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thatunusualwriter · 8 months ago

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𝙳𝙽𝙰 𝙸𝚜 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚔𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚑𝚊𝚗 𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 (𝚛𝚎𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎)

Character pairing: (TMNT FF) Dark Leonardo/Leon x GN!Reader

Summary: If you had seen TMNT 2003, season 6 ep 23 and thought that some flavor was missing in it then we are on the same boat. Let me welcome you to a fan-made rewrite of that episode additioning a Reader as a savior of this story, enjoy your stay!

Warnings: hurt/comfort, injury

.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆.⛓💙🍊🗡️⛓.⋆｡⋆˚｡⋆｡˚｡⋆.

It becomes less shocking when Cody Jones becomes a center of a strife for the umpteenth time over a period of time when you get to know him, and his terrapin friends weren't really the start of Cody's magnetic misfortune that always finds him.

But before the turtles appeared and became caretakers who put the red-haired teen out of trouble there were other people, Serling, Starlee Hambrath and Y/N L/N, his 'supportive' uncle doesn't really count.

And when Cody's family friend, Y/N, happens to be around when on vacation, then they came to terms that as a second adult in Cody's life and as a friend they hold a certain responcibility that comes with involvement in Cody's troubles. After the fiasco on the Moon he and the turtles executed when Y/N wasn't around for a moment, they became extra sharp at observing so nothing would get past them again.

When Serling contacted Y/N there's a rule that had to be made not to bring them to the highest stress levels; first, make it clear that no one is hurt if that is the case, and then explain the situation. Y/N was just out shopping when the loyal robot caretaker made a call about a shooting and an ambush at the penthouse and they have a 'guest' who needs some painkillers that was out of stock at home, it took thirty minutes to get to the drug store and back to the O'Neil Penthouse but the ride up the elevator felt like it took an eternity while Y/N paced back and forth with the bags still hanging from their forearms.

The elevator's ring was almost deafening and Y/N barged through the metal door once it was open sufficiently.

A medbay isn't that far away, it has a straight hallway to be saved from trouble of getting through many doors and rooms to reach it. It wasn't long until Y/N could easily recognize the voices through the open, ring-shaped doorframe.

Even though they were ready to see who the guest is, someone Donatello described in awe briefly that Y/N's ears picked up on, they didn't expect to see this big, blue terrapin almost at the same height and size of Serling himself.

"— There's barely half-a-dozen minor differences between Leo's and that thing's DNA sequences."

Y/N almost missed what Donatello said as they kept staring at the unconscious guest on a medical bed that monitored the health, and judging by the force field around the blue terrapin it quite enough told them that they should be cautious.

"But Leo's Leo, and that's a mess." Raphael retorted soon after his brother's finished sentence, sounding grouchy.

With a deep breath, Y/N pushed themself off the frame and began to descend down the three stairs, waving at their friends. "Hey guys, I got the meds." after everyone greeted back in their own way, they went over to the turtle in purple. "So, how's he hanging?"

Donatello offered a brief polite smile their way before looking back at the red screen in front of him, resuming his attention at the medical and DNA reports with Y/N also looking at the text over his shoulder. "The Auto-docs will mend his wounds as best they can, then he'll need rest."

"What?! A fifth turtle?!" Serling's nonchalant posture broke down, his optics nearly popping out, with tiredness as he began to hold his metal head. "Oh.. I need to sit down..." as soon as he was squatted Cody tried not to snicker at the robot's silly gloominess.

Raphael had something on his mind to say about that, and was quite ready to hurl himself bodily at their injured guest. "That thing can't stay here! He just tried to off us! Again!!"

The older terrapin in blue stopped him before he could make two steps forward, hand at Raphael's plastron. "What are we going to do? Drop him off at the hospital and tell everyone to watch their fingers and toes?"

"He's in a portable force field that the Hovershell would have a tough time busting through." Donatello took Leonardo's side when trying to reason with their hotheaded brother, who means well but sometimes lacks empathy. "We can keep him here safely until he's stable enough to move."

"And after he gets betta', then what?" Raphael grunted, staring daggers at his brother's doppleganger.

Awkwardly enough, everyone fell silent and avoided eye contact after sparing a glance Raphael's way.

"... Don't everyone answer all at once." Michelangelo butted in with his comedic wit, and Raphael might have hit his little brother like he almost always does if Y/N wouldn't be there.

The turtle in red got a slap on the head back every time he did it to Michelangelo and Y/N witnessed it, over the short stay in the future Raphael learned to watch his three-fingered hands in their presence.

Y/N let out a short laugh, trying to keep the mood tense-less. "Well, you could always let the guy go? Also, I think I need explanation on how this guy came to be- like, what's his name?"

"Isn't freak good enough name fo' this thing?" Raphael scoffed snarkily and didn't notice the not-so-subtle side-eye from Y/N.

Donatello took it upon himself to properly answer so their friend wouldn't be in the dark about this whole situation. Cody was most excited to tell Y/N about the part where he was saved by the blue turtle. His childish astonishment always makes them smile, it's good to see him being a kid that he is even with all that responcibility over O'Neil Tech.

Y/N kept their eyes on the unnamed turtle, a clone, the one who with other three clones ambushed the turtles for the third time and then he risked his life for Cody in one day, in a spawn of twenty-thirty minutes. It was suspicious, to say the least, but they should show some gratefullness towards the injured guest nonetheless. That's how Y/N feels.

The more they stared at the one-eyed terrapin, he began to look less like Leonardo in their eyes. He may be a clone, with some little differency of his DNA from the blue-masked turtle, but Y/N can see that this turtle is his own person(?) and shouldn't be treated no differently. Although Y/N can understand the incredulous caution that is controlled by fear from the others, they decided to try see for themself who this blue terrapin really is.

When Cody was sent to bed by Serling, Y/N walked to Donatello who is still by the Force Shield as an excuse to have a better look at the giant turtle.

He is, for the lack of better words, not that scary-looking as the others portrayed him to be. They wonders if he's blind on the left eye, a round metal device is in it's place instead. The mini doc bots scatter around the bulk of his body, that may indeed look intimidating to some, especially given his height. Noticing that his breathing is shallow and slow, and a lot of bandages are over his body and arms, the laser he was hit with must have been quite a sucker-punch of pain. The thought alone made Y/N slightly grimace and the turtle in purple noticed, of course.

"Nasty wounds." Y/N commented with affinity and Donatello hummed as an agreement. "I guess you guys will need all help there is with this guy, I will put my hand to the work, no problem."

Donatello blinked in genuine suprise, turning to face them. "But you don't have to, you're here on vacation to enjoy Cody before going back to the Moon."

Smiling back, Y/N gives his forearm a gentle pat. "I know."

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Time flew by and day passed by day, until day fifth since their guest was hospitalized there arrived. When night coated upon New York, and the time approached at midnight, the blue turtle woke up with a startled gasp and immediately sat up, examining his hands.

"Hey, uh, guy?" Donatello called from the side uncertainly, waiting for him to look his way before continuing. He, his brothers and Y/N has been waiting for him to wake up for five days, many took shifts of keeping a watch over night until morning to feel more secure when having a clone of Leonardo over. They all were about to discuss who's up for a night shift until their guest finally regained consciousness, which was so sudden it slightly startled everyone.

"You've been unconscious for almost a week. How do you feel?" Donatello tried to sound genuine, even leaning in closer to the force field.

As expected, once their guest had a look around the unfamiliar enviroment and remembered the situation he's in, his perkiness turned into sour grumpiness. With crossed arms he made himself comfortable half-sitting on the bed and looking straight ahead, ignoring Donatello and his question with a light grunt.

Y/N looked over at Michelangelo that just came over with a tray that has food, medicine, and water. Leonardo at Michelangelo's left side had a remote ready.

"Here, um..." Leonardo slightly trailed off as he pressed and rotated some buttons until the tray began to levitate over to their imprisoned guest. "The force field is calibrated to accept that tray. Understand?"

"You're talking to him as if he's a pet..." Y/N sighed softly with a wry smile at the turtle in blue who only rubbed at his nape sheeplishly.

And, of course, Michelangelo couldn't help himself once more as soon as that tray entered the caged space; "Yum-yum's go innie, you, no come outy."

"Shut up!" the blue turtle growled, his raspy voice was dry and no doubt it was burning the inside of his throat. He was beyond agitated to be talked to like he's an idiot, and rightfully so. But he still caitiously leaned to the floating try, taking few, quick snifs while he scowled and glared at whatever his golden eye looked at.

"What's in it? Poison?"

"Poison? You think we'd save your life so we could feed you a ransid ham sandwich?" Leonardo almost sounded offended that his own clone would come to that conclusion when he should know him better than everyone.

"My brothers would." the blue turtle grunted and before anyone could pursue him into taking a bite he lifted his right arm, swapping the tray like a fly into the force shield that didn't let it pass through this time and everything fell to the floor. "Go stick it!"

Michelangelo covered his mouth with his hands and Y/N whinced at the sound of a broken plate.

"Oh, this is gonna be swell." Raphael rubbed at his head as he said it with utmost sarcasm.

And while Donatello tried to clean the mess with Michelangelo's help and Raphael observed like a hawk, Y/N walked to Leonardo and lightly brushed his hand to get his attention.

"I think you guys make him anxious." Y/N glanced over at the blue turtle that decided to turn his back on them all.

They looked back at the older turtle brother, who is still very much a teen kid to them.

"Let me handle it." they offered and Leonardo frowned slightly at the proposal. "I'll be careful. It's just food and medicine."

"I don't think this is- well... Safe."

With a sigh, Leonardo looked over at his unresponcive clone and at his brothers before looking back at his human friend, who has given him a little frowny expression instead of words that were not needed. He knows they'd keep asking with persuation until he'd have to give in. And he's certainly not ready to argue about anything today when he didn't get a wink of sleep from yesterday's night watch.

"Okay... Okay, go for it. But, really, be careful and don't get close." Leonardo rubbed at his tired eyes through his iconic blue mask, groaning with defeat.

Y/N beamed at him with a toothy smile and patted his shoulder. "Get some sleep, kiddo."

Nodding, the turtle in blue called his brothers and they followed after him with uncertainity but obeyed nonetheless.

Y/N was grateful for the silence after Michelangelo was pryed off of them when he tried to prolong their hug on his way out. Shaking their head and stiffling a giggle, and walking out of the Medbay to get some things.

The clone was left alone in the lighten room, the buzzing device of the force field was the only thing that broke the silence. And although he's glad to have shaken off the four turtles and the unfamiliar human, he indeed is thirsty and hungry and began to regret he didn't take that damned sandwich.

As some minutes passed, his beaten body began to ache all over that it was impossible to find the right laying position. He grunted and growled in frustration from the pain but as soon as he heard approaching footsteps he bit down on his tongue and stilled on his back. To be caught wiggling like a whiney street dog would be too embarrassing, it's bad enough he has to be locked up by his sworn enemies.

The blue turtle, however, didn't expect the human to be the one to come back, he rather expected it to be the red-haired boy.

He greeted them with a snarl, and observed them with squinted eye, when they looked at him.

Y/N expected nothing less, rather that they'd get yelled at, and although the tension began to make them more self-conscious about every movement they made because they were watched closely, they put on a brave face by smiling softly back at the terrapin.

"Sorry about those four, they can be... perky." apologetically chuckling from the sudden nervousness, Y/N re-arranged the things in their arms they got from the kitchen. They made their way to a table in medbay, that's right in front of the hospitalized terrapin where they put down the bread, butter, water bottle, a glass cup, and ham with an extra plate.

Registering that he's not answering, but still glaring while burning holes through them from all that staring, they understood that he may not be in the mood and they didn't want to push his buttons but when feeling a little awkward it's best to keep a conversation - even if one-sided - going. And Y/N is one of those who do just that instead of keeping their mouth shut.

"So— I don't know how you like your sandwich but I'll put more ham in it. Unless you do mind that, uh, hm..." their brows lightly furrowed as they mulled over something that invaded their mind in the middle of swapping some butter on the bread.

The blue turtle smelled a little fear from the human, and it was somewhat satisfying to know that, he watched now sat on the bed as they were making food that's apparently for him unless it's just a cruel taunting. But he saw nor smelled nothing fishy that could have poison.

"Say, I realized that I don't know your name, what are you called?" humming, Y/N finished the layer of butter on four bread slices and began to open the packs with ham.

Because Y/N didn't look this time they didn't notice the confused stupor the terrapin froze in.

A name? He is called many things, nasty names, but never have been given a name. Neither his brothers have names. Truthfully they never thought about getting one. They just call each other names like everyone does since their creation, they just went with that.

For once, that question made him feel... at unease.

"... I don't want to call out to you as; "hey, guy!" or "hey, man!" when speaking to you. It's just... not right. It's almost as if you're not a creature, but a thing." Y/N bit down on their lip as they perfectly placed four big slices on two breads before placing the untouched two slices at each bread, then they cut the two sandwiches in triangle shapes.

"Or if you just don't want me to know I can understand—"

"I have no name." the reply came out sharply.

Y/N was startled, still not used to the gruffness of his voice that always cut through the air with it's growling tone, that it almost made them spill the water over the glass. They were expecting to have just one-sided conversation because he looked uncomfortable with them there, this caught them off guard.

When they looked up at him, blinking, he just leaned back with crossed arms and glared down at them with disdain. "Monster or freak will suffice, or go ahead for something more creative, human."

Given the impression that he'd likey claw at them, if not worse, the idea if there wouldn't be the force field had Y/N shooketh. Oh, they had no doubt about that if he could, he would. This terrapin made it clear he's one hatefull fella and when someone feels cornered and/maybe injured they can become lethal and hostile, and sain person would rather keep their distance, this is no wild sewer kitten.

Y/N's question currently on their mind: is there a reason behind the spite? Normally, people, monsters and aliens alike have a reason caused by trauma or the way you're raised to be like this.

They did understood what their turtle friends had told them about the 'evil' clones and didn't took it lightly, but that's just one perspective to judge from, Y/N rather likes to have their own point of view on this from a first-hand experience when there's an opportunity. This blue turtle had yet to be scary to look frightening, so far he's rather intimidating and Y/N can't yet tell what exactly makes him tick so they would avoid that and avoid a tantrum — to put it lightheartedly.

With furrowed brows, they shook their head as if saying that what he said was silly and he returned that with his own frown. After Y/N filled the glass with water they put it on the tray next to the sandwich before roaming through the small packages to get his painkillers.

"Why would I do that?" they eventually asked and the turtle returned his gaze on their face, he couldn't respond because he had yet to come up with an answer. "You assumed that because I'm a human?" it may have, in honestly, made them sound a little offended.

Y/N put in some vitamin pills with the painkillers next to the glass of water before meeting his slightly distracted gaze. "Or is it because you were always treated like this and learned to accepted it?"

It was like a punch to the gut for the blue terrapin so he growled gutterly and turned his head to the side, refusing to respond and they didn't force him either.

"Sorry, sorry!" Y/N almost stuttered, they might have went too far. Perhaps it was unsensitive. "I didn't mean for it to sound so rude..... Sorry."

When it was silence that replyed to them, they picked up the tray and looked at the remote to the force field and immediately it dawned on them that they have no slightest clue about how it works. And Donatello might be asleep by now, Y/N would feel so bad and dumb to wake him up for such small inconvinience.

After spending a too much time figuring out which colorful button it is Y/N just pressed the one in the corner but instead of making the tray float and make the force field accept it instead the translucent, electric barriere dropped.

The futuristic technology isn't their strongest suit, they admitted they prefer things simple and almost retro, the only time they're hundred percent on Raphael's side is when he's on a hateful rampage about the tech...

Y/N paled when they first thought that they may have broke it and would have to wake up Donatello after all. But when the 'cage' activated once pressing the same button, weight fell from their chest and they confidently approached the blue turtle after the force field was deactivated once again.

He was a little weirded out by what they were doing the whole time that he couldn't help but stare and thought about calling them dumb.

And here they are. Face to face with no physical wall between them.

It's a little daunting that this creature is still towering over them even when hunched and sitting, and staring down at them. Y/N comes across very tall aliens every day so this is nothing unordinary. But this feels different. Somehow...

Ah, right, it's because they were told to keep their distance! But then again, they didn't actually promise Leonardo they'd do as he said but a part of Y/N still feels guilty, knowing how overprotective he can get.

Quirking their lips for the corners to lightly lift, Y/N presented him the tray proudly. As far as they know, they're an excellent cook and excells at home baking.

"Okay, Lee, you gotta get your pills first." when it was a heated growl that huffed into their face, they grounded their feet the best they can as they forced to lock gazes with him. "You'll feel better. It takes away the pain for some hours, you'll get a proper sleep. Also, no one will be in your personal bubble until you wake up." they went for the coddle tactic, it always works.

The blue terrapin, somewhat persued, took the medicine into his big right palm that has a darker pigment than the rest of his body, before registering their words.

Y/N was lifting the glass of water towards him before noticing he was looking at them with a frown that was far from sharp. "What?"

"Lee?"

With a soft flush in cheeks, they tried to fumble for sane words of an apology. They thought they offended him or something. "It just came out—!"

With a slight furrow of his bare brows and tilted head, he asked: "Why did you call me that?" it was almost chilling how calm and calculated he was now.

"I- uh! No... No reason, really... Just because." they muttered before hurriedly giving him the glass, and he understood the assignment.

After he drowned them down they put the trail on his lap and he began to gobble the bread like a starved man — which, starved, he probably was.

"Jesus, calm down! I'm not gonna steal it from ya." they couldn't help but laugh a little after the face he threw at them with a little rumbly growl, but surprisingly enough he ate slower.

After Y/N took another risk of leaving his side to drain the rest of the water bottle into the glass, they returned to exactly how they left him and he took the water greedily.

"Did you mind that?" Y/N gave him some time of quiet while he ate, but eventually asked right after swallowing the last bit of his third sandwich. "The nickname?"

"... Nickname?" he grunted with a mouthfull and watched with suprise as they sat down at the edge of the bed.

"Well, that's instead of a name..." Y/N hummed back, looking at their dangling feet and thought of how to keep a conversation going.

"I'll come up with other nicknames for you. Wanna hear them?"

The rumbly growl would have been a no but the slight nod that Y/N registered said otherwise. They took a mental note that he's one growl-y creature.

"Lee was one of those... Then I was going for Blue." when he said nothing but ate and grunted, Y/N continued. "There's also Leon... It's short for Leonid. It has a Russian origin, as far as I know." they looked back at him once noticing the way he perked up.

"But that's also a name they gave to a meteor shower, but it's called Leonids, it's around the Leo constellation. It happens around November, I think. And it's really, really pretty from the pictures and videos I have seen. But, sadly, they're also very rare."

"How rare?" the blue turtle wanted to kick himself to be this sincerely invested, and looked away from Y/N with a scoff.

He should be proud of himself to be showing interest that isn't forced, given what he has yet to do, but somehow this human had him hooked with the wonder of nature. Something you can barely spot in NYC, and especially when you live under cover you can't just go outside however you please, even though creatures and aliens are already walking among humans on earth for some years now.

Y/N watched him from his profile silently, smiling, before taking pity on him and stood up as they reached for the empty tray but they didn't register how stiff he became at their closeness. "They appear year but you need to have a good spot like somewhere far away from civilization to see it clearly in total darkness and, who knows, maybe we'll be able to see it this Autumn if we're lucky. I heard of some good spots in Europe where people go to watch the meteors nowdays."

The funny little plural pronoun they used in this sentence did such odd mess in the pit of his stomach, maybe something close to throwing up?

This unfamiliarity began to irk him.

Scoffing, and throwing the full piece of the sandwich, he nearly forgot about, into his mouth he made a lazy gutural growl. "I have no interest for such dumb things, travel especially!" he made himself comfortable on the bed and realized that no part of his broken body was aching. What a bliss.

Y/N looked at him knowingly over their shoulder, but said nothing.

When they walked back to the table to pick up the remote, they weren't feeling burning holes at the back of their skull for once, and it was nice. They turned the force field back on but when facing the blue terrapin they were met by the back of his dark shell. He fell asleep on his stomach, arms folded under his chin and softly snoring. After a good meal and comfy bed, he's out like a light. He looked almost too innocent now with how slightly curled up he is there.

"Like a baby..." Y/N chuckled to themself, turned off the lights and left the Medbay to clean the dirty dishes, they still can't let Serling do all the work around here, that poor, neat freak robot works himself up over the smallest things.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

"Morning, Leon!"

The big blue turtle, who had to look through the gap of his forearms that guarded his face from the sun, threw back a frown of confusion at the human who had joined them on the rooftop balcony. It's extra hot outside today.

"Y/N-san, it's almost past noon, you slept through the whole morning." an old rat softly chided Y/N without looking over at them, instead he continued to take care of his bonsai.

"Oh, yeah, heh! It happens sometimes... Are the plants doing well mr. Splinter?" they asked politely and passed by their injured guest over to the wise mutant rodent, observing the careful snips of scissors on the little tree branches and leaves with curiosity.

Splinter offered a small, quick smile. "Yes, and the garden looks way better than when we first came here. Some of these plants grow surprisingly quickly."

Y/N hummed, agreeing and looked towards the small but greener-than-before garden. "Let me help you." they walked over to the rest of the pots with bonsai trees before the humanoid rat could protest.

With a sigh, Splinter navigated them which pot they should pick up.

"Why do I have to be here?!" the blue terrapin made himself known to them once more, after being quiet all morning he decided to voice his irritation towards the blinding sun. He growled at the rat, quite sharp teeth bared, and used his palm to cast a shadow over his face.

"The air will do you well," Splinter replied with calmness, returning to care for his bonsai. "Not to mention the healing powers of nature."

"It stinks out here! Too bright!" he continued to complain, covering himself with his arms when trying to lay down on the side but the sun rays were everywhere. "Why didn't you let me rot?" he aggressively asked, springing back to sit up and glare at the rodent. "Too weak to stomach it when things get rough?!"

It sounded like he wanted to provoke a reaction, but he tried it on the wrong creature.

"Weak?" Splinter parroted, speaking just as calmly as before, as he made a perfected snip of an unruly branch before setting the gardening scissors down. "It requires no strength at all to destroy but creation, healing, that takes true might." he looked at him over before facing him with the little bonsai in his hands. "Would you prefered that we left you to perish?"

These questions are seriously getting on his nerves, it always hits a weak spot he didn't know he had.

Turning away from Splinter, who went to place the pot where it should be, he was rather met with a sight of Y/N who carried quite a big pot with its bonsai and it looked quite heavy. Although they sweated and had quite reddened cheeks, they showed no struggle as they carried it on the table where Splinter works on his plants one by one.

Y/N straightened their favorite shirt, and cleaned it from some dust and dirt at their chest, before looking up at their hospitalized guest that kept on trying to cover from the sun. With a slight jump in the step, they walked close to him until stopped by the translucent wall of a shield.

"So, how are you enjoying today, so far?" chuckling, they looked at him rolling about like a rowdy child ever-so-innocently, hands interwined behind them.

A growl bellowed from under the cover of muscular, blue arms with a tint of annoyment as he settled laying on his belly. And they couldn't help but take pity on him.

"... You thirsty, Leonid? It is too hot today, the sun may be good for your bones but it's important you drink plenty of water. I'll go grab a glass for ya."

"Hm?" he rumbled back but when he was about to look at them from under one of his arms, they weren't there. With a grunt, he covered the back of his head and nape with his big palm. Although the sun was fine at first on his skin, because he's not used to daylight, it began to burn on his scale-y skin. The big robot Serling was supposed to get him water, but something must have distract the robot nanny when he hadn't came back for quite a while.

But at last he had time to think, plot and schieme. But the name he was called again made his heart beat all funny.

A name that would belong to him, to make him feel a little more whole. A fallen meteor out of many from around a constellation which they were tributed to be named slightly similar after. An irony of what he really is; a clone of the real deal, a fraud that has been predestined to be impure.

