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spencers-renaissance · 3 years

Text

can't un-sing a song that's sung.

Summary: The worst thing about it is that Derek isn’t even surprised when he gets the call.

Tags: drug use, overdose, hurt/comfort, guilty derek & hotch, angst with a hopeful ending, bedside vigils, protective derek & hotch NO MCD

Pairing: Gen (Platonic Derek Morgan & Spencer Reid; Aaron Hotchner & Spencer Reid)

Word Count: 1.8k

Masterlist // Read on AO3 // Bad Things Happen Bingo

Major TWs, obviously. I'm just so angry that no-one did anything about Spencer's addiction in season two, so I decided to punish Derek and Hotch by having the (almost) worst-case scenario come to fruition. Fic inspired by this gifset & title from this poem (v short but v poignant) Fills the 'Overdose' square on my Bad Things Happen Bingo card.

The worst thing about it is that Derek isn’t even surprised when he gets the call.

His heart sinks, of course, and his stomach feels like it bottoms out. His chest tightens and he struggles to breathe for a minute and a half, his hands clamming up as his tongue freezes and he can’t find the words to respond to Hotch over the phone. But he isn’t surprised. And that, when it really and truly comes down to it, is exactly where his sins lie.

He races as quickly as he can to the hospital, not obeying the traffic laws by any stretch of the imagination as his hands grip so tightly at the steering wheel that his knuckles turn white and the pattern of the leather; the seams where it's sewn imprint themselves on his palm. His heart pounds rapidly and it’s all he can hear, blood thudding in his ears as the tight knot of anxiety sits heavy in his stomach.

He’s just pulling into the hospital car park when he realises that the last time he felt like this — God, the last time he felt like this was when he first realised Spencer was missing all those months ago. He heaves a dry sob as he abandons his car in a space he hopes is the right one, and slams his palm down hard on the steering wheel once.

He allows himself one more guilt-ridden, heartbroken sob before he forces himself to calm down, doing his best to ignore the tumultuous emotions raging inside him as he shuts the car door behind him and hurries towards the entrance.

It’s hard not to cry when he first locks eyes on Hotch. Seeing his calm, stoic supervisor in a state of utter disarray — red-rimmed eyes, messed up hair, ruffled clothes — somehow makes this all seem a bit too real. Maybe in the car ride over he’d still clung to a small, pathetic bit of hope that this is all a nightmare, that he’ll wake up in a minute and he’ll drive to work and Spencer will already be at his desk, beavering away.

In the harsh lights and bustling noise of the hospital corridor, he knows that’s not going to happen.

They don’t say anything as they stare at one another, both clearly struggling to bite back the raw emotion threatening to spill from their eyes, to unleash itself in a full blown meltdown. Eventually, Hotch sits back down and buries his face in his hands, and Derek joins him on the little two-seater bench.

He doesn’t claim to know much about hospitals or medical care in general, but he knows for damn sure that waiting on a bench outside the ICU is not good, and he’s doing everything in his power to not think about that too hard.

They’ve been sat in stony silence for countless minutes before Derek finally lifts his head, though he still can’t bring himself to look at Hotch again. “Have you called the others?”

Hotch swallows, and Derek can see the tear-tracks trailing down the side of his face out of the corner of his eye. He pretends not to notice them.

“No,” he says, voice unsettlingly shaky. “Only you.”

He decides now is not the time to dwell on that. “Is he— is he going to lose his job?”

The only reason none of them had done anything sooner was because they knew how important this job is to Spencer. And Derek hates with a burning, roaring passion that their hesitation; their cowardly delay, might have cost him his life instead. Just the thought brings another choked sob from his lips, and this time the tears come with it. Before he knows it, his shoulders are shaking violently and all the emotions Derek is struggling to name finally come pouring out, right into Hotch’s lap.

He feels an arm wrap around him and he’s too broken not to lean into it, seeking comfort from the one person in the entire world who can offer it right now. Falling apart in his superior’s arms is not how he saw his Thursday evening going, but he’s too exhausted to care.

By the time he finally pulls away, Hotch is crying too, and they sit a little closer on the bench.

“Spencer won’t lose his job,” he says determinedly, looking Derek in the eyes. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

Derek knows that they will have to lie. Papers will be forged and Hotch will be backed into an impossible corner, and he knows that they could lose their jobs if they are ever found out. He doesn’t fucking care. They’ve already failed Spencer in a disgusting, immeasurable, utterly unforgivable way, and he’ll be damned if they ever do that again.

“Good,” he says, and that’s the end of that.

Derek doesn’t understand most of what the doctor tells them, but he doesn’t really care that much for the technicalities anyway. All he cares about is that Spencer had overdosed in the parking garage of his building and was found by a neighbour he doesn’t even know that well. He cares that a damn near stranger was there for Spencer when he wasn’t, and he cares that Hotch was called as his emergency contact, and as such, Derek can finally step up. He can walk into his room and hold his hand and tell him that he’s here now, and he’s not leaving again.

He cares that Spencer is going to be okay.

He’s still asleep when they’re finally allowed to take their seats by his bedside, and Derek tries very hard not to cry at the sight of him, but it isn’t easy. There’s still a bluish tint to his fingernails, and he looks pale and clammy under the oxygen mask. Medicine drips slowly into the line connected to the cannula in the crook of his elbow, and the heart rate echoing out from the monitors is still alarmingly quick.

The evidence of Derek’s failings is staring him right in the face, and it’s hard not to turn away, but he refuses to let himself. He has a lot to make up to Spencer, but he can damn well start by sitting with him here in his darkest hour.

“We all knew.”

Derek looks up from Spencer’s hand to meet Hotch’s eyes. “Yeah.”

“We all knew, and we didn’t do anything about it.” The guilt in Hotch’s voice is momentous enough to rival Derek’s own, and it hurts to hear. Derek failed Spencer as a colleague and a friend-maybe-something-more, but Hotch failed him as a father figure.

He feels tears well up in his eyes again and he does his best to swallow them back down. “Emily did.”

A violent sob tears itself out of Hotch’s lungs, and it’s so loud that Derek almost flinches. “And isn’t that just so much worse? She barely knows him! I met him at lunch with Gideon when he was nineteen, I’ve known him for seven years! Before all of this went down, he almost called me ‘dad’. And I sat back and watched him suffer with both the PTSD of being kidnapped and the fucking heroin addiction he developed because of that bastard, and I did nothing!”

Derek’s at a loss as he watches Hotch break down in front of him, his voice breaking as he shouts, tears streaming down his face as he dissolves into sobs.

“He’s never gonna forgive me. Nor should he. I can’t stand myself right now.”

A little uncertain of the right thing to do, Derek stands up and crosses to the other side of the bed and wraps his arms around Hotch like he did for him only hours earlier. “We all fucked up,” he agrees, “but we’ll get through this. We might never forgive ourselves, but we can always do better. We can do right by Spencer as he recovers, we can help him get clean, help him keep his job, remind him of how loved he is. We can’t abandon that duty just because we failed at doing it before.”

Hotch sits back up and wipes at his eyes furiously, casting his eyes on Spencer. He reaches a hand out and brushes it through his short but untamed curls tenderly, his thumb caressing his eyebrow and forehead gently.

“I know,” he says quietly. “I won’t fail him again.”

Both Derek and Hotch spring into action as soon as Spencer stirs, waking up slowly through the layers of sleep until he’s staring at both of them with a look of terrified uncomprehension in his eyes.

“Hey,” Hotch says softly, hand moving to cup the side of his face. “You’re alright, you’re safe. You’re in the hospital with me and Derek, and everything’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Spencer slowly looks around the room as the realisation of what’s going on slowly dawns on him, and soon the anxiety is replaced with abject horror and to Derek’s dismay, he immediately starts to cry.

“Hey, hey, pretty boy,” he murmurs as soothingly as he can, following Hotch’s suit and tangling his fingers in Spencer’s hair. “Don’t worry about anything right now, okay? Hotch and I are gonna fix everything right up, and we’re gonna help you. We’re gonna help you like we should’ve helped you before.”

He hates that he loses his composure slightly at the end, but Spencer relaxes slightly so he takes it as a win.

“You can go back to sleep now, Spencer,” Hotch says gently, spotting the signs of exhaustion easily. “We’re gonna stay right here with you, okay? We’ll be here when you wake up.”

When he does finally awaken again, he explains through tears and strangled breaths that he didn’t mean to, that he wasn’t trying to die, he was just so tired and in so much pain that he hadn’t calculated the dosage right.

Hotch and Derek calmly explain that they’re not judging him, and that they’re going to help him through the hospital’s rehab program. Spencer refuses their apologies but they repeat them anyway, trying not to show just how much they hate themselves as they do.

They rope Penelope in, and she helps them make sure Spencer keeps his job, but otherwise their team is entirely oblivious to their chaotic and regret-filled Saturday night spent in George Washington University Hospital.

Most of all, though, Derek does absolutely everything in his power to make sure Spencer is happy, no matter how torn-up and scarred he might feel when he goes home to his own apartment. It isn’t much compared to his property business and his coveted role at the FBI’s behavioural analysis unit, but to Derek it’s his most important and worthy mission in life.

And if that spirals into something more, well. Maybe that’s just one good thing to come out of that small, stuffy, heartbreak-riddled ICU room.

taglist: @suburban--gothic @strippersenseii @takeyourleap-of-faith @negativefouriq @makaylajadewrites @iamrenstark @hotchseyebrows @temily @enbyspencer @reidology @spencerspecifics @bau-gremlin @tobias-hankel @garcias-bitch @oliverbrnch @physics-magic @sbeno22 @im-autistic @anxious-enby @kuolonsyoja @reidreids (add yourself to my taglist via this form!!)

#my writing #spencer reid #derek morgan #hurt spencer reid #spencer reid whump #tw drugs #tw substances #tw dilaudid arc #tw drug use #criminal minds #cm #criminal minds fanfic #criminal minds fic #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal midns gen fic #derek morgan & spencer reid #aaron hotchner & spencer reid

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wildernessuntothemselves · 3 years

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Devil on Your Team | Part 1

Word Count: 1.9k

Genre: angst, smut

A\N: Asgard AU where Felix is Loki, Chan is Thor, and OC/reader is Lady Sif

Gif credit @915archive

“Will you join us this time, brother?”

Loki hesitates at Thor’s question. He was never good at the sort of thing that his friends enjoyed so, which made him a target for ridicule across the realm. What kind of man, a prince nonetheless, was so weak and fearful? Not a real man, that’s what.

Thor didn’t make it easier for him. Being the picture of the formidable, valiant warrior, he made Felix’s shortcomings all the more stark. Loki was all too aware of the comparisons people liked to make between them--they would fawn over how Thor was so brave, so strong, so much like the king that his frail little brother could never be. They would laugh and thank their stars that the fates were kind enough to have Thor be the old king’s first born and not his pitiful little brother.

Even Thor, who claimed to love him most in the world, was embarrassed of him. He always tried to egg him on and make him engage in “manlier” endeavors and forsake his witchcraft, forcing him along on his reckless adventures with his gang of hooligans so he would toughen up. How can he say that he loves him when he saw him as something that needed to be fixed? Thor didn’t love him. He pitied him.

Only you gazed upon him and accepted him for who he was. You knew too well what it felt like to be underestimated and ridiculed for being different, for daring to not adhere to their millenia-old customs of what makes one a good warrior or a proper lady. Every time he would hide and cry, you would find him and remind him that underestimating him will be their downfall, that true weakness is stupidity and arrogance and they had that in excess.

And there you were, coming to his defense once more.

“Shut up, you big oaf. Loki doesn’t care for our silly games.”

“Why not? All he has to do is sit back and not get in the way of our fair maiden and he should be fine.” Volstagg cuts in, followed by a series of chuckles that ebb and flow through the group.

“Volstagg.” Thor warns, shooting him a glare that quiets the snickering down, but by then it was too late, the damage had been done.

For, worse than the comparisons between himself and his golden brother, were those between him and the woman he loved so dearly.

Your close relationship made it so it was easy for people to jeer at the fact that the warrior lady is doing a man’s job while the prince practised such cowardly arts as magic that were meant for women. The comparison wasn’t flattering to either of you as he was thought of as a weakling and you as a woman trying to be a man.

“No, Volstagg, go on. Tell me what exactly you mean to say.” Again, you start defending him, ready to start a fight with the large man who began slinking back when faced with your unbridled fury. You were always so passionate about defending him, but Loki cannot let you keep doing that. He needed to prove that he could look after himself, not to impress those mindless thugs, but to prove to you that he could be a man for you, and provide you with protection just like any other man.

“I’m sure he’s just joking, my lady.” Loki interrupts and you look at him with surprised eyes that get all the wider as he continues, “It doesn’t matter anyway as I’ll be joining you.”

“My prince, you don’t have to--”

“I don’t have to do anything, my lady. I want to. Now let’s stop this useless bickering and go.”

__________________________

There was a nervous energy within the group the whole time they were in Alfheim. The men felt weird with Loki there and Loki felt weird with the warrior lady always hovering around.

“Lady, if I didn’t know any better I’d think that you were trying to guard me. I don’t need guarding. I can defend myself.” He didn’t want to snap at you like that but he desired so desperately for you to see him as a man for once.

“O-of course, my prince.” You splutter, a pretty blush on your face from being called out, and hesitantly take a few steps away from him, still not going far.

Loki huffs and charges forward carelessly, if you weren’t going to give him space, he will take it himself. And it’s precisely his attempt to distance himself from you that gets them in trouble.

“Brother, look out!” Thor shouts and Loki looks up barely in time to see an elf descend on him from the tree he was under. Shouts rise up and fill the air as their party gets ambushed by the rogue elves they were after.

Loki gets outnumbered, one of the elves delivering a blow to him before you can make your way to him. But your party quickly overcomes their momentary shock and works fast to push back the elves, steadily gaining control and shifting the tides in your favor. Eventually, you beat the band of rogue elves and send them scattering back into the woods.

When the fight dies down, things only get worse for Loki as you rush to cradle his body in your arms, thinking he is unconscious, before turning back to the men. “Shame on you! If you hadn’t been absolute pricks to him, he wouldn’t have felt the need to prove himself to you and get himself hurt. Why must you be like this?”

“I’m sorry, my lady.” Thor speaks up, sounding genuinely upset too.

“Oh, shove it up your big behind, my prince.” You growl, lifting Loki up in your arms and moving towards the portal to go back home.

Even without opening his eyes, he can feel your worried gaze on his face and it kills him.

__________________

Loki became closed off the entire period he was healing. The more you fussed over him, the quieter he got. He was so disappointed in himself and you taking care of him only wounded his ego further.

“Stop babying me, woman. You’re worse than the lot of them. Would you like me to hand you a pair of scissors so you can snip my balls off and hang them around your neck?”

You were taken aback by his outburst, and Loki regrets his outburst for a second, thinking he’s finally pushed you away. But instead of stomping off, you get on the bed and straddle him, grabbing his neck and growling roughly, “You don’t want me to be gentle with you? Fine, I won’t be gentle.”

You smash her lips to his, tearing a noise of surprise from his throat. You’d been patient enough with him but he insists on being a brat. If that’s the way he wants to be treated then so be it. And judging by the way he kissed you back eagerly, you don’t have to wonder long.

He was almost healed by now, and you could be free to run her hands all over him without hurting him, eliciting instead the most needy moans from his pretty lips. But when he tries to do the same, he is met with hard, unyielding steel.

"This is unfair. Take this off." He protests against your lips.

"I think not. You have been quite the sourpuss lately, I don't think you deserve to touch me. Matter of fact, keep those wandering hands up." You grab his hands and pin them to the bed, intending to punish him for all the hell he made you go through.

"No, please, my lady, let me touch you."

"Oh you're already begging, that's not very manly of you." You bite at him, still upset that he endangered his life just because his ego was bruised.

He cowers under your intense glare, feeling reprimanded. "I'm sorry, I'll be good."

"Oh you will be. Now quit your protesting or I'll gag you too."

He shuts up, though he's unsure if it wouldn't have been better for you to gag him as the noises that come out of his throat at your ministrations were not very dignified.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to get my hands on you, my prince. You drive me crazy." You drawl, palming his member and making him turn to hide his face in his arm as a blush covers his face.

"I should punish you for teasing me so." You slowly pull his trousers down his hips, exposing his eager member to the cool night air that was clashing with your warm breath so close to where he needed you the most. "Will you be good for me from now on, my sweet prince?"

This was everything they ridiculed him for, being so subservient to a woman like this, but damn did he crave it. He needed you to own him.

"Yes, my lady." He stares down at you as you lean down ever so close to his cock, your breath fanning over him, as hot as ever and he feels his skin melt under it. The heat spreading to the rest of his body made his blood simmer in his veins. Sweat beaded up on his skin and his mind sweltered as you put your mouth on him, but he could do nothing but push himself into the scorching heat of you, submitting himself to the flames.

But all too suddenly, he stops burning, coolness flashing over his body like one of his brother's storms, and he stares down at you in betrayal, ready to apologize for everything and profess his undying love for you if only she would put your mouth back on him, but the horror struck look on your face sobers him up.

"My lady, what is--"

"What is happening to you?" You shriek, and for the first time he sees fear in your eyes.

"What do you mean?" He puzzles, looking down at himself in reflex, wondering what had possessed you when a flash of blue catches his eyes…

Huge patches of his body were covered by rough blue skin, the likes of which are all too familiar to him. He can't help his own shout of panic. "What is that? What is happening?!"

"You're turning into a….a monster." You shake her head, tears springing to your eyes at the horror unfolding in front of you.

"Lady, help me please.” Loki is even more shaken, tears already streaming down his face as he seems terrified of his own self. “Did they put a curse on me?"

"I-I don't know." You lament, feeling hopeless.

But then an idea pops into your head, "I'll get the king. He'll know what to do."

"No, please!" His hands fly out to hold onto you but you jump back, and Loki quickly pulls his arms back to his body, wounded at the disgusted look on your face.

"Why not?"

"You know he doesn't favor me."

"Don't be ridiculous. He's your father." You try to calm him down but he only gets more disconsolate. "No you don't understand. You don't see the way he looks at him when no one is looking. I'm… I'm scared."

Your heart breaks at the way he shivers, but there is nothing else you can do. You’re sure he’s just panicked. Odin is good and kind and you trust him beyond measure. "You're hallucinating, my sweet. The king would never hurt you."

"No, you don't understand--" He squeaks, and you reach out to cradle his face in your palms, only flinching slightly at the coldness. "Hush, my sweet." You kiss him gently then run to the king. Hearing Loki sob behind you only makes you run faster.

_________________________

A/N: lol surprise

#stray kids smut #felix smut #stray kids angst #felix angst

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ncityislove · 3 years

Text

The Jury is Out Ch. 5

➳Pairing: Renjun x Reader x Jeno (ft a few other Dreamies)

➳Genre: Angsty fluff but mostly angst lol basically enemies to lovers

➳Word Count:1.7k

***This is not my gif!!***

A/N: Hello, hello !! Finally, we have reached the last chapter. As a celebration I thought a new gif was in order, which does not belong to me btw ! This chapter was looong over due. I started this series when I was at a really low point in my life almost 2+ years ago. Which when I say that out loud it sounds ridiculous that it took me years to write 5 chapters. Again, I apologize for that ;( I’m doing much better now though so as painful as this probably was for those who were waiting for this series I feel like it was almost meant to be. This chapter is short but sweet so pls enjoy !!

Previous Chapter

"Well? What did you say to his confession?"

Twenty minutes later, you're curled up into a pathetic little ball on Sadie's floor. You feel cowardly and foolish and albeit, quite embarrassed. You're more confused now than ever. It didn't help that you'd been on an emotional rollercoaster all day. You were just starting to get comfortable with the new relationships you had built and then Renjun had to come in and change everything. He was so hot and cold that you never knew what to expect. But to confess?? To suddenly confess to you out of nowhere was so out there. And to make matters worse you...

"Ran away," you grumble.

"You, huh?" Sadie leans closer to your depressed body.

"I ran. Didn't look back. All the way to the car without a word."

Sadie hums, running a comforting hand over your shoulder and smacks the back of your head.

