#never held it against them that they left. she just envied them a little. but she had to stay | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

kooyabooya · 3 months ago

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GAMBIT

m reader x tzuyu // 9k words

The thing about risk takers, you see, is the fact that you tell them to stop multiple times - and they never do.

At every turn of the hands on the clock, here lies Chou Tzuyu, in her most casual form imaginable. One leg on the other with an arm outward to the head of the couch cushions. She’s got her face at this inquisitive angle; pure innocence, slant lips nearing a sly grin while she’s put through an earful from her manager:

“You’re on your last set of legs, and I hope to god that this story doesn’t break out in the ringers of the press come tomorrow morning.”

Nothing could scrounge up the loss of professionalism, draining away from the slips in the shut door frame. Because the challenges become more complicated than the other, and this one might just be the tip of the iceberg.

“Well then,” Tzuyu starts, and in typical Tzuyu fashion: sweetly and unbothered. “Let’s just have our fingers crossed that no one around here is willing to leak that out to the public.”

Tzuyu’s manager glances towards your direction, matching the same eyebrow with theirs in pure confusion as to what this conversation was boiling down to. You almost feel bad, but fortunate enough to not be stuck in their position. Dealing with Tzuyu’s bullshit on a day to day basis, growing a gloomy shade in their hair that shouldn’t be there for another twenty to thirty years; luckily, that hasn’t happened to you, at least not yet.

In the years of service that you’ve had with the agency, you’ve had the fair pleasure in confiding with different individuals amongst the growing industry, to different waves of success. Sana? A world beater that has cameras flashing everywhere she goes. Mina? An absolute angel sent from heaven, well fit into the standards of fame. Those two amongst your clients might as well be considered your favorites - and the list that follows after is a very reputable asset to have.

But Tzuyu? That is a blank area that has still yet to be defined.

Something about Chou Tzuyu around these doors and offices has everyone turning their heads in the other direction - because you know from experience in this industry - for someone like her that’s bound for stardom with that one of one face and the age that she’s at will be the kind of story that’s not following the script. She’s one of the most genuine, kind-hearted, and beautiful souls that everyone envies to an extent; moreso jumping over cars and off of cliffs to have a mere inkling of notice from her, a scale tipped in the balance to love or hate her persona at the same time. Every now and then she sweeps you up in that whirlwind too, but who can blame you for getting lost in her charming features?

And you find it to be amazing at how she remains so stoic. Color yourself impressed, or bewitched even, you’re also reminded why this little project of hers hasn’t been brought out to the world.

“So remind me again,” you’re saying, settling yourself around the office, scooching your way past Tzuyu to take the open spot left vacant on the couch, “Tzu over here was caught with what?”

The observing of Tzuyu doesn’t stop there, unfortunately, limit testing on how dire this present situation actually is - with those long, glossy locks that rest right past her shoulders and in front of her chest, beautifully so like a sculpture bust; the threaded eyebrows, and those long eyelashes. Then, there’s the dimple - and her baby blue outfit, the heels, the jewelry, snug with the curves of her body, she’s meant to be the main event, the sole person who can shift the atmosphere in just a few steps-

Tzuyu’s manager, sadly, isn’t one to play games however.

Another quirk of the brow gets thrown, and they hit you with a crinkle from the bridge of their eyebrows, inward lips as if anything said from this point on would be held against themselves.

So you smile, and play the cool guy vibe, mirroring Tzuyu’s seating position in the exact same way down to the wiggling foot. “Well?”

A file gets thrown to the coffee table in the middle of you three, and a phone is up in the air - unlocked and everything when it lands in between your hands. It’s already on the photos app, and when you’re zooming in to get a closer look at all of the pictures from what you can see from the date in the top portion of the screen - from last weekend, and you’re doing the exact same expression as her manager.

“It was supposed to be a breaker event for little ‘miss perfect’ over here,” Tzuyu’s manager starts, laser focused like he thinks you’re going to ask her yourself if the contents in the phone were actually hers - which might not make the situation better. Look, you’ve got to keep it cool and stay professional, since that’s your job - especially since Tzuyu’s also young, not by much, but it still feels all the same. Sure, you could challenge that, but why would you? Every time you look at Tzuyu, she can see that there’s not a single thought past your eyes. “I leave her with Sullyoon for thirty minutes at this event and I-”

You turn your head towards Tzuyu again to which she gives you the side eye after looking at the phone in your hand, and somehow you just know.

Tzuyu’s manager flips open the file, filled with a good stack of pictures. He spreads them out all over the table, much like finding a specific still from this gallery that stands out. You’re staring, closer, the photos match up in the phone too and-

Shit.

That’s the only word that you can think of, but the meaning and intent could be taken in either one of two ways. As for the thoughts circling around your head?

There’s hardly any. Almost nothing.

“Okay,” you say, face still unfazed; a skill in itself that took a god awful amount of time to get down perfectly, but still, holy shit. Now you’re seeing why the agency is doing everything in their power to keep this under wraps. You can’t even believe the pictures that show Tzuyu exposed with no clothes at all, clearly tattered up in marks and scratches and ran through from whoever was the person that took the pictures in the first place. There’s her thighs stacked on top of each other with pointe feet, her abs are soaked in fresh spurts of cum, the way that her head is crestfallen to the right side as she tries to cover her face, how she smiles at the corner of her mouth; she’s made for the cameras - and you could see the literal sex that she emits from the stills, every profane term in the book or in your vocabulary culminated into one person - but this is the line of work you’ve put yourself in, as you can feel the two pairs of eyes staring at you from the both of them, waiting for an answer.

You toss the phone off to the side, and get your fingertips on the pictures, examining them with wandering eyes. And with the calm and composed demeanor you could craft within seconds, you say: “I don’t see what’s the problem here.”

Nothing flies with Tzuyu’s manager at this point when it comes to you. “Watch the attitude now,” he leads, overbearing.

“What he said,” Tzuyu doubles one second after, a wisp of hair falling to the front of her face, grinning behind the thin curtain of her strands, “Watch the attitude.”

You exchange glances between Tzuyu and her manager, clearly in shock at how they’re figuratively double-teaming against you. Tzuyu’s always had a knack for being upbeat and funny, flirty would also be a way to put it, but she’s made that her own thing, her label - the press wasn’t kidding when they said in between the lines that this woman here was going to turn the world on its head, to make anyone from anywhere fall to the ground just to have them acknowledged in her good graces - many will die when granted the opportunity - but it's one of those days that has you wondering why she’s more forward, and obvious, that equation is still getting solved by the second.

“Done,” you say after, giving in to their demands; it’s still difficult to learn and determine what kind of tale she’s willing to write today and you’re still seeing whether it's a good idea to play along to what’s forming. “What else do we know about her and-”

“Sullyoon’s already had her discussion earlier,” Tzuyu answers right away, combing her hand through her hair, watching her fingers disappear within those coffee bean locks that’s effortlessly charming. “As for me, that’s still yet to be determined. Which also got me thinking: it can’t be that bad as it sounds the way that you’re suggesting it.”

You’re also seeing the attitude that Tzuyu’s showing through her words and how she feels about the entire situation as a whole before you and her manager could even dive into the more complicated bits within the first five minutes of walking into the room. It’s like in her case file written in parentheses: ‘known to be a hot head, and a bit self-obsessed’ - considering her arrogance at times, but her charms make up for it. She can be one or the other, or even both. It’s how she grins: simply desirable. Once she’s put her name out there for the rest of the world, and not even for the industry, the scandals won’t even touch her going forward. She’ll be untouched while you are at the bottom picking up the scraps and taking the damage.

“The punishment for Sullyoon is a lot more lenient because of me,” says Tzuyu’s manager, but his gaze gets back on her, hand on hip in clear and utter disappointment with the shake of his head. “And Haewon’s already not having it with the incident with Bae. Now with this, it’s a complete clusterfuck of events, so I just- ugh, it’s a lot.”

“Sorry to hear that,” you apologize, a hand up but the look on your face shares little to no care about the manager’s pain as of this moment. “And for the record, I feel like we had this conversation before, no?”

“You’re her advisor, dipshit.” Tzuyu’s manager grits, ball forming at the fist, “That’s the reason why I brought you on board with her in the first place. Isn’t that supposed to be your job to, y’know, advise?”

“You’re the manager, and might I add the correction: her manager,” you shoot back retortfully, “Maybe you should keep a close monitor on our lovely, budding starlet here from the get-go?”

Tzuyu stifles a laugh, causing both your eyes and her manager’s to do this form of joint attention on her, and hiding away in the plane of her medium-sized hand, “What?” you both say to her, and it comes off as comical.

“Nothing,” she muses, lifting a leg up over her opposite one this time, leaning deeper into the cushions of the couch, eyebrows up in the horizon of her forehead, beaming. “I just thrive amongst the bickering you two are having over my career.”

“See?” And Tzuyu looks away from your rolling eyes, “I put it in the file in bullet points. She’s not ready for this kind of pressure and lifestyle, and do you really want me to go through the list of the incidents she’s already put herself through to serve your memory?”

“I would find it best for you not to remind me of everything up until now.” Tzuyu’s manager shuts down the question, spinning his phone in hand between the fingers, “Please don’t-”

“DUI charges, social media backlash because of a vape laying in her lap in one of the pictures, smoking out late at night with Ryujin and Yuna,” You’re listing out the events anyway, because Tzuyu’s manager can easily tell that you’re the kind of person to not really give a shit about these kinds of things. It’s not you being put under the spotlight - this microscope that’s always being picked off with a pair of tweezers - how one influencer’s words could brainwash the general public into rubbing their palms with a pair of tangerines. They’ll always follow, to some extent; and for Tzuyu, that’s the kind of power she wants to have - to get people talking about her and not stop there.

“So do you want me to keep going?” You ask again, clearly caring little to none as Tzuyu examines her personal stills, head tilted when she picks up one of the photos. “And may I remind you that she’s got a gala event to attend to in the midst of all this, so let me ask you this boss,” you say, and you can see the flared nostrils coming from Tzuyu’s manager, “How do you want to go about this?”

Tzuyu’s manager freezes, phone vibrating in record time like crazy. He’s taking a few seconds to strategize the next move, what’s the next course of necessary action. Keeping Tzuyu here is the worst idea, because that breeds into speculation. Compounding that, there’s also the monumental effort of keeping these pictures on the table in her phone on the down low, which may be impossible at this point, given with the insiders circling around like moles in the organization.

“The event isn’t for another hour and a half or so,” Tzuyu’s manager announces, eyes darting back and forth from the phone to you two sitting on the couch, pulling his lips upward at the exchange of messages. “Fuck this industry sometimes,” he groans, “You do things here and there and don’t expect the treatment to be - goddamit, Haewon’s calling me again about Sullyoon,” he says, phone to the side of his head when he answers. “Hey, Haewon. No, I uh- I’m here with Tzu and- yeah, I’ll come over right now to see the situation.” He pulls his phone away from his ear, button pressed on mute, “Sorry, but you know where I’m going with this here.”

“Don’t be,” says Tzuyu. There’s some tension in the air, like a flare set off in the dead of the night - how her head turns slightly towards your direction, smile laced with a purpose - and she cocks her head off to the side as her manager starts to make his way out the room. “We’re not leaving yet as it is.”

Her manager pauses, in between the open doorway. His phone is right back into his ear, nodding along to Haewon on the other end of the line, eyes lapping side to side and back between the two of you - because it’s his job, and he can’t get away from that fact regardless.

“That’s still up in the air, you know,” he says towards you, clearly hurt by the tone you gave earlier; insulted might be one better word to put it, but he knows that you know better and you’re just acting like this out of spite. “Don’t know how long this will take, but pray that I’ll be back before we have to go.”

Once the door closes - much like a kingdom raising up their drawbridge, a safe with all the locks in the world clicking into place - holding you and Tzuyu prisoner in this vacuum of space, this could be hell, or it might be heaven. Tzuyu clicks her tongue, gets it under the front portion of her bottom teeth, at a molar, studying you as if you’re a centerpiece or painting hung up on the room; this girl is clearly unreadable.

“Tzu,” you call out to her, keeping the ambiance chill - whilst maintaining some form of lead in this hurricane of tension. It doesn’t also help that the sun is right at the ocean, kissing along the horizon towards the beach, a wonderful mixture of hues between orange and dark blue and purple clashing in the sky, the lights are on in the neighboring skyscrapers - a view that can serve as the last sight for someone before falling off fifty plus stories - and in the midst of all that calming pictures, she’s still looking at you.

She leans over, dress wrinkling in all the right creases. Don’t look now, or else that’ll be the end of you, as she blinks dotingly, lashes fluttering and with that sugary tone of hers, she just says: “Yes?”

“What gave you the compelling idea to have an entire album of a cock in your mouth. Not only that, but the fact that Sullyoon was also in on this too? Especially when she’s three years younger than you, her senior? Like what-”

“You’re making it sound like I fucked up?” Tzuyu says, an eyebrow raised in curiosity, the innocence isn’t doing her any justice compared to the hard evidence found in her phone. “Of course I know what I was doing, and believe me, this would only speed up the process a little more.”

“What process?”

“To get me out there into the real world.”

She giggles when the crease of your eyebrows knitting together comes back into the frame of your face, leaning over while she sinks back into the couch, hands fiddling with the red ribbon that was attached to her dress. The eerie sound of your name being recited from the proper pronunciation meshing into hums. She’s observing your posture, much like her normal act persists - staying quiet but acknowledging others when needed. You hate how much of a sweetheart she is at times, because it’s all a setup for a bleeding edge that eventually comes to life sooner or later.

“I’ll keep it real,” you’re starting again, “You did fuck up. And you fucked up bad. It’ll be a miracle if this doesn’t get out, but I’m not holding my breath for you, and-”

Tzuyu just keeps staring. With that gaze of hers, she’s still trying to get a read - from the hem of your jacket or at the peak of your ruffled hair, it might be easy to tell that in some way: she’s into you.

“Okay, in simple terms, you’ll live.” With that said, you shouldn’t be silently suffering with a potential breakout star of an actress, so you’ll hang strong against her glance. This was something that you enjoyed doing from the multiple meetings and screenings. “We could honestly set this up to be a hush money agreement with whoever managed to get these pictures in the first place - your fault, might I add - but anyways, all of this should go away, if we play our cards right. No need for you to come forward to address the rumors, that’s why you have people like us to deal the damage. All you have to do here is just - uhm - well, be Tzuyu.”

Tzuyu appears intrigued, finding a small crack in your impenetrable armor, a rarity at times but also is aware that it might be a minor slip-up. “Be Tzuyu? What do you mean by that?”

You flash a look at her, but she’s one to double down, eyes squinting - she’s capitalizing on your mistake. “There’s a proper term for this,” she says, “and maybe um, pretty would be one to suffice?”

“I’m not trying to sound afraid,” you say, calmly. “There’s two choices between right and wrong. Then there’s the respect, and also being sensible. You have to treat this career like it’s your life.” And you didn’t say professional, because that word is the last resort; a rescue rope only to be used in the most dire situations.

“I want this life.” The admission, something nestling underneath the parts of her sentence, a slow-burning being soaking behind those soiled eyes. Tzuyu then scoots over, gets closer to you, tips her chin to further the examination. “I have what it takes to be professional. You’re just afraid to say it to my face.”

“Welp, you caught me,” you say, knotting your fingers in between themselves just to keep yourself from doing anything rash, maybe walking out of the room to leave her alone would be the best move, instead of letting your thoughts get the best of you and pinning her body flat on the couch. “Seriously, doing things like this will only kill your chances of making it big even before you start.”

Common sense appears to be dissipating out the clear windows. And now Tzuyu is the one who’s taking full advantage, bursting your personal bubble - the way that she shimmies her way across the cushions, so mindful of how she moves her body at every curve and nick in her limbs; you can hear your own heartbeat quickening, like you’re hiding in a locker and she’s about to tamper with the dial to get the door open - and she’s about face to you, hand ghosting the upper profiles of your chest where your shoulders are at. She’s not that tall from a height standpoint, but sitting down, she’s matching your build bit by bit.

“It’ll happen, regardless,” says Tzuyu, face with a wide grin. “That’s why people like you are working hard to make sure that things like these don’t happen again. Especially in the long run.”

“You’re really going all out today, are you?” You exclaim after closely assessing, holding our ground against her. “Might I add that you might also ruin Sullyoon’s career after yours is out of our hands?”

“She’s a tough girl,” says Tzuyu, flatly, as if the prospect itself is something to laugh about. Tzuyu is a silent killer, shown in her signs of arrogance which shouldn’t be enticing to you, but they are, and in every way possible. “And like I told you, I’ll keep doing shit like this because I want to. You can hide away all you want, when it’s clear in your eyes that you want me just as bad as I want you.”

“And what do you propose here?”

“I’m telling you that the way you sound right now turns me on, genius.”

It comes in a black flash, much like you staring down the hole of a double-barreled shotgun; or your head getting pushed into a tub of ice cold water. You can see the stars in her eyes, each and every one of them an alternate reality of their own between you and Tzuyu, sparkling with so much light. “Who’s saying that fucking a client was on the cards?”

And Tzuyu chuckles at that, on cue like it's some cheeky sitcom. “Don’t get stupid with me,” she says, and she’s raining fire down from above. “Everyone already has said the same thing at least once or more.”

Your eyes land on the clock hanging above the room, then they dart to the closed door. “He’s not gonna be back anytime soon, is he?”

“Haewon’s office is at least five floors down, and the elevator apparently hasn’t been working all day..”

“Some luck.”

“I can make my own.”

“I hope you know that this is a really bad path you’re going down to.” You’re deterring, but it's a lazy attempt at best, no point in shying away - because you’re not scared of Tzuyu, and you never were, mentioning the fact that she’s radioactive in her own rights. She’s equipped with an arsenal of tricks and quirks, but you’ve got your own brandished within that noggin of yours. A hand is on her thigh, trailing up to the hip, and she looks down to take the hint, scooting closer. “You’ve got some nerve, testing me like this, and you have no idea what you just signed up for.”

“Do you have to be this serious?” Tzuyu’s hand finds yours, slipping up against the fine silk across the palm of your hand. “I’m one for keeping things simple here,” she’s telling you, watching your eyes as your fingers get rumpled over the fabric, venom lacing your nerves before you even realize it. It’ll get reactive really quick, but you stand your ground. “About the sex, don’t overcomplicate-”

“Why would I overcomplicate something with the likes of you?” you’re asking her, and you watch as her hand finds the knot tied at the nape of her neck, unraveling it, where you see her bra. It’s no help that she’s sliding her dress down to her panties and thighs, the covers being unleashed with every inch opening up to the air. “We’re on track here, and I think I’m getting warmer here.”

This is something serious, much like a public execution at the hands of her just strolling on by - people stopping in their tracks just to get a good look of that face, that body, so this might be some form of armageddon - but Tzuyu’s dress gets discarded somewhere in the office, to a corner where it won’t be seen on her until you’re fully done with her. Everything in your head is flowing like a whitewater river, a burning urge that gets beyond just the sexual aspect of it. So you’ll get your knees deep:

“You know how long I’ve been waiting for this?” you ask, and examine. The sense of being normal and professional has long gone out the way. But oh. Oh, she knows what she wants, and you’ll have the fine luxury to give that to her, because it’s what you signed up for: twist the words and her body in every way that you see fit, to fill people in on what their crown jewel of a woman is up to. “Dreaming of that one day where someone will just tell you straight: I want to fuck you. Well Tzu, today’s your lucky day.”

Tzuyu tenses, eyes appearing like glitter, holding your hand where it stays on the rise of her hip. “I’ve never seen you this talkative outside office hours.”

“I converse like this on the regular.” You’ve got the experience, and the hours under your belt, you’re holding the other end of the rope in her burgeoning career - if she fucks up the next time, you’re also gone along with her, too. “Now, are you gonna keep talking, or are we going to talk business?”

Tzuyu is so good for you, in more ways than one. It’s in her eyes, the way that she tilts her head off to the side, when you’ve pushed her up against the cushions as far as you could take her, hair spilling over to her covered breasts, keeping her gaze locked with yours when you’ve sunk to the bottom of the couch - the low light of the sunset makes way for the night sky, moonlight breaking through that captures her face, illuminating the fine mold of her cheekbones, her teeth break past her lips, and she smiles a bit like practice for the waves of flashes out on the red carpet - she relaxes, feels the lace of her panties slide off her thighs like nothing. Undeniably gorgeous, is one way to put it, she’s dirty, she’s every single thing; oh god, the staring, when you look up between her legs, mouth hanging low, chest puffed up in anticipation of the relieving pressure.

“Many people have tried to test me, get rid of the fun in what I do with my manager and such,” Tzuyu says. “But I knew-” Her hands find yours, sliding up the sides of her outer thighs, holding them in place when you start to lean in. “You didn’t do anything about it, and I liked how you were with me, to set me right, without the changes of rules.”

“Had it been anyone else,” you acclaim, mouth leaving hot and wet kisses across the inner portion of her thigh; she’s got a hand in your hair with no intention of letting you go.

“You,” Tzuyu says the singular syllable, reduced to just very minimal words, much like she’s being scolded. But the confession let out is like a padlock finally breaking under the pressures of the wrench: “I’ve always wanted you. I promise and fuck- I’ll be good.”

There’s actually no way she said-

The words that spilled out her mouth flew over your head for a short second, a minor blowback in the swing of things - but then again, why are you playing it safe with Tzuyu in the first place? There’s no need, and you’ve got to make that apparent to her; you’ve got your hands on her long legs, spreading your hand out on the skin, she’s got a hand sliding down to her glistening pussy, but she reels back when you’ve beat her to it, and Tzuyu hisses, hiding a whine, “Baby…”

You pause, hike her up on the couch higher, focus slinging to her face, and her dead-eyed stare slams right alongside yours.

“Tzuyu,” you’re saying, when you’ve managed to say her name that’s caught in between your vocal folds - it’s a little rushed, no exhale behind it, and a bit tattered - but there’s her demeanor, the tightness swirling in the air between you two. She’s only a few years younger - and that alone could be worse - you’ve got the better position, the better wits of how things work, the implications - and maybe you were a pawn in her game all along, there’s really no telling.

“Love it,” she exhales, voice tripping when you dip your mouth down to her other pair of lips, “when you say my name,” she’s needy, fingers curling to your head to satiate the sensation a bit longer. Legitimately, fuck, she might end your career, make you a martyr for the whole office to witness, and she could be the one to do all that. “Baby, your fucking mouth.”

The gaze never wavers on her, hunting - her dainty fingers are gripping the cushions, fibers of muscle moving in ways much so she would be defending herself; she’s used to giving orders and due compliance, but knows where she stands in certain situations. She could be the primary catalyst of what’s happening right now, but you’ve got full control: a green light going off in the back of your mind. There’s no turning back now, foot to the floor, bases fully loaded. She won’t- She won’t last a week in this life by playing it by the rules.

“Need me that bad?” You ask, face twisting devilishly. Some things in this line of work have taught you that people have to be selfish at times, and you’ll fall face-first into that. “Watch and learn, sweetheart. Don’t even think about getting your hands on me.”

Tzuyu’s lip is caught between her upper teeth, rolls her eyes, nodding profusely - it’s gonna take more than that. You see her lidded eyes, spread her apart further, “We listening?”

“No- touching,” she sighs. This girl is soaked - the refreshing taste of her cunt on the pad of your tongue, and you’ll keep indulging. You’ve got yourself in that open space between her legs, she’s sputtering out nonsense, pulling her thighs in to combat against your hands - “Please, just- please, do this one thing for me, I swear-”

She’s waving the flag up high in the air, and of course you’re going to take this into account. This is someone who is going to make headlines wherever she goes, has people do things that would lead into major or second-hand embarrassment, so you lean down to her aching pussy - across the folds, and her clit, so slick for you, she’s sighing a lot more louder this time - and she’ll let you mold her into any shape you want her to be, let your tongue do the talking: “Right there, yes-” she’s relaxing into your hands and face, giving you the praise she’d never thought she’d say to you ever, like some act of contrition that will absolve her actions - wow, and you’re wondering of the lucky fucker who took the pictures of her and Sullyoon got the same luxury as you’re getting right now. “Fuck, oh honey-”

You’re paying no mind to how her hips are wiggling across your face, desperate for a sense of friction, fighting every urge to not dig her nails into your hair and get your tongue even deeper where you can send it - but you keep her legs spread, and she could almost rip into the cushions on the couch, grip tight enough to choke-

“Taste so good,” you mutter, off to the side of her leaking slit, listening as the chorus of Tzuyu’s moans crescendo a bit before dropping in silence. “Look at you, being so good for me.”

“Shit, you’re gonna- you’re gonna make me-”

Whether she’s able to tell you or not, you know it all the same. Her flawless face is so torn to the fine points - faltering in every aspect of perfection, that apex, you’re working her there, warmer, and warmer-

But you pull from the tops of her thighs, shove your nose right down to her clit. Stay right fucking here, and don’t even think about moving a muscle; sometimes there’s no need to say things verbally - but the implication stands - when Tzuyu finally lets go into the heat of your mouth.

You can be lenient, maybe have her rest in the grace period, but there’s a schedule still drawn up on the board, and the sand in the hourglass is still seeping through the middle. “I’d like to keep this up,” you tell her, cleaning up the slick spread across your lips - that fine nectar, easy to say that you’re addicted, but that’s old news. “But must I remind you that you’ve got an image to protect at this gala you’ve got in an hour?”

“Can- Can I have my turn now?” Tzuyu asks, sitting up on the couch now, hands fast to her backside, unlatching the clips of her bra, slides out of it like it’s nothing. You’ve got your jacket discarded on her manager’s desk, hands to the buckle. Tools are being laid out here amongst you two, and Tzuyu keeps her eyes trained on you, chest rising and falling - watching the noticeable bulge appearing in your boxers. “Please, I can help - just need your cock-”

“Do you always like to rush these things?” You ask her - pushing her back as her arms just float in the air - she’s beautiful, gorgeous, and wanting; the notion alone would already be disregarded if it wasn’t for the sensible form of structure in your head. It’s in that dimple of hers, that sly grin, those eyes, she’s a personification of eye candy: you’ll keep staring for as long as she’d like you to. “No need to answer that, but,” and you laugh in between for a slight second, “You’re really pushy today.”

