#it hurts to hold my apple pen so back to paper I go again Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[zekkopunks]

cursed to keep having inconvenient injuries that make it hard for me to draw

[shemarmooresfedora]

Rebuilding Family

Summary: Y/N and Spencer were college sweethearts at Cal-Tech but once Spencer got accepted to the FBI Academy, he ended things deciding it was not fair to make Y/N wait for him. When they meet again years later, he discovers something unexpected.

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem! Reader

Masterlist

Chapter 3

“Hey buddy,” Spencer sat down in the chair next to Henry who was coloring at the table after dinner.

“Hi Uncle Spencer,” Henry replied, switching his orange marker out for a green one.

“So Josephine seemed pretty cool,” Spencer started.

He wanted to know more about his possible kid before going to Y/N. If it was true and she would let him meet her, he wanted to know all about her.

“Yeah, she sits at the same table group as me in class. One time when we were playing tag at recess, I fell and hurt my knee but she kissed it three times and said that’s what her Mommy does when she has a boo boo and it didn’t hurt anymore,” Henry explained.

“Does she talk about her Mommy a lot?” Spencer asked.

“She loves her Mommy like sooooo much. She says her Mommy says she doesn’t need a Daddy because her Mommy loves her extra,” Henry smiled.

“That’s nice,” Spencer said, getting up from the table.

Spencer was glad to hear that Y/N and Josephine seemed to be having a good life. He was just saddened that it didn’t include him even if she wasn’t his kid. He didn’t blame Y/N for not telling him if it was his. He honestly would have had no idea how he would have handled that news back then.

-

“And that is the difference between a stressor and a trigger. Any questions?” Spencer slid his hands into his pockets as he looked out into the audience.

The students were silent. Most of the girls appeared to be in a daze but still looking at him. Spencer furrowed his brow.

“Okay well then, I will see you next Monday. We will be covering chapter four section three of your textbook regarding victimology so I would suggest skimming it over before class,” Spencer finished.

He grabbed satchel from the desk and quickly exited the lecture hall. He had looked up the class schedules in the administration office and Y/N was also finishing a lecture at this time. Spencer was hoping to catch her before she could run away again.

He quietly slipped into the back of the lecture hall, taking a seat in the last row.

“Okay! That is it for today. Remember, we have a lab next class so closed toe shoes only and long hair tied back please. Have a great day, everyone,” you announced.

Students began to file out of the room, some coming up to your desk with questions so Spencer hung out in his seat a little longer. Once the last student had their question answered, Spencer got up and made his way to your desk as you were packing up your things. When you heard the footsteps, you looked up with a friendly smile that was immediately replaced with a grimace.

You grabbed your bag and keys and bolted. However, Spencer was expecting this and was hot on your tail.

“Y/N, please slow down. I just want to talk,” he pleaded as he chased you across the campus, garnering funny looks from people passing by.

You sighed and halted your movement. Spencer was not expecting this so he almost crashed into you. You took a step back to regain your personal space.

You looked around, noticing some people were staring.

“Let’s go to the coffee shop on campus,” you suggested.

Spencer still remembered how you took your coffee after all these years and insisted on paying even though you told him that wasn’t necessary.

You both sat down in a quiet booth in the corner. You were nervously fiddling with the coffee cup sleeve and avoiding eye contact.

“I-Is Josephine mine?” Spencer asked.

You could feel his eyes burrowing into your skull. You couldn’t lie to him, I mean you could but you wouldn’t get away with it because he was a profiler.

You finally looked up and made eye contact, “Yes, she is,” you stated.

Spencer smiled softly with tears brimming his eyes.

“Did you know before I Ieft?” Spencer sniffled.

“No, I found out after,” you responded.

Silence fell over the both of you.

“Why did you break up with me, Spencer? It all happened so fast that I never got a reason. We could have made long-distance work if you actually cared,” you spoke softly.

“Y/N please do not doubt that I cared about you. I loved you, I think I still do after all these years. I just thought you would be better off without me holding you back and not having a lot of personal time to visit you. It doesn’t mean I ever stopped thinking about you. I just thought you deserved someone better,” Spencer explained.

“Yeah well no one wanted to date the single mom in college. Guys would run for the hills when I told them,” you chucked sardonically.

“I’m sorry” is all Spencer could manage to say.

He thought he was doing Y/N a favor by breaking up with her but instead he made everything worse. He abandoned her to figure out how to take care of their child on her own.

“Can I-um...I would love to get to know her more,” Spencer stuttered.

“Spencer, I don’t know if that’s the best-” you started to say.

“Please,” Spencer begged.

You closed your eyes and exhaled.

“You can come with me to pick her up from the school if you want. You can play with her for an hour with my supervision. Under no circumstances are you to tell her that you are her father,” you demanded.

“Understood,” Spencer nodded.

You finished the last sip of your coffee and slid out of the booth, tossing it in the trash can.

“Let’s go,” you motioned for him to follow you.

Spencer scrambled out of his seat to catch up with you.

You unlocked the car and you both hopped in. Spencer noticed the backseat of your car had random toys and articles of children’s clothing scattered around and he smiled at just the thought that they belonged to his daughter.

When you pulled into the school parking lot, you turned to speak to him for the first time since he entered the car.

“You stay here,” you said as you turned the car off.

Spencer watched as you approached the line of kids and a genuine smile grew on your face. Josephine ran over to you and was immediately scooped up and littered in kisses. Josephine was dressed in overalls with a dinosaur sweater and a mini pair of converse. Y/N whispered something in her ear and she nodded as they made their way back to the car.

“Jo, you remember Spencer, Henry’s friend?” you opened the car door.

“Hi Josephine!” Spencer greeted.

Jo snuggled herself closer into your neck.

“Why are you being shy today, Baby J? Remember you already met him? He told you all those cool dino facts. Maybe he can tell you some more on the way home,” you bounced the child in your arms a few times before gently placing her into the car seat and buckling her in.

“Josephine, I remember you said stegosauruses were your favorite. Stegosaurus actually means ‘roofed lizard’ and their brains were the size of ping pong balls,” Spencer was looking at the child through the rearview mirror.

He heard the sweetest little giggle. The sound was music to his ears.

“Mommy, did you hear that? They have ping pong balls for brains,” Jo laughed.

“Yes, baby, I heard but I think Spencer said they were the size of ping pong balls, not actual ping pong balls,” you smiled as you corrected her.

Spencer turned around to face her now that Jo was feeling more comfortable.

“They also weighed about two tons which is about the same weight as this car,” Spencer smiled.

“Woah,” Jo exclaimed in awe.

“Okay! We’re home! Jo, you can play with Spencer for a little but then we have to do your ABC’s homework,” you explained as you parked the car in your driveway.

You lived in a small grayish blue house. It had a tiny gated backyard but you usually just took Jo to the park anyways. It was enough for the two of you. You moved in last year after accepting the job at Georgetown.

You unbuckled Jo and unlocked the front door with Spencer awkwardly standing behind you until he felt a tug on his sleeve.

“I want to show you my room,” Jo said.

“Sure! I would love to see it,” Spencer replied as he was tugged by Jo up the stairs.

Spencer laughed when he saw Jo’s bedroom. It was decked out in everything dinosaur. Dinosaur wallpaper, bed sheets, toys, and a carpet.

“You really love dinos, don’t you?” Spencer smiled.

Jo nodded, beaming as she seemed to be very proud of her room.

“Jo, I’ve got a snack for you,” Y/N called out from downstairs.

The little kid lit up even more and ran down the stairs, leaving Spencer alone in the room. He saw a small little bookshelf with picture books, mostly about dinosaurs. It was nice to know his daughter shared his love of reading.

“You have a lovely home,” Spencer complimented as he entered the kitchen.

“Thank you, I don’t know if you want some apple slices and peanut butter too. I would offer you something else but I haven’t had time to go grocery shopping this week,” you explained.

“It’s all good. If you ever need help-” Spencer began.

“We’re quite alright,” you snapped.

A silence fell over the room, even Jo picked up on it and stopped the loud chewing of her apple.

“I’m sorry,” you sigh, patting the top of Jo’s head to tell her she could continue eating, “We’ve been on our own for so long that I can sometimes get a little defensive when someone suggests I can’t handle it.”

“I wasn’t suggesting that at all. I think you have done a wonderful job raising Josephine. But, I also had a single mom so I know that sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day,” he replied.

“Thank you,” is all you said.

Spencer glanced at his watch, “I should get going. My hour is up. If it’s okay with you, I would love to come over again sometime,” Spencer said.

“Leave your number and I’ll text you,” you replied, handing him a scrap piece of paper and a pen.

“Bye Josephine!” Spencer smiled at the kid who had peanut butter smeared all over her face.

“Ew, Jo! Did you get any in your mouth?” you laughed.

“Bye Spencer!” she attempted to wave to him as you were wiping her face and hands with a damp paper towel.

[kindajared]

Stop Being Nice || RisottoxReader (Smut)

(Henlo @the-starry-eyed-princess It’s done!!! <3 Congrats again! UWU!) (Breeding Kink)

You knew the way he was feeling just by the way he held himself as he walked, and his lack of much expression at all towards you. Poor thing was stressed and done. He had to deal with various bullshit every day and he’d gotten so used to it that it hadn’t phased him, but today it did. Just watching him watch the squad bicker was a little painful. Trying to get them to shut their goddamn mouths didn’t always work. Risotto was practically a babysitter that happened to be a part of the mafia.

Along with that, he has all kinds of paperwork to fill out daily. Organizing sums of money and reading up on hit profiles. It seemed incredibly unfair. He deserved a break. You wanted to take care of him.

“Hey, Risotto?”

The door to his office was cracked, so you pushed it open gently and walked in. He was leaning to the side, holding his head up with his arm. It almost looked as if he were asleep. He just grunted in reply, mind busy.

“I thought you said you’d be done by now?”

You closed in on his desk, standing still in front of it, arms folded around your waist. He sighed.

“I am…”

He dropped the pen he was gripping and shifted so that he was sitting up properly. The pen rolled across the splayed-out papers. You reached for one of his hands and took ahold of it gently.

“Come out then. Sit with me on the couch? It’s stuffy in here.”

His office was either freezing or hotter than hell, and it was hotter than hell that day. Risotto spread his fingers so that he could hold your hand, engulfing yours in his own.

“I won’t say no to that.”

He got up, coming out from behind his desk, your hand still in his. He raised his arm and spun your slowly, pulling you into a snug embrace. He was hot to the touch. He always was when he was stressed or upset. You pressed soft kisses to his chest before you looked up at him.

“Come on.”

You pulled away from him, pulling him by his wrists out of his office. He walked sluggishly. You approached the main room’s cluster of sofas. You sat your boyfriend down before you walked around the couch, standing behind it. You placed your hands on his shoulders and squeezed, making him groan. You weren’t sure if it was pain or pleasure.

“Does that hurt?”

He shook his head lazily, reaching a hand up and placing it on one of yours.

“I could use a massage. Go ahead and work your magic.”

You smiled at his words. Once he removed his hand you began to press your fingers and knuckles into his tense muscles. He was littered with knots. He let out groan after groan, clear that these ones were of pleasure.

You moved to his upper back and he laid his head back, looking up at you. His gaze always made your face heat up and flush. His red and back eyes adorned with his pretty eyelashes were a sight to behold.

You leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips, hands still kneading at his back. He hummed deeply into your lips, reaching up for you face. When you puled away, He brushed his fingers through your hair.

“Sit with me, cara.”

He told you, smile finally on his face. You rounded the couch to sit next to him. He wrapped an arm around you, and you began to rub his chest.

“You had another bad day, didn’t you?”

You rested your head on his shoulder after speaking. You then felt fingers under your chin, they tilted your head up.

“Stop being so nice.”

He trailed his fingers slowly down to your neck, he wrapped them around your throat gently. He was being gentle. You let out a soft and happy sigh.

“You may be a brute, but I love you enough to want to treat you well, bello.”

You moved your own hand to his neck, pressing your thumb against his throat. His smile only grew as he leaned down, pressing his forehead to yours.

“What did you call me?”

He tightened his grip around your neck, pulling you closer. Your own smile turned into a shy smirk.

“A brute. That’s what you are, isn’t it?”

You teased. He gave you a threatening look, squinting his eyes as he stared directly into yours. You couldn’t help but cower a bit, it was intimidating. He pressed his lips ever so gently against your before speaking.

“So much for being nice, huh?”

He pushed you down slowly onto the sofa with his free hand, other still on your neck. Your whole-body fit on it perfectly, but his didn’t. You giggled when he tried to manage.

“Ris, let’s go to your room. This won’t work.”

You told him. He groaned and slid his arms underneath you with a quick motion, picking you up. You let out a gasp and clung to his coat as he began to carry you to his room. You couldn’t help but nuzzle your face into his neck, pressing a kiss to his adam’s apple.

Soon enough you came upon his room, he kicked the door closed after walking in before dropping you onto the bed with a bounce. You looked up at him a shy smile as he towered over you.

“Don’t just stand the-.”

He practically tackled you, though it was as gentle as he could make it. You grunted in surprise when his lips smashed into yours. He pressed you into the bed, holding you down by your biceps. You moaned softly against his mouth, trying to reach your hands up to touch him, but you couldn’t.

You spread your legs, arching your body upwards, pressing it against him. Whenever he treated you like this, you were immediately needy. Sex with Risotto was as close to heaven as anything.

He hummed deeply against your lips, pushing your body back down with his own. He moved his lips to your throat, practically feasting on it with his wet kisses. You were smiling, thoroughly enjoying yourself.

You felt his hard cock against you then and your chest tightened.

“Mmm, exited already, Ris?”

You rubbed yourself up against his cock. He moaned hotly into your ear before speaking.

“Can’t help myself, (Y/N).”

He ground down against you, cock rubbing your clothed pussy. You whined softly.

“No teasing Ris, please.”

You could already feel how wet you were. Risotto let go of your biceps and you immediately took ahold of his face, kissing him. You slid your hand under his hood and slid it off of his head, pushing it off of the bed.

“If you’re good for me, I won’t.”

He spoke against your lips. You wrapped your arms around his neck, nipping at his lip.

“I’ll be good, Amore, I promise.”

You told him. He let out a short chuckled before he shoved his hands under your shirt, pushing harshly up on your breasts, causing you to whimper. He then pulled your shirt off, removing each article of your clothing until you were in just your panties. He slid his hand over your sensitive pussy.

“These are my favorite. Feels like you ruined them. Good girls don’t ruin their panties.”

You couldn’t help but blush and hide the lower half of your face with your hands. He soon removed them, grabbing your wrists. You swallowed.

“It’s your fault. Don’t blame me.”

You teased him. He licked his lips and let go of your wrists so that he could remove his coat. You reached up and smoothed your hands over his muscular abdomen, biting your lip.

Risotto hummed at your touch, leaning back down to kiss you fully, running his long fingers through your hair. You felt his cold belt buckle against your thigh and hissed, pushing against his chest.

“Ris, take your belt off, it’s in the way.”

You told him. He nodded and pressed a kiss to your cheek, reaching down to unbuckle his belt, removing it. His attention was soon back to your lips, hands groping roughly at your breasts. You squirmed, flexing your thighs and pressing them together, putting pressure against your arousal. Risotto noticed and pulled away.

“Be patient.”

He told you, snaking his hand from your chest down to your navel, tracing his finger across your waist. You huffed.

“Please. I told you I would be good.”

There was clear desperation in your voice. Risotto loved teasing you more than anything. He loved to see you writhe beneath him. He could do whatever he wanted, and you wouldn’t do a single thing. You obeyed…but today you deserved kindness.

He didn’t say a word as he began to press kisses to your sternum, sliding a long finger against your covered cunt and rubbing. You placed your hands on the back of his head.

“Please, please.”

You lifted your legs as you pleaded. Risotto chuckled darkly before sliding his fingers into your panties, the tip of his middle one rubbing your clit nice and slow. You sucked in a breath and whined.

“You’re being good. You know what I have to do.”

He spoke against your skin before he began to suck and bite a bruise under your right breast. You turned your head to the side and tangled your fingers in his hair. He eventually let that finger slide into you. It plunged in so easily. Your eyes widened and you closed your legs around his forearm.

“More. I wan’t them all.”

You couldn’t be patient. He had you way to excited, as he usually did. He listened to your plead and slid in another, being sure that one was all the way in before his third. You whined loudly. Being stretched like this was so intense. You love it.

“Mmm, yes, caro…”

You breathed out before he began to finger you, juices coating his knuckles.  He moved his head to suck on one of your nipples, taking it into his mouth. You gasped and wrapped your arms around him. Curling in on him.

“One more. I need one more.”

You told him. You wanted him to fuck you already. You needed him inside you.

“Amore, not ye-.”

“Please.”

He was going to deny you, but you used the magic word. He obliged and managed to press the tip of his pinky finger against your entrance. You hissed. This wasn’t very realistic.

“No- no. Never mind.”

You gripped is bicep. He chuckled.

“I told you.”

You scoffed softly. You didn’t like being wrong and you indeed were. He pressed his three fingers in as deep a she could, pushing the tips of them up against your soft and slick walls. You began to tremble and sweat.

“Ris…”

You breathed, barely able to. He removed his fingers without warning. You let out a heavy breath as you were now empty. You took ahold of Risotto’s face and brought it up to your own, wanting to see his extravagant eyes. The both of your pupils were dilated and you kissed.

Risotto pulled your panties away, up and over your knees, having you kick them off. When you broke the kiss, you spoke.

“Let me suck your cock.”

You looked into his eyes and he brought his hand to your neck, taking ahold of it.

“How sweet.”

He gave you a peck on the side of your mouth before he grabbed you by your hips and flipped you over, pressing you down into the mattress. You whimpered and he leaned down to breath in your ear.

“Shhh, good girl. I’m gonna make you mine.”

Your nervous expression turned into one of excitement, though the other couldn’t see. You nodded your head, relaxing yourself. Risotto lifted your hips, propping your ass up. It made you gasp. You loved when he fucked you like this. He leaned upwards, removing his cock from his pants. He pressed it against your ass, rubbing it up against your crack, groaning softly. You hummed.

“Stop it, caro. Be nice.”

You gripped the sheets, bunching the fabric up in your fists. Risotto pressed down on your back as he leaned forwards, pressing the head of his cock against your entrance guiding it in. You hissed, groping at the mattress.

“Mmm! Riso-Risotto-.”

You whined, curling your toes. He began to maneuver a little easier into you until he got as much of him into you as he could. He groaned as he sank into you, squeezing your ass with a hand.

“Fuck, cara, you’re so tight…”

He breathed heavily, leaning over you. He thrust into you, wrapping his arms underneath you to keep himself inside. You cried out, pressing your face into the pillow.

“You want me to fill you? Do you want me to?”

He grunted into you ear.

“Mhm!”

You cried into the pillow. The other began to pull out, just to slide back in, causing you to fidget your shoulders. It was unbearable. He was so deep. He always went so deep.

“I’m gonna tell out kids how good you were tonight.”

He growled. You began to shake, moving your face to the side so you could breathe. You panted.

“And how good you fucked me?”

You asked him, playing along. He pressed a kiss behind your ear.

“Yes, Amore, yes.”

You raised your ass higher, needing it. He began to slap himself up against you as he began to thrust rythmically. You cried out and he squeezed you tightly, compressing your chest. You let out a pained breath.

“Gonna tell them how good your cunt was.”

He pressed sloppy kisses to your neck as he panted, speaking more.

“And how you moaned for my cock. How much you needed me.”

You squeezed your eyes shut, body on fire. You core was white hot, screaming. You didn’t want to cum yet, but you were already so close.

“R-Ris-I-I-.”

“Shhh-not yet, bambina, not yet.”

He loosened his hold on your chest, aware that you were having a hard time breathing. He quickened his pace, pressing his cock into your cervix. You moaned, reaching under yourself so you could grasp his forearms.

“Is mommy a slut?”

You panted, licking your lips. Risotto replied.

“Yes, she is-she’s a good slut for daddy.”

He nipped at your ear, moving one of his arms so that he could move his hand down to play with your clit. You gasped.

“Ris! I’ll cum!”

Risotto nuzzled the side of his face into your hair, grunting as he began to slam into you. You felt like you could break.

“I’m close-I’m close.”

He panted. You knew what to do to get him there.

“You’re fucking me so good, Ris. You’re fucking your good girl so well.”

Your breath was shallow, and your words were high pitched.

“I want your cum, give it to me, caro.”

He moaned and groaned as you spoke, gripping your hips tightly, He leaned upwards and gripped your biceps, pulling you up against him.

“So good for me cara, gonna get you pregnant.”

He had a sweaty hand around your throat.  His breath began to hitch, and his thrusts became inconsistent. You could let yourself go then-and so you did.

“Risotto!”

You cried out his name, making him cum just as you did. You felt the warmth build up inside you as Risotto filled you. You couldn’t hold yourself up anymore, so you went limp, but the other had a tight hold on you.

“Amore...”

He panted, pressing a long kiss to the back of your head before he let your down slowly, slipping out of you. You felt like a rag doll. Risotto laid next to you, pulling you up against him. You reached your arm across him, holding him weakly.”

“Ris…”

You sighed; your eyes closed.

“What?”

He looked to you lazily. You let out a long breath.

“That was…really nice…”

You rubbed his chest, patting it. The other chuckled.

“I agree.”

He kissed the top of your head and you smiled, speaking again.

