#playing around w their appearances i do not care about a timeline this happens whenever

[saeiken]

:]

[rocking-space-dragon]

Burning Flags, Burning Bridges

So...I may have been inspired by chatting with friends and decided to write a short fundy-centric fic centering around what Philza said to him after the house arrest. Will I write more like this in future? Probably! Will it probably be angsty? Most likely! I hope you enjoy!

I’m gonna put the first page in this and the rest under a read-more so I don’t clog up timelines!

2313 Words/10k Characters Characters Involved : Fundy, Ghostbur, Philza.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

 It was a cold, wet day In Lmanburg; the rain came down heavily, thick sheets that crashed down onto the wooden floors of the city and the deep pools of water beneath and around the city proper; creating a drumming, echoing ambience that seemed to isolate the two of them as they stood; the Fox, soaked through with hat and coat, damp fur and wetter clothes; though for all of the cold that the weather bestowed, it couldn’t compare to the ice that seemed to have bloomed in his chest.

The words cut through Fundy like a knife as his gaze met that of the figure standing in the doorway, one hand resting on the frame. A steel monitor was wrapped around one ankle, and they both knew that if he took another step forward it'd go off and he'd be in trouble. Philza was the one who was trapped, so why was it that Fundy felt like he couldn't move, trapped in the cold embrace of the man in the doorway, a gaze leagues apart from the warmth behind his eyes that he remembered from their days fishing and hanging out. That cold seemed to spread from his chest until it wrapped around his bones, keeping him locked in place.

 The words brought back bad memories; often said in joke or incredulities by his friends, he’d only heard this kind of inflection once before – after his appearance in Pogtopia. He still remembered it vividly; the way Wilbur had cast his eyes towards him, looking down at him with contempt, with pain written across his face and spitting the words towards him, accusatory and harsh. He’d explained himself then and Wilbur’s face had softened, a laugh breaking across his features as he turned excitedly back towards Tommy and Quackity, but the eyes that met his whenever Wilbur turned back towards him were as cold as ever. It was those same eyes that were fixed on Fundy now; like father, like son. The kind of gaze that made him feel small, made him feel weak, no matter how many weapons hung by his side or how much armour he had in his inventory.

He swallowed for a moment, before forcing a smile across his face, gesturing towards Philza once more "W-Well, I figured that we could hang out! I know you're stuck at home because of the…” He gestured vaguely towards the bracelet before continuing “so maybe we could... Play some board games, or you could show me some of the old photos you have of Wilbur and Tommy, or we could work on the basement or-!"

 "No."

The word felt like a punch to the gut and Fundy's voice died in his throat, his lips going dry as he opened his mouth to talk, going to say something before Philza's voice cut into him once more, stealing the voice from his throat "How dare you. You broke into my home and demanded that I give up my oldest and most trusted friend, then when I told you I wouldn’t, you threatened me, ransacked my house, imprisoned me in my own home and then mocked me. You stood outside of my home, mocking me, before running off with the Compass that Techno trusted me with, to hunt him down.” Philza’s grip tightened on the doorframe and Fundy could swear that he could hear the wood beginning to crack beneath the grip of the man; the cold in his eyes was gone now, replaced with a fire that crackled in his throat and lit every word that he spat towards the fox. “And then- AND THEN. You drag him from his home, where he’d been living in peaceful retirement, under the pretence of a trial, only to try and execute him in front of me, when I couldn’t do anything but watch.” Fundy could feel his fur standing on end, even as damp as it was, but he couldn’t move an inch away from the man who’d locked him in place much like they’d trapped Techno days before. All he could do was stand there as Phil continued. “Allow me to be very clear with you, Fundy. If Techno had died in that cage, none of you would have lived to regret it.” His wings flare up behind him, obscuring the light coming from the house behind him before folding behind his back once more as he turns around, glancing back towards the rain-drenched fox standing out on the wooden platform “The last thing I want to do is kill another son of mine, but It seems like this city hasn’t given me a choice.” He turns, back facing him, pulling his hat down low “Because you’re already dead to me.”

 The sound of the door slamming shut echoed out around the city, leaving Fundy alone, clutching at his jacket, gaze turned down towards the ground, eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched tightly as the rain helped to mask the fresh dampness on his face. After a moment, he turns, walking away from the house, every step echoing out on the wooden floor; it was only after he was far enough away from the house that he broke into a sprint, running along the wooden path leading away from the city, then away from the path itself, kicking up damp leaves behind him as he goes sprinting into the woods until his legs give out and he collapses back against a tree, pulling his knees to his chest and curling up into a ball. Once more, his mind turns back to the man who’d just slammed a door in his face; his grandfather, who’d been so kind and gentle with him; who’d taught him how to fish, who’d taken him in when he lost his home, who’d been there when nobody else was – and what had he done? He’d done the same thing he always did – he went along with the orders of someone in power and ended up pushing away his family because of it. Before it was Wilbur and Schlatt – pushing away his father and burning down the flag under Schlatt’s orders, and now it was Philza – following Tubbo’s orders and burning the bridge he had with his grandfather too. If there was one thing he was good at it was lighting fires, but those same flames, he found, always came back to turn the things he cared about to ash.

 “Oh, hello Fundy! Are you alright?” He’s jolted out of his thoughts by the sound of a voice, echoing and faint – he knows who it belongs to even before he raises his eyes to meet the empty, white eyes of the ghost hovering in front of him, a smile on his face as he tilts his head to the side and floats down into a sitting position beside Fundy, looking out at the rain still coming down in sheets as he sighs “I was coming to see L’manburg, but the rain started coming down before I could get there, so I had to run to this forest so I didn’t melt! What’re you doing here?” He turns to the fox, but Fundy turns away from the figure who used to be his father, staying silent as Ghostbur’s smile turns into a frown and he floats around till he’s in front of the Fox once more, lightly hovering in the air “Oh no! You seem upset, Fundy – here, have some blue, it’ll help suck away the sadness!” he smiles, rummaging about in his pocket and throwing some of that strange blue ectoplasm out towards Fundy, who let it land in his lap.

There’s a pause for a moment as ghostbur floats, looking around nervously before Fundy sighs, taking the blue and looking at it, letting it stain his paws before clenching his fists around it and throwing it into the forest, causing the spectre to gasp “Oh no! If you do that, it won’t-“

“Forget it!” Fundy snapped, catching the ghost off-guard, who seemed to recoil for a second from the outburst; he watches as Fundy uncurls, letting the back of his head hit the tree and looking up into the branches of the tree, drops of rain making their way through to drip down onto his face. He sighs heavily, closing his eyes before lowering his head once more to meet that empty gaze “Of course, you would show up now.” He laughs, sharp and devoid of humour, hitting the tree lightly “Wilbur was never around when I needed him, and yet, and yet YOU somehow seem to ALWAYS know when to show up!” the laughing continues, as Fundy’s voice cracks and breaks until he’s sobbing audibly, face buried in his arms so he can’t see the ghost reaching out towards him for a moment before pulling back. “Why? Why can’t I stop fucking up like this? It feels like everyone I try and get close to, I end up either pushing away or losing entirely! All I ever wanted to do was…” His voice drops, turning and looking up at the ghost with tears running down his face and drawing in a shaky breath “All I ever wanted to do was make him proud, y’know? I wanted to hear him say, just once, that he was proud of me.”

So engrossed is Fundy in his own sorrow that he doesn’t notice the effect that his words have on Ghostbur; how every mention of Wilbur makes him flinch and recoil somewhat, and how the mention of wanting to make him proud causes the ghost to bring a hand to the wound in his chest, slowly trailing over it as he looks away and Fundy squeezes his eyes shut to try and stop the tears running down his face.

So deep is the fox in his bittersweet grief, that he doesn’t realise that he’s been pulled into Ghostbur’s lap until it’s already happened, his hat removed and set to the side as the spectral figure rests his chin between the fox’s ears, atop his head, arms wrapped around him and brought together in front of him; it’s a moment before he speaks, looking out into the woods “Alivebur…sounds like he was a terrible father. Everything that I’ve heard of him sounds like he was a terrible person, so I can’t imagine he was a good dad, either. But…if that’s the case, why do I have good memories as your dad?” the question hangs in the air, and he continues “Does that mean I wasn’t always an awful dad?”

The only sound that follows is the impact of rain coming down on the leaves and the rustling of the wind rushing through the forest, before Fundy breaks the silence “…You didn’t used to be bad. I still have…good memories, of growing up with you, in L’manburg, it’s just…things went wrong somewhere along the way” he turns his gaze up, looking at the dark grey sky above through the leaves “Sometime – I wonder, y’know? How things could be if you were still around. If Tubbo wasn’t president, if Tommy wasn’t exiled. If you- if Alivebur…had been here when I needed him most instead of just leaving me to deal with everything by myself.” Wilbur rubs his arm sheepishly, looking up too “I…don’t know. People didn’t seem to like Alivebur much, but…everyone still followed him. It seems like all people have to talk about is how much he ruined everything, but If he was really that bad…how come I have good memories at all?” When there’s no answer the spectral figure sighs, running a paw through Fundy’s fur absentmindedly, a slow, steady brush, a gesture that brings them both immediately back to a simpler time – a time when the two of them could sit in the forests surrounding Lmanburg, before they were destroyed, looking out over their home, just a father and his son. Ghostbur wasn’t sure when Fundy fell asleep, he just knew that the next time he looked down, he saw his – Alivebur’s – son, laying against his chest, eyes closed and breathing steadily. A smile crosses faintly across his face as he gazes down at the sleeping fox, brushing through his fur again gently “My little champion…you’ve been so brave, and so strong…” He shifts, looking down at his faintly see-through hands and then at the fox still resting against him, rummaging about in his pocket for something he’d stolen from Philza; a single golden Idol, emerald eyes set into it’s face that seemed to be looking back at him. It felt cold to the touch, even for him, as he tossed it from hand to hand slowly, thinking. It seemed, to him, that as much as everyone liked Ghostbur… …People Needed Alivebur. People needed Wilbur. Tommy needed a brother. Philza needed a son, L’manburg needed a president, and Fundy…Fundy needed a dad.

  As he slept, Fundy dreamed. He dreamed of years back, wandering through the forest with Wilbur, walking around L’manburg together, that warm, friendly voice calling him ‘His little champion’ as he stands, side by side in uniform with his father. He dreams of the revolution, of fighting together – of growing up and into the clothes that he wore today; before those dreams turn sour, and he can hear the laughing bleating in his ears from the long-dead tyrant, snapping awake with a gasp. A soft bleat fills his ears as he wakes up, glancing up to see the fluffy blue wool of friend surrounding him, being happily used as a makeshift pillow as they munch casually on some grass. Ghostbur is nowhere to be seen, the sun shining down faintly as the fox rests in the grass underneath the tree.

In his lap rests a damp, well-worn, entirely solid black beanie, slowly drying in the warmth of the midday sun.

[krsnbgirl]

Fly High! || Kageyama x Fem!Reader || Part 2

Summary: Still reeling over what had happened the week before, you look back at how your daily life at Karasuno immediately changed for the better. Nishinoya also comes to ask you for a favor that helps you grow closer to the weird quick duo after school. The boys also learn more about your past from middle school.

