#if she does one more news interview she’s going to explode | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hookhausenschips · 25 days ago

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Can I request plus size!reader where she is dating Charles but instead of her getting hate and stuff for her looks, the fans actually love her and question how Charles can handle all of her? THEY ARE THIRSTY thank you- 🦥 anon

Anon I love you, I enjoyed creating this. It might be extra cheesy but🤷🏽‍♀️🫶🏽

All Mine

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WC: 2.6k

Warnings: Thirsty fans, Charles is clingy, Y/N is a smartass but she loves her man

• you DO NOT have my permission to copy my work, upload as your own, translate, or repost on any other website •

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Charles Leclerc had always been known for his charm both on and off the track, but when the news broke that the Ferrari driver was dating a plus-size Black woman named Y/N, the internet exploded in a way no one quite expected.

Instead of the usual scrutiny that comes with being in the spotlight, especially for women who don’t fit the stereotypical mold, Y/N was met with nothing but love—and a lot of thirst. Leclerc’s fans couldn’t get enough of her confidence, radiant smile, and how effortlessly she seemed to handle herself next to the F1 star. But that wasn’t all. The conversation online quickly shifted to something a bit more… provocative.

“How does Charles even handle her?” one fan tweeted, accompanied by a gif of someone dramatically fainting. Another user posted, “Charles out here pulling a QUEEN like Y/N? Boy, you better be built for this!” with fire emojis.

The more they saw of the couple, the thirstier the comments got.

“Charles, blink twice if you’re okay!” one commenter joked after seeing a video of the couple laughing together at a party, Y/N playfully teasing him.

In an interview with a lifestyle magazine, Leclerc was asked about the dynamic between him and Y/N. His face lit up with a wide grin. “She’s incredible. I think I’m the lucky one, honestly. She’s got this presence… it’s magnetic.”

Y/N wasn’t shy about showing her love for Charles either, posting candid moments of the two together on her Instagram. One video that sent fans into a frenzy showed them dancing in their living room, Charles clearly struggling to keep up with Y/N’s moves.

The comments were on fire.

“How is he not on his knees for her 24/7?” one fan asked under the post. “Girl, you are TOO MUCH. Give him a break!” another joked.

At one point, during a Ferrari fan event, a group of women wearing matching T-shirts that read “Charles, can YOU handle her?” held up a sign that read, “Y/N, teach us your ways!”

Charles saw it and burst into laughter, shaking his head. Y/N, who was watching from the sidelines, waved at the group, flashing her signature smile.

“Maybe they should be asking me how I can handle him,” Y/N later joked on her Instagram story, winking at the camera.

From the moment I stepped into Charles’ world, I knew it was going to be intense. I mean, the guy’s an F1 driver, one of the most loved on the grid. But what I didn’t expect was the complete opposite of what I thought would come my way. The moment people found out about us—about me—it was like the fans flipped a switch. And not the kind of switch where they throw shade. Nope. These people were thirsty.

It started small. A few comments under pictures I posted of us together.

“You’re glowing, girl! But, uh, how is Charles handling all of that?” with a winking emoji.

I’d scroll through my Instagram and see stuff like, “We need to check on Charles’ endurance off the track!” or “How does a man with that much stamina survive with a goddess like her?” It made me laugh, honestly. But the more I saw, the wilder it got.

One night, we were at home, lounging on the couch, and I showed Charles a few of the more… explicit tweets.

“Charles, you good, mate?” I read out loud, barely able to contain my laughter. “Blink twice if she’s got you needing an oxygen mask.”

Charles took one look at the screen, his cheeks turning bright red. “They really think I’m struggling out here, don’t they?” he said, shaking his head with that boyish smile I adored.

I grinned at him, nudging him with my elbow. “I mean, they aren’t wrong. You barely keep up with me when we dance.”

“That’s because you don’t warn me before you start those Beyoncé routines in the living room,” he teased back, pretending to huff in frustration.

But the comments weren’t just about Charles. They were about me, too. The fans genuinely loved me, which was wild considering how harsh people can be. They loved my curves, my confidence, and how I didn’t shy away from showing affection to Charles in public. I was always expecting the backlash, the snide remarks about being a plus-size Black woman dating a guy like him. Instead, I was getting comments like, “Sis, PLEASE drop the workout routine because you look FIRE!” and “Y/N, I need your energy. Charles is lucky to even be in your orbit.”

The first time I saw the group of fans at a Ferrari event wearing shirts that said “Charles, can YOU handle her?” I couldn’t stop laughing. I waved at them, completely blown away by how extra they were. I guess I should’ve been embarrassed or something, but I wasn’t. I was feeling myself. And clearly, so were they.

Later, when Charles and I were back home, I sat cross-legged on the bed, still buzzing from the energy of the event.

“They really love you,” he said, leaning against the doorway, watching me as I scrolled through the photos of us.

I looked up at him and grinned. “They love us. Mostly because they think you can’t handle me.”

Charles raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. “Oh, really?” he challenged, stepping closer, his voice low. “They’re wrong, you know. I can handle you just fine.”

I shot him a playful look. “Prove it.”

The next day, I posted a picture of us—his arms wrapped around me, me standing on my toes to kiss his cheek, the two of us smiling like we didn’t have a care in the world. The caption read: He can handle me just fine, thanks for asking.

The comments? Pure chaos.

“I BET HE CAN! 👀🔥”

“Girl, we don’t need details, but we’re imagining PLENTY.”

“I’m screaming—this whole thing is too much, and I’m living for it!”

Life with Charles was like this. Fun, light-hearted, but also deeper than the public ever saw. Sure, they saw the surface—how he adored me, how we were always laughing together. But what they didn’t see was the late-night talks, the quiet moments where he’d trace patterns on my back, or the times he’d look at me like I was the only person in the world.

The fans were obsessed, and honestly, I couldn’t blame them. But if they knew just how lucky I felt to have him? I think they’d really lose it.

It was the night before the race, and we were in our hotel room, another triple header. The race schedule had been nonstop, and though Charles loved the track, the constant travel and media pressure was taking a toll. He’d just gotten back from practice, exhausted, sweaty, and clearly in need of a break. I was lounging on the bed, scrolling through my phone, when I heard the shower turn off in the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Charles emerged, his hair damp and messy, a towel slung low around his hips. He looked up and caught my eye, offering me a small, tired smile. But there was something else—something heavy in the way he looked at me, as if he was holding onto something he wasn’t ready to say yet.

“You okay?” I asked, setting my phone down and sitting up on the bed.

He nodded, but instead of going to his suitcase to get dressed, he walked straight over to me and flopped down on the bed, still only in his towel. Without saying a word, he pulled me into his arms, holding me tight against his chest.

“Charles, you’re still wet!” I squealed, laughing as I felt the water from his hair drip onto me.

He just buried his face in my neck, mumbling something I couldn’t quite catch. I ran my fingers through his damp hair, letting him hold me, sensing he needed it. After a few moments of silence, I spoke up.

“What’s going on, baby?” I asked softly.

Charles sighed, his arms tightening around me. “I don’t know. Just… I missed you today.” His voice was muffled against my skin, and there was a softness in his tone that I hadn’t heard earlier.

I pulled back slightly to look at him, brushing a strand of hair from his forehead. “You’ve seen me like, every day. What’s really bothering you?”

He hesitated for a moment, then finally admitted, “I’ve been seeing some of the comments again.”

I frowned. “Comments? What comments?”

“You know,” he said, his green eyes locking with mine, “the ones about you. The thirsty ones. People going on and on about how… how they’d kill to be with you. And I know it’s harmless, but sometimes… sometimes I just don’t like it.” He sounded almost shy as he said it, like he didn’t want to admit he was feeling jealous.

I couldn’t help but smile, finding it cute that this confident, world-class driver was feeling protective. “Charles, you’re not actually jealous, are you?”

He looked away, his face turning a bit red. “Maybe a little,” he muttered. “I just don’t like the way they talk about you. They don’t know you like I do. They don’t get to have you the way I do.”

My heart softened, and I leaned in to kiss him gently. “You know you’re the only one who has me, right? No one else even comes close.”

“I know,” he said, his lips brushing mine softly before he pulled back. “It’s just—sometimes I get these thoughts. Like… they don’t deserve to talk about you like that. You’re mine, and I don’t want to share even the idea of you.”

I laughed softly, wrapping my arms around his neck. “I belong to you, Charles. All of me. No one else gets to handle me like this.” I gave him a cheeky smile, knowing that would make him laugh.

And sure enough, his expression lightened, a playful glint returning to his eyes. “Damn right, they don’t,” he said, pulling me even closer. “I’m the only one who can handle you.”

I smirked, enjoying this clingy, vulnerable side of him. “You sure you can handle all of this, Leclerc? Because some of those fans seem to think you’re struggling.”

He narrowed his eyes at me, clearly pretending to be offended. “Oh, please. They have no idea what they’re talking about. I’m doing just fine.”

I giggled, giving him a playful shove. “You sure? Because the way you’re acting tonight makes me think you’re feeling a little insecure, Mr. Ferrari.”

“I’m not insecure,” he insisted, his voice a bit defensive but still soft. “I just… I want to make sure you know that I love you. And that… that I’m the only one who gets to be with you like this.”

I smiled, resting my forehead against his. “I know, Charles. And I love you, too. More than anyone could ever imagine.”

For a moment, neither of us said anything. We just stayed there, wrapped up in each other, the world outside fading away. Charles held me like he needed to remind himself that I was really here, that I was his.

Finally, I broke the silence. “You’re so clingy tonight. Is this what I should expect every time someone thirsts over me online?”

He laughed, his arms still locked around me. “Maybe. Guess you’ll have to get used to it.”

“I think I can manage that,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his cheek before snuggling into his chest, both of us content in the quiet comfort of just being together.

Charles tightened his arms around me as I nestled against his chest, the steady rhythm of his heartbeat comforting. The room was dimly lit by the bedside lamp, casting soft shadows on the walls, and the sound of the city outside faded into the background. It was just us in our little bubble, away from the noise and the track and all the pressures of the race weekend.

I could feel him relax a little, his muscles unclenching as he held me close. I traced small circles on his bare chest, smiling to myself. I loved this side of him—the part of Charles that wasn’t the confident, cool F1 driver but the sweet, vulnerable guy who just wanted to make sure I felt loved.

“So,” I murmured against his skin, “are you going to get clingy every time someone slides into my DMs or comments on my posts?”

He laughed softly, his breath warm against my hair. “Maybe I will. You’re my girlfriend—can’t let anyone think they have a chance.”

“Oh, they know they don’t have a chance,” I teased, looking up at him. “They’re just living out their little fantasies. It’s cute, really.”

Charles pouted, his brows furrowing just a little. “Cute for them, but not for me.”

I giggled, poking his side. “Aw, is someone a little jealous?” I teased, knowing exactly how to get under his skin.

He rolled his eyes, but I could see the corner of his mouth twitch into a smile. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

“Maybe a little,” I admitted, grinning. “It’s not every day I get to see Charles Leclerc all jealous and possessive.”

He huffed, but his arms stayed firmly around me. “I’m not that possessive,” he mumbled, though I could tell he was lying.

“Oh, really?” I arched an eyebrow, sitting up slightly to look him in the eye. “Then explain why you’re clinging to me like I’m about to disappear.”

Charles’ green eyes sparkled as he met my gaze, his hand coming up to cup my cheek. “Because you’re the best thing in my life,” he said softly, his voice barely above a whisper. “And sometimes I just want to make sure you know that. That you’re mine.”

My heart fluttered at his words. As much as I teased him, I loved how deeply he cared for me. His jealousy wasn’t about insecurity—it was about how much he valued what we had. I leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his lips.

“I know, Charles,” I whispered against his mouth. “I know, and I’m yours. Always.”

He kissed me back, his lips soft and slow, like he was savoring the moment. When we finally pulled away, he sighed, his forehead resting against mine. “I’m sorry for being weird about it. I just… I don’t want anyone thinking they can take what’s mine.”

I smiled, brushing my fingers through his damp hair. “No one could, even if they tried.”

He pulled me back down to lay against his chest, his hand gently stroking my back. “Good. Because I don’t think I’d survive without you.”

I laughed, pressing a kiss to his collarbone. “Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not going anywhere.”

For a while, we lay there in comfortable silence, my head resting against his chest, his fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. The tension from earlier melted away, leaving only the warmth of being close to each other.

Just when I thought he had drifted off, he spoke again, his voice soft and teasing this time. “So… you’re saying if they thirst over you more, I get more cuddles?”

I chuckled, shaking my head. “You’re ridiculous.”

He grinned, pulling me closer. “Yeah, but you love me for it.”

I smiled against his skin. “I do.”

Charles let out a content sigh, his hold on me never loosening. “Good, because I’m not letting you go anytime soon.”

And honestly, I didn’t want him to.

After a beat of silence, he added, “Just… promise me something?”

I tilted my head. “What?”

“If the fans keep getting thirstier, you’ll remind them who you belong to?”

I grinned. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll make sure they know exactly who’s handling me just fine.”

y/n

liked by fan1, fan2, charles_leclerc, and others

tagged: charles_leclerc

y/n: always asking how he can handle me, GIRL HOW CAN I HANDLE HIM. I’M SLURPING UNTIL IT’S FALLING OFF THE BONE😉😩🥵

[View all Comments]

arthur_leclerc: putain de merde, j’espère que maman mère verra pas ça [holy shit I hope mom doesn’t see this]

⤷ y/n: I will apologize later but rn…

lorenzotl: y/n please there are kids…

⤷ y/n: yes Lorenzo down my legs and soon to be swallowed

landonorris: I need you to log off

⤷ y/n: you’re not tall enough to speak to me like that you funky gremlin

charles_leclerc: Mon amour…

⤷ y/n: literally begging on my knees Sharl

⤷ charles_leclerc meet me in my drivers room 👀

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆ ⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆ ⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆ ⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.

CL16 Taglist: @esserenorris, @tallrock35, @yourbane, @lightdragonrayne, @really-fucking-tired, @evie-119, @ilivbullyingjeongin, @xoscar03, @ggaslyp1, @icecoldtires, @cmleitora, @d3kstar, @omgsuperstarg

F1 Taglist: @tallrock35, @yourbane, @hiireadstuff, @really-fucking-tired, @evie-119, @donteventry-itdude, @spookystitchery, @dhanihamidi, @decafmickey, @cmleitora, @d3kstar, @mellowluka, @ysnhua, @omgsuperstarg, @qxeenjen

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margareth-lv · 10 months ago

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🏳️‍🌈 Every girl needs a gay best friend 🏳️‍🌈

Last week, I wrote a post here about the morbid shyness of a certain music manager.

My text was based on an interview Caitríona gave in mid-February 2018, shortly after her so-called 'engagement' and after she'd just won the Irish IFTA for her work on Outlander.

In the interview, Caitríona talked about how she met her fake fiancé. In the February 2018 version, Caitríona met her PA through one of her best friends.

So I decided to look into the subject of this "best friend" who brought the unfortunate music manager to Caitriona.

What I'm going to write today is, I think, 100% obvious to veterans of the fandom. But for those just starting out, I hope it'll be news. And I, well, I'm somewhere in the middle, between newbie status and more than three years of wading through the facts and the myths.

For me, the fun part has been reconstructing the chronology of events. The dates are interesting.

*** *** ***

The beginning of my story is quite surprising. Because we reach Caitríona's 'best friend' by clicking on a link in an article published in 'People Magazine' on 15 August 2019.

The article is entitled: 'Everything to Know About Caitriona Balfe's Super Private Relationship with Husband Tony McGill' and it tells us that: 'the couple tied the knot in England last weekend'.

😱

What excellent investigative journalists People Magazine have (bravo, bravo!), that in a twelve sentence article they could link to a post from Donal Brophy's Instagram.

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

And look at this description:

"It’s unclear exactly when Balfe and McGill started dating, but the earliest evidence of their romance dates back to 2015, when a friend posted a video of her sitting on his lap at a bar in Ireland on Instagram. (McGill was not tagged and does not appear to have any social media accounts of his own.)"

🤯

Isn't that brilliant work from Starz/TPTB/whatever's PR Dept?

*** **** *** From the above it seems fair to conclude that the 'best friend' who brought Caitriona bad luck in the form of an unfulfilling music manager was Donal Brophy, because who else could it be?

*** *** ***

And now, let's take a quick look at the Instagram post (dated 1 January 2015) linked to the 'People Magazine' article. We all know it, of course! Here is the irrefutable proof of the passion between our two lovebirds: the rhythmic (and how sexy!) patting on the hip.

🥱

Well, hip-slapping is boring (and not at all sexy).

Far less boring, however, is the look on the music manager's face, the look that seeks Donal's approval (tell me I'm patting her well, do tell!). Could it be that, like the People Magazine link, this video was made to show? I wouldn't rule it out.

*** *** *** Now let's talk about dates: the sexy (not 🤢) slap on the hip was posted by Donal with a date of 1 January 2015, but two days earlier, on 30 December 2014, Donal shared another photo on Instagram featuring both the hapless music manager and Caitríona. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

Perhaps the decidedly less seductive and sensual appearance of the 'fiancée' in the December photo was the deciding factor in "People Magazine" not publishing a link to it?

Who could know?

*** *** ***

It certainly wasn't love at first sight. The new boyfriend seems rather tired of Caitriona's presence. 😉

I know this is a mischievous conclusion. I am so, so sorry, my friends.

❓

But one thing is for sure: Donal is an old friend of Caitríona.

I haven't done too much in-depth research, but the oldest photo I've been able to find of both Caitríona and Donal is… a photo in a Flickr album belonging to Caitríona's ex-boyfriend, Dave Milone. The photo is dated… 2002.

😨

You get the idea - Caitríona's ex (and real) boyfriend, Dave, Donal, and after many, many years a new 'fiancé'. It feels like my brain is exploding. 🤯🤯🤯

*** *** ***

But back to Donal: I have a feeling that Donal may have been Caitríona's +1 at times when she did not have an official boyfriend.

*** *** *** And let's not forget: Caitríona has a sweet and tender relationship with Donal.

June 2013, Miss you babe!

December 2013, Caitríona on IG:

December 2013, Donal on IG:

April 2014: They even went hiking together in the Scottish Highlands.

I wonder, by the way, who was their mountain guide? Was it an unfortunate music manager? I think not.

I would rather point to someone else, someone who loves (and knows!) the (S)cottish (H)ighlands. But I won't name him.

⛰️🧗🏻‍♂️

*** *** ***

For those who are unfamiliar with the name Donal Brophy, here are a few words about his professional profile:

You know, it works for me: "While in New York, Donal was also known for epic parties. Everything he organized automatically became a “must-attend” event for New York’s most with-it residents."

You know, that kind of vibe (2007):

😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

*** *** ***

Had he been Caitríona's false fiancé, it would have been easy for us to believe in the beautiful, loving bond that existed between them. But he was only the messenger of bad news. What wouldn't you do for your best friend?

❓

PS. Unless something has changed, Donal was married to Emrhys Cooper, a British actor, singer, dancer, and filmmaker. Together they run Idyllwild Pictures, an entertainment company.

Taken in July 2023:

[January 23, 2024]

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skymagpie · 3 months ago

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**TWW SPOILERS** & theory (hopium) discussion below

Happy launch day let's talk about our favorite wizard!

For those that have played or have at least seen the video, you know that Khadgar's fate is grim and that the general assumption (as wowpedia and the wiki put it) is that he is deceased. People have made a bunch of theories about it, so I am listing everything I know and have seen from the cinematic itself that might go in either direction.

In favor of Khadgar somehow surviving:

Unlike the previous major character death cinematics, Varian's, Vol'jin's and Saurfang's as example, Khadgar's cinematic does not show him actually die. The rule of no body = no death applies, as we never see him die on screen. Even if it's unlikely that he survived given that we saw the city explode, this video does play into the common trope when characters aren't truly dead and return later on.

There was a datamined wheelchair that most people believe to be a cut asset, but if you rewatch the video itself and focus only on his legs in the second half once he is injured, they do not move at all, even when it would be logical for the animation to have him move at least the knee or attempt to get up. (This was also brought up by another user.)

Khadgar turns to Xal'atath in anger, so he is neither pleading nor bargaining, however he also doesn't seem to want to keep fighting her. Instead, when she creates the black hole around herself, he willingly reaches out and allows his hand to "dissolve" before the scene cuts and we no longer see him. He reaches out of his own volition, and he groans in pain even before touching the black hole (which goes back to the above theory that he is already injured and just the strain of reaching towards it causes him pain).

Khadgar's toy, the Wonderous Wisdomball is disabled in the new zones. This is such a small detail, but it feels like the final nail in the coffin. A lot of people believe that they wouldn't have included this small detail if they didn't plan something more for Khadgar and if this was his final farewell - maybe they would've even given it more lines and the such so people can keep it as a memory.

There is that one shot of Khadgar's eyes as he whispers "Alleria." but it's a completely new animation and it's not drawing from the cinematic. Everyone else in that sequence is actually alive. It could be a memory, but it could be something else. (this sceenshot is from this video)

In favor of Khadgar being permanently dead:

Metzen kept hinting in the interview with Scott that he will kill a bunch of characters in the saga, to which Scott asked why is Khadgar first on the list and Metzen didn't reply, only laughed it off and said that there is no kill list - before comically looking back at Scott with a frown. He also mentioned that he is thinking of how to give respectful send off to the old characters so they can make space for the new ones. Khadgar's death above is as respectful as it can get for him, since we didn't see him suffer much and he went out a hero as he always was.

