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kouomi · 4 years ago

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Summary: Atsumu looks back on your relationship and finds himself longing for the person he called home (Miya Atsumu x f!reader)

Warnings: lil bit of fluff, heavy angst, mentions of death, fighting

Word count: 2,708

A/N: italicized parts are in the past! lil heads up this is not edited!! Someone please hug Tsumu cause I made myself sad writing this

My Masterlist

Posted: March 14th 2021, 8:30 AM EST

“‘Tsumu!” You gasp as your flung onto the couch, a chorus of laughter following your cry. The two of you tumbled around for a few moments before Atsumu pins your hands to your side, a leg on either side of your hips as he grins at his victory.

“Don’t you dare.” You warn, knowing all too well what the mischievous glint in his eye meant. Your warning is too late, however, as his hands move to attack your sides sending you into a flurry of laughter. Tears pricked at your eyes as he mercilessly continued to tickle you, his own laughs of amusement being heard over yours.

“What was that? I don’t think I heard ya.”

“You win! Stop!”

Seemingly satisfied with your call of forfeit Atsumu draws his hands away from your sides, only to fall on top of you making a squeal pass your lips. His arms loop around your waist as you tried to shove

Atsumus eyes nervously scanned the large crowd as he stepped out on to the court, the loud cheers and blaring band falling upon deaf ears as all he could hear was his thoughts whizzed by faster than he could focus on one. It was his first game of high school and while he was able to hide it well, below the surface of his facade he was swelling with nerves and worries. What if he messed up his serve? What if he did something to lose the game for the third years? What if something he did this game made the entire team turn on him like they did in middle school?

Before he could fully process what was happening the referee passed him the ball, hundreds of eyes following its course into his hands. Taking a deep breath, Atsumu spun the ball in his hands.

Don’t mess up.

How many steps do I take?

Is this too far?

What if I throw it up wrong?

Don’t. Mess. Up.

“Go Atsumu!”

The sudden call of his name pulls him out of his thoughts, his attention being drawn back towards the crowd. After a few moments of searching his eyes meet yours, a sense of calm washing over him as you smile back at him. She came, he thought to himself, his own smile pulling at the corners of his mouth. With you there, surely everything would be

“Y/n, can ya please let me in?”

“Go away!”

Atsumu sighs as he leans his head on the bathroom door, his hand once again trying the handle though the lock prevents it from turning.

It was a stupid fight, one that’d been building up over time that suddenly boiled over causing you both to explode at each other. Both of you had said things you didn’t mean, harsh words being thrown at each other since you arrived home. Your throats had gone raw from trying to speak over each other but you both refused to back down, tunnel vision preventing you from hearing one another out as you pressed to prove you were right.

Looking on what you’d said now having been sitting outside the bathroom for about an hour he understood why you’d been upset and, while he didn’t quite want to admit it, you were in the right.

While he knew this now, it didn’t help what had gotten him in this situation in the first place. At the peak of your screaming match he found himself blinded by anger and words he’d never thought he’d ever say to you passed his lips, rolling off his tongue before he realized what he was saying.

“All I’m saying is I want to spend some more time with you! Is that really too much to ask?” You asked, exasperated.

“Ya knew when we started dating how busy I am!” Atsumu exclaimed, “Why are ya suddenly so mad about it?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe it’s because you spend more time with your fan girls than with your actual girlfriend!”

“Really? Yer pulling that? It’s not my fault yer so needy Y/n, I’m not gonna drop my practices just to make ya happy all the time!”

“If you think I’m needy why don’t you go date one of the girls who keep throwing themselves at you?”

“Maybe I should! They’d probably be less annoying than ya!”

“‘Tsumu, wait-“

“What? Finally realizing how easily I could replace ya? Yer the one who suggested it, remember?” He scoffs, ignoring how you’d shrunken, “Ya should be thankful for the time ya get with me, cause if not there’s other girls who could take yer place. I don’t need ya.”

As soon as he said it he froze, almost not believing that those words had actually come out of his mouth. The look on your face unfortunately proved it to be true, however, as he could see the way it seemed as if all of the fight and anger had been drained out of you leaving you with a hollow expression. You but your lip as you shook your head and shoved your way past him, ignoring all attempts he made at stopping you as you slammed the bathroom door in his face.

“Baby, I’m sorry okay? Can ya unlock the door so we can talk?”

“Leave me alone, Atsumu.”

He felt a pull at his heart at the slight crack in your voice followed by quiet sniffling, guilt threatening to swallow him whole as he realized you were crying because of him.

Unable to put up with you locking yourself away any longer, Atsumu grabbed a bobby-pin from your room and got to work unlocking the door with it, successfully doing so after a few minutes. Almost as soon as the door swung open he’s kneeling on the ground beside where you were curled into a ball, frantically scanning his mind for something to do.

“Y/n...” He says, reaching a hand out to brush your hair away from your face.

He cringes when you flinch, temporarily drawing back before reaching out again this time wrapping his arms around your shuttering frame. Though you temporarily resisted, ultimately you found yourself melting into his embrace as you adjusted to wrap your arms around his torso. Atsumu pulls you into his lap, one of his hands cradling the back of your head as you cried into his shirt while the other ran up and down your back. The two of you sat there until your tears slowed to a stop, Atsumu not daring to move a muscle in fear of scaring you off.

“You really are an asshole, Atsumu.” You mumble, your grip on the fabric of his tshirt tightening.

“I know.” He sighs, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head, “I’m so so sorry. I didn’t mean any of that. Yer the best girlfriend I could ever ask for, no one else even begins to compare. And yer right, I’m not spending enough time with ya but I’ll try to, okay? I love ya so much.”

“I

The two of you lay on the couch in your living room, the only sound being that of the TV you’d turned on for background noise when your boyfriend had appeared at your front door. You’d anticipated his arrival, having watched the game against Karasuno on your phone the day before and such expected the defeated and angry atmosphere that surrounded him.

Atsumu lay on top of you with his arms wrapped firmly around your waist, holding himself in place against you. One of your hands rested on the back of his head that rested on your chest as the other ran up and down his back, paying attention to rub in the patterns you knew he liked. He hadn’t said a word since he arrived other than a short “missed ya”, having passed all welcomes in favor of clinging to you, his body melting into yours. After the loss at nationals he had wanted nothing more than to curl up in your arms, the long trip home seeming to go slower as he counted down the seconds until he could finally be here.

“You did really good.” You whisper, pressing a kiss to his forehead as he tensed slightly. “I’m proud of you.”

“It wasn’t good enough.” Atsumu says, voice weak compared to its usual light hearted tone. “I lost the game for everyone.”

“You weren’t the only one playing, ‘Tsum. It isn’t all one person’s fault. But you are one of the reasons you guys were even able to get that far, yeah? Don’t beat yourself up over one play.”

It’s quiet for a moment as he processes your words, as if trying to decide if he’ll believe you or not. He moves his head upwards so he can nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck, the feeling of a tear falling onto your skin pulling at your heart as you give him a small squeeze.

“It’s just- it was-“ He stutters, his words shaky and ultimately cut off by a sharp intake of breath as he tries to hold back his tears.

“I know.” You murmur, “But you’re still the best setter there is, y’know? And the best boyfriend, best teammate, best looking; you’re so much more than that one game.”

“...Best looking twin?” He asks quietly.

You laugh, “Yes.”

The sound fills his ears, providing him with a sense of comfort no words or actions had been able to. You always knew the right things to say, to do, to comfort him and make him feel better when he was at his lowest and felt ready to give up. Something about you warded off all of the negatives and filled the air around you with warmth. Something about you felt like home. Something about you made him sure that one day, he was going to m

that’s how things between the two of you went, always being cut off too soon. All of his memories with you, each I love you, each kiss, each quiet afternoon spent cuddling on the couch watching movies, everything was ended before it was supposed to. Even your relationship went that way, being cut off, suddenly forced to a stop before it could even really begin. Each memory was halted right in the middle, part of each story missing making them feel impartial and almost fake with holes in their plots and the endings missing. Everything was so vivid, yet so vividly fading at the same time it terrified him that he was losing what little left he had of you. Details faded away so all he was left was glimpses of a memory that didn’t even feel like his anymore; left looking through a foggy window on to a life he wished he still had.

Every day without you felt bland. No longer did he have your soft voice scratchy with sleep whispering in his ear in the mornings; your fingers lacing with his as you wandered around the shops; your body searching for his warmth during the night. The apartment that had once belonged to the both of you was now void of your glowing presence, the air stiff and too quiet without you. His happy, care-free smile had faded from his face and become less frequent as he found himself wondering what he was supposed to do without the one person he could call home.

“I got invited to play for the Olympics next year.” Atsumu says, not quite as enthusiastic as it should be, “Ya always said I’d get there one day.”

No response comes.

“It really sucks without ya here, Y/n.” He continues, feeling his throat start to constrict, “I miss ya. A lot.

It’s already been a year, can ya believe that? I don’t want to believe it. A whole year with ya gone. It’s just... not right.

Sometimes I forget for a few minutes, and I think yer gonna be there when I open the door just like ya always were. It scares me, cause I can’t remember everything, even yer voice is a little gone without the videos. I could never forget yer smile though, even with all the pictures. I think that’s my favorite thing about ya.

I really took everything for granted. I wish I could go back and just hold ya, one more time. One more kiss. One more time hearing ya say I love you. Just something to hold onto. It’s not right, nothings right without ya here. Ya were the reason I was always so happy, ya made everything seem so much brighter, but now it’s just... bland. It’s like I can’t be happy without ya, I don’t wanna be happy without ya.” He stops to wipe his face of the tears that’d begun to fall, though new ones quickly slip into the tracks of the old.

“I wish you’d just come back. Sometimes I get mad at ya, for leaving me here alone, but ya know I can’t stay made atcha for long. It just hurts, knowing yer not coming back... Yer not coming back.”

He hits his lip, the air in his lungs feeling to heavy as if it’s trying to suffocate him from the inside. Everything falls on him at once, like a thick sheet of snow covering everything in sight and leaving him cold and numb yet burning and screaming at the same time. You’re gone. His Y/n, his beautiful wonderful, amazing Y/n, was gone. Everything hurt, every breath, every small movement of his body as it shook with sobs, every nerve; everything hurt as he longed for something that was so painfully taken away.

“Please Y/n/n... I don’t know what to do without ya.” He cries, eyes squeezing shut, “I miss ya, just please... come back to me.”

Still no response. The only sound being Atsumus cries muffled by the snow he sat buried in.

Atsumu barely notices the hand placed on his shoulder, only acknowledging the other person when they call his name.

“Hey.” Osamu starts, glancing down at his brother with eyes heavy with concern before flickering back up. “Do ya wanna minute?”

He doesn’t respond, another cry being answer enough as he feels his body collapsing in on itself. Risking his legs giving out beneath him, Atsumu stands and throws his arms around his twin, desperately clinging to him as if trying to find an anchor to the world. Osamu didn’t say anything as he held the blonde, feeling his own tears prick at the corners of his eyes at seeing his brother so torn and distraught.

He’d known this was going to happen today, that no amount of words would even begin to fill the void within him and every attempt at comfort would fall upon deaf ears so he didn’t try. Instead, he sat there. For a time unbeknownst to the pair they sat on a bench Osamu was able to coax Atsumu towards, no words daring break the silent agreement they’d made to not speak. They sat there until Atsumus heavy sobs eventually eased to a dull crying and he pulled away, eyes meeting his brothers for a moment as if to thank him before he let his head fall back on to the bench to face the sky.

“Come on.” Osamu said quietly, standing and waiting for the other to follow. He does after a moments pause, eyes lingering on the grave he’d sat beside and tracing over your name before he lets out a heavy, shaky sigh and started walking away, ignoring his mind that screamed at him to stay.

“Let’s get ya home.”

Atsumu obliged but he knew that part of him lay within you, that where ever you went, no matter how far was where his home was; that, without you, away from you, he’d never truly be home again. So he left, leaving with you the pieces of himself he’d given away and the memories that failed to fully reanimate with hopes that maybe, if he couldn’t be with you now at least you could find your way back to him, waiting for you to fall into his arms and bring him wherever you had settled; the place he so desperately longed for: home.

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terramous · 4 years ago

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i'm in over my head

an incredibly belated birthday present for my love @silvarafael !! thank u jamie i love you so so so much and i'm so grateful to be your friend!! title from: the palace - father john misty word count: 9.6k beta'd by: @marjansmarwani bthb - seizures warnings: vomiting AO3

“Here’s your uniform. It’s ready to go when you are,” Carlos declared as he wandered back into the bedroom. He had a soft smile on his face as he set the folded uniform down on the corner of the bed.

“Thanks, babe,” TK said as he dragged a hand down his face. It took him a little longer to gather up the energy he needed than usual. It was probably courtesy of the month he’d spent on medical leave while recovering from his concussion. He wasn’t used to surfacing before noon anymore, aside from when Carlos would press a kiss to his forehead before leaving for his morning shifts.

In reality, he was excited to get back to work after so much time spent at home recovering. He had been going stir-crazy since he was well enough to get down Carlos’ stairs by himself and it’d been three weeks since then. As much as he liked spending all of Carlos’ time off curled up together and without a shortage of affection, he was going to lose his mind if he spent any more time cooped up.

Carlos stepped closer to TK and brought a hand up to cup his boyfriend’s jaw as he connected their lips in a soft kiss. “How’re you feeling?”

“Pretty good.”

Being met with worried brown eyes pulling apart every detail of his demeanour was something TK had come to expect in his daily life and those looks had only become more frequent over the past month.

“Are you sure? How’s your head?” Carlos asked, running his hand through TK’s hair until it came to rest on the back of his neck and he began running his thumb over TK’s skin. It had become a comforting gesture they often shared when TK was plagued by the most horrific headaches during his recovery. It never soothed the pain but it made him feel less alone.

He’d gotten used to the constant low-level pain behind his eyes, it was nothing to worry about at this point, so he omitted mentioning that to Carlos. It would only serve to make his boyfriend worry when he really didn’t need to.

TK was fine. He was on the road to fully recovering from his concussion, he was finally going to get his life back.

Even though he was only scheduled for a six-hour shift today. It was incredibly short, pitifully so, but he had to take it easy.

Carlos didn’t even have a shift today, he was just spending lunch with his family at his Tia Lucy’s and would be able to pick TK up the second he was done at the firestation. It wasn’t like he was immediately being thrown into the deep end with a 24-hour shift, Carlos really didn’t need to worry so much.

“You know I love this shirt on you,” TK said as he smoothed down Carlos’ collar and trailed his fingers down the seam along Carlos’ shoulder.

Carlos leant forward to share another kiss with TK. He spoke as they parted, “you love every shirt on me.”

“I also love every shirt off of you,” TK whispered, following the kiss as Carlos drew backwards.

“I know you do, but you have to get dressed.” Carlos stood up from the bed and intercepted TK’s needy grab to draw him back into the bed with a firm poke of TK’s nose. “You have work.”

“I could call in and say that my head hurts, then you could spend the day in bed with me. Your Tia Lucy loves me, she’ll forgive you.”

“No, she’ll forgive you. You’re her favourite,” Carlos clarified with an accusatory point in TK’s direction. “You also say that as if your father wouldn’t order a wellness check and call me every fifteen minutes to make sure you’re not dying.”

“Ugh. He’s the worst.”

“I know sweetheart,” Carlos said, giving TK another chaste kiss before he quickly snuck away. “I’m going to sort out some breakfast so you can get changed.”

“You’re the worst,” TK protested with a pout.

Carlos poked his head back through the door and shot TK a smile. “You love me anyway.”

TK tossed a pillow at Carlos but it collided with the doorframe as Carlos disappeared down the hallway. “That’s debatable!”

He watched as Carlos disappeared through the door and down the stairs before he took a deep breath and glanced at his waiting uniform. It was just clothing, it should feel like a big deal.

And yet it did.

Grabbing the folded shirt on the end of the bed and pulling it into his lap, TK couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of anxiety in his chest as he ran his thumb over the patch with his name on the front.

This was his job, he loved it, he lived to help, but that didn’t keep him from feeling nervous about getting back in the game after a month. It didn’t help that his last shift ended with being held hostage on the wrong end of a gun and given a concussion.

He could do this. He just needed to be thrown back in the deep end.

Shrugging off one of Carlos’ old hoodies that he liked to sleep in, TK took a careful breath and mentally prepared himself for the shift ahead. He didn’t know why he was so nervous but something about the familiar weight of his uniform draped over his shoulders somehow made it feel more official.

The buttons seemed to be smaller and more stubborn than he remembered. He fumbled with them but just couldn’t seem to get his fingers to work properly. Never before had it been this difficult to dress himself. How many times had he done this exact thing without a second thought?

Tears of frustration welled up in his eyes. He just wanted things to go back to normal, but he couldn’t even put on his own shirt. Fuck.

He clutched at the material of his shirt, bunching the edges up in his trembling, useless hands as he stared down at the offending buttons through tearfilled eyes. He was so focused on the indignity and frustration of it all that he didn’t hear the footsteps outside the door until Carlos’s voice drifted in.

“Hey, food’s ready- what’s wrong?” Carlos asked. TK didn’t look up but Carlos’ hands were holding his in a matter of seconds.

“I can’t do it.”

Carlos squeezed TK’s hands softly in a way that was meant to be reassuring. “What can’t you do, sweetheart?”

“These stupid buttons!” TK huffed, unable to stop the fresh round of hot tears running down his face.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Carlos said, already moving to do up TK’s buttons in a matter of seconds. He smoothed down TK’s uniform, before carefully tilting his boyfriend’s head up to meet his gaze. “You know you don’t have to work today if you’re not ready. No one is going to judge you for taking a little more time off.”

“No offense, but if I’m stuck here for even one more day I am going to start climbing the walls.”

“None taken. Do you want something to eat?”

“Actually, can I just take it with me?”

Carlos’ eyebrows knit together at that as he eyed TK cautiously. He was clearly worried. “Sure. Are you nauseous? Do you want to take another day off?”

TK waved away his concern. “I’m fine. I just don’t want to be late.”

“Okay…” Carlos didn’t look convinced but he gave TK a quick kiss. It was just a second or two but it took all of TK’s strength to not seize Carlos by his collar and pull him down onto the bed.

Carlos knew this, of course, and smiled at TK before pulling away. “Finish getting dressed and we’ll get on our way soon. I’m sure you can manage that, but just call out if you need me.”

“I always need you.”

“You’re such a dork,” Carlos chuckled as he stepped out of their bedroom, blowing TK a kiss as he left.

TK lifted his hand to catch the kiss, gingerly curling his fingers into his palm. He turned back to his uniform and took a few seconds to let go of his anxiety. He could do this. The buttons were just a minor setback.

Truly, the buttons appeared to be the hardest thing. Not that TK was entirely sure why, but getting dressed the rest of the way proved itself to be a lot easier.

He’d even managed to brush his teeth and make his way halfway down the stairs before Carlos called out to him.

“Who’s this handsome paramedic in my house? I don’t remember calling 911.”

TK just rolled his eyes as he hopped down the rest of the staircase. As soon as his feet hit the floor he stood there with his arms open, giving Carlos a pointed look.

He tapped his foot impatiently as Carlos wandered over and wrapped his arms around TK’s waist, picking him up and walking towards the door.

“This is not what I had in mind!” TK grumbled until Carlos set him down. Slung over Carlos’ shoulder was TK’s duffle bag that plonked heavily on the ground at the same time as TK’s socked feet reconnected.

Before TK could say anything, Carlos was kneeling down and grabbing TK’s boots.

“I can put my own shoes on,” TK protested as Carlos manhandled his feet into the boots.

“You can’t even tie your laces properly, you still do the double-loop. It’ll go faster if I do it.”

TK knew it was a ploy to make sure he didn’t have to deal with the fiddly task of tying his laces. But he’d never tell Carlos that he had caught on.

I only took Carlos a few seconds before he was standing up again and pushing the front door open with a lovesick grin on his face. “You ready to go?”

“Definitely,” TK said with a nod.

TK froze as he stepped out of the front door. The sun was definitely brighter this morning than he was expecting, and a little more than his head was prepared for. But he could handle it.

“You good, babe?” Carlos asked. TK opened his eyes to see Carlos worriedly looking over the top of the car door instead of climbing into the driver’s seat. He really was going to worry about TK all day, wasn’t he?

TK nodded, “Yeah, I’m good.”

“You sure?”

Taking a deep breath, TK gave Carlos a smile. “It’ll be fine, Carlos.”

Walking into the firehouse felt like coming home after a long day. He wasn’t aware he could miss his workplace so much, at least until he spent a month basically confined to Carlos’ condo.

No one was around when TK wandered in, which he could probably chalk up to the missing ladder truck. That was until he spotted the one, the only, Nancy Gillian. She had her legs draped over the arm of the couch and her phone glued to her face, the blue light from the screen reflecting on her skin.

“He’s alive!” Nancy cheered as she looked up from her phone, all but throwing it aside as she kicked her legs up and in a few short strides, wrapped TK up in a bone-crushing hug.

This was definitely weird. TK had never even been hugged by Tommy, let alone the paramedic with whom he had not had the smoothest sailings with in terms of their relationship.

“I missed you, jerk.”

It took TK a few seconds before he was returning her embrace. “I missed you too.”

Almost instantly, Nancy let TK go and turned her back to him. “Did you hear that, Tommy? I told you I could get him to be sappy within five minutes!”

Tommy stepped into view and clicked the button on her stopwatch, making it beep. “2.38. That’s got to be a record.”

“I wasn’t aware there was a record. Or that you were both scheming against me on my first day back,” TK said, his gaze shifting between his fellow paramedics.

“C’mon, it was the perfect scheming opportunity. Marjan and Paul helped with the plan,” Nancy explained.

TK rolled his eyes. “Of course they did. I wouldn’t expect anything less from them.”

Nancy looked around before crossing her arms across her chest, looking somewhere between disappointed and bored. “They had hoped that they were gonna be here to witness it though.”

“Speaking of, why aren’t you guys on the call with them?”

“Medical wasn’t needed, so we’ve just been waiting for you to show up. They’ll be back soon, though,” Tommy said with a shrug.

“And Judd will probably never put you down again in your lifetime,” Nancy chipped in.

TK couldn’t help but to chuckle at the mental image of Judd carting him around for the rest of his life. He certainly wouldn’t put it past him.

Judd was, after all, always threatening to wrap TK up in bubble wrap or never let him do anything unsupervised ever again. TK definitely considered it to be an overreaction and a tad over-protective but everyone else seemed to disagree with him every time he brought it up.

He followed Nancy back to the couch where they both sat down and TK prepared for the onslaught of questions about his well being.

Nancy turned her calculating gaze on TK. “How’s your head?”

“Good.”

“Any dizziness?”

“Nope.”

“Sensitivity to light?”

“I told you, Nancy, I’m fine. Just happy to be back at work.”

“She’ll never admit it, but she missed you,” Tommy said.

“I did not,” Nancy hissed, shooting a glare in Tommy’s direction.

“She’s lying. We all missed you.”

TK turned to see Paul standing behind him. Paul smiled and ruffled TK’s hair. “How are you doing?”

“If one more person asks me that I’m going to smack them.”

“Don’t hit me,” Paul said, raising his hands with his palms towards TK in surrender.

“Give me one good reason,” TK said, raising his hand in an empty threat.

Paul eyed him carefully. “You need someone to protect you from Judd when he realises that you’re here.”

“True,” TK said, lowering his hand so that it rested in his lap. Judd’s big brother role that he had adopted was definitely a lot to deal with at times, but TK enjoyed the affection.

“Strand!” Judd’s distinct voice called, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps.

Paul mouthed him a quick ‘good luck’ before TK was wrapped up in a tight embrace.

Pitifully trying to shove away Judd’s arms, TK struggled to wriggle out of his hold. “I need to breathe, Judd.”

As soon as his boots hit the ground, TK rolled his shoulders back and shook out his arms as he bounced on his feet. It was good to be back.

It’d been a good day, mostly minor calls so far, a fainting, a typical rest home visit, and a compound fracture from an unfortunate shortcut down two flights of stairs. But this was exciting, he was back in the heat of it now.

“Look less excited to be at a car accident, Strand,” Nancy scolded as she jabbed her elbow into TK’s ribs.

“It’s not my fault. I’ve been on house arrest for a month, I’ve missed this.”

“And we’ve missed you, but make sure to listen to your body and not push your limits today. You’re supposed to be being eased back into this,” Tommy said carefully as she placed her hands on TK’s shoulders to hold him still.

TK nodded. “Got it. Take it easy, tap out if there’s any issues. I got it.”

Tommy offered him a satisfied smile before she turned to the scene. “Alright, TK, you take the kid that got flung, Nancy and I will check on the driver.”

“On it, Cap,” TK said with a sharp nod, adjusting the strap of his medical bag on his shoulder.

He could do this, he could see the kid sprawled on the road with a few firefighters by his side. This was straightforward, just TK and no hassle of waiting for the team to free his patient.

It was simple, something he couldn’t mess up on his first day back. He knew that this was Tommy’s way of including him without potentially jeopardizing anything.

“What have we got here?” TK asked as he knelt down on the opposite side of the patient, meeting Paul’s gaze briefly.

“Kid got thrown, don’t think he lost consciousness but he doesn’t seem to be in a chatty mood,” Paul offered.

“That’s alright, I got it from here. Why don’t you go do firefighter-y things?”

“Ooh, he’s a paramedic and now he’s too good for us firefighters,” Paul mocked as he gave TK’s shoulder a firm shove.

“Blah, blah, blah. Screw you, Strickland.”

“Let me know when you’re free!” Paul called with his hands cupped around his mouth as he jogged backwards towards the rest of the team.

TK couldn’t help the smile on his face as he shook his head. It was good to be back. He’d certainly missed everyone more than he cared to admit. He turned his attention back to his patient. As far as TK could tell, Paul had gotten as far as a cervical collar and not much else.

“Hey, I’m TK. I’m a paramedic. Can you tell me your name?”

“Andy,” the kid groaned, his face scrunched up in what TK assumed was pain. There was road rash visible on Andy’s face, blood from his nose and a laceration on his forehead sticking his long black hair to his skin.

“Hi Andy. I’m going to help you as best I can. Can you tell me what happened?”

“I’m-” Andy paused, seeming to need a moment to think about it. “I’m not sure.”

TK tensed for a moment before shaking out any visual reaction to the information he was gathering. He had to be professional, and being professional meant keeping his patient calm at all costs. “That’s okay. Don’t worry about it.”

“Do you know if you lost consciousness at any point?”

“I don’t think so?”

TK pulled the edge of his bottom lip between his teeth, gnawing on it to ease his nerves. This wasn’t good. “Do you know where you are?”

“The middle of the road.” Well, he wasn’t wrong.

“Do you know what day it is?”

“Tuesday?”

TK shook his head. “It’s Saturday.”

“Nice.” Andy cracked a small smile. “I love the weekend.”

TK fished his penlight out of his pocket and turned it on in one fluid motion. It was muscle memory, but it felt good to be back. He ran it over Andy’s eyes, his mind whirling as he processed what he was seeing.

Tensing up a little as he realised the severity of the seemingly insignificant head wound. “Pupils are irregular and response is delayed.”

“That’s bad isn’t it?” Andy asked, his voice climbing in pitch with what was undoubtedly fear. It was always fear.

“Don’t worry about that right now.” TK clicked off the light and held his penlight parallel with Andy’s face. “Can you follow my light?”

He watched Andy’s eyes trailing the sideways movement of the light carefully.

Clicking his tongue, TK slipped the penlight back into his pocket. “I can’t make a diagnosis here but you might have a concussion.”

“How bad is that?”

“Oh, it’s not gonna be pleasant. I just spent a month on medical leave for a concussion of my own. Wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”

“Ouch?”

TK nodded, suppressing a grimace as he tried to ignore the stabbing pain making itself known behind his right eye. Now really wasn’t the best time for a headache. “Ouch.”

“I’m going to slide my hands under you to check for any bleeding that I can’t see. Is that okay with you?”

Andy nodded slightly, his movement restricted by the collar. Clearly his probable concussion protested the attempted motion as Andy quickly let out a groan, squeezing his eyes shut.

“Yeah, that won’t be a good idea for a while,” TK hummed as he began sliding his gloved hands under Andy, watching carefully for the familiar smear of red that would let him figure out why Andy was getting so pale.

But there was no blood.

In any other instance, TK would be relieved to find no evidence of bleeding, but with the growing lack of colour in Andy’s skin and the way that TK confirmed with a single touch that his skin was also colder than it should be, there was no relief from the lack of a visible bleed. It was almost definitely internal and there wasn’t a lot that TK could do about that.

Sucking his teeth, TK mentally ran over his course of action. It didn’t involve a lot of steps so he could handle it on his own. There was no need to bring in the cavalry.

“Okay, I’m going to give you an IV,” TK said as he dug around in his med kit. “It won’t solve anything but it’ll make you feel a whole of a lot better.”

“That sounds good.”

TK had the bag of saline, the needle—he even triple-checked the gauge—, the catheter and a few alcohol pads laid out before him. This was an IV, he’d done it a million times, he could do it in his sleep.

That was until he tried to open the alcohol pad and couldn’t seem to get his fingers to cooperate. It was the button fiasco all over again. TK was starting to get really sick of this.

Brushing it off and deciding to blame the alcohol pad as faulty, TK quickly tried another. And another. And another.

The alcohol pads weren’t faulty, he was.

Taking a breath as he closed his eyes, TK willed his hands to stop shaking. This wasn’t the end of the world, he could handle it.

“Hey, Gillian, can you give me a hand?” TK called over his shoulder and tried to ignore how unsure his voice sounded.

“Sure!” She called back. It was only a few seconds before Nancy was kneeling on the other side of Andy, her own med kit with her. “What do you need?”

With a careful inhale, TK asked the question he knew was only going to raise a million more. “Can you run a line for me?”

Nancy looked like she wanted to ask, but she stayed silent and set up the IV with quick ease.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Nancy said. TK could tell that she was trying to seem casual, but her voice was firm. This was going to find it’s way back to Tommy and she was going to bench him. So much for a good first say back. “I’m gonna go see if there’s an available gurney.”

“That'd be great, thanks Nancy,” TK said with an uneasy smile. He was grateful but he knew that once this interaction was over, he was going to be benched. Carlos would be called to come and pick him up from the station and he’d be back on medical leave for the foreseeable future.

Nancy left and TK turned back to Andy who was eyeing him curiously, his brown eyes seeming to trail after TK’s every movement.

“Are you alright?” TK asked, scanning Andy for any sign of an injury that he may have missed.

“Did you know that you’re really pretty?”

TK froze for a second, he probably looked like he was buffering. Concussed teenagers are one thing. Apparently concussed teens flirting with him were the same thing. TK had to consciously remind himself to reply to Andy instead of just kneeling there looking like a stunned mullet. “It has been said.”

“No, I mean like, so pretty.”

TK rocked back on his heels slightly, lifting his head to look in the direction of the rest of the crew. Silently begging Nancy to return. “Andy, I’m flattered, but you’re like twelve.”

“I’m fifteen,” Andy said.

“I rest my case. You’re a minor and I already have a boyfriend.”

“It’s not my lucky day, I guess.”

TK could help a smile as he shook his head, ignoring the low-level pounding in his making itself known. “No. No, it is not.”

As soon as Andy was unloaded from the ambulance and Nancy and Tommy followed his gurney inside the hospital, TK climbed into the passenger’s seat of the ambulance to wait for them.

His body was so heavy, he really couldn’t fathom staying on his feet any longer. He wasn’t used to all this work. Maybe diving back into the deep end wasn’t the best plan.

If he was still a firefighter, he’d have been put on light duty. He’d be working reception, checking inventory or cleaning all day but he’d be doing something. Light duty wasn’t much of a function when he was a paramedic.

This was the closest he could get, he didn’t get to drive or work on anything that wasn’t minor. And still, he was feeling the toll.

Curling in on himself, TK massaged his temples. Of course his head had to hurt.

TK could feel the pressure in his head climbing. The little sharp pains morphed into a constant throbbing as it got harder and harder to bear having his eyes open. It was only going to get worse from here.

But he just needed to hold it together for the rest of the day. Or until they could get back to the station.

If they got back he could sleep off the worst of it, or look pitiful enough for Tommy to send him home. He didn’t want to go home but he wanted to stop feeling like he couldn’t do his job.

He could hear the distinct sound of doors opening and closing as Tommy and Nancy returned but he didn’t look at them.

“Good work out there, team. It’s been too empty just as the two of us, it’s good to have you back, TK,” Tommy said as TK felt the ambulance start up with the familiar hum of the engine.

“It’s good to be back.”

Nancy had pulled out of the hospital and back onto the road by the time Tommy spoke again.

“Do you want to talk about the IV, TK?”

“Not really,” TK said. He knew what Tommy was going to say, he was bound to be benched.

