell you who your enemy is, gentlemen. Apathy. Passivity. Indifference.” He shifted. “And, yeah, also those red guys.”

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about our orders from Command. Uh…” Church hesitated, “Cappy. And I gotta tell you, I don't think three guys is enough to stage such an elaborate offensive.”

“I think we should listen to this guy, Captain.” Tucker was still sore about when Church cussed him out earlier for no good reason. All he said was that Church’s big temper was probably compensating for something, and Church cursed his whole family line. Tucker didn’t even know his grandma, but he was offended on her behalf. “He seems to know plenty about being offensive.”

“Can it, shitbird.”

“See?”

“Men, your delightful tomfoolery puts a spring in my step and a bounce in my britches. If I weren't your commanding officer I'd pick you both up, give you a giant bear hug and make you call me Daddy.”

“Uhm…” Church was obviously uncomfortable. “Thank god for the chain of command?”

It didn’t seem like Flowers meant it in the sexual way. Did he view them like his kids? What did that even mean?

If Mama was still around, what would that be like? He assumed they’d go their separate ways, but what if they didn’t? What if they grew closer, since he wouldn't be dependent a burden on her anymore. He could visit and they could just… hang out. Is that what Cappy wanted? To hang out?

If they were stuck in Blood Gulch a long time, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. Church was an asshole and a grump, but Cappy really made them feel like a family. Like the ones on tv, or the ones his friends had.

Honestly, didn’t really matter what Cappy meant. He’d be dead pretty soon anyways. Heart attack. Guess that’s what he got for getting too comfy with the idea. He’d get the armor though, so… silver lining. It’s not like he was using it.

“What, you gonna go cry to your mommy about it? Fucking dick.”

“Nah, my mama’s dead.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Church backed off for once. For once, Tucker wished he wouldn’t. He didn’t want his pity.

“It’s no big deal. I mean, everyone’s parents die eventually. If you wanna hear me talk about women I’ve got some way better stories than that crap.”

“How long ago?” Church asked.

“Two years.” Tucker’s voice caught. Dammit. Don’t think about it. Change the subject.

“Two years… So, right before you enlisted?” Church shifted his weight. “Do you wanna talk about it?”

“Hey, you don’t hear me bugging you or the rookie about your family life. But if you want, I’ll talk about your mom and what a good time I gave her.” Don’t do that. Don’t push him. You’re gonna wish you spent more time with him once he’s gone.

That did it. Church huffed. “Fine. Be an asshole. I don’t give a shit about your dead mom anyways.”

First ghosts, then giving birth to an alien, now zombies. Nothing could phase Tucker now, he was sure of it. Or at least he’d pretend.

“Hello, fellas. How's everything going out here?” Cappy seemed unfazed by the bullets flying everywhere.

“Not good. Hey, you don't sound evil anymore.” The whole Cappy-isn’t-dead thing was pretty surreal, but hey, happened with Church.

“Thanks for noticing, Private.” Cappy’s right side slumped for a moment before he pulled his posture straight again. “Yeah, being possessed by an evil force can be difficult at times, but with a little hard work, and positive thinking, you can overcome anything.” He should take a shower to overcome that stank. Smelled like roadkill. From a sewer.

Tucker wasn’t sure what state Cappy’s armor was in, but his own should be filtering anything like that out. Did he not know how to manually set it to auxiliary air back then? Ehh… To be fair, he still hadn’t read the manual.

The words they exchanged only half-registered. Church came back so soon, but he hadn’t seen Cappy in… forever, it felt like. Except in his dreams, sometimes. There sometimes Blue Team was all four of them. He got along with Caboose surprisingly well. Dreams were weird. Hey, maybe that was it. A dream. This was so weird it might as well be.

“I have something very important to tell you.”

His stalling, dragging the conversation out sure felt like a dream conversation. Bunch of tedious crap. Bullets were whizzing everywhere. Get to the point.

“I seem to be dramatically pausing for some--”

A sniper shot connected with Cappy. That was him, from the future.

Cappy fell to the ground-- with a “herk-blegh”, so he was definitely dead.

Yeah. This all made about as much sense as a dream.

“Well good riddance. I wasn't giving this armor back anyway.”

Stupid freakin’ lucid dreams. It was real. And he was the one who killed him that time. Never using a fucking sniper rifle again.

It finally sank in. Like, really. Tucker shook his head. “You’re not him.”

“What?”

“You’re not Church. Not really.”

“What, the Alpha? Yeah, no shit I’m not.”

Why did he have to sound so fucking like him?

Tucker goes off to rescue his kid, spends a little time with him, and then he reunites with the assholes and he finds out Church was an AI, offed himself, and now this other AI was walking-- er, floating initially-- around, calling himself Church. What the fuck. It was so much to process.

“Caboose can’t seem to wrap his head around that, but I’m glad the rest of you know. The Alpha’s gone. Like, for good.”

“Yeah, good riddance.” Another person not coming back. No warning. Just gone forever.

“Yeah, I heard he was a real asshole.”

“Yeah, well, you’re not any better. Welcome to Blue Team, asshole.” Tucker stormed out of the room.

“What’s up with you??”

Fuck him. Fucking asshole. Shut the fuck up.

“So, Tucker,” Caboose began, “while Wash is busy being angry in the base and looking for clues and stuff… yeah, I was kinda wondering if we could talk?”

“Talk about what?”

“Ah, you know, uh… I.. I miss Church.”

“Oh. That.”

“Yeah, my mom says it’s not good to stay quiet when you feel bad and if somebody is hurting you to make sure to tell people.” Caboose skuffed his foot against the ground. “And Church is hurting me by being gone again.”

“Yeah, well, he and Carolina are probably just looking around. Scouting the place, you know? They’ll be back. Or they’re dead. Y’know, whichever.” Caboose had the wrong idea. Thinking too much just made you feel worse. And then talking? That was worse yet. That was like thinking on steroids. It was better to just not care. Church was always angry because he cared too much.

“Is Church being gone, is that-- Does that hurt you too?”

“I mean I don’t have nice words to say to him when we see him again.”

“Mm… Yeah… It’d be cool if my sisters were here. They’d help us find Church! Maria and Sephi are great at scavenger hunts and hide and seek! They are professional seekers! Well, Maria is. For Sephi it’s just a hobby, but she’s still really good at it!”

“Mhm…” Tucker stared out at the mountains.

He was pretty pissed, too. He knew Wash was upset about both Carolina and Church ditching them, but Tucker didn’t really care about Carolina. They hardly knew her anyways. But Church… he could’ve at least said goodbye. Guess he really didn’t give a shit about any of them.

“He’s gone for real this time, huh?” Tucker backed against the wall and slid down. He was back in his regular armor. The Meta suit had stopped functioning, so the others had helped him out of it.

They won, but Epsilon-- Church was gone. Again. But Tucker had a feeling this time it would stick. And it did.

“Ain't that a bitch.” Church’s last words echoed in his head. Everyone was in various stages of mourning. Carolina had her head in her hands. Wash had his hand on her back. Grif and Simmons had put their bickering on pause. Even Sarge was being respectfully quiet.

Doc and Donut were a few feet away. Donut didn’t do too well in close-range combat, so this fight-- cornered in a single room-- didn’t go great for him. He’d be fine though. Everyone had concluded at some point that the man was practically unkillable, or at least had an endless supply of luck.

“Lucky for you,” O’Malley said to Donut, as if reading Tucker’s mind, “I didn’t completely forget about your existence.” Despite his known lack of medical experience, he was crouched next to Donut, looking over the armor dents and traces of blood.

“What do you mean?” Donut sounded a little woozy. Concussion? Blood loss? Whatever it was, they would be landing soon. Then some actual doctors could take a look.

“Oh, absolutely nothing at all.” O’Malley said bitterly. Doc chimed in, “I’ve got some bandaids, but I don’t know how effective putting them over the suit will be.”

“Yeah, I can strip for you. Be gentle though,” Donut winced as he started unclasping his armor.

“On second thought, maybe we’ll just let you die.”

Caboose waddled over and sat next to Tucker, arm against Tucker’s shoulder and head tilted to mimic leaning against him. Thankfully he didn’t actually put his weight on him. Tucker was not in the mood to be knocked to the floor.

“It’s ok, Tucker.” Caboose said. “He’ll come back. Church always comes back!” Somehow the certainty hurt more than his sulking after Carolina and Church ditched them.

Church had been there with them-- with Tucker, in his badass Meta suit. After the adrenaline wore off, Tucker realized Church wasn’t just being quiet. He wasn’t there.

There were other new files in his suit, sent over from the Meta suit in the fight-- more of his “home videos” had been deleted to make room, maybe later he’d feel upset about that. Each was titled “For” and one of their names. It was another goodbye, he just knew it. He’d wait and play them for everyone, once everyone had caught their breath. Or maybe even later. Maybe they’d each watch them individually. That’s probably what Church wanted. He’d let them decide. Tucker never played his.

Was a belated, one-sided goodbye any better than no goodbye at all? It didn’t feel any better.

“He’s gone, Caboose. He’s never coming back. He’s dead.” He felt a lump in his throat. He’d stop talking now. There wasn’t anything more to say anyways.

“What the fuck guys?!” Church’s shrill angry voice carried through the portal. “I came up here for some peace and quiet!”

“What on earth is happening?” Dylan asked.

“Loco’s machine opened a portal to the past!” Jax said. “Jeez, Dylan, try to keep up!”

“Oh,” Tucker said. “No freakin’ way!”

Church. Alpha, whatever the fuck-- It was Church! Tucker’s breath trembled. His exhaustion was overrun with adrenaline and excitement. He wanted to run over there himself, but his feet felt glued in place.

“Hurry! Hurry, Caboose! You don’t… have… long.” Loco stiffened. “Herk--” His helmet tilted sideways. “--blurg.” No more movement.

Caboose stared at Church-- for so long, it felt like-- then approached the portal. Grab him. He’s right there. Within reach, just--

“Caboose!” Tucker shouted. “Pull him through!” He’s right at the door. He’s back, he’s--

“No, Tucker. I--” Caboose looked down, then back up with purpose. “I know what I need to do.”

Tucker’s heart sank. Caboose was... right. Church was still gone. That was the past.

“Seriously, what the fuck is happening right now.” Church said. “Is there something in the water?”

Caboose needed this. Caboose needed to say goodbye. Tucker felt his cheeks grow wet under his helmet. Caboose needed this.

Tucker wouldn’t say anything to Church. What was the point? He was dead. No point in Tucker saying goodbye. Church left a long time ago. He wouldn’t know what he was talking about. Church was--

The switch from fluorescent lights to sun was no less jarring than last time.

“Wow. That must’ve... cut you to the bone! Sword sword sword!”

He glared at Grif, but he’d already run off. His excitement made Tucker’s heavy feelings worse.

Grif was right; Kai’s words had stung.

Because, she was right.

Why was he so desperate? Kai said she “loved to feel”. What did he love? He always ended up rejected anyways. His mama was right that he had good looks on his side, but his personality must be pretty rotten since no girl ever stuck around long. He either chickened out and left or the girl broke up with him.

