#laughing maniacally when a baby dies? be serious please

[gece-misin-nesin]

Just saw a take saying that jason should have more parallels and similarities with joker and no. Just no. Don't give them ideas...

[hope-drunk]

- thoroughfare | e. williams

| on the way to seattle, you decide to play a small game with ellie.

| content warning: f!reader, bottom!reader, top!ellie, oral (r receiving), pet names (baby, princess, pretty girl), implies ellie is taller than reader, reader takes dina’s role in the game (sorry dina), hunter and prey kink but not really, barely proofread and i hate this <3

Traveling through the woods with Ellie was more fun than you’d thought it would be. The long stretches on horseback felt like nothing when it was just you two talking. After you had found Jackson, albeit on accident, two years ago, you and Ellie became friends very quickly. 

You two tried not to talk about the trip you were taking. Once she came to you with a location, there was no question in your mind about whether or not you would go with her. So, here you are now. Arms wrapped along Ellie’s torso, enjoying the scenery, and giggling like a maniac at some pun she’s said.

Once the laughter dies down, Ellie helps you off Shimmer, then puts her by a stream.

“We should stop for the night. Get some rest.” she says, taking out her sleeping bag, and a shotgun.

“Okay, yeah.”  you say, following in her stride and getting your own sleeping bag out.

You were in a comfortable silence, setting up everything you needed to have a successful night.

“Do you want first or second shift?”  you asked her.

“I’ll do both, just sleep.”

You scoff at her, “Ellie, if you’re the one getting us to Seattle I think it’s important you get some rest.” She shakes her head at you. “Please, for me.”

Ellie can’t deny the look you give her, your eyes are laced with genuine concern for her well being. It hasn’t been easy for her, and you know she doesn’t like sleeping because it just brings back the memories, but you figure something is better than nothing.

“Alright, I’ll take first shift.” she says, knowing she’ll “accidentally” let you sleep longer than you intend to.

She’s standing now, and your once worried eyes are now crinkled by a smile. 

“Thank you, Ellie.”

“Whatever gets you there safely.” she replies, rubbing the inked fern covering her forearm.

“I’m gonna go look around while there’s still daylight, I need to stretch my legs.” you say, already starting to wander.

Ellie nods her head at you.

You don’t plan to go far, just enough to look at the different wildlife that lives out here. You walk around for about twenty minutes before Ellie calls your name.

“It’s getting too dark, come back.” she says. 

“Why don’t you come and find me?” you yell back to her.

You hear her grumble to herself, and let out a sigh, then you hear the crunch of leaves under her beaten up shoes. This is your sign to scramble. You run behind a tree, one with a large trunk and sagging branches. Peeking out from behind, you find Ellie’s face through the branches. Her head was whipping around for any sign of you. You put your hands over your face, having to stifle your laugh, trying not to give yourself away. When you removed the digits from your eyes, Ellie was gone.

Now it was your turn to whip your head around. Your heart was suddenly racing. You knew she wasn’t in danger, but you didn’t know the reaction she would have to your impromptu game of hide and seek.

You felt hands on your shoulders. “Got ya.” Ellie whispers in your ear.

You gasp and she whips you around to face her. Usually, Ellie had a face that would comfort you. Right now? You were a bit intimidated by her. It felt like she had grown six inches since you saw her moments before. Her eyes even looked darker in this light. You try to back away from her, but you don't get far before you hit the tree that was once protecting you from her. 

“Oh, first you’re hiding from me, now you’re trying t’run?” she says, moving impossibly closer to you. 

The game wasn’t funny to you anymore. Actually, it was incredibly serious, and that was proven by the wetness that you felt pooling in your panties.

“Just wanted to play a game, Ells.” you say, suddenly finding your shoes very interesting.

Grabbing your chin, she says, “Don’t tell me you’re all shy now.” She follows your eyes every time that you try to look away.

For a second, just a second, you thought she was actually mad. But you could see her lips fighting a smile. Leaning down towards you, her nose brushes against yours.

“Tell me you want this.” Ellie says, whispering like you were in a room full of people. 

“I want it.” 

Her lips are on yours as soon as you finish the sentence. The hand that was holding your chin has now moved to your cheek, thumb caressing your face tenderly. Your hips move to meet hers, back arching off the tree. Ellie gets the hint, and uses her spare hand to reach down between your bodies. She undoes your pant button with ease, and shoves her hand into your jeans. You gasp as she begins to rub your clit over your underwear. 

“Oh, Ellie.” you say while she moves her kisses to your neck.

“Don’t know why I’ve been waiting to do this.” she mumbles on your skin.

Stopping her assault on your neck, her hands smooth down your body before she practically rips your jeans and panties down to the ground. Her foot kicks your legs further apart before she drops to her knees in front of you. She runs a finger through your slick folds, humming in approval before diving in to taste you.

She sucks hard on your clit, causing your hand to move to her auburn hair, trying to steady yourself. Ellie sneaks a large hand up your shirt, toying with your nipple. You didn’t think you’d ever be this happy at forgetting to put a bra on. Her tongue was moving quickly through your folds. You look down at her, only to be met by her eyes. 

The moan you let out is almost pornagraphic, and you swear you can feel Ellie smirk into your cunt. Her position on the ground made it feel like she was praying to you, she was worshipping your cunt. 

Ellie comes up for a breath, thumb moving to rub your clit. “Taste so sweet, baby. Does it feel good?”

Your head nods on its own, which only causes Ellie to laugh. 

“Feels s’good. Wanted this for so long.” you say, breathless.

“Yeah? Wanted me to fuck you? How many times did you think about me eating your cute little pussy like this while we were talking, hm? Did you go t’sleep every night with wet panties?”

You let out a moan at her words and nod your head again, but that’s not enough for her. She gives your thigh a quick smack.

“Yes! Yes, thought about it all the time. Oh please, Ellie, wanna cum so bad.”

She moves her head back towards your cunt, eating you out impossibly faster. Your legs start to shake, signaling your approaching orgasm. You’re practically grinding on Ellie’s face at this point, and she doesn’t mind one bit. While you use her tongue to get yourself off, she thinks this may be the peak of her life.

“I’m– gonna…” you try to finish your phrase, but it’s no use. Ellie moans into your pussy, and that sends you flying. 

You’re sure your moans were loud enough to scare any wildlife away from you, and it took you awhile to even regain consciousness. When you did, Ellie was now standing in front of you again, trying to keep you propped up. You slouch into her chest while she rubs a hand up and down your back under your shirt.

“Shh… you’re alright, you’re alright pretty girl.” she coos. 

She pulls your pants up, figuring she’ll have something to clean you up with back with all your stuff. Ellie basically carries you back to your sleeping bag, and makes sure you’re all clean before tucking you in.

“Ellie.” you whine out, feeling her presence move away from you.

“I’ve got first shift, remember? Go to bed, baby. I’ll wake you up.”

You mumble what she thinks is a complaint, before turning over and curling into yourself. It’s not long before she hears your breaths get deeper. Rubbing a hand over her face, she grabs her gun of choice before standing guard not far from your sleeping body.

Of course, Ellie doesn’t wake you up till the morning. 

“I was supposed to take second shift!” you argue.

“You didn’t really seem in the position to keep watch, princess. Swear your legs were gonna give out if you had to stand for longer than ten seconds.” Ellie laughs out.

You turn red and let out a huff.

“C’mon, get on the horse. We can argue on the way.”

[dozing-marshmallow]

Pls i NEED more Chris McLean x reader. I NEED😭🙏 ive read everything of him on here😓

So pretty please something like chris mclean x wife reader and like, the whole tdi cast gets to meet her bc they didnt believe that Chris had a wife at first?😇

TRUST ME WHEN I SAY I feel the exact same way😫 I love Chris so much and it’s such a huge pleasure that I can write for him while having other people who love him enjoy it as welllll. I will be writing him for a very long time so you can always expect something new evolved around him to come up ;)<3

CHRIS MCLEAN X WIFE! READER ONE SHOT

Having your daily hug with Chris, the tender moment reminds you of what he told you earlier.

“Were you being serious when you told me the kids laughed at you when you told them you were married?"

“Mhmm.” he responds from underneath you,“They called it a sick joke and told me that stand up comedy was way out my league.”

“Aw darling.” you kiss his forehead,“I’m guessing you’re gonna ask a favour for me to stop by to prove them wrong?”

He raises an eyebrow,“What do you mean? Stand up comedy is in my league. I just don’t prefer it, doesn’t mean I’m not good at it.”

He can be so silly sometimes,“I meant your marital status, baby.”

“Oh, yeah...” he holds onto your wrists,“Please?”

You let your body relax completely on top of his, still smiling,“Your wish is my command.”

“Aw what’s the matter, McLean? Couldn’t your wife make it?” Duncan was the first to pick up on ridiculing Chris, eyes still puffy from his chronic cries of laughter from last night. On another circumstance, Chris would’ve been fuming, had he not have reason to smirk.

“How sweet of you to worry, Duncan!” the host begins off, clasping his hands,“But she’s made it in one piece!”

On cue, you walk into the mess hall, linking your arm with Chris’,“Hii everyone! So happy to finally see you all in person!”

All conversation died.

Everyone turns to you.

This woman they’ve never seen before... 

His... His wife?

Were they hearing that right?

No way... He was being serious?

Chris was rolling on the inside at the shared alike look of being slapped spread across the contestants, especially of the mocking kind.

“I...didn’t know you had enough space in your heart to love someone else!” Beth’s the first to break out of her ice of shock to chirp.

“Surprised?” Chris chuckled, allowing you to introduce yourself, which was not what you guys decided.

“Yeah, I’m (Y/N)! This hot mess’ wife...” turns out improvising in front of teenagers wasn’t as fun as it sounded,“Sorry, I’m...not too good with words, so...help yourself to these cupcakes I made for you guys. I made them as a way to say how huge of a pleasure it is to meet you all!”

As you turn around to unwrap the trays, Leshawna clears her throat to privately address the cohort,"One of two things are gonna happen. One, those cupcakes are filled with maggots and hair. Or two, it's the first actual food we're gettin’ on this set."

Everybody nods in agreement.

They were right to inspect the wrapping and texture with their noses and eyes.

Yet didn’t expect to have the flavour of delicate buttermilk crumble on their tongues.

Oh my God...

Maybe they were deprived from having treats so long on the show, but it was unanimously categorised as a whole new delicious nonetheless.

The punk delinquent scoffs over,“Yeah... I’m not buying that’s his wife.”

“That evil maniac with a permanent smile is probably holding her hostage!” The ginger geek dramatically pinpoints.

“I can see why, these are too die for!” Owen squeaks, scoffing down an entire cupcake, wrapping included, not comprehending what situation it would mean for you if you really were abducted.

“Hm... Maybe he’s paying her.” Gwen suggests alternatively after taking another glance at you: it was your arm around him. Too touchy to be forced...

“I’d understand if he was hot like me, but he’s not even halfway there! Where would he find someone willing to do all that for him? No amount of money should convince anyone to ever lose their dignity for the likes of him." Justin criticises out of his internal debate of skipping the cupcakes or not.

“You’d be shocked if you’ve seen the fansite.” Noah opposes like it was the most known thing.

Speaking of which,"Sierra.” Heather directs, taking sudden control of the situation and everyone’s eyes to peel towards the superfan whose mouth was staining in the same dye as her magenta hair, perking up from her snacking at the mention of her name,“You know everything about everybody. Say, is Chris paying that woman to pretend to be married to him for laughs?"

The girl whose lifeline was Total Drama quickly swallows the last portion of her cupcake to appease her idols with a packed answer,“Oh, no! It’s all true! Unfortunately. Those two got married way before Total Drama was aired. A lot's happened... My mom waited years for Chris to propose to her and there he goes, chasing after that nobody! Do you have any idea how painful it is to see my mom’s husband having an affair? (Y/N) is nothing but a block of concrete, blinding Chris from seeing his true soulmate! A.k.a my mom!” The last few sentences gradually grazed with personal prejudice, but not enough to throw the next cupcake away.

“Wait, but if Chris did get married to your mother... Wouldn’t that make you his stepdaughter-?“ Alejandro posited, already having a hard time imagining Chris take that role biologically.

"So Chris,” Cody interrupts the impending awkward ambient Alejandro’s phrasing would bring, steering the conversation back, still bewildered,“...really does have a wife."

Bridgette takes her slo mo time in grabbing another frosted vanilla good, rethinking, the same man that laughed at their pain,"I...honestly don't know how to feel about that."

"Huuu... I feel like I went overboard with cupcakes, Chris!” you freak out to your husband, fidgeting with the sleeves of your turtleneck,“Why did I pick to make something so childish? I should've picked something more formal... Like a dish from my home country..."

"Relaaaaax, no one else is thinking about that." Chris assured, biting into one of your delicacies.

You continued to murmur on,“I wanted to make something universal, a collection of sweets so in case one likes a certain flavour more than others... I thought teenagers around here liked cupcakes... I feel like such a fool... I hope they don’t think I see them as childish...”

He grabs one and holds it horizontally to your lips, painting them yellow,“It’s not just teenagers that like them, (Y/N). Besides, they are children. Children like things that are childish.”

That’s true... Your paranoia’s sunk,“Well... They seem to be enjoying themselves. I’ve been worrying for nothing.” you smile, drawing your finger on his stubble to take for licking,“You had some icing there.”

Turns out, you were really nice.

The angel to Chris’ devil.

The sun to Chris' moon.

The calm to Chris’ energetic.

“So (Y/N)... I just...have a quick question on behalf of everyone else.” The CIT girl shields her mouth with her hand, like she didn’t want anyone else to hear.

“Of course, Courtney. Whatever would you like to know?” you welcome her, all kinds of possible questions cloud your mind.

She tightens your shoulders in her palms,“What the hell do you see in Chris?”

...You expected that one,“Why, I see a strong, handsome, hilarious man. A goal-driven, deep down caring, loving, in need of love man.”

Now the only true thing she heard was “goal-driven”- to kill them as spiritually as possible. Maybe even physically.

"You're not brainwashed, are you?" Her eyes widened like your answer had tossed her deeper in her horror.

"Get her to blink two times in a row if she needs help!" Tyler shouts, unintentionally defeating the purpose of being discreet from his clean intention.

"Hm?” Teenagers are so funny!,“It's not brainwash when it's love! After all, wouldn't you say you've found yourself in love with someone you never thought you'd be with?" You smile warmly at the type A when the butterflies fluttered an external reaction across her freckled face.

"Th-That's different!” she impulsively shrieked before closing her mouth in embarrassment. She looks around, and after making sure no one was judging her, she continues speaking, back to her whispering voice,“That’s Duncan. This is Chris.”

“Well, we both seem to have a type for the ones that went to jail, don’t we?” you wittily mention, giving her a wink to the similar parallel.

Leaving Courtney to her common dynamics contemplation, there was no better timing for Owen to ask if you had any more cupcakes to give.

“I’m so happy you liked them! I’ll tell you what, I can make more and send them to you."

“Don’t get too flattered. Bed crusher there would eat anything, even things you can’t call food.” The overruling antagonist scornfully gestures, her hair as black as her heart.

“...Ah, right.” you shouldn't have thought so highly of yourself over baking. To Owen, they probably weren’t good, just something to give his appetite.

“Well... That's not entirely true...” The foodie looks to the side uncomfortably for a moment from Heather’s harsh perspective,“Having eaten a lot of things gives me a solid judgement on a variety of tastes. With that said, I’d specifically be really happy to eat (Y/N)’s baked cupcakes again. You can't buy that kind of quality!"

Aw! “Thanks, Owen!” it’s no mystery why everyone was in his support back first season!

“You didn’t use any store bought cake mix, did you?” DJ asks, his naturally kind pitch of voice crunching up an otherwise accusing delivery his words may have played.

“Nope! If I was gonna have half of the ingredients already done for me, I may as well have just ordered the finish product.” the truth radiates through your magnetism, not as magnetizing as your husband, smothering you away in his arms.

For some reason, no one said anything right away. Like taking an exam, silence had scattered among these group of teenagers.

"I'm convinced she has Stockholm syndrome."

Up till Harold breaks it.

"Stockholm syndrome?! Come onn, you know that’s not a real thing!” Lindsay asserted, turning to Beth,“Is it a real thing?"

The nice-hearted nerd smacks a hand to her forehead. Rather than finding humor in uninformed Lindsay, Trent finds his eyes trapped on the sight of Chris’ hand holding onto yours, fingers locked, palms resting. Above all his faults, Chris...still had you.

That kind of love...hard to find, lucky to have.

[supercorpkid]

You’re going to wish you were dead, instead.

Part 4 of T is for Trauma - The Series

Supercorp, Kara Danvers x Daughter!Reader, Lena Luthor x Daughter!Reader

Word count: 2370.

Warnings: kidnapping. Injuries. Next level angst.

Previously on the series – part 1, part 2, part 3

You open your eyes when someone kicks your stomach twice. You can’t control the vomit that comes right after, when your body finally understands that you’re up.

“Gross! Boss! The child threw up on my feet.” He walks away from you.

You want to appreciate that fact that you just did something to one of them, but everything hurts so much, like your skin is being peeled off of your body, that right now your only wish is that you could just die already so you don’t have to feel this unbearable pain anymore. Never in your worst nightmares, you’ve imagined you could feel so much pain you would wish you were dead instead.

“Stupid shit doesn’t die of over-exposure. It’s been hours! Maybe we should just shoot her, so she can bleed out to death.” One of them says and you pray they’re being serious.

“Please.” You plead. “End this.”

The boss kneels in front of you, with a creepy satisfied smile on his face. He looks behind him, to the other guys, and starts laughing like you just told the funniest joke in the world. His goons start laughing with him.

“I’m not going to end this. I wouldn’t want to stop all this fun you’re having!” He stands up, the same creepy smile still on his lips. “You know, you Kryptonians are funny. You act like Gods deciding everyone’s fate with some kind of morality no one even knows if you actually have. So, you’re ok with putting us through pain, but you can’t take any?”

“They are some weak Gods.” One of his henchmen says, and he looks back like he is telling him to shut up.

“Your world exploded for a reason. No kryptonian was supposed to survive. But then Supergirl and Superman came to Earth. Now, they are here dictating rules, expecting everyone to follow them. Who do they think they are? Those cockroaches.” He spits on the floor next to you, and you feel saliva hitting your face. “They’re not even supposed to exist, let alone procreate.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” You whimper, and he gives his maniac laughter again.

“I’ll do you a solid though, just because you’re just a little kid.” He raises a hand and quickly one of his goons puts a gun in his hand. He points at your leg. “I’ll make a little hole, to accelerate your dying process, ‘kay?” And he shoots your leg.

You scream as loud as you can, with all the strength still left in you. You thought you were already in so much pain because of the kryptonite, that this wouldn’t add up and you wouldn’t feel any more. You were wrong. The pain piled up on top of each other. So right now, the inside of your body is agonizing, your leg is burning and you’re bleeding out. Is this pain going to go on forever? It sure feels like it, because no matter how much you pray for it, you’re still not dead.

No, you’re not dead. You’re just lying there in your own vomit and blood, thinking about how much you want this nightmare to end, one way or another, when you hear gunshots. You close your eyes, thinking they’ve changed their minds and decided to shoot you multiple times to end your pain, but you don’t feel anything.

“Supergirl, I’ve been expecting you.” What? You open your eyes when you hear that. You can’t see her, the boss is in front of you with his body, but you get a glimpse of red and your heart beats faster. “As you can see, I have kryptonite and your daughter. Now, would you-”

“FUCK YOU!” She flies towards him with her closed fist, throwing him to the other side of the room. You can’t see him, but you know there’s no way he can recover fast from that. Kara kneels before you, and rips the chains with her hands, tossing the kryptonite to the other side of the room, like it doesn’t even affect her anymore. And if it does, it’s not as painful as seeing your situation.

You thought that once you were free of kryptonite, the pain would go away. It didn’t. Your body still feels like it is up in flames. Kara touches your face, you whimper. You can’t barely make up her face with your one functioning eye, but you see your pain reflected on her face.

She is still kneeling next to you, when she hears a noise coming from where she threw the guy. She blows her freeze breath, holding him back a little. Kara looks around, like she’s looking for something.

“I’ll be right back, my love. Ok? Momma is here.” She disappears right after, but comes back a few seconds later, hair blowing, and even though you didn’t see a thing, you know she just used her super speed.

“Mommy. I’m dying.” You whisper and Kara holds you up, carrying you in the most protective way she can.

“Shhh. You’re ok. Mommy is here. You’re ok.” Kara looks around again and you see aunt Alex going inside the room with the biggest gun you’ve ever seen. “He’s tied up in the corner.”

“J’onn and I got this. Take her to the DEO and put her under the sun light lamp, I’ll be there in a few.” Alex goes to the other side of the room, but you still can hear her. “Oh, you thought it was funny shooting my niece? I’ll show you funny!”

You don’t hear anything else. Kara is flying with you back to National City, and you look up to her. Hair flying in the wind, tears dropping from her eyes, she can’t take her eyes off you.

“I’m here. I’ve got you. You’re safe, baby.” She gives you the saddest smile you’ve ever seen.

“Mommy, I’m dying.” You repeat very slowly, because you don’t have any strength left to speak, and you know Kara can hear you either way. And you need her to know. She needs to know you’re probably not going to make it.

“No, you’re not. You’re ok. We’re going home, ok? We’re almost there. Mommy is here with you and your mom is waiting for you. You’re ok, baby.” Kara is crying so hard you barely make out what she’s saying.

