#lila almost feels her heart stop | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

littlemissmentallyunstable · 4 months ago

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title: put your hand on my heart

pairing: micheal townsend x reader

synopsis: you know you’re panicking but you can’t stop it and nothing is helping. the last person you want to see you like this turns out to be your saviour

warnings: panic attack, overwhelming anxiety, dark thoughts

a/n: thanks for reading 🤍🤍

taglist: @inmyheaddd @midiosaamor @lyrakanefanatic @aleatorio1234 @maybe-dj124 @book-nerd-emi @maybxlle @foreverwinter22 @sweetreveriee @hermesenthusiast @shattered-glass-roses @gandergaal @sheisntyou @arias-archive @lila-77 @downrightbooks

Please, please, please. Not again. Not this again. I stumble into the bathroom making sure the door shuts behind me, hastily trying to reach a source of water. My finger shake as I turn on the bathroom tap, they can barely grasp the metal. I wait for the cold water to run before splashing my face three times. It’s meant to be a shock tactic, it’s meant to pull me together, it’s meant to help, but it isn’t doing what it’s meant to, it isn’t doing anything. It never does anything.

I try to swallow but it feels like I’ve forgotten how. It feels like my trachea is slowly constricting, the walls on either side slowly closing in creating a claustrophobe’s nightmare. My throat aches as my mouth fills with saliva that I’m desperate to get rid of. I touch my neck, my fingers scraping against the skin. I want to pry it open. Maybe then I’ll be able to breathe, be able to swallow.

I glance up at myself in the mirror and don’t recognise the girl staring back at me. Her eyes are rimmed with thick black smears, her lips are dry and cracked, there are red streaks of art winding down her neck and her face is a sickly pale colour. I’m but living in the shell of body that used to be mine. The things that made me myself are long gone, a ghost of a whisper living somewhere deep within my veins. I don’t know what parasite has infiltrated my body, all I know is I want it out. I want it gone.

But some things you can never kill, so long as they live in your mind, you’ll never truly be rid of them.

Panic wraps bony fingers around my ankles and yanks me into murky waters, Fear holds my head under and makes sure I can’t scream for help. Is this how you felt mum? Is this how you felt when they drowned you? My lungs burn, scream, beg but I already know I won’t ever get to grace them with oxygen again. My hands and feet are bound with thick rope that cuts deep into my flesh. They tied you up too mum. Why? Did you even fight it? I glance at my captors with pleading eyes, they only laugh. Amused by the emotions that fed them running riot through my soul. Did you look at them like me mum? We always had the same eyes, that’s what everyone said. Did they laugh at you too mum?

I feel my body grow weak, I watch as the world spins and I grow dizzy. I’m lost in a state between life and death, beneath this ocean of panic. My body is still trying to fight for survival even though I want to give up. You never wanted to give up, did you mum? But you had to, they forced you to. Panic gives me one last gift, placing something heavy on my chest. It crushes my rib cage but there’s nothing left in me to cry out. No one would hear anyway, I was underwater. No one heard you, mum. I didn’t hear you either. The weight pushes me down further and further from the surface and slowly, slowly it all grows black. Is this what you saw mum? When your body sunk to the bottom? Were you plunged into the darkness the same way I am?

I’m gasping and spluttering. My chest is in agony, red hot pain prickles over my torso. I want to rip my skin off, claw every inch away with my nails. I throw my sweatshirt over my head so the cotton of my shirt was the only thing touching my upper body. I look back to the stranger in the mirror and prod my face with unfamiliar fingers. The veins under my skin throb, almost like my pulse is so fast it might burst them altogether. Part of me hopes they might, at least I’d be rid of these feelings.

My heart thumps loudly through my ears, each boom more demeaning than the last. It feels like the organ pulsating out of my chest each time it beats. A torturous, monotonous thunderstorm that I can’t avoid.

“I don’t like the thunder,” I tremble in my mother’s arms, clinging to the soft fabric of her shirt as if my life depends on it.

“It can’t hurt you little one,” she whispers, stroking my hair with her tender touch, “but don’t fret, you’re safe, I’ve got you, it’s okay, I’m here.”

I don’t like thunderstorms. I never have. But my mother’s arms aren’t here to be my refuge, all I have are these four bathroom walls.

I try and will myself to cry but there are no tears. My face isn’t damp and my eyes don’t water. They refuse, my mind too stubborn to give me an outlet for my pain. I should be crying, I know I should, it’s unnatural not to, it’s not normal.

But I’m not normal.

I feel the dreaded panic attack me again. It’s like a million tiny bullets are being fired at my body all at once. I can’t avoid a single one, I’m stood in no man’s land. And yet despite being shot so many times, I don’t seem to be able to die. Only writhe in my own agony.

My breathing quickens still, which by now I’d thought might be medically impossible. I wish for Sloane to be here to give me a statistic about breathing or wallabies, I wish for Lia to tell me the lie that I would be okay a thousand times over, I wish for Cassie to hold me until I stop shaking looking at me with her kind eyes, I wish for Dean to help me understand why I’m like this and I wish for Micheal to never, ever see me like this.

My wishes don’t come true. Wishes usually don’t for girls like me.

I’ve forgotten what it’s like to have control of my own body, of my own mind, thoughts and feelings. They’re constantly hijacked by a stronger power. A power that comes dressed in black hood and carries weapons of destruction. Though he doesn’t always use them, not straight away. He presents them first, the fear of the threat. Then at the moment of his choosing - the middle of the night, when I’m out shopping, the early morning, in the middle of a case - he would use them.

I have become a prisoner to the man in my mind.

He remembers everything. My mother. He knows all. She was kind and smart and funny and passionate and bold. The details I wanted to forget. Her cold dead body, hauled from the bottom of a lake. Blue skin, closed eyes, hair plastered to her forehead. The things I’d left in the past. She used to tell me I could do anything, be anything. That I was something. That I was special. Brighter than the stars. All that I’d blocked out. The killers that I couldn’t find, that I’d failed to find.

Another overbearing wave of panic crashes into me and my legs begin to feel unsure of themselves adopting an unnatural wobble. Sure I might fall, I sink to the floor in a helpless heap of heavy breathing and blurred thoughts. The cold tiles that press against the back of my thighs are the only thing to remind me that I can feel.

I need five things. What can I see? What can I touch? What can I hear? What can I smell? What can I taste?

I pry my eyes back open. I can see the bathroom door, it’s white with a golden handle. Two towels hang on a hook from the back of it. They’ve been recently used and are still a little damp. The smile on my mum’s face.

I can touch the fabric of my shirt. I play with it between my fingers. It’s soft, it’s smooth, it can’t hurt me. Her fingers weaving a braid through my hair.

I can hear my heart. No, I have to hear past it. I strain my ears. Talking, I can hear my friends talking in the room next door. Sloane, Cassie, Lia, Dean and Michael. I can hear Sloane’s voice most immediately, then Lia’s. The words are blurred, a soup of sound, too overwhelmed by the pounding in my chest. The hum of her sweet song, the one she wrote just for my name.

I can smell bleach. It’s strong and sterile. The bathroom has been recently cleaned. Rose water and buttermilk. She always smelt of rose water and buttermilk. As long as I could remember.

I can taste nothing. My throat is dry, my lips are dry, my tongue is so dry it’s stuck to the roof of my mouth. The honey sweet syrupy liquid she often gave me before I slept.

I lean back further into the wall and close my eyes again. Is it working? Is it helping? I’ve listed the five things, my task is done. Why do I still feel the same? I shouldn’t still feel the same. It’s not working, it never works, I don’t know why this time I thought it might. I’m an idiot. I always have been.

“y/n? Are you in there?”

I know that voice and I know I don’t want him anywhere near the door. I know I’ve forgotten to lock it and I can’t move from the position I’m in. I know I need to tell him I’m fine, that it’s okay. I know that I should then explain I need Lia to get me a tampon to scare him away.

But I can’t speak, I can’t answer him. When I try I end up gasping for air like a fish out of water. I grip the side of the sink, my knuckles going white, trying to hoist myself up. He can’t see me like this, out of everyone it can’t be him. The moment I get myself to stand, my legs give way and I fall back to the floor. They’re too weak to support me anymore.

I’m too weak.

I land with a crash, sending a shooting pain up my back. I wince and make some sort of strangled sound, a scream but with no breath to make it sound like a scream. Immediately he bursts in, uninvited in classic Micheal style. Though he might be the emotion reader of the two of us, I see the worry on his face, through his eyes. I try to glare at him but can’t even muster that. I know there’s no getting out of this now, the moment he lays eyes on me he knows exactly how I feel. Even if I were Lia I don’t believe there’d be any lie good enough to cover up my situation.

“Woah, woah, woah,” he rushes, dropping to his knees immediately, “hey, it’s okay, I’m here.”

“It’s okay, I’m here.”

My mother’s words echo through my mind. His hand settles on my thigh. I don’t need you here’ I wanted to scream. I need Sloane, Lia, Cassie, Dean, Judd, heck even Briggs just anyone but him. He shouldn’t know that this is the real me, that this is the kind of relationship he is really getting into.

He sees it. He sees my fear, my desperation, my panic, my worry, my pain, my anger. He sees it all in technicolour.

Micheal takes my face between to soft palms, “breathe with me, sweetheart,” he says very slowly, “I need you to breathe with me.”

I can’t even talk. I try to reply, but I physically can’t.

“Don’t try to talk,” he tells me gently, “it’s not going to help you. I need you to try and breathe with me.”

I can barely hear him over the sound of my heart raging through my ears yet manage to shake my head vigorously. I need to explain to him that it won’t work, that it never works.

“Try,” he murmurs, understanding, “with me. In… and out…”

Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Nothing overtly complicated. Yet it feels like the most difficult task I’ve ever had to do in my life.

“In…” he guides me, steadily, “…and out.”

One. I do it once.

My breathing is still rapid, I am panting like a dog but I did it. Once. He sits down beside me, interlocking his hand into mine. A constant, a rock, he’s telling me he isn’t leaving. His back is up against the cool tiled wall. Gently he puts his hands on my hips. I don’t shy away from his touch, I don’t flinch, I don’t slap him away. I want his hands on me. I want him to distract me.

He pulls me between his legs. I lean on him pressing my back up against his firm chest. I need to feel something, someone, anyone. I need to know that I’m not alone. I want his lips to transport me somewhere else, I want his hands to make me forget everything. I tilt my head so ours eyes meet. I plead silently. I know he can read what I want, what I need. I know he can see it all displayed on my face.

“You have to get your heart rate and breathing back to normal,” he says, “a distraction won’t help that.”

“Need,” I choke, through loud gulps of air.

He presses a kiss to my temple, “breathe, my love, you’re safe, I’ve got you.”

“You’re safe, I’ve got you.”

I see my mum’s face. I roughly grab onto his legs, clawing at the material of his trousers, digging my fingernails in, like some sort of scared animal. I feel his hands on my waist as my chest heaves up and down, still uncontrollable. The untameable beast in my brain still a torrent of darkness.

“It’s okay, I’m here,” he repeats, his voice so smooth, so soothing. I want to believe him, “focus on me…”

I do. I’m focusing on his breath I can feel tickling the back of my neck and his outstretched legs I can see in front of me. I’m focussing on the shade of blue the sweatshirt is and how he smells of that fancy cologne he insists on buying. I’m focussing on the tingling sensation his lips let behind on my temple and the warmth of his body against mine.

“My voice…”

It’s low and even. Steady and constant. The words he says are sweet and soothing and kind. He wants to help me. He cares enough. They’re said softly, gently, tenderly, calmly. He wants me to know I’m safe. He wants to fight the man in my head as much as I do.

“My touch…”

His fingers are delicately wrapped around my waist, but one hand is drawing slow, light circles on my stomach. I feel the shape spiralling in and then back out again. The muscles in his upper arms are against the muscles of my upper arms, they brush together. His heart is beating a little faster than usual against my back.

I think about Micheal. I focus on what he tells me to. Each time I take in oxygen it gets the slightest bit easier. I inhale and I exhale. He waits and he listens and he draws circles on my belly. Sometimes he talks and sometimes he stays silent. But we stay like this until my breathing is only a little worse than normal. The breaths are still short and jagged but they’re less of a gasp, less of a prayer for air.

“You’re okay,” he repeats, “I’ve got you, you’re safe, I’m here.”

I twist my neck to meet his eyes. He looks like he’s in pain. I never meant to cause him pain.

“I’ve got you. Can you feel me?” he whispers, “I’ve got you in my arms. That means you’re safe.”

Safe. Would I ever really be safe when my biggest enemy lived in my own mind?

“I… need… touch…” I tell him, through little breaths.

I haven’t heard the man in my head since Micheal got here. I know this will help. I know I need it. He can make things go away, he can help me, he can keep me safe. He’s got me in his arms. That means I’m safe.

“Okay,” he whispers.

His hand slowly moves from the tight grip on my waist to the bottom of my shirt. It slips under the material, slowly trailing up the bare skin of my stomach. His fingertips skim over my bra and find their way to just below my collarbone on the left side on my chest. He flattens his hand against my heart, pressing down firmly. It’s warm in contrast to the coolness of my skin.

“Breathe again love,” Micheal says in my ear, his voice in the back of his throat, “breathe for me.”

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Do it again. Do it again. Do it again. It’s getting easier. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Do it again. It’s getting easier. It’s getting easier.

I can feel him, only him. Micheal Alexander Thomas Townsend. My heart thumps against his palm. I close my eyes and rest my head back onto him. I feel it, as he presses the lightest of kisses onto my face, first my forehead, my nose, then my lips. Him, it’s all him. He can take this away, this darkness, this sickness, this disease in my mind. He can make it leave.

After what feels like a while, I’m somewhat what I was before. I can’t say things are back to normal because I am not normal. But I can breathe again, my chest doesn’t hurt, my heart isn’t the only thing I can hear and the man in my head has left. For now.

I realise for the first time how Micheal has seen me. This isn’t the me he’s used to. I take his hand from my shirt and move away from his touch. I stand up shakily and he’s quick to follow, ready to catch me should I fall. I lean against the sink, breathing deeply in and out. I can’t rely on him,I can’t afford to. The last person I relied on was my mother and look where that got me.

“You weren’t meant to see that,” I say, my back still towards him. I can’t bear to look him in the eye, not even for a second.

“It’s not a crime to panic,” he tells me slowly, there’s something tentative in his tone.

I turn around to face him, “yes. It is.”

I’m no emotion reader but something in his face looks scared. I had been taught long ago that I had to stay in control. That if anyone saw me out of control, unnatural, disobedient to the requirements set, that I would be less of a person. A nothing in this world. I’m not going to let this make me nothing. Not after I’d been something for so long.

Something to my mother. Something at school. Something to Briggs and his colleagues. Something to the Naturals program. Something to the friends I’d made here. Something… something to Micheal.

“I’m strong Micheal,” I say trying to steady my shaky voice, “I’m strong, I don’t break,” I falter as tears fill my eyes, I haven’t cried in so long, “I’m not like this, it’s not me.”

I meet his eyes again. He can see all of it, the emotions I show him and even the ones I’m holding back. I’m like a naked body in a room full of mirrors.

“Oh sweetheart,” he says, reaching out to take me in his arms once more.

And as much as I want to, crave to, yearn to, I don’t. I jerk away from his quickly, hitting my hip on the corner of the sink. The porcelain sends a sharp jolt of pain through my body. There will be a bruise tomorrow. He immediately backs away, a concern I’m not used to seeing rippling through his features. He could hide it if he wanted but he’s choosing to show me. He’s showing me he cares.

“Don’t pity me Micheal,” I try to snap but instead my voice strains and instead sounds like I’m in pain, “please.”

‘I’m not pitying you’ the unspoken words hang in the air but never reach his lips.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asks instead.

“I don’t know,” I whisper, fumbling over my words, “I don’t know.”

“Come here,” he says, opening his arms again. This time not reaching out for me, this time letting me choose to come towards him.

And I do.

I fall into his arms and melt into his touch. When I feel him around me, everything falls silent, the noise, the stress, the expectation. It’s only him and me. Him and me.

“You are still strong, even after breaking,” he says into my ear, such power in his words but gentleness in his voice, “because you haven’t broken completely, you’re still here,” he murmurs, “and that’s the strongest thing someone can ever do.”

There isn’t any words to reply and he knows that. I let him hold me for a long while before finally, finally I let myself cry.

ahhhh this is my first naturals fic so I’m lowkey nervous… i try and avoid y/n at all costs but I felt like it was sort of needed here. anyways i hoped you liked it and let me know if you want to be on the taglist :))

the natural’s masterlist

#bella writes 🤍#the naturals #the naturals jlb #micheal townsend #micheal townsend x y/n #micheal townsend x reader #micheal townsend x you #micheal townsend one shot #micheal townsend x lia zhang #micheal x lia #jennifer lynn barnes #deancassie #cassie hobbes #dean redding #lia zhang #sloane tavish

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ghysry · 8 months ago

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You're asking for requests and what about a reader (who wasn't adopted by Reginald ofc) with the powers of clairvoyance who sees what's gonna happen in season 4 all of it the Lila x five arc and everything and is just like no 😃 and stops it and fixes it (somehow five is the same age physically and mentally as them) so it's a reader x five fic it can be an established relationship to make it more angsty or not up to you!!

angst....I can't!!! I can't do it! I'm sorry guys but this story will not be angsty😭

Tags:

Fluff, comfort, unestablished relationship, five Hargreeves, reader, tua x reader, five x reader, Five is a little bitch

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"Emotion."

What are you doing?

You'd be shocked with how much you can do because you have the power of clairvoyance. You, yes you, had single handedly warned the others of the imminent danger their sibling, Viktor, would impose. You saw it when you closed your eyes, the world ending, a paradox. Had Five not gone here, had you not followed him, had he not created this, had he not created that.. That's not to say clairvoyance doesn't have its downsides, though. The memories keep on repeating, when Five jumps forward in time, when Five goes back in time, when Five...when Five..

Oh, don't you know?

It was driving you fucking insane. Every time you blinked that picture of Lila and Five kissing surrounded by strawberries in this safe haven of intricate wood painted white to look cutesy, her throwing strawberries at him, he, smiling. He smiled for god's sake - not in the sadistic homicidal way that you were so used to, but he smiled because he fell in love, in love with a woman he spent maybe seven years with, while he could barely muster a hello towards your way when you spent roughly forty years together in a shitty apocalypse?

Don't you know you'll be my ruin?

But, what could you do? They were already speaking, Lila was already a part of the family, you, not so much. You almost felt bad for Diego, no, you did feel bad for Diego, in all of the scenarios your power could have put you in, it decided to put you in this one. Choosing between telling your feelings (of which you can barely do) to a man who you're not even sure likes you back to fix this mess, or biting your tongue and letting it happen.

You got me crying,

For now though, while you're stuck in this shitty hotel you know will cause the reset of the universe, you have no choice but to keep your mouth shut until the right time approaches for you to strike. See, clairvoyance is a balance, it should always be a balance. It's why your mother always told you never to tell people what you can really do, because if you had, most if not everyone would have been surrounding you now asking you what happens next. It was the peace that kept you quiet about your power, even if it meant lying about it.

Crying again..

Thankfully though, now was the right time. Ben, the sparrow, had been alone for quite a while, sitting by himself while everyone else went about their way, Lila and Diego a reflection of Luther and Sloane, who had their wedding just a day ago, it was sweet to see honestly, even sweeter to see drunk Five messing around in the hallways physically, and not just through a mirror in your mind. Carefully, you found yourself sat next to the lonely sparrow, looking at him as he uncomfortably shifted in his seat.

When will you let..