Thwack.

"Ow! Sadie!!"

"That is a terrible way to respond to a friend's confession!"

You sigh, curling into yourself some more. "I know."

Sadie lets out a gruff breath, her hand returning to comfort you again.

"I'm a bad person. He hasn't even texted or called. He probably hates me."

"Of course he hasn't texted you! You ran away after he professed his love to you. I'm sure he doesn't want to come off as a creep."

"Love is a strong word."

"I saw the way he looks at you. I know love when I see it."

You frown at the thought, your stomach swirling at her words.

"If you want to talk to him, you need to call first."

You stretch your limbs wide across the floor, the corner of your lips turned downwards.

"I can't."

"Well, do you like him back?"

"I...I don't know. I'm confused. I mean, I was so focused on how great things are with Jeno, I never took the time to think about what I could be with Renjun. I guess I'm not disgusted by the idea of "us" anymore but I like Jeno. Me and Renjun...we don't make sense."

"Well," Sadie starts, and you can tell she's smiling. "I think you and Renjun make total sense, actually."

You lift your head up. "Why do you say that?"

There's a soft knock on the door and your dad peeks in, his face unusually stern.

"Honey, there's someone at the door for you. It's that boy from the school fair."

You snap up to your feet in a flash, your body filled with panic. "What? Which one?"

"Hell if I know. He's got dark hair and brown eyes."

"That's not helpful at all, dad." Sadie jokes.

"He's waiting out on the porch for you. Can we talk about the fact that there is more than one boy that would want to show up at my house at this time of night?"

"Not now, dad," Sadie laughs knowingly before she ushers you out of your room and to the door.

Your body tenses so badly that Sadie has to use extra force to push you. Your heart thuds in your rib cage and your mind is telling you to run again but you don't. You can't this time. Whether it's Renjun or Jeno, you don't see this ending well. If it's Jeno, you know you wouldn't be able to bring yourself to tell him what happened with Renjun. And if it was Renjun who was waiting for you outside? Well, then you'd really be in a pickle. You'd barely had that the time to sort out your feelings yet but the time for thinking was over now. Whoever it is, you have to be ready to make a decision and tell them. You brace yourself and open the door to see Renjun sitting anxiously on the edge of your porch bench. He stands erect at the sound of the door opening.

"Stay where I can see you," your dad warns before he shuts the door behind you.

There's a long awkward silence. You're not sure if your relieved or not that it wasn't Jeno.

"Hi," Renjun speaks first.

"Hi," you give him a tense smile.

"Sit," cringe when you hear the nervousness in voice as you gesture for him to sit back down on the bench.

You take your place next to him after another silent pause.

"Uh, hey, I'm sorry for springing my feelings on you so suddenly like that."

"Oh no!" Your eyes widen with worry. "No, don't be. I didn't react appropriately; I'm the one who's sorry."

He forces a chuckle. "Don't worry about it. Look, I gotta be honest. I like you. And when I say that, I mean I like you a lot. But I don't want to lose you either. I can't compete with Jeno and I know that. I don't know what I'd do if you started pushing me away. I already messed up everything by telling Jeno how I feel and I shouldn't have told you either. I just couldn't hold it in and I'm sorry—again, I shouldn't have said anything. But I like being your friend.I want to continue to be there for you and I don't want you to feel guilty around me. This is really embarrassing for me and I feel like an ass. Can we just pretend none of this ever happened?"

You bite your lip, shaking your head. "No. I...can't be your friend anymore. I can't."

A flash of pain runs across Renjun's face. "I get it. I fucked up."

He stares at the few flurries of snow that land gently in his lap.

You take a moment to respond because everything is suddenly so clear. It hits you like a tidal wave all at once. Renjun has been such a huge presence in your life for as long as you can remember. He was what motivated you. He was who you looked forward to seeing everyday, regardless of whether those feelings were hidden under the pretense of hate, it was always him. The thought of losing him genuinely scared you but pretending that nothing had happened between you scared you too. Because something did happen.

"No, you didn't," you say, your voice barely a whisper.

"Yeah, I did. I'll just go." He quickly stands up and you reach out and grab his arm.

"Let me finish. I don't wanna be friends, Renjun. I don't like Jeno."

"What?" His neck snaps to face you, a crimson blush covering his cheeks and ears. His mouth hangs agape as you both take in your words.

Your grip on his arm tightens before you continue.

"I thought I did but I don't. I'm just now realizing it's different with you. You make me feel different..."

Neither of you move. You're terrified out of your wits but you're confident that the weight of your words carried the sincerity of your heart. In a single moment, just looking at Renjun now, you understand how you've felt about him all along. It was like a puzzle piece had snapped into place. The chaos in your mind had stopped at last and you could picture a future. A bright and happy one that you could only be shared with Renjun. Now all you have to do is tell Jeno that. Your heart wrenches at the thought but you tuck the feeling down.

"I like you too."

You feel like a weight has been lifted off of your shoulders as the words leave your lips. It took the both of you so long to get here, to this place where you can be honest. Those odd rushes of heat you felt around him made so much sense now and there was a reason why you were always so hung up on his whereabouts. He wasn't Jeno. He's cold and blunt. He's a little nerdy and he isn't nearly as easy going as Jeno. He's rough around the edges but you swear he has the biggest heart hidden under those walls he builds to protect it. You liked him. You like all of him. You like Renjun.

Renjun's mind buffers for a moment and he starts stuttering gibberish. His flustered state causes you to chuckle, and you find comfort that you can finally admit to yourself that you find him adorable in every single way.

"Calm down and hold my hand," you giggle, your face a lively hue of pink.

His eyes locks onto yours and then he's grabbing the sides of your face, smashing his lips onto yours. You respond quickly, your arms wrapping around him tightly. He squeezes your sides sternly, so tight that you were locked into his solid hold. His lips are clumsy, almost trembling. In relief, excitement? You don't know, but his mouth is hot and his lips are soft and it's all you can think of. Your chest burns with warmth and a bubbly lightness pools into your stomach and makes your head fuzzy, a feeling so foreign to you. Is it love? You wonder and you think maybe it is. You smile into the kiss which causes him to grin as a chain reaction.

There's a loud bang at the door and the two of you separate at the speed of lightning.

"Sorry, that's my dad," you pant, as the kiss had left you breathless.

He chuckles awkwardly and settles for holding your hand. The snow comes down heavier and you watch in comfortable silence for a while. Your head on his shoulder, cheeks burning ablaze. You weren't too sure on how your rivalry with Renjun will end now. You both wanted the same spot at an Ivy League college. It's hard to let go of something you've been fighting over for so long. You were sure Renjun could afford to get in without the scholarship anyways but still. Who knows why he wanted the scholarship? Maybe it had something to do with his estranged relationship with his dad. You look to Renjun, his soft features and pearly smooth skin warming your face again. His beauty had eluded you somehow, your hatred from him had blinded you and you felt foolish for it. It was like you were seeing him for the first time. Not as a rival, or a lab partner you can tolerate, or even as a friend but as himself. He catches you staring and smiles, giving your hand a hard squeeze. For some reason, your worries are washed away in that moment. You'll cross that line once you get to it, you decide. For now, you'll focus on the present.

#nct renjun #nct dream #NCT #nct dream renjun #nct dream fluff #nct dream angst #nct dream reactions #nct dream imagines #nct fluff #nct china #nct angst #renjun fluff #huang renjun fluff #huang injun #kpop fanfic #kpop fluff

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zodiyack · 4 years

Text

Voice

Pairing: Thomas Shelby x Female!Reader

Warnings: Swearing, PTSD mention, I think that’s it

Words: 1,797

Summary: Tommy wants to spend the rest of his life with Y/n. A peculiar little thing about life is that you never stop learning, and Tommy learns a thing or two, letting Y/n learn more about him in return...or is it him who learns from her?

Note: I suck at words, Tommy Shelby edition. And I couldn’t come up with a summary or title for this so know that if they don’t make sense together (or the story at all)...I know.

Taglist: @matth1w, @redspaceace-writes, @fandom-puff, @darling-i-read-it, @simonsbluee, @sebastianstanslefteyebrow, @captivatedbycillianmurphy, @jenepleurepasbaby, @stydia-4-ever, @stuckysslag, @marquelapage, @i-love-superhero, @psychkunox, @tommyxshelby

Masterlist | Peaky Blinders Masterlist | Cillian Murphy Masterlist

The morning he met her was the first morning of many that his genuinely eyes opened since the war. Trauma had changed his life for what he thought was a permanent turn for the worst, but upon meeting her, it seemed that heaven was within his grasp once more. Impossible, he thought at first. Yet, later, when he put more thought into it, perhaps his redemption was actually there.

So the next time he saw her, he took a deep breath, reminded himself that he was no longer a boy, and went for it. Alas, his confidence joined him under the definition of cowardice in the very least second; she titled her head, innocent eyes sparkling with curiosity as she awaited whatever he had to say. But no words left his lips. She snatched them away with something even Thomas didn’t know of.

“Are you alright?” She asked, the concern in her voice lifting his spirits high as a warm feeling entered his body. It was the first time in what felt like centuries that a feeling as happy as that coursed through him.

It was also the first time that he was left without words. He tried, opening his mouth as if it were as easy as that to get the things he needed to say out, but he was still without anything but air.

“Sir?” Her brows furrowed. He couldn’t tell whether she was getting annoyed, scared, or just overly frightened for him, but he closed his mouth and reminded himself to breathe. Do not forget to breathe.

Was he sure he was a man? Or was he a boy once again? The same boy before the war who would blush and flirt teasingly, who held so much joy that his cheeks hurt.

And then it happened.

A smile grew upon his lips and he nodded.

A chuckle of relief left her mouth and she lifted her hand to her chest, resting it over her heart. “Oh thank fucking god- I admit, I was rather worried there. For both you and I!” She averted her eyes for a split second before redirecting them to his. “If you aren’t in any trouble... Is there anything I can help you with?”

The words were still lodged in his throat. So he did the only thing he could think of and sheepishly shook his head, turned, and left.

More interactions occurred between the two until one day, when she showed up at his office in search of a job. Lizzie knocked at his door, announcing that he had an appointment.

“Send ‘em in.” He replied lightly, not even lifting his eyes from the paper in front of him. Lizzie took a second, waiting for the moment that would never come- the one where he took a second away from work to actually look people in the face, but gave in with a sigh and closed the door.

“Go on in, hon.” She nodded her head to the door, returning to the typewriter and resuming her work.

It was silent aside from Lizzie’s typing. The click clacking of the keys, letters stamping the ink onto the paper, the quickness of her fingers at work. Y/n got lost in it momentarily before the noise suddenly ceased. Lizzie lifted her head, a brow quirked as she stared and waited for Y/n to enter Thomas’ office.

“Finally. Ahem, I suppose you’re here for...” Tommy started when the door squeaked open again but trailed off when he finally lifted his head. He couldn’t blink away the surprise, not this time. She truly caught him off guard.

And, apparently, him her.

“So he speaks? ...Ah- my apologies! Yes, Mr. Shelby, I’m here for a job...and, not on the topic of occupation, I would like to mention that you have a lovely voice. I think I’d enjoy hearing it more often.”

She definitely heard more of it.

Tommy gave her the job, and with it, a relationship. At first they were strictly boss and employee, but soon, it sparked into something more. Friendship. Good friendship. Close Friendship.

Then ...Romance.

The day came where Tommy learned a lesson or two about love from someone he deeply admired and respected. Someone close, someone he loved but not in the way he did Y/n. Polly Gray payed her nephew a visit and taught him the thing he dreaded but knew he’d have to face eventually.

“If you want her to some day be your wife, then you have to let her in!” She’d taken a liking to Y/n as well. After all, she was technically Y/n’s boss as well, so she met the woman and didn’t hesitate in accepting their relationship. “She knows what you let her about this business, but one day she’ll either want to know more or find out on her own accord.”

Pol wasn’t just talking about business. She meant honesty in every way he could describe it. The depressive sides he hid from even his family, his brothers whom suffered the same aside, and so much more the world had yet to see. He could either hide it or show her, but one day it would come into the light.

It was true, and unpleasantly so. The downside to being part of the Peaky Blinders was one that came with life in general; Love wasn’t easy. If he wanted, he could just force Y/n out of the country, forget about her, and move on. She’d be safe and he’d be happy knowing she was, but deep down, he was too much of a coward to do something like that. Too afraid of what could happen to her, to her feelings, to his own...

So Tommy listened and grew a metaphorical pair. The night he planned on opening up to her, an uneasy feeling nagged at his gut. This was his one shot. His shot at being with the love of his life, creating a family and knowing what it feels like to be loved by someone, and not in a platonic way. He held onto the feeling she gave him and used it to power his courage.

“Are you alright, Tommy?” Her gentle hand that previously combed through his hair came into contact with his jaw. Not harsh, but gentle. Softly guiding his head, she forced his bright blue orbs to meet hers. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

Her hand moved up slightly to caress his cheek. Thomas leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and reveling in the moment. He truly felt youth envelope him whenever he was with her. His demons faded as if they never existed in the first place every time her presence was with his.

Then, he lifted his hand to meet her wrist. He took the other with the same grip and opened his eyes, looking into her with the same admiration she had only mere minutes ago. “I know.”

“Then tell me...what’s bothering you?”

Tommy thought for a second, but just as the first time he tried to form words, his cowardliness came a ’nocking on his door. “It’s nothing, love. How ‘bout we sleep, yeah?”

Y/n hesitated but nodded, curling into his side and drifting off slowly. It took him a bit longer, but by midnight, the two were out cold. Of course, he never stayed asleep long. She didn’t know that, however. Tommy never let her stay the night until tonight, afraid of what she would think of his softer, more fearful side when he was too overwhelmed to hide it.

He awoke with a start, chest heaving heavily and breath so terribly uneven, one would think he were on the brink of death. That’s what he felt like. As though he were on the smallest ledge, seconds away from cracking down the part of which connected him too the land full of life and dropping him into the deepest pits of hell itself. Tommy’s nightmare woke Y/n too.

She was drowning in concern the second her eyes snapped open. “Tommy- Tommy!” He couldn’t help but panic, the PTSD too much for him, “Hey- hey, I’m here. Okay? It’s me.” she didn’t blame him. Instead, she gripped his wrists like he did hers and softly ushered him back into his calm state. Her whispers were reassuring and brought him back to reality, soothing his mind with powers similar to a siren’s.

“Y/n- I’m sorry-” He spoke hurriedly after she lit a candle- it provided them with enough light to see one another, not that the moon didn’t already do that enough.

“Don’t be. From the looks of it, this isn’t the first time this has happened.” She didn’t sound tired, not even a blink of sleep left in her eyes nor voice. “Tommy... Why didn’t you tell me?”

Tommy was a little taken aback by her lack of fear or other emotions like disgust, although he couldn’t quite think of a single reason as to why she’d feel that of all things, but answered her as honestly as he could. Just like Polly told him too. “I’m not sure... I was...cowardly. Though you’d be ashamed or something.”

She squinted at him, “Why on earth would I feel ashamed?”

A few seconds went by of his eyes darting around as he mentally searched for a possible answer and he came up blank. Thomas shrugged, “Fuck... I don’t even fucking know.”

They shared a chuckle, hushed but still very much real. Y/n caressed his cheeks again, tracing his beautifully sculpted features with gentle fingers.

“I love,” her eyes scanned his face lovingly, “every part of you. Whether you like a detail about you or not, I will love it with every fiber of my being. The good, the bad...the mildly confusing,” he chuckled with her, “I love it.”

Y/n pulled away from him and leaned him. She blew out the candle then readjusted her position under the sheets, squirming into Tommy’s side and resting her head atop his chest. It rose and fell with each breath he took, his torso lifting her head and dropping it as carefully as one would rock a baby.

“I’m here now, and I’m here to stay. We can either stay awake or, you can lie down with me and get through this shit together. Either way, I’m not letting you face anything else alone.”

“Y/n-” He was going to tell her that it was fine, shove another lie to hide his worries despite inevitable discovery.

“I mean it, Thomas. For as long as I live, you will never have to carry your struggles by your lonesome. So, in the morning, you can tell me what I’m gonna be helping you with.” She paused before cracking a smile. “After all, you know how much I love your voice.”

#tommy shelby #tommy shelby x reader #thomas shelby x reader #cillian murphy #cillian murphy x reader #thomas shelby #peaky blinders x reader #x reader #zodiyack #reader insert #imagine #tommy shelby imagine #all readers #cillian murphy imagine #this is so confusing so i can't blame you if you think that as well #writing at midnight after taking meds may not have great outcomes #but i haven't posted in five does so i say fuck it

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somerpmemes · 3 years

Text

Killing Eve S2 Starters

Change as needed

“I think I might’ve killed her.”

“Sorry, were you saving this seat for someone?”

“Oh my god, you think I’m a junkie.”

“This is your fault.”

“Do you know how to dispose of a body?”

“Stab wound. It’s really gooey.”

“Women don’t stab.”

“Sometimes when you love someone you will do crazy things.”

“Well, good news. I was fired!”

“Well, you certainly seem completely normal.”

“You’re really good at stealing, you should do it more.”

“Tell me about your windows, ___. Tell me everything about them.”

“I fell off a horse.”

“Don’t apologize. It’s a waste of my time and yours.”

“You snore, you know.”

“It’s really bad. You look like a pizza.”

“You can see scary people a mile away, it’s the good people you have to worry about.”

“I mean, who do you even work for!?”

“Home? Is that really what you want? I mean, what do people do at home?”

“You know, I’ve been thinking… all day.”

“There’s no way out of this job. You need this, you can’t leave.”

“You can tell me anything but not telling me… I can’t do that.”

“I bought a shit ton of really expensive windows.”

“You really have changed.”

“No matter how rich and famous you are, you’ll always end up with your dick out on a slab.”

“So you’re not completely heartless.”

“This is how it works, we have to talk.”

“I don’t think he saw us.”

“Just pretend not to remember to hurt my feelings.”

“What do you know about psychopaths?”

“Let’s get this over and done with, shall we?”

“Stop it, ___. I can feel your excitement.”

“Don’t get all giddy and sing along to the radio in my car.”

“I think you’re going to bleed to death.”

“You know what? I’ve had a really shitty couple of days. And I really, really need to go to a doctor.”

“You’re on a very tight leash from now on.”

“Honestly it feels like I’m losing my mind a little bit.”

“Change the subject.”

“Why should I lie about this?”

“You still have something worth having. Don’t let her take it.”

“Look what happens to the people she loves. She’ll love you to death.”

“What did you do, did you murder someone?”

“This looks… delicious. What is it?”

“I’ll just masturbate onto this omelette then, I guess.”

“That doesn’t sound boring or discreet, does it?”

“You don’t need any help in the failure department from me.”

“Add it to the bill.”

“This is gonna be like pulling teeth.”

“You’d better put on something really slutty.”

“It’s gonna be so slutty, I promise.”

“You have a bit of fluff, can’t have that.”

“It sounds a bit manipulative.”

“You weren’t listening were you?”

“___, you are making a mistake.”

“This is a terrible hug.”

“I don’t normally get angry, ___, it makes me feel sleepy.”

“One cock-up is an accident, two cock-ups starts to look like carelessness.”

“She just won’t shut up about being vegan.”

“I’ll put your head in a box.”

“Don’t be a snub.”

“What’s with the shirt?”

“Seriously, do not go shopping on your own again.”

“What? It was free.”

“You could almost say it’s none of your business.”

“Pretty cowardly to get someone else to do your dirty work.”

“Coming home to this is not fun.”

“None of this is normal.”

“What do you mean ‘home’? Where is that exactly?”

“Try focusing on the job at hand.”

“This is taking ages.”

“It’s a computer, it’s not magic.”

“I think I once got a handjob in here.”

“Do you ever not talk about sex?”

“God, this is disgusting.”

“Did you drop this?”

“It’ll be easier if you come with me.”

“What do you think he’s saying?”

“I don’t think anything would work.”

“Did you know babies literally steal the calcium from your teeth?”

“Let’s put a hit out on me!”

“You are joking? I can’t tell if you’re joking.”

