#like I’m sorry my wrist should not be hurting because I held it at a slightly weird angle while holding something

[gods-favorite-autistic]

Happy winter every joint in my body hates me

[cosmicmunsonwrites]

Reader is super drunk at a party and accidentally kisses a random guy instead of her boyfriend, Rafe. When they get home, Rafe gets super angry. Make it as dark as possible please!!!

i see it now

toxic!boyfriend!rafe cameron x fem!girlfriend!reader

cw — 18+ minors dni, this is dark so be warned, smut, p in v, rafe slaps reader, unintentional cheating, dacryphilia, consumption of alcohol, dub-con, breeding kink, pet names, rafe is very toxic, degradation, recording, talks of cocaine, somewhat happy ending because i felt bad

a/n — i don’t usually write dark stuff but i tried my best

do not copy or post my work anywhere else.

you smiled against his lips, his hands massaging your ass in the skin tight dress you were wearing with yours resting on his broad chest. it wasn’t as firm as you remembered. the way he kissed wasn’t as you remembered either. you were too hammered to even care though. you could barely remember how many shots you’d taken and you were sure rafe had done a few lines.

“‘m gonna go get us some more drinks,” you slurred out before prying his hands from you and slipping off to get grab some beers. you immediately felt a cold hand grab your wrist. you tried wiggling it from the death grip and turned to face the culprit, your very upset looking boyfriend. “rafe? what’s your problem? i told you i was getting us some more drinks.”

he scoffed at that and snatched the beer from your hands. he used the grip on your wrist to pull you through the crowd of people and up to some random room, slamming the door and leaving you stumbling inside. “what the fuck is wrong with you? grabbin’ and kissin’ all up on other dudes, are you fuckin’ serious right now?”

you felt yourself sober up slightly, head still spinning and your brain fuzzy. “what are you talking about rafe? i was with you the whole time!” you muttered out innocently.

“you’re fucking with me, right?” he asked through a laugh. something about the switch in his demeanor was scaring you. “that dude who’s throat you had your tongue down, wasn’t fucking me. you know how embarrassing that shit is for me? ruining my reputation that i’ve worked so hard to build just cause you wanna go fuck around with some other dude?”

your eyes began to water as you kicked off your shoes and took unsteady steps towards him. “rafe, baby, i’m sorry. i didn’t know. i’m like—i’m really fucking drunk right now and i thought it was you!” you tried defending yourself. he didn’t like that answer.

he pushed you away from him, sending you stumbling backward and onto the king sized bed. “this is the last time i ever take your ass out with me again, you got that? this is why i don’t fucking let you drink. you don’t know how to handle your fucking alcohol.”

you stood up and regained your balance. you crossed your arms over your chest and sniffled as a tear rolled down your reddened cheeks. “you’re bein’ mean, rafe,” you mumbled out. your feelings were only getting more hurt.

“yeah? i’m bein’ mean?” he laughed dryly before you felt a hand strike your cheek hard. “if you wanna see mean, i’ll show you mean. this is how whores get treated. if you wanna act like one and go fuck other dudes, that’s exactly how i’ll treat you. what makes you think i should treat you like my sweet little girlfriend when this is how you fuckin’ act?!”

you whimpered in pain as you held your cheek and allowed the tears to flow freely and the sobs to leave your mouth. “i’m sorry, rafe. i didn’t know. i—i didn’t mean to drink so much.”

he rolled his eyes at your words and smirked sinisterly. he ran a hand over his stressed face. “sit down,” he ordered sternly. when you moved a little too slow for his liking, he shoved you down and you crashed onto the floor with a choked sob. you sat on your heels, hands folded in your lap as you waited for his next move. your eyes drooped with exhaustion and your head ached. the jingling sound of him undoing his belt didn’t help either. “give me your hands,” he demanded.

you quickly lifted them and hissed when he tightened the belt as much as he could around your skin and let them drop back onto your thighs. he rid himself of his pants and grabbed his phone from the pocket of it. he pushed his boxers down to his knees and waited for you to do something.

when you simply stared up at him with wide, teary eyes, he slapped your cheek again and laughed in your face. “are you fuckin’ dumb? do i really have to do everything for you?” he asked tauntingly. “you know what to do. get to fuckin’ work, slut.”

you sobbed and leaned forward to take the tip into your mouth and lightly suck. it was new to not have your hands but you tried to adjust as quick as you could. your tongue lapped up the underside of his cock and you slowly began to work his length down your throat.

“is that really all got, princess? hurry the fuck up, i got shit to do,” he spat as a flashlight shined down at you. you looked up, straight into his phone camera as a tear fell down your cheek. your eyes diverted back down and you shuffled forward on your knees and took him deeper into your mouth.

you heard him groan quietly which only spurred you on. in your drunken state, the urge to please was extremely heightened. you began to bob your head quicker and suck a little harder, earning more moans from him. his hips subconsciously began to push forward into the warmth of your throat as one of his hands found the back of your head.

he pushed you down all the way, forcing his entire length to sit down your constricting throat, making you gag and cry even harder. he tipped his head back in pleasure. “there you go, baby. fuckin’ take my cock down your pretty little throat. fuck. your mouth feels so fuckin’ good,” he praised before letting you go as you gasped for air and choked. “too bad you’re such a slut,” he added with another slap to your cheek. at least that one was a little lighter. “coulda been such a good girl.”

you feel the drool slide down your chin and the ache begin to form at the back of your mouth as you swayed slightly from the dizziness. the flashlight became brighter as he got closer to your face, one hand smearing the saliva all over your face and messing up your makeup. “such a dirty little bitch. can’t wait to show this to the boys so they can see how fuckin’ nasty you are,” he said before laughing and shutting his phone off.

he grabbed your forearms and pulled you up before pushing you back onto the bed. he came to sit in the space between your spread legs as he hiked your dress up and ripped your underwear right off your body. “wow, baby. this is a new low for you. getting off on bein’ punished? really?” he mumbled, running two fingers through your dripping folds.

he quickly replaced his fingers with the tip of him, nudging against your clit and making you whimper and bite your lower lip. “shh, princess. you’re gonna take my cock like a good little whore, then we’re gonna go home and you’re gonna take your ass to sleep.”

you screamed when he pushed his entire length into you with no warning or preparation. he wasn’t small by any means, and the girth of him stretched you out like no other. “thats right, scream my fuckin’ name so everyone knows who you belong to, who fucks you this good.”

he set a brutal pace immediately, his hips rocking into you with such force that you slowly slid up the bed. you cried out and tried to shut your legs only to be blocked by him. he placed a hand on your stomach and pressed down, feeling the tip underneath the soft skin. “feel that, baby? feel me in your fuckin’ guts. no one will ever fuck you like i do, you hear me? no one will ever be this deep inside this little pussy like me, you understand that?”

you nodded along, your tied hands reaching forward for anything to anchor yourself down. your legs began shaking as you sobbed and cried in both pain and pleasure. it was overwhelming and the burning stretch of him was making you dizzy. “please, rafe! please, please, please!” you didn’t even know what you were begging for. mercy? a break? more? you weren’t sure.

rafe chuckled and lifted your hands. he stuck his head through the loop of your arms to allow them to rest on his shoulder before planting a forearm on either side of your head and letting some of his body weight rest on top of you, something that always seemed to bring you back to reality. he sucked deep bruises into your neck, rocking his hips a little slower into you as the hairs by the base of his cock tickled your clit and made you cry harder. “keep cryin’ baby, only makes this hotter for me,” he mumbled against the shell of your ear.

you felt an orgasm pooling in your stomach, about to overflow as your legs shook even harder and your tied hands pulled at the hair on his head. the coil in your stomach quickly snapped, clenching around him and making him moan loudly. “maybe i should knock you up, huh? hows that sound? everyone would see you walking around, stomach all big and round, all cause i fucked a baby into you. then nobody would wanna even look at you and you’d be all mine. yeah, that sounds real fuckin’ good to me.”

you cried harder and pressed your things into the sides on him as he increased his pace and pulled another orgasm out of you. “there we go. gonna come, shit, gonna come in this pretty little cunt,” he said, biting down on your shoulder as he pressed his hips flush to yours and moaned against your skin when he finally found his sweet release.

you were too drunk and fucked out to speak, just lolling your head to the side rafe’s was on in hopes he’d at least kiss you, do something to bring you back to reality. he didn’t. instead he lifted his head and removed it from the loop of your arms before sitting up and grabbing a pillow. he quickly lifted your hips and placed it underneath, running his hands up your dress-clad stomach and smiling to himself. “gonna look so pretty, all swollen with my kid. jus’ gotta make sure it takes,” he stated, plugging you up with his slowly softening cock.

he held your down there for a couple of minutes before pulling out and wiping himself off then tucking himself back into his boxers. he got up and pulled his pants back on, adjusting his shirt and running a hand through his hair. “get up, we have a party to get back to,” he ordered as he undid the belt around your wrist and slid it back on himself.

you literally looked like you just got thoroughly fucked, which you did, but there was no way you were going back out like that. “rafe,” you pouted, lip wobbling as you held back even more tears. you were unsure how you had this much to cry. “please—please don’t make me, rafe,” you begged.

“c’mon baby. you wanted to act like a whore tonight, so now you’re gonna walk around with my cum dripping down your thighs and my marks all over you to let everyone know who you belong to,” he said with a lopsided grin. you cried even harder now.

———

after another hour of complete embarrassment for you, rafe had began to feel a little bad. he helped you into the car as you stumbled with wobbly legs even though you’d tried multiple times to push him off of you. you were pissed. he’d even tried helping you out of it and into the house, but you were too angry and drunk to even look at him.

despite your protests, he had a firm grip on your hips as he helped you up the stairs to your bedroom. he gently sat you down on the edge and squatted down to be just a little lower than eye level with you. “baby? hey, can you look at me sweetheart?” he asked softly as he reached up to tilt your chin towards him.

you turned your head quickly away from his hand and sniffled, a stray tear falling. “‘s—‘s so fuckin’ embarrassing, rafe,” you choked out with slurred words.

his heart began to feel heavy at your words. he knew he could act purely on emotions, but he’d never intentionally hurt you. you were the only one that got that soft side of him. he would never ever think to do something so painful with you and today, he let his feelings get the best of him. “i know, i’m sorry angel,” he apologized and tried grab your hand to hold. the hands that were now bruised and cut up from the harsh leather of his belt.

you brushed him off and closed your eyes, head still turned away from him as you tried to keep the tears at bay even though it was no use. “i don’t accept your stu—stupid apology. you know i’d never ever cheat on you. it was an accident. i—i’d never do that shit to you. you were mean to me tonight, rafe.”

his large hands found your thighs, thumbs rubbing soothingly over them and his face leaning down to press gentle kisses to your skin. “i’m sorry. i jus’—i got a bit out of control for a minute and i promise you it won’t happen again. i know you wouldn’t do that to me, i just saw you with someone else and—and i flipped out. i shouldn’t have embarrassed you like that and i swear on everything that i’ll make it up to you.”

you sniffled and went to wipe your tears, only for him to beat you to it and turn your head towards him for your gazes to meet. he took your hands in his own and laid soft kisses to the bruised skin of your wrists. he stood up once he finished and brought a hand up to cradle the back of your head as he placed a kiss to your forehead. “i’m really, really sorry, angel. i love you and i never meant to hurt you like i did today,” he apologized once more.

you sighed and bit your bottom lip anxiously. “i love you too,” you replied under your breath. you hated fighting with him and you knew his intentions were nothing but genuine with you. today definitely threw you off a little, but you were sure he’d keep his word and make it up to you.

“wait here, alright? ‘m gonna run a bath and we can relax for a little. that sound okay?” he asked, brushing your disheveled hair away from your face. you nodded in response before he tilted your chin up and placed a loving kiss to your lips. “i’m be right back, baby.”

[mothiir]

a great kindness done

this is a sequel to the fic words rarely spoken but you don’t need to have read that to understand this. the only background is that the POV character is a serf who said one nice thing around peturabo, who responded — calmly and rationally — by dragging her off and jerking off onto her face. @moodymisty hope this is okay I wrote it in one go and couldn’t be bothered to proof read it so it’s not my finest work 😅

cw: power imbalance, dubcon in that no one reallyyyy gets the chance to say no.

—

—

It was not the Men of Iron who felled the corrupt government that held dominion over your planet, but the yellow-clad Imperial Fists, led by their father Dorn — and yet it was the Iron Warriors who rebuilt afterwards, smelted ore from the. cavernous depths of the planet, built barracks and cities and factories, and it is the reconstruction that matters more. Anyone can siege — it takes real talent to build —

“No,” Perturabo says, tearing your dress open with one flick of his wrists, your breasts spilling free. He kicks the door to his quarters closed, hard enough to dent the durasteel. “No, it’s — hard to siege —“

“Of course my lord,” you stammer, rewriting your internal script. “I’m so stupid, please forgive me —“

“Not stupid,” he growls. “Just human, foolish — “

He lifts you up with one hand, effortlessly strong, palm large enough to almost cover your entire arse as his fingers bite into the meat of your thighs. With his free hand, he fumbles at his armour; removing the entire suit would take time, and the assistance of the Iron Circle (he allows no serf near his armour), but he’s in a hurry, and so only bothers with his codpiece. It clatters to the floor with an uncharacteristic lack of care. You imagine the machine spirit within fuming at the ill-treatment.

“—sieging is hard, and rebuilding as well, and the people who hail the Fists are — are misguided, silly little children with shiny trinkets and —“

You don’t get any further into your mollifying speech; Peturabo’s tongue fills your mouth. He doesn’t kiss so much as attempt to lick your skill clean from the inside, his gauntleted hand biting bruises into your buttocks.

“You’re mine,” he says, pulling away. A strand of saliva stretches between his mouth and yours.

“Always,” you say, privately wondering what his reaction would have been had you done more than simply thank the Imperial Fist. For that is what set this whole affair off — all you did was smile, and thank the Astartes, because he had held a door for you. That was that. And here you are.

“Mine,” he growls, again, his voice slipping lower, into a register that sounds more chainsword than human. It frightens you on an instinctive, primal level — like standing before the merciless churning of a great furnace, and knowing that should you fall in, even your bones would be reduced to ash.

“Yours,” you echo. “All yours.”

It has been barely three weeks since the start of your — well, relationship is a strong word for what amounts to kidnap and a permanent assignment to Perturabo’s service. Rather: a permanent assignment to service Perturabo. The work is certainly easier than your previous role — cleaning, some mending, plenty of time on your back — but although the rations are better, you do wish that some of them were not routinely painted across your tits.

“Yes,” he says, and buries his face in your neck, inhaling deeply. His forehead crumples, as he huffs annoyance. “You smell wrong.”

“I’m — I’m sorry —“

You can’t help your gibbering apologies, even though you know it irks him when you show any outward sign of fear (“I’m not going to hurt you, you foolish little whore,” he once thundered, in a surprisingly unsuccessful attempt at comfort).

“No. Not your fault. Mine.”

He drops you onto his bed, standing before you, his cock level with your face. He strokes himself — once, twice — then shoves it towards your mouth. It bumps against your slack lips, and he grunts in frustration.

“Open. Now.”

You let your tongue loll out, slurping around his prick; he likes it when you’re messy and wet, drinking him down like he’s the only nourishment you’ll ever receive. For the first three days, you had thought this the case, until you realised that no, he’d just forgotten how often humans were meant to eat — he wasn’t planning to force you to subsist on a diet of Primarch ejaculate.

He rubs his length over your face, almost poking you in the eye a few times, deliberately working his pre-cum into your hair. He likes that as well: leaving you covered in the remnants of his pleasure, often refusing to allow you to wash it off afterwards. You keep your mouth open, like a mindless hole for him to grind against and spill inside.

“Not enough,” he mumbles, and catches your jaw with his index finger and thumb. “Need to be inside — this will hurt.”

You don’t have time to protest, or even ask what he means. He pulls smartly down, forcing your jaw open, and something clicks. Pain streaks up to your ears, and suddenly you can open wide enough to accommodate his cock. He moans satisfaction, and forces himself deeper into your throat, heedless of the scrape of your blunt, human teeth. Your body starts to panic at the lack of air; you want to pull away but you can’t; you want to breathe, but you can only manage strangled sips through your nose, and hurking gasps through a jaw that feels fucking dislocated —

And then it is over, and Perturabo pulls out, and the dark wings of terror beat a little softer. Drool drips from your abused mouth; your eyes stream. You want to ask him what the hell was that, what — and before you can think how to form the words he’s pushed in again, his fingers holding your mouth open, one hand cupping the back of your head to angle you to his liking. It takes him a few bruising thrusts to the roof of your mouth before he gets it quite right, and slides down your gullet in an implacable surge.

He continues like this for long enough that you lose track of time: your world reduced to the thick, sloppy sounds of him fucking your throat; the pain in your jaw; the slap of his balls up against your chin; the smell of him, like gunpowder and hot steel and something else, something completely inhuman. He takes you to the verge of blacking out — your vision blurring, your thoughts growing disjointed — and then permits you a hard swoop of a breath, before pushing back in. When he does eventually cum, it’s as you breathe in — you end up inhaling some of his cum, coughing and sputtering up the last little bit of your dignity, along with a wad of white gunk.

“My — my lord —“ you gasp, trying to form words: give me a moment to breathe, let me rest —

“You’re mine, aren’t you?” There’s an edge to his voice now — needling and hungry. “You’re all mine.”

He wrenches you up by the hair, catches your jaw and feels along the sides. You’re as delicate as a bird next to him, and just as fragile.

“Nothing broken. You’ll be fine.”

“Yes my lord. Thank you my lord.”

He grunts irritably, and you scramble to think what you could possibly have said — and then it occurs to you. Thank you my lord. Exactly the words you’d spoken to the Imperial Fist.

Before you can think of a better way to convey your appreciation, Perturabo has shoved your face back into his groin, this time forcing your lips against his balls.

“Suck,” he says, and you do: rolling crinkly skin against your tongue, taking the warm weight of them in your open mouth. Perturabo, a man of few words at the best of times, directs your mouth back to his cock by dragging at your hair.

The second time he cums it is all over your face. You get a brief reprieve as he wrangles off some of his armour, enough that he can clamber onto the bed without his limbs being held to stiff attention.

Then he flips you onto your hands and knees, slots his cock against your cunt — you feel him snigger at your panicked clench — then slides himself to his more accustomed place: fucking between your bruised, tender thighs.

“One day soon,” he pants, as he thrusts, “I’m going to fill that tight cunt up.”

“Yes — please —“ you reply, exhausted and sticky and barely able to string the words together. “But let me prepare — first —“

He leans over your back, hunching awkwardly so he can lick at your neck, his breath humid in your ear.

“Yes — will split you open — split you open and fuck you full and everyone knows that you are mine —“

He flips you back over before he cums, milking his release onto your chest. You feel his cum starting to dry in your hair, cling to your skin; you feel absolutely disgusting. And yet Perturabo looks at you with a bizarre mix of hunger and tenderness. Like you are just the most precious thing he has had the privilege to own.

By the fourth time, you think he’s starting to calm down. The rest of his armour discarded, the Iron Circle tidying as discretely as war machines can, and he has you stroke him off with your sticky, trembling hands.

“Open,” he says, and you let your jaw hang slack, the hinges still aching. His release spills all down your front as you make a lacklustre attempt to swallow what catches on your tongue.

You don’t think your throat will ever work properly again. Maybe he’s ruined it entirely, shaping it into nothing more than a cocksleeve for his use.

The tenderness is back in his eyes as he lifts something up to your face. Too fucked out and bleary to register what it is, it’s the camera flash that alerts you to the pict he’s just taken.

“Hey!”

“Shhh. This is just for me. Just to see how pretty you are. Just to remind me.”

He strokes your hair, heedless of the cum drying in it, and inhales deeply, grinning at how thoroughly you smell of him. No one will ever mistake you for anything other than his.

“And no more thanking Imperial Fists, yes ?”

“Yes my lord,” you say.

[dark-frosted-heart]

Roger Barel Main Route - Chapter 17

As usual, can’t guarantee 100% accuracy on this. I’m doing this for archiving purposes and you can probably find a better translation out there.

(Farewell, Roger…)

A gunshot was heard.

Red scattered before my eyes like rose petals.

—The man in the black hood who held a gun to my head fell to the ground.

(Huh…?)

One by one, the other men fell to the ground. Through the gunpowder smoke, I saw—

Kate: …Ro…ger.

Roger: Kate, you hurt…?!

Roger ran over and cupped my face in his hands. He stared at my face before running his hands along my body, checking for injuries.

Roger: Your arm’s bruised from when that guy grabbed you, but it’s not broken.

(...It really is…Roger)

Roger: …Kate?

When his eyes returned to my face, the tension within me snapped.

Kate: …Roger, Roger…

I clung to his shirt and buried my face in his thick chest.

Roger’s large hand patted my back, the warmth of it making my heart ache.

Roger: …That was scary, wasn’t it?

Kate: …It was…Ugh, I couldn’t…

Roger: That so.

His calm voice soothed my heart, and when he held me tight, I felt happy to be alive.

Nica: Ah, you lived. So, did you shoot them all? You’re a very merciless doctor, aren’t you?

(...Why is Nica)

Jude arrived after.

Roger: Look here, only missed a vital spot on one.

Nica: Ah, he’s close to death, no?

Jude used his foot to tilt the face of the man suffering from a gunshot to the leg up.

Jude: You’re gonna spill everythin’ ya know.

Man in black hood: …If I’m going to get killed anyway…

The ground instantly turned red.

(...)

The man lied motionless, as if drowning in the blood gushing from his neck.

Nica: Ah, he died before we could get him to spill anything. Too bad, we lost a valuable source of information.

Jude: …Tch, ya kill then run away by killin’ yourself. Disgusting.

Roger: …Kate, don’t look.

As I stared at the corpse in a daze, a large hand blocked my vision.

My face was pushed against Roger’s chest and I found myself being lifted up.

Roger: …Let’s go home.

All I could do was give a small nod in response as I tried to hold back the emotions rising within me.

--

After taking all the kidnapped youths back home and returning to Crown castle, Roger saw to my swelling wrist.

By my feet, Ale ate away at his reward meal.

(Why did Roger bring me back to his room and not the lab…?)

But the moment I thought that, I had my answer.

(Ah, I see…I was in a dark place just then, so he’s trying to make me feel less scared)

Roger: Oh right, Kate. See that square door on the floor there?