“I’m sorry for what I said. I love you.”

“I love you, little one. I’m sorry. I love you. I love you. I’m sorry.” She keeps repeating that until you close your eyes. You can finally let go, you said everything. She knows you’re sorry, she knows you love her. So, you stop fighting the inevitable.

You thought you would die. You wished you had died. But you’re still here. You hear voices and you feel hands on your body. Someone’s touching your leg, it hurts like a bitch. Someone is squeezing your hand, it’s reassuring. Someone’s kissing your forehead over and over again, it’s calming.

You keep waking up and blacking out. But you don’t think they know this, because you can’t talk, can’t open your eyes, can’t move your body. All you can do is feel pain.

“Baby, my baby. I know you can do this. You can come back to us, please, please. I love you so much, babygirl. You’re my everything.”

“Mom, why isn’t she up yet? It’s been days! You said she would be awake by now.”

“Jamie, I-I don’t… She will wake up, honey. Just give her time, she needs to rest.”

“No. No, mom. She’s supposed to be up by now! Bring her back! Do something!”

“I’ve done everything I can, Jam. Come on, honey. Let’s go. Come.”

“Alex, there must be something else we can do.”

“Kara, you know how much I want her back too, I just- I’m sorry, it’s out of my hands now.”

“I wish I could switch places with her.”

“I know, Kar. I know. Go home, you’ve been in here for days. Go see Lena. Go be with your wife.”

You keep wishing you were dead. But you don’t die, and you also don’t come back to life. You’re half alive, and that’s not enough for anyone.

“Hey, little one.” You hear softly, and your heart beats fast. For the first time you feel you have enough strength to do something. You need to let her know you’re still alive. “I brought donuts, and your homework again.”

You try to ask for food, because you’re starving, but you can’t talk.

“I’ve been doing your homework for the past two weeks, and I have to say, I don’t know how you do this. It’s so much stuff, and you still find time to work on your inventions, and go to trainings…”

Yep, your life’s not as easy as it seems.

“Oooh, want to have a laugh? Your teacher sent me your physics homework yesterday and I obviously didn’t know anything, so I asked your mom for help and guess what? Apparently, Lena doesn’t know everything. It took her ten minutes to solve a problem. It was freaking hilarious.”

It sounds hilarious. You wish you were there.

“Hey. Was that a little laugh?” Kara asks and you try to smile again so she can see it. “I’ll tell Lena you laughed at her. Wait, no. I can’t do that, she’ll have hope.” She breathes heavily and your heart shrinks. “Shoot, I’m crying on your homework again. Your teacher will start wondering.”

You want to wake up so badly. You don’t know why your body doesn’t obey you. You’ve been in this bed under the sun for two weeks apparently. Is your body ever going to respond?

“Hold me.” You beg, trying to make your voice come out. It feels like you’re stuck in those nightmares where you feel like you’re screaming, but no one around hears anything. “Please.”

“Alex said we can take you home, with the lights and all. I’m scared, because I know that here, you’re being watched by doctors, but-” You feel her hand stroking your face gently. “I want you to be comfortable, and I want to lay in bed with you all day. So, should I? Should I take you home?”

YES. Please. Do it. Please. All you want is to go home.

“Yeah. I know. We shouldn’t move you too much. We don’t know what’s going on inside you, right? Besides-” You feel Kara’s warmth next to you. “I can lay in here with you, even though Alex tells me not to. We don’t have to tell her, right?” You feel Kara’s arms around and your eyes water immediately. “Baby, are you crying? Did I- Did I hurt you?” She moves away. “ALEX! ALEX! SHE’S CRYING. DO SOMETHING.”

There’s a weird taste on your mouth. Metallic and bitter. You need to get out of this bed, you need to go back to your life. And you feel it has to be now, or it will be never.

You open your eyes, slowly. It’s hard, it’s like they were glued together. It’s all blurry and undefined. You just see bright yellow, but it’s the first time you’re seeing some color in a while so you can’t complain about it.

“Baby! Kara, Alex! She’s awake!” You hear Lena’s voice and you see black and white mixed with the yellow. It’s probably her hair and face, but you can’t know for sure. There are no shapes, just colors. “Baby, baby, it’s ok. Mom is here.” Lena kisses your face and you feel hands on your body. There’s a very strong hand holding yours, and you know it’s Kara, because she is holding so hard it hurts. And you feel Alex’s hands touching your pulsing points.

“Hey, little one. Can you say something?” Kara asks and you open your mouth.

“My bones.” You whisper so slowly it’s pretty much inaudible; you’re sure only Kara can hear you, and only because of her super hearing.

“Oh, oh, sorry.” She stops squeezing your hand and kisses it, gently. “I forgot about the loss of powers.”

Wait, what?

“Ok, you two move away, please.” Now you see red, mixed with the yellow. “Hey kiddo, this is aunt Alex. Listen I have to do a few tests with you, ok? If you can hear me perfectly, blink once.” You blink once. “Perfect. You’re doing really well. Now, if you can see me perfectly, blink once.” You don’t blink. “Oh, ok. Is it blurry?” You blink once. “Ok, don’t worry, it will go back to normal with time. Now, I want you to move your left leg, just a little. Can you do that for me?” You do it.

She then makes you move every part of your body, and slowly but surely you do all that she asks. You hear Kara and Lena’s celebrations next to you and you smile proud of yourself.

“Hey kiddo, that was perfect! Next time you wake up, you will feel a lot better. I promise you.” You feel a squeeze in your hand, and you give her a little smile. “I don’t want you to get tired, so you can go back to sleep now, and we’ll work more later ok?”

“Wait.” You whisper and she puts her ear close to your mouth so she can hear you. “Lena.”

“She wants you.”

Lena takes Alex’ spot, holding your hand and putting her ear close to your face so she can hear you better.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no baby, you don’t have anything to feel sorry for. Everything is alright. Listen.” You feel Lena wiping the tears from your cheeks. “You were right. I’m sorry I made you feel like you’re not the most important thing in the world for me, because you are. You are. Stop-stop worrying about it. Just use everything you have to recover, ok?” You nod weakly. “I love you.”

“We love you.” You hear Kara’s voice and you breathe deep.

“Mommy.” Your voice comes out a little stronger, but it is still just a whisper.

“Mommy is here, little one. I’ve got you. We’ve got you.” Kara says and you close your eyes again. Your body might still ache, but your heart doesn’t ache anymore.

[letters-from-eros]

I know you don't have rules for that already but can I ask for relationship hc's for Chuuya and Dazai with a fem or gender neutral s/o?😳❤

A/N: Am I foaming from the mouth for my first BSD request? Maybe. I hope this is good though. I added in a short part on how they asked you out cause I wanted this to be different and unique from most dating HCs.

Pairing(s): Dazai Osamu, Chuuya Nakahara x GN!Reader

Warnings: Slight mention of suicide in Dazai's, cursing

Form: Headcanon

Also: These ran super duper long I'm so sorry

You managed to cuff the suicidal maniac, huh?

Well done, my friend, well done

It took him so long to ask you out, and even when he did it wasn't planned. In all honesty, he never planned to tell you about his feelings. The excruciating part for him is that he did fall pretty fast, and realized he was falling even faster.

He didn't deny them, that wouldn't make it go away. He knew that. He sat and let it festered, hoping it would just disappear at some point.

Had the mindset of anything he loved he'd lose, y'know? Sad but so.

The way I'd imagine it happening is that you both are either working late at the ADA (with just the two of you there) or just at his place hanging out into all hours of the night.

Both of you are laughing at some dumb joke Dazai made and as the laughter dies out he feels.. Bittersweet. You make him feel genuinely happy, like there's no need to put on any mask or facade. That was not a feeling he had with anyone else.

Once silence fully overtakes you both it slips out of his mouth, purely on accident.

"I love you"

"More than suicide?"

"Y/n I'm serious!"

From that night forward you had the pleasure of being the partner of Dazai Osamu, with his feelings being released in an extremely cliche coming-of-age-movie way.

Okay, onto actually dating Dazai

Still goofy as all hell. Honestly the only thing that has really changed is the he lets you in a lot less hesitantly on small things. Its easier to put cracks in his walls, per se

Unbothered by PDA and will probably make out with you in public and not see why that isn't a thing that should be done or why you wouldn't like it.

(Just tell him if you don't, he'll get over it eventually)

Will kiss you everywhere, doesn't exactly have a favorite place, but where he does end up kissing you the most is your forehead for convenience. He'll kiss your wrist if he's holding your hand, too.

Clingy as all hell, always wants to be touching you in some way and becomes the biggest dramatic bitch when he can't be around you.

Kunikida will actually punt him if he says he'll die if he's away from you for another second. For the tenth time

No more suicide attempts once you two are dating, and doesn't ask for a double suicide with you because he knows it'll upset you quite a bit

He flirts with you like he's trying to get you to date him lmao he will never ease up, especially if it gets you bashful.

Dazai would NOT be dating you if he did not trust you a whole lot, so thats something that is pretty vital to the relationship.

That being said, please be understanding of the pieces of Dazai he keeps locked away to never see the light of day again and trust him just as much as he trust you. Its important especially if you don't want the relationship to be one-sided

Also with the high amount of trust he places in you, he doesn't get jealous easily. I mean he may get pissy that you're not giving him any attention but jealous is never the right word to use

Mf finally washes his fucking clothes once he starts dating you. Doesn't smell like the bottom of the ocean on a regular basis anymore.

Dates are always chill and rarely super extravagant. Park dates are often but Dazai's truly preferred date is snuggling inside, watching a few movies and slipping in and out of naps.

Belladonna is his go-to petname for you, of course, but he may bounce around with other petnames for kicks.

He will start calling you weird shit if you ignore him for to long.

Never raises his voice at you unless its in some joking manner. On the rare occurrence that you two have an argument he would need to get extremely riled up before he resorts to raising his voice. He tries to have patience and usually succeeds.

Dazai gets SO soft and SO loving sometimes, and it can be out of no where or something minuscule could have sparked it. All I know is that its nice and cute 🥰

He's usually pretty vulnerable himself when he gets like that so match his energy, alright? If you don't he might end up a little sour for some short amount of time and be more hesitant to get like that

10/10 Lover. This is by no means an effortless relationship, its a constant battle of figuring out boundaries, running into walls and respecting them. Dating Dazai isn't toxic if you treat him right and when you do? It definitely pays off.

(This got so long. I've had so much pent-up Dazai love and all around BSD love and I finally had an outlet to completely let it out)

HUSBAND. THE LOML

Okay, sorry. But this man is the love of my life, and he will be yours as well.

Took him a while to really figure out his feelings for you, or to better put it, it took him a while to label the feeling he had towards you "love"

But ONCE HE DID mans was practically whipped before you officially started dating omg.

You could notice the shift in attitude when he figured out his feelings. He got nervous, went stiff and blushy all against his will. Maybe a tad bit more snappy.

He'd try to keep his cool and then just eat shit and become a babbling angry mess.

After every encounter and interaction with you he'd end up overthinking all of it and when he catches himself doing that he gets so upset with himself. It's really when he realized that he won't be able to keep his feelings a secret forever.

Definitely started avoiding you when planning on the 🌈perfect🌈 way to ask you out and blamed work if you asked him why he was avoiding you.

Anyway, the way he asks you out was almost as calculated as a proposal.

He asks you to meet him at the port and dress comfortably towards the end of the day

When you get there, Chuuya has a nice place set up for you both. A blanket and a bottle of expensive wine because we all know he's lowkey an alcoholic along with a very nice view of the ocean/port.

Chuuya made sure it didn't radiate too much romantic energy to give his plans away; also, he wasn't that nervous. Once he gets truly determined to do something, he doesn't let something like anxiety get in the way of it. The idea of being rejected was essentially an afterthough

Made an effort to make sure he didn't drink too much and neither did you. He didn't want to take advantage of the possibility of you being drunk by the time he asks you out and he knows he himself has a low tolerance

Once the sun began to set is when he asks. Stutters a little bit towards the beginning but smooths it out.

"Y/n, I uh.. I brought you to tell you that I love you."

"Have you drank too much already, Chuuya?"

"No! I'm completely sober!"

It was overall super cute and unforgettable, just as he planned.

Honestly, being in a relationship with this boy is just 🥰

Spoils you so much. You'll deadass be dripped out head to toe purely in stuff Chuuya has bought you.

Dw, he has an alright sense of fashion

Don't try to discourage him, that'll only get him to buy more stuff.

Chuuya's short and the concept of a size difference doesn't bother him at all, he'll find a way to kiss you regardless lol

On the topic of kissing, his favorite places are your lips and hands

He takes of his gloves whenever he's with you and let me tell you his hands are the softest things ever. Albeit his knuckles are a little calloused sometimes.

If you're anything like me, you'd want his soft hands on you 24/7 and y'know what? Chu would happily oblige.

He isn't like the biggest fan of PDA but certainly isn't against it. He'd rather keep things behind doors as much as he can. Holding hands and small kisses on the cheek are very fine by him.

He isn't like the biggest jealous type? He doesn't become overly irate or anything but certainly doesn't take any pleasure in watching you talk to other guys.

Chuuya does have some form of self restraint when it comes to that. Him getting a lil jealous is one of the only things that'll have him completely make-out with you in public or smth

Chuuya is very snuggly and touchy behind closed doors. He practically becomes Dazai but a lot less goofy

Oh yeah he definitely rants about how much he fucking hates Dazai now n again

Isn't huge on petnames but definitely calls you them every now and again.

Princess, babe and baby are his top few.

Chuuya definitely has a morning voice where it drops 2 octaves and its just 🥰

Never yells at you, its pretty shocking. The only times he's ever raised his voice with you is when its very obvious that he's not genuinely upset with you. Almost for comedic affect because it is angry short boy Chuuya

One may think arguments are often with Chuuya, but they're sort of not. He may be a pretty stubborn individual but he never argues to argue unless its Dazai-

He always works towards and agreement to end the argument as soon as possible. He keeps his cool and will never raise his voice. You can barely call them arguments because of how much he tries to keep his cool.

When he's stressed or had a bad day he gets extremely quiet because he doesn't even want the opportunity to open his mouth and take it out on you. The only words he'll say to you while he's in that state is that he's stress and you didn't do anything wrong just to make sure you're not worried over it.

All and all? Chuuya is the best and there's no way around it. He has his faults but always tries to improve and be his best self for you :)

(I had even more pent-up love for Chuuya and it got even longer, whoops-)

[strangeinternetwasteland]

Cross the Line Part 2

A/N: Let me know if you want a part 3, that would be the final part

Word Count 1.9K

Warnings: Swearing and mentions of abortion

You struggled to breathe, you felt your heartbreak into a million pieces. You did this to yourself. You didn’t go back to his apartment. You just packed your clothes from your apartment and ran. You didn’t care where you ended up, or if you died. The look on Bakugo’s face was enough. The venom in his voice was enough to make you vomit right then and there. You knew you couldn’t go back to the League. You debated whether or not to go to the commission for protection. Deciding against that since they’d probably just kill you on sight for just endangering their mission.

You wandered on the streets for a while. You thought about the last few months, and how blissful they truly were. You sat in a dark alley on top of your suitcase and cried. You let it all out, every emotion poured out of you. No one else seemed to have cared at all. The scream that erupted from your throat was full of pain. You didn’t notice when someone approached you.

“Y/N?” A concerned voice pulled you back to reality. Deku looked at you. You had met him a few times, and knew that he grew up with Bakugo.

“Are you okay?” He asked you. You nodded, why should he be brought into your drama. Into the world you created yourself.

“Is it Kaa-Chan?” He questioned you. “I know he can be so quick to anger. Give him sometime, he’ll cool down. You two will be okay. He loves you.” He tried reassuring you. You just broke down again, crying harder.

“No. It can’t be okay. It won’t be okay. I fucked up. Really really bad.” You stuttered out between sobs.

“How about you stay with me for a bit?” He offered you. You didn’t object, you really just wanted to lay your head down for a bit in a place where you’d be safe for a moment. When you arrived at Midoriya’s apartment, he showed you to the guest room. You closed the door behind you, laid on the bed, The last thought on your mind was about keeping the baby. You fell asleep after a few slow, long blinks. You awoke a few hours later yelling.

“DUMBASS, I told you. She’s the enemy. She’s a villian.” You heard Bakugo yelling.

“Kaa-Chan, I don’t think she is. Everyone is capable of change.” Midoriya defended you.

“You really don’t know her. How could she lie to me so easily? I loved her. You don’t fucking get it.” Bakugo pounded his fist against the table.

“Then make me understand, if you don’t think I know. I know you love her, I know she loves you. So she didn’t kill you all those times she could have. She didn’t  sit there and give the League any information. She would have fucked us over so many times. She could’ve, but she didn’t.” Midoriya spoke to Bakugo.

You didn’t need to hear anything more. You grabbed your suitcase and slipped through the window. You decided that you’d come clean to the Commission. You walked there as quickly as possible, you fought your nerves, and emotions the whole way.

When you arrived, you weren’t sure what to expect. You were rushed into the Chairman’s office. For the next few hours, you explained what you found out while working with the villains, what the villains’ plans were, and what their ultimate goal was. Every detail of your interactions were scrutinized. When you finished with your meeting the only thing that was left was to tell the truth about you and Bakugo.

“Thank you for your help with this mission. I know it was difficult to cross that line, and sometimes multiple times. It wears on one’s mind after some time. Your services are no longer needed.” The Chairman told you with a satisfied smile on his face.

“There is something else I need to disclose, Sir.” You began to say.

“If this is about you and Lord Murder Explosion being a couple, my advice is to continue, his ratings are going up since announcing your relationship. The public feels safer and also think he’s more approachable.” He continued.

“I am afraid to say this, but he and I are no longer together. After finding out I was working the League, he didn’t want anything to do with me.” You told him with a little more firmness that you meant to. “Also, I will not be able to return to hero work right away. I am currently pregnant.” You kept the Chairman’s eye.

“I see. Tomorrow morning go see the doctor. We will figure out other work for you in the meantime. Meanwhile, please rest for the next two weeks. We will take care of the other apartment.” He dismissed you, you felt some sort of weight lift off your shoulders, but your mind was filled with worry.

The next two weeks came and went in a blur, you’d gotten a due date for your baby, but were unsure if you even wanted to keep it. You slept unrestfully for those two weeks. Every day you woke up thinking about Bakugo. Wondering if the Chairman would be good on his word. You really didnt have much faith in him when it came to promises. Midoriya had texted you every so often just to check up. He was very sweet, and Ochacko was very lucky to have ended up with him. The Commission hadn’t contacted you about starting other work at the end of the two weeks, so your vacation ended up being extended another two weeks.

After a month of no contact from Bakugo, you decided that it was time to make up your mind about the baby. You were getting ready for your day when you were called into action to fight against the League. You were in a one on one fight with Toga. Everything inside you screamed that you’d rather die than let this little teenaged psycho touch a civilian.

“Oh, look who’s here to save the day! The traitor” Toga cackled at you, her maniacal laugh echoing off the surrounding buildings.

“I will take you down if it’s the last thing I do you fucking psycho.” You retorted as you lunged at her. The pace of her swings were too much for you. You were winded and breathless after a few minutes. There was nothing special about her movements, yours were sluggish from the human inside. She had pinned you against the wall with her hands around your throat. You were dangerously close to blacking out. Suddenly, your body slouched against the wall, as you felt yourself gasping for air right before nothingness enveloped you.

You awoke with the yellowish glare of fluorescent lights, and gasping for air. Your hands were grasping for anything you could hold on to. Your hand grabbed hold of a bicep. When your (eye color) met his red ones, time stood still for a moment. Everything you were fighting for in that moment seemed to have faded away.

He took his hand and placed it on top of your head. You couldn’t read the look on his face. He didn’t seem mad, or angry. He stood a placed a kiss on your forehead.

“You scared me.” He whispered into your hair as he brushed it back. The tears flowed freely from his eyes. “I was so scared I was going to lose you.” The tender moment broken by the doctor.

“Oh, good, Y/N, you’re awake. We need to discuss a few things. First, I need your consent that it is okay to speak about important health information in front of-” The doctor looked at Bakugo.

“Katsuki, Yes. I consent.” You said allowed.

“Alright. First, there were no serious injuries sustained with your fight. Your throat may be sore for a few days, and you may have a headache. There was no brain damage.” He told the both of you. Bakugo took your hand in his squeezing it gently.

“Secondly, about the pregnancy.” He started, Bakugo tightened his grip on your hand. A very worried look crossed his face “They’re safe, and doing well.”

“They?” You said with shock. The doctor nodded.

“Yes, They. That was the other part, I know you Ms. L/N, were told it was one. While doing tests, we did indeed find two. The last thing is that we’d like to keep you here for a few hours just for observation.” He finished.

“Yes, okay. No problem.” You agreed with the doctor.

“Okay, great. I will give you some time. The nurse will be in here in a while to check your vitals and check on you.” The doctor said and left, closing the door behind him.

Bakugo had been awfully quiet while the doctor had spoken. You were unsure of what he was thinking. Bakugo stood up and placed his hands in his pockets.

“Katsuki…” He kissed you chastely at first, then deepened the kiss. All of the emotions he’d been keeping in over the last month tumbled out. Bakugo decided against having his way with you in the hospital bed, and broke the kiss.

“Y/N…” He pulled a black box from his pocket and opened it, up a light pink dusted his cheeks. Inside was a gorgeous round cut diamond solitaire ring set in white gold. You gave him a quizzical look, not understanding.