“Please, baby.” That gaze, eyes trained up with her bit lip, she’s dangerous. “For me.”

You don’t say anything, but with a simple nod, and her fingers are fast to the elastic.

You also like how she’s willing to follow, to listen. She’s good with her hands, she’s been trained to handle PR questions with the flick of her wrist, programmed to take information and internalize it - she’s flawless enough to stand with the other clients, even when you’re the first to make the move in kissing her, capture her mouth with yours. It’s a bit cute when she’s caught off guard, sucking the air out of her, yielding to your touch. She’s smiling against your lips, and that’s the laced venom you’ve been cautious of.

The grip gets let go from the back of her head, retreating, panting, the taste of her lips mixed with yours. She helped clean off the remnants of her pussy on your tongue and she’s licking her lips again wanting more. “Give me some kind of feedback. A demand. Anything,” you command, fingers dancing along her chin when she looks up so innocently. “I think you’ll ask nicely, so prove it.”

She doesn’t even think twice about it. “I want you,” she’s coming in and out of focus in her eyes, way past the point of no return, staring at you while she’s keeping you magnetized to her hands, slowly dragging along the skin of your cock, “to fuck me, put this cock inside my pretty little pussy, and use me to cum all over-”

Her face does it for you, shattering right in front of your eyes, wanting smile, pupils blown - you snake your arms around her back, press her down to the couch - there’s a beauty behind the sneakiness of this, the thrill of being found out, the risks taken to take advantage of someone to your own liking, let the thrums of your heartbeat be the only thing to hear within yourself - but Tzuyu goes quiet, she’s so pliant and wet that doesn’t really need any words to come out of her, just the noises when-

“Fuck.”

When you slide your aching cock into her cunt, slowly, painstakingly strategic, and the feeling was too much to bear for her.

“God-”

You draw back and snap your hips into her - a statement made, an opening in the woven threads to rip a hole in - you’ve got a hand quick to her parting mouth, hushing her, pinning her. “Go any louder,” you’re hissing, lowly, trying to not think about the fucking clench her cunt makes around you, “Go any louder, and you’re just asking to get caught. We can’t have that, can we?” This is something new, something absolutely obscene, hiding away in the office of her manager’s - keeping a secret that nobody should be able to tell, besides you two. “Did you realize how much of a slut you are when I saw those pictures?”

Tzuyu’s breasts wobble on the upstrokes, bouncing along while leaking all over your length. The thought of damage control is still in play, to not have her completely ruined for the red carpet in the next hour or so - but you’ll take the secrecy, construct a fake picture to ensure that will not have anyone look a second time. Nobody will know how good Tzuyu’s wrapped around you, that hot and tight cunt, a hand now wrapped around her neck, pressing down but not too much-

A thumb is in between her lips. “Speak up.”

“Yes- I know, fuck, it was- a mistake.” She’s choking up the words from the hand on her throat, barely enough to produce the sounds through her vocal folds, chasing for that relief that she desperately needs - “It was stupid, but,” she’s unmoving with her reasons, fervor standing strong, it’s irking - you’ve got to fuck this attitude out of her - “That doesn’t matter, please, your cock, keep fucking, right there, that’s the spot, I’ll be good, I’ll cum for you, make you not worry about-”

“You keep talking like this and I’ll make you shut up myself.”

She spills a line of expletives that get mixed up with the slaps of her hips with yours, but there’s one outlier - maybe two - that captures your ears.

“I didn’t make him cum inside me, but I’ll let you do it if you want.”

“Yeah, not happening, babe. Not like this.”

Tzuyu mewls and whimpers when you give her one good, impaling hit inside her cunt, let your cockhead rest right beneath the womb where it aches. It doesn’t help her case when she’s shaking her head in refusal, denying. You’re chuckling as she tries to shimmy out of your grasp, the sound reverberating around the room, in relief, or awe would be a way to put it. Stepping into this office was a little bit out of your way, just popping your head in to get a quick word before going on with whatever was on the agenda - until this whirlwind of events coming from her changed all that. “Please. Can you do that? I want it, I want you, so bad. I swear, nothing bad will ever happen from me again - please, if you just-”

Luckily, everyone’s gone from the office for today - because she’s way louder than you would’ve expected - you ram your cock inside her pussy, without any care for her begging and pleading - there’s also not ruining her appearance, but you’ll pull something out of your ass or she will to cover it up. You’ve made your mark in twisting people’s words around, shifting the angles that way you’re not the one taking up the heat. Conjuring up whatever you could that might rival a con artist’s whole life. But this is also another thing: if Tzuyu’s manager walks in right now, you could prime the whole act onto her and she’ll be gone.

“You can keep asking, begging, offering, whatever it is that you want.” It’s hard to forget that you’re on the clock, the provisos informed, lines that were drawn up from the start; you could cut it some slack, maybe for someone like her, who really knows. “I’ll keep fucking you up as long as I like, but you’re not getting me to cum up all inside you.” She tilts her head back, and you sweep down to the column of her neck, get a mark on it, not too hard. “Want it to be easy? Just keep screaming, nobody will hear you.”

Wishing that this moment here in the room to last forever might be a tall ask. From the exchange of hitched breaths coming out of your lips and hers, to the slaps still stable in pace, bottoming her out as her ankles finally latch onto the small of your back, holding you in place - someone could walk in the room now and know without question as to what you’re doing to her - maybe with the sea of cameras at this event later will take notice as to the damage you’ve done to-

“Inside. Please, nobody has to know. Just us.” Fuck, this girl is testing your mental tenacity, exersizing every impluse that you’ve unleashed of every dirty thought you’ve had since working with her. She could convince you with words, the magma emitting from her voice, sounding low, goes so well in tandem with her moans. “Maybe if you keep this up, I’ll let you knock me up whenever you want, wherever you want, however you want.”

“You- Tzuyu, you- fuck-”

“That would be so hot, you know? To use my tight pussy as your personal cumdump - shit - even the manager won’t take up on the offer, so you’re the next one in line.”

The defiling theory alone is very, very tempting. She’s not like this when there’s a camera or journalist waiting for a slip up to pen the story - you’re still in the driver's seat, keeping it level, thinking of some substance for guidance. You’ve been in this position before, and you’ve learned.

So:

“I’d be honored,” you say to her, pressing a hand down her breast, grasping, pulling your cock out to do a few measly slaps along her sensitive clit to show her you’re not playing around, “So far you’ve been convincing, but you’re still new to this. A few stupid acts early on will ruin you down the line, so watch yourself.”

In the meetings, you remember the firm tone when asked for your personal take towards a proposed plan - coming off as abrasive because that’s how gritty this industry really is without showing it - Tzuyu’s incidents have been nothing short of interesting, talking down on her for acting like a complete dumbass - but she loves the degrading, the harsh compliments. This is something that she wants, and you’d be happy to let the media eat her up alive for it.

“It’s gonna take a lot more than that just to sway me,” you keep going, twist the knife to where it hurts: “You’re not the first one, let me tell you that, Tzuyu. And I can assure you: you certainly won’t be the last.” Hands on her hips, and you fuck in - it doesn’t get any simpler than that. “Don’t test me with that attitude, because I’ll make you change it in an instant.”

Her entire body is like a noose, a live wire on a bomb that’s about to reach zero - she’s gripping and convulsing around your cock, you’ve got her to be this way, “Please,” pleads Tzuyu, the utterances and vowels and consonants all collapsing like some domino effect, eyes flapping shut, and the sounds of obscenity seem to get better every passing second, “You’re gonna make me- make me fucking cum, oh god-”

She’s got so much potential to shake the industry up, not since Sana first came around and did some damage to you. Mina was also the same, and could match up with Sana if the universe allowed it. No one is ready for what Tzuyu has to offer, no fan could scream and break down crying let alone a photoshoot capture the beauty she carries with that face of hers, and that body, every part is sculpted to immaculate perfection, the flex in her abs when you thrust down, catch the arch in her back with an arm, get your forehead with hers, the scaffolding finally losing it’s last limbs of support at the ground level, hand quick to the hard bud of her nipple-

“Cum all over this cock, Tzu,” you’re sighing, leaning down to coax her with a kiss, and she’s got a hand raked through your hair again. “Cum for me. Do it. No shying away from me this time.”

And like you’ve observed before, the mental note much like a callback, she’s so easy to comply; it's in how your mouth works over her, cunt so slippery hot in friction with your cock sliding in with no problem whatsoever, this is everything to you - and Tzuyu’s body goes limp, holding in a noise in her lungs. It’s a high-pitched ‘fuck’ followed with a murmur of your name, muddled with ‘baby, oh my god, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck-’

You’ll leave a mark for someone else to notice, the shade with enough bite that could be covered up with a little foundation, let her ride out the peak of her high. “Breathe, Tzuyu. There we go, nice and easy, soak up my cock with that pussy of yours. Jesus.”

Tzuyu picks up on things fast, and she’s reduced to a various spill of words. She’s a shuddering mess, sinking her hips down to get a lasting feeling of your cock when you pull out - but she’s quick to get up, hands fast to your thighs; leaning down, a swift lick up on the underside. Her makeup is a bit battered, chest slick and light pink from all the marks you put; she hollows her cheeks, has a little bit of fun, and you start to sink.

“Tzu.”

She gives no response, lowering her mouth past the halfway point, eyes lidded, but weighted with intent, appalled; her cheek blows up unintentionally, lathering up your cock in her spit, and your head falls back to the crown of the seat. She’s unsure with what she’s doing, you’re tensing and untensing in the lower half, but complaining is the last thing you’ll do.

“I’ll make it up to you,” you say, gritting your teeth when Tzuyu reaches down a spot near the base, tongue grazing at a vein, where the head of your cock is staring down the hollow of her throat, a slight clench. She could care less with the curses leaving your mouth, it just tells her she’s doing something right. “Do whatever you want, and I’ll owe you next time. Fuck-”

It does some form of numbers in your head when her eyes lock onto yours, smiling with half a cock in her mouth, quick to shut you up.

Her mouth is amazing - and that could be an understatement. She’s holding you at the base, where the angle of your cock is tied down between her fingers. You let her take control for a bit, try to see if she can do it herself - but you’ll play the role of guidance again, because that’s what you do, help out in ways that make her have the moment - so you lean forward, hand fast to the back of her head, and you feel her jaw go slack, muffle the choking sound coming out of her open mouth-

“Fuck, Tzuyu,” you grit, the name alone of hers is an easy impulse to keep doing; you’ve got her hair in this makeshift ponytail, out of the way when she continues to bob her head up and down the length. It was a boring day for you anyway, but at least you’ve made it up to have the prospecting breakout actress strip her clothes down and get on her knees in her manager’s office. “Just keep- yeah, okay, there we- ugh, shit-”

She mumbles a brief phrase of a ‘mhm’, mouth wide open, salivating, nudging your cockhead down into her throat before pulling back up for another wisp of air - her index and thumb are wrapped around the bottom of your shaft, closing her eyes as the contraction literally leaves you breathless - all the way down into her throat, holding her up with her hair as much as you can-

Yet the sound that rips from the cavity in your chest, it’s loud enough for someone to hear down the hallway, probably someone from the floor below to pick up on the commotion too.

Tzuyu’s mouth lets out this sobbed out sound, coughing and inhaling your cock when you cum down her throat - she can’t swallow it all, you think, but you forget her ambition at times when she holds herself, eventually pulling back - eyes glossy and full of impurity, burning irises that mimic Sana’s when she also-

“God-” you manage to choke out, fixated on the image of Tzuyu cleaning her face up with a small stream of your cum leaking out the corner of her lip. But, you’re satisfied. You’ll let her take the credit for now.

It also doesn’t help when she’s got a finger circling her slicked lips, tilting her head when she hollows her cheeks again around her fingertip. She knows she’s hot, how dirty she can get - and she’d let you do anything and everything from the fucking on the floor to railing her on the walls, because she’s got her own center of gravity with her being, that’s just how it is.

You can’t help when you’ve pulled her back to your space, catching her lips, since that’s the only logical thing to do with her, and she’ll accept it. “Mmph. I just- you, you-”

“Yeah?” You’re saying, face in your hands when you keep kissing her. “Something to say?”

“My mouth- you?”

“And what about it?”

“Your cum. You just-”

“I overheard Sana talk to you about her story with me the other day, figured I’d just do it anyway.”

The tone in your voice is a clear contrast to all the filthy stuff you were telling just a few minutes ago, it’s still crotchety, but a little more lighter than usual - like everything that was a worry suddenly just washed away, and all of a sudden Tzuyu’s quick to get your neck corralled with her arms, leaning for another kiss, the hums alone are delightful, pushing hysterical a bit.

“I hate you,” she says, a chaste peck to your cheek when you’ve got her ass on top of your forearms, carrying her. She’s laying out a few suggestions, but you’re telling her that the gala could wait, to waste more time to explore her body, more and more. ‘That’s a lie, by the way, but I’m sure you knew that.”

Shutting her up is a viable option, but she’s right on the jump with that one ahead of you - so she kisses you, why bother putting up a fight against that?

The car ride on the way to the gala premiere is nothing short in terms of quiet. Some chatter is being thrown around with you and the driver, since Tzuyu’s manager also had the unfortunate task of bringing some swinger that’s already made a name for herself with the company, per instructions given by Jihyo; you remember hearing it past the open door to your office, named Kim so-and-so on the files. Maybe it was Jennie or Jiwon, or was the name beginning with a letter D?

“I think the boss man is convinced with your lobbying,” Tzuyu says under her breath. Like you, she’s managed to clean up her appearance - scent still fresh of sex, her hair still a bit rattled, but is trying to repair as much as she can. You can’t keep your gaze off of her; how the headlights from the oncoming cars illuminate through her eyes, handing you her hair band because it doesn’t match up with the look.

“I mean, if you already asked him what you asked me, and he still refused,” chuckling when you’re looking out the window towards the sidewalk, trailing the crowd of people lining up around the venue, “That should give you enough prose to ask me, since I was next in line.”

Tzuyu just laughs, dipping her head down - she’s infectious, without even putting effort into trying. You’re seeing why she’s bound to be a topic once she’s put herself out there, and - sure, you could draft up a file with all of that content in a heartbeat. Needless to say, you’ll be one of the many fans.

“It was supposed to be sarcastic commentary,” Tzuyu tuts, combing her hair over to one side - at the left shoulder, turning her back towards you with the red strands of her dress untied. She peeks over before looking away, fingers fast to knot the ends for a snug fit, pat her collarbones down before tilting down to place a small kiss on her nape. “But on a serious note: do you really think you can handle my little fiasco?”

You notice that the cars ahead start to slow down, file in line with security personnel stationed along the street, managing traffic. A whole lot of commotion going outside with the photo area, photographers getting ready with their cameras and flashes angled toward the cars, and thank God that the windows are tinted for good reason, brows furrowing in assessing the sea of different media outlets in attendance.

Tzuyu flows her hair forward, a last minute touch up as she takes a deep breath to calm her mind. You’re playing the stand-in role of bodyguard, checking every side of the car to make sure that things are right in place, avoiding any form of fuck up that might pop up in the next few minutes or so.

Just when a worker from the red carpet event approaches the door, a buzz vibrates on your thigh. One check later and it’s Tzuyu’s manager. With no hesitation, you answer:

“Yeah. Oh, okay. Okay. Right, you got it.”

“I’m trusting you with her. Please don’t fuck this up.”

“I won’t,” you say, in a melancholic tone to which Tzuyu smirks at. “Good luck with Dahyun? I forgot her name, but it is Dahyun, is it?”

“Don’t push your luck here, bye.”

Once that’s gone out of the way, you move over to wave a hand to the worker, signaling a two in your hand to let them know of the delay. After touching bases. You settle back into the backseat, watch as Tzuyu observes from the window, taking in the sight of what she’s dedicated a good portion of her life towards - to thrive in the glares of publicity, get engulfed in the growing flames of fame. She can do a whole lot more than just stand still and look pretty, and you’ll help her there along the way.

“Still think this is a lot to handle?” You ask, peering over her shoulder, causing her to twist back around to face you. “To be fair, you were pretty nervous when we brought up the incident earlier, so I’m just checking up on you.”

Tzuyu simply stares, again. Her face may appear blank, but her eyes and the subtle quirk at the corner of her lips tell a different tale entirely. There’s also that sly dimple too, man, she’s too good for you to the point where it’s bad. So what if people already caught wind of her story, you’ve got the contingencies, the fallback if things go south; she got herself into this mess, and you know what you signed up for.

“They all can go to hell if it comes my way,” says Tzuyu, face falling forward, leaning for a kiss. “Where’s the risk if you don’t run into a cyclone head on?”

When she gets forward with a hand on the door handle, opening up to reveal herself to the world, you shake your head at her, because that’s another point of discovery to add to her growing list of character: she’ll be the face of this company in record time as long as she keeps acting this way, and you wouldn’t mind staying by her side for whatever is in store.

Right before she goes any further down the capet, she twirls around on that singular heel on the sidewalk, facing you when you scan the screaming audience, landing your eyes on Tzuyu again - in all of her beauty and elegance, you’ll keep admiring no matter how far or close you are to her.

An outreaching hand, the simplest gesture, and she asks: “So, are you ready tonight?”

a/n: @co-reborn surprise! not really lol, but this fic is slightly dedicated to them. thank you taking time to read as always <3

#twice smut #kpop smut #tzuyu smut #twice tzuyu #twice tzuyu smut #kpop x male reader #chou tzuyu smut #chou tzuyu

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starflirts · 6 months ago

Text

1 STEP FORWARD, 3 STEPS BACK

friends and feelings don’t really go well together, do they ? percy jackson x aphrodite fem! reader, wc: 6.2k, note: IT’S FINALLY HERE!! THE LONG AWAITED PIECE!! i’d like to apologize for putting this out so late but you guys have been so so patient and i’d never thank you enough for that !!!!<3 please enjoy reading this as much as i enjoyed writing it!! (i did add my own twist to the tartarus fall for the sake of the story… sorry not sorry!)

Wherever Annabeth strayed, Percy followed. It was common knowledge at camp Half-Blood. Everyone could see how hearts seemed to float around the boy’s head whenever Athena’s daughter was around.

You knew this too. And every time Percy’s pining became too obvious, you’d turn your head and swallow the bitter taste of jealousy coming up your throat.

You’ve liked Percy ever since you were thirteen, when he was just starting to grow taller than you and when he made you double over with laughter at the jokes his step-dad told him.

But Percy’s liked Annabeth ever since he was thirteen, when he held the world for her and when he desperately wished she wouldn’t join Artemis’ hunters.

And the whole camp bet on when Percy would make the first move while you were left alone with envy simmering in your veins and the sting of a heartache.

Still, you couldn’t bring yourself to push him away from your life. His bright smile and his curls always made you wonder if he hadn’t been carved by Apollo himself.

Percy has been your friend ever since your arrival at camp. But you’ve also wished he’d be more than that.

It doesn’t really come as a surprise when the son of Poseidon comes to you for advice. You should shut him out and pretend you don’t understand what he’s about to ask, but your mother wouldn’t approve of one her own getting in the way of love. So you let it happen.

“I need your help with something…” are his first words as he stands against the doorway of the Aphrodite cabin. There’s only you and a few of your other siblings inside and instantly, all eyes are on him.

You know what he’s about to ask. You look down, resuming your work on your sister’s hair. “I’m busy Percy. Can you come back later ?”

You don’t look at him but you hear him sigh. “It’s…um… pretty important ? I mean… I’m asking you because I know you’re an expert in the love department, obviously and you’re the only one who can actually help.”

“Fine, come in. But don’t touch my bows! You messed them up last time and I spent forever untangling them.” You smile as you finish little Carla’s hair, while Percy’s hands stir away from your collection.

Once the younger Aphrodite kids were shooed away, you stood up from your spot on the bed, leading Percy outside to the porch. Leaning against the wooden railing you turn your head, studying the crease of his brows and the way his hair seems messier, as if he’d run his hands through it one too many times.

“So ? What do you need me for ? Are you trying to escape kitchen duties again ?” you tease, and he tilts his head, wincing.

“Come on, that was one time… I need your help for something else. Something important” you can see the gears turn in his mind so you egg him on.

“Spit it out Percy ! I’m becoming way too curious.”

This time he turns his entire body to face you. He takes a deep breath and starts. “Can you pretend to be my girlfriend so I can make Annabeth jealous ?”

Silence. You wonder if he just heard the sound of your heart shattering.

“Are you sure this is a good idea…?”

Percy nods. “Maybe she’ll see us together and realize that she actually likes me. She knows we’ve been friends for a while so it won’t be too surprising, will it ?”

You shrug, turning your gaze to the other campers prancing around the other cabins. Part of you wants to say no, to avoid yearning for something that’s not real. But there’s this tiny other part of you screaming to accept the offer, to bask in the experience of something that might never happen again. Facing him again with a smile, you find him already staring at you expectantly.

“What do I get from all of this ?” you tease, gesturing between the two of you.

“My eternal love and gratitude of course !” he laughs as you shove him playfully.

“Okay okay I’ll help you. That’s what friends are for, right ?”

He breathes out, obviously relieved. “Thank you so much ! I owe you one !” he tells you before pulling you into a hug.

The moment you hug him back, you realize the situation you got yourself into. Percy pulls away and starts walking backwards toward the sword training area. “I have to go right now or Mr D is going to be mad and I don’t want to be on stable duty tonight! " he chuckles, but stay awhile after dinner and we’ll set up a plan alright ?”

You salute him jokingly. “Will do, sir !”

At dinner, your eyes flicker between your half empty plate and Percy, heartily laughing away with the Stoll brothers. Feeling someone softly nudging your shoulder, you divert your attention to Drew, looking at you with slight concern.

“You okay ? You’ve been staring at your plate forever.”

“Yeah yeah, just a little tired is all !” you manage a small smile. She nods before resuming her conversation.

Once everyone’s done, all of your siblings scuttle back to cabin 10 while you linger around the amphitheater, remembering Percy’s words.

There’s a whisper of your name coming from behind and you whip around just in time to see Percy jogging towards you.

“Thought you’d never come !” you tease

Your friend jokingly rolls his eyes before taking your wrist, guiding you towards the lake. “I wasn’t gifted with punctuality I know, I know no need to rub it in… Now come, we have a plan to set up !”

The both of you are sitting on the shore, the lights of Sound Island catching your attention. Knees hiked to your chest, you stare at them until Percy clears his throat.

“So… I was thinking…” he starts

“Oh, nothing good can come out of that” you joke and he chuckles.

“Seriously though, if we need to make it work people shouldn’t think our ‘relationship’ comes out of nowhere. You know what I mean ?

You nod, eyes still lost in the distance. “We could tell people you asked me out last summer, before I went home and before you went back to New York. We could tell them we were long distance and decided to make it official this summer at camp.”

You can see Percy nodding enthusiastically from the corner of your eye. “Yes ! That’s a great idea ! I would've never come up with that so quickly.”

The air is quiet now, the both of you looking at the waves lapping at the shore. Until Percy breaks the silence again.

“Do… um… Do you think we should set up rules ? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, or break any boundaries… I don’t want things to get too awkward between us y’know ?” he rubs his neck, avoiding your eyes.

Turning to face him, you place a hand on his shoulder. “I know Percy, don’t worry. And you’re right, boundaries are essential in a relationship.”

“So… What should we do ? Or not for that matter ? You’re the relationship professional here, I’m all ears!”

The boy’s words put a small smile on your face, although you’re already starting to regret this ordeal.

“Well, we should definitely act ‘coupley’ in public. Hugs, hand holding and all that…” You’re about to continue the list when Percy interrupts you. “What about kissing ?”

You can feel your heart drop in your stomach. You should’ve seen this coming. Brows furrowed, you stared at the dark body of water in front of you. “Only for emergencies. The ‘no one believes we’re actually dating so we have to prove them by kissing each other’ kind of emergency. You get me ?”

Percy laughs at the idea. “I couldn’t have summed it up better. Emergencies only then.” There’s a moment of silence between the two of you while he toys with the rocks strewn around him before hearing him sigh. “D’you think it’s gonna work ? That she’s gonna notice me ?”

Mustering the nicest smile you could, you nodded. “Maybe our plan will serve as a little push for her to make the first move. There’s no way she doesn’t like you back. And I'm saying this as a daughter of Aphrodite.” your words elicit a chuckle from the boy next to you. You’re glad to see that he seems a bit relieved by your affirmation, the same you wished someone told you.

Stretching his arms above his head while stifling a yawn, Percy stands up. “Alright, I’m gonna go to bed, you coming with me ?”

Looking up at him, you shake your head. “Think i’m gonna stay out there a little longer, the air’s nice.”

The boy nods. “Alright. I’ll pick you up from your cabin tomorrow morning so don’t sleep in too long ! Otherwise Silena might just drown me with questions and whatnot.” he winks

You giggle. “Don’t worry about that Perce. Good night, I’ll see you tomorrow.” he smiles at you, pinching your ear as was his way of saying goodbye for the past few years before jogging up the hill.

You’re awoken the next day by Carla and Jamie, the two kids fervently shaking your shoulders all the while loudly whispering your name.

“Percy’s here! He says he came to pick you up! Is he your boyfriend ?”

The sleepy state you’re in makes it hard to catch up with their excitement so early in the morning. That’s until you actually hear Percy’s voice alongside Silena’s.

Silena. You shoot up from your bed, rushing to save the boy from your cabin counselor’s inquiries.

