#so i’m gonna try to use her more and make it easier to approach her uvu

[fatelcved]

i’m giving rin a modern verse and using her more overall if it’s the last thing i do 🔪

[gojo-mochi]

Telling OP Char: “Are you gonna eat that?” And pointing to their crouch

Something silly - Based on that one Tweet

TW: Suggestive

Luffy:

 Says “No” with a mouthful of food, he doesn’t know what you’re pointing at, but he assume it’s food and he will not share that easily. When you point again, trying to make it known to him that you’re not about to steal any of his dinner, Luffy will just get confused on why you want to eat his shorts.

“Are shorts tasty? Should I try eating mine right now?!” 

Will take off his shorts in the middle of dinner, or at least try to until someone yells at him for doing it. You will have to drag him inside a room later and just show him what you really meant.

Sanji:

Doesn’t get it at first, mostly worried about you being hungry first of all. 

“Oh, are you still hungry, dear? I can whip something up for you real quick! Anything you like~” 

What you like is Sanji maybe with some whipped cream on top as well. So, you repeat the question, this time making your point known by running your hand up his thigh and gently palming his crouch. His face gets beat-red and he drops any cooking utensil he was holding in his hands.

“Like right here? In the kitchen? Right now?” Sanji seems panicked and flustered with his questions but he’s quickly approaching you with each question he asked, until your back hits one of the table in the kitchen. His hands on either side, his breath quicken and short as he looks down at you. All you needed to seal with the deal was lean and for a kiss and Sanji would handle the rest. He’ll even let you use the whipped cream on him if you really want to.

Zoro:

Quirks an eyebrow at you and says nothing, goes back to his workout and pretend you’re not there. He was lifting a 300-pound weight like it was nothing. 

“...Can I take your silence as a ‘yes’?”

You weren’t gonna back down that easily. You hear Zoro snort, but his expression doesn’t change. “What was the question again?”

You sigh, “I asked if you were going to- *you point to the middle of his sweatpants* eat that?”

Zoro fights hard to keep a straight face as he counters with “Eat my pants? You’re asking if I was going to eat my pants in the middle of my workout?”

“That’s not what I-”

“Oh no, you meant that as one of your cutesy-jokes, right? What you actually mean is that you want to suck me off, hmm? You want to put that pretty little mouth right on my cock and use your sweet tongue to lick up all the sweat down there and then you want to-”

You slap your hand over Zoro’s mouth, you feel his mouth move into a smirk underneath your palms. Damn it, it was his victory this time. 

Robin:

Smiles gently at you, and closes the book she was reading and placed it on the table. She say nothing to you but just kept on staring at you with that smile. You start to sweat a bit, it feels like you’re in trouble for making this joke to her.

“Umm, I’m really sorry, I-I’ll just go now.”

You turn to leave and just when you were about to put your hand on the door, a set of hands springs out from the door and turns you back around to face robin. Her hands pushed you towards her actual body as she waits at the same spot, leg crossed and that patient smile on her face. 

More sweat beads down your neck as the silence stretches on for what seems like hours. The hands keeps you in place, so you can’t make another attempt to escape.

“..., Robin?”

“No.”

You make a confused face. “No?” You repeat back to her. 

“No, I’m not. So, are you going to finish it for me?” Her tone level and cool, still confusing the heck out of you though. Robin leans back in her chair and uncrossed her legs, lifting up the hem of her skirt with one finger. 

“Oh? … Oh!” 

Well, it would be rude to leave now, right? You gotta finish what you started. And it not like Robin will let you leave that easier, anyway, but don’t worry her hands will also be helping themselves to your body as you start your meal~

Kidd: 

“What..?” 

Kidd looks at you with a scowl on his face. Then down at his pants and then back up to you. “If you want to suck my cock was say so, don’t confuse me with that shit.” 

You roll your eyes, lightly kicking him in the shins for being a spoil-sport about it. You turn your back to him and start leave when you hear Kidd shout at you. 

“Oy! I didn’t say no! You can’t just leave like that! I’m already hard thinking about it!” 

You hold back a snicker and look back at Kidd, fluttering you eyelashes at him cutely. “You have to play along though~” 

Kidd makes a face at that, scowling even harder. He grumbles something under his breath. 

“What was that? You gotta be louder.”

“I’ll show you loud…” Kidd sighs heavily, weighing the options in his head. 

“Fine… No, I am not going to eat my cock, so would you please come finish it for me or whatever.”

“Oh my! Captain Kidd said the word ‘Please’? It must be my lucky day!” 

Kidd face turns beet red as he stomps over to you and throws you over his shoulder. “Shut up, I did what you ask for, so you better be ready to eat all of it.” 

“And if I find a single drop on the floor, I’ll make you lick it up in front of me, got it?”

[maebelmelee]

Dutch recruits a small shy girl and Arthur kicks Micah’s ass when he won’t leave her alone??

^^ the reader be like

Missy Mouse

Content below the cut.

You’re minding your own business near the edge of camp, fiddling with a loose thread on your sleeve and trying to stay invisible.

It’s easier that way.

Folks in this gang are loud, rough, and too quick to talk over you—or laugh at you.

That’s when you hear boots crunch behind you.

“Well, well,” a grimy voice drawls, oily as ever. “Ain’t you just the quiet little mouse? Always hidin’ in corners like you think we won’t notice.”

You keep your eyes low, stomach twisting. You try to step away, but he crowds you without touching, towering close just to make you squirm. “Ain’t gotta be scared, sweetheart. I don’t bite, unless asked real nice-like.”

Your throat tightens, heart hammering. Before you can think of what to say, or even breathe right—

“Micah.”

Arthur’s voice cuts through like a knife. Low, sharp, dangerous.

You glance up and see him standing not far off, arms crossed, jaw tight. He’s looking at Micah the way a wolf looks at a coyote sniffin’ too close.

Micah scoffs. “Just havin’ a little fun, Morgan. Ain’t no harm in teasin’.”

Arthur steps forward, slow and heavy. “Ain’t no fun if she don’t look like she’s laughin’. Back off.”

Micah hesitates, eyes narrowing. “You gettin’ soft on Missy Mouse?”

Arthur doesn’t flinch. “Ain’t about bein’ soft. It’s about bein' a gentleman. Now move on.”

The tension crackles between them. Finally, Micah huffs, muttering something under his breath as he walks off, boots kicking dust.

Arthur waits until he’s gone before turning to you. His voice softens a little. “You alright, darlin’?”

You nod, small and unsure, and Arthur just gives a faint grunt, like he’s thinking of Micah's audacity. “You come sit by the fire if you want. I’ll keep an eye out.”

He doesn’t wait for your answer. Just walks ahead, but slow enough that you know it’s an invitation.

You linger for a moment, watching the dust settle where Micah had been. Your fingers are still trembling, knotted into the fabric of your skirt.

But Arthur had seen you, not past you like the others. Stood up for you. That meant something.

Quietly, you step after him, your boots barely making a sound as you follow the path toward the fire.

He’s already there, seated on a log, elbow resting on one knee, hat tipped back just enough for the firelight to catch the concern in his blue eyes.

When you approach, he glances up, then pats the log beside him.

“Ain’t gonna bite,” he says gently. “You just sit here a spell. Don’t gotta talk if you don’t want to.”

You ease down next to him, feeling minute beside his broad frame. The heat from the fire, and from him, slowly thaws the chill under your skin.

For a while, there’s only the crackle of burning wood and the distant murmurs of the rest of camp.

Arthur reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out a little cloth bundle. “Here. Miss Grimshaw made some biscuits this mornin’. Got one left.”

He holds it out to you—awkwardly, like he ain’t used to offering such things—and when you take it with both hands, he nods once and looks back at the fire.

“I seen the way you get quiet when folks get loud. Can’t blame you. This life… it’s loud, messy. But you ain’t invisible, alright?”

You blink, biscuit untouched in your lap, and peek up at him. His jaw works for a second like he’s searching for more words, but none come.

Instead, his hand shifts ever so slightly on the log between you with his palm up; inviting.

Your heart flutters.

You set the biscuit aside and, hesitantly, place your hand in his. His calloused fingers curl around yours, careful and warm.

He doesn’t look at you. Just stares into the fire, thumb tracing small circles against your hand like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Ain’t nobody gonna mess with you while I’m around,” he says, voice barely above a whisper. “You got my word on that.”

[idkwhatever580]

Are you mad?

Masterlist

Pairings: Natasha romanoff x reader

Prompt: Natasha is jealous and y/n is a bit sensitive. Y/n overthinks wayyyy too much.

Warnings: slightly toxic nat (in the middle), cheating accusations, cussing, lmk if there’s any I missed.

A/N: I have a good idea for this but idk if it’s gonna turn out. Lmk if you like it and my requests are open! Also she’s so pretty like pepper spray me pleeeeeeaaassseeeee

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/n’s pov

Another night full of loud noises and bright lights. This party had no significance. No birthday, no win, no nothing. But Tony Stark will always find something.

Even if it is nothing. He will use it.

So like I was saying, I’m sitting here at this party just wanting to go back to my room. But unfortunately I need to be here for publicity purposes.

I make it through most of the party with minimal effort. Not many people have the urge to talk to me aside from the occasional drunk person. But Bruce comes up to me and sits down with his drink.

Like me, bruce doesn’t really do big interactions and stuff.

Natasha on the other hand, is one of our most popular avengers and the most sought after. So she must deal with people all night. I don’t mind though. She has her fun. And I watch.

Bruce cuts into my thinking with a sigh and I look over at him and say

“Penny for your thoughts?”

He looks at me and shakes his head a bit.

I nod knowing sometimes people just don’t want to talk. But I still leave the offer open.

“Well, if you need to talk I’m here till Natasha gets drunk. Which, knowing her, won’t be for a while.”

He sighs again after a while and turns to me and says

“I like this girl”

I immediately perk up and say

“Ooh! What’s her name? Do I know her?”

He blushes and nods and says

“Who she is is not the problem I’m having”

And I nod my head and say

“Right��� so… what is the problem?”

He thinks for a bit and says

“How do I know that she will want me even after she sees the other guy.”

I sigh and take a minute to think about it. That’s a tough one and I don’t want to say the wrong thing. After a second I decide to try a different approach.

“Why don’t you think she will like you?”

He gets a bit awkward and says

“Well, you’ve seen the other guy. You know how he is. How could anybody love a monster like me?”

I frown and say

“I don’t think you’re a monster”

He scoffs and brushes my comment aside and I tilt my head and I say

“Do you think I’m a monster?”

He looks at me and says

“No! No you’re not a monster!”

I nod my head and figure out where I’m going to go with it.

“Do you think Natasha, or Wanda, or the rest of the team are monsters?”

He shakes his head and once again says

“No! I’d never think that about you guys”

I give him a look and then say

“So what makes you think we would think of you any different? Or better yet, she”

He thinks and says

“Well- the other guy, he’s dangerous and scary. And he hurts people”

I nod my head for him to continue

“And I can’t control him.”

I nod my head and sigh. I think for a second while biting my cheek and I say

“Well. Like I was saying. We have all been dangerous and scary before. But that’s not what makes us us right?”

He nods his head and I continue

“And as for your worries about losing control, have you ever thought about the fact that you desensitize him?”

I reference hulk and he shakes his head

I nod mine and say

“Well, I think that maybe you are having a hard time controlling him because you’re constantly fighting with him, and you never really have given him the chance to be anything other than angry.”

He nods his head and says

“Yeah.”

I put my hand on his knee for reassurance and I say

“Bruce, if you take time to learn more about him and if you work with him instead of working against him, then maybe he’d be more willing to work with you as well. Maybe the switch between you and him would come easier even.”

He looks at me and says

“Well how would I do that?”

“Maybe give him a safe space. It sounds weird, but when I am feeling trapped and like I can’t breathe, I freak out and lash out on everyone. Maybe he does the same. Maybe if you give him a space where he doesn’t feel any pressure, then he might be able to work with you better”

He nods his head understanding and says

“Thank you y/n, you always have the best advice”

We hug each other and I say

“Now go get Dr. Cho.”

I smirk when he blushes and I say

“I knew you had a little crush the whole time. Sorry. I couldn’t help but let you have your moment though”

He laughs it off and gets up to go talk with her.

What I didn’t see happening during our conversation is Natasha.

I turn around to see her starring daggers into my soul. I walk over to her with a confused look and say

“Hey baby!”

She has a really tight grip on her drink so I softly take it from her and hand it to a random person who gladly takes it.

She grabs my hand and pulls me to an empty hallway and as she’s pulling me her grip on my wrist hurts and I say

“Ow! Baby you’re hurting me”

She grips tighter as if she doesn’t even hear me. Or maybe she does and just doesn’t care.

She only lets go when we’re in the hallway and I say

“What’s wrong?”

I rub my wrist which now has a growing red mark on it and she says

“What’s going on with you and Bruce?!”

I look at her confused and she says

“Huh? Are you just gonna sit there acting dumb or are you gonna answer me?!”

Her voice is laced with venom. And I say

“Baby I don’t know what you’re talking about”

She huffs and says

“You and Banner! You think I wouldn’t see how you were both giving each other googly eyes and how you put your hand on his knee?! And that hug! God that hug was so touchy!!”

I furrow my eyebrows and say

“Baby nothing is going on between us! He was asking for help about a crush. And I also talked to him about hulk”

She scoffs and says

“You’re lying to me. You’re such a fucking cheater!”

she goes to walk away but I say

“Wait! You don’t get to call me that and just walk away! I didn’t do anything baby”

I try to think on my toes since if I don’t act fast she’s leaving. So I do what my heart says to do.

I pull her into me for a kiss and she melts into it. Once I pull away I know she is calmed down a bit and I brush some stray hairs from her face and say

“Baby, I would never ever in a million years cheat on you. I’m sorry it looked like that but I can assure you I only have eyes for you. And he likes Cho anyways”

She sighs and mumbles

“You’re right. I don’t know what came over me. I’m sorry”

I nod my head and say

“We’ve still got a few hours before the party is over. We better get back out there before we get in trouble”

She nods her head and leaves promptly. I take a minute and let out a breath. She didn’t even say I love you to me. No kiss. No nothing. Just left.

I look down and my now slightly raw wrist. I sigh and roll my eyes knowing that I have to cover this up before going back so I run to my room and use my makeup skills to cover it up and for good measure I put on a few bracelets. Then I head back down to the stupid party.

I sit in a corner hiding from everyone even more than before. And I think about Natasha. I immediately get lost in my thoughts.

Did it really look like I was cheating? Maybe it did. Maybe I was cheating. I mean. That hand on his knee was weird I guess. I thought I was comforting him though. Oh my god. I was cheating on Natasha! She had every right to be mad at me. God I’m such a bad girlfriend. She should have broken up with me!

“Y/n?”

I snap back into reality when Wanda waves her hand in my face.

She looks worried. I furrow my eyebrows when I feel hot liquid running down my cheeks.

I reach up to touch it and realize I’m crying. I softly look back up at Wanda and then before she can say anything I bolt.

I run to my old room. I don’t stay here anymore since I’ve moved into Natasha’s room.

But there’s still some essential things in there in case someone needs a place to stay.

That someone is apparently me now.

I can’t go back to Natasha. I can’t face her. I’m a fucking cheater. She hates me. That’s why she didn’t say she loves me when she left.

She must not have known how to break up with me. So she just walked away and that’s how she broke up with me.

I snap back out of my thoughts once again and I get in my pajamas and in my bed. It’s not comfortable at all.

I’m only comfy when Natasha is with me. When her warm touch combats my cold one.

Guess Im never gonna be comfortable again. She is leaving me.

A soft knock comes from my door about an hour later. I check the time and see that the party is probably over by now.

I don’t answer but they come in anyways.

“Y/n?”

I look over and see Wanda and she immediately comes over to me and envelopes me in a hug.

“What’s wrong sestra?”

