#remember when Damien was the one who could help keep y/n human when it was getting to be too much?

[falseroar]

Dog Days Part 24: Three Shots Fired

((Marvin provides a distraction so Abe and Jackie can get into the studio undetected, Abe to find Wilford, Jackie to find his friends. This plan turns out to be terrible on every level.

Warning: Shooting/someone shown getting shot, no gore/details. I promise this warning will only show up one more time in this series. This is also probably the longest part in the series so far.

And here are links to the masterlist for the series and to Part 23.))

Any hopes Abe had of getting any answers out of Marvin or this other guy in the red hoodie on the drive to the studio were crushed, because once the magician was sure he knew where to go, he didn’t have another word to say to the hunter. In fact, as Abe pulled out onto the street and started driving, he asked again, “How do you two know Wilford? And why do you think he’s at this TV studio?” only to be met with silence.

Abe slowed at the red light and glanced in the rearview mirror, where he saw the two of them clearly talking in the backseat, but in the driver’s seat he couldn’t hear a single word of it. Apparently, they couldn’t hear him either, or were too busy arguing to notice.

Great. As if this whole situation wasn’t suspicious enough. Marvin might as well have held up a giant sign saying they were keeping something from him, and knowing that the magician could throw the whole “hired to stalk one of his friends for a shady client” thing back into his face didn’t make it any better.

“Why are we taking him?” Jackie asked, his eyes darting toward the hunter in the front seat. “Wasn’t the whole plan to keep him away from Y/N until we figured out what his deal is?”

“I think his deal is that he’s just an idiot,” Marvin answered. He had tossed up the silence spell as soon as the car started moving, because he suspected Jackie wouldn’t be able to keep from saying something. “And we need to get there as fast as we can, without drawing too much attention. We don’t know what we’re walking into, here.”

“Which is why we shouldn’t be bringing him! I can get there faster on my own, and don’t you have some kind of teleportation spell?”

“Sure, and we can set off every alarm in the place and never make it inside to find the others. You think a place like that doesn’t have security of their own?” Marvin asked. “Why isn’t Chase picking up his phone?!”

“I don’t know, it just keeps going straight to voicemail, and JJ’s not answering any of my texts either,” Jackie said, glancing down at his phone again. “I thought going to the studio was supposed to be safe!”

“How were we supposed to know the Colonel would be there?” Marvin rubbed his eyes, causing his shades to rise up before falling back into place on his nose. “I should have brought my mask, I just didn’t think…But if they’re stuck on a tour, then maybe they haven’t had a chance to run into him yet, if he even is there. From the way the hunter talks, it’s not like he hangs around anywhere for very long.”

“Even if we do get them out before they run into the Colonel, we still have to deal with him,” Jackie said, tilting his head in the direction of the front of the car. “I don’t trust him, and a public building where we already know one murderer might be walking around isn’t exactly the place I want to find out whether I’m right or not. He doesn’t know about Y/N, does he?”

“Of course not! But it’s not like we can hide them from him if he’s…hm.” Marvin paused, and despite his covered eyes, Jackie could see the gears turning in his mind before he said. “Then again, maybe he can be useful.”

Marvin heard Jackie’s noise at the suggestion and turned toward him as he continued, “No, listen. We can’t just go in there, guns blazing, but I also don’t think we’re going to get anywhere at the front desk without just being told to wait for the tour to end. I can give you two an opening to get in, and something to help you track down the others.”

Marvin reached into his chest pocket and pulled out a gold coin, before a twist of his fingers revealed him to be holding two coins.

“One for you, one for the hunter. I enchant them both with basic location spells, but while yours leads you to the others, his is focused on the Colonel, on Wilford. You can get them out of there, while he can have it out with Wilford like he wants without ever knowing Y/N’s there.”

And if he happened to take care of one of the men responsible for what happened to you in the process, then Marvin was completely fine with that.

“And if they’re all in the same place?” Jackie asked.

Marvin shrugged. “Then it’s already a disaster and you’ll just have to do the best you can until I can follow behind. Teleporting out will be a lot easier than getting in. Either way, we’re not going to have a repeat of what happened to Y/N the last time those two were together. Deal?”

Jackie hesitated and then nodded, determination settling in as he said, “Deal.”

Marvin snapped his fingers, dispelling the silence before he said, “Abe.”

“Oh, am I allowed to join in now?” Abe asked sarcastically. “Or are you just checking in to make sure your driver hasn’t made a wrong turn?”

Marvin chose to ignore that and explained to Abe about the coins, or at least what the one he was going to get would do.

“It’ll be kind of like a hot or cold thing,” Marvin said. “Coin gets warmer the closer you are to the person you’re looking for, as long as you’re focused on them. Not very sophisticated and doesn’t work when they’re too far away, but it’s fast to create and should work for this.”

“And what will you be doing?” Abe asked as he took the next turn. They were getting close to the studio now, and he still had no reason to trust either of these guys. “While I’m playing hot or cold with a chocolate coin?”

“This isn’t—” Marvin paused to sniff the coin to be sure and continued, “It’s not chocolate! And I’ll be providing the distraction, while Jackie will be…Look, we have friends in there we’d rather keep safe. You do your thing, and we’ll take care of ours. Deal?”

Abe frowned. One hell of a coincidence, their friends being in the studio where Wilford supposedly might be. Then again, Marvin had seemed genuinely surprised to learn the Colonel and Wilford were one and the same person, and the truth spell back in the coffee shop made it feel like that kind of thing would be hard to fake.

“Wait, the truth spell,” Abe said, glancing over his shoulder at the magician. “Did you get rid of that before we left?”

“Keep your eyes on the road,” Marvin said quickly, and slowly breathed out when the car returned to its lane before he answered, “It wasn’t designed to last long. Should be fine, as long as no troubled couples got into the booth right after we left…Nothing that a little therapy couldn’t work out, anyways. And if you don’t want to do this, that’s fine. Just drop us off outside the studio and keep driving.”

It would certainly make things easier, to the point Marvin was almost a little disappointed when Abe shook his head and said, “No, if there’s even a chance that man’s there, then I’m going in. You two do whatever you need to, and we’ll stay out of each other’s way.”

Marvin nodded and settled back into his seat, where he focused his attention on the two coins that he held in either palm. It was a simple spell, but he did need to concentrate if he wanted to have them ready by the time they reached the studio.

Still driving, Abe could feel the stare of the other man on the back of his head, and when he glanced into the mirror, he could see Jackie’s icy glare, his mouth turned down as if watching someone who just kicked a dog winding up to push a little old lady over in the middle of the street. Who was this guy, and why was he looking at Abe like that? Usually, the hunter could figure out what he had done or said to get that kind of hate directed his way, but as far as he knew the two of them hadn’t so much as shared a word yet. He would have blamed it on whatever Marvin told them about their conversation behind that spell of his, but he was pretty sure Jackie had been ready to throw hands the second he stepped out of the coffee shop.

Except there was that red hoodie of his, and with a sinking sensation Abe remembered the photos he showed Google, accusing him of being the red blur just barely caught on film. A blur that showed up outside of the clinic, very much like the man wearing red Abe thought he saw when he was talking to Jackson. Add in that the magician had thought he was responsible for what happened to the Host, and the doctor knowing he was being watched, and…

Marvin’s idea to split up was looking better and better by the second.

Abe found a parking spot on the street and heard, as he got out of the car, Jackie murmur to Marvin, “There’s his car. They’re still here.”

The magician nodded, looking grimly determined as he tossed Abe and Jackie their coins. “Keep these in your hand, and once you’re in the building, just focus on who you’re looking for. It works best if you have a clear image of one person in mind, which shouldn’t be a problem for you, hunter. Jackie, you’ll probably want to focus on Chase since you’ve known him the longest.”

Abe glanced down at the coin, taking in the ornate carving and what looked like an eye on one side and a bird of some kind on the other. “What kind of coin is this?”

Marvin shrugged. “Fairy gold, I think? The cheap kind that’s given to mortals to get rid of them and disappears after an hour or two.”

He paused at their expressions and added, “You know, get rid of in a general sense. Not, like, specifically, in this case.”

Jackie looked at his coin again and said, “This kind of looks like a doubloon, you know, the kind you’d find in pirates’ treasure?”

“Could be that too. You meet all kinds in the Other Realms, and they all kind of suck at cards, which…” Marvin patted himself down, muttering under his breath about everyone telling him to leave his working stuff at home and make a good impression, until he pulled out a pack of cards. “Right! Let me go in first, looks like there’s just a receptionist, so once she’s distracted you two can slip right in to the elevators.”

“Oh god,” Jackie murmured, realization dawning as he recognized the cards. “You’re not going to try to do that trick again, are you?”

“…The pick my card one, or the one that involves the flash powder?” Marvin asked.

“They’re both terrible! You can use real magic, why do you—”

“Shush, and watch a professional,” Marvin said, pressing a finger to Jackie’s lips before turning and walking through the glass doors of the studio.

“Oh no,” Jackie muttered again as the magician sauntered up to the front desk and leaned casually against it, flipping his hair out of his face before he started talking. From here, they could only see the young woman’s surprise turn into a bemused smile as Marvin began laying out the cards on the counter. “He’s flirting.”

“Is he that bad at it?” Abe asked.

“I don’t know, it just makes it that much sadder when he—” Jackie stopped with a sigh as the entire deck of cards scattered up into the air and began slowly drifting down, only for the first card to hit the floor with a flash and a bang that made the poor receptionist shriek, not helped when Marvin pulled her under the desk as the rest of the cards began to go off as they hit the ground. “Come on, before security gets here!”

Jackie grabbed Abe’s arm and ran inside, easily dodging the drifting cards but leaving the hunter to try and keep up on his own. By the time they reached the elevators, out of sight of the front desk, Abe was swearing and beating out a small flame on one of his sleeves.

“What the hell kind of distraction was that? Is he trying to let the whole building know we’re here?” Abe asked, but Jackie wasn’t listening.

“Still got your coin? Great, you can take one of the elevators, I’ll take the stairs,” Jackie said, pushing him inside of the opening doors after having already hit the call button.

“Wait, how am I supposed to use the coin in here?” Abe asked. “I don’t know which floor—”

But this was the perfect opportunity to ditch the hunter, and Jackie’s answer was to reach inside and run a hand over the buttons, lighting up as many as he could in one go before stepping out of the way of the closing doors. “Focus, and get out when the coin turns warm. From there it’s on you, so good luck with that, hunter.”

Jackie had to admit, it felt good to see the indignation on Abe’s face before the doors slid shut, but he didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy it. From the sound of it, the last of the cards were drifting down, and when he darted into the stairwell, he looked back in time to see Marvin backing toward the front doors, his hands held up in defense as his apologies were drowned out by the receptionist’s review of his performance.

He locked eyes with the magician and raised his phone, Marvin giving a subtle nod of understanding before Jackie began running up the stairs. On his side, Marvin had the phones he had retrieved from the bin behind the desk while the receptionist had been distracted, both of which he recognized as Chase’s and Jameson’s. Said receptionist who was now pulling off her shoe in a way that suggested he should probably go now.

Once outside and with maybe a block or two between him and the very angry young lady, Marvin could stop and take a breath before considering how he would get himself into the building if they needed an out.

“Should’ve brought the mask,” he muttered, already aware of the cracks forming in his shades as the spells built into them began to wear thin. Once those were gone, any hope of being “subtle” about this (not that there was much of one to begin with) went out the window. “Or the dagger, or the marbles, or the wind-up mouse, but no, it might look bad, Marvin.”

But the “I told you so” would have to wait until later, when he had the right audience for it. For now, Marvin made his way back toward the studio, careful to keep his distance as he watched the security guards trying to calm down the receptionist.

As he watched, they leaned over the counter and pulled up something on the computer. Marvin hissed, realizing that they must have cameras around here, just as one of the guards picked up a nearby phone and called someone before nodding to the other guard who went in the direction of the elevators.

Great. Hopefully Jackie and Abe were still moving, but Marvin couldn’t exactly wait around for a call. He squinted, and had to move closer to get the details from the guard standing at the desk, but once he was sure he reached up and rubbed the charm hanging from his left ear between his thumb and index finger until the illusion spell in it took hold.

Marvin opened the lobby door and walked in, passing by the receptionist and guard without slowing down or making eye contact. The guard glanced at him and then turned his attention back to the receptionist, who was saying something about how “that thing” creeped her out, sure in his own mind that he had just seen one of the other guards walk by. Not enough to answer if someone asked who exactly he had seen, just someone in the right kind of uniform with a face more or less like someone he had seen around probably.

The point was to act confident and keep moving, not to give anyone the chance to think about him twice or ask him any questions. To look like he knew where he was going, although when Marvin stepped into the elevator, he knew that couldn’t be farther from the truth. As soon as the doors closed, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Jackie, hoping that he had managed to get somewhere in those few minutes.

Only to freeze when he heard the sound of gunshots somewhere in the building above.

Jackie had moved quickly, only pausing at the door of each floor to give enough time to make sure the coin hadn’t grown any warmer before running up the next flight of stairs. Keeping his focus on Chase was a lot harder than he expected it to be, with everything else going on, and he was starting to wonder if he was doing this right when he felt the heat start to spread out from the coin. He ran up to the next floor to be sure, only for the coin to immediately grow colder once he was just five steps away.

Jackie went back down and pushed open the door, listening for any sound or sign of anyone else, but the hallways were empty. He had lost count of the floors a while ago, but a sign across from the elevator proclaimed this floor to be part of Studio 5, whatever that meant. He glanced back at the elevator as it dinged open, but there was no sign of the hunter inside before it continued its way up, so it looked like Abe had either found where Wilford was hiding at or had been caught.

Either option worked for Jackie, really, and he trained his focus back on Chase as he kept close to the walls. By the time he reached the room with the recording light lit up above it and the glass window that looked into the small studio, the coin was practically burning in his hand, but the second he looked in and his concentration broke, it went as cold as the chill at the back of his mind.

Jameson and Chase were sitting at a table, arguing with two identical twins with a set of microphones between them, but there was no sign of you or anyone else in the room, not even when he leaned to get a better look at the corner near the door. Desperately, he knocked on the window, too thick for them to hear even when he shouted their names, and then yanked open the door.

Ignoring the protests of the other two men, Jackie asked, “Where’s Y/N?” and the coin in his hand became freezing cold.

---

When Abe stepped out of the elevator, a large sign pointed him in the direction of Studio 3, but the coin in his hand led him in the opposite direction until he finally found himself standing outside of a door with a star on it. The paint used to write the name “Wilford Warfstache” on it still looked fresh.

The hunter pocketed the hot coin and pulled out his gun. Still loaded with the five silver bullets, he turned off the safety and took a breath before knocking on the door.

“Come in,” came an all too familiar singsong voice inside.

It was all the invitation Abe needed.

He slammed the door open and raised his gun as he said, “Don’t move!”

“Hm? Well, I wasn’t really planning on it, but now I kind of want to,” answered the man sprawled out on a couch on the opposite side of a room that was such an eyesore of colors that Abe thought he could be forgiven for not immediately being able to pick Wilford out of the madness. The couch itself was a vibrant pink to match his mustache, as was the dressing table and mirror and the low end table between the two of them, the walls a bright cheery yellow, and the round rug that covered most of the floor was a spiral of pink and yellow. In the corner there was a yellow wardrobe with a carefully painted pink mustache on its front. Did this room used to belong to a clown or something?”

“Oh, the decorations? Do you like them? I picked them out myself,” Wilford said, leaning forward only to tilt his head when Abe made an incoherent shout. “You sure are jumpy, uh…Hold on, I know this one, it’s…Dave?”

Wilford pointed at Abe, his eyebrows raised and waiting for some kind of confirmation that didn’t come.

“Okay, not Dave. It’s never Dave, is it? Bim? No, Bim’s the other guy, the fluffy one…Steve? Dave?”

Wilford rattled off names, but Abe could only stare at him in disbelief before he had to shut him up.

“You know who I am! You shot me in the chest!”

“Now, that could be quite a lot of people,” Wilford said.

“You killed my partner, you killed my friend, you—” Abe sputtered, not sure why he was even doing this even as he exclaimed, “You killed so many people!”

“Well, yes, but you see—” Wilford bounced up onto his feet, only to pause and halfway raise his hands when Abe raised his gun again. Something about seeing the hunter ready to pull the trigger must have stirred something in his memory, because his eyes suddenly lit up and he said, “Abe! Abe. How have you been? I was just talking about you earlier with…who was it?”

“How have I—How do you think I’ve been?!” Abe moved into the room, using the heel of his foot to slam the door behind him. Not that it mattered, because he had no intention of letting anyone stop him now. “I’ve been looking for you, ever since that party. Ever since you…Ever since you destroyed everything!”

“Now, that seems like a bit of an exaggeration,” Wilford protested.

“An exaggeration? You killed your best friend, because of you the woman you loved and her brother, your other best friend, are both dead too, you tried to kill me, you killed Y/N—and then you think you can just walk away from all that, like nothing even happened?!” Abe’s grip was tightening on the gun, his finger close to pulling the trigger as tears began to sting the corner of his eyes, but he wanted to hear him say it, wanted to hear him admit to what he had done after all these years. Even if Abe was the only one to hear it, he needed this.

“I’m not sure you have the full story here,” Wilford started, only to pause when Abe pulled the trigger and nothing happened.

“That was just a warning,” Abe muttered as he pulled back the hammer on the gun. Internally though, he was cursing the luck that the one chamber that was empty happened to be the first one when he had a perfect shot lined up. “You really should stop talking.”

“Well, which is it that you want, for me to stop talking or to answer you? I’m getting some mixed signals here! And while it’s true that, in a sense, I may have done some terrible things, I never actually—”

Wilford ducked and pulled out his own gun when the hunter’s second attempt missed, but he just gestured wildly with it as he said, “Yes, I have one of those too, but if you would just listen to me, I think you might want to hear what I have to say!”

His eyes darted to the left as he considered his words and added, “Possibly. I’m starting to think you might just want to shoot me.”

“Really? What would you give that idea?” Abe asked sarcastically as he cocked the hammer again and aimed at Wilford’s face, determined that he wouldn’t waste this third chance. “You’re right. I don’t want excuses. I don’t want to hear what you have to say. I just want you dead.”

He pulled the trigger, but at the last possible second someone grabbed his wrist and threw off his aim. Abe hadn’t heard the door open behind him, partially because firing a gun in this small a space had temporarily wrecked his hearing, but he did hear his name being shouted as the last person he ever expected to see again stepped between him and Wilford.

“Abe! Stop! Just stop!”

“…Y/N?”

You were out of breath, but he sounded as breathless as you as the forgotten gun slipped out of his hand and hit the ground. At the noise, he suddenly realized how very close he came to shooting you when you did that. When you stopped the hunter from shooting him, but why? How could you do something so stupid, so reckless, so, so—

“What…? How…?” Abe struggled for words, his anger and concern fighting it out with confusion taking a chair to both of them, but you just shook your head.

“You need to hide, Google—” You froze, aware of the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, and after a quick look around the room pushed Abe into a nearby wardrobe and shut the door on him, hissing, “Keep quiet!”

Abe started to protest, but he heard you turn and lean up against the wardrobe door just as the door to the dressing room opened and a voice he recognized spoke.

“Gunshots have been fired in this room,” Google said, staring around before focusing on you in the corner, and then turning back to Wilford when he shrugged and answered.

“It happens. Why, just earlier I—” Wilford gestured with his gun and Abe had to bite his fist to keep from crying out when he heard the shot and the silence before he said, “Sorry about that, Googs.”

“It’s…fine,” Google said, although his tone suggested otherwise. Outside the wardrobe, you and Wilford watched as the magitek unit wiped the splash left by the wax bullet off of his cheek with a noise of disgust before he said, “I am looking for unauthorized intruders in the building. One is currently unidentified, while the other matches my files for a hunter by the name of Abe Lincoln.”

That made Abe pause. Why would a TV studio have a record on him? Wasn’t like he had ever been here before, and from the little he knew of DE Studios they were more likely to hire the monster than a hunter. He wanted nothing more than to push open the wardrobe door just a crack, just enough to see what color shirt this Google unit was wearing, but you were leaning so hard against it that he couldn’t even hope for some fresh air to counter the smell of mothballs in Wilford’s catastrophe of a closet. What was the large fuzzy thing against his leg? It didn’t just move, did it?”

“Good for you,” Wilford answered cheerfully. “It’s good to have a hobby.”

“Looking for intruders is not…” Google paused and then decided to ask you instead, “Have you seen either of these men? They must be dealt with using the full extent of my abilities to handle such pests.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” you pointed out.

“…But it is the ideal option, and therefore the most logical one to take,” Google answered, making you wonder what was included in his definition of “ideal.” “I will repeat the question, have you seen these men?”

“Sorry, Google, I think you’ll have to look somewhere else.”

Google considered you for a moment before saying, “Based on my records, this would be the ideal location to find the intruder, although it is possible that he managed to get himself lost. Humans have a tendency to need…direction.”

“Nah, getting lost is half the fun, Google,” Wilford said. “You should try it some time. Right now, even.”

“I am incapable of getting lost, and such distractions are unnecessary at this time,” Google answered. “I am going to continue my search now.”

“Good luck,” Wilford called after him before he shut the door and remarked to you, “You know, sometimes I think that guy is a little—”

He paused as Abe fell out of the wardrobe, wildly kicking back what turned out to be, in the light, a large, pink afro. The hunter froze, unable to explain why that had seemed so much scarier in the wardrobe, but then he had more important things to worry about than his pride when his eyes refocused on you and the questions he just couldn’t begin to wrap his mind around yet.

“Y/N. You’re…”

Here. Alive. Real.

And shaking, your arms wrapped around your chest but not quite able to hide the tremors running up and down your body.

“Are you okay?” Abe asked, his mind immediately jumping to the worst. When he fired before, he hadn’t…? But there’d be a sign, they couldn’t hide it if the bullet had…For a moment, Abe thought he was going to be sick himself.

“There’s too much…Just, just give me a second,” you said, taking a step back and clenching your eyes shut. If you could just shut it all out for a second, just have a chance to catch your breath for once in what felt like forever, but you couldn’t do it. After seeing what had become of Damien and Celine, of having all of that rage and anger turn into fear and adrenaline as you raced down the stairs, following the sounds of gunshots while being terrified what you might find, running in to find Abe and Wilford with guns drawn, reliving the worst moment of your life again even if it didn’t turn out like that, it was no wonder you felt like your chest was trying to cave in along with the rest of the world. The corners of your eyes were burning, but more terrifying was the feeling that at any second…Why was it so hard to even breathe?

Abe stared, but then it wasn’t like he could take his eyes off of you. He could see the lines of your face, your shoulders and spine, shifting back and forth like you were trying to hold yourself in place. Like you were trying not to transform right here and now. More than that, you looked—afraid? Sad?

Alone.

Abe became aware of Wilford wildly gesturing to get his attention before making a gesture, and the hunter felt a brief surge of the same rage that had taken him just minutes before. What the hell did he think he was doing? Wilford shook his head and gestured again, before finally resorting to mouthing the words as large as possible without making a sound. Even then, Abe hesitated, unsure if it was because he didn’t want to take that kind of advice from him, or because he wanted so much to do it that it was almost terrifying.

Either way, it didn’t take long to give in and move closer to you.

You flinched backwards out of reflex, but Abe said, “It’s just me, Y/N. It’s just…”

He struggled for what to say before just pulling you into a hug. Something he’d never got the chance to do before it all went wrong. You pressed your face into his chest, focusing on the smell you wouldn’t have ever thought you’d miss in that life. Holding you, Abe could feel you slowly relax, the tension not quite disappearing but fading enough that you could sigh and speak again.

“I missed you, Abe.”

“I missed you too, Partner.”

“Oh, this is just lovely, isn’t it?” Wilford said, and Abe rocked back on his heels as he joined in the hug, his arms wrapping around the both of you. “Look at us, together again!”

“Where’s my gun?” Abe growled, already looking down to see where he had dropped it.

“Don’t,” you said, and Abe could hear the exhaustion in your voice. “Please, Abe, not now. You need to know what really happened that weekend, and I promise I’ll try to…”

You sighed, head already hurting at the idea of trying to explain everything that happened. Your chest ached again, but you could feel the strength leaving your body like it had the night before last when you changed back, as if staying human was too much of an effort on top of everything else.

But you just had to make it a little longer, that’s all.