What did he want?

The temple activation on Chorus was fucking heaven, the biggest high, so he assumed he was right all along. That was him. Dr Fuck. A ladies’ man. But, now… he wasn’t so sure. Sex was cool and everything, but was that what he wanted? Really wanted?

TV and movies made a relationship the reward. If you had a girl on your arm, it was because you fucking won. Hell, “happily ever after” meant you got hitched. Did he want that? Did he want what Kai had? Or did he want neither? That last one didn’t sound right.

He didn’t know if his mama dated. He assumed she did, but it was never really talked about. He knew she was straight, because when he told her she said, “Cool, me too.” He didn’t know if she was big on the dating scene, like he tried to be. But he did know that people were her life. She loved being with her friends. Out, having a good time. Far away from him.

Is that what he wanted? Did he just want… people?

He was alone.

“It’s not real. The Labyrinth is just an illusion. Everyone’s still okay. Probably.”

He tried his radio again. “Guys? Caboose? Wash? Anyone there?”

Silence.

He just had to wait this out. He paced. If he could just call someone. If he could reach one person.

The Labyrinth made people kill themselves, right? All he had to do was not do that. Easy enough. He just had to believe in the others. That they’d find him. He just needed to stay alive.

He glanced over at the ledge. Maybe he should stop pacing and just sit again. Less chance of falling in on accident.

How long had it been? How much time had passed? It was so quiet.

No response on the radio. That’s chill. It’s whatever. What if they’re dead?

He just needed to wait. Since he couldn’t leave, he’d just have to wait for them. They’d find him. They’d come back. Unless something happened to them.

What would everyone else’s hell boxes be like?

Grif’s probably had to do with bats and Simmons’ with snakes. Maybe bats are stealing all the food. That would have Grif fucking frantic. It was kind of a funny image. And for Simmons… The snakes... had the voice of his dad, spitting venomous words. He chuckled at his wordplay. Everybody knew about Simmons’ daddy issues. Man, that probably sucked. They could fight it though. They’d manage. He tapped his foot, knee bouncing in front of him.

Sarge was probably on Blue Team or some shit. It was probably something pretty stupid. I mean, the best the Labyrinth could come up with for Tucker was an empty room? Fucking weak. His breaths started to shudder.

What was Caboose afraid of? Did it have to do with Church? Losing him again and again, never able to really mourn him because the asshole kept coming back. Would the guys come back? It was so quiet in here. Deafening. Maybe he should start saying his thoughts out loud to break the silence. Or not. Words weren’t coming out. Ok, whatever, just keep thinking about the guys and not about how afraid and lonely you are.

Wash’s old freelancer friends were all dead. Would he see them? Would he have to watch them die again? No, keep it light. What’s a funnier, less serious fear of Wash’s? He was drawing a blank. Would Wash have to go through the shit at Temple’s lair again? The Labyrinth should’ve done that for Tucker’s. Watching it happen again would definitely be a nightmare. It was already vivid enough in his mind. Wash staggering in front of them. The bullet slicing through-- Fuck. Fuck. Shut up. Someone else. Think about something else. Wash. Wash. Bullet. Neck. Wash yelling. Carolina crying. Carolina!

Carolina’s must be some monster of a nightmare. Scary and strong enough to leave her head rolling on the floor. Tucker struggled to catch his breath. This one wouldn’t go away. This image and-- Caboose not moving, slumped over. Kai’s suit leaking blood. Sarge in two pieces. Lopez sparking on the floor. Wash-- Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. They’re facing illusions. It’s not real. They can’t get hurt like that. It’s not real.

Grif’s guts spilling out. Simmons’ helmet crushed, face only recognizable by the metal part glinting beneath the shattered visor. Wash over a stain of coughed up blood, eyes glassy.

They’re gone. They’re all gone.

Maybe they’re still alive. For how much longer? The Labyrinth will get them before they even get close to reaching him. Can’t-- can’t breathe.

He was the only one left. Everyone else was gone. He’d just be stuck in here until he died. The Labyrinth would probably try to make that happen sooner rather than later.

Don’t jump. Don’t jump. That’s your one job. Stay put. Starve sooner than give up. They’ll come.

They won’t.

His arms shook as his vision blurred with tears. Everyone-- Everyone’s gone. Everyone-- He was going to die here. Alone.

They were all gone. Gone. Gone. His vision blackened as he felt himself sink out of consciousness.

And opened his eyes to a nauseating feeling of vertigo. His head swam.

Where was he this time? He was sitting on the floor. It wasn’t the Labyrinth floor. Where was he now? He couldn’t make out much else, it was so hard to focus.

When did this happen? It wasn’t as familiar, but everything else had happened so this must’ve.

“Tucker?”

He took a breath. Tried to. Why was it so hard? Like his throat refused to open all the way, only letting little bits through at a time.

“His eyes stopped glowing.”

“That’s good, right?”

“I mean, probably. I don’t think any of us know how this stuff works.”

“Hey, AI dude. Is he done with the test? Can we go home?”

“Tucker,” A voice soothed. “It’s okay. Whatever you were seeing, it’s not real.”

His eyes refocused. His sword glowed against the floor, his fist tightly gripping the handle. Was this real? Two helmets on the floor. One teal, one gray with a yellow stripe. So that’s why something felt missing; his head was uncovered. He tried to— well, thought that he should try to stand. His calves and thighs flexed but no other movement occurred. With some effort, he looked up.

“Tucker? You with us? Do you think you could let go now?” Wash grimaced under his strained smile. He followed Wash’s eyes down to his hand. That’s what he’d been gripping. He tried to loosen his grip but his fingers wouldn’t listen. He tried to say so, but words wouldn’t come. He shook his head.

They were all going to— It wasn’t real, get a grip— Was this real?

Grif shuffled. “Simmons, can you help him? He’s doing that thing you do sometimes.”

“I mean, I guess. I’ve never helped someone else with an anxiety attack,” he rambled, “but I guess—“

“Any time now before my fingers fall off,” Wash cut in, but he put his other hand over Tucker’s. “It was just a test. And you passed it.”

Anxiety attack? Was that what this was? He was pretty sure he had a panic attack in the Labyrinth, but the memory was vague and slippery. And he was alone there. He didn’t have a fucking audience. Holy shit, they were all gonna give him crap about this later.

“How do we know he passed? The AI hasn’t said anything.”

“Not now, Grif,” Wash warned. He turned back to Tucker. “It’s okay.”

Tucker avoided eye contact with Wash. He knew he was trying to help, but it felt kind of patronizing.

“It’s probably different for everyone. Um…” Simmons bent down next to him.

This was humiliating. What the fuck was wrong with him? Move. You’re okay, so move. Let go, goddammit. Nothing. All he could manage was a shiver.

“It’s okay, Tucker.” God, Simmons, not you too. He was fine. He was fine. “Everyone’s here. What can we do to help?”

Say something. Say something. “I don’t...” It was shaky, but he got something out, “don’t know.”

“It’s just temporary, okay?” Simmons said. “This’ll pass.”

“Maybe it’d help if you actually sounded like you meant it,” Grif said.

“Shut the fuck up!” Simmons snapped at Grif. Simmons took a deep breath. “It’s okay that you’re feeling like this. It doesn’t feel good, but there’s nothing wrong with you.”

The words felt so far away. Not quiet, but separate, like in a dream. But this wasn’t one, so why did it feel like one? What was going on? Fuck fuck fuck fuck.

This happened in the Labyrinth too, but he thought it was some magic alien tech shit. That was happening now too, right? Please just be because of the alien tech. If this was just his brain, how the fuck was he gonna deal with this again? Last time he passed out and woke up when the others got back. But they were here now. Watching him fucking embarrass himself. Say you’re fine. Move!

He couldn’t.

Simmons hesitated. “Do you want a hug?”

His pride prickled in objection, but he was so tired. He could use something to lean on, assuming his body would let him move that much. He managed a nod.

Simmons pulled him into a hug, hesitantly. Tucker and Simmons weren’t close— a lot of what he knew about Simmons he knew from hanging out with Grif— but he’d spent enough time together to assume under that helmet was a panicked expression.

He leaned into Simmons. Hard and cool armor against his face. It wasn’t a comfortable pillow by any means, but at least he felt something. His body was so tired. He just wanted his muscles to stop clenching, arms to stop shivering, leg to stop bouncing. He wanted to believe it was okay, that there was no danger, but his brain still screamed at him. Louder when he stopped the little movements.

“Breathe in two three four five six. Out two three four five six.” Simmons’ voice wavered less as he repeated. Tucker followed along as best he could, but he only managed to get halfway through the counts before breathing shakily in again.

A hand tentatively held his back. “I’ve got you. It’s okay, I’ve been there.”

Wash took his resting hand off of Tucker’s, his right still trapped in Tucker’s left. “I’ve seen some hell before, too. It-- It’s ok to accept help and support.” He scooted in closer, unable to wrap an arm around Tucker, but he was there. “You aren’t alone.”

Grif shouted out the door, “Hey, Caboose! We’re doing a group hug.”

Footsteps thundered quickly from the other room.

“Running running running running huUUGGG!” Caboose sprinted and slid into the huddle, slowing his momentum just enough to not knock them over like bowling pins. Still, there was enough force to startle a gasp of air into Tucker’s lungs.

Simmons tensed around him. “Oh jeez— erk.”

A smile twitched at Tucker’s lips.

Caboose wrapped his arms as far around the group as he could. “Group hugs are the best.”

Grif joined the group hug-- he definitely waited intentionally.

“The door opened. We have what we need. How’s Tucker doing?” Carolina asked, entering briskly. Sarge followed close behind with Lopez, carrying… something. Probably the thing. The thing they needed. Right.

Carolina surveyed the huddle and, without another word, walked over with purpose and latched on.

Sarge and Lopez set the thing down carefully and Sarge jogged over, knees high. “Geranimo!” He tackled onto the pile, raising some grunts and complaints. “Get over here, Lopez!”

Lopez followed and unenthusiastically spread his arms around Carolina and Caboose.

Caboose hummed happily. “Wow, it’s the whole fam!” Caboose rocked back and forth, swaying the group slightly. “That’s what Kai says. Fam. Fam fam fam. Fam fam.”

Tucker laughed, and like a floodgate unlocked, it turned to sobbing. Tears burned his eyes as his hand gripping Wash went slack and slid to his side like the other. The sword handle clattered to the floor.

He sobbed, for the first time in a long time. His breaths were longer again, only to let the wails out. He hugged Simmons back and mourned his childhood, his mama, Cappy, Church, his fears, all at once— surrounded by his family.

——the end——

Caboose ends up naming this AI Wanta. Because he is a purple and mean (made Tucker very upset!) version of Santa. Wah~

Kai is only an honorary member of the group in that she, like Doc, lives elsewhere and just visits. Donut is currently away, traveling after the events of season 17.

As for Tucker’s awareness in the memories, he didn’t become more or less aware as it went on. More like a dream where it fluctuates, and as soon as a non-diegetic thought completed, it was forgotten.

Intentionally disorienting but still clear is a really difficult mix. I did my best.