We saw his hand dissolve.

Dalaran exploded when whatever darkness swallowed Khadgar closed in on itself.

Xal'atath said "Goodbye, Guardian." so if anything, she would know what happens when you touch that black hole she summoned.

The wheelchair is from an untested Dalaran scenario and we know that Blizzard has previously cut things that were in the game files.

Patch 11.0 is Danuser's last patch, and Metzen took over since then. Metzen however said that he liked what Danuser did, but believed that there needs to be something bigger for the opening of the saga, so maybe even if Danuser was planning to bring Khadgar back, Metzen could change that now that he is our story lead.

There are few running theories that I saw people talking about, and while I cannot say I am vouching for a specific one myself, I am going to list them here:

Khadgar survives, he is in the void and he is injured, so he will be permanently disabled, possibly drained of his magic and no longer able to be The (unofficial) Guardian - hence the wheelchair.

Khadgar will return as a voided up raid boss and it will be up to us to put him down like Old Yeller, because Blizzard cannot do it themselves. 🙄

Khadgar survived, but his physical body is destroyed and he will become one of the Ethereals (this goes into the Khadgar and the Locus-Walker are the same entity theory).

If you have any other ideas, have seen something else in favor of either outcome or have a theory of your own, please let me know because I am looking for all the copium I can right now and we are just getting started with The War Within.

#khadgar #the war within

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nicoline1998enilocin · 1 year ago

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''Mommy's home!''

Pairing | Boyfriend!Dad!Young!Tony Stark x Girlfriend!Mom!Female!Reader

Word count | 1.3K

Summary | This afternoon is your job interview with a big real estate agency in New York, since you've decided to go another route after graduation. Tony stays home with the kids, and when you come home to find them playing together, your heart melts at the sight.

Warning(s) | This is your official trigger warning. Do not proceed if any of these topics upset you. Established relationship (boyfriend and girlfriend), use of pet names (Sunshine, Love/My Love, Munchkins, Baby Boy, Baby Girl), implied unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it!).

Request | @buckys-wintersoldier | Young!Tony request. Reader has to do something, and Tony takes care of the toddlers, and when she comes back, she sees them playing, and Tony being the sweetest dad. Thank youuu, big me😌💞

A/n | Thank you for this sweet request; we love Dad!Young!Tony here, so I'm glad I could go more into him being a Dad with the little ones! Thank you to @ccbsrmsf1 for proofreading and drooling with me over Young!Tony 🫠🖤

Likes, comments, and reblogs will be very much appreciated 💚

Divider made by @cafekitsune | GIF credit to the owner

Main Masterlist | Tony Stark Masterlist | AU Masterlist

''Mornin' little Munchkins,'' Tony says to the twins as he walks into their bedroom. They have just woken up, and he's getting them out of bed since you're in the shower.

Orion's still a little sleepy, whereas Hudson is fully awake and happy to get up. He stretches his arms for Tony to pick him up, which he gladly does.

''Aren't you an excited little thing this morning, Munchkin?'' he says, and his heart melts at the sight of his son. He's so incredibly in love with both of your children, but in the mornings, his heart explodes from all the cuteness.

''Dada, Dada!'' he keeps saying, and Tony finds himself cooing back constantly and indulging his son with everything during his morning diaper change. He puts on the cutest new outfit you got for him not too long ago.

''Look at you, my Handsome Baby Boy!'' you say as you walk into the bedroom, too, wearing your fluffy bathrobe and your hair plopped up into a towel.

''Mommy!'' he says, and Tony lets out a snort of laughter because he didn't expect anything else from his son. He's a mommy's boy through and through, after all.

You happily take him from your boyfriend, and Hudson instantly wraps his arms around your neck for a cuddle or to be close to you.

''You look handsome too, My Love,'' you say as you look him up and down, admiring the outfit he put on today. He leans in for a kiss, but your son apparently has other plans, and he pushes your boyfriend away because he wants his Mommy all to himself this morning.

''Excuse you? That's not nice of you, is it? I'm just kissing Daddy, and after, I'll be all yours, okay?'' you scold him lightly. You lean in for another kiss with Tony, and this time you finally get it.

''I'll get Orion ready, and after, I'll be right down. Will you give them a bottle or breastfeed this morning?'' Tony asks, always being so considerate with you.

You already planned on giving them a bottle this morning since you have a job interview later, which you must arrive on time. It's with a prominent real estate agency in New York, and you've been eyeing this job for a while.

''Just a bottle this time,'' you say with a small smile before saying goodbye and taking Hudson downstairs to warm up a bottle for him and his sister.

They'll eat some fruit with Tony later, but they always have milk in the mornings. Whether out of a bottle or straight from the source will depend on the situation, but their routine is always the same.

Meanwhile, Tony is getting Orion ready for the day, but she's a bit grumpy in the mornings, so she's not as cooperative as when you change her.

''C'mon, Babygirl, we just need to change your diaper and put on your outfit as well, then we can join your brother and Mommy,'' he says, slightly running out of patience.

After that, she lets him do whatever he needs to, and before you know it, both of them are ready for breakfast.

''Look who we have there, Hudson! Daddy and Orion are ready for breakfast too!'' you tell him, and he wiggles in your arm enthusiastically. It works well because it doesn't take long for Orion to take over his enthusiasm, and the little grump is nowhere to be seen anymore.

Tony takes Hudson from your arms before walking to the couch and plopping himself down so they can both sit on either side of him on the sofa.

''Here you go, little Munchkins,'' you say as you hand each of them their bottles and gently kiss Tony. When you pull back, your robe has opened slightly, and he has the perfect view, seeing that you're completely naked underneath.

''Are you sure you don't need help getting dressed, Sunshine?''

''Stay with the kids, Tony,'' you say sternly, but your face shows nothing of that sternness; instead, you're smiling before turning around and getting ready for your job interview.

Your red pantsuit is already hanging on your closet door and ready to go, but first up is your hair, which will be curled loosely and hanging around your shoulders, so now it's time for your make-up.

The make-up is kept light and simple not to take away from the outfit. You're accessorizing with your glasses today to make yourself look a little more professional, and it saves you the hassle of having to put in your contact lenses, too.

All that's left now is to put on your outfit and white heels that compliment the top you're wearing, and then you're all ready to go to the interview.

Everything else you need is already in your handbag, which is perfect because it's almost time to go. All you need to do now is say goodbye to Tony and the twins, and then it's time to head out the door.

You walk down the stairs, and as soon as you walk around the corner, Tony can't keep his eyes off you, and he's practically drooling at the sight in front of him.

''My god, Sunshine, you look... Wow!'' is all he can get out, and if he had the time, he would have bent you over the couch he's sitting on right here and right now.

''Thank you! I'm just here to say goodbye before heading out the door; I hope I'll be back by lunchtime,'' you say, and you first give both twins a big kiss on their heads before it's Tony's turn.

What you intended to be a small, quick peck turned into a deep, passionate kiss that leaves your knees buckling. Oh, the two of you will have some fun during the kids' naptime this afternoon.

''Bye, everyone!'' you say before walking out the door and on your way to the job interview. It's a relatively long drive, even without all the traffic, so you're glad you left about an hour and a half before your scheduled time.

The interview goes perfectly, and the manager conducting your interview hired you on the spot. You may not have any background in real estate, but your immense drive and determination have gotten you to where you want to be.

''Thank you so much for your time, and I'll be looking forward to starting next week,'' you say, and then it's time to head back home. The drive back to Tony and the twins seemed much shorter than the first time, and you practically ran into the door when you were home.

''Do you hear that?! Mommy's home!'' Tony says. He's seated on the floor with both kids as they're playing with their toys, and he's keeping an eye on the two of them while he's folding laundry at the same time.

''Guess what?! I got the job! I'm starting next week!'' you say as you take off your heels and throw them to the side, just wanting to be with your boyfriend and kids right now.

''Mommy!'' Hudson coos as he puts down his stuffed animal and crawls to you so you can wrap him into a big hug. Orion follows shortly after, and you feel very fortunate to be surrounded by this much love.

''Is it time for your afternoon nap already?!'' Tony feigns innocence; it isn't yet, but Orion had been yawning for a few minutes before you came home, so it's perfect timing.

''Alright, I'll get you two ready for your nap, and after, I'll help Daddy fold his laundry,'' you say with a wink to Tony, and they were down within no time.

It also doesn't take long for Tony to have you on top of him on the couch, and you're riding him to both your peaks. After seeing you dressed like that in the morning, he couldn't wait any longer.

He had to have his Sunshine here and now, but you'll never complain. After all, you can never have enough of your boyfriend either.

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sweeethinny · 1 year ago

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headcanon: Ginny didn't leave the Harpies happy. Just imagine: she at the height of her career, even though she was a mother of three, married, still managed to juggle the hours and was preparing for the World Cup, everyone was watching her, when Gwenog left as captain and took her place someone who just didn't like Ginny. Everyone knew that there was a lot of intrigue between the two, that even though Ginny was calm, she often lost her temper, and when she wasn't scheduled to play in the Cup (being the most expected name to be there) she simply left the Harpies, and then her fight with the new captain explodes in the tabloids. The woman says that she was a terrible person to deal with, that she was overbearing, and even sells the piece of memory where the two are fighting in the locker room where Ginny seems to accept that she won't be playing in the World Cup. So she spends a whole year at home, rarely seen, and everyone says that the Great Ginny Potter-Weasley is dead, that she has let fame go to her head, and that within the sporting world she will never find herself included again, until The Daily Prophet announces her hiring. And when all the journalists run after her the week before the opening of the biggest journalistic event, where they will take her on stage to talk about her hiring, Ginny just smiles for the cameras and says she is not afraid of what lies ahead, because she knows she would never need to sell her memory so cheaply to support a lie. And one by one the women who played with her start to come forward and expose the truth, and then, when Ginny finally takes the stage and after a whole year of hiding, not only does she look stunning but she says she looks more than excited to cover the World Cup, and will be keen to secure the best interviews with all captains. Something like Look What You Made Me Do - Taylor Swift; and from the way she fell, she is reborn every time evidence is exposed in the media of the lawsuit she put the captain through, alleging moral abuse and the fact that she used a false memory to destroy Ginny's career.

#hinny #ginny weasley #ginny fits reputation era so well #my headcanon #sweet talks #maybe im doing a art about that

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evilwickedme · 2 years ago

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Losing my mind at the kids reading Bruce/Batman fic

No cause I actually think about this stuff all the time. The Waynes are celebrities!!! Depending on your preference they could be international celebrities or local celebrities, but Bruce and Tim have both been the CEO of an international conglomerate worth billions, Bruce at the very least has to have been on the cover of TIME magazine and had a billion interviews about how-to-be-successful even though, you know, he's the definition of a nepo baby. So between the Waynes and the Batman being two of the most important cultural exports from Gotham, and the fact that WE openly funds Batman, there's gotta be some really good stuff in the celebrity and superhero RPF fandoms, right? It's just sort of obvious that people will start shipping them

So. Who brings it to the Batfam's attention? There are several possible avenues. I personally think it makes the most sense for Tim or Steph to have found it. They're both around 17-19, they went to school and had friends, so yeah, they're on social media. Tim has to have an online presence that's semi professional and so has a secret second account on all websites and apps, but Steph goes full fucking feral on main. I think Tim gets @ - ed a lot by weirdos, including people tagging him in their Tim Drake/YN fanfiction (sidenote do not do this in real life. Please don't do this in real life), but for that reason it might actually be that his blacklist is a mile long. Like he simply cannot see the word fanfiction on his Twitter feed. So Steph is the one that finds the one million BruBats fanfiction. She sees it mentioned and hunts it down. And then she sends it in the batkids GC and shit EXPLODES

Dick is very much like, a person with better things to do than be a weird gremlin online and he's never actually seen a fanfic before. He's heard of it because he gets asked weird things sometimes, but this is effectively his introduction to the world of fic and he's horrified. He steals Damian's phone so he won't see it which just makes Damian all the more curious and determined to read it. It gets physical

Steph and Tim take turns reading it out loud to Cass (Steph does Batman's voice, Tim voices Bruce) who finds the whole thing a little baffling. Neither Brucie nor Batman are particularly similar to her adoptive father and the concept of fic is a little out of her wheelhouse, although Steph does a very good job explaining the basic terms and reasons for its existence to her

Babs knew all along. This wasn't new to her. She's read worse things while doing research for cases

Duke reads the whole thing in one sitting (ish, it's really long). It's actually really good and he leaves some really thoughtful comments on the characterization and slow burn. The author doesn't reply but does cherish those comments forever

Jason wrote it Jason doesn't interact with the GC but babs literally hacked his phone to prevent him from leaving it so he opens it once a week to mark it as read and leave and he happens to open it in the middle of this shit going down and decides to check it out. He accidentally clicks on the relationship tag however and sees things you can't unsee. He literally runs over his phone and vows to go off the grid from now on

#batfam #batkids #dc #tim drake #stephanie brown #dick grayson #damian wayne #cassandra cain #barbara gordon #duke thomas #jason todd #I fucking love social media aus for this fandom it's so much fucking fun #gail speaks #ask #anonymous

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ansbobcar · 3 months ago

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I made Agito Headcanons

ummm I forgot ur name user who slipped into my dms it was like @urujsj387 or 389. I hope you enjoy this yappery. I tried my best warnings. this got my ocs in it. implied gay tension. that's it ngl. agito level stuff.

_ _ _

Amongst those who hadn't retired from Ryoh's debut as DV, Agito was incredibly unfavoured to be a Divine Visionary by many staff members and by the public. Even moreso than Renatus Revol. This is due to how problematic his cases of magic manslaughter were.

Atleast Renatus had a one and done case. (read here) Agito?

His cases were so bad that only 2 people were able to subdue him without losing their life. Sears Onoji, when he was younger, and Rinka Ontarin, when he became Divine Visionary. That's due to the use of Absolutum Tranquilier, a calming spell only used to subdue rogue magical creatures with a 100% guaranteed effect.

He had over 50 cases written and covered by Sears compared to the 10 cases Rinka had to deal with. (Don't let the numbers fool you. They were both of equal magnitude.)

Sears is the one who did the paperwork (and paid) to make Hippo-tan his pet dragon since the cost of it can make you go into debt. Otherwise it's punishable by law to keep a dragon as a pet or companion. Even moreso if it's a Professional Dragon since it violates the contract/license. (read here)

In order to stay by Agito's side, Hippo-tan became a Professional Dragon for the Bureau as his assistant when he became DV. (Conveniently enough, there was a slot open to become one.) Yes it's possible to be a pet dragon and have a job.

Yes. There is a policy which forbids non Professional Dragons (tied to the Bureau) from entering the grounds. It's weird but that's the reason nobody bats an eye about Hippo-tan. Unless you're a new staff member.

_ _ _

He feels rather grateful for receiving Sears Onoji's aide and support even when the man retired from his duties. Although he's seen as a cold and cruel person with a nickname such as "Mr. Fear", he's oddly forgiving of the problem child with a higher kill count than himself.

You would think that because Sears covered for his problems Agito and Rinka would get along or absolutely despise each other as children, and you would be terribly mistaken.

They never encountered each other until she had to oversee the Walkis candidates and their interviews during his 1st year. However, she is on familiar terms with Hippo-tan.

So... it's awkward.

(more stuff to do with rinka's relationship with agito here)

_ _ _

As a child, Agito was naturally able to do wandless casting at will. However, it was destructive so he was beaten into using a wand in order to control him output. As you might have guessed, this was ineffective.

This boils down to how he bottles up emotions and let's it explode or when he's extremely stressed and pushed to a wall. He doesn't explode physically, his magic output does and in tandem often chants lethal spells. That's why manslaughter cases... are common with him. Whether it's animals, magical creatures, people, elves, giants, etc. As a person, he needs therapy, which was never given to him.

The closest he could get was in the form of a pet (Hippo-tan) to divert his bottled feelings, and by being affected by someone who excelled in mental manipulation spells, like Sears Onoji.

As of now, he is unable to willingly cast magic without a wand (thank Sears for that).

Currently, his control of magic output is being magically restrained by 2 people:

Renatus and Rinka.

Renatus is able to temporarily lift the restraints at will for a maximum of 3 hours. He is unable to modulate Agito's maximimum output like Rinka can. However, this limits the immortal's own maximum output that he gains from being the Vessel of Thanatos.

Rinka is the one who suggested and was later convinced to put the magical restraints on him for the safety and peace of mind. This also limits her maximum output but she doesn't mind if it's for good reason. Unlike Renatus, Rinka is able to lift the restraints at will and modulate the output but she only willingly does the latter when necessary.

Why?

That's because of how the seal is undone and voluntarily placed back.

The easiest way to describe it is that you have to kiss the face. And so far the only other person who can actively survive Agito's crazy output and not die of embarassment doing it is Renatus. (Where's Ryoh? Ryoh doesn't know jackshit about mental manipulation spells. What about Kaldo? Yeah no.)

(Yes this means I ship Renatus and Agito together... whatever they have is more complicated than I could write.)

_ _ _

Even to the present day and post canon timeline, he isn't well liked by the public and often avoids news reporters and even staff dinners.

He enjoys doing the teambuilding workshops Mary Shawn, head of HR (or star staff from Magical Talent), conducts monthly for the Divine Visionaries.

He's a nerd? geek? about animals and magical creatures as a whole. He hasn't seen anyone match his level of obsession as Darren Randel, the troublesome girl Rinka has to manage since her parents could not be bothered to.

Agito doesn't know Common Communication Draconic (a learnable language between Humans and Dragons, read more here). He is able to communicate with dragons and animals through his personal magic, Dragons, but he needs to be physically touching them in order for it to work.

Magical creatures and animals on land, sort of avoid him because of his vibes. He's on better terms with sea creatures since his unapproachable aura diminishes when he's in the water.

He sort of wants Darren to be his (second) assistant since she is incredibly approachable to most creatures and even people (so they don't avoid him) but she becomes Rayne's assistant after graduating so... better luck next time!

_ _ _

Thank you for listening to this ted talk. I need to figure out Sophinaaaaa.

#mashle #mashle: magic and muscles #mashle oc #divine visionaries #for future reference #agito tyrone #mashle fanfic idea #mashle x oc #mashle fanfic #renatus revol #mashle headcanons #mashle fanon lore #YUHHHH

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dioles-writes · 2 months ago

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• OC FIC •

Masterlist | Characters: Felix (he/him), Una (he/they), Adelio (they/he), Wilder (he/him), Shehani (she/her), Winola (she/her), Akali (he/him), Alzena (she/her), Nyssa (she/her), Maddox (he/him), Ms Castro (she/her), ??? (he/him), Kuali’i (he/him), ??? (they/them)

Characters in purple belongs to @jiphenn and Winola belongs to @sleepsloooop

“Boy, this is interesting.”

Una hummed to themself, looking up from their newspaper and at the rest of the gang, their gray eyes glittering. “What is it?” Felix asked, discarding the comic book that he had engrossed himself in to lean curiously over his shoulder.

“‘Young survivor looking for Diantha Rose Board Game Club.’ Adelio Castro, a survivor from the Diantha Rose Diole Attack, recently woke up from his nine-month coma.” Una read out loud before glancing back up at the others again. “You guys know him?”

Felix snatched the paper, his eyes going wide. “ADELIO?!”

“I’m guessing that’s a yes.” Una said, peering over Felix’s shoulder as he furiously scanned the article to read the rest of it for everyone to hear.

“In an interview with Wolf News, the young man says, ‘I know it sounds fabricated, but the club aren’t bad people. They had nothing to do with the attack.’ Despite his horrible injuries, resulting in a limb amputation, why does the young man seem to defend the Diantha Rose Board Game Club?” Una continued. “He even stated, ‘My friend Winola, she was part of the club, but she still risked her life to save me. I don’t think any of them knew about what was going to happen that night other than the attacker.’ He mentions Winola Higgins, the Diole who killed her father and three siblings. Even going so far as to say she ‘saved him’.”

Everyone turned to Winola. Her expression was, as always, unreadable.

“He left a final message during the interview. This message was however, not for the public, instead, it was for the Board Game Club. ‘If you ever need me for anything, don’t hesitate to come find me, I know you can.’” Una finished.

Felix couldn’t believe what he was reading. He didn’t know what came as more of a shock, the fact that Adelio was still alive, or the fact that he wanted to help them, instead of kill them like everyone else.

The last they’d seen of him, he was unconscious, blood seeping through his clothes, his face pale and tight with pain as Cora went to help him. Felix hadn’t thought he’d made it through the night, much less the past few months - not with an injury so severe. The fact that he had woken up from a nine-month coma was a miracle in itself. And the fact that he was offering to help them, after everything…

Well, Felix wasn’t sure he could believe it.

Adelio had every reason to hate Dioles - to hate the Board Game Club. They had been lied to for months, not even aware of the fact that they weren’t even a part of a real club. Then, the night of the Winter Concert, Gunther had brutally exploded their arm, leaving them in a coma and permanently disabled. That was as good of a reason as any to hate Dioles, not to mention this wasn’t the first attack to wreak havoc in their life, and their family.