“Just say the word and you can go home. No one is mad, or disappointed, or anything. If you need more time off, that’s okay.”

“No, no. I’m good.”

“The offer is always there if you feel the need to take it.”

TK let out a short laugh. It sounded kind of like he was being strangled. “I won’t, but okay.”

They lapsed into silence, the atmosphere suddenly having become so much more awkward.

After a few minutes and most of their journey back to the station the pressure in TK’s head decided to spike and suddenly everything was making a fresh wave of pain hit him.

Groaning softy, TK pinched the bridge of his nose and scrunched his eyes shut to block out the light. He really needed the throbbing in his head to ease up or at least not get worse before they got back to the station and he could down a few advil to take the edge off.

Over his recovery period he had gotten used to the pattern of his migraines, the way the pain would linger for an hour or two and steadily get worse until it skyrocketed and Carlos had to hold him while he sobbed and tried to ride out the pain. By that point there wasn’t much either of them could do except to make their way up to the bedroom and hope that TK could sleep it off.

He couldn’t begin to even imagine how many hours Carlos had spent sitting on the bed next to him in the dark, rubbing his hand soothingly across TK’s back, silently begging for the pain to stop. TK knew how much it killed Carlos to see him hurting, as well as how he’d kept quiet about it but he could never really hide these things from his boyfriend. Carlos’ eyes were so full of emotion, they were a dead giveaway every time.

It’d been almost a week and a half since he’d had a migraine, his neurologist even said it was a good indicator that he was on the tail end of his recovery. However, in usual TK Strand style, good things never lasted.

As he opened his eyes, TK had to suppress his urge to curse. Everything was like he was looking through an out of focus camera, the haziness only slight in the centre of his vision but his peripheral vision was barely decipherable.

The taillights of the car in front of them seemed to pulse in time with his heartbeat and the midday sun was making the simple act of keeping his eyes open borderline-unbearable as pain laced its way through his skull.

This was bad.

He closed his eyes and leant his head back until it collided softly with the seat. At least he was expecting the dizziness and nausea as they washed over him.

“You alright, Strand?” Nancy asked, undoubtedly having given him a quick once-over when he got quiet.

TK nodded, biting his tongue as he felt like he was going to regret having lunch. He tried to laugh it off, but the sound came out very weak and not at all as casual as he had hoped. “Yeah, just tired. I’m not used to being awake for so long without taking a nap.”

“Feel free to lie down for a bit when we get back to the station. I don’t want you overdoing it, you hear me?” Tommy chimed from her seat in the back.

“I’ll be fine, Cap. Just need to readjust to working life.”

TK could hear Tommy shift in her seat, probably so she was sure that he was listening to her. “You sustained a traumatic brain injury after getting kidnapped on the job, I think you’re entitled to as many naps on the clock as you can take.”

“I’ll be fine. I just want you to treat me like you would any other day. You guys got kidnapped too, I don’t need any special treatment.”

“You’re not special, we just don’t want to waste half an hour giving you a ride up to the ER because you overdid it and didn’t tell anyone,” Nancy said.

“I wouldn’t do that,” TK objected, not even bothering to open his eyes and give Nancy a displeased look.

He didn’t even have the energy to roll his eyes as his coworkers laughed.

Tommy was the first to speak, “sure, kid. Whatever helps you sleep at night.”

The laughter dissolved after a short while, Nancy and Tommy making amicable conversation as TK tried to hold himself together around every turn and slightly too-abrupt brake.

Eventually, he couldn’t take it anymore. It seemed like the fire station was further away than it had ever been before, he wasn’t going to make it until then.

Taking a deep breath, in through his nose and out through his mouth, he couldn’t quell the nausea.

“Nancy, pull over,” he groaned.

“What?”

“Pull over.”

“I’m not going to pull over, TK. We’re almost at the station.”

“Nancy Gillian, I swear to god, pull this ambulance over.”

Nancy gave in, probably noticing the serious edge to TK’s voice or probably the fact that he had undoubtedly gone very pale in the passenger’s seat. “Okay, okay. Pulling over now.”

TK couldn’t fly out the door any faster once the ambulance came to a halt. He knew that Nancy and Tommy had a million questions that he wasn’t answering, but he was too preoccupied sinking to his knees and throwing up in the gutter.

This wasn’t going to go down in history as one of TK Strand’s finest moments, that’s for sure.

He didn’t notice anything aside from the throbbing in his head and the sting of bile in his throat until there was a hand rubbing his back. It was Nancy, he knew that without her even saying anything. Her cherry scented shampoo, although usually pleasant, made his stomach twist.

“‘M sorry,” TK whined as he took a moment to catch his breath before the nausea came back with a vengeance and he was once again emptying his guts.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“I don’t feel good.”

“No, I bet you don’t.” That was Tommy. She had a very soothing energy that would usually make him feel better but he was too preoccupied retching and only now noticing how much he was shaking.

“I’m-” TK drew in a trembling breath. “I’m fine.”

“Sure you are.”

“It’s just,” TK waved a hand in the vague direction of his head, “concussion.”

Tommy was running her hand through his hair now, like his mother always used to do when he was sick as a kid, it was a very comforting gesture. He was going to die with the secret that her comfort made him want to cry, ignoring the fact that he definitely already wanted to cry. “Yeah, I think you’re gonna need some more time off.”

“No.”

He could almost hear Nancy rolling her eyes. “Yeah, Bud, I don’t think you have a choice in the matter.”

“If this stays between us I don’t have to go back on medical leave.”

Nancy scoffed. “This can stay between us if you can stand up and walk back to the ambulance on your own.”

“That’s easy. I can do that.”

“Go for gold, kid,” Tommy said as she retracted her steadying hold on him. TK didn’t quite realise how little of a part he was playing in keeping himself upright until that moment.

Steeling himself with a deep breath and wiping his sweaty palms on his pants, TK rocked back onto his heels, ready to push himself onto his feet.

And careened backwards almost instantly, a head rush rolling over him.

TK would never be able to express his gratitude for Tommy and Nancy catching him in that moment. He leant heavily on Tommy as he closed his eyes willing everything to stop spinning. The earth wasn’t supposed to tilt like this.

Nancy gave TK a gentle pat on his back. “Yeah, you’re going back on medical leave.”

She was just met with a groan, TK couldn’t find the energy to argue, and he was almost certain that if he opened his mouth he’d be sick again.

“Do you want to ride in the gurney back to the station?” Tommy asked softly, brushing his sweaty hair away from where it clung to his forehead.

“Please, no,” he whimpered, resting his head fully on Tommy’s shoulder. He was never going to live this down.

“Hey, champ. Just sit tight and we’ll give you a hand.”

TK waved her off. “No- No, I’m good.”

Ignoring how much he fumbled, TK eventually managed to wrestle his way out of his seatbelt and opened the door. He ended up bracing himself almost entirely on the doorframe as he struggled to his feet and tried to step down.

His foot missed its purchase and he was falling for a moment or two, his brain didn’t even realise it was happening until Tommy and Nancy appeared seemingly out of nowhere to catch him.

“Easy there,” Tommy said as TK relinquished his part in holding himself up. His legs felt like the bones had been stripped from them at this point, he had no hope of bearing his own weight.

TK couldn’t help the whine he let out at the sound of Judd’s voice. “Whoa, what happened?”

“Can you guys help get him to the couch?” Tommy asked, dodging the question as she slung one of TK’s arms over her shoulders.

Judd’s arm looped around TK’s torso should have made him feel better and more supporter but he could only let out a pitiful groan as every slight shift made the room spin.

“Don’t worry, we gotcha.”

“I don’t,” TK grumbled as he let himself be dragged around until he was settled down onto something soft. He knew that it was a long enough walk from the ambulance bay to the common area or the bunk room for TK to know they had definitely gained the attention of most of the firehouse at this point.

“You’re looking very green, kid.”

As much as TK appreciated Judd’s concern and assistance getting to wherever he was currently situated - he couldn’t find the will to open his eyes to the bright lights of the station - but the signature deep Southern drawl was grating against his eardrums.

“He looked greener when he abandoned his guts in the middle of the street,” Nancy chimed. It was a very snarky statement but her words had no bite. TK imagined that this was probably how she had spoken to him on the night of the kidnapping when he was freshly concussed. He honestly couldn’t recall anything more than a few flashes from that night.

“He’s shakin’ like a leaf.”

“Yeah.” That was Paul’s voice now, coming from somewhere behind or to the side of TK. He wasn’t entirely sure anymore. “Shouldn’t he go to the hospital? This doesn’t look good at all.”

TK could almost see Tommy shrug. “If he doesn’t improve with some rest, or gets worse, there’s a ride to the ER with his name on it.”

“No,” TK groaned. “No hospitals.”

“Bud, I love ya, but this looks pretty bad.”

The voices were beginning to get harder to tell apart, everyone’s words blending together into one big indecipherable mess by the time they reached TK’s ears but he knew that was Judd.

TK stiffened as his stomach lurched. He opened his mouth to speak but a small trash can was swiftly shoved into his arms just in time for him to throw up yet again. He whimpered between heaves of what was just bile at this point, his insides cramping painfully.

“Carlos is on his way.”

Was everyone here? TK assumed his dad would be there considering he was puking his guts out on his first day back, but there were already too many other people seeing him in his current state. The idea of Carlos coming, however, made TK feel a lot better.

He’d probably feel bad about interrupting Carlos’ time with his family later but right now, all TK cared about was having Carlos next to him again.

He didn’t even realise he was crying until someone was wiping his tears away. It was that gesture that prompted TK to open his eyes. To near-complete darkness.

It only took him a few seconds to piece together that he was in the bunk room surrounded by his colleagues while he held onto a rubbish bin with a white-knuckle grip. As if on cue, he folded over the edge of the bin again and retched while someone continued rubbing his back.

The hand was definitely bigger than Tommy or Nancy’s, so maybe it was Judd? Or Paul? TK didn’t particularly care at this point. He was just glad that he wasn’t alone.

Every time he managed to lift his head for more than a minute at a time, Tommy was right there with a glass of water, trying to coerce him into drinking some of it.

“You need to drink something,” Tommy said firmly as she once again put the glass in his face.

Even the idea of drinking water made TK’s insides twist, he didn’t particularly feel like throwing up cold water anytime soon. “No thanks.”

“I wasn’t asking. You’re going to drink this water or you’re going to get an IV.”

“An IV sounds great.”

“Drink the water, TK.”

He didn’t have the energy to fight her so he slowly sipped the water while Tommy held the edge of the glass to his lips.

The feeling of cold water on his irritated throat was better than he’d ever admit, but he only got a few seconds of relief before he pushed the glass away and the water came back up.

“Yeah, this has ‘hospital’ written all over it,” Tommy said.

“No hospital,” TK groaned, trying to glare at Tommy through the tears gathered in his eyes. “Need Carlos.”

“I’m here.” There were hurried footsteps and a familiar presence slotting in next to TK as arms wrapped around him. TK could cry. He buried his face in Carlos’ shoulder while Carlos ran his hand between TK’s shoulder blades. “I’m here, baby.”

TK couldn’t help the fresh wave of tears that soaked into Carlos’ shirt. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. How are you feeling?”

“Bad. Awful. I left the thesaurus at home.”

“You’re doing great.”

“Sorry for ruining lunch,” TK mumbled into Carlos’ shoulder, his voice muffled by the fabric.

Carlos brought a hand up to play with TK’s hair at that. “Shh, no. You didn’t ruin anything. We’re all just very worried about you and want you to feel better.”

“I wanna feel better.”

“I know, baby.”

“Sorry.”

“You have nothing to apologise for. Everyone understands,” Carlos said as he pressed a kiss to the top of TK’s head. “Are you going to let Tommy take you to the hospital now?”

TK just whined and clung tighter to Carlos. He didn’t want to let go.

“I’m not gonna leave. I’m going to be right next to you the entire time,” Carlos promised, pressing a few more soft kisses to TK’s hair.

“Is that my cue to get the gurney?”

TK wasn’t entirely sure who spoke but he just sighed and nodded into Carlos’ shirt.

“Yeah, that’d be great.” TK could only imagine the smile Carlos was giving, he could hear it in his boyfriend’s voice.

Being with Carlos brought him comfort and he was so exhausted from the toll this episode had taken on his body that he was content to just rest his entire weight against Carlos.

Carlos accepted his presence entirely. He ran his palm along TK’s spine in a comforting gesture. TK could almost fall asleep there if he didn’t feel so awful.

He had no idea how much time had elapsed by the time something changed. Everyone was pretty silent for the most part, aside from the occasional clicking of the door opening and closing as people came and went.

And then he felt the shift. Like a tectonic plate moving underfoot, the exhaustion morphed into a sensation he was all too familiar with.

Panic.

Something bad was about to happen.

TK rested his palm on his chest, right over where he could feel his heart racing as it got harder to draw in a deep breath. That wasn’t a usual symptom when his head was acting up. “Ooh, I feel weird.”

Carlos stiffened under him at that. “What do you mean?”

He looked over at where Marjan and Paul were pretending not to be looking over at him every few seconds, only to realise he couldn’t really see them all that clearly. “I kinda feel like I’m about to have a panic attack, but my vision is going weird. That doesn’t usually happen.

“Are you okay? Do I need to get Captain Vega?”

“I think-” TK’s sentence was cut off as he paused to take a breath, willing away the dizziness that had made a spectacular comeback. “I need to lie down.”

“Alright, okay,” Carlo said, helping to ease TK down until he was lying on his side and Carlos could run a hand through his hair. “Just hang tight and we’ll see what Captain Vega says, okay?” Carlos asked in a soft voice, running his hand through TK’s hair.

TK nodded, “Okay.”

As quickly as things had gotten weird, they got weirder. There was another wave of dizziness and a weird taste in his mouth as his body seemed to have a mind of its own. There were a couple involuntary jerks of his hands and legs, as much as TK tried to hold his limbs still it just seemed to get worse.

“Tommy!” Carlos called, his voice cracking.

“Go get Tommy,” someone said before there was another set of hands touching him and the sound of panicked footsteps moving further away. When they spoke again TK could identify the voice as being his father’s. “TK? TK, can you hear me?”

TK wanted to nod, to confirm that he could hear them, that he didn’t know what was happening.

He was scared.

TK could feel himself slipping as the jerking got worse. He wanted to tell Carlos not to worry but he wasn’t in control anymore. His jaw clenched firm as his head jolted back a few times. He was shaking now, like he’d been electrocuted, and Carlos was looking more and more scared with each passing second.

“Shit.” Tommy’s voice reached his ears ripe with alarm as TK felt even more hands on him. “He’s seizing!”

And TK slipped.

The darkness was only brief, in what seemed like just a few moments he was blinking up at Carlos again. As if he’d fallen asleep for a minute or two.

“Hey there,” Carlos said with a soft smile. Looking up at his boyfriend, TK could clearly see the tears gathered in Carlos’ wide, worried eyes.

“Hi,” TK breathed as he pieced together all he could remember. There was a gap between lying down and talking to Carlos and waking up in the same place that he wasn’t entirely sure of. It was a void. All he knew was that his head definitely hurt more now, but everyone aside from Tommy and Carlos had cleared the room. “What happened?”

“You had a seizure.” That was definitely Tommy speaking, even though TK couldn’t see her. She was somewhere out of his line of sight and he was too preoccupied with studying Carlos’ worried expression to look away. It definitely made a lot more sense now why Carlos downright terrified.

It also made sense why no one else was around. Tommy would have known that he didn’t want anyone gawking at him when he came to. “Thanks.”

“For?” Tommy asked.

“Sending everyone out.”

“Don’t worry about it. I figured you didn’t need anyone other than me or your boy right now.” Tommy gave TK’s thigh a pat before leaving his side. “I’m going to go see if Nancy’s got the gurney sorted, okay?”

TK just hummed as Tommy walked away. He didn’t particularly care much about what was going on, he just reached out for Carlos until he could curl his finger around his boyfriend’s wrist.

“Are you okay?” he asked in a soft voice, not failing to notice the way Carlos jumped a little.

“What do you mean?” Carlos’ eyebrows knit together in confusion as he visibly tried to decode those three words, as if he was going to come up with a reason he could understand for why TK would ask him that. “I’m fine. I should be asking you that.”

“You’re scared, I can tell.”

“Of course I’m scared. You don’t have to worry about me, though.”

“I’m still going to worry, I care about you.”

“Care about yourself for once. You just had a seizure!” Carlos’ voice cracked on the last word as he covered his mouth with his free hand. He was crying. TK couldn’t see it but he knew. He could feel the way Carlos trembled and hear how his breaths were rough and staggered as he tried to swallow his sobs.

“I know. But I’m gonna go to the hospital and they’re gonna fix me up, you don’t have to worry. I don’t even feel that bad anymore, I’m just really tired and my head hurts. I just wanna make sure you’re okay, ‘Los.”

He heard Carlos take another deep, steadying breath before a familiar hand found its way into his hair. “TK-” he started, voice moderately steadier than before, but he was interrupted by the arrival of TK’s team and the gurney.

“Up you go, Strand,” Tommy instructed lightly as Carlos shifted gears, pulling the hand out of his hair and instead reaching around to help him up.

“I don’t need help,” TK objected as he slowly eased himself to his feet, bracing his entire weight on Carlos as his boyfriend helped to lift him.

“Yeah, you do. It’s okay,” Tommy said as she grabbed his legs and moved them so that they were on the gurney with him. “No one is mad at you.”

“I never said that.”

Carlos pressed a careful kiss to TK’s temple before brushing a hand through his boyfriend’s sweaty hair as he placed the other on TK’s side. “You were thinking it.”

“I’m getting déjà vu,” TK groaned. This situation of his worried boyfriend hovering over him while his head was unbearably painful was beginning to be a recurring event in his life.

“I think they call that nausea and dehydration,” Carlos offered, a small smile curling up the corner of his lips.

TK closed his eyes and sighed. “I hate you.”

“Why? I’m lovely.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” TK mumbled as he tried to suppress a groan at the jostling motion the gurney made as he was loaded into the ambulance. Carlos was quick to follow him though, eagerly scooping up TK’s hand in his own.

"I'm dying," TK grumbled, his face buried in his pillow. He’d been trying to fall asleep for the past however many hours he’d been cooped up in the ER. But everything was too bright, too loud, and his head hurt so badly. Every squeak of sneakers or beep from his IV pump seemed to serve only to exacerbate his pain. He was even cooped up under a spare blanket and Carlos’ jacket as his sweat was just making him colder in the frigid hospital air.

TK could tell by Carlos’ silence that he was trying to suppress a laugh before he said anything. "You're not dying, babe."

"If I'm not dying, why does my head hurt so bad?"

"Because you're an idiot who doesn’t tell anyone when he’s struggling."

TK just groaned in response. "I don't think this level of pain should be legal."

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can arrest your brain."

"Then what's the point of having a cop boyfriend?”

“I’m not sure. Personally, I choose to date endearing idiots who are determined to give me grey hair.”

TK just huffed and shot his boyfriend a glare. “You suck.”

“I know.”

Their banter dissolved into silence. TK knew Carlos was trying to stay as quiet as possible, that any sound would aggravate TK’s pain, and he was grateful for that.

"My head hurts," TK whimpered, reaching out clumsily until his fingers connected with Carlos' arm. His grip wasn't firm, but he pulled Carlos closer anyways, as if his boyfriend wasn't mere inches away at most times and always eager to be closer.

Carlos ran his fingers through TK's hair, carefully so as to not jostle his head. "I know sweetheart, I'm sorry."

In a flash, the nausea came rolling back with a vengeance and TK only had a few seconds to prop himself up on his elbows.

Carlos was quick to shove an emesis bag under TK’s face as he shuddered under the force of his body dry heaving until he had to taste his own bile for what seemed like the millionth time that day.

When TK finally rolled back onto the bed, panting from the toll the day had taken on his body, Carlos gagged. “That’s disgusting. You’re lucky you’re cute.”

“Give me a break.” TK grumbled, rubbing his eye with the heel of his palm. He was exhausted and he just wanted everything to be over. “I’m in the hospital.”

“This chain of events was entirely your fault, you don’t get pity.”

“I deserve pity.”

“Maybe you do.”

“I want to take a shower, I’m all sweaty and gross.”

“You can when we get home.” Carlos said, taking TK’s hand in his own, careful not to mess with the IV as he pressed a few short kisses to TK’s knuckles. “Unfortunately that’s going to be a little while away. They’re probably going to want to do a bunch of scans.”

TK groaned, rolling towards Carlos until his face was buried in the thin hospital pillow. “I hate scans.”

“I know, baby.” Carlos tapped his fingers on the railing of the bed a few times before he spoke again. “You know they’re necessary though.”

“I don’t care. They suck.”

“Just try and get some sleep, okay? I’ll wake you up when the doctor gets here.”

TK went to nod but thought better of it. Instead he sighed and sank further into the pillow, “I’m sorry.”

Though TK couldn’t see him he could practically hear the frown in Carlos’s voice. “Sorry?” he asked, “For what?”

“For worrying you,” TK started, “for not being able to make it through a day at work. For not being able to do anything. For being useless.”

“Hey,” Carlos responded firmly, “You are not useless. You are hurt and still recovering. None of this is your fault TK, none of it.”

“Still,” TK pressed on, “you shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

“And niether should you, but here we are. We’re in this together babe, no matter what.”

TK lifted his head off of the pillow to look at Carlos who was giving him a soft smile. He looked so hopeful TK could hardly stand it, but he appreciated it all the same. “I think I love you,” he said wearily before plopping his head back into the pillow, the sounds of Carlos’s fond chuckle chasing him.

“Well I know I love you,” Carlos assured him, rubbing a comforting hand down his back. “And I’m not going anywhere.”

The resident tapped the end of his pen on his clipboard before looking back up at TK. "This could just be post-concussion syndrome but I'm going to page your neurologist given your medical history to see how she thinks your treatment should go."

Carlos looked confused as he turned to the doctor. "What would his medical history have to do with it?"

TK sighed. He’d had this conversation with his neurologist a month ago. The risk of this concussion exacerbating any symptoms from previous injuries that could have had an affect on his brain. "Overdoses. Getting shot. They're worried about permanent brain damage."

“That sounds serious. Why haven’t you brought that up before?”

TK shrugged. “I thought we’d cross that bridge if and when we got to it. No use worrying you about something that no one can control.”

“I’m going to order a CT scan and see whether or not your neurologist wants more tests when she gets here,” the doctor explained before heading back into the main body of the ER.

One CT scan became an MRI, and many more tests and scans. After many hours it was determined that no, TK’s condition hadn’t worsened. It just hadn’t gotten better.

His neurologist had determined that it was likely post-concussion syndrome and discharged him with a few referrals and a prescription for a bunch of new medication that would hopefully ease his symptoms.

Carlos offered him a soft and reassuring smile as he pulled a hoodie over TK’s head.

TK didn’t even bother to put his arms in the sleeves as he gave Carlos a pout. “I want to go home.”

TK was used to Carlos’ sixth sense at this point. He should have expected that Carlos would hear him sniffle from all the way downstairs and race up to check on him.

Before TK could even get his thoughts in order, his face was sandwiched between Carlos’ hands as thumbs wiped the tears from his cheeks. He loved Carlos’ eyes, he loved getting lost in their depth, but he didn’t love the way they only ever seemed to look at him with worry nowadays.

“What’s wrong? What hurts?” Carlos asked in a soft voice. He was worried. He always was.

TK closed his eyes and let a few more tears slip free as he drew in a shaky breath. “My head.”

“Get back in bed, sweetheart.”

“No.”

“No?”

“I can’t do this anymore.”

“Do what, TK?”

“This,” TK said, gesturing towards his head. “It’s been five months and it’s not getting any better. I’m sick of being in pain all the time, I’m sick of not being able to work, I’m sick of being a burden on you.”

“Hey,” Carlos breathed, tilting TK’s head up so they were looking at each other. “You’re not a burden. You’re never a burden.”

“I keep making you cancel plans to take care of me. We don’t do anything anymore, you just look at me like I’m going to fall apart if there’s a loud noise or if i go from a dark room into a bright one. Just because my life is ruined, it doesn’t mean that yours has to be too.”

“I’m sorry that I’ve made you feel like this, but I promise you that I’m never going to want to be anywhere as much as I always want to be by your side. I love you, TK. I don’t care how long this recovery process takes, I’m not going to love you any less.”

“Maybe you should.”

“Never,” Carlos said firmly. “I’m always going to be here to love you. I’m gonna go downstairs and bring up your meds and something to eat, then we can spend the day in bed and try the date tomorrow if you’re up to it.”

TK nodded. “Tomorrow.”

Carlos pressed a kiss to TK’s temple before disappearing back downstairs.

When he returned, Carlos handed TK a handful of assorted pills and a smoothie before sliding under the covers and wrapping his arm around TK’s waist.

“You know I love you, right?”

“I know.”

“You mean the world to me and I’ll never let you forget that.”

#bad things happen bingo #911 lone star #911 lone star fic #writing*#userjillian #userkimmy #tuserpaige #tuserjamie #userjillybean #uservickytoria #userac

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i-will-physically-fight-you · 4 years ago

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As Long as the Forest Stands Tall, I’ll Be With You

Title: As Long As The Forest Stands Tall, I’ll Be With You

Summary: Humans come to Logan’s tree in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They ask for good crops, to find true love and to strike riches beyond their wildest dreams. Rarely, however, does a child stand beneath his tree, shivering and hiccuping in the bitter cold of winter.

Pairings: Familial Analogical, Background Platonic Logicality and Familial Intruroyality

Word-Count: 2.6-k

Warnings: Human Sacrifice, Death Mention, Body Horror, Morally Gray Logan, Angst with a Happy Ending

This fic is inspired by an anon ask sent to me awhile back that I just now finished. It’s also the Cryptid Logan fic that won the poll of next published wip, so hope y’all all enjoy :)

A human child stands at the base of his tree, shivering and hiccuping in the bitter cold of winter. Indeed, the child’s stick arms hugs its frame in a poor attempt to stay warm. The child does not have a coat, and its threadbare stockings could hardly count as shoes.

Logan finds himself mystified by the sight.

Humans came to his tree, in all sorts of shapes and sizes. They asked for good crops, to find true love and to strike riches beyond their wildest dreams. He granted them all, as long as they left an appropriate gift in its place. Things like books and knowledge he favored most of all, but he often did not turn away a cow or two if it was all they had to offer.

However a child? Rarely do children come seeking his help. Adolescents do not have the same worries as their often self-absorbed older counterparts. The few children that have come his way in decades past asked for things for others. The appearance of the child is enough to wake him fully from his winter rest.

“Hello.” He speaks, the wind carrying his message, through the dead tree branches and over the mounds of snow below.

He forms at the base of his tree, in a shape familiar yet alien to a human’s eye. Centuries of practicing shapeshifting and he still has not perfected a form that does not send a human’s flight-or-fight’s reflexes into overdrive. Humans are innately good picking up on minuscule anomalies. If it is not the nose this time, then it is the ears he has gotten wrong. Too pointy, too many. He’s certain this time he has the right amount of body parts.

The child leaps in the air at his greeting. They turn to face him, trembling even more. He does not think it is from the cold.

“H-hello.” The child returns the greeting, dipping their head in reverence.

“What is your name, child?” He asks, “and what do you seek?”

The child makes a weird, muffled noise. Their head is still lowered, facing away from Logan’s searching gaze.

“My name is Virgil, I--I’ve come to seek an end to this harsh winter. That you--you bring about a prosperous out-pour of crops this Spring.” The child speaks, slow and stilted. Like words firmly pressed into their mouth by someone else and not a genuine request from the child himself.

A flash of anger passes through Logan. If humans think by sending out a sapling their chances will double, they are wrong. Logan values knowledge and wisdom, not emotional manipulation.

Logan hums in acknowledgement of Virgil’s words, “I see. And what shall you offer in payment?”

“Myself.”

“What?” Logan asks, for he is sure he misunderstood the child.

“I--it’s--Chief Habrok said as an orphan I’m not good for much else and that this is the highest honor I could bring to the village. So I offer myself as a sacrifice.” Virgil looks up at him, glistening tears half-frozen to his cheeks. So much of both fear and determination radiates from the small being.

Logan’s ire has kindled to a raging forest-fire. This is worse than simply thinking Logan would be softer to a child’s pleas than an adult’s. Humans have bargained with him using livestock but one of their own young? A child that has lost so much already? It is revolting. All around them, the forest creaks, branches shifting not from the blizzard’s winds but of their own volition. Virgil flinches.

He reaches down, softly cusping Virgil’s chin with a hand to direct the child’s attention towards himself.

“I will take you far away from here. Somewhere you’ll be safe and loved for as long as this tree stands tall. Okay?”

“And my village--you’ll take care of them?” Virgil asks, confusion and doubt swirling around him. Much like the fierce snowfall sweeping through the forest.

Logan’s lips twitches. “You have my word that they’ll be taken care of.”

“O-okay.” Virgil agrees, voice soft and small.

Logan drops his hand away, holding it out by his side. “Take my hand.”

Most would hesitate touching the hand of a spirit. They’d fear to be swept away, to never see the light of day again. The fear is very much present within the child. But again so is that firm, resolute determination. Virgil’s tiny hand shoots forward, latching onto Logan’s larger one with a startlingly strong grip. The wind picks up as the trees shake themselves from their foundations, their roots. They stretch, relishing the freedom of movement.

“Close your eyes.” Logan murmurs. It’s his only warning before he calls forth to the forest. Logan is not this one tree like the humans believe. He is all of them. He is the whole forest. Each of them are perfectly formed clones connected by the same root system.

He integrates Virgil’s soul into the system, careful to keep the child’s individuality intact. Somewhere in the bidding snowstorm, a young three-foot sapling sprouts bright green leaves much like the tree the two stand under. Certain of his work, he withdraws. He underestimates the drain of his powers, because he nearly collapses to the ground.

“You!” Virgil gasps, staring at Logan with bulging eyes. Logan looks at himself, no longer ambiguously human in appearance. Ah, yes. He’s quite forgotten how frightening his true form can be for humans. It is a shimmery indigo blue that is almost translucent. He has a multitude of eyes and just as many limbs. His hair is mossy, with bits of berries and flowers poking out of it. His eyes are a pupiless navy blue with whirling black rings.

“You look different as well,” Logan says, pointing out that the child’s form has taken on a glowing purple hue. Hmm, purple. Unusual color for a spirit. He still looks much like a human aside from the color. Give it enough time, however, and the child’s appearance will shift to reflect his newfound nature.

“Am I dead?” The child blurts out.

“Not in the slightest.” Logan reassures. The child does not look reassured despite this, “Now come, I know someone who will take good care of you.”

“B-but I thought, you’d--” The child stutters, unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Oh no, I’m terrible with children. I promise that you will be quite safe with him.” Logan says, blinking out the dizzying nausea. He frowns in distaste. Maintaining a physical presence is annoying and draining. This is why he seldoms ventures out to the physical realm if he can help it.

“Now shall we?” Logan asks, shouting over the blizzard at this point. Virgil huddles closer, burying his head into Logan’s robes, away from the roaring blizzard. Logan’s robes become wet with tears. Logan places a tentative hand on the child’s back. \

Then he pulls both of them away--their physical forms dissolving completely. They reappear in a dwelling in the depths of the astral realm. A calamity of voices greets them. A kind, older one overlaid by two energetic young ones.

“--you two shouldn’t go off without permiss--”

“Logey, Logey!” The two young voices say in unison, as a set of green and red blurs come dashing towards Logan’s direction. The green one looks human enough except for their bottom half made up of swishing, swirling tentacles. The red one sports shimmery see-through wings and insectoid eyes.

The child presses closer to Logan, his heart rate accelerating by a substantial amount. In response, Logan draws his limbs around to shield Virgil while holding one hand out in warning. He supposes new faces, especially inhuman ones, is frightening for the young child.

“Remus, Roman,” He says, breathing labored, “I ask we forgo the usual hug-tackle just this once.”

The saplings stop short, their faces flashing with confusion. One of them opens his mouth to protest, but a blue pair of hands with talon-like nails rest on each of their shoulders.

“Logan, what’s going on?” Patton asks, “shouldn’t you be slumbering still?”

Logan doesn’t answer him at first. He glances down, craning his neck towards Virgil. “Would you like to meet my friend?” He whispers lowly. Virgil tightens his grip on Logan’s robes but nods. Satisfied, Logan draws his limbs back, revealing the child to Patton and the saplings. Twin gasps erupt from Remus and Roman.

“This is Virgil.” Logan informs them, “Virgil, this is Patton and his sons--”

“I’m Remus and this is Stinky!” Remus says, thrusting his thumb towards his brother.

“No I’m NOT! My name’s Roman!” Roman shrieks, his indignation however is quickly forgotten as he holds out a hand towards Virgil, “Hey you want to play knights and dragons? You and I can be the knights!”

“No fair! I want him to be a dragon with me!” Remus stomps his foot. Roman glares back and it seemed like the two were on the verge of a wrestling match when a tentative voice speaks up.