Shh... let’s just pretend Tucker knew the Labyrinth did that because I don’t want to rewrite the scene a third time.

---

Wanna toss a couple bucks my way? Here’s my ko-fi

[feanorianethicsdepartment]

i ain’t done anything for @tolkienocweek yet, mostly because my covid-induced neet-dom has decoupled me from any association with sidereal time and thus there’s no way i could guarantee getting something out on its specific day. still, i do have one character that could potentially qualify for day 3 (background characters) or day 4 (self-inserts), sorta. i’d like to introduce you all to the proprietor of the fëanorian ethics department, the as-yet-nameless fed elf

fed elf is a... moderately idealised self-insert of mine, though she’s taking on a life of her own

she’s also a noldo. of course she is

her Noldorin Craft™ is, as i’ve said before, arguing. she has very strong opinions about almost everything and will debate them at length

she’s moderately infamous for it in tirion

she’s especially fond of philosophy, in the ancient-greek asking-a-million-rhetorical questions style. what should we do? why do we do the things we do? why do the valar get to tell us what to do?

... you can probably tell which side of the fëanor/fingolfin debate she landed on, if it wasn’t already obvious

she’s not particularly close to any of the future capital-H House, but she is in their rough orbit. one of the miscellaneous guild trolls that form the rank-and-file of their initial expeditionary force

idk if she’s ~devoted to the cause enough to go to formenos, but when the trees get eaten and fëanor rolls up into tirion with the solution to all their spider problems, she is all for it

she’s a passing acquaintance of maedhros from those times when he’d show up in her guild hall for debate night, so she probably ends up with his crew, at least initially

... there’s a very good chance her first attempts at crafting a new noldorin ethical system happen on that horrible night aboard the blood-stained swanships of alqualondë

in any case, she gets good enough at murder to not die before the brothers hellspawn are divvying up east beleriand, and the formerly reasonably undelineated fëanorian host is splitting up into its various garrisons

most people stay with whoever they’re already riding with, but there are exceptions. she is one of them, as soon as she hears about caranthir’s Plans she immediately switches allegiance to the future lord of thargelion

he’s deliberately trying to set up on the trade routes! they’re gonna make contact with the dwarves! there are apparently trails leading over the blue mountains, links to communities of elves unlike she’s ever seen!

so many new people to argue with!!!!!!

so she heads up to lake helevorn, and helps with setting up the city. she winds up filling some middling role in east beleriand’s military bureaucracy, when she’s not on orc-killing duty

but her true passion is *~ethics~*

there is actually a practical component to this. due to Certain Events the noldor (especially the fëanorians) aren’t as-well suited to their pre-darkening moral codes as they might have once been

they need a new one, with contingencies for, like, murder, and all the other new situations they’ll encounter in this new world! the questions of what’s right and wrong have been blown right open, and fed elf is possibly the happiest she’s been in her life. they’re building everything else from first principles, why not this?

and the fëanorian host in aggregate does actually care about morality, even though outsiders never believe that. it’s what separates them from the orcs (in their minds at least); they’re doing everything for a Cause, not for destruction’s sake alone. say what you want about the fëanorians, their problem was never a lack of ideals

she gets people coming in sometimes, wanting to know what the right thing to do in a situation is. either that, or they think she’s wrong about something and want to explain why in depth, which is almost as fun

soon enough, there’s a small shop just off the main streets of lake helevorn called the fëanorian ethics department

(she’s the only one with a shop, but she’s not the only member of the host with Opinions. the guy on the other side of the market district whose system is fairly similar in the broad strokes but completely different in the details is her personal archnemesis)

for most of the first age, fed elf has it pretty good. by her standards, at least, and she’ll happily exposit at length as to why they’re the only ones that matter

the work on the system of ethics never quite stops, but it does slow down. she’s less prescriptivist than most noldor, so she does a lot of observation and interviewing and stuff, and also new things keep happening for her to cover, but she does manage to nail down the basics!

she does consultation, in varying levels of official capacity, but she’ll also just. answer anyone who comes in with a question. or asks one within earshot

it’s mostly noldorin fëanorians she has debates with, the sindar and atani generally prefer to ask her whatever they want to know with minimum fuss, but whenever she gets a real fight going they all join the crowd. watching fed elf argue with people is one of lake helevorn’s municipal spectator sports

she also has conversations with travellers! these usually start when some newcomer is staring in befuddlement at the sign outside her shop and she takes the opportunity to pounce

she asks them detailed questions about their own ethical systems, which she files away for potential future incorporation/argument ammunition. they fairly frequently ask questions of their own, most often variations on ‘you guys seriously have morals?’

sometimes this even turns into a proper ethical debate! these aren’t usually as well-argued or intense as the ones she has with other fëanorians, particularly if she’s not talking to a noldo, but when she meets someone who’s a proper match for her it is the highlight of her year

running the shop does generate a fair bit of paperwork she tends to be too emotionally invested in to deal with properly, so she hires help now and then. one recurring underling is a clumsy perpetually-ill atan who is nevertheless really good with the filing and holds fierce opinions of their own, even if they hide under the table whenever anyone so much as raises their voice

(that atan is me. much less idealised self insert)

like every other elf in the host, fed elf is still under arms. she has a unit, she’s part of the orc patrol rotas, when caranthir needs to do a battle she pulls her broadsword out from under her desk and reports for the muster. east beleriand is just a pretty violent place in general, and her most impassioned arguments frequently shade into all-out duels. east beleriand, where even especially the philosophers will knife you

but just like fëanor promised on tirion upon túna so long ago, she’s built a place where she can be the best version of herself, and she couldn’t be happier (marketplace douche notwithstanding)

like so much of the host, she has big plans for when they topple angband and reclaim the silmarils. it’s just, well

i am not entirely sure what fed elf’s fate is after the fall of thargelion. most likely she died at some point, because so do most of her peers and also because she has an aversion to cutting her losses that’s definitely gonna backfire sooner or later

it’s either that, or she abandons everything she ever worked out to flee over the blue mountains, or she sticks with the host long enough to see all their ideals and dreams burn to ash. out of all of them death is probably her kindest fate

if she does die - she’s definitely a kinslayer at least one time over, she is staying in the halls for a While. the local maiar completely stonewall her every time she tries to argue her way out, she has plenty of time to sit around and think

because yeah, the host’s century-long self-immolation has given her a lot to think about. she was wrong, it turns out, in several important ways, and from the outside she can see how much the ethical system she put her heart and soul into was bent towards destruction

if she ever gets out, it’ll be after a lot of self-reflection, a massive dose of humility, and her accepting her own small-but-not-insignificant role in the nightmare they created

the fëanorians as get let out of the halls of mandos are without fail less violent, more self-aware, and just generally more conscious of their actions than they were when they went in. fed elf is no exception to this

she’s also no exception to the rule that their time in elf afterlife therapy generally fails to lower their volume at all. soon after her rebirth, after some time spent rethinking her personal moral code, fed elf puts out a thesis as to why elwing’s refusal to give up the silmaril was perfectly justifiable under fëanorian ethical mores

this pisses off a measurable proportion of aman’s sapient population. soon the furious letters of rebuke are pouring in nightly

exactly. as. planned

[the-silentium]

Folded messages

Masterlist

Pairing: Five Hargreeves x Reader

Words: 4900 words

Warnings: TUA season 1 and 2 spoilers, swearing.

Requested by: Anon

Hello!! I just recently read you 11 Five fic and I have to say it was incredible. I have no words to describe it, your writing is so good💖💖 with that, I was wondering if you did fics based on songs, if you do, would you mind doing a 5xreader based on “sway with me” by Micheal Buble? Idk what the plot could be, maybe they are in a mission from commission and have to go to a fancy ballroom. Maybe they are enemies. Maybe reader pulls him to dance around S2. The choices are endless, go crazy :”)

A/N: Finally I found time to write! I've had insomnia for too long because I couldn't write! Damn day job! 

On a better note, I really hope you guys like this little piece of fluff 💜 I swear, this started as a small idea and then it just got bigger and bigger. Sorry not sorry!

Was it even possible? The prospect of falling in love for someone of his nature was almost as high as his targets' survival rate. He wasn't an emotional man, his feelings were deeply buried in the depth of his heavily guarded heart, locked away in a three inches thick chest that was itself hidden in an impossible maze where traumas and demons were furiously protecting the paths. 

Add this to the fact that he never saw her, not even once, the only proof of her existence being the small animals made of colorful folded paper that appears in his jacket pockets whenever he crossed her path, the possibilities of developing such feelings were in no way probable. The origami aside, the woman seemingly took pleasure in throwing wrenches into his work. He was asked to assassinate a brilliant inventor who was getting too close to discovering the secrets of time-traveling? It would have been an easy job if it wasn’t that every single bullet he had in his possession suddenly disappeared, forcing him to finish the job with his knife. 

There was another time, he was tasked with the termination of a group of people meeting in the back of a bar, his guns were loaded, his knives were sharpened, he was full of juice, there was no way that this job would take more than one minute and forty-three seconds. He made his way to the door leading to the room hosting his targets when he noticed a small dark purple llama on the door handle. He pocketed the folded piece of paper for later and tried the handle to find out that it wouldn't even turn on itself. The assassin rolled his eyes at the futile attempt to keep him from completing his mission, he closed his hands into fists but his ability decided to fail at this right moment.

The door behind him closed on a loud banging noise, a delicate click following closely behind, indicating that the door was locked from the other side. Five remembers it clear as day, the moment he knew he had found his equal. He heard you giggling lightly on the other side of the door and his heart started speeding up. Not in anger, not in annoyance nor in embarrassment. He couldn't say what it was, but he knew for sure that he wanted more of it. 

It happened four times, you making his job more challenging and him receiving a small gift before Five decided to do some research. In a box carefully concealed under the double bottom of his drawer were stored every paper animal he found during his missions along with books about origami and colors. 

An olive green and lavender cat, a dark blue dragon, an orange fish and a dark purple llama were now aligned on his desk in order of acquisition. The different books were opened on different pages and then Five started his information gathering. He scribbled in his notebook the different significance associated to each color and animal and an hour and a half later, he was contemplating his findings. 

The cat was a symbol of independence and mystery among other things. Its olive-green body with the patches of lavender told him that the first gift was, in fact, a peace offering from a feminine person. Her very own olive branch that he took long enough to decipher. 

Then there was the dragon, symbol of power, wisdom, mastery and success. The dark shade of blue told him that the dragon was full of knowledge, power and seriousness. He frowned, thinking and slightly hoping that maybe this was how she saw him. 

He didn't know what to think of the orange fish. Happiness, freedom and energy. He couldn't relate to this one, having not been free for many years now as stipulated by his contract with the Commission. He was a slave, used for his ability and his will to do everything to survive one more day and save his family from their imminent doom. 

Maybe the fish was a reference to yourself. This was the only explanation he could find. You were a young adult from what he deduced of your giggles and were pretty happy and free if the folded paper was anything to go by. 

The last gift proved that Five's theory stipulating that every origami was a metaphor about yourself and himself was correct. 