“But we need to get out of here,” you continued. Google was still roaming the halls, and Dark… You grimaced at the thought and felt the fangs in your mouth for a moment before they receded back into your regular teeth. “Please.”

Abe hesitated. Wilford was right here, he could end this all right now, but you were clearly not okay. His mind went back to when he left you in that hallway, told you to leave while he went running after the Colonel. He had often thought about that moment, remembered the look on your face, your grief at losing your friend combined with the confusion and the pain from your own injuries, and what he would have done differently if he had been given the chance.

He just didn’t think it would be this hard, to say, “Okay. We’ll go.” To pick up his gun and holster it, to keep an arm around you for support. To walk away and leave Wilford there, smiling and waving as though seeing off a couple of old friends.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep Googs busy for you,” Wilford said, and Abe felt the back of his neck itch with the desire to turn around and finish what he started. “I’ll make sure your name is added to the guest list, Abe, so feel free to come back any time!”

Abe made a noise at that but tried to hold back what he wanted to say for your sake. He had every intention of coming back here and settling this, once he was sure you were safe this time.

Wilford watched the two of you make your way down the hall, still waving until he stopped as if just noticing something was wrong. He rolled his shoulder back and then prodded it, his fingers finding the small hole in his shirt and then, with a bit of work, pulling out a used silver bullet.

“Huh.” Somewhere in the back of his mind, he had a vague thought that, if you hadn’t intervened and this bullet had hit where Abe had been aiming, it would have been very bad. There was also something familiar about that whole business, an old face reappearing in his dressing room…But that thought quickly passed and he tossed the misshapen piece of silver over his shoulder with a shrug before turning his mind back to what he was supposed to be doing.

Or he would have, if that little distraction hadn’t made him forget. All thought of you and the hunter had disappeared as soon as the two of you were out of sight, so he swayed on his feet for a moment in the hallway, mind blank. If it were really important, he was sure it would figure itself out on its own without him. Most things usually did.

“Wilford Motherloving Warfstache! What have I told you about shooting in the building?!”

Right. Kathryn, his producer. His very angry producer, judging by the look on her face. Wilford inhaled, an excuse ready on his lips, before he dove back into his dressing room and shut the door with the faint hope that maybe she’d just keep walking on. Maybe she was yelling at someone else who also just happened to be named Wilford Motherloving Warfstache too, in which case, rude, Wilford was pretty sure he had this name first.

Either way, keeping Google busy was something that would only occur to him days later, when he would decide the best way to do that was spill a martini down Google’s pants. Not exactly helpful to you, but the Jims would have a field day catching that moment on film.

For now, Abe walked you to the elevators and pressed the down arrow, although he wasn’t sure what the plan would be once you reached the lobby. Just walk out and hope no one was too worried about people getting out of here, although if they had already spotted him on the cameras…

“No, we need to go up,” you protested, pushing the up arrow. “To Studio…5, I think?”

You rubbed your eyes, trying to push back the headache forming behind them, and shook your head when Abe said, “No, we don’t. We need to get out of here, remember?”

“My friends—” you started, only for the stair well door to crash open as Jackie, followed closely by Jameson and Chase, came spilling out and froze at the sight of you and Abe. “Have really good timing? Jackie, what are you—”

You were cut off as Jameson pulled you into a hug and then stepped back to look you up and down before signing, “Are you okay? We heard shooting!”

“Wait, you know them?” Abe asked.

“We came as fast as we could,” Jackie said to you, but he was glaring at Abe, who could already tell this guy was going to be a problem. “What the hell happened?”

“You didn’t actually shoot anyone, did you?” Chase asked, eyeing the gun at Abe’s side.

“No,” Abe answered, probably sounding a little more defensive than he meant to.

“Long story,” you muttered. “But we should get out of here first.”

“Security’s looking for us,” Abe added. Well, him in particular, but Jackie had also been caught on camera even if they hadn’t IDed him yet. “They checked the cameras fast, too fast for one person they know walked back out again. Probably because the magician’s distraction was a little…”

“Much, yeah,” Jackie admitted. That card trick of Marvin’s had given them the space to get in, but something forgettable like asking the receptionist for directions would have also done the trick without alerting every security guard in the building. “Something to work on for next time, but how do we get out of here?”

“Well, the three of us have guest passes,” Chase pointed out. “It’s just the two of you we have to worry about.”

Jackie had a suggestion ready for that, and Abe saw it coming, but he was interrupted by the elevator doors finally sliding open to reveal it was already occupied. At first most of the group tensed, thinking it was one of the security guards until he spoke.

“Oh, hi,” Marvin said, looking around and taking them all in with a quick count. “Well, this is easier than I thought it would be. Get in, we can’t just hang around here all day.”

Abe exhaled slowly, his eyes narrowing into a glare that Jackie matched, and Marvin rolled his eyes as they all got in.

“Not my fault someone decided to start shooting,” Marvin remarked as he pressed the doors close button on the elevator over and over again until they slid shut. “Everyone is going to be swarming up here any second thanks to you, which should actually make it a little easier to walk out.”

Jackie said, “For you, maybe. Hunter and I don’t exactly have badges or illusions to help us blend in.”

“Like I was going to say, that’s easy,” Chase said. “They just saw you on the cameras, right? At a distance, probably not that great quality video, so all they’re working on is ‘guy in a hoodie’ and ‘bald guy with a black jacket.’ Just take those off, let us hold them, and JJ, let the angry guy borrow your hat. We keep our heads down on the way out and run if we have to.”

Jackie and Abe both hesitated, but Jameson shrugged and pulled off his hat. “He has a point.”

But you shook your head, eyes shut tight as you leaned against the elevator wall and wished it didn’t shake so much, that there was a window or some kind of vent or fresh air of any kind with this many people around you.

“Google said he had a file on Abe, so they know what his face looks like.”

Jackie gave the hunter an accusing stare as he asked, “There a reason this place has a file on you? Maybe something you should have told us before we came in here?”

“How should I know?!” Abe asked, before the realization hit. “Wait, this Google, what color is his shirt?”

“It’s…blue,” Chase answered, with an agreeing nod from Jameson. “But why does that matter?”

Because if it was the red one, then at least Abe would know why they knew him. It would make things a whole lot simpler, if he knew someone here was behind that loose end.

“They have a file on Abe for the same reason Wilford’s here and I’m on the guest list,” you answered, shaking the VIP badge hanging around your neck. “The studio manager, the one in charge of everything here, is Damien and Celine, or whatever’s left of them.”

Marvin slammed his hand on the emergency stop button, causing the elevator to immediately halt and everyone to stumble and catch themselves and each other while an alarm overhead began to go off.

“What are you doing?!” Abe said, his hand on your arm while Jameson was steadying you on the other side. “What happened to just walking out?!”

“New plan,” Marvin answered as he dropped to his hand and knees with a piece of chalk in hand. He drew a large symbol in the center of the elevator floor before scuttling around to draw a circle within the space the elevator provided, which meant pushing each of them out of the way in turn. “We are not taking any more chances, so teleport spell. Easier when we’re not moving. Now get in the circle, all of you, and try not to step on the chalk.”

“Didn’t you say this place would have something to stop people from doing this?” Jackie asked.

“To stop people from teleporting in, probably. Getting out though, why would anyone care about that?” Marvin looked at you, and when you met his stare through his sunglasses he asked, “Do you really think they’d let us leave?”

You sighed. After your talk with Dark, you weren’t sure of anything, and the scream of the alarm wasn’t making it any easier to think. “I don’t know.”

Marvin glanced at Jackie, who reluctantly nodded. Better not to risk it, if they could, not after what the twins did to you last time.

Once he was sure they were all in, Marvin stepped into the center of the circle and focused his energy. Around them, the chalk lit up with a brilliant blue light, reflecting off of the shiny walls of the elevator and giving them all a sickly color. To you, it was just a bright, colorless light that suddenly changed at the same second you heard Marvin’s breath catch.

The light in the elevator turned red before the circle suddenly drew in around the magician, whose head went back before he collapsed on the ground, flashes of red running up and down his body before they disappeared, taking the teleportation circle he had drawn with them.

“Marvin!”

The shout came from all sides, Jameson dropping to his knees first to look the magician over before looking up at the rest of you.

“He’s still breathing. I don’t know what he’s trying to say, though.”

There was a steady stream of words flowing from the magician’s mouth which to everyone else may have sounded like another one of his spells. You on the other hand could clearly hear that it sounded like every swear word Marvin knew, spoken as fast as possible under his breath, although you could only guess that was the case considering he had left English behind a while ago for German and had taken a detour into what now sounded like Gaelic. He was clearly in pain, but also not too injured from whatever just happened.

Jackie knelt to check his vitals, only to have to steady Jameson as the elevator floor suddenly jolted. The alarm stopped, and you all became aware of the elevator moving downward again just before the doors slid open to reveal the hallway to the lobby, along with Google and three armed guards who were all aiming into the elevator.

There was a moment of silence before Google said, “Intruders located. Lethal force suggested.”

His eyes changed as he stepped forward toward Abe or Marvin and Jackie on the ground you weren’t sure, and you could feel the hum of his machinery whirring up to do something before you blocked his path.

“Back off,” you growled, and it was a literal growl as you could feel the wolf taking over, as your features started to blur and shift. You felt the metal under his skin as you pushed him back out of the elevator, could smell the fear on the three all too human guards, could hear the others behind you holding their breath in shock as the fur began to show, as your teeth and claws came out. “You—”

Whatever you were about to say was cut off as one of the guards panicked and fired his gun, the blast of noise hurting far more than the punch of it hitting your stomach. It knocked the breath out of you, and for a moment everything seemed to slow.

Abe.

Out of reflex or instinct, your hand reached back and grabbed Abe’s wrist, stopping him before he could grab his gun and make himself a target. Your grip was too tight at first, and you tried to relax, to give him and the others behind you some signal that you were okay, even as underneath the ringing you could hear Jackie leaping to his feet and the panic of the others. Your mind felt like it was running too fast and too slow at the same time, but you felt strangely calm.

It was just a regular bullet, after all.

None of them managed to move faster than Google though, who without hesitation reached over and twisted the guard’s wrist with a sickening sound that was followed by his gun hitting the ground and a whimper of pain.

“Shooting VIPs is strictly forbidden,” Google said.

VIPs. The adrenaline racing through your system hit that word and stumbled across an idea that was completely ridiculous and stupid, mostly because you had a faint hope it might actually work.

“Google,” you said, drawing the magitek unit’s attention to you. It hurt, talking, each word a reminder of the sting in your stomach that was too slowly fading. “VIPs are allowed to bring guests, right? Is there a limit on how many I can have?”

Google considered the question while the other two guards just stared and exchanged looks, both very aware of their coworker lying in pain on the ground and the problem of this clearly non-human person who was still talking despite being doubled over a gunshot wound. “No, there is currently no limit in the policy. A concerning oversight that should be corrected.”

“But until then, there isn’t one. Which means—” You stopped to hiss slightly, your grip tightening on Abe’s wrist until the next surge of pain dimmed a little to continue, “—that as of now, everyone in that elevator is a guest of mine, understand? And if they’re guests, then that means they can’t be intruders.”

You could feel the fur start to settle and disappear, the claws and fangs slowly begin to retract. Too late to undo what they had all seen, but you couldn’t think about that right now. Even if a small part of you was wondering why Abe hadn’t pulled away yet, or if that flash of anger and what you could be would be enough to change how the others looked at you.

“Your logic appears to be…correct,” Google said, but his expression said he was still trying to find the hole in it. “But they do not have visitor passes.”

You hesitated, but Chase stepped forward and said, “That’s right, which you told us means they should be escorted out of the building, right? And since we’re already on our way out…”

“Understood,” Google said, sounding almost disappointed that he wasn’t able to break a few more bones. “Follow me.”

One of the security guards stepped forward and said, “Hold on, you can’t just—”

He paused, his eyes going to somewhere in the elevator behind you, and he swallowed and looked back at the other guard still standing who muttered back, “I’m not paid enough for this.”

Besides, it would be easier to blame Google than try to get involved at this point, or that seemed to be the guards’ point of view as they helped their third comrade up to his feet and out of the way.

Jackie picked up Marvin, who protested in a slurred voice, and you let go of Abe’s wrist only to find the hunter slipping his arm around you, his hand enveloping yours over the wound underneath.

“Lean on me,” he murmured under his breath as Jameson moved to support you on your other side.

“I’m fine,” you muttered, even though that was an absolute lie. “It wasn’t silver.”

It was Abe’s turn for his grip to tighten, holding you closer as the strange group followed the magitek unit across the lobby floor. He didn’t want to think about what he had just seen, the shot that was an echo of what his imagination brought to mind every time it went back to that night.

“At least until they’re not watching,” Abe pleaded, aware of the guards still in the lobby, the receptionist behind her desk. Aware that they had already seen you in your in between state, the fur and the fangs and something else he hadn’t really seen in you before now: anger.

You leaned against him, too tired to argue, in too much pain to pretend you weren’t, and asked, “Does it really matter anymore?”

Abe glanced over your head at Jameson, whose expression reflected what he was already thinking. You could hear Chase somewhere behind you, apologizing in a low voice to the guards before Jackie hissed at him to hurry up, just as you could hear the ticking of Jameson’s pocket watch that felt slightly out of sync with the steady noise coming from Google as he stopped at the glass doors of the studio and turned back to face your group.

“I am required to thank you for your time here at Dark Entertainment Studios,” he said, his eyes running over the six of you before focusing on you in particular. “I have also been asked to issue you your permanent VIP card for future visits, as well as a message from the studio manager.”

You stared at him in silence before taking the laminated card and the folded piece of paper, unable to think of anything to say before Abe and Jameson walked you out with the other three just behind.

Outside, you blinked in the sunlight and found it did nothing to get rid of the spots appearing on the edges of your vision, and let Abe and Jameson lead you in the direction of the parking lot while your aching, weary mind could only focus on the note Google had handed you.

Think about what I said, Y/N. And know that you’re always welcome here.

No training required.

-Dark

You recognized the handwriting, which made it sting that much more as you remembered notes in Damien’s handwriting, passed to you in crowded lecture halls or left on your desk at work early in the morning or after a rough full moon. A fresh little reminder that the man you thought you knew, that man…

You wanted to be furious, angry, to let all those feelings he left you with come spilling out of your head so they would just leave you alone, but as you stared at the note you just felt so tired, so done with it all. You just wanted to close your eyes and forget it all, for a little while at least…

Abe pulled your hand down, his concerned face swimming in your vision as his mouth moved, saying words that seemed out of sync with what you heard before it disappeared entirely with the rest of the world.

Abe had been arguing with Jackie about which car to take you to when he felt the shudder run up and down your body. Jameson stopped on your other side and looked at Abe, his eyes filled with panic, but neither of them could say or do anything to get through to you in time to keep you conscious or to stop you from crashing to the sidewalk in the shape of the wolf.

((End of Part 24. Thank you for reading. I’m sorry to end it there, and I had hoped to have the next part ready soon, but I don’t think that’s going to happen. So just to be clear in the mean time, the turning back into the wolf thing isn’t going to be nearly as long-lasting as it was in the beginning, and Marvin is (mostly) fine. He just really, really sucks at flirting and rescue operations, so that’s something for him to work on before the end of the story.

I may try to get the rest of the story written before I start posting again, but we’ll see. Technically, we’re getting near the end, but there’s a lot left to happen and I haven’t exactly been very good at sticking to an outline, even if I like where the detours have gone (this whole studio section was supposed to be completely different, for example). For now though, it’s going to be another break until the next part is posted.

Scratch that, Part 25: Catching Up is now up.

Tagging: @silver-owl413 @skyewardlight @withjust-a-bite @blackaquokat @catgirlwarrior @neverisadork @luna1350 @oh-so-creepy @weirdfoxalley @95fangirl @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette @geekymushroom @cactipresident @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist @avispate @missksketch @autumnrambles @authorracheljoy @liafoxyfox @hidinginmybochard ))

[anothertimdrakestan]

Lovebirds Damian Wayne x Reader

Words: 2.8k

Requested? Yes! From a few lovely anons!

“So far i am loving your blog and went through like all of your writing🥰💖💖💖💗💞! I was wondering if you could do 'star sapphire corp reader' x damien please? Like them getting together” and “Could you please do sapphire lantern reader with your choice of the batboys meeting on a mission?”

LINK TO PROMPTS  -> REQUESTS ARE STILL OPEN!

I absolutely love the sapphire corps! Thank you for these adorable requests! Dami plus a lover actually in tune with their emotions- hell they’re powered off the emotions- is too funny and so adorable! Also we are going to pretend that Raven and Damian aren’t a thing even though I’m using the DCAU teen titans alrighty? Plus it gives me a chance to ship BBRAE YEAHHHH! Hope you enjoy!

I’m so sorry it’s long it’s my first fic back I was so excited haha

“Deep breaths and English you got this” you stared at yourself in the mirror of your makeshift room in titan’s tower. Being the youngest member of the star sapphire corps you were the one tasked with the trip to earth, it made sense, no one wanted to work with teenage earthly heroes but you. Finally, a chance to meet a being similar in age to you! No more old hymns about the power earthly love, you were about to experience it first hand. 

Your mentor had called in a favor and you had been escorted to earth by none other than the physical embodiment of flirtatiousness, Hal Jordan. The trip itself was tiring so upon a midnight arrival you retired to your room without meeting anyone. Now, you could hear a bustling of voices, there was so much emotion radiating it seemed slightly overwhelming, so you opted to wait for Hal to come pull you from your room. 

At the familiar knock you shook away your nerves and flexed your hands into fists, feelings your ring almost pushing you to go outside. “Howdy miss l/n! Ready to meet your new team?” You were greeted with the cheesy grin that had apparently wooed your mentor, but always prodded you. “Good morning Hal, temporary team remember?” you replied, letting your aura be picked up by your purple light. Hal coughed awkwardly, “we walk on earth newbie, not many float here” embarrassed, you touched back down, clearing your throat as you exited your quarters. 

As you made your way down the hallway shouting grew, but upon you entering the room went quiet. With a small smile wave you scanned the room, noticing a green boy who was burning a strange looking food, two other boys who had froze to look at you but stood at a large table that made a strange sound, and lastly a raven haired boy who was sharpening a- sword? At ten in the morning? On the couch. The green boy came up to you first, “hello! You must be y/n! I’m Gar, there’s Jaime, Vic, Robin, and Raven isn’t here but she’s also part of the team! Nice to meet’cha!” Trying to keep up with the names Gar started shouting “SHE’S HERE Y’ALL” apparently to summon a woman who looked like the leader, as she was much older. Following her was a younger girl in a purple cloak, you quite liked her look and vibes, though she felt quite closed off. 

After learning more about everyone at a team breakfast with strangely prepared food you were with the team getting suited up as your mission to travel to Celea, a planet whose environment was toxic to any being over 18, making it a “teen titan’s mission” as they called themselves. As some of the titan’s changed into their suits and prepped themselves for combat you bonded with Raven and Blue Beetle as you had all loaded onto the ship fairly easily. “So why do you have a powerless human on your team? Do you not worry for his safety?” you wondered as you watched Robin methodically pack all his gear. “Trust me, Robin could take all of us out if he wanted to, he’s earned his spot on the team from pure skill and being a little bit of a monster- OOMPH” Jaime was cut off by Raven nudging him. You couldn’t help wanting to hear Robin’s story, as you were like him too- powerless but highly trained and craving to do more. Luckily you had a couple hours of flight to get to know the mysterious boy. 

The ship was large, built for a league of heroes apparently. This meant the team had spread out but you had stayed in the piloting area to assure yourself the team was on the right trajectory, apparently Robin was as well. “You actually know where we’re going?” his voice shook you from your calculations. “Yes, I’ve visited Celea before, but never to fight it’s people” you mused, wondering how in just a few years since your visiting a toxic group of manipulative outlaws had attempted to stake their claim to the beautiful Celea. “TT, not much of a fighter?” Robin mused snarkily, his flitted down to the ring on your finger. “Y’know your team here thinks you’re pretty strong, but I’d wager you’d be easy work for me” you teased back, twisting your ring around your finger as Robin came closer to you. 

(TW FOR BLOOD)

Sitting next to you he began, “my abilities come from my skill, my wit, and my determination. I don’t believe you can say the same princess” you scoffed, “you underestimate me Robin, this ring is nothing without me, not the other way around. Powered from my emotional control and my creativity, my skill takes focus and agility not just glorified muscle memory” you winked at him, enjoying the banter. He scoffed in return. “Yes and what can you do with that ring that I cannot defeat with my blades” he mused. This invitation was perfect. You got up jubilantly, started your lecture. “Clearly you lack certain knowledge Robin, hand me one of your so called blades” you stuck your hand out as Robin rolled his eyes handing you a bat-shaped blade. Without a second thought you cut into the side of your arm, wincing at the pain. “Y/N! What are you doin-” you cut Robin off, beginning to channel your power. “You see, true power is the ability to heal any cut your blades could make, to take was has happened and turn it into a place of love, not malice or hate” as you said this, the familiar purple tone washed over your arm, easily mending the break in your skin. You noticed it felt faster than usual, but wiped it off as adrenaline. 

(TW OVER)

At the display of your powers Robin was in awe. “That’s not all I can do” you laughed, creating a small purple hand that pushed Robin’s open jaw closed. He stumbled back angrily, mumbling about accepting your abilities merit. “You impressed now Robin?” you grinned, sticking out your hand to him. He closed the distance, returning your handshake. “Damian.” he said softly. You swallowed, Damian. It was becoming. Your ring began to warmly glow, Damian snapped his hand away wearily as you cooled your emotions. “Oh uh! Sorry, energy burst” you said, it was a half truth at least. Damian nodded, moving to go clean the batarang. 

The rest of the trip was short, upon entering Celea you’d divided, Damian was with you as the both of you entered publicly while Beast Boy and Raven entered covertly, planning to cover you if the diplomatic endeavors went south. Blue Beetle and Cyborg, unfortunately, weren’t allowed in Celea as their tech was apparently very old and triggered the planet’s defense system, so they stayed up in the ship was manning comms, prepared for an air fight. 

Upon entering you were taken straight to the capital, a sapphire corps was a rarity on Celea and they were all excited for your help. You and Damian met the governing leaders, explaining that you were here to help end the tyranny on the dark side of the planet. As you had hoped, they agreed, you could feel their love for their planet was strong, but that was about all the love on the planet as everyone was so young. It felt slightly difficult to keep a reign on your emotions on Celea, the planet itself was a safe haven for children, almost like a giant orphanage ran by beings that reincarnated frequently as to stay alive on the planet, the concept of pure love was foreign to many of the children and unharnessable. It all felt quite isolating in comparison to earth, a planet driven by intense emotions. 

“You look tired already” Damian mused. “I’m fine, just not a huge fan of a child-only planet” you responded as you made your way towards the large base, preparing yourself for a fight. Before Damian could respond you were joined by Raven and Gar. Their presence eased some of the pressure. “You guys love each other, it’s refreshing” you said, both of them froze, staring at you. “Oh uh, we haven’t really talked about that yet” Raven whispered, staring at Gar who was grinning like a child in a candy shop. “I love you too Rae!” he cheered. “Not how I imagined I’d say it but, yes, I do love you idiot” she huffed. Your cheeks flushed, “oh uh, my bad sorry, it just, seemed so obvious” you giggled, secretly glad you’d brought the two together. 

“Just a couple’a couples!” Beast boy teased, you felt your cheeks redden, glancing to Damian who was now suddenly interested in looking anywhere but at you. You felt your ring begin to glow again, covering it with your other hand. “Oh wow! Look at that! We’re here! Battle time!” you cleared your throat, setting the group focus on infiltrating the rogue base. 

The base itself was relatively small, it hadn’t been flushed out yet but the four of you were here to clear it before they had the chance. Trying to establish a child trafficking ring on a planet of only children was disgusting, and needed stopping before it got the chance. You were especially passionate about this endeavor, the reason for you channeling the power of love was when you lost your sister, that loss of love taught you it’s importance even at a young age, and after training harder than anyone you knew you earned the ring, promising to defend love the way no one defended yours. You would protect these children at any cost. 

There was no need for stealth as you had the permission of the Celean government, it was more of an ambush. As Gar shifted into a large tiger, Raven donned her hood, and Damian stripped himself of the Celean garb, you noticed his Robin suit, littered in weapons and ties, he looked like a hero. There was that damn glow again. Channeling it into your focus you felt the warm aura surround you as you lifted off the ground, ready for a fight. 