Leonid... He does like how it sounds, especially the shorter version of it.

He, Leonid, among many other newfound feelings he still needs to decipher, finally felt like somebody.

* 6:30 pm *

Day had yet to come to an end, be replaced by the night and Y/N didn't mind they had to prepare dinner to their guest along with some meds for the second time. It's probably for the best, Leonid can barely stand the sight of Donatello playing a doctor at him and the longer all four stick in the same room as him that he can't leave there's a risk of a raging tantrum.

Leonid can't stand Raphael and his belittling and offencive remarks, but he feels the same towards Leonardo. At last Michelangelo and Donatello can approach just fine, if Mikey wouldn't talk all the time and Don wouldn't keep muttering his coded science discussion with himself. Y/N would take full care of Leonid would they know what to do when it came to broken bones and fractured spine and shell. But beggers can't be choosers, so he had to let Donatello be in his personal bubble.

Cody was about to get some snacks that his close friend, almost like an older sibling, sneaked in behind Serling's back the day they came over at the start of their vacation — two weeks ago.

Speak of the devil...

Young Cody Jones has yet to master his ninja stealth, when taking out some dorito chips from a lower cabinet Y/N suddenly appeared few feet away by his side, that wasn't hidden by the cabinet door.

Busted, red-haired thief grinned as innocently as possible when he stood up with the bag of chips behind his back. "Y/N! Hey, I thought you're still on the balcony with master Splinter and Leo's clone?"

Y/N looked away from Cody's hidden, folded arms and opened the fridge they stood next to. "Stealing my snacks again, little Jones?" they cooed tauntingly as they pulled a pot with leftover soup out of the fridge and onto the kitchen island.

"And I just came from there, I wanted to get Leon sunscreen but Serling and guys came to take him back to the Medbay. I decided to prepare Leon dinner, at last."

Cody seated himself at the other end of the kitchen desk, opened the doritos and watched them prepare the remaining soup and adding more flavor so it would taste better and not like old shoes. "He has a name?" he asked with curiosity.

Y/N with a ladle scooped every bit of the soup, bits of mushrooms, potatoes and meat included into a smaller pot. They smiled a little bashfully to themself and were glad that Cody was rather paying attention to the chips.

"Oh, yeah. It's Leonid, actually." at last they hoped he took the name, he actually didn't tell them not to call him that and he is one of those that voices something they don't like. If he won't own the name then Y/N will call him that as long as he'll be here, they refuse to call him 'a thing that's cloned from Leonardo' like others do.

"Oh, that's cool!" Cody enthusiastically chimed before stuffing his mouth.

"Did you thank him yet?"

Cody paused mid-chow before swallowing. "No... The guys don't want me to go near him."

Y/N faced Cody with a frown right after putting the pot on the stove to warm up the soup. "I see where guys are coming from— but he took a hit for you and almost died. He may be 'evil', as everyone keeps reminding us both, but that's no excuse to be ungreatful. Everyone deserves gratitude, even some bad guys — Darius doesn't count."

Cody hummed and looked up from staring inside the chips bag for a bit too long, cracking a little smile at the last humorous remark. "Even when he and his brothers attacked us?"

"Cody, just like I taught you, you are not forgiving him. You are thanking him for his willing aid, and sure - you let him in and it would be a good enough 'thank you', but there's no wrong in being humble and thank the fella directly."

As they looked at one another, holding their gazes, Y/N knew that they managed to get at last the thought that counts into his thick skull. Cody nodded, taking it to account and received a wide smile from Y/N and they walked up to him to pat the top of his crown.

"Remember, when you feel what you should do is right then don't be afraid to do it even if everyone would disagree."

Cody chuckled and leaned into the caressing. "I would like to be free-spirited just like you... But I feel like if there won't be someone to guide me, I would do something wrong."

Y/N's heart crumbled for the kid, their family. "You have to make mistakes to learn from them, how else can you progress further in life? You can't be afraid of making them, you'd just be stuck on the spot, and not always will be someone there to pick you up." sighing, they took Cody into their arms and he welcomed the embrace quickly.

"And there is no problem that my amazing, lil' Jones can't solve on his own." they cooed gently into his red locks and Cody smiled against their shoulder.

"Thanks...." he muttered before Y/N had to return to the pot and hummed a reply back at him, Cody left with his snack all the while thinking things through. His turtle friends - family - want the best for him and protect him, but Cody needs to become independent because, as Y/N said, they won't be here forever.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

* FOUR DAYS LATER, 12:03 pm *

It was quite late to be wandering about the Penthouse when everyone is asleep but Cody could hardly get a wink of peaceful slumber when he was bothered by his conscience, if he wouldn't do something about it he would end up without sleep that day.

But he took everything into consideration, to still be skeptical, while trying to the truth behind the heroic action Leonid pulled. He thought this all through for some time.

Raphael is the most cynical and Cody really wanted to dig more, not that he doesn't believe his family, and make his own opinion about their guest. Despite being told and coaxed into letting 'this thing' to be handled by his four terrapin friends.

He can't forever be told what to do! Doing this investigating made him feel a little more mature.

Y/N always taught him to be open minded and not to make hasty prejudices until knowing the whole context of a book — figuratively speaking.

The Medbay was almost empty, their injured guest seems to be fast asleep but from all that hrunting and squirming as he payed on his still healing shell Cody knew he's quite wide awake.

He knew that he shouldn't feel fear to go closer to Leon when the barrier is there to keep him in and the outside out, but he still had to muster up all courage he has to actually approach and talk.

Cody swallowed dryly and took a deep breath before he began to walk over to the force field to ask what has been bugging ever since the incident and only one creature in this Penthouse know the answer. "Why did you save me, I mean, you could have just not, you know?"

Leon, although awake, prerended he's unconscious. It was clear by the pointed silence that he intended to ignore the kid, pretend he isn't there, but he also knew the stalled chat was long overdue and he has to make some progress after being kept here for so long.

"Okay, forget it." Cody was ready to turn on his heel and return to his bedroom with defeat, and his head hung low.

"My fight isn't with you, it's with the four shellheads, then you went an' got in the way." Leon quickly blurted out before the boy could have left, but he refused to look at him as he grumbled and his hand flapped exaggeratedly high up while talking. And he didn't need to see to know that Cody didn't move an inch, neither left at all, but Leon could tell he was holding his breath to listen, and by smell he knew the kid was somewhat anxious.

Perhaps whatever Leon answers will be the key of the final decision, and if he were to answer right he could get closer to what he came for. Better play his cards right.

With a tired sigh, Leon opened his eye to stare down at his lap as his limb went limp by his side again. To be honest - which he hardly is - these questions about him are starting to be exhausting because he doesn't know the answer to them, but questioning his actions, that is easier to answer. Kind of like an answer he expected from day one and he studied the right answer. But every day it's something new, unexpected, new questions about whatever.

It just edges him more.

Being here actually made a mess of his brain, although he was prepared for whatever they got and was aware he can't crack under pressure, somehow they always poked under his shell even without intention.

"Look, I don't know, it just didn't seem right... Why I got asked so many questions!" Leon almost growled too loudly as he felt the need to be defensive and hide how confused he is himself and turned his shell at the boy to have the final say, which he achieved.

Cody, puzzled, went back to his room with a little more clearer mind and an idea.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

Morning couldn't come sooner, everyone except Splinter and Serling - like any other morning - gathered in the big, open living room to discuss today's agenda that also regards their absent blue terrapin guest.

"It's been weeks!" Raphael began, jumping in on the chance of free space to discuss a matter important to him after all the ordeal of training schedule and whatnot. "We better start charging Mr. Happy rent if we're runnin' a hotel here."

Not one day passed that Raphael didn't bring this up, but it seemed that today he was extra pushy.

Donatello unintentionally mimicked Raphael's crossed arms while being next to him, and he sighed softly before adding: "His bandages come off tomorrow- a few tests and then he's outta here."

"Have you guys noticed...?" before Raphael could nudge further the matter of getting rid of Leo's clone, Cody stepped in a little closer after a brief glance at Y/N that sat between Michelangelo and Leonardo on the cough as if to gather some courage spiritually. "It's like... He seems to be struggling with something."

He looked at them all, arms open to get a sign if he may speak from his mind further and Leonardo did just that and lifted his chin towards his red-haired friend, even though Raphael wasn't happy with the way Cody started but said nothing.

"What are you getting at, Cody?" Leonardo asked eventually and leaned his elbows further into his lap, showing he's all ears.

"Well he did save my life," Cody, rubbing his head, began to feel a little shy considering what he's about to say may sound naive, but he finally gets a say in this matter. "I'm just wondering if we could help him not be so bad... in theory." he humbly smiled and lowered his head, keeping his gaze locked with the leader in blue.

And Donatello wasn't really opposed to the idea, on the contrary, he's glad someone brought it up. "Technically, Dark Leo does share significant genetic traits with our Leo. And the nature versus nurture debate raises some interesting possibilities."

Cody smiled at Donatello, as if thanking him for a slight support before looking at the others again beamingly. "Yeah! What if we stopped treating him like a monster and more like a regular guy, just like Y/N?"

Raphael looked startled and looked at every person in the room, back and forth before facing Leonardo completely and crouched down to seize his pointed gaze at the floor. "Okay.. When did this bus take a left into Crazy Town!? Leo, c'mon, you're not buyin' this are ya?!"

But by the silent and distant look from Leonardo, everyone knew his mind had already decided through Raphael's protests. Hook, line, and sinker...

Y/N smiled up at Cody and he mirrored it like a silent communication between the two, they couldn't be more proud of him.

That very same morning Leonid was brought to the dining room to have breakfast with them, but he had to promise he'd cause no trouble... which he did agreed to instead of behaving - by having table manners, which soon everyone dumbly realized that he has none. At last Y/N could say they aren't so put-off by it, but they were also the only one trying to teach some manners like one would to a toddler, like any patient parent and the guys enjoyed to watch that while Cody could almost say: "I been there and had my share of it, I know the routine, enjoy it buddy", with all the fond childhood memories.

Suprisingly, today Y/N also swapped seats with Michelangelo from the usual spot of being between him and Raphael to be at the edge and conveniently right next to Leonid. If Raphael noticed this and was rather unpleased then he kept it to himself. He and Y/N weren't the best of friends, he was usually scolded by them like some brat but he really didn't dislike them either. It was a bit complicated to put into words. But usually when they all dined together Raphael found their presence next to him... comforting(?).

Leonid wolfed down his food, almost taking a bite of the plate as well as it was held to his face. Cutlery be damned. Everyone knows pancakes are good but his enthusiasm by eating them made the pancakes look double delicious, maybe the messy eating of his can put people out of mood for food which is understandable.

Serling walks over to the table, setting down another portion of pancakes and fresh, hot biscuits along with a whipped cream tube and cocoa for Y/N.

Leonardo barely could get one slice of a warm pancake before it was snatched fight in front of him, no pancake was left, and the turtle in blue could only watch Leonid by his left side as he put the whole stack into his mouth.

The blue terrapin chewed just few, hasty times before swallowing and moving forward to the maple syrup that Michelangelo was just using, the movement almost costed Y/N nose because they are sitting between the two. Leonid squeezed the 'life' out of the bottle and used up every drop of the syrup before tossing the used bottle over the table where it bounced at lead two times, nearly bumped into Cody and everyone watched it fly. The other full plate of food was next, Raphael barely touched the crusty bread when all of it was snatched from the plate.

"An' t'ere go the biscuits..." the terrapin in red mask emphasized with repressed growl, staring right at their 'guest'.

"Have one of mine," Michelangelo exhaled into his palm, passing his one biscuit onto his brother's plate. "all of a sudden food doesn't have it's usual appeal..."

Leonid couldn't not hear that last part even through all his munching, shocked and even felt close to be offended by such words. How can one say that about food?! Something he and his brothers can't afford. It's so bad that they sometimes have to go great, morbid lengths to get something into their mouths and they're just glad that digesting raw meat causes no trouble.

"Where I live, you fight for food, eat what you can, when you can—" he suddenly towered over the youngest of the four green terrapins and his olive-coloured plastron made contact with Y/N's brow before they could lean back, it didn't hurt but it startled them. "Or you starve!" he exclaimed and then threw the last little bread into his mouth as he glared at poor Michelangelo like he was a kid that didn't know any better because he has a different, better life. The terrapin in orange mask leaned back in his seat as far as he could but also was too scared to move a muscle.

Being one of those few that always came to the youngest's aid, Y/N didn't sat by doing nothing this day either. Also it would calm the other three brothers and the rat father from feeling like Michelangelo is being threatened.

Minding the bandages, their spread palm placed gently on Leonid's upper chest, close where the edge of his plastron is (it would have been inappropriate to push a man's boobs, covered or not, they are not close friends - same goes to touching one's stomach if it can be avoided). Y/N was only afraid to push, not to cause him any pain and they were glad to hear his muffled gasp was far from pained. Leonid would have obliged by sitting back down but staring Michelangelo down felt like primal challenge of intimidation that has always been in him since his creation, not really a genetic perk from being made by Sh'Okanabo.

"Riiiiight..." Michelangelo weakly chuckled when holding Leonid's gaze without knowing the intention behind it or what is he trying to prove as he grasped the courage he has regained when his savior interfered between them, and slightly swapping the crumbs from his plastron.

"Well, here, looking out for one another is pretty much what we do." he grinned toothily, it was far from mocking or belittling, he was just proud to share the way his family is and the positivity thrown in Leonid's face made him befuddled and he backed off. "You know the golden rule- karma."

Although he was thinking things through, Leonid subconsciously noticed the warmth that left his chest and he didn't have time to be weirded out by it now. Blinking, his scoff was almost as if dismissing whatever Michelangelo said was nonesence so he decided to voice that opinion: "You're the dumb one, right. 'Cuz that's the stupidest thing I ever heard." he snatched another plate of food and didn't think one would reply as he began to wolf down the eggs and beacon.

Leonardo was the one who proved him otherwise, not letting the conversation to end there, pointing at him first to grasp his attention in the middle of eating. "And yet you're here in a posh New York penthouse enjoying a hot breakfast, because of something you did—" he gave Leonid another reality check to think about, something new that Leonardo noticed his clone doesn't like. He smiled knowingly, and leaned back with crossed arm behind his head as he played more on the strings of emotions. "Saving Cody. Still sounds stupid?"

The boy lifted his head from his plate where he was cutting his food just a second ago, he looked directly at the blue terrapin with a genuine smile.

He is being thanked? By his enemies? By the nice kid whose sadistic uncle is now an owner of his and his brothers?

Leonid was cornered now by his own emotions that had instantly bloomed when Cody's kind eyes of emerald color landed on him. The food in his mouth began to taste bile, but not necesarrily because of the food itself, it even smells poison-free and he has an excelent nose at scents.

This gratefulness doesn't seem right. He shouldn't be thanked and feel this way. Everything was going according to plan, the only thing that's rauining it is him and his inner turmoil.

Is this... Is this guilt?

For a moment he wondered what he should do. What is expected from him to do.

Frankly, nothing should be expected from him, he had already done enough to save a life. Everything is fine, Leonid is aware of the situation he put himself into, but perhaps his will wasn't strong enough to jump into lion's den.

When the four brothers that are binded to him with DNA shown barely any compassion, it were these two humans that shown kindness and patience with the likes of him. It actually made Leonid believe he deserves any of this.

A hope he would be freed...

But subconsciously remembering his three brothers and the last bitter imagine of Darius Dun coiled at his heart like a barbed wire.

Finally grasping a grip over the cruel reality check after staring at the fried egg long enough, Leonid spat out the unchewed beacon back at the plate before sliding all of it over to Leonardo's plate.

"How's this?" Leonid ever-so-innocently grinned, it's not like he tried to put effort into practicing what Michelangelo tried to enlighten him about. But at last he'd get a kick of seeing his clone grossed out.

"... Thanks." although shocked and disgusted, Leonardo didn't have it in him to be anything but polite.

While everyone looked away from repulsion, Michelangelo silently made fun of his oldest brother and Leonid relieved his stomach by the loudest belch that echoed in the room after he was finished. Y/N was glad they had enough pancakes to eat before the blue terrapin was invading everyone's plates.

Leonid had made a mess all over the table and all over his mouth as well, taking out a paper napkin from the pocket, Y/N stood up to reach the big turtle and wipe his face. Y/N considered having a ladder at hand for once if they'd ever need to reach this mountain of a male again, but their laziness didn't agree with that thought - would have been easier if he laid down, no? Hah! As if this big, blue terrapin would allow himself to be this mellow for them.

Y/N, while in their own little head space, didn't even bother to took into consideration Leonid could attack them for being in his personal space, truth be told they forgot he's dangerous because these few days they felt that he was anything but threatening. He was acting 'savage' at times yet he wasn't hurting anybody, and he had opportunities to do so, something this minor was overlooked by the four brothers because they might have felt secure that the blue turtle is intimidated enough not to try anything. They also immensely ignored any disagreements the four brothers had been having against the way they didn't keep safe distance, even if there always was the translucent shield between them.

Leonid was quick to school his body into stillness, over his stay and interaction with Y/N he noticed they became more bold with subtle touches such as this. The first time was when they checked if he has fever and they were very careful about it, also asking him first before touching his forehead. This whole thing was so odd but... not unwelcome. The gestures always made him feel that damn tickling in his stomach that he soon didn't mind much. Leonid actually looked forward to being touched now, and he was content when it was something quick and sweet, nothing too lingering that would be troublesome to his sensations.

Raphael scoffed at the baby-ing that's happening right now in front of them all, he earned a soft kick from Donatello to his shin because he was mumbling things under his breath without realizing.

The plates and cups were cleaned first by Serling along with wiping the crumbs and drops on the table away, Y/N battled with the sticky syrup on Leonids cheeks and nose in the mean time while giggling at the dismorphed faces they made his face pull and although annoyed he let them enjoy it all the while grunting with low growls. Only this once he'll allow it.

When Y/N finished wiping Leonid's face, both finally but also sadly for him, Serling took him back to the Medbay where he would rest before getting checked up on again. Everyone watched from in front of the open dining room as Leonid was being escorted with handcuffs that were for safety measures. Y/N at the meeting in the morning demanded he wouldn't have them during breakfast but couldn't talk them out of it when he was being taken back even though he was inside the force field.

Leonardo, from in front of the group, faced his brothers when his clone was out of sight. "Well?"

"Too early to say." Donatello was quick to reply.

"He's a lot less... scary than I thought he'd be." Michelangelo shared his oppinion, shrugging nonchalantly.

"Guys!" Raphael barked, irritated as he stepped forward from the back. "Reality check— he's evil. Give this guy an inch, he'll take a spleen! I ain’t buyin' it!!" he yelled loud enough, making sure it echoes and is well heard to the big terrapin.

"Well, he maybe wouldn't be evil if folks would treat him like he's no different!" Y/N raised their voice enough to startle the turtle in the red mask. Huffing, and shaking their head with disappointment souring their face, Y/N turned on their heel to walk off. "We, unlike you, are just being grateful, Raph, it's not like we're giving him the penthouse."

"Oh, really?! With th'a way yer motherin' him I'd beg to differ!" for Raphael's chastising Y/N would be quick to be twice as mean but decided it's not worth it with this knuckle-head.

"Whoa, dude, chill." Michelangelo rested his three-fingered-hand on his agitated brother's shoulder. "It's not like we weren't the victims of this treatment from momma Y/N either. That's just how they are—"

"Yeah, well that thing doesn't deserve it! We let him live, that's good enough of a payback after everything he and those other freaks put us through!" tearing his shoulder from his brother's touch as if burned, he left as well, having the last word.

* LATER *

When lunch time was over that day, Cody wraped up his training fast and with Michelangelo they went to collect Y/N from the rooftop garden for the purpose to lift their spirits after this morning. They proposed a card game, the rummy, under the condition that the turtle in orange can use a calculator for the adding of numbers. But Y/N had another idea that took a little persuation on Michelangelo from both them and Cody.

"If you want to use the calculator for the game, then he can play." is what they said.

Pure, mean chantage. But Michelangelo really wanted an upper hand with the calculator if he is to play against the gambling fanatic Y/N — and Cody must have been infected from them too, because the two are eager to win and Cody isn't usually contestant. Michelangelo just tagged along because he can't stand boredom.

They went to get Leonid into their little group, behind the other terrapin brother's backs and with Serling's help to transport him to the lower floors where is a room mix of a library and gaming place, not big amd open but not small either. It used to be Cody's bedroom.

Leonid wasn't told what they're going to do other than saying they're going to the fun room and didn't want him to be all alone, as Cody said. But Michelangelo joked that he'd like to have someone close to his kin by his side when he's about to play with the beasts. But Leonid wasn't about to be forced to play with them or anything, if he wished he could just take a nap on the sofa in there, they promised him snacks and will give him different drinks Leonid hadn't tried yet. The last bit was what had him perked, he can't say no to food!

"Games?" Leonid rumbled as he sat down on the sofa with a window behind it, the only source that allowed natural light in the room. He didn't question the fact they let him out of the force field and the sarcastic robot left, but he was cuffed.

Michelangelo moved a coffee table closer to the sofa and sat cross-legged at a pillow on the rug floor, opposite Leonid. "We agreed on a card game for now, who knows, maybe we'll try other games."

"If you'd like to join the game then we'd be more than happy if you did." Cody chirped with excitement and bravely sat down next to the blue turtle.

Y/N grinned while shuffling the cards and sat on a pillow on the ground as well, on the other side of Leonid, maybe a bit too close by his feet. "You can watch or rest, Serling will bring the snacks soon."

"I'll just... watch." Leonid grunted and paid attention to the complicated shuffling of a card deck, when from the split pile of cards Michelangelo searched for a joker card but got none, Y/N began to give them each twelve cards.

Cody cringed as he was putting his cards together in hand. "No luck for me today, I guess..."

"Don't lose hope, junior. There are good cards in the pack, you just gotta get to them." Y/N hummed, although looking very pleased with their cards.

Michelangelo wasn't shy to share the information of his fortunate cards he's about to play with. "I can't relate, guys, my card deck is looking pretty good I might just close the game in your face right now."

"Which is why we're not gonna let you win." Y/N scoffed at the young turtle but it wasn't heated but playful, something Leonid had realized after Michelangelo replyed with his own playfulness.

"Hah! Bold of you guys to assume I'd let any of you win!" Cody grinned at them and leaned back to be sure none of these would peak at his cards, Michelangelo likes to cheat when it comes to these games.

"You saying that with that God-awful card deck? I'll make you eat those words up, chump." giggling impishly, Y/N watched what kind of cards the two are throwing out and Cody's would have been enough for them to get rid of some cards. "Ah, what's the count?"

"Forty-two, like always?" Cody hummed.

"Nope, let's go fifty-one this time!" Michelangelo grinned from behind his deck.

"That confident, Mikey?" the boy snorted softly.

"Awe, just let him. That way his fall will be greatly amusing." Y/N smirked getting rid of a Queen card, a high card, and Michelangelo's snarky surface cracked a little.

Leonid was greatly confused because these three were just threatening and insulting each other but differently. Very different from how he and his brothers attack each other, verbally and physically. The threatening didn't feel threatening. But why? Everyone wants to be the winner, then why not go great lengths to win? For the life of him, he can't understand them sometimes.

After five minutes, when Serling gave them the - mostly healthy - snacks and drinks, and left them be for the rest of the day only because he has chores to finish, the game went on and they all had yet to reach the right number to start getting rid of the cards. Leonid had caught up with most of how the game goes but has yet to understand the goal.

Comfortably laying on his side while munching on some chips with paprika taste, he observed as Michelangelo did a double take on the calculator, counting, but with frustration he gave up one card.

As soon as Y/N took a card from the deck, their eyes looked almost like shining stars as they meaned at their cards, Cody immediately registered the slight shift of change on their face and groaned longly: "Noooo..."

