#poor boy just didn't get enough sleep after the night full of nightmares...

[celestialowlryx]

bonus:

[glamoureddreamer]

Halloween Nightmares

Spooky month (Kevin x Streber)

Warnings: ptsd, anxiety, bad dreams- this takes place after episode tender treats (please let me know if I’ve missed anything)

Thank you everyone! I hope you all have a fantastic day and a great night!

Kevin sighs happily cuddling his boyfriend. His face was pressed up against his messy bed head. He could smell his boyfriends deep scent, it put him at ease.

Kevin was fully aware Streber was in a deep sleep, the poor boy probably needed it. The last few months had started hard and only slowly got better, things still weren't close to where they had been but Kevin loves him with all of his heart and would always be there for him.

Kevin places a kiss on top of Streber's head pulling away so he could gently peck his lips. Kevin gets out of bed being very careful to not wake Streber up.

Even though it had been months after the incident he still needed to recover.

Kevin slowly makes his way into the kitchen and makes himself some coffee, while making Streber some hot coco.

~~~

Streber's eyes snap open, he woke up in a cold sweat. He was cold, he could already tell today wasn't going to be a happy one.

He had a nightmare that Kevin was the one who had gone through what he had. He sighs and grabs his fluffy hair tugging on it lightly.  He turns his head to where Kevin always laid- but he wasn't there.

Panic hits Streber like a bus, he sighs shakily as he tries to calm himself. 

"It's okay, he's probably just in the bathroom or something." He whispers to himself over and over again. He shakily gets out of their shared bed and leaves their bedroom. He felt sick as his mind flashes over some of the scenes. 

Streber starts to panic and runs down the hall. He runs into the bathroom, not there. He runs into the kitchen, he felt a panic attack coming on but he pushed it down needing to find Kevin.

He stops and freezes once his eyes land on Kevin. Kevin looked fine other than his constant tired look that never seemed to go away no matter how much he slept.

Streber's breaths catch in his throat, tears filling his eyes.

"Streber?" He doesn't answer, Streber just sits on the floor against the cabinets. The panic attack was now in full motion. 

"Streber." Kevin sits next to his boyfriend and gently touches his hand, Streber jumps but doesn't pull away.

Kevin gently pulls him into a hug, giving him enough time to pull away if he didn't want to be touched. Streber shakes and sobs into Kevin's chest, he clutches his shirt with his good hand.

"I-..Kev-Kevin-" he chokes out, Kevin shushes him gently and rubs his back with one hand. With his other he gently runs his fingers through his hair.

"It's okay, Streber I'm right here. Take as much time as you need to calm down." 

Kevin whispers sweet nothings into the younger males ear as he slowly starts to calm down.

"...I'm sorry.." Streber whispers against Kevin's chest.

"No sweetheart don't be, I know that it's hard. I don't blame you." Kevin pulls Streber's head away from his chest and kisses his lips gently. Then pecking all over his face to try and cheer him up.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Streber hesitates.

"You don't have to sweetheart." Streber shakes his head.

"No I should- it'll help if I get it off my chest." Kevin rubs his back gently as Streber finds the strength to say what happened.

"I dreamed about what happened again..." he pauses, he wished that covering his eyes like a child would make the nightmares go away but it only made them worse.

"...but Instead of me getting hurt.... It was..it was you." He whimpers the last part, he clings onto Kevin again like his life depended on it.

"Sweetheart- hey it's okay." Kevin says sweetly.

"Streber baby, it's okay come back to me." 

"Streber... it's okay sweetheart I'm right here, nothing happened to me okay? Nothing will happen to us ever again okay? I'm not going to let it."

Streber slowly calms down once again with Kevin's help. The small boy looks up with tears in his eyes.

"You promise?"

"Of course I promise." Kevin leans in and kisses the rest of Streber's tears away.

They sit there for awhile until Streber is ready to get up and semi- face the world. Kevin of course helps him up. 

"How about this, I call off work today and we just relax today? How does that sound."

"Really nice." Streber softly smiles, Kevin smiles back.

"Great. Do you want to go start a movie while I heat up our drinks? And get some snacks?"

Streber looks down a bit pink holding onto Kevin's arm.

"No, I don't really want to leave you." He shakes his head. Kevin smiles and kisses the top of his head.

"That's okay sweetheart, want to help me then?" Streber nods with a small smile.

Kevin chuckles warmly, "Your so cute."

Streber proceed to have a great rest of the day  with his boyfriend.

[strangecowplant]

UPDATE

sorry for the late update i needed to get some food in me after all this and just breathe, i hadn't eaten anything all day or slept more than a few hours for days im absolutely shattered

Teddy is at the vet, currently coming off the anaesthesia as we speak and its all thanks to you incredible people for helping me more than I could've ever imagined! I have no idea what state he would be in right now if not for you all, neither would I know my own state for that matter, and I truly truly don't know how I could ever show the magnitude of my appreciation. My mom and I both are so grateful and love all you kind souls more than you know ❤️

He'll be staying overnight being watched by his vet and have his catheter in all night long, I did mention I would like to have it in as long as possible/they deem necessary just to try and get everything out, I want that boy FLUSHED. I'll get a call in the morning for an update on how he is post sedation grogginess.

I talked through the first estimate with them fully, he didn't need the pain killer injection thankfully, and didn't need the iv either which came as a pleasant surprise as he's hydrated enough right now to use a less invasive medication (which I'm thankful for not only price wise but his poor arm is already bruised from the last one) So far the estimate for today is almost $600 (I'm a dumbass and forgot to ask for a copy of the first est, too much on my mind but I'll update with the full bill once I get it) tomorrow will be talks of any need for iv, longer hospital stay, additional care and prescription food to hopefully help prevent this from happening again. My vet also wants an eventual second urinalysis in a few weeks/month to check his glucose levels, he had some in his lab results but it was likely stress related. He's very young and healthy, minus this event, so its unlikely he's diabetic but they would like to check it out and I'd also like that piece of mind for his sake

Once again, none of this could've happened without you all, its actually hard to even believe this is real. From the bottom of my heart, thank you ❤️ Let's hope this is the last of this nightmare and he's free from complications, and hope this is the last emergency he or any of my babies go through!

I'll update again tomorrow but for now heres some baby!teddy tax feat his brother Alistair before I go and get some much needed sleep

please help me pay my kitties emergency vet bill!

ive never done this before but one of my cats just had to get an extremely sudden emergency procedure and i don't know what to do, my vet and i have reached out to a couple incredible programs here to help with the bill but one is less than half and the other hasn't replied back yet, i've already declined the blood work (CA$356) to lower the bill at the risk of possible underlying liver and kidney issues not being found but its still a monumental amount for us right now. i just feel so helpless

we had enough to pay the minimum deposit to get the procedure started in time thankfully, but we were already scraping by as it is and now we're in desperate need of funds to eat/pay rent/pay off any remainder of the bill. i am disabled without aid and have been unable to work/haven't worked since 2015 but am on track to hopefully start working pt this fall. i live with my mom who has 3-4 jobs including one seasonal job which needless to say is stressful and wearing her down. we unfortunately are stuck in the most expensive place to live in canada with the inability to save up to flee so the cycle is never ending.

this is Teddy, my typically very silly vocal happy boy who's not quite 2 yet, my comfort king, my little muffin who acts like a weighted blanket for me at night and eases my anxiety, his favourite toy is his pink unicorn poof, he loves car rides and he can shake paw!

he got a sudden urinary blockage last night with no straight answer as to why and progressively got worse as the night went on, i didnt sleep at all, i was panicking and bawling, naturally, and raced to the vet to get in as soon as the door opened. i assumed it was a uti which wouldn't have been as costly, but it turned out to be much more severe and life threatening. i never expected my usually extremely healthy boy to suddenly be at risk of that and im still trying to just process whats been happening

he needed to be sedated and given a catheter and some medication, the total bill came to CA$985.62, of which we were barely able to pay 500 of, and one program was able to donate 300 leaving a total of CA$185.62 for the bill. this, of course, leaves us scrambling for food and rent as well

i know there are a lot of fundraisers out there needing donations right now, and i really hate letting myself be so open and raw like this but even a dollar would help tremendously and i would be forever grateful for any help whatsoever, even a rb to signal boost is greatly appreciated <3

TLDR; my cat had a sudden life threatening issue and now we can't pay the full vet bill or pay for food/rent

Paypal

[rowanaelinn]

Safe Place

rowaelin month day four : librairies @rowaelinscourt

warning: not descriptive nsfw content

Rowan Whitethorn Galathynius could be described as a calm male. Out of all his companions, he probably was the one with the most self-control and he thanked the Gods for it every time one of his friends said something stupid.

However, it didn’t apply when his wife was concerned. Around Aelin, Rowan’s self-control seemed to vanish. She had the ability to get him angry, to become a blushing mess or a soft idiot with just one sentence. There was no control around his mate and it was one of the reasons he loved her.

But when he woke up in the middle of the night to an empty bed, Rowan lost the little human part he had in himself. Rowan lost all control the moment he smelled a lingering scent of fear. Her fear.

Has she been taken again?

Has it all been a dream? Had he not got her back?

In a second, Rowan was standing, knives at the ready around his waist. He would fight to get her back if he had to. Not having Aelin by his side made him feel like all the air in the world was gone.

Rowan wanted to yell at himself for falling asleep, he should have protected her.

In all the times her Fireheart was in danger, Rowan was never there to protect her. What a poor excuse of a husband and mate he was. He still didn't know why his queen was keeping him and hadn't already thrown him out. He was useless. Completely useless.

He kept complaining because of the royal duties, kept saying he liked being a prince just fine because it didn’t bring him any mess. His only role as King Consort, mate, and husband was to protect Aelin and he had shown the world how bad he was at it. Multiple times.

She wasn’t okay, he could feel her sadness from her side of the bond. Rowan felt like a prick for being relieved at the feeling of her emotions just because it meant she was still alive and not in a damn iron coffin that blocked every chance for them to communicate.

First, he came out of the royal apartments, following Aelin’s faint scent. She had become so damn good at hiding herself with her magic, a trick Fenrys taught all of them. It was a useful skill to have, Rowan was relieved most of the time no one could track her with her scent but he wasn’t tonight. Not when he needed to see her.

Thankfully with Aelin’s condition lately, her scent was stronger which meant she couldn’t cover up all of it. He refused to imagine she had been taken away until he had searched the entire castle twice. She had to be here, somewhere.

He went first to the kitchen, hoping to find her behind the counter, a plate with chocolate cake in front of her. She would look up, fork still in mouth and she would smile guiltily at him. She would apologize, saying she was always so hungry lately and he would shake it off, taking another fork and join her even if he hated cake. Just to show her she wasn’t alone.

But when he opened the door, the kitchen was empty, making Rowan’s heart clench.

Next, he went to the throne room, hoping to find her sitting on her throne, a sad smile on her face she would try to conceal with a smirk. He would ask her what she was doing here and she would tell him she needed to be alone and to feel in power, and what better than her throne to make her feel powerful? But this room was empty too, and Rowan’s heart crushed a little further.

