#oh no why did i say this. now i will be forced to loop alpha dog

[writeforfandoms]

Born for Greatness 5

Find the series masterlist 

In which Logan makes his grand entrance (and there is a lot less bloodshed than most of you seem prepped for). Some discussions are had. 

Side note: JTF2 is a Canadian special forces unit. Also, I’m thinking of writing a side chapter that is just Logan and the 141 pack. Thoughts? 

Warnings: Swearing, Logan is a jerk, Price needs a warning label, world building, shifter behavior, pack cuddles. 

Word count: 2.2k

Eventual John Price x f!reader

The plane landed back in England and you leaned back a bit, watching the pack. Soap was glued to one side of you, Gaz napping on your other side. Price was watching all three of you, something undeniably soft in his gaze. 

You hadn't forgotten about Logan, but you hadn't expected him to find you so bloody fast. 

You got to put your things down in your room, at least, before Price was knocking on your door, expression thunderous. 

"Who did you tell about this base?" He asked in a low snarl. 

"No one," you snapped, frowning. "Signed too damn many NDAs to tell anyone." 

"Then why do you have a visitor at the gate?" 

You froze. "Oh hell," you breathed. "That bastard!" You stepped around Price and took off towards the gate, barely paying attention as the pack all gathered behind you. 

Sure enough, Logan stood on the other side of the gate, smirking, all 5’6” of him in jeans and a flannel, duffel bag dropped at his side. But his hair was a little shorter than the last time you’d seen him, and his beard was nicely trimmed. 

“I told you not to come,” you growled, ignoring the gate guard and striding straight up to Logan. 

“Good to see you too, kid.” His smirk widened as he looked past you. “That them?”

You finally turned to find the pack had followed you and had settled into a loose cluster behind you. You hissed out a breath. 

“It doesn’t matter because you are going home.”

“Aw, but I came all the way out here just for you, kid.” Logan’s grin reached shit-eating proportions. 

“You are not supposed to be here,” you growled, narrowing your eyes at Logan. “And I don’t just mean because I told you not to.”

“Been here once before.” Logan shrugged, crossing his arms over his chest. “Seen him before, too.” He nodded to Ghost. When you turned to look, Ghost returned the nod. 

“...What?” You felt like he’d pulled a rug from under you. 

“Few years back,” Logan said, tipping his head as he looked up at the bigger shifter. “You lot needed help finding someone.”

“Right.” Ghost huffed what might have been a laugh. “Good to see you again.” 

“When was this?” You frowned a little as you looked at Logan. 

“You were down south,” he said, scratching his chin slowly. “The pack in Ohio, I think it was.” 

“And you worked together?” Price looked at Ghost to confirm. 

“Joint op with JTF2,” Ghost confirmed with a solid nod. 

Soap whistled lowly. “Now that’s not easy to get into,” he said, looking at Logan with new respect. 

“Mmhm.” Logan grinned. “Now, you gonna invite me onto base, or we gonna shoot the shit out here?” 

You hung your head with a low groan before you looked back at Price. It was his call, his territory. 

Price clenched his jaw briefly but nodded. “Be welcome on my territory.” 

“Gonna introduce me?” Logan drawled, one finger hooking through your belt loop before you could escape.

You looked up at the sky for a moment. Looked like rain. You wouldn’t mind a good soak right then. “Logan, that is Alpha Price, Ghost you apparently know, and those two are Soap and Gaz. This is Logan, the longest-running pain in my ass.” 

“Say, you wouldn’t happen to be her wolverine friend, would you?” Gaz stepped closer, eyes bright with curiosity.

“Talkin’ about me, kid?” Logan smirked, looking far too amused. 

“I hate you,” you grumbled, hunching your shoulders. “I’m gonna go find something tall to throw myself off of now.”

“Good luck, have fun.” 

You gave up, jogging ahead to catch up to Price as the other three hung back with Logan. “I swear I didn’t ask him to come here, or tell him where I even was.”

“I know,” Price murmured soothingly. One hand touched yours. “If he’s JTF2, he’s got his own resources.”

“He’s quasi-retired. Which I’m sure is why he was able to drop everything and fly out here.” You rubbed a hand over your face. You should never have called him. 

“Hey.” Price’s hand fit warm over the back of your neck. “You’re fine. Don’t stress about it.”

You sighed, some of the tension running out of your shoulders. “Yeah, alright.” You drew in a deep breath. “So, what’s on the agenda for today?”

Price shrugged, his thumb gently smoothing over the back of your neck. “Today’s an off day since we just got back. I’ll probably be working on paperwork, but they’re free to do whatever they want.”

“Right.” You pursed your lips. You could find places to hide on base and be out of the way. “I’ll stop bothering you, then.”

“Not bothering me.” He glanced at you, eyes dark, hand squeezing the back of your neck lightly. “Stop worrying.”

“It is literally my job to worry.” 

“Then maybe you need a day off.” He stopped outside one of the buildings, hand shifting just a little lower to squeeze again. Your eyes slid half-closed in pleasure, and his lips quirked. “You know where my office is?”

“Nope.” You blinked slowly at him.

“Ask one of them. I’ll be there all day if you need anything.” He ducked his head a little to meet your eyes for a moment before he released you and walked away. 

You blinked after him and then turned to find four shifters all watching you curiously. You warmed and flapped your hands at them. “Shoo, you hooligans. Go cause chaos somewhere else.” And you promptly fled. 

You ended up on top of the barracks (and briefly told yourself to talk to someone about this habit of going high places when in distress). The sky was still threatening rain, but so far activity on the base hadn’t ceased. 

Soft swearing made you finally look away from the view, spotting Logan climbing up onto the roof. He shot a mistrustful look at the sky before he walked over and sat next to you.

“So?”

“So what?” you asked, looking back out over the base.

“You like them.” He nudged you, just once. 

You blew out a sigh. You could try to lie, or deflect. But it wouldn’t work for long. Logan knew all your tells. “I do.” 

“So make it work.”

“It’s not that simple.” 

“It’s never that simple.” Logan snorted. “Doesn’t mean I’m wrong.”

You glowered at him and then gave up, sighing and looking away again. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. Besides, I have no idea how they feel.”

“Don’t you?” Logan looped his arm over your shoulders, pulling you into his side. “Or are you just ignoring signals?”

“Stop being so damn perceptive,” you growled. 

“Well, no snowbanks to throw you into here,” Logan rumbled. “This is my next best bet.”

You groaned. “You’re a menace.”

“And you’re stubborn, makes us even.” 

The first fat drop of rain landed right on top of your head, followed immediately by one landing on your nose. 

“Aw, fuck,” Logan grumbled. “Weather here is still shit.” 

You snorted, getting to your feet. “You live in Canada.”

“And?”

“You have snow at least half the year!”

“Snow is easy. This is just wet.” Logan motioned you to go down first, keeping a close eye on you. You got down to the ground with no issues and moved out of the way so Logan could get down too, grimacing at the pull of wet clothes. It had gone from threatening to downpour in less than a minute. 

“Did they give you a room yet?” you asked, jogging to the door to the barracks and heading inside.

“Nah, mentioned something about it.” Logan shrugged, unconcerned, following you. 

“Guess we’re going back to mine, then.” You led the way, unlocking the door and letting him in first. Not that there was much to see. 

“You don’t travel with any pictures?” He frowned a little, gaze darting around the room. 

“No. Usually I try to give my full attention to the pack I’m working with.” You pulled out a clean top and dry sweatpants. “Besides, I talk to people almost every day.”

Logan grumbled, displeased, but changed as well. His duffel bag had been left in your room, although you weren’t sure if it was a joke, an easy place to put it temporarily, or because someone had assumed something about the nature of your relationship. 

With the both of you in dry clothes, you debated what else to do now. You hadn’t exactly come equipped to entertain, after all. 

A knock on your door made you blink, but you pulled it open to see Soap and Gaz. 

“Movie day?” Gaz asked with a hopeful smile. 

“Alright,” you agreed. “You okay if he tags along? He gets bored on his own.” You jerked a thumb back over your shoulder at Logan. 

“Watch it, kid,” he grumbled without any heat. 

“Sure.” Soap grinned. “More the merrier. I’ll drag LT in later.”

You snorted softly but followed Gaz to the rec room. Soap and Gaz immediately ensconced you between them on the couch, and Logan chuckled as he settled in a chair. 

“You two are menaces,” you said without heat, letting Gaz spread a blanket over the three of you. But you forced yourself to look at them a little more closely, to actually note how they behaved and their body language. While neither of them really fussed, they both paid attention to you, and to have you squished between them like this? This was a definite sign of favor, of acceptance, only enhanced by how relaxed they both were with you. 

Almost reflexively, you wanted to pull away, to hide. To protect yourself from the inevitable hurt. But you forced yourself to pause, to breathe through it. You relaxed back into the couch, breathing slowly. 

Soap made a pleased noise and cuddled in closer to you. Touch was important to pack, and cuddle times like this, or even sleeping together in a pile, was not unusual. But it also was another sign that he wanted you here.

Maybe even for longer than just this job. 

You met Logan’s eyes across the room, knowing you were showing your internal struggle. He just smiled a little, almost the softest expression you’d ever seen on his face, and very intentionally closed his eyes. One of the biggest signs of trust from a shifter. 

You swallowed hard and relaxed between Gaz and Soap, warm and comfortable and comforted. 

Sometime after the first movie, Ghost settled in the room. In a chair, of course, away from the pile of you on the couch. Gaz freed himself enough to start texting someone rapidly, glancing at you a few times. 

“What are you planning?” you asked him quietly, eyes narrowing a little.

“Nothing,” he immediately protested. “Well. Nothing bad.” He met your gaze for a long moment before he looked back at his phone. You blinked, startled. He… Had he just…? No. No way. 

His little noise of triumph distracted you, and he hopped to his feet. 

“Back in a mo,” he said before darting out of the room. 

“You have any idea what he’s planning?” you asked Soap, taking the chance to get up and bring back water for everyone. Ghost blinked when you set his down in front of him, apparently surprised.

“Not really.” Soap grinned and took his, watching you go back for snacks. “Ye ken we can get our own, aye?”

“Oh hush. You’re always hungry.” You threw a protein bar at his head. 

“You’re not wrong about that.”

You jumped at Price’s voice behind you, in the doorway. You turned to find a very amused Price standing there, a smug-looking Gaz behind him. 

“You’re a menace,” you grumbled without heat. “Giving up on the paperwork for the day?”

“Something like that.” He glanced around the room before refocusing on you. 

You tossed Ghost a snack and chucked one at Logan too before you dropped a few more on the table in front of the couch and sat back down. Soap plastered himself to your side again, looking smug. 

“Are we finishing this movie or starting something else?” you asked, giving everyone time to settle down. 

But you were surprised when Price dropped down next to you instead of Gaz. He leaned back into the couch, big and warm, his arm draped across the back of the couch. You swallowed hard, trying to focus on the screen even as a playful bout of bantering went straight over your head. 

You hadn’t spent a lot of time with Price, and him being this close was… distracting. More than you had accounted for. Especially since he was relaxed, at ease. This close, that lovely rumbling laugh could be felt and heard. 

This was dangerous. You needed to go, needed to get out before you got in too deep–

Logan caught your eye across the room, holding your gaze. You stilled. He breathed in deliberately slowly, not looking away, almost forcing you to follow along until the urge to flee vanished. Then he blinked and looked away. 

“Alright there?” Price asked quietly, though you were well aware everyone in the room could hear him. 

“Yeah.” Your lips quirked into something close to a smile as you leaned back and just a little bit into him, already steadier. “I’m good.” 

Nobody but you noticed the smug smirk on Logan’s face.

[bytez4life]

Aomine, Kise, and Murasakibara god they are just amazing but you know whats even more amazing about them when they refuse to admit they're a little spoon/sub its adorable and i love them so much omg

aomine, kise + murasakibara

tw; none

a/n; OH WOW YES </3 GREAT IDEA ANON + u didn't specify pronouns so i used gn, hope ur ok with that!

(+ i didn't want to include the sub part in this request, you can submit another one asking that if you want!)

aomine

- oh my god this one is the most stubborn one

- he 100% tries to put up the "im an alpha male >:(" front

- *gags internally*

- he finds comfort in your hugs, and he's yet to find out about your cuddles

- anyways, this man loves naps way too much

- (probably stayed up all night beating his me-)

- invites you over one day thinking you guys could just chill

- so how did he get into this situation?

~

"y/n, why are you like this?"

aomine grumbled, face tucked into your chest. he had mentioned once, only once, and now he was on his bed forced into this too-comfortable position.

"mm, you mentioned wanting to take a nap, so that's what we're doing."

"arg, yeah, but why are you the one holding me?!"

"because i can."

aomine let out a frustrated grunt, attempting to push himself up. he was soon pulled back down when you hooked an arm around his neck, making him lose his balance.

"stop whining like a baby, you're making the bed cold!"

accepting his fate, he allowed you to wrap your arms around him. despite his constant whining, both of you knew deep down he wanted this.

he's a tsundere, but he's your tsundere.

kise

- this mf would be too energetic man

- he's so talkative you'd probably have to tape his mouth shut to have a full night of sleep

- well i headcanon as someone who had to be that manly person because of his fangirls

- (yeah ik he hates them but who doesn't like praise + attention?)

- and he wants to impress you and keep you happy

- so one day after he got hit particularly hard by kasamatsu

- he came crying to you, so you did the only thing that made sense

~

"come here kise, why are you just standing there? didn't you say you wanted to cuddle?"

he looked at your expression for any sign of trickery, yes he did want to cuddle you but were you sure you wanted to hold him?

"like that? don't you want me to- AAAH!"

tired of his rambling, you had promptly picked him up and thrown him on the bed, flopping next to him. before he could protest, you wrapped your arms around his waist and buried your face in his neck.

"shut up already, just relax alright? i don't know whats going on in that pretty brain of yours, but you can let it go for now."

oh yeah, he's definitely getting you flowers tomorrow.

~

murasakibara

- dude, the least concerned about what position he's in

- he just wants snacks and sweet candy

- unfortunately, that constant snacking finally caught up to him

- when his mom texted you if you would take your big baby of a boyfriend to get some cavities removed

- 😀⁉️

- you agreed nonetheless

- waiting outside of the room was a little stressful

- very funny when he finally came out, a sleepy giant of a man just allowing you to pull him along to the car

- when you got home you made him change the cotton pads in his mouth and rinse his mouth

- unbeknownst to you, you were about to deal with THE biggest baby in the world

~~

"but y/n-chin i want candy!"

"atsushi, no. the dentist said you could only eat solid food in 24 hours, which includes candy." you scolded, trying your hardest to push him back into your shared room. surprisingly, he was compliant when he was under anesthesia, allowing you to guide him to the large bed.

he sat on the edge while watching you with dazed eyes as you rushed around trying to get him prepared for bed.

"y/n-chin looks pretty."

that definitely threw you for a loop, choking on air as you fumbled with the clothes in your arms,

"uh, thank you you do too. now, lift your arms so i can change your clothes."

after you finished the tiring task, you flopped on the bed with a sigh ready to take a nap. you soon felt a hand grip your waist, and before you could look up murasakibara had already placed his head on your stomach and fell fast asleep.

--

"i did not do that."

"you totally did."

murasakibara narrowed his eyes at your form, reluctantly sipping on a smoothie you made him.

"i did not, you're making it up."

"then explain this."

you whipped out your phone, holding it up with a satisfied smirk. there on the screen was the purple-haired giant snuggled up on your midsection as you held him in your arms.

"why did you take pictures?"

"atsushi stop dodging the obvious and admit that you did do it."

"no."

"well i guess you arent getting any snacks from me-"

"im sorry."

"that's better."

@BYTEZ4LIFE - do not plagerize/copy

a/n: someone asked me this, but if you get ideas from me please tag me! its not really for credit but i want to see what you guys make <3

[dollwritesarchive]

☾ † “You’re pretty, but not too pretty to get facefucked.” Frank + werewolf au

𝒽𝑜𝓂𝑒 𝒾𝓈 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊𝓇 𝓉𝑒𝑒𝓉𝒽 𝓈𝒾𝓃𝓀 | ᠻ.ᥴ.

fandom marvel

featuring alpha!werewolf!frank castle x bratty!omega!reader (f)

rating NSFW / MINORS DNI

content warning A/B/O dynamics, dubcon, facefucking, knotting, Frank’s an asshole, slight hatefucking, suggested age gap (reader is 18+)

summary your alpha’s got an interesting way to keep the pack in line.

word count 1.6k / mini musing

attention part of my fright nights event! not proofread; do not copy/repost/translate. please reblog ❤️

you can hear him from outside, the baritone reverberating as he tears into the betas and you find yourself fidgeting. he’s hollering so loud that his voice sounds like thunder, and you can envision the bulging vein on the side of his throat and the look in his dangerous gaze, the fire and fury that must be there.

you don’t move a muscle when he stomps inside, the heavy door slamming against the wall as he does so— your eyes cast down to avoid his glaring, though you can feel it burning through you.

the betas were all retreating with their tails tucked between their legs after their reaming, and you were next in line to be torn apart.

maybe you deserved it.

“Y’aint got anything to say?” Frank challenges as he steps close to you, chest puffed and heaving. his breathing is already ragged, like chewing out the betas had riled him into a feral state. “That’s a fuckin’ first.”

inhale. exhale. you tried to keep your heart from pounding and your breathing steady, but he was so close that you were taking in his warmth. hold your ground. “Do you want me to repeat myself?” you reply, acid dripping from your tongue as your eyes flicker up to meet his. any time the pack had a rally, it seemed that you always had a problem with at least one thing Frank had to say, a vision he has for the pack or a new stipulation he was implementing. everyone else did, too, but you were the only one brave or stupid enough to call him out.

“Nah, i don’t wantcha to repeat yourself—“ grinding his teeth, Frank reaches out and grabs your face with one hand, the pads of his fingers hollowing your cheeks as they press into them, and you wince, brows knitting together, “I want you to show me some Goddamn respect,” he hisses, leaning in close, “Learn your place, Omega.”

your eyes narrow, your pride getting the better of you, and against every ounce of common sense in your body, your lips part to speak again. “You have enough of the pack kissing your ass, I’m not going to be one of them.”

for several seconds following the quip, Frank only glares. his jaw is tight and working, fingers squeezing your face to the point of aching, before he releases you, shoving your head back as he does so. the force is so great that you stagger a couple of steps back to keep yourself upright. “I’m gettin’ real sick of that mouth of yours, someone’s gotta teach you to keep it shut.” as he speaks, he paces the room, both hands finding his belt. the leather shrieks as he yanks it free from the loops. “I got just the thing for you, puppy, now get on your fucking knees.”

you’re too busy massaging your sore jaw that you’re almost certain you mishear him. your countenance twists into one of distaste and you take a step back, “What? What are you going to do?”

“Teach you a very important lesson,” he insists as he steps closer, cracking the belt like a whip against the floor by his feet, “from now on, when you open that mouth, I’m gonna stuff it full of cock. Maybe it’ll teach you to think twice about saying anything at all.”

“You can’t—“

Frank’s brow quirks, “Oh yeah? Why not?” he scoffs, wrapping one end of the leather around his powerful hand. “Think you’re too good for it? I gotta tell you, little girl, you’re pretty, but not too pretty to get facefucked. On your knees. Don’t make me ask you again.”

this time, you knew better than to test him. it might’ve been the first time since he took over that you didn’t push your luck, but his eyes were wild and furious; you were never the type to pick your battles, but you found yourself avoiding this one as you drop to your knees— reluctantly obedient.

“Good. Open wide, pup.”

you do as instructed, albeit whilst also glaring up at him. your tongue hangs over the cusp of your bottom lip as an invitation. you find yourself salivating as you watch him undo his fly and do away with the pesky garments all together, the faded denim bunching up around his ankles, spilling over worn combat boots. his member, when pulled from a fabric prison, is already twitching and hardening in his palm, which he greases with spit and pumps himself to full attention. you soak through your panties in anticipation, shifting on your knees. he’s damn thick, with throbbing veins etching over his mighty inches, and a broad, red tip.

“Not so tough now, are ya?” he taunts, slapping the underside of his tool against your waiting tongue a couple of times with a tight-lipped grin. your breath on him, the stimulation from your nubbed tongue was enough to coax a hungry growl from deep within his throat. “What’s the matter, huh? Got one look at this fat cock and now you know I’m the one in charge? Or maybe you’re just all kinds ‘a content now, because this is exactly what you wanted in the first place.”

there’s a glimmer in your hues, a sparkle of loathing, of anger at his words. your pride getting the best of you, maybe, but he catches it, anyways. hooking the belt around the back of your head, he grips either side and urges his manhood beyond the threshold of your cavern with a powerful thrust of his hips. “Stare daggers all ya want for as long as you have any fuckin’ dignity, pup, because your alpha’s about to fuck it out of ya.”

you wouldn’t admit it, but there was an inkling of excitement within you, anticipating that the alpha would make good on his word.

his pace is not an easy one to adjust to, quick and sharp bucking that drives his the better half of his cock deep into your mouth, threatening to prod the back of your throat, already. regardless of the way you gargle, he doesn’t ease up. the belt working in tandem with his rhythm, forcing you to take as much as he wants, not as much as you think you can take.

“Tell you what,” he grunts, brows furrowed with his chin jabbing into his heaving chest so he can watch you gag on his girth, the imprint of his size bulging from your cheek when he shifts the angle— every time you whine, his lips threaten a proud curve, “I like you a whole lot more when your mouth is too full of dick to say a word, those pretty lips ‘a yours stretched around my fucking cock, you make a damn good little sheath, dontcha?”

if you could form anything coherent, you would’ve unleashed a verbal barrage Frank couldn’t even begin to expect— but your hatred for your alpha wanes in comparison to the arousal you feel when getting him off, the obscene and delicious flavor of his musk on your tongue, the way his thickness has your tiers pulled taut around it, oozing drool from the corners of your mouth to glaze your chin and drip a cocktail of spit and precum on to your top. so you furrow your brows, fiery gaze the best you could muster, and nod anyways. nod because you know that it’s true, you were being abused by the beast above you, and you were eating it up.

“Good pup.” he moans, knuckles white against the belt as he pulls you down further. far enough to feel the bulbous knot pop behind your teeth, essentially locking his cock in place in your cavern. maximum capacity, that’s what you’re thinking— his tip is nudging the back of your throat, his girth keeps your mouth extended until your jaw aches. and the pulsating knot ensures he won’t be pulling out until he cums. “You know what good pups get? Big, fuckin’ loads down their throats.” as if to punctuate his statement, Frank braces his feet against the floor, and jackhammer himself into you, his heavy balls slapping your chin and dragging strings of gooey spit like spider webs back from it. his knot hits the back of your teeth over and over, keeping him from pulling out in his furious rutting. you choke on him as he spears your throat with the engorged head until one final and cruel thrust buries him to the hilt into your mouth. a flood of warmth pours into your gorge. at first, you gag, pushing his seed to spill on to your tongue and leak along the distended seam of your sore couplet.

“Ah, fuck.” he exhales, cock twitching as it expels the final wave of ejaculate, that last, pent up, shaking climax before the pesky knot has all but disappeared into his sex, allowing him to pull himself free.

you sputter when finally granted the emptiness your aching maw craved, his cum staining your top and leaving flyaway hairs sticking to your shiny chin. “S—satisfied, now?” it was meant to sound sarcastic, but instead came out meek and hopeful. instantly, you cursed yourself.

Frank smirks, wrenching the belt from your head and fastening his pants around his waist, tucking himself back inside. “You want me to tell you that you’re good at getting that mug fucked?” he scoffs, amused, and squats in front of you, eye level with you for the first time tonight. you swallow hard, tasting his cum in your saliva. dark eyes flicker, admiring your soiled countenance, before he cocks his head, “Next time, it’ll be your sweet, little cunt that I fuck into submission, pup.”

[amatchinwater]

When Trust is Earned

Warnings: major character death (temporary and repeated), blood, violence, physical/emotional hurt with delayed comfort, mind games...listen over half of this chapter is just pain I'm kind of sorry?

Ch 13/14 (Ch 12)

Ghosted (ao3)

---

Waking up with a start, Theo finds himself surrounded by metal. Too close to him. Too small of a space. Good thing he’s not claustrophobic or he’d be having a fucking breakdown right now. Where the hell is he? Where’s Stiles? And where the fuck are his shoes? Unable to sit up, the Alpha feels the walls around him, finding them flat and cold. Lifting his hands as best as he can, the chimera finds a hatch that’s partially open. 

Pushing it the rest of the way, Theo pulls himself out of the confining space. Stumbling onto his feet, the chimera takes in his surroundings. Is he in the hospital morgue? That’s certainly what it looks like. This is fucking weird to say the least. He doesn’t really want to have hope that he made it out of whatever Kira did to him- what Scott forced her to do to him- but he can’t just stay here. 

So Theo bursts through the double doors into the hallway. Confirming his suspicion that he’s in the hospital. But what’s even weirder is that all of the lights are off and there isn’t a single person around. Theo can’t think of a single reason as to why the building would be empty. Or at the very least appear to be. The other thing setting his teeth on edge and placing his nerves on high alert is that he can’t smell a single thing. No indication of life anywhere within these walls other than himself. 

But he has to find Stiles. 

Without so much as a second thought, Theo runs barefoot for the entrance, seeing it’s nighttime outside. Weird being the running theme here for the Alpha, when he yanks open the glass door, he’s met with a brick wall preventing his escape. “What the-”

“Theo,” a hushed, ethereal voice calls for him, the familiarity to it sending a chill down his spine. 

The Alpha whips around, not finding a source for the voice. His nostrils flare again, but still he catches no scent. “Who’s there?” He asks, not afraid of a fight. 

“Theodore,” the voice sings a taunting tone. 