Emerging from your cabin while adjusting a slightly rumpled shirt, you catch Percy’s eyes, silently begging for help. You can’t see Silena’s face but judging by Percy’s attitude, she might’ve been asking one too many questions.

“Percy ! Hi ! I didn’t know you were going to pick me up this morning !” you loop your arm around his, a big smile plastered on your face as you wave to your older sister.

He looks back at you with a smile, obviously relieved by your sudden appearance.

“Had to pick up my girl.” he says with a smile, eyes shifting between you and Silena’s questioning stare. You dismissively wave a hand, a way to tell her you’ll explain later.

“I swear she was going to annihilate me! She kept asking me why I came to pick you up and why now !” Percy kept talking your ear off about how scary Silena was on your way to breakfast.

“She might seem… intrusive at times, but she means well ! Silena always cared for her younger siblings. And you’re definitely in her books so I don’t think she hates you, not until you actually hurt me though…” you tell him, eyes crinkling with amusement when you see his face pale.

You noticed that your arm was still looped with Percy’s. And you liked it. It felt natural, almost real. As you approached Aphrodite’s table, Percy slowed his pace. He slightly turned towards you with wide eyes.

“Annabeth is here ! And she’s looking at us ! What do we do ?”

Shifting as discreetly as possible, you notice the girl looking in your direction, eyebrow raised and a small smile on her face. Turning back to Percy, you shrug.

“Say goodbye, the way you would say goodbye to your girlfriend.”

Percy doesn’t need to be told twice. Almost mechanically, he pulls you closer, tugging you to his chest and slightly bending down to press a kiss on your cheek. “I’ll see you later” he whispers before moving away, leaving you at your table full of overexcited Aphrodite kids.

You didn’t see Percy until later in the afternoon at the climbing wall. Yet the kiss he’d given you before breakfast was burning your cheek, as if his lips had been scalding hot iron. Part of you thought this was a fever dream, that you’d wake up in your bed with Percy’s heart still out of reach. But every camper coming to congratulate you and ask questions about your relationship with the son of Poseidon served as a harsh reminder of the predicament you were in.

It was a very hot morning when Luke decided to take the younger kids for a swim in the lake, asking you and Percy to tag along. The two of you were supervising a group of Hermes kids, Percy playing with them while you watched the scene from the dock, feet dangling in the water. Lost in your thoughts and lulled by the sunlight, you didn’t notice Percy swimming up to you until he pulled you in the water. You emerged with a laugh, hanging onto Percy’s shoulders, all the kids around you tossing water and giggling. He didn’t let you go and you’re suddenly hyper aware of the proximity you share and of his hands on your waist. The kids' incessant cheering doesn’t falter.

“Kiss your girlfriend Percy! That’s what good boyfriends do after pulling their girlfriends in the water!” the older kids teased.

“C’mon guys…” he let out a nervous laugh. But the kids didn't stop.

“Percy and Y/N, swimming in the water, K I S S I N G!”

“That’s not even the correct lyrics !” he argued, to no avail.

Percy then stared at you and you nodded, heart hammering in your chest. He leaned in and you laced your arms around his neck, hands coming to play with his wet curls. The kiss was short and sweet and sent you over the edge. When you pulled back, you could feel the blood pumping in your ears. With flushed cheeks, Percy turned towards the group, shooing them towards the shore. “Okay alright that’s enough! It’s almost lunchtime, let's go!”

As you got out of the water, shirt clinging to your body, Percy stood at the edge, hoodie in hand.

“Here. You can wear this instead.” he smiles and you gratefully accept the piece of clothing, reveling in the comfort of the material and in Percy’s scent.

It was interesting to see how everyone seemed to gobble your story. In the span of a few weeks, you and Percy became the talk of the camp. Everyone wondered how, when and why it happened. During late evenings spent idling on the shore, Percy often praised your storytelling skills and the way the two of you managed to play pretend so efficiently.

“Do you think it’s working ?” he asked one night, as the two of you were setting up the camp’s bonfire.

“Considering Annabeth seems to talk to you more than usual I’d say yes ? I can’t read her mind though.” you answer, placing the wood you picked up under your arm.

Percy nods, a small smile adorning his face. As he turns and leads the way towards the bonfire, you trail behind, lost in thought. Everything was going too well. So well that You had to remember almost every night that Percy wasn’t really your boyfriend. You knew that wishing he’d just change his mind would probably anger your mother but you didn’t care anymore. Although he was supposed to be yours in the eyes of everyone, you knew his heart belonged to someone else and you felt like an usurper. You considered putting an end to all of this, tell the truth to Annabeth and witness your biggest heartbreak come to life.

Percy’s voice brings you back to earth: “you coming?” Picking up your pace, the two of you are quick to get back to the group, everyone cheering and hollering at your arrival.

“Got lost in the woods ?” Luke teases.

As you sit next to Percy, he wraps his arm around your shoulders, pulling you close. You almost melt into his touch before remembering your inner turmoil. He looks at you with a smile and you smile back, trying your best to conceal your sadness. As you turn to face the fire, he presses a fleeting kiss to your temple and it feels so real you almost want to burst into tears.

You feel sick. His presence is suffocating and the voices in your head seem to get louder. You free yourself from his hold and stand up. His gaze is questioning and you shake your head.

“I’ll be back. I just— I need some air.” you whisper and he nods, watching your silhouette disappear in the shadows.

Sitting against the trunk of a tree, your knees hiked against your chest and your face hidden in your hands, you fight the tears pooling in your eyes. Regret and embarrassment are flooding your mind, a breathless apology to your mother escapes your lips.

All of a sudden, you hear a branch snap and you lift your head up. You brace yourself for the worst, fists clenching at the thought of Aphrodite herself coming to scold you. Yet the woods are too dark and there’s no sign of your godly parent. The rustle of leaves seems closer to you now and your heart beats faster.

A whisper of your name makes you turn your head. To your left stood Annabeth, taking off her cap and putting it back in the pocket of her jeans. You let out a breath of relief you didn’t realize you were holding as you saw her sitting down opposite you.

Annabeth is the first one to break the silence.

“I saw you at the bonfire. Wanted to know if you were okay since you didn’t want Percy to come with you.”

You smile at her words and nod, fingers toying with blades of grass.

“I am, thanks. I just needed to get away for a bit. I was probably overwhelmed or something. Had a long day.” you laugh.

The girl in front of you fiddles with her necklace, brows furrowed and obviously trying to tell you something.

“Yeah figures, Percy told you about our quest didn’t he ? I tried to tell him it was too dangerous, you know ? He was just so determined to come with me, Nico and Will he didn’t listen to me. I know you two are practically glued at the hip so when I asked him if he was sure, he told me you’d probably do the same thing.” she smiles softly before continuing. “He trusts you as much as you trust him, you know. It’s not something you see everyday.”

Annabeth looks over expectantly, only to find you staring at a crumpled daisy in the palm of your hand and you’re pulled out of your trance by her voice calling your name.

“Oh yeah, no we talked about it briefly this afternoon. He told me you guys had to leave soon. You don’t know when you’ll be back do you ?” you ask in a small voice, faking a yawn to hide the tears at the corner of your eyes.

Your friend shakes her head before pulling you into a hug.

“I’m gonna miss you, all of us will actually.” You tighten your embrace. “Me too, be safe out there.”

Annabeth pulls back with a small smile. “I’m gonna head back and let you join your lover boy.” You watch her as she puts her cap on, disappearing in the shadows.

You don’t wait long before joining the rest of the campers, guided by the firelight and the giggles of the younger kids. As you make your way back to the fire, you notice Percy making a place for you. You walk on, blatantly ignoring his signs.

No one else seems to notice what just happened. Puzzled, Percy stands up and follows your footsteps. You’re only a few meters away from your cabin when the boy grabs your wrist, turning you around to face him. The few lights around the cabins highlight the anger and sadness painted all over your face and you jerk your hand away.

“When were you going to tell me ?” you ask, crossing your arms.

His face falls.

“I– I was going to! As soon as Chiron confirmed it, I promise ! I just– I couldn't find the proper way to announce it. I swear I didn’t want to leave you in the dark.” Percy sputters

You nod, averting your attention to anywhere else but the boy in front of you. You couldn’t bear to let him see how upset you were. He couldn’t see how his upcoming departure ripped your heart apart in a way it wasn’t supposed to at all.

“Whatever. It’s not like you need me to make decisions right ? I’m just the stepping stone in your ‘how to get the girl tutorial’” you laugh bitterly

Percy shakes his head.

“No, absolutely not. You’re my best friend and I care about you. So much. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I— I didn't think wisely but you have to know how important this quest is. Annabeth wanted you to come with her but I volunteered instead. I couldn’t let you go out there and get hurt. I’d never forgive myself if something ever happened to you.”

His words burn and you wipe your tears angrily. When you finally meet his eyes, you notice how soft his gaze is, and how sorry he seems.

“Yeah right.” you point an accusatory finger at him. “Don’t you ever think that i’m going to help you with your little love games anymore. I’m done.”

You didn’t let him reply. opting to turn around, you walk to your cabin. You spare him one last glance when you step on the porch. He stands still, hands in his pockets.

“Look after Will and Nico, would you ? I trust Annabeth with my life but I wouldn’t bear to lose them because of you.” your words linger in the air and Percy winces, as if slapped by the meaning of your words.

He nods and you walk into your cabin, tears streaming down your face.

You don’t talk to Percy for the next few days, always finding excuses to avoid being in his vicinity and busying yourself with as many camp duties as you could take. You managed to escape him without anyone noticing the weird tension between the two of you. Yet Percy was desperately trying to talk to you, always searching your eyes during meals and attempting to follow you around to make amends. But you slipped through his fingers, never staying around him for more than a second.

When the day of the group’s departure finally came, you reluctantly stood next to Chiron. The whole camp came to the border to wish the group good luck, and you certainly weren’t going to let your friends go without sending them off with a proper goodbye. You ruffled Nico and Will’s hair, making them promise to send an Iris message whenever they needed to. Annabeth hugs you tightly and you wish her a safe journey. Percy follows, and he’s awkwardly shuffling on his feet, all the while the other campers wait for their favorite amusement. Although you’re upset and heartbroken, you still wish him the best. When you look up at him, you can still see the same apologetic gaze he gave you almost a week ago.

You reach up reluctantly, lacing your arms around his neck. Under the scrutinizing gaze of your peers, you manage to press a feathery kiss on the corner of his mouth. While everyone cheers and celebrates the rest of the group as well, Percy’s hands find yours.

“I’ll stay in touch, promise.” he squeezes your hand and you just nod, pursing your lips. There’s a beat of silence, his hand still holding yours. You’re the first one to pull back, crossing your arms and standing back. Percy takes this as his cue to leave. With one last glance at you, he adjusts the straps of his backpack and turns away, following the rest of the group while you watch them disappear through the fields.

Ever since Annabeth and her partners left, your days at camp seemed to go by slower. Yet the occasional message of Apollo’s son, Will, always eager to update you on everyone and the quest made you look forward to what the day could bring. Ever since his arrival at camp Half-Blood, Will Solace has been like your little brother, always in your shadow. Every time his freckled face appeared through the mist, it was as if a weight was lifted off of your shoulders. Some days, he managed to drag Nico into view to say hi and during others, he almost had to tell Annabeth off for “hogging all his time with Y/N”. On the other hand, you managed to catch glimpses of Percy, whether he was in the background or coming in to greet you, asking how life at camp was. Conversations with him were short and you hoped the others didn’t notice the tension between the two of you that persisted even through a simple Iris message.

As the days went on, Will’s messages were rare, which was worrying. He’d usually call you once a week but your most recent conversation dated back two weeks already. One late afternoon, as you were supervising the archery class along with another camper from Apollo’s cabin, the frantic sound of hooves hitting the gravel path broke the kids’ focus. In a matter of seconds, Grover is right in front of you, panting.

“Chiron wants to see you… now.”

Feeling your stomach tighten in anguish, you rush to your beloved activities director, only to find him animatedly talking to someone via Iris message.

To Will Solace.

Although he’s on the other side of the country, he notices you first and agitatedly calls out your name, prompting Chiron to turn around.

“I’ll let the two of you be. There’s something important you both need to discuss.” Chiron solemnly announces before retiring, prompting you to rush to the boy.

“Will ! Thank gods ! Are you okay ? What’s going on ? Is everything alright ?”

Will lets you ask all the questions you could think of and your heart clenches at the sight of his bruised face and his torn clothes.

“I’m okay.. Nico and I are okay.” he breathes and you answer with anguish. “What’s happening ? Why– Where’s Annabeth ? Where’s Percy ?”

At the mention of the older two, Will’s face contorts in an expression you can’t discern and your face falls.

“Annabeth tripped and fell. Percy rushed to help her but he couldn’t pull her up nor himself.” The boy swallows. “So he told Nico and I to join the rest of our crew, you know, the ones from the Argo II, the ones I told you about ?” You nod and he resumes his story. “I— I thought he wanted them to help him pull him and Annabeth up but he… He let go and they both fell. They fell into Tartarus.”

The room around you was spinning. You sat in the nearest chair and brought a shaky hand to your lips. Will was still talking but the ringing in your ears was too overwhelming for you to hear anything.

After regaining composure as best as you could, Will explained how the rest of their quest was supposed to go. You were unable to utter a single word, the shocking news weighing heavy on your heart. He ended the call with a promise to come back to camp safely. As soon as you were alone in the room, you keeled on yourself, choking out tears.

Will’s words still echoed in your mind more than a week after that fateful call, especially when word got out that Annabeth and Percy, Y/N’s Percy, fell into Tartarus. Your days were tiresome and your nights full of nightmares. More often than not, you found yourself awoken by one of your siblings in the middle of the night, their hands on your shoulders prompting you to calm down. Pitiful stares from other campers weren’t spared either, and you could feel everyone’s eyes on your back almost everyday, already grieving the loss of two people that meant the world to you.

But you tried to keep face. Every piece of meal you scraped into the campfire was a silent prayer to your mother to keep your friends safe, every night spent on your cabin’s porch was another way of pleading the stars to bring everyone back to camp quickly and safely. To clear your mind as best as you could, you began to spend most evenings on the shore where you and Percy used to hang out all the time, before everything went down. Reminiscing on past conversations, the knot in your stomach only tightened when you remembered your last exchange, regret swallowing you whole at the idea of losing Percy and never mending things with him.

Sitting on the shore and skipping stones slowly became part of your daily routine. You were there at dawn and at dusk, feet at the edge of the water. This was the exact place you found out Percy and Annabeth came back. Meg McCaffrey, daughter of Demeter came bounding towards you, yelling your name.

“They’re back !!! They’re all back !!!”

Scrambling to your feet, you follow the girl as best as you could, too stunned to speak. And indeed, as soon as you joined the group of campers in the meadow, you saw them. Your eyes caught Will’s first, holding Nico’s hand tightly. You see them next, Percy and Annabeth. They’re in terrible shape, clothes torn and faces scraped. Yet here they are, stumbling towards Thalia’s tree, holding each other up. That’s the first thing you notice: Percy’s tight grip on Annabeth’s shoulder. You let out a breath, rushing towards the group. Will launches himself into your arms and you fall to your knees, holding him tightly.

“You’re okay. You’re home.” you whisper, a hand soothingly rubbing his back. When he pulls back, you open your arms to Nico, who gladly accepts your embrace. Once the three of you are up on your feet again, Annabeth pulls you towards her and Percy, although not without wincing. You let out a teary laugh at her demeanor before brushing dirt off her cheek.

“Let’s get you patched up.” you grin as you take a hold of her elbow. You turn towards Percy, who smiles tiredly before beckoning him to follow. “You’re going too Perce.”

The next few days Annabeth and Percy stay in the infirmary, you pass by often to help with bandages or simply to strike up a conversation. The bright smile with which Percy greets you everytime makes your heart clench and you avoid his eyes as best as you can.

The duo has undoubtedly become the talk of the entire camp again, and you can’t help but remember the bitterness crawling up your throat again. They seemed closer, with Percy still hanging around Annabeth as often as he could. Yet this time, you sensed a shift in their dynamics, blaming it on your mother’s powers. Ever since the pair came back from Tartarus, you started to fall into the background again. Percy technically hasn’t abandoned you but you did feel left out, again. Evenings with your dear friend on the shore were traded for long conversations in Athena’s cabin and the feeling of Percy’s constant arm around you now seemed like a fever dream.

With a heavy heart, you let life take its course again. Having pulled away from Percy, people started to speculate your potential breakup. You didn’t deny the rumors, wanting things to go back to what you were used to, wanting to hopelessly pine in silence without pretending anymore. But what you experienced in the past few weeks felt too real and every single time your path crossed Percy’s, you felt like drowning in unsaid feelings.

The day Silena found you sobbing on the steps of the cabin was your breaking point. She rushed to your side, engulfing you in a hug.

“Hey, hey! What’s going on ?” she asked but you shook your head, unable to find the right words and ashamed of what your answer might be. But she pressed on until you cracked.

“Percy and I, we weren’t actually dating. He wanted to make Annabeth jealous so he asked me to pretend to be his girlfriend and I said yes. And I feel so, so stupid because I liked him, really liked him and I thought that was the closest I’ll ever get to actually be with him but then he left and I guess his plan finally worked.” you let out a bitter laugh before resuming. “And I just can’t look him in the eyes anymore, it hurts too much. I probably messed up our friendship because I fell in love with him years ago when he only had eyes for Annabeth. And I can’t be mad at him! She’s perfect! Sometimes I just wish it was me…”

Letting out a shaky breath, you avoided your sister’s eyes until she held your shoulders, prompting you to face her. There was no trace of pity in her gaze, only the typical fondness she addressed to her siblings. With a small smile, she was about to comfort you until the hurried sound of footsteps caused the both of you to turn towards the source of the sound.

Percy stood in front of the porch, looking as surprised as you. If looks could kill, Silena would’ve already sent him six feet in the ground. On the other hand, you felt sick to your stomach. Judging by the expression on his face, your declaration didn’t fall into deaf ears. He slowly reached the first step but you stood up abruptly.

“Don’t.” was all you could muster before running off.

You blamed it on muscle memory when you found yourself on the edge of the shore again. But Percy wasn’t stupid. He figured out it became your favorite spot almost a month after he took you there for the first time. With your back facing him, he softly called your name, sighing when you refused to turn around.

“Go away Percy.”

“I can’t. I won’t.”

“What do you want then?” you finally snapped, facing him. “Do you want to laugh in my face ? Tell me I’m an absolute idiot for thinking I could ever have a chance with you ?”

“No! Absolutely not!” There's a second of silence before he starts again. “I, I heard everything and” you’re about to cut him off when he shakes his head. “No. Let me tell you what I need to tell you. I can’t let you hurt like that knowing I caused all this mess.”

Seeing him in such a nervous state somewhat calmed your own nerves. You sat on a big rock, motioning him to sit beside you. None of you talked for a little while, instead choosing to focus on the lapping of the waves. Percy decided to break the silence.

“I have– had feelings for Annabeth. For the longest time. And looking back on it, I was a jerk for asking you to fake date me. I was selfish, I didn’t even think about how you felt in the moment because I was too obsessed with the idea of Annabeth noticing me.” He swallowed. “I was blinded by my feelings until the quest. When Annabeth told me she wanted you to come with her, I told you I couldn’t allow you to get hurt. I meant it. And when we were in Tartarus, gods, I couldn’t help but imagine you instead of me. The place tricked us, made us see things coming out of our worst nightmares. I— I heard you most of the time. It recreated your voice and made me believe you were in so much pain and I couldn’t do anything about it. I still have dreams about it: you’re the one who’s falling into Tartarus because I can’t seem to reach your hand.”

When you turn your head to look in his direction, you find him already looking at you.

“What do you mean by that?” you whisper, eyes scanning his face.

He grabs your hand and you can’t help but twitch at the contact.

“I can’t lose you, that’s what it means. I took our friendship for granted and I’ll always beat myself up for that. Annabeth realized that before I did. When we came back, she told me to always be upfront about my feelings to people you hold dear. You never know when you might see them for the last time. So that’s what I’m doing right now.”

“Are you seriously friendzoning me right now ?” you scoff at his choice of words.

“No, no!” he closes his eyes. “Gods what I want to tell you is that I can’t stand when you’re not by my side. And I’m sorry for not noticing it earlier. I care about you, more than you know. And if you’d let me, I want to make things right with you, with us.”

Your heart softens at his declaration. You heave a sigh but you can’t hide the small smile growing on your face.

“We can try.” you shrug and you feel his grip tighten around your hand.

His smile almost rivals with the first stars dotting the sky. “We can try.”

#percy jackson x reader #percy jackson and the olympians x reader #pjo x reader #percy jackson imagine #pjo imagine #pjo fluff #pjo angst #percy jackson fluff #percy jackson fic #percy jackson and the olympians #percy jackson angst

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love7poetry · 3 months ago

Text

dancing phantoms on the terrace

⤷ loml!homecoming!peter parker x reader

𝜗𝜚. . . synopsis. sophomore year's homecoming, the night peter knew it has and will always be you.

𝜗𝜚. . . general tag. fluff

.ᐟ. . . content warnings. spelling but that's nothing new, clichè, and peter being the clueless genius he is

♫⋆｡ i felt aglow like this, never before and never since, if you know it in one glimpse, it's legendary

⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪ sophia's letter ! i have decided to give loml!peter a little series and although this could be read as a stand alone, it follows peter and artsy!reader's relationship before the events of no way home/loml. also, hiiii i moved to my main blog! first part of this series will stay in my second blog, but from now on i will be posting all my work here!

part i

wc. 1,363

the music from the gym could be heard even from the high rooftop of the school. students were starting to head to their cars in groups, most likely to attend another party with more alcohol.

a certain girl in a red dress walking out of the doors caught peter’s eye.

liz. he had walk out on her, his date, to go put her own dad in jail.

he could see that she was on a phone call, and he didn’t need to use his enhanced hearing to know she was receiving the news that her dad was being arrested. peter looked away.

he glanced behind him at the door to the roof terrace, sensing someone. he was about to leave before whoever was coming could see him in his homemade suit, but his shoulders relaxed when he saw you.

you made eye contact with your best friend and your heart dropped at the sight. it was clear he had taken more than a few punches. there was blood and ash covering him while he held his left side in pain.

‘oh my god, peter’ he still managed to give you a smile. you rushed over to him with a worried expression. ‘i’m okay.’ he hated making you worry about him.

you sigh, shaking your head. ‘what happened?’

peter looked down. ‘the flying bird-man i’ve been fighting this entire time, is liz’s dad and i just got him arrested.’

you grimace, ‘oh no, pete.’ you didn’t know how to respond to that. sure, ever since peter started crushing on liz, you felt some sort of grudge towards her, but never would you wish having your date standing you up in front of the whole school the same night your dad gets arrested on anyone.

‘i know.’ peter sat on the floor, feeling too tired and defeated to stand. you followed after him.

the rooftop overlooked midtown and through the railings you could see the students in their pretty dresses and dark suits. not one of them had any idea that spider-man was sitting in their school’s roof. for the first time since the bite, peter envied their normal lives.

‘i feel like an asshole.’ peter confessed after a moment of comfortable silence. you look over at him, but he was focused on the lights coming from below you.

you think over your words carefully. ‘you looked like one,’ you started, and peter sighed. ‘liz doesn’t know about spider-man, so she deserves an apology from you. since you can’t tell her the truth, be honest about how sorry you are. it is the least you can do.’ peter nods, knowing you’re right.

you inhale, ‘but you did the right thing. you didn’t let your feelings for liz get in the way of stopping a criminal.’ now you look ahead while peter turns to look at you.

‘you’re not an asshole, pete. you’re a kid with too much responsibility.’

peter’s throat felt swollen. he looked you over and noticed the way his heart was beating. it was loud and fast, but rather than an anxious pit forming in his stomach like it did with liz, he felt a warmth. there was security and excitement with you.

peter’s hand twitched and he is confused as to why it itches to hold yours.

you feel peter’s stare and look at him. your breath hitches in your throat when you make eye contact with his glossy eyes. feeling your shoulder against his, he radiates warm and you think it is from the fight he had with mr. toomes.

both completely oblivious to the affect you had on peter.

‘how was your night?’ it was almost a whisper when peter spoke. he needed you to ground him before he overstimulates himself. for some reason, all his senses were on you and it was scaring him.

he could smell your strawberry scented shampoo, see the glittery powders you added to your makeup even though they were fading by now, feel the burning of your body against his yet it doesn’t feel like you’re close enough, and hear your own heartbeat along with his.

peter was reminded of the day you found him having a panic attack after the bite when he didn’t understand why everything was sticking to him or how he was able to break the faucet with his bare hands. you had told him to focus on you until he could breathe again and he told you about the spider.

the realization that he still searches for the rhythm of your heart every time he feels overwhelmed hits him, and his already exhausted mind is slowly piecing together what his heart has always known.

‘it was alright,’ you answer. ‘people kept asking me about you, so i decided to come here for some peace.’ you noticed peter’s brows furrowed and tried to ease him, ‘i don’t mind them asking.’

you weren’t going to tell him that you came up here because you couldn’t stand the way they kept talking about him and calling him names. peter is already having a hard night.

‘still, im really sorry for dragging you into this,’ peter’s face showed distress.

you know peter is an apologetic person, and sometimes he needs to hear he is forgiven even if he doesn’t need to apologize in the first place.

an idea goes off in your head.

you stand before offering your hand down to him. he looks up at you confused and you bite your lip to contain a smile. ‘i’ll forgive you, if you dance with me.’

by now, there were more students in the parking lot than inside the gym and the music had stop at some point while you were up here with peter, but you didn’t care.

peter hesitates and you playfully roll your eyes. ‘come on, i was sitting down all night and you clearly need a little fun.’