"Huh?! Huh?!! No! Don't you dare!" Michelangelo belowed and leaned to Y/N, thinking the 'intimidation' would stop them.

With a wide, toothy grin, Y/N began laying some pairs of cards. High cards and one pair with a joker, the smaller pair was of small numbers but they reached a little over fifty-one in count. And two cards were left in their hand.

"A-HA!! We're finally getting somewhere!" Y/N cheered and reordered the remaining cards in hand before getting rid of one. They basked in the small, sadistic victory of getting their opponents withered for being the first one to lay down some good sets of cards.

"Man, I guess I won't get a win this week." Cody sighed at his cards after pulling a card from the deck and dispossed of it just as quickly, but still tried to smile not to damper his friends' spirits.

"Give it time..." Y/N reached over Leon's face, almost bumping his muzzle, to pat Cody's knee to keep the boy enthusiastic.

Michelangelo, after picking the card from the dispossed deck and double checking on the calculator, began to lay down some sets of his own but still had five cards left after. "Yeah, take as much time you need, so I can win!" he used his 'evil' laugh while wiggling on his spot with excitement, fist pumping in the air.

Y/N retreated their hand, but not fully until stealing some chips from Leonid's bowl. The blue terrapin was ready to growl, to guard his food, but Y/N forced the chip against his gritted, slightly sharper teeth. Leonid, startled, relaxed his lips around the treat before accepting it into his mouth. His growl was just a rumbly hum and watched Y/N take another chip for themself, he hadn't the time to react defensively and let it slide. Cody took the chance of their guest paying attention to Y/N to steal some chips for himself too, and grabbed a handfull.

"Do you like the chips... Leon?" Cody asked before stuffing his mouth. He tried not to be too obvious with how he's getting the hang of the new way the blue terrapin is called. The boy feels ashamed that it's a bit of a struggle, being used to call him either a clone or a thing had became a terrible habbit he hopes to get rid of.

Leonid chewed slowly, trying to map and memorize the taste and texture that he now knows he isn't so fond of, before he swallowed so he could answer. "I don't mind it..."

"Dude!" Michelangelo gasped, looking up from his cards as he nearly let go of them. "The chips are, like, one of the best snacks in the world! How can you not like it?"

"It's too dry." the blue turtle shrugged and briefly wondered why the orange-masked turtle made a big deal out of it. "But has good crunch."

"You don't have to eat it if you don't like it." Y/N chuckled softly and looked up at Leonid, just now realizing how close his head is to them, the poor terrapin barely fit on the sofa and almost his whole upper body hanged over the mattress' edge, with one elbow on the floor helped him with balance.

Refuse food? Not eat when you have the chance? Not take a bite of an edible thing when having it at grasp felt like irreverence against food. Even if the edable thing would taste horrendously neither he or his brothers couldn't afford not to eat when finally getting their hands on something. And what if it's the only food he will have today? They all simply could let him starve till tomorrow and then hand him over to the Beast Keepers. It could be the his last meal. Leonid doesn't trust them enough to be certain they wouldn't let him starve, but maybe the humans wouldn't allow it...

"Serling also brought tangerines, it's a sweet fruit, try that." handing Leonid a plate of the little orange, half-moon fruit slices and handing the bowl to Michelangelo, Y/N waited for their guest to take a slice to know if it is to his liking.

Leonid sniffed the fruit slice before putting it into his mouth, as soon as his fangs popped it a sweet juice rushed all over his mouth and the tangerine wasn't that hard to chow or swallow. After the sugary breakfast he's now certain that it's sweets he's more fond of and chewy things are second favorite.

He grunted and took more tangerine slices and Y/N pleased by their fulfillment of having their guest pleased finally continued the rummy.

When Cody was hanging on a slimmer of hope was when the luck finally came to him. He got a joker and was able to finally let out some sets from his hand and reach the right count even with those 'garbage' sets. Now he's the only one with one card in hand and it gave him a higher chance at winning. The boy was exhilarated by the turn of events.

Michelangelo added a king into Cody's set but that's as far as he could go, after getting rid of a card he looked at Y/N as if expecting them to end and win the game.

It was the opposite, actually. After a lot of thinking when drawing a new card and looking over the sets of others laid on the table, Y/N kept the card and got rid of a different one. Still having two cards at hand.

The boys eyed them with suspicion when all they did was twitch a corner of their mouth into a tiny smirk, but they didn't know Y/N faked that smugness.

Leonid became intruiged by the way they're against each other during the game, the switch of theirs to disconnected from preoccupying when something outside the game has to be addressed had left him impressed. Their attitudes change from win-obsessed to normal individuals without much difficulty, with Michelangelo it's a bit questionable but he was somewhat 'tame' when they had a small pause because of the chips.

Cody took a card from the deck, by sheer luck, and got an ace of diamonds that one of Y/N's sets needed. He wasted no time adding the card with suffocated excitement and the card at hand was slapped picture-down on the disposable deck.

"YES!! I WON!!" Cody cheered, jumping up to his feet to zoom around the room while Michelangelo drowned in his lost but Y/N applaused for the boy's win.

"Ugh, let's play Racing and Betting instead, yea?" pouting, the turtle in the orange mask stood up and went to look for the board game somewhere on the shelfs next to the door, Cody went to help him with the search.

The two cards that Y/N held before adding them on the card piles to start cleaning up didn't escape Leonid's sharp eyes, he leaned closer to them before interrogating: "You gave up your win. Why?"

Y/N was a bit startled of the whispery, growl right next to their ear as they were putting the whole card deck away into its box. They blinked at him owlishly, not prepared for their guest's interest. Also, they didn't took into consideration that he might not know of these small, silly sacrifices one does for the other.

"It made Cody happy, didn't it?" they asked as if pointing out the most obvious thing, their brow arched up.

Leonid tilted his head with a sigh that blew hot breath into their face, not understanding where they're going with that. "But you aren't, 'cause you lost."

Oh... Oh, now they understand. Y/N smiled slightly. "Joy is not permanent when you do something for yourself, but for others."

"That's....." licking his lips, his gaze casted down as he tried to remember the right word to use.

"Stupid?"

"Hrmm... Weird. Yer weird."

Leonid met Y/N's gaze again when their lashes fluttered almost as if suprised. Then Y/N huffed a chuckle.

"I hear that often..." they grin toothily, around their eyes was a little wrinkle from the squinting.

Leonid thought it's a bit odd that they're amused instead of being offended and his stomach did a weird flip feeling, but it's actually nice not to deal with a miffy human.

Michelangelo slammed onto the clear table a green box with a cover of horse racers for the dramatic effect of disturbing those two, he was satisfied by seeing those two startled, before finally letting Cody to prepare the game. This play was a little longer and time-killing, Leonid ended up either napping or watching while snacking before they ended it with the last horse bought and with no hurry they all ate the dinner there. Leonid was taken to his 'bed' right after that.

Some might say that in the blue terrapin's position they wouldn't be bored and he might not argue but there were some moments that were.... nice. It was also peaceful. Falling asleep that night was without pain, no meds required, and he was content even with what will come tomorrow noon.

⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅

At eight a.m. Leonid was woken up by Donatello, the purple-masked terrapin, for an early check-up and getting rid of his bandages for good after nearly a month. Leonid was still too sleepy to put up any trouble for the small turtle who was more than happy by that coincidence, they were done before Leonid could rub off the little bit of sleep left in his eye.

A light breakfast was served per Donatello's orders, Y/N put together a toast, fried eggs and a glass full of lemonade. It is light enough for the big test, right?

Michelangelo joined them with his bread and jam he stole from the kitchen while Serling was preparing the usual Tuesday breakfast for everyone. Leaning onto Y/N's side, folded, green arm at their shoulder he watched midst finishing his breakfast how his older brother played a doctor at their guest while he himself tried to eat without interruptions. Donatello only wanted to prepare Leonid for the upcoming challenge which would determine if his health got better or worse, also as any doctor would, the turtle in purple gave him further warnings of how and about what he should be careful in the future since Leonid barely made it out alive a month back.

Leonid's answers were a series of grunts, huffs, and almost unnoticable growls but Donatello became hardly bothered when such a thing was replaying every time, since day one. He accepted that this is perhaps how Leo's clone is telling him that he doesn't want him near, Donatello's presence could make him uncomfortable and the small terrapin didn't wish to push his luck of walking off bruise-less. What he did notice is that the clone was more cooperative and less aggressive when Y/N was near, which is why despite others' disagreements he kept Y/N near whenever he was caring for their guest.

"Dude, aren't you excided? You're gonna be able to kick our shells again!" Michelangelo grinned widely, mouth full and nothing but crumbs on his cheeks was left.

"Don't tempt him." Y/N tsked softly, head shaking and Donatello at his table in the corner did the same with a sigh.

Snorting uncharmingly, the terrapin in orange walked up to the small table next to the medical bed and with a graceful jump he sat atop of it. "I'm just sharing his thoughts outloud, he's very shy~"

Leonid spared him a side-eye, chowing on his egg that he put on the last toast.

"Keep it up, and you may end up on top of the hit list, Mikey." Donatello retorted his chirp from his spot. Like any other morning, he worked on his stuff with his morning coffee. Michelangelo gasped, his hand flew up to hold his heart for his brother's cruel words crushed it.

A little smile betrayed the frown Y/N tried to keep on their lips, the back of their hand hid their mouth and let out a soft giggle.

"Okay, you diva, clean up Lee's plate, it might just save your life. If only for a few minutes." Y/N smirked playfully and walked over to sit by Leonid's feet, their legs swaying back and forth over the edge. Enjoying the moment without that annoying force field that was always between them.

After more of Michelangelo's dramatic antics, he did took the plate and the empty glass and walked off to clean it in the kitchen. Donatello was deep in concentration of his work, whatever it is he's working on.

"So..." Y/N began, open palms squished in between their thighs. They waited for Leonid to get comfortable, laying on his side and facing them with a folded hand under a pillow he laid his head on. "Are you? Excited, I mean."

Leonid was silent for a minute, thinking and his gaze travelled all around their face. He grunted with a shrug of his shoulder. "I'd be an idiot to think they would let me go with a wave an' a smile... They're gonna throw me to Peacekeepers. Can't let a freak roam free out there." his answer was bitter, he looked away to get away from their saddened expression.

"I'm sure they will do the right thing. You have a family to go to." Y/N tried to coax him into a positive space.

"Family? Why would that be the reason?" Leonid looked back at them with a frown.

"Your brothers— family is important in your life, they are the number one on the list of responsibilities." they answered just as quickly. "They need you, I'm sure you need them just as much. It has been a month, I take you haven't been apart for this long? They must be worried."

Leonid bit down with his fang on his blue lip before his gaze distanced. "They don't need me." he sharply hissed.

This was quite a weak spot they decided to poke.

Y/N didn't take that for an answer. "You can't know that for sure."

"Neither do you!" Leonid growled back at them immediately, nearly sitting up. Seeing he had them startled and (surely) afraid he settled down again, refusing to speak another word and Y/N understood he closed himself off again and they felt bad for being the cause of that when they were doing so well with opening up.

Y/N opened and closed their mouth for a few times, thinking of ways how to apologize with the presence of Donatello's awareness weighting them.

"It was wrong of me to assume." they finally said with their gaze casted down. "I just remembered something similar to your case... The last time my mom was at a hospital for a long damn time, it was very serious, I was freaking out. I was studying abroad and couldn't just up and go. When I got to the hospital I was nearly walking through walls to find her... Scared some poor half to death souls too because I was fuming." they let out a weak chuckle at the recalled memory. "I may have selfishly projected my own experience onto you. I'm sorry."

When Y/N looked back at Leonid to find him giving them full attention. "... Why were you angry?" he finally asked, the silence persuade him to want to know more.

Y/N looked ahead them, staring at the wall as they thought of a right answer as their tights squeezed at their folded hands. "I was angry, sad, worried... Everyone does that when they feel helpless, that they can't help those we love even with the slightest bit of pain they're in because you want to protect them the more you care about them. And I, like so many others, took my frustration on those who were around me.. doesn't justify what I'd done and said to those people, though, it wasn't their fault."

Leonid stared at them with the slightest frown of both ambivalence but also a bit of understandment. He got what Y/N tried to explain through their story, yet he can't recall if he ever felt such anger.

Sure, he is angry almost all the time, and he witnessed his brothers getting beat many of times by many foes, but did he even once felt such anger? Perhaps, when Darius Dun was taking his anger out on them, that dark and twisted feeling inside of him might have been just that kind of rage...

A warm, small hand landed on his, barely covering all three of his knuckles. It grounded him.

Y/N scooted closer to his upper body to reach his arm and hold it. The gesture of comfort was still an oddity to him. "Leonid..."

He met their eyes and bravely held his ground not to look away, not when their tone was laced with shyness. But why the diffidence? Did they want to ask something?

"Did you..." enjoyed your stay here? And my company? I think you look happier, are you?

No, no, Y/N couldn't bring themself to ask that. Although the curiosity is eating at them and tomorrow morning Leonid will surely be released from this bed and this Penthouse, and they will never see each other again, they also feared the answer. It's a simple question of a host but her words didn't want to articulate. How embarrassing!

"D-did you enjoy your breakfast? I made it, but I still don't know your tastes so— was it okay?"

If Leonid detected that there was more than that, he chose not to point it out.

He thought it over, again aware of the taste left in his mouth. It really was delicious but maybe it would have been his yellow little brother that would absolutely love it.

"Yeah." he eventually nodded idly. "Was just fine to me. It's food, that's good enough."

Y/N exhaled a dry chuckle at that, smiling. "I asked about your preffered taste in food. So I can do your last breakfast the way you'd like."

For some reason, he did not want to hear that, something in his stomach flipped. Leonid can't wait to get his time in custody over with, but...

Enormous, blue hand gripped gently back at the small fingers in his palm almost instinctively. "... Sweeter food. I think I like that kind." his answer was reluctant with a huff.

It was enough for Y/N and they smiled beamingly, one of those smiles that had his ribcage tighten and made it harder to breathe.

It was noon when Leonardo showed up, no words were needed to let them know why he's there. Donatello, expecting him anytime soon, already put the force field up and Y/N had to sat on a chair next to it to keep talking with Leonid. Y/N stood beside the two green, terrapin brothers while Donatello programmed the field to be mobile around their guest's movements to a certain extend. Leonid stretched his muscular arms above his head, joints popped, and he was ready to go.

All four of them walked through the hallways and took an elevator to one of the lowest floors. The Holo dojo. A turtle shell-like room built for the turtles to have their battle practice in, it provides a realistic battle simulation. This is where they held their health test for the clone and everyone else waited for them there already.

The metal machine looked like it belong to a gym, it was one of those where you sat and push at the bar above to workout your back muscles and arms, but in this case Leonid will be pushing it up above his head as far as he can.

"All right, here we are." Donatello annanounced as soon as the big metal doors hissed open, allowing them to enter, they stopped not that far from the machine. "Last stop before a clean bill of health. Your wounds are almost completely healed, I just want to test a few vitals and then—"

"Out of your cage and in to the Peacekeepers'." Leonid cut in almost a little too aggressively, he glared daggers at the two small turtles in front of him.

It left Donatello a little speachless, unsure how to answer even though he was there when his brother's clone and Y/N held a discussion about it not that long ago.

"Um... Let's just get through the test." Leonardo didn't want any awkward silence to stall them, and clearly avoided answering what is quite a very important to-be-fate of their guest. He and Donatello lead Leonid a little closer to the machine and Y/N joined Cody by their right side and far from Raphael who was leaning against the wall, they still hadn't talked since that one breakfast fiasco.

Although the slightest of Y/N's departure had left Leonid at unease he didn't let it show, and it's not like they were leaving, Y/N promised to stay until the very end of this test.

Donatello stood beside the machine, a remote in hand. "Push on the bar as hard as you can, but if anything really hurts just stop."

"Yeah, then we'll draw yous a nice bubble bath and get you a massage." Raphael drew out with dry sarcasm, his hand made a squeezing gesture like that of a shoulder massage.

Although Leonid shouldn't expect anything different from the turtle in the red mask, his prodding was not what he thought he'd do. He reciprocated Raphael's mocking with a scowl over his wide shoulder.

Y/N spared the terrapin in red a frown, Cody was just unsure how to react but he too thought it was a little odd. What irked Y/N the most that even the brothers or master Splinter, although confused, hadn't said a word back. Something like "shut up, Raph" would just be enough and it's not that hard to say. But Y/N knew that if they were the one to say that then the two would end up arguing, and then would be asked to leave which is something they can't allow to happen.

"Okay, so," Donatello cleared his throat and got Leonid's attention again. "You'll sit here but I have to drop the force field, can I do that?" he asked, and deep down he knew for certain that Leo's clone wouldn't try anything.

Leonid nodded without hesitation with a soft humph, as odd as it may be an attack is not on his mind right now and if his brothers were there they might think of him as a fool.

Leonardo was already ready and on alert, hand gripping at the hilt of one of his swords at his shell.

The force field went offline and it was clear in the air that only very few were worried now that he was free and in full health.

For a second he lifted his giant arms to look at his hands. Pushing the bar is easy as cake, but he's subconsciously aware that his ribs may till hurt like hell.

Here goes nothing...

With gritted teeth and a growled grunt Leonid sat down inside the machine, gripped the metal bar above his head and began to push.

The sudden weight his lazied muscles had to lift was uncomfortable, it burned from the inside a bit as he tried to stretch straight up his arms midst pushing, and his lower ribs on the right side were aching but it wasn't painful yet.

At any other time this would have been a piece of cake, but now Leonid's breaking a little sweat. It agitated him to look so weak in front of his enemies, his clone, the boy, and Y/N...

Donatello watched the raising numbers on the remote's screen, Michelangelo sneaking up closer behind him to have a look because he was curious to a fault. The turtle in purple rubbed one of his three fingers over his chin as he calculated inside his brain, thinking the situation over.

"By this time I expect more muscle strength." Donatello looked from his screen at Leonid to observe closely. "The mass is there but we may have to hold him a few more weeks just to make sure."

"Maybe we should change his diapers too." Raphael's snide remark was so sudden and unexpected that it brought back Leonid from his thoughts, he looked over with a startling gasp at the smaller terrapin that approached and he could feel his elbows momentarily buckle. "And how about a bottle while we're at it?"

Cody immediately grasped onto Y/N's arm with a slight tug as he watched the scene unravel, a silent plea for them to do something because he didn't like where this is going, that feeling was mutual on Y/N's side too.

Raphael went past his younger brother and his twin, right over to the machine and the blue turtle that is inside it, as if suddenly charged up with the pent-up emotions he had been bottling under his shell this whole time.

As soon as Michelangelo slowly backed up to Cody it was Y/N who took his empty spot by Donatello. Ready to interfere if no one else will, it just seemed like everyone was curious where this will lead to and what is Raphael's intent.

"SHUT UP!" Leonid growled as he snapped his desperate order as soon as Raphael got too close to his liking, he had to look away and squeeze his eye shut.

This made Raphael want to poke even deeper. "I mean, how old are you anyway? Just a few weeks out of the test tube? Then we shouldn't push the widdle guy so hard!" he gesgured at the clone and looked back at others, as if wanting allies on his side.

No matter how much Leonid wanted his brain to focus on the heavy weights to lift the small terrapin's mocking voice kept drilling into his ear, the helplessness and vulnerability he was cornered into felt unfair, making the rage slowly bubble up to the surface. The machine slowly and unnoticingly at first began to creak and groan.

And to mention his creation out of everything, something he tries to forcefully forget every night when falling asleep, to forget the pain and how afraid he felt.

But here is Raphael, spitting that into his face again, he doesn't even know what he's talking about! He wasn't there! He wasn't a damn lab rat to be made into a slave, nor his brothers!

Leonid didn't ask to be made! He didn't ask to be cloned!

Y/N finally snapped, having enough of him trying to ridicule their guest, this was down right cruel. "Raphael!"

"Raph! What are you doing?!" Leonardo shook off his stunned expression, although it still held some puzzlement under that strict frown.

A guttural, almost animalistic roar along with creaking metal shocked everyone. With groans and growls that wavered because of the struggle, Leonid began to push the bar harder, higher, and past it's limit quite quickly as he tried to let out his anger that began to pressure his shoulders and squeeze at his lungs — begging for it to be let out. It blinded him and with no care that the machine began to break down in a series of creaks and cracks and whipped electricity that buzzed and nipped down the bones of his hands, he kept pushing.

Donatello didn't like the sound of the alarm on his remote and he quickly pressed few buttons, to foresee the damage and see the health results. "He's definitely feeling better...!" he sounded alarmed, anxiety crawling up at his lungs for he didn't know what to do with that giant of a turtle that ignored his surroundings and really wouldn't listen to reason but the machine is not going to hold much longer if he keeps this up.

"Hah!" Raphael shouted with triumph, pointing at the clone with accusation before turning it into a pumping fist. "I knew you were fakin'! Playing possum so you can jump as later!"

Y/N inhaled sharply, trying to get every last bit of courage in their lungs as they stalked towards Raphael, grabbed him by his muscular shoulder with no care if their nails dug into the skin or the armor and turned him around, yelling into his face. "Enough! Stop it! You're worse than—"

They couldn't even finish their sentence when with Leonid's last cry of anger the machine blew up in a thick black smoke, whipping both Y/N and Raphael away onto the ground while others ducked down to avoid such fate.

Although it knocked the air out of their lungs, Y/N was alerted enough to see a metal, ripped piece of the machine incoming at abnormal speed. They quickly pushed at Raphael's chest by repelling from their kneeling by their toes to quickly close the gap, he fell onto his shell.

A burning, sharp pain ripped across Y/N's upper back and it felt like as if their bones were tingling. In their heroic attempt, they put themselves in danger and took the hit. But it was better than Raphael being headless!

Y/N yelled with bursting tears in their eyes, body curling forward and their forehead hit harshly against the cold floor once they fell.

They couldn't notice the falling metal collum of the machine, detaching from the whole thing, right at their curled and trembling form. But Leonid did. And in just a nick of time, with something squeezing painfully at his heart and his guts in a twist but the general pain as if numbed, he jumped onto his feet and in one wide jump closer he punched the heavy metal away with his left forearm that was supported by the grip of his right hand for a better strong-arm.

The threat was effectively disposed of and Y/N was partly unharmed. Leonid couldn't understand it but such sight in front of him made him feel..... so many things he couldn't name but knew were very negative, but there was also this strange relief.

Without a thought he fell on his knee and leaned to Y/N's curled body, their soft sniffles had his heart hurting. The back of their shirt stared to get soaked with their own blood. The metal panel wasn't that sharp to leave behind a clean cut.

He wanted to put his hand on their shoulder, comfort them the same way they did once when he was in pain and the meds hadn't yet kicked off.

But his hesitancy stopped him.

Maybe he would have done bigger damage than help.

The familiar anger surged through him again and he aimed it at the turtle by his left. Leonid, wouldn't he had a second for recollection, would have tackled Raphael while he was still down on the ground but he just towered over him with a rumbling, teeth-baring growl full of hate until the force field surrounded him again and Raphael was shielded from his wrath. And Leonid was grateful, he would have thorn the small turtle to pieces.

When Leonid pushed himself to stand, glaring down at Raphael with resentment, from the corner of his peripheral he saw Y/N being treated by Donatello with Cody by their other side as they tried to kneel up. And Leonid was really... really glad that they're alive. But he wasn't done with Raphael yet, and his other two brothers by his side aren't going to stop him.

"Think you're pretty smart. Think you figured me out." Leonid spat as he leaned just an inch over the sitting turtle, his wide and pent up shoulders casting a shadow over Raphael and he was clearly uncomfortable even though he tried to hide it behind his glare. "You don't understand anything about me!"

Raphael couldn't move a muscle, his brain didn't will it as he stared up at the blue clone that just saved his friend's life without hesitation and now he felt like he must be gaslit into thinking he's the bad guy here, he didn't like it but he had no words on his dry tongue to grasp.