Ice water washes over him at the realization of who’s calling for him. The impossibility of it throwing him for a loop. “Tara,” he breathes out with utmost certainty that that was his sister. 

A shadow flicks along the wall around the corner he’d just come from. All the Alpha can do is stare in horror as it gets closer, larger, before his sister’s head emerges from the corner. Tara’s on all fours crawling towards him, lifeless eyes watching him as she gets closer with jagged, forced movements. “This can’t be real,” Theo mutters, fists clenching and unclenching when Tara rises to her feet in rickety motions. His eyes widen in terror seeing that her ribs are sticking out of her chest, a vacant hole where her heart once was.

“Oh, but it is,” her voice lacks all emotion, sounding like a doll. A ghost of who she used to be. Before Theo watched her die in that river like the Surgeon told him to. “You took something of mine,” Tara is all of five feet away now and Theo just can’t seem to move. 

“Tara-” he’s cut off by his sister suddenly in his face, the Alpha’s breath hitching in his throat.

“I want my heart back, Theo,” she sneers. Her ashen features harden and Theo chokes, looking down to see her hand digging into his chest. 

He wants to say that it hurts. It does. But it also feels like he’s already dead. The only reason that Theo can still see what’s happening is because his heart is still technically intact. Until it isn’t. Until Tara rips it out and the chimera lets out a strangled grunt, blood staining his lips as he coughs it up. Dead before he hits the ground.

---

There’s a violent pounding in his skull before Stiles even opens his eyes. His head hurts so badly that he honestly doesn’t even want to open them. The chimera goes to lift his hand to his head, finding that he can’t move his arm. That forces him to snap his eyes open. But he sees almost nothing. Stiles is in a dark, dusty smelling room. His eyes focus enough to see that he’s bound to some kind of chair. His legs too. 

He’s not about to be one of those idiots that shouts for help in a situation like this. Bring his kidnapper right to him before he’s had a chance to properly think this through? No fucking way. Flashing his blue eyes, the whole room comes into sharp view. Icicles prickle down Stiles’ spine realizing where he is when he sees the scratched ‘s’ on the concrete wall. He’s back in Eichen’s basement, strapped to the same fucking chair the Nogitsune had him in when he’d corrupted Oliver. 

Where the hell is Theo? Stiles is the only one tied in this room and he knows they were together…however long ago. The chimera has no way of knowing how long he was out for. Maybe he can claw his way out of the restraints before the Nogitsune comes back. If anything, Stiles has to at least try. Flicking his claws out, the chimera sets to work on scraping his claw along the restricting leather. 

Halfway through the binding, “Stiles,” the hoarse, familiar voice calls making the chimera freeze. “How good of you to join me again. I’ve missed you,” the Nogitsune hisses. 

Before when he said he never wanted to be in Eichen again, he’d meant as a patient. Stiles honestly hadn’t even considered the small time he was trapped in his own head down here or when Oliver brought him down here. Stiles feels sick to his stomach all over again, skin growing clammy with sweat. Wanting this to be nothing more than a nightmare. But wishful thinking never got him anywhere when he was actually possessed by the fox demon, so why would it make a difference now?

A wrapped hand curls around the cushion beside his head causes Stiles to jolt, tears burning his eyes. “You’re not real,” the chimera whispers, voice coming out a thick whine. “You’re trapped, you can’t be here.” But when Stiles looks down to his own hands, there’s ten clawed fingers taunting him. 

“Stiles,” the rough voice tries to coo, sounding like a crone. “You know better than that, Stiles.” Suddenly the wrapped face with silver teeth whips from behind his chair, inches away from his own. Stiles shudders, gagging at the stench of death from the Nogitsune’s mouth. “I left a piece of myself inside you. I’ll never really be gone so long as you’re breathing.” 

Sweat beads on the chimera’s forehead. He can’t breathe properly. His heart hammering away in his chest, trying to break his ribs with every harsh beat. Stiles is trembling in his seat and can’t even make it stop. Pinching his eyes closed, he tries his best to block it all out. Pray one final time that this is just a dream and he’ll wake up in the operation theater with Theo in a cold sweat. 

“LOOK AT ME!” The Nogitsune roars, terrifying Stiles into doing as he says. “It was a mistake leaving you with a part of myself.” Both bandaged hands clamp down on the chimera’s forearms and he flinches despite himself. “I have another riddle for you, Stiles,” he spits the name, stalking away to admire the ‘s’ he’d once scratched on the wall.

“What?” Stiles asks in a defeated voice. 

“I am always near, but never far,” the Nogitsune starts, half turning to face him. “I am always around, but never seen.” Sounds like air. “I am often avoided but always catch up. What am I, Stiles?” 

Well, it sounded like air, but now he’s not sure. “I don’t know.” 

The fox demon growls, his stilted movements bringing him back to the chair. “I will come with a cold embrace, and give you rest with a chill kiss on your face.” Winter? Wind? Stiles can’t fucking think. “I am everyone’s final fate.” The prickles on his back dig in further, freezing him to the chair. He knows. Stiles knows. But he doesn’t want to say it. “What. Am. I. Stiles?”

Stiles hangs his head, knowing with a harrowing certainty that when he says the word, it will be his fate. Not like he can avoid it. The Nogitsune just said so itself. “Death,” tired amber eyes meet silver teeth. “You’re death.” 

“Very good,” the fox demon drones, hands wrapping around Stiles’ head, “for me at least.” And then he snaps the chimera’s neck with no fanfare or warning. 

---

Theo lost count how many times Tara ripped out his heart before he started to just let it happen. Stopped trying to escape and waited for her in the damn morgue tray for her to just take it. Reclaim the organ as her own and be done with it. The Alpha isn’t angry with her, he was nine years old when he watched her die. The Dread Doctors had claimed she was willingly giving him her heart for the cause. Naive as any small child, Theo believed them. 

But shortly after telling his sister that it’s okay, to do what she needs to, that Theo won’t stop her, the scene ended. The next time the chimera woke up, he wasn’t in the morgue anymore. Hell, he wasn’t even in the hospital. He’s some place? He honestly hasn’t got a clue where he is. Theo is in a small, concrete room with an iron gate. Just like the morgue however, when the Alpha pushes the bars, the door opens right up for him. 

Theo’s never seen this place before, though it vaguely reminds him of the tunnels. Minus the obvious shit smell and moldy walls. It’s bone dry here, though a red copper color stains the walls. People died here. A lot of people. Barefoot as ever, Theo pushes on, ascending a stone staircase. Opening another door, the Alpha finds himself outside and it’s nighttime once again. There’s decrepit military trucks, like ones they’d used years ago. But again, no one is around. 

He should know better by now, but Theo won’t stop trying. A new place might mean there’s a chance to escape. Escape means Stiles. So he runs towards a giant, iron gate with the name “Camp Oak Creek” at the top. The name rings half a bell in the chimera’s mind from something in the Doctors’ files, but not enough to give him full recognition. It doesn’t matter anyway. Theo’s getting the fuck out of here. Bringing back when he and Stiles saved Lydia in the tunnels, the definition of insanity rings true again. 

Because when Theo breaks the lock around the gates and pulls them open, he’s once again met with a brick wall. Snarling he punches the bricks, half satisfied when they crack a little from the pressure. Not enough to instill confidence that if he kept going they’d break. His knuckles are already knitting themselves back together from the single punch. Something tells him if he did it more, he’d have bloody stumps for hands before so much as one brick was missing. 

Turning on his heel, he sets course for one of the trucks. Maybe he can get one of them to run and ram the damn thing. It’s a shot in the dark, but he has to give it a shot. Padding across the wet pavement, another voice makes him go stalk still and he whines. 

“Theo.”

It’s Stiles! The Alpha whips around, finding his mate standing near the gate with his shirt torn near his stomach, a scar along the skin. Theo makes a run for him. His eyes are red and sunken, almost like they’re bruised. His hair is black and spiked in so many directions it looks like he’d been electrocuted to style it. But his eyes, Theo can’t look away from those eyes. Whiskey amber pools that once held so much life. Love. Emotion. Are now devoid of it all. Lifeless and dull. 

This isn’t Stiles, he realizes, skidding to a top a few feet away from Void who flashes a sickening grin. 

“What’s the matter?” The carbon copy of his mate jabs at him, cocking his head to the side. “I thought you came back for me?” On either side of Void, two puffs of black smoke solidify to what almost look like samurais with glowing, yellow eyes. Masks covering their features. Them, Theo remembers. Oni. “Don’t tell me you changed your mind,” Void tries to sound hurt but the blankness of his face reveals his true nature. “Get him.” 

One of the Oni rush him and Theo tries to run, pivoting quickly only to run face first into the other. Literally. The moment the Alpha faces the other direction, he runs himself onto the other Oni’s katana. Driving it through his own heart, blood spurts from his lips as death curls its harsh talons around Theo once again.

---

“Come on,” a padded hand slaps at Stiles’ face until he comes to. “You can’t give up that easily,” the Nogitsune snarls. The chimera’s eyes snap open, unsurprisingly finding himself still strapped to this stupid fucking chair. “You’re going to miss the show!” 

“Sh-show?” Stiles’ voice is rough, ragged from his screams due to countless times the fox demon has killed him. “What show?” Because the chimera is having a really hard time wrapping his head around what the hell the Nogitsune means. It’s torture has been of the physical variety since they’re once again on the same plane. No need for mental manipulation when he can literally touch Stiles this time around. 

“I found your boy,” the fox demon walks in a circle around his chair. “Your Alpha,” he enunciates the word. Of course the Nogitsune wouldn’t hold any credit to an Alpha. Fuck him. “Poor little mutt found his way to Camp Oak Creek.” The fox demon makes a noise that’s probably supposed to be a laugh. “I didn’t survive it. Allison didn’t survive that place either. Let’s see if your science experiment will.”

A shaky, bandaged hand points to the ‘s’ on the wall that is no longer a wall. It warped itself, twisting and turning until a mirage takes its place. Like looking through a tunnel with fuzzy edges and Stiles can see Theo toe to toe with Void. “Theo!” He yells, but his mate doesn’t hear him. It only makes the Nogitsune try to laugh again. 

Theo growls, “I don’t want you anymore. Stiles, my Stiles, is ten times better than you’ll ever be.” The Alpha’s claws sink into Void’s chest and there’s an audible crack and pop before searing pain flares in Stiles’ own chest. Blood staining the plain gray shirt, his own heart giving out alongside his counterpart’s. He screams through the pain, blood pooling into his mouth leaving a metallic taste that makes him gag and cough. 

Theo whips his head to the side, “Stiles?” The Alpha rushes towards him and when Void’s body hits the ground, Stiles passes out. 

Just like every other time the chimera has died down here, in the blink of an eye, he’s waking with a start. Huffing and gasping for air, but still unable to move.

“So you’re Theo,” the Nogitsune drones. Then, with a wave of his hand, like he’d used the fucking force, the Alpha flies across the room to him. His wrapped hand curls into Theo’s shirt and when blue eyes lock on him, Stiles’ heart sinks, no amount of thrashing against the bindings breaks them. “Goodbye, Theo,” the Nogitsune growls, sinking his silver teeth into his mate’s neck and tearing his throat apart.

Stiles screams, “no!” Watching the light leave Theo’s eyes and he falls to the dusty ground. 

“Oh, shut up,” the Nogitsune snaps, rushing the small space with his stilted movements and snaps Stiles’ neck without much effort at all. 

When he wakes up again, Stiles is no longer bound to the chair, though he’s still very clearly in Eichen’s basement. Said chair is beside him empty. Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, the chimera runs. Taking off towards the stairs. But just as he reaches the door for the way out, his fingers brush over the doorknob and he’s yanked away. Sent tumbling down the stairs. 

His head cracks against the concrete floor when he lands at the base, sparking black spots in his vision and making him a little nauseous. Groaning, Stiles barely has a moment to get to his feet until a hand wraps around his neck and he’s being forced back against a wall by the Nogitsune. He’s so over this shit. 

“You think you mean anything?” Silver teeth spit the words in his face, “you’re nothing!” 

Yeah, he’s definitely over this shit. Stiles snarls, managing to sink his claws into the Nogitsune’s arm, causing him to stumble back, shouting in pain. Copper stings the chimera’s nose, but he isn’t done. Far from it. Not allowing the monster a moment of reprieve, Stiles goes for his jugular, snapping the bones and jerking the chunk out of his neck with ease. 

Stiles doesn’t get the chance to feel triumphant. 

Because no sooner does the Nogitsune gargle, does he morph. Changing into the one person Stiles would never hurt in his life; Theo. His mate’s body crumbles to the ground. Lifeless while blood pools around him. 

“No,” Sitles chokes out a sob, crashing to his knees beside his Alpha. “No, no, no, Theo, please. No. I’m sorry, please. Please!” Tears streak his cheeks, dampening the other chimera’s shirt along with his blood and the chimera disappears. Though the Alpha will come back, still having the memory burned into his brain is sickening. Moments later, sharp pain burns on his back and he falls forward. Whipping around he sees a red eyed, very angry Theo. 

“I told you,” the Alpha snarls, “you’re nothing. Stiles is more than you’ll ever be!” Theo advances, claws at the ready. “Get out of my head!”

“Theo, it’s me,” Stiles whimpers, trying to scramble away from his mate who’s not thinking clearly. Or maybe seeing things like he just did. This isn’t good. “Theo-” the Alpha’s claws dig into his chest and Stiles gurgles, blood forcing its way out of his mouth. “I-it’s me-e,” he tries so hard to get the two words out. 

But it’s too late. 

“Kitten?” The claws recede and red eyes fade back to blue, widening in terror. “No,” Theo’s eyes fill with tears, his bloodied hand cupping Stiles’ face. He’s already fading. Stiles can feel it. He can’t swallow let alone take a proper breath. “I’m sorry, I didn’t- Void was- Kitten, please.” 

His last words are muffled to the blood rushing in Stiles’ ears and then everything fades away.

---

“Stiles?” Theo’s terrified voice sounds miles away. He’s moving, being shaken or something. “Kitten, please look at me. Please,” the Alpha rubs his cheek and Stiles’ eyes flutter open. 

“Theo?” The chimera croaks, blinking hard against the pain behind his eyes. “Wha-” his words are cut off to an oof by the Alpha hastily yanking him into a hug. Tucking Stiles’ face into the crook of his neck as he clings tightly. 

“I blacked out after I killed you. I thought it was Void, I’m so sorry,” Theo sobs, “ I’d never hurt you, please tell me you know that. When I woke up you were tied to that fucking chair and he was beating you.” It’s then the chimera realizes he’s actually sitting and his feet are still bound, his ribs are in all sorts of pain, making breathing a little hard. “Are you okay?” 

Stiles leans back, rubbing his eyes, “yeah, I think so. As okay as I can be, I guess. Can you get me out of these?” 

“Yeah,” Theo looks him in the eyes, blue oceans brimming with tears, one half bruised and swollen. He surges forward, crashing his split mouth to Stiles’ in a bruising kiss. “Sorry,” the Alpha pants, licking the small bead of blood away, “had to make sure it was real. Come on, we’re finding a way out of here,” Theo slashes through the restraints, helping Stiles to his feet. 

His stance staggers for a moment before Stiles is sure he won’t fall. “What the fuck?” Stiles cocks his head at his mate. No longer wearing sweats and a plain gray shirt. Rather back in his clothes the night everything went to shit. His boots laced back on his feet, dark jeans, and black denim jacket clinging to him once more. Stiles’ own red tee and khakis are back on his body. “What’s going on?” 

Both of their wounds have healed instantly. His broken ribs are mended. Theo’s black eye and split lip are simply gone. Not even a drop of blood adornes either of them. 

“I don-” Theo’s words are interrupted by a whole in the ceiling breaking open. The Alpha takes a step back, grabbing Stiles’ wrist to move him too. “That’s not normal.”

“Nothing about this place is normal,” the chimera hisses, watching the hole continue to grow, small chunks of dirt clattering to the floor underneath it. And as if it wasn’t weird enough, a hand pops through the opening. “I-is that a hand? I’m seeing this? This is happening?” 

Not taking his eyes off the reaching hand, Theo snarls, “do not let go of me.” As if the thought was anywhere near his head. “That smell…” is all the Alpha offers in the way of explanation for reaching for the hand. 

Gotta love magic or whatever fucking thing you want to give credit for this, because as soon as Theo’s hand grasps the other, they’re being pulled through the hole as if they weigh nothing put together. Theo pulls himself up and helps Stiles the rest of the way, brushing the dirt and dust off the chimera’s shoulders. 

A cornucopia of scents smacks Stiles in the face. Mildew and feces. Several supernatural creatures. Sixty dollar floral perfume that used to make him salivate. Anger, sadness, relief, joy. So many things it’s making his head spin since he hasn’t been able to use his supernatural scenting in who knows how long. Blinking his eyes hard, the chimera turns away from Theo, seeing the expanse of the tunnels and a group of people he didn’t think he’d get to see again. 

Lydia and her bright green eyes, wet with unshed tears. Josh with a beaming grin on his face. Corey and Mason’s match as they hold one another. Liam holding Kira’s sword, a shocked but also proud look on his face. 

Before Stiles even gets a moment to feel glee over being free, Theo lunges for the young wolf, slamming him into the wall, “what is this?” He snarls, “another trick? You helped put us in there! There’s no way you’d willingly pull me out.” 

“Theo,” the chimera puts a cautious hand on the Alpha’s shoulder, “I don’t feel that weight anymore.” Theo turns to face him at the admission. The proverbial weight of dread they’d had while being in Hell. The Alpha’s shoulders lose their tension and he releases the wolf. “We’re back. Really back.” 

“Why?” Theo looks back at the wolf trying to pull himself off the wall. 

“Scott’s been taken by the Wild Hunt,” Liam explains. 

Crickets echo in Stiles’ head but Theo laughs. Hard. “Let me guess, you want our help getting your precious Scott back? Is that it?” 

The wolf’s face scrunches, “what? No.” The blonde waves a hand, “you misunderstand. Scott’s gone. We’re with you,” Liam says. “He got worse after you guys went down.” 

“You can say the word, Liam,” Stiles’ face hardens. He lived through it, he doesn’t need it sugar coated. “Hell. We got sent to hell.” 

Theo snickers, “well, I was. You dove in after me like a maniac.” 

“And I’d do it again,” the chimera stands his ground, leaning in to place a soft kiss on the Alpha’s lips. Something he hasn’t been allowed to do for however long they’ve been gone for. The chaste kiss moments ago simply wasn’t enough.

“He sent Kira off to the Skinwalkers. No one has seen or heard from her since. Not even Mrs. Yukimura,” Liam tells them, “she only agreed to let me make things right.” He waves the sword to prove his point. 

“Look,” Lydia steps in, “I found out some things about the Wild Hunt. Typically, the Ghost Riders go around taking people. Those people are then forgotten, literally erased from existence. The place they take them, however, also doubles as-”

“A supernatural prison,” Theo finishes her sentence. “Dread Doctors,” the Alpha tells Stiles’ confused look. “So goody two shoes Scott McCall got arrested. Has anyone else been taken? You guys remember him, so that’s definitely a good sign, but if that’s not all this is, we have a big fight coming.” 

The banshee shrugs, “I don’t think so. There haven’t been any reports of strange things happening since Scott was taken. We’ll be smart, Theo. We’ll keep an eye out and if something does happen, we’ll deal with it accordingly. But for now, you guys are here. Let’s just go back to our lives.”

“As a pack,” Liam states. 

After being in Hell for who knows how long, those three simple words warm Stiles’ heart like no other. The metaphorical scars are already starting to heal being this close to everyone. It’s nice. Comforting. 

It’s pack. 

“We missed you,” Josh throws himself at Stiles, his salty tears burning the chimera’s nostrils. Wrapping his arms around the older chimera tightly, nearly crushing him. 

Stiles simply laughs and returns the embrace. “He’s your Alpha, shouldn’t you be telling him that?” 

The raiju squeezes one last time before turning and grabbing ahold of Theo who lets out an, “oof.” 

“Of course we missed our Alpha!” Josh buries his face in Theo’s shoulder, making him chuckle. Theo’s heart blips, in the sweetest way as he allows the Beta to hug him very tightly. “But his mate is just as important,” Josh mutters against the Alpha. 

“We’re not real wolves, Josh,” Stiles grins, “I think the social hierarchy is a little different for us.” His last word is muffled in strawberry blonde hair. Corey had been slowly reaching out for him, but Lydia was quick to yank him away first. 

“I think that’s just a matter of semantics,” the banshee retorts, squeezing a lot harder than Josh had. “Don’t ever do that again!” When Lydia pulls back enough to look at him, tears have begun to fall. “I want to ask,” she says as Corey peels her off the chimera to give him a hug of his own. “But something tells me it’s worse than my imagination.” 

Stiles motions with his hands for Mason to have his turn, smiling when the teen practically falls into his arms. “Probably much worse,” he agrees, rubbing Mason’s back, “but I’ll tell you. If you really want to know.” Stiles is a little shocked to see Liam and Theo hug each other as well. “But I really need to see my dad. And take a shower. And eat. Maybe not necessarily in that order,” he laughs.

“Does that mean we can have an actual pack night?” Corey lets go of Theo, excitement oozing from his pores. 

“All of us pile in my dad’s house?” Stiles winces. “I don’t think that’d go over too well.” The last time a bunch of supernatural creatures were in his living room, Stiles was off on a little escapade while the Nogitsune had taken over his brain. He probably doesn’t want to risk a replay of that. 

Lydia purses her lips, “don’t be so sure. Your dad was super pissed at Scott. Like, wolfsbane gun to his head pissed.” Stiles shouldn’t be surprised, this is also the same man who threatened to burn a school and police station to the ground to cover up evidence if Stiles actually murdered someone. “He also didn’t let anyone move into your house, Theo.”

The Alpha’s brows rise as he wraps his arm around the chimera’s shoulder, “really?” Lydia nods with a smile. “Didn’t know I had the sheriff’s approval.”

Stiles snorts, “he certainly wasn’t angry when I told him you saved my life. Twice.” 

“When I told him Stiles threw himself in after you, he said Stiles must really love you.” Liam shuffles his feet, looking at the ground. Sad, blue eyes meet them, “I’m sorry I didn’t try to stop him. I was right here,” he grimaces at the sword. 

Stiles opens his mouth to speak, but Theo’s voice comes out, “you don’t have to blame yourself, Liam.” Wow. Who knew he’d let it go that easily. “It’s not any of your faults. At least, I don’t blame you guys. Yeah, Scott sucked, so I’m sure he was just doing what his twisted brain thought was right. But I’m also sure I could’ve found a better way to do it.”

“I mean, I did try to kill him too,” Liam reminds them.

“Because he deserved it!” Stiles argues, not ready to let the wolf try and turn this back on himself. “Look, I’m not all murder and vendetta. Hell really fucking sucked and I don’t plan on going back any time soon.” 

“Well, here,” Liam says, putting the tip of the blade on the ground and twisting it. The sword breaks apart, clattering to the floor. “I don’t want to lose either of you again either,” the wolf shrugs, letting the hilt slip from his hand. “Now there’s no chance to.” 

The chimera smiles and Theo nods his, “thanks.” 

“I make no promises that if Scott ever gets out that I won’t try to kill him,” Stiles says, wanting to make that perfectly clear. “Trying to take Theo from me is unforgivable, but-”

“But,” the Alpha cuts him off, curling him closer, “we’re going to try and be better. You all deserve a better Alpha. A better pack,” Theo kisses Stiles’ temple. “So that’s what we’ll be. Together.” 

“Let’s get you home,” Lydia smiles warmly at them before checking her phone. “Your dad should be there soon.” 

---

“I wasn’t kidding,” Stiles remarks as everyone files into his living room while he and Theo take their shoes off. No use tracking dirt everywhere if he can help it. Corey and Mason plop themselves on the couch as though they’ve been here countless times. Josh shoves himself between them while Lydia sits at the dining room table. “I’m filthy,” the chimera looks at the dirt and dust covering his clothes and undoubtedly his hair. “I need to take a shower before my dad gets home.” 

The Betas shrug their shoulders and Lydia rolls her eyes at him, “so go take a shower? We’re not stopping you.” The banshee flips some of her curls behind her shoulder picking her phone up, “I’ll order some dinner while we wait. I’m sure you guys are starving. Go on,” she waves her hand to shoo them. 

“Come on,” Theo loops an arm around his stomach, trying to pull Stiles towards the stairs. “It seems like she’s got things handled here.”

“Of course I do,” the banshee snorts, not even looking away from her screen. 

“Please,” Liam calls while the Alpha is practically walking Stiles up the stairs for him, “no sex. I know it’s been a few months, but please, I don’t need to hear that.” 

Stiles stops halfway up the staircase, accidentally shoulder checking Theo in the chest, “months?!” The chimera meets the wide blue eyes of his mate who looks just as surprised as he is. “We were there for months?” Stiles’ voice is so small and scared, he doesn’t even sound like himself. 

Lydia groans, “Liam, we were waiting to tell them that until they had a moment to relax,” she chastises the wolf. 

“Sorry,” the teen mumbles. 

“Come on,” Theo repeats himself, gently getting Stiles to walk back up the steps, not stopping until they reach the bathroom. Guiding him by his shoulders, his mate sits the chimera down on the closed toilet while he grabs towels from under the sink and turns the shower on. “Hey,” he says softly, crouching down and putting a hand on Stiles’ thigh, “we’re out. I can’t promise things will be smooth sailing going forward, but we’re out. And whatever happens because of it, we’ll get through it the same way we always do.”

“Together?”

Theo smiles, “exactly.” Rising to his feet, the Alpha pulls Stiles up with him, curling his fingers in the hem of the dirt coated hoodie. The chimera lifts his arms over his head, allowing his mate to undress him fully. “Let me take care of you,” Theo whispers as the chimera’s pants hit the floor. 