Pairing: Kageyama Tobio x Fem!Reader

Genre: Rom-Com, Slice of Life, Sports

Word Count: ~3.1k

Warnings: Slight swearing, smoking (for Ukai), Signs of Anxiety from Reader, Timeline heavily based on the anime

Author’s Note: And here is part two of the series! I hope you guys enjoy it! Thank you to anyone that has interacted with the first part :) Taglist is still open if any of you would like to be a part of it! Also crossed posted on AO3! xoxo, Ren  ❤

Taglist: @misnmatchedsox​

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Masterlist

It’s been a week since the boys caught you doing a serve in the gym and a distraught look could be seen on your face as you made your way to the rooftop during one of your breaks. The boys began to try and convince you to become their manager even more ever since that practice. Tanaka would always call you their manager, a hopeful glint in his eyes, in the midst of his jokes. Hinata would try to bug you whenever he bumped into you in the hallways with Kageyama being dragged behind him. Then there was also Yamaguchi who would just give you a smile while Tsukishima would give you snide remarks whenever they passed your desk to sit at the back of the classroom. You sighed as your daily life at school was becoming more filled with the different presences of the boy’s volleyball team. It was nice finally getting to see the boys that Nishinoya always talked about, but you heavily underestimated the chaotic energy they brought with them. Escaping to the rooftop had become more of a daily thing for you so you could take a moment to breathe. You rested your arms on top of the railing as your mind flashed back to the moments right after you served the ball.

The boys gaped at you as Hinata began his typical rambling after seeing something amazing with Nishinoya and Tanaka closely behind him with proud smiles. Sugawara, Daichi, and Asahi shared a look before smiling to themselves and giving a thumbs up to Shimizu. The second and third years were aware of your situation with volleyball because you used to frequently appear at their games when Nishinoya, Tanaka, Ennoshita, and the others were first years. The team had found out that you used to play volleyball when Nishinoya mentioned that he was going to attend one of your matches as his weekend plan. You were similar to Nishinoya on the court and a lot of people at Chidoriyama used to call you two  ‘The Yin and Yang Twins.’ Nishinoya was always the hyper one but quiet on the court meanwhile you were the more composed one but very hyper on the court. They were all there when you got injured and watched your downfall. All of them tried their best to be there for you, but the players knew how devastating it was to have one’s ACL tear. It’s one of the worst injuries to have and the hardest to come back from depending on the degree it got injured. Unfortunately for you, it was the degree that had to be taken with caution and the healing process was a lot longer. 

So once the boys gave up on finding Kageyama and Hinata on their jog, they decided to return and Nishinoya was the first to come back. He noticed right away the look in your eyes and looked to his side to find the rest of the team approaching. Motioning them to stay quiet, he pointed towards you and they all crowded by the entrance. As they watched you serve the ball, those that were by your side and respected your space felt a warm feeling spread across their chests. This could be your time to finally realize your worth once more. Before they knew it, they all surrounded you and complimented you on the serve.

You ruffled your hair in frustration as you looked over the school grounds to find Hinata and Sugawara practicing at the gym’s entryway. You noticed Kageyama walking towards the vending machine near them and pressing the buttons to get his drink. A chuckle escaped your lips as you watched a couple of students get scared of his presence. You shook your head in amusement and raised an eyebrow once you noticed a soft expression on his face as he enjoyed his drink. ‘So he does have a soft side to him…’ you thought to yourself as your eyes followed him.

“(Y/N)-chan~” 

“Oh, Yu-nii, did you need anything?” you asked as Nishinoya joined you by the railings and he shrugged. 

“I just wanted to check up on you after everything that’s happened.” he asked and looked at you from the corner of his eye. 

You gave him a scrutinizing look because he typically checks in on you like this if he needs something. He’d usually just try to tease you or joke around with you when he knows that something is troubling you or waits until you come to him. Besides, he already scolded you on your way home about being more careful with your knee since you haven’t been conditioning lately and skipped more than one appointment with your physical therapist.

“Liar, you need something from me.” 

Nishinoya laughed out loud and smiled at you. “You know me too well, (Y/N)-chan.” 

Turning your attention fully onto Nishinoya, you waited for him to speak. He rubbed his neck sheepishly and said, “Daichi said that we needed to pass our exams in order for us to go to Tokyo for training. If we fail, the supplementary exams fall on the day that we leave.” 

“Yu-nii, I can’t help you with your studying. I’ve tried and can be a lost cause sometimes.” you sighed.

He winced at your bluntness but knew he had it coming. You were always the more studious one and had to always make sure he concentrated on homework whenever he came over. But in this case, he already had the third years and Ennoshita whipping him into shape during their after school sessions. But seeing the first years struggle and being the amazing upperclassman he was, Nishinoya wanted to give his beloved underclassmen some help. 

“It’s not for me, (Y/N)-chan. If you think Tanaka and I are stupid, Kageyama and Hinata are struggling more than us.” 

You couldn’t believe what came out of Nishinoya’s mouth and you burst out laughing. “W-Wait, are you saying that Kageyama-san isn’t smart? But he looks like he has good grades!” 

“That’s what we thought too but I guess he’s only smart when it comes to volleyball.” Nishinoya pouted. 

You couldn’t stop imagining Kageyama failing at regular school work because he just gave off that impression that he had some common knowledge in him. With Hinata, you had a good feeling that he wouldn’t be that smart since it looked like volleyball was the only thing on his mind. But it was a good surprise to you to find out that Kageyama was just as bad because it proved to you that you shouldn’t have assumed in the first place. It did give you some amusing thoughts though. Crossing your arms, you looked at your best friend as he rubbed his hands together and bowed slightly towards you.

“Please, I’m begging you (Y/N)-chan, please help Kageyama and Hinata! We need them to be there with us! I’ll even buy you lunch for a week straight because you helped them!” 

With such a good offering, you smirked to yourself and ruffled his hair. “Alright Yu-nii, I’ll go help them.” 

You could see his eyes immediately light up and was about to go hug you when you held your hand up to him. 

“But, they have to come and ask me for help first.” 

Nishinoya cheered before hugging you tightly, thanking you a million times before darting off to tell them the good news. You shook your head in amusement and gathered your things to head back to your classroom and get a jump start on your homework in order to help the team’s newfound duo. 

------

The lunch bell finally rang and you mindlessly sipped on your carton of juice that you got during the previous break. You weren’t sure if the boys were going to come to you that day since Nishinoya never texted you back after the conversation on the roof. Listening to your stomach, you considered dropping by the shop that Coach Ukai ran for some snacks and a meat bun. You frowned to yourself as you realized that Coach Ukai still wanted to talk to you about your volleyball history. The grip on your juice carton slightly tightened and your other hand began to tap your desk as you thought about the questions he was going to ask. With a sigh, you shook your head to try and clear the questions and assumptions racing through your mind. You were snapped out of your thoughts when you heard your name being called and looked over to see Hinata and Kageyama walking into your classroom. You smiled at them and waved them over. The look of determination was evident on their faces as they stood in front of your desk and you couldn’t help but find their dedication towards the sport endearing. 

“Hey (L/N)-san!” Hinata greeted you happily and Kageyama met your eyes as he nodded at you and said, “Hey.” 

You held his gaze and greeted them back. Kageyama’s eyes widened slightly, surprised that someone was able to hold his gaze like that outside of practice, and looked outside the window. You smiled to yourself and turned your attention towards Hinata who asked you a question. You laughed to yourself because seeing Kageyama be so awkward outside of the gym was a cute sight to see.

“(L/N)-san, do you like studying?” 

You looked up in thought before shrugging. “I don’t hate it…” 

With a hopeful look on his face, Hinata held out his notebook and asked, “Could you teach me this English?” He tugged on Kageyama’s shirt too and continued to say, “You should ask her, too, Kageyama!” 

You looked back to the quiet setter who stuffed his hands in his pocket and you met gazes once more. “Please teach us.” 

Hinata continued to try and convince you as he stepped forward and said, “If we fail any tests next month, we won’t be able to go to the Tokyo away games, so we’ve been having the tall guy with glasses named Tsukishima help us...But lately, he’s getting irritated because Kageyama and I are so stupid.”  

“I’m not scared of him.” Kageyama snorted, glaring at Hinata.

“But it’d be better for someone to teach us nicely!” Hinata huffed.

You couldn’t stop yourself from letting out a soft chuckle, holding your hand to your face to cover your reaction. “You guys are really too much. I didn’t think you guys would be struggling this much.” 

Kageyama felt an unfamiliar burning on his cheeks as he noticed your cute expression and shook his head to get rid of any unnecessary thoughts. He couldn’t get his focus messed up now, even if you did catch his interest. He didn’t need any distractions but a small part of him wanted to do something to keep seeing similar reactions from you.

Giving both of them a warm smile, you gestured towards your desk and said, “If I’m good enough-” 

“Really?!” Hinata excitedly asked. 

You pursed your lips as you let them know what you were thinking, “But I wonder if I’ll be able to teach in a nicer way than Tsukishima...I used to get really strict when I helped Yu-nii with his homework.”  

Both of them shook their heads simultaneously as Hinata reassured you, “You definitely don’t need to worry about that.” 

“Well, then shall we get started?” You smiled as you clapped your hands together and opened up your notebook. 

As the study session took place, you simplified what was being taught to them in a way the two would understand it. If what Nishinoya told you was true, then the way that you outlined things would be easy enough to teach to them. 

“I see! Wow!” Hinata exclaimed as you explained the construction of an English sentence to him. 

You rubbed her your sheepishly and shrugged. “Oh, it’s nothing..”

“Your notebook’s really easy to look at, (LN)-san. You’re great at drawing too.” Hinata commented when he noticed the small doodles that covered the sides and corners of your notes.

“Ah well, when I was on a break I suddenly got into drawing and I typically try to be the best in everything I get into so I guess it’s from my perfectionist side.” you sheepishly replied before pointing at Hinata’s notes. “Oh, if you leave a space here, it’ll be easier to fill in later. Also, if you limit the number of colors you use, it won’t get confusing.” 

Kageyama watched as you bit off the cap of your pen and began to write guides on Hinata’s notebook. He wasn’t much of a talker, but he was grateful for you being willing enough to help them. There was something about you that helped calm down his nerves as you taught them their class’s material. He didn’t feel as competitive or stressed when they studied with Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. You were encouraging but knew when to be strict with them. As he quietly took down his notes, Kageyama listened in on your conversation as you and Hinata talked about his dislike for studying and how he’s just trying really hard to get to Tokyo. 

You were amazed at Hinata’s passion and was surprised to also find Kageyama chiming in on the conversation when Nekoma High was brought up. She vaguely remembered Nishinoya complaining about Nekoma one time so she assumed they were pretty strong opponents and now friends off the court. Especially if Kageyama mentioned that there was someone as good as Nishinoya on their team. It reminded you that you should check up on your friends from that school and filtered a mental note to do so once she got home. You lost contact with them for a bit during your rut and since volleyball was starting to make a comeback in your life, it was a good idea to check up on a childhood friend. 