Kate: Square door? …Ah, there really is one!

While rubbing an ointment on my swollen wrist, he nodded over to the handle sticking up from the floor.

Roger: That’s actually a hidden door—Leads directly to the basement lab.

Kate: Wow! I didn’t know!

Roger: Wasn’t originally part of this room when Victor gave it to me. I made it.

Kate: …You made it? So you just made a hole in the floor…?

Roger: Yeah, if anyone finds out, I’m gonna get a good tongue-lashing. It’s a secret between you and me.

I couldn’t help but laugh at Roger’s own mischievous smile.

Kate: Pfft, ahaha…Geez…Just how much do you value efficiency?

Roger just smiled and, as if to shut the lid on something scary, slammed the medicine box lid shut.

Roger: …You’re finally starting to return to normal.

(Ah…I laughed…)

Roger: Alright, I’m done treating you. You should get some rest.

(I’m only able to laugh like this because of Roger’s help)

As soon as my stiff expression relaxed, I felt all the fear and anxiety slowly melt away.

…Now there’s just the guilt in my heart.

Kate: …-ry. I’m sorry, Roger…

Roger: …? I’d like to hear a “thanks”.

Kate: Sorry…

Despite what he wanted, all I could do was let out my feelings of guilt.

Roger: …Kate?

Kate: At the time…I wanted to kill them. But…My finger, it wouldn’t budge.

They were sinners who have killed, and Crown would have condemned them without any hesitation.

(...I knew that, but still hesitated to take a life)

(I was scared)

Kate: So…I ended up…

Roger: Ended up?

Kate: I ended up…making you kill those people.

Roger: …O_O

(The sin should’ve been mine to bear)

Roger: Kate, though I’ve never killed in front of you, it’s not my first time. So what you’re fretting over is— 

Kate: But…there’s no way you get used to killing people?

Roger: …

Kate: I told you I’d get strong, and I’ve been doing my best, but… But…I’m still weak…

(I couldn’t even run up to and hug Roger on that rainy day)

(I want to be able to support Roger, who’s trying to be strong, even just a little bit)

But I’m still as weak and pathetic as ever.

Roger’s always been the one supporting me.

Kate: Roger, I’m sor…

I couldn’t get the rest of my words out.

Because Roger’s lips had taken my breath away.

Kate: …Ro…Mnnn

Roger: …

When I was about to part my lips to speak, they were sealed again, entwined tongues snatching any thoughts I had away.

Before long, wet sounds could be heard from our lips.

Kate: Mnn, nn…nnn

(My mind’s gone numb…I can’t say anything…)

Anything I was about to say had melted away with the heat of the kiss.

But being hugged close to his broad chest and receiving kisses, as if telling me “that’s enough”—It felt as if all was forgiven.

When our lips finally parted, Roger’s face was so close that I could barely focus on it as I stared.

Roger: Kate, I’m glad I got there in time to shoot them.

Kate: …Huh?

Roger: I’d have to live with leaving you with a permanent scar if I let you kill someone. I’m glad you didn’t kill…Also I’m glad you’re alive, partner.

Kate: Part…ner…?

Did you just say partner? +4 +4

Don’t spoil me.

Am I still your assistant?

Kate: Did you just say partner?

Roger: Partner comes after assistant, doesn’t it?

However, I looked down, unsure if I qualified for it or not.

Roger: I know you were desperately fighting against your own fears to protect the others that got kidnapped. You stood there to protect them instead of yourself. I don’t think someone who fights for the sake of others is weak…Hence the promotion.

Kate: …

And so Roger has saved my heart again.

He allowed me to be myself and cheered me up with a smile of encouragement.

(...I was trying to not cry because I didn’t want to look weak)

Kate: …Uuuuuu

Roger: Oh, what’s up? You’re groaning.

Kate: …Huhu…

Roger: Ah…you’re trying to hold your tears back.

Kate: B-because…You’ve acknowledged me as your partner…I’ll ruin it if I cry.

Roger: Pfft…

Roger burst into laughter.

Kate: Besides, I know my crying face makes you happy.

Roger: Pfft, ahahahaha! You…You’re really…

You’re so damn cute!

The moment I was allowed to expose my weakness, the dam burst and tears spilled out.

Kate: W-waaahhh~ Roger you bully!

Roger: Ahhh, you’re crying. So cute. Pfft, haha…

As expected, Roger smirked as he stared at my face, but…he held my hand the entire time I cried.

(I said I’d never confess because I didn’t want it to be unrequited)

(But I admit it. I like Roger)

(I fell in love with this person)

Roger: When you’re done crying, let’s go out to eat. Your treat.

Kate: I’ve been promoted to partner, so you should treat me…Hic…

Roger: Alright, alright.

The next day, after having a delicious meal and beer with Roger and feeling so happy to be alive—

I visited Victor’s office to report on the incident.

--

Kate: Excuse me.

Victor: Yes, enter.

William: …

When Victor gestured for me to sit on the sofa, William, who was already sitting there, smiled at me.

Victor: First, I would like to apologize for putting you in danger.

Kate: Why are you apologizing? It’s my fault for being cautious. I’m really sorry. And thank you for saving me.

Victor nodded silently and I could see the sympathy on his face.

I was told that he sent out teams to search other locations as well when I got kidnapped.

(Everyone was worried about me…)

I bowed deeply again to express my gratitude to them.

William: Kate, with the criminals dead, your testimony will be an important lead. But speaking about it will be like digging up old wounds, so we won’t force you.

Kate: If any information I have will be of use, then I’ll tell everything I can. This is also part of my job as Fairytale Keeper.

—I told the two everything that happened.

Victor: It seems that the criminals were working for someone that wanted the bodies.

William: Your testimony has helped narrow down who they were. The criminals who kidnapped you—they’re a group of funeral directors.

Kate: A group of funeral directors?

William: As the name suggests, they’re a group of people who conduct funerals as their occupation. It seems that they realized the value of corpses, and started doing evil.

Victor: This group must be condemned. No exceptions. And now—Here lies a problem.

Victor’s cold voice caressed my cheeks as he spoke.

Victor: Just who was their employer? They were someone who instilled enough fear for them to prepare corpses and commit suicide.

William: …Fear isn’t the only method to control others, the reverse is also possible.

(The reverse…?)

I didn’t understand what William was muttering to himself.

Victor: We’ll take care of the rest as we’re already investigating it. I won't let this continue on—Absolutely not.

--

Roger turned toward the sound of the door to the basement opening.

Roger: …Ah, Kate. Just—

Alfons: Unfortunately for you, it’s Alfons, not Kate. These documents here are from Victor. At any rate… It’s quite unusual for a man with hearing as good as yours to mistake one person for another, isn’t it?

Roger: Kate’s the only one that comes down here these days.

Alfons: Speaking of, did you know? It has been almost a month since Kate has become Fairytale Keeper.

Though he knew that, some sort of surprise arose in his chest.

Roger: Yeah, it’s...already been a month. Time flies by when you get older.

Alfons: So, how is there any progress to proving that romantic love exists?

Roger: You could say that there’s still not enough research. —However, there’s one thing I noticed.

Next

-

Another cliffhanger :D

[yandere-paramour]

Chapter 2

"Darling, please calm down. You are still disoriented from your medicine and I do not want you to get hurt."

You froze. Did you just hear that? No way you just heard that. Clearly, something had happened earlier. Maybe this was an incredibly real hallucination. You hoped it was a hallucination.

“Hello, love. It is good to see you awake. I was about to be very, very upset with my hired hand,” The voice spoke again.

It took a little longer than you’d ever admit, but soon you successfully turned your head to your right. Even though you knew something was wrong, knew you were somehow in peril, it made you feel better that that voice was female. She was big, though; you couldn’t quite tell because she was sitting with her legs crossed, but you were pretty sure she was tall. Her body was lean, and although it was covered with her expertly tailored blue-grey suit, you suspected she had considerable muscle. Hazel eyes stared back at you with fondness as she tapped a spoon on the edge of her teacup. Her hair was brown, with those effortless curls you always found yourself attracted to. Unintentionally, you blushed. Had you… slept with this goddess?

You opened your mouth to say something, an apology, a question, a request for help, but she held up a hand, gave you a gentle smile with perfectly straight teeth, and set down her empty cup, “I am so sorry, Darling. I know this must be really frightening for you, but I need you to stay calm. I am not going to hurt you. Now, I did this earlier, but I need to check you over. The medicine you had was strong, so I want to make sure you’re okay.”

She crosses the room and leans over you, still whispering soft words to mollify you. She checks your pulse on your limp wrist, timing it to her watch, then softly pushes your hair back to look into your eyes, “Are you feeling dizzy at all? Nauseous?”

“I-I have a headache. And I’m dizzy.” You manage to say. Your tongue feels like it’s made of lead. A million questions run through your head. Were you drugged? How did you get here? Were you at a bar? Did you sleep together? Why can’t you move?

She frowns, the cupid’s bow of her mouth forming a lovely little pout, “That’s not good. I promise, I will give you some pain relief right after we have a talk. I do not like to see you suffer. You’re going to be on this medicine for a few days so I want you to be comfortable.”

A bit of dread rises in you, “What medication am I on?”

“Just something to help you relax, and only for a few days until you get acclimated.”

“Did you… drug me?”

“I did not do it myself per se, but I did arrange for it to happen. Worry not, I consulted with my personal physician about your medical history to make sure you would not have any negative reactions. I would never make you take anything that would hurt you.”

“Who are you and where am I,” You want to sound forceful but the drug still has its claws in you like an angry tiger.

She gives you another adoring smile, “You are right, I should have introduced myself right when you woke. I am Atalanta Montclair.”

“Atalanta Montclair?” It takes a second for your brain to place the name but it hits you like a bolt of lightning, “You mean the heir to Montclair Industries?”

She looks pleased that you’ve heard of her, “Yes, that is I.”

Horror causes stupid words to flow out of your mouth, “I slept with my boss???”

“No, sweetheart. My hired hands gave you a little of your medicine in apple juice, then safely transported you to my penthouse. I changed your clothes myself; I did not want you to sleep in that uncomfortable uniform. I promise, there was nothing untoward in my actions.”

Despite her words, your alarm only grows, “You kidnapped me?”

“I had you safely transported to your new life with me, Darling. This is now our penthouse apartment, your new home. More precisely, this is the master bedroom, our bedroom together.”

“M-My new life with you? What does that mean?” Thoughts of the worst cloud your mind, “In your bedroom, as your… your sex slave?”

“No!” She says sharply, then catches herself and returns to her poised countenance, “You are my precious Darling, the only one I love and the only one I will ever love. I am devoted to you and you alone. You will be my companion, my partner, the most precious person in my life, and, when you’re ready, my lover.”

“Your lover?” You can’t even form words of your own at this point.

“Yes, my love,” She takes and kisses the back of your limp hand, kneeling at the bedside, “You have my word that nothing will harm you here. I will never touch you sexually until you ask for it.

“You fucking kidnapped me?” You jerk your hand away from her.

She looks shocked at your language, “You would not have agreed to come with me otherwise. I had you very safely transported. I spared no expense for your safety.”

You push yourself into sitting up by sheer force of will, “But you fucking kidnapped me? I don’t even know you.” “But I want to,” She tries to grab your hand again, “I want to learn everything about you, my Darling. Just give me the chance.”

“No!” You swing your legs over the side of the bed, narrowly missing kicking her.

You try to push yourself to your feet, but your legs are still wobbly, and you collapse under your own weight, plummeting to the ground. But Atalanta is in the way, and she catches you. You were right; she is tall. She is at least six feet, giving her seven inches over you. She holds you in her arms, not helping you back on the bed or letting you fall, just what feels like… cuddling you.

“Darling, your hair is so soft. I touched it when you were sleeping but now that you’re awake to give me your permission, it feels exponentially better,” She nuzzles her face into your hair.

“I do not give you permission!” you squeak, appalled at the sudden intimacy. You try to push her away from you, but she cuddles you a little longer, then sets your unsteady form on the bed.

“My apologies, Darling, you are just so irresistible. I will be more respecting of your consent in the future,” She at least has the decency to look chastised.

“The future? How long am I staying here?”

She gives you a confused smile, “Forever, sweet girl. I will never, ever let you go. Now, it is approaching dinner time. May I get something for you to eat?”

You look at her like she is insane (which she is). How the fuck are you supposed to sit at a table and eat your vegetables with the hot woman who kidnapped you?

“Atalanta, please let me go. I don’t have a lot of money, but I can give you whatever you want. I don’t want to be stuck in this room forever. Please, please let me go,” You babble, begging her to come to her senses and hear you out.

An anxiety attack starts to overwhelm you until you are trembling. Atalanta lightly shushes you, using one hand to stroke your hair, “Settle down, love. I’ve got you, and you are safe. Take a deep breath.”

This only makes you want to fight harder, trying to push her away with your shaky arms. She grabs your hands, pressing kisses to the backs of them while keeping them firmly in her hold.

“I promise, my princess, you will never want for anything again. I’ll take care of you. I have enough money for the both of us to live comfortably forever,” She gives a quick kiss to your forehead, “And I would never keep you locked away. A beautiful flower like you deserves a chance to grow.”

She kisses your head again and continues, “You can access the top two floors of the building, those I use for my living space, now our living space. No space is off limits to you, my love. For a little while, you will be restricted to the penthouse unless I am with you, but once you’re a little more settled, we can discuss short trips out by yourself. I have been dreaming of taking you to the theatre, and maybe in a year, we will be able to go.”

“A year?” You screech, floored.

To my credit, she does flinch back from my scream, “Careful, Darling girl, I will not discipline you while you are on your medicine, but that does not mean you will escape punishment later.”

This sufficiently scares you into lowering the volume, “Discipline me?”

She looks vaguely uncomfortable, but pats your head, “I have two punishments in mind, but let’s not get into those until necessary, okay? I want our first night together to be pleasant. Now, back to my earlier question, what may I order for you to eat? Anything you like, sweetheart, just ask. Or I can cook for you if you prefer. I am no chef but I can make simple things.”

[opposums-love-arson]

Scream Queen Book 1: Conventional Final Girl

Chapter 7

Chapter 6 / Chapter 8

P.S. lmk if y'all would like to be added to the taglist <3

Before I knew it the party was coming to a slow and kids were leaving. It makes sense since it’s like 8:45. Parents have gotten strict with curfew considering all the stuff that’s been going on. Sid and I were standing at the front doorway with Stu. 

“Tatum c’mon!” Sid shouted, really wanting to leave now. 

“Nobody here but us chickens!” Someone shouted from the house, then they started klucking…?

“Do you know where she is?” I asked Stu.

Looking around he says, “I haven’t seen her anywhere,” with a shrug.

Just as Sid and I were going to walk out Billy jumps in the door frame making some weird noise and scaring Sid in the process. 

“Oh, Billy hey,” She said with an uneasy expression.

“Billy, hmm what are you doing here?” Stu said looking in between the two and scratching his chin with his index finger.

...yeah, what is he doing here?

“Was hoping I could talk to Sid alone,” Billy said, looking at both Stu and I. 

Sid couldn’t see it because her back was facing me but I had a slight hurt expression on my face. 

“Ya know if Tatum sees you here, She’ll draw blood,” I tell Billy in a very agitated and frustrated tone. I was ready to grab Sid and just leave without Tatum, sorry. 

Before I could do anything Stu grabbed me by the waist locking my torso in when he said, “I’ll tell you what, go up to my parents’ room, ya’ know you guys can talk,” slamming his fist into his hand making my body move side to side a bit.

 “Or whatever,” Stu says again, drawing the word out.

“Stublty Stu, ya know you should look it up,” Billy said, shying his head away to the side. 

Sid looks at me, unsure of what to do. I think about it for a second but I know how much they care for each other… obviously. 

I smile to her and nod. 

Looking back at Billy she said, “No it’s okay, we do need to talk,” grabbing Billy’s hand and leading him upstairs. 

Billy was about to punch Billy before he saw me. He put down his fist and gave a guilted look. 

Stu let me go once Randy came into the room and asked, “What’s leatherface doing here?” 

Leatherface would never betray someone like that… rude. 

“Came to make up,” Stu said in a tone that people usually use when they see a small puppy. 

“There goes my chance with Sid, dammit,” Randy said, stepping away from Stu and I.

“As if,” Stu paused, “That’s all I’m saying, as if.” 

Looking over at me Randy gave a confused look. 

Shutting the door I cleared, “He’s saying you never had a chance, Randy.” 

I tuned out to whatever Randy said next, I just had the intention of catching up with Stu. “What the fuck Stu?” I asked, tugging on his robe that looked just like the last one. “What?” He asked, feigning innocence like he didn’t know what I meant. “Why would you and Billy do what you did hours ago then just switch up like that?” I asked, hurt but discrete about what I’m saying. You never know who might be listening. “Look we talked and he just decided not to,” Stu said with a shrug and that ridiculous stupid grin that makes me want to punch. Wouldn’t be the first time. “Just decided not to? After five months, really Stu?” I asked as I teared up, crossed my arms, and hung my head low. Stu hugged me and motioned to other people a drinking signal with his hands and then pointed down at me. “Look (y/n), I wasn’t supposed to tell you this but the truth is...Billy just wanted to use you to get closer to Sid. I on the other hand am still free for the taking,” Stu said as he crouched down to my level and held me by my upper arms. “No you’re not, you still have a girlfriend,” I laughed a little as I wiped the tears from my eyes. I looked to the side, I didn’t really want to make eye contact with a liar right now. Stu shook his head and said, “Nah Tatum and I were talking in the garage and broke up,” as he waved his wrist. “I still don’t know Stu… I mean you two just broke up, if anything we should wait-” I was cut off from my sentence when Stu straightened up and hoisted me up, pushing me against the wall before kissing me. Kids around us were cheering, whether it was for us or the girl who just got slashed on the screen, I wasn’t sure. At least I think it was the screen? I just heard distant screaming, it totally could’ve been two other teenagers who were “talking” upstairs. “Stu what the fuck?” I asked as he placed me back down. “What I thought that’s what you wanted?” He asked, putting his hands up in a ‘I surrender’ sort of way. “Yeah but not like this…” I said as I crossed my arms. Stu grabbed one of my arms and twirled me around. “Look, I’m single, you’re single, so let’s just mingle.” He chimed into my ear. I pushed him lightly as I rolled my eyes and gave a soft smile. 

  Stu and I made up, now we’re sitting on the couch with a group of people watching Halloween, one of my favorites and one of the iconics.

“Wait wait, here it comes!” A kid said at the scene of Bob opening the closet to reveal Michael. 

Woes and ‘no ways’ could be heard from the group as they jumped back. 

“Awe man the color of the blood is all wrong! Why did they do that, it’s too red?” some kid shouted. 

“They probably just used food dye and squibs like almost every other movie,” I mumbled as I sat uncomfortably on Stu’s lap.  

“Wait, here comes another!” Randy said as he placed his fist on a kid’s knee. 

“Oohs” and a loud “Yes!” could be heard from the group. 

“Predictable, I knew he was gonna buy it.” A kid said from behind the couch.

“How can you watch this shit over and over?” Another one said. 

I was going to say something but Stu blurted out, “I wanna see breasts, I wanna see Jamie Lee’s breasts. When do we see Jamie Lee’s breasts?!” as he held out his hand. 

I just rolled my eyes. 

“Breasts? Not until Trading Places in 83, Jamie Lee was always-”

I interrupted by saying, “She’s the final girl, you’re not going to see that stuff from the heroine of the movie.” 

Randy furrowed his eyebrows at me before saying, “That’s why she always outsmarted the killer when they chased her, only virgins can do that, don’t you know the rules?” 

“What rules?” Stu asked. 

“Oh no, here he goes…” I groaned as I threw my head back. 

“You-” Randy paused the tv, “Jesus christ, you don’t know the rules?” He asked as he stood up and grabbed his beer. 

“Have an aneurysm, why dontcha?” Stu said as he looked up at the soon to be babbling buffoon. 

“There are certain RULES that one must abide by to successfully survive a horror movie. For instance, number one; you can never have sex!” Randy zipped his arm to the right. 

An uproar of booing came from the ‘audience’ of Randy’s lecture. I just sunk lower into Stu’s lap. 

“Hey, no, big no no!” Randy shouted as everyone threw popcorn at him.

Stu said something I didn’t quite understand then stuck his tongue out, how the fuck is it so long? 

“Sex scenes yeah, okay rule number two; you can never drink or do drugs!” Randy stated as he pointed outward with an ‘ok’ symbol hand. 

Everyone clinked their beer glasses together while I, once again, sunk lower into Stu’s lap.

That was before Stu patted my leg, signaling me to get up. So I did. 

A kid clicked bottles with Randy as he said, “It’s a sin, it’s an extension of number one. And number three; never, ever, under any circumstances say ‘I’ll be right back’ cause you won’t be back.”

“Getting another beer, you want one?” Stu asks Randy as he stands up straight.

“Yeah, sure,” Randy says as he waves off Stu. 

Stu screamed out, “I’ll be right back!” Leaving the room with kids screeching and ooing, 

“See you push the laws and you end up dead,” said Randy as he held out his beer, “Okay I’ll see you in the kitchen with a knife.”

  After Stu came back with the beers everyone let out some sighs of relief and we continued watching the movie. “Were you scared?” Stu whispers in my ear. “Huh? Of what?” I asked, turning a little so I could still see the tv screen. “For me, were you scared I wouldn’t come back alive?” Stu joked as he poked my side. “Yeah I was definitely scared. I was ready to start crying and hunt down your killer like the sorority girls in Black Christmas,” I whispered before letting out a small laugh.

  It felt like minutes before Stu was walking people out of the house. I posted up on the kitchen counter just sitting and eating snacks. I decided I’ve watched enough horror for the night, which is so weird even for me to say. I think I couldn't take anymore of the kids’ screaming and shouting every time something small happened. Stu came in briefly earlier to give me a kiss on the cheek as he went to get more beers. I was eating popcorn before I heard Randy say, “Listen up, they found Principal Himbry dead. He was gutted and hung from the goal post on the football field.” That’s enough popcorn for one night… A bunch of kids ran out the front door and were hitting the walls. 

