#sketches on the hospital hallway;

[mpxayden]

[...] The sigh of relief wasn't missed by the nurse and he smiled, carefully putting the drawing away on his pile of files. He looked at the young man, at his radiant but tired face at the compliments. "Never doubt of your talent, whatever people can tell you" he gently said, peeking at the drawing again. It indeed wasn't Tsukiko's usual ward but now that he had found someone who seemed to need help, he wasn't going to leave them alone in the middle of the hallway. Lunch could wait and his colleagues of the Cardiac Cares would call him if his help was wanted.  "Ayden, that's a pretty name ! I'm happy to meet you too. You are on the right level but the Psychology Ward is on the other side of the hallway. I'm going in that direction, come with me ?" Then Tsukiko would see if he could find his file before recommending him to one of the doctors. "Do you often have sleep problems ?" he asked as he waited for Ayden to be ready to go.

Ayden looked through his sleep deprivation to follow the nurse’s hand moves, his lips tugged up into a small smile as the portrait sketch was now safe in the other’s folder. He did not miss the way Tsukiko took just one more glance at the sketch while talking to him, and that sent a right amount of pride to Ayden’s almost numb senses. 

“I’m still learning not to give a damn about the comments,” he admitted, his lack of sleep made the effort to brush the heavy feelings off his heart look more effortless. “People tend to be careless with their words, you know.” 

His mood slump lasted as long as a blink of an eye, as now his tired brain got a piece of much more practical information to digest. At the other’s comment about his name, Ayden responded with an easy “Thank you!” It was interesting, as Tsukiko was the first one to compliment the sound of his name, something Ayden himself had never really thought about. 

Looking up at Tsukiko with slightly wider eyes, Ayden sat in silence for a few seconds, then concluded with a foolish chuckle. “Ah, so I’m at the right place, but not really the right place.” He then gave a quick nod of his head to the nurse’s invitation to tag along, taking a few more seconds to realize that meant he should put his sketchbook and pencil case back into his backpack. 

Ayden’s hands moved on their own, he believed, as he did not really remember how he gathered his stuff and zipped the backpack before standing up from the bench. Holding the backpack loosely in one hand, he let his legs move themselves to follow Tsukiko, leaving his brain enough space to hold the conversation with the nurse coherently. 

“Quite often, mostly when I’ve got deadlines, and in wintertime.” He then asked Tsukiko, his voice got slightly slurred because of the physical tiredness. “How long have you been working here? Which ward are you working at?”

[ivorycowboy]

Sometimes you just need to draw your favorite character yelling at your least favorite character. As a treat.

[blue-mood-blue]

I’ve grown to appreciate the aus where Shen Yuan enters the story as “Shen Yuan” - same name, probably similar face, generally able to interact with PIDW as himself and change the story through his added presence. I like the sense of “if only you’d been here, things might have been better the first time around” of it all.

And I was thinking, it’s a funny coincidence in that scenario that someone named Shen Yuan gets put into… another Shen Yuan. What are the chances? What a weird twist of fate that Airplane would pick out the name that his most dedicated critic could slip into seamlessly.

What about a version where it’s not coincidence at all?

Airplane goes to school with a kid named Shen Yuan. He’s prickly and hard to approach and a little intense, but Airplane is persistent. In fairness, Airplane is relentless - and maybe it’s a good thing that they end up being friends, because they’re a little too much for anyone else to handle. They balance each other out. They’re the “weird kids” in class and they’re okay with that, because even when they don’t have any words for it, they know they’re not like their classmates, not really. That’s okay; they don’t want to be.

Recesses and breaks are consumed with the elaborate stories that Airplane wants to tell, and all the holes Shen Yuan pokes into them. It’s not mean-spirited, though, even though Shen Yuan isn’t the kind to temper his words. It’s passionate. He cares about those stories the way Airplane cares about them, and it can’t be mistaken for anything else when they lean together conspiratorially across the lunchroom table. They’ve both got notebooks filled with details and characters and monsters. Shen Yuan’s practically got a whole bestiary sketched out in wobbly childhood attempts at art, entries fervently scrawled beside them. Airplane prattles out plots nonstop, always with the promise of shining eyes and being asked “what happens next?”

They come up with a whole world together. Airplane’s going to write about it someday. Shen Yuan is going to read every word.

Shen Yuan misses school. Shen Yuan starts missing school a lot.

Airplane goes to the hospital room instead. He doesn’t think to worry, because Shen Yuan is okay - that’s what he says. He looks okay, and he’s a kid, and it doesn’t feel real that anything bad should happen to a kid. He doesn’t think to worry. He doesn’t think to say goodbye.

It’s one of the older Shen brothers who catches him on the way up to the room one day, in the hallway just outside - snaps at him to go the fuck home, and when Airplane hesitates, pushes him into the elevator and tells him not to come back. “Tells” is a generous way to describe the way the words come out - a growl, a hiss, the sound an animal would make when a hand got too close to a wound.

(It’s not fair to name a villain after him, even if the name never really comes up in the story. He wasn’t trying to be mean. He’d lost a brother minutes before, and he was getting his brother’s friend out of the way so he didn’t have to… see. It isn’t fair, but then, none of it is fair.)

Death feels very real after that.

The notebooks get shoved into a closet, and it’s not until Airplane’s moving out and one falls on him from a high shelf that he thinks about it again. He’s written things, lots of things, but nothing as ambitious as this - nothing as important. It could be good, he considers. He’d promised. Shen Yuan wanted to read it.

The problem was that no one else does, not for a long time, not until Airplane has whittled himself and his art into a corner and into such an unfamiliar shape that he has to wonder how it’s still his own face he sees in the mirror. He has to eat. He has to pay rent. Shen Yuan would yell at him, but Shen Yuan isn’t there to yell at him, and who cares. Who cares if it could have been better? The people who actually are here love it, and it’s paying his bills, and sometimes stories don’t go the way they’re supposed to and the world is fucking unfair. It doesn’t matter.

(It does. But he shoves that thought away along with styrofoam cups and soda bottles to the bottom of a garbage bag.)

Authors are not gods and their power is limited, but Airplane exercises just a sliver of what he’s been granted and gifts an inconsequential sort of immortality. He thinks about making him a rogue cultivator, maybe the kind that goes around documenting beasts and compiling his findings. He thinks about making him someone too powerful for death to touch, or too important to threaten, but when Airplane looks at the world he crafted and everything that’s become of it, it feels like the kindest thing he can do for Shen Yuan is a childhood where he’s loved, and a death that’s peaceful. What does it say about that world, that he’d kill off his best friend too early again instead of making him live there?

(The best writing he ever does is the only, shining moment of humanity that his scum villain ever displays: a lament about death that comes too early, about a brother gone too soon. The commenters praise him. The commenters flatter over how real the emotions feel. The commenters don’t get any response from Airplane on that chapter.)

Death is incredibly real when it comes for him too early, too, still hovering over his keyboard with the story technically finished and incredibly incomplete. Airplane could tell himself that’s because the written version can never be the version in the writer’s head, always shifting and with every possibility still on the table, but he knows better than that. The System knows better than that, with its condescending message about “improving” his writing and “closing plot holes” and “achieving his original vision”...

…and he’s a child again. He’s a child in his own story, he’s Shang Qinghua now without the benefit yet of a peak or cultivation or anything, and maybe he’s a little bitter, and a little scared, and…

And Shen Yuan - with longer hair, with robes, with a couple of older kids watching him from across the street, but undeniably the prickly little boy who used to sit down imperiously across from him and tell him everything that was wrong with the chuck of writing that had been handed to him last period, but with that smile that said he was only invested because he knew it could be better and they were going to make it better - marches up to him with a fire in his eyes and a frown that warns of a coming tirade.

“You told it wrong,” is the first thing he says.

Shang Qinghua wants to ask how him how he’s here, how this is possible, or maybe laugh because, yeah - yeah, Shen Yuan has no goddamn idea how wrong he got absolutely everything.

(Shang Qinghua wants to say “I missed you” and “why did you leave so soon” but he’s here now. He’s right here.)

“I know,” he says instead. “I’m sorry. It all kind of… spiraled out of control.”

Shen Yuan frowns, but then it dissipates the way it always does, and his eyes shine with ideas the way they always used to. “That’s okay,” he relents, grabbing for his hand. “We’ll fix it. We’ll make it what it was supposed to be.”

[yeopoet]

MEET ME IN THE HALLWAY

`౨ৎ~ pairing: ateez x gn!reader genre: forbidden romance, fluff, kinda suggestive if you read between the lines ౿ ׂ ִ warnings: kissing (?) word count: 2k.

author's note: highly inspired by this post. ps: the divider does not belong to me.

﹒ ◠ ✩ hongjoong ⊹ ﹒

Two powerful families competing fiercely in the construction industry, locked in a never-ending battle over urban development projects: his family prioritizes large, luxurious complexes, while yours is dedicated to eco-friendly, sustainable initiatives. The differences between you go beyond business, turning what should have remained professional into something personal and deeply entrenched. Your parents have made it clear—they never want you anywhere near the Kims, and his parents share the same sentiment. But Hongjoong couldn’t care less about the rules. He sneaks to your bedroom window in the dead of night, not with malice, but driven by an irresistible urge to explore what he’s been told is forbidden. You’ve tried pushing him away, again and again, but nothing works. He’s relentless, and despite all the barriers that should keep you apart, to him, you’re the only thing that matters.

“You can’t just show up here like it’s no big deal,” you whisper-yell as you open your window. “They’ll find out, and that’ll be the end of both of us.”

“I’ve tried to forget about you, but it’s impossible.” Hongjoong exhales deeply, slipping through the window with ease, like sneaking into your room is something he’s mastered. “I missed our midnight talks.”

You raise an eyebrow, crossing your arms, your voice dripping with sarcasm. “What? Are you in love with me or something?”

He smiles, stepping closer until he’s near enough that you can feel his warm breath on your face. “And what if I am? Would that be so bad?”

﹒ ◠ ✩ seonghwa ⊹ ﹒

Someone born into a life of luxury, with a future carved out by endless wealth, isn’t supposed to waste his time with people of "lower status." As the heir to a well-established hospital chain, Seonghwa has never had to worry about anything—not even the clothes on his back. His sole purpose in life, as dictated by his family, is to follow the path toward taking his father’s place. But with dreams of his own, he somehow ended up in your studio, signing up for a beginner's sewing class. It wasn’t exactly the best first encounter, especially since your classes weren’t designed for heirs of empires, but over time, Seonghwa managed to capture your attention. He now pays for private lessons, driven by his passion to become a fashion designer. He shares sketches of outfits with you, designs he’s never dared to show anyone else. What was supposed to be a professional relationship between teacher and student gradually became something more. And honestly, how could he not fall for you?

“I know I shouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t stay away.” His words spill out the moment you open the door, sadness pouring at your feet. “Please, just give me a chance to fix all of this.”

“You’ve already caused enough damage.” You take a deep breath, holding back tears. Watching him beg for something you both know he can’t change feels like a knife to the heart, and if you’re not careful, you might cave. He steps closer, and you know this is the moment to slam the door in his face—before his father shows up again, threatening to destroy everything you've built if you don’t leave Seonghwa alone. But your heart wavers, seeing the redness in his eyes. “Don’t make this harder than it already is, Hwa. We can’t be together. If anyone sees us, it’ll be the end for both of-”

“Just one last time.” He’s crying now, his hand gently cradling the back of your neck like he's afraid you’ll disappear. “Let me be with you one last time.”

﹒ ◠ ✩ yunho ⊹ ﹒

It’s not easy having parents who watch your every move as if you’re incapable of taking care of yourself. But if it weren’t for their overbearing protectiveness, you never would’ve met Jeong Yunho, your bodyguard—the one who pulled you out of your monotonous life and gave you a taste of freedom. He sneaks you out for daring, late-night adventures, always careful not to push things too far and jeopardize both your lives. Yunho tried to keep his distance; he was never the kind of employee to cross the line. But avoiding his inevitable downfall with you was impossible.

“They warned me about you,” he says softly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his hand gently cradling one side of your face. “But I didn’t listen.”

“And I’m glad you didn’t.” You smile openly, wrapping your arms around his waist before pressing your lips to his with intensity.

﹒ ◠ ✩ yeosang ⊹ ﹒

When the extravagance of your world becomes overwhelming, you find yourself seeking a place to breathe. Conveniently, that place always ends up being in the arms of Yeosang, the butler of your household. You've known each other since childhood, long before he took over his father’s role and before you were promised to marry someone you don’t love. The quiet meetings behind the tallest hedges in the garden offer you a peace you’ve never experienced around your family. The love that has never faded grows more painful as your wedding day draws near, and no matter how much you both long to escape, you know you've been condemned since the day you were born.

“This is the last time,” you whisper, casting a sorrowful glance at the man lying beside you. “We can’t keep doing this.”

Yeosang doesn’t respond right away but holds your gaze with a quiet tenderness. Then, after a few torturous seconds of silence, he presses a kiss to the back of your hand. “We said the same thing the last time we met,” he murmurs, leaning in to kiss you slowly, lingering. “The truth is, I’d have to move to another continent to ever be able to stay away from you.”

﹒ ◠ ✩ san ⊹ ﹒

He fought hard to get where he is. It wasn’t easy landing a job at one of the most prestigious networks in the country, and once inside, he quickly realized why the selection process was so difficult. His bosses are strict; they don’t tolerate irresponsibility and push him to the brink of exhaustion. Still, the salary makes it all worth it. San is building his life, shaping his dream career as a reporter, doing everything he can to avoid trouble. That is, until you, the boss’s daughter, showed up and threw all his plans into chaos. It wasn’t your intention to disrupt anyone. You’ve always kept a distance from the company’s employees, taking your duties as an heiress seriously. But who could have predicted that at a party with over 100 people, you’d end up kissing the newest intern?

“No one can know about this, promise me,” he whispers, gripping your elbow as he keeps the two of you dangerously close. “That was a mistake, and it won’t happen again.”

“As if I wanted it to,” you fire back, your breath mingling with his as your gaze locks onto his—eyes that are saying something completely different. “But if you keep pulling me into closed-off spaces out of nowhere, people are going to get suspicious, and it won’t be my fault.”

“Right, we should keep our distance,” he says, yet doesn’t move an inch. “I just wanted to make things clear.”

“I got the message loud and clear.” With every passing second, your faces inch closer. San tightens his grip on your arm, though not enough to hurt. He tilts his head, muttering a soft “good” against your lips before making the mistake of kissing you again.

﹒ ◠ ✩ mingi ⊹ ﹒

A friendship that has lasted for years could never be shaken by something trivial—or so you thought. But could your feelings for her brother be enough to ruin everything? She’s always made it clear that Mingi is off-limits. He constantly breaks her friends’ hearts, and they always end up drifting away. So, to keep the friendship intact, she put up a wall between the two of you. Too bad it only makes things more exciting from his perspective. You try your best to resist Mingi’s advances, but he makes it nearly impossible when he walks around the house shirtless after training, or when he finds lame excuses to touch you at random moments—like holding your waist to squeeze past you when there’s clearly plenty of space. It’s ridiculous.

“You really need to stop doing that,” you say, crossing your arms like you’re throwing a tantrum. Mingi looks at you, eyebrows raised, with that same clueless expression that drives you insane. “I’m serious, Mingi.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he shrugs, leaning forward to reach something in the back of the fridge.

“There are literally two other ways to get to the fridge, and you chose the tightest spot—right where I’m standing.” You stomp your foot. “And not only that, you—”

Your sentence is cut off by the sound of the fridge door closing. Mingi steps closer, and you hold your breath. “And I what?” he asks, leaning against the counter without breaking eye contact. “Last I checked, this is my house, and I can walk wherever I want.”

“You know exactly what I mean,” you mutter, avoiding his gaze and staring at your toes. Mingi gently lifts your chin, forcing you to look at him again.

“I thought you liked it when I touched you.” He tucks a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his hand slowly trailing down your shoulder, along your arm, until his fingers entwine with yours.

“We shouldn’t…” your voice falters. “Yena is—”

“I know, but I can’t help it sometimes.”

﹒ ◠ ✩ wooyoung ⊹ ﹒

He’s never been the type of guy to care about his friend’s girlfriend. It’s one of the most disloyal things you could do to a friendship. But when it comes to you, Wooyoung loses every last shred of honesty within himself. Falling for you was never part of his plan, and he tried everything he could to push those feelings away. If he had known that taking care of you when his friend messed up would spark such a dangerous affection, he would have let you handle your problems on your own. You, on the other hand, are deeply grateful for the countless times Wooyoung has saved you, and for showing you that love isn’t what you thought it was. All the lingering hugs, unfinished sentences, and the longing to give in to something forbidden have made you both question how much you're willing to sacrifice for each other.

“Every time I see you, I have to remind myself that you’re not mine,” he says, standing just far enough away to keep himself from giving in to his darker desires. He’s held back all this time, never crossing the line—but here you are, at his doorstep on a Saturday night, minutes after his best friend just left your house.

“So please, don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“And you think it’s easy for me?!” you explode, pushing his chest hard enough to make him stumble back a couple of steps. “You decide one night that you’re going to cut me out of your life, and you expect me not to react?”

Wooyoung grabs your arms, stopping you from hitting him again. “I’m trying to make things easier,” his eyes fill with tears, or maybe it’s yours—both of you just staring at each other, struggling not to sob out loud. You finally weaken, collapsing against his chest, muffling the sound of your pain as Wooyoung holds you tight, the way he always does.

“There’s no easy way out of this. No matter what we decide, someone’s going to end up hurt.”

﹒ ◠ ✩ jongho ⊹ ﹒

The life of a celebrity isn’t always glamorous. The fear of appearing in the tabloids caught in a dating scandal can feel more terrifying than the fear of death itself. After appearing on a variety show with you, Jongho developed a silly crush that, over time—fueled by risky texts during award shows and innocent meetups while everyone else was asleep—grew into something much bigger. To keep things discreet, you both decided to act indifferent toward each other, even though it’s become nearly impossible for him.

“Every moment we spend together is a risk, but I just can’t stay away,” Jongho says as he plants a flurry of kisses across your face. He made sure to clear out everyone from the dressing room just to have a few minutes alone with you before the show.

You laugh, trying to pull away from his eager touch to keep him from messing up your appearance. “Jongho! I have a performance in half an hour. You can’t mess up my makeup!”

