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crikeygatormate · 3 years ago

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I Will Always Return (Pt.3)

Summary: You were the daughter of the mayor of Wrywood back when the wild west was more than just a movie genre. Your father was a sly politician who managed to find himself stuck between a rock and a hard place with a large crime group that resided in the city and the west’s most notorious group of outlaws. Somehow you find yourself stuck in the middle.

Warnings: PLEASE READ!! This chapter is much darker, so please be cautious, gun violence, death, graphic description of someone dying by a gunshot, dark themes, mentioned loss of family, implied violent father, typos (if I missed any please let me know!)

This chapter was really fun to write :) I'm also so happy about all the feedback I've been getting, it makes me happy to know y'all like my take on western bkg! Also, Keigo’s family is not canon btw just a heads up, same with Bkg and Kiri! This is a bit angsty lol I like angst makes me sad in a good way lmao

Word count: 9k ish???

Part 4!

Part Three

Bakugou and you rode up the mountain for the remainder of the night. Granted, you both were expecting to be followed, but at least you were far enough up now that he could come up with a better plan.

“Should we just go to the town you were heading to anyways?” you asked, shivering a bit as the cool breeze from the top of the mountain seemed to cut through your cotton shirt.

Bakugou shook his head, “no, don’t wanna bring them back to the others. We’ll lose ‘em.” He looked back at you, narrowing his eyes. He had a plan, but he wasn’t sure if you were ready for something so daunting.

“How are we going to lose them then?” you asked, leaning forward in your saddle as your horse trotted up a steep slope.

“Well, they can’t come after us if they don’t have horses right?” Bakugou said, watching you closely for a reaction.

You stiffened in your saddle. The thought of killing anything was totally adverse to you, let alone a horse. “I don’t know if I can do that,” you said honestly.

Bakugou sighed, “yeah I figured as much.” He looked back at you over his shoulder again, “you’ll have to join us down in the mud sometime soon, you know that right?”

You nodded, looking away from him and out into the span of evergreen trees, “I know.”

Bakugou huffed, “good, cause there's no gettin around it.”

You frowned, glancing back at him. How was he able to be so cold, so devoid of emotions when it came to taking something’s life? You wondered what made him like this? How weathered down he had to get before being able to fire his weapon at someone without blinking an eye.

There was a burning question in your mind that you wanted to ask him. You knew better now, he had already told you his past was a touchy subject, but none the less you wanted to know more.

More importantly, you wanted to know where Keigo fell into Bakugou’s story? The blonde soldier was so confident in his story and so bitter towards Bakugou. It was obvious to you that they did know each other.

“Awful quiet back there,” Bakugou’s timber voice cut through your thoughts.

You looked back at Bakugou, he wasn’t looking at you but you could tell he was frowning. “Just thinking,” you responded, watching him roll his shoulders. Morning light silhouetted his figure and illuminated his horse's tail swishing a few stray flies away.

“Got somethin’ to say?” he asked, now sparring you a quick glance. His vermillion eyes almost glowing from beneath his hat.

You furrowed your brows, a little taken back with his softer tone and word choice. Before he would have said something smart, like what crawled up your pants or something like that. “Well,” you began, wetting your lips with your tongue as you rode up next to him, “I’m curious about somethin’.”

“And what would that be, princess?” Bakugou drawled. He looked tired, dark circles were heavy under his eyes.

“I was, well, don’t get mad at me for asking,” you quickly said before continuing, “I was wondering what happened between you and Keigo? You do know him, right?” you asked. Your heart was racing in your chest as you waited for him to yell at you or flip you the bird, but to your surprise all he did was sigh.

“I guess since you’re ridin’ with me now, you oughta know,” he said, his shoulders beginning to bunch up due to him growing more uncomfortable.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” you said quickly.

Bakugou shook his head, “it’s fine, you should know. We’ll be fightin’ with ‘em pretty soon.” He let out another tired sigh before speaking, “I did grow up with Keigo. Kirishima did too. All three of us were neighbors in a sense. Kirishima’s family and my family lived on the land Keigo’s family owned. We helped them push cattle, break horses, maintain the ranch, so we could live there for free. When the three of us were all young we played together, learned how to rope, hunt, and tend the cattle.

It was a good deal, really. Both our families were dirt poor and Keigo’s dad was a generous guy. He was always tryna help out, take the less fortunate under his wing. Growin’ up there was easy, simple, we never went hungry, never got cold. That all changed when Kiego’s dad passed. He had caught a fever and passed almost instantly. Keigo was eighteen at the time and took over the household. Practically destroyed his father's legacy in a matter of weeks.

Keigo, well, he was always a little different. A little brasher, he liked to see things suffer. Caught him kickin’ the shit out of my herdin’ dog one summer, he paid for that. It got worse the older he got, and Kirishima and I began to avoid him, which he didn’t like.”

You listened intently, growing more horrified as Bakugou continued to talk about how violent Keigo was.

“Then one year a really bad winter came, I was fifteen, Kirishima was fourteen. Food was practically non-existent and our families were starvin’. Keigo didn’t offer any help, so Kirishima and I went hunting for a few days. When we came back, our families had passed. Keigo told us a fever had taken them, and I believed it. Blamed myself for leaving in the first place, and taking Kirishima with me.

Soon, the three of us were recruited to be a part of the military, and I wanted to be number one. It became an obsession of mine, I wanted to prove that even after letting my family down, I could still be good. That’s where I met dumbass Deku too.”

“The sheriff right?” you asked, unconsciously leaning closer to him as you listened to him talk. You liked to hear him talk, his voice was deep and strong with a rough undertone, but it was somewhat comforting to listen to.

Bakugou nodded, “yeah, that’s him. As much as I hate to admit it, Deku is a good friend of mine now. Definitely wasn’t when I first met the brat, he was thin as a pole and cried almost daily.” Bakugou snorted, lost in his memories before he continued, “anyway, I stayed with the military for four years, up till I was around nineteen, or close to it. Was real close to getting promoted past a grunt.”

You rose a brow as he trailed off, looking ahead of you both. He seemed conflicted to continue talking, “you don’t have to finish, I can tell Keigo’s just spreading dirt on your name from what you told me.”

Bakugou nodded, not sparring you a glance, “yeah, okay.”

You felt a wave of guilt roll over you as you watched his upper lip twitch up into a sneer. He looked disturbed, and you realized you probably should have never asked him something so personal. “Are you okay?” you asked gently, hoping he wouldn’t snap at you in defense.

“‘M fine,” he muttered, his vermillion gaze cutting over to you. He took a short breath before pushing his emotions away. “So what about you?”

Your eyes widened, he wanted to know about you? You could imagine your sister grinning at you like a maniac at the thought of you ever getting giddy over a man wanting to know more about you. You cleared your throat, “oh, I don’t think my story is really interesting,” you said, turning your face away from him so he wouldn’t see how flustered you were.

“Hah, that’s bullshit, obviously someone as prissy as you wantin’ to turn away from a life of comfort to ride with criminals is more than interesting.”

You shrugged, peaking back at him before looking down at your horse's red mane. “Well, okay, I guess it’s only fair if I return the favor and I'm not prissy."

Bakugou snorted, shaking his head as he listened.

“As the mayor's daughter, I did grow up in a nice place, never needed anything,” you began, hating how snooty you sounded, “I was taught to sew, cook, bake, clean, all that stuff, and it’s great to know, and admittedly fun sometimes. But, it was all in preparation to be married off to some man. I think my father started bringing suitors home when I was fourteen? It always went pretty badly.

I mean you saw what happened with Monoma, that’s pretty much what happened with everyone else. I told them off, and they thankfully turned tail pretty fast. No one wants a wife that’s gonna cuss ‘em out, right?” You said with a small grin, glancing at Bakugou whose lips were twitching up into a small smile.

“You do have the mouth of a sailor,” he said.

You snorted, “it’s come in handy over the years, but really I spent most of my time outside. Back home I have a huge garden, it’s taken forever to get so big, but I’m proud of it. I’d also spend most of my days at my neighbors. He’s this old rancher, Gran. He hates my guts, but after years of begging him to let me ride, he’s grown to appreciate my help with his cows. That’s pretty much it.”

“That’s it?” Bakugou asked, shaking his head, “what about your piece of shit father? You left that part out.”

You stiffened at his words, of course, you didn’t want to bring that up. But he was honest with you, so you might as well be honest with him. “Right, my dad. He was suffocating. Probably the most two-faced person I know. He was great when I was young, but as I got older I guess I began to see him for who he really was, which wasn’t pleasant.

He’d get so angry sometimes, and there were plenty of times I thought of running away, but I couldn’t leave my sisters. They were too timid and they needed someone to stand up for them, so I did. I would do it again too. As mayor, he had this persona he showed to the public but behind doors, he was terrible.

Honestly, it was really terrible of me to stay for so long, but being a woman is hard. I can’t own land, can’t open a bank account, I can’t do anything without a husband. But I’d rather suffer at home than be married off to some stranger.” You explained as you fiddled with your horse's mane again.

“I think, when you showed up that night, it felt like a prayer had been answered,” you admitted, continuing to look down at your hands, “I’m not sure what would have happened if my dad found out I told off Monoma like that.”

“Well, you don’t ever have to worry about any of that shit when you’re with us,” Bakugou said. “Mina came from a similar situation, and she’s just as free as me. You are now too.”

You looked at Bakugou, and gave him a lopsided smile, “thank you.”

He held your gaze a moment before nodding as he rode up ahead of you again, “gotta get goin’ more, we’ve got to stop soon to let the horses rest.”

—---------

The sun was starting to begin its descent from afternoon into the evening by the time you stopped riding. You kept your tack on your horses, but loosened their girths and unclipped one side of the horse's bits so they could drink and eat. It was clear that you had to be ready to quickly escape if need be.

Granted Bakugou was not planning on escaping. He told you earlier that you needed to be ready, and he was holding true to that.

You looked at the pistol in your hand. It was heavy. It was always heavy, and to you, the weight of it would never grow lighter. Over the past few days, you had practiced a lot with it. You had grown to respect the weapon, but you hoped you’d never have to use it.

“Here’s the plan,” Bakugou said as he walked back into your little makeshift camp, “I’m gonna come at them from one side and you will go in from the other. Chances are they won’t hurt you, so you can take a few horses out easy, I’ll handle the rest.”

“I’m not sure-”

“You have to be sure,” Bakugou snapped, his eyes flashing with mild irritation. “You’ve seen how these men work, they don’t mess around. They want me dead.”

Adrenaline instantly spiked inside of you, making your stomach and heart jolt. They did want him dead. You couldn’t have that happen. You wouldn’t have that happen. So you nodded, swallowing the lump in your throat.

“Good,” Bakugou said and clapped you hard on the shoulder with his good hand, “I’m countin’ on you princess.”

You gulped as you stared up at him, he was counting on you. So you had to follow through. You weren’t going to let him down. You couldn’t. He squeezed your shoulder roughly, making you hiss as you moved to get away but he held you in place.

“Wanna see that same spirit you had when you were runnin’ away from me yeah?” he added, before removing his hand from your shoulder to go and get his horse ready.

Spirit.

Right, in such a short time your fiery spirit had been tame. Still strong, but content you suppose. You stood up and rolled your shoulders, you could do this. You had to. So you got your horse ready and then followed Bakugou back down the mountain.

According to him, the convoy would be tracking yours and his horses' hoofprints, so if you traveled down parallel to your tracks you would eventually run into them. The plan was once you both encountered them, you would split and you were to shoot as well as you could into the group and then book it back up to camp before dark.

It seemed like a good plan, but you felt wildly unprepared. Which was valid, you were.

You kept a sharp eye out for any familiar figures and after a good hour of riding, you heard some chatter. They were close. In fact, you could see some flashes of horse flanks through the trees.

Bakugou clicked his tongue and gave you a half smile before silently separating from you to go to his side of the convoy.

Your heart was thumping against your ribcage as you got closer and closer to the convoy. You could see them better now. Colonel Aizawa was in the back talking to a soldier with black hair. Lieutenant Endeavor was up front with Keigo, and a few others were staggered in the middle.

A loud whistle cut through the pine trees and you knew that was your cue. You let out a quick breath before all hell broke loose.

You yanked out your pistol and shot off into the group six times. You used all your bullets which was your first mistake, but you weren’t thinking too clearly. Someone shouted and you heard the heartbreaking sound of an animal dying.

You let out a hiss of anger, mostly at yourself, as you turned your horse around and spurred him on. There were more pops from pistols shooting off and a few more shouts before you heard the unmistakable sound of hooves pounding behind you.

With a panicked gasp, you turned around to see that it was Keigo who was riding after you. His grey horse was splattered with blood and he was grinning at you.

“Playin’ outlaw, huh?” he shouted as he yanked his pistol out and aimed it towards you.

Your eyes widened and without much thought, you quickly dismounted your horse while he was still moving. It was risky, but it would be terrible if Keigo killed your horse. Well, he wasn’t even yours, but you couldn’t bear the thought of anything else dying because of you.

You hit the ground with a grunt, rolling for a moment before you caught yourself and instantly looked up to see that your horse had got away. You let out a sigh of relief and moved to run away but you were promptly knocked over by a fist hitting you in the temple

“Shit,” you hissed, landing back against the forest floor, pine needles poking up into your clothes. You blinked hard as black spots swam in your vision. Then, a hand wrapped around your throat and yanked you up.

“I can’t tell if your just stupid or seriously fucked in the head to be runnin’ with Bakugou,” Keigo spat.

You clawed at his hand as he grinned at you, blood was steadily dripping down the side of his face, which made you wonder if he got grazed by a bullet.

“What made you even think that was a good idea? You know how easy your life could have been if you had just come back with us?” Keigo asked, tilting his head.

You garbled out a ‘fuck off,” before spitting into his face.

Keigo laughed, wiping your spit off his cheek as he slammed you back into the ground. “You know, if your family wasn’t paying us so much money, I would just shoot you dead right here.”

You stiffened, eyes wide as you watched Keigo pull out his pistol again. With slow shaky hands you brought your hand down to your waistband, your pistol was still there you could pull it out, you would have to, or he would hurt you.

With bated breath, you yanked the pistol out and pointed it at Keigo making him quickly release your neck as you pulled the trigger. Both of your eyes were trained on his face as you held the pistol out, but to your horror, it only clicked.

You were out of bullets.

“Well, I guess you are just stupid,” Keigo mocked as he pointed his pistol at you. “You know, maybe you fell off your horse. Got hurt during this little fight, right?”

You scrambled back, fear freezing your limbs as Keigo walked towards you, glaring down at you. “You wouldn’t, no one would believe you.”

“You really think that? I’ve got away with it before, who says I can’t get away with it again. Plus, who wouldn’t believe a silly girl like you falling off her horse and dying? It’s a believable story.”

Dread washed over you from his words. He’s done this before? Immediately you thought of Bakugou and Kirishima. Did Keigo do this to them? Was this the part of Bakugou’s story that he left out?

Keigo held out his pistol, lining it up with your forehead, but before he could shoot, the black haired soldier you saw earlier burst through the undergrowth.

“Keigo! We’re retreating, we’ve lost three horses and Bakugou shot Endeavor-” he paused, his red eyes cutting between you and Keigo. “What’s going on here?”

You gulped, your gaze cutting between both men. The tension in the air was thick and for a moment you felt like everything you’ve ever known was resting on the edge of the blade.

“Tokoyami, you really have a knack for showing up at the wrong time,” Keigo said with a sigh, and then without blinking an eye, he shot his comrade right in the chest.

You screamed as Tokoyami crumpled to the forest floor with a grunt.

Keigo sighed, “shame, I liked him, and you,” he paused to smile, “well you’ve just become a murderer. The post will eat that up, yeah? Guess you live to see another day,” he concluded and left without sparing you a glance.

You rushed over to Tokoyami, a complete stranger, but a familiar face. With shaking hands you rolled him over, trying not to look at the thick streams of blood gushing from his bullet wound. “I’m sorry,” you croaked as you looked into his red eyes.

Tokoyami wasn’t able to talk, but he didn’t stop looking at you until his last breath. You held his hand the whole time, crying over this man who had unknowingly given his life to save yours.

You weren’t sure how long you sat kneeled by him, but it was dark by the time Bakugou found you. It was cold too, your nose was running and the wind was starting to pick up. You weren’t even able to hear him talk until he was shaking you.

“Hey!” Bakugou shouted before reaching down to grip your cheeks between his fingers and turn your head towards him, “the hell is wrong-” he paused. He didn’t notice what you were kneeling by, who you were kneeling by.

You sniffled, tears rolling down your cheeks and over his fingers as you cried. “H-he shot him.”

Bakugou’s expression soured. He was well aware of who you were talking about. “C’mon,” he urged, dropping his hand from your face to grab at the collar of your shirt.

“Wait!” you scrambled, pulling back from his hold on you, “we can’t leave him here!”

“He’s fine, we have to go,” Bakugou growled as he yanked you up to your feet. He refused to look at the body on the ground as he practically dragged you away, trying to block out your cries and whimpers.

