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ghostselena · 3 years ago

Note

Girl I must know rafes reaction to you knocking him off his feet and unarming him taking his gun away from him

Title: Pull it

Pairing : Rafe Cameron x Reader

Warning : Just you being a fucking badass, mentions of blood, gun use, lots of cursing, 18+

a/n: Oh you are fucking amazing for this!! Put everything else on pause just for this because hello?? (I just had to post this bc ahh) it’s a short one

part two

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“Rafe—please, you don’t have to do this.” Your arms were up, feet slowly backing you into the wall as the boy pointed, quite a heavy gun at your chest.

He was clearly amused, tongue sticking out slightly as he licked the bottom of his lip, head quirking to the side, “But, this is so much fun," he stopped in front of you, tapping the edge of the gun against your chest, "Dont you think?"

He had officially lost his damn mind.

Your mouth opened to speak, cut mid breath as his finger pressed itself to your lips preventing you from doing so. His face was close to yours, voice awfully soft and low as he spoke, “M’ tired of listening to your complaining.”

He’d chased you around his house, gun pointed at your back as you ran, adrenaline pumping quickly right through his veins on the run.

You were alone, backed into the wall inside his room, the gun his father kept in a safe was held by his strong hand.

“Please,” you cried out, scared to move and cause him to snap completely.

“God, shut the fuck up!” He pulled away from you, gun no longer pointed at your chest, now pressed to the side of his head, “You’re not letting me, fucking think.”

He paced around the room, glimpsing over at your still body every few seconds, “you better not try anything.”

How you fell into this situation was beyond anything you could ever imagine. It was simple, really. Sarah invited you over, she wasn't there— she was stuck with JB fixing the twinkie, canceling on you last minute.

You were already sitting inside her house, reading the message a tad bit too late. Her brother was there, an idea lighting up inside his head, gun in hand. The only reason he even let you in, in the first place.

Like a small little mouse thrown right at his feet, all his and alone for him to play with.

The moment he turned his back for a third time, your movements were quick, leg colliding with his as you kicked him on his right side, making him lose his balance and fall onto the floor, along with the gun that slid a few meters from his body.

“Fuck!” He groaned, your hands grabbing onto the gun as you pointed it at his chest, where your foot was pressing down,” You’re crazy.”

The laugh that came out of your body was shockingly scary, surprising you even. You stared down at the boy with wide eyes, pushing back the fear that crept over you.

“I’m fucking crazy?” You spat, letting out a scoff in annoyance at the audacity he had, "Im- im the fucking crazy one, Rafe?!" you repeat, overwhelmed by how everything has gone down in the last few seconds.

In the fall his nose had hit the floor, the blood sliding down his top lip made you uneasy..but it was also igniting something within you.

He had no words to say. Clearly having no other plan than to follow along with yours, “Get up.”

Your foot slowly lifted from his chest, letting him sit up before you pressed down again, pushing him back down, “and don’t fucking try anything.” You repeat his words back at him as he stands up, putting his arms up, a smile appearing on his bloody face.

He was fucking insane, too far gone.

“You enjoying this, princess?” Cocking his head to one side, he stepped forwards slowly, hoping to intimidate you enough to snatch the only thing that kept the two of you apart.

Without hesitation you pointed at the wall next to him, pulling the trigger and hitting a vase that smashed onto the floor, glass particles going everywhere.

He dodged down quickly, eyes wide as he stared at you, arms still raised, “what the fuck?”

“Back the fuck, up.” Your words were clear, surprising yourself at the new feeling— you were no longer scared. Knowing you could end his life right there and then gave you the confidence you needed, a small ego boost if you will.

“Just put the gun down, alright?” He nodded over to you, backing away while you did the same onto the exit of the door, still pointing over at him.

“Don’t follow me.” You threaten him, grabbing the door handle to open the door.

“I won't,” he agreed, swallowing nervously as he watched you walk away into the hallway, hearing your feet run down the stairs.

He smirked slowly, using his hand to wipe away his nose and staring down at it. He laughed to himself, accepting defeat and letting you win this round as he watched you get inside your car from his window, intrigued at the girl who not only dominated him— but manhandled the fuck out of him.

Looks like he just met his match.

And boy was he excited to chase after you.

tag list : @gillybear17 @my-baexht-ls

Small little blurb, how fun are these two?

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snootsnoot-fiction · 3 years ago

Text

Your Gentleman

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x reader

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: None really

A/n: My first marvel fic yay!!! I love that it’s Bucky as well☺️ This is a birthday gift for my dear friend who I love @inthatmomentwewereinfinite 🎉🎉🎉 you’re honestly one of the nicest people on the planet, I hope you have the best day you can ❤️

Summary: You haven’t seen Bucky in years…

The life of one James Buchanan Barnes was quite the tragedy. At least for the most part.It was a long, involuntary life, but to say he wouldn’t be the least bit grateful for the majority time skip would be a lie. Oh, there were things “Bucky” Barnes missed of course, but there was plenty to make up for it.