“Y/n should say it!” BB roared, Raven nodded in agreement. “Say what?” you looked at Damian. “We have this tradition where the leader says ‘Titan’s Go’ then we fight, and I guess you’re our leader today” he said, you noticed the light tint hiding beneath his mask. “Okay!” you said, positioning yourself, flexing your hand to feel your ring one last time before shouting.

“TITANS GO!” 

And you were off, soaring through the air while BB and Robin took the ground. You noticed a few scared looking kids were being held in pens, and you decided to free them first. As Raven covered you easily, you floated down to the kids, accidentally bonking heads with Robin who stared at you. “I’m so sorry! It’s just we always have to-” “Get the kids out first” he finished your sentence, a small smile dancing at the corner of his mouth. For just a fraction of a second, your eyes flitted down to his lips, feeling his gaze of you the moment felt like slow motion before you both snapped out. “Let’s go! This way!” you used your ring to break the gates as Robin herded the kids out to freedom. 

Glancing up you saw a couple rogues grabbing kids as they tried to run away, your heart stopped when you saw one pull out a laser blaster. “Enough!” you screamed, violet rays exploding from your hands as you easily knocked them out of your way. Leaving your post you flew up and began eradicating anyone who tried to harm a child. “No one hurts my sister!” you screeched, your powers growing stronger by the second as you began dividing your powers between knocking out bad guys and literally carrying children to safety. As the last of the kids were safe you escorted Beast Boy out while you and Raven combined your powers to crunch up the base, making it unfixable and uninhabitable forever. 

Feeling the adrenaline subside you glanced down to see a herd of children cheering, but your focus drew to Damian who was propped up against a barrel, nursing a laser bullet wound. Rushing to his side you quickly pulled open his suit, a trail of blood trickled into your hands. “Damn kevlar doesn’t stop their bullets apparently” he coughed. “Oh my god Damian don’t go” Gar shifted next to you. “He’s not going anywhere” you said, focussing your energy, feeling the pain and imagining turning the warmth of blood into mending, the pools of blood are just pockets of blissful love. 

This wasn’t a good time to tell the team you’d never healed a wound this large before. Positive self talk right? Or negative. 

I’m alone on a planet of useless children, surrounded by a glorified furry, goth, and stocked vigilante. No one is here to help you y/n you’ve gotta do this. You felt the wounds begin to mend, after all that focus you’d barely started. Damian you idiot! If you die right now how will I know why my damn ring is gleaming everytime I see your cute face. Fuck. I didn’t mean cute. Yeah I did. Okay, save the cute face. Maybe kiss the cute face if you save it? Yeah. That’s a good deal y/n let’s do that. Your head was rushing through a million thoughts, anything to motivate you to do the impossible. Halfway there, you could feel it. “Holy cow, look! The wound is closing!” Gar pointed at Damian’s chest. “Y-yeah. No help from you green bean” you mumbled. “Oh I know what’ll help!” Gar squeaked, running off. You turned to Damian who was just staring at you bewildered. “Don’t look at me like that when I’m literally repairing your organs bird boy” you whispered through clenched teeth. 

Then a surge of power came over you, it felt raw and unchanneled, you glanced up to see Gar mid-kiss with Raven, giving you a thumbs up. The love was short lived, but enough to keep your engine revving. Alright girl you got this, heal, then kiss, maybe. Definitely heal first. He has to live. C’mon. “JUST LIVE DAMMIT” you shouted the last bit, feeling the last of your power drain while the wound completely closed. “Holy shit I’m a badass” you whispered, before feeling intensely light headed. 

You woke up in the ship med bay, jolting up. “HE LIVED HE LIVED” you burst up, throwing a fist in the air. The other corps members would be so proud! Your first battle with death you’d won! “You’re right I did live, thanks to you” a familiar voice brought you back down to earth. Next to your bed was Damian, now in casual clothes with a little bandaging on his other wounds. “Oh! uh yeah, you’re totally welcome” you grinned. Awkwardly Damian scooted closer to you. “I think I owe you a certain gratitude” he said, emotions dripping in his voice you hadn’t heard before. 

This time his eyes snapped down to your lips, as he leaned in you felt like you were dreaming. When your lips connected you couldn’t help but smile into the kiss, feeling lightheaded with pure joy. The kiss itself was soft, blissful and lovely. Damian’s lips felt soft against yours, like they fit with yours like a puzzle piece. Pulling away you stared at him shocked. “I could hear your thoughts when you were healing me, had to live up to your expectations” he winked while you covered your face with embarrassment. “Oh my gosh that’s so embarrassing yikes” you mumbled into your hands. You felt Damian’s hand slide under yours, caressing your cheek, drawing your eyes to his. “I thought it was pretty endearing personally, I suppose it’s because I was being saved by the most gorgeous, fascinating girl I know” he mused, before bringing you in for another kiss, this time more passionate, as if to show his feelings through a kiss instead of words. 

You spent the rest of your earthly get-away with the Titans, finding a sort of family with them. When you were called back to your people you promised to return in a few weeks, hoping to move your station to earth. They could always use another lantern right? 

When you returned to your mentor, C.Ferris you told her of your earthly adventures. She laughed, “a Star Sapphire’s greatest strength and weakness all wrapped into a snarky earth boy body” and you couldn’t help but agree. And with that, you were sent back to earth, this time returning as Dove, because every Robin needs a lovebird to help them along the way. 

[beerecordings]

Umm, maybe if Dark, the master it could have been could've been y/n?

totally!! that’s a great idea but also it makes me so sad ahhhh :’( because honestly y/n is like never anything but Damien’s buddy in the story, right? and maybe they summoned Dark for research or something mundane like Jack and Mark do and literally never intended to use him as a slave, and then they seriously just got along so well y/n kept summoning him back and back and back to talk, and then Dark took an interest in their work and they started doing things together, and then before they knew it y/n was like I THINK THIS DEMON’S MY FRIEND?? Sos but also lollll Damien you mad lad

oh! what if Actor!Mark summoned Damien while y/n was letting him recharge in the Other Place and then forced him to attack and maybe kill y/n :(( and maybe Celine was like a spirit he considered his “sister” because they had fought wars together and they had always gotten along, but then Mark’s quest for vengeance got her hurt or pitted the two of them against each other and they ended up trapped together in a mirror, like a genie’s lamp, and eventually merged into one single spirit tormented by the black magic that kept them in the mirror.

by the end of it, Dark couldn’t even feel guilty about y/n most of the time because he was so corrupted by the black magic and too intertwined with Celine and the house spirit. but every now and then he gets this great longing for y/n and the friendship they had, and he’ll take their form to give himself some comfort. but most of the time he just remembers pain and betrayal, and it makes him hate humans all the more now that he can no longer keep track of who loved him and who turned against him and used him as a pawn in a game he never wanted to play.

he just wanted to help y/n be a good lawyer... he used to dress up like a fancy fancy human and pass them papers while they worked in the courts, sitting through all their cases... and they taught him about human history and culture, recognized how clever he was and let him try new things... talked to him about whatever he wanted to talk about... maybe they even used to play detective together for y/n’s cases, solving murders and thefts... Dark remembers it vaguely sometimes when he watches Jack and Mark working on mysteries together. honestly he’s tempted to get involved, but he does not trust humans, especially since he sees Mark as enslaving him and senses a very dark presence around his little Irish friend...

great idea, anon!

[fernifox]

Y/N: “How cruel of you to use his death against me.”

So I’ve had an idea for a theory/au for the Markiplier series. I do know that none of this is likely because mark said it himself. He makes references and creates the story as he goes. He has no set timeline, and he won’t make one because of plot holes. Anyways I thought, what if y/n was an anomaly like the box? What if y/n is trying to get the box to fix everything? This box is the key to many different timelines that converge together inside of the box. Each timeline has an object suited to that path.

What if y/n knew mark in the past? Maybe they were best friends, perhaps lovers, or even enemies, but something connected them in each timeline. Y/n lost mark, they were distraught, and they wanted to bring him back. They searched everywhere and heard from a mysterious shadow about a box. This box was said to give the user what they needed, and y/n desperately required mark. So you searched high and low finally finding the box opening it, but in doing so y/n just cursed themselves. Every version of themselves merged in one timeline. This causes them to shift in between genders and ethnicities continually. Mark, on the other hand, was split into different egos from alternate timelines. The original mark’s body, however, was taken over by the mysterious shadow that led you to the box. This demon tries his best to keep y/n from getting mark back while fulfilling his agenda.

The egos have been spread out in the world without knowing that they are in an alternate timeline. Because of their anomalous forms, they would not age or die. For some like dark or the googles, it would not be a surprise as they aren’t human. However, the more human egos are prone to becoming insane like Wilford, who eventually learns slight time manipulation from the exposure to the box that allows him to seemingly teleports around rooms. Dr. Ipliers has gained the ability to see anything unfortunate in your life. 

Illinois almost died in his timeline by being crushed by a boulder, but before he was smooshed, the box brought him to this new world. Yet the stone still follows him, and any time he is crushed, he miraculously survives. He goes through so many partners because they either retire and die of old age or die in one of the unfortunate accidents. He slowly walks through the dungeons without a car because Illinois knows he can’t die, and yet he doesn’t face it. None of them do.

Magnum has been a pirate for ages. He continues to be a pirate even though they aren’t common anymore. Even after buried treasure is a thing of the past. He travels the sea without the need for vitamin c because he won’t get sick but forgets the others need it. Skeletons of old crewmates linger on deck because he pretends they don’t die. If he acknowledges it it is not because of their age it is because of some disease or other cause. He cherishes your company as quickly as you appear because he feels like he knows you. A friend from a different timeline? It’s been so long his memory blurs.

Yancy, oh poor Yancy, he was thrown into the arms of a family that wasn’t his own, and yet he accepted it. He didn’t question it, he forgot and just like him the family accepted it. One day Yancy remembered what he is who he was. He isn’t normal he is a freak a monster he doesn’t belong they aren’t his family. He snapped and murdered the people who cared for him like he was their own. He was imprisoned and accepted it. He knew he did wrong and hoped he would forget. He didn’t want to expose people to him. In his many years there he was sentenced to many forms of execution and yet he survived. No one talked about it. Eventually, they stopped trying. Yancy was on good behavior and parole was coming up and yet the guards didn’t want to let him loose on the world. No, they would be more strict at any chance they could they would remove any chance at parole and he was okay with it. Years go by and prisoners change, Yancy stopped learning names. Instead, he calls people nicknames and when one leaves he gives a new person the nickname. They don’t question it. They know what happened to the last guy. He fears authority why? Because they have already sentenced him to death. He doesn’t like that it makes him remember what he tries to forget. It hurts he wants it to stop. Who is he? Yancy tries to keep the prison the same and no one argues. Why fight an insane immortal man? He’s already said it before. He doesn’t want to be free.

Y/n is searching for the lost egos hoping that they can make sure that they are okay. Often finding them unhinged, but still tries to help them in any way they can. The egos ignore the fact that they have look-alikes. When the actor, colonel, and Damien meet, they don’t mention the fact that they have the same face. Y/n constantly relives timelines until they find the right path. They know the choices they have taken before and will explore each route to see how far until it reaches a dead end. Sometimes the actor will die in a way that emotionally impacts y/n; in revenge, y/n might travel down a path with a bad end for actor even though they know it doesn’t affect anything.

I probably missed some stuff here and there or made this hard to understand. If you have questions feel free to ask in the questions and reblogs or maybe the asks.

[black-wolf877]

Time for Wilford to find his friends Part:6

Hey everyone this right here is the second to last part of the story. Thank you to all who have enjoyed this story so far, I never thought I would be writing this still yet I love this story. I have to say this part right here was my favorite one to sit down and write. Thanks to @pigknightwarrior for doing some of my most favorite lines to come from Wilford. Enjoy the story.

That laugh every time Will did it, it hit Black to the core just wanting to kill him. But he couldn’t do it the captain wouldn’t let him. He looked around seeing all the mess and the other giant just chilling, but he looked off it didn’t look like itself. The giant looked like it went back wild, but why? Black looked back at Will again “Will I said what did you do to my friend, tell me what you did to him or else.” Will stopped laughing at looked at Black who did he think he was to keep talking to Will as if he was lower than humans.

Will started to stand up making his way to where black was on the ground towering over him. He signaled the other giant to come over and they both stood over black. Black looked up at the two backing up and hitting the wall behind him scared out his mind. Will looked at him, then crossed his arms “Who do you think you are talking to Black there are two of us and only one of you, your little remote won’t help you if you hit it I go down but he still here” pointing to the other giant. “You want to know what happened to your friend so bad let’s just say he helped this one not be hunger anymore.”Hearing that broke Black’s heart, it also filled him with enough rage to not be scared of his situation that he was in. Black stood up straight looked Will right in the eyes “I’m going to kill you will I swear, if not the thing you love most. Maybe I should go pay your little giant friends a visit and have them pay for what you just did to my friend.” Black didn’t know where this bravery came from, was it from the death of his friends or just pure adrenaline rush.

Will was not happy to hear Black threatening to do something to his friends, he started to snarl “I’m getting really tried of how you talk to me and bringing my friends is a big no”. He bent down reaching for Black picking him up by the back of his uniform and bringing him to eye level. Black wasn’t ready for Will to lift him off the ground like that fear started to run though out his body. “I should crush you right now, give me a good reason why I shouldn’t” Black started to remember his training that if something like this happens to play it off and buy as much time till back up comes. He hit his radio without Will noticing “Why because if something happens to me might not look to good for your two friends that are here. Not only that the Captain would send his top giant to help and no giant has lived after seeing him.

”Wilford laughed while pointing to the other giant “You really think I’m scared of another giant do you not remember what I did to this one, try again Black.” Black couldn’t think of anything else he let go of the radio button hoping someone heard the mess he got into. Will heard the radio beep and someone responding “10-4”. Will shook his head “Now, now black why would you go and do that we were just getting along. But since you did that, I think punishment is in order for you disobeying.” With that Will placed a finger on Black’s back using his other finger to apply pressure to Black’s shoulder causing it to dislocate. Black screamed out in pain hearing it pop out of place “Will you need to put me down now or else.” Black reached on his belt for the remote that controlled the collar, but when he did Will took it out his hand and crushed it. Will put black in a fist since he got rid of the remote, to have a better hold on him. 

"Or else? I don't think you have the authority to tell me anything with your life in my hands, Black. I can kill you right now if I please and none of your little friends could stop me from doing so.." Wilford held Black at eye level with him and bared his fanged teeth in a smile, chuckling, eyes red. Those teeth were bigger than black he started shaking trying to speak, but he was having a hard time when all he could see was death in front of him.

"y-y-you wouldn't k-k-kill me i-i-i'm the only thing k-k-keeping them from killing you and you can't move anywhere around here without me"

"You're smart, and that's right. And unfortunately, it’s what going to keep me alive. Once I'm out though?" Wilford chuckled again, gripping Black a little tighter and lowered his hand, walking toward the door.

"You really think I'm going to tell them to open the door for you Will if you can't get out then everyone is safe. Even if I could I can't hit my radio to tell them you basically broke one arm and well." He looks down at how Wilford was holding him. "If you really think I need you for that." Wilford walked over to the door and punched the seam between the metal doors, loosening them and separating them a bit. He took his left available hand push the door, the door grinding against the gears keep it close. Slowly it opens before, a series of clashes and clangs is heard, the door, opening the whole way, breaking the entrance. "Like you said, you haven't held any giants as big or strong as me. Maybe you shouldn't overestimate me..."

 Black was shocked to see what Will just did to the door. He thought he could keep him there, but he was so wrong He knew control got an alarm about a door going down and they sent it to the Sargent, so she knew what was going on. "W-w-Will p-p-please let me go I don't want to die like this, I-I-I'll tell you anything... just let me live." tears started to run down Black's face he wasn’t ready to die not like this.

Wilford smiled, he liked that sound. "If you want to be of some use, why don't you tell me where I can find my friends?" Wilford took his thumb and roughly patted Black's head with it. Black flinch it felt like his skin was going to be ripped off from Will doing that, he didn’t like being treated like some pet, but he can’t do anything right now. " I... I can't tell you that it's classified Will, I'm not saying I don't know it’s just....my friend I can't lose anymore." Wilford stayed silent a moment. "Every giant has two stomachs, did you know that? One for digestion and the other for storage. When a giant eats any extra food is stored in the second stomach for later, it’s how we don't always need to eat." Wilford held Black at eye level again. "If you're interested, I can have you take a look for yourself. But I'll warn you there's not a lot of oxygen there... " He growled. 

Black heard a code come through his radio saying, “This is Sargent Robinson all available personally I am calling for code 32.” Black knew that order was to lead Wilford to D block, he shook his head to Will not knowing that giants had two stomachs “n-n-no p-p-please I’ll tell you.” Black closed his eyes so he could talk without stuttering “The male giant... your friend he is in D block he is there.” Black wasn’t fully lying the giant known as Damien was in that block but at the far end of it, if the Sargent could stop Will at the door then we can see what we need to do to keep this beast under control.

Wilford huffed lowering his hand again. He walked through the hallways, looking at the blocks. A.. B.. C.. D, there it was, he needed to know Damien was ok, alive and least of all hurt. He was going to get everyone out. He walked to D block. "Damien? Damien, it's me." Wilford stopped in his tracks when he spotted the Sargent and twenty men behind her in his way. “Colonel put Black down now and return to your cell. Unlike him I won’t be nice this is your only warning.” Wilford looked at all of them and just smiled twenty men. They're really joking with him, right? He took a step forward, and then another, calm look, thundering footsteps. "Don't make me laugh, with this little parade you have behind you. All I have to do is take one more step to remove you from my sight, do you think I feel at all threatened?" She stood her ground when Will walked closer “I’m not going to say it again Will put Black down now.” Wilford had no time to be dealing with them right now he had to see if his friends were ok, so he did just that he took that step killing everyone he didn’t have time to waste right now. Black couldn’t believe that Will just stepped on them like they were nothing more than bugs, he just killed more of his friends. Black couldn’t handle this it was breaking his heart, tears started to run down his cheek he was ready for this nightmare to be over.

Wilford was getting tired of Black games “Black why must you keep doing this what is so hard about just telling me what I want to know.” He held black back up to his eye level and started to squeeze watching black suffer for a bit, Black screamed out in pain form the pressure being put on his broken arm “I’m sorry just stop squeezing I can’t breathe.” Will stopped adding pressure “you better hope Damien is here, or it won’t be a happy ending for you” he growled. “He is here at the end of the hall I swear”, Will lowered his hand and made his way to the end of the hall “Damien? Damien, are you here?”

Damien heard his name being called “Will?... Will I’m here, get me out of here!” Will ran to where he heard Damien calling from, he made his way to the door. “Damien I’m here stand back I’m going to bust this door down.” Damien stepped back and with that heard Will punched the door when he saw the door starting to open, he helped pull it apart. Once the door was open, he saw his old friend and hugged him “I miss you old friend.”

Tag List: @sack-the-kitsune @the-candy-giant @awesomehuntergreen @littlelassgt @kate807 @drawinggalaxy

<--Previous and Last-->

[xuxibelle]

Little White Lies (2)

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x Reader

Word count: 3,909

Warnings: Angst, violence,  swearing, Tom Holland, Holland Twins

Requested: No.

Summary: Y/N’s ignored the warning about walking home after dark and got attacked by a werewolf. What happens now? Does it come back? Does something else come after her? Is she something?

“Can I just… have a minute?” you ask.

“Of course. I know it’s a lot to process. If you need some air, we have a balcony,” Tom offers. You give him a small smile before you get up and make your way through the sliding glass doors to stand on the balcony and look out at your city. This was supposed to have been a ‘nice place,’ you told yourself. That was why you had moved here in the first place. Looking out at it now, it was quiet and peaceful, beautiful even… but given what you knew now… it was turning scary… You thought you saw movement from the corner of your eye, but when you turned your head there was nothing there. You focused back on the city, looking out over the horizon. You take in a sharp breath as a figure dropped down from the shadows of the balcony above you to stand at your side, face to face…

The dark, curly haired boy took a step closer to you as your breath hitched in your throat.

“Who are you…?” he asked in a quiet voice. Your voice seemed to have left you. “Why are you in our home?” Your mouth opened and closed as you tried to answer him, but nothing would come out. Thankfully, you heard the sliding door open and turned to see Tom walk out.

“Harry, leave her be. She’s been through enough. We’re supposed to protect her,” Tom tells him. “This is Y/N. Y/N, this is one of my brothers, Harry.”

“N-nice to m-meet you,” you stutter out.

“Sorry if I scared you. I wasn’t expecting anyone else home tonight,” he explains. “And we have to be careful now… with what’s going on.”

“That’s enough, Harry,” Tom scolds him.

“It’s okay. I understand actually. I’m new to all this,” you tell him as you see his eyes widen.

“You’re taking this pretty well for a newbie,” he smiles. “What all does she know?” he asks Tom.

“Just the wolves,” Tom tells him.

“O-oh… well” he drags out the last word before he chuckles.

“I-is that bad?” you ask.

“No… not really,” Harry laughs. “There’s just more to it.”

“What else is there?” you ask curiously as you see Harry look to Tom.

“We can’t really say anymore without Harrison,” Tom tells you.

“Why?” you ask.

“Because honestly, I’m not sure how much you should know right now. How much you need to know. Harrison is more equipped to judge that,” Tom explains as you nod your head.

“When is he gonna be here?” you ask.

“Should be any minute now,” Harry tells you. “Let’s get you back inside, yea?” You nod before you follow the boys back inside the house and you all take seats in the living room.

“Why do you live in such a big house if it’s just the three of you?” you ask making them laugh.

“It’s not just us,” Harry tells you.

“There’s quite a few more of us here,” Tom tells you with a smile. “Nothing to be afraid of. Everyone here is nice and will absolutely treat you with respect. Harrison will see to that.” Just as Tom finished his last sentence the front door opened and Harrison walked in.

“Well look at that… talk about someone enough and they show up,” Harry laughs.

“Telling Y/N lies then, I see?” Harrison quips back. “Don’t believe a word this div says,” Harrison tells you as he takes a seat in the living room with everyone. “Anything happen while I was gone?”

“Yea, Felix showed up at the cafe about an hour before closing with two others. Had to use the Luna Paori so we could get away,” Tom tells him.

“What?” Harrison nearly growled as he stood from his seat. “And you didn’t come get me?”

“Easy,” you hear Harry try to calm Harrison down as he puts his hands on his shoulders. “Sit down, mate. There was nothing you could have done. Tom took care of it and nothing happened to Y/N, she’s safe and sitting right there.” Harrison slowly sits back down in his seat as he takes a slow breath.

“Why do they want you so bad,” he says lowly, as he’s talking to himself and thinking out loud.

“That I’d like to know myself,” you chuckle.

“Any progress?” Tom asks before he receives a nod from Harrison.

“Yes a little. Not a definite answer, but we are making headway. We now know who wanted her, but not the exact reason,” Harrison tells the group as you all watch him with curiosity, not that any of what he would say would make sense to you at this point. “Apparently, Felix is the muscle guy for Damien Zayn. He’s the one that wants Y/N,” Harrison said as you heard the other two boys gasp as they looked at you.

“What… what, is that bad…?” you looked frantically between all three of them waiting for an answer.

“Well…” Harrison begins “What did you tell her while I was away?” he asks Tom.

“Just about Felix and his kind,” Tom tells him as Harrison gives him a nod.

“Alright, so you know that Felix and his buddies are werewolves then?” Harrison asks you and you nod before he continues. “Okay, Damien Zayn… He is the King of the werewolves…” Harrison says slowly as he looks at you. Your eyes widen at his statement. “Yea… exactly. That’s why it’s so important that we find out why he wants you and why we stop it.”

“What should I do?” you ask scared out of your mind.

“Honestly?” Harry looks at you before you nod quickly.

“Don’t go home. Don’t go to work. And definitely don’t go out after dark alone,” he tells you as you furrow your eyebrows in confusion.

“What does that leave me?” you ask.

“Not much I’m afraid. At least until we figure this out,” Harrison tells you. He looks from Harry to Tom and they both give him a nod before he speaks again. “You’re more than welcome to stay here. You will be very well protected and if you would like to go anywhere, you would have someone to go with you,” Harrison tells you. You looked between the three of the boys before you made your decision.