You soon found yourself back at camp, sitting in front of a fire. Your horse was tied. A little cut up, but good. Alive. Your hands shook as you looked at the food Bakugou had warming over the fire. He had already eaten long ago. In your still shocked state, time was moving too fast and too slow all at once.

“You gotta eat,” Bakugou said sternly.

“M’ not hungry,” you replied hoarsely.

Bakugou sighed heavily, “it wasn’t your fault.”

“It was supposed to be me, not him,” you said, your voice was small.

“Cut that shit out, part of you has to be relieved that it was him instead of you,” Bakugou said, his voice harsh.

You looked up at him through narrowed eyes, “can’t you let me grieve-”

“You didn’t even know him,” Bakugou interrupted.

“Doesn’t matter if I did or not, he was murdered by that psycho,” you hissed, furiously wiping away a few stray tears.

“Yeah well now that Keigo’s got his eye on ya, that’ll happen again. So you better get used to it. Like I said, it’s better that the grunt died instead of you,” Bakugou explained as he crossed one ankle over the other.

You grit your teeth, hot anger rolling in your tummy as you stared him down. Whatever soft feelings you were beginning to harbor for him seemed to evaporate instantly. “I’m leavin’” you spat as you stood up and turned on your heel to stomp through the woods to who knows where.

“The hell?” Bakugou shouted after you, “the fuck is your problem!”

You bristled, irritated at his voice as you shouldered your way through the bushes. He was insufferable, cold, and certainly desensitized to death. How he could have no empathy or emotion was beyond you.

Maybe you bit off more than you could chew. Maybe you should have just left when you could and gone home. Suffered in your own little enclosed world, where things were out of your control, but at least they weren’t spiraling.

You were spiraling, in fact, the world really did seem to be spinning. The dark forest seemed to warp as you leaned heavily against a dead tree. Your temple was throbbing with the beat of your heart and you suddenly became aware of the memory of Keigo hitting you on the side of the head.

A soft whine escaped your lips as you slid down the side of the tree, the old bark cutting into your skin through your shirt. The last time you felt this bad was when you were thrown from Gran’s old ranch horse and had to stay holed up in your room for a few days.

You lifted your head a little at the sound of boots stomping towards you and you sighed, feeling too bad to snap at Bakugou.

“What makes you think you can run off, huh?” Bakugou said angrily as he squatted down in front of you, “look I know you’re hurtin’, but you gotta brush this off. It wasn’t your fault.”

You looked at him, while breathing heavily through your nose. The vertigo you were experiencing was making it hard to even comprehend what he was saying, but deep down you knew he was right about you letting it go. “He said,” you began, your mouth drying, “he said he was gonna tell the post I murdered Tokoyami.”

“Well shit,” Bakugou grumbled, “how no one has picked up on this guy's lies is astonishing.”

You nodded, shutting your eyes as a wave of nausea rolled over you.

Bakugou clicked his tongue, he had almost gotten Keigo today. He just had grazed the side of his head, not enough to take out the fucker, but enough to make ‘em mad enough to act out. Which was something he did not want to deal with again. “Look, no one’s gonna believe that shit-” he paused as you groaned. “The hell are you groaning about?”

“He got me-”

“Why the hell didn’t you say anything?” Bakugou interrupted, immediately grabbing at your clothes, his red eyes wide as he felt around for any blood.

You hissed, “no my head, I almost shot him but I ran out of bullets, then he hit me,” you explained quietly.

“Told you to never have an empty pistol,” Bakugou chastised as he let his hands drop from your sides. “Can you stand? Need to get a better look.”

You attempted to stand but you immediately fell back down, your legs were weak from the nausea. “No,” you croaked.

“Alright,” Bakugou sighed, “don’t kick me this time,” he added as he easily picked you up. He kept a hand firm under your thighs and the other supported your side as you slumped against him.

Your eyelids were heavy as you pressed your cheek against Bakugou’s chest. The starch of his shirt was itchy against your skin, but it was better than the tree. Had you not been feeling so bad, you probably would have been a stuttering mess. No one has ever held you like this, not that you had ever willingly let someone.

“Keep your eyes open,” Bakugou said from above you as he stepped over a fallen log.

You huffed, feeling another wave of nausea roll over you. You were tired. It has been about twenty-four hours now since you last slept. Bakugou set you down against the log he was leaning on earlier and you felt your eyelids flutter close. If you could sleep for just a little bit, you’d probably feel better. But a light slap on your cheek had your eyes flying back open, and you glared up at Bakugou, “that hurt.”

“No it didn’t,” Bakugou said gruffly as he sat down next to you. “Quit lookin’ at me and turn your head.”

You exhaled heavily through your nose as you looked away from him and let out a yelp when he prodded his fingers against your temple. “Ouch!”

“Quit squirmin’,” Bakugou muttered, narrowing his eyes as he pushed some of your hair back to look at your wound. He sighed after a while and removed his hand, “he got you pretty good, surprised that you didn’t pass out. Gonna have to stay here for a few more days, you’ll need to sleep it off.”

You nodded, shuffling back against the log as you went to close your eyes. Sleeping it off didn’t sound too bad, “alright.”

“But not yet,” Bakugou quickly interjected, “you have to stay awake till morning at least.”

You folded your hands over your stomach as you slid your gaze to him. “And why would I need to do that?”

“Cause ya’ might not wake up,” Bakugou replied nonchalantly as he grabbed a piece of jerky from his bag and took a bite.

Your eyes widened in mild horror. “Huh? I might not wake up?”

Bakugou nodded as he put his good hand behind his head, “yeah when I was in the military this one guy got clocked over the head with the butt of a pistol. Medic told him to stay awake for the remainder of the day, he didn’t listen and that was the last we saw of ‘em.”

You furrowed your brows horrified that Bakugou was even telling you this. “So I’m gonna die?”

He snorted, “no, I never said that-”

“But you implied it,” you interrupted, voice shrill.

Bakugou looked at you through narrowed eyes as he took another bite of his jerky, “you’re not gonna die. Just stay awake.”

“What if I fall asleep?” you asked, sitting up a little bit.

“You’ll be fine, and I don’t think you’ll be able to sleep now,” he replied, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

You frowned at him. Was he just trying to make you scared so you’d stay awake? “You’re despicable, you know that?” you huffed as you folded your hands over your stomach again.

Bakugou shrugged, returning his gaze to the fire, “whatever.”

“Well, now that I know you’re bluffin’ I’m going to sleep,” you muttered and promptly turned away from him to lay on your side.

“I wasn’t bluffin’,” Bakugou replied as he roughly yanked you back on your back. “You do need to stay awake.”

You let out an exasperated sigh, “fine, I’ll stay awake.” You grumbled something under your breath before a shiver wracked your form. You were pretty high up in the mountain now so it was much colder now.

The pine needles lightly rattled against one another as a gust of cold wind cut through the woods. It smelled like winter so far up in the mountains. In fact, you were curious if it would snow instead of rain. You liked the snow, but not when you only had a shirt and a pair of jeans. “It’s cold,” you said aloud, mostly to yourself.

Bakugou hummed, glancing up at the sky. It was cold, he had seen some birds flying down the mountain earlier, so he figured you’d both be running into some snow soon. Which he for once, wasn’t prepared for, but it’s not like he had planned to be on this mountain for so long. He looked back down at you, the last thing he needed was you or him getting sick on top of you both being injured.

You sniffled as you continued to stare into the fire. Your thoughts briefly wandered back to your sisters at home. What would they think when they heard the rumors that Keigo was about to spread. Surely they wouldn’t believe it.

Your father, however, was a loose cannon. There was no telling what he was gonna do once he heard the apparent news of you murdering a soldier. You huffed, you could expect the worst from him.

There was some shuffling next to you and you glanced over to see that Bakugou was yanking his blanket out with his good hand before he practically threw it at you. You recoiled and pulled the thick fabric from your face, “what’s this for?”

“Just use it, can’t have you gettin’ sick too. I want off this fuckin’ mountain,” Bakugou grunted as he tipped his cowboy hat down over his eyes.

“But you’ll get cold too,” you said, your voice small as you spread the blanket out. It was warm and smelled like leather and some of the medicinal herbs he had stuffed in his bag. It wasn’t a bad smell, you found it sort of comforting because it smelled like him.

“No, I won’t,” Bakugou grumbled.

“Your nose is pink,” you pointed out.

“It’s always like that,” he argued.

“No it’s not,” you shot back, shaking your head slightly. You weren’t even sure why you were arguing with him. You should just roll over and try to ignore him. He’s been an ass anyway, right?

Bakugou yanked his hat back from over his eyes and shot you a nasty glare before roughly scooting himself closer to you and tearing the corner of his blanket from your hands. He yanked the green wool over his lap while muttering something under his breath before leaning back against the log and pulling his hat over his eyes once more. “Is that fuckin’ better, princess?” he snapped as he folded his arms over his chest.

Your face was practically as hot as the fire in front of you. “Yeah, that’s better,” you replied, your voice wavering a bit. He was so close now, his shoulder and thigh were now pressed against yours. He was warm too, much warmer than the blanket he had given you. You gulped, there was that stupid feeling fluttering in your chest, which made you squirm.

“If you keep squirmin’ I’m moving,” Bakugu said roughly.

You stilled, glancing up at him from next to you. His breaths started to even out and before you knew it he had fallen asleep. It was almost shocking to you that he was letting himself fall asleep while being so close to you.

Did that mean he was comfortable around you?

Obviously, he was. You have been with him for a while now practically attached at the hip. He’s probably the only person besides your sisters who knows so much about you. You let out a sigh, fighting off sleep. There were so many new emotions you were facing, and they were hard to unpack.

You let out another soft sigh before leaning back against the log and looking up at the sky. Your eyelids were so heavy and for a brief moment, you shut them.

—--

“Get off me, you little leech,” Bakugou’s gruff voice sounded far away in your mind. The heavy blanket of sleep was still weighing you down, not giving you the opportunity to open your eyes.

“Damn it, get it off!”

You blinked feeling strong hands trying to pry yours off of something. The world looked fuzzy for a moment before you realized you had yourself completely wrapped around a body.

Your arms were tight around Bakugou’s waist and you had one leg curled around his. All at once you jolted and became hyper-aware of him yanking your arms off of his waist.

Within the next second, you had scrambled away from him uttering a million apologies as you tried to calm your erratic heartbeat.

“Whatever, just don’t do it again,” Bakugou snapped, quickly turning away from you.

You cringed at yourself. How that even happened was beyond you but you didn’t miss how the tips of his ears were bright red with blush. At least that made you feel a little better not being the only one embarrassed.

“I’ll be back” Bakugou announced suddenly, his voice cracking a little as he stood up. He then stuffed his hands in the pockets of his jeans.

“Okay, sorry again, I guess I was cold still,” you said, trying to come up with an explanation for why you practically spooned him.

Bakugou huffed, his back was still to you. “First thing we’re doing once we get to town is gettin you your own blanket.”

Your cheeks warmed, you were so embarrassed you didn’t even want to respond to him.

Bakugou wasn’t even planning on waiting for your response anyway as he was already quickly walking away from you. His shoulders were just about bunched up to his ears as he disappeared into the undergrowth.

You rubbed your eyes, wishing the earth would swallow you whole. Perhaps you should go after him and apologize again? But the pounding in your head became apparent again causing you to rethink getting up.

You grumbled, feeling guilt gnaw at you even more and with a sigh you stood up, swaying a bit as you found your footing. Maybe you could go back by the river to wash off again. It was cold, but it would be nice to be clean again.

The world blurred for a moment as you took a step and then another one. Before you knew it you were out of camp and walking through the pine forest. It never occurred to you how dense the woods were the further up the mountain you traveled.

The trees were massive too, they stretched about thirty feet into the sky and their trunks were so large you could easily hide behind one and no one would be able to see you.

Your thoughts then turned back to Tokoyami.

The last thing he ever saw was this forest, these trees, and you. A knot formed in your stomach thinking back on his final moments. A life that was cut too short all because you didn't keep track of how many bullets you had left.

You sighed, remembering how cold Keigo was as he shot his comrade without blinking an eye. It was disturbing that he’s done something like that before.

To Bakugou and Kirishima.

The thought of whatever Keigo had done to them was almost too much to even think about. So instead you turned your thoughts back to the forest around you.

You started to notice that there was an abundance of berry bushes around. From what you could see there were a few raspberry and blackberry bushes close by. Which you took advantage of, you snatched a few off their branch and continued searching for Bakugou while snacking.

“Bakugou?” You said aloud in between bites. He couldn’t have gone far. Maybe you should have just stayed at camp.

You pushed past some branches that led you to the river and you stopped instantly. The raspberry that you were about to chew instantly got sucked down your throat as you sharply inhaled making you double over coughing.

Bakugou promptly turned around to see you hacking up a lung and he did a double-take. You followed him all the way out here? “The fuck are you doing here!” He shouted, cheeks flaming.

You slapped your hands over your eyes, not even able to form a coherent sentence. All you could do was stutter out some words and blindly try to turn around.

Apparently, he had left to go bathe, which was valid. He didn’t have to tell you that. Now you really wished the earth would swallow you whole.

“I’m sorry!”

“Sorry, my ass!” Bakugou said back, his voice cracking again as he stomped into the water.

“I really am!” You said again and then proceeded to blindly, turn back around and scramble back to camp. Blood was pounding in your ears as you booked it back to camp as fast as you could without falling over.

How you could mess up badly was beyond you, but twice in one day? That had to be a new record. Once you finally reached camp you promptly laid back down and shut your eyes, hoping that you would fall asleep before he got back.

But you couldn’t. No matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t fall asleep. You were surely tired enough, but the butterflies in your tummy were acting all weird.

Granted you didn't know much but you knew whatever feelings Bakugou was stirring up in you, they were bad. And they only seemed to be getting stronger.

You were so caught up trying to squirm away from your butterflies you didn’t even notice him walking back to camp. Or see that he hesitated by the tree line, trying to cool his cheeks with the back of his hands.

He cleared his throat, making you jolt from under the blanket.

You didn’t dare look at him. Just seeing him would bring that image of him back into the forefront of your mind. You gulped, he was a big guy, you knew that. Obviously, you knew that you saw him shirtless before, but this time… you shook your head, trying to not let your mind wander.

“So,” Bakugou coughed lightly, “your head still hurtin’?”

You exhaled sharply before turning over and looking up at him. He was sitting weird, and far away from you. Which made you feel like a total idiot. Now he was clearly uncomfortable with you. Did you just ruin the barely budding relationship you had with him because you walked in on him naked?

You sighed, probably.

“It’s better,” you replied, letting your gaze drop from his.

“That’s good, we should probably get goin’ then. Wanna get down the mountain before it snows,” he said. He then stood up, shooting you one more passive look before going to tack up his horse.

—-----------

The ride down the mountain was tense. There was a new sort of tension between you two that you couldn’t put your finger on. Bakugou kept his conversations with you short and sweet, well sweet was an understatement. He had turned back to being brash towards you again.

Which was better than nothing at all, you supposed.

When you finally reached the town after four more days of riding, you had never been so happy to see buildings in your life. The little town was small with only a courthouse, the sheriff's office, and a large market where some of the locals sold their goods.

Your horse whinnied as you came to a stop outside of the sheriff's office and you squinted at Bakugou, watching him dismount his horse. “Why are we stopping here?”

Bakugou looked up at you and shook his head, “just wait here, okay?”

You furrowed your brows as you watched him tie his horse and then walk into the sheriff's office. You only waited a few minutes before he was walking back out, this time there was someone behind him. This must be Deku.

Deku was tall, just a little taller than Bakugou and he had the greenest hair you’ve ever seen. It reminded you of the color of the evergreen trees you saw up in the mountain. He had a smattering of freckles across his face and a broad smile. It was almost shocking to see someone who looked so friendly with Bakugou.

“Y/n,” Bakugou began, “this is Deku, you’ll be stayin’ with him for a while.”

It was then your little world you had built with Bakugou shattered. Your voice caught in your throat before speaking, “why am I stayin’ with him? I thought that was only when I was your hostage still?”

Bakugou bristled, he looked irritated with the question you asked. He knew you were gonna ask it, but it still bugged him when you did. “I got some things to sort out with the rest of the group. You’ll be safer here.”

“But I-”

“No, you’re stayin’ here,” Bakugou growled, “I’ll be back in a few days. Don’t do anything reckless.”

Before you could even speak he had already untied his horse, got on, and promptly rode off as fast as he could, leaving you and Deku in a cloud of dust.

Hurt bloomed in your chest as you watched Bakugou’s figure grow smaller in the distance. Did he not trust you anymore? Maybe you really did screw up. But then you remembered how much your personality has seemed to have changed for him. You were not even acting like yourself recently. Maybe this break was good.

You huffed and looked towards Deku who was shielding his face from the sun. “So, where should I tie my horse?” you asked the sheriff.