“___, it’s a crazy idea!”

“Yeah that’s weird, ‘cause it is. It is your job.”

“You’re being very sneaky, ___.”

“You chose THAT photo!?”

“You used to be smarter than this.”

“Your trousers are rather tight these days.”

“I always worry about being crushed under one of these. They don’t seem stable, do they?”

“Well, this is flattering.”

“You know it’s very brave, what you’re doing.”

“No guts, no glory, right?”

“Don’t do anything stupid. Okay?”

“That’s a little arrogant, don’t you think?”

“You’ve been so distracted lately I thought you forgot about me.”

“Are you scared?”

“You know, I should be more afraid of you.”

“I’m about to be in mourning.”

“You know I’m here to kill you?”

“Of course it isn’t poison!”

“I’m expensive.”

“Are you sure this is legal?”

“It’s always a weapon.”

“I got you what you wanted. A thank you would be nice.”

“You are just take, take, take.”

“You look like someone stuck a mustache on some fudge.”

“Do you want me to love you or do you want me to frighten you?”

“This feels like a one-night stand.”

“I was up all night, trying to work out why I felt so unbelievably shitty and sad.”

“You wouldn’t have understood.”

“Don’t ask me to stay. I can’t do this anymore.”

“Don’t leave me alone!”

“I can’t stand breakfast. It’s just constant eggs. Why? Who decided?”

“There is nothing hidden that will not be revealed.”

“Have you come here to yell at me?”

“You’re not yelling but it feels like you’re yelling.”

“You do know what I do, right?”

“Do I get a watch with a laser in it?”

“Nothing a B.J. and a compliment won’t fix, in my experience.”

“I don’t think a B.J. will help.”

“You will never understand how much harder it is to be nice, and normal, and decent than it is to be like you.”

“I wish I was better. A better person.”

“It’s hard. But it gets easier.”

“Don’t speak to me like that, ___. I like you, but I don’t like you that much.”

“The only thing that makes you interesting is me.”

“I have real trouble telling the truth.”

“Most of the time… most days I feel… nothing.”

“I hurt myself, it doesn’t hurt. I buy what I want, I don’t want it. I do what I like, I don’t like it. I’m just so bored.”

“Why do rich people talk like children?”

“I wanted to be helpful.”

“I dread to think where you’ll be happy, ___.”

“Ignore him, he’s an asshole.”

“You ask a lot of questions. You seem to have the mind of a five year old.”

“People will eat anything if you cut it thin enough and put hot sauce on it.”

“You don’t know if you’re telling the truth or not?”

“I feel things when I’m with you.”

“I don’t like eavesdroppers.”

“That’s a little presumptuous.”

“Send me a text when you’re finished or otherwise I’ll worry that you’ve been murdered or something.”

“I don’t like rich men.”

“Your little plan seems to be working.”

“I’m running out of good safe words.”

“Wow. You’re a hoarder.”

“You always look so annoyed to see me.”

“I see you got what you wanted.”

“What is this? Razor wire?”

“Why do I need a safe word?”

“I’m here for work.”

“How much of the day do you spend thinking about her?”

“Do you feel unsafe?”

“It has to be perfect. There is no point if it isn’t perfect.”

“You’ll be bored.”

“You look like a painting. You’re so… still.”

“Do you ever get lonely?”

“Are you going to listen all night?”

“You should let yourself go once in a while.”

“Listen I really don’t need to talk about this.”

“What a weird-looking gentleman.”

“I played dead, the hero’s technique.”

“Let’s go, now.”

“You’ll never get bored here. I’ll make sure of it.”

“Do you think I would kill you, ____?”

“This can’t be for nothing.”

“None of it means anything.”

“You think you’d be fine without me?”

“If I get shot I want you to remember that it is your fault.”

“If you see anything scary just leave, okay? Don’t be brave.”

“Best to make a swift exit when things get complicated.”

“You did exactly what you wanted. This is all your idea.”

“She wouldn’t do the same for you.”

“You can’t be on her side and ours.”

“You’ve got a noose on your neck. I’m offering to take it off.”

“I’m risking a lot to save your ass here.”

“I thought we were friends.”

“How long have you been standing there?”

“God, you’re such a drama queen.”

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time.”

“I bet your kids are ugly.”

“You’re not scared are you?”

“I don’t get scared.”

“They will take you apart for this.”

“Do you know the way out of here?”

“Do you think if we died down here anybody would notice?”

“You’ll feel better soon. I’ll look after you.”

“You want me to be a mess. You want me to be scared.”

“This is what you wanted.”

#killing eve #rp #rp starters #rp meme #starters #sentence starters #sentence starter meme #ask meme

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yourfangirlfriend · 3 years

Text

It’s Nothing Serious - Chapter Six

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Five and a Half

A/N: idk if this is good but I’ve been putting off writing it and perfect is the enemy of done so here you go, I had fun

It’s not not serious.

At least, this seems to be the mutual conclusion you have both silently reached after that weirdly intimate night you never talked about, either.

And yes, you’re aware of how childish that is.

For two people voluntarily living in one of the more dangerous cities on the continent, it turns out you’re both pretty cowardly. But why put yourselves through the agony of all that when you could both instead play a game of emotional chicken to test where the boundaries are?

You go first the morning the two of you wake up in your bed. You both woke up in a tangle of limbs and slid out of bed after the second snooze alarm went off. He had just pulled on his jeans when he reached for the shirt you had folded the night before.

“Wait,” you said. You walked to the closet and pulled a crisp black shirt off its hanger, continuing to brush your teeth and you walked up and deposited it in his hand. “I washed this after you let me wear it home.”

That night we made pasta and I spilled sauce on my shirt and you took it off and fucked me in your kitchen until the chicken burnt-

He looks up at you, his eyebrows raised.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he shakes his head before pulling it over his shoulders. “Thank you.”

You give him a look before dipping into the bathroom to spit.

After a quick cup of coffee, you’re both striding towards your door when you stop short. He turns and looks at you, waiting for you to take another step and flick the deadbolt. Instead, you ask

“Are you going to be okay? Today, I mean. With...”

His face falls a little, like he was expecting to get out of this without you mentioning it. It makes your heart hurt.

“I’m fine,” he says, curtly. He drops his head to look at his shoes. You swallow.

“So...drinks tonight? Still?” You reach out and bop his hand with yours.

“Not if you don’t open the door.”

You roll your eyes, walking forward and flicking the bolt. You pull the door open and he catches it, holding it back for you as you take the first step out.

“...yeah. I’ll be back around 6,” he says as you finish locking the door. You drop the keys in your purse, straightening up as the two of you walk towards and out the doors.

“Bar or your place?”

“Mine.”

“You sure? It’s my turn to buy,” you say.

“No, it’s not,” he says as he opens the passenger door for you, gesturing that you climb in. You do and watch as he walks around the front to his side. “Besides, mines quieter.”

You nod, staring forward as he starts the car and pulls into the street. Like every morning, his hand falls to your knee and you feel content with his answer.

You can’t help yourself, though, when he pulls up in front of the school and parks, waiting for you to climb out. Usually, it’s a pretty quick, platonic affair- a quick “thanks, Javi” before you open the door and swing your legs out. This morning, though,

“You know,” he says when you reach for the handle. “You...you don’t have to take care of me.”

You drop your hand before turning back to face him. And maybe it’s the coffee you drank took quickly, or maybe it’s the way last night is still lingering in your head, but

“I like taking care of you.”

You reach out and pull his face to yours, letting the kiss linger before pulling away.

“See you tonight,” you said, flashing him a quick smile. If you’re not mistaken, you see the corner of his mouth twitch up before he remembers himself, and gives you a cool masculine nod. You climb out and watch as he drives away before you hear behind you:

“¿Es tu novio?”

You turn around and see three little girls from your class huddled together and giggling that they just caught the teacher doing something naughty. Despite yourself, you smile through your teacher's voice.

“Entrad, niñas. La clase está a punto de empezar.”

He makes the next move when he shows up outside the school, waiting against his car when you walk out that afternoon and he flags you down.

“Hey,” he says when you approach his car.

“Hey,” you say. “What’s up?”

“Was told to go home early,” he says. “Figured...” he waves his hand up, gesturing to you. “You got plans?”

“Was just going to swing by the liquor store. For tonight.”

“It’s not your turn to buy,” he says, moving out of the way so you can open the door. You send him a look.

“It’s the 90s. Let a girl buy you a drink, Javi.”

He smiles, and over his shoulder, you see one of the girls from this morning- Cara - sending you a shit-eating grin.

Despite yourself, you give her a little wave as Javi drives the two of you out of the parking lot.

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

It becomes a game after that. He picks you up from school. You ask him to stay the night again, and he does. The next morning, he kisses you goodbye in front of Steve, whose eyebrows you see pop up from the corner of your eye. That night, you stay over at his and leave the spare toothbrush you brought next to his in the bathroom. The next day, he comes to your house with take-out and a tape and the two of you fall asleep on the couch, drunk and full. Soon, you don’t remember a night where you aren’t sleeping in the same bed or whose turn it is to initiate a sleepover. You just meet at your smoking spot and then, inevitably, one of you will lead the other to their door for the night, and inevitably, the other one will stay.

The small reminders of each other begin to pile up in your respective apartments. A mystery toothbrush appears in your bathroom. Then there’s a jacket and two of his shirts hanging in your closet. A drawer in his bathroom slowly begins to fill with evidence of your presence- hair ties, bobby pins, the odd bit of makeup. During one of your drunk nights, when you are once again lamenting the lack of decoration, you draw a stick-figure portrait of the apartment - you, Javi, Steve, and the creepy silent man who you only ever see leave his place to buy fish - and tape it to his fridge. He tells you you hang around kids too much, but every time you come back, it’s still up.

Then the bigger things happen. You go to dinner with him and Steve. You bring him on a double date with Alessa and Frankie. He kisses you goodbye in front of the school every morning, and you reach out and hold his hand whenever the two of you walk outside- which you do now, by the way. You walk to the grocery store, you walk to the liquor store, you walk to the corner store to buy pre and post-coital smokes, and every time his hand finds yours. You’re still having sex, you still fuck, but now, sometimes, to what would once be your disgust, it’s slower. Softer. There’s eye contact and prolonged kisses and caressing and very little hair pulling.

And god. Now there’s cuddling.

You no longer sit across the sofa to hanger a drink. No, now your legs are in his lap or his arm is around your shoulder or some other horribly intimate design the two of you just naturally find yourself falling into whenever you’re in proximity. Now, after sex, he’s pulling you to him or you’re pulling him to you or you just both mutually descend towards each other. And when you’re all wrapped around each other, the worst thing of all happens. He talks.

It’s not like you hadn’t talked before. You were friends, after all. He already knew about your kids you taught, your parents, and some random, funny stories about your life. In turn, he had told you some stories about his mom, about the ranch, and about the people in his life. But now it’s different. Now, whenever you two are alone in the dark, bodies pressed against each other under the sheet with such softness it’s grotesque, the walls come down. He tells you about his mom's death, and how he didn’t cry for months. He tells you how afraid he is of himself, and how he worries she would hate the person he is. He tells you he doesn’t think he’s a good person, because of the women he’s hurt ( -“The DAY of?” “I’m not proud of it”-) and the people he failed (“-supposed to get her out, keep her safe, and I couldn’t-“) and how, though he won’t go into detail about it, he’s worried how numb he’s become to things, and that he’s only going to get number (“-you see so many people die, there’s got to be a point you just stop feeling that, like self-preservation, and that’s fucking scary-“). You listen. You think you may be the first person who has listened in a while. When he tries to apologize, that he shouldn’t have said that or that he’s a mopey sad sack or you don’t want to hear this, you kiss his hands.

“Javi,” you tell him. “I like listening to you. Anything you have to say.”

Looking back, you think the look he gives you the first time you said that was when you really knew. But now, you’re still playing dumb. You both are.

What’d he call it? Self-preservation?

To pay him back, you tell him about you. You try to match his scars, telling him about growing up in a loud, weird house you’d only learn at the age of fifteen was a commune. You tell him about all the times you caught your parents tripping out naked on drugs and having to drag them to bed, or how you had to watch your sister for days on end as a kid whenever they decided to go out on ‘spirit walks’, and how you eventually enrolled yourself in school after your mothers homeschooling attempts fell to the wayside. That one time when you were six and accidentally took a tab of acid your mother and father’s sometime lover, Sunshine, left on top of your peanut butter and jelly sandwich. You try and tell him the good things, too- how you speak five languages (“what?” “English, Spanish, German, Russian, and some Chinese.” “...what?” “My parents were communists!”), how you used to be really good at gymnastics (“is that why you can’t do a handstand?” “I can do a handstand-“ ), and the things in yourself that you’re afraid of- your denial, your anxiety, your bad habit of never calling your sister back and how that actually reveals you’re a sociopath. And in turn, he listens. He squeezes your hand. He asks you questions when you know he wants to and lets it be silent when you can’t bring yourself to answer.

About three months into this, you find yourself lying on your side one night, staring at his beautiful, stupid, snoring face as he drools against your pillow, and for the first time, you finally, finally, finally let yourself admit it.

It is serious.

---

“Well no shit.”

You scowl at Lisa over your glass.

“What? Like we all didn’t already know? For months?”

“Leave her alone,” Alessa elbows her. “I think it’s sweet.”

“You think everything’s sweet.” Lisa rolls her eyes. “You tell him yet?”

You bite the inside of your lip and look down at your drink. “No.”

“Why not?”

“Timing?”

“You spend all your time together.”

You shake your head, taking a swig.

“Coward.”

“What!”

“I said you’re a coward,” Lisa says as Maritza deposits the tray of shots between the two of you.

“Who’s a coward?” she asks sweetly.

“Eloise.”

“Yeah, I am,” you reach forward and take two of the shot glasses, snatching the one in front of Lisa before downing it.

“Hey!” She yelps.

You flip her off and down the second.

She huffs. “Bitch.”

You shake your head and march towards the bar to order another tray.

----------

To be fair, he knew it would be like this.

He had to. It’s you. It’s both of you. Two weirdly cagey people who don’t like having their guard down and never, ever want to be the one person who sticks themselves out for ridicule. The little dares over the past few months have been one thing, like you’re placing pebbles on a scale, seeing how long it takes until it collapses under the weight. Nightly sleepovers? Pebble. Toothbrushes? Pebbles. Sharing childhood trauma after a round of particularly kinky sex where you had your hands tied to the headboard and it inadvertently reminded you of the time you got your hands stuck in some old handcuffs your sister and you had found and you had to spend three hours with your hands looped around a bed frame because Tanya was seven and when she found your mom they were high on peyote and it turns out it takes five drugged-out hippies to find a tiny pair of keys to free a small girl in the woods after it’s already gotten dark and then he told you about the time his uncle had drunk too much shiner and tried to shoot an apple off his cousins head with a BB gun but missed and now the cousin has one eye kind of like Lorenzo and then you both chain-smoked cigarettes and wondered what a glass eye feels like - alright. Maybe five pebbles.

But...actually saying it?

Stones. Big, ugly stones. The kind that fall on cars.

No wonder you got shit-faced.

“Javvvvvvvi,” you sang through his door. You pounded out the melody that only made sense in your head. “Heyyyyy,”

You hear footsteps approaching from the other side and you stand up straight, ready to drunkenly seduce him with your pose when the door swings open and-

“Can I help you?” She asks, annoyed.

You take the woman in front of you in. She’s tall, with long honey blonde hair that falls across her shoulders. Her waist is bared under the halter top she wears, and you’re only a little jealous of the toned plane of her stomach and the long legs that stretch out from her short shorts.

“I...” you start.

“What are you doing? Get away from the door!” Javi appears from behind her, reaching out to take her arm and pull her back. His eyes fall on you, though, and he drops his hand.

“El- hey- I thought you were-?”

“I was...what uh,” you raise your hand to the woman. “What the fuck?”

“Who the fuck are you?” The woman hisses back. Javi reaches up and takes her arm, pulling her back gently.

“I told you not to answer the door-“

“No, I think I’ll leave-“ you toss your hands up. “Enjoy your night.”

“She’s not- it’s not like that-”

“OH PLEASE, I wasn’t born yester-“

The door behind you opens, and the two or you swivel you hear to see Steve enter holding two bags of food. He looks between you and Javier, then to the door.

“Hey,” he says finally.

You give him a pathetic wave. He waves back before turning to Javi.

“Is she-“

“Yeah,” Javier says. He points to his apartment “Could you actually-?”

“Yeah,” Steve nods a bit too quickly, moving behind him and disappearing into the apartment, closing the door behind him.

Javier turns back to you.

“She needs a place to stay before we move her. I was going to tell you when you got back.”

“Ohhhhhhh,” you draw out. You grimace, before looking back to him. “...Sorry.”

“You really think I’d do that?”

You open your mouth to answer before he cuts in again.

“Are you drunk?”

“I-“ you start before huffing. Fucking cop. “Yes! Of course I’m drunk! It’s tequila night! I even, kindly, I might add,” you reach in your bag and pull out the bottle you picked up on the way home. “Got some for you, too!”

“Who did you think she was?”

“Javi-“ you groan, squeezing your eyes shut. This wasn’t supposed to be your night. Tonight was supposed to be about getting drunk with your friends, then getting drunk with Javi, then having drunk sex on your couch loud enough the upstairs fish guy would have to bury his head in what you only assumed was a pile of rotting fish carcasses in his trash to drown out your moans.

Now it’s this.

You shake your head and nod to your door, beckoning him to follow. It’s tense, and he watches over your shoulder as your hands shake trying to pull the right key. Once you manage to unlock the door, you hurry inside and deposit your things on the table, before turning back and facing him.

You open your mouth to say something-

-and then shut it again. You sigh.

“You thought I was sleeping with her.”

You snap your head back up to see him, cross-armed in front of you. You shake your head.

“This isn’t fair, I’m drunk. You’re not.”

He walks over to the bag you threw on the couch and unscrews the bottle you brought home. He takes a swig, holding eye contact as he gulps a third of the small bottle down, all while you watch flabbergasted.

“Say it,” he says, screwing the cap back on.

“You’re going to be sick-“

“Eloise.”

“Well, it’s not like we’ve talked about it!” You snap. “We never- said! What we’re doing!” You drop your hands to your side and turn, walking to the kitchen and leaning forward onto the counter. Javi follows you up, eying you.

“You thought I was, though?”

“Yes! No? I don’t know!” You bring a hand to your face. “I don’t know. Maybe. I just got scared. I guess...I’ve been scared? Lisa thinks so, the bitch-“

“Scared of what? Me sleeping with someone else?”

“No! Not- necessarily-“

“You really think- Jesus, it’s like we never-“

“Hey, don’t!” You spin to face him. “Don’t turn this around on me. You never brought this up. We haven’t talked about this. We talked about everything else and are doing everything else like dinner dates and sweet sex and fucking movie nights but we haven’t...said anything! Saying things matters!”

He stares at you.

“I didn’t think it did! I thought I was fine with just...letting...ugh!” You bring the heels of your palms to your eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that last shot.”

“Eloise, what are you-“

“I’m not a coward!” You point at him. “I’m not! I’m just- it’s just-“

“No one said you were!”

“Lisa did!”

“Why?”

“Because I haven’t...Ugh! They really make strong drinks at that bar! Because I haven’t said-“

“Jesus Christ, WHAT.”

Ooh, you wish you could just fall apart and have him see what’s running through your mind right now. You feel the anger in your stomach bubble. He’s really annoyed with you for thinking the worst of him, and maybe he has a right, but you two haven’t talked about it. You had just assumed- assumed he felt the same way, assumed the little intimacies have built up in such a way that you had something real and concrete, and especially that you both weren’t fucking other people. But the second she opened the door it felt like your worst fear had come true: you were the idiot who had let their guard down first and got hurt, because they were too stupid to realize what this was, and you couldn’t even be mad. Because you hadn’t talked about it. Because he never technically said he was with you.

But now he’s looking like he’s feeling the exact same way, only he’s the idiot. He’s the idiot for confiding in you and crying on your tits and telling you all those fears and worries and believing you when you kissed his hands and told him you thought he was a good man. He’s worried that you’ve always seen him this way- as the guy who would cut and run and betray you, and maybe if you think that, then it’s true. Maybe he was kidding himself into thinking someone like you could believe in his goodness, after all he’s done.