“I couldn’t put that burden on you like that,” you tell them. “That’s just… I couldn’t. It’s too much.”

“Y/N, it’s okay. We can handle it,” Harry tells you. “Trust me,” he laughs as you look at him skeptically.

“How do I know you all won’t get hurt... or worse?” you ask. They all burst out laughing as they look at each other. They all turn back to you with glowing eyes as your eyes go wide. Harry and Harrison’s were bright blue while Tom’s were fiery orange.

“H-holy fuck… w-what… u-uhm… what’s g-going on?” you stammer.

“I guess it’s time we told you the rest,” Harrison sighs as he looks at you. “This will be a lot to take in and I know it was a lot to take in about the wolves already, so if you need me to stop at any point, just tell me, okay?” You nod in response as you steady your breathing and he continues. “Alright, first I guess you should know that you’re safest with Tom,” Harrison tells you making you glance at Tom as he gives you a small smile, hoping all of this doesn’t frighten you too much. “He is what people in our world call a Hellhound. He is a protector of the supernatural and he’s also a healer. He was a healer before he found out he was a Hellhound. You okay so far?”

“Yea, I’m good,” you smile at the guys watching you carefully.

“Okay, I’ll keep going. Harry,” Harrison motions to the boy to your left, “Is a twin. His brother Sam you haven’t met yet. He’s out right now, I can’t remember where, but you’ll like him. They are Dhampir. Basically what you would call half-vampire/half-human.” You looked at Harry and he smiled at you.

“And you?” you asked as you looked at Harrison.

“I’m… Well, I’m a different story. I’m actually a vampire,” Harrison tells you gently as he watches you.

“So that explains it…” you say quietly.

“Explains what?” he asks.

“I only see you after dark. I had to ask you to come in my apartment. How you were able to hide me from a werewolf. How you were able to overpower me to hold me in place so you could hide me. How you disappeared so fast that night before I made it to the door. You were nowhere in sight…” you ramble as you stare at him, watching him bite his lip nervously.

“Yea,” he starts as he nods his head. “All signs. I’m sorry… I just didn’t want to scare you that night… You had just been attacked and… I couldn’t do that to you,” he explained as you nodded your head. You all sat in silence for a minute before he spoke up again. “Is there anything you want to ask? Anything you want to know… about anything, anyone?”

“Were you... bitten?” you asked.

“No, I’m a pure blood,” he tells you. “I was born this way.”  You glanced at Harry and back to Harrison.

“W-what’s Harry again?” you ask quietly.

“Dhampir. Half vampire, half human. Also born,” he tells you.

“How am I supposed to tell all of these things apart?” you ask confused.

“The eyes,” Tom pipes up as you raise your eyebrows.

“Eyes?” you question as your eyes meet his glowing orange ones. “Oh… right.”

“So, Hellhounds are orange obviously. Pure blood vampires are blue. Bitten vampires are green. Dhampir are blue because they are born into it as well. An Alpha werewolf , like Damien, will have red eyes. And any other werewolf will be called a beta and will have yellow eyes,” Tom explains.

“I’ll get used to this, right” you asked nervously.

“Of course you will,” Harrison says calmly as he moves to sit beside you. He wraps an arm around your shoulder and pulls you to his side. “We’ll help you along the way and you can stay here as long as you like. You’ll be completely safe here. There’s plenty of people to make friends with. If you want to go back to work you can. We can have someone go with you. We have enough people here that can do that, or you can choose not to work and just stay here with us, or you could also choose to return home,” Harrison tells you. You take a deep breath as you looked between the guys.

“I-i… I don’t know. I don’t want to put anyone through the trouble of going to work with me… and I would feel incredibly guilty if I just stayed here… I would at least want to help out and contribute somehow,” you told them.

“I’m sure there are a lot of ways you could help around here,” Tom tells you with a smile.

“Can I ask another question?” you ask them.

“Always,” Harrison tells you.

“Why do you all have such a big place?” you ask.

“Well, it’s sort of a long story. The short version is my parents took over an organization that helps supernatural beings in trouble. This is one of the Safe Houses,” Harrison explains.

“Okay that makes sense then,” you say as you nod your head. “Could I possibly take a nap?” you ask with a scrunched up face making the guys laugh.

“Of course,” Harrison says as he stands. “Come on, I’ll show you to the room you’ll stay in if you choose to stay with us.” Harrison led you down the hall to and up the stairs to the third floor. “Just down here,” he tells you as you approach the last few doors on the right. “This is the bathroom,” he tells you as he motions to the only door remaining on your left. “And this will be your room,” Harrison tells you as he opens the last door on the right and lets you walk in first. Your eyes go wide once again as you take everything in. It was huge… and it had everything you would ever need… It was beautiful, like you were staying in one of those 5-star, upscale hotels that you could never afford. You glanced at the window. There was even a balcony, you smiled to yourself. “Do you like it?” he asked. You scoffed at his question.

“How could I not?” you say as you look at him in disbelief. “It’s beautiful… It’s really mine?”

“For as long as you want to stay,” he tells you as he watches you walk around the room

“And you’re sure they won’t get to me here?” you ask.

“No. They don’t know where any of the safe houses are. And even if they did… you’re in the safest spot in the house. Your room is between mine and Tom’s…” he tells you as he gives you a small smile making your face flush slightly.

“Good… Then I know I’m safe if I’m with you two,” you smile at him.

“Always,” he tells you as he smiles back. “So, I’ll let you rest. We’ll talk some more later.” You smile again as you watch him leave your room before you get comfortable in the huge bed and fall fast asleep. Harrison returned to the living room to find Sam had made it back. “Good you’re back. Any news?” he asked as he resumed his seat. Sam just gave him a look and Harrison knew it wasn’t good. “Fuck… what is it then?” he asked.

“Damien,” Sam said.

“But I thought you were out getting supplies and such,” Harrison said.

“I was,” Sam told him. “But Old Man Gallows stopped me before I left. Said that he knew something was brewing with the wolves. Told me I needed to talk to someone called Destiny over at Adelaide’s Bar. So I went by acting like I was stopping in for a drink. After my second one, I asked about Destiny and the waitress took me to her. She was in a room in the back,” Sam told them. He stopped so he could take a deep breath and think for a minute.

“It’s okay, Sam. You’re okay,” Harry tells his brother.

“She’s a Banshee…,” Sam says quietly before they all collectively take in a sharp breath.

“No…” Tom breathed out.

“What did she say…” Harrison asked.

“Y/N…” Sam said quietly before he paused.

“What… what about Y/N?” Harrison asked.

“Destiny said she’s in grave danger… Damien wants to turn her… Make her the queen,” Sam said quietly.

“H-he can’t…” Harrison said quickly. “I-i won’t let him. I’ll die before I let it happen,” Harrison says angrily as he rises from his seat, fists clenched at his side.

“Woah, woah. Easy, mate,” Tom says as he tries to calm his friend. Harry and Sam have their hands on Harrison’s shoulders as they try to get him to sit back down. “We won’t let that happen. You know that. We would never. Especially for what that would mean for everyone else,” Tom reminds him. Harrison nods his head as he sits back down.

“I’m sorry… I-I just… I can’t let anything happen to her,” Harrison tells them as he looks at the floor. They sit in silence for a few minutes before Harry speaks up.

“Haz, is there something you’re not telling us?” Harry asks him. Harrison’s head snaps up and looks at Harry.

“W-what do you mean?” Harrison asks in return.

“Like… Do you like her… Do you think you might want to turn her one day… Do you think she might want you to turn her one day…” Harry asked him as Harrison glared at him and bared his fangs.

“No you dick, I’m not a lovesick puppy. I just feel drawn to her. I can’t tell you why but I can’t seem to pull away either,” Harrison tells them.

“Could she… nevermind,” Sam starts to ask a question but decides it best not to.

“No… what were you going to say? Please… anything you can offer as a suggestion could help,” Harrison laughed.

“Tuhinga,” Sam replied as he watched all of the boys’ eyes grow wide.

“That’s impossible… she’s human…” Harrison said quietly

“Maybe you’re supposed to turn her. Then she’d be Vampire and you’d have Dhampir offspring,” Tom reasoned.

“I couldn’t do that to her… I couldn’t bring her into all this…” Harrison tried to explain that to them.

“Haz, listen to me… If we are right and she is your Tuhinga…. If you ignore this, there will be nothing we can do to stop Damien from getting her. Nothing. Then she’ll be Queen of the Werewolves… They’ll rule over the supernatural world and everything will go to shit. You know this,” Tom explains in more detail. “Snap out of it, mate.” Suddenly, Harrison was up and out of his seat, nowhere to be seen. “Of course,” Tom says with a sigh.

“He’ll come around,” Sam says with hope in his voice.

“I just hope it’s in time,” Tom tells him. For most of your nap you rest well, until you start dreaming. Harrison is walking to his room when he hears you start screaming, making him burt into your room. He laughs to himself before he walks over to your bed and shakes you gently.

“Y/N…” he calls your name. You stop screaming but you don’t wake yet. Your eyebrows are furrowed and your breathing is heavy.

“Don’t… please,” you say as you still dream.

“Y/N, wake up. You’re safe,” Harrison calls to you again. Your eyes suddenly open and you look around.

“The fuck was that?” you ask.

“Were you not dreaming?” he questioned.

“I’ve never had a dream that felt like that,” you replied.

“Fuck,” Harrison cursed under his breath. “He’s trying to link you,” he tells you.

“I hope that doesn’t mean what I think it means,” you say as you put your face in your hands.

“It’s alright, love,” Harrison begins as your head shoots up at the pet name and your face slightly flushes. “Like I said. You’re safe with us,” he tells you with a smile.

“B-but what if he does.... Link me or whatever?” you ask.

“Then it’ll be much easier for him to get to you. But we’re not going to let that happen. Are you hungry? We can go to the living room so we can talk and you can eat while we’re there,” he offers. You nod your head quickly. It had been forever since you had eaten. You took your seat back on the couch while Harrison went to the kitchen and asked the cook to make you something before returning to take his seat. The others were still in their respective seats.

“What happened? We heard screams?” Sam asked.

“And you didn’t come to see if we needed help?” Harrison retorted.

“No. We knew you had it,” Harry replied with a smirk. Harrison rolled his eyes before he spoke.

“He’s trying to link her,” he said with a heavy sigh. You heard all of them collectively curse under their breath and you knew it wasn’t good.

“Should I be worried?” you ask as the cook sits a plate down on the table in front of you. “Thank you so much,” you say as you smile up at him.

“No problem, ma’am,” he tells you as he walks away. You pick up the sandwich and begin to eat as you wait on the boys to answer your question.

“No, not really, unless he succeeds. Then I’d worry,” Harry tells you.

“So, don’t worry until he succeeds,” you say,

“Right,” Harry smiles.

“Okay,” you laugh. “Is there something we can do to stop the linking?”

“Well…,” Tom begins as he looks at Harrison.

“Not that, no,” Harrison says.

“What you ask as you take another bite.

“Harrison could turn you,” Tom explains. “Then he wouldn’t be able to link you because you wouldn’t be human anymore.” The boys watch as your eyes slightly widen. You hadn’t even thought about becoming one of them yet. “But that’s like our absolute last resort plan,” Tom tells you in reassurance.

“O-okay…” you say quietly.

“We’re still working on a couple other options,” Sam said. “Once I knew it was Damien that wanted you, I knew he would try this, so I started looking into how to block it or prevent it.”

“Th-thank you,” you smiled at him. “Wh-what are the other options?”

“So far nothing. We’re waiting on out contact to get back to us about some stuff they might know,” Sam tells you with a look of hope. You nod your head in understanding. Harrison takes your hand in his and you lift your eyes to meet his.

“Y/N… I… wouldn’t do that…” he says quietly.

“But it could save my life,” you whisper as he shakes his head.

“You would be thrown into all this chaos, this… this world of supernatural fuckdom… fighting, poisons, werewolves, demons, etc. I couldn’t risk you getting hurt,” Harrison said as he looked down at you, rubbing circles on the back of your hand with his thumbs.

“What is I asked you to? I-If I wanted it?” you asked him. He shook his head no.

“I can’t… I know you think it would save you… but I feel like it would put you in more danger,” Harrison tried to explain.

“But wouldn’t I be stronger? Wouldn’t I be able to protect myself?” you ask.

“Maybe? But you would still need help,” Harrison told you.

“How about we take a break?” Tom said to break the tension in the room. “I need to make a beer run for some of the others. Y/N, you wanna come with?” You nodded your head and stood up from your seat. “He’s just trying to do what he thinks is best. Don’t hate him. He hates himself enough,” Tom whispered to you as he walked you to his car. You nod your head in understanding before you climb in the passenger side and shut your door.

“It’s okay. I see his point too,” you tell Tom.

“Good. It’s good to be able to see both sides,” he smiles at you. The rest of the ride is silent as you watch scenery go by. Tom parks the car and you both walk into the store. “Grab anything you want. We’ll put it on the tab here.”

“Are you sure?” you ask, feeling guilty.

“Absolutely. You know Harrison would insist,” Tom smiles at you.

“That he would,” you laugh. You begin to walk through the store and look down the aisles to see if there is anything you want. You pick up a few things here and there and add them to Tom’s pile. “Thank you,” you smile at him.

“Of course,” he smiles back. He turns around to hand the clerk th credit card and sign for the items while you walk over to the window to look outside. “Alright. I’m done here. You ready to go?” Tom says as he turns around. He doesn’t see you at the window. “Y/N…” he calls your name. He looks around the store quickly before running outside and shouting your name. “Y/N!!”

**************************

Luna Paori- Luna Dust

Tuhinga - Destiny

@nerdraging4point0 /  @sleepwalkingdragon  /  @sunshine112  /  @summernykole  /  @empressdreams / @justasmisunderstoodasloki / @bisexual-sk8r /

[some-dark-side-writing]

Come Out Wherever You Are

Based on this ask and @justwritingscibbles response I had to do a little something about this, I tried to soothe my writing urges with a few paragraphs reblogged but this turned into something much bigger than I expected

(I’m also very sorry I can’t do a keep reading line because I only have mobile at this moment and also because this is long)

Abe was sweating profusely, in the back seat of his own car.

‘Driving along, I had no idea where we were going. But did it matter any more? Could I even go anywhere in whatever state I was stuck in, shirt sticky with my own blood, and the one who spilt it driving me to an unknown destination...’

‘Friend should I splash you with water again? I know you drank a lot last night but these hungover ramblings are quite distracting.’

Abe looked into the rearview mirror to see William’s face focused on the road, mouth closed, blocked off by his moustache. Did Abe imagine him in his head just then? Or was that real?

Wilford chuckled, throwing some hangover pills into the backseat “I haven’t had to use them in a while, but you seem a tad out of practice detective.” Abe slowly picked up the packet, seeing the date was... well he was sure that was a few years old from the wearing of the cardboard packaging, he threw it to the other seat, eyes instead reverting back to that rearview mirror.

“I haven’t been up here in a long time... hope I still remember the directions.” Abe caught Wilford’s moustache twitch, a slight glint of something in his eyes, a memory perhaps, before he was honked at and Abe thrown 2 feet ahead, only brought back by the seatbelt a less intoxicated Wil had strapped him into the early hours of this morning. “Jesus Christ man watch the roads!” Abe spluttered, gripping his heart he could still feel beating under his palm as the driver on the other side of the road flipped Abe’s driver the middle finger.

“Okay sorry, sorry! Ya loony.” Wilford muttered the last part under his breath, slowly pulling in to the road where there seemed to be nothing but nature, until Abe stuck his head out of the window and looked up.

Oh no.

“Col-willi-fuck! What are we doing here?” Abe asked with panicked eyes, a lump in his throat and mouth salivating like he was about to be sick. He went to undo his tie before realising it wasn’t even there, instead wrapped around his head like a bandanna. He yanked it off, taking off his seatbelt against his better judgement to shuffle closer to William’s seat. “Hey uh, not come to, haha, finish off what you started, right? Friend?”

Wilford just drove up the mountain in silence, eyes watering slightly but for what emotion Abe wasn’t sure. He decided to lean back into his seat, breathing out loudly and gripping onto the handle above his head.

When they finally parked Wilford jumped out immediately, he didn’t even lock his car, although as Abe quickly followed suit he realised that wouldn’t be a problem, the once beautiful white paint was moulding, the door had vines growing on it and a for sale sign was so faded Abe could only make out the words when he pulled it out of the overgrown grass. “Guess they haven’t had much luck selling this place.” He snorted, knowing he didn’t need to put much thought into why. Wilford seemed confused though, turning round to Abe a few feet away which made him wish he’d stayed silent, still a little intimidated by this... man, who had shot him and seemed to be a human TARDIS.

“Why would they need to sell it?” Wilford queried, fixing his pink afro that lay atop his head.

Abe looked down, licking his suddenly dry lips before extending his hand out toward the door. “You first.”

Wilford gave Abe a side eye, confused before turning over to the door and a smile obvious from the way his cheeks stretched, with Abe facing his back. “Oh this takes me back old chum.” Wilford turned to Abe, skipping over to him and grabbing his hand, pulling him inside with him, running to the door before letting go of Abe to stroke the faded wooden surface. “Oh, I remember when Benjamin would invite us in, the sly butler, I wonder where he’s gotten to these days?” Wilford turned to Abe, will with a smile like a kid on Christmas and Abe tried his best to imitate it. “Yeah.”

“Seems like all our old friends have dropped off the face of the earth.”

“...Crazy.”

“Yes, quite...” Once again, a moustache twitch, before he bolted inside, taking a deep inhale of the mould and dust while Abe ran to his side, not wanting to be left alone on this property. But as Wilford was gnatting away in his ear Abe heard something else in his other.

“Shush.” He informed Wilford, putting one finger to his own lips and one in front of Wilford’s. Confused, the slurring man looked down cross eyed at it and slowly leant down and pecked the finger tip, uncertain. Abe pulled it away “No, not that. Listen.”

There wasn’t another sound for two seconds so of course Wilford got bored “What are we-“ Abe threw his hands up and kicked his leg in the air. “SSSSHHHH! My detective senses are tingling.”

Wilford hummed “Seeing you’re taking after my flair for the dramatic from just one night together.” Abe just kept following where he thought the sound unmistakably came from, eyes trained on the mirror, the only thing kept spotless apart from the large crack in the centre in this entire place.

Abe’s eyes staring straight at you were kind of freaky, but this could be your only chance! You called out for him as soon as you saw him, but fell silent when you recognised the moustached face next to him. You drudged forward till your hands were flat against the mirror and as you saw Abe’s jaw drop yours did the same. He saw you.

Wilford walked after him, confused he waved his hand in front of Abe’s face but he didn’t move. Wilford shrugged, looking to what Abe was so transfixed on until he saw your wide eyes, and then those eyes looked straight into his own.

A pang of guilt shocked his heart but he shook it off, a giddy smile slowly forming. “There you are! You little scoundrel! Do you have any idea how long I’ve been looking for you! I need to get you back after your silly little prank on me!”

You started to shake once William told you he was going to get you back. Was this punishment not enough?!

Wilford chuckled at your silence “Never were one for taking were you? Unlike me. The chatterbox. Argh!” Wilford gave jazz hands, head circling like he’d just met on old school friend on the street.

Abe started to cry. Sleeve wiping at his nose as his head fell into his hands and you turned to him, pity swelling in your heart and tears prickling in your own eyes. Wilford put his arm around Abe, squeezing him comfortingly. “Aw it’s okay big guy! Our friend here is very happy to see you after all these years, as am I y/n! He just seems to be a bit softer after a few drinks last night. Say, ah, we were going out for brunch this tuesday. Are you getting out soon?”

Abe walked forward, hands trailing the side of the mirror and you made the body language like you were leaning into his touch, more to make your ex criminal hunting partner feel better. You hadn’t felt touch in years, not even from yourself as corporeal as you were.

Abe started trying to unhook the mirror, seeing nothing behind it he again felt that he was going crazy, but Wilford told him he wasn’t. So... so this must be real! “It’s good to see you partner.” He choked up as he looked for what was holding the mirror in place.

You looked back to Wilford, wiping the corner of your eye even though it couldn’t wipe a tear away, again corporeal, as you smiled up at him. “William. I’d love nothing more than to go to brunch with you. B-But you need to help me get out of here first.”

Wilford smiled back, patting the top of the mirror as Abe finally separated it from the walls, it felt so freeing, like you were finally moving.

“Are you okay?” Abe asked as he struggled with the mirrors weight, but he could cope. “I will be once you get me out of here. What made you come back after all this time?” You asked as Wilford opened the door, nodding to you and Abe as he let you through “Oh the gang can all get back together! You, me, Celine, Damien-“

“We, uh, well it was actually Wilford’s idea to come back here-“ Abe tried to interrupt, not wanting to blow your mind any further for now and make you join the ‘am I crazy’ club but you put a hand up to him for just a second and he nodded his head, understanding, solemn as he put you in the seat next to him and strapped you in as Wilford revved they engine.

“Wil...ford?” You asked, having no idea why he was calling himself that but the warning look Abe gave you and the relieved one once you followed through made you wary to call him anything else. “Wilford did you say... Damien?” A shudder ran through you, about as much feeling as you could get trapped in that mirror. Wilford looked to your mirror through his own. “Yes, why? Oh I see. I noticed your little ‘private chats’ last time we were in the manor, I always wondered if our little mayor friend had finally gotten brass balls to court someone.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to some tune he was humming, Abe just looked out his rolled down window, sweat staining his clothes now. You shook your head.

“No, Wil... Damien was the one who trapped me in here.”

SCREEEEECH

The car skidded to a halt, everyone jostling on the pavement who’d almost been hit. You weren’t even sure William was breathing, he was as still as a corpse, and he would know what one looked like. Not saying anything until Abe dared to reach over, you went to grab his arm to stop him but of course you couldn’t. Abe paused “You alright?” His hand landed on Wilford’s shoulder which seemed to be the wrong move. Wilford jumped to life, making a startled sound escape you and the detective, you started to shrink in on yourself when you noticed the gun in the cup holder. But Wilford didn’t reach for it, instead he put his hands slowly back on the wheel and began driving again but now in silence. You and Abe stayed silent too. Except for half an hour into the drive when Wilford burst into laughter only to mutter “No no, that’s impossible.” Nodding his head as if he was sure of the fact. After that he turned on the radio and hummed along to the tunes, seeming to be in a better mood after his denial. Abe though, you noticed, was not. In fact, he was pissed.

When they got to Wilford’s house Wilford got out to the car to pick your mirror up, instead Abe shoved in front of him and gently picked you up himself, holding it out in front of him and making sure the mirror wasn’t scratched. You looked apologetically over to your old friend. “I like the pink hair, Wilford.” And when Wilford smiled you just couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you, y/n!”

Abe carried you under his arm as Wilford unlocked the door, taking off his afro which made more sense to you from what you could see behind Abe’s arm but Abe wasn’t done talking. “Have you not seen what Damien has done? This is almost as bad as killing them!”

“Pfffft.” Was all Wilford responded as he opened the door, snatching your mirror and looking around, placing you on an armchair as he sat on the couch across from you. “That’s my favourite chair y/n, so I hope you’ll be comfortable!” You didn’t really know how to respond to that so you just gave a small “Thank you.” Instead opting to look around Wilford’s new home, these were not the type of things you expected to see the colonel possess but it was very clear Wilford was a new man.

Wilford noticed you looking around the place, a smug look painting his face. “Ah, you like it? Well I’m not surprised! You haven’t done a very good job of mamintaing the old place have you?” He chuckled.

Abe had had enough at that point. He stormed off, and you heard the grunts of him kicking something, and then the cursing of when he stubbed his toe doing it too hard, then the sounds of cursing, grunting and plates smashing.

“Ooh, be useful and make me a coffee while you’re in there!” Wilford chimed, before turning back to you, dragging his couch instead of the lighter armchair across the room so the end faced you, resting his chin in his hands and his elbows on the arm of the chair as his feet kicked behind him, looking at you like he was waiting for something, a much calmer smile on his face now.

“Oh, well I had to scare people away so they didn’t fall to a similar fate as- well since no one came around because they thought it was haunted and didn’t dare touch the mirror to throw it away-“

“Because you’d prank them huh? Scare them? Pretended to be a ghouly ghost?” Wilford laughed, oh you missed that laugh, and you burst into laughter too.

