#it's better to hold her back from creating commotion because she really need to lay low

[kurohaai]

Drunk and sleepy and just want to go home. Make way.

[highdramas]

the billboard said the end is near | b.b.

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝'𝐬 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 | 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭

pairing: bucky barnes x fem!reader

warnings: language, possible tfatws spoilers, canon typical violence, bucky is soft and loves his doll and will do anything to keep her safe

word count: 2184

summary: bucky is protective over what has given him solace.

note: here's tawlb part 4! you don’t have to read these in order, they stand independently, but they do all work together! PLEASE leave feedback/reblog! this is extremely helpful for me writing future parts to know what everyone likes or doesn’t like!

enjoy! <3

chaos has always controlled your life.

in all of the best ways, and all of the worst ones, too. in the best ways, it has allowed you to not take life too seriously. it has allowed you to let things roll off your shoulders and keep your easy breezy demeanor. you like to think that you don’t allow the little things to affect you-- you also note that it’s because the big things have been so all consuming.

who knew that turning to dust for five years would turn your life into such a shit show?

the five years hadn’t felt like five years to you at all. it felt like one day, you had been laying on your couch watching tv, and then five years later you were appearing in someone else’s apartment. all of your things, gone.

you will never forget their screams as they watched you materialize from nothing.

of course, you can’t blame them. and it wasn’t just this apartment. the screams and the chaos broke through the entire building. people busting from doors, crying and scrambling to use their cell phones, to see if this was really happening.

the couple that had moved into your apartment after you dusted had been kind, all things considered. the woman had held you and you could feel her crying and she kept saying do you have family? do you know their numbers?

finally, you couldn’t help yourself. you had asked, “what happened to me?”

“you’ve been gone for five years, honey.”

these sorts of revelations had ruled your life for the months since you came back.

like when you called your boyfriend only to find out that he was engaged.

like when you found out that you certainly didn’t have a job anymore.

like when you found out that you had no apartment, no savings, no anything. nothing left.

it has been over a year since the blip and you are still feeling the repercussions from it. you are still feeling the hurt of having your life upended, you are still feeling the hurt of missing a life that went on without you. it’s hard not to daydream about what could’ve been. what could’ve stayed the same.

then bucky looks at you, and you’re reminded that not all change is bad.

change is hard but you know that he kisses you and it makes your brain fuzzy, he lays you back on your mattress and he stays with you until the sun rises. change is hard but you introduce him as my boyfriend, james to every new person you meet and you watch as he smiles and pride lingers in his eyes and he carefully places his arm around your shoulders. change is hard but he doesn’t wear the gloves around you anymore.

change is hard, but bucky is better than any of it.

he’s been gone more than normal lately.

of course, you understand. and, really, you think it might be good for him. not the fighting-- while you understand the benefit it has for him, the purpose that it gives him, that’s not the thing that you believe serves him best. no, it is sam. it is sam’s family. it is knowing that there are other people out there in the world who are looking at him the same way that you look at him.

okay, maybe not exactly the same.

bucky had sent you a text from that stupid dinky flip phone that morning, saying that he would be home that night. the implications go unsaid.

you and the winter soldier have formed quite the routine-- he has a key to your apartment on his keyring (it’s a disney princess key. it’s the only spare that you had, and the laughter that erupted from you had made him relent in trying to barter for the cat printed key you have). he’s going to let himself in, probably around ten. you’ll already have the chinese takeout spread out on the table. you’ll spread your arms out and do little jazz hands towards the food and you’ll say, “ta-da.”

and you will watch as the tension in his shoulders starts to ease and he sets his duffel bag down in your entryway and he will cross the room to you. his arms will snake around your waist and his face will be buried into the crook of your neck. he will sigh and you will stroke his hair and you will say, “welcome home, buck.”

but now, it is nine. it is nine and you are curled up on your couch and kitty rests in your lap and you feel yourself growing antsy waiting for bucky to come home. she looks up at you and lets out that little trill as you scratch her head and you smile.

the smiling doesn’t last long.

the building that you and bucky live in is not swanky by any means. it was built in the 40s, with creaky floors and ugly carpeted hallways. the walls are thin and you can hear everything-- really, everything. and the shouting and commotion is certainly not typical.

you move to stand just as the door bursts--or explodes, you’re not sure which is the better word-- open. a scream leaves your lips and you hold onto your cat for dear life, scrambling back into your bedroom and clicking the door behind you. your limbs are shaking and you nearly trip over your dresser and your cat nearly claws your arm off.

you hear bucky before you see him.

“you really think i wasn’t gonna find out about this little stunt?” you’ve never heard his voice like this-- so low, so full of absolute rage. “you’re out of your fucking mind.”

the other person is stammering and though you don’t see the blow that bucky lands on their face, you do hear the aftermath. bucky is talking to someone and you finally set your cat down and you hear bucky on the other side of the door. “doll, it’s me.”

you open the door and look at him with a pounding heart and shaking hands. he looks just as shaken, but more than that-- he’s angry. his fists are clenched at his sides. “buck--” you lay a hand on your chest and you try to gain control of your breathing and you can see that he is doing the same. “what happened?”

bucky hesitates. you watch the gears turning in his head, and it makes your head tilt to the side. “bucky, i’m not kidding-- tell me.”

“we were on our way back and sam got a tip from torres that the flag smashers were--” he cringes even at the thought and he shakes his head. “they were going to try and--”

you watch as he struggles to say it, to really say it, and you touch his face. the touch seems to open him up. his hand takes your wrist and he rubs his thumb along the bone. “they wanted to take you as a hostage.”

a hostage.

bucky opens his mouth to say something else as you blink, trying to wrap your mind around the fact that someone wanted to take you as a hostage, but sam interrupts him. “sharon’s got the guy in cuffs downstairs,” he says in your doorway. when you look, you can see that a mess has been made of your living room-- and not the sort of mess that you create. no, it is a mess of destruction and chaos. “i’m gonna head out. call me if you need anything, i’m staying in town.”

bucky nods and you muster up your best smile to sam and then you look at bucky and you say quietly, “can we go to your apartment?”

he nods and you scoop up kitty and you pad down the hall beside him, still in your loungewear and fuzzy socks. you notice that he constantly keeps a hand on you. whether it’s his fingers tangling with yours or his arm around your shoulders or his palm pressed into the small of your back-- you know exactly what it is that he’s doing, and you lean into every touch, hoping that the contact whispers i’m here, i’m here, i’m here, and you are not losing me.

kitty drops to the floor and, surprisingly, it’s bucky that speaks before you do. “you’re gonna move in here. with me.” he stares at you firmly. “i’m gonna make sure that you’re safe. and the safest place you can be is with me.”

you open your mouth to reply but he continues. “i can’t--” you watch the gears in his head turning, the scenarios turning over and over and over again in his mind. “i can’t lose you.”

“buck…” you move over to him and you place your hands on his face. his eyes are fixed on the wall behind your head, and you watch as guilt overcomes him and you can practically hear him saying if i hadn’t been there in time… “bucky, you’re not going to.”

you feel his hands fist into the material of your t shirt and he holds you even closer. “i’ll move in with you,” you finally whisper against the stubble of his jaw. “and not just for safety. because i want to live with you.”

bucky pulls away and he looks at you with a wobbling lip and you shush him. “i’m okay,” you whisper and you lean your forehead on his. “i’m okay, and i’m here, and i’m staying.”

“okay.”

his hand caresses the back of your head and you touch the place where his heart is. you watch his shoulders rise and fall, you watch his eyes flutter shut and you see some of the tension finally seep out of his pores. he opens his eyes at you and he looks so tired.

“i sleep on the floor,” he blurts it as he pulls away slightly. for a moment, it looks like he regrets it, the way that he winces slightly. “i don’t like… i don’t like sleeping in the bed. it’s too… soft. i always slept in your bed when i stayed over because i didn’t want you to wake up and i wasn’t there.”

“bucky…” you lean into every single place that he touches. “i’ll sleep on the floor with you.”

an incredulous sort of laugh leaves bucky as he stares down at you. he shakes his head a bit. “i don’t want you to do that.”

“i don’t care,” you say with a steely resolve and confident defiance, jutting your chin up at him. “because i’m sleeping next to you. tonight, and every night after. i don’t care where. i’ll never care where.”

bucky’s exhale is shaky and broad arms encircle your waist entirely, drawing you in closer and closer. his face presses into your neck, the exact way that you had imagined him coming home to you hours earlier. you can feel his lips pressing into your skin, can feel the sheer need in it. “i don’t deserve you,” every movement of his lips against your neck is entirely felt, sending sparks through your limbs. “i don’t know what i did to get this lucky.”

“shh,” you rake your fingernails down his scalp and you can feel his fingers gripping you tighter. “if you say that stupid shit again, i’ll kill you. you deserve me.” you tap his chin and he fixes his gaze on you. “and i deserve you. we deserve each other. we deserve to be happy. together. and i’m tired of people thinking otherwise.”

bucky finally cracks a smile. “you’re very stubborn.”

“i thought you liked that about me.”

“i love that about you.” he takes a beat. “among other things.”

you bite down on your lip and finally lean up on your tiptoes. “i promise i’ll be a good roommate.”

“that’s bullshit,” he says and his hands find the curve of your waist once more, traveling to your hips. “i’m going to be cleaning up after you every damn day.”

“yeah, probably.” your hand goes to the back of his head. “it will feel safe. staying here.”

bucky’s nose trails up the side of your face. “good.” he presses his lips to your jaw. “i’m sorry about your apartment. that fucker would’ve been dead if you weren’t there.” he grows more serious again. “i would never let anyone get away with anything like that. i will never let it get that far again, doll. i swear to god.”

“bucky,” you breathe. “i know. it’s okay.” you take his hand and you pull a few blankets off his couch, toss down a few pillows. “let’s go to sleep.”

there’s a twinkle in his eye as he watches you shuffle around his apartment, putting together a makeshift bed on the floor. you fluff the pillows before setting them down and you give him a smile that tells him everything is going to be alright.

even though he says you moving in is about keeping you safe… he sleeps that night on the hardwood, holding you, and he feels safer too.

[just-jordie-things]

Accidental Naps - Richie Tozier

word count: 1911 warnings: swearing, mentions of weed (?) summary: pretty much the request :)) request: can you write something for richie? reader and him end up falling asleep in the clubhouse and the losers wake them up (a/n) this one’s dedicated to my wife who needed some romantic pining :3

___

“Come lay with me,” Richie called out, making grabby hands towards (y/n).

She looked up from where she was sitting in her bean bag chair, reading one of his comic books.  She pulled a face, because Richie was laying in the hammock, and he’d proven before that two people did not fit, when Eddie had forced himself into the hanging swing.

“Come on” The boy whined again, his arms hanging off the side dramatically.

(y/n) raised her brows, not out of surprise, he was always dramatic, but it was still entertaining to watch him pout like a child.

“It’ll break” She told him, and looked back down at her comic.

“No it won’t” Richie argued back hopefully.

“One of us will fall out- or we both will” She answered, still reading.

“You won’t fall out!” Richie pleaded.  “It’ll be fine, please?”

Her eyes flickered up to his, and when he gave her that big stupid cheesy grin, she knew she was done for.

“I need attention” He added in a whine.

“You always need attention” (y/n) sighed.

She marked her spot in the comic as she stood up, and made her way towards him.

“And you always give in!” Richie told her- like she didn’t already know- and wrapped his arms around her as she carefully crawled into the hammock with him.

She tried to be slow in her movements, but Richie didn’t care if they flipped the swing, so he pulled her the rest of the way until she tripped and fell into him.

“Richie!” She tried to scold him, but she was laughing too much to really be convincing.  “You could’ve flipped the whole thing over”

“Nah, calm down babe,” He shrugged while she got situated.  “Here, I’ll keep it steady”

Richie stuck a leg out of the swing, and since the boy was a tree, it wasn't difficult for him to keep one foot on the ground, so they would stop swinging back and forth.

(y/n) cuddled up against Richie’s side, even though she was already half on top of him, since the hammock was so small.  Neither of them would admit, but they didn’t mind anyways.

“Better?” She asked, laying her head on his chest and opening up -her- his comic book again.

He grinned at her.

“Much” He says, wrapping his arms around her waist, holding her close while she started to read.

He could’ve fallen asleep right then and there, but he wanted to enjoy his time with her.  So he squeezed her tighter and buried his face into her hair.

“That tickles,” (y/n) giggles, her shoulders flinching while Richie only buried his face further.  She squealed when his nose grazed over her neck.  “Richie! Cut it out!” She said between giggles, until eventually she dropped the comic book to the ground, and flipped over onto her stomach so she could lift her head away from his face.

“We don’t hang out enough” Richie declared, and the sudden change in mood made her brows furrow.

She stared down at him, an almost worried expression on her face.  Had she been a bad friend? Had she not reached out enough? Sure the whole gang hangs out plenty, but did she not do a good enough job creating special relationships with each of her friends individually?

“I’m sorry,” The words slipped out rather awkwardly, but she didn’t take it back.  “We should hang out more, but you know Beverly always wants to go to like the mall or something-”

“We can just do this,” Richie said, pulling her back down.    She was laying on top of him now, but again, neither cared.  “Just lots and lots of this”

She grins, shaking her head at him, but she was still smiling.

“I guess I’m okay with that” She mumbled, before laying down against him again.

Her legs tangled between his, and she threw her arm across his torso.

“You guess?” Richie teased, and she chuckled against his neck.

“You’re actually pretty comfortable,” She hummed, starting to feel sleepy as the soft material of his tee shirt caressed over her cheek.  “Even though you’re a skinny ass tree”

When she let out a yawn, Richie grinned at her, even though her eyes had fallen shut.

“You gonna fall asleep?”

“Play with my hair a little and you bet” She joked, peeking an eye open at him for a second, just so she could stick her tongue out.

“You got it” Richie replied, and before she could laugh it off, his hand was in her hair, combing through gently.

She giggled, looking up at him with a dopey smile that she couldn’t bite back if she tried.

“You’re so dumb,” She teased affectionately.  “The dumbest, really”

There’s a blush on her cheeks that Richie doesn’t miss, because the proximity between their faces is so small it’s almost nonexistent.  If he didn’t know better, he would kiss her right now.

He wondered briefly if he did know better, though.

He knew he should say something, because he’s just staring at her like a love-struck idiot -which he was- and it’d been so long now he was blushing too.

(y/n’s) eyes wandered down to his lips, and paused for a moment, staring just long enough for Richie to notice, and for his cheeks to darken to a red.

A beam stretched across her lips when she saw this, and her eyes flickered back up to his.

“You’re blushing” She whispers, and she pokes his nose and then his cheek.

“Yeah well you’re starin’ at me” Richie retorted.

(y/n) quirked an eyebrow.

“And that makes you blush like that?” She asks, her grin turning into a sly sort of smirk.

“You’re frightening, babe”

He was murmuring, and something about the drop in his voice when he used the cute little nickname made her heart skip a beat.  Maybe even two beats.

“I’m frightening?” She asked, confused as to what part of her made him nervous.

Richie chuckled, his hand still petting her hair comfortingly.

“Hell yeah” He said, and her brows furrowed.

“What about me scares you?” She asked.  “I think I’ve always been nice to you?”

“You have,” He told her.  “But unfortunately you’re really pretty, so it doesn’t matter”

Both of her eyebrows raised out of surprise, and Richie only grinned back at her.

“And- and that scares you?” She asks, and she tries to get the feeling to go away, but her cheeks feel hot again, and they must match the same rosey shade on Richie’s face.

“Well, it’s certainly intimidating,” He said, shrugging his shoulder nonchalantly.  Her head moved with it, and she giggled at the action.  “You’re a frightening, intimidating, pretty girl”

She giggles again, because it’s the weirdest and cheesiest thing she’s ever heard.

“I didn’t know you thought that,” She mumbled, her eyes drooping a bit as she spoke.  “You’re not actually like… scared of me, are you?”

“No, not completely, I mean, Stan is way scarier than you are, so there’s that”

She laughs and so does he, and the hammock swings them a bit from the commotion.  But Richie places his foot on the ground and steadies them again.

“For what it’s worth,” (y/n) whispers, before yawning, and tucking her head against the crook of his neck.  “You’re pretty too”

“Thank you, babe” Richie chuckles, twirling a strand of her hair around his finger.

(y/n) hums, and her nose pressed into his neck as she readjusts her head to be more comfortable, and Richie squirmed a bit from the sensation, despite trying not to.

“You’re welcome, Rich” She murmured, quietly, and slowly.

He realized then that she was going to fall asleep on him, and was making no effort to try and stop it.  Then again, he didn’t make any effort either.

So he wrapped his arms around her snugly, and rested his cheek against the top of her head and closed his own eyes.

“You fallin’ asleep on me?” (y/n) asked, words a bit slurred, and muffled.

“No, you’re falling asleep on me” Richie corrected.

“I already told you that you’re comfortable,” She argued back.  “But if you don’t want to nap with me, you’re free to leave the hammock Tozier”

He chuckled, and couldn’t help but press a little kiss into her hair.  So small and quick she probably wouldn’t even notice.

She did.

“I’ll nap with you” He told her, and she smiled.

She doesn’t say anything, but her hand falls from where it had been lying on his hip.  She reaches tentatively for his free hand- the one that isn’t tangled in her hair- and ever so carefully slips her fingers into his palm, before slotting in between his.

Richie doesn’t dare move a muscle, until her fingers are perfectly intertwined with his, and then he carefully clasps her hand in his own.

His heart is beating so fast that he’s sure she hears it, or feels it against her cheek, but he doesn’t really care.

She’s holding his fucking hand how could he care-

“Richie,” (y/n) whispers, voice barely audible.  “Your heart’s beatin’ real fast”

“Sorry” He apologizes impulsively, but she chuckles sleepily.

“It’s okay,” She mumbles.  “It’s cute”

It’s the last thing she says before she falls asleep, and he can tell because her hand relaxes a bit, and her breathing evens out.  Richie doesn’t fall asleep himself for a couple more minutes, enjoying this moment way too much.

But eventually his body gives in and his eyes get heavy and he passes out with her, in what they would later describe as the best nap they’ve ever taken. ___

“What the fuck?”

“Sh-should we w-wake them u-up?”

“Are they… together?”

“Oh my fucking god- holy fucking shit- did they hook up?”

“Don’t be stupid, they couldn’t have hooked up in the hammock”

“Well, they could have done it all over and then fallen asleep in the hammock”

“Oh my fucking god.  I’m gonna throw up.  Yeah- yeah, I’m about to barf-”

“Shut up dumbass you’ll wake them up”

The rest of the Loser’s Club had made plans to hang out at the clubhouse, smoke a little weed, play dumb games, the usual.  They’d tried calling (y/n) and Richie, but neither had picked the phone, so everyone got together anyways.

It made for quite the surprise when they got to the clubhouse, only to find their missing friends cuddled up in the hammock.

“Do you think Richie confessed?” Beverly whispered to her friends, lighting a cigarette and smirking at the sleeping pair.

“Doubt it” Stan muttered.

“They’re holding hands though,” Ben pointed out.  “That doesn’t just happen in your sleep”

“(y/n’s) a-affectionate,” Bill shrugged.  “Sh-she p-probably j-just-”

“Can we wake them up now?” Eddie cut him off.  “I don’t wanna look at them anymore”

“You’re just jealous” Mike said, and Eddie stuck his tongue out defensively.

“We’ll just smoke outside,” Beverly declared.  “We’ll let them sleep, and when they wake up, they can come up and join us”

“They’re gonna have to talk when they wake up anyways,” Ben said, heading back to the ladder.  “You know, about their feelings-”

“Disgusting,” Eddie shoved Ben’s back.  “Go faster”

“Jealous” Everyone said in unison.

It only took about twenty minutes before (y/n) and Richie awoke from their slumber.  And the Losers definitely eavesdropped from the open hatch while they talked through their feelings for one another.

___

taglist: @fiantomartell​ @lemonypink​ @darling-egg​

xoxo ~ jordie

[thedyingwriter]

BTS hybrid X Reader AU

Part 1 | Part 2

Character (age)

Kim Seokjin- Fox hybrid (28)

Min Yoongi- Jaguar hybrid (27)

Jung Hoseok- G. Retriever hybrid (26)

Kim Namjoon- Wolf hybrid (26)

Park Jimin- Cat hybrid (25)

Kim Taehyung- Panther hybrid (25)

Jeon Jungkook- Rabbit hybrid (23)

Reader- Dr Kang Seo Yoon (27)

Jaehyun- Seo Yoon's best friend and coworker. (25 for the sake of the Story)

Summary

{ Dr Kang Seo Yoon was a very successful researcher and doctor of the hybrids and worked at the hybrid welfare center. She lived with her six hybrids- Jin, Yoongi, Namjoon, Hoseok, Jimin and Jungkook- who had grown up on her through the years when she found them at the rescue shelters. She was a kind and empathetic person who had used all her resources and knowledge for the betterment of the hybrid species. What will happen when she comes across an injured Panther hybrid Taehyung outside her house and decides to help him regardless of him being hardly human towards her. Will she take him in? Will he become a part of her sweet happy family? }

Chapter 1

The Injured Hybrid

" Wake up noona" Seo Yoon heard the voice of Jungkook shaking her from slumber. He nuzzled his face in the crook of her neck tickling her with his soft ears. She chuckled at his action and finally got up.

"Aish, kookie where do you get so much energy at 5 in the morning." You said gently rubbing his bunny ears. He purred.

"Noona everyone is sleeping and I have been up for a while. I didn't want to disturb you but you said you have to wake up early for your work today so I thought I should come and see" He said his cute smile on full display a faint shade of red on his cheeks.

"Let's go and make some breakfast for everyone then, you can help me" She said getting down from her bed and following Jungkook towards the kitchen. The 23 year old was always cheerful making sure everyone around him is happy too. For his age he definitely acts like a cute lil toddler but she loved him dearly.

"Kookie I plan on making fried rice and omelette for breakfast. I'll start with the rice could you whisk me some eggs?" She told him and he nodded while grabbing a large bowl and a crate of egg from the fridge.

Seo Yoon was cutting the vegetable when Jin walked in the kitchen his hair a mess. "Good morning Jin oppa" "Good morning hyung" You and Jungkook said at the same time.

She felt gentle hands at your back, untying your apron. “I can take over Y/N, why don’t you go take a bath? You have to be at the center early for the rounds right? " Jin said shaking your hair.

“Thank you oppa, what Would I do without you” she said, stepping away from the stove. If Seo Yoon weren’t cooking, Jin was. He loved the activity ever since you taught him how. Soon enough he surpassed her skills, creating mouth-watering dishes. In thanks, she rubbed his dark fox ears. He leaned into your touch, fluffy tail swaying.

"Noona shall I go and wake all the hyung while you get ready? " Jungkook asked.

"Yes kookie that would be really helpful. Tell them all to brush their teeth and come for breakfast. " She said and walked back to her room to get ready for the day. Seo Yoon and Jaehyun had to work hard today. It was an open out patient day and different shelters were bringing their hybrids for checkups. She took a shower and dressed up in jeans and a formal shirt tying her hair in a ponytail her beautiful bangs covering her forehead. She could hear the commotion of the boys from the kitchen. She took her white coat and some files and walked out towards them.

All of them were sitting on the counter eating their food. All the 6 hybrids looked cute in messy hairs and pyjamas while stuffing their mouths with food. She took out your phone and clicked a picture. The sound of the shutter gathering everyone's attention. Despite most of them being younger than her, she insisted on them calling her by her name as she felt really old though Jungkook still called her noona because he always wanted an elder sister.

" Aahh Seo Yoon, you look so pretty. Come join us for breakfast " Hobi said wagging his tail happily. She went to sit with them patting each of their hair as they smiled at her. Yoongi took her in a hug and passed her a travel coffee container filled with her favorite drink which he made each morning for her. She took a sip and groaned in pleasure while everyone laughed at her love for coffee which she shared with Yoongi. " What would I do without you Yoongi oppa. I can hardly work without your coffee. " She said and sat down to eat her breakfast.

*****

After breakfast Jimin went and kept her files and coat inside her car and Jin packed her lunch. She picked her bag and was ready to leave. Namjoon came to her and gave her a hug. It was their thing. Every hybrid hugged her before she went out showing affection. She kissed Joonie's cheeks and then hugged Hobi. Jimin and Jungkook group hugged her nearly trampling her on the floor with so much force and enthusiasm. Yoongi kissed her cheek as she went out to her car where Jin was ready to drive her to the center. He liked driving her and would spend an hr with shelter kids helping around and come back in an hour. His dark green silk scarf which acted as a collar sat perfectly on his neck. Jin dropped her at her office saying goodbye and going towards the shelters behind the building.

Seo Yoon entered her building and was immediately met with the strong smell of hospital which she has grown to call home now. She went to her locker and changed into her scrubs and came to her office which she shared with her best friend Jaehyun who as usual was late as always. 10 minutes later you heard the door open and a panting Jaehyun in his scrubs appeared before you.

"I'm sorry I'm late, before you say anything Seo Yoon, Ik it's third time this week and today we have a busy day ahead of us but what can I do I was watching a drama at night and couldn't get up early because of lack of sleep. " He ranted in a breath going on and on about how the protagonist if the drama was so stupid for not understanding the guy loves her.

She shook her head. " Aeyah!! stop talking Jae before I murder you. One day I'll give you a nice trashing for how casually you take me. " She said with a pout. He laughed at her and hugged her as she melted into giggles. She can never be mad at the kid. He was way too sweet and cute.

Somebody knocked at the door and a nurse appeared. " Dr Kang and Dr Jaehyun, the patients are here. We can start with the day. " She said and left.

******

Jae and Seo Yoon sat at the table and opened their lunches. Jin always packed food for your best friend who loved his food even though Jaehyun himself was an excellent cook.