“Can I...can I be a dragon knight?”

Remus and Roman stare at Virgil, who mostly hidden himself behind Logan at this point. Just a purple tuft of hair and eyes are visible.

“That’s...that’d be cool!” The twins say in unison. It’s times like then that Logan is reminded they were once one; Romulus. Once a highly respected river spirit until humans’ actions caused him to split and reform anew.

“Why don’t you three go along and play in the fort? Logan and I have some things to discuss.” Patton suggests, smiling brightly. Too bright. Logan withholds a shudder.

Remus and Roman don’t protest, too excited at the prospect of a new playmate. Roman extends a hand towards Virgil, who looks up at Logan in askance.

“Well, go on.” Logan raises an eyebrow, “it is alright.”

Virgil takes Roman’s hand and the three are gone in a blink of an eye. So has Patton’s smile.

“Logan--what have you done?”

“What do you mean?” Logan deflects, gritting his teeth. He extends a few limbs, looking for something to steady himself with. A warm pair of arms steady him, guiding him to a chair. Trust Patton to help even in the midst of being upset.

“Don’t. Not right now. Virgil--he is a part of you, I can sense it. But he isn’t--”

“The human village near my forest sent him as a sacrifice.”

Patton almost lets go of him, “You didn’t!”

“Of course not,” Logan rolls his eyes as he sits down in the chair with a grunt, “but I couldn’t send him back there or leave him completely alone to die. Humans can’t survive our realm, you know this. Integrating his soul as a part of me was the only option.”

“And the village?”

“I’ve taken care to make sure they get what they justifiably deserve.” Logan answers, closing his eyes as he shares a vision with Patton.

For a fleeting second, he sees flashes of the forest marching among the white visage of a raging blizzard. Flickers of drab buildings caught in gnarled branches being torn apart. A hundred voices screaming in terror.

He opens his eyes and sees Patton again. The air spirit regards him with raised eyebrows and a small frown tugging at his lips. Not quite approval, nor disapproval.

“You plan to look after Virgil, then?”

“No, of course not,” Logan says, “I thought that was rather obvious. You are good with saplings--I am not. Besides you are always saying how it’d be nice to have around a peer Roman’s and Remus’ age for their benefits.”

As to prove his point, several delighted laughter echoes from the children in the distance. Logan smirks, satisfied. He rises from his chair, desperate to return to his winter slumber, when Patton pushes him back into it. He is embarrassed that it was more of a gentle shove than anything else.

“Logan, you can’t just--you have a responsibility to Virgil! He is of you now, if you leave--it’ll be detrimental to both of you. Remember when Romul--when Remus and Roman first came into being, if separated it caused them--”

“This is different. I made sure to account for that,” Logan snaps, “Please Patton, could you at least watch over him until--”

Logan stops abruptly as a pain burrows into him. After centuries of existence, Logan has experienced pain, both great and minimal. But he was not prepared for this type of pain. The aching, spluttering kind. He could not breathe. It was like he was drowning and being burned alive at the same time. But it isn’t oxygen he needs. It’s something else. And every second he isn’t reunited with this something, the pain only continues to worsen.

“Dad! Dad!”

“Something’s wrong--”

“I didn’t hit him!”

“--hurt--”

Something is deposited onto his lap. A shaking, quivering Virgil. Who Logan had promised would be safe here. Not writhing in pain. Logan gathers his limbs around the child tightly. A low rumble like trees creaking in the wind emanates from Logan. A lullaby that forest spirits know well. A human might find it frightening. It does not frighten Virgil. He can feel the child relaxing in his hold, cries quietening. Virgil is not human anymore, after all. The pain ebbs away but still Logan’s focus remains on Virgil.

“Are you alright now?” Logan asks.

Virgil nods, hesitating. “I’m sorry.”

Logan’s many eyes blink in confusion. He looks over to Patton and the twins, who he’d almost forgotten. Patton’s lips are pressed firmly together in a signature “I told you so” move. He is missing his usual gleam in his eyes, however. His gaze darts between Logan and Virgil before landing solidly on Logan. It doesn’t take him long to decipher what that means.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Logan asks Virgil.

“I did something bad--didn’t I? And you punished me so that’s why I--”

“No,” Logan cuts in, causing the child to jolt, “you did not do anything wrong. I should be apologizing to you. I inadvertently caused harm to you when I promised safety.”

“You mean it?” Virgil asks, his little eyes squinting up at Logan. There’s so much wariness and mistrust in those eyes. Too much for a child as young as Virgil.

“I do. I apologize for causing further harm to befall you. While it hadn’t been my intention, it still hurt you and so I take responsibility for it.” Logan tells him, bowing his head. It is a serious matter when spirits break a promise. He cannot blame the young sapling if he chooses to not to accept his apology. Especially after the hurt Virgil has already endured in his short lifespan.

Logan is as old as the forest. He has seen many things and knows twice that of things in the world. Still, nothing quite prepares him for Virgil’s response.

“Okay,” The child says, and then, “promise you won’t leave me?”

He raises his head to look at Virgil. Doubt still dances in those little eyes, but so does hope. Logan wants to laugh. What a stubborn, brave thing to have. He’s still willing to trust Logan even though he’d broken his promise not even a hour after making it. It’s illogical, foolish yet heartwarming all the same.

“As long as the forest stands tall, I will be with you.” Logan promises, a much more serious oath than the first.

Then a small smile graces Virgil’s face and oh! Oh, for all his infinite wisdom, Logan does not know how to raise a sapling. How could he, when he had no mother tree? No one to nurture and nourish him as a young, vulnerable sapling? But he knows Virgil already has him wrapped around his roots. That upon sensing the child at his tree, his fate at once had been sealed.

For once not knowing something does not agitate him. In fact, as he wraps a limb over the child in a loose embrace, he thinks he does not mind it.

#thomas sanders #sanders sides #virgil sanders #logan sanders #kat writes

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peach-the-owl · 3 years ago

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Welcome…

Child of the Nein (Mighty Nein & Child!Reader)

So I remember seeing a request for something like this a while ago but it disappeared (Tumblr being dumb probably had something to do with it 😑). If I remember it was basically how the Mighty Nein, and Lucien, react to their child getting an eye tattoo on them

Jester

It felt really weird to see Lucien, having been Molly before was awesome, he was kind and a lot of fun but Lucien was not kind or fun to you and this giant living city you chased him to didn’t make it any better. The walls, floors, just everything was gross and fleshy and creeped you out to no end, making you huddle closer to Jester for some comfort.

"Don’t worry (y/n), it’s going to be alright." She places a hand on your shoulder and gives you a sweet smile, but you could tell by her tone she was just trying to make you feel better and wasn’t fully convinced by her own words. Returning the smile you push forward through the halls of Aeor, a weird humming noise starting to buzz in your ear, coming from one of the walls.

"Do you hear that humming sound too?" You tugged Jester's coat as you ask, she gives you a confused look.

"I don’t hear any humming." She says, looking around with concern. You let a puff of air in annoyance, why where you the only one being tormented by the sound? You just wanted it to stop. The humming got louder, sounding more like screams, you look around seeing a wall with strange text on it shifting around, this was where the sound seemed to be coming from. You walk away from Jester towards the wall in almost a trance, being pulled towards it and staring at the odd text you had no way of reading. Without realizing, you raise your hand up and place it on the wall, a series of symbols and odd scribbles flash before your eyes until you feel yourself being yanked away from the wall making you gasp in shock as you’re thrust back into reality. "(Y/n)! (Y/n), are you okay?" Jester frantically asks starting to look you over.

"Ummm… I think so." You reply after a second to refocus yourself. Now seeing everyone staring down at you with wide eyes. "What’s wrong?"

"Eye. You have a red eye right here." Jester points to a spot on the side of her neck, close to the ear, showing you where a red eye tattoo had appeared. You quickly place a hand over the area, flinching away only to look back up at her, letting out a scared whine. She immediately picks you up and holds you close to her. "It'll be okay, don’t cry. We’ll figure this out." She hushes you, you nod hoping she’s right, wrapping your arms around her neck and take a few deep breaths to calm down before continuing forward.

Veth

Molly had always been a loud and proud individual, it was an infectious feeling at the time making you feel just a little more confident in your own skin too. Lucien, while still in his own way proud was not as morally boosting to you, you did not like him in the slightest. Now having chased him into the astral sea and to the giant moving city you were sure you were entering the endgame. Everything here was gross and moving, yet strangely you weren’t that creeped out over it, having spent a long time living with goblins you've seen your fair share of gross fleshy messes before. As you traverse the place you encountered these weird creatures with way too many eyes and mouths to be comfortable with, and having killed one of these things a series of symbols flashes in you mind before disappearing. You look around not noticing anything else out of the ordinary and run over to Veth who, when you drew closer, let’s out a small gasp making you tilt your head to the side confused.

"(Y/n), sweetie, I don’t want to alarm you… but look at your shoulder." You look at your right shoulder, seeing nothing, then look to the left one where through a tear in your coats fabric you see a red eye had appeared, you quickly place your hand over it.

"Am I dying?! Does this mean I’m dying?!" You ask in a small panic.

"Of course it doesn’t." Veth comforts, placing an arm around you and planting a small kiss on your head. "I mean just look at Caleb and Beau, they’re covered in red eyes and they’re still alive." She had a point there, you nod at this and continue to journey farther into the city with the rest of the Nein.

Caleb

It was weird to see Molly again, except he wasn’t Molly anymore. This Lucien guy was odd, you weren’t entirely sure what to make of him yet, for now he and the rest of the Tombtakers were traveling with you and, after some bumpy starts, sharing Caleb’s magic tower with you for the night. It was getting later in the evening but you wander the tower in search of Caleb, it’s been hard to get any sleep lately so he would tell you at least one bedtime story to help. During your search you pick up one of the servant cats that inhabit the tower, its legs dangle limply in your arms. Finally you spot him, he and Beau were looking over some book, Lucien was there too which confused you so you decide to approach slowly and cautiously. Getting close enough you could see the pages to the book they were looking through but weren’t able to fully read the words on the page, that is until they flipped to one covered in crazed scrawls and symbols all over it. Your eyes were locked on the page going over the different patterns, finding yourself unable to look away, the book's suddenly snapped shut and you shake your head back into reality. You had a feeling you probably weren’t supposed to see that, but the three didn’t seem to take notice of you as they conversed so you quickly sneak off and wait for Beau and Caleb to return.

Evening falls, you and the Nein were all huddled in one room as a safety precaution while you try to get some sleep, but the evening had other plans for you when you find yourself staring off in a dark void. All you could remember was after Caleb a came to join you again, you got your little bedtime story and went to sleep, yet now you were somewhere else entirely, wherever here was. A red light breaks through the darkness opening into a single large eye, you stare petrified until a feeling, a thought enters your head.

"Welcome…" Just a single word, floating around, echoing in your mind followed by images of symbols and scrawls similar to those from that book and a humming that slowly turns to screams growing louder and louder. The eye closes and you jolt awake, by the looks of it you weren’t the only one affected by this either.

"That’s rare." You hear Fjord say, unsure of what to make of the situation. Beau grabs her notebook and quickly starts writing something down as she does you see a red eye was now on the back of her left hand, something Caleb brings to her own attention. After some concerned looks between the two they both check for any eyes on Caleb, finding one on his right shoulder region. "Wait, why’d you wake up?" Fjord points attention over to you now.

"They weren’t with us when we examined the book." Caleb looks over at you and you shrink in on yourself a little. "(Y/n)?" He gives a concerned stare.

"I didn’t mean to." You say quietly, no one else says anything so you continue. "I was trying to find you, but then I saw you were busy with that weird book. I didn’t mean peek, but I couldn’t look away when you turned to that page with all those strange drawings on it. I’m sorry." You get teary eyed and sniffle, hearing Caleb sigh before pulling you closer to him.

"It’s alright kleiner, you meant well and we couldn’t have predicted this would happen." Caleb tries to calm you a little. "However, if you saw what we did then that would mean…" He trails off, only for Beau to fill in the rest.

"They have one as well." She points to where your pants had rolled up your leg a ways, revealing a single red eye on your right ankle. You hoped this wasn’t permanent and could get reversed somehow, little did you know this was only the beginning as the rest of the group begins to stir from all the commotion.

Caduceus

You were not a fan of this Lucien character, there was something unnatural to him that made your skin crawl and this giant living city you’d chased him to wasn’t helping the case. You knew a bit about the person who had inhabited their body from the rest of the Nein but since you never knew Molly personally you didn’t feel the same emotional distress as the others. The creatures that inhabited the city proved to make difficult obstacles, you squared off with a smaller one while the others dealt with several larger ones, you weren’t even sure what to make of this thing and defiantly didn’t want to over think about it either. When you manage to take the thing down it sends out a small burst as a last resort attack, but you didn’t notice any pain or damage to yourself, instead these strange symbols flash before your eyes. The designs were almost hypnotic but as much as you tried you could take your eyes away from them.

"…" There was a mumble of something but you couldn’t hear what. "…!" Same incoherent voice but a little louder, you wanted to see who was talking you really did but it felt like you were stuck in place. Something grabs ahold of you making you jump and ready to attack but then a wave clarity washes over you, the symbols disappear and you’re able to refocus again.

"What happened?" You look up at Caduceus confused, noticing you weren’t in the spot you’d been standing in originally. He doesn’t say anything right away, just takes you into his arms holding you close and lifts you up, going to follow the rest of the group.

"They did something to you," he finally says, you look at him worried. "Your eyes glazed over red and you started attacking us." This upset you deeply, you didn't mean to hurt anyone, you place your hands on your head and shrink into yourself a little, that’s when you see it. Now present on your right forearm was one of those red eye tattoos, you gasp and pull your arms away from yourself giving Caduceus the chance to see the eye. Tears start to fall from you, this was so wrong, you were a force working with nature but this was anything but natural. Caduceus soothingly rubs your back helping you calm down slightly.

"It'll be okay, we’ll find a way to fix this." He whispers to you, you nod as you take in slow deep breaths to help refocus yourself to the task at hand. It was like a part of you knew that in order to remove the eye, this city had to go down.

Fjord

This whole thing felt weird, confusing and frustrating to you. Things used to be so simple, now this Molly lookalike who called himself Lucien came along and everything felt like it was in disarray, it unfortunately couldn’t be helped and now you had to share Caleb’s tower with him and the rest of his group. You were chasing around one of the towers cats as a means of entertainment when you bump into someone and stumble to the ground, pushing yourself up and dusting yourself off you look up and see Caleb, Beau and Lucien staring at you.

"Umm sorry, didn’t know I was interrupting something." You apologies and are about to turn and leave when you see the book in their hands. "What’s that and why’s it all in undercommon?"

"A book we’re trying to read, so if you’ll… wait you know this is undercommon?" Beau raises an eyebrow at you, you just nod. "And you can read it?"

"Kinda, I guess." You shrug and before you know it you’re now helping to decipher through the various journal entries, until you reach a page just full of scribbles and crazy drawings. You look over everything finding yourself being drawn in and unable to look away the longer you stared, in a flash the book's shut and Lucien's bidding you all a goodnight.

While everyone was readying themselves for sleep you wanted to stay up and keep first watch with Fjord, you didn’t realize you’d fallen asleep until you find yourself staring into nothingness. It almost felt like déjà vu, floating in a dark abyss only to be greeted by an eye staring you down, though this time it wasn’t a creep, mysterious sea leviathan staring at you but something else, completely unnatural. It didn’t really speak either but rather placed a feeling or thought that formed words in your head saying one thing.

"Welcome…" The word was echoed around, like it was bouncing off of nonexistent walls, then screams fill your ears as the eye closes and your brought back into the waking world. You look up at Fjord who in turn looks between you, Caleb and Beau, who also awoke possibly from the same thing.

"That’s… rare." He says with confusion and concern, you look around the room to see if anyone else had somehow woken up, seeing signs of the others slowly beginning to stir. There’s a sudden feathery touch on the back of your neck making you jump slightly, instinctually place a hand over it and whip back to look at Fjord again, who stares back in shock.

"What?" You tilt your head confused but look over to see Beau and Caleb having red eye tattoos on them, making it click in you head that you must’ve now had one too.

Beau

To say you didn’t like Lucien was an understatement, he was snarky and overall a jerk, sure Molly was similar in someways but at least he had done it all in good fun. Still your curiosity got the better of you what with that book he held onto, wondering what sort of secrets were hidden in those pages. You got your answer sooner then you thought when spending the evening in Caleb’s tower Beau, Caleb and yourself were approached by the tiefling. Well mostly they were you just so happened to be present as well, but you weren’t going to let this opportunity to gain new information slip by, the three of you working through deciphering the pages until you reach a page just covered in mad scrawls and odd symbols. The different patterns and marking gave off a hypnotic feel, finding yourself unable to look away until the book is snapped shut by Lucien. You feel a little dazed by the whole thing taking a second for yourself to refocus.

When evening finally come around everyone huddled together in one room away from the Tometakers for safety and to discuss what to do going forward. You couldn’t quite keep yourself awake as long as everyone else and end up passing out for the night only to open your eyes and stare into an endless, dark void. You look around yourself to see if you could… well see something, spotting a red glow cut through the darkness. The light grows larger, opening into a giant eye that felt as though it was looking everywhere all at once. It was like a link was formed between you and whatever this thing was as it sends a thought into your mind. Just one single word.

"Welcome…" It echos and repeats itself over and over like a buzzing hive, images of those symbols from the book flash before you and you now realize the buzzing wasn’t actually buzzing but screams. Before you can dwell on it too long the eye closes and you shot up, wide awake alongside Caleb and Beau.

"That’s rare." You hear Fjord mumble, but don’t pay much mind to him as you go and grab your notebook to write down what you’d seen, seemed like Beau had a similar idea since she was also frantically writing in her own notes. When you’re done you have a look at what you wrote, seeing mad scrawls and utter nonsense cover the page, when you look up Caleb had removed his shirt showing a red eye by his shoulder and Beau was alternating between staring at the back of her hand and looking over at you with concern. Catching onto the idea you check yourself for any red eyes, and who would’ve guessed when you lift your own shirt a little ways you see a single eye located on your abdomen, you now stare up at Beau with equal concern. Before anything else can be said the rest of the Nein start to stir.

Yasha

Meeting Lucien was like a heavy punch in the gut for both you and Yasha, he didn’t know or care much about you and he called Molly a fragment or imposter, which you didn’t believe to be true. Molly was nice, fun and he showed you how bright and beautiful the world could really be, Lucien felt like the complete opposite and yet their personality was so similar. By now you had chased him to the astral sea and into the creepy living city of Aeor, but you weren’t going to let the unnerving nature of this place deter you from wanting to save your friend, if there was anything for you to save. The weird monstrosity’s that roamed the place didn’t like your presents, having to fight them off to move forward, throughout all of this there was an odd humming sound that resonated in the back of your mind.

"What’s wrong?" Yasha asks concerned, seeing your face scrunch up.

"I keep hearing this humming sound and it won’t go away." You cross your arms in a huff, getting increasingly frustrated with the strange noise.

"I wish I could do something to help you, but I can’t find anything that could be making a humming sound." She says with a sighs, having a look around to try and pick up on anything herself. Continuing forward you try and ignore the sound but it only gets worse, now sounding more like screams growing louder and louder, it was giving you so much of a headache you cover your ears in a poor attempt to stop the sound. Symbols start flashing before your eyes, the screams still growing louder then silence, you take a second reopen your eyes seeing Yasha kneeling in front of you with worry. "Are you okay? You dropped to the ground so suddenly, I thought something attacked you." You just nod that you're okay and reach up for her to pick you up, she does so and you both gasp when you see one of those red eye tattoos had appeared on top of your right wrist. Yasha looks at you with concern, you stare back for a second before covering your wrist with your other hand and give a look of determination.

"We're gonna fix this and make everything better, won’t we?" You tried to sound as confident as possible but deep down you were scared, Yasha having noticed this also puts in a determined face, touching her forehead against yours.

"Of course we will."

Mø-lŸ Lucien

When you met up with the Nein again things were still tense, you being the sorta bridge between both parties to try and keep things from going too far south. It was a lot for one kid to handle but you certainly tried your best, now everyone was spending the night in Caleb’s magic tower, something else you missed out on the first time around. As much as you wanted to interact with the Nein and see how they were doing, Lucien was still very adamant on keeping you close to his side. As nice as it was to know a part of him still cared about you, something the Nein tried to question him on with little results, it could get a bit overbearing. Taking a moment you close your eyes, lean against a wall and slide down into a sitting position, you then feel something get placed in your lap as a second presents joins you. You open your eyes again to of course see Lucien had joined you then look down at the odd book he gave you.

"What’s this?" You ask staring at the book curiously.

"I feel I’ve been unfair with ya. Ye’ve well proven to have earned me trust so I figure it about time I share something with ya." Lucien brings you in closer to him and opens the book, which you can see is written in undercommon. "Are ye able to understand what this says?" He questions you.

"Hardly, I only know some basic words in undercommon." You say after you’ve examine the words on the page trying to decipher what it all said.

"That’s alright, this is really what I wanted to show ya anyways." He flips through several pages until he reaches one with odd designs and symbols on it. You suddenly feel memorized, unable to look away from the page, studying each design and crazy scrawling of words. He flips to another page similar to the first… then another… and another… finally he closes the book, breaking you from the little trance you were in. "I think that should be enough." He comments, a little ominously.

"Enough of what?" You look at him confused.

"Don’t worry yerself about it. It’s gettin' late anyway, best get some rest for tomorrow little one." You blink a few times, still very confused as to what all that was about but decide to just leave it for now and try and get some sleep…

You find yourself floating alone in this cold, dark, endless void, was this some sort of dream? You know you tried to fall asleep but now you were here, wherever here was. Through the void a thin crack forms, giving off a menacing red glow before opening into a large eye that seems to look at you, through you and around you all at once. You can only stare back unsure of what to do and a little scared, then a voice… no, a thought enters your head.

"Welcome…" It echos around your head, alongside a strange humming sound as you become linked to this thing. You were shaking, terrified of what this was and unsure of what it wanted, then another thought is placed and echoed into your head by this thing. "Do not fret… young one… we’ve been expecting you…" We? Expected? What was any of this supposed to mean? Symbols and markings similar to those from the book Lucien showed you flash before your eyes, the humming now sounding more like distant, desperate screams. The eye closes…

You jolt yourself awake, taking in deep breaths to calm yourself as best as possible, running your hands down your face to try and get a grip of whatever just happened. When you pull them away you notice a faint red glow on your left palm, rubbing a bit of sleep from your eyes you see a red eye tattoo staring back at you. You run your thumb over the mark and bring your hand in closer to your chest as you finally look up and around the dark room, (e/c) orbs landing on crimson ones staring back. You look down at your palm then back up at Lucien, through the dark you faintly see a smile creep onto his face as he raises his own palm with a similar eye on it.

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thatpinkbetch · 4 years ago

Text

Bkdk Fic Rec

I’ve been inspired to write a fic rec! This one goes out to you @lonely-rabbit

At like, the end of 2018 and the beginning of 2019 I stayed up until 4am every night reading fics, and because I’m such a loser, I made a word doc to keep track of all of them so I wouldn’t forget them.... I tried organizing it by length but it got messy cause I’m ridiculous and cluttered, so sorry! (I’ll save my own for the end alskdjflsdkfj gotta self promote you know). This is going to get...really long, so I’ll put it under a read more! Also, just a heads up, these are all on ao3, in case that’s important to anyone!

Disclaimer: Any fics with mature or explicit content I will add a bolded warning for, even if it’s only a little bit. Normally most fics will be tagged as such, but some fics that are rated as teen I’ve found to be more suggestive than some of those rated as mature, so I will try to point it out where it feels necessary, for anyone who wishes to avoid it.

Fics under 1k:

Illuminate by TheQueen (269 words)

Summary: Bakugou watches the first firework launch and fights to keep his face neutral

Very short, plot is about a case of amnesia, also very cute and well written for that length! Not angsty at all imo

sweaty hands holding secrets - shounentwink (563 words)

Summary: Someone said Midoriya holds secrets in his hair.

It’s not true: He holds it tightly in his hands. Bakugou’s seen it.

I really like this writer! You’ll see quite a bit of them in this post alkdsjfalskdjf

Fics 1k - 10k:

Many sunflowers later - Jeka (2395 words)

Summary: Scholar Midoriya Izuku comes back to the person he left behind after his journey through the kingdom, the mighty dragon clan leader Bakugou Katsuki.

Day 1 of Twin Stars Week 2020: Fantasy AU.

First of all, fantasy au!!! Second of all, jeka!!! (I need to read more of your stuff!!) Anyways, so cute, such lovely, pretty writing, wonderful story telling, and they’re so in love TT_TT

Boom Badoom Boom - warschach (3429 words)

Summary: Izuku's working the kissing booth at the school fair, it just so happens Katsuki has been crushing on him since the first grade.

“Did you—“ Izuku parted his mouth with no sound leaving it, “Did you pay?”

“Yea.”

“For a kiss?”

This one’s a little silly but I love it still. It’s got a “kids in the 80′s over summer vacation” vibe, I think. I love warschach! I should read more of their writing... They have SUCH good bakudeku content! *It’s rated teen but there’s some suggestive content, just a heads up!

Hopeless Ramen-tic - lalazee (7155 words)

Summary: Midoriya is a cute guy who works at a ramen stall and Bakugou is thirsty as hell, but has to hide it by being an asshat. Another love story.

Ah, so good TT_TT so much sass, such good plot development and story telling for a simple concept *It’s rated as teen but again, it can be suggestive at times!

I’ll share this with you, so leave it behind - yabakuboi (3508 words)

Suammry: For the sake of the story, All Might is never in need of a successor, and, when Izuku saves Katsuki from the sludge monster, encourages young Midoriya down a different path. Thus, Katsuki and Izuku part ways after junior high, as Katsuki enters U.A. and the Midoriyas move overseas. It’s later that Katsuki realizes that there’s something missing, that he drove that something away.

Years after, Katsuki finds him in the last place he looks, in the cereal aisle at the local grocery store of their childhood neighborhood.

So soft, so sweet, so good if you just want to curl up in a comfy blanket and drink hot cocoa and feel warm and cozy and a little in love

The Secret Deku Box - yabakuboi (2241 words)

Summary: “Y’know, Bakugou never, ever talks about girls,” Kaminari says, his voice thoughtful.

“And I wonder why that is.” Ashido rolls her eyes.

“I’m just curious!” Kaminari whines. Kirishima drags the box out, unlabeled and unassuming, the lid not even fully clasped over the edges. “The guy has to— Whoa, what’s that?”

Kirishima realizes a little belatedly that this is a serious breach of privacy, and Bakugou will actually murder all of them. “Nothing!” he cries, attempting to shove it back under the bed, but Ashido snatches it away.

“Please be his porn stash!” Kaminari whispers as she whips the lid off.

Cute, funny, in canon, in character, and a must read I would say!

daisy bunches and heather branches - halcyonwhispers (5862 words)

Summary: izuku falls in love with the foul-mouthed tattoo artist next door.

Not another flower/tattoo shop au.... aldskjflaskdjfd Okay but punk!Bakugou is ALWAYS a smart move imo

the best part of me (is the worst I can give) - halcyonwhispers (5668)

Summary: Whole sentences usually make up people’s Words, but Katsuki got stuck with a name instead.

Izuku’s name.

I am such a sucker for soulmate aus when it comes to these boys TT_TT *There is some mature content, just a heads up!

Hard to Say - halcyonwhispers (8390 words)

Summary: Izuku is a Halfling, born after his faerie father spirited away his mom and then left her behind. Never quite fitting in with the humans or any of the supernatural beings in his small town, Izuku hoped that going to a diverse college in the big city will help him finally make friends.

Katsuki’s family has been powerful witches for generations, and he’s no different. Talented and a proclaimed genius to boot, he knew he shouldn’t waste his time on this dumbass (disgustingly cute) half-blood.

Or,

two idiots fall in love and don’t get that the other’s awkward cues are just a result of romantic tension.

I am ALSO a sucker for fantasy/mythical creatures au and I LOVED this one - Bakugou absolutely unable to handle how cute Midoriya is? Perfection - but it’s unfinished, and I don’t think it ever will be continued, unfortunately TT_TT

lots to unpack (throw away the whole suitcase) - shounentwink (4315 words)

Summary: “How’d you know?” Midoriya asks.

There’s a hunch to his shoulders that wasn’t there three hours ago. Freckled shoulders are kissed sunburnt and red: he looks like someone ran him over and left him like roadkill in the sunlight. Bakugou’s working with insurance today, but he could see the sparks of green lightning even from his elevated position in their shared agency. Midoriya’s holding his thumb, cracking it over and over — it looks like he’s rubbed it raw.

“Dunno,” Bakugou says. “Maybe you’re just easy to read, nerd.”

I love this one so much, it was one of the first ones I read, it’s so good, and it’s another that really affected how I view their relationship! Idk this one just hit for me

hang the moon from us (it’s a no from me) - shounentwink (1200 words)

Summary: Midoriya’s gonna get sick of Bakugou one of these days, and then the whole ruse will be over, and the balance of power will tilt beyond salvation, but that day isn’t today and it looks like Bakugou knows it.

What an asshole.

Once again, I’m a sucker for the fantasy au... But even more, the diction, the details, the imagery...it’s absolutely all stunning here. I wish I could write this pretty

In Which Bakugou Finds His One Tru Luv - Erina (5862 words) This is the first one of a series called The Misadventures of Explodo-kill Agency!

Summary: Welcome to the Explodo-kill agency! We can destroy your buildings, crash your cars, and help you solve one of the seven mysteries in life: who is Bakugou Katsuki's mysterious boyfriend?!

I’ll admit I’ve only read the first three but by god they are the funniest fics I’ve ever read in my life. I see that Erina has added more since the last time I checked it out! Tbh I was only interested in reading the purely bakudeku ones... (My favorite was the second one!! SO funny and cute!)

i still do - raeryn (9646 words)

Summary: He’s losing him to pieces, but Izuku still tries to make them count. In which a battle leaves Bakugou Katsuki with amnesia, and Izuku finds himself picking up the pieces.

So, this one makes me cry. TT_TT

One Thing Straight - winningshot (9899 words)

Summary: They totally aren't.

Hints of their relationship is found in all of their friends’ social media accounts, but majority of their fans still think that Katsuki and Izuku are in relationships with anybody but each other.

It was amusing up until it became sad.

Lmao it’s a little salty but I guess I can be too. This is a social media fic! There’s multiple ships in this one, too

A Demolition Boy & his Cryptid BF - kewltie (8472 words)

Summary: Bakugou of the Demolition Squad is famous for running one of the most popular Youtube channels on the web that regularly blow shit up and jumped off a perfectly good building for shit and giggles. He's also famous for his Cryptid BF™, never appearing on camera except for a few bodyshots and all information on him is kept locked up tighter than Fort Knox, therefore drawing all sort of attention and curiosity toward his mysterious boyfriend.

Deku from Deku Explains is a hopeless chatterbox who is known for uploading 20-30 minutes video that talked about his favorite shows and comics and have one of the most devoted following on Youtube. He also can't seem to shut up about his boyfriend Kacchan, who regularly make his presence on the channel as a disembodied voice.

They should theoretically have nothing in common except a shared platform to host their content and an army of fans with an endless curiosity and devotion to their Youtubers. Vidcon is where we lay our scene and the internet is about to get a rude wake up call.

Okay kewltie is SO GOOD and very creative! The formatting is phenomenal, it’s like you’re actually experiencing a social media melt down in real time lol

be my good luck charm - writedeku (6785 words)

Summary: See, the thing is, Midoriya Izuku had been born with a curse. It’s not a curse that’s particularly visible. He doesn’t have horns, or a tortured face, and it’s not the kind of silly curse like a friend of his had way down south in Diagnor, wherein the girl had been born without the ability to say the word duck. Midoriya Izuku is just extremely unlucky.

(Or the AU in which Izuku's the world's unluckiest travelling merchant, and Katsuki is someone who may be able to help him. For a price, that is.)

Oh I adore this one! It’s so cute and such a good narrative! Nice and warm, and Bakugou trying his damnedest to be suave, and it somehow working because Midoriya is just as flustered. *Another one rated as teen but some suggestive content.

Smells Like Victory - majjale (2377 words)

Summary: Bakugou takes two steps into the room and stops, clapping a hand over his nose. “Ugh, what stinks like Deku in here?”

"Good afternoon, Bakugou. That would be the amortentia."

I must admit, not a fan of HP, but majjale...TT_TT majjale writes these two boys so well. This one is really, really good!

Cherish Me - Justaperson1718 (2376 words)

Summary: “What?”

Izuku looked back down at his menu and flipped the page, a small smile on his face. “Nothing.”

Katsuki glared at Izuku from across the table. “If it was nothing then you wouldn’t be staring at me.”