The man thought he would lead a simple life; serve in the war, get married with Steve as his best man, maybe even die of old age. A far cry from the fate that really awaited him, for he found himself being part of the Red Skull’s experiment. An experiment that began his journey as who would infamously be known as The Winter Soldier.

~~~~~

You were quite the artist to say the least. You lived and enjoyed a fairly quiet life as well. That’s not to say your talents weren’t sought out, for you were also quite the fashion designer. Sometimes you would simply consult. Create and draw up a design for someone else to make. Occasionally you would make the pieces yourself. It was an interesting way of making money, and you were happy to keep living your quiet life - your involvement usually kept secret in some way at your request.

Needless to say, one of the biggest things you ever worked on was the new suit for Captain America. You found his tale fascinating. You knew of the man, but it wasn’t until you heard he was back that you looked into him a little more. Strange things seemed to be happening more often.

The detail of his best friend’s supposed ‘death’ was another thing that interested you, but all anyone could assume was he actually was dead now. It didn’t stop you from wondering though.

You did work on occasion for people such as The Avengers, but aside from that, you were a normal citizen. So to say you were surprised when you caught the eye of Mr Barnes in modern day was an understatement.

Recognising him immediately, you weren’t sure what to do. He looked beyond exhausted, and it was clear to you he was trying to keep his head down. The man carried on, and despite thinking you probably shouldn’t, you followed. The next thing you knew, a cold arm was pinning you against a wall as the one and only James Barnes stared at you. Up close, his eyes looked even tireder, and you could see just how rough a state he was in.

“Why are you following me?” He huffed out. Anyone could see how tense he was. Almost afraid.

“I’m no-one I swear! I just recognised you and got curious… you’re Bucky?” He slowly let you go, but remained tense. “I don’t even know what happened… you look awful…” you frowned slightly as you gave him a proper look. You really had no idea what was going on, but you felt bad for him. Whatever happened to this man, you were glad to not know right now.

~~ a few months later ~~

You wondered how people would react to finding out about you helping ‘The Winter Soldier’. The thought made you nervous sometimes, but you knew what you were doing to be right. Something in you from the moment you met him told you he himself was at no fault, but of course, not everyone would see it that way.

The day you met him, you had ended up giving him a fresh change of clothes that would help him to blend in more. You had offered more, even a meal, but trust would take time to build, and he didn’t want to stick around you too long.

‘Too many innocent people…’ was all he muttered before giving thanks and leaving without a word.

‘I’m happy to help…’ you hadn’t been sure if he even heard you, but surprisingly it wasn't long before you saw him again; with time, the two of you built a sense of trust. Bucky would never stay too long, but when he did you would allow him to use your own facilities if he needed, You would make him a warm meal almost every time, and give him another fresh change of clothes if he needed them.

Trust takes time though, and you didn’t know much of the story of why he was even here. You didn’t want to push or pry, but you couldn’t help but wonder sometimes.

Today was the day you’d learn.

The old soldier hesitantly stepped into your home. It always made you frown a little to see just how hesitant he was; whatever it was he was hiding from, you wish he didn’t have to.

“I know you don’t like to, but I made my sofa up for you just in case-”

“Sofa? The couch?” You went a little red and chuckled nervously.

“Yeah sorry, I didn’t grow up here..” and for the first time, you saw him smile. It was little, but it was there. It made your heart flutter just a bit, causing you to smile.

“I might take you up on that.” His words were quiet as he walked in to see the couch. You had set a single, plump pillow on one end, and laid your biggest blanket over the piece of furniture. Bucky had been so hesitant to talk even one word to anyone, nevermind taking refuge from someone, but he couldn’t even remember the last time he had a nice place or spot to sleep. Not only that, but you seemed genuine to him. Deep down he knew he could trust you. Your smile widened.

“Are you hungry?” At your question, he looked back at you with a small nod. The tired look in his eyes made you want to really look after him, but there was only so much you could do and you didn’t want to startle him.

That night, you sat on opposite ends of the couch as you ate a freshly cooked meal, some sitcom on the TV. Eventually you decided to ask him what had happened to land him here. There was no pressure to answer of course, and you were more than willing to forget you asked if he didn’t yet feel comfortable to tell his story… but he did. You listened patiently and quietly as Bucky talked about The Winter Soldier.

Little did you know just how far you had already fallen for this man.

~~ Avengers Civil War ~~

After hiding for so long, Bucky had to admit there was something refreshing about now being out in the open.Of course, the circumstances were most unfortunate, but whatever happened, he would no longer be in hiding. Therefore he wouldn’t be putting you in any more potential danger. The two of you had grown quite close, and if anything happened to you because of him, well.. he didn’t like to think about it.

People like himself existed and had been used to assassinate King T’Chaka, and now the group his best friend Steve had put together were trying to get to the guy behind all of this. Unfortunately Tony Stark had created an obstacle for them. The old soldier could see that both men were somewhat regretful, but firm in their beliefs. Before he knew it, the fighting had begun.

Bucky and Sam Wilson had hidden in the airport terminal to start when this kid in a red and blue costume came at them. Sam knocked the kid away, so Bucky ran after them, and when he reached them, he saw an opening and threw a chunk of metal at the weirdly flexible kid. Naturally this kid was able to throw it right on back before being tackled by Wilson again.

Reaching the both of them just in time, Bucky ran between them as the spider kid flung himself at Sam, landing both the men in the floor below and his metal arm in some sort of.. webbing. The old soldier hated the fact they ended up in this position because of a child who didn’t even sound as though he had hit puberty yet. That’s when the kid was thrown out the window by the little robot bird.

“You couldn’t have done that earlier?” he growled at Sam, genuinely annoyed with the guy.

“I hate you.” Bucky merely scoffed at the response. They were in the middle of something big, but for a brief moment he found it funny that Steve’s new friend was this guy of all people.

Despite all this, you were still there. In his mind. With everything now in the open, he hoped your part in all of this was still in the dark. He just wanted you safe. To live your life.

~~ present time ~~

To Bucky, it almost felt like his past had repeated somewhat; to skip from one time to the other was confusing and frustrating. At least this time around it wasn’t as far into the future as the last time.

For you, however, it was a lonely experience. With The Snap, you had stayed behind. You lived out those five years. You had found a connection with this older guy you absolutely adored, and then you find out he was snapped out of existence along with half the planet. Lonely was an understatement, especially at the start.

At least he didn’t physically die - a fact you turned out to be grateful for when suddenly all those who had been Snapped were back. Of course, you knew the type of life Bucky led beforehand, so you were still worried, but you hoped with time he would contact you again. That hopefully things had finally calmed down at least somewhat in the world now.

Meanwhile, in the last five years you had moved to New York. With half the world gone, work had been a difficult adjustment for everyone, and you decided to start your own little business in The Big Apple; a prime area for you. It was just a little fashion/clothing business, but it turned out well enough to keep you afloat. Business got quite busy when everyone reappeared. It was stressful at first, but you managed to hire a few other people that helped. You were even able to start taking a little time to yourself occasionally in all due time. Eventually it became the norm.

With business and the world calming down, Bucky Barnes had been on your mind recently. You wondered where he was, if he was alright.

You were in your store. It was a weirdly calm day today, so you sat on a chair behind the main cash register. You heard the door open, but by the time you looked up, the person had disappeared behind one of the clothing racks. You thought about keeping an eye on them, ready to get up if it looked like they needed assistance.

“I got ‘im.” One of your workers said from behind you, offering a smile as she walked past you.

“Thanks.” You smiled back, watching her hover near whoever the customer was before looking back down at the book in your hands. You seemed to get quite into the book, because before you knew it, a shadow stood over you, but you didn’t notice until he spoke.

“Hey..” the voice caused your heart to stop as your ears perked and a weird yet pleasant shiver flew down your spine. You knew that voice. You knew eventually you would see him again, but it was still a surprise.

Slowly, you closed the book, and your eyes dragged up until they were on that same face you had last seen way over five years ago now. His hair was short now, but it was him alright. It was Bucky.

The man offered a small smile and wave as you stared at him. You had no idea what to do.

“Uh.. this your place?”

“Yeah…”

“You’ve done well.”

“I’ve had a lot of time.” Your responses were automatic. Your mind was blank.

“Uuhh..”

“Bucky?” You stared at him with wide eyes, your voice triggered a slightly wider smile on his lips as he nodded.

“It’s been a while.” His words made you scoff loudly.

“You’re telling me!” The both of you chuckled. The last five years had felt so long for you, but the two of you were already falling back into your old dynamic.

“... Listen Y/N.. all that old stuff.. The Winter Soldier stuff… it’s gone now.” His words made you smile for him. You knew how much his past had troubled him. You doubted it was completely out of the way, but you knew what he meant.

“No more hiding?”

“No more hiding.” Bucky smiled, a look of genuine relief on his face.

Just then, a group of teen girls walked in and your smile disappeared for a moment.

“I’m at work. I’m the boss but I still gotta work, we can’t..”

“I know a place we can go to later if you want? Catch up?”

“I’d love to! I close up around six today, we can go after then.”

“Perfect! I’ll come back and we can walk there together.” You smiled and nodded, too shy to say anything else right now. Bucky smiled before turning around, looking back at you as he opened the door to leave. You gave him a little shy wave.

You spent the next few hours constantly thinking about Bucky and finally being able to see and talk to him again. Excited was an understatement. You were happy. Bucky was back. You were always too shy to say anything about what you felt, but absolute adoration was another understatement when it came to that man.

The clock had finally struck six. Your employees were now leaving, and you decided to check the store, make sure everything was alright before closing up. The same employee that had helped out earlier that day came up to you as you picked up your things.

“Your gentleman caller is waiting outside.” She had a knowing smile on her face. She even seemed kind of excited and she stood there and waited as you blushed.

“Thank you..” you attempted to avoid her gaze as you packed the rest of your things in your bag.

“I’ll tell him you won’t be long.” At that, you offered her a smile before she left and you took a moment to relax before following.

Bucky wasn’t right there as you left through the front, but when you turned back around after shutting and locking the place, there he was just a couple feet away from you. A small flower bouquet in his hand. Your heart melted at the sight.

“I know you’re not much of a flower person, but I wasn’t sure what else to do.. You know… with the time gap and all.. But these are your favourites.” Bucky looked almost nervous. You shyly stuck your hand out to take the bouquet, your fingers brushing against his as you did.

“They’re perfect, thank you.” A small smile tugged at your lips again as you looked at them before looking back to the man in front of you.

“I’ve missed you Y/N.”

“Me too.. You that is! I’ve missed you, not myself.” You blushed as Bucky chuckled at your flustered self. He then held out an arm.

“Shall we?” You hesitated before taking hold of his arm with your free hand, a feeling of happy warmth washing over you.

“We shall.”

Tagging; @blondekel77 @book-hoardingdragon @mandosmimi

#sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan fluff #bucky barnes #bucky barns x reader #bucky barnes fluff #the winter soldier #the winter soldier x reader #the winter soldier fluff

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djarinsidebitch · 4 years ago

Text

Mandalorian & Flyboy

A/N: yes I know that other Mandalorians can take their helmet off but lets just say that reader cannot Word count: 3.4k

As the war against the first order dragged on rumors about where the information gained on the first order started to pop up. When communication officers let it loose that there hasn't been any major intelligence missions in over 6 months. Rumors of a spy in such deep cover that the resistance cant even know, others of the information being bought from outside sources, Poe himself is caught listening into the base gossip. When he asks Leia she just shrugs it off going back to the task at hand. If he didnt know how good of a lier the General is he would have just let is slide, he kinda did shaking off anyone who asked the elite Commander what he thought just continuing with missions ‘The information isn't putting us in danger so why think about it’ he remembers remarking to a group of newer pilots when they again were asking about the rumors.

The idea almost completely left his mind when he caught a glimpse of Painted Beskar retreating into the forest from a back entrance of the hangar where he was working on small repairs to his x wing, it took a few seconds for him to process what he saw, or thought he saw; A Mandalorian some of the best warriors in the galaxy but very few are left they have become more of myth some believing that they are all gone. A possible mandalorian sneaking out of the base… the General. “Fuck!” he exclaims shooting up running to the general’s quarters expecting to see the worst he burst in only to see the General looking over a data pad “poe is there a reason you are bursting into my quarters at this hour?” she asks he sputters “I-I there was someone who left your quarters that i had never seen before” he breathes out putting his hands on his waist “I wanted to make sure you were ok” he nods now feeling slightly embarrassed “Poe no one was in here, get some sleep you have been working to hard” leia says calmly shooting poe from her quarters.

Poe left to his own quarters even more confused he could have sworn that he saw someone, something, leave from the base but tried to put it to the back of his brain ‘I am just tired’ he repeats in his mind going through the motions to go to sleep; which is just pulling off his clothes throwing them over on a chair in his room then flopping onto his bed. He fell asleep but it was almost like his head just hit the pillow when the morning call came out over the loudspeaker waking him up. He goes through the motions of getting up and ready BB-8 rolling around waiting for Poe, as a commander he was ordered to a mission briefing it was based on new information on trade routes used by the first order. Hearing this poem\ is thinking again about what he saw last night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Poe decided that he wanted to get to the end of this person that has been in his mind, once a week he watched from behind his X-wing when a Mandalorian snuck into base went to where the general’s quarters where for about an hour then would sneak back out. Then the next day he would have a meeting about new information on a different topic. He finally had enough after a month and a half of watching the Mandalorian in there painted and dirty beskar mysteriously come and go in the base he went to the leia to get answers without starting even more rumors not everyone like mandalorians seeing them as brutish or savage like bounty hunters who care on of credits.

After a mission brief he stayed behind as everyone except Leia left “General” he asked, gaining her attention from the holotable “Yes Poe is there something you need?” “Well yes, who is the Mandalorian I keep seeing leave the base” he cringed at himself at being so brash. Leia let out a sigh shaking her head slightly “it seems you met my new opritave” “He is resistance?” “SHE is a bounty hunter and informative as to what is going on in the underworld” leia explains briefly not giving up to much information “Why work with bounty Hunters how do we know she isn't just selling our information to the first order” he responds confused “the first order along with the empire killed off most of the mandalorians and mandalore, those who survived mostly don't want to work for the first order unless they really need the credits. And i know her she may be in a dark line of work but her heart is true” leia turns off the holotable going to leave the conference room also leaving poe with new questions ‘why are you helping the resistance; how much are you getting paid’ the resistance already has low funding so how are you getting paid at all ‘have you done anything else than just gain information for the resistance' poe could feel himself get frustrated with this and mentaly decides that he is going to talk to the Mandalorian and get some answers.

When it came time for your weekly meeting with Leia you transferred the information into her data terminal while chatting with the general, more like she talked and you listened, nodded or gave small replies. As you leave the hairs on the back of your neck standing up, someone is near, your strides pick up slightly leaving the base of your ship. Taking the long way to your ship you catch a glance of someone following you so hiding behind a tree waiting for the assailant to walk past you, just like baiting a trap he walks past you and in and instant you grab him putting the man into a choke hold while holding your trusted baster to the side of his head.

“Why are you following me” The distorted voice grunts through her helmet, poe puts his hands up in surrender “I just want to talk i've been watching you come and go and i just want to know who you were” he chokes out looking in his peripheral vision and is met with an emotionless visor staring back. You losen the grip on his neck dropping your arm but only to search his body for a blaster “i didnt come armed im not stupid your a madalorian” a dejected sigh is herd through the helmet as you go to sit om a fallen tree and motions with your blaster towards a stump near her. Poe gets the message and sits there is a silence when she finally takes a deep breath “i you are just going to stare i have better things to do” “Wait not, shit ok, i'll just be straight forward, Why are you helping us, the resistance; bounty hunter normally don't care about any of this just about what keeps their pockets filled” You are visibly irritated by the off hand comment about bounty hunters “I am not most Bounty hunters, but it seems you are like most flyboys nothing more than moof milkers who think just because they can fly a star fighter they are important” The mandalorian stands holstering her blaster “be glad i didn't put a hole in you fly boy” You growl out stomping away to your ship.

Poe sat there cursing himself he just insulted a mandalorian, not just any a really hot, resistance fighting Mandalorian “leia is going to kill me”

Poe thought it was safest to stop watching you when you came to the base not wanting to anger you more. Until he was asked to meet with Leia on the day you make your drops. He knew it wouldn't be good so when he walked in to see the general and you sitting there you more just leaning against the wall your visor felt like it was staring into his soul “Poe i thought you should properly meet our friend after your stint in the woods” she says almost standing between the two of them “how?” “I told her moof milker” You snear “(Y/n)” Leia scolds the mandalorian. “If you are going to be so interested in my dealings enough to follow her to her ship you might as well know who she is to the resistance” she continues “(Y/N) here is a bounty hunter and spy for the resistance her father helped with taking out groups of imperial loyalist shortly after the fall of the empire.” as she started talking about her past briefly he looked over her leaning form her armor had blue grey paint over parts of her helmet, her shoulder pauldron had a mud horn on it, the rest of her armor was silver beskar that was slightly worn from years of use and he can see the top of a pack that matched the silver beskar partially covered but and small cape. “She is here to help us gain information on the first order without having to put our numbers at more risk, she can get more done than a full squad of fighters can and we don't have the numbers anymore.” “I can also get places you can’t” you grunt out and stands walking over to stand in front of poe looking him up and down behind your helmet and thinking ‘he isn't to bad looking’ “(Y/N) Djarin” you sat curtly “since you are so interested in my work why don't you join the general in my drops” poe can hear the smirk that is placed on your face before you walk out of the room surprisingly quiet for how much armor you are wearing he stared as you left amazing by your voice and thinking over your name in his head “Close your mouth dameron before you catch flies; you are dismissed” she calls out to the dazed pilot shaking her head. Poe just nodded taking a deep breath walking to his quarters BB-8 was waiting outside of the door waiting for his master “Hey buddy” he starts to talk about you to his little buddy “an her name- buddy her name is so pretty” he says dreamyly

Over the next few week he started going to meet the general and (Y/N) he even started to talk to her outside of the meetings walking back to her ship and a few transmissions here and there at first it was just him rambling and you putting your input in here and there but as you got closer you started opening up your family growing up losing your mother at a young age and traveling with your older yet younger brother and father then when he settled down and took off the helmet for good and you put it on changing some things slightly. Talking about visits to your dad and brother between work was the thing that got you really talking, only stopping when you realized you had reached your shipe 5 minutes ago. Poe found out that for a scary bounty hunter you are a dork and he loves it when you realize you have no idea how to truly socialize with anyone that isn't your family or poe. He prides himself on the small chuckles and breathy laughs he can get out of you. If he didn't know better he would think that this flyboy had a shot with this badass woman he has fallen for following her around like a lost dog whenever he could.

You had started to come to base more than just once a week for Poe so when you and him out in the forest surrounding the base and you both hear explosions and the tell tale signs of Tie’s you both jump up running towards the base. It is the First Order they found the base and was able to surprise attack the base X-wings were already scrambling to get in the air. Poe calls for BB-8 while running to his X-wing jumping in getting into the air.

Stormtrooper transport land and whole battalions of troopers unload the battle is in the air and on land You use your two blasters and jet pack to take out hoards of troopers. Once landing you hold out your arm activating your vambrace flamethrower keeping the troopers away from you one shoots you the blaster deflecting off of your shoulder pauldron then you deliver a front kick to another while almost nonchalantly shooting two more troopers. Over the speakers a coded message rings out that was the message to retreat most officers fall back to get onto transports and get hasmany supplies and important information as possible. You try to give as much time as possible to the resistance to get to safety you picks up a larger blaster that one of the dead troopers had and used to to hit more enemies as possible you watch out of the corner of your eye three tie fighters chasing a familiar Black and orange X-wing before the Ties shot it down and it goes down into the forest “No!” you yell, shooting the last troopers she can and take off running towards the towers of smoke rising in the trees.