I shrug my shoulders and she says

“Don’t shut me out. Please. It’ll only make whatever is happening worse. Please talk to me”

I sigh knowing she’s right and I try to find the right words but I can’t so I just blurt out

“I cheated on Natasha!”

Her eyes widen in shock but she quickly recovers the best she can and tries to assess the situation before making assumptions.

“Okay. Um. What happened? With who?”

I look down and say

“With Bruce”

She furrows her eyebrows and says

“I thought you were only interested in girls?”

I nod my head and tears are falling but I don’t let them affect me

“I am! I’m only interested in Natasha!”

She is confused and she says

“Okay then how did you cheat on her?”

“Well. During the party Bruce came to me about his crush on Dr. Cho, and I ended up talking with him about her and the hulk. I tried to be comforting for him and I put my hand on his knee. Then we hugged and I went to Natasha and she pulled me out and yelled at me and got all sideways. Then when I tried to clear it up she agreed with it and dropped it but when she left back to the party she didn’t kiss me or say I love you to me or anything! So she just didn’t know how to break up with me for cheating on her!”

Wanda listens to my rant but before I can go any further she stops me and says

“Y/n you did not cheat on Natasha. Sure she might be a bit salty but you didn’t do anything wrong okay?”

I sniffle and nod my head and say

“But she still doesn’t want me”

Wanda shakes her head and says

“No. That’s not true. She loves you. You just need to talk to her about it okay? I’m sure she is missing you right now”

Right as Wanda says that, we hear another knock from the door. And in comes Natasha.

“Y/n? Are you in here?”

She says softly and then sees us together and says

“Oh. Hey.. Are you alright?”

I sniff and nod my head still thinking she is mad at me and Wanda gets up to leave. I try to make her stay but she whispers softly that I need to talk to nat about it.

Wanda goes to nat and says

“Listen and talk okay?”

Nat nods her head and immediately after Wanda steps out she rushes to me and says

“What’s wrong baby?”

I sniffle again. Damn snot. Then I whimper out.

“Are you mad at me?”

She furrows her eyebrows and says

“Why would I be mad at you baby?”

I shrugged my shoulders shutting down a bit but Natasha knows this all too well.

“Baby don’t shut me out. Tell me please”

I sigh once again and say

“You were so mad when you said I cheated on you.”

She shakes her head a bit and says

“No. I was not thinking straight. I let jealousy overtake my reasoning and I blew up at you. It was wrong of me.”

I look up at her and say

“So you’re not leaving me?”

She laughs a bit and says

“You didn’t think you could get rid of me that easily did you?”

I giggle a bit from her laughter and I shrug my shoulders saying

“I dunno.”

She pulls me into a tight hug and whispers in my ear

“Baby. I am not breaking up with you. Not now not ever.”

I sigh at her reassurance and nod my head. Then I yawn and she says

“You wanna head back to our room?”

I nod my head and say

“Can we cuddle?”

She frowns at me and immediately gets tense and says

“No”

She starts walking away and I look at her in surprise and bow my head low and say

“Oh. Okay”

I trail behind her and she turns around and starts laughing and says

“Baby I was kidding. Of course we can cuddle”

I look at her and immediately get excited again. She holds her arms open for me and says

“Come here detka”

I run into her arms and hug her. Then she ends up picking me up and carrying me to our room.

She carries me to our room and since I’m already in my pajamas, she just plops me on the bed and gives me a kiss.

Then she trails her kisses down to my neck and I say

“Baby not tonight I’m tired”

She doesn’t listen and keeps kissing me. I go to say something and she suddenly blows a raspberry into my neck and makes me laugh and I say

“Stop! Stop! That tickles!!”

She giggles and pulls away and says

“Sorry. I had to”

I smile and hold my arms out for her to cuddle with me but she pulls away and I pout.

She smiles and says

“I have to get changed first baby. This dress is uncomfortable”

I nod my head and curl up in our sheets.

She comes back and snuggles up behind me. She decides to reassure me once again and says

“I’ll never leave you. Not in a million years.”

I smile and say

“I love you”

She kisses my shoulder and says

“I love you more”

I smirk and combat

“I love you most”

She giggles at our little battle and says

“I love you mostest”

I smirk and say

“I loved you first”

And she scoffs and shoved my shoulder a bit saying

“You can’t use that! It’s not fair!”

I smile at her and say

“Life’s not fair. Suck it up buttercup”

She smiles and kisses my lips and says

“Sleep detka. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow”

I smile and close my eyes softly.

“I love you”

I hear Natasha mumble into my neck and I squeeze the hand that’s wrapped around my waist a bit to say it back without words.

I love you too.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/N: man that took a while. I forgot about this one lol. Don’t forget I take requests!! Not gonna lie I was way too nice to Bruce in this one. I love me some good Bruce slander. So I might make a fic with Bruce slander lolololollll (it’s not the fact that I hate him. It’s the fact that he likes my girl)

[rosemariiaa]

~Lines We Drew~

part: 2

pairing- Paige x Azzi

a/n: I was gonna post this tomorrow but today was a good day!

warning: language

Enjoy!!!

Azzi’s POV:

My first few days at UConn have been a whirlwind. Classes are intense but manageable, and my teammates have been great—well, most of them. Paige is a whole different story. She’s made it clear she doesn’t like me, though I’m not entirely sure why. Maybe it’s because of our past or something else I just don’t know of. Whatever it is, she’s not making things any easier.

Practice has been tough, and Paige seems to find every opportunity to make it hell. Most of the time the rest of the team just looks at her like she’s crazy because, honestly, I don’t know what I’ve done to her that bad to be treated like this, but I hope she knows she’s not just going to push me around like a dog.

This morning, we were running drills, and Coach decided to pit me against Paige. Of course, she couldn’t resist making some remark about my shooting form, which is actually perfect by the way. “Nice shot, Fudd, maybe next time try aiming for the basket.” Paige snickered.

I rolled my eyes and shot back, “At least I can make a shot without spraining my ankle.” Her eyes narrowed, and I could see the surprise flicker across her face before she masked it with a scowl. We kept bickering throughout the drill, and eventually, Coach had enough.

“Bueckers! Fudd! Locker room, now!” Geno shouted.

We both hesitated, but the glare he sent us had us moving. The walk to the locker room was tense, and the silence that followed once we got there was even worse. I could feel the anger bubbling up inside me, and it was only a matter of time before one of us snapped.

“What the hell is your problem?” I finally demanded, turning to face her. “My problem? You’re the one acting like you own the place,” Paige shot back, her tone icy.

“Maybe because I’ve actually earned my spot here.” I said throwing my hands in the air. “Yeah, because everyone just loves the shiny new recruit,” Paige sneered, crossing her arms. “But they don’t know you like I do.”

“Oh really , and what exactly do you think you know about me, Bueckers?”

“I know you’re all talk. You act nice, but deep down, you’re just as cutthroat as the rest of us. You’re not fooling anyone.”

The accusation stung more than I expected. I opened my mouth to retaliate, but before I could, the door creaked open, and Laila, a girl i met my first day at Uconn slipped in, casting a worried glance between us. “Hey, Az, you okay?” she asked, her voice soft.

I nodded, but I couldn’t help noticing the way Paige’s jaw tightened as Laila approached me. Why did she care? It’s not like we were friends or anything.

Paige’s glare was sharp, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she was angry at me or at Laila. But that didn’t make sense, I pushed the thought aside, focusing on Laila as she pulled me aside to talk quietly. Even though we were trying to be discreet, I could still feel Paige’s gaze burning into us.

“I’m fine, just… annoyed,” I muttered to Laila, though I wasn’t sure if I was trying to convince her or myself. Laila gave me a reassuring smile and squeezed my shoulder. “Don’t let her get to you. You belong here just as much as she does babe, you know that.”

“Thanks Lai,” I replied, though my mind was still partially focused on the fact that Paige had been glaring at us the entire time. What was her deal?

When Laila finally left, Paige and I were alone again, but the fire in her eyes had dimmed, replaced by something unreadable. The silence stretched on until it became unbearable, and finally, she stood up, brushing past me without a word.

I watched her leave, trying to figure out what just happened. Why did she look so pissed when Laila showed up? Did she think I was going to talk about her? Or maybe… No. I shook my head, dismissing the thought. Paige Bueckers couldn’t possibly care about me.

———-

Paige’s POV:

I never expected Azzi Fudd to get under my skin like this. I knew she was coming to UConn, but I wasn’t excited about it. Everyone was hyped up about her for god knows whatever , acting like she was going to be the savior of the team. I couldn’t stand it. I’ve worked my ass off to get where I am, and now, here comes Miss Perfect, just strolling in like she owns the place.

But that’s not even the worst part. The worst part is that everyone seems to love her. Even my own friends, who should be on my side, are falling all over themselves to help her move in, introduce her to everyone, and make her feel at home. What about me? I thought bitterly. Where’s all this support when I need it?

The accusation hung in the air between us, and for a moment, I thought she might actually cry. But then the door creaked open, and Laila walked in, instantly killing whatever momentum our fight had.

“Hey, Azzi, you okay?” Laila asked softly. Azzi nodded, but my whole body tensed up as Laila walked over to her. I didn’t know why, but something about seeing Laila with Azzi made my blood boil. Laila had a long kind of slim body, a little similar to mine, but of course I had the muscles. She had this long blonde hair dripping down her back..also similar to me. I felt this unfamiliar twist in my chest, like jealousy, but that couldn’t be it. Could it? No.

I watched as Laila reached out and touched Azzi’s arm, and I had to fight the urge to get up and push her away. What was wrong with me? This wasn’t my business. I didn’t care who Azzi talked to, or at least I shouldn’t care. But as I watched them whisper to each other, something ugly and possessive churned in my gut.

I turned away, trying to focus on anything else. The lockers. The floor. My shoes. Anything but the sight of Laila comforting Azzi. I didn’t care, I reminded myself. I didn’t care at all. But when I looked back, and saw Azzi smile at something Laila said, it felt like someone had punched me in the stomach. My fists clenched involuntarily. I hated this feeling. I hated that she could get under my skin like this.

When Laila finally left, the tension in the room was suffocating. I wanted to say something, to demand to know why Azzi even needed Laila to comfort her, but what right did I have? We weren’t friends. Hell, I didn’t even like her. But that didn’t stop me from wanting to scream at her, to demand answers to questions I didn’t even understand.

I shoved my hands in my pockets and stormed out of the locker room without another word, leaving Azzi behind. I needed to clear my head, to figure out why seeing her with Laila had set me off like that. This didn’t make any sense. I couldn’t possibly be jealous. Not of Azzi. Not over something as stupid as Laila talking to her. Right?

But as I walked away, the twisted feeling in my chest didn’t go away. If anything, it got worse. And I had no idea what to do about it.

———-

Back in my apartment, I tried to focus on my assignments, but my thoughts kept drifting back to the locker room. No matter how hard I tried to push the memories away, Azzi kept creeping back into my mind. Why the hell did I care so much? I asked myself this knowing why i did care. But It wasn’t like we were friends. We weren’t even close like that anymore. But everything about her now kept nagging at me.

I leaned back in my chair, running a hand through my hair in frustration. Studying was pointless. All I could think about was the way she looked at me, the way her voice had risen when she confronted me. And that damn moment with Laila. Why did it bother me so much to see them together?

My phone buzzed on the desk, snapping me out of my thoughts. Nika had texted the group chat, suggesting we all head over to Aubrey’s apartment for a study session and hangout. I almost ignored it, but I figured it was better than sitting here, stewing in my own confusion.

When I arrived at Aubrey’s, the place was already full with energy, KK and Ice bickering, paying no attention to the work we’re actually supposed to be doing. Everyone else was scattered around the living room with their laptops and notebooks. I found a spot on the couch and tried to settle in, hoping the chatter would drown out my thoughts.

A few minutes later, the door to one of the bedrooms creaked open, and Azzi emerged, looking half-asleep with her curls falling down her shoulders and her eyes half-closed. She was wearing black Nike shorts and a tank top, and as she stretched, revealing a sliver of her toned stomach and that damn silver belly button ring, I couldn’t help but stare. She looked effortlessly beautiful, even with her sleepy face and bed hair. My eyes traced the length of her long, tanned legs, and I had to remind myself to blink.

Everyone greeted her with a chorus of “Hi’s,” but I couldn’t bring myself to say anything. I was too busy trying to ignore the way my heart skipped a beat when she rubbed her eyes and yawned.

Azzi must have noticed me staring because she glanced in my direction, her lips curling into a smirk. “Like what you see, Bueckers?” she teased, snapping me out of my thoughts. My cheeks burned with embarrassment, and I quickly looked away, pretending to be interested in my notes. “Whatever,” I muttered, but my mind was racing. What the hell was wrong with me? I shouldn’t be thinking about her like that, and I definitely shouldn’t be blushing because of some stupid comment.

Azzi disappeared back into her room to change, and I tried to refocus on my work, but when she came back out, looking more awake and dressed in sweats, I found myself sneaking glances at her again. This was getting ridiculous.

As the study session dragged on, I realized I was completely lost on one of my assignments. Everyone else seemed equally confused doing their own thing, except for Azzi, who was calmly working through her own tasks. I knew I had no choice—I had to ask her for help. But the thought made my stomach twist.

After a few minutes of struggling, I finally caved. “Hey, Azzi,” I called over, trying to keep my voice neutral. “Can you help me with this?” She looked up, surprised, but quickly nodded. “Sure.”

I expected her to just explain it from across the room, but instead, she got up and came to sit next to me. My heart pounded as she settled in beside me, her shoulder brushing against mine. I tried to focus on the work, but her presence was overwhelming. We hadn’t been this close in years. She leaned in a little too close, her hair brushing against my arm, and all I could think about was the scent of vanilla and strawberries that clung to her skin. Get a grip P.

“See, this part here…” Azzi began explaining, her voice calm and patient, but I could barely process her words. All I could focus on was how close she was, the warmth radiating off her body, the way her pink and plump lips moved as she spoke. I almost smiled at the absurdity of the situation. Here I was, supposedly hating this girl, yet I couldn’t stop thinking about how good she smelled or how soft her skin looked. It was infuriating, and I hated myself for it.

I forced myself to concentrate, nodding along as Azzi explained the problem to me. I was determined not to let her see how flustered I was. But the more I tried to focus, the more distracted I became. Her closeness was driving me crazy, and I had no idea why.

Eventually, the study session wrapped up, and everyone started packing up their things to head back to their apartments. I was relieved when Azzi moved away from me to help clean up. I needed space to breathe, to get my head on straight.

As I stood up to leave, I caught a glimpse of Caroline teasing Azzi about how close we’d been sitting earlier. I figured what’s the harm in eavesdropping just a little. Azzi laughed it off, but her response made my heart clench.

“She still hates me, Caroline,” Azzi said with a shrug. “I have no idea why, but it’s whatever.”

No idea?

Caroline chuckled. “You sure about that? I saw the way she was looking at you.”

I quickly turned away, pretending I hadn’t heard anything, but my mind was racing. Azzi thought I hated her..well I guess that’s what it would seem like. I thought rubbing my temples. I wasn’t even sure anymore. All I knew was that something about her being here, being so close to me…was driving me absolutely insane and I needed it to stop.