"I'm coming to your place for the weekend. I really miss the boys. It's been a while. And this week we even have the Saturday off from shelter duty" Jae said with his mouth stuffed. She has lived so much around boys now that it's hard for her to remember what sophisticated people looked like.

"Why don't you just move in with me. You already live at my place nearly all the time when we aren't working" I scoffed. Her place is more or less like an open motel for her friends to stay in whenever they want considering the size of her big real estate. After her father's demise when she inherited his wealth. She decided to make a big place where she can adopt some hybrids and live happily. It had literally all the required materials a person could need to survive in luxury. She really had spoiled all the boys with 24x7 wifi and gaming.

Jaehyun shook his head and laughed at her scowled face. He loved teasing the older girl.

"Why noona that's an excellent idea. I'll have an amazing time with the boys and get free food. " She got up and punched his arm. She absolutely did not liked being called noona.

"I told you not to call me noona or I'll give you a good trashing. " She angrily chewed on her fish.

"Ayee you are biased Seo Yoon, why does jungkook gets to call you noona and all of us don't. " He teased her further.

"Well if you really want an answer he is more cuter, is good at everything, doesn't gives me a headache every 10 minute and definitely isn't a constant pain in my ass. " She said laughing and Jaehyun threw her a dirty look.

*******

When Seo Yoon left the hospital in the evening it was quite late then usual. Jaehyun had left half an hour ago but she stayed looking at the shelter kids who ran around each other enjoying life without a worry. She had a smile on her face and a tear in her eyes as she walked back to her home. She always liked walking back to home and it wasn't an issue as it was a highly safe residential society with great love for people and hybrid. She felt someone's presence behind her and immediately knew who it was.

"Jin oppa you didn't have to come I was on my way. " She said and turned to see a flustered Jin caught following her. He was worried that she was coming home alone so late and thought to accompany her.

"How did you know it was me? Do you have a secret third eye behind your head or something? " He said and took your backpack from you holding your hands firmly.

"Well I have been around you since the beginning. It's easy to feel your presence. It's a girl thing. " She said and looked in the front. They were very close to their home.

A young man clad in black outfit was walking in front of them. He had a slight limp and looked almost drunk from pain. As if he was drowning his sorrows. He was limping towards the other side when he suddenly disappeared from their eye sight.

"Oppa did you see that? " She asked Jin. Jin pulled her behind him and they both walked quietly towards the road crossing. A black van was parked ans the man from earlier was being pushed inside it. He was being abducted. 2 men pushing him inside. Jin quickly rushed towards the van. He pulled the man from the goons hold and layed the now almost unconscious man on the road side. This gave the goons time to flee. Jin was about to go after them when Seo Yoon stopped him.

She immediately knelt beside the man. He wasn't drunk. He was badly injured. His abdomen was bleeding and his legs were tampered. She tried helping him.

He groaned as she touched him to treat his wounds. He immediately backed up at an inhuman speed. This shook both of them.

"He's a hybrid oppa. We need to help him. " Seo Yoon said and Jin immediately called Yoongi to keep first aid ready.

The hybrid's cap fell from his face revealing two soft black cat like ears. His tale was brilliantly tucked in his pants not giving anything away that he wasn't human. He immediately tried fleeing from the human who looked at her with her almost teary eyes but he couldn't. He did not have the strength. He collapsed in her arms his world going black as the last thing he saw was the beautiful face of a teary eyed angel who somehow did not look like she wanted to harm him like other humans.

Seo Yoon was almost gonna cry after seeing the hybrid. He fell in her arms. His life almost slipping away. Jin picked him up and they rushed inside the house towards the guest room. Yoongi and the boys had kept all necessary medical aid that they know Seo Yoon kept for emergency on a table nearby. They were as astonished as the duo seeing how badly injured this hybrid was.

"What happened to you" Seo Yoon wondered out loud.

A/N: this is my first hybrid au. I hope you all enjoyed this. Please like comment and reblog if you liked it. I'll post next part soon. Put your name in the comment section below to get tagged in the next part.

[besanii]

hello! first of all, let me just say that i love your writing !! second, i was reading shattered mirrors (bc that verse owns me thanks) and in the nightmare fic, wwx mentions a water prison, which sounds super terrifying and interesting so I guess my question is does wwx have a fear of water because of it? If so, does LWJ know? -C

[from here (#21) and here (#28)]

“Xian-er, my dear, a moment of your time.”

He feels Lan Wangji stiffen beside him when Wang Dafu wanders over to their table partway through the festivities. The other guests are in various states of inebriation and growing rowdy, although Wei Wuxian suspects they are behaving themselves more so than usual today. Usually around this time he would be excusing himself for some fresh air to escape the noise, but there had been little chance of it with Lan Wangji beside him, still as a statue, preventing his exit.

Wang Dafu bows to Lan Wangji.

“Er-wangye, may I perhaps be so bold as to borrow a moment of Xian-er’s time?” he asks. “I would like to have a word with him in private.”

Lan Wangji does not move. Wang Dafu starts to sweat under his stony gaze, glancing around for assistance without causing a scene. Eventually, Wei Wuxian takes pity on him and rises to his feet with an easy laugh.

“Of course, Wang-daren,” he says. “Shall we adjourn to your delightful little garden? I am afraid I have been terrible company tonight and should excuse myself before I displease Er-wangye any further.”

The cup in Lan Wangji’s hand hits the table top with a loud thud that catches the attention of everyone in their immediate vicinity. Within a second, everyone stops what they are doing to bow in the wake of his anger, cowering further when Lan Wangji rises to his feet. He ignores Wang Dafu completely and turns to Wei Wuxian with the same stony gaze.

Wei Wuxian hesitates, keeping his head bowed.

“Wangye…” he says, “if I have indeed displeased you—”

“You have not,” Lan Wangji interrupts him to say. 

His tone, however, is flat and abrupt. It has been a very long time since Wei Wuxian has heard this tone directed at him and it shocks him more than he would like to admit; he keeps his hands tucked into his wide sleeves, hidden beneath the silk veil he has yet to remove, unable to stop the way they tremble at the thought of Lan Wangji angry because of him.

“Raise your head,” Lan Wangji tells him. When Wei Wuxian hesitates to obey, Lan Wangji sighs. “W—Xian-er.”

The name sounds foreign on his lips—sounds wrong. He finds himself hating it, hating the sound of it, in that instant. But the moment passes and he raises his head, all smiles and good humour once again.

“Yes, Wangye?”

“I will join you in the gardens,” Lan Wangji says. “I also find myself in need of some fresh air.”

–

There is a large pond in the middle of the garden, which Wang Dafu boasts took months to create. It is deep, he says, deep and wide enough for them to be able to take a small boat around the perimeter and allow them some privacy.

Lan Wangji stays a ways behind to give them a semblance of privacy, watching as Wang Dafu leads Wei Wuxian to the water’s edge with a simpering, doting smile on his lips. Wei Wuxian responds in kind, with a hand on his arms, puncturing holes in Lan Wangji’s lungs with each whispered word and soft laugh that floats back into his ear. He forces himself to watch, even though he is too far away to hear what they are saying; each passing second burns bitterly in the back of his throat.

“Wangye,” a servant says quietly from behind him. “Would you like to take a seat in the pavilion to wait for the master?”

“No, I will wait here,” Lan Wangji says. “You may leave.”

“Yes, Wangye.”

He watches Wei Wuxian shiver just as the boat is pulling close to the shore, and Wang Dafu coos and fawns over him before he is striding off, calling for Mo Xuanyu to bring an extra cloak for his master. Wei Wuxian watches him go, his hands falling to his side, no longer shivering, the playfulness gone from his gait. Turning away from the water, he looks to a spot to Lan Wangji’s left and raises his voice.

“You can come out now,” he says.

A young woman, no more than twenty, charges out from behind a tree. One of Wang Dafu’s concubines, Lan Wangji realises, from the fine silks and gold ornaments in her hair.

“Liu-furen,” Wei Wuxian says. “To what do I owe this pleasure?”

“You bitch,” she hisses. “I know what you’re here for! You have your greedy little eyes on my husband. You think that parading yourself around like the shameless thing you are will get you out of your miserable little life? It won’t be that easy. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Wei Wuxian laughs, but it is not the soft, breathy laugh from before; instead, it is sharp and mocking, cutting through the woman’s fury like a sharp knife.

“Pardon me, Liu-furen,” he says. “I wasn’t aware you had any say. Did you not serve Wang-furen as a maid before you climbed into bed with her husband? And you dare to lecture me on being shameless?”

She gapes at him for a moment, to stunned to speak. In the next moment, she raises her hand and slaps Wei Wuxian across the face, nearly dislodging his veil. Wei Wuxian does not retaliate, fixing the veil around his head to disguise how he raises his hand to still Lan Wangji’s furious step forward.

“Xian-er thanks Liu-furen for her guidance,” he says coldly. “I must remind you that I am here at Wang-daren’s personal invitation. What do you think your husband will say if he found out how you treat his guests?”

“I am his wife,” she says haughtily, but there is a trace of nervousness in her tone. “He would not believe the words of a slut over mine.”

“Pardon me, Liu-furen, but you are a concubine,” he reminds her. “And the lowest ranking one too. I would really advise you to worry about yourself first, rather than picking needless fights with me.”

She grabs his arm roughly to prevent him from leaving. The force of the motion has him stumbling backwards and crashing into her, causing both of them to lose balance and slip on the wet grass by the edge of the pond. She shrieks as she falls, and claws at him in a desperate attempt to regain balance. The ensuing struggle knocks his weimao to the ground and his long hair spills over his shoulder.

Lan Wangji, who had already started moving the moment he saw her lay her hand on him, gets there in time to catch Wei Wuxian by the waist, hauling him away from the water’s edge. The motion dislodges her hands in the process; she tumbles into the water with a scream, followed by a loud splash. He pays her no mind, attention already on Wei Wuxian, who has gone deathly still.

“Wei Ying?” he says softly. “Are you alright?”

Tremors start to run over his body, small and barely noticeable at first, rapidly building in intensity until he collapses in Lan Wangji’s arms, his legs giving out from beneath him. His breath comes in choked, dragging gasps, terrifying similar to the way his attacker gasps and struggles in the water behind them, and he claws at his throat frantically trying to draw breath.

“Wei Ying!” He takes hold of Wei Wuxian’s face between his hands and presses their foreheads together. “Wei Ying, focus on me. Listen to me. You have to breathe. With me. Listen to me. Breathe.”

Servants and guests alike have come out at the sound of the commotion, shouting for help. Someone fishes Wang Dafu’s concubine out of the water, spluttering and crying, but Lan Wangji does not concern himself with anything other than Wei Wuxian. He holds him close, keeps their foreheads pressed together so he can feel his breath against his lips, deep and slow, until he subconsciously starts to mimic the pattern. After a few deep breaths, his body begins to relax little by little. The colour returns to his cheeks and the eerie blankness fades from his eyes.

“Lan Zhan?” he rasps, muddled and confused. “Where—?”

“Shh, you’re fine,” Lan Wangji tells him. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

People are starting to crowd around them, shouting questions and clamouring to get a better look. Wei Wuxian flinches at the noise and ducks his head; Lan Wangji grabs the fallen weimao from the ground and places back over his head before sweeping him up into his arms. A startled gasp sounds from beneath the veil as shaking hands grasp the front of his robes tightly. Wang Dafu bursts out from the crowd as he is about to leave, wild-eyed and panting.

“Wangye!” he gasps, falling to his knees. “Please forgive my concubine for her offense! I will see to it that she is punished for her transgressions!”

“I am not the one you should be apologising to,” Lan Wangji says, his voice quiet and cold as ice. “This woman will receive fifty slaps across the face and confinement to the ancestral shrine for reckless endangerment of a guest of her husband’s house and failure to observe proper etiquette as befitting a concubine of her station. Wang Dafu shall receive fifty lashes and withholding of six month’s salary for the endangerment of a guest of his house as a result of his failure to enforce proper conduct within your household. Report to the Ministry of Justice at dawn.”

He adjusts his arms so Wei Wuxian is tucked securely in his arms, his head leaning against his shoulder beneath the weimao, and strides past the crowd without a backward glance.

Notes:

Liu-furen (六夫人) - Sixth Madam, or “sixth wife”

// buy me a ko-fi //

Master Post is here

[retrievablememories]

try again | ten

title: try again pairing: ten x black!reader genre: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff request: “Can I ask a dark Ten and his black wife having a miscarriage and feeling like she failed him in being a good wife and making him a father so she wants a divorce so he can be happy with someone else but he persists on being with her not matter what happens. Thanks for taking it!” word count: 2.9k warnings: mentions of a miscarriage, depression/grief, marital troubles a/n: my computer/photoshop is being raggedy as hell so i don’t have an actual banner pic or paragraph separators for now 😢 god. i ended up watching a 15 min youtube video about newborns b/c of this fic, tho, so that was fun

Seeing those two little lines was one of the happiest days of your life.

After trying for nearly a year and thinking it was never going to happen, you finally got a positive result. You took 5 tests to make sure you weren’t imagining things, but it was as real as it could possibly be. The doctor’s confirmation only sealed the deal.

To know that there was a small life growing inside you that you could call your own, made from both you and Ten’s DNA, was astounding to you. There were many nights where you simply laid in bed tracing shapes over your stomach, wondering what your child would be like and if they already knew how much you adored them. You especially loved it when Ten would lay his head on your chest and caress your stomach, speaking softly to both you and your growing child.

Some hidden part of you had wanted to be hesitant about celebrating this developing chapter of your life, not knowing if things would turn out alright since it had been so difficult to conceive before. Soon, though, you let that worry fade to the back of your mind in the face of your overwhelming joy. You filled your hours with thinking about baby names and baby nurseries and baby clothes, wanting to create the best life you possibly could for your little one.

You willed your fears not to get the best of you for once and instead poured all your energy into creating that reality. A reality that, unbeknownst to you both, wouldn’t come to pass.

You can still remember that blissful feeling now, if you concentrate hard enough and try to push past the pain. You hold onto that glimpse of happiness very tightly, drawing what you can from its memory until you can receive nothing more.

Back when you first lost the baby, Ten had promised you he could never be mad at you about it, even though you asked him over and over again—nearly everyday—if he was upset with you. Even then, he didn’t get angry with you asking all the time, which somehow made you feel worse. Like even more of a burden. You tried to stop asking about it, stop thinking about it, but his words weren’t quite enough to reassure you.

Despite your best efforts—from both you and him—the seed of doubt implanted itself in your mind anyway and slowly began festering there.

Where your bed once was a place where you dreamed about your future child, and even conceived them there, it’s now become something of a prison. A constant reminder of what happened and what won’t happen. The sheets are more like arms that suffocate you in their hold and keep you confined in a cocoon of pain. Despite your desire to be free of this cage that’s sprung up around you, you find it impossible to escape.

Whenever Ten is off at work, you continually ruminate on the past year of failures. Your one tiny hope and the end of its brief light, so quick that it’s difficult to remember how it happened. No, you don’t recall much from the day you were rushed to the hospital or how the miscarriage itself occurred, though you think maybe it’s better that way.

You’re somewhat grateful for how the human brain knows how to protect itself from trauma. Sometimes it’s the only way to survive. You find it incredibly ironic, though, how things we don’t remember still imprint themselves on our minds and souls. You experience the pain as acutely as if you’d been mentally present for it all.

The dark thoughts press in more closely whenever Ten is not next to you, though you never feel completely whole even when he is around to comfort you. Your mood worsens in the day, when he’s gone at work. You don’t even have your own work anymore to take your mind off of things, having taken a month off to recover. The worries that plague you during these hours make it hard to do much of anything but lie in bed and sleep.

You’re more grateful for his presence than he can know, but you also feel increasingly guilty when he’s the one who has to do most of the housework. If you had the energy or motivation to do it, you would; but right now, those feelings are lost to you. You keep hoping to yourself that you’ll find your way out of this dark place soon, even though you are more suffocated by it by the minute.

On a day where you find it especially difficult to keep the thoughts at bay, you contemplate many things.

What would it be like if you were no longer here? If Ten could find another wife who could actually give him what he so desired, without failing this time? He deserves that much, doesn’t he? To have a family of his own, even if it can’t be with you. Maybe you can’t have kids at all, and your short pregnancy was the only chance you had of conceiving. In that case, you reason that he should be able to go off and find someone else instead of you clinging so tightly to him, unable to let go.

It pains you to do it, but you begin writing a note for him to find later, too afraid to tell him out loud what you’ve been thinking and what you plan to do. You don’t know if anything you’re writing makes sense, but you feel like you have to do it either way; there’s no point in staying and making you both more miserable.

That night, Ten holds you as he falls asleep, like every other night. You stay awake for hours after he drifts off, turning your plan over in your head. A few tears drop from your eyes, but you quickly wipe them away, ignoring your own heartache. You’ve already set your mind to it.

When Ten gets home that Thursday, he’s surprised and a little panicked to see your car not in the driveway. It’s been sitting there for weeks, but now that it’s gone, it must mean you’ve went somewhere.

Maybe you’ve gathered enough strength to go out today and go shopping, something you always liked to do. A part of him suspects that isn’t the real answer, though, which only increases his anxiety. Maybe he’s just being paranoid, but he decides to check just in case.

He calls you, but it goes straight to voicemail. When he tries a few more times with the same result, his nervousness turns into full-blown panic. Unsure what to do, he decides to text you despite knowing he probably won’t get an answer.

6:25 P.M. Y/N are you okay? Where are you???

6:26 P.M. If you decided to go out today just text or call me back please, I just need to know you’re okay

6:26 P.M. I’m really worried

Ten finally gets out of the car and goes in the house, rushing up the stairs to your shared bedroom. He’s doubtful he’ll find anything there, but he needs some kind of answer for what’s going on. To his surprise, there’s a note lying on the bed.

Chittaphon,

I’m leaving for a while. Please don’t panic or be upset, I’ll be safe where I’m going. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you anything, but maybe it will be easier this way. I’m not sure if I can continue on like this. I have to think about some things. I want you to know that I’ve loved you since the first moment, but I don’t know if that’s enough anymore.

I did everything I could to help us form a life together, but I failed anyway. I hate myself for it. I don’t blame you if you hate me too, or if you’re only staying with me because you think I can’t make it on my own right now. I just want you to find happiness again, whether I’m there or not.

Y/N

Ten shakily sits on the bed, covering his mouth with his hand and closing his eyes tightly against the tears. The absolute stillness of the house without you in it is overbearing, and he puts his head between his knees as he tries to block the quiet out. He doesn’t move from that spot for a long time, and his head pounds from the blood rushing to his skull, but that discomfort is nothing compared to the turmoil stirring in his chest.

A loud knocking on the door startles you out of your sleep.

It’s only been a few days since you left your home with Ten, and you’ve kept your phone off and buried at the bottom of your suitcase since then. You had no intentions of talking even if he tried to contact you, and you eliminated that line of communication so you wouldn’t have to. It’s been your small hope that your actions have built up enough to make him hate you, to not want to contact you anymore, to agree to a divorce—although that thought brings you more pain all the same.

You stumble out of bed and into the hallway, and there’s an ensuing commotion on the other side of the hall as your parents come rushing out of their room. Your mother comes to your side with concern and panic on her face, grabbing your arm. “Y/N? Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” you say, though you’re trembling a little from the sudden noise.

“I don’t know who the hell is banging on the door like that at this time of night, but let me tell you…” Your father curses under his breath as he heads to the living room to peek out the window and see who it is. He quickly comes back into the hallway with a puzzled expression. “Y/N, it’s your husband.”

“Chittaphon? I thought you said you both agreed it’d be best for you to come home for a little while? Why is he here at this hour?” Your mom gives you a wide-eyed look, waiting for your explanation, and your head begins to hurt from the hurricane of emotions you’re enduring.

Your fingers fidget as you try to steady your nerves enough to respond. “Please, just let me talk to him alone. I-I know why he’s here, but we have to talk…”

Ten bangs on the door again, and your dad gives a skeptical glance. “Are you sure?”

“It’s fine, I promise,” you say, gently ushering your parents back to their room. “Please, just let me handle this.” They look like they want to say or do something more, but they relent to your request and leave you in the hallway alone. Your mother glances at you from behind the door before closing it, though you notice she doesn’t shut it all the way.

When you open the door, Ten stands there looking at you from behind the screen door with distress written all over his face. The mesh screen obscures his features a bit, but you can still read him from a mile away. You immediately feel guilty, though you don’t make any move to open the door. You’ve already made your decision—but mostly for his sake.

Ten drops his backpack—the only thing he has with him—and presses his hands against the mesh as if he could touch you through it. You back up a little when he does, standing further away from the entrance. He sounds like he’s been running a marathon when he speaks. “Why did you leave?”

“Why are you here?”

“Y/N, I know there is only one place you’d go for sure in a situation like this. And I was right. Why did you leave?”

You shake your head. “I don’t think this is a good idea anymore.”

“What isn’t a good idea? Us being together?”

“We should get a divorce,” you say quietly, somewhat afraid of his reaction, though you still think it needs to be put out in the air.

Ten is lost for words, and he has to think for a few moments before speaking again. “Y/N. Just tell me this one thing. Do you hate me?”

You’re quiet for a moment. You want to tell him yes, to make this separation easier so he can forget about you and move on. But your throat tightens at the idea of letting that word pass your lips. Tears sting the backs of your eyes even though you silently beg them not to.

“No.” Your voice wavers a little when you respond. “I just...want you to be happy. I’m sure you read the note.”

“You’ve forgotten one thing. I can’t be happy without you.”

“But you were happy before you met me. You can do that again.”

Ten presses his forehead against the door, knowing he has to keep his patience even if he’s upset. “But we’re together now, and now that you’re in my life I don’t want you to ever leave.”

“Chittaphon, please. You don’t need me. The only thing I’ve done lately is be a burden to you.”

“Y/N. You know, I considered just letting you go wherever you needed to go to make things less painful for you. That’s the only reason I didn’t come up here immediately. I thought maybe you’d fallen out of love with me, didn’t want to see me again, and that I just needed to let you be for a while...but Y/N, I can’t be without you. I’m not going to leave my wife alone when she needs me the most—whether you’ll allow yourself to believe that or not.”

The first tears drop despite your resistance to them, and you have to struggle to talk through the knot in your throat. “But I-I couldn’t—I’ve been a terrible wife, I couldn’t give you the child you w-wanted, that we b-both wanted…” You lean against a nearby wall for stability as your body grows weaker. “We tried so hard for a year, and…”

Ten clings more tightly to the mesh, his own tears dripping from his chin. “Please open the door.” At this point you are too shattered to deny him, and you seek his comfort even though you feel undeserving of it.

When Ten finally coaxes you onto the porch, he pulls you straight into his arms and holds you close, allowing himself to simply breathe in the scent of your hair and skin. You both end up sinking to the wooden porch floor, with Ten embracing you.

“Y/N, I’m begging you to trust me. There’s no way I could hate or blame you for this,” he says quietly, your tears wetting each other’s skin. “Sometimes things happen that we don’t understand. That just means we have to get through them together.” He pulls back a little to make you look at him, his hands cradling your face. “We can always try again. This doesn’t have to be the end, Y/N.”

You nod slowly, looking into his despairing eyes. “I’m sorry.”

You allow him to bring your head to his chest—the same as he often did with you. His heartbeat thuds under your ear, and the sound makes you feel calmer than you’ve been in weeks. You sit together like that for a while, listening to the sounds of wildlife all around you and letting yourselves mend the broken pieces of each other.

You wake up to the sensation of a small, wiggling weight on your chest, and you’re confused as to what’s going on until you hear the sound of a familiar set of giggles. A smile crosses your face before you even open your eyes, and you reach your hand out to feel a bundle of soft, curly hair.

“Are you awake already? It’s so early.” More happy laughter is your response, and you finally let loose a chuckle of your own. You open your eyes to the sight of your 1-year-old son nose-to-nose with you, his warm breaths puffing across your face. He smiles and squeals loudly when he sees you looking at him, and you scoop him up into your arms to cuddle him close.

“Good morning my little boy,” you sigh, kissing the top of his head. He smells freshly-washed, so you know Ten must’ve given him a bath already. Your son is more interested in treating you like a playground and climbing all over you rather than lying in your arms, but you’re more than happy to let him play to his heart’s content.

The door to your bedroom opens soon after, the smell of breakfast drifting into the room. The bed sinks behind you as Ten climbs on, and your son squeals even louder at the sight of his father. Laughing, Ten picks the small boy up and nuzzles his face into his hair before turning to you.

“Hey sexy, breakfast is ready,” he says, leaning forward to kiss your cheek.

“Don’t flatter me, I haven’t even brushed my teeth yet,” you say this with a grin as Ten keeps kissing your face, with your son trying to get in between you so he can give you kisses too. You wrap your arms around both of them and you all huddle up in a heap on the bed, laughing and falling over each other. In this moment, you have little doubt that you’re the happiest person in the world.

[publickoccurances]

Female companions react to being severely injured while on the road with Sole.

Cait: On the road again. Not that she’d have it any other way. Being out here with Sole sure did beat being stuck in that cage in the Combat Zone.

“Where is it we’re headed again?” Cait grumbled as she fell in step with Sole. They walked so fecking fast.

Sole glanced over at their friend, giving them a cheeky grin. “Oh, just somewhere a bit spooky.” They teased.

Cait rolled her eyes and made a disgusted noise. Spooky? What could possibly be considered spooky in this fucked up world they lived in. “Oh come on, stop fecking about.”

Sole sniggered ever so slightly. “We’re headed to Salem Cait. They had the witch trials there, supposedly very haunted.” Even though it seemed ridiculous, Sole liked holding onto the thought of anything pre-war.