"But it doesn't matter," Leonid's tone was a manifestation of defeat itself, his deep and growelly voice turned ever-so-slightly softer. "I'm just a monster." looking away, with his last words he walked back to the broken machine, just enough away from them to have a room to breathe without raising a suspicion that he's trying to escape.

Leonid just can't understand what came over him. It was none of his business if their human friend would've ended up squashed but his body acted faster than he expected. He could have wrung Raphael's neck before the shield came back online, but he couldn’t make himself to do it. Why? Had the month that he spent here made him go soft? Especially towards his enemies? He has a purpose being here and it would have been "two birds by one stone" situation. Perhaps it's better he didn't took the opportunity or he would have been way far away from the goal he's nearing.

But is Y/N really okay?

Closed fist collided against the already-broken-enough machine with a repressed growl in his throat. The tense pressure didn't go away. In fact, it got worse.

"Stupid human!" Leonid growelled those words with no spite and as silently as he could.

Y/N got themself hurt and now they're paying for the foolishness. But maybe if he hadn't lost his self-control in the first place...

Thinking of them in pain, curled up and bleeding had him more on edge. And why?! He's a sadist at heart! He should be laughing at their agony! Why is it just making him angry instead?! Is it because deep down, no matter how much he tried to deny that feeling, his consciousness had him in a turmoil of guilt?

There was always someone to blame.

He is to blame.

That's how he feels and thinks it's the most logical explanation.

It's his fault that Y/N ended up wounded. That his naive foolishness of letting them close enough to have his emotions affected like this, that he cares, now he has to deal with this blame of himself.

He hates it! He doesn't want to feel this way! Life was much simpler before he came here, before he met Y/N!

It's his own fault that he got himself into this, he detests—

A sudden approaching presence had Leonid look over his shoulder, startled. The turtle from whom's DNA he was cloned from stood behind him with an unreadable expression, but his katanas weren't drawn. But the clone didn't know what to expect now, he'd quite messed up.

Leonardo, with a simple order to his clone, took him back to the medbay and fortunately Leonid didn't had to see Raphael's face on the way back since everyone left before those two did.

Donatello and Cody were in the Medbay already, backs to the entrance, but the only thing that grabbed Leonid's attention like a stop sign was a long, open gash over Y/N's shoulder blades. The terrapin in purple already had it cleaned and was beginning to stitch it up, Cody held onto a little tray with doctor's instruments and the other hand was gripped by Y/N's trembling hand.

"You coming?"

Leonardo's voice grounded Leonid once again. He didn't even notice he stood like a statue at the open door and stared a little too long at Y/N's bare back, his clone patiently waited for him.

With a gruff grunt he descended down the stairs and automatically walked over to his bed to sit down while facing the big window, keeping his gaze at his two-toed feet. Leonardo used the remote to keep the force field in place so he wouldn't be able to roam around again before he joined the three, wanting to inspect the damage himself to have some sort of piece at heart, he was worried sick.

"Will you be alright?" the older turtle brother asked as soon as he walked over the desk to be face to face with his friend, hand gently placed at their knee.

Y/N was squeezing onti their shirt they held by one hand to cover their front for decency, avoiding being naked as a wee baby, fingers ticking at every prickle of the needle. They were grateful that Donatello went slow. Looking up at the blue masked terrapin, tugging on a lopsided smile was a failed attempt to soothe his worry. "Other than sleeping on my stomach for some time, and not to mention it will be itching like hell soon enough, I'll live."

Everyone actually appreciated that silly attempt of a joke, but it didn't sweeten Leonardo's distress that much. "Y/N..."

"I'm the one getting needled through, let me ease up or it will take the whole house to restrain me." they sighed with a little distress and discomfort, wiggling on the spot for a bit.

Leonardo's grip slightly tightened before his big thumb rubbed gently over their knee. "Alright, alright. But if it gets worse we will drop you off at a hospital, whether you like it or not."

"RogeEEEE—!!?" Y/N nearly jumped from their skin as the next stab of the needle was a bit too painful for them, their grip on Cody's hand tightened roughly and Leonardo put both hands on each of their knees to hold them down. "Ow! Ow! Ow...!" their yell became a whimper.

"Almost done." Donatello muttered, concentrated on his work.

"You're doing great, Y/N!" Cody tried to encourage them, voice slightly pitched for his hand still throbbed with slight stinging pain from Y/N's hold.

Although trying to keep good on his silent promise to himself, Leonid had to look over, Y/N's distress put him on edge and he felt... helpless.

And it made him all the more angrier.

It proved all the more that he became pathetically soft for worrying so much, but because of Y/N's personal story from earlier he at last had a clue about those emotions he's feeling and, partly, why.

Leonid looked out the window stubbornly, even had to force his muscles into obedience to turn his shell on them again.

"Ahh, tell me it was the last stab?" Y/N whined.

"You're making Donnie sound like a murderer." Cody chuckled wholeheartedly, rubbing his thumb over their knuckles, and it made Leonardo break into a soft smile.

"Oh, come on you guys, I'm not that twisted." Donatello tutted playfully, grinning slightly.

"Not yet anywa-AUCH!! Damn!!" Y/N yelped, little tears stinging the corner of their eyes. Thankfully, it was the last stitch, they registered it by the snap of the thread being cut.

"Sorry," Donatello murmured softly, placing the needle and scissors back on the tray Cody held. "I will have to bandage you to make sure you won't move, rip, or irritate the stitching. I think you two should leave, I can do this by myself."

"Right." Leonardo curtly nodded and patted Y/N's crown affectionately. "Come on Cody, let's check on others."

And by others, he meant Raphael.

After they left and it was certain they wouldn't return, Donatello picked out a roll of bandages from the small kit and Y/N already waited with their shirt on their lap and lifted arms from their sides.

Donatello tried to make it quick for their sake, but wasn't any less effective with his work.

"Man, was it always this cold in here?" Y/N weakly chuckled, watching goosebumps awaken and little hairs stand on their arms.

"Hmm, there's an open window in the hallway, the cold air could be coming from there." Donatello answered casually, the cold didn't really bother him since it wasn't freezing but perhaps this was a hint that Y/N wanted to have some privacy with Leonid for the last time. He didn't question it.

When Y/N's back was bandaged and some painkillers were handed over to them, Donatello left and they put their shirt back on carefully, any straining movement pulled at the stitching and was near painful. With an inhale of bravery, Y/N walked over to their quest, facing his dark-blue shell that has four sharp spikes growing from the edge of it, two each by the sides of his head. They added a certain charm to his look, Y/N did not stare at them all the time — nope. Not at all wondering if a minimal contact with the pointed end is sharp enough to make one bleed, noooo....

"Heya, Lee, thanks for that quick save. You didn't get hurt too, did you?" Y/N interwined their fingers, hands resting against their lower navel.

Leonid debated with himself what is the better option; talk or be silent. If he were to chose latter option it wouldn't make them leave, he's sure of that. But what is he to make out of their chirpful tone? He just saw that painful wound. That flesh-thorn, raw, nasty wound that was fatefully inflicted because of his temper.

But a human can't take such an injury this well, they're too fragile... That's the impression he got since the day he held one by their throat. Y/N may yet change another one of his views on life, a different perspective he hadn't experienced in his quick-birthed life with twisted views from the very origin of Sh'Okanabo's DNA.

"Why did you take th' hit?" Leonid forced himself to ask, teeth bared and rumbly voice low.

The question got Y/N slightly confused. Didn't they just talk about it this morning? But the fact he began talking back they didn't want to stall with an answer. "Raph can be a jerk at times but he's family. I'd risk my life even if it was someone else in his place."

Something twisted and flipped his gut. He did not like that answer. Y/N is way too kind, especially to those like Raphael, and it is why they get hurt the most!

"You could've been the headless one!" finally looking over his shoulder at them, voice raised a notch as his brows pinched into a frown lines on his forehead.

Without a bat of an eye, they answered; "I know. But it didn't happen."

Leonid was on his feet within seconds, irked, wide shoulders squared up and almost hitting into the force field that is in his way, preventing him from touching Y/N — not that he was about to hurt them but automatically he wanted to put his hands on their shoulder and kneel down to stare at them eye-to-eyes.

"You're so stupid!" he growled down at them but there was no heat of resentment behind those words. It was worry.

Y/N smiled sardonically for a second. Then they nodded before meeting his gaze just as sharply, yet gently at the same time while they came up with another creative comeback. "Yeah, maybe even insane, but I would do it again... Even for you."

Taken aback, Leonid straightened with a strangled inhale, golden eye wide open as he was fighting his speachlessness. "... Tch! Oh, please...!"

Y/N jumped into his retort before he could continue. "You saved me. And I owe you one! Besides, it's the least I can do for a friend. If you'd ever need help with something, feel welcome to ask me anytime."

"No... No, I won't! Because we. will. never. meet again after this. We are not friends! Freaks and humans don't do the pitiable bonding thing." Leonid argued back stubbornly with an echoing growl, hitting lightly the side of his fist against the transparent shield not to cause an alarm and leaned against that forearm.

Y/N watched his frown twist deeper, taut mouth exposing a half of front fangs. They took a step closer to the shield instead backing away like any other logical person would. "Why do you say that—"

"Look at me! You ain't blind not to see what's wrong with all- all this!!" Leonid leashed out, the raw rumble of his growl must have vibrated through the ground because Y/N could feel it their bones. It was a very odd tingling in a sense that it didn't made them feel any close to uncomfortable, quite the opposite. But the blue terrapin, unfocused on things around him as he kept on ranting, didn't even notice the slightest change of their demeanor.

Y/N watched his big hand gestues, flapping up and down by his plastron's chest of unnatural color close to a lime's peel, it was quite a contrast against the blue of his skin, the purple armor and the small pop of red here and there but it complimented his honey-colored eye.

"The only reason I helped was 'cuz I didn't wanna take th' damn blame, those small runts would have thrown it at me, but it looks like I'm still at fault even after saving your necks!— Guess where I'll be going? To jail! For the rest of my life, like any other freak! So, yea, you are welcome, Y/N!"

It felt like he has a baggage of emotions he had no clue what to do with, they could tell that he needs to let it out. Leonid was always the one who did the listening, now it was Y/N's turn.

"I-I don't care about you one bit! Because if I would— I would be the stupid, insane fool just like ya are for wanting to befriend a monster itself!!" there was something that wavered his tone, it wasn't anger, no matter how furious he tried to look.

Y/N gave him all the room he needed, they to each and every word his heavy heart spilled. Once he caught a breather after letting out out, Leonid was suprised with himself and hopelessly stared at Y/N as if he would have the confirmation that he either went insane or them confessing to not paying attention, a part of him didn't mind if it would be the second option.

But by the look of it they hang onto every world. "Shit."

Letting the silence settle for a little longer, Y/N swept their observant gaze over his face, maybe waiting if he would wish to continue amd what is it he fears to hear.

Leonid's attention dropped onto Y/N's lips that opened ever-so-slightly and with a gentle inhale the air filled their lungs and it felt like a preparation for another word that would punch out his own breath, leave him dizzy, and his heart will yearn to understand another new thing that he'd learned.

It makes him feel like a fool.

"Well... Well, I guess, it's a good thing you're no monster. They aren't capable of feeling, or just barely have one or two emotions." Y/N susurrated, trying to put them in a more lighthearted mood while not dismissing his feelings. They lifted their right hand and placed their palm on the transparent shield.

Leonid's face softened at the slight droop of sadness in their voice but looking at the welcoming openess of their hand had his limp left arm rise and his own three-fingered was invited to be placed over Y/N's. Although the force field was cold, and had an odd buzz sensation to the touch, he could feel the heat of their human skin that spread through him. He wished he felt that warmth the first thing he was let out of the lab tube, and for the rest of his days.

"... I wasn't born, I was made. So how can ya say I'm nothing close to a freak?" Leonid exhaled a little defeatedly, his forehead made a contact against the shield, bringing him that much close to them.

Without noticing, Y/N was a step closer to the force field too, staring at their hands and the contrast of how his is thrice the size. "You are still a living being before anything else. You deserve to be treated like anyone else, same goes to your family and I feel ashamed I can't do much with how others treat you with caution..."

There was a pang at his heart because of her genuineness, exhaling though his bared fangs and half-open lips softly created a fog puffle right in front of him.

Leonid blinked to consciousness from the staring before using his forearm to rest his forehead on instead on the harsh surface.

He opened his mouth, prepared to tell them they don't have to feel that way, that it didn't matter to him, that he didn't care but it would have only been half of a truth.

Y/N beat him to ask their question that had plagued their thoughts right after that accident at the Holo Dojo. "Why do you hate yourself so much...?"

Leonid didn't know how to answer that, nor if he should answer at all. "I just do" answer doesn't feel enough of a reason now that he had it on the tip of his tongue. He has so many reasons but it's hard for him to word, he didn't know how, and if Y/N takes everything to heart wouldn't it burden them unnecessarily?

Y/N watched him close his eye tightly, a deep frown pinched between his brows, his thin blue lips pinched is and they worried Leonid is forcing himself to answer when he doesn't want to.

"Don't- don't answer if you don't wanna. No one has the answer right away either, don't worry about it." Y/N softly tried to reassure him, tilting their chin just an inch away from the cold force field but subconsciousness denyed its presence there for a second. "And you still have time to learn about yourself, don't forget that." they offered him a smile.

Leonid looked back at them, holding in breath without realizing as he let the words sink in before he slowly exhaled, tension leaving his body and suddenly he felt a little tired. Their words were somewhat comforting.

Y/N took the time to discreetly jawn into their palm. The painkillers seem to have finally kicked in.

"Go rest..." Leonid gravelly voice had a softer tone, it was pleasing to listen to.

They stared at him before eventually nodding. "Alright, but right back at ya. I will prepare you the breakfast I promised, tomorrow." Y/N's smile was big and reached their tired eyes.

Leonid let out a small, throaty chuckle at which Y/N's eyes sparkled with glee once registering that sound. His responce was a nod with a rumbly hum. Their refreshing kindness always left him wonderstruck.

Forcing themself to push away from the force field but Y/N kept on looking up at Leonid with a graceful, yet a little silly, toothy smile. It was... the most adorable look he'd ever recieved in his life.

Y/N waved one last time by the doorway and Leonid watched them disappear into the hallway, straining his ears until he couldn't hear the sound of their feet on the polished stone floor then letting out a long sigh before sitting back down on his temporary bed and looked forward for another home-made, warm breakfast.

Leonid just didn't know that fate that night had other plans for him and he'd have to leave with his brothers' help without a proper goodbye to Y/N and the food they'd work hard on to make just for him.

Perhaps in the distant future, he would be able to visit the O'niel Penthouse with his brothers as guests and not enemies but not now when he still has to deal with Darius Dun's abuse. But not for long, he had enough to be treated like trash and witness his brothers getting bruised by that disgusting human male that like a coward uses a big metal suit to dominate over them. Soon that man won't even know what hit him and then Leonid and his brothers would be free.

#tmnt 2003 #tmnt 2k3 #dark leonardo #dark leo #Leonid #tmnt x reader #tmnt fast forward #teenage mutant ninja turtles fast forward #reposting is so much pain you guys X'D

47 notes · View notes

jrob64 · 2 years ago

Text

I posted 4,239 times in 2022

53 posts created (1%)

4,186 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@pirateherokillian

@kwistowee

@paradiselady19

@laschatzi

I tagged 801 of my posts in 2022

#**pipsgifs - 274 posts

#365 days of colin characters - 269 posts

#cs fic - 123 posts

#csff - 110 posts

#captain swan - 101 posts

#cs fanfic - 96 posts

#captain swan fanfic - 91 posts

#killian jones - 79 posts

#ouat - 79 posts

#cs ff - 78 posts

Longest Tag: 98 characters

#everything killian jones does is perfect and i will not accept any other discussion on this matter

My Top Posts in 2022:

Faultline - Chapter 3/3 “Aftershocks”

I’m happy I didn’t have to leave you hanging too long after that last chapter! Special thanks to the best beta in the business @hookedmom for checking it over quickly enough for me to get it posted this soon. Please see the first chapter for the list of people who were at least partially responsible for encouraging me to write this story.

Story Summary: On the day Killian and Liam Jones meet Emma Swan, a major earthquake rocks San Francisco and the trio has to help each other survive. Based loosely on the movie “San Andreas”.

Rating: M

Words: Ch. 3 - 7937

Total words: 21,030

Find the rest of the story on Tumblr: Ch1 Ch2

Also found on ffn and Ao3

*********

Liam looked helplessly at his brother, seeing the anguish in his eyes over losing the woman he had come to care for, and knew he couldn’t give up on trying to bring her back to life. With renewed determination, he turned back to Emma and began pumping her chest again, all the while chanting, “Come on, lass! Come on!”

He gave her three rescue breaths and pumped her chest twice more, then she suddenly coughed and sputtered, pitching forward and spewing water out of her mouth. Liam gently pounded her on the back as Arthur and Gwen cheered.

“Emma!” Killian gasped, surging forward to gather her into his arms. She continued to cough and gag as she held onto him.

“Welcome back, lass,” Liam said, smiling with relief.

With the crisis averted, Arthur settled back into the captain’s chair and started the engine, then turned the boat and continued moving cautiously through the bay. Liam and Gwen resumed their seats too, but Killian and Emma remained on the deck of the boat, clinging to each other tightly.

“I thought I lost you,” he murmured into her ear.

“I’m s-sorry,” she whispered, beginning to shiver, both from being wet and the shock of what had just happened to her. Gwen stood up and moved across the back of the boat to lift the top of the bench seat, pulling out an armful of towels, which she handed to Killian.

He unfolded and draped two of them around Emma, then one over his own shoulders. Using another, he began to dry her hair, all the while telling her how relieved he was that she survived.

Liam watched the scene in front of him and realized his brother had already fallen hard and fast for the lovely lass they had just met less than half a day ago, although it seemed more like an eternity after all they’d been through together.

*********

Fifteen minutes later, Arthur steered the boat up to the pier closest to Millbrae. As the trio began to disembark, Arthur stopped Liam and returned the money Killian had given him earlier. “This trip is on me,” he said firmly.

“Thank you, mate,” Liam said, shaking the man’s hand.

Gwen hugged all three of them, saying, “Take care and stay safe.”

Liam carefully climbed onto the dock, then turned, put both hands around Emma’s waist and lifted her easily to set her beside him. Killian shook Arthur’s hand also, expressing his thanks, then joined his brother and Emma on the platform. All three of them waved as the boat pulled away, heading further down the bay.

“How far away is your apartment?” Killian asked, wrapping his arm around Emma’s waist to give her extra support, since she was still weak from her ordeal.

“About a twenty minute walk from here. There’s a dollar store a few blocks away that’s always open late, where I think we should stop and get you guys some clothes, sleepwear and other essentials. I know it won’t be top quality, but at least you could change out of those clothes.”

“I don’t care what kind of quality they are,” Liam uttered. “I can hardly wait to get out of these bloody clothes.”

“And he means that quite literally,” Killian chuckled.

“We really should go directly to the Medical Center to get you guys checked out, though,” Emma said.

“And you, as well,” Killian stated. “Near drowning can cause all sorts of complications.”

“Where is the Medical Center?” Liam asked.

See the full post

67 notes - Posted February 25, 2022

Faultline - Chapter 1 “Tremors”

Here it is - my contribution to the Captain Swan Movie Marathon Collection! This story is loosely based on the movie San Andreas and I have many people to thank for encouraging me to write it. My very loyal beta @hookedmom was with me once again, despite being on a well-earned vacation for the past week. Thanks also to @teamhook, who has been asking me to contribute to the collection for months now, @kmomof4, who flailed over my last lines and helped me with the pic sets, @gingerpolyglot, who helped me plot out the story, @motherkatereloyshipper, who found lovely pics of Liam for me and used her magic to make him look ‘younger’ and last, but far from least, @apiratewhopines, who has been messaging me every night to see how close the story is to being finished! The enthusiasm for it from all the ladies on the CSMM Discord has also been very much appreciated!

Summary: On the day Killian and Liam Jones meet Emma Swan, a major earthquake rocks San Francisco and the trio has to help each other survive.

Rating: M

Words: 6072

Chapter 1 of 3

Also found on ffn and Ao3

*********

“Liam, would you please stop jiggling your leg? It’s annoying,” Killian Jones growled at his older brother.

“I can’t help it. This interview is very important for my future, and yours as well,” Liam said.

Killian checked the time on his phone. “You still have nearly twenty minutes to wait. Why the bloody hell did we get here so early?”

“I wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to be late. You could have stayed at the hotel, you know.”

“I thought that would be boring, but sitting here doing nothing is probably even worse.”

“Stop your grousing, brother. Why don’t you use your little book to plot out our itinerary for the week?” he said, gesturing toward the San Francisco tour book laying on Killian’s lap.

After giving him an indignant look, Killian flipped open the well-worn book and began paging through it.

A few minutes later, he heard Liam give a low whistle before whispering, “Wow! What a stunner!”

Killian looked up from studying the book to see an absolute vision in front of him. A blonde woman dressed in a red blouse, black leather jacket, and jeans which deliciously hugged her curves, was coming up the escalator from the parking garage. He could feel his mouth drop open in awe of her beauty as she approached, accompanied by a man of average height, with slightly shaggy brown hair, dressed in a gray suit. Killian’s eyes narrowed as he appraised the man, sensing an air of superiority and arrogance about him.

“Now, stay right here. I’ll be back as soon as my meeting is over,” he was saying, and Killian couldn’t help but notice he was talking to the woman like she was a small child.

Evidently, she felt the same way. “Do you think I’m five-years-old, Walsh?”

“Of course not, Darling,” he replied in an oily tone. “I just don’t know how long I’ll be gone and I don’t want you worrying about where I am.”

“I’m sure I’ll be able to entertain myself for a while,” she said, and Killian smirked at her eye roll.

“Very well, I have to go. Mustn’t be late and make a bad impression, you know,” the man said, holding up his wrist to check his large and garish watch. “Try not to miss me too much, Darling.” He aimed a kiss at her lips, but she turned her head to accept it on her cheek instead.

The woman watched him walk away, then sank down into the chair across from Killian with a sigh. When she glanced up to see him looking at her, her eyes widened behind the dark frames of her glasses and then she smiled.

Killian could feel the heat creeping into his face, but he didn’t look away. “Uh, hi,” he ventured. He felt Liam shift beside him, his elbow digging into his side a bit.

“Hi.” she replied.

“Oh, um, I’m…I’m Killian Jones,” he stuttered, offering his hand.

“Emma Swan,” she responded, accepting his hand and shaking it.

“And I’m Liam Jones, Killian’s big brother,” Liam said, also shaking her hand.

“Older brother,” Killian corrected.

Emma giggled. “You guys don’t sound like you’re from around here.”

See the full post

70 notes - Posted February 21, 2022

My contribution to the ‘Heatwave Collection’

With the hot temperatures that many people have been experiencing recently, several of us have written Captain Swan ‘heatwave stories’. The idea was suggested by @cs-rylie on the CSMM Discord, so I owe her thanks for that, and also for looking over this story as I wrote it. Of course, @hookedmom was once again my fabulous beta, catching all my errors, and giving helpful suggestions to make this story better.

You can find the ‘Heatwave Collection’ on Ao3 here. Be sure to check out all the great stories!

SUMMARY: A heatwave in Storybrooke has everyone on edge, and Emma is feeling the heat of being the town sheriff. Her pirate takes it upon himself to help his wife find some relief from the weather and the pressures of her job.

Rating: M

Words: 3623

Also found on Ao3 and ffn

*********

“Good afternoon, Love,” Killian greeted as he entered the stuffy confines of the Storybrooke police station.

Emma looked up from the paperwork she was attempting to put in order, but was being hindered by the oscillating fan sitting on the corner of her desk. How could her husband look so damn hot when it was…so damn hot? Even the way the sweaty, rogue strands of hair fell across his forehead into his eyes was sexy.