[cremedensada]

I’m gonna need general hcs on interactions with the boy next door… like what if we just moved to town and we first meet him as we’re moving in… Also can they be in like highschool? I don’t know if that’s already the gist but yeah. She’s moving in with her mom and he’s there…

Yandere Boy Next Door

sorry anon i think i went way to far away from what you wanted shdhdh also theyre senior high school students (grade 11 - 12) which is like, two preparatory years for college. so theyre adults bc im much more comfortable with that :33

btw his name is lukas !! he's named now

male yandere + gender neutral darling/reader

lukas is easily approachable - he's got that warmth about him that just draws people in. it's all practiced to maintain his popularity though.

he's also a huge people-pleaser, despite the fact he easily gets burnt out and has his social battery drained.

so when his mom asked him to be a dear and help the new neighbor's kid on their way around the school + neighborhood, he just couldn't say no

sure he's tired, possibly close to having another breakdown just thinking about being pestered by fellow students for answers to homeworks and other menial stuff, but he still manages to say yes and give her another perfectly practiced smile

when he goes over to the house next to theirs - the ones you moved in to, you had no lasting impression on him

now, don't be mistaken, he does think you're good looking but at the end of the day he'd much rather curl up in bed and sleep

so he puts up that perfectly crafted persona and invites you to head to school with him. a new environment is much easier to deal with when you're not dealing with it by yourself! (or something like that)

he tries not to be overbearing, trying to get you to open up while also making sure he's respecting your boundaries and comfort as you made your way inside the school gates

you don't share the same classes, so he asks you for your time table so he knows your schedule

he hopes he's not being creepy or anything, he's just making sure your first day transferring here goes well

sure he's known for being a caring person in general but he does feel like it's his responsibility to make sure you're doing well you know? you're neighbors now, you guys should get along!

it's smooth sailing until it's time you guys finally went home

like that morning, he waits for you and invites you to walk home with him to familiarize with the shortcuts and local lounging spots for students

all the while he tries to get you to talk about your experience today

it must be due to the amount of stress piled up on his plate that lead him to feel... nervous.

his perfect persona cracking as his calm demeanour and collected way of talking slowly devolved into nervous tangents talking about anything at all

were you displeased? his perfection was practiced and polished since he was a kid, was it still not enough for you?

he could handle disappointing people a lot better now but paired with his currently leaning towards unstable, your displeasure is something that's slowly tearing him from the inside

he's jolted out of his thoughts when you suddenly speak up.

"thanks for showing me around. i thought i was going to struggle getting used to things all by myself."

you smiled up at him. "so... yeah. you're... okay."

his heart thumped.

everywhere all around him feels a ton of degrees warmer.

"...okay." lukas was tongue tied.

on the remainder of the journey back home, he walked you to your house, ensuring you got inside safely before making a beeline towards their house and into his room.

normally at this hour he'd be passed out in bed, tired after a whole day of pretending and smiling. today was perhaps the first time he didn't go to bed with his cheeks hurting and aching from smiling so much.

laying in bed, making an excuse as to why he's not going to be joining for dinner, just thinking about you and your words.

lukas grew up living to the standards of being perfect. a perfect son. a perfect student. a perfect friend.

anything less is... unacceptable to say the least. when you do or think of something so often in your day to day life, it becomes a habit. and lukas' habit is perfection.

but you thought he was okay.

okay.

suddenly 'okay' sounds much better than being perfect.

suddenly your opinion towards him becomes much more important than anyone else's.

lukas is a people pleaser, and onwards from that moment, the only 'people' he will ever want to please is you.

i hope this is sufficient? i'm actually v sleepy rn lol but thank you for the idea!

[mikeyyyssgf]

jealous jealous jealous girl

18+. MINORS DNI! MEN DNI!

amber freeman x fem reader

warning: drinking, smoking, fingering, possessiveness, slapping, choking, hair pulling (can yall tell i like rough sex), abusive relationship, bleeding, name calling, spit swallowing, scratching

amber had always been obsessed with you. the moment she laid eyes on you, you were hers.

that only got worse when you guys got together. you were all hers, and she made sure you’d never forget it.

tonight wasn’t any different. ambers parents were out of town *again*, so she threw another party.

not even an hour into the party you were crossfaded. she liked when you were crossfaded. you were easier to use.

wes tried to flirt with you. you smiled awkwardly, darting your eyes away from him. amber gained up on him, saying "get away from my girlfriend". he rolled his eyes and scoffed "whatever, you stole her from me anyways." amber pulls you away, she knew the conversation would just piss her off more.

amber pulled you upstairs, slamming the door behind her. you recognized the look on her face all too well,

"what was all that about", she looks at you sternly.

"amber i-"

she cuts you off,

"zip it. you fucking smiled at him"

your heart pounds, you didn’t wanna fight.

"it wasnt- like that. at all."

she mocks you in a high pitched tone "it wasnt like that,"

you had just about enough of this. you didn’t know if it was the liquor talking, or if you were genuinely that angry.

“what the fuck ever amber. believe what you want.”

her eyes narrow, her expression darkening.

"dont talk to me like that"

you glare at her, growing more and more irritated by the minute.

“are you gonna say anything?”, she grits her teeth.

“you don’t believe anything i say anyways. why do you always accuse me? you know i’d never do that.”

“then stop entertaining fucking losers, why do you like being such a whore?”, she glares at you becoming angrier.

you roll your eyes and sigh,

“whatever amber. fuck you”.

all the muscles in ambers face tense up. her breathing becomes more labored, almost shocked at your response.

“fuck me? fuck me? did you really just say that? i didn’t know you could be such a fucking bitch” she shouts, quickly approaching you.

“i didn’t know you could be so fucking controlling! jesus amber. all i did was smile. i don’t want him.” you raise your hand up over your face defensively,

she grabs your arm, pushing it away from your face “that may be true but it’s obvious you like the attention.”

“jesus christ. why do you always do this?”, you try to move your arm but she continues gripping it. “fuck let me go”

her grip tightens, “no. i’m not letting you leave me for him”.

you wince from her grabbing your arm so hard, “jesus amber. i wasn’t gonna leave you for him.”

“what, so you want to leave?”, she yells, gripping your arm almost unbearably tight

you flinch at the pain, breath quickening "of course not"

her grip loosens, she pulls you in, glaring you in the eyes, "and why not?"

you hesitate,

"what do you mean- why not?"

amber smiles, "you know what i want you to say." she thumbs your bottom lip

"i'm yours", you blush.

ambers eyes glisten and she replies,

"you are all mine. i can do whatever i want. you know that."

"mhm", you nod, "i'm all yours"

she gets closer to you, she puts her thumb on your bottom lip, "say it again". you huff, "im all yours.". she smiles "thats right, come here". she grips onto your hair, kissing you passionately. you grab her back, causing a quiet moan to escape her lips.

amber grabbed your arms, throwing you onto the bed. she keeps kissing you, hands gripping tight around your throat. she squeezes tighter and tighter as she makes out with you for what seems like forever. you’re soaked, you know you need her touch.

“fuck, please touch me”.

“who do you belong to?”

you moan, “you.”

she releases her hands from your throat, running her cold hands under your shirt, slowly moving up and feels your hare nipples through your bra. she takes your bra and shirt off in a quick motion.

“you look so pretty like this”, she says smiling at you.

“these need to go too”, she motioned to your pants. "need help? or do you think you can manage it. i mean, youre so wasted"

"i-i can do it", you start struggling with the waist band, grunting in frustration before you realized you hadnt even unbuttoned your jeans.

"its funny to watch you struggle, but i need you right now. im not waiting for your stupid drunk ass" she growls, "i'll help you, since youre so fucking stupid right now." unbuttoning your jeans then ripping your underwear and pants off.

she pulls you to the edge of the bed forcefully, she runs her hands on your thighs, making them super sensitive. you can feel your clit aching for her. you needed her to touch you, to put her fingers in you.

you whimper a little.

"you need it that bad, huh? you greedy little whore?".

its almost humiliating how fast you nod your head, but she loves it.

she grabs your chin, "get them wet for me" sticking her fingers deep in your throat, causing you to gag.

"thats it baby. suck on my fingers."

she sticks them deeper, causing tears to form in your eyes from how hard shes gagging you, you mumble and try to push her hands away. she moves her free hand behind your back, putting her fingers deeper. you mumble again, "a-" thats all you can get out. "theyre not wet enough yet," she whispers in your ear. "fuck, your throat feels so good, i love seeing you struggle to keep sucking my fingers. you have to be patient baby, youre almost there.". you swirl your tongue on her fingers, sucking them harder. "good girl."

amber pulls her fingers out of your mouth, letting go of your back abruptly, causing you to fall hard against the bed. you gasp, winded. "aww, did that hurt? suck it up" she hisses.

before you can even process, she sticks two fingers inside you, thrusting in and out roughly. your breath hitches in your throat, you find yourself a mess under her fingers, squirming, gripping onto the sheets, panting.

"f-fuck feel-s so g-ood" you stutter out. shes going so rough you know youll be sore for days.

amber uses her free hand to dig her nails into your stomach. a stinging, piercing feeling as droplets of blood trickle down. even though she notices, she doesnt stop.

ambers hands move up to your face, slapping so hard your face burns hot. your face stings almost as much as your stomach. pulling her fingers out of you, amber moves onto the bed, grabbing you forcefully to lay next to her.

next minute, she starts kissing you hard. shes biting your lips, panting in your mouth, tugging your hair back so hard it hurts. she reaches down over your stomach, stratching the marks she already left, making you flinch and wince.

"dont fucking move. stay just like that."

amber releases your hair, and taps your cheeks motioning you to open your mouth. she spits in your mouth, "swallow." she commands. you swallow immediately, "youre such a fucking slut. youll do anything i tell you. youre so desperate and needy".

you whimper, "mhm. anything."

amber sticks her fingers back in you, picking up the pace. she starts leaving marks all over your neck, sucking, biting. you feel yourself getting closer and closer, amber moves her mouth to your lips, kissing you again. you moan in her mouth, grabbing onto her shirt, panting and panting until your orgasm finally washes over you. you grip her shirt harder, puling her closer and closer. it feels so good you start crying.

"aww. dont be a baby", she mocks. "fuck. youre so good", you cry out.

"i know."

[obessedwithfictionalmen]

I'll come pick it up after pt.8

John Egan X Female! Reader

Sumarry: Bucky is woken up by bombs, but not he one he's usually drooping...

Warning: +18/ smut/ p and v/ unprotected sex (wrap it up)/ grinning/ talk about death/ use of Y/n/ historical inaccuracies/

Word count: 890 words

She was woken up by flash of lights. She didn’t know what it was, until her head turned to look at the window. Bombs, a town near London was getting bombed. The place next to her was cold, John Egan was not beside her. She sat on the bed and saw the men on a chair, in front of the window. ‘’Bucky, are you okay?’’ She asked, making his head turn. ‘’Did I wake you up?’’ he asked her. She shook her head, bringing the white blanket to cover her breast. ‘’The lights did’’ she answered. He deeply exhales and looked at the bombs. ‘’I’ve never been on this side of the bombing. I’ve always dropped them’’ he says. Y/n took at deep breath, she thought about what she was gonna say to him. ‘’Do you regret it?’’ she asked. He shook his head. ‘’It just feels weird, woke me up with the sound of the explosions’’ he explained. Y/n got up, left the blanket in the bed, took her panties off and walked towards her pilot. Bombs occasionally making enough light to see the hole room. When she reached the chair, she sat on the lap of her pilot, who had taken his boxers off when he saw her approaching. He instinctively put his hands on her hips, he started kissing her, hoping to get a distraction from the sounds of the multiple explosions. ‘’Do you think it’s weird?’’ she asked between kisses. ‘’What?’’ he said, with a raspy voice. She grinned against him, creating friction. She felt him getting hard underneath her, it made her wet, seeing the power she had over him. ‘’The closer you are to death, the more alive you feel’’ she stated, kissing Bucky, again. He putted one of his hands behind her neck, just like when they kissed for the first time. He stopped kissing her, took her chin with his fingers, while she tried to kiss him again. ‘’And I thought, I was dramatic when I drank’’ He chuckled. She smiles as she let out a breath. ‘’You are dramatic, Major.’’ She laughed as she placed herself on his hard cock. She sunk down on him, she was wet enough to make it easy and painless.

‘’What are you’’ he moaned. ‘’You need a, ah, a distraction from this.’’ She started moving her hips, to a slow, sensual pace. She wanted to help him to try and forget the bombing. Bucky’s heart was racing, they were kissing lazily. It wasn’t fast sex, or the type of sex they had earlier. It was gentle and familiar; it was sweet. ‘’How should I call you now? Sir, major or Bucky?’’ she teased, between kisses. He smiled against her lips, caressing her lower back, gently guiding her to a fastest pace. ‘’Hold your horses, Major, we have all the time in the w-world’’ she stuttered when she felt him hit her G-spot with his cock. She kissed his neck as she kept the sensual pace. The rhythm was killing him, but he was enjoying every second of it. ‘’Please, darling, go faster, you’re killing me here’’ he whimpered, sending butterflies to her stomach. Making her squeeze his length. He chuckled. ‘’You like when I make noises, darling?’’ he teased. She nodded and kissed him again. She started to roll her hips faster, letting his hands guide the rhythm. He left his head fall on the chair. ‘’Atta girl’’ he breathed out. She smirked and continued her fast pace. He started to kiss her tits, she arched her back, making it easier for him to kiss her breast.

She moaned his name as he kept kissing her chest. ‘’Forgive my lips, they find pleasure in the most unusual places.’’ He said, smirking. She kept rolling her hips until his breathing became faster. ‘’Darling, I’m gonna c- ‘’ he couldn’t even finish his sentence as his orgasm shook his hole body. Y/n came too, they kissed again. Not even bothering in taking their breath. But eventually, they had to breath, so they stopped kissing. They looked at each other before she brought her head closer to him. Their forehead was touching. They kept chasing after their breath, bombs brining enough light for the both of them to see the other’s face. ‘’Thank you, darling’’ he said, tugging a piece of her hair behind her ear. ‘’For the orgasm?’’ she joked, quoting him. ‘’That’s my line, sweetheart’’ he laughed.

She smiled as she got up from his lap, putting her panties back on. He did the same thing as he went back into the bed. ‘’If you wake up again, wake me up too. You won’t be alone’’ she smiled. He nodded kissing her forehead. ‘’Try to get some sleep, Bucky, after all, you deserve it’’ she said. He nodded; he kept her in his arms. He was a cuddler, he felt like he was protecting her from everything when she was in his arms, it helped him sleep, it calmed his mind from the things he was seeing, she was calming him down. She felt asleep hearing his heartbeat. It calmed her down, hearing he was okay. She was used to unregular or really fast heartbeat, but Bucky’s was just normal. It calmed her down, helping her to fall asleep.

Part 9⬇️

[lunesviolettes]

Void - 09.

(This series was originally posted on my Wattpad, so I’m bringing it over here)

pairing: MCU!bucky barnes x MCU!female reader

word count: 5.3k

summary: Y/N was far from any normal girl in Brooklyn during the 1940s. Her physical and mental strength were far from ordinary and her mother and father were nothing short of strange, just like her. Secrets and strange occurrences were all that she had ever known and with the approach of a second global war, it seemed that everything would only become stranger. A powerful organization, a target on the back of a young girl, a serum, and an infinity stone were all that it would take to change everything she knew about her world.

chapter warnings: none

a/n: This fanfic follows the course of the MCU movies (The First Avenger - Thunderbolts). It’s more focused on the story aspect of the MCU and is very much a slow burn type of story with not a lot of focus on smut.

Series Masterlist Next Chapter

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"Alright, can you hear me, Y/L/N?" You adjusted your sleeves, staring up at the glass pane that overlooked the ground floor. "Loud and clear, Stark." If he sensed any unease or worry in your voice, he sure didn't show it. His attention was instead directed to his command board. "We're gonna start with a short burst and work our way up, try your best to match what I'm telling you." You were sure you had nodded, but based on how your entire body had gone numb, it was unclear whether or not you imagined it.

The lights faded to a low dim and only then could you make out the projection of your vitals on the glass in front of Howard's face. At the end of the room furthest from you, a target appeared, clearly painted on the wall by his own hands. "Okay, I want you to aim for the center and release as little energy as you can."

"Easier said than done." You muttered to yourself. You puffed your cheeks out and let the air escape, hoping it would ease your rapidly beating heart. Part of you had come to recognize the sensations of willing that energy forward. It was subtle at first. Nothing but the low buzzing in your ears, limbs growing warm and fuzzy.

Then, all at once, the weightless feeling. Your arms lifted on their own accord, bright waves of light seeping from your palms. They traveled up, crawling along your skin. You frowned, brows furrowing as you focused on that tether within you.