Resting your chin on your palm as the two boys got lost in their own banter, you began to think about going to their games more. Nishinoya had been trying to get you to come back to their games but then he got suspended after his scuffle with Asahi. You mentally sighed and realized you had been so caught up with your own problems, you fell short on supporting your best friend. If anything, you should be thankful for Nishinoya introducing you to his new friends at Karasuno. With your budding relations with the current team, you were able to make new friendships with classmates you never noticed before. Your eyes unconsciously went towards Kageyama and you began to admire his features as he continued to talk to Hinata. You hated to admit it but now looking up close with him off the court, Kageyama was quite attractive. It was funny to you because people often got scared of him, but all you saw was a socially awkward guy. Also having grown close to the second and third years, you saw those boys as older brothers so none of them had gotten your attention when you got to know them. It didn’t help that Nishinoya would try to get in on your business to see if he could play cupid between you and a member of his. That idea didn’t sit right with you in the beginning but now, you might just be open to it. 

“So, (L/N)-san, did you used to play volleyball?” 

You sighed as you knew that this question was going to be brought up sooner or later after they saw you serve. 

“I’m pretty sure Yu-nii has already told you guys this, but we went to the same middle school together. He was the libero for the boy’s team and I was the wing spiker and pinch server for the girl’s team. Our school called us ‘The Yin and Yang Twins’ because of how our personalities switched in and out of the court.” 

The boys noticed your eyes softened as you remembered your days playing the sport that they loved and Kageyama couldn’t help but ask, “How come you stopped?” 

“I tore my ACL during my final match.” 

They winced trying to imagine how that went down and you shrugged. Kageyama couldn’t help but blame himself for making you remember something that terrible and murmured, “Sorry, I didn’t know.” 

You shook your head dismissively and looked down to play with your hands. “It’s okay. To be honest, taking time off to heal has opened my eyes a lot. I just don’t know if I’ll ever be fine to properly play again.” 

“Have you tried to give yourself that chance?” Hinata asked.     

You looked up to find Hinata smiling down at you as he stood up from his seat, palms resting on top of your desk. “I know that there are times where things seem to be impossible. I’ve had those thoughts for the longest time, but giving myself a chance to try things out and see where it goes has gotten me to where I am now. A lot of people underestimate me for being small and even if I’m not big, I can fly.” 

Your eyes widened as you saw the look in Hinata’s eyes. His words had an impact on you and you sat back in your chair, your mind going back to your serve. Kageyama noticed the thoughtful look on your face and understood that you needed your space for the time being. 

“Hinata, don’t you need to copy this down?” Kageyama asked to divert Hinata’s attention from you.

You looked out the window as Hinata sat down, continuing to write down his notes. While doing so, he began to ramble about volleyball again and while listening, you mindlessly said, “Then you’re like the Little Giant of the team, Hinata.” 

Kageyama sighed as Hinata got amped up again just by hearing the nickname he respected so much and then met your gaze. It was asking for him to help you calm him down so that you could all wrap up the study session. Turning his attention back to his notes, Kageyama continued to write down what he needed to know. 

“Hey, Little Giant that’s not gonna make it to Tokyo, hurry up and copy this.” 

Once the two finished copying down your notes and finally understanding some of the material, you agreed to continue to tutor them. You walked them to the hallway and the both of them thanked you once more before bumping into Nishinoya who held up your lunch in the air on the way back to their classroom. 

“I hope she’s been treating you well, boys!” Nishinoya greeted his underclassmen before walking up to you. 

Kageyama couldn’t help but turn around and watch as you gave Nishinoya a bright smile and hug. An unfamiliar feeling crept inside of him as he grew irritated for some unknown reason. He clicked his tongue and tried his best to forget about the part of him wishing that you would greet him like that in the near future.

[mss4msu]

I Don’t Care

Summary: Bucky doesn’t care what kind of social event tortures he must go through, so long as he has you by his side.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Reader

Words: 2536

Timeline: This takes place after the events of Winter Soldier, but ignores the team fighting bits of Civil War and everything else that happened after it bc I want a happy Bucky.

Warnings: Language

A/N: Every time I listen to “I Don’t Care” by Ed Sheeran w/ Justin Bieber I think of how well it would work as a Bucky fic, so I had to write it so I can listen to the song without thinking up stories and can actually get to the two 15 page papers I have due in like a week. 

(I incorporated the lyrics of the song into the story in the order they appear in the song. They’re noted in bold. If you dig it, check out my other story We Never Go Out of Style)

Another successful mission, another elaborate Stark party. The first party had been casual, everyone showed up freshly showered from the mission. The second party had a buffet, rather than bowls of chips everywhere. Next came the waiters passing drinks. Now every party required cocktail attire and they seemed more like galas than opportunities to unwind. Bucky loathed them. He almost wished he could just go back into the ice after every mission if it meant not having to make small talk with people he didn’t even know.

“Why the long face, Buck? You look like you just fought a whole slew of Hydra agents and hardly got time to shower,” Steve laughed, hitting Bucky on the shoulder.

Of course what Steve had described was exactly what had happened.

“Funny, Steve. I’m a party I don’t wanna be at. And the fact we have to dress up is ridiculous. I don’t ever wear a suit and tie unless it’s at one of these dumbass things. It’s not like I finish a mission and think, ‘yeah, I’d love to go surround myself with strangers.’  I’m just wonderin’ if I could sneak out the back. Aside from you, nobody’s even lookin’ me in my eyes.”

Steve gave Bucky a knowing look. If he was being honest with himself, he would also rather be able to just relax after a mission and decompress in silence. Steve snapped out of it when he saw one of his WWII veteran friends wave him over.

“Sorry, Bucky. Stan looks like he needs me. Just chill in the corner like usual, you’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, right,” Bucky muttered under his breath as Steve walked away.

“Enjoying yourself, James?” you asked as you walked up to the super soldier.

Whenever you called him by his name, he felt his heart flutter, “You know I’m not.”

“Looks like it,” you smiled at him.

When you had joined the Avengers 5 years ago, you hadn’t even known about the Winter Soldier. After proving yourself to Steve during the fall of SHIELD, he had brought you onto his small team to go searching for the other super soldier, who you soon learned was James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes. You knew their whole history, and it became almost a mantra during your searches for him, “Best friends since childhood, Bucky Barnes and Steven Rogers were inseparable on both schoolyard and battlefield.” You had been behind the scenes when Steve found Bucky after the Accords disaster, but you were on the frontlines of his “de-programming” in Wakanda. You had been with him through all the pain of unlearning the trigger words and had helped him adjust to a domestic life. It hadn’t taken you long to fall in love with him; it had been even easier for him to fall in love with you. After Bucky was officially cleared of the Winter Soldier programming, you were charged to help him get settled back in New York. Tony had offered him a room in Stark Tower, but he wanted to have an escape from the Avengers. You offered to get an apartment with him and he immediately agreed. You shared a small, 1 bedroom apartment, just across the street from where Steve lived.

“Alright, enough moping then,” you demanded, putting your left hand in his right.

“Oh, you think you can come over here, take my hand, and I’ll suddenly feel better?” He did feel better, but he wasn’t going to tell you that.

You grabbed his drink and chugged what was left of it.

“And you finish my drink to top it all off?” he raised an eyebrow at you.

“Say, shall we dance?” you looked up into his eyes and saw the wrinkles of his furrowed brow dissipate.

Bucky took a deep breath, “Hell, yeah,” as much as he hated the parties, he could never disappoint you.

You pulled him onto the dance floor, his grip tightening as you maneuvered your way around other couples. You finally found a space large enough to dance and turned to face him. He was red in the face, and you knew just the walk to the dance floor had been enough to re-stress him out. You pulled your left hand apart from his and placed it on his shoulder. You then went to take his left hand in your right, but he had hidden it behind his back.

“Mr. Barnes,” you said sternly, “Give me it.”

Red crept into his cheeks as he slowly placed his metal hand in your small, flesh one.

“I hate when you do that,” you said, pulling him closer to you, glad that you had put heels on so you could whisper into his ear.

“I….I...just…” He stammered.

“It’s been how many years and you’re still pulling this bullshit?” you pulled back slightly so you could look into his eyes, “Cut the crap, soldier.”

A slight smile broke through his lips, “You know I love you, did I ever tell ya?”

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” you smiled back.

“You make it all better like that,” he snapped his metal fingers before wrapping them around yours.

You danced for a few songs, but when the band finished, Bucky basically dragged you back against the wall. He looked around the room, taking in all of the conversations between different groups around the room. Most of the Avengers were speaking with large hand gestures and gaining big laughs.

Bucky turned to you, “You know, I don’t think I fit in at this party. Everyone’s got so much to say.”

“Yeah? And you don’t? You’ve got plenty of stories to share,” you replied.

“Those are the Winter Soldier’s stories, they aren’t mine. Most of my life isn’t mine. I always feel like I’m nobody.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, thinking, “But who wants to fit in anyway?”

“’Cause...” he began but trailed off. He then shrugged his shoulders, “That’s true I guess, it helps that I don’t care when I’m with my baby,” he put his hand around your waist and pulled you into him.

“Oh?” you looked up into his eyes, seeing them looking softer than you had seen all night.

“Yeah, you make all the bad things disappear. And you’re making me feel like maybe I am somebody.”

“Good,” you moved in front of him and grabbed his face, pulling him into a deep kiss.

“You truly are the best, you know that?”

“I do, but tell me more,” you mused at him.

“I don’t have as many nightmares sleeping with you. I can deal with the bad nights much better now.”

“I’ve noticed,” you smiled.

“Everything's better when I’m with my baby,” he pulled you in for another kiss.

“Yeah?” you asked.

“Oh yeah, cause I don’t care about anything else as long as you just hold me near you. You can take me anywhere, the dance floor, a mission, anywhere, and I’ll follow happily. You’re making me feel like I’m loved by somebody.”

You grinned at him, “You know, I’ve had some bad nights too in the past, and I can deal with the bad nights when I’m with you too. My own nightmares fade away when I wake up next to you.”

“I love you, baby,” he kissed you again.  

Weeks went by without a mission that required all of the Avengers. Bucky had become more calm, knowing it meant that he could return home to you and not have to socialize at another party. Just as he was finally getting comfortable hanging out in small groups after missions, a 2 week op that required the whole team was called. Bucky wanted you to go with, but you had other assignments now.

“Babe, I’m not your handler anymore. Yeah it sucks, but you’ve got Steve and Sam. You’ll be ok,” you had reassured him before he left. Of course it pained you to be away from him that long with no communication, but one of you had to put on the brave face for the both of you.

The mission dragged on and you had no word from anyone. Maria Hill tried to reassure you, but with Fury gone on the mission too, she was just as nervous as you. Two weeks turned into three and you became overwhelmed with worry. Sitting in your and Bucky’s apartment as the third week came to a close, you were trying to calm yourself down by watching movies when you heard the front door open. You grabbed your gun out of caution and hid behind a wall, prepared to attack.

“You home, doll?” you heard Bucky call to you.

You ran to the front door and threw your arms around him.

“Oh thank god,” you couldn’t help the tears welling up in your eyes, “I thought something had gone horribly wrong.”

“It did, I wasn’t with you,” he smiled, you could see tears forming.

“That was so cheesy, but I love it,” you held him tighter, not wanting to let go.

You only broke apart when you heard your phone ringing from the other room, playing the ringtone reserved for Tony.

“Tony? Everything ok?” you asked with a sense of urgency.

“No, it isn’t. Where are you two? Post-mission party starts in 15 minutes.” Tony yelled into the phone.

Your heart sank, while you didn’t hate the celebration parties like Bucky did, you hadn’t seen him in 3 weeks and there were other things you wanted to do with him then stand in the corner of a room.