“Yup. That’s, ah ha, that’s exactly what I did.” Wilford had to wipe under his eyes. “Oh y/n. You always were ones for pranks! You, Damien and Celine pulled the best one of all! I mean, I- I can’t quite remember- but you were always so good... oh how I’ve missed you!” Wilford skipped over the couch and hugged your mirror, you could see his cheek squishing against the glass and you patted the image, hoping he actually was there and you would soon be free. You burst into tears, it’s like you had your old friend back.

At that moment Abe came back in with two Irish coffees, he couldn’t make one for you, and heard you crying. “What’s happened?” He asked, running over to you two as Wilford pouted at you, watching Abe worry over you for a moment so Wilford went to get his drink. You smiled through your tears, putting your hand up to the the glass. “I’ve been so terrified of William and Damien, I’ve been angry, confused. But... it’s like I have William back again, and in a way where, he’s innocent in my eyes, someone I can still rely on... what about you? Do you forgive him... one of my last memories is you being shot... I thought you were dead.”

Abe took a double take. “Shit.” He had been trying to wrap his head around the fact you were alive, of course you would have had no idea he survived that fateful day too! He got out a handkerchief and wiped off the finger marks from him and Wilford’s handling of your home, wiping a tear away himself, quickly, hoping you wouldn’t catch it but of course you did. You saw everything like this. He cleared his throat.

“As for your question...” he sighed “I have no idea. I think so? We kind of partied all night yesterday.” Wilford brought Abe his coffee, clinking the mugs together for him as you giggled “At least you’ve been having some fun, and not been tormented 24/7 all these years, I’d have wanted better for you.”

Abe felt his heart tighten, looking away, then to Wilford, really taking in the strange man who’s changed his life in so many ways, before looking back to you with a nod.

You nodded back before looking up at Wilford. “So-“ you laughed as he looked up, the foam of his coffee leaving white on his moustache, you felt at home again. “How do you plan on freeing me in time for brunch?”

All day the three of you had tried to come up with ways to get you out. You couldn’t even tell them how Damien had put you in there in the first place. Wilford recommended going to the manor to get Celine to conjure a spell or something but both you and Abe fought off that idea. By midnight everyone was tired out but you couldn’t sleep, it wasn’t allowed in the void. Wilford had set you up ‘comfortably’ on the chair, pulling a blanket around the mirror and giving it a kiss goodnight and everything. But he started to bawl as he kept hearing your cries. You were upset and he couldn’t help you, all he could do was listen to you cry and go to sleep selfishly to reboot his brain.

As he was in a half asleep state, dreams mixing with wishes of wanting you free something amazing happened. You bounded into Wilford’s room while he was asleep and shook him awake. You started screaming. Wilford didn’t know what was wrong, holding onto your arms, night cap falling off, as he was pulled up into your arms. “Thank you!!! William thank you so so much!!!”

He was hugging you back confused when Abe ran in with his gun, skidding past Wilford’s door since he presumed you’d be in the living room in the mirror, instead of standing here, jumping up and down as you pulled Wilford into your chest.

“HOLY SHIT!” He screamed, putting both his hands to his head and smiling for the first time in what, years? He couldn’t even remember! It was only as you ran over to the detective, him lifting you into his arms and spinning you round and round did Wilford realise what was different. “Y/n! Y-you have legs!”

“I HAVE A BODY BABY!!!” You screamed, crying in joy as Abe let you go to go run back to Wilford, who now hugged you tighter, inhaling your scent deeply as his warm hands held you close.

“You’re warm.” You chuckled before gasping. “I can feel!” You ran to the fireplace Wilford had kept on as a light for you, sticking your hand near it and your finger burnt but that was the best feeling right now! “I can smell! I can probably taste I- I’m back! H-how?!” You looked between the two of them while feeling all your body parts, running to the mirror and screaming as you saw the other side of it but also saw your face, you were yourself!

The detective sighed happily, dizzy with excitement as he ruffled Wilford’s hair with his fist. “It’s all down to him! I know it!”

You walked up to Wilford now, giving him a kiss to the cheek as you slowed down. “So Wil, If I have my body back then what’s happened to Damien?” You presumed Wilford had meant to do this and had thought it all out.

Instead Wilford shook his head. “Damien. What does he- oh y/n he’s going to be so happy to see you!” He then turned to Abe excitedly “Maybe he can join us for brunch too!” Abe just looked sad, and you took this opportunity to bring your old friend’s face into your hands. “Wil, my dearest friend, please listen to me, your friend.” Wilford gulped, putting one hand on top of yours on his face, but not dragging it off, his other hand reaching to cup your cheek back. “W-can’t we keep up with the celebrations?” He looked over to Abe for approval but the detective was like a rock. Wilford gulped once more, turning back to you, and speaking quiet, gently. “Why so serious?”

You explained everything to Wilford once more, Abe bringing you some tea and even though you relished in the taste you tried to keep that to a minimum, Wilford having a harder time coming to grips with this than you had yourself. By the end you weren’t sure he got everything but he seemed to understand enough. He had a steely glare, nodding to everything you said, patting your hand as Abe did with your other, one settled on each boys knee, when you talked about things that were particularly hard for you.

Wilford got up and went to his car, beeping the horn. You and Abe exchanged a look of worry before going outside. “Get in.” He ordered so not wanting trouble both you and Abe followed, Abe getting in the front to keep a better eye on Wilford as you curled up in the backseat. “C-Can you turn the ac on please?” You were feeling like you were being choked by this heat, or the possible panic attack coming in, but before Abe could oblige Wilford handled it, which was strange because you both wondered if he’d lost it since he hadn’t said a word this drive. Clearly he cared. But soon you were at your apparent destination. As soon as the car was locked Abe was under one arm and you the other, his hand was comforting on your shoulder as he pounded on the door heavily, his hand going back over Abe’s shoulder as he whispered into your ear just before it was opened, don’t worry, I’ll protect you.”

You were half convinced some alien tentacled monster was about to open the door but it was something much worse. Your heart stopped as Damien opened the door.

You were pretty sure his did too when his eyes landed on you, looking back to Wilford and demanding an explanation with a raised voice. You dug your fingers into Wilford’s side, hating that he’d brought you here as you looked over to Abe who was biting the inside of his cheek, looking like he was ready to throw down.

There was some more yelling between Damien and Wilford which you weren’t paying attention to, something about ‘How could his friend betray his other friend like that?’ And ‘How could he leave you there in eternal damnation?’ You were more focused on trying to steady your own heart rate which failed miserably when Dark peered at you, eyes squinting and you started to shake, finally coming face to face with the man you once called a friend who’d trapped you for years with no remorse. “How do you have a body?” His voice seemed to boom at you from all angles, this was not Damien, “I’m still in your-“ he tried to poke you, see if you were real, but you scurried behind Abe who seemed to get very protective over you. “It’s alright partner. This monster isn’t getting anywhere near you.”

Dark snarled at the detective while you squeaked behind him. “How dare you. Do you have any idea-“

“No.” Everyone looked to Wilford, who seemed to be shaking just like you “How dare YOU Dark...” the cause of the shaking seemed to be something different than fear, a mix of rage and adrenaline as he raised his fist and sucker punched Dark square in the jaw.

You gasped, holding Wilford’s elbow, scared for him and yanking him back ; more than that actually, as you stood in front of him, willing to take any punishment for him, from Dark, the new name suited him. You also hoped that even Dark was scared, now that he’d made an enemy of his life long friend who is more powerful than he himself knows.

Dark took a moment to recover. His hand reaching for his chin, using it to pull himself into a straightened position again, his neck cracking and it made you feel disgusted when you realised that was probably to do with your broken neck, since Dark now owned that with your body. He seemed to notice this as he growled to you. “Wil killed you yet you forgive him?”

Abe went to cover Wilford’s ears as you stared down the man of your nightmares.

“He may have killed me... but obviously I’m not dead-“

“Thanks to me.” Dark interrupted, grabbing your elbow and pulling you so your chest slammed into his, you could feel his cool breath fall on your skin as it increased with his rage. You tried to shake him off, but it didn’t break his resolve. Maybe this would.

“Yeah you and Celine did that. Where is she by the way? I notice you’ve taken all of Damien’s looks and voice and mannerisms, what part does Celine have to play? Or did you trick her too?”

Dark kept quiet, jaw clenching as he finally let your arm slip from his hold, resting both of them behind his back as Abe withdrew his hands from Wilford’s ears and the two men behind you dragged you back to their side. And even though you had come here unwilling for Wilford’s reasons, you weren’t through.

“Wilford’s changed for the better but you, old friend, have changed for the worst.” Dark blinked when you called him friend, his - your - jaw making a clicking sound as he stared you down. You lost that silent competition when the hot tears hurt too much, breaking the tough facade and your honesty of how exhausted you were slipping through. You wiped them away hastily, Wilford taking your shoulders lightly and you walked a few steps back with him, but before you turned your back on this man for life, there was one thing you needed to let him know.

“I hate you.”

You didn’t get to see Dark’s reaction, the only thing you noticed was that his heavy breathing had halted abruptly, you didn’t hear another breath because you had been pulled to the car by then.

On Tuesday you did go out to brunch, with the two of them. Wilford was helping you set up your life again since the whole world presumed you were dead. You’d finally gotten out of the clothes you’d been wearing for years trapped in that mirror and by god in heaven did a bath feel like just that, heaven, especially when you’d been trapped in hell for all this time ; you also noticed that there was a new bath bomb in the bathroom every day, from Abe or Wilford you never asked.

You and the detective had to share Wilford’s spare room while you both attempted to get your lives together, and you were thankful, especially that the room had twin beds. But since every night the two of you would wake each other up from nightmares forged these past few years you ended up holding each other and sharing blankets most nights. Sometimes the three of you would just stay on the couch, under the fluffiest throw overs, you didn’t even know how Wilford had managed to acquire, after Disney film marathons, waking up with popcorn in strange places and all snuggled together which you had to also admit wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Soon enough Abe went back to work, his qualifications helping set up bank accounts and fix identity problems for you which you knew was the reason he had gone back so quick, especially after revealing catching Wilford was pretty much the only case he’d cared about these past years. And Wilford got a job as a tv host to support his strange almost family which the three of you had of course celebrated with drinks over. But the part for you out of all of this that gave you the most comfort was that Dark was allowed nowhere near you.

[mangled-dreams]

Whiskey Proposal.

Whiskey Proposal.

Kind of a continuation of Vodka Confessions. The idea struck me and I had to write it down. Don’t mind any spelling errors; I wrote this on my phone. lol.

Pausing outside of Wilford’s office you stand with a silver wrapped box in your hands. Christmas will be upon you soon and you already know Wilford doesn’t mind the holidays. You knock three times, waiting for any response.

You get none. Smiling you open the door and step into Wilford’s office. You look around his less than organized office and chuckle to yourself. Neutral chaotic, as you like to describe him.

He does things without really labeling them as good or bad, which does land him in hot water—with you and the others, but it’s what makes Wilford, well, Wilford. Setting the well dressed box on his desk you tidy up his office a little. Stacking papers together, moving furniture back to their proper place.

You do this each time you visit Wilford’s office and usually it’s instinctual. Scooting his chair into place you reach across the large desk and reposition your gift in the center. Smiling at your handy work you take your leave of the office, closing the door firmly behind you.

Wilford had noticed the moment he entered his office that you’d stopped by. It’s not as if he leaves his office a complete mess, despite what Dark seems to think, but it does come with an added bonus; you.

With a flick of the light switch Wilford spots the present perched so carefully on his desk and approaches. A fleeting sense of guilt passes at the sight. There had been a... misunderstanding the year before about Christmas.

One that left a poor office assistant in tears and the fax machine with bullet holes in it. It hadn’t been any one person’s fault. Wilford simply cannot be around anyone during Christmas due to… reasons.

Hesitantly Wilford takes the small card tapped to the box and reads your script.

I know you aren’t a fan of the holiday, but I saw this and had to get it for you. Don’t think of it as a Christmas present, just... something just for you.

I love you William.

Love,

Y/N

Wilford sets the card down and slowly unwraps the gift. He’s curious what you could have bought him; and he doesn’t think of it as a Christmas gift. It makes thing easier for him.

Pulling a switch blade from his belt, Wilford quickly cuts into the box and opens it completely. Nestled inside the box is something he’s wanted to buy but could never find the right style.

A double breasted gun holster made of butter soft black leather with his logo and name stamped into the straps. Quickly picking it up out of the box Wilford slides it on. His joy overflowing as he gleefully giggles to himself.

He’s truly astonished he doesn’t need to adjust anything despite the straps being adjustable. Strutting to his body length mirror he looks himself over, very much loving his reflection.

It fits him to a T and that makes it even more special. He goes back to his desk and puts his two favorite revolvers into the holsters; he’s never felt more complete. Looking himself over again Wilford notices a small pocket for a knife.

The double dressed holster is just too perfect, too well thought out, too... it’s so you to know him so well. And it’s also concerning for him to be known so well by another. He hasn’t felt this well known on a personal level since before the fateful night.

“Wil? I need to speak with you about your upcoming interview.” Dark announces opening the door. He pauses at the sight of Wilford actually crying in front of his mirror. “I take it you like her gift?” He asks earning a nod.

“You knew?” He asks grabbing a tissue from Dark and blows his nose. Dark suppresses a shiver. He hates hearing anyone blow their nose. It’s undignified.

“How do you think it fits so well? She dragged me with her to the shop she found in some back alley on the south end. You’re lucky she didn’t get killed the first time she found the place.” Dark says straightening his suite.

Wilford looks at his holster again. You’d really go through that much trouble for him? Just because you knew he’d been searching for this kind of holster?

“She’s perfect.” Wilford mutters in complete awe of you.

Dark smirks a little. Of course he’s known you’re perfect, it’s obvious. You fit in so completely with all the egos, your command of your co-workers, ability to remember minute details and make everything somehow come together; it's rather astonishing. Especially to Dark. Of everyone, Dark believes he would compliment you the best. However, seeing his friend so happy keeps his thoughts at bay. “If you are just now realizing this, Colonel, then you are blind.”

Wilford stares at Dark with a shocked look. It’s been some time since he’s referred to him as Colonel, and with such affection. It's almost a little worrying as Dark rarely uses that tone with him.

"Alright, buddy. Who are you and what have you done with my friend?" Wilford asks suspiciously.

Dark chuckles at his friend's suspicion and sets down the small trinket Wilford has on his shelves. "My dear Wilford, should you not worry about me, but rather how to thank that little angel that's graced you with her affection and love."

Your heel click against the polished wood flooring as you make your way down to your office at the end of the hallway. Being official babysitter--slash assistant has its perks, not to mention it puts you just a little closer to Wilford. You don't feel the need to be with him every hour of the day, but seeing him walk around from time to time pass your window makes you happy.

You note your door slightly ajar and nudge it open with your foot. The box in your arms shifting as you walk over to your desk and set it down. Its decorations for the yearly Christmas office party. Once again you’d been elected as party planner. You’d recycled what decorations you could, but this is freshly bought supplies.

“What are you doing?” Google asks from your doorway. You glance over your shoulder at him before looking back at your box.

“Getting ready for the Christmas party.” You tell him, it’s not much of a secret. You’ve been doing the planning for quite a few years now. “How are you today, Google?” You ask pulling out items and mark them off your list.

“I—I—I heard that your got a very sp—escial present for Wilford. Were my d—directions adequate in getting you to your d—destination?” Google asks, lagging on a few words. You nod your head, setting a beautifully crafted Christmas angel holding a star in the center of your desk.

“Yes, thank you, Google, for your assistance in my search. Have you decided on what you would enjoy for Christmas?” you ask keeping your back to Google. Despite his murderous tendencies, he’s a fairly helpful and for the most part friendly.

“E—eradication of the human race.” He responds. You chuckle at his response. You know it’s serious, but even he knows it’s not feasible.

“A sweater it is then.” You mutter earning a groan from Google. “What? Don’t you like my sweaters?” you ask turning to look at Google.

“Y-Your sweaters are very n—nice… however, I h—ave more than I like.” Google tells you.

“Then give me something that I can actually give you, Google. I cannot give you the death of a whole species as a Christmas gift.” You say smirking at the irritated look on his face. A thought comes to you as you watch Google go into search mode. You’ve noticed he likes to search images of yellow labs and ask, “Google? Do you think you could take care of an animal?”

Google pauses in his search, his head slowly centering to look at you. “Why do you ask?”

You shrug. “I think Mark’s been thinking about bringing Chica by when he comes to have meetings and I’ve noticed you take a bit of interest in her.” You lie flawlessly; well… it’s not technically a lie. Mark has been thinking of bringing Chica by the office when coming for a meeting with the egos. He hates leaving Chica home alone for the long hours.

“I am well e-equip to care for any animal.” Google says giving you the greenlight you’d been waiting for. There is just the slightest shift in his expression and tone of voice that helps you make up your mind. You’ll have to get it approved by Dark first, but you doubt he’d have an issue with it. Google is just about the only responsible ego next to Dark himself.

“Thank you, Google. I’ll let Mark and Dark know.” You say softly.

Google eyes you cautiously. “I feel as if you ar—re not being complete—ly truthful with me.” You laugh and reassure him before he goes off on his way. With an idea of what to get Google you feel confident in your gifts this year.

“Damien, what should I get her?” Wilford asks barging into Dark’s office without knocking. Dark sighs, flicks his wrist and the doors close behind Wilford. “Wilford, honestly, knock before entering my office.” He warns looking to Mark. “I am sorry, Mark. Out meeting must pause for a moment.”

Wilford looks at Mark, squinting in an attempt to remember where he knows the man from. “Ah!” he gasps smiling proudly as he says, “I remember you. Didn’t I stab you playfully a few years ago?”

Mark looks at Dark then to Wilford, a little insulted. “You interviewed me then literally stabbed me for no reason.” Mark says quickly searching Wilford for any knives.

“Oh, nonsense, it was playful.” Wilford defends easily dismissing Mark’s words with a wave of his hand. “Anyways, on to more important matters, I need your help Damien.” Wilford says looking back to Dark. Mark shrugs his shoulders, palms up in confusion at the switch.

It’s a wonder why Mark is so confused considering he’s the one that brought the devil into existence. Dark simply shakes his head before addressing Wilford. “William, have you tried coaxing anything out of her? Subtly?”

Wilford rests the back of his hands on his waist rolling his eyes as he sighs at Dark’s question. “Of course I have.” He responds rolling his eyes again. “She says all she wants is to spend time with me. I can’t buy that.” Wilford says earning confused looks from Mark and Dark. The pair mirrors each other’s expression as they stare at Wilford in bewilderment.

“You do realize that is something you can get her, right?” Mark asks earning Wilford’s famous squinty eyed look of suspicion.

“How do you mean?” he asks watching Mark and Dark exchange looks of weariness.

“Y/N is pretty straight forward. If she says she doesn’t want anything but some time with you, she means it. Plan something.” Dark says earning a nod from Mark.

“Every time, Y/N gives a gift, other than with Google, she puts a lot of thought into them.” Mark says noticing you walking towards the office. “Why don’t you show her how much she means to you? Do something that you know will make her happy?” Mark asks as a strong knock silences the room.

“Damien, Mark, I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting…” you start before spotting Wilford and smile brightly. “Oh, Wil, I was just searching for you. Your interview is about to begin.” You tell him gravitating close to Wilford without real thought. You look at Mark when he starts to chuckle. Before you can ask him what is wrong, Wilford drops a kiss to your temple and thanks you for reminding him.

You nod, blushing at the sudden affection. You both try to keep your displays of affection to a minimum at work out of respect to your co-workers. “Y-You better hurry, Wil.” You say looking away from Mark’s gleeful smile. It makes you feel even more embarrassed somehow.

Wilford nods and takes his leave, his mind still running over Mark’s suggestion. He honestly wonders what he can do to show you just how special you are to him. What can he do to make you as happy as you’ve made him?

Chewing the inside of your lip, you walk down the mostly empty hall to the reception area. Over the past two weeks Wilford has been lost in his own head. It’s not that he’s been ignoring you, but it’s obvious he’s distracted. You’ve been trying to not let it get to you but… it has and it hurts a little.

You’d actually gone to Dark for advice, something you never thought you’d do, but even with his reassurance you worry. You’ve tried to put it out of your mind when you got ready for the party but it still lingers there. With another sigh you finally reach the source of all the laughter and cheerful music.

Everyone looks like they’re having a good time and everything looks amazing, if you say so yourself. You smile to yourself, fairly proud at your handy work. Dark had even bought a large ten foot tree to put in the lobby and had it decorated.

You spot the literal devil talking with Dr. Iplier and head over to the pair. It’s been a while since you’ve seen Dr. Iplier and yet it feels like you just saw the man a few days ago. He’s been out at a few seminars to help his practice, which has been very helpful to get your more unimportant tasks done.

“Dr. Iplier, Damien, good evening.” You greet nodding to both men.

“I’m sorry, you’re dying.” Dr. Iplier responds. You sigh and give him a skeptical look. “No, I’m only joking. How are you my dear?” he asks offering a hug. You smile and hug the man.

“I’m doing well, how’d the seminars go? I hope you enjoyed yourself.” You say stepping away from Dr. Iplier.

“Yes! I did in fact learn a great many things.” Dr. Iplier says happily. You mentally prepare yourself to listen to him drone on about various techniques and use terms you don’t quite understand completely.

“Doctor,” Dark interjects quickly, saving you from being confused and lost. “There will be plenty of time after tonight to discuss your seminars, however, tonight, please enjoy yourself.” You smile at Dark, mouthing a thank you from behind your flute. Dark gives you a quick smirk and distracts Dr. Iplier further by sending him off to talk with Google. You think it’s a bit mean, but also quite funny. Dr. Iplier and Google do get into some heated arguments.

“Thank you, Damien.” You finally verbalize with Dr. Iplier is far enough away. You don’t look at Dark, content with watching your co-workers mingle and enjoy themselves.

“Any time my dear.” You frown, Dark sound oddly like Wilford. Glancing to your side you step away from Wilford, shocked to find him in Dark’s spot.

“Wil, what are…Hi.” You flounder searching for Dark and to make sure you’re not dreaming. “I didn’t know you’d be here.” You say instantly calming down. There’s no point in acting weird.

“Thought I’d try something a little different this year.” Wilford replies. Even though it makes you happy, you can’t help by worry about him. Something about the holiday just triggers something in Wilford that neither you nor Dark can really control. You’ve tried to talk with Dark about it, but the conversation never gets anywhere fruitful and gets dropped fairly quickly.

You spin the champagne flute in your hand, smiling into the glass. “You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to Wilford, but it does make me happy to see you here.” You say softly, not even sure if Wilford can hear you. You’ve always enjoyed Christmas, the way it brings people together. You’ve always had fond memories of the holiday.

Wilford doesn’t respond, almost taking it as you don’t want him there, but he sees the small smile on your lips and quickly calms down. You do this for him. You calm him and make him feel centered, even during his worst of times. It’s been like this for a long time, but only now does he really take notice.

Looking around the room he can see the dedication and passion you feel. It’s the way you do everything in your life. Wilford staggers a little, earning your concern eyes.

He hasn’t felt this sane in years, eons… It’s almost as if he can regain some resemblance of the man he was before the darkness took over, before the death of his friends, the rebirth of Damien that drove him into madness and murder.

“William?” You call for the third time. He’s looking at you, but you feel as if he can’t see you. Touching his bare forearm you can feel the cold sweat covering his skin. He’s wearing his normal over jacket on his shoulders. You frown, brows knitting together in concern. “Wilford,” you say a little louder, not enough to get any one’s attention. “Wil, do you need to leave?” you ask seeing he’s wearing the holster you gave.

Wilford looks at your hand, your small delicate hand resting on his larger forearm. You look stunning, amazing, a shining star in his blackened sky. Without warning Wilford downs the glass of whiskey in his left hand and tosses it over his shoulder. He may feel a little saner, but that can’t fully curb his erratic tendencies.

You jump a little at his sudden actions, faces turning to see what the noise was. You ignore the stares and concentrate on what Wilford will do next. He does have one of his revolvers at his chest and you worry he may go for it. You pray he doesn’t, but being naïve will cause more injuries. “Wil?” You ask a little fearful as he reaches into his jacket. Before you can move to stop him from whatever he’s doing, Wilford knees in front of you.