A dark purple llama. An animal representing hard work, endurance under difficult situations and responsibility. His heart accelerated at the possibility that you knew that he was trying to buy some time and betray his employer sooner than later. Would you rat him out? He really hoped that the olive cat meant that you were on his side and not against him, he would really hate to put an end to the warm feeling dancing in his chest whenever he realized that you were around and ready to play a trick on him. 

Now if he followed your logic, the next one he will receive will say more about yourself and he couldn't wait to be assigned to another mission so that he had a chance to learn more about you or even possibly see you. You, his little time traveler. Five had thought about this for the longest of time and he came to the conclusion that you were indeed a time traveler. The Commission kept very close control over their briefcase so there was no way that you had one in your possession, he would know, after all, he checked the lost briefcases records and they were all reported destroyed. 

To his dismay, his next mission was uneventful. He got in and got out. No hiccup, no paper animal. Nothing. It went like this for his next six missions and with every passing success, Five found himself getting irritated. Every night he found himself chasing your shadow in his dreams and every time you managed to evade his attempts at catching you. One morning when even his first coffee of the day wasn't enough to ease his frustration, he thought of a plan that would allow him to finally see you. 

To avoid making his kills personal, Five always prioritized a long-range way to kill, meaning with guns. Guns had a way to remove all responsibilities off his shoulder and lighten his soul at the end of the day. He had enough demons consuming more and more of his conscience on a daily basis, he definitely could do without this kind of remorse. Sure, he was the one who pulled the trigger, but ultimately, it was the bullet that killed the target, not his hands. 

But tonight, Five decided that he would complete his mission with the idea that you were around. If you were, then he would finally meet you. If not, he would need something strong to accompany his coffee. Whiskey maybe. 

He abandoned his prized sniper in the deserted building next to the one his target was currently dancing in and made his way to a back door. There he space-jumped inside the building and quickly blended himself with the crowd. He found himself straightening his suit in the case you were around and made his way to the bar. 

A glass of whiskey in hand, Five turned his back to the counter and analyzed the crowd in search of his wealthy bastard who was enjoying his very last evening on this Earth. There he was, dancing around, totally unconcerned of the people around him. 

Unconsciously, Five reached into his pockets where the gifts usually appeared out of thin air, his fingers searching around as they did a hundred times before but ultimately finding nothing. With a frustrated groan, Five grabbed his glass, emptied its content in one gulp, smashed the glass back on the counter and pushed his way to his target. Another night without your little schemes meaning another night chasing your shadow in his sleep. If this was how the night would unfold, then he wanted to finish this quickly. 

Five's hand reached for his target, grabbed a hold of his upper arm and pulled him in a nearby hallway before jumping the both of them in the nearby abandoned building where his weapons were patiently waiting for him. 

Five turned around to face his target, knife in hand and ready to strike when his breath caught in his throat and every muscle in his body contracted, stopping every movement. Where his prey stood mere milliseconds ago was now an elegant woman in a beautiful gown, all smile and giggling at his reaction. He knew it was you the second he heard your giggles, causing his heart to skip a beat and his fingers to let go of the sharp weapon. 

He stopped himself from moving a stray strand of hair behind your ear, instead choosing to release his grip on your arm and take a step away. You were too beautiful, so much more beautiful than what he imagined, with your shining eyes, your soft-looking hair, your perfectly curved body, he tried to burn every detail into his memory. 

"Dance with me?" You asked, closing the distance and reaching for his hand. Your movement got him out of his thoughts and everything came back full force. The mischievous glint into your eyes caused a smirk to form on his lips.

"You just want to keep me from my job." And you were doing a magnificent job at it.

"Is it working?" You batted your eyelashes in an innocent way, making Five roll his eyes before he positioned your hands correctly and pull your body so that you were almost touching each other. 

You smiled in satisfaction, following his steps flawlessly on a tempo only he could hear. The blue-eyed man enjoyed the silent minute, savoring the feeling of your soft skin cradled into his palm and the warmth of your waist radiating through the fabric under his opposite hand. The comfortable silence was soon replaced by a soft song playing in the background, stopping Five in his tracks and almost causing you to fall if it wasn’t for his strong arms keeping you up and close. 

Five eyes finally left your face and widened at the new scenery surrounding him. The once dusty floor was now pristine and exempt of all the trash and needles that were once lingering around, the tagged walls were perfectly painted in a new shade of light grey, giving the room a nice glow under the gleam of the light strings hanging from the ceiling. 

Five didn’t know his mouth had opened in awe before you chuckled and your hand left his shoulder to caress his chin, effectively causing him to close it. 

"I take it that you like it?" Your eyes were shining under the soft lights and the pride he saw in them almost got a smile out of him.

"You made this?" He was still stunned about the complete makeover of the room. Even the lingering moldy smell disappeared, letting a pleasant smell floating around in its place. 

"You’re not the first one the Commission took a liking to, ya know. I’m kinda like an illusionist, but my stuff is the real deal. They saw my potential and offered me a job, which I refused and they’ve been on my tail ever since." You shrugged, replacing your hand at its rightful place on his shoulder. 

Five was truly amazed by the woman standing in front of him. Her ability had so many possibilities and she managed to escape the Commission for seemingly a long time. Add this to the fact that she can time-travel and play tricks on the best assassin this planet has ever seen, Five has never been so interested in someone like that before, not even Dolores who has been his everything for many years. 

"I can see why they were interested in you." He resumed his dancing, this time following the rhythm of the soft music playing around them. "Having two abilities is pretty rare."

You shook your head, before clarifying. "I only have one. I don't know where you get the second one from." You frowned in confusion, which reflected on his own face. 

"But you time-travel." He remembered finding the folded fish in the 1800s, the dragon around the 1950s and today was September 23th, 1987.

"Yeah, the same way as you. With a briefcase." You nodded toward the black briefcase neatly placed near the window. Five only got more and more confused. 

"But they were all dest-" He cut himself at your cheeky grin. "You created your very own. Impressive."

"Thank you." You were beaming at that point and Five felt proud that he was the source of your happiness. 

The slow song ended but neither of you stopped moving your feet in unison. Five was enjoying himself like never before and he wasn't in a hurry to end it. The corner of his lips quirked upward when he realized that you pressed yourself against him when the song ended, your way of saying that you didn't want this to end either. 

You silently danced the second song in its entirety, living every second like everything would disappear at any moment. Five was scared that this was a one night deal and that he would never see you again. Why did you reveal yourself tonight of any other night? 

Before he gathered the courage to ask you, the song reached its end and a completely different kind of music floated in the air. 

When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

Hold me close, sway me more

Five pulled away slightly, not much, only to be able to see the sheepish smile on your lips. "I love this song." Was your only answer to his frowned brows. 

Five laughed softly before stepping away and made you spin. He pulled you back to him, your melodious laugh bouncing around him like the greatest melody ever written. 

Like a flower bending in the breeze

Bend with me, sway with ease

When we dance you have a way with me

Stay with me, sway with me

It was clear that neither of you knew how to dance on this song, but you didn't care. You were both moving around freely, Five making you spin from time to time. 

Other dancers may be on the floor

Dear, but my eyes will see only you

Only you have that magic technique

When we sway I go weak

Five's heart was beating quickly, not because of the physical exercise, he was trained to accomplish way more than dancing without breaking a sweat, but because the sight of your delighted face stroked something deep within himself. A primal need. The need of a life partner. Someone who he could trust blindly and love without holding back. 

I can hear the sounds of violins

Long before it begins

Make me thrill as only you know how

Sway me smooth, sway me now

A too-quick step made you trip on your own feet, in an attempt to keep you on your feet Five reached for your arms but it was already too late. Instead of helping, Five only unbalanced you more leading you to fall to the ground and drag the man with you. Thanks to his sharp reflexes, Five caught himself on his forearms before he crushed your small form under his larger one. 

When marimba rhythms start to play

Dance with me, make me sway

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

Hold me close, sway me more

For a moment the assassin's heart stopped in fear. He hasn't felt afraid in years and it definitely wasn't a feeling he had missed. Your laugh flicked a switch in his heart, making it beat again in an erratic rhythm that he was almost embarrassed of. He guessed that if feeling that good meant that sometimes he was going to be afraid, it wasn't a big deal. He could deal with his fears if at the end of the day you were fine and happy in his arms. 

Like a flower bending in the breeze

Bend with me, sway with ease

When we dance you have a way with me

Stay with me, sway with me

"I'm so sorry Five!" You managed to say after catching your breath. Tears rolled from your eyes and into your hair, the reflection of the lights above creating stars in your eyes. 

"It's fine." Was all he could say, for his brain had stopped working when he realized that only a couple of centimeters separated the two of you. His body started heating up to his dismay, Five pushed on his arms and sit on his heels to help you sit up. 

When marimba rhythms start to play

Hold me close, make me sway

Like a lazy ocean hugs the shore

Hold me close, sway me more

"Thanks." You muttered while passing a hand through your messy hair. 

The sound of a metallic object falling on the ground made you jump. Five frowned, confused as to why the Commission would send him another assignment right now and not wait until his return. 

"What was that?" You whispered. 

"My employer." He was beyond annoyed by the interruption. They couldn't have chosen a worse time than tonight. 

Offering you a helping hand, Five got up and helped you when your hand closed on his. He couldn't stop himself, he enlaced his fingers through yours, the tightness of your grip made him chuckle. 

"Don't worry, they are not here." He lightly hit the wall near the window with the underside of his fist, searching for a spot on the wall that wasn't hollow. When he found it, he searched for the dissimulated door and took the canister with his name written on it. 

Releasing your hand, Five opened the canister, took the folded paper and read the words. Terminate Y/N L/N. How was he supposed to terminate someone he didn't even know? This job was so frustrating! He folded back the paper, storing it in his pants pocket. This would have to wait. He turned back to you and the sight bring a genuine smile to his lips. 

You were smiling at something outside the window, the light of the moon joined to the string lights gave you an angelic glow. He would have loved to contemplate you longer, but duty called and he now had two targets instead of one. 

"I have to go." He didn't dare say it too loud, maybe time would stop and let him live this perfect night for all eternity. 

You turned around with a small smile on your lips. He could see that you were disappointed even though you nodded like it was nothing. "Well, tonight couldn't go on forever." You walked up to him, with each one of your steps Five felt himself growing weak in the knees. Oh how he didn't want to go. "It's fine. I'll find you again." At that, you tenderly reached for his cheek while your lips pressed a delicate kiss on the other one, stealing his breath. 

You giggled, surely at the blush covering his cheeks and walked away, the illusion fading along with your steps. Just as you were about to walk down the stairs, Five remembered something. 

"Wait! I didn't get your name!" He quickly space-jumped in front of you to block your path. 

"Y/N L/N." Her smile dropped when a dark expression fell on his face. Even if he tried, he couldn’t have repressed it, the surprise and the anger were too much. 

"You have to leave." He didn’t know how they found her, he always made sure he didn’t have any bug on himself before going on a mission. 

"N-not that I wasn’t doing that anyway, but w-why the long face?" His fingers twitched at the waver in your voice. It wasn’t his intention to scare you, even less to scare you off. 