Tag list: @katie-tibo @thatoneuchiha

[m-jelly]

Ulterior Motive - Chapter 7

Levi x reader

Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, mafia, Gangs, Alternate Universe - Gangsters, Gangsters, Yakuza, Alternate Universe - Yakuza, Romance, Love, Love Confessions, True Love, First Love, Yandere aspects, Protective Levi Ackerman, Possessive Levi Ackerman, Tattooed Levi Ackerman, Blood and Violence, Eventual Smut, Childhood Friends

In this chapter: You and Levi had your first ever fight, but you work through it quickly. You and Levi share a sweet moment before you go out without him knowing and get revenge.

Ao3

Ending

When you woke up in the hospital, it was clear that people had taken great care in making sure you were comfortable. There were lots of blankets, cushions, soft lighting, cuddly toys and even some pictures. It was like you’d been fully moved into the room. It warmed your heart to see how many people worried and cared for you. There were too many gifts to count.

It surprised you to wake up alone, but you assumed that they’d gone to take a call or get something to eat. You sat your bed up causing a bit of pain to spread through you. Your arms were covered in bruises, there was almost no normal skin colour. One wrist was bound and the other was wrapped up a lot. Your leg was in a cast with signatures already on it, it was like a love letter to you for when you woke up. You realised that you couldn’t see out of one eye, meaning you had a patch on it.

You looked around the room for a moment and saw Levi walking in. The bags under Levi’s eyes were heavy but there was also a redness, meaning he’d not slept and had been crying. His hands were bound up to show he’d punched the man so hard he’d hurt his hands. He looked very cute to you, you just wanted to give him kisses.

You smiled a bit. “Hello, Levi.”

Levi flinched at hearing your voice. He stared over at you as tears filled his eyes. “You…” He moved closer as he said your name. “You’re…” He hurried over to you. “You’re awake.”

You nodded. “Yeah.”

He sat on the bed and cupped your face. “My darling bunny. I’m so glad you’re okay.” He kissed your face loads. “I missed you.”

You hugged Levi. “You were in my dreams. How long was I out?”

He pulled back and started cleaning your face of all the dried blood. “Not long, only a day. The doctor says it was normal because your body was working a lot to heal you.”

“I’m sorry I made you cry.”

Levi kissed you. “You didn’t make me cry.”

You caressed his cheek with your weak hand. “Are you sure?”

He leaned his head against your hand. “You are so beautiful.”

You hummed a laugh. “Something must have happened to make you cry.”

He released a long sigh. “I haven’t slept since you’ve been here. I’ve been making those men talk. I then hunted down Frank Cassio.”

“You hurt him?”

“Badly.” He lowered his head. “I cried because I was worried about what you’d think about me after I beat him within an inch of his life and took everything he owned. I assumed you would be terrified of me.”

You tangled your fingers in his hair and pulled him in for a kiss. “I love you for you. Besides, I watched you beat that six-foot-odd monster of a man.” You purred. “It was incredibly sexy. You overpowered him, it was incredible.”

He smiled at you. “You always know how to make me feel better.”

You lightly touched under his eyes. “You should sleep. You’ve not slept since the last time we were cuddling in bed together.”

“I had a lot of work to do. I needed to make sure those men paid the price for touching what is mine.” He nuzzled your hand. “I worked very hard.”

“You deserve a reward.”

“I wasn’t expecting one, but I would love one.”

You giggled at the sparkle in his eyes and how excited he was. “Oh, you found the ring.”

He admired his left hand. “I did.” He showered your face with kisses. “While you’re on bed rest, you could look at wedding magazines and on our tablet.”

You squeaked in delight. “Yes. I can’t wait to plan with you. We’ll make it perfect.”

Levi held your hand and kissed it over and over. “We will. Can I get you anything?”

You nodded. “I’d love a drink and something to eat.”

“I’ll get you anything you need.” He got up and walked over to the water jug. “What food?”

You groaned in thought. “A burger. A nice juicy burger with lots of fries.”

He tapped away on his phone. “Milkshake?”

“Please.”

He handed you a cup of water with a straw. “Drink.” He kissed your forehead. “All ordered for you. It should be brought over soon.”

You gulped down water and sighed. “So, when do I meet your parents again? It’s been years.”

Levi blushed. “When you’re better. I don’t want them seeing you like this.”

“Cause I look bad?”

He shook his head as you giggled. “No, it’s because they might think I can’t look after you correctly and I’ll get an ear full from my mother and father.”

“An earful!?” The two of you looked over at two people, both incredibly attractive and one was almost a spitting image of Levi. “Levi Ackerman, explain yourself.”

Levi winced. “Mum, I can explain.”

“Explain!? I’d love to hear it!”

Levi let out a long sigh. “It was just…well…”

“You’ve been engaged to this adorable woman all this time and you didn’t set up one meeting!”

Levi frowned. “What…”

She walked over to your other side. “Hello again.” She lightly touched your cheek. “You’ve grown up into such an adorable woman.”

You giggled. “I wish I looked better.”

“You’re a dream.”

You smiled at Levi. “You’re just like your mum.” You gazed at her. “You look amazing Kuchel. I can’t believe the last time I saw you and Sebastian was when I was a young teen.”

Kuchel sat on your bed. “That’s right. I always knew you two would end up together.”

You held Kuchel’s hand a moment before looking over at Sebastian. He had the same eyes as Levi and a harsh look, but you knew he was as soft as anything. Levi got a lot of how he reacted to you from his father. Sebastian was incredibly protective of his wife and son, he would do anything for them and had done a lot. He often spoiled the two of them. He was a bit taller than Kuchel, had wide shoulders but a slim waist and was what people referred to as a lean build that was often seen in dating sims. His hair was a beautiful raven black like Levi’s and was combed back in a beautifully soft and puffy way.

Sebastian hugged Levi against him. “Good to see you, son.” He smiled at you. “You too. I can imagine you wished this was a better meeting.”

You hummed a laugh. “A bit, yeah.” You gasped. “Sebastian, please don’t cry.”

Kuchel hurried over to her husband. “Oh, my sweet bear. You’ve got a good heart.”

Levi leaned his elbows on the bed and placed his head in his hands as he groaned. “So noisy.”

You played with Levi’s hair. “I love you.”

Levi lifted his head and smiled. “I love you too.”

“Kuchel? Sebastian? Do you want to sign my cast?” You giggled as they both said yes and hurried over. “Thank you.”

Levi stood up as he held his phone. “Food. I’ll get it for you.”

“Thank you.” You watched Levi’s parents for a bit. “You two are so deeply in love.”

Sebastian squeezed Kuchel. “This woman is my everything.”

You fiddled with your bed cover. “Are my parents okay? I’m surprised they’re not here.”

Kuchel gasped when you started crying. “Oh, oh darling.”

Levi walked in and saw you were in tears. “What did you say to her!?” He put your food and drink down and sprinted over to you. “Bunny.”

You sniffed. “Where are my mum and dad? Why haven’t they come to see me? Did I mess up? Did I upset them?”

Levi cleared your tears away. “Darling bunny cakes, they are here. They were the first people I called and they were the first people in this room.”

You whined. “Why aren’t they here now?”

He gulped. “I uh…told them…that…well…”

“You haven’t told them I’m awake yet?”

He smiled at you. “Bun-bun love. Bunny cakes. Bouncing bunny.”

You pouted hard. “Levi.”

“I’m sorry, I just…you were broken in front of me. I…I just wanted you all to myself.” He let out a long sigh. “I’m selfish, I know.”

You released a long sigh. “Can everyone leave?”

Levi squeezed your hand as his parents walked out. “Bunny.”

You pulled your hand from his touch. “Everyone.”

Levi backed up a bit. “I’m sorry.”

You gulped hard as he left the room allowing you to be alone with your thoughts. You loved Levi so much, he was your soulmate, he was your forever but you could have died and that’s frightening to your parents. You understood that Levi found you being choked to death, that you were so badly beaten he didn’t recognise you, you couldn’t imagine what thoughts were going through his head as he rode with you to the hospital while you were out of it. You couldn't comprehend what Levi went through while waiting for you to wake up. Levi knew who sent people after you, meaning getting beaten and almost killed was due to you being Levi’s fiancée. This wouldn't have happened if you were not with Levi, so this must be hurting him badly.

You put your head in your hands and sobbed. You didn’t know what to think or feel. You loved Levi so much. You felt terrible for kicking him out. You wanted him to hold you, kiss you and protect you. You wanted Levi to tell you that everything was going to be alright and he’d kill everyone who dared hurt you. Your feelings were complex. You were mad at him, but you slightly understood. If you were in his situation, you were sure you’d probably do something similar.

You looked up and smiled. “Mum, Dad.”

Your mother, Cathy, rushed towards you and held you. “Oh, my sweetpea.”

Your dad, Dead, sat on the bed and held your hand. “We’re so glad you’re okay.”

You sniffed a bit. “I’m okay. So, you’re not mad at Levi, are you? I understood the dangers that would come with being with Levi. I knew I could get hurt, so please don’t hate him.”

Cathy frowned. “Hate him? Sweetpea, we don’t hate him.”

Dean smiled. “We love him. He’s a wonderful lad.”

You gulped. “But he didn’t tell you I woke up.”

“He’s a man in love, deeply in love, his focus was on you and being happy you’re alive.”

Cathy nodded. “Your father is right. He blames himself for this.”

You frowned and felt a bit confused. “What do you mean?”

“Levi poured his heart out to us after we first saw you while you slept. Levi said told us everything. He blamed himself for it all.”

Dean nodded. “Poor lad cried his eyes out.”

You gripped your bed cover. “Levi said he didn’t cry because he felt bad. He said to me he cried because he was worried I’d hate him for hurting the bad men.”

Cathy put her arm around you. “Please don’t be mad at him.”

“I’m not. I’m just realising how much he does for me.” You sniffed as tears ran down your cheeks. “I feel bad for kicking him out of this room.”

Cathy wiped your tears away. “It’s going to be okay.”

You kept sniffing. “I feel bad. I don’t know what to think or feel. He didn’t tell you both I was awake, but you’re okay with it.”

Dean smiled. “We understand. You have a right to be a bit annoyed at him, but please be a bit softer on him. You could have died on his watch. There’s nothing worse than almost losing the person you love most because of something that’s possibly caused by you. While you were out, Levi was blaming himself over and over again and trying to fix things. This was all out of his control. It’s hard for a man who’s tough and has this city under control to lose control.” He looked to the door. “He feels weak like he failed and that maybe this man Mr Cassio was right. Be gentle with him.”

Cathy kissed your forehead. “He’s a wonderful man. We love him a lot. We’ve always loved him.” She held your hand as she said your name. “I’m going to send him in here after we leave, okay? Make up with him. Forgive him. Love him. You’re good together. Also, over these next few weeks while you’re healing, let him nurse you back to health and let him be a bit overly protective.”

You hummed a laugh. “He’ll be super protective.” You felt your heart flutter. “It’ll be cute.”

Dean patted your leg. “So, what do you say? Will you talk to Levi and forgive him?”

You looked from your mother to your father over and over. “I…”

“Don’t let this fight come between you both. It’s your choice, sweetheart.” Your dad smiled and ruffled your hair. “We’ll support you. This type of thing might happen again, but then again it might not at all. You can’t predict what will happen in life. Even if you left him because you couldn’t forgive him and life was too dangerous with him, that’s okay but something bad could happen to you being away from him. You don’t know what life has in store for you. If you stay with him, he could protect you and love you but it also could mean you could get hurt again.” He released a long sigh. “Make the choice you won’t regret. Think about it. Five years down the line you’ll either be single and working another job or married to Levi with kids.”

You laughed. “That soon?”

Cathy giggled. “Of course! The two of you are so passionately in love. Kids will arrive very fast.” She got up and kissed your cheek. “We love you.”

Dean pinched your cheek. “We love you so much. We’ll be back later, we have to talk with the in-laws.”

You smirked. “In-laws, cute.” You waved goodbye to your parents and started eating the food Levi brought you as you thought. You gulped down your shake and smiled when you came to a decision. “Levi?”

Levi peered around the door. “Bun…” He winced and said your name instead. “I uh…how did you know I was here?”

“Well, I know it’s hard for you to leave me alone. I’m also assuming my parents told you to come back.”

“Y-Yes.”

You waved to him. “Come in. I want to talk.”

He closed the door behind him and approached you. “I’m deeply sorry.”

You patted a spot next to you. “Sit.”

He hurried over and sat on the bed. “I should have told them. I shouldn’t be making excuses. They’re your parents.”

You tangled your fingers in Levi’s hair and kissed him. “Levi, I love you. I love you more than anything. I cannot see my life without you. This happened because Cassio made a choice, not because of you.”

Levi’s eyes widened. “How…your parents, they told you.”

You smiled sadly. “I knew you’d cried because of that. You didn’t need to hide that.” You caressed his cheek over and over. “I think it’s sweet.”

He pressed his cheek against your hand as he smiled at you. “I’ll do anything for you.”

“I know.” You released a long sigh. “I’m not going to say I forgive you.”

Levi looked pained. “Oh.”

“Because there is nothing to forgive. You acted with love. You kept my parents in the loop and you talked to them right away. When you saw me awake, you just wanted to be with me. Your focus was all on me being alive and in your life again.” You smiled at him. “I would have done the same as you. I love you. I deeply love you. You’re going to be my husband. We cannot predict what the future holds. Living without you is far more scary and horrible. We’re stronger together. I know you’ll protect me if we stay together. Plus, why the fuck would I leave the man I’m obsessed with, have fantastic sex with, who loves me so much he’s wiped out a whole gang. I love you and you love me.”

Tears ran down Levi’s cheeks. “I love you. I love you so much. I don’t deserve you, I really don’t but I’ve been blessed with your love and presence.” He kissed you over and over. “If you say yes to staying with me, I am never ever letting you go. You hear me? You’re mine, forever.”

You smiled at him. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

You giggled. “Well then, I’m all yours. Forever.” You opened your arms. “Please, lie with me?”

Levi climbed onto the bed and laid his head on your breasts. “I will make this up to you, I swear.”

You kissed the top of his head. “You don’t need to. Just be there for me.”

“But.”

You hummed. “How about you nurse me back to health, hmm?”

“Got it.” He squeezed you.

You slipped to the edge of your bed and sighed. You were glad to be home and not stuck in the hospital anymore. All your stitches were out and the bandages off. Your voice was back to normal. It sucked you couldn’t work, but you were sure that your days of working were over and you were a stay-at-home girl now because of the dangers. You liked it.

You pushed yourself to your feet, grabbed your crutches and moved to the bathroom. You finished up and left the bathroom to see Levi was stood there looking a bit annoyed. “Oh, hello Levi!”

He scooped you up making you squeak. “No moving around.”

“I needed the toilet.”

He sat you in bed. “Don’t leave this bed without me.”

You nodded. “Okay.” You wiggled your toes in your cast. “Can you sit with me?”

He climbed onto the bed and cuddled up to you. “What can I do for you?”

You nibbled your lip. “Can we wedding plan a bit more?”

He kissed your temple. “Of course. Do you have the tablet?”

You grabbed it from the beside and snuggled up to Levi. “Is there anything you really want?”

“To marry you as soon as possible.”

You giggled at his comment. “Cute, but we need to talk about the wedding.”

He cuddled you. “Mm, well how about wildflowers.”

“I love them.” You leaned the side of your head against his shoulder. “I’ve been looking at venues, but nothing stands out massively. I just want something simple but I know you’ll want to show me off.”

“I want to marry you somewhere as pretty as you.”

You stared at Levi. “Levi.”

He pouted. “I know, I know, I’ll moan there isn’t a single place on Earth that is as beautiful as you.”

You lifted your head and kissed his cheek. “So, is there a place out of the ones I’ve chosen you want?”

He swiped through the selected ones and smiled at a nice old hall with a massive garden. “This.”

“It’s magical. Perfectly vintage.”

He kissed the side of your head a few times. “I can’t wait to see you in your dress.”

“I’ll think carefully about it.”

Levi reached over and massaged the inside of your thigh. “You’ll be incredible in everything.” He frowned when his phone went off. He pulled it out and eyed the message. “Mm, I have work.” He kissed your neck. “Be a good girl for me and do not leave this bed for anything unnecessary.”

You grinned at him. “You got it!”

He kissed you and hummed. “Thank you.”

You waved to him as he left. You waited for the door to close before climbing out of bed and dressing in something nice. You smiled when your phone went off indicating your ride had arrived. You moved to the door and grinned at Lucas and Shino. “Hello, gents. Have you gotten everything all sorted for me?”

Lucas eyed you. “Yes. Are you going to be okay moving around?”

You moved past them. “I have a broken leg, I’m not falling apart. I’m fine.”

Shino followed you. “Has Levi approved of this?”

“Nope. He doesn’t know I’m doing this.”

Lucas gulped. “Peach, this is a bad idea.”

You glanced back at him. “Levi said not to leave the bed for anything unnecessary. This is necessary.”

Shino hummed as he considered what was about to happen. “She’s right. This is necessary.”

“Thank you, Shino. You’re my number one today.”

Lucas gasped as Shino winked at him. “I’m hurt! I’m always your number one.”

You hummed a bit. “Are you?” You smirked at him before climbing into the car. “Let’s head out. This will be fun.”

Shino sat next to you as Lucas drove you to your destination. While you were driving Shino was texting away making sure everyone was in place. He released a long sigh. “Everything is in place. Target is in place as predicted.” Shino looked over at you. “If Levi finds out about this.”

“When.” You glanced over at him. “He will find out about this.”

“When Levi finds out about this, what are we going to do?”

You patted Shino’s thigh. “Leave him to me. I can handle him.”

Lucas laughed. “She’s right. You know, he might be pissed at first but I think he’ll be rather impressed by his bunny. You found something very interesting out.”

You felt your cheeks heat up. “Thank you.”

“Speaking of.” He stopped the car. “We’re here.”

Stacy smiled as her feet were tended to. She had her usual gathering of rich women around her all worshipping her. “There’s nothing better than having your feet massaged after such a perfect victory.” She looked up to the door to see Shino and Lucas enter. “Well, well, well, I see you two have finally chosen me over the previous trash.”

Lucas put his hands in his pockets and smirked. “Oh, I don’t know about that.”

Shino fixed his cuffs. “We’re here on business.”

Stacy’s brow raised. “Business?”

You moved into the room. “Yes. I have business here.”

Lucas pulled a chair for you. “Peach.”

You sat down and sighed. “Thank you. Those crutches do mess with my hands a bit.” You smiled at Stacy. “Stacy, right? We met at that casino event but we never formally met. You called me a whore if I remember and my fiancé told you the news your husband had no money.”

Stacy clenched her jaw and gulped hard. “I remember. Why are you here in my shop?”

You hummed a laugh. “Well, I have a few things I want to say. A few things I figured out.”

“Oh yeah?” She rolled her eyes. “Fascinating.”

You released a long sigh. “I’m sure you know what happened to me, right?” You knocked your knuckles against your cast. “Got grabbed and beaten.”

“Didn’t knock any sense into you.”

You laughed mockingly. “Funny!” You smiled. “But no. I’m still me, just have a broken leg. So, my fiancé stopped the men and almost killed one of them when he saved me. Hell, he caught Cassio and almost killed him too.”

Stacy tensed up. “And?”

“Well, I was thinking about it all seeing as I’m stuck in bed a lot and you know what’s weird?”

“Your dress sense?” She smirked as some of her friends giggled.

You smiled softly. “What’s weird is Cassio picking on me. He believed women should be put in their place, and that Levi was weak. He was rather annoyed about Levi having an outspoken woman, but not enough to do something about it.” You sighed. “I paid close attention to that conversation and it was odd. You see, Levi made a passing comment about dry meatloaf and Cassio was annoyed.”

Stacy laughed. “Right, so the meatloaf did it.”

You slapped your leg. “You’re so funny! But no.” You tilted your head. “What was weird to me is how he reacted. He was upset about how rude Levi was about his wife, but strangely enough, he didn’t bring his wife with him to the party.” You stared at her as she shifted a bit. “Isn’t that weird?”

Shino placed his hand on the back of your chair. “I think it’s strange. For a man that’s so dedicated to his wife, why wouldn’t he bring her?”

Lucas nodded to the backup entering. “Really makes you think. Why is he judging the boss when he hasn’t got his wife with him?”

You smirked. “You know gents, the nice thing about that event is people that come together wear something that indicates they’re together, that they’re a couple.”

Shino handed you a drink. “You and Levi matched perfectly.”

“We did.” You sipped your drink. “Mm, thank you.” You placed the cup down. “Anyway, you’re incredible with your fashion. Everyone praises you, Stacy.”

Stacy smiled. “Thank you. I’m always making a statement.”

You hummed. “Exactly, I mean everything you wear you wear for a reason, right?”

“Right!” She grinned at you. “You get it.”

You laughed. “I do. Your dress was stunning. You were a vision.”

“Thank you.”

“Truly breathtaking.”

She flicked her hair. “I know.”

You picked up your cup. “So explain to me why you and Cassio were matching.” You sipped your drink as the room became deathly quiet and Stacy looked white. You sighed and put your drink down. “Seems odd, right?”

Stacy started shaking. “I-I…well…”

“I mean, you have a taste for older men.” You smiled at her. “Anyway! Congratulations.”

“F-For?”

You referred to the shop. “This place! I mean, Levi said you had almost no money. You must have found some sort of money.” You looked at your feet and wiggled your toes in your cast. “Levi told me he took everything from Cassio, but things were missing.” You looked up at her. “Men like ours tend to spoil their women. Levi spoils me so much that I have to tell him off sometimes.”

“Mm.”

You looked over at Lucas. “Lucas, my darling?”

Lucas grinned. “Yes, peach?”

“You used to work with an old fart of a gangster before Levi, right? I think you or Levi killed the guy in the end.”

Lucas folded his arms and smiled fondly. “We worked together.”

You patted his arm. “Wonderful. Now, did he have a mistress?”

“He did.”

You locked eyes with Stacy. “How did he treat his mistress?”

“Like she was his everything. Bought her new things and pretty things.”

“Mm. Thank you.” You shifted in your seat. “Shino? You know expensive things. Tell me, was Stacy’s outfit expensive on the night and is what she wearing now more expensive?”

Shino adjusted his glasses. “Indeed, peach. The dress she wore and accessories on the night were out of her husband’s price range at the time. Her current outfit is too.”

You smiled. “Thought so. Do you have what I asked for?”

Shino checked his inside pocket and pulled out papers. “I do.”