It was felt in the depths of your chest, something swirling and pulsating. You concentrated on that pulse, willing your mind to release it. A sudden gasp escaped you as a burst of energy lept from your palm, scattering into the air above. It flew high, simmering away just as quickly as it had come.

"Don't get frustrated. Just try again and don't focus so much on making it work. I've seen what you can do and I know you've got it in you."

With a sigh, you lifted your hands again, clenching your eyes shut this time. Come on. Give me something. You thought to yourself. You pulled at it again, calling upon the warmth - the light to make its appearance. You pictured it within your mind, flowing down your arms. You flinched, your entire body jolting as it erupted from within your chest.

The entirety of your skin lit up with a glow, bright, like the sun. “Only a little bit.” Howard reminded you, his gaze narrowed. You exhaled slowly, a deep furrow appearing between your brows. The thrum of it within your ears was mind numbing. Your knees wobbled as if the force of power was too great. It shook the ground beneath you, energy piling up around your shoes as it spilled from you effortlessly.

“Focus, Y/N. Don’t let it overwhelm you.” You shivered, a grunt escaping you as your arms shook. The target was just up ahead, but you could barely see it within your swirling vision. You narrowed your eyes, attempting to focus. To will that power into something you could use. Come on, come on.

With a shout you turned, throwing your arm forward. A burst of bright blue light lept from your grasp, spiraling toward the target. The building shook, lights flickering above as it struck. The target split into two, falling onto the floor. A steaming black mark was left on the wall, a single crack within it that snaked its way up the concrete.

Crackles echoed from the loudspeaker, Howard’s voice not pleased in the slightest. “Y/N, you’re letting it get to you. You can’t let it control you.” You sighed, frustration adamant in the rapid rise and fall of your chest. “I’m trying, I just…I can’t.”

“Yes you can. We’re gonna try close up combat okay? Maybe you’ll find this a little easier.” You furrowed your brows, looking up at the glass pane. “Close up combat? With who?”

“Prototypes, not real people.” You tried to ignore the ache in your bones, the twinging behind your eyes. Your ears rang, the thrumming of energy almost too much to bear. With a drag in your stride, Howard knew you were becoming fatigued. He would’ve liked to have taken it easier on you, but neither of you could afford those luxuries.

Hydra, still a prevalent force, was fiercely determined for power. Should you be left defenseless with abilities stronger than you could understand, one could only imagine how they would take advantage of that.

You weren’t sure what you were expecting to walk through the metal doors, but it certainly wasn't what came rolling towards you. It was a scrap of metal upon first glance. A quickly assembled metal torso attached to a pole, leading down to a set of wheels. This metal contraption held no eyes, bearing no resemblance to any living being. It advanced towards you at surprising speeds.

With a surge of courage and determination, you threw your hands out to your sides, brows furrowed as you called upon it again. The small little flicker of a flame within the depths of your chest. As light ignited from your palms, you lit up with a warmth unlike any other. It spread from your chest, down the entirety of your body until you felt alive with the force of a thousand suns.

You stepped out of the prototype’s path, flicking an arm out as you turned. A flash of blinding blue light advanced towards the droid, striking its back. The force of that blast of energy had sent it spiraling to the other side of the room. You eyed it, chest heaving, hands curling into fists. As you took a step forward, you heard something within the distant depths of your mind.

A whisper. You paused, palms growing cold as you recalled that night. The glowing orb that was alive and seemed to be calling to you, whispering unintelligible things. It was within you now. Living and existing off of your body. You were unnerved. Unable to see a future in which you could live like this. Constant whispers within your mind would surely bring you to the brink of insanity.

A small shiver crawled down your back, but there was no time to focus on what you just heard. The quick shout of your name brought you back down to Earth and you just narrowly avoided the prototype as it came barreling towards you. Your shoulder collided with the metal torso, nearly knocking it onto the ground. “You okay, Y/L/N?” You nodded, sucking in a harsh breath and you forced your apprehension away. “Just got distracted for a second.”

"Okay, just don't let it happen again. When you get into the hang of fending it off I'm gonna send in another so be on the lookout." The prototype spun back around when it hit the wall, moving towards you with a purpose. You were aware that it was close-up combat but still, it was startling to see the prototype lift a dangling metal arm swinging it towards you.

You spun out of the way with a yelp, swiping this arm away with what you believed was a short burst of energy. It was not. Energy curled its way down your body. Bright blue light that nearly consumed you within it. The droid was sent flying into the wall with a crack. It crumbled to the ground, reduced to a tangle of wires and metal. You sank to a knee, head spinning, eyes taken over with a blinding white light. Your arms shook as you fought to keep yourself upright.

In this state you were reminded of one thing. You were undeniably human. You contained a power unlike any other. Something that had not been seen in any recorded history and you were simply too weak to contain it. For a moment you considered that it may just end up killing you.

You couldn’t control it. A simple human. You grunted, frustrated by the words that seemed to infiltrate your mind. Your thoughts reflected nothing but the truth, though. As the blue waves of light flooded from you, you realized that it was stronger than you. There was no super strength within you. No super soldier serum that kept you afloat amongst the power that threatened to drown you.

The ringing in your ears had returned, drowning out the worried shouts from Howard. You’re weak. Your jaw twitched, teeth clenched together as you moved to stand. Your legs wobbled and you felt your vision swarming in and out of focus. Raw, uncontained power still curled around you, moving in and out of your skin. You knew that you couldn’t let it consume you. You had to overcome it, force it to submit to you. It was a living breathing force within you and you had to beat it down.

A shaky breath escaped you as you finally stood. Your teeth were bared, hands clenched into tight fists - knuckles turning white. It rippled around you, drowning out the world with its low reverberations in your ears. You couldn’t let it win. You knew you couldn’t

Fight or die. You repeated it until you could think of nothing else. It curled around you like a predator coming down on its prey. The power of it was suffocating, but you couldn’t let it overwhelm you. I am in control. You let that one single thought fill your head over and over until the whispers could no longer be heard. Howard watched with wide eyes, leaning against the glass. The glowing blue light that once surrounded you began to dim. It appeared to shrink back, crawling its way back into your skin.

You emerged within the depths of its light, anger evident on your face. The brightness within your eyes had dimmed a fraction. “Send them in.” You said, looking up at the glass. Howard obeyed without another word, sucking in a single breath as he flicked up the nob.

The doors flew open, swinging as two of the prototypes entered. You redirected your focus, eyes narrowed at one. That warmth - that beautiful and sickly warmth flooded from your palm, a burst of light striking against the nearest one. It spun back, but the other came at you. Your arm reached forward, fingertips pressed against the metal torso. Energy sank within it, and it, too, was sent soaring across the room.

A creak of metal came from somewhere behind you and you spun, unprepared for the metal arm that flew through the air. It snapped against your cheek, your head thrown to the side. Holding tight to the side of your face you rose to your full height. Rage bubbled up within you, frustration evident in your expression. You threw your arms out, sending both prototypes spinning to the far ends of the room.

"Nice thinking there, Jazz Hands. Let's see if you can fight off three." He assumed you could handle it. He thought you were fine, that you got it perfectly under control. And so did you. Already out of breath, you just barely mustered a nod and turned to the door. The third entered and they circled you. Your knees were bent just slightly, arms tensed, fingers itching to release it. Your posture was guarded, eyes alert.

One came zipping towards you, and while you were distracted fending it off, another approached. Your head snapped back as the metal arm struck your jaw, but you quickly recovered. A flash of light struck the droid's face but whatever damage had been done was unimportant as another took its place. You kicked the second droid back, mouth agape as you sucked down mouthfuls of air.

Each burst of light released made your skin grow cold, head swimming and each step became more difficult. It was fading away. You could feel it - see it. It was dimming, turning translucent instead of its usual dazzling blinding blue. The light within your eyes was gone and your skin was flushed with a thin layer of sweat.

Moving out the way of each attempted blow suddenly seemed impossible. You just narrowly dodged a prototype’s arm with a duck, but your weak knees caused you to stumble and brought you face to face with the newest prototype.

The room became a cacophony of gasps and the clash of metal as you fought to keep up with their unwavering speed. You were distracted and dazed, and a particular burst of energy had you stumbling onto your hands and knees. Howard halted the prototypes, leaning over the control panel to get a better look at you down below. “Need a break?”

He asked, and you nodded with your head hanging low.

“You know,Hydra is not going to give you a break.”

“I’m aware of that. Don’t you think I don’t realize that?” A sardonic laugh came from you as you looked up. Frustration grew within you once more. Your hands were tensed tightly into fists - so tight that you swore your fingernails broke skin. Your skin was hot, boiling the longer you sat there thinking over your inability to keep up. You were just a human.

“Then you need to try. You need to fight for your life because that’s all you can do.” You grunted, head shaking as you fought off the darkness that threatened to cave in. You were moments away from collapsing. That sense of dread and anxiety grew within you. The kind of feeling you got when you couldn’t catch your breath and suddenly your limbs would feel all too fuzzy.

Nevertheless, you pushed yourself haphazardly to your feet. You stumbled, chest heaving, a pained look on your face as you faced the droids. “Don’t doubt yourself.” Howard said, though it seemed more like a warning as he sent the prototypes hurtling towards you.

You were outnumbered, not only literally, but your own strength couldn’t match them. Your arms were sore, limp as you tried to lift them. Your face stung from the two blows that managed to strike you. You are weak. You cannot win.

There it was again. The infiltration of a thought that felt like nothing you had ever experienced in your life. It sat within the back of your mind - sending a chill down your spine. You clenched your jaw, wincing as a high pitched ringing filled your ears. It drowned out the low rumble from the wheels of the droids.

A single huff of breath escaped you as you threw your arm out, a blast of blue light just barely striking against one of the prototypes. It spun away, and the other two took its place. Crush them. Break them apart. Your face turned to a scowl as your focus waved in and out. A bit of light spilled from your fists, curling up the length of your forearms. As you blinked, your eyes flashed with blinding golden light.

It grew brighter as you moved towards the nearest droid. Your hand stuck out and you sent it hurtling back against the wall. Its trajectory had been stopped and there it remained - held against the wall by a forcefield of energy. Destroy them. With your remaining free hand, you pointed it at another.

Bright tendrils of blue energy encompassed the droid, a low hum filling the air around you. Your teeth were bared, a single grunt escaping you as you tightened your hand into a fist. The low groan of metal came next - creaking, cracking. The droid burst with a screech, the crackle of electricity sputtering onto the ground as it fell.

You turned, eyes wild and crazed - like an animal. Howard's hands had left the controls as he watched the deep burgundy liquid ooze from your nose. It was halfway down your chin when you drew her arm back. You were no longer visible within the dazzling blue light. If one squinted, they would catch the flickers of gold that shone within it. The final remaining prototype was lifted from the ground.

The walls shook - rumbling softly. You had come to life with power, rage bursting from your chest. Tendrils of shining blue light wrapped around the two remaining droids. Your hands were tensed, fingers twitching ever so slightly. Tear them apart. A single breath fell from your lips. The horrid screech of metal had Howard clamping his hands over his ears. They cracked at first, a split moving down the torsos of the droids.

Then, they were pulled apart - ripped into two. Wires stuck out from within them, hanging limp before you flicked your hands and sent them flying into their respective walls. The thrumming of energy faded away all at once.

You fell to the ground, just barely able to hold yourself up. Your teeth were stained red from the blood that dripped down and your eyes were squeezed shut. Whatever laid ahead of you was blurred. You could no longer register the battered and destroyed prototype on the ground.

When Howard ran from the booth and crouched in front of you, you couldn’t see him - couldn’t hear him. You could just faintly recall the events that occurred prior, but in no way could you fathom or explain what it was. The voice within you. The thoughts that filled your mind.

In one single moment, it was as if you had changed entirely - become something else in a matter of seconds. You were conscious and could see everything happen, but it was almost an out of body experience. Like you were staring down at this person causing all that destruction. A hand pressed against your forehead and you groaned, pulling yourself away from it.

Whatever had been spoken to you from the dark mass in front of you was a mere mumble in the back of your mind. Your head was buzzing, skin tingling. You could see the brightness of light slowly moving underneath your skin - casting a gentle glow across its surface.

Howard could not understand what happened. You had moved with precision, your posture tall and sure. It seemed to have come to you effortlessly - the ability to control and contort the energy into a usable force. Very quickly had he realized that they were all in over their heads.

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

“I don't think it's a good idea for me to be out. What if it happens again?" You asked, holding a hand over your eyes to block out the sun. "It won't. You and Howard have made tremendous progress." Over the course of the past few weeks, while Steve was off touring as his new identity; The Star-Spangled Man With a Plan, you were working directly with Howard Stark to adjust to your new power.

During that time, you’d suffered from three…fits. Blackouts were what he decided to call it - the state that would leave you behaving like an entirely different person. Almost as if the power inside you was taking over and leaving nothing but destruction in its wake.

It would leave you drained, unfamiliar with what had just occurred. In those moments, you were unrecognizable. Spurred on by blinding rage. As far as they knew, that side of you was urged by your emotions - fear, anger, frustration. But it wasn’t you. It was the power. It took over and defended itself, seeming to use your body as a vice…a vector. In the end, you’d be drained and left fighting for each breath.

It was those blackouts that had led Howard Stark to believe it was best if they found a way to extract the power entirely. There was only a slight problem. They could not gain any understanding of your power. Any attempts had it defending itself - sending any potential threats rearing back as if they’d been burned.

That discovery had Howard Stark locked up in his personal labs, constructing a device that would allow them to safely extract the power. With your body stuck in a state of frozen unconsciousness where your emotions could not be accessed, the power inside you would not feel urged to defend itself.

It would take a lot of work and there were no guarantees of its success. But he had to try - for the sake of you living any semblance of a normal life. You were amenable to the suggestion, eager for anything to relieve you of this constant fear. Fear of yourself. Anything to get rid of the power that seemed to be drawing on your life force to strengthen itself.

The only one concerned had been your mother who did not exactly trust Howard’s experiments. No one knew about the experiments other than those closely involved with the SSR and the active movements against Hydra. They kept it that way to ensure your safety. After the events that took Abraham Erskine’s life, they could no longer afford to misplace their trust.

Despite your predicament, you were somewhat thankful to have those few individuals you could trust. Those you could vent to in your moments of weakness and despair. There was only one who wasn’t entirely aware of the extent of the situation. That particular man was stuck - frozen on stage in front of at least a hundred U.S soldiers.

"What is he wearing?" You asked as you dropped down from the military vehicle. Across the field, standing on a stage was Steve dressed in what appeared to be the outfit for his Captain America persona. It was particularly form fitting, showing off yours, Dr. Erskine’s and Howard’s handy work. It was mainly blue, accessorized with bits of red and white - like the flag. Captain America…a red white and blue outfit…a flag shield - it was all very on the nose.

The soldiers sitting in front of him didn't seem too entertained by the performance. They were men actively fighting against the forces of Hitler and Hydra. Their friends were dying, they were getting injured. Many of them were not particularly fond of seeing a man in a one piece cheering them on about the war.

"How many of you ready to help me sock ol' Adolf on the jaw?" There was no response from the men, but a few seemed to be stifling their laughter at the pitiful sight in front of them. "Okay. Uh...I need a volunteer."

"I already volunteered! How do you think I got here?" The shout from deep within the crowd had caused a ripple of laughter to erupt from the soldiers. "Bring back the girls!" An uproar of cheers drowned out all chances of Steve gaining their undivided attention and it was clear to both you and Peggy that he was completely humiliated up there. It was not at all what Dr. Erskine had imagined for him, and certainly not you.

You could only wonder how different things would’ve gone if Erskine never met his end that fateful day. “I think they only know the one song. But um...let me...I'll...I'll see what I can do." Steve was turning red, his voice shaky as he fought to improvise as best as he could. "You do that, sweetheart."