You run as fast as possible to the crash site hoping Poe is ok. When you get there it is not a pretty sight flames almost cover the entire ship you pull open the cockpit and your eyes widen poe is limp in his seat you pull out your vibro blade form your boot using it to cut him out of his harness pulling him out of the wreckage and presses the button to release his droid pulling him as far from the wreckage right before the ship blows and you cover his body with yours grimacing as shrapnel imbeds itself into the spaces between the plates of armor. Once the explosion stops and it's safe you look down at poe blood blossoming on his abdomen and body “poe” you call out trying to shake him awake; he just shakes limply under your hands you reach to feel a pulse but you can't sense anything “No Poe wake up” you call out tears welling in your eyes blurring your vision “It's not funny poe come on wake up” your voice breaks and you try to do chest compressions anything but nothing changes. BB-8 watches as you try to recestate Poe and responds with sad beeps missing his master. You ripp of the helmet and you feel like it's suffocating you as tears stream down your face mixing with the dirt and sweat on your face. You have felt pain but nothing like this sobs rake your body shaking with pain gripping onto poe “You- You can't do this to be dameron, you can't leave me now” you are blubbering now not caring if any one sees you it feels like a part of you had died.

“You- Fuck- Your so beautiful even- e-even with tears” Poe rasps out barley awake staring at your face contort to confustion then passing back out.

Hearing him makes you jump up grabbing your helmet, slipping it on and then picking up poe running calling out to BB-8 “Come on we gotta get back to my ship!” You jump over logs, adrenaline coursing through your veins pushing your body to its limits, not caring how much you are gonna hurt in a few hours, just focused on saving power. You see your ship and slow reaching to press the button on your brace to open the cargo door and run up the ramp placing him on the floor knowing it's not the most comfortable but not caring, pulling your helmet back off you rush to grab the box filled with medical supplies and pulling out bacta patches, stim shots, and the emergency cauterizer.

You pull off his tsttered clothes striping him down to just boxers and looks for the worst wounds on his abdomen and thigh injecting a stim shot then going in with the cauterizer working on shutting the wounds glad that he wasn't awake for this part the smell of blood and burning skin isn't new to you but knowing it's him makes you sick but once you sealed all the major wounds you placed bacta patches on them then using bacta spray on everyone else. You sit there for a second looking over your work then staring at his face it looks calm but it doesn't have the wrinkles from his smiles or the look in his eyes what she watches from behind her visor so seeing it without it is something else. Her com link in her brace goes off and she scrambles to grabs her helmet then connecting, a relieved sigh leaves her mouth it was leia “I'm glad you made it” leia says with somber undertones “(Y/N) i'm sorry to say but we haven't been able to contact dameron he was the only pilot we can't account for he might not have made it” she says sadly he was like another song to her leia was keeping it together for the sake of the resistance “i know he got shot down by three tie i was able to get him and BB-8 out before his ship exploded “ she explained and watched as a new hope filled the general’s eyes “that is amazing how is he’ you sigh looking down at poe now noticing the slight rise and fall of his chest “ he is knocked out now but once he wakes up i will know more” she explains “How did they find you” You ask now no emotion present in your voice back to being a mandalorian “i don't know we are trying to figure that out but for now get off world and lay low until we can find a new base” Leia says with a sigh “take care of him ok” you nod “always” you sign off and go back to poe looking over him before getting into the cockpit of your own ship and old imperial command ship you had found for cheap and fixed up yourself. Once in hyperspace you come back out to see poe stirring, you quickly kneel down next to him as he opens his eyes “where am i” he looks around frantically until he sees you “(Y/N) he says softly reaching for you “what happened” he asks “you where shot down; i got there just in time before your ship exploded” you explain watching as he grabs onto the bottom of your helmet “i- i saw your face” he says almost unsure “i thought i lost you; you weren't breathing you were gone” your vision went blurry whether that was from tears or the blood loss of your untreated wounds you didn't care and neither did poe as he lifts up your helmet slowly almost waiting for you to stop him… you don't he drops it with a clang and sits up you are quick to help him. He takes your face in his hands staring at you with so much love and emotion in his eyes that he starts crying also “you are so beautiful” he whispers leaning in to kiss you; you meet half way and the kiss is explosive full of passion and sorrow for what could have been lost he moves his hands down the side of your neck to the back pulling you in closer your hands hold onto his cheeksIt is not a pretty kiss it is dirty and sweaty your tears mixing on your cheeks at they are pressed together, the only reason you separate is to breath and even then your foreheads are touching “you are the first person other than my family that has seen my face since i was 11” you whisper out looking deep into his eyes. He smiles rubbing soft circles into the sides of your face “I'm glad you are just so beautiful. I love you so much, i have fora while you are so complex in all the best ways you are anamazing warrior badass in every way but so soft spoken adn dorky i would die a thousand times if it means i can see your face” he confesses tears start filling your eyes again and his voice breaks with emotion “I love you too, your snarky hummor and being dumb enough to follow a mandalorian in the woods; i knew you were the one and as long as i am arround you are not dying” she responds softly leaning in again to kiss him. Maybe it wasn't horrible that one person saw her face.

#poe dameron #Poe dameron x reader #Poe Dameron x you #poe dameron fanfiction #mandalorian #Mandalorian reader #Star Wars fan fiction #Star Wars x reader #din djarin x reader #Mandalorian x reader

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megalony · 4 years ago

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Teacher’s Pet- Part 14

Here is the next part in my dad! Ben Hardy series which I hope you will all like, the feedback for this series has been lovely so far and I know a lot of people are rooting for the baby to be a girl so we will find out soon.

Taglist: @lunaticspoem @butlegendsneverdie @langdonzvoid @jennyggggrrr @rogermeddow @radiob-l-a-hblah @rogertaylorsbitontheside @chlobo6 @rogertaylors-lipgloss @sj-thefan @omgitsearly @luckytrashgooprebel @scarsout @deaky-with-a-c @killer-queen-ofrhye @bluutac @vousmemanqueez @jonesyaddiction @rogahs-drowse @milanosaurus @httpfandxms @saint-hardy @7-seas-of-fat-bottomed-girls @mrsalwayswritex @rogerina-owns-me @hellsdragon @im-an-adult-ish @crazylittlethingg @allauraleigh

Series taglist: @im-an-adult-ish @gwilymleeisbae @k-k0129 @haileymorelikestupid @glittrixvibe @youngpastafanmug @ultraviolencezs

Series masterlist

Summary: Gwilym sets Ben up on a date with (Y/n) who teaches at the school Ben’s kids go to. But Ben is hesitant in the relationship, desperate not to make the same mistakes and needing to put his kids first.

Enjoy.

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"I know you're not asleep." The tone of Ben's voice told Carter the expression he just knew would be on his dad's face. He didn't have to open his eyes and look over at Ben to know his brows would be raised and and his head would be tilted at an angle. He didn't sound angry but he didn't sound pleased either and Carter couldn't expect anything else.

The moment Ben had brought him back from a two hour drive last night, he had been told to go straight to his room. He ate dinner in his room to be out the way of everyone else and he didn't get to see (Y/n) before lights out and he had to try and go to sleep.

It was very clear to Carter that he had done something very bad yesterday because of the way Ben acted around him. He was only ever cold and uninterested around Carter when he was trying to teach him a lesson for doing something wrong. Ben wasn't letting him act out in such a bad way and then expect everything to be fine afterwards.

Ben checked on Carter when it was time for him to go to bed and then a few times during the night but the eldest boy hadn't had one hour of sleep last night. For the first half of the night Carter was restless, throwing himself around the bed and then Ben heard him a few times getting angry and unsettled. But after two o'clock he just seemed to quieten down but he hadn't slept, it was very clear he had been too unsettled to sleep. Ben hadn't expected anything else, he was sure that Carter wouldn't get any sleep tonight either considering the outburst he had yesterday and the emotions he was now going through.

Holding his breath deep in his lungs, Carter very slowly and timidly peeled the cover from over his head until his eyes and nose were visible and he tiredly opened his eyes to look over at Ben. Even though a lot of the time he never slept, Carter still closed his eyes for most of the night because his eyes got tired. He didn't get to sleep but he got to rest his eyes and drown in his thoughts for hours on end.

He looked up at Ben who was sat on the middle of the bed with his back pressed up against the wall and his feet hanging off the side of the bed. Carter reached his hand out of the cover to try and indicate that he wanted the cup of coffee in Ben's hand but Ben shook his head and brought the rim of the mug to his lips. There was no way he was letting Carter be dosed up on caffeine this early in the morning.

"Are we getting up?"

"Soon, I want to talk to you first." Ben moved his free hand to gently rest Carter's legs over his lap to stop him from laying curled up like he was. He rubbed his hand over Carter's ankles for a moment, trying to make sure he didn't look scared or angry and check he seemed okay.

"Is it about mum?" Carter's voice was quiet but he wasn't angry or scared or unsettled. The look in his eyes showed he clearly felt guilty for what happened yesterday but he seemed like he would be fine talking about it.

"Yeah it is because we can't have a repeat of yesterday."

"I didn't mean to I swear. I didn't mean to hurt mum and you said she wasn't mad at me- she's not mad, is she?"

The way Ben kept rubbing his hand over Carter's ankle calmed him down enough to know that Ben was no longer mad at him and that (Y/n) couldn't be mad either or Ben wouldn't be so calm around him right now. Carter pulled the pillow tighter under his head until it felt like the pillow was going to swallow him up and he kept his eyes focused solely on Ben. He felt calm enough and more at ease now to be able to look Ben in the eye unlike last night.

"No she's not mad at you buddy, your mum knows you didn't mean it but that doesn't mean I wasn't mad at you. You were really rude and hurtful to her with what you said, you know you can't say things like that to people, and then you hit her too."

"I didn't mean it-"

"Carter... buddy, please try and listen to me now."

Ben put his drink down before he leaned over and gently pulled Carter until he was sitting up next to Ben, his legs still strewn over Ben's lap. He needed Carter to try his best to listen and understand to what he was saying because Carter had to understand. He had to know being rude and intentionally spiteful with his words wasn't okay and lashing out was never acceptable, especially not with (Y/n) or the boys.

"Me and your mum know you can't help it when you get upset but you have to try and think before you lash out. Your mum's having a baby now, if you hit her near her tummy or you push her and she falls, the baby can get hurt too and I know you wouldn't want that to happen. I don't care if you hit or push or bite me but I mean it when I say you can not do that to your mum, especially not now she's pregnant."

He didn't know how else to word it so that Carter would understand how wrong it would be if he physically hurt (Y/n). Carter wouldn't put the pieces together that hurting (Y/n) hurt the baby unless he hurt (Y/n) and the baby was hurt or everyone suddenly became scared that the baby would be hurt. If Ben could drill it into Carter's head now that he couldn't act like that then hopefully if he did get angry again then it wouldn't be directed towards (Y/n).

"Do you understand what I mean?"

"I can't lash out at mum cause it might hurt the baby in her tummy... I- I don't like you and mum having a baby, but I don't want to hurt the baby either."

As much as it irritated and unsettled Carter to know Ben and (Y/n) were having a baby that he didn't want them to have, he also didn't want to hurt the baby. He wouldn't want to be the reason they lost or didn't have the baby because it would make him feel guilty beyond belief. He remembered when Lucy was pregnant with Finn, Ben had told him about the baby growing in her stomach and being careful around her. He wouldn't want to hurt (Y/n), ever, and he wouldn't want to hurt the baby either.

"I know you don't buddy, but no one is mad at you anymore it's okay now."

"Can I see mum now?" Carter had come close to having another tantrum last night when Ben told him in no uncertain terms that he wasn't seeing (Y/n) until morning because he was still unsettled. It was both for safety and to teach Carter that he couldn't do that and expect things to be okay. But he did want to see her, he felt bad and he wanted to say sorry and make sure she was okay with him.

"She's gonna come and talk to you in a minute, I'll see you downstairs. Remember to say sorry." Ben kissed the top of Carter's head and wrapped him up in a hug for a minute or so before he slowly unravelled from his son and left the room.

Carter kept the covers wrapped around him like he was a butterfly trying to break free from his cocoon. He pulled his knees up to his chest but the moment (Y/n) entered the room and sat down on the bed he struggled to untangle himself from the cover. The moment he broke free he scuttled over until he was almost sitting on (Y/n)'s lap with his arms around her neck, his face buried in her shoulder and his front pressed against her own.

"I'm sorry... dad said I was rude and cruel but I didn't mean it and I didn't mean to hit you, dad said I could hurt the baby if I do it again."

(Y/n) could tell that there was a big part of Carter that was expecting her to push him away from her or shout at him or glare and be annoyed with him, but she wasn't. She knew he couldn't help the way he reacted and he was so desperate to be loved that he was afraid a baby would take that love and attention away from him.

She understood why he reacted how he did and (Y/n) knew he was spiteful because it was how he thought he should react to show them just how hurt he felt. As for hitting her, that was just part of his anger that he needed to learn how to control.

"I know you didn't mean what you said, honey, it's okay. But your dad acted the way he did because he was worried. The baby's fine so you don't have to be upset anymore, we just don't want you getting that upset again."

(Y/n) knew that Ben reacted with more anger and fire than she did but it was just how they were. She had the patience when it came to Carter but Ben didn't because Ben had spent all of Carter's life trying to curb his anger issues and his attitude but he ran out of patience when Carter acted out badly like last night. If Carter hurt (Y/n) or one of the boys Ben couldn't help but get annoyed with him, but when Carter was up all night Ben had all the patience in the world to sit and hold him or calm him down from a tantrum.

"You're not mad at me, are you?"

"No baby, I'm not mad. But I need you to understand that I am your mum even if I have a baby with your dad. You're my eldest boy, just like with your dad, he hasn't replaced you with James or Finn or with this baby and neither will I."

"But it will be your baby."

"Yeah, and I want a baby with your dad but that doesn't mean I don't want you too. Your dad loves all of you equally and that makes him your dad, if he can do that then I can love you all just the same as I can love a baby. Honey, I have no reason whatsoever to replace you because I love everything about you. I love how you look like your dad, how you're almost as tall as me, I love that you try and look after your brothers and you help and respect your dad. I love how you let me be your mum, I think you're perfect and I wouldn't have you any other way."

(Y/n) slowly tangled her fingers into Carter's hair and started to sway them side to side when she felt him sniffing into her shoulder to try and stop himself from crying.

Someone other than Ben truly loved him and wasn't getting angry with him or annoyed at how he reacted or what he said and did. She didn't want to change how he could make her uncomfortable with eye contact or how he spoke or acted in certain situations. She wasn't even annoyed by his uncontrollable temper.

(Y/n) loved him and would never replace him.

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"When will the baby be here?"

(Y/n) turned her head to look over at James who was sat next to her on the sofa on her right. He had his head leaning against her arm and his eyes focusing up on (Y/n) rather than on the book in her hands. James preferred having a story read to him either by Ben or (Y/n) or by listening to an audio book because it was easier than reading which gave him a headache after a while.

"Not for five months or so, honey. Why, are you excited?" (Y/n) looked down at James with a smile when he nodded his head but seemed rather deflated that he would have to wait a while. He was only three when Finn was born so he wouldn't remember or understand that it took around about nine months to have the baby if things went smoothly. The waiting game was good for Ben and (Y/n) because it gave them time to prepare but it wasn't so good for the boys because they didn't have a lot of patience and waiting wasn't what they typically liked to do.

"Yeah! Will it be another boy?"

Pressing her lips together, (Y/n) set down the book on the coffee table which she knew was going to be long-forgotten now they were having this conversation.

"I don't know, me and your dad don't get to choose sweetheart. It might be a boy, but it could be a girl."

"So, it's a surprise?"

"Exactly. Do you want it to be a boy?" (Y/n)'s words seemed to catch Finn's attention for the youngest boy put down the game controller in his hand and spun round on the floor so he could face (Y/n) and his brother. He didn't have the courage to speak up about this topic but it was one he wanted to listen to all the same.

Finn shyly moved over to the sofa when (Y/n) beckoned him to sit with them when she noticed he was watching intently. He sat down on (Y/n)'s other side and very timidly shuffled closer until their arms were very lightly brushing against one another. Close contact was something Finn didn't like with anyone but Ben and his brothers but he was slowly becoming more and more comfortable around (Y/n) enough that he could have her hug him or hold his hand.

Neither Ben nor (Y/n) knew how he would be with a new sibling. Finn was so at ease around Carter and James because they were older than him and he saw them as his protectors just like Ben. They looked out for him and they helped him, even though Carter did get angry around him Finn knew it wasn't always on purpose and Carter did generally look out for him. A younger sibling meant someone that Finn might have to look out for and protect and he didn't feel like he could protect himself. But he may be fine and happy with a younger sibling to play with and teach.

"I don't mind, a sister might be nice though... dad always says he's overpowered by boys." It always stuck in James' mind when Ben commented that he had a house full of boys or he was overruled by his sons. But James always had the picture in his head of Ben as a dad to the boys, the monsters as Ben referred to them. Ben with a little girl would change that image.

"No, daddy said he's the boss." Finn leaned to look across at James before he cautiously looked up at (Y/n).

In Finn's mind Ben was the boss, he was in charge, he took care of them and loved them and when he argued with Carter he was always the overpowering one. When Ben said he was the boss it fit the image Finn had of him as his protector as well as his dad.

"He is the boss, don't worry. What about you, do you think a sister might be nice?"

"Boy. Daddy always has boys, it's his superpower." Finn shook his head when the point of a sister was brought up. He didn't want a sister, it wouldn't be right because he had brothers and Ben just had boys. Ben used to say that his superpower was having boys and that they were his world. If he had a girl it didn't feel like it would settle very well, Finn couldn't imagine Ben having a daughter after having three boys. He couldn't see himself with a sister and he certainly couldn't see Carter having a sister.

Carter got angry, what if he got angry around a baby girl and frightened her?

"We might be having a boy, but if we do have a girl then it just means your dad's superpower is upgraded."

"Why is the baby in there?" Finn's voice was quiet but his eyes were full of curiosity as he very cautiously moved his hand to tap gently against (Y/n)'s stomach to emphasise his point. He was only four so there was no way they could expect Finn to understand why the baby had to grow in (Y/n)'s stomach but it didn't make it any easier to come up with a reason that he would understand.

"This is just where baby's grow and develop, honey. Then in a few months they'll be ready to meet you."

"Did daddy put baby there?" Finn kept lightly smoothing and tapping his hand on (Y/n)'s stomach but he stopped and squealed when he suddenly felt a pair of hands sneak under his arms and pick him up. Ben leaned over the back of the sofa and hoisted Finn effortlessly into the air, holding him against his chest as he tickled him.

"You bet I did, that's my superpower. I've put a movie on up in our room, you two gonna go watch it for a bit while I talk to your mum?"

Ben set Finn gently down to his feet, his eyes following both boys as they scuttled upstairs. They knew it was getting close to their bedtime but watching a movie in Ben and (Y/n)'s room got them calm and settled ready to sleep. When he knew they were upstairs and out of earshot Ben moved round the sofa and sat down next to (Y/n) with a smile that made her stomach flutter.

"I want to talk to you about something but I don't want the boys listening." Ben darted his eyes up to indicate that he had asked the boys to go upstairs so they could talk. His soft smile and vibrant green eyes told (Y/n) that it wasn't anything worrying or bad or upsetting but it was clearly something that the boys shouldn't be listening to and that made her intrigued.

"What's up?"

"I've been thinking about when we have the baby, and I know you're not even fully moved in with us yet... but I was thinking we could look for a new house, a place of our own?"

Ben clasped his hands together in front of him and leaned his arms on his knees like he was about to hunch over in his usual stance. Since the moment (Y/n) told him she thought she might be pregnant nothing else had been on his mind but this baby and now it was set in stone he knew he wasn't going to be thinking of anything else.

"R-really?" A swarm of butterflies raged through (Y/n)'s chest that made her feel like she was breathless. She hadn't ever been so invested in a relationship where they bought a house together, but then again (Y/n) had never been in a relationship where she gained three lovely children and was now pregnant. But a place of their own sounded like something from a dream, it could be somewhere they picked out and decorated and somewhere the boys loved and felt comfortable and safe.

"Yeah, I mean, I bought this place after the court case with Lucy went through two years ago but it was never meant to be permanent. And the sleeping arrangements will have to change anyway. James and Finn can't share a room with a newborn and Carter can't share with anyone so we need another room."

Ben picked this house because he had to move Finn out of the house that held the bad memories for him. He had only been two at the time but keeping him in that house was something Ben couldn't put him through in case it made his nightmares and anxiety worse. But he didn't expect this to be a forever home, it was temporary until they all got settled and things worked out but Ben never ended up having the time to think about moving again until now.

But when the baby was born this house couldn't be permanent for them. There were three rooms in total and with three kids that was fine, James and Finn shared a room which made Finn feel more secure and safe, Ben and (Y/n) had a room and Carter had the box room to himself. He couldn't share with his brothers in case he had an outburst and he certainly couldn't share with a newborn. It wouldn't be the best idea for (Y/n) and Ben to have to share with the baby either, they would all be cramped together like sardines.

"I think it sounds great... but will the boys take it well?"

"Finn will need time to adjust and Carter will have a meltdown because of the change but it wasn't too bad with him last time. Since you're moving with us too and they all know they won't have to share with a baby I think it will be a lot smoother."

Finn had to get used to a new environment and make sure it felt safe and secure to him but it had been very easy when they moved into this house. And with everyone moving too and him staying at the same pre-school Ben knew he would be okay. It was Carter that he was worried about because the change wouldn't work well with him. But they were moving with (Y/n), she would be there with them and making the house their own so Carter wouldn't be half as bad with her there. (Y/n) was able to calm him down and help him with his anger better than anyone else, the move wouldn't be bad if she was there.