“Are you going to answer me? Or am I just going to stand here like a dumbass?” He asked you. It took a second, but it clicked in your brain. He was asking you to marry him. You wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him close breathing in his scent. Tears were streaming down your face, as you nodded your answer to him.

“I am sorry, Y/N. I thought you were the villain. I thought you were the bad guy here. When the Chairman explained everything to me. I thought it couldn’t be possible that you’d actually like me. It was that nerd, Deku, who told me that you two had been texting. He kept me up to date, he told me what you had said. When I had found you passed out because that damn extra...I was really scared. I was terrified that you were going to die. I knew I was going to ask you to marry me, the next time I saw you. I am sorry it’s in the hospital. I’ll ask you properly, soon.”

He looked as if  he’d break in your hands, and you knew to an extent that it was true. He sat there holding you close afraid that if he did let you go, you’d disappear.

“Please come back, live with me. Let me take care of you and our children. I promise I will spend every day making it up to you, in every way possible. However, you’d like, for as long as it takes. The happiest I’ve ever been is when I spent time with you.” He said with a softness in his voice that you knew he meant what he was saying.

“I am sorry, Katsuki. I cannot do that.” You told him teasingly. His face dropped, “Not unless you say it.” He groaned at you.

“I love you, Y/N. Will you marry me?” Bakugo asked you followed by another passionate kiss. This moment couldn’t have been more perfect.

[inthedayswhenlandswerefew]

Baby You Were My Picket Fence [Chapter 1: Bad To The Bone]

You are a first grade teacher in sunny Los Angeles, California. Ben Hardy is the father of your most challenging student. Things quickly get complicated in this unconventional love story.  

Song inspiration: Miss Missing You by Fall Out Boy.

Chapter warnings: Language.

Link to chapter list (and all my writing) HERE

Let me know if you’d like to be added to a taglist! :)

This kid is going to be the death of me.

“Eli Fitzgerald Hardy, DO NOT drop that frog!” The words launch from your throat like loosed arrows. Do you sound scary, commanding, authoritarian? You hope so.  

His defiant glare glints wildly beneath dark russet curls. His lips twist into a maniacal grin, revealing small white teeth. His grip noticeably loosens around the wriggling green frog. Maisy, paralyzed by fear, is wide-eyed and whimpering softly in her chair. Eli is standing, looming over her. The room is unnervingly silent as the other students watch in horror.

“Eli, don’t!” you plead.

It’s too late. The frog tumbles from his opened hand. The panicked amphibian lands in Maisy’s frizzy red hair and instantly becomes tangled there. Maisy is screaming, you are screaming, everyone is screaming. Well...everyone but Eli. He points and cackles as you sprint to Maisy’s side and try to pull the frog out of her hair.

“Honey, don’t cry, it’s going to be okay!” you shout over the children’s shrieks as Maisy sobs, her face a frantic shade of pink, her freckled cheeks glistening with tears. At last you manage to free the frog, swiftly carry it to the open window, and let it leap from your palm into the bushes. You wipe your hands on your skirt, your brand new skirt, the skirt now marred with tears and amphibian slime and muddy frog footprints. And have I mentioned that you fucking hate frogs?

“It...was...on...my...HEAD!” Maisy heaves, waving her hands in disgust. The other children are trying to comfort her.

“Maisy, sweetheart, the frog is all gone now. Here, let me fix your hair for you...”

You get Maisy cleaned up and settle the class. Then you turn to your worst nightmare, your arch nemesis, the smug lurking face that keeps you up at night. He’s smiling in the shadowy corner of the room by the coat closet, prowling there like a wolf.

“Eli, come over here please.”

“Yes Miss Teacher.”

“I do have a name,” you say, but halfheartedly. No matter how many times you’ve introduced yourself since the school year started three weeks ago, the students always lapse back into calling you Miss Teacher. One of the many hazards of first grade.

Eli obediently approaches, but his smile never dies.

“Now, that was a very unkind thing you just did to poor Maisy. We don’t want to scare our friends. And we don’t want to bring outside animals into the classroom. They could have germs, or they could bite someone—”

“Frogs don’t have teeth,” Eli points out astutely.

You sigh. “Be that as it may, we cannot drop frogs on our friends. And I think Maisy would really appreciate an apology. Isn’t that one of our class rules, making sure we apologize if we hurt our friends’ feelings?”

You turn to the other students for support, and they nod enthusiastically.

“Can you do that for me and Maisy, Eli?”

“Okay,” he agrees. “Maisy, I’m sorry I dropped the frog on your head.”

“That’s alright,” she replies, wiping her drying eyes. Such a prodigiously sweet child. They hug, the conflict seemingly forgotten. But Eli shoots you a mischievous smirk; he may have Maisy fooled, but you’re a bit shrewder. He’s not really all that sorry, and he’s likely already planning his next act of terror.

After you escort the kids to art class, you sit behind your desk and flip through the emergency contact notecards until you find Eli’s. The first person listed is his father. This is unusual; mothers are almost always the primary contact, especially in this neighborhood. Trophy wives stay home with the babies, dads trot off to their law firms or production companies to rake in the six-figure salaries, those are the unwritten rules. But dad is first on Eli’s card: Benjamin Whitaker Hardy. Actually, there’s no mother listed at all. You drum your fingers thoughtfully on the desk.

You dial Mr. Hardy’s number with your iPhone. It rings, but no one answers. At the tone, you leave a message.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Hardy.” Benjamin Whitaker Hardy, what a pretentious fucking name, he’s a too-important-to-deal-with-his-own-kid corporate desk job guy for sure. “This is Miss Y/L/N, Eli’s teacher here at Dolphin Cove Elementary. I’ve been wanting to speak with you regarding some of Eli’s behavior in class, and I haven’t had much luck with the notes I’ve sent home.” Probably because Eli’s trashing them or burning them or casting voodoo spells with them or whatever demons-in-training do. “I’m hoping we can connect sometime soon and find a solution that works for everyone.” Perhaps an exorcism? “I look forward to hearing from you! Goodbye for now.”

You hang up, sip your Coke Zero, and check your watch. You have fifteen minutes of freedom remaining. You glance out the window to see if the frog is still in the bushes. Blessedly, there’s no sign of it.

After art is reading and writing, then it’s time for the kiddos to go home. You make sure no one forgets their folders or backpack as you corral your class into a semi-orderly line and follow them out to the pickup area. Buses and cars wait patiently as students trickle out of the building and scramble to the vehicle doors, shouting excitedly about the events of the day. “Mommy, I got a gold star in social studies!” “Nana, I had pizza for lunch!” “Mom, Maisy got a FROG dropped on her head!”

Winston—a shy, gentle boy with huge black-rimmed glasses and chubby arms full of library books—stumbles as he sprints for his bus. “Ow!” he moans, spilling his books across the sidewalk, clutching his left knee.

“Uh oh! Win, dear, let me help you.”

You rush to the boy’s side, lift him upright, and brush the dust off his pants. Oh fuck, if he goes home scraped and dirty I’m going to catch hell from the nanny. As you kneel next to Winston, there are footsteps behind you, and then a deep, unfamiliar voice.

“Hi, hello, sorry, Miss Y/L/N...?”

The mysterious voice is jarring: British, sophisticated, impossibly smooth. You are frozen for a moment, then you whirl and rise to your feet. He’s young, really young. Far too young to be a parent in a district where most people don’t start having kids until their late-thirties. He’s blond, green-eyed, fit. And he doesn’t look anything like an attorney or film producer. He looks like a goddamn J.Crew model. Wait, what did he say? Oh yeah, my name.

“Yes, I, uh...that’s me!”

He’s restless, shifting his weight from foot to foot, wearing an expertly-tailored black suit, impatient, arrogant even. “I think you left me a message earlier. I’m Eli’s dad.”

You blink at him. “You’re...his father? Not his tutor? Not the nanny?”

Benjamin Whitaker Hardy narrows his eyes at you. “No.”

“Oh.” This is not going quite the way you’d planned. “I’m sorry, I just...he doesn’t have an accent, and there’s not much of a resemblance, I didn’t make the connection. I hope I haven’t offended you.”

“Yeah, he takes after his mother.” Mr. Hardy peers irritably around the pickup area, his hands in the pockets of his suit jacket. He’s clearly inconvenienced by this conversation. “Sorry I couldn’t pick up my phone earlier, I was at a...” He waves his hand flippantly. “A work thing.”

You find your words in a rush: “Well I wanted to speak to you because your son is clearly extremely gifted and highly intelligent, but he caught a frog at recess and then dropped in on a classmate’s head and it was all pretty traumatizing for the girl, and he has an unfortunate habit of doing things like this, on Monday he tried to glue Winston to his chair, and last week he told Brayden that hamsters don’t go to heaven when they die and Brayden was inconsolable for hours, and then there was the time—”

“Okay, okay, I’ll talk to him.”

That’s all? Really?! “Mr. Hardy, I don’t mean to be overbearing, but this is quite a persistent problem and I’ve been hoping to speak with you at length about it and I really think it warrants a more detailed discussion—”

“Right,” he cuts you off in that posh British accent. “I actually have to run, but I’ll be in touch.”

I bet you will be. “Look, Mr. Hardy...” You lose your manners, just for a second. “I’m sure you’re a very busy man—there are lots of fantastically important people in this city—but you’re also a father. And I get the sense that your son is dealing with some very serious challenges at home that are causing him to act out here. I can’t fix that alone. I need your help.”

Mr. Hardy stares at you, stunned, simmering. Eli bolts out of the throng of students and collides into his father’s suit-clad legs, clasping them and giggling. “Hey, buddy!” Mr. Hardy gushes in a strikingly tender tone, ruffling Eli’s hair. Then, incredibly, his face softens as his jade eyes flick back up to you. “I get it. You have a job to do. And I bet you’re pretty great at it.”

He extends his hand, which is strong and perfect and meticulously manicured.

“Ben,” he offers.

“Y/N,” you reply, shell-shocked, as you grasp his hand.

“I really do have to rush off, though,” he says apologetically, already turning towards a black Lexus.

“Okay. Yeah. We’ll chat soon.”

“Cheers.”

You watch as Ben and Eli jog to the Lexus, disappear inside, and speed off, weaving hazardously through minivans and Land Rovers and buses. You tap your shoes—electric blue flats—against the sidewalk, pondering as laughing children breeze by.

“Awesome,” you whisper to yourself. “The dad is probably a demon too.”

[ellebabywrites]

Judas Kiss 10 - Mark Lee (FINALE)

Type : Series // Angst // Fluff // Smut // Gang!au

Warnings : Violence // Character Deaths // Cussing

Summary : There’s only one rule. You protect your own. None of you had chosen this life, but sticking together was the only way to survive it. When one of you dies and things start going wrong, the boy that saved you once on a whim, might be the only one who can keep you together.

Author Note : We’re finally at the end of Judas Kiss !! This series has been so much fun and my absolute FAVOURITE thing to write !! I’ve fallen in love with all of the characters (yes even Judas) and hope you guys have too - this isn't ‘totally’ the end because there’s still so many reveals to come in the spin offs, and who knows, maybe we’ll get a happy ending epilogue... Please give me some feedback on what you’ve thought about this whole series, it would really mean a lot (loool please validate me)

Your head whips around, weapon at the ready, assuming it was one of Bangtan who had taken out King so quickly. When you see Rikky bleeding and hunched over against the wall, you lower your gun, thankful that he was okay and here to help.

“Rikky thank fuck! Help us get Ty down from here,” Mark and you moved to help Ty, grimacing at the hooks, trying to figure out how to get him out without doing even more damage.

Rikky laughs.

It’s sinister, cold, empty. Chills run up and down your spine at the sound. He laughed. It’s a sound you’re familiar with, but something in it this time makes you feel sick. You don’t want to turn around and face him, you don’t want to have what’s left of your world crash down around you. But he’s still laughing.

Mark turns around first, eyes wide and fists clenched. When you bring yourself to look, you see the rest of Bangtan by Rikky’s side, smirking. Yoongi is directly by his side, watching as Rikky continues the dramatics, hunching over wheezing like this is the funniest thing he’s ever seen. Finally standing up straight, he stretches his arms out and clicks his back and sends you a sickening smile as he points his gun at Yoongi, shooting him and the others dead in a matter of seconds.

“Ugh they were so annoying,” he grumbles, wiping off the drops of blood that had splattered onto his chin.

“Rikky what are you doing…” you hate how small your voice is, but everything is happening so fast you’re worried that one wrong word would bring it all down.

“Aw my sweet baby Y/N,” he takes a step forward and Mark pulls you back, “this little game has been SO much fun, but you see, I am getting rather bored.” He takes another step closer to the two of you, swinging his gun back and forth haphazardly. Mark aims his own gun, not caring that it’s Rikky, only that you’re safe.

“Uh uh uh Markie boy,” Rikky just laughs at his attempts, you really have no idea what he’s capable of and he finds it adorable. “Put the gun down before I blow her brains out okay?”

“What is this!?” Mark shouts, lowering his weapon but keeping a solid grip in case Rikky tries anything else.

“This? This is the big finale! Playing the good guy was getting SO tedious, it was time we wrapped it up don’t you think?” You can’t even look at him. This isn’t happening. This isn’t real. It’s just a nightmare and you need to wake up. He laughs again. “Let me tell you, it was fun while it lasted. I mean, you guys had no idea! So cute! And then you thought it was King and hell if I wasn’t going to roll with that idea!”

“Why are you doing this?! We’re supposed to be family!” Mark yells, anger growing as the pieces start to come together in his mind.

“Family!” He scoffs, “We were never a family Mark! Just lost children King collected to make himself feel better for all the shit he did! Family, please...grow up. King was a terrible father and a terrible leader; do you know how hard it was to live with him for this long? Following his rule, all while knowing I would do it so much better!”

“So what? You did all of this so you could take over from King? You killed all those people for some sort of power trip!?”

“Ughh Mark don’t you pay any attention? I was booored! King played too nice, it was driving me crazy. But that’s over now.” Rikky stopped about two feet in front of you, demeanour suddenly turning serious as he stared you both down. “I’m in charge now.”

“C’mon I know you hate me and everything Y/N but you could at least look at me,” he whines. This whole time you’ve kept your eyes focused on the ground, scared of what you’ll see when you look at him.

“I could never hate you Rikky,” you whisper out, and it’s the truth. For years Rikky has been your brother, he may not have believed in the family, but you did. Even now you loved him.

“Aww really!” He clutched his chest dramatically and pouted when you finally raised your eyes to his, “I killed Johnny Y/N.”

“Okay, maybe I do hate you,” and just like that the love is gone.

“There we go! Listen guys, there’s so much more to this than your tiny little minds could ever understand. King , King I’ve wanted to kill for . A . While . So this was really cathartic for me , thank you for that.” Rikky shoots finger guns at King’s dead body, walking around both you and Mark so he could kick at his legs a few times, making sure he was really dead. “But Johnny…. he was my favourite. Johnny was never apart of the plan, but he just got too close. He always had to know everything, he couldn’t just….Stop.” He looks at you and watches as the tears start dripping down your cheeks, loving the way you keep a scowl on your face despite of it. He always did love riling you up. “Yeah I couldn’t kill Johnny….I did make Namjoon do it though.”

You want to kill him. You want to claw out his eyeballs and cut out his tongue. You want to beat him so hard that he becomes nothing but a pile of bloody mush on the cold ground. This isn’t happening. This isn’t real. The thought replays over and over in your mind. Mark still standing protectively in front of you, but having to hold himself back just the same. This entire time it was him. While you would sit and cry and scream about everything that was going wrong; all the clues that led back to King; fighting for every piece of your heart - it was all Rikky. He sat there; encouraging you all to turn against King, making you believe that he had betrayed you, betrayed Johnny.

King. King was innocent. King had tried to protect you, tried to get you to leave, and you had spat in his face and told him he didn’t care. And now he was dead. A minute ago he was standing right in front of you, looking so scared, and now he was dead.

You can’t keep it in any longer, standing here listening to Rikky laugh and joke about everything he’s done like it’s all been some big game and he’s the winner. Without thinking about it, you launch yourself at him. Baring your teeth and trying to grab whatever you could so you could throw him to the ground. But again, Rikky just laughs at your predictable reaction; swinging back his own fist and punching you in the jaw.

You’re knocked down and the taste of blood fills your mouth, but you won’t give up. Mark’s not far behind you, charging at Rikky and managing to get one good punch in before he’s shot in the shoulder. Rikky laughs maniacally at you both. It’s truly funny to him. Out of all the ways he’d envisioned his charade coming to an end - this was by far the most entertaining. He’d never shown his true strength, never let on what he was actually capable of. Playing the small, weak, funny guy for so long was such a waste of his talents.

“No!” you scream, seeing blood soak through Mark’s shirt and a pale look wash over his face. You can’t lose him. Rikky has taken every single person you love away from you, he doesn’t get to take Mark too. You try to attack him again but Rikky throws you back on the ground with ease.

You feel him move to straddle your waist, his hands grip around your throats, squeezing tightly. He laughs again.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to do this,” he snarled, tightening his grips even more and ignoring the way you desperately try and pull his hands away from you. “Give up Y/N, I won. There is nothing you can do.”

Your vision starts to blur as it becomes harder and harder to keep fighting back. Your legs stop kicking, you stop clawing at his hands. He was right.

Just before you give in completely and let Rikky take you too, there’s another gunshot and suddenly Rikky is lying over the top of you. Holding no grip against your neck as he pins you down with the dead weight of his body. You choke out, desperate for air, somehow managing to find the strength to roll his body off you, revealing the red stain that covered your chest.

And then there’s Mark. He lifts you up into his arms and holds your body close, hand cupping the back of your head and burying you in his chest. “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s over now,” He whispers and you feel yourself finally break. You mould yourself into his chest and sob, letting him stroke your hair and squeeze you tightly as he tried to calm himself down too.

“Y/N we need to get Ty and go, c’mon baby let’s go.”

Mark holds Ty’s lifeless body up while you try to pull the fish hooks from his skin. He screams in pain and it breaks your heart, but at least he’s alive.

“I’m sorry Ty, I’m sorry, just one more,” Mark has the whole of Ty’s weight leaning against him as you try and get him down. You can’t believe that Rikky could have done this to him. At this point you don’t think you’ll ever stop crying.

“We gotta go,” Ty whimpers as you and Mark help him get out of the warehouse and safely in the van.

“We are Ty, we’re going, we got you,” you say, trying not to let the fear and pain slip into your voice, knowing he’s feeling so much more and needs your help.

“No. We need to leave the city.”

“You need a hospital Ty, we can’t… we can’t fix this ourselves,” Mark tries to reason but you all know he’s right. N.City was free territory now. King was gone, no one was at the top anymore and who knows what kind of mess Rikky had left behind. It would be an all out war, with everyone coming for you. As the last members of King’s crew you would all be the number one targets of anyone and everyone that wanted a shot at the top of the food chain. Not to mention now that Bangtan were dead, their allies would surely be looking for retribution. N.City was about to become a warzone, with the three of you dead in the centre of it all. It was best to leave now before everything blows up.

“He’s right,” You all pile into the Van, Mark in the driver’s seat and you behind, sitting with Ty, “we need to leave. Right now.” Knowing that you two were right, and not even wanting to think about what could happen if you stay, Mark shifts the car into drive; leaving N.City and everything here, behind you.

[mashafootball]

Emotional Drunk (Julian Brandt Imagine)

A/N: This one was “requested” by an anon (I really like the prompt of you & ju never really talking about marriage and kids but one day you come home drunk and talk about having his babies lol idk) 

I changed it a bit (Julian coming home drunk instead of Y/N), but if you “insist” on your request, you can message me again and I can write another one or a part 2 or something like that. 

Enjoy! Short Julian Brandt FLUFF 

You let out a frustrated groan as you skipped through the Instagram-story of your boyfriend’s brother while brushing your teeth. “You can’t be serious...”, you mumbled to yourself as you saw a short sequence of Julian dancing around the club, completely out of his mind. Even though you expected Julian to let a little loose while he could enjoy some off-time, you didn’t even dare to think about drunk, silly Julian dancing around a club looking like a maniac. Due to the fact that you have been together with this maniac for more than three years already you knew that he probably had about three beers, maybe four. Because believe it or not Julian Brandt, tall, handsome, fit – couldn’t handle alcohol, at all! You still remember that one time where he had two glasses of champagne on New Year’s Eve and half an hour later you were tugging him into his bed, kissing his forehead and wishing him a good night. Being able to watch Julian being drunk (or at least a little drunk) was quite something and somehow you always enjoyed observing him as soon as he started to act ‘a little funny’ (as he usually liked to call his behavior the following day), but not being there with him made you feel a little uneasy.

“Watch out for him and stop posting stories, Jan.”, you texted Jannis after hopping into bed, taking the book you are currently reading with you. “Ok mum.” You scrunched up your nose at his reply, shaking your head slightly. “Do you need me to pick you up later?” After sending the last text you started reading your book, diving into the storyline, forgetting about your phone completely. As you felt your eyes getting heavier and heavier by the minute you put the book back on its place on your nightstand, grabbing your phone and turning off the bedside lamp. “We wi take as taxsi.”, you read Jannis reply, not really knowing if you should laugh or cry. Every single event that involved Jannis usually ended pretty bad, most of the time really funny, but still also bad. That boy truly is a party animal and while Julian is more the relaxed, ‘I enjoying staying at home’ type of guy, he often let Jannis force him to attend parties he normally would never even think about. “Ok. Stay safe! And please take care of Ju!” Despite you knowing that Jannis was probably already too drunk to even take care of himself, you really hoped that he would watch out for crazy, drunk Julian.