‘i hope you know this is very cliché,’ you know it is, but the smile forming in peter’s lips as his hand reach for yours makes it worth it.

once he’s standing, peter grows stiff and his hands tremble as he hesitates to put them on your waist. you’re making it hard for peter to remember his dancing lesson with may.

he hears your heartbeat increase.

when you see peter struggle, you gently guide his hands, and peter looks down at his feet to hide the blush that is starting to creep down his neck and to the tip of his ears. his own heart speeds up when you wrap your arms around his neck

you start to slow dance and peter follows your lead.

you’ve liked peter since the beginning of freshman year, but you’ve given up on the delusion that one day he will reciprocate your feelings. yet, there is something there tonight, a glimpse when he looked at you like never before.

you step closer.

peter notices and his hands’ grip on you tightens, more so as a way to control himself than to keep you at a distance. he has been your friend since you two were kids, so why is he just now aware of the way his body reacts to you?

even if it is a little awkward to dance to the sound of cars leaving the school’s campus or students hanging out before getting picked up, you’re enjoying this far more than the actual homecoming.

after another moment passes in each other's arms, peter gains the courage to meet your eyes. they tracing every detail on his face, he notices, from the creases on his forehead to the curve of his lips. he grows awfully aware that he is filthy right now, but your gaze is soft.

'you have really pretty eyes,' peter wants to take a picture of you, memorize the way you look tonight forever.

his words make you stop your movements. you feel like melting under his intense, starry eyes. 'i think you hit your head,' you let out a breathy laugh, trying to make light of the situation to spare your feelings.

'no, that's not it.' peter shakes his head. he finally understands what the rapid beating of his heart has been trying to tell him.

peter parker is in love with you.

you can see the realization behind peter's eyes, a sight you're sure you'll remember forever, and peter really hopes he isn't about to mess things up.

'may i please kiss you?'

#୧ ‧₊˚ 🌷 ⋅ 𝕾𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐀 𝕾𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 #୧ ‧₊˚ 🍰 ⋅ 𝕾𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐀 𝖂𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 #୧ ‧₊˚ 🎀 ⋅ 𝕾𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐀 𝖂𝐎𝐑𝐊𝐒 #peter parker fanfiction #peter parker fluff #peter parker imagine #peter parker x reader #peter parker x you #spiderman x reader #spider man x reader #spider man x you #spider man imagine #spider man fanfiction #peter parker homecoming

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anki-of-beleriand · 3 months ago

Text

A Heart Made of Glass ch. 17

Summary: Ten years ago you left Wanda and the Avengers to heal your broken heart. You never stopped being a hero, just as you never stopped being in love with her. But life had to go on.

Now, after all that time, she is back and with her is a young woman needing help and an enemy that may not be as afraid as Wanda to lay a claim on you.

Pairings: Wanda Maximoff x Powered!F!Reader - Scarlet Witch x PoweredF!Reader - Past Wanda Maximoff x Vision - CarolxF!Reader

Warnings: Angst, drama, mentions of cheating, fluff, violence, Switch!Reader, internalize homophobia, hurt, comfort, Wanda being a complete mess, anger management issues, jealousy, Requited/Unrequited love, idiots in love, swearing, mentions of alcohol. More tags as the story progess.

Author's Note: This story is a continuation of Dirty Little Secret I was really surprised at the response I got for the story. Thank you for the support.

This is the story of their lives, as it was supposed to be. Sometimes our story is not what we wanted it to be but what we needed it to be.

Please, do remember English is no my mother tongue so forgive my grammar, spelling and funny mistakes.

Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 - Chapter 9 - Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 14 - Chapter 15 - Chapter 16 - Chapter 17 - Epilogue

Chapter 17

The way it was supposed to be

Autumn was a strange experience in this part of the world. It was not too cold, but it brought with it heavy rain and windy afternoons that usually turned into lukewarm nights.

You had come to appreciate life for what it was: the passing of time and the golden experiences and memories you built with loved ones. After you had left the Avengers, you had faced a world that was submerged in a darkness that was not compatible with yours. You experienced firsthand the awful requests made by the common citizen, the envy and the everlasting hatred some of them held in their hearts. Natasha had always said you were far too noble, that your heart was far too loving to actually comprehend or even be a part of a job that could destroy that piece of innocence you still held closer to your soul.

You didn't believe her, though.

You remember the anger, you remember the resentment, and you remember the pain. At some point, you thought darkness was all you should experience, everything you were capable of. The missions you had taken became the outlet of your anger and frustration, and it wasn't until you saw your reflection after a nasty confrontation with some mercenaries that you were confronted with the person you were changing into. You were walking down a road that could pretty well transformed you into a villain, it took time and tears and so much frustration but, by the time you crossed paths with Wanda you had put to rest your resentment and hatred against what had happened.

The morning breeze sneaked inside the room, the curtains shifted slightly letting you see the heavy clouds gliding above the villa. You shifted your weight, turning to look at the sleeping form on the right side of the bed.

Wanda had her eyes closed, with the lines around her eyes completely relaxed and her lips slightly parted. Her hair was fanned over the pillow and her hand had been resting on your hip protectively. At some point during the night the both of you had moved through the bed, and Wnda had found herself snuggling closer to you while giving you space so as to not hurt your leg.

It never occurred to you that another encounter with Wanda would result in the both of you starting something else. At some point in time, you always thought you would tell Wanda everything that you had been through emotionally and that after that, you would let her go. Now years later, and after a very tiresome mission, you couldn’t help but feel as your heart melted at the sight of the other woman sharing your bed.

You never stopped loving her.

Turning on your side, you held back an exclamation of pain while lifting your free hand. Your fingertips mapped out the features of Wanda’s face brushing on the skin on her jaw down her neck to the arm that was still holding onto you. Your lips broke into a smile, your heart beating without a control inside your chest and a little voice inside your head just begged to the woman still fast asleep to not break your heart.

Not again.

With a sigh, you leaned in placing a single kiss on her lips before sitting up. Your leg was hurting a little, but it wasn’t nothing that you couldn’t control, so with the help of your shadows you stood up hopping to the crutch that was resting on the bedside table.

With a last glance to the sleeping form of Wanda you closed the door behind yourself and decided to go to the kitchen. The noise of conversation and kitchen utensils being pushed around told you were in for an interesting morning conversation.

___________________________________

Natasha was ignoring the bickering between America and Yelena, she had her eyes firmly planted on the paper she brought that morning but the smirk playing on her lips told you she had not kissed a single word.

At times, you wondered how people found family in the most unexpected places with the most unexpected people. You had always been grateful with Natasha, she had made it her duty to share with you what she longed for. With a smile you took another step closer to the older woman knowing the skidding of the leg in the floor was something you couldn't hide at the moment.

You knew the older woman had heard you approaching, though her posture ever changed the muscles on her back tensed. You sat down on a chair looking over at the paper before grabbing the mug Natasha had in front of her.

“That's mine.” She stated never looking away from the news, you shrugged taking a long sip of coffee.

“Was.” You nodded to the paper, “what is it?”

“Nothing much, they had been ignoring the incident so far.” Natasha put the paper down, turning her attention to you. “How are you feeling?”

You winced placing a hand on the table, “I've been better, no gonna lie. The pain this morning is not that bearable.”

“Must be you sudden outing yesterday, you forced yourself more than you should.” Natasha pushed her lips, her green eyes gleaming dangerously. “Where is Wanda?”

“In my room.”

Natasha gave a brief nod, her hand sought out yours grasping it tightly. You glanced at the table just before lifting your eyes to meet hers. In there you found a softening stare, the glimpses of a smile and understanding of the situation. It was more than enough for you.

“How are things with her?” The question rolled out of her lips though you were pretty sure she wanted to say something else.

Shifting on your spot, you lifted your face to see out of the window where America and Yelena had finally come to a silent agreement while going through the training routine.

“They are fine, I guess.” You chuckled when Natasha huffed, tilting your head you continued. “Sometimes it is hard to just leave the past behind, but then when I'm with her I remember the innocence of my feelings for her back then and how different they are now.”

“Love is for children.”

“Indeed.” You mirrored the smile Natasha was giving you. “I think I never stop caring, and I never stop feeling. It is different now we are learning and getting to know one another.”

Natasha gave a curt nod, she squeezed your hand once more. Her face hardened for a moment, crunching her nose as in deep in thought.

“She is recovering, you know? Strange has been telling us how much she had changed, how happy she has been as of late.” Natasha leaned back dropping her shoulders. “Wanda had gone through so much, I don't think she should go back to this life. And quite frankly, I don't think you should either.”

This was a conversation the both of you had put to rest before the whole incident with Thanos and Steve's death. The world had been changing and non-powdered individuals were already working to make the world a better place, not only that but they had been creating new technologies to keep in check those they deemed far too dangerous to be left free. It was something both, Steve and Tony, had been fighting in their own way but that had continued happening during the five years after the Blip. Being a superhero, trying to save everyone was no longer something that could be done so recklessly or even out of good will. It required to be smart, to know which battles to fight and most of the time it was quite unfair. Besides, you and Natasha had tried out the runaways routine, you had been searching to settle down, hence the normal job you had gotten back in Norway. And Natasha, well…

You glanced at the woman in question, the wrinkles around her eyes were finally showing and there was a complete aura of tiredness she had been carrying for a while. Natasha was tired, and she would be more than happy to step aside.

“That's why you have been training Yelena.” Your eyes opened wide with realisation, Natasha broke into a half smile but said nothing. “That's the reason you have been working with her, why you have been delegating missions.”

“Yes.” Natasha shrugged standing up and making her way to the coffeemaker. “I have taught her everything I could and she now has a bigger web than mine, she and America should be the next in line.”

“Does she know?” You turned your attention to Yelena then back to Natasha. “She had dreamt to work alongside with you for a long time, you know that was her whole purpose for a while.”

“Yelena is no fool, she knows but we have opted out to not talk about it.” Natasha poured some coffee shrugging. “At least not yet.”

This was a lot to take in, once more you fo used your eyes on the two women training outside. Yelena was already a seasoned warrior, she had a different glint in her eyes and the missions along with the harshness of her upbringing shown through those clear eyes. America was still young, and even with her experience, she was still hopeful and full of righteous energy around her. She followed instructions easily, learn and then broke those rules to adapt them to her own style. Yelena smirked, she liked what she was seeing in the teen.

Once more, your mind went back to the young woman laying on your bed. You thought about the days you had spent with her and the life you could have with her. You ère also tired of going around protecting the world putting yourself on the line. You were tired of being alone, thinking your life was only to be a hero. Or a villain.

Natasha put a mug filled with coffee right in front of you, she offered a wink nodding to the stairs.

“You two deserve happiness, perhaps it's about time we retired and let the young ones to save the world.”

You blinked a couple of times, your ears straining hearing the sound of naked feet on the wooden floor.

“Just in time, do you want some coffee Wanda?”

“Yes, please.”

You didn't move but your lips curled into a content smile when you felt the sweet touch of a hand brushing your lower back. A bottle of painkillers was put to rest in front of you, turning around you could see only concern in Wanda's eyes.

“You forgot this upstairs, I thought you may need it since I know you're in pain.” Wanda lifted her hand to brush your hair, caressing the side of your face.

“Woah, not even a good morning kiss or anything?”

The smirk on your face was matching the one Natasha wore at the moment, Wanda squirmed glancing at you with wide eyes then back at Natasha with some apprehension. You raised a brow at her, and Natasha this time around mirrored your actions.

“I don't…”

“You don't want to?” The question left your lips with a hint of pain, Wanda opened her eyes shaking her head.

“Yes!”

“Then, what's the problem?”

“I don't think she wants to, to be honest. Bad breath, perhpas?”

This time around Wanda opened her eyes shaking her head, her cheeks completely red and there was a hint of panic running through her mannerism trying to get the situation under control.

“No, of course not!!”

You rolled your eyes trying to stand up while shaking your head.

“Come here, you doofus.”

Natasha snorted turning around to give the both of you a little privacy. You smiled into the kiss, Wanda relaxed her posture stepping back wearing a shy smile.

“See? It wasn't that hard.”

Wanda pushed you lightly back on the chair, busying herself to try and hide her blush and calm her beating heart.

“You should take the pills, Y/N, you really look in pain.” Natasha came with another mug she placed in front of Wanda.

For a brief instant, Wanda and Natasha crossed stares and there was a moment of understanding between them. It was everything Wanda needed it to feel at ease with the situation, to finally let it go and pursue what she wanted with you.

“You guys have any plans for today?” Natasha inquired leaning back against the sink.

Wanda glanced at you her green eyes shone with concern pursing her lips but not daring to voice her thoughts. You wanted to go out, to keep exploring the city with Wanda by your side but the pain on your leg would make it impossible. After a moment of consideration you lifted your eyes to the other woman who was waiting for you to answer.

“No, I guess yesterday's adventure was enough for me and me leg, so today I will rest.” You cocked your head nodding to the yard. “What about you, guys?”

“Not on my end, though I overheard Yelena and America wanting to go to the Old City.” Natasha pursed her lips, “I think they had something planned but I can't quite figure out what it is.”

You chuckled takin a sip from your coffee, Wanda stood behind you her hands resting comfortably on your shoulders.

“Then, I could cook, if you want and we can stay here, just for today.”

Wanda lowered her gaze until her eyes found yours. Your heart skipped a beat, just as your eyes shone with the deepest of emotions you were experiencing for her. Natasha observed te both of you from afar, wondering just how missing chances the relationship had faced until a mission confronted them with the reality. How many heartbreaks could have been prevented if anyone had worried enough to help and guide the both of you. Natasha softened watching the subtle caresses and brushes of hands, the tenderness behind the stares and the attention Wanda poured on you without any shame.

There was only hope for the future, and Natasha hoped after the conversation she had with you that morning that you would make the right decision.

“I think that's perfect.” Natasha jumped forward pointing at you, “get change and go to the pool, you can rest there with Yelena and America and Wanda and I will take care of the rest.”

You blinked a couple of times, your mouth opened ready to retort but the hand on your shoulder stopped you.

“I think that's a great idea, you can spend some time outside and we will take care of everything else.” Wanda offered a reassuring smile, though you could see the glint of trepidation in her green eyes.

“Only if you're sure.”

“I am.” Wanda nodded then grabbing the bottle of pills shake it in front of your eyes. “Keep this with you at all times, and tell me if you need anything at all”

You had a feeling this sudden eagerness to get rid of you had nothing to do with lunch and more so with Natasha and Wanda wanting to have a conversation. You hesitated only for a moment before standing up, you flashed them a content grin before dragging yourself to your room and getting ready for the day.

_________________________________ It was bound to be a cloudy day, with just the exact amount of warmness for a Tuscan city. You at down on the lounge chair fixing your position so the leg, you leaned back watching as Yelena and America cleaned up a little before coming over to where you were resting. America wore a simple smile, her hair pulled up into a ponytail while she sat on the chair next to yours, Yelena accommodated at the bottom of your chair.

“So, you and Wanda…” Yelena shifted frowning, “what’s really going on?”

You snorted knowing this was the long-awaited conversation you had pending with Yelena. It was one thing to talk about it with Natasha and even with America, but Yelena had always been overprotective of you and at the end of the day the situation presenting itself at the moment was not something ideal. Not for her, anyway.

“What do you want to hear, Lena?”

“The truth would be nice.”

America glanced at the both of you, shifting forward, she opened her mouth to speak but stopped when you lift a hand shaking your head.

“I guess, this was something bound to happen at some point.” You declared; Yelena raised a brow leaning forward.

“Was it? I thought you hated her.”

“I never hated her, Yelena, you know that.”

“I just never expected you to…” Yelena let out a heavy sigh, she leaned back shrugging. “I guess I just never thought it would be like this, you know?”

“I know.” You could see the acceptance in Yelena, the small hint of a doubt gleaming in her eyes was only a response to you being so distant as of late.

“I always thought you would end up with Danvers, not with Maximoff.” Yelena rested her elbows on her knees, she glanced at America then back at you. “Are you happy, at least?”

You chuckled, “I think that we have been working on just getting to know one another once more before jumping into anything rash. But yes, I am happy.”

There was a moment of silence that was filled only by the sweet breeze of early morning brushing their skin, you closed your eyes for a moment enjoying the quietness around you. Yelena was contemplating her future, the restlessness inside her was still pushing her to keep running, to keep moving and get out there into the world.

“Are you?” You asked, Yelena blinked a couple of times pursing her lips.

“Am I what?”

You rolled your eyes nodding, “Happy. Are you happy?”

Yelena looked taken aback by the question, she was silent for a moment until her lips broke into a familiar grin. It was a sight not many got a chance to see genuinely on the blond-haired woman’s face and you were happy to see your family was also getting that little piece of peace and happiness they had always deserved.

“I am. Strangely enough, I have been working on the missions and my life, and I have never been so happy with what I do, or who I am.” Yelena punched you playfully on your leg when you start chuckling. “You better not be laughing at me, I haven’t seen someone so smitten since…”

“…Since you and Kate?”

You raised your brows at the comment, Yelena changed colours going from white to red in almost a second. America covered her mouth almost immediately, but you were just too shocked by such a revelation and of course the reaction it got from Yelena.

“Who is Kate?” You finally asked, America rolled over just on time before Yelena threw at her.

“I’m gonna kill you, you brat!”

“Sorry, sorry! I forgot!”

You observed sitting down on the chair lounge as Yelena caught up with America who was laughing by now. Yelena was speaking in a mixture of Russian and English, she caught up with America before the both of them lose their balance and fell into the pool. It took you a moment to recover from the shook, but as soon as you did you start laughing watching as America was now getting the advantage and was laughing tickling Yelena and swimming out of the way of the blond-haired woman.

They came at you dripping water, with their morning clothes completely drenched and a sense of dignity that didn’t match their recent childish games. You leaned back waiting until they took some of the clothes off grabbing some towels to get dry.

“So, who is Kate?” You asked once more, Yelena lifted her chin trying to pretend this conversation was not going to turn into a discussion about her recent explores in New York City.

“She is a spoil brat, that is quite good with the bow.” She said sitting down while scowling at the way America snorted.

“Okay, and …you like her?” Now this came as a surprised to you since Yelena had never shown any interest in anyone.

Yelena shrugged, “she is fine.”

America opened her mouth to speak but thought better off what to say when she found those clear eyes of Yelena on her.

“A couple of weeks ago I was called for a job in the States.” Yelena mumbled, you know remembering the call, Yelena shifted as if uncomfortable. “I met this woman, she was trying to get to a gang that was terrorizing the city but most importantly, they were threatening her mom.”

“And, is she pretty?” You chuckled when Yelena lifted her arms in defeat, America came right in winking at you.

“I gotta say she is quite beautiful, and she is also funny and pretty smart.”

“So, you’re also smitten by her?”

“What?! No, of course not!” America blushed shaking her head trying to ignore the glare from Yelena.

You cocked your head, blinking a couple of times, “how did you meet her? Weren’t you at school?”

“I was.” America lowered her gaze then returned her attention to you, “but I also have been helping Yelena around, I think…I think it is only right.”

It was at that moment you understood what Natasha meant about the youngest generation. You heard everything Yelena and America decided to tell you at the moment, how they had been working together alongside Kate and other people around the world to build up a new team. It was such an strange concept, watching as they tell you of their hopes and their goals, how the name of the Avengers was still used reverently by many and how others were still waiting for someone to come forth and saved them from the clutches of evil doers.

“You better go get change, I think Natasha and Wanda would be over soon and then we will talk more about this.” You finally said taking everything in.

Yelena was the first one to stand up, she hesitated before turning to you.

“I am happy.” She stated once more, “and I’m glad to know you are happy too. Wanda is not such a bad election, after all.”

“I am happy for you as well, Lena.” You grabbed her hand squeezing it comfortingly. “I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want you to keep any secrets from me, you know I will always be there for you.”

Yelena nodded squeezing your hand back before going inside the house. America had stayed behind, her clothes clinging to her frame. She glanced at you for a long moment, and you waited for the young woman to speak.

“When I first came here I was highly irrational on a lot of things, your relationship with Wanda was one of those things.”

“I remember.” You furrowed your brows, America softened he features.

“I think you were patient with me, and I thank you for…just for listening to me, for helping me out.” She stated swallowing down her emotional response to the conversation, “I know it was hard for you when you saw her that first time back in Norway, but I am glad to see that things are working out with the both of you.”

It was something you never expected to happen, and by the way America was talking at the moment it was something the young woman had doubted as well. Then America stood up and came to you wrapping her arms around you.

“I’m so happy for you and Wanda, I really hope this could be the second chance the both of you deserve.”

Then, America was gone and you were left alone with your thoughts.

The morning was growing old, with not a single sound interrupting your thoughts you observed the trees and the grass, your eyes dancing around the backyard with images of the past, the present and the unknown future dancing inside your head.

Without meaning to, you fell asleep with only hope for the future to not be broken by the past.

____________________

The supermarket was a long way from the Villa.

Natasha and Wanda had driven quietly while letting the music in the car to fill the silence. Wanda glanced out of the window, her thoughts going back to you and how you were fairing with the pain on your leg. She had been dead worried the moment she heard of your accident, when she finally got to see the state you were in her heart had dropped with her mind going blank before crumbling with a single, terrifying thought sneaking inside her head: what if she loses you again?

“She was being reckless.” Natasha broke the silence, her eyes were on the road but Wanda had a feeling the other woman had been observing her out of the corner of her eyes.

“Was she?”

Natasha snorted nodding, “she wanted to finish the mission as soon as she could, she was trying to go back to her monthly date with you.”

Wanda tensed clenching her fists closed, she could imagine you entering a fight in use of your powers to try and get the advantage to finish the mission. Natasha tilted her head turning the car around, her eyes found those of Wanda briefly before continuing.

“I know you and her had been seeing each other for quite some time.” Natasha read the uneasiness on Wanda, the way the younger woman shifted on the seat while lifting her face with her eyes flashing determination.

“Natasha, I…” Wanda started but then trailed off, she was not sure how to approach this conversation.

“Many would say what the both of you are doing is stupid, and it should only lead to you breaking her heart all over again.”

There was a flash of hurt in Wanda’s eyes, she lowered her gaze frowning at the veracity of those words. Everyone had been waiting for Wanda to mess up again. She had even doubt that any kind of relationship could be built with you for as long as her initial betrayal would not be forgotten. It was a constant ghost haunting her whenever she tried to get closer to you. But it was this what the both of you had been working on, it was something Wanda didn’t want to repeat.

“Will I ever be free of my past mistakes, Natasha?” Wanda finally asked tiredly, “I’ve been trying s hard to…”

“To forget about it?”

“To redeem myself.” Wanda retorted forcefully, frowning. “I know I mess up, there is nothing I can do about the past, but I can do something about my present and my future. I have been fighting so hard against the prejudices, against the anger and resentment you guys held against me.”

Wanda spoke with a shaky voice, yet there was full determination in her stance and the force behind her voice. She passed a hand through her locks, her eyes turning to the city spreading before them.

“The moment I saw Y/N once more my whole being shook with longing, my heart broke knowing I could never be with her again because of my mistakes.” Wanda felt the tears welling up in her eyes, she never noticed Natasha stopping the car nor the older woman glancing at her with understanding in her eyes.

“I tried to be her friend, to at least get a chance to earn her friendship and then…” Wanda closed her eyes the visions of the twins, of the lived her counterpart was living with you, the glimpses of what her future could be.

“…then she gave me this chance and I don’t wanna mess up. Not again. I just…I want to love her, I want to be with her.”

The tears rolled down, Wanda lowered her face unable to open her eyes and find herself under a glance of scepticism. She held back a sob when a warm hand placed itself on hers, Wanda opened her eyes finding the green eyes of Natasha glancing back into hers.

“I know it hasn’t been easy for you or her, Wanda. I just want to make sure this is something you and Y/N want.” Natasha softened leaning back into the seat. “I know you guys are till working on your relationship, and I’m glad you were given a second chance with her. Just…don’t break her heart.”

Wanda stood speechless for a moment, she shook her head wiping away her tears breaking into a tiny smile. This was the very first time she actually felt the complete approval from Natasha, it Wanda didn’t know how much it meant for hr until that moment.

“I won’t, believe me, all I want is to…to make her happy.” Wanda sighed looking back into the street. “To love her and be loved by her.”

“Good, then you two should just talk about what the next step is going to be.” Natasha stated seriously. “A lot of things had changed since you were a teen and the world is not what it used to be, perhaps it is time for you two to consider this before making any decisions.”

Wanda was slightly confused at this, she thought about those words furrowing her brows. What did she want with you? Of course, she thought about being with you but, where would she live from now on? Was she ready to leave Kamar-Taj? What did she want to do with her live? What about you?

Natasha chuckled shaking her head, “of course you two were far too busy to even think about this.”

“I haven’t had the time to actually sit down and think about it, you know?” Wanda answered defensively. “Ever since I was back and the fight with Thanos my life has been a rollercoaster, I haven’t had the time to think about anything at all.”

“I know.” Natasha shrugged turning the car on again. “It is worth thinking and talking about with Y/N, don’t you think? Just to know where you guys are doing from now on, how you guys want this second chance to go. Just, think about it before doing something rash or…”

Natasha didn’t finish her thoughts, but for Wanda it was quite obvious what she meant. The young witch leaned back against the seat thinking about this, up until that point she had not considered any of this and while Natasha finally reached the supermarket and spoke about the ingredients and the things they would need in the house, Wanda couldn’t help but thing of the conversation that was waiting her back in the Villa.

A conversation that might lead to the future she was looking with you.

_______________________________

America realized she had come into the strangest of families she could meet in her travels.

She sat at table watching as Natasha and Wanda worked around with the dishes and the food getting everything ready while Y/N and Yelena talked about football and the oncoming matches in the European league. The environment was finally free of any tension, and all that was left was a room filled with familiarity and hopefulness.

It had been a long way to get to this point, America had been jumping around universes before coming across you and the others. She knew that it had been a long way before you and the others could come into this kind of gathering; a year ago everyone had looked at Wanda with anger and resentment, but those stares had been changing with time and at the moment the only thing America could see was acceptance, on Natasha’s and Yelena’s side, and love on your part.