"Ben." You started, your throat weirdly dry ever since you've been seeing into this specific future. Your heart beats rather faster than it usually should, but it always has when you have to mess with the timeline. The results would show in your mind's eye once the dirty work was done. "Yea that's me..Ben." His voice snaps you out of your daze once you realize you've been quiet for longer than a minute now. "Don't trust him." You push, your eyes squinting as if to magnify your point. "Trust who?" "Reginald." Ben gulps, audibly. You could practically hear his blood rush throughout his body once he realizes you know. "How did you..?" He leans in, voice dropping to a whisper. "Don't trust him." Is all you answer, before walking away.

You spend an extended time in your room with a headache you knew was coming. It was always like this after you alter time in your own way, like telling Ben not to trust Reginald, some change, some don't. Unfortunately for you, what doesn't change is Lila and Five kissing it out in that damn strawberry garden. You can't even bring yourself to eat strawberries anymore, it's honestly traumatizing. Thankfully though, because of you telling Ben all this, the outcome has changed once more. From Luther and Klaus dying, only Klaus dies. From Five thinking Allison made a deal to kill Luther, Five now only thinks Allison made a deal..of some sort.

Five..

Okay, this is dumb. Well, you walking to Five and grabbing him by the wrist, huffing out a "we have to talk" is certainly dumb on a whole lot of degrees, even worse when you both find yourselves in a quiet room, you seated on the bed, him pacing around in the room. "Is this about something important? Because the world is ending right outside," You can't help it anymore. "I don't want you around Lila." You blurt out like word vomit, it was vile enough that you actually covered your mouth for a second, and his little chuckle made it even worse. He thinks it's a joke.

"what? Are you jealous? Think she might steal me away-" He almost fully stops dead in his tracks when he realizes you're actually serious about him and Lila, and his eyes soften, finally realizing what you were meaning to say. He clears his throat, causing your soul to jump from your body and bring your attention back, the tips of his ears are awfully red, and he has this look on his face that he's criminally scared to fuck this up. "Well, if that's what you want then I'll always be by your side."

You pause.

"That was a really bad flirt."

"Well excuse me for trying!"

#the umbrella academy x reader #five x reader #five hargreaves x reader #five hargreeves #lila hargreeves #diego hargreeves #tua spoilers #tua #ben hargreeves

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phantosss · 8 months ago

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some changes i would have made to the characters storylines in tua s4

disclaimer: i am no writer, it's just fun to think about the possibilities. btw anyone feel free to use any of these ideas for fics idc

lila doesn't cheat for starters. instead she and diego have both been secretly doing vigilante missions and keeping it from the other because they think they'll be mad. on one of these missions the two run into each other and rekindle their spark. basically the five and lila story but with diego and lila instead thanks. maybe one or both of them almost die or their kids are put in danger, and they decide to find a much less dangerous hobby, because while its thrilling in the moment they realize they wouldn't sacrifice their family for it

luther is shown to be much more depressed about sloanes absence (if there really is no way for her to come back) but he's trying to hold it together to be there for his family. would be nice if he bonded with characters like klaus, viktor or allison who have also lost their lovers. diego and lila shenanigans means they need luther to babysit a lot and luther finds happiness caring for his nieces and nephew. maybe he also finds a fulfilling job where he can meet a lot of people and help others.

five still finds the time subway but without lila. we get more time exploring the alternate timelines and seeing different ways the apocalypse has happened including ways the other sibs have ended the world. his PTSD and reliving his trauma is also explored. he eventually ends up in the five diner where he's told that they end the world every time but instead of excepting defeat and making everyone sacrifice themselves he finds another way (what exactly that is im not so sure) and becomes the first and only five to successfully prevent the apocalypse forever

allisons relationship with claire and ray are explored more heavily as well as everything she did in s3. i like the idea that she takes care of klaus because 1: hes the only sibling that will still talk to her and 2: because of the guilt she feels after getting him killed. i just wish her arc focused on something OTHER than saving klaus because thats basically all she did this season. would be nice if she spent more time with viktor and luther the two people she wronged most heavily in s3.

i would keep viktors confrontation with reggie but alternatively i would make this reginald umbrella reginald so it has much more weight to it. either that or have viktor express that even though he said his piece toward this reggie he will never actually get closure with their real father and nothing will remove the pain from his childhood. the rest i would keep pretty similar. reginald wants to kill ben and viktor wants to stop him at any cost. viktor knows what its like to be "the bomb" and doesn't want the same thing that happened to him to happen to ben. instead of working together to find ben however they're more in a race against eachother. maybe allison joins him and they make up on the way. i would have liked for ben and viktor to have had a heart to heart in the beginning of the season, maybe about how ben felt like a monster sometimes because of his powers, and viktor relating. idk how this would work with sparrow ben because he doesn't seem to hate his powers the same way brelly ben did but it would have been nice to show another reason why viktor is going through so much trouble to save him. and the ending where he trys to talk him down would be more impactful i think.

for klaus i would keep everything pretty much the same up until he runs into that quinn guy. instead i would have him travel to the subway with five in lilas place. five and klaus' powers are the most mind boggling out of the bunch not to mention time and death are inherently intertwined and this needed to be explored. also, you're telling me klaus literally has the power to talk to GOD and this never has any plot relevance???? klaus should have been involved in finding the solution to the apocalypse imo. also we needed klaus and ben interactions. idk how or when but it NEEDED to happen

ben and jennifer being the catalyst for the apocalypse is making it very hard for me to figure what to do with him tbh. i just wish he had more time with the other sibs and didn't turn into a horrific blob monster at the end 😭he felt less like a character this season and more like a plot device and he deserved to have some scenes that actually fleshed him out. it would have been cool if the reason he causes the apocalypse was actually because of his powers and not just because he happened to be the one to make skin contact with jennifer. i really thought that the twist was gonna be that the squid that jennifer was stuck in was the one that ben summons and that was why they were connected. not the fact that they both just had reactive magic particles in them that anyone could have set off. like what if jennifer being cut out of the squid was what killed ben?

OH! what if jennifer was an eldritch horror from the same dimension that bens tentacles are from and for some reason she wants to kill the brellys/end the world and because bens powers are linked to her she can control his mind ???? c'mon i feel like i've got something here

a have a couple of other ideas but don't know where they would fit in rn so yeah.

#the umbrella academy #tua s4 #tua spoilers #tua s4 spoilers #tua season 4 #umbrella academy #diego hargreeves #five hargreeves #allison hargreeves #klaus hargreeves #viktor hargreeves #luther hargreeves #ben hargreeves #lila pitts #reginald hargreeves #jennifer grossman

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nurse-floyd · 10 months ago

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One Giant Leap

Pairing: Danny x Reader

Warnings: none

For @vivwritesfics who requested more horse girl!dad Danny!

Danny is a girl!dad and isn’t too happy his daughter is taking part in such a dangerous sport (hypocrite much!)

When Danny imagined his child, he was sure he was going to get them into karting. He could imagine it as clear as day: him and his kid in a little race suit and matching helmet. He was used to high speeds and dangerous sports. However, nothing compared to the sheer terror he felt as he watched his little girl climb on top of a beast (it wasn’t a beast, just a perfectly respectable-sized horse for his baby girl).

“Daddy, look at me!” his daughter Lila called out with glee as she walked around the ring, holding her arms out to the side to show how good her balance was.

By this point, he was white-knuckling the fence as he smiled back. “I see you, princess! You’re doing so well!” he shouted, hoping his smile didn’t look as forced as it felt.

Beside him, you placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “She’s fine, Danny. She loves it, and she’s really good at it.”

“I know, I know,” he replied, not taking his eyes off his daughter, who was now holding on to the reins confidently and rising up and down as the horse trotted around the ring with perfect balance. “She’s just so small, and horses are so big.”

“Now you know how I feel every time you get into that car,” you chided.

Just then, your daughter let out a giggle, “Faster!”

“She gets it from you, you know. She’s fearless. Besides, she’s been taking lessons for a few months now, and her instructor says she’s a natural.”

Danny took a breath to steady his nerves. You were right. Lila was a natural. He watched as she kicked her little feet and held on tight as the horse began to canter around the ring, flying past the fence where they stood. It still did nothing to stop his worry, and he knew he’d always feel it. That was his little girl.

His panic only grew when he watched as her instructor pulled out a few poles and barrels.

“Is she going to jump?”

Lila’s face, however, was lit up with joy. You may have kept this part quiet from Danny, not telling him she’d progressed onto pole work and she’d be jumping for fear of him talking her out of it.

He watched as Lila lined up her horse, her tongue poking out in concentration as her instructor reminded her of her positioning and helped her set up. You got your phone out, ready to capture the moment as Danny worked on taking deep breaths, not sure whether he should look or not.

You heard his breath catch in his throat as the horse’s hooves left the ground and your daughter flew over the tiny jump with ease.

“Well done, Lila!” you called out, giving her a little whoop of encouragement.

Danny’s voice cracked beside you, “Well done, love bug!”

“You’re going to have a heart attack if you keep this up,” you teased as you rubbed at his back again. “Look at her, she’s amazing!”

Daniel’s breath caught in his throat every time the pony’s hooves left the ground. He could feel his pulse in his ears, each jump a silent test of his endurance. “I can’t help it,” he whispered. “That’s my little girl; I’ll never stop worrying.”

“She’s just as strong and capable as you are behind the wheel,” you reminded him.

Danny nodded and smiled, pulling you closer to his side as the jump was altered just a little bit higher. You gave him a reassuring squeeze.

“I guess I’m just going to have to get used to it.”

“You will,” you replied.

You both turned your attention back to your daughter as she lined up her pony once again, cantering towards the jump before she flew over it again.

Danny’s heart was full of so much love and pride for his daughter in that moment, almost enough to push his fear aside. “God, she really is amazing, isn’t she?”

You nodded, “Just like her dad.”

As she came back to a trot and turned into the middle of the school to signal the end of her lesson, you leaned back into Danny’s embrace, his arms coming to wrap around your middle. “Well, I think this is a cause for some ice cream, a reward for her bravery… and her dad’s,” you added with a gentle elbow to his ribs.

“Sounds like a plan.”

Later that afternoon, with your scoops of ice cream and extra sprinkles for Lila, she couldn’t stop excitedly chatting about how thrilled she’d been to finally jump.

“Did you see me, Daddy? We were jumping SO high!” she emphasized with a little jumping motion with her hand.

“I did, sweetheart. You were incredible,” he replied, his voice filled with so much pride.

He was sure he was never going to stop worrying about her, and he knew he’d need you by his side again every time those jumps got higher or more were added to the course, but he wasn’t going to stand in the way of what she loved.

#f1 fanfic #f1 fanfiction #f1 x reader #f1 imagine #formula 1 fanfic #formula 1 fanfiction #formula 1 x reader #formula 1 imagine #daniel ricciardo fanfic #daniel ricciardo fanfiction #daniel ricciardo x reader #daniel ricciardo imagine #my writing #beth writes

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whimsicalwritingsandmore · 1 year ago

Text

Want You Back | ateez x reader

Pairing: werewolf!ot8!ateez x werewolf!reader

Genre: fluff mostly, romance, poly, a little angst?

Warnings for this chapter: fighting, mention of a sharp object.

Word Count: 1550 words

a/n: yeah, I couldn't wait to share this! I'm lowkey worried I'm being too repetitive in the chapters; I don't think I am when I re-read previous ones but ✨overthinking.✨ so I'll always be grateful for your feedback, and I hope you enjoy! <3

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Chapter 8

Hongjoong flew across the room.

You know when someone is beyond infuriated and enraged, but they maintain an unmoved and unflustered disposition? That was Jisung at the moment. Despite the boiling rage that simmered and seethed inside him, Jisung displayed a calm and undisturbed expression, almost like a statue, and that could never be a good thing. Undeterred by Chan’s urges to stop him, Jisung tossed and hurled Hongjoong around while Yunho and Yeosang attempted to rescue their leader…so they could deal with him themselves.

"Is it fun to mess with someone's feelings? I don't think it is. Maybe you need a really good wake up call, coffee clearly can't help. Don't worry, this won't hurt much...at least for me." Jisung casually stated.

Jeongin lodged himself by the door because he wanted a good view of Jisung in action. Meanwhile, San and Jongho struggled to restrain Seonghwa and Mingi from pummeling Hongjoong, and Wooyoung was torn between cheering for Jisung and helping Yunho and Yeosang.

But then he realized there were enough people to handle the situation and Hongjoong deserved it, so he slipped out of the café and went searching for you.

Wooyoung was furiously livid but at the same time, he was wretchedly heartbroken. He couldn't believe Hongjoong would ever do something like that and it was eating him alive that he didn't realize sooner. Wooyoung liked to give the benefit of the doubt to people. So, when Hongjoong coaxed him into hanging out with Lila, it was mainly due to the former's reasoning being that Lila was on her own and they should make her feel welcome.

But you also felt alone too and as Wooyoung recalled every time he essentially stood you up and listened to Hongjoong, he could feel his heart crack little by little, the pain being unbearable and unrelenting. He felt like he was slowly losing his mind, the aching feeling over the idea of losing you completely because of his foolishness, was burning like a fever and consuming all of his thoughts. It was like a hurricane, ripping through him with no mercy.

Wooyoung refused to entertain that thought and pushed it away as far away as he could. He was going to fix things on his part, and if you would have him, he would stay here in the human realm with you. He did not mind giving up his status, position and responsibilities. Rather, he preferred to help you with the café. He didn't care for the power and ranking being an alpha brought, he cared about you, and his alpha wanted you, forever and for more.

Just like the first time he met you.

It was nearing the Christmas season, and Wooyoung convinced Yeosang to venture out to see the activities that were taking place in the main town. However, the latter found the weather to be much too dreary and cold for his liking, so he plopped himself on a bench and sent Wooyoung for a coffee.

Wooyoung scoured every tent until he stumbled upon yours. Along with Seonghwa, the two of you planned to hand out complimentary coffee and tea for the cold weather alongside some biscuits. When he approached and met you face to face, his heart began to do somersaults and he could feel himself burning up in the cold weather. There was a connection between the two of you that united each other’s hearts. You were graceful, humorous and so pretty, the kind of beauty that radiates from within. As the two of your hands grazed one another and the familiar sparks erupted, it was like every single puzzle piece fit perfectly where it belonged.

And as the other boys came in together, it became clear that the puzzle was complete.

Wooyoung had no idea where he was going till he saw you standing near a lake. Just like the first time he saw you, you were still charming and enchanting from afar. In an entire big city with so many scenic views, all he could see was you and he rushed to you with no time to waste.

In the meantime, you stood at the lakebed ferociously irate and riotously bitter. You could feel the flashes of irritation and raw rage thrumming through your veins. Your mood sharply decreased and soured like a lemon after the confrontation and in the moment, you wanted to do nothing more and just fiercely smack Hongjoong.

How did it end up like this?

And was it even going to get better? You had a bad feeling it wouldn’t.

"Y/N! Y/N!" Wooyoung hollered.

Surprised, you blinked in confusion and turned to see Wooyoung hurriedly sprinting towards you.

"Wooyoung? How did you find me?”

"I just wandered around and saw you from across the street."

“You can’t just wander Wooyoung,” you chastised, “You need to be careful out here.”

Wooyoung felt that similar feeling he always felt when you reprimanded him. It felt like home again, when none of this happened.

He stood in front of you and got a good look at your expression. Despite your rigid form, your face was streaked with dry tears. He could imagine all the emotions you were currently processing. All because of them.

He then fell to his knees as he bawled.

"Please don't leave me." he then whimpered.

"Wooyoung..."

"I'm ready to give it all up for you, Y/N. I'll do whatever you need me to. My life means nothing without you in it. Please, please give me a chance."

Wooyoung couldn’t bear to lose you. He silently hoped things would get better from here, but just like you, he too had a bad feeling that loomed in the air.

"Get up Wooyoung." You spoke softly.

How is this going to go? It wasn’t just two of you, there were nine of you. One, who had already dug himself deeper and deeper in a hole, slashed a bond that was meant to be so divine and seraphic. But what about the others? They were willing to repent and atone for their actions. But…was it enough? Was there any possibility of going back to how things were before?

And Hongjoong, how do you just forget all he said and did?

It’s not like you could meet again for the first time.

You assisted Wooyoung from the ground and cupped his face to wipe away the stray tears. However, you felt it again, that bad feeling and suddenly, from your peripheral you noticed a looming figure coming towards the both of you with a sharp object in hand. Noticing the blade in full view as it neared closer, you pushed Wooyoung out of the way and tried to block it. The miscreant stumbled forward, reeling from the block and swung blindly in your direction. Despite the pounding blood in your ears, you outstretched your arm to grab the perpetrator’s wrist, only to have the blade gnash your hand and then feel a sharp sensation in your side.

Wooyoung counterattacked and managed to rip the blade out of his hand before plunging into the culprit.

You collapsed to the ground, shaking as the pain seared through your body. In your blurred vision, you saw Wooyoung’s silhouette rush towards you, bawling your name like his life depended on it.

The blade was coated with an extract from the deadly nightshade - crushed belladonna and nerium.

You didn't know what else happened, everything around you became indistinct and all you could remember was just Wooyoung's cries and a slight apparition of Minho before it all went black.

In the meantime, the others felt it. Your bond went desolate again. But unlike last time, this time there was no lingering presence. They couldn’t feel you whatsoever as a blackhole took over instantly.

Chan’s phone snapped everyone out of their trance. Jisung felt the shift in Chan’s aura, and as he zeroed in on Chan’s call from Minho, he knew it wasn’t good. That's the only reason why Jisung let Hongjoong go. Minho spoke loudly amidst the screams from Wooyoung and Chan felt his blood turn cold.

No, no, no.

This can’t be happening.

“What’s going on?” Seonghwa asked, “Is Y/N okay?”

When Chan spluttered out what happened, an avalanche of pain crashed over them without warning. There was now a profound emptiness in each of them, even Hongjoong, threatening to swallow them whole. Their spirits felt like it was sinking like a stone in water and misery tried to seep in and envelop them like a wet blanket, heavy and smothering.

“We need to go now.” Chan firmly stated.

Each of them bolted out behind Chan leaving Hongjoong and Jisung behind.

Jisung looked at Hongjoong, and saw the grief washing over him but also realization.

“I had told Mingi I was wary of him, but you? I don’t like you one bit. We’re not done here but if that look in your eyes means anything, then you know you better get to it. All of this is your fault, if you only had a backbone to stand up to your mother. But mark my words Hongjoong, if anything happens to Y/N, I’m coming after your whole family.”

Jisung muttered a spell in Hongjoong’s direction and left Hongjoong to himself and his grief.

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Taglist:

@eastleighsblog @sehun096rainbow @greensnakeglobep @satsuri3su @zonked-times @sugarrush-blush @lomons @explorewithd @chatsgotmytongue @scarfac3 @popcatx0 @angrynightnight @sannieluvrr @idfkeddieishot @alicia-dpa @park-simphwa @puppyminnnie @mysticfire0435 @sundayysunshine @chngbnwf @dementedaly @thunderous-wolf @itsmeregan

a/n: hello again! just wanted to let new readers know, if you're interested in being part of the taglist, you can send me a private message or in the ask me anything! It'll be easier for me to see! if I missed your message, please PM me and I'll add you in asap! thank you! <3

#ateez fanfic #ateez x reader #ateez fluff #ot8 ateez x reader #poly ateez x reader #ateez series #poly!ateez

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spittyfishy · 3 months ago

Note

What are your General Headcanons and Relationship Headcanons on The Bubbler?

Ooo interesting question! And good timing too, with season 6 starting to come out I can just feel the miraculous brain rot returning lol. But anyway, Bubbler!

•He’s Adrian’s ride or die, like Bubbler always has his back and hypes Adrian up whether he wants it or not.

•Like anyone who has beef with Adrian now also has beef with Bubbler because he’s not going to stand for anyone being mean to his Best Bud.