If they moved they could find somewhere with enough space for the six of them and somewhere that truly felt like a home to them.

Somewhere for their family.

#ben hardy #ben x reader #ben hardy imagine #imagine #BoRhap #dad! ben #gwilym lee #teachers pet

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themadauthorshatter · 4 years ago

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Toppat!Charles Part 13(Final)

This is it. The big 13.

What a ride.

I'm not holding back on this.

Dramatic recap: Triple Threat has spent time reunited, though Charles has some trouble relaxing before their mission. Speaking of which, all goes well at firs, but Charles is recaptured by Right and Ellie is found by Toppats and Reginald, leaving Henry alone in the vents.

To catch up before this finale, here are all the previous parts:

Part 1

Part 2

Part 2 Deleted/Extended Scene

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8 Preview

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

I just really want to say thank you all for enjoying this series since it started. It means a lot to me. I never knew how 'big' this would get and I'm honestly really glad you all liked this. And for putting up with my nonsense 😅😂

Anyway, onto the finale!!!

If this was a tv special, the camera would do a glidey thing from the side of a vent to an open path, which Henry crawls through.

He's hot, very uncomfortable, and really hopes that Charles gets back to him and Ellie.

It probably doesn't help that he can't hear Ellie anymore. At all.

Alone, Henry sighs as he is left to follow a humming sound that he KNOWS has to be the core.

He's ditched a lot of his space gear and tied his hoodue around his hips, but he presses on, because he's really starting to hate the Toppat Clan right now.

CUT TO CHARLES!!!

Charles panics as he tries to break free from his binds, in a cell very much like the one Henry was locked in in the Free Man Ending. He's in pure panic mode and only knows that Right is leaning against the wall and he needs to get the hell out.

Charles is trying as much as he can, kicking up, trying to throw off the balance, even trying to go for the remote, which is where Right intervenes, taking it just as Charles is about to kick it.

After a few more minutes of kicking and flailing, Charles lets out a very loud scream.

"Are you done, kid?"

Charles breaks down and stops his struggling, keeping his gaze on the floor as he asks, "Why are you doing this? You already have your friend back."

"You're the one who came back, not me. Let me guess: the government didn't want you back?"

Charles keeps his head down, even as Right stops leaning on the wall and approaches him.

"Why're you really here?"

With a rush of adrenaline, Charles kicks Right, smirking at the fact that he'd managed to send him into the wall.

Right scowls and punches him in the face.

"Don't get cocky, or I'll send out into space," Right snarls as he points to a button on the remote. He keeps his thumb on this button, making sure Charles doesn't get any ideas. "Tell me why you're here, kid. What're you up to?"

Charles gulps and opens his mouth to explain, but is cut off by either Burt or Sven or any other toppat clan member.

"Sir, we've found someone in the ventilation system. He's heading to the core, now."

Charles freezes and Right turns to him, a 'gotcha' smile growing on his face.

CUT TO HENRY!

Henry has found the core and climbs out of the vent, bomb in hand; it has enough power to cause critical damage to the core and should give him and Ellie enough time to get back to Charles, and give the toppats time to evacuate and return to Earth, where they'll be arrested.

He walks along a ramp and gets ready to toss the bomb onto the core, near the middle where a lot of the power is.

His aim is heavily disrupted when he hears footsteps racing toward him.

As toppats approach, Henry runs to the other side of the core, tapping Morse into his earpiece to alert Ellie and Charles that he's been spotted.

He stops dead in his tracks when he sees two toppats holding Ellie back by her arms as she struggles, a little bruised and beaten, and sees Right holding Charles, who has his hands bound behind his back, by his hair.

"'Ello. 'Ere for something?"

Henry, after a quick glance to both Ellie and Charles, lowers the bomb and quickly draws his gun.

Which is shot out of his hand by from behind Reginald, who gives him a dainty wave.

Henry sneers at him before turning to Right.

"Seem familiar to you, 'Enry? One friend injured by toppats and the otjerneeding you to rescue 'im?"

The memory itself is like salt on a wound. Almost a year ago, they'd been trying to stop the rocket feom getting into orbit.

Now they're trying to blow the station to high Heaven, high water, Hell and back again.

"Don't listen to him," Charles hisses out, but Right slams his head on the railing and holds him on the other side of the railing by his neck.

Henry panics and sets down the bomb, much to the objection of Ellie, and holds his hands up.

Right merely scoffs at this. "You're good at making history repeat itself."

Charles is conscious enough to see this and feels his stomach drop, as Henry is possibly breaking his promise.

That's until he sees Henry sort of making a slight scissor motion with his middle and index fingers as subtly as he can, Morsing the following messages to Charles and Ellie:

'Bite their wrists. Kick someone's ahin and they're useless for a few minutes.

'Kick him. Kick him. Kick him. Kick him. Kick him.'

With a deep breath, Henry quickly drops for his gun as Ellie sort of reverse axe kicks one the toppat guard's shins and bites the other, making both let go of her.

Henry shoots Reginald in the foot, which gets Right to instinctively take a step forward and pull Charles closer, which leads to him getting in a really good kick to Right's jaw before he falls onto the platform.

Ellie headbutts one guard and punches the other before running to the bomb.

Charles covers himself as Right kicks him before the cyborg charges to Henry, who shoots him in the shoulder and goes to do it again, but is tackled by Reginald.

There's a lot of kicking and punching, but Ellie eventually knocks out one guard, only to be slammed into the wall by her hair and thrown down.

Before he can get any other hits in, he is shot and falls to the platform, clutching between his neck and shoulder.

Ellie looks to see Charles holdimg Henry's gun before he turns it on Henry, Reginald, and Right, using a couple shots to scare away Reginald.

Right, mad as all hell, beats the ever loving heebie jeebies out of Henry, smashing him into the platforming and daring, "You think you're some kind of hero, kid? You think just by taking us out, you're helping yourself!? All over some damned pilot and a rat you found!?"

Henry, very much offended and sick of all the salt, strikes Right with Reginald's gun, hitting the metal side of his head and even getting in an uppercut before Charles delivers a phenomenal kick that shatters Right's cybernetic eye.

Right falls back, knocked out cold from the hit.

Charles holds a hand out for Henry, who takes it with a clap and lets himself get picked up by Charles, though he does help.

"Good shot," Charles sighs. "And... thanks."

Henry hugs him, and Charles tenses before hugging back, crying as relief floods him. Relief that his friend actually kept his promise, which he totally knew he'd do, 100% without a doubt.

"Um, guys?" Ellie asks. "Shouldn't we...?"

Henry pats Charles and the two pull away, ready to blow this pop stand.

Without the detonator, they'll have to do this the risky-but-badass-if-this-works way.

Ellie throws the bomb onto the core and both Henry and Charles shoot it, making the bomb go off.

It knocks all three of them down, but don't worry they all come to.

They decide to take Right and Reginald, who got knocked out by the blast, and race to the escape pods, with guidance from Charles.

Henry fights a flashback of Valiant Hero before realizing Charles isn't leading them to the normal escape pods.

"You guys might not believe this, but this isn't just the room for the clan leader," Charles admits ehen they get to what used to be his room, which became Reginald's for a short time.

They load in and lock Right and Reginald in handcuffs, but Charles decides to pull one more card out of his sleeve: an 'override' feature that guides the escape pods to a certain location.

"Where dhould they go? The base or...?"

Henry and Ellie trade glances before Henry smirks and nods.

"The Wall," Ellie replies.

"You sure?"

'They gave us enough trouble, and they'll keep Dmitri off my back,' Henry signs as quickly as he can.

Charles sets the location and they leave just as the orbital station explodes.

All three take a sigh of relief, especially Charles.

"It's... It's over. We did it."

Ellie nods and puts a hand on his shoulder as Henry holds his hand on his other side and gives him a smile.

'It's all over.'

Charles rests his head on Henry's shoulder as Ellie moves to hold his hand as well, and lean on him as he lets himself cry.

CUT TO EARTH!!!!!

Galeforce paces back and forth at the base, waiting to hear a word from Henry, Ellie, and Charles.

Rupert has informed him that they have lost contact with the destroyer, which has been destroyed with the Toppat station.

Escape pods have been landing in The Wall, but there hasn't been a single report on Triple Threat.

Terrence sits in a chair with one leg folded over and doing that foot shake thing, because he's stressed.

Bill Bullet is also waiting, though he's keeping his eyes on the ground, and he's not talking about anything because Galeforce will kill him.

All three jump when they hear the sound of some sort of space craft landing near the base and rush to investigate with a lot of the soldiers.

They have to fight their way through as the door opens and Reginald and Right are thrown out.

Henry, Charles, and Ellie stumble out, their injuries having caught up to them, leaving them tired and needing some medical attention.

The soldiers are literally elated to see these three, even though Henry's shady, Ellie's also shady, and Charles is the youngest and best pilot. Some take Right and Reginald away to a cell before they're sent to The Wall, but the rest somewhat dogpile the trio, patting their backs, ruffling their hair, shaking their hands, and just celebrating the fact that they're all back on Earth and alright.

They make way for Galeforce, Terrence, and Bill, the corporal standing back as Terrence reunites with Henry and Ellie and Galeforce throws his arms around Charles.

After so much excitement, Charles passes out and is carried to the infirmary.

Through the crowd, Henry spots Bill, who gestures for him to follow, which he does.

Ellie sees this and also starts following, but Terrence stops her.

"Let's leave them be. Corporal kept saying he needed to talk to him alone."

Henry and Bill walk until they're a really good distance away and just stand in a clearing, watching the now clear sky that is missing the orbital station.

"Looks kinda empty without it, doesn't it?" Bill asks.

Henry shrugs, but nods all the same. 'When do I leave?' he signs instead.

Bill fights an eye roll and he pockets his sunglasses. "You know, I've seen a lot of crminals, but never ones that were selfish enough to do the right thing. Hell, I think I know a couple that would take over that orbital station instead of destroy it for someone they care about."

'They had it coming, after what happened.'

"If you say so." Bill passes the chaos readings to Henry, who reads them over as much as he can because he doesn't get a lot of it.

"You'd be surprised how much numbers matter. They go up when you're on your own, but they go down when you're surrounded by people to keep you in check, whether you know it or not. Call it whatever you want, strange, lucky, interesting."

Henry takes one more look at the readings before turning back to Bill, a smile growing on his face. 'You changed your mind?'

"As much of a good study you'd really be, yes, I have," Bill sighs. "Just do me a favor and don't make a habit of losing your friends, okay?"

Henry nods and returns the readings as he sprints bak to the base, almost running into Ellie.

"What'd he say?"

Henry smiles her and the message is clear:

He's not going anywhere.

The two hug and highfive, though they stop because they're sore and still a little injured.

They walk to the infirmary and are put in beds next to Charles, who's resting a little easier than they've seen him in a while.

"Fine work you three," Galeforce says as he joins them. "Just about every member of the Toppat Clan was sent to The Wall." He notices Charles stirring a little before resting again and gives a small smlie. "You three rest up now. You've earned it."

Galeforce leaves and both lie down, Charles opening his eyes and staring up at the ceiling.

"They're... really gone. We did it."

Neither speak as he continues.

"In my cell and when they made me the leader, I used to imagine destroying it myself. Just shooting it as much as I could before it all went up into smoke. I never thought we'd actually do it. I can't believe we did it."

From where they all lay, the three hold hands and fall asleep, the endeavor of the past year slipping away.

Henry in particular lets out a sigh as he drifts off, glad that all three of his friends are back and safe.

Outside the base, Terrence leans against the hood of a car and watches the sunset, and Reginald and a one armed Right be loaded into a van headed toward The Wall.

The two toppat leaders are not looking forward to their incarceration, but Reginald holds Right's human hand, which seems to at least simmer his temper a little bit.

"They make a cute couple, don't you think?"

"I'd say," Bill sighs as he types on a laptop on the ground; just an email to his workers and to Dmitri. "I'd be surprised if I heard there was a Wall wedding for the two of them."

"A wedding? WITHOUT me? And you call my son a criminal," Terrence gasps as he holds a hand on his chest.

Bill snickers and finishes up those emails. "Come on. We need to head back."

Terrence rolls his eye as Bill sets his laptop in the backseat.

"Do I have to stay in that same room all the time? Or can I have Henry's?"

Bill scowls at him.

"I like the idea of having a window, watching some sitcoms, and just keeping up a good appearance, sue me."

"Depends on how well we get along on the ride back."

Terrence watches Bill get in his seat and start the car and takes one last look at the base before he climbs into the passenger seat. "Hope you like country."

"Don't touch my damn car, Suave."

Terrence laughs as Bill fights a smirk, driving back to the CCC headquarters and leaving Triple Threat to rest and heal for future shenanigans and missions for the government.

#henry stickmin #charles calvin #toppat!charles #ellie rose #stickvin #finale #last part #right hand man #reginald copperbottom #terrence suave #gun tw #bomb tw #i don't know how to write action scenes that well

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elderkale · 4 years ago

Text

do you see me now? i’m right here, behind the mirror.

tell me we’ll never get used to it - do you see me now? i’m right here, behind the mirror.

His childhood stood out to him in the forefront of his mind, vivid and still, like a series of photos laid out neatly in an album, or an oil painting of roadkill three days old. What was that they said about time slowing before a disaster?

Something like that, except for a decade of his life.

“Troubled child.” That’s what they’d called him. “Ill. Unwell.” No specific terms—they’d thought him too young—but he had an idea of what they were saying behind the door. He was a doctor, after all.

There was irony in that, he thought. No, not irony—wrong word. Incongruous? Not him being troubled, the other thing.

He’d come to school late, by almost three months—an eternity, back then. What he’d give to have that back.

He remembered the crunch of gravel beneath tires, the chill of the car window when he pressed his forehead against it, the sting in his palms when the edges of the seatbelt dug into his skin.

Be good, he remembered them saying. Play nice. Do well. Yada yada yada. A hug, stiff and awkward, a firm hand on his shoulder that was just a bit too heavy and sent him stumbling. The rumble of a motor, and they were gone, a speck in the distance leaving nothing but a trail of smoke behind.

And him.

He hadn’t gone to class—no point, not on the first day. The woman at the front desk, with the long dress and dangling jewelry, and a smile so bright and stretched so wide it had scared him, offered to stay, to lead him to the library, to show him the grounds. He’d nodded, politely, meekly. The moment she glanced away, he’d turned and bolted, charging down the halls on little legs that hadn’t grown nearly as much as he’d hoped since then.

He’d thought about that day a lot through the years. Strange, the way things happen. What would have happened, back then and afterwards and now, if he’d gone another way. If he’d turned left instead of right, gone up the stairs or out the doors instead of down the hall. If he’d paid a little more attention to where he’d been going instead of glancing over his shoulder so much.

If he hadn’t crashed into her.

A loud yelp, a squeaking, skidding noise, and he was on his back, head throbbing, palms burning. She’d winced as she clambered to her feet, her knees skinned an angry, pinkish red.

For a moment, they’d just stared at each other.

Funny, how long a second can last.

And then she’d grabbed him, thin, pale fingers gripping his wrist tightly enough to cut off circulation, and dragged him into an alcove.

“Hey!” he’d protested, which he thought had been fair of him.

She’d already been on the ground, arranging her skirt over neatly folded legs. Begrudgingly, he’d slid down the wall and slumped onto the ground to face her. Such was the way of children.

“What are you running away from?” she’d asked.

“What makes you think I’m running away from anything?” he’d asked. The alcove had been small, an empty space beneath the stairs you wouldn’t have spotted unless you were looking, really looking. Cobwebs had hung from the slanted ceiling, brushing the tops of their heads, and they were practically squished against each other, but, back then, it had felt like the biggest place in the world. Like a secret cave.

“Well,” she’d said, the perfect picture of reason, “you’re running, and now you’re hiding. Most people don’t do that for fun.”

“You’re doing it,” he’d said. “Sort of.”

“Yeah, but I’m not most people.” She’d tilted her chin up pompously, and he’d felt like hitting her.

“Oh, yeah?” he’d sneered. “What makes you so special?”

“I’m very smart,” she’d said, clearly and plainly, like she was stating a fact.

“That’s stupid,” he’d said bluntly.

She’d nodded sagely. “Sounds like something a smart person would say.” There’d been a band-aid across her nose, and her hair had been a burnt reddish-brown, tangled into two ponytails that bore striking resemblances to the heads of mops. She’d looked about his age and, seriously, what lunatic had thought it was a good idea to lock a bunch of eight-year-olds up in a castle in the middle of nowhere? It was a catastrophe waiting to happen.

(Hardee-har-har.)

“Are you new too?” he’d asked.

“No,” she’d said. “Why, are you?”

“Obviously,” he’d said with a sniff, looking down his nose at her with disdain. Sometimes, back home, when he’d felt well enough to get out of bed, he’d sneak around the house and listen to his parents, the programs they’d left playing all day on the telly, the phone calls that always left his father either strutting around the house, pleased as punch, or sour-faced and growling and snarling at anyone who came near. He’d gotten used to imitating their haughty tones.

“How old are you?” she’d demanded.

“Eight,” he’d said.

“Oh.” She’d beamed—she’d cycled through emotions like they were pairs of socks, back then. Still did, it seemed. It used to send him reeling. “Me too!”

“Okay,” he’d said. Not the starting point one would expect, but a starting point nonetheless. He wasn’t very nice to her, but she wasn’t very nice to him, either, so he supposed it balanced out.

He wondered when it had all gone to shit.

“What,” Koschei had said one cold December night.

Theta had grinned, hair fluttering in the breeze. “Hiya!”

“What,” Koschei had repeated.

Theta had gestured at him to move over and, after a brief scramble, grabbed the edges of the windowsill and swung into his room. Koschei had leapt backwards, wrinkling his nose, as chunks of dirty snow tumbled in along with her, landing on the carpet.

“Vansell’s at home this week,” Theta had said in way of explanation, patting her hands dry against her coat. He’d wrinkled his nose at the wet brown stains she’d left and took a quick step out of arm’s reach.

“I know,” Koschei had said, watching her shrug out of her soiled coat (big and bulky and a shocking shade of highlighter yellow that he had no doubt she’d picked out herself) and kick off her boots.

She’d made a humming noise and flopped onto the armchair into the corner of the room. “The roof is nice,” she’d said. “You should come with me, sometime.”

He’d craned his neck to look up at the ceiling. “Is it cold?” he’d asked.

“Mhm.” Theta had been fiddling with the afghan Vansell had left slung across the back of the chair, twisting the fringe between her fingers.

“You’re stupid,” he’d informed her, as was custom at that point. She’d scrunched her face up in his direction, and he’d stuck out his tongue in retaliation. He’d flopped back down onto his bed and picked up the book he’d been flipping idly through when he’d heard the knock on the window. “Are you gonna stay there?”

“Yep,” she’d said, popping the P and pulling the afghan around her shoulders. She’d looked ridiculous, he’d thought, sitting there in pajamas that looked like they’d been through a shredder (knowing her, they probably had), feet not quite touching the ground.

He’d drifted off at some point, lulled to sleep by the rustle of frost-covered branches outside and the mind-numbingly dull plot of his book, her chatter fading into calming background noise.

When he’d woken up, she’d been gone, along with the biscuits he’d hidden in his desk.

Koschei supposed that, to some, he would have been considered a bully. It certainly was what he’d fancied himself, at the time. Theta too—partners in crime, in a sense. But only to a few. To most, they were just another duo of wandering weirdos. The nutter who never went to class and the serious one that coughed a lot, he once heard a janitor say.

They’d left a lot of messes.

They’d been close, she hadn’t lied about that. Maybe not him to her in the sense that she wanted, or her to him in the sense that he wanted, but close. Very close.

Predictably, this hadn’t been much help to either of them in their social pursuits.

Scuffles in the hallway were normal, expected, even, and if Koschei had a penny for every jibe and sneer that had made his stomach twist—their friendship, Theta’s family, his condition—he wouldn’t have had to stay at all. Yet, somehow, they were still the ones who’d get into trouble when they’d retaliate.

He remembered the glare that had been on Theta’s face as she’d watched Torvic, in all four and a half feet of compressed smugness and meanness, saunter out of the office, blameless, for the upteenth time. “‘M gonna kill ‘im,” she’d muttered around her puffy lip, and he’d nodded fervently.

He missed those days.

Oh, right. That’s when it had started veering off to hell.

Theta had grown bolder as time passed, and so had he. Sneaking across the roof of the dorms was, as Theta had declared, with all the smugness of the cat that had gotten the cream, “child’s play.”

“We are children,” Koschei had pointed out.

“Yeah, but we’re better.”

There was scarcely a day when they weren’t clambering over the roof or down the walls, or even through the gap in the gate and into the fields and woods beyond. Koschei hadn’t been foolish enough to believe that nobody knew, or that they were the only ones, though he suspected Theta might have been. He’d just counted himself lucky that nobody had phoned home.

Was it luck, he sometimes found himself thinking sometimes, or the opposite that had led him to follow them that night? Had it been the greatest thing to ever happen to them, or the worst? Philosophical and never-ending, and with more answers than he could shake a stick at, and not a single one of them clearer than a solid wall. Infuriating to no end. Sometimes he thought he’d chosen the wrong profession.

“When do you suppose the aliens are going to come?” Theta had asked. She’d taken her shoes off, despite the lingering chill, and was splashing her feet absent-mindedly in the river. It had been a big river, or big enough, and, sometimes, after the longest autumn storms, they would have to shout to hear each other over the rush of white water.

Not that night, though. That night, the water had been as gentle as a brook or a light spring breeze, breaking around Theta’s ankles and the smooth, worn stones in little ripples that Koschei had loved to drag his fingers through.

He’d contemplated the question for a moment, wrinkling his forehead and staring at the leaf he’d been shredding as if he might find the answer written in the veins. “Soon, I imagine,” he’d decided.

“I think they should hurry, don’t you?” Theta had said. “Earth’s boring. This part of Earth, at least.” She’d flopped back onto the bank, mindless of the pebbles digging into her back, kicking her legs and splashing water all over the both of them. “I’m dying down here!”