Fuck, you may be drunk but it does make you insightful.

It may be too late though. Because he’s dropped his hands from his hips, tired of waiting for an explanation. He’s making towards the door, murmuring something about having to work and it all just seems like it’s slipping out of your fingers like you can see he’s building up the wall again and this time you’re not going to be able to tear it down-

“Javi,” you say, your voice strained. He stops and turns to you, and you know you only have a few seconds to do it. You try and form the words, but your tongue isn’t working and maybe Lisa was right, maybe you are a coward, but you have to try.

“I like taking care of you.” You say, pathetically, dropping your hands to your sides.

A beat passes. He brings his hands to his hips, waiting for a further explanation. You sigh and walk down to stand in front of him. “I like having you take care of me...and...I haven’t wanted to tell you, because I don’t want to scare you but maybe that’s just me ‘projecting’ or whatever Alessa said. She’s really annoying now that she’s doing that psychology class-“

“El.” He says, not without softness. You feel his fingers come under your chin, gesturing for you to look up at him.

This wasn’t the plan. This was supposed to be a hookup. Then a friendship. You don’t want to lose that.

But now he’s staring down at you like that, and your drunk brain is turning over itself as you think maybe that train has already left. Maybe it left a long fucking time ago, and the two of you have just been hanging onto the back, waiting for the other person to let go first.

But you don’t want to let go. You never really did. You were just waiting for him to give you a sign so you could make it look like you were jumping off together instead of you pathetically holding on as he disappears behind you.

But from the way his thumb traces your jaw and his other hand reaches forward to take your hand in his, you think maybe he’s been utilizing the same strategy, and he’s been just as scared as you.

Well, now you can either let go or try to pull yourself up.

So.

Are you a coward or not?

He wets his lips before his eyes drop. He looks defeated. And at that moment you decide – fuck it.

Between the gymnastics and dragging your high parents to bed and all this fucking holding you’ve been doing inside of you, you’ve got strong enough arms.

So.

Fuck it.

“El, I don’t-“

“I love you,” you say without thinking. “And yes I’m tequila drunk, but I don’t think that takes away from-“

You’re stopped as he leans forward and presses his lips to yours, cutting you off. You wrap your arms around the back of his neck, pulling him in closer and deepening the kiss. You feel him pulling at your top and you shimmy it off and over your head, tossing it to the side before dipping your hands down and unbuckling his belt as he unbuttons his shirt before you. You drop your hand down the front of his pants, jerking him softly as he moans into your mouth. You feel him guiding you to the couch, and when the back of your knees hit the arm you drop down and begin to pull his pants down for him as he rids himself of his shirt. You’re about to take him in your mouth when he pushes you down, your back hitting the cheap leather as he crawls over you, pulling your skirt up to your hips. He pauses.

“You always skip the underwear in girls' night?”

“Only when I’m coming back to you.”

That gets him, because a second later he’s between your legs, thrusting inside of you. You let out a cry and drop your head back, exposing your neck to him as he continues to pump into, his hands reaching behind and you and grabbing a fistful of your hair.

“Say it again,” he says.

“I don’t wear underwear-“

“No,” he growls, dropping his hand down between your legs to play with you. You let out another little cry.

“I love you,” you say. “I-I’ve loved you for a long time- ahhh!” The next thrust hits a little too well. “Ah, fuck, Javi- right there-“

“Keep going-“

“YOU keep going- fuck, has your dick gotten bigger?”

“El-“ he lets out a moan. Taking advantage of the moment, you slip out from under him and switch positions, pressing him back onto the couch and climbing atop of him. His hands settle on your hips as you ride him, pulling sounds from him that echo around your living room. When you cum he’s not long after, and the two of you collapse onto each other, breathing heavily as you come down with his hand holding the back of your neck.

“Hey,” he says finally. You lift your head and sit up, looking down at him. His eyes are glassy, and the look on his face makes you giggle.

“Are you drunk?”

“Yes,” he says. “But a wise woman once said that doesn’t take away from what I have to say.”

“She sounds smart, you should fuck her,” you say, moving to stand. He catches your wrist, pulling you back down onto his lap with a bounce.

“Give a girl a few minutes before round two-“

He cuts you off with a kiss. It’s slow and soft and you melt into it. The way you always melt into him.

When he pulls away, you chase after his grinning lips. He brings a hand to the side of your face, tracing his fingers down the side of your cheek.

“I love you, too.” He says. “I don’t know what that’s worth…but I do.”

You lean in, wrapping your arms around the back of his neck.

"Baby," you say "It's worth everything."

In the morning, you’ll have to contend with the knowing look Steve gives the two of you before asking “Good night?”, a joke that earns him a look from Javi and a deep blush and muttered apology from you. You’ll have to put up with the squeals from Maritza, Lisa, and Alessa when you tell them in the staff room during lunch. You’ll even get a look from your upstairs neighbor when you pass him and his fresh fish that next afternoon. Most of all, you’ll have to consider what the fuck this means for you and Javi and this scary, exhilarating little life you’re leading.

But.

Right now, you’re naked and smoking a cigarette on the couch with the man you love who loves you back, and you’re both laughing, and that's more than enough.

taglist: @fuckoffbard

#javier peña #javier peña x reader #javier Peña x oc #narcos #it's nothing serious #fic

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write-r-die · 3 years

Text

Prisoner - Part 18

March 1067 - Norman Conquest of England

Masterlist

Sorry for the delay! I started a new job this week and I’m exhausted. This is pure crappy filler but shit’s about to get really real.

Anyway, here you go!

Thomasin woke first. Henry was curled against her back like a shell, one arm draped over her waist. She wanted to shut her eyes again and relax into his hold but she knew she wouldn’t be able to stay still no matter how hard she tried.

And she didn’t want to wake him, didn’t want to face the repercussions of all those things she said and done. She’d tried to hit him. He was so solid that the force of it probably wouldn’t even have turned his head but she was still ashamed of herself for resorting to violence, especially against someone she loved.

Cared for, she corrected herself. You care for him. That’s all.

That thought, that word, pushed aside whatever was left of her will to stay. She’d fallen asleep fully dressed, her shoes still on her feet, so she didn’t have to waste time or rummage around for things before slipping out.

Kal was sleeping on his side in the antechamber, legs stretched out. His massive body took up a sizeable portion of the room. Thomasin shut the bedroom door behind her, stirring him from sleep. He quickly lifted his head and shoulders to scan for a threat, but he was too exhausted to make the rest of his body move.

“Hush,” Thomasin said. She knelt beside him and rubbed his chest. “Go back to sleep.” He sighed through his nose and lay back down.

Thomasin made it all of three steps into the corridor before she and Etheldreda smashed into each other.

“Oh, milady!” the older woman said, clutching her chest. The basket of laundry in her arms had fallen to the ground, though she’d managed to keep her feet. “My apologies.”

“No, it’s my fault,” Thomasin said quickly. She knelt down to help Etheldreda gather the fallen clothing. “I wasn’t watching where I was going.” And she’d entirely forgotten that Etheldreda would be coming as she did every morning to help her dress.

“What are you doing out of bed, if I may ask?” the servant asked.

“I couldn’t sleep. I wanted to . . . to pray. In the chapel.” That sounded plausible enough.

She didn’t want to admit that she felt choked in that bedroom like the walls were closing in, how she felt in all small rooms. The same way she felt when she tried to run to freedom through that tunnel under her castle with all the others. But the walls had been too tight, the passage before her too dark, and she too cowardly to run.

“Oh,” Etheldreda said. “Should I still prepare your rooms?”

“No thank you. Henry is still asleep. I don’t want to disturb him.”

“Of course.”

Thomasin did consider going to the chapel to pray but the king would likely be there. Pious, pious William. That priest might be there, too. Thomasin didn’t trust herself not to make a scene if she saw him. He must have taken Cerdic’s final confession. Given him the last rites. Blessed his grave.

Furious tears stung at her eyes. She knew she shouldn’t be angry with a priest for doing his duty – she should be grateful someone was there to shepherd Cerdic and the others from this world to the next. The priest may be a Saxon himself. He may have suffered, too – may still be suffering under the Normans.

It didn’t matter. She needed to be angry at someone – preferably multiple someones – and she didn’t want to be angry with Henry anymore.

It was March now, and the relentless English winters were giving way to the island’s warped version of spring. It was misting outside as it always was, but Thomasin went to the gardens anyway.

She supposed she shouldn’t have been surprised when she came around a bend along the path and saw Mercia stomping around in a puddle of mud. She also shouldn’t be surprised there was no adult in sight.

“Good morning,” she called.

“G’morning!” Mercia waved briefly before returning her concentration to the mud.

“Where’s your mother?” Thomasin asked.

“One of the ladies gonna have baby soon so Mamma go see her.” She jumped up and down, kicking the mud up so high it splashed on her cherubic face and pale curls.

“Who’s meant to be taking care of you?”

“Stina,” the girl replied. Thomasin thought that must be short for Christina.

“Where is Stina?”

Mercia shrugged innocently but Thomasin was quite sure the little girl had run from her governess, who was no doubt scouring the castle for the child. She pulled Batty out from under her arm and tossed the doll into the muck. “She like mud, too.”

“I see.”

“You wanna play?” she asked. “Take off shoes. Mud feel funny.” She lifted a bare foot and wiggled her toes at Thomasin as if to show her.

“Not just now, but thank you.”

“When Simon coming home?” the little girl asked without looking up.

“I don’t know.” Thomasin swallowed. “You must miss him very much.”

She nodded. “Yeah. He my friend. And Mamma wants him be her special friend.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah.” Mercia stopped kicking around. She looked up at Thomasin with a contemplative expression on her little face. “I not like you,” she said after a moment.

Thomasin was genuinely offended. She had only recently accepted the little hellion into her good graces; it was unthinkable that she be the one to reject Thomasin. “I beg your pardon?”

“You come back but not Simon and it make Mamma sad. Mamma loooooovve Simon.” She said the word with a blend of enthusiasm and disgust, as most children did.

“I believe you,” Thomasin replied.

“But she not say so yet cause she say a man gotta say so first when he ask to marry her. Ladies not supposed to say so first,” she said wisely. “Not like-lady.” Thomasin assumed the child meant to say ladylike.

“I think that’s very wise.”

“When Henry say he love you?” the girl asked, wiping her nose on the back of her wrist. Thomasin was stunned into silence, which alarmed Mercia. “He say so first, right?”

“Yes.”

“When you say?”

Thomasin took a deep breath and kicked off her shoes. “Make room in that puddle for me.”

***

Henry woke late. His eyes and body were heavy. Seeing Thomasin cry last night caused him great distress, which in turn led to exhaustion.

He took his time getting ready for the day. He washed his face, hands, hair, and neck with water from a bowl beside the bed and waited for it to dry on its own before he dressed. Perhaps he would take a bath later on. Help him clear his mind.

He did not question why she wasn’t in the chamber with him. She needed to grieve alone, away from her husband’s smothering love and devotion. It would only infuriate her more.

Then there was the matter of her hating him. Henry didn’t believe that for an instant but he didn’t know how long Thomasin planned to hide behind that statement.

Henry found Roger and Charlie practicing archery outside with a handful of other young knights. Their target was an apple balanced on the head of a squire due to be knighted soon; practicing their archery on him was a rite of passage among Henry’s circle. Their arrows had no metal head so they didn’t accidentally kill the poor boy. It still hurt like hell, though.

“Ah, Henry!” Roger called. He waved him over.

“Who’s winning?” he asked, sauntering over.

“Godfrey. He shot Guy in the shoulder and the thigh. Charlie got him in the stomach.”

Henry took the bow his brother offered him. “How are you faring, Guy?” he called out.

“Well enough,” the boy said, trying his best to sound sincere. “They’re at least letting me protect my eyes and my parts with my hands. They don’t always do that.”

“No, they don’t,” Henry agreed. “You know Charlie chipped a tooth when he did this. And Nik nearly got his balls blown off.” The arrow he shot landed in the grass near Guy’s feet. He was a terrible shot to begin with, but he didn’t want to hit the poor man. The memory of Thomasin’s injuries were too fresh.

He handed the bow off to Jarin, one of the nights who had assisted Thomasin after she was shot on the road.

“How are you?” Roger murmured to him.

“Well enough,” Henry said, rubbing the inside of his fingers with his thumb. It was a long time since he shot an arrow and he’d forgotten how unpleasant it was to do without the proper guards.

Roger rolled his dark eyes heavenward. “Oh, for heaven’s sake. Must I drag it out of you?”

Henry glanced around at the others; they were too absorbed in their game to eavesdrop. “Thomasin found out. She wept.” He shook his head. “I’ve never seen her weep before.”

Roger frowned. “I would be surprised if she didn’t. I’ll bet she slept well after that. You know my sister Bedelia loves weeping. Tries to do it at least twice a week.”

Henry looked horrified. “Why?”

His friend shrugged. “She says it makes her feel better. Sleep better, too.”

Some girls could conjure tears on a whim. Henry hoped Bedelia was that sort of girl; otherwise, she’d have to think about all sorts of awful things and get worked up before the tears came. Henry sincerely hoped Roger and Bedelia’s eldest sister, Piers’s wife, didn’t cry like that.

He thought of Thomasin’s tears again. She wasn’t the sort who could cry on command. Nor did she cry when it was perfectly warranted.

“Twice a week is too much,” Henry said. “Twice a month, I’d understand. I’d weep if I bled that much, too.” He muttered the last part under his breath.

“So, how’s Thomasin today?” he asked, accepting the bow from Charlie. “Any better?” His arrow whizzed past the left side of Guy’s face.

“Haven’t seen her. She left this morning before I woke.” Henry aimed far to the left and his blunt arrow hit a tree and bounced off. “She doesn’t want me to see her grieving.” He sighed and passed the bow along. “I wish Simon were here. He would know what to do. He’s always been good with women.”

“Speaking of Simon and women,” Charlie chimed in, “I think Elaine’s ready to go fetch him and drag him back here herself.”

“We’ll have to find you a pretty Saxon woman next, Charlie,” Roger joked. Charlie cast him a glare almost identical to Thomasin’s. Roger and Henry were in stitches at that.

Charlie waited long enough for the laughter to turn to coughing before he spoke again. “I’d rather have you pull my teeth out.”

***

It was late afternoon when Thomasin came back to the rooms she shared with Henry. She kicked around in the mud with Mercia for a while before the girl’s governess found her and retrieved her. She gave Thomasin a good talking-to, calling her a bad influence on the child. She’d spent the rest of the day praying for Cerdic and the others on a stone bench in the gardens.

Henry was in a copper tub set before the fire, viciously scouring his scalp with his fingernails and a bar of soap. Kal dozed on the bed, his eyes half-open.

Henry knew Thomasin was there, even though his back was to the door, but he wouldn’t be the one to break the silence.

“I should not have said those things to you,” Thomasin said, looking anywhere but at Henry. She should probably add something else, something heartfelt, but nothing came to mind. “Will you forgive me?”

Henry leaned back in the tub and turned his head to see his wife. “Come here.” Thomasin shucked off her clothes and climbed into the tub, where Henry pulled her into his lap. He pressed her back against his chest and wound his arms around her waist. “I forgive you,” he murmured, holding her tight against him.

“You shouldn’t,” she muttered.

“But I do.” He brushed her hair away from her neck so he could kiss her neck.

Silence hung thick in the air. Say something, you fool! Thomasin screamed to herself. She groped for some sort of sentiment to express. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Henry sighed through his nose. He wasn’t disappointed, Thomasin knew, but he had wanted her to say something more.

She swallowed hard and apologized again. “I’m sorry.”

Henry let his hands roam over her body. “No more talk.”

***

Thomasin and her husband lay side by side in bed, their clothes strewn in clumps across the floor and their naked bodies glazed in perspiration.

“Lawrence said something to me,” she said thoughtfully.

Henry was ready to attack at the mention of his name. “What did he say?”

“He said that Roger prefers men to women.”

Roger’s proclivities were something of an open secret, but it was never discussed. He never volunteered any information, and his friends never asked for it. The church condemned homosexuality as unnatural and unforgivable, an affront to God. None of Roger’s friends condemned him, though. Those who knew and were disgusted didn’t spend time around him; they shunned him utterly. His family – the few members that suspected – pretended not to know.

“Don’t most men prefer other men, though?” asked Thomasin. “I am a woman and I prefer the company of other women. You are a man and you keep company with other men.”

“What exactly did Lawrence say?”

She didn’t want to tell him. She knew how he would react. “I asked him about what he did to that nobleman’s wife and daughters. This was when we were betrothed, you see, so I was within my rights to ask.” No woman had the right to ask that of a man, especially of Lawrence, but Thomasin had never let formalities stop her. “We discussed . . . Well, we agreed that soldiers often do terrible things to women during war.”

Anger flickered in Henry’s blue eyes. Lawrence had discussed rape with a woman? The fact that it was Thomasin was almost irrelevant; men simply did not speak of such things in the presence of a lady. It was deplorable. Vile.

Thomasin continued before he had a chance to truly react. “And I said that you and your brothers had never done such a thing and neither had Roger.”

That softened Henry a bit. Not only did she have complete faith in him and his family, but she defended them to others.

“What did Lawrence say?”

“He said that the men in your family were an anomaly – that it was unusual for soldiers not to . . . He said that Roger’s perversion swayed him from women to men, but I don’t know what that means.”

Henry sighed. Thomasin would figure it out eventually – sooner rather than later, he wagered – so why not tell her? “Lawrence meant that Roger is not drawn to women. That he takes men to his bed instead.”

Henry waited quietly for Tom’s reaction. Some vomited at the thought of two men together like that, but Henry didn’t think she would.

She was thinking very hard. “How . . . how does that – does it – do they – that is . . . Is it even possible for them to be together like husband and wife?”

“What do you mean?”

“They haven’t . . . they haven’t got the proper parts for it.”

Henry threw his head back and laughed.

“Why is that funny?”

He shook his head, still grinning.

“Aren’t you going to explain it to me?” she prompted.

“No.”

“Henry, that’s monstrously unfair of you. Husbands are meant to instruct their wives on the way of the world.”

“Not that way of the world.” He gave her a peck. “If you can guess how it’s done, I’ll tell you whether or not you’re right.”

“I’m not imaginative enough for that.” Thomasin frowned. “Will you at least give me a hint?”

Henry laughed again.

***

It was an ungodly hour. Everyone in the castle was asleep. Even the few guards posted in the halls and the entryways were nodding off. They woke to the sound of thundering horses and men’s shouts.

“Help us!”

The men were on their feet in an instant, spears raised. “Who goes there?!” one hollered into the darkness.

It was a moment before nine horses, each with two men on its back, came into view.

It was hard to see precisely what condition they were in as it was so dark, but it was clear the riders were in a bad way.

Three were slung over their horses like corpses, the men in the saddle behind each of them were at least partially armed, though only one of them looked entirely awake. On the other horses, where both men were well enough to sit up, their waists were tied together with thick cord; in case one of the riders lost consciousness, the other’s weight would keep him from falling.

“Help us!” another man shouted. “In the name of King William the Conqueror, help us!”

They were Normans, then. Half the guards rushed down to help the men as the others raised the alarm.

The chief guard was horrified when he was close enough to really see the men. They looked half-dead. One was missing an arm; another was slashed across the face starting deep in his now-empty eye socket and ending at his mangled ear. The weakest man, the one strewn across the first man’s lap, was too covered in bandages and blood for the guard to be sure he was still breathing.”

“Fetch every healer you can find,” the knight behind the dying man said. “Tell the king that Simon Cavill is here. And he’s gravely wounded.”

_________________________________________________________

Medieval Fun fact: William the Conquerer’s son William II is widely believed to have been gay.

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wizardingworld-imagines · 4 years

Text

Secrets - Draco Malfoy

Pairing - Draco Malfoy x fem!Reader

Requested? - Yes! by @actyourownfandom-23

Word Count - 2k

Warnings - Umbridge. Need I say more?