“Oh,” Deku replied a little caught off guard, “here, we can take him to my place. I’m done for the day.”

You watched Deku lock up his office before getting up on a large buckskin mare next to you. He did seem nice, and from what you could tell so far he was the exact opposite of Bakugou.

“So, Kacchan told me a bit about you, you’ve got an interesting story,” Deku said as he led you down the main street of the town.

You blinked, “he did?”

Deku nodded, “yeah, I gotta say I’m a little surprised you’ve put with him for so long, Kacchan is about as prickly as a porcupine.”

You laughed, “he is a little prickly, but overall he’s been nice.”

Deku looked back at you and raised an eyebrow, “nice?”

You nodded, “yeah, he’s been attentive I guess. He did most of the hunting for the both of us, he gave me his blanket, taught me how to shoot. I mean I was surprised too, I heard from the post that Bakugou was pretty much the most dangerous outlaw around.”

Deku hummed, “interesting.”

You rode up next to the sheriff, “how so?”

Deku shrugged, “never heard of him doin’ anything like that for anyone besides Kirishima.”

Your cheeks warmed, but you shook your head, “I think he just feels sorry for me. I keep messing up around him,” you admitted.

“Right,” Deku replied before he stopped in front of a large barn. “You can put your horse in the empty stall and your things in the tack room. I’ll be back in the house. Feel free to use anything.”

You nodded, deciding to keep silent as you got off your horse and led him towards the empty stall before untacking him. You ran your hand down your horse's flank, he was soft and steady. He was probably the most consistent part of your life right now.

You finished brushing him off and getting the tangles out of his tail and mane before tossing some of Deku’s hay into his stall. You gave him one last pat and then headed towards Deku's house.

Deku had a nice house. It was small, probably had about two bedrooms, and was painted yellow. He had a few vegetables in a garden close by and a chicken coop around the back. As you walked closer to the front door, a large white dog bounded up to you, panting as you bent down to pet him.

After a few small pats, Deku’s dog wandered off back to the coop to watch over the chickens. You then walked into Deku’s house and to your surprise, he was cooking something.

“Oh hey, you’re back, I hope you’re okay with steak and potatoes?” he asked, looking back at you over his shoulder. He was wearing an ivory shirt that he had rolled back past his elbows paired with an apron?

“That’s fine, thank you,” you replied, and then glanced around the interior of his home. It was sparsely decorated, but it was comfy.

“Your room is off to the left, there’s a tub in there. I already filled it up for you,” he said, giving you a warm smile before returning to his cooking.

Your eyes widened, he did that for you? “Thank you, Deku, really.”

Deku laughed, “of course, and you can call me Izuku.”

Izuku? You furrowed your brow, why did Bakugou call Izuku, Deku? You shrugged and then headed to the bathroom.

———

After you had bathed and ate you told Izuku that you were going to head to bed. It would be good for you to rest after such a long time on the road, to which he thankfully agreed.

He was kind enough to give you an extra set of clothes and a large shirt to sleep in, which you were thankful for too.

You should have felt relieved to be in a warm house with a full belly, but you found that you missed being outside and sleeping under the stars. You missed the crackle of the fire and the smell of smoke.

But most importantly you missed him.

To even acknowledge that you were attached to Bakugou in any way would have made the old you turn up your nose in disgust. How could you ever miss the company of a man? A man as brute and brash as Balugou?

But you did. You missed him and a small part of you hoped that he might be missing you too.

#iwar #Bakugou x reader #character.death #.violence #.gun mention and violence #tw.character death #tw. gun mention #tw. violence #outlaw!bakugou

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possiamo-andare · 3 years ago

Text

Just You (3)

JJ x Reader x Rafe (love triangle)

MASTERLIST

word count: 5k

a/n: I can't believe it's been eight months since I updated this fic. y'all are probably dead by now and this will prolly get no notes lmao but I finally wrote the next chapter and it's so good in my opinion so please don't be too mad. enjoy!

Y/N needed complete silence when she was reading. If she didn’t, it was almost impossible for her to even read one page. As a child, in a room full of other screaming children, Y/N found it almost impossible to read. Most of her teachers misread this difficulty with an inability to read, which was not the case. This miscommunication actually worked in Y/N’s favour because the extra attention resulted in a greater love for reading. Y/N soon found herself reading everyday and even found it hard to put down a book. When she couldn’t get a physical copy of a book, she then went online and delved into a world where people created their own worlds and fantasies for their readers. Reading had become one of Y/N’s favourite hobbies and she could do it for hours.

Unfortunately, tonight was different. At around 6pm, just as Y/N picked up a book to read, loud music began to play from a distance. At first, Y/N tried to ignore it but soon, like mentioned before, the music began to get louder, and Y/N could not focus on the words before her. The more she tried to focus, the more distracted she became by the music. Soon, she could focus on nothing but the blaring music coming from across the street. Finally, after ten minutes of pure agony, Y/N got up from her bed and stormed down the stairs of her home. Her face is red with anger, and she desperately wants to know who the hell thinks playing loud music on a Tuesday night is acceptable. Unfortunately, she knows the answer the second she enters her kitchen.

Her parents are laughing with each other as they make their favourite snack. Every night, her parents make their favourite foods together as a way to unwind and talk about their day. Sometimes they shared it with Y/N and her siblings but on nights where her siblings were out with their friends and Y/N was the only one home, they usually just spent time with each other. Y/N hesitated for a moment and smiled to herself, thinking about how sweet her parents truly are. She wonders if the person she marries will have this type of relationship with her. She wonders, years from now, how she will look back on her time in OBX. She hopes she looks back with fondness. The moment is ruined though because her mother quickly looks up from the stove, a toothy grin on her face.

“Hello darling.” Y/N’s mother chirps. She reads her daughter's distraught face and since she can hear the music too, she knows why her daughter is upset. Without even letting Y/N speak, she answers the question clearly in her daughter's mind. “Ward Cameron’s son, Rafe, is throwing a party across the street. You can go if you want.”

Y/N snorts. “That boy has been rudely staring at me since we got here, and you think I should go to his house?”

This time, Y/N’s father turns around from the cabinet. “I hear JJ’s gonna be there.” There’s a small smirk on his face and it instantly grabs Y/N’s attention.

She tried to brush it off. “Well, I don’t really like loud music.”

Y/N’s mother scoffs. “Yes, you do.”

Y/N nods, tucking her hair behind her ears. She knows that if there’s even a hint of JJ being at the party, she wants to go. “You’re right, I do.”

Y/N had not been to a party in years. The last time she had it was in her first year of high school. She had just moved to that new school only weeks before and had made only a couple of friends. The friends she did make were nice and invited her to a party. The party was okay, and she enjoyed herself, but she was very awkward because she barely knew anyone. She promised that from now on, she would only go to parties where she knew more than one person. Now, she found herself breaking that rule just to see JJ.

Since Y/N was in her pajamas, she ran back up to her room to change. She didn’t want to waste too much time picking out clothes to wear so she quickly looked through her closet and found a white sundress with small blue flowers decorating the material. She had never worn this dress and, when she first bought it, was unsure if she liked it because it was shorter than what she was used to but now, she was glad she did.

She lay her sundress on her bed for a moment and turned to her mirror, where she kept a cabinet full of makeup. Before she even put on any makeup, she looked back up in the mirror for the second time. As she finally had a chance to breathe, she realized her breath was unsteady and her hands were shaking. It was hard for Y/N to put herself out there. Most times, she was afraid of the rejection, or even at the fact that the friends she did have would be gone. But she remembered her parents' words. She was to stay in OBX for the rest of the year. She would make friends here. She would have a life here. With a deep breath, Y/N began to get ready for the night.

Y/N keeps fidgeting with her hair. She knows the more she fidgets, the more upset she’ll be with how she looks but she seriously can’t help it. She only does this when she’s extremely nervous and she knows why. She’s two feet away from Rafe’s front door and the music has somehow gotten louder. It’s almost as if he’s continuously trying to play the music louder to get her attention. Of course, she knows that to not be true, but still, Y/N had realized that in the last twenty minutes since she had decided to get ready for the party and walked across the street, the music had indeed gotten louder. She rolled her eyes as she approached the door, the loud music getting annoying. At this rate, Rafe Cameron would be deaf by the time he was 30. Y/N pretended not to care if he went deaf at all, but a tiny voice inside her head told her that she had to care for him because no one else would.

With a deep breath, she knocks on the door. She doesn’t think anyone would hear it because of how loud the music is but it’s worth a try. She was raised to have manners and would not just enter someone’s house before knocking.

To her surprise, only a few moments later, the doorknob twisted quickly and someone on the other end of the door opened it. It was as if someone had been patiently waiting by the door all night, opening it in hopes that she would come. Of course, she knew this to not be true because the person who greeted her was none other than Rafe Cameron. And he found her annoying.

Y/N couldn’t help but admit how delicious he looked. He wasn’t dressed in his usual preppy attire, no. He wore these ripped, distressed black jeans and a fitted white shirt with a baseball cap to match. It wasn’t necessarily his style that had him looking so delightful but his face. He seemed very relaxed. In fact, this was the most relaxed she’d ever seen him. His usual straight posture was now more curled and casual. His face, which had always been pale and gray, was now filled with colour. He wore a cute blush across his cheeks and nose, and on top of the blush was a patch of light brown freckles here and there. Y/N figured he must’ve been in the sun all day. That and he was also high out of his mind.

“Y/N…” He trailed, his eyes glancing at her dress momentarily before returning to her face. Y/N feels a little self conscious under his gaze. She wasn’t exactly confident in her outfit tonight and he seemed, for the first time in forever, more confident than her. “You, um, you’re - you’re very…”

She involuntarily snickers, not realizing she’s doing it until Rafe hears it. His face changes into a dark frown and she has a deep need to apologize. He was probably just trying to be polite, and Y/N must’ve caught him just as his high was reaching its climax. “I’m what exactly?”

Rafe rolls his eyes, knowing that she’s teasing him. “You’re not invited.”

Well, she can’t say she exactly feels welcome right now, standing at the threshold of his door. He still hasn’t even let her in.

Y/N scoffs, her feelings only hurt a little. Although he didn’t look preppy, he looked just as douchy. “Well, your music’s so loud it could wake the dead. Maybe if you didn’t want uninvited people to come, don’t make it so obvious that you’re having a party.”

Rafe scoffs this time. “Aw, I’m sorry. Did I interrupt your bedtime?” He takes a swig of his beer bottle and Y/N almost forgets that he’s obviously been drinking. “Were you having a little read before you went to bed? Lemme guess; you were re-reading the Vagina Diaries for the tenth time?”

Y/N’s chest twinges with pain just a little, knowing that the book was on her bookshelf with a worn-out spine. He seemed to know her very well, but it only angered her because he got the answer right. “It’s actually Vagina Monologues, but nice try. I guess for someone who hasn’t opened a book in their life, the Vagina Monologues would be interesting.”

Rafe chuckles and she has a small urge to kiss the corners of his smile. Thankfully, once she swallows harshly, the urge disappears. “Just come in and don’t put your hippie feet anywhere near my furniture.” He finally steps aside, and Y/N takes that as the kindest invitation she’s gonna get from him.

“You mean, your parents' furniture.” She puts one foot in front of the other and tries to remember how to walk. Although it may not seem like it, she’s nervous. She’s not too good with crowds. As she passes Rafe, she can smell his cologne and she feel as though she might faint. For such an annoying boy, he really was intoxicating.

Rafe is not given enough time to throw a snide remark back in her face because someone has entered Y/N and Rafe’s little bubble. It’s another very handsome boy but this time, he’s sweet. He’s wearing preppy clothes (cargo shorts and a pink polo shirt - big shocker there) but he’s not preppy at all when he introduces himself.

“Hey! I’m Kelso; nice to meet ya!” He gives Y/N a half hug because his other hand is holding a beer, but she still gets the sentiment that he’s friendly. His hand respectfully lays on Y/N’s shoulder and Y/N actually hugs him back even though that’s not her thing with strangers.

“I’m Y/N, and it’s nice to meet you too!”

She watches as his brows go from a relaxed arch to a surprised arch instantly. It seems that whatever she has said has caught him by surprise. “Oh? You’re Y/N?” Kelso looks to Rafe for a moment, his eyes narrowing in amusement. Rafe tries to indirectly tell him to stop by flipping him off, but it only encourages Kelso. “I guess we have you to thank for this incredible party then!”

Y/N frowns, turning around to look at Rafe. They’re still in the entryway of his house and she hasn’t so much as taken in her surroundings, but this seems too important to ignore. What does Kelso mean? Did Rafe throw this party in hopes that she’d come? There was no way. Doesn’t Rafe find her completely annoying and obnoxious? If so, why would Kelso say such a thing?

“He’s joking right?” Y/N tries to confirm from Rafe but by his meek smile and his cheeks that have only gotten redder since she entered his home, she knows there’s some truth in what Kelso is saying.

Rafe shrugs, trying to come up with a lie. He had confided in Kelso as a way to relieve the stress that liking Y/N has caused but instead, Kelso just had to mess it up. “Well, not exactly.” His mouth is forming a lie before his brain can even properly think of one. “I mentioned to Kelso that you’ve probably never been to a party in OBX, so he must’ve thought I threw it for you.”

Y/N nods, confused as to why she feels a little sad. For some reason, a little part of her hoped that Rafe had thrown a party for her to notice him but alas, it had all been a misunderstanding. “Oh, well, okay.”

Except it wasn’t a misunderstanding at all. Rafe had told Kelso that the only reason he was throwing this party was for Y/N to notice him in a new light. He knew she thought he was just another annoying preppy Kook and he wanted to change that. He thought maybe, just maybe, if she had fun tonight with him, she’d finally start to see him as he truly was, a loveable dork. Unfortunately, that seems to be ruined now.

Before any more words can be exchanged, someone yells for Y/N. She instantly looks to the crowd of people in Rafe's backyard and sees JJ and Pope. The door to his backyard is open so the yelling is clear and not muddled by a barrier. They seemed to have been yelling for a while because they looked exasperated. Y/N watches as JJ stands from his lawn chair and motions for her to come sit beside them. She smiles for one of the first times tonight and nods, the pressure on her chest lifting when she sees her two friends. She wanted to take to Rafe later and get the full story because she had a feeling, he wasn’t telling her the complete truth, but she wanted to greet her friends first. She’d get to Rafe later. For now, she wanted to relax.

When Y/N departed from Rafe and Kelso, awkwardly waving goodbye before maneuvering to the back of Rafe’s house, Kelso spoke first.

“Dude, why didn’t you tell me she didn’t know this party was for her?”

Rafe glared at his friend. “You really think I’d tell her that. Now she probably thinks I’m even more creepy than before.”

Kelso rolls his eyes at how dramatic his friend was. “You didn’t see her reaction, bro. I don’t know if she even knows it herself, but she definitely likes you.”

Rafe rolls his eyes. He doesn’t allow for his hope to rise because he knows it’s not true. He can’t let himself have any more hope that the new girl in OBX would want to have anything to do with him. She can’t like him because no girl like her ever has. So, instead, he steals glances at her for the rest of the night and hopes to God he can get high enough to forget about the beautiful girl across the street.

Y/N tried to enjoy herself, she really did. And to JJ’s credit, he tried to help her relax and have some fun. She drank the beer that was offered to her, danced with JJ and Pope, and even took two puffs of JJ’s joint. But, although she felt thoroughly buzzed, Rafe never left her mind. She tried to throw a few sneaky glances his way the entire night, but she couldn’t find him. She even left her spot beside JJ and pretended to get a refill on his nasty beer just to see if she could spot Rafe. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen. At first, she thought it was just because she wasn’t looking hard enough but soon, after three whole hours of not seeing Rafe even once, she realized he was avoiding her. And if he was avoiding her, it meant that he was embarrassed from their conversation at the beginning of the night. Which meant that he lied, and he had in fact thrown this party just for her.

This revelation crept into her mind slowly throughout the night but when it finally sunk in, she was speechless. She didn’t know how to react. Sure, there was a slim chance that he had been telling the truth but the less she saw of Rafe at his own party, the more she realized that he had lied to her.

JJ had noticed how off Y/N seemed. When they had seen each other earlier in the day for her surfing lessons, he had made a fool out of himself. They had been practising for a few hours before they both called it quits, deciding to pick it back up the next day. Before departing, JJ offered her ice cream for a hard day's work, and she gladly accepted. They both ordered the same flavour (mint chocolate chip - he swore they were soulmates because of this) and ate it as they talked. When they were both finally finished, Y/N went to hug him goodbye, but he instead extended his hand awkwardly for her to shake. She seemed slightly embarrassed, but he was even more so. He had wanted to hug her but didn’t want to without her permission, so he thought a handshake was the safe bet. Unfortunately, he thought wrong and now, that awkward interaction was burned into the back of his mind. He was worried that’s why Y/N seemed so detached, barely speaking. When she had gone to refill her cup, JJ looked to Pope for advice. He had never been so needy for a girl’s approval before and since Pope seemed to want everyone to like him, JJ thought he’d give the best advice.