He immediately steps back, placing his hands behind his back in an exaggerated effort to keep them off you. “You’re right. Sorry.”

“We’ll see each other later, okay?” You give him a playful, reassuring smile.

“Okay, I’ll try not to die until then.”

© yeopoet.

[ihavemanyhusbands]

High Risk

PART TWO: SILVER TONGUED DEVIL

Also on AO3

Part One // Mini-Series Masterlist

Pairing: Hannibal Lecter x Nurse!Fem!Reader

WC: 3.1k words

Chapter Summary: In order to form a deeper connection with Hannibal, hoping to keep him complacent, Doctor Chilton allows you to have dinner with him…. Mostly unsupervised.

Warnings: MINORS DNI THIS FIC IS 18+, slight canon divergence (frederick is still head of baltimore state hospital), manipulation all around, some jealousy, corruption, smut, handjob, kinda audio voyeurism but not really?, also kinda exhibitionistic but not really??, some alcohol consumption, aaaand thats all i can think of rn but lmk if i missed anything!

————-

You waited outside of the double doors with a guard, patiently carrying Hannibal’s meal tray. He had a visitor, a mutual acquaintance of Doctor Chilton’s, and they were not to be disturbed.

You couldn’t understand why you had to be standing there, but you figured it was a power move on Doctor Chilton’s part. Reminding you of your place. 

Your eyes flicked up to the security camera in the corner, suspecting he was watching more than one of them at a time. More than half an hour had passed, the silence stretching on infinitely. The guard had briefly tried to engage you in small talk, but he had quickly realized it was pointless. You already knew what sort of questions he would ask if he felt like he had any leeway, and you were not in the mood for it.

Already there were rumors speculating the sort of favors Hannibal was asking of you. You’d felt the gazes on you, caught the murmurs behind your back. You couldn’t deny that the more animal part of you, the one that had no such regard for personal safety, hadn’t thought about him that way. 

A few times, he had slipped a folded piece of paper for you to find when you retrieved his meal trays. Always sketches of you, symbolic renditions meant to convey messages. His attention to detail was astounding. Almost… devoted, in a way. 

Every time you posed for him, you found yourself enjoying his focus more and more. The thrill of it all was narcotic, but you only hated that it had brought other people’s attention to you. 

The doors suddenly opened and a tall, well dressed woman stepped out. She was strikingly beautiful, with icy blue eyes and neatly styled dark hair. Her lips were painted ruby, which further accentuated her features in an elegant but almost severe way.

Doctor Alana Bloom was her name. You’d heard of her from both Doctor Chilton and Hannibal, but you hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting her in person until then.

“My, you’re a looker,” she said, inspecting you as if you were an insect under a microscope. “No wonder.”

You only smiled politely, internally seething. She could see right through you, smiling in return.

“He’ll charm the pants off you if you’re not careful.”

With that, she walked away, heels clicking down the hallway. The guard next to you let out a huff and you shot a glare in his direction.

He pushed off the wall and followed her, while you turned the other way and slipped into Hannibal’s cell room.

“Sorry, it might be a little cold,” you said as a greeting, making your way over to the slot. 

“You were waiting for me?” He asked.

“I was told to wait until you were done, yes.”

He noticed you were avoiding looking at him, though the displeasure itself wasn’t directed at him. He smiled a little to himself with satisfaction.

“Doctor Bloom is an old colleague of mine, but our history goes a little further than that,” he said. “A futile affair, that was.”

“No rekindling the flame then?” You asked before you could stop yourself. 

Of course that wasn’t what the visit was about, you knew as much. But you were still bristling from her words, and the smugness in them.

“No,” Hannibal said. “I’m afraid we are mutually uninterested, though we have some business left over.”

You hummed in thought, composing yourself. “I apologize for asking, it’s none of my business.”

“You may ask me whatever you want. I won’t mind telling you.”

You tilted your head to the side, where another camera was perched up in the corner. 

“We don’t have such liberties,” you said pointedly. “Though who knows? Maybe there’s an argument for our case.”

With that, a small, coquettish grin and a glance in his direction. Hannibal sat up straighter, licking his lips.  He glanced up at the camera, also well aware that Frederick was listening.

If anything, the two of you had been enjoying toying with him in any small way you could. It drove him crazy, but he mostly seethed in silence, knowing he was equally matched in this game.

“Perhaps dinner might be a good place to start,” he said.

“Oh yes, I would like that very much,” you said, exaggerating a wistful sigh. “But we shall see.”

————————————

“You know, you’re getting a little bold with all these requests,” Doctor Chilton said, arms crossed over his chest. 

“I know you have your methods of trying to get information out of him — or at least you think so,” you said, unbothered. “I mean, he has been much more forthcoming because of me, hasn’t he? I have my methods, too.”

He let out a sardonic chuckle. “Clearly. Others seem to think so, too, no?”

You didn’t give in to his goading, changing the subject instead. “Much luck with Doctor Bloom?”

“Some, actually,” he said, his sneer faltering. “But that shouldn’t really concern you. You’re still his favorite little doll to play with.”

And you mine, you thought to yourself, containing a grin.

“I’m aware,” you said instead, raising an eyebrow. “So it’s not too unreasonable to have dinner with him, especially with the glass still separating us.”

“Oh, but you’d be so much more useful if you were up close and personal. I could put you in one of the interrogation rooms and keep him handcuffed... But the problem is, he asked for total privacy. No cameras and no audio recordings,” he countered. “I cannot possibly do both. You know that’s not how it works.”

You pretended to think about it for a moment, but you already knew what the obvious answer was.

“No cameras, then,” you said. “I would say that’s fair, no? You might not care for the video footage, anyway, not without sound.”

He narrowed his eyes but nodded in assent, knowing it was the best he would get. The ghost of a self-satisfied smile was on your lips, pleasure at getting what you wanted dancing in your eyes. 

As long as the rest of the team was getting the information they needed, by whatever means necessary, he supposed he couldn’t grouse too much. Regardless, that didn’t make him any less annoyed at being backed into a corner.

“You get an hour and a half tops,” he said with finality. “Work your magic. And wear something nice, why don’t you?”

————————————

The table had already been set for you when you arrived. A mediocre attempt at something romantic, with a few little tea lights and a half-dead flower in a plastic cup. You supposed the guards couldn’t be bothered with such nonsense, but it was also more mockery on Frederick’s part. 

But at that very moment, you couldn’t care less. In fact, you found yourself… excited for the night's events. 

It was nice not to wear your uniform for once, your nicest black dress in its place. It was nothing too special, but you only wore it on certain occasions, such as dates.

And while this may be the macabre version of a date, it was a date nonetheless.

You’d styled your hair differently, put on a little make up and even wore perfume, which you were rarely able to do. It was liberating in a way, as if granting you permission to step out of bounds a little more. You wouldn’t waste such an opportunity.

Your heels clicked softly on the linoleum floor as you slowly paced the room, anxiously waiting. You glanced down at your watch, and right as it hit eight o’clock, the door opened. Hannibal was led in by a guard, his hands cuffed in front of him. He smiled at the sight of you, his eyes roaming up and down to better appreciate you. 

Your heart immediately started racing, both from nerves and giddiness. You focused solely on him as he was led to the table, the situation becoming less surreal by the second. Despite the fact that he was in his usual jumpsuit, you could tell he had meticulously groomed himself as best as he could. 

Another guard came in to place two trays on the table, but the food wasn’t from the cafeteria. Apparently, Hannibal had been allowed to cook a two-course meal, dessert included. There was even some wine, but you had to settle for plastic cups instead of glasses. Not that either of you seemed to mind, too busy sizing each other up. 

It felt strange, not seeing him through a thick panel of glass, but it was even stranger to sit right across from him. You only had to reach out your arm and you’d be able to touch him… if it wasn’t forbidden, of course.

“I’m surprised Doctor Chilton did not join us for dinner,” he said as the guard cuffed him to the table.

“He’ll be here in spirit,” you said, briefly nodding at the two guards before they stepped out of the room. “But I think it’s better this way, don’t you agree?”

“Much better,” he agreed, pausing a moment until the door finally shut. “You look beautiful, by the way… And you smell good enough to eat. Just as I thought you would.”

You grinned at his dark sense of humor, suppressing a shudder as you crossed your legs and leaned back. “Well, flattery will get you anywhere.”

“And wine?”

He grabbed the already uncorked bottle of wine and raised his eyebrows. You nodded and he poured for both of you. 

“We shall see,” you said, taking the cup from him and holding his gaze.

“Well, a toast to our very gracious host,” he said, raising his cup. “For making all this happen.”

You tapped your cup against his with a soft cheers before taking a sip. He proceeded to give you a detailed explanation of what you would be eating, nearly putting you in a trance. His voice had a hypnotic quality to it, managing to soothe your nerves. Without really noticing, the two of you were leaning forward, the conversation taking on an almost intimate quality – even if the subject matter was anything but. 

Before he touched his food, he encouraged you to try first. He watched you eat, his amber eyes lingering on your lips as you licked them. You had never tasted anything so complex or refined, but knowing it was put together by him made it even more of a delicacy. You let out a pleasured hum, barely holding back from getting another bite.

“My compliments to the chef,” you said, taking another sip of wine instead. “It’s almost enough to convince me to eat anything you cook.”

He chuckled. “Oh, if we were not within these four walls, I would have made a whole feast just for you. I’m sure Frederick has told you of my dinner parties.”

“But then it’s likely we wouldn’t have met outside these walls,” you said, not wanting to talk about Doctor Chilton. “Unless, of course, you frequent this sort of place.”

“I am not unfamiliar, I will give you that,” he said. “But our meeting has been the only good thing about this whole situation, and for that, I am grateful.”

You put a hand on your chest, teasingly pretending to be touched. “How sweet, are you going to quote more Byron for me next?”

He laughed, finally digging into his food. Conversation flowed with surprising ease as you continued to eat. Perhaps it was partly due to the wine, but it also helped that you were eager to listen to his thoughts on things. You were well aware of his intelligence, and it was stimulating to finally talk to someone that had so many layers to uncover.

By the time you got to dessert, he was bold enough to spoon feed you the first bite, awaiting your reaction. The taste was just as amazing, but you were more interested in the gesture. The way he was gazing at you with ardor, kindling your insides – A hunger of a different kind. 

“Tell me something,” he said, clearing his throat. “If it weren’t for Frederick, would you have accepted an invitation to dine with me?”

“Depends, if you’d played your cards right, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it would’ve been possible.” You tilted your head to one side slightly. “But you’re much too valuable, are you not? They have to keep you happy.”

“You certainly have.” 

You let out a huff of amusement, propping your elbow on the table and resting your chin on your hand. Briefly, you thought again of all the rumors circulating about the two of you. This time, though, it didn’t really seem to matter all that much anymore. They’ll keep talking anyway, so why not just do whatever the hell I want?

You raised an eyebrow, smirking. “Do you always manage to get what you want?” 

He shrugged as if he couldn’t help it, making you chuckle. “What’s your secret, hmm? How do you do it?”

“You aren’t able to come any closer, are you?”

“Of course not, Hannibal.” You pretended to scoff. “We’ve got to keep our hands to ourselves, too.”

There was a devilish grin on your face as you slowly got up from your seat. You slipped your shoes off and brought a finger to your lips to indicate silence. It was titillating, truth be told, to be straddling the fine line between reckless abandon and caution. Especially when you were clearly leaning more towards one side.

“Pity,” he said, watching your every move, smile mirroring your own. “I would have liked to whisper it in your ear.”

You slid onto the chair next to him and he turned his body to face you. You looked down at his jumpsuit, locating the zipper, before looking back into his eyes. He slightly dipped his chin in assent, and you reached a hand up to his chest.

“Tell me something else, then,” you said, dragging it down slowly so as not to make much noise. 

“Like what?” he asked, holding his breath as more and more of his body was revealed. 

His blood was quickly flowing south, the consequences of this becoming apparent as the zipper reached the end of the line. Your mouth fell open in both surprise and eagerness, exhaling a shuddery breath. He kept his hands off as you carefully eased his erection out of his underwear, fingertips brushing the velvety underside.  

“Anything at all,” you said, trying to keep your voice even. “You’re a romantic, aren’t you? I want to hear your ideas on love.”

You stood up and slid your panties down your legs without lifting your dress too much. You watched him swallow hard as you sat back down, letting the fabric fall on his lap.

“For the mess,” you whispered in his ear, your body pressed close to his. “And a little souvenir for you to keep after.”

He nodded, spine straightening as you planted a kiss just beneath his earlobe. You held his gaze as you spat in the palm of your hand and reached down to curl your fingers around his shaft. His hips immediately bucked into your grip, and you heard him suck in a breath.

“Love, hmm?” He cleared his throat. “You want to know what makes me tick?”

“Absolutely,” you purred, hand moving up and down slowly, wrist flicking slightly when you reached the tip. “Though I may already have a few ideas...”

As much as you wanted to tease him, elongating his pleasure, you didn’t have much time to spare. Your faces were close together, but you fought off the urge to kiss him. His breathing became more labored as your hand continued its rhythmic movements, the heady scent of you – and of your arousal – enveloping him.

He’d had his fantasies about you on many late nights, but your actual touch was another thing entirely, better than what he could have imagined. And knowing he was affecting you in the same way… the chain of his handcuff rattled against the table a little as he strained, trying his hardest not to touch you back. He would want you to be loud, anyway, and that was not an option there.

“W-well, I certainly like to be surprised,” he said haltingly. “And I admire boldness. But to love in itself is a bold a-action, wouldn’t you agree?

“I wouldn’t know much about that,” you said, slicking his pre-cum around the head of his cock with your thumb. “But I do know how to be a lover.”

The light graze of your teeth on his earlobe made his body jerk, his cock pulsing in your hand. You picked up the pace, his chest heaving as his hips almost involuntarily rocked to meet each stroke. Your lips moved to his jaw and down to his neck, and you listened to him babble about something else, trying to fill in the silence. 

Your attention was on his body’s reactions and you could tell he was dangerously close to the edge.  You silently warned him not to stop talking as his cock began to twitch, and you had only seconds before you quickly had to cover your hand with your discarded panties. He bit his bottom lip as he spilled all over the fabric, little noises of pleasure stuck in his throat, one hand gripping your arm. 

You smiled against his skin, lavishing his neck with some more attention as he faintly sighed your name. And when he was done riding out his high, you turned his face towards you and planted a small kiss on his lips as if to reward him. 

He was panting, still lost in the dizzying aftershocks of his orgasm, but you helped clean him up some and zipped his jumpsuit back up, your panties still hidden within. You glanced down at your watch, seeing you only had twenty minutes left. 

You slipped back to your side of the table as if nothing was amiss, but the devious glint in your eyes was undeniable. He was lost and he knew it, already wanting – no, needing – more. So much more. Luckily, it was as you had said; He’d always been good at getting what he wanted.

“I’ve had a really good time tonight, Hannibal,” you sighed contentedly, already aware you would be carrying this with you for the rest of the night. “You sure are good company.”

“As are you,” he said, his voice calmer, though something was lurking underneath. “Perhaps… we might arrange for it to happen soon.”

A thrill danced over your skin at the prospect of it. “Perhaps. Only if you’re on your best behavior.”

------

[hp-hcs]

mattheo riddle if you beat the shit out of him in a fistfight <3 — mattheo riddle x gn! reader

Requests open

implied Slytherin (non-pureblood reader)

tws: violence… duh

OOC. LIKE AS OOC AS IS POSSIBLE. i am so sorry for whatever this is 💀 i’m like, borderline delirious kind of sick, so that’s my excuse ig 😌

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

homeboy is not doing fine

his bruised ego 😔

he’d been teasing you for years with his group of lackeys, and you just snapped

he made a comment that went too far about your blood status, talking shit about your family

you just dropped your shit, spun around, and decked that mf

obviously he wasn’t fuckin expecting that, so he just kinda froze like 👊💥😳🧍‍♂️

he has no idea what to do

((he’s also just a little bit turned on bc manwhore duh))

everybody in the hallway freezes too like,

“you dumb bitch the fuck are you doing??”

his friends are jeering, and he just kind of shakes his head like a goddamn etch-a-sketch and like, gently shoves you back by your shoulders (cause you cute bae 🩷 he don’t wanna ruin that pretty face of urs <3)

you, on the other hand, are just ready to FUCK someone UP

and if that someone turns out to be the dark lord’s son, c’est la vie

he makes one more lame attempt at a scathing comment and you just fucking TACKLE him

you’re on top of him (not like that you silly little sluts get your mind outta the gutter) in the middle of the hallway just beating the s h i t out of him

homeboy has no idea what to do lmfao

lowkey he’s falling in love just from your knuckles smashing his face in (masochist manwhore)

he def thinks it’s hot as fuck

one of the professors comes to separate yinz, (probably hooch, cause there ain’t no way she puts up with any shit) and has to fucking DRAG YOU OFF of him

he's got like, a broken nose, a busted lip, a probably-going-to-become-a-black eye, and yk, decimated ego

but he’s just looking at you with those fuckin PUPPY DOG eyes

🥺

congrats, he’s obsessed

he won’t shut up about you for the rest of the day, to his friends, his enemies, madam pomfrey when he’s in the hospital wing…

they're all like “ah. i see the mommy and daddy issues are making an appearance”

when you get out of detention and go back to the common room, he LEAPS off of the couch and over to you

you’re standing there with still-bloody knuckles and a try me, i dare you face

he apologizes profusely, like, to a kind of pathetic extent

you’re like “dude, you’re not pureblood either, dipshit”

he got called out 😔

you apologize for OvErReAcTiNg (you had to apologize as part of your detention & punishment lmfao) and getting ‘unnecessarily violent’

and cause manwhore he’s just like “oh no it’s fine that was hot”

y/n: 😶🤨🫠

he’s got a lil giggle ✨

literal heart eyes for you

so ur like “yeah i gotta mess with this guy even more”

you kiss his cheek and make his brain stop working

baby is bluescreening rn

he then ends up shadowing you for the rest of the week, following a half-step behind you wherever you go like a lil puppy

(i’m of the opinion that he’s just a slightly more violent golden retriever white boy)

((i’m not saying himbo but himbo))

walk him like a dog, sis

alexa, play lovefool by the cardigans

he’s ur bitch now, enjoy <3

[atlasscrumpit]

Here's an idea… The reader and Bucky are in a closed psychiatric ward.

The Ward

You laid in your bed at the hospital staring at the picture of a baby duck on the wall.