A/N - I’m so so sorry that this took so long, however I hope I made up for it with the length and that it was worth the wait :)

Draco and Y/N were drawn to each other. There was an immediate spark, like fireworks going on a celebratory event for new years. There were only a few problems with their flirtations. Y/N was born to muggle parents, growing up without any knowledge of the wizarding world, until the Hogwarts letter arrived through their letter box. They were cautious, thinking it was some kind of prank or joke, but they eventually realised the truth and sent Y/N off to her new school for the next 7 years. She was also sorted into Gryffindor after arriving at Hogwarts, and swiftly made friends with Harry, Ron and Hermione. At Hogwarts, she would discover that she would find friendships that would last lifetimes, and a romance which was found in the strangest of places.

Y/N and Draco had been together for just over a year. They started getting closer in Third Year, when she helped look after him when his arm was injured by a hippogriff, who Y/N later came to learn was called Buckbeak when she helped Harry and Hermione save him. At the beginning of Fourth Year, Draco and Y/N started meeting in secret, spending tender moments together and Y/N learnt who Draco truly was. He was only a boy, manipulated by his father into believing extremist views, without little choice of his own. He had his reputation as a school bully, something most people would be cautious of, but Y/N understood why he did it. He was trying to gain his father’s approval, something he so desperately wanted that he’d sacrifice anything else for it. He could have done so many incredible things during his time at Hogwarts, yet he wasted his years being servile to someone who would never respect him.

When Umbridge came to the school, tensions were high. Y/N and Draco could no longer meet as often as they liked to, and their relationship was deteriorating quickly. Luckily, they were paired up in potions, allowing them to spend some time together.

‘No, Draco, you’re doing it wrong!’ Y/N exclaimed, as Draco ignored the instructions for the Draught of Peace, blissfully unaware of the adverse side effects caused by one small misstep. Draco turned to face Y/N, annoyance evident in his voice as he spat

‘I don’t need help from a mudblood, I bet you don’t even know how to brew the potion’

Draco’s eyes widened as he realised what he said, shame evident on his features. To anyone else he wouldn’t have cared, but he just insulted Y/N, his secret girlfriend of over a year. She stared back at him, outraged that he would say such a thing to her, but she couldn’t react. This was what he was like to everyone. She knew it wasn’t who he wanted to be, but he had been conditioned to think this way. ‘It wasn’t his fault’, she would tell herself, ‘it’s due to his upbringing.’ But surely he was at an age now where he could make his own decisions? Surely he didn’t have to keep trying to earn the respect of a father who might never be proud of him?

Y/N noticed the shame in his eyes, something only she saw. Most other people thought it was some kind of enjoyment, that he was sadistic and cruel, but Y/N knew what that look upon his face meant. He was hurting inside too.

Unfortunately for the pair of them, Umbridge was making her rounds of the castle and heard the commotion from the potions classroom as she strolled the dungeon corridors. She burst her way into the room, directly looking at Y/N and Draco.

‘Y/L/N. Malfoy. My office. Now.’ she said, turning swiftly around and out of the doorway where she just entered. Snape sent an unamused look towards the bewildered pair, and sighed, waving his hand to let them go.

Nerves racked through both of them as they walked towards Umbridge’s office. They had heard, and seen, what kind of torture went on in there. They paced the halls as they hiked to what felt like the gallows, neither of them wanting to speak about what just happened. Draco sent Y/N a look of apology, hoping she knew that he didn’t mean what he said. Y/N understood, she responded by nodding and then taking his hand in hers as they climbed the staircase to the office together.

Moments later, they sat opposite Umbridge, hands now parted as to not raise suspicion. She lectured the two about what had happened, and let Draco go without punishment. He was part of her inquisitorial squad, of course. He hesitated, not wanting to leave Y/N alone, but he had no choice. Staying would have only caused more complications.

After Draco’s departure, Umbridge brought out the parchment and quill Y/N had heard so much about. She had seen the scars on the hands of other students, and tears started to accumulate in the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill at any moment. Umbridge brought the parchment to the desk, and Y/N looked up at her, doing her best to be unafraid of what is going to happen.

‘Now, you must write ‘I must not keep secrets’ until you understand ok? How about 50 times?’ She says, sitting back down at her desk. The room was garish, pink and covered in decorative items with cats on them. The room was torture for the eyes, let alone the physical pain Y/N was about to endure.

‘Excuse me, why must I write that? I’m not keeping any secrets’ Y/N asked, curiosity in her voice.

‘I see how you and Mr Malfoy look at each other, and I reckon you two are sneaking out to see each other, are you not?’

Y/N was dumbfounded. How did she know? Y/N couldn’t answer, she just hung her head lowly and that confirmed everything for Umbridge.

‘Well, get on with it then’ She said, her tone a mix of excitement and disgust. And Y/N started writing.

~~~~~~

Leaving Umbridge’s office, Y/N examined the back of her hand, noticing the words etched into her skin already beginning to scar. The tears that threatened to spill earlier came pouring out, a tsunami of tears flooding her eyes and trailing down her cheeks. She ran to the common room, hoping that it would be empty, however to her irritation it was packed full of people.

She tried pushing past the bodies in the room, wanting to just go to her bed and cry, but to no avail, she was spotted by Hermione.

‘Y/N! Where have you been, it’s been hours since anyone last saw you!’ She stated, panic apparent with every word that she spoke. She grabbed Y/N by the wrist, noticing the marks on her hand. She was outraged, she pulled Y/N towards Harry and Ron, who were residing on the couch by the fireplace.

‘Look what Umbridge did to Y/N!’ She exclaimed, revealing Y/N’s hand to the boys. They both read the words, confusion visible upon both of their expressions.

‘But, you haven’t got anything to hide, have you?’ Ron asks, looking at Y/N, giving her reassurance that if there is anything she could tell them.

‘Well, actually…’ she starts, not knowing if she should tell them. ‘They have a right to know, they’re your best friends.’ She tells herself, so she continues, not wanting to leave them waiting.

‘Actually, I have got a secret. I may be in a relationship’ Her intonation higher on the last words, demonstrating her nervousness.

‘With who?’ They all yell, gaining the attention of everyone in the room in their desperation to know.

Silence fills the common room, and what can only be described a a squeak comes out of Y/N’s mouth.

‘Draco’

Mouths drop to the floor, did she really just say his name? Everyone was astounded by this, Draco Malfoy, the infamous hater of muggle borns, Gryffindors and essentially anyone who existed.

The silence was deafening. Y/N didn’t know what to do. She acted upon her first instinct and raced towards the common room entrance, leaving as swiftly as she could. She went to the only place she could think of, the spot where the Draco and her met in the forbidden forest.

~~~~~

When she arrived, Draco was already there. He was mumbling to himself, something about being a terrible person and how cowardly he was for not staying to prevent whatever happened to Y/N. Oh his innocent Y/N.

Y/N approached quietly, trying to make out what he was saying. She could only catch words isolated from the rest of the sentence. The snapping of a twig underneath Y/N’s foot caused Draco to turn around dramatically,his wand drawn ready to hex whoever interrupted him in his solitude. Noticing that it was Y/N, he quickly put his wand away, rushing towards her. He clasped her hand tightly in his, and brought it up to his lips, kissing the scarred flesh.

‘There you are, I was starting to think she still had you in her office, I was debating whether I came back to rescue you from your captor’ He said, a smirk rising.

‘Draco, this isn’t the time for flirting, they know’

Seriousness washed over his face. ‘They definitely know?’ He asked, a lump forming in his throat.

‘Yes. I had to tell them. They wondered about what I was hiding and I’m so tired of keeping this secret. I know I should have asked you first but I just had to do it’ She responded, expecting him to be angry and wanting to leave her.

‘Ok’

‘Ok? That’s how you respond?’ She questions.

‘Well, they know now. And that’s ok. We can deal with that’

Y/N was astonished. Draco was ok with them knowing? He had wanted to hide things for so long, but now it’s suddenly ok?

She didn’t get an opportunity to speak when the sound of three pairs of feet, crunching the leaves below them, approached the couple.

Expecting something bad to happen, Draco instinctively pulls Y/N behind him, wanting to keep her safe from anything that could do them any harm. He only wishes he could have done the same back when they were in Umbridge’s office.

The faces of the trio peering back at them, Y/N steps out from behind Draco.

‘Hello’ Harry starts. ‘I know we reacted badly back there, but we came to apologise. It isn’t our place to judge who you date or choose to spend your time with and after consideration we would like to apologise for our actions’

Y/N smiled at them, her heart filling with warmth.

‘Now, this isn’t to say that we like you, Malfoy, however, we will tolerate you, for Y/N’s sake. But if you do anything to ever hurt her, you’ll have us to answer to. Ok?’ Harry finished his lecture, staring at Draco, making sure he understood what was being said.

Draco laughed at the thought of them confronting him, but he reassured them, ‘don’t worry, I wouldn’t dream of hurting Y/N’ Finishing his sentence by taking her hand in his.

‘Now, let's get back to the castle, dinner is about to start and if we’re missing without reason we’ll be in big trouble, let alone if they find us in the forbidden forest’ Hermione reminded them, as they began their walk back to Hogwarts. A place where they could be whoever they wanted to be, regardless of their family, their background, their actions. A place they truly called home.

#draco malfoy imagines #draco malfoy x reader #draco malfoy imagine #harry potter imagines #hp imagines #harry potter imagine

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controversial-ships-anyone · 3 years

Note

So, what and why do you like Jerry so much anyways??

You know, no one’s ever asked me that before, so this might take a bit of time for me to answer, just because I do have a lot of thoughts and feelings about why and what made him my favorite character.

I’ll try to keep this brief, but if I end up going a bit more in depth, I apologize in advance.

So, I guess the best place to begin is all the way back in season one. From his first appearance, I really liked him. Even when everyone else in the fandom hated him, he was always my favorite character. I think what originally drew me to him was that I could relate to him and saw some of myself in him.

Plus, I just really liked his whole personality in general, like his little quips (just to name a few of my favorites):

"Oh, look, honey, It's our son with Albert Ein-douche."

"You think you can control me with a haircut?"

"Have you ever tried to relax? It is a paradox!"

"No one is killing me until after I catch my wife with another man."

And I think, because he was my favorite, I tended to pay extra attention to his actions and dialogue, which caused me to notice a lot more about him than I think other fans might have picked up on.

I saw him for who he was: a father that was, and still is, trying his best.

As the show went on, watching him try to argue his case with Beth, trying to get her to understand that Rick is dangerous and he is the reason their family is in constant danger, only for him to be brushed off, verbally abused and hated for the simple goal of wanting his family to be safe, it really only cemented his position in my mind as someone who deserves to be happy and allowed to enjoy things without being ridiculed for them.

I will acknowledge, though, Jerry has made mistakes, he isn’t a perfect person, but out of everyone in the family (at least in the first two or three seasons), he’s the one who apologizes, who tries to make up for whatever he’s done wrong.

One of the best example I can think of off the top of my head is in “Something Ricked This Way Comes," (though that's definitely not the only time he's admitted he was wrong).

In said episode, Jerry realizes his mistake and feels awful for the way he treated Morty, to the point where he starts to cry. Instead of wallowing in self pity, instead of denying that he was at fault, he does what's right.

"Pluto is not a planet."

And even as he gets booed off stage, even as he gets things thrown at him and gets to a point where he is forcibly dragged away from the podium, he says he's wrong.

“I’m an idiot, and I love my son!”

Then, shortly after he gets tossed back home, he goes to Morty and apologizes, tells him that he shouldn't have made his own insecurities Morty's problem.

“Some people just can't handle the truth. Especially dummies like me. Morty, I'm not as smart as your grandpa Rick, but I promise never to make that your problem again."

Again, he's not perfect. He's made some bad mistakes, but like he's said so himself:

"I--I'm not an evil person. I'm lazy, I'm cowardly, and I do not know what I'm doing."

He's trying and that is something I admire most about him, because that's the best thing anyone in his position can do.

They might break something, make a bigger mess than they intended, but as long as they keep trying to fix it, no matter how long it takes, eventually, they'll get it back to how it's supposed to be.

Another reason I like him is because of how much he puts up with. All the constant blame for Beth's pregnancy as if he didn't stay with her and help her through it, as if he didn't also lose his own youth just as she had. All the verbal abuse he's dealt with:

"I don't give a fuck what you think, Jerry."

"Don't insult my father. He's the reason our kids are only half stupid."

"I started today, disgusted and embarrassed to be your son, and later I thought we were gonna die because you're a loser."

"Because if you move the bar so low, you might actually seem like your worth a fuck."

All the times his trauma was brushed off or played as a joke, never being acknowledged or appreciated no matter how much he tries, how much he does for the family.

So, yeah... that's why Jerry's my favorite character and why I like him so much!

That, and, honestly, he's the only character I would want to hang out with in real life, because I honestly feel like the other family members would be assholes.

#this was really fun to answer #thanks for the ask :D #rick and morty #rnm #jerry smith #beth smith #summer smith #morty smith #rick sanchez #ask answered #ask

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fantasyandromancelover · 4 years

Text

Shrek AU

This is another story idea I’m giving up because again I can’t write this for certain writers. Please let me know if there any writers who would write this.

The story takes place on earth instead of hell and demons are naturally born that way they are instead of just being human sinners in a past life. Same applies to angels and imps.

Alastor is a natural born demon who as a boy lived peacefully with his mother. Neither one of them ever harmed anyone but because they’re demons society is either feared or disgusted by them. When he’s still a child an angry mob kills his mother and he’s forced to run away from his home. He wanders around for sometime, looking for a new home and receives kindness from no one which he cannot understand. Then one day when a little girl attempts to show him a little compassion and befriend him, she is pulled away by her father who then shoos him off. When he tries to return something she dropped he overhears her father telling the girl that demons will always be hated, be seen as monsters, and that they will never ever be loved.

This causes Alastor to become reclusive and grow up to behave exactly how the people see him. Mean, dangerous, blood thirsty, and terrifying. He settles into a forest which is rumored to be haunted and remains there alone for the rest of his childhood. As an adult he fits the entire stereotype of a demon to a T however some of his real self does stay with him such as being a good cook and having a love of literature and the arts. Despite being alone he seems content until he ends up accidentally saving Angel Dust a spider demon who won’t leave him alone much to his irritation which is furthered when a bunch of other demons, imps, and angels are exiled to his forest.

He learns from them that they were banished here my Vox a human and ambitious regent who harbors hatred for all non human beings. After begging and pleading they finally convince Alastor to somehow convince Vox to let them return to their homes and he reluctantly brings Angel along because he has no idea where Vox lives. Vox at the moment is seeking to expand his reign and gain control of the kingdom of King Lucifer and Queen Lilith but to that he would have to marry thir daughter and only child Princess Charlotte “Charlie” who years ago was locked away in a heavily secured tower and guarded by her appointed guardian the moth demon Vagatha “Vaggie.” Vox being a pathetic cowardly type decides to send someone to retrieve her.

When he hears about Alastor’s reputation he decides to send him to rescue Charlie in exchange for having the forest cleared up. Alastor and Angel Dust end up rescuing the seemingly human Princess Charlie but she’s applaud to find that her rescuer is a demon but she ends up going with them when he carries her off by force. When it gets late Charlie insists that they stop for camp and that she have a private area to sleep in. Though suspicious of why she makes these requests, they comply just to keep her from going off.

Alastor acts like Charlie’s treatment doesn’t bother him and says that he’s used to it but at night Angel Dust finally gets him to confess his past with humans and how they killed his mother, terrorized him throughout his childhood, and have always judged him before they even knew him. Charlie over hears this and she feels terrible about how she treated him. In the morning Charlie completely changed her attitude and starts to behave friendly like to the boys much to their confusion.

When they start their journey they encounter exorcists who attempt to kill Alastor and Angel Dust but Charlie having been trained in hand to hand combat manages to knock them all out which impresses Alastor and the two start to develop an attraction as she tries to remove a blessed blade from Alastor’s side. Later they both discover that they both suffered through sad childhoods and as they try to explain which one of them had the worst Alastor let’s it slip that only one person ever showed him kindness was that little girl who dropped something that he’s kept with him all these years. Charlie recognizes Alastor’s keepsake and reveals to him that she was that little girl which shocks all three of them. Continuing on to Vox’s kingdom, Alastor and Charlie discover that they have a lot more in common than they realize, sharing a passion for literature and the arts and soon they fall in love which doesn’t go unnoticed by Angel Dust.

At night when Charlie goes off somewhere to sleep alone, Angel attempts to get Alastor to confess how he feels to which he denies his feelings. So then Angel tries to get Charlie to confess but discovers that she has changed into a demon. She tearfully reveals to him that her father King Lucifer was once a demon but he took a potion that changed him into a human so he could marry her human mother Lilith. But the potion’s effects couldn’t change Lucifer’s demonic blood so Charlie was born half human half demon. By day she was human but by night she was a demon and she would remain that way until she finds true love’s first kiss. She also reveals that her father was so desperate to keep anyone from finding out that he was once a demon that he had her locked away in that tower as a child.

As they talk Alastor decides to tell Charlie he loves her but over hears their conversation. He hears Charlie refer to someone as “A hideous freak of nature that no one could ever love.” And assumes she’s talking about him, he’s hurt and storms off. Angel tries to convince her to tell Alastor the truth about herself and how she really feels but she refuses thinking that no one could ever accept her and has Angel swear the whole thing to secrecy. In the morning when Charlie is human again she changes her mind and tries to talk to Alastor but he refuses to speak to her due to his misunderstood feelings.

Vox arrives and proposes to Charlie. Though she does not like him she accepts due to her desperation to break the curse and requests that they marry before sunset. Alastor then leaves Angel but not before cruelly and unjustifiably telling him off and returns to his forest which has now been cleared out. Despite getting what they “Always wanted” both Alastor and Charlie are miserable and heartbroken. Angel having had enough of Alastor’s stubbornness angrily confronts him and manages to talk some sense into him by telling him that Charlie wasn’t referring to him as the unloveable freak of nature. The two make up and with help from Vaggie who Angel befriended (or romancized which ever direction the author wants to go with.) The three of them manage to jack a vehicle (Vaggie knocks out the driver) and go down to where the wedding is being held.

Alastor interrupts the wedding before Vox and Charlie can kiss and apologizes to her. He tries to confess but gets a little tongue tied however it’s obvious how he feels to everyone and Vox cruelly mocks Alastor for his feelings. Torn between true love and breaking the curse Charlie is stuck. When the sun sets she reveals her secret to Alastor and turns into a demon in front of everyone which causes a surprised Alastor to understand what he overheard. Outraged and disgusted by the both of them Vox orders Alastor to be killed and Charlie to be locked back in the tower. However he is killed by Vaggie and Angel but they don’t suffer any consequences because no one liked Vox to begin with. Alastor and Charlie profess their love and share a kiss, which lifts the curse curse. Charlie assumes “love’s true form” as the curse predicted and remains a demon permanently. No longer believing she is beautiful, Charlie is consoled by Alastor, who tells her she always has been. They get married in the forest surrounded by all the demons, imps, and angels and leave on their honeymoon.

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liana0110 · 4 years

Text

FluffyNight - Beauty and the Beast

Written by @roku-mtg (read the original in Vietnamese on Wattpad here)

Translated by me (but it was my first translation from Vietnamese to English so Roku help me editing it)

From translator: This is a gift from Roku on my birthday, I really enjoyed it and decided to translate it into English. This is my first time I tried to translate a story from Vietnamese to English so it may have some mistakes. Hope you will enjoy it.

From writer: I’m not a big fan of neither Dreamtale nor FluffyNight so the characters can be ooc at some point. Thank you for reading.

Ccino gazed her eyes through the window, wistfully staring at the white snow. The window was huge, unlike the old door at her house, though, those cramped feelings still hung on her head.

Ccino suddenly missed her kittens, her chubby and fluffy kittens. It's been days that she hadn't cleaned up her house, coffee beans stayed ungrounded, and her little shop was still closed. Her kittens could probably find food by themselves, they looked fat, but they are smart one. She'd just wished to see them. She longed the scent of coffee, of sugar and milk, the excitement in her coffee shop when villagers came to enjoy her drink.