You looked them over and hummed. “You know, I’m so blessed that Levi owns someone in almost every place possible. A lovely lady in the bank was so sweet to Shino and gave him records of bank accounts.” You eyed the papers. “Funny how before Cassio was taken, a chunk of his money went to you, like he was protecting it.” You handed Shino the papers. “What do you say, Shino? You and Erwin are the big brains of this.”

“Seems like this is the money that the boss, Mr Ackerman, reported as missing from Cassio.”

You faked shock. “Oh my, whatever could it mean? Stacy has Cassio’s money, she wore his colours, she has expensive jewellery that her husband can’t afford and she has a brand new shop.” You tapped your bottom lip. “I wonder what it all means. I could just ask you, Stacy, instead of guessing.”

Stacy laughed nervously. “I…you…you have nothing! It’s all guesswork.”

You giggled. “Maybe it is. I mean, I don’t think I offended Cassio enough to hurt me. I offended you and Cassio would do anything for you. I mean, he gave you a lot of his fortune. I might not be the smartest person in the world, but I’m not a fucking idiot.”

“I didn’t do a thing!” She shook more and looked panicked. “I’m innocent! You have no proof of my relationship with him.”

“You’re right, I have ideas but the thing is I told you Levi has a lot of people all over the place and I learned from that.” You smirked at her. “I started doing the same thing. I have a fun mole who was very happy to give you up. You see, your ego and nastiness against those around you have caused you to be alone, very alone.” You grabbed your drink. “Shino?”

Shino bowed. “I’ll take over for you. Now, our mole will be protected by the Ackerman family for life and their child as well. I’m here, on behalf of the Ackermans, to offer this protection to the rest of you. Side with us and help us and we’ll protect you. It’s that simple.”

Lucas chuckled as all the women abandoned Stacy, while they did they spat nasty words towards her, it was clear she had wronged them all. “Welcome, ladies. If you’ll just step outside with our friends, he’ll take the evidence.”

You tapped one of your crutches against the floor while the ladies left. “So, wanna confess that you were behind it all? You begged Cassio to hurt me because I humiliated you and insulted you.”

Stacy snarled. “I wish he did more than break your fucking leg! I told Cassio to make his men break you. I wanted you to be mentally broken, but they only broke your leg! The fucking, idiots!”

You weakly stood up. “They let you down.”

She rushed you. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

You swung your heavy crutch against the side of her face and sent her to the floor. Blood pooled on the floor as she screamed about her precious and expensive face. “Hmm, I’ve always wondered what would happen if a person with Botox got their face hit.” You turned. “Trash the place and get as much money as possible. She was supposed to be ruined financially so we’ll make it like that.”

Shino clicked his neck as adrenaline rushed through him, he was excited. “Yes, peach.”

You moved outside to see Levi’s car parked there. You slowly looked up and saw Levi leaning against the car with his arms folded. “Levi.”

He sighed. “I told you not to leave that bed.”

“You said I shouldn’t leave for anything unnecessary. This was necessary.”

His brow raised. “Explain, bunny.” He listened closely as you unloaded everything on him and why you were here. “Right.”

You pouted at him and gave your usual sweet wide-eyed look that Levi found so hard to resist. “Are you mad at me?”

“No.” He pulled you against him. “I’m not mad. I’m proud of you for working so hard and standing up for yourself. You’re so fucking smart and you figured all this out? It impresses me.” He showered your face with kisses. “It’s sexy.”

You giggled. “Thank you.”

“Let’s get you home, okay? I’m sure the gents can finish the job.”

“Mm, okay.”

He helped you into the car. “Be right back.” He pressed the end of your nose. “Love you.”

“Love you too. Be nice to Shino and Lucas, okay? They helped me out so much.”

Levi winked at you. “I’m not going to shout at them. I’m going to thank them for helping. I promise, okay?”

“Okay!” You waved and watched Levi go into the building and then after a while, he came out laughing a bit with Lucas and Shino. “Everything okay?”

Levi nodded. “Sorted.” He climbed into the car. “Let’s get you home, full of pain meds and stuffed with food.”

You hummed in happiness. “Awesome.”

[massivedrickhead]

“Somebody help!” from the angst/fluff prompt list pleeease!

So my first thought for this was to do something a little more angsty and heavy, but I feel like I've written that fic like a million times, and I wanted to do something a bit lighter.

Hope you enjoy!

“Somebody help!”

Prompt taken from here

Read on AO3

-

“Somebody help!”

Chloe wasn’t known for being a quiet, soft-spoken person, but Beca had never heard her sound this loud or this panicked before.

From her spot on the ground, Beca had even wondered if she’d crashed into someone on her fall down the auditorium stairs, and if that person was even more hurt than she was, because that would be the only way to explain the horror in Chloe’s voice. 

But no, Chloe was crouching over her. 

Chloe’s ear-splitting cry for help was because she was worried about her.

“Jesus,” Beca muttered, trying to push herself into a seated position. “I’m fine.”

Pain shot through her wrist as soon as she put weight on it, and stars momentarily popped behind her eyes.

Okay, so she wasn’t fine but she certainly wasn’t dying. 

“What happened?” Chloe asked, helping Beca sit up as the brunette held her surely broken wrist protectively against her chest. 

“I tripped,” Beca said, shaking her head slightly. She bit down on her bottom lip as the pain pulsed in her arm again. “I think I need to get this checked out.”

Chloe turned to the gathered group of Bellas, some of whom looked like they were trying not to laugh.

“Has anyone called an ambulance?” She asked, her voice taking on that slightly hysterical pitch again.

“I don’t need an ambulance, I’m not dying,” Beca said, rolling her eyes. “I just need someone to drive or call an Uber.”

“But-”

“Chloe, I’m not spending like a thousand dollars on a ride in a slightly faster van,” Beca said, wincing again as she struggled to her feet. She felt some pain in her back and knee, but the majority of it was focused on her wrist. And her pride. 

“Okay,” Chloe said. “I’ll drive you, come on.”

“Feel better, Beca!” Emily said as they made their way out of the auditorium.

“Yeah, have a nice trip!” Amy yelled.

“See you next fall!” Stacie added.

“Bite me!” Beca yelled back.

Getting into the passenger seat of Chloe’s car was harder than Beca had been expecting, and she ended up having to go in backwards, sitting on the seat first and then swinging her legs over. Chloe buckled her in, making sure the seatbelt didn’t make contact with Beca’s rapidly swelling wrist. 

“I can’t believe this has happened so close to the Worlds,” Beca said, with a huff. 

“Don’t worry about that right now,” Chloe said. 

“I suppose we might get some pity points if I’m in a cast,” Beca said. 

They drove in silence for close to 20 minutes, Beca using all of her focus on not throwing up from the pain in Chloe’s car.

“So how dumb did I look?” She asked, desperate for something to distract her.

“Huh?”

“Like my fall, how embarrassed should I be? Was it at least funny?”

“It wasn’t funny at all,” Chloe said, frowning. 

“Some of the Bellas were laughing,” Beca said. “It must have been a little funny.”

“It was terrifying,” Chloe said. “You… One minute we were doing laps and the next you were… bouncing down the stairs. And you hit the bottom with such force, and you didn’t move and I thought…” Chloe trailed off, trying to shake the image from her head. 

“Sorry that I freaked you out so much,” Beca said. “I was just trying to figure out if I was actually hurt or just embarrassed before I tried to move.”

“And you’re really okay?” Chloe asked. “I mean, apart from your wrist. You didn’t like black-out or anything?”

“No,” Beca said. “I was painfully awake for each humiliating second.”

“You’re so dramatic,” Chloe said, laughing.

“You’re one to talk,” Beca replied, grinning despite the pain. “You were the one screaming for someone to help.”

“I wasn’t screaming,” Chloe countered.

“You weren’t not-screaming.”

“Give me a break, I thought you’d knocked yourself out or something,” Chloe said, the frown returning to her face.

“It’s nice to know you care,” Beca said, trying to lighten the mood again.

“Of course I care,” Chloe replied. “You’re my best friend. Would you have laughed if I’d fallen down the stairs?”

“No,” Beca admitted. “I’d probably have freaked out too. Though maybe in a less high-pitched way.”

“Shut up,” Chloe said, laughing again.

The car fell silent again and Chloe glanced across the car to see Beca’s face was now screwed up in pain.

“We’re almost there,” Chloe said. 

“Mhm,” Beca replied, not trusting herself not to puke if she opened her mouth to speak. 

It was several hours later when the Bellas got a text to let them know that Beca and Chloe were finally on their way home.

“Beca, you’re home!” Emily said, a little louder than necessary, when they walked through the door. “We got Chinese food,” she added gesturing to the containers on the kitchen counter. “How are you?”

“High as a kite,” Chloe mumbled, her hand briefly coming to rest on Beca’s back before she helped her out of her jacket. 

Beca’s wrist was in a split and held up by a sling, but she didn’t appear to be in too much discomfort.

“She has to go back in a few days and have a cast fitted,” Chloe said, watching as Beca struggled to load up a plate with her right hand. “Here,” she said, taking it from her. “Go sit down, I’ll bring it.”

“They didn’t put her in a cast straight away?” Jessica asked from her spot at the sink where she was doing the dishes.

Chloe shook her head as she filled Beca’s plate with her favourites. Emily couldn’t help but smile at the fact that Chloe hadn’t even needed to ask Beca what she wanted. “They need the swelling to go down first. There was talk of surgery, or of them having to realign the bones before they could set the break.” Chloe shuddered at the thought. “But the break wasn’t as bad as they first thought.”

When Beca had walked into the living room, she saw Amy hurriedly slam the lid of her laptop shut.

“Hey cap!” She said, a little too cheerily. 

“How are you?” Stacie asked from beside her, her voice had the same falsely cheerful tone.

“Are you watching porn in the living room?” Beca asked, chuckling at herself as she sat down. “Gross, dude.”

“What? No!” Amy protested.

“You shut your laptop like someone who got caught looking at naked ladies.”

“Okay, number 1 let’s be real, I’d have been looking at naked guys if I was looking at anyone,” Amy said. “And number 2, I use my phone for porn, not my laptop, what is this 2009?”

“So what were you looking at?”

“Nothing,” Amy insisted.

“There are security cameras in the auditorium,” Stacie blurted out.

“Well thanks for that, Stace,” Amy said, exasperated. 

“I just don’t want there to be a rumour going around that we were watching porn together,” Stacie replied.

“Who’s watching porn?” Chloe asked, entering the living room with her and Beca’s plates. She sat down beside Beca and put her plate on her lap.

“See?” Stacie said.

“What’s this about cameras?” Chloe asked.

“The auditorium has security cameras,” Stacie repeated. “And I happen to know the security guy.”

“You guys didn’t?” Chloe said, sounding shocked.

“How could we not?!” Amy protested. “It was an amazing fall, Chloe!”

“Beca got hurt!”

“I’m confused,” Beca announced, happily popping an egg roll into her mouth. 

“We got the footage of your fall, Bec,” Stacie said. “Do you want to see it?”

“Of course she doesn’t-”

“Oh yeah,” Beca said, talking over Chloe’s protestations. “I love a good fall video.”

[autistic-writer-angel]

OCtober Day 16

Prompt: Lament

Words: 665

Canon to my other stories: Yes

Additional notes: Another scene I've had in my head for a while. Context? Don't know her.

@mooshie-blue I think I told you I was going to post this one.

TW: Slight self-harm and quite a bit of self-loathing.

Credit to @apromptingwewillgo for the prompts.

Lament

“Angel?” Captain Barnacles called. He could hear her on the other side of the bushes. It wasn’t like her to just run away, though. Something must have been wrong. “Angel?!”

He pushed the bushes aside and was shocked by what he saw: Angel had grabbed a long, thick tree branch and was hitting herself with it! She whacked her arms over and over again.

“Angel! What are you doing?! Don’t do that!” The polar bear took the branch off of her and tossed it as far as he could without fear of hurting any creatures. “You could hurt yourself!”

“That was the whole point!” the girl countered, beginning to cry.

The Captain was alarmed. Angel got upset very easily, but she rarely cried. He knelt down beside her. “Angel. Why are you crying?”

Angel let out a sob. “Because I keep screwing up!”

“Angel-”

“It’s my fault we’re stuck here! And I just keep making things worse! You could have gotten back to the Octopod ages ago if it weren’t for me, but we’ve been stuck here for three days! Your big day is completely ruined! And it’s all my fault! I’m sorry!”

“Everyone makes mistakes, Angel”, Barnacles pointed out gently.

“NOT AS MUCH AS I DO!” she exploded. “All I do is screw up! I just can’t do anything right! Here!” She slipped her Octo-watch off her wrist and threw it not at him, but towards him. “I don’t want this anymore! I’m never going to be good enough!”

Captain Barnacles knew that Angel struggled with self-esteem. He knew every Octonaut and Octo-Agent had their areas to work on and this was Angel’s main one. Still, it was hard to listen to the rant that followed. She bawled her eyes out, describing herself as completely useless and the worst thing ever. At first, he said nothing. He just allowed her to lament. Maybe all of this just needed to come out.

Eventually, when she was crying too hard to keep going, he decided to intervene.

“Angel. Take a deep breath.”

The thirteen-year-old drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then she did it again and again.

She sniffled and wiped away a tear. “I’m sorry. You should have told me to shut up.”

“No”, he told her gently. “Angel, everyone feels the way you’re feeling sometimes. Everyone feels like they’re not good enough, but it’s not true. Any of it.”

“Yes it is!”

“You’re so hard on yourself. You have done so much more than you give yourself credit for… Do you remember when you and I first met?”

Despite herself, Angel had to smile a little. “I wish I didn’t.”

“You were so scared of me, but look at you now.” He smiled at her. “And you saved the life of a little penguin. You’ve helped me in the Caves of Sac Actun and helped save creatures in the Ring of Fire. You’re kind, you’re funny and you brighten up every day on the Octopod. And I'm very proud of you.”

Angel let out another sniffle. “Really?”

“Of course.” Seeing as she wasn’t convinced, he held out his arms. “Come here.”

The girl collapsed into his hug, resting her head on his chest as she sobbed. Captain Barnacles stroked her hair and talked to her gently.

When her sobs slowed, the Captain let her go. “Come on.” He stood up and pulled her up to her feet as well. “We’d better keep moving.”

Angel let out another sniff and shook her head. “Go on without me. You don’t need me getting in your way. You should just get back to the Octopod.”

“I’m not going anywhere without you”, the polar bear countered. “Oh! One more thing.” He picked up her Octo-watch. “You’re going to need this.”

Still not believing she deserved it, Angel put the Octo-watch back on her wrist. Then the Captain took her hand again.

“Junior Octo-Agent Angel. Let’s do this!”

[privfilth]

Yj and sb

Being best friends with a gay person never bothered Yeonjun. He never judged anyone, especially his Soobin. Even when Soobin moved in - Yeonjun never felt any sort of tension. Tonight they were at a gay bar, Soobin to find a rebound for his latest failed relationship, and Yeonjun for moral support. Soobin was painfully shy, and Yeonjun couldn’t give a fuck about approaching anyone.

Yeonjun had been questioning himself after spending more and more time around queer people. They were so inclusive, kind, and fun. He felt like he could be his true self around them. But here were certain things he still kept hidden.

He couldn’t talk about how it felt when he saw men holding hands or kissing. Even his friends, he felt like he should look away but he couldn’t help but just stare. He helped soobin find someone at the bar. Soobin’s choice was… interesting to Yeonjun. He didn’t seem like Soobin’s type.

He knew to keep an eye on Soobin and look out for their secret hand gesture they make when they need to be saved by the other and get the fuck out of there. Yeonjun didn’t mind, he always enjoyed chatting up the women at the bar, hoping to god they were bi and that he could take one of them home. He’d hate to be staying up all night waiting for Soobins guest to leave all by himself.

He got distracted when he saw the man soobin had approached move closer to Soobin to whisper in his ear. Soobin laughed and put his hand over the stranger’s. Things seemed to be going well until Soobin got up and excused himself. He headed straight for Yeonjun.

“Bathroom,” he said pushing past Yeonjun so their shoulders collided. “Sure..” going to the bathroom was a common occurrence between the two - they went everywhere together. Soobin, in a hurry, grabbed Yeonjun by his hand and dragged him into the disgusting bathroom behind him.

“Is it not going well?” Yeonjun was curious, Soobin was very inexperienced when it came to dating. His most recent relationship ended because Soobin genuinely could not satisfy his partner. He was crushed. All he wanted was to make his other half feel good- but the stage fright kept things in the bedroom very bland and brief.

“I need to get out of here-“ Soobins voice was desperate. “You’re telling me, not one bi chick- all lesbians” Yeonjun rolled his eyes thinking about how unlucky he was that night. “Make an excuse for me?” Soobin pleaded with praying hands and a pout. Yeonjun rolled his eyes again “You have absolutely no game. You know that?” He turned to leave when he felt soobins hand grab his wrist. He turned around to soobin blushing. “He wants me to go back to his place.” Yeonjun shoved him by his shoulder and chuckled “well duh, how else are you going to get over your bum ex. Try and convince him to come to ours, though. So I can keep an eye on you and make sure you’re safe. Now if only I could find someone-“

“No. I don’t want to” Soobin was assertive and threw his hands over his face. “I just want to go home. Take me home ?” Yeonjun knew exactly what Soobin needed.

They found themselves hiding while they schemed. “Alright, just go up and say you have to leave. I’ll take care of the rest.” Soobin approached his new almost love interest and formed his mouth into a straight line. He bowed his head. “I’m afraid I have to get going. Have a good night!” Soobin stood there for a good 3 seconds waiting for him to respond. “Oh cmon…” he said with a grin that had Soobins skin crawling. “That hurts my feelings. You don’t want to hurt my feelings, do you?” He brought his face closer to soobins again.

Soobin closed his eyes tight and held his breath as if he could wish himself away from this situation. Where was Yeonjun?

“Babe !!!!” Soobin heard as he felt an arm wrap around his shoulders. Yeonjun continued with over the top fake slurred speech. “I’m drunk. Take me home…” the older said with a pout. Soobin let out a fake, exaggerated gasp “sweetie ! I’m sorry I gotta go, thank you for the drink”

As they walked away the stranger spoke loud enough for the room to go almost silent “you have to be fucking kidding me! Is this your boyfriend?” Soobins first instinct was to say no, and Yeonjun knew this and knew he had to act fast. “Yes ! I sure am” the lie made Soobin smirk. Yeonjun took the opportunity to poke soobins dimple - something he hadn’t done for too long.

“You look straight as an arrow - I don’t believe you. He’s just a fucking tease” he could see right through their act and he wasn’t taking the rejection well. Yeonjun was offended. He didn’t “look” gay? What did that even mean. Without warning, Yeonjun put his arm around Soobin again. - this time he planted a kiss on his cheek. Yeonjun became very affectionate when he was intoxicated. But he couldn’t have been too drunk- this was just a part of the act. The stranger scoffed and the fake couple turned around and left hand in hand.

The train ride back to their apartment was noisey. It was pride month, and all the gays were going out every weekend to the hottest bars and clubs, drinking and hooking up. Yeonjun saw a couple standing across the way from them - holding each other tightly.

The couple were drunkenly making out. Hands exploring each others bodies. Yeonjun was no prude, but the way their bodies were moving together made him blush. One man had his hand on his partners chest- while the other reached around and was squeezing his ass. Yeonjun cleared his throat and stood up at the next stop.

When they made their way into their apartment, soobin began to complain about his ex. “I told him I was out looking for a good fuck tonight- I don’t even know what that would be like! He’s totally going to know I struck out. So much for making him jealous” Yeonjun threw his apartment key on the counter and walked to the fridge- taking out a bottle of soju. He immediately poured shots for the two of them and joined Soobin on the couch. “There’s no way he’s going to know you didn’t fuck anyone tonight. And it doesn’t matter. The not knowing is what drives them crazy” Yeonjun assured him.

They kept drinking and decided to play some video games. As they drank, their playing got sloppier and sloppier. Those two hours were spent laughing together, yelling at each other, and whoever won comforting the other. “It’s midnight” Soobin said plainly. Not because he was ready for bed, but because he just wanted to relax. And he knew just what he needed.

Soobin took the top off of the coffee table and reached in to grab a jar of flower and some rolling papers. Yeonjun watched with a smirk. No matter how drunk he was, Soobin was able to roll a joint perfectly. Yeonjun would often get more weed on the rolling tray than in the actual paper. He watched intently at the way his friends fingers pinched and rolled. When he stuck out his tongue to seal, Yeonjun felt his jaw clench. Giant hands holding the small joint, veiny and steady. And that tongue, darting out, pink and wet.

“Have you ever done anything to make someone jealous?” Soobin lit up and inhaled deeply. The smoke came pouring back out, he quickly inhaled it through his nose then let it all out with one big exhale. Yeonjun found it satisfying when he did that, he liked watching. He was always watching.

“Not intentionally, there was this girl in high school… she danced with another guy while I was in the bathroom at prom. So I fucked her best friend in my car at the after party” it was Yeonjuns turn to take a puff . On exhale he let out a dry cough. He was more of a drinker - Soobin being more of a smoker. He continued “when she saw me the next morning with a hickey- it was all over.”

“Jesus Christ, what is wrong with you?” Soobin didn’t put it past his friend to do something so selfish back in the day. “I should’ve had that dude at least give me a hickey …” Yeonjun passed the joint back with his eyebrows furrowed “what, Mr. Fruity?? No chance. And we aren’t in high school.”

Soobin inhaled and exhaled “what if you gave me one?” Yeonjun let the room go silent and played with his hands. “I don’t know, man. That’s a little-“ Soobin looked at the floor “gay?… I know you’re not gay, which is why I asked. I figured it wouldn’t be weird..” he looked up at Yeonjun through hooded lids and handed him the joint “please?…”

Yeonjun let out a heavy sigh. How could he say no. Soobin was desperate to make his ex jealous - and Yeonjun couldn’t deny that he selfishly wanted to see what it would be like. Plus, he was drunk “Fuck it”

They were facing each other on the couch and the joint was burning itself out in the ash tray. Soobin reached out for Yeonjun and Yeonjun flinched. “Sorry….” He didn’t want to seem too excited, because this was just a favor between bros. But he would have been lying if he said he wasn’t eager.