“It’s just a little funny watching you try to look your best for our date when you always look great anyway,” Izuku explained. He wouldn’t look up from his menu while he spoke, but his words remained ingrained with confidence nevertheless. He considered what he was saying to be fact, and nothing else. “Even when you’re not trying in front of the cameras, it’s still hard to take my eyes off of you.”

This is a sequel to a fic that’ll be in the next section, because it’s longer, called Manage Me. Please read that one first before this one! (Not part of a series, but they’re the same story line)

Fascinating - Justaperson1718 (1556 words)

Summary: “I’m not staring at you,” Izuku replied, his eyes focused intently on Katsuki. He’s still wearing his pajamas, sitting on his knees in their shared bed. He was awake moments before Katsuki, and waited eagerly for the other to awake.

Katsuki glanced over his shoulder after his shirt was on and glared. “You’re fucking staring at me right now.”

Izuku shook his head, humming his disapproval quietly. “I’m watching you.”

“That’s the same damn thing,” Katsuki said while searching for a pair of pants in the dresser. “Your eyes are fixated on me like I’m your life’s fucking goal or some shit.”

“I just like watching you get dressed.” Izuku tilted his head to the side and smiled softly at Katsuki’s confused stare. “I know, it’s weird. But I like it.”

*There is a little bit of implied mature content, but overall, it’s just so sweet and intimate, and I just simply adore this one.

in a place once filled with gold - dorenamryn (9226 words)

Summary: It felt strange to remember such details, for they were things a friend should know, and as far as Katsuki was concerned, he and Deku hadn’t been friends in a very, very long time. He could admit, with reluctance, that they were on the path there, now, even though they would never make it. Katsuki would die before they could get the chance.

or: There is a garden growing in Katsuki’s lungs, and he is helpless to stop it.

“Hanahaki disease” okay, I can explain myself. Okay, I can’t. In any case, you got angst with a happy ending if that’s what you’re into!

Kaleidoscope - DPRenFTW (5141 words)

Summary: Izuku is a witch. He just needs to find his familiar. Enter a boy that is a wolf, and a wolf that is a boy - with wild red eyes and sharp smiles.

And Izuku thinks:

"Oh, it's him."

Just as beautiful and fascinating as the name implies! I seriously recommend for the beautiful writing, the gorgeous world, the mythical creatures au, and the lovely bakudeku romance!

Learning Curve - sensiblysilly (4222 words)

Summary: Deku and Katsuki’s first kiss goes rather differently than planned.

And Katsuki’s quickly learning that relationships can be unpredictable - especially when taking into account the variable that is Midoriya Izuku.

This really is just a careful handling of a teenage romance where perhaps one of them may have shit they’re still working through. It’s really sweet, and a careful study at boundaries and the building of a relationship. I actually stumbled across this while looking for another with the same name and ended up pleasantly surprised. Kacchan can has a little validation, as a treat.

4/20 is a national holiday - Ereri_Garbage (

Summary: Izuku is a drug dealer that doesn't really accept the fact he's a drug dealer, Katsuki is hot as hell as shouldn't be allowed a facebook.

Happy (Late) birthday Katsuki and happy (late) 4/20. I actually half assed an edit on this one so it took longer to post than I thought it would.

Uummmm lmao yes I have a sense of humor. ;ALDSKJFLSKDJF Okay, I say that, but this is not a crack fic, it’s a good story that I enjoy with good writing, and *it has mature, content, obviously for multiple reasons here. It’s rated as mature but there are borderline explicit moments imo. It’s a fun fic and funny, too! And, ngl, it really does remind me of college... But forget about me, the bakudeku is wonderful too of course :)

Drinking Watermelon - warschach (8906 words)

Summary: For whatever reason, maybe divine fate, Izuku turned and looked over his shoulder and waved to them.

Katsuki’s heart full on stopped right then, and his fingers forgot their duty on the rails, and his body neglected its job to keep Katsuki balanced.

Izuku’s summer sweet smile fell into concern as Katsuki went airborne and cracked his skull on the porch.

or Katsuki works as a camp counselor, and Izuku is a boy made of summer heat and sunlight.

Love it when people have Bakugou as absolutely enamored with Midoriya; it’s so good and true. Anyways this one makes me like summer camp story lines. It’s funny and also cute and great writing! *It’s got explicit content, just a heads up. Warschach stories just have this youthful 80′s vibe, I don’t know how else to explain it.

there are listed buildings - semiautomatichearts (3309)

Summary: Katsuki first sees colors bloom when he is only three years old. It is timid Izuku, hiding behind the cover of his mother's leg who looks upon him with wide eyes, and Katsuki's world explodes in shades of greens and pinks and blues, and he is so startled, he begins to cry.

His life is then on defined in color, in shades his peers can't see, by the forlorn, timid stare in Izuku's eyes that always lets off more than he is willing to tell. There is a schism driven between himself and his fated other, and Katsuki strives to be better than fate, better than what is defined for him. He is more than the written pages of a book, to be cracked open and read by the gods.

He wonders if it is possible for colors to bloom for someone who will never love you back.

Ah...soulmates :) So interesting how bakudeku fits into soulmate aus like this one when they’ve known each other as kids! And when they’ve had this complex push and pull thing going on all their lives! The writing is beautiful, and so is the story!

Promise Ring - bkdkwritingsdump (3579)

Summary: The midwest in the 1950′s is no place for boys who like kissing boys: something Izuku and Katsuki know all too well growing up there. However, the undeniable bond between the nervous science geek and the aloof delinquent will still find a way to blossom in such a desert.

Cute, sweet, makes my gay heart ache. Longing not just for the one you love, but just to feel right loving them. Very pretty story line, lovely story telling!

Fics 10k - 30k:

Fishy - warschach (19417 words)

Summary: Izuku’s convinced his hot co-worker/neighbor, Katsuki, is a mermaid-or merman- you gotta consider genders even with mythical creatures- and plans to prove it.

(or this is kinda like the show ‘Monster Quest’, except Izuku actually finds said monster, falls in love, and have sexy times.)

Another warschach! I love this one, I love how they write bakudeku, particularly as college students, their stories (at least, the ones that I’ve read) always feel so warm, like a summer’s day, but not a lazy one, one that’s playful? If that makes sense? *This one is explicit, another heads up!

Manage Me - Justaperson1718 (10756 words)

Summary: Izuku caught himself moving forward, his head tilted somewhat to the side, and his eyes shot wide open. His gaze met Katsuki’s half-lidded eyes now that he was no longer in a dreamlike state, and seeing the way Katsuki was looking at him—waiting for him—made him realize Katsuki would’ve let him do it. He might have even wanted him to do it.

“You’re both doing fabulous!” the photographer called out to them, packing his camera into his bag and getting ready to leave. “I just got word that what we have now should be good, so we’ll stop there. Thank you for your time! Lock the door on your way out after you change.”

The pair stayed frozen in place, with Izuku’s arms around Katsuki’s neck and Katsuki’s hands resting on Izuku’s waist, while the photographer and his supervisor left.

“Kacchan,” Izuku cooed once they were gone. “Did you want to…?”

Love the story, love the bakudeku! Very, very good bakudeku TT_TT very sweet *There is some mature content in here as well

point to a map (we’ve been there) - cosmicfuss (10589 words)

Summary: Serendipity / sĕr″ən-dĭp′ĭ-tē Serendipity is the occurrence of an unplanned fortunate discovery. Two men find themselves on a subway, hot coffee on one while the other is in the middle of a screaming match. After that they can't seem to stop finding each other, no matter how far they go.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; this fic owns my entire soul. I love the story, the ease of their relationship, just how lovely they are together. It’s another kind of nice, fluffy fic you’d read on a bad day where you come home and curl up in a blanket and listen to a ten hour video of thunderstorm white noise. *Again, some more mature content in here

Partners - tsukithewolf (13619 words) Another series! Two parts to this one this time

Summary: It is said that in Musutafu there is a charm that one can buy at a temple that will lead you to your destined partner. They say that if the charm works, you would be able to follow the red string of fate to the person you were meant to be with. And if the person returns your feelings, they would be able to see the string as well, proving that both were meant to be.

Three-year-old Katsuki and Izuku misunderstand what the word "partner" means and discover the charm and the rumor behind it is not only true, but more than expected.

Gets a little heavy, depression, bullying, suicidal thoughts, etc. But it must get worse before it gets better, that kind of thing. I also just adore the second part (called Bond) - maybe because it’s much fluffier, what about it?

Learning Curve - iknewaman (10304 words)

Summary: “Izuku.” Uraraka repeats as she motions at the person stood next to her. Green curls, average height, and, well. Up close, not such a bad smile. Uraraka points a thumb at Bakugou and enunciates slowly, “This is Bakugou. He can speak sign language too.”

Wait. Sign language?

The stranger— well, Izuku— looks at him with a raised brow. Their free hand lifts up as they make a slight motion of the hand.‘

Really?’

Bored out of his mind at a house party one night Bakugou is introduced to Izuku, a deaf student who offers to help teach Bakugou sign language in exchange for a favour-- or well, is prompted into asking for a favour.

Ah, I really want to explain this one a little bit? I’d never been into fanfiction ever, only really getting into it with these boys. This was the second one I read, I remember, and it caught me off guard, and it intrigued me. It really surprised me as to what fanfiction could be. Ngl I had biased perceptions of fanfics - I used to be one of those people who thought fanfiction could never be good writing - and this one slapped me in the face with it’s subtle beauty and creative story and heart melting capabilities, and very, very real relationship and growth. Anyways it’s so cute how happy Deku is to teach Kacchan sign language TT_TT Make sure to read the tags!

The Keeper and the Sun God’s Heir - SurelyHeavenWaits (12746 words)

Summary: The Titans' have stolen something important from Izuku, heir of the Sun God, and he wants it back.

This one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one, this one this one- Oh my god this one. Okay so what, I was a Percy Jackson kid, what about it? I love the mythical aus, particularly the god ones. But beyond that, the writing is so beautiful, just like the world, and the imagery. The bakudeku...absolutely stunning. The story itself? Incredible. Cannot recommend more. *There is explicit content in this, though I will say, it’s all in the last chapter, and all of the story is in the first two chapters. There’s also a second part as it’s a series and it’s short but it’s cute and sweet TT_TT

seven days - aaAAAaaahhhhHHHHH (10094 words)

Summary: There’s something about the green haired boy, an aura that just drew Katsuki in before he even knew his name.

[Sometimes your mind forgets, but your heart remembers]

Heed my warning: DON’T read this in front of other people. I bawl every time I read this one TT_TT I know I said I don’t like angst but AJLSKDFJALSKDFJ it has a hopeful ending! I mean yeah you’re gonna cry but...hope? :’) (that username really says it all tbh)

Fics 30k+

Notice me, nerd - useless_donut (40000 words)

Summary: Bakugou is in love with Midoriya. He doesn’t hide it, in fact it’s so painfully obvious that the entire class of 3-A has him figured out in a matter of months (days, in some cases). Too bad Midoriya is the most oblivious motherfucker out there, and Bakugou is too damn stubborn to actually ask him out.

Will the class of 3-A survive the sexual tension? Who will snap first? Someone put Bakugou out of his misery, please, before everyone else dies of second-hand embarrassment.

(a love story as witnessed by the class of 3-A)

Love the idea of Bakugou being brazen and brash, cause yeah, he is. So fucking funny though how that translates to him flirting. Gotta say, thought I was gonna cringe, but his “I’m gay af” outfit really ended up being A Look. Love the mutual pining, it really is strong in this one. *Okay, mature content in this one lads.

While You Were Sleeping - Belkacaramelka (71197 words)

Summary: The one where quirkless fanboy Midoriya Izuku rescues Pro Hero Todoroki Shouto, gets mistaken as his fiancé while he is in a coma, and gets caught up in the most unlikely fake engagement... until his childhood enemy and Todoroki's classmate Bakugou Katsuki tries to catch him out, and they both end up discovering a lot more about each other than they'd expected.

Quirkless AU based on the film; endgame BakuDeku. -- Katsuki didn’t know when the change had happened: how he had gone from asking why Todoroki chose Deku of all people, to wondering why it was Todoroki that Deku chose. Troublesome Deku, who cooed like an idiot at cats, tripped at a random catcall and sang badly. Who, despite everything, proved that it wasn’t the quirk that defined a person. Deku, who was too much, not his, and undeniably off limits to begin with.

Update: Epilogue added

*This one has mature content. If you can, please, for the love of god, read this fic. It’s like, tied with my favorite bkdk fic perhaps ever. It’s based on the movie of the same title, a nineties romcom with Sandra Bullock, but Belkacaramelka has so effortlessly made it into it’s own story, fit it so perfectly inside of the bnha world. I definitely stayed up until 6:30am reading this one. It’s got such good badass Midoriya, who is also sweet, and really really good reconciliation between bakudeku.

All Gifted - fitzefitcher (39129 words)

Summary: The thing about gifts is that they're meant to be given, they're meant to be shared; so Izuku will take his gifts, so freely given to him, and share them with all he holds dear.

Izuku is born without any gifts, as his kind often are, to a witch mother and salamander father, on one sweltering night in July.

This one is unfinished...and I highly doubt it will ever be. But what has been written is incredible. Once again, I’m a sucker for the magic/mythical creatures aus. But the relationship is great! The characterization is great! The found family trope that was building up is great!

under a hollow sun - umbrage (40572 words)

Summary: Midoriya is cursed with emptiness.

Misfortune leads him to a man of ancient magic and endless rage.

To stop an unfathomable evil, their mismatched halves must become whole.

Uuuggghhhh this was so good! I don’t think it’s going to be finished either :( Once again, fantasy au, more amazing writing, on point characterization, incredible pacing, makes you hungry for more story.

all the savage soul requires - majjale (58032 words)

Summary: Bakugou seems to have exhausted his patience for words and no longer acknowledges that Midoriya exists, so Midoriya crosses his legs, stares down at his hands limned in firelight, and makes a list of things he knows.

One. His name is Midoriya Izuku.

Two. He is a Godmarked, future god of life, heir to the divine throne.

Three. The gods have been fighting Death for eons, and now he's coming for recompense with everything he’s got.

This is majjale, so of course, the writing is more than beautiful; it’s absolutely breathtaking. This may be my favorite fic ever - unfortunately I don’t think it will ever be finished either TT_TT There’s the gods/fantasy au, which you know by now I love. But the characterization of our two boys is absolutely perfect, and I mean that as literally as possible. And the story being crafted between the two, the memory loss, the obvious history muddled by it all, it was so dense, and the PINING, so incredibly written, flowing so naturally. It wasn’t even close to being done, but it was wonderful, still is wonderful.

My Writing: (You can skip this if you hate shameless self promotion)

You’re too damn flicking cute (1815 words)

Summary: Bakugou is certain his shitty boyfriend is instigating kisses. Maybe it doesn't help that he keeps giving them away like it's a damn going out of business sale, but the stupid nerd is too fucking cute. Either way, like everything else, this is a competition, and he's going to win it.

Please don’t read this unless you’re going to the dentist afterwards! I’ve been told it’s so sweet it’ll give you instant cavities >_>;;;;

Bakugou Katsuki, you smooth motherfucker (10118 words)

Summary: Everyone around him knows that Bakugou Katsuki has a very special way with words. To the untrained ear he is loud and crass; to those that speak Kacchan, he is caring and inspiring. Yet there are rare moments, moments so fleeting you blink and you miss them, where Bakugou’s words pierce straight through Midoriya’s chest, and surprise everyone around him.

Goddammit, if only he would say them to Midoriya’s face.

Or, the five times Bakugou said something nice about Midoriya, and the one time he said something kind to him (but that was too long of a title).

I think most would consider this my best published fic; it’s one of those snapshot fics, “the five times where x did this, and the one time where they didn’t.” The recurring comment I get on this one is both of them being super in character, so I think that’s it’s defining characteristic! Bakugou and Midoriya have never known a life without the other, and in a perfect world, they never will.

Here, let me fix that (11247 words)

Summary: Bakugou honestly never thought he’d see Deku ever again. And now that they were together in this tiny compartment, alone for the next two and a half minutes, he had no clue what to say. He’d just apologized, right? So perhaps he could leave it at that and carry on with the original plan to never see the green-haired man that reminded him of dense forests, late night adventures, and tear-stained faces, ever again.

Ha! Who is he kidding? These bitches are soulmates.

I’ve gotten some critiques on this one, so sorry in advance if it’s not to your liking! Basically, what if Midoriya never got his quirk? Obviously, life would find a way to put them together because, as previously stated, these bitches are soulmates.

Plenty of Time (16654 words)

Summary: Bakugou found what little sleep he got restless and filled with nightmares that he forgot the second he opened his eyes. Tonight was the first time in a long time where he just had a normal dream - and it happened to be about Deku.

How fucking typical.

In other words, two dorks realize they have feelings for each other but don't know what to do about said feelings.

Ah, my first fic. Very simple, boys being boys, kinda like a slow burn? Idk how to explain this one, just boys figuring out their feelings and trying to figure out what to do about them. Been told these two are a little stupid but I think that’s valid.

We’re all time bombs waiting to explode (39223 words)

Summary: We have now entered the slipstream of time, into an alternate dimension where it neither is, nor isn’t, the 80’s. Two teenagers, burdened with the weight of adolescence in the modern world, find themselves struggling side by side, in part because of each other.

Bakugou, the most popular boy in school, has everything he could possibly want; status, power, and an unbreakable will. Having been dragged along behind him all the way to the top, Midoriya can’t help but wonder how (and why) he ended up standing beside his childhood friend-turned bully-turned friend again, weighed down by their complicated past and present. As the tension between them grows every day, and the arrival of a new, pretty face causes it to peak, it won’t be long before something - or someone - snaps.

I am...very bad at titles, and summaries apparently. This was my Heathers au, but it very quickly diverges from the original (I don’t do sad endings....) *This one has mature content, including implied sexual activity, drug use, and underage drinking, along with other heavy topics; please read the tags! Though tbh Midoriya is 17 for a couple weeks before it hits his birthday halfway through, so keep that in mind I guess? I kind of went heavy with this one, but I think the pay off was immense. This is the one with the most amount of comments stating it’s their favorite bkdk fic ever (and I cry). It’s a rough start, with a rough journey, but so is bakudeku! There’s a lot of petty drama, and then all of a sudden it’s Not That Petty and very much Far Too Real. Many have cried reading the ending, I cried writing it. My sister says it’s her favorite of mine. Now, I did kind of push this out without polishing it so much because I was losing my willpower, so if it feels lacking, that’s one hundred percent my fault.

Okay that was a lot! It took me a couple days...I hope I wasn’t too annoying with all my opinions! Please have a nice day. and enjoy some good reads, even if they aren’t the ones in this post!

#bakudeku #katsudeku #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #mha #bnha #bkdk #fics #my writing #god i really hope i didn't fuck up any of this #i spent a long time on it alksdjflaskjdflkasdjf #this is 39 fics without my own #and 44 including mine #i can tell i've forgotten some but #idk it's hard TT_TT #anyways it's 2:30am #if i go to bed at 4am one more time i'm gonna throw myself down a flight of stairs #i hope this is good enough as is!#most of this was written very late so I hope it doesn't sound...crazed

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lovelylaurie · 5 years ago

Text

Chronology - Part 2

Adolescence Laurie x (March) Reader Words: 2478 Request: @psychshawnjuleshanluke A series where each part follows reader and Laurie’s relationship over time. Part 1 | 2 | 3

Meg sighed dreamily. Her breakfast plate sat untouched before her. Jo screwed up her face, “Ugh, gross!” She followed the gaze of Meg’s fluttering eyes out the window, only to find John Brooke on the path outside, gazing back at her, “Aaah! Gross!” She ran across the room to draw the curtains. Brooke looked embarrassed and began to walk away briskly. Amy looked up at Meg mischievously and slipped a few pieces of toast off her plate with a sly hand.

Over the past few weeks of summer, your world had begun to change, ever so slightly shifting into maturity. Meg was engaged now and seemed wholly unable to think about anything else. Though you wanted to be happy for her, and wished for her to have the future she wanted, you, like Jo, couldn’t help but feel some contempt. Just last winter, you were running around and romping as usual. But come spring and summer and everyone was suddenly different. Jo, noticing this as well, had a quicker temper than ever. Too much talk of the future sent her storming off to the attic, presumably to skulk. And you were inclined to agree. Even Amy, though still very much a young girl, was beginning to realize her dream of becoming an elegant lady. She fussed about her hair and clothes and accessories. Instead of playing Pilgrim’s Progress, she had taken to strolling around the house haughtily, pretending to be some rich aristocratic lady. But worst of all, worse than any of this, was Laurie, who would be going off to college in the fall. The thought of it alone gave you an acute sinking feeling. For now, you were attempting to ignore it and live every day to the fullest. But it was a difficult thing to take your mind off. You kept returning to an image of the March house, quiet, dark, and dusty, reeling from the twin losses of Meg and Laurie. Though you knew the house would still be full, and Meg would visit often, the feeling of loneliness was incredible and overwhelming. The other loss, Laurie’s, somehow loomed darker, more ominously leering. “Well! I’m off!” you stood up suddenly, trying to shrug off the intense foreboding that gripped you. “Where are you going?” Jo asked defensively. “Laurie’s,” you answered, without so much as a glance back at Meg’s dazed and faraway expression. You ponder, as you walk the path to the Laurence house, how difficult it is to leave one’s closest friend. It has you utterly and completely torn. In seeking comfort and escape, you turn to Laurie. His presence, his very being, has always been its own consolation. His smile warms your heart and his cool, contented expressions calm you. But now, every thought of him is a double-edged sword. Every thought of him has you thinking of his coming departure. Every chime of his laugh and twinkle of his eye has you missing him already. But loneliness and distance are worse, so you seek him out every chance you get. And however much you want to stay at home with your sisters, you simply can’t. Jo’s contempt is similar to, but different than, yours. She seems to have already fully realized these changes and departures, and stubbornly resolved to refute them every chance she gets. Meanwhile, you have been ignoring it as much as possible. Her animosity and constant irritation only worsen your loneliness. By now you have arrived at the Laurence house. You enter without knocking, as has become custom. But upon entering the study, the scene before you causes your cheeks to redden with embarrassment. Laurie and Brooke are seated at the table by the window in the midst of a lesson. At the sound of the door, Laurie, whose legs are resting nonchalantly on the table in front of him, turns to look at you. Relief washes away his expression of extreme boredom. “(y/n)! What a wonderful surprise.” He jumps up immediately and waltzes towards you. Brooke looks hesitant and you look horrified. How could you have assumed Laurie would be free? Of course he would spend his few months remaining before college preparing academically. Or at least, his grandfather would force him to. Your blush deepens as you consider that just as he has served as a distraction for you, from change, you have served as a distraction for him, from education. “I’m so sorry, I should have knocked.” “Nonsense, come in.” He is wearing a white linen shirt with large, flouncing sleeves and an unbuttoned silk vest. You make a move to leave, but he shuts the door and leads you away. Brooke looks exasperated, “Laurie, please sit down.” He is ignored. “You are always welcome, (y/n), I insist.” Part of you, the polite and mannerly part, wants to leave. But the door feels miles upon miles away, and the thought of spending a day alone is utterly and gut-wrenchingly awful. After an awkward pause, you say to both of them, “I’ll let you get back to your lesson, but do you mind if I stay?” Brooke seems taken aback, but accepts, “I suppose that would be alright.” “Stay as long as you like,” Laurie assures you, returning to his seat. So you settle into the study, walking the shelves and flitting through old books. Laurie follows you with his eyes, and Brooke appears worried, presumably that your presence will only distract him further. But then you immerse yourself in a book and read quietly on a couch, close enough to hear them but far enough away that you are apart from their discussions. With time, you notice that Laurie is more quiet and subdued than you expect, and his feet have not returned to their spot on the tabletop, Brooke’s tone loses its edge of irritation, and Laurie buttons up his vest while reciting verb conjugations in Latin. By lunchtime, they’ve finished. The second he is allowed, Laurie strides across the room and seats himself beside you on the arm of the couch. “I promised Grandfather I’d eat with him, but after that, I propose the wildest and most riotous adventures.” “I can’t wait.” You smile and Laurie continues talking, but out of the corner of your eye, you see Brooke giving you a long and pensive stare before leaving. The following day passed with little to note. Laurie was occupied almost until dinner time and you were forced to spend the day between Jo and Meg, where a sense of animosity was growing. But during breakfast the day after that there was a knock at the door. Marmee answered and you heard her conversing with Mr. Brooke. When she returned, she asked for you. Meg looked considerably crestfallen. Jo rolled her eyes, “You’re already engaged, Meg, seriously.” Brooke had the same thoughtful look he did two days ago, as he said, “Good morning, Ms. March-” “(y/n)” “-(y/n). I was wondering if you noticed anything out of the ordinary regarding Mr. Laurie’s level of focus while you were present the other day.” You tried not to laugh at the way he said ‘Mr. Laurie’ or at his exceedingly formal tone. He was about to be your brother-in-law for Christ’s sake. “I’m not usually there, I can only speculate.” “Well, you see… He was focused, intent, and, well, reasonably respectful.” “Which he isn’t usually, I’m sure.” He nodded, “Correct. I attribute it to your presence.” At that, you blushed a bright scarlet. “He frequently skips lessons or rushes out early, and I’ve noticed that it is to come here, and, frequently, to see you. But while you were with us, he seemed placated. Or at the very least, temporarily mollified. I came here, Ms.- (y/n)- to ask that you accompany us again today.” “Okay,” you squeaked, “I’ll just… grab a few things.” Laurie has been your best friend and closest companion for almost as long as you’ve known him, but your pulse quickened to think that you could have that effect on him. You returned to your family and found your sisters’ faces full of amusement, even Meg. “I’m going to accompany Mr. Brooke to the Laurence house today,” you proclaimed matter-of-factly. “I’m glad to hear that Laurie will be focused on his lessons,” Meg chided. Jo and Amy laughed and Beth and Marmee smiled as you gathered your book and scarf in a small bag and hurried out. When you arrived at the study a few minutes later, Laurie was slouched against the window with, once again, complete and utter boredom. “Brooke, I could have sworn I saw- (y/n)!” He sprang across the room to greet you, “Oh, please tell me you’ve come to take me away. I can’t stand another minute of this.” “It’s 9 am,” you laughed. “I’m at my breaking point.” He smiled with an air of levity forming at the corners of his lips. “Vive la révolution, Laurie, but only after your lessons.” You resolved to thoroughly explore the room today, and laughed at Laurie’s frequent proclamations of “Vive la révolution!” whenever Brooke scolded him for getting off task. Other than that, he remained focused and even appeared at times diligent. Many days were spent just like this one as the summer drew on, hours wiled away in companionable silence and distant closeness. You would remember these times, later, when he was away, and imagine he was beside you in your loneliness. Perhaps equally lonely, himself. Finally, as you neared the end of summer, Mr. Brooke deemed Laurie prepared for higher education and released him to his final weeks of freedom. He then could often be found at the March house, as early as breakfast, and frequently staying late into the evening. One afternoon, a week from Meg’s wedding, you had both escaped from the preparations and planning to the woods surrounding your houses. You had climbed up to a low-lying branch of a large tree and was now seated there, reading. Laurie was lying down on the grass below you, gazing lazily at the sky through the tree branches. “I can’t believe one of the March sisters is getting married,” he said. “Yes, and to your teacher,” you replied bluntly, trying to brush him off and avoid the conversation. You still wanted to ignore everything, but the time was fast approaching when you wouldn’t be able to any longer. “Is there something on your mind, (y/n)?” His tone is tender, soft, and caring. “Nope, I just want to read my book.” He chuckles, “No, you’re not.” You look down and glare at him, “And how do you know that?” “You haven’t turned a page in the last ten minutes.” “That’s what you’ve been paying attention to?” He must have been more bored than you thought. “What else is there to?” You didn’t realize until later what he meant by this, but for now, you just stared at him curiously. “Come down.” He sat up against the trunk of the tree and patted the space next to him. You sighed, gave a small smile, and obliged, hopping down from your branch to sit beside him. “So this has something to do with Meg?” You paused before responding with an apprehensive, “Yes.” Meg’s marriage was definitely part of your melancholy. And although you didn’t plan on telling him this, Laurie’s leaving for school was affecting you much more. “What about her?” “It’s just- she’s getting married and- and moving away. And as much as I want to be happy for her, which I am, I can’t for the life of me figure out why.” Laurie gave you an odd look, so you continued, “Okay, I know why. But it’s just that she’s leaving all of us for this… this boring bachelor. I just find it odd.” “Perhaps it is, but they love each other very much. And you know what happens when two people love each other very much-” “YES! I do, Laurie!” you shrieked, and you both burst into laughter. Then you saw that familiar glint of mischief in his expression that had you forgetting everything, forgetting Meg, forgetting Laurie’s university. But soon it all came rushing back, because this is what you would miss, that look in his eye, that smile. You stopped laughing. Laurie stared at you contemplatively as you leaned back against the tree trunk and pulled your knees up towards your chest protectively. His voice dropped to barely above a whisper, “But that’s not everything, it is?” “No,” you admitted. He didn’t respond and instead put his arm around your shoulder, allowing you to lean into him. He traced circles on your shoulder with his finger. You sat here for a while, reveling in this hint of bliss, before he whispered, “You can tell me what it is if you want.” You couldn’t say no anymore, you couldn’t simply walk away. Not here. Not now. “You, Laurie. It’s you.” His finger stopped moving and his arm hung over you with far more weight than it had just moments ago. “You’re leaving and I’m going to miss you,” your voice broke, “so much.” The softness wasn’t gone from his voice, but something else was there as well, something much more morose, “I have to do this, (y/n).” “I know that, and I couldn’t possibly ask you to stay, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.” “(y/n),” he turned your face towards him, putting his hand on your cheek, “I will think of you and I will write to you and I will come home as often as I can, I swear it.” He was just inches away. Your heart beat fast, and though you didn’t quite know or understand what was happening here, you loved it. “Laurie-” in a second, he closed the space between you. The kiss had a depth of emotion and feeling that encapsulated everything you could have possibly said in that moment. It was not long before you would forget what you were going to say, the memory being overshadowed by what came next. You put a hand on his chest. He was warm and soft and it felt so natural to be this close to him. The kiss ended, but he didn’t pull away. Then, from somewhere behind you, you heard, “(y/n)! Laurie! Come, it’s time to get back to work!” It was Marmee. Laurie merely sat up straighter and looked in her direction, but you jumped up and brushed yourself off. As you and Laurie walked home, you realized how fast your heart was beating and how breathless you felt. You were dazed and stared off with a glassy and faraway look that was oddly similar to the one Meg had recently adopted. Laurie was skipping slightly as he walked, unable to control a smile spreading across his face.

#fic #Laurie #Laurie Laurence #theodore laurence #laurie little women #laurie x reader #laurie laurence x reader #laurie laurence little women #laurie laurence little women 2019 #little women #little women 2019

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writingfromkitchenator · 4 years ago

Text

Dinner Can Wait

Christmas fic

Masterlist

Based on an imagine found here by @thefandomimagine

Remus x Female Reader

Words: 1,326

Warnings: Fluff, post war, pregnancy announcement, tooth rotting fluff

You couldn’t help but walk with a bounce in your step, maybe not the best idea considering the snow and ice on the ground, but you’d had your day made, and nothing was going to dampen your spirits about the news you wanted to share.

Out of sight from the public, you apparated, appearing in your home, Remus stoking the fire as he looks up at you with a smile.

“Hello love, how is everything?” You asked, bouncing over to him and giving him a swift kiss before you step away and start to rid yourself of the layers you’d had on.

Remus chuckles. “Better now that you’re home, especially in such a mood as this. Has something good happened?”

You beam at him, not wanting to share just yet, the moment had to be right. “Can I not just be happy to be home? This will be our first Christmas as husband and wife, and without any war on the doorstep. I am looking forward to this more than anything I have before.”

He smiles and quickly pulls you into his arms, making you giggle as he peppers kisses down your neck. “I suppose that is a good reason as any, but you still seem much more vibrant than normal.”

Turning in his arms, you rest your arms around his neck. “I’m home and I’m with you love. If there is anything else, I can’t currently think of what it is. If I remember, I’m sure I’ll tell you.”

You knew the look he was giving you, trying to work out what was going on, but you quickly distracted him, pulling him into a kiss.

Remus hums against your lips. “You are a constant distraction; I hope you know that.”

“That’s why you married me, right?” You smile. “You know I take absolute pleasure in it.”

He chuckles, kissing the tip of your nose. “Oh, I know, but I wouldn’t let yourself get too distracted, dinner is almost ready and I’d hate for it to burn.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” You giggle. “Good thing we’re more grown up than that now.”

“That was only last week Y/N,” Remus said, laughing, kissing you again before stepping away. “And besides, this is a special dinner.”

“Oh?”

“I made it specially for you,” He said, amusement in his gaze. “After all, this is an anniversary of sorts.”