Cait raised an eyebrow. Witches? Haunted? What the fuck was Sole playing at here.

.........................

Cait kept her hand on her gun as they approached the Museum of Witchcraft. It was very unsettling. She didn’t like how quiet it was. “Sole this was a bad fecking idea I’m telling ye’.” She breathed, eyes darting around as she tried to catch her bearings.

“You’re just letting your fears get to you. Come on Cait, it’s just a museum.” Sole shook their head as they took confident strides towards the decrepit building. “I just want to see if they have any books or something left behind.”

“My fears are not-.” Cait was cut short by a horrific sight in front of her. “Holy fuck- he’s been torn apart.”

Laying in front of them was the corpse of what appeared to be a Gunner. They had been torn apart by something, their torso split open, one arm half hanging off. A terrible sight.

“What the feck could do that to someone.” Cait whispered through gritted teeth as she looked towards the entrance to the museum.

Sole took a deep breath and shook their head. “Hell I don’t know...but this is fresh. And Gunners never run alone- there could be people trapped inside.” They looked towards Cait. Despite how scared they were, Sole couldn’t just walk away if there was a chance there was any survivors.

“Shite.” Cait muttered. Sole was right. Gunners never worked alone. If she could have it her way they would just turn around and walk the fuck outta there. But she knew Sole well enough now to know that wasn’t an option.

It didn’t take the pair long to find a way inside the museum. The front door had been chained from the inside or something, but they eventually found a basement they could enter through.

The building was silent as they decended down the stairway. It wasn’t the normal kind of silence. It was more of an terrifying one. The kind that makes you think something is gonna jump out at you. But that wasn’t going to stop them.

“Whatever it is... it’s killed these guys as well.” Sole whispered as the pointed her gun towards more tore up bodies. These seemed fresher than the one outside. The metalic smell of blood filling the air around them.

“Yeah... I reckon a couple of hours at most.” Cait agreed quietly, looking up to notice a large hole in the ceiling. “Seems like whatever it is found a quicker way up than the stairs.”

Cait did not like this. Not one fecking bit. She was all for danger. But this. This was something else entirely.

Just as Cait was going to suggest they leave a rumble came from the floor above. Something big was moving up there. Something real fecking big.

“What the fuck is that?” Sole’s eyes were wide with fear. Suddenly this fun little trip was definitely not so fun anymore. They looked to Cait, giving a slight nod before slowly walking up the stairs.

Whatever was moving around up their was causing the unstable building to rumble. The floor creaked, the windows (that hadn’t already shattered) were shaking. Surely this place wasn’t really haunted?

“Listen Sole- whatever that is... I think we should leave.” Cait suggested, though she knew that Sole wouldn’t agree. If there was a chance of saving people, they would. So as they stepped up onto the ground floor she took a deep breath.

What happened next came out of nowhere. The pair had barely been on the ground floor before there had been a ungodly sound ringing through both of their ears. Whatever had ripped those people apart had spotted them. And it was mad.

“What the feck-.” Cait turned and her eyes widened. A Deathclaw. Shite. She was just about to take a shot even suddenly a giant claw had swiped at her.

Cait was thrown back down the stairs at the force of being hit. She could feel a large gash open in her abdomen, blood beginning to pool out of her. Fuck.

She could hear Sole screaming out for her. She could hear that monster letting out it’s horrendous sounds. But she was helpless. She couldn’t feel anything. Her vision going blurry.

“Cait! Cait!” Sole continued to scream. They were cornered. This monster had seemingly killed Cait. And now it was going to kill them. All they could do was keep pulling the trigger, keep taking shots. Keep fighting.

“S-Sole...” Cait gasped, finally regaining some function over her body. Her hand moved down to her injury. It was deep. She was bleeding. Bleeding out maybe? Fuck. Was she dying?

The commotion caused by Sole and the Deathclaw filled the building with gunshots and roars. Whatever was going on up there was intense.

Cait patted her pack desperately trying to open it. If she was going to die it was going to be on her terms. She took a deep breath, injected a stimpack directly to her injury. “Fuck...” She hissed in pain.

If she could just get up the stairs she could help. Help her friend. If she was going to die she was going to die fighting. Not bleeding out in a basement alone.

After a few deep breaths Cait managed to muster up enough strength to begin to drag herself up the stairs. Each step she pulled herself up cause her agony. But she was going to do this. She wasn’t going to die down there. Not while her friend was facing getting ripped apart.

“You fucking demon!” Sole screamed at the Deathclaw as they took cover behind a display case. “I’m gonna see you fucking rot for what you’ve done!” As if the Deathclaw knew what they were saying. But it was making them fight harder. Each shot they took landed in the beasts thick hide, but it didn’t seem to be doing much damage. Cait was the one with a shot gun, all Sole had was a pistol. They were fucked.

Cait could hear her friend fighting for their life and it seemed to create a new burst of energy in her. She dragged herself up the remaining steps, letting out grunts of pain as she did so.

The stairs were only the first hurdle. Now she was up them Cait had to somehow get on her feet. If she could just stand she could get a shot on that beast. It was in her sight now, but she couldn’t get it from down on the floor.

“H-hold on Sole... I’m gonna get this blighter.” She breathed out, shifting herself into a sitting position. “C’mon Cait... stop being a fecking flower- get up.”

Cait pressed her back firmly against the wall and with every remaining ounce of energy she had in her pushed herself to her feet, using the wall to hold her up. “Over here ye’ ugly bastard!”

Both Sole and the Deathclaw looked over in Caits direction. Soles eyes widening. “Cait! No!” They cried out helplessly as the beast charged Cait.

With a deep breath Cait cocked her gun. “Hail fecking Mary.” She breathed as the beast approached. And just as she was within its reach...

BANG!

The Deathclaw hit the floor, it’s body going limp. It lay there. Gapping hole in its chest. Cait had blown right through the fucker.

“Fecking haunted my arse.” Cait grunted as she slumped back down to the floor. “Sole get me the feck out of here before I bleed out. There’s no fecking way I’m dying before I get a chance to beat yer arse for convincing me to come out here with ye’.”

Curie: Being on the road with Sole was an experience Curie was thoroughly enjoying in her new human form. It opened up the opportunity for her to feel a range of emotions. And she had been making note of each one.

As they made their way along the dusty Commonwealth road Curie couldn’t help but have a slight skip in her step. Sole had promised to show her somewhere extremely interesting, somewhere that she would be able to learn so much.

“Ah Sole.” Curie began, her voice rather chirpy. “Why ave’ you kept where we are going a secret?” Secrets. This was another thing Curie was new to. She found them rather exciting.

Sole glanced to their friend and shot her a cheeky smile. “Because, the look on your face when we get there is gonna be priceless.”

Curie took a few moments. This was a new saying. How could the way her face looked be priceless? What would cause such a thing? Ah well. She was far too excited to question what her friend was saying.

“It as’ been a rather quiet day, no?” Curie commented as she looked around her.

This was a very true statement. Usually when they would make such long journeys like these each day would have some sort of setback. But surprisingly to the two of them it had been very quiet.

Sole nodded, a slight frown forming on their lips. “Yeah... you’re right.” They said quietly, glancing around. “Maybe a bit too quiet.”

One thing the Commonwealth had taught Sole was that you couldn’t trust the quiet. It may have sounded a stupid statement. But it usually meant that something was brewing. Something bad.

“Maybe we should take a break.” Sole mumbled. Usually they would ask Curie whether or not she would like a break. But right now they were deciding. There was a strange feeling in the air now. They needed to catch their bearings.

A exasperated sigh left Curie’s lips. A break now? She was becoming rather impatient. Ah! A new feeling to make a note of.

“Very well.” Curie nodded her head. “But a short one, yes? I am feeling rather excited for wherever it iz we are going.”

Sole gave a slight nod towards and empty diner they had been walking towards. “We’ll catch our bearings in there. Better make sure we have a bit of cover just in case.”

The pair made their way into the long since abandoned diner. There was no sign of anyone being there in a long time. The perfect spot to sit down, get some food in them and all together recharge before they got a move on.

Sole allowed about an hour to pass before looking to Curie. They hadn’t been able to shake that feeling that something was going to go wrong Since Curie had mentioned how quiet it was. It was making them uneasy.

“I think we need to be extra vigilant when we’re back on the road.” They commented casually, trying not to let on just how uneasy they were feeling.

Curie tilted her head ever so slightly to the side. “If you do not mind me asking... why must we be more vigilant?”

Sole shrugged their shoulders. “Oh no reason. It’s just you know how it is. When it’s quiet that’s usually a good indicator that trouble is gonna happen.”

This was not something that Curie knew. This was actually new information. And she was making a mental note of it. “When it iz quiet that means there iz a pozzibility for trouble.” She nodded.

Curie stood up, brushing off some of the dust that had fell on her since they had stopped at the diner. “Well my friend... I think it iz about time we get a move on, no?”

What neither of them had realised that the whole time they had been sitting in the cover of the diner a group of mercenaries had been scouting them out. And Curie standing up had given their sniper a near perfect shot.

“Yeah... yeah let’s get a move on.” Sole agreed. But before they could even get on their feet a shot suddenly zoomed through one of the windows.

Curie had been turning to look at Sole as this happened. But that didn’t stop the bullet from striking her in the neck.

“Fuck! Curie!” Soul quickly grabbed her by the waist, pulling her down under the cover of the walls before another shot could be taken. “Shit... shit...” They hissed, quickly applying pressure to the wound.

“I-I ave’ been shot...” Curie gasped. Suddenly she was feeling a range of new emotions she had never felt before. So many that she couldn’t even make a mental note of them.

“It’s gonna be okay... just... Curie tell me what to do.” Sole practically begged as they cradled Curie. They knew whoever had taken that shot was still outside the diner. But right now all they could think about was how much blood was currently pouring out of the bullet wound.

Curie was trying to take deep and slow breaths. She knew that were she to panic as well both of their lives would be at risk.

“You must- you must make us safe, no?” Curie looked into Soles eyes, her own filling with tears. “P-put my and’ on the wound... I will ave’ to keep pressure on eet until we are safe.”

Sole did as Curie instructed. They laid her down, taking one of her hands and placing it over the wound. “Just hold tight okay Curie... I’m gonna kill that bastard and then we’re gonna get you sorted.” Sole assured before they moved away from Curie, to draw any more fire away from her.

It was funny. As she laid there Curie felt peaceful. She knew that she had been shot in a very dangerous spot, and by the amount of blood she had lost she was well aware this could be it. Her life could very well be ending.

She had completely zoned out from the sound of gunfire. She forgot Sole was even there trying to kill whoever had shot her. This was what death felt like? Surely not? Curie had always heard people speak of death in such a negative way. Yet as she lay here she couldn’t help but feel happy.

Curie allowed her eyes to close. Memories running through her mind. A specific one was sticking out. And she didn’t hesitate to allow herself to relive it.

‘Curie! Curie!’ Sole called out, a cheery smile on their face as they entered her new laboratory. ‘Look at what I found for ya.’

Curie let out a gasp of disbelief as she looked at what Sole was holding in their hand. ‘It eez a vault tec Bobble Head?’ She couldn’t hardly believe her eyes.

‘Yeah but look!’ Sole grinned as they pointed to the labcoat the little figure was wearing. ‘It’s a medicine one... I thought you’d like it for you desk.’

A gift? For her? Curie had never received a gift before. And she could hardly hold back her happiness as she took the small figure into her hands

‘Thank you my friend.’ She breathed as she looked up at Sole.

“Curie! Curie!”

Suddenly Curies eyes shot open. She was no longer stood in her laboratory with her friend. She was laying on the hard floor, bleeding out.

“God... Curie don’t close your eyes... please.” Sole begged as they once again took over placing pressure on Curies wound. “We’re safe now yeah- I killed them.” Sole assured.

Curie managed a faint smile. “We are safe.” She agreed, her eyes meeting Soles. Such kind eyes they had. “I don’t believe zhe bullet as’ it’ a major artery...” She breathed. “Otherwise I would not ave’ woken up from that dream. You must patch me up my friend. And zen we may return home, yes?”

Piper: Piper couldn’t help but grin as her and Sole walked along. They were doing one of her favourite activities, following a distress signal.

Understandable this seemed rather odd to be a favoured activity. But Piper couldn’t help it. A distress signal meant one of two things: they were going to save someone or they were going to be too late but there would be a decent news story about what had happened.

She was just glad it was her and Sole out on the road together, following the beep of the signal.

“You know, I don’t think we’ve ever headed this far north before Blue.” Piper commented as she glanced around her. She didn’t recognise this area. This was exciting. Somewhere new!

Sole nodded their head in agreement, matching Pipers grin. “You know I think you may be right Miss Reporter.” They teased, giving her a playful nudge as they continued on their way.

Piper rolled her eyes. Yeah yeah. Back at it with the Miss Reporter. That was something Blue had got into a habit of calling her when she stated the obvious. It was all in good jest of course. She wasn’t really annoyed. In fact ninety five percent of the time she would go along with the joke.

“I’m willing to bet a night of drinks at the Dugout that the signal is coming from over there.” Piper joked as she pointed towards a stretch of the highway that had been turned into a rather rough looking settlement. It was surrounded by cars and trucks, looked pretty fortified from where they were standing.

Sole chuckled and nodded. “You know what Miss Reporter. I think you’re right.” They teased, giving Piper yet another nudge as they walked towards the settlement.

As the duo approached the settlement it seemed as though it was empty. There wasn’t any sign of people, ghouls or mutants. Not even a Bloatfly buzzing around. Strange. But not out of the realms of possibility.

“Maybe whoever it is got lost out here.” Sole commented as they checked the map on their PipBoy. “We’re pretty far out from anywhere. I know a few Minutemen are stationed close by- but if you didn’t know that I guess you’d assume you were all alone.”

Pipers eyebrows raised. She was impressed. Very impressed. Sole wasn’t usually this good at coming up with theories. They usually left that job to her.

“Well Blue... I reckon you might be on to something here.” Piper nodded her head in agreement.

They were getting closer now. There was still no signs of anyone. It was quiet as well. Sole was starting to doubt that whoever had set up the distesss signal was even still out here. It did seem a bit odd but they shrugged that feeling off.

The closer they got the louder the beep got. The distesss signal was definitely coming from one of the shacks situated out here. There was no doubt in either Sole or Pipers mind about that. They had definitely found the right place.

“Blue. I don’t think anyone is out here.” Piper mumbled, slightly disappointed in the outcome. She had been hoping for either a wastelander in need or rescue or at least something interesting she could make a note of. “Damn it, we really walked all this way out here for nothing?”

Sole frowned and nodded their head. “Yeah I think-.”

“STUPID PUNY HUMANS!” A mutant roared as they suddenly came barging out one of the shacks.

Well. This was going to be more exciting than finding nothing at least? That’s whag Piper was thinking to herself in that moment.

“Shit! Mutants! Duck down!” Piper called to Blue.

The duo dived behind seperate cars. It was the only cover they had from the onslaught of bullets the mutant was currently firing at them.

“Brilliant! Just brilliant!” Sole shouted over to Piper, an excited grin spread across their lips. “At least we didn’t walk all this way for nothing now, huh?!”

Piper shook her head. “Oh shut up and start shooting! I can hear more of them... if we don’t hurry up they’re gonna slaughter us!” Even though she was trying desperately to hide it, she was just as excited as Sole.

Piper had been right. There was at least five super mutants shooting at the two of them now. It was a good thing these pea for brains had terrible aim the reporter thought to herself.

What happened next neither of them had expected. One of the mutants had ran over, live bomb in hand. And just before it reached them it’s bomb had gone off. But this set off a series of events. The first being the car Piper had been using for cover also exploding, there had been a mine inside of it. The next thing to happen was the car explosion then setting off a series of mines.

The next thing Piper knew was she was laying in the dirt, caked in blood and grime, staring up at the sky. She couldn’t hear anything. Her ears were ringing. Holy shit. What had just happened?

Piper tried to push herself up, but to no avail. “My legs... I- Blue my legs! I can’t feel them!” Piper screamed. Though she couldn’t even hear herself. Her hearing was muffled. Her lower body numb. Fuck.

Where was Blue? Piper frantically turned her head, trying to catch sight of her friend. But nothing. All she could see was smoke and dust from the explosions. Was she still where she had originally been when hiding? Had the blast been strong enough to send her flying.

Piper began to panic. She couldn’t see Blue. They were dead. The explosion must have killed them. And now the mutants were going to come over and finish her off. Oh god. Poor Nat. She was never going to see her big sister again. She was going to have to fend for herself, the same way Piper had done when their dad had died. No. No! This was cruel. This wasn’t fair.

Just as Piper was ready to cry out for help something grabbed her collar. Fuck. She was being dragged through the dirt. Who the fuck was dragging her? Was it a mutant. Was she being taken by mutants?

Piper dug her hands into the ground. All she could hear was ringing but that didn’t stop her from shouting. “No! No! Blue! Blue help!” She cried out. Trying her hardest to fight against whatever was dragging her along.

Suddenly the dragging stoped, her back was pressed against sometbing metal. She looked up to see the familiar shape of a car. Only difference was this was smouldering and falling apart. Must have been the one that exploded. She couldn’t help but think how mutants had a sick sense of humour.

It was when Piper looked up some hope returned to her. It hadn’t been a mutant dragging her away. It had been Blue pulling her to cover. Oh Blue. She shouldn’t have doubted them.

Good news was her hearing was slowly coming back. She could hear gunshots as she watched Blue shooting from behind cover. They were still fighting. Still trying to save her. She couldn’t help the helpless feeling she had right now. But she knew Blue would do everything they could to keep her safe.

Sole suddenly slumped down, letting out some deep breaths. “That was the last of them.” They breathed, running a hand through their hair.

Just like Piper Sole was covered in dirt and blood. The explosion had been enough to knock them back, but Piper had been at the epicentre. It was a miracle she hadn’t been blown to pieces.

Sole looked at Piper, moving slightly so they could assess her injuries. Fuck she was in pretty bad shape. Her legs seemed to have taken the brunt of the injuries.

“Hold on Pipes... Im Gonna set off a flare.” Sole mumbled as they pulled out the flare gun Preston had given them. They knew there was minutemen in the area. Which meant help would be on the way.

Piper winced as Sole shot the flare up. Wait. That was good. She heard the flare. She wasn’t deaf. “Fuck- Blue.” Piper gasped. Now the initial shock was over she couldn’t suddenly feel the extent of her injuries.

Sole rummaged in their pack, pulling out a Stimpack. “Hold still.” They mumbled softly before injecting Piper. “Help will be on its way okay? We’ll get you straight to a doctor.”

Piper looked up at Blue, tears in her eyes. “Blue... Blue I can’t feel my legs.” She sobbed, the realisation hitting her that this very well could be permanent. “Why can’t I feel my legs? Are they still there?” She hadn’t even looked at them yet. She was too scared. And it was showing.

Sole nodded, moving their hands to her cheeks. “Don’t worry Piper... theyre still there okay? It’s going to be okay.”

Piper nodded slowly, letting out cry of pain as she lifted her hands. Oh god. Her hands. They were... well... they were barely there anymore. She’d lost half of her fingers and she hadn’t even realised. “Oh God Blue... we should have never come out here.”

[aerisahale]

Multitudes of Memory

@korrasami-valentine-exchange

Words: 5,032 Rating: T Summary: Asami remembers five of her favorite memories with Korra in the process of repainting their house, and then she makes a new one.

A crash from the entryway pulls Asami’s focus away from the metalwork of springs and cogs before her. Korra was a bit later than she had expected, but she has been keeping herself busy. Gently laying the half-finished work on her desk, Asami exits her home office.

Along the way to the living room, she is surprised to find herself with an armful of excitable Korra just on the other side of the threshold. Korra babbles about how sweet the cashier was as Asami pulls them both down the hall and into the living room, coming to stand side-by-side in a mirrored pose of hands-on-their-hips and looks of determination. Asami asks, “You still want to do this, right?”

Waggling her eyebrows, Korra says, “Of course. You’re not having second thoughts, are you?”

“It was my idea!”

Korra puts her hands up in surrender. “I’m just saying it’s okay if you are.”

A grin slides onto the engineer’s face and she slaps a hand onto the pile of paint cans next to her with the same look of determination she wears after she has closed a particularly lucrative business deal. “No, let’s do this!”

Whooping with all the enthusiasm of a prospective retailer in a Future Industries factory, Korra is already dragging a chair out of the room, careful to avoid the pile of paint brushes, rollers, tape, and trays that must have crashed from whatever container Korra had originally brought them inside with. “I’ll start moving the furniture out of the room!”

“I’ll get the walls!” she shouts over the scraping of chair legs against hardwood that is too far gone to chastise her wife about picking things up instead of dragging.

Grabbing a nearby box that they had spent time assembling the night before, Asami starts pulling picture frames off the walls. Newspaper gets wrapped around each one before they get laid gently into the box. It is a repetitive process and she finds herself getting into the rhythm. It is only when her fingers brush the cool metal of a certain picture frame as her heart gives a thump against her chest, warmth of nostalgia takes hold, and she remembers the evening it was taken.

--

 Gentle but romantic piano music rises above the din of the restaurant as Asami tuck a strand of hair nervously behind her ear. Sitting alone makes her feel too conspicuous, already noticeable as the heir of Future Industries and the Sato holdings. Her fingers tap restlessly against the table, blunt fingernails tapping a beat against the table as the waiter brings her the glass of wine she asked for.

There are couples around her, dressed finely and sipping their own wine, nibbling on appetizers. The couple closest to her aren’t have a particularly scintillating conversation and she finds herself both nervous and bored. She suddenly wishes she had something better to do with her hands and presses a pattern into the stem of her glass, eyes roving over the restaurant as she waits.

Moments after, a commotion at the front begs her attention. She finds Korra dressed in a Water Tribe blue dress, arms bare, defined muscles on display for anyone to admire. When Korra greets her, she is breathy and it makes her wonder if it was nerves or if she genuinely ran here. Neither would surprise her. Asami hugs her and all of her own nerves from earlier melt away in the arms of the woman she loves. It never fails to amaze her how strong Korra’s simple presence can make her feel.

Reluctant to part, she knows she surprises Korra by holding on longer than would be normal. Korra’s arms tighten back around her and she takes a deep breath, sighing out against the other woman’s shoulder. They finally settle down at the table and begin perusing the menu, deciding to start with an appetizer of octopus fritters.

She asks Korra how her day has been, knows the other woman has been busy with politics. Korra along with Tenzin have been appointed as unofficial advisors in Zhu Li’s presidency and it has led to many long nights as they deal with various issues of running the Republic of United Nations. Asami herself had been a part of some of those nights as the unique blend of immigration and technological advancement in Republic City created as many problems as it solved.

Asami listens attentively until Korra shifts the conversation toward praising Asami for her latest invention allowing for faster, more efficient mail and package delivery after several rather large Spirit Vines had bottlenecked delivery by vehicle in several different areas. Glowing under the praise and reveling in how genuine Korra is as she delivers it, Asami is taken by surprise when someone other than their waiter approaches the table.

“May I take your picture for the Fire Ferret Times?” The camera is already in front of the speaker’s face.

Asami shares a silent conversation with Korra before they slide away from the table and wrap their arms around each other’s waist, heads leaned into each other. It is a short moment, and their meals arrived shortly after, but it still stands out as one of the best dates they had ever gone on.

 --

 The glow of the conversation that was interrupted still brightened their faces and the smiles they held were both genuine. The article that was run the next day about the parallels of finding balance in one’s personal lives to finding balance in the city, featuring Korra’s delicate balance of her duties as the Avatar and her individuality as a person was surprisingly well-written and was deserving of more credit than they had given the man on their drive home that night. There was a copy of it in a scrapbook on one of the shelves in Asami’s office.

Korra is back in the living room, giving Asami a questioning glance. She holds up the photo to her. “Remembering this night.”

“Spirits, you were gorgeous that night!” Taking the frame from Asami, Korra grins down at it. She looks thoughtful for a moment before she looks Asami up and down quite conspicuously and smirks. “Still are!”

Asami grabs the next photo as Korra wraps that one and places it in the box with the others Asami already wrapped. There are only a couple more photos and she runs a gentle finger down their wedding photo, the last to be placed in the box, taking extra care wrapping it. She places it gently on the top and closes the box, taking into the spot they had cleared out in the garage of their house.

“Asami!” Korra yells. “Look what I found!”

She is holding up a half burned red tablecloth and the sight of it catches Asami in surprise. A laugh bubbles up and bursts out. “I thought we threw that away!”

“Me too!” The Avatar is already grinning, but it grows wider as her eyes fly wide. “Wait! We got a bit, uh, distracted.”

“Oh, yeah!” Asami laughs as she hooks an arm around Korra’s waist and nuzzles her nose into her neck, eyes falling closed.

 --

 Varrick has been working on a secret project he only allowed Zhu Li to be privy to for months. When he comes to Asami, seeking to syphon off Future Industries private power grid, she had been understandably skeptical. She had even said no, at first, but several foiled theft attempts on Varrick’s part and a phone call from Zhu Li asking on her husband’s behalf, she had finally relented.

It had been a mistake.

Whatever the madman had done had shorted out half of the power grid for Republic City. It makes the rest of the day a frustrating one, fielding phone calls from her various factory managers, losses of product, and brainstorming with Zhu Li and Varrick about getting the grid back online. Eventually they call it a day and all Asami wants is to lose her troubles in her favorite dish at Kwong’s Cuisine but it is one of the many businesses affected by the power loss.

When she finally gets home, she is displeased to find she is out of power too. Her and Korra’s house laid on the dividing line of those who had been spared and those who were left without and it seems that her frustration was fated to continue. Familiarity allows her to hang her jacket up and throw the keys to the Satomobile in the bowl by the door.

“Korra?”