•Probably reaching Marinette levels of knowing where Adrian is and always being around him. Similarly he’s also at least a little in love with Adrian (I mean really what else is the justification for ‘my bestie doesn’t get a birthday party so I guess I’m just going to kill every adult in Paris’?)

•Would Not get along with Wayhm/Party Crasher, he’d definitely see him as both competition for Adrian and also just super annoying.

•That being said I don’t think he’d have issues with Marinette the same way since she’s just sort of part of the friend group anyway. Plus I don’t think Nino was aware of her crush on Adrian that early in season one considering one of the subplots in Animan was Nino telling Adrian HE liked Marinette.

•I think he’d get along well with the other Akumas from the class, some more then others of course. Like Stone Heart and Evillustrator probably aren’t really ‘fun’ enough for him to want to hang out with, but people like Princess Fragrance and Timebreaker would party with him.

•Lowkey would be kinda funny if Dark Cupid was the first one to pick up on the whole Bubbler being in love with Adrian thing. Like he just has a sixth sense for these things.

•Cause to be clear I don’t think Bubbler is really aware of that fact. Like he’s just like “isn’t everyone a little in love with their bros?” It just doesn’t register as an actual event.

•Cue Princess Fragrance trying to play matchmaker and get them together, likely roping in Reflekta and anyone else she can to help.

•Which then leads to an awkward and hilarious Marinette/Dark Cupid/Chloé team up to try and stop Princess Fragrance’s efforts since none of them want Adrian dating Bubbler.

•Think like the Marinette Chloé team up from Animaistro but with the added chaos of Dark Cupid having no chill.

•Unrelated to any of that but Bubbler and Miracular would be absolute besties. Like same Akuma different font almost lol. They each just have their Silly Little Guy (Adrian and Chloé respectively) and want to hang out with them all the time! Is that so wrong?

•Bubbler would still try to stay in contact with Chris a bit, but I think he’d cut their parents off entirely. Like I don’t think Bubbler interacts with any grown ups unless it’s like completely unavoidable. Which big oof for the family and definitely rough for Nino to try and fix after the fact.

•He barely tolerates the other Akuma parents, and definitely doesn’t understand why the likes of LadyWifi, Miracular, Horrificator, Gamer, and Reflekta still want theirs around. (Animan, Rodgercop, Mime, StarTrain (though I guess she really wouldn’t be around much), and Captain Hardrock and Guitar Villain respectively)

•He does not care for Lila/Volpina either, he clocks her advances towards Adrian immediately and isn’t having any of that.

•Similarly, Bubbler sword fighting Riposte. (He does not win)

•He thinks he’s great with the little kids, I mean he’s a terrible influence obviously but at least he’s fun. I think he’d use his bubbles to make a big bouncy castle for Puppeteer, Sapotis, Sandboy, Risk, Chris/Christmaster, all the little gremlins lol.

•Still has the Nino/Rocketear trait of thinking Chat Noir is a loser, but that’s more from a general Akuma dislike of the heroes then anything else. Though it would be kinda funny if since he never sees Adrian around when Chat Noir is there that he figures Adrian is the one that doesn’t like Chat and so that’s why Bubbler extra hates him. Best bro solidarity.

Hopefully this answer works, I just sort of came up with stuff as I went

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous lb #bubbler #nino lahiffe #adrian agreste #marinette dupain cheng #akumas #mlb Akumas #princess fragrance #dark cupid #adrinino #kinda #miraculous ladybug villains

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 3 months ago

Note

Any opinions about Lukloe (Luka x Chloe) and Liluka (Lila x Chloe)? Honestly, I don’t like either of these ships, but I like Lukloe slightly better (like, the lesser of two evils).

I'm generally not the kind of person who gets into ships with no canon backing, so most of the Chloe ships baffle me. If she hasn't had an actual conversation with the person in question, assume the ship isn't on my radar. It's also worth noting that my ideal Chloe is extremely aroace, so I'm also not inclined to pair her with anyone.

However, if I take a step back and just look at the general character templates, I can see why someone would like a ship like Lukloe. It's probably the same reason people used to ship her with Nathaniel. The bratty, rich mean girl who falls for the kind-hearted poor artist is a classic setup which can be applied to musicians, painters, and many more. Contrasting personalities and life situations are fun to play with. They make for good drama.

Most "you can change them" stories are a hard no for me because I can't turn off my brain and pretend that's how the real world works. If the character starts off horribly abusive toward their eventual romantic interest, then the ship is dead to me in almost every setting. It's just too close to romanticizing the cycle of abuse for my tastes.

However, I do believe that people can change, so I enjoy so called enemies-to-lovers dynamics where the "bad" character is more generally rude than abusive and where there's a larger story going on, leading the "bad" character to change for reasons beyond love, but love still happens by accident. Variations where the "bad" character is just on the wrong side of a conflict work, too.

I can even handle situations where the "bad" character changes because of love so long as they're never abusive toward their eventual partner. Something where the "bad" character falls for the "good" character, realizes that the "good" character would never go for a horrible person, and superficially changes to try to win the "good" character's heart only to realize that being "good" is actually kind of awesome even without the romance aspect, leading to real, lasting change.

I think Luka and Chloe would be fun in either of those setups. Because Luka isn't one of Chloe's usual victims, I can see him being more willing to give her a chance on the civilian side. Maybe she's actually changing, but no one who knows her well believes in her because she's gone too far in the past. Luka, not having that baggage, is actually able to see that she's trying and encourages her, leading to a cute romance.

I can also see something like my romcom pitch working. Chloe falls hard for Luka, realizes Marinette is his ex, and tries to be Marinette-like to win his heart. She fails hard, but ends up learning her own brand of nice along the way and Luka likes that brand of nice, too, so she wins the guy anyway. My favorite mental image for this type of story is Chloe trying to volunteer at something, failing hard, but using her personality, money, and/or influence to make real major change.

Lila x Chloe, on the other hand, is a hard no. Lila just doesn't have enough depth to her character for me to be able to see her actually falling in love with anyone. She'd need to care about someone other than herself for that to be possible and canon has her caring for no one. I don't see how Chloe would change that when she's just another pawn for Lila to use. Lila and Marinette makes more sense since Marinette is at least different from the others in that she stands up to Lila and doesn't believe the lies. That's an interesting dynamic that could make Lila feel differently about Marinette than she does the general population. Meanwhile, if any romance developed between Lila and Chloe, it would be completely one-sided and end as soon as Chloe stopped being useful.

I could buy characters like Lila and Chloe using each other in a selfish, purely physical way, leading to a self-destructive, angsty "romance" where everyone ends up miserable after Chloe catches feelings, but that's about it. Anything that actually deserves the "romance" label is a no-go.

#lolimawesome #ship hot takes

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just-b-wilde · 6 months ago

Text

Let me love you (preview)

He didn’t want to think about it, didn’t want to go back to that moment, but his mind was stuck on what had happened. He kept seeing her face, and he kept hearing her words echo in his head.

It was the first time he had told her he’d fallen in love with her. And he would’ve sworn she felt the same way—he saw it in her eyes, saw it in her smile, and felt it every time she was only his. But she had just smiled slightly, and something in her expression changed. “Do you remember when I told you that you’d suffer for what you did?” That surprised him. “What?” “Back then, in that barn. I told you it wouldn’t be quick…” She smiled again, but there was something dark in her expression, and she looked almost amused. “It took me a while, but I finally won…” Five looked taken aback—he knew exactly what she was talking about, but why now? A deeply uncomfortable feeling settled over him. He couldn’t even respond. “What’s wrong? Did I catch you off guard?” she asked sweetly. “Lila… this really isn’t funny…” he swallowed hard. “No, it’s not… because it’s not a joke! I couldn’t defeat you with strength, so I beat you through your feelings.” She stepped even closer. “I want you to know that nothing that happened between us meant anything to me. You mean nothing to me!” she said coldly.

He could still hear her words in his head. And they echoed even louder when he saw her just a few meters away, laughing at the bar with a drink in her hand. He should hate her. He wanted to hate her. But even with a broken heart, he couldn’t stop loving her.

A bit of canon, a bit of AU and a bit of improvisation.

#fivelila #fivela #fanfic #possible one-shot #possible continuation of LILA fanfiction #I'm not sure yet #my fanfic #fic preview #teaser #new fanfic #five x lila #AU #tua

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littlemissmentallyunstable · 4 months ago

Text

title: my disappearing secret

pairing: toby hawthorne x hannah rooney

synopsis: hannah thought she’d never see her toby again, he’d left her once, then twice but maybe just maybe third time’s a charm

warnings: SPOILERS FOR GAMES UNTOLD!!

a/n: for @lila-77 merry christmas my love!! 🎄❤️🤍💚

taglist: @lovethornes @whatsamongus @wish-i-were-heather @inmyheaddd @never-enough-novels @fleuriosa @midiosaamor @sweetreveriee @emelia07 @f4iry-bell @zaraaaabear @thoughtdaughter3 @benny1989fredd @elysianwayy77 @maybxlle @sheisntyou @anintellectualintellectual @aleatorio1234 @adalia-jaycee @off-to-the-r4ces @lyra-kane @reminiscentreader @lyrakanefanatic @imaseabear @elizaa31 @loveinalocket @lanterns-and-daydreams @hermesenthusiast @eternal--dream @shattered-glass-roses

She felt his gaze before she even turned around. But it couldn’t really be him, could it? She thought she might be making it all up in her mind, yet she still whispered his name aloud, just incase maybe this time she wasn’t fantasising, incase this time he was actually there.

“Harry?”

There was one beat. Disappointment flooded through her, of course he wasn’t there. She’s been stupid to think it. Massaging her temples she carried on with her job. Then there was a second beat. ‘He’s not coming back Hannah’ she silently reminded herself.

“Hannah.”

Her heart almost stopped beating as all the oxygen was robbed from her lungs. She spun around, she had to see if it was real or whether it was all a voice inside her head. With a soft gasp, she could only stare and question whether or not she was hallucinating.

There he stood, sparkling green eyes, tall laid back figure, grinning like the first day she’d ever set eyes on him. He looked thinner than she would’ve liked him to, dark circles under his eyes. She wondered when the last time he had a proper meal was or when last he slept through the night. But she stopped herself from asking because that would waste their time and she’d learnt that time was all too precious.

“Same forwards as it is backwards,” he finished, a Hawthorne smile if she ever saw one, dancing across his lips.

Hannah was still at a loss for words, which wasn’t a lot like her in front of him. Toby Hawthorne was stood in her kitchen. She’d fantasised for something like this to happen, wished on dandelion clocks and birthday cake for a moment like this and now it was here.

Only she was less relieved than she thought she might be and more panicked. What was going on? Why was he here? Why now? Her brain raced through every worst case possible scenario. But then, for a minute she silenced her thoughts and let go of caring why and took in the moment. He was here. The rest didn’t matter. He was here.

“Harry,” she exhaled shakily.

“You already said that,” he replied, taking a step closer.

Every cell in her body burned with a sudden starvation. A desire born from a sheer desperation to be in his arms. She wanted to feel his touch, she craved it. Hannah couldn’t think of anything better than for him to scoop her up and run away from the rest of the world, even if it were all just for a second.

“What are you doing here?” she blurted out suddenly.

His lips twisted into a strange sort of smile, “do you want another postcard?”

She almost smiled back. Almost.

She folded her arms, “what are you doing here?” she asked again, her tone more demanding, reminding them both of her sharpness she’d once had with him as teenagers.

“Come on Hannah I thought you were meant to be astute,” he grinned, that twinkle in his eye as he cocked his head to the side, “don’t tell me that’s gone downhill after all these years.”

“You can’t avoid the question forever,” she told him.

“Why ask when you already know the answer,” he asked quietly, taking another step towards her, “I love you Hannah, I always have and I always will. I needed to see you, your face, your eyes, your everything. It was killing me not to.”

“Then you have no idea what it was doing to me,” she murmured, tilting her chin up slightly to truly meet his eyes.

His pupils slowly dilated, swallowing up the green of his iris like a malnourished lion would a human corpse.

“I love you,” he told her again, his voice strong and steady.

“I love you too,” she said, letting her hands trail up his torso until they met at the back of his neck.

“Do you still hate me,” Toby asked her, “for the way I left you, both times?”

Hannah could only chuckle, “always, but love does something funny to the hate.”

“How poetic,” he teased, snaking an arm around her waist.

“Well we both know how much you like your poems,” she murmured, melting into his touch.

It felt so natural, so right. As if this was how they were always meant to be. He softly brushed his lips over hers and something ignited. Neither had tasted each it in such a long time, they’d almost forgotten how much they craved it.

The kisses began to get rougher, more passion and fire behind the movement. Hannah had her hand buried deep in his hair, clutching at chunks and tugging them every which way. It was love on a deeper level, intense and rash. Toby’s finger squeezed tighter around her waist in an attempt to pull her even closer into him, though it wasn’t possible. It was the kind of kiss that made you forget you even existed, that made you forget anything existed, that made you forget you had to breathe until your lungs were screaming at you, begging for oxygen.

“I want my postcard,” she said, breathlessly against his lips.

He smirked, amused by the way annoyance flashed across her perfect face, “impatient, are we?”

And for a moment it felt like they’d never been apart, like the years of constant yearning and dreaming and praying had never even happened. It felt like they’d been together through it all, like Toby had never left that night in the lighthouse and never left that night in the hospital either.

“Come on Hawthorne and give me the damn postcard,” she replied, between kisses, “I want it.”

“Sometimes we don’t get what we want,” he taunted, taking her face into his hands slowly pressing a kiss on her forehead, then on the bone when her eyebrow met her nose, moving down to each of her eyes closed eyes and the tip of her nose. They were so soft, so delicate they almost tickled. He met her lips again before slowly trailing down to her jawline, neck and collarbone.

“I do,” she replied, a flicker of determination in her eyes and a fluttering in her stomach, “I get what I want.”

Toby bit his lip. Hannah Rooney, the girl he’d fallen in love with, the girl he’d never fall out of love with.

“Let’s play a game,” he said, “if you win, the postcard is all yours.”

Her eyes flickered to the clock hung on the wall. The minute hand was moving far too fast for her liking.

“Do we have enough time?” she asked, lips tingling still, “Avery will be coming home soon.”

“Avery,” he repeated tipping his head back smiling. He savoured her name on his tongue, “how is she?”

“She’s incredible,” Hannah beamed, wishing she could tell him every little thing about her, “she’s kind and sweet and caring and she’s so intelligent Harry.”

“No doubt she got all of her mother’s genes then,” he replied, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her in.

Heat crept up into Hannah’s cheeks. Of course he still managed to make her blush.

“She’s so big now,” she told him, “so much bigger than the last time you saw her.”

He raised an eyebrow, “bold of you to assume I don’t keep a closer eye on her.”

A tender hand squeezed Hannah’s heart, “you do?”

“When I can,” he shrugged, “she’s growing up to look so much like you Hannah, but she’s got Kaylie’s smile.”

He grazed her cheek with his knuckle, so gently it felt like he was barely touching her. Bittersweetness washed over Hannah like an overbearing tidal wave of feeling.

“I’m going to make sure she goes as far as she wants with her life,” she said quietly, trying to keep the emotion from seeping into her voice, “give her all the opportunities me and Kaylie didn’t have.”

“And you will,” Toby whispered, “you’re good like that.”

“She’s going to go far,” Hannah told him shakily, her eye blurring a little.

She was sure of it.

“I don’t have a doubt about it,” he replied hoarsely.

And so was he.

Her heart ached, weighted with the words she thought in her every waking hour. The words she wished for so long she could tell him. The words she thought she’d never get the opportunity to say to his face ever again.

“I miss you,” Hannah whispered, so quietly she wasn’t even sure if he’d heard her.

“I miss you too,” he replied in almost an instant.

Of course he heard her. He always did. Even when there was nothing to say. He just knew.

“He hasn’t found you, has he?” she asked, searching and scanning every line of his face for an indication of an answer.

They both know who ‘he’ was, the instant she said it. But she had to ask. The worry alone was intoxicating her internal organs, contorting them into funny shapes like some sort of psychotic balloon animal.

“Not yet,” he said firmly, “at least I don’t think so.”

“Good,” she nodded, “that’s good.”

Hannah stared at him for a long while and he only stared right back. She wanted Avery to meet him, to be able to call him ‘dad’, she wanted Avery to know about this wonderful man she loved in hopes she might find one equally as kind and as selfless and as genuine. And for a second she wondered if she might dare ask him one last time to stay with her. She wondered if maybe this time he might say yes.

“I can’t hide here Hannah,” he whispered.

Toby read her like an open book, he knew her mind like he knew his own. He also knew the risks she’d be willing to take for him and he wouldn’t let it happen.

She smiled a little sadly, “how can you read my mind?”

“Call it a talent,” he shrugged, with a wink.

“Why Harry,” she asked, her voice so small it scared him, “after everything you’ve been through, just come home.”

She touched the left side of her chest with her hand, her heart throbbing underneath. He belonged here. Hannah knew it in her bones. He belonged with her and Avery, here.

“He’d know,” he shook his head, “he’d hurt you, he’d hurt Avery.”

Hannah sighed, “so why now? Why decide to come and see me now?”

“Well I-“

A locked clicked, a handle turned and the front door swung open, “Mum you’ll never believe it! I won the science award!”

Hannah’s eyes went wide as she tore her gaze from his and rushed to greet her daughter, leaving Toby in the kitchen. He dared to stand in the doorway and silently watch as Hannah wrapped her gentle arms around Avery and congratulated her. He saw the exact moment Avery’s eye lit up in joy, happy with herself and her achievement.

Pride swelled in his chest and a few tears sprung to his eyes. Avery, his Avery had won the science award in school. He wanted nothing more than to embrace her tightly and tell her how special she truly was. How she was so like he mother and more, how he loved her to the moon and back, how he’d protect her until he was a gravestone stood in a churchyard.

But he knew what he had to do now. It had been a risk even coming at all. Even though he knew it had been coming, Toby had never been good at goodbyes. Glossy eyed with a twisting agony in the left side of his chest, he took one final look at his wonderful Avery and his beautiful Hannah. The brightest sparks he’d ever seen in his life.

“I got this certificate and everything,” Avery beamed, showing off the piece of paper.

“That’s amazing sweetheart!” Hannah said, stealing a glance back towards the kitchen.

She already knew he was gone, just like she knew when he was there. But she had to check. She hoped she was wrong, that her feeling was off but it wasn’t. It never was. Hannah didn’t know why it still hurt when she discovered he wasn’t still there. She wasn’t losing something she had.

“And I even got this medal,” Avery continued, snapping her out of the haze and bringing her back to reality. She had a daughter and a life. She had something to focus on. And even if Toby wasn’t physically there, he was there in her heart, “and Mrs Gray told me that I’m one of the best science students she’d seen of my age for years!”

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Hannah smiled kissing her forehead gently, “well done sweetie, I’m so proud of you. Should we put your certificate on the fridge?”

Avery nodded enthusiastically and went to get a magnet from the drawer. Suddenly she came to a halt and with a confused look picked up a rectangluar piece of card, furrowing her little eyebrows.

“Mum?” she asked curiously, “why is there a postcard on the counter?”

Hannah felt her heart rate pick up. He left her the postcard. Of course he had.

She looked around to Avery and bit back a smile, “let’s play a game Ave.”

“What kind of game?” she asked, folding her arms.

“One of our usual ones, it’s called I Have A Secret.”

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dream-a-little-bigger-x · 2 years ago

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New Romantics | Spencer Reid

Add yourself to my taglist! | Here’s my masterlist!

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Fem!Reader

Summary: After a bad breakup, Reader and her friends go out to party where she meets one young FBI agent. Suddenly, she'd forgotten her ex even existed and was more interested in getting to know the stranger.