You thought for a moment before laughing. “Oh yes, when I made a complete idiot of myself in front of you, our fateful first meeting.”

Remus chuckles, pulling a dish out of the oven. “I wouldn’t say a complete idiot, I had three friends that still topped that, and it was, after all, enough to get my attention, no matter how much I didn’t want to admit it at the time.”

“The New Years kiss was pretty convincing,” You giggled. “Even if you proceeded to keep it a secret for months afterwards.”

“It Sirius that caught us, wasn’t it?” Remus asked, smiling, sitting at the table. “Then proceeded to not let us live it down for it.”

You snorted. “You mean, he caught us, didn’t say anything, went and got James, and then they both never let us live it down.”

Remus laughs. “I told you we needed a better hiding spot. They knew I was sneaking away to do something; it was only going to be a matter of time before they found us, map or no map.”

Joining him at the table, you shake your head. “I still wonder how long they’d been following the two of us on that damned thing before they were brave enough to say anything.”

“At least they left us alone afterwards.”

“After I threatened to curse them.”

The two of you laughed, and Remus dished out dinner, which you couldn’t help but see it was your favourite meal. You watched him though, knowing that, even after all this time, it still hurt him a little to think of his friends.

“I’ll be back in a moment.” You said, quickly getting up.

“Y/N-”

“Just stay there, I’ll only be a jiffy.”

You dug around in your draw for a moment, finding what you wanted, and hurrying back into the kitchen, quickly hiding it behind your back, where Remus was watching the doorway, waiting.

He raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”

“Close your eyes for me.” You said, smiling.

“Why?”

“Remus, please?”

He gave a small smile and did as you asked.

“Hold out your hands.”

Remus hands rest on the table and carefully put the small, wrapped present in his hand, making his brow knit a little in confusion.

You sit again, smiling. “Okay.”

He opens and stares at the neatly wrapped present, his eyebrow raising as he gives you a questioning look. “It’s still a few days till Christmas.”

“I know,” You nod. “But like tonight, this is special. I wanted you to have it now.”

Remus observes you for a moment longer before looking back at the gift and slowly starting to unwrap it. You watch, unable to help your grin, as two green, knitted booties are exposed.

He picks one up. “I think they’re a bit small for me.”

You stare at him, not quite believing that the words had come out of his mouth, and when he looked at you, he stopped, and it slowly sunk in, his face going incredibly pale.

“I went to St Mungo’s today,” You said, beaming. “And they confirmed it. We’re going to have a baby.”

Remus was silent for so long, that you couldn’t help but giggle, resting your hand atop his. “Remus? Are you alright?”

He swallowed thickly, licking his lips, his mind catching to the idea slowly. “And…it’s okay?”

“Perfectly healthy,” You beamed, giving his hand a squeeze as he finally blinked, his body slowly relaxing again. “And growing well. We’re going to be parents.”

Remus lets out a slow breath and a smile comes to him, lighting up his features, taking your hand properly in his and kissing them. “That…that is incredible…I don’t know what else to say.”

“Oh, my love,” You said softly, seeing tears start in the corner of his eyes, and you go to him, sitting on his lap. “You don’t have to say anything. I promise it’s all okay.”

He holds you close and kisses you deeply, words lost on him, and before you can do anything else, he stands and takes a firm grip on your arm, pulling you from the room, making you giggle.

“What about dinner?” You asked.

“Dinner can wait.” He growled, capturing your lips quickly again. “I have something much more important to do.”

You laughed, letting him pull you into the bedroom.

Remus sits and pulls you back onto his lap, holding you as close as he possibly could, his lips capturing yours, fingers digging into you.

“Do you have any idea how much this means to me?” He asked, a little breathlessly.

“I’m your wife, Remus, it’s my job to know these things.” You smiled against his lips. “Although, I could never have predicted you would think those booties were for you.”

Remus pauses for a moment, looking a little guilty. “It wasn’t my finest moment.”

Breaking into giggles, you pushed him down onto the bed, leaning over him. “Definitely not, I might just have to share it.”

He groaned, even as he smiled. “How did I know that was coming?”

“Would you prefer I stockpile them?” You laughed, brushing your fingers through his hair. “Use them when they’re most advantageous?”

“God no, I don’t think I’d get any rest.” He smiles at you, pulling you into a much softer kiss. “I’m sure I can make it up to you though.”

“Well, you didn’t pull me in here for no reason now, did you?” You said and claimed his lips fully, making him groan softly and hold you close again.

Dinner could wait. This happiness was now.

#Christmas fics #harry potter #remus #remus x female reader #short #drabbles

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serenlyss · 4 years ago

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Into Hell Chapter 1

Fandom: Astral Chain Rating: T (violence, hospitalization, near death experiences, injury, amputation) Relationships: Akira & Amane (PC), Amane & Brenda & Hal Summary: Akira is alive. She has no idea how she did it. She’d given one look to the sight of her brother’s body protruding from the body of that thing, and the next thing she remembers is rushing forward, faster than she’d thought possible, the Sword Legion on her chain. And it'd worked. Crossposted to AO3: Chapter 1

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Akira is alive.

She has no idea how she did it. She’d given one look to the sight of her brother’s body protruding from the body of that thing, and the next thing she remembers is rushing forward, faster than she’d thought possible, the Sword Legion on her chain. She doesn’t know if it’d been her own instincts guiding her, or if maybe her Legion had taken pity on her and guided her, but in that moment, she’d known exactly what she’d needed to do. She’d seen them, faintly, the strings that had connected Akira to the monster who used to be Yoseph.

She’d never felt more in sync with her Legion than when they’d moved, then, the Legion’s bladed arm severing those tiny threads at the same moment she’d lunged forward to spear her X-baton through Noah’s center and shattered its core. She’d bargained everything--her own life, Akira’s, those of every other human still left living on the Ark--in a desperate bid to save the only family she has left. And it’d worked.

He’s not standing, not really. His entire body flickers with red corruption, and though his body above his waist still appears intact, his legs seem to disappear into shifting pixels. They remind Amane far too much of the flickering red shadows she’s seen on occasion within the Astral Plane, and the thought makes her stomach turn so abruptly that she thinks she might vomit. He stares at her in disbelief, having narrowly escaped his own self-assigned death only by the grace of his twin sister’s stubbornness.

Amane’s own legs feel like jelly. The longer she stands in the middle of the ARI’s roof, sucking in exhausted breath after exhausted breath, the more she can feel the numbness creeping up her legs and arms. She takes a few fumbling steps toward Akira at the same time he moves toward her, neither one of them able to stay on their feet for long.

It’s Akira who collapses first, stumbling on his corrupted legs, and Amane barely manages to get her arms around him before she falters herself, and both of them collapse to their knees in a messy heap. Amane clings to him tightly, and for the first time in a long time, she cries.

“You idiot!” She sobs, holding Akira’s head to her shoulder and burying her face in his neck. “How dare you try to die and leave me behind? You don’t get to sacrifice yourself for me, do you understand? And don’t ever make me choose between you and my job again.” She clings to him tightly, scared that if she loosens her grip, he’ll be corrupted entirely and go to a place beyond her reach, leaving only his shadow behind. Even now, she can feel the corruption from his body prodding at her, spreading, infecting her and the area around them, but she ignores it. She’s not going to let something as stupid as this separate them, not after everything they’ve been through.

Akira grips her back weakly, managing a quiet chuckle in the face of her chastising words. “M’sorry,” he manages, but he’s barely clinging to consciousness, and after another few seconds his arms fall limp and his head lulls against his sister’s shoulder. He doesn’t disappear, though, and Amane can feel his shallow breathing against her neck where it’s exposed by her high uniform collar. She continues to hold him close, even as her own body begs for rest.

She doesn’t know how long she sits like this, curled around Akira’s unconscious form, but eventually she’s snapped out of her thoughts by the crackling of her radio, which starts up abruptly after hours of radio silence. The voice on the other end cuts in and out with unintelligible words, and she instinctively reaches a hand up to the radio to answer the call. It takes a few seconds for the audio to clear, but when it does, she hears Olive’s concerned voice come from it.

“...hear me? Am I getting through? If you can hear this message, please respond.” Amane can hear the desperation in Olive’s voice, though the sound is nearly drowned out by the electric noise of the helicopters that land atop the ARI roof all around her.

“I’m here,” Amane rasps, her hand shaking against the radio’s smooth plastic. “Akira’s with me.”

“Oh, thank god!” The relief in Olive’s voice is palpable, the words coming as a sigh of relief. “We lost sight of you in the chaos. Our radios were scrambled and there was too much noise for the radar or biosensors to pick up anything concrete. We only just got the radios working again, but I’ve already sent a medical squad and a cleanup crew to your location.” There’s a pause on Olive’s end, and the sound of muffled words being spoken, and then she adds, “We’re gonna get you out of there, both of you.”

The signal goes quiet, and Amane lets her hand fall from the radio as, all around her, helicopters close in on her location and land on the roof of the ARI. She winces at the noise, gritting her teeth as the doors to the helicopters fall open and the rooftop is filled suddenly with shouting and footsteps and barked orders. Her vision is fuzzy, and she can no longer feel her legs at all, but she clings stubbornly to Akira despite the way her body fights her every move. She’s vaguely aware of being surrounded, and then Brenda’s voice sounds in front of her, drawing her attention.

“Amane? Oh, good, you’re still awake,” she says, brows furrowed in determination as she gives both her and Akira a quick once-over. “Listen carefully to me. Everything’s going to be okay, but we need to get Akira proper medical attention, alright? I need you to let him go so we can help him.”

Amane hadn’t realized how tightly she’d been holding Akira, but she realizes now that the medics surrounding her are trying, carefully, to separate them so they can move Akira onto a stretcher. She blinks, her hazy mind finally catching up to her, and she reluctantly loosens her grip on his half-corrupted form. She has to stop herself from reaching out for him as the medics lift him as delicately as possible and move him a few paces to where the stretcher is waiting. “Is he going to be okay?” she asks, desperation leaking into her voice and making her sound small.

Brenda offers her a small, tense smile. “We’re going to do everything we can, I promise,” she replies, but Amane can read the doubt that underlies her words. “I’m going to go with them, but my team will take care of you in the meantime. I need you to relax, okay? You got pretty roughed up, and I’m worried about your corruption levels, but you’re going to be fine. Just take it easy, everything’s going to be okay.” She continues to murmur soothing words to Amane as she grasps her by both shoulders and slowly pushes her down onto the ground, and dimly, Amane realizes that she’s being laid out on a stretcher of her own. She stares blankly up into the faces of the medics that lean over her, making sure she’s safely in the stretcher before they lift her up.

She feels heavy, dragged down by an invisible weight that lays over her like a thick blanket. She can barely think, and as voices reach her ears, their words turn into garbled, staticy nonsense in her brain. She lets her eyes fall closed, too tired now to even keep them open. The last thing she sees before she loses consciousness is the sky, dark, clear, and dotted with stars she wasn’t sure she’d ever see again.

---

Before shes even fully awake, Amane can hear the voices of people speaking quietly nearby, and the rhythmic beeping of machinery all around her. It’s a gradual reawakening, and it takes several minutes of listening to the muffled noise around her before she finally attempts to open her eyes.

She doesn’t get far. The lights above her head are bright, blinding, and she can’t help the pained groan that escapes her. Her hand twitches, attempting to move so it can cover her eyes and block out the light, but her arm is too heavy.

Immediately, the talking stops, and Amane hears the shuffling of feet on the floor. The lights above her head dim considerably, enough that she can squint against it without feeling like she might go blind. Brenda leans over her, watching her closely. A smile blooms on her face, relief flooding her expression. “Hey, kiddo,” she greets softly. “Take it easy, alright? You were asleep for six days, so it might take a little while for you to catch up to the rest of us. How do you feel?”

Testingly, Amane wiggles her fingers under the thin blanket draped over her. “Tired,” she responds, her voice rough and scratchy from disuse. “Confused. Where am I?”

“You’re in intensive care, at the ARI. You were pretty badly hurt after the Commander went on his… rampage, and you picked up some of Akira’s corruption, too, so we had to be careful to keep that contained and make sure your injuries were taken care of,” Brenda explains. She reaches toward the bed with one hand, and hesitates for just a moment before smoothing Amane’s hair away from her eyes. The gesture is surprisingly tender, coming from the typically no-nonsense Brenda. “Everyone’s been really worried about you, but you’ve always been a sturdy one. Guess it runs in the family.”

The mention of her brother sends Amane’s heart racing with adrenaline, and she bends her arm underneath her in an attempt to sit up. “Where’s Akira? Is he okay?” she demands, but just the motion of lifting her torso off the ground has her head spinning, and she pitches suddenly forward, unable to maintain her balance.

“Woah! Careful, you’re gonna give yourself a concussion on top of the one you already have,” chides an energetic voice, and cold hands steady her by her shoulders before she can tip out of her bed entirely. Amane lifts her head, searching for the source of the voice, and finds herself staring into Hal’s face, his eyes hidden behind his vizor. He’s smiling, though, partly amused and partly relieved. “If you wanted to sit up, you could’ve just asked, you know.”

Amane blinks. “Hal?” she says, surprised. She’s only ever known him to be famously reclusive, so to see him here, in person, is enough to confuse her all over again.

Brenda comes to Amane’s other side, and she and Hal manage to help Amane into a sitting position with her back against the bed’s soft pillows. “Akira’s doing alright,” she assures, offering Amane a small smile. “He was touch and go for a few days while we got the redshift under control, but he’s stable now. He had his surgery this morning, and now he just needs to rest and let his body do the rest until he’s ready to wake up. It’ll be a while still before either of you are back on your feet, but you’ll both recover, with time.”

“Surgery?” Amane echoes, worry creeping into her voice. Her gaze flicks from Brenda to Hal and back again, questioning.

It’s Hal who answers her question. “The corruption on Akira wasn’t… normal. It didn’t turn him into an Aberration like it does with most people, but his Legion didn’t blueshift it like it usually does, either,” he explains. “We were able to clear most of it using Yoseph’s machinery, but we weren’t able to save his legs. They had to be… I guess ‘amputated’ isn’t really the right word? Um, they had to be removed. The corruption there was just too strong.” He shakes his head, pursing his lips into a thin line. “Brenda called me out in person to help build him some prosthetics. Just like mine, you know?” With a grin, he lifts his arm and flexes the robotic limb as he might a real one. “That’s what the surgery was for. He’ll have to do a lot of physical therapy to get used to ‘em, but with time he’ll be running around like nothing ever happened.”

“He’s very lucky to still be alive,” Brenda adds. “I’ve never seen that kind of corruption on someone before. By all accounts, he shouldn’t have survived. Maybe it’s because he’s a legionis, or maybe it’s due to the treatment Yoseph put him through after his fight with Jena. Or, maybe he’s just that stubborn.” She grins at this, amusement in her eyes.

Amane manages a shaky smile in return, and a quiet, raspy laugh. Her eyes start to water, and she lifts a shaky hand to wipe away her tears before they can fall. “I’m so glad,” she whispers. “Thank you for saving him. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost him, too.”

“Of course,” Hal says. “I still owe you for Zone 09, after all, and even if I didn’t, this was one call I couldn’t sit out for. As soon as I got the call from Brenda, I came as soon as I could.”

Brenda’s smile morphs into a hint of a smirk, and she leans forward, holding a hand up to the side of her mouth conspiratorially. “It’s the first time I’ve seen him actually come down from wherever he likes to hide. You and your brother must be pretty special to get him to come out of hiding,” she adds, much to Hal’s embarrassment.

“Hey! I come down sometimes! I just… don’t usually need to! I can code from my own home, you know,” he insists, and a hint of red flush creeps out from underneath his vizor.

Amane stifles a giggle behind her hand, a hint of her grin peeking out from between her fingers. She turns her gaze from Hal to Brenda. “Can I… see him?” she asks, somewhat hesitant.

The mood in the room quickly sobers, and Amane watches as Brenda exchanges a hesitant glance with Hal before turning back to her. “Are you sure you don’t want to take a little longer to rest?” she asks. “You’ve only just woken up. A lot’s happened to you that you haven’t really had time to process; I don’t want you to overwhelm yourself.”

Amane winces, tearing her gaze away from Brenda and looking down at her hands, clasped in her lap overtop of the clean white bedsheets. It’s true, she hasn’t had a moment to really sit and just think since they’d all gone to infiltrate the ARI. Maybe Brenda’s right, and it would be better to wait, but she knows she won’t be able to rest properly until she sees him with her own eyes. “It’s okay, I can handle it,” she assures, determination outweighing any apprehension she might feel. “I’d just really like to see him myself, if that’s alright.”

Brenda contemplates this for a few seconds, then lets out a sigh. “Okay, I suppose it should be alright, if you’re sure,” she relents. “Just be careful, okay? Take it slowly, you haven’t been on your feet in nearly a week.” Turning to Hal, she quickly adds, “Hal, you’re good to go rest up for a bit. I’ll call you when it’s time to run a checkup on Akira’s prosthetics.”

“Sure thing, doctor,” Hal agrees, giving a shy little salute. To Amane, he says, “Feel better soon, okay? The whole crew’s anxious to have you back. See you around.” Then, he takes his leave of the room, the automatic door sliding open and shut to accommodate him.

Amane moves her legs testingly, slipping them off of the bed so she can sit on its edge. Brenda holds out her hands, a silent offer of assistance, and Amane puts her pride to the side for the time being and reaches out to grab onto Brenda for support. Experimentally, she pushes herself to her feet, careful to watch her balance as Brenda works to steady her. For a few seconds, she sways, feeling a brief rush of dizziness wash over her that quickly passes; it feels like getting out of bed too fast, her limbs still heavy and weary from resting for so long. Still, she stays on her feet, and after the initial dizziness passes and she starts to feel more secure with keeping herself upright, Brenda drops her hands and smiles.

“That’s the way. Come on, I’ll take you to Akira’s room. He’s not far from here, so you should be fine to walk there,” she explains, leading the way out of the little hospital room and taking a casual pace down the empty white hallways. Unlike how Amane had seen before, the data corruption that had caused the blocky growths from the astral plane to fill the halls less than a week prior are gone, and the Institute looks clean and sterile again. Brenda must catch her looking around, because she explains, “We had to hack our way through all those rocky clumps when we first came back here, but the ICU was mostly untouched, thank goodness. A lot of the corruption was centered on the upper floors, where Doctor Calvert did the brunt of his research, so we were able to get you and Akira set up in here right away. The cleanup crew came and finished with the rest afterward, but a lot of the upper floors are still heavily corrupted. They’ve been cordoned off until they can be properly sterilized.”

Amane half-listens as Brenda continues to babble off updates on the situation at the Ark, the adjustments being made in Yoseph’s absence, and the mundane day-to-day trappings of the other Neuron officers now that the largest of the danger is past. Eventually, Brenda pauses outside the door to a room that’s been sectioned off for post-operative care, holding her key card out to undo the digital lock so the door slides easily open. “You’re clear to go inside, just… know that he looks way worse than he really is.” She casts Amane an apologetic glance. “Oh, and watch out for his legs, try not to jostle him too much. It’s going to be a month or two before they’ve fully healed, so for the next few weeks, he’s on strict bedrest. I need to check up on Akira’s charts and take down a few notes for later, so I’ll be keeping an eye on you from the observation room next door. Just shout if you need anything.” That said, she steps out of the way and gestures with one arm for Amane to go inside.

Despite having requested this in the first place, Amane finds herself suddenly frightened of what she might see. Surely it can’t be worse than when he’d been here last, after recovering from Jena’s stab wound? But all of Brenda’s warnings are starting to give her second thoughts, and she hesitates outside the door, hugging her arms to her chest in a self-protective gesture. She casts Brenda an apprehensive glance, then swallows down her fears and forces herself to take those few steps forward until the electronic door slides shut behind her with a soft whooshing noise.

Akira’s room, much like her own, is composed of white floors and white walls with a single window at the front of the room and a viewing wall to her left, presumably for the doctors. Against the opposite wall is Akira’s bed, which is surrounded by machines depicting several different monitors that track his heart rate, blood pressure, hydration, and more that she can’t make sense of. Half a dozen wires connect Akira to the medical equipment that surrounds him, many attached to the IV in his right arm, some directing oxygen to the mask that covers his nose and mouth. Brenda had been right to warn her; he looks terrible, and it isn’t just the machinery. The skin on his face and arms, exposed by his crisp hospital clothes, are mottled with dark, angry bruises and bandaged lacerations, and his left arm is contained in a sling that keeps it held snugly against his chest. There are stitches in his right cheek under his eye, and the cut, while healing, is purply-red and bruised all the way around it. The sight of it turns her stomach when she first sees it, but she’s quick to compose herself, taking a few more steps into the room until she can approach the end of his bed.

There are blankets folded into a neat stack at the foot of the bed, likely for use overnight, but for now they’ve been removed, which means Amane has an unobstructed view of Akira’s legs, or at least, his legs from the knees down, where they poke out from under his gown. She draws a sharp breath at the sight of the robotic legs, an amalgamation of long tubes and thick plates of metal held together by bolts and joints. She recognizes Hal’s work immediately; they look quite a bit like Hal’s own legs, if a bit newer and cleaner, and Amane feels simultaneously amazed and horrified that this is her brother’s new reality. Akira’s in for a rude awakening, she knows, once his body recovers enough for him to wake up.

Still, all she can do is wait until that happens, so for the time being, she pulls up a nearby chair to sit near the top of Akira’s bed and reaches tentatively for his unbound hand. It feels colder than she remembers, but then again, it’s been a very long time since she’s held his hand like this. Not since they were children, in fact. She squeezes that cold hand tightly in both of hers, as though trying to make up for all the times she’s passed it up before, and swallows back the lump that forms in her throat. “Hey,” she murmurs, speaking softly to ensure that no one can overhear. She’s acutely aware of Brenda on the other side of the observation window, checking monitors and casting them the occasional glance, but she can tell the doctor is doing her best not to interrupt, only supervise. Amane bites her bottom lip. She has no idea if Akira can even hear her, but the silence feels somehow louder than her own voice, so she drowns out her thoughts with whatever comes to her mind. “Looks like we both made it out in one piece, huh? Well, mostly.” She casts another glance at Akira’s healing prosthetics, then pulls her gaze quickly away. “Everything still feels like a dream. Yoseph, Noah, waking up in the hospital… part of me keeps asking when I’m going to wake up, back home in our apartment by the headquarters, even though I’m sure that I’m already awake. Maybe I just need a little more time.” She lets out a sigh, lowering her gaze to Akira’s hand, clasped in hers. She rubs her thumb over his knuckles softly, a nervous gesture meant to help soothe her own anxieties, just to remind herself that he’s still alive. If she focuses, she can feel his heartbeat pulsing in his fingers to the rhythm of his heart monitor, and she lets the steadiness of it lull her into a more relaxed state.

“You really scared me, you know? Saying all that nonsense about how sacrificing you was the only way. You’ve always had a terrible martyr complex. One of these days, I’m scared you’ll really go through with it.” She purses her lips with worry. “I hope you know that if you ever do that again, I’ll be the one putting you in the hospital this time.” The threat is as empty as it can possibly be, but part of her hopes that, somehow, Akira will hear it and take it to heart, if only so she can stop being so damn worried about him all the time. She falls quiet, half-hoping for Akira to banter back to her in the snarky, sarcastic way he’s known for, but all she hears is the steady, quiet beeping of machinery. Against her will, her hands start to quiver, just a little, and she feels her chest tightening with a sudden wave of grief and regret. “I wish it didn’t have to be like this,” she whispers. “I wish I could do more to help. You’re a reckless, stupid, bastard of a brother, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” Reaching up with one hand, she dabs away the tears the form in her eyes before they have the chance to fall, stubbornly refusing to cry out here in the open. She continues to clutch Akira’s hand in hers, comforted by his steady presence at her side and the gentle thrum of his heart under his skin, dutifully keeping him alive.

She falls quiet, untrusting of herself to speak out loud any further, and lets the beeping of the machinery around her drown out her thoughts. She sits for several minutes like this, unmoving, until Brenda comes to rejoin her and let her know that her allotted visiting hours are almost up. Amane can see the sympathy in her gaze as she leans against the doorframe and patiently waits for her to join her, and the sight of it agitates her pride against her better judgment. It’s uncomfortable, having someone feel so sorry for you, but part of her is grateful for Brenda’s constant, understanding presence. Standing up, she drops Akira’s hand and reaches out to brush his long bangs from his eyes, his skin cold and clammy under her touch. Then, reluctantly, she goes to join Brenda by the door.

“Technically, this ward is off limits to visitors entirely,” Brenda explains as she walks Amane back to her room, “but just between the two of us, I’m already making plans for Jin and Alicia to come see you both. They can hardly leave me alone when I’m back at HQ, you know. Constantly pestering me, wanting updates on how you’re doing… they haven’t been the same since you were hospitalized. They’re probably just stressed out, not being able to see you guys in person. I have a feeling that some time away from HQ will do them both some good.”

“Are they really that upset?” Amane questions with a faint smile.

“Of course,” Brenda confirms immediately. “Those two think of you like family, you know. They were your father’s best friends, and they’ve seen you both grow up over the years. I think they like to think of themselves as your aunt and uncle, something like that.” She pauses, frowning thoughtfully. “Well, the way Alicia herds you two around and scolds you, she acts more like your mother than anything else, I think.”

Amane feels her face flushing pink at the implications, quickly shaking her head. “Come on, Brenda, you’re reading too much into it,” she insists, turning her back to the doctor to hide her embarrassment.

She can practically sense Brenda’s amused smirk. “If you insist,” she replies. “In any case, I’ll fill them in when I go back to HQ tonight, let them know you’re both doing alright, and I’ll try to bring them by tomorrow, if time permits.” She tucks her clipboard under her arm and pulls a Neuron radio from her pocket. Amane quickly recognizes it as her own, and Brenda sets it on the bedside table for her. “In any case, you should get some rest. You can visit Akira again tomorrow, if you want. I’ve given you clearance to his room as a family member, just be careful, and use your radio if you need to contact me for any reason.”

After promising Brenda that she’ll do just that, Brenda leaves, looking satisfied with their arrangement, and leaves Amane to her own devices. Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she knows that it’s only been a few hours since she’d woken up, but as she sits on the edge of her bed and lets the events of the day sink in, she feels inexplicably exhausted. It’s only to be expected, she thinks, after pushing her body so hard for so long before her hospitalization, but it’s frustrating nonetheless to be so weak when there’s still so much to be done. Still, it isn’t like she has much else to do, so after a minute or two of internal turmoil, she resigns herself to getting the rest Brenda’s asked of her, and crawls under the thin hospital blanket to get some sleep.

#astral chain #serendipitousfics #akira howard #brenda moreno #hal clark #harold clark #how do u tag the player character #injury #amputation #hospitalization #pc is named amane just so i have a name to refer to her as #also pc is female bc thats how i played the game the first time thru #idc if the male pc is canon or not #anyway enjoy this self-indulgant fix it fic

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moonlightstars16 · 4 years ago

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Chapter 13 ~ Two Doors Open, One Shut

AN: Hey so I know I put out a schedule not too long ago. However I’m loosing inspiration(s) for this story and yes I will finish it. But I might just do it when I can. I’ll try to stick to the schedule.

The rain from the outside continue to pour down. Tapping the 'glass' on the window. The time was about midnight, as the clock struck and chimes echoed all over the place. The fireplace was barely holding onto it's light; as the tiny sounds of cracking wood revealed the small ember inside. However the candelabra's illuminated the area where two people were sitting near the warmth of the fire. Smiling and well deep into a good book.

Steven found himself clinging to Connie's every word. Not just because the story was well written, but for the gentle voice that spoke the words. It was unique to say the least. Being soft one minute and the next doing a crazy tone for every character. He found it to be quite enjoyable. Which was odd because he hadn't found any interest of stories being told to him like this before. At least not in many years.

"And this concludes chapter five." Connie spoke putting a bookmark on the page and closing it as a yawn escaped her lips.

"So we are stopping there?"

"Oh? Does his highness want more?" Her teasing tone made him roll his eyes.

"Well things did end when it was just getting good. Everything seemed so dull at first."

"A good build up and backstory is perfect for any story and it's characters!" She scoffed putting the book back on the small table beside her.

"Not if it takes three of those chapters to get there."

"With certain books I agree. But this sets everything up so well and leaves even more details in mystery! Besides I like the friendship between our two main leads. But it takes time for them to get there."

They both sighed out in exasperation. Obviously neither of them will agree fully to one side. But that didn't matter much in the grand scheme of things. Connie was proud of him for at least giving this a chance. Though she doubted her own vision and thought it to be an hallucination, she saw the twinkle in his eyes. Something she only ever seen only once before.

"You're smiling?"

"Oh" Lifting up her hand she braised passed her lips and cheek. Sure enough they were pointed upwards, exactly like a smile. "I suppose I am."

"Am I to suppose you've find it pleasurable reading out loud to me?" A malicious look in his eyes (playfully so).

"I-...I wouldn't say pleasurable... I guess I would say...perhaps it was...nice. Yes it was very nice to do something like this."

" 'Nice', hm... Well I shall take that as a compliment. After all you wanted me here to see if this helps me reconnect to my humanity. Or is it because you actually like spending time with me?"

"You know it might be both." The words slipped so casually in the conversation that she covered her mouth quickly while looking away. This wasn't going to pass by him so easily. Her words took him aback as silence fell while he registered the meaning. A smirk appeared across his face as he took the opportunity to tease her so.

"Do my ears deceive me? Or that's your way of telling me you like me."

"That's not what I meant-"

"Oh that's not what I heard. Plus you also stated that our time together was nice. Am I wrong?"

"No, but I...ugh!" She buried her face in her hands as a roaring fit of laughter emerged from within briefly before fading away.

"Oh Connie what am I going to do with you?" Standing up he extended his hand with hers. Waiting as she slowly accepted it. Feeling something inside her stir as her hand touched his. Though separated by a piece of leather fabric, the warmth from inside radiated off him. With a pull, slightly more forceful than normal, he pulled her up as she stepped closer to him to keep her steady. The boots she wore almost tripped her up. The mid-sized skirt tied to her by a corset and off the shoulder blouse, swayed gently in the brisk breeze that appeared when she stood up.

His eyes found hers as he looked into the beautiful doe-like eyes. One of her most unique features to her beauty. The tiny locks framed her face so elegantly. Even if to some it was all messed up and not so neat. His hand still clinging to her own as they did nothing else but gaze into one another's eyes.

The loud crack from the logs in the fireplace snapped them out of it. Both clearing their throats, hands still intertwined as he began to walk away, leading her out the door. Her pace matched his to the point they were side by side as they stepped through the hallways and up staircase's to her room.

"I shall expect you with Pearl tomorrow morning. Since you need all the information you can get." Connie nodded her head, slipping her hand away from his and opening the door and stepping inside. Pausing to turn back around as her curious nature took hold. Well more needing confirmation as of late.

"How long till the project is underway?"

"Only nine months."

"I-....I never realized how long it's been...only three months since I-...." Sighing, her hand slid slightly down the edge of the door.

"Humanity will survive... Rest well Connie." With that he turned away, returning to his own chambers as she watched him walk down the hall and disappear. The sincere gentle tone she heard filled her with warmth inside. Closing the door she leaned her back against it. Placing one hand over her middle and the other right above her heart. Closing her eyes as she breathed in and out.

"You too Steven."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The castle's midnight screeching came from one hidden area deep down below. The sound echoed through the walls just barely. It was similar to a ghost and so the residence inside dubbed these hours, the haunting. At least those who understood the concept of souls and spirits. Connie was laying in bed when it began, her thoughts of the previous few hours invaded her mind. The ghostly wales brought her back to the present moment. Glancing out the window she caught a glimpse of the Zoo. Briefly wondering if the sound originated from there. However the noises faded and she slipped back into her dreams.

Steven was sitting by the fireplace with his hands folded. Ignoring the world around him other than the flames that seemed to dance in his presence. He too thought about the hours prior with her. How natural it all came to be. The comfort of just being around her and the satisfaction of listening to the story she spoke out loud. Not realizing it, a smile graced his lips as a longing gaze began to form.

'See? What did I tell you.'

'She only read a book.'

'And you listened to her every word'

'It was a good story.'

'Then why is your heart pounding every time you think of her or the mention of the name...Connie?"

'I-....'

His other half was right. Clutching his chest he felt it. The pounding of his heart. A look of realization about what was happening took over. Eyes widened as his hand went to his mask and gulped. It was hopeless to dream of such things like this.

'Keep allowing her to be in your heart. You'll see-'

'Shut-up'

Steven told her before about who he truly was. She has seen it himself...

'Why is she willing to help me? Why hasn't she given up yet?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Another slash across the skin. Another scream. Another victim. Topaz had brought a new human from the zoo into the torture chamber. Ruby held the scared and confused specimen down while Aquamarine used a syringe full of sedatives to paralyze the next test subject. Getting annoyed by how much it squirmed as it seemed to her eyes Ruby wasn't doing the job very well. Finally after she hit the human's head with her wand and they stopped resisting, finally able to inject the elixir of sorts into the blood stream.