“Hey, baby. I heard you had a rough day. What do you need?” The woman in question walks out of the kitchen and pulls her wife into her arms.

“I need Varrick’s hairbrained ideas to stop effecting the entire city before he gets it right,” she growls out before realizing her tone and sighing, going boneless in Korra’s arms. “You’re not the one I’m mad at, I’m sorry. It was a rough day. How was your day?”

She tries to listen to Korra, she really does, but she gets distracted by the rumbling of her stomach. By the fourth growl, it is loud enough that Korra pauses mid-sentence to ask, “Have you eaten?”

“Spirits, no. I just wanted to go to Kwong’s but they were out of power too.”

“Lucky timing then because I ordered enough food to feed an army from Narook’s. I even got some of that artic hen you really like. I was about to go pick it up.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’m going to clean up as best I can without a shower but you can take the Satomobile. I don’t care if Kuvira is suddenly mounting a second invasion, I’m not going anywhere tonight.”

Pressing a kiss to her temple, Korra scoops the keys out of the dish Asami threw them into. “I’ll be back soon.”

Korra makes good on her promise and Asami is feeling much better when Korra comes through the door, both hands laden with bags of food that make Asami’s stomach growl all over again. She takes the bags from Korra’s hands and brings them to the table where she’s lit a couple candles for light. She lays the food out as Korra closes the door and takes her shoes off.

“Asami, this is so romantic!” Korra smiles.

Surprise registers as her eyebrows raise, a laugh bubbling up. “I hadn’t even realized. Our own candlelit dinner. Maybe today won’t end as badly as the rest of it was.”

Dinner passes quickly, more quickly for Asami than Korra. She has all but inhaled her food in her hunger, now describing all the atrocities the day had visited upon her as Korra finishes her meal at a more reasonable pace. Korra is howling in laughter as she recounts thwarting a particularly annoying theft attempt on Varrick’s part. After she’s finished and they both stop laughing, Asami wipes the tears from her eyes and glances around.

“We don’t have anything special for dessert but, I can grab a bottle of that dessert wine we brought home from that last trip to Ember Island.”

When she comes back, Korra has finished her plate of food, and Asami pours them both a glass of wine. As she sets it onto the table, the bottle knocks over one of the candles, the flame quickly catching on the fabric of the tablecloth it landed on. It takes them both by surprise but Korra is on her feet, quick to bend the water from a nearby vase onto the flames before the damage spreads further than the tablecloth.

“Thanks, Korra. I should have been paying more attention.”

“No harm done. You okay?” she asks, pulling Asami against her chest.

“It’s just been a frustrating day.”

“Perhaps I can help distract you from that?” Korra pleads with puppy-dog eyes to rival Naga at her sweetest.

“We should clean up,” she protests weakly, even though she already knows she wants it.

“It can wait until tomorrow.”

Asami lets herself be pulled into a kiss. It’s sweet and familiar as it soothes Asami’s frayed nerves. She presses a hand to the small or Korra’s back and pulls her body flush against her, kissing her for a moment longer. They stay lost in each other as they allow muscle memory to guide themselves to a more appropriate location.

 --

 “That night was far better than that day had been. At least Varrick restored power by the next day.” Asami laughs.

“Maybe we should keep a square of the tablecloth for the scrapbook?” Korra suggests. “We kept it all this time, apparently.”

“Good idea!”

Better to do it while it’s on her mind, Asami is quick to grab the scissors and the scrapbook from her office. As she is pulling the scrapbook down, another book tumbles from the bookshelf, pages flaring out as the spine hits the ground. It opens to a particular page and she is delighted at what she finds, so she picks that up and brings it with her as well.

She dances around the furniture Korra has shoved into the kitchen and sets everything on the counter. She calls Korra over, holding the contents of the book open on display. Korra’s eyes widen as she approaches.

“I remember this!” Korra says as she picks up the pressed blossom by the stem, twirling it in her fingers. Asami listens to Korra’s view of that night as she sets to cutting a good square out of the tablecloth, thinking about her own sequence of unfortunate events that evening.

 --

 There was a summit with the outlying Earth Kingdom provinces that had originally been resistant to joining the United Republic of Nations and Korra had taken their personal Satomobile with her to make the trip easier. The provinces in question were always peaceful in their resistance and their admiration of the way Korra and Zhu Li were handling the merging of the Spirit World and Republic City, a strong contrast to how Kuvira had demanded submission, had finally pushed them to reach out with an offer to make peace and finally formally join the United Republic of Nations.

Asami was already antsy since the night before since Korra was due home that day, a treaty having been signed the day before. She had received a garbled telephone call the day before that she was fairly certain she had heard correctly. She was certainly setting herself up for disappointment if Korra was delayed for some reason, because she could not contain her excitement after a week without her wife.

Borrowing a Future Industries Satomobile while her own Satomobile was absent for the week has been a small thing, but tonight is a nice, warm night and Asami wants to enjoy it with a walk. She takes a detour past a section of the city that had been particularly vocal about their displeasure with the Spirits and she wants to know if she can find a particular reason why.

The buildings are average as far as Republic City is concerned. The streets did not seem particularly crowded by vines, not anymore so than the rest of the city. A few apartments had been lost to the growth, but not enough to warrant the amount of complaints Zhu Li was receiving from this section. She made a mental note to look into the matter further, wanting to ask some locals questions. It was too late and too nice for that to be a venture for this evening.

It is too bright to really see the stars, but Asami definitely enjoys the cool breeze that cuts through the warm evening. There are not as many people as she would expect to find in the day, but the Friday evening has brought many people out of their homes for a night on the town. The street lamps cast a soothing glow across the buildings and people walking side by side, some hand in hand.

She had not been fruitful toward her originally intended investigation, but she did come upon a delightfully bright shop, bright colors popping in the lighting. It was bright enough to wash out the yellow of the street lamps and drew Asami in. Peeking at the floral arrangements on display outside the shop, she was startled by the hunched elderly woman who appeared at her elbow with a gravely greeting.

“What type of arrangement are you looking for, Ms…?” the woman asks, grinning like the cat that caught the canary. Asami is unsure if she was the canary, yet.

“Sato. Asami. They just caught my eye.”

“Oh, the Avatar’s wife, come! Come inside, I have the perfect arrangement.”

The floral scent inside the shop is strong. She is led to the back where a long counter where a pile of flowers lay, vases of different varieties angled behind the table to be grabbed easily. The old woman picks one last flower and places it in the center, the only one of its kind in the bunch, rolling it into a bouquet and tying the paper in place with a ribbon.

“What is this one?” Asami asks, pointing to the black and white flower in the center.

“Ah, that is the panda lily. It only grows in the Earth Kingdom, on the rim of volcanoes with certain soil and humidity conditions. Giving the panda lily to someone is a sign of great love. Quite ironic that I was just putting this together, don’t you think, Asami Sato?”

Deciding she is most certainly the canary, Asami is quick to agree and she paid the woman far more than the flowers were worth. A particular giddiness came over her as she carries them home. She had never bought flowers for Korra or anyone before. She had treated Korra to nice meals, jewelry, trinkets she built herself, but flowers felt sentimental in a way Asami did not often find herself.

By some stroke of luck, Korra is already home when she got there. Her wife is in the shower, so Asami searched through the storage closet in the garage for a spare vase to set the flowers in. The closet is a mess and several things fell out, narrowly avoided by dodging out of the way. It had taken fifteen minutes just to pack everything back into it after she found the vase she is looking for, but it is worth it to watch Korra’s tired eyes brighten at the sight of the flowers.

Watching Korra gently run her fingers over the petals of the panda lily, Asami recounted the story the elderly woman had told her. Korra listened intently, a smile growing on her face as she continued. By the end, Korra had drawn her into a tight embrace, arms encircling Asami while her face pressed into her neck. “Thank you, love.”

Asami held Korra tight against her. It had only been a week apart, but she had missed the closeness with her wife, the comfort she found with her arms around her. The solid presence of her made Asami feel like she could take on the world, had taken on the world with Korra by her side a time or two. Eventually, she began to feel the tremors running through Korra’s body and she pulled back, looking at her with all the concern she felt.

“Korra, what’s wrong?”

Turning her face away to rub at her eye with the sleeve of her shirt, her voice is steady when she says, “It’s nothing bad. It was just a very long week and I missed you very much. I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Korra reached out and touched the panda lily again. “I want to keep it. I want to remember what coming home feels like.”

 --

 Smiling sweetly, Asami gently plucks the panda lily from Korra’s fingers and presses it into the proper place in the scrapbook, and the red square of tablecloth finds a home a few pages before.  The scissors and scrapbook go back to their places in Asami’s office and she returns to tackle the living room with renewed interest.

Korra drags another chair out before tackling the couch. Asami asks if she wants help but the big, strong Avatar denies she needs it and Asami gets to laugh at her struggling to drag the big, overstuffed couch out while Asami herself drags a box that had been tucked behind it and forgotten about.

Opening the box, she finds the contents are random, seemingly thrown in there to clear space. She digs through it for a moment, before her fingers brush against a soft furred item that ignites her curiosity enough to seek it out. The stuffed animal she finds makes her smile.

 --

 The day starts with breakfast in bed, delivered to their door by the hotel staff. It is an Earth Kingdom specialty, oven-roasted pears stuffed with ice cream and crunchy sweet bread, a combination of flavors that Asami is certain she will never forget. She cannot help the moan that leaves her. Breakfast isn’t something she often indulges in and that makes it all the sweeter. “This is so good!”

She looks over at Korra to find the woman’s mouth stuffed full, cheeks bulging like a frog squirrel, and cannot help the giggles that overtake her. Judging by the empty plate held in her hands, the Avatar of legend has shoved the entirety of the breakfast into her mouth in one go. They do not get many moments like this back home when they are both busy, so her mirth grows to full on laughter when Korra tries to speak but it just comes out garbled.

After breakfast, they spend an hour lounging in the bathtub together, refilling it with hot water whenever the temperature drops too low. The scented oils and soaps that are provided are heavenly, and Asami takes the time to smell each one as Korra undresses to join her.

They talk about their future in a way they have not in a long time, politics, jobs, and life often too hectic to allow for the languid depth they find now. That they still have so much in common thrills the engineer and she wraps her arms around Korra. Asami holds her tightly, the warmth of Korra’s back against her front and the water surrounding them is relaxing. She presses slow, lazy kisses against Korra’s ear, neck, and shoulders.

They finish their bath and get ready to tour the city. They spend some time visiting each and every historical and art museums. Korra studies the displays that talk about Avatar Kyoshi. She knows Korra has fears about the future knowing she cannot access the memories and wisdom of her past lives, so she reminds her wife that she is not alone by lacing their fingers together, leaning into her side.

Korra leans back into her, still reading the aged documents that describe Kyoshi as a wise, long-lived woman who would do what was necessary to enact justice. It spoke of her victories over Tagaka to Xu Ping An and more. It was astounding how long she lived, trying to influence the justness of the world as best she could.

After they have visited every museum Ba Sing Se has to offer, Korra suggests they visit the zoo just outside the wall. It is not far from where they are but it is about time for them to stop and grab lunch, so they stop along the way. It is a Ba Sing Se specialty restaurant, with a bright green gem over the doorway that attracts Korra like a magpie to silver.

They are in the middle of ordering when Asami notices the head that peeks around the corner from the kitchen, and that is the only warning she gets before an older man is dragging the waitress down into a low bow beside him. He gushes to Korra and insists on burying them in far more food than they intended to order. Korra grins good-naturedly and is happy to get some extra food out of it. The owner hovers nearby, quick to jump into the conversation in any place that he can. Thankfully, the food is delicious and it only takes a few tries to get away from the chatty owner after they have finished and insisted paying for their meal.

The arching entryway of the zoo is taller than Asami by three times and she stares up at it before looking back down at the crowds of people roaming from exhibit to exhibit. There is a line to get into the park and it is warmer here than Asami is used to in Republic City so she unbuttons her blouse to bare her arms to the cool breeze that floats by.

A grin spreads across her lips when she catches Korra checking her out, not once but three separate occasions before they have even purchased their tickets. If it makes her stand a little straighter and hold her head a little higher, Korra does not say so, but the stuttering of the young man at the ticket counter does.

The first exhibit inside the park were platypus bear, being a favorite of the former monarchy of the Earth Kingdom. They thrived inside their private outdoor enclosure and Asami and Korra were both delighted to be able to get to see them.

Korra grabbed Asami’s hand and pulled her to the next exhibit, turtle seals, playing with each other in the shallow edge of the pool. Watching Korra’s eyes light up is the highlight of the trip so far for Asami. She sneaks away while her wife is distracted, finding a nearby vendor and buying a stuffed animal turtle seal. The delight on Korra’s face fills Asami’s heart to near bursting and she pulls her into a hug.

 --

 Turning the stuffed animal over in her hands, the same warmth of that moment makes her heart beat a little faster. She turns to show the animal to Korra when she comes back in from maneuvering the couch out into the kitchen. Korra’s grin turns sweet and she reaches out for it, giving it a gentle squeeze. “That was such a good day.”

Hefting the box up onto her hip, Asami holds it out for Korra to tuck the animal back into it and carries it out to the garage. They get the rest of the furniture moved into the kitchen and everything else packed into boxes in the garage. The stack of boxes is so much larger than Asami had originally thought it would be, but she had many years with Korra to accumulate things.

The empty living room felt weird so Asami is quick to grab the painter’s tape and start lining the trim and windowsills, Korra joining on the other half and they worked towards each other until they met in the middle, like they did in so many aspects of their lives.

Once the taping is done, they laid plastic to protect the hardwood from paint stains and then they set up a paint tray, each grabbing a paintbrush. One can of paint gets dragged over to the tray and the satisfying pop sends a thrill through Asami, excitement for the changes the new color is going to bring to their home sending goosebumps down her arms. It is an eggplant color that a part of Asami thought was the perfect amalgamation of their preferred wardrobe and an even better living room color.

They each grab a paintbrush and set to work filling in all the edges near the painter’s tape. It is tedious work and by the time Asami has reached the window in the center, Korra is already near her edge of it and she accidentally bumps into her.

“Hey!” Korra warns.

Asami’s eyebrow quirks. “I’ll show you ‘hey!’.”

Korra is clearly not expecting the hip check if the way she jolts sideways is anything to judge by. The flail of her arms as she tries to regain her balance has left a splotch of purple across Asami’s cheek that probably detracts from the indignant expression she is trying for. Asami grabs her own paintbrush and as soon as her eyes slide to the tray of paint, Korra is moving.

The race to be the first to the paint tray ends with Korra getting there first, but Asami pushes her forward so that her momentum carries her past it, jams her paintbrush into the paint and flings it at Korra who has just turned around to double back. Korra is quick to get her own paintbrush in the paint and flings a glob that splatters across the thigh of Asami’s pants, falling to land on her shoe

The ensuing fight leaves splatters of purple across not only the walls but the window, plastic, and both women. The laughter it causes is more than worth any trouble it may bring later and it had been a long time since they both fully abandoned adulthood for pure, innocent, but messy fun. Laying side-by-side, covered in paint, giggling with her wife is something she will cherish for a long time.

“Do you remember our first vacation together? When I went to the Spirit World for the first time?” Asami asks. Memories of neon spirits and tea with Iroh, the Dragon of the West, but most importantly Korra and their first kiss make her sigh happily. It did not take her long after that to know she was in love in a way she never had been before.

“How could I forget?”

“I never dreamed we would be where we are, almost two decades later. We’ve been through a lot together, haven’t we?”

“We have! It hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve come out stronger for the problems, I think.”

“Definitely.”

The day of reminiscing left her with the impression this would be a new memory she would remember for a long time. She considers getting a keepsake to commemorate the moment, but pushes it aside for a more appropriate time. Korra’s hand cups her jaw, pulling their lips together and Asami allows herself to get lost in it.  They had so many memories already, but Asami cannot wait for many, many more.

[talietikasero]

Stability

Random prompt from 8/11 [finished 8/16]: rewrite the Strive ending / create an alternate epilogue [to line up with my story project]. I may or may not rewrite the whole thing for fun lmao.

[Main story preview here (contains 6 scenes)] // [Chapter 1 now on AO3]

"I guess... that's what they meant..." She let out between huffs. Both the voice in her head and the former Sanctus Maximus Populi said the same thing regarding her potential ability.

“When the time comes, with your seed, you hold the power to save or destroy the world.”

“You can prevent the end of it all.”

Energy drained, she fought off the sluggish pace her body was moving. Looking over to her partner, she noticed he was barely hanging on to his life, staying incredibly still, and trying to regulate his breathing while facing down. While her body contained the [Scales of Juno], he had the [Flame of Corruption] ripped out from his, reverting him to a human. "On second thought, don't move." Once she closed the distance between them, she knelt and put her arms around him. Face against the scuffed leather sleeve, and she struggled to hold her emotions in. "H-hey..." Voice cracking, she lowly muttered between sniffles, "please, don't go..."

"..."

"You... you stayed true to... your word about... a-about..."

"..."

"Fighting to... s-save the world..."

"If the world was going to disappear tomorrow... What would you do today?"

"What kind of a question is that? Stop whatever's ending the world or die trying."

Her embrace tightened as tears ran down her face. "Human, Gear, or neither. The world still needs you."

With drooped ears and saddened eyes, the wolf spirit whined. Its host and companion soothed it by scratching behind its ears and reassuring the worst had come to pass. "(It's okay, Rei. We're still alive.)." She whispered to the spirit in her native tongue. Another whine followed by a lick to the side of her face, Giovanna patted Rei's forehead. "What? Are you worried about me? I'm okay, I swear." She winced as another sharp pain ran through her body. "Ouch..." Her superior, the President, placed a hand on her shoulder. Half-expecting him to say she's no longer needed, she began, "I'm sorry-..."

"None of that." Vernon's voice was firm; however, it sounded... fatherly. He may have his doubts about the agent, but he knew she was more than capable of the job. Facing off against an unstoppable force, she did prove she's worth giving a higher position. "I can tell what you were thinking, but you're not being let go. You take as much time as you need off, Gio. Goldlewis, Erica, and I will await your return."

Saddened at the loss of someone he could consider a friend, the time traveler meekly looked down at the minty green and white guitar he held in his hands. This entire time he was unaware of her true identity. If he had to lose someone like her, it didn't have to be this way. Regardless of if she recalled who he was and why he was important to her in the first place, false memory or not. He threw away his chance to return home a while ago, and now he felt that it would've been for nothing had he gone through with it. "It shouldn't have ended like this... Megumi." Axl softly said under his breath.

After regaining control over his body and revealing the wicked goddess's weak point, the vampiric samurai pierced the ground a few centimeters with his sword. He kneeled to show his appreciation for defeating the evil force that used him as a puppet. Now, he could see why his master was fascinated by the will of a single person. This same person was stripped of his powers and still faced death head-on. "May you rest for now. The next time we meet, it won't be as enemies, but acquaintances." Drawing his blade from the ground, Nagoriyuki sheathed it and took his leave.

The King of Illyria – his lifelong rival and their son-in-law – made his way over to them, stopping a few feet short to maintain distance. "It's finally over. They're gone. We can... we can go home now." Part of him wanted to hold a hand out to help him stand, yet he held back and deemed that action unnecessary. Ky's spirits rose once he noticed the man in front of him was taking steady deep breaths -- body slowly moving to show signs of life.

Right hand maintaining its grip on the Outrage's handle, his free hand lightly grasped one of hers. Face still downward, a weak smile formed. "...You think so?"

She couldn't believe it. He's hanging by a thread and using what energy he should be saving to answer her with a question of his own.

"I know so."

The past three weeks were a blur. From the day she woke up and adjusted to this new world to the present, where she aided in bringing down a god. She never would've guessed that any of these events could've transpired. In the days leading up to September 2016, she was a terminally ill scientist who refused any life-saving alternative to live past what little time she had left, insisting she spent it with her significant other. Fast forward to December 2187, and she was brought back to life and became the partner of humanity's savior -- the very same person, albeit for the last time.

_____

The next day, another patient was checked into the hospital. This time there wasn’t a commotion caused by bringing his unconscious form bursting through the front doors. She wasn’t strong enough to carry him in her arms like he held her – that’s what the gurney from the airship’s infirmary wing was for.

“I have a request. May I stay here until he recovers? I… I don’t want to leave him.”

Three days later, word had reached his family that he's – miraculously and defying all odds – alive. His refusal to follow the light after what had happened was attributed to his stubborn nature. The Grim Reaper knocked at his door, and he slammed it shut in their face. Occupying the same bed, in the same patient room as her around a month ago, the now de-powered hero lay hooked up to the vitals system.

"Is he going to be alright?"

"Hard to say, but he'll pull through. He did wake up this morning, so there's something, yeah?"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but has anyone seen my mother? About my height, short red hair with white underneath, and wearing a blue leather jacket? She hasn't been seen since everyone returned."

"She's in the room and hasn't left at all. I had someone stop by the house and bring her spare clothes since she spent the last four days here."

"Oh, thank god." The queen was relieved to know her mother's whereabouts. She respected her parents' privacy by not asking if she was able to go in.

---

Ring-ring. Ring-ring. Ring-ring-ring.

Sighing in aggravation, she answered her phone. There was only one person she kept in contact with these past few days. "What do you want now? He's still not up, so stop cal-..."

"I was going to ask something else. I'm going to regret this, but are you still angry?"

"You're a smart man to keep your distance from me, but a dumbass to ask that. Of course, I am! You ruined our lives with your 'self-righteousness' and nearly brought another apocalypse."

"...Aria, I understand your rage. If only I could rewind time and prevent your illness. I shouldn't have forcibly converted him and disappeared with your sleep capsule. It wasn't my intention to have our research weaponized, but I was figuratively and literally held at gunpoint to hand it over to the US Government. I should've known better and anticipated that Chaos -- erm, the Original's creation would sabotage your activation. Your screams still haunt me... and... I'm... I'm sorry."

"Asuka."

"I can't fix this by excessively apologizing and listing off my crimes, but I hope everything goes well for you and Frederick."

"Whatever. Enjoy the moon, or don't." She ended the call before her former friend could reply. "Asshole." Aria slumped back in the chair and opened her book to the page she left off. "We should've launched you into the sun."

"Oh my. And I thought 'Sol' was a hothead. You're pretty harsh, you know that? It's more frightening than I-No on a good day." Jack-O's voice rang through. Capable of feeling and expressing emotions herself, the Valentine was taken aback at what she heard during their calls. "If possible, can we listen to his show sometime? Please?"

"...Okay."

"Thank you. ~"

---

Forty minutes after the heated conversation, a groggy voice broke the silence.

"Is the... afterlife a sterile... hospital room?" Frederick's eyes were half-open, staring directly at the ceiling.

Aria closed what she was reading and placed it on the counter. Ignoring the monitors that once kept track of her, she looked over his body to see minimal damage sustained. "Looks like you've still got some of that healing factor. Or you're just too hardheaded to die."

He slightly turned his head to face her. "Heh. Probably both."

Running a hand through his now short hair, her lips curved into an unsure smile. "Welcome back to the land of the living?"

"This doesn't look like heaven. If you're my welcome guide, then I'll stay." His body was still sore, but he extended his arm out for her to hold his hand. The warmth from the fire magic still dwelling within them made their contact feel safer.

"I should've worn that jumpsuit and halo." Her inner voice's reaction was an exaggerated throat clear. "But if I did," she held a finger to her temple, "I don't think she would've appreciated that."

"I would've been mildly annoyed at best. Mildly annoyed yet honored that you'd wear it because of what you did."

"You're really pissed off at Asuka, aren't you?"

"How much did you hear?"

"All of it. Didn't know you were capable of that."

"I felt like you after the second day." He took that as a friendly poke at his history. "Since you've saved the world for the last time, are you still up for that 'alternate life' you mentioned the other night? We don't have to stay at Ky and Dizzy's. They can arrange something for us."

His ears perked up at the suggestion. Did she remind him about his statement regarding them settling down? Having survived an act of God, living a quiet life together a few minutes out from the capital didn't sound like a terrible idea. "What did you have in mind?"

"A fair-sized home, nothing too big or small, probably just down the way from their place. I don't want to throw everything away and live in seclusion. We're way out of our own time, but we finally have a family, people who care about us, and we care about them in return. Unless you have a better idea?"

"I'm fine with anything. Can't imagine I'd be able to go out much or at all because I'm officially a dead man."

"Not too long ago, I was a dead woman walking. Besides, the world thinks that Sol Badguy is dead, not Frederick Bulsara."

"Point there. You know, now that I think about it, this situation is just like a month ago."

"With you in my place, but I didn't have to be dragged in? This is the same room where I spent my time recovering. It was also -..."

"Where you got your new start."

"Y-yeah. That's exactly it. This is where I woke up to my new life! Not as Justice, or Jack-O, but as myself. That same day, I met our daughter and her husband, and then I saw you again. Just this time... I've been here since you were checked in. Everyone tried to get me to leave, but I refused."

He noticed the duffel bag placed near the door. There was a pant leg hanging over one side of the unzipped bag, and next to it were two pairs of footwear. "Way to tug at the old heartstrings. Stubborn as always, aren't you?" If he were honest with himself, he wanted to do the same when she was still unconscious. He had the feeling that the IRMC staff wouldn't have thought about asking him to leave the premises, even though he almost kicked the doors clean off the first time.

"One of my best qualities." She winked at him, giggling at her remark.

"Hey, Aria."

"Hm?"

He slowly sat up despite the mild pain, leaning over to bring her in for a hug. "Thank you."

Aria returned the motion, both holding onto each other, not wanting to let go. She had felt incomplete up until this moment. Preventing the end was a combined effort, and she couldn’t be any happier to have been a part of that team.

A sense of déjà vu, the song playing on the radio had neared its end.

You are all I long for All I worship and adore In other words, please be true In other words...