America couldn’t help but smile.

Even in the midst of such dangers in the world, even after all the hurt and misunderstanding there was still hope for something as beautiful as love and friendship was possible.

“Okay, you two just shut up and enjoy,” Natasha finally sat down nodding to Yelena and Y/N, the both of them turned to their plates, with Wanda sitting by your side.

“You guys really went out of your way to cook,” You softened your stare while turning to Wanda, “it’s good to know someone is out there to make sure Tasha is not burning pasta.”

Yelena started laughing until a napkin hit her face, Natasha glared at her sister who flipped her. The older woman raised a brow rolling her eyes at the mature response, America chuckled taking a sip from her glass.

“I burn it once, and in all honestly it wouldn’t have happened if you had collaborated a little.”

“Hey! It wasn’t my fault at all!”

“You were supposed to be watching over the water, Y/N.” Natasha replied dryly, you winced remembering the incident smiling sheepishly.

“Yeah, well…we got better after that incident.” You said turning to Wanda with a reassuring smile, Wanda merely chuckled turning to her food.

“I don’t have a problem cooking for you, so we can prevent any accident in the future.”

Wanda spoke before she could stop herself, she tensed lightly her eyes glancing at you with her breath caught in her throat. You nodded taking some of the pasta in your mouth, closing your eyes enjoying the taste of the sauce.

“Mmm, well if you cook like this, count me in.”

Natasha and Yelena glanced at one another before turning their attention to their food, Wanda grinned nodding silently. You took another bite and soon the conversation changed into what you and Wanda had done the day before and what were Yelena’s and America’s plans for the next couple of days.

The conversation went around the table with light topics and stares that spoke more than words. You smiled through the whole ordeal, your hand sneaking around to grab Wanda’s one giving her a reassuring squeeze. Wanda relaxed into your touch, the conversation she had with you the day before and the conversation she had with Natasha still dancing inside her head.

The afternoon sun snaked inside the room, your eyes fluttering open to find the wooden ceiling of your room darkening slightly while the day gave way to the night. The room had the windows opened, with a sweet breeze lurking around to freshen up your skin; there was not a single sound you could detect yet your powers ignited with the movement of a shadow in the far end of the room. You stretched sitting up to accommodate your frame, your eyes squinting to make sense of the form standing by the window.

Wanda Maximoff was standing on the far end of your room contemplating the red and yellowish hues of dusk breaking into the sky. She had her arms around herself, leaning against the windowsill with her eyes staring far away.

You couldn’t help but soften under the sight, your heart beating painfully inside your chest. With some trouble, you fixed your posture and stood up; taking a deep breath you started making your way to her. Wanda shifted her weight turning around when she heard your approaching footsteps.

“Y/N, what are you doing?” She straightened up ready to come up to you but you stopped her with a gesture of your hand. She hesitated but waited until you reached out to her, a proud smile playing on your lips.

“See? I could do it.”

“I never doubt about your ability to do it, but the wisdom of forcing yourself to do so.” Wanda replied with a light scowl, “how are you feeling?”

“Much better, thank you.”

The sight beyond your window was breathtaking, you leaned against the rail of the window closing your eyes for a moment. Wanda observed you with a warm heart, her arms twitching at her sides until she chewed on her lower lip before wrapping her arms around your waist. You tilted your head, your eyes finding those of Wanda, you felt the corner of your lips twitching upwards while those green eyes twinkled with hesitation.

“This is quite a sight, what were you thinking about?” You leaned back snuggling closer to Wanda, the other woman felt her stomach broke into a million fluttering butterflies while her heart stopped at the gesture.

She tightened her hold on your placing her chin on your shoulder, “I was thinking about finding a job, perhaps finding a house in Ulsteinvik.”

Wanda waited patiently, she could feel the tension in your body and the hold of your breath as she revealed this.

“That sounds nice.” You replied finally breaking into a smile. “I know just the job position for you. I bet you would be a great teacher.”

Wanda chuckled shrugging, “perhaps. I just thought…I couldn’t keep running, and I don’t want to be away from you.”

“Would you stay with me?” You asked, more than living together your house was big enough to have her in there, Wanda hesitated before shaking her head.

“I want us to do this the right way, living with you right now would not be…right.”

You nodded accepting this, your hands rested on top of Wanda’s ones. The last lights of the day soon disappear and gave way to a fresh night; you rested in Wanda’s embrace for a while enjoying the warmth her body provided.

“This was my last mission, Wanda.” You finally stated, “I won’t be going out unless the world is really ending and there is no other option. America and Yelena, they are ready to take over but I just think this should be over. I won’t be a field agent, and while I would love to help around with some desk work…I don’t think I want to go out anymore.”

“I don’t want to fight anymore.” Wanda replied back, “I am tired, and the world is…unforgiven.”

“I know.”

Wanda pecked your cheek, “I will be with you, if you allow me and we can be normal together.”

You smiled nodding.

“I would like that.”

You always thought you wouldn’t be able to forgive Wanda for what she did.

A part of you had always hoped for a confrontation in which you would scream at her, you would hurt her and showed her how happy you were without her by your side. Anger and resentment had defined those first years after the breakup but then, after all that had happened, after everything the both of you had faced, you found yourself resting in her arms thinking about the future.

It was a second chance you didn’t regret at all.

You realized just that beyond that anger there was still love, and that not everything was about you being a hero and saving the world. You could step aside and still be yourself with the people you love by your side. You lifted your eyes to the darkening sky thanking whoever was watching that you had crossed paths with Wanda once more, now after all the scars had been heal you could start a new life, and this time around you would make sure that everything would be as it should have been the very first time.

A story about two broken people who found it in themselves to give each other a second chance to live, to love and to be happy.

#fanfic #wanda maximoff x reader #personal #wanda maximoff #wandaxreader #female reader #imagine wanda maximoff #wanda maximoff x female reader

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star-boi0720 · 6 months ago

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Giant lore dump here, basically they're the seven deadly sins, in my version to become one you commit an act to break a seal that Irene made to contain the devil within and their punishment is to become the new host for said devils. so I'm gonna go person by person and explain how they became a sinner

(the concepts aren't complete, still needs work but I just want to have it written down)

Aaron-Wrath, has a similar backstory to the OG, but I added a thing I remembered from Emerald Secret of the Utltimas backstory (this was solely from my memory and might not be exact) and took Zane out of the equation, basically Aaron had a hobby of hunting and he without knowing killed this holy wolf that Irene created, and as a punishment he was combined with it and in the foggy haze of his transformation he murdered his whole village and his family.

Lucinda-Gluttony, Her hunger for knowledge killed her best friend(/ maybe girlfriend aka Sasha don't 100% know yet) and sealed away her mother to the cursed forest. Hyria used to have like a coven/school for witches she made after Irene left. Lucinda was a prodigy and wanted to just keep learning to the point she was so desperate she stole a book her mother told her never to even touch (which had sin inside and was trusted to hyria by Irene) which made Lucinda's magic go crazy and destroy the school and seal her mom away and kill Sasha.

Travis-Lust, so his mom dies to seal his dad away all that's the same but Travis is just super lonely right, but then a girl comes to visit him and he eventually falls in love with her but she actually is a member of his fathers cult to break him free and Travis is so obsessed with her he doesn't notice, and before he can stop her fully she partially freed him and travis in the struggle to stop her he kills her and breaks his mothers necklace(which had lust inside) but right after he kills her a bunch of villagers burst into the chamber the demon warlock was locked in and it looks like Travis just sacrificed some girl to his father and they try to kill him so Travis hides deep in the mountains

Katelyn-Envy, her entire life in her village of dragons she was treated as lesser compared to her brothers Kayden and Cain cause she wasn't as strong as them and she pushed herself but wasn't enough, her jealousy boiled over and in a fight with her brother Kameron she broke a statue that had the sin inside she didn't kill him but burned him beyond recovery

Garroth- Pride, He was the cocky prince troupe kinda like Hercules from the Disney movie and he liked to play hero, and vylad always went with him like Garroth's little sidekick. but one day they came against a monster they couldn't beat and Garroth refused to back down and in which the monster which was a huge lion killed vylad garroth killed it but it had the sin of pride inside it Garroth returned home and when he told his mother of what happened she hid him away knowing the world would see garroth as a threat and kill him. So Evelyn(Aka Zianna I changed a lot of the parent's names cause it seemed repetitive to me, so mom is now Evelyn and the father's name is now Adam) sent Garroth to hide in Phoenix Drop and claimed the beast killed both of them.

Zane- Greed, Zane was always a good man the whole kind young priest get up. but after the sudden deaths of his brothers, his faith was shaken, and in a desperate attempt to bring them back he began to research black magic and corrupted his mind and he opened a box deep in the catacombs of Okasis which was Pandora's box which held the sin of greed and became and the once kind prince became a true monster.

Nana-Sloth Nana is the eldest daughter of a duke of the Tula Kingdom, her mother died when Nana was young and her father was very heartless about it, like had a new wife in 2 days and all her other siblings were only her half she tried to be close to them but her father kept her away from them to the point she stopped trying after so long but on a night a raid happened she was only able to save one of her siblings her youngest Juno who was only like 7 but as she was escaping she broke a mirror that had the sin of sloth inside and possessed her and nana escaped to ruan and made her little cafe with her sister. (Nanas I don't fully like it yet but it is something ig)

So that's pretty much just some tragic mfrs sorry for any spelling mistakes

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bicarbonate-blues · 2 months ago

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Alex x Farmer

feeing like a bad parent seeing your s/o spend time with your child when you feel too exhausted from farm work

just a little blurb!

Watching your son grow up before your eyes was surreal, beautiful, and utterly crushing. It seemed like just yesterday that you had taken some time off from the farm, leaning on Alex heavily to do work in your place so that your body could recuperate and you could bond with the new life you and your husband had welcomed into the world.

Alex himself had been in tears, whispering sweet nothings against your temple, his hand gripping yours so tightly you could feel the imprint of him days later as your infant son held the same spot with his much tinier fingers. You felt so whole.

Now, your six-month old was showing leaps and bounds in his development. He was still a little shy around George but cooed and babbled in pure excitement when he saw Evelyn walk through the door. They had been amazing in their Great Grandparent Duty. They loved watching over him when you couldn't get away from the farm and Alex was busy.

Even when the both of you could handle the infant, Evelyn and George still had open arms and you had no heart to turn them down. They could see through this life that Alex had truly blossomed into the young man that they knew he could be. To watch him grow as a father when he hated his own, feared becoming him, was soothing a wound they hadn't known they'd held since the death of their daughter.

You could understand their desire to be so close with your sweet boy. He was the spitting image of Alex too, but with your eyes and ears. You think you preferred it that way. Coming home, the both of them sleeping soundly was something you adored but it tugged at your heart painfully some nights.

When you would get home from the mines, nearing two in the morning, you realized that Alex must have dealt heavily with the baby's fussing and rolling about. Now, the baby slept nearly all the way through the night and you couldn't help agonizing over that too.

When you would spend the day tending to the crops only to come in for a quick lunch you would see Alex, splayed on the couch and dozing while Evelyn bounced the babe on her hip and hummed gently.

"Oh hello dear!" She'd cry happily, kissing your cheek and pressing lunch into your hands. "We have everything handled here so don't you worry, you can get right back to work with peace of mind."

You knew she didn't mean it as a dismissal. Evelyn was truly one of your greatest supports in this valley you called home . She was your number one cheerleader even before you and Alex had inevitably fallen for one another. He had seen how you loved his parental figures, and the rest was history.

However, you couldn't help but notice your son no longer reached for you first when you walked in a room. You noticed that he was content with his great grandmother and father and didn't want you at the moment, didn't need you.

With a tight smile, you had returned back to the farm and allowed a shaky breath from your lips. Your boy was growing up so fast and you were working. You loved the work, every day you felt contentment that you could have never imagined feeling in Zuzu City, stuck at a cubicle.

Yet, right now, you were discontent with the distance you felt with your son. You hated that every time you blinked he seemed to get bigger. Alex had even used the sewing machine to make some of the baby's smaller clothes into those appropriate for his growth. You had to admit, with no small amount of pride and simultaneous envy, that your son wanted for nothing because his father was more than enough.

That night, you had walked into the nursery, bones aching and fingers stiff. Watching your swaddled baby breathe softly into open air, some of the tightness in your chest left.

"Come to bed sweetheart, he'll sleep through the night," Alex spoke softly, arms winding around your waist and his chin falling atop your shoulder. You hadn't heard him approach but you sunk into him easily.

"I know," You croaked, spinning in your husbands arms so you could bury your face in his chest. You couldn't help the sudden emotion you felt. Alex seemed to notice the change immediately and with one last glance towards your son he led you quietly to your bedroom.

Sitting you on the bed, Alex knelt and carefully unlaced your boots. It was something he had done since you married. If he was awake when you arrived to bed he would carefully undress you and help you get ready for bed. His warm hands massaged your calves carefully and you couldn't help the tears that had begun in the nursery were falling now.

"He's so big Alex," Your voice was no more than a whisper, but it didn't need to be.

Alex answered with a squeeze and a gentle smile. "Of course, he's his father's son, he'll grow up strong just like me,"

You couldn't stop the way you bristled at his words. "He's my son too..."

"Of course he is!" Alex rushed to say, now sitting beside you on the bed. He had changed you carefully out of your boots and dirty trousers, as well as your soiled top. Now, he held you in your most insecure and intimate form and tried to comfort you. "What's bothering you?"

Alex could guess what turmoil you were experiencing but he found the two of you had far less misunderstandings if he asked you straightaway. He was determined to be nothing like the man he unfortunately shared blood with and three years into marriage with you, he was able to believe he was succeeding in that endeavor.

"It's been half a year and I feel like I really only spent the first month with him... I went back to work because we needed it and because I was growing restless but now I come home and I realize he doesn't need his mama like before. It's like he doesn't expect me to be around. What sort of mother am I?"

Alex caught your tears as they fell, brushing them away and kissing your forehead even if his heart tugged painfully at the sight of you weeping.

"A damn good one," He grunted out, voice thick with emotion. "I haven't told you this before, but I've been thinking it since you first went back to work after he was born. You remind me so much of my mother. She worked so hard to give me everything and make up for that son of a bitch that ruined our lives. Even when mom got sick she worked herself to the bone to provide for me. How is that not one of the purest forms of love?"

You whimpered against him at the sentiment. How could you express that his words were invaluable to you, but in this moment, you could only feel self hatred?

"I-I think I need more time with him. I will always provide for you two, I will always want to be strong and I know what it means to you to tell me that I resemble your mom. But Alex, I miss him. I miss you! I just.... I just need a bit of a break."

"Oh sweetheart..." Alex intoned, strong hands running up and down your back. "How long have you been feeling this way? All you need to do is say the word and I'll step in for you at the farm, however long you need. There's a reason I learned all of your tasks when we got married. This is our home and our family. We are in this together, you don't need to shoulder everything alone."

Looking into Alex's eyes you didn't detect a single ounce of judgement and even though your eyes had dried partway through his ramble, you nearly felt the need to cry again.

Nodding in affirmation, and offering a generous and appreciative kiss to Alex's waiting lips, you finally felt the discontent slide away from your body. Tense shoulders dropped, and animated eyes became heavy with sleep.

"Tomorrow, I'll take care of the farm, you stay home and be with our boy,"

Guilt abating, and love expanding, you fell asleep.

You truly had the best family. You weren't alone.

#sdv alex #sdv alex x farmer #stardew valley #stardew valley fanfic #sdv #sdv angst #sdv fluff #sdv alex x reader #alex x reader

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livsoulsecrets · 9 months ago

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Annabeth&Percy Fic - Nothing in the world belongs to me, but my love mine, all mine

Summary:

Annabeth in the aftermath of Luke’s betrayal, dealing with all she lost and finding some solace in what she gained.

““I just wanted to ask you something,” he started, looking to her once more, “and you can call me stupid for that, really, and I’ll probably deserve it, but… Are you okay?”

Annabeth couldn’t help it. She smiled.

“You’re right. It’s stupid,” she agreed.”

Read on AO3.

—

Annabeth didn’t sleep at all that first night.

She stayed awake in her bed for many hours, even after Malcolm lost his battle to sleep in his armchair across from her.

It had been kind of him to insist on keeping her company after the news about Luke’s betrayal spread through Camp, but there was not much he could do to make things better.

Annabeth did like her siblings and felt like most of them cared about her as well, but she had never felt close to them, not in the way she did with Luke.

She sometimes envied the easy camaraderie the Hermes Cabin shared, the clear affection Apollo’s children showed each other with such ease, or even the ferocious rivalry Ares’ kids had with one another.

Athena’s offspring were much more contained. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust one another. It was simply that they fended for themselves most of the time. They were too attached to their own tastes and beliefs, used to looking after themselves, and very introspective, so much so that it left little for them to bond over, unlike the other campers.

That was why her bond with Luke had always been so precious and permanent, unlike any others. Maybe it was because most of the other kids in her cabin left when summer was over, and Luke stayed all year-round. Perhaps their journey to Camp Half-Blood had just knitted them together in a way the rest of her siblings just couldn’t comprehend.

Before, when she thought of a brother, someone who was trustworthy and kind, she would think of Luke and his sword, cutting through a horde of monsters with one hand while the other held her behind him, protecting her with his own body. She would remember the nights they spent with Thalia around an improvised fire, huddled together for warmth, telling stories until the sun came up.

Now, for as long as she lived, when she thought of a brother, Annabeth would be reminded of Luke’s betrayal. She would be brought back to the exact moment Luke’s eyes flickered in anger as he attacked Percy, his sword descending into him and drawing blood.

Up until that point, she had been frozen, begging all the gods for the scene before her to be a deception, a misunderstanding. Only when Percy fell, clutching his arm against his chest, and grunted in pain did Annabeth snap out of her denial.

All she had was a split second to decide what to do. Who would she protect? Her brother, the hero that she had spent the last five years looking up to? Or the boy she met just a few weeks ago, who was as reckless as he was kind?

She threw the knife Luke had gifted her years ago with the precision he had taught her to have. It landed right across the expanse of his sword, just in time to stop him from slicing into Percy.

The memories came back in full force, and she pushed herself out of bed, desperate to get away from them. She looked out the window and found the sun had already come out.

She changed quickly and left her cabin in a hurry, not knowing where she should go. So, Annabeth just walked aimlessly, avoiding the sight of the packed Hermes Cabin.

She found herself near the lake and was surprised to find she was not the only one seeking its company.

Percy was standing near the riverbank in his orange camp shirt and jeans. She approached him slowly and silently. “Couldn’t sleep?” Annabeth asked once she was close enough to be heard.

Percy startled, turning to face her with a hand over his heart. When he recognized it was just her behind him, Percy lowered his hand with an apologetic smile. “Sorry, long night,” he replied.

She shook her head, crossing the distance between them. “I get it. Same here.”

They remained quiet for some moments, just staring over the expanse of the camp’s lake, shoulder to shoulder.

She felt Percy sneaking glances at her every once in a while, which didn’t help her overwhelmed mind calm down. “Just say it,” she urged finally.

Percy’s cheeks burned scarlet when he was caught in his act, but he was as stubborn as ever when he deflected her question with another, “Say what?”

“That you’re sorry,” she answered, “that you can’t believe Luke could do this, and I should have known it was him sooner–”

His eyes widened. “I wasn’t going to say any of that.”

She turned to face him now, arching an eyebrow in a silent challenge. “What did you want to say, then?”

Percy shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, averting his gaze for a moment. Annabeth thought she saw some whirlpools forming in the river, but she didn’t have a chance to ask if they were a consequence of Percy’s troubled mind as he started talking again.

“I just wanted to ask you something,” he started, looking to her once more, “and you can call me stupid for that, really, and I’ll probably deserve it, but… Are you okay?”

Annabeth couldn’t help it. She smiled.

“You’re right. It’s stupid,” she agreed. Percy flinched but didn’t seem surprised by her answer. “But thanks for asking, anyway.”

He managed a small smile in return at that. “Sure.”

Annabeth didn’t give him an answer, as she couldn’t even tell how she really felt, but it was enough that he had asked.

“Is your arm okay?”

Percy seemed a bit lost at the sudden change of topic but managed to shake his head. “It’s alright. I took a swim before going to bed, so it helped.”

She nodded her understanding, and they remained quiet for some minutes, just looking at the horizon as the sun climbed higher and higher in the sky.

“Can you help me with something?” Percy blurted out after a while.

She tilted her head and asked, “With what?”

“I wanted to train today. I feel like I’ll need it in the future, you know?” He kept his gaze on her, but it was clear he was nervous.

She knew Percy was dancing around the tricky subject of Luke’s absence, but that request just made it more apparent.

Percy had only ever trained with Luke before. And the reason he would need to train more than ever was Luke’s alliance to Kronos.

The pain that sparkled inside her at those reminders was nonetheless curbed by the satisfaction Percy had come to her to try and mend the gaps Luke left in his life.

He was trusting her to guide him through uncharted territory, seemingly unaware that she was just as clueless as him.

Here was Percy, asking her to train him, to teach him how to fight a friend turned foe. He still believed she had all the answers, even now.

It should terrify her to have that much trust placed upon herself, but it didn’t. For all the people who cultivated high expectations of her — her own mother with her fragile pride, her siblings with their firm belief she was perfect, even Quiron with his cryptic comments, Percy was the only one who seemed to only ever expect Annabeth to be herself.

And, to him, she was someone who could be trusted to find the answers to every problem in the world if she decided it was worth her time.

“I mean, just if you have some free time, like, if you don’t mind,” he added, taking her silence as a negative.

“I don’t mind.” Annabeth cut him off before he descended into nervous mumbling. “Let’s start it now. We still have time until breakfast.”

Percy smiled hesitantly at her, but his grin grew a bit wider when she rolled her eyes at him. It seemed awfully silly of him that he truly believed she wouldn’t spare him all the help he needed to survive after all they had been through.

She started walking towards the training area without looking back at him.

Annabeth still didn’t know how to even start preparing for what was to come or how to live with the gaping hole Luke left behind in their lives.

Her mind often worked on seven different fronts at once every time a problem arose, coming at it from every angle.

That’s what kept her up all night yesterday, and that’s what gave her the push to follow Percy and Luke into the woods when she realized something was off about Luke’s plan.

It had saved her countless times but also drained her in many others.

So, when she picked a celestial bronze sword from the camp’s collection and turned to face Percy, who was already uncapping Riptide, it was a pleasant surprise to find her mind narrowing down to the present moment. Her exhaustion and fear slipped away as she focused on the battle ahead.

Fighting demanded all her concentration, even if it was just training with a friend. It seemed to be the same for Percy, as he aligned his shoulders properly and took a deep breath.

“Ready?” she asked her friend, and the word no longer sounded foreign in her mind when she associated it with Percy.

“Born ready,” he said, as unserious as ever.

She was glad to see that, despite the burden the last few weeks had placed on his shoulders, Percy was still the same maddening boy she observed drooling in his sleep.

Annabeth plunged forward at the same time Percy did, and their swords screeched against one another. She pushed against him and dove, freeing herself from the lock.

Percy chased her when Annabeth was upright again, Riptide slicing in a curt arc that she had a hard time intercepting.

Percy was grinning now, and she had to shove an elbow into his side to distract him, both to gain her some time to attack back and to hide her own smile.

They had both lost so much, but it seemed they had gained something back as well.

“Focus, Seaweed Brain,” she mocked, and lunged at him again.

#pjo #percabeth #percy jackson #annabeth chase #my fics #percabeth fic #pjo tv #pjo series #percy jackon and the olympians #pjo spoilers #pjo show #percy x annabeth #pjo fic

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thewritingbeforesunrise · 11 months ago

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BALLERINA - Chapter Eleven.

A Jake Kiszka AU

Physiotherapist!Jake x Original Female Character

Previous Chapter.

A/N: Hi everyone, I am so happy to announce that Physiotherapist!Jake is back! I felt so bad for neglecting this little story so much but, finally, here we are with another chapter. There aren't many more left, so please bear with me!

Word count: 3.7K

Warnings for this chapter: fluff, angst, panic attack.

_________________________________

When the hunger for food overcame the hunger for each other, Iris and Jake finally detangled themselves from the mess of blankets and sheets and got out of bed.

She blushed a little when she remembered she was completely naked and he chuckled noticing her reaction.

He approached her and she lowered her gaze, unable to maintain eye contact with him.

His eyes were too intense.

He lifted her chin and stroked her bottom lip with his thumb.

“You are so beautiful” he whispered, and she blushed even more.

Then he kissed her and she almost melted against his plump lips.

She pressed herself more against him, wishing that his warm soft body could envelop hers completely and shield her away from all the harm in the world.

They almost lost their resolve to leave the room altogether when the sharp clattering sound of a pan hitting the floor downstairs in the kitchen broke the spell between them.

Jake chuckled and Iris quickly mimicked him as they heard someone curse loudly downstairs.

“My brother is so clumsy” Jake whispered.

“We better get downstairs quickly, I wouldn't want him burning the whole house down” He continued as he guided her gently inside the bathroom in his room.

Soft morning light was engulfing the room, making the light blue and white tiles glitter.

He turned the water of the shower on and retrieved some towels from a white cabinet in the corner.

Then he kept the glass door of the shower open for her to enter.

He was about to close it and leave her there alone when she grasped his wrist and tugged him inside with her.

They both laughed and she gave him a soft peck on the lips before they both started washing themselves.

Iris took advantage of the moment he closed his eyes to wash his hair to admire his body in all his naked glory without being afraid of getting caught.

He stood there before her, strong but soft in all the right places, making her mouth water at the mere sight of him with his eyes closed and his lips slightly parted as he lathered his hair with shampoo.

His back was slightly arched as his hands rinsed his locks and, for a moment, Iris found herself envying all the little suds that, from his head, slowly traveled down his body.