"Okay, let's inform Spinel that this one is ready for the torment."

"What does this sedative do?" Ruby asked chaining up the human by the wrists and ankles. Aquamarine looked into the empty syringe which held just a drop of it's contents from before.

"It's suppose to be all that we've tried so far."

"You mean immobility, unable to speak, and the memory loss?"

"Precisely, however the heightened senses of feeling pain is new. If this is a success, then everything will soon be ready for our final phase in the plan."

"Well we certainly won't know until I give this a test run." Spinel walked into the dimly lit cell from the shadows. A cloak wrapped around her shoulders, inside her whip, a sharp blade, even darts just for fun. Behind her was a dozen more cells filled with other test subjects. Some in 'better' shape than others, some worse.

She needed to find the perfect torture technique. One that will make a certain hybrid very impressed. Enough to have him draw blood on his own volition. To have him become the beast he was before. Unleashing all his destructive powers. Only she would have complete control over him. They would rule together and soon she would be the only one holding all the power in her hands. He needed to only be reminded of what he is.

A monster.

"Leave me." Spinel commanded pointing towards the cell door. Both gems complied without hesitation. Turning her attention back on her victim as she shut her eyes and laughed inwardly. Shoulders moving slightly as she took off her cloak. Pulling out the small dagger with one hand, the other with a whip. Advancing towards the human with it's back turned to herself. Slipping the sharp metal between the back and the belt. With a flick of her wrist she snapped it apart.

The blue vest now hanging open enough for her to lift it up with the blade. Tearing it apart from the body. Only the white cloth pieces remain. That she left alone, for blood that was so contrasting in color would surely grasp the attention. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the bare skin. So smooth with veins protruding from underneath. Tempting her with the promise of blood just a deep scratch away. Her vision became clouded with the promise of blood. Her eyes narrowing as she licked her lips.

It began centuries ago. Pink became Rose Quartz. The Diamonds had dismissed her entirely about earth an it's beauty. White 'punished' her by manipulating the form Pink held against her and began to cause her pain. The cries from it all rivaled Blue's power as she begged and pleaded for her to stop. Apologizing for her actions and formed back into a much submissive state.

Spinel had watched it all along with Pearl. Something inside her snapped as she tried to stop all this. However Peal held a firm grim on her, almost to the point where she could poof out of her form. Glancing up she saw the pain through her eyes she held. It was becoming more and more clearer that Pearl had deep, hidden feelings for Pink.

But to outsiders, they were blind to it all. Moment's like this made her ache in pain and anguish, wanting to help. Spinel knew that very well. However she knew that it had to be this way. She had to wait and watch. Not only for her survival, but for keeping Pink safe from any further torment.

Spinel watched in confusion as her Diamond cried out in pain. For the first time seeing her so weak, pitiful and defenseless. Whatever this was, she didn't like it coming from her. So when Pink bursted through the walls to meet them, having the appearance of Rose Quartz fully, she hugged her tight in her arms. They were best friends after all and nothing would change that. Rose smiled and gently embraced her with a hug in return.

A year after the rebellion and themselves hidden away on earth, Spinel felt the distance between her and Rose. From time to time they would 'play' together, but it felt more like a chore, a check on a list instead of something really meaningful. Spending less and less time together as Rose hung out with the human, Greg, more and more than herself or even Pearl.

One day while walking on the cliffs overlooking the sea, she found Pearl sitting on a small boulder, watching the sun set. She joined her without a word spoken. Both shared a similar feeling of being forgotten. Spinel glanced down and saw Pearl still holding onto the human brush Rose found long ago. Then into her eyes as she saw a certain wall forming around her. Closing off any emotions that she felt for Rose. Perhaps maybe entirely.

"She soon won't exist."

"What do you mean? You're not going to poof her are you?!"

"What- No! I would never Spinel! I meant-" A gasp escaped her suddenly, an expression of worry took over for just a brief moment. Regaining her calm and orderly composure she looked at her with a sympathy that almost looked fake. Almost. "She didn't tell you, didn't she?" Her tone more factual than a question.

"Pearl, what's going to happen with Rose?"

"Rose is...going to have a baby. I don't-... The best way I can describe it is that she will give up her physical form and pass her gem to her half human child."

"Half human?" Spinel looked down with a puzzling look before continuing. "That Greg Universe is involved somehow?" Anger rose within her voice.

"Yes"

"And you're just going to let this happen?!"

"It's what she wants. I...can't stand in the way of her happiness. According to human physiology since she has human organs and such formed within, she has about six more months-"

"I can't believe this!" With that she ran off to find her. Ignoring Pearl calling out her name. Anger rose inside her. If she had any blood, it would be boiling by now. Tears mixed with hatred, sadness and frustration overflowed her. Something inside her was changing and she didn't even do anything to stop it. 'She told Pearl and not me... She made her choice without consulting me?! Her best friend?! I thought... I thought we had a chance to reconnect....'

Finding the temple she broke through the door. Not even bothering to notice that Garnet and Amethyst were around. With her gem she opened up the door to her room and rushed inside. Finding Rose's room in an instant with her sitting on the clouds. Hands over her pronounced mid section right above her gem and sighed.

"How could you?!" Rose turned immediately to see an upset gem with tears over her cheeks. Eyes widening in realization as a pained expression appeared on her face. Walking forward she knelt down and sighed.

"I'm so sorry Spinel. I didn't mean to keep any of this secret from you. But it is my fault I didn't tell you sooner." No matter how angry she felt, all her emotions poured out ash she wrapped her noodle-like arms around her giant friend and cried into her shoulder. Feeling Her hand upon her back as she soothed with her with a soft lullaby. One that she had sung to her whenever the day wasn't so fun. And today of all days was one of them. Whatever was inside of Spinel, calmed down....for the time.

Hours had passed and they talked about everything that was going to happen. How things were going to change but her love for them all will remain. So when the day finally had come, she sang the lullaby to her one more time. Easing her into the next chapter of their story. With a soft 'I love you' the bright light came into the room and faded into a baby's cry.

Spinel soon had a new best friend to play with and talk too. Someone she could be herself with. They soon became the best of friends, watching over each other, being almost joined at the hip together. Sometimes, Spinel found herself wondering if this was someone knew or just Rose reformed. whatever the case she felt happy.

Until ten years had passed when everything changed once more. It all seemed like a blur to her memory. The ships blocking the clouds view, a burst of light as they all poofed away. Waking up she found herself in a holding cell. A large Jasper guard stood in place. Watching them all as they reformed one by one. Moments later, even before she could say anything to them, a huge blue hand picked her up away from them all.

The Diamonds gave her the ultimate punishment as they threw her into a zoo. A human zoo. One they had created ever since the gem war in hopes that Pink would return to them. Now a symbol of what her rebellion had created. Seeing that Pink was now the half human boy, they thought it would be best to separate them for awhile. The others were held in a cell. Greg was also with Spinel in the zoo like herself, trapped. Pearl was put in a solitary confinement for Pearls like herself. To reform and be 'better' Pearl servants than before.

Spinel wondered why she was put here with the other humans. But her wondering didn't last long as a few saw her as an instant threat. Acting like animals while others stayed hidden away from her. They feared and hated her for being a gem. Greg tried his best to help keep her safe, but even he suffered greatly at the loss of his son taken away from him. The promise he made Rose was broken. Spinel hid away from it all. Only finding tree's to conceal herself and the branches to use a a defense.

It was brutal. Whenever they found her, they would beat her to the point of poofing. Thankfully they were not intelligent enough to know that shattering was murder. So she reformed over and over as they repeated the process. Spinel thought Steven would come to rescue her. To save them all like he did with Lapis from Jasper. But he never came.

The feeling of abandonment flowed through her once more. Anger rised inside her deeply, something was changing from within and she welcomed it with open arms. If Pink had only stayed like herself, she would've saved them all from this. She wouldn't have had them all captured and locked away. They could be hiding from the Diamonds if she didn't run away and give up existing. Her powers would've save them all, just like before. They could've lived happily ever after. But that didn't exist. Not anymore.

'It's her fault.... It's Her Fault.... IT'S HER FAULT!!!'

Her mind screamed over and over. Finally it was her snapping point. No longer wanting to hide, she began fighting the animalistic enemies within her prison walls. At one point, while fighting she stabbed a human in the shoulder with the sharp point of her branch. Watching as he fell over and began to reveal a red liquid trickling from the cut she made. Something about it unlocked a blood lust inside. It reminded her of the pain Pink went through, the cried of torment from the memory to the sounds she heard now became music to her ears.

With a laughter so maniacal and sadistic, she began to do more. Have more cuts, see them bleed. Listen to the sounds of pain and agony as she stabbed, hit and murdered every human in that fight. Soon the rest became even more fearful of her. Those who tried to poof her now, didn't get a chance to even breath their last word.

Upon seeing the bodies covered in blood she smiled and laughed and laughed louder and louder. A bright light overtook her as she transformed into her new form. A black dress with pointed shoulders and ripped up hems, black boots instead of clown shoes. Hair in an upwards, messy twin tails like horns. Her tears formed black lines like masquera on human women running down the cheeks. The heart -shaped gem, turned upside down as her eyes were more blood-red.

She soon began to kill just for the pure enjoyment. Nothing would stand in her way. Anyone trying to defy her would be long gone. However this wasn't the only thing she found fascination in. Hiding in secret for her next victim, she heard sounds of what seemed like a mixture of pain and pleasure. Finding the source, she peaked through the bushes and eyes went wide. The two humans were moving on top of each other. Their clothing pushed to the side as their lower halves connected in a way that was quite astounding.

Spinel only heard about this once from oh so long ago from Rose. Apparently what she did with Greg to make their child. However instead of getting angry from it, she decided to understand it more. The entire event stirred something within her. So she watched and listened. Gathering up all the information she could.

A year had passed and Spinel was growing tired of just watching and causing bloodshed and fear upon others. But what she never had imagined was being placed by Steven's side once more. It was a way for him to be 'tortured' to bring back Rose's form. During which she saw a beastly side of him she never could see before. It was a glorious site.

One she needed to see once more.

With one final gash to the human's side she pulled back with what appeared to be heavy breathing. Seeing that she went a bit to overboard and attacked so much that the spine was shown and the subject was dead. Shaking her head she dropped her weapons and stood up straighter.

Removing the blood from her form as she sang a simple lullaby and wrapped the cloak around her once more. A song she heard Steven compose one evening. One that stuck with her ever since she heard the haunting melody. Waking away from the cell as Jasper waited for her outside with her arms folded and back against the cold wall, like his demeanor. Spinel's voice echoing through the walls.

'Your eyes see but my shadow My heart is overflowing There's so much you could come to know You're content not knowing Tenderly You could see My soul'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was another successful day of the Zooman Rehabilitation project. Pearl decided to make an appearance this time around to help things really become more organized. It seemed a bit odd but intriguing to see Bismuth trying hard not to blush. Connie noticed her emotions instantly and smiled to herself about it.

Once all was said and done, Pearl went to go with Steven for a chat with Blue Diamond on the Diamond line. The others went back to their own duties. Connie placed a hand on Bismuth's shoulder with a smile and a whisper.

"Why don't you go talk to her?" Gesturing to Pearl the rainbow haired gem's blush became bigger and bigger.

"I-I don't-"

"Save it. I know what I saw. Why haven't you said anything to her?"

"It's not that easy Connie." Bismuth sighed before walking to a stack of books to put back on the shelves. "There are many times I could've said what I wanted to say. But I blew it. Now it's too late."

"What do you mean?" Connie asked grabbing a few books from the stack and helping her out.

"Long ago, before Steven was born, I saw Pearl going up to the cliffs above the ocean. Watching as she sat for what seemed like forever. In solitude. I knew she was thinking about Rose and her time spent with Greg. How distant she had become. I knew it broke her heart to have her relationship so apart in that moment." Connie remembered her training with Pearl when she asked about Steven. How she could stay at his side no matter what evil he done. The look of sorrow and rage from within as tears brimmed her eyes. She was still hurting from loosing Rose not just physically, but emotionally.

"What do you mean all the time's you could've said something?"

"Well one evening as the sun was setting, I was walking up the cliffs to talk to her and finally say something. But I heard her scream Spinel's name as the little gem ran right past me. Pearl reached out for her when she saw me walking in her direction. Awkwardly so I continued and sat by her. I asked her what had happened and she told me everything. I saw her holding an item that Rose gave her long ago. She was clutching to it so tightly, I knew I couldn't say what I was feeling. Not then especially."

"She hasn't let go, hasn't she?" Connie stated more like a fact than a question as Bismuth nodded.

"I did the best thing I could do. I just sat with her in silence. At least this way, she would know I'm here for her. That's the best thing I can do. Just be there whenever she needs a friend."

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zero2heroyesindeed · 4 years ago

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Life’s Surprises- A Cassandra and Rapunzel Tangled AU fic

So this is the first entry in a series i’ll probably do where the premise is taking the original Tangled movie and reworking it to incorporate characters and elements from the series (so naturally that would also mean changing events that happen in the series which I may or may not explore later down the road). First I just want to preface this by saying this is the first real piece of writing I’ve ever done (that isn’t in a screenplay format which is a completely different medium so this is way out of my comfort zone) and this is the first time creating anything Tangled related so it’s going to be very messy and probably not gramtically sound. But I tried and this is the first time I felt inspired enough to make anything in months so here we go.

The sun beamed gloriously through the trees as Cassandra stalked her way through the wilderness. Gusts of wind rushed past her, causing the branches to rustle which was enough to put even her on edge.

Adopted from a young age by the Captain of the royal guard, ever since she can remember Cassandra has dreamed of the day she’ll get to wear that same golden armour and make her father proud. But when she finally came of age, she was forced into the role of one of the castle’s many servants. She wanted to serve her king and queen but not by doing their laundry. Still, she put on a brave face and fulfilled her duties without complaint hoping one day she would get her chance to prove herself. Whenever she wasn’t scrubbing pots and pans in the kitchen, she was on the grounds, honing her skills in both agility and combat. Though it was difficult since the only sparring partners she had were the training dummies they used for new recruits. But as the months of waiting turned to years, Cassandra had started to consider the reality that maybe her dream was never meant to be anything more.

That was until the day Flynn Ryder came to town. The notorious thief had snuck in right under their noses and made off with the crown that had once belonged to the lost princess before disappearing into the forest. Finally seeing her chance to prove to her dad she’s ready, Cassandra decided she was going to be the one to find the renowned thief and bring him to justice. That night she put down her dirty rags and grabbed her bow and arrows, as well as her sword which she never left home without. It was rather easy for her to sneak out since most of the guards were already out searching for the criminal. This meant she only had to sneak past Pete and Stan who weren’t exactly the sharpest knives in the drawer. A quick trip through the town and she was out on the bridge and heading into the forest, seeing her destiny closer than ever.

What Cassandra had failed to consider was the size of the woods surrounding Corona. Finding a master criminal in this place will be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Making matters worse was the fact there was also a whole battalion already on his trail who had gotten a good few hours head start. Unfortunately for those guys, they didn’t have an owl friend helping them out.

Owl returned to Cass and perched on her arm, letting out a disappointing hoot which told Cassandra her biggest advantage wasn’t going to get her very far. Still, it was nice to have some company while bracing the seemingly endless darkness. It was even nicer having company she didn’t have to talk to since she’d never been a hugely social person.

Despite the setbacks, Cass was confident in her tracking ability and believed finding Flynn Ryder would be child’s play for her (after all she’d been training for this since she was a child) why she’d probably have him behind bars by sunrise.

She wouldn’t.

Instead Cass spent all night searching every tree, bush and flower patch for any sign that could lead her to the offender, making sure to mark each one with a mighty swing from her sword to ensure she wouldn’t end up going in circles.

But time marched on. Night transitioned to day and Cassandra refused to stop until she had proven her worth to everyone. Unfortunately despite her tremendous strength and discipline, she was still human. A human who just went a whole night without a moment’s rest so she was starting to feel a little fatigued and the unfamiliar location only added to her unease. Why was she even doing this? Either the other guards had already captured Ryder or he’d stowed away on a boat and was on his way to another kingdom never to be seen again.

These questions would have to wait however, as Cass was startled by a rustling that came from a nearby berry bush. She silently crept towards it, drawing her sword hoping to find her prize but fully expecting to have to fend off a wild animal. Nothing could’ve prepared her for what was actually on the other side.

She carefully used the tip of her sword to part the branches revealing something she wasn’t expecting, a girl who was examining the berries in her hand. The second her eyes met with Cassandra’s she screamed and leapt back in fear, throwing the berry which whizzed past her shoulder.

“Who are you?” the girl asked in a panic as she fumbled to pick up an iron frying pan that had been lying next to her. Now that the girl was up and standing Cassandra finally got a full look at the mysterious stranger. The fact the girl wasn’t wearing any shoes would’ve probably caught her attention had she not been currently distracted by the seventy feet of golden locks that currently trailed around her. “Don’t come any closer” she threatened while pointing the cooking utensil towards Cass “I’m not afraid to use this!”.

After what seemed like an eternity of starring in awe, Cass finally responded. “Hey-hey. Calm down. I’m not going to hurt you”. Rapunzel took another step back. “Oh yeah? Then what’s that?” she questioned as she gestured to the sword Cassandra was still holding.

“Oh, right” Cassandra realized how much she scared the girl when she accidently pulled out her sword on her “Look, I’m sorry. I’ve just been walking for a while and when I heard a noise coming from the bush I was a little startled”. It was obvious the blonde girl still didn’t trust a word she said. Cassandra calmly threw her sword to one side. “There. We good now?” she asked hoping this would settle the girl’s nerves.

“Nice try” Rapunzel retorted “but how do I know you don’t have any other weapons on you?”.

Cass let out an irritated sigh as she removed her quiver and placed it on the ground. Then she took the dagger from her side and threw it down before finally taking the hidden knife out of her boot and throwing it onto the pile. “See? Completely defenceless” Cass said taking a step forward and putting up her empty hands. The girl now feeling more assured took a few slight step towards her, dragging her long locks through the grass, while still remaining cautious. Slowly the two inch towards each other when suddenly a deafening hoot is heard from above which causes Rapunzel to almost jump out of her skin. Owl soars down from above as Cass holds out her arm for him to land on.

The girl practically lit up upon seeing the winged creature. “Wait. Is that an owl?” she inquired “I’ve read all about owls but I’ve never actually gotten to see one in person before. What’s his name?”

“Owl” Cass responded unenthusiastically. “Wow” Rapunzel added, unable to contain her excitement. This gave Cassandra an idea. “You wanna hold him?” she asked. “Oh my gosh. Yes. That would be the best thing ever!” Rapunzel immediately responded, no longer showing any signs of the timid girl she was just a moment ago.

Cass slowly removed her glove from her right hand and held it out towards Rapunzel who slowly reached out to receive it. She quickly put the glove on and stuck out her arm. “Okay. So am I supposed to do something or..” the question was immediately answered as Owl landed on Rapunzel’s arm. “Oh. Hello there” she giggled while beginning to gently pet the bird of prey.

After a while Owl took off once more flying through the trees into the sky. Rapunzel pulled the glove off her hand and gave it back to Cass. “Thank you” she added. The two stood in awkward silence as Cass put her glove back on. “So what’s your deal exactly? You live out here or-“ she trailed off. “Oh. Not exactly. I live in a tower” the blonde girl responded. “A tower” she countered with a hint of sarcasm “and how long have you lived there?”. “My whole life” Rapunzel joyfully answered “my mother has always kept me up there ‘cause she says that’s where I’m safe” the energetic girl continued. “And just to let you in on a little secret” she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in closer to Cass “this is the first time I’ve ever been outside”. Cass looked back at her, trying her best not to sound sarcastic “Really? Never would’ve guessed”.

The sunshine girl continued, only getting more hyper. “See, every year on my birthday I’ve noticed these floating lights appear in the sky. Now I know what you’re thinking and no, they’re not stars. And I know it’s crazy but I can’t help but feel like they were somehow meant for me. So my mother left for a few days to go get me a birthday present. Oh yeah, I should probably mention today’s my birthday. Anyway, I snuck out of my tower so I can see the floating lights”.

Cass was now starting to feel overwhelmed by the girls exuberance and sat down on a nearby log. “That’s quite the tale, blondie. So you’re just out here by yourself then?” she enquired. “Oh no” Rapunzel answered “I have someone to guide me. He’s this really nice guy I met called Eugene Fitzherbert”.

Cassandra couldn’t help but chortle at the sound of that name. “Eugene Fitzherbert? That has got to be the most ridiculous name I ever heard”. She continued laughing as Rapunzel approached her “Well, I don’t know. I think it’s a great name” she retorted while sitting down next to Cass on the log. The two sat there for a moment just admiring the natural beauty that surrounded them.

“Y’know, it’s funny. All my life my mother told me the outside world was a dangerous place filled with roughians, thugs and men with pointy teeth but it’s nothing like what she told me. Ever since I left my tower I’ve met a bunch of kind people and I’ve done things that I never thought I could”.

She turned to Cass.

“What about you? Do you have a dream?” she asked. Cass just sat there in silence, not entirely sure if she wanted to open up to someone who was still very much a stranger. I mean, they didn’t even know each other’s names and suddenly they’re having this deep heart to heart. Rapunzel sat there, waiting patiently for a response.

“Yeah, I’ve got a dream. Though lately I’m not all that sure it’s gonna come true” Cass said solemnly. Rapunzel moved down the log, getting closer to Cassandra in an attempt to comfort her.

“Well, there was once a time I never thought I’d ever get to see the floating lights but now I’m going to get my dream. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned since leaving my tower it’s that even when you think you know something, life finds ways to surprise you”

“That’s a nice thought. But my dream’s a little more complicated than seeing some floating lights” Cass coldly responded as she stood back up “listen, there’s a good chance that there’s a dangerous criminal in these woods. You and Fitz-sherbert or whatever should be careful. I need to get going”.

Cass started to leave as Rapunzel called back to her.

“Okay. Well it was nice meeting you” then there was a slight pause “and I hope you get your dream someday.”

Cass froze for a moment. She sighed, glancing back at Rapunzel from over her shoulder.

“Yeah. So do I”

Rapunzel watched from the log as Cass disappeared into the wilderness, setting off on the long journey back home.

#tangled #tangled au #rapunzels tangled adventure #tangled the series #rta #tts #tangled cassandra #rta cassandra #tts cassandra #rapunzel #eugene fitzherbert #flynn rider #fan fiction #tangled fic

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pandawritespoorly · 5 years ago

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With Time: Chapter 19 - Some Guy With Knives

Author’s Note: Oh boy! I hope you guys like how I did this! No akuma reference slide for this chapter, mostly because my 'design' for the akuma is basically summed up in the title. I'll be back Saturday as usual with even more excitement!

Chapter Summary: Ladybug is too tired to remember much about the akuma, but given his tendency to throw sharp objects, our super duo is going to need some help.

First | Previous | Next

“Bug?” Chat looks down at the heroine laying on his lap.

She doesn’t respond, her breathing even. It snowed for the first time last week, and Ladybug is fully in hibernation mode. Being outside for patrol isn’t going to keep her any more awake.

He’d like to talk to her though, and for that she does kind of need to be conscious. He nudges her gently, speaking a little louder, “Ladybug.”

She blinks her eyes open for a moment, then screws them shut, curling closer to him.

“Ladybug, come on, I have to talk to you.” He gently shakes her shoulder, “Just a quick thing, then you can go home.”

“I don’ wanna��...” She speaks slowly and slurred with fatigue, “‘re warm…”

“I’m sure being inside would be warmer.”

She shakes her head.

“Are you awake enough for a conversation?” Typically she can make it through the day pretty okay. Not quite awake - but alert enough and able to contribute in attacks. They had an attack earlier though, and with her still slightly favoring one hand she is entirely spent. If being near him makes her more awake, he can only imagine what it’s like in her everyday life.

“Def-in-ly…” She seems very sure, but he only raises an eyebrow. The light snowfall probably isn’t helping her.

“Sure. I’ll pretend that was more convincing.”

She sticks her tongue out in retort, only to flinch and frown when a snowflake has the audacity to land on it.

“Do you have any ideas on new miraculous holders? It’d probably be best to know before they’re needed. We’re going to need help considering that it’s winter.”

“...sorry…”

“What are you sorry for?” Has she had trouble choosing? That’s no problem, they already agreed they’d go to Chloe.

“Bein’ useles’...” She says it so matter-of-factly. He’s taken aback. She’d been doing better recently, something must have happened. He can only guess it has something to do with her sprained wrist.

She ‘fell’. As if.

“Oh, Bug, no. What makes you say that?” He’s been trying to remember Claude’s tips, instead of just telling her that she’s wrong.

Despite being entirely exhausted, her face is easy for him to read, and he doesn’t like the way she looks at him as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.

“...don’ do any’thin…”

“You do lots! You figure out how to use the Lucky Charms, and you comfort the victims afterwards. You’re leading by example - it’s part of why there isn’t much bias against akuma victims.”

She shakes her head, “...could do bett’r…”

“How’s that?”

“...less tires...be fast’r…”

“You can’t help how tired you are. You still do incredibly well even despite your tendencies. We work as fast as we can, but it’s hard work, we can’t help if it takes longer than people want. We aren’t perfect. I mean, look at me-”

She glares at him, “You‘re great hero… be nice to you self.” She seems to have put extra effort into making sure her message got across.

He smiles, “Only if you’re nice to you.” He understands that there’s a difference between being critical and being hateful. He’d like to draw her back over to the right side.

She frowns at this, as if she’s considering it, but remains unconvinced. It’ll take time, he’s just glad she’s considering it.

“You can head home now, m’lady.” He begins to shift slightly so that they can get up, but she only hugs him tighter.

“Nooo! ‘re warm!”

“Another five minutes, but you do need to sleep in an actual bed. You’ll be warm, I promise.”

She looks at him with big eyes, “...’ll miss you…”

“I’ll miss you too, Bugaboo.” He brushes her hair out of her eyes. He looks forward to the day when he can see her beautiful face without a mask.

For now though, he watches her rest. Once their time is up, he wakes her up carefully, making sure she descends the tower safely before he returns to his house.

---

Ladybug really doesn’t like this akuma. It had interrupted her sleep. Not that she hadn’t been sleeping a lot, but still. It’s the principle of the matter.

It didn’t help that this certainly isn’t the type of fight that is forgiving towards having slower reflexes. She can’t even remember its name, the only thing that really matters is it’s inclination towards throwing sharp things. Forks, pins, scissors, knives.

With her fight-or-flight response seemingly beginning to lean more toward ‘freeze’ for whatever reason, she isn’t really well-suited for this fight. It’s been almost an hour, and the heroes have been lucky that they haven’t been hit badly.

As she thinks that, she slips slightly and gets nicked by a pin, drawing blood across her cheek. She doesn’t really register it - her mind too tired and wanting to sleep.

Her partner curses, hopping to her side, “We should back off.”

She frowns, unable to think of a clear reason why, “Why?”

“This isn’t the place for a conversation, come on.”

She turns to him, following him a few rooftops away.

“Are you okay?” He looks at her cut in concern. His hand hesitates just in front of it, looking at it carefully.

“Wha’?” Too many things are going on, her brain can’t keep up. Why can’t she go to sleep again?

“You got hit.” He deems her cut to be non-threatening, backing off slightly. “I think we should get help.”

“Okay?” This is all very confusing.

He notices her confusion, sighing, “How are you holding up? This has been our longest fight since winter began, and there’s a lot of moving.”

“Cold.” sagging as she speaks. Snowflakes beginning to delicately fall around them, “Sleepy.”

He smiles at her softly, “See? Help would be nice. If you don’t have anyone in mind, we can use Chloe - Venom would be useful here.”

“...right…”

“You can go to Fu’s, his place will probably be warmer which would help you a little. I’ll wait for you here.”

She nods, heading in the direction of the Guardian’s house.

When she arrives, he lets her in immediately. He doesn’t comment on her drowsiness, Tikki takes the chance to nap on her head - lucky.

Fu puts the miracle box in front of her, “Choose wisely.” He’s short and to the point - knowing better than to trust a winter-ladybug’s attention span.

She nods, staring at the miraculouses. Her brain takes a moment to register which is which. Which one is she supposed to take again?

The bee. Right.

She grabs it, putting it in a box and thanking Fu on her way out. She stands on the roof for a moment. She knows she can go to Chloe, but she really wants a clean transition.

She wants someone new, but who?

She needs someone who has the traits of a hero and will mesh well with the bee miraculous in particular.

Someone she can trust.

Someone comes to her mind.

---

She knocks on the window, the girl looks up from her desk, doing a double take when she sees Ladybug outside the window. She hurries to open it.

“Ladybug?! Is something wrong?”

“Allegra Coudriet, this is the Bee Miraculous, which grants you the power to immobilize your opponent. You will use it for the greater good, and when the job is done you will return it to me. Do you accept?”

The braided girl took a moment to recover from the shock, “Me? Are you sure?”

Ladybug nods,”Chat and I have put more time into deciding our back-up heroes, and their qualifications. I am sure.” Does she sound awake enough for something this serious? She’s certainly trying.

“Okay. I’ll do this.” Allegra puts the pin into her hair, and Pollen appears, startling the girl, “Um, hi?”

“Hello, my queen! My name is Pollen. Are you ready to be a hero?”

Allegra nods, looking a little overwhelmed.

“It’s simple, say ‘buzz on’ to transform, and ‘buzz off’ to detransform. When you say ‘venom’ you will activate your special power, and can freeze anyone you touch. Once you have activated this power, you will have five minutes before you detransform. The comb will keep track of this for you.”

“That’s… a lot. I think I get it though!” Allegra says.

“Your top will have a user’s manual, and Ladybug and Chat Noir can help lead you.” The Kwami glances at the spotted heroine sympathetically, “Likely Chat Noir more than Ladybug, this time of year.”

Ladybug nods lethargically. Her stamina for ‘perfectly-normal-and-not-at-all-tired’ is running low.

“Ready, my queen?”

Allegra nods, determined, “Pollen, buzz on!”

A yellow glow overtakes the girl, and when it fades, a new heroine stands in her place. Her suit is a different yellow from Chloe’s, more honey-colored though still clearly yellow. The black is slightly browner, and is mostly absent from her upper half.

Her arms and shoulders are entirely yellow, with five stripes across her midsection, like a musical staff. Her feet are black, and a black line runs up the outside of each leg, branching off at her knee, where it splits into two stripes that curl around the back of her leg. Her mask covers more of her face, stretching from her forehead to the tip of her nose. There is a black outline along the top of her eyes, and a single black stripe going through her braid, which is slightly longer and ends in a similar shape to her spinning top.

She looks at herself, inspecting the outfit, then looks to Ladybug, “What now?”

“Chat is waiting for us, follow me.” Ladybug leads her out the window, watching her as she adjusts to swinging by the roofs.

They arrive at the rooftop that she last saw Chat at.

“Welcome back, Bug.” He sees the unfamiliar heroine with her.

“Chat, this is… what should we call you?” She turns to the girl.

She hesitates, thinking carefully then says, “Honey Bee.” “Well, I bee-leive you will be of great help to us. My Lady isn’t exactly meant for long fights in the cold.”

The two glance at the heroine in question, who is sagging slightly. Such a long time of keeping up the ‘awake-and-alert’ charade really wore on her.

“Do you know how your powers work?” Chat asks Honey.

“I think so. Uh.. Pollen explained it quickly?” She’s hesitant.

“Okay, that’s good enough. Basically, Ladybug and I will distract the akuma, and when I give the signal, you need to hit him with Venom, so that we can grab the akumatized object and finally get this over with.”

Ladybug slumps further, on track for the ground, but he catches her.

“Is she okay?!” Honey Bee sounds alarmed. Parisians know of Ladybug’s tiredness in the winter, but the full extent of it has been kept from them.

“She’s fine. Just, uh, very tired. She shouldn’t be outside in the cold this long.” He begins waking her slightly, “Change of plans, I will distract the akuma, and we’ll get the akumatized object to Ladybug or vice-versa when the fight is over. She can stay here.”

Honey nods, determined. Chat sets Ladybug down carefully, reminding her to stay awake, and they head back to the akuma, Honey stays out of sight when they arrive.

---

“Honey Bee, now!” Chat gives the signal, and the new heroine, rushes forward.

“Venom!” Once the stinger makes contact, the victim freezes in place.

Chat swipes the object from him, turning to Honey, “Let’s get this to Ladybug.”

They find her where they left her, struggling to remain awake.

Chat crouches in front of her, “Hey, Bug, fight’s over.”

She nods, standing unsteadily, and waiting for her cue. He breaks the object, releasing the butterfly. Ladybug cleanses the butterfly and performs the cure, healing the cut on her face along with the rest of the damage the akuma caused.