"The fuck are you smiling at." You muttered, you hadn't slept all night so being grumpy was to be expected.

The door opened and you looked up to see one of the doctors.

"Good morning, Y/N. You ready for breakfast, Hun?" She asked as you sat up and groaned.

"I need coffee." You muttered making her chuckle.

"There's plenty of coffee, come on." She said as you put your shoes on and left your room, following the doctor down the hallway, smelling the fresh breakfast cooking.

When you entered you found your only friend and walked up to him to get breakfast as well.

"Hey, Barnes." You muttered as he grumbled and nodded his head a little.

He wasn't exactly the talking type.

You both got a tray of food before sitting at your regular spot by the window.

"I slept like shit last night." You muttered as he ate his breakfast and just nodded a little.

"How's the paranoia?" You asked as he rolled his eyes.

"They gave me new medication... I still know the truth though, so that means my paranoia isn't real and what I see is." He said as you nodded a little.

"Well, maybe you need to give the medication some time to work." You replied as he glared at you.

"You sound just like the doctors." He grumbled before he continued to eat.

"I heard Steve was coming to visit this week, that'll be good." You said, trying to change the subject.

"Yeah... I have missed him actually." He muttered as you smiled softly.

"I'm excited to see him again, he's always so nice to me." You said as Bucky smiled a little.

"It's because he feels sorry for you, by the way." He said as you glared at him.

"You suck. Eat your damn bacon."

--

You sat in the main room sketching like usual, you leant against Bucky where he was on the couch watching tv.

The front door was opened by the doctors and you saw Steve entering with his wife, Peggy.

Bucky looked up and for a moment you could see a streak of jealously, you always had a feeling he liked Steve more than a friend.

"Hey, punk!" Steve said, rushing in to give Bucky a hug.

Bucky hugged him, holding onto him for as long as he could.

You glanced up every now and then from your sketchbook. Steve and Bucky sat together to talk as Peggy sat next to you.

"Hello, Y/N. How have things been?" She asked as you smiled softly.

"Not too bad." You muttered in response as Peggy glanced at Bucky and Steve.

"So... How's thing with you and Bucky?" She asked, turning back to you.

"Good, he's my closest friend in here and maybe out there too. He's the only one in here that doesn't care about my past...cause his is kind of worse." You muttered as she chuckled softly and nodded.

"I like Bucky... But, he's still lost in...an old love." You whispered glancing at him and Steve.

"Yeah, I know he's in love with Steve." Peggy muttered as you nodded.

"He's still convinced he's in the wrong universe. None of the medications work on him, he still thinks that this is some crazy simulation and he's a hero or villain or something?" You muttered as Peggy listened.

"Yeah... Steve told me he had a pretty bad episode last time he visited. Screaming about avengers or something." She replied, sadly.

The day dragged on and you continued to sketch while everyone spoke to their visitors, no one ever visited you, but you didn't really think much of it.

You were glad when everyone left and you could finally talk to Bucky again, once Steve had left he just stayed sitting at the table staring down.

You went over to him and sat across from him.

"Hey, how'd it go?" You asked, you could see he was deep in thought.

"They've got to him now too..." He whispered as you looked at him with worry.

"Buck... Do you think maybe it's time you had your medicine?" You asked in a soft tone before he slammed his fist on the table, altering everyone.

"You're apart of this, aren't you!? I can see right fucking through you!" He shouted lunging across the table and tackling you to the ground, he wrapped his hand around your throat as you looked up at him in fear.

Thankfully three nurses ran over and sedated him as you scurried away and caught your breath.

One of the nurses knelt beside you.

"Deep breaths, it's okay." She whispered, gently rubbing your shoulder.

You glanced over at Bucky on the floor unconscious.

"Will he be okay?" You muttered as the nurse offered you a reassuring smile.

"Yes, he just needs time to calm down. Why don't you go back to drawing before dinner?" She said as you returned her friendly smile and nodded.

--

You laid awake at night listening to the screams coming down the hallway, you knew it was Bucky in the isolation room.

You got up and slowly walked down the hallway to see nurses standing at the door to isolation.

"Y/N, it's okay. Head back to bed, okay?" The nurse said as you looked at him.

"I'm worried about him." You whispered as he sighed, he began to lead you back to your room.

"I know, Y/N. But, he's in the best care, okay? I know it's scary to listen to, but he isn't being hurt, he's just in a bad way right now." He said as you went back into your room.

"You promise you'll take care of him?" You muttered as he smiled.

"I promise, Y/N." He replied as you smiled.

You were about to turn around to go back to bed when everything paused...even the nurse in front of you.

"Hello?" You muttered walking up to him, suddenly it was as if he glitched and then disappeared into thin air.

You panicked and quickly sat on your bed and closed your eyes.

"It's not real, it's not real." You whispered over and over again.

The world around you began to disappear as you cried and started running down the hallway again.

"Bucky!" You scream the door to isolation disappeared as Bucky stood there staring at you.

"What's happening!?" You shouted in fear, he looked at you in shock, how only realising you were seeing the same thing he was.

He rushed forward and grabbed your hand.

"It's okay... It's okay, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry I hurt you." He shouted, everything becoming loud as thing disappeared, you leapt forward and held onto Bucky. He wrapped his arms around you tightly in return.

You held onto Bucky as tight as you could, crying in fear when suddenly it all stopped, you pulled away and looked around to see you were standing in a black void.

"Y/N!" You heard a voice shout as you both looked around.

"What's happening?" You whispered as Bucky began to fade away.

"No! No, Bucky!" You screamed trying to grab him before he completely disappeared.

Suddenly you stood alone in the dark, scared as you cried, you looked down and your hands began to disappear.

"It's not real... It's not real." You whispered, sobbing your eyes out before everything went black.

--

You woke up with a gasp, feeling things attached to you as you panted and looked around to see you were in a hospital.

Was it just a dream or an episode you had?

"Bucky!" You screamed out before someone came rushing in.

"Y/N, it's okay. You're okay." He said as you looked up at him in confusion, your memory began to unblur as your eyes widened.

"Tony..." You whispered as he smiled.

"Yeah, yes that's me. Jesus, you scared us... Bucky is okay, he's in the other room." He said as you nodded a little and sat up slowly.

"What happened..." You whispered as Tony sat beside you and sighed.

"We were fighting against these weird ass aliens, we thought we took them down but, we found you and Bucky unconscious. You had been injected with some kind of venom and it trapped you inside your own mind." He said as you rubbed your head.

"How long were we out?" You asked as he looked at you sadly.

"It's been four months." He said as you stared forward trying to take in all of this information.

"It's going to take a while to get used to this again..." You whispered as Tony smiled sadly.

You heard a noise and looked up to see Bucky.

"Steve caught me up... So, in conclusion I was right the entire time and you weren't." He said as you laughed and shook your head.

"You fucking suck."

[jr-acrux101]

Rebirth - Ch.5 :

Hospitality

Summary: Jasper comes over to study.

Word count: 2.7k

They arrived at her house, "That was pretty fun, cowboy."

"Glad you enjoyed little miss."

Aurora shook her head, "Come on, also this is a no shoe household, so when we get to the door, take them off on the rug."

Jasper nodded, and the couple walked up to the door. Once they entered and took off their shoes, Aurora called for her grandma, "¡Abuela, estoy en casa! Traje a un compañero de clase de español."

No answer. 'Odd.'

"Stay right here." Aurora walked down the hallway to her grandmothers room and found her sleeping. 'She probably stayed up all night again.'

She rushed back to Jasper, "My grandmother is asleep. So if you don't want to stay for dinner you might be able to leave." Jasper chuckeld.

She grabbed his hand, "Come on." She led his up the stairs and down the hall. He entered her room, and there were sketches everywhere. Her room felt like her.

"Nice room, princess."

"Thanks." She grabbed her designated throw pillows and put them on the floor. "Come Jaz, let's get this party started," she expressed unenthusiastically.

Jasper stared at her face. She had freckles spread across her nose. Her brown eyes were the color of the tree's when the sunlight hit them. Her hair was short. Her cheeks chubby, with a tinge of blush. She was everything he was locking for.

Her eyes darted to his, and his concentration of admiring her was broken. He got his bag and started to get out the assignment.

The two carried on til 6 pm. Aurora noticed the time. They were almost done. He could come back tomorrow, seeing as the two of them had until next Wednesday to complete it.

She put the binder to the side, "So cowboy, you staying over for dinner?"

"Well, little lady, as enticing as that sounds, Edward should be back today along with our father, so I'm gonna help my mother."

Aurora nodded understandingly, "Okay, let's get you out of here before my grandma notices you and makes you stay."

They pair got up and quietly walked down the hall. Aurora peered over the stairs and saw smoke.

"Okay, well, get cowboy, get."

Jasper quietly chuckled, "Calm down princess, I'm going, I'm going." He got his shoes and put them on.

As he opened the door as quietly as possible, Jasper stepped out. Aurora waited at the door. Jasper turned around to face her.

"Alright, princess, I will see you tomorrow." Aurora grabbed his hand as he turned. He was freezing.

"Wait."

Jasper froze.l, "Yeah, little miss?"

She looked up to him, and he noticed the light brown spots in her eyes and her long eyelashes. "Thank you again for today." He nodded, lost in her eyes. She went on her tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

He sucked in a breath. He stepped forward. Aurora closed her eyes, and Jasper gently touched her face and leaned forward. His lips lightly brushed against her. Aurora leaned a bit more in. Jasper could feel her warmth. He put one hand on her hip. Aurora gently grabbed Jasper's face.

They slowly pulled apart. Aurora's pupils were blown and Jasper's were pitch black.

'CONTROL. CONTROL. CONTROL.'

She was beautiful. She blushed, and shyly looked away.

"You should get goin Jaz, wouldn't want to make your mom wait."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, darlin." He kissed the top of her head and turned away.

"See you tomorrow, Jaz." As Jasper left and drove away, Aurora heard a throat clear.

She froze. 'Of fucking course.'

"So how much did you see?" Aurora turned to face her grandma.

"Enough."

"Well?"

Silence hung in the air. "Are you going to tell Mama?"

Abuela sighed, "No, I am not. But you should soon. And have that boy meet us properly before going around kissing you again."

Aurora fiddled with her hands, "Does that mean he's already in on your bad side?"

"He seems like a sweet boy. I just wished he asked to date first."

"Um, we're not dating."

"He calles you princess."

"Yeah, because of Aurora."

"He called you darling."

"He's southern."

"He kissed you."

...

"You got me there. But we aren't dating."

"Yet?"

Aurora nodded shyly, "Hopefully, yet."

"Well, he needs to hurry up and grow some balls to ask you out and then ask us for permission." Aurora laughed and went to hug her grandma.

"Thanks, Abuela."

"Now come on and help prep, I'm sure your little skinny friend needs some good food in her."

The doorbell rang, and Aurora glanced at Jacinda, "Speak of the devil."

She went and opened the door and saw Bella. The girl hurried and took off her shoes and rushed inside. "You guys kissed!"

"Bells! Calm down. How did you even know?"

"Well, I happened to glance outside, and the curtains were open, and I saw him kiss you!"

"You were spying on me?"

"No?"

"Very convincing Bells. But yeah, we kissed." They grinned at each other.

"Yes, yes, yes, Aurora found her prince charming. Now hurry up and help me prep and cook."

Bella laughed, and Aurora rolled her eyes, but the girls went into the kitchen to help.

Amora wasn't back til 11. She opened the door slowly and quietly. As she closed the door with a soft 'click,' the hallway light turned on.

Jacinda was sitting there doing her sudoko and drinking her coffee. "I'm surprised you didn't stay out til 12."

Amora rolled her eyes. "Mama, I'm not a teenager anymore."

"And yet here we are."

She rolled her eyes again. "How was the date, mija?"

"It went pretty good."

"Hmmm."

"How was Aurora and her study partner?"

Jacinda looked up at her, "You gotta ask her that, mija."

Amora narrowed her eyes. "Fine, but you try to go to sleep before you're still up when the sun rises."

Jacinda waved a dismissive hand towards her daughter, and Amora went upstairs to go sleep.

Friday morning rolled around, and Aurora woke up with a smile on her face. She replayed that moment in her head and squealed. She went downstairs, where her mother was making a coffee.

"Hi mama."

"Hi cariño. How was yesterday?"

Aurora nervously looked at her, "Well. Actually. Um."

"You kissed?"

Silence was in the air again.

"It was more like a peck?"

"Hmm." Aurora stirred her coffee, "Do you like him?"

"Yes."

"Can you handle a relationship and on your classes, well maintaining your gpa?"

"Yes."

Amora exhaled, "Is he nice to you?"

"Very much so."

"Okay, when he asks you out, you have permission. Abuela and I still have to meet him, though."

"Really?" Aurora was excited.

"Yes, really. Now come give me a hug."

Aurosa was in her arms in a blur. "Oh, my little girl is all grown up."

"I'm barely 16 mama."

She faked sobbed, "All grown up." Aurora rolled her eyes, classic mama.

Her and Bella pulled into school as the bell rang, and they rushed out the car into their classes, waving bye to each other. Aurora sat next to Jasper. She blushed, and he smiled at her.

"Hey there, princess." Aurora's stomach did flips. She felt giddy.

"Hi." As class started and the teacher droned on, Jasper slowly inched his hand towars Aurora. Halfway through the class, Jasper firmly clasped their hand together.

Aurora heart started to beat faster, and she closed her hand around his. Each class they held hands. When lunch time came, he gave her a kiss on the head. She went towards Bella at the end of the parking lot while Jasper went towards the school entrance where his siblings were.

Bella looked up from the book and saw Aurora standing in front of her.

"Guess what?"

"Chicken butt?"

"Very funny."

"I know I'm a comedian."

Bella rolled her eyes. Her eyes met Edwards. She moved Aurora to the side of her and scooted them a little backward, " Haha. No. You know how when I first met Edward and he was like a total dick and like hated me."

"Yesh vaguely."

Bella lightly tapped Aurora with the book, "Aurora! I'm SERIOUS."

Aurora threw her hands in mock surrender," Okay, okay, jeez, yes, he was an asshat. What about it?"

"All of a sudden, after being gone for a week, M.I.A. He nice to me! Like genuine and converses with me!"

"Really?"

"Yes!"

"So, like some Jekyll and Hyde type thing?"

"That's what it feels like! I feel like Im going-." A skreet was heard from the the ending of the parking lot. Tyler swerved out of the way from the back car, and the black ice made Tyler lose control of the van. Aurora turned to look and pulled Bella closer to the van. They braced to be crushed. Aurora's left arm felt pressure, and snap was heard, Bella hand wrist shattered, and Aurora's shoulder was dislocated.

Aurora's yelped in pain, as did Bella. Aurora started to cry from the pain. "Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Bella was silently crying and clutching her hand.

She turned slightly and looked up, Jasper was there and was a big dent. She turned to Bellas' direction and saw Edward through tears.

"Okay darling, I'm going to pop it in place, okay?"

Aurora's eyes widened in fear. She shook her head no. Jasper took off his jacker and balled up the sleeve. "Bite this."

"No, no ,no, Jasper, please no."

He held the sleeve in front of her. She stared at him with bloodshot eyes and tears falling. She took it with her other hand and bitten down on the sleeve. "Okay, ready?"

She shook her head, "1, 2-" a pop was heard as was her muffled scream.

She breathed heavily. A fresh set of tears falling now. The ambulance appeared. She passed out. Bella calling her name went deaf to her ears.

Aurora woke up in a bed. The bright lights didn't not help her unfocused sight. Her mother was hovering over her, Dr. Cullen put the smelling salt away.

"Aurora, cariño."

Aurora hmmed and closed her eyes. She shifted, and pain exploded. "Fucking christ!"

Amora got closer, "Mi amor don't move too much okay."

Aurora nodded and stayed back down.

"Hello, Ms. Flores. I am Dr-."

Aurora's eyes open, "How's Bella? And Jasper ? And Edward?"

"I'm right here, Aurora. Dr. Cullen just finished patching me up." She turned her head and saw Bella in the bed next to her, a cast on her wrist. She sighed in relief. "Okay, okay, good."

She looked at the young doctor, " I'm sorry, I know I passed out, but I didn't know what happened to Bella. Being crushed and then having my shoulder pop back in kinda made the memories fuzzy."

"No apologies needed, Ms. Flores. As I was saying, though, your shoulder is in a cast. I was told my son Jasper popped it into place, very well, so there's no issues. Just rest, take your medication, and when the time is right, do exercises to strengthen it."

Aurora nodded, "Okay. Thank you, and Aurora is fine."

"We want to monitor you for a few hours, and then you're fine to leave later today."

"So she's good to go? No surgery or extra care."

"No, like I said, Jasper popped it back into place quite fine. The brace is just to help make sure it stays there and give extra support. She'll be given pain management medication, but other than that, she's okay. No head trauma, no other breaks. Just her shoulder."

"Thank you, Doctor Cullen. And please thank your son Jasper for us."

Carlisle nodded. "How is he?" Carlisle turned his attention back to the young girl.

"He's fine. There's no need to worry." Aurora nodded and doze off.

Bella got up to go to the cafeteria, and Charlie and Amora were whispering to each other, probably about them. She heard a familiar voice in the hall.

"Seriously, both of you!"

"What you rather they had been crushed!" Jasper huffed.

"Of course not! But Bella already questioned everything, and so will Aurora, she is not stupid!" Rosalie growled.

"Okay, let's calm down and take this back to my office." Edward went the opposite way and sought out Bella.

"Eavesdropping now?"

"What was that? I saw you on the other side of the parking lot and suddenly you're behind me?"

"Yeah, um...I had an adrenaline rush. It's very common. You can Google it." Bella huffed and rolled her eyes.

Aurora woke up an hour later. The pain in her shoulder was still there. Amora, Charlie, and Bella got up when she groaned.

She saw the three of them and gave a weak smile. "Great news, everyone. we weren't crushed to death."

Amora eyes watered, "Aurora Evangeline Cordova Flores! This is serious. You and Bella could have died!"

Aurora gave a sad smile,"But we didn't, we're still here. Still breathing and hearts pumping. So please, I am in pain and am trying to make light of this."

Amora wiped her eyes,"Fine, you can crack some jokes." She stressed the word 'some.' She couldn't deal with the almost dying jokes, not again.

Aurora smiled and then grimaced. The pain was pulsating. "When can we go?"

"Soon cariño. Just relax." The adults left to find the doctor.