Warnings: alcohol use, reader is drunk for half of this, mention of puking, not proofread, it's generally just not really good but it's the best I can do.

Words: 1.4K

It had been ninety-two days to be exact. Ninety-two days of crying into tubs of ice cream, not wanting to admit that it was over and partying non-stop. It was day twenty when her friends had had enough of her wallowing and forced her into a little black dress and heels, and took her out to party.

Ever since that day, the partying hadn’t quite stopped.

Her heart had been broken in a thousand pieces, smashed to a pulp and stepped on by one person alone. The one person she once loved but now absolutely loathed. Charlie Denisco. Now the most hated person in her friend group.

The partying did help a lot with working through the heartbreak. She didn’t know if it was because she wasn’t holed up in her apartment underneath every possible blanket she had or because of the alcohol, but whatever it was; she felt herself slowly healing.

“We should find you a new love interest,” Sasha, one of her best friends, stated as she hooked an arm of hers with y/n’s.

Scoffing, y/n shook her head while Lila voiced her thoughts. “This isn’t a romantic comedy, Sash.”

“What if we made it to be?” Sasha shrugged, earning raised eyebrows and glares from her friends. “Come on! Think about it! We’re out, partying, looking hot as shit, most of us single as shit. What if we romanticized our life and pretend we’re in a rom-com? It could be so fun!”

“Okay,” Ella indulged. “If we do this, what’s gonna happen?”

Sasha’s face lit up, glad her friends were indulging in her delusions. “Okay, so, we’d be The New Romantics, a group of fun-loving twenty-something teenagers who go out to party, on the road to ruin. We play dumb, but we know exactly what we’re doing.” Her friends chuckled. Sasha had clearly thought about this before.

“Sounds good to me,” y/n mumbled with a shrug, watching as Sasha’s smile widened even more, taking over her entire face.

“Should we have, like, our own personas?” Florence suggested with a mischievous smirk on her face.

Her friends’ smiles mirrored hers, all four of them almost excitedly about the idea. On their way to the bar, the girls started thinking up their New Romantics personas. Flo started, seeing that she was the one who came up with the idea.

“My name is… Paige Gallagher,” she started. “I’m twenty-nine and a kindergarten–no, primary school teacher. And I enjoy talking to men the way I talk to my students.” The girls all burst out laughing at Florence’s idea.

“Okay, okay,” y/n then giggled. “My turn. I’m Astrid Wright. I’m twenty-eight and I’m a… coffee shop owner. I like to pick up men when they pick up their coffees.”

And just like that, Paige Gallagher, Astrid Wright, Nadia Hernandez and Taylor Bates were born from the imaginative minds of four best friends who had dubbed themselves the New Romantics that night. It was a lot fun, at first, with each of them flirting with the men at the bar, getting free drinks from each of them. It was all fun and games until y/n found herself all alone with all three of her friends chatting up the people in the bar.

Suddenly, her heart plummeted at the feeling of being completely left alone. The memories of her and Charlie flooded back in her mind, shattering every last piece of her heart she had so carefully glued together again. Feeling the tears prick her eyes and the ground behind her sink away, she stumbled outside the bar where she crashed onto the floor, sobbing.

“Woah, hey,” she heard an unfamiliar voice. “Hey, are you okay?”

She looked up through her tear-filled eyes. Her sight was blurry, but she could make out the outlines of his curls and sharp jawline. “They left me alone,” she cried. “They left me alone but I can’t be alone right now.”

“Hey, hey, sssh,” he shushed her, hoping it would soothe her violents sobs before offering his lime soda. “Here, drink this,” he said. “We need to get you a little sobered up.” For a moment, he watched her as she gulped the drink, which stopped her crying. “I’m Spencer…”

“I’m Astrid–” she stopped herself, then shook her head. “No, that’s not right. I’m y/n.”

Even in her drunk state, she wasn’t going to lie to this guy who was helping her out. She’d been doing that to everyone in the bar, but she didn’t want to do it to him. He seemed genuinely nice.

“Okay, y/n,” Spencer said and grabbed her upper arms cautiously. “Can you stand? We gotta get you inside. It’s way too cold out here.” The girl nodded her head and let him help her up to her feet. She stumbled ever so slightly in doing so, but Spencer quickly regained his grip and kept her steady.

She didn’t even know where they were going. All she could focus on was his face. From where she was staring up at him from underneath his arm, she had the perfect view of his sharp jawline and adorable nose. A hiccup escaped from her throat as he gently put her down in one of the booths in the back of the bar.

“Stay here,” he ordered. “I’m gonna get you some water.” Nodding her head, y/n let herself fall back on the bench, much to Spencer’s dismay. Within a second, he was back by her side and helped her up again. “No. No, no. Sit back up, please,” he ordered and forced her to turn so she was sitting with her back against the back of the couch.

“But I’m so tired,” she whined, but Spencer was already gone.

It didn’t take Spencer too long to get the girl sober again. A good five glasses of water and some sobering questions did just the trick, something he had learned from taking care of his many drunk friends. But the more sober she became, the more embarrassed she became.

“I’m so sorry,” she cried out, fresh tears running down her cheeks.

Spencer reached over and clutched her hand in his. “Hey, no, you don’t have to apologize.”

“Yes, I do,” she whimpered, her bottom lip quivering. “Because I’m a drunk, blubbering mess and you’re so nice and so pretty and I just– I’m not normally like this.” She hiccuped before taking another sip, missing a light pink dusting Spencer’s cheeks.

He himself took a sip from his water, debating whether or not to say the next words brewing in his genius brain. “Okay,” he said, more to himself than to her. “Okay, then show me who you normally are. We’re gonna sit here, you’re gonna drink your water and we’re gonna talk until you’re sober enough to go home.”

And so they did. For hours, the two sat in the booth, chatting about seemingly random stuff while drinking one water after the other. Spencer managed to keep the girl awake to the point where she really had to go to the bathroom, having drunk too much water.

The bar was pretty much empty at this point. Even her friends had ditched her for the people they’d picked up that night with their ‘personas’. So much for the New Romantics, y/n thought. But she was grateful for Spencer that he wanted to take the time to sober her up and get to know her.

And it had worked, too. The room wasn’t spinning when she sat on the toilet and she didn’t feel like puking anymore. All good signs that told her she was, in fact, sobering up.

“I can’t believe my friends just ditched me,” she muttered as she slid back into the booth, rejoining Spencer. “We’d actually pretended to be other people all night long.”

“Why’s that?” Spencer chuckled.

“Well,” y/n scoffed and rolled her eyes at how ridiculous it all sounded now. “I’ve just come out of a pretty brutal breakup and they’ve been trying to cheer me up. When we came out tonight, we’d decided to use different personas to try and create some sort of mystique, I guess?” She took another gulp of water. “I don’t know, it sounds stupid.”

“Did it help you get over your ex?” Spencer then asked, to which y/n nodded. “Then it’s not stupid.”

As y/n looked into Spencer’s eyes, she noticed the golden specks in his irises and she realized she could see her whole world in them. With just one simple look, one simple smile, he had turned her life upside down. Charlie, who? She had forgotten all about them. That night had felt like a dream.

“I’m not sure it was that, what made me forget my ex…”

Everything taglist: @calamitykaty @littlemissaddict @n0wornever @wanniiieeee @unnowhatthisistbh

Criminal Minds Taglist: @boimlers-gonna-boim @samsbirks @tinaasthings @dysphoricsanity @love4lando @elenamoncada-ibarra @r-3dlips @magstheslayer @astess

#spencer reid #spencer reid x reader #spencer reid imagine #spencer reid x fem!reader #criminal minds

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bishovapls · 14 days ago

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Hold On - Part 4: Fins. Teeth. Water. Shark.

Pairing: Yelena Belova & Kate Bishop

Chapter Summary: In this chapter, the Bartons, Kate, and Yelena come together for a cosy family game night, but beneath the playful surface, tension is brewing. Laura is determined to get Kate and Yelena talking, hoping to bridge the gap between them. With both women struggling to navigate their feelings, will they manage to communicate and find common ground, or will everything fall apart before it even truly begins?

Warnings: A discussion about contract killing and being an assassin? Is that even a warning? A small mention of a previous suicide attempt.

Word count: 12k

Part 4 begins below the cut, you can also find the fic on AO3. I also have a masterlist.

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

The Barton dining table was a storm of energy laughter, shouting, the occasional argument over the validity of a word but in the middle of all the chaos, two people sat stiffly, like statues at a museum exhibit titled ‘Awkward Tension’.

Kate and Yelena weren’t ignoring each other, exactly. They were technically participating, going through the motions, forcing smiles when appropriate. But it was painfully obvious that something was off.

Kate kept sneaking glances at Yelena when she thought no one was looking, eyes filled with something fragile and unspoken, but she never actually said anything. She just sat there, quietly suffering.

Yelena, meanwhile, was the picture of indifference. Straight-backed, arms folded, her expression was so blank, so polite, that it bordered on eerie.

Laura watched with a frown, she had hoped a night of board games and friendly competition would shake off whatever weird tension had settled between them, but nope. So far, neither of them had properly acknowledged the other.

Even if she had only seen their dynamic for a few days, she knew this was not normal. That was not them and if they weren’t going to fix it themselves, Laura would force them to.

“Alright,” she announced, clapping her hands together, immediately silencing the chaos around the table. “Time for Pictionary.”

There were groans. There were protests. But Cooper immediately started bragging that he was going to annihilate everyone, while Clint sighed, rubbing his face like a man who had seen war.

Kate barely reacted. But Laura saw the way her eyes flicked toward Yelena, waiting, hoping for some kind of response but Yelena didn’t move.

Clint set up the game while Laura divided the teams, her voice casual, as if she hadn’t planned this for the past ten minutes. “Alright. Cooper and Lila. Clint, Nate, and me. And… Kate and Yelena.”

Kate’s head snapped up so fast it was a miracle she didn’t give herself whiplash. She locked onto Laura with wide, pleading eyes, silently begging her to reconsider and Laura just smirked. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Yelena, in contrast, didn’t react, not even a twitch. Not until Kate, in a half-hearted attempt to break the unbearable silence, muttered, “Well… there are worse team members.” Then, under her breath, she coughed out a single word. "Clint."

A small, breathy chuckle slipped out of Yelena before she could stop it. It was quick, almost imperceptible, but Kate heard it. And for a split second, her heart soared. Then Yelena shut down again, her face smoothing over into a cold, unreadable mask and Kate’s heart sank.

The tension around them was suffocating, thick enough to choke on. But undeterred, Cooper was practically vibrating with excitement, while Nathaniel clapped his hands together and shouted, “We are gonna win!”

“That’s the spirit, buddy,” Clint said, ruffling his son’s hair.

Laura handed Clint the marker first. “Alright, go.”

Clint took it with the careful precision of a man who had been through this battle many times before. He immediately started sketching, sharp, quick strokes forming…

“A raccoon!” Nathaniel shouted.

Laura tilted her head. “Rocket?”

Clint fist-pumped. “YES!”

For the next few rounds, it was mostly just the Bartons having a good time. Cooper and Lila were freakishly good at this, finishing each round in record time. Nathaniel just seemed to enjoy being involved, clapping at every answer, even when it was completely, catastrophically wrong.

But Laura wasn’t happy. Her plan was failing. Yelena still looked… cold. Not in the literal sense, Laura was pretty sure Yelena could wrestle a bear in a blizzard and not blink but distant. Reserved. Every smile was polite but hollow, every nod perfectly calculated. Laura hated widow mode. She had seen it too often from Natasha.

And Clint noticed too. His eyes kept flicking between Kate and Yelena, catching the way Kate’s expression crumpled slightly whenever Yelena looked away.

Meanwhile, their turns were horrible. Kate would take a guess, expecting at least some kind of reaction, a sigh, an insult but it went something like this:

“Uh… a boat?”

“No.”

“A fish?”

“No.”

“…A very sad potato?”

Yelena exhaled through her nose. “No.”

That was it. No sarcastic retort. No exaggerated groan. No “Bishop, do you have two brain cells fighting for dominance?” Just a cold, lifeless no before the game moved on. Kate didn’t argue when the answer was revealed, she just sulked.

Kate felt like she was dying inside. Even when Yelena did guess correctly on Kate’s turns, there was no smug grin, no teasing, just a small, fake smile and a nod.

It was slightly awkward, but the Bartons kept the game going, determined to make the most of their family time, even if Clint’s team had clearly peaked in round one. Ten-year-old Nathaniel was back on drawing duty, which would’ve been fine… if his artistic skills weren’t quite so questionable.

After many guesses and plenty of head-tilting from every angle, Clint and Laura had officially given up, all of their attempts wrong. Eventually, Clint leaned forward and glanced at the card Nathaniel had drawn from.

Clint let out a long, theatrical sigh and rubbed a hand down his face. “Son,” he said, voice heavy with paternal weariness, “I love you. Truly. But that does not look like a bicycle.”

He squinted once more at the whiteboard, where Nathaniel had proudly presented his latest masterpiece. It looked… well, generous eyes might have called it “abstract.” Realistically, it resembled a jellybean with legs and two lopsided squiggles that vaguely hinted at having once aspired to be wheels…maybe.

Nathaniel turned, completely unbothered. “It has wheels!” he announced, gesturing to the two misshapen blobs at the bottom of the jellybean-shaped creation.

Clint blinked at the wild chaos of lines again. “I mean… technically,” he allowed, dragging the word out with painful reluctance.

Laura tilted her head, a warm smile playing on her lips as she studied the chaos. “Sweetie,” she asked gently, “did the bicycle… get into a fight?”

Nathaniel rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. “It’s a better drawing than Dad’s koala.”

That got Lila’s attention. “Literally anything is better than Dad’s koala,” she said dryly. “I mean, what kind of koala has a tail?”

Clint’s jaw dropped in exaggerated offence. “Why wouldn’t they have tails? They live in trees! It’s practical!”

Desperate for backup, he turned to Kate. “Kate. Come on. Help me out here.”

Kate looked up at him with wide eyes. She tried to hold it in, but the image of that tailed monstrosity Clint had drawn earlier flashed in her mind, and a quiet chuckle escaped her. “I’m sorry, old man,” she said, a small, amused smile curling at her lips. “But this time, I can’t.”

Clint groaned and pivoted toward Yelena, who sat with her arms folded loosely as she watched the exchange with mild curiosity. “Yelena,” he said, sounding betrayed. “Surely you see the logic here.”

Yelena didn’t move, only raised a single brow and smirked, her lips barely twitching. “Nope,” she said, clearly entertained. “Logic is clearly not your strong point, Barton.”

Kate let out another quiet chuckle beside her, the sound soft but warm, and Yelena glanced at her just briefly. The eye contact lingered a half-second longer than it should have.

Clint flailed dramatically toward the ceiling. “Unbelievable. You’re all turning against me.”

“Aw, honey,” Laura said sweetly, reaching over to pat his hand, “it’s okay. At least now you’ve learned something… at the grand age of—”

“Don’t you dare!” Clint cut in sharply, flailing a hand in the air. “That is classified information.”

From the far end of the table, Lila muttered without looking up from her phone, “Pretty sure your birthday’s on Wikipedia, Dad.”

Clint let his head fall back with a groan as laughter filled the room. Kate caught herself glancing at Yelena again, catching the faintest curve of a smile at the corners of her mouth. They didn’t speak, but it was a moment, soft and shared, buried in the noise of the Bartons being ridiculous.

Kate felt a flicker of hope stir in her chest at the small interaction but the instant Yelena’s stiff, almost robotic movements came into view as she stepped up to the board, that hope began to fizzle out. Yelena walked with all the enthusiasm of someone approaching a firing squad and Kate's heart sank with the realisation that the icy barrier between them would remain. Another cold, tense round was about to begin, the same silence that had settled over them the entire evening creeping back in.

But Kate wasn’t ready to let the moment drag on like this. Not this time. She wasn’t about to sit in the heavy silence and let it suffocate whatever small chance they had to make things better. She had to do something, anything, to shift the mood.

She couldn’t stand how frozen everything had become. She was desperate for another smile, she would even settle for a softening in Yelena’s gaze, or maybe even a sarcastic comment. Anything to prove that Yelena wasn’t as far away as she seemed.

Determined to make that shift, Kate focused all of her attention on Yelena’s movements. Her eyes followed every subtle twitch of Yelena’s fingers, the way they hovered above the board, before finally dipping into sharp, jagged lines that seemed to cut across the surface.

The lines didn’t make sense to Kate, there was no structure to them, no form she could latch onto. But she was determined to figure it out.

Kate cleared her throat. “Uh... a star?” she ventured, her voice cautious, though tinged with curiosity.

Yelena didn’t even blink. Her eyes remained locked on the board, her expression unyielding. “No,” she said flatly, not offering any further explanation.

Kate’s heart sank, but she pressed on. “A crown?”

“No,” Yelena replied again, her tone even more curt this time, as if the guessing game was the last thing she wanted to indulge in.

“A... an explosion?” Kate’s voice faltered slightly, but she pressed on, desperate to crack through the tension.

Yelena’s jaw tightened, a muscle in her neck visibly clenching. “No.”

Kate paused, trying to make sense of the chaos in front of her, but the jagged lines still eluded her. “Then what—”

Before she could finish her thought, Cooper, ever the source of unnecessary commentary, burst out laughing from the other side of the table. “Oh my God, Yelena, you have such a bad teammate! It’s clearly a shark, Kate!”

Kate squinted at the board, her eyes narrowing as she tried to force sense out of the image. For a second, she was torn between disbelief and frustration. Her competitive side, always just beneath the surface, flared up in an instant. “That’s a shark?” she asked, her tone edged with disbelief.

Yelena’s head snapped toward her, a flicker of surprise quickly turning into offence. “Yes,” she said, her voice clipped.

Kate couldn’t stop herself from laughing, a breathless, almost incredulous laugh. “Yelena, that is not a shark,” she said, shaking her head, her hands thrown out in the air as if the very idea was preposterous.

Yelena’s scowl deepened, becoming defensive. “It is a shark. Look—” She jabbed a finger at the drawing, pointing out different parts with exaggerated emphasis. “Fins. Teeth. Water. Shark.”

Cooper was laughing so hard that he was practically on the floor, clutching his stomach, while Lila was doubled over in her chair, trying to stifle the snorts escaping from her. The entire table seemed to be caught up in the moment, but Kate stood up with her hands firmly planted on her hips, trying to keep her composure.

Kate moved closer to the whiteboard, squinting at the chaotic lines and angles that Yelena had created. For a moment, she felt like she might be losing her mind. The drawing was a mess of jagged lines and shapes that didn’t quite add up to anything coherent. But then, after several more exaggerated jabs from Yelena at various parts of the drawing, something clicked. Sort of.

“When you point at it like that,” Kate admitted, finally narrowing her eyes at the mess of shapes, “I can sort of see it. Kinda.” She hesitated, her brow furrowing. “But, your drawing sucks.”

Yelena raised an eyebrow, her lips curving into the slightest smirk, clearly pleased that Kate had at least partially come around. She couldn’t quite resist the urge to needle Kate. “Or maybe,” she said with a teasing lilt, “it’s a failure on your part, Bishop, and my drawing is actually great.”

Kate’s eyes widened, and she exaggerated a dramatic pout, crossing her arms in mock frustration. “I tried so hard, Yelena! You don’t even understand!” she said, her voice a perfect blend of exaggerated exasperation and mock sorrow. “If your drawing was so good, I would’ve gotten it!”

Her pout deepened, but there was a flicker of sincerity in her words, a quiet undercurrent that revealed how much she wanted to prove herself, how much she wanted to connect, to bridge that gap between the awkwardness that still hung between them. Despite the teasing, she truly did want to show Yelena that she could be as sharp, as quick, as perceptive as anyone. Even if the drawing was... well, utterly terrible.