Maybe she was in the inside cemetery, kneeling between both her parent’s graves. She would look up at him and wouldn’t try to hide her tears. She would have a smile on her face, telling him she needed to feel close to them. To be between the two of them without waking up with blood everywhere. Rowan would nod and sit behind her, letting her rest her back on his chest and he would let her cry bringing her all the comfort she needed. But she wasn’t here, and Rowan didn’t know where to look for her now.

If they were in Rifthold, he would probably think she was speaking to either Sam or Nehemia, telling both of them everything about what happened in their court since the last time she spoke to them.

But they weren’t in Adarlan so it left only one place where she could be. His walk to the library was slow, slower than he wished. He could just shift and fly instead of taking all the stairs but if she was there she would make fun of him for it, she had enough to tease him already.

When he arrived at the library, as always, he was dazzled by the splendor of the room. The last time the librarians counted, Aelin and Rowan owned three hundred thousand books and that was a decade ago, just after the construction work was finished.

Aelin had cried and laughed and smiled for hours when she first saw it, walking through all the sections to see every book, then made love to Rowan on the floor, more tenderly than they were both used to, to thank him.

As if seized by a frenzy, Rowan walked like a mad man through the library to find her. He regretted giving her something so big, having to look at every fucking row. There were so many places to hide.

After what seemed like hours, Roan saw familiar blonde hair. He let a sob come out in relief. She wasn't gone. There was no Valg Queen that had pulled her away from Rowan, no, his Fireheart was just sitting on a couch that looked very comfortable, six pillows behind her back.

"Rowan?" She asked, raising her eyes full of concern. "Is everything okay?" Her eyebrows were furrowed.

Instead of answering, he rushed to her side, falling onto her lap to be on the same level as her and scanning her entire body to make sure she was okay and truly in front of him.

His eyes fell on a small scar on her right knee, a scar she had made during one of their training sessions. He remembered kissing the mark every night for weeks when he noticed it after enjoying his wife's goddess body. He hadn't noticed that she was injured during their workout and he felt terrible about it.

Aelin kept telling him he was fussing, but he knew deep down she liked it. She loved to be cherished and protected. He dropped his head to her lap, unable to fight a sob. She put her book aside, sitting straighter and one of her hands found her way in his hair. Rowan hated himself for the tears streaming down his face as he looked up at her, he hated himself even more for the look of agony on his mate’s face.

“Speak to me, please.” She begged him, her hand still playing in his hair.

He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice even and strong but he couldn’t. “I thought you were gone.” He breathed deeply, trying to calm down and focusing on where he touched her, his hands and arms on her legs. “I woke up to an empty bed and your fearful scent and I panicked.”

“I’m not going anywhere, Rowan.”

“You weren’t supposed to go anywhere either last time but you still did.” He hated the poisonous words the moment they felt his mouth but his mate didn’t seem hurt, knowing anger was his way to cope.  “I’m sorry,” He hid his face on her leg, not wanting to see her hurt face.

“Don’t be,” Was the only thing she said as she kept stroking his hair. She was too good to him, she had always been. She had known so much pain her entire life but she was still an amazing person, Rowan didn’t know how much strength it must take her. The Gods knew Rowan lacked that particular strength when the time had come, he had turned into the worst version of himself. He admired his Fireheart.

After a moment, Rowan looked back at her and she smiled, his entire world brightened at this. She was okay, she was right here with him. She was safe.

“How are you?” He asked, feeling selfish for crying when she was the one who had a nightmare.

“We’re both okay, Rowan.” She reassured him as her free hand came to rest on her slightly rounded belly. Rowan’s heart swelled at the sight, he still couldn’t believe it. After years, decades, of trying Azlin was pregnant. She had been glowing for the past four months, even if she said otherwise.

“Is she still kicking?” He asked, one of his hands joining Aelin’s.

“Your son is restless, I hope you slept enough in your life because he’s not going to let us sleep much once he’s here.”

Both Aelin and him had a divergence of opinion on their baby’s sex. Aelin was sure it was a boy, whereas Rowan believed it was a girl. A girl had been their oldest in the vision he had for months when Aelin was gone. It had been too realistic to be a dream, had felt too real.

Yrene knew and had asked them if they wanted to know, but both of them agreed they wanted to keep it secret. They had too many surprises in their lives and none of them had been good, but this one would be. No more surprises unless it’s a good one.

“She’ll be worth every sleepless night.” His lips turned into a smile at the idea of a little Aelin and Rowan.

Aelin snorted. “Wait until you have to change diapers.”

At that, Rowan laughed, soon followed by Aelin. When he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes, his smile faded. “What did you dream of?” He asked, needing to know why his wife had left their room after a nightmare instead of waking him up.

She lost her smile too, her body tenser than moments ago. “Nothing important.”

“Please, tell me.”

She took a deep breath and some time to answer. Rowan didn’t mind, he’d give her eternity if she needed as long as he knew what troubled his wife. He got up, lifted Aelin's legs so he could sit next to her, and then rested her legs on his while he caressed her thighs in comfort. “I was you.”

“With Maeve?”

She shook her head making his confusion grow. She had already told him about nightmares of him being taken on that beach, of him being whipped and tortured for months. He had held her as she cried, as she told him the pain of losing him would have been so much more than the pain she experienced all these months away from him.

“In Arobynn’s cave.” She whispered as tears pooled in her eyes. He wouldn’t take her in his arms, he would wait for her to do it first, no need to overwhelm her. “With your eyes missing, whole body destroyed and a cold body.”

Oh.

Oh.

“Fireheart…”

“Have you ever dreamed of me like that?” She asked and he knew she didn’t mean just dreams of her, dead.

“I did.” He admitted, his heart beating faster at the thought of it. “First in Wendlyn, when you left for Rifthold. Every time I closed my eyes I lived the day I found Lyria over and over again. But it wasn’t her small body that I saw, it was yours. It haunted me for months.” He took a deep breath, controlling his emotions. Aelin was crying, she didn’t need someone else to become a wreck. “Then when you told me you were pregnant, it started again.”

It happened more than he wanted to admit. He knew it wouldn’t happen, it was impossible, but he still could see her dead body in front of his destroyed mountain home.

Aelin didn’t say anything but she straddled him, his hands finding her waist as her fingers slipped through his hair. Her forehead came to rest on his as they both closed their eyes, enjoying each other’s company. “Why didn’t you wake me up?”

His hand stroked her back, his fingers drawing the lines of his tattoo he knew by heart now. Every part of her body was written in his mind. “You were sleeping so peacefully, I know it’s rare lately.” Her warm hand cupped his cheek and he sighed in her embrace. “Whenever I don’t feel okay and you’re not around, I come here.”

“The library?”

“Or the theater if I feel like walking.” Which wasn’t a lot lately, his wife’s pregnancy was taking her so much energy they didn’t go to the theater in months. She was always so tired or in pain, he knew she missed it. “Whenever I’m here, I feel so close to you, as if part of your soul was here between these walls.”

His heart clenched at it, he lifted up his head, his lips settled gently on hers. He kissed her languidly, generously, putting as much love and passion as he could. He loved her so much he felt like dying. He would die without her.

Slowly, she began to unbutton his shirt, her tongue continuing to play with Rowan's. The kiss turned from passionate to needy. He needed the reassurance she was here, she was with him, and his mate knew it.

In a matter of moments, Rowan was shirtless and had pulled her nightgown over her head, revealing her naked body. Aelin had gained weight in the years since the war, her body that had once been too thin was now full. She had had a hard time adjusting, she had been starving most of her life. Even during her years with Arobynn, she was always under a strict diet to stay the best. She had never been in a stable enough place for her to thrive.

So when her flat stomach rounded out, thighs grew and cheeks filled out, it was a shock. Rowan had been there to worship her body day and night, reminding her that she was just living, and seeing her happy was the most beautiful thing Rowan had ever seen.

One of Rowan’s hands was teasing Aelin’s sensitive nipple, tearing little cries out of her perfect, delicate, lips. Her hands undid his buckle quickly as Rowan lifted his hips to slide his pants and underwear down, freeing his hard member.

Aelin didn’t waste time before taking him, her hand around him applying just the right amount of pressure. His hand slipped between her legs, directly finding her wet and warm entrance. They moaned together as Aelin’s hand movement quickened and Rowan plunged two fingers in her warmth, hitting that spot inside of her that made her scream every time.

As good as it was, Rowan craved something else, so when he groaned Aelin understood. He pulled out his fingers, bringing them to his mouth to taste her. No matter how many years had passed since the first time, Rowan kept being surprised at how good she tasted. He moaned around his fingers as Aelin teased her entrance with his erection before sinking down, making both of their heads drop back.

Being inside of her had always felt so good, had always felt so right, as if he had been born just to do this. Her belly prevented their chests from touching but Rowan didn’t mind as he ran his hands on every inch of her skin as she started moving.

Aelin kept bouncing slowly on top of him, taking her time as she chased her pleasure, and once again Rowan realized how much he loved her. His Fireheart, his mate, his wife, and his best friend.

He loved her so damn much and he told her so, repeated it over and over again as they both fell over the edge, gripping the other’s skin as they reached the peak of pleasure.

They were both breathless as he lifted her up, pulling out of her and he used his shirt to clean her up. He didn’t want to get dressed not yet, anyway. He lied on his side, tucking his Fireheart next to him. That way, every inch of his front could touch her back. One of his hands came to rest on her belly as he took her book, opening it to where she had left a bookmark.

“What are you doing?” She asked him, her voice sleepy. He used his magic to extinguish most of the candles in the bookstore, leaving only the ones behind him lit to give him some light. "Shhh." He said softly into her ear, moving slightly to be more comfortable, and pulled her even closer to him. "You don't have to come back to reality now."  He told her then began to read her book aloud.

He couldn’t see her but deep down, he left her smile as she put her hand against his, both of them holding their baby as they hugged each other.

Aelin fell asleep quickly but Rowan didn’t stop reading, even if after many hours his voice became hoarse and his throat hurt. But if his Fireheart heard him maybe she would know he was still here, even in her sleep.

—————

@sheharahu // @morganofthewildfire // @thestoriesyoutell // @fromthelibraryofemilyj // @swankii-art-teacher // @itsforeverinnocent-blog // @becarefuloflove // @imnotsogoodatthis // @rowaelinismyotp // @a-court-of-milkandhoney // @feysand-loml // @surielandiareendgame // @live-the-fangirl-life // @story-scribbler // @loves-books // @fangirlprincess09 // @theysayitscrazy

[missymurphy1985]

The Return

It's been 2 years since you were last in Dublin. 2 years since you up and left without warning, saying goodbye to your life there and restarting somewhere completely new. Sometimes, you have to go backwards in order to move forwards.

Requested by @noctvrnalmoth I hope you like it!

*Featuring Jim from the Delinquent Season*

Stepping off the train into the platform, you sighed. It all looked the same, and yet so different. Pulling the buggy open, you gently strapped your sleeping son in and made your way to the taxi rank, your suitcase trailing behind you. A kind lady helped you with your bags and waited with you for an available taxi.

"You look like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders there, are you okay?" She sat next to you on the bench as your son murmured adorably in his sleep. "Sorry, I don't mean to pry..."