You tossed and turned for a while in the big bed, hating the feeling of falling asleep alone but after some time tiredness took over and you finally fell asleep.

All of a sudden there was a muffled sound coming from your flat’s hallway, awakening you immediately. For a few moments you didn’t really know what to do, your breathing was way to heavy and you could feel your heart hammer against your chest. Still confused from having slept almost a minute prior you took a look at Julian’s side of the bed, preparing yourself for waking him so he could protect you from whatever just entered the flat. “Oh.” You had to stop yourself from chuckling as you got out of bed, your feet shuffling on the cold floor as you walked out of the bedroom.

“Y/N!”, Julian exclaimed happily as soon as he saw you, stumbling towards you ready to embrace you in a hug. “Julian.”, you said with a disgusted look on your face “You stink.” You could see the smile leaving his face as soon as you said it, making you regret what you had just told him. How could you forget that he always gets extra vulnerable and emotional after a few drinks? “What’s that – what do you mean?”, he shook his head, giving you a confused look. “Nothing, Schatz. Come on, let’s get you into the shower.”, you said instead offering him your hand while your other one stroked his neck. “No.”, he furrowed his eyebrows, puckering his lips as he looked at you, “What do you mean?” You could see the confusion written all over his face, almost making you laugh, but you reminded yourself that laughing would probably make him cry right now. “You smell of alcohol Ju, that’s what I meant. Now come on!”, you tried pulling him with you, but he just wouldn’t move. Rather than giving him, he pulled himself away from your grip, slowly tumbling towards your sofa. “Julian...”, you tried again, walking over to the couch, standing next to him. “Aren’t you tired? Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

“Y/N you don’t take me seriously.”, he sighed laying back on the couch and closing his eyes. “Of course, I do Julian.”, you tried to reason him, only making him sigh again. “No, you don’t.”, he gave you a stern look, almost making you feel bad. You tried to suppress your grin as you took a seat next to him, reaching over to smooth his hair back. Even though you could feel your boyfriend relaxing into your touch, his stern look just didn’t stop. “Tell me one..one one thing, Y/N.”, he slurred while raising a finger at you.

“Yes, Julian?”, you let out a yawn, realizing just now how late (or rather early) it already was. “Y/N.”, he whined as he saw that you took a look at the clock behind him. “Yes, Julian!” You shot him a smile, continuously stroking up and down his back, “What is it?”, you tried encouraging him to say whatever he wanted to say but it seemed like he was struggling with finding the right words.

“Y/N Y/L/N” You raised your eyebrows at him as he said your full name, “If I asked you right n- right now, here on this sofa. Yes?”, you nodded your head, not really understanding what his point was. “Would you..”, he reached out to scratch his neck, something he usually only does when he’s quite nervous, “If I asked you here on this beige sofa Y/N would you marry me?”, he looked at you hopefully, his right hand still gripping his neck. You weren’t really sure what you were supposed to say, because you couldn’t really tell how he would react to whatever you could say. “Julian.”, you giggled, placing your arm around his wide shoulders, “you are so drunk, Liebling.”, while you continued you smiling, Julian didn’t look happy at all, his eyes glistening dangerously. “What?”, he muttered at the loss of his words, “No?”, his sad puppy eyes falling on your face. You let out a shaky breath, once again not really sure if you shouldn’t laugh or cry. “We could talk about that another time, yeah? I think you would actually plan your proposal a little different.” But Julian didn’t seem very happy with your answer. “Can’t you accept me the way I am?”, the look he had in his eyes almost breaking your heart. Thankfully, he was just drunk, otherwise you would have died on the spot because his puppy eyes were just too much to handle. “What are you talking about? Of course, I accept you the way you are. Julian it’s late and we should both head off to bed now, so come on, I will help you with everything.”, you promised, but he still didn’t start moving.

“You know, Y/N. Y/N I always think about having babies with you. But I guess that will not work.”, he swallowed, “now because in ‘your opinion’”, he put ‘your opinion’ in quotation marks with his hands, “I stink.”

You were well aware of the fact that Julian was completely drunk. Way too drunk to be taken seriously, but still, his words made your heart flutter a bit, because even though you two had been together for quite a while, you never really talked about marriage and kids before. As you looked at him, looking more tired than ever and also very unhappy and nervous, you couldn’t help but fall in love with him all over again. The sad look in his eyes as you ‘denied’ his ‘proposal’ made butterflies erupt in your stomach. “Julian.”, you said softly, taking his big shaking hand in yours, “I love you very much and one day I will force you to marry me.”, you said while seeing the lopsided smile appear in his face, “and after that I will force you to get me pregnant, because I can’t even wait to have little kids running around that look at you. But we will talk about that tomorrow, come on now!”, this time he cooperated a little more, letting you pull his figure up from the couch. As you tried to pull him after you into the bathroom, he held you back, pulling your figure into his body, the smell of alcohol stinging in your nose.

“I feel very nauseous right now, but I can’t wait.”

{ tagged: @julianbrandtrelated @holybrandt }

[autumnpawtribe]

Complications Part 8

((TW: Murder, Violence...  Eh just go with all the things.)) Xiao actually chuckled at Aret's words, kissing him gently on the forehead. He spoke in Pandaren, but he translated through the link for Vol. "Aret, do you really think they would not be coming back to Pandaria with us? They are your family... and you are our family. They will be welcome in our home, just as Naddja and Zakin are." He hugged Aret and then offered a warm look to his mother. "Take them outside, Aret. To your apartment. Your family and your daughter need some time together. We will be back when we are done, okay?"

Aret looked up at Vol and Xiao as Vol pulled him to his feet.  "Take our daughter to your apartment.  Get some clean clothes and such for your mother and sister before you go.  Xiao and I will finish this up and meet you there.”  We'll bring something to eat.  Rest, sweetheart, and trust us."  He gave Aret a kiss, smiling as Pahre blushed, but smiled.  "He is well loved, Auntie.  I promise.  Please trust us both."

When Aret left with his mother, Tarja in his arms, Vol turned and grinned brightly around his tusks.  "this is needed...."  With that the big hunter used one of the kicks Xiao had taught him, dropping his heel right onto the man's nose, watching it explode in blood.   "Dat be fer Auntie.."

Xiao watched them leave, making sure they were out of sight before he turned around and- WOW that was a mess of blood that splattered all over. He let out a disbelieving little noise, not out of distaste, but merely surprise. "Someone was in a hurry." He said through the link to Vol. "Do you wish to do the honors since I already have paralyzed them and left them with little pride left? Jansevet is more stubborn but Aket seems quite broken, which I am rather proud of even though I likely should not be."

"Do you blame me..  and my kills were quick, clean and business like.  THIS involves our husband and our daughter.  Personal."  Vol grinned, pulling the hunting knife off of his hip.  "Oh, It's gonna be my pleasure."  Vol became silent and ultimately businesslike as he swatted a few spiders away from the screaming priest.  "Oh Shut yer face, ja gonna be dead in a minute.  Xiao Chun, dey can feel dey faces, right?"

"Not at all, they are monsters. They deserve it." He then watched as Vol pulled out the knife, shaking his head. "They are numb from the neck down. I severed each spinal cord, but they can still feel from the neck up. I am not entirely certain of the cut off, but... somewhere on the neck. Jansevet also soiled himself, so... that is what /that/ smell is."

"Ah smelt raptah shit before... Ja go open da door?"  There was a scratching sound behind the door as Vol knelt down over the priest, smiling as he grabbed an upright tusk in one hand and his forehead in the other.  His words were in Zandali, so he translated for Xiao so nothing was missed.  "This is for my Daughter." He Snapped the left tusk off at the jaw line and set it to the side as Aket Screamed in abject pain.  "This is for my Pandaren husband for making him upset"  Both Tusks were left on the man's chest as their prey screamed in horror and suffering.  He did the same to the old prelate, the same response from snapped off tusks as he spoke.  "This is for my Zandalari husband and torturing him...  And this one is for his mother and sisters, for the same thing."

Xiao nodded and moved to the door, wincing lightly at the sounds of tusks snapping, but he knew it was deserved. He opened the door, expecting to likely find Honor and Valor on the other side if he had to guess.Valor actually licked Xiao's face, finding the spot of blood before He and Honor wandered in.  Vol whistled and both sat, watching the pair of Zandalari that would be their dinner.  Vol let them both lay and scream, rolling his eyes as he found a cooking pot, and lined it with what looked like large palm leaves.  "Xiao, love, can you shut them up?  Annoying as fuck and the old one keeps cursing my balls... so.. Little sick of him." 

Xiao squeaked in surprise at Valor, smiling a bit as he gave the raptors each a friendly little scritchin'. He looked over to Vol and nodded. "Of course. One moment." He went over to touch them and then kind of just... made a whimpering noise and looked to Vol. "Spiders..." He said through the link, trying not to be weak but there were still spiders crawling over each one.

"Nothing to be done about them.  She's upset with them as it is I would bet.  Don't fuck with Shadra."  He found a lid that fit the cooking vessel and put it on the side next to Aket.  He used words in Zandalari, speaking the words softly, but strong enough it was easy to know this was a prayer, ritual.  "Bwonsamdi take you, in peace.  To the Loa of graves I send you.  Death comes for all, mortal and Loa alike.  He is the equality of the world.  No matter your power, status, strength.  We all go to him in the end.  I am a hunter of death, I give you until my Loa this day."

Aket could not stop Vol as the long knife was plunged into his gut above his umbilicus, and pulled up until the blade met bone.  The hunter grunted as he pulled harder, enough to crack the bone.  There were no screams, but the room felt different and a maniacal laugh filled the air.  Vol knew the voice and spoke through the link to Xiao.  "DO NOT look up.."

"Et been a LONG time, Raptahblood..  Took someone wrongin' ya family fer ya ta send me gifts again, hmm?"

"I apologize for my lack of service, Guardian of the Dead.  I hope they make up for it."

"You send me two of Shadra's.. and no contest from her.  Ah be forgivin' ya, man."

Xiao nodded, offering Vol an apologetic glance at not being able to silence them. He just couldn't get himself to touch all of the tiny spiders. When Vol began sliding the blade into the flesh, Xiao looked up and away, off to the side toward the kitchen. What he didn't expect was the laughter. He immediately whipped his head toward the noise as if ready to defend... and then he heard Vol's words. It was too late, he was already laying eyes upon the Loa of Graves himself, going a bit wide eyed. "You... should have told me sooner..." He said through the link nervously.

"Well.. Well.  The Little monk what started this little sacrifice.  If the Raptahblood 'ere hadn't come, YOU were gonna gift me these two, I would bet."  The Loa cackled, looking down at Xiao.  "Take pride in ya work, little man."  The Troll skull-like face looked Xiao in the face, a smile in his words.  "Ya served me maaaany guests in your wars.  You won't deny it, will ya?  Raptahblood!  You finish em, and Ah'll gladly take what you and your little man gave.  Remember, the heart is best stewed..."

With that the Loa disappeared, Vol relaxing immediately as he went back to work.  "Well, he knows you."

Xiao offered a nervous smile as he mentioned his wars, nodding a little. "Many, yes... and I had every intention of giving these two to you, had Vol'raka not come for Aret's mother. You deserve to do with their souls as you will, they are too cruel for this world." 

He said with a hard swallow, hoping he wasn't speaking out of line. When the Loa vanished, Xiao practically slumped, leaning against the wall with a full-body sigh. "Sweet Celestials above, Vol'raka you could have warned me he might make an ACTUAL appearance. You should feel how fast my heart is pounding right now."  He said as he tried to steady himself, his hands lightly shaking.

"Xiao, NO ONE controls Bwonsamdi.  I didn't think He'd show, so why worry you?" 

The troll kept slicing his prey up, having broken Aket's ribcage at that point and looking down at the beating heart.  "Here is where we find out how queasy you get."  

Precise incisions released vessel and sinew as the heart stopped beating and Mala'ket slowly lost the light in his eyes.  Vol cleaned the blade on the priest's robes as he placed the heart in the cook pot.  "He shat himself too, no leg meat, but Im not cooking a roast.  Can you find me a cup.. or something small with a lid?"

Xiao seemed mostly unphased by the heart, still recovering from the LOA OF GRAVES actually fucking showing up. He stood and leaned in to kiss Vol gently on the cheek. "I am more queasy from Bwonsomdi showing up than cutting out a heart. Death is something I try to avoid unless necessary, a Loa? That is much more startling." He said with a nervous chuckle as he began to look through the kitchen for something to match Vol's description. "They really do not smell good..." He murmured to himself mostly. "I should have made them go to the bathroom before I severed their cords."

"Those two don't care.  They'll still eat them.  And how do you think you would have.... managed that?"  Vol smiled, even as his arms were covered in blood and he'd began nonchalantly dismembering the younger male's corpse with a crunch and crack of bone and body.  "They wouldn't have listened... 'hey go squat on the pot before I kill ya'."  The Darkspear chuckled as Jansevet watched in horror as they were so blasé about what they were doing.  He could not talk for the spiders in his mouth and throat, but he was still very aware.  "did you hear my prayer, Xiao.   He is the equality of the world.  Don't fear him.  Respect him."  

Xiao smiled, chuckling now. "Yeah, that... would not have exactly made sense. Still, it is unpleasant." He looked back at them. "I think he is shocked that us 'weaker' races are so capable of talking about these things so easily." He shook his head, leaning down before pointing at Vol. "He serves Bwonsamdi. More importantly? Let me simplify this. The two many your boy loves?" He paused, looking at Vol. "Bounty hunter." He then pointed at himself. "Shado-Pan and war veteran." He dropped his hand and shook his head, speaking toward Jansevet's person now. "Fool..."

"ey now, ah not a bounty huntah anymore.  Ah tend mah raptahs, ah love mah mates, an' a raise ouah baby.  Ah take farmah, Fathah an' lovah more serious, hmm?  Ah just real skilled at dis.  et fill mah belly, en more ways den one.  En dis case.  Breakfast.  Maybe dinnah ef ah gotta stew et."  

Jansevet had pure fear in his eyes as he saw Vol finish up and leave Aket's mangled form alone.  He stood, picking up the pot and moving it closer to the old man.  "When I did this, for money.  I would apologize, if I was looking them in the eye.  I'm not sorry tonight.   You hurt a sweet man, made his life hell.  He was strong enough to stay alive.  As his husbands, we have an obligation, you see.  We are obligated to protect our family.  You no longer being alive will let me sleep SO much better at night now.  You should know some things.  Your oldest Grandson, Zakin, is a good, smart boy and I am glad to call him nephew.  Your daughter's supposedly dead baby.  That is the daughter I helped make.  Our Little Tarja is chosen to be a Shadowhunter for Vol'jin once he comes to his power.  She is beautiful and will grow strong of heart, spirit, body and mind.  She will be raised with unconditional love.  You will have at LEAST three more grandchildren, that you will never meet, nor will they know anything about you.  your legacy dies with you.  None will mourn.  Your wife, she will be treated as I treat an Aunt.  Your daughters I will protect until they find ones they love, I will arrange no marriage for them.  Every ministration you used to destroy them, I will work hard to undo.  You will cease to exist.. and I will destroy your memory one day at a time." 

Vol smiled, an oddly calm gesture as he placed his knife between the old man's eyes.  "They are my family now.  They are our family now." 

Xiao moved up behind Vol as he moved beside Jansevet, standing behind his love like a stalwart supporter, staring the Zandalari man down as his love spoke each and every word to dismantle the monster's life works. Xiao reached out for Vol's hand to stop him before he plunged the blade in, however. He spoke in Zandali, managing the sentence remarkably well for someone still learning the language. "May Bwonsomdi show your soul the same mercy you showed your family. Loa of Graves take you... and punish you forever." With that, he spat on Jansevet's face the same way he'd been spat at earlier. Then he let Vol's hand go, letting him plunge as he wished.

Vol grinned, holding Xiao's hand on his as he plunged the dagger down, letting the skull crack as the blade sunk in.  "Ja Loa gonna love workin' wit Ja, lil lovah."  He pulled the dagger out, flicked a bit of bone off of it and used the same technique on Jansevet as he did on Aket.  "You find that cup?  I want to collect some blood before we go ransacking the house.."

Xiao smiled with a little blush. "You bringing out my dominance paired with me dipping back into... well, 'War Veteran Xiao' has made me more confident in things like this." He said before nodding and reaching over for the teapot he found since it had a lid like Vol asked. "Will this work?"  

“It'll work.  Looks like a pandaren spoil.  Ours now."  Some blood from both men found its way into the pot, a small bit of cloth from Aket's robes plugging the end as both hearts and two pairs of tusks made it into the covered pot.  "There. Easy to carry."  He moved away, whistled, watched the raptors dive in to two dead trolls and turned to Xiao.  "We need to ransack the house, make it look like robbery.  unless you have a better idea?"

Xiao watched the two raptors for a moment before shaking himself away from it and looking at Vol. "I was just going to suggest we burn the place down, but... it is mostly stone, so I don't know if that would work."

"Before we do that, look for valuables then.  Anything that looks like an heirloom, or something they want to keep?  The inside will burn just fine, but the walls wont burn before the shamans and mages get here."

"Will that be enough?" He then gasped. "Ooh, we could make it look like a kitchen fire. Have something in the pot go wrong but we accelerate it?" He asked curiously, trying to be helpful.

“I am marrying a clever pandaren.  Look around.. ten minutes.  Then we burn it."

With That Vol wandered out, looking for all valuables he could find.  In a box he came back with a doll, some jewelry, Gold, A Sari-type length of silk that looked pandaren in its pattern, a few knives, of gold and obsidian.  There were other little treasures in the box, the black wooden container tucked under his arm.  "Find anything?"

Xiao smiled and kissed Vol before scampering off, going around looking through the home. He came back after some time, carrying a small box, looking as though he might cry. "Vol..." He whispered. "I found a hiding spot in Aret's old room... I found a journal, a doll... drawings..." He bit his lip. "I... I am afraid to ask him if he wants them." He cleared his throat. "I also found some antiques from Pandaria, likely stolen during the invasion. A small vase, some dinner finery. We can use them as our formal dinnerware." He was trying to remain casual, but something from Aret's hidey hole seemed to have upset him.  

"Let him decide.  They are his old memories.  We are the new."

Vol had built a small pyre on the cook stove, his raptors looking fat and happy now.  He had a bottle of what looked like wter, but smelled like goblin jet fuel.  "Janaret.  Take Tarja, your sister and Mother back home.  We will meet you there in a bit.  Get them settled in to a room for the night and we'll talk."  

There was a whine, but Aret did as he was told, going quiet as Vol poured the liquid on the wood, soaking the material and then over what the raptors had not eaten.  "I don't have that fire breath... thing....  Care to do the honors?"

Xiao nodded, setting the small collection of items down and taking the bottle from Vol. "I always hated this part, the alcohol always tastes horrible..." He said with a shake of his head. "The bodies, the stove, or... everything?"

The Darkspear bent down, picked up the little collection, and walked to his pets and put his arm around one's neck.  "All of it.  I'll take Valor...  bring Honor with you?  Burn it down, no trace."  He blew a kiss and touched his hearthstone, letting Xiao know that they were landed and waiting on him.  

"Quickly, lil love.  We have a mess here to settle everyone in."

Xiao nodded. "We will be right behind you." He said to Vol before watching him leave. He brought the bottle to his lips, took a swig, sparked the Chi in front of his lips, and spit in a wide arc of fire that exploded from his mouth. He had luckily grown quite skilled at this, managing to not singe a single piece of fur. He did this several times, the first one singeing the bodies to a crisp until they were unrecognizable. Then he did the same to the kitchen, starting from the pot and making it look like a kitchen fire gone wrong. He hurriedly backed out of the room toward the front door, taking Honor with him. He filled the back rooms one by one, hurrying out until the entire house was starting to fill with smoke. 

"Come on, Honor."  He said it with a cough as he pressed his back to the front door, far away from the smoke as he could manage. He took one last swig and filled the main room, the fire getting dangerously close. He threw the bottle into the fire, making a small fireball explode upward and causing Xiao to yip. "Okay time to go!" 

He triggered the hearthstone and yanked them to safety as the home filled with flames, his fur undamaged but damn was it warm to the touch as if he'd been laying in the sun for several hours.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Once Vol walked in to the house, the boxes  in his hand, he heard the screams.  They were of joy at least.  Vol wandered up, sighing as he got into the shower, scrubbing himself as clean as he could of blood, clipping his nails even to be sure nothing was left behind.  He got as presentable as he could, shaving the sides of his head and rebraiding his hair, making sure his tusks had no trace of blood or grime.  He was aiming to make a first impression.  When he sensed Xiao home and in the house, he wandered down, tying a knee length kilt low on his hips.  

"Get cleaned up, My love.  Best to explain tonight before they all are settled in to bed."

Xiao came home and nodded, leaning against Vol and hugging him tight. "I will head up, this armor feels much hotter than normal..." He said as he kissed Vol's nose and wandered up, looking tired. He washed quickly, but it still took a small bit since he had to do his fur cleaning process. He came down wearing his red vest and black pants, as casually dressy as he could be. 

"Why am I suddenly nervous. I brought the woman back from the brink of death and I am worried about what she will think of me now?"