“Oh, shit, we’ll be there soon,” you replied, quickly hanging up before Tony could answer.

“Who was that?” Bucky asked, coming into the room and immediately flopping down on the couch.

“Tony. We have a party to be at,” you said, to which Bucky let out a long moan.

“I know babe, but it’s part of the job,” you sighed, trying to pull him up from the couch so he could get ready.

Bucky wouldn’t budge, so you went to get yourself ready and threw a suit at him. 10 minutes later, you were out the door and on your way to Stark Tower. You showed your badges to get past security and got into the elevator.

“I’m sorry, doll, but I really don’t want to be here,” Bucky said as you ascended.

“I know, Bucky, but we really don’t have a choice and we don’t have to stay long,” you replied as the elevator doors opened.

As you exited the elevator, you saw that the room was already full. A couch along the wall was open and Bucky led you to it. The music seemed louder than usual, and you both spent a few minutes looking around the room to see who was there. Nat seemed to be missing.

“Where’s Nat?” you asked Bucky.

“What?” he yelled back.

“Where is Nat?” you said louder.

“What?” he yelled again.

“Nevermind,” you yelled to him.

Bucky moved closer to you, speaking directly into your ear, “We’re at a party we don’t wanna be at. And it’s so loud in here, keep tryna talk, but we can’t hear ourselves. When can we leave?”

“I don’t know, Buck. Read my lips instead?”

“Read your lips? I’d rather kiss ‘em,” he pulled away slightly so you could see him smirking at you.

“If you did that, I’d be force to kiss yours right back.”

Bucky looked away from you for a second and instantly tensed up.

“James, are you ok?”

“This room really filled up.”

You scanned the room. There seemed to be even more people in attendance than last time. While Bucky had gotten comfortable around the Avengers, he still had trouble in large groups of strangers after having a manhunt called on him years ago.

“But with all these people all around, I’m crippled with anxiety. All I wanted was to come home and be with you, but no. I’m sick of these parties. I’m so tired of being told it’s where I’m s’posed to be.”

You slowly ran your hand up and down his back, trying to calm him down. Sometimes your touch worked better than your words, “I know James, but after this is over we can go home and just lay on the couch and watch a movie and fall asleep in each other’s arms and it’ll all be fine.”

“You know what?” he looked back at you, and gave you a small smile, “It’s kinda crazy how you can talk me down.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, ‘cause I really don’t mind when you make it better like that.”

“It?”

“Everything,” he leaned over and kissed your forehead.

“You know, I don’t think we fit in at this party,” you laughed, looking around again.

Everyone was either dancing, yelling to each other, or heavily drinking while you and Bucky were cozied up together on a couch just taking it all in.

“Yeah, everyone’s got so much to say over there,” Bucky motioned to where Tony and Rhodey were trying, once again, to lift Thor’s hammer.

“Oh yeah,” you laughed. “Yeah, I doubt anyone on this team can lift that hammer, except maybe Steve,” your eyes wandered to the other super soldier in the room who was laughing with his veteran friends.

“You know, when we walked in, I said I’m sorry, because I didn’t want to be here.”

“Mmm?” you questioned.

“But now I think that we should stay?”

“Oh? What made you change your mind.”

“Cause I don’t care when I’m with my baby,” Bucky said, reaching into his jacket pocket.

“Yeah?” you asked, your heart starting to race.

“You make all the bad things disappear, and yeah, I’m a handful, I know it, but you’re making me feel like maybe I am somebody. I can deal with the bad nights when I’m with you. I’d never want anyone else in my life but my baby. Yeah, things won’t always be easy, but that’s ok, ‘cause I don’t care as long as you just hold me near. And I’m working towards being better and no I don’t like these massive parties, but you can take me anywhere, because as long as you’re with me I’m happy. I don’t like nobody but you, and when we’re at these stupid things, it’s like you’re the only one here with me. You just get me and I get you,” Bucky took a small box from his pocket and got down on one knee.

“I don’t like nobody but you, and I’ll never love anybody but you. Will you marry me?” Bucky opened the box, revealing a ring.

Tears were welled up in your eyes, “Yes, James. Of course, always, yes!”

He put the ring on your finger and you kissed him harder than you ever had before. You looked around the room and it didn’t seem as though anyone had even noticed a major life-changing event occurring right before them.

“You know, I hate everyone here. They didn’t even notice this,” you flashed your new ring at Bucky, “Let’s get out of here?”

“Thank god, yes. I was lying before. I did want to leave,” he grabbed your hand, rushed you out of the party, and took you home to celebrate.  

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[autumnrory]

okay ik like everything’s been said about steve’s ending in endgame and i’ve made a million little posts but i’ve been meaning to write my own essay bc i’m MAD (if u liked it for him then like i’m sure u don’t wanna read so u can scroll on past) and there’s a lot of other stuff i didn’t like/that didn’t make sense about the movie but this post is about steve anyway let’s go

so from what i can tell there is not even a consensus among people who liked the ending whether it’s the same timeline or an alternate timeline but let’s talk about the possibilities here and what they mean, at least based on my understanding

option 1: same timeline

this means one of two things. either steve was actually peggy’s husband all along OR by going back and marrying her, that erases her husband and children entirely.

so if steve was peggy’s husband all along, that means that?? old steve has been walking around this entire time and nobody knew about it? this means that in 2016 sharon carter was like “you know what would be fun? kissing my great uncle when he’s young and hot” which WOW i thought it was icky before just bc she was PEGGY’S niece? marvel might have just made that worse. and hey, i’ll be fair, i’m sure in the very little time they likely took to think about this ending, they definitely weren’t thinking about sharon, considering they hardly thought about her when she was actually appearing in the movies. if steve was peggy’s husband all along, that means she was lying in the smithsonian footage, which hey, i don’t doubt her ability to lie, but the whole ass video is floating around out there and i’m just not sure you can fake that kind of emotion. when they ask her about her being the last person to talk to steve? that is a person talking about losing someone they cared for six years ago. it just contradicts so much of catws and other parts of the mcu (and the idea that people have that this was the plan the entire time? yeah fucking right the writers do not plan like that if they did there wouldn’t be so many fucking inconsistencies in this universe. i’m willing to bet they couldn’t name peggy’s husband in catws bc they were planning agent carter and thought there would be an explicit confirmation of who it was) and anyway, even if steve was her husband all along, there’s no way either steve or peggy could have KNOWN that she didn’t have a future being erased. so would either of them have really WANTED to take that chance?

the other option is of course that peggy moved on from steve, fell in love with somebody else, got married, had children, grandchildren, etc. if that’s the case, that means steve just changed her entire storyline. and who knows what marrying steve could have changed. it just........okay, agent carter was the first thing in the mcu i watched before i even knew shit about captain america (literally when they showed flashbacks i was like *maria hill voice* who’s this guy) but while we don’t know with any certainty that daniel sousa was the guy she ended up married to, i would have to guess steve went back to BEFORE she and daniel got together, meaning that like the entirety of agent carter is probably erased. her whole INCREDIBLE journey. i’ve read a million things the last week so if someone can let me know who the fuck said this, please do, but anyway someone said peggy’s story really begins when steve goes into the ice and it’s SO TRUE. “i have lived a life. my only regret is that you didn’t get to live yours.” LET THEM KEEP THE LIVES THEY WERE MEANT TO LIVE. and anyway, i just think there’s no way, going back and changing who she marries wouldn’t also alter SO MUCH of what she did, and therefore our timeline.

either way, this option goes against everything about steve. i don’t care if he IS tired of fighting, there’s still no way he would sit quietly and not try to prevent things from happening. assassinations, hydra infiltrating shield, his BEST FRIEND being tortured and brainwashed for seventy years.

steve: if i see a situation pointed south, i can’t ignore it. sometimes i wish i could. tony: no you don’t. steve: no i don’t.

again, i’ll be fair, several years have passed since steve said that, but i just don’t buy the idea that he’s gonna sit back quietly, when his character through the whole mcu has been about fighting for what’s right 

option 2: alternate timeline

i’ve seen some people say it’s because of the bracelets they used that would have allowed steve to jump back into our timeline when he’s old and be in the right place at the right time but like..........what’s the point. he ditched his friends and lived through seventy years without them so am i expected to believe that this steve (i don’t know him) even really cares about handing off the shield to sam (which, i did want, just in the form of our steve retiring and living his own life in the PRESENT) idk that last scene was just so much so fast and i was so mad watching it unfold i could hardly stand it so whatever

so okay say steve goes back to peggy and creates an alternate timeline by doing so, maybe in this timeline he rescues bucky and prevents a bunch of other things from happening

........but wasn’t the point of returning the stones to when and where they got them (which, of course we know the only reason steve was doing this alone was to get to this ending, but it’s ridiculous considering they had a whole team going to all different places in the movie WHATEVER) to PREVENT the creation of an alternate timeline? that’s why the ancient one was hesitant about giving bruce the time stone because it would create a branch or whatever IT MAKES NO SENSE.

this theory at least doesn’t necessarily screw over peggy since...our peggy would still exist and the steve and peggy we saw at the end of the movie would be in an alternate timeline

but it does go against the time travel rules as i understand them and it still fucks up steve’s characterization

whatever

everything’s fucked anyway

if they ever address it, whatever the mcu logic is, all these possibilities have flaws/leave plot holes because they really hardly gave any thought to their characters OR their time travel logic bc they wanted to force this ending

seriously all the peggy references throughout the movie like?? ofc he’s still gonna have that compass and i guess still carry it around since he’s been on the run and hasn’t a permanent place and therefore no safe place to keep it but....he looks at her picture before they go after thanos? it would make more sense if he looked at a picture on his phone of like him, bucky and sam or something. he’s at that group meeting five years later and talks about the loss of his chance with peggy which was u know like a decade ago for him (and i know i don’t like people saying ‘oh just get over it’ i don’t mean it like that i just mean like.......he was willing to move on in cacw - with her NIECE but whatever - and suddenly it’s like he’s never ever been over her and calling her the love of his life) instead of talking about the loss of bucky and sam, two of his best friends? wanda? t’challa? maria? nick? even the way he dresses is very reminiscent of the first avengers when he’s JUST woken up, but he gets away from that throughout the cap movies and gets more used to modern life. endgame does everything to force the idea that he’s still completely uncomfortable in this time. as if what? twelve years in the twenty-first century would mean going back to the 1940s makes you just as much a man out of time.