Bella stood closer to Aurora. "Hey there."

"Hey, there, one of my saviors." Bella chuckled. "I'm serious if you wouldn't have pulled me in closer and to the side..." she trailed off.

The older girl nodded, not wanting to think about the other possibility. "So, was I hallucinating, or were Jasper and Edward there? Like they physically stopped the car and left dents?"

Bella's eyes widened," Yes!" She excitedly whispered. "No one believes me, say that they came afterward to help you, but I knew I saw them! Plus, I overheard them talking about us questioning them, and then Edward said no one would believe us!" This was too much for Aurora to handle.

"So they saved us and regretted it or what?"

"I don't know, but there is something off."

"Oh yeah, for sure. We're gonna find out Bells." Bella nodded.

Aurora went home around 8 pm. They grabbed pizza on the way home, and Bella and Charlie came over after both girls pleaded for Bella to spend the night since it was the weekend. The two almost died, so it was hard to say no.

Jacinda jumped and rushed to the door, hearing the car in the driveway. She saw her her granddaughter in a shoulder cast and her little friend with a wrist.

"Oh, pobrecitas. Ven, vamos a meterte dentro."

She waved them to the couch. Amora helped Aurora take off her shoes and helped her to the couch, Charlie did the for Bella. Jacinda brought the girl some albondiga soup. "Here, Charlie and Amora help feed these kids. I added beef bone broth and chicken bone broth to it. You have to start early with healing."

The girls filled up on the soup, feeling the warmth spread through their body. "Thank you, Ms. Flores, this was really good."

"You're welcome cariño. Now you and Aurora rest and watch some tv." She got the plates and put them in the sink. She went to her room and grabbed 2 extra blankets. She hurried back to the other room,"Here stay warm." The two teenage girls thanked Jacinda.

The older three headed to the dining room. "What happened, Amora?" Jacinda whispered.

"From what Bella told us, they were by her car talking, and this kid Tyler, who will by the way get his licenses suspended, swerved away from a car backing out and almost killed them." Amora nodded to Charlie's retelling.

"The doctor said that Jasper, his son, popped Aurora shoulder back in place, so it should heal no problem. And that Bella's wrist was broken, but that too will heal fine. He prescribed pain killers though for the girls and check-ups."

Jacinda nodded. "Okay. Did he say when they should be healed?"

"About 6-12 weeks or so." Jacinda nodded.

The weekend passed, and the girls stayed inside, Bella stayed mostly at Aurora's just watching scary movies, doing homework-Aurora writing down Bella's answers since it was her right hand that took the injury- and Bella learning how to cook. Charlie stayed there for a few hours of the day when he wasn't at work or headed to sleep. Amora and him scheduled their next date for Wednesday. They were both liking each other presences at home

Alright guys here is ch. 5!!! I've got this almost done but I have exams so wish me luck as I slowly post :)

[vibratingskull]

The last farewell

Part1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

Tags : Angst/hurt/comfort, physical remission, hospital, reader is disabled

You spend your time in the hospital learning how to walk again when Thrawn visits you with an unexpected demand

FemaleReader x Thrawn

“Another step”, the meddroid proposes its voice echoing in the gymnase. 

You hold down the parallel bar and take another step, unsure. 

You're trembling, searching for your balance on those robotic legs. You're not used to them yet. They feel foreign to you despite connecting to your nervous system. Your muscles are shaking as you relearn how to walk. 

You lost so much. 

“Continue the rehabilitation, you are on the right track!” the droid speaks with what is surely supposed to be coded as excitement in the voice, but it just comes out weird. 

You sit on your wheelchair and take out the legs, you still have an immense hill ahead of you. 

You sigh. You're tired. 

“Let's go to your room,” the droid informe stepping forward to push you. 

“No. I'll do it myself,” you decide, waving at him to get out of your way. 

You roll in the hallway, lost in your thoughts. You have so much work ahead of you, so much to reconquer… You're supposed to receive the visit of lower officers but you don't want their pity thrown in your face, you need peace. 

You want peace. 

You arrive at his room. 

You don't get your hopes up, but you can't help it. 

You pass the door… and sigh. 

Vez is still in a coma. 

You roll up to his bed. 

“Hello friend. It is particularly sunny today, you would love to stroll in the garden and sketch some plants.“

He is unresponsive. It's not like a doctor told you he would wake up soon, but it still pains you to see. 

If they have been cruel to you, they have been down right animalistic to Vez. His legs have been cut and he lost both of his lekkus. You're not totally aware of what it entails but you remember the lekkus hold some brain tissues. The docs say he will not have long term brain damages but you doubt he will see it that way. What they took was irreplaceable and you're afraid of his reaction. 

For now he's sleeping peacefully as you were, unaware of his body's damages. Like you his brain puts him in a deep sleep to prevent him from damaging his psyche, docs say he will wake up when the brain will have finished processing what happened but he can still hear around him and feel some sensations. So you come here everyday to talk, to vent, to speak of everything and nothing, trying to put him at ease the best you can. You take his hands, caress his forehead, his cheek, you tell him tales of Ryloth and your own planet, anything you could think about. After the Chimaera left you both at a military hospital you observed these habits religiously. Thrawn wanted first to put Vez in a civil hospital but you refused and fought him on that until he surrendered. You wanted to be here when your friend woke up. 

“I'm making progress with the legs, I thought they would be heavier but once they have been connected to your nervous system they are so light.“

Your hand reaches for the metallic apparatus they jabbed in your spine to control the legs and grazes it lightly.

“We don't stop medical progress,” you say almost to yourself.

You hear his bed neighbor cough, you tilt your head to see if they need help. 

“By the way, yesterday your mom tried to see you. She can't because it's a military hospital but your family is worried about you. I could discuss a bit with her, you're so alike it is fascinating, you caress his cheek, you take his hand and squeeze it. Don't worry, I'll ask Thrawn to put pressure on the direction so she could see you.” 

“A Grand Admiral influence is not supposed to be used as such,” a voice rises behind you. 

You jump in your wheelchair before turning your head to Thrawn, hands clasped behind his back with an interrogative gaze. 

“You scared me,” you chastise him. “How did you know I was here ?” 

“I knew you would not be present at your own meeting with the officers, you were not in the gymnase, it was the only logical option.” 

You nod. Of course. He comes to sit next to you and observe the body of Vez in silence. 

“He did not wake up?” He asks with a soft voice. 

“Not yet,” you shake your head. “The doctors aren't optimistic.“

He nods in silence. 

”Why are you here ?” You inquire. 

He turns towards you with a puzzled look. 

“To give you what you asked me,” he responds like it was obvious. 

You can see the bag he's transporting

“Yes of course, but what are you doing here, on Coruscant ?” 

“I have a martial court about how I supposedly almost destroyed a city to retrieve you.” 

You flush. 

“Didn't you ?” You tease. 

“Absolutely not, each parameter was studied to do the least damage possible, but it was impossible not to deal some damage to the buildings nearby. The arrest of a large slave abductors demanded some sacrifices.” 

He sounds almost angry, but you know better. You hide your smile, it is pretty funny to see Thrawn flounder in politics, it has an innocent and moving side to it. Without thinking about it you take his hand and kiss it. He looks you in the eyes with an unreadable expression. You immediately regret it, maybe he doesn't like physical demonstration of affection in public… 

“Let me escort you to your room,” he says. 

He rises and goes to push your wheelchair, once again you refuse. 

“No, no, no. I can do it. Let me do it.” 

You head towards the room, side by side, he gently adjusts his pace to yours. You advance in silence in the corridors. 

You really hope you didn't cross a line with him… 

You enter, he goes straight to open the window while you maneuver to go to bed. He closes and locks the door and sits on the bed. You look at him with sorry spelled in your eyes. He grasps your hand and caresses it with his thumbs. 

“ I heard you will soon be interrogated by the ISB agents.”

“In three days,” you sigh,” it promises to be hilarious.”

“It is for the good of the Empire.”

“Sure…”

You gulp, in reality you try as much as you can to not think about what happened or you feel yourself overflowed by hate, anger and sorrow. 

It’s eating you alive, terrifying you. You may or may have not exaggerated certain symptoms to get a higher dosage of the drugs to get high and forget. You don’t brag about it to Thrawn, obviously.

“ The date of the trial have been chosen,” he continues

You dig your nails in the sheet.

“Okay…”

Thrawn already explained to you how Nather was surprised by the flash operation, how him and his goons fighted in each rooms, how much lives he took, how he almost made the entire structure collapse on itself with everyone under it when he realized he was trapped but was swiftly disarmed by a precise shot of one of the Stormtroopers. Now he remains silent, surrounded by his army of lawyers in the prisons of the Empire, he refuses to give any intel or names to the ISB agents, hiding behind his pride and his fan. As a prominent Governor he doesn't get the rough treatment, but they are not nice to him either, he holds on surprisingly well. 

You’re not ecstatic at the idea of seeing him again, even in the perspective of his own trial. You’re happy justice will be served, but you don’t know how you’ll react in his present. Will you burst into tears or try to kill him on the spot? Maybe you will go into a deafening torpor and dissociate completely from your body. You don’t know… for now the simple idea of seeing him again makes you sick. 

Thrawn puts your hand to his lips and kisses it delicately. 

“I know it is painful and uncomfortable, but it must be done, he tries to comfort you, be strong.”

You gulp.

“ … Will you be with me?”

“ I have to give my own testimony, so yes. I will be at your side.”

You feel relieved to hear that, knowing that you won’t be alone in this trial alleviate the pain and ease the knot in your stomach.

Thrawn reaches for the bag, changing the difficult subject

“I brought you what you asked for.”

You take it to verify what it holds. You found your purse, the key to your apartment, some holos, your personal datapad… You thank him with a heartfelt smile. He nods with a serious face. 

“There is also an important matter I wish to discuss with you,” he says with the most stern face. 

“Okay ?” 

You brace yourself, he looks a bit tense and that scares you. What could possibly put him in this state ? Are you both suspected in the affair? Did you do something wrong? Outside of getting yourself imprisoned like a damn rookie. Is he gonna criticize your tactical decisions on that day? Is he entangled in problems after helping you out? Did they criticize him for engaging in armed conflicts while on supposed vacation. Come to think of it, he surely didn't take any vacations and planned this from the beginning. 

You look at him ready for any slap across the face, but he manages to surprise you. 

“(Y/n), would you live with me?” 

The air is punched out of your lungs and you can't think straight during three seconds 

“ Would I… What ?” 

By reflex you retract your hand from his and pull the sheet over yourself. 

“Would you live with me?” 

“Yes, I heard the first-I mean… Urgh... Why ?” 

He holds his chin like he is gathering arguments. 

“I do not think you will be able to keep the apartment Governor Satlove is paying for you.” 

You tried to push that thought away so many times, but he's right, unfortunately. 

“And I am already living in the apartment you rent me, I think we should try.”

Well, you didn’t see him as that keen but it looks like you were wrong. And you can’t help a snarky remark.

“ Isn’t it just an adroit ploy to stop paying me your rent?” You grin.

“ No, I am serious, I think we can both benefit from that idea.”

“ I know. It’s a joke. I was joking.”

He looks like he’s computing the info. 

You munch on your lower lip, feeling like a little girl. You giggle, squirming on the bed like a child. 

You never lived with one of your… partners? 

“It seemed to me like a good solution, but I understand you would not appreciate the idea,” he tempers.

“No, no, no! It’s a good idea! It’s just… It’s so sudden.”

“ I figured that is what people like us tend to do.”

“ And what “people like us” are?” You ask.

He seems to think about it.

“Ch'an'ecivon'ot.”

“I have no idea what that means.” You smile wryly

“In basic you would say…” He caresses your hand with the tip of his fingers “Soulmates.”

You freeze again, processing the info.

“That is what we are then?” you ask breathlessly. “Isn’t it a tad dramatic?”

“You think?” He smiles lightly “I thought about us and I liked how that sounded.”

He seems to notice your reluctance.

“I shocked you.”

“No? No, no,no” You try and temper “It’s just that you're coming out really strong and serious and…”

“Yes, I am serious. I am serious about our relationship. Are you not?”

“I… Didn’t have time to properly think about it.” You admit.

He gauges you up and down.

“Do you love me?” he asks bluntly.

You're so taken aback, being cornered like that. Your mouth and throat are dry, you open your lips to speak but nothing comes out.

You love him.

You do, oh yes you do.

But you never worded it, and even less spoke it out loud.

He seems to relax and smile sadly at your discomfited expression.

“Pardon me. It is wrong of me to ask you without telling you first. I should not have put you in a corner like that.” He gently holds your face and kiss your forehead, “Do not fret, cha’cah.”

You slowly relax under his touch.

“Alright, I must go now. I wish you a rapid recovery… “

He seems to hesitate. 

“And come back to me quickly,” he said it so low you almost didn’t hear it.

But you did hear it.

He kisses your forehead and leaves the room.

You look in your purse if he didn’t put your comlink in, but find something else. With a raised eyebrow you take out the envelope simply signed with “Eli”. You completely forgot about that. You never took the time to read the last letter your friend left for you.  You open it carefully, taking ou the folded sheet of paper.

“ (Y/n), I hope this letter finds you better than when I left. I must leave to help Thrawn, but I trust we will see each other again, if you stay by his side it is bound to happen, I am sure. Do not leave his side, it is the most secure place in all the galaxy, and I have reason to think you are not safe. I had the occasion to speak with Governor Satlove alone, and this man sent shivers down my spine, I see nothing behind his eyes but a black void. I do not trust this man (Y/n) and so should you, something is not right with him. He made some inappropriate advances and tried to convert me to his church without my interest. I pushed him back but he insisted. There is something about him downright animalistic and uncivilized despite the dignity he drapes himself in. I had the occasion to speak about it with Thrawn and he agreed with me. Do not refuse the help of a friend, and accept my warning. I picked upon your disdain towards me recently, and even though I don’t know why I want you safe. If I ever did something to anger you, know that I am truly sorry. I wish I could tell you face to face, but I have to go. 

Farewell my friend, I hope to see you under better auspices.

Eli.”

This time tears roll down freely, your body is shaken by sobs, your hands holding the letter tremble erratically. 

“Eli… Oh Eli…” You cry.

How could you? How could you doubt him? Your own friend. But maybe you don’t deserve to call him friend after how you treated him. You hold the letter against your heart. He never deceived you, it’s all Nather’s fault, isolating you more and more, until you had no friend remaining. But he couldn’t get rid of Thrawn and Eli completely. And he won’t be able anymore…

“Hey, girl! How are you feeling?”

You raise your head in surprise, an overjoyed Karyn is here but her expression changes immediately when she sees you crying. She immediately sits on the bed and takes your hand.

“What’s happening (Y/n)?”

“Eli… Eli…“ You can’t formulate a proper sentence.

She takes you in her arms and cradles you.

”We will find him. I promise,” she assures.

She doesn't know the truth, and it is not your place to reveal it. So you just hug her back, squeezing her in your arm, appreciating the warmth of a friend.

@bluechiss @justanothersadperson93 @al-astakbar @thrawnspetgoose @readinglistfics @twilekchiss @pencil-urchin @ineedazeezee @mssbridgerton @dance-like-russia-isnt-watching @Cortisolcosplay

[elinoracia]

🐍Yule Ball🐍 // Sebastian Sallow x f!reader fanfic

"Hello everyone! This is my first ever fanfiction so don't hesitate to give me some tips on how to improve my writing (my first language isn't english). I also didn't really proofread because I wrote all of this at work (don't tell my boss pls)"

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

Warnings: Jealousy, Y/N putting herself down, fluff, a little cry session, swearing (censored), love triangle with Garreth (kinda), no NSFW.

Total of words: 3.5k, this is a very long fanfic so be ready ;)

Important informations:

- All characters are aged up to 18 y.o. or more ; 7th year - The reader's name will be "Y/N" = "Your name" and "Y/L/N" = "Your last name. - Y/H/C = Your hair color - Y/E/C = Your eye color - Y/H = Your house (Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin) - This fanfic includes a drawing / sketch of the dress! (Following the time period when Hogwarts legacy is happening = 1890s) TW: I drew it myself lol - You can vote for the next fanfiction at the end of this one !!!

° The Yule ball is coming very soon and even if you don't want to admit it out loud, you really wish a certain someone would ask you to be his date...

But now that Anne is being taken care of at Mungo's Hospital and agreed to see Sebastian again, he can finally see what he might have missed before. He was so obsessed by finding a cure for her that he never SAW you for who you really were. His gaze towards you has definitely changed... °

You were walking in the long hallways of Hogwarts, lost in your thoughts as your were admiring the wintery decorations between two classes. The Yule ball was in 2 weeks and the students were visibly excited for this event. But you were worried. Nobody asked you yet to be his or her date for that very special night. Remembering all the requests for the ball your friends got makes your heart aches, not from jealousy, but because you felt the weight of loneliness weighing on your shoulders.

The anxiety of your thoughts made your heart beat faster until a familiar gaze get you out of your head.

Garreth: Hello Y/N, may I ask what seems to be on your mind?

Y/N: Oh! You surprised me! Hello Garreth. And well... this is quite embarrassing.

Garreth: What could be more embarrassing than making all of your potions blow up in front of Mr. Sharp?

Y/N: Come on, at least you're trying to create new concoctions. Not everyone has that courage. And my problem is far more embarrassing! Can you believe nobody asked me to be their date to the Yule ball?

Garreth, who became really handsome with the years, looked at you with wide open eyes. He looked really shocked despite your ironic tone of voice. He struggled to keep his voice down.

Garreth: WHAT? B-but... How is that even possible? Don't tell me you are not attending?

Y/N: Well, I shall not speak too quickly on the subject. There are still two weeks left.

Garreth: I could have sworn that...

He was mumbling something you could barely hear. Suddently, he looked up to you and grabed your hand.

Garreth: Hum... We could always... well...

Then, out of nowhere, someone else snatched your hand from his.

It was Sebastian. He must have seen you from down the hallway. He looked really mad. But you could only admire how tall he became since 5th year and how hot he was when he was pissed. Your eyes met his and it made your heart race. He was still holding your hand.

Sebastian: Don't bother her Weasley.

Garreth: Well, if this isn't Sebastian Sallow. I was just about to ask a really important question to Y/N. So, if you could just leave us alone.

Sebastian: No, I don't think that will be possible. She and I have to go somewhere. It's for... our Defense Against the Dark Arts class! Miss Hecat gave us a big assignment we have to complete.