"I love you."

[drariellevalentine]

Medically Inevitable

Chapter 4- Radical Revelations

Characters:- Arielle Valentine, Sienna Trinh, Bryce Lahela, Landry Olsen, Elijah Greene, Jackie Varma, Rafael Aveiro, Ethan Ramsey, Harper Emery

Pairing:- Arielle Valentine x Ethan Ramsey

Warnings:- None

Arielle’s PoV:-

Completely exhausted from the day’s events, you head into the locker room and take a nice but quick hot shower. Drying off, you quickly change into a cute pearl silk tied top with a comfy pair of ripped jeans. Taking out the bun in your hair, you decide to let your hair down, parting deep to the left, caressing your revealed shoulders.

You enter Donahue’s to find it completely packed. You try to squeeze inside apologising every now and then and look around to spot your friends.

You finally find them sitting in a table at the furthest corner of the bar.

"Long day?" Si asks as soon as I slump into the seat next to her.

“You have no idea, according an 18 year old, I look younger than him, so apparently I not eligible to be a doctor cause I look too cute!," I sigh dramatically and she giggles.

"Careful please," Bryce says before placing a tray of shots in our table.

Jackie scoffs, " Why are you even buying us drinks, meathead?"

"He's being nice, Jackie.”, Sienna smiles.

"Yeah, and also you think you could afford to buy that tonight?" I add.

"Sure," she rolls her eyes, "Thank youu," she says sarcastically.

Bryce laughs. "Think of it as a good luck drink guys. You are going to need a lot of luck to get into the diagnostics team."

"Wrong meathead. What we need is brains and hard work. Duh!"

"And luck," Bryce adds smirking, ‘lots of luck’. He emphasizes on the word "luck".

After minutes of bickering in between Bryce and Jackie, Bryce leaves to join his fellow surgeons. But my friends are still talking over the fellowship.

"I can't still believe they'll be taking an intern in the team!" I hear Landry say, his voice filled with excitement. "Never in my wildest dreams did I think that they'll even consider giving an intern a spot in the team let alone train them."

"Cheers on that," Jackie says forwarding a glass.

"Let's have a toast guys," Elijah forwards his glass. "To having a marvelous fellowship."

As we all toast to it I say, "Honestly guys, good luck. I won't be joining the fellowship but I wish the best of luck to you all." I smile. Everyone stares at me like I just refused a million dollars.

"You won't be joining the competition?!" Jackie asks shocked. "But why?"

"Not everyone wants to join the diagnostics team, Jackie," Landry states.

"Maybe not everyone, but Arielle does. The diagnostics team is the very thing that made Arielle apply here, in Edenbrook. That's one of the many things she said to me the day we met." Jackie turns to me then giving me a look that says "I want an answer".

"I know. The diagnostics team is what made me apply here on the first place, but I changed my mind. I got through my first week because of you guys. I don't think I could have done it if you guys were not there to support me," Sienna places a hand on my shoulder, giving me an understanding look.

"I don't want to ruin our friendship by competing with you guys. I need you guys by my side not against me."

"Idiotic choice but your call," Jackie rolls her eyes. And I smile as Sienna hugs me. A while later, you all head home for the day.

General PoV:-

Harsh sunlight streams through the open curtains of Arielle’s magazine cover worthy bedroom. Arielle turns around in her bed to grab her phone from her nightstand. The alarm clock catches her eye ‘9:15 a.m.’ She bolts right up in bed, rushing to her closet while ranting a ton of expletives. Hearing the commotion, Elijah and Sienna rush inside to see Arielle on the floor half-naked tangled in a bunch of clothes. Sienna stares at her in confusion while Elijah understands what’s going on and bursts out laughing.

“What’s so funny?”, Arielle asks.

“You forgot today’s our day off, didn’t you?”, Elijah asks knowingly.

“It is? Oh shit! I completely forgot!”

They help Arielle out of the tangle of clothes. “Anyways, we were thinking of going to a baseball game so...I bought everyone matching t-shirts but they only come in two sizes you’ll have to adjust yours. Only then Arielle notices their shirts. Sienna hands her an red oversized t-shirt. “We’re leaving in an hour, get ready!”

Arielle’s PoV:-

You shower and slip on a robe after drying yourself off. “There’s no way in hell I’m wearing this!”, you exclaim holding up the red,baggy, oversized shirt. If there’s one thing you care about, it’s your style. You grab a pair of fabric shears and crop the oversized shirt folding the hem to create a neat finish using fabric glue, then cinch the extra fabric on the slides and secure it in place with a few stitches. You hold up the newly altered shirt and look to your mirror. “Much better!” Pairing it with a pair of studded white jeggings, white heel sandals and a couple of accessories, you sit down on your vanity’s stool. You take out your braid from last night, leaving thick curls in its place. You carefully clip your hair out of place and decide to brush on a little extra makeup. After finishing with your usual moisturiser, concealer and primer, you accentuate your almond eyes with a jet black eyeliner and brush out your brows. Knowing that you won’t need any help in the blush department, you move on to your lips. You decide on your favourite red transfer-proof lipstick ‘Bold Beauty’. You grab a crossbody purse and place your wallet, keys, phone and other essentials and head to the living room.

“What do you think? Is it too much?”, you ask uncertainly.

“Hot damn!”, says Jackie.

“You look gorgeous.”, Sienna says.

“Woah! You look good!”, says Landry.

“Someone call the fire department cause it’s getting hot in here!”, exclaims Elijah.

You blush furiously. “Thanks guys, I’ll drive us there.

You pile in the car as Elijah rides shotgun and gives you directions. You reach there at 10:30. “Ok, 10 minutes till game starts. Everyone split up and stand in a different line and get one of everything. I’ll get the drinks.” Sienna tells everyone where the seats are and everyone splits up. You get a drink tray full of sodas, beers and a lemonade for you, everything packed with ice, and head down to the first row where you find everyone holding snacks.

“Great seats Elijah!”, says Sienna.

“Have to be close to fully appreciate the bloodbath, these teams loathe each other.”

Landry and Elijah start geeking out as you, Jackie and Sienna are talking.

“So...I may or may have not seen you get into Dr. Ramsey’s car yesterday.”, Sienna slyly says.

“Crap!”, you think.

“Tell us everything!”, says Sienna.

“Seriously?”, Jackie asks.

You slowly confide in them about yesterday’s events and what you confessed about your personal life.

“Oh my god, Ari! I’m so sorry!” Sienna pulls you into a hug.

“It’s okay, I’m fine now.”

“Now I feel really bad for judging you, also very surprised and impressed that you managed to get away with sleeping on Dr. Terminator’s shoulder.”, says Jackie.

“It isn’t that big of a deal!”, you counter. Both of them give you a look. “Ok, fine, it is. He was actually really sweet, he even tried to console me.”, you confess. Sienna smiles wide at the mention of this.

“Anyways, you both have to promise not to say a word about this.”, you give them a pleading pout. Jackie’s about to ask about something else when you realise some kind of commotion is going on.

"Oh no, did he faint?" Si says and I look forward to see Jake Sandburg, one of the players lying on the floor. 

The other players rush to his side trying to wake him up.

"Uh, coach, he's in real bad shape," another player says leaning down beside him.

Their team manager hurries out," Damn our team physician quit on us just before the game."

"Is there any doctor here?" The manager asks and on instinct all of our hands goes up.

The manager looks clearly shocked to see five doctors in a front row but doesn't express it as we move towards the field asking the other players to help us move Jake inside.

We follow the other Nighthawker players into their locker as they carry Jake on a stretcher.

"Have you called 911?" I ask their manager.

"Yeah, the paramedics are on their way," the manager sighs, " Poor kid."

"Lay him here," I hear Jackie instruct them as they follow.

"He's got a pulse, but his breathing is shallow," Sienna says in a low and shaky voice. This sudden situation is clearly affecting her.

Landry pulls a stethoscope from his bag and places it against his chest.

"Sounds like fluid build up. We have to solve it fast or else he could be in trouble," Landry announces.

As the others take his vitals, Elijah and I  go to ask his teammates some questions, which we think might help us to crack the case.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" One of the player asks as we approach them.

"You can help us by answering some questions. Has this ever happened before?"

"Not as far as we know," he looks at his other teammates. " Also he had to pass a physical test just recently."

"He was called up from the minor league just a few weeks ago," the manager adds.

"Did he complain about any pain recently?"  Elijah asks.

"No, he was pretty quite, kept to himself. I think he was worried," the player says. "About what?"

The player shares a look with his manager as soon as I ask that. 

"Look, he's been struggling in the majors. I was in discussions with ownership to send him back down to the minors," the manager answers, a pained expression plastered across his face.

"Did he know about it?" Elijah asks in between.

" You know, the guys talk. Rumors."

"He was kinda freaking out about it, he kept sweating, hyperventilating," the manager adds and I make a mental note of it.

"Hyperventilating... How often?"

"I only saw it a couple of times," the managers states.

"Well, it could've been panic attacks," I conclude thoughtfully.

"He always seemed tired too. Yawing in the meetings, like he didn't get any sleep at all," the player from before says.

"Have you seen any changes in his behavior recently?" Elijah asks.

"Uh, I guess he's been hitting the ice bath a lot recently. Probably because of feeling sore," the guys answers. "But he'd do it even in the days when he wasn't playing," the guys adds after a moment.

"Thanks you for the help. Was he on any medications?" I ask before moving towards the table

"No. The team doctor left all the prescriptions and Sandburg wasn't prescribed anything," the manager says going through the charts.

"Thank you that'll be it," I say and look forward to find a player from the opposite team sneaking in. 

"Hey! You aren’t allowed here," I motion the others towards him as the player who was helping us moves towards him. But then to my surprise he hugs him and the other one whispers words of encouragement in his ears.

"Wait, weren't you two fighting in the field?" I ask shocked.

" Yeah, but that's only on the field. Ray and I grew up playing together in the streets of Miami. We are basically family," The Nighthawker player concludes.

“It’s that easy?”, you ask.

“When we’re in a game, our minds are focused on the game. But the minute it’s over, we’re brothers again. Iron sharpening iron, you know.”, he says but your mind is somewhere else.

“Iron sharpening iron. Competing makes them stronger...” You run back towards the patient.

I think it's a drug interaction. His medicines are amplifying each other out," I announce reaching them. "Two medications perfectly fine on their own, cauting each other to have an outsized affect."

"Oh, that could be it!" Sienna says, a sudden excitement hinting in her voice.

" But the team manager said that their previous doctor didn't prescribe him anything," Elijah says confused.

"Sandburg was already worried about being cut. If the team knew he had a medical condition, they'd be oven less likely to keep him around," I reply.

"So you think he kept him situation quiet to keep his job? Wouldn't be the first time someone's done that," Jackie shrugs .

"What do you think he was taking?" Landry asks.

"Well, maybe something for his panic attacks. Let's say fluoxetine," I reply to him

" That could be it. Getting a prescription for that isn't really hard..."

"Okay, maybe you are right. But what was reacting with it. What else was he taking?" Jackie cuts in between.

"Something for his soreness. His team members said he'd be sore even the days he was not pitching," I answer remembering what the player said.

"It could have been arthritic inflammation," Sienna states.

"Right? He's male in his twenties..." I try to think what it could be.

"Ankylosing Spondylitis!" Landry says.

"He could've been taking N.S.A.I.D for it, like - celecoxib," I say while checking his locker, " Here they are." I say taking out the medicines proving what we said is right.

" It could be doing irreparable damage to his kidneys! We gotta take him to the hospital as soon as possible," Elijah says.

The sound of helicopter blades cut through the commotion in the locker.

" The paramedics are here!" Sienna exclaims happily.

Soon the paramedics enter and you see Rafael running towards you. We explain him about the situation.

"Would you like to have a ride on the choper? My shift will end in five minutes. So after dropping Jake to the hospital we could maybe roam around the city," Raf says nervously once we are out of the locker. The other paramedics get Jake in the chopper.

"I would love that," I give him an assuring smile which he returns.

"Great!" He says making his way towards the chopper after asking me to follow him.

"Any certain place you have in mind where you'd like to go?" He asks smiling broadly getting back to the choper after we've successfully admitted Jake.

"Not really," I give him a silly smile.

"We'll have a tour over the whole city then, more fun," he winks and I giggle.

I am really enjoying the birds eye view. The city looks more beautiful from up here. Capturing the breathtaking city from above, I put it on my Instagram story.

The next picture I take is ours, I smile towards the front and Raf's is a candid, he's looking forward flying the chopper but smiling.

I post it on my Instagram feed, tagging Raf and captioning it "Soaring high with @raveirotheemt.”

You notice you have over 250 likes already. Perks of being famous.

"What do you see?" Raf asks and I look down.

"Edenbrook!" I squeak happily. " The first day in there, the hospital looked so enormous but now it looks so tiny!"

"Everything comes into perspective up here. It's one of the reasons I like it so much."

" How'd you learn to fly?"

"My uncle was a pilot in the Marines. He started teaching me to fly when I was still in high school."

"That was so young!"

"I just saw it as a fun thing to do on the weekends, you know. It was a great way to spend time with a great man," he smiles recalling the memories.

"Are you guys still close?" I ask

"He... He died two years ago."

"I'm so sorry Raf."

"He was really active in our community. When he wasn't flying, he'd organize food drives and buses for anyone struggling," he smiles sadly remembering those days," He's the one who inspired me to be an paramedic. I wanted to help people the way he did."

I nod at him understanding.

"Buckle up. We're ready to land," he tries to say it as normally as possible, smiling. But I know it is just an effort to not let people show his broken side.

“Hey, Jake and many other lives have had a chance to live because of you.”, I assure him.

He relaxes. “You too, Arielle.”

“You both land on Edenbrook’s helicopter pad as staff takes Jake away. You inform them of his condition.

“So... are you ready for the tour?

At first I thought that Beacon Hills were the most beautiful thing I saw today. But when we were taking a turn over Cape Cod Bay, my opinion changed. Nothing can be more beautiful than this. The breathtaking view of the glimmering ways merging with the bright golden sun creating a golden hue in the clear ocean water. The scenery is just breathtaking.

"It is beautiful," I say softly, still looking at the ocean.

"It's the best thing you can see in the city," Raf smiles.

"Can't disagree with that."

"And as much as I would hate for this to end," he smiles sadly, "But I need to return the chopper to the hospital now."

"It's cool Raf, we've been out here on it for a while," I smile.

Within minutes, he manages to fly back to the stadium and drops me off.

You return to your friends and show them the wonderful pics and views that you took.

“Of course!” After some time, you and Si head to the food court for a refill on food and drinks.

Ethan’s PoV:-

You’re stuck closing off an important deal with Banner Health alone, as Harper was called in for an emergency. You’re walking towards the bar in need of a stiff drink when a familiar waft of vanilla and cinnamon hits you. There she is, her beautiful jet black curled tresses falling below her waist, standing near you ordering something. She doesn’t seem to notice you. You turn your head the other way and ask for a club sandwich. A few minutes later, you receive a tray full of cheeseburgers. Somebody calls you.

“Excuse me sir, but it seems our orders got mixed up.” You turn around to find none other than Arielle. Her violet eyes widen in realisation.

“Dr. Ramsey! Hi, guess the world really is small!”, she responds enthusiastically.

“Some would say too small.” A petite intern who often you see beside her comes and doesn’t notice me.

“Hey Ari! I’ll take these down. You coming? In a minute, Sienna.” The intern leaves.

“I wouldn’t have pegged you for a baseball type of guy.”

“And you pegged me just right. I’m here to close a deal with Banner reps. They have me in the box suite, trying to butter me up with lobster and wine.”

“That doesn’t sound so bad...”

“I know it might surprise you, but I’m not one for schmoozing.”

“Nooooo... I don’t believe it. The great Ethan Ramsey doesn’t like it when someone butters him up!”, she feigns shock.

“Would you like to join me?, the words slip out before you can react.

Arielle’s PoV:-

You’re surprised. You’d never thought that your medical hero would need your help. He notices your expression and starts explaining, more like rambling.

“You know I’m not much good at speaking to other people, much less idiots but this is a very important deal for Edenbrook. Harper was taking the reins but she was called in for an emergency. One of your traits is that you’re quite persuasive, I was hoping that would help.”, he says.

“Of course.” You follow him to the private entrance which is blocked by a guard.

“Ah, Dr. Ramsey. The Banner Health execs are waiting.” He gestures for you to follow. The guard stops you.

“I’m afraid I’ll need to see some ID, Miss. Alcoholic beverages are being served.” Dr. Ramsey gets irritated.

“I can assure you she’s older than 21.”, he says. The guard insists. Sighing, you pull out your ID. His eyes flash with recognisation.

“I’m extremely sorry miss, but I have to follow protocol.”

“It’s quite alright.” Dr. Ramsey leads you into the private box, where you see a crowd of ‘business’ dressed people lounging on the posh sofas. He picks up two glasses of Malbec and hands one to you.

“Thank you. To deals, negotiations and whatnot!” He rolls his eyes. “To negotiations.”, he toasts.

“This is quite nice.”

“It is, don’t get used to it. I knew many great doctors, all who swore never to make it about the money but did. Don’t let it become about the money.”

“Ha! If only he knew I had millions of dollars in my name and still live like this.”, you think.

“You’re right. It never should become about the money.”, you say truthfully. Two reps saunter up and start sucking up to him. You roll your eyes internally.

“I’m sure there are many opportunities. By the way, let me introduce you to Dr. Arielle Valentine, one of Edenbrook’s newest interns, and one who shows much promise.”, he says.

Your lawyer/advocate instincts kick into action, which includes an amazing first impression.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Valentine but no formalities between us. I have already been impressed upon the very invaluable and precious bond of Banner Health and Edenbrook and hope today will also add on to that. I’m looking forward to the other ways that you have suggested for this partnership, all to help our patients.”, you say.

“Oh my, if this is who Edenbrook is recruiting these days, our partnership is very sure to exceed high expectations.”, they say. Dr. Ramsey nods in approval. They all start negotiating deals, which end in their favour and not-so-good for Edenbrook. Dr. Ramsey looks to you for help.

“Okay, time to pull out all the stops!”, you mentally prepare yourself. You launch into a very persuasive but subtle argument slowly shifting the deal in Edenbrook’s favour. By the time you’re done, the execs have given their consent and you just got them to add a lot of benefits starting from loans to better rates on different services including neurological and cardiac.

“Thank you, Ethan and Arielle for the pleasure. Perhaps we could meet for a round of golf next week to hammer out the fine points.

“Oh hell no!”, you think.

“Oh! Dr. Ramsey is busy next week but how about later tonight?”, you say. They’re about to agree when you drop the bombshell. “Dr. Ramsey and I have an appointment later this week at the shooting range and self-defence center downtown. Don’t worry, I have quite a few guns to be spared, but be warned, I’m quite experienced.”, you say trying not to burst out laughing seeing their shocked faces. You catch Dr. Ramsey which a not-so-well hidden smirk on his face.

“That’s quite alright, we both have made many commitments later this week.”, say frantically say.

“That’s alright, another time then.” A few minutes later, they both leave claiming they had to go. As soon as they leave, you burst out laughing.

“That was quite an act you put on there.”

“Who said it was an act?” He gives you an incredulous look.

“Anyways, it was quite impressive how you shifted the deal in favour to Edenbrook.”, he says questioningly.

You sigh. “Pretty much everyone in my family are lawyers, different areas though. I picked up a lot of skills when watching their hearings.”

“You’re quite good at it. May I ask why you didn’t follow their path.”

“...My godfather was also a doctor. He would tell me stories of how he was able to save lives, make a difference, experience all the love, pain, loss, heartbreak. And I fell in love with it over time. My father wasn’t supportive of it though. I don’t know what went wrong. When I was a child, we had an unbreakable bond. Over time, he buried himself in his cases, that bond slowly evaporating. My brother always knew that I would work in the medical field and was very supportive. When I announced that I had gotten into Johns Hopkins for med school, my father was angry and didn’t support me. He claimed that I had led his hopes up and shattered them, when all along I always was hinting about my dream to become a doctor. We both said hurtful things that a father nor daughter should ever say, that night. After that, I cut off all contact with him.”, you carefully say making sure not to give any clues that Dr. Banerji is your godfather.

Ethan’s PoV:-

You’re shocked. Utterly shocked. You’d never guess that this bright, cheerful, kind intern had such a rough childhood. Especially when your’s made you turn out like this.

“I believe you made the right choice.”, you assure her.

“That means a lot to me.(more than you could ever know)”, she says and whispers.

You both relax and lounge on the comfy sofa, watching the game.

You notice the sun setting as the game ends. “It’s quite late, how will you get home?”

“My friends and I came here by my car, but I told them to take my car when they said they were leaving early. I spent all my money on food so I’ll take a train or something.”

“I’ll drive you home, it’s the least I can do.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

“It’s alright. Let’s go.” You lead Arielle to your car, at the same time kicking yourself. “Dear god Ramsey, what the hell is wrong with you? Offering a ride!” You convince yourself that it’s just a thank you but you know it’s because you want to make sure that she gets home safe.

Both of you are exiting the stadium and stop when you see Harper.

“Ethan! Thank god you’re still here. I just received the terms of agreement of our deal with Banner. What did you do?” She notices Arielle.

“Dr. Valentine, what are you doing here?”

“She was here with her friends when I saw and asked for help with negotiating. She was the one who turned the deal into our favour.”, I quickly reply.

“Very impressive Dr. Valentine, but do know that this doesn’t make a difference in the fellowship rankings.”, Harper says.

“I know Chief Emery, anyways I haven’t entered the competition. But thank you though.”, she replies. You’re surprised. You thought she had entered, but you never checked the list of participants. You tell her to wait at the car.

“You’re dropping her off?”, she asks.

“She literally just scored us a very big deal. I’m just thanking her.

“Hmm... Well I’ll see you later. Goodbye, Ethan.” You nod and get in your car. Turning on the engine, you drive.

“Where do you live?”, you ask.

She pulls up a location 20 minutes from here on her phone.

“Why didn’t you enter the fellowship?”

“Did you want me to?”, she asks. You don’t answer.

“My first week was hard enough, with a competition that would jeopardise our friendship, I decided it wasn’t worth the risk. Especially when they were the ones who got me through the first week.”

“I understand. A lot of friendships of mine were severed during my residency due to the competitiveness.” You both talk about leisure topics until you reach a tall apartment complex.

“This is me. Thanks for the ride, Dr. Ramsey.”, with that, she swiftly exits out of the car. You reverse the car and drive to your apartment.

Arielle’s PoV:-

You walk up to the entrance of your building, taking the elevator to your floor. You pull out your keys when Jackie opens the door and lets you in.

“I was wondering when you’d be back.” You smile, taking off your shoes and head into the living room.”

“Hey Ari! Join us for a drink!”, says Elijah.

“Nah, I don’t want a drink. But yes for the company.”

“You all better kiss that fellowship goodbye, cause I just solved that case in record time.”, Landry says.

“You do realise that Arielle was the one who did most of it and we all helped.”, Jackie says.

“Exactly, I looked at the clues and diagnosed the problem!”

You laugh with your friends as they playfully egg each other on. You’re going over today’s events, thinking about all the crazy events, when you realise that you haven’t been true to yourself. “Competing makes them stronger.”, you remember saying. You’ve given advice to other people but you aren’t following your own. You bolt up from the sofa, grabbing your purse and keys and head towards the door.

“What are you doing, Ari?”, Sienna asks.

“You smile replying, “Something I should have done way before.” Your roommates give you a knowing smile as you head towards Edenbrook.

You park your car, rushing through the atrium and up the stairs towards Dr. Ramsey’s office. You a minute to compose yourself and knock.

“Come in.”, his professional but baritone voice replies.

You enter his office to see a minimally decorated desk, covered with papers and patient files. He files them away neatly as you enter. “Rookie. To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“I want in.”

“I made it clear that the cutoff was midnight.” Your eyes follow his gaze to the wall clock. ‘12:02’

“What makes you think that you’re an exception?”

You steady yourself. “I know I can be a good doctor. I know that I can make a difference in people’s lives, like you do. It just took me a little longer to realise it.” You gulp, wondering if you’ve blown your chance.

He smirks and pull out a long list of names, adding yours at the bottom. “You had me worried there. What changed your mind?”

“I always advised other people to follow their dreams, never give up, to take a leap of faith. I realised I needed to take my own advice.” He nods with approval.

“Good Night, Dr. Valentine.”

“Good Morning, Dr. Ramsey.”, you say, pointing at the same clock ‘12:08’. He shakes his head with amusement.

You head out to your car, the cool autumn breeze in your hair, and drive into the night.

“Bring it on.”

[flightlessangelwings]

Equal Partners

Mando x Reader

Chapter 3/3

You woke up in a cell, and you guessed it was early morning already. Honestly, you didn’t even remember when you fell asleep, but your cell mates promised to watch over you and you must have drifted off. You lay there for a few moments before you sat up and thought about your dream. It had been a while since you thought about the day you and Mando first met, and it was strangely comforting that you dreamt about it.

When you were placed into the cell, you were met by three women, two Twi’leks and a human. They all had an expression that you were familiar with, and you knew immediately that they were slaves. It made your blood boil to see anyone treated that way. They were quick to help you and reassure you the best they could, but you could hear the hopelessness in their voices.

“Thank you,” you told them after you stretched, “Listen, I’m going to get you all out of here.”

The oldest one scoffed, “How?” You could tell that she had been here for a long time, and your heart ached for her.

“Someone is coming back for me, and I’ll figure out a way to free you.”

She couldn’t respond to you, because then the door swung open with a loud clang. Two guards came in, and the three slaves scrambled to the back of the cell. You were slower to react and all you did was jump to your feet before they grabbed each of your arms to lead you out of the cell.