He never did learn the full story of what had happened that night. It wasn’t like they could have asked.

All he knew was that, one moment, he’d been sat on the bank, watching her braid a twig into her hair, and, in the next, he’d been knocked to the ground. The ensuing scuffle was but a blur in his memory, something he’d curse until the end of time because fuck.

He’d ended up losing (or what had constituted losing at the moment), and being kicked across the rocks. He still had the scar—a barely-there line, thin and white, across his shoulder—to prove it. There had been shouting, he remembered, and someone had been screaming—him or Theta or Torvic or all three of them, or maybe that had just been the noise in his head.

And then the water.

Theta had maintained that it had been purposeful. Koschei still believed he hadn’t had the faintest clue what he was doing. Not that it mattered.

The whole affair had been ridiculous, something more than clear to him now, looking back. A scuffle on the bank. But he could still appreciate what he’d felt at the time, which had been fear. Fear, and panic, and not much else. Desperation, too, and adrenaline. Very primal of him.

He could have drowned. He probably would have. Or maybe not. Who was he to know what had been going through the other boy’s head?

(Or maybe he knew too well. Not at the time, though. Not enough.)

And then—

He’d remember that moment for the rest of his life.

He hadn’t realized what had happened, not immediately. But Torvic’s weight had vanished, and he’d hauled himself out of the water, gagging and sputtering and spitting and shivering. It hadn’t been an instantaneous reaction, or one of horror or shock, like he’d seen described in stories. He’d scrubbed at his face with wet hands, rubbing at the sand and grit in his eyes, and it had taken him a few moments more to figure out why the water running down his arms was warm, and what that obnoxious fucking banging was.

It wouldn’t have taken a genius to see he was dead. Theta had still been swinging. Down and down and down and down. Splatters of blood had rained across her chest, her arms, her face, her hair, and he hadn’t been able to see her face.

“Theta,” he’d rasped, then coughed, more water spilling down his chin. “Theta,” he repeated. “Thete!”

A final swing and she’d stumbled back, stumbling on the rocky bank. Koschei had forced himself to his feet and staggered forwards. His legs had been shaking, though whether that had been from almost drowning (he’d regarded everything with a calmness that had almost been hysterical) or the body at his feet he hadn’t known. Still didn’t.

All in all, it had probably happened in a few seconds. But who could blame him for feeling like it had been an eternity?

He’d heard a thud, and the rattling of stones against each other. “I didn’t—” A breath like a death rattle, shaking hands reaching forwards. “He—”

Koschei had stepped over the body and kicked the bloody rock into the river. It had hit the water with a plop, and the droplets from the splash had been cold against his skin. “Theta,” he’d repeated, not for any particular reason—or one that he could think of, at least. Reassurance?

A hand on his sleeve, and he’d pulled her to her feet. How long had they stood there? His hair had been dry and his teeth chattering by the time she’d spoken again.

She’d cleared her throat, and her fingers twitched around his. “Water,” she’d whispered, voice hoarse.

She’d let go of him and crouched, grabbing his (its?) arms. “Water,” she’d repeated, voice stronger, dragging him (it) towards the bank. “Koschei!” she’d snapped when he didn’t move. “Help me.”

He’d heard somewhere, maybe in a film, that the body lost weight after death—the soul leaving the body. Or maybe that was just the water.

It had taken almost ten minutes to wade away from the rocky area by the shore, delayed slightly by Theta slipping and getting her foot stuck between two boulders, and another one to maneuver the body and push it away into the stronger currents.

And then they’d just stood there, waist-deep in a river neither of them were sure they had the strength to pull themselves or each other out of, watching the moonlight break against the water.

She’d never brought it up again, and neither had he.

It was almost laughable how desperate they’d been to make everything seem normal. They hadn’t needed to at all.

Not that nobody had noticed—it’s always rather difficult to overlook a missing child. He’d seen maybe one or two police officers on the first day, overheard a phone call on the third, and then nothing. He’d expected them to forget about him, but the speed at which everything had blown over had been astounding—nothing to spoil their good reputation, he supposed. Better to say a troubled child had run away then admit to having lost a perfectly normal one.

Troubled child. That’s what they’d started calling him.

They’d found the body a week later, bloated and rotted almost beyond recognition (or so he’d heard), caught on an overhanging branch a few miles down the River Irvine. Slipped and fell. How sad. This is why you have curfew. Their condolences. Please file all paperwork to a third-party outsource.

Torvic haunted the halls the way a graveyard haunts a highway, which is to say he didn’t. His room was cleaned, his name wiped from lists and his projects sorted neatly into files that vanished into cabinets that would never open again. There wasn’t anywhere a ghost could linger.

Nobody had even looked in their direction, and he’d felt his first stirs of what he’d later learn was called vindication.

If Koschei were more poetic, he’d have described their relationship as waves against a shore.

He didn’t want poetry. That had always been her.

There would be weeks where the most he’d see of her would be a flash of russet hair in the corridor, and she’d once gone a month skipping every class they’d shared (Which was, unfortunately, most of them. He’d ended up tracking her down in the art studio a week into the latest session of her silent treatment, and ended up with a tub of paste upended over his head for his troubles). Never for any reason he was privy to, and always coming back on her own terms. Never apologizing, either, or offering explanations; just sliding into the seat next to him or kicking his window open in the dead of night, regardless of time or roommates.

“It’s an asylum,” she’d stated one night, as blunt and self-assured as their very first conversation where she’d proclaimed her own cleverness, after a week of leaving every time he entered a room. She’d been lying upside-down on Vansell’s bed, hair brushing the floor and feet kicked up against the wall. Her heels had left scuffs on his posters that the other boy hadn’t stopped bitching about for weeks. “Clearly.” She’d hit another growth spurt recently, and her limbs had been long and gangly, like those of a newborn foal. She’d relished towering over him.

“Obviously,” he’d agreed, scratching out a word in his essay.

That wasn’t to say that he’d been entirely blameless, though. Fine, maybe he’d made a snide comment or three, and maybe his methods of retaliation were a bit cruel, and maybe throwing her bag out the window after finding her kissing Vansell (ugh) in their bathroom had been a bit much.

In his defence, he wasn’t the only one with a tendency to overreact. No matter what he’d said, the soup in his lap had definitely been unnecessary.

He wondered why anybody had been surprised when she started running away.

Not that she’d ever gotten far. Clever though she was, very few people were willing to pick up a hitchhiker in a dirty school uniform in the dead of night, and even she couldn’t walk all the way to Glasgow (though that hadn’t stopped her from trying).

“What the hell are you even trying to do?” he’d asked one night after she’d been dragged back, disgruntled and smelling like hot garbage, by an officer who’d worn on his face the weariness of a man who’d done a job a hundred times, and knew he’d have to do it another hundred times more. “No, don’t answer that,” he’d said, cutting her off. “Seriously, what are you doing?”

She’d shrugged, looking put-together in a way he’d never have expected from someone who’d reportedly been caught chasing a fox into an alley. “The tea’s better in Darvel,” she’d said primly.

He’d stared at her. “We have an exam tomorrow,” was all he’d managed to say.

“I know.”

“And you were in Darvel.”

“Newmilns, actually,” she’d said cheerfully. “Charming couple on the road, they gave me a lift.”

“No, they didn’t.”

“Well, they were going to.” She’d rolled her eyes, and Koschei had considered screaming. “But then the police caught up.”

“Fuck’s sake.” He’d felt faint.

“What?”

“You—” He’d scrubbed his hands down his face. His face had been prickly with the beginnings of stubble that she’d teased him mercilessly for (she’d pretended to sand a block of wood against his jaw at one point, and he’d hidden Ushas’s keys and told her Theta had been the one to take them. The fallout had been extraordinary). “You can’t just walk around Scotland.”

“Why not?” she’d asked. “I’ve been doing it, haven’t I?”

“You’re going to get expelled, at this rate,” he’d said, irritated.

“Don’t care,” she’d said.

“Yes, you do,” he snapped.

“No, I don’t.”

“Well, you should.”

“Why?”

“What are you even trying to do?” he’d asked again.

“There’s a pub in Drumclog I think you’ll like,” she’d said. “The Thursday night barman lets me in after happy hour.”

“Where would you even go?”

“The botanical gardens, I think. Or Loch Ness. We could find Nessie! Ooh, what about the Science Centre? I heard—”

“Theta.”

She’d shrugged. “Does it matter?” she’d asked.

“Yes, actually.”

And, just like that, her face had shuttered and she’d stood. “No.”

The door had slammed behind her.

He wishes he remembered the last time he saw her better. ‘Course, he hadn’t known it would be the last time. Still.

He’d never been particularly fond of Christmas, as a concept or in general. He’d liked the presents when he was younger, but even those had lost their shine as he’d gotten older. And that was to say nothing of the whole family aspect. He counts himself lucky that the endless list of uncles and aunties and cousins from his mother’s side hadn’t driven him insane.

He’d gotten into an argument with someone (Cousin? Grandparent? Family friend that wandered in for cake twenty years ago and kept showing up ever since? He didn’t remember, and he didn’t care), and gone to his room to brood (he did not, no matter what Drax said, sulk).

(It had been a spacious room, he remembered. Not the largest in the house, but far from the smallest. He hadn’t been back in years, not since his father’s funeral. He couldn’t say he missed it.)

He’d have been reading a book, probably, or something. Playing the drums, maybe, just to annoy his family, if he’d been really peeved.

He’d heard a knock at his window, and, suddenly, he’d been eight years old again. Snow had piled on his rug and he’d squinted against the blast of chill air as she clambered in.

“What are you doing here?” She’d been shaking, he remembered, and he’d chalked it up to nothing but the cold. She’d been shoeless, socks soaked through.

She’d shaken her head, dragging trembling fingers through tangled, stringy hair. She’d opened her mouth, then closed it again. “See you,” she finally managed. Her cheeks were red with cold, and her lips were tinged a blue that was almost black.

Something worth crossing the country in the middle of the night for, apparently.

He hadn’t noticed the red under her fingernails.

She hadn’t spoken for the rest of the night, something Koschei never would have thought possible before. He hadn’t asked, no matter how much he’d wanted to, and he doubted she’d have told him, anyways, even under normal circumstances. So he’d sat there, next to Theta, trembling in her cocoon of blankets and jackets. They’d fallen asleep like that, and, when he woken up, she’d been gone, along with his jumper.

It had been, in a way, he supposed one could argue, his fault. For not stopping her, for encouraging her, for being a co-conspirator, or an influence (good or bad, he didn’t know—it was up for debate), or whatever they’d deemed to call him.

“I told you that girl was no good,” his grandfather had said during breakfast, eyes on him as he shouted to the whole table. “I told you, didn’t I? Nothing good can come from someone like her, I told you. Told you to drop her, didn’t I? That girl’s no good, I told you, didn’t I? You remember, don’t you, I told you, nothing good comes from hanging around—”

He’d nodded mutely, thumbing the corner of the newspaper with his thumb.

It hadn’t been the most flattering thing, the mugshot. At least they’d spelt her name right.

He’d watched him through the window. He’d looked entirely too pleased with himself, nodding in mute delight and false thanks and basking in the shower of simpering sympathy. The bandage plastered on his face had been a stark, sterile white against the muted reds and browns of the rest of him, and he’d shivered at the sight of the mottled green and purple bruising stretching out around it. Atta girl, he’d almost muttered.

It had taken all of his inconsiderable self-control to not barge through the doors and finish the job for her.

(Which he had, of course. Eventually.)

It was almost a shame, he’d thought later as he’d peered over the crumbling edge of the cliff. The polish and shine of the twisted tires had gleamed under the moonlight, crushed beneath the crumpled shell of the stolen car.

He’d have liked to take off the bandage. Her handiwork deserved to be seen.

He’d dusted off his jeans, then turned and began the long walk back home.

He’s never been good at forgetting.

#i am once again expecting you to keep up with my vague use of pronouns #tmwnguti #masterversary #doctor who #dw #the master #dhawan!master #the doctor #thirteenth doctor #fanfiction #writing #fanfiction update #murder #au #torvic #background thansell #academy era #excessive backstory

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pogaytosalad · 3 years ago

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Heres a wip of a sequel.

Dmviolence, by jade

Hello, if youre hearing this, it probably means im dead. Either that, or im alive and just got tired of keeping this hidden. You might remember my voice from a previous recording about a takeover in sector ⬽:➻, in which id helped prevent total annihilation of the sector. At the time i was unnamed, however now you may call me Kalton. After the takeover i resigned and moved to a job at a dmv. This planet was, for some reason, in one of the most tactically advantageous locations in the galaxy. And for some reason the higher ups dedicated the whole damn planet to dmvs. Dont ask why. Now, onto the story.

I woke up, and i put on my emerald green contact lenses. Just like any other day. I put on a basic white t-shirt and a leather bomber jacket along with a pair of jean shorts. If you cant tell by now, im gay.

I live in a small apartment. By small apartment i mean a bedroom, a bathroom and a kitchen all crammed into 2 rooms. I hopped out the bedroom window onto my motorcycle. It was a diamond white motorcycle with deep red stripes along the sides and the handlebars. My pride and joy. I put on my jet black helmet and took off towards my job at the, you guessed it, dmv.

Chapter 2

I pulled up in the parking lot and took off my helmet, my blue hair a total rats nest. The doors were push doors, yet i somehow ALWAYS pulled first. I entered the dmv and went to my station. A few hours passed by and no one had come in yet, which was unusual. So naturally i decided to sit down on the floor, put in my earbuds, and enjoyed some heavy metal. A few more hours passed by, and usually by now i wouldve been yelled at by my boss. This struck me as odd so i stood up. I really wish i hadnt stood up. The place had been completely destroyed. There were drop pods crashed in through the roof and they all had the ERGON logo on them. Ergon was a multi trillion dollar pencil manufacturing company with its own military. They had previously tried to take over sector ⬽:➻ when i had been working there. I was not looking forwards to what was about to happen.

Quickly, i ducked back onto the floor before anyone saw me. There were 4 riot soldiers holding this building. This was gonna be fun. The riot soldiers are your stereotypical riot gear and police baton soldiers. But these guys had laser batons and the riot gear gave them heightened strength and speed. They also had some, dare I say, shitty energy pistols. I crawled over to one of the soldiers who wasnt being watched and broke their neck. Carefully I took the baton and the pistol. Slowly crawled my way back to my station and checked the shot count in the pistol. I had 6 shots, just enough to take care of the remaining three soldiers. I stood up quickly and shot each soldier twice in the head. First shot to open the riot helmet, second shot to kill. I vaulted over the counter and grabbed the three pistols. These things were so stupid. You couldnt even remove the clips. Once you ran out of shots, the pistol was useless. Nonetheless, i didnt have any choice. I had a laser baton and 18 total shots in 3 pistols.

Upon leaving the building, my motorcycle was one of the few things to survive. It had alot of scratches and damage, but it still worked. The helmet was shattered however. I mounted the motorcycle and took off towards the next closest dmv. Maybe id find some better gear there.

Chapter 3

Pulling up next to the second dmv i immediately noticed 3 things. 1: there was blood everywhere. 2: there were 25 soldiers here. And 3: they all had energy weapons. The reason these things are relevant is because energy weapons dont cause bloodshed. This was the result of something else. Something new i hadnt dealt with yet.

I drove up and ran over 5 of the soldiers. This was probably an incredibly bad idea, seeing as i had 18 shots, enough for 9 kills, and there were 20 soldiers left. Every single soldier turned to me and i, being the absolute genius that i am, welded the front of one of the pistols shut with the laser baton, shot it off, and threw it into thei crowd of soldiers. It exploded, releasing a shockwave of energy and disabling the soldiers. I then used the baton to cut through the riot gear and kill the soldiers. I felt like a badass. That is until a mechanical looking wolf jumped at me and started trying to rip my face off.

The wolf was a frostwolf, except it had been placed into a mechanical frame and its teeth and claws had been replaced with lasers. I tried to bash it off of me with the baton but it just bit it in two. This gave me just enough time to grab an energy pistol and shoot the wolf. It kept trying to kill me amd i wasted a whole clip on it until suddenly, the dog started to levitate in the air and got thrown aside into a wall. I got up and was instantly frozen in place. Thats when.. she walked up.

Chapter 4

The she i am reffering to is ebony. A goth/punk wannabe with light blue tear shaped eyes and black hair with purple streaks. Shes a bitch whos mind got too powerful and now she can move things without touching them. Shes been chasing me for months. Not in a murderous way. Shes just obsessed with me. Ive tried to tell her im gay but she wont listen. And now im at her mercy.

She walked up to me and kissed me on the cheek. I hated it. She looked as if she was contemplating whether or not to free me when a pod came down from the sky and crushed her. Thank god. But i honestly wouldve rathered suffered at her hand than deal with what i had to deal with next...

Out of the pod came the warden. The goddamn warden from sector ⬽:➻. Last id seen him hed been in the same situation as ebony. Crushed to death under a pod. But this time, instead of being on my side, he was here to kill me. He was huge. Like seriously huge. He was at least 8 feet tall and shaped like gaston. Whos gaston? Nobody knows these days. But its basically a way to say "extremely buff and wide". Back to the story. The warden wasnt looking very good, considering the rotten skin, obviously quickly patched together face, and muscles hanging loose out of his skin. His rotting ruined body was held together by an exoskeleton of chromium-tungsten alloy. Nothing i had was gonna cut through that. I was gonna have to get creative here..

The warden had 2 weapons, both of them were his fists. Huge gauntlets that were each about the size of a cow. Definitely bigger than his previous set. They were a golden green metal i couldnt identify. But i didnt want to get hit with one to try and find out. I ran. I ran as fast i could run into the dmv and hid. I could hear the wardens footsteps. It was as if a small earthquake happened each time he took a step.

I peeked over the desk i was hiding behind and saw him punch through the 2 desks opposite to me. It took no effort and i couldve sworn i saw him smile. Obviously i didnt. Cause he didnt have a mouth anymore. But if he did, he definitely wouldve smiled. I took a shot to get his attention and ran off towards the wall. The warden was definitely faster than i expected.

Luckily i managed to dodge the blow by a centimeter. The metal smelled of decaying flesh and popcorn. The wardens blow punched a huge hole in the wall. I hope you see where im going with this.

I ran off to another wall and we repeated this same process a number of times until the building was barely still up. I ran out the doors and threw the baton at the last of the supports, cutting through it and causing the building to collapse in on the warden. He wasnt getting out of that. I decided to search the rubble to see if i could find anything worth taking. I found a new baton, a flame rifle and a few more energy pistols.

The flame rifle was a very interesting design. The sides were painted jet black with flame decals scattered about. You could feel the heat on the inside and it made the gun warm to the touch. Comfortable to hold. Other than that though, it looked like an old fashioned 8.59mm sniper rifle. It had 4 shots remaining, so id have to use it sparingly.

I grabbed some scrap materials out of the rubble to make a holster for it and put it on my back.

The energy pistols just dangled from a keychain. The baton was simply turned off and placed through a hole in the back pockets of my shorts. I ran to my motorcycle and drove off, i needed to find out more. I had questions, and i had a sneaking suspicion that i knew where to find the answers.

I drove off again, i was dirty and there was blood on me and my bike. I probably looked like a serial killer. But i knew that if anyone was still alive, itd be jayden. They were.. well. They were a vampire. They lived in a swampland area and wore sparkly rainbow shirts and a huge sunhat. The sunhat allowed them to go outside in the sun, and they only drank coconut water. They also had a crazy amount of weaponry and used to work at ergon, before being fired for stealing weaponry. By the way, if you havent noticed by now, im using they/them to refer to jayden. Jayden doesnt have a gender. Jayden.. is kind of my crush. It probably has something to do with the fact that theyre the only person on this planet who talks to me. Other than ebony.. but ebony is... not my type i guess. Anyways, back to jayden. Jayden was on the roof of their swamp shack drinking coconut water out of a wine glass. I yelled up at them and they fell off the roof onto my back. I guess i cushioned their fall. Jayden immediately said "What do you need dear" without waiting for me to stand up, and shattered the wine glass. I informed them of the situation and asked the questions i had. Things like "what are the ergon soldiers defences like on their ships" and "how did they reanimate the warden" they had answers.

Jayden told me about the new security measures that had been put in place since id last been on an ergon ship. There was now a code for each teleportation pod and the gaurds had doubled. As for the warden, it turns out jayden was actually the first test run in reanimation sciences, and couldnt answer me because they had been unconcious in a lab when the warden was reanimated. That explained the vampire undead thing. Jayden invited me into the shack where they pulled a nail out of the floorboards and it turned into a ramp to the basement. Down in the basement? Thats where jayden kept their weapons they stole. And boy oh boy were there some interesting ones.

One that immediately caught my attention was the big rocket launcher. It had 3 barrels and each was a different colour, indicating a different effect. One was red, one was yellow, and one was green. The red barrel fired a normal explosive rocket, the yellow barrel fired an electromagnetic pulse rocket, and the green barrel fired an acidic explosive. And the launcher shrunk down to the size of an energy pistol when a button was pressed. It gathered up dirt and dust and garbage around it from the back to quickly convert into ammo but the only downside is that it would be difficult to use more than once in an area.

Jayden picked out an old shotgun. At first i didnt understand why, but then they loaded the clip. The clip was a huge drum that loaded in the bottom of the barrel. The drum was see through and inside you could see sawblades lined up side by side. When they pumped the shotgun a blade got lifted into a slot between the 2 shotgun barrels and started glowing red. When the trigger was pulled, the blade spun at high speeds and fired out of the slot, spinning along the ground like a wheel. It could cut through anything a baton could cut through and seemed to almost follow its target. The gun itself looked like an DP-12, except behind the pump, a large clear drum full of sawblades was in place. The blade sat between the barrels in place of the iron sights and got heated up by an electrical circut.