"The Commission knows you’re here. I don't know how, but they know." Five was starting to get tired of them pretty quickly. Maybe one day he would get out of there with explosions resonating through the hallways. Maybe he could use grenades. Yeah, grenades were good. 

You started to walk down the stairs when you stopped and turned to him, one last time. "Be careful."

Five smirked although your concern was touching. "I should be the one telling you that." 

With one last giggle, you walked out of his sight. Five returned to his very first task of the night, took place at his spot by the window and finished the initial job. 

Back at the Commission that night, Five removed his jacket, eager to go to bed and find himself dancing in your arms again to the sound of soft slow music. A sound caught his attention when he threw his jacket on the back of his chair, the sound of crumbling paper. 

His hands searched his pocket, grabbing the grey fox that somehow found its way into his jacket without him noticing. A smile stretched his lips before he carefully slipped the fox under his pillow and went to bed. 

A whole year passed before the next animal appeared in his pocket. As frustrated as he was of being away from you for a whole year, Five knew why this was necessary. The Commission was close on your tail. Apparently, he wasn't the only agent tasked of your termination and some got lucky enough to find your location but not enough to hurt you. 

The whole year he kept tabs on the Commission's information on you and kept worrying that someday he would find a red stamp crossing out your picture.  As of today, his worst nightmare hasn't yet come true, so he pushed his worry aside and continued his job. 

He assembled his sniper, preparing himself to kill the president of the United States in 1963 when something hit him in the head. It didn't hurt or anything, it was light as a leaf. Frowning, Five pulled away from the scope of his weapon to discover a brown frog made of folded paper lying on the ground next to his feet.

Receiving one of your signature gift after all that time caused his heart to skyrocket in his chest. All those feelings he had repressed, fearing that one day you would be gone for good and that he would definitely be alone in this cruel world, came rushing back at full speed, making him drop his gun and look around for you. 

You weren't far, waving at him with a tired smile on your face, dark shadows marking the underside of your eyes. He didn't take the time to run, simply jumping to you and engulfing your body into his arms.

Many times he thought about how much he had fallen for you after only one dancing night and five tricks followed by origamis. If it were someone else, he would have told them that they were being stupidly influenced by their primal urges that forced them to find a partner and procreate, for this was the circle of life since the dawn of time. In his case, he knew it was much more than that. It was more important to him than a need to procreate. He had found his equal, someone that sparked an insatiable interest in him and showed him that there was way more in this life than what he originally knew. 

Five tensed as soon as he heard the first sobs. Immediately he started to scan your body for wounds or blood, anything to show that you were hurt. However, his analysis was cut short by both your hands cradling his cheeks. 

"I'm fine. I'm just real' tired and I'm so happy to see you." Your arms wrapped around his neck forcing Five to hug your body closer. Not that he minded. 

He whispered words of reassurance into your hair while thinking of what to do next. You couldn't keep fleeing the Commission alone, not in your state. They would catch up to you in no time and he couldn't have that. He couldn't say that he killed you to get them off your back, the higher-ups would request physical proof of your death. It only left him with his last resort. He would have liked to find the good variable, but time was against him so he would have to deal with it. 

"I have a plan, don't worry." He dried her tears with his thumb when she lifted her head to look into his eyes. "I'll get us out of here." 

You managed a smile before chuckling. "I know. Why do you think I gave you a brown frog? A frog to ensure a safe return of your journey and brown for home." 

Five shook his head, once again amazed at how perfectly you could read him despite everyone else describing him as unpredictable. 

He grabbed your hands in his, mentally reciting the equation he passed the last 45 years developing. Before the portal appeared, Five stopped everything in a hurry, scaring the shit out of you. He let go of your hands for two seconds, enough time for him to run back at his sniper, grab the brown frog and run back at you. You rolled your eyes when he secured the frog in his jacket pocket, quickly saying that it has sentimental value, before concentrating on the portal again. 

The blue vortex appeared, its power pushing them away. It took every ounce of strength into Five's body to pull you with him through the portal, your weakened state left you helpless in front of the blue resistance. 

Five did his best to catch you during the fall, your body falling directly on top of his, stealing his breath for a moment. 

You managed to roll off of him, allowing him to take a nice bowl of air to fill his lungs. He made it. You weren't 100% safe, but he could have help now. He cou-

"Five." The worry in your voice along with your hand closing tightly on his forearm pushed him to sit up quickly and find the source of the danger. He understood your reaction when his eyes fell on his siblings who looked like hell. 

"You guys didn't change one bit." He deadpanned. His usual unimpressed face was back in service at the gaping fish-like faces of his siblings. 

"We should be the one telling you that. You haven't aged at all!" Klaus yelled, his outstretched arms moving up and down in his direction. 

Confused, Five glanced at his body and realization hit him like a brick. He knew something wasn't right! 

Your repressed giggles caught his attention, he found your 13 years old body, a hand on your mouth desperately trying to keep a full-on laugh in. He couldn't help but notice how much more tired you looked in your younger self. 

"It's not funny." Was all he said before he spacial-jumped the two of you to his old bedroom. There he guided you to the bed where he helped you get under the covers and watched you get comfortable. 

"It is funny." Five scoffed and went to the door, knowing his siblings were gathered behind it and very probably listening to their conversation. He hit the door with his foot and as expected, Klaus yelled in pain, complaining about his hurting ear. 

"I'll be downstairs to talk in a few minutes so get lost." He told them through the door. He was awarded by some angry muttering and finally, fading footsteps. 

He walked back to your side when he was sure that everyone went on their merry way, sitting on the nearby chair with your hand in his. 

"You need to rest. You'll be safe here." He kissed your hand at your tired smile. "I'll stay until you fall asleep, that okay?" You nodded, already your eyelids seemed pretty heavy. 

"I missed you Five."

You were out in less than two minutes, your breathing became deeper and slower, your facial muscles relaxed and your mouth opened slightly allowing Five to hear your even respiration. 

The boy didn't notice exactly when it happened, but the demons were now silent and the traumas shrank in size, forming a clear path toward the center of the maze that was his heart. There, the three inches thick chest that was protecting his feelings was now wide open, strings were delicately wrapped around them, not too tight as to not suffocate them, but with just enough contact so that he could permanently feel her affection enveloping him.  

"I missed you too."

[A/N] This passed SO close to having an angsty ending! So close! I figured you guys had enough angst with 11 already… and the part 2 that's coming next. 

[yelenasdog]

it was a pleasure to burn (spencer reid x fem bau!reader)

genre: fluff i think even though the name is v angsty LOL it’s a literal screenplay with the amout of dialogue i wrote LMAO so idk

summary: a particularly rough and disturbing case gets to reader, and spencer and reader are brought together by this.

words: just about 6k (my longest fic ahhHH)

warnings: typical criminal minds gore and violence just up a notch, they get on a plane at the end, somebody gets ~shot~, somebody gets ~bonked~, cursing, mentions of reid’s addiction, and i think that’s it. also the reader wears reading glasses but that’s the only predetermined factor of appearance. btw i don’t think i used any pronouns in this but i apologize if i’m wrong. 

a/n: LMFAO i was outside awhile ago celebrating litha with a nice lil hike and i saw a butterfly and i had just started watching cm and was like hMMm... killer who’s obsessed with symmetry??!1??!? y Es. enjoy 😼 EDIT: THERE IS SO MANY PLOT HOLES OMG FBREHJBFHEJFRE IM RBFBRE

🂦∙🂦∙🂦

Present Day, Central Park, New York

“Aren’t they just stunning?” The unsub spoke, keeping her eyes trained on the butterfly sitting happily on her finger. The brightly colored creature fluttered off her hand that was dripping scarlet, flying around her curly head of brown hair. Her, formerly white, blood-stained dress flowed around her as she followed it, watching in awe as it soared about. She giggled, plopping down on the grass in the middle of a circle of her victim’s pale, lifeless bodies, all of them with ironically morbid butterflies resting upon the frail skin of the corpses.

“Aren’t they, agents?”

She slanted her green eyes, gripping the grass a little harder. I flicked my tongue over my lips nervously, looking over to the lanky man on my left. He simply shrugged, just about as sure of how to handle the situation just as much as I was.

“If I knew you all were coming, I would have cleaned up, I really would have, I promise.”

We slowly walked towards her, twigs and leaves crunching under our feet. It could have been comparable to a hunter stalking its prey, but it unfortunately was quite the opposite.

6 days earlier, Quantico, Virginia

“3 bodies, all found within the last 48 hours in rural New York. So far, the first body has revealed that although it was dumped upstate, the victim was murdered in the city, and the same most likely goes for the other bodies as well. Nails well manicured, no drugs in the system. They aren't junkies, we’re dealing with upper class citizens.”

My face contorted as I took the photos from Reid’s hands, his large and tanned one surprising me by how soft it felt as it accidentally brushed against mine. I blushed like a madman, looking to see him doing the same thing. I cleared my throat getting Rossi’s attention.

“Why are we only now hearing of this?” I questioned, flipping through the images as I did so, my confusion only growing. I didn’t recieve an answer, leaving my curiosity to bloom.

“Wait, how did you say they were killed again?”

Morgan looked up, taking the photos from me. “He didn’t.”

I sighed, pushing my glasses up on my nose.

“Is there at least any correlation between the bodies and the butterflies?”

Our attention was shifted to JJ, the resident expert on the insects.

“Actually, the ones being found with the bodies are from the Amarynthis family, all native to Latin America. They weren’t there by accident so yes, they’re somehow related.”

Rossi stood up, grabbing his coat.

“Well, none of this is nearly enough for a profile, so pack your bags and tell the others, wheels up in an hour. We’re headed to New York.”

4 days earlier, F.B.I. Field Office, New York, New York

“The final report from the latest victim is in, all the autopsies are clean. They show no signs of struggles, no marks, no blood, no anything. The eyes weren’t bloodshot, so suffocation is ruled out, and that was our best bet.”

I sighed, sliding the case file across the glass table to Spence as I took my seat, sinking into it and allowing myself to be consumed by its warmth.

“So what your saying is that we’re back at square one.”

I looked up at Hotch from where I sat, running my hand through my ponytail.

“Yeah. That’s what I’m saying.”

Just then, the young Doctor spoke up as he flipped through the pages.

“The eyes weren’t just not bloodshot, there was barely any blood left in any of the victims bodies, only about 3% of the volume left. The killer drained them.”

Morgan gave me a shocked expression, silently asking for an explanation.

“Which you failed to mention, Y/n.” Aaron spoke, agitation once again present in his voice.

I looked at the ceiling, crossing my arms in front of me before turning to face Hotch once more.

“Yeah, well, I thought it was obvious when I said no blood.” I stuttered out cautiously.

“On the bodies! Not in the bodies!” Morgan exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air in what was in my opinion, very childish. Everyone else in the room aside from Spencer was either shaking their heads or pinching the bridge of their noses, and reasonably so.

“Look, I’m sorry I just didn’t see it in the report, plus, In the scheme of things, it just doesn’t seem to matter.”

I soon regretted my words, realizing how ill-fit they were for the current conversation I was having. Spencer looked up, tilting his head.