While keeping your hand in his, he led you as far away as possible from Garreth. He kept walking until he was out of sight.

Then, Sebastian stopped walking and looked at you. His gaze softened and he let go of your hand. You could see a slight blush forming on his freckled cheeks.

Sebastian: Don't tell me this absolute fool was about to ask you to be his Yule date. He just can't stop bothering you.

Y/N: I am not sure Sebastian... But it would have not been that bad.

Sebastian: What do you mean? Do you like him? Do you want to-

Y/N: Calm down! I just meant that... nobody asked me yet and it's reassuring to know that someone actually wants to go with me. Besides, even if he asked, I am not sure I would have said yes to his offer.

Sebastian: Oh. And why not? You keep talking about that ball for days now. Surely you want to attend it?

Y/N: I do. But not with him.

The words slipped out of your mouth. When you realised what you said, you couldn't help but but your hand on your lips. You just can't help but think Sebastian doesn't want to go with you or just anyone. You instantly regretted your words and you felt sick to your stomach. You just could not look at him in the eyes.

Sebastian: With who you want to go with then ?

Y/N: (You take a deep breath) Can we... talk about it another time ? Besides, I really have to go join Imelda and Poppy for my next class. See you later Sebastian.

You turned around without even waiting for an answer. As you were walking to your next class, you kept wondering why he suddently looked interested when you mentionned your wish to attend the Yule ball with a certain person. Oh Merlin, this boy made you crazy. Nothing seems to make sense in your head.

After your last class of the day, as you were heading to the common room of your House, someone stops you.

Ominis: You seem to have made quite the impact on Sebastian for some reason. He could not stop talking about you for the last hours.

Y/N: Hi Ominis. And well, he just asked me with who I wanted to attend the next ball. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Ominis: I thought he was not interested by the Yule ball. How unusual.

Y/N: Yes...indeed.

Ominis: Y/N, I hope that even thought I am blind, you are aware that I can hear the tone of your voice. What did Sebastian told you ? I am sure he went too far once again.

Y/N: Maybe not far enough this time...

Ominis: Do you want to talk about it ? I would not dare repeat your confession to Sebastian, you can trust me.

Y/N: I know I can trust you. Thank you very much Ominis. But it really is not something worth worring about.

The truth was, you were too scared to ask Ominis opinion on that matter. What if he knew Sebastian wanted nothing to do with that ball? What if he knew Sebastian asked someone else already? You did not felt ready to take that risk just yet.

Ominis: I understand. Have a great night Y/N.

Y/N: You too Ominis.

The four followings days were like every others. You attended your usual classes, you spend a majority of your time with your friends and mostly Sebastian. But he was not like his usual self. Something was troubling him but you couldn't understand what.

As you were walking out of the school with Poppy to have some fresh air, you can see from afar a familiar figure. It was Sebastian but... he was not alone. He was talking to someone.

Suddently your throat closes, your breath stops and your chest starts to hurt. He was talking with another girl... but most importantly, he seems to carry flowers in his hands.

He was giving her flowers.

Poppy looked at you and notice you were staring at them, completely frozen.

Poppy: Y/N ? Are you alright ? What is the matter ?

Y/N: Sebastian... he...

You could not contain the tears any longer. They were just flowding on your cheeks. Of course he would choose someone else. You were such a fool to think he even wanted to the Yule ball go with someone like you. He was just waiting to ask someone as fun and exciting as him to attend with him.

As you stared with tears in your eyes at them, at him, at the boy you loved, Sebastian noticed you and started walking up towards your direction. Without even controlling your moves, you bolted inside the school, leaving the poor Poppy behind, confused.

You ran to the only place you could think of.

The Undercroft

You sat on the cold floor, in this dark cave, and cried.

Y/N: If only I told him earlier! Now I just have to stand there and watch them be together and even go together to that damn ball! On Merlin I wish I never saw them.

You stopped your rant when you heard somone else enter. You quickly dried your tears and got up as fast as possible.

Y/H: Ominis, I was just-

Sebastian: Y/N ? Are you alright ? I saw you run away and I thought maybe something happened.

Y/H: Oh Sebastian. Well I...

You hate how much you still love him. You hate how much you'll have to pretend to support his futur relationship with this other girl. You just want him. Just him standing there, in front of you, makes you suffer. You are shaking and your hands are cold. Sebastian took notice of that.

Sebastian: Y/N ? What are you not telling me ? Did something happen ? Is it that damn Garreth again ? Or did y-

Y/N: Sebastian, I just needed to be by myself.

Your voice was so cold and emotionless. That took the poor Slytherin boy by surprise.

Sebastian: Did I... do something ? If I did, I am really sorry. I never meant to hurt your feelings.

You wish he could stop talking and dissapear. It was just hurting too much. He took a step closer to your as a attempt to see the expression on your face to try to understand.

Y/N: I saw you. With the other girl. I was not expecting that but congratulations Sallow! It seems like you got yourself a date for the ball.

You were trying to smile as hard as you could and pretend you were truly happy for him. But why could you feel tears running down your face.

Sebastian: W-what? No she was just... Are you crying? Y/N why are you crying?

He could not understand why you were crying. He lifted up your head to see your teary eyes and gave you a warm hug. As tight as he could possibly hold you against him.

And you hugged him back. So tight. So close to you. You almost forgot why you were here, crying in his arms. You just wish he would never let you go.

As he took at step back to look at you again, he put his big hand on the top of your head.

Sebastian: Take your time. I am here.

Y/N: Thank you Sebastian.

Sebastian: Why would you ever think I would attend the ball with that girl? Utter rubbish !

Y/N: (you smiled gently) You offered her flowers. And you seemed very close. I just assumed.

Sebastian: Oh! Oh no the flowers!

Y/N: What about them ?

Sebastian: Well, they were for you but I think I asked someone to hold them for me as I was following you here. And I asked her to pick the best flowers for me so I could give them to you. She talked about Floriography. Apparently, a flower can mean something now.

Y/N: For me? What for ?

Sebastian: I guess I should just go for it then.

Y/N: Go for what ? I am confused.

Sebastian: Y/N, I know this might change everything. I might earase everything we built together since the first time I layed my eyes on you. But please, if I am making you uncomfortable by this confession, make me aware and I will never dare to bother you again.

But I love you. I love your soft Y/E/C eyes and your long and beautiful Y/H/C hair. But most importantly, I admire your strenght and your courage. You made me a better person. So, even if you decline my feelings, I shall always be grateful for what you have done for me. I know it was never easy to deal with me. But watching you grow and become a gorgeous and strong woman made me fall even harder for you.

You were taken back by his words. You struggled to find a good answer. Maybe you thought for too long about your answer because you saw Sebastian having a look of panic on his face.

Sebastian: I am so sorry, I should have told you in a better place than the Undercroft. I know this might be disappointing but-

Y/N: I love you too.

Sebastian: Y-you do?!

Y/N: I thought it was obvious. I am head over heels for you Sebastian Sallow. Since the day I beated you on that duel we had. Since the day you took my to Hogsmeade. Since... always. I wanted to go with you to the Yule ball. I only wanted you.

Sebastian: I... Oh Merlin! I understand now! I am so sorry I waited that long. Would you please make me the great pleasure to be my date ?

Y/N: I thought you would never ask.

As you were giggling, he cupped your face with his hands. He was so close to your face, you could actually count the freckles on his face.

Sebastian: May I kiss you ?

Y/N: Mh mh

As your lips touched, you put your hand on his chest. He was pulling you closer to deepened the kiss.

As you finally gently pull away from him, you watched his face. He was so red and obviously breathing really fast.

Sebastian: I...

Y/N: So...we shall see eachother at the ball then.

Sebastian: I cannot wait.

Some days passed and you were shopping with Poppy and Natty for a dress at Hogsmade.

As you were passing by Augustus Hill’s classy Gladrags Wizardwear boutique, you noticed the multiple dresses he was selling inside. You were so excited to pick the perfect dress.

Natty: I really want a red dress ! Or maybe a yellow one ! I really can't chose.

Poppy: I am wondering if they are selling purple dresses. I think I saw one on this hanger right there.

Y/N: I am still not sure about the color I want. Maybe one that represents the color of Y/H ?

Natty: Or maybe a dark green for you? So you could match Sebastian?

Poppy: That would be such a nice suprise! How romantic!

You giggled at the thought of Sebastian's reaction. Then, Natty looked at you with a sly look.

Natty: Soooo, you and Sebastian hu? Are you two together ? Is he finally your boyfriend ?

Y/N: Natty!

Natty: I am joking Y/N. Of course I know the answer. It is quite obvious.

Y/N: Well, to be honest he confessed and asked me to be his date but... He didn't ask me yet to be his girlfriend.

Poppy: Oh Merlin! No way!

Natty: Maybe he is keeping that special question for a special event.

You never really thought about it. You both were just like a couple. But he never officially asked you to be his lover. So, are you both really together ?

The followings days were really busy with all the preparations and the shopping you had to do. You were really happy with the dress you chose. It was green, like Natty suggested. A satin look with some really stunning matching gloves. Those were really expensive and it was showing.

The day before the Yule ball, you received an owl from Sebastian.

His message said:

"My dearest, Y/N, This sheet of paper, though I should cover it with loving words, could never tell you truly how I long to see you again in your evening gown. I heard a lot about it from Natty and Poppy. Tomorrow, let's meet at the bottom of the stairs, after the big door. The room will be crowded but I will always recognize you among everyone. Unchangeably yours, Sebastian Sallow"

Y/N: How sweet of him. Maybe I should write something back. Let's see...

"Dear Sebastian,

Your affectionate letter was most welcome. I won’t tell you where I keep it, but I dare say you will guess that it is not very far from my heart. I need not inform you, for you know it well, that you have my entire and undivided affection, and that I look forward seeing you at the Yule ball too. I hope Poppy and Natty didn't tell you too much about my dress. I leave you the surprise of discovering it tomorrow evening. I love you. Ever yours, Y/N"

As you sent your owl on its way to Sebastian, you felt your heart speed. You wonder if adding "I love you" on your letter was maybe too much. After all, you were not officially a couple. But at least he knows how you felt.

The next day came very quickly and you could see all of the girls in your room jump out of their bed to get ready, apply their makeup and do their hair. Seeing them so anxious made you start getting ready early too. Some of them helped you to do your eye makeup.

As you were putting your heals on, someone taps gently on your shoulder.

Y/N: Anne!!!

Anne: I am so please to see you Y/N. It's been a while since the last we spoke to eachother.

You couldn't help but put your arms around her to hug her. You were so glad he was looking better.

Y/N: What are you doing here ?

Anne: What does it look like silly? I am attending the Yule ball!

Y/N: What a sweet surprise. Did you already talk to Sebastian? And with who are you attending?

Anne: No no, I'll see Sebastian at the ball, it's a surprise. And my date for tonight is Ominis. He asked me some days ago and I could not reject his offer.

Anne was already wearing her gown for the ball. It was a really beautiful yellow dress with puffy sleeves. She was wearing her hair down and a pretty red color on her lips. She looked very elegant and chic. You could see she curled her hair with rollers for the occasion.

Y/N: You are so pretty! I love your gown. Yellow really suits you.

Anne: Thank you. I heard you were Sebastian's date for tonight?

Y/N: Oh hum...well I-

Anne: Don't worry, I am really glad he chose you. He explained everything to me in his most recent letter. I am truly happy for him and for you.

Y/N: Thank you so much. It means a lot.

Anne: Do you want me to help you get ready? Do you need help with your corset?

Y/N: Yes please.

Anne helped you putting on your dress. As you were ready, she went on to join Ominis.

You felt really nervous. You were hoping not to trip or step on Sebastian's toes during the dance. You had to be perfect for your futur boyfriend !

You got out of the common room and started walking towards the hall. A few people were also on their way.

You arrived in front of the big doors, opened them and stood at the top of the stairs, admiring the crowd of people already there. You were trying to scan the room to see where Sebastian was.

There he was, at the bottom of the stairs, also scanning the room. You called his name and he turned his head in your direction. His eyes widened. He could not stop looking at you as you descended the stairs.

Y/N: Good evening Sebastian. You are really handsome tonight.

Sebastian: Wow

Y/N: *giggles* I'm guessing you appreciate my outfit.

Sebastian: You are shining tonight. You are the brightest star in the sky. I am at loss for words. You've never been more elegant. Y/n: Thank you so much Sebastian.

As the music started playing, Sebastian led you to the middle of the huge ballroom. He looked like he knew what he was doing. He was leading the dance.

Y/N: Where did you learn to dance? You are a very good dancer! Sebastian: I have my own secrets Y/N. And you are not bad yourself. *grins*

He had one hand on your hip and the other was in your hand. One of your hand was on his chest. He kept looking at you in the eyes and smiling. His gentle brown eyes in yours felt like you two were the only one in the room.

As the dance came to an end, Sebastian and you kept dancing until your feet hurt. After that, you went to join Ominis who was standing further away.

Ominis: Ah there you both are. Are you having a good time? Sebastian: The time of my life. Ominis: The night is still young. Something else might be happening tonight. Sebastian: What do you mean by that?

As he asked that question, a gentle hand tapped his shoulder.

Anne: Maybe I should have helped you instead. You didn't flattened your hair properly. Sebastian: Anne!

He turned around and hugged her. He looked like her was holding her a little bit too thightly because Anne's face turned a reddish color.

Sebastian: Would you do me the honor of granting me the next dance? Anne: Only if your date agrees. Y/N: Of course! Please do. I'm going to take some fresh air in the meantime. It's really hot here!

As you went outside, you noticed how beautiful the sky was. There were so many stars tonight. Amit would have loved it. You were the only one standing outside. You lost yourself in your thoughts remembering how handsome Sebastian was tonight.

Garreth: who would dare to leave his date alone on such a special evening?

You did not hear Garreth approach. You felt silly standing there all alone.

Y/N: Oh, Hello Garreth. You always catch me wandering in my thoughts. And I just wanted some fresh air. Now i'm starting to think it might be a bit cold outside. Garreth: Oh! Where are my manners, please take my suit jacket. I don't want this pretty face to catch a cold. *he puts his suit jacket on your shoulders* Y/N: Thank you very much. You look really dashing tonight by the way. Garreth: You really look like a princess. You know, I have to admit something. Y/N: I surely hope it's not about a potion again. Garreth: No, not this time. But to be honest with you, I really wanted you to be my date for the Yule ball. I guess Sebastian was just quicker to invite you. Y/N: Oh. Garreth I am so sorry. Garreth: Please don't be sorry. But I do have a question. Dare I? Y/N: Please tell me, it's the least I can do for you. Garreth: Are you and Sallow a couple? Y/N: Oh... well no. Not really but- Garreth: Finally something I could beat him to.

Garreth quickly turned his face towards yours and put his hand behind your head. Everything happened so fast but...

He was kissing you.

He was almost rough with the kiss. Your eyes were still opened as you were trying to realize what was happening. But even before you had the time to do so, the kiss ended abruplty.

Sebastian: WHAT THE **** ARE YOU DOING WEASLEY?! SHE IS MINE!

Garreth didn't even have time to answer when Sebastian pushed him hard enough for him to fall heavily to the ground.

I was not good at all. You had to stop him before he starts anything he might regret later.

Y/N: Sebastian stop it! Leave him alone, it was just a misunderstanding. It's not his fault. Let him go! Please...

Sebastian turned around to look at you. I made you shake with fear. You had chills down your spine. The he looked at Garreth again.

Sebastian: Get the **** out of here before I make you suffer a fate much worse than being crucioed.

As Garreth went back inside, Sebastian got closer to you.

Sebastian: As for you, you have some explaining to do. Y/n: I sincerely apologize. I think I gave him the wrong idea but I never wanted to... I never wanted anything with him. Sebastian: I know. But what made him think he could kiss you? Y/N: Well... he asked me if we were together. I simply told him the truth. You never asked me to be your girlfriend. I was about to tell him we loved eachother but he just kissed me before I could explain the situation. Sebastian: Oh. So I guess it's my fault for not asking you to be entirely mine clearly. I apologize for losing my temper. And I apologize for this confusion. I'm not used to romance and relationships. Y/N: I'm sorry... I wanted to talk to you about it for some time but I didn't have the courage. Sebastian: You are the thing I dread the most in myself, Y/N, because I love you so much that I can’t trust myself. I’d die for you, give up all my power for you. I’d give you my soul in an instant, even if it meant I had to spend eternity in torment just for one moment with you as mine. So please, will you be my girlfriend? Y/N: In my eyes, nothing would be more precious to me than to be yours. Of course I want to be girlfriend.

The end.

[hauntedjpegcollection]

18. hospital room

wc: 2823 au: ghost hunter au ch: xavier, lark, benji, tino

“Oh, wow. Weren’t kiddin’ were you? He is an asshole.”

Xavier doesn’t immediately answer. He stomps further away from the other exorcists, down a long hallway inside the abandoned hospital. It creaks around him, wind through broken windows whispering. Glass crunches underneath his sneakers (makes him nervous, one of them has a hole in the bottom he’s been ignoring). The energy is depressing and heavy, like a blanket that someone’s evil fucked up Grandma knit for them. It makes all the hair on his arms stand up, the back of his neck tingle. He should be scared—he was scared—but now one of Xavier’s primary emotions takes over instead.

He’s angry. Anger is easy for Xavier. Second nature even.

It seethes between his clenched teeth as he ignores the very prevalent and very painful second emotion that has closed his throat. Unable to answer right away, he stops in a door frame, shoulders heaving. His stomach hurts. His hands shake a bit. He attempts a slow breath in and then out. It’s useless.

Ironic, that.

“Xavier? Love, you alright? C’mon, don’t let that prick get to you.”

The phone tilts in his hand, sending a circle of light skittering across run down, soiled walls. He lifts it, looks down at his screen. Nomi sits at her desk, bulky headphones slung around her neck. The light silhouetting her is all pretty blues and dusky purples, the ambiance of her room clashing with his miserable, grey surroundings. She’s so pale that she takes on those colors making her look like a mermaid. But her pale brown eyes blink, large and pitiful.

Great, now she feels bad for him. It doesn’t do much for the anger or…or the sadness that he can’t entirely ignore. The hurt.

“It’s fine,” Xavier says, although it really isn’t. He swallows down the hard feeling in his throat. He has no other choice than to be fine.