I also took a laser sword instead of my baton, it was just like the one that [3825968] had, except this one was about an inch longer. The final weapon i took was an acid thrower. It was basically just a watergun with acid in it. Ive always been partial to acidic weapons. If youve heard my other story, youd know why..

Jayden also took a submachine gun that fired freezing rounds. The rounds were essentially glorified waterballoons with liquid nitrogen in them. Though the rounds were bullet sized, enough shots from it would certainly freeze you in place. The freeze gun was about the size of the average human head, and was painted navy blue with blue saphire stripes placed along it. We both left the shack, me with my sword and jayden with a wine glass. We were ready to kick ass and put a stop to this.

We left and immediately both got flung into some trees. Guess who it was. It was ebony. Her body had been found and reanimated. I was starting to see a pattern. And now we had to fight the telekinetic who could kill us with a wave of her hand.

She was levitating. Her eyes were glowing red and her hair was floating in the air. She had a smile of someone about to rip your arms off and beat you with them. I tried to take a shot at her but my hand got knocked aside by an invisible force. So i tried the next best thing. Seduction. Fake seduction. Hopefully the whole dying and coming back from the dead thing didnt make her stop being weirdly obsessed with me.

While i faked surrender and complimented ebony and attempted to seduce her, jayden took aim of their ice gun and shot a burst at ebonys right arm. The arm froze in place and shattered. Hopefully that would lower the strength of her telekinetic abilities. It did. But only by about half. Which meant jayden got thrown into the air as i tried to discreetly unholster my acid gun. It wasnt discreet enough and the gun was knocked from my hand.

The gun flew forwards and the impact of hitting the ground set it off for a second, just enough to spray an acidic burn through her arm. Incapacitating her. Jayden ended up sneaking up behind her and impaling her through the skull with the shattered end of their wine glass. Finally ebony was dead for good.

The acid gun was busted, so we had to leave it behind. We got onto my motorcycle and took off towards my apartment building. We would need food if we were going to be traveling. An apartment complex would probably be full of foods, and alot of dead people who wouldnt care if we took some stuff.

#writing #scifi #fantasy violence

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overly-ironed-waffle · 4 years ago

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It’s been so long since I’ve felt so low.

I have so many thoughts swirling about in my head that I want to write down in hopes that they stop plaguing my mind but I don’t seem to have the words. That, and any time I go to write them down or express them to someone who has noticed I am depressed and lost in thought or bothered by something, I suddenly feel as though they aren’t worth sharing either because I must be making them out to be bigger than they are, or because I feel like I can’t trust the possible responses or reactions I will receive. Too many times have I been “too much” or “too intense” or “too attention seek-y” or whatever. I don’t desire to burden those that I love with the thoughts in my head. But still, I’d like to at least write them down. But then how to put the words?

How do I write down that it feels as though each day my body becomes heavier like as if I can slowly feel each individual pound of mass that makes up my body, and god is each pound heavy and pulling me to the ground. I am a skinny underweight afab adult, how is it possible that I feel so heavy? Why does it feel like every piece of my body wishes to melt into a puddle on the ground? And why does it feel like if I tried hard enough, I would succeed in doing so? Just blending into the fabric that makes up my carpet.

And then how do I express that I feel so distant from my husband, and like the distance has only been growing between us? Because I’m sure that it’s primarily just in my head, as he’s just as loving, affectionate, and doting as ever. Yet for some reason I feel as though we’re separated by a barrier, and it’s impossible for me to cross and I don’t understand why. But this causes me to feel as though he’s going to leave me, that one day he will finally wake up and realize that I’m not actually who he thought or hoped I was and he wasted too much time and energy on me, and that he’s not happy with me for a vast majority of reasons and then leave? How do I bridge the gap that I feel like I must have somehow imagined and then created?

How do I write out the intrusive thoughts that my brain plays on repeat to torture me? How do I explain that my body seems to be able to recall sensations it has never experienced in this lifetime? I have been hit by large vehicles, and years later I can recall the sensations perfectly but why is it that my body knows how it feels to burn, to drown, to suffocate, to be electrocuted?

How do I get back to a point of being capable of functioning without breaking down over every minor thing? How is it that I was ever functional before? How did I manage to go to school or hold down jobs, have friendships and relationships, how is it that I managed to parent and keep a house clean? How did I ever do things before, when I can’t even seem to drag myself out of bed?

How do allow my therapist to help me, and to tell her the things that are bothering me and that I am struggling with, when I can’t even put it into words for her or even other people? It’s her job to listen to me without judgment, so why do I feel incapable of telling her that I’m struggling and instead play it off like I’m just constantly anxious and manic? I’m not, dammit. I’m fucking depressed and why the fuck can’t I just tell her that?

Why the fuck am I so embarrassed, so ashamed to feel the things that I am feeling? Why am I ashamed to admit that I am depressed and struggling?

Why can’t I go a fucking day without crying, or a day without feeling completely and utterly worthless and useless?

Why can’t I find words for the fucking feelings I have and the shit that my brain is putting me through? This post doesn’t even describe anything or give any of it justice.

Why can’t I look at my kitchen without breaking down into a mess and immediately just crawling back into bed under the covers and wishing that I weren’t still here?

Why can’t I stop plotting ways to leave? Not in a scary permanent fashion but more just in a running away sort of deal. I have been trying to avoid the scarier thoughts, but I can feel that they’re there.

I have been neglecting everything, which is something I am ashamed of. Which, obviously makes me feel worse. But I’m so overwhelmed by everything, I can barely move or bring myself to do even small necessary tasks. I break down crying and ask my 11y/o to refresh the cat’s water dishes. That’s ridiculous. It’s a simple task that takes like ten seconds.

And then also why the fuck does my trauma and RSD have to constantly plague my thoughts with shit like I’m not good enough and whatever? I’m fucking tired of it. I’m so fucking tired of it

I’m so done you guys, I’m so done. I don’t want to feel like this anymore. I have been struggling and I have been spiraling, and I just can’t handle it anymore.

People keep checking up on me and I don’t even know what to say at this point. I either just ignore it or keep saying things like ‘yep im fine, just the usual’ because I mean thats not really completely incorrect. It is ‘the usual’ even if for some reason it’s more intense and frequent than usual.

I keep telling myself I just need a mental health day. But how do you even give yourself a mental health day when you don’t do anything or go anywhere? When you have no money to spend on yourself? I already take breaks from everything, to the point of basically just neglecting it. So what would a mental health day even look like? I play my games, I read, I occasionally do art, I try to do things I enjoy. I forced myself to go on a walk yesterday. I wouldn’t say that made a difference. If anything I felt worse later in the evening once my husband got home because I felt like I had done something wrong. (He didn’t do anything to make me think that. He was proud I had gone for a walk and done something to get dressed for and get out of bed. He praised me. But still I wound up feeling like I did something wrong, which is why I think it’s in my head.)

I’ve been playing a lot of video games and mobile games. I’ve been using a lot of escapism and I don’t even know what I’m escaping from. I just would prefer to be in a different world or reality, I guess, and get wildly uncomfortable and unhappy realizing that I’m in the one I’m in. I don’t know.

I’m just... I’m struggling. Badly. and I don’t have the right words to explain it. This honestly didn’t touch it, despite the wall of text attempting to.

I’m sorry.

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astralshipper · 4 years ago

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Late Night, Early Morning - Scout x Lúcio

HI OKAY I ABSOLUTELY SHOULDVE HAD THIS UP BEFORE I WENT APE SHIT OFF THE WALLS INACTIVE AND I APOLOGIZE SO SO MUCH PLEASE SEND SCOUT ALL THE LOVE FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY DUMB ASS NOT SENDING SHIT, HES THE BEST AND SO FUCKIN PATIENT AND FAIR MORE PATIENT THAN HE SHOULD HAVE TO BE AND I AM VERY SORRY!!

Pairing: Scout ( @kittyselfships ) x Lúcio

Word count: 1,705 (this is so short im so sorry wtf skdjfg)

Plot: Lúcio has been gone on a mission for quite some time. When he says he’s coming home, Scout insists on staying awake to greet him. That is, until Lúcio finds him asleep on the couch.

The mission wasn’t supposed to take as long as it had. Lúcio missed his partner more than anything, and being apart from him for so long always hurt. Thus, he found himself bouncing on his heels a bit more than usual with each step when the day finally came to go back home.

It was already late at night. The sun had gone down hours prior, and in all reality, it had been “tomorrow” for longer than Lúcio cared to admit. The DJ held his phone in his hand as he walked, a bag slung over his opposite shoulder. His eyes flickered back and forth between the path in front of him and the words on his phone screen.

Despite Lúcio’s repeated warnings of how late he would be getting back home, Scout insisted that he would stay up until he got home. As much as Lúcio appreciated the sentiment, he still worried that the love of his life wouldn’t be getting enough sleep. Scout was always such a kind and giving person, and that was something Lúcio adored about him. At the same time, however, he often worried when this came to the detriment of Scout’s own self.

By the time he made it to the familiar home, he was already bouncing foot to foot with the excitement of being able to hold Scout in his arms again. Lúcio made his way up to the door and whipped out his key, nimbly unlocking it and swinging the door open. He grabbed the door handle just before it could slam into the wall on the other side, worrying that such a loud noise would frighten his love so late at night.

“Scout?” He called into the dark abode. The door shut with a click behind him, and once he had locked it once more, he made his way deeper into the home. Everything seemed to be silent, not a sign of movement or activity anywhere that he could find. Once he made his way into the sitting area, he realized why that was.

A soft, adoring smile bloomed on Lúcio’s lips at the sight of Scout curled up on the couch, fast asleep. His phone was still clutched in his hand that hung off the couch and dangled over the rug beneath him. His other arm was tucked up against his chest and under his chin. It was clear that he hadn’t meant to fall asleep, seeing the lack of a blanket and the awkward positioning, and Lúcio couldn’t help but feel an extra sense of affection and admiration for his love fueled efforts.

Silently, Lúcio stepped out of the room and made his way to their bedroom, where he quickly tucked away his bag and prepared the bed as comfortably as possible. Scout would need it after sleeping on the couch like that, he thought to himself. He shook his head with a smile, chuckling under his breath at his husband’s antics. He would never get tired of life with Scout by his side, and that was already clear in their marriage. It was a decision he knew he could never possibly grow to regret. Every day with him was another reminder of that same idea.

Once the bed was set to his liking - or, more accurately, the formation of pillows and blankets that Scout liked best and seemed to work best for cuddling purposes - he padded back out to the sitting room. Scout hadn’t moved an inch in the time he had been gone, so Lúcio slowly tugged the phone from his grip and slipped it into his back pocket before scooping his husband up in his arms. Scout let out soft murmurs in his sleep and curled closer to Lúcio’s chest, and he couldn’t help but press a kiss to his sleeping love’s head in response.

He carried Scout through the house and into the bedroom, where he put him down on the bed as carefully as possible in an attempt not to wake him. He pulled the sheets up before making his way to the other side of the bed and kicking off his shoes so he could slip underneath the covers as well. His arm wrapped around Scout’s form and pulled him into his side, and the smaller of the pair instantly shuffled to almost instinctively curl up in their usual formation. Lúcio’s heart swelled at the sight, and he ran his fingers through his husband’s hair in a show of affection.

Scout took in a deep breath, humming a bit before blinking his eyes open. When the situation finally registered in his mind, his eyes widened and he tried to bolt upright in bed. Lúcio’s arm around him made this impossible, meaning he only raised up a few inches before hitting a snag. “Lúcio!” He cried out in a shocked, groggy tone. He continued to blink the sleep from his eyes and scrubbed at them with the heels of his hands. “I’m so sorry, I wanted to be awake when you got back, I know I told you I would be. I’m really sorry, I kinda ruined the whole welcome home plan, huh?” He rattled on, and Lúcio shook his head quickly in response.

“Hey, Scout, don’t worry about it! You know I’m not worried about all that. I was actually hopin’ you would get some sleep. I don’t want you throwin’ off your sleep schedule for me.” He grinned and trailed his left hand down to grab Scout’s own left hand, lacing their fingers together with a fond gaze. “Ya know, I’m lucky to have you. I don’t know how I got you, like, I don’t know what kinda great thing I did to deserve you in my life, but I’m definitely not gonna be letting you go. Even if you do refuse to go to bed sometimes,” he teased towards the end, causing Scout to huff in amused annoyance.

“Oh, hush, already. You love me and you know it.”

The teasing grin on Lúcio’s face instantly faded into a look of utter adoration. His eyes practically sparkled with all of the wonder and awe he felt towards the person in front of him. The look was so sudden and so soft, so different from the upbeat, bubbly Lúcio that had been in his place moments prior that Scout almost got the wind knocked out of him at the sight. “You know I do. More than anything. And this,” he paused to hold up their intertwined left hands, “means a whole lot more than just some little piece of paper. Looks like you’re stuck with me, huh?”

Scout smiled back at him and leaned forward, planting a quick kiss to the tip of Lúcio’s nose. “You’re the one stuck with me and we both know it.”

“Nah, absolutely not!” Lúcio protested, tugging him closer so he could bump noses with him. “I’ve got the cutest, kindest, funniest, most giving, most patient, most amazing husband in this world, and there is nothing that could make me feel any different. You better be careful, ‘cause you know I’ll write you a bunch of love songs to remind you how great you are, right?”

Scout laughed and untwined their fingers so he could hold onto Lúcio’s hand and trail his fingers over the back of it. Lúcio watched him intently. “You act like that’s a punishment, when I can promise you, it’s not.”

Lúcio hummed in amusement and, after a moment’s silence, turned his hand around so he could grab onto Scout’s once again, this time tugging it to his lips and placing a kiss on his ring finger, where the band signifying their union lie. “I’ll take your word for it and do it anyways, you deserve love songs anyways. Now, really, you need to get some sleep. We can catch up tomorrow.” He pressed his lips to Scout’s in a loving kiss, the first one they had shared since he left. It felt right. It felt like that was where they were meant to be. He pulled away just enough to be able to speak. Their breaths still mingled and their foreheads touched together. Neither one wanted to be any further from the other than they had to be. “I’ve got nothing planned, and I just wanna spend that time with you, however you want. That sound alright?”

His husband nodded with no hesitation, and eagerly curled up into Lúcio’s side. The DJ reached a hand over to flick off the bedside lamp, and the peaceful silence settled over the pair once again. The mission had been a long one, and it had challenged Lúcio in more ways than one, but in that moment, laying with the love of his life and listening to his soft breaths as he drifted to sleep, none of that mattered anymore. What mattered was that he was home, and he was back where he belonged.

The calm lulled them both into that dull state between sleep and consciousness. Lúcio let out a soft hum of contentment. With the small amount of conscious brain power he had remaining for the night, he knew he wanted to say one more thing before he fell into his slumber until morning. “I love you, Scout,” he murmured into the still night air.

He worried momentarily that Scout hadn’t heard him, or that he had already fallen back to sleep, but not long after this thought crossed his mind, Scout’s sleepy voice came with a reply. “I love you too, Lúcio,” he spoke against the fabric of Lúcio’s shirt. His words were muffled slightly and there was a slight slur to his tone from his exhaustion, but the natural flow it gave off settled Lúcio into utter contentment. He loved with all of his heart, and he was loved in return. And at the end of the day, that’s all that truly mattered to him.

The last thought on his mind before drifting off to sleep was of the future the pair might share, and how he truly couldn’t wait to see where life was going to bring him and his husband. No matter where they went, it would always be worth it with Scout by his side.

#self ship #astra writes #astra is a dumbass compilation 10 hour version #posting this before my hiatus end post bc this is infinitely more important and shouldve been posted months ago #kittyselfships #art and stars mutual #ik youve been offline recently so pls dont worry abt reading this too soon friend!!#its here whenever or if ever you want it!!

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klivianjade · 5 years ago

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Fifty Credits Says I Don’t

Chapter 2

Mara washed her hands in the fresher and for a brief moment, considered spending the rest of the evening basking in her current state of intoxication. The woman looking back at her in the mirror was practically glowing, carefree, and definitely pretty drunk. Mara shook her head at her own pathetic introspection. It was a stupid idea. She needed to cleanse her system of most of the alcohol to be at her best. Taking a deep breath, she reached out with the force preparing to ground herself in it, only to hit a wall. Her eyes flew open. She couldn’t feel anything.

It was subtle enough to go unnoticed until she tried to reach out but once she was aware of the change, it’s all she could feel. Like having a damp blanket over her shoulders. It made her feel heavy and the alcohol certainly wasn’t helping.

“Fracking hells.” She gripped the bathroom counter. This couldn’t be happening. She checked her com link, confirming her suspicions that the signal was being jammed. If someone went through enough trouble to interfere with a person’s connection to the force, it would be stupid to leave an open com signal. Mara gathered herself as best as she could considering the room was slightly spinning. Leaving her mask on the counter, she cracked the fresher door enough to see into the ballroom.

She didn’t need the force to sense the panic of the crowd as she searched for familiar faces, easily slipping into assassin mode. She was just about to close the door when it was suddenly yanked open, bringing her face to face with a menacing trandoshan.

The alien bared his teeth and grabbed her upper arms, tearing the sleeves of her gown with his claws. He drug her over to what she assumed was one of his accomplices, who then held up a piece of equipment to her face. The machine beeped and Mara realized that it was a facial recognition scanner. Great. So these guys aren’t amateurs.

They were obviously looking for someone, she just hoped it wasn’t her.

“Mara Jade, as I live and breathe.” The second guy was a human as far as she could tell, though his face was heavily scarred. “It looks like we’ve caught ourselves an assassin.” He grabbed her face with one hand, inspecting her like a piece of wooshyr fruit. “I think you’ll do nicely.”

Before Mara could react, he slammed the butt of a blaster into the side of her face and everything went black.

—-

Mara woke to someone calling her name. The voice sounded familiar but she was too intoxicated to put her finger on who it belonged to, not to mention the throbbing pain on the left side of her face. She struggled to open her eyes and immediately regretted it when the room began to spin. She focused on her breathing, trying to ground herself when she noticed her arms were restrained behind her back and there were several other beings pressed up against her.

Certain she had her bearings, she opened her eyes one more time to see two guards blocking the entrance to the room and a body lying in a pool of blood several meters away. Their captors looked young and inexperienced, to which she thanked the force. There were others in the room, restrained against the wall, but no one she immediately recognized.

“Mara! Can you hear me?”

Skywalker.

She turned her head towards the sound of his voice and was rewarded with a sharp pain in her neck. She could feel a warm trickle of blood running down the side of her face coming from her hairline.

“Mara, can you hear me?” He repeated.

“Loud and clear farmboy.” She managed, gritting her teeth. She realized that her restraints were connected to his and for a brief second thought that maybe their captors weren’t as clever as she originally thought. That is, until she noticed that the two other beings in their cozy little hostage circle were Corran Horn and Wes Janson. Great. We’re doomed.

“Nice of you to join us Jade,” Corran said, sounding a little too enthusiastic. “You don’t look too hot.”

“Thanks Horn. That means a lot coming from you.” She rolled her eyes to the best of her ability as she continued to scan the room. They were in a holding room just off of the main ballroom. It was typically used for coat storage and the likes, but tonight it served a different purpose. “What’s with the dead guy?” She addressed the bantha in the room.

“Some delegate from Ithor. He wasn’t having a good time so they put him out of his misery.” Wes chimed in. “It’s like a murder mystery, without the mystery.”

Luke groaned. “Too soon, Wes.”

“Alright, so what did I miss?” Mara asked as she tried to clear her vision.

“Not much. Just that we’re all a little drunk, can’t feel the force, and our new friends over there have decided to start killing people.” Corran supplied with a shrug.

“Fantastic.” Mara replied and turned to Luke. “What do they want?”

“Leia.”

Mara nodded. She figured as much. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the first attempt on Organa-Solo’s life and it probably wouldn’t be the last. It came with the territory.

“Is she safe?”

Luke nodded. Mara was certain there were safe rooms hidden throughout the ballroom. The original architects were so clever that even the former Emperor’s hand didn’t know exactly where they were located.

“Good. We need a plan.” Mara thought for a moment. “I suggest we use Janson as a human shield to get past the guards in this room.”

Wes turned towards her with a horrified look on his face.

“Come on Jade! I thought we had something special?” He whined.

“Only in your wildest dreams.” She would never admit it out loud, but Mara had a soft spot for Wes Janson.

“If you two are done flirting, we need to make an actual plan because if I’m being completely honest here, Jade’s idea is more of a ‘plan B’ sort of thing.” Corran supplied.

“Plan B? Come on Horn! You’re supposed to be on my side. Bros before—“

“Wes,” Luke interjected. “Please don’t finish that sentence.”

A brief moment of silence passed between the four of them.

“Surely between the four of us we can equal one sober brain and a decent plan that won’t get half of the people in here killed.” Luke said. “Mara, do you still have those zenjii needles?” He knew it was a long shot but he was holding on to hope that she was still somewhat armed.

She wriggled a bit, feeling for her weapons and grunted in frustration.

“Negative. I guess they were pretty thorough while I was unconscious.” Mara was pretty sure she wouldn’t be drinking for a while once she got out of this. It was more of a blow to her pride than anything. She didn’t like being on this side of things.

Mara was just about to resign herself to a lifetime of being chained to three drunk idiots when she had an epiphany.

“My hair!” She exclaimed in a quiet voice.