AND PEGGY. my god, i’ve loved peggy’s story though the mcu and look what this fucking movie did. peggy doesn’t even have fucking lines. we don’t even hear her talk when he stares longingly and dramatically at her through a window (it really reminded me of that jess/rory scene in the gilmore girls revival and hey that was a pairing i thought SHOULD have ended up together, but should not have had all that pining very similarly like ten years later it’s just weird the disappointments i feel in both of these things are so similar but that’s beside the point). we don’t get to see them have a conversation when he goes back to her. tony talked to howard and thor talked to frigga and we didn’t see steve talk to peggy. if she’s supposed to be The Love Of His Life (does marvel know if she could have another love of her life then so could he but whatever) and is suddenly his reason for everything or whatever they’re trying to play at, shouldn’t we get more than a longing look (not even a mutual one, like all the ones we got in catfa) and the dance? peggy carter is AMAZING and she doesn’t even really get a say. they reduced her to the object of steve’s affection and nothing more and it’s HORRIBLE.

frigga said “you’re not my thor” and i think peggy, be it 40s peggy or 70s peggy, would recognize that this is not her steve. look at everything he’s been through the last decade. he’s been through so much and yes, his relationship with peggy was a missed chance, but....the steve of now is not the steve that she lost. and i think no matter how much she might have wanted it to be whenever he came back to her, she would have known that and she would have sent him back home where he belongs, with his new family, in the present.

peggy was the one who said in catws “the world has changed and none of us can go back. all we can do is our best and sometimes the best that we can do is to start over.” steve’s whole story since waking up has been about moving on and making peace with the fact that he lost his chance at the life he could have had after the war (much as i hate aou, it does touch on that fact, he says someone who wanted family and stability or w/e isn’t who came out of the ice and he says at the end of the movie “i’m home” THIS IS HIS HOME MARVEL HERE AND NOW). the fact that the trailer used peggy’s quote about moving forward and then fucking went against the whole ass point.......wild

and i hate to say this i really do.........but not in a satisfying way, just in an it-would-make-sense way. i didn’t want any characters to die, i think after seeing characters suffer so much they deserve a happy ending (so don’t tell me i don’t want steve to be happy because i do i’ve been yelling about how he needs to rest since cacw). but. BUT. it would have made more sense if he died, if he sacrificed himself, because that was a thing he constantly did throughout the mcu, just ya know, he always survived it. going down in the plane in catfa, on the helicarrier in catws, in sokovia in aou, and so on

and lemme tell you, steve dying? that was my Big Fear for this movie, i didn’t want to believe they would go there (i never expected they would go there with tony AND NAT god i’m mad about her too but that’s not what this post is about) but i was prepared for the possibility. when i first saw the theory floating around about him going back in time to be peggy, i didn’t think it was feasible (and it’s not! truly! it makes no sense!) and i didn’t think they would do something as complicated as messing with time like that (boy was i wrong) so i wrote it off. but i think.......what happened feels worse, because character death in movies like these can p much always be fixed you know? even if canon doesn’t, fic can keep everything canon gives us and still be like ‘oh they’re not actually dead because ____’ and this....this can’t be changed. fic has to change the ending. that last five minutes. five minutes fucked up ten years of characterization. anyway.

so here’s what i was thinking about? while not exactly the same because it was ya know parents they lost, thor had a conversation with frigga, tony had a conversation with howard. imagine if it had been steve on the mission to get the soul stone. and okay as a clintasha stan (fuck you aou) i LOVED that scene until nat’s death, i loved them fighting each other to be the one to go. but if it had been steve and maybe still nat too, he could have had his own blast from the past like thor and tony did with the red skull because idt he ever even found out it was the red skull in the soul world (is that what it’s called i forget), bc iirc clint just said something about a red guy. anyway it could have made for some nice catfa parallels with steve and red skull and if he WAS with nat it could have made for a nice aou parallel when they stay to get all the citizens out of there (”where else am i gonna get a view like this?” bc both my babies are willing to sacrifice themselves to save the world). but imagine when the relationship between steve and natasha has also been such a big part of the mcu, the two of them learning to trust each other and protect each other, and save each other, imagine both of them disagreeing over who should be the one to die, maybe not in the same way as clint and nat, not with physically trying to keep the other down, but...fighting about it nonetheless. imagine natasha watching him fall, imagine her returning without him.

of course this would’ve made me mad too because that would’ve meant not just that steve died, but that he died without getting to see bucky and sam again. but at least it would’ve MADE NARRATIVE SENSE and not fucked up his character, because it’s exactly the kind of thing he would do. anyway, it didn’t even have to be this idea of mine, it didn’t even have to be death at all, i just think...it would have made more sense than chasing after this fantasy of a life that he realized (and seemed to accept) he couldn’t have years ago.

now. what i’ve been screaming for the last week. to put it simply: STEVE WOULD NEVER. steve wouldn’t take peggy’s past away from her. steve wouldn’t leave bucky and sam and his other friends behind after all the hell they’ve been through, after half the population just woke up five years in the future, something he's experienced on a much larger scale. steve could have still given up being captain america. could have said, hey i still wanna do good but i don’t wanna fight aliens and shit anymore and i wanna have a chance to actually live my life. he could have given the shield to sam (okay ik the shield was destroyed at that point but u know what i mean) and that could have been the perfect ending for him, to get his happiness with who and what he still has, to truly make peace with what he’s lost.

and i can’t say all this without getting into bitter stucky territory. the entire fucking captain america trilogy has revolved around steve’s relationship to bucky. protecting bucky, saving him, believing in him when no one else will. he went on that mission in catfa based on the hope that bucky was alive, he lost him when he fell from that train. when steve found out bucky was alive, he gave up fighting him HE DROPPED HIS SHIELD he was willing to die on that helicarrier trying to save bucky, trying to get him to remember. with sam’s help they spent two years trying to find bucky and okay i’m not gonna get into why cacw bugged me that’s not this post but he STILL was trying to keep bucky safe, still believing in bucky, just....everything it’s too much to even put into words what the two of them mean to each other, what they do for each other.

bucky and steve haven’t really had a chance to be back in each other’s lives since cacw. bucky went back into cryo and sure we can assume steve’s visited him since he woke up but steve’s been on the run with sam and nat like........they’ve had very little time together. and steve just lived another five years without bucky AND sam and ditched them immediately? for someone he had a relationship with ten years ago? for someone he obviously was not meant for BECAUSE they DIDN’T end up together because he went down in that plane and she moved on and i’m just!!!

and anyway is bucky really like okay? like i saw that vid where the fan asked about the movie properly ending their story and they totally bullshitted an answer about them being able to be separate or whatever but like they’ve hardly been able to be TOGETHER, they’ve been pulled apart over and over. and like, yes bucky has his life in wakanda and he has sam but we haven’t really seen much of those relationships so we don’t actually know how much that means! steve is the only person who can understand even somewhat what bucky’s been through (obvs other mcu characters know what it’s like to have their minds fucked with whereas steve doesn’t know what that part’s like, but bucky hasn’t interacted with those characters unfortunately) so ya know at least in terms of adjusting to a whole new life after your old one was ripped away, steve’s all he’s got. ofc now other people will get a sense of that, but still. in terms of history, shared life experience, steve and bucky are all each other have.

all bucky and steve share in this movie is an exchange that literally already happened in catfa but in reverse. they couldn’t even give us an original MOMENT. and bucky apparently knew what steve was gonna do which just makes it WORSE, like he just had to accept it and let steve go, let steve be someone else. if they wanted to end steve’s arc properly, it would’ve been about bucky because THAT’S what steve’s whole fucking story has been about, and the writers and directors who literally made steve’s arc that way fucking ignored that bc they’re homophobic (and misogynistic) goodbyeeeee like u cannot deny that tearing bucky and steve apart permanently isn’t a slap in the face to stucky shippers, they’ve been giving less and less since catws when they realized how obviously romantic their story is. it’s just fucking cruel (don’t get me started on using the song from right before steve and bucky’s first interaction in catws for the dance as soon as it started playing i wanted to SCREAM ik it’s possible they didn’t know it was an association with stucky buuuuuut with social media ppl very easily know what the fandom is saying so. who knows it just fucking sucked) to put an end to the stevebucky relationship when they haven’t had a real chance to be together, even as just friends, since catws, and it’s especially cruel to end their relationship THIS WAY

anyway this ending (JUST A FEW MINUTES REALLY) just does a disservice to steve AND peggy AND bucky and their stories and i’m just so disappointed and angry on their behalf. if anyone wants to talk about it to me FEEL FREE as long as you’re not a dick bc i obvs love to commiserate with the fandom over this MESS

[argentumtonitrua]

MARSHMALLOW // PART VOID, PART CHOCOBO, WHOLLY PERMANENTLY EXHAUSTED

Made the first post here so please refer to it if anything on here doesn’t make sense. The 📷 || IMPORTANT INFO ◀ tag is also a good thing to check out for anything else I’ve talked about. 

Original timeline

I will talk about his / original timeline and the good timeline but they are one and the same. I use his / original timeline mostly to refer to the Omen trailer where everything ends in madness and the good timeline for the game so it’s clear what I’m talking about. 

Now, there really isn’t much of a difference leading up to the trip. Omen’s timeline still follows what pretty much is shown in Bro.therhood altho there are some changes. These mainly come in his interactions w/ the three main people in his life -- Ignis, Gladio and Prompto. 

Upon finding out that Ignis is to accompany him forever, look after him and whatnot, Omen’s first instinct is to yell @ Regis about how he doesn’t need a damn nanny to supervise his life. It’s a big fight that ends up w/ him storming off and the door being slammed shut behind him. The actual first meeting w/ Ignis doesn’t go any better either as he still refuses to accept that this is actually happening. No shaking hands even as he’s forced to accept Ignis’ constant presence in his life. 

Training w/ Gladio is way more intense. While Omen still gets used to fighting using a sword as his ‘ main ‘ weapon, he appears to have a better affinity for spears and daggers which leads to many arguments during the training sessions. It’s still more or less unknown to him as to why everybody is so insistent on him getting accustomed to handling the sword more than anything. As a result, Omen and Gladio’s relationship is even shakier, many training sessions ending in cuts and ugly bruises. 

Befriending Prompto comes almost as a relief. They spend a lot of time @ the arcade or wandering through Insomnia and having fun. It’s basically a way for Omen to avoid returning to his apartment and dealing w/ Ignis for as long as possible. Ofc, he values Prompto more than just that but there’s also a dash of selfishness included in all of this. Overall, Prompto and Omen get along the best out of all of them. 

Now moving onto the trip itself, the trailer itself takes care of that pretty well. I want to add that it’s Omen’s conscious decision to not have any of them accompany him on the trip. As much as he’d have loved to take Prompto w/ him, the risk of it all would have been too great. It’s a miracle that he managed to shake Gladio and Ignis off as well tbh. The omen trailer world is far more dangerous than what it’s seen in the main game. 

The loop ends w/ Omen impaling himself w/ Luna’s trident. He’s gone made w/ grief over killing her and basically bringing the end of the world on. 

Loop start

The loop restarts on the day Noct and Co. leave Insomnia as is the safest point in time to return to. Even w/ the attack on the horizon, it’s still a better moment than too early during the ‘ peaceful ‘ times or too late during the trip. It’s one of the few advantages Omen has. 

Omen himself doesn’t enter the City of the Crown often or @ all. Well, in theory anyway. Most of the time he’s found around Hammerhead, specifically going in and out of the diner in order to pick hunts up and turn them in. Somehow?? There seems to be no shortage of them?? Which suits him just fine, it’s stuff to do until the Regalia breaks down. Likewise, he sleeps in a camp just a few kilometres after Hammerhead. 

An odd sight for Cid and Cindy to be sure altho he usually doesn’t hang around too much. Seems like bad luck follows him everywhere and he’d rather not accidentally make everything break down around the shop and garage. 

This can be discussed otherwise in cases such as Omen and Noct being brothers / twins. I DO NOT DEFAULT TO THEM BEING RELATED BC THEY AREN’T. They are basically the same person. Alternate selves from different timelines. It’s like the multiverse theory but w/ timelines instead. However, I’m not against it. Just talk to me. 

Anyway. 

Omen can be seen around Insomnia as well despite the fact that he shouldn’t set step inside lest he ends up creating chaos and confusion as to why he looks like Noct but is not actually him.