You stare are him blankly. Around you people are gasping and cooing. It only furthers your confusion. What is he doing? “What are you doing?” you ask, honestly baffled by his actions. For once you have no idea what this man is doing.

Wilford has the grace to look a little uncertain as he takes your hand into his and pushes a small button on the small box in his free hand. “I…Ah…I’m asking you to be my wife.” Wilford says in a tone you’ve never heard.

He looks and is acting so…your brain slowly reboots as his words sink in completely. Your eyes grow wide and you take a half step back. “What?” you shriek looking from the box to Wilford and back again. “No! What? I…are you seriously doing this?” You asked more shocked than anything. Your own words echo in your head and you see the hurt flash across Wilford’s face.

You can’t move for a moment as Wilford begins to pull away from you. “No! No, don’t, Wil, I’m saying yes!!” you say actually grabbing his face when you meant to grab his collar. You hear Dark chuckling off to your left but your ignore him.

“What? You said no.” Wilford responds not removing your hands.

You can’t stop the tears gathering in your eyes. “I know, but I meant yes, William. You caught me off guard. I… I love you Wil.” You say trying to convey everything you’re feeling into our simple words. “Are you sure you want me?” you ask softly. The room is dead quiet, waiting on Wilford’s answer.

Somehow everything got flipped around and this is not how Wilford had imagined this whole ordeal going. He looks at your face, your beautiful crying face and… “My dear lady, I could never imagine my life without you.”

You smile at him, tears now dripping down your cheeks. “My dear, you should take care with the words you say.” You tell him, quoting Wilford.

“My dear, I chose my words carefully.” He tells you taking your hand and places the ring on your finger. You laugh softly, covering your mouth with your right hand, trying to keep from crying. Wilford stands and takes your face into his hands.

“You’re stuck with me now, Colonel.” You warn him, smiling like a fool in love.

Wilford can’t help his goofy smile, his lips claiming yours within seconds. “Then stuck I shall be, my angel.” All around you there is an explosion of cheering and yelling of words you can’t even begin to understand. Behind Wilford the other egos stand along side Mark. Each ego is congratulating you both in their own subtle, or none subtle ways. You don’t pay much attention to them, not with Wilford holding you close.

Tequila Dreams.

[falseroar]

Is This Your Card? Part 4: There’s Been a Murder

((The morning after the party, the District Attorney wakes up with a hangover and some concerns. Neither of which are helped by the discovery of their host’s body and the arrival of a bizarre lightning storm. (A lot of the dialogue here and in future parts is straight from WKM, with some different context and a few changes here and there.)

Warning for mentions of death and implied blood/body examination.

Links to Parts 1, 2, and 3.))

You laid there in the darkness beneath the sheets with the comforter pulled over your head for several minutes after you changed back, heart hammering as the events of last night pressed in with one clear, missing gap: exactly when you went from human to wolf.

Slowly, you eased your head up, blinking in the sunlight streaming in to a bedroom you didn’t recognize. It was eight thirty, and your sensitive ears didn’t pick up on any screaming or whispering going on outside your door that might suggest people outside were discussing what to do about the werewolf in the room.

Werewolf.

It wasn’t just the hangover that made your stomach twist and turn. The thought of that card, that single word, left you very glad you hadn’t eaten much last night.

Who knew?

Who would go through such a bizarre series of steps just to…what? Out you to the others in the house? Blackmail you?

Your card.

You looked down at your clothes and felt a moment of panic before you spotted your jacket hanging neatly on the back of a nearby chair. Despite the very real hangover, you were up and across the room in seconds, breathing a sigh of relief when you felt the shape of the envelope in the pocket.

Hanging up the jacket, that wasn’t something you did, so that meant someone else. Damien?

You tried to take a sniff of the clothing only to wince and gag at even the hint of that awful cologne Mark had been wearing last night. A vague memory of Mark throwing his arm around your shoulder, laughing so hard he could barely stand, came to mind and you sighed, only for it to turn into a cough when you breathed the scent in again.

Right, so that would be a no on the jacket then. You slipped your hand into the pocket and pulled out the envelope inside, only to shove it straight into your pants pocket when you heard the sound of someone in the hallway. Better to keep it on you than let someone else find it by accident.

You reached the open door just as Benjamin, the butler, turned the corner.

“Ah,” he said, all smiles and crisp, clean uniform despite being at the same party last night. “Good morning! I hope you had a good night’s rest. I prepared for you a seltzer with cocaine. Best thing for the morning after, if you ask me.”

He smiled and winked at his joke as you took the glass, noting that there was nothing in his eyes or expression to suggest he knew. That, you thought as you took a sip of the seltzer and felt the bubbles ease your stomach, or he was one hell of an actor.

“Thanks,” you muttered before he walked away, the sound of your own voice causing a brief rise in the pain in your head.

The sound also caused the man standing near the railing opposite your door to turn with a smile almost as bright as the sunlight streaming in through the windows behind him, again with no sign of the man who had been performing keg stands like they were going out of style last night.

“Ah, there’s our little monster,” Damien said. “You really knocked them dead last night. I haven’t seen you go wild like that since our days at university—”

“Damien.”

“Good to let the beast out every now and then, eh, old friend?”

“Damien!” He had the shame to look momentarily abashed at his choice of words as you continued in a whisper, “Last night, did I—did anyone—”

“No, no, don’t worry,” Damien said, stepping forward to put reassuring hands on your elbows. “I took you upstairs myself, and you were fine until the balcony when you…Ahem. I assure you, there was no one else around to see, and I locked the door to your room once I was sure you were safe and sound in bed.”

You breathed out slowly, your relief brief but pleasant before you remembered the card.

“Damien, we need to talk somewhere. In private, as soon as possible.”

Damien didn’t seem as surprised by your words as you thought he might be. “Well, I still have some work to finish, and then there’s breakfast, but it shouldn’t be hard to find some time to catch up after that. Is that okay?”

You nodded, silently hoping that would give you enough time to shake off this hangover and get some control of yourself. Food would help, and until then moving around might ease some of the anxiety welling up within you. So while Damien went toward his room, you walked down the stairs and through the halls, noting that like Damien and Benjamin, the house itself was surprisingly clean again. You noted the suit of armor, now standing straight and polished, mentally comparing it to last night when it served as one of the targets for beer pong as you backed away with a sense of being watched.

Suspicious of what might be under that visor, you tried to shake off the feeling as you turned and walked into the den.

Just in time to see the flash of red as something large and heavy dropped from the floor above, missing you by inches.

You looked down at the corpse of your host splayed out on the floor.

The flash of lightning from outside that accompanied the discovery felt cheap and dramatic, like something out of one of Mark’s plays, but you knew, looking at his glassy open eyes, that this wasn’t an act.

The roll of thunder followed so close to the lightning that they were nearly indistinguishable, drowning out whatever sound escaped from your throat.

Still, as if in answer to your cry, Abe came walking into the room asking about the lightning, dressed only in a white bathrobe and, for some reason, his hat, and without missing a beat he called to the rest of the house, “Oh my God! There’s been a murder!”

While he stared in shock at the corpse, the butler entered the room and cried out as a third round of lightning crackled overhead, barely having time to stop before a fourth strike accompanied the chef’s scream of “Murder!”

Distantly, you thought there must be some terrible storm raging outside, but it was a stray thought, a random bit of nonsense as you stared at each man in turn, hoping that one of them could explain what was going on. Wishing one of them would reveal the trick, prove that Mark wasn’t…that he couldn’t be—

Abe thankfully interrupted your thoughts, suddenly so close that you could easily smell the body wash he used. With wild eyes, he grabbed the collar of your shirt and asked, “What the hell happened here?”

“I don’t—I don’t know,” you stammered, the numbness creeping into your mind again as you glanced back down at the body on the floor.

You heard the accusation in Abe’s voice as he demanded answers, some kind of an explanation, but before you could gather yourself together to even try to explain what you saw—or failed to see, Benjamin spoke up.

“Sir, the body’s cold. He’s been dead a while.”

“A while?” you repeated, feeling a chill of your own settle in. “Like it could have happened last night?”

You looked around the room as Abe’s grip on your collar loosened, but no one seemed comfortable with that idea.

“Does anyone remember the last time they saw Master Mark during last evening’s…entertainment?” Benjamin asked, and again no one answered. You racked your mind, but your tattered memories of last night’s party didn’t help much. He had been there, of course, but now that you thought about it, at some point he just wasn’t there in anything that you personally remembered.

“Well, I have some familiarity with corpses, comes with the job,” Abe said, stepping back from you with a lingering glance that you couldn’t begin to decipher. “Y/N, can you hand me my jacket over there? That’s what I came down here for in the first place.”

You turned around and found the jacket in question lying on the couch, and spun back around when you heard the chef and butler cry out in simultaneous disgust just in time to see Abe stripping off his white bathrobe to reveal he was wearing his regular clothes underneath it.

“Thanks, partner,” he said, taking the jacket without seeming to notice their reactions or your own brief horror closely followed by relief.

As he stooped over the body, you heard yet another voice at the doorway and realized how much worse this was going to get.

“What the hell happened here?” Damien asked.

“Oh, mister Mayor, I’m so sorry,” Benjamin started, and you felt a rush of guilt. “There’s been a murder.”

Thunder and lightning again, as Damien frowned in consternation and asked, “A murder? Who?”

He briefly turned to look at the sharp crack from overhead before his searching eyes went around the room again, his view of the body blocked by the hunter.

This wasn’t right. He shouldn’t be finding out like this, you thought to yourself, but at the same time you just watched, unable to bring yourself to say the words.

“It’s Mark,” Chef said with a helpless shrug, Abe confirming it.

“Why?” Damien asked, disbelief tinging his tone even as he looked down at the body in question. “Who would do this?”

“That’s exactly what me and my partner here are here to find out,” Abe said, gesturing towards you without looking up from what he was doing. You were trying not to watch as he patted down the body, rifling through Mark’s robes and examining the skin carefully.

“Wait, what?” You looked from Abe to Damien, wondering when you had agreed to this, and the mayor seemed equally surprised by the news.

“I don’t think…” Damien trailed off, his gaze meeting your own before he breathed in sharply. “The Colonel, I need to have a talk with him.”

You knew he wanted to be the one to tell him, to break the news as gently as he could. Like you should have tried to do, a guilty inner voice thought. Mark was Damien’s friend, they had known each other for years, and the Colonel just as long. What could be going through his mind right now?

“Um, shouldn’t we be calling the authorities?” Benjamin asked, and you nodded in agreement.

“Abe, this is a job for the police, we can’t—I can’t—”

“You think anyone’s getting in or out of this place with that freaky lightning storm going on outside?” Abe asked as he pulled a knife from somewhere within his jacket, at which point you weren’t the only one to fix eyes on something, anything else. “There’s clearly something going on here, and I for one am not just going to sit around and wait for that to pass over when there could be a killer among us.”

“He fell,” you said, finally voicing what you had been thinking this whole time. “I saw his—I saw him hit the ground, that doesn’t mean—"

“Oh, and he just happened to fall on this, did he?” Abe asked, holding up a small, misshapen object that, reluctantly, everyone in the room had to lean in to really see. “A bullet, straight to the chest.”

“Silver,” you said softly, your eyes instinctively meeting Damien’s.

“Now why would someone shoot Mark with a silver bullet?” Abe asked, looking around the room while he used a handkerchief from yet another pocket to clean his hands. “Not to mention all of the other damage his body’s been through. Someone must have been trying really hard to make sure he stayed dead, but why?”

“Could it have something to do with that?” Chef asked, pointing at a white square just visible in Mark’s chest pocket, having moved as a result of Abe’s investigation.

The hunter reached into the pocket and came out with two cards.

One was the Death card Mark showed the table last night, now stained on the corner.

The other was a white card, on which had been typed a single word:

Werewolf.

((End of Part 4. Thank you for reading! ...I have no explanation for why Abe was wearing the robe, it just seemed funny to keep it in.

Link to Part 5.

Tagging: @silver-owl413 @skyewardlight @withjust-a-bite @blackaquokat @catgirlwarrior @neverisadork @luna1350 @oh-so-creepy @weirdfoxalley @95fangirl @lilalovesinternet-l @thepoolofthedead @a-bit-dapper @randomartdudette @geekymushroom @cactipresident @hotcocoachia @purple-anxiety-blog @shyinspiredartist @avispate @missksketch ))

[waywardimpalawriter]

Timing AU Artist Steve Rogers x plus size reader

Timing

 Summary: Twice you met him hopefully the third time’s the charm and you actually get a name.  

Pairing: Artist!Steve Rogers x Bookshop owner! Plus size! Reader, Bucky Barnes x Wanda Maximoff, Natasha Romanoff x Clint Barton                                                                          

Characters: Steve Rogers, Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson, Wanda Maximoff, Clint Barton, Natasha Romanoff

Setting: Soulmate AU, no Avengers, no powers just humans

Rating: PG-13 for now

Warnings: a little angst, sadness, but fluff to, self-doubt, body conscience,  

Word count: 4,596

Notes: Written for @bladebarnes #bladehits2kchallenge my prompt is you get your soul mates name on your left arm when you turn sixteen. I also want to apologize for not getting this out sooner I had every intention of doing so and then a hurricane hit and tossed all good intentions out the window. I do hope you all enjoy this little fic and any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Key: Y/F/N = Your Full Name, Y/N = Your name

Forever: @winters-buck @angryschnauzer @marvel-lucy @feelmyroarrrr @aquabrie @fandommaniacx @supernaturallymarvellous @thetalesofmooseandsquirrel

Marvel: @sebbytrash @ek823  @melconnor2007 @creideamhgradochas

Timing tag: @buckyismysexuality  @promarvelfangirl @smoothdogsgirl @kirakombat 

@bradygabrielle-blog @rhyatt-deauxtreve @jasmineladjevardi @breezy1415 @toastmaster94 @littlenerdgirl16 @lady-thor-foster @mindingmyownbusiness @sokkasbae255 @anotherotter @caramell0w @dis-gurl-amyyy @nopevilleluas @vesperazylra  @thatgaldonna @ever-faithful-sidekick @just-a-fiction-lover @sebastianbarnesandchrisrogers @kudosia @unsung-knight @garnetandlace @iamwarrenspeace @raxacoricofallapatoriuspotter @trinityjadec  @dean-jace-nicklous-damien @starkgaryan

Thumb brushing over his name for what felt like the hundredth time today, a habit you took up since those letters appeared on your skin. One that hasn’t left you in the twenty some years though as time ticks on and his presents in your life remains absent; you begin to lose hope and your fingers brush the name less frequent.

“So I was thinking we could double date tomorrow night,” Natasha’s voice broke you from the stupor you’d sunk into with the midafternoon lull.

Eyeing her closely, “You do know that would mean I had a boyfriend to right Nat?”

“Of course babe and…” soft smirk stretching her ruby lips as her equally fiery locks bounced in excitement. “I’ve got you one Y/N you’ll love him truly.”

“No,” pushing away from the counter and grabbing up a small stack of un-shelved books making your way towards the back. “I’m not letting you set me up on some cockamamie blind date with a guy Clint works with thank you very much,” walking backwards giving the red head a glare.

“Y/N…” she started to call out right before you collided with a solid wall of muscle. Books flying from your arms and you to would’ve landed on your face had it not been for a pair of strong arms wrapping around your thick waist.

Heart hammering, eyes widened taking in the expression on Nat’s beautiful face then remembering the stranger you bumped into that rescued you. Turning, a prayer on your lips that you hadn’t made a fool of yourself in front of some handsome stranger, worse than that your soulmate.

Gathering your will to look up into the softest pair of baby blues you’d ever seen, framed by brushy dark brown eye brows, thick black lashes most women would kill for and crinkles forming at the corners of those sweet eyes. Breath having been stolen, not hearing him speak so caught up in his eyes that the almost fall is a long forgotten memory.

“I’m…” swallowing thickly; trying to find your voice to explain and not trip over your words, “I am so sorry for almost…”

Sandy brown head shaking in the negative, his hands still gripping your shoulders, sincerity showing in his features, “Are you alright doll?”

You both had spoken at the same time but what threw you off was the endearment he tosses in at the end. It gives you pause and makes you stare once more. Only to hear Natasha laugh behind you, snapping the train of through from your mind.

“Yes, yes I’m fine. I should be asking you that one. I ran into you I could’ve done more damage,” regretting those last words when a hiss from Natasha reaches your ears. Turning quickly, shooting her a disapproving glare before crouching to pick up the scattered books.

For a second the stranger looks from Natasha still at the counter to you, feeling the warmth that’d been your body pressed against his fading now. A strange thought occurred to him that he wanted that feeling of warmth and belonging to return. Strange since the only way to get that back is to have you a complete albeit beautiful stranger in his arms again. Bending he picks up a few books, mesmerized by the beauty before him not realizing you both are reach for the same book till hands brushed and lingered. Tingles shooting up both your arms making you retract at the feeling.

Once again drawn up to his eyes that seems to sparkle even while looking at you. Not able to help but almost drown in them. Though this time you find your voice quicker, “Was there something you needed help finding?”

‘Your number,’ almost rolled off his tongue though he thought better of it figuring he’s not as suave as his best friend James. “Uh well I was,” clearing his throat feeling heat fill his cheeks. Glancing down to notice that your hands managed to migrate closer together ; he grabs up the slim volume handing it and the other two in his hand over, “Art books, specifically working with clay.”

Pushing away the disappointment you rose, “Follow me please,” leading him to a few rows over and down almost to the end. Pointing, “These three shelves should have at least one book you’re looking for.”

“Thank you,” but he’s not looking at where your pointing rather at you memorizing every little dealt about your features, but most of all wanting for some unknown reason to see you smile.        

Nodding, pushing a lock of hair behind your ear, “Your welcome. If you need any more help just come up front.”

“Will you be there?” the question is out before he can stop himself, eyes falling to stare at his feet.

Bashfully glancing towards the man who you’d bumped into; taking in his appearance. Soft looking dark brown beard well-kept that suited him. Dark blue short sleeved Henley covering strong shoulders, thick biceps and strong arms that are making your mouth water as you stare. A torso you find yourself wishing you could touch and wouldn’t mind snuggling into on any given night. Down to a trim waist and jeans covered thick thighs and legs. Yup its official your mouth had dried up and took a hike just staring at this fine male made your whole body heat and your heart race.

Clearing your throat, trying to pry your tongue free from the roof of your dry mouth, “I’m… I’m sorry?”

“If I need help again will you be up front?” raising his head to look at you a soft smile pulling at the corners of his very kissable mouth.

‘I’ll be anything you need,’ is what you wanted to say but settled on, “Yes after I shelve these.”

“Good,” wanting to slap himself, he quickly turned away busying himself with looking through the shelves for a book he could use.

Puzzled by his change in attitude you try to shake the hurt off and go about your task, you had a business to run after all not ogle every good looking man who comes through the doors. Which by the way are few and far between since most people read on their fancy devices and phones now a days. Yes the printed word is going the way of the eight track and the dinosaurs.

Managing to stay hidden in the back reaches of the bookstore till Mr. Hard body left, you’d even peeked to make double sure before coming out. Natasha, arms crossed giving you a disapproving glare when you finally emerged.

“What I had books to shelve,” stated matter of fact walking passed her towards the counter.

“No you were hiding from Lick-o-licious is what you were doing,” disapproving tone in her voice. “What I don’t get is why? He was interested Y/N you should’ve gone for it.”

Giving her the patented ‘as if’ look with a roll of your eyes for good measure, “So far out of my league Nat. I mean you saw him.”

Nodding, “I also saw a man who looked you over not once but twice with eyes that seem to picture you naked to.”

“Pff, keep dreaming sweetheart that’s not what you saw not with this bo… Ow,” rubbing the abused arm from the smack she landed. “What the hell was that for?”

“Putting yourself down Y/N,” shaking her wild red head again hard green eyes going soft with flecks of gold dancing when the light hit them just right. “You’re beautiful inside and out, stop acting and thinking like no man will ever want you.”

Sighing, pinching the bridge of your nose, “How can I not Nat when the one man I’m supposed to be with hasn’t even bothered to walk into my life. He probably saw his name on my wrist and ran for the hills.”

“And maybe you just haven’t met Steve Rogers yet,” Natasha voiced getting just a little frustrated with her best friend.

**********

“Steve what the hell took you so long man? I thought for a moment I’d have to come in and bust your ass outta there,” smiling grey blue eyes taking in the slightly flustered appearance of his reappearing best friend.

Shaking his head, Steve looked back at the bookstore spilt between going back in to get your number and just shaking it off. The later won out he did have class to get to. “Nothing man, just…”

How could he describe the woman of his dreams just stumbling into his life and he didn’t even get her name to see if she’s the one. Bucky always called him sentimental and old fashioned for sticking to the names tattooed on their arms from sixteen on. Most were graced with their soulmates name printed in medium sized what appeared to be black ink though no one ever knew what it truly was. Because with time the name faded almost as of fate is saying there’s a time limit.

“It’s a woman isn’t, you bumped into someone?” mirth ringing in the deep cadence of his voice. Grabbing Steve by the shoulder and stopping him. “Did you get a name?”

“No,” simple word coming out softly taken away on the warm spring wind not bothering to glance over at Bucky; who’d just make fun of him anyway. He’d been lucky finding his own soulmate at a young age.

“What was that bud?” getting in step with Steve making their way down through the throngs of people pushing to get somewhere. All in a hurry and not really watching where they’re going as bags and purses hit both men on occasion.

“Alright fine, no I didn’t get her name okay you happy?” Steve shouts stopping just shy of missing being hit by older man banishing a cane at anyone within reach.  

Pushing Steve out of the way, “Why the hell not punk?”

“She might not be the one,” he mutters looking down at the cracked grey pavement feeling foolish for what he’s said.

“Damn it Steve how else will you find her if you don’t ask?” shaking his short chestnut brown head. “You gave up on a relationship, a good one I might add with Peggy because of that name and yet your too shy to ask when a beautiful dame drops into your life.”

If Bucky only knew how true his words were, but Steve isn’t like him, brash, outgoing, the life of the party, no he’s  shy, keeps to himself mostly unless there’s trouble to be found. Shrugging glancing at his watch, “I gotta get back to the apartment and grab my stuff class is in two hours and…”

“Yeah, yeah you don’t wanna be late,” rolling his eyes hitting Steve on the shoulder. “Next time ask the pretty dame out and get to class ya damn nerd.”

Starting off, a grin pulling at his lips, “I’ll remember oh great one. You just better pray her names Y/N or you’ll never hear the end of it,” he snarked disappearing into the crowd.

**********

“Oh for crying out loud Y/N stop pulling at the dress its fine, you look gorgeous. Clint tell her, she looks good,” Natasha groans grabbing Clint’s shoulder and making him turn to face you.

Smoothing a hand down your thighs trying to find comfort in the bright red sweetheart neckline sweater dress Nat picked out. Sure it went to your knees but you still felt self-conscious about it. Dresses were and never will be your thing however you’d promised Nat for one night you would.

Taking your hands in his a genuine smile on his lips, “Sweetheart you look beautiful if Derek can’t see what’s right in front of him then he’s a fool.”

Blinking, “But you’re setting me up with him Clinton,” a soft groan leaving your lips, shaking your head at this very bad idea. You knew how things would end like they always did even when you did try.

“Don’t worry none babe it’s gonna be fine,” he reassures you while taking Nat’s hand leading her out the apartment.

Closing and locking the door you stand there a moment gathering your courage glancing at your wrist seeing Steve Rogers there makes you frown. “Why can’t I find you,” the words a whispered question that no one but you will hear.

Across town, “Hey punk get dressed.”

“I am dressed jerk,” Steve replies barely looking up from his sketch pad were he’s managed to outline the shape of your beautiful face from memory.

“Sketch pad down you can draw your nudes later we’re going out.”

Groaning, “Don’t feel like it Buck,” closing the partially used pad. “You know how it’ll go, I’ll be the third wheel to you and Wanda. No thank you pal I much rather stay here, study, order take out and… hey.”

While Steve talked Bucky came up behind him in the overstuffed blue chair taking the sketch pad from his hands, “You’re going man now get dressed and lets go Wanda’s waiting and friend,” he slipped in tossing the pad back on the coffee table.

Which Steve snaps up glaring at his best friend of 20 or so years. “No, not again no more blind dates Bucky I’m tired of them.”