Yelena, despite herself, felt a warmth bloom in her chest at the sight of Kate’s sad little pout. It was too much, and she couldn’t help but soften. For the first time that night, her face lit up with a genuine smile, one that was far more relaxed than the cold, calculated expressions she had been wearing all evening. “Stop with the whining and be better, Little Hawk!” she teased, her tone playful but with a hint of fondness.

Kate felt her heart skip a beat. The nickname sent a warmth through her, and seeing that smile, that real smile made all the tension and uncertainty of the night melt away. It was like someone had taken a weight off her chest, and for the first time in hours, she could actually breathe. She was so caught up in the moment, staring at Yelena, that she completely forgot to respond.

Yelena noticed, and her smirk deepened, clearly enjoying the effect she had on Kate. But before either of them could speak again and potentially ruin the calm that had settled between them, Laura’s voice cut through the moment like a lifeline. “Alright, Lila, you’re up!” she called, her tone light but firm, snapping everyone back to reality.

Kate blinked, her cheeks flushed, as she reluctantly tore her gaze away from Yelena. The game carried on, but something had shifted, something subtle, yet undeniable between them. It wasn’t perfect, and they weren’t quite their usual selves, but the tension that had hung in the air seemed to settle, like the calm after a storm. There was still a slight unease, but it was manageable, and that in itself felt like progress.

It took a few more rounds for the distance to close completely. With every round, Yelena softened a little more, allowing Kate to slip closer in. The sad glances and the cold stares disappeared, replaced by something warmer. Eventually, the two of them fell into a rhythm, like nothing had ever been amiss. The tension between them dissolved entirely, leaving behind the kind of easy companionship they both craved.

What followed was a playful back-and-forth, teasing and laughter woven between every comment. Their eyes locked with lingering looks, hands brushing just a little too long when they passed the board. They pushed each other when the other teased, their banter quick, sharp, and full of energy.

It got to a point where it was clear that Lila and Cooper were way ahead, and before long, their victory was sealed. Cooper ran circles around the room with Lila piggybacking on his back, both of them chanting, “Best team! Best team!” at the top of their lungs, clearly thrilled with their win.

Kate and Yelena watched them with wide grins on their faces, the playful rivalry between them softening into something else entirely. Kate, without thinking, reached out and took Yelena’s hand. Her thumb gently stroked over Yelena’s fingers, the touch quiet but intimate, a connection between them that didn’t need words. Their hands were clearly placed on the table, and the moment wasn’t lost on either of them.

Despite Yelena’s usual reserve, her defences crumbled just enough for her to break into a wide, genuine smile. It was impossible to hide her happiness now, and she beamed at Kate, her entire face softening in a way Kate hadn’t seen before.

From across the table, Laura watched the scene unfold with a knowing smirk. She had no idea what had set them off earlier, but it was clear her plan had worked. As she sat back and watched them now, watching how effortlessly they fell into sync, how they seemed to complete each other, she knew, deep down, that they were perfect for each other.

She nudged Clint with her elbow, the corner of her lips curling into a smile, proud of her meddling and accomplishing her little mission. Clint groaned, clearly not wanting to acknowledge the moment. “Yeah, yeah. I see it too.”

Laura took a sip of her wine, her eyes still on the pair of them. “Good. Now go get the Monopoly board.”

Clint’s face immediately drained of colour. “Absolutely not.”

---

Eventually, the night wore on, and the Barton family began to pack up the games. Clint and Laura, along with the kids, trickled off to bed, leaving Kate and Yelena alone in the kitchen to clean up. As the last plates were stacked in the sink, the comfortable buzz of earlier seemed to fade, leaving behind an all-too-familiar awkwardness.

Kate found herself staring at the dish in her hand, not really seeing it as she dried it for what felt like the hundredth time. Her mind was racing. She was still thinking about the night before, how it had been the best sleep she’d had in a while, with Yelena curled up beside her, so warm and safe. She wanted that again. She wanted to ask Yelena to sleep in her bed again, but the weight of today’s tension made her hesitate.

Kate knew she had upset Yelena, but how could she apologise? She wasn’t particularly sure what she did wrong, had only been doing what she thought Yelena wanted, and now she wasn’t even sure where to begin.

Yelena noticed the shift in Kate’s mood as they worked in silence. She’d been quiet for too long, and it didn’t take much to recognise that something was wrong. “What is it, Little Hawk?” she asked, her voice soft but piercing as she finished washing the last cup, casting a quick glance at Kate.

Kate shook her head quickly, swallowing hard. She could feel the lump forming in her throat, but she didn’t know how to voice the jumble of feelings inside her. She was stuck, torn between wanting to say something and being too scared to get it wrong.

Yelena waited, watching Kate as she held the plate with both hands, her eyes glued to the surface of it like it could offer an answer. When Kate didn’t say anything, Yelena’s patience ran thin. Without warning, she turned to face Kate fully, pulling the plate from her hands and placing it on the counter before snatching the towel from her grasp.

“Kate,” Yelena said, her voice a little firmer now. She gently cupped Kate’s chin, forcing her to look at her. The second their eyes met, Yelena saw it, tears pooling in Kate’s eyes. Her heart clenched at the sight, and she immediately softened, her tone dropping to a gentle whisper. “Oh, detka (babe), no, don’t cry.”

Kate’s walls crumbled, and without a word, Yelena pulled her into a warm embrace. Kate tensed at first, as though unsure if she could trust herself in the closeness, but then she melted into it, finally allowing herself to be held.

After a moment, Yelena pulled away, gently guiding Kate towards her guest room. She knew the kitchen wasn’t the right place for this conversation, not with the whole family in the house, not with the weight of what was unsaid hanging in the air. She closed the door behind them, offering a space where they could talk without interruption.

Kate sat down on the bed, her shoulders trembling, and Yelena crouched in front of her, looking into her eyes with a rare softness that was all for Kate. “What can I do?” she asked, her voice low, full of concern.

Kate didn’t know how to answer. She wanted to speak, wanted to explain what was going on in her head, but the emotions flooded her all at once, too overwhelming to process. Her sobs came in sharp, erratic bursts, and for a moment, Kate couldn’t find any words to explain the knot in her chest. Everything felt too much, and yet, all she wanted was Yelena’s comfort, her presence.

Yelena didn’t try to fix it, didn’t offer any advice. Instead, she simply stayed there, her hands gently resting on Kate’s knees, waiting for her to gather herself. The silence between them was filled with understanding, and Yelena’s quiet presence was the only thing Kate needed right now. She knew Kate was lost in the mess of her own emotions, and all Yelena could do was wait until she was ready to speak.

Eventually, Kate broke the silence, her voice trembling with emotion. “I don’t even know why I’m crying,” she said, the words laced with a watery chuckle. “I just… I know we need to talk, but I’m so scared that it will end with you leaving.”

Yelena’s gaze softened as she leaned in, her hands gently cupping Kate’s face. Her thumb stroked the soft curve of Kate’s cheek in a soothing gesture. “Kate,” she said, her voice steady but full of warmth. “I told you, I’m not going anywhere.”

Yelena paused, her eyes locked with Kate’s, watching as Kate processed the quiet reassurance that Yelena wasn’t going anywhere. She could see the hesitation, the need for confirmation in Kate’s gaze.

“We can talk now,” Yelena said softly, her voice steady and patient. “Or we can just cuddle, sleep, and talk tomorrow. It’s up to you.” She gave a small, reassuring smile, her thumb continuing to lightly trace Kate’s cheek. “Whatever you need, okay?”

Kate blinked, a little taken aback by the offer, she felt like Yelena had read her thoughts. “Wait… you… you’ll stay in here with me?” she asked, her voice quiet, almost shy.

Yelena’s gaze faltered for a second, her usual confidence slipping just slightly. “I mean, if you want me to, then sure,” she said, her voice unexpectedly hesitant.

Kate smiled faintly, her heart aching at the thought of Yelena staying with her. “I want you to,” she admitted, her voice barely a whisper, but sincere.

Yelena’s face softened into a smile, her eyes lighting up just a little. “Then I will stay in here, Little Hawk,” she said, her words carrying a weight that made Kate feel like her chest could finally relax for the first time in hours.

Kate let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. The tension that had been coiling in her stomach eased with that promise. She finally felt like she could breathe again.

“I… can you tell me what I did wrong?” Kate asked quietly, hesitating, her eyes searching Yelena’s for an answer. She quickly added, “I mean, I know… I know it was clearly something to do with dropping your hand, but I just… I… I figured. Ugh… I wanted you to be comfortable. I didn’t want you to be forced to tell anyone, and then you just switched up on me, and I didn’t know what to do or say, and you…”

Yelena stopped her with a gentle but firm hand on her arm, her voice low but full of reassurance. “Kate, stop it,” she said, her tone surprisingly calm. “It’s fine. I should’ve just spoken to you. You’ve already fixed what was wrong.”

Kate blinked, confusion spreading across her face. “What?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, a little lost in the haze of her emotions.

Yelena chuckled softly, but there was no malice in the sound, just a quiet self-awareness. “I thought you were ashamed,” she admitted, her voice breaking slightly with vulnerability. “That you didn’t want Clint to know, that I wasn’t… enough.” She paused, and when she spoke again, her words came slower, more measured. “But you did it thinking it was what I wanted. I should’ve just spoken to you, Kate. I’m not good with emotions. I haven’t had them very long, and I just… closed off. I… I truly am sorry.”

Kate felt the words hit her like a wave, but in a way that washed away the heavy weight she’d been carrying. She didn’t know how to respond, her heart full and aching in the best way.

“I’m sorry, too,” Kate said softly, her voice cracking just slightly as she looked at Yelena, her eyes brimming with sincerity. “I never wanted to hurt you. I just… I thought I was helping. I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Yelena reached out, her hand brushing over Kate’s hair, tucking a loose strand behind her ear as she looked at her with such tenderness that Kate could feel it in her very bones. “I think we both need to learn to talk,” Yelena said quietly, her gaze unwavering. “But it's fixed now, we are okay.”

The weight of the words hung between them, both of them sitting in the space that had been filled with so much tension and uncertainty. Now, with the air cleared, all that was left was the understanding that they could move forward together, even if it was messy, even if it wasn’t perfect.

Kate let out a shaky breath, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “I just wanted us to be okay,” she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. “I want to be with you, openly. I’d show you off to the world if you let me.”

Yelena’s expression softened, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She reached for Kate’s hand, her grip warm and comforting, but then a mischievous glint flickered in her eyes. “Maybe not the world,” she said, smirking, “since I’m still very much a wanted criminal in most countries. But to the Bartons? Sure.”

Kate’s breath caught in her chest, and a laugh bubbled up from deep within her. “You’re such an idiot,” she said, her voice filled with all the affection and love she could possibly pour into those words.

Yelena scowled playfully, crossing her arms. “You’re the idiot,” she retorted, trying, and failing, to hide the smile tugging at her lips. “My idiot.”

Without thinking, Kate surged forward, closing the space between them, and pulled Yelena into a kiss. Yelena’s hand cupped Kate’s cheek, the kiss deepening, and Kate’s heart raced in her chest. She pulled back just slightly, her lips still brushing against Yelena’s as she whispered, “Yours.”

Yelena chuckled against Kate’s lips, the sound vibrating in the kiss, her voice low, almost teasing. “And I am yours, milaya devushk (sweet girl).”

Kate pulled back slightly, confusion crossing her features. “What does that mean?” Her voice was barely a whisper, the heat of the moment settling over her like a heavy fog.

Yelena smirked, her lips curling in a way that made Kate’s chest tighten. “That’s for me to know and you to find out,” she teased, her gaze flicking to Kate’s lips as if she couldn’t resist.

Kate’s pout deepened, her hands pressing into Yelena’s shoulders as she tried to pull away. “No fair,” she muttered, frustration creeping in, her voice tight and vulnerable.

Yelena’s eyes once again softened at the sight of Kate’s pout, a small laugh escaping her. The playful smirk faded, and in its place, something tender, something genuine took its place. “Fine,” she said quietly, voice soft and unguarded, “It means ‘sweet girl.’”

The words hit Kate in a way she wasn’t prepared for. She blushed fiercely, her heart suddenly feeling like it might burst from her chest. She turned her head away, embarrassed, but Yelena’s gaze never wavered.

Before she could speak again, Yelena closed the distance between them, capturing her lips in a kiss so deep and desperate that Kate felt like she was drowning. It started slow, tender, the gentleness of their connection grounding them both. But then, in an instant, the air shifted, charged with something deeper, something more powerful than they had been prepared for.

Kate’s hands moved, urgent, pulling Yelena down on top of her. She flopped back onto the bed, tugging Yelena with her, their bodies pressing together in a surge of desperate need. Kate’s thigh slid between Yelena’s, and Yelena’s breath hitched, a soft gasp escaping her as the contact sent a jolt of heat through her veins.

They kissed like their lives depended on it, as though every touch, every brush of skin was a promise. Hands were everywhere, gripping, pulling, desperate to be closer, to merge into each other in a way that felt impossible. Yelena’s breath was uneven, and Kate’s was ragged, the overwhelming wave of emotion and lust threatening to drown them both.

But then, suddenly, Yelena pulled away, her chest rising and falling with the same frantic rhythm. Her eyes were wide and dilated, her voice husky. “Kate… we can’t. Not here.”

Kate’s heart was pounding in her ears, the haze of desire clouding her thoughts, but a part of her knew Yelena was right. They couldn’t do this, not like this, not in this moment with everything still raw, with the kids just down the hall. Her hands trembled as she ran them through her hair, frustration and longing mixing together in a knot deep in her stomach.

“Fuck,” Kate murmured, her voice strained with want. She didn’t want this moment to end, didn’t want to let go of the heat, the closeness, the way their bodies fit together like puzzle pieces. But she had to.

Yelena leaned down, her forehead gently resting against Kate's, the warmth of her breath sending a shiver down Kate's spine. She then shifted, settling her head on Kate’s chest, her breaths fanning across Kate’s neck. The tension between them was palpable, hanging in the air like a thick cloud.

Kate did her best to calm her racing heart, but with Yelena’s weight pressing down on her and her breath tracing along the sensitive skin of her neck, it was all too much. The realisation hit her like a wave, and her face immediately flushed crimson. She let out a shaky laugh, trying to break the mounting tension.

“Yeah, no, Lena,” Kate said, her voice a bit breathless. “I’m not calming down with you on top of me like this.”

Yelena scoffed, rolling off her with a frustrated huff. She sat up, shaking her head in disbelief. “Such a teenage boy, Kate Bishop,” she said with a teasing smile.

Kate groaned, putting her arm over her face in embarrassment. “Oh, shut up. Have you seen yourself? I can’t help it.”

Yelena laughed softly, finding Kate’s reaction cute. “Don’t worry, Little Hawk,” she said, her voice lower now, almost a whisper. “I’ll make it up to you when we get back to New York, okay?”

Kate's heart lurched in her chest. She didn’t even know how to respond to that, the idea of being with Yelena in a way that wasn’t rushed, wasn’t forbidden, almost too much to handle. She opened her mouth to say something, but the words stuck in her throat. Instead, she just muttered, her voice thick with both desire and frustration, “I’m going for a very cold shower.”

Yelena’s smirk deepened, clearly enjoying every second of seeing Kate flustered. There was something about seeing Kate so undone that sparked a sense of power within her. "Behave yourself in there," Yelena teased, her voice dripping with playful authority. "I’ll be waiting for you."

Her fingers traced a slow line down Kate’s arm, the touch light yet deliberate, and as her hand lingered at Kate’s wrist, she could feel the shift in Kate’s breath, the way her body tensed, caught between the desire to pull away and the yearning to stay. Kate’s gaze followed Yelena’s fingers like they were a trail of fire, her mind clearly racing with thoughts that were definitely not PG.

Yelena laughed, the sound rich and unrestrained. "Go shower, Little Hawk. I want to sleep," she said with a wink, her voice softer now, but still filled with that same teasing edge.

Kate huffed, her lips pressed together in a pout, eyes flickering toward Yelena one last time before she stood and turned to leave. Yelena couldn’t suppress a satisfied grin, the image of Kate’s flustered face still fresh in her mind as she watched her disappear down the hall.

Once Kate was in the shower, Yelena went and got herself ready for bed before pulling the covers down and sinking into Kate’s cool sheets. She settled herself comfortably, but as she lay there, her mind wandered back to Kate. She couldn’t wait for her to return, to have her close again, thinking back to how she had woken this morning wrapped in Kate’s arms.

When Kate finally came back, she slipped under the covers, but this time, Yelena didn’t wait for her to settle. She immediately shifted, turning onto her side and pulling Kate in behind her. Kate followed her lead, instinctively curling around Yelena’s smaller frame, spooning her from behind.

Yelena felt a warmth spread through her at the feeling of Kate’s body pressed up against hers, Kate’s breath gentle against the back of her neck. Her fingers instinctively reached for Kate’s, intertwining them as she relaxed further into her embrace. Yelena didn’t even care that she was the little spoon, this was the only place she wanted to be.

Kate nuzzled her face into Yelena’s shoulder, her body finally relaxing completely as she felt the comforting warmth of Yelena’s body against hers. It was the perfect fit. The world outside felt miles away, the only thing that mattered was the soft rise and fall of their breathing and the steady heartbeat beneath her palm.

Yelena’s eyes fluttered closed, her hand still holding Kate’s as she melted into the embrace. For once, it wasn’t about the teasing or the tension between them. It was just the two of them, together, safe and secure in each other’s arms. And as the night went on, they both drifted into a peaceful sleep, wrapped up in each other, where nothing else could touch them.

---

Yelena woke to the now familiar weight of Kate’s body draped over her, the warmth of her skin pressing against Yelena’s back. It was comforting, grounding, Kate had stayed curled around her all night, her arms wrapped around Yelena like she was trying to protect her from the world.

Yelena blinked a few times, her eyes adjusting to the dim morning light filtering through the curtains. She tried to focus on the way Kate’s steady breathing sounded in the silence, the rise and fall of her chest pressing against Yelena’s back. It was soothing, but then it hit her, once again, Kate had slept through the entire night, undisturbed, and Yelena smiled, feeling a sense of achievement.

Unlike the morning before, the room was quiet. Even Lucky, usually quick to stir at the first sign of movement, remained curled up at the foot of the bed, his tail twitching in sleep. The silence felt heavy, like the world had paused around them.

Yelena, however, was awake and as much as she wanted to go back to sleep, she couldn't, it just wouldn’t come. Kate could feel it before she even opened her eyes. It’s not like Yelena was shifting restlessly or anything, but Kate could just sense it.

Kate inhaled deeply before murmuring, “Mmm, good morning,” her voice thick with sleep, still lost somewhere between dreaming and reality.

Yelena exhaled a quiet chuckle, turning her head to look at Kate. Her voice was rougher than she intended when she whispered back, “Morning, Kate Bishop.”

Kate smiled lazily at the way Yelena was once again using her full name, even when they had just woken up from sleeping next to one another, it seemed so out of place. Her arms instinctively tightened around Yelena’s waist, keeping her close.

“How’d you sleep?” she asked, voice still heavy with exhaustion but laced with a quiet curiosity.

Yelena let out a slow breath, letting Kate’s warmth seep into her skin. “Good. I haven’t been awake long.” She hesitated, then added, “No bad dreams?”

Kate’s eyes fluttered open slightly, adjusting to the dim morning light filtering through the curtains. She shifted just enough to nuzzle her nose against Yelena’s shoulder, her lips brushing warm skin as she smiled. “No, no bad dreams. Thanks to you.”

She hadn’t meant for it to come out so soft, so vulnerable, but it was the truth. And the way Yelena’s body tensed, just slightly, almost imperceptibly told Kate that maybe Yelena wasn’t quite used to hearing things like that.