“You need care too, Theo,” Stiles responds just as softly, pushing the dirty denim jacket off the Alpha’s shoulders. “I’m sure I’ll have a wonderful list of added mental issues from what we just went through,” the chimera bends to pull his mate’s pants off. “But that doesn’t mean that I’m not here for you too,” he stands back up, brushing some of the dirt from Theo’s cheek.

His Alpha cups his neck, leaning in to place a soft kiss to his mouth. “I love you,” the words are painted against his lips and Stiles can’t help but smile. 

“I love you too,” the chimera brushes their noses together before shoving his boxers down and stepping into the shower. Stiles groans as the warm water seeps into his tired muscles, the murky water washing away the remnants of their stay. 

Theo steps in after him and for the first time, Stiles isn’t distracted by his nakedness. Not caring that his mate is still filthy and he’s not even clean yet either, the chimera yanks Theo to his chest. Rumbling softly when the Alpha’s arms hold him just as tightly. He hadn’t even realized he’d started to cry until Theo gently rubs his back, trying to shush him. 

“It’s okay, Kitten,” Theo pulls back to look at him, brushing the tears away despite the shower running down his face too. It’s the thought that counts. 

“No it’s not,” Stiles chokes out. “I thought the Nogitsune killing me over and over again was bad enough, but Theo-” the chimera takes a wet, shaky breath, “I killed you too. I thought you were him! But then I saw your face and you were dead and I-”

The Alpha’s hand covers his mouth, “listen to me,” his tone soft but stern. “You didn’t know. Do you hear me? You didn’t know. Hell twisted your mind and made you think you were seeing something else.” Theo’s features contort with disgust and hurt, “just like it did to me. Stiles, I would never raise a hand to you much less kill you. But Hell made me. Made us. That is not your fault and I don’t even remotely blame you for it. Got it?”

Stiles nods, more tears spilling over his mate’s fingers. 

“Good,” Theo removes his hand, sighing softly. “Let’s clean up and go get our first meal in months apparently. I don’t know how you’re not eating your fingers yet with the way you eat.”

It’s a bad joke at best, but it gets Stiles to snort and chuckle, something he can appreciate the Alpha doing. “Don’t worry,” the chimera teases, “there’s still time, I just might. Who knows, maybe I’ll eat yours too.” 

Theo laughs and it’s the best song Stiles has ever heard. Much better than the sound of his screams or the gurgles of him dying. “I have something much better than my fingers that you can eat, Kitten.” 

“Good to know that Hell won’t stop you from being horny,” Stiles lightly smacks his mate’s chest. 

“How could it when you look the way you do?” Theo winks at him, reaching around to grab the shampoo. “Now turn around,” he instructs, popping the cap and pouring a generous amount in his hand, “your hair still has dirt in it.” Stiles does as told, facing away from the Alpha to let him lather the soap in his hair to get him clean. When the chimera turns to rinse it away, another cap pops and a loofa is lovingly dragged across his skin. 

“You spoil me,” he smiles, pinching his eyes closed to avoid the cascading shampoo. “You’re going to let me return the favor right?” Stiles gasps when it isn’t the loofa cleaning his dick, but rather his mate’s hand. “Fuck,” he hisses under his breath, more than a little pent up. 

“You can do whatever you want, Kitten,” Theo keeps stroking him and the chimera can already feel his balls tightening with his orgasm. “After we talk to your dad.” Stiles is about to comment on the fact that Theo really shouldn’t bring up his dad when they’re in the middle of this, but he hears the cruiser pull up outside and hasty footsteps before the front door slams open. Theo drops his voice to a whisper, “you know you getting off is enough for me, Kitten,” his mate reminds him as his thumb rubs along the slit. 

Stiles falls apart, biting his lip until it nearly bleeds to quiet the moan from his orgasm. Theo presses their mouths together, ensuring he stays quiet while he strokes him through the waves of pleasure. “Thank you, Daddy,” he whispers against his mate’s lips.

“Always,” Theo smiles, quickly taking his place under the spray to clean himself off. Stiles, now clean and sated, waits in the shower with him. Not wanting to be away from his mate for even a moment. He doesn’t think his heart can handle it right now. Soon enough the water runs clear and Theo is turning the shower off, “ready?” He asks, reaching outside the curtain to grab one of the towels, holding it open for the Beta. 

The chimera nods, stepping closer so Theo can wrap the towel around him before grabbing his own. “I’ll make sure to grab you a hoodie this time,” Stiles remarks, stepping out of the tub and drying his feet. Opening the bathroom door, he hears Lydia paying for their food while Liam explains to his dad that they needed to shower and change first. If the young wolf heard what happened, he shows no sign of it. 

Theo follows Stiles into his room and the chimera digs into his dresser and closet. Pulling out a hoodie and the same too big sweatpants the Alpha wore the last time he’d borrowed clothes here and some clothes for himself. He wishes he had something with Theo’s scent on it here, but having his actual mate will be just as good enough. They don’t talk while they get dressed. Too hungry and eager to see everyone to try and have another conversation. But their eyes say what their mouths won’t.

No matter what, they’re here for each other. 

Always.

Walking back down the stairs, Stiles focuses on his dad’s words. “All I’m saying is that if he’s not really stuck in that place, I’m going to make damn sure he doesn’t come-” his father stops talking when the pair round the corner to the dining room where everyone’s sitting around a mountain of pizza boxes. The sheriff’s eyes swell with tears and he nearly knocks his chair over in his haste to pull Stiles into a hug. 

Stiles clutches his father, the gunpowder and home smell filling his nose along with his heart. “Hey, dad,” the chimera says into the man’s shoulder. 

His father lets go, jerking Theo into his arms too and hugging him just as fiercely. Wordlessly, he pulls back, regarding the two with red rimmed eyes. Then he smacks Stiles upside the back of the head, “don’t you ever do that again, you hear me? You scared the shit out of me, son.” 

Stiles rubs the back of his head, “sorry,” he mumbles. It didn’t really hurt and he knows his dad didn’t mean it to. 

Not to worry, because his father does the same thing with Theo. Smacking the Alpha upside the head just the same, “I thought I told you to take care of him.”

“Sorry, sir,” Theo’s eyes are trained on the ground. 

“Dammit to hell,” his dad says, grabbing each of their shoulders and pulling them both back into a hug. “I was worried sick about you two. Don’t you ever fucking do that to me again. Ever. Am I clear? Let me look at you,” he pulls away, cupping both of their necks, inspecting both the boys' faces for signs of obvious damage. “I’m glad to see you both in one piece. I trust that if he ever tries to do something like that again, you’ll stop him,” he points at Theo. 

“I tried to stop him the first time, sir,” the Alpha defends himself, gently, reaching out for Stiles’ hand. Both he and Stiles understand what happened that night and they both know that there was no way Theo would’ve been able to stop him. He was already falling down the hole by the time Stiles dove in. 

“You’re a stubborn son of a bitch, you know that?” His father stares him down now, but the stern, overprotective mask falls. Mostly. At least, it’s not directed towards them anymore. “If I so much as see Scott, you know I love Melissa, but I might kill that boy for forcing Kira to do that to you.” His dad is looking at Theo when he says it too.

Meaning what was done to the Alpha. It’s nice to know that not only does his dad approve of what he has with Theo, but that he actually cares about him too. “Let’s just say that we don’t plan on doing that again anytime soon,” Stiles rubs his thumb along the Alpha’s knuckles. “Once was one time too many.” 

The sheriff flicks his eyebrows, nodding his head to the side, “I’m sure it was.” He sighs and just like that, all of the weight falls off his dad's shoulders. “Let’s eat, I’m sure you boys could use full stomachs and a good night’s sleep.” Turning to face the table he pauses, seeing Josh with a slice halfway towards his mouth and Liam in the middle of taking a giant bite of his own. “Provided these two leave you anything to eat.” 

Stiles can’t help but laugh at the site. His pack- father included- sitting around the dinner table, smiling and happy. Theo taking the spot beside him and even though he’s eating just as much, the Alpha makes sure to keep his free hand wrapped around the chimera. Their chairs are close enough that Stiles is able to tuck into his mate’s shoulder while they eat. 

The pack falls asleep in various positions in the living room. His dad, true to form, passes out on his recliner, trying his best to stay up and spend as much time with Stiles and Theo as possible. Just as the chimera’s own eyes started to get that sleepy burn to them and he was prepared to rest his head on his mate’s shoulder, Theo scoops him up in his arms. 

“As much as I want to be with the pack right now,” the Alpha whispers, rubbing his nose in Stiles’ hair. “I just really need to lay in bed with you and hold you.” Theo pauses halfway up the stairs. “Okay?”

“You won’t,” Stiles yawns, blinking his tired eyes, “fuck. You won’t catch me complaining. I am in desperate need of snuggles,” the chimera says, not caring even a little bit how mushy being this tired is making him. 

Doesn’t seem like Theo minds much either as he toes the bedroom door open. Holding Stiles’ weight with one hand, he pulls back the overs on the bed before gently laying the chimera down on the mattress. Stiles goes to scoot towards the edge, but Theo stops him, “let me sleep on the edge, please. I’d rather be closer to the door.” 

“Still doesn’t quite feel like we’re out, does it?” Stiles asks, a nice warmth wrapping around his heart that his mate wants to protect him. 

“And I’d like to be by the door in case there’s any surprises,” Theo agrees, crawling in bed beside him and pulling up the sheets. “I haven’t felt like I’ve been able to keep you safe for months now. Let me have this,” the Alpha wraps his arms around Stiles, bringing the chimera to his chest. 

Nuzzling into his mate’s neck to scent the skin, Stiles leans back with a sleepy smile, “whatever you need, Daddy.” 

“Thank you, Kitten,” Theo rubs their noses together before leaning in for a soft kiss. “I love you,” he whispers, playing with the chimera’s hair, pulling Stiles back into his neck. 

“I love you too,” Stiles purrs, tangling their legs, letting the fingers in his hair and the hand rubbing his back finish exhaustion’s call and send him to sleep. 

Safe, comforted, and loved by Theo.

Ch 14

[hopeless-ro-simptic]

Familiar Cerulean Eyes- Pt 15

Click Here for a full list of other parts! Part 16

Warnings: Mention of morning after pill, angst, fluff, couple fighting, implied nsfw at the end, horrible pun. 

As always thank you for all the love and support and I hope you enjoy this part. 

Word Count: 2.8 K

TAGLIST:  @superblyspeedydragon @jparra4587 @flyingowls @emrysaf​ @imuziawi @sheedaabee @peculiarinsomniac @littlelovebug98 @plutoneu @giftofwonder @kitty-kat-ash @fukyouthink @anarchys-bnha-mess @threbony @orenjineki @toobsessedsstuff @bamf-barnes @x-a-delama-x @inanabsentia @reallyshey @godsblesstheboi @drownedbytears @emilymikado @fluidfandoms  @mikasackrmann​ @bohica160​ @andrastesbeard​  @percabethismyotp14​ @celestiallustre​ @moon-spirit-yue​ @hecatve​ @bakugoshrimp​ @vanillanjin​ @toshiuwuu​ @rxinbowrena​ @therealwalmartjesus​ @callmepopcorn​ @xxdumb-bitchxx​ @medicinalkiwis​ @kat-unzel​ @headfirst-halo​ @capricorn-nightmare​ @annie-daetris​ @skumtrash​ @totorotoni​ @kst-chernish​ @itsmysticalmystery​ @the-occasional-artist1125​ @beautifulparisiangirl​ @stanzastic​ @helena-way07​ @aurorahoneybuns​ @cth-l​ @nightlygiggless​ @filledasaf​ @hailstorm888​ @ozzy-bozzy​

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It had taken you significantly less time to build your nest this time around, granted you were missing things from your previous nest, but you were also less stressed about making it perfect. Thank goodness Kurogiri had at least gotten the fur blanket that Dabi had given you, even if it was a little charred it was still your favorite. You had quickly decided to make your nest in Dabi’s bed, enjoying the scent that surrounded you, knowing he would be elated.

While you were doing this the rest of the group had spread out across the building, making sure all the scent blockers were working and adding more where they were needed. Dabi and Shigaraki had disappeared off somewhere to discuss things, leaving you alone in his room, bored once your nest was complete. Maybe now was a good time to go explore?

You were just deciding on what you wanted to do when there was a soft knock on the door, looking up you watched as Toga poked her head into the room her eyes lighting up when she saw you.

“Y/N! Kurogiri is making food, do you want some?”

You couldn’t help but smile, nodding at her, grabbing a hoodie that Dabi had scented heavily to help cover your scent before he disappeared off with Shigaraki in case you needed to leave the room so that you didn’t drive the other member’s crazy. After pulling it on, you and Toga took off down the twisting hallways chatting softly.

“I think he said he was making pork cutlet bowls today and I cannot wait to have real food. 24 hours without Kurogiri’s food was awful.”

“Toga would you mind showing me around after we eat? I barely remember how to get to Dabi’s room let alone where everyone else is.” It was like you told her you got her a puppy for Christmas. The way her eyes lit up in excitement and she practically started bouncing down the hall.

“Yes, of course! I can show you my room! I think you’ll like it, it’s really cute!”

The two of you had just stepped into the kitchen when Kurogiri’s warp gate opened up and a familiar face stepped out of it into the kitchen.

“Kroshka! Glad to see you up and about!”

“Anna? Why are you here? No one is hurt are they?”

“Oh no, I just came to check up on your injuries and Dabi asked me to get you some heat suppressants and things. Can’t say I’m shocked that your heat came on so quick being around him.”

You felt your hair stand on end, eyes narrowing at her, a feeling of jealousy and protectiveness coming on at her words.

“Relax Kroshka, I’m not making a move on your alpha. He’s not my type.” She took a step towards you, pushing your hair away and pulling your hoodie down your shoulder to reveal your bond mark, making your face heat up. “My, my, that’s a prominent one. He didn’t force you did he? I’ll kill him.”

“No, I didn’t you crazy bitch.” Dabi had stepped in behind you and Anna’s eyes immediately latched onto his bond mark as well a smile tugging at her face.

“Well, congratulations is due then. Such a shame this one was taken off the market though, I quite liked her.” Anna looped a strand of your hair around her finger, twirling it around a smirk on her face as she watched Dabi bristle. You quickly understood why he wasn’t her type.

Dabi wrapped his arms around your waist pulling you back against him making her drop your hair, a soft growl rumbling out in warning.

“Jeez, you’re both so worked up with protecting each other. Relax, it was joke. My own Alpha pleases me enough.” The Russian rolled her eyes before reaching into her bag and pulling out several boxes that were familiar. It looked like a year’s supply of heat suppressants. She then also pulled out another box that you didn’t recognize setting that on the counter as well. Dabi had settled down a little but was still hugging you tightly from behind nuzzling your cheek softly as you two chatted.

“What’s that?”

“This? You’ve never seen these before?”

“No.. I don’t think so.”

“It’s a scent patch. You put it on and it works like a scent blocker but on your body. Mostly Alpha’s use them but Omega’s have been known to use them when they are on their heat as well just so they can go out in public.”

“Oh… that’s cool. I didn’t know these existed.”

“Well we can’t all be locked up in a room for a week, ya know? Did your parent’s not talk about omega stuff with you? I mean I know not everyone has an omega parent but even Beta’s know about this.” Anna gave you a quizzical look, seeming like she was about to ask more. Until Dabi cleared his throat, artfully changing the subject.

“Did you bring the other thing?” This piqued everyone’s interest.

“Yea… how long ago did you guys have sex?” She dug through her bag searching around, a frown on her face.

You snorted and then covered your face feeling a blush creep up. You could hear Toga snickering from her spot at the counter as Kurogiri finished cooking, the beta pretending he couldn’t hear the conversation.

“Yesterday… went through early this morning. That’s in the time frame right?” Dabi sounded particularly proud of his comment but his question made you scrunch your eyebrows in confusion. Why were they talking about your sex life?

“Yea, you have 2 days technically. Earlier the better though…. Found it. Now you have to make sure to follow the directions on this one.” Anna pulled out another box, this one made your stomach flip, a wave of nausea hitting you with force, panic settling in.

Everyone in the room could smell the distress coming off of you and Kurogiri quickly warped himself and Toga out of the room, you barely registering Toga’s protest. Even Anna paused her speech, a kind of sadness creeping into her eyes as she glanced at Dabi.

“You didn’t talk to her?”

“It’s not your business Anna.”

She fell silent, pursing her lips, her face growing angry before setting the box on the counter, reaching out and patting your shoulder before she left the room, leaving you alone with Dabi and the boxes on the counter.

Your ears were ringing and you felt like you were going to pass out, but you couldn’t move, just staring at the box and the letters written on it.

Plan B… judging by the way that Dabi was acting… this was plan A all along.

He leaned down to press a comforting kiss to your cheek but you flinched away and out of his grasp, wrapping your arms around yourself your eyes hyper-focused on the box that sat in front of you. On the box that reminded you that this wasn’t a fairytale.  Of the reality that your life was.

“Mouse… listen…”

“No, no, I won’t listen.” Your voice was barely a whisper, sounding almost horse, but still Dabi heard it clear as day.

“Please don’t fight me on this.”

“On this? Dabi, I can’t fight you on anything.”

“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

“And how does this fit into that?” You gestured to the box. Refusing to look at it now, feeling like you would throw up if you did. It wasn’t even guaranteed that you could be pregnant right now, but it still didn’t change the way you felt. The idea of getting rid of Dabi’s pup on purpose.

“Stop being stupid! You know damn well how!”

“Oh I’m stupid?”

“That’s not what I mean.”

“No you’re right. I’m stupid for thinking you would be a good alpha!”

“Then leave!”

The two of you were screaming, nose to nose, glaring at each other, chests heaving. You were fighting back the tears and he was fighting back the urge to burn the place to the ground. You were sure the entire building heard your exchange, and if not they could probably pick up on it from the pungent sour smells emitting from both of you.

You were the first to break, tears spilling down your cheek as you pushed past him grabbing the boxes on the counter, stalking out of the room.

Dabi looked up at the ceiling, pushing his hands through his hair with a growl of frustration before he turned and took off after you.

“Leave me alone Dabi.” You spat his name with such venom that you were pretty sure a flower would wilt, but he didn’t listen.

Instead, he grabbed you by your waist, hoisting you up against the hallway wall making you drop the boxes and wrap your legs around him for stability. You couldn’t even get out a complaint before his lips crashed against yours roughly. You fought against him, trying to shove him off of you only for him to grip your wrists and slam them against the wall above you making you gasp. His tongue taking the initiative and forcing into your mouth only for you to angrily bite it, making his curse out before continuing to assault your lips with his, pressing you further against the wall to keep you from wiggling. You turned your head away breaking the connection only for a brief second whining out his name, asking for air, before his lips were on yours again, growing softer and softer as tears continued to stream down your cheeks. You weren’t even fighting anymore, too exhausted with everything.

At some point he had stopped kissing your lips and moved to pressing kisses all over your face whispering softly to you the whole time that he was sorry. He released your wrists, moving his hands to cup your face, wiping your tears away and pressing his forehead to yours, his voice low and vulnerable.

“I’m so sorry, please don’t leave.”

“Dabi-“

“I love you.”

You froze, staring up into his eyes that were focused on yours, the ones that looked absolutely wrecked, almost watery even. In all of your years knowing him, you had never seen Touya cry. Not even when you were younger and Endeavor made him do all that crazy training.

“You don’t have to take it if you don’t want to, we can figure it out, I’ll find-“

You pressed your lips against his softly, shushing him, your hands moving up to hold each side of his face like he did to you. You could feel him melt into your touch, relaxing at your affection, a soft purr rumbling through his chest. Your scent had dissipated being almost completely smoother by his own scent of cinnamon whiskey and cigarettes. A comfort smell for you.

After a moment you pulled away, purring softly back to him, pressing soft kisses against his check, your voice barely a whisper so no one else could hear.

“Touya, I love you more than anything in the world. I’m never going to leave you.”

“Promise?” His voice was still shaky, still so vulnerable sounding that it broke your heart into pieces. How could he even think you would leave him after everything? You had literally made a dying man suffer because he tried to hurt your alpha.

“I promise.”

He pressed another chaste kiss against your lips, and then another, and another, until you were giggling, writhing in his grasp.

“Can we go back to the room?”  Your voice was still a soft whisper but it was growing almost whiney. He seemed to have relaxed now and now that you weren’t angry, you realized the position you were in and could feel yourself heating up.

“Hmm… why would you want to do that little mouse?” His lips moved down your jaw, nibbling softly on your bond mark when he reached it.

“I want to show you the nest…” You could feel a familiar burning feeling deep within you and couldn’t help but grind your hips against his, making a smirk grow on his face as he continued to kiss and nip down your neck. Damn fucking heat, you could barely have a nice moment of calm to yourself.

“Where did you end up putting it?” He seemed to be in no hurry, moving back up to your bond mark sucking on it making you moan softly at the attention. Even though it was still healing and bruised up it felt like you were on fire when he sunk his alpha’s fangs into your skin making the mark deeper. If he didn’t take you back to the room now you were going to combust.

“On the bed.” He pulled back giving you a quizzical look which you whined at, tugging his hair to try and bring him back to you.

“Where am I supposed to sleep?”

You gave him a pointed look which you were pretty sure looked more pleading than annoyed but it didn’t matter, the smile that spread across his face, that 1000 watt just for you Touya smile, let you know he understood.

“You’re going to let me in your nest?”

“Dabi if you don’t take me back to your room right now I’m going to fuck you in the hallway and I really rather have privacy.”

“Any thing for you Princess.”

---

It was several hours before either of you ended up getting out of bed, already early into the next morning, and part of you felt really bad for blowing Toga off like that, but you figured she would be willing to show you around later.

You had finally wiggled your way out of Dabi’s grasp, who was out like a light after the last day’s events. Once again you were truly shocked by his stamina. After making a quick trip to the bathroom you located the long-forgotten boxes that Dabi had barely had the mind to pickup before the two of you had retreated into your nest.

You pulled out the patches, reading the instructions on the box before pulling out the band-aid like patch, sticking it to your hip as directed for covering an omega’s heat. You couldn’t help but smile at the bruises that littered your body. The bite marks that covered you. He had really claimed every inch of you that there was. You didn’t think you would have been into that but with him, anything he did made you drool.

Placing the rest of the patches back into the box your eyes landed on the other box, the one that had been thrown into the otherwise empty trashcan.

You frowned, sighing softly to yourself as you pulled it out of the trashcan, reading the label carefully, tapping the box against your hand a few times in thought.

Dabi had been right before and you had known it. You both knew it would be the worse case scenario for you to end up pregnant right now. It could literally mean life or death for you. Finding you bonded pissed Endeavor off sure, but he would have believed that Dabi forced it on you and at least would have let you live, but if he found you pregnant? Endeavor could probably come up with an excuse… you got caught in the crossfire. Dabi used you as a human shield… it was such a tragic end for a defenseless omega… You can’t save them all. No one outside of the Todoroki household knew your quirk, it wouldn’t be hard to sell. They would believe anything Endeavor told them. Shoto would fight him but you weren’t sure that he could do anything to save you in that scenario. Not to mention being pregnant meant you needed a safe and secure place, one where you didn’t have to pack up and run all the time, one where you weren’t stressed. And the medical attention you would need… and what about when the baby comes? Did you want to raise a baby in the League? Did you want to raise a baby with the world the way it was?  

No.

Now was not the time for settling down and raising a family. Now was the time to fight for your right to do so.  

So, with a shaky breath, and tears building in your eyes, you took out the small white pill, putting it on your tongue and filling your hand with water from the tap.

It was a tough pill to swallow.

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[snipsnsnailsnwerewolftales]

Blue Moon - Part 4

A/N: See masterlist for prompts used. (And the list of amazing people who have helped me with this.) I felt it necessary to say, remember, these are all following along with the episodes from 03x04 on till the end of 3A. Without *directly* inserting the reader into the plot line, but more an off screen role. (Aside from the beginning, where, obviously, Derek fought the Alpha’s while Cora watched from the sidelines.) And because of that, it’s more angst than I usually write. It was a very angsty season. And the prompts have inherent angst, but lots of fluff, and sass, so once we get out of the murkiness that is Jennifer Blake (can you tell I don’t like her? - which, kudos to the actress, who I think is beautiful and brilliant, for making me hate her so much. 😆) we can move on to that happy, feel good, Sourwolf love we all enjoy so much. But until then, I guess this counts as a slow burn of sorts?

I do not own Teen Wolf or it’s characters. Sadly.

Warnings: See Masterlist

Word count: 2,633

Xxx

The next day was lonely. Stiles would text you every now and then, but other than that it was a quiet day. No word about Derek from anyone other than Peter and Cora going to get his body and it not being there. And neither was Ennis’, who Derek had pulled down with him. You decided not to dwell on the many possible things that could mean. 

You drove in silence to all the places Stiles had mentioned the night before and spoke meekly at each one. You felt almost like you were floating through the day, going through the motions, but your mind was a million miles away. 

The meet ended up getting canceled due to weather, and they were all going to be stuck staying at some crappy motel that Stiles insisted was haunted through multiple texts with an excessive amount of emojis. You couldn’t get ahold of anyone else, which was kinda odd, but also not totally abnormal.

To top it all off, you needed something you left at the loft, so you told the Sheriff - who had taken the night off and ordered a pizza to stay in with you this evening, after finding out Stiles wasn’t coming right back - you would be back in a flash, you just had to “run home real quick”, careful not to mention the loft, to which he just chuckled and said something along the lines of, “Just make sure you run the speed limit.”