“What’s good about it?” she grumbled.

He crossed the room in four quick strides, his smile fading a bit as he took in his wife’s scowling face. “Something wrong, Swan?”

“Wrong? Oh, no, nothing’s wrong,” she spat sarcastically. “The heat is just making every citizen in this town lose their damn mind! And of course, it’s the sheriff’s job to solve all the problems around here, so half the morning was spent running from dwarf to dwarf, trying to figure out who stole whose fan. Then there was the case of the fender bender in the grocery store parking lot, where the worst damage was the ice cream that melted all over the back seat, while they waited for me to arrive. I caught hell for that! It’s not my fault it’s almost a hundred degrees and nobody can handle it!”

Recalling how they both used those same words in the sultry jungle of Neverland before their first kiss, Killian smirked, which was probably the worst thing he could have done at that moment. When Emma looked up and caught sight of his expression, she jumped up from her chair, her hands in fists as she leaned on her desk. “What the hell is so funny, Jones?”

He held his hand up placatingly. “Calm down, Swan, I’m not making light of your challenging day. I was simply reminded of those particular words being used several years ago, while experiencing a different sort of simmering heat.”

Her brows scrunched together as she tried to decipher his meaning. He could tell the exact moment she figured it out, because her face melted into a soft smile. “Oh, yeah. Well, that heat was much more fun.”

“Aye, and it still is,” he purred, sauntering up beside her and rubbing his hook against her hip, while his hand slid up her bare arm. Her attire of a tank top and khaki shorts wasn’t exactly professional, but he couldn’t say he minded.

“Don’t start anything, Killian. This office is a furnace and I’m a sweaty mess.”

“You look ravishing, Darling.”

She rolled her eyes disbelievingly, but couldn’t keep the corners of her mouth from turning up a bit. “All the same, in this heat, even fooling around with my hot husband doesn’t sound appealing.”

“In that case, what do you say we sail away, Love?”

Emma sighed. “I can’t, Babe. I’m supposed to be in the office until five, so I’ve still got a couple hours of insanity left.”

“I would say you’ve done enough for the fair citizens of Storybrooke today. Let them figure out their own issues for the remainder of your shift. Just think how lovely it would be to feel the sea breeze in your hair and on your face.”

“Don’t tempt me. You know Madam Mayor would be after my head if she hears I left work early.”

He nuzzled behind her ear, murmuring, “Regina doesn’t intimidate me. Besides, this pretty head belongs to me, Mrs. Jones.”

“Killian,” she groaned, though her attempt at rebuffing him didn’t have much effect, since she was tilting her head to allow him access to the column of her throat.

“You know you want to get away from here,” he whispered. “No more dwarves, no more hot office, no more complaints. Just you,” he paused to nibble on her collarbone, “me,” another love bite, “and the Jolly Roger. I’ll even mix up some of your favorite concoction to bring along.”

“Rum punch?” she asked breathlessly.

“Mmhmm. What do you say, Love?”

“I say you had me at ‘no more dwarves’.”

See the full post

71 notes - Posted June 20, 2022

Lunch is on Me (A CS AU Story)

This story is inspired by a post that’s been circulating on social media and I thought it was perfect for our beloved Captain Swan. Many, many thanks to @motherkatereloyshipper who created Liam’s tombstone picture for the pic set, @apiratewhopines who constantly fluffs my aura and who gave me useful feedback for the story, the ladies on the CSMM Discord for their help on the pic set, and (you know what’s coming next!) my dedicated and loyal beta @hookedmom, who has been with me through thick and thin and who makes every story I throw at her 100% better!

Story Summary: Emma Swan makes a mistake when ordering a DoorDash delivery and tells the driver to keep the food for himself. The response she gets moves her to tears and has her hoping to meet the man in person someday.

Rating: T

Words: 3544

Chapter 1/1

Also found on Ao3 & ffn

*********

“Dammit!” Emma Swan cursed, reading the message on her phone.

This is Killian, your DoorDash driver. I’m here to deliver your food.

In her haste to get lunch delivered while she had a break between regional business meetings, she forgot to change the address for delivery to her hotel in New York City, instead of her apartment in Boston. Now, some poor guy was standing at her door with her food order, and she was going to have to resort to stale vending machine snacks.

I’m sorry, I forgot to change the delivery address. Enjoy the food. Lunch is on me.

She quickly checked her hair and makeup in the mirror, gathered up her room key and purse, and was on her way to the door when her phone dinged with another notification.

Umm…okay. Thanks very much.

Sighing, she went out into the hallway and turned left, in search of the nearest vending machine.

*********

Emma’s meetings in the hotel conference room stretched on into late afternoon, while she grew increasingly bored and hungry. How many times could they reiterate the plummeting sales numbers and explore possible interventions to halt the decline and improve the bottom line? She knew she should be more concerned, but at the moment, her growling stomach was demanding more attention than the lack of sales.

When the final speaker of the day began wrapping up his presentation, Emma chanced a look at her phone to check the time. Her screen displayed another message from DoorDash and as she read it, tears instantly filled her eyes.

Thanks again for your generosity. Your home is very near the cemetery where my brother is laid to rest, and since today is his birthday, I had lunch with him there. That means more to me than I can say and I truly appreciate your kindness.

Emma checked the time stamp and saw that the message came through over two hours ago. She wondered if she should reply to it or not, and finally decided that such a heart-wrenching admission deserved to be answered.

Please accept my sincere sympathy for the loss of your brother. I’m glad you had an opportunity to spend some time with him, and that the food helped make that happen. I hope it was a good day.

Noticing that the presenter was finally finished, she closed her laptop, stuffed it into the case, collected all of her belongings, and hurried out of the room, intent on placing an extra large DoorDash order to be delivered to her hotel room this time.

*********

The week after Killian had lunch at the cemetery with Liam, he turned on his DoorDash app and scrolled through the requests. One name and address in particular caught his eye, and he sat up straighter on the couch, tapping on it quickly to claim the request. He was happy he would get a chance to thank the woman who treated him to lunch in person.

*********

On the Wednesday after Emma returned home from attending the regional meetings, she placed a DoorDash order and was pleasantly surprised to see that the driver’s name was Killian. Of course, it didn’t necessarily mean it was the same delivery person as the one to whom she’d donated her lunch, but how many Killians could there possibly be in Boston? It wasn’t exactly a common name.

Her question was answered with the next communication she received from him. This is Killian, your DoorDash driver. I’ll be making a delivery to you in about fifteen minutes. Will you be home this time?

She laughed and typed out a response. Yes, this time I AM home, so I’m afraid you’ll have to buy your own dinner tonight!

She hoped the man didn’t mind her playful teasing. He seemed to be a good sport and she was curious to put a face to his name. She assumed he was an older man, since he had a brother who was deceased. Maybe he was earning some extra cash to supplement his retirement income, or was helping one of his children pay for college expenses by DoorDashing in the evenings, after working another job during the day.

The knock at the door took her by surprise. She had gotten busy sorting through her winter clothing before storing it away for the summer and lost track of time. She hurried through the apartment, stopping to grab her phone off the arm of the couch, checking to see if she had a new message from the driver. Seeing that he had sent one a minute ago saying he had arrived at her apartment building, she threw the door open without checking through the peephole.

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73 notes - Posted March 12, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Where Her Heart Belongs (my CSSNS story)

This is my first contribution to the Captain Swan Supernatural Summer event, and it wouldn’t be possible without many people.

First of all, thank you to the CSSNS 2022 mods for having this event.

I am beyond excited to be paired with @winterbythesea, who created not one, but FOUR absolutely gorgeous pieces of art for this story! Her banner is at the top, and the other three pieces are scattered throughout the story. I only hope it is worthy of her beautiful work!

Thank you to @hookedmom, who read over the story at least a dozen times to help me plot and make it as error free and enjoyable to read as possible. Thanks also to @winterbythesea and @snowbellewells, who read over it to give me suggestions and feedback. It has definitely come a long way since the first draft!

Story summary: In the Land Without Magic, Emma Swan is quietly living her solitary life. When she finds a unique storybook in the library, strange things begin to happen. A canon divergent story which started out based on the movie “Somewhere in Time”, but evolved into something else entirely.

Rating: T

Words: 9191

Also found on ffn and Ao3

*********

Emma Swan pushed through the doors of the Columbus Public Library and inhaled the familiar scent of paper and ink. She knew many people relied on various forms of technology to do their research and reading these days, but in her opinion, nothing was better than the feeling of having an actual book in her hands.

“Good morning!” greeted the man at the circulation desk.

“Good morning,” Emma returned, looking at him curiously as she placed the books she had finished reading in the return slot. In all the times she had come to the library, she’d never seen this man working before - he must be new.

“Looking for anything in particular today?”

“Umm…I’m not sure. I guess I’ll just follow wherever my mood takes me.”

“You should check out our new fairytales section on the second floor,” the man said, gesturing toward the staircase to his left.

“Oh, uh, thanks. I might check it out a little later,” Emma replied.

“Be sure you do. I think you’ll find something there that will spark your interest.” He threw her a warm, dimpled smile, before resuming his typing. Emma’s curiosity about the man was piqued even more when she noticed that instead of using a computer, he was using an old-fashioned, manual typewriter.

She walked through the adult non-fiction section and peeked into the periodicals corner, where several retired senior citizens were reading newspapers. When she reached the area containing adult fiction, she ran her finger across several of the bindings and pulled out a few books to read the summaries on the back cover. None of them drew her attention, so she decided to go upstairs to search for the area the librarian recommended.

Every now and then, she liked to check out picture books, graphic novels or books for younger readers. She rarely had the opportunity to visit libraries when she was growing up in the foster system, so she ignored the social conventions and selected whatever struck her fancy.

She preferred coming to the library in the late morning when it wasn’t very busy, since most young patrons were in school. The quiet solitude of being among her beloved books was a balm that renewed her soul, and restored the faith in the goodness of mankind that her job as a bail bondsperson often depleted.

When she reached the top of the stairs, she glanced around and didn’t immediately see the new section, but something instinctively told her to turn right and go around the corner at the end of the aisle. There, she saw two very realistic columns decorated to look like those that would belong inside a castle. As she stepped between them, she took in the dozens of books neatly stacked on the shelves.

After collecting a couple of books with gilded edges, she carried them to a nearby armchair to peruse them. Losing herself in the stories, she was unaware how much time had passed, until she pulled her attention away from one of the books and checked the display on her phone.

When she glanced around the perimeter of the area, her eyes were drawn to an oversized book sticking out over the edge of the top shelf. Rising from her chair, she approached the shelf and reached up with one hand to slide the book toward herself. Realizing too late she had misjudged its weight, she tried to grab it with her other hand, but failed to catch it. The book clattered to the floor, flipping open to a page which revealed a very detailed color illustration. She looked around in embarrassment before bending down to pick up the book. Upon getting a better look at the picture, her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

The full-page image featured an extremely handsome, but dangerous-looking man. He was dressed in a black leather coat with a high collar, a black blousy shirt unbuttoned to the middle of his chest, and wore a chain with numerous charms around his neck. He was holding the ship’s wheel and had a hook in the place of his left hand. Mesmerized by his cornflower blue eyes and his dark, wind-blown hair, Emma dropped down to her knees to get a closer look.

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85 notes - Posted July 15, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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randomingoftherandomness · 2 years ago

Note

okay yes thank you - I dearly loved Diana Wynne Jones's Howl's Moving Castle book for so many years. Ff course I don't consider interpretations in a new medium to take away from the original at all, but I really am not a fan of the Ghibli Howl's Moving Castle. So much of the interesting and subtle magic that made the book so good, was totally lost. This being said, I WOULD like to see Ghibli take a crack at the Enchanted Forest Chronicles, because I think it would be charming.

There's a huge subsect of people who are hardcore about that Gibli trash fire who would hunt folks like us down for even breathing a smidge of negativity about it.

They butchered Sophie and twisted what made the book so very special and unique into something that it totally was not. Yeah, sure, I loved how we got to have an animated Calcifer (possibly the only thing I liked about that dung heap) but that's where the buck stopped for me. God, the salt I have been nursing for the last 19 years about Ghibli's Howl's Moving Castle could probably rival the Dead Sea.

From what I've heard, Diana Wynne Jones' estate has kiboshed any further adaptations of her books because of what Ghibli did. IDK. I may be wrong. Ask Uncle Neil because he would know best.

In any case, the thought of them trying to downplay the darkness, the neglect that Christopher was party to, what Gwendolen did to her brother for power, or even the manipulation over Tacroy, gives me the willies. I'll be happy to never have a Chrestomanci adaptation just so that I don't have to see a studio butcher the books I've loved for over 20 years now.

In general, I do think I'm not Ghibli's target audience and I'm ok with that haha... They really turned me off any of the works from their studios with Howl's Moving Castle alone, and this is not a flex but I've never sat down properly to watch any of their works even if I know what's what.

No one who did that to Sophie Hatter gets to leave the pile of bad in my books.

#gab rambles #I'm not gonna tag the relevant tags coz i know there are plenty of crazies looking to start shit

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zaharadessert · 2 years ago

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I posted 92 times in 2022

33 posts created (36%)

59 posts reblogged (64%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@kmomof4

@snowbellewells

@jrob64

@pirateherokillian

@k-leemac

I tagged 63 of my posts in 2022

Only 32% of my posts had no tags

#cs ff - 43 posts

#captain swan - 42 posts

#zaharadessert writes - 37 posts

#emma swan - 22 posts

#captain hook - 21 posts

#talented shipmates - 20 posts

#neverland new year - 14 posts

#killian jones - 14 posts

#princess emma - 12 posts

#neverland au - 12 posts

Longest Tag: 69 characters

#but this is what i imagine would be in it if i were ever to write one

My Top Posts in 2022:

The Heart of the Saviour (1/12)

Rating: Explicit, mostly for the violence. But there's significant smut in the last chapter.

Warnings: Abduction, Ransom, Mortal Peril.

Summary: One night, in every corner of every magical realm, every boy aged nine to seventeen disappeared. Not one remained. That was when Pan made himself known to the realms, and from that night the eve of every boy’s ninth birthday meant their disappearance, until finally the realms demanded to know what he wanted to return their children to them. Pan told them he wanted the saviour, and while most realms were confused Snow and David knew what he meant and confessed the role their daughter was supposed to have played in breaking the curse. The realms voted and agreed to Pan’s terms, and Pan stopped taking the realms sons, holding the children he’d currently taken as insurance of their compliance.

For the next fifteen years Emma’s birthday wasn’t a celebration, it was another tick on the countdown clock to the end of her freedom. Not that she was ever free in the first place, but to save every male child in the United Realms including her younger brother, Leo… She understood that she had a job to do, and she would do her duty with her head held high. What she didn’t count on was the sparkling blue eyes of the man Pan sends to escort her to Neverland in time for her twenty-first birthday.

Notes: It is finally finished… only a month and a half late… ooops. I hope you all enjoy it and think it was worth the wait! I am so excited to share it with you all, so do let me know what you think! I won’t be posting whole chapters on tumblr because they are so damn long… but there’s a link to the full chapter on AO3!

A huge, huge thank you to @kmomof4 for betaing this for me, and for being super supportive while I’ve been tearing my hair out over this. Thank you to the @neverlandnewyear mods for running this event again, I have had so much fun writing this!

Read on AO3: Chapter One

- - - - -

The ship had first been seen just after noon, exactly as Pan’s most recent missive had told them it would. It had been delivered as all the others had been by the wingless fairy he kept in his employ, the magic that transported her to and from his lands not strong enough to take more than just her. So, he was sending a ship, and his envoy should be given all the courtesy one might expect upon arriving at a Royal Court before departing with the promised cargo the next morning.

Cargo.

- - - - -

Read the rest on AO3

44 notes - Posted March 5, 2022

Canticum Sanguinis Lux - Initium (1/8?)

Summary: Once, all Emma Nolan wanted was a normal life, but when she had a run in with a vampire as a teenager she realised that she couldn’t escape the life of a hunter. Now all she wants to do is prove herself, and she’s going to end up going above and beyond to be the hunter the world needs her to be.

Rating: Explicit. Mostly for graphic descriptions of violence, and some smut.

Warnings: There are hints at the non con nature of the control vampires can have over humans.

Length: should be eight chapters.?

Notes: So, first off, a huge thankyou to the @cssns mods for running this event again. Thanks so much for the opportunity. Secondly, thank you to @clockadilefor the gorgeous banner. Lastly, thank you to @kmomof4, who not only is an amazing beta, but volunteered to deal with my panics and general insanity. Thank you so much, I could not have done this without you.

One final note, thank you for reading. I apologise, I’ve broken my own cardinal rule and started posting before I’ve finished writing. But this is kinda a prologue, so I think it’s gonna be fine on it’s own until I’m done? I hope… hahaha! Thanks so much for reading.

Also on AO3

- - - - -

Emma’s footsteps echoed in the alleyway, the buzz of the streetlamps a distant hum behind her that faded to nothing amid the click of her heels on the poorly laid tarmac. She wrinkled her nose against the smell of the bins stacked at the end, her eyes flicking up to take in the fire escapes on either side. She could feel the shadows pressing in around her, ominous and foreboding.

“Walsh?” she called, her voice sounding timid and worried as she moved further away from the safety of the populated street and into the darkness. Where the hell had he gone? She’d only been a couple of steps behind him and it wasn’t that dark down here… “Walsh, stop messing around. This isn’t funny and you’re far too old for these silly games,” she declared with an almost petulant huff.

- - - - -

Continued on AO3

49 notes - Posted July 10, 2022

A Tarnished Proposal

Rating: T, I think...

Warnings: For me this is super tame, but Neal is an ass so… he threatens some things.

Length: ~5k

Summary: Three years ago, Neal Cassidy halted his pursuit of Emma in favour of the fortunes of an heiress by tarnishing her reputation. Now he's back intending to collect his prize, but Emma isn't the wide eyed ingénue he courted so easily last time. When he invites himself to join the family and some other guests for dinner, the night yields far more than anyone bargained for.

Notes: Great thanks to @kmomof4 for once again being a wonderful beta. The art is by the lovely @undercaffinatednightmare, I had so much fun talking to you about it, it really has brightened my time being ill over the last couple of days. You should all thank her too, if she hadn't made it, I wouldn't be posting this.

This fic was inspired by a visited to the National Trust property called Upton House. It is the house featured in the art in fact (we're clever like that!) So honestly it's pretty British, even if the 'era' isn't overtly stated it's meant to be regency in feel.

So I hope you enjoy, and thank you for the support!

Complete Story on AO3

- - - - -

Emma usually loved the house parties her parents threw at their country home; they were more relaxed than the ones that happened in town and she felt under less scrutiny here. Anyone who was invited was a friend, and didn’t know or didn’t care about what had happened three years ago. But tonight was different, and she found herself having to step out of the long gallery and onto the terrace when the men came through from the dining room because she simply couldn’t bear it anymore.

Normally, sat across from her younger brother Leopold she had a good time glancing across the table and having silent conversations about things their dinner guests had said, but she’d been seated next to Lord Cassidy who’d happened to be in the area and had seen her father this morning. He’d spent the whole time at dinner being absolutely insufferable and she was done with the whole charade. It didn’t matter how many platitudes he offered, how many compliments he dropped with that insipid smile on his face, she was not going to change her mind.

Not after what he’d done to her.

See the full post

62 notes - Posted February 27, 2022

Sneak Peek! [The Heart of the Saviour]

Rating: This peek is Teen, I guess. I expect the rest of the fic to be Mature, maybe straying into Explicit? I’m not sure, it’s not finished yet!

Warnings: Abduction, Ransom, Mortal Peril.

Length: Currently over 70k… and still going…

Notes: So this is a sneak peek for my NLNY fic for 2022. I was hoping to have this written in time, but it’s become a monster and it’s not done. I can’t start posting properly until I’ve finished writing, so instead please enjoy the art up the top there and the opening of chapter one…

- - - - -

Note on the above... I took out the rest of the thing cause it's already up there somewhere, lol!

83 notes - Posted January 24, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Fallen Angel

Rating: Mature

Warnings: Mentions of attempted non-con and past ‘wifely duties’. It’s all emotional angst and feels, starting with a little Emma!Whump and misery.

Length: 5k

Summary: Forced into a marriage she didn’t want with a man she didn’t love when her parents died, Emma Nolan did everything she could to make the best of it. But when he died, leaving her with an infant son, she realised the depths of his disregard for her and the sanctity of their marriage. Not only was he a gambler, he spent his winnings on his mistresses and left his young wife and with enough debt that she ended up in a workhouse. A workhouse which, like everything she used to own, has just been sold, and the new owner is coming by to survey his new purchase.

Notes: Inspired by visits to Lavenham Guildhall and Ickworth House(the property in the art, funnily enough), set somewhen in the 1800s. Betaed by the lovely @justanother-unluckysoul. Art by me!

Oh, and I'm not posting this as a celebration of getting 100 followers!!!!! Thank you all so much for the love!

Also on AO3

- - - - -

Emma’s hands had never known such hardship; she’d have said the same for the rest of her but she was a mother. Her body had been through a lot in the last couple of years, but her life had never prepared her for this. Her back was killing her, bent over this loom with the added weight of her child snuggled into the fabric holding him against her chest. He was the only thing she had left worth anything, and she would do whatever it took to give him a life better than what they were facing now.

It had been called a mercy when they’d made the ruling. They’d stripped her life away from her, taken everything she owned except the clothes she’d been lent by the maid, and the meanest of items she needed for her son who hadn’t even been a year old.

Mercy, at the hands of men who didn’t care if she and her child lived or died.

Finish reading on AO3

85 notes - Posted February 5, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #so much captain swan #ZaharaDessert writes #cs ff

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dooxliss · 9 months ago

Note

O, U, and H for the fandom asks ☺️

ask meme

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., TV shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)?

uhhhh. i wish i read as much as i did as a kid tbh but i’ll say games, then a bit distant anime

O - Choose a song at random. Which ship or character does it remind you of?

okay lemme spotify shuffle my liked songs

oh i remember when i first listened to this song i thought the sfx reminded me of greenies from luigi’s mansion: dark moon! so greenies/luigi just based on that

also not random but everlong—foo fighters makes me think of ff every time go figure

U - Three favorite characters from three different fandoms, and why they’re your favorites.

jjk- choso, i just really love how ride or die he is for his brothers + he has a really cool design. i want to cosplay him one day

(bonus from jjk—akari nitta! she shows up in like 5 episodes tops but i like her character design 😭)

dbz- supreme kai (shin), he shows up in tfc and seems so mysterious until like. idk halfway through and we find out that bro has absolutely no clue what he’s doing (valid! he was pushed into the role by necessity). also good character design + i have his potara earrings

picking a third one was really hard but

splatoon- frye!! ngl her design was a bit off putting to me (mostly her eyes) but it really grew on me since 2022 and i love it (smooching her big ass forehead)

she has a fun outfit and i really enjoy her song choreography/her parts of deep cut songs and her personality which is p surprising considering my favorite idols in 1 and 2 were marie and marina and i generally tend to agree with her splatfest options except this one frye baby i’m so sorry

i want to cosplay her too :D and maybe do some of her dances (i know most of anarchy rainbow)

#lakimusings #gari answers #mutual chatter #ask meme #hehe mario #jjk #jjba #oh ess tee #kinda long post #oh woah you can move whole paragraphs to different spaces in the post thats cool #i was so close to putting jjba and gwess for the favorite characters but tbh she isn’t like my favorite character but she is one of my top #minor characters in jjba #fighting with mikitaka. you know how it is

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allons-y-to-hogwarts-713 · 5 years ago

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Day 1: Vomiting

Inspired by @yuckwhump 29 Day Whump Challenge prompts! I don’t know how many I’ll actually get to write because my life is crazy right now, but I’m gonna try it. A big thanks to @hollyethecurious for looking it over for me. ❤️

Warnings: alcohol, vomiting

I’m on mobile, so I’m sorry there’s no cut.