“Are you feeling better?”

You lifted your head to look at him, though it wasn’t easy. You were met with dark eyes.

“Yes, (Y/N), much better.”

[gophergal]

A/N: SO, this is the Michael Myers x OC story rewrite I was telling y’all about! I started it in August of 2019 around the time I started this blog. The only warning for this chapter I can think of is home invasion. I would also like to thank @bucketofcowboys for beta reading this for me. I <3 you, dude!

I’m Not Lonely - Chapter One

Word count: 2000+| Rating: M |  Michael Myers x OC | M/F

Houses passing by slowly drift farther apart as the car bulleted forward on the empty road out of town. Clouds overhead obscured the moon and stars that Jean loved so dearly. Instead, the world was masked in inky blackness, save for the headlights and few porch lights left on by the sleepy residents inside. Beyond that, there was nothing, just the varying shades of black that made up the road, trees, and sky. It was a quiet night, Halloween night, she reminded herself. Seems that if you have no kids to take trick or treating and no parties to get drunk at that Halloween is just a date on the calendar. A block of black up ahead drew closer. It was her home, the house she'd inherited when her grandfather passed away. The old man had always been taken good care of her and, even after death, still kept that up.

“Thirteen dead and two injured tonight after a killing spree perpetrated, possibly, by an escaped patient of Smith's Grove Sanitarium. The suspect, one Michael Audrey Myers, is thought to have been caught in an explosion at Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, though police urge residents of the surrounding area to remain cautious until further notice,” the radio droned as Jean tiredly pulled her car into the driveway. Jean shook her head, dirty blond locks sweeping across her face as she frowned. The world's really gone downhill when things like this happen every day, she thought, or maybe I just never noticed how cruel it can be.

A shiver ran down her spine as she thought about the madman running amok, murdering innocents. Mentally, she slapped herself. Keep your cool, Jean. No way could a loony like that evade capture for long. Hell, he might even be lost in the woods, looking around wildly as coyotes sized him up for a meal. He was probably dead, or at least would  wish he were. She couldn't be losing her head over something the police could handle. She was safe here. That name though- It sounded familiar.  

The moon was already high in the sky when she finally pulled open her front door, kicked off her shoes on the mat, and shrugged her coat off, stretching the stiff muscles of her shoulders. It had been a late shift. That was never a problem for Jean though. She didn't have anyone waiting for her at home and everyone knew it, so she was a good choice for late nights. Not that she minded. Jolene, her co worker, liked to lecture to her about getting out there and “catching herself a man”. Well, to Jean, dating was a tiresome and pointless game, and it wasn't like she had a line of suitors waiting to sweep her off her feet. Keys clinked in the dish where they were set and Jean ran a hand through her hair, her body rapidly growing heavy with exhaustion as the day caught up to her. Thinking back on it, she'd never been very popular. No problem though. Popularity didn't matter if you didn't want it to, and Jean was perfectly happy on her own.

She slipped by the kitchen, grabbing first for an apple then, remembering granddad's lectures about “eating heartily and eating well”, prepared a sandwich instead. Lazily she took a bite, too tired to care about how it tasted. Without thought, she flipped on the radio. For a moment she stood in front of the table, knowing very well that getting ready for sleep would zap what was left of her dwindling supply of energy, but not wanting to go to bed. She would have time to read a book if she put off brushing her teeth. She'd recently gotten a copy of that book Jolene recommended to her. Some horror story about a hotel. The Shining, she thought it was called. Jo seemed to like it quite a bit, but Jean had never been a big fan of horror. She often found the protagonists a bit stupid and would reluctantly admit to being easily spooked by those kind of stories. Still, she'd wanted to give it a chance, but hadn't yet had a chance to start reading it.

With the last crumb of bread stuffed into her mouth, she grabbed her pen and pad of paper to jot down a note to buy more bread. Tomorrow would be a good day for laundry and relaxation, she thought. Sunny and warm according to the forecast, as much as early November can be. It would be a good day off, she decided. She finally surrendered to her exhaustion, the need for sleep driving her through her routine. She only briefly stopped to look in the mirror, examining the dark circles under her eyes. She sighed, flopping into bed unceremoniously and snuggling into the soft covers. Exhaustion overtook her and the comforting dark arms of sleep came easily.

THUMP. Jean bolted upright, panic flooding her veins as she became aware of her surroundings. A stone sunk in her guts as she realized that she could not remember locking the door. She groped beneath the bed for the baseball bat she kept for home defense. She cursed herself silently for not taking granddad up on his offer for shooting lessons all those years ago, Her nerves were not calmed as she slid her hand over the smooth wood of her weapon. She had a white knuckle grip on the bat to keep her hands from shaking as she padded silently down the stairs, avoiding the creaky last step with practiced ease. She kept to the wall as she entered the living room, her terror striking her mute as she beheld the sight before her. Upon her couch, covered in blood and soot, lay a strange man, the ragged rise and fall of his chest her only indication that he wasn't a corpse. He shifted, mask clad head turning to her before he sprung up to shaky feet, filthy knife held defensively in his wavering grip. Even from here she could see the shaking of his large hands.

“Woah! Woah, hold it, big fella!” She exclaimed, bat extended in the space between them, “I'm not going to hurt you, not unless you hurt me first” A stupid thing to say honestly, given that he had a great deal of height and mass over her and, even injured as she believed him to be, could likely subdue her with ease. Not to mention the fact that he was an intruder. Logic seemed to leave her when she needed it most, it seemed. She swallowed thickly as he tilted his head, seeming to consider her words. His hand came to hang at his side, the knife loose in his fist. She lowered her home defense, her gaze still shifting nervously as she searched for his eyes behind the mask. A futile effort, for all she could glimpse was the sunken blackness of the eye holes.

“Why don't you take a seat. Wouldn't want you to pass out in the middle of my living room floor. You're a bit too big for me to carry,” she said as she studied his person to see what injuries he'd sustained. Jesus Christ, she thought, has he been fucking shot? Indeed, the telltale entry wounds were present, six in total, on his chest, arms, and leg. The dark blood that had bloomed around them was beginning to dry. The man all but fell to the couch, his sudden weight making the springs creak slightly.

“I'm willing to bet good money that you've been hurt pretty badly from the look of you. But 911 isn't really an option now, not with the breaking and entering, y'know.” The intruder remained stone still, as he'd been since he sat down. Jean fidgeted, thinking of what to do next. “Since going to the hospital probably isn't an option for you, I could patch you up, if you want. I mean, I'm no doctor, but it's better than nothing.”

At the mention of “hospital” he seemed to stiffen, if only slightly. The offer to tend his wounds seemed to relax him again. Though maybe she was looking too deeply into things. “I'll go ahead and get the kit, you- well you need to strip down a bit so I can help you.” She didn't wait for an answer of any kind before she began up the stairs, her full weight coming down on the squeaky step in her rush. She was playing nurse to the strange man- strange masked man, she corrected- that had broken into her home and threatened her with a knife. The ridiculousness of the situation, the pure stupidity of it all, was not lost on her, but now she was on autopilot. Moving without thinking.

With the first aid kit and water basin now safely in her arms, she moved down the stairs purposefully, almost hoping that her unwelcome guest had left or had been a dream. Her hopes were dashed when she saw him there, partially undressed, on her couch. For how scorched his jumpsuit was he had relatively few burns. In fact, the biggest one was about the size of a hand on his left side. It had blistered, but the rubbing of cloth must have caused them to rupture, leaving them as seeping open wounds. The gunshot wounds were concerning though. They were hard to see under all the crusty dried blood, but she knew that the bullets had to go.

Drawing nearer, she saw on the coffee table sat five bullets, droplets of red pooling around them as the masked man's thick, grubby fingers set down the last one. Jean blinked, then decided it wasn't worth the shock, horror, or confusion. She just needed to tend to him, get some sleep, and wake up from this weird dream. If she was quick enough, she could let it fade from her memory with no problems. Carefully, she cleaned the wounds, watching as the water changed from it's original crystal clear state into a murky red. His wounds, however, looked better than they had before. She dressed them with ointment and bandage, every movement slow and deliberate as she treated the wounds.

She lent to him an old pair of jeans and a button down her granddad had owned. Anything would be better than those grubby coveralls. The more she thought, the more she realized that not all the blood on them could possibly be his, but she pushed it from her mind. The sooner he was out of here, the better. And that would be much faster if she cooperated. You'll regret this later, a small voice, probably her common sense, told her. Maybe I will, she thought in response, but I'll burn that bridge when I get there.

With everything being returned to it's proper place in the box and the filthy water  drained into the sink, she looked to him, a slight nervous grin on her lips, “You'd better get some rest then. Those wounds won't heal up very well otherwise.” He looked in her direction in a way that her exhausted mind read as unsure, yet confused. With a sleepy stagger, she made her way up the stairs to her room. The door slammed slightly behind her as she entered the room, the sound of it echoing throughout the room. She greeted the bed readily, succumbing to unconsciousness as soon as she hit the soft pillows.

Downstairs, the man, now wearing another stranger's clothes, sat on the couch. His mind working to weigh the options at hand. The immediate pleasure of stalking up the stairs and watching the light fade from her eyes as he stripped her life from her was tempting, but this woman, she was useful to him. More-so alive than dead, he figured. And so, he would wait. He was very patient; He'd needed to be for 15 years and could wait just a bit longer for her death. The very thought of it satisfied him.

The night's hunt had been less than successful. Prey had escaped. He'd been injured. And the Doctor- he'd tried to kill him; tried to shoot him dead. Not that it surprised him. Doctor Loomis had promised him for years that he would be killed if he stepped out of line. No matter. He was free now. He could not be stopped. And anyone who tried to stop him would simply become more prey for him. There was only one that had escaped him and she would be hunted, caught like a rat, then slaughtered by his hand, and his hand alone. But first, his body needed rest.

[evendeadlmthehero]

The Five Year Promise: Visit From a Sorcerer (4/10)

Summary: Y/N Stark, 20 year old superhero, makes a promise with a 16 year old Peter Parker after being cheated on, that if she hasn’t found love in the next 5 years, they’d finally go on a date. Then the snap happens. Y/N is gone and Peter isn’t

Warnings: swearing, a little bit of angst

Twitter// BuckysLemons

A/N: this chapter is really long. I might add an extra part and make it an eleven part series if the next chapter is also too long.

The Five Year Promise Masterlist

Based on Avengers: Infinity War (2018)

It was 12pm.

12pm and you were in a lab, working on your suit.

It was a complex equation that was your suit, and you were still trying to figure it out. Yes, after one year of almost dying, you were still trying to figure out the secret of your suit.

“Which is velocity squared...” you trailed off, talking to yourself as you scribbled down the numbers. You then stuck the pen in your mouth, thinking of what to add now.

“Maybe the coefficient of kinetic friction?” You spoke, finishing out the equation. You were about to see if the equation was viable before your dad came in, scaring the hell out of you.

“Happy Birthday to you!” He yelled obnoxiously, wearing a birthday hat and a shirt with your face on it. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear pumpkin! Happy birthday to you!”

You stared at your dad with a ‘what the hell’ look. Your dad looked at you with the same look, shaking his head.

“What? You want me to sing it in Spanish?” He had asked, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, before your ungrateful self looks at me like I’m an idiot, I have made reservation for us, Pepper, Peter and Samwell Oshdorn.”

You let out a little laugh, folding the piece of paper containing the equation and placing it in one of the desk draws. “Dad, ‘Samwell Oshdorn’ and I broke up last week.”

Your father straightened up at the news. He was happy. Of course he was. He hated the Osborn kid. His father always competed with him and his son was equally as annoying.

“You got want you wanted dad,” you spoke out quietly, playing with your fingers. “You got what everyone else wanted.”

Your dad face fell at your sad tone. Despite your Dad’s perception of him, he knew you were just blinded by love.

Taking off the birthday hat, he placed it on the table and walked over towards you.

“Hey, pumpkin,” he spoke out, rubbing your shoulders. “You’ll get there one day. You’ll find love. And also, sometimes I am stupid, and you won’t hear me say that again about myself so don’t take this for granted, but your feelings matter more to me than what I think about someone.”

“Dad,” your voice cracked, shaking your head as a tear escaped you eye. “I just- I just want to know what I did wrong. I don’t know what- he just.”

You stopped shaking your head as tears cascaded down your cheeks. Your father embraced you, rubbing soothing circles on your back.

“Sweet pea you did nothing wrong, okay. I might be a little biased, but I think you are the most smartest and beautiful young lady in the world. He’s just an idiot who didn’t know what he had until it was gone.”

You sniffed, letting out a chuckle, giving your dad the tightest squeeze you can manage. You moved away from the hug, wiping the tears from your face. “Thanks dad. I love you so much. Like a lot. Like 2000.”

“2000?” Your dad faked being hurt, grabbing his chest. “I’m at least a 3000. I mean I have a shirt printed with your face on it, I deserve bonus points.”

You laughed at your dad, shaking your head. You then looked away from him, biting your lip. “Can I tell you something else dad?”

“Shoot”

“I miss Nat and Wanda,” you spoke, your eyes welling up with tears again, but this time you didn’t let them fall. “I miss having them around. I miss- I miss venting to them. This is the secound time that I’m not celebrating my birthday with them and it’s harder than the first time.”

Your dad let out a sigh, crossing his arms as he looked away. “You know it’s hard hun. Cap and I-“

“I know Dad,” you spoke, looking at your fingernails. “But one way or another, we will need them to come back. You and I both know there’s something big coming.”

Your dad nodded, getting up for the chair before placing the birthday hat on your head. “Get dressed, we’re leaving soon.”

You nodded, annoyed at how he changed the subject while placing the birthday hat on the table. “Sure.”

Your dad walked towards the door before halting. He turned around, pulling a little box from his pocket. “This came in the mail for you today.”

He handed you the box, giving you a final look before leaving the room. You ripped the brown paper around it before opening the box.

Inside it was a charm bracelet and a little note that said:

Hey mini me,

They were selling these at a little shop near Wakanda and I thought it’d look good on you. Happy 21st Birthday and remember; when you drink in front of your dad, make sure it looks like your first time ;)

With Love,

Your big sister Nat

P.S Wanda says she loves you a lot

You smiled at the note, placing the charm bracelet around your wrist. It had a bead that you assumed was made out of vibranium and engraved on it was a baby panther with an adult version panther.

You placed the note back into the box before placing it in the draw.

-

“And then he told the terrorist his home address!” Pepper exclaimed, drinking a glass of water as she shook her head. “Terrorist! We almost died!”

Your father had rented out the whole reasturant so that you guys could get some privacy of the media. You were thankful, not wanting to get asked questions from the public about your relationship.

Pepper and Tony were sitting side by side, opposite you and Peter. Happy had tagged along, sitting where Harry would have been sitting. Peter had gotten an apple juice whereas you had gotten a cocktail.

This of course made Peter feel like a little kid, with him and Pepper being the only ones not drinking alcohol. But then he remembered the countdown on his watch.

‘I still have a chance,’ he thought in his head, playing with the straw of his apple juice. ‘Just need to make sure that neither of us find love.’

“I remember that,” you replied back, laughing as your dad put his head down in embarrassment. “He had shipped me off to the Avengers facility.”

“Excuse but I seem to recall it is Y/N’s Birthday,” your dad spoke out, titling his head to the side as he took a sip from his drink. “Meaning that we should talk about her most embarrassing moments, not mine.”

“I’m up for this!” Peter exclaimed, laughing as you gave him a look. “I’ll go first actually. It was when we had a mission to stop some drug lords in Colombia and Y/N-“

“Oh my god no,” you whispered, putting your hands over your face to cover your embarrassment.

“-And then she- she,” Peter couldn’t finish his words as he kept uncontrollably laugh. This of course had made Y/N laugh even more. “I l-“

“I sneezed!” You spoke laughing, as you smacked his arm, making his face turn red from the lack of air in his lungs. “I told you I sneezed!”

“But-But you didn’t!” Peter kept on laughing, shaking his head at you whilst pointing a finger. “The man grabbed you- and you- you-“

He went on a fit of laughter once again as you were already gone. Your laughs were silent and your stomach was pounding. “I- I did not fart!”

This comment made Peter fall on the ground from his chair, holding his stomach as he continued to laugh. You got up from your seat, bending down to smack his shoulder.

“Shut up!” You told him, tears running down your face as you kept laughing. “In the name of Pablo Escobar I demand you to shut up!”

Pepper, Tony and Happy watched on, smiling at the both of you.

“They’d make a great couple,” Happy spoke, looking towards Tony who smiled down at both of you.

“Yeah,” Tony replied, shaking his head as you guys kept on laughing. “Just give it time.”

-

“Pepper,” you spoke, as you girls walked behind Tony, Happy and Peter who were in a deep conversation about nanotechnology and Peter’s Aunt.

“Yeah,” she hummed, holding her purse as you all took a stroll along a park. The birds chirped and it was a perfect day, not a single cloud on site yet a cool breeze was present.

The park was simple, surrounded by oak trees, benches and a backdrop of the city buildings. There were couples and singles jogging around, but not many on sight.

“I have a question,” you stated, pushing your hair behind your ear. Your cute little white French dress with frills was being blown back by the cool wind. “You didn’t have alcohol today. You had water.”

Pepper smirked at you, looking down at the pathway. Sometimes it amazed her how observant you were, sometimes the opposite of your father. “What are you implying little missy?”

You smiled at her, looping your arm around hers. “So it’s true isn’t it?”

“Yes it is,” Pepper nodded at you, instinctively grabbing her stomach even though there was no bump present yet. “I was planning to tell Tony later tonight.”

“Pepper, I’m happy you’re going to be my stepmom,” you revealed to her. She squeezed your hand in gratitude.

“And I’m glad to have you as my step daughter,” she replied back, giving you a warm smile. “Just a couple of more months, and you get to be a bridesmaid.”

You smiled, so happy your father had finally found love and was soon getting a secound child with his future wife. “What names were you thinking of?”

“I was thinking about Patience,” Pepper spoke, nodding to herself before looking at Tony who was a good 3 meters away from you guys. “Because being with Tony required lots of it.”

You giggled at her remark, making Peter look back at you. You smiled at him which he had returned before continuing his conversation with Tony and Happy.

“How about Morgan,” you told Pepper. “Like after that dude who does the voice over on Nat Geo. It’s a nice name.”

“That,” Pepper pondered, her face scrunched up in thought. “Is not the most horrible name that I’ve heard.”

The boys in front of you suddenly halted, looking back at you guys to make sure you caught up.

“Do you girlies want ice cream?” Tony had asked you both. You walked up next to Peter, nodding your head at your dad.

“I wouldn’t mind some ice cream.”

“Good, there’s a gelato shop a few blocks down that are still open we can-“ Tony stopped mid-sentence as a yellow-glowlike circle appeared in the middle of the path.

You pressed the button on your necklace, allowing nanoparticles to start spreading around your body and form your white suit. You were always prepared to fight the unknown.

Suddenly a 40 year old man came out of the portal that was formed, donning a red cape and a blue long formal shirt.

“Tony Stark and Y/N Stark,” the man announced, his facial expression remaining unchanged. “I'm Doctor Stephen Strange. I need you to come with me. Oh, uh, congratulations on the wedding, by the way.”

All five of you were understandingly shocked, looking at him like he grew multiple heads. This guy had come out of nowhere and requested you and your father’s presence.

“I'm sorry, you giving out tickets or something?” Your father spoke in his usual sarcastic manner.

“We need your help,” Stephen Strange spoke, looking at your father, you and Peter. “Look, it's not overselling to say that the fate of the universe is at stake.”

Your heart stopped when you heard those last words. You still had PSTD from Sokovia and New York, similarly to your father. You didn’t want another fate-of-the-world battle, although your anxiety always told you there was much worse than what you’ve been through.

“And who's "we"?” You had asked, crossing your arms. Your eyes suddenly widened as the man you always thought of as an uncle, emerges from the portal. A man you haven’t seen since Sokovia, which was three years ago.

“Hey Tony,” Bruce spoke, holding a blanket around himself as he emerged from behind the sorcessor.

“Bruce,” your father had gasped as he watched him walk over in disbelief. Bruce gave an awkward smile, as he pulled the blanket closer to his body.

“Pepper,” Bruce had greeted her too before looking at you. “Hey little rascal. Look at you all grown up.”

“Hi,” you and Pepper replied simultaneously, not believing your eyes. And why would you? This man was gone for three years. You guys thought you’d never see him again.

“You okay?” Tony asks, but Bruce gives Tony a desperate hug, not answering.

You knew something was up. Something was wrong with Bruce to have him shaken up like that, like he’d seen the devil himself.

Your hand instinctively reached Peter’s hand, scared to find out what had the fate of the universe in stake.

You then looked at Peter, your eyes still wide, pupils dilated in fear.

“You better suit up too.”

-

“At the dawn of the universe, there was nothing, then boom,” Wong had explained as you all listened intently, watching the visual representation. “The big bang sent six elemental crystals hurtling across the virgin universe. These Infinity Stones each control an essential aspect of existence."

“Space, Reality, Power, Soul, Mind,” Dr Strange listed as each stone glowed. Your eyes watched in fascination has he opened his necklace to reveal a stone emitting an emerald light. “And Time.”

You looked at your father to figure out his game plan. He looked at the demonstration intensively before speaking. “Tell me his name again.”