She sighed. The boredom hadn't gone away, making her yawn.

"Yawning like that in my castle, how graceless are you.”

Getting caught by all sudden, Ccino was a bit embarrassed. She immediately recognized that scary deep voice. She turned around and saw Nightmare standing next to to door, crossing his arms. He got a strange expression on his face, but Ccino was sure he'd just wanted to tease her.

Three days ago, she came visit Nightmare. Abruptly, a snowstorm arised and covered the castle with a white and thick blanket. Since then, snow had been falling nonstop, not letting her go home. She could only wonder if her house was swamped in the snow.

"Haha, was that too savage?" Ccino shrugged, let out a small laughter.

Nightmare smiled, slowly came by her side and sat down.

"You like staring into nothing, huh?" He asked, pulling Ccino into his arms.

Nightmare couldn't simply leave the castle and his servants. Plus, Ccino never wished to quit her coffee shop. Thus, they decided to visit each other after work, usually it was Nightmare. The villagers were scared of him, still. Nevertheless, he didn't find it matters, and would visit her anytime he liked.

"It reminds me the past." She let her body relaxed, surrounded by Nightmare's tentacles.

Nightmare's curse is eternal, everlasting, even if he found the true love, he remained the same form of a beast. Though, Ccino seemed to prefer it to a happy ending, he's a big guy, and his tentacles were much useful, they helped her make coffee and clean up the shop.

Their story was a bit different from the told fairy tale, however it didn't bother Ccino even a single bit.

"The past... my apology." Nightmare felt into contemplation, caressing Ccino's back.

Ccino smiled softly, shook her head with tenderness.

"It's okay now."

"But... I mean, I locked you in this castle just because I was selfish and cowardly…."

"Cheer up, Nights! The past is the past, I'm here with you!"

Ccino violently patted him back, making him startled. Finding discomfort in it, he rolled his eyes.

"Also... It has been a long time."

"... just a year."

"That's long enough! It is enough for a coffee harvest and a bunch of kitten' litters".

"You..." Nightmare didn't know to say anything. If it was before, he would get so mad, he would yell at everyone and tore everything apart.

Ccino hummed happily when looking at her tamed beast. She may can't be so charming and talented as Belle, he may stay in this disgusting beast form forever, but that was all enough for their happy ending. Ccino felt like having the most arrogant, cockiest cat snuggled around her feet.

She leaned closer to Nightmare, she soon found herself drowsy. Nightmare's already got used to it, she dozed off while working all the time.

Ccino yawned again.

"How impolite."

"I do what I like!" She jokingly snapped back.

"You do what you like. Just sleep, I will carry you to the bed later."-Nightmare leaned closer, wrapped his tentacles around Ccino.

"Don't forget, okay?"

"I swear."

"As I recall, your swear isn't so trustworthy." Ccino remembered the time Nightmare promised to take her brother back home safely, but eventually threw him out the castle with a horse. Unbelievably, even the servants were surprised, he agreed to free Ccino's brother, and she had to stay here in exchange.

"You can't shut your mouth for a single second, can you?" Nightmare hissed, though his voice remained hoarsely.

"Probably so..."-She lost her strength, falling into sleep.

Nightmare glanced at his love sleeping peacefully in his arms, didn't realize a brief smile appeared on his cold face. Ccino was a miracle, trapped in this doomed place. She met him, made friends with him, read books for him, even loved him. Nightmare always feared he didn't deserve to have someone wonderful and beautiful like her stay by his side. Thus, he was trying, trying every day to finally find himself deserve her love.

Ccino jolted from sleep by the rushing stiff breeze and the shouting of the villagers with torches and axes in their hands. She was staggered, realizing she was on the roof of the castle.

"Nightmare!? Nights!!"-Ccino yelled in panic, suddenly remembered all of this.

Just as she thought, a grievous scream sorely ripped off the atmosphere.

It felt like something had pierced her heart. The Beast was screaming in agony, his tentacles began to upheave from his back, knocking Gaston out of the roof.

Nightmare fell and lied down motionlessly right in front of her eyes.

"Nightmare? Why...? Please... don't...." Ccino fell down to her knees, completely forgot reality. It was like she had to lived in worst memory once again.

"I'm glad that... I could see you again... Ccino." Nightmare said with his eyes shut, the breathes started to feel heavier and gradually separate from each other.

"Nightmare, I..."

Before she managed to speak, the last apple fell down to the ground.

She was too late.

Nightmare died, in the body he hated, from a life filled with sorrow and despair. All those years, he had accepted to live with loneliness, although the servants were always with him. Ccino came to his dark world with the stars and moon. She taught him to be a friend, to love, to show mercy, to control his anger.

She taught him to give it away, completely opposite from his selfishness he long had.

Yet till the end, it wasn't the curse that killed him, it was her. Ccino put her hand on Nightmare's chest.

"I love you, Nightmare."

She hold her beloved one in her arms, but she couldn't find any heartbeat.

Ccino woke up, her eyes were filled with tear, Nightmare used a warm towel wiped them away.

"Awake already?" He noticed her eyes staring at him was swollen from crying.

"... it was a terrible dream..." Ccino sighed in relived. She was brought back to reality. Both of them were in Nightmare's room.

"Oh? Want to tell me about it? By the way, the snow is starting to melt, you can probably leave tomorrow." He put the towel on the table. Ccino can feel the sadness in his voice.

"I dreamt you died."

"That's a very consice story—"

"Died in pain! Screeching! Because Gaston stabbed you!"

"Well, yes, but—" "

"Just thinking of it make my heart crash. I couldn't even say a word, and the last apple had already fallen!"

"You surely know the truth is—"

"Then I hold your body in my arms... weird dream... Ha ha..."

Nightmare quietly waited for Ccino to finish, but he found nothing else. He came closer to hug her tightly, making both fell into the bed.

"Ccino, everything is real."

"How do you know?"

"...do you want to know?"

Nightmare laid his body onto Ccino's and let their lips meet. His tentacles reached the lamp and shut it off.

The happy ending for "beauty and the beast" was already in her hand.

Maybe Ccino would stay here a little longer.

Nightmare belongs to @jokublog

Ccino belongs to @black-nyanko

#fluffynight #nightmare #ccino #fluffynight4life #beauty and the Beast #fanfiction #birthday gift #love you roku

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periminkle · 4 years

Text

Orphic | 03

After moving into your own place, it seems life is finally going your way; the path to independence leading you to a quaint suburban town where even the grass seems to grow a little greener. Although a shocking encounter leads you to believe that perhaps appearances can be quite deceiving.

pairing: hybrid!jk x reader (first person)

genre: hybrid au, angst, fluff

word count: 8.0k

rating: pg-15

warnings: swearing, people throwing up, death, mentions of harming test subjects, ANIMAL ABUSE

author’s note: hahaha no it hasn’t been almost a month since i uploaded the last chapter, what are you talking about ?? this was also supposed to be the second half of chapter two before i got carried away and added an extra 8k to it,,, anyway eNJOY

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A few days had passed since word broke of Taemin’s death. With his absence, there was a substantial lack of cells to study, thus granting loads of free time to brood over said jaguar cub.

Knowing he would eventually leave prepared me for a mild episode of dejection, but nothing could compare to the aching gap left from his passing. Despite having known the little guy for only a short month or so, he was my stress reliever, coaxing a tender smiles after a day’s worth of drudgery with his endearing behaviour. He was the spark that fuelled my growing bond with the only decent people I could find here.

Moreover, he spent the last couple months of his life caged, muzzled and treated atrociously, as if he was the beast. I pushed back tears for the umpteenth time.

My head jerked backwards as a tissue was abruptly shoved in my face. “Do you want me to get another box?” Yoongi’s rough voice permeated the sniffles I tried to hold back and I buried my face deep into my arms, closing my eyes and trying to even out my staggered breath.

In my grief I pushed everyone away, disgusted with even my own lack of ability to protect the one faultless being that was ripped out of my grasp much too soon. Bereavement blinded me, leaving me unable to distinguish friend from foe and as a result, I cast them all out.

Unknowingly, I reverted to the mindset that I had hoped to leave behind in the city, where there was no one to turn to when everything spiralled out of control. Blaming others for my own shortcomings opened my eyes to just how cowardly I was, losing myself in a labyrinth of my own self-loathing.

It was lonesome, to say the least.

But they’d never left my side, much to my initial displeasure. Either Namjoon or Yoongi constantly shadowed my inhospitable self, from the office to the lab tables, going as far as waiting outside the bathrooms for me. I angrily confronted each one about the evident stalking on numerous occasions, yet Namjoon would insist that he was worried about my well-being and Yoongi claimed he was simply headed the same way.

By the second day, I caught on to their schedule of routinely swapping babysitting duties at around the second and third hour mark. I attempted to find some respite and solace by escaping to the break room once, when I knew both assistants had already taken their respective time off for the day. Foolishly, I believed that I’d finally evaded the duo’s clingy tactics.

However, before I could bask in my newfound solitude, Jin’s lethargic form made an appearance. True to his overbearing, fatherly instincts, he placed a homemade sandwich on the coffee table in front of me and lectured me on skipping meals.

Even without acknowledging my mistreatment towards them lately, I knew the three of them were empathetic enough to chalk it up to my process of mourning. Nonetheless, the immeasurable guilt I felt had accumulated over the abundance of time I had to reflect on my actions. Enough hours had been allotted to sulking and after a full day’s worth of encouraging, internal pep talks, I mustered up the courage to put effort towards amending my wrongdoings.

The screech of wheels rolling against the smooth tiles of the floor elicited the roll of his name off my lips. “Yoongs.” Intrigued by the lack of a hostile tone present in my voice, I felt his gaze flit to my hunched frame. The fact that I didn’t even have to lift my head to feel his eyes softening at the vexing nickname stuck a fresh layer of shame to my skin. “’M sorry.”

With my face practically burrowed into the sleeve of my lab coat, the apology came out muffled and barely audible, though I was met with the thoughtful, low timbre of Yoongi’s hum. “And, I know it’s no excuse, but everything has just been a lot lately.”

Regardless of my verbal atonement, the blonde man continued on his path out of the office, evident by the creak of his weight shifting off the chair and the following footsteps that drifted farther away.

I belatedly lifted the heavy weight of my head off of my arms, vacantly staring at the doorway that Yoongi had just passed through. Before I knew it, his unusually lively form lumbered back inside, two brightly patterned tissue boxes in hand. “What a crybaby.”

The corners of my lips tugged upwards for the first time in the past few days. It was a welcome development.

One down, two more to go.

With a single reconciliation under my belt, repeating the same process with Namjoon went a lot smoother than expected. I sought him out after my healthy banter with Yoongi ceased, eager to successively rectify all the relationships I’d bruised. “Don’t stress about it; honestly we deserve a cold shoulder for the trouble we’ve caused you. Yoongi probably depleted over half your stash of beer all on his own.”

The drinking tolerance of those boys was well beyond my comprehension. Although my house was completely out of the way home for all of them, I could only assume that it was sheer obstinacy impelling them to commonly stop by my house to wind down after a typically harsh day.

Lifting my head from the microscope that held samples of Doshik’s DNA, the resident blue tang speedily running laps in the tank, I peeked over at Namjoon’s dark hair, ruffled from the strap of his goggles. “I don’t mind. All I’m saying is that if I ever run out of stock, you guys are going to have to bring your own drinks.”

“C’mon Y/N, don’t be like that. Restocking your liquor every once in a while is nothing compared to our company right?” The appearance of his endearing dimples brought me back to the times I magically woke up in my bed after drinking my problems away with them the night before, the days they sent me home early because I yawned one too many times or all the snacks I strangely picked out of my bag ever so often.

I raised one teasing brow, crossing my arms and leaning back in the incommodious, metal chair. “Once in a while? With the rate that you guys are going, I would have to go to the store every other day.”

“Like I said, mainly Yoongi’s fault.” His deft fingers switched to a higher lens before continuing, “But really, you’ve got to confide in us, alright? I think we’re past the stage of ‘I want nothing to do with you when my shift is over.’”

It seemed like another weight had been lifted off my shoulders from the unexpected, forgiving nature of both men despite having every reason to be peeved at my churlish attitude as of late. Before I could formulate a response, Namjoon added, “Are you feeling better?”

I wasn’t sure how to respond to his question when I was just as clueless about my own welfare. But, I disregarded the notion of lying or concealing anything from them, as they’d relentlessly proven their loyalty and concern for me on more than one occasion.

“I’m not sure yet, Joon. I think I need some more time.” I covertly swapped out my microscope slide for the one sitting next to the unsuspecting man, intent on decreasing his workload, even if only by the slightest bit. “I’m glad that I have you guys, though. Thanks for dealing with my grumpy ass.”

I couldn’t help the curve in my lips when his impish gaze finally met mine, evidently content with my candour. “To be honest with you, Yoongi told me about your apology, so I was kind of expecting it.”

My jaw dropped in betrayal. “He told you?”

“Mhm, said that you could practically refill Doshik’s tank with the amount of tears you shed.”

“Wha—how could he, this guy!” Contrary to the clear exasperation in my tone, a wide grin revealed my true feelings. “Then he says that Jin exaggerates all his stories.”

A hearty chuckle escaped him. “Well, at least we know where Yeri got it from. Do you remember the last time she came to the lab?” I couldn’t repress my own chortle at the memory, the onslaught of laughter provoking a sudden cramp in my stomach that I uselessly pressed my palm against, attempting to quell the overactive muscles. “She swindled me out of twenty bucks by crying about Jin throwing out all of her toys!”

With a flaming red flush to my cheeks, I struggled to get a sentence past my quivering lips. “You can’t even blame the kid,” I temporarily regained my breath and continued, “you’re just too gullible.”

“Hey!” He pouted at the remark, jabbing a gloved digit into my side as a form of retaliation. The blow to my ribs induced a high-pitched squeak out of me and my hand darted to the sore spot in an attempt to block any further attacks. “Have you ever been on the end of those puppy dog eyes? You can’t just do nothing, it’s basically witchcraft.”

“Yes, yes, Jin taught her too well.” I attempted to placate the threatening fingers that hung in the air, poised for another stab if need be.

Namjoon bobbed his head in agreement, seemingly pleased with my answer as brought his attention back to the chromosomes in front of him. “Have you had time to go see him?”

“Ah, no, not yet. He’s the last one I have to pour my soul out to.”

In the comfortable silence that ensued, I found myself recalling the vile confrontation from a few days back. Truth be told, my mind regularly drifted to Hyunho’s harsh words whenever an empty lull emerged within my headspace, which was the exact reason I enjoyed keeping myself occupied as of late. The echo of the wretched man declaring Taemin’s passing was the predominant focus of my flashbacks, but a particular fragment of the rest of his spiel stuck out to me as well—the mention of a tiger cub. “Hey, Joon?”

No doubt noticing the change in my tone, Namjoon fixed his stare on my fragile countenance once more, holding my gaze. Only then did I realize that I was unconsciously craving the sincere reassurance locked away beneath those brown specks, similar to a wailing newborn falling silent at being held in its mother’s embrace.

“Did you know?” The question spilled from my lips before I could process it.

Even with the lack of context, the adept assistant instantly shook his head. “No. No, I didn’t.” My gut twisted as he redirected his stare, trapping his lower lip between his unforgiving teeth in thought. “I still don’t really know. I’ve heard bits and pieces from some gossiping researchers that talk too loud, but I haven’t gotten enough to piece everything together. Hoseok said that they recently found the test subject they’d lost a while ago.”

Sincerity undoubtedly rang within each syllable of Namjoon’s voice. After a speedy internal debate, I unloaded all the horrendous secrets that I’d uncovered, from the initial suspicion I harboured to the folder in Jin’s office, and finally to the mutated PDE6C gene. The hardly intelligible speech all raged past my lips much like word vomit and my knee began to briskly bounce up and down from the massive influx of emotions.

“Hey, hey, calm down,” Namjoon said softly, stretching one lengthy limb out to rub soothing circles onto my back. “Let’s go slow, hm?”

I concentrated on the gentle touch that now rested on my shoulder, schooling my breath before continuing, “I need to help them. I can’t stand around, watching Hyunho and Minzi do whatever they want with no repercussions. These are lives they’re ruining.” Feeling myself getting heated again, I twiddled the tips of my fingers to keep my head level and busy. “It’s not just about Taemin anymore, think about it. This can’t be the first time a lab animal has been ‘tested on’ and died of ‘natural causes’ or whatever excuses they’ve been using.”

I didn’t catch the recognition flashing in Namjoon’s eyes, but his silence drove me to release the thoughts that had been stewing around my conscience for a while now. “Hyunho said that they’re bringing in a new cub right? We can’t let the same thing happen to him. We have to protect the animals in this lab, Joon.”

“I know how you feel, but there isn’t much we can do when they take the animals away to perform their tests.” As he saw me open my mouth to butt in, he interjected, “Trust me, we’ve tried. I’m pretty sure that the only reason we’re still around is because Jin keeps vying for us despite all the ruckus we’ve made.”

“We can’t just sit around and do nothing though! Have you been in the break room lately? Have you heard their screams? Joon, there’s something in there. Even now, they’re probably torturing some poor, undeserving animal.” In my determination, I grabbed the lapels of Namjoon’s pristine, white lab coat. “We have to save it.”

“We don’t even have a key card, Y/N,” Namjoon protested, his tone of voice still low and gentle, imploring me to understand the more rational side of the nonsense I was spewing. “And even if we did, the second we barge in there the cameras will spot us and we’ll be fired immediately. No matter how persuasive Jin can be, he won’t be able to save us from that. Then there’s really going to be nothing we can do to help them.” He hung his head in resignation. “At least we can make their last days somewhat enjoyable. At least from here we can wait for an opening, a chance for us to catch them in the act when they inevitably slip up one day.”

My brows pulled upwards in my distress, bringing my head closer in an attempt for Namjoon to see my desperation. “And how long is that going to take? Weeks? Months? Years? When do we put our foot down?”

His features softened and I already knew that I wouldn’t like whatever he was going to say next. “If we don’t act logically, we won’t be able to save anything.”

My jaw clenched, but I knew he had a point.

A sigh escaped his distraught form. “Go eat something and cool your head. We’ll talk more when you get back.”

In my defence, I had made my way to the break room like Namjoon suggested, nearly settling down with one of the many homemade sandwiches Jin left in the fridge—but not even five minutes passed before torturous whimpers of pain filled my ears. The pile of carbohydrates in front of me suddenly didn’t seem quite as appetizing.

In order to restrain my impulsive self from further digging my own grave, I mercilessly gnawed away at my lip, repeating Namjoon’s warnings like a sacred mantra in my head. When the dull taste of metal hit my tongue, I quickly placed the meal back where I found it and scurried out of the agonizing space as fast as my legs would carry me.

Rather than providing relief though, I found that every step weighed heavier than the next. I felt the toll both physically and emotionally. No matter how much distance I put between myself and the tormented creature, I wasn’t able to escape the distressed cries that echoed throughout my skull, perpetually bounding from one end to another.

My plan was to drown out any nonsensical thoughts with the lengthy sequence to Doshik’s yellow tail.

However, it was foolish to believe that I would be able to concentrate on the chromosomes in the petri dish. I couldn’t focus on properly setting up the gel electrophoresis, forgetting to dig out small wells in the agarose gel and even incorrectly attaching each end of the power source, mixing up the spots for the cathode and anode. At this point, I had to restart the whole project.

My annoyance was made vocal by the groan of frustration slipping past my mouth, though there wasn’t anyone around to witness my theoretical fall into insanity. After a few beats, attributable to the pads of my gloved fingers drumming against the lab bench, I gave in to my curiosity and concern.

I wish I hadn’t.

A quick search on the computer in Namjoon and Yoongi’s office brought up the history of the animals that had been kept at this laboratory at one point in time or another. I was revolted at the sheer number of predators who had spent their last breath here.

Dread filled my gut at the upcoming arrival of the tiger cub. I knew I could no longer heed Namjoon’s words, no matter how sensible and pragmatic they were in comparison to my own faulty logic. But to tune it all out, live in ignorance and deal with countless other innocent mammals meeting the same tragic fate as Taemin—no, I would protect anything within my reach, no matter the cost.