-/-/-

Liam struggled to hold a stumbling Killian upright as they staggered back to the ship on which they served.

“Why do you do this, brother? You only make it harder for yourself, and for me.”

“S’better than being sober,” Killian slurred. “S’already the bloody worst anyway.”

“C’mon,” Liam sighed, adjusting his arm around Killian’s torso to help him as they walked up the ramp to the deck, no easy task as the ship bobbing in the water made it sway beneath their already unsteady legs.

When they reached the top they were greeted not so pleasantly by their captain.

“And where were the two of you?” Captain Silver questioned with a scowl.

“S’not your business,” Killian sneered. That was the wrong answer. Silver grabbed a fistful of Killian’s hair and tugged his head backward. Killian’s upper lip twitched in an attempt to feign confidence.

“I own you, boy. It certainly is my business where my property spends its day.” Silver released his grip and punched Killian hard in his stomach, causing him to double over in pain, and Liam shifted to support his weight as best as he could.

“Please,” Liam said, looking for an excuse that could spare his brother from punishment, “We were just running your errands like you ordered. We’re new to this port. We got lost.” Silver paused a moment, then stepped back.

“Got lost?” he mocked, gesturing to his crew. “You hear that, men? The Jones boys just got lost! What fine sailors they make, eh?”

“Liam,” Killian whispered, holding onto his brother’s shoulder, “Liam, I don’t—” His stomach lurched then, and he heaved, spewing bile onto the deck in front of him. Silver just laughed.

“Ah, so you were drinking again then. What sort of man are you if you can’t even hold your rum?” Silver jeered. “You best clean that up, boy,” he ordered with a much more serious tone.

“Yes, Captain.” Killian’s cheeks burned redder than the liquor had already made them, and he turned to retrieve his supplies but was interrupted.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Silver asked and approached him.

“To get the mop, sir,” Killian stopped and answered through gritted teeth.

“No, boy.” Silver forced Killian to turn back toward his pool of vomit and kicked the back of his knees with such force that they buckled and he dropped to the deck with a grunt. “Clean. Your. Mess.” Silver shoved Killian’s back and he landed face first in the disgusting puddle. Killian silently prayed to anyone who would listen for the day he’d finally get his revenge on the vile man, and held back tears as he was forced to eat his own regurgitation off the grimy deck of the ship, hoping whatever else he was ingesting might kill him before he could finish.

#vomiting tw #alcohol tw #whump #whump fic #jones brothers ff #jones brothers #killian jones #liam jones #ouat ff #ouat #once upon a time #29 day whump challenge #hollyethecurious #kayla writes #my writing

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hollyethecurious · 5 years ago

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International Whump Day Fic

A/N: In honor of International Whump Day, please enjoy this little whumplet which completes my tenth submission for the Whumpetition and tics off the Take Me Instead square of my @badthingshappenbingo card.

This is a continuation of my Trapped in a Burning Ship fic, and leads in to another whumplet I wrote a while back, which is linked at the bottom of this post.

Rated M for themes and the overall story arc / ~1200 words / Available on ao3 and ff.net / buy me a coffee

Take Me Instead

“Who be the captain among you?”

“I am.” Liam stepped forward to face their captors. “Captain Laim Jones of His Majesty King Xavier’s Royal Navy. And you are?”

“You’ll address me as captain,” the man stated harshly.

“By what right and cause have you attacked my ship, captain.” Liam inquired with an edge of mocking around the man’s title.

“We was commissioned to hunt you and your crew down,” the captain informed him. “You are to be sent back to your swine of a king with a message while ye crew is taken to the slave markets in the south.”

Killian felt the blood drain from his face. Not again, he silently seethed. Never again.

“Take them to the brig,” the captain ordered, and his men stepped forward with weapons in hand to lead the surviving royal crew down below.

“Wait!” Liam called out. “My lieutenant can deliver your missive to the king. Send him and the rest of the crew back, and I will go to the slave market in their place.”

“Why would I agree to that? You wouldn’t be worth the price the lot of them will fetch.”

“Then take me instead, and let my lieutenant go. A captain ought to stand with his men, and face their fate alongside them.”

“Liam,” Killian hissed from behind his brother. “No.”

The captain stepped forward, his eyes bouncing the two men. “Why are you so keen to save this man over any other among your crew?”

“I’m not,” Liam feebly protested. “As my lieutenant it is his role to serve in my place. My king will expect to receive your message from an officer, and Lt. Jones is the only remaining officer I have left.”

“Jones?” the man drawled with a wicked, black smile pulling at his cracked lips. “Not a relation of yours, is he?”

“I am his brother,” Killian snapped. “And he is my captain. He should be the one to deliver your missive. Release him and do with me as you will.”

“Hold your tongue and remember your place, lieutenant,” Liam admonished before turning back to their captor. “We have many enemies in the south. A captain of King Xavier’s will fetch a much higher price than a lieutenant. Take me, and send my brother home.”

“And the rest of your crew? Do you care nothing for them?”

“Of course, I do,” Liam snarled. “But you’ve made it clear only one of us is to go free. If there was anything I could do or say to change your mind and free them, I would.”

The man stared assessingly at Liam for long moments. “As a captain you would fetch a better price. It is definitely worth consideration.” He nodded to his crew to carry on, then stated, “We make port in two days. I’ll decide which of the brothers Jones to send back before we cast off for the south.”

Liam nodded and led the way as he and his men were taken to the cells below deck.

~/~

“It should be you going before the king, not me.” Killian grumbled at his brother through the bars of the cage he’d been placed in.

They’d docked the night before, and Killian was immediately pulled from the cell where he, Liam, and the crew had been held. They forced him into a separate cage, and he and his brother could only surmise it meant he would be the one off loaded and sent back to their kingdom.

“Don’t sulk, little brother,” Liam chided. “You’re our best chance of rescue. It will be up to you to convince the king to send ships to the south to try and head off these pirates before they arrive at the markets.”

Killian nodded. Liam was right. He had to keep his emotions in check and his wits about him.

“On yer feet, ye filthy bilge rats!”

Several pirates made their way into the brig with their captain. The royal crew stood and Liam made his way in front of their assembly, taking a protective stance over his men.

“We cast off with the evening tide,” the captain announced. “Arrangements of transport have been made with a merchant ship on its way to your kingdom. Time to go.”

Killian braced himself, wondering if they meant to lift the cage and wench it over to the merchant ship with him secured inside. That pondering flitted from his mind when he heard a key being inserted into a lock and turned his head to see the cell door holding his crewmen swing open.

“Let’s go, captain.”

“No,” Liam responded with wide, panicked eyes. “You agreed to send my brother.”

“Did I?” the man questioned mockingly, tucking his thumb into his belt as he slouched against the bars. “I don’t recall making such a deal.”

“But you…” Liam’s eyes snapped to Killian, who was clinging to the bars of his cage with white knuckles. “You separated Killian from us. Put him in that cage. I thought…”

“Oh that?” the pirate shrugged. “That’s so the slave traders know he is to be put up for auction separate from the crew. As you said… an officer will fetch a much higher price.”

“Then why not take me instead!” Liam shouted desperately.

The captain smirked and crouched down next to Killian’s cage, looking him over with a gleam in his eye that made his stomach turn.

“I think your brother will appeal to the varied interests among the bidders more than you will, captain.” He reached through the bars to stroke Killian’s cheek, causing him to flinch back and slam against the bars at the farthest end of the cage.

“Don’t touch him!” Liam cried. “I demand that you release my brother back into our king’s custody!”

The pirate captain stood and grasped Liam by the lapel of his coat, wrenching him forward out of the cell. “You have no authority to make any such demands. We’ve been paid handsomely to send you back and sell off your men. Coin carries the only orders I’m willing to follow.”

Liam was shoved into the waiting hands of the pirate crew and dragged back towards the hatch steps.

“No!” he cried out. “No! Let me go! Killian!”

“Brother!” Killian shouted. “Go! Don’t fight! Leave us and return home!”

“No! Please! Release my brother and take me instead! Killi-”

Liam’s words were cut off by the slamming of the hatch door, bathing Killian and the rest of his crew in darkness.

Continued with Mine Now

Tagging the Curious Crew:

@kmomof4 @sals86 @jennjenn615 @darkcolinodonorgasm @artistic-writer @courtorderedcake @winterbaby89 @snowbellewells @heavenlyjoycastle @sunshine2632 @stahlop @resident-of-storybrooke @kday426 @cocohook38 @unworried-corsair @aprilqueen84 @tiganasummertree @therooksshiningknight @angellifedeath @ilovemesomekillianjones @ultraluckycatnd @wyntereyez @ultimiflos @superchocovian @qualitycoffeethings @facesiousbutton82 @theonceoverthinker @killian-whump, @lillpon, @gusenitsaa, @pirate-owl

#whumpetition #bad things happen bingo #jones brothers #jones brothers ff #jones brothers whump #killian jones #liam jones #international whump day #words by hollye

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kazoosandfannypacks · 1 year ago

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someday I'll be brave enough to post this whole fic

#i have it all written i just know cygnet scholar gets a bad rep for some reason #YES he's her half brother's uncle but there's literally no relation between them and simple timeline rejiggering takes away the age gap.#and also. 'our parents are sworn enemies but we're childhood friends to lovers' is SUCH A GOOD ship dynamic I'm going FERAL #once upon a time #cygnet scholar #hope swan jones #gideon gold #ouat #kazzy writes #ouat ff #fanfic #cygnet scholar fanfic #once upon a time season 7 #ouat au #once upon a time season 7 rewrite fodder #otp: maybe you need some normal friends

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aliciavance4228 · 16 hours ago

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Pausanias, Description of Greece 9. 26. 2 (trans. Jones) (Greek travelogue C2nd A.D.) :

"So when any of her brothers came in order to claim the throne from the Sphinx, she resorted to trickery in dealing with them, saying that if they were sons of Laius they should know the oracle that came to Kadmos. When they could not answer she would punish them with death, on the ground that they had no valid claim to the kingdom or to relationship. But Oidipous came because it appears he had been told the oracle in a dream."

Seneca, Oedipus 87 ff (trans. Miller) (Roman tragedy C1st A.D.) :

"[Oidipous (Oedipus) speaks :] Far from me is the crime and shame of cowardice, and my valour knows not dastard fears . . . The Sphinx, weaving her words in darkling measures, I fled not; I faced the bloody jaws of the fell prophetess and the ground white with scattered bones. And when from a lofty cliff, already hovering over her prey, she prepared her pinions and, lashing her tail like a savage lion, stirred up her threatening wrath, I asked her riddle. Thereupon came a sound of dread; her jaws crashed, and her talons, brooking no delay, eager for my vitals, tore at the rocks. The lot's intricate, guile-entangled words, the grim riddle of the winged beast, I solved.

Why too late dost thou now in madness pray for death? Thou hadst thy chance to die. This sceptre is thy meed of praise, this thy reward for the Sphinx destroyed. That dust, that cursed dust of the artful monster is warring against me still; that pest which I destroyed is now destroying Thebes. [I.e. the land is suffering from drought and pestilence and Oidipous incorrectly blames the ghost of the dead Sphinx.

Even the ancient sources described her as hideous and monstruous, and emphasized the fact that she resorted to trickery.

The Decadent Movement, a European movement that was attributed to the notion of “decadence” around the 1890s, implores the main notion of finding beauty in the decline of civilization in the form of macabre or taboo subjects such as the sphinx. The motif of the sphinx can also be connected to the motif of the “femme fatale” figure in decadent texts in which a typically female-like figure or beast seduces and murders men. The “femme fatale” is used to establish a decline or decay ranging from perversion, death, prostitution, and other taboos of Victorian society.

Excuse me, what the actual f-

The only sort of connection that I can see between the Sphinx and Femme Fatale is probably, possibly, perhaps the fact that the Femme Fatale Trope firstly appeared simultaneously with the Smart Woman one (because intelligent women are intimidating and dangerous and stuff).

What makes the Sphinx appealing, at least in my personal opinion, is the fact that she takes pride in her intellect and/or the fact that she thought herself to be the only one who could answer correctly to that famous riddle. She didn't seduce men, she asked them the same question again and again, and if they didn't answer correctly she would kill them. Also, this passage doesn’t emphasize the fact that she was eating them too; because quess what - at the end of the day she was a monster and had to eat something. When Oedipus proved himself to be wise enough to respond correctly her ego and sense of arrogance was crushed instantly and she killed herself.

Another aspect that frustrates me is the implication that she only killed men. Have you ever considered that back then women weren't allowed to be soldiers/warriors, and/or that men were the only ones who were sent to the Sphinx, and that's why most of her victims happened to be men? Pretty sure that if a woman or a child would've came to her she would've tell them the same riddle (and implicitly turn them into dinner if they answered wrong).

I thought for a very long time that maybe the fact that she had the body of a lion is enough to make people think twice before approaching her, but apparently I was wrong. Let's just associate any female monster with humanoid traits with beauty and have her dangerousness linked in her ability to seduce men. I mean, can you imagine any other weapon that a woman could use besides her sexuality? I knooooooow...

#greek mythology #the sphinx #ramblings

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gusenitsaa · 5 years ago

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Whumpetition / @badthingshappenbingo prompt #4: sadistic choice (sequel to Buried Alive)

1. I know you’re in there 2. Buried Alive 3. Ambulance Ride (All these whumplets are also in a collection on FF )

Liam sent Milah ahead of him, to prepare the back apartment and find bandages. He didn't trust any of the crew from above. Anyone who thought it wise to bring a child into the underworld was not someone Liam would assume had good judgement. He assessed the damage briefly. Killian's shoulder was dislocated badly, to start. It would need to be set but he couldn't do it on his own while Killian was unresponsive. There was so much, so much to patch up. He shook his head. Better to get Killian over his shoulders now while it couldn't hurt him then to hesitate and make him take the trek back conscious, He made it halfway back to the bar when David came jogging up, his face terse in a way that indicated bad news.

He slowed when he saw Liam, "You got him?"

"Aye." Liam nodded, not slowing. "The boy?"

David shook his head, jaw clenching. "He wasn't at the bar. He might have wandered off but-"

Liam shook his head. "This is no place for a child."

"This is no place for any of us-" David started and Liam stiffened, tightening his grip on Killian.

"Then why are you here?"

"For Emma. And..." David sighed, glancing up at Killian's limp form. "Maybe he's grown on me a little."

"You intend to take him with you?"

"That's why we're here."

"And you have no plan for getting him out of here-"

"We're doing the best we can." David retorted, his tone defensive and Liam scoffed.

"The best you can got him here in the first place, pardon me if I'm unimpressed."

Now it was David's turn to stiffen. "What the hell is your problem?"

"You can't be serious?" Liam's eyebrows went up. "My little brother was tortured then trapped in a coffin underground for a week, maybe longer. And now, Hades is going to use a child you brought here to maintain his power over all of us. That is my problem. If you were not here he could move on, not be used as currency to extradite a bunch of royals from the mess they made."

"Killian was right. You can be an ass. He didn't mention you were so self-righteous."

"He's my little brother," Liam made a little motion that might have been a shrug if he hadn't been carrying Killian over his shoulders. "I am what I need to be to keep him safe."

David was quiet a moment as they approached the bar. He paused as he reached the door, one hand on the handle but not opening it.

"She loves him too, Liam" David said after a moment. "Don't be cruel." David didn't wait for an answer before he opened the door, holding it open for Liam to carry Killian through.

Emma looked up immediately, meeting his eyes for a split second before turning her attention to Killian. Her eyes were red from crying and she looked lost. Liam carried Killian into the back apartment and Emma and David helped get him down from Liam's shoulders without jarring him.

"His shoulder needs to be set," Liam commented, "preferably before he wakes." Milah had gathered all they needed but stayed seated in a chair next to the window, her eyes distant. Liam wanted to go to her but Killian needed him now. The more they could patch him up before he woke the less agonizing it would be. "I can do it but I'll need someone to hold him-"

Emma shook her head. "Let me-" Her hand began to glow and she gently pressed it to his shoulder first then began to touch each of the wounds she could see. Bruises faded before his eyes and abrasions knitted together as she systematically found and mended all the evidence of Hades attention. Tears slipped down her face when she reached his hand, battered and bloody from trying to escape for so long. She kissed it softly when it was mended and Liam's gaze on her softened. He lifted Killian to a sitting position as she made her way to his back where the shredded leather of his jacket was a grotesque preamble to what lay beneath. Her magic left behind only pale scars, but they were light, barely noticeable next to the ones which Killian had carried for centuries.

When she was finished Liam laid Killian back on the cot, where his rest finally looked peaceful. "Should we wake him?" Liam asked cautiously.

"Let him sleep," Emma murmured. "He's been through enough. He's earned a decent night's sleep."

"I'm sorry about your son, Emma."

Emma swallowed hard. "We're going to find him. Do you think..." Emma paused swallowing again her breath shaky. "Do you think Hades is hurting him?" Liam winced. He was not prepared for this. When he told her no, though, it was the truth. "After all he did to Killian, you don't think-" her voice was hopeful, but she was watching him intently as though she could see a lie on his face.

"He's waited centuries to get his claws into my brother. Your son, he's a way to get Killian back. He won't risk that."

"Why does he want Killian to suffer like this?"

Liam glanced at the ground with a sigh. "Hades expected to get Killian years ago. Cheating death makes Hades ... ornery."

Emma nodded. She took Killian's hand in hers again for a moment then sighed. "I should get back to Regina, look for some way-"

"What about how you found Killian. I know this place, if you could describe a location perhaps, perhaps I could help."

"We tried. Hades must have figured out how we found Killian. He's blocking us now." Liam nodded then stood, making his way over to a desk, small and tidy in the corner of the room. Milah didn't look away from the window as he opened a drawer next to her and pulled out a stack of papers.

"What are they?" Emma asked.

"Maps."

"Of what?"

"Everything." Liam shuffled through them and pulled out one in particular. "There's a system of tunnels below. He has... cells there where.." Liam trailed off. "It might be a good place to start looking. But one of us will need to come with you. Only the dead can open the passage."

"I'm going." Milah said, her tone allowing no argument.

Liam raised his brow, "Perhaps you should watch over Killian, I know those tunnels-"

"I'm going," she repeated. "I'm going to help find my grandson."

Liam gaped at her for a moment, trying to work out the logic of what he'd just heard. "Your grandson-" he stammered.

Milah smiled half-heartedly. "I looked like that didn't I?" she asked Emma.

"Pretty damn close," Emma replied. "Thank you, Milah."

Milah stood, gathering up the maps. "We should go. Tonight. Now. Before Hades gets bored."

Emma nodded and stood as well glancing down at Killian's sleeping form. "If I wake him he won't be able to sleep."

"Likely not," Liam replied.

"Tell him I'm sorry, if he wakes before I return."

Liam nodded "Hurry Emma. It does not take long for Hades to get bored."

_____

Liam heard arguing from outside the apartment. Apparently some of the woman's family objected to her plan to go alone, with only Milah as backup. It was the only way, though, and how any of them thought that an entire Royal family could march through the tunnels without being noticed was nonsense.

She must have convinced them, though, because in short order the raised voices quieted replaced by low murmuring and the clinking of glasses. Apparently someone was helping themselves to his stock. The back apartment was small, the cot only big enough for one and a small chair next to his desk the only other seating. Liam laid his head down on the desk for a moment. He hadn't slept much for over a week and he just needed a moment-

The next thing he knew he was bolting upright to the sound of screaming. He drew his blade instantly, eyes darting about the room. The door from the bar slammed inwards and David led the charge, with Snow and Regina looking tousled but similarly armed a step behind him. They lowered their weapons almost instantly as Liam continued to scan for the danger.

The screaming faded to choked sobs and Liam's stomach dropped, turning from the danger he now realized was not coming to face the cot. Killian was still asleep, sobbing and trembling, curled in on himself in the cot.

"I have matches behind the bar," Liam ordered, not caring who followed the instruction. "Bring every lamp you can find." He sank next to Killian, a hand gentle on his shoulder. "Killian open your eyes. I've got you little brother, open your eyes." By the time Liam had coaxed Killian into wakefulness the room was glowing with the flickering light of a half dozen lamps.

"Liam?"

"I'm here. You're alright. I've got you."

The trembling grew worse but his cheeks flushed with shame. "I'm sorry-"

"You've nothing to apologize for." Liam rubbed Killian's back gently until the trembling abated, watching as Killian's eyes flicked from lamp to lamp.

"I could hear you. Below. When you-" Killian's voice still shook. "I think it's the only reason I did not go mad. Hearing you. Knowing that there was still something there, beyond the black. Gods, brother, I didn't think I was ever getting out of that box."

"A temporary respite," Hades voice dripped malace and Liam spun, Hades lounged against the wall, watching them with gleeful eyes. Where are your lovers, captain?"

Killian paled, his eyes darting around the room.

Liam stood, ignoring the smirk in Hades' eyes. "They had things to discuss," he lied smoothly, "and thought a walk might ease the tension."

"Pity, I should like them to have seen this."

"Seen what?" Killian retorted.

"Seen you return to your coffin of course." Everything went dark for a moment then Killian stumbled, nearly toppling back into the gaping hole Hades had dragged them to the edge of. Liam grabbed his arm, steadying him and Killian scrambled backwards, putting some distance between himself and the coffin.

"No-" Killian whispered.

"No?" Hades eyes widened as though in shock. "I expected better of you captain, when the life of a child depends on you. Are you a coward?"

"Where is Henry?" Killian asked tremulously. It made Liam sick to hear Killian like this. How many times had he begged his little brother to control his temper. Now he'd give anything to see something of the old spark in Killian's eyes.

"Henry is hanging, rather precariously I might add, over the river of lost souls. Waiting, with some anticipation to learn if he will be taking a swim tonight."

"No!"

"Oh yes. But you can save him. All you have to do..." Hades waved dismissively at the gaping hole.

"I'll go," Liam said instantly, "I'll go below in his stead. Let the boy go, leave Killian be and you can have me instead-"

"I want him," Hades hissed.

"Surely we can come up with some kind of arrangement," Liam askes, "Lord Hades, surely-"

"Not. This. Time."

Killian was trembling again, just enough that Liam could feel it when he pressed closer to him. "You'll let the boy go?" Killian asked, "If I do as you wish, you'll let him and his family return home?"

"Well aren't you clever. Now all I said is that I wouldn't throw him in the river. But ... I'm feeling generous. You return below and I let them go home. Do we have a deal?"

"How do I know I can trust you to keep your en-"

Hades' hair flared bright for a moment and a flash of anger erupted over his features only to be replaced by calmness almost immediately. "Liam. Tell your brother if I keep my deals." Liam shook his head minutely and Hades eyes narrowed. "Tell him or I will."

"He … he does, Killian." It made him sick to say it but the rage hiding behind Hades' eyes made Liam break out in a cold sweat. If he aggravated Hades now they might just end up in the river. "He keeps his deals. But-"

"I'll do it." Killian's voice came out rough and likely quite a bit quieter than he wanted.

"No," Liam tried to interrupt. Hades shot him a look and suddenly there was fabric stuffed in his mouth.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you it's rude to interrupt." Hades chastised. Killian sagged minutely as he approached the box and Liam stumbled to Killian's side, ripping the cloth from his mouth.

"You don't have to do this-" Liam whispered.

"I do." The words were barely audible, little more than a shaky breath as Killian stepped into the box. Liam's hand gripped Killian's forearm like a vice and Killian looked at him, confused and distant, as though some part of him was already gone.

"He really does," Hades pointed out in a helpful tone. "And if you don't let him do this, the child is gone. But there is one way you can help him."

Liam looked up, meeting Hades eyes and finding no comfort there.

"Close the box." Hades said with a grin. Liam's eyes widened in horror. "Close the box or no deal."