“Thanos,” Bruce spoke out, getting up from his seat and staring your dad dead in the eye. “He's a plague, Tony. He invades planets. He takes what he wants. He wipes out half the population. He sent Loki. The attack on New York. That's him.”

“This is it,” your father whispered to himself, as he rubbed his chin.

“Um Mr Dr. Strange,” Peter’s voice wavered as he lifted his arm up. Stephen gave him a nod, indicating him to continue. “What exactly is our timeline? Like today? Tomorrow? B-because we have a birthday to celebrate.”

“No telling,” Bruce looked at Peter, shaking his head as he gripped his blanket. “He has the Power and Space Stones, that already makes him the strongest creature in the whole universe. If he gets his hands on all six Stones, guys.”

“He can destroy life on a scale hitherto undreamt of,” Dr Strange finished him. You shivered at those words as goosebumps appeared on your skin.

This is it. This is what you and your father have been prophesying for 6 years.

Your father leans against a cauldron, stretching like he's about to go for a run. “Did you seriously just say "hitherto undreamt of"?”

Dr. Stephen Strange looked at your father in ridiculousness as he kept stretching. “Are you seriously leaning on the Cauldron of the Cosmos?”

“Is that what this is?” Your father had spoke before Dr Strange’s cloak suddenly moved and smaked your father’s arm making him jump back.

“I'm going to allow that,” your father glared at Stephen, straightning up his jacket.

“Look this seems really dangerous and it’s getting out of hand,” you spoke, gathering all the men’s attention. “Maybe we should call the police.”

Your father snorted at that comment but the sorceress looked at you like you were an idiot. “Wha-“

“Or maybe the Avengers, idk,” you cut him off. You were stressed, and like your father, you made jokes when you were stressed.

Peter knew this so he decided to join along so you weren’t alone. “Or stick his stone in the garbage disposal.”

“Do you think if we auctioned it on Ebay, thanos will bid for it?” You turned to look at Peter. “Can you imagine him betting like 100 gold pieces. Or like paying with slaves-“

“We swore an oath to protect the Time Stone,” Wong interrupted you both like you had offended him. Which you probably did. “With our lives.”

“And I swore off dairy, but then, Ben & Jerry's named a flavor after me, so,” your dad replied back, giving both the men a shrug.

“Quince Quasar is the best,” you shot back.

“Whatever,” Your father replied before looking back at the man in a cloak. “Point is, things change.”

“Our oath to protect the Time Stone cannot change,” the doctor had urged your father, looking at you too in seriousness. “This Stone may be the best chance we have against Thanos.”

“And still conversely, it may also be his best chance against us,” you spoke back, now standing up from your seat. “We are bringing what Thanos wants right under his nose. To me, that sounds fairly stupid.”

“Okay, guys, could we table this discussion right now?” Bruce had interrupted you guys. “The fact is that we have this Stone. We know where it is. Vision is out there somewhere with the Mind Stone, and we have to find him now.”

“Yeah, that's the thing,” your father groaned out awkwardly. “He’s offline. We don’t know where he is right now.”

“Who could find Vision, then?” Stephen had asked.

“Shit,” your father whispered to himself, pushing his hair back. “Probably Steve Rogers.”

The doctor sighed in discontent, shaking his head frustration. “Oh, great.”

“Call him,” Bruce spoke out innocently making you sigh before you took your seat with Peter.

You smiled at him before leaning on his shoulder and tuning out the rest of the conversation.

“I hope this is a false alarm,” you told Peter. “Because frankly I’m scared of dying and also, we don’t have the rest of the Avengers so we’re screwed.”

You then looked at his watch.

1818 days and 3 hours

“I still have a lot to live for,” you then replied, closing your eyes. “I want to graduate MIT. Buy my first house that isn’t in the Avengers compound. Have 6 kids and name them after the infinity stones.”

You snorted at the last part, wanting to slap yourself for being so annoying.

“Hey,” Peter spoke, watching as your father spoke to the Bruce and the two sorceress. “You will. Except the last part. That last part is where you sort of went downhill.”

“Shut up web man.”

“Say, Doc,” your father had spoke, making you look at him. “You wouldn't happen to be moving your hair, would you?”

Dr. Strange looked up at his forelock fluttering in confusion. “Not at the moment, no.”

You looked up at the Hulk-made opening through the ceiling and see debris flying by outside. You then get up and walk near the door, seeing people running and screaming.

You open the door, your father and Peter following you close behind. A women runs into you as you stop her from falling. “You okay?”

The woman ignores you and runs away. The wind his blowing your hair everywhere and you are struggling to see through the debris that you almost miss the car hurdling towards you.

Peter, with his instincts, quickly webs the car into the wall before it hits you. You look at him, giving him a grateful smile that he returns.

Your father the puts on his sunglasses as you and Peter stood by his side, awaiting his intructions. “F.R.I.D.A.Y., what am I looking at?”

“Not sure, I'm working on it.”

Your father then faces Dr Strange. “Hey! You might wanna put that Time Stone in your back pocket, Doc!”

Dr. Strange moves his hands and now bands of spells were readied around his forearms. “Might wanna use it.”

A mechanical hum grows louder as you, Bruce, your dad and Strange approach the intersection with Wong following behind. As you turn around the corner, you see a huge circular ship floating over Bleecker Street.

“F.R.I.D.A.Y., evac anyone south of 43rd Street, notify first responders,” you spoke as you readied up, your suit emitting a golden glow. “Make sure they set a perimeter 6 blocks from this area.”

“Will do.”

Doctor Strange throws some kind of spell that forms a strong wind over Bleeker Street before winking at your father who was begrudgingly amused for a split second.

The dust cleared and suddenly two aliens, one large and one small wearing a robe, exited the ship by what seemed to be a transmat.

The two aliens seemed emotionless and threatening as they spoke.

“Hear me, and rejoice. You are about to die at the hands of the Children of Thanos. Be thankful, that your meaningless lives are now contributing to-“

“I'm sorry, Earth is closed today,” your father cut him off, echoing his usual sarcastic self. “You better pack it up and get outta here.”

“Stone keeper,” the alien spoke, looking at Doctor Strange. He then gestures to your father. “Does this chattering animal speak for you?”

“Certainly not. I speak for myself,” Dr Strange spoke, as he hit his wrists together and formed a magicial shield before stepping forward. “But you’re trespassing in this city and on this planet.”

Wong copied his actions and formed shields around his fists. Peter got in an attack stance, placing a mask on his face whilst your suit begun emitting quantum energy more profoundly that your hair was floating up.

“It means get lost, Squidward!” Tony yelled at him. You saw your father’s fists clench and his whole body tense up.

Your father did not want a fight, you know that. He, just like you, wanted to continue your day without a worry in the world.

The alien looked displeased and stood his ground arrogantly. “You all exhaust me.”

He then turned to his bigger friend, lifting an arm up. “Bring me the Stone.”

The alien lets out three untranslated syllables. He drops his huge alien hammer and drags it along as he obeys his brethren.

“Banner, you want a piece?” Your father had asked Bruce.

“Cool!” Peter spoke excitedly, getting up from his fighting position. “We get to see the hulk?”

“When do I ever get what I want?” Bruce muttered to himself as he took a step forward. Bruce attempts to release the Hulk. Instead of Hulk coming out easily, the most that turns green is Bruce's neck. It almost looks painful to watch.

“Been a while,” your father had replied patiently, watching as the alien neared. “Good to have you back buddy.”

“I just-“ Banner stopped, trying to get himself to hulk out. “I need to concentrate here for one second. Come on, come on, man.”

“Are you okay Bruce?” You had asked him, walking over to him to rub his shoulder. “Because at this rate your more likely to shit yourself then hulk out and we don’t need that right now.”

“Me and Hulk are having a thing.”

“There’s no time for a thing!”

“Don’t you think I know!”

“Uh guys,” Peter spoke, pointing at the alien who was now running towards you guys. “I don’t think we have time for the Hulk to show up fashionably late.”

Bruce gives out a loud grunt, but fails to release the Hulk once again. Doctor Strange stares at your dad and Bruce in disbelief, making your dad face Bruce. “Dude, you're embarrassing me in front of the wizards.”

As the giant alien approaches the team, your father dons his nanotech Iron Man suit in the space of three steps. He grows a shield on one arm to protect himself, then grows a set of blasters that easily throw the giant back to his master who gestures and deflects his massive companion into some cars.

“Where'd that come from?” Bruce had asked excitedly. Your father smirked at him, showing off his suit.

“It's nano-tech. You like it? A little someth-“

Before your father finished his sentence, the alien creates a spike of earth that throws your father far up.

You feel anger bubbling within you as you clench your fist. “You’re gonna regret that.”

You fly over to him, your whole body emmitting a yellow bright light as you pulled your fist up, ready to punch him before Maw, the alien, lifts up his hand, throwing a car at you.

Before it hits you, your father returns and joins the fight, pushing a car thrown by Maw back at him. Maw cuts it in half and lets the pieces fly past him, untouched.

While he’s cutting the car in half, you let out a quantum blast, knocking him to the end of the street.

Your father looked at Stephen, his face now serious. “Gotta get that stone outta here, now.”

“It stays with me.”

“Exactly. Bye. Y/N, come with me,” your dad speaks before flying off.

“No. You, Strange and Wong fight off the beast and take Bruce with you,” you replied back in the comms. “Peter and I have got Voldemort.”

“Okay little miss bossy.”

You nod at Peter as Strange and Wong open a portal where both of them and Bruce disappear into.

“Just like we practiced,” you told Peter, as you saw Maw get up, dusting his attire. Peter nodded up at you, getting in position.

He shot an electric web at you, powering up your suit, before you shot a surge of quantum energy at Maw, blinding him.

You had five secound to attack Maw before the temporary blindness from the light would fade away. This had to be quick or else you’d both be at a disadvantage.

Peter grabbed you by the waist and webbed the surface of a building. He then swung over to Maw who was currently rubbing his eyes, letting out an incoherent sentence.

Peter made one final big swing before letting go of your waist. You swung your fist back, flying down with full speed as quantum energy surged throughout your body.

You punched Maw with full power, forcing him 3 meters down the earth’s surface. Peter then webbed you back up before throwing a timed-web bomb down the hole.

You breathed in heavily as Peter swung back to your side. “Don’t get too excited, he’s an alien. They usually need more than just a big hit to stay down.”

And just as you predicted, Maw surged out of the floor, using a piece of the road to levitate. “Let’s try this again shall we.”

Maw lifted up a finger, causing a massive rock to hurdle towards you. Peter quickly picked you up once again, and webbed you up into a balcony before the car would hit you.

“You sure do hate cars.”

Maw looked at you both angrily, getting sick of you guys. You gave him a little smirk before flying off the balcony and towards his direction.

You shot quantum blasts at him. While he was distracted trying to not get hit, you took a sneaky shot near the building next to him.

You got out of the way as the building started following towards him. But it was too slow. Maw had caught it his telekinetic powers, his arms up as he let out a groan.

Peter took this as an opportunity to swing down and kick him in the stomach but before he did, Maw quickly released the building and bended metal scraps around his wrists and ankles to the wall.

“I can’t move!” Peter spoke, trying to break free from the grips of the metal but failing to do so. What kind of power did this alien possess to have him stuck like this with metal scraps, he had thought.

“Can’t spiders shoot webs from their ass?” You yelled over to him while fighting maw at the same time. You moved your head to the side, narrowingly missing the pipe he threw towards your head.

“No I can’t!” Peter yelled back, not believing what you just said to him. “I’m not an actual spider!”

“So you’re a fraud,” you told him as you shot at Maw which he kept deflecting with various metallic items. “You’re Fraudelent man.”

“No I’m not!”

Maw moved both his hands up, now two flying cars surging towards you from either side. Before you could react, Dr Strange appeared, creating a portal behind you so that the cars wouldn’t go through you.

He then went over to Maw fighting him whilst you ran up to Peter. You drew your wrist back. “Close your eyes.”

Peter obliged and closed his eyes as you sent a blast at his wrists and ankle, setting him free. “There you go.”

“Well that was fun,” Peter had muttered to himself. “I thought today was just going to be lunch before we go back to the avengers compound to sing happy birthday, but apparently no.”

You see your father fly past you and over to Dr Strange who was being taken by the alien. It seemed like Dr Strange was unconscious and that Maw was taking him and the stone with him.

“Shit,” you whispered before looking at Peter. “We have to stop that alien from getting the stone.”

Peter nodded, rubbing his wrists before following you and your dad to where Strange was being teloported.

Peter webbed your foot as you flew up to the spaceship. You struggled to fly due to the turbulence that Peter caused from being webbed up to your foot.

“Pete, you’re making it really hard to fly!”

“I’m sorry if I want to save the world with you guys but don’t have wings!”

You put a little more effort to flying up, nearing closer and closer to the space ship. You felt the edge of the spaceship in your fingertips before quickly picking yourself up and holding on to the spaceship.

“I-I can’t breathe!” Peter gasped as his eyes was closing and opening his eyes. He ripped off the web from your foot and held onto the spaceship tightly instead.

“Unlock 17-A,” you heard your father speak to F.R.I.D.A.Y. You knew what 17A was. It was the suit your dad spent all night working on.

“Pete you gotta let go!” You spoke to him as you held onto the space ship yourself, feeling the wind pushing your hair around.

Peter didn’t want to let go. He was scared of heights. But he was forced to let go after losing consciousness.

Peter started free-falling, but not for long before the pod reaches him. It attaches itself to him, becoming the Iron Spider suit.

Now being able to breathe, Peter lands on a bottom part of the ship, standing up heroically. You smile at him, watching as he looked at the suit in surprise.

“Mr. Stark, it smells like a new car in here!” He yelled over to your father.

“Happy trails, kid.” Your father had replied before speaking to his suit. “F.R.I.D.A.Y, send him home.”

A large parachute extends from the new suit, snatching Peter free of the ship's hull and him spiraling back to Earth. “Oh come on!”

“You should go home too,” your father told you as he latches onto the hull and cuts a hole to board the ship, looking for wherever Strange and Ebony Maw went.

“Well I’m not,” you spoke back in defiance as you too looked for where the surgeon had been taken to. “We’re in this together!”

“If you don’t turn around right now I swear to Thor that I will-“

“Boss, incoming call from Miss Potts,” F.R.I.D.A.Y spoke, making your dad sigh before answering. You walked a little further, trying to give him some privacy and also find Strange.

You ran your fingertips along the walls that were made out of steel, with multiple pipes running along. The lack of insulation in the ship was making you cold.

It also didn’t help that you were in outer space, where temperatures were even colder. You put your arms around yourself, determined to heat your body back up.

The ship however, was quiet. Eerily quiet. And this ship had looked like it was going in a coordinated location due to the lack of motion.

You were walking around, trying not to make a sound.

And that’s when you felt it.

A sickening feeling in your stomach that told you one thing.

This was a one-way trip and some of you weren’t coming back.

[mushyjellybeans]

Captivated 1 (Bucky Barnes)

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x college!student!reader (Enemies to Lovers AU)

Summary: You’re studying to become a librarian, you love your life but you despise your brat of a roommate, and the feeling is mutual.

Warnings: Language, Bucky is a jerk, mentions of masturbation, Bucky gets lucky with a girl in his room, kinda smutty but sfw and a smidging of angst?

Word Count: 1,276

A/N: Ahhhh here is part 1/15 of my new WIP series!! It was given to me by @valkyriesryde and she’s been extremely helpful with her visions for this!! I hope I do this series some justice, thank you again babe for giving it to me <3 A/N #2: I just wanna make it clear that Bucky does not have his metal arm in this series.

Masterlist

Sitting snugly on your soft couch with your legs crisscrossed and your notepad resting on one of your legs, jotting down some ideas for your side hobby of fanfiction writing to do later. You had finished an assignment just an hour ago and now you couldn't wait to relax.

And you had to laugh at your luck. Your roommate was also home, sitting beside you slumped on his side of the couch, his left elbow resting on the arm of the couch and his legs swaying back and forth gazing at the TV in front of him and texting someone on his phone. He became bothersome and started flicking the pips from the apple he had just eaten at you, some getting caught in your hair.

"Would you stop that?!" You seethe, tossing a scrunched up piece of paper at your annoying roommate, the paper hitting him on the side of his head.

"Fuckin' make me ya useless shit." He spits back, deliberately swinging his arm so he could knock the pen out of your hand.

"You're the most incredibly irritating person on the fucking planet!" You spat back at him, leaning over to pick up your pen. 

"Ditto babe." he taunted, swaggering over to the refrigerator. You scowled at the pet name opting to not give him the fulfillment of him provoking you as he does daily.

You had to have been the most unfortunate person in the world. You were stuck with having the notorious ladies man known as James 'Bucky' Barnes as your roommate in your two-bedroom apartment in Brooklyn.

You would have happily settled for anyone but Bucky, even a person who wouldn't stop chatting would be favorable.

You were a college student and you wanted to become a librarian, and though it seemed easy enough, having these diplomas would help find you work a lot quicker and easier than without. The assignments and other things you had to do was insane but you knew it would be worth it in the end when you secure employment.

Bucky, on the other hand, was kinda lazy and sort of searching for a job. He had no such luck but you were convinced he wasn't actively looking for a job. He was too comfortable in his daily routine; which was often lazing on the couch watching a reality TV show with his hands shoved down the front of his pants. Something you often caught him doing, and he had no shame, he would continue pleasuring himself in front of you, and it disgusted you since he would intentionally touch you in some way with the same hand. 

As you probably guessed right now, you and Bucky did not get along. You detested each other. You had lost count how many arguments you had in a week, though your fights never turned physical, Bucky would never dream of hitting you physically, instead, he chose to hurt you mentally. You shouldn't be living together but neither of you was willing to move out.

"Who are ya writing about anyway? Some other poor bastard a fuckin' pathetic loser like you have no chance of getting?" Bucky snorted, pouring himself a drink on the kitchen island.

And this is what you meant with 'he chose to do it mentally', constantly reminding you of how worthless and useless you were to the world.

With a huff, you slammed your notebook shut and stood up. Flipping him off and going to your bedroom, before you shut your door you heard him bark out an obnoxious laugh, with a tut you slam the door harder than intended, shaking the doorframe slightly.

"Stop banging the fuckin' doors!" Bucky yells as you hear a glass of something being slammed down on a table in the living room.

Bucky slumped back down on the couch after you had left. A knock echoed through the apartment. 

"She chose a fuckin' good time to leave." he murmured under his breath, swinging the door open and there stood Dolores. 

"Hey there babe." he grinned, inviting her in for a warm hug. “Hey Bucky!” The lights bounced off her perfect white teeth. Bucky grinned, taking her hand in his and leading her to his bedroom. He had the perfect plan up his sleeve.

You chose to ignore the sounds in the living room and turned on your fairy lights that are dangling on the wall above your bed creating a warm cozy feeling, propping some cushions behind you and taking your phone off charge, dialing in your best friend's number. He picks up after a few rings.

"Hey, you!" He cheerfully says through the phone, a smile lighting up your dispirited mood.

"Hey, Sam! How's it going?" The two of you were close, like brother and sister. He understood your predicament with your roommate and he honestly never liked the guy either.

You and Sam would talk for hours, you're currently helping him get the girl of his dreams. He's been crushing on a girl in your class - Katherine - you think her name is, but Sam is shy and enlisted you to help him. It was a good distraction until you started hearing loud moans coming from Bucky's bedroom. 

"Oh, fucking great." you cursed out loud, banging your head against your wooden headboard. 

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, snapping out of his daydream of Katherine.

"My dumbass roommate is getting laid." 

You hear Sam laugh through the phone. "Just put some headphones on with some music, you're gonna be alright Y/N!" Sam continues laughing, knowing full well you haven't had a boyfriend in forever. 

You decide to take Sam's advice and hang up the phone. The moans getting louder and you believe Bucky is doing it on purpose. You also believe he's intentionally banging his bed against your wall to get a heated rise out of you. 

With a groan you put your headphones on and shuffle your playlist, turning it up on full volume, but even with the headphones you could still hear every little thing that was happening on the other side. You groaned in frustration, ripping your headphones out and instead sandwiching yourself between your pillows.

Bucky’s plan worked perfectly. The walls were thin and he could hear your continous groans on the other side, it only encouraged him further, biting down on Dolores neck to make her scream out in ectasy.

The next morning was quiet as you walked out of your bedroom in your robe, noticing the lack of appearance from your roommate immediately. He isn't seated where he normally is at this time of the morning.

You did hear Dolores and Bucky leave the apartment late last night after their 3 hour-long bedroom activities but even so, he was always back the next morning, and no matter how much he hated you, he did always prepare your favorite cereals.

"Bucky?" You called out, silently hoping he wasn’t here but also hoping he was, listening intently to any sounds of the mysteriously vanished roommate.

Your phone started to buzz in your robe pocket, you pulled it out and looked at the unknown number suspiciously.

"Hello?"

"Oh hi, is this Y/N Y/L/N?" A woman's voice asked on the other end. The fact she said your full name made you on edge.

"Uhh yeah, this is she. Who is this?" You take a seat on the chair behind you.

"I'm doctor Romanoff and I have a James Barnes in my ward. You were his emergency contact. I'm afraid to inform you, Miss, that Mr. Barnes was involved in a minor road traffic accident. He has broken his left arm and a couple of his ribs is broken. If you are visiting him I would be happy to go over everything else with you too."