“So,” JJ sighs and he finishes telling the story of their awkward interaction. “Do you think that’s why she’s been so quiet?”

Pope snorted. “JJ, I think it’s just you. I doubt she even remembers it.”

Although his friend tried his best to reassure JJ, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was burdening Y/N’s mind. But, before JJ could continue his conversation with Pope, Y/N reappeared with a glass full of beer and a somber face. The topic was not brought up again.

JJ had been right though. Something was burdening Y/N’s mind. It’s not everyday that a girl finds out a boy who she thought saw her as a bothersome girl actually saw her as much more. It’s a difficult experience to relate to and not a problem Y/N thought she would have. Apparently, Rafe was better at hiding his true feelings than she thought. She had always assumed that when she’d catch him peeking through his window, watching her ride her bike with her brothers or bask in the sun as she read another book, he was judging her. She assumed he was making fun of her and her hippie family. And when they had first met in the main office of her school, it only solidified in her mind that he saw her as a joke. But instead, he might’ve actually liked her. You clearly only watch people in that way if you hate them or like them and since it clearly wasn’t hate…

No. She wouldn’t let her mind go there. Besides, even if he liked her, who was to say if she even liked him? He had been nothing but rude to her, even when he had technically invited her to this party. He called her a hippie (not offensive by itself but when Rafe said it, it might as well have been), watched her from his window with a scowl, and was a complete snob. If Y/N knew what was good for her, she’d stay far, far away from Rafe and anyone he associated with. But Y/N was a dumb teenage girl and curiosity got the better of her. She needed to find another good excuse to go inside and search one last time for Rafe.

The excuse presented itself when JJ made a small remark of how thirsty he was. Y/N jumped at the opportunity to refill his drink, even though he offered to go himself. But she insisted, taking his cup from his hands before he could argue any longer. As she made her way back inside, her eyes looking for the handsome brunette, Pope leaned closer to JJ.

“See? And you thought she didn’t like you?”

JJ nodded, feeling better about the whole ordeal. Unfortunately, if he knew why she truly had wanted to venture inside, it’s doubtful he would have felt better. He probably would’ve felt worse. But he didn’t know, and he wouldn’t know for a while longer.

Y/N first made her way to Rafe’s huge kitchen where all the kegs were lined up. Half of them were already empty but the night was coming to a close and soon, half the party would leave and only Rafe’s closest friends would stick around until 5am. It was midnight now and although she didn’t have a curfew, she wanted to be home by at least 1am. So, as she filled only JJ’s cup, she decided against filling her own. She didn’t want to be too tipsy in case she ran into Rafe. Although, by this time, she thought it was very unlikely that she’d ever see him.

Just as that thought crossed her mind though, another person entered the kitchen. Y/N recognized him immediately. It was Topper. They had never interacted much, just a brief wave whenever she’d pass his house when she rode her bike. If he was outside, which he had only been once or twice, he’d wave, and she’d wave back. Other than that, they never spoke. Until now.

He stood beside her, filling two glasses with beer. His blond hair was wet and sticking to his forehead, but his hands were so full, and he was so drunk he didn’t seem to notice. Y/N had seen Rafe’s pool, but she did not find herself on that side of his house for many reasons (the pool was on the other side of the backyard, she didn’t bring a bathing suit, and her mind was busy with more important matters). Topper seemed to be struggling with refilling two cups, his hands shaking just a little. Y/N instantly registered that he needed help and decided that busying herself with assisting Topper would help take her mind off Rafe.

“Here,” Y/N offered, setting JJ’s cup down on the counter. “Let me help.” She takes one of the glasses from Topper and begins to fill it up, all the while keeping an eye on Topper to make sure he doesn’t spill the other cup.

“Thanks.” He mumbles, swaying back and forth to the music that is blaring from somewhere inside Rafe’s house. Y/N can’t help but smile a little at this giddy boy who would otherwise be embarrassed for acting so weird if he was not so drunk.

Unfortunately, not even helping Topper can keep Y/N’s mind off Rafe. She wonders that since Rafe must’ve told Kelso something about her, Rafe could’ve confided in Topper too. From the gossip that JJ had told her, Topper used to date Sarah but even after they broke up, Rafe and Topper remained friends. So maybe, just maybe, Rafe had said something to Topper about her? She figured even if she asked Topper, it would never get back to Rafe. Topper was clearly drunk and would not remember the conversation he had with Y/N. No harm, no foul. Right?

Unfortunately, that idea was quickly squashed because just as she began to open her mouth, someone else entered the room. It was Rafe.

Rafe had skillfully avoided Y/N all night, while still stealing glancing her way. He never noticed that she too had been looking for him. He was so nervous that he’d eventually bump into her that he would make Kelso check every room before he entered it. Unfortunately, Kelso was drunk by midnight and could no longer help Rafe. Rafe tried to let it go, figuring you were probably gone by now. So, he asked Topper to refill his cup as he helped Kelso into his mom’s car. But, when Topper still hadn’t returned by the time Rafe entered his home, he thought there was no harm in checking up on him. Apparently, there was a lot of harm in that.

And now, there they stood, facing each other for the first time since the beginning of the night. Rafe wanted to turn back around and leave but he had always made a fool of himself, and he knew that if he awkwardly left without acknowledging Y/N, she’d surely think even lower of him. So, as soon as their eyes made contact, Rafe awkwardly raised his hand and waved. He could feel the awkward smile painted across his face and Y/N seemed to mimic him.

“Hey.” He squeaked out, taking both cups from Topper before speaking to his friend. He figured the less he looked at Y/N, the less awkward he would feel. He was wrong. “Top, why don’t you lie down on the couch. I’ll bring the beers soon.”

Topper only nodded, slowly making his way out of the kitchen, leaving his friend and Y/N in there alone. Alone for the first time since the beginning of the night. Both their pairs of eyes were trained on their drinks; Y/N was clutching onto JJ’s and Rafe held one for him and one for Topper. No one spoke for a while. Y/N had waited all night to get Rafe alone, just so they could talk and now she didn’t know what to say. She awkwardly shifted the weight in her feet, unable to think of the first thing she wanted to say. They were only five feet apart, but they might as well have been worlds away.

Rafe was in agony and decided to get it over with. He spoke first. “So, are you enjoying the party?” He spoke so formally, as if he was chatting with his grandmother, but he was too uncomfortable to speak any other way.

Y/N nodded, relieved he had taken the first leap forward. “Um, yeah. Never knew that kids could throw parties like this.”

Rafe smiled for a moment, happy that she was so amazed at his dullest party of the year. His heart fluttered at the thought of Y/N dancing in that beautiful white dress with him. Holding onto him as they swayed to the music, pulling her close. Close enough to -

“So, Rafe, I wanted to talk about earlier.” Y/N began, playing with the skin around her nails. It was a nervous tick she had yet to get rid of.

Those eight words destroyed Rafe. At that moment, he knew she had not believed his original lie. He wasn’t too surprised though. He was a shitty liar and Y/N seemed to pick on everything he did. Although he would rather rip his fingernails off one by one than have this uncomfortable conversation with Y/N, he knew he’d have to give her the answers she was looking for. Even if that meant embarrassing himself.

Finally, he nodded. “Um, uh, okay. What’s up?”

Y/N began to speak but before she could get a coherent sentence out, someone else entered the kitchen, making a bunch of noise as he did. Their eyes met instantly and when she recognized who he was, her back straightened slightly as if she had been caught in a salacious act. It was JJ.

“Y/N, what's taking so long?” He stops just after he enters the kitchen and as soon as his eyes go to Rafe, his smile drops. He’s confused beyond belief. He doesn’t know why Y/N is speaking to Rafe. He didn’t even know they knew each other. “Uh, am I interrupting something?”

Y/N forces a smile, glancing at Rafe briefly before walking past him and towards JJ. She hands JJ his cup and he gladly takes it, a look of pure confusion written on his face. “No, Rafe was just asking me if I am enjoying my first party in Outer Banks.”

JJ's eyes shift to Rafe, whose face is pure white. “Really? How… kind?”

Y/N knows JJ is suspicious so to curve his focus back on her, she reaches up to cup one side of his face. JJ’s eyes instantly fall back onto her, a small smile back on his lips. “Walk me home, JJ. I’m getting tired.”

JJ nods sweetly, placing his hand over the one that’s cupping his cheek. “Sure. Go get your stuff and I’ll meet you at the front of the house.”

Y/N looks back to Rafe one more time, a small smile on her face. Rafe pushes his lips into a thin line, nodding goodbye to her. She does the same, leaving the kitchen as quietly as she entered. Y/N’s afraid to leave JJ and Rafe alone but she really has no reason to stay any longer. She hopes that she can get Rafe alone soon so they can have an actual conversation. Tonight, was kind of a disaster but being with JJ and having such a fun time with him made up for it. She knows JJ is the type of guy she should be with. He’s fun and carefree and they’re too much alike to not get along. Even though this is all true and she does have feelings for JJ, there is a part of her that yearns for Rafe. And that part scares her.

Once Y/N is gone, JJ’s smile drops, and he turns back to Rafe with a menacing glare. “Look, I don’t know what your game is here, but I really like Y/N. We both know you’re not her type. So do both of us a favour and leave her alone.”

And with that, JJ was gone too. Leaving Rafe alone.

Even with all these people in his house, Rafe never felt more alone.

taglist: @tovvaa @canyoubuymetoast @multisimpinghoe (sorry to these queens for waiting so long lmaooo)

#jj maybank #rafe cameron #jj x reader #jj maybank x reader #rafe cameron x reader #rafe cameron x you #rafe cameron fic #rafe x reader #jj x you #jj one shot #jj fanfiction #rafe fluff #rafe x you #rafe imagine #rafe cameron obx #outerbanks #outer banks fic #obx #obx s2

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shoyoist · 2 years ago

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y'all i had such a nice day todayy <3 feeling so refreshed rn so i'll tell you guys abt it to share the good vibes hehe —

under the cut because it got a little long.

so as some of y'all might know because i've been complaining on dash, i had 7am classes today. and i'd pulled an all nighter last night for chemistry, so i was really tired when i showed up to class (o_o; )

was ready to sit alone in the corner, take my notes and do the worksheets and just go home without interacting with anyone.

but my friends were really glad to see me omg 😭💖 they told me they'd missed me so much (because i haven't been attending most of the revision sessions, since i prefer to do self study at home during exam sesson) and bought me cake and a drink, i felt so loved LMAO v_v <3

and at abt 12pm i picked my sister and two of her friends (they're our neighbors so when their parents get hung up at office i usually take them home w me and my sister) up from her school. one of them told me i looked thirsty (i was) and gave me some water, and i felt so touched 😭😭

when i got home i took a shower, had lunch and talked to my girlfriend on the phone for a bit before i took a nap. talking to her always makes me feel better hehe <3

then, i woke up at 4pm, took another shower and then i got to work. i did some chemistry and physics, but i got stuck on a chapter and was struggling so hard i wasted a lot of time on just a couple of questions ( t_t).

that always pisses me off, like when i don't understand something that ik i should and waste time trying to figure it out that makes me so mad. plus i don't really have TIME to waste on a single chapter but i couldn't just leave it behind without understanding it right? so i was just so upset about it.

around 7pm my brother called my phone (he's actually my cousin but he's rlly more like a brother to me) and he lives in the next city ok, so i wasn't expecting him to say he'd come over.

he's annoying as per usual for older brothers LMAO so i picked up his call like "what do you want :/" but he was like "hey i'm omw let's play valo together"

which surprised me because, "why can't we just play you don't need to come over? and besides i don't have time to play"

but he said he missed us and wanted to see us ;(( and when he showed up, i was still not done going through that one physics chapter. while he waited for me to be done, he took my laptop and adjusted all the settings to his liking (now that i think abt it i'll have to fix everything before i play NAWW) and played a couple of matches by himself 😭😭

then i was like "...dude what are you doing LMAO" like none of our family is on very good terms w eachother so i was just surprised that he showed up outta nowhere like this.

— and all of a sudden he was like "hey i brought my card w me you wanna go out for dinner?" and it was around 8pm, so i said it's too late, our youngest sister has school tomorrow too so we probably shouldn't. but he said that i seemed kinda stressed out, and that a walk outside and a nice dinner would do me good.

WHICH WAS TRUE BTW i've been mad stressed out these days, and i haven't had a break in forever. i knew that and i just felt like, ykw why not? so i agreed, and once we convinced my mom, the three of us (me, my brother and our youngest sister) went out.

except we only recently moved to this city so i didn't know any good places. and he was living in the other city so he didn't know either. we walked around for like an hour 💀💀

then we surrendered and went to a pizza place, it was already like 9:30pm by then and i knew our mom would be PISSED LMAO but we still went and got pizza and milkshakes. it was so nice fr like i felt really good.

he told me about work, and we vented to eachother a little on our separate family situations and all, and then we moved onto just talking abt random things that took our minds off our stress. realized halfway through that he needed this little walk out too.

we also went over to a bridge that's over a river near the area, because it's one of my favourite places to go to. it was hella dark and there were stoners and all around but my brother is a big guy (he's a gym rat like me, stands at 6'2) and so we weren't rlly abt to be bothered LMAO. watched the moon and just stood together in comfortable silence for a while, till we decided it was rlly time to go back home.

i could feel the pent up stress leaving me during the time we were out. and plus, i haven't let loose and had some good fun in a long time 😩

got back home at 11pm and my parents were MAD but that's okay we had fun!!

and yk, i just wanted to say 😭 if you find yourself working hard without room for a break or anything, if you're stuck between deadlines and tight schedules and all, sometimes all you need is a few hours out with your friends/family, a few hours to unwind and let loose.

it's okay to spare a few hours to take care of yourself. i'm feeling sm better and much better prepared to immerse myself into my work and actually understand and absorb what i'm going to revise and practise now.

it rlly helps!! some fresh air, some good food enjoyed w your loved ones and a few hours of fun with them, it fr fixes your whole mood.

and it's different from relaxing alone. trust me.

don't hesitate to reach out and take some time to relax and get together with people you love <3 it really makes a difference.

#☆༉ soliloqui.#AKGFH I TALKED SM #but anyway. yeah i just wanted to share <3

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kovjiro · 3 years ago

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Out of My League - an Aran Ojiro x chubby female reader SMAU - College!AU

Synopsis: Commitment can be scary, especially when the only taste of actual commitment has come through your three best friends. An absentee father and cruel classmates can do that to you - no foundational trust in men, only sustained by male counterparts continually making fun of you for your size and weight. You’re ready for change, though, and maybe change will come; as you set out for university in a new city miles away from your horrid adolescence, change is inevitable. A chance at growth, at love, and new adventures await you in this new part of your life but, really, you’d never think to find this all with the upperclassmen you’d deemed out of your league.

Warnings(for this chapter): none, reader is upset, aran being an understanding king <3 (Refer to masterlist for a complete list of warnings for this SMAU)

Masterlist | Prev. | Chapter Seven: operation moving on | Next

Credits:

one of your biggest pet peeves is when someone says something but does the opposite

aran is no exception

you're also butthurt about him 'hooking up' with that girl, but that's besides the point

for now, maybe some distance will do you good

this is just the calm before the storm

taglist: OPEN! send an ask to be added :) AGE IN BIO PLZ

@szeonn @thatnikkixx @slutkags @roselleviennesstuff @bookiedoll @kris-1 @lucacangettathisass @serostapesweat @kiyokoism @ctrlaprilx @fantasycantasy @dontdodrugskiddos-69 @iwasunshine

a/n: tbh idk how to feel about this chapter 😩 i kinda rushed it so i left out some things i really wanted to include. let me know what y'all think bc i need the reassurance LMAO also, the masterlist for this SMAU is almost at 100 notes! on top of that, the first chapter surpassed 40!! may not be big deal to y'all but i never thought this smau would get any attention lol. so thank you guys sm for reading and a bigger thank you to those who send in asks with your thoughts and leave replies, y'all the real mvp's LMAO. likes and reblogs are much appreciated <3

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kasper-tag · 4 months ago

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✨Here's Chapter 3!✨

Title: To Warm the Home, to Warm the Heart

Pairing: Malec

Rating: Teen

No archive warnings apply

Word Count: 12.8k+ (still writing and editing)

Summary:

“I need to go,” Alec said as he pushed himself away from the wall. “I can't– I can't be here right now. I just can't.” “Alec–” Alec shook his head and continued. “I don't even know why I came. I should be prepping for tomorrow anyway. I've got a fuck ton of apples to wash and pie crust to make.” Izzy fixed Alec with a wry smile as she wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. “You're still going to make apple pie, huh?” “Of course I am,” Alec said with a humorless laugh, like it was obvious. He tugged his jacket closed and started down the steps, turning back once he reached the sidewalk to say, “Call me if you get arrested.” Despite being a bystander to Magnus' tumultuous relationship history and hookups for the past few years, and the heartbreak he had suffered because of it, Alec was still going to bake an apple pie for him. Because that's what you do when you're hopelessly in love with your best friend: you bake desserts that you loathe just to see him smile, even if he'll never know what they truly stand for. _ This is a story about college parties, apple pies, camping trips, and two best friends being idiots in love.