So why… was he so determined to prove the Board Game Club’s innocence?

“So who’s this Adelio guy?” Una asked, looking around.

“He was in the Board Game Club with a few of us.” Felix said.

“So he’s a Diole?” Shehani asked.

“No, human.” Felix knit his eyebrows together, beginning to explain. “January made a fake one. Gunther, Akali, Alzena, Rory, Kuali’i, and Nyssa weren’t in it though.”

“Oh, why’d you need a fake club?” Una asked.

“So it didn’t look suspicious.”

Felix remembered how he ruined his relationship with Adelio the day of the club fair, trying to convince him not to join. He had practically begged with them. Guilt sprung up in his gut at the thought of their face so full of hurt, smile fading the longer he frantically tried to explain the Board Game Club away.

“Well if people find that out won’t they accuse him of being a Diole?” Una cocked his head.

The realization hit Felix like a semi truck. Slowly, he turned to face Una, the colour draining from his face. “He’s going to die.”

His mouth went dry. “That idiot just gave a whole interview about how pro-Diole he is, if they find out they’re an ex-member of the Board Game Club, they’re going to murder him.”

The room went dead silent.

“Well they’re nothing we can do about it.” Wilder stated matter-of-factly.

“We can’t just let him die!” Felix shot back, furrowing his brows at Wilder. He wouldn’t allow himself to have more blood upon his shoulders, wouldn’t stand back and watch as another one of his friends was taken from him. Not again. Adelio had believed in him, believed in all of them. He had to have realized what this interview would mean for him. Yet he still chose to go through with it in hopes that the Board Game Club would receive his message. They had risked everything with this, had put their life on the line.

And Felix was determined to not let him down.

“What’re you gonna do? bring him here?” Wilder’s grating voice pulled him from his thoughts. His mouth was drawn in a sharp line as he glared at him, his stare borderline pure hatred. (Not that it was a look Felix wasn’t well-used to receiving by now. Practically every time he so much as opened his mouth he could expect a scowling glare coming from Wilder’s direction.)

“Uh, YEAH.” Felix argued. “If they turn on him and start accusing him of being a Diole he’s basically in the same boat as us.”

The room went quiet for about two seconds. “I think that’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

Felix crossed his arms defensively. “Well I’m not just gonna stand around and watch my friends die.” He snapped, levelling his stare.

“Yeah, like you helped him in the first place when he was dangling from Gunther’s grasp.” Wilder deadpanned.

That hit a nerve.

Felix narrowed his eyes. “I did more than you.”

“I’m guessing you weren’t running around the entire school.” Wilders eyes were practically slits at this point, his face twisted up in an angry scowl.

“I was actually helping Avil fight Gunther. Where were you, huh.”

“Maybe turning on all the taps and breaking the fucking pipes on the floor so my girlfriend could actually have water to use. By the time I got back all I saw you doing was getting your ass dragged away by your sister.”

“Maybe if you hadn’t run away from me I could’ve portalled us all to safety.” Felix glared back.

“Maybe you should’ve been doing something useful instead of being carried away while everyone else fought and ran away.” Wilder shot back pointedly.

“I WAS.”

“Woah guys, let’s all relax and focus on the bigger problem.” Una interrupted, reading over the newspaper again.

Felix scowled. His face was flushed red in anger, hands clenched, creasing the paper. Still, he obliged, biting back his urge to sock Wilder’s annoying, ugly face and going quiet.

“So is he like, good at anything?” Una asked again in regard to Adelio.

“He was really good at robotics and sports,” Felix remembered. “Uh, Gunther obliterated his arm though-“

“Oh!” Una did not think Adelio was really going to be of much help, but he didn’t say that. “Does he have family?” He asked, quickly changing the topic.

“Uh, I know he had a younger sister.”

“He had a mom.” Winola piped in.

“So a mom and a sister…. I don’t think they’d like to come down with him.”

“Well if they’re accusing him of being a Diole will he really have a choice?”

“Well instead of dragging him down here, the most logical thing to do is try to prove his innocence.” Alzena cut in, picking at her nails.

“And how are we gonna do that?” Wilder asked.

“We’ll probably have to do something that makes it look like we’re against him.” Akali said, leaning forwards.

“Wouldn’t that just make us look even worse to the public?”

“Well it’s not like they’ll be seeing us in a good light anytime soon.”

“So what’re we gonna do, attack his family?” Wilder evidently thought this was a terrible idea.

“No, we just have to make a scene.”

“Like what?” Felix asked with a frown. He was willing to do whatever it took to keep Adelio safe, but to completely ostracize himself from his former friend wasn’t his favourite plan. Adelio was the only one that seemed to be on their side since the Winter Concert. He wasn’t exactly ready to throw that away.

“Maybe we should just talk to them first.” Nyssa suggested.

“What, do I just portal to him-”

“Well that’s our only way to get to Adelio if any of you guys wanna salvage your relationship with him.”

“Well then, looks like you guys are gonna go for a little trip!” Una grinned.

Felix couldn’t help the excitement that came from those words. For the first time in months, he was going to leave the constraints of the base and go back out into the real world again. He was going to see Adelio again. He hadn’t even really realized it, but he missed them. After all this time of assuming they were dead, he was relieved to find out that they were okay and alive. Glad that they would get to see each other again, to talk again.

“So who’s going?” Alzena asked.

“Me.” Felix’s answer was instant, albeit obvious.

“I’ll go.” Winola offered.

“I wanna go.” Maddox said.

“Then I’ll go too.” Alzena added.

“I think four people is good, we don’t wanna draw too much attention.” Una said.

“Are we going now?” Alzena asked, looking towards Felix expectantly.

Felix stood up with a nod. “The sooner the better.”

“Let’s hope he’s home.” She mumbled, standing up and walking towards him.

Together, the four of them disappeared through the portal.

When they reappeared on the other side, they stood in the middle of Adelio’s little home, greeted by a comfy atmosphere, warm decorations, and a little altar in the corner. It was a stark difference to the base; dark, cold, encrusted with dried rust-brown blood from floor to ceiling, inescapable no matter what room you turned into. Adelio’s house was soft and welcoming, somewhere comfortable you could relax in. It was… calm. The exact opposite Felix had come to expect in his daily life. It was a nice change, he thought. Slowly, he glanced around, taking a few steps inside.

A bullet whipped past his head.

It collided into the wall with a loud bang, the sound of glass shattering instantly breaking Felix’s illusion of peace. “What are you doing here?! Get out!” A voice screamed.

Felix flinched, eyes darting towards the sound of the voice. Adelio’s sweet mom stood in the hallway, although she did not look so sweet when she had a gun levelled at their heads, her face set with a fiery determination that froze all of them in place.

Felix stared at her with wide eyes, too shocked to move, absolutely frozen in fear as he stared down the barrel of the gun. Out of all the possible scenarios he had been expecting, it certainly hadn’t been this.

Ms. Castro’s gaze flickered around the room, scanning each of their faces before landing on Winola. For a split second, her expression wavered, her eyes going wide, before hardening again. “I said what are you doing here?!” She repeated, her finger tightening around the trigger.

That broke Felix out of his stupor. “Uh, we’re here for, uhm, Adelio.” He mumbled, his voice coming out shakier than he would have liked to admit. “We got his uh, message.”

“Why did you come now?” Her eyes narrowed as she sharply enunciated the last word.

“Uh, we think he might be in danger.” Felix said, eying her gun nervously. “I’m sorry. I don’t- I didn’t have any other way of reaching them.”

“You THINK?”

A large crash, followed by an explosion, sounded from outside.

Their heads all snapped towards the noise. What…?

“Follow me.” Ms. Castro mumbled, before turning and sprinting down the hall.

She led them towards the basement door, quickly swinging it open and ushering them to go down. “You kids chose the worst time to come.”

“What’s going on?” Alzena asked, running down the stairs after her.

“Diole attack.”

“Where’s Adelio?” Maddox asked.

Ms. Castro fell silent.

Felix’s stomach filled with dread and he turned to stare at her with a horrified look. Were they already too late…?

“Do you need to send him a message?” She asked.

“Is he… alive?” Felix asked uncertainly, fearing the worst. This wasn’t going at all how he had expected. He hadn’t even considered the thought of a Diole attack - and all of them were definitely not prepared for one.

“Yes, he’s fine.” Ms. Castro replied. “Do you need to send him a message?”

“Where is he?” Felix asked, relief flooding through his veins.

“You don’t need to know that.” Ms. Castro snapped.

“Sorry.” Felix mumbled, glancing around. “We came here because we thought he might be in danger after the whole interview, but uh-“ He cut himself off. Diole attacks were most definitely worse.

A large crash resounded through the house.

Ms. Castro’s eyes flickered towards the basement door, her grip on the gun tightening. “Are you good guys?”

Felix hesitantly nodded yes.

“Then go get rid of the Dioles upstairs. You can talk to Adelio if you do that.”

Felix didn’t wait to be told twice. He quickly spun on his heels, sprinting back up the stairs, Winola at his feet.

Alzena turned to Maddox hesitantly, looking doubtful about so recklessly running into battle without even an idea about what they were getting themselves into; nonetheless, the two of them turned their backs on Ms. Castro and followed Felix and Winola upstairs.

Felix crashed through the door, not even having the time to blink or catch his bearings before a blade went flying at his head.

He managed to open a portal in the split-second before he was reduced to a headless body abandoned in the rubble, sending the blade flying towards his attacker. But just as fast as he dodged it, several more blades filled its place, shooting towards him.

Felix opened up another portal, larger this time, sending the blades out into the void. Before more could come flying towards him, he slipped through another portal, dropping down next to who - or what - was sending the knives towards him.

A fist went flying at his face the second he landed. Felix’s reflexes kicked in, a portal redirecting the punch before he even really had time to think about what he was doing. Smoke and debris filled the room, clouding his vision and making it hard to focus. He couldn’t see anything in this dust, much less where the attacker was.

He slipped into another portal before they could advance again, landing squarely on their back, his arms wrapping around their neck and starting to squeeze.

In an instant he felt something sharp dig into his side. Felix sucked in a sharp breath, blood seeping through his shirt. Fuck.

He portalled a knife into his hand, slashing it across their face with all his strength. It was as if their head was made of pure rock, chipping away at the blade. His attack hadn’t even seemed to affect them in the slightest. “That’s not a nice way to greet old friends, is it now, Felix?”

Felix’s blood ran cold. He stumbled away, his eyes going wide. That voice….

He knew that voice. He didn’t think it was one he’d ever forget, not as long as he lived. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in a long time, a voice that haunted his dreams and nightmares. A voice that he hadn’t heard since….

No. No. It couldn’t be possible. It couldn’t really be-

Felix’s head felt foggy as he slowly crept away, terror driving his actions, screaming at him to run, just run far, far away. He couldn’t seem to control his legs, stuck between the urge to run and to fight. His heart pattered in his chest, the sound of its rhythmic beats so loud that it drowned out all sounds of fighting and explosions around him.

“Man, I thought you’d be a little more excited to see me.” They - no, Felix corrected himself, he - sounded almost disappointed.

Felix’s instincts took over at the sound of his voice again, a portal slicing through his stomach. The shadowy figure making its way through the dust did not lurch, did not give the slightest indication it could even feel the portal. Felix couldn’t even hear it pass through skin.

Slowly, the smoke started to clear….

Felix was met with bright green eyes towering over him. The same bright green eyes he remembered so clearly. The bright green eyes he thought he’d never have to see again, not alive. Green eyes that drove pure terror through his veins. Green eyes that belonged to the one person who ripped everything away from him.

Gunther stood before him, Kuali’i at his side.

“Surprised?” He grinned down at the four of them, taking in their four matching expressions of horror with delight.

He looked different from when they last saw him. Though his hair was the same style and length, still the wispy black-and-white mullet Felix used to think was so cool (just like everything else about Gunther), countless jagged scars now littered his body. Almost every inch of visible skin was marred by them. Not only that, but his hands looked rough and more calloused than before, and his left eye was glassy and disfigured.

“You-“ The words died on his tongue.

Felix was frozen to the spot, shock seeping into his core. He should’ve been running, should’ve been fighting, yet he found himself stuck, unable to move. When he finally managed to drag his mouth from off from where it hung at his feet, his voice came out as shaky and weak, more a question than a statement, trembling and choking over his words. “You’re supposed to be DEAD.”

“You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily, did ya?” Gunther said with another grin, as if this whole thing was almost amusing to him.

Taking advantage of their shock, he transformed his arm, swiftly attacking all of them.

Felix disappeared through a portal, only to be caught by a knife to the gut the second he appeared on the other side. Kuali’i stared down at him, his pale red eyes emotionless.

Felix portalled another knife to his hand, aiming a shot back at his ex-friend. “What are you doing here?!” He screamed, anger boiling to the surface. Gunther was supposed to be gone, he was supposed to be dead. Why did he have to come back, why now? Why couldn’t just one thing go right in Felix’s life for once? “Vincent said you planned to get yourself killed! Why the fuck are you still here?!”

Kuali’i dodged Felix’s attack, aiming a punch at his face. He was a lot stronger and agile than he remembered. Despite Felix’s months and months of training at the base - with two former Top Five’s at that - he was still easily overpowered by him.

“We’re on a mission, aren’t we Kuali’i?” Gunther smiled and turned away from Winola to look at his partner, but Kuali’i didn’t even so much as acknowledge that he spoke, staying stone-faced.

Felix opened a portal to deflect Kuali’i’s punch back onto him, but Kuali’i quickly retracted his hand before he could hit himself. “How the fuck are you alive?” Felix screamed at Gunther. “January crushed you!”

“We all have our own little secrets.” Gunther said with a small grin, advancing into Alzena and Maddox now that he was finished with Winola.

Kuali’i swept Felix’s feet from under him, and he fell into a portal, landing back onto Kuali’i’s shoulders. He wasted no time, attempting to slit his neck in one swift motion.

Kuali’i dodged again. The rate he was moving at seemed to be impossible.

Gunther started to pummel Alzena and Maddox. They were no match against him, not even having the strength to block his repeated attacks.

Felix aimed a portal at Kuali’i’s leg, attempting to mutilate it into his shoulder, but Kuali’i, once again, effortlessly dodged. He swung Felix off of his back and punched him in the face, a large crack resounding as his fist made contact with his head. Felix stumbled back, managing to fall into a portal, but blood poured into his eyes, making it impossible to see. He glanced around wildly, disoriented. They were going to die.

He hastily opened up a portal for the four of them to escape through. He could get Adelio and his family to safety as soon as they arrived at the base, but even with the four of them against only two, they were greatly overpowered. They had to get out of here.

A hand closed around his neck.

Gunther grabbed him and Alzena by their throats before they could crawl away. Just as fast, Kuali’i surged forwards, grabbing Winola and kicking Maddox, knocking him over and resting his foot atop his head. Maddox groaned, blood smeared across his face, gushing out of his nose and dripping onto the ground beside him.

“You think you can get away that easily?” Gunther asked, his voice low, grinning widely.

Felix created a portal through his hand in a desperate attempt to get away, but it simply flashed before him, passing through Gunther’s wrist, almost as if there was nothing to chop off in the first place.

“I’m gonna finish what I started.” Gunther’s eyes darkened as his grip on them tightened. Felix could hear Winola gasping for breath behind him as Kuali’i strangled her, simultaneously crushing Maddox’s head under his foot.

Felix was trapped.

It was as if he was back in the crumbling remains of the school, the sounds of screaming and gunfire echoing around him as rubble rained down in the audience, Gunther’s claws closing around him and squeezing.

He felt just as puny and helpless as he did nine months ago, as if no time has passed at all since he’d left the burning crisps of Diantha Rose High School. He was still the useless, weak kid desperately fighting a losing battle against someone he would never be able to beat. The hours and hours he spent training meant nothing, not against Gunther’s pure power and strength. He was nothing against him.

His vision started to blur, Gunther’s grinning face fading in and out of focus as he choked, clawing at his neck in pure desperation.

Everything started to go black, his arms falling limply at his side. I can’t breathe I can’t breathe I can’t-

“Stand back Gunther, Kuali’i.”

A voice boomed through the sounds of screaming and falling debris. Suddenly the pressure on Felix’s neck ceased, as he collapsed on the ground in a heap, choking and heaving for air alongside Alzena. Gunther and Kuali’i immediately stepped back, looking towards the voice obediently.

Felix weakly scrambled over to Maddox and Winola. They were both bleeding and out of it, Gunther and Kuali’i’s combined attacks leaving them curled up on the ground, barely conscious, but fortunately - alive.

“Are you Dioles?” The voice called out through the dust. The air grew colder as they stepped closer and closer to the group.

“Yes.” Felix coughed out, looking shakily towards the voice.

Blood and smoke clouded his vision, making the figure appear foggy as they continued to approach them through the debris. “Come with us.”

Felix slung Maddox and Winola across his shoulders, letting out a hysterical laugh.

They stood there, staring at him for a moment before their gaze flickered around the ruins of Adelio’s home. “Kuali’i, check upstairs. Gunther, go to the basement.” Their gaze returned to Felix’s shaking, bloodied body. “Why do you laugh?”

Felix picked up Alzena last. “I’m not going to Paradise with you.” He sneered, spitting Paradise like the word was made of pure poison.

“Suit yourselves.” Whoever this was didn’t seem to want to fight. Instead, they turned their back on the group and made their way back outside into the sunny street.

Felix was happy to leave the stranger behind. He portalled to Ms. Castro, landing in the basement again.

He collapsed, Alzena, Maddox and Winola tumbling from his arms, his body too beat-up and bruised to bear their weight any longer.

Gunfire rang out from in front of him, bullets zipping in all directions. Ms. Castro had her gun held up high, as she fired bullet after bullet at Gunther.

Felix quickly dropped Maddox, Alzena and Winola into a portal, safely transporting them back to the base before staggering forwards to help Ms. Castro.

The bullets just kept passing through Gunther, colliding with the wall behind him and leaving behind no real damage. He laughed, looking back at Felix with a wide smile before attacking Ms. Castro.

Before Felix could properly register what he was doing, he was leaping in between the two of them, roughly shoving Ms. Castro into a portal, using his body to shield her from the attack.

A tentacle impaled Felix straight through his stomach.

He let out an ear-piercing scream. Every nerve in his body lit up on fire, pain shooting through his torso, exploding across his body.

The tentacle disappeared, leaving him with a giant, gaping hole inside of him. Felix gagged, gasping for breath, as his legs finally buckled from underneath him. With the last bit of his strength, he opened a portal, leaving behind Gunther and Adelio as he fell into the base.

“GUNTHER.” He rasped, collapsing onto the ground into a ball, coughing and gasping for air as blood gushed out of him from all directions. He could feel himself fading away, could feel himself dying.

His eyes started to roll up into his head, and with his last seconds of consciousness, he managed to choke out three words.

“GUNTHER IS ALIVE.”

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heartsoulrocknroll · 6 months ago

Text

AEW Collision 4/20/24

Nigel on Copeland winning the TNT Championship. "If at first you don't succeed, try again and again and again and again until you are finally able to steal what is rightfully someone else's." Lmao.

Adam Copeland, Mark Briscoe, and Eddie Kingston vs. Top Flight and Action Andretti -- Some nice exploder suplexes by Mark. Flippy stuff from Top Flight and Andretti. Dumb spot with all six guys colliding with lariats at the same time. Copeland with an impaler DDT. Mark with a Jay Driller on Darius. Backfist by Eddie, spear by Copeland, Froggy Bow by Mark on Dante, then Eddie covers Dante for the pinfall.

I honestly didn't like this at all. Technically, it was fine. But everyone was in the ring at the same time for a lot of the match, and that bothers me a lot more when the action is lackluster or not my taste like this. Rating: 2.5

House of Black show up on the screen after the match. Matthews says HOB will eradicate all their dreams at Dynasty. Black says HOB will dig so deep that they will feel like they are close to hell. And for people like himself and Copeland, hell is where the heart is.

Powerhouse Hobbs vs. CJ Esparza -- Hobbs squshes Esparza with slams on the apron and a torture rack. The ref stops the match. Rating: SQUASH

Callis on the mic. He says he was directly responsible for Omega winning the IWGP Heavyweight Championship. He says he was also responsible for the biggest match in the history of Japanese wrestling, Jericho/Omega at the Tokyo Dome in 2018, which set New Japan on a course to new heights and success, which they still enjoy to this day. He says when New Japan thanked him for this, he said he would need a favor in return one day. And he has cashed in all his favors to make Moxley vs. Hobbs next week a match the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship. That is so stupid. Hate that.

Jericho promo backstage. He apologizes for his conduct on Wednesday and for pushing Taz. He mentions his match with Hook for the FTW Championship at Dynasty. He says the Learning Tree is going to teach Hook one of the hardest lessons he will have to learn. A lesson in humility and losing something that means a lot to you.

The Gunns vs. The Acclaimed -- The Gunns try to leave, but Schiavone tells them that TK said they won't get their match at Dynasty tomorrow if they walk out tonight. Awkward. The Acclaimed jump them and land Scissor Me Timbers early on. Bowens with some nice rolling elbows, a fireman's carry neckbreaker on the knee, then a running knee on Colten for two. Colten lands a Fameasser on Bowens for two. The Gunns land a neckbreaker on Bowens for two. Caster tags in with a DVD on Colten. The Gunns land 3:10 to Yuma on Bowens, but Caster breaks up the pin with an elbow off the top. Colten rolls Bowens up and Jay hands him the bat and holds on for leverage for the pinfall.