“Doesn’t seem to matter? How? There’s an endless amount of possibilities now that we know this. If we had known it sooner we probably could have figured out the pattern and caught the one doing this!” He harshly spewed, his voice acting like a crescendo of sorts, quiet and calm and moving towards a loud and violent tone. Tears began to prick at the corners of my eyes and I was starting to feel guilty, not to mention absolutely stupid as could be.

“I’m- I really am sorry guys, truly.”

Hotch locked eyes with me, taking a stern tone that one would usually take with a disobedient child, perhaps even Jack.

“I hope that’s a comfort to you when another body shows up. That’s their blood on your hands.”

I was frozen, the gravity of the situation taking its toll.

In the background I heard him say something to Morgan about a new profile having to be made as there were many new things to be known from this revelation. But it all went in one ear and out the other, just unpleasant white noise.

As I clumsily stumbled out of the room, I felt Reid’s eyes burning holes into the back of my brain. I was quick to turn my head to meet his glance, causing him to look down. I felt bad, the weight on my chest growing heavier from the interaction.

I sat down at my desk, turning on my computer and immediately going to google. I typed in “hypnosis” and let the info trickle in.

About 30 minutes later, I still felt absolutely horrible, but I had also put together a valuable profile in the time that had passed. I shut the newly finished file, blowing an abandoned strand of hair out from my eyes. I had to do a double take when I saw Spencer staring once more, his deep hazel eyes meeting my own. I gave him a small smile before standing up and walking to Hotch’s makeshift New York office. I pushed open the heavy door, placing the folder on his too-clean desk.

“What’s this?” He asked, taking it in his hands.

“My theory about the unsub. I think I know what she’s been doing. You can tell the team if you want, I’m not sure if they would wanna hear it from me. ”

He gave a small smile, pushing the file back over to me.

“You get the team together and I’ll get the local PD caught up. You tell them yourself.”

A few minutes later, everyone except for Reid had gathered in the meeting room. I peeked through the half closed blinds that allowed a line of vision to his desk in an attempt to locate him. He was positioned there, staring blankly at his laptop that appeared to have nothing on the screen. I knocked on the window lightly to catch his attention, his glazed over eyes looking in my direction. I tilted my head at him, silently beckoning him to join me. He only shook his in response, shaggy brown locks swaying back and forth. I sighed, frowning at his action. I turned to the group, clasping my hands in front of me.

“Everyone, this will just be a second if you’ll excuse me.”

With a raised eyebrow from Hotchner and a jab in the direction of Spencer’s workspace, I swiftly walked out of the crowded room.

“Spence, care to join us?” I asked, resting one of my hands against my hip, the other on his orderly desk.

“No, I don’t think I will. I need to try to figure this out before she finds her next victim.”

“What makes you think the unsub is a she?” I searched his eyes that had seemingly become brighter at my piqued interest in his hypothesis.

“Well, the unsub seems to be obsessed with symmetry, all the bodies being found in obscure yet symmetrical positions. This could suggest she had some sort of deep rooted insecurity, possibly from some sort of bullying from growing up in a small town where she was looked at as a superior for subpar looks. She moved to the big city, expecting a big break. Instead she was shunned for being less than average. She grew frustrated and as a result, she began her killing spree. The stresser could have been one too many insults that made her snap. Plus, that would account for the butterflies left on the scenes that are used in modern examples of both femininity and symmetry.”

I smiled widely at his words.

“What- why are you smiling, what are you smiling at?”

I tapped his desk, rolling my bottom lip between my teeth. I headed back towards the conference room, looking over my shoulder.

“Because, I’m glad we’re on the same page, Dr.”

——————

“So, our girl, as Dr. Reid has explained to us, is obsessed with her appearance. She’s an organized killer, no mistakes and no signs of blood or anything of the sort on scene. She has practice, she does this sort of thing every day. She is most likely in the age group of 23-30, and has a job in the cosmetic industry, our guess is in plastic surgery. She probably volunteers weekends at local butterfly sanctuaries or zoos, finding comfort in their perfection that those in her life, or formerly in her life, cannot and could not provide.”

“Which would explain to her easy access to non-native species of the insects. She has an absolute infatuation with symmetry, which yet again, links the butterflies on the crime scene to her MO.”

Spencer and I were vividly explaining our shared theory to the team, as well as local law enforcement. He was excited by his discovery and the lead on the killer, and his energy was contagious.

“She kills without remorse and out of jealousy, picking victims who all have one thing in common.”

Spence pointed to all of the images pasted on the board in the center of the room, all of them split in half and reflected, creating a perfect mirrored portrait.

“They all have perfectly symmetrical faces, as well as strong jawlines and high cheekbones. As most of these victims are models or those searching to start a modeling career, we believe she is luring them in with a photographer trope, promising to make their dreams come true.”

I nodded, taking a moment to study Reid’s own sharp yet somehow soft features. I allowed my eyes to wander over his sunken in, kind, and curious eyes; his pillowy pink lips that are in dire need of some chapstick.

“Agent?”

I turned my head, snapped back to reality by Rossi calling my name.

I gave a tight and quick smile, returning to the topic at hand and tactics to catch the unsub. But of course not before Emily gave me a crooked smile, resulting in me rolling my eyes.

“Physically, she’s nothing special, most likely a mundane appearance or one with quite obvious surgical changes. No in between. Check all of the plastic surgeon offices in the area for both employees who fit our description, as well as a patient who has gotten any serious facial mod operations. Do the same for any weekend volunteers at local zoos and animal sanctuaries, specifically working with any insects.”

It was an NYPD officer then that spoke up this time, raising her hand briefly.

“But, you still haven’t mentioned how she’s killing them?”

“Hypnosis.” Reid and I both spoke at the same time. He looked to his black Converse, sliding his hands into his pockets. I observed the room and all of the skeptical faces filling it.

“Even if it may sound far fetched, we saw no signs of anything that indicated a struggle or even any marks or wounds. This led us to believe that some form of hypnosis was used to allow her an easy kill. This means extra caution will have to be taken when actually handling the unsub. Even though we’re positive she’s using hypnosis, which method she is using to actually kill them after the fact is what we’re unsure of.”

I turned to Spencer, handing off the explanation to him.

“We think that because of her whole thing with symmetry, she wouldn’t want to disturb the natural state of the victims and their faces, even if she would do the same to her own.”

“Which means?” JJ asked, her blue eyes slanted and glossed lips left ajar.

“It means that the unsub wouldn’t want to leave any large marks like stab or gunshot wounds.” I nodded at Prentiss, who had made the assumption, confirming she was correct.

“With her presumed background in plastic surgery, we believe she was able to make small incisions that made no visible scars. We’re having the coroner look back over the bodies as we speak.”

“She drains the body’s blood 97% of the way before closing the holes up. What she does with the blood, we don’t know. Another Eddie Mays, perhaps.”

I looked over to Spencer, raising my brows at his comparison. He was quick to defend himself, shaking his hands left to right and mouthing “No” while simultaneously shaking his head the same way, something he seemed to be doing often as of late.

After we had finished consulting with any officers who had remaining questions, we branched off to conduct our own routine investigations. We found that the only thing they all had in common apart from the symmetrical faces, is that they all had visited the Central Park Zoo in the 24 hours before they were killed. We received a phone call from Garcia not long after we put together those pieces, being alerted that there was one girl who had, in her words, “Hit every mark there was to hit, sunshine.”                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

“Her name is Alessia Copelas, she works weekdays as a surgeon's assistant at Premier Cosmetic, and weekends at Central Park Zoo from 4-8 p.m.”

I smiled at the new info from the blonde bombshell known as Penelope, turning to Reid who was still looking at me quizzically.

“Alright, thanks babes, you’re the best.” I spoke into the phone, a comical “Mwah!” made from either side as we hung up.

He shook his head, keeping the odd look on his face.

“I swear, you guys have a weirder relationship than her and Morgan.”

I laughed, sliding my phone into my back pocket.

“Oh, please, Spence.” I gingerly placed a hand on his cheek, patting it twice.

“You’re just jealous.” I made a pouty face, letting my hand linger before walking off. “Come on, we’re going on a field trip.”

“Where to?” He asked, gripping the door frame, using it as leverage to swing himself closer to me. He took long and quick strides, catching up to me in no time.

“You like animals, right?”

———————

4 Days Earlier, Central Park Zoo, New York

As soon as we entered the zoo, our ears were filled with the sounds of the loud screeches of birds and monkeys alike. Reid covered his ears, cringing and making his displeasure known with an “Ahh!”

I smiled at his geeky behavior, admiring the animals in the enclosures. I paid special attention to a particularly impressive species of tarantula, leaning down to admire them. A few moments later I looked to my left and saw Spencer doing the same thing.

“Did you know that arachnids have asthma which is why they don’t run for extended periods of time, similarly to cheetahs?”

“Yes I did.”

His face scrunched up in an adorable manner, causing an involuntary giggle to fall past my lips.

“Well did you know that-“

“Ma’am?”

I turned to see a young woman with flaming red hair and a freckled face smiling at me, her green collared uniform top complimenting her eyes of a different shade wonderfully.

“Oh, hi, I’m Agent Y/l/n and this is Dr. Reid, we’re with the Behavioral Analysis Unit of the FBI.”

Her expression shifted to a more confused one, her smile not leaving her face.

“What can I do for you two?”

“Is there an Alessia Copelas that works here, maybe volunteers on the weekends?” Spencer asked, his puppy dog eyes immediately warranting a response.

“Yeah, she volunteers here, she seems nice. Is she helping with an investigation?”

“Well we think that she may have some part in a series of murders.”

Her smile disappeared this time, turning into a cement frown as panic flooded her body.

“Oh God, was she- Is she a killer? Have I been working with a killer for all this time? I mean, I never had any shifts with her but from what I heard I thought she was so sweet-“

“Look,”

Reid glanced down to her name tag that read “Lillian” before meeting her eyes. His tongue darted out, licking his lips, a nervous habit of his I’d picked up on.

“Lillian, we aren’t sure if she’s the killer we just needed to get a feel on her and get some information regarding her personal life.”

She started frantically nodding her head, more trying to convince herself she was okay rather than ourselves. I looked over her shoulder at some exhibits, thinking to myself how this would end up being a waste of our time if this poor girl couldn’t get a grip on herself.

I was soon proven wrong when I looked over to see a young girl wearing an identical uniform to Lillian, probably somewhere between 23 and 24. She had untamed chocolate locks with bangs that stopped just above the shoulder, blemishes covering her T-Zone, and a rounded face to go with it.

The cherry on top? Under her arm she carried a small enclosure with what appeared to be amarynthis meneria, the same butterflies found on the victims.

I tapped Reid on the shoulder once as discreetly as possible, catching his attention. I heard him mutter a small “Oh God” before he told Lillian to walk away calmly and quickly. She ignored his request, turning to look at Alessia, letting out a blood curdling scream and sprinting the other direction.

“Shit.” I cursed, beginning to walk towards Alessia, Spencer by my side. I smiled at her, trying to appear friendly. Reid spoke up as we got closer.