“Okay- where do you want it?” Yeonjun ghosted his fingers over the side of Soobin’s neck and studied the area. Soobin leaned his head to the side, exposing every muscle vein and tendon in his thick neck. Yeonjun swallowed hard. The alcohol was starting to make faking confidence easier. Soobin grabbed Yeonjun’s hand and placed two of his fingers over a visible area of skin “right there, I think. “ “okay… are you sure this isn’t weird?” Yeonjun wanted one last confirmation that this was okay. “No, please just get to it” Soobin closed his eyes.

Yeonjun leaned in and parted his lips. He lightly placed his lips on Soobin’s sensitive skin, taking it in between his lips and sucking. Soobin took a quick breath and clenched his fists by his sides. Yeonjun released his flesh and looked at it “not quite” he said before going back in. This got a heavy sigh out of Soobin, and Yeonjun liked the sound of it.

Soobin began to squirm and could feel blood rushing to his cock. ‘No no not now!!’ He thought. Yeonjun detached his mouth from Soobin’s neck and sat back, admiring his own handy work. His eyes met Soobin’s when he noticed them darken. Soobin inched closer bringing one of his hands into Yeonjun’s hair and pulling him in.

“More.. please..”

Yeonjun leaned in and placed a kiss to the purple mark, and kissed up a little further. He inched his way up towards Soobin’s jaw. Soobin moved his arms around Yeonjun’s neck and pulled him down so he was laying on top.

They were making out now - for what felt like forever. A mess of teeth and tongues. Soobins hips bucked up Yeonjuns, making him hiss. Yeonjuns mind was racing. He was now experiencing what he was so curious about. A man’s touch, a man’s mouth, a man’s hips. He ground down into soobins crotch with his own hardened length.

They continued like this for minutes. It kind of felt juvenile. First a hickey and now dry humping on a couch ? It felt nostalgic to Yeonjun. But he needed more more and more. Soobin undid Yeonjun’s belt buckle and began to pull down his pants. Yeonjun let him without hesitation.

Soobin didn’t bother teasing, and dove straight into Yeonjun’s briefs, wrapping his hand around his hard cock. “Fuck..” Yeonjun let his head hang down. Soobin looked at him with his big brown eyes. All innocent and beautiful. This made Yeonjun want to take care of Soobin - even tho he had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

He unbuckled Soobin’s pants and began stroking him, kissing his lips hastily. He pulled Soobin’s shirt up and kissed his chest. He took one of his nipples into his mouth and bit it, before soothing it with his tongue. Soobin sucked in air between his teeth.

Yeonjun had received head plenty of times before - he could give it, right ? Well, there’s a first time for everything. Soobin sat up when Yeonjun’s face became parallel to Soobin’s tented boxers. “You don’t have to…” Yeonjun silenced him by palming him through is underwear and pulling them down to set his cock free.

Yeonjun looked up at Soobin and planted a kiss to the head. He took the entire tip into his mouth and swirled his tongue around. Soobin’s hands found Yeonjun’s hair, pulling at it and scratching at his scalp. More was taken into his mouth when Yeonjun tasted Soobin’s sweet precum at the back of his tongue. He moaned in response - sending vibrations throughout Soobin’s body.

Yeonjun had taken the lead considering he was much more confident than Soobin when it came to sex, but him never being with a man before kind of made him the most inexperienced in the room. Soobin tapped him on his head “Yeonjun…” Yeonjun looked up and let his cock out of his mouth with a loud popping sound. His lips were swollen and formed a pout. “Let me fuck you, sweetheart..”

Yeonjun swallowed hard and couldn’t do anything but nod. Soobin sat up and lifted his shirt off his body- before removing Yeonjun’s. They stood up and each removed their pants and briefs. They stood there looking up and down at each others bodies. Yeonjun looked at soobins size and thought there was no way he could take it.

“Let me do this - I don’t think I can handle it” Soobin silenced him with a kiss. He kept their foreheads together. “Let me take care of you, Yeonjun..” one more kiss and Yeonjun melted. He never considered letting someone else take the lead, but he was a mess under Soobins touch. “Get on your back”

Soobin made his way down to Yeonjun’s length and licked it from bottom to top. It was Yeonjun’s turn to let his hands find soobins soft strands and lose his hands in them. Soobin took one of his fingers into his mouth and wet it, before pressing it to Yeonjun’s entrance. “Is this okay?” Yeonjun nodded “just go slow”

And slow he went- slowly and gently sinking his finger into Yeonjun’s tight hole. He thought about what it might feel like to be buried inside there to the hilt - and another rush of heat found its way to soobins cock. He eventually added a second finger, which sent Yeonjun reeling. He began to whimper as he became more and more submissive to soobins touch. Soobin sat up.

“Are you ready for me?” Soobin pumped his length in his hands. “I don’t know” Yeonjun choked out. Scared of the possible pain to come. Soobin got back down in between Yeonjun’s legs and stood his cock up straight. He dove his tongue into Yeonjuns sweet spot, using his tongue and lips and moisten it, and suck.

When he pulled back he saw Yeonjuns hole blooming and contracting, practically inviting him in. “God, im ready” Yeonjun said. Soobin came back up and feverishly kissed Yeonjun again. He lined his cock up to Yeonjuns entrance “let me know if you need me to stop.” He slowly inched himself in and Yeonjun sucked his entire length in. His body’s natural response to being needy, hungry.

Soobin bottomed out and began pumping slow. He leaned down and pressed open mouth kisses to Yeonjun’s neck, chest, shoulders. Yeonjun wrapped his arms around soobins neck and cried out when Soobin hit his prostate. Soobin reached down and grabbed Yeonjun’s length, pumping it.

The sound Soobin let out when Yeonjun tightened was pathetic. A small cry as he continued to try and push through. He couldn’t cum yet, not until Yeonjun was taken care of. “You feel so fucking good, baby” poured from soobins lips. He was reveling in the moment.

Yeonjun melted away at the pet name, feeling his body loosen up and become even more submissive to Soobin’s cock and hands. Soobin kept up a good pace, thrusting and pumping. “Cum for me” he demanded and Yeonjun did, hard. He let out a long whine followed by sharp pants, as his cum decorated his stomach beautifully.

Soobin didn’t let up, his thrusts become sloppier as he was reaching his end. Yeonjun began to feel a slight sting, and knew he needed to push his partner over the edge. Yeonjun dipped two of his fingers into the mess he made on himself and coated his fingers. He brought them up to his mouth and parted his lips. He dove his fingers into his mouth, making eye contact, and sucked on them until all the juices were down his throat.

Soobin was done for. Eyes squinted shut and teeth clenched together. He bottomed out one last time before pulling out. Yeonjun quickly reached down and began pumping his length for him. Soobin put his hands down to Yeonjun’s waist and kept them there as he met Yeonjun’s palm with thrusts and finally came undone.

Soobin lied down on top and let their juices get sticky and start to dry in between them. Soobin put his head into the crook of Yeonjun’s neck and hummed “that was amazing…” Yeonjun hummed back “you know what would make him really jealous ?” Soobin let out a chuckle and sat up. “Are you seriously thinking about that prick right now ?”

Yeonjun followed him up and met him face to face. He reached out and caressed soobins soft cheek with his shaking hand. “Be my boyfriend”

[bellarkeselection]

This is because I Love You

Request from @sessa23 Klaus Mikealson x reader where the reader is in a relationship (or at least very very close friend) and to protect them from an enemy. Klaus compels the reader to leave mystic falls (or new Orleans) to go to another city where he has compelled and to forget about him and his family until he says otherwise.

@rosie-posie08 @colbysbrocks

Entering the witches attic I eyed Davina who I had become friends with very easily when I decided to move to New Orleans from Mystic Falls. She got to her feet talking my hands in hers. "Are you sure you want me to do this Y/n. I think it might be more painful than you think."

"I keep having this strange feeling like I should know someone. But I can’t picture whoever it was. I have to know who I think I am supposed to know, Davina. So do it.” I begged the witch sitting down on the bed waiting for her to start doing the spell. She raised her hand causing some pain to shoot through my head instantly.

Klaus and I stomped through the house both angry at each other. He halted in his tracks standing in front of the burning fireplace growling at me. “You shouldn’t have followed me out there tonight. My mother nearly killed you and she would have if I wasn’t as quick as I was.”

“I don’t want to be a damsel in distress or the girl who waits for the guy to get home, Nik. You can’t expect me to do nothing when I am falling in love with you all the while you’re mother wants to kill you. I’m choosing you and so accept that I will be lopped into all your crazy family drama regardless that I am human!” Throwing my hands away from my sides I begin to cry not ever intending on telling him I love him like this.

He vamped up to me grabbing my face in his hands sniffing through tears that was a rare thing to see from him. He would only show me his weak side otherwise to the world he was heartless. “Y/n, I can’t be forced to watch you almost die again. You are the one good and innocent thing in my life. That is so precious that I wish to tear anything a part that makes you upset. And whatever brightens your smile I want to make be possible forever. Which is why you can’t stay here, not until it’s safe…you will leave Mystic Falls and-“

“Are you seriously compelling me right now. You promised that you would never try and do that. Don't make me forget you after I just admitted I love you!" Hitting my hands against his chest he managed to snag my wrists keeping me in place.

He rested his forehead against mine sniffing through tears himself. "I know and I'm sorry. There are too many enemies of mine lurking around. I cannot afford nor will I lose you to one of them..." He held my chin in a firm but gentle grip compelling me again. "Forget me and do not remember my name until I tell you to do so."

Lowering my hands from my head I began sobbing but not from the pain that was caused anymore. Davina came over to me resting a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright. I didn't want to hurt you too bad."

"No D I'm...I'm okay." I replied back.

Someone bursts into the church from downstairs where we both went down as quickly as possible. Standing in front of my witch friend I gasped seeing a familiar set of blue eyes and dirty blonde hair with his nostrils flared as he vamped up to us. "Get out of my way girl. I have business with the witch who is holding my brother hostage!"

"I know you....Klaus Mikaelson right?" Tilting my head it all came flowing back to me meaning that her spell had worked. "Nik."

He blinked his eyes stepping closer to me but I didn't lower my arms still protecting Davina. "Y/n, how did you break my compulsion?"

"That's your first words to me after all this time. Not I'm sorry or this is the reason I did it. God, your just concerned with as to why I found someone who might be more powerful then you. Maybe it was a good thing I didn't remember you for a while. Good bye, Niklaus. Come on Davina let's leave." I began to drag the girl up the stairs until she screamed and I was gently pushed into the wall.

Klaus had his hands on either side of my head trapping me between him and the wall hearing my heart skip a beat a few times. "I did it because I love you!"

"Wait really...then why do anything to me at all. If you care then why not tell me the night I told you instead of pushing me away?" I croaked out through some tears before meeting his gaze seeing him was crying too.

"Because I need people to run at the sound of my name. I need them to fear me, Y/n. I have a thousand enemies and there may come a day when they come after the things I hold dear to my heart. I didn't want to hurt you and I have an eternity to make up for what I did. If you'll take me back. Become my Queen and rule the Quarter with me. I promise to never hurt you like I did ever again. All of this is because I love you."

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I don't know what came over me jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist. He wrapped his arms around my waist watching my next movements until our lips met in the middle. He deepened the kiss pressing my back against the wall. Lifting my fingers through his curls I tugged on a few hearing him moan. He removed my lips from his burying his face in the crook of my neck trailing kisses. "Ohhh Nik!"

"Uh so you two are together again I take it?" Davina asked causing us to break away from each other.

He lowered my feet back onto the ground for a split second. "Yes, Harvest girl. Bur I'll be back for Elijah in a few hours."

"Nik! What are we doing?" I squealed wrapping my arms around his neck with him picking me up bridal style vamping me back until we were in his house and my back hit the bed seeing him smirking above me already shirtless.

He moved his hands down ripping my shirt in half crashing his lips onto mine hungerly. "Making up for lost time. I will never force you away again. You are my everything."

"I don't want to lose anymore time either. So after this night I want you to turn me." I declared holding his face in my hands with him running his fingers through my hair.

Ditching the rest of our clothes in the process I gasped out a moan when he pressed his lips down onto mine again. "Anything you want you shall have. For you Y/n are my queen and the keeper of my heart." Wrapping my arms around his neck the kiss instantly became heated and it remained that way for all eternity.

Comments really appreciated ❤️

[fruitcoops]

Falling for Forever

Two for two on deadlines, baby! Ignore the fact that it’s been 11 months. This fic put me through the absolute wringer and now I get to stand on it and witch-cackle in victory. Almost 11k words of physical, mental, emotional, and...all those other types of healing. Bon appetit, babes! Character credit goes to @lumosinlove, to whom I owe my heart and soul for building this universe.

TW for past injury/ memory loss, working through trauma

Part One: What You Have, What You Hate (the amnesia fic)

Part Two: Sirius Love Yourself and Remus Get Therapy, Electric Boogaloo

It just wasn’t fair.

Sirius was fine. Honestly, genuinely, from the bottom of his heart—he was fine. Sure, some days his head hurt more than others. Sometimes he’d wonder where he put his phone when it was still in his hand, or enter a room and forget why he went there in the first place, but those weren’t new occurrences. He could walk and talk and remember just about everything from his life, with the notable exception of the ten minutes before the hit.

But Remus hadn’t slept properly in days, and Coach wouldn’t let him back out on the ice, and the whole damn thing just reeked of pity he didn’t want. Pity he didn’t need.

Remus’ hands flickered over him, tucking and retucking the sheets until Sirius caught his wrists and pressed a kiss to each pulse point. His broad shoulders sagged. “I’m being a bother again, aren’t I,” Remus muttered. He shook his head without waiting for a response. “Fuck, I am, I’m sorry.”

“You’re not being a bother.”

“No, I totally am—”

“You’re not,” Sirius repeated. The shadows under Remus’ eyes lightened every day, but still lingered. He looked threadbare, his voice thin, like someone had taken an eraser to his edges. He held Sirius tighter at night than he ever had before. The worried crease between his brows smoothed when Sirius pulled him down to sit on the mattress with a small smile. “Lay down, I’m cold.”

Tension had been holding Remus up like a second skeleton for days now, ever since they had been discharged from the hospital and promptly collapsed into bed for ten hours. Sirius had only seen it release him in deep sleep—a fleeting event at best. It was like the hospital had followed them home and seeped into the walls, staining Remus’ vision until they were right back where they started.

Remus turned out the lamp and curled into his usual spot against Sirius’ chest, shuffling around until he was comfortable; Sirius splayed a hand between his shoulder blades and tucked his nose into soft curls. Of all the aftershocks he had prepared himself for, the fatigue had snuck up on them both. “Bonne nuit, mon coeur,” he whispered.

“Night, baby.” Lips brushed the peak of Sirius’ cheek before Remus snuggled up once more.

Kiss me, and I’ll know, Sirius had said into the inch of space between them on a paper-thin hospital pillow. And Remus had, because he was made of everything light and good and kind in the world. It had been six days since they came home; two weeks since the hit. That remained the only time Remus had kissed him on the mouth. Sirius closed his eyes against the ache in his chest and readied himself to try and rest.

--

That first night home had been distilled bliss. They showered together—showered, dear god how Sirius had missed that—and Remus had washed his hair and the spots he couldn’t reach with reverent hands. They were both so, so tired from the endless discharge paperwork and so, so silently afraid to step away from each other for more than a few seconds. Remus was shaky, but happy. Contented. Solid in Sirius’ arms when they finally laid in their own bed after days upon days. They spooned the whole night and into the morning, neither budging an inch.

“We should eat,” Remus had sighed when the sun was finally too high to ignore. His hand moved in slow strokes, tracing from Sirius’ hand to his elbow and back again, just to touch. The intimacy of the movement settled something deep inside them both if his drowsy smile was anything to go by.

They stayed in bed for another hour in comfortable silence before their empty stomachs won out. Even in the kitchen, Sirius had hugged Remus from behind with his chin propped on a well-muscled shoulder to watch him cook. “Mon coeur,” he murmured into the shirt that had once been his. The smell of the hospital was long gone and the fabric was soft. “Mon loup, mon amour.”

He had trailed his mouth along the curve of Remus’ neck and held him close. The frayed edges began to ease.

The routine came easily. Nothing else did, so Sirius had to be a little grateful for it. They left social media to its conspiring and only spoke to family, face-to-face on the doctor’s orders. Leo meal-prepped like a madman; they could hardly keep Dumo out of the house; Lily brought Harry over in an obvious ploy to distract Sirius while their husbands fixed the leaky faucet, though he wasn’t offended by their caution. If it were James on the injured list, he would have swaddled him in bubble wrap at the first opportunity.

“Hey.” A kiss feathered Sirius’ temple and he looked up from his crossword, blinking back the memories. Remus perched on the table with a smile he couldn’t help but mirror, clad in a sweater that brought out the hearth-warm brown in his eyes.

“Bonjour,” he managed, a little breathless.

“Wanna go for a walk?”

“Really?” The doctors’ definition of his permitted ‘minimal exercise’ amounted to literally walking up and down the stairs—even a wander around the block was pushing his luck. Sirius had tried extraordinarily hard not to be jealous when Remus took Hattie out every few hours so she didn’t destroy their couch pillows with excess bursts of energy, but it felt like he was a toddler in time-out. “A real walk?”

“A real walk,” Remus confirmed. He ran his fingers through the hair above Sirius’ ears and Sirius nuzzled into it with a kiss to his palm. That touch had kept him grounded at his lowest point. He knew better than to take it for granted, now.

“What about a run?” he asked, cracking a grin at the eye-roll it earned him.

And Remus laughed. The sound sent butterflies careening through his stomach; it hadn’t been absent since his fall, but it had been…well, a little rare, if he was being honest. More rare than his mostly-reliable memory told him it should be. Remus was joy incarnate, but he had been so tired lately. It was good to see him shine again, even for a moment.

Sirius pulled him in by the sleeve and kissed the corner of his mouth, tasting the last bits of humor that lingered there. Not the lips. Not until Remus was ready. “I love you.”

Remus turned until their foreheads rested together and their noses bumped. He was smiling softly. “Love you, too.”

--

“Baby?”

Sirius made a noise of acknowledgement, but didn’t budge. His hands were warm in his pockets, and the sun was hot on his windburned face. Hattie’s collar jingled; he smiled when her nose pushed into his thigh and Remus’ arm looped through his own. “Hey. Good run?”

“That hydrangea was a real threat to our safety.”

Sirius grinned and opened his eyes to kiss the top of Remus’ head. Fresh air seeped into his blood, replacing the stale sludge he had been dragging around all week. Finally, he felt human. “I’m sure it was.”

“Excuse me?”

They both startled, stepping apart. “Yes?” Remus said, his tone curious but a little tense. “Can we help you?”

A young man shifted from foot to foot, as if he couldn’t quite believe they had acknowledged him. It seemed whatever (certainly invasive) question he was going to ask had become stuck in his throat. Sirius arched a brow and saw him swallow hard. “Are you—are you okay?” the young man finally got out.

There it is. Sirius forced a smile and knew it came out tight by the sudden regret on the other man’s face. “I’m fine, thank you.”

“You’re sure?”

I’d be a lot more sure if you fucked off and let me enjoy my walk. “Very sure,” he promised.

The young man’s dark eyes flickered between them before settling on Sirius’ forehead. His beanie covered the small bandage, but that didn’t seem to dissuade him from staring. “You were in the hospital for, like…a while.”

“Just a few days,” Remus assured him. Sirius felt a light squeeze on his hand and returned it in a silent request; a gust of wind snuck down the back of his coat and raised goosebumps along his arms.

“Will you play at the next game?”

Sirius exhaled slowly through his nose as something bitter crawled up and stained his teeth. “We’re waiting on the go-ahead from the doctors,” Remus said placatingly. “Better safe than sorry. Thanks for your concern, though. Enjoy the weather.”

They were walking before the man could open his mouth again—Remus’ knuckles were white on Hattie’s leash and she had to trot to keep up with them, her fluffy tail bobbing happily. Sirius ground his back teeth so hard they squeaked. “Remus—”

“Don’t,” Remus murmured, clear and clipped. “Don’t go there, baby, it’s not worth it.”

“I need to play.” He did. He needed to play. He needed to not sit at home for another week, two weeks, a month, and pretend he was alright with it. Six days were manageable. Six more would send him over the edge. If he had to spend another beautiful afternoon cooped up in the house...

“You’ll play when you’re ready.”

“I am ready.”

Remus stopped cold, jostling both him and Hattie. He took a fortifying breath, mouth pressed into an unhappy line. “Please don’t do that,” he said quietly. “Sirius, just—don’t. You know I hate being the bad guy with this kind of thing.”

Sirius looked away. He did know that. He had seen how miserable Remus was when he had to bully Sirius into doing his exercises when his ribs were broken, how it had killed him when Sirius couldn’t put his fatal fucking pride aside for two seconds to heal. Guilt made his stomach squirm. “I’m sorry,” he finally said. “But I—I need to play.”

“I know.” Remus’ eyes found his own then, gloved hands wrapping around Sirius’ wrists with something like desperation. “Believe me, I get it and I’m sorry and this has got to be the worst feeling. But this is different than your ribs, okay? We can’t afford to backslide. This isn’t some sort of—fucking punishment, I promise.”

God, he hated spoiling perfectly nice days because he couldn’t keep his mouth shut. His winter clothes made his skin prickle. “I feel fine, Re.”

“But you’re not.” Remus turned Sirius’ face back with a touch to his jaw and he went willingly, even though he wanted to see anything but the hurt in Remus’ eyes. Since when was he so terrible at listening? “Not yet. We’ll start here and work our way up. I won’t talk to the press about it after games. You don’t owe people like him a thing. Don’t make this harder for yourself by letting them get under your skin.”

Sirius took a deep breath. The steam of his exhale clouded the curls spilling out from under Remus’ hat. He had known this would happen the second someone asked about his health—it was his rookie season all over again, shooting pucks in the basement because he didn’t know what else to do. Remus deserved better than what Sirius had done to himself. “Let’s do another loop around the park.”

--

Remus had cried the third night. The days were easy; they could cuddle and cook and Remus would read to him while he napped, still drained from a week of hospitalization. They could watch one TV episode every evening and got permission to throw their diet plans out the window to enjoy some treats in celebration.

At two o’clock in the morning, Remus had bolted upright in bed and shaken Sirius awake, rattling off an endless stream of questions that Sirius couldn’t respond to. Not because he didn’t know the answers, but because he had been unconscious about four seconds prior and was still technically concussed.

“Non,” he had mumbled, grappling against waking and batting sleepily at the thing holding his shoulders.