"No don't be sorry.. just been a long time since I came back here is all. Few loose ends to tie up." You glanced at your son's sleepy features as his eyes started to open. Beautiful, ocean blue eyes alongside his dark hair, growing more every day... The memories of that night flooding back before you took a large gulp of water from the bottle in your bag, forcing them back down. You'd done so well... 2 years and you'd built a new life in London. New friends, amazing new job allowing you to put that degree in marketing to good use - you were finally making a complete fresh start. But the secrets you had buried deep inside kept coming to the surface the more your son grew. He deserved to know his roots, who his father was, you knew that, but you couldn't do it.

Choking a tear back, you thanked the kind lady for helping you as a taxi pulled up and she helped you to get in.

Pulling up outside your cousin Natalie's townhouse in the city centre, she was waiting for you at the gate to help with Jackson and your bags. Grinning from ear to ear she pulled you in for a huge hug once you'd got inside and settled on her couch as Jackson sat in this new lady's lap tugging at her earrings.

"I can't believe I'm only just meeting him y/n.. he's the image of you!!" She kissed his cheek, bringing him up to look at him properly for the first time not over Skype.

"I never see it, I just see.... I just see him I guess..." You mind wandered to the man you actually saw, but you didn't let it slip.

"Those EYES!!! So blue and vibrant, just beautiful!" Natalie was swooning now, she'd never seen eyes that blue on a baby. Your eyes were brown, so he clearly inherited them from his father, although you had never revealed his identity - just a drunken one night stand and he wasn't involved. You weren't lying, technically...

After catching up properly, Natalie told you she'd planned a few people coming over to welcome you back that evening - nothing major, just a few friends from years ago that were keen to see you after so long away.

"Oh.. yes, that would be nice... Um, who's coming?"

"Well I think David and Amanda, possibly Caroline.. I think Liam is asking Jim too but I'm not sure if he's up for it - he's been through a tough time lately.." you caught a gasp in your throat at the sound of his name. Last you heard, through Natalie, he and Danielle were going through a rough patch. Cheating accusations on both sides, they'd agreed to a trial separation. "Apparently she isn't as broken hearted as once thought - already shacked up with someone new, fancy house on the coast, new Jag on the driveway, she's doing quite well for herself!" Your chin began to wobble, not unnoticed by Natalie, who placed Jackson in his bouncer on the floor and moved to place a hand on your shoulder.

"I'm fine Nat, honestly I'm good. It was a long time ago, things have changed. I'm not that silly little girl with a crush anymore..." Natalie looked into your eyes. Nothing ever got past her.

"Y/n.. when I said I'd never seen eyes that blue, I meant on a baby. Only one person I know has eyes like that, and I think you know too. Tell me the truth, please?" You were frozen, until tears escaped and you couldn't stop them. Jackson looked to see his mum crying and began crying too. Scooping him up, you held him close.

"It happened once... Just once Nat... And he doesn't know and he doesn't need to know, let's just leave it there, yeah?"

"What?? This is Jim's son? I was almost kidding y/n... How could you keep this from him for 2 years??" She was stood up now in complete shock. Jim wasn't just her friend, he was her husband's brother - this made things even more intense. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife.

"Please Nat... This wasn't easy okay? I was 21, I slept with a married man, and I got pregnant... Then mum died.. I had to go back to London to sort out the funeral and the will... I didn't want to be seen as the homewrecker that got herself knocked up..."

"And what about Jackson? Doesn't he deserve to know his father?"

"Of course... And he would.. when I was ready Nat. And I'm not ready..."

"Not ready for what?" Liam, Natalie's husband was stood in the doorway, as you heard the front door close. Now standing next to him was the man you were desperately trying to avoid... Jim stood behind him, eyes wide at the sight of you with a baby in your arms.

"Baby, we need to go pick up that delivery from the post office, remember the one we missed last week?" Natalie pulled a confused Liam out of the room, leaving his brother and you alone.

"Y/n... Hey.. um.. how are you?" You tried to smile in response but your heart was pounding in your chest, you could barely breathe.

"I.. yeah.. um, yeah I'm okay.." you glanced down at his hand.. the wedding ring was gone. "I'm sorry to hear about you and Olivia..."

"Probably for the best eh... We weren't exactly getting along, just stayed together for the kids I think. They're older now though, they're fine. Y/n.. where did you go? Why did you go?"

"My mum was ill... She'd had a stroke and they couldn't save her, I had to go... I just stayed.. and things happened.."

"You had a baby..." He looked at the little boy in your arms, feeling extremely nervous now. "He must be just over a year old, right?" You nodded.

"13 months.."

"And we... We had sex y/n.. the day before you left..." His own breath was faltering now as the dates in his mind started to catch up. Again, you nodded, tears rolling down your cheeks. The realisation of what was happening dawned on Jim. He started to back away, before shaking his head and storming out of the house, the door slamming behind him making you and your son jump.

Your sobs came out in full force now, Liam and Natalie coming back into the room. Liam took Jackson into the kitchen to find him something to eat as Natalie held you.

"It's okay y/n... Give him time yeah? Poor guys just had the shock of his life, he'll come round." Your heart was sinking.. you hadn't meant for any of this to happen, but here it was. The memory of that afternoon had never left you, you hadn't even been able to move on - your son, for starters, looked just like him, how could you find love with anyone with the constant reminder of the man you'd never have around you 24/7.

Flashback

"I'm so sorry Jim, I didn't know who else to call..." You climbed into his car, cheeks burning as he picked you up from outside the pharmacy. You'd been walking along the road when a pothole in the pavement took you by surprise and you'd tripped, your ankle turning funny - the pain was horrific, but no one seemed to be answering your phone calls when you rang around for someone to come pick you up. Reluctantly, you'd dialled Jim's number, your cousin's brother in law. He'd given you his number the previous week, after offering to help you move into your new apartment later that month.

"No problem, I was just dropping the kids at school so I was only round the corner." He helped you into the car and drove you back to his house. "I figured your place is in boxes, no chance of a first aid kit either, I'm guessing?"

"No," You laughed. "Thank you so much.." you grimaced as you turned your foot round, trying to ease the pain.

"Definitely not broken, just need to rest it. I'll put the kettle on." Jim led you into the kitchen and sat you down at the kitchen table, and grabbed an ice pack from the fridge. Lifting your leg onto the chair opposite, he placed the ice pack onto your ankle. "Feeling okay?" He asked, flicking the kettle on and preparing two mugs of coffee.

"Much better.. thank you." Definitely better.. the physical contact from him was driving you insane, you had to swallow the blushes in your cheeks, praying he hadn't noticed.

"I've only got instant coffee... Hope that's okay - Danielle won't let me buy a coffee machine." He rolled his eyes. His wife was one of the tightest women he'd ever met.

"It's fine, thank you.. and I honestly can't thank you enough for coming to get me.. I can't believe how clumsy I am!"

"Hey those pavements are a nightmare - I'm surprised no one's broken a leg yet! Don't you be moving now, I'll take you back home once that swelling has gone down."

"How did you know how to fix it all?"

"I have a son, y/n, who at one stage a few years ago thought he was an actual superhero and would fling himself off anything to check if he could fly.. you learn the difference between a broken ankle and a twisted one pretty quick!" He laughed, remembering the time his son climbed the tallest tree in the park, giving him a heart attack before throwing himself from the top - luckily Jim caught him before he hit the floor.

"I think it's better now, Jim, I can try and walk." You said, after chatting for a while in the large kitchen.

"Let me help you.." he held your hands and guided you upright, your chests now pressed together as you placed your foot gingerly on the floor, testing it's strength. Stumbling slightly, Jim caught you, your bodies now even closer together. You could feel his heart racing, could he feel yours? His hands wrapping around yours, holding you up, an arm snaking round your waist. You looked up and found him looking right back at you, your face inches from his. Before you had time to think, you kissed him, before quickly pulling back.

"Shit I'm sorry... Oh god.. no... I'm sorry..." He took your hand in his and pulled you back to him, pressing his lips back to yours. This time you didn't pull back, your mouth opening allowing his tongue to dance against yours. Lifting you up, he sat you on top of the counter, his hands roaming your body hungrily.

"I can't... I shouldn't..." He murmured against your neck, the vibrations driving you wild with need. "You're so fucking beautiful y/n..." He ground your hips against yours, you could feel his erection through his jeans as you reached down to cup it through them, kneading it slightly. He growled, pulling your hand up to his chest, his heart hammering underneath his shirt. "You feel that? Feel how fast that's going?" Silently you took his hand and placed against your chest.

"Feel mine...." You pushed his hand down lower.. over your breast... Down your stomach and under the waistband of your skirt. His fingers found your folds, and he gasped your name. "I'm wet... I'm so fucking wet..." Lifting your skirt up, he pulled your underwear down. You relieved him of his jeans and they fell to the floor, revealing no underwear, just his huge, hard cock already leaking.

"I see you are too..." You ran a finger along the slit, taking some of the precum and lifting it to your mouth. "You taste good..."

"You want this...?" He asked, lining himself up against you. You nodded, and he pushed in easily, you gasped his name and threw your head back as he filled you completely. Pulling on your hips, he rocked you against him as he moved his own hips back and forth, fucking you against the countertop. You legs wrapped round his waist as his thrusts came harder, deeper, faster.

"Fuck... Right there... Jim... Oh god...." He bit down on your exposed neck, hands pushing against your still covered breasts, he moaned.

"Feels so good y/n... You feel so good... That's it baby, I need to feel you... Cum for me..." You leaned back, and eyes locked with his you drew a hand down to circle your clit as he moved inside you.

"Gonna make myself cum on you... Gonna cum hard for you... Faster Jim..." He pounded into you now, your moans echoing through the kitchen as you came over him, his release following seconds later. Both of you leaned your heads together as your worlds came back into focus.

Present Day

"Hey."

"Hey.." you'd agreed to meet Jim for a coffee a few days later. He'd called you the evening before, slightly tipsy which made you chuckle. Liam and Natalie were watching Jackson while the two of you caught up.

"How's the hangover?" You smiled, he grimaced.

"Well I've definitely felt fresher.. it was a bit of a shock y/n..."

"Listen.. for what it's worth.. I'm sorry. I didn't know I was pregnant until I was nearly 20weeks. With the stress of losing mum and the funeral, I hadn't had a period for a while but I thought it was just the stress.. then my friend convinced me to take a test and the doctors confirming it.. it was too late to do anything about it.. then I heard you and Danielle were trying for another baby and I just couldn't do it Jim.. I couldn't destroy your life like that.." your hands were shaking. He leaned over and took your hands in his.

"I understand y/n.. I do. I spent most of this week thinking about it. I don't blame you for what you did.. but I do wish you'd told me."

"I'd done enough damage Jim, sleeping with a married man? On his kitchen counter where he makes his kids breakfast? Where his wife makes her coffee in the morning? I couldn't face you.. I couldn't face what I'd done.."

"You know where my wife was, that morning?" He leaned back, smiling a little. "At her office, bent over the desk while her boss fucked her from behind. She called my number by accident while it happened. I didn't answer, obviously, I was busy.. but my voicemail picked up the whole thing. I'd had my suspicions for a long time, but that confirmed it. We were never trying for another baby - that's just what she told people to distract them from the fact we were clearly falling apart at the seams. Couldn't exactly be mad at her after what I'd done with you though."

"Did you tell her?"