This was a perfectly fine match. A lot better than I expected it to be, but still not really exciting in any way. Good, screwy finish. Rating: 3

Danielson interview backstage. He is asked about the Bunkhouse Brawl tonight and the match with Ospreay tomorrow. He says that sounds like a lot, but he feels alive. It seems like something is going on with the Don Callis Family. He wonders if Callis doesn't have quite as much faith in Ospreay as he says he does. He feels alive, because Takeshita dropped him on his head Wednesday, and tonight he gets to get revenge in a bunkhouse match. And tomorrow he gets to test himself against Ospreay, who calls himself one of the best in the world, and he gets to find out for himself. Ospreay comes in and tells Danielson that he has had nothing to do with any of the things the rest of the Callis Family has been doing. He says he wants Danielson at 100% for their match. Danielson says right. Ospreay says come on, Danielson has to believe him.

Excellent promo by Danielson as usual. Love to hear that man talk.

Toni Storm promo from Wednesday after Thunder Rosa's attack is shown. She wants to leave this in full color, so everyone can see exactly what Rosa has done to her. Rosa wants to be a hero? Wants to be a martyr? Wants to rally up the troops? There is nothing more disgusting than a wrestler who says they are not selfish. This is a business, this is not a charity. If Rosa wanted to uplift women, she should have stayed a social worker. Rosa doesn't want this title because she used to hold it. She wants it because of everything Storm made this title be, when Rosa could not. Rosa basks in the glow of the sun that shines right out of her ass. Rosa wants to drag her soul to hell? Rosa better check the address, sweetheart, because hell is in her bedroom and she makes love to her demons every night, and at Dynasty, Rosa can just watch.

Holy SHIT, what a promo. I am legit losing my mind over this. Hilarious, but serious at the same time. Legendary, career-defining promo.

Bryan Danielson and Claudio Castagnoli vs. Konosuke Takeshita and Kyle Fletcher (Bunkhouse Brawl) -- Fletcher and Takeshita jump Danielson and Claudio during their entrance. Claudio runs down the arena stairs with a lariat to Fletcher! Danielson slams Fletcher's head into the announce table! Takeshita takes a hammer to Claudio! Danielson wraps a cord around Fletcher's neck! Claudio swings Takeshita into a dropkick by Danielsion! Claudio locks in a Sharpshooter on Takeshita. Fletcher hurls a chair at Danielson's head, then lands something on Claudio inside. Fletcher with a thrust kick and a powerbomb on Claudio for two! Danielson is busted open, and Takeshita takes his fingers to the open wound. Fletcher nails Claudio with a hammer repeatedly. Fletcher hurls a chair at Claudio. Danielson and Takeshita trade elbows inside, Takeshita gets the best of it, sending Danielson outside. Takeshita goes for a brainbuster on the ramp again, but Danielson reverses into a DDT on the ramp! Claudio takes the hammer to Fletcher, then hurls him into the barricade, then slams his head into the steps repeatedly! Now Fletcher is bleeding. Claudio drapes Takeshita over the rope and holds him while Danielson lands a knee off the top to the back of his head/neck. Round kicks from Danielson to Takeshita, then a big round kick to the head! Danielson sets up for the Busaiku knee, but Fletcher grabs his foot from outside, and Takeshita lands a Helluva kick! Takeshita lands a German suplex on Claudio. Stereo brainbusters by Fletcher and Takeshita, then double covers for two. Takeshita goes for a rolling elbow with a steel chain around his arm, but Danielson blocks.

Double rear naked chokes, then stereo hammer and anvil elbows by Claudio and Danielson, then they transition into stereo LeBell locks! Hobbs comes in with spinebusters! Moxley comes out bald as hell to even the odds and take out Hobbs. Fletcher hands Danielson to Takeshita on the top, and Takeshita goes for a powerbomb onto a chair, but Danielson reverses into a rana off the top on Takeshita, sending him back-first onto a chair!!!! Geez! Claudio lands uppercuts and a lariat on Fletcher with a chain wrapped around his arm!! Claudio lands a senton off the apron on Takeshita outside! Danielson lands the Busaiku knee and locks in the LeBell lock with the chain around Fletcher's face for the submission!

That slapped!!!!!! Nonstop, violent action!! Perfect mix of outside-the-ring brawling, weapon spots, and inside-the-ring wrestling. I loved it all. Rating: 4

Danielson grabs a mic after the match. He says a lot of people are asking him why the hell he is doing a bunkhouse match the night before he wrestles Ospreay. It's because when some people think of heaven, they think of streets of gold, but that's not him. His spirit is a part of this. When he dies, his heaven will be standing in this ring, bleeding in front of all these people, having a whole crew of people trying to break his neck before he wrestles one of the best in the world, and telling them there's no way they can do it!! "Tomorrow, Will Ospreay, I am going to beat your ass." HELL YEAH!!!! There is nothing like a fired up Danielson promo. Cannot wait for this match!

Willow and Statlander promo backstage with Stokely. Statlander says you know what they are? Fired up. Fired up is long for FU. Stokely says where he comes from, FU means something different, so he will say FU to Brody and Julia. Willow asks if a confident champion takes a chain and hits their opponent days before a championship match? She doesn't think so. Willow says she is going to lift Julia up and powerbomb her through that mat. Because tomorrow, she's taking the TBS Championship, you bitch! Lol, this was good.

Skye Blue vs. Leyla Hirsch -- Hirsch reverses a Code Blue attempt into a running knee strike. Blue lands a hanging neckbreaker off the apron. Big elbows by Hirsch, then Blue with one of her own. Blue cartwheels into an elbow in the corner. Hirsch lands two nice suplexes, then a German suplex off the top! Hirsch goes to the top and falls. Blue lands a fireman's carry neckbreaker, then locks in a dragon sleeper for the submission. Short match, but solid action. Rating: 2.75

Kazuchika Okada and The Young Bucks vs. Pac and FTR -- Okada's arm hits the announce table early on. Okada and Dax trade uppercuts and elbows! Pac locks in the Brutalizer on Okada, but the Bucks break it up with stomps. Pac slams Okada's head into the apron and stomps on his throat on the floor!!! Nice!!! Okada and Matt pull Cash crotch-first into the ring post. Okada lands a slingshot senton over the ropes on Cash inside. Pac runs the ropes and lands a beautiful flying elbow, then a series of hard kicks, then a brainbuster on Nick for two! Pac lands a quick German suplex on Okada, then dives over the ropes onto the Bucks outside. Dax and Pac land an assisted spike piledriver on Okada for two! The Bucks stop a Black Arrow attempt by Pac, and Okada nails Pac with a big boot. Okada holds the ref, while the Bucks shove Pac into the ring steps and pummel him outside on the floor. They roll Pac inside, and Okada lands a nice flapjack. Pac with a vicious tilt-a-whirl backbreaker on Nick! Beautiful!!! Dax comes in with big jabs, a lariat, and nasty chops to Nick! Dax slingshots Nick off the ropes into Pac's hands, and Pac lands a German suplex, then Cash flies in with a jacknife on Nick for two! Nice sequence!!!! Dax ducks a superkick by Matt, Matt kicks Nick instead, Dax lands a DDT on Matt, then Okada comes in with a DDT on Dax!

Okada tells Dax to hit him!! Dax responds with vicious elbows to the jaw and chops to the chest! Okada dropkicks Dax! Dax ducks a Rainmaker attempt and locks in a Sharpshooter, but the Bucks break it up with superkicks!! Triple team running back elbow and double enziguris in the corner by Okada and the Bucks! Okada lands a neckbreaker on the knee, Nick lands a running knee strike, and Matt lands an elbow off the top on Dax and covers, but Cash breaks up the pin! Dax lands a superplex, Cash lands a frog splash off the top, and Pac lands a 450 off the top on Matt! Cash covers, but the others break up the pin! Superkicks by the Bucks, then they land Shatter Matchine on Pac for two! The Bucks land a BTE Trigger on Pac, but Cash breaks up the pin! FTR land Shatter Machine on Matt, but Okada and Nick pull Dax out of the ring. Superkick by Nick, and DDT on the floor by Okada!! Cash with a topé to the outside! Pac lands the Black Arrow on Matt inside for the pinfall!!

This was a really great match. Constant action from start to finish. I loved the exchanges between Okada and Pac, and cannot wait for their match at Dynasty. But I also loved the exchanges between Okada and Dax! What a nice, unexpected treat. Rating: 4

Okada and the Bucks try to attack Pac and FTR after the match. Daniel Garcia comes out to help Pac and FTR. Pac jumps on Okada's back with a hanging Brutalizer!! Okada drops to the mat, and Pac holds on until the Bucks pull Okada out of the ring! Pac and Okada stare at each other, Pac in the ring and Okada on the ramp!!! I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS MATCH!!! AAAAHHH!!

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waywardxrhea · 11 months ago

Text

Part two - The Tesseract

[slow burn romance between you, a SHIELD investigative journalist, and Steve Rogers]

Warnings: 18+, contains humor, fluff, mental health, family trauma, romance, angst, language, violence, smut later on.

installment list

Word count: 5.3k

A new threat emerges when Loki gets his hands on the Tesseract.

A few days later, you were on your way to a facility in Nevada where work was being done on a celestial object called the Tesseract that has been taken into SHIELD custody. While you drove, your work phone began ringing. You looked at the contact and saw that it was Maria calling so you held the phone between your shoulder and ear, saying, "Hey Maria, do you have more intel for me before I get there?"

"No, I'm calling you to tell you to turn back," she replied with a tone of seriousness indicating that this wasn't a leisurely phone call at all.

"Turn back? Why?" you asked, curiosity and worry filling your mind.

"This thing is emitting tons of energy so we've called an evac. We don't know when or if it'll blow but if it does we also don't know if there's a safe distance to be away from it. I need you to turn around right now."

"Oh wow," you whispered, "and I can't help with the evac? I'm almost there."

"No. It isn't safe here right now. You have intel on too many missions to get hurt or compromised tonight," Maria told you.

You slowed your rental car down as you saw a fleet of SHIELD trucks passing by quickly. "Okay, but you all stay safe in there, got it?"

"Got it," Maria replied. "I'll call you after with updates. Fury will probably have you interview those present afterward for an article so be ready for that."

"I'll be all over it," you told her as you turned the car around. You tried to make light of the situation by saying, "Well since we already flew out to Nevada, how's a trip to Vegas afterward sound?"

On the other end of the call, Maria laughed a bit before saying, "I'm gonna try and survive this situation first. If I'm lucky enough to make it out then sure, I'll try my luck in Vegas."

"Sounds like a plan, stay safe," you said.

"Always am," Maria replied before hanging up the phone.

You began driving in the opposite direction of the facility and then the ground started to rumble. You took the road you came in on and after a couple of miles, in your rearview mirror, you saw an explosion in the air! A bad feeling began to fill your gut and you decided to whip the car around to see what was the cause of the explosion.

While speeding back, you saw one of the facility trucks making its way through the sand and then a lone figure in the dark. You cautiously made your way over to the figure and hit the brakes when you saw that it was Director Fury.

You rolled down the window, calling out, "What the hell just happened? Are you okay Director?"

Fury ran to the other side of the car and jumped in, asking, "Did you see a truck heading that direction?"

"Yes sir," you replied.

"Floor it," he said, buckling in.

"On it." You slammed your foot on the pedal and turned in the direction you saw the truck driving. "Is Maria okay?"

"Hill's fine," Fury said while looking out the window. "She's stuck in the rubble right now but she's alive which is what matters."

"Of course sir," you agreed as you sped along the road.

After a few minutes of not seeing anything in the sand, Fury shook his head, mumbling, "We aren't gonna find them this way..."

"Do you not have a chopper, sir?"

"Agent, that's what exploded back there," he told you sharply. "That lunatic blasted me out of the air."

"I see," you replied timidly. Your mind was filled with questions about who shot him out of the sky, of what exactly was going on, and wanting to know how you could help, but before you could ask any of them, Fury was already on his walkie with Agent Coulson setting up a meeting point. They quickly met up at the set location and Fury told you to head out to your hotel for the night, effectively ending your involvement in the mission.

After regrouping in New York and getting a file together, Fury asked you to come with him to talk with Captain Rogers about the mission SHIELD had begun to get the Tesseract back. As you both walked down the hall towards the facility gym, you heard the sound of a punching bag being beat to death. At this sound, Fury said, "You go in there first. Get him talking and in a better mood before I head in there asking him to suit up again after all these years."

"Yes sir," you said with a nod before walking quietly into the gym. You watched as Captain Rogers punched the bag with all his might, sweat dripping from his body from the exertion. He dealt a final blow that sent the bag flying off of its hook and across the room. After giving him a second to breathe, you asked, "Wanna talk about it?"

He didn't look at you as he replied, "What's there to talk about? It's been almost seventy years since I was last conscious. All my friends are dead, I have no idea how to operate in this world, and everyone is acting like this is such a normal thing and that it's just supposed to be fine. You all expect me to be okay and act as if nothing happened!"

You processed the words for a few moments before telling him, "Captain Rogers, that's what I'm here for. I'm here to help you navigate this whole situation. The world is scary and overwhelming even to me sometimes, so maybe I can try and empathize with you to help you get through it all. And I know you probably aren't okay right now and that you'll need time. I understand needing time to heal from the hurt."

"I appreciate the sentiment, but I'm not sure empathizing will work out. We seem to be in very different situations here," he said with a bit of hostility in his voice.

"Well I'm afraid you don't have any other choice, Cap," you told him while sitting down on the ground and leaning against a support column. "I'll give you all the time you need, but you're stuck with me." You ended your statement with a small laugh and a smile to ease the tension.

Captain Rogers sighed as he set up another punching bag. "Can I at least have a few more days to wrap my head around everything?"

When he asked this, Director Fury emerged into the room, telling him, "In those days you should be out taking time to see how the world has evolved. The best way to wrap your head around it all is to immerse yourself in it."

Captain Rogers looked at him and said, "When I went under, the world was at war. When I wake up they say we won. They didn't say what we lost."

"We've made a few mistakes along the way," Fury replied, "some very recently."

He looked between you and Fury and asked, "So this is about a mission isn't it?"

You put your hands up defensively, telling him, "I'm genuinely wanting to help you out here, Cap."

"But I do have a mission for you," Fury told him.

"This another way to get me back in the world?"

"Well, we're trying to save it," Fury replied while handing him a file.

Rogers looked at the file and said, "HYDRA's secret weapon..."

Fury nodded, telling him, "Howard Stark fished that out of the ocean when he was looking for you. He thought that the Tesseract could be the key to unlimited sustainable energy."

Emma piped in quickly, adding, "That's something the world nowadays really needs."

Captain Rogers handed the folder back to Fury and asked, "Who took it?"

"They call him Loki. He's...not from around here," Fury told him. "There's a lot we'll need to bring you up to speed on if you're in. The world's gotten a lot stranger than you remember."

"I doubt anything would surprise me at this point," Rogers said with a sigh.

Fury gave him a look and told him, "Ten bucks says you're wrong." He continued telling Captain Rogers about the file and asking him some questions as he left the gym. When he was out of sight, Fury returned and you got up off the floor to stand with him. "I want you running report on this one, Agent. It'll be a big op and I need my best eyes on it."

"Yes sir. On your orders," you replied.

"I'll get someone to deliver an intel file to your place ASAP. Expect it tonight."

"Yes sir," you told him.

You made your way to your apartment to make dinner for yourself while listening to music and dancing away the nerves the day had build up. After you finished your meal, there was a knock at the door and something was slipped under.

You stood up to check it out and saw the file was labeled "top-secret mission." You cracked open the door to see if anyone was still outside but saw no one. Closing and locking the door once more, you switched your playlist to classical music so you could concentrate while reading the file.

A few days later, you were in a jet with Captain Rogers and Agent Coulson heading to the SHIELD helicarrier to meet up with the team that Director Fury put together. You listened in on the conversation between the men with half an ear while you looked into the additional information you were given for the day.

You heard Coulson refer to Stephen Hawking and Cap gave him a look of confusion. So you spoke up, informing him, "He's a really smart scientist. I'll add that onto the list of things to show you."

Rogers nodded before returning his attention to Agent Coulson. "I've got to say, it's an honor to officially meet you, I mean, I kinda met you, I watched you when you were still asleep," Coulson told him with a giddy smile before realizing what he said and stammering out, "I mean not in a weird way, I meant that I was there watching to see when you woke up."

You chuckled and piped in, "I was too, it isn't weird, Cap. You were a highly anticipated guest to the agency."

Coulson breathed a sigh of relief and mouthed a thank you to you for helping out. The two men made their way to look out the front of the jet and Steve said to him, "I just hope I'm the man for the job."

"You are. For sure," Coulson replied quickly. He was quiet for a few seconds before telling him, "We made some modifications to the uniform for you."

"The uniform? The stars and stripes aren't a little...old fashioned now?" Cap asked.

"With everything happening right now and what's going to happen, I think the country needs a little old-fashioned."

You nodded as Captain Rogers looked at you for reassurance. "You'd be surprised how many people would rather live back in the time you're from. Or, well, roughly around there. I'm one of them myself. I'd have preferred to have lived a simple life back in the '50s."

Captain Rogers nodded in response and the three of you made small talk for the rest of the trip. The whole time though, he couldn't get his mind off of what could have been if he hadn't crashed the plane into the ice all those years ago... He could have lived a simple life with Peggy, had kids, watched them grow up, but that opportunity was taken away from him.

When you all landed on the SHIELD carrier, Agent Coulson introduced Captain Rogers to Natasha Romanoff, one of the best spies in the business. After their introductions, Romanoff told Coulson, "You better get in there, they're starting the face trace."

Coulson nodded and told you, "Follow me."

"Yes sir," you replied. You gave a small wave to Romanoff and Captain Rogers before following beside Agent Coulson.

When the two of you were out of earshot of the others, Coulson told you, "Again thank you for jumping in to save me earlier. I couldn't find the right words to say and any filter I had just went out the window when I started talking to him."

You laughed lightly, telling him, "It was no problem, I know the feeling all too well." You paused for a moment before asking teasingly, "Are you a big fan of Captain America or something, Coulson?"

He returned the laugh and nodded, replying, "You can say that." He looked around subtly to make sure no one else was there before asking, "Between you and me, do you think he'd want to sign my vintage trading cards? I ask because out of everyone so far, you're closest with him."

"I'd hardly say we're close yet, but I am the one who has spent the most time with him. I say maybe wait a little bit for that ask, he's still wrapping his head around the fact that he's in 2012 right now. When all this Tesseract stuff is dealt with, maybe then."

"Got it," he replied as you both emerged into the meeting area where Fury and Maria were waiting.

"Agents," Fury said curtly as you approached.

"Director Fury," you both responded.

"Thank you two for getting Captain Rogers here in one piece. Now, Coulson, I need you to get with the other agents to talk about the game plan for the upcoming mission and monitor the face trace." He turned to you and said, "There's a computer set up with all your programs for reporting as well as your surveillance drone for when the need arises. For this particular trip, I need you to document important points brought up by the team I have gathered as well as anything important that happens in the search for Loki. Are both of you clear on your instructions?"

"Yes sir," you both replied before setting off in opposite directions to your stations.

After setting up and getting your laptop and tablet up and running, you began making rounds of the ship to see where to start on your documentation. When you got to the room where agents were running facial recognition for Loki, you heard Agent Coulson talking with Captain Rogers about signing his card collection. You laughed to yourself and continued observing from the sidelines of the room, trying to be as unnoticeable as possible to the room's occupants.

Action finally began as one of the agents got a match to Loki in Germany. The craft immediately shifted course to its new destination and as if on cue, Director Fury entered the room and announced, "You're up, Cap."

Captain Rogers nodded and followed Fury to where his new and improved suit was being stored. You followed loosely behind so you could get Cap's initial reaction to being back in uniform for the first time. After a few minutes, he emerged into the hall clad in red, white, and blue with his shield all polished up and new-looking.

You let out a low whistle at the sight of the shield and said, "Now that is a nice looking shield." Captain Rogers chuckled a bit and you asked, "For the record, how's the new suit feel?"

"It feels...new, yet old-fashioned at the same time," he replied. He looked around and added, "Off the books though, between you and me, it's a bit bright."

You laughed and said, "Your secret's safe with me. Now, can you tell me what you're getting suited up for?"

"Aren't you supposed to know everything, Agent?"

"For documentation purposes, it's just better to have direct quotes, Captain," you told him. He nodded and gave her the information Fury gave to him as you both walked down the hall to prepare for the mission.

Once the ship was closer to Germany, a select few SHIELD agents prepared to depart the craft with Captain Rogers: you being one of them. As all the other agents were getting suited up to go, you ran some tests to make sure your drone was working for capturing the footage. As you did this, Maria walked up behind you and asked, "Are you clear on your orders of where to perch for documentation?"

"The building half a block down from the target on the roof. Stay there unless fire comes directly at me and if it does, look for another agent for cover or the rescue team," you replied without looking up. You finally made eye contact when all your systems are active, telling her, "This isn't my first time doing this, Maria."