"I can't-" Liam whispered turning away from Hades to look at Killian. He looked pale and frightened and so young. Gods Killian was hundreds of years old and when Liam looked at him it was as though looking into the face of a frightened teenager, half defiance and half terror and Liam just wanted to make it stop. The top of the coffin was still on the ground, the underside streaked with rust colored stains that Liam did not want to think about.

"No," Liam begged. He spun on Hades, the practiced motion of placing himself between Killian and the enemy of little use here. "Please, take me. Lord Hades, Killin isn't the reason you-"

Hades interrupted with a laugh. "Allow me to assist you," with a flick of his fingers the top of the box was lifted to the air and settled down over the box leaving only Killian's head exposed. Killian winced visibly, his chest rising and falling in something rapidly approaching panic. "Close the box, Captain." Hades repeated, his voice suddenly low and dangerous. "The boy has only moments, and you waste them."

"I can't," Liam shook his head, kneeling next to the box, the words for Killian now as he turned his back on Hades. "Killian I can't do this, I won't-"

Killian swallowed hard, quiet a moment before he reached and took Liam's hand. "If I let any harm come to the boy when I could have stopped it," Killian said quietly. "she'd never forgive me." Liam shook his head violently.

He felt for the boy, truly, and he despised Hades for using a child as a tool like this but this was Killian. This was the boy he had raised, the boy he had tried and failed to protect so many times. The boy he'd kept safe from the terrors of the dark with oil lamps when he could manage it and with distraction when he couldn't. And now to lock Killian back in the dark again, to trap Killian in his childhood terrors that he'd only just escaped from. He remembered the way Killian had clung to him when he woke, screaming, only minutes ago. He'd told his little brother he was safe now, held him until the shaking stopped and told him he'd keep him safe now. ""Liam-" Killian's voice was unsteady but there was something in his eyes that grabbed Liam's attention and kept it. "Liam, if I let something happen to Henry I'd never forgive myself." Killian squeezed Liam's hand tightly, "And I'd rather see your face than his before I go into the dark."

"This is all very sweet," Hades commented, tone bored, "but I tire of your stalling."

Liam squeezed Killian's hand once more and then rocked back, his hands trembling on the lid of the coffin. There was fear in Killian's eyes, but it wasn't just the darkness that scared him. There was a desperation that matched his own. Killian felt responsible for the boy, this Henry. The boy who was not his blood but who put a look on Killian's face that Liam had only ever seen in a mirror.

"I'll find a way," Liam whispered, "I won't abandon you here."

"I know." the look Killian offered him was not quite a smile, but it was an attempt.

The top of the coffin slid into place with a dull thud and Liam lowered his hands stiffly to his sides as he turned to face Hades.

"The boy?"

"Will be returned to his mother by morning. So long as Killian remains in his final resting place they will be permitted to leave this place but Captain?"

Liam looked up, trying to mask the hatred in his eyes.

"If that coffin opens so much as a crack, I will know. And if you try to free him once the boy is gone, it will be the river instead. For both of you."

Liam nodded, a mask of obedience centuries in the making slipping over his features to hide the rage. Hades vanished and Liam sank back down to his knees next to the coffin. It was quiet.

What if Killian had changed his mind? What if he was crying out for help. What if it was too much.

What if this broke him?

He wanted to fling the top open, wanted to pull Killian free. Liam rested his head against the wood.

"Stay strong, little brother," Liam murmured. "You're not alone."

_____

As it turns out I’m STILL bad at fixing. Tagging the ‘competitors’ @nothingimpossibleonlyimprobable @pirate-owl @icecubelotr44@hollyethecurious and the peanut gallery @killian-whump @cocohook38

If you’d like to be added or removed from the tag list aka the peanut gallery! let me know

#whumpetition #sadistic choice #jones brothers #jones brothers ff #captain swan #though not the central focus on this one #captain cobra #a dash of #captain charming #all my favorite things #Finally moved this from ff #lol

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wistfulcynic · 3 years ago

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till we be dead ourselves

I saw a thing today that made me a bit cross and reminded me of how unsatisfying I've always found the Brothers Jones reunion in the underworld. This is the result. It's not anti-Liam but it does change him quite a lot from canon, so if that's not your jam you may want to skip this one.

Basically, this is the Brothers Jones I would have liked to see.

Also, at least part of the inspiration came from chatting with @thesschesthair and @winterbythesea about alternative POVs on our OTP. So here, guys, have a Liam. Beware, there are feels.

SUMMARY: Liam Jones has been waiting for his brother for three hundred years. When he finally arrives, he's not as Liam remembers. Some not-typical or particularly respectful of canon Brothers-Jones-in-the-underworld feels, plus a dash of Captain Swan.

words: 2025 rating: T tags: not canon compliant, underworld AU, brothers jones. Major characters are already dead.

on AO3

till we be dead ourselves:

He’s been waiting a long time for this. Three hundred years.

Well, two hundred ninety-three years and eighty-six days, to be precise. He knows because he looked it up. He had to. It’s not easy keeping track of time here; some seconds tick so slowly they’re torture while years can pass in the blink of an eye.

Years, such as they are. There aren’t really years in this place, or truly ‘time’ at all. There’s not really anything. This is nothingness, a void, a repository for whatever souls are made of, and different to each one. They’re trapped here, these souls, until they finish whatever business still remains for them, and over the centuries he’s seen so many come and go—some sorrowfully confused by what they need to do, others firmly certain.

As for Liam Jones, he’s always known why he’s here. His unfinished business is Killian.

On the day Killian arrives Liam can barely contain his excitement. Not just because he may finally be free of this place but because he longs to see his little brother again. He’s missed Killian, and also he’s keen to know what the devil took him so long. How is it possible that his brother’s life stretched on for over three hundred years?

He walks quickly through the town—an odd little town, unlike any he encountered while alive. His afterlife has manifested it for only a few years. Before that it was ships and ports and then it was jungle. Ships and jungle, jungle and ships for so very, very long. He’s come to realise that his afterlife reflects what his brother does Above, though what precisely that consisted of he is not privileged to know. He’s hoping Killian will tell him.

He knocks on the door of a large, blue house and waits, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet. When it opens he turns with a smile that freezes on his face.

The man framed in the doorway is his brother, unmistakably him, yet Liam finds he’s not prepared for how much Killian has changed. He feels foolish for being taken so by surprise; of course Killian is not what he remembers. He’s not still the eager young lieutenant he was when Liam died, obviously not. He couldn’t be.

But the man before him is… hard. Jaw set and eyes cold, with an aura of both danger and command. A man not to be trifled with. His face is still youngish—mid-thirties, perhaps—but his eyes are ancient. Tired and bitter and heavy with the weight of ages, and abruptly Liam feels very, very young.

“K-killian?” he ventures.

Killian’s brow wrinkles in confusion that lasts an uncomfortable beat or two, and then it clears. His eyes widen. “Liam,” he breathes. “Is it really you?”

“It’s me, brother.” Liam attempts a smile again. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

“Bloody hell.”

Killian pulls him into a hug which he returns warmly, though the sound of curse words on his brother’s lips has stunned him. He smells of leather, and of the sea. And rum. Liam blinks through a fresh wave of astonishment. Killian has been drinking. Drinking rum.

Killian pulls back from the hug but keeps his hand on Liam’s shoulder. His eyes are crinkled by a smile that Liam can’t help noticing barely touches the depth of sadness in them. “It’s good to see you, brother,” he says.

“You’ve changed,” Liam blurts, then curses his impulsive tongue when the smile fades from his brother’s face.

“Aye,” Killian says. “It’s been some time.”

“Three hundred years, give or take,” Liam agrees. “How? How was it that long?”

“Perhaps you’d better come in, Liam,” Killian says. He steps back and holds the door. “We’ve rather a lot to discuss.”

Liam spends that first night in his brother’s house. Killian seems at a bit of a loss for what to do with himself in all the space and curiously reluctant to speak of why his afterlife has manifested such a dwelling just for him. Of course the dead don’t truly sleep, but Liam passes the night deep in thought, still in shock over what he’s learned about life his brother led.

Killian is Captain Hook. A pirate. A man whose name Liam has heard in hushed whispers on the lips of many a soul who’s passed through this place. None of those whispers spoke of anything good.

He cannot reconcile his little brother, even three hundred years of bitter loss and violent struggle later, as the cruel and vengeful villain of those tales. He cannot. It’s simply not possible.

“Much of what they recounted was likely exaggerated,” Killian said wryly, “or hearsay. But I’ve done much I’m not proud of, Liam. I killed men without a second thought. I plundered lands across the realms. I have not led a good life.”

“Then why are you here?” Liam demanded. “If you were as bad as all that, you wouldn’t end up in limbo.”

“Perhaps I may have done enough in the past few years to warrant a chance at redemption,” Killian reflected. “I suppose we’ll see.”

“And do you know what your unfinished business is?”

Killian swallowed visibly, then nodded. “I believe I do.”

Over the next week Liam keeps an eye on his brother. It’s not that he’s concerned—well, yes, it is that he’s concerned. There’s a restless energy to Killian that makes Liam uneasy, worried that he might do something rash. So he watches, from a distance, as Killian sets about finishing his business. He watches his brother seek out many of the men who bore the tales about him, those who still remain at least. He sees the fear in those men’s faces, and the anger. Sometimes he hears their voices, raised and vicious. It pains him to witness these things—not least the shame on Killian’s face—but he forces himself not to interfere.

His brother is not a man to be trifled with.

One day he observes Killian deep in conversation with a woman, dark-haired and statuesque. They stand close together in the manner of those who’ve shared a deep intimacy, and even from a distance he can see that they are crying. Killian pulls the woman into his arms where she weeps into his shoulder, and before they part he presses his lips to hers.

It’s farewell.

With every interaction Killian’s burden lessens, though he remains weighed down by things Liam can barely fathom. Each night they meet at the blue house, where they sit together and talk. They have three hundred years of catching up to do. As they talk Killian drinks, and Liam has begun to as well. He senses his brother could use company in more than conversation, and it’s not like alcohol can harm the dead. It doesn’t do them much good either, but the phantom rum seems to soothe Killian, and loosen his tongue.

Though not enough, Liam comes to realise, for Killian to speak of why he’s really here.

Her arrival sparks an uproar such as Liam has never experienced, even in all the time he’s passed in this place. She shouldn’t be here. She can’t be here. It’s not possible.

Yet here she is.

Word of it spreads like wildfire; Liam is polishing glasses at the bar where he inexplicably works when it reaches his ears.

“They say she’s alive,” says one of the regulars, in hushed tones. “Alive, and here.”

“That’s impossible,” Liam scoffs. “None of the living can come here. And even if they could why would they want to?”

“She’s here to rescue someone,” the regular replies. “Her true love. That makes it possible, or so they say.”

“And the man died in sacrifice,” another adds. “Huge sacrifice, before his time.”

Before his time, Liam thinks. That should rule Killian out. Yet he can’t shake this feeling, this creeping suspicion born of Killian’s refusal to discuss how he died, or how he lived these past few years. There’s a reason this town is his afterlife, and Liam’s too. There’s a reason he’s alone in that big house.

He sets the glass down, and the rag. “I have to go,” he says.

It couldn’t be more obvious that the woman doesn’t belong. She’s visibly, ostentatiously alive, so full of life she glows. It draws the souls—ghoulishly, Liam thinks—but none dare approach too closely. The woman looks as though if anyone could kill a soul that’s already dead, it’s her.

She heads down Main Street and Liam follows. Past the diner and the library, around the corner and up the street where Killian lives. A tight knot forms in Liam’s chest as she walks up to the blue house then stops, with her hand on the gate.

The door flies open and Killian appears on the porch. He stares at the woman, who offers him a smile that strikes Liam as far too tremulous for her take-no-prisoners demeanour.

“Swan,” Killian chokes. His voice sounds broken. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to save you,” the woman replies. She opens the gate and takes a few steps forward. Killian stumbles off the porch to close the distance between them.

“You shouldn’t have come,” he says. “You shouldn’t be here, not here. Not you.”

“I had to, Killian!” She looks up at him imploringly. “You shouldn’t have died like that. You shouldn’t have had to make that choice.”

She takes his hand and laces their fingers tighter. Killian’s breath catches. “Come back with me, Killian. Come home.”

“I can’t,” he whispers.

“You can. I know a way.” Her voice drops as she steps closer, but Liam can still hear her words. “Don’t try to make me live the rest of my life without you, Killian Jones,” she says. “I won’t do it.”

“Swan—”

“I won’t do it,” she repeats. “I love you.”

Liam can see the moment Killian breaks. He snatches the woman into his arms, holds her tightly as she clings to him and magic twines palpably around them. This is not what he had with the brunette, Liam realises. That was love, yes, and intimacy. It was grief, deep and terrible but of a normal sort.

This is agony. This is two souls that should never have been parted and the connection that still binds them, so powerful it can draw a living woman into the land of the dead.

No wonder Killian couldn’t speak of her, Liam thinks, or of the circumstances of his death. The pain must have been too great.

Liam’s been dead so long he’s forgotten how sensitive a subject it can be.

The man died in sacrifice, he recalls. Huge sacrifice, before his time.

He died for her. And now she’s here to bring him back.

“This feels too soon,” Killian says, as he hugs Liam tight. “I only just found you again.” He pulls back and gives his brother a shrewd look. “And I sense that when I’m here again, you no longer will be.”

“No,” Liam agrees. His business is finished now. And Killian’s not coming back, not to this place. Not if Emma Swan has anything to say about it. The next time Killian Jones dies it will be with his life’s purpose fully met.

He’s glad they had this time, though, and not just because he needed it to move on. He’s glad he got to know his brother as a man, a flawed and troubled one, yes, but one who has goodness at his core and is finally where he needs to be. It only took three hundred years for him to get there.

He’s also glad Killian is still shorter than he is, for all that Liam appears ten years younger than his brother now. He’s glad because he can still wrap his arm around Killian’s neck and ruffle his hair. He does so now, though Killian’s indignant “Oi!” of protest twists his heart. He sounds so like his younger self, that boy Liam spent centuries waiting for and will never see again.

“I love you, little brother,” he whispers.

Killian swallows hard, and nods. “I love you too.”

#cs ff #cs ff au #underworld au #brothers jones #not canon compliant #or especially respectful of it #alternative version of Liam #killian pretty much as is #here there be feels #my own version of the underworld #not quite a ficlet #till we be dead ourselves #profdanglaisstuff

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killiansprincss · 3 years ago

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Two Victims of Bad Form

Okay so this fic is inspired by this post I made last week and it blew up and I had a few requests to write it, so here it is!! I really hope you enjoy it!!

link to A03

Tagging: @the-darkdragonfly @elizabeethan @superchocovian @lostintheskyfaraway @pirateprincessofpizza

_____

Liam Jones was used to The Underworld. He hadn’t yet had a run in with Hades and it wasn’t too bad of an afterlife. He didn’t try to keep track of his time here, it was a waste. While he did wonder when he would see his brother again, he only wished he was living a long and happy life.

Liam does wonder what he is up to and what happened when they returned to their home kingdom. Killian was Captain of the Navy now, would he go in front of the King and reveal the true nature of that awful plant, and become a hero?

But had he also found happiness? As a navymen Liam can’t lie and say the female sex didn’t find ways to converse with them and Killian would often become flustered, not knowing the correct and best way to talk to them, as a men of the King there were expectations. But he had hoped there was a special female who he had found happiness with.

But his life-or-afterlife was pretty good. It wasn't great at first though. Accepting the fact you are dead was not something Liam was able to accept straight away, he kept playing his last moments over and over again, and wishing he could go back and stop himself from scratching the dreamshade on his arm. It was a foolish and rash decision which every day he regrets. He fell victim to bad form quickly. The Underworld was a strange town but the wide variety of alcohol was one thing he liked.

There was a bar that Liam would go to every day and the Rum was far spicier than the one he had become accustomed to in the Enchanted Forest, and it was stronger too. Apparently being dead knocks out your tolerance for alcohol. He was a mess. He grieved for his own life, all the things he planned to do and see, and he grieved for his little brother and how now he was all alone.

The owner of the bar, Alaric, was a former King of a long forgotten kingdom. He wasn’t the kindest or most understanding King in his former life, so in the Underworld Alaric devoted his time to helping others, and he helped Liam come to terms with the fact that while he was dead, it was not the worst thing in the world.

“If your mother is here, her gravestone will be up. If she’s in a better place it will have fallen, but a crack will appear if that is not the case.” Those were the last words Alaric said to Liam before he found peace.It was the one thing Liam wanted to know.

Finding out his mother’s fate was a high priority for Liam, he hoped she were in a better place and they would be reunited once Killian arrived in years to come. He hoped she could be proud of her two boys. He doesn’t know what he would do if she were in a worse place.

And there it was. A grave marked “Alice Jones”

Liam smiles. It had fallen over. She was in a better place.

Knowing his mother was in a better place, at peace likely, was all Liam needed to get on with his life in the afterlife.

Alaric was the first person Liam felt like he could speak to and open up to. And it felt good. He wanted to do the same for other people.

So Liam takes over and starts working at the Bar, working his way through the ranks until he eventually becomes manager and owner, well nobody is really an owner of any property in the Underworld, but in every sense the bar was his. He becomes to other people what Alaric was to him. Letting them grieve and come to terms with their own passing and potentially their unfinished business.

Every day he’s at the bar, he hopes his little brother will walk through the doors and they can be together again. Deal with their unfinished business and find peace together. But every day he doesn’t. And as much as it hurts not seeing him, it’s a good thing.

Every day Killian doesn’t walk through his doors is another day he is on Earth living his life. Maybe he's married to a Princess and is the greatest Captain the Royal Navy has seen in centuries. Just maybe.

These dreams keep Liam positive, until one day.

________

It started out like any normal day in the Underworld, Liam would wake, go for a morning run before his shift at the bar. It wasn’t too busy, a few regulars who would sit quietly on the other side to where he was working. Until a woman came in who he hadn’t seen before. She was beautiful, with strong bone structure and dark curls that accentuated her face. But she didn’t look in the best state. A new arrival to the Underworld Liam guesses, he’s seen that scared face all too many times.

“I need something strong.” is all she says as she sits on the bar stool to steady herself.

Liam nods as he reaches around for the strongest whiskey they stock and pours it into a frosted glass. This was a much nicer way of serving alcohol, he assumed this was how royals drank, vastly different to the dirty taverns he and Killian drank in.

“How did I end up here?” She sighs as she takes the glass in her hands.

“Well, this is the Underworld, therefore I’d say to end up here means you died. Sorry to be the one to break the news.” Liam says with a sarcastic smile.

She looks up from her glass, clearly not amused by the sarcasm, and Liam can see the pain in her green eyes. “It gets easier, I promise you that.”

“I was murdered.” She finally says. “How am I expected to feel better?”

It was an unfortunate fact that a lot of people ended up in the Underworld due to falling victim to murder.

“Well, I died because of my own stubbornness, left behind my little brother who is all on his own. It takes time to accept these facts, not saying it gets easier right away but you’ll get there in time.”

“I left my son behind with his horrible father. I am a horrible person.” She admits. “It wasn’t meant to be like this. I was going back for him and we would’ve been a family.”

Liam doesn’t say anything else, so he pours her another shot of whiskey and lets her sit there until she eventually leaves. This was her journey and Liam didn’t want to probe into open wounds. And if anyone knew anything about being left with a horrible father it was Liam. He hoped the poor lad ended up on a better path.

But the next day she comes back. “So that whiskey was really good yesterday. Got anything else?”

Liam smiles as he grabs the spicy rum he’s grown accustomed to drinking on days where he needs to drown his sorrows. “My bar is always here if you need a drink or a chat. Names Liam.”

The dark haired beauty takes the glass from Liam and takes a sip, “Milah. Have we met before? You look awfully familiar.”

Liam studies Milah for a second, her green eyes and dark curls don’t ring a bell, and he was normally good with faces. “Can’t say that I have, unless you’ve been dead longer than you think.”

Milah comes in almost every day for a few weeks before she starts to open up. Liam doesn’t pry, he serves her a drink while she ponders her afterlife.

“My ex husband killed me.” She tells Liam one day. Liam didn’t try to force her to say anything which she appreciates, so she doesn’t mind telling him her story.

Of all the things Milah could’ve said about her murderer, Liam was not expecting that. “I’m sorry to hear that. Do you mind me asking why?”

Milah takes another sip before saying, “I ran away. To be with my lover. He was angry that I left my son behind, but he was just a boy and the high seas are dangerous. I was going to come back for him when he was older. After I ran, my ex husband got hungry for power and revenge so he found a way to become the Dark One, and sure enough he got his revenge on me. Rumple ripped out my heart and called me a bad mother, which I hate to admit he was right.”

“I don’t think you were a bad mother.” Liam tells her. “Sure you could have handled your situation differently, but it sounds like you never forgot about your son and the fact you wanted to go back for him speaks volumes. You mention the high seas, was your lover in the Navy?”

Milah laughs. “Oh no, far from it actually. He was a Pirate Captain and I guess I was also a Pirate. We weren’t bad people, I assure you that, but Baelfire was far too young to understand anything.”

Liam gives her a disapproving look which Milah catches. “Don’t look at me like that. We both ended up in the same place. Don't tell me you were in the Navy.”

Liam just nods. “Naval Captain. Died on a mission the King sent us on. My little brother tried to save me but it was poison and it went straight to my heart.”

“Well I’ll cheers to that.” Milah says, raising her glass.

A few days later Milah is telling her story again, and giving more details about how bad her life was at home with her husband. “He took my choice away from me to have a second child. Baelfire was sick, and he was too much of a coward to steal the medicine to save his life. Rumple made a deal instead that this man would take our second born in exchange, so I could never have a second child.”

“You’ll get to face him again one day, when he arrives down here and you can tell him what a coward he was.” Liam felt horrible for Milah, she was a victim of another man's bad form and it ruined her life and led to her destruction.

“One can only hope. Anyway, it was that night I met Killian and everything changed.”

Liam freezes, he hadn’t heard that name come out of another mouth since he died. Milah notices, “are you okay?”

“Sorry. Killian was my little brother's name, I haven't heard it since, and it brought back memories. Sorry, continue with your story.”

“So he tells me he’s a Pirate, and he’s captain of the fastest ship in all the realm and he can take me anywhere I wish.”

Killian. It’s a common name surely. Fastest Ship in all the realm, Liam is sure a lot of Pirates say this. But just to be sure. “What was his name? Captain who? We came across Pirates in my Naval days, I’d be interested to know who he is.”

“Jones. Captain Killian Jones.”

Liam freezes and his vision suddenly becomes blurry.

No. It couldn’t be. His little brother, his trusted Lieutenant, a Pirate. No, not just a Pirate, but apparently the most ‘fearsome in the land.’ “I believe you’re talking about my little brother. Only when I died he was Lieutenant Jones of the King's Royal Navy.”

Milah’s eyes widened, “That’s why you look so familiar, you have his eyes.” Tears began to form thinking about what she had heard and what Killian had mentioned about his brother. “Something called Nightshade, it poisoned you, but the King wanted it for his army. Killed you as soon as you left the Island.”

Liam smiles, Killian had told someone about him. “The poison was called Dreamshade. I didn’t want to bore you with details of my death but I guess it relates. We didn’t know that it was a poison, and assumed it was a simple herb or plant used to heal our warriors. It was a strange island, there was this boy no older than 15, he told us it was deadly. Course I didn’t believe the kid so I cut myself with the plant. One thing led to another and I died because the water I drank which healed it wore off as soon as we were back in the Enchanted Forest.”

“I’m so sorry Liam. Killian spoke of his brother, of you. I didn’t put two and two together.” She felt horrible that she had been speaking about Killian not knowing his blood and flesh was right in front of her.

“Don’t worry about it, I’m not angry at you-how were you to know. I’m a little disappointed in my brother though, as soon as he became a Navy Man he stopped drinking and always believed in good form, Pirates were the epitome of bad form.”