With his eyes still closed, he turned his back to her and she almost whimpered at how broad and sturdy his shoulders were.

She shivered when she saw the faint pink lines that her nails had drawn on his skin the previous day and her knees almost buckled as memories of the actions that had caused those lines flooded her memory.

She had never felt something remotely close to this with anyone else. It was a constant need of closeness that possessed her whenever she was with him and a heartwrenching need of him when, instead, they were apart.

Her body and mind tingled when he was in the same room as her, missing his touch even though he had just held her close.

He was like a drug for her, the more she had of him, the more she needed.

As her eyes traveled lower down the curve of his ass, she involuntarily licked her lips at the sight, feeling the impending need to bite his skin.

But the sound of him clearing his throat startled her and broke the spell.

Her eyes met his as he was already watching her from above his shoulder and with his back still turned to her.

Soon he was before her, pressing her flush against the cold tiled wall and sucking a dark mark gently on her neck, that would join the many others he had already left all over her body.

“Seen something you like?” He whispered before taking her lobe in his mouth as his hand traveled south, from her shoulder to her waist.

She moaned and shivered at the sensation and just when his hand was about to reach between her legs again, Jake's name being shouted by a male voice interrupted them.

“I need the fucking water to wash the dishes, turn that damn shower off” a muffled voice said angrily from outside the bedroom door and Jake groaned in front of her.

“I'm going to beat his ass when I see him” Jake groaned and muttered under his breath and she giggled.

“Sorry baby, we better get out of here before he comes barging through that door.” he went on defeated.

But, before she could exit, he stopped her and his hand traveled down her injured leg, touching the skin gently and checking her scar once again.

She hissed at his touch and his eyes met hers, worriedly.

“Are you ok? I didn't go too hard on you, did I?” He asked, his voice serious and tense.

“No, Jake, I'm ok, my skin is just a little more sensitive there, that's all” she answered truthfully, trying to ease some of his worry.

He tried to say something else but she interrupted him with a quick peck on his pouted lips.

“I'm ok, Jake, really” she whispered onto his lips and he sighed, relaxing his shoulders.

“Let's go, I'd like to introduce you to my brother without being naked.” He said chuckling.

Finally, they exited the shower and he wrapped a soft towel around her with a peck on her wet shoulder, before starting to dry his hair and body with another towel.

Once they got dressed, she started to feel a bit nervous about meeting his twin and as if he could read her emotions on her face, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind and squeezed her gently, reassuring her with sweet whispered words in her ear.

She shivered as his damp air touched her cheek

“Don't be nervous, baby. Everything is going to be alright.”

Then he opened the door of his room and grabbed her hand, guiding her down the stairs

Silence met her ears and she wondered if someone was still in the kitchen after all.

When they entered the room it was evident that someone had been there, but now it was clean and empty.

A plate full of steaming pancakes laid on the counter together with a bowl of ripe strawberries.

Next to it there was a slip of paper with a note.

“I'll be back in a sec. Dig in, they get cool quickly!”

Jake handed her a plate full of pancakes and strawberries and her stomach growled loudly making her blush.

Iris wanted to wait for him to fill his plate too before eating, but he was quick to give her the go ahead with a whisper into her ear.

“C'mon baby, you don't have to wait for me to eat. You need your energy back” he said suggestively from behing her, gently caressing and grabbing her ass with one hand while the other plucked a strawberry from the bowl and placed it in front of her lips.

His hips imperceptibly pushed hers against the counter and she shivered.

She turned her face enough to look him in the eyes before biting down on the ripe fruit he was holding between thumb and forefinger.

A few drops of juice from the strawberry trickled down her chin and he licked it away from her skin quickly, before it could drip lower.

She closed her eyes as his tongue glided slowly over her skin and almost dropped her plate on the floor.

She was losing herself in his presence when the sound of a key turning in the lock of the front door startled her.

She jumped away from him as if she had been burned and he chuckled softly watching her compose herself at record speed before meeting whoever was entering the house.

What she didn't expect to see when the front door opened was a little puppy. It was trying to run inside and failing, slipping on the wooden floor with its leash absolutely knotted all around its little body and paws.

Then she heard a boisterous laugh and a male voice reprimanding the puppy for being so clumsy in a sweet sing-song voice.

“Wait, you little devil, you are going to hurt yourself. Give me a minute and I'm setting you free” the voice said in a sweet tone.

The noise of paws on the floor never ceased but suddenly the puppy was free and it came barrelling towards Jake.

It was a little brown brindle pitbul puppy with an hint of white on chest and paws and a little pink collar with a fuchsia heart-shaped tag.

Jake knelt down and Iris did the same.

He scratched the puppy behind its ears as it wagged his tail like crazy and tried to jump up and lick his face.

“This is Rose” he introduced the puppy to Iris and it jumped up to her face and licked her nose.

She chuckled and tried to scratch her neck but the dog ran away suddenly towards the person that was approaching from the hallway.

Iris and Jake straightened quickly and were met with who she recognised from the picture she had seen in the living room to be Jake’s twin.

He looked a little taken aback, because of course he didn't think that his brother had company.

But he recovered quickly. He had a sweet smile on his face as he extended his hand towards her to introduce himself.

“Hi. You must be Josh” she greeted him as his warm hand wrapped around hers and squeezed, firmly.

“And you must be Iris, Jakey here told me everything about you.” he said and his smile deepened when he saw the blush starting to cover his brother's cheeks.

Iris saw as the brothers’ eyes met as if a silent conversation was taking place in their minds and suddenly Josh’s smile turned into a smug grin and he spoke again.

“Honestly, you are almost everything he talks about these days. This explains everything, that's why you took ages to come downstairs, isn't it, brother?” he said with a little chuckle as he noticed the absolute death glare his brother was sending him.

Iris blushed at his words.

The two boys looked very similar, but yet they couldn't be more different. Josh had a head full of fluffy curls that reached past his ears and stuck in every direction. And his smile was infectious, his perfect white teeth showing and his eyes glittering in the soft morning light.

Iris noticed the same dimple that Jake had pop out on Josh’s face and suddenly she was hit with a realization and her mind did a double take.

They were identical twins.

She already knew it but then she saw it too and it made her brain go blank.

It was a sensation that she couldn't explain.

Josh looked like the definition of happiness. It definitely radiated off of him and even if she barely knew him she could feel it.

Jake interrupted her mind trip, handing Josh a plate full of pancakes. Iris suspected that that was Jake's attempt to make his brother finally shut up so he couldn't embarrass them both further.

The three of them sat at the table and started eating the pancakes that Josh had cooked so kindly while he told them everything Rose did when the two of them were outside. That included trying to eat a rock that he had to yank away from her mouth, barking at leaves falling from a tree, getting scared by a bumblebee while sniffing flowers and almost killing Josh by tangling the leash around his ankles before chasing a poor leveret for ten minutes straight.

The way Josh told those stories made Iris practically cry with laughter. He was so theatrical and expressive that she couldn't help it.

“That's why she was so tangled up in the leash when we got home. I was chasing her while she was trying to catch that poor leveret and when I caught her I carried her home in my arms but she kept trying to wiggle out of my grasp and she kept tangling herself every second more.” He said while the puppy moved in a circle on the floor while trying to catch her tail.

Jake called her and she ran towards him, placing her paws on his thigh and barking when she saw that he was holding a strawberry for her.

The three of them continued eating and laughing at Rose's antics while chatting about anything and everything.

Iris loved seeing the brothers interact, showing her more about their relationship. She could see that they got along really well and were fond of each other despite they tried to pester themselves quite often.

Suddenly, Jake's phone started ringing, startling Rose that growled and fled to her dog bed next to the sofa and hid behind it.

Jake furrowed his brows thinking about who might have been, then stood and turned to grab the phone from the shelf where he had put it.

When he saw who was calling his face fell a little but he didn't say anything.

He answered and left the room with Rose close to his heels.

Iris finished eating and stood to bring her plate to the sink and wash it, but Josh quickly stopped her with a warm hand on her arm.

“Let me, Iris. You don't have to. I'm doing it myself” He said, reaching the sink and placing his brother's and his plate inside alongside hers.

“So, Jake told me you are a ballet dancer. You really look like one, your posture is perfect.” He said, making her laugh.

“What's your favourite ballet?” He asked curiously, while he washed and rinsed the dishes.

“Oh, I really don't know, I've got so many.” She answered simply, while grabbing a dishcloth to help him dry the dishes despite his complaints. He really didn't want his guests to work.

“I really look forward to seeing you dance soon, Iris” he said sweetly and her mind started reeling.

He sounded so confident and she absolutely wasn't. She really tried not to think about it too much.

“I'm not really sure about it” Her eyes lowered and she felt her bottom lip tremble slightly.

As Iris placed the dishes on the table she saw as his eyes drifted to her leg, where her bare skin was left exposed by the shorts she was wearing.

The two ugly scars glowed pink under the bright morning light and she couldn't help but feel self-aware about them.

His eyes quickly diverted from her skin but he sensed her discomfort and felt the need to say something.

“Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.” He said, his voice was sweet and comforting as he reached for her shoulder, squeezing lightly, but his eyes depicted worry. She didn't know why but, as he went on talking, she understood.

“I still remember that day, you know?” He said in a whisper.

“Jake called me briefly after your operation and I could feel the immense worry in his voice. I could tell he was shaking, at least his voice was. He spent most of the days after your operation at the hospital. I think he did it because he tried to keep himself busy working and coming home meant he had to rest and inevitably relive those moments. After a few days he told me that you were a ballet dancer and that he made a promise to you to help you go back to dancing.” Josh said her with a fond smile and she bit the inside of her cheek not to cry.

“I'm sure of it. My brother never breaks a promise” he added and winked, making her heart swell with love for Jake and her cheeks tinge pink.

Iris was about to reply when Jake entered the kitchen with a defeated look in his eyes.

“It was a call from the ward, there is an emergency and they need my help in an operation. I have to go. I'm so sorry, Iris.” He said dejectedly.

“Don't worry, Jake. You don't have to apologize” she told him honestly.

He went upstairs to grab his things and in a few minutes he was ready.

He approached her and kissed her deeply, stealing her breath away, not caring that his brother was there.

Iris blushed and he chuckled at her reaction.

“I'll be back as soon as I can, baby. If you want you can stay here. I know you love reading, there are plenty of books in the bookshelf for you. Make yourself at home, alright? And if you want to go home, Josh will take you.” He said sweetly, stroking her hair before turning to speak to his brother.

“Josh, remember that today the courier is delivering those guitars I told you about. Please bring them to the music room when they arrive. I'll check those out later.” He said while moving towards the door that led to the garage.

Josh and Iris heard him shout a rushed “Bye!” before slamming the door of his car shut and driving away.

Iris helped Josh clear the table and then sat on the couch with him and Rose where she asked him about himself while scratching the little dog behind her ears.

He told her that he worked in a record and film shop in town and that his dream was to become a great director.

Now she understood who all of those vintage film posters on the walls belonged to.

She asked him what his favourite film ever was and he started to list all his all time favourites and explaining to her exactly why he was choosing them.

Suddenly they were interrupted by the loud noise of the doorbell ringing.

Rose started barking but didn't move from her bed while Josh stood to go check the door.

“This must be the courier Jake was talking about earlier” he said, while he disappeared down the hallway to reach the front door.

Iris heard Josh chat briefly with the man outside his door, thanking him and a minute later he came back with a big box in hand.

“I'm going to bring this upstairs into the music room and open it to check if everything is alright. Then I'll be back” he said and started climbing up the stairs.

She relaxed back on the sofa but was startled by something, or rather someone, jumping in her lap.

Rose was demanding her attention rather effectively, by constantly biting a very loud neon pink squeaky ball.

She let it fall on her lap and Iris grabbed it, gently throwing it a few meters away.

She threw it everytime farther and the dog didn't miss a throw. She kept retrieving the ball and bringing it back to Iris.

On the last throw, unfortunately the ball bounced down the opposite hallway and rolled down the stairs that led towards the garage.

Jake had probably left that door open without noticing when he went away

The puppy refused to go down there, probably afraid of the stairs, and started whining over her lost ball, barking from time to time.

Without thinking, Iris decided to go down there to retrieve it.

She scooped the puppy up in her arms and brought her down the stairs. Then she let her roam free in search of her toy.

In the meanwhile, Iris took a look around the big garage. She saw the empty spot of Jake's car, right near to the stairs and, next to it, there was what she assumed was Josh’s car, a white Jeep.

On the farthest side of the room there was also a big pile of boxes on top of something covered with a thick old-looking blanket.

Rose was quick to find her ball under the white Jeep and she eagerly brought it to Iris, letting it fall at her feet. Then she looked up at her expectantly with her sweet big brown eyes and her tail wagging at full speed.

Iris threw the ball a few more times but suddenly the dog got distracted by a loose thread in the old-looking blanket and started playing with it, biting and tugging at it, forgetting the toy altogether.

Iris started laughing at the puppy's antics as she tried to tear off the loose fabric that was too hard to break.

Instead, the dog ended up making the blanket fall on the floor.

And what Iris saw underneath, petrified her on the spot.

Panic started constricting her lungs and she wasn't able to breathe anymore.

Her head started spinning, her hands were sweating and her ears ringing.

For a long moment her mind was completely blank as her eyes focused on what was before her, failing to truly comprehend the real extent of what she was looking at.

Then she fell on the floor, with her head in her hands as harsh silent sobs started shaking her entire body.

Memories washed over her like a flood of biblical proportions, making her feel like she was drowning. Their weight was holding her down like a giant rock tied to her ankle.

But then she realized what she needed to do.

She needed to get out of there.

Immediately.

And never ever come back.

At that moment, she felt something warm press against her cheek.

Rose.

The puppy was licking her face, scared of her intense reaction and her strong emotions.

Iris gently picked her up and stood, suddenly regaining enough clarity of mind to leave that place altogether.

She climbed the stairs and laid the puppy down gently in the corridor.

Josh was still nowhere to be seen. She could hear his steps above her in the music room. He was talking to himself too but she couldn't make out what he was saying.

She walked in the kitchen, grabbed her purse from the table and silently made her way down the stairs that led to the garage after closing the door to stop the puppy from escaping.

She pressed the button to open the garage door and once she was outside, she ran away as fast as her leg allowed her.

She didn't look back, the tears steadily streaming down her face almost blinding her.

She didn't even realize she had made it in her apartment, climbed the stairs and entered her flat.

Only when the front door finally slammed shut behind her she allowed her spent self to fully break under the extent of that terrible discovery.

She crumbled on the floor and started crying all her tears, her leg burning because of the effort.

And once tears didn't come anymore she laid there, listening only to the faint sound of the clock on the kitchen wall ticking and the deafening sound of her heart shattering in her chest.

As she drifted into a dreamless tortured slumber she wished to disappear forever into the ether.

_____________________________________

Next chapter

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#greta van fleet #greta van fic #gvf fic #greta van smut #jake kiszka #fanfic #jake kiszka smut #jake gvf

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use-your-delusion · 2 years ago

Text

𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 : 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬:

" Soon enough, the suspected bounty hunter pulls his horse to a stop, a Tennesse Walker with a pretty brown and white coat. His rider slides off as he comes to a stop, and your eyes stay trained on the man as he enters your campground, his eyes taking note of your horse and belongings all left behind beneath the canvas of your tent.

You move quickly and quietly then, keeping your footsteps quiet as you round behind him. He was crouched down, rummaging through your belongings. Anger flared inside of you - trying to turn you into the law was one thing, but going through a lady’s things while she’s not home? That was just disrespectful.

As you near, he held something in his hand that made your heart clench, making it almost painful to breathe as you raise the pistol in your hand, cocking it behind his head.

“Drop it.” "

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 7K ish

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: Mentions of domestic violence in this story! Lot's of it! As well as the death of a child, and general violence from RDR2 <3

Don't ever force yourself to read what you aren't comfortable with.

A cigarette hangs loosely from your lips as you raise a match to light it, inhaling deeply as the tobacco smoke fills your mouth and lungs. The match still burns, a bright, orange ember against the midnight blanket above you. Its stars shine down on you, almost mocking you in a way as they twinkle and rejoice with one another.

You wish you were a star. So far up in the sky that nothing from this plane of existence could touch you. Instead, you would be the one looking down on the world. Judging the poor souls who sell themselves to the devil to get by. Humans were nasty creatures. Lying, stealing, robbing, killing. All of it. Horrible business that you dream of getting away from, as if the opportunity would ever be so kind as to present itself to you.

Another drag of your cigarette, another minute of the stars judging you.

The moon sits high up on her pedestal, illuminating the world beneath her. She outlines the ridges and valleys of your face, obscured partly by the hat you wear. It had been your fathers; aged and worn but still as loved as the day he had given it to you. Two feathers were tucked between its ribbon, blowing in the wind that passes through your camp.

To think that this was your life now - you went from having everything, from being the woman others envied with your husband and son, a fine house and a fine source of income. Then it was gone, leaving you living out of a tent, cooking poor cuts of meat over a campfire. The only living thing that didn’t want to kill you nearby was the Andalusian who was absentmindedly grazing on a patch of grass, unaware of the danger he was in.

His dark bay coat is illuminated by the orange bath of light the fire gives off, its flames flickering high into the night sky as you stare wistfully into them, wishing you could wake up tomorrow and be anywhere but here.

All your life you’d sworn you’d never kill anyone, whether they deserved it or not, but in the past month or so that promise had been quickly thrown out the window and left to the wolves. Your body count was growing steadily each day, by no choice of your own.

Bounty hunters, traveling from all over trying to bring you in, dead or alive, as the posters read.

You’d learnt fairly quickly how to shoot a gun, and how to shoot one well, at that. Your husband would’ve had your head if you’d ever thought of using his rifle, and a part of you wanted to laugh at how he’d react if he saw you with it now, like an additional limb to your body. The other part of you saw no reason to laugh at anything anymore though, and so you didn’t.

Your face is solemn as you sit, losing yourself in the hypnotizing flames.

Your breath hitches as a flock of birds erupt from a tree, a little further down the trail of the mountain, and slowly you rise to your feet, grabbing the rifle without even thinking about it. Someone’s coming. The sound of heavy hoofbeats grew closer and closer, reaffirming the suspicion. Without thinking about it you throw the gun over your shoulder and run to the cover of some boulders behind your camp, crouching down low in the shadows as you wait for the bounty hunter to arrive.

Your hand swiftly moves to your holster, pulling out a cattleman, also having belonged to your husband not too long ago.

Soon enough, the suspected bounty hunter pulls his horse to a stop, a Tennesse Walker with a pretty brown and white coat. His rider slides off as he comes to a stop, and your eyes stay trained on the man as he enters your campground, his eyes taking note of your horse and belongings all left behind beneath the canvas of your tent.

As you near, he held something in his hand that made your heart clench, making it almost painful to breathe as you raise the pistol in your hand, cocking it behind his head.

“Drop it.”

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

Valentine was a dump, as Arthur had come to work out. Instinctively, his nose scrunches up at the smell of livestock and manure, although he was sure the smell was getting to the wagonful of girls behind him more than it was getting to him.

“Could pick yourself up some bounties in there Arthur.” Uncle nudges him, pointing toward the local jailhouse. Posters were lining the walls but he shakes his head and looks away.

“Got better things to do then go on wild goose hunts.” Arthur responds, his shoulders and jaw tight from holding onto all of the tension of the past couple of weeks.

As the wagon pulls to a stop, the girls filter out, all smiling and laughing and discussing what trouble they could get into in the town. It made Arthur chuckle, their eagerness to go and charm some poor fool into handing over his wallet.

The ground beneath his boots is soft and muddy, but he walks through it without complaint, trailing behind uncle as he complains about one thing or another. The general store sits in front of them, a small building about as run down as the rest of Valentine.

The wooden boards of the structure are weathered and rotting, and Arthur tips his hat at the two men who sit in front of it, lazily smoking their cigarettes.

“You need anything Arthur?” Uncle asks as the two men stepped inside, offering tight smiles to the man behind the counter.

“A drink, if I’m supposed to be putting up with you all day.” Arthur grumbles, walking over the rotting floorboards towards a shelf, with fine whiskeys and bourbons on display.

He reaches for a cheaper bottle of whiskey, taking it to the counter and digging through his pocket for a money clip.

He’s low on cash - the gang's money, along with most of his own, had been left stashed in Blackwater, and there’s no hope of retrieving it any time soon.

While he was a halfwit, Uncle hadn’t had a bad idea when he’d pointed out the bounties to Arthur.

“Hey Uncle,” Arthur calls across the store to him after tucking the whiskey away safely in his satchel. “Keep the girls outta trouble, I’m gonna go have a look at the bounty posters.”

“Thought you said they were ‘wild goose hunts’.” Uncle laughs, mocking his earlier words in his best impression of Arthur.

“Shut up old man.”

He exits the store and unhitches his horse - a Tennesse Walker he’d stolen from some O’driscoll. He wasn’t Boadicea, but he was doing the job for now.

The thought of Arthur’s former horse bought a low, sinking feeling to his gut. There were few things he got to call his own and care about in his dying way of life, but that horse had been one of them. Everything he did, and all the women he saw come and go- Mary, Eliza, she was there with him through it all.

Pulling up in front of the Sheriff's office, he hitches the unnamed horse. At this rate, it’s name was gonna end up being ‘Horse’ if he didn’t think of something better soon.

As he approaches the door, yelling can be heard from inside.

“C’mon! Just head up there and try again, would ya?” A man’s voice asks, almost begging.

“You outta your mind sheriff? Four of us went up there to drag her in and I’m the only one who came back! I don’t care how much your payin’, find someone else to bring the crazy bitch in.”

The second man burst through the door, almost running into Arthur before shooting one last dirty look at the sheriff and walking away.

The sheriff had his hand pinching the bridge of his nose, sighing and muttering something incoherent under his breath, but when he notices Arthur approaching he perks up, a bright, fake smile overtaking his features.

“You a bounty hunter boy?” The sheriff asks, standing up to greet him.

“I can be.” Arthur shrugs. “For the right price.”

“Two hundred dollars sound like a good enough price for you?”

A low whistle left Arthur’s mouth. “Two hundred? You gotta damn serial killer you want me to bring in or somethin’?”

“She may as well be. Nasty woman, that one is. Her poster’s over there on the wall. Y/n Cole.” He points in the direction of a cork board, and sure enough a poster is pinned to it.

“Wanted dead or alive?” Arthur asks, pulling it down to get a better look. A photo of a well put together woman was printed on it, beneath the large sum of money. She was wearing a fine dress, decorated with lace and frills, her neck adorned with an expensive looking pendant, and some silver earrings dangled from her ears. Her hair was curled and pinned back into an impressive up-do, and she looked more like the wife of a mayor than she did a serial murderer. “She don’t look very dangerous.”

“That’s what all the other’s said.” The sheriff sighs dejectedly. “Don’t put anythin’ past her though, she’s been guttin’ the boys like pigs up there. Crazy bitch.” The last part was muttered under his breath, and Arthur was unsure of whether or not he was meant to hear it.

“What’d she do in the first place?”

The sheriff lets out a humorless laugh. “Killed her husband and her son. Shot them both in cold blood. When the in-laws confronted her, she shot them too. She’s been hiding up in the Grizzlies for boutta month or so now, and any man who goes up there lookin’ for her doesn’t come back.”

“Sounds like quite the risk you got me takin’ than sheriff.”

“Pretty little wad of cash will be waitin’ back here for you if you do it though. Shoot her, stab her, tie her up and drag her back here kickin’ and screamin’, I don’t care how you do it, just bring us that Mrs. Cole and we’ll pay for your troubles.” The sheriff shrugs with a sly smile.

Arthur mulls it over for a minute, studying your portrait. You were a pretty woman, he realized, put together and wealthy too, by the looks of it, how hard could it be? The reward was highly encouraging too, two hundred dollars would make quite the difference for the camp, and it would make Dutch pretty happy too.

“Alright.” Arthur mumbled, tucking the poster into his satchel. “You said she was in the Grizzlies?”

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

“Told you to drop that, Mister.” You reiterate your words, pressing the cold barrel of your pistol against the back of the man's head. He drops the photograph, and his hands come up in surrender as you use your free hand to reach into his holster and pull out his own gun, tossing it away into the snow.

Despite the darkness, you train your eyes and ears into the surrounding forest, listening out for any other presence. No one else had ridden up with the man, but none of the other bounty hunters had come alone so far.

“Where are your friends?” You ask, still scanning the area in search of other men. Your heart pounds heavily in your chest - he seemed far too relaxed for a man with a gun to his head. Something had to be wrong.

“Came alone.” He mutters, before letting out a grunt as the heel of your boot came into contact with the middle of his back, harshly. He’s a strong man, but the kick takes him by surprise and he tumbles forward, landing face first in the snow, your gun never leaving the back of his head.

“Bullshit.” You hiss, landing another harsh kick to his side. “If you came alone then you’re an idiot.”

“I am an idiot, lady!” He protests, hand coming to clutch the side that had just met the end of your boot. “Now stop kickin’ me!”

You still, listening out for any sign of company, but you’re only met with the sound of insects and the crackling of your campfire. Your horse, Shergar, lets out a short whinny, pawing at the ground and clearly annoyed by the strangers presence - a mutual feeling.

“You’re really alone?” You ask, unable to stop the tone of confusion from seeping into your voice.

“Yes goddammit. Clearly a mistake on my part.” He sounds more inconvenienced by the situation than anything, like he was being pickpocketed rather than held at gunpoint.

“Clearly.” You agree with him, your voice quiet. “I gotta admit, I don’t really know what to do now.” You say to him, almost laughing. “Most the time, about five other men come runnin’ outta the bushes, guns ready and knives out. You really were stupid to come alone, y’know?”

“I realize that now.” He rolls his eyes, trying to find a way out of his situation. “Look, you can kill me if you want, but the only thing that’s gonna do is send more men up here on a witch hunt for you, and they won’t mind bringing your limp body back to Valentine.”