"I know but it always worries me when someone goes into the field unarmed, especially when it's my best friend," she replied. "Why don't you carry again? I feel like we should make that mandatory for all field agents... I can take you to a range and teach you, I think you'll catch on pretty quick."

You laughs and told her, "It's not that I can't because trust me I can. It's just that I don't want to and don't feel the need to. I've never been targeted in the field and taking someone's life just...doesn't sound appealing to me."

Maria sighed and said, "You haven't been targeted yet, but one day you will be and it's not gonna end well because you won't be armed."

Captain Rogers walked up to the pair and said, "Sorry to interrupt, but I have to steal her away for the mission."

Maria nodded and told you, "Stay safe."

"You know I will!" you called over your shoulder as you walked away.

Maria laughed as she shouted back, "Uh-huh, next time you're taking a gun!"

Before the group of agents got onto a couple of small aircraft to descend into Germany, you gave them all earpieces that would transmit into your computer for use later. You slipped yours in after getting Cap's ready and asked him to test the audio on his end. "Testing, testing, this is Captain Steven Rogers," he said and the audio projects clearly into your laptop.

"Thank you," you said as you went on to test the other sets of the agents. When you all are above the drop zone, one of the other agents drops you off on your designated building before going off to his patrol area for if things with Captain Rogers go badly.

Once settled on the roof, you fired up your drone and put on the reflective plates so no one will be able to see it. You flew the drone over to the huge crowd that had been fenced in with Loki's magic and shook your head in sadness for the poor people that Loki was making kneel to him.

One man stood up in defiance and right as Loki was about to shoot a beam of power at him, Captain Rogers dropped down and protected the man with his shield. Cap started towards the gold-clad man and said, "You know, last time I was in Germany a man was standing above everybody and we didn't get along."

After a brief conversation between the two men, Agent Romanoff flew up in one of the stealth ships and aimed a gun at Loki. She used the speaker on the ship to say, "Loki, drop the weapon and stand down."

In response, Loki aimed his scepter at the ship with the intent to blast Romanoff out of the sky! Fighting ensued between Captain Rogers and Loki, with you flying your drone in closer to capture the action for the agents aboard the carrier.

After about a minute, a voice crackled into the headsets you were wearing, and in came the voice of Tony Stark asking, "Did you guys miss me?" In true Stark fashion, he began blaring AC/DC over the speakers of the jet Romanoff was in and you tried not to roll your eyes at the antics as you continued to film the encounter.

Captain Rogers and Loki looked into the sky, unsure what to think of the music when Stark flew in and knocked Loki to the ground. You captured the footage as Stark held out his hand armed with a blaster along with another blaster on his shoulder daring Loki to make a move. The man let the illusion of gold-clad clothes fade away as he put his hands up in surrender, seeming to accept his fate.

When Stark and Rogers got the man into their custody, you shut off your camera feed. You flew the drone back to your location right as a rescue craft came down to bring you and the other agents back to the carrier. Romanoff, Stark, Rogers, and Loki are in one ship to fly back and you along with the other agents are in the second.

As the pilot navigated back to the SHIELD carrier, there was a spontaneous lightning storm that brewed up. As he flew though, you looked up from your laptop to glance out the front of the ship as he hit some turbulence. Over the jet's audio system came Director Fury's voice saying, "Agents, get out of that storm and to the carrier ASAP."

"Yes sir," the pilot responded as he sped the craft up and away from the others.

With eyebrows furrowed, you spoke up, asking, "Any reason we're straying from the other agents?"

In response, the pilot called back, "We're on direct orders from Fury to get out of the storm and to the carrier, I'm sure he told the others too. Don't worry Agent, the only thing you need to worry about is writing up your report."

"Yes sir," you replied and got back to your laptop. For the rest of the ride back to the carrier, you wrote up your report on the events of the mission that would be published for agency papers and online forums.

Upon arrival at the helicarrier, you promptly gave your file to another reporter to proofread it before publication. Before heading off to make your rounds, you noticed the other craft that carried Loki and the others had not arrived yet. "Hey, where'd the others go?" you asked Maria who was working at a set of computers.

"They had to take a quick detour, they should be heading back soon," she replied.

You nodded, saying, "Gotcha." You paused and told Maria mockingly, "See who didn't need a gun on her mission today?"

"You're really not gonna drop that are you?" Maria asked with a laugh as she looked up from her computer.

"I just like teasing you," you said with a quiet laugh. You were quiet for a moment before asking, "Now I'm going to talk with Doctor Banner, yes?"

"Correct," Maria replied before having her attention dragged elsewhere on the carrier.

So you proceeded to make your way to Doctor Banner's lab and gently knocked on the door when you arrived. Doctor Banner looked up and motioned for you to open the door. "Hello Doctor," you said with a smile. "I'm just here to document some of what you're doing to find the Tesseract and then I'll be out of your hair."

Doctor Banner nodded as you sat quietly in a corner of the lab. "Are you being this nice on purpose because you know what I can turn into or are you always this nice to people you observe?" Banner asked with a bit of defensiveness in his voice.

You were shocked at the question for a second before saying, "I usually do tend to be nice to people I interview, Doctor. Otherwise, I wouldn't get the substance I need for an article. You can just continue as normal, maybe just speak out loud what you're doing or catch me up to speed in layman's terms and we'll be good to go."

Doctor Banner smiled a bit at your kindness before diving into what he had been working on the whole day.

A little while later a troop of guards passed the lab with Loki in tow. You glanced up from your tablet when they did so and you caught a glimpse of Loki giving Doctor Banner a look. You shook your head and mumbled, "Man that guy seems like a lunatic...what was that about?"

Banner shook his head and responded, "He probably knows about the other guy and is trying to piss me off...it's all good though."

"If you need anything just tell me. I'm good with tech, but don't ask me to do anything sciency," you joked to ease the tension in the room. "I can also get you some tea or whatever else you may want."

"I think it's time to meet up with the others, thank you though," he told her and headed to the door of the lab.

You nodded and followed him to where the rest of the assembled team were in a meeting room. You sat in a corner away from everyone so you could just document and not interfere, after all, it wasn't your place to do so.

From the corner, you listened to the conversation between Fury and Loki through the monitor Agent Romanoff was streaming the feed through. By the sound of the conversation and the way Doctor Banner shrank his posture, you assumed the cage was originally designed for the Hulk.

After Fury and Loki's conversation ended, Banner joked, "He really grows on you, doesn't he?" You laughed to herself at the joke before continuing to listen, jotting down the highlights: the big highlight being that Loki claimed that he had an army from space that intended on helping him win power over Earth.

At this sentiment, Captain Rogers asked, "So this guy's got an army...from space?" Everyone nodded, shocked but not too mind-blown, but Captain Rogers shook his head in disbelief. You quickly tabbed over to a different document and made a note to tell him about the space race as well as show him some space-themed shows and movies.

The conversation continued for a bit before Tony Stark emerged into the room with Agent Coulson. Stark started speaking as if he was the only one in the room and in charge as per usual, giving orders to the flight crew who just stared at him. You shot Maria a look silently asking, Can he do that?

Maria shrugged before Stark announced, "That man is playing Galaga." This caused yet another confused look from Captain Rogers and you made a note to take him to an old-school arcade to learn about the start of video games.

Stark and Banner started speaking aloud about what Loki's minions were going to need for his plan to work, almost all of it going right over your head. You were relieved when after Stark praised Banner for "speaking English", Captain Rogers mumbled, "Is that what just happened?"

Stark then told Banner that he loved his scientific work along with how he turns into the Hulk and rampages everywhere. You sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose, remembering how your first assignment as a SHIELD reporter went horribly wrong because of him. Stark had never been the best at keeping his mouth shut then or now.

Fury strode into the room, announcing to Stark, "Doctor Banner is only here to track the cube. Nothing else. I was hoping you'd join him, Stark."

Captain Rogers jumped in, saying, “I'd start with that stick of his. It may be magical, but it looks an awful lot like a HYDRA weapon.”

Fury considered it for a second before saying, "I'm not so sure about that, but it is powered by the cube and I'd like to know how Loki used it to turn a couple of my best men into his personal flying monkeys."

"Monkeys?" Thor Odinson, the newest addition to the team, asked, "I do not understand."

"I do!" Captain Rogers interjected with a smile. "I understand that reference." You giggled and made a mental note to tell Cap about the new Wizard of Oz movie coming out next year.

A little while later, after taking a small break, you were wandering the halls to get to where Stark and Doctor Banner had set up shop to locate the Tesseract when you saw Captain Rogers forcing open a door that was locked via keypad. You scrunched your eyebrows together in confused and followed him, careful not to make any noise as you did.

You slipped through the crack in the door, glancing back to ensure that no one saw you, and found the fleeting figure of Captain Rogers climbing up some of the machinery and walkways. You sighed to yourself and looked around for a way to get up there without being a super-soldier...

After a few seconds, you spotted a dangling ladder and made your way to it, carefully scaling it. You quietly lifted yourself onto the walkway and spotted the Captain opening a box labeled classified. As you did, you cleared your throat and asked, "Whatcha doing there, Cap?"

Rogers jumped at the sudden voice behind him and took a fighting stance before realizing it was just you. He relaxed a bit, but still had his guard up while he asked you, "What the hell is this? What is SHIELD really?"

You had put your hands up when Captain Rogers had taken his fighting stance and kept them up as she replied, "I genuinely don't know what you're talking about, Cap. What's in that box?"

"Like you don't know. You're the top reporter at SHIELD, there's no way you don't know about this," he countered.

"Like I said, I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Rogers ignored this statement and continued his questions, stepping closer to you as he asked, "Are you working for HYDRA? Is all of SHIELD just a modern-day version of HYDRA?"

"Captain Rogers, listen to yourself, why would SHIELD be HYDRA? Plus, if I knew I was working for an organization like that I would have bailed out a long time ago! I know you dealt with HYDRA back dur-"

Suddenly, Captain Rogers lunged toward you, pinning your arms down to your side and covering your mouth with his hand. You struggled and tried to get out of his grip, but he had you held to his body too tightly. While you struggled, he leaned down and whispered, "Unless you want to get caught back here where we aren't supposed to be, I'd recommend you keep your mouth shut."

You nodded quickly, not knowing what was going on until you heard a pair of footsteps that were now retreating at a leisurely pace. When the sound was far enough away, Captain Rogers released you from his grip. "What the hell was that about?" you asks in a quiet shout.

"If you're a HYDRA agent, I couldn't have you calling for help," he told you.

"For the last time, Cap, I don't work for HYDRA! SHIELD doesn't either!"

"Well, how do you explain this then?" Captain Rogers asked. You scrunched her eyebrows together once again and went to the box that he pointed to as he asked his question. He continued his statement as you looked at the contents of the box, saying, "These are all HYDRA weapons of war. Tell me that doesn't look extremely suspicious on SHIELD's part."

"I will admit that does seem pretty suspicious..." you muttered, looking at the box with confusion in your eyes.

Captain Rogers evaluates your reaction and everything you had said before and asked, "So you really didn't know about these?"

"No, not at all. SHIELD is a huge organization that has so many secrets. I only know what I'm called to report on or document. I had no idea these existed."

"Well, I for one am going to confront Fury about these."

"Let me help."

"I think it's best if you don't," he told you while picking up one of the weapons to take as evidence.

"But Cap-" you tried.

He put his hand up in protest, telling you, "No bargaining. This is on me. We aren't supposed to be back here, so I think you should sneak back down and make sure no one sees you. That's an order."

You nods. You couldn't disobey direct orders from a superior. "Yes sir," you said before carefully making your way back to the main area of the ship. Captain Rogers made sure to wait a minute before following you down to ensure that you wouldn't get caught with him.

#captain america #steve rogers #marvel #the avengers #slow burn #marvel fanfic series #captain america fic #steve rogers slow burn #steve rogers friends to lovers #steve rogers fic #avengers fanfiction #steve rogers x reader

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birlwrites · 2 years ago

Note

For your Band AU, super curious about what everyone else is up to? Like, where do Regulus, Sirius, Remus, Lily, etc. fit into everything?

also, is Barty still liable to make things explode in this AU? is he still Down To Fight at the drop of a hat?

regulus: barty's best friend! he hangs around with the band a lot, mostly because idk exactly what else he's doing in this fic afjkdghjkf. compounding the chaos, he and barty have a Complicated history that always seems to get 800% more complicated when barty is talking to james and *they* know what their relationship status is but that doesn't mean they're interested in explaining

sirius: really not sure where he fits in yet but he's definitely best friends with james (i imagine sirius and regulus brought james and barty together for the band, in a horrible horrible move that has come back to bite them in their combined ass many times in many ways but has also resulted in a surprisingly financially secure musical career for their best friends!!) - i think it would be very funny if sirius like. managed their wardrobe or something. there are opportunities there i'm sure of it

remus is either a historical musicology grad student with pandora or he's an indie singer/songwriter, whichever option lends itself better to the chaos

lily is uhhhhhhhhh (i am making some of this up as i go afjskhjksdf) well first of all she's best friends with marlene, probably they are roommates as well, and she should definitely be doing something fun i just am not sure whether it'll be in the music industry or not. could be fun if she's studying conducting? some sort of graduate degree in either conducting or violin performance idk, alternatively something more chaotic but i do like classical musician lily. but i could also see her leading her own band. OH and then they could do a COLLAB

then i have to think about why marlene and lily aren't in a band together. hm. probably it's just slight genre differences. but who is in LILY'S band? dorcas definitely. and alice? yes i like it. lily is bassist and lead singer because i love that for her

BARTY LOVES CONFLICT THEY HAVE TO BRIBE HIM HEAVILY TO NOT START SHIT DURING INTERVIEWS. BARTY IS NOT ALLOWED TO TALK TO THE PRESS UNSUPERVISED BECAUSE ONE TIME HE TOLD A REPORTER THAT THE NEW DEATH EATER ALBUM SOUNDED LIKE A MEDLEY OF THE WORST EMO HITS FROM 2009 AND IT WAS ALL OVER THE INTERNET WITHIN LITERALLY 5 HOURS AND THEN HE GOT INTO A WAR WITH TOM RIDDLE ON TWITTER. REGULUS HAS AN ALBUM ON HIS PHONE OF SCREENSHOTS FROM IT

also once barty confessed his undying love for james on camera and regulus *also* has a clip of james's reaction to that saved

this is why regulus does not count as supervision

but yeah a...... non-insignificant chunk of their social media engagement is from people watching barty like he's a bug in a jar and they want to see what he's going to do next

#band au with bonus hatred #should i make an inbox tag

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cassynite · 2 years ago

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🥤 [PARTY CUP] How does your OC feel about drama? Do they start any themselves?

🌹 [ROSE] Does your OC believe in true love? Why?

🍁 [MAPLE LEAF] What is your OC's favourite season? Why and what do they do during it?

🍅 [TOMATO] How misunderstood is your OC? In-universe or IRL.

Aaaaaa Ella!! Thank you for the questions!!! ❤️

Emoji Themed Interview Questions

🥤 [PARTY CUP] How does your OC feel about drama? Do they start any themselves?

Sparrow haaaaates drama. At best it can be a mildly interesting story or a piece of information to be used; at worst it's a catalyst for something emotionally revealing, draws unnecessary attention to herself, or both. She'll avoid it if possible, going for diplomatic or placating options to discord, or will work to mediate issues that seem to be exploding into something worse if it is involving people close to her.

🌹 [ROSE] Does your OC believe in true love? Why?

Yes! Sparrow's always believed in true love--not necessarily like 'one true love,' or soulmates, but she has always believed in and wanted another person or people that she loves without reserve. To Sparrow, love guides and provides purpose and joy; true love is love that endures and provides through all hardships. True love stays.

If asked why she believes in it, there's not going to be an actual piece in her life she can point to. She can't say she's ever felt true love before the events of the Fifth Crusade--certainly, nothing she's ever loved has stayed or endured for her. Maybe it's just that she wants something like that so desperately that she can't help but believe in it, despite everything in her life telling her that all things are ephemeral. It's one of the reasons she takes a risk in Daeran and opens up to him; she senses that he is looking for the same thing.

🍁 [MAPLE LEAF] What is your OC's favourite season? Why and what do they do during it?

Sparrow's favorite season is summer! Like many other things it stems from her childhood--Dehrukani's climate is very tropical and even during winter seasons is very temperate. Weather so much further north is very different, but summer is when it gets closest to what she remembers. Sparrow loves long, sunny days, the plants that grow and bloom, the festivals that occur in the summer months, the fact that people are more likely to travel and bring with them new stories and experiences...everything seems brighter during the summer.

While Sparrow spends spring and autumn seasons primarily in Drezen, during the winter and summer months she's more likely to either be in Heaven's Edge or traveling. Summer is when she and Daeran are most likely to be somewhere that is not Mendev, unless something important has demanded Sparrow's attention. Sparrow is happy doing anything as long as she's doing it with Daeran, but she's partial to locales that take her to beaches and on bodies of water.

🍅 [TOMATO] How misunderstood is your OC? In-universe or IRL.

Hmmm. In-universe, Sparrow is seen as cold, dour, prudish, rule-abiding--quiet, and ultimately uninteresting to most. Many interpret her reserved nature as either snobbishness or a desire to isolate herself, neither of which are true. She only willingly shows her sense of humor, playful nature, and passion to those she is very close to, so many don't believe that side to her exists. I think all of her companions end up around her long enough to see the different sides of her, as well as a few of the people in Drezen she works with closely...but to the rest of the Crusade, and to the world after, Sparrow is the kind of person people would say has never laughed in her life.

#cassy answers #aeoncoded #oc: sparrow #sparrow is one of those crazy people who prefers to be hot rather than cold. couldn't be me

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star-mum · 1 year ago

Text

Good morning babies <3 (“but it's literally the afternoon, Star” well nobody asked you, asshole) I got my breakie, I got my coffee, Spotify is blasting the FOB song of Sunny’s choice, lets fucking do this 😎

This is a fucking insane episode, it was really fucking good (it will be in my top 5 for season 4, I’m afraid) and also … WAS CYRUS PLAYED BY ARCHIE ANDREWS’ DAD ??????? MR ANDREWS ???? (i wanna say Fred Andrews ?)

Yes I know the actor, Luke Perry, was a lot more famous than that one character but I am 20 and that's the one thing I’ve seen him in (still he outsold in that fucking ep)

“You thought it would be an easy day. Maybe that was foolish on your part” well…. fucking duh, what did you expect when visiting a cult ? but also you’re me so I wont be too mean about it

“Benjamin Cyrus” OH YEAH ALSO, you’re gonna choose a new fake name for yourself and you go with BENJAMIN ??? Cyrus is cool as a first name, very cult-ish but Benjamin ??? LITTLE BENNY, THE CULT LEADER ???

“The rings.” YES !!! I fucking love this, fake dating ? NO, YOU FOOL MAKE MARRIAGE

“Make sure you put on the left hand.” …. As discreetly as possible Id wait for Spencer to put his ring on first to check which hand it is… im giFTED IN OTHER WAYS (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXrQA-x1cbU)

“Won’t Cyrus be even more angry if he finds out that it’s not true?” What is he gonna do? Demand to see the certificate?

“you didn’t find it surprising that Reid knew this fact right off the top of his head” little intermission cause I genuinely DON'T UNDERSTAND why everyone always seems so annoyed whenever Spencer either blurts out random facts or goes on full rants ? Like, yes timing isnt one of his strong suits but as long as it isnt a super innaproprieta time WHY ARE YOU ALL SO JADED ????? I love useless stupid rants, I love to be told random facts, it’d genuinely be so much fun to have someone around who just Knows Stuff

Like imagine not having a super great day (or even a terrible one) you can just go “hey Spence, know any facts that might cheer me up?” BOOM ! EVERYONE’S HAPPY !! Okay, sorry about that, intermission over. Everyone back to your seats

“So Spencer stepped up to introduce you” isn't Cyrus gonna question why we didnt take Reid’s last name ?

“Hearing him refer to you as his wife - you hated to say it, but it caused a jolt through your system” YEAH THAT CHECKS OUT

“How far from God’s word must we have strayed for there to be a need to invent a job called ‘Child Victim Interview Expert’” YOU TELL US OR SHOULD YOUR CHILD BRIDES ????

“how much intense, feigned passion you said these words with” putting my entire pussy into this role, lets go gamers

“completely surprising yourself, you leaned in and kissed Spencer on the cheek” to sell the fantasy ONLY obviously

“Benjamin Franklin” … imagine youre a cult leader and the fake name you pick for yourself is in honor of BENJAMIN FRANKLIN (idc that he’s founding father, that's just boring and uninspired)

“knowing that the two of you likely should have coordinated this story during the plane ride” KSKSKS WE WERE SO CONFIDENT ABOUT IT TOO “he wont find out” MA’AM

“Has it been a godly union?” … what does That mean ?

“Your wife didn’t take your last name.” I just “Jim”ed a non-existent camera (am I just… unbeatable …?)

“Hotch had only come up with the fake marriage idea the day before” I wonder why this super carefully made plan’s gonna explode on our faces (haha explode, get it?)

“A few hours later, everything had gone to hell” welp :/

“it wasn’t very difficult to pretend to be Spencer’s wife then”

“Which one of you is the FBI Agent?” can't we just put it on Nancy’s tab ? she’s already dead anyways :-:

“What? You think I wouldn’t know if - if my wife was an FBI Agent?” very good point, angel <3

“and you couldn’t help when you let out a wounded cry” this is like the opposite we’d always have to as agents, no the more real emotion the better

“It must have been Nancy!” FUCK YEAH WE CAN !!!!