“Want me to put malware on his phone for you? Or—Oh! I could put his number up on some sketch forums. Nothing too bad, promise but, like, annoying. For sure annoying, but nothing illegal, swear.”

It makes him smile, cheeks rounding as Nomi gets closer to her phone, speaking emphatically. He knows the inside of her room, the way she keeps her cell phone propped up on a little stand when she’s at her computer. For a moment, he’s in her bed instead, among the comforting plethora of blankets and stuffed animals that she has. No one hates him there. He’d feel welcomed.

Xavier scrubs a hand over his face, groaning between his teeth, exhaling heavy.

“No.”

“That’s it, babe! Be the bigger person! Well, quite literally, yeah? He, what, comes up to your chin? You’re always the bigger person. Look down on that little prick, Xavier.”

His steps slow. He finds himself in the wide-open lobby they’d started in. It’s derelict, ceiling caved, reception sadly abandoned. Debris litters the floor; papers and fabrics and rodent droppings. The waiting chairs, usually bolted down for safety purposes, are loose and scattered on their sides or broken entirely in half. A hole opens up in the floor, revealing layers of concrete that might be breakable down into a basement. Hospital basement. He shivers. No interest there. The grime is just as bad in the lobby as it is everywhere else, a combination of rain damage and plain old dust.

Xavier contemplates leaving and finding Tino out in the courtyard, where all their supplies are set up and watched over with his hawk like eyes. But it feels like defeat. Like crawling back to an authority figure with his tail tucked between his legs. Makes him feel…pathetic.

“Think your friend’s come ‘round to apologize. Or was it the other one, the blond? Someone behind you, Xavier.”

“Huh?”

The phone swings up, his pale and freckled face glowing under its sickly pale light. In the two-way video call, he can see the littlest square of himself and the figure directly behind his shoulder. It’s too dark and grainy to fully realize features. Impossible to discern between Benji and Lark—and Xavier can’t stomach the idea of pretending that Benji would ever come after him. The figure stands in the hallway, right in front of the double doored entrance to the lobby, the doors crashed inward and strewn on the floor in pieces.

“Lark—c’mon, man, I just wanna be left alone—”

Sneakers squeak on the shattered, tiled floor beneath him as he turns. Xavier’s voice dies before the sentence can end.

No one is there.

The temperature plummets to freezing so fast that it almost burns his exposed skin. Xavier gasps, his breathing puffing misty in front of his face. Hands trembling, he nearly drops the phone—Nomi’s voice skips, crackles, reduces to nothing but frightened static.

“I want to…go home…” A voice kisses his ear, like a clump of snow pressed directly against his skin. Xavier would scream, but he suddenly isn’t entirely in control of himself. Limbs go jerky with terror and he stumbles backward.

“Xa-vi-Wh-at—Are yo—kay?—Vier—Hel—o?”

His phone spits Nomi’s audio, every half second of her voice desperate. Scared.

“Xavier!”

“Lark,” Xavier breathes, swinging his entire body in direction of the voice. Oh, no, he thinks. Oh fuck, don’t come in here. But it’s too little too late, Lark stepping over the threshold into the lobby, his youthful face weary. Resigned to apologize for something he didn’t even say. Xavier feels a strange burst of energy remembering Benji’s nasty sentiments, like the anger rekindles him. Lark’s wary, worried face rekindles him. Xavier drags in another frosty breath.

Then he’s sprinting.

In the opposite direction of Lark.

He runs for the chairs, vaulting over them. Sliding on the gritty tiled floor. Kicking the chairs—making noise. Disrupting. Insulting the spirit’s home. Everything he’d learned to piss them off; notes he’d taken in a little composition book, pencil scratching on the side while Tino lectured. Xavier waves his arms in the air, whistling and yelling. Lark looks startled. Then the expression dissolves into fear, and then unmistakable horror as the spirits apparition flickers into something substantial.

A barely there polaroid, just the ghostly, shuddering image of someone; hospital gown dripping something black and oozing, dirty feet inches above the ground. Arms hung limp at their sides, head lolled like it’s broken. A doll hanging in the air by a cruel child’s pinched fingers at their throat. The temperature plunges once more, Xavier’s eyelashes crusting over with the sudden drop.

“What are you doing?” Lark yells frantically, hands scrambling over himself for supplies. Holy water, crucifix, salt, anything. Coming up empty.

“I—Uh, I think—I think I’m distracting it!” Xavier calls back stupidly. He places fingers into his mouth and whistles, the sound piercing through the derelict lobby and echoing off its crumbling walls. His father had taught him how to whistle like that when he was just a boy. The spirits replying scream shatters what remains of glass in the lobby windows, making Lark and Xavier double over with it, hands clasped over their ears.

And then it descends on him.

—

Lark could never really stay mad at Benji.

He remembers trying, actually. He remembers nasty fights as teenagers where he should have stayed mad for weeks. He remembers them falling to the ground wrestling furiously until Tino was hauling them apart. Snapping at his charges, bewildered where all the nastiness could come from (they were so cute when they were younger, after all, he laments very often).

Lark knows it—the anger, the meanness—is just underneath a notch in Benji’s chest. It’s in Lark’s hands. Cold with it.

But the emotion could never stretch long enough to fester. No wound ever appeared. It never lasted. Never more than a day—sometimes not even an hour. Lark would find himself standing in Benji’s doorway, glaring, arms crossed. His feet carrying them without thought. Muscle memory would toe over the threshold and then they’d share one or two more heated, nasty barbs until it was truly well and over. Until Benji’s accent would make Lark laugh or Lark would wiggle his way close enough that the cold bubble of Benji’s carefully constructed barrier would give. Easy.

Lark could always get past that defense. When they were friends as much as they were sometimes lovers as much as they are recovering that friendship now.

Maybe he was the problem then. Maybe Lark was making things worse because he couldn’t stay mad, and Xavier’s anger was justified. He just thought Benji was easy to understand; he thought Xavier was even easier. He didn’t know why they couldn’t figure it out.

Of course, it seems inconsequential now as he watches Xavier run down a hallway, spirit in tow. More important things to worry about.

“Shit, shit, shit!” Lark squeaks with every pump of his arms. He’s faster than Xavier, no matter how leggy the red head is. If anyone should be martyring themselves to distract a spirit, to get to their Priest, it probably should have been him. But Benji and Xavier, despite fighting like cats and dogs (oil and water, all the metaphors someone could imagine) were so fucking similar. He was going to slam their temples together and make them realize that, if—when—Xavier lived through this.

Lark crashes against a wall around a bend in a hallway, his momentum carrying him straight into a nearly dislocated shoulder. Xavier’s feet slap on the tiled floor. His voice is carrying a high-pitched scream as the walls shred around him—claws. The spirit has claws. And it tears those ghastly things across the plaster, dust pluming into the air. It howls, unearthly and mournful as it chases Xavier, the bright beacon of his overwhelming lifeforce.

“Benji, come outside,” Lark screams into the walkie talkie he’s finally been able to free from his pant pocket.

“Wot?”

“Don’t fucking wot me, come outside—Xavier’s tethered something!”

“Wot?!”

Lark bursts into cold night air behind the spirit. He can feel the weather trailing after them, the condensation of cold they leave behind. The frost that glosses over the glass panes lining up the outside of the hospital. The courtyard’s withering plants burst into icicles.

Then Xavier slips.

Come to think of it, he could never stay mad at Xavier either. Maybe it was a condition of loving someone. Every annoying thing they ever did felt pale in comparison to everything else they also did. Their laughter, their mannerisms so familiar and warm. Lark’s heart bursts inside his ribcage, pouring a sheet of cold down into his stomach as he watches Xavier scramble to his hands and knees.

Then the hood of his sweatshirt lifts. The flickering image of the spirit appears in the air. Its head is no longer creaking unhinged on its chest. It’s lifted instead, it’s entire face nothing but a giant gaping maw of teeth. No—not teeth, but—instruments of medicine—scalpels, rusted and bloodied. A bolt of cold fear pierces Lark’s belly. His knees shiver.

Its inhuman strength gets Xavier (not that heavy to begin with) off the ground.

Arms, or the visage of arms, burst out of Xavier’s chest. He screams at the sight of them, jerky in the phantom’s grasp, legs flailing. They’re long, spindly, crimson, and yet translucent and dripping with ichor. A laugh follows the arms, something so horrifying that the ghost they grab hold of shudders. It’s edges blur. It screams with its head thrown back, the maw opening wider and wider as the crimson hands take hold.

And then, loud, and clear and viciously holy, their Priest’s voice.

“I cast you out.”

Lark watches Tino emerge from under the courtyard pavilion. The clouds don’t part dramatically, moonlight doesn’t spill down upon him, illuminating him like God’s virtuous warrior. And it doesn’t need to. In all black, Tino is similar to the courtyard shadows, and yet his raised crucifix is all he seems to need. The hands outstretched from Xavier’s chest withdraw, slowly, fingernails clicking together in some sort of language that maybe Tino understands.

Of all things, the priest smirks.

And then raises the crucifix once more.

He repeats himself, in Latin.

The weakened spirit dissolves right then and there.

—

“He’s okay, right?” Lark crashes to his knees beside Xavier. He’s gone paler than he has any right to be, when he’s a shade darker than the moon half the time. The boy on the ground groans, arms wrapped around himself protectively, lanky body curling up. He turns onto his side, breathing heavily and deeply. A lock of red hair falls across his brow, sweaty and stringy. Lark is almost afraid to touch him.

“Just needs sleep, m’guessing.” Tino kneels as well, brushing a gloved hand across Xavier’s pale brow. Poor boy turns his head with the movement, a subconscious desire for the attention. Lark’s heart pulses with affection and worry.

“Fucking shit, I miss all the fun?”

Benji emerges, his curls sweat slicked and stuck to his face, belying the nonchalance he fakes. He breathes evenly, but deeply, shoulders rising and falling in an attempt to cover up for the run he’d likely been making from across the hospital. His dark eyes flicker to Xavier on the ground. They linger for a half a beat too long to convince anyone of anything and then skate away to Tino. His brows pinch in.

“Hello? Hello! Someone please tell me I did not just listen to my friend die over facetime? Hello!”

All three of them startle away from Xavier.

“What in the world--?” Tino, who’d only just exorcised a spirit and forced another back into its mortal cage, looks positively puzzled by the sound. Lark reaches to Xavier’s front pocket, noticing a little square of light peeking through the dark green fabric. He withdraws the cell phone, standing up and staring down at the screen. A woman looks back at him, her face close to the camera, pale eyes so wide they’re whiter than they are iris.

“Who are—?”

“Is he alive or not, you fuckin’ dunce?” Her voice is so shrill it makes the speaker crackle.

“Yes!” Lark glances between Benji and Tino. “Yes, he’s—he’s okay, he’s just asleep, he just—”

“Well, good. Have no reason to talk to you lot.” The woman sniffs indignantly, her eyes flickering as if taking the other two faces peering down over the phone in Lark’s hand. “Arseholes.”

The call disconnects.

There is silence in the hospital courtyard, abandoned and a final resting place for an unruly spirit that had nearly tried to kill at least one of them. Silence except for the wind whipping their hair and their clothes and also the occasional small snore from Xavier on the ground. Lark looks between Tino and Benji with giant, confused eyes.

“I don’t make a habit of pissing off pretty ladies,” Tino says dryly. He cuts a look between his two wards. “So, I hope you two ain’t do nothing to her.”

“Don’t even know who she is!”

“Maybe she’s Xavier’s secret girlfriend,” Lark jokes with an uneasy laugh. Benji beside him stiffens considerably, hands at his sides clenching into fists and drawing Tino’s watchful Fatherly eye even harder. He says nothing, but Benji swirls around, stomping away. “Where are you going?”

“Clean up,” he bites out, the words gnashed between his furious teeth. Benji pauses and tosses a hand toward Xavier. “Since someone isn’t gonna be helpin’ out with it, yeah?”

“Dude, harsh.”

Lark watches Benji retreat toward the folding tent that houses their supplies in case of rain. The night hadn’t called for it, but Tino didn’t get where he was (wherever he was, anyway) without being an overly cautious and perhaps slightly anal man with his work. Something uncomfortable settles into Lark’s stomach, as though he’s missed something pivotal. When he looks back, Tino’s already gathered Xavier up into his arms.

“Is he really okay?” Lark finally asks, cradling a hand underneath Xavier’s skull as it rests on Tino’s shoulder. Arms. Red, shiny, horrifying fucking arms, pushing right out his chest, and grabbing hold of a spirit. What is fucking going on, Tino? Nothing he articulates aloud, but his black eyes raise to meet the Priest, who only smiles at him.

“Y’let me worry about it, Daisuke.”

It’s easy then, to let everything fade off his shoulders. He looks down at the ground, scuffing a sneaker. And though it takes some shifting and a great deal of strength, Tino manages to move the young man in his arms to free up a hand to gently pat Lark’s cheek. He watches Tino depart for the van.

Then, feeling like he can’t be mad at Benji, he settles instead for pettiness. Shirks helping close up shop and sits on the stone bench in the courtyard and rests for a moment instead.

[chiimeramanticore]

Part of the Band - Chapter 10 - Dress-Up

Chapter summary: Dook visits Billy Bob and Looney Bird to make his outfit for the band. Billy Bob orders a pizza. Looney Bird gives Dook some advice. A/N:

the space between chapters remains long, but I assure you: I have been cooking chapter 11 is actually also already done! so expect that to be uploaded within a day or two as well. things are about to get very interesting... buckle up!

Chapter word count: 1,177 <- Chapter 9 - Chapter 11 -> Read it on AO3!

"Dook!" Billy Bob exclaims as he opens the door. "I'm so glad you're here! Come in, come in!"

Dook shuffles through the doorway of Billy Bob and Looney Bird's house. It's been some time now since Looney Bird offered to help Dook make his costume for the band, but it took Dook until now to actually really accept. He'd told Beach Bear he was going to pick it up today, which shouldn't take too long. As long as he's in and out, Beach Bear won't suspect a thing.

"Make yourself comfortable," Billy Bob says. The house is incredibly lived-in. The decor is like if Billy Bob and Looney Bird's personal styles had an epic battle, with the remains of those fallen scattered around the house. Some of the furniture looks like they just found it in the street and brought it home. None of it is broken, it all just... clashes. Dook sits down on the couch. It's incredibly plush.

"Dook!" A rush of footsteps from down the hallway, and Looney Bird appears in the living room, arms full of fabric and sewing materials. "I've got so many ideas for you! Look–" He dumps everything onto the table in front of them. Among the pile are several pages of crude sketches of outfit designs.

"You're all about space, right?" Looney Bird says.

"Sure am," Dook replies.

"I'm gonna make you into a space man," Looney Bird says, determined.

Dook laughs. "Sure, just–"

"Looney Bird!" Billy Bob calls from the next room over. "Would you come help me with this?"

"Sure thing, Billy Bob!" Looney happily calls back. "Be right back, Dook."

Dook follows Looney Bird into the next room, where Billy Bob is stirring an almost comically large pot over a stove.

"You're making dinner?" Dook says incredulously.

"Yeah!" Billy Bob replies. "You wouldn't be our guest now if we didn't treat ya with some southern hospitality!"

"I mean, that's real nice and all, but I–"

"Looney Bird, come help me with this," Billy says. Dook sighs. He doesn't have time for dinner.

Looney Bird approaches the pot and starts helping Billy Bob lift it and move it toward the table.

"Guys, I really appreciate the thought," Dook starts, "but I ain't exactly got the time f..." Dook's eyes drift toward the table they're moving the pot towards. It's a folding table– and one of the legs is unstable.

"Guys, wait! Don't–!"

The pot lands on the table, and it loses its balance. In the blink of an eye, it falls, spilling stew everywhere. Looney Bird falls too, shrieking as the stew spills onto him.

"Looney!" Billy Bob exclaims, helping him stand up. "Are you alright?"

"Y- yeah," he says, brushing stew off of him. "But my feathers are all stained...! And wet! I can't touch any of the furniture like this!"

"We'll get you cleaned up, don't worry," Billy Bob says. "Dook, could you take Looney Bird to the bathroom? I've got my work cut out for me here."

"Uh... Sure," Dook concedes.

"I'm real sorry," Looney Bird says from the bathtub. "We just wanted to–"

"Show me some 'southern hospitality,' I know," Dook says.

"Yeah," Looney Bird says. "Billy Bob's trying, y'know? We don't get guests too often. I think he's just excited."

Dook says nothing for a while, staring at himself in the sink mirror. "I just wanna get this costume made," he says.

"Sure," Looney says. "And we will, once I'm clean! Which..." Dook hears the faucet turn off. "...Is now!" Looney Bird steps out of the shower, shaking himself dry.

Dook smiles. "Okay, you ready?"

"Sure am," Looney Bird says. The two leave the bathroom together.

Waiting for them in the living room is Billy Bob, who's set out several pizza boxes... which he's made space for by pushing aside everything they'd set up for sewing.

"Hi guys!" He says cheerfully. "I thought since the stew didn't work out, I'd just order us pizza!"

Something twinges in Dook. "I... I don't want pizza," he says.

"Oh! Sure, do you wanna order something else for yourself?" Billy Bob says. He rifles through a drawer next to him and approaches with several takeout menus. "We've got a lot nearby! There's Mexican, Chinese, Thai, burgers, we can–"

"No!" Dook snaps. "I don't want food at all! I didn't come here for southern hospitality, I just wanna get my costume made and go! I can't be wasting time like this!"

"...Dook, I–" Billy Bob starts. Dook turns and re-enters the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

He presses his back to the door and sighs, sliding down to the floor. He's being a jerk. He'll apologize, he just... needs a minute to cool off first. Who's wasting time now?

After a minute of sitting there, Dook hears a gentle knock at the door. "Hey, Dook?" It's Looney Bird.

"Yeah," Dook replies.

"Do you, like... wanna talk about it?" He asks.

"...I guess," Dook says. "I just– I guess I'm stressed. I'm tryin' to cover my tracks with this whole situation. I don't want Beach Bear to know I lied. And I guess that's makin' me all uptight."

Looney Bird is quiet for a moment. Then, "You haven't told him?" He asks.

"No," Dook responds. "Why would I?"

"I told Billy Bob."

"Wh-?" Dook turns to face the door. "What do you mean, you told Billy Bob!"

"I mean I told him!" Looney Bird says.

"But what happened to 'we were never here?'"

"I dunno! I didn't think you were being that serious. And I only told Billy Bob, okay? No one else knows."