Although I could never fight off all the monsters of this world, I hoped to have enough power to at least change one innocent being’s life.

And that would start with whatever they’d hidden away upstairs.

With this new mission in mind, my once empty days became filled to the brim with organizing a brilliant plot, often sacrificing hours of my sleep to continue planning and ensuring every aspect was foolproof. It took self-restraint that I wasn’t aware I was capable of in order to not burst in behind Minzi whenever she threw that smug smile at me before entering with her keycard; though I knew that plan wasn’t beneficial to the animal inside. Hence, I clenched my fists and dug the soles of my runners deeper into the ground whenever I thought of it’s tortured wails.

Just a little longer.

Despite familiarizing myself with the tone of the screeches that constantly resonated in my mind, I still couldn’t place the species the groans belonged to. It didn’t necessarily matter, but I was starting to run on the blind hope that they would be similar in size to Taemin, who I could easily carry in my grasp. In case, I also hid one of the carts used around the lab to transport loads of spot plates and test tubes, emptying it of all equipment and sanitizing the sides in case of any lingering, harmful chemicals.

After many long, strenuous hours of devising strategies and avoiding suspicious eyes, the day of the crime was finally upon me. Throughout the day, I used my precise notes to shift the angle of each camera slightly when I found myself alone, just so I could sneak past without showing up in frame.

I even headed upstairs to finally visit Jin, not having found the chance to properly apologize to him yet. The opportunity wasn’t wasted though, as I scoped out the cameras in the dim hall and nudged them over to the side as well. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t be able to deal with those inside the torture chamber itself, but I would cross that hurdle when it came down to it.

Hopefully, the all-black guise I prepared would cover any distinguishable features amidst the shadows of the night.

I was nearing the end of my extensive plan, the only step remaining being the act of acquiring a key card, grimacing as I thought about resorting to the horrible decision of swiping that which belonged to Jin. Ironic, really, considering that the whole reason I was going to see him was to atone for my previous behaviour, yet I was planning to nab his keycard within the same breath.

That aspect of my plot was at a standstill, as I’d never gotten a glimpse of said object in Jin’s office or on his person. I was stumped, beginning to believe that he didn’t have access to the lab upstairs. But his position as assistant director must surely give him such privileges, right?

As I was about to enter Jin’s office, prepared to snoop around a bit with the excuse of looking for Doshik’s file for concerns about his unusual allergy to something within the tank’s water, I spotted Eunmi, the snotty receptionist, striding past my frozen form.

She plucked the notorious keycard out from an inside pocket near her chest, holding it against the reader as my eyes practically bulged out of their sockets. Unperturbed by my blatant shock, she adjusted the pile of folders squeezed within her hold and strolled in.

A huge grin split across my face as I formulated my next steps. Instead of carrying on to my original destination, I changed my route to head off to the front entrance, patiently waiting for Eunmi’s return. I could push off Jin’s apology for a little later.

After about half an hour had passed, I spotted Eunmi gracefully slide back behind the towering desk, which concealed everything but the crown of her head. The loud clicking of the keyboard filled the silence.

Typical.

“Ah, Eunmi!” I briskly walked towards her, meeting those sharp eyes for a fraction of a second before they flickered back to the monitor in front of her. “I don’t see you around very often, how have you been lately?”

“Cut the small talk newbie, I’ve got work to do,” she sneered.

I clenched my jaw, refusing to allow her words to affect my deceptive, cheery disposition as I asked, “I was wondering if you’d like to get a drink with me tonight? Y’know, since I’ve been here a couple weeks and we haven’t gotten a chance to know each other yet!”

“Sorry, too busy,” Eunmi asserted, flicking a strand of strawberry blonde hair behind her shoulder. It seemed to be one of her many annoying habits that ticked me off.

Slapping my flattened palm against the shiny surface of the desk, I leaned back slightly and threw out my bait. “Ah, that’s too bad. I wanted to treat you out tonight, but I guess you’ve got too much work, huh...”

Hook.

She hummed in thought. “Time and place?”

Line.

“Bar two blocks away, eight-thirty?”

Eunmi raised a single, defined brow. “Nine. Your treat?”

I confirmed with a nod as her lips curled, displaying a pink lipstick mark on her front tooth.

Sinker.

Precisely a quarter before nine, the gentle creak of wood followed the twist of the doorknob to the assistant researchers’ lab. Jin’s drooping countenance peeked through the crack he created, fixating a mock glare on my busy hands. “That’s enough, Y/N. You can pick it up tomorrow.”

Despite the multitude of gel electrophoresis equipment scattered around me from the past few hours spent slaving away, most of that time was allocated to finalizing the nitty-gritty details for tonight. Honestly, analyzing DNA became second nature to me by now, creating space within my mind to freely cogitate due to the lack of deliberation the task required.

I swivelled around in Yoongi’s chair, facing the evidently fatigued man. “I’m almost done with this sequence though, give me ten?”

He let loose an excessive groan of frustration at being unable to retire for the day, tousling his unkempt locks before collapsing on the worn down bench in front of Namjoon’s desk. I hummed a catchy melody as I continued to scribble down the results from each experiment.

“Now that I have you all to myself,” I gingerly began, stealing a glance at Jin’s unmoving form, “I wanted to properly apologize for everything.”

He raised his arms to cushion his skull against the tough surface, which I took as a sign to continue. “Yoongi might have already told you about my poor attempts to make amends with everyone and I haven’t had the opportunity to sit down with you yet so,” I paused, taking a second to inhale and gather my thoughts, “better late than never, right?

“I shouldn’t have turned my back on you guys when all you do is look out for me,” I sincerely confessed. “I guess I took advantage of how comfortable I felt around you, but I realize that it was unacceptable to treat you as my friend when we’re at work and you’re acting as my boss. I crossed a line and I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to conduct myself accordingly at work.”

A few minutes of devastating silence trickled by. My mind was whirring with all the possibilities of Jin’s next actions; whether he would flip out and rage, simply march back out the door or if he’d fallen asleep and hadn’t heard a word I said. Unsurprisingly, when I turned around I was met with the tranquil sight of Jin’s relaxed frame, soft snores circulating in the office.

I swerved over to him, the squeak of the old chair screeching horribly against the tiles of the floor. “Hey, Jin. How about you go home and I’ll make sure to lock up, hm?”

His eyes fluttered open into slits and I could see the gears whirring in his half-conscious state. To seal the deal, I threw out a cheeky smile; one that I knew he couldn’t resist. “Alright, fine. You just,” he was interrupted by a hefty yawn overtaking his speech, “you just need to lock this door and the main entrance. Everything else is already taken care of.”

My eyes lit up at the sight of his keys and I let out a hum in acknowledgement at his instructions, attempting to curb any suspicion.

Jin’s tall stature towered over me when he pushed off on the balls of his feet, standing up to his full height. “And you didn’t need to apologize, Y/N.” My jaw went slack at his confession of having heard my whole spiel and I had to strain my ears in order to pick up the quiet mumble of, “I should be the one begging for forgiveness anyway.”

Before I had the chance to process his words, much less time to compose a well-thought-out response, he brushed past me and discarded the shiny metal on top of my pad of paper. The revving of a car engine came to life, headlights beaming through the window to the left as he sped away.

Although I could have spent much too long trying to decipher the hidden meaning behind Jin’s bewildering statement, the clock was ticking. Ten minutes remained to clean everything up, change outfits, lock both the office and the front door, then book it to the bar.

Prancing through the flashy entrance with mere seconds to spare, I registered the reality that I might have missed a minute detail in my intricate scheme. Whereas the individuals loitering around appeared as though they’d just come from a fashion show, I felt severely underdressed in the tight jeans and oversized sweater I’d worn to work that morning.

The place was relatively empty, seeing as the night had yet to begin. Nevertheless, I made my way over to the bar stools where I saw Eunmi with a glass in her hand.

“Eunmi!” After a closer look, I took in the wine coloured body-con she slipped on, complimenting her dyed hair well. But from the forced smile she plastered on, I could tell she hadn’t discovered that lipstick mark from earlier.

“You didn’t go home and change?” She pointed out once I was within earshot, her awkward grin morphing into her mundane scowl. Oddly, I felt more at ease with her evident displeasure than her amiable facade.

I glanced down at my attire with a slight shrug and pretended to dust off non-existent wrinkles.

“Tonight’s on you, so let’s start off strong, hm?” If the stench wafting off from her breath was anything to go by, I presumed that she commenced her own pregame at home before arriving. She waved the bartender over, “Two shots.”

He flashed a greasy smile and a nod our way before beginning on our drinks.

“So,” I tried to initiate conversation that hopefully didn’t come off as awkward as I felt, “how’s the pro—”

“Nope, we’re not talking about work here.” Eunmi turned her chin up, rolling her eyes at my apparent nonsense. “I don’t wanna think about that shit hole more than I already have to.”

It was difficult to remain civil in the face of the obvious contempt she harboured in her voice, although I bobbed my head to convey my consent anyway. While racking my brain for any other topics to touch on, I came to the realization that I’d never properly interacted with the surly woman seated beside me; other than asking for directions on the first week and extending a greeting that was rarely reciprocated, I only knew her name and that she enjoyed clicking away on her noisy keyboard for the majority of her days.

Swooping in to the save the definite lull in the discourse, the round-eyed bartender slid over the shots. Eunmi, shockingly, downed the drink as soon as it came into her grasp. In an effort to appear as amiable as possible for the sake of the overarching strategy, I rushed to follow. The abrupt grip on my forearm halted any movement though.

“But, I will say,” Eunmi confidently boomed, puffing her chest and slapping one outstretched palm on the table. If the irked stares the other patrons were giving us right now were enough to kill, I was certain that we’d be ash by now with her outrageous volume overpowering the dull beat of the music. “I am way overworked considering what my job description actually entails. The place wouldn’t even be able to run without me!”

My brow creased as I toned down my own voice in the hopes that she would get the hint. “Oh, uh, of course! And, uh... just as a refresher, how have you been helping out lately again?” Honestly, with the lack of visitors to the lab, assistants having to prepare samples and write reports, Eunmi’s role within the lab puzzled me greatly.

“What haven’t I been doing is probably the better question to ask!” She haughtily spat out, swiping my glass and chugging the liquid down her—most likely burning—throat. Even the narrow glare courtesy of the bartender himself couldn’t stop her from slamming the empty glass on the counter. I smiled apologetically. “I mean, from delivering J3’s documents to manning all the receptionist duties, I wonder what miss Minzi is doing exactly!”

Naturally, my head tilted in curiosity at the unfamiliar name. “J3?”

“I keep telling them; ‘he’s too dangerous’, ‘if he gets out again we’re really in for it’, but who’s about to listen to the too-brilliant-for-her-own-good receptionist? This is exactly how those stupid characters in the horror movies die; they don’t listen to the smart one!” With each argument, her unstable torso swayed back and forth, threatening to completely topple off the barstool a number of times. I placed a hand at her waist in an attempt to keep her upright, although she, very dramatically, slapped it away.

Undeterred by the aggression, I leaned in closer with widened eyes. “Mhm, but I would listen to you, Eunmi. What exactly is J3 though?” I prayed to any higher power that she was too intoxicated to pick up on how desperate I came off in prodding her for information.

She scoffed, “You don’t actually think I’m that dumb, do you?” Her face reared closer to my own, merely centimetres apart at this point, eyes burning holes into my soul and the stench of tequila thick on her breath. “I know what you’re trying to do here, inviting me out to get wasted, even going as far as to pay for it all.”

Panic rose as I nervously chuckled, eyes darting. “I don’t know what you’re getting at?” To relieve some of the perspiration building in my palms, I nabbed the freezing water that remained untouched in front of Eunmi—not so subtly placed there by the bartender.

Licking her lips, she arrogantly leaned back with a cocky smirk plastered across her countenance, “You want to get in my pants.”

Any remaining liquid in my mouth grotesquely flew into the air.

“It’s okay, no need to be embarrassed that I connected the dots. I mean, a lot of people have been in your shoes.” Eunmi expressed, flicking a stray strand away from her forehead. “But I just don’t see you that way.” The look of sympathy she attempted to exude didn’t sit well with me, although I didn’t know whether it was because I could trace where her eyes were drifting to—another drunk guy who’d ripped his shirt off and began spinning the fabric around as if he was some kind of helicopter—or that anything less than hostile was strange look on her.

I was still pondering on whether it was a blessing or a curse that she misinterpreted my intentions so horridly because after downing a couple more shots and a cocktail to top it all off, Eunmi was thoroughly convinced that I was harbouring some intense feelings.

The second time she swiped her pink tongue across her lips, she gracelessly clambered off the barstool. “Don’t worry about it too much; it’s not you, it’s me,” Eunmi drawled out, pointing a well manicured finger to her chest. “It just wouldn’t be fair to you, having to stand next to me all the time when everyone knows there’s absolutely no competition.”

I didn’t realize how many people had entered the club since we’d arrived and I reached out to grab Eunmi’s wrist again, worried at the way she was stumbling away from me. Even though she was a bit of a lousy woman, I wasn’t heartless enough to have Eunmi fend for herself in a pool of sharks, especially when she was heavily intoxicated.

My attempts to restrain her were futile though, as she squirmed away while eyeing the man from before, who had scrambled onto the top of a table and sensually moved his hips to the beat.

“Ooh, I do see something worth banging toni—”

And down she fell.

As I reached over to aid the inebriated receptionist, lifting by her exposed upper arms while wondering just how much alcohol she consumed prior to her arrival. Coming in contact with the unexpectedly damp, sweaty skin impelled me to cringe away from the unpleasant sensation, but I resisted temptation to turn tail and duck out of there for the sake of my goal.

Eunmi’s whines complaining that she was fine and endeavours to wriggle out of my loose hold only served to further thin my nearly non-existent patience. At this point, I had to conserve as much energy as I could for later on, not expend it all to take care of a toddler that couldn’t seem to stand on her on two feet.

When Eunmi’s visage faded into sickly green shade, I hurriedly yanked her limp body over to the unusually vacant washrooms. Out of seemingly nowhere, another sobbing, disheveled girl wriggled out from beneath the sink, evidently having thrown up there as well. As my nose scrunched up at the fishy odor, the stranger crawled over to Eunmi’s side by the toilet, gently patting her back and cooing at the similar, dreadful state the two were in.

While her focus was on aiming her regurgitation into the toilet, all her efforts in vain with the sheer amount of vomit surrounding her, I took the opportunity to file through her shimmering purse that I held in my clutch. I rummaged around to quickly find the key card, slipping it into the back pocket of my jeans, thankful that despite the change in outfit, she brought along the same bag that she had left work with.

“Eunmi, I think we should head home now,” I suggested, mildly concerned about her ability to breathe due to her continuous retching. Without waiting for a response, I began dialling the number for a cab.

After she finished emptying all the contents of her stomach and my wallet felt noticeably lighter than when I came in, I detached the weeping girls from one another and took hold of Eunmi’s underarms, dragging her past the dancing masses and plopping her down at the entrance.

“I get that you had a rough day,” I huffed out, taking a seat on a misplaced block of cement, “but did you really have to get so wasted?”

Streaks of her dark mascara decorated her cheeks from her bawling session, swollen eyes staring off into the distance. “Might as well enjoy myself before J3 finally rips my throat out.”

My brows knitted together at the repeated mention of the name, although I wasn’t able to dwell on it for long because I was soon blinded by a pair of bright headlights beaming from a vehicle painted in a distasteful mustard shade. The cab pulled up to the curb and I somehow managed to shove Eunmi into the backseat, forking over another wad of cash as I encouraged her to mumble out an address.

The car sped away and the lingering breeze grounded me, steeling my resolve despite the wet drops spattering onto the sidewalk. It seemed as though even the weather was attempting to foil my immaculate plans and I silently cursed my past self for failing to check the forecast ahead of time.

Deep down, even the possibility of having to endure another day acting clueless to the torment transpiring within my own workplace terrified me. Not even hard-headed Namjoon could deter my unwavering will at this point.

I jogged back to the lab as quickly as my fatigued legs allowed, predictably drained from hauling another person. The adrenaline pumping through my veins was the only tangible factor keeping me going and luckily, powering through the skittish apprehension gripping my mind.

Once the spotless exterior of the lab came into view, I began scouring through the bulky tote bag I lugged around everywhere. My hand ran across a smooth length that I failed to recognize, pulling it out to identify the unknown object. A miniature fishing rod decorated in vibrant red accents emerged.

The toy I bought for Taemin.

Clenching my fist around the rod, determined to save them this time.

Driven now more than ever, I located the keys that Jin entrusted me with earlier, twisting the lock open and slinking inside. The door creaked eerily behind me as I scanned the tenebrous entrance.

Refraining from switching on the lights, I relied on my muscle memory to sneak off to the changing room and donned the black guise in my locker. I secured a cap on top of my head before creeping up the stairs.

With the staircase enshrouded in darkness, I was forced onto my hands and knees to carefully navigate myself; I tried not to think about how pathetic I looked at the moment.

My hands trembled in the face of the obstacle I had envisioned barging through countless times—and now, I was presented with that very opportunity on a golden platter. Well, with more lying, drunken antics and conniving than intended, but none of that was important in the grand scheme of things.

Taking hold of the key card and pressing it firmly against the reader, the ruby glow blinked green. Success.

I took a tenuous inhale and an even shakier exhale before heading in. Considering the lack of windows, the complete darkness that enveloped the room was expected; hence the downwards tilt of my head and slight adjustment of my cap as I begrudgingly flicked the light switch beside the doorway. Immediately, I covertly surveyed the ceiling for any cameras that could be covered or nudged out of sight.

Oddly enough, none were fixed up there nor were they scattered along the walls. I wearily stepped deeper inside, elated yet distrustful all the same. The number of cameras I passed on the way here was more than I could count on both hands, so I couldn’t imagine they wouldn’t want a single, watchful eye in here.

Just what kind of experiment were they performing here?

Relenting in my inspection, my attention wandered to the middle of the rectangular room. There, on what looked to be a decrepit operating table, laid a human body.

Well, sort of human.

The lack of movement on the other end prompted me to draw in closer, examining the man. I was bewildered at the jet black ears that stood atop the crown of his head, poking out through his dark locks. Hesitantly, I stretched a hand out and tugged on one, watching his face for any sign of cognizance. My heart rate sped up at the confirmation that they were indeed attached to his skull and were undeniably soft to boot.

Examining the rest of his body, which was clad in simply a pair of boxers, I spotted a similar pitch black coloured tail resting beside his left leg. Although I resisted the urge to check if that was real as well, since I was sure that if he was anything like his animal counterpart he wouldn’t take well to the idea of a sudden jerk on his tail.

I couldn’t help but run my digits along the length of the fur, pleased to find that it was just as fluffy as his ear. The longer I stared, the more confusion swarmed my head. The pads of my index and middle finger came up to rub at my temple, unsure of what I was observing.

Were they trying to fuse the DNA of a human and—

A sudden, horrifying connection fired off in my head, making my heart drop to my gut as I examined the rest of the room. I pleaded for my assumption to be incorrect, just a figment of my bereaved brain.

Resting on the floor in one corner of the room was a sheet, draped upon an indistinguishable object. With bated breath, I staggered over to the lump and pinched the fabric, lifting the sheet off and uncovering what lay beneath.

Taemin.

My chest tightened and I felt claustrophobic in the spacious room, as if the walls were closing in and I could no longer afford the luxury of a breath. Salty tears welled up, slipping down my cheeks as I quietly wailed, “I’m so, so sorry.”

Through the blurry haze, my gaze travelled along his tiny body that was missing patches of fur, making parts of his pale, bruised skin visible. Another sob wracked through my body as I looked to his face and met a pair of dull, emerald green eyes; they were devoid of life, staring aimlessly at the wall. They didn’t even have the decency to lower his eyelids.

Instead of shock, a sort of numbness filled me—which was a thousand times more terrifying. I longed for the rich emotion that blazed through every orifice of my body, anything other than the apathetic desolation that halted my waterworks.