“Perhaps I should strip you naked to ensure that you’re not wearing a wire.” I find comfort in knowing that his ass is getting blown up at the end of this : D

“Perhaps they didn’t see him as a threat” sksksk damn

“So I suggest you get that gun away from my wife before you and I truly have a problem.” I want him, biblically

“Your arms clutched desperately at his waist, needing to keep a hold on him” the yEARNING THAT I'M FEELING THIS WHOLE SECTION !! ITS A TERRIBLE AND INDESCRIBABLE FEELING

“You couldn’t hold yourself back then. You surged up and kissed him” YEEAAAHHHHH !!!! LETS GOOOOO !!!! howEVER sksksk we’re gonna get so much fucking grief from Morgan and Prentiss over this “a cULT HOLDING YOU A GUN POINT ?? THAT'S WHAT IT TOOK?”

“After the mock poisoning, which Spencer figured out rather quickly” not important but my sister watched this episode with me and I also figured that out – before her or Spencer, so point for me on the scoreboard

“If we tell them that you’re pregnant” I FORGOT ABOUT THIS PART (oh boy if you thought the yearning was hard before)

“You had gotten married and had kids all in one day. What a miracle” KSKSKSK SUNNY

“Your imaginary sperm is powerful, isn’t it?” KSKSKKSS

“Those were names he had lovingly chosen for your imaginary children” nothing like the fear of imminent death to bring out the embarrassing marriage!AU you have about you and your coworker

“You reached up and gently gripped his forearm in response, giving a light squeeze to show your approval. He leaned in and kissed the back of your head” dizzyingly is CORRECT cause I’m feeling light headed

Okay sorry, they’re acting so married and couple-y, I just had the vision of both of then getting back to where the rest of the team is still in that headspace and Hotch has to – after a long moment – ask for the rings back, cause they’re both still happily wearing them

“Hugo and Iris” I really wanna know the context for the name choices !! idk if this is something that Spencer mentioned further in the show or if there is a deeper meaning for you picking them, but I wanna know

“but you had come up with some much better – You said that you have a nursery here?“ fake miscarriage … ? ooohhhh okay no that was stupid nvm (I’ll be humble and leave it in tho SKSKSKS)

“needing to care for children lest your womb shrivel up and you die” SKSKSKS the comedy in this one is just next level, these lines are killing me

“Your plan worked flawlessly” never doubted myself for a second 🫥

““Where’s Reid?” Morgan easily asked you. “He’s still up at the church” Oh we’re kissing when he gets out, in front of everybody I can sense it (it’s my personal version of spidey senses, I can feel a good fanfic moment coming miles away)

“You had to tell yourself that Derek was going to get Spencer out” I mean… Derek also drove an explosive rigged ambulance to a self exploding space in like 2 minutes ?? there’s very little that man can't do

“you felt a sharp grip on your upper arm – L/N!” I always feel something akin to a tiny little baby static shock when my name’s just on shit (I always forget the extension is on)

“You’re so stupid, you’re so stupid! Why would you do that to me?” the most “Star” reaction of all time, thank you sm for this

“I love you too – The words flew from your lips so naturally it hurt” I can feel this in my bones and I don't know how to better explain it

“one of the most earth shattering kisses you had ever experienced” Spidey Senses, never wrong

“It was no longer a show” mA’AM– *deep breath* its okay, she’s still in denial, its fINE

Love Me Love Me by the Travelling Kisses started playing (mind you I put on my Spotify likes, so 1132 songs on shuffle) and I felt genuine pain for how perfectly it fit

“you simply flipped Derek off over Spencer’s shoulder” KSKSKSKS IS THAT PHOTO !! I CANT FIND IT BUT YOU’VE SEEN IT !!! EVERYONES DRAWING THEIR FAV HOMOSEXUALS IN THAT POSE

“JJ handed Derek five dollars” Damn JJ “Derek handed the fiver to Emily when she reminded him that the ‘fake marriage’ bit had actually been her idea” OH MY GOD OF COURSE !!!!

“he fake rings were just cheap costume jewelry that Garcia had gotten and they would tarnish soon if you kept wearing them” and we will have green ring marks on our fingers, happily

“I rewatched the canon episode and it doesn't 100% align with what happened in the episode in terms of the timeline and stuff” I literally just watched this weekend and I dont even remember much outside of the main plot points SKKSKSKS so I think it's absolutely fine

“I highly resisted the urge to end this with 'baby making' smut” which is both fair but also dear god it probably pained you to do so

OKAY !!! I just absolutely loved this !!!! I love the cheesy and angsty moments, also really fun episode to write fic “onto”, we already talked about this but I would love nothing more than make Spencer a father and he’d be SUCH A GOOD HUSBAND AND DAD IT KILLS ME

I definitely not going to deny baby making smut if it comes my way but I also agree this being its own cute little thing is very good (I’d honestly be more interested in a pt 2 following more of their relationship, than focusing more on the smut – which surprises the both of us I Know)

The Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes

Spencer Reid x BAU!Fem!Reader

Summary:

While undercover inside the Separatarian Sect, you and Spencer realize something important: you can't live without each other.

Spencer Reid x BAU!Fem!Reader. Co-Workers to Lovers. Fake Dating. Hurt and Comfort. Set during Season 4, Episode 3.

Word Count: 8,200

Criminal Minds Masterlist | AO3 Link

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Full list of warnings and author's notes below.

Warnings: Lots of spoilers for the canon episode - so if you haven't watched Season 4 of Criminal Minds yet, steer clear of this fic for now (especially because watching the episode provides some context for this fic/makes things make more sense); the reader uses she/her pronouns and has the ability to get pregnant (she is not pregnant during the fic and there's no smut, but due to discussions in the fic, it's not unreasonable that she could get pregnant); fake dating in the form of a fake marriage - the reader and Spencer pretend to be married under the Christian religion to 'appeal' to Cyrus; because of the fake marriage, Spencer uses the term 'my wife' to refer to the reader; lots of mentions of religion (Christianity), religious extremism, mentions of pedophilia/child brides (in line with the canon episode); mentions of systemic sexism and gender roles enforced by cultures of organised religion and religious extremism; use of y/n and l/n (in this case meaning 'your last name'); the reader pretends to follow the Christian religion while undercover but I never stated if she believes in a less extreme version of these things or not (the reader's true religious beliefs are never stated); protective!Spencer, possessive!Spencer; mentions of Spencer being taller than the reader (which, again, I think he would be taller than most people) - the reader's body/body type is not described in any other way; mentions of guns and gun violence (not described in deep detail) - in line with the canon episode; the reader and Spencer fear for their lives; dangerous/live-threatening situations; the reader and Spencer are threatened with a gun; Cyrus is just generally creepy and sexist toward the reader; Spencer is pistol-whipped and the reader is threatened with sexual assault (it does not happen, Spencer protects her); mentions of pregnancy/the reader being pregnant (she is not pregnant during the course of the fic); mentions of the reader being a mother/having kids (Spencer makes up fake kids to sell their fake marriage story); the reader realizes she might actually want to be a mother because of Spencer's fake kids story; mentions of an explosion (as in the canon); love confessions; angst with a happy ending. Hopefully that is everything.

A/N: The title for this fic comes from a Fall Out Boy song of the same name. The theme/lyrics of the song don't really fit the fic, but I love the way that this title fits - how everyone in this fic is lying in some way but Spencer is someone with good intentions while lying. Making him the Patron Saint of Liars and Fakes. I love how it fits. I wrote this while suffering with heat exhaustion so idk if it's good or even makes sense. I rewatched the canon episode and it doesn't 100% align with what happened in the episode in terms of the timeline and stuff, and I am too tired to rewrite the whole fic to make it align with the episode. So uh - alternative canon? But I really love the basic concepts and I do really love how it turned out. I hope you guys like it too!

...

You thought it would be an easy day.

Maybe that was foolish on your part. So far, you hadn’t seen a single ‘easy’ day while working with the BAU. Between chasing down scumbags and then reliving every single gory detail while doing the paperwork - none of it was ‘easy’. It was worthy, accomplished work - making the world a safer place to live in. (At least that’s what you told yourself.) But it was never easy.

There was always someone who made the job easier. Someone who made you smile every single day - especially on days when you didn’t think you were even capable of feeling a tiny shred of joy. Someone who made you feel safe, who you always felt had your back no matter what. So you were glad that he was by your side today, along for the ride.

“Tell us about Cyrus.” Reid prompted.

He looked to the woman driving, your new companion for the day - Nancy Lunde, someone who worked with the state department and had set up the interviews with the children at the Separatarian Sect.

“Benjamin Cyrus. No criminal record. In fact, there’s no record of the guy at all.” Nancy explained.

“That’s odd.” You commented. “Usually someone being accused of something like this would have some past offenses. Especially because it would give him a reason to move into isolation to continue the criminal pattern of behavior.”

“Well, I couldn’t find anything on him.” Nancy shrugged.

“What about the 9-1-1 call?” You asked.

“A fifteen year old girl called in saying that a man was ‘laying with her’ and claimed it as ‘God’s will’. I believe the ‘he’ referred to is Cyrus.” Nancy explained. “The age fits with Jessica Evanson, but I’ve managed to negotiate interviews with all the children, just to be sure. It wasn’t easy.”

“They’re incredibly weary of outsiders.” You commented. “Our boss warned you not to identify us as FBI, right?”

Nancy nodded. “I got you some spare credentials, just in case.”

She took one of her hands off the wheel and reached into her pocket.

“You’re going to be using your real names. You’re going in as Child Victim Interview Experts working with Child Protective Services. No association with the FBI.” Nancy explained, handing Reid your fake credentials.

He nodded, inspecting the IDs before handing you yours where you were sitting in the backseat.

“Oh, before I forget.” You noted, reaching into the pocket of your cardigan. “The rings.”

You pulled out a small plastic bag that Hotch had given to you before you left. It was a bag containing a fake diamond ring in your size and a fake golden ‘wedding’ band for Spencer.

Reid reached over the seat to grab his ring from you, and Nancy gave the two of you an odd look.

“Rings?” She questioned.

“Fake wedding bands.” You explained.

“It was our Unit Chief’s idea.” Reid added on. “He believes that presenting us as a ‘godly’ married couple to Cyrus will make him more likely to open up to us. He’s less likely to see us as hostile outsiders if he believes that we share a similar system of beliefs.”

“It could also have a calming effect on the teenagers we have to interview or the kids there who have had more time to go through indoctrination at the Sect.” You continued to explain. “Even if their parents are hesitant to let the kids speak with us, they may be more willing to have their child speak with us or even leave them alone with us if they believe that we’re fellow Christians, rather than hostile atheists there to poison their children’s minds.”

Reid nodded at you through the rearview mirror.

“Make sure you put on the left hand.” He told you. “That’s the position for marriage.”

You nodded at this.

You placed the ring in the appropriate position, and you couldn’t help but to take a moment and stare at it. It was jarring to have a wedding ring on - especially with the thought that it represented you being married to Spencer. But you supposed, of all the people to call your husband, he would be one of the best. He was honest, intelligent, kind, and… if you were pressed, you would definitely say he was handsome.

But you couldn’t get too caught up thinking about all of that. Because it wasn’t real. It was a false projection you were wearing for the benefit of a self inflated sociopath.

Spencer liked the feeling of the ring. He didn’t take too long to stare at it after he had put it on, because he knew his mind would wander if he did. When Hotch had first proposed the idea of the two of you pretending to be married, Spencer had almost tripped over himself to oppose it - mostly because he didn’t think that he would be able to handle simply pretending to be your husband for the day. It was just too cruel.

Having something he wanted so badly dangled right in front of him and knowing that it was all just a farce - it bothered him, but he delighted in the play nonetheless.

When he caught the fake gold glinting in the light, Spencer had to remind himself that it was fake - that you would just be playing his wife for the day. He had to push back any internal glee that he felt at the idea that he got to be ‘taken’ by you while wearing that ring. It wasn’t real. It was just for the day.

“Isn’t that deceptive?” Nancy asked. “Won’t Cyrus be even more angry if he finds out that it’s not true?”

“He won’t find out.” You replied confidently. “And besides, we use deception in interrogations all the time. It’s a very basic tactic: align yourself with the suspect. Make them think you share the same beliefs, that you’re on their side.”

Reid grinned at this. He always loved it when you spoke so confidently.

…

“We’re looking for Mr. Benjamin Cyrus.” Nancy announced as the three of you got out of the car.

“Then you’ve found him.” Cyrus announced confidently.

He was pretty much what you had expected him to be - dressed informally, slouched over, faking meekness, holding a bible near his chest as though it were a shield. He had planted himself there purposefully, wanting to be the first person to interact with the outsiders as three of you came into the Ranch.

You hovered back near Spencer, letting Nancy make the first introduction.

“I’m Nancy Lunde.” She said, giving a small nod toward the man. “We spoke on the phone regarding the allegation.”

“‘Savages they call us, because our manners differ from theirs.’” Cyrus rhymed off a quote, obviously positioning himself and his group as martyrs being attacked for having ‘different ways’ that the world simply didn’t understand.

“We didn’t come here to hear you cite scripture, Mr. Cyrus.” Nancy reminded him, hoping to keep the religious zealot on track.

“Actually, it’s Benjamin Franklin.” Reid corrected her, talking about the quote.

That did surprise you, but you didn’t find it surprising that Reid knew this fact right off the top of his head. It was just one of the many amazing things about him - his perfect memory and his ability to use it.

Of course, him saying this immediately drew Cyrus’ attention toward the two of you. So Spencer stepped up to introduce you.

“Hello, I’m Spencer Reid, and this is my wife, Y/N L/N.” He said motioning toward himself and then to you as he introduced the two of you. Hearing him refer to you as his wife - you hated to say it, but it caused a jolt through your system. Almost as if you had been waiting forever to hear him say those words and hadn’t even known it yourself. “We’re Child Victim Interview Experts, here on behalf of Child Protective Services.”

Of course, you couldn’t get too caught up in deciphering how those words made you feel, because you had to focus on the task at hand. The job that you were here to do.

“How far from God’s word must we have strayed for there to be a need to invent a job called ‘Child Victim Interview Expert’.” Cyrus said, his tone even, quiet.

You knew that covertly, it was his way of saying that the two of you didn’t belong there, because he ran the Ranch with God’s word, so nobody had actually been harmed (in his opinion). He believed that he had done nothing wrong. Obviously, he thought your time and resources were better spent with ‘actual’ victims who didn’t have his power wielded over their lives.

“I can assure you, Mr. Cyrus, we try to bring God into our work.” You told him, trying to appeal to him. “The children we visit usually need prayer and God’s light the most.”

Spencer gave you a sideways glance, clearly holding back a grin at how thick you were pouring it on - how much intense, feigned passion you said these words with.

“Well, I can assure you that a lack of prayer and God’s light is certainly not an issue for the children here.” Cyrus said, giving you a clever little grin. He thought that you would simply interview the children, praise him for what a good job he had done, and then leave. “You can go and see the children whenever you like. They are up at the school, as I indicated in our phone call.”

Nancy walked toward the school, and you paused before you followed.

Before you walked off, you looked to Spencer. In a completely silent conversation that only worked so well because the two of you had been in so many tense situations before, thinking around UnSubs and planning miles around them before they could even know it, he gave you a small nod and you instantly knew what it meant. He had established a small bit of trust with Cyrus, so he would stick back and see what else he could get out of the man.

You nodded back, and then - completely surprising yourself, you leaned in and kissed Spencer on the cheek. You were just playing the part, you told yourself. It’s not that it felt entirely instinctive to say goodbye to him with some kind of affection, like the many hugs you had given him before. It’s not that you felt so entirely scrutinized with Cryus’ piercing eyes on you, and you needed the anchor of Spencer’s touch.

You were just playing the part.

Spencer tried not to get caught on being kissed on the cheek like he was some blushing virgin, and instead, focused his attention back on Cyrus instead of watching you walk away. (Even though every single one of his instincts told him that he needed to keep a more careful eye on you because you both had to leave your guns in the car.)

He took a step closer to where Cyrus was leaning on the concrete, and easily picked a topic of conversation.

“Solar panels.” Reid said, motioning to the large devices sitting behind Cyrus on the grass.

“Yes.” Cyrus nodded. “We’re completely self-sufficient here. Food, electricity, water. Benjamin Franklin said ‘God helps those who help themselves’.” He explained. “You look surprised.”

“No, uh, impressed, actually.” Reid easily lied, trying to appeal to his ego.

“Thank you.” Cyrus said. “Most men wouldn’t admit that.”

“Well, I suppose that I’m not like most men.” Reid shrugged in return.

“How long have you been married?” Cyrus asked, motioning toward Reid’s ‘wedding ring’.

Reid panicked slightly, knowing that the two of you likely should have coordinated this story during the plane ride to Colorado so that your answers to these simple questions wouldn’t be different. But he just made up an answer and hoped that nobody else would ask you the same question and find out the deception.

“Three years.” He said. “I’ve been very blessed.”

He used the language purposefully, knowing that the simple phrase could get him on Cyrus’ good side. That, and he hoped it would draw the attention away from any possible signs of his blatant lie.

“Your wife is very beautiful.” Cyrus commented.

He gave a wicked smirk as he said this. It was a simple, fairly ‘innocent’ comment, but it was immediately off-putting to Spencer. It took everything in his body not to glare daggers at Cyrus or throw out some protective comment in return. He could only imagine what was going through Cyrus’ mind as he thought about you, and he hated even imagining it.

Reid knew that it was a basic logical good, the instinct to protect you because you were his partner on this case and he was supposed to have your back. But it was also something more. Something in every fiber of his being that screamed you were his and no man should ever be thinking of you that way except for him.

“Has it been a godly union?”

He was lucky when Cyrus spoke again and distracted him from his mounting rage.

“We try to be as godly as we can be.” Spencer took the simple, diplomatic answer.

“Your wife didn’t take your last name.” Cyrus pointed out.

Nancy had used your name on your false credentials because Hotch had only come up with the fake marriage idea the day before. There hadn’t been time to inform her about it and have ‘Reid’ put on your ID as your ‘married’ name. So he had introduced you by your name to keep everything consistent with the reuse.

It did make Spencer wonder if you would keep your last name if the two of you ever did get married. It made him almost dizzy, thinking about you as ‘Mrs Reid’. Thinking about your kids having his name. Or your name, if that’s what you wanted.

But naturally, he pushed past all those thoughts and formed an excuse.

“Typically, married women aren’t very well perceived in our line of work.” He quickly excused. “She doesn’t even get to wear her ring that often. She couldn’t change her name on paperwork at our office because a working married woman… it’s heavily frowned upon.”

“Well, I’d have to agree.” Cyrus grunted. “A woman shouldn’t be out working. A woman should be at home raising a family.”

“I - I suppose you’re right.” Reid agreed through gritted teeth.

He walked away toward the school before he got too angry again.

…

A few hours later, everything had gone to hell.

Some authority - the police, the military, you didn’t even know - had charged into the Ranch shooting. In response, Cyrus and his followers had come into the school toting large semi-automatics asking you and Spencer if you knew about a raid.

You didn’t. You wish you had known about a raid. You would have warned Hotch and gotten them to call it off. You certainly would not have been there while it was happening.

When they had pointed those guns in your face and forced you into the tunnels - it wasn’t very difficult to pretend to be Spencer’s wife then. Cowering in the bunker, confused and scared, you flung your arms around his waist almost instinctively, and he buried his nose in the top of your hair as he wrapped his arms around your shoulders like a shield, promising you that everything was going to be okay.

Whispered to you like that, coming from him - it was almost easier to believe. Even with the chaos going on around you and the fear pumping through you in response.

Nancy had run off trying to get them to surrender and did not come back. You had a feeling that you knew what that meant.

And now, with the kids from the school ‘evacuated’ into the church, you were being held in the cellar at gunpoint. They had forcefully separated you and Spencer, making you sit in chairs at opposite sides of the room.

Spencer was fidgeting. His eyes kept flickering from the door, to you, to the man standing beside you holding the very large gun.

You knew that you had ugly tear tracks down your face, and oddly enough - you wanted nothing more than to be back in his arms. As you were forced to sit there, just a few feet across the room away from him - you ached for it.

There was a very large possibility that you were going to die today. And you selfishly needed the comfort of being in the arms of someone familiar - someone safe. Someone you knew would never hurt you. Someone who had made you laugh with dumb science jokes and puns for the last five years that you had worked together with him.

When Cyrus charged back into the room with two men flanking his sides, you and Spencer stiffened up once again.

“God will forgive me for what I’m about to do.” Cyrus announced to the room, presenting a handgun from his belt.

Your insides quaked, and Spencer’s eyes grew wide.

You couldn’t contain the fearful whimper that erupted from the back of your throat when he raised that gun and placed it near the middle of Spencer’s forehead. You clasped a hand tightly over your mouth to keep yourself from crying out in protest, knowing that would only make things worse.

“Which one of you is the FBI Agent?” Cyrus asked firmly.

Which ‘one’?

So he knew that you were undercover, that you had lied about your job titles - but he thought that only one of you had done so. Where the hell was he getting his information?