Dook sighs. "Okay."

"What I'm tryin' to get at is," Looney continues, "when I told him, he was a little mad at me, sure. But we talked about it and we moved on. And he's not mad at me anymore. And I just think... if you told Beach Bear, he might get mad, sure. But he'll be a lot more upset if he finds out what you did and you kept it from him."

Dook stares at the back of the door. He hadn't considered the consequences of not telling him. That if Beach Bear somehow found out about this from someone other than Dook, his trust in him might be broken for good. The thought upsets him more than he'd like to admit.

"...You're right," he says. "I guess I should... I guess I should tell him, then."

"Yeah," Looney Bird says encouragingly. "I think he'll be cool with it anyway. It's Beach Bear! He's cool about everything."

Dook laughs. "Yeah, he is."

"...Do you wanna come out and have some pizza?" Looney asks.

"Yeah," Dook replies. He stands, finally opening the door.

As he returns to the living room, Dook promises to himself two things: that he'll take the rest of this visit in stride, and simply enjoy this time with his friends– and to tell Beach Bear the truth once he gets home. He's kept this all from him for long enough.

He just hopes he hasn't waited too long.

[saintkeaton]

A B S T R A C T I O N

October is a

conspiracy

cold covering the

mind like

kudzu vines

i’m ready to take a

stab at those March

winds

maybe fly a damn

kite with the

kids

that's when the

absurd dream

sets in

dreams from the

silver resort

...for all the glory

there must be a

secret golden

truth

hiding in black halls

of unknown

hospitals

to bend

around rebellion

&

smash dark windows

&

piss on golden truth

while Buddha sits like

a lump of lying shit

damn!

how you messed up

my life for years!

to get caught in a

cycle of daily

paralyzation

plastered to an

easy chair

you watch from a

grand vantage point

while i’m rolling in

the mud

thirteen times you

nailed bad news onto

my chest

13 times you cut my

sentence off with a

razor

thirteen times

&

times

&

times before that

time is meaningless

don’t you know?

you know about your

blue veins popping

in my neck?

i grunt

&

take a shit

while boiling water in

the shower

it burns like hell!

that's just the way

she likes it

i can’t take the

heat

i step backwards

&

tell her she’s

insane

my brain tells me to

write this poem

some sorry attempt at

earthly immortality

i recon

the effort is met with

anxiety

&

dread

well

that’s not true is it?

it’s interesting

(for me at least)

to scan meaningless

words

slammed together in

random patchwork

growing this dead

thing

from inside out

it’s been done before

probably many times

but i’ve never

so fuck off!

oh

non reader

if you click on this

pretentious shit

&

read my words

i won’t believe you

i’ll say you’re a liar

because there’s

something in the voice

makes me feel sick

so

i went and got a

broken ankle

while trying to

run away

run from that

sound

it's a good

thing

i didn't elect to

come here every time

or we’d all be

chewing onions

nothing in hell

could evoke

such madness

was it a scheme

i’d fallen into?

you hermit!

spiritually poor!

a reject!

desperately scrawling a

biography for a

life un-lived

with nothing but loose

powder on the

ground

eyes burning

&

snow blind

light comes to drink

me up

when the darkness is

just too much

i see your face

burnt into my

eyelids

i drink your beautiful

soul

i do!

Kathleen comes to me

with a gut punch

(love)

to knock my

soul out!

i met you with the

crazies

while you cut hair with

the keys in the

hidden room

you even wiped their

asses

wiped their

hearts

the one with

cancer

the one who killed

a horse

the one who

sketched your house

the one who danced

with me

the one who

loved you

the one who

hated me

in that dusty brick

hallway

making greeting cards

with your left

while you

scrubbed dishes with

the right

you don’t copy anyone

don't dance around

the subject

you face this shit

head on

we were with

the crazies

now we may be

them

so now i drive to

these houses

houses of dying

people

or

dead people

a grieving

old man told me

(with a grin)

that his wife had

given up the ghost

thought about it the

whole drive home

i know

what that meant

but i’m not sure

i also met a

15 year old boy

with cancer

he hasn't given up

the ghost yet

i’m not looking forward

to that day

i’ll pick his stuff up &

tell the family

i’m sorry

i have a feeling they

won't be talking about any

ghosts on that day

the dying boy’s gun is

cold metal black

he knows a dude

with night vision

goggles

that guy doesn’t play small ball

he told me

even the fat

cross eyed

retared kid gets a

bronze metal

&

a pat on the

back

he’s a first place

winner

so fire up a

glitchy video game

blow into the cartridge

&

remember childhood

even though it’s not

for human consumption

we smoked that shit

all day

&

all night long

i think i’m still

a little fucked up

from fake

still

i’ve never beat a

video game but i’ve

watched a warped

videotape full of

tracking lines

just as in my fever

dream

i see the demons

ripping apart the

people i love

&

i wonder if the

angels eavesdrop on

conversations

about us not believing

in them

do they dance to

our music

&

read our fucking

poetry?

now with our lineage

traced back for

200 years

&

our children's hands

bent behind them

the president checks

his email

it cracks me up

when I think that

nobody will be

here in reality to

make

an official report

when the world

finally ends

screaming

&

clawing!

i have zero idea

what poetry

actually is

brain droppings that

most people can’t

stand

i’d bet money

on it

this poetry is

Clint Eastwood movies

in VR headsets

while the president

still checks his

email

get it?

now the ashtray is

overflowing

&

it's only 8am

my lungs are full

of snot

&

i’ve deleted my

Facebook

thank Jesus

too many trash

bags to count

truck broke down so

there's no way of

hauling all the

shit off

listening to classical

music to drown out

the world

&

its buzzing

bullshit

all week i look

forward to writing

this garbage

composing in little

bursts between work

&

sleep

i’m already sick of

oxygen tanks

&

people struggling

to breath

i don't know how

doctors look death

in the face

everyday &

come home to their

mansions

&

sleep like

babies

now there's soggy

cereal spilled on the

counter

&

no one better be up

&

awake before coffee

has been

chugged

i ask

how does a man

keep discipline?

keep his mind in a

straight line?

to stop flashing

between Channels?

trudging through a

marsh full of sin

&

nasty devils

the number of the

beast is 100%.

with all the cut

sensitivity

that's

blood red under

the foreskin

with a closed mind

i listen to the

Dracula soundtrack on

repeat

through my

earbuds

coffee is my

life’s blood

weed don’t hurt

me either

beans with hot water

&

dried up plants

lit on fire

the amazing instant

life changers

i know that everything on

this earth

is a ministry

we wake up in the

cold morning

with outlandish

expectations

hopes that people

will stay in their

own lanes

&

not just walk with

confidence into your

unlocked home while

the woman is

still fast

asleep

to this degree

everything is

wrong

how unpredictable this

motherfucker

can be is

truly stunning

i think i will

withdraw into

abstraction

deep

absurd

uneducated

abstraction

[ikeromantic]

I have read ‘Theo X Mc but Mc is already pregnant with Arthur's baby…’ now can we have Theo find out and Arthur tell Theo he loves MC?! Please bring on the drama! So excited…

Photo source: <a href="https://www.freepik.com/vectors/social-media-influencer">Social media influencer vector created by storyset - www.freepik.com</a>

This one took me a bit to write. I wasn't sure how I wanted the scene to happen, but I'm pretty happy with this. Approx 1100 words of some love-triangle drama with Theo, Arthur, and MC. A continuation of A Baby Between Them

Arthur paced in the hall outside the birthing room. His nerves were on edge. The need to be in the room with her ate him from the inside, leaving his chest hollow and sore. Her cries pulled at the nerves in his limbs, making him twitch and fidget. A puppet with an unkind puppeteer.

At least he wasn’t alone in his misery. Leo leaned against the wall nearby, an unlit cigarillo resting between his lips. Though he pretended a languid ease, his eyes were narrow and there was a pinched ridge between his brows. 

Vincent sat on a bench, a sketch pad open on his lap. He was drawing flowers, but the dimensions were off, turning the lovely shapes into something strange and unsettling. The images did not help Arthur’s nerves at all. 

And then there was Theo. He sat next to his brother, his expression rigid. He smelled of whiskey, tobacco smoke, and fear. His coat was undone and his collar hung loose. They’d been out drinking when Leonardo arrived with the news. The baby was coming, finally. 

They’d rushed straight from the bar to this private hospital to find Vincent waiting for them in this hallway. Le Comte was inside with the doctor, a specialist from Vienna. Aside from the nurse providing them with updates, the last two hours were just this - pacing and tension and silence, broken only by the sounds of labor in the room beyond and Vincent’s charcoals on paper.

Arthur felt as if he had a weight on his shoulders, pushing him inexorably down, onto the floor, into the floor, beyond it into some abyss where he could allow himself the pleasure of being nothing. A place to shed his guilt and the sharp, hot knife of unrequited love. Or at least, suffer there in a private hell instead of this hallway. 

“Sit down.” Theo’s blue eyes looked almost grey in this light, bled of their usual color by worry. 

“Can’t, old chap. Too nervous.”

“Then take your pacing outside. It’s annoying.” The Dutchman’s voice was pinched and tight, wound up to a high point of tension. 

Arthur shook his head. “I need to be here. Close to -” he gestured to the delivery room. To the woman he loved and the child that was likely his. He’d counted the weeks, back to that one night when he’d seduced his best friend’s wife. That one intoxicating dream where he’d let himself believe that maybe she could love him as more than just a friend. 

Foolish, really. He was a failed doctor, a hack writer, and a pathetic womanizer. There was nothing there to fall in love with. But he thought he could be better, for her, for the child. 

“I can walk with you,” Vincent volunteered. He stood and took Arthur’s arm, tugging him gently toward the door. 

Arthur shoved him away, more roughly than necessary. “I said no.”

“Don’t push my broer.” Theo was standing now, his gaze turned hot. 

“Then tell him not to touch me. I don’t need a damned escort. I’m not going anywhere.” 

Leonardo pushed off from the wall. “Let’s settle down, yeah?”

“Bakkes,” Theo growled, not even bothering to look Leo’s way.

Vincent gasped. “Broer, don’t tell Leonardo to shut up. He’s trying to help. You are being . . . unreasonable.” He settled a calming hand on Theo’s shoulder.

“You should listen to your brother,” Arthur smirked. “Maybe you need to go outside, hm?” He knew he shouldn’t needle his friend, but the pain and emptiness pushed him on, begging, daring anyone to punish him for his transgressions.

“That’s my wife in there,” Theo said, his voice low and quiet and dangerous. “My child. I need to be here. Close.”

Leonardo cleared his throat. “Should probably step outside, Arthur. It’s for the best.”

Arthur spun, glaring daggers at the Italian. “For the best? For who?” He pointed at the delivery room, his hand shaking. “I love that woman. I’ve been here for every moment - every bloody moment - of this pregnancy. I deserve to be here. To hold my child - my . . .” He paused, shuddering as he realized what had come out of his mouth. 

“Your what?” Theo grabbed his shoulder, pulled Arthur around to face him. “Say that again. Look at me and say it again.”

“My. Child.” Arthur grinned. “What’s that, Theo? Can’t do the math? Let me help -”

The fist moved faster and more eloquently than Arthur’s tongue. Crashing into his cheek, cracking the bone of his jaw. Splitting his lip. He could taste the bitter salt-and-copper tang of his own blood. 

“I was going to let it go,” Theo said, so softly that Arthur had to strain to hear it. “I know how you feel. In love, sick with it. But I won’t let you put this between me and my wife, my baby.” 

Arthur punched him in the gut. The slight creak of ribs, the sudden exhalation of breath as Theo gasped. Then it was chaos. Kicking. Biting. Punching. Every blow, every hurt, only made Arthur fight back harder. “Hit me again,” he shouted, and Theo obliged. 

He could hear Vincent, distantly shouting at them to stop. And Leonardo’s calm response to let them get it out of their system. 

The problem was, Arthur could never ‘get it out of his system.’ This hopeless, desperate, hungry love. In this moment, he wanted Theo to kill him. To end him so that he could find peace in that final darkness. He told himself that would be better for everyone. So he fought even harder, holding nothing back. Hoping Theo would also hold nothing back.

He let himself be pushed back, held down. Felt Theo’s solid weight on his chest. The brittle crunch of his nose breaking under Theo’s fist. His ribs cracked and aching. And then a heavy stillness as Theo stopped hitting him and instead, pulled him into a hard, brutal embrace. 

Arthur felt his swollen eyes well up with thick, hot tears. They spilled down his cheeks and soaked Theo’s shoulder. A ragged sob tore from his chest as the emptiness in him filled with an agonizing sorrow. 

Theo held him, his grasp an inescapable prison. The bonds of friendship and a shared love snared them both, choking them with emotion as vast as the sea. 

The delivery room door opened, and le Comte’s voice broke through their struggle. “It’s a girl.”

Theo released Arthur and stood, his legs wobbling and unsteady, his face bruised and swollen where he’d taken hits. He held a hand to Arthur. “Come on.”

Arthur wanted to push him away, to hold onto a thread of anger. Something to hold his despair at bay. But he couldn’t. This was his friend. And he was offering Arthur something that the writer never would have, had their positions been switched. A place in his family, a role in the life of this little girl that belonged to them both. 

He took Theo’s hand and stood. Together, they limped into the delivery room. Two men, hopelessly in love. Friends and rivals, united for now.

[middleearthpixie]

Seven Days ~ Chapter Eighteen

Seven Days -  Modern Tolkien AU

Firefighter Frerin Durin died in a fire set deliberately. But after he helps his brother, Thorin find happiness, Frerin is offered a second chance. He has to prove himself worthy by righting the one major wrong in his life. Otherwise, history will repeat and he will die for good this time. The catch? He has seven days in which to do this and isn’t even certain what his major wrong is.

At least, he doesn’t know for long. 

Syd Prescott has known Frerin since high school. She spent one night with him and then he vanished from her life. Now, he claims he wants to make it up to her, to right was he realizes was his major wrong. But can she trust him? And can he prove to her that she can before it’s too late? 

A/N - This story is the sequel to Miss Fortune, but is a stand alone story. 

Summary: The fire’s aftermath has Syd pacing the hospital hallway, wondering if Frerin will regain consciousness…

Pairing: Modern!Frerin x OFC Syd Prescott

Characters: Frerin, Syd, Thorin, Alex, Nico

Warnings: None

Rating: T

Word Count: 3,611

Tag List: @tschrist1 @i-did-not-mean-to @lathalea @linasofia @fizzyxcustard @legolasbadass @kibleedibleedoo @xxbyimm @arrthurpendragon @exhausted-humxn-being @rachel1959 @laurfilijames @sketch-and-write-lover @sherala007 @enchantzz @knittastically @notlostgnome @myselfandfantasy @medusas-hairband @guardianofrivendell @jotink78 @frosticenow @quiall321 @dianakc

If you’d like to be added (or removed) to the tag list, please just let me know!

Previous chapters can be found here.

December 9th & 10th

Friday Night/Saturday Morning

Syd tried not to panic as she lay on a narrow stretcher, slowly breathing the sweetest, most beautiful air ever. She tried to remain calm as she waited for Frerin to be brought out. All she knew what that one of the biggest men she’d ever seen emerged from the smoke like an avenging angel to scoop her up. The strange woman Frerin had been yelling at simply vanished and that was all Syd remembered until she opened her eyes on the gurney. 

Then she heard the clatter of wheels on pavement and sat up to see EMTs wheeling Frerin her way. She jumped up, ignoring the shout of the paramedic, the sting in her arm from moving the IV catheter, nearly hanging herself in the tubing carrying the very oxygen that cleared the smoke from her lungs. She clawed at the mask over her mouth and nose, shoving it up and off her head.

“Take this out now,” she said to the medic, pointing at the IV.

“Miss… we need to run in that until it’s finished.”

“Take it out now,” Syd growled, “or I’ll do it myself.”

“Miss Pres—”

“I mean it. Now.”

The medic removed the IV and gave her a cotton ball to hold against the site and she ignored everything but the need to see Frerin. 

He was pale and still, His sweat-dampened hair poking up in all directions, his face smudged with soot, an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth. Her throat seized, her eyes stung. “You big jerk,” she managed to choke, slipping her hand beneath his, “why didn't you keep that fucking mask on? Why?”

She squeezed his hand, hoping he’d squeeze back. 

But his hand remained limp in hers. 

Pressing her lips together in a foolish attempt to keep them from quivering, her eyes flooding with tears she didn't bother to hold back, she crouched beside him. “Open your eyes, Frerin. Please? You have to be okay because… because you just have to, okay? I know you were telling me the truth. And I’m so sorry I blew up the way I did. I should’ve known better. I know there is more beyond this world. I know it. It’s my family’s business. If anyone should believe you, it’s me. And I am such a fucking idiot for not believing you.”

She reached down to smooth his spiky dark hair away from his soot-streaked forehead. “And you did not sacrifice yourself for me, do you hear me, Frerin Durin? You’d better get your ass back to this plane, back to this side of that fucking veil because I love you and I want to introduce you to everyone as the boyfriend and I don't care how seventh-grade it sounds.”

The winds picked up and snow fell yet again and she started when the burly firefighter who’d pulled them both out draped Frerin’s turnout coat about her shoulders. “I’ll give you a ride to the hospital, Syd.”

She looked up. “How—how do you know my name?”

“He spent all week talking about you.” He smiled, his dark eyes warm. “I’m Nico and I doubt he’s mentioned me, but he couldn’t shut up about you.”

She pressed her lips together once more and smiled down at Frerin. She swallowed hard, waiting until she trusted herself to speak, before she managed to whisper, “You better not have told them everything.”

“Nah. You don’t have to worry. He left all the good stuff out. That’s how I know it’s serious, when Frer keeps the details to himself.” Nico caught her by the elbow. “Come on.”

“No. I mean, thank you for the offer, but I—I have my sister’s car. It’s at the far end of the lot. I’ll just follow him.”

“You sure?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m—uh—I’m going to call my sister. She’ll meet me at the hospital.” She looked up at him and managed a smile. “Thank you.”

“No problem. I wasn’t leaving either of you behind.” He smiled. “I’m going to ride with him to the ER then.”

“Keep an eye on him for me? And stay with him until I get there?”

“Of course. They’ll have to forcibly pull me away from him.”

Syd bobbed her head and dug Alex’s keys from her pocket. Thank God they were there and not in her purse, because her purse was now a melted blob of leather and plastic and cell phone.