“She’s this cute little blonde Wanda knows from her gym class,” giving Steve his best puppy eyes. “Don’t do it for me but for Wanda.”

Sighing in exasperation, Steve tosses his hands up rising but still glaring, “For Wanda and if it ends with me standing at the bar all night this will be the last time.” Black letters catching his eyes Y/F/N printed there thinking that maybe this time he’ll find you.

Music thumping, drinks flowing, bodies swayed and grind against one another. Standing at the bar nursing the first drink a simple Jack and Coke looking over the crowd to spy Natasha and Clint dancing if you could call it that of course. Eyes training over to your date, not bad 6’0 nice looking, with black hair and piercing sage green eyes, dressed rather causal in jeans and a black button up.

“So you work with Clint?” the question is out and sounding to your ears so stupid.

Nodding, “Yeah,” is his only answer pretty much ignoring you the moment of introduction. Instead looking towards the dance floor or the tables anywhere but at you; nursing a scotch on the rocks.

You’d felt his eyes take in your plushier form, wide hips, soft tummy, bigger arms and thighs, could feel the curl of his lip that he tried unsuccessfully to hide. With each moment that passed you’d tried to start up a conversation a few times with no luck.

Finally having enough of the jerk, setting your half gone drink down, “I’m going to the ladies room,” excusing yourself and pushing through the light crowd not waiting for an answer that you wouldn’t get. Figuring by the time you returned he’d be gone stringing along some other woman.

Thankful when the line moved pretty quickly feet aching from standing in one spot for a while. Once inside you debated with yourself on texting Nat that you’re leaving sporting a headache, but their your ride. So you suck it up going back out after finishing catching your date on the dance floor with some little blonde number practically humping one another.

It’s just as well, runs through your mind while heading back to your spot at the bar. Bumping into someone which makes you look up into those same green flecked blue eyes from earlier in the day.

“I think my luck just changed,” Steve grinned down at you staring into your beautiful E/C eyes.

Tipping head to the side, “How’s that?”

“My date,” pointing to the woman currently dancing with yours. “Seems I wasn’t the man she wanted.”

Frowning, “Don’t know why not your handsome, built like a brick house and your voice alone should’ve convinced her,” wanting to slap yourself for saying that even as he chuckles. Making warmth spread out over your body a light bushing of pink coloring cheeks and chest as you go to move away when his hand takes yours gently, a surprise given his size and muscular body.

“Dance with me?” same soft sweet smile on his lips that you wish would be other places right now.

Blinking not sure you heard him right, “Excuse me?”

Leaning in to brush your ear with those soft kissable lips, “Dance with me please?” he pulls back giving a hopeful look. Wondering where this sudden burst of confidence and forwardness is coming from. Normally not a ladies man, rather keeping to himself because he knows he’ll fumble on his words and make a fool of himself.  

“Yes,” comes from your own mouth just as a slow song starts to play.

Pulling you into his arms, one wrapped around your thick waist the other still holding the hand he initially took. With surprising comfort the gentle sway has you resting your head on his chest breathing in his cologne, mixed with something subtle which has you wanting to bury your nose and just stay here.

“So what’s a beautiful dame like yourself doing in a place like this?” Steve questioned lips close to your ear to make hearing easier.  

Head coming off his chest to stare up at him taking in the crisp long sleeved blue shirt he’s wearing while trying to come up with an answer. “Truthful?”

“Please.”

Sighing, “Blind date my best friend seemed to think was a good idea to set me up on. Though he’s having a better time with your date right now,” you can’t stop the giggle which escapes at the thoughts running through your mind.

“What’s so funny?” butterflies coming to life inside him at hearing your giggle.

“Luck just wasn’t with us tonight.”

Shaking his head, boyish smile on his lips, “I don’t know I think I like how this turned out.”

Blushing, ducking your head part of you doesn’t want to believe him that he’s just being nice. However the other part is squealing like teenage girl being asked by her crush to the prom. “You may be changing your tune later.”

Studying your face, “Something tells me I won’t,” he grins dipping you backwards listening to you laugh again.

Three songs later finds the two of you back at the bar you nursing a Coke this time, and your mystery man a water. “How is it a guy like you is single?”

“He always has his head buried in some book sweetheart,” came Bucky’s deep voice from behind Steve.

Groaning, wanting to cover his face at the teasing but he still looks at you seeing the smile on your ruby tinted lips that he desperately wants to kiss. Watching them move, but paying little attention to what you’re saying, “Nothing wrong with that in fact I applaud the idea but that might be from owning a book shop.”

Grinning, “You’re the mystery woman punk here has been talking about since this afternoon.”

This time Steve really did lower his head hands rubbing his eyes then fingers through his short sandy blonde hair. “Buck if you weren’t family I’d kill ya for that,” he growls hearing you chuckle again.

“I know the feeling sweetheart I have one just the same,” the smile on your lips reaching your eyes as they lock with Steve’s you hand going to his. “You know I never caught your name.”

“It’s…” just as he’s going to answer someone pushes a man into you spilling their drink down your front making you squeal in cold.

Gasping, shock written on the stranger’s face, “I am so sorry ma’am I didn’t mean that.”

Waving the apology away flapping your dress to get the ice to drop down, grabbing up napkins to pat the rest away, “It’s fine no harm done except to the dress of course.” You glance at Steve, “Give me a minute to wash up I’ll be back.”

Nodding, “I’ll be here doll,” he smiles making your tummy do flips.

Smacking him upside his head, Bucky shakes his own, “Why didn’t you ask for her name right off punk.”

“We were having to good a time till you showed up jerk. Why are you and Wanda up here and not on the dance floor anyway?” Turning to see Wanda leaning against Bucky not looking so good concern flashes in his eyes and he’s up on his feet tossing some bills down for your drink.

“What about your girl?” Bucky frowns not wanting to pull Steve away from the happiness he sees in his best friend’s eyes.

Looking back towards the bathrooms indecision written on his face, Steve spots Natasha from the book shop. Rushing over, “Listen I know you may not remember me from the bookshop earlier today but…”

Puzzled then she remembered Natasha smiled which morphs into a frowns at the look in his eyes; “I do what’s wrong?”

“It’s not, crap I don’t even know her name or yours but and this sounds really bad…”

“Stop,” voice stern as her arms cross trying to hold in her laugh. “You have to leave don’t you?

“Yes,” taking a breath. “Wanda’s sick and I’m their ride home.”

“Go I’ll let her know, but you better come by the bookshop and explain tomorrow,” Nat states loosening her arms feeling Clint come up beside her, his arm wrapped around her waist.

“Deal and thank you,” wishing he could see you one more time before he left but a pained groan from Wanda makes him hastily turn taking her other arm, placing it around his should as the three of them leave.

   Ten minutes later, front of your dress partly dry to find Natasha and Clint in your spot but not your mystery man. Heart dropping to your black kitten heels you approach anyway ready for the lie she’s going to tell you.

“Hunk-o-licious had to leave something about Wanda being sick but he did promise to come by the shop tomorrow and explain,” Natasha spoke right as she sees you. Frowning at the look she places a hand on your shoulder reassuringly. “Have hope Y/N he’ll come back around.”  

“Story of my life Nat,” halfhearted smile on your lips as the three of you leave the club.

Coming up between the ladies Clint places his arms around both, “From a male’s point of view sweetness,” he smiles when you look at him. “He’s in to you big time but it just so happens luck wasn’t. From what I saw of the two of you on the dance floor, the way he looked at you, he’ll be by I’d lay money on it.”

*********

But he didn’t in fact return the next day, nor the date after that either. On the third day you gave up hope of ever seeing him again, stand at the counter flipping through the latest issue of Cosmo. That late afternoon drag starting, you glance at your watch.

“Hey Nat I’m going to get some coffee you want anything from Sammy’s?” you called towards the back grabbing up your wallet.

“Regular coffee with a touch of soy milk and two sweeteners please and one of those lemon bars if he’s got’em,” she answered coming out to hand you money which you wave away. “I’ll get the next buy.”

Smiling you take off with a wave into the warm sun, slight breeze moving your hair and brushing your skin. Soaking in the vitamin D, steps light and partly cheery giving most people you pass a smile till you reach the small coffee shop. Run by another dear friend of yours and fellow small business owner Sam Wilson.

“Afternoon Sammy,” you cheerfully state getting looks from two males just to the right of you.

Grinning Sam comes from behind the counter to hug you tightly, “Well hello to you to sweetness. Come in for the usual I’m guessing?”

“How’d you guess handsome?”

“Because you order the same thing every time you come in. Can’t I just this once make you something different? Just for you,” he gives you the best puppy eyes he can till you nod.

Turning your foot catching on a chair someone forgot to push back, you ready yourself for the impact and the pain. Which never comes as a pair of strong arms encircles your frame holding you close to a very male chest.  

“Seems you keep falling for me princess,” familiar deep voice speaks in your ear making you look up into those green flecked blue eyes you’d fallen for almost a week ago.

“My hero always seems to be in the right place at the right time,” smiling as he stands you back up not taking his eyes from you or yours from him.

“Shit Y/N are you okay?” concern lacing his tone, Sam pulls you from Steve’s arms checking you over.

Eyes wide Steve looks from his wrist to you, “Y/F/N?”

“Yes,” you’ve turned from Sam to stare at Steve; who’s holding his wrist up for you to see written in black letters your name. Stepping closer taking his hand running your index finger over the name, making him shiver at your touch your name unable to believe what you’re seeing. “Steve… Steve Rogers?” full blown smile on your lips seeing him nod.

“I can’t believe I’ve finally found you after so long,” he breaths cupping your cheek bringing your foreheads together. “This is going to sound so crazy, but can I kiss you?”

No answer comes you just raise on your toes and place your soft lips against he’s slightly chapped one. From there he pulls you close with one arm around your waist enjoying the soft feel of your body pressed into his hard one. Mouth molding over yours just little light presses of lips at first then a teasing of his tongue on your bottom full lip. Which makes you gasp and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue inside the warm cavern of yours to tangle and taste. Drawing you that much closer as your own arms have come to wrap around his neck; butterflies dance in your tummy as you both drown in the passionate kiss.

Speaking against his lips since you’ve had to stop for air, “Not crazy at all Steve,” you giggle pecking his lips one more time.

“No but the two of you making out in the very front of my coffee shop is. Move it along better yet get a room,” Sam states with a chuckle.

Turning you stick your tongue out like a two year old, “It’s not every day you meet your soul mate Samuel.”

“Crazy lady say what?” deep brown eyes shocked wide as he comes back to your side looking at yours and Steve’s wrists. “Bout damn time you showed up. Thought for a moment my girl wouldn’t be so lucky.”

Sheepishly Steve rubbed the back of his neck but kept an arm around your waist a part of him fearing it’s all a dream and if he let you go you’ll disappear. “Yeah well I’d started thinking that one myself,” hating to admit that out loud giving you an apologetic smile.

“Go sit talk I’ll call Nat and let her know you won’t make it back today,” Sam exclaimed waving the two of you towards a table.

Pulling a chair out for you, Steve takes the opposite, “Hello soul mate,” he smiles brushing his thumb over your knuckles.

Blushing glancing down at your joined hands, “Hi there soul mate.”  

[ddaddsprompts]

The dads' reactions to a taxidermist dadsona (but he taxidermises roadkill and deceased pets- not animals hunted for taxidermisation)?

FYI: Given the topic, there will be talk of death, dead animals and the work a taxidermist does! I hope you’ll enjoy! - Mod Mare

🥃 “What the fuck.” You whiparound so fast, it nearly gives you whiplash. “Jesus, Robert, you shouldn’tscare a guy holding a knife!” He raises an unimpressed eyebrow and kicks thedoor closed, then walks over to where you are working on your latest find, asmall hare. Robert’s never been in your basement before, which pretty muchturned into a running joke between you two after he found out about your work.It’s not the torture chamber he jokingly accused you of, nor are there athousand corpses lying around… well, no human corpses, at least. He pokes thehare, as if to make sure it’s really dead, and then picks up one of your tools.“What’s that for?”“Skinning knife.” You gesture towards the pelt. “You use it to remove the fur.”“I always thought you just… stuff the original body with newspaper orsomething.” That startles a laugh out of you. “No, I don’t think that would holdup very well. You make a sculpture of sorts. Some freeze-dry the animal afterremoving the squishy bits that might rot, but I prefer making woodensculptures.” Robert nods, watching in interest as you continue your work. “Whatkinds of animals have you worked on so far?”“Roadkill, strays or pets. I’ve never killed nor do I accept animals that werekilled.”“Would you make an exception?” You look up and frown. “For?” He looks like he’strying to keep a straight face, but there’s a mischievous glimmer in his eyes. “IfI ever have to kill a cryptid in self-defence, I want a mounted piece.” Yougive him a thumbs up. “Though it might be hard to preserve it, depending on thesize.” Robert gets a thoughtful look on his face and tilts his head. “I’ll getback to you on that.”

🍸 “It’s… it’s dead, right? It won’t bite me?” You slipyour hand into Joseph’s and give it a squeeze. Then you carefully guide it torest on the dog’s head. He flinches, as if he expects the piece to leap at him,but slowly relaxes once he realises it is, truly, dead. He politely asked you afew questions when you told him your profession, but you were able to tell hedidn’t know what to think of it. So you invited him to your workshop to seehimself and he agreed, after you promised he wouldn’t see any blood or intestines.“Is that the skull underneath?” You shake your head and gently knock againstthe head, a wooden tone emitting from it. Joseph furrows his brows in confusion,but understanding quickly dawns on his face. “Oh, so you make a sculpture outof wood and… pull the skin over?”“That’s my way of doing it, at least. Others will do it differently, but thenagain, that’s true for every job.” Joseph chuckles at that and carefully moveshis hand down to the dog’s open muzzle. You formed the mount so that it lookslike the dog, a beloved pet gone too soon, is catching a Frisbee, its tail waggingexcitedly. Joseph pokes one of the teeth. “It looks so real. It’s trulyimpressive work.” You blush at the compliment and shuffle on your feet. “Thanks,Joe. Want to watch me make one?” Joseph pales a little, which is an amazing feat,considering his normal complexion. “Ah, no, thank you. I would rather not…” Hehems and haws. With a pat on the shoulder you release him from his misery. “I’mnot upset. It’s not for everyone.” Joseph visibly deflates in relief. “I’mhappy to hear that. Now, as fascinating as all of this is, I would prefer ifyou didn’t let the twins in this room until they’re at least fifteen…”

☕ Mornings like this are rare: With Mat,Carmensita and you all sitting at the breakfast table, enjoying a lazy morningwhere neither you nor Mat have to work and where Carmensita doesn’t have to goto school. “Y/N?” You crack open an eye and look over at Carmensita. “Hm?” Shefiddles with the bottom of her dress. “We’re doing a present your parents thingat school and I’m including you and I wondered… what do you do for a living?”“I’m a taxidermist.” Mat starts coughing. You pat his back, but he insists he’sfine. “What does that mean?” Carmensita asks. You take a second to think of achild friendly way of explaining your job. “You know how there are sculpturesof animals in the museum? With fur and all?” She nods. “I do stuff like that.”Carmensita gapes. “That’s cool! Can I watch you?”“Carmen, baby, I just remembered that Y/N got an important letter that I meantto show him. Could you go fetch it real quick?” Although Carmensita looksconfused, she nods and runs off to the front door. Mat turns to you. “I don’thave anything against your line of work,” he says. “I think it’s cool, really. Ialways admire the stuffed animals in the museum… but, um… could you not… showher anything involving death and related things? I don’t want her to…” He fidgetsin his seat. “She’s not good with blood and the topic of death is still a soreone and I really don’t want her to freak out or anything like that when shesees the tools and what you do and-“ You put a hand on his mouth to stop hisrambling. “I totally understand, Mat. I didn’t let Amanda in my workshop untilshe was old enough, I’ll try not to traumatise Carmensita.” Mat releases a sighof relief and removes your hand, taking it in his. “Thank you. She’s not assqueamish as me, but that kind of thing...” Before he can finish, Carmensita returns,empty-handed. “There was no letter, Dad.” Mat feigns surprise. “I must havebrought it into Y/N’s office already. Thank you anyway, baby girl.” Carmensitadoesn’t look convinced at all, but drops the topic.

🌹 Damien had put he was most likely to ‘listen to true crime podcasts whileI taxidermy my newest specimens’ on his DadBook profile, but you’re stillnervous as you wrap your latestspecimen in gift wrap. It’s not even a special occasion, no anniversary orbirthday, but you just finished preparing a bat that you found in the forest,and part of you had wanted to give it to him. There was no backing out of iteither, you’d told him you have a present, but gods, you’re nervous. You finishtying a bow on top the bat’s head and put it into a plastic bag to carry it toDamien’s house. He’s already waiting by the time you arrive and his eyesimmediately zero in on it. “The bag does little to quench my curiosity,” heannounces after greeting you with a chaste kiss. “Please do not keep me waitingfor too long, Y/N. I might not be able to take it.” You decide to take pity inyour boyfriend and fish out the gift. It might be wrapped, but the paper mostlyfollows the shape of the bat. Damien cocks his head to the side and examines thegift curiously, before reaching out and placing it on the table to unwrap it. Atthe first sight of black, sleek fur, his eyes go wide. He practically rips awaythe remaining paper. “Oh, what craftsmanship,” Damien breathes out in awe. “Youmust tell me who made this. They’re experts at their job.” Blushing, you motionfor him to turn the bat over. He does and reads the text at the bottom of thewooden platform. His eyes widen at the sight of your signature. “You… you madethis for me?” You nod shyly. Damien covers his mouth with his hand. “What did Ido to deserve such a perfect partner like you?” He crosses the distance betweenyou and pulls you into his arms. “Thank you so much, Y/N. I love it. Pleasetell me how you managed to get the leather of the wings so translucent. It’sincredible.”

🎣 Ever since you started your apprenticeship, you hatedworking with fish. You’re sure that nine out of ten taxidermists would agree:Fish are the toughest animals to work with. That, in your opinion, makes yourgift for Brian all the more special. You put hours upon hours of work into it;hunting down the perfect specimen in particular took you weeks, because of yourphilosophy of not using any animals that were killed by human hand. But now you’reholding the rainbow trout in your hands and you’re proud of what you’veachieved. Hopefully, Brian would like it too. The front door opening andMaxwell barking excitedly signals your partner’s arrival – now is the moment oftruth. You hide the trout behind your back and turn around, just in time forBrian to enter the living room. He walks up, arms spread to pull you into ahug, but he stops and points behind you. “Are you hiding something?” You staysilent, but nod. Looking like a kid in front of the Christmas tree, Brian asks,“Is it for me?” Again, you nod. “Don’t leave me hanging like that, Y/N! What isit?”“Have you noticed you don’t know what I do for a living?” It seems like nowthat you mentioned it, he does; Brian scratches his beard and hums. “I won’tforce you to play the guessing game.” You produce the trout from behind yourback and present it to him. “I’m a taxidermist. And I made this for you.” Anyworries you had are wiped away in a matter of seconds when Brian lifts youright off your feet with a hug around your middle. “Wow! It looks like it’sstill alive, that’s crazy-good!” He grins. “I’m going to hang it up at work soeveryone will see!” Of course he would.

👟 “You know, next time River manages to destroy Arnold,I might just make her a mounted capybara piece. Even if it costs a thousanddollars to track one down and have it shipped here.” Craig lifts his head offyour chest and blinks at you a few times to banish the last remnants ofsleepiness. “How do you mean?” Unsure of how to make yourself any clearer, you justraise your eyebrow. You can literally see the wheels turn in Craig’s head.Then, in a movement that nearly sends you both flying off the couch, he sitsup. “Dude! That’s right! You studied taxidermy!” He’s still so sleepy, with hishair tousled, it’s adorable. You try not to laugh, but can’t help but snicker. “Yes?”“I totally forgot about that. You really went through with it? I remember yourparents trying to get you to choose a different career.” You shrug. “I did,yeah. Got my own business now, some of the animals in the museum are actuallymy work.” Craig clasps your shoulder in appreciation. “That’s really cool. I’mglad you followed your dream.” There’s a pause. Then, “Wouldn’t a… stuffedanimal be too hard for a toy?”“I mean, they’re made from wood, so yes, they wouldn’t be soft and fluffy likea stuffed toy, but… you know I wasn’t serious, right?” Craig blushes and rubsthe back of his head. “I know, bro. You just got me thinking about it and now Ican’t stop imagining giving her one for her birthday. Just imagine of howexcited she’d be!” You tilt your head to the side and picture it. The cutenessof the mental scene makes you break out into a grin. “Bro. Now I want to makeher one.” Craig drops his head on your chest again, laughing. “I’m sorry?”“Don’t be.” You tap his nose. “You’ll be the one paying for it.”

📖 “—and now thatwe’ve finished skinning it, we’ll need to lay the skin out and sprinkle ourborax-corn starch mixture on it. We do that to disinfect the skin, but also toensure absorbency.” Neither you nor Ernest notice Hugo enter the garage, you’retoo focused on the bird corpse lying on the table in front of you. Gettingclose to Ernest had been the hardest part of your relationship with Hugo; ittook him a very long time to warm up to you. So when he brought you a dead birdhe found on the street and asked to stuff it, you eagerly agreed. Maybe youshould have asked Hugo first. How his son found out about your job before himstill confuses you. “Now what are you doing here?” Ernest curses and drops thebottle with the mixture, but thankfully doesn’t spill much. You don’t fare anybetter and press a hand on your chest to calm your heart down. “Don’t sneak upon people like that,” you scoff. Hugo holds his hands up in a silent apology. “Whyis there a… gutted bird on the table?” Ernest kicks a stone with his foot andlooks away. You nudge him encouragingly. He grumbles. “Y/N shows me how tostuff animals.” Hugo raises his eyebrows. “How do you know how to do that?” Youshrug. “It’s kind of my job? I’m a taxidermist.”“I didn’t know that.” Hugo looks from the bird, to you and then to Ernest. “CanI join?” You nudge Ernest again and give him a look that says it’s hisdecision. The teenager scowls, but then nods. “Sure.” Him turning his back toHugo again means he doesn’t see the huge smile on his father’s face. Whichfades the moment you hand him a cotton ball. “Stick it into its neck.” Hugogoes a bit green, but his expression tells you he’s more fascinated thangrossed out.

[xuxibelle]

Little White Lies 4

Pairing: Harrison Osterfield x Reader

Word count: 3,556

Warnings: mentions of blood, swearing, Tom Holland, Holland Twins, Zendaya (mentioned as “Z”)

Requested: No.

Summary: What happens during and after Harrison and Y/N’s discussion.

After a couple hours, you wake from your rest to see him sitting there and you jump. “Sorry,” he laughs. “Didn’t mean to scare you. We were taking shifts watching you. Because of the blood,” he explains. You nod your head and smile at him. “Are you hungry?”

“Yea,” you smile at him.

“Alright, let’s get you something to eat. Then we can come back in here. There are some things we need to talk about,” he tells you.

After Harrison asked the chef to make you something to eat, he sat with you on the balcony while you ate before returning to your room for your talk. Both of you were now sat on the small sofa on the opposite side of the large bedroom as you faced each other.

“I assume this is going to be a deep discussion since we’re alone,” you half laugh as you slowly look up at him.You watch as he takes in and slowly lets out a long breath before he begins to speak. That lets you know how serious it really is. “Wow, ok. That serious.”

“Y/N… You remember I told you… even that first night, I told you that I was always drawn to you?” Harrison asked you.

“Yea, I remember you saying that,” you tell him with a nod.

“There’s a reason for that… and I didn’t realize it at first. Sam… he uhm… he saw it first. Then the others agreed… and after tonight… I-i… I just… I can’t deny it anymore,” he said looking up at you as a tear slipped past one eye. Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“Harrison… what’s wrong…? What’s going on?” You asked. “Is something wrong with me?” He reached over, taking your hand in his.

“No, no. It’s nothing like that. I-i’m sorry. I don’t mean to scare you...This just… This is a big thing for our kind and… I don’t want it to scare you either...So I’m trying to go slow with it… but I seem to be scaring you anyway,” Harrison half laughs as his thumb rubs circles on the back of your hand.

“Just tell me flat out. It’ll be easier for me to process that way…” you tell him.

“Are you sure?” he asks you as his eyes meet yours.

“Yes, please, just say whatever it is that you’re trying to say,” you tell him. He squeezes your hand in his as he takes a breath.