“Well, I’ll be on my way. Welcome to the team, Honey Bee.” Chat salutes as the trio breaks from their ‘pound-it’ and turns to go.

“Wait!” He turns to Honey questioningly, “Don’t you have to know who I am?”

He blinks, “No? It’s a secret identity.”

“But I’m a temporary hero, one you come to for back-up. What if Ladybug can’t come to get me? Or if she can’t tell you who I am and you need me?”

“That’s… a fair point. I hadn’t considered that. It’s your identity, I guess you can tell me if you want.”

Ladybug has been standing and blinking at them slowly. She doesn’t give any protests, so Honey says, “Pollen, buzz off!”

Allegra stands in her place, and Chat shakes off his momentary surprise at seeing someone familiar, and feigns ignorance, “Hey, it’s you! One of Mari’s friends… Allegra was it?

Allegra smiles, and nods, “Yeah, that’s me.”

“Well, welcome to the team.”

“I’m honored to have been chosen.”

Ladybug doesn’t seem to have taken much of this in, barely present to begin with. She takes out the box to return the miraculous when Chat takes it from her.

“You go home, Bug. I can return this.” Ladybug nods, waving goodbye and swinging home. He turns to Allegra, “Can you get home on your own, or do you need a ride?”

She hands the miraculous to him, “I’ll be fine on my own. If it starts storming or something I have a phone.”

He nods, waving as he jumps away.

---

The next day, the group is having lunch in the library. It’s quieter and easier for Marinette to rest. Not that much can keep her from sleeping at this point, but it’s less crowded and her friends feel she’s better off in here.

The girl in question is resting on Allegra. Typically she would choose Claude (he’s warmest - second only to Adrien), but he was later today and Marinette didn’t feel like putting in the effort to move.

“Did you guys see the attack yesterday? With the new hero?” Allegra asks nonchalantly.

“... like ‘er… seem nice…” Marinette mumbles, happy with her effort when Allegra seems to glow.

“I thought she seemed really cool!” Claude says excitedly.

“Certainly more professional than Queen Bee. I will be interested to see her fight more.” Felix approves.

“She seemed friendly. She seemed t’ get along with Chat pretty well. Must’ve been exciting.” Allan says.

“If you guys could be a hero, would you? I would!” Claude’s immediate answer to his own question is a surprise to no one.

“It could be fun, I would at least try it.” Allan says.

“For sure.” Allegra agrees.

“It seems like quite the commitment. Having to interrupt your daily life at the whim of Hawkmoth. There would be a lot of pressure from the press too. I think that at this point in my life, I would not be interested. Perhaps when I have finished school.” Felix points out. Marinette nods in agreement.

“I think that despite that, for me the pros would outweigh the cons.” Allegra explains. Claude and Allan nod in agreement.

“Do ya’ think they get a chance to practice? Or are they jus’ thrown into battle?”

“It seems like it would be beneficial to give them a chance to practice.”

Marinette considers this at the back of her mind. She’ll have to talk to Chat and Fu, Allan and Felix have a point. The conversation moves on, but Marinette tunes out. She’s just so exhausted. She had to be outside for an hour yesterday. It was cold. It was snowing. It was not fun.

Honey Bee did well though. It feels nice to know she didn’t mess that decision up. She slips into a gentle sleep as her body gives into the cold.

---

“M’lady, you really don’t have to come on patrols. Especially after how long you were out yesterday.” Chat glares disapprovingly at his sluggish partner, crossing his arms.

“Had… an idea…” She looks at him sideways, without enough energy to properly hold her head upright.

“You couldn’t have transformed at home and texted me?” She’s barely standing.

“... oh yeah.” That option has only occurred to her now that Chat suggested it.

“Well, you’re here now. What is it?” He can’t be mad at her for long. He’s less mad and more worried anyways.

“Wha’ if… we bring Honey… on patr’l…? Pract’ce?” She’s trying to convey this as best she can.

“You want to bring Honey Bee on patrol so she can practice using her miraculous? That’s a pretty good idea. Is she for sure our new bee holder? I thought she did well.”

Ladybug nods, then falls forward, tripping over her feet to correct herself. Chat grabs her shoulders, propping her up.

“You sure you should be out?”

“Mhm.”

“Okay…” He sounds doubtful, “I’ll go to Fu, you wait by her place.”

---

Allegra is still up, and readily agrees to attend patrol as practice.

“Where’s Ladybug? Is she doing okay?”

“She’s fine. Maybe we should explain the miraculous to you a little better.”

They head to the roof. Ladybug is slumped in a corner completely asleep, he heads over to her, pulling her into his lap and hugging her close so that she’ll wake up some.

Honey sits next to them, glancing at the heroine.

“I’m sure you’re aware that Ladybug slows down a little during the winter?”

She nods, “Yeah, everyone knows that.”

“We knew we wouldn’t be able to keep that from people, but we have tried to avoid letting on just how much. We’re heroes - weaknesses need to be kept under wraps and all that.” He unconsciously plays with her hair a little as he continues, “When you use a miraculous for long enough, there are… side effects.”

“It’s not hurting her is it?!” Honey is alarmed.

“No, no. The user takes on traits of the animal their miraculous is based off of. I purr, and have better night vision and hearing. There’s quite a few actually. Ladybug has several too, but the biggest one is that ladybugs hibernate in the winter.” He sees the understanding dawn on Honey’s face.

“The colder she is, the more likely she is to fall asleep, and the more tired she gets. If it’s pretty far into winter or too cold for too long, ladybug-instincts might take over. It happened for a moment last year. All human reason and common sense are out the window. Full ladybug. That was fun.”

At Honey’s questioning look, he elaborated, “It’s hard to convince her that you can lead her somewhere warmer when she’s convinced that sleeping with a bunch of actual ladybugs will solve everything. I had to carry her away after she fell asleep.”

Honey smiles at the still-sleeping girl, “So she’s fine then? Just tired? She reminds me of my friend.”

Chat nods, now that she’s pointed it out, Marinette and Ladybug react to the cold pretty similarly, “Yep, she’s fine. She likes body-heat. Actually, my miraculous makes me a little warmer in the winter to balance her out. Magic balances out magic so she’s most awake with me.”

“Wha?” Right on cue, Ladybug has opened her eyes and blinks blearily at them.

“Hey Bugaboo.”

“Hi Ladybug.”

She just blinks at them, not quite comprehending.

“Alright. We should probably have you actually practice. My Lady, would you like to go home, or are you just going to be reckless with your health and safety as usual?”

Honey raises an eyebrow at the wording, wondering just how often Ladybug does something like this.

“Doin’ patrol…” She stands shakily.

Honey looks at Chat, muttering under her breath, “Is this a good idea?”

“Eh… It’s not ideal, but she’ll make it about three blocks before she realizes I’m right. Consider it practice in keeping an eye on her. If we do call you in during the winter again, we’ll have to keep an eye on her a little.”

He’s right of course. They don’t make it far before she stumbles, Honey catching her carefully. Chat comes over to them, used to this conversation at this point.

Ladybug never believes she’s allowed to take a break. Being a hero doesn’t mean working herself to death, but she doesn’t seem to realize that.

“Ladybug. Do you know what time it is?”

“...night?”

“What I think he meant, is that it’s time for you to go home.” Honey concurs.

“It’s two to one, majority rules.”

Ladybug scrunches up her face, taking a moment to process this, “...no, ‘m fi-” She’s cut off by a yawn.

“See?”

Ladybug submits, nodding and swinging home. When she slips into her trapdoor, she burrows under the blankets. Releasing her transformation, Tikki flies out and snuggles against her chosen. The cold pulls them into sleep.

---

Author’s Note: Soooo... thoughts? Allegra with the bee? (peachgreentea you got it!) I apologize that I accidently left you all at a slight disadvantage by failing to mention that I won't be using the zodiac miraculouses in this fic (several reasons, for one I haven't really seen most of season 3 so I barely know anything about them, and two I feel like they're almost too powerful? The Ladybug and Black Cat are supposed to be the most powerful and then we've got actual time travel? I have nothing huge against them or their characters though - just going to stick to the main seven in With Time). Anyways, reference slide here! I'm sorry for my poor design skills. I don't know what I'm doing, but I tried. It doesn't help that Google Slides is not for creating designs.

As for my reasoning with this? Well it took a while. I'm sure I'm not the only one well aware that Allegra is typically given the fox (as a concept character she fought with a flute so that makes sense), but I took weeks to dwell on this. I started thinking up this fic in late July. I (somewhat) finalized my decisions for who got what sometime in August (finally settled it around the time I actually started writing - late September). I flip-flopped between the bee and fox for her for a while though. I like both so much! However I went with personalities (mostly) to determine the final decision eventually. The personality I'd been developing for her just felt so much more like a bee to me. Melodie also had a yellow suit, so like.... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Anyways, I'm happy with my final decision and I hope you like it too!

Fun fact! In early stages of this, I thought of her as ‘Melo-bee’. I always knew it wouldn’t be a serious name, but it made me smile everytime.

Next chapter will be Saturday! I've very excited. It marks a first for Adrien (something you may not have even noticed was missing, but was a very deliberate choice on my part from the very beginning).

Thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any thoughts, theories, constructive criticism, or anything really in my ask box, in replies or through reblogs. I love seeing what you think!

(P.S. No, I did not spend all of July-September making this decision. I may be bad at decision making, but I'm not that bad. It was an off and on thing. I did spend plenty of time on it though. I wanted to be satisfied with my decision because it would have an impact on the story and everything I have planned after it.)

(P.P.S. I feel like I should have said this a long time ago, but if you're ever here early (like really, really early, and the links don't work, then just give me a minute. Any chapter with reference slides is a little extra effort because I have to post the chapters (on two separate platforms) then the slides, then open the slides' post and link it in each platform's version of the chapter. It doesn't take me that long, but if you do get here that early, just wait a moment and refresh the page - you should be good to go.)

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#miraculous ladybug #miraculous tendencies #miraculous side effects #with time #fanfic #transfer #chameleon salt #winter #marinette dupain cheng #ladybug #chat noir #quantic kids #ml felix #allan #allegra #claude #new miraculous holder #bee miraculous #that's enough tags I was supposed to go to bed two hours ago

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devolympian · 4 years ago

Text

Argo chapter 2

Rubble shot out under my body as I was slammed against the ground, a loud groan of pain escaping my lips in the process. However, I wasn’t on the ground for long as I soon found myself flung into the air once more, Clairs strong legs shooting me into the sky as if I were a soccer ball she had kicked.

As I hung in the air I was soon met with a flurry of kicks, each one hurting more than the last all culminating in the heel of her boot being brought down upon my chest and slamming me into the ground again.

My health seemed to plummet from this, but I managed to stagger to my feet and prepared for one final counter attack.

With all of my remaining strength I cupped my hands together and, through pure will power, conjured bright blue flames which compressed into a large fireball like object in my palms.

I followed Clair with my eyes as she fell to the ground, and as soon as her feet touched the dirt under us, I lunged forward and jutted my arms out sending the flames barreling towards her.

Clairabell simply leaped over it and landed in front of me.

Red and white lights flashed as she gathered energy into her strong, muscular legs and launched an endless onslaught of kicks so fast that they blurred together into bright flashes, tearing space and time asunder. And every kick made direct contact with my body.

With one final explosive heel to my jaw, my body was flown backwards landing in an unmoving heap on the ground.

My life had emptied.

“Yes” Clairabell cheered as the screen displayed her name in conformation of her victory, “bow to me mortal!”

“Dang it” I whimpered, watching as her character stood proudly over mine, “why do I suck at street fighter?”

“Well you keep choosing Ryu, that’s a start.”

“You always choose Chun Li though.

“Yeah cause she’s awesome and fun to- shit!”

As we were talking the scene in the game had changed to that of a large gray map with small portraits of the characters in front of it. With a flash an orange square appeared and begane jumping randomly from one portrait to another with loud beeps accompanying it.

With one last beep like noise the square landed on an image of a man with long, braided, brown hair and wearing a white mask.

“Oh” I exclaimed, “it’s Vega.”

“Easy” Clair stated as she prepared for the match, “I’ll have this done in like 10 seconds.”

It was over in thirty with Vega tearing through Chun Li with his clawed hands and superior speed.

Clairabell collapsed into a disappointed husk before the arcade machine, her eyes becoming watery as the words “You lose” flashed brightly before her.

“No, my sexy kick girl! How could he do this to her!?”

“Well he did kill her dad so. . . or, wait, was that M bison?”

As I contemplated this important question a 10 popped up on the screen and slowly started counting down.

“Shit, shit, Skye give me a quarter!”

I nodded ok and reached into my skirt pockets, only to find them empty other than a piece of lint and my ID.

“I’m out.”

“Already?”

“Dude, we’ve been here for an hour.”

“We have?!”

Unable to pay for another chance Clairabell and I watched as the numbers dropped until it hit zero and, in bright red colors, “Game Over” appeared on the screen before us.

“Damnit.”

“Sorry Clair.”

With annoyed huff Clair reached into her shorts and pulled her wallet out.

“Don’t worry Skee skee, I won’t let this masked back up dancer wannabe get the best of me. I’ll just wip out my secret weapon, get some quarters, and then smash his stupid face in!”

“I-it’s just a game though.”

A confident smile grew onto Clairabells face as she unleashed her hidden power, one which I could never hope to achieve even if I tried my hardest.

A platinum credit card with no credit limit, and endless spending so long as you pay the bill on time.

Clairs pink lips curled into an evil smirk and I could tell that she was thinking solely about spending every scent she could to humiliate a fictitious gut who had wronged her and the fictitious girl who has been one of video game crushes since she was like 13.

“Vengeance shall be mine!”

“Y-yeah” I stuttered out, “but won’t it take awhile before you fight Vega, the set up is r-random after all.”

Clair stopped smiling and gave me a disapproving look.

“. . . Skye, please, please just let me have this.”

“O-okay, s-s-sorry.”

“To the ATM” Clair cheered, almost instantly getting her pep back.

With her heels clicking against the arcade floor, Clair confidently struts over to the nearest ATM, her dark brown hair flowing behind her and her swaying hips drawing the gaze of the people she passed by.

I, meanwhile, did my best not to look like a stupid weirdo by scurrying next to her and hoped I was insignifigant enough to be completly off anybodys raidar so that they don’t notice me.

Once we reached the blue and white tower containing an untold amount of treasure (but, if you must know it was most likely between 100,000 and 200,000 USD) Clair raised her hand, placed the card between the scanner built into the ATMs face, swung down, put in a few numbers, and. . . was met with a buzzing noise and the words declined appearing onto the screen.

We stood in silence for a bit until Clair tried again, and was instantly met with the same results.

“Y-you did p-pay your credit bill, right?”

“I have to pay for a credit card?!”

Now, soundly defeated by our inability to acquire a hefty sum of money, or at the very least five bucks, Clairabell and I sulked back to our table where the ice in our drinks had melted and watered them down into tasteless puddles of dark sludge, perfectly symbolizing our utter destruction done to us by Vega from street fighter and a lack of change in either of our wallets.

With a heavy sigh Clair slumped forward against the table resting her chest on the wooden surface and began playing with the coasters, moving them around and making them spin.

“Sorry Clair” I said again, hoping it might make her feel a little better, “w-when I get paid we’ll come back. I-it’ll be a month though, sorry.”

Clair sunk lower into the table from my statement, a defeated groan escaping her mouth yet again.

“Stupid ATM” Clair stated while holding a coaster between the tip of her pointer finger and the table and spinning it, “making me look stupid. I’m made of skin you’re just plastic, so who’s stupid now?! Right Skee skee?”

“Oh, um.” Thinking as quickly as I could, I did my best to come up with an answer that would raise Clairs spirit, and make me feel like less of a bad friend for not being able to help. “W-well, th-the ATM is an inanimate object with no ability to create memories or any other neuron processing abilities, so I guess you’re by far more intelligent then it.”

I smiled after finishing my statement, while mentally patting myself on the back. There was no way that didn’t make her happy.

Clairabell just looked at me with confusion. “The hell are Neurons?”

“O-oh, they’re a cell in your brain which transmits nerve impulses when specific actions are triggered. Memories are the result of specific neurons being activated when the brain recognizes certain stimuli such as patterns and such.” “. . .” “. . .”

“Ok beautiful, I’m gonna pretend what you said makes perfect sense to me.”

“Sorry.”

I felt my face get slightly red as Clair giggled at my expense. Well, she was feeling better at the very least.

“Oh” she said, jumping up and pulling her phone out of her pocket, “I’ll call daddy!”

I watched as Clairs red tipped finger tapped on her phone with the speed of a carnivorous animal attacking the first meal it had eaten in days and the hungry look in her eyes showing the clear determination she had to devour what she wanted in one swift bite.

Dang, I’m hungry.

She placed the phone to her ear and we waited speechlessly for an answer on the other end.

“Hi daddy” Clair practically shouted, a smile spread far across her face. However, her face full of joy soon became one of shock and confusion. “What!?”

“W-what’s wrong” I stuttered, as a feeling of dread set into my empty stomach.

“Daddy that’s not fair, you can’t- What!? You can’t be serious, it is not that big of a deal!”

“Clairabell?”

“¡Oh, Dios mío, papi, estás jodidamente loco! Sí, apuesto a que si fuera Essy, ¡lo dejarías pasar!”

And now she’s speaking Spanish. By this point I was fully aware that I was no longer relevant to this conversation.

“What? What!?”

With a loud humph Clair turned to me, an angry scowl on her face.

“Skee skee I’m going outside for a minute.”

“Wh- w-wait. Clair!”

Before I was able to protest my sudden abandonment Clair was already heading for the entrance of the arcade, yelling angrily into her phone as she did so.

Within seconds of her departure my whole body began to shake and my eyes began involuntarily darting around the building, unsure where my site should be landing or if I should even be looking at anything at all.

Beads of sweat began falling down my forehead and arms and my throat became suddenly dry as I became painfully aware of how warm this place had become.

Without really thinking I forced my watered down soda between my lips and drank the odd tasting liquid into my body.

As I set the now empty glass back onto the table my thoughts finally caught up to me and questions began flowing into my mind faster than they could be answered.

How many people are here?

Are they going to talk to me?

Should I talk to them?

Is it strange that I’m here alone?

Is it wrong to be here alone?

Where were my friends?

How much are the chicken strips here?

Should I scrounge around for quarters and play the games?

Is it okay for me to play the games without my friends around?

If I tried starting a conversation how long would it be until people yelled at me to leave?

How much are the chicken strips here?!

My brain began to ache from trying to answer the never ending onslaught of questions that I began attacking myself with.

Why did Clair have to take her call outside and leave me in this social battle zone where I am left completely defenseless with my subpar social skills and basically useless communicative abilities.

If Zee were here this feeling would most likely have been lessened and. . . come to think of it, where the heck was Zee?

I guess he’d messaged Clair a little after we’d gotten to the arcade, saying he would be a little late, but he’s normally not this late.

The idea that something bad had happened, or that Zee was in some sort of trouble added itself to my growing number of concerns.

I wish I had a book to read.

I wish I was plotting a masterly crafted revenge scheme with Edmond Dantes, or hunting for lost treasures alongside Jim Hawkins, or fighting alongside the knights of the round table for the glory of king Arthur, or learning how to try new things like green eggs and ham with Sam I am.

My fingers began tapping against the table without me telling them too, almost as if they were typing my thoughts onto an invisible keyboard so that I could read how pathetic I actually was.

No, wait. This isn’t right!

I desperately tried to swallow the knot that had formed in my throat and forced my fingers away from the table before they could make deeper scratches into it.

This was a blessing in disguise. An opportunity that the gods have presented to me so that I might better myself socially and become a proper adult which will benefit society at large.

Clenching my hands into fist, I stood up in my stall, turned towards the violent army of people laid before me, mentally readied my ammunition with various puns on super mario bros and tetris that were always great conversation starters (so I’ve heard), set my foot into the battle zone, and. . . immediately sat back down, my body shaking from my feet to my pony tail.

Hey, I made it a step! That’s a win right?

With a heavy sigh, I just continued sitting in my booth, waiting for Clairabell to return.

That’s when my eyes wandered upwards to the TVs above the bar and a gasp escaped my lips as a sense of awe took over my heart.

Plastered onto the three screens was the same image of a reporter standing in front of a city in North America that was covered in dust and smoke. She spoke with a composed and calm voice but her body was shaking all over and her arms would gesture wildly as she explained the situation.

Unfortunately, the sound was muted by the noises in the arcade but the camera shaking wildly and the cause of the destruction rising from the ground a few moments later made me certain of what was happening.

Not too far from the reporter and her camera crew a creature had emerged, dirt tumbling down its long serpentine body and the sun glistening off its dark red skin. As it sung its upper half towards the camera I saw that its face was nothing more than a large gaping hole lined with crooked teeth that spun into a dark, empty void.

An Olgoi-Khorkhoi, a Mongolian death worm, had invaded the city and destroyed it out of predatory instinct.

It was so cool!

I mean, not the city destroying part, that is awful for all parties involved, but the death worm itself is probably one of the most amazing animals on the planet!

First off, it actually isn’t even a worm, it is a dragon species which evolved into their current form after their specific species was forced to migrate to desert areas over millions of years ago. Second off It is a dragon!

And that’s not even the coolest part

As they adapted to their environment the worms, or wyrms as we can probably call them, developed thermosensitive scales which adjusted their body temperature according to how hot or cold it was keeping them safe from the deserts rapidly changing temperatures. Their scales would even change color depending on the temperature, red meaning cold and blue meaning warm. Also, they developed giant mouths and the ability to freaking eat anything!

Isn’t that awesome!?

Granted, this does make them rather dangerous when they wander into cities or towns and are extremely frustrating to get rid of. However, the fact that they live in deserts far underground and tend to stay in one place unless mating makes this an extremely rare event.

But when they do pop up, an even more amazing creature follows.

Just as the worm prepared to dive back into the ground a barrage of golden arrows rained down onto it.

The arrows didn’t seem to bother it but the large number of explosions that followed did as every arrow erupted into a cloud of smoke and flames.

Panicked, the giant creature began tossing around in every direction and two long tentacles appeared out of its mouth in a desperate attempt to catch its attacker only to find that the scales covering its body began to change from their current red color to a dark blue as a giant pillar of fire erupted around it.

As the flames cleared the now blue worm was shown wrapped in chains held by a man with bat-like wings, large horns sprouting from his head, and a tail ending in a sharp barb.

Props to the camera crew by the way, these shots are amazing. So clear too.

The winged man struggled against the worm as it thrashed around desperate to escape its bondage, with intense struggle causing more damage to the city and sending the man crashing into multiple buildings as he held onto his prey.

Moments after this struggle began another man, this one with a long orange ponytail and a large golden bow stepped into the camera shot.

He looked like a college athlete having a large build, broad shoulders, and noticeable muscles. He wasn’t as large or muscular as Zee but he still looked exactly as I dreamed these people would. People who traveled the world, discovering new lands, battling monsters and great evils, aided by any god they wanted to help them.

He looked like an adventurer.

Holding the bow he held up a pillar of blinding light formed around him only to vanish moments later as millions of golden arrows hovered in the air around the orange haired adventurer.

Taking aim at the worm, he pulled the string of his bow back, released it, and caused the arrows to go flying towards the monster, exploding on contact just like they did last time.

The adventurer then promptly turned towards the camera with a smug smile and a cocky look in his golden eyes. He started saying something to the reporter and her crew, which I couldn’t hear cause bar noises, only to be interrupted by his partner slamming into him.

The camera followed the two as they rolled into the ground and kept filming them as they began, I assume by the angry faces, yelling and arguing with each other.

They stopped soon however as something caught their attention.

The crew turned back towards the worm as a large lump began running up its body and a pillar of dirt, and chunks of the city erupted out of their mouths.

Interesting factoid about Mongolian death worms, they are capable of turning their stomachs inside out and can actually regurgitate whatever they’ve eaten like a super soaker blasting people in the face. It is awesome to look at but most likely not a fun experience when you’re in the direct vicinity when it happens.

The death worm began slowly turning towards the crew and adventures as it fired its pre eaten food with deadly force.

My heart beat filled my ears as I clutched my seat in anticipation for what would happen, hoping with everything that the heroes would pull out one final secret move to combat the attack.

Just then, a black flash shot through the air striking the death worm just as it was about to hit the crew and causing it to fall forward into the city.

I felt my eyes go wide at the images before me and my heart began to pound even louder as I waited for the worm to get back up and face its new challenger.

But, like all epics, this one has a rather disappointing ending.

The worm vanished. Like, straight up, just disappeared.

I eyed the TV with utter confusion and a feeling of disbelief at what had happened.

Then, another black flash shot down directly in front of the camera crew and standing there, with his award winning goofball smile, spiky black hair, and electric blue eyes was. . .

“Zee!”

I shot up out of my seat, my glasses nearly flying off my face when I did so, and watched as my friend stood in front of the wrecked city looking like a superhero. . . before sitting back down and hoping nobody had noticed my outburst.

This was probably what he meant when he said work and, to be honest, it was really stupid of me to be surprised by this.

I’ve seen videos of him locked in combat with creatures from around the world and even have some stuff that he brought me from those countries. But still, it was kind of surprising to see him on live TV.

How he defeated the worm when the other two adventurers were struggling to even damage it was also something that grabbed my curiosity and refused to let go.

So, naturally I continued to watch the TV in desperate anticipation for any clue I could gain from the scene in front of me. That is, until someone stepped in front of me and blocked my view and I suddenly felt my stomach grow tight and found that it was getting harder to take in air, almost like someone was slowly squeezing my neck until I couldn’t breathe properly.

A young man was standing in front of me, his freckled cheeks tinted with a bright pink as he rubbed behind his curly brown hair and his dark eyes refused to meet mine. Every now and then he’d glance over to, I’m assuming, his group of friends but other than that he didn’t really do or say anything for a few seconds.

Eventually he moved his lips but, for some reason, I couldn’t hear what he was saying. Instead my ears had become filled with a sharp buzzing noise that drowned out all other sources of sound.

The guy in front of me, the people having fun at the bar, even the sound of the video games that surrounded us had become muted to me.

I tried to respond as best I could but every time I thought of what to say the words were erased from my mind before I could get them out of my mouth.

Then, in an instant all the noise shot back into my ears and I was greeted by the laughs of people having fun and the video games that had been entertaining them.

“So, yeah” the guy in front of me said, as he rubbed the back of his head and tried not to look at his feet, “ . . .you-you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I completely understand!”

He glanced around a bit more, his face beat red, as he waited for my response to the question I didn’t know.

What should I say? What should I do? These questions repeated themselves in my mind over and over again and no matter what I thought of it felt like the wrong answer.

Sweat began to drip down my body as my fingers started playing an invisible piano again. All while I stared blankly at the stranger in front of me who was patiently waiting for my response.

I clutched the hem of my skirt in my other hand and twisted the fabric until my heart stopped pounding in my chest.

This person was trying to interact and start a conversation with me, and I was just staring at him like how a child stares at something they don’t understand.

I owed him a response, didn’t I?

Swallowing the lump made of air that was clogging my throat I mentally readied my words and, with all causian thrown to the wind, I let the first answer that I could come up with out of my mouth.

“I have to pee?”

We both looked wide eyed at each other in silence once more as we pondered my question, which I really wasn’t sure why I asked.

“Oh, uh yeah, okay. I’ll just get out of your way.”

I watched as he stumbled back to his table where I could see his friends laughing and patting him on the back.

It took me a few minutes to remember that I asked to go to the bathroom, even though I don’t have to, and that I should probably start making my way towards there.

My legs jerked my body out of the booth and I began to stagger blindly through the crowd of people, bumping into bodies without realizing it and all around being the nuisance that I am.

As my breath shook its way out of my lungs I clutched the marble counter in front of me as I tried to steady my body.

Somehow, I managed to make it to the bathroom.

I wasn’t sure how I’d gotten to the bathroom, heck I wasn’t even sure I was still in the arcade, but I ultimately managed to complete the task I had absentmindedly assigned myself.

. . .

Now what do I do?

I couldn’t exactly go back out, but if I didn’t and Clair came back she might get worried.

She could probably figure out where I was but she might get mad at me for making her go through this, or get mad at the guy who tried talking to me, or call the cops to try and find me, or. . .

I looked at myself in the mirror and felt my stomach turn at the site of my reflection and I asked myself the same question I’d been asking for a few years now.

What is wrong with me?

Like usual, I couldn’t bring myself to come up with a good answer and just ended up messing with my blonde hair a little cause the bangs kept getting in front of my glasses.

With a sigh I continued to stand in front of the bathroom sinks my fingers tapping the marble that they were made of. I could leave soon, but for now I would have to wait, and probably think up an apology for Clairabell and the boy I was rude too.

For now though, I should keep my mind busy.

As I began tracing circles in the small puddles of water scattered around the counter a thought popped into my head. A little idea to keep my brain occupied and off uncomfortable subject matter.

Placing my hands under the automatic faucet I took a deep breath as the warm water began to pour out soaking my fingers and palms. Once my hands were significantly wet enough I slowly pulled them away, letting the water dribble onto the counter in front of me and whispered the word which I had to say.

“Undine.”

The moment the name slipped out of my mouth the water in front of me began to gather into my hands until it eventually formed a small ball. It was sort of like a large glass marble with how clear and shiny it was.

I smiled a little as I balanced the liquid in my hands before clutching it tightly with my fingers as I began pulling and stretching it.

Doing my best to make sure that the water held its shape I began twisting and turning it, like a baker molding their doe into the shape they wish to form but unsure what that actually was.

Eventually my hands began to move without my input as my mind pieced together what I wanted to create.

I started to smooth out the water until it was a sort of oval shape making sure that one end was a bit thicker than the other and that the smaller end had a bit of a curve to it before I tugged at the bottom until there was a peg on the sides which I slimmed down a little.

Next, I pinched the small end and twisted the water around before pulling at it making a long, curly, “tail” appear.

Then I cupped my hands around the top and started pushing some water upwards before turning it forward away from the body and did my best to give it a sort of boxy triangle shape. Tugging on either end of the shape I pulled two smaller triangles up and rubbed in them to make sure they were slightly dented inwards. And, just to add texture, I pushed my thumbs into the sides of the large triangle beneath where I had made the small dented ones before adding two much larger dents near the tip.

Brushing my hand down the back of the “neck” I made a long flowing main appear and finally sat my shape down on the counter, it’s shape holding so long as I focused on it.

My horse made of water sat perfectly on the marble in front of me, the light reflecting off its clear liquid body as a little water droplets dripped down it.

Butterflies tickled my stomach as I felt myself smile involuntarily.

It wasn’t anything special, in fact I’m sure looked awful compared to other peoples creations. But, I don’t know, guess I just really liked how it turned out.

Oh, I know!

Reaching into my skirt pocket I fumbled around a bit until my hands felt the cold metal of my zippo lighter resting just below my house key. I ran my thumb across my initials that my grandpa had emblemed onto its surface, just to make sure that it was mine, before pulling it out.

I flipped the top up and a small flame almost immediately materialized.

Holding the fire just below my little horse's head I tried my best to split my focus between the water and the fire in my hand.

“Salamander.”

With that word out of my mouth the flame started swirling around my little horse wrapping itself around its body, legs, and head before slowly sinking into the water. Unlike normal fire though, it didn’t extinguish but instead formed a small ball in the center and made my horses “eyes” glow a bright orange.

The horse then reared back on its back legs and let out a loud whine before it began galloping around the counter as if it were on an open field.

It was ultimately a simple spell, using fire to give life to a small object was sort of the second thing you need to learn when studying elemental magic after all.

But the sight of my little horsey galloping around made me feel as giddy as if I were a little kid. It was so cute that I couldn’t help but clap a little when it came alive.

Not wanting to stop there though, I placed my hand just above my horse while it grazed on a small puddle near the sink.

“Sylph”.

Instantly, wind began to shoot from my hand and, just like the fire, wrapped itself around my little horsey before going inside it.

My horse looked up from its water as two large wings popped out of its back.

Almost instinctively, it began running forward and started flapping its brand new wings until it lifted itself off the ground and began soaring all around the bathroom. It took to flying pretty easily if I do say so myself.

As I watched my little horse flap around I felt my mind start to clear and a sort of calmness began to settle over me. My shoulders relaxed and my muscles seemed to loosen up, as I let myself fall into a dazed state.

I didn’t have to think about going back into the arcade, about worrying Clair, or upsetting the guy who tried to talk to me. All I had to do was watch my little creation enjoy the life I had given it.

“Hi blondie!” Zee said, his head resting on my shoulder.

I let out a loud scream as I fell forward, grabbing the counter to regain my balance.

“Alex” I responded, my heart pounding wildly in my chest again, “What the heck dude!?”

“Sorry” he said, even though that smile of his told me he wasn’t sorry at all, “I came to use the bathroom and when I saw you zoning out I thought to myself, hey, let’s mess with her.”