You were too shocked to speak. So many things said at once, why were you, the one person Bucky couldn't stand breathing the same air around, was his emergency contact?

"Miss? Hello?" Doctor Romanoff spoke on the other end.

You cleared your throat before speaking.

"Uhhh.." Just as you started to speak, you heard a blood-curdling scream in the background. Doctor Romanoff quickly excused herself and hung up.

The call ended and you stared out in front of you. It was no question you had to go and see him.

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[sighfertryptich]

Hidden Beauty - m

trying to keep your identity a secret from the world had his challenges, especially when a boy with a goofy smile decides to give you his attention.

pairing: chanyeol x female reader

genre: smut, fluff, hybrid!au

word count: 6000+

A/N: This is the first scenario I’ve written in over 3 years, so please be nice, lol. I’ve been in a huuuuuge Chanyeol space for like weeks now and this fic had to be done. 

Growing up, you had a faint idea of how you wanted to live your life. Maybe you wanted to find someone who loved you and stay with them the rest of your life until you became old and had grey hairs. Maybe you even wanted to find someone who would want to marry you. But it never worked like that for your kind.

Through the years, the hybrids slowly mixed in with the humans. It was a bit weird the first time the two species mixed, seeing people like you but without ears and a tail, and it frightened you in a sense. The human kids would mess with you, pulling on your ears or stick gum to your long, fluffy tail. You got over it, though. As years passed, it became more natural to see the hybrids becoming friendlier with the humans.

You never trusted them in the slightest. You were scared of them.

Because of this fault, you rarely made friends. You didn't talk to anyone in your school, so people thought you were just mute and didn't bother attempting conversation. You always hid your ears and tail, shoving a beanie over your black ears with brown tips in an attempt to hide them, your tail being shoved into baggy pants held tightly to your waist with a belt.

It wasn't insecurity that had you hiding who you were. It was more fear than anything. Fear to the bullying you might endure if people found out, whether or not other hybrids were out in the open. You didn't want to take the chance.

You first started hiding your appendages when you moved to your new town, some small town in the suburbs of Seoul. Your mom always wondered why, but never asked. You didn't talk to her either. To the world, you were the silent nobody that merely existed. And you were okay with that.

Sitting in your desk, you dragged your pen along your paper making scribbles of god-knows-what while your teacher groaned on and on about hybrid history. You knew all of this, considering your free time was spent scanning through websites upon websites about anything and everything you could find. Your favorite were the Greek gods and their hybrid pets. Whether or not they were real wasn't a huge concern to you. You still enjoyed knowing about them.

A soft yawn left your lips, covering your mouth with your hand that held your pen. 'Jesus,' you thought, looking up to the clock, 'this hour is never going to end.'

A post-it note was slid onto your desk from your right, adorning a black ink that simply said 'Boring, right?'. Your eyes widened softly, and you could feel your ears twitch underneath your hat before you forced them to stop. Your eyes dragged to your right, looking up into the dark eyes of a human. His hair was red, his roots slightly grown out to show the natural dark brown of his hair. His skin was like honey, and his eyes smiled when his lips tugged.

You looked from him to his note, writing a quick 'I guess.' on it. He reached over and took his note back, chuckling softly so the teacher didn't notice. He began writing again, but before he could reach it back over to you, the bell rang, and you were already packed and out the door before he could talk to you any more than he already had.

Lunch period was next, and as always, you stood in line to grab your sandwich and apple juice so you could head to the library to stick your head in another book. Maybe they had some you haven't read already today.

"Hey!" You heard someone yell. You didn't bother looking over, you knew it wasn't for you. It never was.

Except, today it was. "Hey! You're the girl I sit next to in History, right?" The same man from before trotted over to you, standing much too close for comfort. It was then when you noticed that he towered over you. Your eyes trailed up to his, his goofy smile adorning his face once more. You nodded quickly, staring up with wide eyes. He smiled widely. "Sorry I couldn't continue our conversation. I'm Chanyeol, just started here yesterday." When you didn't reply, his smile dropped a little.

The people behind you in line stared at the two of you, in awe that someone was actually talking to you, let alone trying to make conversation. "Hey, Chanyeol, is it?" Some girl said, walking up to the two of you. Her hair was a faded pink color, kind of like a strawberry blonde color. You looked from him to her as she wrapped her arm around his.

Touchy much?

"Don't bother talking to Alien over here. She doesn't speak anyways. Why don't you come sit with me and my friends?" She said with a smile. She was shorter than you, and much thinner, unlike you. At your nickname, your eyes fell to the floor and back to the line ahead of you. "My name is Rose, by the way. We have English together." She said matter-of-factly.

Chanyeol's smile was gone by now, his eyes switching between Rose and you. He stayed silent for a moment, before speaking up. "No thanks. I don't want to hang around with people who make derogatory nicknames for someone who just doesn't want to speak."

The way her face fell almost made you laugh. Actually, you did. You laughed at his comment, your hand covering your mouth in embarrassment almost immediately after. Chanyeol's eyes lit up when you did, his entire being now focused on you.

With that, Rose huffed off, her eyes rolling as she stammered off to her friends.

"Anyways," He continued, "I know your name's not Alien. But when you feel comfortable, I'd love to know your real name."

He trudged off with his final comment.

"He's cute, you know. Maybe worth talking to." The lunch lady caught you off guard, your whole body jumping at her voice. You took your sandwich and ran back to your comfort zone.

Your next class was English. Coming from America, you had no clue why they made you take this class, but you gave in considering it was an easy A and a good class to draw in.

You noticed Chanyeol across the room, listening intently to the pronunciation of each word before writing it quickly. He was cute, you had to admit. But never in your life would you speak to him.

He was human. You didn't want to even think about it.

You started to draw, focusing on each line you sketched before inking it all out. It was good, your best yet.

Wait, the drawing looked familiar.

Shit.

You absentmindedly drew Chanyeol.

Everything in your being wanted to rip it up and throw it away, but it was your best work. You wanted to cherish him.

THE DRAWING. You meant the drawing.

You head flopped onto the table with a quiet thunk, the ears under your hat hanging low. Before you realized, the homework was being handed out and the bell was ringing. You sighed, sitting up and -

“Is that a drawing of Yeolie?” A female voice who sounded all too familiar was next to you, lifting your sketchbook off your desk, bringing it up into her arms. Your eyes widened, head flinging up to look up at Rose. “Chanyeol! Look! Alien over here drew you! How cute.” She said, holding the sketchbook high above her head.

Chanyeol looked up from packing his bag, eyes furrowing. Before you could sneak attack it out of her hands, she was trotting over to his desk, showing him your drawing.

You could quite literally be anywhere but here right now. Your breathing became panicked, and your first reaction was to run. So of course, your bag was on your arm and running out of the classroom. Some of Rose’s friends, who you’d known since you moved here as Jennie, Lalisa, and Jisoo, were laughing at you as you bolted out. “Hey! Wait!” Chanyeol yelled after you.

You didn’t care if they had your sketchbook anymore. You just wanted to go home. Home was your safe place. But you couldn’t. Not unless you wanted to get yelled at by your mom for skipping school for such a dumb reason.

Your breathing leveled out as you reached your locker, opening it and switching out some of your books.

Your best drawing just HAD to be HIM. Your life already sucked, and this was just the icing on the cake. “Hey.” Chanyeol’s voice startled you, making you hit your hand on the shelf inside your locker in surprise. “Oh, jeez! Sorry.” He chuckled softly. Your eyes lowered again, finding your sketchbook in his hand.

You inwardly groaned, shoving your head in your locker. “Hey, no. It’s okay.” He said with a soft chuckle. “Don’t worry about those girls. They’re assholes anyways.” He said, looking back down to your drawing. “Although, I do really like your drawing. You made me look handsomer than I really am.” You pulled your head out to look at him, slowly reaching out to take the sketchbook back from him.

Your fingers curled around your book, pulling it to your chest while your eyes flickered everywhere.

Why were you nervous? This wasn’t like you. You thought it might be because this was the first time anyone besides your parents were nice to you.

“So, why do you always wear this beanie?” He asked, reaching up to touch it, but you immediately shot up and caught his wrist, shaking your head silently. He caught on pretty quick, a soft blush reaching his cheeks.

You grabbed a piece of paper and wrote on the locker next to your own. ‘It’s a fashion choice.’ You wrote. He chuckled for a second, and you smiled in response. “Well, since you’re talking in a way, how about you finally give me your name?” He asked.

You thought for a second. It wouldn’t hurt to at least give him your name.

You wrote it down and showed it to him. “See, that’s a much cuter name than Alien.” He laughed, before picking your pen from your fingers and writing down numbers on the paper. “Well, ____, here’s my number. I think we can be good friends.” With that, he walked off, leaving you in shellshock.

God, finally. You were home. You pulled off your beanie to let your ears breathe, wiggling them out as they stuck out of your hair. You also traded your baggy pants for some shorts, letting your tail fly free. Your tail was an impressive length, longer than your parents and cousins. Longest in your family behind your late Grandma.

You plopped down in bed and pulled out your bag to get started on homework. Pulling out your papers, you came across the loose-leaf with Chanyeol’s number on it.

You weren’t gonna do it. You’d already gone too far giving your name. What would you even talk with him about? No. You wou-

Damnit, you were already texting him.

[You] Hey Chanyeol. (4:23pm)

[Chanyeol] I would ask who this is but not many people have my number. Look who actually texted! (4:25pm)

[You] It’s not too late for me to block your number, lol. (4:26pm)

[Chanyeol] Yknow, for being so quiet you really are feisty. It’s quite attractive. (4:26pm)

You paused at his last comment, blushing intensely. This was a bad idea, you knew it was, but something kept pulling you to him. Your phone buzzed again with another text.

[Chanyeol]

Shit, did I scare you away? (4:31pm)

[You]

No, it takes a lot more to scare me. (4:31pm)

[Chanyeol]

Ah good. (4:32pm)

The next few weeks had passed and you and Chanyeol texted nonstop. He was quickly becoming your best friend.

Well, only friend. But you get the point.

You and Chanyeol started meeting after school. He’d talk to you and you’d text in response, earning a laugh out of him every now and then.

Eventually, the talks got more serious, about each others deepest fears. He had said his biggest fear was not being able to make a name of himself. With a soft sigh, you texted him that your biggest fear was being exposed.

When he read your message, his eyebrows furrowed. “Exposed? What do you mean?” He asked, looking into your eyes. You didn’t answer, only slowly looking back down to your hands.

“Come on, talk to me. What do you mean by being exposed?” His words were soft as he leaned towards you.

In that moment, you finally said your first words after easily 10 years.

“I don’t want people to know who I really am.” You said softly. He sat there in shock, taking in your voice for the first time. “___… You… You spoke.” He said softly. You nodded softly as a reply. “I’ve always been able to speak. It’s just easier if I didn’t.” You said, looking up to his eyes that were immediately connected with yours.

It stayed quiet for a moment after that, his eyes never leaving yours. “Who are you, really? Who’s the ___ you don’t want people finding out?” His words were hard, yet at the exact same time they were caring. You looked away from him, looking down at the set of bleachers you were currently sat on top of.

“____.” His voice was much more caring now. You knew he wouldn’t let it go until you told him.

But you couldn’t. Not here.

“I want to tell you. I do. But not here. Not where people could see.” You said softly, your voice sounding scared to what he would think. “You’re scaring me, ___. Are you like, a secret axe murderer or something?” His chuckle made your mood lighten, it always did.

“Well, then let’s go to my place. My parents won’t be home. You can tell me in privacy.”

Before you knew it, you were sat in Chanyeol’s car on the way to his house. What in the hell were you doing? You were absolutely insane. THIS was insane. You were going to show him your hybrid limbs? What if he told someone? What if Rose and her clan found out? They’d mock you for the rest of your high school days.

Pulling up to his house, you stepped out to follow him up to his door and into his house. He immediately grabbed your wrist and dragged you into his living room. His eyes were back on you in less than a second.

“Well?” You could tell he was impatient, still vastly curious about what you could be hiding. You hesitated, hands up to your chest gripping each other in almost protest.

But eventually, you gave in under his stare. You reached up to your beanie and slowly pulled it off, your ears low in fear.

His entire demeanor changed upon the sight. “You…” He started, still in disbelief. “You’re a hybrid?” He asked, his eyes fixed on your ears as he studied each and every hair on them. You gave him a soft nod, slowly reaching down to push down your pants, his hands scrambling to stop you.

“Woah, woah. What are you doing?” He said, his hands on your wrists. You continued, pulling down your pants just far enough to let your tail free. He paused once more.

It went on for what seemed like 30 minutes, him taking in the fact you were a hybrid. “C-Chanyeol?” You asked softly, waving your hand in front of his face. He seemed to snap out of his trance. “THIS is what you’ve been scared of people finding out? That you’re a hybrid? ___, there are hybrids all over school. All over the world even.” He said, looking you dead in the eyes.

“Yes, but I’m a cat hybrid. They’re extremely rare and made up from the hybrids that were used for sex slaves up until less than 30 years ago. There are still some that are being held to this day.” You said, your long, fluffy tail wrapping around your leg. He sighed softly, reaching out to hug you.

Your face landed on his hard chest, his arms wrapping around you gently. “Well, if you don’t want anyone to know, I won’t be the one to tell them.” He said softly, petting you gently.

“Holy shit, __. Are you purring?”

A few more weeks had passed and you and Chanyeol had hung out literally every night at his place. His parents were never home due to their jobs or whatever, not that you minded in the slightest. You and Chanyeol always had fun, whether it was watching movies, playing video games, or just chilling and doing homework.

You could tell your guard was down for him. It had been since day one. You didn’t mind it being down for him either. You trusted him. He trusted you. Together, you were a force that had no end.

But this one day in particular, your walls being down was probably your worst fault.

“Hey Alien! Is Chanyeol nearby?” You heard a female come up. It wasn’t Rose, but rather Jennie. Rose and the others were with her anyways, along with a few other girls you knew the faces of but not the names.

Of course, you didn’t speak to them. Your eyes just narrowed slightly before turning back to your open locker and grabbing your stuff. “No? Aw. Too bad. Looks like your sexy giant isn’t here to help you.” She snickered at you as you closed your locker and turned to walk away.

“Oh no no, sweetheart.” Lalisa said, stepping in front of you, blocking you from leaving. “See, we heard a rumor and we wanted to see if it was really true.” She said, a smirk on her face. Once again, you tried to push past her, but Jennie quickly pushed you into the lockers, making you slam your back into the hard metal.

“Trying to run, are we? Is there something we shouldn’t find out about you?” Rose laughed out, walking up to you, leaning close into your face. Your eyes stared dead into hers. Jisoo chirped in behind her. “Are we talking about her crush on Chanyeol or..?” You could tell Jisoo was just roped in without actually being told what was going on.

“No, you dimwit. We’re talking about this.” She said quickly before reaching up and ripping off your beanie. Your ears were now out into open air, and your hands were scrambling to cover them.

All of the girls gasped. “So it IS true!” Lalisa yelled, a large smile on her face. “Oh, now I’m curious.” Jennie said quickly, reaching to your pants and flinging them to your ankles, not only exposing your tail but also inevitably exposing your underwear to the school.

Your hands went from trying to hide your ears to trying to hide your pantslessness. “Oh sweetheart, don’t be shy. We all know your kind is used for sex. Always has been, and always will be.” She laughed at you, backing up to the rest of the girls.

You were mortified. Not only were you exposed to the world as being the worst hybrid breed out there, but so was your womanhood. You didn’t know if you were shocked or scared, but you were frozen to your spot, afraid to move.

At that moment, Chanyeol and a couple of his friends, whom you’d met and learned their names were Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, Kai, and Junmyeong, turned the corner and saw everything that was going down. Chanyeol’s emotion flicked from confusion, to worry, to pure anger.

Him and his friends ran over, Chanyeol directly in front of you in between yourself and Rose. His other friends guarded your sides, making sure no one could see you in between them. “Aww, Yeolie is protecting little Alien. How cute.” Jennie piped in, and Rose’s smile only got bigger.

“Yeolie, I don’t know why you hang around that skanky hybrid. We all know it’s out of pity. You and I both know that I’m the girl you want to be with.” Rose said softly, reaching up and wrapping her arms around his neck. Anger seethed out of every pore Chanyeol owned.

“If you thought that even for a second that I wanted you, you’re sadly mistaken.” He started, pushing her off of him. “The reason I love ___ isn’t because she’s a hybrid. The reason I love ___ isn’t out of pity. The reason I love ___ is because she is sweeter, kinder, and more caring than all of you whores combined. If you thought that getting to me this way was the way about going to say you ‘liked me’, then god damnit I wish you were a man so I could beat the shit out of you. But I don’t hit women, if you could even call yourself that.”

By the end of his speech, he had her backed against the opposite wall. His voiced had dropped to a growl, his eyes seering with everliving rage. “If I ever see you even look at ___ again, best believe you’ll regret it.”

When he turned away from her, his eyes met yours. You had started crying somewhere in his speech not noticing until his eyes were on you. His face softened immediately and sprinted over to you.

His eyes scanned your body for any harm, and when he didn’t find any, he helped you pull up your pants over your tail. You were still frozen, eyes following him quickly in soft panic. “C-Chanyeol…” You said in between sobs, your hands still trying to cover yourself. When he pulled up your pants and tightened your belt around your waist, his hands cupped your face.

He shushed you softly, staring into your eyes. “It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m here. You don’t have to worry about anything. Not while I’m here.” He said, pulling you into his chest as you sobbed softly, still in blown panic mode.

A crowd had formed when Chanyeol had backed Rose into a corner. Speaking of which, Rose was still in shock against the wall, her eyes wide in both shock and fear, her friends trying to comfort her.

All that came out of her mouth was “That was so goddamn sexy.”

You honestly thought she needed help.

Chanyeol quickly thanked his friends and each of them tried to comfort you, but you wouldn’t listen. All you needed right now was Chanyeol. He was all you wanted.

“Come on, ___. Let’s go home.” He said softly, dragging you off.

The car ride back to his house was a quiet one. When the two of you got back to his house, it wasn’t much of a surprise that it was the two of you alone. You’d only met his parents 3 different times. They liked you as far as you could tell. He even met your own parents a few times. Your parents liked him a little too much.

He brought you up to his room, changing you into a few of his clothes. Or at least, he gave you one of his hoodies and a pair of his basketball shorts that he no longer fit and turned around to let you change.

When you finished, you hugged his back gently and wrapped your tail around the two of you.

He let out a soft sigh, turning around and hugging you to him. For a moment, there was a comfortable silence. “Thank you, Channie.” You said softly, your face buried into his shirt. “For what?” His tone of voice matched yours, speaking softly as he laid his head on top of yours onto one of your ears.

“I don’t know. For helping me earlier. For not giving up on me even though I went over two months not saying a word to you. For accepting me when no one else did.” You said softly, looking up into his eyes. His eyes were soft and his eyebrows were knit together.

“Of course, ___. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t?” He asked rhetorically, making you smile softly. “Chanyeol?” You had one simple question to ask him. He hummed in response, still staring into your eyes. “What did you mean when you say you loved me?”

Over the last few months, as you and Chanyeol’s relationship grew stronger, so did your feelings for him. Sure, you were still scared of humans, proven by Rose and her cult, but Chanyeol was different. You knew there were good humans out there, also proven by Chanyeol’s friends who knew your secret and still cared for you. But no one out there would ever treat you how Chanyeol did.

Every single late-night movie night, every rant about something stupid, every cuddle after one of you had fallen asleep watching random Netflix movies, everything he did made you fall deeper and deeper for him. It scared you more than anything else in the world. You always feared that falling for him would scare off the one person you cared about most, and the only person who cared for you the same amount as you did him.

His eyes bore into yours, his chest rising and falling against yours. “I meant that I loved you. You’re the most amazing person I could’ve ever met, ___. Every smile you make, every stupid joke that you think is hilarious when it totally isn’t, every little thing you do makes me fall head over fucking heels for you, ___. I said I loved you before, and I’m telling you now. ___, I’m in love with you. I have been since the moment I met you, and it was sealed when I heard your laugh in the lunch line. You’re like a vice grip on my heart.”

Your heart launched for the moon. Slowly, you lifted yourself and placed your lips on his, sealing them together. The two of your lips mended like a two perfect halves of a soul combining as one.

One hand moved to rest on your cheek, the other on you waist as he pulled you in closer, deepening the kiss in the most sensual way possible.

After a moment, he pulled away softly. “Chanyeol?” You said softly. He hummed back in response, his lips slightly swollen. “You know, the way you talked to Rose earlier was kinda hot.” You laughed out, and even got a laugh from him as well, showing his all too familiar goofy grin. “Maybe I should get angry at people more often then.”

When the laughter subsided, you gave him a soft smile, before opening your mouth to speak again. “Chanyeol…” It would’ve gotten his attention if it hadn’t already been on you. “I want you to be my first…”

His smile completely faded. “Oh, ___… You don’t want that. You don’t want me.” He said softly. His insecurities were his biggest downfall. His eyes fell away from yours, but you grabbed his chin gently to meet your eyes with his.

“I do. You’re the only guy in existance to make me feel as happy as you do. I want you to make love to me. Be my first and my last. Make me yours, Park Chanyeol.” His eyes searched yours for any sign of difference, mentally asking you if you were sure about everything you just told him. He couldn’t find a single shred.