“I - I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Spencer told him quietly, looking him in the eye the entire time.

You hoped that his stutter could be passed off as nervousness from the gun being pointed in his face, and wouldn’t be pointed to as deception.

“Which one of you is it?” Cyrus pressed.

“We are not FBI Agents.” Spencer said, more confidently this time. “We are Child Victim Interview Experts. We were only sent here to ensure the wellbeing of the children. Nothing more, nothing less.”

Well, that last part wasn’t a lie.

“You’re lying.” Cyrus told him, entirely confident in this. “God expells those who lie, devils in sheep’s clothing.”

There was a tense moment, and then Cyrus cocked the gun.

Spencer didn’t flinch. You resisted the urge to scream.

“Proverbs 12:22 says: ‘The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in those who tell the truth.’” Cyrus said, actually citing scripture this time.

He was giving Spencer one last chance to tell the truth. As if using the bible verse to say that his punishment would be lesser if he simply told the truth now.

Spencer didn’t take the bait.

“I’m not lying.” Spencer said firmly. “What? You think I wouldn’t know if - if my wife was an FBI Agent? This is the woman I wake up next to every single morning, the woman I go to sleep next to every single night, we work together every single day, we-”

Cyrus interrupted Spencer’s ranting with a sharp hit to the face, pistol whipping him across the cheek.

This caused Spencer to go flying off the chair, and you couldn’t help when you let out a wounded cry. It took everything in you not to jump out of your own chair and rush to Spencer where he had collapsed onto the ground, clutching his cheek.

“Someone is going to tell me the truth.” Cyrus said gruffly.

“It must have been Nancy!” You said, the idea finally popping into your head.

You seemed to be more clever with the pressure of Spencer’s life being threatened. Cyrus stared you down, turning his attention fully toward you now. You caught Spencer’s eye for a moment and he gave you a small nod - as if to say ‘yes, keep going with that’.

“The woman we came in with! Nancy!” You reasoned, continuing to point the finger at the woman you had to assume was dead. “We - we just met her today. Our boss introduced us to her, but we had never met before that. If she was FBI, we had no clue. We swear.”

Cyrus turned to you then, and tightly pressed the barrel of his gun into your forehead. You could feel the imprint of it so tight in your skin that it hurt, and you could only lean away so far before threatening to knock the chair backwards.

“It’s very convenient to pin this crime on someone who isn’t here.” He grunted at you.

“It’s the truth.” You sniffled out quietly.

“Hmm.” Cyrus hummed thoughtfully, and then, much to your surprise, he removed the gun barrel from your forehead.

You barely had a moment to breathe in relief before he began skimming the gun down your neck, touching the metal whisper-gentle across your bare skin - clearly taunting you. It was something that made your whole body stiff with alarm, and caused Spencer’s eyes to go wide once again.

“Perhaps I should strip you naked to ensure that you’re not wearing a wire.” Cyrus said, teasing the gun along the buttons at the front of your cardigan.

You held back a sob at the thought of it - at the idea that he could make you do almost anything for the fear of you being shot. Truthfully, you were more afraid of what he might do to Spencer if you didn’t comply, but it was all the same in your mind now. His life was just as valuable as yours, and you would do whatever it took to protect him.

Before Cyrus could take these threats any further, a heroic voice intervened.

“That’s enough!” Spencer yelled.

He gathered himself off the floor and oddly enough, none of the men moved to stop him as he came to stand beside Cyrus. Perhaps they didn’t see him as a threat. Perhaps it was because Cyrus didn’t bark any orders at them to stop him. He was entirely unflinching, keeping his focus on you and keeping his gun held between your breasts as Spencer crowded into his personal space, trying to press himself between you and the awful man.

“We’ve told you everything that we know.” Spencer told him lowly, his voice heaving with well controlled anger. It was something that you had rarely ever heard from him.

Cyrus kept his eyes locked on you, so Spencer continued.

“We don’t know anything about the FBI - we have a simple job advocating for children who have been abused. That is it. We came here to investigate a most likely false claim against someone in your community and we truly didn’t mean to get caught up in all of this.” He said firmly, clearly trying to appeal to Cyrus. “So I suggest you get that gun away from my wife before you and I truly have a problem.”

Spencer’s voice was dark, so thick with rage. More pent up rage than you had ever heard from him when he was talking to any suspect, people who had done the worst of the worst. Something about Cyrus threatening you had truly boiled his insides.

The way he said the words ‘my wife’ - growling it out like he was a feral animal and this threat to you had activated every single one of his protective instincts. Hearing it made something inside of you yearn for him on such a deep level that you didn’t know was possible. You wanted to feel that kind of protection cast over you every single day. It made you feel invincible, having Spencer watch over you like that.

Cyrus lowered the gun then, and Spencer grabbed your arm as you dissolved into hysterical tears. Instinctively, he lifted you up into his arms. You thought that you heard Cyrus mumble out ‘my apologies’ as he left the room - but he was barely on your radar. Your entire world became narrowed down to nothing but Spencer, your safety net as he built a wall of protection around you.

He used his height to block you from seeing anything but him, letting you push your face into his chest as you cried. He wrapped you in his arms once again, letting you feel truly safe for a few moments as you sobbed into the fabric of his sweater. Your arms clutched desperately at his waist, needing to keep a hold on him - needing to ensure that he didn’t leave you.

“Hey, shh. Shh. It’s okay.” He said, leaving gentle kisses on the top of your forehead and your hair, rubbing across your back with one hand, comforting you in the only way he could in those moments. “It’s gonna be okay.”

Of course, he wanted to break down too. But he had to be strong for you.

“Spencer,” You called his name in an utterly wounded voice, pulling away from his chest to look up at him.

When you saw his injury up close - a sharp, purple-red bruise that was blooming across his cheek, it looked so utterly painful. Your insides ached at the thought that he had taken a blow for you. You hated to imagine what more they could have done to him if they had not believed your lies.

You instinctively reached a hand up to touch it and he caught your fingers halfway, instead, gently grasping your hand and laying it on his chest. The intimacy felt so oddly rehearsed - so worn in, so ‘normal’. It felt like you had been married to Spencer for years. Like it wasn’t a play at all.

Your two souls had been calling out to each other for years, just waiting for the dam to break. But you couldn’t quite put it into words - not like that.

“It’s okay.” He said quietly, knowing you were horrified by the injury.

He was so gentle, so comforting, so calm. Everything the men pointing guns at you were not. Unlike Cyrus - Spencer Reid was a true blessing from God.

You couldn’t hold yourself back then.

You surged up and kissed him, fully embracing his mouth with yours in a kiss. Though it was so sudden, it was something he easily returned. The kiss so full of urgency, so needy, so passionate. Like he was trying to tell you that it was okay, that he would protect you no matter what.

He would protect you because you belonged to him.

In those moments, the two of you were basically alone. One of Cryus’ men was guarding the door, watching on boredly. But Cyrus was off in the church, funneling people in to prepare for his ‘loyalty’ test. It didn’t matter if he saw you kissing or not - it wouldn’t have sold the reuse of you being married any better.

This was just for the two of you. This was comfort.

When you pulled back from the kiss, Spencer looked stunned, almost as if he couldn’t believe what had happened. You didn’t give him time to question it.

“Thank you.” You said quietly.

It was twofold:

Thank you for protecting me. Thank you for giving me comfort.

Spencer didn’t have too much time to marinate in the meaning of the kiss before Cyrus’ men came back and fetched the two of you, wanting you to observe the loyalty test.

…

After the mock poisoning (which Spencer figured out rather quickly, making you admire his cleverness once again), Cyrus kept you and Spencer in the church with a few of his closest, most loyal followers while all of the low level followers dispersed back to their homes.

You and Spencer were lingering in the back quietly while Cyrus was on the other end of the room, talking to his men about how to proceed. The plans for their ‘final stand’.

“We need to get some kind of signal to the others.” Spencer whispered quietly. “Maybe they’ll take pity on you and let you go if-” He swallowed sharply, cutting himself off abruptly. Oddly enough, he didn’t want to voice whatever was on his mind.

“If what?” You probed. You wondered what the hell you could possibly be thinking.

“If we tell them that you’re pregnant.” He said, whispering so lowly that you almost didn’t catch the words.

You rolled your eyes sharply at this.

You had gotten married and had kids all in one day. What a miracle.

(In those moments, clouded by fear, you couldn’t see it for what it truly was - Spencer blatantly revealing his unconscious desires to have a baby with you.)

“We could convince them to release you. As a show of good faith. A pregnancy would be good leverage in that. You know how religious people are about fetuses-” Spencer reasoned.

“Yeah, and what if they give me a test?” You probed, punching a large hole in his logic. “We don’t know what kind of infirmary they have here. They obviously believe in modern technology. What if they want to give me an ultrasound to check on the fetus after the stress of the day? To prove that they did no harm to the precious unborn child,”

Spencer was easily caught on this point. If they examined you and found that you weren’t pregnant, all the lies would fall apart.

“Well… what if we tell them that you have a baby at home that you need to get back to?” Spencer reasoned, jumping to the next logical conclusion in his mind. “It’ll likely garner the same level of pity.”

“Your imaginary sperm is powerful, isn’t it?” You whispered back sharply. Spencer rolled his eyes this time. But he didn’t redact the plan as unreasonable, so you continued on. “Okay, what do I even do when I get out there? I’m not gonna be of any use to the tactical team. We don’t know what Cyrus’ final play is yet.”

Truthfully, you couldn’t bear to be separated from Spencer. Knowing that he was inside, potentially being beaten up more, potentially being shot and bleeding out from a wound without you knowing - it would kill you with stress. You need to be by his side. You needed to know that he was okay.

“Has God blessed your union with any children?” Cyrus appeared behind you suddenly.

You wondered if he had heard you say the word ‘pregnancy’ or if this was just a random topic that had come up in his mind.

His sudden appearance behind you caused you to whip around and crowd into the comfort of Spencer’s arms again because you were frightened. Naturally, Spencer wrapped his sheltering touch around your shoulders. Your back was gently pressed into Spencer’s front, his arm shielding you protectively as it was wrapped around your chest, holding you with his hand on one of your shoulders, unconsciously stroking his thumb across the fabric of your cardigan. The position had you both facing Cyrus, watching the fan in an offensive way.

And of course, Spencer didn’t miss a beat.

“Yes.” Spencer answered easily. “We have two kids at home. A boy and a girl. Iris and Hugo. Iris is almost three years old and Hugo is eleven months. His first birthday is coming up in June.”

You knew that Spencer could be very good at talking off a suspect’s ear under pressure, but when you heard him rattle off these ‘facts’ so easily, it hit you.

This wasn’t simply statistics or physiological knowledge - this was a very elaborate backstory for your supposedly real marriage. Perhaps he had thought about all of it on the car ride up (which was odd not to share it with you, in case Cyrus asked you a similar question and your answer didn’t match up with Spencer’s).

But if you weren’t mistaken, this wasn’t simply a backstory for your fake marriage during the undercover mission. This was a fantasy of his. Those were names he had lovingly chosen for your imaginary children - kids he had dreamed up in his head and wanted to be real.

Your heart ached at the thought of it. You found yourself missing a set of children that weren’t even real. (And distantly, wanting to jump his bones to make it a reality.)

“Tell me, Mr. Reid, would you find it so shameful for your daughter to marry young?” Cyrus asked.

You found it odd to hear Cyrus call Spencer ‘Mr. Reid’, but you realized that he hadn’t introduced himself as ‘Doctor’ in this setting. You held your tongue when you felt the need to correct him as you had so many other people, wanting Spencer to receive his proper title.

Your mind almost couldn’t focus on the question that Cyrus had asked. Of course, he was trying to get Spencer to stroke his ego once again. Basically admitting that the whole reason the two of you had come here was true - he was being vastly inappropriate with a young member of the church, and getting away with it. And he saw nothing wrong with it.

And he was trying to get an outsider to admit that he saw nothing wrong with it too.

When there was a moment of silence - Reid obviously torn on how to answer the question, Cyrus continued.

“Is there really something so wrong with a blooming young woman marrying a man who will protect her under God’s laws?” He probed, his voice so entirely confident. Clearly confident that he was right.

“Well, I’m not sure if I would let my daughter get married so young.” Reid said, finally speaking up. “I just know that I would want her to marry a man that would protect her, and be the best possible fit for her. Someone who would cherish her and be good to her no matter what.”

His answer made you swoon. You reached up and gently gripped his forearm in response, giving a light squeeze to show your approval. He leaned in and kissed the back of your head - dizzyingly, you were imagining him walking your imaginary daughter down the aisle before you had even gotten married yourself.

Maybe it was being so close to death, being threatened in such dangerous territory that was causing your life to accelerate at light speed in your mind. If you were going to lose everything, you might as well enjoy the escapism of a fake life with a beautiful man in your mind instead of being stuck on the heart pounding terror of being held hostage, right?

Surprisingly, his words drew a smile from Cyrus.

“You’re a protective father, aren’t you?” Cyrus asked.

“Of course.” Reid confirmed.

“I can always admire that in a man.” Cyrus nodded. “A man should always pride himself on protecting his family.”

There was another moment of pause, and you were hoping that the topic had been dropped completely.

“Do you have a picture of your children with you?” Cyrus asked.

You wondered if - in a different version of reality, where you and Spencer really were married, where Hugo and Iris really did exist - if you had a picture of them in your pocket, would Cyrus only be asking this so he could use the picture to taunt the two of you? What other purpose would he have for knowing what your children looked like?

“Unfortunately, no.” You answered. “I keep my family pictures on my desk. In my office. We - we’ve just been praying to get back to them safely.”

Cyrus seemed perturbed at you mentioning that you had an office. Something dark flickered over his features for a moment and then disappeared.

“Well… if it is right, God will grant you that safe passage.” Cyrus said.

Just when you truly thought the conversation was done, he said something to you that entirely grinded under your skin.

“I find it entirely odd that a mother of two young children spends her days working a job where she takes care of other people’s children, rather than staying at home with her own youngins where she belongs.”

He said, using that same entirely confident, righteous tone that he always did. Even though you were not really a working mother, you had a hard time not boiling with anger at the sexism ripe in his statement.

“How much must you be missing of your sweet angels lives to instead partake in the horrors of devils you shouldn’t have to witness.”

Of course.

You had a hard time not rolling your eyes at this or saying something harsh that would set him off. Instead, you reached up to Spencer’s arm around your shoulder, squeezing his fingers, trying to keep your patience.

“I’ll have you know that Y/N is an amazing mother.” Spencer piped up, knowing that Cyrus respected him enough as a man that he wouldn’t beat him simply for speaking up. “Her nurturing and caring makes her infinitely better at her job.”

Again, you knew that there was so much personal truth in Spencer’s words. He thought that you would make an amazing mother to his children - at least theoretically. He was entirely firm in that conviction. And he thought that your natural caring made you amazing at the job you did as a Profiler. He knew this from the quality of work he witnessed you doing every single day.

You didn’t know it - but it was just one of the many things that had caused him to fall in love with you.

Oddly enough, Cyrus’ words prodded at something deep inside of you. It made you imagine a life for yourself where you weren’t spending your days witnessing horrors from unspeakable devils - but instead, at home, looking out for Spencer’s imaginary children.

You would have said it was the fear of the day, clouding your mind. But maybe it was the clarity of being so close to death that made you realize what - and who - you truly wanted out of life.

…

Hours later, after some of the hostages had been released (the ‘non-believers’ who had failed the loyalty test), Cyrus had requested that some food be sent up. Spencer gave you a sharp look when he saw the message written on one of the takeout lids.

The team would be storming in to end the hold-out at 3am. You had to somehow ensure the safety of the hostages by then.

Obviously, the fake pregnancy idea was still warping through Spencer’s mind, but you had come up with some much better.

“Cyrus,” You called out his name gently, getting his attention. “You said that you have a nursery here?”

It had come up, during his long winded bragging about how perfect the Ranch was. Something about how mothers didn’t have to raise their children alone. The children were raised as more of a ‘group effort’ and women took ‘shifts’ in the nursery, allowing the women to rest or get chores done in the interim.

“Yes, we do.” He nodded.

Spencer stared at you with his jaw set, wondering what you were doing but not daring to speak.

“I - I’ve been missing my children dearly. I was wondering if I could go to your nursery and see if they need any help? It would do my soul good to be around young ones right now. After all the commotion of these days.” You spoke meekly, trying to play the part of the shaken up, dainty woman well.

Which was too difficult, seeing as you were playing up the fear you had already experienced.

He grinned. It was a rather menacing smile, and you tried your hardest not to show any further fear, or disgust.

“That sounds like a splendid idea.” He nodded. “Christopher, why don’t you escort her down to the nursery and then come back? We need you here for our final preparations.”

You were finally falling to those gender roles that he had been pushing on you since you had arrived. He didn’t suspect a thing. He simply thought that you were a God fearing woman falling to your natural womanly instincts, needing to care for children lest your womb shrivel up and you die.

Spencer rose from his seat and Cyrus stopped him.

“Just your wife.” He said, putting a hand in front of Spencer’s chest to stop him. “There are still some things you and I need to discuss. Man to man.”

You went over to Spencer and didn’t hesitate to plant a kiss firmly on his mouth, which he returned with vigor. This one lasted only a moment - it was something precious for the two of you. You didn’t need to put on some pointed show for the men in the room.

“It’s okay.” You told Spencer quietly, brushing your fingers gently over his uninjured cheek.

You could tell that he was dying to ask you what your plan was. But he kept the words trapped in his throat, unable to speak in front of the many temperamental villains lurking about.

“Come on.” Christopher grunted.

Spencer gave you a longing look as you left. He didn’t want to think it, but as he watched your figure retreat out the door, he feared that it would be the last time he ever saw you.

…

Your plan worked flawlessly.

Getting to the nursery meant that you had unsupervised access to the women and children, especially away from Cyrus’ prying ears. Because you were a ‘delicate’ woman, nobody suspected you of having ulterior motives. You easily found a crack in Kathy, Jessica’s mother. You spotted her as the one who had made the original 9-1-1 call, wanting to get her daughter away from Cyrus. You convinced her to help you get everyone out, and you felt intense relief when you were met with a familiar face in the cellar as everyone escaped through the tunnels.

“Where’s Reid?” Morgan easily asked you, glancing behind your shoulder as if waiting for him to appear.

“He’s still up at the church.” You told him. “I had to separate off to help get the women and children out-”

“Go on, we have to get you out!” Morgan urged, trying to gently usher you along.

“We have to go get Reid!” You argued, trying to turn around.

“Go, go on, I’ll go get Reid!” He told you.

You were about to argue back, but you were cut off by a scuffle behind you.

Jessica was yelling about Cyrus - how her mother had betrayed her, tricked her.

Morgan pushed Kathy toward you and ran off screaming for Jessica. You took Kathy’s arm, gently convincing her that everything was going to be okay as you guided her the rest of the way out. You had to focus on this, convincing yourself that everything was going to be okay. You had to tell yourself that Derek was going to get Spencer out - that they were both going to be okay.

When you got outside, you were hyper focused on marching away, taking a path away from the church as directed by the officers in charge. You froze in your tracks when you heard it - an earth shattering boom. The ground beneath your feet shook. You felt a puff of hot air swell to touch your back.

You let go of Kathy’s arm and whipped around, and you couldn’t even pay attention to where she went. You almost thought you heard her weeping, but your mind couldn’t process it as your eyes were glossed in bright orange flame.

It was the church.

“Spencer?” You gasped quietly. “Spencer!”

You couldn’t help it, but you began to run toward it. Your feet carried you faster than you could think, and before you got more than a few feet across the ground, you felt a sharp grip on your upper arm.

“L/N!”

Hotch’s voice, sounding far too distant for the position he held right behind you, viciously gripping onto you as you fought against him, trying to get toward the fire - trying to get to Spencer.

“Hey! Hey! Stop it!” Hotch tried to order you around, tried to get you to stand down.

He got a hand around your waist, and you continued to kick like a wild horse, fighting against his grip as hot tears poured down your face.

“He’s in there!” You sobbed. “Spencer is still in there.”

“Calm. Down.” Hotch ordered sharply.

You collapsed back into him sobbing, all of the fight leaving your muscles at once. You couldn’t fake the reality in front of you.

“You running in there and getting hurt isn’t going to change anything.” Hotch told you quietly, a somehow distant murmur into your ear.

Through the blur of your tears and the sharp orange glow, you saw the shape of two bodies. You heard coughing as someone emerged from the blast, hobbling down the stairs at the front of the church. You forced your eyes open wider, trying to see who it was, and then:

“Y/N!” Spencer called out your name gruffly through the smoke he had inhaled, and you easily shucked off Hotch’s grip to race up the stairs to get to him.

He was leaning on Morgan for support and you were worried that he was hurt. But the moment you were close enough, he tore himself away from Morgan and the two of you met in the middle. In a pattern that was easily developing, you fell into the safety of his arms, holding him tight enough to bruise him - never wanting to let go.

“You’re so stupid, you’re so stupid! Why would you do that to me?”

You sobbed out, gripping both sides of his face, staring into his eyes, needing the recognition that he was right there, right in front of you.

He stared back with glassiness - intense fear, adrenaline, and something small that told you he was thankful for you, and needed you now more than ever.