Yelena wasn’t, that sort of softness had only ever come from Kate, and it made something ache deep in Yelena’s chest.

Before either of them could linger in the moment too long, Kate sighed dramatically and flopped onto her back, pulling Yelena with her.

Yelena let out a startled noise that was more of a squeal than anything, her head now resting on Kate’s chest. Yelena immediately relaxed, letting her body mould against Kate’s as if she belonged there.

Kate’s fingers found their way into Yelena’s hair, absently brushing through the soft strands. It was soothing, grounding in a way she couldn’t quite put into words. She let her gaze drift, taking in the way the golden strands caught the morning light, the way Yelena’s lashes fluttered slightly against her cheek. She closed her eyes, basking in the moment as a smile made it’s way to her face.

For once, there was no weight on her shoulders. No expectations. No pretending to be okay when she wasn’t. Just this.

Yelena shifted slightly, tilting her head up to look at Kate, the sight sending warmth blooming through her. “I like seeing you smile, Kate Bishop,” Yelena murmured.

A teasing grin tugged at her lips. “You’re such a softie, Yelena Belova.”

Yelena scoffed, immediately burying her face against Kate’s collarbone as if to hide. “Shut up,” she mumbled, voice muffled. “It’s just nice to see.”

Kate softened at that, her fingers continuing their slow, lazy movements through Yelena’s hair. “Yeah, well… it’s nice to not feel like the whole world is on top of me for once,” she admitted, her voice quieter now.

It wasn’t something she had planned to say, but it was true. “Being here with you, with the Bartons… it’s nice.” The words felt fragile, like if she said them too loudly, she’d break whatever spell they were under. Her fingers stilled slightly. “I know going back to New York is going to ruin this, though.”

Yelena frowned, her eyebrows furrowing. “Why’s that?” she asked, voice softer now.

Kate let out a breath she hadn’t realised she’d been holding. “Because eventually, you’ll go back to work, which means no more you. Then I have to figure out what to do with the company and I have to go back to the penthouse.” The words came faster now, like she was forcing them out before she lost her nerve. “Fuck, I don’t want to go back there.”

She hadn’t meant to say that last part out loud. Yelena shifted, sitting up just enough to look down at Kate. There was something unreadable in her gaze, something that made Kate’s heart pound a little harder.

“I’m in no rush to get back to work,” Yelena said, her lips quirking into something playful. “I have a very rich girlfriend at my disposal.” She winked.

Kate froze. Her stomach twisted sharply, and her breath caught in her throat. She forced a weak laugh. “You… uh… you don’t,” she said, suddenly finding it difficult to keep her voice steady.

Yelena’s smirk wavered, the teasing edge of her words suddenly feeling misplaced. “What do you mean?” she asked, her voice quieter now.

Her first thought, the one that hit like a punch to the gut was that Kate was rejecting the word girlfriend. That she’d pushed too far, too soon. After all, they had only just started to figure this out, whatever this was. Maybe Kate wasn’t ready for labels. Maybe Yelena had misread everything.

A sharp pang of regret coiled in her chest, embarrassment creeping in as she forced herself to keep her expression neutral. Idiot she scolded herself, suddenly wishing she could take the words back.

But Kate swallowed hard before explaining herself. “Everything’s tied up because of the police. My accounts, the company… I’m going to be broke pretty quickly.”

Yelena blinked, clearly taken aback and grateful that it was this, and not the slip she had made, even if it was something that she couldn't fix for Kate right away. “Well,” she said, trying to sound casual, “one contract nets a good profit. I promise I won’t be gone for long.”

Kate’s stomach twisted again, but this time for an entirely different reason. “By ‘work,’ I assumed you’d be saving widows,” she said carefully. “Not taking contracts. You’re still going to kill people?”

The shift was instant. The warmth in the room evaporated. Yelena stiffened, stomach dropping, as she sat up to pull away, her expression guarded now. “Uh… I guess, yeah,” she admitted, before adding, “only bad ones, if that helps.”

It didn’t. Kate didn’t know what to say. She had known, of course. She wasn’t stupid. But hearing it confirmed like this…

Her silence must have spoken volumes because Yelena let out a sharp, bitter laugh, feeling exposed and defensive. “Kate, I don’t know what else to do,” she said, her voice suddenly raw, frayed at the edges. “It’s who I am.”

Kate felt something heavy settle in her chest. “Yelena…”

“No, Kate, you know what I am,” Yelena insisted, her voice sharp and rising slightly, tinged with frustration and something deeper…almost desperate. “I’m a killer. An assassin. A spy. I’ve always been a bad person. I’ve got a set of skills, and they’re only good for hurting people.” She shook her head, as if trying to make Kate understand, to make her see the truth. “You’ve known this about me, from the beginning. So what did you expect?”

Yelena had assumed (hoped) that Kate had already accepted the truth, that it wouldn’t be an issue. After all, it was all Yelena had ever known, all she had ever been. Why would it be a problem now? But the look in Kate’s eyes shattered that fragile belief.

It wasn’t just confusion or shock, it was a mixture of fear, disgust, sadness, empathy… And what hurt most, what cut deeper than Yelena was prepared for, was the way Kate seemed to be reconsidering everything.

The quiet uncertainty in Kate’s gaze felt like a cold knife twisting in Yelena’s chest, and in that moment, she was hit with the harsh truth: she was not enough. The parts of her that she couldn’t change and the darkness she carried, were going to drive Kate away.

And It hurt. It hurt so much and before she could stop herself, she was curling inward, knees drawn to her chest, arms wrapping around them in a feeble attempt to hold herself together. Like if she just squeezed tightly enough, she could shield herself from the weight of Kate’s disappointment, from the ache blooming in her ribs, from the terrifying thought that this might already be slipping through her fingers, again.

She should’ve known better. Should’ve expected it. Should have never dared to hope. How could she have believed that Kate, the girl who had turned her own mother in for crimes far less severe than the ones Yelena had committed, would ever accept her like this?

And it wasn’t like Yelena wanted to keep living this way. She didn’t want to keep killing, to keep being the assassin the Red Room had made her. But what choice did she have? It was all she knew, all she was. What else could she possibly be, if not a weapon?

Kate watched as Yelena retreated, and inhaled sharply. “Yes, I knew what you did before,” she eventually said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. “I knew who you were. But I don’t believe for a second that you have to keep being that person.”

Yelena’s jaw clenched, but Kate pressed on. “You think this is all you are, but I don’t,” she said, reaching out despite knowing Yelena would flinch away. “You’re more than just a Widow. You’re more than a killer.”

Yelena shook her head. “What else will I do, Kate?” The words were a whisper now, barely audible. “Like I said, it’s who I am. It’s what I was made for. I am and will always be a Widow.”

Kate’s heart ached at the sheer certainty in Yelena’s voice, the way she spoke like it was a fact, like there was no way out. She reached out again, hesitantly covering Yelena’s clenched fist with her own. Yelena stiffened at the touch, but she didn’t pull away.

Then Kate shook her head, squeezing Yelena’s hand as if to remind her she wasn’t alone in this. “Yes, you’re a widow. But you’re also so much more than that. And I’m not asking you to erase your training, but there are ways you can use those skills that don’t involve... killing. You don’t have to keep doing this.” She paused, her mind racing. Then it hit her, an idea that lit her up from the inside out.

“Oh! Or…wait! What about becoming a private investigator?” Kate practically bounced in place, her excitement bubbling over. “You’d be amazing at that, Yelena! And we could do it together! Can you imagine? You with your skills and my tech from Bishop Securities? We could be unstoppable!”

Yelena blinked in surprise, caught off guard by Kate’s sudden enthusiasm. “Wait, why is that a good idea?!” she asked, a laugh escaping her, a mixture of confusion and intrigue.

Kate grinned, her eyes sparkling. “Because I’m full of them,” she teased. “You just haven’t caught on yet.”

Yelena scoffed, a smirk tugging at her lips. “This is completely new to me, Kate Bishop.”

Kate rolled her eyes playfully, but her tone shifted back to something more serious as she spoke again, voice quiet and earnest. “You don’t have to keep doing what you’re doing. You can do good, Yelena. And I’ll be right there with you. We can also fit it around saving the widows! It is perfect!”

With that, Yelena felt something stir within her, a glimmer of hope that maybe, she wasn’t just a killer. But what struck her the most wasn’t the realisation about herself; it was Kate. Kate, who only days ago had been on the edge, ready to give up, ready to let everything go, and now? Now she was talking about life, about building something, about a future.

What was even more astonishing to Yelena was that in helping Kate climb out of that dark pit, Kate was unknowingly pulling that dead buried part of Yelena out with her. Kate’s words, her dreams, they weren’t just for herself. They were for both of them.

Kate was offering her more than just comfort or a distraction, she was offering her a way out, a chance at a different life. A chance to be someone more than what the Red Room had shaped her into. Something real.

Yelena’s heart swelled, warmth flooding through her as she turned to Kate, her gaze softer than she ever thought possible. There was something so solid about this moment, about the way Kate spoke like they could actually do this, together. It sent a shiver down her spine, one that was equal parts excitement and something deeper, something she didn’t quite have the words for yet.

“It is,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath, thick with emotion she wasn’t used to letting herself feel. A small smile tugged at her lips, one that reached somewhere deep in her chest, curling into the spaces she usually kept locked up.

But then reality crept in, wrapping around her like a vice. Her smile faltered, the weight of practicality settling in as she turned to Kate with a quiet sort of hesitance.

“The company will be yours soon though, right?” she asked, her voice careful, measured. “I don’t think the CEO will have time to help.” The words left her mouth before she could stop them, doubt creeping in, whispering that this could all be just a pipe dream.

Kate didn’t answer right away, and Yelena watched her, watched the flicker of thoughts in her eyes, the way her expression shifted as different emotions passed through her. She was planning, thinking, weighing everything.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Kate shrugged. “I don’t really think I want to be a normal CEO,” she admitted, her voice steady but thoughtful. “I still have to get the papers signed before anything can actually happen, which is just… frustrating. I feel like that’s part of what’s stressing me out right now, being stuck in limbo, you know?” She exhaled sharply, raking a hand through her hair before continuing.

“But I am thinking that once I get rid of the bad apples and make sure the company is actually doing things legally, I’ll probably just bring in more management,” she said with a sigh. “I’ll only be involved when I have to be. I do not want to spend my life pretending to be my mother.” Her voice was firm, resolute, and Yelena felt a deep sense of admiration for her in that moment.

A slow smirk spread across Yelena’s lips as she nudged Kate playfully. “That is a good plan. And you, my Little Hawk, should stop worrying about the paperwork. I have some contacts…I can get that sorted for you.” Her voice was light, teasing, but serious beneath the humour.

Kate’s eyes narrowed slightly, suspicion lacing her expression. “Yelena,” she said slowly, drawing out the syllables like a warning. “Will this be illegal? Because that kind of goes against the whole ‘let’s make sure the company is legal’ plan.”

Yelena chuckled, shaking her head. “No! I swear,” she promised, holding up her hands in mock surrender. “I have a plan, and it will be entirely legal.” She leaned in slightly, voice dipping into something conspiratorial. “I promise, Kate Bishop, you will not be arrested because of me.”

Kate sighed dramatically, though the amusement in her eyes betrayed her. “I better not be,” she muttered, but her lips quirked into a smile as she bumped her shoulder against Yelena’s.

The conversation naturally quieted, the sounds of the Barton household beginning to stir around them, but Yelena made a silent vow. She would do everything she could to ease Kate’s worries, about her assets, about Bishop Securities, about the penthouse.

Granted, while Yelena’s plan was technically legal, it would involve a little gentle intimidation when it came to Eleanor Bishop. Nothing too drastic, just a firm push in the right direction courtesy of Sonya, who Yelena would call when Kate wasn’t around to overhear the details. Sonya was always eager to help, seeing Yelena as something of a saviour to the Widows, a symbol of the freedom she and Natasha had secured by taking down the Red Room.

Yelena would have Sonya retrieve the necessary paperwork from their trusted legal contact, ensuring every step was airtight. Then, all that remained was persuading Eleanor to sign over the company and her assets to Kate, solving two of Kate’s biggest problems in one move. It was simple, clean, and best of all, something Kate wouldn’t have to stress over.

That just left the matter of the penthouse. Yelena wasn’t about to let Kate return to a place so steeped in misery, so she’d have to figure something out. That part was a little trickier, but she would find a way. And when she did, she’d make sure it was a surprise, just so she could watch Kate’s face light up with that smile, the one that showed hope, fight, and dreams, the one Yelena was starting to realise she’d do anything to see.

Because as long as Kate was dreaming, as long as she was fighting for something more, Yelena knew she could dream too. And she’d fight with her, for her, every step of the way.

---

A sudden knock at the door startled them both, making them jolt like guilty teenagers caught in the middle of something scandalous. They weren’t, of course. They were just sitting cross-legged on the bed, facing each other, their conversation still lingering between them. But for some reason, the knock sent a surge of panic through them, as if they had been caught red-handed doing something. Their wide-eyed expressions met for a split second before Kate hurriedly cleared her throat.

“Come in,” she called, her voice a little too high, a little too quick, betraying her nerves.

The door creaked open, and Laura stepped inside, a knowing smirk playing at her lips. “Hello, lovebirds,” she greeted, her tone warm but undeniably teasing. “I have to admit, this is not the position I expected to find you in, hence the knock.” Her smirk deepened, eyes twinkling with mischief before she added, “But I made breakfast. You want some?”

Kate groaned dramatically, flopping backwards onto the mattress with an exaggerated sigh. Yelena, on the other hand, simply looked amused, her lips twitching at the corners as she stretched her arms over her head. “I would love some,” she said, and as if on cue, her stomach growled, betraying just how much she meant it. She pushed herself to her feet, running a hand through her tousled hair.

Kate huffed, reluctant to move, clearly not ready to face the day just yet. But with one last dramatic sigh, she begrudgingly dragged herself up. “Fine, I’m coming,” she grumbled, rubbing her face.

Laura chuckled, shaking her head fondly before stepping back out of the room, leaving the door open behind her. Yelena cast one last amused glance at Kate, whose pout had not yet disappeared, before nudging her lightly with her shoulder. “Come on, detka (babe), food awaits.”

Kate’s face lit up at the now-frequent Russian slipping into their conversations, but this one she hadn’t asked about yet. Her curiosity sparked, and she glanced at Yelena, suddenly feeling shy after remembering what the last phrase meant. “What does that one mean?” she asked hesitantly.

Yelena shrugged, her expression casual, like it was nothing. “Babe,” she answered simply.

Kate’s breath hitched slightly, and a blush crept up her cheeks before she could stop it. The word settled in her chest, warm and fluttery, and she found herself staring at Yelena, completely unable to hide her reaction. “You are cute,” she murmured, watching the assassin with an affection that she wasn’t even trying to mask anymore.

Yelena, however, was unfazed, grinning as she placed a hand on her stomach. “I…am hungry,” she countered, as if that was the only thing that mattered in the moment.

Kate chuckled, rolling her eyes before stepping closer. “Ugh, come on then, babe,” she said, deliberately emphasising the word, letting it linger just long enough to tease.

Yelena quirked an eyebrow but didn’t falter. Instead, a smirk played at her lips as she turned for the door. “You are teasing,” she noted, her voice dripping with amusement. “But I liked it. So really, I win.”

Kate blinked, momentarily caught off guard by how easily Yelena had admitted that, how openly she had accepted the pet name without hesitation. Her stomach flipped, warmth pooling in her chest at how effortlessly Yelena was letting her in.

Before she could overthink it, Yelena was already heading out of the room, her movements as casual as ever. Kate stood there for a beat, stunned, before realising she was falling behind. She quickly hurried after her, the sound of Yelena’s soft chuckle echoing down the hall at her rushed steps.

As they entered the kitchen, Kate and Yelena found the Bartons already gathered around the table, two chairs side by side left for them. It was a quiet morning, but the warmth in the room made it feel like a home, a feeling Kate hadn’t fully experienced in her own home. Yelena didn’t hesitate, eagerly settling into her chair as Laura handed them both a plate of bacon and eggs.

“Thank you, Mama Barton,” Yelena said, her voice light, before she dug in with relish. The food was warm and comforting, and Yelena didn’t waste any time diving in.

Kate, however, was more reserved. She could feel Clint’s eyes on her, a weight in the way he was watching her. It wasn’t the same as the others, his gaze felt like it was searching, like he was trying to figure something out. And she knew. He knew.

She forced herself to begin eating, trying to focus on the conversation that was already flowing around the table. The kids were talking about going back to school on Monday, and Clint and Laura were discussing his current project, replacing the decking outside, something Laura had already pointed out was a little absurd given the unpredictable weather. But when Clint got something in his mind, there was no shaking it.

Kate’s mind wandered, her focus drifting in and out of the chatter, but then Lila’s voice cut through the noise, speaking directly to her.

“Kate, can we practice archery again before you leave today?” Lila asked, her excitement evident in her wide eyes.

Kate smiled at her enthusiasm, nodding immediately. “Of course we can practice,” she said. Then, she hesitated for a moment, turning to Clint and Laura. “But, we actually wanted to ask you something.”

Clint raised an eyebrow, a silent signal for her to continue. Kate felt her stomach flutter a little, but she pushed through, her voice dropping slightly. “Could we… uh, could we stay a few more days?” she asked, her words coming out shyly, as if she was still unsure how to ask for this kind of thing.

Clint scoffed, shaking his head in amusement. “Why the hell are you even asking, Kate?” he said, his tone warm. “You’re both welcome to stay for as long as you like.”

Kate’s cheeks flushed, and she couldn’t help but feel a rush of warmth at his words. She hadn’t felt this wanted in a long time, certainly not in the way she felt now, surrounded by people who cared. “Thank you,” she said quietly, the words almost too soft to catch.

Lila, ever the enthusiastic one, piped up again, her voice full of genuine happiness. “This is so cool. I love it when you guys are here,” she said, her excitement clear.

Clint chuckled and shot his daughter a playful look. “Are we not good enough, kiddo?” he joked, feigning hurt.

“Ugh, shut up, Dad,” Lila shot back, rolling her eyes in a classic teenage way. The kind of eye roll that made both Kate and Yelena chuckle, sharing a moment of understanding with the young girl who was so much like Kate in certain ways.

Eventually, breakfast came to an end, the table filled with empty plates and the soft clink of silverware as the kids excused themselves, leaving Kate and Yelena with Clint and Laura.

Clint shifted in his seat, a playful smirk curling on his lips as he turned his attention to the two women. The air between them felt suddenly thick, charged with an unspoken tension that neither of them could ignore.

“So,” Clint began, his tone far too casual, though the glint in his eyes betrayed his amusement, “you two are… friends again?”

Kate’s heart skipped, her breath catching in her throat. The question hung in the air, heavier than it should have been. They weren’t just friends, not anymore, not by a long shot. But as much as she wanted to admit the truth, for some reason, the words felt like they were lodged in her throat, tight and suffocating.

She glanced at Yelena, hoping to find some kind of clarity in her gaze, but Yelena was watching her intently, her expression unreadable. The silence stretched between them, and she stammered, “Uhm, we never weren’t friends…”

The words felt weak, like a half-hearted attempt to deflect. But her hand found Yelena’s under the table, her fingers wrapping around hers so tightly that she felt Yelena stiffen beside her.

Yelena was using all of her training to not react with a yelp to her squeezing, but Yelena knew she would do this for as long as Kate needed if it grounded her.

Clint’s voice sliced through the silence, his amused snort making Kate flinch. “Oh, come on. The tension between the two of you was insane.”

Kate’s heart hammered in her chest. How much did Clint know? How much had he guessed? She hated the thought of him seeing right through her, but there was no denying it now.