Milah shakes her head. “No stop that. You don’t know what your death did to him. He told me the reason he became a pirate is because how could a King send his best men on a mission that had such dark consequences, he would never serve under the rule of such a cruel man. He would not let you become a victim of the King, he didn’t want the man who sent him there to die and speak crap about what a fine captain he was and what a tragic accident it was.”

“So you’re saying he became a Pirate because of me?” Liam was having a hard time understanding how the most noble man he knew would live a life like that when they had worked so hard for their position.

“I met Killian only a few years ago, and by then he had made a name for himself in the lands. But once I got to know him, I understood he was a broken man who drank away his sorrows. He mentioned you to me but he mainly buried what happened to you inside, bottling up his emotions so he seemed hard-faced and scary to others. But not to me.” She explains. “He idolizes you, always believing you were the best man he ever knew and how could he ever live up to that. But it was the anger over what happened to you which forced him into the situation he was in, he made a statement as the King had to scramble to find a new Navy and a new ship.”

Liam smiles at the thoughts of their so-called great King realising his navy men were now a band of Pirates and convincing the people it was fine and explaining to trade leaders why he needed a new ship and a brand new legion. “Our terrible King paid a dear price for his wicked plans, I guess it’s what they call karma.”

“We were happy, Killian and I. He was happy, his men commented they hadn’t seen him like that since you died.” Milah tells Liam. That’s all she would want to know about Bae, if he was happy.

“I’m glad he was able to move on and find love. And I’m just sad it didn’t last.”

“He will be happy again. It’ll take time but I’m sure he can find what he has with me with someone else.” Milah wasn’t cruel, she wants Killian to find love again someday with someone special- he doesn’t deserve to be alone forever.

______

While Milah stops coming to the bar every day, they still keep in touch and give each other updates if someone new arrives who knows Killian.

“Captain Liam. What a sight for sore eyes you are!” Miller, a former crewmate of Liam and Killian arrives one day, explains he was killed by someone called a Lost Boy, another Pirate. “Your brother is a fine captain, Hook may be a Pirate but you’d be proud of him.”

“Hook?” Liam asks.

Miller looks confused for a second before realising, “Oh I forgot he got the hook after you died!”

Turns out the Dark One cut off Killian’s hand and in Pirate fashion he replaced it with a hook, so now he’s ‘Captain Hook.’ Well at least he now knew to listen out for Captain Hook when new arrivals came.

And sure enough this worked out, though he wasn’t fond of some of the stories he heard.

“Did you hear there will be a curse?” Milah says to Liam one day.

Liam shakes his head, he doesn't like to hear too much of what is going on up there, he’s only interested in his brother.

“There’s an evil witch or someone who is planning on cursing everyone in the Enchanted Forest and placing them in her own personal hell.” Milah explains, she leaves out the rumours her ex husband is involved. “They say they will be frozen in time for 28 years until a saviour comes.”

“28 years? That means-“

Milah finishes his thoughts, “28 years frozen in time means nobody comes down here and we are in the dark about Killian.”

Liam sighs, it had been a few hundred years in the world upstairs, and they had learnt Killian was in Neverland, a place where nobody ages. But they had learnt so much about him and were hoping to find out more, but this curse was a setback.

_____

They know the curse has broken when people start entering the Underworld. Also turns out the town where the curse put them was based off the Underworld.

At first they don’t hear much about Killian, or “Hook”. Until one day.

“They took the Saviour’s son. Hook lent his ship to the Hero’s, they’re going after them.”

Not too long after, a face Liam would recognise anywhere shows up. The boy who led them to the dreamshade. And he is joined by the Dark One himself.

“I’m not ready to face him.” Milah tells Liam.

“It’s okay, he’s the only one who knows about my brother. I shall keep your name out of it.”

“Well if it isn’t the one handed Pirate’s brother.” The Dark One says when he enters the pawn shop, which he apparently owns in the cursed land. He’d never met the man before, but supposedly he was all knowing.

“You’re the only person who can tell me about my brother. Please I mean no threat.” It wasn’t his place to defend Milah, he also did not wish to anger the Dark One.

The Dark One sighs. “I met your brother when he was a Pirate and I was a man with no power. He beat me in a duel when I was still powerless, so it was an unfair advantage. Many years later we met again and I cut off his hand as I thought that’s where a magic bean was but alas he tricked me. The Pirate hid in Neverland for a couple hundred years to get revenge. But I will say your brother has changed while in Storybrooke, he’s in love with the Saviour who hasn’t quite admitted she feels the same just yet. But he’s changed his tune, he may be a Pirate but he’s working on being a hero.”

Liam smiles, his little brother has found love? And a hero. This woman he was in love with- a saviour, the one who was destined to break the curse? Not admitting her feelings for him, sounds like the perfect match for the ‘womaniser’ that he had rumoured to be.

“He’s on the side of the heros.” He tells Milah that night at the bar when she was sure she was not going to run into her ex.

“You’re not serious?” Milah couldn’t believe it, Killian was working on the good side?

“Dark one confirmed it himself. He also, um,” Liam begins to tell her about how he found love, but isn’t sure how she would take to it.

“What? What is it” Milah can tell he’s hesitating, not wanting to tell her something, wait. “He’s found someone-hasn't he?”

Liam nods.

Milah lets out a soft laugh, “It’s okay that he found love again. I’m not so daft to wait 500 years for him to return. Killian is not my unfinished business, my son is. Tell me about the woman he’s found.”

___

And so Liam wonders about this woman his little brother had fallen in love with. He imagines she’s strong and feisty, like he remembers his mother was, and doesn’t put up with his brother's cockiness he inherited from their father.

Killian was always destined for great things and it sounds like he is finally on the path for this greatness. He tries to listen out for little things here and there when new people start arriving, but he wants to hear it himself when he eventually does see his brother again. Although he hopes it won’t be for a very long time, he wants to hear how his brother fell in love and started a family, giving his kids a better childhood than the two of them had.

But unfortunately one day, sooner than expected, he does overhear

“Captain Hook is here.”

He arrives at the blue house by the water, it’s grand and beautiful. Knocking at the door was the hardest thing he ever had to do, but a blonde woman dressed in white opens the door, this must be the saviour.

He doesn’t know what he will say to her, does he say thank you for being the woman his brother needs? Or does he just introduce himself and hope Killian isn’t too far away.

“Hi can I-“ she begins, but that’s when he sees him standing behind her,

“Killian!” 300 years of waiting, looking a lot older and dressed in modern black leather, his little brother was finally here.

#Liam jones #killian jones #jones brothers #ouat ff #fanfic #my writing

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kmomof4 · 2 years ago

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This chapter KILLED me!!!!

Can’t WAIT for more!!!!

Like Slow Spinning Redemption Chapter Four

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Catch Up Here: 01 02 03

Liam moved through several rooms, shuffling papers and opening doors. He had walked into a couple of rooms where one of the others was also searching, and so he couldn’t move outside to destroy the pages yet. The only person he hadn’t met was Emma, but he knew that she had stalked off into a completely different area of the manse so as to avoid everyone else. He smiled slightly at Henry, which Henry returned as he moved into a new location. Liam watched Henry leave, and then he listened for the sounds of any of the others.

Hearing nothing, Liam decided that this was the best time to finish what he had started. He moved to the window facing the back yard, and noted how close he was to a door that led to the yard. Looking around him once more to check that he was alone, Liam slunk off towards the exit that led outside. He moved as quickly as he could without making much noise. He didn’t want to draw any attention to himself. He opened the door as quietly as he could and closed it without pulling the latch; he didn’t need the door to make any extra noise. He didn’t know how much time he had, so he crossed over to the well quickly, stopping at the edge and pulling the pages out of his pocket.

Hades hadn’t left any specific instructions on how exactly to destroy them, but he did say that all the waterways led back to him. Liam decided that the best way was to follow Hades’ orders was to throw them into the nearest waterways. Remembering the well he had spied as he came into the mansion, he supposed that he could throw them in there and that would be enough. Moving fast, he managed to avoid everyone else searching and got to the well without anyone seeing him. He quickly took the pages out of his jacket and let them fall into the well. He watched them fall into the water and sink to the bottom almost immediately upon touching the water. It was done. He was free, finally free at last, of his secret’s hold on him. This was it, the whole reason he was still in purgatory. He could finally move on from this place. The regret at betraying his brother was outweighed by his singular relief at getting away with keeping his treachery a secret. He sighed as a weight lifted off his shoulders.

—————

After the altercation with Liam earlier in the day and her quasi-argument with Killian about whether Liam was hiding something, the last thing Emma felt like doing was searching for the missing pages. She actually felt more like hitting something (or someone, or possibly even multiple someones), an emotion which was apparent in the way she threw open doors and slammed them shut, roughly yanked open drawers and caused their contents to rattle, only to throw them shut in the same aggravated movement. Without Killian around her to see, she let her emotions reign as she stomped around, on her face a screwed up scowl, and she didn’t linger in any place for long.

She knew that Liam was wrong in his assessment of his brother’s perceived lack of heroism, just as he was wrong in his villainized judgment of her. She just didn’t know how to get Liam to see that there was more to Killian than that supposed “darkness” and view his younger brother for the hero that Emma knew him to be (and she also didn’t know how to get Killian to see that same fact for himself, only she was beginning to suspect that somehow Liam, himself, had to be the key to that’s endeavor). She couldn’t care less whether Liam Jones’ opinion ever changed of her; she just wanted to change his opinion of Killian (and of Killian concerning himself).

She wandered into another sitting room and paced through the length of it, scanning absentmindedly for any sign of the torn pages of Henry’s storybook, Underworld Edition, when she caught a movement out of the corner of her eye. She stopped and turned her head back to where she had caught it and realized she was seeing through a window into a yard just beside the house. She stepped closer to the window, her brow furrowed in confusion and suspicion as she realized she was looking at Liam. His back was to her; she couldn’t see what it was he was doing, but why would he be out in the yard when he had sworn he wouldn’t stop looking until they were successful in locating the lost pages?”

Making a split-second decision, she hastily left the room and made a beeline for the nearest exit that would get her to that yard and into yet another confrontation with Killian’s older brother. Her inner lie detector had been going off ever since their first conversation, and she was going to find out why it was alerting her to something being off with Liam. She owed it to Killian to investigate his brother’s shady actions, even if he wouldn’t appreciate her for it.

————-

Liam rubbed his hands together, watching as the pages floated down into the well and disappeared into the water, wishing that the ink hadn’t stained his hands so badly, and he heaved another sigh of relief. He hadn’t realized how tense he had been since seeing his brother once more. But all would be well. He would not have to answer Killian about what he had done, and Killian would never find out about his mistakes. He would remain a hero in his little brother’s eyes. They could move on from this place together. He would finally have his brother back.

He was just about to turn to find a place to wash his hands of the ink that had stained them when he heard Emma’s voice.

“I thought you were inside looking for the missing pages,” she called. Liam whirled around to face her, balling his hands into fists so as to hide the stains and stuffing his hands into his jacket pockets as he did so in order to further conceal his treachery.

“Emma,” Liam replied, a bit breathlessly. “I thought a bit of fresh air and a change of scenery would get the inspiration flowing.”

Emma didn’t respond. She just smiled slightly, preparing to lay her trap though Liam didn’t know it. “Find anything?”

Liam shook his head minutely. “I’m afraid a ship’s captain can only be cooped up for so long. I had to come out and get some air. What brings you out here?”

Emma wondered if Liam realized how hollow his words sounded to her ears, how tinny they were with his lies, but, of course, he didn’t know about her super power. She walked closer to Liam so that he could get a good look about what she was going to show him. She hoped that the way to breach Liam’s lies was to use Killian to do it.

“I wanted to show you this,” Emma responded, pulling the chain out from under her shirt that had the ring Killian had given her in Camelot. She held the ring out as far as it would go to Liam to allow him to see what it was she beheld.

Liam leaned in a bit to look closer. “Oh. It’s the ring I gave Killian. I noticed he wasn’t wearing it.”

Emma smiled softly and played with the ring in her fingers. “Because he gave it to me,” she confirmed. “And you know what he told me when he did?” She paused and waited for Liam to shake his head before continuing. “That it belonged to a much better man than him. You’re his hero. He doesn’t think you can do any wrong…”

Liam squirmed uncomfortably, moving to scratch behind his ear in the same mannerism Killian had when he was uncomfortable. “Yes, well…” Liam tried to respond before falling silent, not knowing how to respond.

“Which is why,” Emma continued with no great concern about Liam’s feelings, “I can’t figure out why you would lie to him.” Emma stopped speaking and stared at Liam, a serious expression on her face.

Liam stared back, struck speechless by how blatantly she had called him out. Emma could tell he didn’t know what to say. He stared at her a moment before looking at the ground out of shame, and in that action Emma knew she had him. She just didn’t know what the lie was.

Before Liam could stammer out a reply, Killian joined them outside. “Liam? Emma? What’s going on?” he called out as he joined the two by the well. Killian looked between his brother and his lover, trying to puzzle out the tense air between the two people he loved most.

Liam looked to Killian and then Emma. Emma seemed as if she was content to let silence ring, so Liam responded to Killian’s question. He swallowed before saying, “She thinks I lied to you.”

“What?” Killian said under his breath, not sure if he had heard Liam right. He instinctively looked to Emma.

Emma nodded once to Liam. “He took the pages. I can prove it. Ask him to show you his hands. He’s been hiding them from me since I got here.”

Liam’s heart stopped, but he knew a way out of this trap. “Look,” he shrugged, “if it would help to clear things up, I’d be happy to.”

Emma shot him a look of challenging disbelief, but before she could accept his proposal, Killian spoke up.

“That won’t be necessary,” Killian said as he shook his head in exasperation. “I don’t need proof to know what’s really going on here. Emma, when are you gonna admit that this isn’t really about my brother?”

Emma looked taken aback, Liam noticed. Hadn’t the thought occurred to her that Killian would automatically assume that? It seemed Emma didn’t know Killian as well as she thought, Liam smugly thought to himself.

“What else would you think it’s about?” She asked slowly, confused about why Killian was questioning her motives.

Killian gestured between him and Emma with his hook. “Us,” Killian said plaintively. “You think if you can prove that Liam is a villain, then I’ll somehow feel like I was less of one. That you can convince me I’m worth saving and that we’ve got a future together.”

Liam glanced between his brother and his brother’s lover, wondering if she caught the same rough edge to Killian’s voice at that last bit that Liam had. Liam felt a surge of guilt go through his stomach at the thought that Killian’s hopes were being dashed, but Liam knew that it was for the best.

Killian walked closer to Emma, almost unconsciously, Liam noted. It seemed to him that Killian couldn’t break himself away from her no matter how much he said he wanted to. It suddenly struck Liam that he wasn’t the only one lying in this yard. In fact, Liam wondered if the only one of them telling the truth at this moment was Emma. He wondered if she were the only one who could possibly tell the truth now, as caught up in his mistakes as he was and as disappointed in himself as Killian was.

Emma’s face turned down and sadness peppered her voice. “You agree with him?” she whispered, and Liam’s heart lifted that their scrutiny seemed to be off of him and onto each other. Selfishly, he had no thought for Killian’s discomfort.

Killian shrugged. “Why bring me back if I should just love on? After we defeat Hades, I won’t be returning with you. My fate isn’t in Storybrooke. It should be determined here.” Killian’s eyes kept shifting back and forth from her eyes to the roofline of the house. He couldn’t look her in the eyes as he said his words.

Liam saw how much it hurt Killian to deny Emma the one thing that she wanted most. He wondered if she knew Killian was lying as well as Liam did.

“It doesn’t have to be,” Emma responded, tears welling in her eyes. “You can come home. You just have to forgive yourself.” Emma sighed and paused, trying to catch Killian’s eye, though he stubbornly looked over her shoulder. When she wasn’t successful, she continued, “Thing is… no matter how many times I tell you, or anybody else does, you have to do it yourself.” At that, she turned and walked past Killian towards the house.

Killian turned and shouted, “Emma!” When she didn’t stop, he made to follow her, but Liam grabbed his arm before Killian could take more than a step.

“Let her go, Killian. It’s for the best.” The sooner Killian could let Emma go, the sooner he could move on with Liam. Liam knew that desperately holding onto the ties to the Living was the reason why so many people down here couldn’t move on. Killian going after her would only delay the inevitable.

Killian sighed in frustration and looked down at the hand restraining him. He loved his brother, but he was really getting annoyed with the man. If he were to move on, he didn’t want things between him and Emma to have ended in strife and pain. He was just about to retort this to Liam when his eyes processed why Killian hadn’t looked back up to his brother’s face. Liam did have ink stains on his hands. Ink stains that Killian knew hadn’t been there when they arrived at the mansion. Ink stains much like the ones he himself had incurred when he rifled through the book’s pages in search of Hades’ story.

“Your hand,” he mumbled, dumbfounded. “You are hiding something.”

Liam tried to jerk his hand back, but it was too late. Killian grabbed Liam’s arm and held it up so he could check to make sure he had seen ink stains.

“It’s nothing,” Liam halfheartedly to excuse.

Killian stared at his brother’s hand uncomprehendingly. “It’s ink from the pages. Emma was right,” he said softly. Killian swallowed and looked up to stare his brother in the eyes. “Why would you lie to me?!”

Liam tried to find the words to explain, but his voice died in his throat. To be honest about this would mean admitting to what he had done, to the deal with Hades, all of it. Liam didn’t have it in him to admit to those failings, but how could he lie to Killian otherwise?

“Because…” called out a voice. Liam and Killian both turned to see their old captain, John Silver, approaching them with the rest of their old crew. “He’s got much bigger secrets than what’s in some book. Like the truth about what he did to us.”

Killian turned to Liam, his eyes blazing with a hard, desperate look. “What’s he talking about? What did you do?”

Liam looked back at his brother, pain and tears in his eyes. He stuttered, trying to find the words that could somehow both explain and excuse what he did, but they wouldn’t come. He knew that nothing he said would mend what was now breaking between them. Killian, in spite of his quick temper and tendency to seek vengeance as retribution for wrongs committed against him, had always had a very healthy streak of justice running through his veins. Perhaps it had been because their mother had died young and their father had abandoned them, perhaps it had been because the navy had given him purpose; Liam didn’t know. What he did know was that Killian had always, always believed in good form, in helping others less fortunate than they, in always making the right choices, in fighting against tyranny and those who would mistreat others for their own gains. And this, Liam was ashamed to admit, was the very opposite of good form his brother had always believed in, and that he, Liam, had tried to foster in his younger brother as they had grown up.

Liam had sowed the seeds long ago, and now he was going to reap the benefits, no matter how hard and difficult.

“Your brother made a deal with the devil,” Silver answered when it looked like Liam would say nothing. “He allowed us to die in that storm that sank our ship in exchange for the Eye of the Storm. Hades struck that deal with him to save you and condemn us to die.”

Killian stared at Silver in shock before turning to Liam. “Is this true?” Killian asked, shock and disgust coloring his voice. As he looked at the anguish on Liam’s face, Killian knew it was true, and the image of his brother, his unfailing, strong, heroic brother, began at last to fracture and crumble.

Liam swallowed and nodded once. “It’s true.”

Liam watched as awareness of just how wrong about h is brother Killian had been made its way into Killian’s eyes. There was no going back from this. He stood staring at his brother helplessly, not knowing how to right the wrongs, only stirring when Silver spoke.

“Tie ‘em up and take them away, boys,” Silver demanded.

Before he could utter a word in protest, Silver then signaled to the rest of his crew to carry on with binding them up with rope. They took Liam’s hands and bound them behind his back, and he watched helplessly as they did the same to Killian. Killian tried to fight them off in typical Killian fashion, but there were too many of them. Killian had always been more of a fighter than he; Liam had always been more of a pacifist, only fighting when absolutely necessary but reluctant to stir up the status quo when it wasn’t.

Liam had always believed that there were certain facts that were incontrovertible, certain situations that one couldn’t change, so fighting them was pointless. It felt to him as if this situation they were in was one of the latter ones. What was the point of fighting now? He deserved whatever fate that his old crew members had in store for him. He just regretted that Killian had been dragged into this and be made to pay for Liam’s own follies.

Killian continued to struggle even as the men threw bags over their heads. Liam wondered whether Killian, as a pirate captain, was plotting out a violent and bloody way out. He thought not, as he rather got the impression that Killian didn’t actually want to hurt the men. When they had successfully bound Liam and Killian, they began frog marching them to Hades only knew what destination. As they tripped and stumbled along, Silver began to talk.

“Imagine my surprise when I came down to the bar for my nightly drink, Liam, and saw that Hades had paid you a visit. Up until that point, I had no idea what had transpired to cause our deaths. I have to hand it to you, you sure did manage to cover up your tracks. I never would have suspected it if I hadn’t heard Hades allude to it.”

“Hades wanted you to hear it,” Liam muttered resentfully.

“It is a rather juicy detail, you have to admit,” Silver retorted. “If it were your death, you’d be interested in it, too.”

“I can’t believe you sentenced them to death all because Hades wanted you to,” Killian gritted out towards his brother, ignoring Silver’s words.

Liam gritted his teeth against his brother’s censure, desperately aware of the audience they had. “Don’t deny you would have done the same thing! You always talked of getting vengeance,” he deflected.

Killian snarled. “Justice! I always talked of justice! But what you did wasn’t justice; it was vengeance.”

“Oh what’s the difference, Killian? They deserved what they got in the end.”

Without quite realizing it, they had arrived at the entrance to the building that housed the entrance to the Boiling Sea where final judgment occurred. Everyone stopped as two of the crew members went to open the outer doors, though Killian and Liam could not see this.

“The difference?” Killian echoed in amazement. “Only innocent lives, Liam! That’s the difference! How many of these men deserved retribution? How many of them directly attacked us? I only remember one who did. I can’t believe you would condemn them to this hell.”

“You have no idea what it was like, always having to look after both of us, not having someone else to bear the burden of making sure that we were clean or had food. Of making sure you didn’t succumb to the darkness inside you! I gave up everything to make sure you had a future! I was more a father than a brother to you, and because of that I did what I had to do.”

“I didn’t ask you to be that! You took that burden up all on your own! And what did it get you? I still succumbed to my darkness, and you blackened your heart for yours!” Killian shouted, enraged at Liam’s pigheaded attempts at justifying his actions. “And what’s worse is you lied about it. You looked me in the eye and lied. You hurt Emma, damn near convinced me that my future wasn’t with her, and you took away our best chance of defeating Hades.”

“I did everything I did to save you!”

“Well, congratulations!” Killian snarled in response. “You did an excellent job of it! And to hell with everyone else in the process!”

“It was worth it to have a chance to save you from the darkness,” Liam protested once more.

“You didn’t save me from my darkness; I saved myself! I took it in and damn near destroyed it for good!”

“All because of her! Emma doesn’t are about you, only herself! She is the absolute worst thing for you.”

“Milah, my ex, was the worst thing for me! She encouraged the darkness inside of me. Emma has been the inspiration for me to be better, to be the man I want to be. But you’ve never had that kind of influence, so you just keep giving into your darkness! You lie and you let others die for you and your selfish desires! When does this end Liam?! You’re the one who’s endangered me this very moment!”

Liam stared towards Killian helplessly though he couldn’t see him, knowing that he was right. Liam was still succumbing to his inner darkness. Killian surely hadn’t fed his own to the extent that Liam had his, even through all his years as a pirate hunting down the Dark One. But Liam didn’t know a way out. Liam didn’t see a way to stop this. As sure as the world, he was about to pay for his sins, and Killian was about to pay the price for a crime he hadn’t committed.

The crew finally wrenched the heavy doors open, and Silver pushed Liam through the threshold. The last thing he saw before the crew members finally wrenched open the doors was Killian’s anguished blue eyes staring back at him as if he didn’t know him. Liam knew with absolute certainty that his story ended here.

#cs ff #like slow spinning redemption #anmylica writes #underworld arc #the brothers jones

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