Daemon and Starscourge corruption 

Based on the end of the omen trailer, Omen has been infected by the Starscourge all along. Much like the gradual shift we see w/ Ardyn, his own transformation and corruption are slow and painful. What is immediately visible is that whenever he gets injured, he bleeds black. That is daemon blood or the Starscourge. What is even more obvious is the way his eyes seem to almost shine golden in certain lights altho it almost always gets attributed to the light playing tricks on the eyes. Next fingers become claws slowly but surely and his skin starts to darken. More and more until he’s nothing more but a hybrid between a vaguely humanoid shape and daemon. 

The worst of it happens during the ten years of darkness when his magic is entirely gone. He’s become more daemon than human so the gang stops hearing from him. Noctis goes into the crystal and then in theory things go right and he’s finally free from this cursed existence. I say in theory bc many loops have failed even w/ secured good ends. 

Runes

An addition that the Astrals have made to his appearance upon bringing him back to life is to imprint his back w/ runes which are living tattoos that scatter all over it. This was originally done to further signify the fact that he isn’t entirely human anymore ( he considers himself an anomaly / he’s actually part daemon ) but also to show his fate. When put together, the runes create what is known as the Web of Wyrd. 

When it comes to the Web, it is mainly about the destiny and fates. Actually, the Web of Wyrd represented the past, the present, and the upcoming future. It worked as a Viking reminder that the deeds in the past would affect the present and what we did at the present time would affect our future.

It is a constant and grim reminder of what his sole role in the world is -- to right the wrongs that he had no control over. 

[ryewi]

When I’m With You I’m In Utopia [Chapter 8]

Summary:  9 years ago, the world split in two halves, Utopia and Dystopia. One of the laws allows citizens of both worlds to visit the other once in their lifetime, for a whole week, after which, they’re forced to return home. If by any chance, they don’t return, a death punishment is sentenced. Jeon Jungkook, a citizen of Dystopia seemed to be desperate enough to challenge that exact law.

Genre: Utopia!au, Dystopia!au, fluff, angst, drama, to be added~~

Words: 1,6k

Warning: confrontation if you squint? is that even a  w a r n i n g  idk people can be anxious of confrontation

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Faith’s morning routine was never the same, although she tried to maintain a lame kind of a timeline, something always came up. Obviously, this time not being any different, instead of heading towards the kitchen, Faith’s feet carried her to a spare bedroom. There, under baby blue covers, laid a motionless Jungkook. He was shirtless, protruding collarbones throwing a low shadow down on to his neck. Jungkook’s arm was tightly wrapped with what seemed a thousand layers of gauze.  

Faith would’ve closed the door and left the other to sleep, only if his head hadn’t turned towards her, lips pulling up into a slight smile. The underside of his eyes puffed up and if they didn’t already look like crescent moons, they did now. Shortly, Jungkook was magnificent. His dark locks were all over the place, a few of them even standing up tall as if fixed with hairspray.

“Morning”  

It took a moment for her to realize Jungkook was the source of such a deep and groggy voice. With revelation evident on her face, Faith only nodded along, still stunned by this ideal human laying before her. Jungkook didn’t seem to mind since, he too, found the creature he’s currently looking at perfect.

Her thighs were covered by an oversized t-shirt, feet protected with a pair of fluffy slippers, little blue bears drawn on them. Hair thrown in a messy bun, face features soft and sleepy, gaze intoxicating. Faith was gorgeous.

“I-I’m going to prepare breakfast in a moment, you c-can take the bathroom while I do so” She said, stumbling over her own words when Jungkook sat up, a piece of toned abdomen showing. Choosing to escape the soon-to-be-awkward scene, Faith turned around, swiftly jogging towards the kitchen.  

The boy took his dear time, stretching and yawning, picking up a new outfit from the bag and walking towards Faith’s bathroom. When he passed by a small room Faith was in, he made sure to greet the other, just so he could see her blush slightly.  

While preparing a few baked egg boats, simple and quick breakfast, Faith took the time to finally wake up properly and recall yesterday events. Everything happened fairly quick, so it was only natural that it bugged one's mind. She couldn't really believe any piece of memory that appeared in her head, especially the feeling of Jungkook's lips on hers.

The kiss.

It was obvious that sooner or later, purposely or not, the topic was going to be brought up. Faith didn't know if she should be dreading that moment, or bring it up as fast as possible. It will end up one of many ways and it wasn’t guaranteed that any of them was the path she wanted to take.

In the midst of thinking, Jungkook managed to sneak behind her back, hands softly wrapping around the tender waist of the other. Faith jerked for a quick second, touch still foreign on her body.  

"The breakfast is rea-ready, please take a seat" Motioning towards a small six-chaired table beside them, Faith untangled Jungkook's arms that were representing a strong cage around an intoxicated animal. The male only nodded, walking the distance in three long strides, his legs now covered by a tight pair of skinny light blue jeans. Apart from the jeans, he wore a white shirt with yellow rolled up sleeves.  

Faith only sighed in content as she carefully placed the food on a big plate. Serving that, with two glasses and a few types of drinks, she sat down and began munching, numerous flavors exploding in her mouth. Jungkook was yet to try the first bite, as he seemed busy enough staring at a person next to him with calm eyes. Faith of course felt uncomfortable, being the center of attention never appealed to her.

"We need to talk" Jungkook blurted out, seemingly out of nowhere, sending a wave of anxiety to crash onto the smaller. She lowered down the piece of food in her hands, eyes now trained onto the man whose face suddenly expressed no emotion.  

"I do believe so too, you have the pleasure of speaking up first" Faith tried to play it off cool, using formal and educated form of speech with no apparent reason. To her sudden change of demeanor, Jungkook burst into a fit of giggles, his female companion once again experiencing confusion.

"You're adorable, but that's not what we're going to talk about" He began, smile still playing around on his lips. That comment made Faith relax slightly, sitting back comfortably on her wooden chair.

"I just feel like we need to clear up what happened yesterday and I don't mean to make thing's awkward" Faith appreciated the fact that Jungkook isn't a beat-around-the-bush person, he is straightforward and truthful, which she was thankful for. Listening to each word carefully, Faith watched the way his lips moved swiftly, how the pair of eyebrows lifted to emphasize certain parts of speech.

"The kiss, well, that's on you to explain, but we're honest with each other and it's already obvious that it wasn't a platonic action" He laughed and watched how her cheeks abruptly turned pink. She was adorable. "But I also feel like it was a heat of a moment thing, that it still needs time".

"If we really are," Jungkook paused, stretching awkward silence to its limits, searching for a proper term to voice out his thoughts, "compatible, then we shouldn't rush it like this".  

Faith kind of disagreed with what the other was talking about, feelings towards him being the main reason why he's still alive and breathing. It was only fair if she had some use of her cause, but Jungkook's distant explanation and ideas created a low opacity line between them.

That kind of behavior was a quick slap to Faith's face. An immediate thought flying in and she gave it only a moment to think about. What if he's only using me to survive through this?

Jungkook wouldn't do that, she thought, Kook isn't like that. Then again, a man like him had a reason to do so, not because he is Jeon Jungkook, but because he is a Dystopian. Dystopians would risk their all and this being a one in ten million chances, of course one would play it off just to survive. It's extremely reasonable and Faith spaced out, nodding while the other continued talking, not paying attention to any of his words. He wouldn't, would he?

Jungkook seemed to go on and on; between the lines Faith caught on to sentences like "it might still be too fast", "we should figure it out properly" and "focusing on not being killed is what's the most important". Whenever there were any suggestions, she shrugged with her shoulders, not really caring anymore, as the same question repeated on and on. It suffocated her, wrapped strong hands around Faith's brain and prevented it from working properly.

Just like the will for listening disappeared, Faith's appetite ran away with it too. She picked up the small porcelain plate, throwing away a piece of her breakfast. Jungkook scrunched up his eyebrows, analyzing swift movements of the other. Puffs of air and sighs that came out of her mouth, were an evidence of discomfort and annoyance, yet she wasn't sure what was their cause.

Was she really rushing stuff? Was she too greedy, wanting everything at once? Jungkook's diplomatic arguments were strong, but it also could've been an illusion created by this ex law student. Although there were many doubts within her way of acting too, Faith still continued to push her own logic.

People should work on their feelings for each other, not 'give it time'. Giving time to a certain kind of emotions could lead to them disappearing. You don't like someone to eventually walk up to them and say "hey stop acknowledging my fondness towards you, that'll help me fall in love".  

"What are your thoughts on that, do you agree?" Jungkook asked, curious about Faith’s answer to another one of the questions she didn’t care enough to listen to. He was now leaning against the table, hands crossed over his wide chest. Eyes fixed onto the other, he anticipated something that would approve his way of thinking.

"Actually, no I don't" Faith replied, voice strong and authoritative, taking the man by surprise, "how about that?"

Jungkook was obviously dumbfounded, the fact that his ideal scenario wasn't approved slightly bothering him. It was somewhat intriguing to find out why she wasn't positive of it. Jungkook quickly distanced himself from his previous location, caging the other between a black counter and his strong body. Faces approximately four inches away from each other, he tried again.

"What do you suggest to do then, darling?"  

Those few words were able to make Faith's heart a squish the instant they were voiced out loud. Jungkook‘s lips looked so kissable once again, pink and slightly parted, something that looked like a trace of a smirk decorating them. Yet the weak poison overlining darling served as a ringtone that woke her up.

Putting a palm on Jungkook's chest, she pushed him back, right eyebrow raised in exasperation.  

"Just because you take your feelings for granted, doesn’t mean you’re allowed to do the same to mine, darling”

Turning around and walking away, Faith made a beeline towards her room, stopping just a step away from the entrance to look back at the older. Jungkook was currently wide eyed, lips still parted, but this time because of a completely new reason. It was obvious that he didn’t expect anything similar to what he got in return to a fairly cocky remark. But it was probably what he deserved.

"Think about that and then we will talk again Jungkook"

AN: ATTENTION! I’m going to the seaside between 1-4am on Saturday (so, way too early), which means I won’t be able to update a new chapter before I go. I don’t have my writings on my phone so Utopia will be put on hold until I come back home. I’ll try to write new scenarios while I’m there, but they won’t be connected to When I’m with you I’m in Utopia. Ain’t No Time pt.2 maybe ;)?

[cxramel-cat]

Possession - Chapter 05

Chapter 01 ◾ Chapter 02 ◾ Chapter 03 ◾ Chapter 04 ◾ Chapter 05  

Other Sites: Archive Of Our Own | Wattpad

( INJUSTICE: GOD AMONG US VERSE ) 「one minute     one life change     one decision     one action 」 ��───────── ❝ Why? ❞

The question wavered through Kal’s mind. He threw away the corpse he was holding. His attention settled on the boy who had witnessed his every action. His original plan was to kill the young Bruce Wayne from existing in the future. Joe Chill was making Kal’s job easier. The man was going to do the dirty work for him.

He could change things back, to the way they were supposed to be. No deaths. No betrayal. No Batman.

It had been years since Kal dressed up as a civilian. He preferred appearing in public as Superman. After all, Clark Kent did not exist anymore. However, sometimes, disguising himself as an ordinary human could save him the troubles of being interrupted by the media.