Sighing as you pulled into the loft parking lot, you glanced through the windshield up at the top floor where it sat. It was so ominous looking, bathed in moonlight, it almost gave a faint glow. Resting your forehead on the steering wheel, you took some deep breaths, panic rising as flashes of your tango with an Alpha came back rapidly. But instead of feeling like a badass, it made you hyperventilate. There was this gnawing feeling that it had been a one time thing, and that should you ever encounter them again you would be in so much trouble. 

Taking one last deep breath to steady your nerves, you stopped mid inhale, slightly cocking your head to the side, eyebrows knitted in confusion. 

Derek. 

You had caught Derek’s scent. Well, it’s his loft, you rationalized to yourself. But no. This was fresh. Less than a few hours old. Glancing back up at the loft one last time, you grabbed the handle and yanked your door open, mustering the courage you could find to climb up the winding staircase and see for yourself.

Taking them two at a time, you felt your courage build with each step and your hope that Derek was there along with it. As you stood in front of the loft door, your outstretched hand just shy of the handle and trembling, you took a tentative breath and knew Derek had been here very recently. That was the final push you needed to firmly grip the handle of the loft door, preparing to give it a hefty pull, but something made you stop short. 

A whisper. 

Just on the other side of the door, a woman's voice, then Derek’s. Surely your mind was playing tricks on you; you didn’t smell anyone else. You did pick up on something vaguely familiar, but couldn’t place it. The smell reminded you of school, and the crime scenes of the sacrifices you had been at, and lately, the loft. Unable to place the smell, you slowly slid the door open, stopping after only a few inches to peek in. 

What you saw made your heart speed up, as there Derek sat on the edge of his bed, covered in scratches and blood, but alive. He was alive. 

Your feet that had been glued to the floor suddenly felt like they were floating, the distance between him and you too much. You couldn’t contain the smile that brought to your lips, but it soon melted when another figure stepped into view in front of him. On instinct you had started to move forward, barely making it over the threshold before the other silhouette made you pull up short.

Jennifer. 

You covered your mouth to hold in whatever was about to come out, anger, disgust, pain, you didn’t know, they were all swirling in your gut at the sight. You fell to your knees, bracing yourself on the doorframe to try and stay just out of sight.

No, Derek hadn’t caught your scent yet, which is what you found the most strange, and worrisome, and only reinforced that she was doing something to his mind. 

You finally placed the smell as belonging to Miss Blake, but it was different from her scent she had all the other times you had seen her, and that somehow made it worse. It didn’t smell like emotions or anything, it smelled like an entirely different being. Barely even human.

This last thought made you knit your eyebrows in determination, about to rise to your feet, charge in there, and show the she devil a thing or two, but you only made it to one knee, still bent on the floor, before you froze, eyes wide, eyebrows practically in your hairline. What you saw could never be unseen. Like two dogs in heat, they were on one another as if space between them was too painful. Your grip on the door frame and the loft door handle almost broke them under the pressure. 

You felt sick. Physically sick to your stomach. Whether from the feeling of betrayal, knowing you were right that something was weird about this whole thing, the fact that they had been getting it on in front of you, or all of the above, you weren’t quite sure.

Sliding the door shut calmly, you tried to keep it together as you softly, but quickly, made it back down the stairs, into your car, and back to the Stilinski driveway, putting your car in park and shutting off the engine before you let yourself feel anything. 

You wanted to kick and scream and sob your eyes out because you knew she had been doing something to him, you knew something was wrong, but you didn’t go with your gut, and now here you were. In your car, alone. In front of the Stilinski house. Silent tears racing down your face at the feeling of betrayal, both from seeing them together tonight and at yourself for not doing something sooner. 

A tap on your window made you jump, and you saw the Sheriff trying to peek in. Opening your door, you hopped out, swiping rapidly at your tears, and plastering a smile on your face. “Sorry that took so long.”

He looked at you skeptically, waving it off. “Nah. The pizza just got here. You’re right on time.”

Wrapping an arm around your shoulders, he ushered you into the house, quietly closing the front door behind the both of you. He stayed silent until you were both in the living room. He had the remote in his hand about to press play on the movie, but it dipped once in hesitation before he sighed, and it fell along with his hand to the armrest beside him. Scrubbing his face for a moment with his free hand, he finally looked up at you. Opening his mouth once before snapping it shut, staring blankly in front of him as if the space held the right thing to say, he scratched his forehead with the remote, his face making the face you had come to learn and love earlier on from Stiles. “Are you okay, Y/N?”

You stopped trying to grab a slice of pizza from the box, clearing your throat and wiping your sweaty palms on your jeans before nodding gently, staring at the floor. “Yeah.” You looked up and met his gaze, seeing concern painting his features. “Yeah, I’m okay, Mr. Stilinski. Just boy trouble. Thanks for asking.” You smiled as best you could, and he seemed to do the same. 

“Well, we’ve known each other forever, sweetheart, and I want you to know that you can tell me anything.”

The smile on your face felt a little more genuine. “I know. Thank you.”

“No matter how uncomfortable it makes me,” he continued as if you hadn’t said anything. The words sounded pained and forced, his brows knit like he was eating a lemon, and you finally let out the full smile that had been trying break through, even laughing. 

His lips twitched up gently. “There she is.”

“I will. Thank you. But for both of our sakes-” you leaned in, placing a hand on his forearm- “I’ll probably just tell Stiles.”

“Oh, thank God.” He let out on a huff of air, making you laugh again. “Now. Let’s watch this movie.” He hit play, and you settled into the couch, letting the plot unfolding on the screen take you away, if only for a little while.

Xxx

Your phone vibrated in your pocket, waking you up with a start. 

The DVD menu played softly on a loop, the movie long over, and to your right the Sheriff was snoring with his head on the back of the couch. 

You tossed the blanket you had been using on top of him before leaving the room and checked your phone, only to see it was Stiles.

“Stiles?” You spoke quietly into the receiver, not wanting to wake the Sheriff. 

“Y/N? Why are you whispering?” Stiles sounded kind of stressed, just a little bit off. 

“Your dad took off work tonight and we had a pizza - yes, I let him have pizza, don’t you dare jump on my case and go on a tirade about how he needs a salad, let the man live, Stiles - and we watched a movie.”

“I was wondering why that soundtrack was playing on a loop in the background. He used a DVD, didn’t he? I taught him how to use streaming-”

“Stiles!” You cut off his tangent with a chuckle. “Why are you calling me so late. Or, is it early?” You checked your watch to find it was early morning, still dark outside. 

“Well, let’s just say tonight has been interesting, we are all alive, which is good, but sleeping on the bus-”

“The bus?”

“The bus. Our rooms weren’t safe, and I don’t mean because of roaches or mysterious stains, Y/N.” You grinned. “Although there was this one smell in my room that was rather suspect….”

Smell. Scent. Shit.

Screwing your eyes shut, palm on your forehead, you spoke quickly, “Stiles, don’t be angry with me.” Peeking your head into the other room to see the Sheriff still soundly asleep, you stepped onto the back porch and closed the door behind you, ignoring Stiles’ incessant questions as you did. 

“Stiles! Hush! I had to leave the room so your dad didn’t hear!” 

“Oh,” was all he said. You heard the squeak of the bus as he slumped back against it, obviously doing the same as you and trying to get a bit of privacy. 

Taking a deep breath, you told him everything you saw at the loft. 

The only thing he did was suck in a sharp breath, but was otherwise silent. Finally he said, “I’m so sorry, Y/N.”

“Yeah, thanks, whatever.” You cleared your throat, looking down at your feet before lifting your gaze to stare vacantly across the yard. “My main concern was that scent. It didn’t smell human, but not entirely not human.”

“Well, that’s terrifying,” Stiles said blandly, making your lips twitch up just slightly. You heard another voice on the other end, Scott, and Stiles mumbled something about speakerphone before the phone was jostled around a bit. You could hear a mumbled, “Well, no, you don’t need speakerphone because you’re a freak of nature, Scott, but I, a mere mortal, need the aid.” You chuckled and could hear Scott let out a groan and soft chuckle himself. 

“Y/N?” Finally Scott’s voice came through clearly.

“Yeah?” 

“First of all, thank you. For everything.” His voice sounded distant, and you sure as hell were going to interrogate them when they got back as to what the hell happened that night at the motel, but for now you just nodded, then remembered he couldn’t see you and rolled your eyes. 

“You’re welcome, Scott. The feeling’s mutual. Thanks for making it so easy.”

Stiles humphed. “I feel like that last part was directed at me.”

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

A mumbled, “Thanks, I guess,” but you could hear his smile. 

“Y/N, the scent. The one you smelled at Derek’s loft.” Scott was back to business. “I think I smelled it here tonight.”

“Really? How is that-” You were cut off by Scott who was obviously talking to Stiles. 

“Right before we decided to stay in the bus, when Lydia saw something in the fire, after the explosion-”

"Okay, what the hell happened to you guys?!" you asked loudly, cutting them off. Grimacing, you quickly used your hearing to pick up on the Sheriff's continued snores, let out a sigh of relief, and lowered your voice. "I feel so left out."

“No, I’m glad you weren’t here,” Scott said. “Long story short, something went after a specific group of our friends, and when it finally showed its face,” you heard Lydia cut in from somewhere behind, “I’d barely call that a face,” and you didn’t know whether to laugh or be afraid. 

Scott continued pointedly, “When it showed its face, I got a whiff of something I can only describe how you described the smell at the loft. Not human. But also not… not…. human.”

A smacking sound could be heard, and you realized Stiles was patting Scott on the back while saying, “It’s okay, bud. It’s been a long day.”

“One question.” You took a deep breath, trying to decide on the winner of thousands that swam around your brain right now. “Why is Lydia there?”

“She came with Allison.”

“Why was Allison there, Stiles?”

“Uh-uh. You said one question.”

“This is still technically the same question since they apparently came together.”

“….Touché,” Stiles finally came back with, before sighing. “Look, I’ll tell you everything when we get back, okay? It’s been a hell of a day and I just want to sleep,” he continued in a mumble, “if I can ever sleep again after seeing what I’ve seen.” A brief pause. “You werewolves need to come with a disclaimer. ‘May cause sleep disturbances’.” 

You laughed loudly. “Okay, okay. I know I’m not going to get anywhere with you guys this tired. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow,” came a chorus of voices, and you felt relief wash over you at the sound of each one, knowing they were safe and sound. 

“Goodbye, Y/N.” Stiles’ voice came through by itself after some fumbling, probably taking you off speakerphone.

“Goodbye, Stiles. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay on the phone until you fall asleep? I mean, I am part of the reason, after all. I do come with a disclaimer.”

“I would absolutely love that, but I need to save my battery and I am in a bus surrounded by werewolves, whatever Lydia is, and a hunter. I think my security system is pretty good for tonight.”

You chuckled. “Okay then. Goodnight, Stiles.

“Goodnight, Y/N. Oh!”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for being there with my dad.”

“No problem, Stiles. You know he’s like family to me. He was there for me when I came back from the loft, said I could talk about it if I needed.”

“He offered to listen while you talked?!” He was almost yelling. 

You laughed again. “Goodnight, Stiles.”

He chuckled. “Goodnight, Y/N.”

Xxx

Tags: @mayahart02, @palaiasaurus64, @shydinosaurcandy, @lucyqueenofthestars, @c-breanne1999, @l4life, @ethereallysimple, @teenwolffan-with-nolife, @bellabadacadabra, @lilostif16, @wandas-love, @emily500, @babygirl-angel-love, @c-dizzle99 What’s This?

[beomglocks]

unlikely allies ; txt x reader

part: zero, ,,,next chapter

plot: when a zombie apocalypse breaks out in your town, you're forced to team up with a group of boys from very different social standards in your school.

genre: fluff, angst, horror i guess?, not really that scary but alright, some funny moments

w/c: 3.3K

warnings: blood, gruesome scenes (kind of really detailed), cursing, everyone hates each other, definitely some major injuries, zombies duh, everyone kinda pining for mc

︵︵︵︵︵︵︵︵︵︵︵︵︵

"yeonjun you're late...again," your history teacher sighs. you watch as choi yeonjun strolls into class like normal. "sorry teach, i didn't really wanna come."

yeonjun is the school's heartthrob. everyone likes him, at least you think everyone likes him. you wouldn't say you like him but you can see why people would. he's an asshole but a cute asshole. he really doesn't care for his studies and treats people like they owe him something.

you roll your eyes at his answer and decide to focus on the roll call for when your name is called. "choi soobin?" you see a boy with purple hair raise his hand silently. you hear yeonjun snicker from the back of the class. you watch soobin turn around to glare at the other.

"something funny choi?" he seethes. yeonjun raises an eyebrow at soobin, leaning forward in his seat, "yeah something sure is funny."

soobin gets out of his seat and strides up to yeonjun's seat, easily towering over the boy. he grabs the collar of yeonjun's hoodie and lifts him up so that he's standing face to face.

"why don't you laugh in my face then?" soobin challenges. yeonjun looks bored, not even the slightest intimidated by the taller boy.

"ha. ha .ha." he annunciates each word mockingly, smiling in soobin's face.

the next thing you know the two boys are the floor fighting one another. "hey hey hey!" your teacher runs from the front of the class to the back to break up the fight. there's already a small crowd around them and no one seems adamant on helping break the fight up.

the thing is, choi soobin and choi yeonjun are known to fight a lot. you're not sure why they hate each other so much but every time they're near each other fists start flying. who thought putting these two in a class together was a good idea.

soobin was a quiet boy, everyone knew that. somedays he'd come dressed like the fluffiest cat you'd ever seen and sometimes he'd dress like a total greaser. he could just switch up like that; just like his attitude. he was nice, from what you knew he would always participate in extracurricular activities and charity events around the school. however, because people thought he was soft they would always mess with him. he was always able to hold his own though.

"hey break it up!" you hear your teacher shout. the two boys were in their own minds continuously throwing punches at each other. you were still sat at your desk, not really caring for fights between two stupid alpha males.

your teacher somehow manages to pull soobin from yeonjun and hold him back while a friend of yeonjun's holds him back as well. both boys have a good amount of blood on their faces so you can't really tell who won.

"you're fucking weak soobs! that shit barely hurt," yeonjun teases. he has blood trailing down his hairline from when soobin pushed him to the ground and blood on his nose and around his pouty lips. "bold talk for someone who just got their ass beat," soobin spits. he too has blood on his nose and lips but he's also sporting a cut on his cheekbone, yeonjun must've scratched his face.

"enough! yeonjun go to the nurse's room to get fixed up and soobin straight to the principal's office, you'll go to nurse after he's done, you hear me!" your history teacher orders. you watch her look around the room for someone suitable enough to escort yeonjun to the nurse's office.

you silently pray that she doesn't pick on you but seeing as you were the only one not interested in the drama, her eyes fall on you. "y/n please escort yeonjun to the nurse's office, i frankly don't trust him to actually go there on his own."

you curse at her in your mind but stand up anyways. "no problem," you force a light smile.

you and yeonjun leave the class ahead of soobin. as you're walking down the hallway, you glance at yeonjun. he doesn't look angry, if anything he looks calm. "i know i'm hot but stop staring at me," he looks down at you.

you roll your eyes at him. "do you not talk? come to think of it... i didn't even know you were in my class," yeonjun looks at you quizically but with curiosity in his eyes. you know that if you don't answer him he'll keep pestering you. "we've been in the same class for the past four years," you mutter.

you can feel his eyes on you but thankfully he doesn't say anything. while you two are walking through the halls you see a boy on the floor playing with something. "what's that kid doing over there?" yeonjun asks. he's already starting to walk away from you but you grab his sweater.

"sorry yeonjun but our only destination is the nurse's office," you say to him. he looks at you with his eyes narrowed down at where you're grabbing him. you stumble back as he yanks his arm away from your grasp, striding towards the boy. you huff following him.

"hey loser, what you got there?" yeonjun looks down at the boy. the boy turns around with confusion laced on his features. he sighs, "what do you want?" he pouts.

when you reach the boy you recognize him as choi beomgyu. the kid is smart but only when he wants to be. he's in your science class and is always messing around and not actually ever doing the work. either that or he skips class to run off and experiment with random things. he's a nice guy and you sometimes ask him for help during labs since he's probably the smartest kid in your class.

"hey beomgyu, what's up?" you greet him. he turns towards you and smiles warmly. "hey y/n," yeonjun looks between the both of you and rolls his eyes. "what the hell are you doing with one of the baseball teams bats?"

beomgyu moves the bat behind him and glares at yeonjun, "i was just curious as to what makes it so hard-hitting. i've been craving my way into it but can't seem to get too far."

you crouch next to him, "maybe you should've picked up one of the metal ones. i'm pretty sure the wood ones only have wood in them. though i heard they're made with bamboo so," you shrug. beomgyu stares at you silently.

"y-yeah you're probably right...thanks y/n," beomgyu snaps out of his daze and pockets the butterfly knife he was previously using. yeonjun tsks, "cmon y/n, let's go i already lost interest." yeonjun pulls you along as you watch beomgyu wave and head to the auditorium.

"god why did we have to take the long route this is fucking boring," yeonjun complains. you sigh, hoping he'll shut up already. "do you ever not talk?" you ask him. you both are too busy glaring at each other that you don't see when someone bumps into you.

the person drops the pile of books they were holding in their hands. "ah shit," they mumble. you snap out of glaring at yeonjun to see a boy on the floor with books scattered around him. "shit im sorry! i should've been looking at where i was going," you apologize kneeling down to help the boy pick up his books.

"oh don't worry i shouldn't have taken up carrying so many books to the point where i couldn't see!" the boy's voice is so cheerful it makes you smile. you're glad he's not mad at you.

the boy is really cute too. his boyish features suit his face well and his hair is messy but looks like he stylized it that way. he's dressed comfortably in a huge sweater and baggy jeans with a molang keychain attached to one of the belt loops.

"where are you even going with all these books?" you ask. "i offered to take these back to the library for my english teacher, in hindsight i really should've just taken two or three not the whole stack." he chuckles sheepishly. he gets up, picking up as many as he can.

you pick up the rest and set them on top of the already tall stack lightly. "well good luck," you pat the stack in encouragement and it makes him lean forward a bit. he thanks you and makes his way down the hall once again.

you turn to yeonjun who was leaning against the wall watching you. "seeing you being nice to everyone is making me want to choke," he grimaces. "take notes choi."

it felt like forever since you arrived at the nurse's office. walking with yeonjun was really torture to you since he wouldn't shut up about how amazing he thinks he is.

once you walk in you both notice that the nurse isn't at her usual place at the front desk. "she went out to get more ice from the cafeteria," you hear someone speak. you both turn around and see a boy sat on one of the cots the nurse sets up for people who injure themselves.

the boy is kang taehyun, member of the baseball team. "hey tae!" yeonjun greets. taehyun raises his brow and moves the now melted ice bag from his wrist. "what's got you in here?" yeonjun asks sitting on the cot across from taehyun.

"i'd rather you not act like we're friends," taehyun states calmly. "but if you must know, i was practicing my swings and got a little too caught up. i barely noticed that i sprained my wrist." he looks down at his wrist which is slightly swollen.

kang taehyun was the baseball team's most prized possession. they really did cherish him because he was the ace of the team. he always scored home runs and when he was pitching, he always managed to get the batter to strike out. he was really talented no one could deny that. despite his hard work on the field, he was dedicated to his studies and was always at the top of all his classes. you wondered how he felt about spraining possibly the most important part of his body.

"damn, that must suck," yeonjun states, he doesn't sound apologetic at all and you wonder how that guy could have any friends. "im just here to get patched and cleaned up because that dickhead soobin decided this was fight club," he tsks. taehyun chuckles, "hope he knocked some sense into you." yeonjun rolls his eyes.

taehyun finally notices your presence by the front desk and motions you over to them by the cots. he's friendly but not someone you'd normally hang out with. "you don't look hurt?" he chides. you point to yeonjun, "i was asked to bring him here since our teacher didn't trust him to come here and well, actually arrive. since the nurse isn't here im guessing I'll have to stick around in case he tries to escape."

taehyun chuckles, "makes sense."

the room is quiet for a couple of moments, save for the ticking of the clock on the wall. you feel awkward being around two of the biggest names at your school. yeonjun is sprawled out on the cot and taehyun is still cradling his wrist. "uh...when do you think the nurse will be here?" you ask quietly.

taehyun looks up at you, "well when you got here it had been about 15 minutes since she left. she probably took a detour or something?" you nod looking at his wrist once again. "you should probably wrap that in a gauze, it'll help with the swelling," you suggest. he smiles at you, "thanks...uh?"

"y/n"

"right thanks y/n," he stands up and walks over to the cabinet to find the gauze wrap. in the meantime, you turn to yeonjun. it looks like he's sleeping but being in a class with him for 4 years has taught you better. "yeonjun."

he doesn't move. "yeonjun get up, i know you're not sleeping," you try. he sits up with a groan, "what do you want? i barely know you." for some reason you feel rage bubble up inside of you. you're not sure why either. usually, you were fine with not being noticed by the "so-called" popular kids but because of yeonjun, you were stuck in the nurse's office watching over him like a babysitter.

"why the hell did you fight soobin? if it wasn't for you i wouldn't be here talking to you right now," you say through gritted teeth. yeonjun raises an accusing brow at you, "were you not watching the fight? he threw the first punch for fucks sake." "you provoked him," you retort.

"it's not my fault he's dumb, god do i have to take responsibility for that too?" he groans laying back down on the cot. you eye him but decide to leave the conversation at that.

after your mini argument with yeonjun, you see taehyun return with the gauzes already wrapped around his wrist. "this is much better," he smiles down at his wrist. "glad i could help," you smile at him.

silence falls upon you three again until you hear a groan from outside. it doesn't really sound like a groan a human could possibly make, it sounds way to pained and low. "what was that?" taehyun asks. you shrug, "it might be the nurse." you walk over to the door and take a look outside.

the hallways on both sides are dimly lit and desolate. you can't really see down the hall because it just fades to black. you walk back inside the nurse's office. "there's no one out there and honestly, it looks way too cree-," you're cut off as a shrill scream rips through your conversation.

yeonjun sits straight up this time, "what the hell was that?" taehyun's eyes are wide with alarm, "that scream did not sound like a happy scream."

your eyes dart back and forth from yeonjun to taehyun. "i swear when i looked outside there was nothing," you say hurriedly. you're not sure why you feel panicked but you do. "check again," yeonjun tells you. you want to tell him 'no' or 'do it yourself' but you were the one to check first so you figure a second check done by you is only fair.

sighing, you walk to the door once again and look into the halls. for the second time, you don't see anything except for the darkness of the long hallways but you peer further and notice something.

all the way near the end of the hallway you see the nurse running towards her office. "hey i see the nurse," you call out to the boys. they make noises of acknowledgment and you hear yeonjun mumble a 'finally'. you keep watching her but you notice that she's running quite frantically to be considered normal. you don't say anything watching her run towards the office with confusion laced on your face.

that's when you see it. you see a figure running almost at the same speed as her but with more of a limp in their step. that's when you can hear the groaning more clearly but it's not coming from the nurse, its coming from the figure behind her.

the nurse makes the fatal mistake of tripping over her heels because she's running so wildly. her body slides a couple of feet from the door but she struggles to stand. she looks up at you and you can see that she has sweat and blood all over her face and her hair is unruly and matted.

"h-help me please!" she calls out to you. your heart is beating intensely. you don't know why she looks like this but you want to help. "y/n?" you hear taehyun call out to you. "what's going on out there?"

you bite your lip and decide to help her but as soon as you step out of the office the limping figure lurches forward and pounces on the nurse's idle body on the floor. you let out a horrified scream and step back. you can see the 'limping figure' clearer now and it seems to be one of the lunch ladies.

the only thing was that she didn't look the way she did when she served you breakfast this morning. her skin was pale and her veins were strangely very visible throughout her face and arms. her uniform was tattered and ripped as if a struggle of some sort had taken place. her face had deep scratches that had drying blood pouring out of them. her eyes were not warm, they seemed to be greyed out and she seemed very rabid.

you stood there, horrified, as the lunch lady tore through the nurse's clothes and body. you wanted to throw up as a bit of the nurse's blood was unintentionally launched at you. the lunch lady dipped her head down to use her teeth to devour the nurse's flesh in cold blood. you couldn't even rack up a sob.

it was like something out of a horror movie. except this was real life.

before the lunch lady could even finish eating the nurse, you watched as the nurse's body convulsed and thrashed violently before standing up on her own. her head was hung low and she seriously smelled disgusting.

you felt stuck as you watched both women stumble towards you before breaking out in full sprints. you flinched and shut your eyes tightly as you waited for your life to flash before them. it really felt like at any moment you would find yourself being eaten alive and convulsing into whatever monster that was.

but the feeling never came. instead, you felt your body crash against taehyun's on the floor. the only thing you could hear was the door slam shut and the screeching and groaning of whatever the hell those people were outside as they tried to get through the door.

you opened your eyes slowly and noticed that yeonjun was to one to slam the door shut, it seems like taehyun had pulled you inside.

taehyun groaned, moving to stand, "what the hell was that?" you shook your head, now having time to process what you saw. "she ate her...s-she- her body," you couldn't even finish explaining as you broke out in tears. taehyun ran a soothing hand up and down your back.

yeonjun moved away from the door. there was a tiny window on the door so you guys could see that the monsters were still trying to get in. "what the hell are we gonna do! if we go outside they'll tear us to shreds!" yeonjun too had tears streaming down his face. you have to admit you'd never seen him so vulnerable.

taehyun was the only one not crying. you could see tears in his wide eyes but they never fell. you figured he was trying to be the strong stable one in the group right now. "ok guys lets calm down. we don't know if we're the only people alive so we need to be careful." taehyun explains.

you do really feel bad for him right now. you know he's a year younger than you and yeonjun and him having to be the 'leader' at this moment must be tough.

he sighs looking at the both of you. "if we wanna make it out of here alive...we're gonna have to fight."