A strangled sob had answered and Remus’ touch disappeared like he was touching hot coals. By the time Sirius registered enough of the world to attempt reassurance, all he could do was hold Remus and silently curse himself. Do you know me? Remus had asked. Sirius had given him the one wrong answer. Done the one wrong movement.

It was three o’clock when Remus finally let sleep take him again, slumping into Sirius’ side with tears drying on his face. Sirius laid them down and watched light play over the ceiling from the street. When Remus woke again at nine, he didn’t say a word about the nightmare, just turned into the hollow of Sirius’ neck and let his hand rest above his heart. Though Remus slept fitfully over the following nights, he hadn’t cried again.

They were working on it.

--

“Out.”

“But I—”

“Out,” Leo repeated, making a shooing motion with his spatula. Sirius muttered something under his breath and trekked back into the living room with a last kiss to his husband’s cheek, working up a scowl like he was getting paid for it.

“Impressive,” Remus remarked around a mouthful of chips from his seat on the counter; his gaze lingered on Sirius’ retreating back while Leo poured sauce over the stuffed pasta and popped the whole pan in the oven.

Leo set a timer, wiped his hands on his pants, then cast one more look out the kitchen door to make sure their respective boys were out of sight before turning to Remus with his arms crossed. “What’s up?”

Remus’ chewing slowed. “Just…having chips.”

“Loops.”

“Did you want some?”

Stubborn bastard. Leo pushed himself onto the counter next to Remus and gave him a look his mother would be proud of. “What’s going on? I’m worried about you, man.”

But rather than throwing the chips aside and spilling his heart out—not that Leo was expecting it from Remus ‘Brick Wall’ Lupin, though a guy could dream—Remus closed his eyes and exhaled long and slow. “You are the third person to say that in 24 hours, Knutty. I’m good. If I wasn’t, I would talk to someone about it.”

“See, if you had ever done that even once in your life, I would believe you.”

“I’m doing great,” Remus insisted. Leo wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince. “Sirius is home, he’s healing, he’s making progress, we’re fine.”

The distant look in his eyes was gone, but something in his face was still too heavy. Leo hadn’t heard him crack a joke or seen a real smile all day. He chewed the inside of his lip and raised his eyebrows, and watched Remus’ resolve crumble. “I didn’t ask about Sirius, Re,” he said. “I asked about you.”

“I’m not the one who had amnesia.”

“No, you’re the one whose husband had amnesia, and that’s pretty fucking traumatic.” Remus shoved another handful of chips into his mouth with an unhappy crunch; Leo hesitated for a moment, then shuffled closer until their sides touched. Remus tensed. “I’m not trying to push you, but I need you to know that I’m here and I want to talk when you’re ready. I can’t imagine how hard the last couple weeks have been.”

He had tried, the night he went to get Regulus. Every part of him felt full of pure energy—every red light had made him twitchy as the events of the day replayed in his head on constant loop. But picturing himself in Remus’ shoes, and Finn or Logan shoving him away from their bedside with a stay the hell away from me or that fragile, frightened confusion...that had taken the wind right out of his sails. He nearly turned around to go home then and there.

“It sucks.” Remus didn’t look away from the oven timer. “That’s kind of all there is to it, you know? It happened. It sucks. We’re working on it.”

Leo nudged him, just a little. A single crack in Remus’ careful walls was progress. “It does suck,” he agreed. “Have you been alone yet?”

“I mean, yeah, you guys are the first visitors in a couple—”

“Have you been alone yet?” Leo repeated.

Remus was quiet for a few seconds, then swallowed hard. “I fixed the faucet with James, but I can’t…I can’t. I don’t think either of us can right now.”

“Okay.”

Remus’ eyes flickered up to him. “Okay?”

“I’m not a therapist.” Leo shrugged one shoulder and tried for a smile. “I’m your friend. Yes, I’m worried, but I’m not going to force you to do shit right now. I’m going to make dinner for you and a cake and then you’re going to tell me what you need a hand with so you can focus on dealing with this instead of, like, cleaning your windows.”

The kitchen was starting to smell like manicotti, cheesy and warm and full of tomato. Remus set the chips down and tucked his hands under his legs with a shake of his head. Ever so slightly, he leaned into Leo. Success. “I wish this never happened.”

Leo sighed. “Me, too.”

“I wish I had caught him in time.”

“I was closer than you were.” The guilt had been so raw at first, but it was scabbing over. Dwelling on the past wouldn’t fix the present. “Are you mad at me?”

“Fuck, no.”

“There was nothing we could’ve done fast enough, Re.”

Remus scrubbed his hands down his face, then linked them at the back of his neck. “I need to talk to Heather.”

Relief crashed over Leo in a tidal wave; he took Remus by the shoulders and pulled him in for a brief, fierce hug that drew an ‘ope’ of surprise out of him. “I really didn’t want to bring it up but yes, you do, and I will drive you there myself if you want.”

Remus laughed weakly, but didn’t try to pull away. “Is it bad that I want to lay on the floor for at least twelve hours?”

“I might suggest the couch instead, for the sake of your old-man joints.”

“Watch it, Knut.”

“Keep that up and you’re not getting extra sauce.” It was an empty threat and they both knew it, but it was worth it for Remus’ snort of amusement. Leo squeezed him in a quick pulse. “Fuck, dude, I missed you.”

Leo felt some of the iceberg-sized worry slough away at the tentative press of Remus’ hands on his back. In the other room, Logan and Sirius were already laughing. “Will you hide some of the manicotti so I can reheat it later?” Remus mumbled.

“There’s a whole pan in the back of the fridge behind your gross coconut water.”

“The kind Sirius hates?”

“Pre-cisely.”

“You’re a godsend.”

“I get that a lot.”

--

Lily sipped her tea with the same energy as a wolf watching a lame, juicy rabbit from across a riverbank. When Remus said as much, she cracked a smile. “Just thinking.”

“Huh, there’s a first.”

“Fuck you, too.” He felt a light kick to his shin under the table and feigned injury, just to watch her face scrunch in a snort. “Spoke to the hubs.”

“Yours or mine?”

“The less hot one.”

“And how is Pots today?”

“Looking DILF-ier every minute. That man needs another baby. But actually, Re, I think you and Sirius should talk.”

He raised his brows. “Is that so?”

“Sounds like somebody has been squishing all those gross, nasty feelings back into the little box he just got them out of.”

“Oh, Jesus, it is not that bad—”

He jumped when Lily touched the back of his hand. Something knowing had overtaken the laughter on her face. “Remus, you need to talk to someone.”

“I’m seeing Heather on Thursday.”

“Good.” She set her teacup down and took his hand between both of her own, twisting his ring. “I’m worried about you.”

“Take a number.”

“Can you stop for, like, two seconds and let me try to help? I’m bad at this. Have some mercy.”

Something wriggled with discomfort inside him, but he put his cup on the table. “Lils…”

“Calm down, we’re not here to therapize each other. We’re here to have fun and watch bad TV and you’re going to let me paint your nails later. But—” She held her hand up when he made a face. “But first, I’m going to do my job as your best friend and tell you that some people think the patented Remus Lupin Avoidance Tactic isn’t going to work with this extraordinarily terrible event.”

“What people?”

“You know what people.”

Unfortunately, he did. Sirius, Talker, Leo, Lily…the side effect of a supportive family was having all kinds of people up in his business. Even more unfortunately, they were probably right. “Leo talked to me,” he admitted. “It helped. And I really am going to see Heather, and I’m going to try to—I don’t know, let go a little.”

Lily laced their fingers together the way he had done for her the night she found out about Harry. Her next breath came out less steady. “That means you have to let us take care of you, okay? Even if you’re busy taking care of Sirius. He’s got medical experts to do the heavy lifting. You’ve got Remus experts.”

“Lily, I’m not the injured one,” he said quietly.

“This hurt you, too.” The green of her eyes looked a little misty before she glanced away. “Holy shit, Remus, this hurt all of us, but I don’t ever want to watch you hurt like that again. I love Sirius to death but he’s got stuff to work through that you can’t fix. If you’re so worried about helping, then please let us help you.”

“I can’t ask that.”

“That’s why I’m offering.”

An exhale got stuck in his chest and he coughed lightly; Lily tilted her head back with a sniffle. Christ on a crutch, this whole vulnerability thing is harder than it sounds. “Leo made us dinner the other night. Talker and I are going skating on Saturday. I’m trying.”

“I know,” she said. “I know you are. But if it had been James that fell, and I was the one in your spot, what would you do?”

I wouldn’t leave your side. He started to answer, then faltered. Lily’s mouth turned down at the corner. “Oh, shit,” he said thickly. Across the table, Lily nodded. “Oh—I have been awful to you.”

“No, no, no, I’m not mad.” The pressure of her hands on his own increased, like she was trying to push it into him.

“I’m scared.” His voice wobbled and he blew out a sharp breath. In the blur of his vision, their hands were the same vague lump. How could he be so self-absorbed? How could he push them all away without even knowing it? He opened and closed his mouth. I need help. I need help. It was right there, but all that came out was, “Lily.”

She tugged on his sleeve; in the space between breaths, they were hugging. Her breaths hitched under his hands a few times before calming, and Remus shut his eyes tight and held her closer. I hurt you. I’m sorry. He knew she wouldn’t accept an apology. That didn’t mean he couldn’t think it with all his heart. Somehow, she would hear it.

“All you have to do is let us be there,” she rasped, pulling away to hold him at arms’ length with a light shake. “We want to. You’re scared and that’s fine and nobody is angry with you. Just talk to us. Talk to Sirius.”

He nodded mutely. When Lily brought him close again, he didn’t pretend he needed anything else.

--

The isolation was what killed him most. They were given no privacy—fuck the media and fuck the inventor of cell phone cameras, motherfuckers the lot of them—and so Sirius saw it all. Everything he didn’t remember. Everything he had tried to forget. Remus, pale and frightened with Sirius’ blood on his fingers. Remus, unable to let go of his hand when the medics pulled Sirius onto the stretcher until James pried him off. Remus, tucked in on himself in the lobby outside Sirius’ room looking like he had been flayed inside out.

So he understood. He got it. The trauma, the pain. What he didn’t understand was why Remus wouldn’t let him in anymore.

It hurt a little (a lot) to hear Remus rustling around and know he wouldn’t get a kiss even if he asked. And when he did ask, his request would be met with a wan smile and a brush of lips to his cheek, chin, forehead, everywhere but his lips. There was love in those touches—he could feel it radiating—but the reckless abandon was gone.

It was like Remus wanted to melt into the walls. It was like he wanted to melt and leave Sirius behind entirely.

God, it was always him, wasn’t it? Always his fault. Everything that went wrong in Sirius’ life would track right back around in an endless circle to the laundry list of wrong decisions. The ache of knowing Remus didn’t want him anymore was constant and painful like a broken ankle, but the absolute fucking terror of being shut out was a killstroke Sirius had never wanted to imagine.

He didn’t like the person he was before Remus. He didn’t want to know what would happen if the frosted front was permanent. How could he be real and solid when the one thing that reminded him he was alright was…

Was not alright. So deeply not alright in every curve and angle of his body. Sirius wasn’t foolish enough to think Remus would willingly talk about his feelings, especially at a time like this, but some silly, devoted part of him had thought Remus would at least try. He had mentioned something similar (if kinder) to Lily over crepes and hot chocolate, and a funny expression had come over her face. She had touched his wrist and smiled, but a troubled shadow remained through the rest of their lunch.

When Remus came home after their day together and said, “I asked for help” before anything else, he knew that shadow had found its mark.

“You did?”

“I did.” Remus took his time with his winter layers, hanging and folding each one with unusual care. “Lily and I had a good talk.”

“That’s—”

“I haven’t been fair to you, and I’m sorry.”

Sirius blinked. Lily, what did you do? “… for what?”

“I’ve been all over the place.” His words were coming just a touch too fast.  Remus’ hands were cool on his face, but his lips were warm when he left a kiss on each of Sirius’ cheeks, like he had been biting them again. “I was trying to do too much for you, and I should have backed off. We both needed some space to process.”

“Um. D’accord.” He kissed Remus’ forehead and felt him melt. His shoulders relaxed. His hands came to rest on Sirius’ hips. Sirius left another tentative kiss by his temple; he would take every bit of affection he could get. “Is everything okay?”

“I haven’t been fair to you,” Remus repeated.

“I—no, I heard that part.” Sirius rubbed his back carefully. Remus had grown thinner over the month, though from stress or distraction, he wasn’t sure. The notches of his spine ran in a ladder beneath Sirius’ fingertips as he gathered him closer. Perhaps Lily had succeeded where he had failed. “You’ve done more than I could have asked for, loup.” More than I deserved. Yet Remus wasn’t pulling away from him, wasn’t showing the slightest sign of discomfort under his hands. “I picked up some zucchini. And made a cake.”

Remus made a faint noise of interest where his face was pressed close to Sirius’ collarbone.

“It’s chocolate.”

That got him a pleased mumble.

Sirius risked a kiss to the top of his head and got a happy sigh in return. “Come cook with me. We’ll talk. Tell me about Lily.”

Remus blinked slowly when they parted; the nervous buzz of energy had trickled to a hum. “What about Lily?” he asked. “You just had lunch together.”

Did she tell you I moped about you? “Ouais, but you talk about other things.” He left his hand on the small of Remus’ back as they crossed the short distance to the kitchen and found no protest. Perhaps it was time for a bigger question. “You look better, mon coeur. It seems like she helped.”

Tension twitched against his palm before settling down again. Remus stretched his arms out with a groan, then went for the cutting board drawer. “She did,” he admitted after a moment. “I was—yeah, no, she helped a lot. There was a lot happening in my head that I didn’t have words for.”

“I know the feeling,” Sirius half-laughed, passing him a knife. This was good. This was progress. Before the fall, they cooked together every night. His body knew the motions even if his thoughts were a whirlwind. Remus knocked their temples together lightly. Next step. “Like what?”

“What?”

“What didn’t you have words for?”

Remus shrugged one shoulder and began slicing the stems from the zucchini. “Just…stuff. Oh, you found really good ones.”

“I’m glad.” Sirius watched him work in silence for a few seconds, stirring olive oil in a pan with no heat under it. Remus didn’t appear to notice. “Re?”

“Mmm?”

“Were you angry with me?”

“Oh, god, no.” Remus jerked his head up, his brows pitching. Something in Sirius’ expression must have given him away, because his gaze softened. “I was just scared, I think. It’s been a lot.”

“Tell me about it,” he joked.

But Remus didn’t laugh. His cheeks flushed and he turned back to the zucchini with an uncomfortable cough. Fuck. Remus tugged his lower lip between his teeth, worrying at it in a tic Sirius had been trying so hard to break him of. “I couldn’t help you. At the rink, I mean.” The knife accentuated each word with a clack. “But I could help here, and so I was trying too hard. That’s kind of my—um, that’s kind of my default.”

“Je sais,” Sirius said quietly.

“So, I’m sorry for spiraling into you when other people know how to help better.” Remus let out a shaky laugh. “God, this is hard. I’m trying to be brave about it.”

“You were brave for me.” The words were gentler than expected. The chop-chop-chop of the knife slowed, and stopped. “You stayed in a hospital for three days. You were brave for me.”

A wobbly slice of zucchini fell on the cutting board. There was a slight tremor in Remus’ hand, now. “I didn’t want you to wake up alone.”

“You were brave,” Sirius repeated. He reached out and stopped the knife, folding Remus’ fingers into his own. “I can’t imagine what that was like. Thank you.”

His shoulders shuddered. He still didn’t look up. The tremor had spread to his arms, fine and delicate under his sweater. “I would do it all again.”

“I know.” Remus sniffed at that, pressing his sleeve under his nose as if he could hide it from Sirius. A droplet hit the edge of the cutting board, staining the wood. “Mon loup.”

“For you, I would do it all again.”

“Remus,” he murmured, turning him by the shoulders until he could see Remus’ bottom lip quivering despite the turn of his handsome face. A noise caught in Remus’ throat when Sirius cupped his jaw and brushed the pad of his thumb over one damp cheek. “Re, I need you to talk to me.”

“I can’t do it,” he choked out with a slight shake of his head. “Not without you. I wouldn’t want to.”

And, fuck, if that didn’t just carve at something deep in Sirius’ insides. Remus couldn’t even look at him, his gaze somewhere between the cabinet and the floor, hidden under his too-long hair that was just starting to curl.

His next breath was almost a wheeze. “I can’t do this without you.”

“Yes, you can.” Sirius gave his arms a light squeeze. Remus was strong and solid and more grounded than anyone he knew.

The sniffs came faster, his chest hitching over and over until it became a constant shiver; he swayed forward, hands slipping from Sirius’ elbows to grip the back of his shirt like it was the only thing holding Remus on Earth, his face pressed flush to Sirius’ chest as tears began to soak through it. Sirius caught him. Held him. He tucked his face against the side of Remus’ head and let him leave all that heavy burden in his arms for just a moment longer.

“I could,” Remus admitted, so miserable Sirius had to close his eyes. “Fuck, Sirius, I could, but I would hate every second of it.”

It should be impossible to feel heartbreak for something that never happened. And yet.

Sirius shifted to rest his chin on Remus’ head while sobs turned silent in the sleeve of his shirt. He would give anything to take that pain away. His fame, his money, anything in the world—whatever it took to make sure Remus never had to wonder if he would have to keep going alone. Sirius would be dead before he left him. But he supposed that was exactly what Remus feared most.

“You don’t have to.” He whispered the promise into the soft golden hair above Remus’ ear like the greatest truth. “You don’t have to, I swear. I’m not going anywhere. I love you, and I want you, and I care about you, and I’ll never leave you.”

The big talk could come later. He was more than willing to wait.

--

Remus woke in the middle of the night to the blankets shifting and a familiar weight absent from his side. Rather than giving in to immediate panic (a far-too-frequent habit, though he hated to admit it), he reached out with a sleep-slurred question and felt around blindly until Sirius’ hand caught him. “I’m here,” Sirius said with a laugh in his voice and a kiss to his wrist. Remus hummed. Of course he was. Sirius had never left him before. “Re?”

“Mhmm?” he managed, slotting himself into Sirius’ side and throwing a leg over his thigh. He was warm and wonderful.

Sirius was quiet for a bit, idly toying with Remus’ hair. “Why haven’t you kissed me yet?”

“Kiss you all the time.”

“On the lips.”

Ah, yes. Exhibit number 204 in the inventory of Remus’ weird hangups in the wake of terrible things. He was endlessly grateful for Leo and Lily—their talks had let him begin to classify the experience as actual trauma rather than dismissing himself more—but it still made him frown into Sirius’ shirt. The truth, while necessary, wouldn’t be pleasant.

“ ’m scared,” he said at last.

The hand in his hair slowed. “You’re scared… of kissing me?”

He finally blinked one eye open and checked the clock. Hours left until dawn, because they had never been able to have serious conversations in daylight. He stretched, bidding the dregs of drowsiness goodbye before he moved his head to the pillow and met Sirius’ troubled expression. Oh, god, I lost him. The words had ripped from him as he knelt on the cold floor of the hospital, disoriented and shattered, his world coming down in pieces. He had never thought it was possible, and that made it hurt even more.

Remus sighed through his nose and kissed the closest bit of Sirius he could reach. “It brought you back to me.” Kiss me, and I’ll know. “I’m still afraid it’ll take you away.”

Sirius stared at him for a long moment. “You know I was flirting with you, ouais? At the hospital. With the kiss thing.”

“I know, baby,” Remus laughed, a little bubble of happiness sliding all the way into his heart. He had missed their talks. “You were very smooth. But…I don’t know, it stuck with me. I know it doesn’t make sense. I want to kiss you all the time, and every time I try, I think about seeing you in that bed.”

Sirius’ palm nearly covered his whole cheek as he cradled Remus’ face, guiding him in to brush their noses together. “How about this bed?” he said, low and just for Remus to hear. “This is a good bed.”

Remus’ heart skipped a beat. Sirius’ lips were so close they were practically touching; he was comfortable and safe, and the hospital was far in the past. He knew what Sirius’ lips would feel like against his own, how his breath would catch after the first press. Kissing Sirius was a part of life and he loved it with his whole heart.

“You don’t have to,” Sirius whispered. Remus could feel the shape of the words on his own mouth and closed his eyes. “Re, you don’t have to, but I love you and I want you to know you’ll never lose me.”

A shuddering breath left him. He was afraid. But he could be brave at the same time.

Sirius’ breath caught when their lips met and Remus squeezed his eyes shut as tight as he could, feeling the rough scratch of stubble on his palm when he guided Sirius’ chin down for a better angle. His lips were as chapped and full as he remembered; his smile was just as sweet. Sirius let him roll them over until Remus could hover above him, supported by one elbow because he couldn’t bear to break contact now that it was in his hands again. “Re—”

Remus made a small noise and kissed him harder. No words. Nothing to take them out of this. Sirius curled a hand around his wrist and held it, his thumb rubbing circles over Remus’ pulse. It wasn’t until his lungs began to burn that he leaned back, lips sore and heart racing. “I love you,” he said around the emotion clogging every attempt at speech. A few weeks ago, that kind of kiss would have been nothing but a habit. “Sirius, you don’t even know how much I love you.”

“I know—”

“You don’t.” The memory of bright fluorescent lights bleeding in from the hall pushed at the back of his mind. His whole body tingled. When he licked his lips, he could taste Sirius’ chapstick. “I know you love me because you tell me and we spend time together and you hold me so close, but I don’t know how to tell you so that you understand.”

Sirius’ hands smoothed along his heaving sides. “I know you love me, Re. Have a little faith.”

“I have so much faith in you.” The air didn’t burn with antiseptic; their sheets were washed with plain laundry soap. “I would do anything for you. I love you so much.”

A tumble of soothing French followed and Remus sank into it, letting himself be guided back down and hugged. “This is important, so I need you to listen,” Sirius said with a scattering of kisses to his jaw. Remus forced himself to open his eyes. He would listen. He would do that for Sirius, whose gaze was determined, but not angry. Never angry. “I love you. I always have. I loved you from the second I woke up in that hospital room, even though it scared the shit out of me.”

Sirius had feared him in the hospital, had shoved him back. Get away from me.

“Please look at me.” He found Sirius again in the darkness. His calm eyes, his gentle mouth. “I’ve never doubted your love, Re. I can feel it in everything you do.”