It was an impulse decision. Kal passed by a cafe he used to frequent as Clark Kent, and suddenly, found he’d decided to bring a gift to Bruce. Every child loved desserts, even if they ended by growing into a bitter adult.

Kal took his time in choosing the pastries he wanted to buy. The mere sight of those finely decorated confections and freshly baked donuts reminded him of the child awaiting his return.

Bruce was a fan of pastries. And he loved the desserts of this store in particular. Kal knew because this was o the bakery to which he’d most often came as Clark Kent with the well-known billionaire, Bruce Wayne.

It had happened partly by design, and partially by coincidence. Bruce was a public figure. Thus, it is hard to find a place to have a meal together without causing a scene. This cafe was well-hidden in a less crowded district of Metropolis. Whenever the two of them went in the cafe, there were only ever one or two customers, people who wouldn’t make a fuss upon seeing the billionaire of Gotham appearing in their company. The place had always made Bruce feel comfortable. Not only that, but the man had loved the sinful Devil's Food Cake this restaurant place was known for.

They used to spend a lot of time eating in this cafe. The topics they talked about were always the same: their jobs and missions. Sometimes, it would also drift towards relationships and family.

Kal didn't want to remember those days. Anything that was related towards Batman, the Kryptonian just wanted to forget and let them be buried under his past.

He would replace those bittersweet memories with the wonderful time he was going to spend with the younger Bruce.

When Kal arrived, Bruce was sitting in the corner of the room. The boy was drawing on the paper with the crayons Kal had provided.

Picture books and drawing papers scattered on the floor. It pleased him. This morning, Diana had complained about the messiness of the room. She had also reprimanded Kal for providing Bruce with entertainment.

‘He is our prisoner, Kal. We don't have to keep him entertained.’

No, he isn't our prisoner. Kal wanted to deny Diana's statement. However, he knew his denial would cause the woman to grow suspicious. Thus, Kal had decided to ignore Diana's complaint.

Bruce isn't their prisoner, nor is he a threat; the boy is Kal's trump card in the future to destroy the Insurgency.

"Bruce." Kal sat next to the child. Gently, he pulled the crayon from those tiny fingers. "What are you drawing?"

Bruce tilted his head up. When his crayon is taken, the boy curls his lips into a pout. Kal chuckled at the reaction.

This child is the only person in this world who could frown at Kal without making him angry.

"I'm sorry." Kal tousled Bruce's hair. "I shouldn't have interrupted."

From the corner of his eye, Kal took a glance at Bruce's drawing. There are two stickmen doodled with black hair and smiley faces. One of the stickmen is taller than the other. Bruce had also drawn a red cape with an 'S' symbol on the taller stickman.

"Are you drawing us?" When the child nodded, Kal's smile grew wider. "How sweet of you, Bruce. Thank you."

It had been three months since he’d brought Bruce into this timeline. There was nothing strange happening towards the child. However, Bruce was deeply traumatized by the gunshot incident. Kal had received reports from his lead psychologist--the boy had been diagnosed with PTSD. His obvious separation anxiety identified as symptomatic of a deeper social or generalized anxiety disorder--- which answered why he was extremely clingy towards Kal.

The best child psychologists Kal could find all said the same thing: it could take months or even years for Bruce to recover. Decades.

Or never.

But none of that mattered to Kal.

Let him be desperate for my existence, He thought. Then he will never leave me. He will always stay by my side.

Batman was still haunted by the memories of his dead parents even in his mid-thirties. The man never walked out of his trauma; he had just learned how to cope with his mental illness by dressing as a bat vigilante and taking out his frustrations on the petty criminals in Gotham.

Kal would not let this child turn into the Batman he’d become once before Kal knew what he could do to make sure the boy could walk out of the darkness which would...which could swallow him one day. He just needed to make Bruce happy and keep him close to his side.

"Look what I brought home for you, Bruce." Kal gave the nicely wrapped box to the child. Upon seeing the gift, Bruce stopped pouting.

There are fruit tarts in the box. Freshly baked and decorated with sliced fruits, wafting the sweet scent of butter. Shiny and sweet.

The sight of the desert reminded Bruce of his butler. Suddenly, the boy realized that someone was worried about him. He hadn’t gone home for months, and he wondered if Alfred was searching for him.

'Starting from today, Alfred is part of our family.'

Bruce remembered how his father introduced the British man into his life. He might be their butler, but Alfred was always taking care of Bruce while his parents weren't around.

Alfred played with him, taught him table manners and read storybooks to him. The man is family, and Bruce felt guilty for forgetting about him.

"You are picking out your vegetables again, young Master Bruce."

The child tensed up at hearing the stern call. Slowly, Bruce looked over his shoulder, meeting Alfred's gaze.

"This is an order from Master Thomas, young Master. If you do not finish your vegetables, I cannot let you leave the dining table." The butler said with a sigh. "Please eat your broccoli, young Master. Or else, I might have to sneak some into the bread and cookies I bake.”

"But I hate it!" the child whined. His lips pursed into a pout. "It tastes bitter and clumpy! I won't eat it!" He threw down his fork and crossed his arms.

Alfred shook his head as he picked up the dropped fork. "If you don't eat your broccoli, I will have to forbid you from getting any dessert after this."

Bruce's scowl softened into pure shock. The boy's expression could break hearts. Bruce's bottled up frustration had vanished because of Alfred's words. Now, it was replaced with crushing regret.

"N-No cookies?"

"I am afraid so," Alfred replied, taking the plate. "I just baked a batch of chocolate-chip cookies filled with macadamia nuts. Unfortunately, you can't have a taste of it."

Hastily, Bruce tugged on Alfred's sleeve. "W-Wait! I’ll eat the broccoli! So please let me have my dessert..."

Alfred placed the plate down. "You have three minutes to finish them, young Master." Looking up at the grandfather clock, the butler began to silently count.

Bruce took a deep breath and began to bite into the broccoli. He chewed the vegetable with an appropriately disgusted face and sounds. When the last piece was stuffed into his mouth, the child drank down a glass of water in gulps to wash away the taste.

Now, the plate was clean. Alfred gave a satisfied nod to Bruce and took the plate away. Then, the butler came back with a basket filled with the promised cookies.

“ A man should always keep his bargains. Here you are, then.”

The child's face was painted in delight as Alfred handed one of the still-warm cookies to him. Taking a careful, neat bite, Bruce smiled in happiness.

Calloused fingers ran through his hair as Alfred patted his head. "I'm very proud of you, young Master Bruce."

"I heard from the nurse that you’ve been picking out your vegetables. That is not good manners, Bruce."

Kal tried to make his statement sound stern. He had plans of looking angry. But it was obliterated by the change in Bruce's expression. A  stiff chuckle escaped Kal’s lips.

Bruce pursed his lips. His brow furrowed, showing dissatisfaction. Kal couldn't stop himself from pinching the child's cheek lightly.

How could someone be so adorable that it melted his steel heart?

"Do you not like the meals prepared? I can tell the chef to make changes in the food, but you will still have to eat your vegetables."

Bruce shook his head. The meals didn’t bother him. They tasted normal. But something was missing. And Bruce knew what was lacking in the meals.

They tasted nothing like Alfred's cooking.

"I... miss my butler's cooking," Bruce confessed. "The food doesn’t taste the same in here, and I am starting to miss him. I haven't seen him in a long time."

The child looked up from the box of desserts and towards Kal. "After Mom and Dad, Alfred is the only family for me. And I... miss him badly..."

The look of sorrow intensified on Bruce's face. Kal's heart made a little twist when he saw the tears which formed in the boy's eyes.

"Would it make you happy...If I bring him to you?"

Bruce looked at Kal in disbelief.  Seeing the sincerity in the adult's gaze, the boy nodded. Bruce's eyes remained teary, but now, there was hope glimmering in them.

He trusted Kal wholeheartedly. The man never broke his promises.

"Would you finally smile for me? Will your crying stop?"

Kal craved the smile - the youthful, innocent and bright smile of the child. He had only seen it in the picture and Bruce had never smiled like that at him.

He didn't blame the child for being unhappy. The Regime members didn't like Bruce, and Kal could feel it too. It angered him because he had assured them that Bruce was harmless.

No one seemed to believe him.

Kal didn't want Bruce to turn bitter. He wanted his Bruce to look up at him and love him. He wanted the affection and loyalty which he couldn't get from the Batman who’d betrayed him.

"Kal ...?" Bruce lightly tugged Kal's pants. "Can you really bring Alfred to me?"

"It depends." Kal brushed his hand through Bruce's hair. "I could do it, only if you trust me, Bruce. For the sake of your happiness, I don't mind searching through the whole world for your happiness."

"I trust you!" The child's reply was instant. " Because you are my hero, Kal!"

Hero.

It had been a long time since someone called Kal as a hero. It sounded strange when it came from Bruce. But it still managed to make Kal smile.

"Thank you for trusting me. The fact that you believe I am your hero, it also makes me happy." Kal gently cupped Bruce's cheeks. His thumbs wiped the tears away. "Now, dry up your nose and enjoy the pastries. I promise to bring your family back by the time it is dinner. Okay?"

"Promise?"

"I promise."

To Bruce, this was an agreement of letting him reunite with his only family. But it was different for Kal. The Kryptonian saw the promise as a vow to always protect the boy's purity and adoration towards himself.

Alfred Pennyworth was preparing dinner when he heard a sonic bomb. The butler tensed up. He didn't have the time to progress what had just happened as a red-caped figure landed in front of him.

The symbolic crest 'S' is too familiar for the man to forget about the horror brought by the superhuman towards his family.

"Alfred Pennyworth," the name rolled off of Kal's tongue. A sinister smile curled on the corner of the Kryptonian's lips. "I have a request for you."

Before Alfred could press down the security button, Kal zoomed in. At the next second, everyone turned dark for the butler.

When Alfred regained his consciousness, he was facing a white cement floor. There was a pang of pain at the back of his head. Something tugged his wrist when he tried to lift his hand. Upon inspection, the man found metal shackles encircling both of his wrists.

"Mister Pennyworth, it is good to see you awake."

Alfred tensed at the cold, familiar voice. When he looked up, he saw Kal-El standing in front of him. The Kryptonian was smiling slyly at him.

Kal sat in front of Alfred. His eyes looked straight at the butler.

"Let's make a deal." His words were simple. Alfred could sense something dark in the Kryptonian's tone.

"Do I even have the right to say no?"

Kal stifled a laugh at the question. "Of course you have, Mister Pennyworth. But, I am sure you won't say so." The Kryptonian said it with confidence, which caused Alfred to raise an eyebrow in confusion.

"You see, I adopted a child recently. He requested your company. And I couldn't resist a request from that kid. So, I decided to hire you as my babysitter."

Many questions bubbled up in Alfred's mind. He didn't understand the reason why Kal isn't killing him. To make the situation more confusing, who was this child which Kal adopted and requested his care?

Alfred didn't realize how long they had been walking. However, he could sense that Kal didn't want the others to notice his movement. The Kryptonian was glancing back and forth to make sure no one saw him. But then, suddenly, he stopped in front of a door.

"Uncuff him," Kal ordered to the guard. It made Alfred even more confused as the Kryptonian fixed his collar.

"We don't want our little guest to get scared at the sight of you being dragged around like a dog on the leash." From his pocket, Kal took out a pair of digital bracelets. He cuffed them on Alfred's wrists.