"Yes, but she didn't know it was you. Then you up and left.. I thought there was no need to tell her who it was. I guess now we kinda have to, right?"

"Jim, I don't expect anything from you, okay? I have an inheritance from my mum, I'm fine for money, there's no need to be involved if it'll cause you problems.."

"No. You've kept him from me for nearly 2 years y/n, don't do this again, please? I'm not asking you to move in, I'm not asking for a relationship, I just want to get to know our boy.. that's all.. please?" You saw it in his eyes. It was there, for all to see. Was it love?

"I'll call Nat.. ask her to bring him over, maybe we could go for a walk?" Jim smiled, nodding. You made the call, and an hour later you were walking to the local park, Jim pushing the stroller. He took Jackson out of the buggy and placed him inside a baby swing, pushing him gently while pulling silly faces making him giggle. Your heart swelled watching them.

"He's incredible.. those eyes.."

"Your eyes, Jim." He looked up at you and smiled listening to his son's giggle, before he started becoming grouchy again.

"He's teething... Come on little man, let's get you back shall we?" Jim lifted him from the swing and placed his little finger in Jackson's mouth. He responded by sucking his gums along it, finding relief. You smiled, watching Him soothe your son's whimpers of pain as his teeth came through.

Making your way inside Natalie's house, you were surprised to find it empty. A note on the kitchen counter read that they'd gone out for the afternoon, they wouldn't be home until the evening. You warmed a bottle of milk for Jackson as Jim gave him some Calpol. Taking the bottle from you, he fed his son, as you watched, heart pounding as you watched the man you were still in love with take such good care of your baby. Within 15 minutes, Jackson was fed and had been rocked to sleep in his father's arms, you took him and placed him upstairs in his cot to nap. You knew he'd be out for at least an hour after all that fresh air. Walking back into the lounge, you found Jim sat on the sofa waiting for you.

"Come here, y/n..." You sat next to him as he turned to face you, hand gently caressing your cheek. "What are we going to do now?"

"I'm heading back to London tomorrow Jim..." His eyes glistened slightly. He'd just found his son, and now he was going again. He'd just got you back in his life, and now you were disappearing again...

"What can I do to make you stay?" His question took you by surprise. Stay?

"Jim, I..."

"I haven't stopped thinking about you.. about what happened 2 years ago. How long I'd wanted you, how long I'd dreamt of you, how I still dream of you even now.. and we share a son y/n.. I can't let you go again, it'd break me.."

"I'm half your age Jim! I'm barely older than your eldest child, how can this possibly work?" He answered with a kiss. Leaning forward to take your mouth against his, without thinking you returned it, linking your fingers with his as he pulled you into his lap.

"It'll work because we'll make it work.. nothing else matters.. all of that other stuff is irrelevant.." he felt you grind your hips against his and his erection was burning against his jeans. He needed you, now.

"And Danielle?"

"Is fucking a man old enough to be her own father - opinion invalid. I don't care about her, I care about you.. please.." he was aware of how desperate he sounded but he didn't care. He had his hand under your t-shirt against your breast, no bra in the way this time. Lifting you up, he carried you upstairs to the guest room you were staying in, and laid you down softly on the bed underneath him.

"Birth control?" He looked at you, smiling.

"The coil - don't worry, I'm covered this time.." You smiled back as he lifted your t-shirt over your head and kissed you again. The reason for being at the pharmacy 2 years ago was to collect your prescription for the pill - you'd not taken it for a couple of days after running out suddenly. After Jackson was born, you switched to a more efficient form of birth control.

Pulling your skirt down and off, along with your underwear, he nestled his face between your thighs, now parted by his hands.

"I want you to watch me y/n... Watch me as I make you cum..." Your core burning, you raised yourself up on your elbows as he blew a hot breath against your wet folds, causing you to shiver under him. He parted your lips with his fingers, before licking from your pulsing hole up to your clit, finding a rhythm that made you cry out and shudder underneath his tongue. Smiling, groaning into you, you tried to keep your eyes on him as he licked and sucked your throbbing clit in his mouth.

"Jim.. don't stop.. oh god..." You hadn't had sex since that afternoon 2 year ago, no one being good enough to compete with the man currently buried between your legs. No pleasure you'd given yourself since was a patch on this, and you felt that burning feeling in your stomach starting to rise. "I'm close... Mm... Fuck I'm close..." Your words barely a whisper but he heard them, pushing harder with his tongue as a finger entered you, hooking upwards to find that spot inside, the one you didn't think actually existed, but there it was.. you bucked against his mouth, coming hard and fast - you felt your liquids gush over his chin, there was no stopping them... "Aha... Oh god Jim... Fuck... Stop, it's too much..." He smiled, blowing another warm breath over you before moving back to your mouth. You could taste yourself on his lips, turning you on even more.

Flipping him onto his back, you lifted his clothes off him and kissed down his chest. Your core needed a breather before you took him inside you. Licking the top of his now rock hard cock, you slowly sank your lips down, taking him fully inside your mouth. You'd never had a strong gag reflex, and you enjoyed the feeling of his cock hitting the back of your throat.

"Holy fuck... Jesus y/n... That's it baby..." Up and down your head bobbed, swapping between hard and light sucks, your teeth gently scraping the underside of his cock and your fingers lightly playing with his balls underneath you. Every time you felt them tighten, you'd ease off, allowing him to catch his breath, before bringing him into your mouth again. After a few near explosions, he couldn't take anymore and lifted you off motioning for you to sit on him. "Ride me y/n..." You smiled, and sank your pussy onto him, allowing him to fill you. Slowly so as to adjust to his length, your hips moved, back and forth, up and down, finding the right rhythm for you both. He sat up, chests together and his hands under your thighs as he rotated his hips from underneath, driving his cock against that magical spot again.

"Yes... God that feels good... Jim..."

"I'm not gonna last long y/n..."

"That's okay.. we've got plenty of time to make up for this... Cum in me, give me all of you..." You felt his cock twitch inside you as he moved your hips faster. Leaning back, you rode him hard, the bed frame squeaking underneath as you both cried out, your climaxes arriving simultaneously. Coming back to rest your head against his, you clenched your core once more causing him to gasp as you drew yourself off him slowly. Lay down next to each other, he pulled you into his arms.

"Did you mean what you said?" He asked, kissing your head gently. "Plenty of time?"

"I meant it, Jim... I need to get back to London to sort a few things, put my flat up for sale.. my job... But yes. If you'll have us, we'll come back.." you looked into his eyes. He lifted your head to kiss you and you felt it. All the love you thought you'd never find, in the man you thought you'd never find it with.

Everything was going to be fine, you couldn't wait to start your life over again, this time for the last time.

@margoo0 @queenshelby @peakyscillian @cloudofdisney @ntmynouis @being-worthy

[hajimeiwaswife]

STRINGS

Word count: 4,1K

Warnings: major character death, little angst

Summary: two lovers reunited by the power of music.

"Traveller! Be careful!" Xiao shouted, reaching to Aether in time to safe him from being knocked by a giant rock that fell out of the mountain.

"Thank you, Xiao." the boy said, out of breath, before resuming the fight against their enemies, the ones that had taken his sister away from him.

Xiao recognised easily the odour of blood, having spilled so much by himself in his past. If it had been any other time, he would have fought harshly and precisely, but now that he had finally found happiness, he didn't want to die. Or worst, his significant other to die.

Years took upon the Adeptus to finally open up to the Anemo Archon, who didn't give up on him ever since they met. Barbatos, or Venti, as he liked to go by, had been by his side trying for the Adeptus to comprehend human emotions, feelings that he already had inside of him. He had been so patient with him, so caring, that now Xiao finally understood what it was to be loved. But what if this battle took it away from him? He was terrified.

The sound of explosions surrounded the landscape, lifeless corpses on the ground above pools of scarlet liquid decorating the grass. The touch of Death wrapping those who sighed their last breath, too many to be count. The Adeptus was heading into battle again when he felt someone grab his shoulder, the gentle hands of his lover.

"Not there," Venti stated, taking Xiao's hand in his, "you're needed in this other area. The Millelith are having trouble."

He took his orders, not without giving him a nod to indicate respect and, in Xiao's language, a 'take care'. Venti, however, took the Adeptus' nape and kissed him briefly before running away, laughing mischievously. Poor Xiao, flustered as ever, followed the way he had been indicated and started fighting in all his might again, powerful lance in hand.

Hours of battle passed, more dead around the survivors to assimilate. The Adeptus was tired and in need of checking on his loved ones, but he continued to fulfil his duty, he understood that if he was exhausted, humans would be in their limit. Nonetheless, after everything went quiet, he breathed as if he had been deprived of oxygen for centuries.

The silence was appalling, announcing the misfortunes and desperation that waited for those who were still alive. Xiao took a look around, sighting Aether with Paimon, Zhongli, Kaeya, Diluc, Jean and some of the Knights of Favonious. He also saw some of his fellow Adepti and the Qixing. But he couldn't find Venti, the Anemo Archon was nowhere to be seen nor to be heard.

A bad feeling sunk in the bottom of his stomach, with shaking legs he started walking along the path of corpses, wishing to be mistaken and to not find his lover laying within them. When he saw no green in the clothes of the dead, he felt relieved, knowing that the Archon was somewhere else, until he saw the blue braids he loved so much.

His heart dropped while he approached the corpse, green clothes now red from blood, characteristic hat lost somewhere in the valley, aquamarine eyes, once full of life, now looked at the sky without emotion, lifeless, no soul behind them. The Adeptus' knees gave up and fell next to his lover's body. He was speechless, in shock, completely gone from reality as his brain tried to understand what was going on in front of him. 'Please, let it be another nightmare.'

With tremble hands, Xiao took Venti's body in a cold hug, the Archon's head on the Adeptus' chest that rumbled in a hurt scream, shouting to the skies and letting them know he had had enough, he had lost the person he loved the most. Swaying them both from side to side, Xiao cried, caressing Barbatos' hair. "I love you, please, don't leave me." Xiao begged, heartbroken. "I know I never told you, but I think- no, I am in love with you. At last, I understand my feelings. Please, Venti, don't go."

Aether came next to Xiao, pitying his friend's sobs that didn't stop. He also felt sad by Venti's loss, he considered the Archon his friend, and he was going to cry and mourn his death. Along with him, the survivors of Mondstadt as a whole kneed in front of the dead Archon and the Adeptus, bidding their goodbyes to Barbatos, the Archon of the City of Freedom.

2000 years later, in another dimension...

Xiao was late, he had overslept and had lost the train to the Conservatory, again. He had spent the night studying Harmony II and lost track of time. What was sleep for a student, though? 'Never heard of it.'

Running across the street, trying not to lose his piano sheets, he finally got to the bus station, the only transport apart from the train that could get him to his destination. It was to its fullest, so he would have to be standing, not very practical to study. He eyes followed the Chopin Nocturne nº20, thinking the rubatos in his mind and trying to memorize the digits in the final scales. He sighed, if he hadn't had spent so much time studying the Harmony rules in the Gregorian Era, he would have had enough time to practice piano. But organization wasn't his best attribute.

He trusted his ability reading at first sight and closed the folder, looking out the window. It was a good day, the sun was shining and lighting the path of those who walked in their way to their jobs, schools, universities or even who were just strolling. The few trees the city had were full of green leaves that were swaying to the sound of the pre summer breeze, warning people of the incoming heat wave. Xiao wished to finish the year as soon as possible so he could go to the beach and stroll and listen to music with the dancing waves of the ocean.