“Yes Mara,” Corran said with his eyes closed, looking like he was about to fall asleep from boredom. “We all think your hair is pretty.”

“No, jackass” She shoulder checked him as best she could considering their current situation. “I have a pin in my hair!” She whisper-yelled. “Can one of you reach it?”

Luke leaned towards her, trying to be inconspicuous as he looked for what could possibly be their way out. He tried to contain his excitement as he spotted the silver glint of a hair pin in her mass of red gold curls.

“I see it! Lean towards me, I think I can reach it.”

Thankful for once in his life that he was cuffed to Mara Jade, he buried his head in her mane attempting to maneuver the pin out with his teeth. He would never admit it out loud but he had fantasized about burying his face in her unruly hair, however, the circumstances in his mind were vastly different.

The minutes ticked by as Mara and Luke worked together on the task at hand, their companions growing more impatient by the second until Wes couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer.

“Look, I enjoy a good hostage situation just as much as the next guy, but maybe we could try to wrap this up? I’m starving.” Leave it to Janson to think with his stomach at a time like this.

“Ughh, I would LITERALLY die for a nerf steak right now.” Corran said, sounding exasperated.

“If you stop whining and we survive this,” Mara bargained, “I’ll buy both of you a nerf steak. Now shut up and let the farmboy work!”

After several failed attempts, Luke worked the pin out with his teeth and dropped it over his shoulder, barely catching it with his restrained hands.

“Got it!” He found her wrists and began to pick the lock on her restraints. He had to admit that he wasn’t very skilled in picking locks the old fashioned way, but determination was a powerful thing.

—-

Once Mara’s hands were free, they formed a plan. The two guards in their room appeared young and easily fooled, but just in case they were wrong, Luke crossed his fingers as Mara set things in motion.

“Listen Skywalker, I’m tired of protecting your family.” Mara raised her voice, sounding irate. “I should have ended you on Mrykr when I had the chance!” She pretended to fight against the restraints, drawing the attention of the guards. “If I give you information on the whereabouts of Organa-Solo,” she addressed their captors, “will someone get me away from these kriffing rebels?”

Corran and Wes had the good sense to look offended at her tirade.

The guards, two young human males, approached their group glancing at each other not entirely convinced.

“Jade, please don’t do this.” Luke pleaded quietly, sounding desperate. “If you want credits I have plenty, just don’t betray my sister like this.” He drew in a breath. “Especially after Leia pardoned you for your crimes against the New Republic.” He paused for dramatic effect. “You owe her this much.”

Maybe it was the liquor, but he swore he saw her shudder involuntarily.

“You’ve controlled me long enough with your Jedi mind tricks Skywalker. Now that you’ve had your precious force abilities taken away from you, Im free to make my own decisions.” She spat. “I will do whatever it takes to survive.”

That last little quip seemed to seal the deal as the guards came closer, taking the bait.

“Take me to your boss. I’ll tell him everything I know.”

One guard, the shorter of the two, leaned down so that he was at eye level with Mara. He grabbed a lock of her fiery hair and twisted it around his fingers.

“Nice try assassin, but you’re going to have to do better than that.” He chuckled, his rancid breath hitting her square in the face. Mara looked disappointed for a brief second.

“Oh I plan on it.” A feral grin flashed across her face before she struck.

Lunging forward, she kneed the first guard between the legs before punching him in the throat, temporarily disarming him. Guard number two raised his weapon, preparing to shoot when she ducked and swept his feet out from under him. He landed on his back with a thud and she kicked the blaster out of his hand before diving on top of him.

She used her momentum to flip him into his stomach and slammed his face into the floor repeatedly until he lost consciousness. She stood and picked up the discarded blaster before striding over the the first guard who was still clutching at his damaged member. She noticed the tears leaking from his eyes as she slammed the butt of the blaster into the side of his face, knocking him out cold.

Looking pleased with her work, Mara stretched her arms, happy to be free of the restraints. Turning to her companions, she noticed their slack jawed expressions.

“What?”

“That was...intense.” Wes sputtered.

Mara looked genuinely offended.

“Did you expect me to sing them to sleep?” She huffed, nudging one of the guards with her foot for emphasis. “Now, do you want me to take off those restraints or have you formed an emotional attachment to them?”

They made quick work of freeing the other beings in the room, instructing them to stay put while they dealt with the rest of captors in the main ballroom.

“Should we crawl through the ventilation system?” Wes suggested excitedly. “I feel like we should. I saw it in a holovid once and it looked pretty fun.”

Luke chuckled to himself, hoping that Wes was just trying to give Mara a hard time.

“You know Janson, if I didn’t have your personal file in my apartment, I would find it hard to believe you fought in the rebellion and actually survived.” She shook her head. “So to answer your question, no. We’re not going to crawl through the ventilation system when we could just walk through the damn door.” She picked up the remaining blaster, keeping one for herself and giving the other one to Luke.

Wes looked hurt that he didn’t get a weapon and was about to say something when Luke patted him on the shoulder.

“Maybe next time buddy.” Earning a snicker from Corran.

#mara jade #luke skywalker #ao3 update #wiptober #star wars

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madam-legba · 5 years ago

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{bispeccare in bello non licet - WIP}

(Im posting this here as a follow up to my help request; if you’re interested do reach out! I’m looking for someone who can help me edit/correct my English as it is most definitely NOT my native language)

PROLOGUE

I. The escape

Another flash of light broke the darkness of the stormy night, another wave hit with utter force the rocks where the damp building sat. Tiny drops of salty water spread in the air.

The halls of each story of the building resounded with howls of desperation and madness; some cries were distinctly aimed to relatives — usually a mother, asking her how could she ever let something like that happen to her own flesh and blood, many others were mere begs for mercy.

Merlin’s name was a recurrent plea, too, but nor him nor the Dementors had ears to listen to those delusional cries.

The overall noise of the voices, mixed with the rumbles of thunders and the constant lapping of the North Sea, sounded like the worst cacophonous orchestra that ever played on Earth.

That never ending lento, that never stopped at all, forced the prisoners mind to slow dance to their madness; each mind danced alone, yet dreading for someone to save them.

Therefore, sleeping wasn’t a possibility.

With all the chaos that inhabited Azkaban, only a deaf witch or wizard would have ever been capable of a good night of sleep.

Restless were the cries, restless were the guards, restless were the prisoners.

Sleep deprivation added up to the list of reasons why whoever stepped into that living hell of a prison would soon lose their minds.

Furthermore, each cell was built so that only a weak strand of light could pass through the cramped rectangular window where, rarely, a bird would sit. The lack of an understandable difference between daytime and nighttime made it so easy to lose track of time.

A day felt like a year, a month felt like an hour; the constant darkness made it hard to eat, as the prisoners’ body were tricked into believing it was always nighttime. Yet, an enchantment prevented the prisoners from dying of starvation.

Torture was most definitely not legal nor tolerated, especially if it was by the hands of the Minister of Magic, but it could easily be masked as aid.

An excuse at saving prisoners from certain death was nothing but another way of punishing the inhabitants of Azkaban.

If it wasn’t for some kind jailer, no wizard could have said exactly for how long they’ve been chained to that miserable, rotting spot of a penitentiary. Not that it really mattered, as most of those who were imprisoned would never again get to see the light of the day as free citizens.

They were bound to rot in that hell of a place, abandoned by their families, beliefs and minds. Abandoned by a community that was supposed to educate them.

Alone.

The flashes of light - lightning of a never-ending storm - were the only quivering lamps of each cell.

At the highest floor of that boundless slimy hell that Azkaban was, a witch sat huddled up in a corner of her room.

Her hair was a messy curly ball around her head, some wild locks were hanging free from the main skein that was now harsher than ever, due to the salty drops of water that clogged the air.

Her face was so gaunt, her black tired eyes were popping out of their orbits, seemingly bigger and rounder than what they truly were. Her pale, white skin was opaque as if blood didn’t run at all below the level of that pearl-like white skin.

Her prisoner attire, that once fit her so well was now redundant on her small frame.

She was gazing at her left arm with a clinical attention, a vein pulsed in the middle of her forehead as a clear sign of her concentration.

The mark on her arm had considerably faded since the day her Lord had somehow been harmed and debilitated by the facts of Godric’s Hollow but, nevertheless, it was there.

She knew it meant he was still alive, he had explained to her –– only her, of course, her most faithful follower and pupil –– exactly how that kind of magic worked: as long as the wizard who casted the spell was alive, so was the mark. Whereas, if the warlock who casted the spell died, the mark would have been imprinted on the markeds’ skin as a scar.

The witch studied her mark with utter care, incredulously eying every detail, every turn of the snake, every shadow. It looked like that mark was the only thing able to keep her madness at bay given how silently and composedly she gazed at the magic tattoo.

Then, with a barely audible whisper, filled with hope and madness, she broke her unusual silence.

“He’s back.”

Her round eyes studied the pale drawing on her arm with deranged meticulousness for the nth time, looking for confirmation. The change in its colour was barely noticeable and to anybody else, it would have been unrecognizable.

Not to her, though, her who passed her days checking for an update on her arm, her who had patiently waiting in that hell of a prison for His return.

Not to her.

She was sure her dark mark was a grade darker than what it had been just a few seconds before.

“He’s back, he truly is.” She repeated, louder than before but, still, her tone was just above a whisper.

It was enough.

An annoyed intense grunt came from the wall to her right, she easily ignored it, engrossed as she was in the epiphany that had just struck her.

The witch leaned down on her forearm to kiss the mark with renewed spirit, a long detailed trail of kisses covered each spot of her strange tattoo.

“He’s back! He’s back, He’s back, He’s—” She quickly covered her mouth with the palm of her dirty, dry hand and wearily looked around to check her surroundings. How ungrateful of her, to speak so poorly of her Lord.

What a poor choice of words. ‘He’s back’, He’s never been gone at all. He was just waiting for the right time to come back, He must have spent some time regaining his strength.

She shook her head, ashamed of her own behaviour, her pompous mass of hair followed her movements. There was a jiff of hesitation, then she proceeded to correct her previous choice of words. “— he’s never been gone at all. My master...I knew it! I knew this day would come, I’ve never lost faith, my Lord, not even once, not even for a single teeny tiny fraction of a second. I’ve waited, faithfully, and now we’ll be tog––”

Again, an interruption.

The wall to her right spoke, not bothering to hide its disdain for the witch. “You’re delusional.” There was a shade of tiredness in his tone.

How dare he speak to her?

In the fury of the moment, the witch had tried to get up to get closer to the wall and break it down with her bare hands. Sadly, she forgot she had been handcuffed with heavy sharp metal strings and she almost tumbled face first on the floor. Almost.

“Shut up, shut up! HE’S ALIVE AND WELL!” Came the reply of the woman, she wanted everybody on that god-awful ground to know the truth.

Their loyalty was going to be rewarded, they didn’t face Azkaban for anything. She could feel her heartbeat increase as time went by, she knew they would have joined soon for a meal. “Rod, are you there?” This time, her voice was more trembling, giving away her excitement.

She didn’t know exactly where her husband had been accommodated, but she was well aware he had been restricted on her same ground.

She liked to believe only a few cells separated them, which had to be true since they had spoken – better yet, shouted to each other – on several occasions since day one of their confinement for life.

She was about to get to her feet again when a shiver of cold ran through her spine.

She brought a hand to her chest, grasping the tissue of her uniform to cover and warm the exposed skin. The temperature had dropped in just a speck of time, and it wasn’t due to the howling icy wind that blew outside.

Immediately, she looked down: the damp floor was turning quickly and way too easily into ice. That could only mean one thing.

Her first instinct was to seek shelter, but her four corners room provided none, no shield to use, her body was her only defence.

Even though her legs were telling her to move away and her throat was aching for a scream that she just couldn’t afford to let loose – she did have a reputation, for Merlin’s beard! – she stood still.

The layer of ice on the floor was getting thicker, the creature was coming for her.

Gritting her teeth, she cursed her ass for having been so naive. How could she ever forget where she was? She had let her excitement win and now she’d be punished for her misjudgement. That thing was coming to steal her only happy thought, then it would have killed her.

I’m not going quietly, she thought to herself as she collected all her strength and courage.

She had only managed to grab in each hand the chains of her handcuffs when the creature poked through the bars of the entering wall of her cell.

It looked like a giant black ghost, floating over the ground in all its sick glory. Its bony, dark fingers caressed the bars separating the two figures from physical contact.

Suddenly, it was hard to breathe. Bellatrix opened her mouth to suck frozen air in her lungs, but the air felt thicker, it just could not pass.

She tried to make a fuss out of her chains, she wanted to shake them, slam them into the walls, make any kind of noise to get that thing to move, to make it scared of her and not the other way around. However, she knew it didn’t work that way with dementors, but logic wasn’t something she could count on at that moment.

The thing lingered longer, it felt like it was staring right at her soul.

She had never felt so hopeless in her whole life, she wanted to disappear and to rot in a corner of the cell, she felt like she truly deserved to disappear.

She closed her eyes and waited for the dementor to unlock her door and take away her soul. Her ears were resounding with the erratic sound of her beating heart.

The witch peaked through her eyes, curious to know why it was taking so long and –– it was gone.

Only then she let go of a shaky breath she had been holding. She collapsed on the frozen floor, only to then crawl near the bars.

The dementor had passed over, she’d never been its prey, to begin with. A few feet away, a young wizard was screaming his lungs out as the dark ghost deprived him of his joys.

She couldn’t know for how long she had watched that disgusting show, nor how long she stayed there contemplating the renewed emptiness of her thoughts.

It must have been hours.

Only when she took her right hand over her left wrist to move the handcuff to a strip of skin that wasn’t already cut open she remembered what had happened.

She gazed at her mark in shock, then she sang her chant from the top.

“He’s… alive. I… see it. Do you, Rod?, I see it, clear as day, can you see it too? He’s alive, he’s there, he’s coming again!”

“Will you choke on your tongue already, he’s gone!”

She turned her head to her right, looking at the wall as if it was to be held responsible for such an attack on her person.

How. Dare. He. Her jaw locked, a molar tooth was cracking under the pressure of the muscle.

“SHUT UP!” Fist clenched, ready to physically fight that brat of a cousin. “Filthy blood traitor, good to nothing! What would you know?!” Crawling to the wall on all four, she hardly slammed her fists on the hard, cold bricks, the metallic chains clashed at each hit. “What would your little muggle-shagging-flea-ridden brain KNOW!”

She slammed her fists once again on the rock bricks to nail her point as a picture to the wall. “My poor lord, all alone, they all turned their backs on you. They don’t deserve you, they’re not worthy of your attention.” Her voice, previously gruff and resentful, had turned in an affectionate, pitiful whisper aimed to the mark on her left forearm.

“Guards?” The voice called jokingly, laughing to himself. They both knew nobody was going to show up, they never would. The prisoners were abandoned to themselves, abandoned to die alone. “Medical attention is needed! My dear cousin has definitely lost her fragile and already compromised sanity.”

“But I am, my faith never waved. I’ve patiently waited,, I’ve stood by your side ––”

“Ha, and look where that got you.” He spat lightly, failing to stop that nauseating litany.

“–– I’ll always stand by your side.” Bellatrix kept on as if she hadn’t even heard Sirius’s snarky comment.

“Confirmation enough for them to keep you locked up in here until a dementor will finally take pity on you and free you with a goodbye kiss.”

A corner of his lips lifted up to his cheek as “silence” had finally been restored. Cries of desperation and madness could still be heard from other cells, but at least the death eater had ceased her ridiculous chant.

“Sirius, dearie?” Bellatrix sounded quizzical, but he knew better than to keep going along her insanity. “Don’t you DARE INTERRUPT ME when I’m talking to HIM!” Her last word echoed in the aisle of the prison.

In the cell next to hers, Sirius shook his head. He was so used to her shouts and rants that he didn’t even flinch at her outburst. “Let me knock some good sense into that rotten head of yours.” His voice calm and controlled perfectly masked the angry bark that followed. “He’s DEAD!”

The wizard was expecting a shout or the muffled sound of her cousin’s hands on their common wall, but Bellatrix had other plans.

At first, there were light puffs of air, but it soon became a loud hysteric cackle. “Dead?” She repeated, almost unsure she heard correctly. “Oh, no, no-no-no. The only dead people I know are the Potters, you silly puppy, and that’s on you.”

“I’ll kill you!”

If the clinks of chains were any indication, Sirius must have raised to his feet to come after Bellatrix. “You coming to get me, Sir?”

Further laughter came from the witch, but it wasn’t loud enough to cover the repeated “I will kill you” coming from her neighbour.

“You wouldn’t even get to hex my pinky before I’ve got you laying on your back, crying for mercy.” Spat the woman, aroused by the thought alone.

“I will KILL YOU Bellatrix!” He was rabid, the only mention of his best friend was enough motivation for him to actually earn a reason to deserve that place.

“Is that a promise, pup?” She teased him, gleefully. “I’m afraid it’ll have to wait.”

She ignored the profanities from the cell on her right, ready to commit to her destiny. She glanced at the tiny rectangular window, then she checked the hallway of the ground.

A sly smirk crawled up her face, the time had come.

Bellatrix was done waiting.

She had mustered through all that time in Azkaban only because she hadn’t had proof of a real return of her Lord, but she was resolute in her revelation, now.

He was out there, somewhere, and he needed help – her help.

She closed her eyes and she collected the concentration needed for that spell. It took her a little longer than what it used to take, but eventually, she managed to turn.

The metallic chains fell heavily to the ground, she was free. With a flop of her dark wings, she hopped on the window of the cell.

She looked down and she studied the area surrounding the prison.

The land was nowhere to be seen.

She wasn’t sure she could survive the journey, food deprived as she was, but she had to try.

Curiosity had the best over her, so instead of departing immediately, she flew to the window of Sirius cell. He had never seen her animagus form and he sure couldn’t recognize her, clueless as he was, so she lingered on the windowsill.

A single screech, just to catch his attention. Their eyes met, then the blackbird was gone.

#bellamione #bellatrix black #bellatrix lestrange #sirius black #azkaban #fanfic #fic #wip #bellatrix black x hermione granger #bellatrix x hermione #help #edit #beta #harry potter fanfic #harry potter fandom #bellamione fic #bellamione fics

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thenamesseven · 6 years ago

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Plot: He thought you wouldn’t hear him over the loud music coming out of your heaphones. Your phone ran out of battery, leaving you without music and a really unexpected love confession.

Warnings: None

Word count : 1406

This was a request from @hwangscorpio! I hope you like it!

Changbin’s little studio that he had recently created in your apartment was an absolute mess. Honestly, you didn’t know how he was able to spend so many hours in there without drowning in the thousands of papers that were on the floor, desk, chair, couch…Literally everywhere. It was a miracle he hadn’t got lost in there yet.

You weren’t planning on going out since the weather was pretty bad, your only option left had been staying inside procrastinating watching Netflix or shitty youtube videos that made you laugh until you were crying. However, when you were walking down the hall to change your clothes and spot the disaster that Changbin’s studio had turned into, you knew a cleaning session was awaiting for you.

You weren’t a cleaning freak, in fact, you usually were too lazy to like the idea of spending hours and hours sweeping the floor, washing clothes, cleaning windows etc…But you didn’t want to lose your boyfriend in the sea of papers that awaited to be organised and cleaned. Changbin owned you one for cleaning his stuff though.

The first step to victory was preparing yourself for the battle. Sadly for you, your pajama was taken off and replaced by one of your boyfriend’s old hoodies that covered until your knees, a nice enough length to allow you to not wear any pants. You also chose to wear your black knee socks wanting to get some fluffy protection in case you hit your toes with the furniture. Finally your hair turned into a messy bun that would get messier and messier the more you cleaned until the bun didn’t exist anymore and it would end up looking like you had a bird nest on your head.

Finally you put in your headphones and turned the volume as loud as you could when your cleaning playlist started playing. Honestly, as long as you had some music blaring through your headphones the cleaning wouldn’t be that bad, of course, it would take a little longer since you always ended up imagining you were singing and dancing like your boyfriend did in his concerts but at least you had fun.

The first thing you did was organised all the papers he had scattered around the room, you never threw anything into the trash can though. As a songwriter Changbin had lots of ideas for new songs, unfinished songs and songs that needed some edition written down in every piece of paper he owned, he always made sure to throw away the ones that weren’t useful so he wouldn’t get confused but every paper that wasn’t in the trash can was useful.

Not reading them you placed the papers in little piles on his desk. Picking up every single paper on the room took almost a whole hour and to say you were tired of the freaking papers would be an understatement. You still wanted to, at least, sweep the floor and clean the windows before cleaning some of the dusk that had accumulated on the furniture but you were exhausted, your cleaning playlist wasn’t helping you at all this time.

Not willing to give up you decided one last thing. You turned the volume of your headphones even louder -if your mom saw you, she would definitely tell you that you would end up deaf before you reached your thirties- And started playing Miroh. You absolutely loved the comeback and thought the song was so amazing yet motivating, Changbin kept saying it wasn’t their best song but you were so incredibly proud of the guys.

It only took you seconds to start singing the lyrics you already knew by heart and to dance with the choreography with your broom in hand around the room. Thanks to your volume being really loud you didn’t notice you were singing a bit too….Excited, probably the people from the closest city could hear you screaming the chorus from the top of your lungs.