“Okay… When I said I was drawn to you I wasn’t lying. I am… like so much so that I can’t pull away from you, that I feel like I need to protect you, that I have to. So what I meant about Sam is that he mentioned that you might be my Tuhinga and then the other guys agreed and now after tonight, I can’t deny that fact… You are,” Harrison tells you, his eyes never leaving yours.

“Okay… I’m still not understanding something” you tell him.

“Right, you’re not from the supernatural world. Of course, I’m an idiot,” he says as he laughs at himself. “Tuhinga means fate or destiny. I got upset with them when they jumped on me about it and said you couldn’t be because you were human. It didn’t dawn on me until they said that I could turn you and you’d be vampire, then you’d be my true Tuhinga. I mean you are now, but the link can’t be sealed unless you’re vampire, too,” Harrison explains as he watches your eyes widen slightly.

“So what’s the point of telling me this now? We just had this discussion about you NOT wanting to turn me and bring me into this ‘supernatural fuckdom’ as you called it,” you remind him as you watch him bite his lip.

“I know and I’m sorry for that. I really don’t want to put you in any of it, but since you are my Tuhinga, that would make you twice as powerful as a normal vampire. Also, there’s a problem with Damien…” he says with a sigh.

“I knew it,” you say in exasperation as you throw your hands in the air. “What is it now?”

“If… If I don’t turn you and we don’t complete our link… Damien will succeed faster than we want him to with his linking… Then he will make you the Queen of the werewolves… and he’ll be able to wipe out all vampires with the power he will have, any supernatural creature really,” Harrison explains to you with a pained expression on his face. “We’ve been following him for years, keeping an eye on him and making sure he hasn’t made any moves like this. And he hasn’t… until you.”

“Why me?” you ask.

“Because you’re my Tuhinga,” Harrison tells you.

“But why does that make me so special…?” you ask. “What am I not understanding? What am I missing?”

“The night we met and we were all explaining things to you… I might have left off one minor detail about who I am,” Harrison tells you as he bites his lip, waiting for your reaction.

“And…?” you ask.

“Well… I’m sort of… the King,” he tells you as his face pulls into a wince and you feel all of the air leave your lungs. You knew he was going to say it, but it still shook you. “Breathe… Jesus, please breathe, Y/N,” Harrison tells you and you listen as you take in a deep breath. Once you semi-recover, your eyes meet his again. “Are you okay?”

“So basically what you’re saying is… I get the choice of becoming a Vampire Queen or a Werewolf Queen?” you ask.

“That’s the very short, no detail version, yes. But you have to think about the details and consequences with each choice,” Harrison tells you.

“Can I have a minute?” you ask him.

“Of course! I’ll just be outside,” Harrison said as he stood up. You grabbed his arm as he stood in front of you.

“No, please stay here. I want to go out on the balcony, but I wanted you to stay here,” you said with a pleading look in your eye. He gave you a small smile as he took his seat back on the sofa.

“I’ll be right here where you can see me,” he tells you as you stand up and make your way out on the balcony. Your hands grip the rails as you look out over the city. Tears begin to line your eyes as you think about everything that’s happened over the last few days. You draw in a shaky breath as you think about everything he’s said tonight. You know the choice is already made. I mean, it’s obviously a no brainer, right? After a few more minutes of silence, you turned and walked back inside, taking your seat beside Harrison once again. “Everything okay?”

“Yea, I just needed to process,” you tell him.”To catch my breath. Uhm...So, Sam has to be right,” you tell him as your eyes meet his again.

“Why do you say that?” Harrison asks you.

“Because… I, uh… I had a good life in the States, Haz. I had a good job. Boyfriend wasn’t the best but he was a boyfriend. I had a nice place to live, bills got paid, friends weren’t all that bad. Then one day… I just up and decide to move here. I had no reason to. I’ve no family or friends here except those I’ve made since I’ve been here. I don’t know why I’m here… So, it has to be true,” you tell him as tears slip past your eyes. He cups your face in his hands and his thumbs brush the tears away.

“Please don’t cry,” he begs you. You shake your head as you smile at him.

“I’m not,” you half laugh. “I’m happy that I know why I’m here now. I felt like… I was just… like i had no purpose to be here… until I found you,” you tell him. He leans his forehead against yours, brushing his lips over yours before pressing a soft kiss to them. “Do it,” you whisper against his lips. “Please.”

“Now?” Harrison asked as he looked in your eyes for confirmation. “You’re sure?”

“Yes. I don’t want him to have any chance of being able to take me,” you tell him.

“Is that the only reason you want to do it now?” he asks you.

“No,” you shake your head as you look down. Harrison puts a finger under your chin, lifting it up so your eyes meet his again. “I want to be with you... always,” you confess without hesitation and he quickly presses his lips to yours. It takes you a second to realize what’s happening, but when you do, you begin to move your lips against his as you slide your hands up into his hair when his go to rest on your waist as he pulls you closer. He pulls back from the kiss as he leaves a trail of open mouthed kisses down your jaw to your ear. He moves your hands from his hair to his shoulders.

“Ready, love?” Harrison asks you softly. You nod your head.

“Yes,” you mumble against his neck.

“Just relax. It’ll be over faster than you think,” he reassures you as you feel his hand run up and down your back. “Let’s get you comfortable,” he tells you as he leads you over to the bed, letting you get adjusted. “Good?” Harrison asks you as he sits beside you, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. You smile up at him as you nod your head.

“Yea, I’m good,” you say quietly. You watch as he lifts his wrist to his mouth and bites before he holds it over your mouth, letting the blood drip over your open lips as he lowers his arm to rest against your mouth. You instinctively bring your hands up, without his help this time, to hold onto his wrist as you begin to gently suck at the bite mark on his wrist, pulling the blood into your mouth and letting it flow down your throat. Harrison kept his eyes on yours, brushing his thumb across your forehead softly. As he watches you, he swears to himself that in the thousands of years that he’s been alive, he’s never met someone as beautiful and unique as you. No one has ever made him feel the things that you make him feel and he hopes that one day, somehow, he can show you.

“Okay, love. That’s good,” Harrison tells you as he gently pulls at his wrist. You ran your tongue over your lips, collecting the remaining drops of blood as you watched the the wound on his wrist heal.

“That’s still… just… weird,” you say with a laugh. He smiles at you.

“You’ll get used to it,” Harrison laughs at you as you watch the smile on his face spread to his eyes.

“What’s next?” you ask eagerly.

“The bite…” Harrison says with a sigh. “I bite you so that my venom gets into your blood. Then you have to die with my blood in your body, so you can choose how to do that if you like.”

“I-i… I don’t know… What, uhm… What do you suggest?” you ask.

“There’s lots of ways. Breaking your neck, dagger to the heart, lethal injection, drowning, etc. Some people get creative… It’s just up to the person,” Harrison tells you. You think about what he’s told you as you considered you options. You looked up at him and met his eyes with a curious look. “You look like you have an idea… something you want to know about…”

“Yea… has anyone… ever like… well, how do I word it…? Uh, I guess I would say, When you bite me, could you just drain me? Like is that an option?” you ramble as you gaze up at him as you watch the smirk on his face grow before he bites his lip.

“You, uh… you couldn’t have known this by any chance at all… but, uh… yes, I can do that…” Harrison says as he smiles down at you, running the tips of his fingers down your cheek and across your lips. “That would be part of the linking process as well… It would begin the linking and Z, who you haven’t met yet but she helped us find you, she would take part in the process, helping us finish the link… and this version of the would also make you twice as strong as a ‘normal’ vampire,” Harrison explains to you in a soft voice, slowly, so you understand everything. Your smile grows as you listen to his voice, as does his while he watches you.

“I assume you know what I want, then, since you’re smiling as well,” you say as you take his hand in yours.

“I do,” he tells you. You nod your head with a smile. “Before we start, I need to go tell the guys and Z so they can get prepared for the next step,” Harrison tells you. “Rest here. I won’t be long,” he tells you before he presses a soft kiss to your forehead. You close your eyes to rest after he leaves the room. Harrison walks into the living room seeing Tom and Harry sitting there. “Where’s Sam?” he asks.

“Balcony,” Harry says.

“Get him, please,” Harrison tells him. “And Z,” he adds as Harry gets up and walks towards the balcony. Sam walks in and takes a seat as Harry walks to get Z, a minute later walking back with her.

“What’s up, H?” she asks as they all sit in the living room looking at Harrison.

“Y/N…” Harrison starts slowly, not wanting to ramble too much.

“Oh God, is she okay??” Tom asks excitedly.

“She’s fine mate, sorry. She’s in her room, resting,” Harrison half laughs. “She wants the stronger link… She asked about it herself,” he tells them. “I told her she could choose how she wanted to die with the blood in her and she asked if anyone ever asked to be drained… If I could drain her…” he told them as he looked between them.

“I was right,” Sam said quietly. He meant to say it quietly enough that no one else heard it, but they all did.

“You absolutely were, Sam. And I thank you all for not giving up on me with her, especially you Sam. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have seen it in time,” Harrison tells him with tears in his eyes.

“You don’t owe me anything,” Sam tells him. “You would have done the same if it was me.”

“True, but I owe you her life… my life…” Harrison says with conviction. “She’s… God… she’s gonna be the most important thing in my life… and I almost let it slip past me.”

“Okay, okay… enough with all that,” Z says. “So she wants the stronger link. You told her what that involves?”

“Yes, and she’s ready. She’s had my blood. I told her I had to come let you guys know so you all could get ready,” Harrison tells them.

“Perfect! You go do your thing, and we’ll be done before you are,” Z smiles at him. Harrison returns her smile as he stands up and walks back to your room. You open your eyes when you hear the door open and close, seeing Harrison walk over and resume his spot on the bed.

“Hey… how you feeling?” he asks you softly.

“Really good,” you smile up at him.

“Good,” he smiles down at you as his hand rests against your face, thumb brushing along your cheek. “They’re preparing everything and Z said they’ll be ready before we get done.”

“How’d they react?” you asked.

“They’re as happy as we are,” Harrison told you as you watched the smile on his face grow.

“Really?” you asked with a smile on your face. Harrison leans down and presses a kiss to your forehead.

“Absolutely, love. They would have supported your decision no matter what it would have been, but they are very glad you chose this, and are even happier to know that you basically discovered it on your own,” Harrison says as he gazes down at you, running his fingers through your hair. “You ready, love?” You nod your head as you look up at him.

“Yea, let’s do it,” you smile at him. Harrison leaned down to press his lips against yours in a soft kiss before pulling back just a bit to look you in the eyes.

“Don’t be scared. Just relax, yea? I’m right here with you,” He tells you softly as he brushes your hair away from your neck.

“I’m not afraid, Harrison. I trust you,” you tell him.

“Good,” he says with a smirk, closing his eyes. When he opens them to look at you, they’re glowing that beautiful blue color that you’ve only seen once or twice and very briefly, and never up close. You gently press a hand against his cheek as you brush a thumb under his eye, biting your lip. “What is it?” he asks you quietly.

“You’re beautiful,” you say just above a whisper, making him laugh.

“You should see you from my position, love,” he tells you quietly. No one is quick to make a move, both content in the silence.

“Can I…” your question dies off.

“What is it, love? Can you what?” Harrison asks you. You laugh at yourself.

“Can I… see them?” you ask shyly. It takes a second for Harrison to realize what you mean, but when he does he feels his face tinge a little pink.

“Of course, love,” he half laughs. You watch as Harrison’s face barely flinches and you see his fangs basically just appear. Reaching out your hand, you run a finger tip over the one closest to you as you feel you breath hitch in your throat.

“Now… please,” you saw quietly as you continue to move your finger. He presses a kiss to your finger to stop your movements. Your eyes flick up to his as you lay your hand back down and settle in your place, giving him a slight nod when you’re ready. Harrison leans down and presses a kiss to your lips before he leaves a trail down your jaw to your neck, leaving a few open mouthed kisses before choosing his final spot across your pulse point. Nipping at the skin, he sneaks his tongue out and licks over the spot before finally piercing your skin with his teeth. All the air in your lungs rushes out at once when your hands fly to his shoulders, you feel the blood begin to leave your body and flow into his. It feels like time is slowing down, everything around you is moving in slow motion and you can feel your heart slowing. Harrison reaches for your hands, taking them from his shoulders and weaving his fingers through yours as he sets them on the bed beside your head. You take a shallow breath in as you fell him squeeze your hands, letting you know it’s okay. You know you’re okay, because you trust him. You know he wouldn't do anything to hurt you. How you know this… you have no idea. You close your eyes as you let yourself completely relax against the bed, falling into what feels like a very deep sleep. Harrison pulls away from your neck and whispers in your ear before you fall too far.

“Rest, my love, soon you’ll be with me forever,” he says softly before he presses a kiss to your temple. He wipes the blood the escaped his lips on the sleeve of his shirt as he pulls his phone from his pocket to call Tom, not wanting to leave you alone. “She’s ready.” Tom and Z were standing by the bed in the next couple minutes, ready to complete the linking. Z placed her crystals in their positions and nodded to Tom as he nodded back. They all three joined hands over you as Z began to chant her words. As she was almost halfway through, sparks began to randomly fly making her eyes pop open. “What’s that?” Harrison asked her.

“Something’s different,” she tells him.

“Bad?” he asks.

“No… just different. I… can’t see what it is. I can only tell that it won’t hurt us. This will actually help us,” Z tells him.

“Please continue, then,” Harrison tells her. As she does, the sparks keep flying and intensify. When she comes to the end of her chant, she reaches inside her pocket and pulls out a flower and a handful of blue dust that the boys don’t recognize. She says a few words over these objects before she tosses them over your body and they burst into flames in the air, falling over you in tiny, microscopic ashes. Suddenly, you sit up with a deep breath in and your eyes wide open, and glowing… blue? Harrison, Tom, and Z all look at each other wide eyed.

“The fuck?” Tom said in shock. “She was bitten… They’re supposed to be green! What the fuck is that??”

@nerdraging4point0 /  @bringmethehorizonandpizza​  /  @sunshine112  /  @summernykole  /  @empressdreams / @justasmisunderstoodasloki / @bisexual-sk8r /

[ddaddsprompts]

What if Dadsona turns out to be a werewolf? How would the dads react?

Last night’s events still echo in your mind. Ithad been just you and Amanda for so long, just the two of you against theworld, you’d forgotten that this could be something you ought to sharewith your partner. Preferably before they find you writhing in your backyard,gasps turning into growls as your fingers grew into claws and fur breakingthrough your skin. You still remember the look of utter surprise and shock ontheir face, the last thing you had clearly seen before the hunt took over. Run, the forest is calling, run, moon, dirt,run, scent, hunt—

Exhausted and practically dead on your feet, youwalk back home. Immediately after moving to Maple Bay, Amanda and you hidbackpacks with a change of clothes in strategic places throughout the forest sowhen full moon came, you wouldn’t have to run through the streets completelynaked. You throw down the (now) empty backpack after opening the front door andinhale. There’s someone else here. You haven’t been together for long as thispoint, but the wolf in you would recognise that scent everywhere. It sang oflove, of mate. The logical part ofyour brain, though, wonders just for how much longer that would be. Noprolonging the inevitable, you tell yourself and you take a deep breath before goinginto the living room.

🥃 You’renot sure what your eyes are drawn to first: Robert’s bloodshot eyes that spokeof a night spent without sleep, the silverknife in his hands or the dog treats on the table. Further, your mindcannot decide what to be most offended by. “I’m not a dog.” Robert doesn’tflinch, thank god, nor raise the knife, he just watches you warily as you walkpast him into the kitchen. When you return a moment later, he’s sitting on thecouch, so you sink into the chair opposite from him. Neither of you saysanything for a few minutes. You sip on your coffee and watch him watching you.In your time as a werewolf, you had seen plenty a self-proclaimed hunter; theyall had the same kind of look in their eyes. Robert doesn’t. “I’d give you the ‘Nothinghas changed, I’m still me’ speech, but I don’t think you’d appreciate it.”Robert’s only reaction is a grunt. “Wolf’s out of the bag now. What’re yougoing to do about it?” You meet his eyes with a lot more outward composure thanyou feel on the inside. He doesn’t look at you like you are prey, but understandably,you’re nervous. A minute, maybe two, maybe five, passes with you two just lookingat each other. Eventually, Robert lowers his knife. “I’m too attached to you,kid,” he huffs. You’re fluent enough in Robert to read between the lines andnod. Then, like a switch has been flipped, his demeanour changes. “Are theremore like you? Are you allergic to silver? What about wolfsbane—“

🍸 Joseph flinches the moment he notices yourpresence and takes a step back. Seeing the fear in his eyes feels like someoneis squeezing your heart while it’s still in your chest. “Joe—““Why didn’t you tell me?” He’s visibly struggling to appear calm, but you cansmell that he is scared and damn, does it hurt. “Were you ever going to tellme?” You take a deep breath and lean against the couch in the least intimidatingposture possible. “Eventually, yes. Sooner or later you would have started tonotice me disappearing every full moon and there are only so many excuses I canmake up.”“Does Amanda know?” You shoot him an incredulous look. “Of course. She’s knownsince she was little. As did Alex. I told them before we got married.” Josephnods and releases a long, tense breath. He runs a hand through his hair,messing up the styling. You long to soothe him, but you stay where you are, asmuch as it hurts you to see him like this. “After last night … I went to churchand prayed. I thought, long and hard, about whether the knowledge of your truenature changes how I feel about you. I’m scared of… this, Y/N. But then I triedto imagine a life without you at my side and the prospect scared me even more.”For the first time since you arrived, Joseph looks directly at you. “It willtake me some time, but I’ll try to come to terms with it.” You sink down on thecouch, the relief making your knees buckle. After a moment, Joseph sits downnext to you and pulls you against his side.

☕ “Mat?” The dark-skinned man looks up and curses so vigorously youfeel the urge to cover your houseplants’ non-existent ears. He barely managesto catch his cup of coffee before it spills and clutches it to his chest, likea comfort item. “Y-Y/N! Oh god, I was s-so scared, after what happened. Are youokay?” His concern for you takes you off guard. You didn’t exactly expect him toscream, but you hadn’t thought he would fear for you. “At first I thought I was high and had hallucinations, eventhough I didn’t have any drugs, and you were still gone hours later after anykind of effect would have worn off, so I knew it was real, you really turnedinto a werewolf r-right in front of my eyes and—““Mat,” you gently interrupt him. “How much coffee did you have already?” Matlooks down at the cup in his hands and then back at you. You sigh and slowly,exaggerating your movements, walk over to him. Up close, you notice he’strembling. “I’m not going to hurt you, Mat. Nothing has changed. I already wasa werewolf before yesterday evening and I didn’t do anything to you orCarmensita then. The only difference is that now you know.” He lets you putyour hands on his shoulders and looks at your face. His fear stings in yournose. “If you want me out of your daughter’s life, say the word. But I couldnever hurt her, or you, or anyone else. I’ve never hurt another human being.”Mat absently wets his lips and stares at you. You don’t know what he’s lookingfor, but he must have found it, since he shakes his head. “I still love you.”

🌹 You stare down at the herbs right in front ofyour feet before lifting your head to look at Damien with an unamusedexpression. “Where did you even get wolfsbane?” He doesn’t reply right away; hegoes through whatever he has written on the piece of paper in his hands beforethrowing it aside. “I prepared a long speech. How I don’t appreciate you keepingsomething like that secret from me, that I had a right to know of your secondnature not only because we’re a couple now, but also because of the potentialdanger you might put myself and Lucien in, but seeing you right now…” With hisfoot, he pushes aside the wolfsbane; you don’t have the heart to tell him itwouldn’t have stopped you from entering the room anyway. Damien cups your facewith his hands and seeks eye contact. The intensity of his gaze makes yourbreath hitch. “Seeing you right now, no different from when I last saw youbefore you transformed, renders all those words unimportant. My feelings haven’tchanged. If anything, knowing your secret has brought me close to you thanbefore. Tell me, Y/N, are you a threat to me or my son?” You immediately shakeyour head. “Is there a chance you might hurt us or subject us to any danger?” Again,you shake your head; hunters were only after the creature, not their lovedones. Damien nods and breaks into a smile. “Let’s draw you a bath, my dear. You’redirty and covered in leaves and twigs. There are so many things I want to askyou—“

🎣 In any other situation, seeing Brian so uncharacteristically meek andnervous would have been cute, but right now, it just makes you feel bad. Youhold up your hands, palms facing him, and stay still, not wanting to scare him.If you thought he doesn’t notice, his snort makes clear he has. “I’m not afraidof you,” he says. You raise an eyebrow. “Yes, you are. Your voice is quivering.”“Is not.” You roll your eyes and make a dismissive gesture. “Fine. But I cansmell your fear.” Brian lifts his arm to smell his armpit, pulls a face, thenshakes his head. “No fear there. Only the manly smell of a man who definitelyisn’t afraid.” Despite the topic you’re kind of talking about while avoidingdirectly addressing it, you can’t help but snort. Some of the tension seeps outof your body at the familiar banter between you and the same seems to be truefor Brian, as he crosses his arms in front of his chest. You mirror thegesture. “Brian, it’s perfectly normal to be afraid in the face of somethingunknown. You can admit it.”“I’m not afraid. And I totally knew.” You raise both your eyebrows so high theynearly disappear in your hairline. “And pray tell, how did you know?”“Your… um… Amanda’s obsession with dogs!”“Is perfectly normal even for people whose fathers aren’t what I am.”“Your good nose?” You don’t reply; you’re too busy keeping in a chuckle. Briantaps his chin, grinning himself. “At the park you caught the Frisbee with yourmouth. Hey, does that mean I can play fetch with you every full moon?”

👟 It’s as if last night’s events didn’t happen and Craig didn’t see you transforminto a literal werewolf. He looks like he just came home from his morning jogand is fresh out of the shower, his hair still wet but he has a towel in hishands to rub it dry. You lean against the wall and wait for the inevitable freak-out,but it doesn’t come. “Hey, bro,” Craig greets you with that face-splitting grinthat seems to be reserved just for you and he walks over to kiss you. “Can youtake the girls to school today? A business partner called and needs to move hismeeting to an earlier slot. Good news is that the twins are staying with afriend after training so we have the evening to ourselves. I was thinking—““Craig,” you interrupt. He tilts his head at you in confusion and you wonderwhether you’ve unknowingly entered the twilight zone. “Are you… are we… I mean—“You take a few breaths while the workers in your head try to bring yourthoughts into a coherent order. “Are you not going to ask me what happened lastnight?” Craig looks confused for a few moments before understanding dawns onhis face. “Oh! I totally forgot. Bro, I knew.”“WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU KNEW??” He gently shushes you and points at a sleepingRiver. You repeat your question, whispering but just as shocked. Craig shrugs. “Y/N,we were roommates. You’re not as sneaky as you think you are. One full moon,completely wasted, you announced you’re going to pee on the statue of thecollege founder and changed right before my eyes.” You work your head, tryingto remember that event, but you were probably too drunk. Craig kisses yourtemple and grins.

📖 Hugo doesn’t look afraid, he looks… pisseddoesn’t even cover it. The moment he notices you entering the room, he crossesthe distance and stares you down. Your inner wolf makes you want to bare yourthroat in a gesture of submission; you stomp down the instinct, but you can’tstop yourself from ducking your head. “I kind of expected Ernest to draw youinto his childish pranks, but something like what you did yesterday is notalright! You didn’t have to be gone all night, do you have any idea how worriedI was about you? I was this close to calling the police! What do you have tosay in your defence?” When you don’t reply, too surprised by Hugo’s words, hehuffs out a breath and turns around, starting to prowl in the living room likea tiger trapped in a cage. “Hugo, that wasn’t a prank.”“Y/N, I don’t appreciate you keeping up this charade.” You move to stand in frontof him and put your hands on his shoulders to stop him from pacing. “Hugo, I’mdead serious. That wasn’t a prank. I might be good with makeup, but atransformation like that goes beyond anything a professional could do without acomputer.” The logic of your argument makes him pause and uncertainty colourshis expression. He regards you with the same look that brings students to theirknees, but you don’t give in. “I swear to you, that wasn’t a joke.” Short oftransforming again, which would take more energy than you currently have, youdon’t know how else to convince him. You’re just about to offer to call Amandawhen Hugo suddenly becomes very, very still under your hands. You look at him quizzically.“Holy shit,” he breathes out. Then he faints.