Slowly, once more, his lips found yours. The warmth of his lips spread along yours like wildfire. His tongue dragged along your bottom lip, and you, albeit excitedly, allowed him access. The kiss grew deeper by the seconds, becoming much more heated yet with the same amount of love and care that was there moments ago.

The two of you stumbled backwards until the backs of your knees hit his bed, and slowly, he laid you down as if you were the most fragile thing in the universe. Your lips never broke, only until he pulled away to give kisses to your neck and jaw, tonguing them with the amount of care he would give his most prized possession. You let out a soft purr when he found the sweet spot on your neck, and eagerly, he nipped on it, leaving an easy mark on the virgin skin.

It wasn’t until you started grabbing at his shirt that he pulled away and held your hands. “Baby, let me take care of you.” His words were soft and caring, but he still didn’t hesitate to lift his shirt over your head, careful of your ears. You were left simply in a bra and his shorts, suddenly feeling much smaller than him, as if you hadn’t known this simple fact before.

He stepped back for a moment, taking in the new amount of skin on display. “God, you’re gorgeous.” He said softly before attaching his lips to your collarbone. This is where he left his second mark. You let out a wanton moan, drifting into his ears like a symphony.

“Can I take this off?” He asked softly, his thumb stroking your bra, and you nodded a little too excitedly. You’d be lying if you said that none of these actions sent heat directly to your core. He slid his hands behind your back and tangled with the clasp before finally getting it off. He pulled it off of you and flung it on the floor somewhere behind him, neither of you caring as the moment.

His lips found your neck again, his tongue lapping downwards until it reached you nipple, his teeth scraping gently across it before tugging on it, sending a moan out through your lips. He soothed the area afterwards with his tongue, using his hand to play with the other.

His lips began traveling lower until he reached the edge of the shorts you were wearing. Once more, he looked up to you as a silent question of consent, to which you wrapped your fluffy tail around his waist and nodded. He smiled softly as he began to pull both your pants and underwear down in one fell swoop with the help of you lifting your hips.

He stood back once more, taking your body in in all of its glory. You took the moment to rake him over as well, noticing he was still fully dressed in contrast to your full nudity. “Chanyeol…” You whined out, getting his attention. A quick flash of worry came over his eyes, moving to hover over you again. “What is it, baby? We don’t have to continue if you don’t want to.”

You wanted to laugh at how soft he was, but you were so hot and bothered that you couldn’t bring yourself to. “You’re still fully dressed.” You said simply, and immediately you saw the worry in his eyes dissipate. He chuckled softly and nodded, standing back up and pulling his shirt over his head. It’s not like you haven’t seen him without a shirt on. You’d actually walked in on him fully naked before on accident. But this was a completely different scenario, and seeing him like this casted a different light on the two of you.

He was now shirtless in front of you, and you took the moment to study every single curve this boy had. He reached down to undo his pants and slide them down his legs, tossing them somewhere with the rest of your clothes, leaving on his boxers alone.

Once more, he climbed on top of you, pressing his lips to yours in another heated kiss, his hands slowly trailing down your body, tracing every single curve you had before finally resting a hand on your mound, cupping it softly.

You sighed out his name, and it pretty much sent him into action. He made avid work kissing every inch of your body until his face came directly in front of your core.

Slowly, he dipped one finger in between your folds, immediately getting drowned by all your juices. He let out a groan. “Damn baby, so wet and I hardly even touched you.” He chuckles, slowly leaning in and giving your clit the tiniest kitten lick, sending your back arching upwards off the bed.

He paused for a moment, studying your reactions. Slowly, he trailed a flat strip up your cunt, making you let out a loud groan. You had never been touched before. Not like this. And Chanyeol could definitely tell.

His tongue went to work on you, lapping languidly at your clip with almost expertise movements. A single finger prodded your entrance, slipping in with ease due to your juices pooling below you, curling upwards as if knowing your body like the back of his hand even though having never touched you before.

“Chanyeol…” You whined out, “Please… I need you…”

He stood back up, leaning over you and kissing you roughly, yet still with care, letting you taste yourself on his tongue. “You taste amazing, Kitten.” You giggled softly at the name, considering the irony of it.

Any sort of laughter you had died down when he finally removed his boxers, his cock flinging up and hitting his stomach. He smiled down at you, before leaning over and pulling a condom out of his side table.

After rolling it on, he slowly lined up with your entrance. “It’s okay if it hurts, love. It’ll only be for a moment and then it’ll be over. Just focus on kissing me, ok?” He said softly, his arms around you and his eyes staring into yours.

You nodded softly, and with that, his lips were on yours again. This time around, it was much more sweet and careful, his tongue moving in ways to attempt to distract you when he finally thrusted into you. The stretch stung, but you were so wet that it didn’t hurt at all. In fact, you moaned into his mouth, wrapping your arms around his neck.

He groaned in pleasure when you took him all the way to the hilt, pussy sucking him in so amazingly. You got adjusted pretty quickly, squeezing your muscles around him to tell him to move.

When he started thrusting, it was slow, feeling every ridge and vein of each other with only love shared between the two of you. His hand reached up to yours and intertwined your fingers, his lips still moving against yours slowly.

You attempted to chase an orgasm in any way, but it probably couldn’t be done at this pace. “Chan… Faster…” You moaned out, and he stilled for a second, letting go of your hand with a quick nod. He sat up slightly, a bit more of an angle for him to reach in between your bodies, trail one hand up your body and wrap around your neck, squeezing softly, before pulling almost fully out and slamming back into you.

“God! Fuck!” You moaned out, your back arching off the bed with each thrust, the next just like the one before it. “That’s it, baby…” He moaned out, moving his hands off your neck in trade for your hips, gripping onto them and somehow thrusting faster than he had before.

You were left a moaning mess with each and every thrust, eyes rolling back into your skull and whatever sanity you had left was twisting into itself in your core, the tightening in your lower stomach giving it’s telltale sign. “Fuck, Chanyeol! I’m gonna cum!” You yelled out.

He only took this chance to move his hand to play with your clit, rolling it in circles. His thrusts began to get sloppy, and you figured that he was going to cum as well.

“Cum with me, Chanyeol…” You said to him, your fucked out tone of voice hitting him deep, the core in the both of you bursting simultaneously. He continued to thrust into you, riding out the both of your orgasms. With a final thrust, he curled foreword, laying on top of you, both of your ragged breaths heating up the air around your sweaty bodies.

You couldn’t say anything, your mind was in the clouds by now, and all you could see was him pulling out of you and walking away, coming back with a pair of shorts on and a warm rag to clean you up.

He laid down next to you and quickly your curled into him, your head nuzzling under his neck.

“Chan?” You said tiredly.

He hummed in response, drawing random shapes on your back with his blunt fingernail.

“I love you.” You said happily, drifting off to sleep. But before you drifted off entirely, you heard the one thing he could say to make your heart full.

“I love you too, ___.”

[starryviolentine]

Brody’s Diary (Revised Edition): Chapter 4

Part one of the “Pre-Apocalypse Adventures” Series

Chapter 1 ( here ) Chapter 2 ( here ) Chapter 3 ( here )

The ticking of the clock is driving Brody insane. Not even half of first period has gone by, but the girl is already on edge. She has been since yesterday. Until her diary is safe and sound in her hands again, she’s not going to be able to relax.

There are two reasons why Brody keeps her eyes towards the front of the room this morning. One, because she’s a pretty good student, if she does say so herself. Brody doesn’t like to toot her own horn, but it’s true that she likes to show her teachers that she’s attentive and eager to learn. This includes not talking to friends during class, following all directions to a T, and listening carefully to the lesson so she can take good notes. As always, her notebook is open to a fresh page and she has a few pens in her most favorite colors lined up neatly beside it.

Two, because Violet sits behind her—one row back and two seats to the right—and they’re still not on speaking terms. It would be awkward if they made eye contact again, much like it was in their room last night. Brody somehow managed to get ready this morning without accidentally running into her on the way to and from the bathroom. While Violet brushed her teeth, Brody returned to their bedroom, packed up her bag for the day, then set out for an early breakfast on her own.

It wasn’t enjoyable in the least.

The cafeteria was serving apple cinnamon oatmeal, which Brody absolutely loves, but after only three spoonfuls the twin-tailed girl had already had enough. She didn’t have much of an appetite during dinner, either. Last night, Brody went to the dining hall as usual, and, although she told herself that she wasn’t going to think about Violet, she noticed right away that the blonde girl was nowhere to be found. Instead, Brody sat with Erin, her friend from the swimming club, and a few of her other classmates. As she forced herself to chew and swallow a few bites of her fish sticks and green peas, Brody tried her hardest not to think about her missing, or stolen, or teleported-to-another-dimension diary to no avail. It was all she could think about.

And it’s all she’s still thinking about.

The language arts teacher moves across the floor, occasionally gesturing to the diagrams and text on the blackboard. Her lips are moving—Brody squints really hard to make sure—but the tween doesn’t hear any of the words coming out of her mouth. She’s still caught up in thoughts about yesterday. As if her diary disappearing wasn’t bad enough, now Brody also has to deal with her sticky situation with Violet.  

Brody returns from dinner to a dark, empty bedroom. Switching on the lights, she goes to her desk and sits down, sighing. Her eyes move to the empty space next to her lamp and array of colored gel pens where her diary used to be and she frowns. Pulling open the middle drawer, Brody grabs a few sheets of loose leaf paper and slaps them onto the desktop. Just because she doesn’t have her diary doesn’t mean she can’t still write.

The girl loses track of time as she becomes absorbed into turning her feelings into words. She scrawls thought after thought onto the lined sheets. Soon, the sound of the bedroom door opening brings Brody back to reality and she instinctively looks over only to lock eyes with Violet, who has returned from dinner with Therissa. Her emotions are fresh from recalling that afternoon’s events for her diary entry, so she scowls and turns her head away.

Brody returns to writing so quickly that she misses the crestfallen look that briefly appears on her friend’s face. Violet silently plops down at her own desk and rummages through her backpack, pulling out some supplies and busying herself with what’s probably homework. Every so often, Brody sneaks a glance at Violet out of the corner of her eye. It doesn’t look like she’s taken her eyes off her notebook even once, seemingly engrossed in whatever she’s scribbling into it.

When her diary entry is complete, Brody lets out a breath that she didn’t realize she was holding. She feels a lot better now that she’s gotten all of her thoughts out on paper. The act of writing is almost cathartic for Brody. She scans over the paragraphs before deeming them satisfactory, then gathers the sheets into a neat stack before returning them to her desk drawer.

Brody peeks up at the clock on their wall, then at Violet’s back, then back up at the clock again. It’s getting closer to the time when the two of them would usually hit the shower room together as part of their evening routine. For the first time ever, there’s a weird feeling in the air. Their bedroom is awfully, uncomfortably quiet. The auburn-haired girl furrows her brows and tries to identify the new feeling forming in the pit of her stomach. She’s not really mad anymore, but… she’s still upset. Brody concludes that it would be best for her to complete her nightly routine on her own.

A sudden knock on the classroom door shakes Brody from her thoughts, and Ms. Baker pauses mid-sentence to go over and attend to the matter. From her seat, Brody can’t see nor hear well enough to tell who it is, but her teacher is definitely speaking to somebody. The class erupts into curious chatter about the mystery visitor who has interrupted their lesson.

“All right, settle down,” says Ms. Baker, coming back inside. “Brody, someone’s here to see you.”

Brody stiffens upon hearing her name and her breath hitches in her throat. Who’s here? The gears in Brody’s brain start whirring and she starts to worry. Could it be her mother? Did something bad happen at home? Is someone hurt? Or is she in trouble? Did someone tattle on her for yelling at Violet yesterday? The girl sits paralyzed in her chair.

But the teacher gives her a reassuring smile and gestures towards the door with a sideways nod. “Go ahead.”

Brody’s legs feel like jelly as she stands up and slowly heads to the door. She takes a deep breath to try and slow her rapidly increasing heartbeat, then hesitantly steps into the hall. There’s a familiar face waiting for her. It’s Dr. Larson, the school therapist.

“Sorry to interrupt you during class,” says Dr. Larson, reaching behind her clipboard. With a warm smile, she holds something blue and rectangular towards Brody. “Just had a feeling you would want this back. I hope you didn’t miss it too much.”

This is not at all what Brody was expecting. Fingers quivering, she slowly takes the object from Dr. Larson and turns it over in her hands. It has the same cover, the same spine, the same damaged corner from when she accidentally dropped it down the stairs last year. This is undoubtedly her diary. But where was it? Did Dr. Larson find it? Or… could she have had it this whole time? Brody hugs the book to her chest. She’s starting to feel sick.

“I found it behind one of the sofa cushions in my office. You must have left it there after our session yesterday,” Dr. Larson explains. She expected Brody to be happy to have her diary back, so she’s a little confused by the deeply troubled look that appears on the girl’s face instead. “Is something wrong?”

Brody’s miserable expression answers her question.

Dr. Larson senses that her little patient may need an emergency session with her. “Would you like to come down to my office and talk about it?”    

The girl nods, so Dr. Larson pops her head back into the classroom to let Ms. Baker know that she’s going to borrow Brody for a while. The two of them head to her office, where Brody sinks into her favorite corner of the sofa. Dr. Larson takes a seat across from her. With some of her other patients, especially the ones who only come to see her because it’s a school requirement, the woman usually begins the session by prompting conversation with a question or two. Brody, however, has willingly come to see her since she was ten and is usually the one who initiates their talks.

“Dr. Larson?”

Sure enough, Brody is the one who speaks first. But what Dr. Larson finds most concerning is how her voice sounds. Timid and terrified.

“I think I did something really, really bad.”

[choccocatmylo]

Dull Colors pt.1:Welcome Home

Eleven years. That's what the judge deemed sufficient for a violent child's outburst of self defense. Even with a capable legal team and vast evidence in her favor, a simple no forfeited her life to a confined cell in a county jail, and later on a maximum security prison. Chocco was 15 when she was arrested, charged and sentenced. Twenty six when she was finally released from the hell of prison.

Matthew, her legal guardian, had written her only two letters. The first, lamenting her foolish refusal of his proposal, one of both convenience on her end, and a selfish wanting on his. The offer was simple, he'd do everything in his wealthy positioning to free her and in return she'd give him her life, in both legal marriage and social standing. With her bearing a suitable heir to his fortunes and keeping herself socially hidden as to stifle suspicions from her half sibling, his daughter.

The thought of being tied down to the brute disgusted her for multiple reasons, and the sheer idea that he could and had already punished her with confinement for refusing had burned a seething hatred for the man so deeply into her mind that she saw a deep red at the thought of him. 

He had stolen seven years from her at that point, and the letter was only rubbing salt in the aching wound he'd made.

The second letter came when she had already been imprisoned for close to nine years, and had been moved to maximum after contributing to a large scale riot, resulting in multiple casualties of both guards and inmates. She had newly been released from solitary for biting a handsy guard in the jugular and was seated in her cell, a steel mouth-guard tied to her face to prevent future incidents.

The mail carrier entered the block and pulled the slot in her door open, then slid in a yellow envelope. The pungent smell of sunflowers flooded the room and made her nose itchy. She climbed to her feet and shambled to where the letter had fallen by the door. The slot closed quickly and she heard footsteps running off. Now twenty two years old, Chokaria stood a massive, bulking 6''3 with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. She used one of her clawed fingers to tear open the top of the envelope and pulled the folded papers out. At first she skimmed the letter, then reread it carefully, afraid she was illiterate after all this time or maybe he'd written in code. But no, he'd written in carefully calligraphed Italian, knowing it was the only written language she was familiar with.

 "Dear Chokaria, 

How are you, princess? I'd imagine not so well with the transfer, I hope you were given a chance to say goodbye to any friends you'd made at your last residence. Luckily I pulled a few strings on the outside and moved you somewhere near to me. Peggy says hi, of course. She still believes you're enrolled in a private militant school in Venice. You'll have to write her sometime, I'm sure she'd love to her from you.

I have a proposition for you my dear, it is not so different from my last, but I believe you'll find this one more appealing for the both of us. You're familiar with bartering by now, no? We shall call this a barter. I currently hold in my possession a beautiful engagement ring, and some imperative papers pertaining to your early release. You can come home at any time I wish, and I do intend for you to return to me soon, all I ask is that you sign a few papers on my next arrival to your current…residence. 

Do carefully consider my offer, and evaluate your choices. In the end I will get what I want, the only question is will you get anything you want?

With love, Matthew D'Angelo"

Chokaria had read the letter at least a dozen times. He'd even included a picture of her sister, smiling gleefully and holding a scribble that vaguely resembled the trio of them. She hung the picture of her sibling on the wall, and folded the letter back up. Paranoia began to seep into her brain, would he stoop low enough to hurt her sister to get her to agree? She prayed not, but that man was above nothing, held no quarrels with anything immoral to succeed. What he'd done in the name of training her as a child was evidence enough of his limits. 

Matthew's arrival and subsequent visit had arrived sooner than the inmate envisioned. She was escorted to the private room by two guards, shackled arms behind her and mouth-guard fastened tightly, pressing against her scalp. Her ankles were shackled and her tail was the only free appendage, fastened around her waist as a belt. She was shoved into the room and forced into the chair adjacent to Matthew. He was dressed to the nines, as if to impress her. He had a shit eating grin on his face as he adjusted his red tie. For all intents and purposes he seemed genuinely pleased to see her-or rather, see her in her prisoner garbs.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, beautiful."

She glared at him with her only visible eye. He chuckled and addressed the guards.

"Could one of you please remove that, contraption off of her? I'd like to have a conversation here."

The guards were visibly hesitant.

"Inmate 4467 has an issue with biting and spitting, sir." One of them spoke, the other nodded in agreement. 

Matthew refused to take that for an answer. 

"I am hear in regarding to her legal issues, it would be useful if she could speak, no? I assure you, while I am here she will act in accordance to the warden's rules."

Hearing that the guards cautiously removed the mouth guard. Chocco cracked her jaw and stretched her sore mouth, a visible bruise on her cheek had ached under the pressure of the metal mask.

Matthew was appalled by the bruise and turned his swelling anger to the guards. He began berating them, inquiring to who as he put it-assaulted his client in such a brutal manner. He began promptly speaking to her in Italian. Though his accent was strong and made the words come out scuffed, despite his fluency.

"It wasn't them, another guard." Chokaria spoke nonchalantly.

"Give me a name, or a badge number, now." Matthew demanded of her.

"Can't." She moved her bangs from in front of her hidden eye, which bore three deep scratch marks that had blinded her eye and turned the emerald color to a glazed over gray. 

"Why is that? Are you being extorted? I will bring down the gods hammers on their skull so help me-"

"Bit out his jugular."

"You-What?!"

Matthew asked incredulously, he knew the girl to be a brute but never a homicidal monster that spoke so calmly before him. So she explained herself. Earlier that month a guard had removed her from the yard and did a random frisking in the halls, conveniently where there were no cameras. The search went south fast and resulted in her headbutting him and getting into a short scuffle, at one point her mesh mouth guard came loose which she used the opportunity to remove it, and sink her sharp canines into his throat, nearly ripping out his Adams apple. Matthew, disgusted by the story had then inquired as to where the guard was.

"He ain't dead, in the med bay on leave till the hospital boys come for him. Got solitary for it, the hole was worth it though. Won't let these sick fucks get at me, plus they'll think twice now."

"And if he were to return to his post after this, how are you sure he wouldn't test his luck again? Or seek vengeance?"

"Simple really," Chokaria crossed her legs and rested her arms on the table. "Word gets around, only thing girlies in here hate more than the few chomos that come in are handsy guards. If he comes back the bigger girls will get him fore he comes near me."

"Excuse me? Chomos?"

"Child touchers, diddlers, sickos."

"I see."

Matthew shuffled to his left,  bending slightly at the waist to retrieve something resting near his calf.  He then placed a slim brown briefcase on the table.

"Doesn't match yer outfit oh chief." Chokaria leaned back in her chair. Matthew shot a mean glare at her.

"So you're a fashion critic now?"

She smiled and switched her legs, crossing the opposite over the other.

"No captain, just observant."

"Well, I have some papers you can observe." Matthew pressed to clips on the briefcase and the top sprung open. He shifted through a thin stack of papers before separating it into two piles and closing the case with his elbow. He then placed both on the table, sliding one over to her side with a pen holding them together by the top right corners. A pen of his own adorned his stack, acting as a paperweight.

Chokaria's attention drew to the few sentences she could read. Some  was written in Italian for her convenience, but the vast majority had been written in English. She tried her best to read those parts as well, but ultimately failed. 

"Is this a joke at my expense, Matthew?"

He smiled at the sound of his own name, but when his hazel eyes met an angry green one, the smile faded as fast as it appeared.

"No, no! Not at all, it was simply a legal precaution for the notaries and lawyers. This," He pointed to a small paragraph in Italian. "Is the beginning of the important parts."

Chokaria swiped his much larger hand away and began to read the section he pointed at, the contents expanded onto the remaining pages and were indeed the bits she should be paying attention to.

"You wish me to move in your home, marry you, and bare your kin?" She asked him but also herself, in disbelief of the sheer audacity of the man before her.

"More or less, yes."

"I-I can't believe you!" Chocco slammed a fist onto the table.

"I understand, you must be very confused as to how I could be so-"

"Selfish! Arrogant! Horribly Ignorant!" She yelled in rage filled huffs.

"I was going to say generous, but if that's how you feel.."