"She will think how she thinks.   It is Aret who thinks the world of you.  The man who curls his arms around you in the night as you cuddle and sleep, love and wake up with kisses all over that adorable face of yours.  It is the little girl who calls you Ba, who wants cuddles and comfort, who looks at you as if you hung the stars for her and her alone.  It is me, and reminding you that, no matter what, you are the other side of my soul."  

Vol smiled, kissing Xiao on the nose and taking his hand.  "Ja come den?"Xiao practically swooned at Vol's words, wrapping his arms around him and kissing him deeply. He gave a little moan, not one of lust, but just of how deeply he loved the man. "I thank the Celestials for the day I met you, Vol'raka Autumnpaw." He said the full name, grinning widely, love so clear in the way he looked at him. "I am ready..." 

He leaned down again, grinning.  "Wit dat dominant streak, mebe Are and ah cane make lil mastah Xiao feel nice en da mornin', hmm?  Ah do owe mouth presents."

He left it at that as he walked to where they had made rooms for Naddja and her son.  There, Janaret was holding Tarja, letting Nielka coo over her as Naddja and her mother spoke in the corner.  There were tears in the eyes of all four, Zakin asleep in his mother's lap.  It was Naddja who smiled looking toward her mother.  

"Mother, this is Vol'raka and Xiao Chun.  They are...."

"The loves of my life.  They are my husbands to be.". Aret smiled, standing and walking toward both.  He didn't care what his family thought as he licked Vol's chin and kissed Xiao's lips.  "Thank you.....  I don't know what happened, but I.... Thank you."

Xiao wiggled a bit. "You better follow through with that." He murmured happily before following them inside. He was looking at Pahre the most as they spoke, wanting to make sure she was okay. However, when Aret spoke of them, he smiled and leaned into the kiss, wrapping his arms around him to hug him gently as he returned it; albeit chastely as his mother was right there. 

"I would do anything for you and your family... Vol too. You needed to be safe, to be able to sleep at night. So did your mother and sisters."

"I think, Little Master, that we will be ok now.". 

Aret blushed, hugging Xiao tightly before introductions.  "This is my mother, Pahre, my sister, Nielka. They have met our daughter.". He added through the link.  "She knows Naddja birthed her, and both accept not calling her Tarja's mother."  

Pahre stood, clothed in whatever Naddja had that fit, walking over to Xiao first and looking down on him.  She let her magic fall, showing so many old scars that even Vol was agape.  "You, stopped.  No more hurts.  Jansevet, Mala'ket.  Dead?   Yes.  Good.  Grandbabies safe.". Her orcish was just as bad as Xiao's Zandali.

Xiao nodded at Aret, so happy to hold him. When Pahre walked over and her magic dropped, his eyes actually glistened slightly with sadness as if he were fighting tears. He nodded. "Yes, dead." He said in Zandali before hugging slowly extending his arms as to not frighten her with sudden movement, and then went to hug her. That would also mean she'd have a whole mess of INCREDIBLY soft Xiao fur wrapped around her, it'd likely feel like heaven on her skin compared to what she's been living with. "I am sorry for pain. You no deserve it. They no deserve life. I am happy I got rid of. You safe now. Stay here if want?" He said with a smile, looking up at her, assuming she hadn't panicked and pulled away from the hug.

"Your Zandali is getting better, Lover."  

Vol wandered forward and kissed Aret softly, giving the same look to both of his mates as he pulled him into an embrace, back to chest.  The look was one of love, softness, and acceptance.  "Auntie, You are welcome to stay here long as you like and need.  No strings.  You are mother to our mate, and grandmother to our daughter.  After that hell and those two Quashi Yudo, you deserve rest."

Pahre tensed up, so used to pain, she was not used to endearment nor affection.  She quickly recovered and hugged Xiao back.  She looked at him, then the two large trolls.  "You love my son, no pain, anger or yelling?  No hitting, or..  abuse?"

Vol nodded, looking at Xiao then down at Aret.  "No unwanted pain.  Respect and love.  He is a loving father, a beloved mate and a good man.  No matter what that shit bag tried to do, he is sweet, caring, and loving.  As he said, you and your daughters are welcome here.  We have extra rooms, but will need to get you clothing.  We grabbed some things in your old house, we will sort them after breakfast.  Aret..."  

He pulled away, a hand on his sweetheart's cheek.  "Settle them in for the night, show them the kitchen if they need something to eat before breakfast, then come to bed.  We will need to talk a little and sleep.  I have to be up in a few hours and I am a bit tired."

Xiao smiled over at Vol, looking so proud as his Zandali was complimented. "I have been studying." He knew that one, as if he was hoping he'd be asked about it. He then looked back to Pahre and shook his head. "Never anger or yelling. He is Ba'la, Wassa'dim... Lok'dim, someday. We only try to..." He paused, thinking hard for a moment before finally finding the word. "Strive to make him happy." He said with a resolute nod before looking to the Vol. "Right, we need to talk to Aret about... that thing." 

He said in Orcish now, looking at Aret with a hint of concern, though trying to hide it.

Aret was confused for a moment but nodded, licking Vol's chin and clicking tusks as they kissed.   The Prelate kissed Xiao softly as well, caste and loving.  "Mother, Nini.  Come we'll get some blankets and settle you in."

[iammarylastar]

3. Back to the U.S.

I’m dead. After I’ve travelled more than half of the world, I’ve finally reached Washington. So much wasted time which had kept me away from Angie, more than 10 fucking months. It already took me forever to heal from my wounds and be able to walk again. Thanks to the help and good care of Mikomi.

Hope. That’s what her name meant. That’s what she gave me. That’s what helped me to stay alive, what gave me the strength to go on, along with the sweet memories of Angie’s face.

Hope is exactly what left me as I put my feet on the ground. Sacred ground of United States of America. The land that bore me. And Angie. Maybe my child if I’m lucky.

I left Mikomi and her dad, on a fishing boat heading to China. Not really, in those times of war, Japanese and Chinese were like cats and dogs. I’m already lucky I landed on that tiny island where Sensei and his people lived like in the 17th century, they even don’t have electricity. They live in their own world, far from the war.

The ship’s master kicked me out on a Chinese island in the middle of nowhere in the East China Sea, then I sailed from tiny islands to tiny islands until I reached China.

I managed to find a cargo ship heading to America. U.S.A. Read on my lips: U.S.A. My Japanese was quite decent, but my Chinese totally non-existent and I I swear when I found out I’d landed in California, I cried my eyes out. Fucking fate.

My original plan was to land somewhere on the East Coast, then ride a train, a bike or a fucking horse to Washington, where I could gather clues to find out what had happened to Angie. Or Jessie. I was even ready to face Gessepp again if he was back in the Mother land and beg him on my knees, even kiss his bloody ass to know where she lived.

I ’d rather ask the War Department which was supposed to have all the slightest information available about that damn war, all the shit about our base included.

I struggled so much to make myself understood on that Chinese pier, unable to even write U.S.A. with current letters, those damn Chinese hieroglyphs still totally unknown to me. My face lightened at the sweet and weird sound, rolling off that Asian’ s tongue:

“America? Yes, there!” OK, he didn’t really say that, but enthusiastically nodded his head, pointing at a big ship. My tired brain was so relieved and happy that it assumed the boat was heading to the East Coast. Fuck. Me.

San Francisco was beautiful though but I didn’t have time for tourism. I had to survive, find a job to have money, clothes and somewhere to sleep. I did dirty jobs, exhausting physical works; I was alternatively a beggar, a cow boy, a farm hand, a thief, whatever I could do to earn my keep. Keep going. Keep walking. Keep dreaming of Angie and my baby. I made my way across the country, heading East by foot, sometimes hitchhiking, sneaking into a freight train when I was lucky. I never rested, I never stopped, until I finally reached Washington.

Now, I’m losing my nerves at the War Dept, South East Asia sector office, biting my lips bloody as the bitch in front of me repeats her shit for the umpteenth time.

“I’m sorry, but it’s classified as…”

“ I don’t give a fuck about classified! I risked my goddamn life in Japan to save your bloody American ass, I’ve travelled the whole country by foot to be here, so just give me the fucking answer I need! Where is She?? ”

She startles as I slam violently my palm on the desk, marking each word I’m barking so I’m sure she fucking gets the point. I’m aware the whole hall turns silent and feel a thousand sets of eyes stabbing my back but I don’t care. I keep staring at her with a murderous glare, leaning half my upper body over the desk, pointing a threatening forefinger to her face.

I’ve wasted a whole week, getting sent from offices to offices, from stupid to haughty or suspicious secretaries, claiming I had no appointment, no military ID, no reason to be here.

Fuck me I have all the reasons to be here. I have one. I lost the love of my life and my survival, the only chance I get to have her back, depends on you, bitch! But all I’ve earned by now are closed doors and mouths.

Oh, I forgot, one smart ass asked me if I was a deserter, another told me that I could be stamped “fit for duty” if I couldn’t submit any evidence of a “serious injury”. I laughed so hard she almost sent me to an insane asylum.

The truth is there’s nothing to be happy about. Angelina McCarthy just doesn’t exist in their files, all that’s Colonel Gessepp related is marked secret. Mac, Louie, Phil and myself are MIA, assumés KIA, end of story.

“Sir, I’m asking you to step back and calm down or I’ll call the security guards.” The frightened bitch barely whispers, swallowing hard. Jesus I wish she would choke on her spit.

Two shadows appear behind my back and I feel defeated, I know that being thrown to jail is not the best option to get Angie back.

“OK…” I drop my head and lean my hands on the desk for a second, waiting for the weakness in my knees and the bile rising in my throat to pass.

“FUCK!” I grip and pull on my hair as I howl in frustration, kicking out the chair I was supposed to sit on.

I told you I’m dead. This is the end of the road. No hope left. I could knock at every single door across the whole country, asking for Angie, looking for her but I’m so tired. I just want to lie down on the ground, curl up like a baby and sleep for the next 50 years.

“CUP! CUUUP!” A scream. A call. A female voice. I turn around to the sound, terrified by what I’m about to face. Who I am about to face. That’s not Angie’s voice, I’m sure of it, though her voice could have changed, by dint of cries.

My sight is still blurry with tears and rage, but a woman is running towards me, calling my name out loud.

I have no choice but let the hysterical stranger jump on me, kiss my face and hug me, her face widened in shock that I was back from the dead. Which I actually am.

“Oh Jesus, Cup, is it really you?” She asks between cries, patting my cheeks and shoulders.

I know that voice. I know those hands. Stop crying on my chest so I can see your face. I gently pull the woman back to study her face. I lost some parts of my life because of the crash, but not her. Debrah.

“Step back guys. It’s OK. He’s with me.” She orders to the guards who surround us, waving her ID card that proved she works here.

“ Cup, what the fuck happened to you? We all thought you were dead.”

“Yeah, I thought it myself. But I survived. But tell me, please Deb, tell me about Angie. Is she safe? Does she live here in America?”

“Come with me. We need to talk. We need a drink. You need to know.” She states, grabbing my hand and dragging me outside.

It was a long talk. A fucking long disaster. I wish I haven’t survive just to hear this. And the dozen of cups of coffee I downed hasn’t helped me to calm my nerves.

“ We all waited for your plane to come back. Everything was ready for the wedding. Angie has been waiting for you in her wedding dress for hours. All eyes scrutinized the skies until dark. Past midnight, we lost hope. It’s been too long. You were supposed to be back around 5, and for the first hours, it was still OK. You never know how long a mission could last. The crowd started to leave but I stayed with her. And Mac and Phil’s girlfriends. Then it was done. The other pilots stated you should be lost, crashed, that at this time the plane was out of gas anyway.”

“ Two engines died, there was no chance to fly back. I don’t know what happened to the others.” I explain.

“ There must be survivors, the lifeboat was found few days later. Empty. I’m sorry Cup.”

As sad as I feel knowing that my bros were likely dead, there’s only one life I want to hear about.

“Gessepp showed up on the tarmac and dismissed everyone, yelling the party was over. He summoned Angie to go home but she didn’t budge. She has stood up there, clung to her bride’s bouquet for 3 days. She never cried.” “ She broke down the morning of the third day, dissolved in tears. Jessica came to bring her home and she has disappeared for weeks. I tried to visit her, despite my fear of the Colonel, but nobody answered at the door. Marla managed to have some news but they were so bad. As expected, she was devastated. She stopped talking, stopped eating and was just waiting to die of grief.”

As Debrah goes on speaking, I feel my chest tightening, my heart crying as bad as my eyes. Angie, my love letting herself starve, willing to die. No. Please no.

“After a month, the doc forced her to the hospital. That’s where they found out… Oh Cup, how could I tell you?” Debrah wipes her tears and grabs my hands.

“She was pregnant, wasn’t she?” I knew it from the beginning, I knew about my baby girl. Oh fuck, a month of starvation and grief should have killed them both.

“Yes, how do you know about that?” I can’t answer but try a shy smile. I felt it. I knew.

“She was so weak but the baby made it. She decided to live for that. To have your baby, so you would be alive somehow. We were just a few in the secret, she made me swear to never tell anyone.”

My face lightens at the news, but Debrah bursts into more tears and tries to speak between sobs and cries.

“ She resumed eating and gained weight back. It was hard without you but she managed to smile, laughed sometimes. She was on her second trimester when… When…”

“What? Fuck Deb, what happened?” I’m losing my mind. I know it’s bad, I know the story will end with my baby… gone but I need to hear it from her mouth.

She covers her face with her palms, leaving mines naked and cold.

“ She started to show and… Gessepp… he found out she was pregnant. He lost his shit and turned furious. It was Sunday, we were having a picnic after the office. He barged in in the meadow next to the church, totally enraged, calling her a whore and all that shit, saying you lied and fucked her before marriage. He was screaming like a damned maniac, and…” Her cries increase and she has to gasp for air before she’s able to speak again.

“He beat her up, Jesus, he couldn’t stop yelling and kicking her belly. Some guys tried to intervene and protect Angie but he threatened them to death, yelling he was a fucking Colonel and that nobody could get in his way without paying the consequences.”

Tell me about it. That’s exactly what he said to me that day he almost killed Angie at the café. And I cowardly stayed still and denied my love for her. I’m biting my lips so hard I taste my own blood.

“He even told the pastor to go fuck himself. He grasped Angie and dragged her through the meadow, leaving all the church members in shock.”

OK. I got it. Stop it there. I don’t want to hear what’s next. My jaws are clenched, my fist balled so tightly my nails are piercing my palms. But she keeps talking.

“The next day, knowing that Gessepp had a meeting with the Defense Staff, we went to his home. Jess opened the door, she’s been beaten up too. We brought them both to the Army hospital, begging the docs to keep them safe from him. But at night, he arrived, enraged like a bull, hit some nurses and tried to choke Angie. It took 3 docs to snatch Angie from his claws and finally a nurse stabbed a hypo in his thigh which knlcked him out for a while.”

Hearing that motherfucker was out comforts me just a bit. I would have given anything to be there and finish him off. But I’m still worried to death about Angie. And Jessie. And little Abi.

“What happened next nearly blow up the whole base. The case got back to the top of Gessepp’s hierarchy. The docs testified, Angie and Jess testified, we all did. Gessepp couldn’t remain unpunished for what he’s done. He got arrested and impeached for his indecent behaviour, ashamed and kicked out of the Corps of the Army. All of us who testified were held incommunicado and offered a job at home, that’s how I ended up in Washington.”

Jesus. I’ve held my breath for too long. I need a break, I need a drink, but above all I need to know more about Angie. I rub my face vigorously, then scratch my beard, giving Debrah some time to gather herself.

“And the baby?” I whisper.

“Cup, honey, I’m so sorry. I don’t know. Angie and Jess left within the week. Back to the States, but nobody knows where exactly, to keep them safe from Gessepp. All I know is that she had to stay in hospital, she suffered bad bleeding… Oh Cup don’t hate me for telling you all that.”

“The military Court suggested Jessica to ask for divorce and the full custody of Abigail, which she accepted. They provided adequate resources for her and Abi, for damages and official apologizes for letting Gessepp act with complete impunity for too long. Me and the girls at the office made false certificates so Angie could benefit widow’s pension, making sure she would be free for rant.”

Jesus all that shit makes me want to puck out.

“Think Cup, think. I’m sure she’s somewhere waiting for you. You guys are made for each other. We became close friends after you… vanished. She talked to me. She loves you Cup, she’ll never stop, baby or not.”

I shake my head no and drop it between my hands. I’m too devastated to think, too tired to keep hope.

Debrah moves to sit next to me and gently grabs my chin and lifts it up to search my gaze.

“Honey, I know what’s like to be crazy about you. I was not the one for you, but Angie is your soulmate. You know it. Promise me to find her.”

I finally look up at her, we dated for a while when she worked in the base. She was pretty disappointed when I broke up for another chick. I now realize what prick I’d been.

“I’m sorry Deb. Sorry if I hurt you.”

“Nah it’s good. I found a good guy to forget you. I got married last year.” She smiles heartily. “ You deserve to be happy. With her. You know her by heart. If you were her, where would you settle down? Did she have any family? Friends? Relatives?”

“No. Nobody. She had just Jessie and Abi. And me.”

Poor me. I’ve never felt so alone. You know, like the entire world thinks you’re dead and you’re not but you have no chance to spread the news. Debrah is basically the only human being who knows about me. And that’s freaking terrifying. My fingers are fidgeting on their own, rubbing circles on the tattoo on my wrist. Mikomi. Hope. I swore I wouldn’t give up, so think Cup, think.

“Did you plan to live somewhere? I’m pretty sure you talked about what you’d want to do when the war ends.”

I stiffen, yes we did talk about it. Our dreams, on our first date.

She wanted to be a teacher. I planned to go back home, to take over the family business. The farm where I grew up.

Fuck me. I jump out of my chair, ready to sprint my final stretch.

I’m back, Alabama.

@captstefanbrandt @kenzieam @tigpooh67 @red-diary @jaicourtneyseyes @dreamersdreamlife @narfea @nickysurfer28 @jojuarez26 @kiiiimberlyriiiicker1995 @every-jai @smartieblue22 @@bookgirlsthing @athe-krieger-der-elemente @writingismyhappytime @lunaschild2016 @wolfie-132 @bookwarm85 @knittingmad @serride @pauwa85 @onceinamillionlifetimes @sajess98 @carlos8989 @books-and-sin @pathybo

[burgundydahlia]

Tangled - A Romione Fanfic

Okay, I’ve officially lost my mind. It’s Sunday evening, I am supposed to be up and getting ready for work in about 5 1/2 hours, but because I’m a maniac, I’ve been awake working out some final kinks for the first chapter of a Romione story I’ve been revamping for months.

A little backstory...

When I was a teenager, long before the final HP book was released, I started writing fanfiction on Checkmated.com, mugglenet.com, and FF.net (I’m not kidding when I tell you guys I’m an old school Romione shipper). This story, Tangled, was my first foray into fanfiction writing and Romione as well and while the original story had a great plot, seeing as I was a kid, the writing was so-so at best. However, I was thrilled by it and got generally positive reviews. 

However, like is the case for many a writer, I got pulled in a million directions and the story ended up collecting dust on my laptop for years.

Fast forward to a few months ago...

I love Romione just as much, if not more, than I did when I was a kid. And while I don’t pretend to be an amazing writer, I still love to write and I would say, ostensibly, I’m better at it. So, one day, I decided to crack open my old story. I read through everything i had written - all the glorious, awkward angsty and romantic goodness that I had written when I was fifteen - and stayed up until 3 AM doing so. And suddenly, it hit me; I need to finish this story.

The people who read this story years ago probably have abandoned it, but my desire to finish isn’t for them anymore. It is... *cue the insanely cheesy music* for me. Romione, Harry Potter, writing in general, and this fandom are still so wildly important to me and I want to finish what I started.

Anyway, this incredibly long winded intro aside, I’ve reworked about half my story so far and while it’s not perfect, I’m really, really excited about it. So, I’ve decided to stop waiting, ignore the voice in the back of my head constantly telling me my writing is shit, and embrace the fear like a true Gryffindor.

I have the first completely revamped chapter up at FF.net  (AO3 to come shortly, once the website stops being an asshole and lets me post my story without timing out). I plan on posting snip its of each chapter here on Tumblr as I get around to posting it online, but I may end up posting everything in full here as I go along - we’ll see, I guess.

Anyway, I hope you guys will check it out, that you’ll love it as much as I do (seriously, you guys, this story is my baby), and that you’ll reblog, comment, and spread the word.

And without further ado, I present... Tangled 

“O, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive!”

Chapter 1 Mission Briefing

A man sat outside, his knees tucked up against his chest as his arms hugged them loosely. A soft breeze ruffled his hair as he sat under a tree looking out into the distance at the sunset and the warm, orange glow that sat resting on the tops of the hills. He squinted as he gazed out on the horizon and realized that if he looked hard enough, he could just see the beginnings of the stars peeking out from the sky.

He took a deep breath in and closed his eyes. His stomach twisted and churned inside him and he tried to focus on something positive; anything to get his mind off of what he was about to do. But no matter how hard he tried, all he could think of was her. It was as though every happy thought and every single memory, good or bad, was linked to her.

The sound of a door slamming shut behind him caused his eyes to snap open. He didn't look back, but he didn't need to; he already knew who was coming. He could smell her perfume, sweet and soft, as it floated over and lingered under his nose, teasing him. The soft crunching sound her shoes made on the dry grass came closer and closer and he felt himself tense.