"Nice boots, Tinker Bell." Another soldier shouted, bringing back the cacophony of laughter. "Come on, guys. We're all on the same team here." One man stood up from his seat on the dirt, his back facing Steve. "Hey, Captain! Sign this!" Your face scrunched up as the man yanked his pants down, revealing his entire backside to Steve.

All the soldiers around him had gotten a real kick out of the act and unfortunately, there were no chances for Steve to gain his dignity back. If he even had any at that. Food was thrown from the crowd, meekly blocked by the prop shield. With his reputation tarnished, Steve fled from the stage. Cheers had followed his departure as the chorus girls entered from behind the curtains.

Long after the show had ended, you and Agent Carter embarked on your hunt to find the blonde dressed in red white, and blue. That blonde, in particular, was seated on a platform furthest from the stage, a pencil in hand as he whisked it across the page in gentle strokes. "Hello, Steve." He turned, expression clouded with confusion when he spotted the two of you. "Hi. What are you two doing here?"

"Officially neither of us are here at all." You parted from Peggy's side and crouched behind him - a gentle hand placed upon his shoulder. As you came closer, it crossed the distance to his other shoulder and you squeezed him lightly. He sank into your embrace, the smallest of sighs escaping his lips.

Clearly, the extent of his touring was exhausting and overwhelming. It was a tough few weeks for all of them. "That was quite a performance."

“Yeah. Uh...I had to improvise a little bit. Crowds I'm used to are usually more uh...twelve."

"I understand you're 'America's New Hope'?" Your brows furrowed as you reached over to pluck the journal from Steve’s hands. He willingly released it and you couldn’t help but grow woeful for the man. His opinions about the performances were something he had strong negative feelings toward. In fact, his drawings displayed quite well what he truly felt like being up on that stage.

A monkey sitting atop a unicycle. The clothes the monkey wore left little to the imagination - this was how Steve felt. How he viewed himself. A display of entertainment rather than giving himself to a greater cause.

This knowledge disappointed you. Dr Erskine never wanted this for Steve. There was a reason he was chosen and it sure as hell wasn't for him to prance around on stage like some sort of party clown. He saw it in the recruitment facility. Hope. As clear as day. Someone who had a good heart and wanted to make the world a better place. "At least he's got me doin' this. Phillips would have had me stuck in a lab."

"And these are your only two options? A lab rat or a dancing monkey? You were meant for more than this, you know?" Steve's lips parted as he stared off into the distance, a mild shake of his head following. "What?" Peggy asked.

"You know for the longest time I dreamed about coming overseas and being on the front lines. Serving my country. I finally get everything I wanted, and I'm wearin' tights." Instead of a response, a series of honks filled the rain soaked air. A military vehicle had returned, kicking up mud with the speed of its arrival.

The soldiers that exited from the back were quickly escorted into medical tarps. The true sights of a war soaked country. Death. A sight most wouldn’t ever have to see. "They look like they've been through hell."

"These men more than most. Schmidt sent out a force to Azzano. Two hundred men went up against him and less than fifty returned. Your audience contained what was left of the one-o-seventh. The rest were killed or captured." You stilled, heart lurching to a near stop. There was a deep worried furrow in between your brows as you looked up. For a moment you thought you had heard her incorrectly - until you looked to Steve and found the same expression mirrored on his own face.

Blood pulsed through your ears as you stood on shaky legs. Please no. You thought to yourself, racing through the rain - stomping through the mud. Bucky was in the one-o-seventh. The two of you said nothing, opting to take off towards the tent that Steve knew housed the Colonel.

Your palms were slick with sweet, heart beating almost painfully as the three of you stood in front of the Colonel’s table. He was distracted, tapping away at his typewriter with a purpose. If he had noticed your arrival, he showed no signs of it.

"Colonel Phillips." Steve finally announced. "Well, if it isn't the Star-Spangled Man With a Plan. And what is your plan today?"

"I need the casualty list from Azzano." Colonel Phillips shot him a glance and shook his head. "You don't get to give me orders, son." You moved to Steve's left, hands braced on the table as water dripped onto the table from your hair. "We just need one name. Sergeant James Barnes from the hundred and seventh." You pleaded.

A pen was pointed toward Agent Carter from where she stood, a stern look on the Colonel’s face. "You and I are gonna have a conversation later that you won't enjoy."

"Please tell me if he's alive, sir. B-A-R-" Steve began, only to be cut off. "I can spell," The Colonel said. He stood with a sigh and flipped through the papers of all those who had been presumed dead. All those papers signified someone who was once living…breathing. You knew you would never get used to it - the solemn realities of war.

"I have signed more of these condolence letters today than I would care to count. But the name does sound familiar. I'm sorry." Your face fell, and you swore you could feel it shaking. As if you couldn’t believe what the Colonel was saying. He wasn’t right. He couldn’t be.

The idea of loss was something that seemed so foreign to you…until recently. Your father…and now - you couldn’t accept it. You wouldn’t. Your vision funneled, darkness creeping up within the back of your mind. Peggy followed you as you fled from the tent, your breaths coming out quick and unsteady. You just barely managed to brace yourself against the nearest vehicle, eyes squeezed shut.

You could only think of all the things you should’ve done. You should’ve spent more time with him, you should’ve accepted that dance - should’ve told him how you truly felt. Before the whispers could approach - before the ringing could fill your ears, a hand was placed on your back, drawing you back to real life.

Steve exited the tent not longer after, moving with a purpose. You were dragged into motion by Peggy, just barely trailing after them. Your eyes were trained on the mud, praying desperately it had all been a dream. Maybe you would wake to find yourself taken back to a year ago - when everything was right with the world.

"What do you plan to do? Walk to Austria?" Agent Carter shouted, entering the tent as she pulled you along. The silence that followed, free from the rain outside, had you coming to once more. You could see Steve fighting it off. Grief. It had come in hot and was burning through the light within you. He couldn’t let it stop him though. His determination and hope had only been enhanced by the serum.

"If that's what it takes." Was all he said, refusing to meet her eyes. "You heard the Colonel, your friend is most likely dead."

You shook your head, eyes dull as you looked to the Agent. You couldn’t imagine it - couldn’t accept it. “We don’t know that.” You said softly, lip quivering.

Your fingers drifted along the brown leather jacket slung over the back of the chair. With a tense jaw and a finally steady hand, you held the jacket out to Steve. He looked at you, eyes softening. The hints of a grateful smile was on his face as he accepted the jacket from you. "Even so, he's devising a strategy. If he detects-" Peggy began.

"By the time he's done that, it could be too late." Steve held tight to his shield as he departed from the tent, followed closely behind by you. Ignoring the calls of your name from Peggy, you continued after him to the unoccupied vehicle sitting outside. "You told me you thought I was meant for more than this. Did you mean that?"

"Every word." Peggy nodded. "Then you gotta let me go." Only when Steve was inside the car had she crossed to his door, hands clutching onto it. Your eyes met hers, a solemn and pleading look on your face. Finally, Agent Carter nodded."I can do more than that."

Next Chapter

[spotsandsocks]

Hiii spotty 💕💕💕

🎃 + dawn/sunrise

-❤️🪐

Hi Saturn, managed to use both words here and it got a little longer at nearly 1k. A little angsty but not too bad. Hope you enjoy. Thank for inspiring me.

“Wondered where you went.”

A quick glance over his shoulder reveals that Hen has that kind of look on her face. Buck looks away quickly, he’s not ready to talk but she already knows that, she’s Hen after all.

The unpleasant scrape of metal on concrete makes him wince as Hen settles down in one of the chairs they use up here. It’s clear she intends to wait him out.

“Don’t worry, no one else is gonna join us.”

That’s not the comfort she thinks it is because it only emphasises who isn’t going to be checking on him and they both know why he can’t and that if he could he wouldn’t need checking up on in the first place. Ironic huh.

The edge of the weather beaten brick beneath his fingers is rough and catches at his skin. The texture and prickle of pain gives him something to focus on other than the reason he’s hiding up here.

“Bobby says come down when you’re ready, but that you don’t have to be ready anytime soon, he said it’s ok to take a minute, it was a rough call.”

It was.

“Eddie said you’d be up here, told me to tell you he’d be here as soon as Chim is done with him, we thought, well he thought I should keep you company until he can.

How considerate of him. Deliberately relaxing his suddenly tense jaw and dropping his shoulders Buck breathes through the surge of anger Eddie sending Hen to check up on him generates. Hen wouldn’t need to be keeping him company if the company he should have after a call hadn’t been so fucking stupid that he needed a full check up and time to convince Chim and Bobby that a trip to the hospital wasn’t required.

“I’m fine.”

He can’t look at her while he lies, not that it matters much, Hen won’t believe him anyway, hell he doesn’t believe him and she’s a lot smarter than he is.

He hears her snort of amusement and she doesn’t even try to hide the sacrasam in her voice,

“Oh I can tell. Totally fine.”

Eyes fixed firmly on what little of the horizon he can see through the LA skyline, the changing quality of light makes it clear that sunrise is just around the corner, a new day is beckoning. It’s a new day that might not have had Eddie in it.

He shuts his eyes but that’s no help because he just sees it all again. The chain of events that rushed past him and led to the accident.

“How’s he doing?”

Addressing the question to the air he doesn’t need to see her face to know what expression is on it.

“It’s not actually as bad as it looked, most of the blood wasn’t even his.”

The words spark another memory and he uses techniques he’s been taught to fight off a fierce wave of nausea. He changes the subject. It’s easier that way.

“I like it up here. It’s quiet. Sometimes I come up and watch the sunrise when I can’t sleep.”

She lets him have a moment of peace then breaks it.

“He didn’t mean to scare anyone, especially you, you know that right?”

He keeps his eyes on the approaching dawn and stays quiet.

“It’s our job. You know that too.”

It is. He does. Doesn’t make it any easier.

“You’ve done the same. Worse even.”

Also true. Also unhelpful. He knows how to spell hypocrite with only four letters without her help.

“It’s going to be hard, you both knew that, but it’ll be harder if you’re not there when it matters. I know that much.”

Her words hit him hard. What if he hadn’t been there. What if they had moved to different shifts or worse stations. What if he’d heard about it later and it hadn’t worked out as well as it had. What if he’d always have to wonder if he could have saved his husband if he’d been there.

Well he was there and he’d stayed calm even if he’d been more terrified than he’d ever been. He’d done what they promised Bobby they’d do. Their job. He’d listened to his Captain, followed his commands. He’d done exactly what Bobby had said. He’d helped get Eddie out of the mess he was in.

It becomes a little easier to breathe.

“Cap says you handled it well. Did your job. He’s proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you too.”

He turns his back on the sunrise because it’s not Hen’s voice this time. His eyes fall on the grazes on his cheek, the deeper cut on his forehead that Chim has treated. He notes every one of the bruises forming on the skin that’s visible and knows there will be more under his clothes that he’ll check later. He looks tired and worried and he’s still far more beautiful than any dawn Buck has ever seen.

Hen’s vanished. It’s just him and his husband, dealing with the aftermath of their first real trauma since they got together.

“Am I forgiven?”

He doesn’t answer just crosses the rooftop to him as fast as he can and holds on, probably too tightly judging by the small sound he makes but Eddie hugs back just as tightly regardless.

“You did your job. Nothing to forgive.”

Eddie kisses his cheek softly, the tension in him vanishing. He sounds relieved.

“So did you, I’m glad you were there.”

He’s not ready to let go yet, and Eddie understands that, so they stay there a while longer, holding each other both remembering the day they shook hands and agreed they could maybe have each other's back.

Today wasn’t the first time they kept that promise and it won’t be the last, it will be hard for them both but they belong beside each other and Buck wouldn’t have it any other way. No matter the cost.

[waynewifey]

aporia — b.w

part one : dear mr. wayne

part two: aftermath

part three: aporia

epilogue

sumary: aporia suggests “an impasse”, a knot or an inherent contradiction found in any text, an insuperable deadlock, or “double bind” of incompatible or contradictory meanings which are “undecidable”. [reference]

pairing: battinson/bruce wayne x reader

genre: drama & romance

warnings: mental health struggle, miscarriage, car crash, a lot of internal dialogue

word count: 2k

A/N: the more i write, the more i put myself in this story. i feel like this ‘you’ is so complex i can’t help but try to explain her further. part four will be bruce’s perspective on all of this + an epilogue. i’m so grateful for the amazing feedback given on the last two parts and for the new followers, thank you so so much. i hope you enjoy this. (also this gif??? HELLO???)

GOTHAM. USA.

— bargaining.

the uncomfortable silence makes you want to scream. she told you that was a normal reaction and they couldn't get rid of those moments, they were essential for your self reflection. the problem was being alone with your thoughts, even for just one minute. they keep deciding you won't recover any time soon. everyone keeps holding you like a cracked vase. even negligence was better than being put under the microscope.

"i don't know what you want me to say" you respond, your gaze anxiously shuffling between the objects in the room. the woman's eyes, however, don't ever leave your face. she holds that journal like a scientist analysing a mutation. like you're some weird thing.

"you should say whatever you feel like saying." that's what she always answers. dr. quinn was extremely stoic, even for a therapist. you still liked her, though, because her pragmatic approach helped you shift your point of view and see yourself from an outside perspective, which made you want to help yourself. after weeks of feeling extra irritable, still trying to forgive your husband for lying to you, you realised maybe everything was too much for you to handle by yourself. you wanted to go back to the real world but before that, you had to do this. a quick chat with your psychiatrist and he gave you the contact to harley quinn.

"i think i've been way too mean to bruce" your confession has her nodding, like that observation had been made sessions before and she was waiting for you to realise that. "he's been so supportive and helpful, but sometimes words just fly out of my mouth and i don't even mean them"

"do you think it's easier to blame him than to come to terms with what actually happened?" you can't answer, because this was all you've asked yourself lately. you were a coward, hiding behind his suffering to prevent confronting yours. it's easy to curse him, to reject him, but it's not what you want to do. lately it feels like you don't have any control over your emotions and actions. you thought maybe if you pushed away the last person that still cared for you, you could disappear in your loneliness and finally stop hurting. "y/n you've been through something terrible. the kind of thing we never think it's gonna happen to us. i know it doesn't feel real, but you have to face it that it is. the thing about trauma... you have to keep living with it. you have to keep going, because it doesn't go away. but this is your life and you don't get to stay on standby. you hurt the people you love because it's better than hurting yourself. you told me you feel bad about it, so why won't you change?"

why won't you? you don't even know where to start. it felt comfortable living in sorrow forever. horrible, but comfortable. again, it was in fact easier to blame him than to accept this was reality. but he's right outside, been waiting for you for two hours, as he has done twice a week for over a month. you weren't being fair to him. he didn't deserve this. dr. quinn sees the defeat in your eyes and sighs in a mission accomplished type of breath.

"think about this, okay? we'll talk on friday." you nod, as if you weren't already overthinking it.

bruce sees you before listening to you. he's created the habit to stay in the waiting room with headphones in, blasting loud music. he didn't want you to feel like he was prying on you. he also didn't want to listen anything you had to say about him. you had the right to be mad at him, given everything that had happened. he knew you didn't mean it when you bomb dropped the word 'divorce' every now and then. it would take you some time to get back to normal and he wouldn't rush you.

you walk to the car quietly and get into the driver's seat. he agreed to let you drive to and from therapy. the office was actually in dr. quinn's house, a little bit on the country side of the city, if you could call it that. it was a 50 minute drive with no traffic, roads empty enough for you to drift off in you thoughts. he watches you drive, eyes brightening up a little more everyday. he realised that trying to shield you from the world wasn't going to work out. you need to learn how to be on your own. he needs to learn how to care for you while away.

"i'm sorry," you caught him off guard, observing the curves of your face. he frowns at the unexplained sentence. you glance at him but look back at the road. "for the way i've been acting. for pushing you away. for being too complicated. i know you're trying to help… thank you for staying."