[sgtbradfords]

Could you write a Chenford prompt with this “You’re always number one.” ? Thank you!

Ok anon, this one was so much fun to write! Thank you for sending me this prompt! I hope you enjoy :) Send me a prompt from this list!

The sounds of car doors slamming filled the parking lot, the hot California sun bearing down onto the asphalt.  “Someone please remind me why we’re doing this again?” said Nyla Harper as she and Lila met the growing crowd in front of the building.

“Because Nolan said it’d be fun and none of us disagreed.”

“It’s also a bonding experience.” Piped in John Nolan.

Tim Bradford rolled his eyes. “As if we don’t spend enough time out of work as it is.”

“Alright,” said Angela Lopez, gathering the groups attention as she walked out of the building. “We’ve got 2 hours booked for us to play as many rounds as possible with a twenty-minute break after an hour. Wesley and I took the liberty last night of dividing everyone into teams already. Should someone feel as though it’s unfair after the first game then we will redo the teams. Alpha squad will be Wesley, Jackson, Tim, Lila and John. Bravo squad will be Sterling, Lucy, Nyla, Henry and myself.”

“Question, can we change our team names?”

“No.”

“What are the rules?” asked Jackson.

Wesley raised an eyebrow. “Their rules or our rules?”

“Ours of course.”

“No removing your sensor to avoid being shot. Keep physical contact to a minimum. Climbing is allowed as long as you don’t get shot. If you are shot, then your vest will reset after thirty seconds. We have the room to ourselves so no worries about outsiders. An alarm will go off in an hour to signal the break. Most importantly, have fun. Everyone ready?” Angela told the group before moving towards the building.

“You’re going down Bradford.” Lucy gloated as they walked through the door.

“Is that what you think boot?”

Lucy scoffed “Think? I know. Remind me again who was Mid-Wilshire’s shooting champ this year?”

“There was a scuba diver!” Cried John.

“We know.” Voiced the group.

The group divided up into their teams, going into separate rooms to get their gear.

“Game starts in five.” Nyla said as she slipped back into her teams’ room after helping Lila into her gear. “The amount of trash talk coming from them… Don’t be shocked to see Lila and Nolan team up.” She told them as she began gearing up herself.

An alarm through their room, giving off the one-minute warning. Both teams lining up outside of their doors that led to the complex.

The next alarm sounded as the doors opened, the lights off and blacklight’s on making the place glow.

“Yippie ki yay Mother-“

“NOLAN SO HELP ME, DON’T YOU DARE FINISH THAT SENTENCE.” Nyla yelled as she entered the room.

“-theresa!”

Each person began strategizing, Sterling being the first shot as Wesley rounded a corner.

Lucy was able to shoot John, who was helping Lila sneak under a platform, “Not fair Lucy!” he yelled as she ran away.

The first round went quick, the score almost even as the alarm blared, signaling their break, they congregated in one room, huddled around the TV screen showing points.

“How are they winning?” Cried Angela. “I know I shot Nolan at least five times!”

“It’s only by a few points honey.” Wesley smirked as he told his wife, taking a sip of water.

Angela glared, covertly flipping her husband the middle finger as Sterling wondered aloud. “How does a nine-year-old have more kills than me?”

Jackson laughed. “Because you play a cop on TV, Ster. Where as her mother probably gave her the good aim in her genes.”

“Wait, this says Tim and Lucy are tied as the top shooters.” Henry pointed out. “How is that possible?”

Everyone turned staring at the two as Lucy shrugged. “I told you, champion. Besides, I rarely win anything. Now Tim on the other hand, you’re always number one.” She said pointing a finger.

“Come on boot, Antonio won that one time!” he defended before explaining. “We do paintball once a month. Besides, Chen practically lives at the shooting range.”

“Only because you make me!” Lucy snorted before defending herself. “And I do have a life outside of work I’ll have you know.”

“Is that what you’re calling him? Because if I remember correctly, I had to buzz you in the other day at six in the morning wearing yesterday’s clothes because you ‘lost’ your keys.” Jackson pointed out causing her to blush. “And it wasn’t the first time either.”

Nolan propped his head on the fist of the elbow leaning on the table. “Tell me more tell me more did you get very far.” He sung.

“Shut up Nolan.” The group voiced as he raised his hands in defense.

The five-minute bell rang, half the group standing to head back to their room, Angela and Nyla moving to Lucy’s side as she began to put her device back on, shooting the test target in the room to check her gun.

“Is he a decent guy?” asked Angela.

Lucy smiled. “He is.”

“Have you done a background check on him?”

“I haven’t but I don't need to, he’s told me a lot.”

Nyla watched Lucy, her arms crossed over her chest. “You love him.”

“I do.”

Angela looked at Nyla before looking back at Lucy “Does he make you happy?”

Lucy looked at the two, her smile growing. “He does.”

“Then that’s all that matters.” Angela said. “If he hurts you, I hope he knows your family will help you kill him.”

Lucy laughed, “Not if I kill him first.”

The one-minute alarm sounded as each team re-assumed their entry positions.

Team Bravo was the first to strike in round two, Nyla taking Lila and Jackson down ten seconds apart.

Lucy quickly made her way to the second floor, finding the perfect corner that was dark enough to stay hidden with the help of her jacket hiding the glow of her target. She crouched down, keeping an eye out, watching the walkway that ran across the second floor, she knew Jackson was up here, having seen his white shirt go by in a blur as she made her way up from the first floor.

“Boo.” A voice whispered in her ear.

Lucy jumped to her feet, startled as she whipped around, pointing her gun at the person that was crouched beside her on the floor. “Didn’t your T.O ever teach you not to sneak up on someone with a gun?”

“It’s fake. And didn’t your T.O teach you to always stay aware of your surroundings boot?” retorted Tim as he stood, backing her further into the corner.

“How did you get there and how long have you been there?”

“Army crawled.” He said shrugging. “And not that long. So, who’s the guys ass I need to be kicking?”

“None of your business. But,” She told him, her tone playful as Tim stepped closer. “he’s about six foot four, blond hair, killer eyes.”

“Yeah? He sounds like a loser.”

“Well, someone has to counter his inner nerdiness.”

“Wanna play dirty?” he asked, as he moved closer, each hand grabbing for the belt loops of her pants as Lucy’s back hit the wall.

“Looks like we already are.”

“We are but,” he dragged out. “what if we teamed up to take down both sides?” he asked, leaning his body into hers.

Lucy bit her lip as she tilted her head back. “Conspiring to commit treason are we Sergeant Bradford?”

Tim moved his head down, his lips grazing hers as he whispered. "Conspiring to do something Officer Chen.” He said as he acted first, his lips capturing hers harshly, eliciting a moan from deep within as her body reacted to his touch. His fingers let go of the denim loops, hands slowly grazing the exposed skin where her shirt was riding up, causing her to shiver as she moved a leg, wrapping it around his backside.

“We’re going to get caught.” She said as someone yelled from the first floor. Tim moved his lips down her neck, his nose pushing her hair back as he sucked on the skin, a gasp escaping her lips.

“They won’t even know we’re missing.” He mumbled against her neck as his hands slid into the back pockets of her jeans, lifting her, pressing her harder into the wall as she wrapped her other leg around him.

“They’ll know when they see neither of us getting points.”

“We’re getting points.” He smirked, pulling back. “Just none they need to know about.”

Lucy fisted his shirt, pulling him into her in a hungry kiss, returning his earlier kiss with equal fervor before letting go, running her nails over his scalp as she grinded into him.

“Lucy!” Jackson yelled from the first floor, causing them to break apart. “I know you’re waiting for me!”

Lucy dropped down as Tim let her go. “How the hell did he get down there?” she asked, catching her breath as she grabbed her gun that was swinging by its tether.

“I guess you were distracted.” He told her, his tone light and playful.

Lucy moved around him, making the move to go after her friend.

“Wait.” he said as he pulled her back by the arm, twirling her into him as his lips found hers in the darkness, leaving her breathless.

Lucy moaned as she forced herself to pull away. “Later, we will finish this later.” She promised, retracting his hands from his waist as she stepped back. “And babe?”

“Yeah?” he asked stepping closer to her.

“Payback’s a bitch.” She told him as she pressed the trigger on her gun, the laser hitting the target on Tim’s chest.

Tim stood shocked as Lucy ran away. “What the hell Chen!”

Lucy’s laugh echoed off the walls as she ran down the stairs, taking out Wesley who was running up the steps “Oh Jackson.” She sung. “Wanna play a game?”

Fifteen minutes later the final alarm blared, signaling the end of the game.

“Alright, which team is ready to buy the brews?” Angela asked the group who stood waiting outside. “Drum roll please!” Lucy, Nyla and Lila, began beating their hands on their thighs.

“With 3400 points the winner is… Team Bravo!”

“In your face Bradford! Break out the money clip old man!”

Tim rolled his eyes at his girlfriend’s antics before stepping closer, “Twenty bucks says Jackson will be wasted by the end of the night.”

Lucy looked at Jackson who was pouting. “Make it loser pays for ice cream after paintball next week and you’ve got a deal.” She told him sticking out her hand.

“Deal.” He told her accepting her hand, lingering for what was probably too long for ‘coworkers.’

The next week Lucy smiled, handing a twenty-dollar bill over to the cashier before glancing back at Tim who was trying to stop the topping avalanche that was sliding down his double scope of Oreo ice cream. “You ready?” she asked as she pocketed her change, holding out the hand that held no ice cream.

Tim smiled, hints of ice cream on his lips as he took her hand, walking out the door. “With you? Always.

[since0202]

Chapter 40: Forever

Training against alpha orders wasn’t going great. Every time Grace and Jake got a moment alone, he was not apt to try and do it again. But he was her only cooperative alpha to practice with. Jake was getting better at exerting the alpha tone though, even if it did make him cringe. 

“Is this like some weird reverse psychology where you feel like giving me orders will push me farther away?” Grace asked as they hung out in the Cullen’s backyard. Jake was standing on the other side of the clearing with his hands on his hips, nervously glancing up to the balcony that shot off the living room. 

“No, I just don’t want to give you alpha orders. Is that so bad? Plus, you’ll be able to resist Sam’s alpha orders anyway if he does try to give you one like you’ve done before, right?” Jacob said. Grace bit her lip and shifted from one foot to the other. “What?” he said when he noticed her face. 

“Nothing! You’re right, I will. I just…” she tried to avoid this topic with him without telling the whole truth. 

Just then, Emmett and Jasper rounded the corner coming back fresh from hunting in the hills. Jasper gave them a wary look as Jacob tensed. Jake did the worst around Jasper, but he was pretty comfortable with Emmett. Another idea flashed in her mind. 

“You two fighting or something?” Emmett asked, his golden eyes filled with mischief. Jasper looked from Jake to Grace with curiosity. He always seemed to have that look—curious, like he wanted to figure out the situation before he decided to partake. 

“Not exactly,” Jake said, his eyes still trained on Jasper. 

What if… Grace wondered and Jake’s eyes immediately snapped to hers. 

“No, absolutely not,” he said in a low, stern voice. Without looking back at Jacob, Grace strode over toward Jasper. “Grace!” he shouted after her, but she kept going. Jasper tilted his chin down, eyes filling with recognition from her body language. She heard the sound of Jake phasing quickly, a snarl ripping through his throat as he charged toward her. 

Grace focused, bringing up a large dome like shield that encompassed her and Jasper who were within feet of each other now. She pushed the dome out and steadied it before Jacob collided with it with a crash. 

GRACE!  He shouted at her in her mind now. 

“You sure this is a good idea?” Jasper asked in an easy drawl. Grace knew the weight of the imprint was kicking Jacob into overdrive but she needed an alpha order. The only idea she’d come up with to protect Bella hinged on it. She pushed the pain rising in her stomach as she felt Jacob call out to her through the imprint and nodded at Jasper, readying herself. 

Jasper shot his arm forward, trying to grasp Grace around the throat, but she dodged. Jake was snapping and lunging against the shield but unable to break through. Jasper flickered in front of her, moving too quickly for her eyes to perceive and landed behind her, wrapping a stone-like arm around her neck and pulling her back. 

Their commotion had drawn a crowd. Seth and Leah were also on the outskirts of the dome now and Leah was frantically trying to get Jacob to do something. 

What the fuck is she doing? 

Grace? Seth called out tentatively. Jacob was all snaps and growls now, pushing against the shield.  

Grace had slipped from Jasper’s grasp, holding his wrist as she went and pulled with exceptional force to toss him toward Emmett. Jasper landed lithely with a grin and shot back toward Grace in one quick movement, bringing his ice cold hand up to her face, holding under her chin and lifting her off her feet. She grimaced, holding around his wrist again and glanced around the dome. Would it hold if she recast? Only one way to find out. 

She focused on the ground below her, just a short distance and recast. The shield fell instantly and Jacob, bucking against it crashed into the clearing toward Jasper, all rage. But Grace flickered back in an instant and realizing her mistake, she cast up another shield, encompassing just Jasper and her and slowly pushed it back. Jacob yelped in surprise and then tried to dig in his heels to fight against the push back. 

Just fucking give her an alpha order to stop! 

Jasper readied himself again. Grace was actually enjoying this. She hadn’t been given the chance to spar with the Cullen’s and she felt rusty trying to figure out her movements. She leaned into the fight more now, taking advantage of this spontaneous, albeit Jake-stressed moment. 

Jasper’s arm shot out for her again, but this time she dodged it, surprising herself. She moved quickly behind him trying to loop her arms around his neck, tighten and toss him back, but he moved easily out of her grip. They moved smoothly around one another, like a dance. Grace didn’t dare try to recast again, not wanting to risk the shield falling and Jasper becoming lunch. Jacob was pacing back and forth against the shield now, seething. She could feel it coming off of him as he watched her, but she continued. 

At one point, he caught her off guard, swiping a hand down at her feet, grabbing an ankle and pulling her up so she landed flat on her back. The wind knocked out of her and Grace let out a stuttered cough before quickly rolling out of the way from Jasper’s descending heel to her face. That was close. She thought. 

Are you done?! Jacob’s angry voice floated toward her. 

Nope. She replied, even the voice in her head sounded tired. Jacob growled and snapped. 

I’ve seen enough! Grace. The alpha tone rang through, forcing her to listen. Grace was on the other side of the field facing Jasper and she held a hand up to pause him. He obliged, watching her face and stood stock still. Get. Over. Here. Now. 

Grace’s eyes went wide and the familiar choke of the alpha call started to drown her. She took a step forward without realizing it and squeezed her eyes shut to concentrate. Come on, come on, you can do this. 

Wait, you’re fighting the alpha command?! Can she even do that?!

Grace, I don’t like this. 

Will you two please shut up? Grace said. The bottom of her feet felt like she was standing on fire and the only relief was to take a step forward to cool them off. But she resisted. Arms at her side, fists clenched, she willed every cell in her body to stand still. 

Now Grace! Jacob’s voice pulsed through her again and she let out an audible gasp, her shield faltering and breaking apart. Jasper looked up around him in curiosity. 

You have a choice. Make the choice to say no. Say No. No, no, no, no, no, no. She repeated in her head. But the feeling rushed up through her legs, swirling in her stomach and making her feel sick. Her head started to spin and even when she opened her eyes, she couldn’t see. The shield was down now, but Jacob stayed where he was. Grace felt her body move forward and let out a yell of frustration before falling to her knees. Without meaning to, Grace felt tears fall down her face. She held onto the grass in front of her and tried to untether herself from the command that wound tightly around her throat. 

Suddenly, a pair of arms were around her though and her vision slowly came back into focus, her breathing returned and the weight of the alpha command lifted. Had she done it? Relief washed over her in that moment before she realized that Jake was in front of her, pulling her to her feet and wrapping his arms tightly around her. She let out a groan of satisfaction, frustration, and relief. Tears still streamed down her cheeks as he leaned down to her ear and whispered: 

“What was that?” She could plainly hear the frustration in his voice laced with concern. Grace imperceptibly shook her head, gulping for air against his chest. “No more alpha orders.” He said as her stroked her hair. Grace was still trying to catch her breath, holding onto him and trying to capture that familiar feeling of relief. 

Later that night, Grace was posted with Leah. Jake, Seth, and Embry were running a wider ring around the perimeter of the Cullen property, while Grace and Leah stayed close by. 

“Why are you trying to practice resisting alpha orders?” Leah said suddenly picking tomato out of the sandwich Esme had made them. Grace paused, looked at Leah and then looked up at the grand Cullen estate. 

“There was something I wanted to try, when it came time for the fight to happen. Because there will be a fight.” She said resigned. Leah simply looked at her waiting for her to continue. “I’ve been able to resist Sam’s alpha orders a handful of times. It was always when someone was in danger or pushing something too far. It felt like a choice to do it. My brain clicked into to place that I couldn’t let something happen to the pack and then suddenly, the binding stasis of the order just kind of went away. I was hoping…” Grace paused here and looked at her hands. “I wanted to practice that feeling to see if I could, under duress actively transmit that feeling to members of the pack through our mind link. And maybe, just maybe, it would allow them to make a choice to ignore the alpha order too. But...I couldn’t do it.” 

Leah sat for a long time looking at her and finally she said, “Thank you.” Grace startled at this, “For trying, I mean. Alpha orders...especially Sam’s were a unique source of pain. I’m so glad Jake doesn’t give them.” She ate some of her sandwich, considering something  and then said with an air of confusion, “Wait, why did you think practicing using Jake’s alpha orders would work for this little experiment?” 

“What do you mean? He’s an alpha, so he could give alpha orders.” 

“No I mean...It’s Jake. He’s not just an alpha, he’s your imprint. And obeying an alpha order from Jake isn’t going to be the same as obeying one from Sam, is it? You want to listen to Jake because you trust him.” Leah said all this in one breath. Grace looked up at her, amazed. 

“Oh fuck, you’re right. Whenever I was trying to fight against his alpha order everything in me felt wrong and I didn’t want to fight them.” 

“Sam’s orders are different.” Leah said conclusively, nodding her head and digging into a neat tupperware container full of potato salad. Grace sat in stunned silence and couldn’t believe she had been so dense. Of course she didn’t want to fight against Jake. Sam’s orders were always something that held Grace back, left her out of the loop, or ended up endangering more of them. Jake was only ever giving Grace an alpha order either because she asked him to or because he had been genuinely worried about her safety. 

However, she still didn’t feel great leaving it up to chance that Sam would 1) give an alpha order to attack on the day and 2) that Grace would be able to resist it in the same way and hopefully stop the others. The idea of resisting the order and belaying it to the others was still just theoretical, she had no idea if it would even work how she wanted it to. Her phone beeped. 

SMS Text: 10:48p.m.—Jacob

I’m home. You’re relieved. 

Grace replied, You can say that again. 

SMS Text 10:50 p.m.—Jacob

You know what I mean :) 

Tell Leah to head home too. The Cullen’s agreed to take rounds tonight. 

Grace snapped her phone shut and looked over at Leah relaying the message. With a surprised look on her face, Leah nodded appreciatively, said “About time they pulled their weight,” and phased to run home. 

Grace recast to her cottage and found Jacob in the back room throwing in a load of laundry. He was shirtless, as usual and when he turned to her, he smiled that unforgettable heart aching smile of his. 

“Hey, thought I’d start a load, we’re running out of clean clothes,” he said nonchalantly. Grace nodded, her eyes scanning up his body in appreciation and said, 

“Feel like a shower?” 

Grace turned on the shower head and let the steam slowly build up in the bathroom, fogging the mirror. She started to remove her clothes, throwing them in the laundry basket outside of the bathroom door and shivered at the cool air colliding with the warm steam. As she stood naked, waiting for the water to warm, goosebumps running up and down her body, she felt a warm body press against her back, lips touching her shoulder. She let her free hand reach back behind her to playfully comb through the thick black mop of hair on Jacob’s head. He circled his arms around her bare stomach and she shivered for an entirely different reason this time. 

Once they were both safely tucked in the shower, Grace told Jacob about what Leah had said about how she thought resisting the alpha orders didn’t work partly because Jacob was her imprint and partly because she didn’t want to. Jacob listened to her carefully and then with a small smile said, 

‘Oh you like me too much to disobey alpha orders?” Grace laughed and smacked a soapy hand on his chest and then gave a small, “Yeah, I guess.” 

After they showered and were comfortably in bed, Grace wrapped her body up next to Jake’s completely in love with the feeling of him there. Just as she was starting to drift off to sleep, she heard Jacob quietly whisper three little words: 

“It’s my birthday.” Grace’s eyes shot open and she leaned up, one hand on his chest and the other on the bed. He lifted a hand to play with the tendrils of damp hair falling around her face and looked at her with a smug smile. 

“It’s your birthday?!” She repeated back, her voice an octave too high. He nodded and let out a soft chuckle. “Oh fuck, I’m the worst girlfriend ever! How did I not know this?!” Grace placed her hand on his cheek and smiled apologetically. “Happy birthday, Jacob.” He twisted his head to the side so he could kiss the inside of her palm, giving her a rush of excitement. 

“Thank you,” he said. 

“I can’t believe I didn’t know. I didn’t get you anything...I—” she faltered feeling the absolute worst. 

“I can think of something you can gift me,” he said gently. His eyes were dark pools swirling with moonlight that shone in above him. Grace gave a soft smile and let her thumb stroke the line of his jaw. 

“Oh yeah?” she whispered. He nodded and leaned his face up to hers finally connecting his lips with her gently parted lips. Grace felt a giant wave of joy roll through her body as he brought his broad hand up to the side of her neck. The searing warmth made her gasp. He tasted like summer air, sweet with a sunkissed warmth that made her head buzz. He deepened their kiss, his breath intermingling with hers as they both refused to pull away from one another. Grace felt her entire body tethered, meshed with his and everything in her screamed for more. But she was happy to explore this moment with him. She felt her entire future in this kiss. When they finally paused to look at each other, Grace couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off of her face and she was pleased to see that Jake wore a matching one. 

“Happy birthday,” she said. 

“I love you,” he replied simply. Tears sprang to her eyes as laughter escaped her. Was it possible for someone to be so ridiculously happy? How did she manage this? How did she deserve someone like him? He kissed the tip of her nose and smoothed her hair back. She was finally able to say, 

“I love you too, Jacob. So much.” and with that she brought her lips down on his, eager for another taste of sunshine incarnate. He held her so tightly to him that she thought any other feeling would leave her wanting. 

The next morning, she woke up in his arms, hair splayed out on the pillow behind her. The sun splashed light over their copper bodies. She leaned up sleepily and planted warm, soft kisses to his parted lips as he still slept. She would never pass up another moment to kiss him. He mumbled a soft good morning, eyes still closed as she whispered she was going downstairs to make breakfast. 

The peaceful morning light swathed across her kitchen filled her with expectation and hope. As she put together the fixings for an omelette, Jacob stumbled sleepily down the stairs and came up behind her, leaning down to sprinkle kisses across her shoulder and neck as she continued to chop peppers. When he slipped his hands under the waistband of her pajama bottoms and gingerly stroked the tops of her thighs and traced the line of her hips with his fingertips, she put the knife down and said, “Move in with me.” 

It felt easy. She turned and looped her arms around his neck as he looked down at her sweetly. 

“You want me to move in with you?” 

“Absolutely. This is forever for me and you practically live here already. But I want it to be official. I want this to be our home. Our future,” she said definitively. Something twinkled in Jacob’s eyes as he nodded and pressed a kiss to her lips. 

“Done,” he said. She loved that about him. The finality, the absolute certainty of his resolve to make her happy, be everything she needed him to be. She squealed with excitement and he let out a laugh leaning down to kiss her again. 

“Good god, it’s 8 o’clock in the morning, can you guys chill?” Leah said as she padded into the living room. Jacob didn’t let this interrupt their kiss though as his mind spun out the daydreams he had suppressed early in their relationship when he would sneak in to sleep in her bed at Charlie’s. Memories that he hadn’t even had yet sprang to impossible life as certainties now. She was his in every way and nothing could sully that connection. He wrapped his arms tightly around her lower back and lifted her up, not breaking their kiss as Leah made pretend gagging noises in the living room. 

[oh-for-fic-sake]

Trophy Chapter One

Hello soo iv been on here for forever and have been writing for a while, but never had to balls to post anything iv began a short mob boss henry cavill fic but im super nervous of posting it so not only is it my first imagine fic but it's the first smutty piece iv done in a while so yeah its not super smutty but I'm happy.... please be kind I'm just testing the waters to see if anyone likes it or not.

WARNING SMUT AHEAD 18+ ONLY 

You get kidnapped by the new kingpin in town

TROPHY

Masterlist

 Part 2 part 3 part 4 part 5

You heaved deep breathes in 1 2 3 out 1 2 3 then back in somehow maintaning a grip on your nerves, sitting your tender knees one armed gaurd either side of the door hands cuffed behind you chain of the hand cuffs looped around the leg of the heavy wooden desk that dominated the office.you'd already kicked clawed and twisted out of the grunts grasp as they brought you in to the hpuse apparently tho you can't run to save your life...��literaly youd only made it a quarter of the way down the gravel drive befor being jumped grazing your knees and hands.

 You spun your head around takeing in the office simple and refined a large ox blood chesterfield sofa along the wall to the left of the door ,matching dark wood polished side board unit with predictable crystal decanter set half full of amber liquid two matching ox blood club chairs directly in front of you and a window on the other side of the desk behind you somewhere. On the right of the room was another door solid wood ;you wouldn't be breaking through that anytime soon and a floor to ceiling book shelf full of hard back and leather bound books. You closed your eyes trying to clam your nerves the last thing you needed was a panic attack 'tho this is a perfectly acceptable time to panic' you thought to yourself.

Suddenly the main door into the room ajacent to you opened heavy foot steps acompanied by a deep chuckle as a man made his way into the room. You leaned to the left lightly trying to look around the club chair in front of you breath hitching in your throat as you laid your eyes on the the golieth of a man befor you 'fuck whats going on?' 