The sun had just risen and you squinted as they dragged you to the bright room. Even though it was early in the morning, the Hutt had his minions gathered in the main chamber, and they all watched as you were brought before the leader. You could hear mumbles of conversation, and you were grateful that you couldn’t make out exactly what they said.

You sneered up at the Hutt, “I know it hasn’t been 24 hours,” you spoke in basic to insult him.

He smiled grotesquely at you, “I’m aware,” he answered in Huttese since he knew you understood, “But we have matters to discuss.”

“I have nothing to discuss with you,” you switched to Huttese, “Once the Mandalorian comes back, we’re out of here,” you left out your plan to free the other women on purpose.

“I think we do,” he paused to take a sip of his drink, “You know I can always recognize a whore when I see one.”

That made your blood run cold. You tried to hide your shock, but you couldn’t. Your eyes went wide and your body stiffened as a fresh wave of fear took hold of you, “What?”

A darkness swept across the Hutt’s face, “I wonder who you escaped from and how much they’ll pay to have you back,” he chuckled as he toyed with you, “Or if I want to keep you for myself.”

You had enough. You clenched your jaw and inhaled sharply before you moved. In a fluid movement, you broke yourself free and grabbed a blaster from one of your captor’s belts. You didn’t hesitate to shoot both men on either side of you in the chest.

The room erupted and another man rushed up to tackle you. You struggled for a moment before you were able to break free and you pulled a knife that you kept hidden on yourself and slashed his throat. A fourth rushed up to you and engaged you in hand to hand combat. You used all the skills the Mandalorian taught you to fight him off and win.

The Hutt seemed amused. When the rest of his men tried to overpower you, he held up a hand so that only one would engage you at a time. The rest were instructed to create a barrier around you to trap you in. This cycle went on a few more times and one by one, they tried to take you down. You could hear his dark laugh over the sounds of shouts and grunts in the room.

You were able to take down about a half a dozen men before one came up that got the upper hand on you. He was able to punch you right in the face, and you knew you would have a black eye from it. He then knocked the blaster out of your hand and wrestled you down to the ground. You fell on your back and you tensed when he hovered over you with a knife in his hand. He leaned over as he stepped on your chest and held the knife to your throat.

Before he could push on you any harder, the door to the room swun open with a bang and the Mandalorian walked through. Behind him, Toro led the bound Shand. Everyone in the room froze. But the Hutt’s smile never left his face, and while his men tensed, he only laughed. Mando stepped into the room and what he saw made him more angry than he’d been in a long time.

“You broke our deal, Hutt,” his voice was strong, and the rage was almost palpable. 

Mando’s gaze met yours for a moment before he pulled out his blaster and mowed down everyone that stood close to him. The rest of the gang retialited and launched themselves at the bounty hunter. He easily fought them off with his array of weapons he always carries on him. Meanwhile, you took advantage of the distraction and grabbed a small blade and shoved it right in your most recent attackers neck. You got up and used the blade to fight off those close to you before Mando yelled an order at you.

“Stay down!” 

You flattened your body to the ground and covered your head. When he saw you were secure, the Mandalorian steadied his arm and aimed his flamethrower at the rest of the thugs in the room. He then turned his attention to the Hutt. All of his anger was channeled through his weapons as he first burned the leader and then took his blaster back out and shot him multiple times. He delighted as he watched the life leave the Hutt’s eyes. 

Once everyone in the room was dead, Mando rushed over to you, “Hey, hey,” he said your name so softly, “You alright?”

You let him help you up slowly, “I’ll live,” your voice was rough and you held onto him to steady yourself.

The bounty hunter held you for a moment with one arm while he inspected your face with his free hand. He brushed over your face so lightly that you barely felt it, and his hand trailed down to your neck where you had a cut from the knife.

“I’m ok,” you said in a more confident voice once you gathered your strength. You watched him look you over and for the first time in a while, you couldn’t read his body language. He was very careful with the way he touched you, but you could still feel the tension in his grip.

The Mandalorian lingered on you for a few moments before rage took over him again. He broke away from you and pulled his blaster back out. With a deep growl, he shot the Hutt’s dead body over and over again until his face was completely unrecognizable. You could feel the anger radiate from his body.

“Mando!” you shouted, “Mando!” you finally put your hand on his arm to get him to stop. You looked up at him with a similar expression that you had when you first met, and you let the silence linger as he calmed himself down. “I’m ok, Mando,” you finally said in a whisper.

He lowered his blaster and turned his attention to you. He cupped your face as he said your name, but you cut off his thought before he could say more.

“Hey Mando,” your eyes darted around the room, “Where’s your friend?”

This snapped the bounty hunter back into focus as he scanned the room. Dead bodies lay in every corner, and the only one that still had breath was Shand. He was still bound and lay at the edge of the room. He ran over and grabbed the bounty by her collar to lift her up, “Where did he go?” he growled.

Her voice was shallow, and you noticed that she was hit. It didn’t look fatal, but it was enough to knock the wind out of someone.

“You really think I don’t know who you are,” she said in a pointed tone, “The kid went to collect a much better bounty than mine,” and Mando immediately knew what she was implying. 

He growled and pushed her back down to the ground hard enough to knock her out before he turned to you, “We gotta get back to the ship. The kid’s in danger.”

“You go ahead, I’ll catch up.”

“What? No…”

“I’ll be ok, Mando. Everyone’s either dead or unconscious,” you reassured him. When he tried to protest again, you explained, “He has slaves locked up downstairs. I can’t leave them here.”

Mando immediately understood, “Ok,” he placed a hand on your shoulder. His thumb traced over you where his hand lay and he found himself lost in thought as he looked at you.

You parted your lips to say something, but decided against it. You cleared your throat and started again, “The kid needs you. Go,” you insisted, “I’ll be fine, I promise.”

He lingered for a moment before he dropped his hand down to take yours. You both looked down at your connected hands for a moment before he started to step away. You raised your arm to hold his as long as you could before he moved out of your reach. You watched him pick up his pace as he made his way out of the room to go help the child that became such an important part of your lives.

With a deep breath, you turned to go back towards the lower level where the other women were kept. Before you left the main room, you picked up a few weapons to arm yourself in case of any surprises. You found your way back to the cell without incident and used the blaster to blow the door open. You heard screams on the other side of the door, but they relaxed when they saw it was you on the other side.

The human spoke first, “What’s going on? We heard a lot of commotion from up there. What happened?”

You smiled, “Mando came back, just like I said he would,” you ushered the three out of the cell, “Come on, I'm getting you out of here.” You led the scared women back up to the main chamber, and they let out a series of cries when they saw the carnage there.

“Hey, hey,” you hushed them, “They’re all dead,” you smiled at them, “You’re all free.”

They stood still as they let your words sink in. Free. You knew exactly what thoughts ran through their heads as they processed what happened. It was the same thoughts you had when you first escaped your captivity and then joined the Mandalorian. You found yourself lost in your own thoughts and a smile lit up your face as you thought of him.

A goan from the corner of the room made all four of you jump, but you quickly shot at the body. Tension filled the room again, and you took charge to keep the now free women calm, “Come on, let search their pockets for credits and then get the hell out of here.”

By the time you made it back to the ship, Toro was dead and Peli had her droids cart the body away. The Mandalorian had the child securely in his arms and checked him for any injuries. You lingered in the doorway for a moment to watch him. You felt your heart flutter at how gentle he was with the child and you found your thoughts wonder. Did he consider the three of you to be a family? Did you?

The sound of your name shook you out of your head as you realized Peli was trying to get your attention. You jumped as you brought yourself back to the present, “Looks like I missed all the fun here.”

Mando looked up from the child and motioned for you to join you on the ship. You turned to thank the shop owner for everything before you walked across the landing pad. The child cooed at you with a big smile on his face when you approached.

“Did you miss me, little guy?” you asked with a smile as you pinched his cheeks.

“Ready to go?” Mando asked you.

You stood up straight to answer, “Yeah.” You let him lead you into the ship and you closed the door as he went to strap the child into his seat in the cockpit. You set the weapons and a bag you confiscated from the Hutt palace on the table as Mando came back into the cargo area. “This is your half,” you pointed to the bag that was filled with credits you pulled off the dead bodies.

“What about your half?” he asked.

“I gave it to the girls. To help them start their new lives,” your voice sounded upbeat, but your eyes betrayed you.

Mando could see the pain and sorrow in your face and he stepped closer to you and put his hands on your cheeks. “Hey,” he said your name to get you to look up at him, “I’m sorry about what happened. The last thing I want is something to happen to you.”

“I know, Mando,” you know he was genuine, and you never doubted him for a moment.

He gently pulled your head forward to touch his forehead with yours. You closed your eyes and sigh deeply as you lean into his embrace. You felt his thumbs stroke your cheeks in a comforting manor, and you brought your hands on rest on his shoulders. The two of you stayed like that for some time before he pulled away.

“Go rest, I’ll get us out of here,” and with that, Mando turned to head into the cockpit.

You turned your back towards your quarters, but a thought nagged at you. “Hey, Mando,” you started to say as you spun around. But before you could finish your thought, he was already gone from the room. You shrugged your shoulders as you thought to yourself, “Oh well. It’s probably better I don’t say anything anyway.”

Meanwhile, the Mandalorian was already at the helm with the child strapped into the seat behind him. The child cooed inquisitively, and Mando answered as if they were in a conversation. “I should tell her, huh?” he asked rhetorically. “I will, when the time is right,” he said with a sigh before he guided the ship off the planet and onto the next destination. 

~

Notes: Thank you all so much for the love on this fic!!! And yes, I am planning a sequel to this, so keep an eye out for that soon! If you’d like to be added to my Mando tag list, just let me know :)

Tag list: @ugly-wall-flower​ @spottedlekkudancer @smolashie @im-the-nerdiest-of-them-a11 @soapjay @ispilledmyink​ @bva14​ @iamakindprincess @pascalisthepunkest @astronomyturtle @amazingiam00@sinnamon-bunn @weirdowithnobeardo @sylvanas-lover @spaghetti-666 @hollandhiddles @lustriix @suuuckonmyballs @bi-readytobakepie-cry-and-die

[idreamtofthereaper]

Trouble Waiting to Happen.. iii

bigbrother!jaehyun x sibling!reader x loveinterest!jaemin

𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘺. But Jung Jaehyun knows better, and that’s why their group remains superior and unbothered -only you didn’t.

𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: reader x nct jaemin

𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: angst, fluff

𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: mafia theme, gets dark a little later, mentions of kidnapping, deaths, threats, mature theme, cursing/swearing

𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙧: hi-  I still haven’t moved on from jaehyun’s kick it get up. reach out to me in anyways if you want to be included in the taglist!

M A S T E R L I S T

Taglist: @hiqhkeybby​  @huangxx​

You hurriedly ran down the stairs after hearing multiple people shouting downstairs. When your feet hit the bottom steps of the stairs, you saw how your front door was still wide open and how the maids were cleaning what seems like drops of blood leading to the kitchen.

Since they were preoccupied, they didn’t notice your presence. “IS THAT JAEHYUN’S?!” You shouted, alerting the maids and before they could even stand up, you were already jogging to the kitchen.

In there, you saw Doyoung and Johnny attending your brother was obviously wounded by the blood stain in his shirt. 

“YUTA WHERE’S THE FIRST AID?!”

“I DON’T KNOW THIS IS NOT MY HOUSE.”

“IT’S IN THE COUNTER CABINET IDIOT.” You shouted, alerting the 4 men inside as you rushed to the counter and knelt down, grabbing the first aid and handing it to Yuta who immediately went to Jaehyun.

“Yn, you’re not supposed to be here. Go to your room.” Jaehyun said before his shirt was ripped open, unveiling a pretty gruesome would by his shoulder. As Doyoung and Yuta fumbled at the kit, Johnny was putting pressure on the wound.

“I said go to your room.” Jaehyun said with a wince, his breathing heavy but like early, you only shook your head and made your way to him. “Johnny, get yn to her room. I don’t want her seeing all this.” Johnny nodded, prompting Yuta to hold the cloth as Doyoung was beginning to remove the contents of the first aid.

“What? No, I’m not going.” You said as Johnny grabbed your arms, beginning to push you out the kitchen but you were resisting hard, prompting him to carry you on his shoulder while you continuously yelled and resisted.

Johnny didn’t even struggled or dropped a sweat when he reached your room, closing the door with his other hand and put you down gently to the floor. When you tried rushing out again, Johnny already closed the door and was guarding it. “He’s going to be okay, just chill out okay.”

“He was stabbed!”

“It’s not that deep.”

“OUR FLOOR IS RED BECAUSE OF HIS BLOOD.” You yelled again, feeling more frustrated with the arguing. “Johnny, don’t act like you didn’t teach me how to break someone’s kneecaps.”

Johnny only chuckled at this with a grin on his face. “And don’t assume I don’t know any counters for it.” You let out a tired sigh, putting your forehead on his chest as he rubbed your back comfortingly, assuring you that Jaehyun will be okay.

And he was. Just like everytime he would come home bloodied and wounded. This was not the first time he came home looking like he was mauled by a wolf. Still, it would always affect and worry you deeply. 

You waking up at early hours in the morning, when the sun isn’t even up, because of a loud commotion happening was normal at this point. Jaehyun’s ‘night job’ would usually end at early hours in the morning with results varying from time to time.

The sun was already making an appearance when Jaehyun opened the door to your room, nodding at Johnny who was seated beside it and was leaning at your dresser while you were at your bed on your phone.

“Thanks John.” 

“No problem, rest up.” Jaehyun only nodded as Johnny patted his shoulder, glancing at you who you gave a nod and a wave before he left the room and closed the door behind him.

You examined Jaehyun firs, who now changed into his sweats and a plain shirt. Peaking at his chest and shoulders was a bandage and on his other arm, was multiple bruises and cut on his lip. 

“You look horrible.” You said as you crawled to the edge of your bed, Jaehyun only chuckling before he took a seat at your desk’s chair. 

“You should’ve seen the other guy.”

“Why do you keep doing this?” You said, not really in the mood to joke around and put this one aside like the others. You were getting tired and extremely worried. At this point, a simple tree branch could knock your brother out. 

“Don’t worry too much about me, I’m okay. Look at me, I’m already feeling better.” Jaehyun said, opening his arms open but you didn’t miss how his face winced in pain when his injured shoulder moved.

You only shook your head, putting your face in your hands before brushing your hair back. “Why do you keep doing this? You act like this is what you live of off and that this is where you get your money, you have a company that’s doing well.” You said, voice slightly raising but you really didn’t have the energy to argue this early in the morning. “You don’t have to prove anything, you’re strong enough and you don’t need to be acting all kingpin and scarface and godfather prove that.”

Jaehyun only looked at you sympathetically before letting out a sigh, his eyes travelling down. “Yn, you don’t understand our family-” Jaehyun couldn’t formulate the correct words, pausing for a moment before shaking his head. “-Our family, I didn’t have a choice. Our father, his father, his father and so on, they set this up. We were born as a target.” Jaehyun explained, leaning forward and putting his elbows to his knees while his head was bowed down.

“Just because dad left the business doesn’t mean it would stop. The enemies he made wouldn’t just move on because he did, his partners wouldn’t just stop because he’s done. If anything, father only left us with enemies I don’t even know. I’m sorry you’re getting in between all of this.” Jaehyun said, finally lifting himself up as you only watched sympathetically. “If you want to move in with mom and dad that’s okay, but I don’t trust dad’s security team and I’ll send in Yuta with others or something.”

You chuckled at this, but shook your head. Jaehyun smiled at your response, the room was then filled with silence as you took up his words. Realizing what he said was true, he couldn’t simply leave this ‘family thing’ and expect safety. Your family was known to be shady even before you were born.

You stood up and open your arms, Jaehyun standing up himself and wrapped his arms around you. Your face landing on his chest, moving slightly as to not make any contact with the wound. 

“Peaches, can I request something?”

Jaehyun hummed, waiting for what you’ll say while his arms are still wrapped around you. 

“Let’s spend the day together, like we used to before. Like going to the park or the mall or something, let’s be normal for a day.” He pulled back and you saw he was hesitating and had a disappointing look on his face but before he could even say an answer, you hugged him tightly again. “Pleaseee Peaches, I don’t ask for much. I just really want to spend some time with you more, we could even just watch a movie here.”

“Fine, fine. But I still need to sleep, let’s go out after lunch.”

--

Not everyone had a happy ending that night though, if one could consider Jaehyun’s night a positive one. 

Some may have came out unscathed at 11:56 pm on a Friday night, they are however still considered the night a fail for different reasons even coming out of the same situation. 

1. The deal they were planning didn’t happen because someone double crossed them.

2. A particular someone couldn’t get someone’s number.

Lee Jeno is the biological son of Lee Donghae, a known businessman of a famous insurance company. However, he became notorious when him and multiple people from his board of directors were tied to a series of drug trafficking scheme.

Lee Donghae and his directors were proven innocent days later, but no details of HOW they were proven to be innocent was revealed to the media, the spokesperson stating details and information about the case are sensitive and everything was just a misunderstanding.

The scandal didn’t affect the company. If anything, it only shone more light about its existence and the charming son of its owner, Lee Jeno- who also has his fair share of ‘shady’ headlines every now and then.

It was then revealed a year later of the scandal that Lee Donghae adopted a boy, Na Jaemin. And again, details were not released about his adoption and who this Na Jaemin is. 

For Jeno, Na Jaemin is the guy who is currently hogging up his bed even if he has his one.

After a failed attempt to negotiate terms with the a holding company to create a partnership, both company and ‘private’ wise, Donghae went home with a black eye and a bruised son.

“I told you not to come.”

“You said I could come when I finish my homework.”

Jeno wasn’t surprised when he saw Jaemin in his bed and still awake at almost 12am. After bathing and freshening up, Jeno immediately went under the covers without even as to greet Jaemin.

He was already dozing off when Jaemin let out another groan, tossing the laptop at the edge of the bed and lay down beside Jeno, whose eyes was closed but was still awake. “How did the meeting go?”

“Someone from another group was there unannounced, the one we’re having a deal with thought they were ours and safe to say the deal is off.” Jeno answered without opening his eyes. 

“It would’ve gone well if I was there.”

“Yeah you would, with your Pink hair and all.” Jeno chuckled, opening his eyes but still under his blanket. “What’s up with you?”

“Do you know how to hack into the school system?” 

“You were never worried with your grades, what changed now?” Jeno asked, his full attention now on Jaemin. “What deal did dad struck with you?”

“No it’s not that, I just need to get someone’s number. When I was asking around, no one has her number. They said she doesn’t really give it out and if anyone has it, they’re not saying.” Jaemin said, remembering how he asked almost all his classmates from different subjects about your number

“Yn? Yeah, the only one who has her number is probably the school system. I’ve been trying to get her number too but she doesn’t even pull her phone out in public that much.”

“Who is it? Maybe I could help.” Jeno said cheekily, earning a roll of the eye from Jaemin, who found out his brother turned out to be a well known ‘brooding prince charming’ knowing damn well his brother couldn’t fully carry a conversation with anyone of the opposite gender.

“It’s yn, not a lot of people have nice things to say about her though.”

“Ahh yn, yeah I know her. I haven’t talked to her though, she’s a daughter of this rich family. Her personal life is pretty private, I don’t know much about her besides that.” Jaemin just nodded at this information, which wasn’t really helpful. “Just forget about it, you just started focus on other stuff. She’s trouble anyways.”

[su-homebroken-au]

Homebroken Chapter 8

It wasn't often that Steven got any visitors. Sometimes Blue would come to ensure that he was alright, but he was typically left with his court. Unless sometimes they would appear, but he doesn't like to think about them. He doesn't want to. Regardless he wasn't sure if he should be glad for mostly being with his court. He was a social.. Social.. Being.

What was he again?

He cannot recall, he blames the static in his mind that numbed him as he woke up. The blanket the Pebbles had made for him was soft, as were the pillows. He didn't understand how, but he was happy regardless. His bed was a little hideaway, somewhere other gems couldn't see him.

The star decorations on the low ceiling glow continuously, providing a calming and non-intrusive atmosphere. He should stay there.. But there is commotion, and there isn't usually any noise.

He rose like a puppet being pulled by a string. He got out of bed, made the bed and walked to the noise with robotic precision.

Opening the door, Steven is greeted to Yellow Diamond. He spots her instantly as her hue is a contrast to the pink room and even with all of the platforms scattered around to give the court room some interest, she stuck out.

"There you are." Steven doesn't have time to process the whole situation to uncover the most optimal way of proceeding. He's grabbed in a tight unforgiving grasp and quickly lifted.

As he's lifted Steven is able to catch a glance of his guards. Dahlia stood poised and in a perfect diamond salute, meanwhile Freesia had a clear look of what could be described as panic. He does a brief look around but he can't spot Spinel.

"Don't look around, your attention should be on me." Steven's head instinctively snapped to look at her once he's brought to eye level. She's glowing, she's glowing quite a bit actually. It's a little blinding and it gave him a headache. He doesn't look away, he can't.

"I cannot believe you Pink. You're still hiding in there, in that little human." Her hold adjusts in a way that showed his gem, but he was held in such a secure manner he couldn't even wriggle a finger. "Now you're back to your old habits. Goofing off when you should be working!"

"We should be celebrating Era 3 now that you finally decided to stop this whole game, but here you are. Still playing it, because Blue and even White are letting you. I don't even know how you managed to convince her to let you!"

"I'll admit that your presence at least has made Blue a lot more productive, she hasn't been drowning her court in her tears. That makes you a little more worth the trouble, but only a little."

She gave him a sharp jab to his stomach, just above the gem. He remained mute. She loosened her hold, moving Steven so now he was sitting on her hand.

"You will have to throw a party. That is your courts duty, to make the other courts happy. You understand that, don't you?" He nodded, and her expression softened just a little. "Good. At least you can listen."

"Now, unfortunately you will have to choose a member of your court to represent you. You cannot show up looking like." With her other hand, she gestured to all of him. "You'll shatter gems with that appearance."

He wondered briefly if his appearance should have shattered his friends by now.

"Still, I expect it to go well." Steven suppressed a noise upon feeling a jolt of her power coursing through him. "If it doesn't, I'm not above punishing you. If something goes wrong.. You will be to blame."

Another jolt and she stared at him with such an intense expression he felt he was beneath a spotlight. His arms move into a diamond salute and she seemed satisfied. Her hand moved, and Steven doesn't have time to process the next situation.

He is sitting on a warm yellow surface one moment, and face down on a cold pink floor in another. There's a throbbing ache over his body that he wasn't aware of previously, and Yellow's footsteps only strengthen it as she went to exit.

"Don't forget. You have 48 hours."

There's the sound of the door opening and closing. Steven didn't move simply laying there, he wasn't sure if he was supposed to. He stayed still and was able to pick up on the sound of someone squeaky approaching.

Pink hands wind around under his arms and lift him easily. Steven is brought face to face with Spinel who peered worriedly at him. He was able to notice Freesia and Dahlia hurrying over as well but his gaze was drawn back to Spinel.

"Geez, he's bleeding." Freesia stated as she came closer to them. He didn't respond when she carefully pushed his hair back to look him over carefully. Dahlia looked at Spinel then Freesia and finally to Steven. "You'd think Yellow would know that humans are fragile by now."

"Don't speak ill of a Diamond." Dahlia scolded harshly and Freesia stuck her tongue out in retaliation. The rose quartz rolled her eyes and turned her attention back to Steven. He simply stayed still, showing no visual signs of distress.

"Doesn't really give her an excuse to." Spinel grumbled, just loud enough for Freesia to hear but not Dahlia. She glanced at the pink quartz briefly before looking back to Steven. "Can't you do something to heal him?"

"Unlike our Diamond, rose quartz soldiers can only heal gems." She explained quietly, glancing at his gem briefly. "There is no damage to his gem, there is nothing I can do. I'm sorry, my Diamond." She saluted as she spoke, her expression sorrowful.

Steven raised a hand shakily, patting her shoulder briefly before letting his hand fall to its original limp state. Freesia smiled at his attempt of comfort, while Dahlia appeared briefly confused but interested. The purple gem spun, putting her hands on her hips and grinning at the three.

"So, how are we gonna host a party?"

The other two gems glanced at each other uncertainly while Steven remained in a rag-doll like state. Spinel grinned sheepishly, while Dahlia shook her head in disappointment that seemed to be directed towards herself as opposed to the others. Freesia's grin dropped slightly.

"Our Diamond is doomed."

--

They were able to get information from the Pebbles about traditional balls that Pink had thrown in the past. Therefore, it was time to set up the main ballroom. Steven's hood had been pulled up as they hurried to the ballroom to begin set up. Dodging other gems was like a game, one where they'd get in trouble if they were caught.

"Alright, we're here." Spinel announced as she bounced into the empty courtroom. She did a brief few bounces, going higher and higher to ensure that they were alone. When she was satisfied that no-one was around, she gestured for them to follow her in.

Freesia pulled Steven's hood down as they entered, she glanced around and grimaced slightly. The empty bright room was ominous, the lack of any noise or many decorations just added towards a haunting atmosphere.

"Not exactly the most wonderful place, is it?" She stated, her hands on her hips. "I mean, the halls of the Zoo weren't that noisy but at least there was stuff there."

"Well you aren't there anymore." Dahlia reminded with a huff. "We're going to have to decorate, and plan."

As she spoke some of the Pebbles who had followed arrived, carrying items far too big for their bodies. Steven lifted one of the baskets with flowers and ribbons, examining it curiously. Dahlia lifted the basket from him easily, ushering him further inside. He was led to the pink throne, which he jumped upon and looked at her curiously.

"Right, we'll get decorating and make this place look a whole lotta fun!" Freesia looked at Steven with a wide smile. "Lil' Diamond! We got this, you observe and give us that royal touch!"