"darling, of course. for better or for worse, remember? i'm never leaving you. we're getting through this, together. and don't you worry about me, i'll be okay when you are too, alright? you're doing great, i can see how much you're working towards it." he holds out a hand for you and you take it, intertwining your fingers. his calloused palms are softer now, courtesy of the months without batman-ing. they still embrace yours entirely and warm the cold tips of your fingers.

"i love you" the sweetness of that feeling dominates your tastebuds and it's almost like the day you started dating. that innocent type of love that consist of the pure enjoyment of each others company. however, your attempt to savour the moment is ruined by a shape in your peripheral eyesight.

"i love you too" bruce's voice is muffled by the anxious thoughts taking over your mind. the panic starts to overflow. he notices your body getting stiff and the wheel looking loose on your hand. your breathing lost it's rhythm to creaking gasps. there's something wrong. your eyes are frozen in a vehicle. he's seen this van before. maybe not this one, but an identical one, in a security camera tape in court. it looks exactly like the one that took you. "baby, hey, hey. i'm right here." you don't pay any mind to the man beside you. you can't, not when your instincts are telling you to run. not when you can feel the gun getting knocked on your head over and over again. bruce is saying something. the tears are blurring your sight. this is too much.

he's calling you screaming at this point, tears are rolling down your cheeks and you still haven't looked away from the van. there's a bump coming up, the car is dangerously fast and you're not driving at all. he goes for the wheel but isn't quick enough. the tires wiggle, going in their own direction. the car changes lanes, getting in the wrong way of the street. another car is coming and the impact isn't light. your head is thrown forwards, the airbag covering your face. the windshield shatters and little pieces of glass get stuck in your hair. the crash isn't too bad, you're both still awake and only the front has been smashed. but you get out hyperventilating, falling onto the ground and weeping.

bruce gets out as well, only a scratch on the forehead. he has to kneel on the dirt to hold you up. for a while, he doesn't say anything. the other driver is standing, phone in the ear. he's also fine. the cars were the only damage. two other drivers stop by, offering help. you wish he could help you, but it seems as if there's something inherently wrong with you.

— depression.

the weeks following the accident were harsh. it took a while to get you believing in recovery again. you still weren't sure. somehow there was press at the site, so pictures of you crying next to a car crash made it to the papers. there's minor commentary online about you faking it for your husbands popularity. most of the netizens feel desperately sorry for you and have painted you to be their new princess diana, the comparison seems wild to you.

you only go online every three days or so, because you can't resist the urge to know what bruce hasn't been telling you. jokes on you, he's actually been a lot more transparent lately. you agreed that the batman would show up to the sentence of edward nashton, to pressure the jury with his presence. it worked and the criminal got life without parole. the lawyers said that your public presence impacted on his trial, as 20 years was the standard. you were just glad he wouldn't do that to anybody else ever again. the case got national and your family from outside the state, that you not-so-kindly kept in the dark, started making contact, victimising you all over again.

but things were getting better, gradually. it had been almost a year and it felt like that chapter of your life was finally being finished. you were trying to get your life back, including your driver's license. it was suspended for a while after the accident, so now you had to submit a bunch of medical records to prove that you were mentally fine to drive again. that's how you found yourself in bruce's home office, searching everywhere for your documents. you could've asked him where he put it, but he had just fallen asleep in the living room and you didn't want to disturb him.

in one of the desk's drawers, you find a folder with the local hospital logo on it. you open it, shuffling through the papers you've seen before. only one stands out, with "ob/gyn" on the top of the sheet. you wonder if there's anything helpful there. your eyes start reading the words one by one, listing the examinations they've done on you. the subject changes abruptly.

the ultrasound analysis reports the miscarriage of an unknown pregnancy to the patient's spouse.

you feel like you're about to throw up. the world starts spinning as you force yourself to continue to read.

the fetus was estimated to be in the development stage of the beginning of the second trimester. the miscarriage was most likely a result of several mechanical trauma. dilation and curettage was performed with the patient in a medically induced coma.

you try to remember to breathe in and breathe out just like dr. quinn taught you. you expect the tears but they don't come out. the panic doesn't come. it's suddenly so quiet. it's not like a hole has been punched through your chest, it's like you have no chest at all. it's like you don't even exist. you somehow sit down, your body does. you feel as if it's moving on it's own and you're just watching from afar. your thoughts sound so distant, so irrelevant. you can only think of the baby that had once been inside of you and you didn't even realised. you didn't have the time to love him. you've had him there, right there, the thing you wanted the most in the world and he was taken from you. everything was taken from you.

if a tree falls on a forest, and there's no one around to hear, does it still make a sound? it felt like your fall was silent.

[suhnandmoon]

chapter twenty three: serious route

please read the chapter 23 nav before you read!!!

disclaimer: don't perceive this. i don't really like to make written chapters but i thought i'd pay tribute to my og queen (2021 starlight) and try to redeem her. i'd rather you read route 2

warnings: kidnapping, forced unconsciousness

you woke up in a daze. it was unlike the last time you woke up in a foreign setting– mark’s guest room at 3am was starting to sound a lot more pleasant than you remembered– but this time you were slumped over, seated on a tree stump in the middle of the forest. the sky was pitch black with only a small fire and a few flashlights illuminating the area.

across the bonfire, you saw three figures talking lowly. you were paralyzed, recognizing one of the people to be eric. 

mind racing, you tried to think of the best possible escape route but upon shifting slightly, the pressure on your ankles indicated that your feet were bound together with rope.

“how long is she out for?” one of the voices asked, causing you to freeze. feigning unconsciousness was probably the best way to keep attention off of you, though you weren’t sure if you could keep the act up due to your full body shaking in fear.

“how the hell would i know. i just found out last week that i could even make people fall asleep.” a slightly deeper voice replied.

“well, let’s just hope she doesn’t wake up. makes things easier for us in negotiation.” you recognized the last voice to be eric, though it wasn’t surprising to you that he brought you there.

“shit- i think she’s awake. i hear her heart rate getting faster.” the first vampire commented. your stomach dropped immediately.

“you can hear fucking heartbeats?” eric asked incredulously, earning a punch on the shoulder from the other vampire.

“we all can if you focus, idiot.”

as they began bickering, you prayed they somehow forgot about you. eyes still closed, you hadn’t realized you shut them tighter as the first boy approached you.

“yn?” he said softly, catching you off guard. there was no malice in his tone. it was a completely different attitude than what you were expecting, especially after the run-in with sunwoo.

you opened an eye slightly to see your captor. he looked to be about your age as well. though knowing he was a vampire, that didn’t do much to help you. his friendly smile and round glasses caused him to look more unassuming than you thought he would, but you kept your guard up.

he let out a genuine chuckle at your attempt to crack your eye open without making it obvious you were awake.

“i know you’re awake.” he took a step closer, instinctively causing you to lean back, though you noticed he kept a respectful distance, “i’m sorry about all this. i’m changmin.”

“i know this looks bad but i promise we’re not gonna hurt you, we just need to,,” changmin paused to chose his words carefully. “use you as leverage for lack of a better explanation.”

you battled with the instinct lingering in your mind to trust him, “why kidnap me again? sunwoo already tried and it didn’t work.”

“because sunwoo’s a dumbass who hasn’t practiced self restraint a single day in his life-” the boy previously bickering with eric yelled from behind changmin.

“juyeon, shut the hell up, would you?” changmin tossed his complaint over his shoulder before turning back to you, “we’re doing what sunwoo should have done. he shouldn’t have taken it as far as he did. but as of right, we believe this is the only way for us to negotiate.”

“you’re a vampire now so i would hope you understand where we’re coming from,” eric’s tone was not as friendly as changmin, yet still sincere, “this deal we have with them- it’s a restriction that doesn’t do us any favor. we’re just trying to get them to let up on how much blood we can take from humans each month. its ridiculous.”

“this animal shit- it’s so fucking stupid. we’re vampires. they can take their moral high ground, but they can’t deny what we actually need.” juyeon added on.

“isn’t the agreement in place mainly so we don’t get found out?” you wish your voice came out stronger than it actually sounded, the slight shake in your voice giving you away.

“so? who cares. anyone who finds us out won’t know for much longer.” eric shrugged casually, sending a chill down your spine. for a moment, hearing them converse and bicker gave them a sense of humanity though they were your captors, but eric’s indifference toward the weight of a human life reminded you just how different you truly were. 

“anyways. yn, your friends are going to be showing up soon,” changmin changed the subject and redirected his focus back on you, “we might make threats toward you, just know we’re not actually going to hurt you. we just need to scare them. no promises about not harming the guys though.”

“now why would you tell her that? she’s gonna tell them she’s okay.” eric retaliated. 

if the adrenaline in your system wasn’t so high, you would’ve found the nerve to actually be annoyed at their constant back and forth. but you didn’t have that much time to think about it before juyeon was muttering some insult at eric and walking over to you.

with one wave over your head, you were back out of it, slumping back down.

_______

it wasn’t long after your short moment of consciousness that the boys had found the location sent to them by juyeon. jeno was the only one to have stayed behind, keeping an eye out for chaeryoung as a precaution.

when they arrived to the scene, they were met with the looming figures of eric, changmin, and juyeon standing over the bonfire. eric held your slumped body close, making it clear that they had the advantage

seeing you like this for the second time caused renjun to step out, calling your name. mark had to reach out his arm to stop him from escalating anything too quickly, as eric made a show of tightening his hold upon renjun’s approach. this was sick.

they slowly approached them, closing the distance so they could talk.

“you brought us here to make compromises.” mark called out, keeping his tone neutral. “where’s your leader then?”

juyeon scoffed, glaring at the six. “this isn’t a compromise. we want this whole thing dropped.” he corrected.

“sangyeon’s the only one of you who can make that call.” the edge on mark’s voice was intimidating, but it didn’t phase the opposing team.

“i think you’re forgetting who we have here.” eric spoke up to defend his friend with a laugh, but it only caused donghyuck to scoff at the act.

“i think you’re forgetting you’re outnumbered, dumbass.” donghyuck mocked, causing eric to step forward in retaliation, briefly forgetting about his grasp on you. 

renjun and jisung quickly took that opportunity catch him off guard. with his grip on you loosened, renjun pulled you away while jisung distracted eric. this action erupted a fight out of the rest of the boys; mark, hyuck, and jaemin moving to keep juyeon and changmin away from you.

it was less of a fight, more of a tussle, when renjun extracted you from the scene. it luckily couldn’t escalate into anything serious when a deep shout could be heard several feet away from the area.

the sound of the voice immediately sent the three boys into a halt, as if they had just been commanded to freeze.

“what the hell do you think you’re doing?” the words grew distinguishable as the owner of the voice emerged from the trees. it was none other than lee sangyeon himself, as mark was smart enough to shoot him the location his own boys had sent them.

eric, juyeon, and changmin all looked at each other, expecting someone to speak up. their previously serious demeanor had a complete 180. they all looked like children caught red-handed.

“helping you?” juyeon was the first to break their silence, “sangyeon, you’ve been working yourself to death these last few months. the least we could do was resolve this issue for you.”

the firm look in sangyeon’s eyes almost dissipated at the sentiment, but he stood his ground with crossed arms.

“and how exactly would kidnapping their friend resolve any kinds of issues with them?” he almost laughed at the stupidity of it all.

“we were never gonna hurt her! we just needed to negotiate-” changmin defended their plan, earning a gasp from jaemin, “anyways, we wanted to alleviate your stress with the negotiation so taking care of it ourselves was our best option” 

their leader sighed. his lips parted, attempting to string together what he wanted to say before finally speaking up, “that's not why i’ve been busy.”

“its not? why do you get so touchy everytime its brought up?” eric pushed back.

“we’re moving. i’ve been trying to find a city without a large vampire presence so we don’t butt heads like this.” he referenced the silent group of boys just observing the dispute; unnecessarily pulled into this shit. “that’s why i’ve been stressed. no other reason.”

he turned to all of you. “i’m sorry about them. you can have my word this time that this will never happen again. i should’ve kept them in the loop.”

sangyeon nodded and guided the boys out of the forest, leaving the rest of you slightly baffled and annoyed in his wake, though you, of course, were still yet to wake up.

“well that was pointless.” chenle barked out a frustrated laugh, almost amused at how unnecessary that all was.

“and they never even apologized.” hyuck rolled his eyes, beginning their own trek out of the forest. “here in the middle of nowhere for nothing. fucking idiots.”

“at least yn’s safe.” mark tried to sympathize to avoid escalating their emotions, “let’s just get the hell out of here.

“don’t have to tell me twice,” hyuck called out, already a few feet ahead of everyone else.

[wolfjackle-creates]

Bring Me Home Arc 2 Part 6

It's Wednesday! (I'm ignoring the clock that says it's 2 AM. It's totally still Wednesday. I haven't gone to bed yet which means it can't be Thursday.)

So, since it's obviously still Wednesday, it's time for another WIP Wednesday. We're getting into the real meat of the plot of this arc with this update! And now you'll maybe start to see where I'm gonna take this.

Story Summary: Tim and Danny are both neglected by parents who care more about their work than their families. They deal with this by spending too much time online and find each other playing MMORPGs. They keep up their friendship as Tim becomes Robin and Danny becomes Phantom and don't bother keeping secrets from each other.

First, Previous

Word Count: 1.2k

-----

And that was when a large, swirling-green gash opened up in the night sky and dozens of ghosts started pouring through.

“Oh man!” exclaimed Sam as they watched the ghosts wreak havoc on the street. “I’ve never seen this many ghosts attack at once!”

Danny held out his thermos as he stared. “I’m gonna need a bigger thermos.”

The ghosts all appeared to be wearing uniforms and held batons as they attacked civilians and police indiscriminately.

“Uh, Danny?” asked Tim. “Should we call in back up?”

“No!” One of the ghosts got close to their group and Danny quickly sucked it into the thermos, dropping Jazz’s milkshake in the process. “Dammit. Absolutely not. It’s bad enough with three metas here. No more.”

Across the street, they saw a couple running from three of the invaders. One of the ghosts turned invisible and entered the body of the man who went stiff before sprinting to catch up to his partner and grabbing her to hold her still.

Then one of the other ghosts turned a garbage can over the both of them. The one overshadowing the man left his body, leaving the humans crying and covered in garbage as the ghosts laughed.

“I see,” said Tim. “How do we protect Bart, Cassie, and Conner?”

“You’re metas?” asked Sam.

Cassie nodded. “Yeah, nothing special, but… I don’t want to see what a ghost could do with my powers.”

“Let’s get back to my place. My parents might be crazy, but the ghost shield works. And then we can make a plan.”

Tim nodded. “I’ll lead. Kon, Bart, Cassie, you three need to stay in the middle. Sam, Tucker, you watch our sides and Danny, take up the rear. Capture any ghosts that try to approach us.”

Amity, even during a ghost invasion, was much easier to navigate than Gotham and Tim was able to lead them back to Danny’s house without getting lost. Every scream made him want to stop and help, though. He hated being useless.

Behind him, he could hear muttered curses from his teammates and knew they felt the same. But they needed weapons. Ones that could actually hit a ghost. And they needed to make sure they could fight off any overshadowing.

A TV was thrown out of a house through a window next to them sending shards of glass raining on the ground. Sam let out a string of curses.

“Sam!” called Danny. “Are you okay?”

“I think so. Just a slice to my arm.”

“We’re almost there,” said Tim. “We’ll check it out.”

He was flat out running now, could hear the others just behind them. They turned a corner and he could see the glowing FentonWorks sign. He grit his teeth and continued to run away from the mayhem, fighting every instinct he had. He wouldn’t be able to help if he stayed. He repeated it as a mantra with every step.

And finally they were there, he grabbed the door handle and pulled it open, ushering his friends in first.

Once inside, Danny flipped a few switches and metal slammed down over the windows, though no guns or lasers came out of the walls.

“Okay. No ghosts can get in now.”

“Danny!” Jazz came running down the stairs. “You’re all okay! Mom and Dad rushed out as soon as the attack started. What’s going on?”