#malec #magnus bane #alec lightwood #shadowhunters #fanfiction #fanfic #to warm the home fic #ao3 author #they're absolutely idiots in love your honor #the dumbest dingdongs ever #prepare for feelings!#none of y'all are ready for this chapter lmao

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silverselfshippingchaos · 3 years ago

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[dorky-self-shipper] 🎫 here’s a gush pass :3 feel free to gush about whichever f/o you want, however much you want, then send this ask to 3 other selfshippers

Oh, my friend!!! Ahhh thank you so much for sending this in!! I have been a bit iffy because some things in my life have been piling up, but!!! I am so excited to dig into this!!! I really need a good gushing session haha!

Today's target for gushing hours with your girl Ash is none other than Yaag Rosch!

This ended up being pretty long, and is a mix of lore, screaming, keyboard smashes, his gorgeous design, and more screaming.

Saying that this man lives in my head rent free is an understatement. He is all I think about it. Honestly, I think it's funny considering Yaag's role in FF13. He's only around in the first game, and shows up in like five cutscenes.

Also. We get crumbs of him in the novels. More on that later. Back to the game.

All he does is "hey yall suck" "your lives don't matter" "uhh i need to kill you guys" "oh wait no i'm not evil" "*dies*"

But!!! He's very cool!! His character is so interesting to me. He's so driven to do whatever it takes, but beneath his actions, there's always an edge of hesitation. He seems like he comes off as so sure of himself, but... I'm not sure about that. Now, I can't say anything for sure because the writers hate him, I really liked those few moments where we get to see his actual thoughts.

For example, "Do you think we want to Purge our own people?!" And things like that where you see him question his orders. I feel like there's a lot of underlying hatred, distrust, and overall fear of the system.

Also, his development from "They aren't people, they're targets." to "I'll trust in your humanity." Gets me every single time.

Also don't get me started on his "if this is my punishment... i accept it." when he's bleeding line.

I am here to gush, not analyze. But both are happening anyway.

I feel as though he puts a lot of thought into what he says and how he acts, and I really do admire that.

For context, Lieutenant Colonel Yaag Rosch is this military higher-up guy. I remember seeing him for the first time and my jaw simply dropping. I know that these games have a history with hot villains. After all, I am an FF7 fan. I have seen the SOLDIERS, I have seen the Turks, I've seen Rufus. They're all hot.

There. I said it.

This intro scene gave us some damn good food. Like??? The silver hair??? The ponytail??? The scar on his forehead??? The overly dramatic speech about how the protagonists need to be eliminated??AJKLFNAWKJFNAWKLJFNWILEN.

(Also, I'm beginning to see the resemblance he has to Felix. I am a very predictable woman, aren't I?)

I am actually going to scream. He’s so handsome!!! His jaw!! His eyes are such a pretty color too!!! I wanna give him a kiss ahhh!! Especially on his forehead scar!!! He's so... woah.

Also, he has a really, really nice voice. Like??? WOW. I want this man to like. narrate my life. Here, lemme find some clips of him talking.

Here. Enjoy.

This one is a fan favorite as well.

It's not a Rick roll. I promise.

..... Unless?

Anyways, as time went on, I realized that he's actually such a deep and interesting character?? He gets done dirty by the writers and the game, but the potential he has makes me so excited!! There's so much material to work off of!!! Truly one of the more interesting villains the trilogy has to offer. Honestly, it's kind of difficult going through the second game knowing that he isn't there.

However, it's also difficult going through the second game because I??? Can't beat?? The goddamn boss fight??? I'm also playing on easy mode. I didn't struggle this much during the first game either. What the hell, Ash.

Back to the actual topic.

I'm gonna start off with his design before we delve into s/i lore and fun tidbits.

(His coat is so cool... Do you think he'd let me wear it? I'd probably waddle around in it because he's pretty tall and I. I am not.

He's around 6'2 (around almost 188 cm..? I think?), but take into account his boots too. Which means that normally he's slightly taller. That means that he's about a foot taller than me. That means that I'm pretty much the perfect height to bury my face in his chest. *screams*)

Talk about a kickass design. He's really cool to look at. Not only, uhm, *blushes*, but because of how cool his outfit is too! It does a really good job of portraying that "heyyy i'm super importtanntttt" energy that he has. He carries himself like he's the shit. And you know what? He is.

He's pretty professional. Minus the times he gets kinda pissed. The novels say, and I quote,

"They said he was the most straitlaced man in PSICOM - if you put serious and stubborn in a military uniform, you'd get Colonel Rosch."

And yeah. That basically sums it up.

Also, there's this scene where he gets all pissed and pulls out his sword and I'm over here like *insert debby ryan hair thing here*. I'm telling you, it's always the sword boys that get me. I'm sure you've noticed that by now. I don't know what it is but. It's a thing.

Oh!!! Oh!!! Speaking of the *tucks hair behind ear*, there's this one scene where he's chasing the protagonists. And he goes, "Clever, aren't you?"

*SCREAMS*

That scene is truly a masterpiece. Thank you for the good food, Squeenix. I remember having to take a moment to just pause and regather myself. Actually, I had to do that the first time I saw him too-

I wasn't alone at the time when he was introduced so I was just silently like "ohmygodhellosir ajrfnaklwenjklwenjklrn" but oh my GOODNESS.

My s/i works with him! She's pretty much his right hand woman. She always has reports and intel on all their missions ready to go! I find it cute how well they work together, be it for mission-related matters, or just when they're relaxing together.

Just like pretty much all of my other s/is, she's a raging academic and total nerd. In the first game, they basically live on this human paradise called Cocoon. It ends up not being so great because the gods want to murder humanity but anyways! Education is pretty much free and you can study whatever you're passionate about. That's why she has studied just so many things.

She's not exactly the type who aspired to join the military, but alas! Things happened. I like to think of it as a "heyyyy y'all needed my help once and then once turned to twice and twice to thrice and then i never left" type thing.

Oh, and then she fell in love with Yaag while she was there.

Her cheery attitude is a direct opposite to his, but they're also able to have some very serious conversations with each other. I love their dynamic so much! Also, he can get a bit softer when he's opening up to her and,,, Soft Yaag??? Hoo boy.

Her motives and beliefs tend to align a bit more with the Cavalry branch, but i feel as though she fits in better with PSICOM. Also, the book describes the soldiers to be a bunch of dumbass dorks and just the thought of her smiling and cracking jokes with all of Yaag's men make me super happy.

Oh and she gets a cool uniform too! Because I said so.

Now, they've known each other for years by the time the end of the first game rolls around. They're happy together, maybe even engaged! It can go one of two ways here. He either dies or he doesn't.

I like adhering really closely to canon with my ships (*laughs in genesis angst*) but I also think it would be a blast if he were to survive.

In the novels after his death, some recordings of his are found. It's basically him talking about how the government sucks from the inside. A character finds these and reveals them to the public to get rid of the old government and an invite a newer one that actually cares about the people. However, it's never quite stated how he got those recordings. And that's where Ash steps in.

She brings them to his attention and helps him out, but then returns to live with the rest of the remaining soldiers in that camp they set up in the second novel. They all look up to her as a leader-type, which I find is really funny because she doesn't exactly have the qualifications? She worked with PSICOM, but was never exactly a soldier. But hey, it's right after the world (quite literally) fell apart, I don't think that anybody cares about that.

Also, there's another chapter where Snow ends up visiting, and she has a friendly chat with him!!! She helped out the protagonists a little bit near the end of the first game, so they have a slight idea of who each other are, but that doesn't exactly change the fact that she fell under the category of villain for a lot of it, despite not actually being a bad person. I also think that their dynamic would be fun. Snow also just makes me really happy LMAO.

I think that this version of Ash is really fun just because of how much the experience hardens her? She spends a lot of time grieving. Also!!! Whether or not she makes a cameo in 13-2 (maybe near the ruins early game?) is totallllyyyy up to you hehe! I think it would be neat for her to talk to the protagonists of that game, especially since Yaag was the one who orchestrated the Purge and at the ruins, there's a huge monument of the names of people who were killed there.

Also, whether or not she has a son here is up to you. I like to think of all my ideas all happening in alternate timelines so everything I want can happen without stepping on other events? I imagine their child to have Yaag's pretty silver hair with Ash's brown eyes.

Also, 13-2 is about time travel so like. The protagonists meeting their child in the future when he's all grown up? Good stuff.

But hey, in the main timeline she's alone after Yaag's death. She helps the other characters. I also think that in time, she does work for the Academy? I mentioned that she's pretty nerdy earlier, so that definitely helps out. She's super cool!!! Such a badass!!!

Now, on the flipside of things, what if he survived? Then what happens? shameless self promo

Yaag still has those recordings, and they do still reach Captain Rygdea. They both live in the small village that the remnants of PSICOM created. It's a sweet life. Are fankids a thing in their future? Yeah, probably.

I feel like Yaag would be a really good dad. I headcanon that he has a very strong relationship with his own father as well. He's caring and stern, but also knows when to turn down the serious scale. The novels also say that he likes kids!?!?!? I know I've screamed about this point like 24892 times on my blog. But.

It's so cute??? Who would expect this super serious and mean man who quite literally says that the protagonists aren't people, they're targets to like children of all things???? It really is my favorite thing ever just because of how cute it is. I also have a few tiny cousins in my family, so him playing with them makes me very soft too.

("Would you please stop tugging on my hair- Ash, this is not a laughing matter!" "Oh, but it so is.")

I think that detail really helps hint at him having a more gentle side? And I adore that.

Also, I mentioned how Snow pays a visit to the PSICOM camp after the events of the first game? I think that would be very interesting with Yaag there because before Yaag dies in canon, Snow says, "Stay alive. We'll see you when it's over."

And now he finally gets to see him. The conversation would get surprisingly deep and definitely dive into Yaag's motives and real thoughts about his actions in the game. I really enjoy the few interactions those two have in the game.

Anyways, now that we've gotten that out of the way, let's dig into the meat and potatoes of this ship.

In 13-2, they get a separate dlc side story just to themselves. Because I said so. I'm not sure how the plot of this works, but it's basically them exploring Gran Pulse together. Maybe to map things out? Maybe to get better acquainted with the world they thought was a hell their whole lives? Maybe there's some sort of big mission they have to do? We'll figure it out.

Basically, it's a whole side story of them exploring and kicking monster ass together. The combat is regular 13 combat.

Yaag has his sword along with some explosives (we see him carry some grenades at the end when he blew himself up). And Ash also has a sword because I like swords.

In the game, usually only l'Cie, or magic god slaves, can use magic. However, after the fal'Cie (magic gods) go poof at the end of the end of the first game, some normal humans can use magic? It makes no sense and exists only for plot convenience, but I'm not complaining because it makes my plot easier too.

My point is, Ash can use magic! Because A) she's quirky mage material B) we need a balanced team C) Every single version of Ash so far has been a mage. D) I like magic a lot. Would be my go-to as well.

Also, if you're interested in how they work in battle, roles divide up very nicely between them.

Yaag has: -Commando (physical attacks) -Sentinel (beefy tanks) -Sabuteur (debuffing enemies)

Ash has: -Ravager (magic goes brrr) -Medic (i think you know) -Synergist (buffing allies) -Commando (physical attacks)

Maybe Yaag could get medic too to balance off the load in battle? They're a blast in combat because they really do compliment each other.

Anyways, back to the adventure.

It's the two of them traveling around. The main focus of it is their conversations as they travel. There's a lot of fun banter. Ya know how like when you're walking around in Naughty Dog games and your characters are just chatting? Yeah. That.

Their conversations are super random and they cover pretty much every single topic ever. They go from really serious to them just being stupid. I love their friendly banter.

Also, when they set up camp and are about to sleep, we get to see sleepy Yaag in action. And do you know what that means?

It means we get to see Yaag with his hair done a bit looser, maybe even down!!! Yaag with his hair down is all I want to see. It's what we deserve. It's what we need. The day that I see Yaag with his hair down is the day i achieve true happiness LMAO.

It's what we need.

Ash playing with his hair??? Yes, I most definitely think so.

Oh and there is totally a "Yaag, I'm cold." "Allow me to help remedy that. *pulls her closer*" type moment because they're cute like that.

All in all, their travels are really fun. Maybe somewhere around there they run into the protagonists? Either from the first game or the second game. I think that would be a fun mess.

I feel like Yaag can show a softer side of him around her and that makes me really happy. He deserves to be happy and I love him very much.

I think about him all the time, and just the thought of him holding me makes me so happy. He really is just adorable.

Before I wrap this up, I have a few more things I want to speak about! Firstly, allow me to share one of my favorite pictures of him because oh. my. god.

*screams*

The urge to backhug him!!! Ahh!!! He's so cute!!!! I just wanna hold him aelajflanef.

One of my favorite pre-relationship moments from them is this one time where Yaag is pretty down in the dumps, and Ash is talking to him about it and offering her advice. And as she talks, she gently places a hand over his (they're seated side by side btw). He looks up at her in shock, and she takes back her hand is like, "O-oh! I'm so sorry, I should've asked first, I just thought tha-"

And then he just snatches her hand back and gently holds it. You can see the tips of his ears burning red haha! I think that they're pretty cute ajfwnjklef

She always tries her best to take care of him, too! He needs a hug, and she is more than happy to provide. She always tries to remind him to eat his meals on time and such, even if she can be questionable at following her own advice at times. She can also be a bit of a tease sometimes, so he can get pretty annoyed (not really, he thinks it's cute) sometimes.

However, he also does his best to take care of her. Would he pull the "that's an order." card after she refuses to rest, pulling several late-nighters for work? Yeah. Probably. He's very caring, even if he can come off as very serious and scary sometimes.

To wrap things up, I love Yaag Rosch.

Thank you for your time.

#HOO BOY WE DID IT GUYS #that took a while. but it was a blast. i have a LOT to say about this man #also thank you so so so so much for the ask!! youre the first friend i made in the community and i appreciate you so much #thank you for always being so supportive of me and my ships <3 #he's such a cool character ahh!! i really love him #no brain just him #answered #dorky-self-shipper #anyways writing this post was so much fun!! it's pretty much all i've been doing since i got the ask lmaaooo #thank yoouu!!!!

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helloalycia · 6 years ago

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fake dating [seven] // brie larson

summary: just when you think everything has gone to plan and you got the girl, life has a funny way of showing you otherwise.

warning/s: none.

author's note: okay so this is the last part, im afraid! This was so fun to write and ended up longer than I imagined lmao but im really glad y'all like it! I won't be doing more parts, however, I think I've got a brie x you book brewing if you want it so yeah, stay tuned :)

one | two | three | four | five | six | masterlist

Brie and I were stuffing ourselves at the buffet table, our plates filled high because the appetisers tasted just as good as the food from earlier. I watched her, unable to stop grinning at the fact that we were actually together together.

She was laughing, her eyes squinted adorably and her laugh lines portraying her happiness at this moment. I couldn't have asked for a better sight.

"Watch, I can get this in my mouth," she said, sure of herself, her hazel eyes meeting mine.

"Brie..."

"Just watch!" she said, before setting her plate on the table and tossing an olive in the air. She opened her mouth to catch it, but of course she was way off and it hit her on the head before bouncing onto the floor.

"Ten out of ten," I said teasingly, to which she shoved me, almost making me drop my own plate.

"I can usually catch it," she said, pouting adorably. "It's because you stared."

I laughed. "Oh, yeah, next time I'll be sure to close my eyes and believe you caught it."

"Thank you," she said, grinning.

We continued to mess around by the appetisers, still stuffing ourselves with food, until we heard the music cut off and an announcement coming from the stage.

"Can everybody please come to the stage where the bride will be making a speech!" a staff member said, his voice blasting through the speakers and to all the guests.

I looked to Brie with confusion. "I thought speeches were done."

She shrugged, unsure herself, before taking my plate off me and setting it on the table.

"Hey, I was eating that!" I complained, about to pick it up again, but she stepped in the way and pushed me forward gently.

"We gotta hear what your mum has to say," she said, smiling with amusement. "Food after, I promise."

I sighed, but intertwined my fingers with hers, letting her lead me to the small crowd of guests that had formed. My mum was on the stage, standing in front of the mic. I noticed how she didn't seem even the tiniest bit nervous. She never was. I didn't understand how her and I could be so different from one another. If I was up there, I'd probably faint.

"If I could have your attention please," she began, looking out at everyone.

The chatter went quiet before a silence formed. All you could hear was the mic tuning and the sound of the waves on the beach in the distance.

"I know we already did speeches, but this is a little different," she said, her voice radiating confidence and certainty. "It's more of an announcement."

I waited patiently, wondering what she was going to say. I saw her glance to the left, at Isaac who was stood offstage but smiling encouragingly at her. She looked back to everyone before continuing.