Following her instructions, Steven sat and observed. He watched as Spinel would bounce high to wrap ribbons and flowers around the columns. Dahlia had began making flower arrangements for the thrones, flowers in the same colour of a diamond were neatly put together into four separate arrangements.

He couldn't spot Freesia initially, but he noticed her helping the Pebbles create little things that were too small for him to understand.

He glances around the room, feeling much smaller than usual. It was like being in the presence of all of the Diamonds. The small being pressed his hands together with a shaky sigh. Steven has been good, so he won't be punished.

The dull throbbing ache over the front of his body suggested that he already had been but he believed it was likely an accident. He should have done better, he deserved that. He is supposed to make them happy, he isn't making them happy.

Sometimes when Blue visits she doesn’t smile at him, even though he tries to cheer her up because that his is role. His duty. Carrying Pink Diamond's gem until she was ready to emerge, he is supposed to fulfil her duties. He is the leader of the court that brought laughter. He's supposed to bring happiness.

But she doesn't smile at him, and neither does Yellow.

Steven shivered, the feeling of phantom fingers sweeping up his back and leaving a painful static sensation in their wake struck him quickly. He feels lightheaded, fatigued. Its hard to keep his head up as they continue to decorate.

He blinks. It's less bland.

He blinks. Life is returning.

He blinks. Colour is bleaching.

He blinks. Everything is fading.

He blinks. Let's play, Pink.

From below, Spinel noticed that Steven had fallen asleep. She supposed that made sense, he had been sat there to watch and watching wasn't any fun at all. It was boring. It was draining enough to make a gem crack. She had been waiting for years and years, watching for any signs of her best friend.

She didn't think she could remain still again like that for so long. Not without that empty feeling returning, endless questions spanning decades of waiting and wondering. Will she come back? When will we play again? Am I doing this right?

Does she still love me?

"Freesia! Those are not laid out in an acceptable manner! You are not on the Zoo ship anymore, you need to show some respect to our Diamonds!" Dahlia yelled, breaking Spinel from her momentary trance. She giggled again, and went back to work listening to the scuffle of the two gems.

This was a party, and those were always fun. Era 3 was going to be full of laughter and celebration! Everyone will be grinning forever and ever.

[ivyglow]

Hostage - Jack Eichel | Buffalo Sabres

a/n: Sooooo I took too long to finish this piece, I'm kinda happy with what it turned out and I hope you guys like it. Again, a huge shout out to Naty who proofreaded everything, thank you @tsarinablogs !!! ❤️

word count: 3.5k

warnings: cursing; mention of toxic relationships.

note2: there is a note at the end of the piece. Please read it!! :) thanks. Oh- and you guys can read it listening to Hostage by Billie Eilish or Figures by Jessie Reyez.

Prompt: #11 ”we’re not just friends, and you known it!”

Do you know the line of really good friends but not enough to become best friends? Well, this line was something between Y/n and Jack. They were introduced to each other by a mutual friend and since day one they got along pretty well. He was funny and so was she. As time went by, the hangouts started to involve only the two of them, Jack always stopping by her house to talk, y/n always waiting to have dinner with him and so on. Maybe being able to draw the line was the main reason why Jack suggested what he did and why y/n accepted it. She liked him, more than a friend, but they were not close enough to become best friends and so things wouldn’t be messy if the deal did not work. 

“How was he?” Jack asks while sipping his juice and looking at the TV screen. “I don’t know, he was ok, I mean we liked each other, but there wasn’t this kind of chemistry.” She murmurs, trying to bring back the memories of her first boyfriend. The topic was caused by a scene of the movie about two best friends becoming each other’s first relationship. 

“Do I look like him?” he asks out of the blue, and she adjusts herself, trying to take a better look at his face as he fails to hide the thoughtfulness in his eyes.

“Why do you want to know?” 

“I don’t know..just thinking if maybe you have a type” Jack jokes and y/n puffs the air out of her lungs, while drawing one of her fingers to his face to trail the sharp of his jawline. This close, looking from this angle, laying just like this, he looked like one of the many busts she was studying last week. So methodicly sculptured, sharp jaw, perfect mouth, like it was a work of art with so much mathematics involved, chasing perfection. 

But the thing is: Jack wasn’t a sculpture at all. He was a human being and taking into consideration her beliefs his face was not created by science.

“He had short hair…,” it passes through her lips while still tracing his features, “the kind you can’t even thread through your fingers. And he wasn’t as funny, but he was loud and I thought it was sweet. He wasn’t into arts or movies in general, but, still, I liked him.” 

“So, we’re pretty much different…” he concludes and she shakes her head.

“Even if he had your height, or identical hair, or eyes, you guys would never ever look alike.” Her voice was abruptly deep.

“He had zero empathy with my feelings…” she confesses, it took her so long to realize it, took many breakups until she realized the blame wasn’t on her. “I don’t know how to describe the way he made me feel guilty about my own decisions and…” Jack could not do the same, right?

In fact, she felt deeper when it came to Jack, and so it could indicate that once he hurt her, it would be way worse, but he would not, right?

The hockey player did not press her to keep talking, actually, he didn’t want to talk about the subject, didn’t want to imagine someone as good as y/n being hurt, so he just started curling a random strand of her hair on his finger and shifting his attention back to the TV. 

…

It comes as no surprise that y/n was friends with almost the whole Buffalo Sabres’ team, she would go to every possible game and be able to talk about anything with them. So when they won and went to celebrate, of course she was there, excited to hug all of her friends and make some sassy comments about their game. 

“Wayne!!!!!” y/n squeals to the tall black man in front of her. “That pass was amazing, damn!” 

“You liked it?! Sam almost killed me, saying it was a dangerous move, ugh” he engulfs her small body in his large frame.

“It was not that bad, but mine was better..” Dominik stumbled in the talk putting his arm around y/n’s shoulders. 

“Dom!!! Your game was not that bad today” she jokes standing in her tiptoes to give him a kiss in the cheek.

“What an insane game, I don’t know if I can celebrate properly, there’s so much adrenaline still…” he says while leaning in the bar bringing his friend’s body with. 

“Ooooh, baby’s want to go home?!” Wayne pokes his side and the three of them laugh. 

“By the way, where’s Jack?” y/n asks, already missing his curls and sense of humor. 

She’s not the type of person who gets attached in a way that creates codependency, usually, she’s chill, but somehow with Jack, there’s this constant desire of being close, hold hands, hear his voice or at least know he’s thinking about her too. 

But it’s not something she verbalizes, it’s one of the many things she keeps to herself, scared of scaring him, she prefers to let her feelings eat her inside than share it with him and create the slight possibility of an end of their affair. 

“Hmmm...he’s...I think…” Waynes seems a little stressed to answer and when Dominik squeezes her shoulders she knows something is wrong. “What’s up, guys?” 

Y/n turns to the left-winger player holding her and before she could press him to say something, there’s a loud commotion on one table close to them. The table of the players. The table where Jack just arrived with a girl hanging by his side. 

He’s holding her by the waist, hands a little bit lower and bodies too close together. There’s this flush on his cheeks matching the visible bruise in his neck, none of them are from the game and y/n knows it the second her eyes caught it. 

“Oh-” it’s the only sound she is able to make even though she wanted to say to both boys around her that it was okay, that her and Jack were just friends who sometimes happens to kiss and have sex, and share movie nights, and hold hands at private parties, and sleep together when the night feels lonely. Nothing more, just friends after all.

“Just ignore him, sweetheart” Wayne is not trying to defend his friend and it shows.

Her eyelids feel heavy and her breath caught in her throat like she just swallowed the slice of lemon in her cup. When it feels like her knees are giving it, the drink is not to blame this time. 

“I’m okay” she whispers.

She can almost hear the voice of her girlfriends, telling her to let Jack go.

Oh, but boy, was she a stubborn girl. 

The trio keeps talking and eventually, some other players and their girlfriends join the conversation. Jack and the girl make out for a few minutes and when he leaves the table to get a drink on the bar, he just smiles at y/n like nothing ever happened. 

That night, unlike Jack, she went home alone and cried herself to sleep.

…

It was a Thursday afternoon, one week after the club incident, she had just arrived from class and was filling in her bullet journal, before taking a bath and starting to do her work. Today was a productive day, easily so, her mind was not focused on thinking about Jack or trying to figure out how to talk to him, what to tell him and how hurt she was. Y/n and Clarice, her best friend, went to study at the library. And being the social butterfly that she was, Clarice invited some other friends, one of them was this brunette boy from one of her classes and for the first time they talked about things other than university and due dates. He was a pretty nice guy and they exchanged numbers at the end of the study session.

Even though she had to constantly brush Jack off her mind, it was actually nice to enjoy someone else’s company and feel wanted.

The knocks on her door startled her and y/n left the bedroom, walking straight to the living room, asking herself who it could be.

“Eichel?” she furrowed her brows. It’s like someone punched her right into the chest and for some seconds the air seems far away from her body. 

“Hey, I was just a little worried, you didn’t text me or anything…” he rocks back and forth in his heels a little stunned since she didn’t give space to him to get inside. 

“I was...busy” the words ‘I’m sorry’ almost slipped through her lips. 

“You’re free now?” he furrows his brows and y/n sighs lowly. “I actually got some stuff from university to do...if you don’t mind” the last part is said once his face drops a little. No one would have noticed, but she did because she knew his features like no one else. 

“I don’t...I could use some Netflix and chill and keep you company?!” his lips are stretched into a small smile, the one he usually does when he’s suggesting something and he’s not sure the person is open to it. The one he does every time he fucks up, like he did the other week. The one that usually comes with the big blue eyes staring deep into her soul. The one that always is able to make her give up.

And this time is no different.

She steps aside giving him room to get inside.

“I’ll be in my room, I need some silence to work on this assignment” it’s her best strategy to avoid him or at least be able to have some minutes of productivity. 

“Oh, I’ll be on my phone then,” he smiles, big this time. “You won’t even notice I’m in the same room.” he tries for a light joke but somehow it punches her right in the gut.

It was impossible for him to go unnoticed. At least in her world. He was so close to the center of it that sometimes she asked herself if he wasn’t the sun. 

Well, in this solar system he was the sun and she was mercury, too close, almost melting, unable to receive others. He was the closest she could ever have and cold? She never felt it.

Jack made himself comfortable on her bed while she typed away on her laptop. Or tried to type away, because once or twice he would giggle to his cell phone or get up to get water or whatever. 

“Can you please stop?!” she asked abruptly when it felt impossible to focus on her work.

“Sorryyyy” he smiles -big-, and turns his attention back to the phone. 

After half an hour and three pages, she gets up to pee and stretches her body. Jack was engulfed by his phone, typing eagerly and too distracted to notice she was walking past. Well, who could blame him?! Probably, any other person in his situation would be distracted too, it’s not every time that his hookups are open to send nudes in the normal chat - usually, they would go for Snapchat or something like that. 

“What the fuck?!” y/n stops in her tracks when her brain finally processes the image on the screen of his mobile. “Are you really sexting some random girl? In my house?!” 

“I’m not sexting, we were talking and she happened to send a picture asking my opinion…” 

“Of course, your opinion about how good her new bra looks!” her tone was angry covering how betrayed she felt.

‘Sis, he can’t even be named a cheater since you guys are not dating!’ this tiny voice inside her laughed at her feelings and remembered the bitter truth. 

“Hey, it’s not a big deal, ok?!” he rolls his eyes, suppressing the little smile in the corner of his lips. 

“It is a damn huge deal!” she almost screams. “You can’t be that blind, Jack!” 

“About what? I try my best to listen to you and do as you like and-”

“Oh my fucking god!” she grunts. “How do you pay attention to my feelings and try your best to listen to me after what you did last week?! And oh! That shit happened two months ago too and oh! I almost forgot every time you came up with a new shit that leaves me heartbroken and guess what?! You don’t come to talk to me about it, because you don’t even try to pretend that you fucking care with my feelings!” 

“Oh- what the hell, y/n?! What’s that outburst about?! Are you really fighting me like this because of a random nude?!” he left the bed, standing right in front of her. The phone forgotten on the mattress. 

“You don’t even get it, Jack…” she mutters, lips quivering.

“Well, then tell me and I will. We’re friends, y/n, we’re not supposed to have this kind of miscommunication-” 

“We’re not just friends and you know it!” her voice a few tenths louder. 

“And we’re not a couple either and you know it!” his voice is lower. Almost like he knew how deep that sentence could cut her heart.

‘See?! I told you!’ her gut screams inside her head, her own heart being the target of pity and laughs inside her. 

“Get out, Jack” y/n sights. 

“I’m just being hones-”

“GET OUT!” she screams, tired of his voice, tired of his cold heart, tired of him and most of all tired of how he made her feel. One minute in the top of the world and the other so low that rock bottom wouldn’t even live up to how she really felt.

Jack did not try to talk, or hug her, or say that he was wrong, maybe sorry?! He did nothing besides grabbing his phone and leave her house. 

The indifference kicking hard one more time in the same spot that was bruised: her heart. 

…

It’s been two weeks, Jack was on a road trip with the team and since the incident, he gave no signal of wanting to talk. So there was Clarice trying to make y/n realize that she deserved a lot more than someone like him.

“...And it feels like he’s the sun sometimes. I just feel cold and heartbroken now, you know?” Y/n grumbles laying on her bed and facing the ceiling.

“WhAT?!”

Clarice’s tone startles y/n.

“What?” she asks back.

“You can never ever make someone or something the sun of your system. It’s too dangerous, don’t you see it?!” 

She stays silent for some seconds trying to absorb her friend’s words.

“It’s not like I have a choice though…” the voice that left her mouth was a strangled one, hoarse from all the cry and scream-on-the-pillow-session.

“You do! We always do. We have a choice when we decide that we won’t take that bullshit anymore, we will focus on ourselves and nothing less. Nothing can be the center of your life, not an object, not a goal, not a person and even less so a relationship, cause once some of these things are gone?! You’re broken, too.”

Clarice gives her a sympathetic look before going for a hug, she knew that it was exactly what y/n was needing, to feel warm with anything other than Jack and eventually learn to feel it by herself.  

“I thought he was different…” she whispers.

“We all do, sweetie, we all do…” Clarice runs her fingers under y/n’s eyes trying to stop for some seconds the tears from falling. “But there’s this singer I really like and she says that it’s not our job to be someone else Karma. It’s not your job to fix him, you can help him with that, but first?! First, you need to heal yourself, we can’t lift others if we are on the ground as well.” 

Y/n took the rest of the day to rest and cry a fucking river, as Justin would say. Clarice was staying with her during the week since the two had a college assignment together and y/n could use some company. Especially if her company would make her laugh every possible time and help her with sad thoughts. Y/n spent more time with the boy from her class, Daniel and she was happy to receive all his memes and trash-talk always. 

It was almost midnight and she was deep in reading an article from college when her phone buzzed.

A message from Dominik. 

It was a picture of him holding a really colorful and big cup of drink. The team was probably celebrating one more win.

Dominik: guess the name of this drink?”

Dominik: I’m kidding, don’t.

Dominik: It’s actually ‘Y/N‘, you have the name of a drink here lol can you believe it?!” 

She giggled with her friend’s drunkenness and opened the photo again. He had this big smile, the one that makes your eyes almost close and his cheeks were red probably from the alcohol. In the background of the photo, however, there was a well-known figure laced with a girl.

Jack was kissing her and y/n wasn’t even surprised. She was hurt. 

He wasn’t different at all and she felt silly for believing it for so long. 

…

At the end of the week, when the team just landed in the city, y/n received a message from Jack.

Jack: Hey, just landed. Missing you like crazyyyy.

Jack: Can I go to your place?

Jack: we’re cool right?! 

She sighed. 

Some days without him and she was able to realize how fucked up things have been. 

She was considering a date with Daniel, her classmate, and hopefully this time Jack was not going to stop it, not like he did the other times when she tried to make the “not-exclusive” deal work for both of them. He would always show up at her house and keep her in her bed until it was too late to go out or say so much bullshit she would end up cancelling it. 

y/n: Come over, I need to talk indeed. 

She just started to realize she had been a hostage of a lot of things, college, some feelings from her childhood, her toxic family, etc. So it felt enough of playing the soft one if she was having the opportunity to stop being held against her will. 

It was twenty minutes before the knock on her door. 

He was there, smile in the corner of his lips, just like he would do after messing up. She was going to forgive him because she was trying to love herself enough and to carry hurt was a burden she was not going to put in her backpack. In fact, keep the bad feelings would only make it worse.

She smiled back, slightly, almost invisible. But he saw it, not because he knew her face as nobody did, but because he was paying attention like never before. 

“I missed you,” he mumbles entering the apartment. 

“I don’t wanna take too long, Jack. I just want to be honest with you.”

“If it is about th-”

“No. Please, let me...let me just finish ok?!” 

“Yeah, go ahead” he nodded.

“I don’t want to see you anymore. Not while I’m trying to heal. You can’t keep using me like that, can’t keep acting like I don’t have feelings, acting like seeing you in doubt did not kill me inside. I love you! You’re my friend, Jack, and that’s even worse cause it feels like I’m losing you twice. Just let me go, stop making my feelings hostage.”

“I’m sorry, I never meant to hurt you.”

“I know.” She sights. “But you did. And I’m sorry Jack, but looking at you right now – the only thing I can think of is that you look exactly like him…”

“Who?” he furrows his brows.

“My first boyfriend, the one I once told you would never look alike.”

“And you never told me why you thought we were so different…” 

“Because he didn’t care about me. He didn’t love me as much as I did and still, he kept me, I guess maybe because of the feeling of possessing someone, maybe afraid of loneliness…Still, he kept me hostage for long enough and I’m not letting you do the same.”

She handed him a box with some of his stuff that was at her place. 

It was the first step and it was a small one, but she was trying to leave the place and the people that made her feel worse. 

She was a hostage of a lot of things, some feelings from her childhood, her toxic family, Jack, but one by one, she was going to break the chains. It was enough of hurt and sorrow and madness, if she could stop being held against her will, she would.

.

note3: during this time and because of some events I realized I don't feel 100% ok writing about Jack, I decided to finish and publish this one in respect to the anon who asked (and I replied saying it was ok). So yeah, there's nothing about him in my inbox anymore and I just want to let you guys know that :) thanks.

[seagreen-meets-grey]

Hooked On A Feeling Ch. 2

When Hiccup and Astrid realize they’ve never hung out alone before, they decide to change that. And how do you better spend time with your Good Friend than by playing Mario Kart all night?

[Chapter 1: Come A Little Bit Closer] [Chapter 2: Fooled Around And Fell In Love] [Chapter 3: Go All The Way]

Crossposted on ao3 and ff.net

_______________

Hiccup needed to pee so badly.

Ever since he’d dozed off earlier, he’d become more uncomfortable by the minute. He really didn’t want to leave his position now. It had taken him so long to shuffle ever closer to Astrid again and his whole slow process of inch by inch would be lost. But another painful pinch from his bladder later, he couldn’t take it anymore.

Pausing the game mid-race, he put his controller to the side, moved to sit up, and did the next without thinking. He leaned over, kissed Astrid on the cheek as if it were the most natural thing in the world and left to the bathroom.

As soon as he’d closed the door behind him, he froze, eyes wide as saucers. What had just happened? Why the hell had he done that?!

Only his bladder was able to get him to move again and after he’d relieved himself, he began pacing through the bathroom.

He couldn’t just go back now; it would be so awkward. He’d just ruined the night. Maybe he should just stay in here forever or sneak out the window and never come back. But his Switch was still here and he couldn’t just jump from the second floor.

It shouldn’t even be that big of a deal. They were good friends – best friends, even. And it was just a kiss on the cheek. But for some reason, it suddenly felt like so much more.

Too afraid to go back and face her reaction, he continued pacing back and forth, then in circles, then he lay face down on the floor with a loud muffled groan. He didn’t know how long he’d been in here by now. She must be thinking he was either taking a very huge dump or that he’d fallen asleep on the bowl.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he chastised himself, accentuating every word by banging his forehead on the fluffy carpet.

The knock on the door made him wince. “Hiccup?” Fuck. “Everything okay?”

He scrambled to get up, mussing up his hair in an attempt to smooth it, and opened the door, leaning as casually as possible against the frame. “’M fine.”

“Right,” she frowned and pushed her bangs out of her face. “Do you want to go outside for a bit? Take a walk, clear our head of… the tiredness?”

“Yes,” he said maybe a little too immediately. Some fresh air while walking through the dark where they couldn’t see each other’s face very well sounded so much better than sitting next to each other in a stuffy room after such a terribly awkward situation.

They donned their coats and left the house. The cold air hit their faces, cooling the blood that was still rushing through their veins.

Astrid was glad that she’d taken the time to go back to her room to get her warm hat and mittens while Hiccup had been waiting for her outside. In the soft light of the moon reflecting off the snow beneath their feet, her breath condensed in front of her face. Wiggling her toes inside her boots to warm them up for the walk, she switched on her flashlight and tested the range of the light cone. The batteries should hold for a while.

They walked down the quiet street, only the flashlight and a few lamps here and there illuminating their path. It had stopped snowing for the most part, a handful of stars blinking in the sky in-between thick clouds. Her light reflected off the sign that informed them they were leaving Berk, right over the smaller sign pointing in the direction of Raven Point Lake.

For a while, neither of them talked. Astrid was rather glad about the silence that was only interrupted by the snow scrunching under their every step, still a little flustered by this new tension between herself and her friend. She was wondering if her heart was beating that fast because of Hiccup or because she’d had way too much sugar and caffeine. It was probably both.

She watched him from the corner of her eye, taking note of the thoughtful lines on his face. Was he having similar thoughts, maybe overthinking everything in true Hiccup fashion, or was she the one attributing too much importance to every interaction?

“Look, I’m vaping,” Hiccup broke the silence and exhaled a large cloud of breath.

Astrid snorted. “Wow, I’m amazed. I thought you were contemplating the meaning of the universe just now, but turns out there is a hamster inside your brain running backwards on its wheel.”

“His name is Sharpshot, because he’s such a sharp shot,” Hiccup said. “He’s a hamster that knows how to run backwards, that must count for something.”

“You’re not funny.”

“Astrid, I can see you grin.”

She switched off her flashlight. “No, you can’t.”

Naturally, he tripped only the blink of an eye later. But instead of faceplanting into the snow, which would have been pretty hilarious, he got hold of her arm and saved himself. “I don’t want to walk straight into the lake,” he declared and held onto her.

“I can still push you or lead you right into the water.”

“Nope, I’m smarter than you,” he claimed and let go of her arm to fish his phone out of his pocket and turned on its flash. She cursed the drop of her stomach at the loss of his touch.

“Cheater,” she huffed and switched her own light back on. When Hiccup put his phone back into his pocket, there was a tiny victorious smirk on his face which she deliberately chose to ignore.

They turned one more corner and reached the lake. The water was black and smooth as glass, the reflection of the moon nearly undistorted, only a few snowflakes softly creating miniature ripples on the surface. They trudged down the path along the shore, leisurely passing the ghosts of people jogging during the day, families on their Sunday stroll, sniffing dogs and their shivering owners, and the occasional old couple watching the commotion from one of the benches now covered in ice and snow.

There was that look on his face again, the one that creased his forehead, paled the many freckles on his skin and drenched his eyes in a darker color. She didn’t like it, had always felt like there was something wrong with the world when a spirit such as Hiccup’s could be pulled out of the sky by something stronger than gravity.

She’d seen a variation of that look before, albeit a much heavier, soul-crushing one, not quite two years ago. And now she couldn’t bear it either.

“How’s your mom doing?” she tentatively asked.

He looked up as if surprised she was still there, in the world outside his own head. “Mom’s doing fine.” The creases were gone and he playfully kicked at a frozen clump of grass, and Astrid wondered if he had even realized he’d drifted off into his own galaxy there for a moment.

She bit her lip and, for the first time since it had invaded her head, voiced the thought that had been sitting in a corner of her mind for months and had only come out again recently. “I’m sorry. I feel like I haven’t been there for you enough.”

He stopped walking. “Where is this suddenly coming from?”

“Well…” she shrugged, searching the lake for words. “We realized we’d never hung out alone before. That makes me think that I probably also wasn’t there for you enough when your mom was, you know…” Almost dying of cancer. Even she wasn’t brave enough to say it out loud, for she hated what it did to the life in Hiccup’s eyes.

He regarded her for a minute, then gave her a reassuring smile and continued down the path again. “Don’t worry. You were actually the most helpful, you know.”

“Really?” She caught up to him and frowned, remembering several incidents where she probably could have been more tactful, blurting out bold words before her sensitivity could join the party. “How so?”

“You didn’t pamper me or act like I was a bomb ready to go off any second. You were real with me when everyone else pretended that everything was fine. I don’t think I ever said thank you, so… Thanks.”

The sincerity in his voice warmed her from the inside, untwisting the knot there, and she punched him lightly on the arm. “You’re welcome.”

He pretended to be hurt but the twitching corners of his mouth betrayed him, so he quit the dramatics and draped an arm over her shoulder. “I’m glad you’re my friend.”

When she glanced over, she was caught in his smile. It was so genuine and soft and so close that she couldn’t think of a witty comeback on the fly, so she just nodded. “Me too.”

They had slowed to a stop, standing there in a halfway hug. As if it had waited for the invitation, the weird sexual tension from before snuck back up on them, dashing down the path and enveloping them with a thousand volts that gave Astrid goosebumps all over her arms and back.

Hiccup was the first to clear his throat and step away, rubbing at his neck. She brought the light up to his face, illuminating his skin, and she wondered if it was red from the cold or something else.

Her own runny nose and numb cheeks reminded her of the cold as well, inciting a longing for her fluffy socks and warm, cozy bed. “Let’s head back.”

“Good idea, my toes are freezing off.”