The rest of the morning went without incident, his inner talent allowing him to feign having study and his teacher praising his musicality. Xiao was a sensitive person, he felt too deep, different from what everyone who knew him thought of him because of his rough facade. His musicality and deep feelings were what made him an expert in Chopin, being the best in his region to play the musical pieces of the Polish composer.

He exited the place and walked to the train station thinking about his incoming exams, music was definitely one of the tougher and more beautiful things he had ever experimented. At the same time, he started listening a guitar melody and a sweet voice accompanying it; Xiao looked to the source of the sound and saw a boy his age playing an acoustic guitar and singing inside the train station. He had dyed dark blue hair, nearly black, that degraded into a light blue the nearer it came closer to his hair tips. He had enough hair to pull it into a bun, giving him a carefree look that matched his crop trousers, white t-shirt and denim jacket. But when they both made eye contact, Xiao swore to had seen those eyes before, gentle aquamarine gaze looking back at him.

The pianist stood there for a few minutes, listening and admiring the singer, but he had to go if he didn't want to lose the train. He just hoped he would see the singer again, captivated by his songs and, especially, his eyes.

Indeed, he saw the man every day since at that same spot, at the same hour, different songs. Xiao envied him, he also wanted to compose, but was too focused learning classical pieces to invest more time in composing his own ones, but he was positive one day he would.

It continued like that for a month; the man would be there, playing and singing while Xiao stood there for some minutes listening to him. He was so familiar and strange at the same time that Xiao had no choice but be intrigued by him. Until one day, the man wasn't there.

"What?" Xiao looked around, but the dark blue haired man wasn't in his usual spot nor in any nearby.

For a week, the singer didn't appear and Xiao started to think he would not see him again. Much to his disdain, he felt sad; he always waited for the time of the day where he would see and hear the man, it was like a ritual for him. Now, all of a sudden, it was gone.

Walking out of the train, distracted looking for the man, he didn't notice his folder opening and the piano sheets getting lost among the people.

"Hey!" he heard behind him. Even if he had never heard him talk, he knew it was him, his voice sounded as sweet as when he sang. He turned around and saw the singer behind him, shaking some papers in his hands, "I think these are yours!"

Xiao took at what the singer had in his hand. He was still rather shocked by finding him again after so long, but he paid attention to the papers to recognise them as his piano sheets, the ones he needed for his exam tomorrow.

"Thank you," he said nonchalantly, taking them from the other musician.

Their hands touched for an instant, a short among of time for any other mortal, but enough for them to feel a tingle inside their chests. Xiao took the sheets quickly and put some distance between them both. He didn't know what that feeling was and he definitely didn't want to discover it.

"You're welcome!" answered the man, smiling brightly after falling silent for a few seconds after the incident, "I see you play the piano, are you majoring in music?"

"Yes," replied the pianist, looking at everywhere but the man in front of him.

"That's so cool! I would have loved to learn music officially, but I had to conformed with learning by myself."

"I see."

"Hehe! I always saw you pass while I was playing, it's cool to know that I had a fellow musician listening to me!"

"Hmm, you're not that bad."

"Why, thank you."

The singer felt how closed up the pianist was, so he took it as a compliment, comprehending that maybe he wasn't really used to interacting with people. Meanwhile, Xiao was panicking. He had been looking for the man for weeks and now he couldn't even talk properly.

"What's your name?"

"My name?"

"Yes!" the singer waited for the other man to reply, patiently.

"...Xiao," said the pianist after considering telling him or not, "and yours?"

"I'm Venti, nice to meet you!"

Again, them both felt like those names were too familiar, a similar sensation like the one before arose in their stomachs. Venti smiled, something that Xiao noticed to be frequent, as in the two minutes they had been interacting he hadn't stopped smiling.

"Well, I hope I see you around! Maybe one day we can play together."

"I guess so, yes."

With a parting nod, Xiao turned around and went to his daily classes, not without thinking about their encounter. Something felt odd in the deep of the situation, he just couldn't think of what it was. Feeling like you know someone without having actually met wasn't something that happened at Xiao's life.

Returning from the Conservatory that afternoon, he first heard the guitar and voice, and then saw Venti playing at the train station. 'So, he's back, definitely'. He passed by him, Venti's eyes on Xiao already, giving each other a smile from the singer's part and a nod from Xiao's, and then parting.

The following weeks followed the same dynamic. Sometimes, Venti ventured to talk to Xiao, small talk, enough to get the pianist to open to him. He learned that Xiao was majoring in music specializing in piano, that he had his final exams in June and that he had a cat. The singer felt happy to have collected so much information for someone who rarely opened up.

"I was thinking that maybe we should play together," Venti said, one afternoon after Xiao returned from his classes. They had decided to have a coffee every Thursday to catch up and so they could have more normal conversations and not rushed ones at the station. Or, better said, Venti offered and Xiao just followed.

"I don't play your type of music."

"Ah?" said the singer, confused, "What do you mean with 'my type of music'?"

"Well, I'm specializing in classical music." Xiao shrugged his shoulders, returning to his almond and chocolate muffin.

"Well, yes, but that doesn't mean you can't play other styles."

Xiao continued eating, listening to Venti rumble about pop, rock and R&B. The pianist knew which styles they were, their characteristics and the most popular singers for each style, but something in the way Venti talked made him want to listen nonstop. The young singer was passionate about what he did, just as Xiao was about his profession.

"So? What do you say?"

"I don't know," Xiao started, biting his lip, "I don't think I would be good on it."

"If you can play Chopin and Mozart, you can play four chords on repeat."

Like that, Venti took Xiao to the little studio he had with Aether, his producer. Both musicians were really young, but had already launched a couple EPs. Xiao was amazed by the studio, there was a little keyboard, an acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and then the recording studio and the production table.

"Do you like it?"

Xiao just nodded, directing himself to the keyboard and switching it on. The keys were less harsh than a piano's keys, but he was sure he could manage to play on it. The sound was more electric, just what he expected.

Venti, on his part, was following Xiao's movements, happy to see him interested in what he could offer. He had been feeling dizzy in the pianist's presence for quite some time now, and he was sure he was falling for him. He was determined to show him how he felt and to open Xiao's mind.

"You can come here whenever you want, I would love to play with you," Venti said, smiling brightly when Xiao sat on the bench and placed his hand on the keys, "Can you play something for me?"

The pianist thought for some seconds, deciding on what he could gift Venti's ears with, and decided to play Fantasia in D minor by Mozart. A beautiful and complete piece by his favourite composer, he enjoyed so much playing him that got lost in the moment. The most difficult thing was to keep balance between the left and the right in the sense of sound, but for the rest Xiao had everything so clear that the melodies kept falling out of the keyboard.

After nearly ten minutes, hi finished. Venti was shocked by the way the man played, emotional and emotionless at the same time, a technique enviable. If he could do that in a keyboard, what could he do in a piano? What could he do in a harpsichord to keep up with the real instrument Mozart used?

"Sorry for the quality, a keyboard doesn't make justice to the piece." Xiao said, timidly, standing up from the bench.

"Nonsense," started the singer, still moved by the little performance, "it was incredible. You're such a good pianist!"

"I'm just mediocre." mumbled the man, blushing furiously.

"No mediocre pianist can do what you had just presented, Xiao."

They looked at each other on silence for a moment, Xiao noticing his heart rushing again. Something about Venti made him feel dizzy in a good way, it scared him, but also desired to know why he felt so attracted to the singer. Venti was just admiring Xiao's features, skin kissed by the moon, eyes deep as gold wells, rough expression that was becoming in a vulnerable one. He reminded him of a cat, wanting to make it look as he was independent and surly, but that actually was a sweetheart who needed love and care as any other human being.

'Maybe he'll let me love him in a near future.' thought the singer, gazing at a distracted Xiao, who was touching the acoustic guitar.

They decided to try and play something together, improvising in the moment and giving each other inspiration to think of better ways of following the music. Xiao had to admit to himself that it was fun and that it sounded good. He never thought he would be able to improvise to pop music, but there he was, following a guitarist and singer man.

Venti opened his mouth and started singing an, of course, improvised melody. Xiao nearly stopped playing, too distracted with the sweet and hypnotizing voice of the other man. Every time he heard him sing a memory came to his mind, one of that same voice singing just for him. Memory? No, it couldn't be. It felt like a dream, a very far away dream he had when he was a kid.

Venti, on his part, had the same memory whenever Xiao appeared when he was singing. He saw a lyre, green clothes and tattoos, golden eyes that returned his caring gaze; he also heard his own voice. What it was he didn't know, but that it had a meaning, he was sure.

The following days, after a hard time convincing Xiao, the both of them started composing a song. The chords were not the usual for the 21st Century chords, they reminded of an old Era, one forgotten by the human kind, one that only the two of them understood. The melody was melancholic, similar to a letter to a loved one you lost. The lyrics were heart-breaking, Venti provided a cruel perspective of love, requited love that did not fulfil the dream of both lovers of becoming true for centuries of being apart.

Xiao was in love with their creation, wanting to play more and more, getting lost in the music that Venti gifted him with. He didn't care about the heartache he felt whenever Venti called him 'friend', he didn't care about the goose bumps every time the singer touched his hand, he didn't care about the overwhelming desire to kiss him when he smiled. He only cared for giving him the best piano version he could offer.

"Crimson red blinded my vision, there and then you took the decision," sang Venti, fingers moving within the strings of his guitar, "'I'll see you again', you said, 'when the sun goes down and I don't feel regret."

Xiao played, keys sounding too much for his liking, he really disliked the keyboard, but it was his only way of playing with Venti. He had considered inviting him to his house, but the acoustic wouldn't have been that good.

"Arrows flied, swords were wielded, but your kiss was enough to put me out of war. Let me tell you, everything but you was a blur."

The pianist couldn't take it anymore, the lyrics had been giving him a headache ever since Venti wrote them. He loved them and hated them at the same time, it was like they were mocking him, remembering him of something he lost, but he couldn't remember what it was.

He stood up from the piano, storming out of the room and living Venti confused. The singer knew how Xiao could be, but that didn't make him feel less worried. He had never left a rehearsal, always playing his best and taking part actively in the decisions taken for the song. What could have trigger him so much to make him exit the room?

"Hey!" Venti called out, stopping Xiao from going out the studio, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." replied the pianist, tone piercing.

"Don't even try that with me," said the singer, annoyed, "we're passed the state of putting a facade."

"Really, it's no―"

Venti didn't know what crossed his mind. He was so angry, frustrated, annoyed and disappointed in Xiao not trusting him after so much effort to get to him that he kissed him out of desperation.

The pianist couldn't move, not understanding why he had a pair of lips on his, but liking the feeling of the kiss. Hesitant, he placed one of his hands on Venti's waist and the other on his left cheek and corresponded the kiss.

Hearts content and reunited, jumping in euphoria; souls greeting each other after being apart for so long; bodies finding like you find an old item you forgot you had but that you deeply cared for. They separated, a thread of saliva connecting the two of them.

"W-what?"

"Come with me, my lovely adeptus."