Laura, who had been watching with an entertained look, finally spoke up, her tone far more understanding than Clint’s. “What he means is, we noticed you two didn’t seem okay when you got home, but things seemed better by the end of the night… And since you slept together…”

Kate’s eyes widened, panic surging through her as Clint suddenly choked on his coffee, his face reddening as he coughed violently. Laura slapped him on the back, only mildly concerned. “As I was saying, since you slept in the same bed again, it would suggest you guys are good now.”

Kate’s entire face turned crimson, the heat rushing up her neck. She wanted to hide under the table. To scream. To flee. But she couldn’t move. Not when it felt like everything was unravelling in front of her.

And then, finally, it happened. The words spilled out before she could stop them, a surge of defiance pushing them past her lips. “Fuck it,” she muttered under her breath, barely audible. “Yelena and I… are together.”

Laura erupted in laughter. “Hell yeah!” she cheered, turning to her husband with a victorious grin. “You owe me $10, honey! I told you they’d be together by morning!”

Clint grumbled, digging into his pocket with a sigh before pulling out a crumpled note and handing it over. “I thought it would be at least another day,” he muttered, clearly irritated but amused at the same time.

Kate blinked, her mouth hanging open in surprise. “You bet on us?” The words came out sharp, but there was no hiding the incredulity in her voice.

Both Clint and Laura burst into laughter at her reaction, and Kate found herself momentarily lost for words. She wasn’t sure whether she should laugh with them, feel embarrassed, or punch Clint in the arm. Instead, she huffed, her cheeks burning with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. “I hate you both,” she muttered, half-serious, half-amused.

Yelena felt a surge of warmth bubble up inside her at Kate’s retort. It was so typically Kate, “I hate you,” had become her default response whenever she didn’t know how to respond to something, a defence mechanism. It was so her, and the more Yelena saw it, the more she couldn’t help but love it.

Each time it happened, her heart swelled just a little more. She was starting to notice the little things, the way Kate fidgeted when she was uncomfortable, how her voice shifted when she was trying to avoid vulnerability. She was learning more and more about her, about the mannerisms, the subtle cues, the things that made Kate, Kate. And the more she learned, the deeper her feelings grew.

Clint cleared his throat again, his tone shifting to something more cautious as he met Yelena’s gaze. “So… uh… I guess I have to do this, and trust me, I don’t want to because you could definitely murder me in ways I couldn’t even begin to think of…” He trailed off, letting out a nervous breath before continuing, his voice steady but serious. “What are your intentions with my newly adopted daughter?”

Kate’s face immediately flushed crimson. She groaned and dropped her head into her hands, her fingers gripping her hair in embarrassment. This wasn’t how she had imagined this conversation going. The moment Clint’s words registered, she felt the familiar anxiety rise in her chest.

Yelena, on the other hand, seemed unfazed, her lips quirking into a teasing smile as she tilted her head slightly. She had seen this scene before, in the cheesy TV shows and movies she’d watched once she got out of the Red Room to try and understand how people were supposed to behave. She hadn’t expected it to be quite this awkward though.

“Ah, this is the... shovel talk, right? That’s what it’s called here, I think?” she said with a smirk, her voice light, but the amusement was laced with something deeper. “If I remember, it usually ends with 'You will hurt me if I hurt Kate', da (yes)?”

Clint blinked, his face serious, and nodded slowly, clearing his throat again.

Kate cringed at the awkwardness, her eyes darting between Yelena and Clint. She felt like she was in high school again, being put on the spot about something that was so far from her control.

Yelena’s playful expression faltered for a split second, her eyes narrowing as her usual guarded demeanour slipped into something more intense. Her jaw tightened, and her voice dropped to a low, dangerous note.

“A, I would like to see you try,” she said, her gaze never leaving Clint’s, the quiet tension crackling in the air. But then she softened, the harshness melting away as quickly as it had come. “But B, I will not hurt Kate.”

There was a pause, and Yelena looked down at her hands for a moment, clearly battling something inside her. The raw honesty in her next words was almost too much for her to allow herself to say.

“Well... I will try really hard not to, and it will never be on purpose,” she added, her voice quieter, more vulnerable than Kate had ever heard it before. “But you know, I don’t have much experience... with well, anything other than the Red Room.” Her throat tightened as she swallowed hard, the words tumbling out before she could stop herself. “So I’m probably going to make mistakes.”

Kate’s heart swelled at Yelena’s confession, her chest tightening with a mixture of empathy and affection. She hadn’t expected to hear such honesty from Yelena, especially not about her past and not around Clint of all people.

She knew how hard it must be for Yelena to admit her own flaws, how she carried all of that weight on her shoulders. Kate opened her mouth to speak, to offer reassurance, but before she could, Laura spoke up.

“That’s… that’s very brave of you, Yelena,” Laura said, her voice soft, but laced with genuine warmth. Her eyes flickered to Kate before landing back on Yelena. “It’s not easy to admit when we’re unsure about something. Especially when we want to get it right.” She offered a small smile, nodding slightly as if to give her silent approval.

Kate squeezed Yelena’s hand tighter, silently telling her that she didn’t have to be perfect for them to work, she just had to try.

Clint’s expression softened, though there was still a faint trace of wariness in his eyes. He knew he couldn’t just throw all of his trust behind Yelena, he still had his reservations but the sincerity in her voice made him believe, for now, that she was genuine. That was enough for him, at least for today.

“Well,” he said, his tone easing into something more relaxed, “I guess that’s all I need to hear for now. You have my blessing.” He turned his attention to Kate, his expression shifting, becoming a little more serious again. “Oh, and Kate?”

Kate, who had been holding her breath, immediately looked up. Worry flickered across her face. She wasn’t sure where this was going, but it felt important.

“Nat would kill me if I didn’t do this,” Clint continued, his voice taking on a playful, yet affectionate edge. “So… no hurting Yelena, either, okay? Work on things, talk, communicate, come to us if you need support.” He leaned forward slightly, his gaze firm but not unkind. “But please, for the love of all things holy, just be good to each other, okay?”

Kate blinked, still processing the weight of Clint’s words. It was an odd mixture of protectiveness and permission, a little overwhelming, but in a way that made her feel lighter. Clint had her back, he had Yelena’s back too. It was more than she’d expected, and maybe more than she even realised she needed.

Yelena, sensing the tension in the room dissipating, couldn’t resist lightening the mood. She smirked, leaning back a little in her chair. “What, no threats of violence for Kate? I see how it is,” she teased, the humour in her voice breaking the intensity that had settled over them.

Kate’s lips twitched at the unexpected levity. She shot Yelena a glance, one that held both affection and a touch of exasperation. “Really? You want me to be threatened with violence?”

Yelena just shrugged, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I’m just saying, you got off easy."

Clint groaned, looking at Yelena with mock annoyance, though there was a hint of relief in his eyes. Laura chuckled from the sidelines, clearly amused by the whole situation.

Kate couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh herself. Despite the heaviness of the conversation, there was something undeniably comforting about the way Yelena could make her smile, even in the most unexpected moments.

“Fine,” Kate said, her grin still lingering as she turned to Yelena, her gaze softening as their eyes met. “We’ll be good to each other, I promise.” The words were more for Yelena than Clint, a vow between them, unspoken but understood.

Yelena held her gaze, her expression softening too as she nodded, a small, genuine smile curling on her lips. “Me too,” she whispered, her voice steady but filled with a warmth that only Kate could provoke.

---

A/N: Kate and Yelena are finally on the same page, both understanding where they stand and what the future might hold (yay)! In Part 5, the pair returns to New York, and Yelena has a surprise in store for Kate. What will this new chapter bring for Kate and Yelena? Will I finally let them settle? I guess we will see.

Part 5 will be linked here when posted.

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staynoonaz9290 · 4 months ago

Text

Temptation - Season 2

Where Maddie and Lila are back six months later, still managers of Stray Kids, navigating the world of incubi, and worse… Dealing with unexpected feelings

Group: Stray Kids

Pairing: Each SKZ Member/Fem! Reader, Chan/Fem! Reader (Third Person - Lila), Hyunjin/Fem! Reader (Third Person - Maddie), Jeongin/Fem! Reader (Third Person - Maddie)

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content, Semi-Public Sex, Oral Sex (F-Given & M-Given), Supernatural Elements, AU - Incubi, Dirty Talk, Seduction, Heavy Angst, Language, Love Triangle, Complicated Relationships, Fighting, Feelings Denial

Chapters: 29

Word Count: 100,694

Main Masterlist | Stray Kids Masterlist

COMPLETE

This is Season 2 of my ✨Temptation✨ series! Here are all the season links below:

Temptation - Season 1: AO3 Link

Temptation - Season 2: You Are Here 📌

Temptation - Season 2.5: AO3 Link

Preview:

Maddie walked quickly down the familiar upstairs hallway of their mansion, passing each incubus room and reaching up to flatten her hair.

As if it mattered.

She laughed at herself, taking her fingers from the strands as she walked by door after door, knowing exactly which room she was looking for-

It had been a crazy week- all weeks were crazy nowadays, as a manager of Stray Kids- but she’d been running around morning until night, trying to get them ready for their comeback, keeping their feeding on track, following the schedules, and most of all- keeping everyone sane.

She’d taken one look at next week’s schedule- filled with promotions, stages, and interviews- and knew it was going to be just as busy.

So Maddie was glad to be getting a bit of stress relief .

Her stomach flipped excitedly at the thought, and even as she rolled her eyes at such a stupid reaction, she was smiling…

Stopping in front of the second to last door, she paused before knocking three times.

Almost instantly, the knob was twisting and the door was thrown open.

Blonde hair- when had Maddie ever liked that before now?- hanging long and a little in his face, eyes flickering purple, a playful smirk pulling on the corners of his beautiful lips.

Hyunjin

Maddie barely had time to look at him before he was grabbing her wrist, pulling her quickly inside.

“Finally.”

She giggled, stumbling with the quickness of his movements before her back was against the wall, Hyunjin smiling a little as the door shut behind him.

Then he was swooping down, kissing her hard, and Maddie’s arms were wrapping around his neck, the feel of it indescribable .

She was still getting used to the incubus powers- the way Hyunjin’s fingers would slide up the length of her arms, and her skin was suddenly alive , burning in the best of ways, heart racing in her chest, desire running through her veins as she held him closer-

Hyunjin pulled his lips from hers, and Maddie’s head was falling back, finding it a little hard to breathe as he kissed down her neck.

“You took way too long to come up here,” he muttered near her ear, nose tickling her skin. “I almost went and called someone else.”

Maddie wouldn’t have cared- right? - and she laughed, her voice a little strained as Hyunjin’s hands slid slowly down her sides.

“Yeah? You should have. I’m getting tired of this.”

“ Tch -”

Hyunjin’s humored exhale had hot breath ghosting across Maddie’s neck, and the feeling of it was a little more than she could handle, a small gasp slipping from her lips, arms tightening just slightly around him.

And even though she couldn’t see him, she knew he was smirking, speaking against her skin again as his fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt.

“No you’re not.”

If you liked this preview, you can read the whole novel here on my AO3 page 😊!

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donnalawliet · 7 months ago

Text

Chapter 3 of Coffee or Tea (Five x Derek)

After all of your suggestions, feedback and general encouragement, here it is! The third chapter of this story.

———————————

----------------------------

Five and Derek grow closer, through good and bad times.

-----------------------------

Five had been trying to live a more normal life. He took vacation days, watched movies with Derek and sometimes got his morning dose of caffeine at a coffee shop instead of making it himself. It most definitely wasn’t easy to let go of his former life, where he constantly had to be on guard. But it was nice and his therapist had assured him that it would take practice, that healing from trauma couldn’t be rushed. Through all of it, Derek remained by his side, even when it became incredibly tough.

———————————

“Mr.Five, she’s turning six years old“, Derek insisted. They had spent almost an hour looking for a birthday present for Grace, Five’s favourite niece. The oldest Hargreeves sibling had joked once that she had the looks of Diego and the intellect of Lila, which was both a compliment and an insult.

“Yes?“, Five held up the book that he had been considering, “This is a quantum physics book for beginners. She’ll like it, I’m sure of it. You can get her another gift.“

He was stubborn and he insisted on his pick. For their birthdays, Reginald had always bought practical presents. Books, weapons, anything that he thought represented real value. So Five had never really received normal gifts. And even though he tried to step away from his father’s lessons, some of them stuck. But he also knew Grace. She was quite bright and already surpassed her reading levels.

Derek sighed heavily, soon enough returning with a board game. He didn’t have a lot to do with kids, but he knew enough to know that a gift like that was a safe bet.

“Alright, I’ll trust you on this. Let’s just get them both wrapped up“, he said, his tone softening again, “But this is the last time we do last minute gift shopping.“

Five chuckled, reaching out to take ahold of Derek’s elbow. He still wasn’t completely comfortable with unannounced romantic touching, but he had grown to enjoy small gestures of affection. Both with his partner and with his family. After so many tough years, he wanted to be a good uncle and brother, even if it meant attending birthday parties full of screaming children, most of which he couldn’t care less about.

“Are you sure that you want me to come with you?“, Derek asked him out of the blue once they got into the car, “I fully understand if you want to be alone with your family.“

Even though he had met Five’s family, he was still a bit nervous from last time. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they didn’t completely trust him yet. Along with that came the knowledge of how much his boyfriend loved his siblings.

“No, you’re coming with me“, Five insisted, though he kept his eyes fixated on the road ahead, “I’m not dealing with them by myself, you’re the only one who can stop me from murdering them.“

He loved his siblings, that was a well known fact. But they also annoyed him on a regular basis. Of course, Five would never intentionally kill them…though he had to hold himself back a few times. Sometimes he wondered if he really was a killer at heart, if the Handler had been right that the Commission hadn’t corrupted him, he had done it himself by just existing. His knuckles turned white from how hard he was gripping his steering wheel, his thoughts running wild.

Luckily, Derek pulled Five out of it before he could crash the car. The younger man had gotten better at recognising the signs that Five was experiencing an episode. The episodes themselves had turned milder as well, but they hadn’t stopped, even after all this time.

“Five, I’m here“, he said firmly, without touching his partner. Touches were still a complicated topic, so he used his voice. And it was almost always enough to get Five to snap out of his thoughts. Derek belonged to a time without the Handler, without the Commission or the apocalypse, so he symbolised safety for him.

“Yeah, I know“, Five mumbled, relaxing his grip a bit as he pulled up to the parking lot, taking a few deep breaths. He was grateful and Derek fortunately knew that, because he still had trouble saying it. Yet he smiled softly when Five whispered a quiet thank you, just before they walked inside together.

———————————

Derek stared at the situation in front of him in shock. He had already handed Grace his gift and she had politely said thank you, most likely taught by her Uncle Klaus. After him however, Five had insisted on handing over his gift, the book he had fought Derek over.

“Wow!“, Grace squealed with joy once she read the title, her eyes lighting up, “That’s so cool, Uncle Five! I love it!“

She didn’t even give her uncle a chance to say anything in response, all but lunging at him for a hug. Five’s eyes widened, before his expression settled into a wide grin. Very gently, he wrapped his arms around his niece, allowing himself to settle down into the moment. This was everything he had wanted for years and he wanted to enjoy it as much as he could.

“I’m glad you like it, you clever girl“, he whispered, so only he, Grace and maybe Derek could hear it, “You enjoy your birthday, alright?“

Never before had Five found any enjoyment in birthdays. Not in his childhood with Reginald, not in the apocalypse, not in the time that came afterwards. But he would do anything to make sure his nieces and nephew would have a chance at enjoying what he never truly had.

Grace nodded, still holding onto the book tightly as Five set her back down. Sometimes she reminded the family of their robot mother, who she had been named after. The same gentleness, mixed with the chaos that were the genes of Diego and Lila.

“Yeah, I will!“, she exclaimed with a wide smile, “You’re the best uncle ever!“

She took off shortly after, but that didn’t change the fact that Five’s heart was melting. Only people who knew him would notice, but his expression softened by quite a bit. Derek stepped up next to him about a minute later.

“Okay…“, he hummed and readjusted his glasses, “I guess I was wrong about her reaction.“

Five quickly caught himself again, though he couldn’t stop smiling at that point. For a few seconds, he had forgotten that Derek was even there. But he was glad that he was there with him, so he didn’t have to face the overwhelming feelings alone.

“Come on. I know you have to go home soon, but let’s at least grab some peanut butter muffins“, Five said before pulling him along to the tables that were designated for food. After all those years, he still enjoyed peanut butter and marshmallows quite a bit.

Derek chuckled and followed along. “Look, I know you plan on drinking with your siblings later“, he said once they sat down together, Five’s legs resting on his lap, “But please don’t overdo it, we both have work tomorrow.“

The older man rolled his eyes. Despite their age difference, their relationship was relatively evened out in terms of power. They both had to adapt to the other’s needs and most often, it worked. Not all the time though.

“Just because I threw up in your potted plant once?“, Five pouted, but looked away after Derek gave him a glare that could level mountains, “Fine. One drink, I won’t go overboard. You’re right, I don’t want to be hungover at work.“

That sentence seemed to satisfy his partner, who focused on watching Diego help his daughter break her piñata. Derek fully trusted Five’s promises, knowing that his boyfriend would keep his word.

———————————

He went home after the party was over, while Five headed to a restaurant with his siblings. Sometimes, Derek was teased for his perfectionism. But despite a few instances of staying up late to finish up a case, he did his best to get the recommended six to eight hours of sleep. Five had only joked about it once, quickly shutting up after hearing Derek’s answer: “You act like I choose to feel this way. But like this, I at least feel like I have a little bit of control over my life and it makes me feel better.“

———————————

Upon waking up after exactly seven hours and fifteen minutes, Derek felt betrayed for just a few seconds. His partner had promised to only have one drink. Yet upon looking at Five, he seemed to be suffering from a massive hangover. His skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, he was shaking like a leaf, while at the same time seemingly fighting both nausea and a pounding headache. In short, Five felt absolutely miserable.

“You promised me to keep yourself under control“, Derek told him as he sat up from his own bed to walk over. Yet as he approached the other bed, he noticed how glassy Five’s eyes were and that despite the accusatory tone in his voice, his partner barely reacted. He even managed to place a hand on Five’s forehead, where he was immediately met with one revelation.

“Oh no…you’re burning up“, he mostly whispered to himself and went to walk into the bathroom to get supplies. However, Five stopped him from doing so by grabbing his wrist, effectively keeping his hand pressed against his hot forehead.

“Don’t leave…“, Five mumbled, the usual collected tone gone, “You feel so nice and…cold.“

If it weren’t for the fact that Derek was incredibly worried, he would have found the situation almost adorable. Never before had he seen Five lean into his touch like this, rubbing his forehead against Derek’s palm like a cat, though he didn’t purr. A clear sign that something wasn’t okay. Five only sought out touch when he wasn’t doing well at all, like after a particular bad nightmare or after getting injured. And his partner had experienced both, but he hadn’t seen him get sick before, that was a first.

Derek sighed heavily, allowing Five to use him as an icepack for another minute before he carefully pulled away.

“Mr.Five“, he used their nickname in an attempt to lighten the mood, “You’re sick. I’m just going to get up to gather some things, okay? I’ll be back before you know it.“

———————————

Instead of a proper response, Five groaned in discomfort. He decided to take that as a yes nonetheless, making his way towards their medicine cabinet. Derek had never experienced something like this before and if he was being honest with himself, he didn’t like having no real power to help Five. All he could do was fight the symptoms, hoping his partner would recover on his own. So for once, he decided to recruit some help, picking up his phone. Most of the siblings were out of the question, they all had work or their kids to worry about. However, there was one who should be around that time of day.

Derek: Hey, could you buy some soup and stop by my place? Five isn’t doing so well.