“Hello, do you by any chance-“

wham!

“Spence!” I exclaimed, reaching down to help him up from where he had fallen from being whacked by the 4’2 pyscho that was Alessia Copelas.

“Did she get away?”

I turned to see her gone, the only sign she was even here being the forming bruise on the Dr’s face.

“Yeah. She did. I’m sorry, Reid, that was really stupid of me.” He shook his head, running his own hand over the raw skin.

“It’s fine, I would have done the same for you.” He looked up, and I wasn’t sure if it was my school-girl esque crush on him or the fact I just had another experience with a serial killer, but my heart was racing nonetheless.

————————

F.B.I. Field Office, New York, New York, 1 Day Earlier

The stress levels in the room were high.

Despite our best efforts, several more bodies had been found, New York’s narcissists were in a state of panic, and the spirits of the BAU were down to say the least.

“What? Are you kidding me?” I exclaimed, looking at Hotch in disbelief.

He rolled his chocolate eyes, fanning the folder containing the new information we had gathered on Alessia.

“I wish I was, Y/n. She’s off the grid completely, her apartment is empty, phone and credit cards have been deactivated, and the surgeon’s office hasn’t heard from her for 5 days. And the media has decided to give her the name ‘Butterfly Baron’, so she’s probably been fueled even further. We need a new lead before she strikes again.”

I scoffed, standing up and pushing my chair away.

“This is unbelievable. How many times do we have to reinforce the idea to local PD! Especially when the unsub is a self absorbed psycho, do not give them a name! God, I really cannot fathom this.”

I reached up, letting my hair down from where I had messily thrown it up upon my arrival to work that morning.

I stormed out of the room, my heels clicking behind me. I ignored Hotch’s calling of my name, making my way to the closest restroom.

I went in, locking the door behind him. I ran my hands through my roots, tugging just enough to where it hurt.

Turning the water to the left all the way, I splashed it from the stream leaving the faucet on to my face. I scratched my fingernails against the skin, wiping away the tears that had escaped.

“This is all your fault, y/n.” I whispered at myself in the mirror, doing my absolute best to engrain the message in my brain. I had my head hung in shame when a knock rang out.

“Y/n?”

It was Spencer. My mind started going a million miles a minute, thinking about why he could be there. With my voice raised a few octaves, I tried to scrape up a response.

“I’ll be out in a few, Spence.”

It was quiet for a split second, leaving me to foolishly dance around the idea that he had left me to wallow in my sorrowful thoughts.

“Y/n, Hotch wanted me to check on you. Are you ok?”

My heart slightly sank at the idea that he might’ve just come to check on me because he himself was worried. I discarded the thought, bringing myself back.

“Y/n can you please answer me? If you don’t open the door I’m gonna send in JJ or Emily.”

I sighed, wiping under my eyes where my mascara had smudged, begrudgingly walking over to the door. Just as my hand landed on the silver handle, his voice that was constantly playing in my head echoed out once more.

“Y/n, please? I need to know you’re okay. I’ll come in there myself.”

A soft smirk graced my face as I turned the handle to reveal a worried looking Spencer.

“Y/n, oh God, you had me worried.”

He was quiet when he spoke and his hair looked messy, like he had been running his slender fingers through it in a stress filled state.

I sniffled, attempting to still keep back tears that were still threatening to spill.

“I’m alright, Spencer. Really, I’m fine.”

He gave me a small smile, his eyes meeting my own.

“I know, it’s just that when I had my Diludad problem,” he hesitated.

“I would lock myself in bathrooms to shoot up, and I know you aren’t having a problem like that but I just was worried about you- what are you doing?”

I cut off his rambling by throwing my arms around his middle. He tensed, but quickly melted. He wrapped his strong arms around my shoulders and my waist, laying his head on mine.

“Y/n, I promise you, you’re doing your absolute best to stop Alessia. We wouldn’t even be where we are right now if you hadn’t made the connections. Those deaths are not your fault.”

My tears finally began to cascade like a waterfall, staining his shirt.

“I know, but it’s just like it is all my fault! I could have paid closer attention, or-or, I could have went after her at the zoo, it’s all my fucking fault, Reid.”

I sobbed into his shirt, my hand gripping his shirt like my life depended on it. Like if I let go I would fall into a deep, deep, endless hole.

His hand on my waist moved up to cradle my head.

“It’s not, I promise you-“

He was cut off mid sentence by the ringing of his phone.

“I am so, so sorry-”

I pulled away, breifly touching under my nose with my wrist, then moving a hair behind my ear.

“Nope, it’s fine, don’t worry.” Our words almost had overlapped each other as we clambered to fight the tension that had risen. I closed my eyes, tilting my head up, thinking about how unprofessional yet intimate our previous position had been. How wrong, yet how right it felt.

I kept running the moment through my head, the feeling of his warm figure encasing mine on replay.

His phone call played as background noise to the film playing in my brain, his voice calming me to an extent.

“Yeah, we’re on our way. Thanks, Morgan.”

He closed the phone with a snap, also snapping me out of my trance, putting the movie on pause.

“They’ve got a hit. Copelas was seen dropping by her old apartment.”

And for the first time since that Goddamn case had started, I smiled genuinely.

“Let’s go get her.”

————————

15 Minutes Prior, Central Park, New York

“Hotch?”

“Yes?” He looked back from where he was driving, following our lead in a rushed manner.

“What will we do if she...” I trailed off.

“Hypnotizes one of us?” He finished for me. I nodded solemnly.

The look on his face was conflicted and it took him a moment to come up with a response.

“We kill her before we have to kill one of our team members.”

He saw a look of uncertainty on my face and spoke up once more.

“And that’s an order.”

I nodded again, making eye contact with him through the rear view mirror. I fell back into my seat, closing my eyes briefly.

After a few more minutes on the road, we had arrived.

The doors all slammed to the SUVs, one after the other as we stepped out.

“The letter said that she would be here, somewhere here.”

The voice of Morgan was channeling through my earpiece, referring to the letter found at her apartment that she had left just for us.

“We ordered evac on citizens, correct?”

The unsure voice of JJ was also heard through the earpiece, her uncertainty quite unusual to hear.

“Yes, it was the first thing we did, Jayj.”

I whispered, a sly smirk from Spencer forming at my behavior.  

“Oh shut up.”

“I didn’t even say anything!”

snap!

Our senses adapted, becoming dialed to 11 at the sound of a twig snapping under someone's feet.

“Was that you?” I mouthed to Spencer. He shook his head no and I silently cursed to whatever force was listening.

I nodded, which he then reciprocated, the pair of us slowly walking towards the source of the sound after he did.

“They’re going to remember me, I’ll go down in history.”

The voice was sing-songy and quiet, floating through the air. I took a shaky breath, continuing my steady pace.

My breathing momentarily halted soon after.

Different variations of “Oh my God”s, and loud gasps from almost everyone on the team flooded my ear canal at the horrifying sight in front of us.

Red. So much of it.

“Guys, I think we know what she’s been doing with the bodies’ blood.”

“No shit.” I muttered under my breath.

She was bathed in the blood, it looked like something straight out of a horror movie.

“Alright everyone, I want you to approach her as quietly as possible, Morgan, if you get the chance, corner her.”

Hotch’s voice was a stark contrast to her own, Derek’s response all the same.

—————————

Present Day, Central Park, New York

“But Agents, you still haven’t answered my question. They’re beautiful, aren’t they?”

“Alessia Copeleas, FBI, come on, get up, lets go.”

Derek’s voice was stern, not asking, but demanding that Alessia come with us.

“I’m afraid I just can’t do that, Agents.”

She stood up abruptly, causing all of our weapons to rise. The sun reflected off of the silver metal of Reid’s gun, sparkling in a stunning way that caught me off guard.

We all were trying to act as if we were in total control of the situation, but we could tell that us nor Copelas really believed that. Her words were her weapon, and this was the one time where words could hurt, but sticks and stones had virtually no power.

“Take another step and we will have no hesitation to fire.”

She smirked, rolling her eyes.

“If you do, will I be famous you think? You think they’ll hear about me back home?”

Her curls softly blew in the wind, making her appear almost harmless, maybe even endearing, if it wasn’t for the hardening coat of human blood soaking her clothes and seeping from her skin.

“Is that what you want? The kids back home and everyone here to hear about you? You want ‘Butterfly Baron’ written on every billboard in Times Square, your picture painted in museums, films to be made in your honor?” Reid was the one who spoke up this time, his voice remaining strong. Her eyes shone with a sickening excitement at what he said.

“You want to be famous?”

She nodded vigorously.

“Too bad.”

My eyes widened, surprised at the detour the conversation had taken.

“What-what do you mean?”

“Please, the only thing people will hear about is a sad, boring little girl from a small town who killed to feel better about herself. They’ll forget about you in a week, who knows, maybe they’ll even grow an infatuation with your town, someone you went to school with may get as lucky as to catch their big break!” He laughed, while Alessia looked absolutely devastated.

“You? You’ll be a nobody.”

“That’s not true! I’ll go down in history, and they won’t! I’m the fucking butterfly baron for hells sake! All these people?” She gestured towards her field of bodies.

“You won’t remember their names, maybe not even their pretty faces, but me? I’ll live forever.”

Her nostrils flared and she strode over to Reid with purpose. The safety on my glock clicked off, but Spencer motioned for me to wait. So I did.

“You know, Agent-“

“It’s Doctor.”

This visibly agitated her even more as she started her sentence over again.

“Doctor, you have a beautiful bone structure. Absolutely perfect. Symmetrical, not to mention just flat out stunning.”

A glaze formed over Spencer’s honey eyes at her words. He lowered his gun momentarily before turning towards me, Copelas doing the same.

“And you, Agent. Wow. I feel like I’m in an art exhibit, you’re gorgeous. I think the Doctor man here would agree.”

As he lifted his revolver at me, the situation became all too real as I understood what was happening.

I either had to shoot the man that I was struggling to admit I was beginning to love, or died at the hands of the very same man.

Tears flooded my eyes, all safeties were turned down, and all guns were pointed at Reid.

“Spence, please.”

My voice was weak, something that seemed to bring Alessia lots of joy.

She laughed before talking again, commanding Spencer.

“Pathetic, really! Spence”, she mocked,“shoot her.”

“No!”

bang!

whack!

--------------------- 

Present Day, Somewhere In The Sky, The Jet

I opened my eyes from where I had been tackled to the ground by Hotch, surveying my surroundings to see Alessia laying on the grass, the source of her gunshot wound non-distinguishable from the previous blood on her body.

I looked to the right to see where Spencer had crumpled to, his frame bent in a discombobulated position.

“Spencer!” I cried out, crawling over to him like some sort of dog,

“What happened to him?”

“Y/n, he was going to shoot you-“

“I don’t care you should have let him!”

I cradled his head in my lap, allowing my pent up tears to fall.

“Y/n?”

My eyes snapped open for real this time, my mind calmed at the sight of Spencer sitting next to me on the couch, gently shaking my shoulder in an attempt to wake me from my nightmare.

“Spencer! Sorry, was I too loud?”