“None of the others have managed to so far.” You shrug. “Don’t see why I shouldn’t leave you here with a bullet and keep runnin’.”

“Cause your luck is gonna run out soon, lady.” He points out. “That or you can let me bring you in while you're still breathin’.”

“Bring me in alive today so I can swing tomorrow?” You ask with a humorless chuckle. “I don’t think so.”

“You really are a piece of work, huh?” The man asks, his blue eyes shining with something unreadable.

Before you can respond to him, he flips you over, diving for you and knocking you into the snow. The ice burns your face as you writhe and struggle beneath him until he has you where he wants you. He has you on your stomach, his knee pressing into your back to hold you still as his hands fight against your own to wrestle the gun out of your grip.

“Hey!” You yell out as he manages to wrangle it away from you, placing it into his holster to replace his own gun that you had thrown into the snow. Your hands blindly dart out behind you, trying to reach for him but he keeps his strong hold on you, and one of his large hands comes up to catch your wrists together and pin them on the snow in front of you. “Get off of me!”

“I didn’t like laying in the snow either lady, suck it up!” He retorts as he digs through his satchel for something with his free hand, and you feel your heart drop as he begins looping rope over your wrists, tying your hands together before getting to work on your feet.

Before he can start, your legs come upwards, and your feet come into contact with the man’s head, knocking his hat into the snow and eliciting a yelp from his mouth.

“You really are a crazy bitch.” He yells at you as you roll over onto your back, grinning up at him with a dangerous glint in your eye.

“And you’re a damn idiot like the rest of ‘em!” You shout back, spit flying from your mouth as you let out, perhaps the most ill-time laugh in history.

You aren’t quite sure why you’re laughing, maybe from anger or sadness, or from the dread of the gallows that were waiting for you, but you laugh, your head tilts back to face the night sky where the moon sits and watches you from her pedestal.

Your laugh soon turns into a choked sob though as you bite your lip and shake your head. “Do you feel big and tough, huh? Sending an innocent woman to her death?”

“You ain’t innocent.” The man shakes his head, spitting a bit of blood from his mouth. It taints the snow with its crimson color, ruining the innocence of the white sheet. “You killed your son Mrs. Cole. Did you feel big and tough while you shot your own baby? Huh?”

The world around you stops for a minute as anger clouds your mind, and you grind your teeth together so hard you’re surprised they don’t break.

“I have killed many people, but my son was not one of them.” You spit at the man through your clenched jaw. “You don’t know what the hell you’re on about, bounty hunter.”

“All I know, is that they’re gonna give me two hundred dollars for bringin’ you in. Innocent or not.”

“I’ll double it!” You say, not even thinking about the repercussions of your words as the reality of your situation dawns on you. This man holds your life in his palm - he chooses whether you live or die right now, and for the first time since you’ve been hiding out here, you’re powerless and at the mercy of a bounty hunter. “I’ll double what they pay you to let me go.”

He stops fussing with the rope at your legs at that, narrowing his eyes as he looks at you. Without his hat on, you can clearly see his face now. He looks to be mid-thirties, although he’s aged from the sun and the stress of his life, you’re assuming. His eyes are hooded, the bright blue color peeking out from beneath his strong brow bone. A couple days worth of a beard has grown along his jaw, enough to hide his lower face but not enough to hide the sharp jawline, or the scar on his chin.

“What did you say?” He asks quietly.

“I said, I’ll pay you double.” You reaffirm, your eyes pleading as you meet his own. The ice blue color gives away no indication as to what’s going through his mind, and in that moment you gather he’d be a great poker player.

“You’re gonna pay me, four hundred dollars, if I let you go?” He asks incredulously.

Now that he says it out loud, you realize how impossible your promise is, but nonetheless it looks like your only chance of surviving him.

“Yes.” You nod with a thick swallow. “Four hundred dollars.”

He lets out a low whistle, thinking about it. “That’s a lot of money.”

“I am innocent. And I’ll pay you to prove it.”

“And how can I be so sure, Mrs. Cole, that you’ll actually pay me. That you won’t run off the second I cut these ropes.”

“I’ll stay with you. Pay you back as I make the money.” You say, all but begging the man who appears to be considering your offer. “Most bounty hunters are travelers. I’m guessing you’ve got a camp set up somewhere too that you’re livin’ out of.”

“I might.” He shrugs. “But then what? I take you and your promises back to my camp, and then you run off in the middle of the night? You can’t be trusted. You’re a murderer.”

You weigh out your options, wondering what you could do to convince him. You had nothing of value on you, nothing of monetary value at least. The only thing you could offer him as collateral was something you would rather die than part with, but at this point, you dying was seeming more and more likely.

“Untie me.” You say softly, holding your hands out towards the man. “Untie me and I’ll give you some collateral.”

He considers it for a moment, eyeing you carefully, like he was trying to pick up on a lie or trick, but eventually he pulls a knife out of his belt and cuts the rope from your hands. “Don’t make me chase after you.” He warns as you stand on shaky legs and make your way to your bedroll where the man had been digging around earlier.

You drop to your knees, quickly finding what you were after, laying right where he had dropped it. A photograph of your son, when he was only two years old, held up high in your arms as you planted a kiss on the side of his cheek. A wide smile was covering his features, and in the photo your eyes are crinkling with a happiness they haven’t known in a long time.

“Here.” You begrudgingly hand him the photo. “It’s the only photo I have of me and my son. It’s the most important thing in the world to me. I get that back when you get your money. And if I run, I’m leavin’ that behind as well.” Your words are soft, almost defeated as he gently takes the photo from you.

His brows are furrowed as he inspects it, running his thumb along where you stand in it. After a moment, he must deem it worthy because he tucks it away safely into a pocket on the inside of his jacket.

“Grab your things Mrs. Cole.” He says softly, making his way over to his discarded hat and placing it atop his head. “You’re comin’ back to camp.”

════ ⋆★⋆ ════

“You never told me your name.” You point out as the two of you amble side by side, Shergar traveling through the mountain ranges with ease after having spent so long up here with you. The bounty hunter's horse, on the other hand, was skittish, hyper-aware of his surroundings and the cliff edges that surrounded him. A couple times his foot had slipped and a sharp whinny had escaped him, his head throwing back high in the air with the whites of his eyes showing, clearly unnerved this far up in the mountains.

It wasn’t just a fear of falling though, occasionally a wolf howl or a roar from a bear could be heard, causing Shergar to prick his ears nervously towards the sound and add a slight spring to his step, eager to escape the predators.

“Arthur.” The man grumbled, blowing his breath into his hands and rubbing them together to warm them up. “Arthur Morgan.”

“Arthur Morgan.” You tested his name on your tongue, the name slipping out easily.

“And I know your name, Mrs. Cole.”

You shook your head. “That’s my married name. I have no business using it anymore.”

“So what do you want me to call you then?”

You told him your name, your real name, from before you made the terrible mistake of marrying Evan, and he repeated it with a small nod, as you had done with his own earlier.

The sun was up now, beating down on you harshly but still not enough to melt the ice that ran cold through your veins. You had grown used to the freezing temperatures after spending so much time up here, but you could tell Arthur wasn’t enjoying himself at all.

His blue coat was wrapped around himself tightly, the collar brought up to protect his neck from the biting winds.

“You couldn’t have picked a warmer spot to hide out?”

“Not many people wanna come up here unless they have to. Figured it was safer for me than some place down there.”

“Suppose.” He hummed. “You would’ve been up there during that god awful storm then?”

You snorted. “Yep. Though that was the end of it for me. I could barely see three feet ahead of me let alone find or cook food. That and the fact that I probably got hypothermia.”

“Yeah it was like that for us too.” Arthur said solemnly. “We were camped out by Colton for a week or so, me and the rest of my…” he trailed off. “Family.”

“Not a nice place.” You offered. “Hell were you doin’ up there with your family anyways?”

“We’ve both got our secrets.” Arthur shrugged, and you gathered that you wouldn’t get anything more out of him.

“I suppose.” You agreed.

“I mean, I’ve got my secrets.” Arthur corrected himself. “Your crimes are plastered all over the state.”

“I didn’t kill my son.” You said harshly.

“What about your husband? And his family, huh? Suppose you didn’t kill them either.”

“Like you said, Mr Morgan. We’ve both got our secrets.”

The ride continued in silence, a tense air settling over the pair of you as the snow gradually melted away. The mountains grew smaller and smaller behind you, and the air grew warmer. Birds sang and deer hopped about, taking off as you and Arthur trotted beside one another along a makeshift dirt road.

You crossed a shallow point of a river, the water coming up and splashing against your legs and tickling the underside of Shergar’s belly. It washed away the mud that had been caked against his hide from weeks in the mountains, where the only creeks and rivers were frozen or too cold and dangerous to enter.

“Nearly here.” Arthur’s low drawl broke you from your thoughts as he steered off of the road onto a worn trail through the grass. It led through forest for a few yards until you spotted a clearing up ahead, where wagons and tents were set up like a miniature village.

You could hear voices, men and women, even a child, all talking and laughing with one another.

He pulls to a stop before you completely leave the safety and privacy of the woods, a somewhat concerned gaze on his face. His eyes are narrowed and you can see he’s thinking hard about something with his parted lips, his tongue coming out to dart them with moisture momentarily.

“Y’know how we mentioned those secrets that you and me both got?” He asks, turning to look at you and you narrow your eyes.

“Yeah. Why?” Worry seeped into your tone at his own. For a man so sure of himself, he almost seemed hesitant to bring you into the camp.

“This- This family of mine ain’t the best, ok?” He started, stumbling over his words a little. “You owe me four hundred dollars, but that means you also owe Dutch Van Der Linde.”

Your eyes widened. You’d heard that name more and more frequently in your travels lately, and not for anything good.If you could remember correctly, him and his gang were wanted dead or alive for some ferry robbery gone wrong down in Blackwater. Come to think, you’d also heard Arthur’s name thrown around a lot.

“You- You’re in the damn Van Der Linde gang?” You asked, your tone growing in pitch as your arm comes out to slap his bicep.

“Hey, what-”

“You murder and rob your way across the whole country, you’re wanted dead or alive and yet you come here and you judge me for my crimes? Crimes I didn’t even commit!”

At your voice, heads turn in your direction, curious gazes from the women, and bloodthirsty, threatening looks from the men. From behind the trees they still can’t quite see you properly, something Arthur is thankful for as he slaps a hand across your mouth, your hot breath escaping your nose and fanning across his fingers as he shoots you a warning glance.

“Keep your damn mouth shut.” He warns with a low voice, his eyes shooting back to the camp where everyone seems to have gone back to their business.

When he’s sure you’ll stay quiet, he removes his hand from your soft skin, his mouth opening and shutting while he tries to find the right words.

“Look, I’m not gonna take you to Valentine, and neither will Dutch when he hears about our agreement.” Arthur says pointedly. “But there are other men in this camp, who will jump at the chance to hand you over for two hundred dollars, so you keep your mouth shut, ok?”

“Ok.” You nod, feeling a growing pit in your stomach. Suddenly, you were unsure of whether or not coming here was truly the best idea. Maybe you had been safer in the Grizzlies. Maybe you should have taken your chance to run, leaving your treasured memory behind in Arthurs pocket.

As if he could read your thoughts he sighed, hanging his head and pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Look, I’m gonna keep you safe here, ok?” He promises, and you can see in his eyes that he truly means it, although you know that to him, it’s nothing more than keeping the promise of four hundred dollars safe. “But not even I am gonna be able to stop some of these men when they learn the truth ‘bout you.”

“What are we gonna tell ‘em then?” You asked, throwing a worried glance at the camp. “They’re gonna wanna know who I am and what I’m doin’ here with you, won’t they?”

“Yeah they will.” A frown overtook his features as he continued to think. “Alright, we’ll tell ‘em your name is Miss Flinders, from Strawberry. Your daddy just got eaten by a bear or somethin’.”

“A bear?” You ask incredulously, one eyebrow raised. “If my daddy managed to get eaten by a bear, he might just be more of an idiot than you.”

“You got somethin’ better?” Arthur asks, a little offended that you hadn’t liked his suggestion.

“Yeah, I do.” You roll your eyes. “Miss Flinders from Strawberry was running away with her fiance, planning to elope. He took her money and left her stranded. You found her in the hotel there, with nothing left but her horse. Her family won’t take her back, and she’s got nowhere else to go.”

“I personally like the bear, but whatever works for you, Miss Flinders.” Arthur says in a mocking tone.

“We ain’t doin’ the bear.” You deadpan.

“Fine.” The outlaw relents. “But I found Miss Flinders like a drunken harlot begging for money on the streets. I was like her knight in shining armor, offering her a bed and some warm food.”

“Yeah you’re a real gentleman, Mr Morgan.” You draw out his name sarcastically.

“Don’t push me girl.” He warns. His voice had a way of sounding more dangerous than the growl of a wolf, you had come to notice in the short time you’d spent with him, and for all of your confidence you couldn’t deny the effect it had on you, leaving you swallowing thickly from his threat.

When he’s satisfied with your reaction, he gathers up his reins and spurs the Tenesse Walker forward, leaving you to trail behind.

“Uncle Arthur!” A young boy's voice is the first thing you hear when you emerge from the clearing, hiding in the shadow of the man in question.

“Jack!” It’s quickly followed by a stern woman’s voice, and you catch a glimpse of her grabbing a hold of the boy's forearm, dragging him off in the direction of a campfire, a pot of something cooking over it.

“C’mon.” Arthur says to you, dismounting from his horse and waiting for you to do the same.

You can feel curious gazes meeting you as you walk through the camp, Arthur’s hand finding its way to the small of your back to guide you.

“Keep your head down.” He instructs, his tone low as you near a group of men.

“Brought a whore back Arthur?” One of them lets out a drunken yell and a laugh, and you can hear the others laughing and whooping.

“Shut your mouth Micah.” Arthurs all but growls back at him as you continue to walk through the camp.

Some women offer you odd glances, looks that hold curiosity and even jealousy to some degree as you’re guided to a wagon with a canvas awning. Beneath the awning is a cot and a few other assorted pieces of furniture, holding belongings you can only assume belong to Arthur.

“Just stay here and sit tight for a minute.” Arthur tells you when you reach his wagon, giving you a small push toward the cot that was set up there.

“Where are you goin’?” You ask, making no move to sit down. It felt wrong to intrude on his space like that, whether he’d given his permission or not.

“Gotta find Dutch.” He explains. “Tell him about this agreement of ours.”

“Wouldn’t it be best if I came with you then?” You frown a little, not liking the idea of the two dangerous men talking about you and your bounty while you weren’t there. On some level, you know you can trust Arthur to a degree - after all, he’d had the opportunity to hand you over for the money, and he hadn’t taken it, but you were still doubtful, especially if Dutch Van Der Linde was going to have some hand in your fate.

You’d heard of the notorious outlaw, even before you were on the run. Robbing, murdering, leaving a trail of death and destruction everywhere he and his gang went. And yet, when Arthur, his right hand man came to get you, you weren’t met with a cold, heartless man who wanted to trade you for money at the first chance you got. Instead, he was open to your suggestion, and accepted it, albeit begrudgingly.

Of course you still owed him money, and lots of it, but he knew that would take time, and he would need patience, but in the meantime you would still be provided with warmth, food and protection from other hunters, something you were beyond grateful for.

“No, just stay here a moment. It would be best if I spoke to him alone.” Arthur sighs, a hand running down his face, as though he were deep in thought. And you suppose he is, how is he supposed to explain to his boss that they had two hundred dollars sitting in their camp, just waiting to be collected on, but they weren’t going to touch it in hopes of it giving them four hundred? With no plan or promise as to how you were gonna get that money?

It makes you wonder on some level why he hadn’t just handed you in when he had the chance to. It would’ve been easier, surely, than going through the trouble of bringing you here and convincing Dutch to let you stay. Of course the promise of double your bounty had some role in it, but now that you knew of the gang, you were confused. They could’ve gotten that money easily if they kept up old habits, which you were sure they did.

Arthur leaves you then, leaving you to awkwardly take a seat on a cot you could only guess belonged to him.

You hate to be nosy, but you aren’t left with much else to do as the rest of the camp carries on its life around you, occasionally throwing you a curious look. Instead of staring back, you let yourself gaze around Arthur’s makeshift room. You take note of the photos he has sitting on a nightstand beside the bed, one of them being a portrait of a beautiful woman with dark hair, perfectly styled behind her. He also has an assortment of weapons lying around, from guns to knives to ammunition. It makes you wonder what sort of business the gang has been getting up to since disappearing from Blackwater, but you figure it’s nothing good.

There’s a large tent set up in the middle of the camp, and you can see the familiar figure of Arthur talking to another man, an imposing looking man who you can only guess to be Dutch Van Der Linde. He’s smoking a cigar, and his face is set into a deep frown as Arthur speaks to him. You watch them with curiosity. Arthur has taken his hat off now, revealing his sandy brown hair that could probably do with a trim, and you watch as he runs a large hand through it, touselling the once smoothed strands.

With your eyes stuck on Arthur, you don’t notice as Dutch turns his head to set his gaze upon you, not until Arthur follows where he’s looking and then you’re quick to divert your eyes from the two men to the sight of some birds beyond them, nesting far up in the trees. Your heart pounds against your chest, trying desperately to leap out as Arthur places the old hat back on his head and makes his way across the camp to you.

Was he going to tell you that you were welcome to stay? Was he going to tell you to pack your things and leave? Was he going to tie your hands together and haul you all the way to Valentine to hand you over for the money? Possibilities run through your mind like a horse running from a wolf as Arthur approaches, and you can see Dutch in your peripheral vision watching the two of you like a hawk.

“You can stay.” Arthur nods his head at you. “Dutch is ok with it, but he wants to speak with you when he has a chance. Make sure he can trust you and all that.”

“I-” your throat runs dry at his words. You weren’t sure if it was from relief of having a place to stay, or fear of having to speak to Dutch Van Der Linde. “Thank you.” You settle on saying, your lips pursed together as your eyes meet Dutch’s from across the camp.

“It ain’t a problem.” Arthur says as he begins moving around his space and picking up several items you couldn’t quite make out. “You can handle yourself and a gun well, Dutch thinks you’ll be good to have around, once we know we can trust you. Until then though-” Arthur cuts himself off as he throws a handful of things towards you, “-you’re my responsibility.”

You furrow your brows and begin to sort through the things he threw at you, finding a bar of soap, some rags, and an old blanket you could use as a towel.

“Is this your way of telling me I stink?” You ask with a small chuckle as you stand up, cocking your head to the side to gaze at the man expectantly.

“You don’t stink, you just look like you could…” He trails off, thinking of a nice way to phrase his next words. “Freshen up.” He settles on. “And maybe run a comb through your hair as well.” He mutters, one of his hands absentmindedly reaching up to brush against your knots.

“Hey!” You say, a little offended, and you lightly slap his hand away. Despite your show though, you don’t protest when he adds a hair brush to the pile of items he’d handed to you.

“You got clean clothes on your horse?” He asks, ignoring the look you tossed his direction.

“What’s wrong with the clothes I got on?” You ask him, furrowing your brows.

“They’re still wet with snow.” Arthur says, like it should be obvious. “But if you wanna sleep damp, that’s your choice.”

Now that he’s mentioned it, you do still feel the dampness of the snow on your clothes, sticking to your skin uncomfortably. It was normal in the Grizzlies - there hadn’t really been any escaping it, but now you were dry, and much warmer than you had been in the mountains, and the thought of dry clothes that would stay dry made your stomach flip with excitement.

“Yeah, I got clothes on Shergar.” You answer him as the two of you make your way to where the horses are hitched.

“Kinda name is that?” Arthur asked, furrowing his brows as the two of you unhitched and mounted your horses.

“I dunno.” You shrugged. “It was his name when I got him, and I liked it.”

“Fair enough.” The man agrees with you, tugging on the reins of the Walker beneath him before gently spurring him forwards.

“Where are we headed anyways?” You ask Arthur, following him on the Andalusian, your hand reaching down to scratch at his neck with your nails.

“More private area of the river.” Arthur explains as the two of you trot out of the forest and onto the worn down dirt path. “You can clean yourself up a bit, and I’ll make sure no one else comes by.”

“So when Dutch said I was your responsibility, he just meant you were becoming my own personal little bodyguard?” You joke, your lips curling up into a smile as you turn your head to meet Arthurs gaze. You can tell he doesn’t want to smile but he does, shaking his head as the two of you trot.

“You’re worth four hundred dollars darlin’.” He explains to you, that low drawl sounding both threatening and alluring at the same time. “Of course you’re gonna have someone followin’ after you.”

The truth behind his statement stung a little. At the end of the day, these people could feed you, give you a place to stay, and keep you safe, but they weren’t doing it for you . They were doing it for your worth. After so long of being by yourself though, their motives didn’t matter to you. As long as you were safe and warm.

“You know I ain’t gonna run off.” You say to him after a minute of tense silence.

“How can we know you won’t?” Arthur asks incredulously.

“You think I’m gonna leave a bed, warmth, and a steady supply of food? Or that picture you’ve got of mine?” Your heart aches a little as you think back to the photo you had given Arthur of yourself and your son.

Subconsciously Arthur reaches his hand up towards his pocket, brushing his fingers over it as though he was making sure the picture was still there. You note that when you’d given it to him, he’d placed it in his coat pocket, and now as he rode beside you in nothing but his work pants and black button-up, he still had it on him.

The thought of him moving it onto his person made you worry a little less - at least you knew it would be kept safe, but still the fact that he held your most prized possession worried you.

“We’re here.” Arthur’s voice cuts you off, and he pulls his Walker to a stop as you near a concealed run off of the river. “Go clean yourself up.”

He turns the horse so that his back is to the river, and wordlessly you make your way towards it, shutting your eyes a little as the setting sun reflects off of the water.

For about the first time in a month or so - you feel safe . You have food and water waiting back at camp for you, and one of the most dangerous men in the country is currently keeping watch as you bathe, which in itself is a luxury you hadn’t been able to have in some time.

Perhaps this is a turning point for you, a chance to turn around the pitiful life you’re leading so far and make it into something worth so much more than just surviving to see the sun rise tomorrow. Perhaps you will be given your chance to prove your innocence, and tell the story of a woman who wanted nothing more than to avenge her son and was sentenced to death over it.