He expected to have to wait for a few minutes, but the answer came surprisingly fast.

Klaus: I’m on it!

Derek let out a small sigh of relief upon reading that response. At least he wouldn’t have to leave Five to make some soup or go to the store and buy some. He really admired how Klaus had turned his life around, according to his siblings at least. It must have taken quite a bit of will power and for that, he deserved respect in his opinion.

The younger man quickly shook off that thought, returning to Five’s bedside. His partner seemed to be a bit more awake, but still looked quite miserable. And yet, he hadn’t gotten up, which was a plus. He probably wouldn’t be able to keep himself upright.

“Open your mouth“, Derek gently encouraged him, sliding in a thermometer once Five followed the command. While they waited out the results, he began to wipe his sweaty and hot skin down with a damp towel. The coldness of the cloth caused Five to shiver, yet he leaned into it immediately. All while his glassy green eyes attempted to focus on Derek’s face, which was scrunched up with worry. Even though he had grown up a lot since arriving in the reset timeline, Five couldn’t help but feel like a child again. Back then, he had gotten sick more often, with Grace taking care of him in a very similar way. Whenever he had gotten sick in the apocalypse or Commission, he had tried to imagine that tender touch attempting to ease his pain. But in that instance, he didn’t have to use his imagination. Derek was there, gently brushing his damp hair into place. The beeping of the thermometer caused them both to flinch.

Derek bit his lip as he glanced at the numbers flashing back at him. The fever wasn’t incredibly high just yet, but it worried him nonetheless.

“Here, you should drink this“, he attempted to both distract himself and keep Five hydrated, helping him sit up before he grabbed the cup. And despite how utterly miserable, weak and sick the oldest Hargreeves felt, his nose scrunched up once he identified the liquid.

“I’m not drinking tea or any other hot leaf juice type“, Five mumbled and tried to turn away from him. He wanted coffee, but knew at the same time that his partner wouldn’t let him have it.

Derek groaned quietly and walked around the bed to face his partner once more. “You need to drink something. This should help you.“

Both of them were incredibly stubborn, though Five most often won when it came to a battle of will power. Yet now, absolutely exhausted, he didn’t have the energy to fight. So after a lot of pressure from Derek’s side, he began to take small sips of tea, until the mug was empty and his partner set it back down. Just as Five was starting to doze off a bit, the doorbell rang, causing him to flinch from the sudden noise.

“It’s okay, I’ll get it“, Derek quickly reassured him and walked down the hall to answer the door. As expected, Klaus was on the other side, wearing a face mask and holding a container with apparently homemade soup.

“Hi, Wesley“, Klaus smiled underneath his mask and gave him a small wave, “Not in a suit today? Wow, Fünf must really not be doing so swell.“

Derek chuckled at the nicknames, looking down at himself. With Five sick, he had no time to change out of his sleeping attire or properly style his hair, causing it to poof up. At least he was wearing his glasses.

“Good morning, Klaus“, he greeted him back, leaning against the doorframe to hide how nervous he felt, “Five is really not doing so well, not sure what he has. You didn’t have to make soup though, store bought would have been fine.“

Klaus hummed as he handed over the container, clearing his throat a bit. “Actually, Dave made that soup for dinner two days ago. Really soaked up all of that good flavour“, he grinned, which Derek was able to see from the way the skin by his eyes wrinkled, “Plus, our Mom used to make us chicken noodle soup when we were sick.“

While he was suffering from a mild germaphobia, Klaus mainly wore the mask because he sometimes volunteered at a hospital. And he really didn’t want to get sick people with comprimised immune systems even more sick.

“That’s…really kind of you“, Derek admitted, a lot of tension leaving his body as he held onto the container, “Thank you so much, it means a lot.“

Klaus nodded slowly, looking him over from the bottom of his house shoes to the top of his fluffy blonde hair. “No, I should be thanking you, Harry Potter. You’re the one taking care of Five and he obviously likes you quite a lot. I know the old man can be quite a lot sometimes. Speaking of…how do you deal with him?“

Derek blinked slowly as he processed that question. For a minute, he stayed silent, then looked back up at Klaus. “We just…complete eachother. Sure, sometimes we have to move a bit for the other so to speak, but I love him for who he is, just like he loves me. I’m used to an age difference. I fell in love with his soul, not his body, and so did he.“

To his surprise, Klaus didn’t seem amused by it or tried to make a joke about his words. Instead, he just seemed moved. “Awww…That’s good, I’m glad for you too. Tell Five that I hope he gets better soon and to keep you, okay? You really fit in well“, he winked before leaving again.

For a few moments after he had left, Derek stayed frozen, smiling a little bit. Those words meant more to him than he cared to admit. But before he could think about it further, he decided to warm up the soup and check on his partner again.

———————————

Five had dozed off again after the sound of the doorbell had echoed through their appartment, but woke up when the smell of chicken noodle soup entered his nostrils. “Mom?“, he mumbled, slightly delirious from the fever.

“Not quite“, Derek replied, a soft smile on his lips as he sat down, a steaming bowl of soup in his hands, “How are you feeling, Mr.Five?“

Five groaned as he sat up properly, pushing himself up himself instead of letting his partner help. Yet he couldn’t help it as he leaned against Derek’s chest as a makeshift pillow. It soothed his pounding headache a bit. “Like someone ran me over with a bulldozer“, he answered him quietly, opening his mouth for the first spoonful of soup. Picking up the spoon himself felt incredibly exhausting and for once, he didn’t mind how vulnerable he was.

Derek hummed, feeding him half of the bowl before he set it aside and shifted slightly, wanting Five to be as comfortable as possible.

“Whatever it is you have…you should probably get some rest. Just sleep a bit, I’ll stay right here with you. I already called out sick for both of us“, he whispered into his ears, even daring to kiss his partner‘s temple. After waiting for a response for a bit, he noticed that Five had fallen asleep, propped up against Derek’s chest and one arm loosely wrapped around him. For the sake of letting him sleep, he decided against moving.

———————————

About three hours later, Five’s temperature had dropped down to a less worrying level. When he woke up though, the feeling of sickness was replaced by something strange…yet familiar at the same time. After sitting up, Derek didn’t even get the chance to ask if he was feeling any better. Because with one sneeze, Five disappeared in a flash of blueish purple light.

He landed hard on the cold white floor of a subway station. His nausea and headache flared in a way that he had never before experienced in his entire life, making the time he lost his arm appear like a school trip.

“What the hell…“, Five mumbled upon spotting strange symbols written on the walls, only to get pulled through space yet again, landing on his bed once more. Derek had apparently stood up in the few seconds that had passed, staring at him in complete and utter shock, but also confusion.

“What the hell?!“, he echoed the earlier sentence, only much louder. He wasn’t exactly scared of Five, but he had no idea what was happening and humans generally didn’t react well to the unknown. A few times before, Five had mentioned time travel and teleportation, though it had never really raised Derek’s alarm bells. After all, his partner had graduated with a degree in quantum physics while he had still been a teenager. But he had never fully explained the story of his siblings and their powers, afraid of what Derek would think.

Five let out a groan of pain and discomfort, fighting down the upcoming nausea. His entire body felt drained from the telelport, in a way he hadn’t experienced in many years. Slowly, he opened his eyes to look at Derek, taking a shaky breath.

“Look…I don’t fully know what’s going on“, his hair fell into his eyes and he brushed it away without much care, “But I’ll do my best to explain.“

———————————

About thirty minutes later, Derek nodded slowly as he paced back and forth. He believed his partner, despite how crazy it sounded. Even though Five didn’t tell him everything, he always told him the truth. They had insisted on that rule, so he wasn’t angry, just overwhelmed.

“But if the universe reset“, Derek finally uttered his first words since his initial exclamation, “Why do you have your powers back?“

That question hit Five like a punch to the face. While explaining, he had been too focused on making sure Derek understood everything and that his sentences actually made sense. The headache made that last part a bit harder than expected.

“I…I…“, Five stuttered and pulled his knees up to his chest, a sign that the potential answer terrified him, “I don’t know…Maybe the reset didn’t fully work…Oh God…maybe that means the apocalypse is coming back! I’m not ready for that, I can’t go through that again! I can’t bear the sight of my dead family for the fifth time! I don’t want to loose you too, now that I finally found someone who completes me and makes me feel alive!“

He was spiraling so hard, Five didn’t even notice that he was screaming his thoughts aloud, tears running down his face. A panic attack was something his pounding head couldn’t fully handle and he was starting to hyperventilate.

Derek quickly sat down in front of him. “Five, listen to me“, he said firmly, attempting to get him to focus, “It’s going to be alright, we’ll figure this out together.“

Once he noticed that the normal strategy wasn’t working, he decided to change course. While he kept reassuring Five, he pulled him into a gentle hug, hoping that the contact would help. It was a 50/50 chance, but he was fully willing to take that risk. Shortly after his arms wrapped around him, Five hugged him back as if his life depended on it. His tears stained Derek’s sleeping shirt, yet neither of them particularly cared about that. They just kept holding on, both of their respective rants echoing through their minds like a melody.

I don’t want to loose you too, now that I finally found someone who completes me and makes me feel alive!

It’s going to be alright, we’ll figure this out together.

———————————

The next day, Five still didn’t feel too well. But he had recovered enough to leave his bed and visit his siblings with Derek by his side, where it was revealed that the world wasn’t ending. Which was both a relief and a cause of anger for Five.

“You stole from Dad and spiked our drinks?!“, he exclaimed and Derek had to actively hold him back so Five wouldn’t try to strangle Ben, who looked even worse for wear. And even though Derek didn’t have to use as much force as usual, it was still more than one would expect for someone as exhausted as Five.

“Please, Mr.Five“, he practically pleaded, “Relax a bit and sit down.“

To everyone’s surprise, Five did settle down a few seconds later, crossing his arms in front of his chest. Normally, he probably would have put up more of a fight.

Luther stared at Derek, then Five, his eyes wide open. He did look exhausted as well, but was able to keep Sloane from floating to the ceiling by holding onto her ankle. “Wow. You gotta teach us how to do that. He’s never done that with any of us.“

Diego nodded quickly as well, immediately regretting that decision when a wave of pain shot through his head. None of them felt good, except for Klaus maybe. “Yeah. I have three kids, who all got their stubbornness from me and Lila. How do you do that?“

In response, Derek blushed a bit, readjusting his glasses ever so slightly. He looked as unassuming as possible. “Well…he sometimes holds me back too, when it’s necessary, so it evens out.“

Before anyone could ask what he possibly meant by that, Five let out a groan next to him. A sign that the nausea was back at full force, disorientating him beyond measure. But as soon as Derek placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, everything went downhill.

———————————

Never before had the blonde teleported and it was a sensation that took some time to get used to. Suddenly, his world got turned upside down, so much so that he could no longer determine whether his feet were touching solid ground. As for his vision, for a small moment he couldn’t see anything, then for just a split second, he could see stars. Never before had he seen so many stars in the sky, he felt like he was facing the infinity of the universe as time seemed to have lost its meaning. Until, as suddenly as they had disappeared, the reappeared in the strange subway station.

While Derek still tried to come to grips with what happened, Five recovered a bit faster. After all, he had teleported before many times. No matter how much he tried though, he couldn’t bring himself to do it again.

“Shit…“, he cursed under his breath, just before helping his partner with sitting up, “We have a problem.“

———————————

After about ten minutes of recovery time and senseless walking around the station, Derek took a deep breath. He was close to having a panic attack and he refused to let himself get tipped over the edge. Not with Five already freaking out over everything.

“I say we get in the train, see where it takes us“, he announced and made his way towards the open doors. Derek could be extremely stubborn when he wanted to, just like his partner. And in that moment, his tone indicated that he was in no mood for protest. It was a tone that rarely ever came out.

Five groaned, but followed him onto the train. He would be lying if he said he wasn’t the least bit curious. Plus, he couldn’t leave Derek alone. “You have no idea where this will take us“, he mumbled, unaware that this would be a longer trip than expected.

As soon as they stepped out of the station, they were confronted with burning rubble and collapsed buildings. Five’s grip on Derek’s hand tightened a bit more as he did his best to stay in the present.

“This doesn’t look too good“, he whispered, kneeling down as he spotted an arm sticking out of a hill made out of metal pipes and concrete. And while there wasn’t an umbrella tattoo this time, he recognised the watch around the wrist as the one he was wearing every single day.

Meanwhile, Derek slowly looked around. A strange feeling began to wash over him, but he couldn’t quite place it. It was as if the entire world around him seemed out of place entirely. He reached up to scratch the back of his neck, grimacing as the itch refused to go away. No matter how hard he scratched at his skin, to the point that it turned red, it didn’t get better.

“Derek, are you alright?“, Five asked him, but didn’t really look up as he attempted to move the rubble aside. He was too focused to really split his attention.

“Yeah, of course“, his partner found himself saying almost instantly, even though he most definitely wasn’t feeling alright at all. His mouth had gone dry, his saliva no longer doing its job, so he was yearning for water. At the same time, sweat began to trickle down his neck and temple, even though he definitely didn’t feel hot at all.

Finally, Five looked up, his eyes widening ever so slightly. Even though not all of the signs were present, there were enough for him to recognise it. He had gone through it himself after all.

“We need to leave, now!“, he exclaimed, just as the first bullet cut through the air, hitting the wall behind him, “Before you shoot us!“

Derek took cover right next to Five, daring to glance around the corner. And between the rubble, he could spot…himself. Sure, he was no longer wearing his tie, his glasses were cracked and his face dirtied with ash, but it was definitely him. “How is this possible?!“, he exclaimed as they made their way back into the station, avoiding bullets as they did so.

Five took a few shaky breaths, pulling him back into the train as quickly as possible. He was still exhausted from the teleportation earlier. “If I had to guess, that was an alternate timeline. One in which I died, the apocalypse happened and you survived somehow.“

After hearing that, Derek stayed quiet for a few minutes. He knew about the existence of timelines, but knowing about something and seeing something was quite different. After about ten minutes though, he suddenly broke the silence again. “Oh no…We just passed our stop, the train just keeps going!“

Almost instantly, Five paled, trying anything to get the train to stop. But he couldn’t find anything, teleporting was still something his body couldn’t handle and the windows refused to break.

“Shit...“, they both said at the same time, just as the doors opened again and they entered a new station.

———————————

Despite working with files and complicated cases evey day, navigating the subway map took them a lot of time. Every time they thought they had cracked the code, they were proved wrong. And unlike Five, Derek had never fought for his own survival on such a primal level. So things like making a fire, building a shelter or preserving clean water were all things that he had to learn.

Fortunately though, Derek was good at hunting animals, either by building traps or with a weapon. So they were able to get some food, even if they landed in timelines that had long turned into worlds without any humans in it.

However, not all stations lead to those kind of timelines. After about two years of aimlessly wandering through the subway, they stepped out of the train once more. They hadn’t completely abandoned their suits just yet, but had been forced to put on some old coats, as it often got quite cold.

“This is seems promising“, Derek dared to say as they stepped out of the station. The buildings were still standing and the air was clear of ash. Not everything was as good as it seemed though.

“Look out!“, Five exclaimed and lunged at him, just as a gunshot echoed through the air. They were used to making a quick escape at that point, so they barely had to think about it as they fled down the stairs and back into the train. “Woah…That was a close one.“

Derek had stayed strangely quiet during their escape, the only sound that came from him was his heavy breathing. “Mister Five?“, he whispered, his voice barely above a whisper and quite strained. His upper arm was shaking beyond belief, a dark red patch slowly spreading across his sleeve.

Never before had two words affected Five that much. His vision tunnelled on the blood, as well as the gunshot wound on Derek’s right upper arm. “No…no, no, no, shit!“, he exclaimed, his fingers hastily pulling off his tie to use as a turniquet. He had never cared much when he himself had gotten injured, but when it came to people he cared about, he felt almost paralysed.

“Hey, hey, look at me“, he almost commanded, placing one hand on Derek’s cheek, “No going into shock, Mister. Here, drink this.“

He shakily pulled out a flask from his leather satchel, forcing his partner to take a swig before taking a sip himself.

Derek had previously been dissociating into a state of shock, the pain burning like a hot iron but it had still been not enough to keep him awake. However, as soon as his tastebuds registered what the liquid inside of the flask was, he found himself wide awake and disgusted.

“Ew!“, he exclaimed, not even noticing as his partner tightened the turniquet a bit, “Is that coffee?!“

Five nodded, leaning back and taking another sip. He still had to stop the bleeding and check whether the bullet had gone through or not, but for just a second, he could relax. “You need to stay awake, keep the adrenaline up. This was the best way.“

Just for a moment, both of them laughed. It wasn’t light laughter by any means, but it was a small break from the constant danger and hopelessness.

———————————

Keeping track of time inside of the subway was tough. There was no day and night cycle, Five’s watch had given up after about a year and their sleeping schedule wasn’t regular by any means. So they had to rely on Five’s sense of time, which he possessed due to the nature of his powers.

“How long has it been?“, Derek asked one day, his head leaned against his partner’s shoulder as they waited for the water to boil. The right lense of his glasses had cracked, though he desperately tried to keep it together. It was the only sense of normalcy he had retained.

“Six years, four months and twelve days“, Five mumbled, his eyes loosely closed. He barely had to think about it anymore, the numbers burned into his mind.

Derek hummed quietly and reached into the depth of his pockets, only to frown when he touched something he had long forgotten about. He had bought it before they had ended up in the subway system, which felt like an eternity ago.

“Mr.Five?“, he asked with a smile, which caused his partner to open his eyes and look at him, “Once we get out of here…I don’t want to spend a day without you. And I know you find it cheesy, but will you marry me?“

He carefully pulled out the box from his pocket, revealing the silver ring that held five emeralds, similar to Five’s deep green eyes. Even though he had thought about those words for six years, Derek couldn’t help but feel incredibly nervous.

Five’s eyes resembled saucers once he looked at the ring for the first time. He had been married before, but back then, he had been the one to propose. And even though he was a dangerous killer, he found himself blushing like a teenage girl getting asked out by her crush.

“I…“, he stuttered for a moment, then nodded quickly, trying to quickly wipe the tears away, “Yes, I will marry you. I’ll get us out of here, I promise, we will have a wedding.“

Normally, Derek was the one who mainly initiated the touches. But this time, Five pulled him in for a kiss as soon as the ring found its place on his finger. He almost seemed hungry for any sort of touch, holding onto his collar and only pulling away once they both needed to breathe. The sweet moment of affection was interrupted by a Eureka moment.

“I got it!“, Five exclaimed, grabbing Derek’s left arm as to not accidentally hurt him by digging his fingers into his old wound, “I know how to get back!“

Derek barely had time to ask him any questions. They were both overwhelmed by emotions and the thought of getting back far too overpowering. “Let’s go then!“, he grinned, something he hadn’t done in quite a while.

———————————

It took them a while to go through the combination of stations, but after about an hour, they made it. With one teleportation, they found themselves back in the academy. Five’s siblings seemed to have left, but not much time had passed at all, a few hours at the most.

“We did it…“, Derek whispered breathlessly, allowing himself to fall onto the couch next to his fiancé, “We made it back.“

Five nodded, taking a deep breath as the realisation hit him. For a while, he looked at the ring on his hand, a faint smile appearing on his face. “How about we go home, take a shower, change…have some coffee?“, he suggested and offered him his hand.

Derek nodded and readjusted his glasses before he took the offered hand.

“Or tea.“

-----------------------------

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and story! This will most likely be the last one, since I'm not good at writing weddings and I quite like how this ended. If you have any sort of suggestions for other stories, oneshots, whatever, let me know. As always, leave some likes or comments, they make my day. Thank all of you so much for the love you gave this story of mine, it means so much to me. Until next time, -Donna Lawliet

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