Please let this be the right thing to do…

She sat down next to him under the iridescent sky and looked out towards the hills to watch the sunset, mirroring him. They were quiet, both comfortable in the silence and just being there together and with a swift pang, he realized that this was something he had always taken for granted; the fact that they were so comfortable together there wasn't always the need for conversation. He tried to soak in as much of the moment as he could, acutely aware of the fact that this probably would be his last with her for a long time.

With another deep breath in, he finally turned to look at her. She was still watching the sunset and he watched as the golden light from the sun bounced playfully off her hair and face, illuminating her perfectly in its fiery glow. A small smile played across her lips as she felt his eyes on her, but she didn't look over.

Merlin, she's beautiful.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

"What?" he said as he shook his head distractedly.

"The sunset. This year. Everything. It's simply...amazing."

"Oh. Right." He looked back out into the distance again, his mind a swirl of emotions.

"Are you all right?" she asked gently as she turned to look at him, her face etched with worry.

"Couldn't be better.”

She seemed unconvinced and frowned slightly as she watched him, but didn’t say anything more. Eventually she turned to look at the horizon again, watching as the sun burned brilliantly in the distance. Together, they watched as it slowly descended behind the hills, turning the tiny puffs of clouds pink, as though they were blushing in the sky. Everything was so beautiful and warm, but as he sat there working up the courage for what was to come, he found himself sickened at the sight. All he felt was empty and cold.

"We need to talk."

She looked at him, bemused, as an uncertain smile picked at the corner of her mouth. "Is this why you asked me to meet you outside?"

"It's about us."

Her smile flickered, but she seemed unfazed. "Okay. What about us?"

He stared ahead, determined to keep going and unable to look into her eyes.

"I can't do this anymore."

Her smile faded, and her brow creased in confusion. "What do you mean? You can't do what?"

His mouth was dry and he licked his lips nervously. She reached over and gently touched his forearm, and he felt himself stiffen immediately.

"You can tell me anything,” she said. “You know that."

He breathed in again, slowly.

"I…I don’t want to be with you anymore."

The silence that followed was deafening. He had thought – hoped even – that she would start yelling at him or maybe laugh. Instead she just sat there, her hand still on his arm. Unmoving.

"Look, things were fun while they lasted, but you can't actually think this thing we have is serious, can you?"

He felt her hand tense up, and knew he had hurt her. Ignoring the sick feeling inside his chest, he pressed on.

"The horcruxes are gone and Vol-“ he swallowed, “Voldemort is dead, and I – I need to move on. A fresh start you could call it. I can't deal with any old baggage." He tried to laugh, but it was all wrong; it came out short and sharp like a bark. She pulled her hand away quickly as though she had been burned.

“Baggage...” Her voice was quiet and slow, and she said the word as a statement rather than a question. Suddenly, he wanted nothing more than to hold her and tell her everything would be all right, but he refused to look over at her and forced himself to continue.

"We had fun while it lasted, but I'm young. I have my whole life ahead of me. I’ve got Auror training and the joke shop. Besides, you’re going back to school for a year…” he hesitated, before adding venomously, “I mean, it's not like we were going to get married or anything."

Yes, you could. You wanted to.

"I want to experience new things and new people – not be tied down to just one person."

Liar. You want to be with her and only her.

"But…I thought…" she stuttered feebly as she struggled to comprehend what was happening. He gave her a quick sidelong glance and with another pang of regret, he noticed the pain on her face.

"What? You mean because we’ve…” he trailed off before giving another short, humorless laugh. “Just like a typical girl, really. You're all about the romance and the 'happily ever after' aren't you?” He shook his head condescendingly. “Honestly, you're supposed to be smart. How could you not have known?"

She was quiet for a moment, and then said in voice barely above a whisper, "You told me you love me."

His expression hardened. "I lied."

You pathetic, lying idiot! You do love her! Don't you see what you're doing to her? To yourself?

"I don't believe you," came her voice, stronger – almost defiant.

He opened his mouth to respond, but his voice died in his throat as he felt her soft, trusting hands on his face, forcing him to turn his head. He stared at the ground between them, fearing what would happen if he looked at her.

"If you mean what you say, then say it to my face. Look me in the eyes and tell me you don't love me. That all this time together and everything we’ve been through and shared meant nothing to you." Her voice was steady and controlled. She seemed neither scared nor angry, but resolute.

Slowly, he brought his eyes up to her face. Her expression was determined, but behind her brave façade, her eyes were soft and he could she was on the verge of tears. All it would take was a few words from him to break down that wall and shatter her heart.

"Well?"

He took a deep breath, pulled her hands off his face, and stared directly into her eyes.

"I don't love you."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Ron woke with a gasp.

His heart was hammering in his chest and he could feel tiny beads of sweat across the top of his forehead. He blinked rapidly, trying to focus his eyes on the blurred, dark room around him and with a shaky breath in, he pushed himself up until he was sitting upright. Grabbing blindly at the nightstand, Ron turned the small, dinged up alarm clock towards him so he could read the time. 4:48 A.M.

Running a hand through his hair, Ron closed his eyes and rested his head against the backboard. He took long, steady breaths in through his nose and blew out through his mouth, focusing on the feeling of the cold wood against his bare skin of his neck. His heartbeat was still racing and he could feel adrenaline coursing through him, making him antsy as he sat there, trying to will himself to calm down.

This was hardly the first time he had relived that particular moment; in fact, it had been a nightly occurrence for weeks right after it happened. And over time, it had become scattered in its appearances, much to his relief. But even still, three years later, the memories of that night still popped up from time to time, haunting his dreams and leaving him shaken the next day.

He took a few more long, steady breaths in through his nose and out his mouth and waited for his heartbeat to slow as he ran an unsteady hand through his hair. Knowing that any hope for sleep was futile, he pushed off his comforter with a grimace and got out of bed, shuffling towards the bathroom to take a shower. He let the cold water wake him up, hoping to wash away the remnants of the night before, then got out and brushed his teeth and his hair before changing into his dark gray Auror robes.

His small, dingy flat had begun to fill with sunlight, casting long shadows across the room as he walked out to the small kitchen space and rummaged around his mostly bare cupboards so he could make some coffee. As he filled a garishly orange Chudley Cannons mug with the steaming, black liquid, a small owl tapped at the window, a letter tied to its leg. Mug still in hand, he let the bird in, and after untying the letter and giving the owl a treat before it took off again, he unrolled the parchment and read its short contents.

            Come into the Ministry at 7:00 AM sharp this morning so you may be briefed on your new mission. You will be starting immediately so be prepared to leave shortly after. All details will be given once you arrive.

K. Shacklebolt

He glanced at his watch. 6:30 already.

Oh, how time flies...

With little time to waste, he made up some toast and quickly swallowed as much of his coffee as he could, burning the roof of his mouth in the process. Then, grabbing his wand and making sure his flat was locked, he turned on the spot and Apparated into the main building of the Ministry.

As he walked through the Atrium of the Ministry, witches and wizards hurrying about as they began their work days as well, it occurred to him just how truly strange it was that, even though he had been training as an Auror for just over three years, he had spent almost no time actually inside the building. However, now that his training was complete, he had all but expected to be assigned a boring desk job, especially seeing as he was still relatively new to the department. However, being given an actual mission for his first real assignment wasn't anything to complain about, and he knew it. Most new Aurors weren’t entrusted with this sort of responsibility so soon out of training.

With a slight skip in his step, he stepped into one of the lifts, tapping his foot rapidly as he waited for the cool sounding woman's voice to call out, "Level two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."

Walking past the many offices that ran down the long corridor, he glanced briefly out the window; with a small smirk, he could see that it had been charmed to be hailing, a sign that the Magical Maintenance crew was still trying to work out proper pay raises.

As he approached the heavy oak door to Kingsley's office, he felt a hand clamp onto his shoulder.

"Ronald Weasley."

Ron turned, a smile tugging at his mouth as he looked into the face of his best friend, Harry Potter. "What are you doing here so early in the morning?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing," Harry smiled warmly, taking his hand off of Ron's shoulder.

"Kingsley owled this morning saying I needed to be here at 7:00 so I could be briefed on a new mission. You?"

"Same. I wonder if this means we’re going to be working together? But, then again, Sean and Tony are here too, and so is Gemma –”

"Gemma's here? Now?" Ron groaned as he scanned the corridor rapidly.

Harry chuckled. "Now, now Ron. You weren't acting like this just two weeks ago. In fact, if I remember correctly, you seemed to want nothing more than to have her around."

"Shut up, Harry,” Ron said, before adding in a low voice, “I still can’t believe how drunk I got. If I ever do that again, and with a ministry official…" Ron shook his head miserably.

Harry patted Ron’s shoulder bracingly. "You had a rough night – it happens. I think the worst thing you have to worry about is some potential weirdness around the office.” Harry paused. “How are you feeling now?”

"As well as to be expected I s'pose,” Ron shrugged, wanting to change the subject as quickly as possible. He looked down at his watch. "Damn. It's 7:05. So much for 7:00 AM sharp."

"We'd better move it before Kingsley kicks us off the mission before we even start."

Both men quickly walked to the end of the corridor and opened the door to Kingsley Shacklebolt's office. Inside sat Sean McLean, a tall, sandy haired, thirty-something Irish man, Antonio "Tony" Mariano, a robust man in his early forties with thick eyebrows and a hearty laugh, and Kingsley Shacklebolt himself sitting behind a large desk. He hadn't changed much from the first time that Ron and Harry had first met him when they were fifteen; he was still the formidable wizard they had known for six years, but now, as the Minister of Magic, there were definitely more wrinkles on his once young face and also quite a few more scars.

"You're late," he said in his low, rumbling voice as they walked in.

"Sorry—" Harry began but stopped abruptly as Kingsley raised his hand to silence him.

"Now that everyone is here, I think it would be a good idea to get started." Kingsley stood up and turned to a file cabinet by his desk, pulling out two large files, and handed one each to Tony and Sean. "Inside of those folders are the orders for each of your assignments," Kingsley stated as he sat back down again, looking at the four men in front of him. "You four will not all be working together directly, but try not to look so discouraged, Weasley," he said, looking to Harry and Ron. "I know better than to split up the 'dream team' completely." He smiled briefly, and continued. "These assignments are linked together, so it seemed only appropriate that I ask for all of you to be here while we go over the details. McLean, if you would take a look at your folder."

Sean opened it and inside found a large stack of parchment, a map, and a dozen or so pictures of different men and women staring menacingly up at him. "As you can see, you have 15 or so profiles on different witches and wizards that we are after either for arrest or questioning.

"Now, as you all probably know, the Ministry has been investigating a secret organization that calls themselves the International Wizarding Partnership, or I.W.P. for short, for several months. Don’t be fooled by their name, however; they are a group of dangerous and ruthless witches and wizards who have been behind the break-in's of some of Europe’s most prominent Wizarding companies."

"Any idea who the ringleader is?" Sean asked while flipping through the pile of scowling pictures. Harry and Ron, who stood behind the two men, leaned closer to get a better look at the contents of the folder.

"Unfortunately, no. However, we have been tracking the group’s progress and they’re picking up steam. While we still believe they are a small contingent, they’re growing bolder. Just this last month, we linked them to the disappearance of the shopkeeper of Baubles and Bangles in London.”

“Baubles and Bangles? The jewelry store? What would they want with a jeweler?” Sean asked.

“We’re not sure yet, but we have a few leads.” Kingsley pointed to the papers Sean was holding. “That folder you have details the disappearance and the investigation we’ve done thus far. It doesn’t seem as though the I.W.P. were interested in the actual goods in the store, but there’s still too much that doesn’t add up. You will be working with the Auror taskforce that has been investigating the break in. You will also find the map included is marked to show the patterns developing across London in the last six months.”

Kingsley looked at Harry. “Potter, you will be working with and reporting directly to McLean on this investigation. He will be helping head up the search for these men and women. This is a big investigation and we will need most of our Auror manpower here at the Ministry, but I know you can handle this.”

"So, what do you need from us?" Tony asked, referring to Ron and himself. Ron perked up; the thought of being given a job like looking for a group of power-hungry criminals and bringing them down in a heroic fashion was an exciting one.

"As I said before, your mission is closely related to the one I have assigned for Sean and Harry. However, you will be focused more on protection and preventative measures.” Kingsley stood up and went over to his window where the hail had progressed into something more like a blizzard. "As you can imagine, with the rash of crimes against businesses in the London area, and now the possibility of kidnappings, we are taking any and all threats made to those in the community very seriously.” He turned back towards the group and pointed to the folder Tony was holding. “If you take a look at your paperwork, you will find information about Christopher Rhiney."

"Hang on – THE Christopher Rhiney?" Ron blurted. “The business tycoon?” He stared down at the picture that Tony had just pulled out of the folder. The man in the photo was young, probably somewhere in his mid-twenties by the look of it, and very handsome. He had light, wavy brown hair and big, brown eyes that seemed to twinkle even in the picture, with a strong jaw and clean-shaven face, and a smile that would have put Lockhart to shame.

Kingsley raised an eyebrow. "You’ve heard of him?"

"Who hasn't?” Ron spluttered. “He practically owns half of wizard London, and has the largest import/export company in Europe. Plus, he was named Witch Weekly's Richest Man in the U.K. and just beat out Harry for the spot of most Eligible Bachelor."

A somewhat stunned silence met this outburst and Ron felt himself go red. "Sorry – my mum – she always has that bloody magazine lying around the Burrow. She's obsessed with the man..."

Kingsley chuckled softly and turned back towards the group, "Well, then it’s a good thing I chose you for this assignment, Weasley. What with your insight on him already, there shouldn't be much to tell you."

"But Minister, with all due respect, I still don't see what he has to do with any of this. Are we investigating Mr. Rhiney?" Tony asked.

"No, not quite. As you already know, Christopher Rhiney is one of the wealthiest businessmen in all of Europe. And, unsurprisingly, he has become a top target for the I.W.P. Inside your folder are copies of the letters the I.W.P. have been sending to Mr. Rhiney over the past two months. As you can see, the threats are getting increasingly worse."

Tony pulled out multiple pieces of parchment and studied the different letters before handing them to Ron who read over them carefully.

"Because of this escalating threat, and the continued and steady escalations being seen in the greater Wizarding community, it has become clear that Mr. Rhiney and his staff are in need of additional protection.” Kingsley sat back down at his desk, leaning back as he placed his folded hands on his lap. “If this had been something unrelated to the I.W.P. file, we wouldn't be as directly involved. However, as soon as I learned of the circumstances of this particular case, I saw this could lead us to the break in the I.W.P. case we’ve been searching for. If we can follow Mr. Rhiney and be there when the I.W.P. tries to strike, we may be able to stop them before they can do any more damage."

"So, you want us to tail him?" Ron asked, hopefully.

"We believe the threat to Mr. Rhiney and those closest to him has become too great. Because of this, we need to run round-the-clock surveillance. And I would like for you two," Kingsley nodded to Tony and Ron, “to head this up. The plan at this time is to have Aurors with Mr. Rhiney 24/7, with some even stationed at his home. Mariano, you will run point on this and Weasley, you will be his second. There will, of course, be other Aurors available if you need added security, but the main concerns at this time are Mr. Rhiney’s day-to-day business dealings and his safety while at home.”

There was a moment as this information sunk in. Ron could feel his brain slowly putting into place what Kingsley was saying.

"You want us to stay at his home, sir?" Tony asked, and Ron found himself looking at Kingsley wide-eyed, finally realizing what he was being told to do.

"Yes. You and Ron are to go and stay with Mr. Rhiney while there is still a threat to himself and his organization. I need there to be people close to him at all times to make sure that all his transactions go smoothly and also to report if there is any odd behavior or anything suspicious happening. With you two there to watch him and his affairs, we are almost guaranteed the capture of some of the members of the I.W.P."

He looked over at the clock on the wall and his eyes widened slightly. "Damn. 7:30 already. Look, I have full confidence that you four are more than capable of handling these assignments. If there are any more questions, you can send word by owl, however I must get going. I have a meeting in ten minutes that I cannot be late for." As he stood, the other men in his office followed in suit. "Weasley. Mariano. Mr. Rhiney is expecting you at his home at noon. McLean and Potter – you can meet with the team investigating the disappearance at 8 A.M. for a more thorough briefing. All four of you will need to make sure to speak with Gemma before you leave, however. She will be your main point of contact here at the Ministry and you are to contact her for any changes or if you need anything."

Kingsley grabbed a long cloak off a coatrack and headed for the door. Before leaving the room, he turned around, and smiled briefly. "Good luck, gentlemen," he said, then turned on his heel and walked out. After a couple of seconds, the four men eventually filtered out of the office and back into the corridor.

Tony immediately turned to Ron. "You and Harry head over to meet with Gemma now. We’ll meet you there shortly – Sean and I have some things to go over first.” With that, Tony and Sean turned and headed over towards Tony's office.

"Shall we?” Harry asked.

"Yeah. Better to get it done with now," Ron said glumly.

"I don't know why you’re so miserable. This is huge! We're working on one of the biggest cases of the year!"

Ron snorted. "No, you're working on one of the biggest cases of the year while I'm stuck playing babysitter to some rich prat."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Oh, come off it, Ron. What you're doing is just as important as what I'm doing and you know it. Hell, you may even find who’s behind this whole thing while working for this Christopher Rhiney bloke.”

"Maybe,” Ron said as they approached Gemma’s office door and stopped outside. “But I wish that I could be out there with you, mate. Out where all the action is."

"Well, good morning to you too, Ron,” a soft, sultry voice chimed in.

Harry and Ron turned and found themselves face to face with a very pretty and petite woman with long, icy blonde hair pulled high into a ponytail. Her lips were painted a bright red color and she had matching red nail polish, while her robes were such a dark shade of green, they were almost black. Ron could feel himself grimace as her grey eyes looked eagerly up into his blue ones, boring into them.

"Good morning, Gemma," Harry said politely.

"You know, Ron,” she said breathily, ignoring Harry, “I had a lot of fun with you a couple weeks ago.” She smiled coyly up at him, her red lipstick glinting in the light. “In fact, I was hoping maybe we could grab a drink sometime.”

“Erm – look, Gemma, we’re here to go over the details for the I.W.P. case, so can you just give us the rest of our mission info so we can go?" Ron asked, his ears burning.

She seemed to deflate somewhat, and responded waspishly, "I can't. Not until your team leads come back at least." Sensing a new opportunity, she walked back into her office. "Why don't you two come in and take a seat.” She smiled sweetly and pointed to the two chairs in front of her desk. “Relax. I won't bite. I promise."

With a quick, sideways glance toward one another, Ron and Harry walked in and sat down.

"So, Harry,” Gemma sat up straighter, smiling mischievously. “How are you? I heard a rumor you might be getting quite serious with your girlfriend. She plays for the Harpies, doesn’t she?”

Harry coughed, stealing a quick glance at Ron, then chuckled. "Erm, yes, she does. And, well, yes. We’re very happy."

Gemma clicked her tongue disapprovingly. "Well, I find that a bit tragic, really. Witch Weekly might have named this Christopher Rhiney fellow you’re all working to protect the most Eligible Bachelor, but everyone knows that the Boy Who Lived will always be highly sought after. You must have your pick of witches.”

“Er – thanks?” Harry shifted uncomfortably in his seat while Ron snorted, glad to have the attention off him.

A knock at the door stopped all further conversation pertaining to any of their love lives, much to the relief of Harry and Ron.

"Sorry 'bout makin' you wait," Sean said as he walked in, followed by Tony. “What’ve you got for us?"

Gemma waved her wand and a file cabinet behind her popped open, while two bright purple folders floated out and landed at the edge of her desk in front of Harry and Ron.

"Just more detailed versions of what the Minister told you earlier, plus some rules and regulations as to what you can and can't do, say, etcetera, etcetera.” She looked at Sean and Tony. “You know the drill, gentlemen. Make sure to keep detailed notes of all your work, file all your paperwork on time so I don’t have to come after you for it, and if anything happens or changes, you need to notify the Ministry, namely myself, so that it can be cleared and covered right away. Now, in your case," she said indicating Ron and Tony, "since you two are supposed to be watching over Mr. Rhiney 24/7, there are a few more things that apply to you that don't apply to Mr. McLean and Mr. Potter. For example, one of you must be within a reasonable distance of Mr. Rhiney at all times. The Minister also wanted me to make it clear this means that you can, and should, consider taking shifts, especially when it comes to staying at the home itself. However, it is up to you two to decide what will be the best course of action. Your meeting with Mr. Rhiney today should allow for you both to gain a better understanding of his day-to-day routines and what will be most effective.

"Really, gentlemen, just use your common sense. That way, no one will have to worry about the Minister’s foot being shoved up their arse because they didn't follow protocol."

Tony guffawed. "Duly noted, Gemma. Are we free to go?"

"Yes, just don’t forget to take these mission planners." As the four of them got up to leave, Gemma called out, "Oh, and Ron?” Ron spun around, facing Gemma in her office. Alone.

“I just wanted to say good luck with finding your 'action'. Although,” she batted her eyes and looked up at him, “I might be able to help you there…" She raised an eyebrow and smiled. Ron, feeling his entire face flush, nodded curtly and walked out, closing the door behind him.

"Bloody hell..." he muttered to himself.

Harry, who was waiting for Ron to come back out, chuckled at the look on his face. "I guess I'd better watch out. From the way she was acting around you, I might have to worry about losing my spot as second most eligible bachelor."

"Bugger off, Harry," Ron snapped.