"As you all know, today has been a massive step forward in my personal life," she explained, a smile on her lips. "It's a change I have welcomed with open arms and it's only made me realise that there's other aspects of my life that I wish to move forward with."

I furrowed my eyebrows with confusion.

"Most of you here are friends and colleagues of mine," she said, nodding. "I'm grateful for all you of. Meeting so many people in my line of work is something I anticipated. Being a lawyer and having my own firm is something I am thankful for. But I've come to a point now where I realise that it's a chapter of my life I'm ready to finish."

I raised my eyebrows as everyone began to mutter between one another. I recalled what Naomi said about her giving away the firm, but I never realised it could actually be true. Is that what she was going to announce?

I looked around, trying to see if Naomi and Kieran were here when finally, I caught Naomi's glare from across the crowd. She was fuming, her arms crossed and her brother shaking his head with annoyance.

"Hey, you okay?" Brie asked quietly, squeezing my hand.

I met her eyes. "I, erm, I don't know."

She cocked her head to the side questioningly, but she didn't get to say anything because my mum was speaking again.

"It took a lot of planning, but I have decided to give my firm away," she announced, everyone's eyes on her. Her eyes scanned the crowd before they met mine. "Y/N, I want to give it to you."

I gulped down the lump in my throat as everybody turned to look at me. I suddenly felt really warm.

"Now, you've made it very clear that you don't want to be a lawyer," my mum said, a bit of sourness still present in her voice that only I could detect from the millions of times she'd said that to me, "but this is different. You can sell the firm if you want. Or manage it. The possibilities are endless. I just want you to have it. It should stay in the family."

I breathed out, pursing my lips. People were looking between my mum and I, expecting one of us to say something else. Even Brie was surprised, her eyes boring into the side of my head.

"Well, honey?" my mum spoke, a flicker of confusion crossing her expression.

I finally found my words. "Mum, I can't accept."

I heard people gasp around me, mumbling between each other as they looked me up and down judgementally. Any one of these people would snap up the opportunity to buy this firm - it made millions.

"Erm, what was that?" my mum asked, her smile forced now.

I shook my head, speaking louder. "No, thank you!" All eyes were on me and I tried to focus. Brie smiled encouragingly and I remembered what I wanted to say as I looked back to my mum. "It should stay in the family, yes, but it should go to Naomi and Kieran!"

I looked to my cousins, seeing the shock on their faces. My mum seemed speechless for one of the first times in my life. I didn't want the firm. I didn't need it. Yes, I could probably make a fortune like my mum, but that's not what I wanted. I had everything I needed. Plus, as annoying as Naomi and Kieran were, they had worked hard and deserved the firm.

"I see," my mum finally spoke, earning everyone's attention. Her signature business-meeting smile was back on her face as she said, "The firm shall be passed down to my lovely niece and nephew, Naomi and Kieran."

Nobody knew what to do at first, but then somebody started to clap and everyone joined in, cheering for the siblings and moving their way to congratulate them. I breathed out with relief and tried to ignore the glare coming from my mother.

"Food?" I asked Brie, wanting nothing more than for her to drag me away from the inevitable yelling I was about to get.

"Er, I think your mum wants you," she said, looking a little frightened when she pointed over my shoulder.

I closed my eyes, sighing to myself, before turning around and seeing her stood with Isaac offstage, motioning for me to come to her.

"You said you wouldn't leave me alone," I told Brie, before dragging her along with me.

The two of us approached my mum and Isaac and she did not look happy.

"Y/N, I need to speak with you privately," she said, containing her annoyance as best as she could whilst her eyes flickered to Brie. "It's a family matter."

"Brie is part of the family, as you've said countless of times," I pointed out, not letting go of Brie's hand. "Whatever you say to me can be said in front of her."

My mum breathed out before nodding. "Fine. Care to explain why you embarrassed me up there like that?"

"Now, Y/M/N, that's not what you said you would say," Isaac spoke up before I could.

My mum clenched her jaw before nodding. I looked at Isaac gratefully, who smiled apologetically.

"Why don't you want the firm, Y/N?" she rephrased, less aggressively.

"I didn't ask for it," I said calmly. "I don't need it. I already have everything I need."

"You didn't need to ask for it," she said, shaking her head. "You're my only child. It's a family firm. You're my family."

"So are Naomi and Kieran," I stated. "And they really wanted it."

"You don't even like them!" she shouted quietly.

"Y/M/N..." Isaac reminded her.

"Sorry," she mumbled, before looking to me. "I never thought you would advocate for them when you've made it very clear how you feel about them."

"I know I say stuff, but at the end of the day, they deserve the firm more than I. You're giving it to me out of obligation. They actually want to make use of it. They can continue your work with their talent and your name. You chose me over them because of this false sense of pride you have for me."

Her expression softened. "I am proud of you."

I smiled sadly. "Why? Because I now have a girlfriend? I'm still the same person, mum. Still a school councillor. Still living in a flat. Still not going to the gym, or buying designer clothes. I'm still me. Except I have a girlfriend who just happens to be famous. What's changed?"

She stayed silent, looking between Brie and I. Isaac watched me, nodding his head as a proud smile appeared on his lips. I felt recognised for a change.

"I shouldn't have come here under these circumstances," I admitted. "Brie and I weren't together, okay?"

"Y/N-"

"It's okay, Brie," I said, letting go of her hand as I smiled confidently at her. I looked back to my mum, who was surprised. "We weren't together. You assumed we were together because you didn't listen, mum. You never listen. I faked it. It started off as a way to make you proud, but I know I can never do that. Then it turned into me proving a point. But now I know none of that matters."

"So, what, this is fake?" was all she could ask, motioning to the two of us.

I shook my head. "It was very much real. Just not in the way you thought. And we're together now. That's one of the few amazing things to come out of this whole thing."

I breathed out as my mum avoided my eyes, her expression unreadable.

"Not so proud anymore, right?" I asked, cracking a sad smile.

"Y/N..." Isaac began, before staying quiet. He could only speak for himself, and I didn't want to hear from him right now. I wanted to hear from the one person who wasn't saying anything to me.

"I love you, mum, but I deserve to be treated right, despite my personal relationships and life choices," I said, finally believing my words.

It was quiet for way too long, at least that's what it felt like. She wasn't even looking at me.

"Thank you for coming," she finally said, but she didn't look my way as she walked away from us all.

I closed my eyes, sighing to myself. I tried not to get my hopes up with her, but this time I really thought... I thought she would at least acknowledge my words.

"She's going to come around," Isaac said, and I opened my eyes to see him moving forward and pulling me in for a hug. I returned the hug, frowning a little.

"She won't," I said, sure of myself. We pulled away and I said, "Thank you, though."

He smiled sadly. "I should go and check on her..."

I nodded and he walked away. I pinched the bridge of my nose, tilting my head back as I willed a tear to go back into my eye. After a moment, I let go and turned around to see Brie smiling sadly at me.

"I'm sorry that didn't go how it should have," she said softly, stepping forward and taking my hand, holding it between both of hers, "but I'm really proud of you for telling the truth. All of it."

I felt my throat closing up horribly, a familiar feeling I always felt before I cried. I shook my head, willing myself to hold it in. "I thought... I thought telling the truth was supposed to hurt a lot less."

I knew my mum was like this, so why was I surprised? She'd said horrible things to me in the past, but I didn't know her saying nothing would hurt so much more. My heart ached.

"I'm so sorry, Y/N," Brie said, pulling me close to her, and I closed my eyes, tucking my head into her shoulder as she held me.

I didn't cry - I couldn't, not here, not now. I felt silly. But Brie comforted me anyway, rubbing soothing circles on my back as I tried to ignore the pain in my chest.

***

I breathed out with relief as I settled into the aeroplane seat. Brie and I were on our flight back to L.A and one of my least favourite things was getting through airport security. Thankfully though, we were in first class (because of my mum's pre-paid tickets) so the seats were super comfortable. Unfortunately, my mum was on the same plane as us, so I still had to see her and Isaac off when we landed.

"Stop thinking about it," Brie said, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at her seat beside me and she was giving me a knowing smile. "I can tell you're thinking about it."

"I can't help it," I said, shrugging my shoulders. I leaned on her shoulder, cuddling into her arm. "She's not speaking to me, Brie. It's been more than 24 hours."

Brie pressed a kiss to the top of my head before leaning on me, too. "She'll come around. Isaac said so himself."

I didn't know what to say, so I said nothing as I chewed the inside of my mouth nervously. My mum hadn't said a word to me since the wedding and at first, yeah, it hurt a lot. But I couldn't not speak to my mum. She was my mum! She couldn't just leave and not speak to me ever again. Could she?

"You're still thinking about it, aren't you?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

I sighed. "Maybe."

"Think about something else," she suggested. "Food. Movies. Going back home. Anything else otherwise you're going to be upset the whole flight back."

I sat up straight and held Brie's hand. "You're right." I looked at her, smiling as I saw how cute she looked. She was wearing no makeup and her hair was pulled back into a little bun. She was wearing an oversized hoodie and she looked so comfy. I was a little jealous.

“What are you thinking now?" she asked, leaning on the armrest and meeting my eyes with a smile.

I smiled wider. "I'm thinking about how cute you look. And also that I regret not bringing my own hoodie because you look really comfortable."

Her cheeks went pink as she shook her head. "Uh-uh. Eyes off. You're not getting my hoodie, Y/N. This one's my favourite."

"I never asked for it," I defended, chuckling.

“You don't need to," she retorted, shaking her head still. "Eyes off."

I laughed now, leaning forward and giving her a haste kiss. "I don't want it, don't worry."

***

"I can't believe you stole my hoodie when I was asleep," Brie mumbled, sulking as we grabbed our suitcases off the luggage carousel.

"You shouldn't have taken it off," I pointed out, grinning. "Totally your fault."

She narrowed her eyes at me, shaking her head distastefully. I laughed, pulling the sleeves over my hands comfortably.

"Smells like you," I revelled in the scent. "I love it."

"I'm right here!" she said with raised eyebrows. "Smell me, I don't care, but don't steal my hoodie!"

I laughed as we walked away from the luggage carousel, away from the bustle of other people collecting their luggage.

"You can have it back if you really want," I told her, giving her my best 'serious' look.

She stared at me curiously, before sighing with defeat. "You're lucky you're cute."

I grinned, leaning forward and kissing her gently. When I pulled away, a hint of a smile was playing on her lips.

"Right. Are you sure you've got everything?" she asked, her eyes scanning our luggage. "Not left anything behind?"

I nodded. "I'm sure."

She nodded, doing a final check before looking at me, her expression softening. "We should say goodbye to Isaac and your mum."

My smile faded as I breathed out slowly. "Right."

She gave me an encouraging smile and intertwined her fingers with mine. I accepted her comfort and looked out to the luggage collection point, searching for either Isaac or my mum. I eventually saw them grabbing the last of their bags before they turned, heading our way. They hadn't seen us at first and I considered just leaving. But when Isaac looked up and gave me a bright smile, I knew I couldn't.

"You got this," Brie whispered as they stopped before us.

I smiled at her before looking to my mum, seeing she was looking to the floor. Great.

"Well, girls, I guess this is where we depart ways," Isaac spoke first, looking between us. "It was a pleasure having you both at the wedding. And Brie," he looked to Brie, smiling appreciatively, "you're a lovely woman. It was an honour to meet you. I hope this isn't the last time. Especially now that you and Y/N are official."

Brie grinned. "Thank you for having me, Isaac. And I hope not either. Congratulations, once again."

Isaac looked to me and I choked on my own words for a moment, until I felt Brie squeeze my hand.

"Thank you, Isaac," I finally got out, letting go of Brie and hugging him suddenly. "For everything. I'll make sure to bug you with a call every week, yeah?"

Isaac chuckled, returning the hug. When we pulled away, I noticed his eyes were a little glassy.

"I'd really like that, Y/N," he said, unable to stop smiling now. It warmed my heart.

I glanced at my mum, wondering if she was going to say anything. She was still staring at the floor.

"Hey, Isaac, do you think you could help me do something?" Brie suddenly spoke. "Over, erm, over there?" She nodded to the left and I realised what she was doing. So did Isaac, too, as he nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, of course," he said, and the two of them walked away to give my mum and I space.

My mum was still quiet though and I felt nervous, remembering how she walked away the last time we spoke.

"So is this it?" I asked, grabbing her attention. "We just don't speak anymore?"

She pursed her lips, but didn't say anything.

"I don't want to not speak to you, mum," I told her, frowning.

She sighed. "I don't want to not speak either."

I felt my racing heart slow down a little. She was speaking. That was good, right?

"Okay, well, what now?" I asked. "You want to yell at me? Because go for it! I don't care, you can embarrass me in front of Brie and Isaac and complete strangers. It's okay."

She cracked a small smile. "I'm not... I'm not angry."

I furrowed my eyebrows. "You're not?"

She shook her head. "No, Y/N. I'm just... I'm sorry."

I widened my eyes, certainly not expecting that.

"You were right," she said, nodding. "About what you said. I don't listen. I don't treat you fairly."

I didn't know what to say. She usually never listened to me and she was insanely stubborn, so this was different. She was acknowledging her actions and it was something I'd only ever dreamed she would do.

"You're not a kid anymore," she continued. "You have a life. And when you were a kid, you had to deal with me. You couldn't push me away. But now you're grown up and I don't want to lose you."

"Mum, you'll never lose me," I said instantly, stepping forward and resting a hand on her forearm. "Yeah, you piss me off at times, but that's just who you are. I'm used to it. I still love you. I always will. I just wanted you to realise that sometimes your words hurt."

"I get that now," she said, a tear slipping from her eye which she immediately wiped away. I was shocked at how this was affecting her. I didn't think she cared. "I'll be kinder to you, I promise."

I smiled. "I can't wait to see that, honestly."

She rolled her eyes and smacked me on the shoulder playfully before pulling me in for a hug, which I happily accepted.

"I'm proud of you, Y/N," she said honestly, holding me at arm's length when we pulled away. "I mean it. You're happy and I'm glad. And Brie is wonderful. I'm glad you're both together."

"Thank you," I said, smiling at her. "I'm sorry I lied at first."

"I deserved it," she muttered, making me laugh. "Look. I don't want us to be like before where I'm lucky if I get a call every now and then."

I nodded in agreement. "I'll visit you more. I'll call more. I promise."

She smiled. "Good... now I think we should wrap this up because Isaac and Brie are trying really hard to listen to what we're saying."

I glanced over my shoulder and suppressed a laugh when I saw the two of them pretending to have a conversation, but making it obvious they were listening in.

"We're all good, you guys can come back," I called to them.

They came back to us immediately, smiling hopefully.

"All good?" Brie asked quietly, looking at me with concerned eyes.

I smiled. "All good."

She smiled with relief, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Awesome. I'm glad."

"I guess this is goodbye for now," my mum said, grabbing our attention. She looked to Brie, smiling with gratitude. "Brie, dear, thank you for attending our wedding. As Isaac said earlier, I hope we can see more of each other in the future."

Brie nodded, smiling politely. "Of course, Y/M/N."

"First you guys should honeymoon it up," I said, looking between my mum and Isaac. "Which reminds me, where are you guys going for your honeymoon?"

"That's undecided," Isaac said, giving my mum a knowing look. "Somebody can't make up her mind."

My mum waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, there's no rush! We have plenty of time to decide."

We all laughed and Brie nudged me gently, making me look at her.

"I know where you get your indecisiveness from now," she mumbled in my ear, making me glare at her playfully.

"Okay, girls, our taxi should be waiting for us, so we should really get going," Isaac said apologetically. "Are you both okay for a ride or...?"

"We'll be fine," I said, waving my hand. "You guys go. I'll call you tomorrow?"

"We look forward to it," my mum said, smiling with relief.

We all exchanged hugs once more before bidding Isaac and my mum a goodbye. Brie and I also went our own way, managing to find a taxi to take us back to our flat. I felt so much more happier as we sat in the backseat, on our way home.

"I'm really happy for you, Y/N," Brie said, squeezing my hand. "You did good."

I smiled at her with adoration. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"Yeah you could've," she said with certainty. "You're strong. That's why I love you."

I was a little surprised to hear her say that, and she must have realised what she said because her smile faded and any confidence she once had was now gone and replaced by nervousness.

"I- erm-"

"You're honest," I cut her off, not breaking eye contact. "That's why I love you."

She raised her eyebrows with surprise, but eventually a toothy smile broke out on her face.

"I love you."

I grinned. "I love you, too, Brie."

#brie larson x reader #brie larson imagine #Brie Larson #brie larson x you #captain marvel #carol danvers imagine

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ghostbustermelanieking · 6 years ago

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praescitum chapter five

chapter one, chapter two, chapter three, chapter four

casefile, season 10, season 11. part of my series that i write as i rewatch the x files.