"However, this is a reminder that you shouldn't, in any way, attempt  to escape."

Kal tugged down Alfred's sleeves, covering the cuffs. Then, he gave a sinister smile. "You won't want to lose your hands, right?"

Alfred ignored the menacing question. There are no advantages in trying to fight back against Kal. Especially when his own life was being threatened. At this moment, Alfred is more curious about the child he is going to meet.

Kal turned over to let the sensor device scan through his feature. With his identity confirmed, the door slid open.

The child sat on the floor playing with his toy. He looked up.

And at that moment, Alfred's heart skipped a beat.

In the beginning, the child could barely recognize the elderly man in front of him. Alfred looked older than Bruce remembered. But the boy brushed his confusion away. The fact that Kal had really achieved his promise, it made a smile light on Bruce's face. He dropped the toy in hand, then ran forward and wrapped his arms around his butler's legs.

"Alfred! I am so happy to see you!"

The elderly man hesitated to return the embrace. He wondered if this was a sick trick which Kal decided to play on him. He wondered if he was hallucinating under the effects of some drugs.

But, he knew this was real.

The child who crushed him in an embrace had a heart which beat rapidly. He also had a smile as pure and real as the boy Alfred had raised up. Alfred could also recognize the beautiful pair of blue eyes, inherited from the Wayne bloodline.

Everything was too real.

Reluctantly, Alfred wrapped his arms around the child's smaller figure, returning the hug. However, as the child made himself comfortable in his arms, Alfred turned his gaze towards Kal.

How could you? What are you planning to do?

The questions wavered in Alfred's eyes. Kal ignored the glare as he turned his attention towards Bruce.

It’s the first time  Bruce has smiled. Kal couldn't be more proud of himself.

"I told you, didn't I?" He pinched the child's cheek lightly. "I told you I would fulfill your dream. I never break promises, Bruce."

Alfred tried to keep Bruce away from Kal's hold. It was impossible—when the child loosened his grasp from Alfred, he welcomed Kal's affection with a tight embrace.

"Thank you, Kal!" Bruce buried his face in the Kryptonian's throat. His arms wrapped tight around Kal's neck and he couldn't stop his wide smile.

This is what he had been wanting.

Bruce smiling from the bottom of his heart. Bruce showing his adoration towards him. Bruce displaying his affection towards him without any attempt at rejection.

"As long as you are happy, I am more than thankful for it." Kal tousled the child's hair.

How was it possible to fall in love with someone so easily?

He should not be capable of having such feeling. Especially not after Lois's death. Kal had thought the part of his soul was destroyed forever.

It had only been a few months since Bruce came into his life. Still, every moment had burned itself in his memory.

The loneliness and desolation in Bruce's eyes when they met matched his own feelings. The terror when he took the boy back from the alleyways that night. The surprise and relief when the boy realized Kal wasn’t abandoning him.

Kal also remembered seeing Bruce's reassurance whenever he came back.

He had so many plans to make the boy smile again. He would do anything to see Bruce laugh like the innocent he once was. He would never let the boy become the dark vigilante he was today.

This time, he had made things right.

To be continued.

[scrlvts-blog]

hi my dudes, i’m taylor and it’s been one hell of a day, i’m incredibly stoked that there was a spot here for my girl because oc hollywood roleplays like these are my brand. beneath the cut is a little bit more about my baby scar, feel free to like this post for me to appear in your ims for plots or hmu, i’m ready to jump in and start interacting w/ all you beautiful, beautiful people ! 

( SELENA GOMEZ | SHE/HER, CISFEMALE ) quick, snap a picture that’s SCARLET CARRILLO coming this way. you know the TWENTY-FIVE year old SINGER/SONGWRITER that sounds exactly like KESHA. in interviews SHE always comes off as SAGACIOUS and PEDANTIC, but every time gossip is covered by GLC, SHE is painted as MERCURIAL and RECALCITRANT. GLC is always referring to HER as the BYZANTINE. the last story they did on HER was about BEING SPOTTED AT A CLUB POST-REHAB, but they’d have a field day if they knew that SHE WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR A GIRL OVERDOSING AT ONE OF HER PARTIES. i hope no one finds out because crowned just might drop any artist with too much drama.

scarlet was born and raised in nashville, it was just her and her mother growing up. her mother’s dream had always been to work in music but when she’d gotten pregnant with scarlet, it was no longer in the cards for her and she couldn’t take the chance waiting on a dream when she had a daughter to raise? but they stayed in nashville because her mom couldn’t bear to leave the city of her dreams (compromise, lmao) so her mom worked a couple of jobs to balance things and while they weren’t off the greatest they could’ve been financially, scarlet had a relatively happy childhood

she’d spent countless hours hanging out at the bar her mom worked at as a child since they couldn’t afford a babysitter or a program and the manager had okayed it (mostly bc scarlet’s mom was sleeping w him on the side), reading books and listening to music or the live bands that would play and she very quickly fell in love with words and music

during her school years, she was the odd man out — most kids didn’t like her if only for the fact that they thought she was weird and brash, which she was, no doubt, and while scarlet (and her mother) tried to convince her that she didn’t mind being cast out, it certainly bothered her

she suffers from pretty severe anxiety and depression, and her coping mechanism was without a doubt music ; melodies and hooks were her specialty, and she liked writing songs that encapsulated a party vibe? they were happy, dance-y songs that made her feel better whenever she heard them and she figured that even though it wasn’t “serious” music, it was music that made her want to get up and dance and allowed her to forget about her problems since it made her happy when she heard it, and that was the kind of music she liked to make, she wanted to share that with the world

spring break, her senior year, she and some of the kids she’d managed to make friends with (all of them were older because, again, scarlet spent her time in fucking seedy bars or roaming around nashville doing as she pleased — her mom trusted her enough to let her be Independent) road-tripped all the way to los angeles and while they were there and stoned, they dared scarlet to submit a demo to one of the massive record labels as a joke

never one to turn down a dare (because bby just wanted for them to continue to accept her bless) she did it, recorded a few songs while she was still high and they dropped it off at crowned records and to their surprise, they liked it for some reason? and they wanted her on the label??? because she brought something different to the table????

when she and her mom found out, they danced around their living room and her mom let her “drink for the first time”

the label liked what she was pitching song-wise, but they weren’t crazy about the way she was recording her songs for a little while?? scarlet has a gr8, incredibly unique voice and she can sing but for whatever reason, they didn’t want that out of her?? like, she wound up selling a lot of her songs off to other artists even though she didn’t want to pass them off (kesha’s unreleaseds are a blessing) and she kinda got frustrated, yelled at a producer and mockingly did the same voice she’d done in the demos kind of as a middle-finger to him and they were like YES there’s our girl!!

so yep that’s where the "accent” comes in in all of her early songs, it was because her label really wanted to cash in on the fact there wasn’t really anyone in the industry like her and she’s wasn’t...crazy about it, but she knew why she was making music and figured this was just a means to an end, didn’t matter all that much to her

stage-wise, she’s known as scarlet, no second names attached (and yes, there was a pitch meeting about $carlet but she was like fuck no)

album-wise, scarlet has released animal (nineteen), cannibal (twenty-one), and warrior (twenty-three), and now she’s in the beginning of stages of working on her fourth album (rainbow) and that’s going...interestingly, will touch on this in a Mo

not only did scarlet release party music, she literally was the party queen of hollywood - no one thought her habits were normal or healthy by any means, since the paparazzi would spot her usually twice a week at a party (she got very good at evading them and usually went to more during the week) and parties were kind of an extension of her music to her — she’d go to a party, drink, dance, maybe get her hands on a drug or two, and have a good time and it would put a band-aid over a bullet hole, so to speak

and the more exposure her music got, the more famous she got, the more partying she did — she didn’t like the “fame” aspect of making music but she liked the ins she got, the stuff she was able to get away with because she was who she was (pun totally not intended but at the same time, so intended lmao) and she got pretty hooked on cocaine for awhile

the making of her warrior album was just a trainwreck, she was literally coming apart at the seams (this was roughly a year and a half ago, timeline-wise) and arriving to all her sessions completely stoned, she was just a mess and she wasn’t willing to admit she needed help, she thought she really had things handled

there were a few interventions between her team, the label, her family, and scarlet gave them all a big Fuck You and kept going about her business, the album came out, la la la, she was getting ready to start planning for the tour and then at one of the parties she threw, things went south really fast — basically, some groupie was there and scarlet encouraged her to do cocaine and it went wrong, it was a perfect disaster and the girl ended up od’ing and scarlet literally had a panic attack when she found her

the place went on lockdown after ; once her management got in there it was decided that everyone would be in agreement, the party had never happened and the girl hadn’t gotten anything from scarlet (this was followed by a hefty pay-off to make sure all loose ends were tied up, since the girl did pass away) and because it scared scarlet so badly, she was finally willing to go to rehab and so two days later, she was off the grid

she definitely took advantage of being in rehab and kinda prolonged her stay there by her own choice? she was diagnosed w bipolar disorder, learned how to deal with it and kick her addictions and really believed she was making progress, and as time went on she realized that she was doing well in this place and was able to express herself creatively and she didn’t have any of the added pressures of fame on her back so like why tf would she wanna leave?? she got a lot off her chest while she was there and leaving kinda scared her, so she just...chilled until she literally had to give up her bed, the total length of her stay rounding out at like thirteen, fourteen months

she’s been out of rehab for roughly six months and is definitely staying much more low-key than she had ; she doesn’t go to many parties any more unless they’re for friends which, she doesn’t have too many real friends in her corner since most of them only liked her when she was Party Queen and when she does, she sits in the back and literally pulls out a keyboard app on her phone and writes melodies, she’s just not interested in it anymore??

she wants to be taken seriously in music now and that’s why she’s having trouble moving forward with her fourth album, the label wants her to ofc keep up with the dance/party music but she really doesn’t feel like that’s her anymore?? she’s like, pulling her hair out at this point because she doesn’t feel like anyone’s listening to her, and she knows people really don’t think of her as a legitimate singer but....she can? and she wants to prove that? so yeah

personality wise scarlet is very go with the flow; she’s incredibly smart and detail-oriented, a hella perfectionist and she’s the kind of person who just says what she means and doesn’t really care if it comes out wrong. has a weird sense of humor and really just loves to dance in her underwear, meditate (oh my GOD she loves meditation, got hooked on it in rehab and dedicates a good chunk of her day to meditation) and enjoy the little things in life? she’s got a better appreciation for it now

is hella stubborn, it’s like arguing with a brick wall and she’s like walking on a landmine, any little thing will set her off. she knows what she wants and if you’re in the way of it, sorrryyyy. kitty’s got claws and she’ll use them without hesitation

is openly bisexual

is just trying to maintain her sobriety and keep in a good mental place while in the lion’s den lmao

connection wise i want all the things, i’ll put a legit serious page up l8r 

give me friends who just used scarlet for her parties and are kinda...yknow towards her, give me True Friends (by hannah montana) who stuck w her in rehab or got to know her while she was in rehab and know the real her, give me someone who she sold a song she loved dearly to that did very well on the charts and she’s still highkey bitter about it, give me exes of ANY NATURE, give me “we bicker all the time but we’ve got mad sexual tension going on and lowkey enjoying going back and forth”, give me people who don’t like her for whatever reason, give me people who believe in her and people who don’t, give me literally anything you want okay?? okay