Henry you knew of him hell everyone in town did ,he owned it. He was tall ,broad very well built he had a strong jaw line with a few days stubble dark curley hair tamed away from his face and the bright blues that he was well known for he was a stunning alpha male and he knew it .Looking up gifted you with a smile that shook you to your core his eyes held a strange glint that made you uneasy her leand back against the arm of the chair and crossed his arms across his chest "Good afternoon Y/N I heard from my men you've been a naughty girl trying to run?"  He said directing the question to the men behind his at the door who nodded in affirmation. He pinned you with a look and you shrunk into your self

 "well what do you have to say for yourself?" biteing back your retorts in favour of asking " what do you want? Why am i-" his eyebrows furrowed and he gutted holding up a hand at you coming to stand face on befor you " ah ah that young lady was not an awnser now I will ask again what do you have to say for yourself? Hm how far did you think you'd get pet?" you faltered his gaze darkened causing you to shiver as he started smirking showing off his perfect teeth and letting out a low gravely chuckle as his impossibly blue gaze stared at your doe like hazels "not going to answer? well it looks like my pet needs a little discipline then."

 Quicker then you could register he grasped your face angeling it up towards him ,whimpering his hand engulfed your whole lower jaw fingers resting near your ear ,you trembled again unsure this time if it was fear or arousal this man was huge gorgeous and dangerous  you all but hissed at Him leaning back as far as your bonds would allow twisting and tugged your head fight or flight kicking in trying to get him to release you. "One thing you will learn is that I have no qualms with swiftly dealing with naughtly little girls and there bad behaviour" His hand followed your movements shushing you like trying to calm a wild animal then with a twist his wrist his fingers rested below your chin and thumb was placed on your lips and with seemingly practiced ease he push his thumb was in between them your reaction was instinctive instinctive instant latching your teeth onto it trying desperately to ignore the clean and manly taste of his skin shifting you dug your blunt teeth into his knuckle biting hard, intent on snapping it off growling at Him glaring at his unwavering gaze ,you trembled at the small bubbles of heat in your lower tummy caused a damp patch on your panties hating how unfairly handsome this man was.

He hissed through his teeth and frowned tilting his head forward leaned down slightly crowding you and then scolded You lightly "now now dont do that pet let go" he was calm his voice was deep and seemed to wash over you warmth spread through you and your insides churned."aww come on pet let go" He swayed his hand back and forth and lightly pulled backwards testing to see if you'd let go he tried again firmer "pet let go of daddy, if not you won't like the consequences" you did not like how your pussy clenched at his words trying to bite harder you locked your jaw in response trying desperately to gain some semblance of control you felt yourself getting hotter as your thighs rubbed together as you still tried to get his hand away from your mouth. He sighed and looked at you in mock dissapointment then straightened to his full height tutting at you the smug glint in his eye was the only warning befor he somehow slipped his thumb into your mouth a little more then harshly pressd down pinning your tongue to the bottom of your mouth then curled his fingers under your chin. You yelped out around his invading digit in pain his grip was tight unrelenting thrashing around.

 you panicked this time rising on your stinging knees twisting your body and clenched your smarting hands behind you tugging on the cuffs he followed your movements patiently taking a step towards you and unbeknownst to you slipped a foot under your body "thats enough little one.settle.down. you did this, if you had listend then daddy and awnsered him like a good girl i wouldn't have to be so mean now. sit.back.down and daddy will stop" his voice was hard and commanding but you continued to wiggle fruitlessly for a few moments trying to get his painful grip off of your jaw tears flowed freely down your face as you sobbed .

Realising that this man could subdue you with one hand was a bitter pill to swallow until finally whining you sniffled and lowered yourself to the ground squeaking you jolted up snapping your head up to look at him as you felt his shoe against your mound he pointed his finger down and lifted an eye brow you lowered yourself carefully fully aware of the heat building in between your thighs finally with you seated on his foot he released your jaw slipping his other hand to the top of your head you looked down red face you felt him wiping your spit onto his expensive looking trousers " good girl shush dont cry little one ,see you can be a good girl, you will be a good girl wont you? Be daddy's good girl?" He said mockingly as he smoothed down your hair placeing one hand at the back of your neck pinning you to his foot then began slowly rubbing his foot across your mound he shushed you again as you stiffend gasping trying to move off of him as he bared his weight on his hand pushing you down .Closing your eyes you whimpered before letting out a tiny single moan as he found a tight rhythm on your throbbing clit you cried out as he began moving faster your walls clenched taught as you fought the urge to rock onto him moaning as waves of pleasure vibrated through you from your core as you soaked through your panties  your face grew hot as you absentmindedly tugged on your cuffs again.

"good girl see its not so bad is it?" He leant forward slightly murmuring soft praises to you. you found yourself rocking against the hard leather squeezing your eyes tighter, flushed and panting as your clothed felt far to tight against your skin grinding trying to chase the impending orgasm as your clit rubbed against the seam of your leggings "ah-oh fuck ple-PLEASE" you moaned resting your forehead onto his thigh grunting quietly caught between your thoughts denying yet craving that finale so close. So close gasping as your body began to tense and the first tremors of your orgasm approached you moved faster throwing your head back moaning breathlessly as he pointed his foot up caressing your heat just as "YES, n-no I dont oh GOD"  . Raising your head seeing his burning gaze through your tears he took control forcing you to come undone sobbing as your body succumbed to the intense toe curling end thrown over the edge into bliss, weightless as you come down from your high he leant down kissing your forehead.Falling back into reality you were mortified as you felt your wetness that had soaked through your leggings onto his shoe and rug below you crying in small sobs as he released you stepping back "oh sweet girl look at this mess you made. you've even left a puddle on the rug" he shook his head and motioned the men at the door to leave lifting your head at the sound of the door brought another onslaught of tears as you realised there had been an audience to your humiliation he run his fingers through your H/C hair hushing you whispering praises calming you down to trembled gasps eventualy in a small voice you asked  "why are you doing this?" he smiled you flinched slightly he crouched down to cupping your face gently between his hands stroking the apples of your cheeks "why what? Why i had to punish you? To teach you lesson one is listen to daddy as for why your here? well you are mine, you always have been but I am done waiting for you to find your way home". He stood and made his way behind the desk you heard the distinct sound of leather as he sat "now you can stay down there while daddy does some work, if your good i will think about not restraining you tonight"

Well there you go

[homestuckexamination]

Selfish Vs Unselfish

Jesus. Yeah I have nothing to comment here, I’m going to read this later when I haven’t just woken up.

You know the drill. Put it under ‘Read More’. A matter of perspective it can be, but there can be an objective truth to sort that out. Let me e x p a n d on this matter using Homestuck and some philosophy. And for those who missed the last ask on Active/Passive divide, please do remember that these labels are on a continuum, not strictly boxed categories. “UNSELFISH” or UNSELFISH - The passive classes lean more to this. How? By being group-oriented. Like support classes in RPGs, their asset comes mainly from a drive to benefit others. Roxy is one of the best examples of this. While she was passive-aggressive in her pursuit of romance, she is ultimately willing to put her self aside and bettering herself if that meant making sure the group stays together. She does this by, to quote Dirk, never turning the tables to make a talk about her when she knows her friend needs something.

TG: i was gonna say why i finally quit drinkin TG: i mean if you want to know GG: Yes. GG: Actually, once you did stop, it made me finally realize it was a problem for you for a long time. GG: And I didn’t say anything at the time, but it made me wonder if I wasn’t doing the right thing before. GG: By failing to point out you might have a problem? Or just going along with it and participating in lively banter any time you clearly had too much to drink? GG: Was I just being a bad friend? TG: nah it wasnt your responsibility to fix my shit TG: and anyway i think i made it hard for anyone to come at me like it was a real problem TG: i was always joking around so much and havin a good time like kind of overzealously so TG: that i probably just made people feel like a shitty wet blanket for even mentioning it

She wants to be of use to her group. However, the downside to this is that, as passively Roxy can be, she often needs them as well.

TG: and now dirk knows that too and for some reason letting him down feels like the worst part?? TG: which is equally lame and weak cuz i should care for my own sake not for how it makes a dude see me but it still just really bothers me ???

TG: i didnt want her to meet a sloppy embarrassing mess of a daughter

TG: even if she did like to drink at some point it was kind of a childish idea that doing so myself would make me closer to her or help us bond or whatever TG: anyway i think i might of overestimated her drinkin habits

How would you know if a class is truly passive when a character just been a really selfish a-hole through the story? It’s how they mainly rely on others as well. Let’s use Aranea as the main example of a selfish passive Sylph of Light that tries to emulate a Thief. Aranea says that Sylph is a healer type of class that involves boosting others, even excessively. However, while she claims that she merely wants to help and shepard the Alpha timeline by taking control of it, Meenah says otherwise. What Aranea has been doing is a self-aggrandizing act to get into the spotlight and not sit on the sidelines anymore, much like her fellow Serket. Like Kanaya, she is meddlesome. She asserts that what she does is for the good of all, even if that means doing something others would object to. They don’t want that. But, she does it anyway.

At first, she complies when the recipient refuses, but when it eventually comes to her ultimate takeover plan, everyone else comes second. She may believe that she’s just granting their wishes, but her underlying motive is ultimately selfish- albeit by excessively “helping” others for her own cause. Aranea failed to learn what Mindfang did:

“8ut as I sit here deciding what to do with the damna8le little sphere, I understand my error. It was not in failing to chart a course through future events to turn my fortune’s tide, even so many sweeps from now. It was in 8elieving the future was mind to know, and fortune mine to control.”

Now let’s use Rufioh and compare him to Roxy. Both of them are Rogues. Both of them are group-oriented characters that act selfishly from time-to-time. The difference is that Rufioh is more selfish. He’s extremely affable to the point of being a doormat to please others all while trying to be polite about romantic advances despite being a flirt himself. He’s reluctant to voice his own reason that he wants to leave his matespritship with Horuss. Sounds familiar? He’s the Jake of the love triangle. Rufioh cheated on Damara and never takes responsibility from it, focusing on Damara being a crazed scorned girl.

Passive players that fail to balance supporting others and fulfilling their own desires often end up being thrown in a loop. Forcing your solution solution on others for 'their own good’ is selfish. Your concern on how others perceive you may be sprouted from your own insecurity. Whenever you make a donation to the less fortunate, how can you be certain it’s not without the purpose of staving off guilt, doing it because it simply aligns with your moral code, or because it feels good? 

AG: I decided not to, 8ecause I didn’t want to 8e the one to make you sad about it.

AG: Was that selfish of me? I dunno.

It’s a gem to see volunteers whose instincts are to help people to make life more bearable, mind you. But they’re also doing that because they want to see them better and it’s often their own desire to do so and fulfill that dream.

ENLIGHTENED VS UNENLIGHTENED SELFISHNESS

-I’ve rambled on this a bit. Here’s a recap:

*Unenlightened Selfishness is… pretty much the archetypal self-centeredness that makes people jerks. It’s whenever you do something for yourself with little to no regard to other people’s desires. It’s the greedy shark hoarding all the treasure. It’s when you try to justify your actions with a perspective of “everyone else is selfish, so I’m entitled to be an asshole to everyone too”.

*Enlightened Selfishness or Enlightened Self-Interest is the opposite. It’s when you respect that everyone has their own wants and needs by compromising and coinciding them with your own. It’s like a deal. It’s the Golden Rule. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. It’s when you do things for other people for the good you’ll get from it, even when the payment is simple politeness and being generally nice. Society expects each individual to benefit the community in turn by working. We work with the expectation that others work for us. Unlike the first, this form of self-interest benefits both parties. Another term is Selfish Altruism.

We see an exercise of selfishness burning brightly through Vriska’s arc.

(VRISKA): I’m not a loser though! (VRISKA): I LIKE who I’ve 8ecome. (VRISKA): I actually feel happy and good a8out my life for the first time in… may8e forever?? (VRISKA): Like, ACTUALLY good a8out my life in a way that feels real, instead of forced. Don’t you realize that’s what it was like for us? VRISKA: You don’t have a life! VRISKA: You’re DEAD, remem8er? VRISKA: I’m the one with the life! VRISKA: And I fully intend to use it in a relevant and constructive way to help 8ring an end to all the horri8le shit that’s 8een going on for way too long. VRISKA: Remem8er when you used to care a8out that sort of thing? VRISKA: No, o8viously not. VRISKA: All you care a8out now is 8ullshit hipstery fashion trends, feeling “happy”, and… whatever the fuck it is you’re doing here? VRISKA: Frolicking with some horses in an ugly field or some shit. VRISKA: Just a8solutely disgraceful. VRISKA: How could I have 8ecome so selfish??

Vriska is accusing (Vriska) for being selfish despite being selfish herself. Remember her popular hero quote?

VRISKA: I only ever wanted to do the right thing no matter how it made people judge me, and I don’t need a magic ring to do that. VRISKA: You don’t have to 8e alive to make yourself relevant. VRISKA: And you don’t have to 8e a good person to 8e a hero. VRISKA: You just have to know who you are and stay true to that. VRISKA: So I’m going to keep fighting for people the only way I ever knew how.

VRISKA: 8y 8eing me.

And a few panels after that, she does this.

VRISKA: OHHHHHHHH NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!! VRISKA: OH FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! VRISKA: WE’RE G8ING TO LOOK AT WH8T’S IN THIS CH8ST RIGHT N8W!!!!!!!! VRISKA: DO YOU HE8R ME Y8U F8CK? VRISKA: I D8DN’T SCRAPE AND CLAW MY W8Y 8ACK TO RELEV8NCE F8R THIS SHIT! VRISKA: I’M DOING S8METHING F8CKING IMPORTANT! AND WHEN I DO SOMETH8NG FUCKING IMPORT8NT, EVERY88DY 8ETTER D8MN WELL PAY ATT8NTION TO ME!!!!!!!!

Sure, her resurrection got everyone’s attention, but also annoyance. A lot of their personal problems aren’t truly solved, just put on a temporary chokehold by someone with a stubborn, assertive personality. She’s taking charge so that her team won’t be in poor condition for the big fight, but also to, well, be in the spotlight. She doesn’t care how others think of her, she just wants to help… but also because it makes her important, even if that means overpowering her friends, including her moirail Terezi. Vriska’s the active counterpart to Roxy in both class and aspect. A positive part of this is that it’s easier for Vriska and other folks like her to be self-driven.

…

What am I getting at? It’s a matter of intention. Are they doing it to mainly benefit others? Or are they acting to benefit themselves? Even if it’s grey, there’s often a tint or shade that’s lighter or darker that makes someone lean somewhere. It doesn’t matter how they see themselves and how they perceive their own actions, it’s their motivation that defines the line. Accidents don’t count. It’s the will. Looking at one’s intention is a way to objectively sift through the blurriness of it their actions, even when said intention is subconscious. You can also simply take the Active/Passive divide on strictly class roles in terms of RPG abilities alone if you’re not keen on the personalities of the bunch.

[burnedbyshoto]

Weak

anonymous asked: can we get a bakugou fluff based on the song hug all ur friends by cavetwon

pairing: bakugou katsuki x fem!reader

warning: bakugou has high anxiety, cussing, fluff

word count: 4,000

a/n: so I listened to the 1 hour loop to this song when writing it LMAO, I think its one of my better pieces ive written, but I guess that’s also for you to decide!!!!!! enjoy!!!!

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Bakugou Katsuki was someone who had no guilt in admitting that he cared about himself first and foremost. Bakugou Katsuki never imagined a day would come where he would find himself interested in someone-- especially in a romantic setting.

Romance and Bakugou, to him it seemed like mixing oil and water. Impractical and impossible.

Bakugou was hard, rough, and explosive.

Romance was soft, tender, and weakening.

So for the life of him, Bakugou could not understand why on god you were consuming his thoughts. Why did you have him wrapped around your fingers despite you only being his best friend? What the hell was wrong with him?!

Bakugou stared at you from the distance, his eyes were warm, his face soft, and the book in his hands long forgotten.

You were a force, this overwhelming energy that he could not figure out.

You weren’t like Kirishima who gained his friendship through mutual respect and trust in each other’s strengths. You weren’t like Sero or Mina who he came to see as friends after he used them for their quirks two years ago. You weren’t like Kaminari who he saw as a friend because Kirishima came as this unknown package deal.

You were soft, tender, and in no way were you weak, but Bakugou couldn’t think of any other word to describe you but weak.

It made no sense as to how you two became friends. The two of you had spoken once! Then you landed a punch on his jaw so strong that he needed to go to Recovery Girl and you cried for hours afterward. Bakugou thought it was dumb that you were apologizing so he yelled at you for being stupid. Seconds later you two were friends.

“Bakasuki, it’s way past your bedtime!” You screamed as you looked up from your phone. Your eyes red with tiredness and irritation still shone as you made eye contact. The impressed grin on your face as strong as if it was midday. “It’s midnight?!”

Bakugou felt his face cement over again. It was an involuntary action as you rambled off about how the big softie Bakugou Katsuki was awake at 'crackhead' hours. As you got up and walked over to Bakugou, he felt his hardened features melt as you took a stance in front of him.

“I bet you’re staying up because of me, come on, admit that you like me.”

Your words are teasing of course, yet Bakugou’s heart clenches at the truth of your words. Bakugou one year ago had begun staying awake past nine because of you. You were always active at night! You told new stories that Bakugou wanted to hear at a late hour, and Bakugou soon found himself staying up.

Ten at night turned to eleven, eleven became twelve, and then Bakugou was up until two in the morning because of you. He never complained about it, and he never dared to tell you or anyone about it. Bakugou took every teasing you gave, and you teased him about him staying up every night even if it was a year later.

“Trust me, if I was staying up because of you I would fucking hate myself,” Bakugou lies as you laugh. “Don’t think you’re fucking special because I tolerate you.”

His words were harsh to the average ear, but to the trained ear, to your ear, it was as if he nudged you playfully.

“Sure you old grump,” you wink as you stick out your hand. “Iida said it’s my turn with the Disney+, wanna go watch with me?” 

“As long as you don’t make me watch something fucking horrible,” Bakugou grunts as he takes your hand.

He would watch the sappiest of movies and the weirdest of shows if it meant that you’d snuggle into his side. His favorite memories have you at his left. These memories also included you between his legs as you laughed hysterically at the horrible and childish jokes. It also didn’t matter how many times you watched the same movie, you always ramble as if it was your first time viewing it.

“I’m thinking Lilo and Stitch,” you let him into your thoughts as you begin walking towards the staircase. His hand is still locked with yours. “I think I can be Lilo, and you can be Stitch! You two have very similar personalities!”

“Like hell I’m anything like that fucking animal!”

“I didn’t even need to goad you into a reaction!”

“Shut up dumbass…”

“If I ever stopped talking to you, you would go insane! So careful what you wish for!”

“I wish you would shut up…”

Bakugou watched as your lips pressed flat together. A faux annoyed expression on your face and you dropped his hand.

It may have embarrassed Bakugou to admit what he did next, but it took him five seconds to crack under your cold shoulder. He threw you over his shoulder as he walked to your room. Your squealing exclamations were loud as he held your lower thigh.

“See I told you--”

“Shut the fuck up, shitty woman!”

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

Your loud groan rang in Bakugou’s ears and his eyebrow twitched as he once again looked at your slumped figure. It was the second to last set of finals you guys would be taking as hero students. Three years later, you were nearing the final countdown to graduation! But that meant finals.

Bakugou had managed to stay within the top three of his class all three years. So he felt decent in where he was in class ranking right now. He has ranked third right now after all, but you ranked fifteenth. A feat that he had zero idea about how it came to be considering how smart you were. You had a sharp mind, a witty sense of humor, and a deadly tongue! Yet you were barely outperforming the rest of his idiot friends. You were one of the few people who could beat him in a verbal challenge! But when it came to pencil and paper tests, you stumbled hard.

“Would you stop fucking groaning?! You’re not getting anything done except getting on my goddamn nerves!”

“WELL!” You immediately yelled back, your nose stuck to the sky as you tossed your pencil away. “I don’t know actually! I screamed well because I live for the dramatics!" Bakugou groaned as you laugh. "Okay, but this all makes sense to me now! It's... I’ve realized I become an idiot whenever I try doing it on the exams.”

“It’s because you are an idiot.”

“Wow, thanks,” you complain as you slam your forehead against your math textbook. You shot back up gasping loudly. “OH SHIT! Bakugou you solved all my problems! This entire time I’ve been an idiot! I’ll tell Deku to give me some smart people juice tomorrow morning, obviously, I’ve been sipping the idiot juice.”

“Hah? Fucking hell -- do you ever shut up and wait for me to finish what I’m saying?!”

“Bakasuki, there was a period at the end of that sentence! Or let me guess what you’d say next!”

“Don’t fucking guess--”

“‘Oi, shitty woman, I’m Baku-hoe Kat-sucky, and you better get your head outta your asshole! Maybe if you weren’t always on your goddamn phone you wouldn’t be failing’!” Your voice had lowered multiple octaves to the point where you sounded like you smoked every day. Bakugou watched as your face contorted into a mock scowl, your nose stuck into the air as your arms folded across your chest. “‘I’m the alpha nerd here, so you have to fucking listen to me, you damn fucking nerd ass shitty woman!’”

Bakugou remained silent as you erupted in giggles, your eyes beaming with joy as you looked at him.

“I don’t fucking cuss, shitty woman,” Bakugou retorted. He knew it was a lie but the way your eyes expanded four times their size and how you pressed your face into his shoulder was worth the lie.

“You don’t cuss?! Wow, suddenly my name isn’t y/n!”

“Hm, well I was going to point out that you probably have some form of testing anxiety, but since you’re Miss. Fucking-Know-It-All…”

“There’s no way I’m eighteen and don’t know that about me!”

“Well, you didn’t fucking know you loved chocolate caramels until this last month either.”

This launched you into another tangent. Your conversation skills always gave Bakugou whiplash! You talked about everything you could and right now it was about what you loved. It should have annoyed Bakugou, he knew that! But while you rambled about how you loved seeing oversized dogs in bags, he realized that he loved knowing more about you.

How he would kill for the chance to pull you close, he knew that if he did you would hug him without a blink of an eye. Bakugou knew if he attempted to feel your warmth you’d overwhelm him forever and he wasn’t sure if that was something he wanted. Did he want you? Did he actually love you or was it just the chemistry in his brain is dumb. He wasn’t sure what he wanted as you showcased your favorite pencil.

“Do you have something you love, ‘suki?”

You.

“No, I don’t fucking love anything. The hell is love good for?”

“Don’t you worry about what people think about you when you can’t answer a question on something you love?”

The only opinion he cares about is yours.

“They don’t need to fucking care about what I love, how the hell does that make me a reliable pro hero?! Gossip and tabloids and interviews are bullshit. How is me smiling and being nice in front of a camera going to prove anything?”

Bakugou’s eyes widened as you wrapped your arms around him drawing him into a tight embrace. His eyes blinked rapidly as he felt frozen. His hands are frozen at his side as you pressed into him. You were making him dizzy. His heart pounded so loudly in his ears that he feared you could hear it as you pressed your lips to his ear.

“Sometimes you just have to hug people, let them know that you’re not letting go. Being kind and offering a hand, even if it kills your feral vibes, gives them a reason to love you and trust them. Trust is important, you know that, dummy. Hugging them is a small promise of not letting go.”

His breathing stilled as you pulled away. Your hair fell in your face and you sucked everything out of him as you smiled softly. But who would Bakugou Katsuki be if he didn’t have something back to say?

“I’m not fucking hugging any of those damn extras out there!”

“It was a FIGURE OF SPEECH, BAKAGOU!”

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

“Rise and shine, grumpy old man!” Your voice rang as bright sunshine shone through Bakugou’s room.

“Fucking hell, y/n! Shut my goddamn shutters!”

“It is past noon, and I am here to make sure you are in fact alive!”

“Shitty woman, please close the damn shutters… I got in three hours ago and I want to fucking sleep in.”

The shutters closed immediately and guilt hung heavy in your voice as you said, “Wait you got in at nine?! You got called out of class early, too!”

Bakugou who had been sitting up now, glowering at your form fell back onto his mattress without a word. Unfortunately, it seemed that you weren’t quite done with him.

“Why the hell are you still in my room?”

“...can I nap with you?”

“Hah?”

“I was out from five in the morning until a few minutes ago! I just… want to cuddle, but if you don’t want to that’s totally cool!”

“You’re so goddamn annoying,” he nearly growls. It wasn’t necessarily directed at you, but instead himself. He was going to let you obviously, but how much longer could he do this uncaring act? How he hadn’t just slammed your oblivious ass against a door to kiss the soul out of you was beyond him. “Get in.”

A loud squeal emitted from your throat as Bakugou felt your figure snuggling into his chest. Your body was cold against his, and he resisted the urge to shiver as you wrapped his arm around you.

“I never fucking said you were allowed to cuddle.”

“Oh please, you were going to latch onto me at some point, might as well do it now instead of waking up to it and freaking out.”

“You’re fucking annoying.”

“Shh, I’m trying to nap.”

Bakugou snorted but nonetheless brought you in closer as he too closed his eyes. He ended up falling asleep with you in his arms. It wasn’t until he woke up did he realize that today was to be your friend's date. Something you had been persistent in having. But as you too woke up at half-past seven p.m., the both of you agreed that the nap was way better than going out.

That is until Kaminari sent a picture of Bakugou and you cuddling to the group chat. But then again, Bakugou may or may not have saved it as his home screen.

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

4:48 a.m.

Bakugou’s eyes focused on the neon red numbers that illuminated across his bed. His alarm was positioned as such so he would be forced to get up to turn it off in the morning.

His heartbeat was pounding in his ears as everything turned blurry.

4:49 a.m.