“I try really hard,” he said, far too honestly. Sirius’ hand smoothed down his spine and Remus pressed into him. He wanted—he didn’t know what he wanted anymore. Even being held was overwhelming. Another kiss might make him pass out.

“I know.” Sirius’ voice was heavy. “I’m sorry if I made you think anything else.”

Remus shook his head. He never wanted to leave their bed. “It’s just been a lot.”

“It has. I’m so grateful for you, Re.” Lips touched his forehead. “Mon amour.”

My love. “You have no idea what you do to me,” he whispered. “Loving you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done.”

“You can take your time,” Sirius said with another peck to his cheek that made him burn. “With kisses, and with—with everything.”

Hmm, no, please knock me out with your magic lips. “Can I have a goodnight kiss?”

“Ouais, mon vœu.” Sirius didn’t even try to mask the relief in his voice as Remus tilted his head up; his hand was steady under Remus’ chin when it dipped at the delicate kiss. “Fais de beaux rêves.”

He moved to pull away, but Remus chased his mouth and caught him for another. Sirius was right—this was a good bed. The sheets were familiar, the light a soft glow. It was home. They kissed at home.

He left one on the corner of Sirius’ mouth for good measure before settling back down with an arm over his ribs. The bundle of anxiety he had been carrying since they came home felt lighter. “Goodnight,” he sighed, vibrating in every limb. “I love you.”

--

Sirius knew it would feel good to be back on the ice, but he had never imagined it would feel like this. The puck found the flat of his stick just like he knew it would; the carbon fiber flexed, he squared his shoulders, and the whoosh of it sinking into the net brought nothing but joy to his whole body. Remus was right, per usual—hockey was love.

He took a wide, lazy loop while everyone else fucked around, chirping each other or fencing with their sticks or boxing, gloveless and playful. The ice was smooth under his skates; he let it carry him wherever it wanted and watched spirals form in his wake. His pads fit like a second skin, grounding him with their weight. Even his mouthguard settled just right over his teeth.

“Someone’s having a good day,” James teased, smacking the backs of his thighs as he passed. Sirius grinned, deliriously happy, and let James drag him into a hug; they collided with a familiar thump of pads. “Man, is it good to have you back out here.”

“It’s good to be back.” Five weeks was by far the longest Sirius had ever gone without skating. Even in the summers, he would find a rink or head to the basement when he got the itch. Mid-season, that number was down in the hours. His skates were home. He was finally settled in his skin.

“This captain shit is hard,” James laughed when they parted, eyes bright behind his contacts. “I’ve been doing it for a month, and I’m done.”

“Five years,” Sirius reminded him.

“I know, you fuckin’ hockey mutant.”

Sirius stole a puck out from under Finn and snapped it to James, who caught it with ease. All it took was a twitch of his brow and the game was on, keep-away across the ice with rules they both knew by heart. The cold air burned his face when he picked up speed; James’ crossovers were even better than they had been when they last played together, and Sirius smiled. A month of being captain had done him good.

The shrill chirp of Arthur’s whistle stabbed all the way to the base of his skull and nearly sent him flying into James’ back mid-dive. “Fuck—”

“Easy,” James grunted beneath his weight when he caught him. Concern had replaced the excitement on his face. “Hey, you okay?”

“I—yeah, I’m fine.” Sirius blinked and shook his head. Weird. He hadn’t had so much as a headache in two weeks, but already he could feel a faint throbbing behind his eye. He shook his head again and stood up straight, pointedly ignoring the worried looks several teammates were shooting him. He was fine. He was healed.

“I posted the schedule by the bench,” Arthur called, the whistle hanging innocently around his neck once again. “We’re doing fundamentals today, okay? Nailing down the basics is a strength of this team, so I want you to put a hundred percent of your effort into the technicalities. Save any fancy tricks for the scrimmage at the end.”

Sirius smiled to himself. He excelled at fundamentals, and if he knew Coach, those basic exercises would fall right into his wheelhouse. He wasn’t stupid—obviously it was Arthur’s way of saying ‘welcome back’, but Sirius wasn’t about to complain about a chance to show off a little and shake the rust away.

Passing drills? Easy.

Net accuracy? Piece of cake.

Puck handling? Sirius had more than enough trophies sitting at home to do it in his sleep.

He reveled in returning to the routine that had built his entire life. His stick was an extension of his arms and his skates added those few inches of height for the perspective he had been missing, always a bit too short to see things through the right frame until he was back where he belonged. His muscles burned just right; the gloomy fog lurking in the back of his head lifted under the bright lights of his favorite place.

Someone bumped his back just as he was (reluctantly) heading to the bench for a water break, and arms wound around his waist. “Hi,” Sirius laughed as momentum carried them forward.

“Hey.” Remus gave him a squeeze, then ducked under his arm. He was flushed with happiness. Sirius’ heart tripped over itself. “How’re you feeling?”

“So good.” His whole face hurt from smiling and he cast a look around at the perfect chaos. “So, so good.”

Remus raised his eyebrows. “Got a little wobbly earlier with James. Everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” Sirius assured him, tilting Remus’ face up for a kiss on his button nose. But it was for fun, now. They had been allowed more than enough time to figure out their issues, both at home with each other and alone with Heather. Impossibly, he felt better around Remus after a month of recovery than he ever had before. “I’ll tell you if I start feeling bad, but this is good. I needed it.”

“I know you did, baby.”

They made their way back to the bench together, hips bumping with each out of sync step until their skates were on solid ground again and Sirius let himself fall into the mess of his friends without hesitation. Shoulders jostled, elbows knocked—he was at peace. “Good to have you back out there, Cap,” Kasey said with a grin and a clap to his upper arm. “Needed someone who could give me a run for my money.”

“Hey!” Logan complained.

A hand caught Sirius by the scruff and he went willingly into Dumo’s side hug, nudging their temples together. “Thought you could take a break and come back just as strong, eh?”

Sirius grinned. “You know it.”

Dumo tsked and shoved him away by the forehead. “Remus! Five weeks, and you haven’t tamed the ego on this one?”

“Not nearly enough time,” Remus countered with a wink that made Sirius’ stomach flip. “I barely managed to keep him in bed, you think I was paying attention to the real elephant in the room?”

“Yeah, I bet you kept him in bed!” Finn wolf-whistled, earning himself a squirt to the face from Remus’ waterbottle. The conversation devolved rapidly into hollering and playful jabs from all sides, and Sirius gave as good as he got.

Then the whistle blew again, and black spots of pain danced in his vision.

He rubbed the corner of his forehead with the heel of his hand for some relief and felt the textured skin of his new scar pull. He frowned.

“Baby?” The guys were still loud as they flooded back onto the ice—he must have missed Arthur’s instructions, he never missed instructions—but Remus’ voice was barely above a murmur. “Sirius, you okay?”

“Ouais.” The spots faded out. The pain had been quick and sharp, like lightning. “It’s—yeah, I’m good. The whistle startled me.”

Remus had his PT face on, though, and Sirius’ heart sank. He wasn’t getting out of this one easily. “Your head’s bugging you?”

Before the fall and everything that came after it, he might have lied. He might have continued to tell Remus he was fine despite obviously not being fine, and Remus would have let him, but he would’ve been upset and it would take them days to work it out. Hell, six weeks ago Sirius would have cut every corner he found to get back into hockey as fast as possible. And because Remus loved him, because Remus was so goddamn committed to making sure he was happy, he would’ve been able to get away with a lot more before someone called him on his bullshit.

That was six weeks ago. That was before the fall.

“It’s hurting a little,” he admitted. “But only when the whistle blows, and only for a moment. We’ll check it out when we get home. I feel really good for the scrimmage, though.”

Remus nodded hesitantly, then leaned up and kissed his cheek. A frown touched his mouth. “Talk to Layla after practice?”

“I will,” Sirius promised.

And that was that. Honesty, an easy promise to keep, and they were good again. They had both learned over the first few stages of recovery that a lack of communication to salvage one good moment wasn’t worth the inevitable Jenga tower of problems later. Sirius didn’t have to be afraid Remus would leave him over an imperfection, and Remus didn’t have to fear Sirius feeling suffocated by him.

It was such a breath of fresh air.

He lined up across from Dumo, bracing for the puck drop as adrenaline dripped through him and focused his vision. He won the face-off in one quick swipe of his stick and passed it to James, who caught it just like the last million times they had done it.

“Open!” he shouted as the opposing defense closed in on James and Finn. The puck was a blur he knew well, easy to catch, easy to carry. He slipped past Olli and dodged Dumo’s attempted poke-check; Sirius couldn’t stop grinning. His body remembered everything it was supposed to.

He snagged a goal in the first period and two assists in the second. It wasn’t until they were well into the third period that he realized he hadn’t taken a single check.

At first, he wrote it off as a scrimmage courtesy—no checks meant a severely reduced risk of injury. But it lingered in his thoughts and dragged his gaze to spots he normally wouldn’t put that much attention in; Logan colliding with everyone but Sirius, Nado and Kuny’s play-fight, Remus’ quick hits that always shocked the puck from the opponent. Not even one of them came close to Sirius.

He called for the puck again and made a break for the net; Logan was on his ass in a second, but he didn’t make a move to try and steal it away. Sirius extended his stick a couple inches. Nothing. He did it again, giving Logan the perfect opportunity to snatch it away if he just bumped Sirius a little.

“Are you going to take it or not?” he snapped as they swerved around Dumo.

Logan immediately looked guilty. “I…”

Sirius ground his teeth and knocked the puck to James, who attempted a shot he didn’t even try and follow. If they weren’t going to play fair, he didn’t want to play at all. “What the fuck are you doing, Logan?”

“Playing defense.”

“I practically handed it to you!”

“Well, fuck you, too!” Logan said waspishly.

The throbbing behind Sirius’ eye had started again. He wanted to break his stick in frustration, but he didn’t know if he could do it. There were angles and force and—and his head was killing him for the first time in weeks. The others were gathering in little huddles around them. He fixed Logan with a glare. “Why didn’t you take it?”

“It’s a scrimmage!”

“So hit me!”

“I’m not going to hit you!”

Sirius almost had him now. “You’ve hit me before! Split my fucking lip, too!”

“I’m not going to hit you!”

“I can take it, Logan!”

“Well, I’m not willing to fucking risk it!”

They were close enough to each other by then that Sirius watched Logan’s anger dissolve into instant regret in excruciating detail. The rink was dead silent. “That’s what I thought,” he muttered. The rest of them had the nerve to look surprised when he turned. Surprised and ashamed. “Is anyone here a doctor?”

Skates shuffled, tentative and awkward.

“Have any of you seen my medical information over the past month? Any treatment plans? Anything?” They huddled together like a pack of kicked puppies. Sirius took a deep breath. He was their friend, but he was their captain, too. He had their respect. He wasn’t about to lose it over one injury. “I don’t need you to worry about me. I need you to trust me. I know it’s my first practice back, but I know my body. I don’t need special treatment and I don’t want it.”

James raised his head; where shame tinted the faces of their friends, it found no home with him. “We’re worried. That’s it. It’s not worth the risk right now.”

“I don’t—” Sirius cut himself off before he could say something he regretted and pressed a hand over his eyes. Deep breaths. “Jesus, Pots, did you tell them to do this?”

“It was me.” His heart sank as Arthur leaned on the boards, unapologetic. “I told them to be gentle. You’re a great player and a good man, and I’m not going to risk your health in the first few practices.”

Sirius looked at him for a long moment. “It was a concussion. One concussion.”

“A concussion that had you in the hospital for close to a week and needed a month of recovery.” Arthur met his gaze and did not flinch. “You’re the captain of my team. I need you in top form, and I’m willing to make a little extra time to get you there. This team will not succeed if you throw yourself back in and get hurt again right away. Understood?”

His mouthguard squeaked between his teeth. Sirius looked down. “Yes, coach.”

Arthur tapped his clipboard against the boards. “Good. Scrimmage is over, boys. Do some cooldowns and then get stretching. Sirius, come talk to me when you’re done.”

Someone caught his elbow when he went to skate to the bench. “I’m not sorry,” Logan said, his jaw set. “I know you’re pissed, but I’m not sorry.”

Sirius sighed through his nose. “Yeah, I know.”

Back to the beginning, then.

--

“I know I’m the prettiest person on this team, but don’t look at me. Look at the light.”

Sirius squinted into Layla’s small flashlight; she passed it in front of his eyes a few more times before clicking it off. “All good?”

“Fine and dandy,” she said. “You said your head was hurting?”

“Just with the whistle.”

“Then, yeah, that sounds like normal stuff to me.” She shrugged one shoulder and offered an encouraging smile. “Your concussion is healing really well. Your focus was good, your pupils look normal, and light sensitivity seemed low. The auditory stuff is just taking a little longer to settle. How long until you’re allowed to play again?”

Sirius held down a grimace. “Three to six more weeks.”

“Sounds about right,” Layla said, apparently unbothered. “It’s good to have that much leeway, Cap. The noise sensitivity should wear off in a week or two, which means you’ll have plenty of time to get back on your feet at a hundred percent and play your best. If it doesn’t, come talk to me and we’ll fix it.”

“Yeah.” Paper pilled under his fingers as he picked at it. Six weeks would put them right on the doorstep of the games-that-must-not-be-named; he wasn’t exactly looking forward to being thrown into high-stakes competition right off the bat.

The exam table crinkled when Layla sat next to him. She was quiet for a moment, then patted his knee. “You’ll be okay. This is the kind of thing that shouldn’t bug you once you rest and recover. In a way, it’s better than your ankle.”

Sirius smiled wryly. He liked Layla—she had the same lovable good humor and unrelenting optimism in the face of injury as her predecessor. “I think most things are better than a broken ankle,” he noted.

“True.” She bumped his shoulder. “No more moping, Cap. You’ll be out there in no time.”

--

“Flashlight to the left. Okay, good. Give me the flat screwdriver.” Something clinked, then clattered, resulting in a satisfied hum. “Black tape. You looked excellent at practice today.”

“Thanks,” Sirius mumbled. He rummaged in the battered canvas bag until something vaguely tape-textured hooked his finger. “Uh, this one is white.”

“The black kind should be in the side pocket next to the box cutter.” Dumo hummed again when he pressed the correct roll into his open palm. “Merci. Your footwork was especially good.”

“My footwork is always good.”

“I know,” he chuckled. Several more bolts (nuts? Sirius still couldn’t remember which were which) fell into the pan by his thigh like silver sprinkles. “Coach seemed impressed.”

Sirius arched a wry brow, even though Dumo couldn’t see him. “Coach was just surprised I didn’t fall on my face.”

“Non, he was very happy to see you—”

“He told everyone to go easy on me.”

“What, like you wouldn’t do the same if it had been Remus? Or Logan? Or me?” Sirius winced at the thought; with a squeak of wheels and a slight groan, Dumo scooted out from under the washing machine and gave him a look. “I know today was frustrating, but you can’t expect us to beat you up this soon.”

“It’s been a month.” He was well-aware of the slight whine in his voice, and judging by Dumo’s amused huff, he wasn’t alone.

“For you, maybe. Felt like years to the rest of us.” The nut-bolt-screws were cold when Sirius rolled them between his fingertips, scowling. Dumo patted his arm with a grease-streaked hand and began sliding back under the machine. “Give it time, mon fils. They just want you back safe and sound.”

“They need me back for the play—”

“Non,” Dumo interrupted.

“They do!”

Dumo muttered something under his breath before looking up at him again. “Sirius. Come on.”

“James said he had a bad time as captain.”

“Oui, because he missed you. He did great. You should be proud of him.” A screwdriver gently poked him on the kneecap. “This is not about hockey. This is about friends.”

Sirius set the pan aside and stretched out on the concrete floor. His legs ached from being crossed for so long. There were cobwebs between the cupboards and the ceiling, even with the cold weather. “It’s hard for me, sometimes.”

Dumo made an understanding noise and turned back to the screws.

“Falling was embarrassing.” It was so much easier to talk about like this. Heather was a godsend, but the words came easier in French and the soft noise of the garage was far more soothing than a blue room with a suede couch. “It’s like—who even does that? I was tired. That’s it. Now everyone is upset.”

“I disagree with the last part, but okay.”

“Remus is upset.”

“Since when do you count Remus with ‘everyone’?”

He saw Dumo grin at the ensuing silence and covered his face with a groan, letting his head fall back on the cold floor. “God, fine, I’m being mean again and nobody is actually mad at me.”

“Atta boy. Hand over the white tape.”

--

It got better. Sirius got better. He had daily visits with Layla—they both had a laugh about old habits die hard, but still they laughed—and his weekly appointments with Heather had finally begun to veer back to their usual conversations. Aren’t you bored of my shitty childhood by now? Sirius had teased when they made it thirty minutes without discussing his head.

Heather had scoffed at him and whacked him lightly with a pillow. As if I’d be sad to see you this happy. Don’t even think about more head wounds, puck boy. We’re getting to the root of that next.

Slowly, he admitted that he had been sick when it happened. (It seemed Kasey hadn’t spilled his secret, after all). He told her about the chattering teeth and the brain fog that set in that morning; about the fatigue that had piled onto him until he couldn’t even make it through the gate and had to let it win. He told her about the overwhelming feeling that it was all his fault and that everyone would hate him for taking a break.

The world hates me when I’m good and hates me when I’m bad.

They’re wrong for that.

That had made him smile. Heather rarely spoke in absolutes. I know, he answered honestly. She hadn’t pushed him on it, and he liked to think she even believed him.

Remus was laughing again, moonlight in darkness. The good snacks began to disappear from the pantry once more—Sirius couldn’t be mad about it, no matter how often he considered billing Talker for their monthly groceries. Every bag of chips he never got to taste meant Remus would come home and kiss him and ramble about the day like the most adorable runaway train in the world. “I love you, I love you, I love you” smushed into his cheeks, forehead, lips.

His boys carried them to the playoffs with ruthless focus. His pads still fit and the whistle was on his side. And when he was ready, so fucking ready it made his veins hot, Remus pulled him into the break room with a wicked grin that made him thank every cosmic moment that gave him pregame rituals. He would take every bit of luck he could get. The crowd roaring for him deserved it all.

It came in the dusk of the evening, when the blustering winds had calmed and Sirius’ mind felt quiet at last. It was the relief of a wound freshly bandaged—there was no burn of newness, and yet no itch of a scab. It was just a wide, soft couch and a chest rising and falling beneath his hand. Remus kissed his forehead and let it linger like a dream. “Oh, I love you.”

Sirius breathed in, and out. A single spritz of cologne. Lavender shampoo. “You said you couldn’t do this without me,” he said, keeping his voice low. Remus hummed his agreement. He lifted his head slightly, into the gentle pressure of Remus’ hand in his hair. An auburn brow arched in a silent question; he traced the shape of it with his thumb. “You think I can do any of this without you, loup?”

Remus’ mouth curved in a half-smile. “You can do a lot without me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“That’s where we always end up, eh?”

“Nowhere else I’d rather be.”

[clickerflight]

"I didn't know where else to go."

Content: Villain whumpee, detective caretaker, fairly graphic cuts, amputation of a digit, mentions of stitches, large burns. Caretaking time, y'all

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

Detective sat at his desk, two laptops, three steno pads, and uncountable numbers of pencils and pens covering the couch, floor, and coffee table in front of him. He hadn’t done any real work for the past hour, though. He was tired. He had been staring at all of the evidence he had in relation to a missing diamond for the past hour and he just couldn’t bring himself to care anymore. It was some diamond missing from a rich woman’s home, probably just a case of insurance fraud at the end of the day and he was so tired of it, but because of all of the red tape going on with the governments as three cities navigated their way into becoming one and reconciling different laws, hero and villain crimes (the interesting ones) were locked away for more popular detectives to figure out, ones with PR teams. 

Detective snorted and leaned forward to snag his mug, taking a sip of coffee. Crime rates had gone up as everyone struggled to figure out what was and wasn’t legal and all of the villains in the area took advantage of that as much as they possibly could. It was almost enough for him to buy an unregistered sniper rifle and go vigilante on the streets. 

He idly typed ‘what to make a hero mask out of’ into the search bar for kicks and giggles, not really reading anything on the screen that came up afterwards. He wondered if he should just go to bed. He was always so nihilistic when he was tired. 

Or maybe he should just go on a rampage as a vigilante. That sounded like more fun anyways. He could wear a bandana and gain a cult following and have a stupid name and shoot bad guys in the face. 

Mid imaginary fight scene, clutching his now cold coffee, there was a hesitant knock at the door, light and almost too quiet to hear. Detective frowned and looked over at the door, listening hard to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. 

After a long pause, there was another knock at the door and he sighed, setting his cup down and tossing his steno books aside, hidden pencils and pens clattering to the floor as he opened a drawer and grabbed his gun before going to the door. He peered through the peep hole, but all he could see was a slightly slumped figure. 

He sighed again, unlocked the door, and opened it. The man had his forehead pressed to the door, so he stumbled when it opened, clutching at his chest. He lifted his bruised face and Detective frowned. “Villain? What are you doing here?” Detective asked, readying his gun, but Villain just blinked slowly, as though dizzy and confused as he tried to solve what the shiny thing was that the Detective was holding. 

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I didn’t know where else to go.”

“Villain? What did you get into?”

Villain reached out shakily and Detective took him by the arm, hauling him in. His costume was really just a pile of rags at this point, nothing but cloth hanging off of a too thin frame. Detective sat Villain down at the end of the couch after tossing a pillow from one of his exes to the ground and pulled apart Villain’s clothing to see if and where he was hurt since Villain didn’t seem to be in a state where he could really explain what was going on. 

Villain weakly tried to push Detective’s hands off of him, but Detective caught his wrists and held them in one hand, noting that they were small enough for him to hold in one hand. 

“Look, buster,” Detective said sternly. “If you come to my apartment and ask for help, then you are going to let me help!”

Villain stared at him for a moment, and the tension slowly left his arms as Detective pushed back the last fold of clothing. Blood dribbled down Villain’s chest, no longer being soaked up into his costume. Detective hissed and wiped the blood with his palm, trying to find the source of it all. He traced it back to a slash down across Villain’s collar bone, deep enough that Detective could feel the bone as he grazed over it. There were a few other cuts across Villain’s torso, and as Detective found each one, Villain’s eyes fluttered as he fought with unconsciousness. 

“Alright, stay right here,” Detective said, standing up and dropping Villain’s wrists. “I’m going to get my stuff. Stay.”