Summary: As Mulder and Scully adjust to their reassignment to the X-Files and working together in the wake of their separation, they find themselves investigating a small town and a ghost that apparently warns people of bad things to come.

note: this chapter features the most reference to babylon i will make, lmao, but it’s definitely not babylon fic. warning up front for references to murder and crime scenes (and briefly to suicide).

---

five.

december, 2015

Things are awkward in the morning. Scully should have expected that they'd be, but part of her had hoped they wouldn't. But she knows it won't be as soon as she sees Mulder, slumped over at a table in the dining room when she comes down for breakfast, glasses on his nose, stifling yawns behind his hand. He looks like he barely slept. He offers her a stiff smile when she enters, motions her over, but he doesn't have much to say. He checks his phone a lot, articles that she catches snippets of the headlines from.

Scully just eats her breakfast quietly. She doesn't know what else to do.

Sheriff O'Connell calls them after a while, asking them to come down to the police station. They snatch up the opportunity quickly; Scully can tell that Mulder is just as relieved for the potential distraction as she is. If she's being honest, Scully still isn't sure why they're there, but she's willing to throw herself into it just so she doesn't have to think. That was the whole reason she agreed to come back to Willoughby; she would've been fine with staying away, but she wanted to come so she could concentrate on something else for a while.

O'Connell and Deputy Jacobs are waiting in O’Connell’s office. Jacobs has crutches, which are leaning against the chair he's sitting in, his leg encased in a cast propped up on another chair, and he greets Mulder and Scully with more enthusiasm than O’Connell does. “Glad to hear y'all are back in town,” he says, closing the file on the desk and nodding politely.

The sheriff motions to the file with a wave of his hand. “I’ve got Kenny looking at the original Caruthers file, seeing if he can find anything new,” he says. “He was on the original case, and is much more tuned into the… supernatural aspect of things. So I'm hoping he'll have an epiphany or something.” He clears his throat. “In the meantime, I was thinking that maybe we could go check out the crime scene. You've been there before…”

“We have,” says Mulder, “but I wouldn't mind a second look.” He's got that sound in his voice, the one that gives it away: he's interested in this. He wants to fully understand it.

Scully is looking at the file on the desk. “Are the original autopsy reports in there?” she asks. Jacobs nods. “I’d love to see that, make my own observations,” she says, nearly without thinking. “Maybe I should stay back with Deputy Jacobs.”

She looks over at Mulder out of the corner of her eyes, and sees that he is nodding. “That sounds like a good idea,” he says, and she wonders if he's eager to get rid of her. “Scully’s a pathologist, a damn good one, so she's likely to see anything that was potentially missed,” he explains to Jacobs and O'Connell.

“Oh, that's good.” The sheriff nods politely. “So… you would rather stay here, Agent Scully?”

“I'd like to see the autopsy results, yes,” Scully says awkwardly, looking away from Mulder. (She wants to make this right, but she has no idea how. And going along with Sheriff O'Connell to investigate a crime scene they've already been to does not seem like the right method, not right now.)

“Sounds good.” The sheriff reaches for his keys, the metal jangling between his fingers. “You want to head on out there, Agent Mulder?”

“Sure.” Mulder's hand brushes over the small of her back, and Scully jumps. She hadn't expected him to be ready to touch her so soon. It’s not unwelcome, but it’s certainly startling, and she looks at him sheepishly.

His eyes are apologetic when he looks at her, when he says, “See you in a few?”

“Sure,” Scully says, swallowing hard. “Good luck.”

Mulder nods as he turns to follow the sheriff out of the room. “You, too.”

---

There are the same bloodstains on the floor outside the Caruthers’ apartment, the ones he remembers, and Joe shows them to Agent Mulder with a flick of his hand. “Here's where they were found,” he says. He can still remember what they looked like, a shocking, horrifying picture: blood clumped in Marion's dark hair, Ian’s eyes open like marbles. He never knew them well, but he'd seen them around town. He'd thought their baby was cute, then, and thinking of Ryan now fills Joe with guilt when he thinks of Marion and Ian’s bodies. He certainly never pictured himself hiring that baby as a babysitter years later, and then firing him and wholeheartedly believing that the kid let his dog out. He wonders what Marion and Ian would've thought of that; he wonders if they somehow know.

“So they were stabbed here,” Mulder says. “Or were they stabbed inside and dragged out here?”

Joe shrugs. “Far as I can remember, they were stabbed out here.”

“Huh.” Mulder steps inside the threshold of the empty apartment, surveying the living room and then the hall. “So they could've been trying to run from the murderer,” he says, and Joe thinks of Jared Caruthers, always a year or two behind him in school. He'd been a little bit of a black sheep growing up, but they'd still never suspected he'd do this. Jared and Ian had always been close, had always picked on their baby sister; if you'd asked a younger Joe O’Connell which of the Caruthers siblings would murder another, he would've guessed Annie. And then he would've shaken his head in dismissive disbelief, because he never would've really suspected that any of the Caruthers kids could murder somebody. Never.

“Or,” Mulder adds contemplatively, “maybe Jared wanted to make sure the bodies were found, if he planned this.”

“He ran, though,” Joe says. He remembers that part well. “Why would he run if he wanted his victims to be found?”

Mulder shrugs. “Maybe he wanted to buy some time for some reason? Maybe he was worried about what would happen to his infant nephew if no one knew the parents were dead? Or maybe there was a specific reason they were killed outside the apartment. Did Jared Caruthers ever disclose the reasoning behind that?”

Joe shrugs. “Like I told you a couple months ago, Agent Mulder, Jared was obsessed with the Specter. Maybe he thought that murdering his brother and sister-in-law was the bad thing that the Specter predicted.”

Mulder scans the living room again, his brow furrowed in thought. “So Jared saw the ghost before the murders? There was a distinct premonition to the deaths?”

Joe shrugs. “I dunno. Kenny always figured one of the three of them saw the ghost, especially after Ryan's sightings went real public years ago. Made sense. But I don't know for sure.”

“I think the key here,” says Mulder, “is to figure out the Specter’s role in the murders. Why the Specter has been haunting Ryan all these years. Because I'm guessing that when this crime was investigated in 2002, no one considered the fact that Ryan Caruthers was going to be haunted because it hadn't happened yet.”

Joe shrugs. “That's true. That's one factor that's different.”

Mulder paces around the living room in a wide circle, as if considering its bareness. Joe remembers that night at the crime scene: Kenny so green that he turned nauseous at the sight, Joe himself with a year or two under his belt but understandably horrified by all of it. He thought of his girl, and how he wanted to marry her someday. How horrible it'd be if he and Bonnie turned out like this. A social worker had been carrying Ryan out, and that poor baby was bawling his eyes out. It was one of the saddest things Joe had ever seen.

“What did you all find inside the apartment that night?” asks Mulder, startling Joe out of his stupor. He turns to the older man, who's watching him contemplatively. He raises an eyebrow. “Anything out of the ordinary?”

Joe suddenly remembers the candlelight flickering across Kenny's spooked face, and he says, “Candles. Lots of them. And there was a Ouija board on the floor. And… crosses on the wall, I think. I remember someone commented on it, because Ian and Marion didn't go to church even though they lived right down the street from one. None of the Caruthers family went to church.”

Mulder's eyes are wide in astonishment. “Wait, there was a Ouija board at the crime scene?” Joe nods. “And you said that Jared Caruthers was obsessed with the Specter.” Joe nods again.

Agent Mulder crosses his arms. “Sheriff, I know you're hesitant to believe in this stuff, but I'm starting to think the Specter had more of a hand in these murders then you realize.”

---

The autopsy reports seem fairly straightforward: Marion and Ian Caruthers were killed by multiple stab wounds, largely to the torso. A few defensive wounds and scratches, mostly on the husband, likely as a result of trying to protect his wife. Jared Caruthers was found with scratches along his arms and face, bruises; some probably from the murders, others as a result of running through the woods. The baby was unharmed. No blood inside the apartment, aside from the murder weapon, dropped on the floor as if out of horror.

“Here's the crime scene photos,” Deputy Jacobs says to Scully, sliding the pictures to her. The hall is covered in splotches of blood; the living room is filled with large white candles, crosses hung on the wall and a Bible on the dining room table and a Ouija board in the center of a circle of candles. Scully can't tell if it looks more like the site of a seance or an exorcism, but she knows that Mulder would be all over it.

“Did the brother ever disclose what they were doing that night?” she asks, tapping the photos with one finger. She thinks the next logical step is talking to Jared Caruthers to try and find out; she's going to suggest that to Mulder when he gets back.

“Not that I know of. Remember, it's been a while,” Jacobs says. “I do think Jared was pretty upset about the whole thing. Didn't want to talk about it, wouldn't really give answers. I think he regretted what he did.”

Scully bites her lower lip, considering. She knows that she has been plagued with guilt over her sister's death for years, felt as if she was responsible, and she can't imagine what it would be like to have actually been responsible. Especially if you were close to your sibling. She has no idea about how Jared Caruthers felt about his older brother, but she knows what it's like to see your sibling dead and feel like it's your fault. (In the case of Jared Caruthers, it actually is.)

“Did you find anything you think could be important, Agent Scully?” the deputy asks.

She blinks out of her stupor. “Oh… I think there's a possibility these crime scene photos could be significant,” she says, tapping the images again. “Agent Mulder would probably know more about said significance, but I definitely think it could be important. I also would like to talk to Jared Caruthers if the opportunity arises.”

Jacobs strokes his beard in thought. “Sure, we could probably work that ou—”

But he never finishes. The walkie-talkie on the desk springs to life, a female voice coming through: “Sheriff, are you there?”

Jacobs scoops up the radio and says, “This is Kenny Jacobs, Winnie. Joe's out on assignment; what's up?”

“We've got a fire out on Church Street,” the woman says. “That abandoned Willoughby Woods Apartment Building is ablaze. The site of those murders in 2002? The fire department has been called, and Deets and I are responding to the scene…”

Something about that name seems familiar. Scully is muddling over it when Deputy Jacobs turns to her with saucer-wide horrified eyes, and she realizes. From the look on his face, she knows. “Mulder,” she says, her breath leaving her in a painful burst. She feels airless, like she's been hit in the stomach. “Is that where they…”

Jacobs presses the button on his radio too hard and says, “Joe's in there, Winnie. He and an FBI agent went out there to investigate the Caruthers murder.”

“Oh my god,” the woman says with horror.

Scully is already on her feet, rushing for her bag and her keys, her heart racing. Praying that he's all right, he has to be all right. “I have to get over there,” she blurts. The jagged edge of the keys bite into her palm. She clutches them harder.

“I'll come with you.” The deputy maneuvers himself onto his crutches with admirable mobility. His face is white and worried. “That's my best friend out there.”

Mine too, Scully wants to say, but he's so much more than that, and her ring is cold against her collarbone, and she doesn't want the last thing she said to him to be a fight. A refusal to come home. She doesn't want that to be the end of things between them, she has so many things she needs to tell him. So many things she needs to apologize for. You don't know that he didn't get out, she tells herself as she moves towards the door, trying to reassure herself. You don't know that he isn't okay. But she doesn't know that he is okay, either, and she needs to get to him. She needs to get to him, she never should've stayed back this way. She moves without thinking through the police station and out to the car, Jacobs’s squeaking crutches behind her. She climbs into the driver's seat and pulls out her phone, calls Mulder as she settles into the seat. Prays and prays for him to answer as Deputy Jacobs climbs into the passenger seat. It goes straight to voicemail. “Goddamnit,” Scully hisses, dropping her phone on her lap, throwing the car into Drive and pulling away.

She tries again and again, three times before they reach Church Street, shifting her eyes frantically between her phone and the road. No answer every time. Several discordant rings, his voice saying, Hi, you've reached Fox Mulder— Hang up, try again, pray that isn't the last time she'll hear his voice.

She can see the smoke in the sky, and fear is clogging her throat. “Damn it, Joe, answer,” Jacobs is growling at his own phone, and Scully's hands feel numb around the wheel. Please, some small part of her protests. Please don't let this be it. She wants to see him, she just wants to see him. She hits Mulder's contact again with the flat of her thumb, listens to it ring as they roll down the street. The sound of Mulder's voice—Hi, you've reached Fox Mulder—fills the car again, and Scully bites back curses, blinks back furious tears.

The building is really, truly ablaze, smoke and flames pouring out of the windows, and Scully's stomach twists painfully at the sight. Jacobs gets out of the car, frantically moving towards the firefighters clustered at the edge of the lawn (far enough from the fire to be out of danger), but Scully can't move. Mulder’s contact page is still pulled up on her phone. She drops it in the cupholder, reaches up unconsciously to touch her ring through her shirt. Offers up a quick prayer, some sort of plea. Lets her eyes slip shut briefly.

And then the firefighters emerge from the building with someone held between them, smokey and coughing roughly into his elbow. Scully can't see who it is, but she begins moving immediately: pushes the car door open and nearly falls to the ground, races towards the firefighters so fast that she practically skids to a stop, her shoes kicking up frosty grass. They're lowering the rescue onto a stretcher, placing an oxygen mask over his mouth, and by now Scully can see that it's Sheriff O'Connell. Not Mulder. She catches a fireman by the arm in a hard, gaspy motion, gasps out, “Mulder, where's Mulder?”

“Ma'am, I don't know what…”

Scully gathers her strength and manages to bite out an explanation: “There was another man in there. An FBI agent. Where is he?”

The man's face fills with regret as he meets her eyes. “Ma’am, we didn't see anyone else in there.”

It's like a punch to the gut, and Scully gasps a little as she lets go of the man's arm. O’Connell is unconscious, his deputy bent over the stretcher, and she can't even ask if Mulder is in there. If Mulder is gone, if she's lost him. A combination of tears and smoke sting her eyes as she bites out, “Y-you have to go back in, you have to look…” She's ready to pull rank, ready to spit at this man that she is his wife, that she'll go in herself to find him, that he can't be dead, she won't let this be the end…

“Scully?”

The voice comes from behind her, a shouted question. She turns and she sees him standing on the edge of the lawn, cold wind biting her skin as his coat blows with it, his hair rumpled and not sooty and his eyes full of confusion, questioning.

She takes a shaky, desperate breath, like she can finally get enough air again, and starts to run. She moves towards him in an impulsive motion, throws her arms around him like they are young and stupid again and holds tighter now than she ever did then, her fingers clutching at his shirt, digging in. Questions satisfied, the firefighters move on behind her. Mulder's hand comes up tentatively to smooth her hair, his other hand against the small of her back, pushing her closer. Her face presses into his tie. “Jesus, Mulder,” she chokes out, leaning hard into him with the push of the freezing wind. “I thought you were in there. I thought you were dead.”

She wants to throw up at the thought of losing Mulder so soon after her mother, never getting a chance to apologize to him or reconcile, never seeing him again. She clutches him tighter under his coat, the smell of smoke muffled a little by his dress shirt.

“I'm okay, Scully,” he murmurs, his hand cupping the back of her head. His voice is trembling, too; he presses his mouth against her hair.

She pulls away as a firefighter approaches, telling them they have to get back so they don't get caught up in the chaos. She walks back with him, their fingers tangled messily together, until they reach the car. Streams of water hit the house. Deputy Jacobs is being helped into the back of the ambulance with Sheriff O’Connell; he waves at them and Scully nods back. She turns back to Mulder as they reach the car. “Where the hell did you go?” she asks softly.

“We didn't find anything of significance in the apartment, so I suggested we go see where the victims are buried, in the cemetery right down the street. Just in case there was anything there, any signs of paranormal activity. But just as we were leaving, the sheriff got this weird look on his face and said he had to go back in.” Mulder has a strange, contemplative look on his face. “He wanted me to come with him, but I said I’d rather just walk on down, meet him later. So I went on.”

“I called you three or four times,” she whispers, still not entirely out of the state of panic.

Guilt rushes over his face. “No reception out there. It's a dead zone.” He reaches out gently to touch her cheek, strokes it with the flat of his thumb. “I'm so sorry, Scully. I had no idea…”

“It's okay,” she says, and she's hugging him again, her face pressed into his neck. He's alive, he's not hurt, and that's all that matters. They have time. It'll be okay. “It's okay.”

He inhales sharply, maybe a little surprised, and then he's hugging her back, his arms wrapped around her waist. She sighs a little with relief, doesn't move. They stand together for a moment, frozen in the mix of December chill and heat emanating from the blaze, their arms tight around each other.

---

Joe is fine, and Kenny is more than thankful for that. Beyond relieved. He was really scared for a second there, more scared than he thinks he's ever been in the history of their career as cops. Joe is still unconscious when they arrive at the hospital, recovering from smoke inhalation, so Kenny calls Bonnie before sitting by his friend's bed until she arrives. He promises her that he'll stay with Joe.