His eyes closed and he was suddenly back in Kamino two years ago.

His body felt dirty, sticky, unclean.

His mouth tainted with the taste of copper. His teeth gritting together as he saw All Might fighting in front of him.

It was hard to fight with his sweat-soaked and stiff clothes. All he knew was those bastards turned from wanting to convert him to wanting him dead. He remembers stumbling and seeing your frantic eyes in the corner of his vision. He didn't know you well back then, so it confused him, at least before a yell from Kirishima took his attention away.

It was the first actual memory he had of you, and yet it intertwined with his memory of All Might’s downfall. A downfall that could have been prevented if he had just been fucking better. If he had been a better hero maybe he wouldn’t have been caught. If he had been a better person maybe he would never have been targeted in the first place. It didn’t matter how many different ways he ran through his memories, it always ended up being his fault.

The fight with Deku had helped relieve the surface tension. All Might saying it wasn’t his fault barely made an impact on the guilt demon that ate away at his inner thoughts.

Simply told, tonight was a bad night. Nothing he did could drive away the guilt demon.

You were the one who made him strong but you were out on a mission for your hero work. You were being a hero to people who needed you, yet Bakugou wanted you to be his hero right now…

His anxiety crawled down his spine. His mind swimming back to the image of All Might's defeated form, and it kept reeling in his mind. His palms sweated profusely, but at this point, he had no idea if it was from his anxiety or from his quirk.

It burned to breathe and he wanted to go for a run, but he knew he shouldn’t. So he stood up out of bed choosing to walk down to the kitchen.

4:57 a.m., the clock read as the door shut behind him.

He felt dizzy as he walked down the hallway, his heart racing as he went down the staircase.

The lights were on and it made his eyes hurt as he opened the door for the ground floor.

“‘Suki?” A tired voice whispered as Bakugou stared up.

It was you.

Your uniform looked rumpled and dirty. Your tie wasn’t done and your hair was a mess as you yawn, your hand rubbing your eye as you waved at him. Bakugou saw the bandage on your neck and cheek and he pointed at them.

“Some dumbass with a--” you stifle a yawn as you shake your head. “Fucking vampire quirk! If he bit you, and consumed your blood, you would be entranced with him! Can you believe that!”

Bakugou snorted as you showed him the bruised mark on your neck.

“Thing is, he doesn’t have fangs, his teeth were super dull, so now I look like I had sex!”

“Can’t have people thinking that huh?”

“Nah... now, you gonna tell me what’s wrong?”

Bakugou knew better than to lie to you, but he couldn’t help it, you needed to sleep.

“Nothing, I needed water.”

“I’m sure you are,” you nod your head as you adjust your backpack. “But that doesn’t explain why there’s tears in your eyes and on your cheeks.”

His eyes widened as he felt the wet stains on his face, he was indeed crying.

“I don’t really wanna talk about it,” he grumbled as his hands shoved into his sweats.

“That’s okay,” you smile as you take a few steps forward. “Can I give you a hug?”

It takes everything in him not to scream at you to hug him, so instead, he turns his head and nods curtly. Your arms are wrapped around him immediately as he feels himself shrinking into your hold. You were safe, you were warm, and you made him weak.

It was at that moment that Bakugou Katsuki noticed that he completely and utterly was in love with you.

As he went through these thoughts you grabbed his hand and led him upstairs, “I’ll get you your water, but you need to rest.”

“Shitty woman, I can take care of myself,” Bakugou breathed as he didn’t resist you taking him to his room. “Besides we have class tomorrow, you need more sleep than I do.”

He watches as you shrug as you open his room door.

“Maybe so, but I’m a Hero and you’re someone in need of a savior!” you chirped as your lips pressed softly onto his cheek as you sat him in bed. “I’ll be right back, lay down please!”

He nodded dumbly as you left, his cheeks burning as the door closed.

It felt like no time had passed as you soon returned with a cup of water, “Now drink! Crying is good for the soul, but it dehydrates you so much.”

“Tch, idiot, don’t say that like you cry all the time,” Bakugou grumbles as he chugs the water down.

Your fingers take the glass from him and place it onto the desk, your shoulders bouncing as you sigh one last time. “Well, I should go to bed, I may not need beauty sleep, but even three hours of sleep can make me ugly.”

“Sleep here,” Bakugou found himself mumbling as you were by the door. “You can take a shirt, I just… please, just fucking sleep here with me?”

Bakugou expected teasing, he expected you to laugh it off and say he was dumb and crazy. What he didn’t expect was for you to grab his skull t-shirt and strip your clothes off in his bathroom.

He stilled as you crawled into bed with him, your body curling into his as you held him near.

“Goodnight, ‘suki,” you whispered.

His arms wrapped tightly around you, a sharp intake of air went through your nose.

“Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you, y/n.”

“You’re welcome…”

✩✶✩❇✩✶✩

You smile while wiping away tears that formed in your eyes.

Tears streamed uncontrollably down your face as you taped up the last box with writing that read: Y/N PICTURES.

It was moving out day, you had done it, you graduated.

“Y/l/n-chan!! Stop crying and c-come take a p-p-picture with us!” Mina wailed as she too was crying uncontrollably.

The common room was fill of every one of your classmates, tears were in everyone's eyes as boxes scattered near the entrance. It was over. Three years of heaven and hell were gone and even though everyone would still be seeing everyone again (you all were working in the same general areas after all), tears wouldn’t stop.

Multiple times you brushed away tears as twenty-one of you stood for class pictures.

Class pictures became friend group pictures, friend group pictures became trios and duo pictures.

Everyone was crying and everyone was laughing too. It was as if you were never going to see anyone again and the tears wouldn’t stop.

I love you’s were exchanged, promises of not forgetting who each other were as you would all become stars, and plans on monthly meetups because you were family. It was too much, it was too sentimental, and you were ready to leave.

“I hate to do this to you all, but it’s time to go,” Aizawa lulled over the roar of your classes chatter.

For the first time, his words were useless as you all took a photo with him, much to your homeroom teachers' secret enjoyment.

But now it was time to go.

You gave a one-armed hug to Mineta as he bounded out of the door. He had somewhat had drunk respect-women juice and was now tolerable. But the nightmares forever remained.

Then Koda, Aoyama, Shoji, Ojiro, Tokoyami, and Sato were done swiftly yet deeply. They all said kind words and promises to keep in touch as they left.

Then it was Iida, Todoroki, and Midoriya. The group of boys embraced you tightly as Iida told you and Midoriya to stop crying. It only strengthening your tears as Todoroki patted your back softly.

Then it was Mina, Momo, Jirou, Tsu, Uraraka, and Hagakure. The girl group and the reason why this class felt like family so quickly made you cry harder as you all lost it. Hugs were tight, hugs lasted minutes long as you all shouted over each other. This was not goodbye, just a see you later.

Sero, Kaminari, Kirishima, Mina, and Jirou once again met you for a tight embrace. The dubbed Bakusquad because Bakugou was the loudest one in the group, but you all knew that if the group never held Kirishima it would never work. Bakusquad was truly Kirisquad and you excitedly talked about how you were all going to karaoke on Sunday.

A gentle cough broke you from Sero’s embrace and you turned to the last person who you hadn’t hugged yet.

Bakugou didn’t look at you as he sighed, his shoulder slumping as he looked at you. Your lips quirked as your heart raced at his red-tinged eyes, he had cried too.

“We’ll see you guys later!” Kaminari yelled as the boxes in the now empty common room belonged to you.

“We’re still on for tonight?” Bakugou asked as his finger brushed the wet trails that stained your cheeks.

“Have I ever ditched you or stood you up?”

“You could have made plans in your crying hysteria, it’s been done before.”

His words are teasing and you laugh as you launch yourself into his arms. Your arms wrap around his neck as his rest around your waist.

“I don’t know why you weren’t interested in having a spa day with the girls!” You teased as you bit your lower lip.

“Too much gossip about dicks,” Bakugou rolled his eyes as he squeezed you tightly.

“It’s a good thing you didn’t go, I wouldn’t have wanted you to see me talking about my dick of a boyfriend,” you whisper as his eyes shine brilliantly.

“Hah? You’re really gonna fucking--”

Bakugou never got to finish that sentence as your lips pressed against his and his mind went weak as he kissed you back.

You were the undoing of Bakugou Katsuki.

You made him weak, yet he’s never felt stronger.

[ceratonia-siliqua]

Sunshine

Baby’s first stucky fic! A/B/O based on a post from awhile back about omegas being soft and smelling good after laying in the sun. If I find it again I will link it!

Written because of prompting from @the1918 and @howdoyousleep3. It’s not my usual poetic musings but sometimes you just need some unadulterated fluff. 

Warnings: The lightest, barest amount of angst if you squint. This work is also left ambiguous as to the history prior to this so it can be as close or as far from canon as you would like it to be!

Sunlight, unfettered and sweet filtered through the window. Cast a long glowing shadow across the light wooden flooring. The light traced the imperfection in the wood, every scratch and gorge on display. It was a sight, one made homely by the nest pooling across the floor. It was small, temporary, one built by an omega for comfort than by an alpha for home. A lump made warm and honeyed by the light rested in it’s center. Long strands of hair stuck out wildly from it, messy in a sleepy way. A way that made Steve’s heart melt into a molten, sticky mess. 

He slowly made his way over, taking in the sight of his omega in a state of sound and utter peace. Bucky had burrowed face down, hiding his eyes from the light while his skin absorbed the vibrant smell that came from it. To Steve it was the smell of a happy omega. He’d never once known an omega to be sour after a sun bath, especially not Buck. Bucky always smelled like peaches, the sun ripened him till he smelled like cobbler. It was addictive, Steve’s favorite smell on earth. 

He’d been watching for awhile now. Morning coffee in one hand, newspaper forgotten in the other. He watched Bucky build the nest, had offered to help but was politely ignored. Steve may have a tendency to go overboard with nests. When he’d been a skinny slip of a thing he’d committed himself to perfecting the art. It was the one alpha role he could fulfill and do truly well. He’d rent books from the library and spend hours memorizing the best techniques. It felt silly looking back but it had been one of the only providing roles he’s ever thought he could meet. Ultimately, it had been a good time investment if the nest in their bedroom was any indicator. Bucky had once joked the only thing it was missing was Steve going apeshit with a baddazler. 

A massive sigh came from the Bucky shaped lump on their living room floor. The kind that only comes from complete and utter contentment. Steve couldn’t resist anymore. He set his coffee and newspaper on the dining table, never looking away from the sundrenched spot. His footsteps didn’t seem to alert Bucky in the slightest, a trust built in the space of their life together. Their home provided them both safety, safety they needed after so much of their lives spent constantly in and out of war. It was nice to finally have a physical space to call home, even if that was Bucky’s title before the four plaster walls surrounding them. He carefully stepped into the nest, straddling the space over Bucky before folding down on top of him. 

Bucky jumped but settled as Steve’s nose burrowed into his neck. His skin was warm and sweet, Steve couldn’t help but get a few openmouthed kisses in so he could get a taste. Couldn’t ever get enough of Bucky, especially like this. Nearly liquid under him, Bucky’s purrs were gentle and sleepy. He worried his own rumbling would be too much, but he received no complaints as the sun warmed his back as his sun sweetened omega heated his front. It was blissful, he wished they could stay there, unmoving, for the rest of their natural lives. 

The shifting beneath him seemed like it would end that wish, but Bucky had simply turned onto his back, tucking his face into Steve’s neck and getting his fill of his beloved alpha’s scent. He’d told Steve once that he smelled like pines, he wondered if the sun changed that the way it did Bucky’s. Their joined scent, something sharp and fresh with a homely edge to soften it, flooded the space around them. The sun mellowed it into a hazy cloud. 

“Steve?”

“Mhm?”

“Are we still supposed to go to that charity event Tony is putting on?”

Well, that killed the mood a bit. He sighed, “Yes, we do.”

“How many rounds do you think we can get in before we have to be ready?”

The scents in the room suddenly turned deeper, mustier, Bucky shuddered beneath him. “Why don’t we find out, sugar?”

_____

The smell of sun didn’t leave. Even after fucking like they were dying, the vibrant smell lingered in unexpected places, most notably, Bucky’s hair. It made getting ready difficult on Bucky’s part. 

“Steve I swear to god-”

“I’m not doing anything!”

“Get your nose out of my hair for five seconds so I can get shit put together!” Bucky hip checked him hard enough that Steve let up. Made puppy eyes at his mate’s back even as his very name was cursed to the heavens. The clacking of hangers across the rack followed him as he sat down on a chair by the closet, watched as Bucky tried to find them both outfits. 

“You know Buck, you don’t have to dress me. I’m fine doing it on my own.” If looks could kill Steve may have ended up with two knives in his ribs with the way Bucky was glaring. 

“Steve, there are a lot of things society expects out of me, most of which they can shove right up their asses, but I will not be the omega that lets his mate leave the house dressed like a doormat.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means you dress yourself like a cardboard box, Steve.” 

“I’m wounded Buck, I really am.” The pout he put on was usually successful but rarely a trick he pulled. Something about the dinner had to be stressing his poor baby out if he was this snippy after most of the day in bed. 

Bucky sighed, running his fingers through his hair, still drying from the shower. “I’m sorry Stevie, it’s not your fault. There is a lot of press coverage at this event and I don’t want to give them ammunition against you.”

Oh, oh. Things were clicking now. The press had been a problem for a while now. Steve knew what Bucky meant but wasn’t saying. For some reason, a magazine company had started running slander campaigns against Bucky. In a way it was to be expected, Bucky wasn’t a traditionalist, and neither was Steve when it came down to it. They’d both dumped enough expectations for their roles in the garbage to be on equal ground but Bucky got the worst of it. Everything he did was picked apart. Most of it was laughable, but there were things that got to him, mainly those which targeted Steve. Bucky could handle more than anyone he’d ever met, but Steve had never seen him more devastated than the day four articles had come out about Steve wearing mismatched shoes. All the blame had been pinned to his poor omega. The gossip circles had labeled Bucky as neglectful. One of the few “omega specific” tasks he was known to partake in was dressing Steve. When they had been nothing more than two starving Brooklyn kids, Bucky had been determined to take care of Steve when his body shit out on him. One of the few things he’d let Bucky truly do was dress him. They had a rhythm, tops always went on first. Unless he was too weak to lift his arms Bucky would simply pass shirts, jackets, and coats for Steve to do himself. Most days Bucky only put his feet through the legs of his pants for him, letting Steve pull them up when he stood. There were plenty of times on the other hand, where Buck had needed to vault Steve into standing by his belt loops so they could get him up long enough to get his pants on. 

Steve knew all of this, very well in fact, but the media didn't. They hadn’t seen Bucky, eighteen with only a few dollars to his name, beaten and worn down. Hadn’t seen the exhaustion skittering across every nerve. Didn’t know that despite being dead on his feet, Bucky would always make sure Steve was taken care of first. No one deserved the level of disrespect going on, but Bucky shouldn’t have even been on the radar. The shoe mix up had been his own fault. Bucky had been sick, throwing up at even the slightest suggestion of light. He had gotten dressed in the dark and ran to the store, hadn’t even thought about what he might look like, laser focused on his task instead. Bucky needed medicine and Steve needed Bucky well. That was all he had thought at the time.

“Buck, we don’t have to go.”

Eyes fluttered to the side, Bucky wouldn’t look at him. “I want to go, and it wouldn’t be fair to Tony to leave him to the dogs like that.”

Steve nearly snorted, Tony wouldn’t notice them failing to pop in, and even if he did it wouldn’t be remembered the next morning. 

“Sweetheart,” He stood up, went and placed both his hands on Bucky’s shoulders. Bucky peaked at him from the corner of his eyes. “You don’t have to make yourself uncomfortable to make others comfortable. We can stay home, watch a movie, order some take-out.” 

Bucky looked over his shoulder at their closet. He held himself like he was expecting something to jump out at him, like a timer was set to go off any second to spell some horrible doom. Steve wanted to call it right then and there, force them to stay home, but Bucky would fight him on it and go out of spite. He cupped the side of his darling mate’s face and coaxed him into eye contact. Blue and grey met and blended, met and crashed, met and free fell backwards into each other. There was trust, so much trust. It bellied his own concerns, left him hovering there waiting for an answer. Bucky would make the choice he needed too, even if it wasn’t the one Steve would have made for him. From day one he had sworn to be an alpha Bucky could respect, one that he would be proud to stand by. Part of that was letting go in moments like this. He looked into those eyes, the ones that belonged to his heart, and sent a silent message. It’s your choice. Your call. I will follow you wherever you take me, us. It was intense even for such a simple choice, but that was always how it was between them. 

Bucky’s nose turned into his wrist, silent puffs of air sliding over his skin as Bucky drew in his scent. He closed his eyes for a few time-stopping seconds before those haunting grey eyes peaked beneath fluttering lashes. 

“...Let’s stay home.” A smile turned the corner of his lips, an expression Steve would never stop loving. “But I get to pick the movie. You’re still on a two week probation after making me watch Baby Driver.” 

Steve couldn’t resist dipping down, stealing a kiss across slightly chapped lips. The kiss stolen at the end of his love’s sentence was sweet. The traces of sunlight only made it sweeter.

[ascottywrites]

The Angsty Post

Where Happy Endings come at the slowest of paces.

*Or, you know, sometimes not at all. 

Rewriting the future by Synesthetic  (Complete: 28/28| 106,631) --Steter 

Two days before their planned bonding, alpha Derek Hale runs away with his secret beta girlfriend, leaving Stiles heartbroken. With the demands of his omega physiology forcing him to bond with someone before his first heat, Derek's uncle Peter steps in and offers a solution.

Backstage is Full of Parasites by Falln_Grce (Complete: 14/14| 61,346) --Steter 

A little tweak to the Teen Wolf universe where Stiles learned to take care of himself from a young age. And despite going through trauma as a child, he's 17 now and has adjusted to the new normal as well as he can. With a soulmate-AU just to keep things interesting.

What if the Sheriff didn't turn to alcohol when his wife died... What if he focused all of his attention on helping a seven year old, recently removed from an abusive home, Isaac get settled into the Stilinski household... Where would Stiles fit into that world?

How I Long For Yesterday by sweetbutterbliss (One-shot| 6,017) --Sterek 

Stiles blinks, his throat going dry, and he moves his thumb without thinking - liking the post. He feels a surge of petty satisfaction. At least the fucker will know he knows now. He stands up, his body feeling too heavy, and he blows out the already guttering candles. He lets out a sob of frustration when the last one won't fucking blow out. But he sucks it back in and bites down on his tongue, using his thumb and forefinger instead.

He throws himself into their empty bed without undressing. He lies there repeating the words 'Derek blew me off for Isaac' over and over. He tells himself to shut up while rearranging his pillow violently, but he goes to sleep with the refrain continuing its painful loop.

You're Not Who I Thought You Were by halcyon1993 (Complete: 21/21| 84,549) --Sterek 

Stiles is lonely. The only person who really talks to him is his best friend, and even Scott seems eager to ditch him whenever someone better comes along. Following a stupid decision made late one night, his small world opens up as he discovers things he never before thought possible and he meets a mysterious man who could be the answer to all of his problems.

In Word and in Deed by lielabell (one-shot| 7,778) --Sterek 

Stiles has stopped saying "I love you." Derek wants to know why.

(Once in a) Blue Moon by clarkoholic, skywardsmiles (Complete: 14/14| 60,051) --Sterek 

Stiles and Derek are getting along, but they’re not a family, and they’re sure as hell not mates. Christ, they’re basically just two stupid guys who happened to get pregnant because of a full moon and sheer dumb luck.

We Are Made of Our Memories by JenyaKeefe (Complete: 9/9| 12,441) --Sterek

"I don't have amnesia." "Um, clearly you do. You're under a spell that's taken a year's worth of memories." "No. I've wakened from a spell."

Lost on you by devilscut (Complete: 7/7| 51,322) --Steterek 

A deadly encounter with an Alpha changes Stiles' life forever - kicked out and betrayed by his best friend and brother, Scott McCall, he leaves Beacon Hills, but much to his surprise not alone. Ten years down the track, living a life he never dreamed possible, a chance meeting brings back memories of that night - the good and bad mixed with a whole lotta WTF that even now still has him scratching his head as to what happened.

In Treatment by tzzzz (Complete: 22/22| 166,937) --Sterek 

Derek hires Stiles, a professional alpha sex therapist, to help him through his heat.

The New Normal by midnightcas (Complete: 27/27| 63,392) --Sterek 

After Stiles gets hurt...again, Derek puts him on the metaphorical supernatural bench. Meanwhile, Stiles tries to have a normal life and make normal friends. But when a new pack comes to town and the Hales start getting threats, things start to get a little....not normal.

The Mating Privilege by Kikileduc (Complete: 12/12| 35,380) --Sterek 

Stiles and Derek have been happily mated. The pack is doing well, but in hopes of creating alliances for it to do better, Derek accepts a neighboring pack's request to allow two wolves to join the Hale-McCall pack for a full moon cycle. They hope to form a blood-tie, or at least a long term friendship between the two packs. The issue is Kohona, the tribal leader's daughter, has her eyes set on an unavailable alpha wolf. This could have drastic consequences for their young emissary, however...

Beta read by the amazing Splash_of_ bi! Cannot thank you enough!!

Jokingly I'm adding this WARNING after having two separate comments talk about heart palpitations and others stating they are physically shaking or experiencing high blood pressure after reading the first few chapters.... WARNING: read with caution if you have a pre existing heart condition, Derek and the Pack may cause you to be upset!!

If We Could Match by forestofbabel (Complete: 9/9| 23,455) --Sterek

As Stiles waits behind the camera during an interview, he thinks he should maybe quit. Because, in all honesty, despite the charming smile the actor is pulling out for EW, Derek Hale is kind of a jerk.

Your Heart for My White Fences by zgdtx (Complete: 10/10| 29,444) --Sterek 

At first, Derek was the one night stand that he could not pry himself away from. Before he knew it, Derek was the married man Stiles had fallen in love with. Then, Stiles was the little lamb being tossed into a pit of wolves, helpless and alone. There was not much he could do, no, not much at all. Dark AU.

Call in the Air Stike (Tell Them to Make the Drop) by WednesdaysDaughter (Complete: 2/2| 5,126) --Sterek 

"How do you tell your best friend that the guy you were slowly falling in love with flat out said you were nothing but a waste of space, and you’ve secretly felt that way about yourself once or twice on a bad day? The answer is, you don’t."

Twyla Hale by FiccinDylan (Complete: 13/13| 37,123) --Sterek 

After the formula of their go-to product changes, "Hair Day" becomes "Hell Day" in the Hale Pack household. It's time for Derek to call in the pros, imagine his surprise when he's presented with a wicked tongued white boy with honey brown eyes.

***sure there’s some stuff that happens that’s not fun but i think I would characterize this as light angst in comparison to the inherent possibilities of this fandom lol  

Baby You're Beautiful by supernaynay (one-shot| 1,089) --Sterek 

“God you’re beautiful.”

Derek hadn’t even realized that the words had left his mouth until the whole room went silent, including Stiles, who until about five seconds earlier was busy yelling at him for putting himself in danger yet again.

I want to do this for you by Late_to_the_fandom (Complete: 17/17| 19,323) --Sterek 

“You must be delusional,” Derek deadpanned as he stood abruptly and stalked away indignantly to throw the broken shards of his cup in the garbage can. “In what harebrained scenario of yours did you think I’d say yes to this?” His heart thundered in his chest as he stared at Stiles in disbelief. “Nothing good can come out of this and you know it.” He paced angrily, his hands fisting then uncurling as he tried to rein his emotions. He stopped suddenly, his glare piercing and his words cutting, “I would never let you use me like this.”

There's Something About Love that Breaks Your Heart by Stereklover11 (Complete: 5/5| 7,835) --Sterek 

"I love you," Stiles said.

Derek didn't answer right away. Then he said:

"I'm sorry Stiles, but I don't feel that way about you. Or any guy for that matter."

The one where Derek is bisexual but doesn't know it and refuses Stiles' love...at first. ;)

Baby Daddy by DiscontentedWinter (Complete: 25/25| 55,369) --Sterek 

Laura Hale decides it's time to expand her pack. And Stiles could really use the money. And Derek... well, that's when things get complicated.

Bake to Remember, Eat to Forget by butyoureyessaidyes (Complete: 19/19) --Sterek 

It’s 6:18 A.M. on a Monday, and Stiles is using his thumbs to shape the fondant butt of a Winnie the Pooh sculpture. It’s the most action he’s seen in a long time.

--

Or the one where Stiles runs his own bakery, never locks the front door, and doesn't know he's part of a werewolf pack (until he does).

Kill Me Once, Shame On You by AllTheseSquaresMakeACircle (wip: 15/?| 46,512) --Sterek 

In the aftermath of their final bout with Gerard, things kinda went to shit. Yeah, they won. But Scott had violated some major boundaries. Jackson was still an emotionally constipated douche. Erica and Boyd were missing. In general, everyone was left missing a piece of themselves in one form or another. There was also the fact that there was a literal pack of alphas bearing down on them. Stiles was really getting sick of this shit.

(There's) Sulphur in Our Blood by WonderWolf (wip: 19/21| 186,356) --Sterek 

"Harris put you on a recon mission with Derek. You. Alone with Derek. On a mission. Together,” Scott says, slowly. “Does Harris want you dead?”

“I believe so," Stiles says gravely.

(Secret Agent AU where Derek blames Stiles for his sister’s death and Stiles is pretty sure that Derek’s going to murder him. As if that weren’t enough to deal with, Stiles’ familiar keeps having public breakdowns.

Oh, and there’s a mole in the agency, so there’s that too).