Villain nodded slightly and Detective sprinted to his bathroom, pulling out his heavy duty first aid kit and coming back. 

“Here you are,” Detective said, holding a couple of pills to Villain’s mouth. Villain took them and Detective helped wash them down with a small flask of whiskey he kept in the kit before taking a sip from it himself to bolster his nerves. 

He lost himself in that bloodsoaked hour, washing the wounds, ignoring Villain as he finally passed out, packing gauze against wounds before going back to the bigger cuts and sewing them shut and bandaging them, working his way across Villain’s body until he’d got his front bandaged. 

Detective got him rolled over and swore when he saw Villain’s back. There were no cuts here, but there were large swaths of blistered skin. 

He ran to his sink, washing out an empty ice cream bucket and filling it with cool water and coming back, dipping paper towels in it and plastering the paper towels to Villain’s back to help cool it. 

Deciding not to move Villain too much, he simply took scissors and cut through the remainder of his clothes, checking his legs for injuries. Besides some horrific bruising, they seemed to be fine. 

Detective did one more once over and finally got a better look at Villain’s bruised hands. There had been so much blood everywhere, Detective didn’t notice it earlier, but Villain’s pinky on his right hand was missing. 

Detective winced and washed Villain’s hands, bandaging them as best he could and then knelt by the couch, looking at the mostly naked man that laid there. He sighed and went to put on a pot of coffee before spending the rest of the evening putting new paper towels on Villain’s back with more cool water. 

………………………….

Villain woke up reluctantly, and only because he was in so much pain. He wondered what Supervillain had in mind for him today. He only hoped it would have nothing to do with his feet. He wouldn’t be able to get away if the opportunity presented itself. 

Wait. Didn’t the opportunity already present itself? The guards had left and Villain remembered being able to slip from the cuffs because of how much blood was on his hands. Did he get caught?

He cracked one eye open and couldn’t really see through his hair, but the other eye was buried in something plush and soft. He was on a sofa and there was someone slumped next to the sofa, watching The Office on a computer on the table. 

“Mmm?”

The figure turned and Detective’s face came into focus. 

“Hey, I have some fever reducers and pain killers here for you,” Detective said, getting up to grab some pills off of the coffee table and a cup with a straw. 

Villain took it without thinking, swallowing down the water gratefully. Detective took the cup away and Villain very carefully moved, testing his ability to sit up. He winced and hauled himself up so he could lean his head on the arm of the chair. Detective helped him adjust the blanket as he moved and he sighed.

“I shouldn’t have come here.”

Detective shrugged. “I don’t really mind. Now I have a good excuse not to go to work today.”

Villain smiled a little, ignoring the pain in his cheeks and eye where he was badly bruised. “Sounds good to me.”

Detective nodded and Villain saw him looking him over again. “So….. who did this?”

Villain sighed. “Trust me on this one, Deet. Stay out of it.”

Detective glared at him. “You do not get to come to my door, make me clean and bandage you all night watching shows I haven’t seen in years, and then tell me to stay out of whatever took an entire pinky off of you.”

Villain twitched his hand, startled. He didn’t have a pinky. He couldn’t really remember when that happened. 

“Who. Did. This. To. You.” Detective said, very seriously. 

Villain winced. “Supervillain. He wanted some Bevin Tech Batteries… uh, that I got totally legally.”

Detective raised his eyebrow, but didn’t say anything about that as Villain uncomfortably tried to rearrange himself again. He yelped, closing his eyes tightly. By the time he got himself back together, there were tears trailing down his cheeks and he cleared his throat. 

“Erm, when we came to the part about payment, he objected to that, quite strenuously. I pushed it and…. Stars, I’m so stupid. Everyone knows not to deal with him, and I thought I’d be different.”

Detective nodded. “Alright, alright. It’s okay. Just rest, alright?”

Villain sighed and sunk into the couch. “Okay…. Thank you.”

“Of course. I need to go to the store and get some stuff for you. I’ll be back, alright?”

“Alright.”

…………………..

Detective closed his door behind him and reached into his pocket. He pulled out the black bandana and tied it around his neck and checked to make sure his guns were all where they were supposed to be in their holsters under his jacket. He paused only to send a text to his best friend asking her to come over that evening to hang out, and set off to kill Supervillain. If he didn’t come back, he knew his best friend would help Villain get back on his feet, but Detective wasn’t planning on letting it get that far. 

[darkhymns-fic]

Trick or Treat?

Colette knew Lloyd usually preferred tricks over treats instead—but as he leaned in close, she realized she wasn't prepared for whatever trick he had up his sleeve this time.

Fandom: Tales of Symphonia Characters/Pairing: Lloyd Irving/Colette Brunel Rating: T Word Count: 2499 Mirror: AO3 Notes: A short fic inspired by a colloyd doujin by Moritagumi. Happy Halloween! (slightly spicy because of kissing!)

-

The candy was arranged in such bright foil; in shades of black and orange, their material catching the lamplight of the room. Colette had been so tempted to take some of the candy, even going so far as to pluck out a piece from the basket she was given, and twirl it about in her fingers. But, this wasn’t for her! This was for the trick-or-treaters! Or at least, that was what Zelos had told her.

“Hey, Colette! You in here?”

“Oh, yes! Come in, Lloyd!”

Zelos’ mansion had many rooms, enough that she had (shamefully) gotten a little lost the first few times…and today. But, she had found the very room she needed where her costume waited for her; a long dark cloak that she could tie around her neck, along with a crooked, pointed hat. She even had a small broom that she could ride on if she wanted to! She really did look like a witch now, except… whoever heard of a witch that gave out treats to children? Yet the woven basket full of carefully-wrapped candy told her that this was part of her outfit.

That thought was forgotten the moment she went to open the door. They had all gone to Zelos’ home to celebrate the holiday, though she had no idea who would be wearing what. Maybe Lloyd was wearing something cute…

Within the garish hallways, bandaged hands raised up, fingers curled as Lloyd gave a loud, “Boo!”

“Ah!”

What she saw startled her so much that she dropped her very valuable basket full of candy! But in mid-scare, Lloyd quickly caught it, hands pressed with her own. He grinned wide, the ends of frayed bandages falling all around his shoulders and neck, as well as down his arms.

“Heh, sorry. Couldn’t resist.”

But Colette was looking at Lloyd with wide eyes, feeling ready to cry. “Lloyd…oh no. How much does it hurt?”

He blinked at her question, looking at the basket, then to her again. “Uh, what?”

“All those bandages! Did you get in an accident?” She gasped in sudden realization. “Did you fall off your Rheaird? I’m so sorry, I should have flown you instead…”

“Huh? No, no, I’m fine!” Lloyd gave her the basket fully to pull out what looked like rolls of those same white bandages from his pants pockets. “This is just part of my costume. Remember? I told you I was going to be a mummy!”

…Ohhh.

“Ah, that’s right!” Colette giggled, her previous panic already washed away. “Hehe. I forgot.”

“But I even told you about it this morning…”

Lloyd did indeed wear so many bandages, she noticed! Over his hands, he had wrapped it so well that barely any of the ends of it were loose. Though some of it started to unravel at other parts of his body, like his neck, and even over his chest. While he wore a black vest to serve as his shirt, its front was unbuttoned, showing off his handiwork with the bandages that criss crossed his torso. He really did look like a mummy come to life!

“Hey, is that candy?” he asked then. “That’s a lot of it!

Colette remembered then the basket she held, the one Lloyd rescued for her. It now hung around her wrist. “Zelos said I was to hand these out for the trick-or-treaters that are going to come by. At least for the ones that ask for a treat! Though I’m not sure why someone would choose a trick over a treat…”

“That’s easy. Because tricks are fun!” Though even as he said it, his eyes kept glancing to the candy. Maybe he would have reached for a piece himself if he wasn’t already holding a bunch of rolled-up bandages in his palms.

Which made her question then. “Why do you still have all these bandages left?”

Lloyd finally entered the room, taking a seat and then placing the bandages on a nearby desk. “Well… I was also going to wrap the bandages around my head. You know, like a real mummy! But I couldn’t do it very well. And when I used the Rheaird, all those bandages just flew off!” A pause. “I mean, I also couldn’t see out of them…”

“Aw, well, you still look like a mummy to me,” Colette said with a nod.

“No way! You thought I was just all hurt and wrapped up in bandages!”

“Only because I forgot!”

Lloyd sighed, placing an elbow on the desk, bringing up his hand to rest his chin in it. As he did so, he looked at her, and she could feel how his eyes traveled over her. The sight of it made her flush slightly—maybe she looked too silly to be in a witch’s getup, and she wasn’t even using the broom right now to fully look the part…

“Sorry, I don’t look like much of a witch either,” she confessed. “I think even this hat is too big…”

“Huh? That’s not what I was…” 

But his voice trailed off, still staring at her. Ah, did she say something wrong just now? Even so, Lloyd kept looking. And his face looked a little red too.

“Hey, uh,” Lloyd started. “Do you think you could help me with my outfit? Maybe if you wrap up the bandages for me?”

Well, that was sudden, but she was always glad to help! With a smile, she reached out for one of the bandages on the table to unroll. “Should I start around here then?” she said as she stepped forward. Her eyes then fixated on his ear. Maybe if she started wrapping from underneath…to his chin…but then she’d have to cover his mouth and…

Before she even got a chance, Lloyd then grabbed her wrist, making her drop the bandages to the plush carpets underneath their feet.

Ah.

And then his other hand, wrapped in white, reached to take hold of her chin.

Ahh?

“Hey, Colette.” Lloyd smiled again, eyelids lowered slightly as he brought her close. “You think I can have a treat too?”

The question caught her off guard, not to mention the fact she felt out of air suddenly. “Um…” 

“Or…should I play a trick on you instead?” He pulled her in closer, enough that her knees brushed against his own. “I might have to if I don’t get any candy…”

Candy…candy…Oh, Lloyd just wanted candy!

“Oh, I’m sorry!” she quickly apologized before she put both hands in her basket to take out fistfuls of candy—so much that several pieces of it fell to the floor. “Here you go, Lloyd!”

She promptly shoved all the still-wrapped up candy into his open mouth.

“Urkmf!”

And then, just as promptly, Lloyd fell to his knees to spit out all the candy to the floor.

Oops.

“C-Colette!” he called out in between coughs.

“I’m sorry!” she said again. “You said you wanted candy!”

“But not like twenty of them at once!” Lloyd coughed again, another brightly colored foil leaving his mouth. “Bleh…I didn’t even get to taste the actual candy either…”

Ah, she really messed up now. She fiddled with the handle of her basket—she still had plenty of candy left. So, she could fix this! Maybe?

“I can still give you candy?” she said. “Um, just one though! Sorry, we should probably save some for the kids…” And they definitely couldn’t use the ones Lloyd had just spit out.

Wiping his mouth, Lloyd got to his feet. But his eyes seemed to light up at the mention of the candy, a look that sent her heart racing a bit. “Yeah? Um, but without the foil this time though?”

“Of course!” she said, sticking out her tongue in a tease. “I’m not going to make the same mistake twice!”

“Well, knowing you…” Still, Lloyd smiled. “Okay. You want to feed it to me?”

That almost caught her off guard again, but she was already figuring out that Lloyd was teasing her. She wouldn’t be flustered so easily this time. With a nod, she reached for a candy piece in her basket, unwrapping the foil.

“Open up!” she said, holding up the candy. It was colored red, making her think of strawberries. Maybe it was strawberry-flavored? Now she wished she could have a piece for herself, too.

Lloyd grinned, then opened his mouth with a great, “Ahhh.” With a giggle, she deftly placed the candy just at his lips, letting him take it with his tongue.

And that was all it should have been. Instead, his tongue lingered. It lapped at her fingertips, made her pause, made her watch as Lloyd tasted her along with the candy.

He was looking at her again, like before. He then took one of her fingers into his mouth to suck on, slightly.

“L…Lloyd…” she stuttered, but didn’t move away. She didn’t want to. She could only remain still, her face feeling hot as she felt the swipe of his tongue, at how his soft lips wrapped around her finger. “But…the candy…”

And then, just as quickly, his mouth left her. But he hadn’t stopped staring at her, his tongue licking at his lips.

“Hm… it’s really sweet.”

Colette already felt out of breath. Even with her hand free, she could still remember the way he had sucked on her skin, the warmth of his tongue that made her legs shake slightly. And his gaze on her kept her feeling so warm and good, so much that she didn’t pull away when he stepped closer to her again, so close that the tips of their noses touched.

“Did you try the candy too?” he asked. His voice was low, almost a whisper.

Colette swallowed. “No, I’m…just supposed to hand it out…”

And Lloyd smiled again—that smile full of mischief, the kind of smile she recognized from when they were young and he had a fun idea to play, usually a small prank he’d pull on Genis, or on the priests that would insist that he leave the Chosen one alone.

He was pulling one on her right now, wasn’t he? He’d laugh soon, and then step away. Except, he just got closer and closer to her, until he was all she could see.

His hand, still bandaged, went to reach for her chin again. And she leaned into that touch easily, watching how the lamplight reflected off his eyes. “I want you to taste it too,” he said, before he pressed his mouth over hers.

“Ah—” she breathed, and in that small breath, Lloyd took advantage, opening her mouth up more with his tongue. He kissed her harder, taking in her sounds, her breaths. And she could feel the vibrations of his own sounds against her tongue. His wet, warm tongue, and so, so sweet…

She felt the smooth hardness of the candy against her tongue, pushed on by Lloyd’s. She tasted that sweetness, so sweet that it stung. She gasped again as Lloyd balanced that candy piece between their tongues, his own breath coming fast.

Soft sounds played around her, a groan from Lloyd, another moan from her own throat, and the wet sounds of his tongue on hers. As he kissed her, as he tasted her and the candy shared between them. It was so good and so sweet. Like strawberries , she thought. Her arms reached up to wrap around his neck to keep him close, and maybe she felt the turn of a smile against her mouth then. But it was hard to stop, so hard to stop.

She could hardly speak, but to do so might let the candy fall. And she couldn’t let that happen. She could only keep it perched between their tongues, then close her lips over his own. More, more, her mind chanted, kissing him still. They kissed harder, and with less finesse, enough that she felt their kisses become sloppier. But, Lloyd seemed to like that, his tongue sneaking out to lap at her lips and her chin, all while not letting the candy fall.

She felt his other hand grip her waist, fingers pressing against the witch’s costume, bringing her hips to his. She wanted to be closer. She wanted to feel his hands on her even more, and in her wanting, more desperate sounds left her throat. She could hardly breathe, but Lloyd gave her his own breath, so that she would never run out of air.

“Mn…” was what she heard from him, the sound so low that it sank into her chest in the warmest of tones. Heavy like honey, and leaving her body so lethargic she did all she could to not fall against his chest. Lloyd’s…never kissed me like this before… Usually small kisses, or pecks on the cheeks that left her blushing still. But not like this, where he seemed to try to taste her as much as he could, letting his tongue dance inside her mouth.

It almost felt too short when Lloyd finally separated from her, his lips lifting away. The candy had all but disappeared now during the kiss, its taste all over her mouth. But even when Lloyd moved, he lingered, just enough to let her breathe in the air again. A thin trail connected between their lips briefly, evidence of their passionate kissing.

“Oh…” Colette could only say, still catching her breath. Lloyd still held her chin, looking down at her with that intense gaze.

And when he grinned, it was with a small chuckle, the kind she was so used to hearing when something went his way. “You know, between you and the candy… I think Colette tasted sweeter!”

The words washed over her, awaking her from her daze. Colette’s face heated up even more. “Ah…you tricked me…”

Lloyd kept laughing, nuzzling her nose with his. “Not really! I did want to share the candy with you. And kiss you. So…why not two birds with one stone, right?”

“If you wanted to kiss me, you could have just said so…” But she couldn’t resist the smile that lifted her own mouth, staying close to him. “Mm, but is that all?”

Lloyd tilted his head. “What is?”

At that, Colette reached into her basket, unwrapping the candy piece before she plopped it into her mouth. She felt Lloyd watching her, knowing how his eyes followed the path of the candy onto her tongue. “You usually never stop at just eating one piece.”

It could be her turn to trick him now! Though, was it a trick if he knew what she wanted…?

Lloyd smirked, leaning in close until his lips brushed hers. “Yeah? Well, I think you just took mine…”

If she lost her breath again, if her stomach felt all fluttery as Lloyd’s tongue moved against her own, well, she wanted that still. And it was a fun game, to not let the candy piece fall…

[holylulusworld]

Collared

Summary: You are his.

Pairing: Lloyd Hansen x Female Reader

Warnings: hostage situation, implied kidnapping, nakedness, dark Lloyd, groping, implied dub-con, mentions of collars

A/N: Written for @cockslutpadalecki​ 's Fifteen Sentence Challenge

My prompt was: Maybe I should get you a collar, so you don't forget who you belong to

Divider by @firefly-graphics

He has you on your knees, hands held behind your back with his belt looped around your wrists, and your eyes filled with unshed tears - just the way he likes it.

“Maybe I should get you a collar, so you don't forget who you belong to, Y/N,” Lloyd smirks darkly down at your shaking form as his warm hand caresses your exposed chest. “Just look at you now,” he taunts as you look up at him with big wet eyes. 

His skilled fingers tweak one pebbled nub, earning a needy whimper from you as your touch-starved body takes everything Lloyd is willing to give. 

Lloyd knows your mind still fights to adapt to your new life, but your body is betraying you every single time he touches you.

Your chest is heaving, and you shudder under his gaze when he cups your face with his large hands. Fresh tears drip onto already ruined flesh; joining the marks he left on your body.

“I’m sorry, don’t leave me alone for so long in that room again,” you choke out while praying he’ll accept your weak apology for running from him again. “Please, Lloyd I’ll be good from now on.”

“Why must you hurt me all the time?” he sighs deeply and shakes his head. “I gave you all a woman could ever wish for, my sweet cupcake.”

“You took my life away from me,” you breathe out. “Why?”

“Because you are mine now and forever...”

[anon-e-miss]

More Barbarian AU

“Y’re alright,” Ricochet said, taking Barricade by the arm and guiding him down the hall. “Don’t know what the dumb aft was thinkin’ bringin’ ya here like some kinda prize. If he’d known what was good for ‘m he woulda been on a chip to Kaon.”

“What was that about?” Barricade asked. He was rather calm for a mech that had just watched another get beaten to death; that did not mean he was not likely to be terrified.

“Road Handler, the creep that bought ya betrayed Jazz, betrayed our clan,” Ricochet explained. “He said nothin’ when a mutual friend was bridenapped. A coward ‘n a fool. He outta known Jazz would scrap’m.”

“You didn’t save your friend,” Barricade guessed. “Given his reaction.”

“No,” Ricochet replied. “He died from complications givin’ emergence to my brother’s creations.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Barricade said. Ricochet nodded.

“Y’re brother sold ya?” He asked.

“I didn’t manage to find blackmail on him like the last one,” Barricade replied. “He got rid of me before I could.”

“Blackmail?” Ricochet asked.

“I’m receptive,” Barricade explained. “I’m supposed to be a good little brooder. At my age, I should have had two at least by now but I never fancied that life. My progenitor never found a mech who could handle me and when he died I blackmailed my oldest brother so he would leave me to live how I wanted.”

“What’d ya blackmail ‘m wit?” Ricochet asked.

“He liked getting fragged,” Barricade said. “He had this femme bodyguard and I caught them in berth together with her fragging him and slagtalking him like he was a cheap buymecha. If I’d let that out, his reputation would have been destroyed. He would have had to go into exile for the shame of it.”

“Cause he liked gettin’ spiked?” Ricochet asked, aghast.

“Praxus has rules,” Barricade explained. “Receptives get fragged and contributives frag. Sure lots of mecha switch things up but he was a senator. The scandal would have ruined him.”

“That’s… rough,” Ricochet said.

“Don’t feel sorry for him,” Barricade retorted. “He was a disgusting piece of scrap.”

Ricochet was not sure what to think of the mech walking with him. Blackmailing his brother with his sexuality was pretty horrific, but so was being traded or sold to be a broodcarrier. He thought a bit about what Ori had told him of Jazz’s wet nurse, of the hollowness of his optics from the torture of that life. Barricade was far from hollow; he was full of fire. If his own brother had sold him, there was no sending him back to his kin. That begged the question what to do with the mech? Jazz wanted nothing to do with him and was in no state to be responsible for another mechanism’s life. Given the lengths Barricade had gone through not to end up a broodcarrier, he was not going to be keen to be matched off with some friendly clansmecha. It would not be the same, Polyhexians had far more honour that Praxians and their receptive mechanisms were free to do as they pleased but it would also not be the same, because Barricade was Praxian and no clan would take him along for the sake of it.

“Ori, got some work for ya,” Ricochet called as he walked into the rooms his procreators had claimed, not far from the harem.

“What’ve ya done?” Punch asked, out of side. He turned the corner and saw Ricochet with Barricade. Ricochet held up Barricade’s wrist to show his originator the bangles that had been welded around his wrists. “Now how’d ya come to be in Darkmount?”

“My brother sold me,” Barricade replied. “Some mech designated Road Handler bought me and tried to give me to your Warlord as a present.”

“Rico?” Punch asked.

“Jazz beat’m to a pulp,” Ricochet replied. “Real, real dead that one.”

“Can’t say ‘m sorry,” Punch replied. “After all the time he spent in my camp as a ward, his betrayal hurt the most.”

“His clan might have a snit,” Ricochet said.

“Not if they’re smart,” Punch replied. “Come on o’er. I should have cutters narrow ‘nough to snip those off without nickin’ ya.”

It was quick work, once Ori found the right cutters, and Barricade rubbed his wrists, sighing with relief to have the bangles off. Ori ordered tisane and a tray of fuel, figuring Barricade had not fuelled in a while. Ricochet might have left them to chat but he had said he would see to Barricade and so he kept to his glyph and he fuelled with them as Ori asked his questions and they all got a better understanding on how the Praxian caravans operated. Barricade had worked behind the scenes for his oldest brother and had learned a great deal about the inner workings of the operations, despite never going on one.

“There’s room in the harem,” Punch declared when Ricochet asked where thy ought to put Barricade. “Could be good for Prowl to have another Praxian for company.”

“Prowl is not going to want me anywhere near him,” Barricade interjected.

“Why not?” Punch asked.

“Because my older brother is the one that brought his breeding rights,” Barricade replied. “He’s not going to want his rapist’s kin around him or his creations.”