“Jazz! Sorry, I dropped your milkshake on the way here. And not much, just, you know, a ghost invasion.” Danny’s laugh was bordering on hysterical.

“But you’re all safe?”

“Sam?” asked Danny. “How’s your arm?”

“I think it’s all right.” Sam grimaced as she held some tissues to the injury.

Jazz joined and led her to the kitchen. “Come on, let me clean that up for you. What happened?”

“A ghost threw a TV through a window. A piece of glass got me as we ran by.”

Tucker turned on the Fenton’s TV and switched to the news channel.

“I’m Shelly Makamoto and this is Ghost Watch,” an Asian woman said in a cheerful voice. “Ghosts, can you believe it, real ghosts are invading Amity Park right now. Emergency vehicles are struggling to get through the invasion, so if you are injured and in an area of high ghost concentration, help may be delayed. It is recommended you remain put and wait until first responders are able to get to your area. Currently, the ghosts are most focused on the downtown area, so the hospital is spared at this time. We can only hope this doesn’t change. Now, our weatherman Lance Thunder is out right now, so lets switch to him to get an on-the-scene report.”

They all watched in silence as a male reporter cowered behind an overturned car as he gave his report.

Sam and Jazz returned just a moment later. Sam had a large bandaid over her arm but shook her head when Danny shot her a questioning look.

“It’s fine. Clean cut.”

Tim relaxed as well. “Glad to hear it,” he said.

Jazz nodded. “Nothing to be concerned about at all. Thanks for getting the ghost shield up, Danny. I always forget which switch is the weapons and which is the shield.”

Tim’s eyes narrowed. She was lying. Why was she lying?

“Yeah, no problem. We’re gonna go to the lab. Tim and his friends have self defense training, Gotham, you know? So I want to see if we have any weapons in the vault that they’d be comfortable with.”

“Great. I’m gonna be in my room. As class president, I want to try and make sure everyone is safe so I’ll be on the phone with my door shut. Knock before you enter!” Then she was running back up the stairs and slamming the door to her room.

Tim exchanged a glance with Cassie. That was weird.

But next to him, Danny let out a breath. “Okay, so she’s out of the way. Sam, you sure you’re okay?

Sam grimaced. “It stings a bit, but it’s fine. Jazz put disinfectant and antibiotic cream on it.”

“Great. Well, not great.” Danny grimaced and Sam punched him on the arm.

Tim cleared his throat. “You said something about weapons?”

Conner nodded. “Yeah, did you say you have a weapons vault?”

Danny laughed. “You saw the home defense system. Are you really surprised?”

Cassie shook her head. “Your parents are evil scientists, aren’t they?”

Danny led them down a set of stairs. “I wouldn’t call them evil. They’re just… a bit single minded.”

And then Tim was standing in their lab for the first time. It was all silver chrome and neon green accents. But worse, it was messy. Half assembled inventions were scattered haphazardly over every surface. And was that a half eaten sandwich on the bench? Ectoplasm dripped off one of the counters onto a puddle on the floor.

Sam, Tucker, and Danny walked in without concern, but Tim and his team held back.

Danny realized they weren’t following and looked back in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“No offense,” said Bart as his eyes darted around, “But, uh, is it safe?”

“What do you mean?” asked Danny, but then he looked around and noticed the mess. “Ah. Hang on a sec. I’ll get you rubber gloves and boots you can slide on over your shoes. That’ll keep you safe enough.”

Sam helped and soon enough they were passing the protective gear over. Meanwhile, Tucker sat down at a computer and pulled up the news report so they could keep tabs on what was going on.

“Can we get eye protection as well?” asked Tim once he had everything on.

“Sure. Mom and Dad have plenty of goggles.” Danny grabbed a few of those as well.

Still not entirely comfortable, Tim finally stepped into the lab. On the far wall, behind yellow and black doors was the portal he’d heard so much about.

Danny followed his gaze and put a hand on his arm. “Come on, Tim. The weapons vault is over here.”

-----

Next

This should be enough to figure out which episode I'm using as the base for this arc! It's not quite the Ghost Fight people were hoping for in the comments of the last update, but I think this is gonna be better.

Tag List Part 1

@gremlin-bot, @bonebrokebuddy, @britcision, @lady-time-lord-, @welcometosasakiworld, @akikkobara, @phoenixdemonqueen, @dolfay, @skulld3mort-1fan, @we-ezer, @markus209, @sjrose1216, @onyxlightdragon, @dragonsrequiem, @jesus-camp-the-sequel, @spidey29phangirl, @kyrianclawraith, @evilminji, @introvert-even-on-the-internet, @emergentpanda-blog, @lexdamo, @v-inari, @idontgetpaidenoughforthisshit, @longlivethefallen, @undead-essence, @xye-chan, @liandrin, @seraphinedemort, @kisatamao, @schalensitzbucket, @caelestisdreamer, @runfromthemedic, @nutcase8691, @channajen, @tonicmii, @ambiguouslyominous, @vythika96, @addie-lover-of-stories, @ironicvixen, @violetfox2, @pickleking8, @mysticalcomputerdetective, @ark12, @mygood-bitch99, @squirrel-wolf, @satisfactionbroughtmeback, @sometimesthingsfallapart, @automaticsoulharmony, @d4ydr34min9, @revnantdpxdclover, @midigeria, @raginblastocyst, @feral-bunny31, @lunaria618, @ghostreblogging, @ace-aro-as-shit

[shirohige-pirates]

A Truly Mythological Christmas

Cisfem!Reader x Marco the Phoenix

Also on Wattpad // Ao3

18+ - this story is going to get steamy in ways not allowed for your holiday Lifetime specials. Swearing, cheating, assassins, intrigue - you know, all that simple small town stuff.

Chapter 5: Chill

“You don’t seem to be stocking up for any proper feasts,” you admit, sitting out on the porch was Dadan the next day. “I expected we’d be making another run today to get ahead of the last-minute shoppers.”

You were dressed warmly enough, you more than Dadan, who was a bit of a human space heater on her own. Drinking coffee after breakfast was enough to keep you warm with little more than some jeans, a long sleeve shirt, and a flannel. The wool-lined boots weren’t hurting anything, but your favorite thing about them was being able to wiggle your toes because the insulation was so thick and squishy.

It was like having nice thick socks with tread.

“Thatch offered for me and the boys to celebrate the holidays up at the manor.” She answers. “I made sure you were welcome.”

“I’m sure they’re making enough food to feed the town if they wanted to.” You grin.

“You did push him in the lake.” Dadan muses, giving you a sideways look.

“He deserved it.” You insist. “Besides, I bet he’d be more likely to offer an apology than bar me from the manor. At least over that incident.” Pausing a moment you take a drink of your coffee. “When I threatened to cut his pompadour that was maybe a bit much on my part.”

Dadan laughs. “Boy sure does like his hair, I’ll give him that. He’s a good lad though.”

“Mm.” You agree taking another drink. “Ah! No playing match maker while I’m here.” You point, and Dadan is pointedly not looking at you. “I want to relax. No ‘oh she’s single now’, none of that ‘I bet he’d be willing to move to the city’, either. The best I can hope for at this point is a one night stand with someone hornier than a brass orchestra.”

Dadan nearly chokes on her coffee and you laugh. “Sorry about that mom.”

“Just watch those comparisons around the boys.” She grumbles, mopping up the few drops of coffee that got away from her. “I don’t need them catching me off guard like that.”

“Not for a few more years at least.” You muse. “Ah, that reminds me, Makino told me about the halvard, and I was going to head up to the hill and pay my respects.”

“Don’t take the tunnels.” She says. “There’s a lot of memorial items in them from the townsfolk and so they haven’t been cleaning them out. Hard to say what’s decided to nest in there, best to just drive up to the overlook and hike a bit.”

“Alright.”

You and Dadan both watch as a silver car comes down the road and pulls into the driveway. You recognize Edward Newgate’s Mercedes, a 72’ 300 SEL, and aren’t surprised to see Marco behind the wheel. You just aren’t sure why he’s at Dadan’s this morning.

Getting out, he lifts a bag from the passenger seat, holding it up as he approaches the two of you on the porch.

“The stuff we were out of stock on yesterday, yoi.” He explains stepping up enough to set it on the porch. “I hope you can still make use of it. If not, I can take it back.”

“Aww, you didn’t have to go through all that,” Dadan says, picking up the bag and looking in it. “Appreciate it though, it’ll make dinner easier tonight.”

“No problem, I had a couple other deliveries to make this morning, so I was already out.”

“The Stop’s doing deliveries?” Dadan inquires and Marco shakes his head.

“Not officially, but in the winter I take stuff over to Crocus and Teach.”

“Teach?”

“Ah, yeah. He… had a rough spot for a few months there and ended up in an accident at the end of it all. He’s doing better, but he lost a leg and messed up his back.. Was a couple years before Pops and Roger died. It gets cold and he has a hard time getting around, yoi.” Marco explains. “I know you didn’t have the best-.”

“No, no, that’s… That sucks. It’s good he can lean on y’all. He’s… uh… gonna be at the holidays?” You try not to sound worried, but Marco knows the story, so it isn’t like there’s anything to really hide.

You were a junior in high school, along with Marco, Thatch and Izou, when Teach was a freshman in college. He’d grown sweet on you, and six months of increasingly frustrating behavior, a few intense arguments between you, him, and his brothers, as four of you tried to get him to understand you weren’t interested, had all culminated in a near miss.

Teach had gotten drunk worse than you’d ever seen before, and seemed intent to take what he wanted. You’d beaten him bloodier than he had you, but once he pinned you, it was over. You didn’t have the strength to over power someone so much bigger.

Fortunately, Thatch and Marco had found you before anything worse happened. They pulled Teach off of you, beat him near to death, and got you to the hospital.

He apologized, literally on his hands and knees, a couple weeks later. He probably would’ve done so sooner, but Marco and Thatch broke his jaw, two ribs and four fingers. You’d never seen either of them so angry before, or since. If Teach had followed through on the unthinkable, they might have actually killed him.

As sincere as you believed his apology was, it was still just uncomfortable to be around him.

Marco shakes his head. “He won’t. He won’t be alone for the holidays, but he’s not going to be at the manor.”

You can feel yourself relax from a tension you didn’t realize you were holding onto. “That’s good then.”

“Well, I’ll get this put up,” Dadan says, stopping a moment to look between the two of you. “If he’s not too busy maybe he can give you a lift up to the overlook. You’ll still have to hike, but it’ll save some time.”

Marco looks from Dadan to you. “The… Going up to the hill?”

You nod. “I wanted to pay my respects before things got too busy, or too cold.”

His smile is a little sad, but his tone is still cheerful. “I’m done with my deliveries, if you’re ready now I can swing by the overlook before I head back to the store. You’ll be alright walking back?”

“Yeah, I was planning on walking the whole trip, I’ll be fine coming back.”

“Take one of the snails.” Dadan says, holding the door open for you. “Just in case.”

“Yeah, yeah, mom.” You grin getting up and following her in. “I’ll be just a minute.”

“No rush, yoi.”

A snail was a short wave radio, and before cell phones, they were about the only form of hand held communication. The technology was really popular in a farming town like this one, were a couple repeaters tucked away in trees up on the surrounding hill was enough to give the snails five times their usual reach. Dadan’s only rule when you were growing up - the only fully indisputable one, really - was that you’d have a snail when you went into the backwoods or up into the hills.

She didn’t expect you’d get lost, you grew up knowing the land too well. Her concern was if you had an accident. Better for her to come to you, than for you to have to crawl back home, or be found by search and rescue the next day if you were lucky.

In this case you’re pretty sure she wanted you to have the snail in case hubris got the better of you. It had been a few years since you’d gone on a proper hike, but you walked something like 40,000 steps a day in heels for work. Still, level flooring wasn’t the same as hills and rocky paths.

Sitting in the passenger seat, soft music playing on the radio, you were glad for the lift up to the overlook at least.

“Thanks for this.”

“Certainly.” He replies. “If I had the time to wait, I’d give you a ride back.”

“I appreciate that, but it’ll be nice to walk the woods again.” You admit. “Oh, this feels like one of those, if I don’t ask for your number I’m going to need it for something, and if I do ask I won’t have to pester you while I’m here, kinds of situations.” You say, pulling your phone out of your pocket.

He laughs, and gives you his number. “I don’t think you’d be able to pester me, yoi.”

“I could take that as a challenge,” you tease, sending him a few messages back to back of pineapple emojis and pictures. You can hear his phone’s muffled chime with each message.

“Just don’t send anything too risky,” he hums. “I don’t want to risk checking my phone and giving some poor customer a shock.”

You laugh, a cackle that seems to want to do exactly that, but you shake your head. “I won’t fluster your delicate sensibilities, pineapple.”

“Is that to say I could fluster yours?” He prompts.

Pressing your lips together you look away from him and out the window, desperate to be sure your voice was steady when you spoke. “My sensibilities aren’t so delicate.”

“A challenge then.”

You can feel the shiver roll up your spine, but you manage to stay still. Turning back to look at him you do your best to give him a look that, you hoped, conveyed the idea that you were still in charge in this little conversation.

“Bring it on, minor league.”

Marco pulls into the makeshift lot by the overlook, putting the car in park. “I doubt anything will happen, but if you have cell service, call me. It’ll be easier for me to hike to you than Dadan.”

Smiling you open the car door and get out. “I doubt anything will happen too, but thanks.”

Closing the door you tap the roof of the car before walking away. You wave without looking, whether he’s looking or not, but you don’t know that you could’ve dealt with looking at him any longer. It was stupid to get attached. Some light flirting - no, teasing - was totally normal between childhood friends.

That’s all this was, and that was okay. Marco was a good guy. He wasn’t going to lead you on, into anything that couldn’t be, and you weren’t going to do anything to hurt him. It was safe.

What was a little holiday sex between two consenting adults anyway?

“Gods girl, don’t get ahead of yourself.” You mutter, shaking away thoughts that felt a bit wrong to be carrying on your way to a grave.

The walk was a little longer than you expected it to be. You thought that the distance would feel shorter now that you were older, but somehow the woods seemed even bigger than before. Bird songs filled the air, and the soft crunch of underbrush were the only sounds to speak of. You could feel the woods breathing around you.

It’s what Dadan had called it.

Knowing how the woods drew breath was knowing how to walk them. How to avoid the rabbits when you weren’t hungry, and how to find them when you were. How to avoid one-eared bears when you didn’t want to deal with them, and how to track them down when you needed to.

It reminded you of Katakuri, for some reason. Knowing the rhythm of the forest, and his ability to read people. The forest was simpler, in your opinion, but maybe it was something you could work on later. Trying to read people the way you did the trees.

Once you cleared the tree line, you saw it.

Your breath was visible in the crisp air, your own breathing a little heavier than you’d like, but the walk back would be easier. It was uphill to get here, downhill to get home. Not that you were worried about your breathing right now.

Halvards were stones of remembrance. Guardians that watched over those sent to war, or lost in disasters. Halvard Stones were large, formless white stones where people would stack smaller stones around them, usually with someone’s name carved into the smaller stones. The halvard would then watch over those lost who couldn’t be buried where they belonged.

What the town had put up for Roger and Pops wasn’t exactly a halvard, but it was a kind of formless headstone. Which made sense, because anything else would eventually be found.

It was also more likely that they cremated them and let the hills have their ashes, so you doubted anything was buried beneath the stone.

The stone was cold and smooth beneath your fingers. It was cold because it was cold outside, it was, but it felt so warm you didn’t know what to do. Warm in a comforting way, though the cold stone wasn’t hurting your fingers, but you couldn’t shake the sense of being hugged.

“H-hey, Pops… I…” Tears rushed up to your eyes, twisting your mouth and gripping your heart even as you felt comforted. “Sorry… ‘m sorry… I’m late, but.”

Sinking down to your knees, pressing your head to the stone, you sob.

You thought you had time.