“Wow, so glad my reaction of fear was to your liking. I’m afraid I am currently unable to do encourse however as my throat is currently killing me because of you.”

Zee then promptly gasped and looked at me with worry.

“Oh my goodness my lady, I meant you no harm” he responded, his body moving dramatically with every word, “perish the thought as I am but a humble servant in thine lords grace.”

“Dude what?”

“Oh woe is me, to have acted in such an ungentlemanlike way to such a fair lass such as yourself.”

Zee then, with all the acting ability of a highschooler trying not to fail drama class, placed his hands to his chest, spun in place and fell back first into my arms.

“Can you ever forgive me?”

“I’ll think about it” I assured him, doing my best not to giggle, before dropping him to the floor.

“Yaa” he said, as he laid on the bathroom floor of the arcade, “she’ll think about it.”

This causes me to let out a laugh. Dang it Zee, let me be mad at you.

As he pulled himself off the floor, and sat on the counter, a sudden realization hit me and I began to panic.

“Zee, you can’t be in here!”

“Hey, this is a free country, my bodily fluids are just as good as anybody else's.

“No dude, this is the girls room!”

“Really? Those must be the decorative waterfalls then.”

He pointed behind me and my face became instantly red as I saw what he was talking about.

“Oh my gods” I gasped as I gazed at the three urinals next to the two bathroom stalls, “this isn’t the girls room.”

“Meh, gendered bathrooms are bull crap anyways.”

“I shouldn’t be in here!”

“Dude, relax. Most of the people here are too drunk to even walk into the bathroom and a lot of them probably won’t mind seeing you is that a pegasus?”

We both looked as my little horsey landed next to Zee on the counter and began grazing on the puddles it found.

“It’s my little horsey” I told him, almost instantly forgetting about the whole bathroom thing, “I got a little bored and-”

“Its name is raindrop.”

“ . . .Dude, yes! Come here raindrop.”

I patted my lap but Raindrop simply went back to flying around to its hearts content. It’ll get used to the name eventually.

“Oh dude” Zee exclaimed, standing up on the counter, “check this out.”

Reaching to his left I watched as Zees hand slowly disappeared and a humming noise began to fill the air around us. After a few seconds he pulled his hand back revealing that he was now holding a small jar filled with dirt and a small red serpent-like creature.”

“No way, is that?”

“A 100% middle eastern, male, Mongolian death worm? Yes, yes it is.”

He handed me the amazing creature before jumping off the counter.

“I fed him a few runes so he’d shrink down and decided it’d be fun to keep him around until I’m near Egypt or Turkey again. Did have to get all the dead bodies out of him first though.”

“Going to pretend I didn’t hear that last part” I responded as I watched the little wormy wrap around the stick Zee had placed in there and start relaxing.

“In all fairness the people he ate are alive now, because of yours truly, so it all evens out.”

“Are they in anyway zombies?”

“I can neither confirm nor deny that the use of zombification was in play here.”

I let myself giggle a little at my friends' slight ridiculousness before returning my attention to the little fella in my hands.

“Ooh, let’s name him Mr.Worms.”

“Nah, that’s too predictable.”

“So is Raindrop and you didn’t see me turn down that name.”

“How about cinnamon? Cause of the red scales.”

“His scales aren’t always red though.”

“Oh yeah that’s right.”

“Hmm, maybe Sandy?”

“Naw, I’m saving that name for my pet squirrel. How about-”

All of a sudden, we were interrupted by the sound of Zees phone ringing.

“Oh” he said, “hold on.”

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out his phone which was encased a pink, kitten shaped cover.

“Moshi moshi” he responded.

“WHERE ARE YOU” I heard Clair scream on the other end.

“Oh hey, Clairabell baby. Long time no see. How is that hunk of a fiance of yours, still a wiz in the sack?”

I couldn’t hear Clairs response, but Zees smirk told me that he got the reaction he wanted.

“Alright, alright we’ll be out in a sec. Love you snookums.”

Zee made a kissy noise into the phone, and I could hear Clair growling angrily, before he hung up.

“Well” he said, grabbing his new pet out of my hand, “let’s go make sure Clairabell doesn’t start murdering people out of worry.”

“Oh, um, okay.”

Zee placed the worm back into the space he pulled him out of and we walked out of the restroom, Raindrop following after us.

To my surprise the bar had become quieter and the patriots had almost all disappeared.

How long had I been in the bathroom for?

Before I could figure out the answer to my question I suddenly felt two, squishy and soft, round orbs smash against my face as I was swept off my feet.

“Skee skee” Clairabell said as she hugged me, and pushed my head into her chest, “I was so worried!”

“C-Clair” I said, doing my best to push her away, “I can’t breath.”

My pleads for mercy were promptly met with Clair tightening the hug until I could feel my body being crushed.

“What” Zee whined, “no love for the hero who found the missing girl.”

Clair, finally loosened her grip, as she turned towards Zee.

“And where the hell were you?”

“Africa.”

The fact that he was able to say this without batting an eye both annoyed, and actually didn’t surprise, me or Cair.

“So” he continued, “what games do you guys wanna play?”

“We’re out of quarters” I told him as I was still held in Clairs arms.

“ . . .Was it Vega?”

“Vega is a cheating asshole” Clair argued, nearly crushing me again.

“Clairabell” I whined,but received no response.

Zee simply smiled coily and crossed his arms.

“Well, it seems you gals are in quite the predicament. To be faced with such a powerful opponent but with no way of defeating him. Truly, I feel nothing but the utmost sorrow at your predicament. Infact, I feel the need to donate all of my earthly possessions to your noble cause.”

“So you’ll give us quarters” I said, finally escaping Clairs grip.

“I wasn’t done hugging you” she promptly stated before grabbing me again.

“Watch where you’re touching please!”

“Hmm, yes, I would love to donate this treasure which you commonly call quarters. . . but I broke.”

We stood in silence for a sec.

“Say what?”

“I broke. I don’t have any money. Me is poor.”

“So why’d you offer us the quarters” Clair asked, squeezing me again. She probably would have snapped me in half if I didn’t manage to squirm free.

“It was fun,” Zee answered, his signature smirk returning.

Clairabell and I simply glared at him, the fact that we could never defeat Vega now actually annoying us more then Zee was.

“Oh come on don’t be mad” he said before rushing over to us and lifting both me and Clairabell over his shoulders, “for I know where our adventure can continue.”

“Hey, hey, hey” I protested as I was once again, unwillingly picked up.

“Yes” Zee answered, even though nobody asked a question, “a magical place in which dreams and happiness are bound. A place where we can be free to do as we please, and be who we are meant to be.”

“Skyes place” Clairabell asked.

“Yep”

“Hey wait guys” I started to say, “I should probably ask my pare-”

Before I could finish my sentence Zee began rushing to the exit, still holding me and Clair on his shoulders.

As we ran through the bar none of us could help letting out laughs and allowing smiles to grow on our faces.

We simply ignored the people around us and set out on our epic adventure.

#creative writing #writing #original story #urban fantasy #modern fanta

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arclundarchivist · 5 years ago

Text

A Raven’s Cry

(Spoilers for the Dalen’s Closet One Shot, I really enjoyed that final scene...but I felt like there were a few other characters that deserved more proper goodbyes.)

“I wish that Vax’ildan can say a few words at his sister's wedding.” The voice of a friend, power resounding in every word as it fought against the Divine Gate reached his ears and that of his Lady-Matron. She turned to look down at him for but a moment, before beckoning him towards her form, into the darkness beneath the cloak.

He walked free of the blackness that surrounded him, appearing on a pristine cliff side the sound of waves crashing against its base far below. Looking up he spotted...those he’d left behind, sadness, shock, and joy rolling off the like an encompassing fog. Like a beacon, his sister shone with the light of the Dawnfather, resplendent in her gown as tears began to well up in her eyes. Standing beside her Percival, slightly worse for wear, drenched in seawater stood staring at him with a hopeful but as always carefully coached expression, Pike stood before both of them, turning to look at him with...regret, tears welling in her eyes as well. Grog towered over the rest an unabashed wildly pleased smile on his face. Vax’s heart had not beat for over a year, but he knew if it still could it would have stopped when he spotted Keyleth standing beside Percy, shock in her eyes, tears on her cheeks soft sobs wracking her body. Lastly, his eyes fell to Scanlan, who stood there smiling his, “I’ve done a very good thing” smile his eyes misty as well.

“Scanlan Shorthalt.” He spoke, his voice raspier and slower than it had once been, a gasp from his twin causing him to pause longer than he had meant to, “You are toying with the designs of the gods still I see, old friend.”

For a moment the bard looks stunned, for once unable to find the proper words. When he finally spoke his voice was raw, “I didn’t have a present so...”

Several members of his family laugh just a bit sadly at the joke, and once he would have joined them, instead he simply sought to give them a bit more peace of mind.

“She will allow it.” He watched as Scanlan’s face morphed into an immense grin.

“Okay.” His friend half-whispered, much of the tension fleeing his form.

“And thank you.” Vax finished, turning ever so slightly away but finding himself not fully able to look at the face of his twin as of yet. She meanwhile fought for his gaze, stepping towards him several times before back-peddling, crunching the bouquet in her hands, her whole body shaking.

“Hello.” He said, slowly turning to face her.

“Can you come over here?” His sister pleaded, and with that, whatever kept him from looking towards her broke. He felt a soft smile break across his face as she looked him over, gesturing plainly to remove the mask he now wore. As he slowly pulled it free of his face, he watched as her own face broke into a wide tearful smile.

“Am I allowed to hug him.” Vex pleaded, to no one at first before turning to look at Scanlan, who shrugged stammering out, “I don’t know how this works.”

Before the bard had finished speaking however his twin had pulled him into a desperately tight embrace. Slowly he embraced her as well, nestling his head into her shoulder. She laughed, light and happy and then he spoke.

“I am so glad for you.” As the pulled apart still embracing each other's arms, a true smile on both of their faces, “A child!”

The joy within him eclipsed anything he had felt in quite some time as his sister laughed, nodding her head furiously.

“Yeah, a little girl,” Vex stated, still shaking, still on the verge of tears, but happy, so very happy at that moment. Vax felt the threads behind Creation pull and he could see his niece in the years to come growing, learning, being loved and giving it. It was to be a beautiful experience, one he would only be able to watch...from afar but still there would be beauty in her life, and within the lives of the many de Rolos that would follow her.

“Like our mother,” Vax stated, knowing full well who she would grow into.

“Yes, named after her,” Vex stated, her smile melting away as the tears came rolling down, “I miss you so much!”

“I know,” Vax stated, speaking more truth in that sentence than he ever had in life. His sister continued to sob, her body shaking with grief as he reached out and stroked her cheek, wiping away tears as he did so. She looked up at the caress, his comforting smile greeting her.

“I am no longer worried for you.” He stated, turning to look at Percival who had been managing to fight off the tears, a soft smile on his face, “I know...the de Rolo family is born anew.”

Percy continued to pleasantly smile, while a laugh and grin fought its way through his sister’s tears.

“Congratulations on this your first, of many blessings Percival,” Vax stated, eliciting another joyful laugh from his sister.

“Thank you.” Percival stated, leaning in ever so slightly, “Talk to her idiot.”

Keyleth laughed at that, and once more Vax felt as though his world would stop at that moment, even as a smile crossed his face, “Thank you.”

He turned back to his sister and stared for a moment. Which was shattered by his sister suddenly shaking him, yelling as she did so.

“Don’t be weird! Talk normal, talk normal!” Bringing a smile to his face, which coaxed another from her.

“Don’t worry about me.” He stated, drawing another laugh from her, “I am sage and taken care of. I am always with you.”

“I know.” Vex stated, her voice ever so slightly dejected, “I know.”

“You will live,” Vax stated, not just to her but to all of his found family, drawing tears that streamed down Pike and Keyleth’s faces, wistful smiles from Grog and Scanlan and sighs from his sister and her groom.

“As long as all of your hearts are beating I will live within them.” He continued, his sister nodding along with his words, “And my love will never dim.”

He focused once more solely on his sister, and he could feel the ghosts of tears and his own grief welling up inside, “How beautiful you look.”

“I am so proud of all of you.” He stated once more to all of them.

“Turn around dear.” His sister stated, pushing his face ever so slightly to look at Keyleth who had stood silently, weeping only feet from him. From deep within a wave of guilt rose as he looked at her standing with grief-stricken serenity.

She couldn’t quite look at him, and he found himself once more not fully able to look at her, and at that moment the side he had grown to know the past year took over.

“Hail to the Tempest.” He stated, bowing low before her.

“Don’t be weird!” His sister demanded, slapping him on the back of his shoulder, “Go hug her!”

Keyleth’s laugh cut through the tension, and he rose to face her fully. He moved, sliding towards her and embraced his beloved fully within his arms his wings encompassing the both of them.

“Hello.” Such a simple word, but the roiling meanings and emotions behind it carried onward all the same, “My love, my home, Zephra blossoms under your boughs as I knew it would.”

“It’s not the same without you.” His beloved stated, sniffling slightly as she melted into his embrace.

“It will not be.” He stated, the plain honesty of it all hurting him as well.

“How am I supposed to get over you if you keep sending Ravens to me?” Keyleth asked, looking up at him with deep, painful grief in her eyes, a dejected laugh on her lips.

He stood silent for a moment, still wrapping her within his embrace, and for a moment felt the need to take a step back only for her arms to lock around him tighter.

He looked deeply into her eyes, and smiled sadly, “I am...imperfect as are the Gods...”

A silence followed that had he not already seen eternity he would assuredly have felt was one until Keyleth broke the tension with a soft smile, and a softer touch to the bottom of his chin.

“That was my poor attempt at humor.” She remarked sadly, “I’ll never get over you.”

“Nor I.” He responded, once more with a truth he had never known in life. It was then that the kissed, a long slow affair his cold skin against her warmth, the Tempest and the Raven locked in one final embrace. They broke apart from each other, and Vax felt just a small hint of grief for the words that followed next.

“But you will live and your life will touch thousands.” Over the grief rose pride, as he stared at the women he had wanted more than anything to be his bride, to be the mother of his children, to be his final home and saw instead her rising to become a bastion of safety, calm and leadership for generations to come.

“Thanks to you,” Keyleth said, a sad smile on her lips as she rested her head against his shoulder.

He saw the threads branching out like the antlers atop of her head, he could see her finding new love, raising children that would not be his...though their futures could intersect with his in a number of ways, “Your children...”

He stopped as he watched Keyleth slowly and sadly shake her head, “I’ll watch over hers...and her.”

She looked up and he followed her gaze to his sister, who gave her own saddened smile.

“For as long as I live,” Keyleth stated, already the threads of her future realigning before his eyes.

Vax pulled her in tighter, his head bowed as he whispered into her ear, “I am far but not gone.”

“We know.” Keyleth returned, nuzzling into his neck ever so slightly.

The grief and guilt inside him became too much to bear as the last words left his lips, “Forgive me.”

Keyleth leaned back in their embrace and looked him deeply in the eyes. She began to shake her head, a soft smile playing across her lips, “There’s nothing to forgive.”

She kissed him on the cheek as she caressed the other, “Nothing. We get to go on because of you. It’s not taken lightly.”

He looked up and away from her his eyes falling on Pike, tears fresh in her eyes, “Your Grace.”

“I...I’m happy to know that you’re safe.” Pike choked out, though her smile was as luminous as it had ever been.

He turned to Grog, a slight grin crossing his face, “De Doink.”

Grog nodded, “Vax, I miss you brother.”

He then looked out and found the crowd that had come to aid and then watch the marriage of his sister, spotting the shocked faces of Allura and Kima, tears in the former's eyes, while the latter gave him a lazy wave and just shook her head with a smile. Tary had taken a step back, for all his pompous air he had decided to not insert himself at this moment.

“You are doing good work,” Vax stated, his voice a whisper but Taryon started as if it had been said by someone directly next to him. He smiled at Vex, wiping a few tears from his eyes and nodded, mouthing, “Thank you.”

He then turned to Scanlan, who looked at him with the love of a best friend, mentor and well even the pseudo-father-figure he and his sister had thrown upon him. Vax smiled and intoned once more, “Thank you.”

He stepped away from Keyleth and made to walk away from the group a bit when a voice rang out across the cliffside!

“Vax! Wait!” As he turned around he saw a small figure pry their way free of the crowd and then race towards him as fast as their legs could carry them. As if emboldened by that action two more figures broke free of the crowd and made their way towards him, one almost as frantic as the first figure and the last at a more sedative pace.

Velora raced towards him her brown hair bobbing frantically in the wind, the owlbear feather pinned within holding firm despite the speed at which she raced towards him. Tears were flying free of her face and falling to the ground behind her.

He knelt down, opening his arms as he did so as she fell into his arms with a joyful sob. He picked her up as he had done two years ago, her arms wrapped fiercely around his neck.

“You’re back!” She cried, pulling away tears still streaming down her face, “I told Simon you’d come back!”

“For...for this moment yes I have returned,” Vax stated, smiling softly at his younger sister.

“For the moment?” Velora asked, new tears beginning to brim in her eyes, “Why, why can’t you stay?”

“I made a promise Velora.” Vax said, wiping the tears from her eyes and moving a bit of her windswept hair from her face, “And one must always keep their promises.”

“I don’t want you to go!” She cried out, her grief magnified by how young she was, “It’s not fair! Please stay! Please!”

Vax looked up at Keyleth and Vex, both with fresh tears in their eyes, “You’re right little sister, it is not fair...but I will never be far from you. I am your big brother, and that will never change. The blood in your heart is the same as mine, and you will always carry a part of me with you, isn’t that right Simon?”

The Belt in response to his voice unfurled, long and sinuous and curled up Velora’s arm, his head bopping her playfully in the cheek, his tongue shooting out to lick away a few of the tears.

“Take good care of each other.” Vax stated, and know that if you ever hear a raven in the middle of the night...it’s a friend of mine making sure you sleep safe and sound.”

“You’re friends with Ravens?” Velora asked, childlike wonder briefly replacing her grief.

“I’m very good friends with their Queen.” He returned giving her a soft smile, as he turned and spotted the others that had come up to him.

“Velora darling, come over here please,” Vex said, opening her arms into a welcoming embrace which Velora greedily took to.

Vax turned to the second figure, his long ash-blonde hair also tousled by the wind, his young face marred with grief and anger.

“Kynan Leore...it’s been some time since we last spoke,” Vax stated, looking him deeply in the eys.

“I...I failed again sir.” He said, refusing to meet Vax’s eyes, “I couldn’t protect the people I was supposed to.”

Vax reached up and placed a comforting hand on the younger man’s shoulder, “I would never blame you for what happened here today. Nor would anyone here, I know as well as you that had Sylas Briarwood come for Lady Cassandra, you would have fought with every single ounce of your strength and spirit to keep him far from her.”

“I...I don’t deserve your praise sir.” Kynan stated, still looking down at his feet.

“You more than almost anyone deserve my praise.” Vax stated, “You have come far in spite of me, and I know that you’re future will be one bright and filled with more than a few surprises."

Kynan stood up a bit taller but still fought meeting Vax’s gaze, “I promise I’ll do my best to keep your family safe, even though...they have much more capable guardians than me.”

“You are more capable than you think, and despite your doubts of yourself I know you will continue to be more than worthy of that second chance,” Vax said.

Kynan finally looked up, a few tears sliding free of his deep brown eyes, “Thank you Vax.”

Vax then turned...and moved to embrace the final person, Shaun Gilmore.

“Shaun, I am sorry,” Vax stated softly, as Gilmore hugged him, more sedated the Keyleth but still comforting and intense in its own way.

“Vax, the only thing you will ever have to apologize to me for...is being much too pretty for your own good,” Gilmore stated, with a laugh on his lips and tears in his eyes. Keyleth laughed as well, a beautiful happy laugh.

Vax pulled away, staring at the man who had once had his heart, and who still carried within his own heart a love for him, and smiled ever so slightly.

“If you won’t take my apology will give you something that you more rightly deserve instead,” Vax stated, still smiling warmly.

With that, he kissed Gilmore on the forehead, and then whispered two words, “Goodbye.”

Gilmore laughed, tears tracking down his face, “Thank you.”

With that Vax stepped back, turning to look at them all, a single tear tracking down his cheek, his sisters, found, twin and younger, his found brothers, the young man who had only ever wanted to follow in his footsteps, the man he had once loved and the woman he still did and smiled, “Thank you. Live.”

He looked over and spotted Trinket approaching, and reached out to scratch the great bear under the chin as he disappeared, “No, I didn’t forget you boy, I know you’ll take care of them.”

Trinket huffed appreciatively, and marched back towards Velora and Vex, licking the tears off the former's face, eliciting a peel of laughter.

And as returned to the darkness beyond he heard Vex cry out on last time, “Wait! What about the boots?”

Another tear tracked down his cheek, his laughter joining the echoes of his friends as he was carried beyond the Divine Gate for the final time.

#critical role #vox machina #vax'ildan #vex'halia #keyleth #vax'leth #scanlan shorthalt #velora #kynan leore #shaun gilmore

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broomballkraken · 5 years ago

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Title: Reaching New Heights

Fandom: Rune Factory 4

Pairing: Dylas/Margaret

Word count: 2506

Warnings: None

Summary: Margaret is trying her best to overcome her fear of heights before the steadily-approaching Firefly Festival, as she’s heard that the best place to view them is from the very top of the Observatory. She has a bit of trouble at first, but luckily she receives help from an unlikely source.

“Come on Margaret...You can do this…”

After mumbling a bit of half-hearted encouragement to herself, Margaret gulped as her eyes remained squeezed tightly shut. She sucked in a nervous breath through her nose, the warm summer air doing nothing to calm her rapidly beating heart and the nausea bubbling up within her gut. She tried pressing her back further against the inner wall of the Observatory tower, but she was as far as she could get without phasing through the wood like a ghost. A gust of wind suddenly swept over the tower, and Margaret let out a frightened squeak as she dug her nails into the wall behind her, squeezing her eyes shut even tighter.

Margaret’s plan of getting over her fear of heights was not going well so far. The Firefly Festival was to be held in a week’s time, and everyone in town had the same opinion on the best spot for viewing the beautiful fireflies. The Observatory overlooked the entire town, along with the surrounding forest and distant mountains, and the view was supposed to be unmatched. Margaret could only speculate about that for herself, because her crippling fear of heights prevented her from being up so high without reflexively keeping her eyes tightly shut. She was determined to overcome her fear this year so that she could look upon the beautiful sight for herself, but she wasn’t sure that determination alone was going to be enough to help her succeed…

“What are you doing?”

Margaret shrieked and jumped away from the wall, startled by the sudden, unexpected voice. Her eyes shot open, but she immediately regretted it when she noticed that she had ended up way too close to the railing, prompting her to launch herself back to the inner wall and clamp her eyes shut again. Her arms stretched over the cool wood, her fingers desperately trying to dig into the solid surface, as if she’d be sent flying over the railing and to the ground far below if she let go.

“Jeez, calm down already.”

Cracking open one eye, Margaret saw Dylas standing in front of her, effectively blocking the horrifying bird’s eye view that the Observatory had to offer, and she let out a deep sigh of relief. She turned herself around on shaky legs and pressed her back against the wall again, bending her knees slightly as she let herself slide down the wall a bit.

“Oh...It’s just you, Dylas. Don’t sneak up on me like that! You scared me half to death!” Margaret said, her eyes narrowing as she pouted at him. Dylas rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest.

“I just walked through the door. You’re the one being scary with those weird noises you’re making.”

“Ugh, rude!”

“...I’m not wrong, am I?”

Margaret only huffed in response and turned her head away, cheeks heating up with embarrassment. Dylas...was an interesting person. Margaret had thought he was abrasive and off-putting when she had first met him, and was wary when Porcoline offered him a job at his restaurant without knowing anything about him. He was a weird horse-man who had been a monster terrorizing the Water Ruins only a couple of days before, so Margaret thought that her wariness was justified.

However, over time, Dylas had managed to start opening up to the inhabitants of Selphia, and Margaret’s opinion of him had improved considerably. She and Dylas - along with Arthur - had surprisingly formed a special bond, due to Porcoline’s fondness for the three of them, and that fondness was mutual all around. Nowadays, Dylas often complimented Margaret on her musical skills, and more frequently asked if he could sit in on her practice sessions. It was kind of weird at first, but Margaret surprisingly found herself able to focus more when Dylas was there. His presence seemed to...relax her for some reason.

“So...You going to tell me why you’re up here screaming?” Dylas asked, and Margaret turned back to him, letting out a deep sigh as she let herself slide all the way to the floor.

“I’m...trying to get over my fear of heights,” she mumbled, drawing her legs to her chest and resting her chin on her knees. “It’s...not going well…”

“I can see that.” Dylas said, uncrossing his arms and placing his hands on his hips, “You can’t even open your eyes up here unless I’m blocking your view.”

“T-That’s not true, I can totally-” Margaret tried to protest, but Dylas stepped to the side, and her eyes snapped shut automatically when the warmth of the sun hit her face.

“What was that?” Dylas asked, a sly smirk on his face when Margaret opened her eyes after he moved back to his original position. She glowered at him, but that sour look was quickly replaced by dejected frown, and she groaned as she pressed her face against her knees.

“Ugh, it’s hopeless. I’ll never get over this in time…”

“In time?” Dylas asked, a curious tone to his voice.

“Yeah…” Margaret responded, not looking up, “I want to be able to come up here during the Firefly Festival. Everyone always says that this is the best place to see the true beauty of the fireflies, but I guess I won’t ever know what that’s like…”

Margaret’s stomach tied itself into knots as she sniffed and tried to fight back the tears that threatened to spill down her face. She really was hopeless, and she was even spilling out her insecurities to Dylas of all people. He probably thought that she looked like a weak loser. How embarrassing.

“Hey.”

Margaret bit her lip and quickly blinked the moisture from her eyes, before she lifted her head just enough to expose one eye to look at Dylas. Her brow knitted in confusion at the sight before her, and she lifted her head fully from her knees. Dylas’ head was turned to the side, avoiding her gaze, and one hand was extended in her direction. She tilted her head, too confused to respond, and Dylas huffed at her after a few more moments of awkward silence went by.

“Take my hand. I’m going to help you get over this fear.” Dylas said, turning his head away again as his ears twitched. Margaret just stared dumbly up at him. He really wanted to help her? This was probably a trivial thing to him, and a waste of time, so why…?

“Hurry up already. I don’t want to be here all night.” Dylas grumbled, waving his arm in her direction. Margaret hesitated only a moment longer before she held up a shaky hand and placed it in his. Warm fingers closed around her own and Dylas tugged Margaret to her feet. She felt her stomach churn a bit again, but it wasn’t as bad as it had been earlier. Huh, maybe this would work…

Dylas turned slightly towards the railing of the Observatory, and when the view of how high up they were was left unobstructed again, Margaret let out a terrified squeak and wrapped both arms around Dylas’, holding it tightly as if her very life depended on it. She pressed her face into his shoulder, and when she felt him tense up, she slowly turned her gaze upward.

“...You could’ve just kept holding my hand…” Dylas grumbled, a dusting of pink appearing on his cheeks as he avoided meeting Margaret’s gaze. He sounded slightly annoyed, but he didn’t push her away, and Margaret was very grateful for that.

“I won’t let anything bad happen to you. Trust me.” Dylas continued, taking a step towards the railing. Margaret’s legs began trembling as she stayed rooted in place, but Dylas did not try to tug her towards him. He glanced back at her instead, with a calm, patient look on his face.

Swallowing thickly, Margaret took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She repeated this process three times, and she kept her eyes glued to the floor as she lifted one foot off of the ground and took a step so that she was standing even with Dylas. Her grip on his arm tightened considerably as she realized that she was closer to the railing of the tower, and the color drained from her face as her heart started beating so rapidly that she thought it might burst from her chest.

“You’re fine. It’s okay.” Dylas said, and Margaret’s eyes widened when she felt his free hand fall onto her shoulder. The contact chased away a bit of the terror that coursed through her entire body, and when Dylas started gently rubbing his hand back and forth from her upper arm to the back of her neck, a calm warmth began to take the place of the feelings of terror.

“You ready for another step?” Dylas asked, withdrawing his hand from her shoulder, and Margaret pursed her lips at the loss of the comforting warmth. She then took another deep breath and nodded slightly, her gaze locking onto her feet as she and Dylas took a step together this time. Her grip on his arm tightened again when she felt a gust of wind blow past them, and her eyes squeezed shut again as they took another step. She knew that they were at the railing now, but she was unable to force herself to open her eyes.

“How do you feel?” she heard Dylas ask. Margaret took in a shaky breath and pressed her face against his shoulder again, her heartbeat hammering hard in her ears as she tried to calm her erratic breathing.

“...T-Terrified.” Margaret mumbled, her voice muffled as she spoke into his sleeve. Dylas hummed in response and his free hand fell onto her head, his fingers gently running through her hair. She immediately felt more at ease, and she sighed in relief as her heart calmed itself a bit and her breathing regulated.

“Well, the sun’s about to set, and that’s a sight that’ll probably rival the view of the fireflies from up here.” Dylas said as he removed his fingers from her hair. Margaret’s interest piqued at that. She had watched the sunset countless times before from ground level, and she had always thought that it was a beautiful sight. From this high up, however, she could only imagine that the beauty would be increased tenfold. She could do this. She had to.

“H-Here we go…” Margaret mumbled, taking in a deep breath as she slowly cracked one eye open. She winced as the bright light of the sun temporarily blinded her, but as her eye adjusted to the light, she let out a gasp as both her eyes shot open, her fears temporarily chased away by the breathtaking sight before her.

The first thing that Margaret noticed was the mountains in the distance. The normally white-gray peaks looked like they had been set ablaze, as the oranges and reds of the setting sun reflected off of the jagged cliffs. Her eyes drifted down to the forest below, and she released one hand from Dylas’ arm so that she could grab the railing, while her other hand still held his in an iron grip. Her stomach turned slightly when she saw how high up they were, but Dylas gave her hand a squeeze, and she managed to steel herself. She would be okay. Dylas said that he wouldn’t let anything happen to her, and she trusted him. The only sound that could be heard as she watched the sun slowly sink below the horizon was the slow churning of the windmill blades, and only when the sky started turning dark and the stars started making their appearance was Margaret able to find her voice again.

“It’s...beautiful.” she breathed, jaw hanging open as a look of sheer awe crossed her face. She could practically feel her eyes sparkling as a warmth flooded through her, even though the night air contained quite a chill.

“Yeah...beautiful.”

Margaret turned to look at Dylas as he finally spoke, and she was surprised when her eyes briefly met his; had...he been looking at her when he said that? Although, she might have imagined it, because he snapped his head to the side so suddenly, his cheeks burning a fiery red as he covered his mouth with his free hand and coughed. Margaret frowned slightly, and she hoped that he wasn’t getting sick.

“Are you feeling alright?” Margaret asked, and Dylas huffed in annoyance as he nodded.

“Yeah, it’s nothing.” he grumbled, his lips pursing and eyebrows narrowing as he went silent. Margaret decided that it would be best not to push the issue, so she just giggled softly and leaned over to rest her head against Dylas’ shoulder. He twitched slightly, but did not push her away, and she smiled as she looked out at the star-filled sky.

“Thank you, Dylas,” Margaret said, turning her head slightly so that she could gaze up at his face. “I don’t think I could have done this on my own. I, uh, might need to try this again a few more times before I’ll feel completely comfortable up here…” She continued to stare up at him until he looked back at her, and he blushed as he rubbed at the back of his neck.

“I...guess I could help you out again...if you want me to…” he mumbled, his eyes darting away from hers when she giggled again.

“Yeah, I’d like that.” she whispered, and she felt something soft brush against the back of her legs. She glanced behind her to find that Dylas’ tail was swishing back and forth; she wondered if it was because he was happy. She decided against asking that question aloud, and instead opted to ask a different one.

“Will you come watch the fireflies up here with me, Dylas?” Margaret watched him with hopeful eyes, and was surprised when he looked at her and smiled softly.

“...Sure. Gotta make sure you don’t chicken out, after all.” Dylas said, and Margaret felt her cheeks heat up as she pouted at him.

“Gah, shut up!”

The two shared a glance as Margaret delivered a playful swat to Dylas’ arm, and she fell into a fit of giggles, and even he let slip a chuckle. He didn’t laugh often, but Margaret thought that it was a nice sound, maybe even one of her recent favorites. A comfortable silence fell between them as they watched the stars for a while longer, until the cold got the better of them and Dylas helped Margaret get down from the tower and walked her home.

Margaret’s fiery determination to completely overcome her fear of heights had been stoked, with no small part due to the encouragement from the grumpy horse man whose hand she held the entire time. She was looking forward to the Firefly Festival even more so now, and she was happy that Dylas would be with her to share in that excitement.

#rune factory 4 #rune factory dylas #rune factory margaret #dylas/margaret #fanfiction #lord help me i'm back on my rare pair bullshit #jade writes fanfiction

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