This is your second chance at life, with Arthur Morgan watching over your back to make sure it isn’t taken from you too soon.

~~~

Any feedback or comments are MORE than welcome, and would help me a great deal with motivation to not completely abandon this, however if you're more of a sit back and enjoy the show kinda reader, I completely understand! I am too on some level.

Anyways, I plan on following the order of the missions, obviously starting with Chapter Two at Horseshoe Overlook, and then just moving chronologically and maybe twisting a mission here or there. I also have a few plans on things to add in because why would I ever make life easy for my characters???

Lots of love <3

#rdr2 #rdr2 x reader #arthur morgan #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan fic #arthur morgan smut #arthur morgan series #arthur morgan x you

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kariachi · 2 months ago

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Okay, more technically to do with that old-ass (like, it'll be twenty years ago next spring or fall I can't remember) rp Monie came from, which was a ygo gx rp so, technically fic for that...

Uh, some family being family even though there's a lot of drama?

Chazz wasn’t sure if he could remember the last time they’d all done this. It had to have been ages ago. Not before his parents died he was sure, but…

He stared unseeing out over the garden, eyes flicking only to note Monie going back and forth across his vision. She’d hardly slowed from her sprint in the past, ten? fifteen? twenty minutes? She’d earned the right to wear a divot though, after having spent the whole day being quiet and mostly still, tamping her own pain down for the rest of them despite being closer to Grandpa than anybody. Let her get it all out.

His brothers were sat with him in the grass, chattering about something he wasn’t focusing enough to make out. There was a perfectly Monette-sized gap between him and Jagger, his legs pulled up as he went through probably his second blunt of the day. His own secret little trick to keeping their family’s strong emotions under control. If there was anything they envied Slade, watching the stars from Jagger’s other side, it was that he’d gotten that little curse better than the rest of them.

He had cried, quietly if excessively, at the funeral. Chazz and Jagger had nearly got into a fist fight the day before without even a real reason.

Oh, oh yeah, that was the last time they done this, the last time Slade had cried. The girl he’d been thinking of marrying- a name Chazz had spitefully cut from his memory and Monie and Jagger remembered with dangerous purpose- had dropped him just before Christmas and he’d managed to hold it together until the entire family came together for the holiday. All four of them had ended up on the roof, Chazz and Jagger pressed close to Slade’s sides while Monie paced the roofline. They’d had to be careful to keep their balance as they laughed at her exaggerated promises of exactly what would happen to that woman, if he would only ask.

Chazz was never going to forgive his brothers for the pressure they’d put him under. The threats and judgement they’d held over his head in the name of him becoming the best, living up to what they thought was his true potential, joining them in their seats of power, those had left scars that would never go away. A hole in his trust that no amount of the family therapy their grandpa had and still from beyond the grave forced on them would repair. Fuck, he wasn’t sure, after the past few years, they had even reached the level of being able to properly like each other.

But they were his brothers, he was their brother, and no amount of nasty and mixed emotions was going to stop them loving each other. Despite their best efforts.

With a huff and a stomp Monie skidded to a halt, grabbing all their attention by storming over to throw herself into the empty space. Her near perpetual smile was long gone, her braids ruined and makeup a mess from the tears that still rolled down her face, as she leaned her weight against Chazz’s side.

He put an arm comfortingly around her waist at the same time Jagger slipped his around her shoulders. With a ‘middle age will kill me’ groan, Slade rose to his feet and came to settle at Chazz’s other side. Not close enough to be touching, but enough to comfortably ruffle his hair in a way he hadn’t since back when he was still just the baby brother he had to raise. Before they’d realized he was brilliant, he was talented. That he had Potential and a Destiny and could be A Princeton Brother rather than just their brother.

“Jagger’s too young to remember,” he said, hand still resting on Chazz’s head and eyes back on the stars, “but Grandad once ruined Christmas.” He glanced over, just once, to confirm he had their attention before cracking a small smile. “The man he hired to pretend to be Santa for us turned out to be a wanted criminal, the FBI burst in right there on Christmas Eve. Dad was pissed.”

The soft, watery laughter that elicited was enough to get him started on hours of old family stories. They didn’t come with the flair for the dramatic the rest of them had, but were enough to dry the tears they all managed to start shedding again at some point or another for at least long enough for people to start yawning. For him to force Jagger to his feet, and the pair of them to march the younger two back inside for the night.

In the morning, Aunt Jeanette and Uncle Warren would find them all asleep in the family room. Chazz and Monette curled up together on the carpet, Monette’s pillow stolen by Chazz and her using him as a replacement like they hadn’t done since they were teens. Slade and Jagger having commandeered the same couch, despite there being two- taking up opposite ends with Slade’s foot digging into Jagger’s back and Jagger all but hung over the armrest.

They wouldn’t have the heart to do more than make sure a blanket was draped over their older nephews and tell the staff to leave them be.

#fanfic #i'll admit i'm posting this mostly so i can just link it to the friend i did the rp with

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lestappeninchidents · 2 years ago

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My god, you guys are not ready for your future fic update !!! Thanks to @axerocknroll , I think I’m writing the most beautiful lestappen of my life. I'm very emotional while writing it and I even have tears in my eyes because I'm so proud of what I'm doing. 😭🥹

I have for now 13 pages and more than 6300k, and it’s just the begging of the story and the idea that inspired me. 🫢🫠 I’m so exiting to share with you this.

I know you didn't get the fluff you deserved in my previous fic, so here you go!! We have a Charles all in love and completely overwhelmed by his feelings for Max, we have love meetings like I've never written and religious symbolism for sensual things. We have art references too. ❤️❤️

I’M FREAKING OUT THAT YOU DON’T LIKE IT!! 🫣😭

Here a little snippet. It’s just the begging of the request, there’s so much more before and there’ll be so many more afterwards for the whole idea of @axerocknroll.

Austria 2022 (and memories of before), a podium that luxury would envy :

The nightly meetings after the days of racing, in small restaurants or pubs, had increased their relationship a little more. It made them into something, as imposing as the moon, that Charles didn't even fear to be seen late at night in public with Max. He even became proud of it. His heart became like marshmallow every time he had these thoughts and he asked for more every time. Especially with the moments of euphoria and pain that had broken his heart and left open wounds to Charles' soul. Max became his serenity, always camouflaged when he pricked himself or was pricked too hard against the field of roses that offered itself to him this season.

Charles found himself thinking several times, after one hand had caressed a drop of sauce on the corner of his lips by the thumb of the other and the looks that held the secrets of the world, that the house was Max. His soul and Max's were fused together at the heart, like atoms that attract and detach.

Max will be his undoing, he said to himself one day after he had stuffed himself with too much pasta after the Imola Grand Prix and his heart had stopped for a nanosecond when Max told him what Sassy had done to his simulator. They had been in a small Italian restaurant that Charles knew and knew he could trust not to be disturbed by him and Max.

The light was subdued, as if lit by candlelight which gave an air of Beauty and the Tramp. Almost kissing thanks to... no, because... no, thanks... in short, to a spaghetti that would bring them together without realizing it. The Ferrari driver had taken precautions to be at the back of the restaurant, in a corner that was a little more subdued than the others, with the soft, slow Italian music that would camouflage the last indiscreet ears. Everything seemed perfect. The race awaited them tomorrow and Charles was in the best conditions to play the podium, with Max who was supposed to offer him a great battle. Tonight, they would enjoy a sweet night, profiling the path of their flirtation, and tomorrow the protégé of the tifosi hoped that they would be able to close their weekend in the best way before taking the plane.

"...if you had seen this, Charles! The menace that she is, jumped on the screen while I was showering, like she knew what she was doing. The cunning one! I'm sure she's the one who lost me the race in Miami, I couldn't train properly at the apartment. She took advantage of the fact that I forgot to close the damn door, which never happens to me, to sneak in like the little devil she is. And then..."

Charles watched the tagliatelle wrap around his fork energetically, because of the story he was telling. The divine carbonara sauce that the predestinato had already been able to taste several times, had made its way onto the freckle on Max's upper lip. If at this very moment Charles could paint the scene, believe him, it would be obscener than any nude that art could count, and will count in the future. Obscener than Courbet's The Origin of the World, more obscene than Manet's Luncheon on the Grass which had shocked the crowd at the time, even more obscene than Rodin’s bronze Iris, Messenger of the Gods which was even more equivocal than The Origin of the World.

If Charles Leclerc had been able to paint or sculpt Max Verstappen at that very moment: the Academy of arts, the World, the public, the Formula 1 fans, the teams, and the Universe would have half covered their eyes; so violent would the divine be to contemplate for their retina. Which would have ended up burning their eyes, like a solar eclipse. So much the better. Charles would rather keep it to himself, in his Pandora's box, which only he could open and unleash when he wanted to.

Was it wrong if Charles was dying to literally sit on Max's lap, in full view of everyone like an exhibitionist, and lick the little piece of sauce obscenely for several minutes? Then, to feed him and Max on these same strong thighs that he was dying to bite, to suck, to knead and to lick until the groin to make Max crazy. Just like he had done a few months earlier at that party.

Oh, yes. It was the most tantalizing fantasy he'd ever had in his life and especially one that had given him an erection so quickly, right in the middle of a restaurant. His legs tightened to keep anyone from noticing his unchaste thoughts.

#lestappen #lestappen fic #charles leclerc #max verstappen #olympe’s writings #.txt #snippet #love cannot stay in a closet #<< title

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sizzleissues · 1 year ago

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We were always doomed (1/3)

Alternative direction for the finale - Adrien is rescued.

Read HERE on AO3 or below

There was a boom somewhere in the building. Sirens startled Adrien out of a nightmare he couldn’t seem to shake, followed by another crashing sound.

They were like footsteps echoing through his heart, catching in his throat. The threat in his mind breaking through its barriers and lumbering toward him.

Adrien looked at a worried Plagg, pushing his back against his bed and braced for whatever was coming. Each breath left him hungry, choking on something poisonous in the air, a worry that breathing couldn’t medicate. It felt like this was the catalyst. The end was coming.

Dust exploded out as the wall in front of him fell. A room identical to his revealed itself at the otherside, two figures standing in it, barely visible through the haze.

“I’ve come to rescue you.”

A voice said. Its owner was a smear of purple. Beside them the other figure scoffed.

“Because I suggested we should.”

The dust settled and revealed Kagami glaring at Argos. His cousin turned to her, silently mouthing something.

“What was that? Speak up,” She said. Argos glanced back at Adrien and then stepped close to Kagami. He spoke in a hurried whisper that Adrien could just hear.

“I said I’m sorry for that. I was going to rescue him after.”

“He’s in danger too. He can’t stay here.”

Argos pursed his lips for a moment before turning back to Adrien.

“We’re rescuing you now so pack up, we’re getting far away.”

Adrien didn’t move from his position against the wall.

“Why am I in danger? Why are we? What’s happening?”

“We really don’t have time-.” Argos said.

“I’m not moving until you tell me.”

Argos’s nostrils flared and he looked ready to strangle someone. Kagami rested her hand onto his shoulder and Adrien watched the tension melt. They had achieved a closeness in a such a short time that Adrien envied it. They had the ease of being accepted.

“We have to tell him. It's only fair,” She said.

“Fine.”

Adrien sat up as Argos and Kagami climbed over the fallen wall and into his room. Argos dropped his transformation, sitting on the far end of the bed as Félix. Kagami hovered near.

“It's time we let you in on the family secret. The reason I took the peacock in exchange for so much.”

“Which was a dick move and there were better ways to do it,” Kagami added.

“I know that now, but I cannot change the past but I can ensure a future.” Félix faced him with an earnesty he’d never seen on his face. “I needed the peacock to protect all of us in this room. Do you know what its power is?”

Adrien knew of course. The power of emotion, creating sentimonsters from strong emotions much like the butterfly made akuma’s out of its victims.

“I’d change the wording there,” Félix said. The alarm kept wailing but in the room it couldn’t be more quiet.

“What.”

“I can read your thoughts- not all of them- just the highlights. You said ‘monster’ but we are not monsters. We are beings. The peacock can create life.”

“What are you saying?”

“You, Kagami and I are sentibeings. The peacock created us and can take us away just as easily. That’s why I took it. To keep us all safe. And we need to go because unlike us, you don’t have your amuk.”

A force yanked him at the neck, plunging him into a nightmare.

It had changed.

A cataclysm blossomed in his hand, a solid white mass instead of its usual bubbly black. It swelled to the size of a football, consuming his arm. It sickened him.

He tore his eyes away from it, to Hawkmoth holding Marinette limp by the collar. In his other hand he held a feather.

“Is this all you are? A pathetic feather, so easily swayed. Go on, little kitty, release it. Kill her.”

The mass enveloped them all. His vision dimmed until all he could see was her crumble.

And Adrien screamed.

“Adrien!” Félix yelled, by his side. He’d crossed the distance and tore his hands away from his head. “It's a dream. It's not real.”

Adrien tried to take a breath, tried to forget the way his hand had moved against his will and he’d been forced to watch her turn to dust.

“Where is my amuk?” He whispered, lifting his head.

Félix shot Kagami a sidelong glance.

“Your dad has it.”

Adrien didn’t have time to consider the implications. The control his father wielded. The exact reason why his father would have a sentimonster to control.

“Is it safe on him?” If Monarch could somehow steal it to use against him, he couldn’t take that risk.

Félix didn’t answer for a long time. It was Kagami who crouched at his bedside that answered.

“It isn’t. Your dad is-.”

“Monarch,” Adrien finished. It made so much sense.

It made everything so much worse. His heart felt tempted to sink back into the waters of his nightmare and drown but he couldn’t give up right now.

“I have to go.”

“You can’t. We need to get you away while Gabriel enacts his final plan. Ladybug will know what to do.” Kagami sounded confident, Félix looked less so.

“I have to go.” He repeated, stressing the importance. He couldn’t outright say it but he saw them understand.

He pushed off his bed, neither of them making an effort to stop him. He got to the door, the explosions had flung it open, before either of them spoke.

“ Chat Noir - and Ladybug- will stop him,” Félix said. Ladybug came as an afterthought. Adrien smiled at his cousin.

“He’ll try.”

#miraculous #miraculous ladybug #ml fanfic #adrien agreste #felix graham de vanily #kagami tsurugi #ml recreation #ml conformation

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ilikereadingactually · 4 months ago

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Quickly, While They Still Have Horses

Quickly, While They Still Have Horses: Stories by Jan Carson

i am really getting into this little microgenre of connected surreal short stories/vignettes/narratives. Craft was so excellent, and Rakesfall broke my brain in great ways, and Tauhou was so dreamlike and encompassing. Quickly falls right into this tiny category for me, more on the short story end of things than the others but still feeling like it's creating a world that looks like some part of ours, with just the smallest unreal quirks.

the connective tissue here is the political and social landscape of Northern Ireland, and the shadow of the Troubles across stories that span time, borders, boundaries, and peace lines. the emotional logic of the surreal elements—a severed hand that keeps reappearing in a fridge in Ulster, a Catholic ghost haunting a used car bought by Protestants, miracle healing offered and joked about and achieved—hits just right in a setting haunted by violence and division and getting on with life in spite of those things. if a bomb could go off anywhere, any moment, and a fenced wall divides that sort's neighborhood from this sort's, then why couldn't a pillar of heatless fire and smoke be a mental health support device? even the stories that aren't explicitly surreal deal little electric shocks of surprise, highlighting grief or numbness or resilience or love within the mundane everyday.

for half a minute i thought about picking a favorite story to highlight in this review, but looking through them i don't think i can! each one was so sparkling and funny and breathtaking like a punch in the chest. i have endearing love for a woman who admires her lesbian sisters-in-law and does her best to support her soft-spoken husband. i laughed so hard at the adolescent impulsivity and shitheadedness of kids who threw a burning baby doll over the peace wall. i can't stop thinking about the boy who chooses to believe his blind friend when he says he's been healed and wants to learn to drive, and the girl who spends all summer working for a space of her own and is denied by a father who must be recontextualized in that moment between childhood and growing up. what a treasure trove of jewels.

the deets

how i read it: another e-galley from NetGalley, i'm still playing catch-up! but i'm definitely going to buy this one when i have the chance.

try this if you: are delighted by dialects written out, are into surreality, enjoy stellar and quick character development, or dig getting dropped into the day-to-day culture of a place.

some lines i really liked: gosh the prose is just so beautiful

At high tide the seaweed swims with me. Its smooth tongues lap my arms and legs. I think about Jonah in the belly of the whale, all those slick intestines sliding against his skin. I feel small in myself and held.

___

In a way, it's good to be kept busy. It wears the howl out of her. She wonders if it is the same for Dad. By the day's end, there's no talk left in either of them.

___

After Rob, I lost the sea. I let Malcolm have it. I did not want it anymore.

___

The pair of them are always getting on like this. Smiling. Touching. Kissing each other in unusual places such as shoulders and earlobes. They are stupid happy. I wouldn't want to be a lesbian myself, but I envy Cathy all the same.

___

You start being honest with each other, and it's like opening what's-her-name's box. You never know what'll come slinking out.

pub date: July 9, 2024! go get it and read it!!

#books and reading #booklr #bookblr #book recs #book reviews #speculative short fiction #quickly while they still have horses #jan carson

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justanotherfanwriter · 2 years ago

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devotion

something for @soulxmakaweek I saw the first prompt was devotion and ran with this Bad!Ending au I came up with. It's an idea I'd want to flesh out more, but I feel this is okay for a prompt week! :)

fair warning this is a one-sided soulxmaka fic, but I love when devotion turns into an unreciprocated obsession. So, expect angst.

t/w: gore, violence, murder (but at the very end)

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Maka wasn’t the same after the moon, though, to be fair, none of them were. She hid it well, the slight shift in her personality, the distant stares, her moon bathing. Soul only knew because he heard the way she cried at night when he was stuck fighting his own demons that never quite went away, tucked in the shadowy recesses of his mind, begging, pleading, to come out.

If insomnia hadn’t plagued him, he would have believed all of her heroic puffery, the way she stood at Kid’s side, proud against his naysayers, and her belief in the change they were set to make after the battle on the moon.

The way her gaze flickered to the moon was just a trick of the eye if he didn’t know the way she cried.

She lasted three weeks—and so did he—before she cried herself sick, and he found her in their shared bathroom, her head in the toilet, retching up mucus and lingering specks of black blood. No words were spoken between them as he grabbed her hair and held it for her.

She was sick until the sun came up, and when they fell back against the bathroom wall, sitting together on the floor, tired but not sleeping, she finally spoke, voice cracking, “I just want them back.”

She didn’t say their name, but he knew she was referring to Crona. It was the way she had said them as if said with reverence, referring to a god and not the monster their friend had become. No, them was not used to symbolize the thousands that had lost their lives, but the one who had sacrificed theirs for them all.

The sound of her voice pierced his heart, breaking it in two, confirming everything he had dreaded, and knew, and ignored, and he fought hard against the lump in his throat because that was how he spoke of her, and he understood what it meant.

He wouldn’t be getting what he wanted, but that didn’t matter, did it? He had made a promise a long time ago, hadn’t he? When he said they wouldn’t be like her parents. Of course, liking her had never been the plan—nothing had gone to plan—but he wasn’t the kind of guy to go back on his word.

“What? You’ve already given up?” He said to the tile floor, speaking gruffly as he swallowed his tears. He stood up, offering her his hand, “Don’t be stupid. We’ll get them back. I promise.”

“How?” She stared up at him, her hand hesitating above his own. She looked drained and defeated and every bit as heartbroken as he felt, staring down at her.

“Why are you asking me?” He snorted, rolling his eyes, envying someone trapped on the moon, “You’re the smart one, remember? I’m just the guy who saves your ass when shit hits the fan. So do what smart people do, okay?” He took her hand and yanked her to her feet, “Go read a book.”

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

Maka took his advice very seriously. Textbooks, tomes, manuscripts, scrolls (cursed and uncursed), newspapers, academic journals, and stray internet conspiracies she had printed out littered every free inch of their apartment dedicated to the Gods, the Occult, and Madness. She worked tirelessly, leaving no stone unturned.

From the little spot she had left him at the kitchen table, he’d stare at the sheer volumes of books with wonder. They were like a fungus that only continued to grow. Even his bedroom was unsafe from them. There was a time, years ago now, when her book hoarding was a point of contention between them, and he had forced her to sell a few for extra cash. That had been before she had met Crona. Now, he wouldn’t even dream of it. Sometimes her books were the only thing that kept her going. Not even he could rouse her from her grief anymore.

As the years progressed, Maka had only become more desperate. The world around her had moved on from Madness, adjusting to their new normal, which now included witches, a few werewolves, and one black moon.

Except for him, of course.

He had a few romantic partners in the years that followed the War on the Moon in a self-antagonizing quest to be rid of Maka. It didn’t work. At one point, he was gone for two years. He left without a single word, and when he came back, he was surprised to find she hadn’t even noticed his absence, while he, on the other hand, noticed every single second.

She had smiled up at him from a circle of books like he had only popped out to run a few pointless errands, and his heart had ripped apart and stitched itself back together again in seconds. He looked around their cluttered apartment and asked if she had seen Blair.

“Uh, I haven’t,” She blinked, “but let me read you this. I think…it may be something.”

“When did Blair leave?”

Maka twirled her finger in one of her disheveled, matted pigtails, reading the passage out loud around the pencil eraser she was chewing. She didn’t bother to answer his question. In fact, she acted as if it had never been asked. The most he could hope was that the cat had made it out alive, that he wouldn’t find her buried under a pile of books.

He never did find out what happened to Blair in the two years he was gone. Instead, he sighed, pushed the kitten out of his mind, and slumped his bag down to the floor before turning to pick up the spoiled plates of food she had piled and misplaced on the stacks of books.

He wouldn’t—couldn’t—let Maka die this way. So, he didn’t leave again. He stayed.

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Kid wasn’t the only god people prayed to, though obviously, he was well worshipped. There were many gods and goddesses that had domains in this world. Some governed over concepts like death, their only absolute order in the chaos of life, other gods represented the seasons.

Some were equated to the Moon.

Maka had become the Moon’s most zealous follower. Every new moon, she paid tribute, lightening candles and whispering prayers. Swirling clouds of incense would fill their apartment, turning her into an ethereal misty mirage.

Maka didn’t make the same tributes to Kid, but this didn’t offend their Death Lord. It wasn’t uncommon for Kid to turn sacrifices, precious goods, and money away. Sometimes Death was a blessing, but he preferred letting nature run its course. He was only interested in the people that defied him.

It always boggled Soul’s mind that Kid was a friend and still his timeless enemy, but in the end, what did it matter? He wasn’t afraid of Kid. His demons lived in his head, not on a clock, whispering insane circumstances, trying their hardest to draw him back into the black room. He resisted, but nights were still hard, listening to her cry over the moon.

His friends were more supportive of Maka’s religious obsession. Tsubaki still lit a candle at her brother’s altar for the moon without fail every evening. Black*Star thanked the shadows when she was in earshot. Patty and Liz would occasionally moon bathe with her to keep her company. Kid couldn’t do much without disturbing the power balance between all things, but he didn’t chastise her when she used DWMA resources to further her research.

Soul, on the other hand, did not participate in her religious endeavors. It was his one act of defiance against her, and if his friends noticed, they never said anything.

Soul prayed to a different goddess entirely. She was a sound. A “G” note. Solid and reliable and there. If he prayed hard enough, maybe the mirage of her, the ghost of her, haunting these halls filled with books and eye-stinging smoke, would become solid again, forced out of the shadows of the moon and back into the sun where she belonged.

Thoughts of that once-sunny girl consumed him when he stared at the moon priestess on top of their apartment roof. She was whispering a mantra to the rock above them as she held her hands out in prayer. She looked so delicate, bathed in the rays of the weak moonlight that still penetrated the black shroud covering its face, that if he reached out to graze his fingertips down the spine of her back, he was afraid his hand would pass right through.

Instead, he watched her from the stairs, memorizing the lines of her, the sharp angles, and soft curves, remembering when she was once brighter than the sun.

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

There was a monk who, according to legend, knew all things. Kid had heard of him once, stating that his father had spoken of the man with venom in his voice. A rare mortal who had defied death and gotten away with it. He knew nothing more, or rather, he disclosed nothing more and, with remorse in his eyes, turned Maka away when she begged.

She, along with Black*Star, was still his best agent. Her obsession to free Crona had spurred her up the ranks of the DWMA Agents, allowing her more access to classified information. He, of course, followed after her.

When Kid turned his back on them, she cursed his name and left in a storm of rage. This wasn’t abnormal. She oscillated between denial, anger, and depression, and bargained whatever she could to gain favors, holy or unholy. Acceptance, he noticed, was never in the queue.

She pulled a few of those favors she had long since gained and found the Monk Who Knew All Things. Soul had never doubted her ability to do so, but it seemed that others hadn’t either. A group, a splinter cell of some sort, had been watching and waiting, allowing her to do the hard part and crack the code, and then swooped in at the last second to steal her prize.

It was futile on their part. Together, he and Maka cut the group of men down without hesitation, and Soul enjoyed the sick feeling of them being sliced open. The black blood sang, and the room came nearer, but he had learned to ignore its call, focusing only on Maka and what she needed.

A blood bath laid in their wake, and resting upon a rock, waited the monk. His beard was well-trimmed but long. He was old but not frail. And in his eyes was the sweetest sorrow Soul had ever beheld.

He stayed as a scythe as Maka explained herself and her righteous cause.

“Tell me,” She begged, falling to her knees. He slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground. He no longer complained when she did that, instead mourning only the loss of her touch. He could have transformed back into a human, but because she had not requested he do so, he stayed as a scythe within hand reach.

“Please,” She continued to plead, “how? How do I free them?”

The old man thought for a moment, staring up at the Black Moon, “It used to be such a lovely sight.”

“It still is,” Maka sneered. “Now, tell me. I saved your life; you owe me that much.”

His gaze fell back to her, and he sighed, “There’s nothing a mortal like yourself can do. This is a job of a god. Of divinity.”

This chilled his blood and reminded him of a recent conversation he had with Tsubaki prior to their trip. She had grasped him by the elbow and stared at him seriously with more authority than he had ever had the pleasure of seeing in her.

“Then, I’ll become a god,” Maka hissed, nonplussed by this revelation. “Tell me how.”

“I know that look in her, Soul.” Tsubaki had stated, “I’ve seen it in Black*Star—”

“You already know,” The Man Who Knew All Things said with a sad shake of his head, “and I beg that you do not follow this path.”

“It’s too late for that,” Maka spoke softly with tears in her eyes. “I promised them I would get them back.”

Madness was an interesting concept. Power, greed, order, grief. Just about anything could drive someone mad, and with the lingering pulses of Asura still permeating their atmosphere, Maka was—had been—at her breaking point. Once a beacon of human endurance, even she had lost herself in something.

Though he was still a scythe and could not see the look in her eye from the ground where he lay, he could feel the energy of her soul through their wave link singing a broken, mournful tune. It awoke something deep in him, and his soul began to reach out, harmonizing every other broken note as something dark pounded on the locked door in his mind.

“—she is going somewhere you cannot follow—” Tsubaki had warned him.

He had no time to react when Maka snatched him from his place on the ground and brought him down on the Man Who Knew All Things.

“Maka! No!” Was all he could cry as his blade caught the old man’s neck, slicing it clean off. She let go of him, and he went flying away, innocent blood staining his blade as he again clattered to the ground.

It was silent as the head of the monk rolled to a stop before her, and as he transformed back into his body, she covered her mouth in horror and shock, falling back to her knees with a horrible moan before crying out mantras and prayers to her Moon and its inhabitant, pleading for mercy and forgiveness, and a way to get Crona back.

He only felt sick. He had no prayers to whisper. Maka, his beloved, dearest Maka, had just committed the worst taboo. She had reaped a pure soul, one not on the Shinigami's List, and she had used him to do so. They had defied Death himself, and Soul knew Kid would not forgive her, not for this.

He should have run, like the coward he knew he was, but as tears streaked down his own face, he stayed. He had made a promise like that to her once, hadn’t he?

Tsubaki’s voice continued to echo in his head, “—and you will lose yourself entirely if you do not resist her.”

He sucked in a breath and knew their friend was right. A decision had to be made, but unfortunately, as he looked over at Maka, he knew he had already made his decision a long time ago. He didn’t fear death, he had his own demons, and they were devoted to a girl who was devout to the Moon.

He opened his mouth wide as Tsubaki’s warning played on repeat and swallowed the Monk’s soul whole. He stood there a moment, feeling it slither down his throat. The texture was the same as always, and for a moment, he was overcome with this incredible realization that a sound soul was no different from the unrested.

Slowly, he crawled his way toward Maka. When he reached her, he pulled her shaking form into his, and she didn’t resist as he began to rock them gently, smoothing down her hair. “Shush, shush, it’s okay.” He cooed, “We’ll be okay.”

He pulled away from her slightly and pressed their palms together as if in prayer, and slowly, so, so slowly, spoke as he finally started to feel the effects of a sound soul course its way through his body. He had been wrong, mistaken. A sound soul was not the same as the unrested. The black blood consumed it with vigor, and he knew now his hunger would be satisfied with nothing less.

“I told you, didn’t I?” He said barely above a whisper, looking past the tears in her eyes, as he shifted his fingers, interlocking them with hers, “I’ll follow you anywhere.”

#soul x maka #soma week #also this is unedited lol #it's supposed to read like a stream of consciousness but still unedited

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