"It’s all right, mate,” Harry pressed on, stifling a laugh. “You're a good man and I don't mind losing the title to you."

“I really hate you sometimes.”

“Do you think Gemma would make you wear a necklace that says ‘My Sweetheart’ like Lavender did in our sixth year?”

"Good bye, Harry," Ron said loudly.

Harry laughed. "I'll see you later, Ron. Try to Floo me if you can."

"I will. See ya."

As he watched Harry jog down the hall to meet up with Sean, Ron shook his head. He turned and saw Tony walking up, folders in hand.

"So, Weasley, are you ready to go?"

Ron took a deep breath.

"Let's go."

[lonelyghosts-stuff]

Avengers Infinity War-First Time Watching Reaction Play-by-Play (Pt. 1)

I’m about to cry... Loki... please no...

Thanks you wrinkly purple nut sack

“We have a hulk.” I’m gonna cry

“I assure you brother, the sun will shine on us again.” AGHHHHH

How on earth is Thanos able to beat up the hulk with only one infinity stone but when he has all of them, the hulk is able to put up a fight?

Oh bye hulk.

Neat trick Heimdall. How come you couldn’t do that with Thor and Loki?

HEIMDALL NO!!!!

No ones had the ability to wield two infinity stones at once? Lmao. Well, in the first avengers, Loki had the scepter AND the tesseract soooo

And the TVA laughs at you Thanos.

HE CALLED HIMSELF ODINSON AGHHHHH

I’m crying

Loki is dead now

Fortunately the existence of the show is helping to alleviate the pain, but we will never see THIS Loki again...

Thor has lost everything. I feel so bad for him. He’s lost his mom, his dad, his friends, his home and people, and his brother.

Good thing Heimdall knew to send Hulk directly into the sanctum. Poor Bruce.

Thanos, I will take great pleasure in your suffering in death. Know this. There is no quadrant in space that you can flee to where you can avoid my wrath. “You think you know pain?” I’ll make you beg “for something as sweet as pain.”

Is Tony like, able to predict the future or something? Morgan Stark?

No more surprises ever Stark? About that...

Science bros hug

Ben and Jerry’s product placement. Nice

Course Vision made himself go offline. Smoochie time with Wanda.

Would shoving the time stone down a garbage disposal even do anything lol? Like, I feel like it would destroy the whole building lol.

Call your boy Steve, Tony!

Suck up your pride.

Poor Bruce. Always getting filled in on all the details last minute.

Bruce has it probably one of the worst. Dudes getting chucked around the universe into places he has no ideas what’s going on in.

Flip phone time

CALL HIM

Oh no

Rumbling?

Ah cripes

Quick make a call on the run

Multitasking is a lifesaver Tony

Poor New York. Why would anyone want to live there in this universe?

Earth’s closed

Go away

Spider man, spider man,

Ned is my favorite avenger.

How did no one see Peter lmao

STAN LEE

EXCELSIOR

SPIDER MAN IS GOING TO SPACE

lmao Tony ain’t gonna be happy

Work it Stephen. Do your interpretive dance moves.

EARTH IS CLOSED

GO AWAY

HEY—my life isn’t that meaningless...

Savage, ratchet

He exhausts us too

Banner having performance issues.

Hulk is on hiatus apparently

Dude you’re embarrassing me in front of the wizards.

heck yea, CGI time

Ebony Maw got no chill.

Hey maybe don’t turn your back on the enemy

Stephen, you almost crushed Bruce under a taxi.

Eh I’ve fought this guy in Marvel Champions... he’s not that tough

Hey Peter

Bye Peter

Tony, master of summaries.

Hulk is in his feels.

It’s a simple spell but quite unbreakable

Meme time

Cmon Stephen you’re supposed to be powerful

Sleepy strange

Capey to the rescue!

I love how Peter doesn’t even question the existence of wizards.

CAPEY NO—

SAVE HIM CAPEY

BEAM ME UP SCOTTY SPIDEY

Wong really just sent that beast to attack poor Inuits huh?

Wong is invited to the wedding

“I can breathe.” *exposes face to space*

Okay that was pretty sick. I don’t particularly like the iron suit as it feels kinda lame since I loved that Peter made his own, but it works here.

Poor pepper

You just had to leave the phone tony

At least Bruce somehow found it

Hell yea it’s my favorite space group, the Guardians of the galaxy. Featuring dance daddy, sleeping invisible man, dance mom, sleepy rabbit, and angst plant.

Now I’m hungry for cheddar

Poor Gamora lmao

Oh and I can’t forget mantis

Mantis you got a killer mean face

Angsty teen plant

Huh they learned Grootish

Uh oh

Gamora knows something up

Oh hi thor

He is not a dude. This is a man.

Poor Peter quill lmao

Heyyyyy Chris Pratt worked out hard to get into shape for this role lmao

Poor Thor...

He literally lost EVERYTHING

Peter is jellyyyy

Drax has a man crush

ASGARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Thanos isn’t that smart. Just like, double the resources.

Oh thank you thor for being sympathetic

Peter, stop it. It’s not a competition of who has the worst life.

Gosh I love Chris Pratt so friggin much. He’s a national treasure lmaoo. I love him so much.

Peter grow up

Both of you

Children

Oh there’s an actual place called Knowhere

Oh yea Tivan the collector. Didn’t he die?

Half of the Asgardians? I didn’t see them

Kevin bacon is an avenger

Oh Gamora... how did she know where the soul stone is?

Nidavellir? Axe time

Lmao I love the rabbit

HAHAHAHA I LOVE THIS

Thor and rocket rabbit are my favorite duo now

I love rocket so much lmao

I like this thor much better than the one we saw in Ragnarök. (Again, I love that movie as just a movie, but not as a Thor movie)

Good bye morons

Oh hey Paul Bettany

SO CUTE

Love you guys

Wanda vision

Don’t get too attached tho

“I just feel you” oh no... I know where that line comes back around

Promises to go back? To who? For what?

Robot lover

Robosexuality (futurama anyone)

I SHIP IT SO MUCH

Poor Vision lol

Convenient TV News exposition is convenient

Go with him wanda

You just messed up

Poor vision

WRECK EM WANDA

SHOW THEM THE POWER

No more phasing? Oh no.

Cmon Wanda MESS EM UP

No more phasing? Vision should be friends with ghost

It sure is lucky that no one seems to be out and about in Scotland huh?

IMAGINE if Wanda had the powers she had at the end of wandavision right here. Thanos and everyone else would be no match

BOSS GIRL MOMENT

OH HELL YA

THAT IS HOW YOU MAKE AN ENTRANCE CAPTAIN AMERICA ROGERS!!!

AND THE FUTURE CAPTAIN AMERICA SAM TOO!

AND BLACK WIDOW

You aliens are no match

I wanna kill them

Cowards

Gosh Nat is such a badass

Wow Steve looks great with a beard

Digging the suit too, more subtle

Poor Gamora oh my gosh

I wonder why Thanos chose to keep Gamora? She didn’t really display a fighting spirit here

I’m confused. Gamora was described as the last of her kind but the flashback showed only half of them being killed which is more accurate to what Thanos wanted?

Cmon quill, take things seriously...

Oh dear

Quill, be serious...

PETER BE SERIOUS

Swear it

KISS KISS KISS YEA

Dangit drax

Lmao poor drax

I got a bad feeling about Knowhere

I thought Tivan died? Like in the explosion of the power stone?

Drax don’t

Drax be patient

DRAX NOT YET

Drax you couldn’t even take on Ronan... don’t do it ya lovable dummy

Gosh poor Drax

Poor Peter quill

Nice hits Gamora!!!

Just kill him

If someone shot him in the head right here it’d all be over

Oh my gosh I feel so bad for Gamora

Phenomenal acting from Zoe Saldana

He’s not dead... sooooo what’s his play?

Ah

Illusion

Copy cat for Loki

Oh my

Oh so he planned this

OP bastard

Already has the reality stone

Soooo Tivan is dead then?

Oh my that’s horrifying

Grimace lmao

Peter

Cmon

Peter

The emotion

Chills

I hate you Thanos

I really do

OH MY GOSH THEY SAID I LOVE YOU

Thanos you BASTARD

Copying Loki’s move set

Poor quill

This is the last time they see each other huh?

Wait wait wait wait wait, I remember that another Gamora from another timeline comes in and helps. How come she isn’t arrested by the TVA? She’s a variant just like Loki???

You tell em Rhodes

They have nothing to be forgiven

Hell yea baddie Steve

Oh do they think Tony is dead?

Love you Rhodes

Get Steve looks great

BANNER AND NAT

Awkward tensionnnnn

Quick kiss before it’s too late

Lmao poor Sam and his crush on Nat

Lmao Ant-Man and Spider-Man

How long is vision unable to phase?

Poor Wanda... if only they could get it out in Wakanda (I hate how much I know about this without watching).

Isn’t white vision with this visions memories now? Like, can him and Wanda get back together?

WAKANDA

Rest In Peace KING T’CHALLA, Chadwick Boseman! Wakanda forever!

White wolf baby. Lesssgettttittttt

BUCKY BABY LOOKING LIKE JESUS

Poor baby, one fight to another. His only calm in wakanda...

Precarious needle positioning is precarious

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

Ouch

CMON TONY SAVE HIM

Oh peter

Lmao

Oop

Fault?

Love peter. Perfect awkward teen

“You can’t be a friendly neighborhood Spider-Man if there’s no neighborhood.” That worked out perfectly.

Omg peter you’re making even me feel old asking about the “old” movie Aliens.

CAPEY TO THE RESCUE AGAIN

Soooo is ebony maw dead now? He didn’t last long

Cmon you cocky cuckoos

“I’m peter by the way.” “Doctor strange.” “Oh we’re using our made up names... um-I’m spider man then.” Gosh I love peter so much lmao

Yayyyyy PTSD we love that. Poor Tony. He needs therapy. They all do, really.

Man I know how this ends...

Harsh strange... harsh. You’ll learn that the universe also depends on these guys.

Peter is an avenger. Lmao he’s so perfect at being awkward.

Oh no. Poor Gamora. Quick, kill him with the soup.

Thanos, just DOUBLE THE RESOURCES. For cripes sake man. You don’t gotta be a genocidal maniac.

Gamora is only in here 20s? Or I guess maybe 30s now.

Thanos, you don’t understand. Wanna know why you can still see people in poverty happy? Because they see the hope. They value family. You could have given them resources. Not killed them.

Part 2

[codename-bewareofthefangirl]

Hey hey, are you familiar with the TFS team from KnB? Can you make a scenario with this team please?? I love this team and I wish to see it real

Hi sweetheart! I’d never heard of this team before you told me, so I looked around. I found very little information about it, but I love it! Takao & Momoi’s friendship is one of my fave headcanons, they would rock. So, here’s a…thing? Absolutely self-indulgent and out of contest.

Have a wonderful day!

TFS Team (Takao, Momoi, Himuro, Kasamatsu, Mayuzumi and Kiyoshi), Slice of Life, Pre-MomoMayu, Bonding, References to other couples, Stupid Jokes, SomeoneSaveKasamatsuSenpai

 Bonding

“We’re here!” Kiyoshi’s loud voice echoed in the peaceful afternoon. He and Kasamatsu walked down the path of the park until they reached the tree under which the rest of team was waiting.

Mayuzumi was reading a novel, trying to shut out the, noisy, world outside. Momoi was seated with Takao’s head on her lap, as she chatted excitedly with Himuro.

“Senpai!” Takao waved his hand cheerfully, followed by the others. Only Mayuzumi decided to just nod in acknowledgment.

“Yo,” Kasamatsu curtly greeted, seating in the grass with them. In his hands, he had a plastic bag full of small treats.

“You’re all here!” Kiyoshi commented warmly, looking at them with fondness.

Momoi nodded happily, “I’d never miss a reunion!”

Takao grinned, “I’m actually surprised Mayu-chan came too, after his salty messages on the group chat.”

The boy looked up from his book and glared, “Stop with the nickname.”

Takao’s Cheshire smile widened.

“I bet he didn’t want to miss the chance to meet with our pretty manager,” he hummed teasingly.

The girl blushed furiously.

“Takao-kun!” she scolded flicking his forehead as the boy laughed loudly.

Mayuzumi’s cheeks reddened, but he remained impassible.

“I came for the free food.”

“I think it’s a lie,” Himuro argued with his fake, polite smile and Mayuzumi’s eyebrows twitched in annoyance.

“Didn’t you have to babysit the big purple baby?”

“Didn’t you have to serve your psycho emperor?”

“Alright brats,” Kasamatsu interrupted them before things went out of hand since Kiyoshi was laughing carefree at their bantering, “I’ve just arrived and I already want to go home.”

“Aw Captain, I know you love us!” Takao taunted, batting his eyelashes and grabbing the older boy’ sleeve.

Kasamatsu grimaced disgusted and slapped his hand away, “Do you want to get hit?”

“Kinky senpai!”

Kasamatsu nearly choked on air, eyes wide and cheeks scarlet with embarrassment. Himuro had to hide his smirk with a hand and even Mayuzumi snorted. Momoi tried to glare at his friend, still resting on her lap, but a giggle escaped from her lips.

“I’ll end you all.” Kasamatsu’s tone dropped to icy cold and all the boys in the group froze, internally debating if they had to stand up and run or not as Kasamatsu cracked his knuckles. Truth to be told, except for Momoi, all of them had been hit at least once by Kasamatsu, some more than others, and nobody was keen on experiencing it again; as Mayuzumi had cynically observed, the Captain’s sheer strength was probably the reason why Kise was so stupid: all of his neurons had been brutally killed.

Before Kasamatsu managed to kill anyone, Kiyoshi patted his back and put a hand on his shoulder to keep him down.

“Come on, Kasamatsu,” he smiled cheerfully, “We’ve other things to discuss today, I need them to be conscious.”

The others sighed in relief.

“You can chase them afterward.”

And then died inside.

“You’re the evilest one in this group…” Mayuzumi whispered frowning, as he imperceptibly moved away from Kiyoshi.

Kasamatsu seemed to ponder the offer and finally relaxed, resting both palms on the ground as he slouched in a more comfortable position. Still, he gave his preys a small, warning smirk.

“What are you planning, Kiyoshi-senpai?” Momoi asked, absentmindedly braiding Takao’s hair. Her face clearly showed she already knew, or at least imagine it, but wanted to hear if she was right from him.

“I’d like to organize a match against the Vorpal Swords next weekend, what do you think?” He explained, excitement showing in his eyes.

Mayuzumi cringed internally. He knew! He should have stayed home.

“Against Shin-chan?” Takao beamed, “Count me in!” He was wearing a scheming smile that made Kasamatsu grimace internally.

Himuro shrugged but behind his poker face burned a competitive fire.

“I haven’t played against Taiga in a while…”

“We’re not on their level,” Mayuzumi commented in his matter-of-fact tone.

“What,” Takao immediately replied, “Are you scared, Mayu-chan?”

“You still haven’t recovered from the last defeat against Kuroko?” Himuro rubbed it in.

“Of course not,” the boy bit back, adding colorful curses under his breath, “I’m just saying we need a good plan if we want to beat them,” he growled, before losing any animosity and turning to Momoi.

“We’ll be in your hands, Momoi-san.”

The girl brightened, clapping her hands, “Leave it to me!”

“Be careful,” Takao slyly smirked, “Mayu-chan would love to be literally in your hands!”

“Takao-kun!”

“Takao!” Kasamatsu burst, blushing.

Mayuzumi hit the boy in the face with his, heavy, novel, but the raven was too busy laughing his ass off to care. Momoi, with warm cheeks, pressed the book against his face as to suffocate him until he whined, rolling to hug her waist.

“Don’t be mean Momo-chan!” he childishly complained, burying his head against her stomach.

Mayuzumi felt the need to throw another book.

“You deserve it!” she scolded, trying to peel him off, but he chuckled, tightening his grip until she gave up, throwing her hands up.

“You’re impossible,”

“And still I’m your best friend.”

“Dai-chan is my best friend.”

“He’s the childhood best friend. I’m the smart best friend.”

She would have liked to argue but since it was actually the truth, she just shook her head exasperated, trying to mask a giggle.

“Do you like annoying people or being hit?” Himuro asked Takao, as the boy returned to his original position.

“Tatsu-chan, stop asking dirty questions when the Captain is here,” the raven innocently batted his eyelashes, “What happens in the bedroom is a secret between Shin-chan and me!”

“Oh for the love of-” Kasamatsu nearly combusted

“Disgusting!” Mayuzumi hissed, but only received a wink in reply.

“Okay, okay, let’s stop here,” Kiyoshi intervened suddenly distributing the sweets, “Eat and keep calm, okay?”

Nobody even got angry anymore when he used his parental tone, they all rolled with it and took the treat. If Kasamatsu was the Captain, Kiyoshi was the Dad of the team; it was a silent agreement.

“Kasamatsu-senpai,” Himuro asked politely, “Are you fine with the game? You have time?” His concern seemed sincere for once, so Kasamatsu nodded, relaxing his shoulders.

“Yeah, I finished my assignments for this month.” he explained taking a bit of chocolate, “And, if I have to be honest, I can’t wait to play with the brats and knock some sense into the Dumb Duo.” Kasamatsu clenched his fists with a tense, maniacal smile.

Kiyoshi could have sworn he had seen flames burning behind his friend.

“Oh?” Momoi raised an eyebrow and her eyes sharpened, “He has called you too?”

The others, except for Takao, who hid his mouth to stop a giggle, looked at the two confused.

“It was three in the morning. Three. In. The. Morning.” Kasamatsu growled, trembling from the irritation.

“Dai-chan directly crashed into my room. From the window.”

“Kise kept me on the phone for two hours. When I tried to hang up he threatened to call my roommates.”

“I had a test the next day!”

“I didn’t even want to know all those details about their love life! Why does he even run to me every freaking time?”

“I had to watch with him three basketball matches as he ranted on and on about their stupid argument.”

Kasamatsu and Momoi exchanged an understanding, icy stare.

Mayuzumi sent an interrogative glance at Takao, who mouthed “Aomine and Kise quarreled again.”

He rolled his eyes. Nothing new.

In the meanwhile, the two victims had reached a silent agreement. Funny since at first Kasamatsu couldn’t even look at Momoi without freezing.

“I want to beat their asses and make them feel my pain,” Kasamatsu admitted bluntly.

Momoi nodded, as serious as him.

“Don’t worry, you have me on the team. I’ll have you all crush them. Hard.”

Himuro felt shivers down his back and turned to Kiyoshi, “When she has this look, I think we could really win.”

“Yeah, that’s why I chose her,” Kiyoshi grinned knowingly.

“Then let’s go,” Kasamatsu, now fired up, stood up and stretched. Kiyoshi followed him,  literally emitting satisfaction and happiness.

“Where?” Mayuzumi inquired blankly.

“To train, Mayu-chan,” Takao jumped up, bouncing on his feet, “Captain needs to vent out his stress.”

“You are the one who causes me stress.”

“Not as much as Kise.”

“That’s not a compliment,” Himuro snorted and caught the ball Kiyoshi threw him.

Mayuzumi sighed and was already going to bitch about how he would have preferred to read his book, when a small hand entered his view. He looked up and met Momoi’s gentle smile.

“Let’s go, Mayuzumi-kun!” she chirped, still offering her hand.

A small smile escaped his lips as he took it, standing up next to her.

“Only this time.”

“You always say that,” she replied cheekily.

“Hey lovebirds!” Takao called laughing, already ahead with the others, “Come on!”

“Can I beat him?” Mayuzumi hissed scowling and Momoi chuckled, tugging his sleeve.

“Only at basketball, Mayuzumi-kun, only at basketball.”

[iraniq]

United

*inspired by the Justice League I watched last night*

It was almost the end of the world…. Weird creatures attacking our planet again … Nothing else to do, besides unite!

You weren’t allowed to go to battle with your husband, definitely not because you were pregnant. But simply because you don’t quite have superpowers besides sneaking and knowing secrets, oh boy the secrets you knew ... That was what you were trading with.

It has been 52 hours since they left. No internet, no news. You and another girl stood in the huge living room. You were peacefully reading a book and she was nervously pouting around.

-        Can you please stop! - she looked shocked at you. - Your first rodeo?

She really looked worried.

-        They will be fine. – you turn the other page. -        My boy … finance, already died once … -        Lucky you … - that came up completely wrong, well not that much, sometimes you wish yours was dead too, but only sometimes - I meant… You know, they will at least go back for him. - there was bitterness in your voice. Will they go back for yours too…

Another hour passed by.

-        Why aren’t you worried? -        I live with the thought my King may die any second, so we live like there will be no tomorrow. And instead of us doing it so now, I pursway him to go and help … - your eyes hot tearly. -        Oh, it’s ok … - she rushed to you - Don’t cry, it’s bad for the baby.

You brust in laughing.

-        It’s my 6-th one darling, I know how to handle babies.

Her eyes widened.

-        6? -        Yep, he said we will never have sex again after the twins, which was like 2 and half years ago, but he lasted only 3 days… - you both laughed - And I got him drunk 5 months ago, we had unprotected sex, and voala! - you pointed at your big belly. -        Wow… -        What about you, any kids, plans, something … Or you are waiting after the wedding. -        Well he was… - she paused for a second. -        Oh dear ... - you rubbed her back - I didn’t mention to strike a nerve here. -        No, he was in … coma, we weren’t sure if he was going to wake up. So we are keeping it slow, for now.