Kenny has always believed in the ghost, ever since his grandma told him the story as a kid. When her cat died, and she swore to everyone that she had seen the ghost the night before, and he'd listened with wide eyes. He's always believed. And that belief has only strengthened since Rob saw the ghost, since he saw the ghost himself. And Joe… Joe never actually told Kenny that he saw the ghost a few days ago; Bonnie had been the one to let him in on that, and Kenny has tried to respect his friend's privacy. But Kenny's been nervous ever since Bonnie told him, about what was going to happen to Joe, or to his family. It'd been part of the reason he insisted on coming into the station to do desk work, some faux-noble sense of wanting to protect his buddy. He shouldn't have let Joe go alone to the house, but he'd figured the FBI agent could protect him better than Kenny himself. And besides, he hadn't know what the hell could happen there, hadn't expected a fourteen-year-old crime scene to be dangerous, especially in Willoughby…

Bonnie and Robbie show up, pale and tearful, and Kenny leaves them alone after giving them both hugs and reassuring that he's just a phone call away. He's intruded on too many family moments lately. “Call me when he wakes up,” he says, gives Rob another tight hug and then leaves. He takes the only taxi in town back to the station, and finds a group of deputies ready to go out to the site to investigate. “House burned to the ground,” Winnie, the deputy who called it in, says to Kenny, arms crossed over her chest. “They say it's gotta be arson. They don't know what else it could be.”

Kenny rubs his beard thoughtfully. He'd like to take a look himself, has his own theories, but there's no way he can get out there like this. “Hey, take me out there with you, wouldja?” he asks.

Winnie shoots him a disapproving look, fiddling with her hat. “C’mon, Ken. You know you're not supposed to be in the field.”

“I'll be careful,” Kenny says. He has a feeling about this, a thought that there's something important here. “C’mon, Winnie. This is barely even 'the field,’ anyhow. It's just a fire..”

Winnie sighs and gives in, takes him in her car. Kenny likes to think he's good at arguing his case.

At the scene, there's not much but ashy grass and grayed ruins, collapsed walls and piles of charred bricks. It's a little strange, the big empty space along Church Street, especially when the space is as famous as this one. The Caruthers house. It was apartments, but Kenny knows every Willoughby kid born after 2002 calls it the Caruthers house. It's Willoughby's tourist attraction, a popular Halloween destination by dumb teenagers trying to scare each other. Joe has said, before, that there was graffiti in the apartment that said something about the Caruthers family being cursed. Based off of that kid Ryan's history, and now this, Kenny is inclined to agree.

He's moving on his crutches along the ruins, around to the back, coughing a little and thinking of what could've happened to Joe today, if no one called it in. Thinking of the night they got called out here for the murders and saw it: the living room set up like an eerie movie, the kid crying as someone carried him out. And the blood; oh, god, the blood. He was so green, he almost vomited. He's thinking of Marion and Ian and Ryan, and even Jared and Annie. The poor cursed Caruthers. He's known them forever, they were all in school together. He and Joe right between Ian and Jared; they all played football together sometimes, they'd all go to the same parties or, earlier, play the same games on the playground. He never expected this.

And just as Kenny is recalling a memory from some-odd party he and Joe were at (where he saw Jared and Ian nastily drunk and nearly fighting each other, shouting, their faces red with fury), he sees it. The crumpled baseball cap on the ground.

Orioles cap. Ryan Caruthers's hat of choice.

---

Mulder and Scully aren't sure what, exactly, to do in the wake of this fire. They feel detached, uncertain. They eventually end up going to a restaurant, a little place that's slightly more high end than the diner. It feels like the best thing to do.

Scully seems distracted, staring blankly at her menu until the waitress comes and she blinks in surprise when the waitress asks what they want to eat. She keeps looking at Mulder like he's going to disappear, in a cautious, shielded way. Mulder thinks of the weight of Scully in his arms, the way she held onto him. Almost the same way she did outside of her mother's hospital room, but not quite. More panicky, more fearful. She was scared for him. She thought she had lost him, too.

“Hey,” he says when the waitress leaves, touching her hand across the table tentatively, like she might pull away. “I'm sorry I scared you today.” There's a lot he needs to apologize for, but he'll start there.

Scully sighs a little, brushing her fingers over his as she looks at him. “It's not your fault, Mulder. I just… I haven't gotten used to this again. The fear… the danger… I haven't experienced any of those feelings since 2012—” She bites off her words like she regrets them, looks at the top of the table.

Mulder squeezes her hand. He doesn't want to talk about 2012, because he knows a lot of what happened in 2012 is what led to the end of their relationship, but he's gotten to a point where he can talk about it without feeling the anger or fear or confusion he had then. He wants Scully to know that, but he senses that now isn't the time to bring it up. “I don't think you have to get used to it, Scully,” he says instead. “You shouldn't have to. Your life shouldn't be… a long string of fear and tragedy.”

“It's not, on good days.” She rubs her thumb over his knuckles, head bent in thought.

The scene from the night before replays in his head again—the things he said, the way she reacted. He pushed her, and when she didn't respond the way he expected, he lashed out. It's fucked up, and it's not what he deserved, and he's felt incredibly guilty about it. And he needs her to know. “Scully, I'm…” he starts, unsteadily. “I am so sorry for what I said last night. I wasn't being fair to you, and I never… I didn't want to drive you away like that. I wanted to be there for you. And I'm… I'm so sorry.”

Scully doesn't say anything. But she doesn't let go of his hand. She's looking right at their intertwined fingers, staring hard. “Do you remember what I said on the Monica Bannan case, seven years ago?” she asks finally. “When I said that chasing monsters in the dark wasn't my life anymore?”

He thinks about it constantly. “Yes,” he says in what he hopes is a neutral voice.

Scully pauses, her jaw working back and forth. “I think… I said it because I was scared,” she says finally. “I'm scared so often, Mulder, of so many things. I'm scared now. But I think… when I said that, then, I was just thinking about the monsters. And the fear, like the fear I felt today, when I thought I'd lost you.” Mulder’s chest clenches as she squeezes his hand tightly. “But, Mulder… this is my life again,” she adds. “And aside from moments like today… I don't hate it. I don't think I ever did. And the only reason I don't… the only reason I haven't walked away from this, that I even came back in the first place… is you.”

Mulder's eyes widen, just a little. Scully pulls his hand to her and brushes her lips over his dirty knuckles. She doesn't let go of it, either; she holds his hand against her chest, his arm stretched across the table. He lets her, his hand warm in hers. It almost aches.

She's still not looking at him, but she looks happy, he can see it behind the hair falling across her face. Not quite smiling, but the corners of her mouth lifted. Content. “I don't know, Mulder,” she says finally. “It feels like I'm always scared. Like I'm always… reacting because of it.”

It's an apology for last night; he can tell. The most of an apology she'll give because neither of them are very good at talking about things. He nudges her thumb with his, an old habit of theirs from years ago, his own quiet apology. “Take all the time you need,” he says. “I'll be here.”

---

They go to the police station after the diner, to give their statements about the fire. The officers who responded to the scene seem to belief that the fire was a result of arson, but they don't have a clear idea of who set it. Mulder confirms that he didn't see anyone in or around the apartment building during the time he was there, and they're more or less cleared to leave. “We’ll call if we have further questions,” says the deputy who takes their statements.

They go to the hospital next, to check on Sheriff O’Connell. His wife is waiting outside, asleep in a chair, but Robbie is sitting on the floor coloring. He offers them a small smile when they enter, and Scully smiles back gently. “I think Daddy's awake,” he says solemnly, selecting a red. “He says he wants to talk to you.”

“Thanks, Robbie,” Mulder says, offering a smile on his own. They enter quietly and find O'Connell sitting up in bed. He opens his mouth to greet them, but falls into coughing instead.

“Don't strain yourself, sheriff,” Scully says quickly.

O’Connell waves off their protests, wiping his mouth. “Are you okay, Agent Mulder?” he rasps.

Mulder looks startled. “Y-yeah, I'm fine,” he says.

The sheriff looks relieved. “I wasn't sure if you got out,” he says. “Or if you'd left, like we talked about.”

“You don't remember asking me to come back in with you?” asks Mulder carefully. “And me saying I'd meet you back there after I checked out the cemetery?”

The sheriff shakes his head, confused. “I can't remember anything after we left the apartment building, Agent Mulder. Last I remember, you had suggested going down to the cemetery to visit the Caruthers's graves. And then I was waking up in a hot, smoky room. I have no idea what happened in between.”

Scully's brow is furrowing, and Mulder is just as confused. “You suggested going back in, sheriff,” he says. “You don't remember that?”

O'Connell shakes his head, falling into another coughing fit. After a minute, he says, “But I do… I do remember this. The firefighters didn't find me where I first woke up. I saw the Specter.”

“You saw the Specter?” Mulder asks incredulously.

O'Connell nods. “I followed him out into the hall before I collapsed again, but the room I was in collapsed as soon as I left. And then the firemen found me,” he says roughly. He wipes his forehead, his mouth again. “I guess he is a sort of… good angel or whatever.”

Scully raises her eyebrows at Mulder, who shrugs. She says, “Well, we're relieved to hear that you were okay, Sheriff O'Connell.”

“Thank you.” The sheriff sags into the pillows, tired, coughing harshly into his elbow. “Well, I just wanted to tell y'all that, and also that I don't think there's any reason to stay unless you just want to. Seeing as how Kenny and I are both out of commission.”

Mulder exchanges a hesitant look with Scully. “You don't think this needs any more investigation?”

O’Connell coughs again, longer this time. “It's hard to say,” he manages, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “But… I know that you'll have a harder time without me or Kenny, considering the mindset of the people in this town. Besides, the fire being as destructive as it was… this may be the end of the sightings, at least for now.” He dissolves into hacking coughs once more.

“You should rest, sheriff,” says Scully quickly. “Don't strain yourself. You're lucky to be alive.”

The sheriff meets their eyes, a resigned sort of look in his eyes. A look Mulder hadn't seen the first time he met, when he hadn't exactly believed in the Specter. “I'm not sure it was luck, Agent Scully,” he says. “I don't think that it was.”

---

Mulder and Scully leave, simply because they aren't sure what else to do. They meet with Deputy Jacobs before they go, who seems distracted, like his mind is on something else. “I think people are going to be pretty preoccupied with the fire, honestly,” he says, his fingers drumming absently on the table. “The police department and the citizens. I don't think anyone is going to be thinking about the Specter much.”

So Mulder and Scully leave. “Maybe someday, something will happen here that causes us to spend more than one night at a time,” Mulder jokes as they drive out of town.

“I've said it before and I'll say it again,” Scully says. “I'm not sure if we could ever do anything here. I'm not sure what the case was. We didn't find the dog, we didn't save Sheriff O'Connell.”

What she's saying feels like a nice way of saying that this case was a waste of time, but Mulder is starting to agree. “It started out as a missing dog and ended up as a phenomenon that could be classified as a mania,” he says. “And a fire.”

She sighs, her head leaning against the window. “I don't know, Mulder. Confusion, fainting, or seizures are possible mental repercussions of smoke inhalation, but I've never heard of memory loss. Especially not the type that Sheriff O'Connell was describing.”

“It sounded more like a blackout to me,” Mulder says. “Which is impossible, because he was talking to me. He asked me to come back in with him.”

“Thank God you didn't,” Scully says with a sigh. She's fidgeting with one of the chains around her neck, but Mulder cannot tell if it's the ring or the quarter.

He has a sudden epiphany, a memory: the look in the sheriff's eyes as he announced that he wanted to go back in. It was strange, unfamiliar. “There was… something different about O'Connell during the time he can't remember,” he says out loud. “A… weird look in his eyes or something. He almost didn't seem like himself. He changed his mind so fast, and he wouldn't explain why.”

“That is weird,” Scully says. Her fingers move at her collarbone. “I'm starting to think Willoughby is just a strange town, period. But I don't necessarily think the… ghost, or the supposed phenomenon of the ghost, is dangerous. I mean, someone certainly could've died today, or gotten hurt much worse, but no one did. People died back in 2002, but the causes were perfectly natural. The phenomenon is certainly unexplained, but it doesn't seem like anything we could prevent, or interfere with.”

“I thought our purpose here was to explain it,” says Mulder. “To understand it. That was what I had hoped to do.”

Scully shrugs. Her hand falls away from the neckline of her shirt. “Some things are just unexplainable, Mulder. Sometimes we can't look any further because there's nothing to find. If the Willoughby Specter exists, it looks like it just warns people. Robbie O’Connell about his dog, Deputy Jacobs about his accident, the sheriff about the fire.” Her voice has sort of a dark quality to it, like she doesn't want to discuss it. “It seems like there's danger, but that the danger isn't exactly linked to said paranormal phenomenon.”

Mulder’s mind is fixed on Sheriff O'Connell in that moment outside the Caruthers apartment. He hadn't lingered on it before, but now he keeps returning to it: the unsettling look in his eyes. An almost eerie look. “Everyone says that the Willoughby Specter is a good spirit,” he says. “But all it brings is death and destruction.”

“Ryan Caruthers doesn't believe it's good,” says Scully, a surprisingly hard quality to her voice. “But who knows, Mulder? Who knows if it even exists. We may never know.”

“What do you think, Scully?” Mulder asks in a soft voice. “What do you make of all this?”

She shrugs. Her eyes are on the outside window, on the incoming clouds that suggest a storm in the near future. “I don't know, Mulder. I really don't.”

---

Case #X-29336, Willoughby, Virginia

Addendum to 2002 Investigation (Case #X-43187) by Agents Doggett and Reyes

December, 2015; Agent Fox Mulder, Agent Dana Scully

There is undeniably paranormal activity in Willoughby, Virginia. This activity is attributed to the legend of a spirit who warns citizens of the town of future misfortunes to come. In 2002, there were many sightings of this spirit and noted unfortunate events, one of which has been included here [the suicide of Holly Smith; reference: report by Agents Doggett and Reyes, May, 2002]. Such events transpired again in 2015. The events that we investigated [ref: Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully] are as follows: the disappearance of a dog belonging to the O’Connell family (preceded by a sighting by Robert O'Connell), a car accident (immediately preceded by a sighting by Deputy Kenneth Jacobs), a fire (during which the spirit was sighted by Sheriff Joseph O’Connell), many other sightings by various citizens [ref: see attachment], and multiple sightings between the years 2002 and 2015 by Ryan Caruthers. No official crimes were committed. The only injuries as a result of this phenomenon were afflicted on Kenneth Jacobs and Joseph O'Connell.

While there are no clear crimes in Willoughby and no clear perpetrator to be pursued [addendum: the crime of arson and possibly attempted murder being investigated by the Willoughby Police Department, but it is assumed this crime did not occur as a result of paranormal activity], it is clear that Willoughby is filled with unexplainable events. One of the three times we were called out to Willoughby was an attempt by the sheriff [ref: Joseph O'Connell] to contain said events to protect the citizens of Willoughby, as a similar series of sightings ended in the deaths of three people [ref: report by Agents Doggett and Reyes, 2002, ref: attached summary of the murders of Marion and Ian Caruthers,]. While there is no clear crimes being committed currently as a result of the Willoughby Specter, the potential is certainly there. It has happened before, and it may happen again. There is also the question of the ghost itself. Its sightings are unable to be interpreted; the citizens of Willoughby regard it as a warning, but the events it warns them of are never able to be prevented since the victims are never explicitly informed of what is going to happen. The morals and intentions of this spirit are pulled into question as well.

Case #X-29336 remains open, pending further investigation.

---

There is a case in Texas. There are younger, baby-faced agents that amusingly remind Mulder and Scully of themselves. Scully makes a joke that harkens back to the first time they'd met and Mulder smiles. He likes to think that they are healing, the two of them.

When it's all over, Scully comes out to the house for the first time since Tad O’Malley and his circus of conspiracies. It's a stunningly warm day for December, especially considering how cold it's been lately (“Global warming,” Mulder jokes when Scully shows up in a light jacket), and they end up hand in hand, walking out into the field together. They sit out in the tall stalks of dying grass, their fingers intertwined and their faces bent up towards the sky.

“So, Scully,” Mulder says in a soft voice, when the sun has sunk a little in the sky and they've fallen into a comfortable silence. “Why'd you decide to come out here?”

She traces over the length of his fingers. “No reason,” she says, her voice thick with casualness. She squeezes his hand again, leans her head against his.

He bumps his shoulder companionably against hers. “This is an awful long way to come for no reason, Scully,” he says, nudging her thumb. He doesn't know why he is saying this, why he is pushing her, but he wants to know. He won't push any further than the distance they've more or less established since Willoughby, but he wants to know this, at least. After her aversion to coming out here, her insistence that they stay at her apartment in Bethesda and her refusal to discuss coming home, he doesn't understand why she's come here now.

He's prepared for Scully to pull away, to close herself off, but she does neither of those things. She sighs a little, her head lolling against his shoulder, grips his hand in hers like an affirmation. “I just wanted to see you, Mulder,” she says, and he can hear the purposeful lightness in her voice. “That's all.”

He smiles, just a little. Lets go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder. “Well, I'm glad you came,” he says, his hand rubbing warmth into her shoulder. And out of the corner of his eye, he thinks he can see her smiling.

They sit together in the field, watching the clouds move across the sky.

#xf rewatch #xf fanfic #i wrote this

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