With one last glance, I shut his eyes and allowed the muscles to remain in their relaxed position. My heart yearned to give him some semblance of a proper burial, although I reminded myself that his young, playful spirit no longer occupied this empty carcass. After smoothing my palm over the side of his head and giving my final goodbyes, I covered his unmoving form once again.

I used the corner of my sleeve to wipe away any evidence of my anguish and turned my attention back to the man on the table. At the very least, I would save one life tonight.

Upon further inspection, I noted the chains cuffing his limbs to the table, which made me wonder about the threat he might pose if released—something I hadn’t taken into account. A quick scan of the room gave no clues as to anything that could free him, prompting me to forage through the few lab benches scattered around.

The mess of papers, test tubes and syringes made it difficult to locate anything, I doubted if even the head researchers could rifle through this mess to uncover something of use. A common theme among all the stacks I came across was the name, J3, scrawled across each of them; the familiar name that Eunmi brought up earlier that night piqued my interest. But, I stuck to the mission at hand, stressed from being on borrowed time.

Irritation settled into my features with each tick of the clock, coming up empty at the bottom of each bench I scoured. Through pure coincidence, I made out the gentle skitter of metal bouncing across the floor after making contact with the front of my sneaker. I grinned and scooped up a key

After stumbling back over to the table, I scrutinized his distinct features, defined brows resting above his closed eyes, enhanced by thick lashes. Travelling over his high cheekbones and down the slope of his nose, I inspected his thin lips complimented by the tiny mole underneath and framed by a strong jawline. I found his countenance oddly familiar, as though I’d seen him somewhere befo—

A hollow chuckle escaped my lips.

It was the burglar.

Of course, perks of moving into a small town right? You’d get to know everyone, even the criminals!

My eyes roamed over to his side where an atrocious attempt at first aid was located, the torn skin peeking through slivers of the bandages. Bright pops of colour laid in a few different spots, courtesy of the Hello Kitty band-aids he’d stolen from my drawer back home. The sight of the white cat on the well-built man almost made me burst into a round of giggles, but the dried, crusted blood reminded me of the gravity of the situation.

Any remaining resentment I harboured fled with my next exhale, leaving pity in its exchange.

In reality, I didn’t sustain any injuries from the scuffle and all I’d lost were a couple of first aid supplies. While in this rare compassionate state, I also reluctantly forgave him for the hassle brought about from my broken lock.

Even if he probably snipped a few years off my life with the stress from the encounter—resulting in the growth of a couple white hairs, no one deserved to be screeching out their lungs in pain every day.

I deftly unlocked each lock confining his wrists and ankles and stepped back to admire my handiwork when I processed just how ripped the guy was, strength bulging out every crevice of his body. All I could think about was how the hell I was going to transport this hulking mass of pure muscle out of here.

The idea of plunking him onto the cart I prepared earlier and wheeling him all the way home was tempting, but other than all the little kinks in that plan, most of all, I didn’t think it would be too comfortable with his current state adorning his body.

Then came the crippling realization that I couldn’t handle this on my own.

Thus, I retrieved some clean bandages from one of the benches, deciding that it would be best to snatch a few tranquilizers for my own safety as well and returned to his side.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scrolled through my short list of contacts before locating his name. As the device began to ring, I reached across the stranger’s lithe body to unravel the old dressing, nearly consumed in reddish-brown dye at this point, to replace them with new ones.

The chime ended, indicating that the receiver had been picked up, before he asked, “Y/N? Why’re you calling so late?”

I began to place the gauze on some of his superficial wounds. “Hey, so, um... long story?”

#jungkook fanfic #jungkook scenarios #jungkook imagine #jungkook x reader #jungkook au #jungkook hybrid au #bts fanfic #bts scenarios #bts imagine

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hotpotrandomfics · 3 years

Text

Fifth Year AU: You have a friend who'll protect you

Summary: Jason and Merula are part of Professor Rakepick Apprentice group that receive special training from her accompany her in the search for the cursed vault. In their search, Merula and Jason break into one of their usual arguments resulting in Merula storming off on her own. Little do they know they’re not alone...

Word Count: 3,683

"Are you sure this is the right way? We've passed that bush at least three times." Merula was getting antsy to find the curse vault. The sooner she and Jason found it, the sooner she can be the one to break its curse.

Madam Rakepick wanted them to work more as a team because no matter how great your ambition you need loyal allies behind. All great wizards and witches had their group. Kindred spirits if you would believe. But who can be on the same level as Merula Snyde? The only one who's as stubborn as she was: Jason Aurelius De Leone. She wasn't sure why Madam Rakepick insisted on putting them on a team together but she wasn't complaining (verbally anyway).

"Let's take a moment then and collect our thoughts." Jason wasn't in high hopes either when it came to finding this next vault. He was fairly sure they were in the right direction. Unfortunately, he was worried more about what this most recent curse had brought.

For the past two weeks, there have been serious attacks on students all over the school. Those who were conscious before passing out due to their wounds said one word, werewolf. Madam Pomfrey had been neck-deep with injured students because of these attacks. All the school staff was on high alert and prefects had to ensure the safety of those under their charge. It didn't help that tonight was the night of a full moon, but it simply didn't feel as though it was the curse alone. Someone feared, Fenrir Greyback had come back to Hogwarts to stir fear and look for those who nearly incarnated him. Namely a certain Slytherin boy.

"We should head back Merula," Jason said, "if these werewolves attacks are the next curse or Grayback has returned-"

"What makes you think we should turn back now? We've been in the forest for nearly an hour! If there is a chance the vault is near then I'm going to break the curse." Merula crossed her arms staring intensely at him. She didn't want to listen but even she was a little on edge. Both of them are powerful in their own right, so why was there a heavy air of fear?

"What makes you think you can break this alone? Madam Rakepick said according to you "you two need to work more as a team". But you want to jump ahead before we are sure the vault is here? As your Prefect, I am telling you we are going to head back." He looked at her sternly while clenching his fist.

"And? If it is the case then we need to get it done. I'll go off on my own if that's the case since you're seeming more cowardly than usual." Merula smirked and started walking further into the Forbidden Forest. She wasn't going to let her "teammate" get in the way. Seriously? The "Prefect" card? She would never listen to such nonsense. Especially from him.

"Merula, wait!" Jason grunted in frustration. What was the point of them being a team if one of them wouldn't listen to the other? Granted, Snyde never listens to him even when the answer he has is the best course of action. Probably using his title of Prefect didn't help with bringing her to see his point.

Merula had been walking for a good five minutes before she found a cave. Surely this had to be the place. She turned to look at Jason but remembered she left him on his own. She turned back to look at the cave and pulled out her wand and cast Lumos. Merula began walking into the cave, looking around for she could see. It smelled of something rotten but something was glowing further down in the cave. Had she found the vault on her own? Yes! Now no one can say she was wrong, not even Aurelius De Leone.

"What do we have here?" said a voice that was so menacing that it made Merula step back. "Looks like we have something to eat tonight." The voice came closure as its silhouette took hold in the light of Merula wand. Fenrir Greyback.

"I am Merula Snyde and I am here to break the curse of this vault, you filthy mongrel! Haven't you heard of a bath? You reek!" she said trying to show confidence but she was trembling herself. Was this fear that was in her?

Grayback simply laughed and walked closer. Smirking with his fangs protruding from his lips. "Well, a little Snyde? I think I ran into them once or twice at one of the Dark Lords' meetings. Yes, I remember seeing you waiting for them one day. My have you grown. Unfortunately for you, you're not going to break this curse as it amplifies our strength and prolongs the transformation for us."

Snyde wasn't sure what to do. She tried thinking the best course of action but nothing came to mind. Merula slowly began to step back before casting Incendio, lighting Grayback cloak on fire. As Grayback fought to put the fire out she ran as fast as she could.

After putting out the flames Grayback ran after her snarling in anger. "Come here little Snyde!"

Merula had just broken out of the cave and was running past trees and looking back seeing Grayback on her tail. She was regretting not listening to her Prefect." Wait, if Grayback was here then Jason could also be in danger," Merula thought. With all the thoughts going through her head she didn't notice the tree root that tripped her. Stumbling to the ground, she winced as she felt a pain in her ankle. "Great", she was going to be mauled to death by a pack of werewolves that had served under Voldermort himself. She tried to grab her wand but the Grayback kicked it.

"You are a Snyde. Clever but not enough." Grayback grabbed her by her shirt lifting her. "You should be proud little Snyde. You'll serve Lord Voldemort by being our food. Be every bit of Snyde your parents were." Grayback was cackling like a fool. Even his little pack members who just showed up were laughing along.

Was this it? To die at the hands of the disgusting beast? Merula Snyde meets her end by werewolves for not listening to that idiot Aurelius De Leone. As all her thoughts played back for the past few years she has spent in Hogwarts she wished she made more friends. That she could atone for all the trouble she caused. She couldn't help but felt her tears fall. She was to die alone and only know that of the world.

Grayback was about to claw Merula before flew into a tree, letting her go. What just happened? "WHO DID THAT? SHOW YOURSELF!" Grayback sniffed the air and snarled but had a grin on his face. "So now I don't need to look for you, Aurelius De Leone!"

Jason stepped forward with his wand at the ready. He glanced down briefly at Merula and smirked softly. "Still think you got this?" He walked toward her and helped her up. "Sorry if I had made you wait Merula."

Merula was flabbergasted that he had saved her. "Why? Why are you saving me?" she couldn't help sob at what he was doing for her. She tormented him for so many years but here he was being as nice he usually was. If they made it out of this alive then she'd apologize for her actions.

"You're my teammate, right? We can talk later. Do you have your wand and can you run?" he asked as he sent one of the werewolves on fire. "Incendio!"

"No, I dropped my wand and I twisted my ankle." she looked shaking slightly. He came to save her. He didn't leave her alone.

"Dammit, okay. Accio!" Jason called out as he grabbed Merula wand and handed it to her. "We are going to get out of here, okay? Prefects orders."

"You will both die here and will take Hogwarts done after!" said Grayback as he began to transform into his werewolf form.

"Merula, on three we cast Lumos, okay?" Jason whispered to her.

She nodded and waited as he counted down.

"LUMOS!" they shouted in unison, as the light shined brightly blinding the pack of werewolves. Jason grabbed Merula as they ran off as fast as possible through the forest, he needs to help her as could only hobble on one leg. Casting spells after spells knocking trees down and hitting a few werewolves at the time. Not a moment later they broke out of the forest back into castle grounds. Merula had been supporting her weight on Jason.

"My ankle, Jason slow down!" Merula pleaded as she was hopping on her good leg. "Just leave me! I'm slowing you down," she said as she kept stumbling.

"We're almost there Merula!" Jason said watching behind them repeatedly until he saw Grayback behind them. "Oh no."

"You two will not get away!" Grayback was in the air and snarling with his fangs bared. Before he could land on the two young wizards, Jason pushed Merula out of the way as Grayback landed on him. Sinking his claws and fangs into Jason's shoulders.

"JASON!" Merula shouted as she saw Jason get bit. She wasn't going to let this go. He saved her and she wasn't gonna let him die by some filthy mutt. Gripping her wand tightly, she cast Baubillious on Greyback with all the strength she could muster and sending Greyback of Jason.

"ACK!" Greyback shouted and whimpered in pain. "You d-dare do this to me?!" he said while trying to gather himself.

"There's more you filthy beast! Petrificus Totalus!" she shouted as the werewolf went stiff. "Stay mongrel." She ran over to Jason to check on him. He was getting pale and he was burning up. A werewolf bite could have unspeakable effects. "Jason, are you okay?!"

"Y-yeah, no, that hurt like hell. Looks like we can work as a team." He smiled at her softly. A smile that just was filled with warmth. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine. Let's get you out of here." She helped him up as they made it to the entrance of the close into the school.

A few moments later Merula was shouting her lungs out till even passed the point of her voice going hoarse. She saw Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were in the middle of a conversation when they saw the two Slytherins. The two professors rushed over to help the two students.

"What happened Miss Snyde?" demand Professor Snape. Noticing that his house's prefect was covered in blood and claw marks. He then took Jason into his arms and started making his way to the Hospital Wing, closely followed by a limping Merula and Professor McGonagall.

"Grayback. Cave. Curse vault. Merula safe," those were the only few words Jason could mutter before passing out. Madam Pomfrey was walking out of the door of the Hospital Wing when she spotted the three rushing over with an unconscious Jason. She immediately opened the door and ushered them to the closest bed to place Jason down on.

"Jason and I were attacked by Fenrir Grayback. He was about to attack me but he stepped in the middle of it and he protected me." Merula said in tears.

"Miss Snyde, was he bit?" asked Madam Pomfrey as she began removing Jason's bloody shirt to see the extent of his wounds.

Merula nodded and started sopping as Professor McGonagall embraced her. "Are you injured?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"A few scrapes and bruises. Twisted ankle too," she answered. She was shaking not simply out of fear but worry. Jason had saved her life not once but twice within the night.

"Miss Snyde, go over to that bed there and Professor McGonagall keep her company, would you? asked Madam Pomfrey. She was assessing the damage done to the young boy before her and determining which course of action was best.

Merula was being guided away to where she would receive treatment for her injuries which seem like nothing more than a bruise from playing like a child. Professor Snape followed behind her and McGonagall to the bed that was from the view of Jason.

"Miss Snyde, I want an explanation. Do not skip anything or there will be a chance we will an even graver incident. What were you and Mister Aurelius doing?" Snape was speaking in a softer voice that was very out of character for him but still maintaining that seriousness in his voice.

Merula took a deep breath and looked up at Professor Snape and explained as best she could. If her explanation could help get those filthy mutts back for what happened to Jason then she'll spearhead this fight even she was allowed. She went ahead told them everything had happened and tried to hold back the tears when she mentioned how Jason saved her.

A few days passed after the incident in the forest and a few of the professors and members of the Ministry of Magic had come to aid the breaking of the vault curse. Fenrir Grayback was nowhere to be found so there was still a danger to Hogwarts out there. Merula had come by every day to see if Jason had woken up for almost two weeks. She would come by every day after class to see if he's improved. Jasons friends dropped by too but the one who stuck around the longest was Snyde. She had to be forced back to either class or the dorms. As Sunday rolled around Merula had walked into the Hospital Wing and made her way to Jason's bed when she noticed he was sitting up and reading through some notes Rowan brought for him.

He looked up and smiled, "What's with the long face Snyde? You think you could be rid of me that-", he stopped midway when she threw herself around him and sobbed into him. Jason winced but stroked her hair gently while looking down at her. "Hey now, are you alright?"

"No! You idiot," she said between her hitched breathing for the sheer relief knowing he was alive. "Why did you do that? Let yourself get hurt for..." she paused before looking up with violet eyes of hers to his green eyes. "For me? I was nothing but horrible to you and your friends for so many years but you saved me."

"I just moved. I wanted to make sure if either of us got out it was you." He gently wiped the tears from her face while holding a gentle smile. The famous Aurelius smile that a lot of first years even a few sixth and seven years heart skip a beat. "I wasn't gonna feed you to the wolves. Tempting as it was," he said with a small raspy laugh, "I wasn't going to let a friend get hurt. I made my choice, despite the pain I am in I don't regret it."

"A 'friend'? " she muttered softly as she looked down to see he was bandage along his shoulder and torso. She placed a hand on his chest and trembled. He thought of her as a friend and choose to protect her. "You're crazy and an idiot curse boy. Don't ever do that again."

"What? Protect you? If you need me to save you I will even if you don't ask. Despite our history, I always wanted to be your friend," Jason said with a soft smile, "so stop with being sad because of my choices. The worst thing that could happen is we both would have been snacks for a pack of werewolves."

"For the love Merlin," she looked at him laughed, and found herself slightly blushing at his smile. "But how are your wounds? Did Madam Pomfrey say if you would become one of them?"

He looked at them and took her hand. "I don't know to the next full moon so she has made it mandatory I take Wolfsbane as a precaution." He ran his thumb in circles around the back of her hand. He could see the look of sorrow as she gripped his hand tighter. "It'll be fine. If it turns out that way please do me a kindness and ensure you stay in the dorms. Don't let anyone out either. It will be a whole mess if the house knew I am a werewolf. Oh boy, I just thought my father would lose it."

"Will your family reject you?" she asked holding his gaze.

"Don't know, but like I said. I have no regrets Snyde. If parents reject me fine. It would hurt that's fine. I'm alive and so are you. I am worried about how others will think. I don't know what I'd do if they reject me. But I wouldn't blame them." Jason was filling a lump build in his chest as the sudden realization his friends might fear him. He felt a hand on his cheek then looked so Merula smiling at him.

She smiled at him but the smile was different from her usual superior smirk. It was a soft and kind smile that he never has seen before but he wasn't complaining about it. That expression suited her and he hopes could see that more. "You won't be alone. You've saved them and this school multiple times. It would be foolish if they decided not to be around you out of fear. Despite how annoying I may find them I'm sure they won't leave alone. Neither will I." She gently kissed his cheek and looked away blushing. "Don't let that go to your head. You're better smiling and less irritating too. What's with that look?"

"I guess I never had seen you smile like that before. You should do it more often, it's cute if you don't mind me saying." Jason could help but blush slightly at his comment. Did he just openly say Merula Snyde was cute? His tan skin on his face somehow changed to a shade of red Snyde couldn't help but laugh at. A genuine laugh, probably the first laugh she had with anyone. "Well, it's not that I that you aren't and I..." he started to stutter nervously. Seeing these expressions on her made his heart skip a beat.

"Yes? What do you have to say Aurelius De Leone?" she asked with a slight blush on her face. No boy had ever said she was cute before. Mostly boys would steer clear due to her reputation. But there was one who said it without hesitation. She stared at him with such an intensity that he felt that she'd set him on fire with the gaze.

"I think you shouldn't hide those expressions. I mean you look good smiling and I like to see it more! Merlin, I um..." he was fidgeting with a bit when he forgot he was still holding her hand.

"Well maybe for a friend," she said after looking nervously into his eyes. How were they this close? They felt their breath against each other's lips. Though he had the smell of alcohol rub used for his wounds Merula could smell the scent of the sea coming off him. Jason could smell her shampoo, a mix of lavender, pumpkin, and hints of willow. Leaning closer towards each other and closing their eyes but jumped when they heard someone clear their throat.

"Are we interrupting something?" asked Penny with a look of astonishment.

"No um I um, Merula was just coming here to check on me and..." Jason was a mess even more embarrassed that three of his closest friends found him and his rival about to kiss.

"Jason? Because it looks like you two were about kiss-" replied Rowan to be cut off.

"And if we were Khanna?" Merula said before she relieved what she had said. Both their faces rushed into a deep red that seems physically impossible.

"Well then, um, would you want us to leave or what?" asked Tonks asked holding back a laugh. "I'm sure the whole school would love this!"

"You're on thin ice Tonks, so help me if you do that-" she was surprised and angry that Tonks would spread a private moment became between her and Jason. But then she realized she and him were a moment from that rumor being true. Jason squeezed her hand and letting her know Tonks wouldn't spread such gossip.

"We'll come back later then..." Rowan said as he left with Penny and Tonks, whispering among themselves as they laughed quite a bit.

"They mean well, so don't worry and if Tonks does say something I'll get it sorted out."

"You're sure about that? I am not too convinced," she said while looking at him flustered. What if they were gonna kiss? Would that be alright? Would he even want to kiss her?

"Merula, I promise. You are my friend and I will protect you. Even if you don't ask me to." Jason looked at her confidently but felt his heart was about to jump out of his ribcage.

"Aurelius. Jason, I wanted to say thank you for saving me again..." Merula said while looking at him softly feeling tightness build in her chest. She brushed her loose hair behind her ear and as she looked holding his gaze.

Jason leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. Blushing and looking nervous himself. "Because if that rumor were true I'd be okay with it if you are the one I can get accused with." He said with a gentle smile while pressing his forehead to hers. What would come of this Jason had no clue but he just made a vow to himself to protect her.

"You're a complete idiot", she replied with a soft smile, "but I suppose there could always be someone worse. I will hold you to that promise but I also will do the same. Next time it's me protecting you. Got it?"

"Deal."

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