You smiled. An old man came in, holding a baby boy.

-        Simeone’s clingy. -        Come here. - you took your son. - Say “hello” Brandon. - the boy stopped crying as he saw you and waved at the girl. After he hugged you for a while. He took off and went to the old man. -        Looks like uncle Al got himself busy! - you joked after you saw the others creeping him from behind. -        Yes. - he answered calmly. But you could tell he was at the pick of his happiness. -        So… - she looked questioning. -        God, no! - you laughed.

Another hour went by.

You were dying on the inside, but didn’t let your kids see it. They had dinner and went to bed. You and the girl were yet again left alone; “uncle Al” was on duty to help the team United. As you could understand from your oldest daughter it wasn’t sunshine and rainbows there. It was very possible they may die wile saving the world. She just texted you this.

-        How old are they? -        The oldest girl is 12, the other is 6, the boy is 4 and the twins are 2 and a half. - you simply smiled and suddenly burst into tears. She came and hug you again. -        Please don’t cry, if it wasn’t for you, I’d be dead by worry right now. -        I am dead already … - you manage to sob, hugging your belly - this will be my last memory if him. -        Don’t talk like this. They will… -        No one will care, not to mention come back for the Clown Prince Of Crime! - you yelled. She froze, moving away at the couch. -        Yeah, Ms. Lane, they will come back for your alien, but no one will do for my King. - you wiped your tears and got up. - Now if you excuse me, I need to pee.

It was around 3 in the morning. She hasn’t spoke to you since you told her who you are. Alfred didn’t call either with news.

-        So why are you here, as you are the bad guy? - she asked with visible hate in her tone. -        Who do you think made all the “ bad guys” - you made air quotes with you fingers - go and join the quest? I trade with secrets, and I am also very good at convincing people … As they had the guts, and found it their duty to rob a bank, it is their duty to save the world they live in, as there will be no banks to rob otherwise… - she stayed silent, she knew you were right, but refused to admit it. -        They are back! - Alfred informed on the com.

* At the Jet Plane*

-        Someone wake him up! -        Are you serious? -        Arthur, do as I say! -        Is he dead? -        No, Barry, he is not dead, but we will be, if he is not awake when we land. -        He is alive! -        You have that kind of system too, awesome. – Barry fangirled. -        Can you wake him up, Victor? -        I think yes, Barry will have to sting him a little, and he will be fine. -        No way man, that’s the Joker, I am not gonna touch him! -        Are you scared of him to? -        It’s not funny mermaid. -        Don’t call me mermaid, Tin man. -        Boys, calm down! -        Thank you, Diana. Why are you so quiet, Clark? -        I want to rest, that’s it. -        Guys, he is waking up, he is waking up … - Barry stepped away, next to Victor. Arthur was sitting between Clark and Diana. And all were staring at J, lying across them. -        Fuck… - he yelled, putting his hand on his head. -        You will live, it’s just a scratch, Victor said it won’t even leave a scar. -        But my hair is ruined, B! She is soo gonna kill you! -        We just won a … -        You haven’t met his Queen! - Bruce was fast enough to answer.

Mr. J just smiled and sit.

-        Do you want a pain killer? - Victor asked. -        I live for the pain! - he growled - Are you scared child? -        Nope, I am not, completely not … -        You should be. Btw who is keeping my wife company? -        Louis. -        You left my fiance with the maniac’s wife? - Clark stood up, and Diana follows, worried they will get in a fight again. -        Chill, the only think your chatty reporter can learn from my maniac wife is how to get you drunk and get herself pregnant.

And then it happened … Bruce brust into laughter. A thing no one had seen or heard before. He was laughing loudly. And it was a pure heart laughter.

-        Don’t laugh man. Just don’t … Not that I don’t love them, just … I am not sure if I am physically able to love them all ant not broke into pieces.

They were all again shattered by this simple and yet unexpected confession. And how close these two “arch enemies” seem to be.

-        It’s the 6-th one right? -        Yeah … I think she is planning on collection or something. - J said, fixing what’s left of his hair. He was having a big scratch on his right, and half of his hair was gone. -        Wait … - Diana started - you are enemies. -        Yes we are … - Bruce said. -        We kinda created each other … So … Why not go friends as well? -        You are friends? -        Jealous much, Superman? - J blinked at him. - I named one of my kids after him. - J lied back - Me and my wifey were on a romantic date, breakibg into Gotham First Bank, and the old rat, over there, took forever to come and catch us, that we manage to even had sex. It was awkward… -        Having sex in the vault? - Barry asked. -        It was awkward for me catching them… -        Doing it in the vault … - J started laughing. -        Because of people like this I live in the ocean. -        So your son is named after him? - Clark asked. -        No, Bruce is an ugly name, we picked Brandon instead. -        I am gonna finally see him. -        Well you would’ve done it earlier when they were born, my Queen send you an invitation. -        I was busy. -        Yeah, go and lie someone else… - J played it offended.

The plane landed.

-        How’s my hair? - J asked Diana. She stared at him, with no answer. -        You are fine. - Bruce tapped his shoulder. -        You know you are getting it, right. -        Yeah I know.

The plane door opened, Arthur was first followed by Diana and Clark, and Barry and Victor, J was fixing his hair in desperate attempt to hide the half that was missing.

You and Lois were standing there waiting. Clark come and hug her. You on the other hand were not that patient and went through, as you walk, Victor stood at your way.

-        Go away, overgrown toaster! – you yelled and he stepped away in surprise. -        Oh, boy! – Barry whispered, certain you will be in his “I am afraid of” list. As you saw J you screamed loudly, causing everyone to turn at you. -        Your eyes are red. A few tears for your long-lost boss? -        Tears of joy, I hate job hunting. -        Vacations over! – he said grinning. Quoting movie lines was indeed your thing.

You rushed and hug him. He was dirty and smelly, but it didn’t matter to you. You cover him in kissed while crying loudly. He just pet your hair, the long looks he so much love. As you stopped to take a breath you noticed his wound. You gasped and covered your mouth; tears were coming all over again.

-        Chill, Doll, it won’t even leave a scar, and … the hair will grow back again. – he started.

You looked at Batman.

-        Ma’am.

You smiled. And kissed your King’s lips gently.

-        Ugh … you stink… -        Like s superhero, I know! – he hugged you and started walking to the inside of the cave. -        It’s disgrosting! You can’t hug our kids like this. -        I know … Why are you shaking, are you cold? -        I forgot to pee. – you whined and he laughed, slapping your butt, and you rush inside. -        Run, Forrest, Run! – he yelled after you laughing. -        Do you know they have 5 kids? – Louis whispered to Clark. -        Did she told you how to get me drunk and get yourself pregnant? -        Yes, she insisted on me doing this, saying you are prefect gene material. -        Please don’t do this to me, I’ll volunteer. – they both laughed and walked in.

Only Barry, Victor, Bruce and Diana were left.

-        They are odd. – Barry started – but they are indeed couple goals … - the others stared at him – What, you know it’s true, just look at them. Like the Addams family but … in a homicide manic way … -        Yes, they are! – Bruce agreed. -        You may take some notes. – Diana teased. Alfred walked in. -        Master Wayne, your nephews are waiting. -        Are they all look like him?

Alfred chuckled.

-        Oh, man… - Bruce took his mask off. – And I thought the worst part was over.

They all got a shower and get prepared for dinner, or very early breakfast.

-        Why does the other kids have such big age difference from the first one? – Alfred asked as he was fixing Bruce’s shirt, who was still in huge pain to do it himself. -        The first one was Jack’s, before he turned into The Joker, they are a couple since kids, she was 14 when the girl was born. -        And he told you this, when you were … -        Yes. His father killed my parents and I pushed him into the chemicals … I guess we are even now. Why do you think they keep sending me invitations of baby showers and sonogram photos. -        So you check them? – Alfred smiled. -        Well … you can tell he is the only friend I have … in a way. -        You have more now. It’s not a bad thing. -        As long as they don’t turn into psychopaths, I guess it is.

In your room the kids were hugging and kissing their father.

-        So you are e hero now? – the oldest asked. -        Yep! Right in Batsy’s face.

They all laughed and cheered.

-        Come on, time for food. -        But you just ate mom. – the other girl said. -        Dunno, if it was for me or for him, so I have to eat again. -        Doll … - J grabbed your hand, letting you alone in the room, after the girls ran to meet uncle B. – You could’ve said you wanted another kid. It was a dick move! You laughed. -        I knew this will happen, and I suspect you will want to help, because if the children, and I … I was afraid, you won’t come back, so I wanted to have as much memories of you as I could.

He looked at his feet smiling.

-        Liar! You want a full collection don’t you! -        Fuck you, J! Can’t a girl dream. -        Anything my Queen wants! -        Baby wants, baby gets! – you smiled and kissed him gently. – I hope this hair will be fine soon, or I will be the end of the world. -        Yes, Ma’am!

______________________

@diyunho @rhina988 @nikkitasevoli @auntiemama1 @wolfgirl1074 @sookieblack12 @spillinginkwithlove @jayded-reality @cadeathens @fanalityfiction @lady-grinning-soul-k @lylabell2013 @larissaivanov @lostnorthofheaven @leto-madness @elliegrace139 @heavenlygaga @lovermrjoker @live-for-me-puddin @puddin-i-cant-swim

[unavenged-robin]

Hi. Nightwing 15 really made me hope for Jason and Dick bonding fic from a writer as excellent as you!

Awn, thank you so much anon! Both for the compliment and the prompt, I had a lot of fun writing this, and I hope you like it ♥ Also I’m not really up to speed with Rebirth, so this is conveniently set somewhere between n52 and the new Nightwing.

Read it on AO3

This is a mess. A fucking mess.

The smoke is so thick around him he can barely see anything, and all there’s to see is fire and rubble anyway. He looks up, but the ceiling is gone, and above him there’s only Gotham’s dark sky, lacking stars and poetry just as every other night. How typical.

Jason’s not in a better shape than the collapsed building himself. He’s hurt in so many places he can’t actually localize the pain anymore, he’s half blinded and his ears are still ringing, even with his helmet still intact (or at least he hopes it’s still intact).

And there’s just. so. much. blood.

“So, on a scale from I just need Alfred to stitch it up to I’m gonna reuse the empty coffin in the Manor’s backyard just how bad it is, little Wing?”

Dick’s voice sounds muffled and distorted, but at least it’s there, and Jason wants to laugh but he physically can’t. The little air his lungs still manage to keep inside of him is barely enough to let him breathe, so no, laughing is out of question. Speaking should be too, probably, but if Jason Todd was a man who could keep his mouth shut… well, then that man definitely wouldn’t be Jason Todd.

“Jay?”, Dick calls him again, fake amusement now completely gone from his voice.

Jason coughs, waits for the pain in his chest to quiet a bit, then takes a deep breath. Or, at least, a breath as deep as he can manage with at least three broken ribs and a stab wound to his abdomen - and that’s just a preliminary assessment, he’s pretty sure he’s going to hit the hospital jackpot once he gets a serious check-up.

“Don’t make jokes on my death, Dickface”, he exhales eventually. “It’s rude.”

Dick huffs, but he’s clearly relieved to hear his voice. Jason can’t really see him in the dark, but he knows he’s somewhere near him. He was moving towards him when the bomb took off, so the shock wave must have thrown him in his vicinity.

“You spend, like, eighty percent of your time making jokes about your death”, Dick retorts, and he sounds even closer now. Jason shifts, his back against the wall, his hands clutching his side.

“Yeah, that’s because I fucking died”, he retorts with no heat whatsoever. He’s actually smiling a little bit. “And I’ll have you know that irony is a healthy coping mechanism.”

Dick scoffs at him loud enough for Jason to hear even through all the creaking and squeaking of the building trying to reassess what’s left of itself.

“You’re such a hypocrite”, Dick answers. “Also Damian calls you his zombie brother in front of his friends all the time and you never say anything.”

“That’s just because I’m glad he stopped introducing me as his butler’s butler”, and also because the little shit acknowledging him as his brother kinda makes him feel all warm inside, but he’ll invite the Joker over for a romantic dinner before he gives Dick that satisfaction. “Besides, the kid died too, so he’s kinda entitled to make death jokes.”

“Hey, I die-”

Jason cuts him off before he can finish.

“Don’t. Seriously, don’t”, he warns him. “I’m so tired of having this conversation. You didn’t really die, you just had a fake funeral.”

“It still counts.”

“No, it doesn’t.”

Dick pauses, then grunts painfully while he moves pieces of concrete around to make his way towards him.

“You’re just embarrassed because you cried over your big brother’s fake death.”

“I actually laughed, you egomaniac asshole.”

Something on his right shifts and there’s a shower of debris somewhere over him. Dust and pieces of plaster fall all over his head, clattering against the metal of his hood, and then Dick’s there, just beside him.

“Liar”, he whispers, and Jason can practically hear the smile on his lips.

“Ask Babs if you don’t believe me”, he retorts anyway, because at this point is a matter of honor.

“I will”, his brother promises softly, then Jason feels the brush of his hands against his body and steels himself for what he knows will come next. He groans when Dick moves his hands away to examine the open wound himself, and downright whines when his brother’s fingers sink into his flesh to determine the gravity of it.

The stream of blood intensifies and Dick’s hands move again, now to push against the wound in a vain attempt to stop it, but Jason can see it flowing between Dick’s fingers, dark trickles staining the blue stripes of his brother’s uniform.

“I’m going to glue it”, Dick informs him almost colloquially, but Jason can see the hard line of his jaw and the frown he’s trying to ease. “We’ll deal with the eventual infections when we get you back to the cave.”

“If you get me back to the cave”, Jason replies. It was supposed to be a little taunt about their already forgotten argument about death jokes, but it comes out wrong and Dick shoots him an angry glare.

“When”, he repeats through his teeth, and Jason just nods.

He remains silent while Dick works on the wound, only moves to remove the helmet from his head and place it on the ground next to both of them. He looks around and then up again at the night sky. His entire body feels like it’s covered in hellfire and look! another death joke! Kind of weak, though, and not that much funny. Dick wouldn’t laugh at it, Jason thinks, as a dizzy feeling washes over him like a sea wave and his vision becomes oddly watery.

What a fucking mess, he swears again, before passing out.

*

He wakes up with his face pressed against Dick’s neck and his brother’s arm draped around his shoulders. Apparently you can’t close your eyes for the split of a minute without some bastard taking the opportunity to manhandle you in a hug. Perverts these days.

“Help is on the way”, Dick informs him as soon as he realizes he’s awake. He doesn’t say Batman because he was raised by Alfred, so a little tact still lingers on him despite his best efforts. Jason has the same problem sometimes. Bloody british education.

He struggles against Dick, trying to straighten himself up, and his brother accommodates his movements, a hand firmly squeezing his shoulder in a silent warning to take it easy.

Jason pats himself down until he feels the graze of the bandages now wrapping his torso. They’re still wet with blood but not too much, so Dick must have glued his wound well enough. It’s not gonna be funny to reopen it, but that’s pain for later. Right now he’s pretty happy to be alive and in less pain that he expected. All things considered, this isn’t so bad. And Dick seems to think the same thing because the moment their eyes meet, he graces Jason with a wide grin.

“Since we’re stuck waiting for the cavalry, let’s do that game, what’s its name…”, he pauses for effect and Jason rolls his eyes. “Something like we think we’re going to die so you tell me a secret you would’ve never told me otherwise and then we don’t die and I can use it to blackmail you for the foreseeable future.”

He even manages to look totally serious while saying it. He’s truly amazing.

“First, that’s a really long ass name for a game”, Jason retorts. “Second, I already told you to stop with the death jokes. Third, hell no, thank you.”

Dick dismisses him by waving a hand at him.

“C’mon, I’ll start”, he offers, and without even taking a moment to think about it, he lets out his big confession. “I had sex in the Batmobile.”

Jason snorts.

“Who didn’t.”

“Well, Damian, I hope.”

“Give him a couple of years.”

Dick groans at the very idea of his baby brother being old enough to even consider the idea of having sex and Jason laughs because oh boy, it’s going to be one hell of a ride for all of them when that kid hits puberty.

“Stephanie didn’t either”, Dick tries then and Jason shoots him a look of pure disbelief.

“Dick, come on, she totally took Tim’s virginity in there and you know it.”

It’s Dick’s turn to laugh now.

“And if you try to tell me that it wasn’t Barbara the one you had sex with in the Batmobile I swear I’ll shoot you”, Jason threatens him.

Dick makes an uncommitting sounds that has basically the same value of a confession.

“Okay, okay”, he surrenders. “But what about Bruce?”

A moment of silence while they both think about it.

“You know, I really don’t want to know.”

“Yeah, no, me neither”, Dick agrees. “Your turn.”

Jason huffs, and just to amuse himself he says the first thing that comes to his mind.

“I used to smoke when I was Robin.”

“That’s not a secret!”, Dick protests. “Everybody knows that!”

“And you having sex in the Batmobile was a secret? Please”, Jason scoffs. “If you tell me a shit secret you’re getting a shit secret back.”

Dick pouts at him. How he can be on his way towards his thirtieth birthday and still pout in a way that even Damian - the current master of scowling in their family - would find undignifying, it’s a mystery Jason has no interest to solve.

“Alright, a real secret then.”, Dick starts reasoning, and from his tone alone Jason immediately understands he’s not going to like the end of this conversation. “Something that I’d never tell you unless you were a mess of bruises and physically incapable of shooting me. Uhm, let me think about it for a second.”

“No”, Jason tries to interrupt him. “Stop right there. This is like the Bruce having sex thing. I don’t wanna know.”

“I lov-”, Dick starts, ignoring him and grinning like a maniac.

“I still have my guns on me, Grayson”, Jason warns.

Dick laughs.

“I missed you”, he amends, all baby blue eyes and big smile, and Jason slaps one of his hand over his face and groans.

“You fucking Disney princess”, he grumbles. “Can we just have one man-chat without you having to go all mushy on me?”

“I didn’t know we were having a man-chat”, Dick teases him, ruffling his hair because he’s obviously decided that one of them is not going to see the next sunrise. “I thought we were having a brother-chat.”

“You just like to see my suffer.”

Dick laughs again and shifts closer to him.

“I really missed you, though”, he says. “It was too long since the last time we teamed up and had a night out for ourselves. Even if it is for, you know, job.”

Jason gives him his best unimpressed glare.

“Maybe it’s because when I work with you I always seem to end up bloody.”

“Hey, that’s not my fault!”

“So you say, Dickwing.”

Dick’s comm buzzes back to life and Jason recognizes Tim’s concerned voice and the annoyed clicking of a tongue that can only belong to Damian. He goes still for a moment, then slowly relaxes. Better them than the big man himself, he thinks, and if he’s disappointed by it he’s not going to admit to anyone, much less to himself.

“So, before the kids arrive and start giving you shit for getting yourself blown up, is there something you want to say to me in return?”, Dick grins a Cheshire Cat’s grin and Jason takes in serious consideration the idea of headbutting him since he’s close enough to do it.

He knows what he’s supposed to say, and it’s not like he didn’t miss him too, because he did, in the last year he found himself missing him and Alfred and Tim and Damian and yes, even Bruce, more times that he’d like to admit. But.

“Well, let’s see. A secret that I’d never tell you unless I was in such a bad shape you could never retaliate, no matter how angry you’d be. Uhm, let me think about it”, he pretends to ponder.

“Jay, there is nothing you could do to-”, Dick starts with an indulgent smile, but he looks mildly concerned anyway. Now it’s Jason’s turn to smile like a mad men, but only mentally. If there’s something he’s learned from Tim, after all, is the value of a good bluff.

“Are you really, really sure?”, he interrupts him, looking at his brother dead in the eyes. He watches the uncertainty in Dick’s eyes turning into suspicion and then blatant distrust. Maybe he should be offended, but it truly makes him proud the way he can still keep Dick on his toes even if he’s not the bad guy anymore.

“Jason, what the fuck did you do to-”, he starts, but it’s too late. There’s some shuffling and the soft sound of two consecutives landings, and then their little brothers join them among the ruins.

“What a mess”, Tim comments, coming closer to inspection Jason’s wounds. He’s carrying a medical kit and looks like he’s already in his full doctor mode. “All you two?”

“You truly exceeded yourselves”, Damian agrees, sounding strangely approving of their trail of destruction.

“Just a bomb we didn’t take in consideration”, Dick explains quickly. “And we were having an important conversation, so if you two don’t mind-”

“I do mind”, Damian answers immediately.

“Hood needs medical care, Wing”, Tim says at the same time, crouching in front of Jason. “You can continue your conversation later. Give me a hand to lift him up.”

“But-”

“Later”, it’s Tim final word, spoken in the best Batman voice he can manage, so Dick has to suck it up and help him getting Jason - who’s trying, not that hard to be honest, not to gloat in his face - back on his feet.

“We’re not finished”, Dick growls in his ear, while fixing up one of Jason’s arm around his shoulder and the other around Tim’s. But he must know that it’s an empty threat because there’s no way Alfred or Tim would allow Dick to bother him with stupid question about a cheated game when he’s recovering from an explosion. Death jokes are not just for fun, you know.

“Hey, I’ve never agreed to play your game in the first place”, Jason reminds him with a mocking grin. “You have only yourself to blame.”

Dick, who can be a vindictive asshole when he wants to be, only answers with a slap to the back of his head (no injuries there - until a moment ago, at least) earning himself an outraged glance from Tim, a reproaching click of the tongue from Damian and a victorious laugh from Jason.