Of course, your words were simple anger at the situation, not at Spencer himself. The terror of thinking that he was dead still pumping through your veins, causing you to shake.

“I know.” He said quietly. “I love you.”

His voice wrapped around the words so tenderly - it was the most sincere declaration you had ever heard from him. As if to say ‘I know how much that scared you. I know what this ordeal has done to us and I only meant it more because of how scared I am’.

“I love you too.” The words flew from your lips so naturally it hurt. You took a moment to recover, entirely shocked by your own lips. And then, you only found the need to say it growing more inside of you. “Spencer, I love you.”

You pulled him toward you with the grip you had on his face, and he easily met you in one of the most earth shattering kisses you had ever experienced.

It was no longer a show, it was no longer about displaying the fake marriage for someone else’s benefit - if it had ever been about that in the first place. It was about the two of you. It was about feeling that comfort, that safety. It was about the fact that your two souls were drawn together since the day you had met. The fact that you had always felt safe with each other. You had always been the other person’s shelter from the storm.

And you poured every ounce of those feelings into that kiss.

You combed your fingers through Spencer’s hair, taking a harsh grip on the back of it, holding him there so he couldn’t pull away from your lips. He wrapped his arms around your waist, fisting the back of your sweater. Both of you entirely refused to come up for oxygen, not even caring who saw the epically passionate, public display of your love for each other.

Unbeknownst to you, Morgan and Hotch exchanged a look with raised brows as it happened. You and Spencer didn’t care. You were barely perceiving the world around you as the two of you kissed.

“You know if you’re not careful, people are actually gonna think you two are married.” Morgan said, being his usual sarcastic self.

Rather than pulling away from Spencer’s lips to sass him back - you simply flipped Derek off over Spencer’s shoulder.

On the ride home, JJ handed Derek five dollars. He had the over/under that the two of you would get together before the end of the year. JJ said that it wouldn’t happen for another five years, at least. Derek handed the fiver to Emily when she reminded him that the ‘fake marriage’ bit had actually been her idea.

When Emily and JJ relayed the story to Penelope, she squealed so loudly into the phone that JJ dropped it.

Hotch pulled you aside later and warned you that the fake rings were just cheap costume jewelry that Garcia had gotten and they would tarnish soon if you kept wearing them. He also recommended that you and Spencer put in the paperwork with HR if you were ‘serious’ about the relationship. You knew that it was him wishing the two of you his best.

A few days later when you came into work and found the HR request for an update of relationship status sitting on your desk, already signed by Spencer, you couldn’t help but to smile.

...

A/N: okay, I do have to admit, the ending kind of sucks imo (like the last few paragraphs) because I highly resisted the urge to end this with 'baby making' smut where y/n is like if 'you want kids for real, then we can have kids', and then Spencer just goes nuts. because I did like the more cheesy/romantic love confession ending, and I was getting way too tired to write smut for this. idk if I should do that 'x amount of reblogs for part 2' thing or if I'm just happy with this being a standalone oneshot?? idk. if people ask for a part 2, then I will set a reblog goal for it. and I will work on a part 2 for it after Lesson Two is posted.

#star squared #Live Star Reaction #I always forget to tag these #my bad <3

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redamity · 2 years ago

Text

Hello, Brand New Day! Hello, Friends! Hello, Princess!

“We’re going now! I’ll walk with Cube, okay?” Musume exclaims, opening the door to leave the house.

As the two siblings left, Uchino felt… relieved. Relieved of their duties for even just a few hours. And even if things go bad… that little hairpin should solve everything.

Almost at the school, a little blonde girl was handing out newspapers, and Musume caught her eye. “Ah… are you perhaps a transfer student? I haven’t seen you here.” The blonde remarks.

Musume swallowed hard, and nodded her little head.

“So you are!! That’s so exciting, so welcome to the town! Are you anxious? Are you waiting? Does your heart explode outta your chest!” The girl eagerly interviewed.

Musume felt teary eyed, and Cube could feel that she would cry, so he stepped in. “She’s not looking for interviews right now.” He says, shutting the whole thing down.

The blonde girl, though disappointed, gave a ‘hmph!’, though not cruel in nature. “Well then, if you won’t do an interview, you could at least take a peek at the ‘Emirin News’! It’ll keep you informed, yeah?” She offers, pushing two copies of the newspapers.

“All these articles are overwhelming! A ghost in the theater… a failed proposal…” Musume read to herself in awe. “You must’ve put in a lot of effort.”

The blonde girl laughs, but cuts herself off quickly. “Don’t think about what I’ve done, think about how much you’ll learn with just this read-through! On the back is a list of featured articles!”

Musume could only read more and more. “How amazing…” She mumbled under her breath, before Cube began to push her more towards the school.

“Good talking! I’ll still distribute these and all!” The blonde called out, smiling still.

…

“Good morning, everyone.” Ms. Miyoshi said, calling the class’ attention. “We have a new friend joining us today. Please give a warm welcome to the new transfer student, Uchino Musume. Go on now, Uchino-San.

“….uhm… erhm..”

Standing stiffly, Musume faced the crowd of kids in her class. She didn’t have words to say, but they expected her to introduce herself.

She grabbed a piece of chalk, and wrote her name on the board. She should try to be their friend, right? And friends usually are good hearted, and kind.

“HELLO EVERYBODY!” Musume greeted, loudly. The class quickly covered their ears, as Ms. Miyoshi told her to cut down on the volume.

Musume turned red, but shook it off. ��Oh! O-okay… I’m Uchino Musume! My family and I moved from another prefecture. I’m looking forward to… studying with you!” She finished.

“She’s so energetic..” A red haired girl said, smiling brightly. “That’s the kind of person I want to talk with! Mu~sume!” She waved, while tapping her desk. “Over here! Over here!”

“Kobayakawa-San, That is unnecessary. Uchino-San, you will be seated near Emily.” Ms. Miyoshi informed, as Musume sat down. “Well, I know everyone wants to get started, but there’s another new transfer student! Please come up and introduce yourself.”

Musume held her head down. She knew this one already.

Cube went to the board, wrote the first “Ki”, before pausing. He then wrote ‘Uchino’ behind it, and then the rest of ‘Cube’ after the first ‘Ki’. “Greetings. I am Uchino Cube. I am Uchino Musume’s brother. That is all.”

The class murmured amongst themselves, mostly about how strange the kid looked, and how that related to Musume. The blonde from earlier had even moved closer to the crowd, rapidly writing things down.

“I know everyone is excited about the new students, but remain in your seats, everyone!” Ms. Miyoshi called out. “Uchino-Kun, you sit behind Uchino-San. Now, as far as I’m aware, that’s everyone new for today, so let’s take out our books!”

Midst the talking, the blonde from earlier crumpled a note, and threw it to Musume. “Welcome, Welcome!” It read. “Bet you’re curious about some stuff. You should meet me during lunch! I’ll be behind the school.”

At the bottom was a little bird doodle, and in plain English text; “Emirin!” So the girl named the news after herself, Musume thought, almost finding it funny.

Well, she could afford to go meet up. It’s a classmate after all. A key part of going to school is friends! Even though she can’t recall off the top of her head any outside her immediate family.

“Uchino-San, are you listening?” The teacher questioned, worried. “If you don’t pay attention, you won’t know what’s going to be on the test in July.”

How embarrassing, Musume thought, as she hid her head away from the world, while the teacher continued to ramble on about.. something or other. The history of Japan or something like that.

The bell for lunch rang, and Musume stood still for a while. Then she went to go talk to Cube. “Are you going to lunch?” She asked, wondering if she could bring him with her to meet ‘Emirin’ again.

The illusion of personhood was important. Cube couldn’t risk that. Lest Musume may remember the truth of everything. “Ah— yes, yes, I’m going to eat lunch! Do you want to eat anywhere in particular? Do you need me to walk with you?”

“What? No- I’m not going to eat lunch. I’m just— aw. I wanted you to walk with me to meet someone, but— but-“ Musume was going to cry again, which was reasonably decided to be “not good.”

“Don’t worry, my— sister- I’ll be watching over you. And so will Father. If something goes bad, one of us will know to intervene.” Cube reassured, tapping Musume’s hairpin. To be clear, she had no idea what that meant.

Still afraid, Musume decided this was fine. “Okay. I’m going to each lunch behind the school, but promise that you’ll intervene? Pinky?” She asked, holding her pinky out. As quick as she held it out, the pinky was fulfilled. “Okay. I’ll be going now! Bye bye.” She smiled.

Musume met the girl behind the school. As expected,it was the exact same person as in the morning. “Yaho~ You came after all. I’m quite pleased with you, yes yes yes. Uchino Musume, yes? Since I’m Emirin.. you can be Musumin!”

She went over and shook Musume’s hand. “You had such an interesting introduction, and you seem very interesting! Yes indeed! So much so I wish to interview you for the paper!”

“Interview?…Musumin?” Musume sheepishly asked. “You’re so strange, Emirin.. do I have to participate?”

Emirin pulled out a notebook, an answer in it of itself. “Well, I think that people would get more invested if I start off with a girl who’s sure to be popular… or maybe I can go for your brother, and THEN you! But for now, the best option is to interview you! Are You Ready?” She rambled, to Musume’s fear.

Musume nodded, harshly. “Y-yes! I’ll do your interview? What’s first? My blood type? My hobby?” She asked in nervous rapid-succession. She’s never been interviewed and she can’t think of the answers to anything.

“Ah~h.” Emirin sighed lightly. “You’re quite the worrywart for a girl! Question One! What’s your lucky color?”

What? Lucky color?! “My lucky color…” Musume mumbled. “I think it’s Green…” She fumbled her legs, keeping quiet and reserved.

Emirin put her face as close as she could to Musume’s. “Eh~ Musumin! I can’t hear you if you speak so quietly. I really want to get this interview out, before someone else snaps in and does it! Recency bias is a real thing in the news industry, Musumin!”

“It’s G-Green!” Musume blurted loudly. She didn’t actually know her lucky color, but her favorite dress was green. And perhaps, maybe subconsciously, she knew it was her favorite. So, Green it may be.

Emirin noted this down, her hands shaking with excitement. “Ok, this is golden! Now, what about your favorite animal? And what is your birthday? And where are you from? And—“

She’s really excited over this, Musume thought. She didn’t really like it. “Emirin!! Are you interviewing me, or are you writing my biography.” She pouted.

“Hmm, no, I’m pretty sure this is an interview!” Emirin insists, writing down Musume’s response of anguish as a note. “If you’re feeling stressed, you can just tell me about yourself and I’ll work from there.”

Musume thought for a moment, and then cobbled together a response. “Well, I like going outside and seeing all the nature. My family lives near a river, so it’s pretty easy to enjoy myself. … Did I do good?”

“I think you need more confidence.” Emirin told her. “It’s really hard to hear you speak when you look downward, so I think maybe you should do this—- and maybe if you— and if—“

Emirin made all sorts of adjustments to Musume’s posture: lifting her chin upward, loosening her shoulders, and overall making Musume look more open. “You have quite the voice, at least in class, so it might be good to look more open and friendly!”

Almost immediately, Musume went back to shrinking, embarrassed. “Do you really think that..?” She asked, trailing from a startled loud to a mumbling quiet. “I don’t think I could be like that when talking to other kids…”

“Well, that’s why we should be friends! I live at the clothing store, and my mom runs it, so just ask her!” Emirin gave a thumbs up. “Don’t worry about that interview, I’ll ‘X Grapple Ate’ the info given!”

… extrapolate?

Gulping, Musume forced herself a smile. “O-okay! I’ll be your friend. It’s nice to meet you, Emirin!.. again.” She shook Emirin’s hand. “I wish you luck!”

At around the same time, Cube was having… not lunch, but rather just in the middle of what could be called a ‘cafeteria’ — well, without the school cooks.

If people asked, he would just say “Oh, I’ve already eaten.” or “I’m fine, don’t worry.” The truth was that he did not hunger for simple lunch, but he did have a snack.

“Excuse me, please, can I stand with you, too?” A girl asked, holding a cup of pudding. “I’m still eating, but you look lonely, and that’s pretty sad. I don’t have friends to sit with myself, either.”

Cube was going to say No, but couldn’t bring himself to do that to someone also supposedly lonely. “If you so please, I don’t mind.” He accepted, as the brunette girl started to eat the pudding.

Wiping her mouth clean of Pudding, the girl looked wide eyed at Cube. “I’m Sakakibara Hiroko. I think I’m in your class.” She introduced, before taking a spoonful of pudding and holding it to Cube. “Can you say Ah?”

“Sakakiba—“ Cube was interrupted by the pudding, which was… not good! Quickly, Cube covered his mouth, trying to damage control. “Can’t eat…hack!.. Sugar.. hack!..Sweets.” He coughed, as Hiroko tried to help. (To no real avail.)

When the whole thing calmed down, Hiroko started apologizing profusely. “You’re not allergic are you? I should’ve asked- I’m really sorry for that-“ She sputtered.

Awful suffering of the pudding aside, Cube was obligated to respond in kind. This girl reminded him of Musume, after all. “It’s not your fault for my inability to consume sugar, Sakakibara-San.” He explained. “In the future, please ask before doing that.”

“Really? Is it fine?” Hiroko’s eyes lit up. “You’re the new person, right? Uchino Cube? Could I call you Cube-Kun instead of Uchino-Kun? I don’t want to mix you and Uchino-San up.”

Flimsy logic. “If you wish, then… am I supposed to call you…. Hiroko-Chan?” Cube asked, unsure. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t call Musume ‘Musume-Chan’ instead. I’d imagine that name would be easier.”

But that was enough for Hiroko to be happy, as she hugged Cube so tightly he thought he was going to pass out. “I’m so happy that you’ll call me that!” Hiroko chirped. “We should walk home after school with Uchino-San, since we’re friends!”

It was time for class again, however, so no reply was given. The two waved, as the classes would start up again, reducing them to little more than strangers across desks.

Questions that made sense. Questions that didn’t. Were the contents of the class really relevant? Musume hadn’t the faintest idea of what any of it meant, save for maybe that it would be relevant for tests. But when in the real world was learning how to solve math problems applicable?

“Uchino-San, can you tell us what the answer is?” Ms. Miyoshi asked, pointing to the board. The question was simple— 12 / 3, but working backwards made Musume confused for a good minute.

“It’s- it’s four, isn’t it?!” She yelped, covering her mouth after. Musume could hear her own heart thumping in fear, only for it to calm down after hearing her teacher confirm the answer as correct. What a nightmare!

When class ended, Ms. Miyoshi had asked the twins to stay back, along with some other kid. To be completely honest, Musume didn’t get it, and Cube didn’t either.

“Okay, since you’re new, I think it would be good for you two to meet our class representative.” She introduced, urging the third kid to stand next to her. “Uchino-San, Uchino-Kun, this is Asakura Kenichi. As previously mentioned, he’s the class representative of our Homeroom.”

The other boy (named Kenichi, as could be inferenced) extended his hand, but retracted it after realizing there were two people. “Uchino-San, Uchino-Kun. It’s a pleasure to work alongside you.” He recited. “You don’t have to worry about nicknames, calling me Asakura-Kun is fine.”

“It’s good to meet you too, Asakura-Kun.” Cube similarly said stiffly. “I will be sure to request for assistance if need be.”

“The reason I’ve called Asakura-Kun here was to show you around Shirasagi Academy. He’s been here since he was a baby, and is the most capable person who can show you two.” Ms. Miyoshi explained, trying to separate Cube and Kenichi from their mundane conversation.

Musume looked around for the door. “Oh— yeah, I think that’s fine. It can’t be that big..” She mumbled, as she grabbed Cube’s sleeve. A habit of hers, she reasons, and it’s not a bad thing. If it was, she would’ve been told to stop.

Soon though, Musume realized just how big the school was. All the people seemed to be leaving, but all she could focus on was how many doors and posters she could see.

Her ears could barely pick up what Kenichi was talking about. Something about club rooms and all sorts of things.. but the sheer size of the building was practically giving her a headache.

“This is the yard, you’ll see the middle and high schools here. Apparently, Imagawa-San likes to tell new people about that, though.” Kenichi said, as Musume snapped back to focusing. “You met Imagawa-San, right? Or, I guess you’d call her ‘Emirin’ or whatever it is she told people to say.”

Emirin?

“Yeah, she talked to me at lunch. Are you friends with her?” Musume asked, wondering. “She’s really… eccentric, I think. Is she always like that?”

Kenichi didn’t answer, only continuing the tour before they reached the gates. “Yeah, that should be everything. I have to turn in something, so this wraps up the Shirasagi Tour!” He smiles, leaving with a wave.

The school gate had many children talking, probably about the particular day of school. One was by her lonesome, before she noticed the siblings— more specifically, Cube.

“Oh! Cube-Kun! It’s me, Hiroko, from lunch! Do you want to walk home together?” She asked, almost immediately taking his hand before he could answer.

For whatever reason, Musume didn’t really like this, so she tried to remove Hiroko’s hand from her brother’s. “Ah… who are you? Are you one of our classmates? I don’t think we know where you live, and I have work today. Cube is taking me.”

Undeterred, Hiroko’s smile remained kind, not wanting to make a fight. “Well, I don’t have anything today, and it would be fun to hang out with you two! We can go to your job together, right, Cube-kun?” She looked at Cube, who looked upward.

“… Your.. parents, do they want you to be late?” Cube tried to dissuade, though he was somewhat not paying attention. “We wouldn’t want you to make them worry.”

Persistent, Hiroko shook her head. “Actually, my mom says I can hang out with my friends until 5 PM! I’ll just go home then. There’s no need to worry!” She explained, as she ever-so-calmly re-took Cube’s hand.

“If your mother says it’s fine, it should be fine. We’re going to the bookstore. Come on, Oj—“ Cube cut himself off, before he could finish that word. “Musume.” He finishes, not bothering to acknowledge the slip up.

The three of them walked to the Nanboku bookstore, with the two girls exchanging dirty looks, or at the very least, Musume shooting awful glares, and Hiroko looking rather sad.

“You’re so clingy, Musume-Chan..” Hiroko laments, somewhat hypocritically. “Do you not like me? Is there something wrong with me?”

Musume frowned. “Don’t call me Musume-Chan! You’re not my friend, and you’re stealing my brother!” She complained.

Before the argument could get any further, Nanboku Books was in sight, along with a friendly looking older man. “Oh.. it seems as if there are three of you.. I only expected one. Well, we’re happy to have more volunteers.”

“One?” Musume thought. Why one? She thought Cube was going to work too.

“Well, you kids can call me Mr. Tamura, and all you need is to keep the books clean and to organize them by a given order. If someone needs help, you can give them assistance.” The old man explained, opening the doors for the three of them.

Mr. Tamura handed them all small feather dusters. “Feel free to start whenever you want, before 5 PM.”

As if by nature, Cube took to dusting off books easily and naturally, one hand almost elegantly taking books out and putting them in their proper places, while Hiroko could only watch.

Musume, meanwhile, was a lot slower, mostly because she was also mesmerized by the method. So distracted, that she dropped a book on the ground, but she picked it back up again.

“What are you doing!!”

Cube stopped his work. There was a voice. It was Uchino’s voice. “Excuse me, please, I must use the restroom.” He looked for the closest one, went in, and looked to the ring on his finger, tapping it. “What do you mean, ‘what are you doing’? It’s my job isn’t it?”

“It’s MUSUME’s Job! She can’t learn anything if you’re going to show off!” Uchino practically shouted. “You’re going to have to calm down there, boy.”

Sighing, Cube left the bathroom, and went back to work, moving a lot more slowly than before. Still correct in order, and the books still looked untouched, but he was being more lax with his method.

“You’re really good at this stuff, Cube-kun!” Hiroko said, popping from seemingly nowhere. “Are you good at the chores at home? That’s super cute! It reminds me of my mom.”

What does that even mean? “You could say that.. Hiroko-Chan.” Cube replied, still having difficulties with the nickname. “I wouldn’t say it’s like a mother does, though. There’s a difference.”

Hiroko was intrigued. Cleaning was not really interesting, but she was learning! “A difference? Like how you do it super fast and pretty-like?” She asked, moving closer.

Musume stewed in her spot, steam practically spewing from her ears. Still, she was here to work, so she put her books where they belonged, as the two friends had a chat about cleaning, of all things.

5:00 PM hit at last, and Mr. Tamura called for the three of them. “Well… the place looks rather nicer. Perhaps I should hire you three again… 800.. yes, 800 each. The boy can have an extra 100 for a job well done.”

“Really?” Cube asked, staring blankly as the 100 bonus yen was put into his small hands. “… thank you, Sir.”

Hiroko suddenly realized the time, and that it was going to be past 5 when she got home. “Ah! Sorry for the suddenness, but I must head back home now— uhm, Uchino-San, Cube-Kun, I’ll see you tomorrow!”

“That should be our cue to go too, Musume.” Cube said, as the two of them went home separately from Hiroko.

As the two went home for the day, by the time they cut through the trees, Cube paused in walking to address Musume directly. “Why are you so hostile to Sakakibara-San?” He asked. “She’s not doing anything to you.”

Musume wanted to answer, but she didn’t know what the answer was. “I just.. I don’t like her.” She mumbled, as she continued home, with Cube trailing behind with a sigh.

#princess maker 5 #Pm5fic: Sorry for Running Away #fanfiction #princess maker

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