"It is not how I feel! It is how you're displaying yourself! You relentless leech, you said the deal would be better for both of us, but it's the same as the last!" 

Matthew stood and raised his hands slowly.

"I understand your frustration, but please, return to your seat."

Chokaria hadn't realized she'd jumped out of her seat, the lax ankle shackles suddenly tightened as she noticed Matthew glance at the guards. With the swelling frustration of her situation, and her fleeting energy she sat down roughly, slamming the chair onto the concrete floors. Matthew slowly returned to his seat, and lowered his hands calmly.

"There-there! No need to get these inadequate gentlemen involved in our conversing." Matthew fixed his tie, flattening it against his bulging chest, his suit did little to hide his bulky muscular frame. Not to mention the modest soft spoken persona he put on for humans was futile if you couldn't ignore how threatening his physique was, and most could not. Chokaria sighed, her curly brown locks falling over her face. The shaven right of her scalp itched like it usually did when she was worried, and her furrowed brows tore down the visage that she was handling this news well and good.

"I refuse D'Angelo. You know I will never agree to this."

"I'm well aware of your stubborn tendencies, but you're willing to throw away your freedom? A chance to have a life again, all for your pride?"

"No, it is your pride that is your hubris, you're the one who lives in this idealized hell that if you have enough money, you can make anyone do anything for you, and you can have anything you wish. Even at the expense of others, even at the expense of people you care about."

"Those are tall claims from someone in your position, Chokaria."

"I'm done talking with you, goodbye."

Chocco stood and signaled the guards. Snapping at them in English.

"Take me back to my cell please,"

She looked at Matthew, who was now standing and holding out the papers for her.

"We're done here."

"I insist, just read them over once more, and if you change your mind, sign them."

 Matthew held out the papers for her to take, placing the pen in his pocket. The inmate could no longer conceal her disdain for him, and any excuse to get him to stop looking at her was one she'd take greedily. So in the end she did take the papers, balling them up into a crumbled tube and shoving them haphazardly into her pocket. Matthew bode her farewell with two kisses on the cheeks and bid adieu before departing. The return to her cell block was stifling with quietness. It seemed lights out had been set for a while and those who were still up were either reading, meditating or humming tranquilly.  When they reached her destination one of the guards briefly spoke into the walkie talkie placed on his chest. There was a loud mechanical buzz and the heavy steel door reeled open with noisy groans. Chokaria slowly entered with her back to them and patiently waited as they released her of her cuffs and shackles. She sat in the middle of the cramped space as the door began to close, and sighed. Retrieving the rolled papers from her pocket and skimming over them. The severity of her predicament began to hit her and she couldn’t help herself from crying tears filled of anguish.

In the end she would be a prisoner regardless of what path she took, and with the time she'd already spent locked away from civilization she would give anything to regain a semblance of freedom.

Even if it meant waiting for her release date.

Chokaria Maelor was released from Decoder's Maximum Security Penitentiary at the age of twenty six. She was given the clothes she came with when she was first incarcerated at fifteen, and the feeble collection of items they confiscated from her when she was in booking. It was a fine day when she exited those barbed gates. The sun was hidden behind a thick row of clouds, and there was a comfortable breeze through the crisp air. Her long mane of hair was tied loosely in a low ponytail, and she used her clawed fingers to rip the old worn tie from her hair. The busted hair piece fell to her feet which were adorned with black converse that were far to small for her feet. She draped her leather jacket over her, reminiscing on how it used to be so large on her, and now it fit properly. Her once striped shirt had transformed into a belly shirt due to her maturity, and it laid snug against her bulking muscular body, as if sculpted to her. The dense pack of muscles on her torso were on full display. She resigned to keeping her gray sweats that were given to her in jail, knowing her only pair of jeans would never fit again. Granted she'd grown tenfold in pants size, regardless of it they were in tatters, barely recognizable as once being an article of clothing.

She hadn't expected anyone to show to her release, and yet still a black SUV sat waiting for her, engine running and an unseen driver waiting at the helm. Someone exited the back seat from the adjacent side as she neared, and her gratefulness dissipated at the revelation of just whom showed up for her. For someone you loathe to be the only one there for you after years of enslavement, a different breed of hatred can be birthed in the human conscious.  

Despite all of her prayers, wishes and hopes, despite all of her pleads for it not to be so, there Matthew D'Angelo stood. Defiant against her wishes, laughing at her prayers to her gods, allowing her to hold hope in her cell all the while knowing he'd return for her regardless of how she felt towards him.

He was there for her, and she hated him for it.

The ride to his estate was quiet and tense. The driver said not a word to them besides giving Chokaria a smile and "welcome to the free world madam." before driving off. Matthew resigned himself to the silence he considered to be a peaceful refrain from their snarky banter. He was simply happy to have his prized toy returned to him, a plaything was all he really saw her as. An item to own, something to add to his growing collection of possessions. But Chocco would not go so willingly, nor without fighting him tooth and nail. She didn't want freedom, she demanded it, and would fight for it, if it came to it she'd kill for it. Sweet freedom that had been robbed from her, stripped and torn from her since she had came with him and her mother to this accursed nation. Well no more, she wasn't going to lay down and wait for a slow, agonizing death. That wasn't quite the being she was raised to be. She was meant and instilled to be a monster. An unruly, uncontained beastly creation of love and hate. Her father's hatred for their home's laws and religions, and her parent's love. But their love was fickle like most ties to others in her life. And when her mother went astray and invited Matthew to her bed, Chokaria learned what hell on earth looked like. Then, when she smuggled the small child to her lover's home, Chocco lived through hell with him. Like all things, when he was bored of her mother he moved his revolting sights on someone else, her. Then, when her mother angered him he did what he always did with his faulty toys, he broke her. Brutality was his specialty, and he enjoyed the screams of those who he inflicted it upon. 

Chokaria shivered as the buried memories resurfaced, creeping into her mind and taking place there to ensure her suffering. She balled her hands into fists and let her gaze fall to her lap, she always promised her mother, as horrible as she had been to her, that she'd never let that fate become of her or her sibling. 

The car stopped at a red light, Chocco looked out the window at the bustling world around her. Random civilians living in their personal universes, coexisting in peace. For the most part there were only humans, but among them there were Creatures, of all shapes and species. Avians soared high and low, rodents stuck to the walls of buildings and squeezed through the crowds. Bigger hulking Creatures like Oxen, Bears and lanky Serpents walked and slithered in longer strides among the smaller humans. There were no hybrids in sight, and she thanked Matthew internally for having the foresight to keep every window in every car heavily tinted. With one way mirrors no one could see  their features, and with proper attire they could blend in with  humans publicly. That was Chokaria's downfall after all, she hadn't listened to him all those years ago and went outside without any obscuring accessories to hide her ears or even a jacket to hide her tail. 

But she hadn't, and she had to live with her decisions, dwelling on the past would not help her now.

"Where are you taking me?" She asked firmly, refusing to even look at the man she spoke to.

"Where else? Home."

She could feel eyes staring at her, his stare boring into the back of her head and making the hairs on her neck stand stiff. It was a mix of disgust and dread that had filled her body, making her chest heavy. She had decided to no longer speak, and in her stead Matthew would happily do so.

"Peggy is currently attending a prestigious, private school for gifted mages and wizards, she'll return in the fall. Until then, you'll have very loose responsibilities. I have an exceptional roster of maids, butlers, chauffeurs and a highly trained security team. Rest assured your every desire will be met, and you needn't worry yourself about anything you might need."

When Chokaria failed to respond he continued on.

"Of course you'll have the freedom to roam the property at anytime and renovate and decorate as you see fit, the staff will brief you on the few rooms you're not permitted to enter…as for leaving the premises, I would hope you can agree that it's far too soon for that."

She looked at him for the first time since she entered the car, he'd peaked her interest with that statement, and if her stoic face and icy stare failed to show it, her perked fluffy ears did.

"I see you're excited about something at least, yes-yes, you may leave the estate in due time. At first I considered after a month, you do need to rest, and readjust to society. Your social graces could use some work to say the least, and I'd rather you be comatose before you leave the house in…"

He gave her a once over and used a limp hand gesture to address her outfit.

"Whatever the hell that is."

"It's what I went to jail in, ass."

"Now let's not make excuses for your god awful taste in fashion, dear. It's not your fault your invalid of a mother couldn't impart any sense of style on you. For fucks sake she was a goddamn tailor, it was the least her selfish ass could've done." He snarled coldly. It seemed some things never changed, like his lax tongue when talking about her mother. Chokaria withheld the urge to throttle him, but just barely.

"Enough about that though, you really aren't ready to face the new world that surrounds you, with how the politics of our world have evolved over the last decade, and with your current mark on the civil rights aspects of the judicial system, it's really in your best interest to stay near me for the time being. If not then firmly under my heel, so if you must leave for any reason there'll be some…constrictions for you."

"Such as?"

"Well you're going to be given a lady in waiting-"

"Excuse me? Is it the 1800's and no one told me?"

"Silence. It'll simply be a woman to aid you with your wardrobe, diet, daily scheduling and classes."

"Classes? I'm no student. I’m unsure if that's what that title even means either."

"As if you'd know. You will be in etiquette along with other things."

"I'd rather be shot in the fucking face."

"Mind your tongue or you'll cease to have one, Chokaria." Matthew warned. Their eyes met in twin glares, and his never faltered once. She bit her tongue and allowed him to continue.

"In that case, if you truly refuse to learn any semblance of civilized activity, there are alternatives available to you. Though few, I assure you they will pique your interest."

"What if I don't want to do any of them?"

Matthew laughed heartily, it was genuine amusement with her. He carried on for a while until his laughs began to die down. He wiped a tear from his eye and pressed a palm to his breast.

"Oh my dear, it's so cute you think you have a say in anything."

The car suddenly stopped. They had arrived at their destination. 

"Now get out of my goddamn car."

[thewritingduckling]

A China Rose: Chapter 4

Summary: Y/N was once an employee at Prince Adams castle along with being his childhood friend but she doesn’t remember. Caught up in the curse, she ends up in Villeneuve where she stands out. But circumstances arrive and she somehow returns to the place she once called home, and a beast she once thought a friend. A multi-chapter fanfiction. CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 3

Authors Note: Another chapter has arrived. Really proud of this one. Sooooo close to meeting the Beast. We’re nearly there guys, one more chapter ;)  Hope you enjoy and don’t forget tags and requests are open.

Chapter 4: The Adventure Begins You snuck in through the church's back door which lead into the kitchen. You were expecting it to be abandoned but a single candle was lit at the end of the small table. Père Robert was sitting in his chair, a book open on his chest which was rising and falling steadily due to his slumber. You decided to be as quiet as possible and you took every effort to avoid all of the creaky floorboards. You knew where they all were due to you constantly sneaking out of the house after dark when you first arrived in the village. You made it to the bottom of the stairs when a rather loud snore jolted you upwards in fright. You had to quickly place a hand over your mouth to prevent yourself from letting out a loud scream. You carefully pulled yourself up the stairs and silently slipped into your room. You looked around for a piece of charcoal and paper. After sifting through two drawers, you found a sheet of paper and after yet another extensive search you found a charcoal stick underneath your bed. You plopped yourself down on-top of your rickety bed and thought long and hard about what you were to say to your only friend. Several moments later you put pen to page letting your thoughts spill into sentences on the paper.

Dear Père Robert. Don't worry, I'm safe. Safer than I am in Villeneuve. I wish not to scare you I just need to get away from it all. The constant comments people make behind my back hurts and I need to get away from it all. Even if it is only for a little while. I'm going to visit Marcus in Touquet, as he has always said that I was welcome in his bookshop whenever I needed an escape. I desperately need an escape right now. I shan't be away for long, just enough time to clear my head. I should be back within a month and I assure you I shall write to you as soon as I arrive in Touquet. Thank you so much for being here for me and being my friend. I'll be back soon. Adieu for now, Y/N

You placed the letter on your pillow and propped it up on the back-board so that it was easily visible from the doorway. You sighed before grabbing your traveling bag, which hadn't be used since the last time you left town. That was a year ago and it was to visit Marcus, the bookseller, in Touquet. He was a kind man whose books helped you escape. Every year, with the money you earned from all the repairs you did around the village, you would ride for a day to go to Touquet and buy a new book for your small collection. Your original three books were now up to nine (you always shared them with Père Robert as well, as he'd let you use his books and it was only right for him to read yours). Marcus always smiled when you arrived in the village and as everyone didn't know you there, the villagers didn't really say much about you apart from the fact you must be one of Marcus' relatives. You smiled thinking of the last time you visited where you had an hour long argument about the true purpose of the three intertwining stories of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. The play in question sat opposite your bed on the small shelf you had once made. You smiled to yourself and turned your attention to packing your bag. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You had packed the essentials. Four outfits and your three favourite books. You had managed to sneak around Père Robert's slumbering form to pack enough food, water and medicine to last the journey to Touquet. You were in your workshop, packing the last vital thing for your trip. Your toolbox and paints. You had yet to be separated from them, and you knew you'd die trying to protect them. You took one last look around your small shed before grabbing the glue from the top shelf (as the crack in your arm was there to stay for a while). You walked briskly away from the hut to ensure that you wouldn't go running back to it. You practically sprinted to the horse pen that was next to the chickens'. Phillipe was standing there, apparently as awake as you were, staring at you almost longingly. You smiled and patted his nose as you fed him an apple. You'd saddled him in a matter of minutes. Pulling lightly on his reigns you guided him out of the paddock before gently directing him through the church's grounds to the gate. You opened the gate quickly, to minimise the amount of squeaking it would do (as you had been meaning to fix the gate for at least half a year). You and Phillipe walked slowly through the village as you headed for the north entrance to the outskirts of town. You paused every time you heard a loud noise. You didn't want anyone apart from Père Robert to know you were leaving, otherwise the gossip about you would only become sourer. Once you crossed the village border and were safely hidden amongst the trees, you mounted Phillipe rather abruptly. You leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Take me to Touquet, Phillipe." With a large grunt, Phillipe began to canter down the forest path. You'd travelled down this road several times before but somehow the darkness and shadows managed to twist it into an almost unrecognisable trail that practically screamed danger as you moved forwards. You elected to ignore the pit in your stomach and decided to focus on keeping your bag, full of most of your possessions, in between your legs (on your lap) so that it didn't fall off unexpectedly. You sat there, looking up at the sky a large smile spread across your face knowing that for at least a month you'd be free. In the village, Agathe smiled knowing that that wasn't true at all. She waited, ready for when you reached the crossroad. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You had been riding for what must have been at least an hour, when you looked up at the sky to see that even against the dark blue sky, a black cloud had formed above where you were riding. As the wind began to pick up speed, you pulled your cloak around you tighter. You held it around you with an iron grip as Phillipe began to get slightly unnerved by the whistling wind. As you approached a bend in the road, despite the fact there wasn't a drop of rain in sight, a large lightning bolt came crashing down and hit the tree to the right of the road's bend. The noise it created was like a horrific wail. It cause Phillipe to buck backwards sending you and your bag flying to the ground. The now burnt tree began to sway from side to side in the strong winds and in one big gale, it fell. It fell to the ground in one almighty crash, right across the path to Touquet. You let out a very audible sigh as you hoisted yourself to your feet. Phillipe was standing near you pacing back and forth, shaking his head vigorously. You strolled over to him, offering him comforting words as you tried to grab hold of his reigns. He kept on jolting out of the way and you eventually gave up on trying to speak as you spent most of your efforts trying to put a finger on one of the swinging reigns. You eventually managed to get an firm grip on it and you pulled down to ensure that Phillipe wouldn't buck again. Once he was relatively still you stroked his nose as you readjusted your bag to be in the correct position for riding. Whilst you waited for his breathing to settle, you looked to the fallen tree. It was certainly too heavy to move and you couldn't see any possible way to get around it but you were still thinking of solutions. As you stared into the darkness of the woods almost magically, the trees to the right of the bend in the road were blown backwards to reveal a small thin path. You'd never seen the path before but soon you realised it was the only way for you to go as your mind was drawing a blank when it came to moving or steering round the falling tree. You mounted Phillipe in one swift movement. You studied the fallen tree carefully one last time before you furrowed your brows trying to figure out the best solution to your predicament. You looked at the path to your right. Surely if you went down it only a little way and then cut through the trees you'd find your way back to the correct path. Kicking your heels into Phillipe's side you urged him forward down the path and assured him that as soon as you saw an opening in the trees on your left, you'd push through them to reach your original route. Phillipe approached the path slowly and you had to say more comforting words to move him forward at a steady pace. The further down the path you travelled, the denser the forest became, almost as if some unseen force wanted you to get lost. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You had been following this path for a solid amount of time when even more unusual things began to occur. The forest was seemingly getting colder and colder and the further you travelled the more weighted you felt both mentally and physically. Soon you were no longer questioning strange or scary circumstances. Phillipe, however, was much more attentive and at every distant animal howl he would let out a low whimper. You urged him on every time. Eventually it began to snow, like powder at first but soon it became heavy and thick under Phillipe's hooves. Phillipe only got more agitated the further into the snow you went. "It's okay Phillipe, it's only snow. In spring. Nothing you can't handle." You were perplexed at how such an unnatural weather occurrence could even happen. A loud howl snapped you out of that thought process in a matter of seconds. With a shivering hand you stroked Phillipe's mane and silently begged that you'd make it through the night and not die of hypothermia or be eaten by whatever creature was making the howls. You made Phillipe speed up once more, determined to never find out where the howl came from. You gripped your cloak around yourself tightly, wishing that you owned thicker gloves. No longer looking at your surroundings, you began to make Phillipe practically sprint. You were beginning to panic and the idea of cutting across to the correct path was long forgotten due to both fear of the unknown and the fact that you wanted to get out of the forest as quick as possible, no matter what trail you were on. With the forest whizzing past you in swirls of blue and white, the snowfall once again began to increase. You couldn't feel your right hand (as you never felt anything with your china one). You were shivering uncontrollably and all you wanted was a warm fire to relieve you of them. As if on cue you could see a faint yellow glow in the distance amongst the trees and shadows. Praying that it was a small cottage you urged him forward despite his nervous protests. He was gaining speed when you forced him to stop. You wanted a fire. You'd found one, but not in a cottage. You had found a castle.

Tag List: @rainwing-galaxy @loneliestlittlerainbow @bucky-with-the-metal-arm @liviacollettex3 @caseynathan @langinator @casangelcake @scarlinrouge @an-anxiousace-from-outerspace @molethemollie @no-butter-before-marriage @plethora-of-things @quiettranquility-blog @jedi-dreea @juls-verne @blueinkblot @frozenhuntress67 @iwyr @theeeeens (It won’t let me tag you, I’m so sorry)

[kawaiipsycho101]

Righteous Side of Hell--Ch.3

3. Choice

A girl was screaming.

Everything was dark, so I couldn’t see her. The sound was distant, but clear; a shriek made of pure pain and terror. She had long past the point of calling for help (although it would have been greatly appreciated), and was now tiptoeing just along the edge of madness.

Tap tap. Tap tap.

Suddenly I was surrounded by fire, the intense heat immediately searing my flesh. I tried to yell, but was choked by smoke.

Tap tap. Tap tap.

I was being pulled under by skeletal hands, their sharp claws tearing at my skin with the frenzy of a starved animal. I struggled with everything I had, but it was no use, as I was consumed by the flames and my vision clouded with inky blackness once again.

Tap tap. Tap tap.

And overlapping it all was a strange rhythm.

“Alixandria.”

My name.

“Alixandria!”

Someone was calling for me.

“Hey,”

“Alixandria!”

My eyes flew open as I jerked forward, a gasp caught in my throat. The night was cool and dark. I was sitting on my usual tree-branch high above the hideout. I must have fallen asleep and had a nightmare, a thought that deeply unnerved me.

This is wrong. I don’t need sleep anymore. I shouldn’t be wasting time with useless things-

“Finally! I thought you’d never wake up.”

I turned around and saw a familiar figure flying towards me.

“Ryuk?! What the Hell are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d check up on ya, see how things were goin’.” He settled on the branch next to me and plucked an apple seemingly out of nowhere. “I assume you’ve tracked down the current owner of your Death Note?” “Yeah, he’s…he’s somethin’ else.”

“Humans are so interesting, aren’t they?” he chuckled, eating nearly half of his apple in one bite.

“Nah, just the crazy ones. So, why are you really here?”

“Just a heads up, really. There’s a good chance you’ll be getting your notebook back tonight.”

“What makes you say that?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I heard muffled screams from inside the hideout, followed by a loud bang! as the door was blown open. I spun around and saw the last of a group of men storm into the building. I could hear Ryuk laughing behind me. “What did you do?!”

“I’ve recently gotten involved with the Kira investigation. One of the leaders actually made the eye-trade with me.”

“What?!”

“Look, all you have to do is sit back and watch. The humans even agreed to give you your Death Note back once they have it.” He finished his apple, core and all. “I thought you’d be happy.”

He’s right. I should be happy. Then why…

“Very well, but you better be right.” I did as instructed and did nothing, listening to the faint shouts and gunfire.

This is for the best. I have to get my Death Note back as quickly as possible. That’s what I came here for, and damn it, that’s what I’m gonna do. And hey, at least now I won’t have to deal with those assholes anymore, and I won’t have to be the mafia’s guard-dog either.

Yet I still felt a pang of guilt, and I couldn’t help but sigh.