Wait.. how was she going to let Alex know what happened unless there was a pay phone in the hospital lobby, and she couldn’t remember if there was or not. 

She turned to ask Nico, but he was already climbing into the ambulance after Frerin had been loaded in, and the paramedic slammed the doors before she could say anything.

“Fuck,” she muttered, thinking about all the information stored on the phone alone. Thank God she’d backed it up only last week. She wouldn’t lose too much. Small favors and all.

Her hands shook so badly, it took her three tries to get the key in the ignition and all of her will to keep the Jeep straight on the road as the ambulances all pulled out, sirens screaming, and took off toward Cranford Falls Medical Center.

Syd hated hospitals. Ever since the night of the accident on the Parkway, when she and her sisters met up with Gram at the ER in Toms River to receive the worst news of her life that her mom and dad had been killed in a car accident on the Garden State Parkway.

Now, she paced the sterile corridor, coughing every now and again but otherwise all right. She had no idea what was going on with Frerin and seeing as how she was only possibly his girlfriend, no one was giving her any information. She had no idea how many laps she’d taken when Thorin and Alex appeared around the corner, hurrying toward her.

She stared. “H-how did you know?”

Thorin’s expression was the most serious she’d ever seen. “Nico Zarelli called me.”

Thank you, Nico.

“Syd?” Alex broke through her reverie. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine. I’m just… Frerin’s still being treated and no one will tell me anything.” Syd all but fell into Alex’s arms, her eyes stinging and her throat tight. “He gave me his mask, Lex. That jackass made me take his mask.”

“What?” Thorin asked, shaking his head. “He knows better.”

“I couldn’t breathe and I couldn't fool him. I tried to give it back, but he wouldn’t take it.”

“Yeah, I’m not surprised,” Thorin said, leaning against the wall with a low sigh. “Was he at least conscious when they brought him out?”

She shook her head slowly. “No. He was unresponsive.”

“Oh, Syd…” Alex tightened her arms about her.

“I know… he wasn’t lying to me, Lex. He wasn’t.”

Thorin raked a hand through his hair. “He wanted to tell you, Syd. He was scared to.”

“I know. And I gave him every reason to be scared. I did just what he thought I would.”

“He understood, though. Because of what happened last summer.” 

“Wait,” Alex pulled back, “what happened last summer? I thought you just went out with him the one time?”

“I slept with him, Lex. And he never called the next day. Never called, never dropped by the shop. He just vanished on me.”

“You slept with him last summer and I’m only now finding out about it?”

“I thought you knew!”

“How would I know?”

“Teddy!”

“You told her and not me?”

“I thought you already knew!”

“How would I know?”

“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Thorin broke in sharply, rolling his eyes, “can you not right here?”

Both Alex and Syd stared at him and Alex said, “You sound like Charlie, Thorin. What’s that about?”

“You’re all rubbing off on me.” Thorin rubbed his forehead. “Look, argue about gossiping over my kid brother’s sex life another time, okay? Preferably when I’m not around.”

Syd pulled away from Alex and rubbed her forehead slowly. “I’m sorry. I’m just… I don't know what’s going on and no one will tell me. Thorin, could you maybe find out?”

“Let me see what I can do.” He pushed away from the wall and made his way over to the nurse’s station. She had no idea what he said, but a few minutes later, Syd was in a small, curtained off area where Frerin lay, still and quiet, hooked up to an EKG, an IV, and an oxygen cannula as well. All she knew was he was still alive and they couldn't figure out why he was still so unresponsive.

She dragged a wood-and-orange vinyl chair to his bedside and sank into it, slipping her hand into his. “Frerin? If you can hear me, can you squeeze my hand back?”

Nothing.

A sigh bubbled to her lips, but she held it back, tracing her thumb lightly along the side his. His hand was warm, so that was a good sign. “The nurse thought you could maybe hear me. And I hope you can, although I have to admit, I’d rather see the look in your eyes when I tell you I love you, because I think you’d make a perfect deer in the headlights. But, since your eyes aren’t open…

“It’s almost Saturday, Frerin. Another forty minutes and this will all just, hopefully, be a bad memory. The fire, I mean. And my overreaction. But everything else is good. Parts of it are very good. And you did it. You made it eight days. And you’re still here. And now I guess I have to plan a thirtieth birthday party for you because if you think I’m letting that milestone go unnoticed, especially after this week, you’re crazy.”

A hint of pressure tightened against her hand and her heart skipped a beat so hard, it almost hurt. “Frerin?”

He remained silent and still. 

She lifted his hand, clasping it in both of hers and as she brought it to her lips, his index finger moved. Brushed her ever so gently. 

“Frerin?”

His fingers all moved that time, tightening about hers and then he coughed, and croaked, “Syd?”

Her eyes stung anew, her lips began trembling again, but her heart soared above the heavens as she nodded (which was silly, as his eyes were still closed) and whispered back, “It’s me.”

“I’m not dead?”

“Not unless I am, too, and I’m pretty sure I’m not.”

“Thank God…” He swallowed with a wince. “Damn… my throat’s sore…” 

“You breathed in a lot of smoke,” she replied softly, her vision blurring as she brushed his hair away from his forehead. She looked over at the small pitcher and cup on the bedside table. “Do you want some water?”

“No, I’ll be all right in a minute or two.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Linens rustled as he turned his head. His eyelids rose slowly, his eyes more gray than blue and very sleepy, and a tired smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Christ, Syd, you are so fucking beautiful,  you know that? You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.”

Her eyes stung even more fiercely now as she rose from the chair and moved closer to gaze down at him. “You are such a liar.”

“I’m not. You’ve been hot since I was fourteen.” His smile widened and he even winked at her. Then, he broke into coughing fit, but as she reached for the call button, he caught her by the wrist and cleared his throat. “I’m okay. Just my lungs are a little clogged, is all.”

“Are you sure? Warehouse fires, remember?”

“Never know what you’re breathing in.”

“You are such a jerk, taking off your mask. You know better.”

“I do, but I didn't care. You weren’t breathing. I had to fix that.”

“Frerin.”

“What? I did.”

“You’re insane, has anyone ever told you that?”

“Yeah. More than once, actually. Hey,” a slow smile lifted the corners of his lips, “did I ever tell you about the time you walked by my desk in Spanish class and your perfume made me hard?”

“Frerin!”

“It’s true. I was terrified Senesky would call on me to go up to the board. How would I explain popping a boner in her class? I’d have never lived that down.”

“That’s terrible.”

“It really was. Girls have no idea.”

“Frerin…”

“What? You don’t.” His smile faded and his eyes grew serious. “I love you, Syd.”

She didn't say anything at first. She couldn’t. Her throat seized up to trap the words and held them fast. But, as she gently stroked his hair, she managed to whisper, “I love you, too, you know.”

His eyes widened, some of the sleepiness fading. “Syd?”

“I do, Frerin. And I’m so sorry I blew up the way I did.”

“No,” he shook his head slowly, “you don't have to be sorry. It sounded insane. I’d have thought I was crazy as well.”

“Frerin, I—“

“Wait.” He shifted slight to his left, then patted the bed. “Come here.”

“Frerin.”

“Live dangerously, honey.”

She smiled and looked about before kicking off her shoes and carefully climbed up to stretch out alongside him. Her eyes stung all over again as he slid his arm about her shoulders and tugged her closer still.

She dissolved then, sobbing into his chest even as he tightened that arm and whispered, “Shhh… it’s okay, honey. I’m going to be fine. I swear, I’m going to be fine.”

“Why did you take off your mask?”

“You needed it more than I did.”

“Frerin.”

“It’s true. I was okay with dying if it meant you wouldn’t.”

“Frerin, don't ever—”

“I’ll always put your safety over my own. Don't you get that, Syd? It’s what I do. Especially when it comes to you.”

“Are you going to get in trouble?”

“I don't know. Maybe. Probably. But I don't care. It was worth it. If it means I get suspended for a couple days or a week or a month, I’ll take it.”

She sniffed, swiping at her eyes with her sleeve. “It was a foolish thing to do.”

“I don't care.” He pressed a kiss into the top of her head. “If I had to do it again, I would. And why were you even there anyway?”

“Meeting with a book vendor over an invoice problem. But the weird thing is, when I got there, the guy didn't remember moving our meeting. He figured his secretary must’ve gotten the time or date wrong but I know I spoke to him, so who knows? And when the fire alarms started going off, he got up from his chair, told me to wait right where I was, and that he’d be back, but he never came back. He just left me there. And, oh my god, I had no idea how quickly smoke could fill up a space.”

He sighed softly. “Syd—”

She looked up at him. “I wasn't afraid when I saw you, though. I knew it’d be okay.”

His arm tightened about her, much like it had that first night they were together, when he’d held her as if he was afraid something would snatch her from him. She carefully draped her arm about his waist and gave him a gentle squeeze. “I knew I’d be okay,” she told him.

He coughed again, but not nearly as hard as he’d done in the building. She lay there quietly, curled against him, her head on his chest, and let her eyes close.

“Frer?”

Frerin smiled as Thorin poked his head around the curtain. “Hey, T. I made it.”

Thorin didn't say anything, but bent over and wrapped Frerin in a bear hug so tight, Frerin wouldn’t have been surprised if his spine cracked in half. “I’m okay, T. Really. And don’t worry, Syd’s going to take care of me.”

“I don't doubt that for a minute.” Thorin stepped back and Frerin didn't miss how shiny his eyes were. “I was a little worried there for a bit. Taking your mask off? You know better.”

“Yeah,” he nodded, “I do. But I didn't care. She wasn’t breathing, so she needed it more than I did. That’s what I cared about.”

“She’s not back yet?”

“No. She had to go down to the firehouse and retrieve my Jeep. I just hope no one is giving her a hard time about it.”

“Is Zarelli on?”

“Yeah. I’m supposed to be on, too, but I’m on the bench for the next week. Chief came by to tell me so himself. And I’m okay with that. I’ve got plans for this week and they do not involve leaving my house if possible.”

Thorin grinned. “Sounds like my kind of plan, Frer.”

“Right? Just me and Syd and my dog. That’s all I want.” He sighed, raking his fingers through his hair. He wished Syd would get there already. He just wanted to go home and shower and brush his teeth. 

“Well, we won’t bother you at all, but you might want to give Ma a call.”

“I’ll do one better. I’m going to go see them. And I’m bringing Syd home to meet them. They won’t know what hit them. Especially if she’s wearing a diamond when I do it.”

“You’re seriously going to ask her? After a week?”

“How weird could it possibly be after everything that’s happened this week, T?” He grinned, shaking his head. “It would be the sanest thing that’s happened to me.”

“Good point.” 

The curtain rustled and Frerin smiled as Syd poked her head around it. “Am I interrupting anything?”

“Not at all.” Thorin stepped back. “I’ll see you in a couple days, Frer. Get some rest. I mean it.”

“Yeah. I will. Eventually.”

“Frerin!”

He rose from the bed, grinning at Syd’s gasp. “What? If you think you’re getting out of makeup sex, you’re insane, woman. I had a whole night planned the other night and that went to hell, so you owe me.”

She arched one brow. “I owe you?”

“Oh, yeah. Ow!” He burst out laughing as she swung the small overnight bag of clothes he’d asked her to bring for him and hit him in the gut. “Easy. I almost died yesterday saving your ass, honey.”

“Frerin.”

“What?”

“Frerin!”

“I did.”

“I know.” Her eyes darkened. “Don't remind me.”

“I’m fine now, honey. See?” He flexed his left biceps. “Poke that. Like a rock.”

“So’s your head.”

“Oh, that hurts. I put your safety before my own and that’s the thanks I get?”

“Frerin.”

Mindful of the draft on his bare ass thanks to the hospital gown that refused to stay tied, he nonetheless wrapped her in his arms, lifted her easily, and swung her about the curtained area, giving a free show to everyone at the nurses’ station. “I love you, Syd. And like I said, I’d do it all over again and I wouldn’t do it any differently.”

She sighed softly, catching his face in her hands. “I don't want to ever do that again, Frerin. Not ever.”

“Kiss me.”

“What?”

“Kiss me. I’ve already mooned half the people in this ER, so why not?”

She bent to him and as their lips met, everyone at the nurses’ station broke into applause. And in that moment, Frerin broke the kiss to whisper, “Will you marry me, Syd?”

“You didn't answer me, you know.”

Syd looked over the Jeep’s hood at him. “Frerin, were you honestly asking me?”

“If I said I was, what would your answer be?” He leaned against the hood, ignoring the cold of the parking garage as it seeped into his bones. He was beyond exhausted, but at the same time, it was a bright, sunny day, he was alive, and had no reason to dread any of the coming days now. He had Syd. He had his dog. He had his health (no thanks to his idiocy, according to Chief Pratt, who promptly told him to take the next week off and think about what he’d done.)

She smiled. “Seven days, Frerin. We’ve been together a whole seven days.”

“I know. But we’ve known each other for sixteen years. And besides, the sex alone would be worth it.”

“You’re crazy.”

“Of course I am. I run into burning buildings for a living. I’d have to be crazy to do that, don't you think?” He winked. “And that’s not an answer.”

“Frerin.”

“I knew it. You’re waiting for a ring, right? You’ll get one, honey. Don’t worry. I have the next seven days to find the perfect one.”

“I don't need a ring, Frerin.”

“So, is that a yes?”

“Are you really asking me?”

“We could do this all day, you know.”

“I know.”

“And that’s why we’re good together.”

“Frerin.”

He winked. “I like hearing you say my name, honey.”

She rolled her eyes at that. “You really are nuts.”

“Pretty sure we just had this same conversation.”

“And I’m pretty sure we’re going to have it a lot more often.”

“Probably.” He tapped both hands against the hood and as she moved to grab the door handle, he said, “Hey, Syd?”

“Yes?”

“Tell me you love me again.”

“Frerin.”

“I love you.”

Her slow smile did something funny to his insides. Warmed his blood. Sent it south. He couldn’t wait to get her home. Her eyes were almost blue today, sparkling as she met his gaze and said, “I love you, too, Frerin.”

“Damn straight you do, honey.”

[beardedmrbean]

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — A 13-year-old who opened fire Wednesday at his school in Serbia's capital drew sketches of classrooms and made a list of people he intended to target in a meticulously planned attack, police said. He killed eight fellow students and a guard before calling the police and being arrested.

Mass shootings are extremely rare in the Balkan region, although Serbia is awash in guns left over from the wars of the 1990s. No mass shootings have been reported at Serbian schools in recent years.

The shooter first killed a school guard and then three students in a hallway, according to senior police official Veselin Milic. He then entered a history classroom that was close to the school entrance and opened fire again, Milic said.

The assailant called police himself when the attack at the school in central Belgrade was over, though authorities had received a call reporting the shooting two minutes earlier.

A father of a student said the shooter entered his daughter’s classroom, firing at her teacher and then her classmates as they ducked under their desks. Most students at the school were able to flee through a back door, according to a local official.

While Milic said the shooter planned the attack for a month, sketching classrooms and writing out a list of children he planned to “liquidate,” authorities said they did not know the motive for shooting. It was unclear if he shot any of the people that he named on his list.

The rarity of such attacks added to the shock many felt. Commentators on television and officials repeatedly said it was the kind of thing they expected to read about elsewhere, particularly in the United States. In the last mass shooting, a Balkan war veteran in 2013 killed 13 people, including family members and neighbors, in a central Serbian village.

Authorities declared three days of nationwide mourning, starting Friday.

Police identified the shooter as Kosta Kecmanovic, who attended the Vladislav Ribnikar school, where students would typically range in age from 6 to 15.

Because he is under 14, Kecmanovic can’t face criminal charges, the Belgrade prosecutor’s office said. Social services will determine what happens to him.

He carried two guns belonging to his father — at least one a handgun —and four Molotov cocktails, officials said. Interior Minister Bratislav Gasic said the weapons were licensed and kept in a safe but that the teen, who had been to shooting ranges, apparently knew the code. The father was also arrested but has yet to be charged.

It’s not clear how many rounds were fired, but police said the shooter reloaded the handgun.

In addition to the nine killed, six children and a teacher were also hospitalized.

Local media footage showed a commotion as police removed Kecmanovic, whose head was covered as officers led him to a car. Police sealed off the blocks around the school. Authorities later carried body bags to a waiting van.

Police said they received a call about the shooting at around 8:40 a.m. on the first day that classes resumed after a long weekend for the May 1 holiday.

“I was able to hear the shooting. It was nonstop,” said a student who was in a sports class when gunfire erupted elsewhere in the building. Her mother asked that her name be withheld because of her age. “I didn’t know what was happening. We were receiving some messages on the phone.”

The student described the shooter as a “quiet guy” who had good grades.

“He was not so open with everybody. Surely I wasn’t expecting this to happen,” she said.

Milan Milosevic, who said his daughter was in a history class when the shooting took place, told N1 television that he rushed to the school when he heard what had happened. He received a call from his daughter who had escaped the building and was unharmed.

“He (the shooter) fired first at the teacher and then the children who ducked under the desks,” Milosevic said his daughter told him.

Milan Nedeljkovic, the mayor of the Belgrade area of Vracar where the shooting happened, said most of the students were removed from the school through a back door.

“We have video surveillance, but now this is a lesson, we need metal detectors too,” he said. "It is a huge tragedy ... something like this (happening) in Belgrade. Such a tragedy at an elementary school.”

Four students and a teacher were sent to University hospital, according to the hospital's director, who said one child and the teacher were in serious condition.

While such attacks are rare, experts have repeatedly warned of the danger posed by the number of weapons in a highly divided country, where convicted war criminals are glorified and violence against minority groups often goes unpunished.

They also note that decades of instability stemming from the conflicts of the 1990s as well as the ongoing economic hardship could trigger such outbursts.

Luka Babic, a former student at Vladislav Ribnikar, bemoaned a culture of violence.

“We can’t put the blame on this school, or its teachers. ... It's a tragedy of an society that promotes violence," Babic said. "We live in the society of violence, and its been promoted in media, in public space, on social media."

Education Minister Branko Ruzic, however, was quick to blame “the cancerous, pernicious influence of the internet, video games, so-called Western values." Such criticism is common among government officials in Serbia, where pro-Russian and anti-Western sentiment have increased in recent years.

Ruzic said Belgrade schools, which canceled classes after the shooting, will reopen on Thursday. Authorities have not said when classes will resume at the Vladislav Ribnikar school.