He chuckled, gesturing to the rest of the sleeping plane around us.

“You’re fine, I wasn’t sleeping, I decided to reread ‘Fahrenheit 451’ for nostalgia purposes. And you weren’t that loud, you just looked like you were having a bad dream.”

I chuckled at the not-so outlandish idea in an attempt to diminish it from his mind and move on.

“I’m fine. But fun fact, I did have nightmares after reading ‘The Veldt’. Seriously, I don’t get how you can just reread Bradbury’s stuff all the time.”

The genius scoffed, starting a rant on how Ray Bradbury’s storytelling was just classic literature and deserved to be reread, thus successfully changing the topic as I hoped my statement would. Although soon after, he caught on much quicker than I would have liked him to.

“And not to mention, The Veldt alone could be seen as a forewarning to the 21st century and beyond, even Bradbury himself supported that interpretation-‘

I gave him a tired smile, enjoying his rambling like I always did.

“-and you totally just got me to change the subject.”

“I was wondering when you were gonna catch up.”

“Hey!”

He laughed as I rested my head on my hand, trying to fall back asleep.

“Really, I can tell those nightmares are bad. What’s going on?” He questioned, his tone empathetic and compassionate.

“It’s nothing, Reid. I just keep seeing in the park, when Alessia got shot and you-you got hurt but instead of getting up like you did in real life, you just…”

I trailed off, not wanting to relive the negative dream any longer for fear of the tears that were pricking my eyes escaping.

“It’s okay, that didn’t happen, I’m right here.”

He pulled me into a hug, allowing me to bury my head in the crook of his neck, his warmth consuming me once more, a sequel to the film from earlier.

“I know, but what if it hadn’t?” I asked as I pulled away.

He shook his head, reaching for his wallet.

“In this job, this course of work, we can’t focus on ‘what if’s’. In this job, we also get nightmares, all of us. It happens.”

He slid a picture over to me, it was of a happy family. The edges were worn from years of being carried, but the picture seemed loved.

“Gideon gave me that when my nightmares started. He told me about how those families we save everyday, and how that’s what makes what we do worth it. And I know you didn’t know Gideon personally, or the work on the specific case with that family, but I want you to have it anyway-“

I cut him off by throwing my arms around his neck, attempting to speak despite being muffled by his fluffy sweater.

“Thank you, Spence. Truly.”

I smiled, and I imagined he was doing the same.

“No problem y/n. Anytime.”

I moved my legs over to be tucked underneath my arms, leaning into Reid. He wrapped his arm around me, also leaning in. We both managed to fall asleep for the remainder of the ride in our state of content, but not before he managed to sleepily call out my name.

“Y/n?”

“Yeah?”

“When we land do you wanna go on a date or somethin’?”

I smiled at him, separating from his form just long enough to see that beautiful face of his.

“Without a doubt.”

🂦∙🂦∙🂦

AHAHAHHAHAHAHA I’M WAY TOO HAPPY WITH THAT LMAOOO but anyway chile- 

i don’t have some long ass paragraph to write this time omg wig, i’m just proud asf of my work for once (except for the zoo part ngl kinda didn’t like it😳) 

😛✨vibes✨ love u, xx hj

[petri808]

@thenaluarchive movie night. Just a quicky ficlet 🙃

Being stuck in her apartment for Christmas had to be the worst part of this whole year, and Lucy couldn’t help but log onto Zoom with a sense of longing. For the last 3 years, they’d spent the evening in a Friendsmas Eve together with good food, drinks, and a movie to celebrate the holidays. Thanks to the pandemic, it was agreed they should hold off till things were safer. So that’s when her best friend Levy suggested a zoom party where they’d all log in and could still stream a movie together.

“Lucy!!” Levy screamed. “I’m so glad you could make it!”

“Yeah, me too!” Lucy smiled back at all the familiar faces already logged on. “Hey everyone!” Ten others were already joined in, and most of them were friends from their college days. But there were a couple of faces she didn’t recognize. So she texts Levy on the side asking who they were.

‘Oh sorry lol. I’ll introduce you.’ Levy texted back.

Back on the video now, Levy spoke up, calling on the two unknown people to listen up. “Guys, I wanna introduce you to my bestie Lucy.”

“Lucy, so the guy with pink hair is Natsu, he’s Gajeels cousin. And the other one is Gray, he’s Natsus roommate and works with Gajeel at the shop. Say hi guys!”

“Nice to meet you Lucy!” They both respond.

“Nice to meet you as well!”

As the director or the nights event, Levy put a link in the chat for a survey of movies for the group to choose from and the top two choices would be streamed. The friends talk amongst each other and catch up. Some were drinking or eating, others played a holiday trivia game. It was difficult at times to keep up or figure out who was saying what, but despite the trepidation Lucy had in the beginning, it was nice to see this forum wasn’t keeping anyone down on Christmas Eve.

Lucy enjoyed seeing her friends again, especially since she hadn’t seen any of them in the flesh since March. But it was the newer addition that had her interests most peaked. She never knew Gajeel had a cousin, and why hadn’t Levy introduced them sooner?! She texts the woman to keep their messages private.

‘Omg Gajeels cousin is so cute!’

‘Really? 😂 I guess I never looked at him that way.’

‘Is he single?! 😶’

‘😶 yes. You should talk to him.’

‘But idk nothin bout him.’

‘Lemme help u with that 😛’

‘?!’

Suddenly, Lucy sees that Levy had stuck her into a break away room on Zoom.

‘Levy?!’

“Hello? How’d I get in here?” Natsu questioned.

‘😳 LEVY!’

“Hi, Natsu,” Lucy answered, “um Levy thought we might like a chance to talk... y-you know without being interrupted.”

‘😙 enjoy your chat!’ Levy teased. ‘Dw he also said he’s gonna kill me later 🙃😘 y’all will thank me someday.’

‘OMG LEVY!!!’

“Oh,” Natsu laughed nervously. “How nice of her.”

She could see the slight blush on his cheeks and that instantly alighted one on hers. Oh, boy! Awkward! “I um,” Lucy tucked her hair behind her ears, the movement caught immediately by Natsu’s eyes from what she noticed. “So, you’re Gajeel’s cousin?”

“Yeah. When I moved to this town, I stayed with them a couple months till Gray and I found an apartment.”

“What brought you to Crocus?”

“A job offer. What about you? Are you from here Lucy?”

“Actually no, I came here for college. That’s how I met Levy. Then I stayed for a job.”

“What kind of job?”

“I work for the magazine Sorcerer Weekly.”

“That’s pretty cool!”

“Your turn Natsu, what do you do for a living?”

“Firefighter. But I’m taking EMT classes too, cause that’ll give me a higher certification rating...”

The longer they talked, the easier it was for Lucy to relax. It seemed once those first-time jitters wore away, Natsu’s true personality shone through. He was quite talkative, she mused, but sweet and very passionate about his job. The man also had a silly side that was endearing. Course, the bonus from all she could see through this video, Natsu was a total hunk!

Twenty minutes into the conversation, Lucy received another message from Levy letting her know they’ll be starting the movie. But before she could reply—

“Levy said they’re starting the movie.”

“Oh, yeah, I just got the message too, I’m—.”

Natsu looked sheepishly away from the screen, “I kinda rather keep talking to you instead.”

Lucy’s cheeks flushed again. “Me too. You’re really easy to talk to.”

“Would it be too forward to say... you’re really pretty Lucy.”

“No,” her voice softened with a hint of embarrassment, and you’re not so bad yourself Natsu.”

‘Maybe we’ll catch the second one,’ Lucy replied to Levy. To which she received a wink emote in reply.

The conversation continued where it had left off before Levy’s interruption with a game of 20 Questions. They learned simple stuff about each other’s likes and dislikes, siblings or none, to bucket list dreams. It also turned out that Natsu and Grays apartment was less than three blocks away from hers.

“Being stuck on a video chat kind of sucks,” Lucy blurts out. “It would be so much nicer if this was face to face.”

“Well...” Natsu leaned in. “I could just come over. I mean, you live close by so it would only take me about 10 minutes.”

“You’d... do that?”

Natsu tapped his chin and grinned, “lemme think. Be stuck with my roommate or a cute girl on Christmas Eve? It’s a really tough choice to make.”

“Pfft,” Lucy laughed. “You’re such a weirdo.”

“Well? Do you want me to come over or not?”

“Hmm, lemme think,” she mocked and tapped her chin, “be alone or stuck with a cute guy on Christmas Eve? That’s a really tough choice to make.”

“Now who���s the weirdo?!” Natsu laughed too. “Will you just give me your address?!”

Once she gave him the information, she logged out of the break out room, and he completely out of the party. When she joined the rest of the group, they asked what happened to Natsu. “You’ll see,” Lucy smiled and turned the video off until he arrived. They could still hear her and she could still hear them.

But Gray cut in and ruined the surprise, “that dork is heading to her place.”

“What?!” Everyone immediately ignored the movie and bogged out the audio to flood Lucy with questions. But she wasn’t responding.

“Come on guys!” Levy cut them off. “Give the woman time to breathe!”

A few minutes later, Natsu arrived at her apartment with a gift of wine.

“Aww, thanks, but you didn’t have to bring anything.”

“It would be rude not to,” he smiled back.

Lucy’s heart skipped a beat. The man was even cuter in person! And such manners! Oh, yeah, she was done for. “They um,” she gestured to the living room where her laptop was still sitting, “they’re waiting for us. Gray spilled the beans.”

“Don’t worry I’ll get him back,” Natsu grinned and winked.

They sit on the couch and turn the video back on, instantly gaining a roar of whoa’s and light teasing from mostly the guys.

“Smooth move man,” Gray teased his roommate. “Couldn’t even wait till morning.”

“No need to hate on me.” Natsu quipped back and put his arm around Lucy’s shoulders. “You’re just jealous cause your girl is out of town.”

That set off laughter from all around the virtual room. Even Lucy giggled despite her body heating up from the close contact. “Omg you’re so bad,” she whispered.

“Don’t worry, we do this all the time to each other.”

Things settle back down in the group once this Christmas twist had run its course. Everyone in the group was simply elated to see two of their friends happy on this Covid Christmas Eve. After the first movie, Levy streamed the second one. It was the classic Scrooged. You simply couldn’t have a Christmas without watching it at least once.

But by the time the movie was ending, Lucy had started to doze off on Natsu’s shoulder.

“If you’re tired, I can head home.”

“Stay,” she mumbled, “nice and warm.”

Natsu blushed. “Okay, I’ll stay.”

They bid their friends goodnight and merry Christmas before shutting off Zoom and closing the laptop. Natsu turned back to Lucy, but she’d fallen asleep again. He hadn’t planned on staying the night, but she seemed so content to stay cuddled up against him, that he just didn’t have the heart to leave. So, he turned off the lamp and shifted their bodies to both fit on the couch, tucking her close, and kissing her forehead before settling in too.

Lucy breathed out a soft sigh as her face burrowed against his chest. She was only pretending to be asleep to see how Natsu would react, but his response told her everything she needed to know. Covid really made their lives miserable this year, but at least it hadn’t ruined her Christmas after all.