“Rather your toes than your fingers,” she said before shaking her head, competitive grin back on her face. “Scratch that, I can beat you faster if you lose your fingers.”

“Milady!” Hiccup mock-gasped. “That’s so cruel. I didn’t know you had it in you.”

“Yeah, you did.”

He shrugged and nodded. “Okay, yes, I did.” When he bumped her shoulder with his own, she retaliated by shoving him, making him stagger precariously. He caught himself and used his momentum to come after her, chasing her down the path. Laughing, she ran ahead of him, back to the street, and scooped up a handful of snow that she hurled at him the moment he turned the corner. He’d anticipated the attack, though, and ducked just in time to avoid being hit in the face. When he came back up, his hands were already forming a snowball, and the game was officially on.

They reached her house completely covered in white. Hiccup’s hair was wet from the snow she’d showered him with after he had stuck a handful down the back of her shirt, and her mittens were soaked.

After she put their boots next to the heater and hung her jacket, she still felt the adrenaline from their battle coursing through her. When Hiccup was tugging at his clammy socks, she leaned over and kissed him on the cheek.

“Just letting you know that I’m going to the bathroom.” She even winked for good measure before she left the room, his eyes burning through her all the way down the hall.

Not much later, they were lounging on her bed again, warm and dry and competitive, drinking their energy drinks and handling their controllers as if it was second nature at this point.

“How’d it go at Doctor Mala’s?” Hiccup broke the silence after a while of concentrated racing, only to backtrack right after. “Um, sorry. You don’t have to answer that if it’s too personal.”

A quick glance reassured him she was smiling, not glaring at him ready to strike. Asking the friend you’ve prior to now never spent time alone with how their visit at the dermatologist went probably overstepped some kind of line.

“First of all, why wouldn’t I tell you? You’re one of my closest friends.” Upon him opening his mouth to object, she added, “Even though we never hung out alone before now. I don’t define my closest friends by that kind of bullshit argument. Second, she said all my moles look fine. Nothing to worry about.”

He hadn’t even noticed the tension in his shoulders before they relaxed at her words. With her family history of skin cancer, nothing to worry about was music to his ears. “That’s great. Both of what you said.” He bumped her elbow with his and earned her immediate complain.

“Hey, jackass! Are you trying to force me off the road?!”

“That’s the plan, Baby Peach.”

All she did in response was grumble and he was sure the name Waluigi was mentioned in the same breath as a few of her favorite swear words. The smile on his face was wiped clean, though, the second he took a look at the current positions of the characters and cursed. “We fucked up, Astrid. Look who’s up front!”

“What?!” She leaned forward and smacked her hands complete with controller on her crossed legs, exasperated. “Not him! He’s the most boring one!”

“Well, step on it, milady! We can’t let him win!”

For the next few races, they actually worked together to bring Mario down a few positions, burying their rivalry until he was defeated. After that, their truce was dropped immediately.

During a break in-between races, Astrid stretched her arms over her head and Hiccup had to avert his eyes when her shirt rode up a few inches and revealed a patch of skin right above the waistline of her sweatpants. The cute noises she made while stretching and yawning at the same time didn’t help at all and he felt his face go very warm.

“I don’t know about you,” she yawned, “but I could kill for some hot cacao right now. You want some?”

“Hm-hmm.”

“Sweet.” In one motion, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, stood up and bounced on her toes. It took him a bit longer to get out of his comfortable position, tired as he was, so he accepted her outstretched hand gladly. He blamed it on his lack of sleep that he didn’t let go right away, allowing her to pull him out of the room before dropping her hand.

The kitchen still smelled of pizza, even though one window was slightly ajar. The underfloor-heating warmed his feet and for a minute he considered warming up a piece of the pizza. But he decided that would require too much effort. Instead, he was content with watching Astrid grab two mugs from her cupboard, fill them with milk and cacao powder and put them in the microwave.

She, too, had briefly considered eating more pizza. But her mind had gotten sidetracked when she’d looked over at Hiccup and found him staring bleary-eyed at the food. Her inner voice screamed cute so loudly, it drowned out every other thought.

She had to force herself back to her task at hand, which was to prepare the hot cacao, not to drool over the sight of her suddenly hard to resist friend. Sure, he’d always been adorable, but right now, when she looked at him in her kitchen in the middle of the night, wearing pajamas and leaning against the fridge like he belonged here, her heart began racing in her chest like it was a Mario Kart player and her stomach felt like it was zooming over Rainbow Road.

Where was all this coming from all of a sudden? She tried figuring out if she’d always felt this way or if it was just now developing at rapid speed, but she wasn’t capable of thinking clearly at the moment; she was way too distracted – and tired. Her fingers started twitching against the mugs as she put them in the microwave and set the timer.

For a minute, she watched the porcelain spin slowly as the invisible heat waves did their thing. When she turned around, she found Hiccup regarding her through sleepy eyes, and a sudden urge, spurred on by her raving heart, set her muscles into motion.

Before she could think about it, she crossed the space between them, grabbed the collar of his shirt and yanked his lips down to hers. The muffled sound of surprise got stuck in his throat as he completely froze against her. When several moments had passed and he was still imitating a statue, the rational part of her brain caught up with her. This had been a very bad idea.

The ping of the microwave suddenly brought life back into Hiccup. He pulled back from her and awkwardly shuffled out of her grasp that left his shirt crumpled where her fist had held onto it like the tattered end of a rope dangling over a bottomless abyss.

“Oh, look at that,” he exclaimed, voice a little too loud, and dedicated his entire focus to the microwave and its content. “The hot cacao is done. Ow, and it’s hot!” An awkward chuckle escaped him while he fumbled with the mugs, avoiding looking at her at any cost. “Who would have thought, right? That hot cacao is hot? Not me, certainly.” He made a face as if he’d just bitten into a big lemon and regretted it deeply.

Astrid didn’t regret anything – but she had to admit, certain decisions of hers hadn’t played out very favorable. For once in her life, she should have thought before taking action. Her knack for impulse decisions had finally come to bite her in the butt. She knew Hiccup, and she knew he was going to avoid the whole topic for a while until he felt like the awkwardness of the situation had cooled down, and then he was going to avoid ever talking about it again.

But she wanted to talk about it. Because her impulses didn’t just happen, they were based on instinct. And her instincts had given her the impression that there was something between them tonight, a tension that certainly couldn’t have been only one-sided. Or was that just wishful thinking?

Her thoughts racing, she quietly followed Hiccup back to her room. Neither of them said a word as they settled back on the bed, quite some space between them. They sipped at their chocolate drinks and stared at the TV for a while until Astrid couldn’t take the uncomfortable silence anymore and exchanged her mug for her controller. Hiccup followed her lead and soon enough they were back at insulting each other over the game.

Astrid almost let out a sigh of relief when the awkward tension from earlier dissolved and made way for their usual playful banter. At some point, they would have to talk about what happened there in the kitchen, but for now, she was content with kicking his ass at a video game that he was way better at than she would have liked. He was serious competition and somehow, that sent a shiver down her spine as her lips tingled pleasantly.

After every race, the amount of liquid in their mugs became lesser and the final races came closer. They were head to head at the top of the ranking list, too far ahead of the rest of the characters to be outrun by anyone anymore. It was just her and Hiccup fighting for the ultimate victory, for the pride and bragging rights that came with it, and the privilege of receiving an extra Christmas present.

She tipped her head back to chug down the last of her chocolate, put her mug away and reached for her controller to start the next race, when Hiccup suddenly leaned towards her.

“Hold on,” he mumbled and lifted his hand to her face. “You got some foam right there.” His brows furrowed in concentration as his finger gingerly stroked over the skin at the edge of her lips. She didn’t dare to move when he hesitated to pull his hand back.

His fingers wandered further, every micromotion leaving fiery tingles in its wake. Her breath hitched when his skin touched her lips and lightly traced over every line and curve, with undivided attention to first her lower, then her upper lip. Transfixed, she didn’t realize she was leaning forward until he moved his hand to her neck and brought his face closer to hers, equally mesmerized.

This time, he didn’t freeze. The first brush of lips was chaste and hesitant, like he was testing the waters, as if her blatantly kissing him earlier hadn’t been obvious enough. When she leaned more firmly into him, signaling him that she wouldn’t reject him, he grew more confident, burying his other hand in her hair, pulling her closer. She sat on her legs and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He tasted like liquid chocolate, and when she slid her tongue along his lower lip, there was something else sugary, something more artificial – energy drink. Her heart was pounding, pumping blood through her veins that she was sure was made of sheer viscous caffeine.

Her chest felt like it was flooded with molten caramel, powered by the rush of soft lips meeting hers over and over again, of teeth colliding, followed by a breathy chuckle and a new approach to get it right. She tilted her head a little further and goosebumps broke out over her neck when the hand in her hair wandered lower to join the other.

Trivial concepts like time and space became irrelevant. If sleep hadn’t been pressing against the insides of her temple, she’d have embraced the idea of staying like this forever.

But, as bubblegum had been teaching humanity for ages, every bubble had to burst at some point. This particular one was maliciously speared by the razor-sharp tip of the pike that was her alarm clock.

She almost bit her tongue – or Hiccup’s, because who was to say at this point – in an effort to scramble up and get to her phone. She knew it was somewhere on her desk, discarded underneath various folders and clothes she’d thrown there while half-heartedly cleaning her room earlier that day. And there it was, blaring her latest favorite metalcore song, buried underneath a t-shirt and an old bra. After a few hectic swipes of her thumb, she shut the alarm off and shoved the bra back underneath the pile of chaos.

“Sorry, forgot to turn it off.” Blasted mood killer at seven in the morning!

When she turned around, though, she doubted Hiccup had heard a word of what she’d just said. He was sitting there staring in her general direction through foggy eyes, dreamy smile on his face. She settled back next to him, shoulder to shoulder, and experimentally said, “I really think Baby Peach is the best character of them all, seriously. And Waluigi? I’d do him, if you know what I mean.”

His elaborate answer consisted of an absentminded hum as his eyes never left her profile. Very nice, she could work with that.

Without further ado, she took her controller, leaned more comfortably against Hiccup and started the next race. She didn’t say a word, just concentrated on the game, a shrewd smile on her face. It wasn’t as if she was hiding anything from him. He just didn’t pay attention, and she wasn’t going to let that opportunity go in favor of her victory looming on the horizon.

It took him an embarrassing time of two laps around the race course to notice.

“Hey!” he complained, finally returning to planet Earth and grabbing his controller. “Now who’s the cheater?!”

Her grin only grew wider. “What am I supposed to do when you’re too busy staring at me?”

“How about ‘not cheat’?!” Waluigi slowly joined the race, his cart jerkily moving across the bumpy grass where he’d been catapulted by the other racers passing him on their war to victory.

“I wasn’t cheating,” she said with as much sweet innocence as she could muster, fully aware he wasn’t buying any of it. “I thought you would notice that the game was back on.”

He huffed and feigned being offended. “You did that on purpose. Is everything you do just a trick to make sure you win?”

“Of course. I thought you knew that by now, slowpoke.” And with that, she crossed the finish line. Despite his best efforts, Hiccup came in last, unable to make up for the distance even the slowest character had on him at this point.

With the advance Astrid had just gained, it was impossible for him to beat her now, and two races later, she threw her hands in the air with a cry of victory.

“YES! Eat my dust, losers! See that, Waluigi? I won!”

“Why do you have to say Waluigi’s name like it’s an insult? He would have destroyed you if you hadn’t cheated.” Hiccup pretended to sulk, but her cheery demeanor was contagious.

“Because Waluigi is…” she put her chin on his shoulder, “a big…” the hand holding her controller poked his cheek, “ugly…” it poked his forehead, “loooser!”

Hiccup pouted but she could see the corners of his mouth twitch. “You’re really proud of this, aren’t you? Winning in a family-friendly video game that children could play?”

“Don’t even try and play my victory down, loser. You know it’s an achievement.”

He raised an eyebrow and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. “You saying winning against me is an achievement? Because you’re right, it is. Not in your case, however, ‘cause you cheated, Baby Peach.”

In retort, she poked him in the side and watched with satisfaction as he winced. She repeated the motion and he continuously flinched away from her, until he grabbed her hands and pushed them away from him. “Stop tickling me, you’re defiling your already spoiled victory!”

“You said yourself that it’s not possible to cheat on Mario Kart.” Despite his efforts to keep her fingers at bay, she didn’t even think about giving up and pushed against his defense. “Hence, I won fair and square.”

“Can’t cheat in the game but can manipulate the other players. Fair and square my ass!”

“Are you trying to make me your enemy, loser?” She threw herself against him, successfully breaching his defense and tackling him to her bed for the second time that night. Once again, she felt the warmth of his body radiate through his clothes, could count the freckles on his face and admire the green of his eyes. This time, however, she didn’t get overwhelmed and push him off the mattress. And neither did he.

His arms enveloped her and pulled her closer until she was pressed down on his chest and her face was buried in his shoulder.

“Hmm,” he mused, “somehow, I feel like I won something, too.”

“You’re more cheesy than our pizza,” she told his shoulder, voice muffled against his shirt. Struggling against his hold on her, she tried to sit up, but he just tightened his arms around her.

“Nuh-uh, you’re not getting away! Ow!”

Kicking her knees into his bony legs seemed effective so she continued until he retaliated by jabbing his fingers into her sides. Now she was the one twitching from his attack, trying to escape while uncontrollable laughter filled her lungs and took her breath away.

After more than 24 hours of living on zero sleep and the adrenaline level built up by the caffeine crashing down, it wasn’t long until they both ran out of energy. Sitting up took a lot of joined effort, but it was worth it when she was leaning back against him in his loose embrace, his chin resting on her shoulder.

Outside her window, trees and roofs stood out as silhouettes against the dark gray sky. With every passing minute, a new detail appeared in the growing light. Soon enough, the first beam of golden fire glistened on the white mantle, illuminating the few silent snowflakes coming down from heady heights.

It was so comfortable, the picture so quiet and peaceful, the human blanket enveloping her so warm and cozy. The weight of her eyelids became heavier, the urge to succumb to sleep ever stronger. The land of dreams was calling for her like a siren singing for a poor sailor on his ship.

“You still awake?” the voice of her blanket mumbled.

“Hmm.”

The blanket stifled a yawn. “Do you think we would have ended up here sooner if we had hung out together much earlier?”

Astrid needed a minute to make sense of the words, her brain as foggy as the wafts of mist traveling through the fields outside her window. “Dunno, maybe. But for what it’s worth,” she opened her mouth wide for a yawn so long she almost forgot what she wanted to say, “but for what it’s worth, I always thought you were cute.”

The blanket chuckled and she could feel the low vibrations against her back. “I think I prefer sleep-deprived Astrid over regular Astrid. She says nice things to me.”

“Shut up.” For more she wasn’t capable. The talking blanket helped her lie under a different blanket and removed the socks from her feet before it settled back next to her.

“Sleep tight,” a voice she somehow associated with love songs, caramel and snowball fights whispered in her ear, and it was the last thing she remembered before she fell asleep.

The first time she woke up, she had trouble making sense of her surroundings. She was wearing her sweatpants and comfiest bra to sleep and there was someone sawing logs inside her room. Blinking her eyes open just a crack, she immediately closed them again against the light shining through her window like it was trying to blind her.

After a minute of orientation, she traced the lumberjack back to the extra body in her bed. With a groan, she half-heartedly shook it and complained, picking up an equally half-hearted sleep-filled apology before she felt the body change position, and the lumberjack was gone.

The second time she woke was when a heat wave broke out over her body. Her legs were cooking in her sweatpants and her bra was sticking to her skin. With closed eyes so they wouldn’t get burned by the light, she wiggled out of her pants and sat up to remove her bra, then teetered over to the window like a drunk person to open it a small crack.

When she settled back on her pillow, heat finally under control, a long arm sneaked over her waist and pulled her closer. Somehow, that new heat wasn’t that bad, and sleep pulled her back in.

[sailorportia]

Femslash February 2020, Day 3

Fandom: Revue Starlight Relive Pairing: Yumeoji Fumi/Otonashi Ichie Prompt: Movie AU

approx. 2,000 words, rated T

also available on AO3

Summary: Fumi couldn't believe she was actually going to go through with this. It was a terrible plan. Idiotic. Borderline delusional. Aiding and abetting the escape of someone accused of piracy was a hanging offence.

But she didn't have any other choice.

Tags: Movie AU, Pirates, Comedy

Fumi couldn't believe she was actually going to go through with this. It was a terrible plan. Idiotic. Borderline delusional. Aiding and abetting the escape of someone accused of piracy was a hanging offence.

But she didn't have any other choice.

Breaking into the town jail was even easier than Fumi thought it would be. The guards were absent, most likely assisting the other military personnel to sort out the carnage left by the pirate crew of the Frontier. In the midst of all the chaos, nobody would figure out what Fumi was up to until it was too late to stop her.

Fumi looked through the cells for her target, finding each of them empty, until at last she found relief and her quarry in the last cell. Slumped up against the wall was an exquisitely dishevelled pirate, her messy pink hair no doubt a host to all sorts of sea creatures. The pirate appeared to be asleep, but Fumi wasn't going to let that be a problem. She picked up a piece of debris off the floor and threw it between the bars. The debris struck the pirate in the boot and she sat up

"You're still here," Fumi said. "Otonashi Ichie, was it?"

"Captain Otonashi Ichie," she corrected. "A cannonball crashed through the wall of the cell next to mine and everyone else got out. What are the odds of that?"

Fumi was in no mood for small talk with a pirate. "That ship, the Frontier. You know something about it, don't you?"

"I might. It's an infamous ship. Lots of people know something about it."

Fumi slammed her fist against the cell door. "I need answers. That ship's crew didn't just raid and pillage the town, they also kidnapped a girl—Yumeoji Shiori."

"Yumeoji Shiori... why does that name ring a bell?"

"That's the name of the girl you also kidnapped!" If it weren't for the iron bars between them, Fumi would be throttling her. There had been some commotion the day before concerning her sister and Ichie, who apparently had saved Shiori from drowning, only to hold her hostage only moments later when Commodore Yukishiro attempted to apprehend her. What ensued was a haphazard chase through the town, terminating in a swordfight between the pirate and Fumi. She had wished she could've been the one to put the pirate out of everyone else's misery instead of allowing her to be captured and jailed, but after last night's raid, the scallywag appeared to be Fumi's only hope for rescuing her sister. If Ichie turned out to be a dead-end—through incompetence or malice—Fumi would give the hangman a day off to carry out the job herself.

Ichie snapped her fingers. "Right! Sweet, little Yumeoji-san. Hey, I wouldn't have had to do anything drastic if those nasty navy types would've minded their own business and let me get away with a good deed."

"What's it to you, anyway?"

"She's my sister."

Ichie looked closely at Fumi, eyes widening when she recognized the resemblance. "But you're so shabby? Don't get me wrong, the whole blacksmith thing is a good look. Those buff arms? Woof! But you don't exactly blend in with the prim and proper governor's daughter. If your sister's at the top of the food chain, how did you end up as a blacksmith?"

"It's a long story."

Ichie laughed, waving a hand at the confines of her jail cell. "I've got time. All I've got is time and the clothes on my back. That is, until one of your navy buddies decides to take that away from me too." She mimed a noose and her own future hanging.

"Cry me a river," Fumi said. "If you've got time, use it to tell me everything you know about the Frontier. Where does she make berth? How large is her crew?"

Ichie squinted. "Why do you want to know?"

"I'm going after them."

"You?" Ichie raised an eyebrow. "On your own? Don't you guys have people for that? I already know the answer, because I've met them."

"Commodore Yukishiro isn't doing enough. With every second that passes, the pirates get farther away. Who knows what will have happened to Shiori by the time the fleet finds her? I'm going after her

"A lone blacksmith up against the terrifying Captain Kocho and her crew of murderous buccaneers? Your muscles are impressive, but not that impressive. They'd eat you for breakfast. You'd need your own crew to take them on, but who's going to sign up for a suicide mission led by some landlubber? Face it, you're screwed."

Fumi couldn't believe she was being lectured by a pirate, one who she'd helped capture, no less. "And you have a better idea?"

Ichie grinned. "Set me free, and I'll lead the chase for the Frontier and your darling sister. I can muster a pirate crew to rival Kocho Shizuha's, and you'll have your rescue, sweetheart."

"Why would you help me?" Obviously the pirate would say whatever it took to get her freedom, and Fumi wasn't about to let herself be fooled by this woman.

"Let's just say I have a grudge against the captain. And the entire crew. Shocking, I know, that somebody as cheerful as me could hold a grudge."

"I guess I can believe that."

"I also can't not help a pretty girl in need." Ichie winked. "So, how about it?"

Fumi blushed, but didn't dignify the scoundrel's flirtations with a response. "I don't really have any other choice. I accept your proposal."

Ichie gasped and clutched at her heart. "Proposal? I'm not ready for marriage yet, but we can start out as friends."

"You know damn well what I meant!"

"Alright, alright. Just get me out of here before your navy buddies show up."

"That's not going to be a problem," Fumi said, flexing her arms. "I put these doors together, I can take them apart. I can take apart a lot of things, so jot that down." She gave

"Bold of you to assume I can read."

Fumi made short work of the cell door, dismantling the hinges and tossing the whole thing to the side.

"Whew, that was surprisingly attractive," Ichie said. She stretched and yawned like a cat as she left the cell, clapping a hand on Fumi's shoulder as she lowered her arms. "We're going to need a proper ship if we're going to catch up to the Frontier. Are you prepared to commandeer a ship of the fleet and engage in acts of piracy in service of your quest to save that adorable little sister of yours?"

"Without hesitation." Fumi had failed Shiori by allowing her to be captured by pirates; she was going to do whatever it took to rescue her, damn the consequences. If consigning herself to life as an outlaw was the price of her sister's safety, so be it.

"Alright, just checking," Ichie said. "Also, now that you're conspiring against the crown like a proper criminal, you can lay off with the anti-pirate talk. Just because I'm a black-hearted brigand doesn't mean I don't have feelings."

"Your feelings can walk the plank. Is that pirate-y enough for you?"

"Eh, it could use some work," Ichie said. "No time for that though, we need to nab ourselves a ship first. Lucky for you, I have a genius plan."

*

"What part of this is a 'genius plan!?'"

"Less talking, more running!"

Fumi didn't know how she had let herself get talked into this mess, but she was pretty damn sure she wasn't going to be allowed to come back to Port Siegfeld after this disaster. If she lived that long.

Ichie's plan was to create a distraction that would require the attention of every sailor and officer's attention then commandeer the only ship that wasn't under repair. The pirate had determined the event which would draw the most attention would be a series of explosions on the part of town farthest from the docks. It made sense in theory. They stole gunpowder from the unattended magazine and detonated it in clusters just as they planned. What they hadn't anticipated was how quickly the navy would respond.

"I'll have your head for this, Yumeoji Fumi!" Commodore Yukishiro yelled as her platoon caught sight of the fleeing bandits. "Fire at will!" A spray of musket balls narrowly missed Fumi and Ichie, sending splinters of wood into the air.

Ichie groaned. "This is probably a bad time, but do you think you could maybe stall that mean lady with the nice hat? We're gonna need a minute to get this ship ready to go."

"Must I do everything myself?" Fumi skidded to a halt and turned on her heel to face Commodore Yukishiro. Akira was getting closer, a good distance ahead of her troops. On the narrow dock, they couldn't shoot at Fumi without the risk of hitting their superior. That was a small relief though, given that Akira wouldn't hesitate to cut her down herself.

Good thing Fumi had a plan for that.

She raised her sword to block Akira's first strike. "I'm sorry, Yukishiro, but I can't just wait for you to bring back Shiori. I'm going to do what it takes to keep her safe."

"By allying with a pirate?" Akira struck again. "A woman should have some limits to the depths she'll sink to, no matter her intentions."

"If you think that was underhanded, just look down."

Akira's fierce purple eyes flicked downward, then widened in terror. Fumi still had one of her improvised bombs, and now it rested on the dock, fuse lit. With seconds to spare, Akira dove off the edge of the dock and into the water. Shame about her fancy uniform getting wet.

Fumi ran toward the ship, not bothering to look back as the dock was torn apart in the explosion. Hopefully it would impede anyone from following her. Her time was running out. That damn pirate better have readied the ship to sail. If she had used this as an opportunity to bail on her...

"Up here, Fumi!" Ichie called out, tossing a rope to her co-conspirator. "This ship's got everything it needs except a first mate!"

Fumi couldn't help but grin as she climbed the rope and boarded the ship. They had actually done it. Soon they'd be out of the bay and on the open sea, hot on the Frontier's trail.

"Nice job with the explosion, by the way," Ichie said as they made adjustments to the main sail. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to take care of yourself. Glad I won't be babysitting you the whole time."

"Strong words from a wobbly-legged drunk I fished out of the town jail."

"Cocky! I like it! Keep up that attitude and you'll handle the brothel fine."

"Brothel!?" What exactly had Fumi gotten herself into?

"Cool it with the blushing or Captain Kocho is going to see us coming. A brothel is the best place to find a pirate with nothing better to do. Don't worry," Ichie said, slipping an arm around Fumi's waist. "I'll make sure none of those scary ladies of easy virtue do anything lewd to you."

"It's not them I'm worried about!" If her first concern wasn't Shiori's rescue, Fumi would have drowned Ichie and then herself. She couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. First she saves Shiori's life, then threatens it to save her own skin, has a sword fight with her hostage's sister that leads to her capture, then assist said sister in a rescue, topping it all off with flirting with her? Did everything just slide off this woman, or was she just deranged?

Ichie was the last person Fumi would've wanted at her side, but she couldn't deny the results. The pirate was her best bet, and if working with her was what it took to save Shiori, Fumi would submit herself to this fate.

But she definitely wasn't going to get attached.