[stevenuniversetanzanite]

The Angel Among Us (Cordelia X reader) part 5

Wrote this at 12 am this morning. Hope it's not too rushed, I tried to move the plot along. I didn't expect to write 5 parts for this series but I like the plot of oh well. Probably 1-2 more chapters for the prequel before we go to the outpost.

Warnings: Murder

Parts: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 , Part 4,  Part 5 , Part 6 (will be added when done) 

Cordelia had been working all hours to find ways to protect the girls. She had piles of protection spells but they all detailed different ingredients and served different purposes. Some only worked on an individual, others on blood relation. She knew the correct one had to be somewhere. A couple of the books were missing from their spot on the bookcase. The last user had not placed the books back in their rightful spot after use. She groaned, using her powers to find the location of the book. She found the book, accompanied by similar titles in your ‘study’. She settled her candle down on the floor as she rested on the floor wincing at the contact. She went to open the book when her cell phone rang. She jumped as the sound rung throughout the room. She left her work phone on the bedstand, her personal on dead and with no power to charge it, it would remain that way until the power grid fixes the electricity.

“Hello, this is Cordelia Goode Headmistress of miss Robichaux's academy for exertional young ladies speaking, how may I help you this evening?” She said when she picked up the device.

“Cordelia, this is John Henry Moore. I have found something that might concern you…”

The man thought you had looked familiar which led the man into a search to see why he thought you recognised your face. John was going through the old archives when he found an old journal about a being described as divine in nature.

The tale, in summary, goes as followed: A woman birthed from light wandered the earth in search of an item she lost. She stumbled on a wounded woman in the red dust. She offered her aid in return she must help the woman of light find what she lost. Without options, the wounded accepted the help. The being of light protected the other woman from the red sand under her feathered wings. As the story goes on the woman refused to help her causing the woman of light to undo her end of the deal. The woman of light left the woman buried in the red dust. The story ends the same way as it began, the woman wandering the earth.

By the warlocks who recorded the story, the woman of light was dubbed the She-devil by some and only seemed to be a threat to woman. The name itself didn’t work to well, as the word has connotation to being a malicious or spiteful induvial while the book displayed her as fair and just, however like the devil loves deals and excepts both ends of a bargain to be upheld. The woman was compared to one of the 19th century who was seen as the living female eqiverlant of the devil making the name more literal.

For a time, she was seen as a goddess among that ill willed men prayed when their wives got to be too much. But do not pray to not call for her if the woman is wounded, a redhead, or the emotionally damaged for you will never see her again.

“I might be missing something but how is this story important enough for me to hear at 10 pm?”

“It’s the drawings that accompany it. In all renditions of the same story all the drawings are the same.” They were all of her girl. The man told her to check her emails for all the photos he took of the book. “I don’t want to accuse people of being someone they’re not but if there was a chance the antichrist was on earth, there’s more of a chance he isn’t alone.”

It didn’t necessarily mean the person was bad and if this hypothetical person was her girl than wouldn’t be it fair to offer her the same that she did with Michael? She would have to make sure the boy didn’t get to her first. She wouldn’t make an offer until she could be sure.

“Is there anything you can tell me about this ‘woman of light’? How to call her? What she wants? Or, how to stop her?”

He left her for a moment to scan the information he had on her. “Nothing was recorded. The men who summoned her never saw her but new of her visit when their wives were gone. One tale mentions an indication of a visit; she steals trinkets from the men and for her favourites, she had been known to steal articles of clothing form the woman. A few accounts of her say not to argue with her and never lose her trust.”

Crap. If they are the same- may not have been the best time to being having a fight… or withholding information from her. Everything would be fine; she was only at a slight disadvantage. She was your girlfriend; she had a higher chance of winning by those odds alone. You had a long history together and what did you have with Michael? Nothing.

You were brought back to the academy in the school’s van driven by Madison. She wasn’t pleased in being forced to drive the school’s van and even less impressed on having to pick you up from the hospital.

The results of your tests were messed up, they blamed them being screwed up due to the power outage and had to retake them. The results were the same, a doctor came into the room to tell you that you should have been dead. Your body tempter was way below that of a person suffering from hypothermia. A few doctors begged to do more research, their sudden eagerness coming off made you feel more of a science experiment than their patient. Not to mention with knowledge of the dangers of being out in the open, you needed to protect the girls now more than ever. Michael knew you by name, claimed you knew his father. What a load of horse shit, you would remember if you knew his father, right? His voice was the same from that night at the gas station. He made you watch the man burn.

As the van grew closer to your destination, you were closer and closer to suggesting places the two of you could go to prolong the drive.

Your mind drifted back to the last night you saw your girlfriend. You should have been angry for yelling at her or withholding information, but you weren’t anymore. She didn’t bother to tell you about problems that would affect you so why bother sharing yours with her. She had no need to know about your interactions with Michael. The boy hadn’t threatened any of the girls as far as you were aware. It seemed to be a personal vendetta against him and Cordelia. Once again you were left out of the loop. You had no clue what the boy was or what he was capable. You knew he was powerful if the warlocks would mistake him for the ‘Alpha’.

The boy spoke to you as if he trusted you or at least needed something from you, ‘You have no need to fear me Y/N, I come here as a friend.’ And suggested that Y/N L/N wasn’t your real name, ‘But you’re Y/N M/N L/N or at least that’s the name you go by on Earth.’ Few knew your middle name, not even Cordelia could recall it from memory.

You decided to keep this information to yourself. It might help you save the coven if you were seen as his friend. If you wanted it protected, then would he harm it?

Sat in Cordelia’s office, you twiddled your thumbs. The two of you had been silent from the moment you’d returned. She had requested for your presence, sending one of the students to fetch you. She was treating you like a student who’d gotten in trouble and was not sure what she was going to do or say to you. You stared at her directly waiting for her to make the first move. You didn’t want to see her, you were back here to do your job, protect the girls from the threat your girlfriend didn’t care enough to tell you about. Clearly you weren’t important enough to her and thus shouldn’t waste your time which you only found out is limited.

The blonde faced her back to your, her vision focused out the window she stood in front. The curtains were pinned back to allow the cool breeze to fill the room to remove the slight stench of decay in the air. It wasn’t something you noticed before, but it lingered around her person. Your senses were heightened ever since the serge of energy you got before the power out. Reading the woman became more predictable. She would wait in hopes that you’d start the conversation, when you don’t she would force herself to being on something minor then the discussion with grow into the major problem on her mind. It would start out as distant but by the end of the night you’d both be cuddled up in the shared bed.

Cordelia moved over to her chair across from you. It too at a distance. Where to even begin with you? Cordelia thought. With your powers? Telekinesis, Transmutation, Divination and Pyrokinesis, three out of four she didn’t know you had until the last couple of days. Or how about your newfound smoking habit? She told you she didn’t approve, was she going to scold you for that first?

“Has she passed all the tests?” You snapped the woman out of her train of thought. You never started the conversation first.

“Who?” You started talking to her like you had been having a conversation for a while now and expected each other to be on the same page.

“Mallory.” Was this the only thing you’d been thinking about since the last time you spoke? Cordelia pondered.

“Yes. There’s only a mattered of time now.”

“Then what? The coven moves on like normal?”

“Eventually,” Cordelia answers plainly. “Yes.”

“Unbelievable.” You rolled your eyes shifting your body to face aware from her.

“We can talk about this later, for nor there are more pressing matters.”

“Like what? What’s more important than your eventual death.” You snapped. “The stench of death surrounds this coven and that bloody window isn’t helping anything.” You point at the window. “Seriously light a candle or something.”

“Maybe it’s from all your cigarettes. And for more pressing matters, you and your dangerous behaviours. Smoking, Y/N, really?”

“You found out? Who snitched?”

“No one had to Y/N-”

“No~ someone told because it took you too long to figure that out otherwise.”

The two of you fought back and forth, the conversation got heated. You were face to face shouting at each other. She compared your behaviours in the conversation to a child when she was wanted to talk to you like an adult. You told her she had no say over what you do, say or act and if she cared more, she would be around you more. She blamed her lack of time on being the supreme and that you wouldn’t understand responsibility or the threat of danger because you hadn’t had to deal with witch hunters or warlocks who want you dead. You had dealt with people wanting you dead, hunting you down for sport. She called you bluff. Inches apart, you towered over the other woman, but she didn’t find you intimidating for one second.

“We need to be honest with each other-”

“That’s rich coming from you.”

Once you were both done tearing each other to shreds, you were both out of breath. The blonde kept eye contact. Your eyes, that were still staring daggers at her, were fully dilated.

“You want to-” Cordelia went to ask.

“Bedroom or office?”

Cordelia thought for a moment. No one would dare go into her office without permission while her office was free ground and she didn’t want to be disturbed. “Bedroom.”

“Good choice.” You picked her up and she wrapped her legs around your waist. She cupped your face and pulled you in for a long kiss. In was only a matter of seconds before she was lying on her back as you shifted your hands were from when you were holding her. Your hand found it’s way to her stomach when she hissed out in pain. You recoiled back, an apology slipping from your lips. The words didn’t register as her main priority was the sudden pain.

“You alright?” You asked when you didn’t receive a response.

“Yeah,” she groaned, hunching over, her hand cupping the area in pain.

“Show me.”

“What?”

“Show me the area.”

“Y/n”

“Show me, please,” you begged giving her your best puppy dog eyes. Anxiously, she unbuttoned her blouse. The mood died down with your concern for your girlfriend.

“Oh. God,” you gasped. One hand covered your mouth, the other reaching out to touch the one of the many wounds. They’d spread over her torso, in all the most frequently touched places you’ve touched. The wounds were shaped like cracks in a wall that were never maintained. The largest and most discoloured one was the on the left side of her stomach. It was the same one that got her researching in the first place.

“Y/n.”

“Delia.” you shook your head, in a state of shock. “Delia-Delia.” You crawled away, keeping your distance from the woman, in fear that a single touch of her and she’d shatter. “I didn’t mean to touch it- oh god, why didn’t you tell me it’s gotten worse?” You choked up, eyes darting between the woman and her body.

“I’m fine Y/n-” She tried to console you even though she was the one in pain. You should be helping her. Stop being a cry baby and comfort your girlfriend. “You didn’t mean to-”

“No, you are not Delia. You’re in pain. I can’t even touch you anymore without-” You stopped mid idea. “I didn’t mean to?”

“Yes, baby, it’s not your fault.”

“Not my fault?”

“How about we call it a night and try again another night?” Cordelia smiled weakly and you felt completed to nod in a similar calibre.

“Sorry, I ruined the night.”

“It’s fine, love and you didn’t ruin anything.” Cordelia paused for a second to think of her next move. As much as she wanted to, she didn’t think she could physically sleep next to you tonight. Her body ached at the contact of anything, she didn’t need you acting as a catalyst for a more painful and sleepless night. As much as it tugged at her heart, she needed to distance herself in order to work. By tomorrow, she can figure out a way to solve this and have everything back to normal. “I do need to speak to you about something. You know how I suggested we be honest and keep each other informed about our lives?”

“Yes.”

“That warlock I told you about, he threatened the coven. I need your help as well as the others to prepare some of the more skilled students to perform a protection spell.”

“Of course, I can do that tomorrow-”

“It would take half a day to get the ingredients-”

“-and you want it done as soon as possible?” Cordelia nodded. The woman rarely condoned your eagerness to work on magic, that’s why you offered to do it tomorrow. You weren’t going to complain that the woman wanted you to work but it made you sceptical. “Alrightly then.” You bounced up and dashed to her side to plant a kiss on her check. She bit her tongue.  

By one in the afternoon the next day, the spell was ready for casting. You were put in charge of overseeing the protection spell while Cordelia had a meeting with Mallory. You weren’t happy about the news of her replacing your girlfriend, but Cordelia assured you everything would be alright. She knew that with you and Myrtle helping Mallory, the coven would be in safe hands. You wanted to believe her. It would take a long time to move on. She isn’t dead yet, calm down and focus on the moment, you thought.

“We can’t always control the energies around us. Negative emotions, sickness, toxic people, unwanted spirits. These things are unavoidable,” Zoe said.

“But the guardians chalice is our first line of defence against all of that,” Queenie said.

“Uh~ a bear trap for bad juju. You just stash one here and around a space you want to protect and-”

“-and that's not even enough, not without this dope ass mantra to recite before. That's going to put all this power into these jars of junk.” Queenie handed out papers with the incantation on them. She offered you one, but you passed already knowing the spell. “Everyone repeat after me. We’ll do it together.” Everyone joined in. “Any unwanted spirit, with negative energy, you must leave now.” Something was off, you stumbled back towards the wall, grabbing onto it for support. No one noticed, thank god. “Any evil presences must leave now.” The front door called out to you. You needed to get out of here. Have a smoke or anything, just not be in this house. “Only light presences and healing energy is allowed in here.” They repeated the mantra again.  

Slowly, you slid against the wall, crumpling at the floor, fighting against the small part of you that wanted to leave. Suddenly, the urge died down and you blurted out, “It’s broken.”

Before the others could comprehend what you meant, Michael made his grand entrance.

“Clearly that mantra’s bullshit. Oh, come on. You can’t be that surprised to see me.”

“Fuck no you were prophesied, darling. Up yours.”

“I told Cordelia what I was going to do to all of you. I have deaths to avenge.”

Zoe and Queenie used telekinesis to fling glass shards towards Michael but he reversed it, hitting the girls and Bubbles. You sprung up, leaping out in front of the table to protect the remaining girls. You raised your hands on guard and recited a protection spell for a barrier. Mead walked out.

“Mead! How the fuck are your here?”

“I was built for this,” she said, removing her arm revealing a gun. Mead gunned you down before you could finish. You dropped to the floor. You felt the warm blood flowing out of your body. The man smirked while observing the death of your sisters.

She shot down Zoe. Queenie reached out, grabbing a shard and slitting her throat. A large gash formed at Mead’s throat, white liquid pouring out. Queenie was shot as well as any girls trying to get away.

You clenched your stomach, applying pressure to the wound. “Nice show.” Michael’s attention brought you. Michael offered out his hand to you. He registered you had no idea what he was talking about.  “You're fine. You're not bleeding.” What was he on about? Of course, you were. You looked down to prove it. Your clothes are stained red. “These witches have done a number on you.” You were still confused. “Take my hand and I’ll explain everything.” Hesitantly, you take it. You were scared he would gun you down again and unlike last time you’d remain down.

“What am I?”

[erintoknow]

Something Is Wrong With Ariadne Becker

aaaah it feels like a dog’s age since i finished any writing. but here we go!! cross your fingers for the weekend fam!!!

fallen hero fanfic, spoilers from the alpha? charge step, but also mostly a lot of blurbs from different characters pov ~2.3k words [ao3]

–––

Lady Argent

Step into the break room, and lo, there she is, the weirdo who wears shades indoors. Well, alright. She did help put a name to who was behind the attack, even if you still haven’t been able to dredge up any trace of Locus. Julia liked her, and you’re not sure if that was a point for or against her.

Take the sandwich out of the fridge, sit down at the table with her. Notice how she tenses up. There’s something not quite right about her. Metal where there shouldn’t be? You’d have to really scrutinize to puzzle it out, and frankly, it’s not worth the bother. Apparently she used to be Sidestep, back in the day? Hard to believe – jittery, anxious, mess like that.

“Here for Ortega, again?” You ask. She keeps showing up now that Julia’s back out of the hospital. You don’t care what Julia says, there is definitely something going on there. 

“Mmhm,” She nods her head, and then stands up, grabbing her purse. “S–s–sorry, I’ll get out of your way.” She makes a hasty exit out of the breakroom, leaving half a chocolate bar on the table.

Give a minute for her to come back for it.

She still doesn’t show.

Okay. This is, what? The third time now? You’re pretty sure now that she’s deliberately avoiding you. It’s starting to make you anxious. Did she go snooping around when she was in your head? You glance back to the door before swiping the candy bar for yourself. Something’s up.

There’s something wrong with Ariadne Becker.

Marcia

You’re not sure what you expected when you started the job, but near total freedom from any managerial supervision hadn’t been remotely on your radar. The guy who interviewed you, a gruff sounding young man was nowhere to be seen. Instead this redheaded stick of a girl gave you the rundown of the place.  The shop looked several decades into its slow decline.

“Well… I work in the back so we probably won’t see much of each other, but it’s good to meet you.” Her smile is a little lopsided, uneasy, as she brushes back the tangled curls from her face. Her face is a little too pale, and she doesn’t offer a hand to shake or hug. Just disappears into the workshop behind the storefront (with the carefully organized storage system you had been repeatedly warned not to mess with).

You had been ready to write her off.

Three weeks into the job, you’re convinced there’s nothing and no one stopping you from spending all day chatting up Marcy and girls using the store phone. Friday night you’re locking up, and it’s not until you flick out the lights you realize the workshop light is still on. That woman better not still be at it. It’s just a two-bit job. 

Poke your head in, and she’s still there at her desk alright. Only she’s fallen asleep, facedown in a pile of computer parts. Oh dear. Carefully step through, pick up the few pieces on the floor; you don’t really know where they go so you just put them on the table near the computer tower thingy. There’s a weird sense of unease. It’s only increased as you’ve gotten closer, like an itching in the back of your brain. 

The girl mumbles something in her sleep, an apology? Something personal anyway. You prod her awake, a gentle shark on her arm. No coherent response. Harder pull, and she jumps in her seat with a start, grabbing your wrist and yanking hard as you bang your side against the work table.

“Ow! Shoot!” You bite back a curse as pain shoots up your hip. “Easy dear!”

It takes her a second but redhead lets go you, a strangled noise coming from her body. “S–s-sorry! I’m so sorry!” She staggers out her chair and steps away from you, almost tripping over herself.

“Goodness, no need for that now!” You force a laugh, try to put her at ease. Hadn’t anticipated such a forceful reaction. 

As the confusion fades from her face, she fixes you with a cold stare. “D–don’t touch me ever ag–again.” 

You frown, even as you step away. Well, that’s a little extreme isn’t it? There’s something wrong with Ariadne Becker.

Herald

“C–come on.” Ariadne squares up her shoulders, staring you down. “Let’s try th–this again.”

You ready yourself, putting yourself stance she suggested, feet planted wide. And then– something in her eye, you hesitate. “Are– are you sure? Do you need a rest after–”

“I’m f–f–fine,” she says, a little too quickly. “Doesn’t even hurt.” Her frown tightens, and then she’s going for your side again. You push off just before her hand would have hit, moving with the blow and twisting around to grab her arm.

Ariadne grunts as you pull her off balance, recovering with a headbutt into your chest. Winded you reflexively let go as you drift backwards to a safe distance. When she lunges after; rise up and out of her reach and – oh, that’s a little close to the edge!

“Hey! Hey uh– lets back up a bit?” You call down, moving back towards the middle of the roof.

Ariadne huffs, “D–don’t hesitate to use your environment against your enemy.”

“Okay, that’s great,” you concede, “but I really don’t want to have to catch you falling from a ten story building.”

“I–” She purses her lips, as if lost for words. “Fine. Fine.” She walks and you fly back to the middle of the roof. “Happy now, wonderbread?”

“Thank you,” you nod as you touch back down to the ground.

She takes a quick jab with her fist as your head and you swerve to the side. “N–n–never gonna take out Adrestia with–” She sidesteps your counterpunch and pushes you off balance. “–th–that bleeding heart of yours.”

You stop your fall before you can heart the floor, roll to the side. “Take out?” Cut the thought in time to dodge Ariadne’s kick. “I’m out to–” Her fist hits your hip as you fly out of range. Wipe the grimace from your face. “I’m want to stop Adrestia. Not kill her.”

Ariadne narrows her eyes up at you, still tense, ready for any sudden moves. “Why not? They’re a villain.”

Is Sidestep seriously asking you this? “We don’t need to kill them to stop them.”

“That’s not exactly a kind–” She stops herself, shakes her head and shoves her hands in her pockets. “In a fight – a real fight,” she adds before you can object, “there’s none of this pulling your punches crap. She hunches her shoulders, drawing in on herself. “If you want to win, you have to accept the reality that the other guy might die. And that you might die if you lose.”

You drift back to the ground as she talks. Ariadne’s staring a hole through the floor, another one of those moods again then. “Are you sure you’re okay…?”

A tight frown pulls at her face and she avoids meeting your eyes. “I’m just tired. Lesson over today, okay?” She shakes her head, runs a hand through her hair.

You sigh, have to watch your thoughts or she’ll yell at you again. But still. There’s something wrong with Ariadne Becker.

Chen

You had to take a second to double-check the identity of the figure on the park bench, but who else could it be? Ariadne Becker in shades, hunched over, watching dogs at 6:30 in the morning. Chancing across her here once was a coincidence. Twice, chance. But three times now?

Well, if you’ve noticed her know, she’s doubtless noticed you. Might as well do the polite thing. Maybe the two of you won’t even fight this time.

Too much doesn’t add up. Too many secrets kept. Some of that might be your fault. You can see that now. Shutting does she had been trying to open. You had to. Had to put the team first. But then again…

Things are supposed to be clearer in retrospect not murkier.

You put rest a hand on the back of the bench as you approach.

Ariadne raises a hand in a weak-waved greeting. “Chen.”

“Ariadne.”

“We meet again, old man.”

“Mm.” You sit down on the other end of the bench. Ariadne doesn’t look up. “Another hard night?”

Watch how her shoulders tighten then sag. “Y–yeah. You… you know how it is.” For once her hands are still, curled up in fists at her sides. When she doesn’t elaborate, you shift your attention back to Spoon, playing with a group of other dogs.

Take a deep breath, focus on Spoon. “I’m…” pick your words slowly, keeping any internal monologue to a minimum, “glad you’re back.”

“Really now.” She doesn’t bother hiding the sarcasm in her voice. “Y–you’re just thankful someone c–c–competent is finally showing Herald the ropes.”

You shake your head, watch her from the corner of your eye. “Julia’s really pulled herself together since finding you.” 

That catches her off-guard, wipes the smile off her face. “W–what?” Ariadne looks away from you. “She seemed just f–fine when we first met.”

“You don’t have seven years of context.”

“…y–you going to share with the class, Steel?”

Take a deep breath, ready yourself for any hint of a mental intrusion. It doesn’t come. Has it ever? Would you really know if it had? “That’s not my story to share.”

Ariadne makes a sound somewhere between a groan and hushed scream. “Th–then why bring it up!?

“Because,” you shift on the bench so you can stare her down straight-on. “You’ve been good for her.”

“Good for her!?” Ariadne makes a face, something between surprise and disbelief. “I’m nothing but a–” She cuts herself off, huffs as she hunches down, hugging herself. 

“I don’t think she can take losing you again.”

She stares out at Spoon and the other dogs. “I– I’m retired, Chen.”

“So you keep saying.” Spoon barks, grabbing your attention as he runs back to you, and you cup his head in your hands. Despite your focus one stray thought leeks out, but if she picks it up, then there’s no indication. There’s something wrong with Ariadne Becker.

Ortega

You tie off the loop of string around the push pin and step back to look at the whole of the cork-board, a dissatisfied frown on your face. This all leads back to Hollow Ground somehow, but there’s something missing.

Ariadne had all but confessed to having been held prisoner by someone. Who would go to the effort of faking her death and holding her captive? She’s a telepath. A run-away, who was desperate to avoid having her actual face caught on the news – Can’t help but feel guilty there. After five years, you let yourself get a little too comfortable, all that work trying to draw her out of her shell. Was it your fault they found her? And who is ‘they’? Well, who does Ariadne look like but Hollow Ground herself? Hollow Ground didn’t hesitate to kill Hood for getting too close to the truth. What would she do to her own family?

Just thinking about what they might have done to Ari is enough to send static discharge crawling up your arms.

Ari says she escaped but… She didn’t go to the Rangers. Didn’t tell anyone she was alive. Why? Why wouldn’t she tell you? Why was Ariadne so guilty around Angie? She visited you in the hospital, the same night Adrestia debuted. She looked ready to fall apart on you that night. Always knew Adrestia’s next name. Always avoiding your messages, playing hard to get, afraid to get involved with the Rangers again. 

Why did Adrestia fight like her?

And yet… had Adrestia killed anyone? If anything, reports suggested Adrestia was increasingly going out of her way to avoid any injuries. Chen had the strangest story of Adrestia sticking around to help him save people trapped in a burning building.

Adrestia made a lot of noise about overthrowing the government, but what had they really accomplished so far?

But… why would Ariadne do that?

And then there’s Jane. Jane, who looks like Ariadne and Hollow Ground both. Another relative? She’s made a big splash in the underground circuit. First hiring out various mercs and crooks for odd jobs and now working almost exclusively as a go-between for her ‘boss’ Adrestia.

But was Adrestia really calling the shots?

Jane looking like Hollow Ground doesn’t mean anything on its own, but when you dragged Jane out on work she hadn’t been happy. She’d be even less happy if she had realized you caught that moment of recognition between her and Hallow Ground’s goons. So she’s not just a criminal fixer for Adrestia, she has some tie to Hollow Ground. Probably more the just a ‘tie’ but you can’t prove that any more than Ariadne’s connection.

Why does Adrestia’s fixer with ties to Hollow Ground live directly below Ariadne? What else could it be but to keep tabs on her? Whatever job Ariadne’s taken its running her ragged, and forced her back into shape. 

Stringing Jane along as long as you have in hopes of her tipping her hand isn’t exactly your proudest action as a Ranger. It’s kind of a relief now to have have to cut things off with her, even if that’s only going to make keeping tabs on the woman harder. It’s your own fault really. Sometimes she just… seemed so much like Ariadne, but… more open? More willing to flirt, to see where things would go.

You’re not sure what that says about you. Nothing flattering, you’re sure.

Meanwhile, the actual Ariadne is.. trying to push you away with one hand and pulling you back with the other. She’d always been scared of closeness, but this is…

There’s something wrong with Ariadne Becker.

You have to get through to her somehow. Show her there’s still a way out.