He was so strong. Larger than life. A force of nature. A calamity in the eyes of those who feared him, and an enduring mountain to those who loved him. No matter how terrible the storm, no matter how cold the wind, there was nothing that could bring down the mountain.

You stayed there, knelt by the stone, sobbing and apologizing, until your tears had run their course and your apologies had warmed the stone. There was nothing you could do. There was no reason to hold onto any guilt, especially since part of coming up here had been to let go of it. You made the choices you could, knowing what you knew, there was no way to go back and correct that.

“When’s the next time you think you’ll be able to visit?”

“I wish I knew. Candy Land just absorbed another company, I might not even see much of my apartment this weekend.”

“Keep an eye out for a chance, little warrior. I want to talk to you about something.”

“I have a few minutes to spare now, Pops. Maybe a full hour Sunday?”

“Some things, child, have to be said face to face.”

“If you say so. I’ll do my best, hang in there for me.”

“Gu-rarara! Don’t make it sound like I’m death’s door!”

“Of course not. There’ll be plenty of time, but I’ll try not to make you wait.”

You thought you had time.

[rafesfavoritegirl]

waves between us

chapter 2: lines in the sand

𓂃⋆.˚ Aurora, still reeling from a fractured relationship with Jj, heads to a party in search of distraction but instead finds chaos. A tense confrontation erupts when Jj shows up, dredging up unresolved feelings and regrets between them. The night spirals further when Rafe intervenes, igniting a violent clash that leaves Aurora caught in the middle, torn between two volatile worlds and the remnants of a love she can't fully leave behind.

word count 2.1k

content warnings: alcohol use, a party setting, physical violence, verbal conflict, mentions of past relationship trauma, toxic relationship dynamics, mild injury, emotional manipulation, explicit language, and aggressive behavior.

I woke up feeling a bit disoriented, as if last night had been nothing more than a hazy dream. Reaching for my phone on the nightstand, I checked for any notifications, my heart sinking slightly when I saw that Jj hadn’t called me back. Maybe it was because I’d called so late, or perhaps he’d been busy—he was always off on some adventure. Pushing the thought aside, I opened Instagram, craving a distraction to pull me out of my restless thoughts. 

I came across Sarah’s story on Instagram, a post shared to her close friends that read, “Swipe up if you’re going to the Boneyard tn.” Instead of swiping up, I decided to call her. The phone barely rang twice before she picked up.

“Hey!” I started. “I saw your story—I’m gonna go.”

Her response was immediate, her voice bubbling with surprise. “No way! I thought you didn’t like parties. What made you change your mind?”

I hesitated for a moment, it caught off guard by how true her observation was. I had been avoiding parties as much as I can ever since everything went down last year. “Yeah,” I admitted, “I just... need a distraction, you know? And what better way than to get wasted?” I added a soft laugh, trying to keep it light`.

She chuckled back, clearly amused. “Fair enough. Do you want me to pick you up? I’ll be the DD.”

Her offer was a relief. With Rafe likely being there, I wasn’t eager to run into him, and having Sarah drive would make things easier. “Sounds perfect. Thank youuuu!”

“Of course! I’ll see you there. Love you! Bye!”

“Bye!” I replied quickly before hanging up.

The party didn’t start until 10, which left me eight hours to get ready. Plenty of time to mentally prepare myself for whatever the night might bring.

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

When we arrived at the Boneyard, the first thing I did was make my way for the shots. Without hesitation, I downed two drinks back-to-back, hoping to catch a buzz quickly. Across the party, I caught Sarah’s concerned gaze as she stood near Topper, but I brushed it off. What I couldn’t brush off, however, was Rafe making his way toward me. I knew I couldn’t avoid him forever.

“Hey, what was that all about?” he asked, smirking as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Nothing. I just want to have some fun,” I replied casually, trying to dismiss him.

His expression shifted as he took a sip of his drink, his tone turning more serious. “You wanna talk about last night? I kind of want to talk now.”

I stared at him for a moment, then drank my third shot. “No, I don’t really want to talk. Can you just give me space?”

He scoffed, clearly irritated, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Space? Fine. I’ll give you space, but we’re leaving together.”

I wiped the alcohol from my lips and shrugged. “Whatever, Rafe. See you later, I guess.”

Without another word, he stormed off, heading back to Kelce and his crew. Feeling the buzz settle in but wanting something stronger, I wandered over to Sarah and Topper, who were holding a jug of Kelce’s infamous lemonade.

“Can I get a cup?” I asked as I approached.

“Yeah, for sure,” Topper said, pouring me a drink and handing it over.

“Thanks,” I said, taking a long sip, the sweet burn of the drink hitting just right. 

Just as I was starting to unwind, a sudden commotion rippled through the party, accompanied by murmurs and glances. Of course, it had to be a group of Pogues crashing the scene—the one day I desperately needed to clear my head. The first person my eyes landed on was Jj. My heart sank the moment I saw him. For a brief second, our eyes locked, and I quickly looked away, pretending not to notice. The Pogues wasted no time, heading straight for the kegs and scattered drinks, their laughter and chatter so loud it was impossible to ignore, I almost felt like I missed it.

The party buzzed around me, each group tucked into its own little corner of laughter and conversation. I sipped my drink, the alcohol sinking deeper into my system with every passing moment. The worries and thoughts that had been gnawing at me earlier were fading into the background, dulled by the warm haze spreading through my veins.

Then, like a ripple through the fog, I saw him.

He moved toward me with an ease that made my heart plummet straight to the floor. My breath hitched, and the world seemed to tilt just slightly as he stopped in front of us—his gaze lingering on me, though he addressed the three of us as a group.

"Would I be able to offer you ladies a drink?" he asked, his voice smooth, almost disarming.

The words hung in the air, yet all I could focus on was the way his presence seemed to shift around him, pulling my attention into his orbit.

Before I could even process the question, Topper stepped in front of Sarah and me, his stance firm and protective, his hand lightly brushing my arm as if to shield me. His voice came out steady, though with a sharp edge to it.

“Nah, man, we’re good,” he said, dismissive but calm.

The blonde guy didn’t falter. Instead, he smirked, his eyes locking on mine with a confidence that felt almost invasive. “Nah,” he said, his tone low but playful, “but I’m asking Rora.”

The outside seemed to hold its breath, the tension crackling between them like static. 

Topper glances at me, confused, before turning back to Jj with a stern voice. "Rory wants nothing to do with you. Back off." He shoves Jj, causing him to spill beer on himself.

"Yo, what the fuck!" Jj snaps, his tone sharp.

Before things escalate, I grab Topper and pull him back. "Let me handle this," I say firmly. Without waiting for a reply, I stride toward Jj, grab his hand, and pull him away from the party, leading him somewhere out of sight.

Once we're alone, I spin around to face him. "What the hell was that about, Jjay?" I demand, my words slurred, not realizing I'd just used the nickname I swore I'd never say again.

Jj raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into a crooked smirk, though there was something guarded in his eyes. “Jjay, huh?” he drawled, leaning back slightly, his tone teasing but laced with something else. “Didn’t think I’d hear that again.”

He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, his eyes flickering with a mix of amusement "But if you're asking about back there..." His smirk faded briefly, replaced by an unguarded moment of honesty. "I didn’t like seeing you with them, alright?

In response I spat out "And what was that look you gave me at the party yesterday?" Jj didn’t seem surprised; he knew exactly what I was referring to. "I don’t know," he replied, "seeing you there and even now, it just didn’t feel like you. That whole scene isn’t you." I scoffed, disbelief flooding me. No way he actually said that. Anger surged through me as I shot back, "You ended things with me because you thought that was my scene?"

"I didn't end things because of you, Rora. I ended it because of what we both were getting dragged into. I didn't want to see you lose yourself in all of that. But you—" He pauses, looking conflicted for a moment before continuing, "You were always different from all that Kook shit, and now youre with Rafe fucking Cameron bro” I sighed, frustration bubbling up inside me, and then I raised my voice, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "Then why? Why did you throw it all away? It wasn't over for me!" I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, the sting of everything we’d left behind surfacing in that one moment.

Jj just looked at me, his expression unreadable. I watched him, waiting for him to speak, the silence hanging thick between us. After what felt like forever, he finally broke it. His voice was low but sharp, almost like he was trying to hide something beneath the anger that laced his words.

"You think it was easy for me?" he snapped "You think I wanted to walk away?"

His words hit me like a slap, and for a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say. His eyes burned with something I couldn’t place—regret, maybe, or maybe something deeper, something he hadn’t let me see until now.

"But you did," I shot back, my voice wavering but determined. "You chose this life over us, over everything we had. And now I’m supposed to just act like that didn’t happen?"

Jj’s expression softened for a split second. before he looked away, trying to hide whatever emotion flickered behind his eyes.

Finally, he let out a frustrated sigh, rubbing his hand over his face. "You don’t get it," he muttered, almost to himself. "I wasn’t running from you, I was running from everything else. This whole damn life… I don't want you getting caught in the shit I do." He trailed off, his voice quieter now, like the weight of his words was too much to bear.

I took a shaky step closer, not sure what I was looking for, but feeling the urge to close the space between us. "You could’ve fought for us. You could’ve fought for me," I said, my voice softer now, though the hurt still lingered beneath the surface.

 "I didn’t know how to," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper.

It was then I realized that maybe, just maybe, we were too far gone. But I still wanted to know—did he regret it? Did he ever want to fight for us, or was it always too late? The question hung in the air, unanswered, as we stood there, both of us torn between the past and the reality of what we had become.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jj steps closer, closing the space between us until we're face to face. The intensity was replaced with something more sincere as his eyes drift down to meet mine. I can feel the weight of his stare, a silent apology in those deep eyes. My throat tightens, and I look up at him, fighting back the tears that threaten to spill. Slowly, I feel his hand reach out, his fingers gently wrapping around mine, offering a connection I didn’t know I needed.

A distant, foggy voice calls my name. "Rory," it shouts, but I block it out, my focus entirely on Jj. Our eyes lock, and I feel a pull I can’t ignore. He leans in, his hand sliding behind my ear, cradling my head. Just as our lips are about to meet, the voice cuts through, louder and sharper now.

"Rory, what the fuck are you doing?"

The moment shatters. I pull away from Jj, my heart pounding as I turn to see Rafe standing there, fury etched across his face.

"Rafe—I... I can explain," I stammer, but my words fall flat.

Before I can say anything more, Rafe charges at Jj, his fist connecting with a sharp thud. Jj stumbles but quickly fights back, and suddenly they’re locked in a brutal fight, fists flying and bodies shoving each other.

"Rafe, stop!" I yell, panic rising in my chest, but my voice is drowned out by the chaos.

The commotion of their fight quickly escalates, drawing the attention of everyone at the party. Before I know it, a crowd forms around us, their voices rising in excitement and alarm. Rafe has Jj pinned to the ground, his fists raining down on Jj’s face without pause. I can’t stand it any longer.

"Rafe, stop!" I shout, rushing toward him. I grab his arm, desperate to pull him off, but he jerks free with a sharp motion, sending me stumbling backward. I hit the sand hard, the rough grains scraping against my leg and leaving a deep, stinging cut. Cradling my leg in pain, I glance up, only to see Jj’s expression darken with rage.

Jj twists his body, delivering a sharp kick that sends Rafe sprawling onto his back. Climbing to his feet, Jj’s voice thunders, "Don’t fucking touch her like that!"

Rafe, winded and lying in the sand, looks over at me with a mix of anger and guilt, but Jj doesn’t give him a second thought. Instead, he turns to me, his features softening. He kneels down, offering his hand to help me up, but when I try to move, a sharp pain shoots through my leg. Without hesitation, Jj scoops me up into his arms, holding me bridal-style as the crowd parts to let us through.

"There's nothing to fucking see here," Jj snaps at the onlookers, his voice cutting through the chatter as he carries me away.

[greenlightbulbonawire]

Misfits (yeah like the Arcane song) XL.

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Summary: From the dark musty cell of Stillwater all the way to the very base of Firelights, but where to from there? Guess you'll just have to let fate lead you.

Author's note: Guys please don't be affraid to comment literally anything that comes to your mind, I love reading and responding to your comments, it genuinely makes my day!!

previous chapter: Thirty ninth chapter

next chapter: Fourty first chapter

Masterlist

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You pulled a wire and it popped, causing a slight explosion. 

“[Reader?!]”

Echoed from the room above you, before rapid footsteps approached your door and threw it open. You had your back turned to it and as it flew open, you slowly rotated your head to look its way. Your face was covered with gray dust and your hair pointed in every direction. Your ass was sat on the ground and an almost disassembled hoverboard laid in your lap, eyes wide.

“WHAT DID YOU DO?”

You raised your hands to your head and shrugged.

“Is that a hoverboard??”

“.....No?”

“How did you manage to blow up a fucking hoverboard?!”

“I dunno.”

“You’re gonna get yourself killed one day I swear.”

“C’mon, I’m fineeee.” You waved your hand dismissively and wiped your face clean, leaving a dirty trail on your forearm. “What were you doing with it anyway?” “I was just tryna figure out how they work, that's all.”

Ekko shook his head and slipped into your room, closing the door behind him and joining you on the ground a few seconds after.

“Why not just ask me?”

You shrugged and started to gather the blown up bits, gathering them in a pile in front of you. “You’re busy enough as it is, I’m not gonna bother you with something as stupid as that.” “Stupid?? I’d love to tell you how they work, why would you think otherwise?” “I dunno, I mean, I just felt like you have better things to do, especially after the Council blew up.”

“Please, nothings better than spendin’ time with you.”

You felt your body freeze a little and his words lingered in your head. What was that even supposed to mean?? Ekko quietly scooted closer and started rummaging through the pile you made, pulling out a bigger piece of the board. Your mouth was slightly agape as you watched him for a few moments, trying to figure out what to make out of this whole situation, then you shook your head, making you concentrate on the present.

“Still, I have a feeling that the wellbeing and safety of the people here are a priority right now.” “Yeah well, maybe that's why you should ask me next time, instead of blowing yourself up, don’t ya think?” He nudged you with his elbow and began to fix the device with the tools you had lying around, previously using them to disassemble the machine.

“Okay, you got that?”

“I think so? I never really did stuff like this, but I think I’m starting to get the gist of it.” “What made you want to know how my hoverboards work actually?”

You chuckled, a wave of nervousness washing over you, eyes tearing away from him and burying into the ground in front of you. “You know how we found the big lizard?”

The boy paused what he was going for a moment to look at you, only to realize you were already avoiding his eye contact. “Why am I afraid of where this is going [reader]?” He said and continued to look at you, waiting for you to look back at him, finding your nervousness quite amusing. A sigh escaped your lips as your head finally turned his way and gave him an awkward smile. “I’ve been visiting her and-”

“So it’s a she now?”

Ekko straightened his position and raised his brow, ignoring the fact that you were supposed to visit the animal with him. He knew very well you’d just go there alone anyway and it was easier to just let it go than argue with you. “I think so, I’ve named her Fae.” You replied to him, a little more cheerful now. Ekko scoffed and shook his head, an entertained smile growing on his mouth.

“You named it?” “Her, yea, why not?”

The boy stared at you for a few moments, then he rubbed his face with his hand and sighed, his lips still curled into a smile. “You’re lucky that I like you. ‘couse… whatever, how does it connect with you blowing up a hoverboard?” “Well I thought that if I could understand how they worked, that I could make a bigger one and transport her here. She doesn’t want to leave the street no matter what I do and I can’t just leave her there.”

“Hol’ up, hol’ up, you wanna bring the big lizard, INTO MY BASE?” He stared at you for a moment with wide eyes, before continuing to talk. “What about asking me first huh?” “I know, I know, should have, but c’mon, you’ll help me right?”

“Wha- ugh, yeah I’ll help you, but the creature…”

Ekko paused for a moment, looking at your face as you raised your brows at him before he rolled his eyes and corrected himself. “Fae is your responsibility, not mine okay?”

“Of course! Thank you!” Your face lit up with a smile and you embraced him into a quick, tight hug.