"Adeptus? What's that?" asked Xiao, confused, still grabbing Venti's waist.

"I-I don't know, it just felt... right? To say." replied an equally confused singer.

Venti dismissed the topic fast, carrying Xiao with him to the studio's couch. He made the pianist lay on it while he topped him, kissing him again and again, taking away his shirt after checking for his consent.

The windows tarnished because of the heat, moans of pleasure could be heard as they both took care of the other in a loving way, caressing, kissing, biting their bodies. When Venti entered Xiao after preparing him, they both saw the stars. Love noises filled the empty and soundproof room, fastened breaths demonstrating the effort of being in love, orgasmic euphoria filling the empty space on their chest, gifting them the chance of reuniting something that didn't consummate on the past.

No amount of time could break the bond they created at that moment mixed with the one they forged two thousand years prior. Post orgasmic music running between them as they recovered from the love-making session.

Venti got up, searching for towels on the little bathroom of the studio to clean both of them, trying to extend the blissful moment before they had to talk about it, focusing on the aftercare.

"Thank you." whispered a tired Xiao after getting cleaned up and being helped to put his clothes on.

"It's nothing," said Venti, shy for the first time the both of them had met, something that didn't passed Xiao's observant skills.

"Do you... regret this?"

"No!" exclaimed Venti after noticing the insecurity on the pianist's voice, "No, of course no. I was just, you know, wondering if..."

"If?"

"Wondering what this leads us to."

Xiao thought for some seconds, he knew he liked Venti, it would explain his body reactions whenever he was near him, and he understood what had just happened as Venti returning his feelings. For what he had read on books, that meant they were dating, but he could be wrong.

"I guess I'm your boyfriend," he mumbled, gazing at the floor.

"B-boyfriend!?" asked Venti, surprised of the statement the other man made.

"Isn't that the term for the person you are dating?"

"Uh... yes, but you hadn't asked me to be your boyfriend..." Venti was amused and shocked with Xiao's bold attitude, but he blamed it to the pianist's lack of experience.

"Oh, then, would you be my boyfriend?"

"But don't make it so... cold!" Venti face palmed, laughing at the situation they had at hand. He had to say, though, Xiao's ignorance on the topic was adorable, his heart was melting at the man's confused gaze.

"Then how?"

"Forget it, yes, I'll be your boyfriend." Venti replied, still laughing.

"Okay, good," said Xiao, nodding and processing the information. "now what?"

"Now we continue with the song, that we have to finish recording it."

Venti stood up from the couch, giving Xiao a small peck and 'hehe'-ing after. He positioned himself on the guitar again, shaking a little at the amount of emotion running through his veins. The pianist was still on sitting, watching Venti's every move the same way he looked at his piano. The singer was touched by the sincere look on Xiao's eyes, meaning he did feel the same.

"C'mon, little Adeptus, go play the piano half as good as you played my body."

The blush on the other's man face was imminent, causing Venti to find his new favourite thing: teasing the music student.

Music had reunited the lovers that war separated once, being the conductor channel of an Archon and an Adeptus to find their way back to the other's arms. Their past kept a mystery from them both, but their souls did remember each other, hugging and causing the two men to love as much as they once did. A bright future waited for the two talented musicians now that nothing could separate them again.

The air was pure and clear again.

[collabwithmyself]

1-3: Turnabout Transfix (2/2)

The article in the paper under the list of missing persons had the wrong name before "Wright, age nine," and a lump formed in Miles's throat.

"That's not his name," he tried to say. It came out as a croak. "We told them his name was Phoenix. I know we did."

Ray, sitting beside him at the dining room table, looked disgusted but defeated. "They added it as a footnote," he pointed out. ""Responds to Phoenix"... Nick's not a dog."

Miles wanted to hunt down every copy of the paper and throw them all into the trash can. His best friend was missing, and people were calling him the wrong name because he wasn't there to stop them. It wasn't fair.

Miles looked to Ray as though he had an answer to right this horrible injustice. Ray looked as tired and frustrated as he felt, chewing on a thumbnail as he thought deeply.

"We can head down and talk to them," he offered, after a long pause.

That was what Father would have done. He would have marched right down to the office where they printed the paper and demanded a retraction. But nobody was going to take a freshman law student and his newly adopted nine year old seriously.

"It's worth a try," Miles responded, because a defense attorney should never give up hope.

⁂

Staying up late to scrutinize the series he already knew by heart for clues of some sort was a mistake, and Miles knew it. His eyes began to droop only partway through the season as Maya snored against his side, and he was vaguely aware he was becoming less and less alert every time he had to pull his head back up from his chest.

It didn't occur to him that he shouldn't be letting himself doze off in the presence of company.

His sleep was never restful. Every night, his subconscious was forcibly yanked back to the day everything changed.

Some nights, he found himself reliving what he was certain was a memory. The dialogue never changed, the action never shifted. A heated argument in the elevator, a foolish bid to stop it, a single gunshot, and that horrid, high-pitched wail of agony that he knew belonged to one of the people he'd lost that day.

Other times, he dreamed not of his father, but of Phoenix.

Those dreams changed, but they remained the same nonetheless. Whether running through the streets with Larry, or through the backyard of his home, or through the hallways of the courthouse, the same thing always happened - Phoenix disappeared. Maybe he ran too far ahead, or lagged too far behind, but Miles's friend was suddenly nowhere to be found, and he felt painfully, crushingly alone.

His subconscious had decided to grace him with the former that night, and when he woke up with "father" on his lips and sweat on his forehead, a rumpled-looking Maya was staring at him in undisguised concern.

"...are you o--"

Miles turned away from her and said nothing, effectively stopping the conversation before it began.

Maya was silent, and when Miles glanced back over, her gaze was fixed on the television, which was still playing through the old episodes of Steel Samurai. She lacked the enthusiasm they both shared for the show, however. She seemed deep in thought.

"...you don't wanna talk about it?" she asked quietly.

He and Uncle Ray never talked after nightmares. One would get up to find the other in the kitchen nursing a cup of tea, and silently join them, knowing the other was thinking of the same thing but not having the courage to voice it aloud. Saying it gave it form, and Miles refused to shed any more tears over something he knew full well was his fault.

"No," Miles responded, sharp and blunt all at once.

"You wanna talk about something else, then?" Maya glanced sideways at him. "I used to talk with Sis after I had nightmares. It helped get my mind off things."

Miles hesitated. "Something else sounds nice," he said quietly.

"How about court today? Prosecutor von Karma was hopping mad, huh?" Maya let a grin stretch across her face as she leaned towards Miles. "She looked like she wanted to tear her hair out. Or maybe yours."

"That woman needs to see a therapist," he muttered.

"I think we all do, My."

"...you've got me there."

⁂

As the trial wore on throughout its second day, Sascha von Karma continued to act stranger and stranger. Before the judge could reprimand her for being far too harsh with the witness, Cody Hackins faltered and lost the confidence Miles had been working hard to build up about his witness account, a terrified look in his eyes. To his surprise, von Karma went ashen and actually stumbled back a little, like she hadn't meant to push a little boy nearly to tears.

Honestly, with her disposition, Miles wouldn't have thought she would care. But here she was, clutching her side, eyes blown wide with something like fear. Something in Miles's stomach turned over. Was he actually feeling sympathetic for this ferocious woman?

But it wasn't just him. Mia beside him (that had been a jolt to his nervous system -- he hadn't been able to see her clearly the last time Maya had summoned her) had her brow furrowed in concern as she stared at the prosecution. "I haven't seen her make a face like that since..."

Miles glanced at her. "Since... what?"

"...don't worry about it. Focus on the trial here and now, Miles." Mia gave him that mysterious smile that meant she was withholding important information from him. He knew it well. He huffed at her, and she huffed back.

Despite Mia's testimony, von Karma had that same look on her face as Vasquez took the stand the next day, wide eyes flicking between the witness and the defense bench. She was strangely silent, not offering a single protest as Miles proceeded with the cross-examination.

But he couldn't afford to wonder about it. Vasquez was clever and tight-lipped, and his attempts to wring her testimony dry and find something to pin her down were fruitless. She and the judge had both gotten irritated at this point, and when Miles hesitated, scrambling to find some point he hadn't pressed, the latter decided he'd had enough.

Miles cursed inwardly as the judge raised his gavel. Vasquez adjusted the pin of her shawl, self-assured in her victory. This was the end. He was prepared to accept defeat.

He couldn't have possibly prepared for what happened next, however.

"OBJECTION!"

Miles jerked his head up. Beside him, Maya gasped in surprise.

Across the room from him, left arm outstretched in a frantic point, was a frazzled, trembling Sascha von Karma.

She stared blankly at her own hand, as though it had moved of its own volition. Then she jumped - actually jumped - when the judge demanded to know the meaning for the interruption.

"Right! Uh. Um. The reason I objected," she babbled, "is because... uhh..."

It was the least composed Miles had ever seen her. He was bewildered. What did she think she was doing?

"...I don't have a reason," she admitted, shoulders slumping.

"Er..." The judge blinked owlishly at her. "Very well. Now--"

"OBJECTION!"

The poor judge looked as baffled as Miles felt. "Miss von Karma?"

"I... I request that the witness testify again!" she blurted out, digging her fingers into the desk. She looked disheveled, stray hairs having slipped out of her ponytail to poke out at a very odd angle. "I, um... I want to hear about... the, uh..."

Vasquez snarled with impatience. "Why are you badgering me? I'm your witness!"

"I'm inclined to agree!" the judge added. "I see little point in making Ms. Vasquez repeat herself..."

Miles looked at Maya. Maya looked at Miles. What?? Maya mouthed at him. Miles shrugged helplessly.

von Karma floundered. "Uh... yeah... great point... ummmmMMM! I want to-- I wish to hear about the body discovery! What happened after you found it?"

That hadn't occurred to Miles. But what could that possibly reveal? And why was von Karma risking sabotaging her own case by asking after it? She practically had the win in the bag, and after Miles had humiliated her so thoroughly after their last clash in court, she had no reason to let this continue.

What was going on?

⁂

The relief of a not guilty verdict and the butterflies of being in such close proximity to Mr. Powers yet again were a powerful combination that filled Miles's mind with fuzz and forced out any less important thoughts, like von Karma's odd behavior or Maya tugging on his coat.

"M-My! Hey! Miles! Kilometers! Little My!"

"H-Hrm?"

Maya pointed to somewhere behind him. "I, um... I think you're in trouble."

Miles turned, and flinched when he found himself nose to nose with a furious prosecutor.

"You," von Karma snarled, "should not be expecting a repeat performance of today! You're lucky I took pity on you! You got that?!"

Her voice raised to a yell as she spoke, and her burning eyes pinned Miles where he stood. He leaned away, but she just leaned forward.

"Don't you dare be expecting a shred of mercy from me from now on! You may be the son of that loathsome excuse of a defense attorney, and the favorite of that voluptuous wretch--"

Now, Miles was not going to sit there and take that. "You should never speak ill of the dead, Miss von Karma," he snapped, straightening his spine and making her flinch away. He met her glare with all the intensity he could muster...

...and then paused.

How curious.