Sorry, Mel-

Part of the hideout exploded.

“Jesus!” We both started. “If anything happens to my notebook, Ryuk, I swear-”

“Would you relax already? I’m sure your notebook’s fine.”

“It’s not the notebook you’re worried about.”

I froze. A voice had just whispered in my ear, a voice I hadn’t heard in a very, very long time.

“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?”

No. No, I’m not. I’m not!

I stayed perfectly still and did nothing, fists slowly clenching as the voice kept mumbling.

�� “You care what happens down there. You care about him.”

Shut! Up!

With a deafening roar, the rest of the complex burst into flames.

Shit. Shit shit shit shit shitshitshitshitshitshitshitSHIT!

The building began to crumble as more and more explosions rocked the foundation.

“My notebook!” Before Ryuk could stop me, I jumped off the branch and dived into the smoke.

Where is he? Where is he?!

There were bodies everywhere, some still alive, others…not so much. None of them belonged to Mello. After a few minutes and no luck, I began to think that somehow he’d gotten away. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a blonde shadowy figure stumbling through the rubble.

Mello.

Even from a distance, I could tell he was badly hurt. Without thinking, I flew over to him and pulled one of his arms over my shoulders while wrapping the other around his torso, keeping my posture bent so he could walk.

“No…” he slurred. For someone who’d been so close to death, he certainly put up a decent struggle, but I just held him tighter and dragged him further away.

“Don’t talk, Pretty Boy. It’s just me.” He continued to squirm, and I realized that he couldn’t hear me, his ears most likely still ringing from the explosion. I gripped his face and turned it so he was looking into my eyes. “Mello, it’s me-”

Oh.

The mask he was wearing covered up most of it, but I could plainly see the burns consuming most of the left side of his face, trailing down his neck and to his shoulder, bits of his leather vest melted to his skin. I immediately realized what must have happened.

“You crazy motherfucker…You blew yourself up?!”

“A…?” Mello slurred. “Wha-?”

“I said shut up!” But by then he had passed out, going limp against me.

Fan-freakin’-tastic.

With an exasperated (and also slightly embarrassed) sigh, I did something that I’d never dreamed of doing in a million years: carry a hot, unconscious, injured man bridal-style.

Damn it, it’s supposed to be the other way around!

I took him a good distance before spotting a cave and gently placing him inside. I then searched his pockets for something useful.

Come on, come on…Ah ha!

In his left pocket was a cell-phone that had somehow survived the explosion. I flipped it open and searched the names and numbers listed, not sure who to trust in Mello’s time of need. But then, at the very bottom of the list, was one name I recognized: Matt.

It’s a long-shot, but it’ll have to do.

I dialed the number and held it to my ear.

Please pick up please pick up please pick up please pick up-

“Hello?”

Yes!

“Matt,” I said in Mello’s voice. “Listen, I need your help. I-”

“Hello?”

Stupid! He can’t hear me unless he touches the Death Note! Goddamn it!

I cried out in frustration and began to panic, until I heard a groan behind me and came up with a solution. I thrust the phone against Mello’s good ear and yelled,

“Mello, you have to say something! I can’t get help unless you talk!”

“I’m hanging up-”

I gripped a bit of Mello’s burned flesh with my index finger and thumb, and gave a small squeeze. The response was immediate as he screamed in pain, clutching my arm in protest.

“Sorry.”

“Shit!” I heard the voice on the other end say. “Right in my ear!”

“Come on Mello, talk. Tell him you need help.”

“Matt…” he muttered, barely conscious.

“…Mello?”

“That’s it, keep going! If you pass out again, I’m just gonna squeeze harder.”

“Y-Yeah…yeah it’s me. I…I blew myself up, Matt.”

“What?!”

“Can…can you come get me?”

“Hang on, I’m tracking your location now. Just keep your phone on and I’ll find you.”

“Thanks…” He passed out again, but I let him rest and placed the cell-phone in his hand.

“Alixandria! Yo, Alixandria! Where are you?” It was Ryuk. I could hear him calling just above us. I stared at Mello and sighed, hoping that I would be able to find him again after I left. Wasting no time, I flew out of the cave and glided close to the ground in case Ryuk tried to look for where I’d been. Once I was far enough away, I shot into the sky and waited for Ryuk to find me, which he did. “There you are. I’ve been lookin’ all over for ya.”

“What is it now?”

“The guys I’m workin’ with want to see you. They say they’re gonna return your Death Note.”

“Great. Take me to them.”

We flew for a while and eventually came to a hospital parking lot. We landed in front of a small group of Japanese men. All but one were wearing hospital nightgowns and some form of bandage.

They must have been in the hideout when Mello blew it up…Can’t say I envy them.

There was a cute guy named Touta Matsuda, a bearded man named Shuichi Aizawa, a big fella named Kanzo Mogi, and a serious-faced man named Hideki Ide. Upon closer inspection, I could tell that some of them had been crying, especially the handsome young man who was holding my notebook. I recognized him from before, when Ryuk was helping me track down my Death Note.

It was Light Yagami.

Kira.

It took every ounce of self-restraint in my being not to throttle him on the spot.

“You’re the shinigami who came here to take back this notebook, aren’t you?”

“Hai.” I nodded.

“The notebook might be helpful to the Kira investigation, but we really only need one of them. I’ll give this one back to you.” He held out the Death Note. I took it and decided to show at least some respect for these men who had clearly suffered heavy losses.

“Thank you very much.” I bowed deeply. “I am very sorry for any grievances caused by my Death Note.” I stood up straight once more and tilted my head slightly towards Ryuk. “Don’t trust him. He’s a lying, cheating bastard. Goodbye.”

I was back in the air before any of them even had a chance to respond.

I found Mello right where I left him, still unconscious.

I grimaced as I took a closer look at the damage his body had taken. His face, neck, and shoulder would be scarred for the rest of his life. Even with proper medical treatment, the recovery would be painful. His cell-phone was still on, so I knew that Matt was on his way, although I was unsure how long he would take, having no idea where he was. For all I knew, he could be on the other side of the world.

I sat down opposite Mello and waited. Sometimes he would grumble and moan, but I was pretty sure that he was still out like a rock.

I’ll make sure Matt picks him up, then I’ll go. Now that I have my notebook back, I can finally finish this. In fact…

I took out my Death Note and flipped to a blank page.

Why not end it right now?

I pressed the tip of my pen to the paper and started to write the characters of Light Yagami’s first name. I was almost finished when Mello made a noise that he never would have made were he awake. It was a sad, pathetic little whimper usually associated with a hurt puppy or kitten. He was scared, in pain, and alone.

Just like I was…

I looked at the unfinished characters of Light’s last name, then Mello, then back to what I’d written, before closing the notebook and tucking it back into my belt with a sigh.

He doesn’t deserve that…Not yet.

“Mmm…” I looked up at the sound of Mello’s voice and placed my hand on his uninjured shoulder as he began to stir. “Matt…”

“Just relax, Pretty Boy, he’ll be here….eventually.” He continued to mewl and, without really thinking about it, I began to gently stroke his hair. Even singed, it was still rather soft.

I wonder what shampoo- wait…what the Hell am I doing?!

I pulled my hand back sharply and pressed myself against the wall, as far from Mello as possible.

Jesus Christ, woman, get a hold of yourself! This is not some shitty fairy tale! Who do you think you are, the fucking Little Mermaid?! He’s not some dashing young prince who’ll love you forever now that you’ve saved him! He’s a bastard! A cunning, egocentric bastard! There is no way on Earth that pining after him could possibly end well for you, so GET A GRIP!

I buried my face in my hands and sighed.

“I don’t even know what I’m doing anymore…” I told the semiconscious man. “Seriously, I have no fucking clue…”

Mello (whom had relaxed somewhat after I’d started petting his hair) began to quiver again. He looked like he was having a nightmare.

Ah, fuck it.

So I sang, hoping that maybe it would calm us both down.

“I heard there was a secret chord that David played and it pleased the Lord, But you don’t really care for music, do you? It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth, the minor fall, the major lift, The baffled king composing hallelujah. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.”

Mello became still, and after making sure that he hadn’t actually died, I continued.

About forty five minutes went by and I began to worry that maybe Matt wouldn’t come after all. But, like a cheesy last-minute deus-ex-machina, I suddenly heard tires screeching against pavement followed by a car door slamming and running footsteps. It was Matt.

He appeared to be in surprisingly good shape for someone who supposedly spent all his time in front of a computer, with bright cherry-red hair that had clearly been dyed, orange-tinted goggles, a black-and-white striped long-sleeved shirt, a tan vest with white fluffy trimming, elbow-length leather gloves, jeans, and long black boots. The letters floating above his head read Mail Jeevas.

Fascinating fashion sense…Curious name too.

I watched as he discovered his old friend and hoisted him over his shoulder, cursing around the lit cigarette sticking out of the corner of his mouth.

“Jesus, man, what did you do to yourself? Every time, every fucking time you call me, it’s to bail your sorry ass out of some shit-storm you created. Unbelievable, unbe-fuckin’-lievable.”

I liked him immediately.

I followed the pair to Matt’s car and he loaded the burned blonde into the backseat as I sat on the roof of the vehicle. I held on tightly as we sped out of the woods and into the night.

We eventually arrived at a crappy apartment complex. As I hopped off the top of the car, I heard groaning from the backseat and saw a leather-clad shape squirming around. Matt got out and opened the door, this time walking Mello to safety and not carrying him. I followed them to his apartment and made note of the room number, in case I had to leave and come back. Once the two were in Matt’s bedroom and the fake red-head was bandaging Mello’s wounds, I decided to give them some privacy and floated up and out of the room.

Hours passed, with the night beginning to fade and daylight quickly spilling into the sky. Mostly I stayed outside the bedroom window, singing to Mello (if he could even hear me), but mostly to myself. When I wasn’t doing that, I was following Matt around, trying to think of a good time to reveal myself to him. I knew that it would be a while before Mello would be able to coherently explain the details of the situation, but Matt needed to know now. But the shock of seeing someone like me…

Along with breaking at least a dozen rules…

I soon came to the frustrating conclusion that the only way to do this was to do it quickly and hope for the best. Beyond had told me the guy was smart, and I prayed he wouldn’t interpret the sight of a shinigami as a sign of madness and not take me seriously. So, the next afternoon, after Matt had returned from buying more medical supplies for the still unconscious Mello, I touched a piece of my Death Note to his cheek, covering his mouth in the process.

I am going to get so much crap for this.

He immediately became aware of the hand over his mouth and tried to cry out, but I pressed down harder to silence him. I then wrapped my other arm around his waist, pinning his arms to his sides so as to prevent much movement.

“Do not be afraid.” I whispered into his ear, instantly regretting it as he struggled in my grasp.

Jesus, how creepy can you get?! Attagirl Alix, so much for not scaring him shitless.

His eyes widened at the sight of my large bony hand, soon traveling up my arm and finding my face. He produced a muffled scream and I began to find it increasingly difficult to hold him still.

“Wait, hold on, just give me a-” He wouldn’t listen, and after a few more failed attempts to explain myself, I let out an exasperated cry that, in hindsight, should have woken Mello. “Goddamnit, would you give me just one fucking second?! I’m not going to hurt you! I’m actually here to help!” That seemed to get his attention, for he suddenly stopped squirming and stared up at me. “Look, I’m a friend of Mello’s.”

He made a noise that I assumed was gag-speak for

“The fuck are you talkin’ about?!”

“Well, maybe not a friend, but I worked with him in his Kira investigation. I helped him get out of the hideout after it blew up. I was the one who first called you and you nearly hung up on me. How do you think he even got to that cave anyway, huh? You think he freakin’ skipped there?” I decided to stop there and let him come to a decision on his own. I watched as, like Mello, gears seemed to work in his head at an insane speed. “Listen, I can explain everything, and whether or not you believe me is up to you, but I can’t talk to you if you’re screeching like a goddamn lunatic. Understand?”

“Mmf!”

“Yes!”

“Alright. I’m going to let you go, but I want you to promise me that you won’t scream, okay?”

He nodded.

“Okay.” I released him and took a step back, whilst he bolted out of my arms and spun around, back pressed against the kitchen countertop and panting. We stared at each other like that for nearly thirty seconds before Matt finally spoke.

“What,” he breathed. “The fuck?”

I chuckled, pulling a chair from the table and sitting down.

“You may wanna take a seat. It’s a long, complicated story.” He did so, producing a cigarette from his back pocket and lighting up, which almost immediately relaxed him. “First off, let me introduce myself. My name is Alixandria, but you may call me Alix if you’d like. I am a shinigami, or ‘Death God’, if you prefer the English term.”

“Alright, Alix the Shinigami. My name’s Matt.”

“I already know that.”

“So, would you mind telling me just what the flying fuck is going on here?”

I smiled beneath my scarf and told him everything.

To his credit, Matt handled the news better than I had hoped, nodding in understanding as I explained the rules of the Death Note and how it had ended up in the human world.

“Here.” I held the notebook out to him. “You can look at it if you want, but you must not let it touch the table.”

He took it and flipped through the pages, reading the rules Ryuk had scribbled in the front cover. He then handed it back to me without a word and I continued with the story. He didn’t ask many questions, soaking in the information I gave him. By the time I’d finished, the sun had almost set.

“But why?” he asked after I was done. “Why stay behind and help? You’ve already got your Death Note.”

“Eh, I’ve got nothin’ better to do.”

“Jeez, just how boring is the Shinigami Realm?”

“Unbelievably so.”

“Okay, so…we got killer notebooks, gods of death, and a burned Mafioso passed out in my bedroom. Anything else I should know about?”

“No, I think that’s about everything. I’m sure this is a lot to process, and I would not be offended in the slightest if you wanted some time to yourself.”

“Nah, nah, you’re good. I’m gonna go check on Mello really quick.”

“Okay.” Once he was back, I asked how he was.

“Still out cold. I doped him up with a shit-load of pain-killers, so it might be a while before he wakes up.” I could tell by the look on his face that he was worried and saddened by the state his friend was in.

“If it’s any consolation, I really am sorry about all this.”

“Appreciated.” Matt sighed, taking out a small rectangular device and flipping it open, sounds soon emerging from the machine. Curious, I stood up and peeked over his shoulder as a familiar logo flashed on the top screen.

“What’s that?”

“This? It’s a Nintendo 3DS XL.” Upon seeing my look of confusion, Matt elaborated. “You play games on it.”

That’s right, I think I had something similar to this…Wasn’t nearly as high-tech though.

“May I watch?”

“Uh…” He stared at me for a few seconds with a weird look on his face. “Sure.”

For a few minutes, I observed the game as Matt played it.

Yes…Yes, I remember this. I had one of these games. It was my favorite.

A yellow creature suddenly appeared on the screen.

“Pikachu!” it squeaked.

“Pikachu!” I mimicked.

Matt’s head spun around so fast, I thought for sure that he was going to break his neck.

“What the Hell was that?!”

“Oh, sorry, didn’t mean to distract-”

“That was amazing!” His face lit up with childlike wonder. “How did you do that?”

“I just sorta…did.” I shrugged.

“Can you do it again?” He was practically bouncing in excitement, and I couldn’t help but think it a little cute.

“Okay. Pikachu!”

Matt nearly screamed.

“That is so cool!”

“Thanks.” No one had ever called my imitating ‘amazing’ or ‘so cool’ before. I was actually rather flattered. “I can do other Pokémon too.”

“Really?! That would be-!” Then it dawned on him. “Hang on…How do you know about Pokémon?”

Oops. Almost forgot.

“There’s…something else you should know.”

“What is it?”

“Before I tell you, would you mind if I asked you something?”

“Shoot.”

“Have you ever heard of a guy named Beyond Birthday?”

Alternate Title for this chapter: Blown Eviscerated Puppy

Pokémon and Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah belong to their respective owner(s), and not me. So please, no suing.

[princelesbian]

Sidlink Fic: Connecting Chapter 2

Ao3

Chapter 1 // Chapter 2 // Chapter 3

    “It is good to see Link again. After all these years it seems he is still the same, reckless as always. It seems that he is happy.”

    Mipha turned to face Zelda, her features soft and kind. She rested a hand over the Hylian princess’ own.

    “He has been taken care of, yes?” Mipha looked down. “Not to say that I do not trust you. I worry about him, I cannot heal from such a distance. He was always one to get hurt due to his need to be heroic.” Mipha dropped her hand, smiling softly.

    “I fear he does not like me very much, Lady Mipha. He has spoken not a fair word to me since our meeting though he has saved my life. I understand that I was cruel, but despite my efforts nothing has changed.” Zelda sighed, leaning against the brick of the wall. Although she had not known the Zora princess long, she had seemed to emanate a comfortable aura. It was refreshing to meet a friendly face amongst all those who sought to only oppress her and use her as an item of a long foretold legend.

    “He has a good heart. If your intentions are true, then give him time.” Mipha touched the Hylian princess’ arm lightly before turning to leaving as she came; on an air of grace.

    Zelda closed her eyes for a moment, feeling the watchful gaze of her knight return. He was ever-present, and silent as the wind. To the expressive princess, it was disconcerting.

    There was a light tugging at her sleeve.

    “Hey Princess!” A Zora child bounced up and down in front of Zelda, grinning broadly. She recognized him as Mipha’s young brother, Sidon.

    “Yes?” Her brows furrowed as she recognized what he held.

    “Princess! I hope you don’t mind but I looked through your things because it’s all really really cool! I found this book, is it your diary? You write really pretty. Mipha has a diary too, how come you both talk about Link so much, huh? Sister says says I shouldn’t-”

    “Give me that!” Zelda grabbed the book quickly, holding it closely to her chest. Her cheeks flared an embarrassing shade of red as she hunched into the book as if trying to encase it in her body.

    “Are you upset? I just thought maybe-” Sidon began with widened eyes, fumbling slightly over his words. The Hylian princess stormed away in a flurry, chewing on her lower lip and fuming.

    Sidon stared after her, a confused expression crossing his features. The Princess’ knight lingered back with the young Zora. He came forward from the wall he had watched on from, kneeling in front of the Prince to match his height a little better.

    “Link? Link! It’s been a really long time since I’ve seen you! Do you wanna play?” The young prince completely lost his confusion, full attention now on the Hylian Champion. Link shook his head, and Sidon’s expression dropped.

    “Awe, why not?” He pouted, arms crossed.

    “You really hurt her feelings, you know.” Link said, looking in the direction Zelda had left in. Sidon’s shoulders slumped, and his gaze fell.

    “I did? Oh no! I just wanted to be friends with her! What did I do!?” Sidon snapped up, frantic.

    “You really shouldn’t look through other people’s things. It’s not very heroic.” Link rested his hands on the Zora’s shoulders, assuring.

    “It’s not? Link, what am I supposed to do!?”

    “Apologize to her when she’s calmed down.” Link said, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Sidon nodded vigorously.

    “I wanna be a hero, just like you, Link. One day I’m gonna be big and strong and I’m gonna be just like you. I’ll help lots of people and I’ll fight for my people, and I’ll be a nice king.” The Prince balled his fists, eyes sparkling. Link chuckled, standing.

    “You want to be a hero?” He asked. Sidon nodded again, determined.

    “Of course I do!”

    “You need to remember one thing while you’re fighting for what’s right, Sidon. You need to in order to be a brave hero for your people and your sister.”

    “What’s that? Anything, I’ll do it.”

    “Show the enemy no fear.”

    ~*~*~

    “Firstly, the remaining camps will need to be cleared. If not by the Zora warriors then by some other means.” Zelda frowned, still displeased with the outcome of the council.

    “We cannot afford the labor, we need the Zoras.” Impa tapped her chin lightly, gazing tiredly at the fiery princess.

    “We will find a way around it.” Zelda huffed.

    “Very well then. We will also need the Gorons to help restore the remaining foundation of Castle Town after the camps are cleared.” Impa noted. Zelda nodded, jotting something down with her pen.

    “I will write to Bludo promptly, then. We should also recruit the Rito to carry materials over water and across towns. The Gerudo women may be of use to provide supplies, material, and general craftsmanship. Many however will not appreciate the weather.” Zelda spoke absently, writing in her book. Impa leaned back slightly.

    “And what of your findings with Vah Ruta?”

    “Vah Ruta was not functioning as reported. I am working towards discovering how to get it working once again, although I suspect it may have something to do with inner damage to the orbs on it’s back from the force of the blast it gave to Calamity Ganon. I would not be surprised if similar reports were made on the Divine Beasts, but I will do my best to properly restore them.”

    “Very good, Zelda.” Impa nodded approvingly. Zelda smiled slightly at the praise.

    Link entered almost silently. The Hylian princess looked up.

    “Oh, Link, I need to ask you a favor.” Zelda spoke, burying her hands into her pile of papers.

    “What is it?” Link asked, nodding to Impa in greeting.

    “I need you to deliver this letter to Prince Sidon at Zora’s Domain.” She adjusted the stack, handing Link a creamy envelope sealed red with the symbol of the Hylian royal family. Link studied it for a moment.

    “Did you decide how you were going to respond to his offer?” Link furrowed his brows. Impa sighed as Zelda whirled around, expression nearly furious.