The amount of noise you were making also helped you to not realized Changbin was back sooner than expected. Thanks to the bad weather his recording day was cancelled and their manager (after some begging from the guys) decided to let them go home instead of staying inside to practice the choreographies. Even when Changbin had been planning on taking a relaxing shower before getting in his bed to take a small nap, coming home to hear you singing Miroh’s chorus was something he didn’t know he needed in his life so bad.

Walking as quietly as he could to avoid you noticing him, your boyfriend slowly made his way to his studio, leaning against the door frame when he got there. He crossed his arms on his chest, a bright grin making its way up to his lips. Watching you bounce and literally screaming the lyrics was the cutest thing he had seen.

Right there, Changbin realized how important you were to him. You were the light of his life, the one who was bright enough to extinguish the darkness inside of him. He loved how much things have changed since you barged into his life, even when sometimes things had been a little stressful Changbin vwas really thankful for your patience. When you accepted moving out together, he felt as if you two were already married.

Changbin loved how you let him decorate the apartment his way mixed with some little details from you like the thousands of pictures of you two, your families and Stray Kids that were hung on the wall. You also had placed some colorful flowers here and there making your place look more cozy, there were also books scattered around the living room and your bedroom -All of them about those cheesy romance stories Changbin found really cliche-. The way your bedroom smelled like vanilla thanks to your perfume or how happily and brightly you greeted him everytime after a long day of practice.

It were all those little details that made him figure out you were necessary in his life, that you were what made him happy every single day.

“Im so whipped it’s embarrassing” He chuckled rubbing his face with his hands, his eyes still on your dancing figure “I love her so much”

Now call it good/bad timing, good/bad luck or simply life willing to be a bitch but as soon as Changbin had said those words believing you weren’t going to listen to him over the loud music your phone passed out due to the lack of battery, letting you hear your boyfriend perfectly

Your reaction was something neither of you expected.

“AAAH! YOU LOVE ME!?” You honestly have shouted those words randomly, truly repeating the last thing you heard like a parrot not realizing the meaning of those words. Also, you were terribly embarrassed about Changbin being there for the whole time while you shouted his latest song.

When your eyes landed on a really stressed Changbin, his reaction was truly unexpected too “WEREN’T YOU LISTENING TO MUSIC!?”

Then something weird happened. He stared at your shocked expression when the realization of Changbin’s confession hit you like a truck, he stared at you confused as to why you were freaking out about him loving you.

This was just a huge misunderstanding.

However, before Changbin could explain the situation you grabbed the broom that you left against the wall and attempted to hit him. He was even more confused by you.

“You almost kill me! Don’t you dare appear out of nowhere like that!” You shouted hitting him every time you said a word.

Changbin held his hands up in surrender, a small smile pulling up his lips when he realized you weren't’ freaking out because of his feelings “You looked so cute”

“Says the guy that just confessed his endless and passionate love to me”

You both started laughing at your stupid words, Changbin took the opportunity to steal your broom from your hands just to wrap his arms around you, squeezing your body against his gently.

“So what, huh?” He asked smiling down at you, pressing gentle kisses on your forehead “I love you to the moon and back”

“But I love you to the outer space and back” You replied being silly again, the both of you looking into each other’s eyes as your cheeks turned pink.

“But I love you to the end of the universe and back"

#kpop fanfiction #kpop oneshots #stray kids #stray kids chan #stray kids changbin #stray kids fanfic #stray kids felix #stray kids fluff #stray kids hyunjin #stray kids jeongin #stray kids jisung #stray kids minho #stray kids seungmin #stray kids woojin

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twinfanfics · 5 years ago

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The tale of the three head beast. The marching fishes (22/22)

The ending!! OMG THIS IS ACTUALLY THE ENDING

Thank you so much to anyone who wants to read this fanfiction. Now is over. My sis and I are going to take a little break while we start the third part of The Tale of Three head beast. But we love the ending of The Marching Fishes.

Fandom: Digimon GoT au.

Charaters: All the choosen children from Adventure, 02, Tamer and sometimes Frontier.

Ships: Taiyama, Joumi, Daiken, Takary, TakatoxYuri, RikaxRyo …

Second part of the tale of the three head beast series, you can read the first part The chosen children Here and here, or look for the tag 3t3hb on this blog.

Resume: Three years had pased since Taichi won the hand of princess Sora and both get crowned King and Queen of the living land, now they must faced the duty of the monarchs, but the King is must worried about cover his affair with the royal guard. The war started on the Honest Island, does the King Joe would manage it?. Mean while at the other side of the sea Takato and Ruki stronger their forces.

And you can read all past chapters of the marching fishes in the links below or in AO3

ACT 1. ESCENE 1: THE RAIN

ACT 1. ESCENE 2: THE WILL

ACT 1. ESCENE 3: THE TRIP

ACT 1. ESCENE 4:THE SON

ACT 2. SCENE 1: THE ARRIVAL

ACT 2. SCENE 2: BROTHERHOOD

ACT 2. SCENE 3: MOTHER | **warning suicide attempt**

ACT 2. SCENE 4: THE BATTLE OF THE IKKAKU ISLAND

ACT 3. SCENE 1: THE INTERROGATION

ACT 3. ESCENE 2: DELIVERY

ACT 3. ESCENE 3: RED DRESS

ACT 4. ESCENE 1:TRIAL

ACT 4. ESCENE 2: THE SAINT QUEEN

ACT 4. ESCENE 3:THE SPY

ACT 4. ESCENE 4: INTRUDERS

ACT 4: SCENE 5: THE BROKEN SWORD

ACT 5: SCENE 1: THE WIDOW

ACT 5: SCENE 2: WELCOME HOME

ACT 5 : SCENE 3: FAITH

ACT 5: SCENE 4: LIONHEART

ACT 5: SCENE 5: THE PRICE TO PARADISE

Epilogue

Part one

The Light had left her Islands. The King of all had promised peace for her home when Mimmi bend the knel. Peace for The Honest Islands, there would be a most pure wish?

Iory and Ken were on The Salt. The prison Island. A desertic place were the worst criminals past their last years. Around the Island there were just salt water, infested with the worst leeches and the hottest weather. It was no scape.

Iory could feel his own sweat draining. The air was heavy and salty, everything stink and in front of him was Ichijouji. HIs brother had always been handsome, always elegant and altive. Now Ken looked like a shadow of himself, skinny and pale, but most important, quiet. At first Ken had been loud and gross. He had cursed Davis name on all the ways posible, he had called Iory a coward and a fool. The guards had not come for them, just had given them an occasional meal. FInally, Ken had reclaimed his own corner on the cell and had leaning over himself to think on silence.

“It isn't going to work” Iory said. The words between them sound weird and wrong. Ken did not answered “If you are trying to scape you better don't. We both know that it wouldn't work”

Ken kept quiet.

“You design this prison, you know how cruel it is going to be our death”

“They should give us separate cells” Ken said at last. And Iory actually laugh at the comment.

“They are waiting for us to kill each other” Iory said “that is why they let you kept that piece of blade on your clothes”

Ken turned to look at him for the first time.

“I only asking if it is going to be for resentment or mercy”

“You always surrender so easily”

“No I don't”

And that made Ken laugh.

“I should had killed you long ago” Ken said showing him the blade.

“When? When I lost the Ikkaku Island? When I let Davis come back?”

“That time when you replaced all my clothes with pink ones”

“OH MY GOD, that was so stupid”

“Even then I was the best dressed on the Gala”

“You and Davis dance all night”

The silent showed again.

“I am sorry” Iory said.

“Good” His brother answered.

Other day past and Ken didn't kill him. At night Iory hear Ken crying. When they stopped to bring them food, Iory cry too.

“Three days” Ken said “They are going to feed us again in three days to kept us alive”

Mercy, Iory tough looking at Ken’s blade again.

Ken was right, after three days they started to feed them twice a day, one time at afternoon and one time at morning.

Fifteen days had passed since they had been arrested when they heard the lock of the cell opened early.

“They are going to take us to forced labor” Ken said.

“Or they are going to feed the fish with us” Iory answered.

The Queen Mimmi entered at the room. Iory knelt and reverence until his front touch the floor while Ken lie uncaring over the dirty floor.

“Your majesty” Iory said.

“Iory, Ken” The Queen greeting “The Light had left the Honest Island. Taichi had left to me to decide what to do with you both”

“Left” Ken said “my favorite eye is the left one, in case you are wondering”

The eyepatch of the Queen was broided with a rose. She had come to see them alone.

“Force labor would let the people watch our punishment and would kept the memory of our treason alive, but it would give us the best chances to scaped. The public execution will be better” Iory said calmly.

“The King last will was for you to be alive”

Iory remember the last word of Joe. ”Don't kill the children” He trembling at the thought of he and Ken as Joe’s children.

“Children doesn't lead revolutions” Ichijouji said.

“Well… the KIng of all didn't know that” Mimmi answered

Iory looked at the Queen. She was composed, but she was not in peace, her purple eye shine and an old blade of the desert rest on her side.

“What do you want?”

“The Light come to the Island with false promises of peace and when we had solve our problems THe Wolf Knight killed my husband”

“Your majesty” Iory claimed as Ichijouji raised from the floor.

“Joe was the best of us and they killed him” The Queen said “i am going to do what it has to be done” She get at the door and opened the cell “Stand up, my knights, I, The Queen of the Honest Island, had proclaimed our independency, join me and this land would remember you as libertadores, refused it and you would be forgotten”

“You are asking for another war, and for what? the people would suffer, Joe knew…” Iory claimed.

“But Joe is death and his murderers are free and ruling!”

“Joe never want a war and if you truly love him you would honor his memory and would rule over the peace that he left you”

Iory was standing in front of the Queen. He was short for his age, his eyes were brown as his hair. A little rock in the sea, standing. The son of Joe that wasn't hers.

The forgotten Prince felt the cold iron on his back “For the back, brother?” The child said with sorrow to Ichijouji, who removed the blade from the back of his brother with no hesitation.

Iory’s body hit the ground and Ken Ichijouji kneel in front of the Queen.

Mimmi left The Salt with a new knight and that same night she wrote a letter to her sister, the Queen of the Desert would be happy.

Part two

When he wake up she was already gone.

The remorse craw on his head, why she would stay? What else would she want for him?

Taichi was not ready for another day, he didn't want Hikari´s eyes over him, her empty words, her endless patient, her lies, her light.

But behind his door was still dark, no sister, no wife, only one soldier guarding the room.

None of them were ready, Taichi hold his breath uncertain, he want to talk, to come close, but he didn´t know how, Sora´s touch was still fresh on his skin.

“Yamato.... “Since when was he there? did he saw the queen go? did he notice her sweet, her bed hair, her trembling legs?

“Your majesty” The knight do the formal salude, so much melancholy

Taichi flinch, it had been so long since he hear his voice, one word of Yamato and he was able to breath again.

The short distance between them feels like a thousand miles, but it doesn't matter, Taichi run and hold him against the wall, Kissing him had always been easy, they belong together.

“i´m sorry” he murmur at some point when he was able to finally articulate words ”Im so sorry” he repeat while Yamato hands trip under his vest

“good” he smile while his armor fall over the floor, when they enter to room?

“Yamato.. wait” he use all his strength to separate their bodies “we must be careful, we canot... we cannot make the same mistake twice”

“mistake?” now he was mad, Taichi knows his frowning forehead and the trembling lips

“No like that, please listen”

“I miss you” somehow it´s feel like a reclaim

“I.. I... “ No, he wasn't strong enough and once agains he rush to him “This is dangerous”

“That's a brilliant discovery your highness, it took you all this time to get to that brilliant conclusion?”

“Shut up!” the skin behind his neck where so soft, her blonde hair has grown at least a few inches since the last time he get to touch him, Taichi get scare for all the new scars on his lover back “ I'm serious”

“Im aware of that, im the lover of the King, i know everyday could be my last”

“I will never allowed that! i promise …”

“stop, don´t do that” he saw him in confusion “ don´t make any promise”

“I will protect you”

“That's my job”

“I can…”

“No you cannot!” Yamato yells “I´m not afraid of death, look at me Taichi, im not a good man, im a bastard, a liar, a murder”

“You are not…”

“Yes im, and if you love me you must accept it , what we do is not right... Taichi there are only two ways this could end”

“What are you talking about?”

“or I die, or worse”

“Or what?” he could not imagine something more horrible

“Or you grow tired of me and you find a new boy toy to fool around”

“Don't ever said that again”

“Is that an order you majesty?”

“Yes”

“Good, Then it's decided it, i will die for you my love”

He wish to be stronger, wiser, to dream about something else than his blue eyes, to be selfless enough to make him go away from him; but by the end he was sure, there was no risk in this world he would not take for him.

#the three heads of the beast #3t3hb #the marching fishes #digimon fanfiction #digimon GoT au #taiyama #mimi tachikawa #ken ichijouji

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ladynonsense · 6 years ago

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A Royal Disgrace (TRR/PM Crossover) Part 9

Catch up on my masterlist

Pairings: Damien x Liam, Liam x Riley, Damien x m!Kai

Rating: PG-13

Summary: About last night...

Words: 1900

Tag List: @hustacks @hopefulmoonobject @brightpinkpeppercorn @perriewinklenerdie @pixieferry @nazariobae @zaffrenotes @ritachacha @h3llostrang3r @choiceslife @blackcoffee85 @wannabemc2 @sleepwalkingelite @debramcg1106 @furiousherringoperatortoad @bobasheebaby @sawyeroakleyscowboyhat @jovialyouthmusic

“Good morning, sunshine.”

Damien’s eyes shot open, squinting into the bright morning sunlight streaming in through the window. He blinked several times, trying to get his bearings. Asleep on the couch, naked under his blanket, with his phone resting on his chest. And Riley standing over him, smirking.

“Um, hi. What time is it?” He noticed his balled up pajamas and underwear at his feet, and tried to stealthily cover it with his blanket.

“8:00. Late night? I didn’t even hear you come in.”

He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. Riley stared shamelessly at his chest as he flexed and relaxed. “Eyes are up here, Riles.”

She rolled her eyes. “You could’ve slept with your clothes on.”

“Well at least one of us fell asleep wearing my clothes.” He raised an eyebrow at her, walking around the apartment in one of his t-shirts. As he said it his eyes fixed on the lacy black panties that were peeking out underneath. She turned away from him to walk into the kitchen, swaying her hips a little more than was necessary. “Now whose eyes are wandering, Nazario?”

He grinned, shaking his head. Baggage aside, that old chemistry was still going strong. It was good to see her back to her usual annoying self, instead of the scared, withdrawn woman she’d been the last few times he’d seen her.

“Have you heard anything from Liam?”

Guilt and shame washed over him like a cold bucket of water. “Um, just that he’s OK. His security team is keeping him at the hotel and turning away visitors for now. Bastien gave me a phone number to reach him at if you want.”

She shook her head as she poured herself a bowl of cereal. “Nah, that’s OK. He doesn’t like us to communicate electronically until we know for sure who’s been conspiring against me. Better not to leave any traceable evidence of our relationship.”

“Right. Smart.” He shifted under the blanket, trying to sit up without making himself indecent. He realized his stomach was sticky and cringed. Definitely shouldn’t have fallen asleep without cleaning himself up first.

Riley settled into the chair across from him, digging into her cereal. “So what’s the plan for today?”

He scratched his head, trying to think of an elegant way out of this. Nothing came to mind. “Riley...I’m naked under here.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Completely?”

He cringed. “Completely.”

“But...why?”

“Ugh, can you just turn around or something, please?”

She rolled her eyes and noisily scraped the chair on the floor as she turned it to face the wall. “Pull yourself together, dude.”

“I’m trying.” He frowned as he grabbed his balled-up pajama pants and boxers. Desperate, he used the boxers to wipe the mess off of his stomach and then shoved them down between the couch cushions, then pulled on the pants. “OK. I’m decent.”

She turned the chair back around, scraping the floor just as loudly as before. “If you call that decent, I guess.”

He got up and headed for the bathroom, pausing to kiss Riley’s forehead on the way. “Don’t pretend you don’t love it.”

“Whatever, old man. Fix yourself up; you look like shit.”

“Why do people keep saying that to me?” He murmured to himself as he locked the bathroom door behind him. “...Oh.” He leaned over the sink, studying his face in the mirror. His eyes were red and tired, with dark circles under them aging him badly. He splashed cold water on his face, trying to freshen up, but ‘tired and damp’ was not really an improvement over ‘just tired.’ Sighing, he stripped and hopped into the shower.

He was just massaging the shampoo into his scalp when he heard pounding at the door. Groaning, he turned off the water. “What?”

“Kai won’t stop calling you,” Riley complained through the door. “Hurry up.”

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

Kai was up bright and early, working at Damien’s office doing his favourite thing: pinning pictures up on the big wall.

The night before, he’d gone straight to the office after Damien called him from the ball. Damien had overheard the assassin refer to somebody as ‘Your Grace,’ the traditional address for a duke or duchess in Cordonia, so he’d compiled a list of all of them. Fifteen total duchies, most of them governed by a married couple, left him with twenty-six names. Narrowing it down to only those who had daughters in attendance at the ball brought it down to twelve.

He’d scoured Cordonian gossip websites for the best headshots he could find of all of them, and made full-page colour printouts of each of their faces at the 24-hour copy shop down the road. And now, after a two-hour power nap and a potentially deadly amount of coffee, he was tiling them carefully on the wall, along with images of the daughters in question. His rainbow-coloured yarn, on loan from Nadia, was itching to start making connections.

“You look chipper.”

He hadn’t heard Damien come in over the sound of the ‘Monday Motivation’ playlist he’d been blasting through the tinny computer speakers. “Hey, you! I thought you’d never show.”

Damien ran a hand through his still-damp hair, looking over the wall of photos. “It’s nine a.m., Kai. What’s all this?”

“I’m glad you asked, Detective!” Kai turned back to the wall with a flourish. “One of these rich fucks tried to kill your girl. Is it him?” He pointed dramatically to a photo of a very generic-looking middle-aged man. “Or is it...HER?” He pointed to a photo of a perfectly nice-looking woman. “Maybe this prick? OK honestly I do think it’s this prick.”

Damien stepped closer to read the label on the photo Kai was pointing to. “Duke Karlington. That’s Madeleine’s father. He’s been on my list since day one.”

Kai was practically bouncing with excitement and caffeine. “Of course, right? It makes perfect sense. He wants his daughter to be queen, but the king is like, ‘I don’t want to marry this blond demon!’ so this old Duke is like…”

“Yeah, Kai, I get it. I appreciate the very spot-on impressions, though.”

He bowed dramatically. “Thank you. But yeah. This guy totally did it, right?”

Damien nodded, still studying the wall. “Yeah...yeah, he totally did. But we’ll need proof. The NYPD and LAPD have basically given up on this, now that they’ve got their shooter and the person pulling the strings is almost certainly overseas. We’ll have to coordinate with Liam’s royal guard to nail this guy before this goes any further.”

“Liam,” Kai repeated. “Just your buddy Liam, your casual pal, ordinary dude Liam.”

“Oh, fuck off.” The slight grin on Damien’s face did not go unnoticed. “His Majesty, King Liam of Cordonia. Better?”

He couldn’t help himself. “Is that what you call him in bed?”

“Kai.” Damien flopped into his desk chair and buried his face in his hands, groaning. “You’re the only one who knows about that, you know.”

“Yeah, I figured. But you know you have to tell Riley, right?”

Damien looked pained, but nodded. “That’s a discussion for another time. We need to make sure they’re going after this guy. The king’s guard will have access to evidence that we don’t.”

“Right. So you’re going to see him.”

“Liam? No, I’m going to see Bastien Lykel.”

Kai hated himself for how relieved he was at that. “So what should I do?”

Damien threw an arm around his shoulders and gave him a quick squeeze, making him blush. “You should finish this beautiful wall of yours, and make sure we’re not missing something with these other potential suspects.”

He smiled at that, picking up his bag of yarn. “On it. Go get ‘im, boss.”

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

Damien fidgeted nervously in the hotel elevator, unsure what to expect when he got to Liam’s floor. How many low-level guards would he have to sweet-talk to get to Bastien? He plastered on his most charming smile as the doors began to open.

To his surprise, the hallway was deserted. He walked slowly down the corridor, wondering if he was on the wrong floor. Rounding a corner, he finally spotted Bastien and one other guard standing outside of a set of double doors. Bastien looked his way immediately, enough venom in his gaze to stop him dead in his tracks.

“Mr. Lykel…” he began, trying to shake off the sudden nerves. “I’ve got some information…”

He was striding towards him already, holding out a hand to stop him from coming any closer. “Mr. Nazario. I must ask you to leave. The king is not available to you.”

“Right, I know, orange alert and all that. I’m here to see you actually, I brought my files…”

“Let me be clear,” Bastien went on, still staring daggers at him. “The king is not available to you, period. You will not try to contact him again.”

He was dumbstruck. What was happening? “He’s my client…”

“And I will personally ensure you’re paid what you are owed. But you will not hear from His Majesty again.”

Damien was torn between pleading for him to just listen, or telling him off for being an asshole. He settled for just staring blankly ahead, mouth hanging open like a numbskull.

To his surprise, that seemed to work. Bastien’s furious glare softened as he took his elbow and led him into a small sitting area. Without a word he passed him a phone with an audio file loaded up on the screen. Feeling a cold dread settle in his stomach, Damien hit play and held it to his ear.

Breathing, just heavy breathing. And then a familiar voice: “Do you remember how I felt inside you, Damien?”

The phone fell from his hand as the cold dread turned to hot panic. It bounced on the carpet before Bastien slowly retrieved it, not taking his eyes off of Damien.

“You said...the number...it was secure…”

“I was wrong. And now I’m running a skeleton crew while everyone who would have had access to the phone is suspended from duty until I can determine who compromised it.”

“How long is…”

“It’s all there, Mr. Nazario.”

“Why?”

Bastien frowned. “Blackmail, obviously.”

Damien sat down in a daze. His chest was tight and his stomach had turned, his face burning hot with shame. “This is my fault.”

“I told you he was never safe.”

“What do they want?”

“We don’t know yet.”

“I’ll guess: for him to honour his engagement to Madeleine.”

“I guess we’ll see.”

Numbly he handed over the folder in his hands. “It’s Duke Godfrey. I can’t prove it, but I’m almost certain.”

Bastien nodded, flipping through the folder’s contents. “I’ll look into it. Thank you.” He turned to leave.

“Wait,” Damien called after him, his voice shaking. “Could you...just...tell him I’m sorry? I never meant to fuck up his life. I just…” he trailed off, unsure what he could possibly say to make anything better. “I’m just sorry.”

Bastien nodded again, returning to his post in silence.

#choices fan fic #a royal disgrace #trr #perfect match #crossover fic #liam x damien #look I'm sad too but I told you it was a doomed ship from the start #UGH #i hate angst #but I love kai #kai is the light of my life

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