"Wh... What? What is it?" von Karma's hastily plucked brows furrowed as an edge of nervousness worked its way into her voice, and Miles realized he'd spoken aloud.

"Your eyes," he continued hesitantly. They were heterochromatic - one brown, one blue. "They reminded me of someone. An old friend."

von Karma inexplicably blanched. She looked distant for a moment, and her left hand dug into her right side, just below her ribcage. "You... wh..."

Then she shook herself, and that boiling anger was back full force. "Why are you getting all nostalgic on me, you-- ugh! You listen closely, Ed... E-Edge..."

Again, she went pale, looking ill. Miles was starting to worry after her health at this point, despite the fact he was in the middle of being screamed at. "Er..."

"You... you listen closely, Worthless!" She thrusted a finger up towards him, nearly jamming it up his nose with how close she was. "These eyes... you'll see them and know nothing but despair once we meet again, you hear me?! I'm going to crush you, and I'm going to enjoy it!"

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and stomped off, seething.

Maya coughed weakly. "Uh. Wow. What was that all about?"

Miles stared after Sascha von Karma, his gut clenching with inexplicable grief. "I have no earthly idea."

⁂

You failed again.

You can't even blame him this time.

This is all your fault.

Victory was within your grasp.

All that matters to a von Karma is perfection.

And yet you gave him an opening.

A von Karma should be swift and merciless.

You're weak. He's gotten into your head. You can't stop thinking about him.

Even his name makes you sick.

Miles Edgeworth...

...

...why does it feel like you're forgetting something?

[aint-a-babe]

Holding Hands, All Members.

You can also find this on insta @staybabe_ (my insta)

Bang Chan

Holding Chan's hand is almost as common as breathing. It's a must in your relationship, if you're going to be in the same room you best bet you will be holding hands. You will not necessarily be looking at each other, or even speaking to one another. But holding hands gives you two a special unspoken comfort.

And talking about comfort, every time Chan notices you stuttering or at a lost for words he would take your hand to his lips and place small kisses on the palm and back of your hand, helping you to gain confidence.

He would do the same thing to catch your attention. If you were to be watching a movie or tapping at your phone, he would kiss your hand and you knew to turn to him and give him cuddles. Or well... Face the consequences.

Lee Minho

On rough nights like these, where you would toss and turn in your bed not being able to sleep because of the nightmares. The only solution was this, Minho's chest against your back hand holding yours to your chest and him whispering how much he loves you and that you're safe with him.

Something about your synced breaths and beating hearts calmed you down enough to not even remember what had you all riled up.

He would give your hands small squeezes every once in a while to assure you he didn't fall asleep.

In the morning he'd acted as if nothing happened. You couldn't tell if it was because he didn't want you to think about your nightmares or he was embarrassed of his way of comforting you. Maybe he was so sleepy, that he didn't even do it knowingly (lol did u see what I did there)

Seo Changbin

Being a full time student, having a part time job and having a loving but needy for attention boyfriend sometimes got the best of you. After a day of waitressing you would retreat to your flat and start studying for your class the next day. Obviously not before exchanging kisses with your boyfriend and asking how his day was.

You would sit on the couch, all of your books sprawled out in the table in front of you a cup of coffee in one hand and a highlighter in the other. Binnie would always find his way next to you, at first he would act innocent as if all he wanted to do was listen to music on the couch. But you knew better and knew his intentions were elsewhere.

He would start by placing his head in your shoulder, as if he was reading the same thing you were. Then he would follow up with kisses on said shoulder. Later he would tug on your shirt to get you to turn to him.

But he knew to stop when you would take your currently unoccupied hand and hold his, placing them in your lap. That being your special code to ensure him that you were concentrated.

Hwang Hyunjin

If there's one word to describe Hyunjin, it's touchy. He loves to have his hands on you and not necessarily in a sexual way. He loves being able to hold you or have you close to him. The best way in doing so is holding your hand in his, he likes comparing the difference between one another. His hand being so much bigger than yours is so endearing to him.

He traces all of the lines on your palm, and studies them as if he would be tested on them the next day. He even learned what each line meant; family, love, life, etcetera.

For some reason he likes putting your hand against his nose inhaling your scent, which would also tickle you in the process. Leading to him pinning your hands and tickling you to death, which has now led for you to always be wary when holding his hand

Han Jisung

It's always been a problem for Jisung to hold your hand. Whenever it's at the movies, on a walk or even in the comfort of your home, he would find it difficult to do so. That being a huge problem since he absolutely loved holding your hand.

He didn't understand why it was such a problem for him, maybe he was afraid that his hands were to sweaty and your were too nice to pull away. Maybe you didn't want to hold hands, maybe you even thought of it as clingy. Jisung couldn't help overthinking these small details, he wanted to make sure he didn't push you away.

But everytime you held his hand, gosh, it was the best thing ever. It's like you made him even happier than he already was, or his gloomy days tolerable. And when you took the first step in grabbing in hand, he would bring you closer, sway your hands in the air and bite your fingers playfully.

Lee Felix

Holding your hand was always an indication that Felix was taking you somewhere or he wanted to be closer to you.

If the first, when he would take you out on dates or surprise you with something he would stand in front of you, interlock you fingers with his making sure you close your eyes and guide you. Needless to say you would definitely trip and fall on top of each other but that would only make you smile and laugh more.

If the second, you would be walking around (a usual thing you two would do together) and he would grab your hand just so he can wrap his arm around your shoulder, ensuring that you would be next to him and would not run off if he decided to kiss you. And maybe, just maybe, he felt a bit more comfortable having your side pressed to his.

Kim Seungmin

Seeing you talk to a stranger or even being close with your (you choose the gender) friends was never a thing that bothered Seungmin. But seeing someone have the audacity to put a strand of your hair behind your ear or even take an eyelash from your cheek, boiled his blood to the roof.

But he had his principles, he trusted you and would not intervene unless asked to. So, what was his remedy?

He would hold your hand and squeeze it lightly, making you know he's uncomfortable. If he was feeling bold he would lean down and kiss your cheek making sure the person was seeing his every move.

If you were to keep talking to said person he would sway your arms lightly trying to distract you, and squeeze your hand, and boy did it work. You would notice his actions and turn to laugh at him lightly, you'd both be so immersed in your world's that the person would just leave.

Yang Jeongin

Holding Jeongin's hand was always an almost impossible task for you. He would either snatch his hand away before you could even approach him or run away when he knew what your intentions were.

Apparently to him, holding hands is what old people do and you two were far too young to be considered old. And, on the other hand, he didn't like the sweat and stickiness of it, even thinking about it would make him whine.

Instead he much more preferred for you to play with his hair, if you promised not to mess it up since his poor noona spent hours on it. Or even better for him to put his hands in your back pockets, a thing he enjoyed way too much, which always earned him a smack on the head if anyone was near.

[thatrandomcatoverthere]

She Devil Part 3

Author: I’ll be honest I wrote this same night as part 2 way too early in the morning. This chapter shows a bit more of the readers true personality, there is a timeskip in it to try and make more progress with the reader. I apologize if that annoys anyone but it was hard for me to find another idea to do so. As always my taglist is open and I will gladly take requests currently. Thank you and remember to live a little ❤️

Summary: Still wary of the others and scared of the same rejection she faced as a teenager, Y/n attempts to keep her distance. She trains in the mornings with everyone making it hard to keep to herself now. Bucky starts to take more and more of a liking to the little devil, then he faces something terrifying. 

Warnings: Cursing, Blood, Lots of blood, Implied burned bodies, worried Bucky, injured reader, and pretty canon violence and fighting. 

Steve stood on the sidelines with some of the other avengers watching Bucky and y/n spar. She was quick and agile, he was big and strong but slower than her. Steve could tell the girl wasn’t giving it her all and was about to say something until Tony stopped beating his punching bag and spoke. 

“Don’t tell me the scary little devil can't fight better than that. He’s barely broke a sweat fighting you. Those punches are cute.” He teased at her, his goal to piss her off enough to try harder without thinking about it. He just wanted to see Bucky get his ass kicked by a girl. 

This was more effective than any of them could’ve hoped, Y/n immediately started to move faster. Dodging punches thrown at her before sweeping the bulky man off his feet. He jumped up quickly and caught her ankle when she went to kick. 

“Too slow.” He sent a smirk her way but failed to realize her next move would be to drop to the ground and pull him with her. She rolled over and pinned him. 

“Alright that’s enough.” Steve called out to them, but Bucky had different plans. He overpowered her and flipped the position so he was straddling her waist and pinned her with his metal arm. Then he saw why Steve called it, The girl had gotten worked up enough from Tonys words that her horns were out. 

He took a second to take in her appearance. Her black horns, her h/c stands that came loose from her ponytail were stuck to her face from sweat, her e/c orbs staring up at him. He could see a canine slightly poking out from the pouty face she was giving him. 

“Bucky do you mind getting off?” Y/n said attempting not to sound nervous but failing slightly due to the slight waver in her voice. That pulled him away from staring as he quickly got off of her, “Oh I'm sorry... You fought really well today though.” 

“Thank you, you as well Buck.” She shot him a smile and took his hand to stand up. “Well done Y/n, but why did you hold back in the beginning?” Steve inquired. 

“Just didn’t feel fully up to it until Stark decided to open his damn mouth.” 

Before Steve could scold her for cursing Tony spoke first again, “Well I wanted to see what we actually have on our team, plus I'm sure it intrigued Brucy boy over that you got mad and your horns came out.” 

“Indeed it did, I would like to see that again sometime maybe find out what causes it. Looked like maybe annoyance this time.” Banner interjected rolling his eyes at Tonys nick name for him. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Unable to sleep from her thoughts swirling down the rabbit hole. Trying to figure out if the team truly did accept her, or if they were studying her for more information before kicking her out. Y/n decided it was best to just go workout, maybe tire herself out enough to actually fall asleep. 

So right now she was busy beating the life out of the punching bag in front of her. It had been too long since she had worked out alone, so she gladly embraced her true appearance to work on her skills. Dancing around the bag her tail looked much like a cats, acting as her main source of balance. After an hour she had started to focus directly on her target, causing her vision to tunnel in on only that.

Imagining a real enemy fighting her she was dodging attacks, attacking where sensitive spots would be. A kick to the midsection, dodge a punch, throw her own punch, dance around. The poor bag was in tatters within two hours of her work out. Finally she gave one kick with more force than intended, the 200lb punching bag flew across the room hitting the wall then the floor with two thuds. 

She had been so focused she didn't notice there was someone watching her. Then she heard clapping behind her. Spinning around and getting into a defensive position, her eyes locked onto Steve. 

He put his hands up in surrender, “Woah I didn’t mean to scare you. I really do not want to end up like that poor bag over there.” 

She relaxed forgetting that she wasn’t in her human appearance, “How long were you there?” 

“Long enough to see you trip over your own tail earlier and get mad at it.” He smiled trying not to laugh. He knew that there was a sweet girl in there somewhere she just needed to warm up to everyone first. 

“Oh. Thats embarrassing.” She gave a small smile but it vanished just as fast as it appeared. “Anyways, did you need something?” 