    “Yes, I did. I decided to tell him that I would not and never would marry him and especially not for convenience. After all we’ve done for them, they can’t even show the slightest hint of courtesy. I swear to Hylia that the next monster that appears I will personally send it upon them with my own fury. And marriage! What is he thinking! I have my freedom at last, I cannot afford to be tied down as a dainty wife. I have a kingdom to build, not a husband to coddle. Stuck up, inconsiderate people like him make it an embarrassment to be royalty. There must be another way around this, I will make sure of that!” Zelda fumed, clenching her fist tightly. Her cheeks were dusted rosey as she turned back to her notes, scowling.

    “I - okay, I’ll just deliver this letter than.” Link held his hands out in defense, eyes wide. Impa looked on apologetically, waving him out of the room before he could cause another outburst.

    ~*~*~

    As Link settled onto Ayla’s saddle, he sighed contentedly. The familiar scent of leather and hay lingered, and he found that he had missed riding the past days he had been stuck in Kakariko. He was glad for an excuse to be back on the road, despite having to camp out the nights of the long travel.

    Arrangements for his departure were made the day after the Princess’ request, and he had spent the day packing supplies. The journey would not be a long one, but a vigorous one nonetheless. Link patted down the saddlebag making sure that he had enough food, flint, and wood to last the nights. The letter was tucked securely into a pocket of the bag.

    Over the course of the next three days, he had traveled across bridges and ruins, through forests and around lakes. Link had most of all missed relying on horseback rather than the Sheikah Slate to travel. While the device was useful for it’s purpose, he had no real need of it with the threat of Calamity Ganon no longer lingering. It was tiring and it always took longer, but the scenery and ride was always worth it. Winding down the trails and caves, Link made no haste, rather basked in the surroundings of one of his favorite places in Hyrule. Zora's Domain.

    Ayla’s hooves clicked over the smooth stone of The Great Zora Bridge, alerting the guards of their presence as they neared. Link dismounted, giving Ayla a pat and slipping her an apple. He turned to Rivan.

    “Master Link! We were not expecting you back so soon!” The Zora guard started at the sight of the Hylian Champion, a smile growing nonetheless.

    “Zelda asked me to deliver something, but it’s always nice to be back.” Link smiled back, handing Ayla’s reigns to the Zora. Rivan nodded, a happy expression in place.

    “Of course, you're always welcome here. We’ll be happy to take care of Ayla for you.” Rivan nodded, taking the reigns. Link gave him a nod before turning his attention to the Domain itself, scanning the ethereal river kingdom for a certain red-scaled prince. When his sight didn't catch the Prince, he entered the Domain, letter clutched in hand for fear of losing it.

    Link wove around his old friends and acquaintances, tired from the journey and not caring much for excitable conversation for the time. Up the steps and into the throne room where King Dorephan always sat imposing and regal, a watchful gaze cast over the entire court. His stern expression loosened at the sight of the Hylian Champion.

    “Ah, Link!” His voice boomed throughout the room. “It is unusual for you to make several visits in such a short span of time! I imagine it has something to do with the Princess’ request?” The King leaned forward on his chair, smiling greatly.

    Link nodded, holding up the letter. “She asked me to deliver this to Sidon.”

    “Of course. He should be in his study, you know where it is.” The King said with a wave of his hand, leaning back. Link bowed forward slightly before making his way to a door tucked away off to the side behind the throne room.

    He paused in front of the door he knew to be Prince Sidon’s study. He knocked on the door, and stretched his aching limbs as he waited for the response.

    “Come in!” The Prince’s muffled voice rang out from inside the room. Link pushed the door open with little resistance. It seemed almost strange to see the large and energetic prince seated still at a desk, papers and books spread before him yet neatly arranged. Link didn’t even try to stifle the chuckle that escaped at the sight.

    “Oh yes, laugh it up Mu-” The Prince began, eyes stilled glued to his work. As his eyes trailed up, however, he choked on the word. He stared at the champion, mouth gaping for a moment.

    “L-Link! What brings you here so soon?” Sidon jumped up from his chair, knees knocking into his desk and hands splayed flat. Despite the fact, a broad and bright grin stretched across his lips.

    “Zelda asked me to deliver this to you.” Link said, grinning himself. The Zora prince’s happiness was always infectious. He outstretched the letter in his hand. Sidon paused, excitement faltering.

    “Oh, yes… Thank you.” He stared at the letter for a moment before taking it from the Hylian gingerly, meeting Link’s gaze as he tore it open deliberately.

    As the Prince scanned the contents of the letter, his expression sobered. A long sigh escaped him as he slumped back into his chair. Link watched him, surprised. He’d never seen anything get to Sidon, his expression always a happy one.

    “Sidon?” Link asked quietly, peering up at the Prince. Sidon looked at him crestfallen, his eyes deep with worry. Link felt a pang in his heart.

    “I… do not know what to do.” He said, his frown deepening. “This was the only way I know to unite our people. The elders will not sway, and now I fear Zora’s Domain will only suffer for it.”

    “Zelda will find another way.” Link said firmly, placing a hand delicately on Sidon’s arm. Sidon shook his head.

    “Any document she needs will surely be destroyed or outdated. I thank you for your support nonetheless.” The Prince made an attempt of a smile, facing the Hylian fully. Link looked at him, dispirited and somber. Link thought frantically for an answer, anything to restore the happiness he had come to grow used to. He was never good with politics, but seeing the Zora prince in such a state was almost painful, and he was willing to do anything to put a smile back on his face.

    “I’ll do it.” Link blurted suddenly, not really registering what he was saying. Sidon looked up, confused.

    “You’ll do what?” he asked.

    “I’ll marry you.”

    “Oh! I’m flattered, truly... but what will this accomplish?” Sidon tilted his head. Link thought for a moment, unsure how it would himself. Suddenly, the Prince gripped Link’s shoulders, eyes widening.

    “Wait a moment. As Princess Zelda’s personal knight you are from an esteemed family of royal knights, yes? That would make you at the very least a minor aristocrat. But not only that, you are a Champion, which makes for even closer connections to the royal family. My people value you greatly, and trust you not only as the Hero who saved us from Vah Ruta and defeated Calamity Ganon, but as their revered friend.” Sidon shook the Champion's shoulders slightly, smile growing with each point.

    Link looked up, surprised. “And what does that mean?”

    Sidon stood up quickly, looking down at the Hylian Champion brightly.

    “It means this might work, even better than the Princess herself I daresay. You'd do this, Link? You'd do this for me!? Ahah! You truly are my most treasured friend, you do not cease to amaze me!” Sidon gave an airy laugh, pulling Link off his feet in a hug. He spun him around the room, clutching him tightly close. He set Link to the floor after a few moments, smiling apologetically. Link stumbled on his feet, the floor moving beneath him.

    “That’s good?” Link said, unsure and wobbling. Sidon nodded enthusiastically.

    “I must present this idea to my father. We have no rooms prepared for you, you would not mind staying at the inn tonight, yes?”

    “Of course not.”

    “Excellent! Come, come. We must make haste.” Sidon grinned, ushering the Hylian out of the room. He gave Link a bright smile. “I will come for you tomorrow. For now, go rest. Truly Link, thank you.”

    Link nodded, fuzzy. What exactly did he just offer?

    ~*~*~

    Sidon stood upon the petitioning dais before his father, hands folded behind his back as he stared up, a stoic expression in place. King Dorephan watched him curiously, leaning on the arm of the throne and tapping his cheek lightly. The elders of the council sat before as well, Muzu standing post as head of the council. All but the King himself seemed unsure of the situation.

    “My son, you have called for council. I presume it is to do with the return of the Hylian Champion and the letter you had received this morning?” The King asked, looking down. Sidon squared his shoulders, tilting his chin skyward. A low chatter broke amongst the council members.

    “Yes, Father. I have received a letter from Princess Zelda regarding the unity proposal. She firmly refused, and insists on finding another way. However I do not think she will find another feasible solution.” Sidon began, speaking detached and to the court.

    “Then she will not have her agreement, it is simple, Your Majesty.” A member of the council, Seggin, spoke quickly. Sidon shook his head, turning directly to face the council.

    “I am afraid it is not that simple. For the past century, since the first appearance of Calamity Ganon and fall of Hyrule, we have been on a decline. In order to return Zora’s Domain to it’s former glory, a unity with the Hylians is essential. They were before and once again will be the center of commerce, and the correlation between their success with ours will be undeniable. Our resources as a majorly isolated kingdom are limited as they are currently. It would be wise to form this connection if we are able.” Sidon spoke, loud and unwavering. King Dorephan took on almost a pleased expression, while the council members grumbled amongst themselves in distaste. The information wasn’t news to the council, though it had not been brought up in detest for the Hylian race.

    Trello stood from his seat in the council, expression twisted bitterly.

    “My Prince, while this may be true we cannot simply ignore tradition. We have been doing well as a race thus far, and to throw away thousands of years worth of tradition for such a thing would be foolish. If we must, we will find another source of trade.” The elder Zora defended his position feverently, nearly shaking where he stood. Sidon nodded along to the spiel, knowing full well they would not find another source of trade as they hadn’t in one hundred years. The Hylians were vital to the economy, that much was true as could be seen by the lacking within the past century.

    “Your highness, it seems we are at an impasse once more as when Princess Zelda stood in our court not a week ago. Continuing like this does not seem to be doing anything for the matter.” Muzu spoke up, irritated.

    “Ah, Muzu, this is where you are wrong. While in my study this morning, the Hylian Champion Link delivered Princess Zelda’s letter. We spoke about the matter, and he came up with a marvelous idea to create that connection between our kingdoms.” Sidon said, a glimmer appearing in his eye as he spoke. King Dorephan leaned forward curiously.

    “Go on, Sidon.” The King nodded, a gesture for him to continue. Sidon bit in inside of his cheek, it was now or never. He breathed in deeply, smiling for confidence.

    “There is another better suited to be wed to me.” He said, a little too quickly.

    “And who might that be?” The King asked, though a sort of understanding appeared on his features as he leaned back. Sidon’s eyes flicked to the door.

    “Link. Not only was he an aristocrat of sorts before Hyrule had been destroyed, he is a Champion. As such, his connections with the royal family are clear. He is a hero who has saved not only us Zora, but the every other race as well. Our people love and trust him as a treasured friend as it is. I would argue that he is a better choice than the princess herself.” Sidon gave strongly, his head held high.

    “An aristocrat, you say? In such a case he may very well be in line to take the throne after Zelda, as all known royalty and descendents were destroyed during the Calamity.” King Dorephan pondered, tapping his fingers on the arm of the chair.

    “Have you forgotten something, my liege? A throne needs an heir to sit upon it.” Seggin huffed once more, his voice haughty. The King remained silent, and Sidon mentally berated himself for not thinking of such an issue sooner. He grappled for anything that came to mind, searching frantically for a solution.

    “Surrogacy?” The Prince cleared his throat to hide the desperation in his voice. The court remained still, though the more time stretched on the more valid an answer it seemed. “It is not an unheard of solution, though not ideal. I am sure there is record of the Royal Family using surrogate mothers due to infertility.” Sidon added.

    A low hum of voices echoed throughout the hall as the council debated the subject. King Dorephan sat back in his chair and smiled. Many of the council members aged faces were lined heavily with distaste. Muzu looked at Sidon curiously.

    “It seems to be a valid solution.” He said. The King nodded.

    “The court is dismissed for now. We will discuss the possible arrangement of this at a later date.” King Dorephan boomed. The council members stood to leave, grumbling. “Sidon, stay. I wish to speak with you.”

    Sidon stood still at the dais, staring up at his father. King Dorephan remained silent until the throne room was empty.

    “My son. We were faced with a delicate issue, and you solved it in stride. You took great care of the opinions of the council and traditions of our people, but Sidon. Are you sure you want to go through with this? It will be a political marriage.” He said, his rough tone softer than usual. Sidon took a deep breath and conjured an image of Link in his mind, lopsided grin on his face and mirth in his eyes. Sidon smiled softly, posture relaxing.

    “I am sure. It is what’s best for our people. I am confident in this unity.” Sidon told his father, looking him in the eye with an overflowing confidence. The King watched him for a moment intently, before his expression changed and he gave a nod.

    “I am proud of you Sidon. You will make a good king one day.”

    “You mean it..? Thank you, Father!” Sidon jumped up, excitement from the praise rising in his voice. King Dorephan laughed, his deep voice booming through the hall.

    “Of course, my son. I will send for Princess Zelda immediately. You are free to go.” He said with a gesturing wave. Sidon bowed forward before walking out of the throne room with a newborn fire. As soon as he was out of sight from his father, his walking turned brisk as he made his way towards Seabed Inn, a skip in his step.

    As he spotted Link in front of the inn with Kodah, a wide smile stretched across his lips with barely contained happiness.

    “Say hey there!”

Chapter 3

[pluckyredhead]

Hey so I donated to Planned Parenthood in Mike Pence's (FUCK YOU SIR)! Hurray! Can I prompt you matt/foggy office shenanigans? Thank you, you're the best :D

(This isn’t really compliant with Season 2 but let’s ignore that, shall we?)

Five Things That Aren’t Allowed in the Offices of Nelson & Murdock (But Usually Happen Anyway):

1. “Testing” Matt’s Powers

“But it’s such a nice day,” Foggy whined.

“It’ll still be a nice day after you finish reading up on those precedents and we are present for our two o’clock meeting like responsible attorneys who want to eat this month,” Matt said calmly, fingers moving steadily over his refreshable braille display.

“I want a snack.”

“Karen is getting coffee.”

“Come on, teach. Can’t we have class outside?”

Matt’s lips twitched, but he heroically fought off the encroaching smile. “Sorry.”

“You’re no fun,” Foggy pouted.

A second later he was balling up the nearest piece of scrap paper and tossing it at Matt’s head. Matt snatched it out of the air without looking up.

Foggy gave a delighted laugh. “Actually, come to think of it, this could be pretty fun.”

“Do not,” Matt started to say, and caught Foggy’s thrown pen, “start throwing,” a crumpled-up napkin, “random things at me,” an apple.

“I’m helping you,” Foggy said. “Think of this like training. We have to know how good your senses are at detecting projectiles aimed at your head, right?”

“I’m well aware of their range, thanks,” Matt drawled. “You know I don’t actually need your help with this.”

He had the feeling Foggy was raising his eyebrows. “Huh. Sounds like someone don’t think he can take everything I give him.”

Matt paused.

Then he pushed his chair back and stood up. “Okay,” he said. “Bring it.”

Ten minutes later he was parkouring around the office, bouncing off the walls and furniture to catch every random item Foggy lobbed into the air. Foggy giggled breathlessly as he scooped up a calculator and chucked it at Matt’s head - just as Matt head footsteps in the hall outside.

He froze.

The door opened. “ - think you’ll be very impressed with Mr. Murdock and Mr. Nelson,” Karen was saying to their new client as they walked in.

The calculator bounced off Matt’s forehead and clattered to the ground.

“Eep!” said Foggy.

*

“Oh well,” said Foggy twenty minutes later. “There are other clients.”

*

2. Culinary or Scientific “Experimentation” Involving the Kitchenette Microwave

“I am going,” Matt announced dramatically, “to die.”

Karen frowned at him. “You said you only got stabbed ‘fleetingly’ last night. Which I don’t think is an appropriate modifier in this situation, but still.”

“Not from that,” Matt said, waving a hand as if his skin being perforated by goons with knives was an implausible cause of death. “No, I’m going to die because somebody - ” he raised his voice “ - decided to use the office microwave for his audition for Chopped last night.”

“You know, I may not have super hearing, but I can still tell when you’re being passive aggressive at a normal volume,” Foggy said placidly from his office. “You don’t need to shout.”

“Curries from three different cuisines do not go together!” Matt said. “In fact, curries from any cuisine should not be reheated in the office microwave! Do it at home!” He paused. “No, wait, I visit your apartment. Do it at Marci’s.”

Foggy batted his eyelashes at Karen, because it would’ve been a wasted move on Matt. “I didn’t realize this was an open relationship, but all right.”

“If you could smell what I smell…”

“Is it better or worse than gunpowder?” Foggy asked.

Matt’s mouth snapped shut. Karen, who had been giggling behind her hand, looked from Matt to Foggy and back to Matt again. “Wait, what?”

Foggy rested his chin on his hands, smiling beatifically. “Matthew, did you not tell our silent partner about the homemade explosives you created here last weekend?”

“WHAT.”

Matt glowered in Foggy’s direction. “Dirty pool, Nelson.”

“MATT.”

Matt turned back to Karen, spreading his hands with a guileless expression. “Okay, in my defense they were just flash grenades, and they worked very well in stopping those arms dealers I took down on Tuesday.”

Karen scowled at him. “...I’m giving myself a raise.”

“That’s fair.”

*

3. Excessive Bleeding

“...so Matt and I will speak to the opposing counsel, and I think we’ll be able to settle this in your favor by the end of the week,” Foggy said, smiling at Mrs. Gupta across the conference room table.

She beamed. “Thank you both so much. I know how hard you’ve worked on this, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”

Matt gave her his good Catholic boy smile. “It was our pleasure,” he said, reaching across the table to shake her hand.

Foggy glanced over at Matt and blanched. “Yep, yep, it was great, love that hard work, but I’m afraid we have another meeting coming up so Karen will just show you out. Karen!”

Karen appeared in the doorway, looking perplexed. She wasn’t the only one - Matt had his “confused terrier” expression on, and Mrs. Gupta was staring at Foggy. “Yes?”

“Can you please help Mrs. Gupta with any paperwork, at your desk, and then walk her out?” Foggy said, lifting his eyebrows at her significantly.

“Uh...sure. Right this way, Mrs. Gupta,” Karen said, gesturing to her desk.

The minute they were out of the conference room, Foggy closed the door, locked it, and yanked back the side of Matt’s jacket to reveal that his white shirt was soaked through with blood - visible only when Matt leaned forward just right. “Matt!”

Matt winced. “Stitches aren’t holding, huh?”

“I can’t believe you,” Foggy hissed, pushing the jacket off Matt’s shoulders and helping him ease out of it. “You said you were fine!”

“I thought I was,” Matt protested. Foggy started to unbutton his shirt. “Hey, no hanky-panky in the office.”

“You really wanna test me right now, Murdock?”

Matt bit his lip. Foggy got his shirt unbuttoned and tugged it back to reveal a three-inch gash in Matt’s side, bleeding merrily on one end through popped stitches.

“Jesus.”

“It’s not that bad,” Matt tried. “Even Claire said so.”

“Couldn’t you tell it was bleeding again? Couldn’t you smell it? Didn’t it hurt?” Foggy asked. Matt hesitated. “What.”

“I always smell at least a little bit like blood, these days,” Matt said. “And…”

“...And you always hurt,” Foggy finished for him, and Matt nodded. Foggy sighed and leaned forward to rest his forehead against Matt’s temple. “Oh, Matty.”

“I’m sorry,” Matt said.

“You’d hurt worse if you didn’t go out there,” Foggy said. “Of course, that doesn’t mean we can have you scaring our clients away by bleeding all over them. I’d say I’ll check you over before our meetings, but that might lead to breaking the hanky-panky rule.”

Matt smiled, and turned his head to meet Foggy’s lips. “I’m willing to risk it.”

*

4. Pets

“A dog,” Foggy said.

“You know I don’t need a dog, Foggy,” Matt said.

“Screw you, Murdock, I want a dog!” Foggy said. “This office could use a mascot. Besides Daredevil, I mean.”

“I am not a mascot,” Matt said, hiding a smile.

“Well, then, we definitely need a dog.”

“Oh, can we please get a dog?” Karen asked. “A therapy dog! Who in this office doesn’t need a therapy dog, honestly.”

“Or therapy,” Foggy pointed out.

“Dog’s cheaper.”

“True.”

“No dogs!” Matt protested, but he was laughing outright now.

“Cat?” Foggy suggested. Matt shook his head.

“Parakeet?” Karen tried.

“Chinchilla?”

“Bunny?”

“Iguana?”

“Stop!” Matt said. “You two really want an animal in here, don’t you?”

Foggy as he perched on the edge of Karen’s desk. “What gave you that idea?”

“Would you like me to tell you exactly how many rats I can hear in the walls at this exact moment?”

Foggy and Karen exchanged glances. “You know what, why don’t we just get a few more plants?” Karen suggested.

*

5. Hanky-Panky

“Karen’s gonna yell at us,” Foggy panted as Matt loosened the knot in his tie to get better access to his neck.

Matt nipped at Foggy’s pulse. “Karen’s a block away already and getting further as we speak.”

Foggy huffed. “I can’t believe you’re hyper-sensing someone else while trying to get in my pants.”

“I wasn’t trying to get in your pants,” Matt said. He dropped his hands from Foggy’s tie to his waist and started untucking his shirt. “Now I’m trying to get in your pants.”

“I’ll have you know, counsellor, that...mm...this is a respectable place of business...oh, fuck...and these shenanigans will not stand.” Foggy’s protests would probably have sounded more assertive if he hadn’t been using a two-handed grip on Matt’s ass to haul him closer.

“They don’t have to stand,” Matt suggested. “There’s a perfectly good desk right there.”

“Ugh, that’s your worst line yet,” Foggy groaned, head tipped back. “Done. Dumped. Divorced. Fuck, do that again.”

Matt pulled back - just a few inches, but back. “I thought we were divorced.”

Foggy glared, hair wild and cheeks red. “Get back here and put your tongue back where it was.”

“But what about Karen?” Matt asked innocently.

Foggy paused. “You’re sure she’s not going to walk back in for a while?”

“Positive.”

“...Fine, but we’re using your desk.”