“No I actually got up for a drink of water, but I heard someone down here so I came to check it out instead. You’re a good fighter ya know, I hope one day you’ll fight like that during morning training.” Steve complimented her. “I only fight like that when I’m alone or against a real enemy Cap. Though I’m not as fast in human form, so it’s rare to see. I’m gunna go shower and try to sleep though. Thank you for the compliment, Goodnight.” She scurried out before the conversation continued. Leaving a confused Steve, he couldn’t understand why she was always so scared and nervous. 

What the little devil didn’t know, was that Steve hadn’t been the only one that saw her that night. 

About 30 minutes into her work out Bucky went down there to do the same thing as the girl. His nightmares kept him awake and he wanted to let off some steam. Between the nightmares and the self doubt he was feeling, he was growing increasingly irritated. 

That irritation left as soon as he looked into the training room and saw her. She was wearing black shorts and a sports bra. Her hair pulled up into a ponytail, horns peaking through, and the unmistakable tail behind her. She hadn’t noticed him at the doorway so he stood there and watched. He hadn't got to see her fight like this since the day Nat was in trouble. She was gorgeous. The way she dodged things he couldn’t see, the way her face was full of pure focus and adrenaline. The way her tail swiveled with each move and turn she made. It was done with grace that only a devil could have. 

When he finally decided to leave her alone, he ran into Steve in the hallway, “Oh hey Steve, what’re you doing up?” 

“I heard someone in the training room I wanted to check it out. I see that it wasn’t you since you’re not all sweaty and I can still hear whoever it is in there.” Steve replied and cocked an eyebrow at him. 

“It’s Y/n, I was gunna go in there but decided to leave her be. I don’t even think Natasha could beat her she fights so well. I’m heading to bed though, I wouldn’t interrupt her out of no where though Cap she’s pretty focused.” Bucky answered him. 

“Got it, I’m just going to go check it out, I want to see what she is capable of. Oh and I see the way you look at her ya’know. She only talks to you openly, I'd say maybe you should go for it. Goodnight buddy.” Steve ended the conversation and continued to his destination. Bucky stood there for a second, was it really THAT obvious? 

------(I’m sorry I usually do not do timeskips but I wanna progress a little)-------

A month later Y/n had started to open up more. She started to joke around with Tony more, even started to open up to Steve some after their conversation. She still didn't like the idea of being in her devil form around them. The team was currently on a mission, it was simple. Get into the base, take the necessary information, get everyone out. 

Y/n, Bucky, and Steve were inside the base, the rest of the team already back to the jet. So far no one had suffered more than a few scratches. Steve was at the computer inserting the flash drive and the bug while the other two were guarding the room. A guard was sneaking up on the window to the room when an arrow wizzed through their chest and through the window. “Thank you Hawkeye.” Y/n thanked him. 

When Steve was done and they were on their way out guards surrounded them. She was quick to transform so she could fight as well as possible. A few of them men froze up for a second but went into action quickly. The three of them managed to take them all out, but they were out of sight from Clint. 

A sniper from the treelines took aim at who seemed to be the most dangerous. Y/N. 

No one had anytime to register what happened before a bullet lodged itself in her left shoulder. Both of the super soldiers turned their heads to the source of the pained cry she gave out. 

Before they knew it flames erupted from her hands, she was pissed. 

“Fuck.” The boys said in unison. 

Then she shot a flame directly at the sniper. She was happy when she saw him fall from the tree he was in. Quick to get back to work, it looked like a massacre. She was moving too fast for the Hydra guards to keep up with.

Within minutes after they took all of them out, Bucky looked around them. The bodies covered copious amounts of blood or were charred in various areas leading to Y/n. Who looked completely drained before she locked eyes with Bucky. Then dropped. He was quick to catch her before she hit the ground.

She was completely limp, and wasn’t breathing at all. 

[ecotone99]

[SF] Interdimensional

Pre-Prologue

Somewhere in the late 1890's portals have been opening up on Earth. And so, humans discovered the mysterious creatures from another dimension, The Lurk. Well, in reality, they discovered us. See, in the eyes of Thullians, the sentient life forms residing in the Lurk, our universe was a barren dimension, lacking life. Every ship they sent here found no sign of creatures. Suddenly all our alien based fantasies have dropped for something way more exciting.

Prologue

Insee opened his eyes. He was on duty today, on Earth, guarding the portals. He wasn't very happy with his job, really. In his childhood he was held high as the smartest student. But as the years went by, he praised less and less, and eventually became a mediocre learner. He ended up with, well, not the worst job. He was one of the first Thullians to arrive on Earth. These humans, they're very... Aggressive. Even in the threat of a highly advanced species discovering them that are quite capable of hurting- No! Destroying all they've worked for, they still have high demands! "Close those portals! They're dangerous!". Out of mere pity have we done anything to help them... and maybe curiosity. This whole dimension was thought to be lifeless. Of course, how else would you believe a desolate void full of chunks of gas and rock and ice with holes sprinkled about ready to suck in everything and let it all disperse. Even so, this little rock in the middle of nowhere. It had everything we looked for! Water, atmosphere, preferable distance from its star! Yet we still, almost hopelessly check, as if ready to find nothing, just as we did countless times before! And yet here he was. Guarding these stupid portals that we can't even close. Or hell, who knows, we probably can, but those idiotic researchers want tests and experiments and whatnot. Ugh! Of course, that's just speculation he'd heard from his co-workers. Maxermegk certainly said so, and he believes it oh, so much! As for Insee? He's kind of... neutral. All his mind can concentrate upon was his frustration over his failure in life and... and... Well... Suddenly his train of thought collapses as a swarm of Centikillers burst out of the portal. As he was trained, he whips out his weapon, firing at two of them and ready to shoot the third, only to be interrupted by it lunging at him. Of course, it was meaningless! He was protected, he had armor! Insee grasps the long body of the creature and slams it onto the surface of the Earth, leaping into the air. From up above, he aims his weapon and fires at the creature's head, killing it. Landing, he still hears a deafening screech. One of the monsters he'd shot still had its head intact, which meant it continued to live, even with it's split in half body. Crawling up to Insee he begins mindlessly firing at the ground. None of the shots hit it, at least not lethally, and it begins crawling up his leg. He starts shaking his leg around, attempting to get the creature off him. Eventually, he comes to his senses and grabs onto the creature's head, crushing it with his bare hand. He then steps into the portal, where his fate remains unknown to this day.

Chapter 1: August 4th, 1903, 01:18 PM

"After entering the portal, the Thullian guard never returns. The position for portal guard remains open in said area." Anne closes the newspaper to look at her brother. He seemed... uninterested. "Well?! Do you not wanna check out what happened there?" Says Anne, almost frustrated. He remains silent. "You're really acting strange today, Clyde. I'm worried. Are you alright?" He lifts his head up to look at his older sister. "I'm fine, I'm... I'm fine. Look, I'm just... I'm just kinda tired." "It's 1 PM, Clyde. It's not like you've done anything big today!" "I... I didn't really sleep last night and uhm..." Said Clyde, almost breaking into tears. "I... Are you...?" "There was this..." He sniffed. "...this creature... In my room..."

August 3rd, 1903, 11:48 PM

Clyde was covering himself under his blanket. He just had a horrible nightmare. He was outside looking at the sky when beams of light broke through the buildings of the city, and he could only watch helplessly. For some reason, he was very terrified of that. Something else he was terrified of, something more usual for a twelve-year-old boy, was the dark, which is why he hated that nightmare even more. He had been woken up in the middle of the night, and now all he could think about was whatever could be sitting in the shadows of his room. Of course, nothing ever was there, but tonight was different. Clyde felt the crippling fear of being watched and all he could do is hope his blanket could protect him from the dangers of the unknown. Eventually, his tiredness clouds his dark thoughts and he is slowly put to near sleep. When suddenly, a noise abruptly awakens him. He had done the worst mistake he could do: alert the monster of his presence. He pushes himself backward with his legs, covering his entire body with the blanket he held so tightly. He glanced towards whatever made the noise. A figure of a man obscured by shadows stood before Clyde. As it stepped more towards light Clyde realized whatever that was, it definitely wasn't human. A bulbous head layered with large scales resembling those of an isopod. Of course, Clyde didn't know this and presumed this was an alien. He covers his mouth not to scream before the creature somehow backs up into the shadows and seemingly disappears. He reluctantly gets up to turn on the light, noticing the creature indeed had vanished.

August 4th, 1903, 01:36 PM

Anne looks worryingly at her younger brother. The description of his experience was terrifying. "W...Well, umm..." Clyde eyed his sister down with a gloomy stare. Thundered by the weight of responsibility she quickly answers: "I... I've got a plan! We'll...." Clyde's face brightened up hearing his sister's words. "Ok, look, so we will..."

August 4th, 1903, 10:12 PM

Anne sat near the closed door to her brother's room. This wasn't the greatest plan but it might work. She just had to wait for that creature to appear again in Clyde's room, he will yell out to her, and she will come! Easy enough. Now she just had to sit there and not fall asleep. Not as easy as it sounds. But she had to do it! For Clyde, her baby brother.

August 5th, 1903, 12:54 AM

It has been almost three hours. On the verge of closing her eyes and succumbing to the grasp of deep sleep, Anne got up and entered her brother's room. Clyde was sleeping, and no monster was there at all. She returned to her room, grabbed her pillow and blanket, went back near Clyde's room, set herself up, and went to bed.

August 5th, 1903 10:48 PM

The next day came and went after the "failed" attempt last night. Technically they achieved their goal, Clyde slept peacefully. Only Clyde slept peacefully. Anne slept a full 2-hour nap before waking up at 3 in the morning not being able to go to sleep anymore. She didn't drink coffee, she never had. She heard of girls her age drinking coffee but she just didn't want to. Tonight she was about to get the sleep that she didn't last night. She went to sleep early and she was now waiting to fall asleep...

August 5th, 1903 11:52 PM

Anne awoke in a cold sweat. Eyeing every corner of her room, she layed back into her bed. It was as if she just had a nightmare, yet she didn't remember anything. And it didn't feel like she just wasn't remembering her dream, she just really didn't have one. Something else woke her up. Someone. Someone was in her room and she could feel it. She sprung back up to see it and indeed it was there. The silhouette of the same creature Clyde described was in her room, it's back covered by the light protruding through the open door. She took her blanket off and got down from her bed. She felt it looking at her, following her movement despite not seeing its face. She reached for her ax that she laid next to her nightstand before going to sleep. She grasped the handle tightly and reached for the creature. It quickly stepped out of her way, near a darker corner of the room. Was it gone? Anne couldn't tell. She turned on the light, and the creature was still there. Its bulbous disgusting head was illuminated by the lightbulb. It had the body of a human and the head of an Isopod. As she reached closer she came to a creepy realization. It wasn't the head of an Isopod, it was an Isopod wrapped around the head of a human. It was facing the wall, shivering almost. "Hello?" Muttered Anne. The creature ducked down and held itself, ready to be stuck by Anne's ax. She eyed the creature down, still holding tight onto her weapon. It turned it's gross head to look at the hesitant girl. It was clear she saw the creature's fear in its movement, and she was mercilessly looking at the poor being. Crouching now, it turned it's whole body to face Anne. They reached into their pocket to hand the girl something. It was a coin, not one that she could recognize. She grabbed it and inspected it in her hand, and as she put it down to look at the creature again, it had vanished. Confused, the girl looked at the coin again. It was from Earth, surely, but not from where she is from.

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